¡¶The army reaches the world¡·


 Works related Chapter 1 has kept everyone waiting for a long time

    As soon as the name Lao Gao came out, I felt a warm feeling. After not seeing each other for a day, it felt like three autumns, and finally meeting my book friends again. This feeling was really a kind of indescribable expectation and joy.

    ??From the Tang Dynasty to Ten Thousand Households, Famous Families, World Heroes, and World Heroes, many book friends have followed Lao Gao all the way. In the blink of an eye, it has been five or six years.

    Over the past few years, book friends have given their support to Lao Gao, with monthly passes, subscriptions, and rewards. Lao Gao has always kept it in mind and thanked everyone for their support.

    I also feel sorry for my book friends. I remember clearly that I still owe you four additional chapters, and I will definitely make up for it in the new book.

    Although we are in a new environment, Lao Gao is still the same Lao Gao as before. He will still cry for subscriptions and cry for monthly votes.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Of course, the most important thing is to write well and repay book friends for their support.

    ?? Okay, no more talk, the world heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties have ended. This time we come to the Three Kingdoms and conquer the world. The new story begins in the sixth year of Jian'an.

    Let us slowly unfold the most magnificent picture in Chinese history, the Three Kingdoms' struggle for hegemony.

    ??

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 1 PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

    This is a room with almost only four walls. There is only a small table and a few woven bamboo headsets. On the small table, a small oil lamp is burning brightly, making the room dim and bright.

    In the middle of the room, a witch wearing an embroidered black robe was dancing, making strange and sharp screams from time to time, as if she was an innocent soul seeking her life, and her cold eyes were staring at a young man on the ground.

    The young man looked about fifteen or sixteen years old. He was lying on a worn-out straw mat and was wearing a coarse cloth. His face was slightly longer, his eyebrows were like swords, and his nose was high. He had a handsome appearance. His skin was slightly dark and his figure was  He is tall and burly, and his long years of hunting life have made his hands and feet extremely strong.

    But at this time, he seemed to be ill and in a coma. He kept shouting some weird words in his mouth, which was a dialect that the locals couldn't understand.

    "Lawyer Fangwhen is the court date?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "I'm afraid I won't be able to catch up. What should I do if I miss the train?"

    This is a soul transferred from a past life. A young lawyer who loves sports fell into an unfathomable cave while hiking outdoors. His soul is immortal, traveling through 1,800 years of time and space, and possessing a ten-year-old man who also fell into a rock crevice.  On the six-year-old boy hunter.

    He experienced an extremely long journey in time and space in the darkness, and the stars passed and the years reincarnated. When his soul woke up, he had trekked in the long time and space tunnel for 1,800 years.

    It has been two days since the young hunter was rescued. He only woke up once and soon fell into a coma. He was not sick. He seemed to have lost his soul and spoke nonsense that frightened the locals.

    There is an old man squatting in the corner, about sixty years old. He is the boy's grandfather. The boy's parents have already died of illness. Before they died, they entrusted the child to him. If the child has shortcomings, how will he explain to his dead son?  .

    At this time, he was extremely worried. His grandson fell into a mountain crevice at Guichou Rock, but was caught by a thick bush and survived the catastrophe.

    But the grandson who came back seemed like a different person, talking nonsense that no one could understand. When people in the same village heard that he fell into the crevices of Guichou Rock, they all agreed that he was possessed by a ghost, and even  Some even proposed burning him to death.

    The old man sighed. After all, this was his grandson. He had to save him no matter what. All his hopes were pinned on this witch.

    Outside the broken window, a group of people stared at the children on the ground with hatred and whispered.

    "Did you hear that? He was talking nonsense again. He seemed to be talking about a train. What is a train? Have you heard of it?"

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? off the train, no one has heard of a train, some people are smart and shouted: "I know, this must be the car where the Fire Ghost King rides."

    "Oh my God, he is a monster!"

    An old man stared at the young man and said through gritted teeth: "He will bring disaster to us, we must burn him to death!"

    ¡°Burn him to death!¡± The villagers outside shouted loudly.

    At this moment, a cry and a dog barking suddenly came from the distance, and a ball of fire rose into the sky. Everyone was stunned, not knowing what happened. At this time, a young man ran over  , shouted in horror: "Li Kui, no, Cao Jun is here to capture the young man!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the sixth year of Jian'an, the Battle of Runan broke out. Liu Bei gathered tens of thousands of Yellow Turban troops from Liu Pi and Gongdu who were entrenched in Runan County, and marched towards Xudu, trying to take advantage of Cao Cao's battle in Hebei to sneak attack Xudu.

    At this time, Cao Cao had ended the Battle of Cangting, withdrew his troops back to Xudu, and personally led his army to attack Liu Bei southward. Cao Cao swore that he would completely eliminate Liu Bei this time.

    In the wilderness north of Ancheng County, Runan County, a Cao Jun cavalry force of more than a thousand people drove thousands of civilian soldiers running in the wilderness. The so-called civilian soldiers were young and old men captured from all over Runan County, about five.  Six thousand people.

    These civilian soldiers did not wear armor, and they were carrying various "weapons" such as broken knives, broken swords, hoes and sticks, and many of them were still bare-handed.

    The colors of the clothes are also very messy. Some are wearing short Geyi, some are wearing scholar's crown robes, and some are even wearing short robes and are bare-chested. They form groups in a chaotic state and run aimlessly in the wilderness.

    The cavalry kept rushing past the team. When they saw anyone running slower, they whipped their heads and shouted, "Run!"

    In extreme exhaustion, some people kept falling to the ground. Cao's cavalry showed no mercy and raised their spears to stab these laggards to the ground.

    "Run! If you dare to pretend to be dead, you will be killed without mercy!"

    The screams kept coming and going in the wilderness, making every civilian and soldier extremely frightened and running eastwards desperately.

    In the team, a tall young manSometimes fast and sometimes slow, his movements are agile, he will not fall behind and be whipped, but he will never run ahead.

    He is a young hunter who has awakened from a coma. In his previous life, he was named Liu Jian. He was a lawyer. He loved outdoor sports and had a strong body. Unfortunately, he fell into an abyss while climbing.

    After waking up, he was possessed by a young hunter. His thoughts of future generations completely replaced the possessed boy, so that he was still in a state of ignorance about this era and did not even know his name in this era.  Then Cao Jun captured the young man.

    He really wanted to ask the people around him, what year is it now and where is he now?  He knew that he had fallen into the Three Kingdoms era, and the big word "Cao" on the banner was particularly eye-catching.

    "Run quickly!"

    A middle-aged man pushed him hard and said, "The officers and soldiers behind us whipped him hard!"

    As soon as Liu Jian turned around, he saw more than a hundred Cao Jun cavalry dozens of steps away, whipping them away with whips. Many people were beaten to the head and bleeding, and those who fell to the ground were immediately stabbed to death with spears.

    Liu Jian sighed. His only advantage now is that he has a little more brains than these poor sheep-like civilian soldiers.

    He stretched his neck and looked behind him again. There was a black line in the distance, about a few miles away, following them from a distance.

    He had already guessed what Cao Jun was going to do. If he guessed correctly, they were cannon fodder being driven to death. There should be thousands of troops waiting for them ahead.

    He didn¡¯t know how to survive, but one thing he knew in his heart was that he could not rush to the front, but he could not fall behind either. Only when the war broke out and Cao Jun couldn¡¯t take care of them, could he look for opportunities to escape.

    Liu Jian ran quickly with the crowd. At this time, he was very grateful to God for allowing him to possess a strong and vigorous young man and giving him the capital to save his life.

    In this life, he was a young hunter who lived in the mountainous area in the south of Runan County. He ran in the mountains and ridges for many years, fighting wild beasts. He ran extremely fast and his body was flexible and agile.

    Liu Jian¡¯s excellent physique and smart mind from his previous life gave Liu Jian the capital to survive. He was not as desperate as others, but was patiently waiting for the opportunity to escape.

    At this moment, there was a sudden commotion in front, and someone shouted, "There is an army in front, it's the Yellow Turban Army!"

    Liu Jian also saw it. A mile away in front, a dense army suddenly appeared. There were about ten or twenty thousand people, with swords and guns like a forest, and flags like clouds. Under a big red flag, murderous soldiers were arranged in layers.  Arranged, thousands of people in front were crossbowmen.

    Thousands of crossbows were aimed at them coldly, frightening the civilians and soldiers out of their wits. They shouted in fear, turned around and ran back. At this moment, Cao Jun's attack drum sounded,'  Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The sound of the drum shook the heaven and the earth.

    A thousand Cao Jun cavalry forcibly drove the civilian soldiers towards the enemy's position. At this time, they no longer used whips to drive them away, but instead used knives and spears to stab them. Groups of civilian soldiers who tried to escape were killed on the spot.

    In front is the threat of death, but behind is the bloody killing, the wailing before being killed, the severed heads, the piled corpses, blood splattering, broken limbs flying everywhere, thousands of people are forced by the god of death,  They rushed towards the Yellow Turban Army with all their might, and the shouts of killing resounded throughout the wilderness.

    The army in front was the main force of the Runan Yellow Turban Army, with a total of 12,000 people. It was led by General Gong Du. On Liu Pi's order, he went to support Liu Bei's army, but he did not expect to be attacked by Cao's army on the way.

    "General Gong, why are all the people killed?" a deputy general asked with a frown.

    "This is a civilian who is willing to die. The real Cao Jun is behind."

    Gong Du sneered and shouted loudly: "Get your bows and arrows ready!"

    Thousands of bows and arrows were raised on the ground, and the cold arrows were aimed at the civilians who were rushing towards them.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jian was trapped among the civilians, but he ran diagonally toward the northeast. He had already discovered a forest in the northeast, and he immediately realized that that was his way out.

    Liu Jian kept dodging the oncoming crowds, and gradually moved to the edge of the army, but he could no longer pass. A group of Cao Jun cavalry blocked his way to escape north.

    At this moment, the Yellow Turban Army fired a volley of arrows, and the dense arrows rushed towards them like locusts. In an instant, screams were heard, and a large number of civilians were shot over. They had no leather armor on their bodies and could not withstand the enemy's bows and arrows.  .

    Thousands of civilians were in chaos, crying loudly. They had no way to escape. The cavalry of the surrounding Cao army forced them to charge. If they retreated even slightly, they would kill them mercilessly.

    Liu Jian was knocked to the ground in the chaos. At this moment, what did he suddenly feel?  The earth is shaking.

    He looked back eagerly, his eyes fixed on the distance, and saw only a gray and hazy landscape in the west.The clouds filled the air and blocked the sun. The setting sun turned blood-red, and endless cavalry appeared in the distance.

    Soon, the earth trembled more violently, the thunderous sound of horse hooves sounded in the northwest, and the black cavalry came from all over the sky. The civilian soldiers shouted in horror, "It's the cavalry!"

    More than half of the thousands of civilians were dead and wounded. Their mission was completed and they disrupted the Yellow Turban Army's bow and arrow formation. A thousand cavalrymen of Cao's army who were in charge of escorting left them behind and took the lead in charging into the archer position.

    At this time, no one cared about the life and death of these civilians. Liu Jian was waiting for this opportunity. He reacted very quickly and shouted to the crowd around him: "Follow me and run into the woods!"

    Liu Jian ran wildly, but soon he realized something was wrong. There were still a few hundred steps in the woods, but Cao Jun's cavalry had already reached 200 steps away, much faster than them. They would be rushed to death before they could escape the woods.  All.

    Liu Jian's quick wit from later generations came into full play at this time. He immediately lay down in a depression, moved seven or eight corpses and piled them on top of him, and secretly looked back through the gaps between the corpses.

    By this time, Cao Jun¡¯s cavalry had arrived, and dense arrows were fired at them. Hundreds of civilians who ran slower were shot down screaming.

    This cavalry was six thousand elite cavalry led by Xia Houyuan. They were ordered to surprise Liu Bei's backup army. He divided his troops into two groups. One thousand cavalry were responsible for escorting the captured civilians, and the other five thousand, led by Xia Houyuan, were waiting for the opportunity to fight in the back.  .

    At this time, the thousand cavalry of Cao's army escorting the civilians had taken the lead in charging into the enemy's archer formation, so that the main cavalry of Cao's army was no longer threatened by bows and arrows. They began to mobilize and cover up the main force of the Yellow Turban Army.

    Xia Houyuan is eight feet three tall, with big shoulders and a round waist. His eyes are as cold as lightning. He uses a big iron gun weighing eighty kilograms like a god.

    He yelled, "Kill them all!"

    Cao Jun¡¯s cavalry came like a storm, like tigers and leopards. Wherever they passed, heads were flying, limbs were torn apart, and blood mist filled the air. The desperate civilians were caught under the iron hoofs, wailing all over the field, and the horses were trampled into mud.

    Gong Du led the Yellow Turban Army to fight. He waved his sword and challenged Xia Houyuan, but failed after a few rounds. He turned his horse to run away, but his horse was not fast. He was caught up by Xia Houyuan and shot through the back. Gong Du screamed.  With a sound, he was killed instantly. Xia Houyuan lifted his body high and laughed loudly, "Is this the army of big-eared thieves?"

    The leader of the Yellow Turban Army was killed and soon collapsed, and a tragic massacre unfolded in the wilderness.

    When the last war horse jumped over Liu Jian, Liu Jian jumped up from the depression and ran lifelessly into the woods hundreds of steps away. This was his only chance to escape

    ??

 Volume 1, Chapter 2: An Ox Cart

    Only half an hour later, more than 12,000 soldiers under Gong Du were killed or injured. Only a few soldiers were able to escape, and the captured civilian soldiers were almost killed in the melee.

    Cao¡¯s cavalry seized some of the grain and grass and burned the rest. The six thousand cavalry turned around and headed toward Ancheng in the south.

    It was already dark by this time, and the vast wilderness was filled with blood. Groups of wild dogs appeared and gnawed on the corpses. It was especially important to stay away from the battlefield at this time.

    Liu Jian ran for more than twenty miles in one breath. He was very smart. After running into the woods, he made a big circle and then ran northwest. That was where the cavalry came from, so he could avoid the cavalry.

    He ran into a low hill. There were lush trees on the hill. There was no danger here anymore. He found a big rock to sit down and took a breather. The few people who fled with him had all run away, leaving him alone.  one person.

    Liu Jian sighed. It had been three days since he came to this era. Only then could he calm down and think about some issues.

    In fact, he could already guess what time it was. He was familiar with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He heard some civilians talking about Runan County, "Runan County, Cao Jun, and the Yellow Turban Army." After stringing these clues together, he vaguely understood.

    This should be Liu Bei coming out from Yuan Shao, taking over Liu Pi in Runan, and the remaining Yellow Turban Army in Gongdu, preparing to attack Xudu, but Cao Cao turned against him.

    right!  It was now the sixth year of Jian'an, and Liu Jian suddenly remembered that the next step was for Liu Bei to join Liu Biao in Jingzhou.

    So, where should I go?  Go and seek refuge with Liu Biao, or not.  £®  £®  £®  £®  To seek refuge with Cao Cao, of course he should seek refuge with Cao Cao, but on what basis?

    Liu Jian felt confused and couldn't make up his mind for a moment.

    At this time, his stomach growled, and he reached out to touch his arms, but unexpectedly found that there was still half a piece of cake, which seemed to be leftover from lunch. He was overjoyed, as this half piece of cake would be enough to last until tomorrow morning.  .

    Liu Jian took out the cake and took two bites. The Han Dynasty did not understand the fermentation technology, so they made solid flour cakes. They were very strong and difficult to bite, and even dryer and difficult to swallow. Therefore, this kind of cake was also called Shuiyin cake, and it had to be broken into pieces and soaked.  Eat in water.

    The cake was really hard to swallow, and his throat was so dry that it was on fire. Liu Jian stood up and looked around. He needed to find a stream.

    This is a low and gentle hill, only slightly higher than the plain, but with a radius of more than ten miles. The entire hill is covered by lush woods. There is an east-west official road passing through the middle of the woods, which is the gateway to Jingjing from the west.  The only way to go.

    There were many strange noises in the woods at night, and from time to time the shrill cries of night owls were heard, which was so creepy that he did not dare to walk in the woods without anything to protect himself.

    A war broke out in Runan County, and people were killed everywhere. Groups of wild dogs were running around in the wilderness. Once they were hit by them, they would definitely die.

    Liu Jian walked west along the official road. After about two or three miles, he found a fork in the road ahead. Listening carefully, there seemed to be the sound of gurgling water ahead of the fork.

    Liu Jian was so happy that he ran towards the fork in the road. After about a hundred steps, he saw a small river one foot wide, winding through the woods. The moonlight shined through the treetops and shone on the riverside, making it colorful.  A bit of half-light and half-dark mystery.

    But Liu Jian suddenly stopped running a dozen steps away and stared at the back of a bush.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There was an overturned bullock cart behind the bushes. A thick wooden wheel was raised high. Several dead people were lying around. An old man was lying under the wheel, chopped to pieces. The driver was hanging on the shaft of the cart.  Several arrows hit his back, and a man in white was lying not far away.

    There was also a corpse in the car. It was a young man, about fifteen or sixteen years old. He was about the same age as him. He was also quite tall, only slightly shorter than him. He had been shot several times and was covered in blood.

    Liu Jian sighed. In troubled times, people are worse than dogs. This group of people seems to have some identity, but what is the use of identity? In troubled times, you have to be like yourself and know how to run and hide in order to escape with your life.

    At this time, he suddenly found that the man in white seemed to move. Liu Jian was stunned. Is this man not dead yet?

    He quickly stepped forward and saw that this was a middle-aged man. The back of his head was hit with a stick and his flesh and blood were bruised. There seemed to be no injuries elsewhere. He reached out and touched the man's nose. He was still breathing, and he seemed to have just fainted.

    He tore off the man's robe, soaked some water in the river, slowly squeezed it into the man's mouth, and wiped it on his forehead.

    "Perhaps it was the water that had an effect. The man slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at Liu Jian dimly and said in a low voice: "I metCao Jun's cavalry, tell Liu Zhoumu"

    As soon as he finished speaking, he fainted again. Liu Jian scratched his head.I just felt a headache. I couldn't tell which Liuzhou pastor it was. Is it Liu Bei, the Yuzhou pastor, Liu Biao, the Jingzhou pastor, or Liu Zhang, the Yizhou pastor?  These three people seem to be Liu Zhoumu.

    Liu Jian put the man down and looked around in the bullock cart. Except for some broken and scattered bamboo slips, there was nothing else. He was a little disappointed. Even if he had a knife, it would be great!

    He looked around again, trying to look as far away as possible. Suddenly, he seemed to see something in the grass a dozen steps away.

    Liu Jian stepped forward quickly and found a skin bag in the grass. The skin was heavy, which surprised him. How could it be lost in the grass?

    He quickly opened the leather bag, and a dagger jumped into his sight. The scabbard of the dagger was luxuriously decorated, wrapped with gold and silver threads, and inlaid with several gems. He pulled out the dagger. The white and dense blade was extremely sharp.  It is a precious sword.

    At this moment, if he was alert, he would have an instinct to avoid danger that he had developed during countless hunting trips. This instinct made him involuntarily turn to the left and roll out a foot away.

    ¡®Whoosh!  Whoosh!  ¡¯ There was a sound breaking through the air, and two arrows shot forward and back, hitting the exact spot where they were just now.

    Liu Jian then discovered that two Cao soldiers appeared one behind the other, holding spears and crossbows, and silently surrounded him.

    These were two cavalrymen of the Cao Army. They hid the skin bag in the grass. When they came back quietly to retrieve it, they found that it had been picked up, which made them furious.

    ¡°Boy, put your things down!¡± a soldier yelled viciously.

    Liu Jian put down his leather bag, but drew out his dagger and stared at each other sharply. The two of them had blocked his escape route. What if they weren't trying to kill him?

    He has already risked his life. Even if he dies, he still has to kill one person to earn back his original value.

    ¡°Boy, I really don¡¯t want to live anymore.¡±

    A soldier dropped his bow and arrow, shouted and rushed forward, stabbing Liu Jian with a spear. These two soldiers were Xia Houyuan's cavalry patrols. They were originally from the Qingzhou Army. They were well-trained and had strong fighting skills, but their military discipline  But they are relatively disorganized. Taking advantage of the chaos of war to kill and rob is their daily routine.

    "If they weren't afraid that the sound of horse hooves would alert Liu Jian and make him swim away, the two of them would have come to kill him on horseback. Although they were not riding horses at this time, the two of them were still extremely vicious.

    Liu Jian dodged the stabbing, rolled forward, and reached the soldier very quickly, slashing the opponent's calf with his sword.

    Although his thoughts come from later generations, his body is that of a young hunter with rich hunting experience. This experience is accumulated in the depths of his mind like a subconscious, and is naturally stimulated whenever he encounters danger.

    He could tell at a glance that these two men were cavalry. They had bow-legged legs and their legs were definitely not agile enough for running. He remembered that this was a common weakness of cavalry.

    His speed was as fast as lightning, so the soldier was not wary. More importantly, he looked like a teenager, and both cavalrymen looked down upon him.

    With a shrill scream, the soldier's right calf was cut off with a sword. Even Liu Jian didn't realize that the dagger was so sharp. His shock only flashed past, and then he jumped towards the tiger like a tiger, and cut off the soldier's right calf.  The soldier fell to the ground, raised his sword and dropped it, and stabbed the sword into the soldier's chest.

    He turned around suddenly, stared at the other soldier like a leopard, and slowly wiped the blood on his face with the back of his hand. This was his experience in fighting wild beasts. After killing a prey, he could not miss it at all, otherwise he would die on the other side.  In the mouth of the beast.

    The other sergeant was more than ten steps away. He also realized that it was too late to save him. Liu Jian killed people too quickly and did not give him a chance.

    The two faced each other, staring at each other without blinking. No one dared to attack easily. Cao Jun's soldiers had already drawn their swords, with a spear in one hand and a sword in the other, both long and short.

    Liu Jian suddenly bent down to pick up the spear of the dead soldier. The two of them were like taut strings. As long as one of them made a slight change, it would immediately trigger the other's offensive.

    The sergeant roared and threw a spear, stabbing Liu Jian straight at him. He then swooped forward and struck Liu Jian with a knife on his head.

    Liu Jian's bending down to pick up the spear was just a feint, just to trigger the opponent to strike first, just like triggering a wild beast to pounce on him. He pretended to pick up the spear, but rolled forward, dodged the opponent's spear in the air, jumped up, and stabbed him from the side.  The opponent's thigh.

    This sergeant of Cao's army was a very long man, eight feet tall, with a long back and a bear's waist. He was much more powerful than the soldier who was killed just now. He slashed the air with his sword and knew something was wrong.

    But he didn¡¯t panic. He flashed his sword and struck out with a horizontal sword, which hit the dagger right in the hand. The dagger flew out of Liu Jian¡¯s hand, but the other person was knocked to the ground by Liu Jian.

    Liu Jian pushed him to the ground, pressed one of his hands with his knee, grabbed his ears, and pressed his head to the grass. Their other hands were in the air.quantity.

    Time passed little by little, and Liu Jian suddenly heard the neighing of a war horse in the distance. He felt anxious. When he turned his eyes, he found that the man in white had sat up and stared at them blankly from about twenty steps away.

    "You idiot, why don't you come and help me!" Liu Jian shouted anxiously.

    The moment he was distracted, Commander Cao roared and grabbed his neck. The huge force almost suffocated him and made him faint.

    At the same time, Liu Jian also caught an arrow on the ground and stabbed the opponent's face with an arrow. Cao Jun screamed and tried desperately to crush his throat. The two were competing to kill him first.  other side.

    Liu Jian went crazy and aimed at his eyes and forehead with arrows. Cao Jun choked and his hands gradually loosened. At this time, someone dozens of steps behind him shouted: "There!"

    Liu Jian jumped up from the commander of Cao's army, grabbed the leather bag on the ground, and picked up the dagger. He stumbled and ran forward a few steps, jumped into the river, swam across the other bank several times, and ran lifelessly deep into the woods.

    The man in white was so frightened that he got up and ran after him, "Sir, wait for me!"

    ??

 Volume 1: Chu Ming Chapter 3: A Big Bet

    The sky was getting brighter, and the sun shone into the woods. Liu Jian, who was hiding in a big tree, slowly opened his eyes. His throat hurt, and he couldn't help but think of what happened last night.

    Fighting two Cao soldiers last night was the most thrilling encounter he had ever had since he came to this era, even more than being driven to attack the Yellow Turban Army.

    "If the two Cao soldiers were not careless at first, he would definitely be no match for the two of them, and he would definitely die. Looking back now, I feel scared in my heart.

    He thought of the skin bag again. Liu Jian sat up suddenly and took the skin bag hanging on the tree behind him. He almost lost his life because of this skin bag. He didn't know if the contents inside were worth his efforts.

    First, he took out the dagger. The dagger had no sheath and was simply wrapped with a piece of cloth. He then took out a heavy small square box from the leather pouch. The box was carved from fine golden nanmu, with various floral patterns.  It was very exquisite, and Liu San suddenly became excited. Could it be that there was some gold jewelry in the box?

    Almost holding his breath, he carefully opened the box. The box was lined with golden brocade. The brocade was knotted to contain something. He untied the brocade knot. Inside was a bronze official seal with a turtle as a button.  , square and flat, only the size of a fist.

    It turned out to be an official seal. Liu Jian was a little disappointed. He looked at other items, including a letter and a roll of bamboo slips. There was nothing valuable.

    He took out the copper seal again, squinted at the sun for a moment, and could barely make out the seal characters on it, 'Jin Ping Ting Hou Seal'.

    This turned out to be the seal of the Marquis. He took a breath and realized that the identities of the people who were killed yesterday were not simple.

    Liu Jian couldn't help but look up at a big rock under the tree, and saw the man in white sitting on the big rock, staring blankly at the rising sun.

    It seemed that he was sitting like this before dawn, looking very worried, but Liu Jian could also understand that everyone who was traveling with him died, and he must be very sad.

    Liu Jian jumped down from the tree, walked slowly to him, and placed the skin bag on the big stone next to him, "I'll give this back to you! It's of no use to me."

    The man in white sighed, everyone is dead, what's the point of giving it to him?

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thank you, bro!  "

    The man in white took out the letter and bamboo slips from the leather bag. The letter was written on fine linen paper. He opened it and read it again, with a wry smile on his lips. At the beginning, he had promised his lord that he would definitely bring Mr. Jing back to Xiangyang. Now that he is dead, let him  How could he go back and report to the Lord?

    "Who is thisJin Pingtinghou?" Liu Jian asked curiously.

    "He is the younger brother of my lord, who is also Jingzhou Mu." For the sake of Liu Jian saving him, the man in white did not hide anything.

    "oh!"

    Liu Jian then realized that the Liu Zhoumu he was talking about was Liu Biao, but he was still a little surprised. Liu Biao's younger brother must be at least forty or fifty years old!  The person driving the bullock cart was obviously a young man.

    "The one who died on the bullock cart yesterday was your lord's brother?"

    "No, he is his son, my lord's nephew."

    The man in white sighed, "I was ordered by my lord to go to his hometown in Shanyang County to take him to Xiangyang. I didn't expect that I encountered Cao Jun's cavalry patrol last night, and I was actually killed by them. Alas!"

    'nephew!  ¡¯

    Liu Jian suddenly realized that the young man was Liu Biao's nephew, and he was killed by Cao Jun on the way. This was really unexpected.

    Liu Jian sighed and asked: "Then what are you going to do now?"

    "What else can I do? I don't have the face to go see my lord, so I can only abandon my wife and children and live in exile."

    After saying that, the man in white stood up and bowed deeply to Liu Jian, "I am Wu Xiu in Jingzhou. I am very grateful to you for saving me. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely repay you."

    After saying that, he picked up the leather bag and turned to leave, but Liu Jian stopped him, "Please stay!"

    The man in white turned around and asked, "Master, is there anything else you can do?"

    Liu Jian glanced at the hilt of the sword exposed outside the leather bag and said with a smile: "If that dagger is useless, can you give it to me?"

    He was extremely impressed by the sharpness of the dagger last night.

    "Can!"

    The man in white handed the dagger to him, and Liu Jian took it, "Thank you very much."

    He liked this dagger very much and swung it twice. Unfortunately, the scabbard was thrown away last night and he had to get another scabbard.

    "Sir, see you later."

    The man in white turned around and left, but as soon as he took two steps, a thought suddenly jumped out of his mind, Master!  A boy of fourteen or fifteen years old, is this God saving him?

      He suddenly turned around, his eyes widened, and he looked Liu Jian up and down. He had a similar figure and about the same age.

    "Youwhat's your name? Where are you from?" the man in white asked in a trembling voice.

    "My name is Liu Jian, and I am a hunter in the mountains."

    "Your surname is also Liu."

    The man in white¡¯s eyes slowly lit up, this is really God¡¯s will!

    Thinking of his wife and children at home, Wu Xiu gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He knelt down and bowed, "Jingzhou Secretary Wu Xiu begs the young master for something!"

    He stared at Liu Jian with a pleading look in his eyes. When Liu Jian thought about it, he also thought of something, and his heart became eager.

    "What's the matter with you? Tell me!"

    "I beg you to pretend to be my young master and come with me to Xiangyang."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Young Master must forget your original name, remember! Your name is Liu Jing, you are sixteen years old this year, and you are from Gaoping County, Shanyang County. You must be tight-lipped and make no mistakes."

    On a mountain road going north, Wu Xiu was teaching some of the most important things over and over again. If this kid was exposed, his life would be in danger.

    Liu Jian smiled and said: "My name is Liu Jing, I remember it, but I remember that Liu Biao's courtesy name is Jingsheng. Why is there no taboo in my name?"

    "You can't mention my uncle's name. You must never mention it. You must remember this."

    Seeing that his attitude was very serious, Liu Jian stopped joking and nodded. He also warned himself that Liu Jian was his name in his previous life and he was dead. He would be called Liu Jing in this life.

    Wu Xiu became serious and said: "Your uncle gave you this name. He liked you very much, so he gave you the word "jing" in his surname. You are of the jade generation, so you are called Jing."

    Liu Jian.  £®  £®  No!  From now on, he will be called Liu Jing, and he must first forget the name Liu Jian in his previous life. He silently warned himself that if he wanted to survive in the Three Kingdoms era, he must have an identity that belonged to this era.

    Liu Biao¡¯s nephew had to seize this opportunity no matter what.

    He repeated his name in his mind, ¡®Liu Jing, this is your new beginning.  ¡¯

    Liu Jing lowered his head and thought for a moment, frowned and said: "Actually, I think there are quite a lot of loopholes here. For example, my parents have always known me! What about the family members? It's exposed as soon as we meet. How should I deal with it?"

    Wu Xiu smiled and said, "You don't have to worry about this. Your father passed away seven years ago, and your mother died of illness last year, so my uncle thought of bringing you to Jingzhou. As for the clan members, they all came to Jingzhou several years ago.  They may not even know you, as long as your face is similar, kids have to grow up!"

    Then he handed the letter to Liu Jing and said with a smile: "This is a letter written by your uncle to your uncle. It turned out that your uncle kicked you mother and son out the year before last. I don't know what he thought. Anyway, this letter didn't  Send it out and bring it back, see for yourself!¡±

    Liu Jing took the letter and read it carefully. The letter said that his nephew's father died early and his mother died of illness last year. Since his birth, he has never cared for him and feels very guilty. This means that Liu Biao has never seen this nephew and has not sent any orders.  People feel guilty when they visit him.

    Liu Jing nodded silently, took another bamboo slip and looked at it. It turned out to be his Yuan slip, which is equivalent to the identity certificate for future generations. It contains his birth date and the names of his parents. This was given to Liu Biao to prove his identity.  .

    "What about my accent? I wonder how different it is from my accent back home?"

    "Your accent is a bit like that of Taishan County. Although there is still a slight difference, it is not a big problem. You can say that you have been studying in Taishan. I know there are many schools there, and I am covering it up for you, so it should be okay.  Dealing with the past.¡±

    "I understand! But I still have a few questions."

    "It doesn't matter, just ask. We have to consider the details carefully so that there won't be any problems. By the way, there are also various etiquette and titles. I taught you last night, don't forget it."

    The two of them talked all the way north. At this time, they were still in Runan County. After passing through Rangshan Mountain, they could enter Jingzhou after walking for more than a hundred miles.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The county seat of Runan County is Ancheng County. About two hundred miles north of Ancheng County, there is a hilly area with undulating mountains about a hundred feet high. This hilly and mountainous area with a radius of dozens of miles is called Rangshan Mountain.

    Liu Jing and Wu Xiu had no mounts and were not walking very fast. They had not eaten for a day and a night and were so hungry that they were dizzy. However, they were surrounded by a wilderness and couldn't even find a hare.

    It was not until dusk that they saw Rangshan Mountain from a distance. It was almost dark at this time, and the two of them had justThey walked into a hill and were about to find a place to forage for the night. Suddenly, a whistle flew over their heads, and a sharp sound was made.

    "Catch them!"

    Nearly a hundred Yellow Turban soldiers who were ambushing on both sides of the road rushed out from the front, back and left. Before they could react, they surrounded them. Dozens of bows and arrows were strung and aimed at them.

    Wu Xiu had some experience and quickly raised his hands and shouted: "We are just ordinary people, please don't hurt us."

    "Nonsense!"

    A camp leader strode out, pointed his sword at the two of them, and shouted sternly: "You must be Cao Jun's spies, arrest them."

    At this time, Liu Jing said calmly: "Uncle Liu Huang is here, I am his nephew, I want to see him!"

    Several Yellow Turban soldiers who were about to pounce on stopped and turned around to look at the commander. The commander was startled to see that he was actually the nephew of the Liu royal family. He hesitated for a moment and immediately whispered to a soldier, "Soldier."  Run away.

    Wu Xiu was surprised, is Liu Bei actually here?  He came from Shanyang County and just passed by Runan County. He didn't know that Liu Bei had returned to Runan County. He never expected that Liu Bei would be here. If Liu Bei was here, things would be easier to handle.

    Liu Jing secretly sneered. If Liu Bei was really here, things would be in trouble. They would definitely be attacked by Cao Jun. He called himself Liu Bei's nephew, but he just didn't want to be humiliated like a rice dumpling.

    At this time, a general came galloping on horseback. He was about seven feet five tall, nearly forty years old, and had a big beard. His arrival made the soldiers move respectfully.

    This person is Liu Pi, the commander-in-chief of the Yellow Turban Army in Runan. He and Liu Bei were killed by Cao Jun. He led more than 4,000 remnants of the army and just fled here. He was about to look for Liu Bei again, but he got news that Liu Bei's nephew was here.

    He thought it was Guan Ping, sent by Liu Bei to look for them, so he rode towards them. Unexpectedly, they were two unknown people. Liu Pi was furious. He waved his sword in his hand, and the sharp tip of the sword pressed against Liu Jing's throat.  , "Who are you? You dare to pretend to be the emperor's uncle, nephew, are you tired of living?"

    ??

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 4, Getting into Trouble Again

    "How do you know I'm not the nephew of the emperor's uncle?" Liu Jing looked into Liu Pi's eyes without fear.

    Since Liu Pi participated in the Yellow Turban Uprising in the first year of Zhongping, he has been fighting in the north and south for more than ten years. He knows countless people and has rich life experience. Although he does not know if Liu Bei has any nephews, he knows how to read people. From Liu Jing  In his eyes, what he saw was a kind of confidence, a kind of calmness that was different from ordinary people. This was a calm expression that ordinary impostors could not achieve.

    "Why do you prove that you are the nephew of the emperor's uncle?"

    "The emperor's uncle studied under Lu Zhi and was a friend of Gongsun Zan. In the early years of Zhongping, the emperor's uncle and his two brothers Guan and Zhang raised an army to fight against the Yellow Turbans in Zhuojun. They made many military exploits, but they were hated by the officials. As a result, they were not rewarded for their achievements and drifted indefinitely.  , occupied Pingyuan, saved Xuzhou, fought against the Cao thieves, was worshiped as the emperor's uncle and general Zuo by the Han emperor, and conspired with Dong Cheng and others to eradicate the national thieves. Can these be used as evidence? "

    Liu Pi stared at Liu Jing for a long time, then slowly withdrew his sword and said coldly: "If you dare to pretend, I will cut you into pieces with a thousand knives!"

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "The emperor's uncle was forced by Cao's army and was surrounded by enemies on all sides. What's the benefit of pretending to be his nephew at this time?"

    "Of course there will be benefits!"

    Seeing that they were exhausted, Liu Pi waved his hand and ordered: "Prepare a small tent for them and give them a piece of meat rice!"

    "Sir, you still have a way to coax them. If they suspect that you are a spy for Cao Jun, you will suffer a lot. Where will there be meat rice?" Wu Xiu was hungry and cold, and ate meat and corn rice with big mouthfuls.  Li praised Liu Jing vaguely.

    Liu Jing seemed a little worried. He temporarily pretended to be Liu Bei's nephew. On the one hand, he wanted to make a living. On the other hand, he did not want to be treated as a spy for Cao Jun and be tortured. In the end, he had to be tied up. He needed to remain free.  body, flee for your life at any time.

    He lowered his voice and said: "When we are full, let's escape in the dark!"

    "Why?" Wu Xiu was stunned.

    "We estimate that we have entered the war zone. They are obviously defeated soldiers who have been defeated. They are likely to be encircled and suppressed by Cao's army again. It is extremely dangerous to be with them. We must escape as soon as possible."

    Wu Xiu suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly, "Goodbye, young master!"

    "No matter what, let's fill up our stomach first!"

    Liu Jing was really hungry, so he picked up the bowl and started eating. This was the first meat rice he had eaten since he came to the Three Kingdoms era. Unexpectedly, it was horse meat rice

    At the third watch, Liu Jing tied the skin bag to her body and kicked Wu Xiu awake, "Let's go!"

    Wu Xiu was still awake, so he stood up in a daze and followed him outside the tent. Liu Jing looked around the left corner and saw that the big man who was watching them huddled under a tree and fell asleep.

    "Let's go!"

    Liu Jing waved and quickly ran towards the edge of the camp with Wu Xiu, who had just woken up. When he came in, he noticed that there was a gap in the northeast corner of the camp, and it seemed that there were not many defensive troops.

    The two ran to the gap. As expected, the defense was lax. Dozens of guards were hiding in the corner and sleeping. The two were overjoyed and ran toward the gap. Suddenly, Liu Jing held Wu Xiu down and squatted him down.  .

    "What's wrong?"

    Liu Jing rubbed his eyes and stared outside the camp. Under the dim moonlight, he saw a group of black shadows slowly approaching the gap in the camp. They were dozens of steps away. Liu Jing was so shocked that his heart almost jumped out of his chest. This was  Cao Jun wants to attack the camp.

    He picked up Wu Xiu and ran back, shouting: "Cao Jun is coming to kill! Cao Jun is coming to kill!"

    The shouts woke up the sleeping defenders. They also noticed movement outside and immediately sounded the gongs and drums.

    'when!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The piercing sound of gongs echoed in the camp, and the Yellow Turban Army was in chaos. Cao Jun, who was preparing for a sneak attack outside, shouted and charged. The defenders fought back, with arrows raining down, and rolling logs and stones falling down.

    Liu Pi rushed out of the tent with a sword and shouted: "All brothers stand up to fight. If Cao's army breaks through the camp, no one will survive!"

    More than 4,000 Yellow Turban soldiers rushed to the front of the camp. The camp was built on the mountain and the terrain was dangerous. As long as it was properly defended, Cao Jun could not attack for a while.

    At this time, the Yellow Turban Army had no way out and had no choice but to fight. Their morale was gradually aroused. They fought desperately to kill the enemy. Cao's army suffered heavy casualties during the sneak attack. They left more than two hundred corpses behind and retreated down the mountain in embarrassment.

    At this time, drums were beating loudly at the foot of the mountain, and fires were rising from all sides. Cao's army of thousands of people from the north rushed over. This was General Gao Lan's army, and there was also an army from the south. The leader was Yu Jin, who was the leader of this army.  The coach of more than ten thousand Cao troops.

    When Yu Jin heard that the sneak attack failed, he couldn't help but became furious, "The Yellow Turban thieves dare to bully me, give me three sides"Attack!  "

    Cao Jun's drums were beating loudly, and 10,000 Cao Jun troops attacked the camp from the north, south, and central directions at the same time. The soldiers rushed towards the camp like a tide, and the fire arrows were overwhelming and shot towards the camp.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Sir, let's run from the back mountain!" Wu Xiu had never experienced such a battle situation before. He was so frightened that he held Liu Jing tightly, fearing that he would leave him and run away.

    Liu Jing had no intention of running away from the back mountain at this time. He had just experienced a high-speed escape two days ago, and he did not expect to be caught in a melee again.

    Although he had no fighting experience, he knew very well that Cao Jun must have sealed the back mountain, and escaping would be a dead end.

    "Except for hoping that the Yellow Turban Army can persist, we have no way out."

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly. He found that the situation was more serious than he thought. In the melee, it was useless even if he pretended to be Cao Cao's father, not to mention Liu Bei's nephew.

    "Then what should we do, are we going to die here?" Wu Xiu said with a sad voice, almost crying.

    Liu Jing glanced at him with disdain. He originally thought that this assistant was good, knowledgeable and reasonable, dared to pretend to be Liu Biao's nephew, and had some courage to do big things.

    But when death came, his timid and fearful side was exposed. Liu Jing saw through this person. He pretended to be Liu Biao's nephew just to give Liu Biao an explanation. He was afraid that Liu Biao would punish him. In fact, he had nothing at all.  Although he is very courageous, he is just a cowardly villain at heart.

    Liu Jing was really bored. He broke away from Wu Xiu's hand and said coldly: "No one wants to die now, but if you really die, it is God's will. What's so scary!"

    He no longer paid attention to Wu Xiu and strode towards the front of the camp. The battle in front of the camp was extremely fierce. The Yellow Turban Army occupied the advantageous location. Wood and stones fell like hail, repelling Cao's army time and time again. Hundreds of soldiers held their weapons.  The cloth soaked in water will rush up and extinguish it immediately when Cao Jun's rockets are fired into it.

    Although the Yellow Turban Army fought bravely and had high morale, Liu Pi was worried and stood under a tree staring into the distance.

    "What are you worried about, general?" Liu Jing stepped forward and asked with a smile.

    Liu Pi sighed and said, "I'm afraid that Cao's army will be besieged. The army will have no food. We can only kill horses to satisfy our hunger. If Cao's army besieges us for five days, we will be dead."

    "General, haven't you thought about surrendering?"

    Liu Pi shook his head, "I heard that Cao Cao issued a killing order this time. All the Yellow Turbans in Runan will be killed. Surrendering will also lead to death."

    Having said this, Liu Pi patted Liu Jing's shoulder heavily and said with a smile: "Whether you are the emperor's nephew or not, I still want to thank you tonight. If you hadn't discovered Cao Jun in time, we would have been doomed."

    Liu Jing's face felt hot. He knew that Liu Pi had actually seen through him. If he was really Liu Bei's nephew, he would not think about escaping in the middle of the night.

    "Then what's the general's plan?"

    "I want to break out of the encirclement and return to Ancheng County first. If it is not possible, I will go south again."

    Liu Jing shook his head, "Ancheng County has been captured by Xia Houyuan's cavalry. General Gong's entire army has been wiped out. I met him on the road. It is impossible for the general to go south. I advise the general to defend the camp and wait for Uncle Liu to come to rescue."

    Liu Pi heard that Ancheng County had been defeated and Gongdu had been wiped out. His face turned pale. This was his last glimmer of hope, but it was also shattered.

    "Uncle Liu Huang has too much time to take care of himself, how can he take care of me?"

    Liu Pi lost all hope and turned around and walked tiredly towards the camp. Liu Jing followed him and said: "General, Uncle Liu will definitely come to save us!"

    Liu Pi had a trace of sarcasm on his lips, "Is it just because his nephew is here?"

    "no!"

    Liu Jing said anxiously: "If he doesn't come to save us, he will no longer be Liu Huangshu. General, defending the camp is our only way to survive."

    Liu Pi stopped, thought for a moment and said, "Maybe you are right. Uncle Liu's benevolence has spread throughout the world. If he doesn't come to save me, he will break his trust in the world."

    Liu Pi's spirit was lifted up again, and he bowed his hands to Liu Jing gratefully, "Thank you, Master, for clearing up the confusion. Liu Pi almost missed something important."

    He yelled, "Hold the camp for me. If the camp is broken, no one will survive!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cao Jun¡¯s five attacks were all repulsed by the Yellow Turban Army by taking advantage of the right time and place. More than a thousand people were killed or wounded. Although Yu Jin was filled with hatred, he had no choice but to order the withdrawal of the attacking troops and attack the camp at night, which was really detrimental to them.

    At this time, Gao Lan hurriedly came with two Yellow Turban Army prisoners of war, "General, this is the enemy patrol post we captured. We have good news!"

    "What good news?" Yu Jin asked, glaring at the two prisoners of war.Gao Lan kicked the two Yellow Turban prisoners of war to the ground, "Speak quickly!"

    A prisoner of the Yellow Turban Army said tremblingly: "The food in the camp has been cut off. We can only survive by killing horses. We can last for five days at most."

    This news made Yu Jin's eyes narrow. He thought for a moment, then Gao Lan stepped forward and said, "Since the enemy's food supply is cut off, why not just surround them!"

    Yu Jin shook his head, "Liu Bei has already fled to the west. The Prime Minister only gave us two days. I don't want to wait any longer."

    He resolutely issued the order, "Pass my order and the army will evacuate immediately!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At dawn, the Yellow Turban Army unexpectedly discovered that Cao Jun had evacuated. The camp burst into cheers. Liu Pi was also overjoyed and immediately ordered: "The army goes down the mountain and evacuates eastward!"

    When Liu Jing heard the order to go down the mountain, she was very anxious. She ran to Liu Pi and shouted: "General, this is Cao Jun's trick to lure troops. The whole army will be wiped out by going down the mountain and they cannot evacuate. You should send someone to send a letter to the emperor for help!"  "

    Liu Pi had run out of food and did not want to kill any more horses. At this time, he could not listen to Liu Jing's advice. His face darkened and he said angrily: "Who are you? How dare you disturb the morale of our army? If you dare to say another word, I will kill you."  ¡±

    Liu Jing did not expect that he would turn against him so quickly. After a while, he could only sigh and said: "Okay! I wish the general a smooth journey."

    Liu Pi sneered, "You pretended to be the nephew of the emperor's uncle, do you want to run away now? Dreaming!"

    He ordered around, "Tie these two people up and bring them to the emperor's uncle for punishment!"

    ??

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 5, The Thin Line of Life and Death

    "Sir, I'm not telling you, you really shouldn't go to him. He's a Yellow Turban thief. There's no guarantee of credibility. What's good now is that both of us have been arrested and our lives are in danger."

    Liu Jing and Wu Xiu were both tied up hand and foot, and rode side by side on a horse. Wu Xiu was full of resentment and chattering.

    Liu Jing, however, bit her lip and said nothing, glancing at the big man escorting them from time to time. The leather bag containing the copper seal and other evidence was on the big man's back.

    The big man was illiterate and didn't know Liu Jing's true identity, but he was very interested in the dagger. He was holding it in his hand and slashing it. Judging from his expression, he had decided to keep it as his own.

    "Sir, what should we do now? We can't return to Jingzhou, and we may die in the hands of Cao Jun." Wu Xiu became more and more sad as he thought about it, and actually cried.

    Liu Jing turned around and glared at him fiercely. Wu Xiu was too scared to cry anymore. He also felt strange in his heart, why didn't the young master say a word?

    At noon, a war horse came from a distance. The cavalryman on the horse shouted: "The general has an order, rest for a while."

    The soldiers sat down to rest one after another. The escorting man took Liu Jing and Liu Jing off their horses, threw them aside, and said viciously: "I'll give you a rest, and we'll get back on the horses later."

    The big man sat on the other side and went to play with his new dagger. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Liu Jing spit out the tip of the sword from his mouth, which made Wu Xiu's eyes widen. It turned out that the reason for his silence had been  it is this.

    "Hurry up and cut the rope for me, Cao Jun is coming to kill you." Liu Jing knew in her heart that she had just walked more than 20 miles and stopped, so she must have discovered something.

    "what about me?"

    "Stop talking nonsense, cut it off for me."

    Liu Jing cursed in a low voice. The two were back to back. Wu Xiu picked up the tip of the sword with both hands and used the sharp blade to cut the rope for Liu Jing.

    ¡®Crash!  ¡¯ The rope was cut. At this moment, there was a sudden commotion from the front, and some soldiers shouted wildly: ¡°Cao¡¯s army is coming to kill!¡±

    I saw Cao's army coming from all directions, completely blocking all the retreat routes of Liu Pi's army. Without the advantage of the terrain, the Yellow Turban soldiers were immediately in chaos. Liu Pi regretted it so much that he had to bite the bullet and shout: "Don't be afraid, listen to my command.  Fight your way out!"

    The army was in chaos and the situation was extremely critical. Liu Jing turned over, hid behind Wu Xiu, and snatched the tip of the sword from his hand. At this time, the big man escorting them walked up quickly, grabbed Wu Xiu, and put him on the horse.

    This only opportunity was seized by Liu Jing. He quickly cut off the rope on his feet, swooped up, grabbed the big man's hair and slammed into the saddle. At this time, it was not a bridge-shaped saddle, but a cylindrical saddle.  There are iron hoops on both sides.

    'boom!  'With a muffled sound, the big man's head hit the iron ring hard, and blood gushed out from his forehead. The big man screamed and covered his forehead with both hands. Seizing this opportunity, Liu Jing took the dagger from his hand and struck out with a fierce blow.  Stabbed into his heart.

    The big man fell limply to the ground. Liu Jing quickly cut off the ropes on Wu Xiu's hands and feet, grabbed the leather bag from the big man's back, and carried it on her back.

    At this time, Cao's army had entered the Yellow Turban Army from all directions. The Yellow Turban Army's morale collapsed and they ran around. They were slaughtered like cattle and sheep, and their screams resounded throughout the wilderness.

    ¡°Sir, what should we do?¡± Wu Xiu was so frightened that his voice trembled.

    "You idiot, get on your horse and run!"

    Liu Jing can¡¯t ride a horse, but Wu Xiu can ride and can take him out. Although this is an old horse, as long as it goes crazy, he may be able to escape.

    The war horses at this time did not have stirrups, but there was a single-sided stirrup for mounting, and the feet were placed in the ropes on both sides.

    Wu Xiu felt weak all over and couldn't get on the horse several times. At this moment, several arrows whizzed and hit the old horse. The old horse neighed and fell to the ground dead.

    I saw dozens of Cao soldiers rushing towards me. Liu Jing grabbed Wu Xiu, turned around and ran for about a mile. Taking advantage of the chaos, Liu Jing threw himself into the pile of dead bodies.  , smeared his face and body with blood.

    "Hurry up, don't be in a daze!" Liu Jing cursed.

    Wu Xiu then realized what he was doing, grabbed the blood on the ground and wiped it on his body and face, "Sir you can escape like this!"

    "I don't know either, let it be a moment!"

    Liu Jing knew that they were surrounded by Cao Jun on all sides. Unless they had horses, they would die if they ran out. Even horses were useless. They would not survive under the random arrows. If Cao Jun did not clean up the battlefield, they might be able to escape by pretending to be dead.  One life.

    But thinking about it, it was impossible. Cao Jun would burn the corpses in the end to prevent the plague. Liu Jing felt despair for the first time in his heart, and he didn't know if he could escape this time.

    The war has gradually come to an end, and dozens of war horses are galloping away.When he arrived, the war horse stood beside Liu Jing, and the general on the horse was Gao Lan.

    There was a human head tied under his horse's head. It was none other than Liu Pi, the leader of the Yellow Turban Army. He had been killed by Gao Lan. He stared with eyes open and refused to close his eyes. Drops of blood dripped from his neck and landed on Liu Jing's head.  It's creepy.

    Gao Lan shouted loudly: "Check the battlefield and kill all the Yellow Turbans who pretend to be dead!"

    Liu Jing's heart sank. This time his life was really in danger. He still hoped to build Liu Biao's family business, but now all his dreams were shattered.

    At this time, there was sudden chaos in the northwest corner, and some soldiers shouted: "Liu Bei's army is coming to kill!"

    In despair, Liu Jing saw another glimmer of hope. He looked up secretly and saw a team of several hundred people rushing into Cao's army, holding high a large flag with black characters on a yellow background and the word "Liu" written on it.  , Liu Beijun is really coming to kill.

    Liu Jing sighed secretly in his heart, but it was a pity that they arrived a step too late. Liu Pi had already been killed. If they knew the news, they would definitely evacuate immediately.

    But Liu Bei's army was too small and was quickly dispersed by Cao's army. The leading general was not afraid and single-handedly charged and killed Cao's army.

    Gao Lan was extremely annoyed, "Who the hell is this person, so fierce alone?"

    "General, it seems to be Zhao Yun!"

    ¡®Zhao Yun!  ¡¯ Liu Jing¡¯s heart brightened, and he seemed to see a glimmer of life again.

    At this moment, a long roar came from far away, and the sound became louder and louder, like a dragon coming out of the sea.

    Under the sun, a man in white robes with a silver spear will rush from a distance. He is dancing with a silver spear in his hand, and the horse Gao Jun on his hip is brave and powerful. He is as powerful as a dragon. He rushes in like a cloud and mist, stopping Gao Lan and all the Cao soldiers.  On his way, the general who came was none other than Zhao Yun. He came to rescue Liu Pi on Liu Bei's order, but he arrived a step too late.

    "Where is Liu Pi?" Zhao Yun shouted dozens of steps away.

    Gao Lan sneered, "Aren't you just under my horse?"

    When Zhao Yun saw Liu Pi's head, he couldn't help but became furious and urged his horse to charge. Dozens of Cao's cavalry swarmed up and stabbed Zhao Yun with their spears, surrounding him from front to back and from left to right.

    Zhao Yun's horse galloped, and the spears in his hands were flying like pear blossoms. In an instant, dozens of Cao's cavalry were killed by him. Dead bodies were everywhere. Two soldiers fell off their horses, got up and ran away.

    Zhao Yun used his war horse to jump over the two soldiers' heads. He killed both soldiers with silver spears in his backhand, and the two soldiers were stabbed through the throat.

    As soon as the spear was retracted, a bolt of lightning pierced Gao Lan, and he shouted like thunder, "Rebel, take a shot from me, Zhao Yun!"

    Gao Lan roared and slashed at his face with a knife. The knife was powerful and as fast as lightning.

    Zhao Yun raised his silver spear and pushed Gao Lan's sword away. The big spear did not stop, but used the momentum of the horse to stab Gao Lan in the face.

    Gao Lan slashed the air with his sword, and the sharp spearhead was in front of his eyes. He was so frightened that he quickly flashed his head to the left, 'Crack!  ¡¯ With a sound, the tip of the spear grazed his face, cutting a long blood groove. His right ear was halfway blown away, and blood spurted out.

    Before he could react, Zhao Yun's horse rushed past him. In this flash of lightning, Zhao Yun swung his gun, and the head of the gun hit him hard in the back of the heart. This was one of Zhao Yun's unique skills: "Gun"  Hammer', using the spear head as a hammer, breaks the opponent's spine with powerful force.

    Gao Lan felt a strong wind blowing behind him, and he felt a sense of fear in his heart. At this time, he had no way to hide, so he had to push the knife pole back. There was a harsh sound, and the gun tip hit Gao Lan's knife hard.  On the pole, the hammer of the spear head had at least a hundred kilograms of force. Gao Lan's tiger's mouth was shattered, the broadsword came out of his hand, and the scales and armor blades were blown away in all directions.

    Gao Lan screamed, a mouthful of blood spurted out, and his bones were almost broken, but he was an experienced battlefield general after all. With the power of this blow, he squeezed his horse and fled, and in a moment he escaped without a trace.

    In fact, Gao Lan's martial arts is also very strong, and he can fight Zhao Yun for at least ten rounds. However, Zhao Yun was furious and brave, while Gao Lan was fighting alone and panicked, which naturally compromised his martial arts.  Making it difficult for him to defeat Zhao Yun.

    The battle between Zhao Yun and Gao Lan only had one encounter, and it ended in an instant. However, the thrilling battle left Liu Jing dumbfounded. Zhao Yun's speed, strength, and tragic results made Liu Jing nervous.  Jing couldn't breathe.

    He slowly sat up and stared blankly at this famous general. At this time, an extremely strong desire surged in his heart. He, Liu Jing, also wanted to become such a fierce general.

    Zhao Yun reined in his horse and glanced at Liu Jing and Wu Xiu. He saw that their faces were covered in blood, but their clothes were not like the Yellow Turban Army. He didn't have time to ask more questions and said: "You guys run away! Pretend to be dead."There is no way to escape the killing.  "

    He turned his horse around and was about to leave. Wu Xiu said anxiously: "General, this is the son of Liu Zhou Mu from Jingzhou. He is in trouble here. Please save our lives. The Zhou Mu will be very grateful!"

    Zhao Yun was stunned for a moment, but then shook his head, "I can't save you, you should leave quickly!"

    He urged his horse to run, but after running for more than ten steps, Liu Jing shouted: "General Zilong, are you really going to leave us alone?"

    Zhao Yun was slightly shaken, but he did not stop. After running for more than a hundred steps, he led two horses and ran back. He took a deep look at Liu Jing and said, "Hurry up and rush out with me."

    Wu Xiu was overjoyed. He was going to save them. He quickly got on his horse and pulled the reins. Zhao Yun frowned when he saw Liu Jing didn't move, "Why don't you get on the horse?"

    Liu Jing has learned simple horse riding and knows some basic skills, but if he is asked to gallop, he does not have the ability to control the horse. Liu Jing sighed, "You go! I can't ride a horse, and I will hurt you."

    "Sir, we can ride a horse together." Wu Xiu said from the side.

    Zhao Yun did not adopt this plan. He rushed up the horse, grabbed Liu Jing with one arm, picked him up and put him behind his horse, "Hold my waist tight!"

    Zhao Yun urged the horse to gallop. He knew in his heart that only his own horse could carry two people and gallop. Other horses would not be able to run fast and would drag themselves down.

    Liu Jing did not hug his waist, but clamped the horse's belly with his legs and leaned on Zhao Yun's back to stabilize his body. He took off the round shield from Zhao Yun's back and held a dagger in one hand.

    Liu Jing is actually smarter than anyone else. If he hugs Zhao Yun's waist tightly, wouldn't he become a target?

    ??

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 6: Chase all the way

    [Please vote for recommendation on Monday!  Please collect!  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    When the lord general Jun heard that Zhao Yun was in the army, he was secretly happy. He attacked the mountain stronghold last night and nearly 2,000 people were killed or injured. He was worried that he could not tell his lord. If he could catch Zhao Yun, maybe he could atone for his sins. At this moment, he made up his mind.  , immediately ordered, "Capture Zhao Yun alive!"

    Cao Jun soldiers came from all directions. Zhao Yun was not afraid. With a flick of his silver spear, he rushed into the enemy groups like a storm. Wherever he passed, people turned on their backs and their horses turned upside down.

    But Zhao Yun and the two of them did not want to fight, nor did they rush into the dense enemy group. They tried to find a place with few people to break out. Behind him, Wu Xiu hugged the horse's neck tightly and kept urging the horse to follow Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun was as careful as hair.  , never leaving the danger behind, so that Wu Xiu was basically not attacked.

    But just like this, the dangers Zhao Yun faced increased several times. Many enemy troops that he could clearly ignore were because they would threaten the people behind him, so he had to rush forward to deal with them, which made his situation extremely dangerous.

    At this time, Liu Jing came into play. Although he was not good at riding a horse, he was agile and used his shield to block the left and right. He helped Zhao Yun avoid the danger of cold stabs several times.

    "General, be careful of the snagging rope ahead!"

    Liu Jing's eyes were sharp and he noticed several taut ropes on the ground. Zhao Yun did not see them. He was startled. When he lifted the reins of the war horse, the horse jumped up and crossed several stumbling ropes. He raised his spear in the air and pulled the ropes.  Several tripping ropes flew away, leaving the horses behind unaffected.

    The war horse galloped away, and Zhao Yun broke out in a cold sweat. He was not afraid of an honest fight, but was afraid of such an unpreventable plot.

    "Thank you, sir!" He expressed his gratitude to Liu Jing for the first time.

    Liu Jing said with some pride in her heart: "I'm not useless, am I?"

    ¡°Young Master¡¯s reaction is very sharp and he is the material for martial arts training. I suggest that Young Master learn martial arts and you will achieve success.¡±

    Liu Jing laughed, "Based on Changshan Zhao Zilong's words, I, Liu Jing, decided to learn martial arts."

    ¡°But you have to learn to ride a horse first!¡±

    Both of them laughed. Zhao Yun cheered up, called to Wu Xiu, and urged his horse to rush towards the northwest corner. This was the last obstacle. After passing this level, they would be safe.

    In the northwest corner, Yu Jin had been waiting for a long time. He took off his strong bow and reached for the arrow pot on his back. When he touched the arrow feathers, he hesitated and reached out to another soldier, "Give me the medicine arrows!"

    The soldier took out a medicine arrow and handed it to Yu Jin. Yu Jin strung the arrow and stared coldly at Zhao Yun, who was rushing towards him. He stood under a big flag and slowly unstrung the bowstring.

    At this time, Zhao Yun shouted loudly and charged into the enemy group. His silver spear flew like pear blossoms and like birds flying towards the phoenix. In an instant, more than ten people were stabbed to death by him. Cao Jun screamed in fright and retreated one after another.

    "you go first!"

    Zhao Yun turned around and shouted. Wu Xiu's face was pale, his legs were wrapped around his horse, he took the lead in rushing out of the battlefield, and ran towards the northwest.

    Zhao Yun swung his spear and stabbed more than ten people in succession, blocking the pursuing soldiers. At this moment, an extremely burly tooth general came on horseback. He raised his hand and stabbed Zhao Yun with a spear on his right side.  Coming, as fast as a shadow, Liu Jing saw the spear and raised his shield to meet it.

    Zhao Yun noticed Liu Jing¡¯s actions out of the corner of his eye and was startled, shouting urgently: ¡°Don¡¯t force it!¡±

    But it was too late, ¡®Bang!  ' With a sound, the shield was shattered. Liu Jing's arm seemed to be broken. He screamed in pain. The huge impact caused his body to sway and he fell from his horse.

    Zhao Yun held the spear with one hand and flew away the spear. With his left hand, he grabbed Liu Jing who was about to fall from his horse. Yu Jin seized this golden opportunity.

    As soon as the string was loosened, a cold arrow flew from the left like lightning, directly hitting Zhao Yun's left chest. Zhao Yun was grabbing Liu Jing with his hand and could no longer dodge, so he had to move slightly away by two inches to avoid the vital point.

    ¡®Poof!  ' With a sound, the arrow hit Zhao Yun's left shoulder. He trembled all over and almost fell off his horse.

    Yu Jin was ecstatic and shouted: "Zhao Yun has been hit by an arrow, catch him!"

    More than a thousand Cao Cao's troops came from all directions. At the critical moment, Liu Jing had already sat down and stabbed the horse's butt with the dagger in his left hand. The horse was in pain. He used his last strength to rush out of the battlefield and fled northwest.  .

    Seeing that his success fell short, Yu Jin became furious and shouted loudly, "Chase me. I want to see you alive, and you want to see your corpse when you die."

    Hundreds of cavalry from Cao's army chased after him.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The golden glow of the setting sun gradually disappeared, the sky dyed red by the sunset had darkened, and the endless mountain forest turned into a dark black.

    Night shrouded Rangshan Mountain, the mountain road was quiet, both sides were covered with towering trees, and the moonlight was half-dark.Projecting through the saddle-shaped ridges and gorges, the dark shadows of the trees, rocks, and peaks were highlighted by the moonlight to appear extra black, extra dense, and extra gloomy.

    ¡®Da!  clatter!  clatter!  ¡¯

    A burst of rapid horse hoofbeats came from a distance, which was particularly clear on the silent mountain road. Under the dim moonlight, an exhausted war horse was carrying two people and was running desperately.

    They were Zhao Yun and Liu Jing who escaped from the battlefield. Wu Xiu got separated from them and disappeared. They were chased by Cao Jun. They ran from afternoon to night. After running desperately for more than two hours, their horses finally gave out.

    By this time, the poison in Zhao Yun's arrow wound had taken effect, leaving him completely weak and in a semi-coma state. This was a chronic poison that, although not immediately fatal, could make him lose all strength.

    The war horse could no longer hold on and ran very hard. Suddenly, the war horse neighed and fell heavily to the side of the road, throwing Liu Jing and Zhao Yun more than ten feet away.

    On the right side of the mountain road is a ravine more than ten feet deep, and on the other side is a slope covered with bushes. The two of them were lucky enough to fall on the soft bushes.

    Liu Jing only felt an unbearable pain between his legs. Riding a horse requires strong crotch strength, and he was not enough in this area. Although his whole body hurt as if falling apart, the situation was critical. He ignored the pain all over his body and quickly got up and ran.  When they arrived at the war horse, the horse collapsed on the side of the mountain road, twitching all over and foaming at the mouth. It was dead.

    Liu Jing came back and shook Zhao Yun's shoulders, "General Zhao, you must hold on!"

    The bleeding on Zhao Yun's shoulder has stopped. An arrow is stuck in his shoulder. The smell of blood can be faintly smelled. He was hit by a poisonous arrow.

    Liu Jing was a little in a hurry. There were so many things to do, and each one was so urgent that he didn't know which one to do first.

    Suddenly there was a fierce sound of horse hooves in the distance. This was the pursuit of soldiers. The sound was heard hundreds of steps away.

    At the critical moment, Liu Jing calmed down. He turned around, ran to the horse, and tried his best to push the horse into the ravine next to him. The horse, which weighed hundreds of kilograms, was pushed down the ravine, and he also threw away some debris on the ground.  Down the ravine.

    Liu Jing ran back to support Zhao Yun, half-carrying him and ran up the slope. There was a mountain road on the slope.

    The pursuers had already chased him dozens of steps away, with their horses galloping. Unexpectedly, a group of cavalry also rushed from the mountain road above, blocking his escape route.

    There were pursuers on both the upper and lower mountain roads, and it was too late. Liu Jing had to carry Zhao Yun on her back and hide in a bush, lowering her head as low as possible. The half-person-high bush just covered them, and Liu Jing's heart was so nervous that she almost jumped out of her chest.

    The fierce sound of horse hooves was getting closer and closer. In an instant, a gust of wind blew past them. They smelled a strong murderous aura. A group of cavalry sped past and soon faded away.

    After the cavalry had gone far away, they slowly raised their heads. At this time, Zhao Yun groaned in pain, his arrow sore burst open, and blood flowed out again.

    Liu Jing quickly laid him down, put his left arm in Zhao Yun's mouth, pulled out his dagger, and cut off a large piece of meat along with the arrowhead with his teeth.

    Zhao Yun screamed in pain and almost bit off Liu Jing's arm. Zhao Yun took a few deep breaths and said in a low voice: "I have gold medicine in my arms."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. He endured the pain in his arm, took out a packet of medicinal powder from his arms, and wrapped the medicine thickly on his wound. He also took out the brocade wrapped with the official seal from the leather pouch and bandaged his wound. Zhao Yun's face was pale and it looked like  Very weak.

    Liu Jing bandaged the wound and pondered for a moment. There was no water or clean cloth around him. He had to leave here immediately, otherwise Zhao Yun would die from the poison even if he was not caught.

    Liu Jing slowly helped Zhao Yun up. Seeing that he was very weak and had difficulty walking, she simply put him on her back and ran up the slope in the direction of the escape.

    Zhao Yun was eight feet two tall and had a majestic build. It was very difficult for Liu Jing to carry him on his back. He had just walked about twenty steps when the sound of horse hooves was heard in front of him, and someone shouted: "General Zhao Yun, my lord Liu Bei is here, you are here."  where?"

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. This is Liu Bei coming. Zhao Yun's spirit also perked up. It seemed to be Mi Fang's voice. He quickly whispered: "This is my lord coming."

    Liu Jing quickened her pace and ran forward. In the night, she saw a group of cavalry faintly appearing in front of her. Liu Jing suddenly realized, "No!"

    "How can the other party call his lord by his first name? This is disrespectful. It is common to call "General Zhao, the lord is here!"  ¡¯ is enough. Adding ¡®Liu Bei¡¯ is obviously a bit superfluous. This person is not Liu Bei, but Cao Jun¡¯s deceiver.

    Liu Jing stopped abruptly, but in the darkness, someone in front of him had faintly seen his figure and shouted, "Who is that person in front of you?"

    Liu Jing's face turned pale. What's worse, his thoughts were turning very fast, and Zhao Yun was forced toAs soon as he was released in the bush, "Hide quickly!"

    He turned around and ran away. Zhao Yun used his last strength to crawl into a bush. He saw the young man turning around and running away, as fast as a cheetah. The cavalry behind him chased after him like a gust of wind, "Stop!"

    Of course Zhao Yun knew that this young man was trying to distract his pursuers and save him. He sighed secretly, ¡®What a pity this young man is finished!  ¡¯

    Liu Jing had just run seventy or eighty steps when an arrow grazed his scalp and shot him. He stopped. If he continued running, he would definitely die.

    At this time, dozens of cavalrymen rushed over and surrounded Liu Jing. General Yu Jin followed and a cavalryman reported, "General Yu, he is a young man."

    Liu Jing saw Yu Jin for the first time. He was wearing an eagle-edge helmet and iron armor. He was tall and majestic, with deep eyes and a high nose, and his eyes were like lightning. He was holding a gold-backed tiger-tooth knife.

    Yu Jin looked the young man up and down. At that time, Liu Jing was behind Zhao Yun. His face was covered with blood and was covered by Zhao Yun's body. Yu Jin did not notice him. The other cavalrymen were all Yu Jin's own soldiers and were watching the battle from a distance.  Come forward.

    What¡¯s more important is that it¡¯s nighttime, and most of the blood on Liu Jing¡¯s face has been washed away by sweat. For a while, no one recognized Liu Jing.

    Yu Jin waved the sword in his hand, pressed it against his throat, and asked sternly: "Who are you?"

    ??

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 7: The Ecstasy Soup for Yu Jin

    [Second update today, please vote for recommendation!  Please collect it, I¡¯m in a hurry to get on the list!  There will be another update tonight]

    ========

    Liu Jing forced herself to calm down and saluted calmly, "I am the nephew of Liu Zhoumu from Jingzhou, and I am on my way to Xiangyang."

    Yu Jin frowned, ¡®Liu Biao¡¯s nephew?  ¡¯

    Cao Cao's nephew Yu Jin may have some respect, but Liu Biao's nephew is nothing to him.

    Yu Jin still had doubts in his heart. Why did Liu Biao's nephew look so tall and strong? He didn't look like a scholar at all. There was blood on his body, and he looked more like a yellow turban thief.

    He suddenly stretched out his hand, grabbed Liu Jing's shirt, pulled him to the front, stared at him fiercely and said: "Boy, you must be an escaped Yellow Turban bandit!"

    Liu Jing just heard the soldiers call him General Yu, so he guessed that this person might be Yu Jin. When he saw Yu Jin's eyes showing murderous intent, he became anxious and shouted: "Yu Wenze, are you going to harm me?"

    Yu Jin¡¯s cousin¡¯s writing rules were rarely known to most people. Even the Xiahou brothers didn¡¯t know it. Yu Jin was stunned, how could this young man know his cousin¡¯s name? He couldn¡¯t help but let go of Liu Jing¡¯s clothes.

    Yu Jin looked at Liu Biao's nephew again and saw that he did indeed look like a boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old, but he was very tall, about eight feet tall, and had a very strong build.

    "How do you know my name is Yu Wenze?" Yu Jin asked coldly.

    "Of course I know!"

    Liu Jing's thoughts suddenly changed and she said loudly: "I have always admired the heroes of the world, and I will remember all the heroic deeds in my heart. General Yu was originally a general under Bao Xin. He has made many military exploits. He defeated Lu Bu's second battalion in the south of the city and defeated Gao Ya in Xuchang."  , killed Yuan Shu's subordinate Qiao Rui, and the Battle of Wancheng was even more like Zhou Yafu, who was worshiped as the Marquis of Yishou Pavilion by Cao Gong. "

    The Three Kingdoms are not as good as those of later generations, with inconvenient transportation and limited information. Cao Cao's deeds may be known to the world. I am afraid that not many people except Cao Cao know about the achievements of Yu Jin and others. However, the young man in front of me knows it very clearly, so Yu Jin  Very surprised.

    Yu Jin put away the knife, looked into his eyes strangely and asked, "How do you know my details?"

    Generally speaking, it is good or bad to know someone's background. If you know someone else's bad background, you will be easily hated by others, but if you know the good details, this is a disguised form of flattery.

    Although Yu Jin's attitude was still cold, Liu Jing knew all the deeds that he was proud of, and he couldn't help but feel a little proud in his heart, and his tone softened slightly.

    Liu Jing was a lawyer in his previous life, and his specialty was to look at faces and figure out people's mentality. At this time, he was keenly aware that Yu Jin's tone had softened, and he felt confident.

    He heard that Yu Jin's accent was somewhat similar to his, and Wu Xiu said that his accent was from Taishan County. He immediately had a countermeasure in his mind and said calmly: "I am from Gaoping County, Shanyang County. I have studied in Taishan County for many years, and I often  I heard people talk about the deeds of General Yu, and I remembered it in my heart. When General Yu was conquering Zhangxiu in Wancheng, he suppressed the Qingzhou soldiers and looted the people.  With the style of Zhou Yafu, he was awarded the title of Marquis of Yishou Pavilion and was admired by people all over the world. "

    Although Yu Jin was not from the foot of Mount Tai, he was indeed from Taishan County. Liu Jing's explanation was reasonable and he believed it in his heart.

    What's more important is that Yu Jin is a very conceited person who has never been flattered. He just hates that people in the world don't know his deeds. Now Liu Jing can actually talk about it and build Wancheng, which he is most proud of.  The affairs of the camp were repeatedly exaggerated, and he felt extremely comfortable.

    Yu Jin has completely surrendered his hostility. Even if he is really a Yellow Turban deserter, he does not want to kill him. It is rare for a young man who understands him well. He chuckled and said: "Young Master Liu is indeed an extraordinary person. He is worthy of being Liu Jingzhou's nephew. Yu Jin admires him!"

    At this time, Liu Jing took out Liu Biao's family letter from his leather bag and gave it to him. Yu Jin looked at it under the torch and found that it was indeed Liu Biao's nephew. At this time, Cao Cao still needed to win over Liu Biao to prevent him from forming an alliance with Yuan Shao. Yu Jin naturally knew that he could not  I offended Liu Biao so much.

    He nodded, "Okay! I'm sorry to bother Mr. Liu."

    Yu Jin waved his hand and said: "Mount your horse and continue chasing!"

    He led the soldiers to continue chasing forward. Liu Jing's back was soaked with sweat. It was a great luck. He had already seen what Yu Jin meant just now and began to doubt him. Fortunately, he called out Yu Jin's name in time.  If he said something wrong, Yu Jin would definitely order soldiers to search everywhere, and then he and Zhao Yun would really be finished.

    Although he slapped Yu Jin and flattered him, which seemed to lack the toughness of a man, this was the only useful method in the critical situation at that time, because Yu Jin did not suspect that Zhao Yun was hiding nearby, but wanted to question him carefully out of instinct.  Searching around is optional, the key isIn one thought of the reader.

    Liu Jing used the little knowledge of the Three Kingdoms he had pondered in later generations and his quick wit and eloquence as a lawyer to dispel Yu Jin's idea of ??searching the surroundings carefully and resolve the crisis.

    Seeing Yu Jin walking away, he quickly ran back to the bushes and found Zhao Yun. Liu Jing carried him on his back and ran towards the mountain. Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked up the slope, a person appeared from behind a big pine tree.

    Liu Jing was so frightened that she took two steps back, drew out her dagger, and stared at the opponent warily.

    "Sir, it's me!" It was Shu Zuo Wu Xiu's voice.

    Liu Jing was relieved, it turned out to be him, "Why are you here, where is your horse?" Liu Jing asked strangely.

    Wu Xiu lowered his head, not daring to look at Liu Jing, and said a little nervously: "I was thrown off the horse, and the horse ran away, so I had to hide in the mountain."

    Liu Jing was an extremely shrewd lawyer in his previous life. Wu Xiu's strange expression could not be hidden from Liu Jing's eyes. He changed his mind and immediately understood something.

    "I'm afraid he let the war horse run away on purpose, and then hid in the mountains. As long as Cao Jun catches up with him and Zhao Yun, he will withdraw his troops and return to the camp, and he will be fine. He must have seen the danger he just encountered.

    Liu Jing secretly hated him. This man was extremely selfish. Zhao Yun saved his life, but he just escaped for his own life.

    Liu Jing was dissatisfied, but did not show it on her face. Now she needs everyone to work together. Wu Xiu can help him take care of Zhao Yun. "Let's go up the mountain quickly. I'm worried that Yu Jin will turn around and chase us."

    Wu Xiu nodded and helped Zhao Yun up the mountain from a small road.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing¡¯s intuition was not wrong. Although Yu Jin¡¯s crisis was temporarily resolved, many things often failed in some inadvertent details, as if there was God¡¯s will in the dark.

    After running for three or four miles, Yu Jin suddenly turned his horse and ran back. He had recovered from his flattery. How could Liu Biao's nephew be let go so easily? He should be handed over to his lord.

    He led his troops and ran back to their original place, but Liu Jing was missing. He felt a little strange, where did this kid go?

    At this time, a soldier found blood stains in the bushes and shouted: "General Yu, there are blood stains here!"

    Yu Jin ran forward and saw spots of blood in the bushes. It was obvious that an injured person had been hiding here. Yu Jin suddenly became furious. He had been tricked by this kid. It turned out that Zhao Yun was hiding here. He yelled loudly,  "Search for me!"

    Soon, the soldiers discovered the corpses of the war horses in the ravine, as well as Zhao Yun's spear. Yu Jin became even more furious, and his eyes turned blood red, as if the evil god had been reincarnated.

    "Pass my order and immediately mobilize five thousand troops to search the mountain for me!"

    At this time, Zhao Yun was no longer important. He vowed to catch the young man who fooled him and cut him into pieces with his own hands. He had never suffered such a big loss in his life.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    This mountain is a stone mountain, about a hundred feet high. The mountain is covered with thorns, and various stone cracks and caves can be seen everywhere, which is very convenient for hiding. However, this is not an isolated mountain, but a hilly area that stretches for dozens of miles.  If you really hide in a few hills, you won't be able to search them with just a few thousand people.

    Liu Jing was worried about Zhao Yun's injury and did not dare to go too far. After going up the mountain for hundreds of steps, she found a stone cave. The dim moonlight shone into the cave. The cave was very dry, there were no insects or snakes, and there were signs of fire at the entrance.  , it can be seen that someone has lived there before, probably an herb gatherer or a woodcutter.

    Liu Jing put Zhao Yun down and lay down. Zhao Yun was still in a daze. At this time, he suddenly heard a 'click' behind him!  Click!' sound, and when he turned around, he saw Wu Xiu banging flint at the entrance of the cave to light a fire, and it was about to light up.

    Liu Jing was furious, and his dissatisfaction with Wu Xiu suddenly burst out. He rushed up and kicked the hay and flint away, and glared at Wu Xiu, "Are you crazy?"

    Wu Xiu was stunned for a moment, then he realized what he was doing and lowered his head in fear, "I forgot, it's my fault!"

    Liu Jing restrained her anger and said to him: "Go outside to check the situation and see if Cao Jun wants to search the mountain."

    Wu Xiu nodded silently and went out. Liu Jing returned to Zhao Yun and took the kettle from the side. This was the kettle on Wu Xiu's horse. The guy drank most of the pot of water, leaving only a little bit.

    Liu Jing gave Zhao Yun a few drinks of water, and the water worked. Zhao Yun slowly woke up, glanced at Liu Jing gratefully, and whispered: "Thank you, Master, for risking your life to save me!"

    "General, you don't have to be polite. You were injured by an arrow because of me. I should do my best."

    Liu Jing felt a little guilty. Historically, Zhao Yun was not injured. He was injured while saving himself, which changed the course of his life. If he died because of this, wouldn't it mean that he was injured?With Zhao Zilong from Changbanpo.

    Liu Jing changed his medicine again and gave him the last few sips of water.

    "Is the young master really Liu Jingzhou's nephew?"

    "Even so!"

    Liu Jing smiled and said as if he was endorsing: "I am Liu Jing, a native of Gaoping County, Shanyang County. I was summoned by my uncle Jingzhou Mu to come to Xiangyang to seek refuge. When I passed through Runan County, I encountered Cao's army. Unfortunately, my family died tragically, and I was the only one left.  "

    "It turns out to be Young Master Jing, I'm sorry." In the darkness, Zhao Yun smiled slightly, and his bright eyes became serene.

    At this time, Wu Xiu's low voice came from outside the cave, "Master! Master!" His voice was very nervous and his tone changed.

    ??

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 8 A Thrilling Night

    [Third update, please vote for recommendations for a nearly 5,000-word chapter. Brothers, vote for Lao Gao!  ¡¿

    ======

    Liu Jing patted Zhao Yun's hand gently, stood up and walked outside the cave, "What's going on?"

    ¡°Master, look quickly!¡±

    Wu Xiu pointed to the bottom of the mountain, terrified. Liu Jing followed his hand and pointed, and his heart sank. He saw a long queue of torches appearing on the mountain road, several miles long, like a fire dragon. There were tens of thousands of people.  There are countless torches moving up the mountain. This must be the main force of Cao's army arriving to search the mountain comprehensively.

    The spectacular force of tens of thousands of people frightened Wu Xiu so much that his face turned pale and his legs were shaking. He couldn't bear it anymore, turned around and begged: "Sir, this must be Cao Cao coming. I don't want to care about him anymore, he will drag us down.  We won't be able to escape with him."

    Before he could finish speaking, Liu Jing punched him hard and knocked him to the ground. He pointed at him and cursed angrily: "You ungrateful person. Without him saving you, you would have died in the rebel army. You dare to talk nonsense again."  , I will kill you with one knife!"

    Wu Xiu slowly lowered his head, with a flash of hatred in his eyes. If he wasn't afraid that he wouldn't be able to explain when he went back, he would have run away long ago. Will he come back to find this brat?

    Liu Jing turned around and walked towards the cave, holding Zhao Yun's hand and smiling: "It seems we have to change places."

    Zhao Yun heard their conversation outside and was moved in his heart. He forced a smile and said, "Actually, Cao Cao won't kill me. It doesn't matter if I get caught."

    Liu Jing ignored him and directly carried Zhao Yun on her back, "Let's go! If I don't die, you can't even think about dying either."

    He carried Zhao Yun out of the cave, Wu Xiu led the way, and the three of them continued to climb to the top of the mountain.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the mountain road, dozens of generals gathered around a middle-aged man. He had a beard a foot long under his chin, a high nose, and a pair of slender eyes with sharp eyes. He wore a gold helmet, gold chainmail, and a belt on his waist.  Yitian Sword, riding claws on the crotch and yellow flying lightning.

    This person was Cao Cao. Liu Bei had fled far away. He could not pursue him, so he had to lead his troops back to Rangshan Mountain. However, he heard that General Zhao Yun was injured and hiding in the mountain. Following him was a young man who turned out to be Liu Jingsheng's nephew. Cao Cao couldn't help but be very interested.

    This place is not far from Jingzhou. If he can catch Liu Biao's nephew, he can go to Hanshui to meet Liu Biao in the name of sending his nephew away. It would also be good to exchange Liu Bei for him.

    In front of Cao Cao's horse, Yu Jin knelt down on one knee. At this time, he felt extremely regretful. If he had known that his lord valued that young man so much, it would have been better for him not to let him go. He was so stupid!

    He didn't dare to hide it, so he told Liu Jing's words exactly, and said with great frustration: "I was drunk by him, causing him and Zhao Yun to run away right before my eyes. I regretted it too late. I was stupid and ruined my lord's important affairs.  Please punish me, my lord.¡±

    Cao Cao was a little surprised in his eyes. This young man was not only knowledgeable, but also bold, careful, and extremely resourceful. It was quite impressive that Liu Jingsheng actually had such a nephew. Cao Cao was even more interested. He must capture this nephew of Liu Jingsheng.

    He immediately issued an order: "Pass my order. You are not allowed to set fire to the mountain. You must capture him alive. If you capture Zhao Yun, you will receive a reward of three hundred catties. If you capture Liu Biao's nephew, you will receive a reward of five hundred catties!"

    Cao Cao then ordered General Li Dian, "You can lead three thousand troops to take a small road and go up the mountain from behind to cut off their retreat to the south."

    "Obey the order!" Li Dian led three thousand soldiers to go southwest along the mountain road.

    Under the heavy reward, there must be brave men. Tens of thousands of Cao's soldiers went up the mountain densely with torches in hand. The entire hillside looked like trees and silver flowers blooming, which was particularly spectacular.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing and the others had climbed over the hillside and reached the saddle on the other side. This side was covered with pine forests. At this time, Zhao Yun's injury began to take effect. He was in a semi-conscious state and had a string of blisters on his mouth.  Sometimes confused, sometimes clear.

    When he is awake, he says nothing, but when he is confused, he shouts, "Water! Water!"

    His whole body was burning hot and he was about to become dehydrated. Liu Jing was anxious. Zhao Yun was in urgent need of water and medicine. The medicine was gone. At least he needed water. If he didn't find water, Zhao Yun would die. He straightened up and looked around.

    He was originally a young hunter with some experience. It had just rained the day before yesterday, so there would be no water in the pine forest, but in the saddle-shaped valley, you might be able to find puddles of water.

    He took the kettle and said to Wu Xiu: "Keep a good eye on General Zhao. He has saved our lives. We must not abandon him. I will go find water and come back after I get it."

    Wu Xiu nodded, "Young master, don't worry! I will take good care of him."

    Although Liu Jing was still worried, he had no choice but to run back quickly. He jumped off a ridge and ran towards the recess of the mountain.

    Looking at Liu Jing¡¯s retreating backShadow, Wu Xiu's expression changed and became extremely ferocious, with a fierce light in his eyes, "Boy, you want to die, but I don't want to die!"

    He took out a dagger from his arms. He found it in the leather bag of the horse he was riding, so he kept it on his body. He hid the dagger in his back and walked towards Zhao Yun step by step.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing was very lucky. After running more than a hundred steps, he found a small puddle where some shallow rainwater had accumulated. He was overjoyed and quickly and carefully filled the kettle with water. Unfortunately, there was too little water and only one can was filled.  Less than half a pot of water was gone.

    Liu Jing knew that as long as he found one place, there would definitely be a second place nearby, but he was worried about Zhao Yun and turned around and ran away.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Wu Xiu squatted in front of Zhao Yun, holding the dagger tightly behind his back, and shouted in a low voice: "General Zhao! General Zhao!"

    He saw Zhao Yun's powerful martial arts with his own eyes, but he still felt terrified in his heart. If Zhao Yun still resisted, he would be dead.

    At this time, Zhao Yun happened to be awake. He slowly opened his eyes and asked in a low voice: "Where is Mr. Jing?"

    "He went to find water, I'll take care of you."

    After saying that, he gently pressed on Zhao Yun's wound. Zhao Yun was in unbearable pain, but he gritted his teeth and did not scream.

    "General Zhao seems to be badly injured, why don't I help you take a few steps! Move your blood vessels."

    Zhao Yun is very experienced. When he saw Wu Xiu's eyes were full of evil, his facial muscles were deformed, and his appearance was ferocious, Zhao Yun immediately understood in his heart that this man had evil intentions.

    Zhao Yun became anxious and immediately shouted in a low voice: "Master Jing is behind you!"

    Wu Xiu was shocked and turned around suddenly. There was no one behind him. There was no sign of Liu Jing. Wu Xiu showed a sinister smile in his eyes, "It turns out that General Zhao is joking with me!"

    At this time, he already understood that Zhao Yun had seen through him, but he also saw that Zhao Yun was unable to resist. Wu Xiu laughed ferociously, "General Zhao, I'm sorry, I will burn more paper for you."

    He raised the dagger high, and Zhao Yun wailed in his heart. He did not die on the battlefield, but died in the hands of a villain. At this moment, Zhao Yun's eyes suddenly lit up, and he stared closely behind Wu Xiu.

    Wu Xiu sneered, "You can't lie to me anymore, go to hell!"

    Just as he was about to stab with the dagger, there was a sharp pain in his vest. He slowly lowered his head and found a sword tip protruding from his chest.

    Wu Xiu turned his head and realized that Liu Jing was standing behind him, staring at him angrily. Wu Xiu raised his finger and pointed at Liu Jing, and finally shouted at the top of his lungs, "You are a fake!"

    After shouting this, Wu Xiu fell to the ground and died.

    Liu Jing pulled out the dagger from his vest and kicked him away in disgust. The body rolled twice, but a paper package fell out of his arms. Liu Jing picked up the paper package and smelled it, and her eyes suddenly lit up.  It turned out to be a package of good gold-creating medicine, and this person carried it with him.

    "Damn it!"

    Liu Jing cursed, Zhao Yun's injury worsened because he couldn't find the medicine anywhere. This bastard clearly hid the medicine but refused to take it out.

    With the good golden medicine, hope suddenly ignited in Liu Jing's heart. He quickly stepped forward to support Zhao Yun and asked with concern: "General Zhao, are you okay?"

    Zhao Yun whispered: "You saved my life again."

    "No!"

    Liu Jing said bitterly: "I know people, but I don't know their hearts. I was blind and brought this poisonous snake with me, which almost killed the general."

    Liu Jing took the kettle, carefully gave Zhao Yun a few sips of water, and said with a smile: "The rainwater will probably taste bad. When we get to Xiangyang City, I will buy some fine wine to make amends for the general."

    Zhao Yun smiled slightly, "I'll treat you to a drink then!"

    Liu Jing wrapped the wound medicine on Zhao Yun again. The water and gold wound medicine soon worked wonders. Zhao Yun's body temperature gradually returned to normal and was no longer hot, which greatly comforted Liu Jing.

    At this time, the sky seemed to get brighter. When Liu Jing turned around, he saw that the mountains on both sides were covered with torches. Cao Jun took a path and went up the mountain from behind, blocking his way back.

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly. As expected of Cao Cao, he liked to do this kind of thing of stealing people's retreats.

    "Master Jing, let's go! Leave me alone." Zhao Yun also realized that their situation was extremely dangerous, and he didn't want to implicate Liu Jing anymore.

    Liu Jing smiled and shook her head, "Don't say such things. You didn't abandon me on the battlefield, how can I abandon you at this time?"

    Zhao Yun looked at the young man silently, his nose filled with sadness. This young man valued love and justice so much, how could he repay this kindness?

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and said to Zhao Yun: "At this point, I can only take the risk and try to see if I can escape this disaster., it depends on our luck.  "

    Zhao Yun sighed softly, "I, Zhao Yun, can die in battle with the young master, and I will die without regrets!"

    Liu Jing stood up and said with a smile: "Cao Jun wants to kill us, but it's not that easy."

    He looked around and saw that they were between two hilltops. Cao's army was mainly concentrated on the north hilltop. Although there were soldiers on the south hilltop to cut off their escape route, there were not many troops. Especially in the southeast, the torches were sparse.

    "Brother Zhao, can you take a few steps?"

    Zhao Yun felt that his legs had some feeling, so he nodded, "I'll give it a try!"

    Liu Jing helped Zhao Yun up and put Wu Xiu's body under his arm. He supported Zhao Yun and limped away to the southeast.

    Liu Jing supported Zhao Yun and walked along the mountainside for a while. At this time, he found a cave. The cave seemed unfathomable. Liu Jing picked up a stone and threw it down. It took a long time before there was an echo.

    This cave is good and can hide the body. Liu Jing found a low-lying place next to it and smiled at Zhao Yun: "Brother Zhao, lie down for a while. I will be back soon."

    Zhao Yun lay down and closed his eyes. At this time, he had given his honor and life to Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing covered the bodies of Zhao Yun and Wu Xiu with branches. He figured out the direction and ran toward the southeast.

    Cao Jun¡¯s search for soldiers in the southeast was not many, only more than 300, and most of them were scattered. This gave Liu Jing to seize the opportunity.

    About two hundred steps away from the cave, Liu Jing found a lone Cao Jun soldier. He threw Zhao Yun's helmet on the ground, drew out his dagger, and climbed up the tree.

    Not long after, a soldier of Cao's army came over with a torch in hand. He found a helmet on the ground and bent down to pick it up. Just as he was looking at the helmet, Liu Jing jumped down from the tree, knocked the soldier to the ground, and smashed his face.  He was pressed into the dirt and a sword pierced his vest.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    He quickly peeled off the armor of Cao Jun's soldiers, put it on himself, looked around, and saw another lone torch not far away.

    Liu Jing ran away, and soon came not far from Cao Jun's soldiers. He hid behind a tree. When the other party approached, he suddenly stepped out, pointed his knife at the chest of Cao Jun's soldiers and shouted: "Password!"

    Cao¡¯s soldiers were startled, and when they saw that they were among their own people, they quickly replied: ¡°Close the net!¡±

    It turned out that the command was to close the net, not a useless one. Liu Jing smiled, suddenly pointed behind him and said in horror: "What is behind you?"

    Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers turned around instinctively. Liu Jing seized the momentary opportunity and slashed hard with his sword, sending the opponent¡¯s head flying more than ten feet away.

    At this time, Liu Jing was extremely nervous. Cao Jun was gradually approaching with more searches. He didn't have much time. He picked up the two corpses, turned around and ran towards the cave.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A quarter of an hour later, Liu Jing carried Zhao Yun, who was also wearing Cao's armor, and ran south along the mountainside with a torch in his hand. He was betting that these soldiers would never dream that their prey would fall into a trap.

    Several Cao Jun soldiers facing him noticed him and shouted: "Who is he? Password!"

    "Close the net!"

    Liu Jing was just like entering a password, anxiously waiting for the other party's reply. Obviously, the password was correct.

    Several Cao Jun soldiers stepped forward. The leader looked at Zhao Yun and asked with concern: "What's wrong with him? He seems to be dying soon."

    Liu Jing gave a bitter smile and said, "He is my brother. He was bitten by a snake while searching the mountain. The snake venom has taken effect. It is useless to bleed him. I want to see a military doctor immediately."

    At this moment, there was a commotion in the distance, and someone faintly shouted: "Found it!"

    Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers were immediately anxious and ignored Liu Jing and Liu Jing. They left them and ran towards the commotion. That was a bounty of 800 kilograms!  The eagerness to get rich made the soldiers' eyes red.

    After a while, all the nearby Cao soldiers ran away. Seeing that there were no more torches blocking the road ahead, Liu Jing put Zhao Yun on his back and said with a smile: "Brother Zhao, now we can hit the road!"

    Zhao Yun also smiled: "It looks like we don't have to die in battle anymore."

    The two laughed, and Liu Jing took big steps towards the vast mountains in the south.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the foot of the mountain, generals Le Jin and Li Dian knelt on one knee in front of Cao Cao. Le Jin said with great shame: "I have searched the mountain twice, and searched every corner. There is no trace of them. I only found two dead bodies and one dead body."  It was a middle-aged man, and the other one was wearing Zhao Yun¡¯s armor. The soldiers thought they had caught him.

    Next to him, Li Dian also said shyly: "I was ordered to intercept from the south. Some soldiers have discovered Liu Jing and Zhao Yun, but they are wearing Cao's army soldiers."A, he also knew the password, so he let them go. It is estimated that Liu Jing and Zhao Yun had fled over the mountain. He dared not hide it because of his low position, and was willing to be punished by the Prime Minister!  "

    "A bunch of useless things!"

    Cao Cao was extremely annoyed and cursed fiercely. Tens of thousands of people searched the mountain and couldn't catch him, but they still ran away. He looked at the two corpses on the ground, then turned back and asked Yu Jin, "Who is this middle-aged man?"  ?¡±

    Yu Jin quickly bowed and said: "It should be the people who broke out with them. I guess they are Liu Biao's subordinates due to their humble position, but I don't know why they had internal strife."

    ¡®Internal strife!  ¡¯

    What did this word remind Cao Cao? He thought for a long time and asked the counselor Cheng Yu beside him, "What does Zhongde think?"

    Cheng Yu understood what Cao Cao was thinking, so he gently stroked his gray beard and said with a smile: "As General Yu and General Li said, this young man is indeed brave and clever. He was able to escape from being surrounded twice. I have to admit,  He is a genius.

    If he is the son of Liu Jingsheng, the prime minister will have to catch him to avoid future troubles, but if he is a nephew! In fact, it is not a bad thing to let him go to Jingzhou. If the subordinates' inference is correct, this young man will definitely cause chaos in Jingzhou in the future.  "

    Cao Cao stroked his beard and nodded. He also believed that Liu Jingsheng's son had the ears of a pig, but with a powerful nephew, he would be like a black fish entering the fish pond, and sooner or later he would cause chaos in Jingzhou.

    "Zhongde thinks, can I help him again?"

    Cheng Yu shook his head and smiled: "My subordinates feel that now is not the time. We should focus on destroying Yuan Shao and pacifying the north. Jingzhou can wait and see what happens. If the prime minister is interested in this young man, he might as well send someone to pay attention to him. When the time comes, we can take advantage of the situation."  And to use him to disrupt Jingzhou, since ancient times, the country's defeat has always been due to civil strife, why should the Prime Minister be anxious at this moment?"

    Cao Cao was deeply convinced by Cheng Yu's words. He thought for a long time and finally gave up searching for the two men. He immediately ordered, "Retract troops and return to Xuchang!"

    ??

 Chapter 9 of Volume 1: First Meeting with Liu Bei

    [I am forced to make the list, so I still have to ask for votes from book friends!  Please collect!  ¡¿

    ========

    The mountains of Mount Rang are rolling and rolling, with the tops of the mountains one after another, stretching for fifty or sixty miles. Liu Jing carried Zhao Yun on his back for nearly two hours and had walked more than twenty miles. He left his pursuers far behind and could no longer see them.  .

    At this time, Liu Jing was also exhausted. Seeing the morning glow about to rise on the horizon, he found a tree root with tangled vines and slowly put Zhao Yun down.

    With the medicine and water, Zhao Yun's injury did not worsen. He also slept a lot, and his complexion improved a lot. Although his face was still very pale, the faint blue color had faded.

    "Mr. Jing, you should also take a rest!"

    Zhao Yun smiled and said: "I feel a little stronger. Maybe I can walk by myself later."

    After the two people fled for their lives this night, they actually developed a friendship of life and death. Liu Jing also took a sip of water and handed the kettle to Zhao Yun. He found a clear spring on the way and filled up the kettle again.

    He looked at the rising sun that was rising little by little on the horizon. The vast rays of light made the sky and the earth extremely beautiful, and the forests were dyed. Although the mountains and rivers were picturesque, Liu Jing seemed a little preoccupied.

    "Wu Xiu is dead, can he still go to Jingzhou?"  Although the skin is still on him, without Wu Xiu's introduction, will Liu Biao still trust him? Maybe he will, maybe he won't. Everything is unknown. If he doesn't go to Jingzhou, where can he go?

    ¡°Master Jing, it¡¯s better to go to Jingzhou!¡±

    Zhao Yun smiled slightly and said, "You are Liu Biao's nephew. Whether Wu Xiu is here or not, it can't change this fact."

    Zhao Yun sighed softly again, "Master Jing went to Jingzhou not to rely on Liu Biao's support, but to find opportunities to use his talents. After this night, I, Zhao Yun, saw a man who was honest, righteous, understanding and kind.  I respect those who never abandon you, and I hope you can have a good ending."

    Zhao Yun's words made Liu Jing's heart dyed red by the morning glow. He stared at the morning glow gushing out, and a sense of pride that a man should stand between heaven and earth rose in his chest.

    yes!  Maybe there is a little risk, but what can you do without risk?  The greater the risk, the greater the reward. Marquis Jin Pingting, the nephew of Jingzhou Mu Liu Biao, compared with the gains that can be obtained here, the risk is really nothing to worry about.

    A man can¡¯t bear even this risk, so what else can he do? Wouldn¡¯t it be great to go to Jingzhou?  He could seek Liu Biao's family fortune and build his own, and his trip to the Three Kingdoms would not be in vain.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing turned around and smiled at Zhao Yun: "If one day, Brother Zilong also gets the opportunity to display his talents and make achievements, will Brother Zilong seize this opportunity?"

    Zhao Yun smiled slightly. He knew what Liu Jing meant. He was not stupid. The words Wu Xiu said before he died made him understand everything.

    After a long while, he said calmly: "I will not betray my master. Just as the master never abandons me, I will never abandon him. The master is suffering many setbacks at this time. It is the most difficult time, and I  How can you abandon him?"

    Zhao Yun¡¯s answer made Liu Jing a little disappointed, but after thinking about it, he was relieved. If Zhao Yun really betrayed Liu Bei, then he would not be Changshan Zhao Zilong.

    More importantly, he is thinking too far. Now is far from the time for him to be ambitious. Instead, he has to find a way to get Liu Biao to recognize him first and then establish a foothold in Jingzhou. This is what he should consider at the moment.

    Liu Jing gradually calmed down and regained his senses. He smiled and said: "Actually, my biggest wish is to be able to practice martial arts like Brother Zilong. It's a pity that I don't have this opportunity."

    Zhao Yun was silent. For a moment he looked at Liu Jing and said calmly: "You will definitely have it."

    Liu Jing just talked casually. At this time, he thought of another thing and said: "I am also going to Xiangyang. Maybe I can meet Uncle Liu Huang. If I really can, it depends on Brother Zilong's loyalty.  For his sake, I am willing to do my best to help him stay in Jingzhou."

    Zhao Yun was overjoyed. If Liu Jing could persuade Liu Biao to keep his lord, the lord would not be at the end of his rope and would have new opportunities.

    "Thank you Mr. Jing for your righteousness."

    Liu Jing nodded. Seeing that Zhao Yun's tone was no longer as weak as last night, and that he was obviously getting better, he smiled and said, "The medicine that the bastard kept privately is pretty good, but it's a pity that it's gone. I didn't know there was any medicine nearby."  No herbs?¡±

    He stood up and looked around. At this time, he saw a little Taoist priest carrying a bamboo basket walking towards him from a distance. Liu Jing was very happy. He was worried that he could not find the way!

    He immediately stepped forward, bowed and saluted, "Taoist Master, please stay!"

    The little Taoist priest is about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a medium build, thick lips, a flat nose, and a simple and honest face.He looked like a man, holding a medicine hoe in his hand.

    When he suddenly met two soldiers in the wilderness, he was startled and quickly clasped his hands in a salute, "Infinite Heavenly Lord! Where did the two benefactors come from?"

    "We are Uncle Liu's subordinates. We were killed by Cao Jun and escaped all the way over the mountains. Our companions were seriously injured. I wonder if the commander can help us."

    He and Zhao Yun were both wearing the armor of Cao Jun soldiers. They couldn't hide it, so they could only make a bet. Since Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence and righteousness spread all over the world, it would be up to him whether the little Taoist would appreciate it.

    When the young Taoist priest heard that they were subordinates of Uncle Liu Huang, he immediately stood in awe and bowed to salute, "It turns out that they are subordinates of Uncle Liu Huang. I will serve you. Please follow me back to the Taoist temple. It is at the foot of the mountain. My master will treat the injuries."

    Liu Jing cursed in her heart, "Liu Da'er's reputation is pretty good. No wonder he is popular everywhere."  ¡¯

    He and the little Taoist priest supported Zhao Yun and walked slowly towards the foot of the mountain.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the foot of the mountain, there is a Taoist temple called Tianxuan Temple. There are about twenty Taoist priests. They usually collect herbs and cultivate the fields and are self-sufficient. Their lives are peaceful and worry-free, and they are not affected by the turmoil of the late Han Dynasty.

    The host was an old Taoist priest named Rangshan Zhenren. He was originally a famous medical craftsman. Although he could heal others, he could not heal himself. After his wife and son both died of typhoid fever, he became a Taoist monk and traveled far and wide, finally settling down in Rangshan.  He usually provides free medical treatment and medicine to the surrounding villagers, and his reputation is very high.

    Master Rangshan had also heard for a long time that Liu Bei was a benevolent and righteous elder. When he heard that Liu Bei's subordinates were in trouble, he immediately ordered people to clean up the quiet room. He personally treated Zhao Yun's injuries. Although the arrow poison was quite strong, fortunately the arrow did not hurt the muscles and bones. In addition,  Liu Jing received timely treatment and stabilized the toxic attack. Zhao Yun's problem was not serious and he could recover after just one month of rest.

    But Zhao Yun is very worried about Liu Bei. With this defeat, all the foundations have been lost. I wonder if the lord can withstand this blow.

    He begged Liu Jing to send a message to his lord. In fact, he hoped that Liu Jing could help Liu Bei stay in Jingzhou. Since Liu Jing had promised, how could he refuse and rest for one night? The next day, Liu Jing set off for Jingzhou.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    From Rangshan Mountain to the west, there is an arc-shaped official road that winds for more than 300 miles before you enter the boundary of Jingzhou and reach Bishui, which is also a tributary of the Han River. It goes south along the Bishui for more than 100 miles.  Li, you can reach Xiangyang.

    But Liu Jing took a shortcut, which was half the distance than taking the official road. He took long strides and walked westward quickly in the gentle hills, constantly comparing it with the map drawn by Master Rangshan. At noon the next day,  He felt that he was already close to Bi Shui.

    Liu Jing stood on a big rock and carefully searched his position on the map. From the map, he was right next to Bishui, but.  £®  £®  £®  Why can't he see the river?

    Liu Jing stood up and looked around. He saw a small hill a hundred steps away. There was a large straight tree on the hill, about four or five feet high. He immediately ran towards the hill.

    Not long after, Liu Jing climbed up a big tree, put up a curtain and looked to the west. His field of vision suddenly became vast. A few miles away, he saw a river like a jade belt flowing quietly in the wilderness. He also saw the official  Road, at the end of the official road, there seem to be dozens of small black spots, like tents, stationed by the Bishui River.

    "found it!"

    Liu Jing cheered, slid down the tree, ran down the hill, and ran towards the official road in the distance.

    Half an hour later, Liu Jing finally arrived at the station where Liu Bei's army was stationed. A hundred steps away from the camp, two cavalrymen rushed over and stopped Liu Jing.

    "No entry is allowed in the military camp ahead!"

    Liu Jing slightly cupped his hands and said, "Please tell Uncle Liu that General Zhao Yun asked me to deliver a letter."

    "Sir, please wait a moment!"

    The cavalry turned their horses and went back. Not long after, a scribe came forward, bowed to Liu Jing and saluted, "Does this young master know about General Zhao?"

    When Liu Jing saw this scribe, who was about thirty years old, with a long beard under his chin, clear eyes, calm demeanor, and gentle manner, he smiled and said: "I was rescued by General Zhao and escaped from the battlefield, but General Zhao was unfortunately injured. We  I escaped the pursuit of Cao Jun all the way, and found General Zhao resting in Tianxuan Temple in Rangshan to recover from his injuries. He asked me to come and report to Uncle Liu that he was safe."

    ¡°That¡¯s it, sir, please come with me.¡±

    The scribe led Liu Jing towards the camp. Liu Jing couldn't help but asked curiously: "Excuse me, sir, what is your surname?"

    The scribe smiled slightly and said, "I am Sun Qian, named Gongyou, from Beihai County."

    Liu Jing nodded secretly in her heart, ¡®So he is Sun Qian!  ¡¯

    Sun Qian then remembered that he had forgotten to ask Liu Jing¡¯s name, and he quickly smiled and asked: ¡°It¡¯s so rude, I forgot to ask the young master¡¯s surname.¡±

    "I am Liu Jing, the nephew of Liu Jingzhou, who was passing through Runan and was rescued by General Zhao Yun."

    ? ?When Jiang Qian heard that he was Liu Biao's nephew, he couldn't help but be in awe, "It turns out he is Mr. Jing. I'm rude."

    The two walked into the camp and saw a group of people gathering by the river from a distance. Sun Qian said apologetically: "Master, please wait a moment. My master will talk to everyone and will receive you soon."

    "It's okay, sir, if you have anything to do, go ahead and do it!"

    Sun Qian complained and left in a hurry.

    About a hundred steps away from the crowd, Liu Jing was leaning on the grain cart, with his hands folded on his chest, looking at Liu Bei and his men in a meeting indifferently. He was a little curious in his heart, wondering if Liu Bei was as desperate as he imagined.  After feeling sad, everyone expressed their loyalty one after another.

    But from common sense, this should be the case. Liu Bei always gives his former subordinates a choice. If he wants to go to Jingzhou, he can't force others to follow him!  At the same time, you can also test the loyalty of your subordinates, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

    At this time, he heard someone shouting angrily: "What are you talking about, brother? We have been fighting in the north and south for more than ten years. When did everyone dislike the brother? If the brother says this again, I, Zhang Yide, will immediately jump into the river and commit suicide!"

    This is Zhang Fei. Liu Jing smiled knowingly. He sounded very outspoken, but she didn't know what his temper was.

    Then a calm voice came: "Brother, have you forgotten about Gaozu? He was defeated repeatedly by Xiang Yu, and only then did he succeed in the next battle. My brother has gone through ups and downs, but he can still stand up. What about Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao's foundation?"  Brother, it's just a small setback now. We just need to stand up again. Since this is Jingxiang, we can temporarily rely on Liu Biao in order to make a comeback! "

    This should be Guan Yu. Looking at his back, he looks really majestic.

    Liu Jing also sighed slightly in his heart. Although Liu Bei suffered repeated setbacks, his perseverance is really admirable, and he is very good at being a good person. He has already escaped and ordered Zhao Yun to rescue Liu Pi. He refuses to give up easily.  With this way of life, no wonder so many people are willing to follow him.

    "Master Jing!"

    Sun Qian walked up again, saluted him with a smile and said, "My lord, please come over for a moment. Could you please?"

    ??

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 10 Liu Jingsheng¡¯s Troubles

    [A four-thousand-word chapter, for book lovers to relieve their boredom during their lunch break. After reading the book, don¡¯t forget to vote for Lao Gao!  There will be another chapter around 8:30 pm.  ¡¿

    ======

    Liu Jing nodded and followed Sun Qian quickly to the carriage. Liu Bei felt a little sick and couldn't stand the cold wind on the river, so he sat back in the carriage.

    The carriage is broad and strong. It is a clothes carriage, also called a carriage. It was first used in the palace to load clothes. Because it can lie down and has windows on both sides, people traveling far away are also willing to ride this carriage.

    This is the carriage of Liu Bei's two wives. Liu Bei was tired from the journey and felt sick. He was even more uncomfortable when he was blown by the river wind just now. His face looked very pale. He was lying on a thick bedding and could be seen in front of the window.  he.

    "My dear nephew, my body really can't support it. I'm a little rude." Liu Bei's slightly hoarse voice came from the carriage.

    This was the first time Liu Jing met Liu Bei. The first impression she gave him was that his ears were indeed big, which was a sign of Liu Bei. The rest of his appearance was ordinary. If he were sitting in a shop, he would be a full-fledged shopkeeper. However, Liu Bei  His smile is very friendly and approachable, making it easy for people to feel good about him.

    There are also two delicate young women sitting in the carriage, they must be Mrs. Mi and Mrs. Gan. They are both about the same age, both in their early twenties, very delicate-looking, wearing the most popular pony top in the late Han Dynasty.  One person is wearing a straight dress, one is in a green dress, the other is in a red dress, one person has a fair round face and a slightly mediocre appearance, while the other person is extremely pretty.

    Although Liu Jing didn't know who was Mrs. Gan and who was Mrs. Mi, he could guess that Liu Bei married Mrs. Mi in order to obtain financial support from the Mi family, and Mrs. Gan was just a concubine.

    ?Then the one wearing a green dress and looking pretty should be Mrs. Gan. Men marry concubines!  Always look at looks first.

    ¡°Perhaps because the two ladies have been traveling with Liu Bei for a long time, they have become accustomed to coexisting with soldiers and do not shy away from them.

    Speaking of which, Liu Bei and Liu Biao are from the same clan and are his elders. Along the way, Liu Jing was repeatedly taught etiquette by Wu Xiu, such as why juniors must kneel down and bow when they see their elders, and so on, which made him feel dizzy.

    Now the problem arises. Liu Bei is sitting in the carriage, and he is standing outside the carriage. If he kneels down and bows, his shadow will disappear, which is obviously inappropriate. Liu Jing simply bows and salutes.

    "Junior Liu Jing meets the emperor's uncle!"

    Liu Bei was sitting in the carriage, squinting at Liu Jing outside the carriage. He saw that he was eight feet tall, with broad shoulders, a slightly elongated face, eyebrows like swords, a straight and high nose, and extraordinary appearance. Liu Bei secretly praised him, so good.  A mighty young man.

    Liu Jingsheng has several nephews, and he has heard of it, but the young man in front of him, although tall and tall, has an extraordinary appearance, but in his movements, he does not have the gentleness and elegance of a well-educated person, but a little.  £®  £®  A bit of a mountain spirit.

    Although he thought this, Liu Bei's face was still full of gratitude and said: "My dear nephew, there is no need to be polite. I just heard the news about Zilong, which makes me feel relieved. Thank you for sending me the news. I will send someone immediately."  Go visit him. How is his injury now? "

    "He was hit by a poisonous arrow, but fortunately his muscles and bones were not injured. He will be able to recover after detoxification for another month."

    "Oh! My wise nephew said that being chased by Cao Jun all the way must be very thrilling!"

    "It can only be said that we were lucky. Cao Cao personally sent people to search the mountain, but we still escaped. I heard that Cao's army has gone north."

    Liu Jing downplayed his escape and did not want to talk more. Liu Bei asked with concern: "Then why are you alone in Runan, where is your father's palace?"

    Liu Jing's eyes showed sadness, "My father died early, and my mother passed away last year. My uncle sent someone to pick me up to go to Jingzhou. Four of us took an ox cart through Runan, but unexpectedly encountered Cao Jun's cavalry, and our family members were killed.  Wu Shuzuo and I escaped by diving into the water, and were later rescued by Generals Liu Pi and Zhao Yun."

    At this time, Sun Qian sighed, "It turns out that the young master is Liu Wensheng's son."

    Liu Jing's heart moved, does Sun Qian know anything?  He quickly asked: "Does Mr. Sun know my father?"

    Sun Qian nodded, "I met him once ten years ago. I'm not very familiar with it, but"

    Sun Qian was about to say more, but Liu Bei winked at him, and Sun Qian immediately fell silent.

    Liu Bei sighed, "The war is in chaos, and human life is as lowly as grass. If the young master can escape with his life, it is God's blessing, it is luck! It is fate!"

    Liu Bei changed his tone and asked with a smile: "Is my nephew going to Xiangyang now?"

    "Exactly, if the emperor's uncle is also going, we happen to be together. General Liu Pi and General Zhao have saved my life. I must let my uncle thank the emperor's uncle."

    Liu Bei understood in his heart thatHe meant ?? and nodded with a smile. In fact, when Liu Bei heard Sun Qian mention that he was Liu Biao's nephew, he had an idea whether he could use this young man to enhance his relationship with Liu Biao.

    It was just the first time they met, so he couldn't say this, but since the young man offered to help, it was quite reasonable, so Liu Bei just said it.

    "I plan to go to Xiangyang to temporarily avoid Cao Jun's attack, but I am worried that it will not be convenient for your uncle, so I am in a dilemma"

    Liu Bei couldn't say the next words, but he believed that Liu Jing would understand. Of course Liu Jing understood the implication of Liu Bei's words and asked himself to say good things for him!  He had actually thought of this favor a long time ago, and Liu Biao would definitely agree to it anyway.

    What's more important is that he took Liu Bei to Jingzhou, and his nephew's weight also increased. Isn't it not good for him?

    He gave a long salute and said, "The elders have entrusted me with my entrustment, so Liu Jing should serve me."

    Liu Jing went down to rest for a while. At this time, Sun Qiancai whispered: "Master, if he is Liu Wensheng's son, then I have met him five years ago, but he is a bit different. That Liu Qigong is well-educated, gentle and elegant.  And this Mr. Liu seems to be a bit

    Before he could finish speaking, Liu Bei waved his hand, "This is normal. After all, people will change after five years! Don't think about it too much. We should consider cooperation. Gongyou, go to Xiangyang with him this time."  , let him try his best to help you and convince Liu Jingsheng to stay with us. "

    After saying that, Liu Bei glanced at Sun Qian meaningfully. Sun Qian suddenly understood Liu Bei's profound meaning. There are some things that cannot be studied deeply now.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ¡®Dang-dang-dang!  ¡¯

    The melodious bells on the top of Xiangyang City woke up this ancient city with a long history. A rising sun slowly rose from the east, and thousands of magnificent rays of light shot towards the largest city in Jingzhou, extinguishing the last trace of twilight that shrouded the city.  Swept away.

    In a huge house in the west of Xiangyang City, a middle-aged man wearing a green scarf, a white brocade robe, and a purple ribbon around his waist slowly walked through a long corridor. The rising sun passed through the bottom eaves of the corridor, shining on the middle-aged man.  On men.

    He is eight feet tall, burly, with a white face and a beautiful beard. His eyes are deep and piercing from time to time, giving people a sense of calm and power. However, his sleeves are wide, he walks as airy as a fairy, and there is a certain air between his gestures and gestures.  An indescribable gentleness.

    He is General Zhennan, Marquis Chengwu, and Jingzhou Shepherd Liu Biao. He has been the lord of Jingzhou for eleven years. After eleven years of pacification and conquest, he has gone from being a lonely governor of Jingzhou to being the governor of Jingzhou today.  A prince with more than 100,000 soldiers and a territory of thousands of miles.

    Liu Biao has been in a bad mood these past two days because of his wife. His wife is the daughter of the Cai family in Xiangyang. She has been married for several years without children and finally became pregnant a few months ago.

    But just five days ago, his wife suddenly felt pain in her stomach. She invited all the famous doctors in Xiangyang to save the fetus. In the end, she could not save the baby and lost the child, which made Liu Biao feel very sad.

    The succession of heirs has always been a major event in a family of officials, especially Mrs. Cai. Her son is likely to become the future lord of Jingzhou. It is precisely because of this that Mrs. Cai's miscarriage has become a big deal in the Liu family.

    For two days in a row, the whole Liu family was in chaos. Even Liu Biao couldn't take care of his official duties. He stayed at home for two days to comfort his wife who was in great pain.

    When he got up early in the morning, he came to visit his wife, wondering if her mood had improved.

    Liu Biao walked down the steps with his hands behind his back, walked through an exquisite stone path, and came to a small courtyard. There was a small red building in the courtyard. This was the courtyard where his wife lived. The bamboos in the courtyard grew lush and tall.  Verdant green.

    As soon as Liu Biao walked to the door, the door opened. A rickety old woman in a kurtz skirt walked out of the courtyard carrying a food box. She looked up and saw Liu Biao, and was startled. She quickly stood aside and bowed her head respectfully.  :"master!"

    This old woman came with Mrs. Cai as a dowry. She was actually Mrs. Cai¡¯s wet nurse and had been living in the Cai Mansion. Because of the miscarriage, Mrs. Cai brought the wet nurse to take care of her.

    "How is Madam's condition? Is she feeling better?" Liu Biao asked with concern.

    The old woman sighed and shook her head, "Master, my wife is not in good spirits. She"

    "What's up with her?"

    "My wife said that she wants to move back to her parents' home to recuperate."

    "I understand, go and do your work!"

    Liu Biao looked at the old woman's hunched back and walked away. His face suddenly sank. In the past two days, his wife had asked more than once to go to her parents' home for recuperation.

    Originally, it was normal for a woman to want to go to her parents¡¯ home for recuperation, but Liu Biao knew very well the thoughts of the person next to her. She wanted to change her guilt towards her.?Apologies to the Cai family.

    He married a daughter of the Cai family for the sake of marriage with the Cai family and for political benefits. However, Liu Biao still liked this young wife very much and accommodated her in everything. However, Liu Biao was a little dissatisfied with her attitude towards her natal family.

    Generally speaking, it is human nature for a wife to be slightly biased towards her natal family. There must be a certain limit and it cannot be too much. However, his wife did not grasp this limit. She was too biased towards the Cai family, and she even did not hesitate to use miscarriage to do so.  Make a fuss.

    Liu Biao stopped as he was about to step into the courtyard. He pondered for a moment, turned around and left with his hands behind his hands.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Jingzhou Prefecture Muguan Office is located in the west of Xiangyang City, close to Liu Biao's residence. It is the political center of the entire Jingzhou region, covering an area of ??300 acres. There are more than a hundred officials, big and small, and Liu Biao's staff busy in this official office.

    Liu Biao, escorted by dozens of attendants, rode to the government office. As soon as he arrived at the gate, a clerk came up and reported: "To inform the state pastor, the envoy from the emperor's uncle Liu Xuande has arrived and is waiting in the living room."

    A knowing smile appeared on Liu Biao's face, as if he knew Liu Bei's envoy was coming. He nodded and dismounted. At this time, Shu Zuo hesitated for a moment and then said: "Coming with him is Mr. Jing, the nephew of Zhou Mu!  "

    Liu Biao was immediately overjoyed. He had also heard about the war in Runan two days ago. After calculating the time, his nephew Liu Jing happened to be passing through Runan, which made him worried. He was not only afraid that he would encounter misfortune, but also worried that he would be taken hostage by Cao's army.  .

    Now that he finally heard the news about him, Liu Biao was overjoyed and said, "Where is he? Take me to see him."

    "It seems that Mr. Jing came with Liu Biao's envoy. I heard that he met him in Runan."

    Liu Biao walked quickly to the official office. As soon as he reached the corridor, an official in purple robe came out from behind the column, bowed his head and saluted, "My lord, I have a message."

    This man is about forty years old, seven feet five tall, with broad shoulders, strong arms, yellowish skin, slender eyes, and a tall and straight hooked nose that makes him look slightly cunning. He is Cousin Liu's brother-in-law.  Cai Mao, who was the military advisor of Jingzhou at that time.

    Among the four famous families in Jingzhou, Cai, Kuai, Pang, and Huang, the Cai family in Xiangyang ranks first, and Cai Mao is the head of the Cai family. He holds great power in Jingzhou. He is not only Liu Biao's number one deputy, participating in military aircraft decision-making, but also holding Xiangyang data.  Wan Junquan has a pivotal position in Jingzhou.

    He had been waiting for a while, and finally when Liu Biao arrived, he added: "My subordinates suggest that it is best for the lord not to see Liu Bei's envoy."

    Although Liu Biao was somewhat dissatisfied with the Cai family because his wife was clamoring to return to her parents' home to have the baby, he did not fall out with Cai Mao over this trivial matter.

    He put his hands behind his back and asked with a faint smile: "Is it possible that Liu Bei's envoy is armed with a sharp blade and has evil intentions?"

    He was implicitly telling Cai Hao that you were making a fuss out of a molehill and it was out of character. Cai Hao blushed and quickly explained: "The person coming is Sun Qian. It's okay for the lord to see him. It's just that Liu Bei is desperate and must have come to seek refuge with the lord. He  It will bring trouble to Jingzhou. If the lord takes Liu Bei in, it will give Cao Jun an excuse to attack Jingzhou."

    Liu Biao glanced at Cai Mao and smiled, "Let's meet people first. It seems that my nephew is also here. Has the military advisor seen him?"

    "My lord, you must be talking about Mr. Jing! I saw it just now, and he looks like a talented person, but"

    "But what?" Liu Biao looked at him a little strangely.

    Cai Mao wanted to say that Liu Jing was more reckless and murderous, but less frail and unlike the children of the Liu family. But when he spoke, he swallowed the words back, bowed and said with a smile: "Master Jing seems to be  A person who practices martial arts.¡±

    ??

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 11 The verbal battle with Cai Hao

    [Another chapter of nearly 4,000 words, Lao Gao begs for support!  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    As the saying goes, it¡¯s better to know a king than a minister. Cai Hao and Liu Biao have worked together for many years, and he understands Liu Biao¡¯s character very well. Although Liu Biao said he wanted a balance between civil and military affairs, in his heart he valued culture over military affairs.

    Cai Mao didn't need to say anything bad about Liu Jing. The words "He is a martial arts practitioner" planted a seed of disappointment in Liu Biao's heart.

    Liu Biao loved his younger brother Liu Bing very much. Liu Bing had been frail and sick since he was a child. He had no children for five years after marrying his wife, and then gave birth to Liu Jing. Liu Biao, who was far away in the capital, was overjoyed when he heard that his younger brother had an heir.  The word 'jing' in the name was given to my nephew, who was named Liu Jing.

    Cai Mao said that his nephew was a martial arts practitioner. Although it did not change Liu Biao's feelings about his nephew, it cast a faint shadow in Liu Biao's heart.

    "Let's go take a look first!" Liu Biao flicked his long sleeves and walked quickly along the corridor towards the living room.

    Most of the buildings in the Qin and Han dynasties were a mixed structure of rammed earth and wooden frames, generally using the block construction method. A distinctive feature was its spaciousness. Not only the imperial palace, but also local government offices such as the Zhou Mu Guan Ya were quite imposing.

    There are double ques on the square. The que is also a square watchtower to express rank and dignity. It is more common in the buildings of Qin and Han Dynasties.

    The living room is extremely spacious, with columns around it and huge satin curtains hanging on both sides. Sun Qian and Liu Jing have been waiting in the living room for a long time. They each sit on a wooden couch with soft mats and a  There is a small table with a plate of fresh seasonal fruits and a cup of freshly brewed tea on it.

    During the Qin and Han Dynasties, tea was mostly only popular among the upper class in the south, and tea was not drunk in the north. In the north, most of the drinks for entertaining guests at this time were "pulp", rice syrup or fruit pulp.

    Jingxiang area is rich in tea, and the style of sencha is also popular. Many celebrities who fled from the north gradually developed the habit of drinking sencha.

    The tea on the small table next to Sun Qian remained untouched, not because he didn't drink tea, but because he was a little uneasy. They had just chatted with Cai Hao for a few words. Although they didn't say much, they clearly felt Cai Hao's hostility.

    "Mr. Jing, did you notice just now?"

    Sun Qian whispered to Liu Jing: "Cai Mao's tone just now seemed to be very contradictory. It seems that the Jingzhou clan does not welcome the emperor's arrival."

    Liu Jing is also a little uneasy. His uneasiness is not Cai Mao's hostility to Liu Bei. At this time, he can't care about Liu Bei. He is thinking about his own fate.

    Cai Mao's attitude towards him just now was a bit strange. He seemed to care more about himself than Liu Bei. He couldn't explain clearly the way Cai Mao looked at him just now. He was surprised, confused, and even had an unconcealable disappointment. He was disappointed in himself.  What?

    Liu Jing agreed vaguely, "I heard that Cai Mao is a pro-Cao faction. It is certain that he is hostile. The key depends on my uncle."

    Sun Qian nodded. In fact, he understood the power structure in Jingzhou. Liu Biao was aloof and ultimately decided everything, but his attitude was affected by the four major families.

    The Cai family and the Kuai family are pro-Cao sects, the Pang family is relatively neutral, and the Huang family, headed by Huang Zu, the prefect of Jiangxia, is a staunch anti-Cao sect. Among the four major families, the Cai family is the most powerful and has a strong influence on Liu Biao.  The impact is also the deepest.

    Although the hostility of the Cai family made Sun Qian feel uneasy, Liu Jing's words gave him hope. The key is to see Liu Biao's attitude.

    At this time, a guard at the door shouted: "Jingzhou Mu, Cheng Wuhou, and General Zhennan are here!"

    This was Liu Biao's arrival. Sun Qian and Liu Jing stood up quickly, and saw a tall, middle-aged Eguan man walking quickly into the lobby, followed by Cai Mao, and another middle-aged man with a majestic appearance.  He has an elegant demeanor, and although he has an extraordinary appearance, he seems to be very low-key, deliberately walking in Liu Biao's shadow and not being noticed much.

    Sun Qian saw Liu Biao and immediately recognized the man from Eguan, Liu Jingsheng, the lord of Jingzhou.

    He hurriedly stepped forward and bowed deeply and saluted, "Sun Qian, the staff of General Zuo, the uncle of the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, is here to see General Zhennan!"

    "It turns out to be Gongyou, we haven't seen him for many years."

    Liu Biao smiled extremely politely. His eyes turned and fell on Liu Jing, with a little more affection in his eyes.

    He only met Liu Jing once when she was three years old. After more than ten years, he had already forgotten the appearance of Liu Jing as a child.

    At this time, he saw that Liu Jing was about eight feet tall, with broad shoulders, a slightly elongated face, eyebrows like swords, a straight and high nose, and a dignified appearance. Liu Biao liked her at first sight and secretly praised her, "I am really my nephew."  !  ¡¯

    Liu Jing hurriedly took two steps forward, knelt down on her knees, sat on her buttocks on her heels, straightened her waist, spread her hands to both sides and pressed on the ground, shoulder-width apart, her body slightly leaned forward, deepWith a bow, "Nephew meets uncle!"

    This etiquette is called bowing, also called hand-bowing. It is usually used by juniors to elders, or from subordinates to superiors.

    Women¡¯s worship is called solemn worship, which means that they do not need to press their hands on the ground, but just slightly bow their bodies and lower their heads.

    And for close relatives, such as parents or masters, they not only need to bow their hands, but also bow their heads, that is, kowtow.

    ??????????? The Chang Yi is only a salute between peers or people who are not familiar with each other, and even the subordinates show contempt for their superiors. For example, Yuan Shao bowed to Dong Zhuo with a long bow, which made everyone eclipse.

    Sun Qian¡¯s etiquette just now was also a long salute. On the one hand, Sun Qian was not a subordinate of Liu Biao, and on the other hand, he came on behalf of Liu Bei. To a certain extent, he and Liu Biao had equal status, so he used a long salute.

    Liu Jing must kowtow because Liu Biao is his elder, but he does not need to kowtow, indicating that there is still a difference between Liu Biao and his parents and master.

    Liu Jing had only been in this era for a few days and didn't know much etiquette. Thanks to Wu Xiu who took the trouble to teach him. Although this person was despicable and ungrateful, it was undeniable that he helped Liu Jing a lot in concealing his identity. Based on this, Liu Jing also  Decided to take care of his wife and children in the future.

    Liu Biao laughed, stepped forward to help Liu Jing up, and looked at him carefully. Although Liu Jing was majestic and majestic, which he liked very much, Liu Jing did lack a bit of elegance.  Pity.

    He smiled slightly and asked again: "Jing'er has worked hard all the way, where is Wu Shuzuo?"

    Liu Jing said sadly: "In Runan, Cao Jun's cavalry was encountered. Unfortunately, his family and Wu Shuzuo were killed. My nephew swam to escape, but fortunately Uncle Liu Huang rescued him."

    Sun Qian next to him was startled, how could he be rescued by his lord?  As soon as he thought about it, he realized that this was Liu Jing giving good words to his lord, so he smiled and said nothing, acquiescing to Liu Jing's statement.

    Liu Biao secretly sighed. This was exactly what he was worried about. Unexpectedly, it came true. Thanks to Liu Bei's rescue on the road, his attitude towards Sun Qian also changed obviously.

    "Gongyou has had a hard journey, please sit down!"

    The guests and guests were seated, and an attendant served them tea. Liu Jing presented the letter, Yuan bamboo slips and seals to Liu Biao. These are things that must be taken out, and the sooner the better.

    Liu Biao took a general look at these things and showed no suspicion. He smiled at Cai Mao and said, "What do you think of my nephew, the military advisor?"

    Cai Hao chuckled, "Master Jing is handsome and talented, and he is worthy of being my lord's nephew."

    He changed his mind and asked with a smile: "Why is Mr. Jing's accent so different?"

    The issue of Liu Jing¡¯s accent was still a problem. This was an unavoidable obstacle. Even Liu Biao glanced at Liu Jing with doubts. Just now, he also heard that Liu Jing was not speaking his hometown dialect.

    Generally speaking, boyhood is a person's formative period. Appearance, personality and even accent are all formed during this period. Once formed, it is difficult to change.

    Therefore, Liu Jing and Wu Xiu discussed this issue specifically. When they came up with a solution, Liu Jing smiled and said: "I studied at the foot of Mount Tai. In the past six years, I have followed my master to travel around the world, traveling thousands of miles and reading thousands of books."

    Cai Mao refused to let him go, and pretended to be surprised and asked, "I wonder who your master is?"

    Liu Jing originally wanted to say that an unknown scribe was not worth mentioning, but there were still loopholes in it. If Liu Biao got interested and tested his knowledge, he would be exposed, and Liu Jing couldn't help but become a little nervous.

    Before Liu Jing could speak, Sun Qian smiled and said, "I know this. Mr. Jing worships Wu Xiang, a famous scholar from Mount Tai, as his teacher. Wu Xiang is an old friend of mine. It's a pity that a group of talented people got sick and died last year. What a pity!"

    Sun Qian and Liu Jing came all the way and knew that Liu Jing had no knowledge of Confucius and Mencius. He took the initiative to explain for Liu Jing, obviously to repay Liu Jing for Liu Bei's kind words just now.

    ??Wu Xiang and Liu Biao, a famous scholar in Mount Tai, also heard about it. He was a famous person who did not like to read books by sages. He was known as the ghost of Mount Tai and specialized in civil engineering tools.

    Liu Biao was a little unhappy when he heard that his nephew actually worshiped Wu Xiang as his teacher, but in this way, Liu Jing's accent problem was solved.

    Liu Jing is a family matter, but Sun Qian is a state matter. At this time, Liu Biao was more concerned about Liu Bei's situation. He leaned slightly and asked: "I wonder where my brother Xuande is now?"

    Cai Mao's eyes became nervous as he stared at Sun Qian. Liu Bei's arrival was related to Jing Xiang's future and he could not ignore it.

    Next to him, Liu Jing secretly rejoiced. Fortunately, he came with Sun Qian, which distracted Liu Biao and Cai Hao from Liu Bei's important events. The accent problem that he was most worried about was solved so easily. It can't but be said to be a kind of luck.

    But there was another kind of uneasiness in his heart. Did Sun Qian guess something?

    Sun Qian bowed slightly and said:"Uncle Huang was defeated in Runan. Now by the Bishui River, Uncle Liu wants to join Zhou Mu. I wonder if Zhou Mu can accommodate him?"

    Sun Qian spoke very frankly and directly. He must speak straightforwardly and clearly on important matters and not give the other party room for ambiguity.

    Before Liu Biao could speak, Cai Mao's face changed drastically and he said anxiously: "No, my lord, Liu Bei first surrendered to Tao Qian, but Tao Qian died of illness, and then followed Lu Bu. Lu Bu died in Baimenlou, and then followed Cao Cao, but it caused the disaster of the Clothes and Belt Edict.  , Dong Cheng and other ministers were executed, and finally surrendered to Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao defeated Guandu, which shows that he is the one who can defeat the master. If we accept him, Cao Cao will add troops to Jingxiang. A big disaster is not far away in Jingxiang. I hope your lord will see clearly.  "

    At this time, Liu Jing said from the side: "Uncle, can you listen to your nephew?"

    Liu Biao smiled and nodded, "I would like to hear Jing'er's opinion."

    Liu Jing had originally made up his mind that silence was golden, but he took the opportunity to reveal his knowledge, which gave Liu Biao a preconceived and good impression. Liu Jing was a lawyer in his previous life, and he knew the importance of preconceptions.

    Like a piece of white paper, he first drew a wonderful picture on the paper. Even if the inscription at the end was not good, it would not affect Liu Biao's impression of himself, so it was completely complete.

    This is actually a workplace strategy. If you want to be appreciated by your boss, the key is to give your boss the first impression?

    At the same time, he also wanted to repay Sun Qian for the help he had just received.

    Liu Jing stood up and saluted Liu Biao, nodded to Cai Mao, and then said calmly: "Although Cao Cao sent troops to Runan, it does not prove that he will go south to Jingzhou. Although Cao Cao's army defeated Yuan Shao in both directions, Yuan Shao still has  The strength of the four states is still there. At this time, Cao Cao's eyes should still be on Yuan Shao, a centipede insect, dead but not stiff. It will take at least five or six years for Cao Cao to completely destroy Yuan Shao. The north is unfair, how can he go south?  During this period, Cao Cao's army will not attack Jingxiang, so Cai Gong does not have to worry about Cao's army attacking Jingzhou because of Liu Huangshu. And if Cao Cao really wanted to capture Jingxiang, why didn't he take the opportunity to pursue him all the way? "

    Cai Mao was about to retort, but Liu Jing continued: "Even if Cao Cao wants to plot against Jing Xiang in the future, Uncle Liu is just an excuse. Is it true that if Uncle Liu is handed over, Cao Cao will cease his activities and live next to Jing Xiang from now on? Cai Mao will live next to Jing and Xiang from now on?"  The Duke too underestimated Cao Cao's ambition. A tiger has the intention to bite people, so how could he let it go just because of people's overtures? Taking Uncle Liu Huang in would not only increase his uncle's reputation in the world, but also enhance his strength to resist Cao's army. What's the point?  If you don¡¯t, please think again!¡±

    Cai Mao was so angry that his face was livid, but he could not refute. He objected to accepting Liu Bei. In fact, he was worried that Liu Bei's arrival would damage the interests of the Jingxiang family. He had selfish motives, but he could not express his selfish motives clearly, and was speechless for a moment.

    Sun Qian also secretly applauded. Originally, he wanted to say that Liu Bei devoted himself to helping the Han Dynasty, was a hero admired by the world, and moved Liu Biao with his righteousness. Now it seems that Liu Jing's interest analysis is more realistic. No wonder the lord must let himself and  Liu Jing came together, the lord really has a vision!

    At this time, the three of them looked at Liu Biao to see Liu Biao's final decision

    ??

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 12, Kuai and Cai Clan

    Liu Biao stroked his beard and secretly praised, "My nephew is not bad. He has sharp eyesight, clear logic, and a thorough analysis of the general situation. He really has some knowledge."  ¡¯

    He turned back and asked the middle-aged man next to him who had been silent, "What's the opinion of the alien?"

    This silent middle-aged man is none other than Kuai Yue, the third most powerful person in Jingzhou, and an important figure in the Kuai family, the second most famous family in Jingzhou. He was extremely famous at a young age.

    General He Jin also heard about his reputation for a long time and hired him as Dongcao's agent. He once advised He Jin to kill all the eunuchs, but it was a pity that He Jin didn't listen, which eventually led to the disaster of killing.

    After following Liu Biao, Kuai Yue made many achievements and was named the Governor of Zhangling and Marquis of Fanting. Now he is Liu Biao's staff and participates in the military affairs. He participates in the decision-making of military aircraft and is recognized as the third highest figure in Jingzhou.

    At this time, when he saw Liu Biao asking about his countermeasures, he couldn't help but look at Liu Jing deeply, and then said with a faint smile: "Uncle Liu Huang is a hero in the world. It shows your lord's magnanimity to accept him. Since he has come to join the lord, if you reject him, I'm afraid it will be a thousand miles away."  It damages the lord's reputation and the loss outweighs the gain, so I agree to accept it."

    "You!" Cai Mao glared at Kuai Yue. He was dedicated to safeguarding the interests of the Jingzhou family, but he stabbed him in the back.

    Liu Biao nodded and said resolutely: "Xuande is my brother. If you come to me when you are in trouble, how can I not accept him?"

    He then said to Sun Qian: "Since Xuande is already at Bishui, I will go to Bishui in person and welcome him into Jingxiang."

    Sun Qian was overjoyed, "Zhou Mu is really a wise elder!"

    Early the next morning, Liu Biao led thousands of subordinate officers and troops to the north to Bishui to meet the emperor's uncle Liu Bei. The momentum was so great that everyone in Jingxiang knew about it.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There is a mansion covering an area of ??nearly 100 acres in the east of the city. It has pavilions, pavilions, rockeries and fish ponds. The various buildings are either solemn or elegant, or beautiful and exquisite. It is an unusual official residence. This is Cai Mao's official residence in Xiangyang City.  .

    Cai Hao walked in a hurry and came to a small courtyard in the back garden. He opened the door and walked in. In the small courtyard, there was a pear tree several feet high. It had dense shade and the branches and leaves were dotted with yellow fragrant pears.

    Behind the green leaves and yellow pear, there are three rooms, with the main hall in the middle and a side room on each side.

    The door of the main hall is open, and in the corner is a large copper incense burner with three legs and a cover. There is a hollow above it according to the Bagua image. At this time, a faint cigarette smoke is constantly flowing out of the hollow.

    An old man in his sixties, wearing a yellow Taoist robe and a bamboo crown, was sitting cross-legged facing the wall. Cai Mao had already entered the main hall, and he seemed completely unaware.

    The old man is Cai Xun, Cai Mao's uncle. The previous head of the Cai family was a devout believer in Taoism. He originally lived in the Cai family's old house outside the city. Because the Cai family's old house was recently renovated, he temporarily moved to Cai Mao's official residence to practice.

    "I feel that your steps are anxious. Why is that?" Cai Xun asked calmly without looking back.

    Cai Mao knelt down, kowtowed and saluted, "Uncle, Liu Bei has come to Jingzhou."

    "Are you so nervous when Liu Bei comes to Jingzhou?"

    Cai Xun slowly turned around. He was thin and dry, but his eyes were particularly sharp, as if he could see through people's hearts. He looked at Cai Hao and said slowly: "You are the head of the family, responsible for the prosperity of the family. I hope you can always  Be calm and keep your plan in mind.¡±

    Cai Xun's tone was very slow, but every word hit Cai Hao's heart hard. Cai Hao couldn't help but feel a little ashamed, and said with a wry smile: "My nephew knows his mistake."

    Cai Xun was satisfied with his nephew's attitude and nodded, "Liu Bei's arrival, do you think it will affect the interests of the Cai family?"

    Cai Hao pondered for a moment and said: "Liu Bei is a hero. His arrival will inevitably break the existing power structure. Once the existing structure is broken, the interests of the Cai family will inevitably be damaged."

    "Is this what you're worried about?"

    Cai Xun's eyes were still sharp, as if he could see through Cai Hao's mind. Cai Hao sighed secretly in his heart. He could not hide his inner secret in front of his uncle.

    "My nephew is mainly worried that Liu Bei's arrival will trigger Cao Cao to go south to Jingxiang. Once Cao Cao captures Jingxiang, our Cai family's power will be pushed to the edge."

    This is Cai Mao's real worry. Although he is pro-Cao, he does not want Cao's army to go south to Jingxiang. Otherwise, the Cai family's interests will be greatly damaged, not to mention that the Cai family's capital on Liu Biao will be wiped out.  , and more importantly, Liu Biao dominates Jingxiang. The Cai family is the first family under Liu Biao's rule. But if Cao Cao dominates Jingxiang, the Cai family may not even be able to rely on Cao Cao.  The truth of the Cow Queen.

    Cai Xun was silent for a moment, and then slowly said: "The north is not at peace, and Cao Cao cannot go south for a while. As long as the Cai family can maintain its status as the largest family in Jingzhou, even if Cao Cao goes south, they will be reused. So the top priority now is to consolidate the Cai family."  In Jingxiang's position, the best way is to marry. I heard you say at the beginning of the year??, I want to use Shaoyu to marry Liu Biao, how is the progress now?  "

    Shaoyu is Cai Shaoyu, Cai Mao's only daughter. She is fourteen years old and waiting for marriage. Although there is an endless stream of suitors, Cai Mao has his own ideas. He wants to marry Liu Biao.

    Cai Mao sighed, "I told my second sister about this matter. The second sister said that Mr. Qi and Mr. Cong both wanted to marry Shao Yu, but Jing Sheng was vague. Ten days ago, I mentioned it to Jing Sheng in person.  This matter."

    "How did he say?"

    "What Jing Sheng means is to let his nephew marry Shaoyu."

    "Nephew?"

    Cai Xun frowned, "Liu Qing or Liu Hu?"

    "No, he is the son of his younger brother Liu Bing. His name is Liu Jing. Today he came with Liu Bei's envoy Sun Qian. I have met him."

    "It's actually called Liu Jing. It seems that Liu Biao likes this nephew very much!"

    Cai Xun sneered and asked: "Since I met this person today, what do you think of him?"

    Cai Mao shook his head, "This man is still a young man, about fifteen or sixteen years old. He has no romantic talent and a rough and tough look. If he hadn't been a bit knowledgeable, I would have thought he was a yellow scarf soldier pretending to be a soldier. Second uncle, I don't like it."  This person will never marry Shaoyu to him."

    Cai Xun nodded, "There is no point in marrying Liu Biao's nephew. Only by marrying Liu Biao's son can we control Jing Xiang's future. Liu Biao is already fifty years old and his life is short. Do you understand what I mean?  "

    "I understand what my second uncle means."

    After a pause, Cai Xun said calmly: "Degui, you are the head of your family and an important minister in Jingxiang. Every move you make has an impact. You must pay attention to maintaining your reputation. You can let your clan members do many things without having to stand out yourself.  Understand?"

    "My nephew will obey my second uncle's teachings!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the same moment when Cai Mao asked his second uncle Cai Xun for countermeasures, in another Kuai family mansion, Kuai Yue was also discussing with his brother Kuai Liang the matter of Liu Bei's entry into Jingxiang.

    The nationality of the Kuai family is Zhonglu County, Xiangyang County, but the family's sphere of influence is in Nanjun. This has something to do with the fact that the children of the Kuai family have served as high-ranking officials in Nanjun for a long time. Therefore, Jingzhou has the saying of "Northern Cai and Southern Kuai".

    Kuai Liang, like his brother Kuai Yue, had outstanding literary talents and great strategies. He also made great contributions to Liu Biao's pacification of Jingzhou and served as the chief registrar. However, he was in poor health and had been idle at home to recuperate three years ago. He just arrived from Zhonglu yesterday.  Arrive at Xiangyang City.

    Kuai Liang is the head of the Kuai family. He is not only talented in literature, but also has extraordinary talents. He is especially good at horse-drawing and astronomy. Recently, he observed the sky at night and found that the main star of Zhuque Palace in Nanguan was dim and dull, and a guest star entered the Nangong.  It was dazzling, which meant that a new master of Jingxiang appeared, so he rushed to find his brother Kuai Yue.

    Liu Bei arrived at this time, and Kuai Liang believed that the guest star was Liu Bei, and the main star was dim, which meant that Liu Biao's life would not be too long.

    Kuai Yue walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and then looked at the roof in deep thought. Kuai Liang saw that his brother had other thoughts, so he asked strangely: "Do you think there is someone else?"

    Kuai Yue shook his head and said in a deep voice: "If the astrology is correct, this guest star should refer to Liu Bei. There is no doubt about it, but for some reason, I always think of another person. Maybe he gave me the gift today.  Very impressive.¡±

    "who is it?"

    Kuai Yue smiled bitterly and said, "He is just a young man. Liu Jing, Liu Biao's nephew, has just arrived in Xiangyang today. He has extraordinary experience and has analyzed the interests thoroughly. It can be seen that Liu Biao admires him quite a lot, but he is only fifteen or sixteen years old.  It shouldn't be him."

    "Oh? How did this young man analyze it?" Kuai Liang was somewhat interested in Liu Jing.

    Kuai Yue told his brother one by one about the verbal dispute in the living room today. Kuai Liang couldn't help laughing, "It's hard for a young man to have such deep knowledge. Could it be that Liu Bei taught him in advance?"

    "no!"

    Kuai Yue shook his head, "I was watching everyone's expressions from the sidelines today. Sun Qian was also surprised by the young man's words. It must not have been communicated in advance."

    Speaking of this, Kuai Yue sighed again, "Brother, this young man has extraordinary words and knowledge. Liu Jingsheng's several nephews are not as good as him. Could it be"

    Kuai Liang obviously did not agree with his brother's guess. The guest star could only be Liu Bei, not Liu Biao's nephew. He interrupted Kuai Yue's guess and said lightly: "We can only congratulate Liu Jing for being a good talent.  In the future, I can guard Jingxiang."

    The two were silent for a moment, then Kuai Liang smiled again and said: "Why do you agree to accept Liu Bei into Jingxiang today? I remember you wrote to me a few days ago and said that Liu Bei might defeat Runan and come to Jingxiang to join Jingsheng.  I tried my best to dissuade Jing Sheng, but why did he change his mind again today?"

      Kuai Yue sighed, "Because I didn't understand Jing Sheng's good intentions until yesterday. I can only say that Liu Bei's coming here is exactly what he wanted."

    "Why is this?" Kuai Liang asked in confusion.

    Kuai Yue said slowly: "If Cao Cao goes south to Jingzhou and arrives at Jingxiang, we will be caught off guard. In this case, we will need a buffer force to station in Nanyang. Jing Sheng also had the same idea. This was also the reason why he finally accepted Zhang Xiu's occupation.  One of the reasons for Nanyang was that he used Zhang Xiu as a barrier between Jing Xiang and Cao Cao. However, Zhang Xiu was destroyed the year before last and Cao Jun attacked Jingzhou. Our barrier disappeared. My brother said, what does Jing Sheng want most at this time? "

    "He wants a new barrier?" Kuai Liang understood what his brother meant and laughed.

    The two brothers looked at each other, and the rest of their words were self-evident.

    At this time, Liu Biao was in urgent need of a new buffer force to resist Cao Cao's southern invasion. It happened that Liu Bei came to Jingzhou at this time, which just met Liu Biao's need.

    If Cao Cao goes south, will he attack Liu Bei or Liu Biao first?

    Although Liu Bei could not withstand the offensive of Cao Cao's army, he at least acted as a barrier and gave Jingzhou time to mobilize its troops and generals.

    Although Cai Mao was quite visionary, he could not match Liu Biao's foresight. As soon as Liu Bei appeared, Liu Biao immediately thought of Liu Bei's buffering effect.

    ¡¾Don¡¯t forget to vote for recommendation!  Thank you, Lao Gao¡¿

 Volume 1, Chapter 13: Unexpected Disaster

    In the first year of Chuping, Liu Biao went to Jingxiang alone. Yuan Shu and Sun Jian spied on him outside, and there were local tyrants and thieves inside, making Liu Biao difficult to move forward.

    It was with the strong support of the major noble families in Jingxiang, including the Cai family in Xiangyang, the Kuai family in Nanjun, the Huang family in Jiangxia, the Pang family in Xiangyang and other local noble families that Liu Biao was able to overcome the difficulties, defeat Jingxiang and become a prince.

    Out of gratitude and to secure his position in Jingxiang, Liu Biao married Cai's daughter as his second wife a few years after his wife Chen's death. This was the famous Mrs. Cai in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

    Mrs. Cai is only 26 or 27 years old this year, while Liu Biao is nearly 50 years old. There is a difference of more than 20 years between the two parties. This age gap makes Liu Biao very fond of his new wife and almost obedient to her. The Cai family also follows this.  Gradually it became the most wealthy family in Jingxiang and held a high position of power.

    Although Liu Biao dotes on his new wife, Mrs. Cai still has one regret, that is, she has not been able to get pregnant.

    But this summer, Mrs. Cai finally became pregnant, which made her ecstatic. She took care of it carefully, opening the windows to avoid the wind, and going out to avoid falling when walking.

    ¡°Perhaps it was God¡¯s will, but just a few days ago, Mrs. Cai unexpectedly had a miscarriage and was ultimately unable to save the fetus.

    This heavy blow made Mrs. Cai very sad. It was not until today that her mood recovered slightly.

    In a room that was gorgeously decorated and filled with light incense, Mrs. Cai was sitting on a soft blanket. It was late autumn and the weather was already a bit chilly. She was wearing a precious fox white fur collar and a wide trousers.  The deep-breasted clothes tightly wrapped her slightly thin body.

    Her hair is combed into a pony bun, with six two-inch-long jade hairpins densely inserted, some are crystal clear green, some are flawless white jade, or some are as red as fire.

    Mrs. Cai has a petite figure and a pretty face. Her eyes are like paint, her lips are like red paint, and her skin is as delicate as fat. However, if you look closely, there are still some flaws in her appearance.

    Her lips are slightly thin, her cheekbones are high, and she looks a little mean. Her small nose and mouth also make her look unattractive, and her skin lacks luster. But these are not important. What is important is that she is the direct daughter of the Cai family, representing the Cai family and  Liu Biao's marriage.

    In the Eastern Han Dynasty, when marriage was as important as politics, the role played by the wife was often the representative of the family. Her status was particularly important among famous nobles.

    At this time, Mrs. Cai was sitting upright, listening to the witch explain to her the cause of the unexpected miscarriage. The art of witches and ghosts was extremely popular in the Qin and Han Dynasties. There was a saying in the Yangtze River Basin that "Jing people are ghosts, and Yue people are machines". When they encountered strange things  , I will definitely ask a shaman to explain it in detail.

    Mrs. Cai¡¯s unexpected miscarriage left her puzzled. She didn¡¯t fall, hit, or take medicine indiscriminately, so why did she have a miscarriage?

    But Mrs. Cai also knew that her husband was most disgusted with these witchcraft skills, so she could only take advantage of the opportunity when her husband left Xiangyang to meet Liu Bei, and secretly found the witch to perform witchcraft.

    The witch who performed the witchcraft on her was a witch in her fifties, named Qi Nu, who was very famous in the Jingxiang area. Although she was already in her fifties, she was very good at keeping her appearance. She looked only in her thirties, except for her eyes.  There is always an unspeakable strangeness in it.

    At this time, Qi Nu was singing and dancing in the room, welcoming gods and ghosts. Several maids on both sides were carrying lacquer trays. Seeing her funny and weird movements, they wanted to laugh but did not dare to laugh, so they forced themselves to turn their heads away.

    Qi Nu suddenly sat down cross-legged, her whole body trembling, her eyes closed tightly, and she suddenly shouted, "Yin and Yang are in conflict with each other, and members of the same clan are at war."

    After shouting, she was sweating profusely and her face was pale. Even the maids next to her were so frightened that they covered their mouths. After a while, she slowly opened her eyes and asked tiredly: "The spirit of society possessed me just now.  Madam, do you remember what you said?"

    "I remember, yin and yang are in conflict with each other, and members of the same clan fight against each other."

    Mrs. Cai stared at Qi Nu with sharp eyes, "What does this mean?"

    "It's just as I expected."

    Qi Nu sighed, kowtowed to the ground and said, "But I dare not say it."

    "Say!" Mrs. Cai stared at her angrily.

    Qi Nu was trembling, "Madam, please spare me first before I dare to speak."

    "As long as you are not making things up, I won't blame you." Mrs. Cai's tone softened slightly.

    Qi Nu had no choice but to hesitate and said: "When Madam was just pregnant, I told her that the child in Madam's belly is destined to be Yin, and people with Yang destiny are most taboo against each other. Madam, do you still remember?"

    Mrs. Cai nodded, of course she remembered, so she took care of it carefully and did not see anyone. Unexpectedly, her child was still not saved. Qi Nu was right. Is it really because of the conflict between yin and yang?

    "Go on!"

    Qi Nu said tremblingly: "I performed witchcraft just now and asked for the words of the social god. It was the conflict between yin and yang that caused the child in my wife's belly to be pregnant."?Saved.  "

    "Then what's the point of fighting between the same clans?"

    "It means that there must be someone with extremely good fortune in your house. I don't know if there is a new person in your house recently. What I said is he is the nephew of Zhou Muzi."

    "What does this have to do with Zhou Mu's nephew?" Mrs. Cai was a little unhappy. She didn't want to involve her family.

    Having reached this point, Qi Nu had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue, "Madam, the social god's words say that fighting with the same clan means that the nephews of the same clan will kill their lives. This must be related to Zhou Mu's nephew, but Zhou Mu's nephew  I have already passed on Mu¡¯s five nephews and have nothing to do with them. They should be newcomers, so I dare not lie."

    "Newcomer! Newcomer!"

    Mrs. Cai was talking to herself. Her expression suddenly changed. She suddenly remembered something. Her husband told her the day before yesterday that her nephew Liu Jing came from her hometown. Could it be him?

    She immediately turned around and ordered the maid: "Bring that Liu Jing's Yuan Jian!"

    Soon, the maid took out a Yuan slip from the box, which had Liu Jing's birthday and birth date on it. It was given to her by her husband yesterday so that she could propose marriage to the Cai family.

    "Look at the eight characters on this slip, can it harm my child's life?" She handed the slip to Qi Nu.

    People who practice witchcraft must be able to read numerology. Qi Nu took the Yuan Jian and calculated it carefully in her mind for a moment. She suddenly widened her eyes in horror and said in a trembling voice: "Madamthis is the person!"

    Qi Nu walked quickly down Mrs. Cai¡¯s dormitory with two golden leaves in her arms, when suddenly a ¡®Bang!  ¡¯ There was a crisp sound that frightened her heart and made her tremble.

    "I have to leave Xiangyang quickly!"

    She whispered to herself and walked quickly outside the house. Not long after she left, Liu Biao walked into the courtyard.

    Liu Biao has just welcomed Liu Bei from the Bishui River. Liu Bei is staying in Fancheng temporarily and will go to Xiangyang early tomorrow morning. Liu Biao is worried about his wife's health, so he rushes back to the mansion to visit his wife.

    At this time, Liu Biao also heard a sound of ¡®Wow!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and he was a little surprised. What happened?

    He quickly walked up to the second floor and entered his wife's side room. He saw several maids cleaning up the debris on the floor. His wife actually smashed a white jade ear cup, the dressing table was overturned, and all kinds of makeup and powder fell out.  land.

    ¡°Achan, what happened?¡±

    Liu Biao saw his wife lying on her side on the couch, her face full of tears, and several maids were comforting her. He was shocked, and he hurriedly knelt down and put his arms around his wife, "Tell me, what's going on?"

    "Master!"

    Mrs. Cai cried in her husband's arms, "My child died so unfairly!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The arrival of the world-famous Uncle Liu Huang caused a sensation in Xiangyang City, attracting empty alleys all over the city. They gathered on both sides of Jianghan Street, singing, dancing, cheering, and lined the streets to welcome Liu Bei's arrival.

    At the same moment when Liu Bei was warmly welcomed into the city, Liu Jing entered Zhou Mu's house silently.

    Liu Biao is the lord of Jingzhou, and the mansion he lives in is naturally magnificent, befitting his status. Liu Biao's mansion consists of a main residence and an annex, which are stables and residences for his servants.

    The main house is divided into two front and rear courtyards, both surrounded by corridors. Although the structure is relatively simple, it has many pavilions and pavilions, covering an area of ??hundreds of acres. A small river flows through the house, and there is a garden in the backyard. It is nine  Moon is the season of autumn, when the house is full of fruits and fragrant, making people feel relaxed and happy.

    "Ah Jing, this is the East Courtyard, where the Liu family's children live. The courtyard we went to just now is a guest house. My father means that you will also live in the East Courtyard from now on."

    The person who showed Liu Jing around the mansion was none other than Liu Biao's eldest son Liu Qi. Liu Biao had three sons and one daughter, the eldest son Qi, the second son Cong and the third son Xiu. Except for Liu Xiu who was born to his concubine, the other two sons and one daughter were all from his ex-wife Chen.  Born of the surname.

    Liu Qi is about 20 years old. He is tall but very thin. He looks like a bamboo pole. He likes literature and hates martial arts. He worships Pang Degong, a famous scholar in Xiangyang, as his teacher. He has a quiet personality, gentle and generous character, and he is also kind to his new cousin.  Lots of care.

    Liu Qi worshiped Pang Degong as his teacher and has been studying at Lumen Academy for the past half month. Today he heard that the world-famous Uncle Liu Huang was coming. He hurried back home and met Liu Jing. His father handed Liu Jing over to him.

    Liu Qi saw that Liu Jing had no luggage, only a leather bag, and not even a change of clothes. He was wearing a coarse cloth and ge clothes. He looked like a rough man and did not have the demeanor of a descendant of the Liu family at all.

    Liu Qi didn¡¯t like Liu Jing¡¯s dress, but he didn¡¯t think it was Liu Jing¡¯s problem. If he encountered rebels, he would be lucky to escape with his life.

    At this time, Liu Qi¡¯s heart was full of doubts.Brother's sympathy.

    "I have some fine robes over there. They are all newly made. You and I have similar figures. If you don't mind, you can wear them first."

    ¡°Thank you very much, little brother!¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and patted Liu Qi on the shoulder. Liu Qi was stunned. Can gentlemen put their arms around each other?

    Liu Jing¡¯s hand also stopped on Liu Qi¡¯s shoulder, with an awkward smile on her face.

    Regarding the change of roles, Liu Jing did not adapt quickly. Sometimes, he would show some habits of the young Orion intentionally or unintentionally.

    These habits developed in the mountains will be revealed inadvertently by chance. Liu Jing also reminds herself from time to time to be careful, pay attention to your identity, and never slap Liu Qi on the scalp casually.

    Now he casually patted Liu Qi on the shoulder, which was very common among the people in the mountains and plains, but it was incredible among the scholars. They behaved appropriately and were polite in both movement and silence. This is the most basic etiquette.

    Fortunately, Liu Qi just smiled and didn't take this little matter to heart. However, he felt that it was time for Liu Jing to study and practice etiquette. As an elder brother, he had no shirk of responsibility.

    "This is the yard where you live."

    The two brothers walked to a small courtyard, Liu Qi opened the door, and an old servant came forward and knelt down to salute, "Old servant pays homage to the eldest son."

    "Get up!"

    Liu Qi introduced the old man to Liu Jing, "This is Uncle Meng, who also came from my hometown. He has been with us for more than ten years. He also took care of you when you were a child."

    ??

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 14, Entering the Liu Mansion for the First Time

    Liu Jing is no longer nervous about people who have seen her when she was a child. The coachman who drove the horse just now said that he had seen himself when he was five years old. Liu Qi also got along with her when she was a child and didn't see anything surprising in them. He probably grew up.  There are still some similarities with the real Liu Jing.

    Now another old man said that he had seen him, but he had taken care of him for a while, which made Liu Jing feel a little nervous.

    The old man also quickly bowed to him and couldn't help but said happily: "When Mr. Jing broke his leg, we all thought it would affect Mr. Jing. We didn't expect that Mr. Jing would grow so tall."

    Liu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The real Liu Jing actually broke his leg when he was a child. Wu Xiu didn¡¯t tell him. He probably didn¡¯t know either. So what else?  Liu Jing found that he still had a lot to do, and he had to figure out many details.

    Liu Biao doesn't have time to talk to him in detail now. Once he talks in detail, it will probably involve matters related to his father's family, and he needs to understand it first.

    ¡°Brother, let Uncle Meng live in my yard!¡±

    Liu Qi chuckled, "According to the rules, there should be two maids to serve you. You have to think about it."

    "I still have some impression of Uncle Meng. Let's keep Uncle Meng! I'm not used to being a maid."

    Liu Qi nodded and said to the old man: "Then you will stay and serve Mr. Jing, and you must serve him wholeheartedly. Do you understand?"

    "yes!"

    The old man agreed and took Liu Jing¡¯s package. At this moment, a maid serving Liu Qi came running after hearing the news, her face full of surprise, "The eldest son is back."

    Liu Qi nodded and asked with a smile: "I'm not here during this period. Is there anything going on in the house?"

    "There is nothing else but Madam Madam has had a miscarriage."

    Liu Qi was immediately startled, but a trace of imperceptible joy flashed through his eyes, and he seemed to be a little relieved, but this subtle expression flashed past and turned into a look of pain.

    "What a misfortune for my family!"

    Liu Qi sighed and said to Liu Jing: "You should rest first! If you need anything, just ask me. I still have a few letters to write, so go first."

    "Thank you, elder brother, for the arrangement."

    Liu Qi gave Uncle Meng a few more instructions and then returned to his yard. Looking at his background, Liu Jing felt a little strange. Why did Liu Qi feel relieved that his wife had a miscarriage?

    "Uncle Meng, are you familiar with my father?" Liu Jing didn't care about his wife's miscarriage. That had nothing to do with him. He was more concerned about his own details.

    "Haha! How could I not be familiar with you? I was the third master's book boy back then, and I followed him until he was five years old before coming to Jingzhou. At that time, the third master was physically sick and weak, but he was not as lively as the master"

    Having said this, Uncle Meng suddenly knelt down, kowtowed behind Liu Jing, and said tremblingly: "Greetings, madam!"

    Liu Jing turned around, only to find a young noble lady standing behind her. She was petite, with delicate features, elegantly dressed, and followed by several maids. Liu Jing was surprised, could this be Mrs. Cai, or  £®  £®  £®  £®  What other lady?

    No one introduced him, so he didn¡¯t know how to salute. If she was Liu Qi¡¯s wife, it would be embarrassing for him to salute as a junior.

    The person who came was Mrs. Cai. When she heard that the maid had reported that Liu Jing had entered the house, she couldn't hold back the resentment in her heart and rushed to the east courtyard in person. She wanted to see with her own eyes what the young man who killed her child looked like.  ?

    This is a bit unruly. Generally speaking, the younger generation goes to meet the elders. If Mrs. Cai wants to see Liu Jing, she should send someone to find Liu Jing. In this way, Liu Jing will know who she is facing?

    " But Mrs. Cai came here inexplicably, and she came to see the junior. No wonder Liu Jing was confused and didn't know what to do.

    "Are you" Liu Jing tried her best to sound respectful and asked with a smile on her face, scratching her head.

    Mrs. Cai's eyes were cold as she looked him up and down. Seeing that Liu Jing was tall and handsome, she felt even more jealous.

    "Are you Liu Jing?" Mrs. Cai asked coldly.

    "That's what I am, Madam is"

    "Don't ask me who I am, and don't interrupt when I'm talking!"

    Although Liu Jing knew that when he first entered the palace, he should keep a low profile and try not to cause trouble, but his character was that of a person with clear grudges. If Mrs. Cai revealed her identity and spoke more politely, Liu Jing might even bow to her as a junior.  .

    But the lady in front of her had a rude attitude and a mean tone, which made Liu Jing extremely unhappy. From ancient times to the present, the key to communication between people is to be polite, have a kind attitude, and be considerate, and everyone will get along happily.

      On the contrary, when they meet, they say bad words regardless of the other person's feelings. How can both parties be happy in such a relationship? Liu Jing restrained her dissatisfaction and asked coldly: "What's the matter, madam?"

    "Huh! You're such a rude person, it's okay not to say anything!"

    Mrs. Cai glared at him fiercely, turned around and walked away angrily.

    Liu Jing kept watching her go away, then shook her head and cursed in a low voice, "Crazy woman!"

    Uncle Meng stood up and said with a wry smile: "Master, please don't scold her, you can't afford to offend her!"

    "who is she?"

    "She is Mrs. Cai, the state pastor."

    As expected, it was her. Liu Jing felt baffled. How had she offended her?  On the first day she entered the mansion, she came to investigate in an aggressive manner.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, Liu Biao had been busy with Liu Bei's affairs for a day, and he was really tired. He burned his feet with boiling water, changed into a comfortable middle coat, and got into the big tent and lay down.

    The petite Mrs. Cai clung to her husband like a cat, with two tears rolling down her eyes, "I thought that after having a child, I would have someone to rely on when the general waits for a hundred years, but I didn't expect General,  What will happen to me in the future?¡±

    Liu Biao felt guilty, hugged her gently and comforted her: "Since you can get pregnant once, you can definitely get pregnant a second time. When you take good care of yourself, we can go to the temple to ask for a child, and you will definitely get your wish."

    "Really?" Mrs. Cai raised her pretty face with pear blossoms and rain, and looked at her husband with tearful eyes.

    "Of course it's true, go to bed early! Take good care of your body first."

    "Um!"

    Mrs. Cai snuggled into her husband's arms and agreed softly, making Liu Biao even more affectionate.

    "General, I saw Jing'er today." Mrs. Cai said softly again.

    "What do you think of him?"

    "He looks very heroic, so tall, like a general. I fell in love with this kid at first sight."

    "Yes!" Liu Biao also sighed: "In Jing'er, I seem to see the figure of my father, which makes me very happy."

    "Hey! This child should be picked up early."

    "Oh? How do you say this?"

    Mrs. Cai sighed, "Today I went to see where he lived to see if he still lacked anything. As an aunt, I should pay more attention to him, but unexpectedly I was a little disappointed."

    "What's wrong?" Liu Biao asked puzzledly.

    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m too picky, forget it, General, it¡¯s been a tiring day, let¡¯s rest!¡±

    "Tell me, what's going on? It whets my appetite. How can I sleep?"

    "Actually, it's nothing. That kid doesn't seem to know much about etiquette, and he actually bowed to me. I don't blame him, he is a child after all."

    Liu Biao was speechless. After a while, he said calmly: "He is actually not young anymore. He should understand these basic etiquette."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    For several days, no one bothered Liu Jing. Liu Biao was busy with official duties and could not take care of his new nephew. Mrs. Cai also seemed to have forgotten about him.

    No one came to disturb him, so Liu Jing simply took the time to do his homework. From Uncle Meng, he learned thoroughly about the Liu family's family lineage and his own childhood trivia.

    This morning, the small courtyard was extremely quiet. Liu Jing sat in the room and carefully sorted out the family situation he had learned in the past two days. Thanks to Uncle Meng, he knew many details, such as when his father was born.  Soon after, he was paralyzed in bed and unable to go anywhere.

    ????????????????????????????? If Liu Biao asks about his father, he will be exposed if he says that his father took him to travel around.

    During the day, Uncle Meng told him the inside story, and at night he recorded it on fine linen paper. In just two days, he recorded more than forty pages and more than 10,000 words.

    Then organize it and summarize the relevant content. Liu Jing was a lawyer in his previous life and paid great attention to the organization of this kind of documents. He knew very well that success or failure depended on the details. If he wanted to gain a stable foothold in Liu Mansion, he could not focus on the details.  There was a slight mistake.

    He had already lit a brazier beside him. He was sorting it out and remembering it. After reading it carefully, he remembered it. He put the hemp paper into the brazier and watched it slowly burn.

    It took him more than an hour to remember everything in his mind, and the pieces of paper he recorded were turned into ashes.

    Liu Jing stretched for a long time and walked slowly to the yard. Looking at the blue sky and white clouds, he felt particularly relaxed. After being bored in the room for a few days, the soles of his feet were itchy. He also wanted to go out for a walk and go to the river to relax.  Air, take a look at the customs and customs of Jingxiang, maybe you can also go and visit.?Cloud.

    Thinking of Zhao Yun, Liu Jing showed a helpless smile. This man will definitely not be recuperating in Tianxuan Temple. He is probably here now. I don¡¯t know where he is?

    At this moment, a crisp female voice suddenly came from the door, "Who are you?"

    Only then did Liu Jing find a girl standing at the door of the courtyard. She was about thirteen or fourteen years old. She was petite and graceful. She was wearing a red brocade dress embroidered with purple flowers, with ribbons hanging on both sides. It was fluttering in the wind.  Because of the cool weather in late autumn, she wore a light yellow silk cotton jacket on her upper body.

    Looking at her face, her skin is fair, her hair is in a three-ring bun, and her forehead is covered with black hair, which is the hairstyle of an unmarried girl. Her eyes are slender and shining, her mouth is round, the bridge of her nose is slightly straight, and the tip of her nose is slightly raised.  With a naughty and cunning smile.

    Although she is a little petite, she has a very good temperament and has the beauty and elegance of a lady.

    Liu Jing has always been among the Yellow Turban Army. Although the soldiers and bandits talk about women all day long, Liu Jing's ears are calloused and he seems to be numb to women.

    But today, a petite and pretty girl suddenly appeared in front of him, just like a passerby who was trekking hard in the bleak winter and suddenly walked into the bright spring and colorful fields, which actually made his eyes light up involuntarily.

    The girl also felt his strange gaze, which was a kind of admiration for her beauty, and also a gaze that could satisfy her girl's unique vanity. She was quite proud in her heart, but her face was frosty and pink.

    "Didn't you hear? Who are you and what are you doing here?" She snorted in an aggravated tone.

    Liu Jing seemed to have just seen a mirage of spring. The unconcealable arrogance in the girl's tone suddenly made the beauty in his eyes disappear, and he returned to the cold winter.

    He said calmly: "Liu Jing, this is the courtyard where I live."

    "Are you Liu Jing?"

    The girl's tone became surprised, her eyes widened, her hands on her hips, looking him up and down, as if he was a stranger from outside the world.

    ¡¾The collection is in good condition, and the score can be stabilized in the top five of new books. Thank you for your support from book friends. I also hope that everyone will continue to support Lao Gao and have a good start in the new site¡¿

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 15 Liu Cong¡¯s Advice

    This kind of look made Liu Jing feel a little uncomfortable. In his mind, a lady should be reserved and reserved. Even if she wanted to look at him, she should walk slowly, stop walking, and pull up her sleeves to half cover her pretty face.  Looking back with a startled glance, this is the image of a lady.

    But this girl looked at him up and down like a female leopard, as if he, Liu Jing, were a piece of fresh meat hanging on the door. Where was the beautiful feeling?

    This girl is Cai Shaoyu, Cai Mao's only daughter. She is fourteen years old, which is the age when marriage is discussed. Usually, the engagement is made first, and in two years, she can get married in a graceful manner at the age of twenty-eight.

    Cai Shaoyu naturally has thoughts about her husband, but the lover in her mind should be a gentleman who is elegant, knowledgeable and polite. Since last year, a steady stream of famous families from Jingxiang came to propose marriage, but her father wanted to marry her.  The son of Zhou Mu.

    Of course she knew that Zhou Mu's son was either Liu Qi or Liu Cong. Both of them liked her. Liu Qi was considerate and Liu Cong was sweet-mouthed, which made it difficult for her to choose. But if she had to choose, she would choose Liu Cong, and Liu Cong could understand it better.  Her thoughts and her heart were filled with longing for a better future.

    But just a few days ago, she overheard her parents' conversation, and they actually promised her to Zhou Mu's nephew, named Liu Jing. She felt uneasy in her heart. What did this person look like?

    Today she came to visit her aunt who had a miscarriage. She was bored and came over to see the Liu brothers. Unexpectedly, she happened to meet Liu Jing.

    It turns out that this tough young man is the Liu Jing?  Cai Shaoyu felt a kind of disappointment that could not be concealed in her heart. This was far from the elegant and romantic young man she imagined.

    "Youyou are such a rude person!"

    Cai Shaoyu felt bitter in her heart, but she couldn't express it. She stamped her feet, turned around and ran away. The strong man in front of her filled her heart with despair.

    Liu Jing was confused, what was going on?  Did you provoke her?

    This girl gave him a bad impression. She had no gentle beauty, and had a weird personality. This reminded Liu Jing of some of the litigants he had come into contact with in his previous life, who were also so angry for no reason.

    Liu Jing thought of Mrs. Cai again and couldn't help but frowned. What happened to the woman in the mansion?  All of them are neurotic and get angry inexplicably.

    "Why did you offend her?"

    A slightly hoarse voice came from outside the door, and then a short and sturdy young man appeared at the door. He was wearing a golden crown, a lavender embroidered brocade robe, a jade belt around his waist, slightly dark skin, and dressed energetically. He was only ten years old.  Six or seven years old.

    He leaned against the far door, with his hands folded in front of his chest, looking at Liu Jing with a half-smile in his eyes.

    "Are youBrother Cong?"

    Liu Jing keenly guessed his identity. Liu Qi told him that the second young master Liu Cong was one year older than him. Liu Qing and Liu Hu did not live in the mansion, so this young man could only be Liu Cong.

    "Brother Jing is very smart!"

    Liu Cong walked in with a smile, pulled out the long sword from his waist, gently held the sword flower in front of Liu Jing, and said with a smile: "How is your swordsmanship? Let's have a test?"

    Men in the Han Dynasty loved to wear swords. Swords had the reputation of "a gentleman's weapon" and "can be cherished". Famous swordsmen Zhang Zhong and Qu Chenghou were famous for their "good fencing and learning to use swords", and they became famous all over the world.

    Wang Jun, a master of swordsmanship, even said, "If you can see a thousand swords, you will learn about them." Wearing famous swords and using them well became an enduring tradition in the upper class of the Han Dynasty.

    It is a fashion of a gentleman's friendship than Wu Lunjian. The first acquaintance between many friends starts from Biwu Lunjian.

    So when Liu Cong came up to draw his sword and use martial arts, it was not rude, but a social invitation, just like when future generations meet, he would say, "Let's go!"  Let's go have a drink.  ¡¯ Actually it means the same thing, but it¡¯s more elegant and interesting.

    Liu Cong has been studying essays since he was a child, and he also loves to practice swordsmanship. He has studied under famous teachers, and his swordsmanship is extremely famous among the young people in Jingxiang.

    However, in Liu Jing's view, Liu Cong's swordsmanship is too fancy and impractical. He pays attention to graceful postures and is graceful and graceful, but on the battlefield, he may be slaughtered into a dead chicken with one sword.

    Of course, it is impossible for him to compete with Liu Cong in martial arts. His martial arts was learned in fighting wild beasts. It is simple and practical. In the eyes of scholars, it is a barbaric technique, which is completely different from Liu Cong's swordsmanship.

    Liu Jing smiled and bowed in salute, "I don't understand swordsmanship and have never learned it. I still need to ask Brother Cong for advice!"

    Generally speaking, asking for advice is in a challenging tone, but Liu Jing said it very sincerely. He really didn't understand swordsmanship. He only knew how to fight in battle and kill people with a knife.

    This is also his regret. He has never systematically learned martial arts. He was a lawyer in his previous life, but in this life he is just a young hunter. What he learned is just a kind of fighting experience.It might be useful in a duel with small soldiers, but when he saw Zhao Yun defeating Gao Lan, he realized that what he knew was only the martial arts of small soldiers, and he was still far from a real battlefield general.

    Learning martial arts was his first thought after moving into the Liu Mansion. In the troubled times of the Three Kingdoms, without excellent martial arts, how could he make contributions?  It's just that he didn't know where to start. Like a thirsty traveler in the desert, Liu Cong suddenly told him that he could learn to sword, and he was immediately attracted.

    "Brother Cong, where can I learn swordsmanship?"

    Liu Cong looked at him for a long time and felt that he really didn't know how to use a sword. Then he put the sword back into its sheath and said in an arrogant tone: "I started learning swordsmanship when I was six years old. It has been ten years. Many things are not the same."  You can do it if you want, but it requires certain conditions. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help you.¡±

    After saying that, he turned around and walked to the door of the courtyard. He suddenly remembered something and turned around and said, "Shaoyu has a special status. You'd better stay away from her. This is my advice to you."

    First, she was inexplicably stamped on by an unruly girl and called a bastard, and then she encountered Liu Cong's arrogance, which really made Liu Jing feel a little unhappy.

    Although Liu Jing is unhappy, Liu Jing was a lawyer in his previous life. He understands that newcomers in the workplace need to keep a low profile. As soon as he arrived at Liu's house, he immediately jumped out and became arrogant. That is not wisdom, but weakness.

    What¡¯s more important is that he understands the rules of survival in troubled times. When it¡¯s time to be soft, he should bow his head and remain silent. When it¡¯s time to be hard, he should not give in.

    Liu Cong¡¯s arrogance was not worthy of his attention. Liu Jing smiled faintly and turned around and went into the house.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After Liu Bei entered Xiangyang, he was placed in a large mansion in the north of the city. Liu Bei, his family, counselors and major generals all lived in this mansion. Liu Biao specially allocated generous money and food, so there was no problem in life.

    In addition, Liu Bei's army was placed in a large military camp outside the East City. In fact, part of the East Camp of the Jingzhou Army was allocated to Liu Bei. The 20,000 Jingxiang troops in the East Camp were right next to Liu Bei's army, with a high  The movements of Liu Bei's army can be observed at any time from the high sentry tower. Of course, this is just explained as a coincidence.

    Although Liu Bei's 2,800 troops are small in number, they are small and well-equipped. They are divided into three armies: left, middle and right. Guan Yu leads the middle army, Zhang Fei leads the left army, and Zhao Yun leads the right army. Almost all three of them live in the army.  In the military camp, soldiers are drilled every day to develop their combat effectiveness.

    The dust is billowing on the training ground. Eight hundred soldiers are lining up to practice sword skills. Their shouts are like thunder, their swords are flashing, and the tigers and tigers are powerful.

    Zhao Yun kept ordering the soldiers to correct their actions. Zhao Yun just came back yesterday. He didn't want to stay in Tianxuan Temple. Although the injury was not healed and the poison was eliminated, he began to recover slowly.

    Zhao Yun's shoulders were wrapped in thick gauze, and his arms were hung on his chest with gauze. Although he could not do anything yet, he was a restless person and came early in the morning to teach the soldiers how to train.

    At this time, a soldier ran over, knelt down on one knee and said, "General, a young man named Liu Jing is outside the camp gate asking to see the general."

    Zhao Yun was overjoyed. He was planning to visit Liu Jing tomorrow, but he didn't expect that he came first.

    "Invite him in quickly!"

    Not long after, the soldiers led Liu Jing to the training ground. He was bored in Liu's house and the soles of his feet were itchy. Liu Jing inquired and learned that Zhao Yun was back and was in the military camp, so he immediately found Dongda Camp.

    When the two met, they were like old friends reunited after not seeing each other for many years. They hugged each other tightly. Liu Jing looked at him and complained: "Why don't you lie down and rest?"

    Zhao Yun smiled and said: "You can recover from your illness only by lying down and resting. Walking more will make you better faster."

    "To be honest, my knife was not sterilized and I gave you water to drink, so I was worried that it would affect your martial arts."

    "It's okay! The military doctor said it's okay, we won't talk about it anymore."

    Zhao Yun hugged his shoulders affectionately again and said with a smile: "How is it? Does your uncle accept you?"

    "Alas! It's okay for my uncle. It's Mrs. Cai who hates me quite a bit. She showed off to me on the first day. I don't know why?"

    "Women! They always have some inexplicable thoughts. Don't worry about them, as long as your uncle admits them."

    Zhao Yun saw Liu Jing glance warmly at the soldiers practicing swordsmanship in the distance from time to time. He knew what Liu Jing was thinking, but he didn't say it clearly, so he smiled and asked, "What are your plans for the future? Are you going to study?"

    Liu Jing glanced at the soldiers again, scratched her head and said: "Actually, I want to practice sword practice with them, and I want to accept the guidance of Brother Zilong with them."

    This is just a more implicit statement, a self-effacing statement. He doesn't want to put pressure on Zhao Yun to repay his favor because he saved Zhao Yun. People's hearts are very delicate. If you take care of the other person's self-esteem, the other party will also give it to you.?return.

    Zhao Yun understood what he meant. Of course he would not really throw Liu Jing into the group of soldiers to practice martial arts together. With a slight smile, Zhao Yun said to his subordinates: "Bring two swords!"

    Soon, the soldiers took out two knives, and Zhao Yun threw one to Liu Jing, "Come on! Let's practice two moves."

    Liu Jing was startled and waved her hands quickly, "Your injury won't work!"

    Zhao Yun smiled slightly, "You should have seen me deal with Cao Jun on the battlefield. How many rounds do you think you can compete with me?"

    Liu Jing blushed. Of course he knew that he couldn't even defeat Zhao Yun face to face. Zhao Yun could deal with him with one hand.

    He felt excited, he understood what Zhao Yun meant, and Zhao Yun was willing to teach him. He waved his long sword lightly, and his whole body was as charged as a leopard, and he stared at Zhao Yun sharply.

    After the death of Lu Bu and Dian Wei, Zhao Yun can be called the best general in the world. He has a very good character and never teaches anyone to practice martial arts, but Liu Jing is an exception.

    Not only did Liu Jing save his life, but more importantly, Liu Jing never abandoned him, making Zhao Yun regard him as his brother.

    However, Zhao Yun was secretly surprised by Liu Jing's momentum. He could see that Liu Jing had rich fighting experience, and if he was a little careless, he might suffer a loss.

    Zhao Yun did not dare to be careless. He swung his sword slightly and blocked all attack routes. He smiled slightly and said: "Come on! Just go ahead and do whatever you want, just treat it as a battlefield."

    "Brother Zilong, I really took action." Liu Jing shouted.

    "You just come!"

    At this time, the eight hundred soldiers stopped training and gathered around, talking about it. It was the first time for them to see Zhao Yun compete with others, and he was still a young man.

    Liu Jing was circling step by step ten steps away, but Zhao Yun's knife was swung so casually, and there was a sharp murderous intention, as if it enveloped his whole body, making him unable to cut with one knife.

    But a competitive spirit ignited in Liu Jing's heart, and he would create opportunities even if there was no chance.

    Liu Jing suddenly sheathed her sword, bowed her head behind Zhao Yun and saluted, and said with a smile: "Uncle Liu Huang, I haven't seen you for a long time."

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 16, The Untold Secret

    [Please vote for recommendations and favorites. It is not easy to update 10,000 words a day. I also hope for your strong support from book friends]

    =====

    Liu Jing¡¯s advantage is not only his speed to catch up with his prey, but also his wisdom from later generations. Does he know where Zhao Yun¡¯s weaknesses are?  Zhao Yun's weakness is Liu Bei.

    Zhao Yun was startled and instinctively turned around. The moment Zhao Yun turned his head, the power of the defensive knife weakened, revealing a hole in the right waist.

    The power that Liu Jing had accumulated for a long time suddenly exploded. He ran up to Zhao Yun at lightning speed and slashed at Zhao Yun's right waist with a knife. The strike was sharp and merciless. If he were an ordinary soldier, this knife would definitely cut him off in the middle, attracting the attention of Zhao Yun.  The eight hundred soldiers exclaimed.

    Zhao Yun turned around and realized that he had been fooled. At this moment, Liu Jing's sword came like lightning and struck a flaw in his right waist. Even though Zhao Yun was extremely skilled in martial arts, he had to retreat slightly to dodge the sword.  , and then the long knife slashed upwards diagonally, hitting Liu Jing's blade. There was a 'click', sparks flew everywhere, and the knife in Liu Jing's hand came out.

    A huge force made Liu Jing unstable. He took two steps back and sat on the ground. His arms were numb. Liu Jing couldn't react for a long time.

    The soldiers exclaimed, not only for Zhao Yun's strength, but also inconceivable that Liu Jing could force Zhao Yun to take a step back. In their hearts, Zhao Yun was a god-like figure.

    This sword also made Zhao Yun look at Liu Jing with admiration. It was not because Liu Jing forced him to take a step back with the sword. Zhao Yun's martial arts was not so strong that he could not even take a step back, but Liu Jing's wisdom actually made his lord come.  , creating a fighter jet.

    Zhao Yun is by no means pedantic. He has a deep understanding of unscrupulous tactics on the battlefield. Although he never does this, he will not reject it. He thinks it is normal, and Liu Jing's quick wit amazed him.

    "Come again!"

    Zhao Yun waved his hand and assumed an empty posture, and Liu Jing returned to normal. He jumped up, picked up the knife, roared, ran up quickly, and slashed with the knife.

    Zhao Yun still used the same move, slashing upward with the same speed and strength. There was only a "dang" sound, and the two swords met. But this time, although the force was fierce, Liu Jing was able to withstand it.

    Zhao Yun's sword turned, and a cold light slashed across Liu Jing's neck. The sword was neither fast nor slow, the angle was awkward, and the timing was precise. Liu Jing had no way to hide. If he was really an enemy, this sword would blow his head away.

    Liu Jing was unable to defend herself and closed her eyes, but Zhao Yun withdrew his sword and resolved Liu Jing's crisis. He took two steps back and asked with a smile: "What did you find?"

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, and he indeed found something, then leaned forward and said: "Brother just made a diagonal slash. Judging from the speed and moves, it is exactly the same as the previous one, but why is the power so different? Did brother deliberately slow down his power?  ?¡±

    Zhao Yun smiled slightly. This little brother of his was indeed very smart. He saw the key point, and he held a sword and said: "The key is the use of power. Everyone's power is certain, but the way of wielding the sword is different, and the power of the sword is also different."  For example, the power is completely different between chopping while sitting and chopping while jumping. If you can find a way to use your whole body's strength to one point, the power of this sword will be several times greater. "

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. He understood what Zhao Yun meant. He was instructing himself. He immediately stepped forward and said with a smile: "Such a superb skill, brother must teach me!"

    Zhao Yun knocked him on the head and said with a smile: "This is a secret that is not taught by my master. You can't ask for it, but that's it! I can teach you some formulas."

    He whispered to Liu Jing several times, "Do you remember?"

    Liu Jing nodded repeatedly. He was very talented. He only recited it silently a few times and kept the formula taught by Zhao Yun firmly in his heart. He knew that Zhao Yun had really taught him the secret that was not taught by his master. He was moved in his heart and knelt down on one knee to thank him.  : "Thank you, brother, for teaching me the skills. Liu Jing will keep them in mind."

    "This secret is called Luo Feng Kung Fu. It is a technique for transporting power. It requires hard practice to understand its subtlety. It can be used with any weapon. You have to practice more diligently."

    Having said this, Zhao Yun sighed, held Liu Jing's shoulders, stared into his eyes and said: "Remember, it is just a trick and cannot replace real martial arts. It may be useful for those with low martial arts, but for those with high martial arts  £®Unless you are more skilled in martial arts, you will suffer the consequences.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded silently, he understood the principle of reaction force, but Zhao Yun smiled. He knew that Liu Jing did not really understand what he meant, but there were some things that he could not say to Liu Jing now because the time had not come yet.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After seeing Liu Jing off, Zhao Yun kept watching his back as he walked away. At this moment, a gentle voice came from behind him, "You seem to like Mr. Jing very much?"

    Zhao Yun turned around?But when he saw it was Liu Bei, he was startled and quickly knelt down on one knee: "I humble myself to pay homage to my lord!"

    Liu Bei quickly helped him up, "You are injured, no need to be polite, get up!"

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk!¡±

    Zhao Yun nodded silently and walked slowly on the training ground with Liu Bei.

    "What are his qualifications?" Liu Bei asked with a smile.

    Zhao Yun nodded, "His qualifications are extremely high, especially his ability to comprehend is extraordinary. It's just a pity that he has not been able to build a foundation and practice martial arts since he was a child."

    "Didn't you tell me that you haven't practiced martial arts since childhood?" Liu Bei asked with a smile.

    Zhao Yun gave a bitter smile. That was because he met his master and found a new way to practice martial arts today, but the master.  £®  £®  £®  £®  Zhao Yun sighed secretly in his heart.

    "Are you going to accept him as your disciple?" Liu Bei changed the subject and asked what he really wanted to ask.

    Zhao Yun shook his head silently, "I don't know!"

    ???????????????????????????????????? He sighed lowly, showing his inner conflict. His master had clearly warned him that the Luo Feng Kung Fu and the Hundred Birds Chao Feng Qiang were not passed down to other masters.

    But he taught the Luo Feng Kung Fu to Liu Jing. In fact, he had the intention of accepting Liu Jing as his disciple, but he felt it was inappropriate, and he couldn't even explain what was wrong.

    Liu Bei thought for a long time and then said slowly: "You can teach him martial arts, but I suggest not to accept a disciple. After all, he is Liu Jingsheng's nephew. If we get too close to him, Liu Jingsheng will be wary and it will be detrimental to him.  It¡¯s not good for us either.¡±

    Zhao Yun did not speak. He had realized that something was wrong. It was his lord. He found that Liu Bei wanted to take advantage of his relationship with Liu Jing. Zhao Yun was slightly worried that his lord's use would hurt Liu Jing.

    After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Yun asked hesitantly: "Master, are you saying that Liu Jingsheng doesn't believe us?"

    Liu Bei put his hands behind his hands and raised his head, staring at the tall sentry tower in Liu Biao's military camp in the distance. He couldn't help but sneered, "I can't see it, how can he believe me?"

    Zhao Yun bit his lip. Liu Bei's sneer made him feel chilled. At this moment, he made a resolute decision. He could not hurt Liu Jing or accept Liu Jing as his disciple.

    Liu Bei glanced at Zhao Yun again. He wanted to ask about Liu Jing again, but he thought about it several times and finally did not ask.

    After a while, Liu Bei sighed to himself again, "Jingzhou is not just for Liu Jingsheng alone, we have to find other supporters."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the yard, Liu Jing practiced the secret of luck that Zhao Yun taught him over and over again. Although there were only ninety-eight words in it, the more he practiced, the more he felt that the Luo Feng Kung Fu was profound and profound. He had to practice it for several months.  It can reach the level of Zhao Yun's ability to control strength freely.

    However, after only practicing for more than an hour, he gained something. He discovered that not only knives can be used, but swords can also be used. This set of power-gathering techniques can be used with spears, halberds, and spears.

    Liu Jing was using the dagger he got from the leather bag. He jumped up high, shouted loudly, and struck a tree trunk with his sword. He heard 'Crack!  ¡¯ With a sound, the thick tree trunk was chopped off by his sword.

    Although the force of the shock made his arms numb and he almost lost his hand with the dagger, he was extremely excited. This was something he had never been able to do before. Although the dagger was sharp, he still had no choice but to cut off the tree trunk.  Less than.

    " Moreover, if it were a sharp and heavy sword, there would be no such shocking feeling. He felt that he still needed a good knife.

    In fact, in his previous life, he had a special preference for knives. He once collected an imitation Tang knife and loved it like a treasure.

    The dagger in front of him is said to be the sword left to him by his father. It is made of fine texture and weighs three pounds. The blade is extremely sharp and the blade is shining with white light. If you look closely, there are several thin patterns. He really likes it.  This sharp short sword.

    At this time, a deep voice came from behind, "This sword is called Bailong. It is one of the three swords left by your grandfather."

    Liu Jing turned around and realized that his uncle Liu Biao was standing behind him. He quickly sheathed his sword, bowed and saluted, "Nephew, my uncle is here to greet you!"

    Although this was the first time Liu Biao came to visit him, they were already familiar with each other, and Liu Biao made no secret of his regard for his nephew.

    Liu Biao has three sons, the eldest son Qi, the second son Cong and the youngest son Xiu. The eldest son Liu Qi is gentle and gentle, but has a weak constitution and cannot withstand the wind and rain.

    Although the second son, Liu Cong, was physically strong and could barely be considered a good man in both civil and military affairs, he was not tall. He was over 16 years old and less than seven feet tall, which made Liu Biao very disappointed.

    The youngest son, Liu Xiu, was even more sick. He had been soaked in medicine jars since he was a child. Many doctors said that he would not live to become an adult.

      None of the three sons looked like Liu Biao, who was eight feet tall and burly.

    Liu Biao also had two cousins, Liu Qing and Liu Hu. Liu Qing was a weak scholar with mediocre qualifications, timidity and cowardice. Although Liu Hu was tall and strong, he was reckless and unintelligent. Both of them were neither Liu Biao nor Liu Biao.  happiness.

    But this Liu Jing is not only tall, but also wise and profound, much like Liu Biao when he was young. He has completely inherited his grandfather's civil and military style, which makes Liu Biao extremely gratified.

    And Liu Jing¡¯s father, Liu Bing, was Liu Biao¡¯s brother. As the only flesh and blood left by his brother, Liu Biao naturally loved him very much.

    ???????????????? But I like him, Liu Jing is just a nephew after all, and cannot be compared with his son.

    Liu Biao was quite surprised when he saw that he could actually cut through a thick tree trunk with one sword. He took the sword from his hand and saw that the scabbard was unadorned and simple. He couldn't help but asked strangely: "I remember it wasn't this sword."  sheath."

    The scabbard was lost in the fight with Cao Jun, but Liu Jing did not dare to say that she had lost the scabbard, so she had to bite the bullet and said: "I thought the original scabbard was too fancy. The sword is a murder weapon, not a woman's."  The hairpin is not used in my old house. If my uncle doesn¡¯t like it, I will change it back next time I go back to my hometown.¡±

    "That's well said!"

    Liu Biao nodded approvingly. Although his sword was just an accessory, Liu Jing was able to say at such a young age that "a sword is a murder weapon, not a hairpin." Such manly words made him admire him with admiration.

    Liu Biao also sighed softly, "Although there are precious stones, tassels, and gold and silver inlays, it can't save the world. What's the use?"

    He returned the sword to Liu Jing and said with a slight smile: "Looking at a sword is like looking at a person. You are very good. How about a bow and a horse?"

    Liu Jing blushed and shook her head, "Reporting to uncle, my nephew has never practiced horse arching."

    Liu Biao chuckled, "It doesn't matter, there's still time. In a few days, I'll ask Captain Wang Wei to teach you how to ride a horse and archery."

    Liu Jing's heart skipped a beat. He knew that this Wang Wei was just a soy sauce character in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Although he had a loyal heart, he had no power to protect the Lord and was killed by Yu Jin.

    This Wang Wei couldn't even defeat Yu Jin, but he came to teach him martial arts. He was really unwilling. In fact, he knew that Liu Biao had many famous generals. Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Wenpin, and Gan Ning were all famous and powerful enemies. Why?  Don't let them teach you?

    Liu Jing¡¯s lips moved, but she didn¡¯t know how to speak.

    Liu Biao was so discerning. He saw that Liu Jing was not willing to accept Wang Wei as his teacher, so he did not force him. He smiled lightly and said: "Anyway, there will be a long time in the future. Let's look for a suitable teacher."

    After a pause, he said softly to Liu Jing: "Get familiar with Xiangyang City these days, and we will talk about it in detail later. If you need anything, just ask, this is your home."

    "Thank you uncle for your concern!"

    Liu Biao took off his sword and handed it to him, "The White Dragon Sword is an ancestral item. It can only be listed in the ancestral hall for the respect of future generations, rather than fighting and killing people. I am giving this sword to you. I am also a famous craftsman."  It is called Xuanlin. It is more suitable for learning martial arts and practicing swordsmanship."

    He patted Liu Jing on the shoulder again, "Not only do you need to learn martial arts, but you also need to study more, especially etiquette, do you understand?"

    Liu Jing nodded silently, Liu Biao smiled slightly, turned and left the small courtyard. Liu Jing stood at the door holding a sword, watching his back walking away, feeling regretful in his heart, why didn't he want a good knife?

    At this time, behind him, a round face slowly emerged from the wall, and a pair of jealous eyes stared closely at the Xuanlin sword in Liu Jing's hand

    ??

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 17 Courtesy Reciprocity

    In the spacious room, Liu Jing was sitting cross-legged in the corner of the room. All his strength had been accumulated in his right arm. Huo Di swung his sword, and then quickly retracted his strength. He shook his head. This sword was not ideal.

    He has been sitting in the room for two whole days. For two days, he spent all his time studying the Luo Feng technique that Zhao Yun taught him.

    He has gradually realized the profoundness of this technique. It actually has two functions, one is to gather power, and the other is to use power.

    The so-called gathering strength is to learn to use the power of the Dantian to exert force, and transfer the power of the whole body to the arms.

    Every part of the body has strength. For example, an object that cannot be moved by the arms can be carried by the shoulders. The strength exerted while standing is different from that exerted while sitting.

    Zhao Yun¡¯s secret is a technique that can concentrate the power of the whole body. The most important thing is the power of the Dantian, which is concentrated on the arms.

    It is not difficult to learn to gather strength, it is even very simple. He learned it in one afternoon and can successfully cut off large branches.

    But what is rare is the use of power, which means being able to use power as you wish. For example, it is heavier than Mount Tai to strike out, but it can be retrieved as light as a feather. Another example is to strike out with three points of force, but suddenly increase the weight to seven points in the middle. This is  The subtleties of controlling power.

    On the battlefield, two generals are fighting hard. It seems to be a lively fight to outsiders, but only the two generals who are fighting understand the mystery of the contest.

    Liu Jing has never believed that martial arts competitions can be won by tricks, nor does he believe in the mysterious qigong in martial arts novels. However, he believes that real ancient martial arts pays more attention to strength and fighting skills. This is a lost art of using power.

    A real fight between two generals relies on fierce strength, fast speed, and the use and control of power. Zhao Yun's last sword is usually a horizontal slash, and his moves are extremely ordinary, and anyone who uses the sword knows how to do it.  , but he couldn't hide from his sword. Why?

    And Lu Bu is invincible in the world, is it really just because he knows a set of halberd skills that others cannot?

    Lu Bu's Fangtian painted halberd is said to weigh one hundred and twenty kilograms and is two feet long. He can swing it as powerfully as a hammer, making it impossible for ordinary generals to parry the force of his halberd, and at the same time, he can make it as fine as an embroidery needle, with a single stroke.  The halberd cut off Wu Anguo's wrist.

    He couldn't understand this kind of martial arts before, but now he understands that the key lies in the use of strength. Lu Bu's arms have the power of a thousand catties, but he can also use the power of a thousand catties to embroider. In this way, how can he not dominate the world.

    The martial arts skills of Guan Zhang and Zhao Yun are actually the same, especially when Zhao Yun counterattacked Gao Lan's hammer shot on the back that day, he used this secret.

    Liu Jing became excited, and he began to realize the importance of the technique that Zhao Yun gave him. It can be said that it is the foundation of Zhao Yun's martial arts. If he can master the most profound part, he will not only be able to rival Zhao Yun, but he will also be able to compete with him.  He has fought for more than ten rounds.

    But he also knew in his heart that it would take at least a few years to reach the level of competing with Zhao Yun.

    At this moment, his heart was full of gratitude to Zhao Yun. He actually taught himself such an important secret. This feeling weighed heavily on his heart.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Time has passed in the boring but rewarding month of practicing martial arts.

    This month, Liu Biao and Cai Mao led their troops south to fight against Jiaozhou Mu Zhangjin, while Liu Qi was in charge of Xiangyang for his father. He left early every day and came back late every day, so he had no time to take care of Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing did not step out of the small courtyard during this month. During the day, she practiced swinging her sword in her room and understood the subtleties of power.

    ??Chopping with a knife in the small courtyard at night, applying the insights gained during the day into actual combat. In just one month, he felt as if he had been reborn, and his martial arts had made a qualitative leap.

    Now if he encounters those two Cao soldiers again, he can kill them easily.

    Early in the morning, Liu Jing was practicing swordplay in his room as usual. He had been practicing for half an hour. There was a slight sweat on his forehead. He slashed out with his sword. Suddenly, as if he felt something, he took back the half-struck sword.  , turned around and looked around, only to see Uncle Meng appearing at the door without knowing when.

    "Uncle Meng, what's the matter?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Uncle Meng is a man of few words, but he takes good care of Liu Jing. Liu Jing also respects him and calls him Uncle Meng. He never treats him as a human being. For more than a month, the two have gotten along very harmoniously.

    People's feelings are mutual, and Liu Jing's respect also earned Uncle Meng's gratitude and his sincere love for Liu Jing. Although he also felt that Liu Jing didn't know much about the past, he never doubted it.  Liu Jing¡¯s identity.

    In his opinion, his master should be like this, tolerant, open-minded, and treat others with kindness.

    Uncle Meng sighed in his heart.Hey, this kid has been addicted to martial arts for a month. How can he endure it?

    "Young Master, the Second Young Master is looking for you at the door. What's the matter?"

    ¡®Liu Cong?  ¡¯ Liu Jing was startled, what was he doing to come to her?  Liu Jing stood up and walked out.

    In the yard, Liu Cong looked at a bare old pear tree in front of him with his hands behind his back. He remembered that it used to have lush branches and leaves, but how did it become a tree trunk now?

    "Brother Cong, why are you free today?" Liu Jing walked out of the room with a smile.

    Liu Cong turned around and said with a smile: "I heard that you are learning martial arts. I have some good knives. I would like to ask you to taste them. Brother Jing, are you free?"

    What Liu Jing desires most now is a good, sharp knife. Although Uncle Meng got a knife for him, it was just an ordinary long knife and the weight was not suitable for the hand.

    Liu Cong asked him to taste the good knives, which aroused his interest, and he readily agreed, "Then don't bother Brother Cong."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The yard where Liu Cong lives is very close to Liu Jing's yard, and the living and living conditions are much better than Liu Jing's. Liu Cong's study room is paved with wooden floors. In addition to a couch and a desk, there are also wall shelves for placing expensive utensils.  , two large cabinets made of precious rosewood are placed on the wall.

    There are also cabinets for storing clothes and several bamboo cabinets for collecting bamboo slips and books. A pair of bronze white crane and phoenix-wing lamps half a person's height are placed on the left and right of the book desk. There are all kinds of items. Two handles are hung on the wall.  A famous sword inlaid with gold and jade.

    At this time, Liu Cong's attitude toward Liu Jing seemed to have changed 180 degrees. He completely lost the arrogance and coldness he had a month ago, and became smiling and extremely enthusiastic.

    "This is my study, sit wherever you want!"

    Liu Jing was very indifferent. He knew that Liu Cong would not change his attitude towards him without any reason. There must be a reason.

    He sat down, looked around the room and said with a smile: "Brother Cong's study is nice! It's spacious and bright, and the furnishings are also very elegant. It's not like my little brother's place, where the family is surrounded by walls, which makes me envious!"

    "These are all added slowly. When you live here for a long time, you will be like me."

    Liu Cong opened the cabinet, took out three knives and placed them on the small table. He smiled and said: "These three knives are the collections I got in the past few months. Brother Jing, take a look, what do you think of these knives?"

    Liu Jing picked out a long knife with a shark skin sheath. It was a ring-headed knife with an iron ring on the top of the handle. This is a typical style of Han knives. The blade is linear and the tip can be stabbed. It is in the same vein as Tang knives.  It weighs about fifteen pounds and feels very comfortable in the hand.

    Liu Jing slowly pulled out the knife. The sun shone in from the window, and the faint light shone on the blade. It was cold and extremely sharp.

    "Good knife!"

    Liu Jing blurted out that he had liked knives in his previous life and had a deep understanding of knives. This knife was made of iron and was tempered hundreds of times. The back of the knife was broad and thick, and the blade was strong and sharp. It was a good cavalry sword and was the best choice on the battlefield.  Knife, not decoration.

    At this time, Liu Jing's eyes suddenly lit up, and he saw four small characters engraved on the handle of the knife, "Given the Commander".

    Could it be that?  £®  £®  £®  Liu Jing knew about Dian Wei's sword. Just four years ago, Cao Cao failed to attack Zhang Xiu, and Dian Wei died in Wancheng, Nanyang in that battle.

    Nanyang is very close to Xiangyang, and Liu Biao later sent troops to help Zhang Xiu. It is normal for Dian Wei's saber to wander into Xiangyang. More importantly, in his memory, there seems to be only Dian Wei among the captains named Dian, and he uses "Gi"  Who else could be called 'Cao Cao'?

    Liu Jing gently stroked the knife, feeling very emotional in her heart, this is Dian Wei's knife!

    Liu Cong observed Liu Jing's expression carefully. He saw that Liu Jing liked the sword in his hand very much. He was secretly happy and said quietly: "I heard that Brother Jing got my father's Xuanlin Sword. Can you lend it to me?"  ?¡±

    The Xuanlin sword was on Liu Jing's waist. He took it off and put it on the table. Liu Cong slowly picked up the sword, his eyes lit up. His father had worn this sword for ten years, and it once became a symbol of power in Jingzhou.  , it was not until later that my father obtained the famous sword Chengying that this Xuanlin sword gradually lost its former aura.

    But at a banquet two years ago, Cai Mao made a joke with his father and was willing to trade his daughter Shaoyu for the sword. This was actually borrowing the sword to express his desire to marry the Liu family.

    The father smiled and replied that this sword would be the betrothal gift for marrying a daughter of the Cai family. Although it was half-joking, it was also somewhat serious.

    In this way, this sword has a new meaning. It is the marriage sword of the Liu and Cai families. It is precisely because of this that brothers Liu Qi and Liu Cong yearn for this sword.

    But Liu Cong never expected that his father would give this sword to Liu Jing, which made Liu Cong jealous, jealous, and resentful.He didn't even give his own son, but gave it to his nephew. Could it be that his father wanted Liu Jing to marry Shaoyu?

    Liu Cong's eyes showed a look of longing that could not be concealed. He sighed in his heart. After all, it was his father who gave the sword to Liu Jing, and he did not dare to take it by force.

    The best way is to get the sword first, and then let the mother take the sword to the Cai family to propose marriage. In this way, the father will be helpless.

    He put down his sword and his eyes fell on the knife in Liu Jing's hand. Seeing that Liu Jing still couldn't put it down, he smiled hypocritically at Liu Jing and said: "Brother Jing, if you don't mind, I will give this knife to you."  ¡±

    Liu Jing was overjoyed, "Really? Thank you so much, Brother Cong."

    "You're welcome, courtesy is reciprocal!" Liu Cong's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile.

    The four words "courtesy reciprocity" gently struck Liu Jing's heart, and he finally understood what Liu Cong meant. It turned out that this knife was not for nothing!

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, it would be difficult to reciprocate with courtesy. She could say that she had nothing, so why should she reciprocate with him?

    At this time, he discovered that Liu Cong's hand was tightly holding the scabbard of his sword, and his eyes were fixed on the Xuanlin sword, with greed in his eyes. Liu Jing's mind changed, and then he woke up like a dream. It turned out that it was  Such a courtesy

    ??

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 18 Meet Mrs. Cai again

    [Another 4,000-word chapter, with great character, new book and new website. Your support is especially important to Lao Gao!  ¡¿

    =====-

    Liu Jing then understood Liu Cong's intentions. It turned out that he wanted his own Xuanlin sword, so he set up a trap to taste the sword and exchanged the sword in his hand with a courtesy.

    No wonder he changed his attitude towards himself and became more enthusiastic.

    In fact, Liu Jing didn¡¯t care about this sword. He would rather Liu Biao gave him a good sword. If Liu Biao didn¡¯t give him the sword, it wouldn¡¯t hurt if he gave it to Liu Cong.

    The key point is that this is the sword Liu Biao gave him. It is Liu Biao's portable sword. Why did he not give it to his own son but gave it to Liu Jing?  knife.

    On the other hand, Liu Cong set up this situation and asked him for a sword, which really made Liu Jing feel unhappy. He felt like he was being fooled.

    Although Liu Jing wanted this Dian Wei sword in his heart, he would never trade principles. He put down the sword and said with a faint smile: "If Brother Cong likes this sword, it's okay to give it to you, but this is  My uncle gave me the sword. Let me go ask my uncle for instructions and then give the sword to Brother Cong, okay?"

    How dare Liu Cong let his father know that originally he just wanted to change the sword in private and hide it from his father. If Liu Jing wanted to tell his father, what was the point of changing the sword?

    With great hatred in his heart, he laughed dryly and said: "I was just joking with you, I didn't mean to ask for your sword. Brother Jing is worrying too much, haha!"

    He no longer mentioned the gift of knives, and directly picked up three knives from the table and put them back in the cabinet. He glanced at the swords on the table with the corner of his eye, rolled his eyes, and said with a smile: "By the way, I  There¡¯s one more good thing I want to tell you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Brother Cong, please tell me!¡±

    At this time, Liu Jing was full of disgust for this Liu Cong. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms said that Liu Cong was weak and incompetent, but the Liu Cong in front of him was arrogant, hypocritical, and petty. He just said that he would give the knife to himself, but he actually took it back.  , it doesn¡¯t matter if you give him a sword, wouldn¡¯t you think of a way to give this sword to him?

    Does he think that if he takes his knife, he will suffer in vain?  He doesn't even understand this bit of human sophistication.

    Liu Jing feels that Liu Cong is not like the son of a prince, but like the son of a vegetable vendor. He is worried about everything and is afraid of suffering a little loss. No wonder Cao Cao said that Liu Jingsheng's son has dolphin ears!

    Liu Cong closed the cabinet and locked it, then came back and said with a smile: "Didn't you say you wanted to learn swordsmanship last time? I have been paying attention to you, and it happened that the number one swordsmanship hall in Xiangyang was recruiting apprentices, although their conditions were relatively high.  , but based on your identity, there should be no problem. Do you want to give it a try?"

    Liu Jing didn¡¯t understand the rules of the sword hall, but he already knew very well who Liu Cong was. He was deliberately trying to seize his sword. It is possible that this so-called number one sword hall in Xiangyang had some hidden tricks.

    Since Liu Jing learned Zhao Yun¡¯s martial arts secrets, he has lost the slightest interest in swordsmanship. What¡¯s more important is that he doesn¡¯t like Liu Cong and doesn¡¯t want to deal with him anymore.

    He stood up and bowed with a long smile and said: "My martial arts skills are low, so I am not qualified to enter the sword hall to learn martial arts. Thank you Brother Cong for your kindness, and I will take my leave."

    After saying that, he turned around and left Liu Cong's study and went back to his yard. Liu Cong didn't expect that Liu Jing would flatly refuse. He was stunned for a moment. Liu Jing didn't give him face.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, Liu Jing was awakened from her sleep by a knock on the door. A ray of light came in from the crack of the window covered with oil paper. It turned out that it was already dawn.

    He felt depressed. Last night he was still thinking about getting up before dawn to practice martial arts, but he didn't expect that he would fall down at dawn. However, it was quiet at night, which made him sleep particularly soundly.

    At this time, the door opened, and Uncle Meng's figure appeared at the door. He pointed to the door, "Sir, Madam, please come over."

    ¡°I¡¯m going right now!¡±

    Liu Jing jumped up from the bed, extremely energetic. Uncle Meng couldn't help but grin. He had never been so energetic before.

    "Sir, please wash up first! I've boiled hot water."

    "Thank you, Uncle Meng. From now on, I can just use well water. I'm not used to using hot water."

    Liu Jing stretched for a long time, straightened up, and the smile on his face became brighter. Although Mrs. Cai was cold to him last time, he didn't want to care about it. After all, Mrs. Cai had just had a miscarriage not long ago, and he could understand her pain of losing her child.  Mood.

    "Furthermore, Mrs. Cai is the mistress of the Liu Mansion, so he should pay her respects both emotionally and rationally.

    Liu Jing was an extremely cheerful and forthright person in her previous life. After traveling through eighteen hundred years, her human nature remains the same.

    His smile made Uncle Meng's nose feel a little sore, and he hurriedly walked out of the house, "Mr.Son, let¡¯s hurry up and don¡¯t keep Madam waiting.  "

    Liu Jing quickly finished washing up, her hair was simply tied up, and she appeared in high spirits in front of the maid at the door.

    "Sister, I've kept you waiting for a long time." The maid in a light green straight skirt took a look at the lively Mr. Jing, and couldn't help but sigh secretly in her heart, and said softly: "Mr. Jing, please come with me!"

    Liu Jing followed the maid to the inner house, looking around all the way, full of curiosity about the pavilions and pavilions in the inner courtyard of the back house. It turned out that the inner house of a wealthy family looked like this.

    The maid who led Liu Jing was a little worried, 'This young man, hey!  Pity.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  ¡¯

    After crossing the small bridge, they entered an exquisite courtyard. A vermilion two-story building appeared in front of Liu Jing. This is Mrs. Cai's bedroom. Generally, outsiders are not allowed to enter. Liu Jing is Liu Biao's nephew, and  Those with registered residence under the age of 16 can enter.

    "Be polite when you see your wife!"

    The maid repeatedly warned him and took him to the front of the building. The west end of the first floor is the small living room where friends and guests are received. The maid walked to the door of the living room and saluted, "Madam, he is here."

    "Come in!" The voice in the room was extremely cold, with a hint of hatred in it. The smile on Liu Jing's face disappeared. He remembered the first meeting with Mrs. Cai that day. Mrs. Cai seemed to hate him hard.  remove.

    There is no love without reason, and there is no hatred without reason. He wants to find out where he offended Mrs. Cai?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the room, Mrs. Cai changed into a white embroidered deep-breasted robe with a cold gaze. She did not tell her husband about the witchcraft. She knew that her husband had always hated the art of witchcraft, and telling her about it would only make her husband dissatisfied with her.

    She will never mention this matter again, but Liu Jing is engraved in her heart, like a poisonous thorn inserted into the most painful part of her heart.

    "Calling Liu Jing here today is just her obligation as an elder and the matron of the family. Her husband specially told her last night to treat her nephew well.

    A dark shadow appeared at the door, and Liu Jing, who was tall and strong, walked in. This was their second meeting. Although a month had passed since their first meeting, she still couldn't control her heart when she thought of her dead child.  She hated Liu Jing and believed that Liu Jing killed her child.

    Liu Jing stepped forward and was about to salute, but Mrs. Cai stopped him with a wave of her hand and said coldly: "You don't have to pay homage to me in the future. Not every gift from a junior can be accepted by me."

    Liu Jing was really harsh to hear. Mrs. Cai's dislike of him made the tolerance in his heart disappear, and he also became extremely disgusted with Mrs. Cai. Since there is no need to worship, it would be the best.

    "Auntie, what do you want from me?"

    "Alsodon't call me aunt, just like the people in the house, call me madam."

    Mrs. Cai turned her head to the roof, and there was a kind of contempt and hostility that could not be concealed in her cold tone. Liu Jing also fell silent, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense.

    "What do you want to say to me?" Mrs. Cai glanced at Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing resisted the urge to turn around and walk away. He now clearly felt Mrs. Cai's hostility. This hostility was not due to her depression due to the miscarriage, but was directed at him, Liu Jing.

    Maybe he threatened her interests. That should be the case. He and Mrs. Cai have no enmity or any relationship, so hostility will not arise for no reason. Hostility will only appear when interests are threatened. It must have happened behind the scenes.  Things you don¡¯t know.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing's tone became colder, "Does Madam have anything to do with me?"

    Mrs. Cai gave him a strange look. She also felt that the respect in Liu Jing's tone had disappeared, just like a passerby, but she didn't care.

    "Your uncle told me last night that you have been living in the mansion for a month and asked me to care about your life. So I ask you today, what do you need?"

    Liu Jing bowed slightly and said, "Let Madam worry about it. Now I live well and don't need anything."

    Mrs. Cai sneered in her heart. She was quite stubborn. She thought of what her husband had entrusted her with, and hoped that the Cai family could give him his concubine. She hated Liu Jing even more in her heart. A man who killed his own child also wanted to marry his niece.  ?

    She took out Liu Jing¡¯s Yuan Jian and asked coldly: ¡°Do you know why I asked you about the Yuan Jian?¡±

    Liu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Why did Mrs. Cai ask this? Could it be that she was suspicious of her identity?

    From the moment he walked in, he discovered that Mrs. Cai was an extremely shrewd woman, and with her unique sensitivity, she must not let her see any flaws.

    Liu Jing felt unhappy?, shook his head, "I don't know."

    Liu Jing had no idea that he was involved in the marriage between the Liu and Cai families, and he never thought that Mrs. Cai was not actually doubting the authenticity of his identity, but was trying to find a way to prevent him from marrying a daughter of the Cai family.

    Mrs. Cai raised the Yuan Jian in her hand and asked: "Didn't your uncle say anything to you about this Yuan Jian?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "Uncle didn't say anything to me."

    "Really?"

    Mrs. Cai stared at him sharply, "For example, things like engagements."

    "Indeed not, let alone any mention of an engagement."

    Mrs. Cai is relieved. If this is the case, she can control this matter.

    In the Han Dynasty, when a man and a woman got married, they first discussed marriage, that is, a proposal. Both men and women could speak first. For example, Princess Pingyang, the sister of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, admired the general Wei Qing, so she first proposed her idea to the queen. The queen told Emperor Wu that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered Wei Qing to  Marry him.

    In the pre-Qin period, children also chose their own spouses, but they had to obtain parental permission. For example, Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru were in love, but Wenjun's father did not allow it, so Wenjun ran away at night.

    After the marriage proposal is successful, the onmyoji will write the Geng Tie according to the abbreviation of Yuan Dynasty, and then give the Geng Tie to the other party to check the horoscopes of both men and women. This is called name divination. Generally speaking, onmyoji will not do bad things to others if they accept money from others.

    Therefore, in a marriage, the marriage negotiation is the most critical. Generally, if the marriage negotiation is successful, the marriage is basically settled.

    Liu Biao, as the lord of Jingxiang, proposed a marriage with the Cai family, and wanted his nephew Liu Jing to marry Cai Shaoyu, the daughter of the Cai family. The Cai family naturally did not dare to refuse, but they did not agree, so the matter was delayed.

    Mrs. Cai is the elder of Liu Jing, the wife of Liu Biao, and the daughter of the Cai family, so she plays a vital role in this marriage. Although she is unwilling to promote this marriage, some superficial things need to be done.  After all, she had to give her husband an explanation.

    She had to first confirm whether Liu Jing knew about the marriage, but she couldn't ask directly, so she used Yuan Jian to test around the bush.

    Now that she knows that Liu Jing does not know about the marriage, the next step is to try to block the marriage in the marriage proposal, so that the marriage proposal fails, and she must not go to the step of asking for fortune telling.

    Mrs. Cai forced a smile and said, "You go back first! I will ask the housekeeper to give you some household items later. In addition, your monthly salary is three hundred yuan. Like Xiu'er, this is the rule of the house. I hope you can understand.  ¡±

    Liu Jing stood up and saluted, "My nephew, I'm leaving."

    He exited Mrs. Cai¡¯s courtyard and breathed a sigh of relief. He felt extremely disgusted with this Mrs. Cai and it was best not to see her again in the future.

    In the room, Mrs. Cai looked at Liu Jing's birth date again, lowered her head and thought for a while, then turned back to the maid and said, "Let the second young master come to see me."

    The maid answered the call and went. Not long after, there was a sound of rapid running into the yard. Suddenly she stopped again and approached the door carefully. A respectful voice sounded at the door, "Mother, the child is here.  "

    "come in!"

    Liu Cong quickly walked into the room, knelt down on his knees, and kowtowed three times, "My child, Liu Cong, pay homage to your mother."

    His voice is very pleasant, and it is easy to make people feel friendly. Among the three sons of the Liu family, Mrs. Cai likes Liu Cong the most. He is not only respectful and obedient, but also thoughtful and good at pleasing himself.

    Last year, he wanted to eat lychees, but he just mentioned it casually. Liu Cong immediately ordered someone to quickly buy a hundred kilograms of lychees from Bashu and deliver them. When the lychees arrived, the branches were still fresh. He was more considerate to her than her husband. Who wouldn¡¯t have such a son?  like.

    Mrs. Cai smiled slightly, "Have you met my cousin Liu Jing?"

    Liu Cong did not dare to stand up, so he knelt down and replied, "I've seen him before."

    Liu Cong didn¡¯t know why his mother mentioned Liu Jing, but he was extremely smart and immediately thought of a marriage.

    Does the mother also want to promise Shaoyu to Liu Jing?  Nope!  His mother had clearly promised him Shaoyu, so how could she change her mind?  Liu Cong felt uneasy.

    Mrs. Cai glanced at him, as if she could see through his mind. She was secretly proud that if there was a rival in love, there would be no need for her to step forward. She said calmly: "Your father's intention is to let Jing'er marry him."  Shaoyu, what do you think I should do about this?"

    ??

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 19 Unlucky wife is like Liu Biao

    Liu Cong's face turned pale. Is his mother going to regret it?  He kowtowed three more times and said in a trembling voice: "But my mother promised to give me Shaoyu, so I can only rely on my mother. I beg my mother to make the decision for me."

    Mrs. Cai cursed secretly in her heart, this useless thing depends on her for everything, shouldn¡¯t she think of ways to fight for it?

    Mrs. Cai knew Liu Cong very well. Like his brother Liu Qi, he was a weak person at heart and was very dependent. However, he had to come forward in this matter. He could only plan it behind the scenes. First, he had to get rid of Liu Cong.  courage inspired.

    A man!  Often he will do whatever it takes for a woman.

    Mrs. Cai said calmly: "Cong'er, I know you have liked Shaoyu since you were a child, and Shaoyu also likes you. I see all this. In fact, I also hope that lovers will eventually get married, but you must also understand one thing.  The marriage between the Liu and Cai families is not just about feelings, it has a deeper meaning, so your father attaches great importance to it. Since he chose Jing'er, he must have considered it carefully. It is difficult for me to change your father's mind. I am really sorry!  "

    Mrs. Cai actually said the word "sorry", which made Liu Cong despair. Tears welled up in his eyes and he knelt on the floor tremblingly. Tears fell drop by drop. He felt like he was going to die.

    Mrs. Cai looked at him coldly. She was so worthless that she cried for a woman. It was the man who should take her back.

    Seeing that the time had come, Mrs. Cai said softly: "Cong'er, things haven't reached the worst yet. In fact, you don't have no hope at all."

    Liu Cong raised his head in excitement, his eyes bursting with brilliance, a light of renewed vitality. His voice trembled with excitement, "Mother, tell me, what hope is there?"

    "I hope it works, but it requires your courage and determination. Are you willing to pay?"

    Liu Cong nodded, gritted his teeth and said, "For Shaoyu, I am willing to go through fire and water."

    "good!"

    Mrs. Cai said slowly: "Although I am a female, I also understand that only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you be victorious in every battle. I asked your father. He has not told Jing'er about the marriage between Liu and Cai. I don't know that you two brothers  Have you told him about this?"

    Liu Cong shook his head hurriedly, "My child definitely didn't say anything. I also feel that he doesn't know the meaning of that sword."

    "What about your eldest brother?"

    Mrs. Cai asked again: "Did he say anything?"

    Liu Cong thought for a moment and shook his head, "I don't think he will tell me, and he is not in the house these days. He went to Pang's house to make up for his homework."

    Mrs. Cai narrowed her eyes and smiled, and whispered to Liu Cong: "Your father is busy with official duties during this period, so he left this matter to me. If you find a way to get the Xuanlin sword, I will pretend to misunderstand you."  , go directly to the Cai family to propose marriage for you, so even if your father is angry, he has no choice but to make mistakes. "

    "But I can't get it?" Liu Cong asked worriedly.

    "You're useless, you can't even get a sword. Do you still want to marry Shaoyu? You said yourself that you would go through fire and water, but I didn't force you."

    Liu Cong finally made up his mind. As long as he could marry Shaoyu, he would rather be punished by his father.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Hao was indeed a little slower than Kuai Yue. It was not until Liu Biao placed Liu Bei's army in the East Barracks that Cai Hao realized that Liu Biao did not trust Liu Bei and was wary of him. This made Cai Hao's heart drop.

    For more than a month, Cai Hao followed Liu Biao south to Jingnan to fight against Jiaozhou Mu Zhangjin. He only returned to Xiangyang yesterday. Liu Biao allowed him to rest at home for three days.

    However, even though he is resting at home, there are still a lot of things waiting for him to deal with in the official office. Cai Mao is a military advisor, and his responsibilities are mainly responsible for handling all matters in the army, ranging from army mobilization and troop deployment to combat, as well as military supplies and food.  Build warships, recruit soldiers, and more.

    According to the process, some matters must be approved by him first, and then forwarded to Liu Biao for final decision. If he took a rest, many things would be delayed, so he simply took all the official business home to deal with it.

    At noon, Cai Mao was busy reviewing documents in the study. During the Three Kingdoms period, official documents began to use a large amount of hemp paper, and Xiangyang was no exception. There was also a government-run papermaking workshop in Xiangyang, which provided a large amount of paper to the government every year.

    At this time, an urgent military report sent by Huang Zu of Jiangxia County attracted Cai Mao's attention. Generals Zhang Wu and Chen Sun stationed in Yangxin County were suspected of colluding with Jiangdong, which made Cai Mao break out in a cold sweat.

    Zhang Wu and Chen Sun had more than 10,000 troops under their command and were natives of Jingzhou. If they really colluded with Jiangdong, the consequences would be disastrous. He must report this matter to Liu Biao immediately.

      Cai Mao got up and was about to go to the government office when his wife Pang appeared at the door, "Master, my little sister is here and said she has something important to see you."

    Cai Mao has one sister and one sister. The eldest sister married Huang Chengyan of the Huang family and gave birth to a daughter Huang Yueying. She is already fifteen years old this year. The younger sister is Mrs. Cai who married Liu Biao.

    Hearing that Mrs. Cai was coming, Cai Mao gave up looking for Liu Biao for the time being and came to the back house first. Mrs. Cai had been sleeping in her room for more than a month and wanted to go out for a walk, so she came to her parents' house first.

    In the greenhouse, Mrs. Cai was chatting with her niece Cai Shaoyu, and the topic was naturally inseparable from her marriage.

    ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ve seen that Liu Jing.¡±

    Mrs. Cai immediately asked eagerly: "How did you see him? Did he come to find you?"

    Mrs. Cai was very worried that Liu Jing would know about the marriage, and she was even more worried that if he took the initiative to marry a daughter of the Cai family, things would be troublesome if her husband supported him.

    Cai Shaoyu shook her head and said angrily: "Just last time, about a month ago, I came to visit my aunt and met him in the east courtyard. He looked so rude. Aunt, I will never marry him."

    Mrs. Cai breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "Since you don't want to marry him, of course my aunt will not make you sad. Don't worry! My aunt is here and I guarantee that you will marry the lover you like. But who is this lover? It's my brother.  Oh, or my younger brother?"

    Cai Shaoyu's face turned red. She turned her back and said with great embarrassment, "Auntie is here to bully me again. How can I have a lover that I like? If not, Auntie, don't make random guesses."

    "I know, you must like Brother Qi."

    "No, II don't like anyone."

    At this moment, a maid in the yard reported: "The master and his wife are here!"

    When Cai Shaoyu heard that her father was coming, she was so frightened that she ran away in a panic from the back door. After a moment, Cai Mao's voice came from outside the door curtain, "Little sister, can Brother Yu come in?"

    "come in!"

    As soon as the door curtain was lifted, Cai Hao and his wife Pang entered the room. When Cai Hao saw his sister's rosy face, he smiled slightly and said, "It seems that she is recovering well and has fully recovered."

    "Brother is laughing, please sit down! Sister-in-law, sit down too."

    Although Mrs. Cai is Cai Mao's sister, she is the mistress of Jingzhou after all, with a noble status. Cai Mao cannot act like an elder brother in front of her, and even needs a little respect.

    Cai Mao¡¯s wife Pangzi left the room on the pretext of giving them some fried tea, leaving only their brother and sister in the room.

    Mrs. Cai then said slowly: "I came here today for the marriage of the Liu and Cai families. Last night, Jing Sheng handed over this matter to me. He meant that his nephew Liu Jing should marry Shaoyu.  I want to ask my brother¡¯s attitude first.¡±

    After speaking, she looked into Cai Mao's eyes. She had a plan in mind. This matter must be done according to her ideas. Even if her brother agreed, she would never allow Liu Jing, who killed her own child, to marry a daughter of the Cai family.

    Cai Mao sighed and said: "The marriage between Cai and Liu is related to the future of the Cai family, and even the future of Jing Xiang. Frankly speaking, if Jing Sheng must use his nephew to marry the Cai family, then this marriage will be meaningless.  I can only refuse."

    "But if you reject Jing Sheng, then the marriage between Liu and Cai will be impossible. It may become a marriage between Liu Kuai, Liu Pang, or even Liu Huang, but without Liu Cai. Have you considered the consequences?"

    Mrs. Cai was implicitly reminding her brother not to offend Liu Biao. Refusing would definitely not work. He must follow her ideas.

    "This" Cai Mao was speechless for a moment, and his sister's words stabbed his heart like a knife, making him immediately discouraged.

    After a long while, he sighed and said, "I don't understand why Jing Sheng wants to use his nephew to marry into the Cai family?"

    "Are you really not understanding, or are you pretending not to understand?" Mrs. Cai sneered.

    Cai Hao shook his head, "I really don't understand."

    "Well, let me tell you, if Jing Sheng's wife is not me, but her surname is Kuai or Pang, then he will definitely let his eldest son marry the daughter of the Cai family. Now that he has married Cai's wife, how can he marry Cai's daughter-in-law again? You  do you understand?"

    In fact, Cai Mao also knew that the reason why Liu Biao refused to let his son marry a daughter of the Cai family was because he was worried that the Cai family would become too powerful, which would not be conducive to the balance of interests among the major forces in Jingxiang. However, this sentence had to be said by his sister who knew Liu Biao better.  , he can give up.

    Cai Mao was extremely frustrated. He couldn't offend Liu Biao, but he didn't want to marry his daughter to Liu Biao's nephew. What should he do?

    Mrs. Cai glanced at her brother and saw the troubled look on his face, so she thought to herself, 'It looks like we can put forward conditions.  ¡¯

    "If I can convince Jing Sheng to allow his son to marry Shaoyu, then I hope it will be his second son Cong'er who marries her."Yu, can eldest brother agree?  "

    Mrs. Cai knew that her brother actually wanted to marry his daughter Shaoyu to his eldest son Liu Qi. After all, the eldest son was appointed first, so Shaoyu would be the mistress of Jingzhou in the future.

    "But Mrs. Cai doesn't like Liu Qi, she prefers Liu Cong. She has always wanted to make Liu Cong the lord of Jingzhou.

    But it is difficult to do it with her strength alone. If the Cai family is willing to support her to change Liu Cong to be his heir, then there will be more certainty.

    Therefore, Mrs. Cai first persuaded Cai Mao to change her mind and support the marriage between the Cai family and Liu Cong.

    Once the marriage was established, the Cai family had no choice but to support Liu Cong as the lord of Jingzhou.

    This is Mrs. Cai¡¯s wishful thinking. Her real purpose is to make Liu Cong the Lord of Jingzhou, and marriage is just a means. She wants to use this marriage crisis to first force the Cai family to agree to marry Shaoyu to Liu Cong.

    Cai Hao did not answer Mrs. Cai's words. After all, Cai Hao was Jingzhou's military advisor and had his own knowledge. He didn't like Liu Cong. The boy was mean and selfish. He was far less generous than Liu Qi. His academic ability was also far behind Liu Qi. Let Liu Cong be the leader of Jingzhou.  The Lord may destroy Jingzhou¡¯s foundation.

    Mrs. Cai understood her brother's thoughts and smiled faintly, "If you appoint a mediocre person as the lord of Jingzhou, won't Jingzhou become the Cai family's Jingzhou?"

    ??

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 20, Cai Family Sword Hall

    The martial arts in the Han Dynasty originated from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Almost all men in the Han Dynasty wore swords and knives, especially swords, which have been known as "gentlemen's weapons" since ancient times.

    With the increasing popularity of sword matching, there will inevitably be special places to learn swords and practice martial arts. After the Eastern Han Dynasty, sword halls that were very prosperous in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period began to rise again.

    It is called the Sword Hall, so naturally it is mainly about learning swordsmanship. Learning swordsmanship is for self-cultivation, and learning swordsmanship is for physical fitness. However, that is just the beginning. From ancient times to the present, any rules will change over time, just like those that are not stored well.  Just like wine, it doesn't become mellow over time, but becomes sour.

    ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????OUT out of everyone can go to the sword hall to learn swordsmanship.

    But at the end of the Han Dynasty, the world was in chaos and the warlords were separatist. In order to recruit brave men, various places gradually relaxed the restrictions on recruiting apprentices in sword halls. Ordinary people could also enter the sword halls to learn martial arts. It was no longer just about learning swords and fighting.  There are eight kinds of weapons.

    Especially in troubled times, learning martial arts can protect oneself. Even scholars study both civil and martial arts. Ordinary people with a little wealth even send their children to sword halls to learn skills to protect their lives. This makes folk sword halls prosper. In Xiangyang and Fancheng,  There are quite a few sword halls, nearly thirty in total.

    "However, although there are many sword halls, most of them are of mixed quality. Some have hundreds of disciples, while some have only four or five. There are also some swindlers with a few kilograms of strength who open sword halls to defraud money in the name of teaching martial arts.

    In the Baihuai Lane in the east of the city is the largest sword hall in Xiangyang City, covering an area of ??about 20 acres. It is called the Sword Testing Hall. It is actually a private sword hall opened by the Cai family, specializing in training brave men.

    There are about two hundred students and apprentices in the Sword Trial Hall. Except for the forty children of the Cai family, the rest are brave young men selected by the Cai family from all over the country. After ten years of hard training, these young men will become heroes when they grow up.  The backbone of the Cai family, Qubu general.

    In the afternoon, Liu Cong walked quickly into the Sword Testing Hall. After all, Liu Cong was the son of the lord of Jingzhou and had a high status. He walked through the doorway, attracting respectful attitudes from the disciples along the way.

    Liu Cong also learned swordsmanship at the Sword Trial Hall. He learned swordsmanship for nearly eight years, but he also learned some swordsmanship.

    This time his mother forced him to take back the Xuanlin Sword, but he did not dare to snatch it for fear of being punished by his father, so he could only ask for help.

    "Erlang, why are you here?"

    A rough voice came from the side. The sound was muffled, like thunder. Liu Cong frowned and showed disgust in his eyes.

    He turned around and laughed, "Tiger, why are you in the sword hall today?"

    A tall and fat young man rushed over from the side. He was eight feet four and had a huge body, like half a black tower.

    This person is also Liu Biao's nephew, but he is a nephew. The nephew is also the grandson of Liu Biao's uncle. Compared with Liu Jing's blood, he is slightly separated by one layer.

    His name is Liu Hu. He is eighteen years old. He and his brother Liu Qing came to Jingzhou to seek refuge with their uncle when they were young. Liu Qing studied literature and he practiced martial arts. Although his arms were powerful, his mind was very stupid and he did not understand the ways of the world.  All day long, there was a silly smile on his face.

    Liu Hu jumped over like a big frog, hugged Liu Cong, held him in the air like a child, and laughed and said: "Erlang, let's go practice swordplay."

    What Liu Cong hated most was that every time Liu Hu hugged him in the air and ran all the way to the sword hall, he was so powerful that he couldn't break free. He was laughed at all the way and he was embarrassed. He had been warned countless times.  , he just couldn¡¯t remember.

    Liu Cong had something important to do today. He felt anxious and shouted, "Tiger, I have something good to tell you."

    "A good thing?"

    Liu Hu grinned and let go of his hand. Liu Cong suddenly fell from the air and almost fell over. Liu Hu grabbed his arm and said, "Tell me, what's the good news?"

    Liu Cong's arm was almost broken. He held back the pain and said, "You have a cousin here. Have you seen him?"

    Liu Hu scratched his head. He seemed to have heard from his brother that a cousin was here, but he couldn't remember the name. He only remembered a well.

    "You mean Liu Jing is here?"

    "Yes, that's him. He's looking for people to compete with each other everywhere. Go quickly!"

    Liu Hu's favorite thing is to compete with others, but he doesn't attack lightly or hard. No one is willing to compete with him anymore, which makes him feel a little lonely as a master.

    Hearing that his new cousin was looking for someone to compete with, he was immediately elated, ¡®Ha!  ¡¯ I shouted, turned around and ran towards the door.

    Seeing him walking away, Liu Cong curled his lips in disdain, turned around and walked towards the main hall.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the main hall of the Sword Trial Hall, dozens of disciples are competing in swordsmanship.There were shouts and shouts, and dozens of people sat in a circle. In the middle, two disciples were fighting with blunt swords.

    Liu Cong¡¯s eyes fell on the tall young man at the head. This man¡¯s name was Cai Jin. He was the nephew of the Cai Mao clan. He was also sixteen years old this year and was a leader among the younger generation of the Cai family.

    Cai Jin is seven feet six tall, with a big body and a round waist. He can wield a long sword weighing thirty kilograms. Although he studied in the sword hall, he is actually a disciple of Wenpin. He participated in the Nanyang Campaign against Cao Jun last year.  Zhan, can barely be regarded as a young general.

    ??????????????????????????? More importantly, Cai Jin is not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also has a good mind. He can be regarded as a master of both literature and literature, and is highly regarded by the head of the family, Cai Mao.

    Cai Jin is actually half master and half apprentice in the Sword Trial Hall. On the one hand, he practices martial arts with his juniors, and on the other hand, he is also responsible for teaching the young Cai family disciples.

    The two blunt swords collided in the air, causing sparks to fly. Cai Jin shouted, twisting his sword, and the other boy's sword suddenly flew away from his hand. The group of boys watching the battle were frightened and screamed, and they got up and dodged in mid-air.  falling sword.

    "What did I tell you? You should be as fierce as Meng Ben and as agile as Qingji. Look at you, all of you are so soft. How can you look like Meng Ben and Qingji?"

    Cai Jin glared at everyone, waved his long sword, and shouted sternly: "Next one!"

    For a long time, no one dared to come forward. At this time, Cai Jin saw Liu Cong at the door and snorted loudly, "Practice by yourself. I will come back for a spot check in an hour. If you dare to be lazy, I will punish you severely!"

    He dropped his sword and walked quickly towards Liu Cong, his expression turning into a smile, "Erlang, has a good thing come true?"

    He was referring to the Xuanlin Sword matter. He had a very good relationship with Liu Cong and knew Liu Cong¡¯s thoughts very well.

    Liu Cong sighed and said harshly: "He refuses to trade with a knife, and he refuses to come to the sword hall. It seems that the only way to do it is to force"

    Before Liu Cong could finish speaking, Cai Jin waved his hand and interrupted him, "This is not the place to talk. Erlang, follow me."

    Cai Jin led Liu Cong to a room in the backyard, which was his sword training room. He received the true biography of Wenpin and knew that the profoundness of martial arts must be experienced with heart. Cai Jin was in this room  Experience the subtleties of swordsmanship.

    The two sat down, and Cai Jin asked, "Why doesn't he come to the sword hall?"

    In fact, Cai Jin did not agree with Liu Cong's idea of ??exchanging a sword for a sword. After all, it was a sword given by Zhou Mu. How could Liu Jing exchange it for Liu Cong easily.

    It was Cai Jin¡¯s idea to ask Liu Jing to come to the sword hall, because there has been an unwritten rule of sword competition since a hundred years ago. When both sides compete with each other, the loser needs to give his sword to the winner as a defeating gift.

    As long as Liu Jing comes to the sword hall, his sword will definitely stay, but if he refuses to come, Cai Jin has no choice. He can't come to deliver sword books!

    Inviting people to compete with swordsmen and delivering books door-to-door has been a traditional practice since the early Han Dynasty. It¡¯s not that Cai Jin has never done it before.  £®  £®  £®  Is it appropriate to give a book to a newcomer who has not practiced martial arts much?

    It's not that he's worried about bullying the weak, or because Liu Jing is Liu Biao's nephew, but he's worried about ruining his reputation. Cai Jin has been known as the number one master among Jingxiang youths since he was twelve years old. Since he is a master, how can he  Feel free to compete with others.

    This is just like being a leader in future generations. The first priority of being a leader is not to understand the business, but to learn to put on airs.

    Cai Jin values ??his reputation very much. He no longer bothers to engage in sword duels with young men. Asking him to compete with Liu Jing over a sword would ruin his reputation.

    But Liu Cong couldn't offend him. He thought for a while and said, "In this case, I will let Cai Hong compete with him. Cai Hong is also a master of the sword hall. He can also seize the Xuanlin Sword for you. What do you think?"

    Liu Cong shook his head, "Liu Jing's martial arts skills are not low. I personally saw him chop off a tree trunk as big as a bowl with one knife, and it was just an ordinary knife. Think about it!"

    Cai Jin frowned, does Liu Jing have such great power?  The contempt in his heart suddenly disappeared, and he pondered for a while and said: "Okay! Let me think about this matter again."

    The reason why Cai Jin is more cautious is because this sword competition involves the ownership of the Xuanlin sword and Liu Biao's nephew. He does not dare to act willfully and must ask the head of the family for instructions.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the study room, Cai Mao couldn't help but sneer after hearing Cai Jin's report. This Liu Cong would not hesitate to let outsiders deal with his own clan brother for a Xuanlin sword. If such a person is the master of Jingxiang, he must be a loner.  .

    "Master, my nephew is not sure whether I should agree to Liu Cong or not. Please make it clear."

    Cai Hao thought for a moment, stood up and said, "Come with me!"

    He took Cai Jin to the backyard and walked to the yard where Cai Xun, the head of the old family, practiced.Outside the wall, you can see Cai Xun loosening the soil in a vegetable patch in the corner of the courtyard.

    Cai Mao asked Cai Jin to wait outside the courtyard. He entered the courtyard, knelt down and saluted, "Second uncle, my nephew wants to trouble my grandfather with something."

    Cai Xun glanced at him and asked slowly: "What's the matter?"

    Cai Mao then recounted what his sister said one by one, and then said: "My nephew has also considered that if the Cai family bets on Liu Cong, it is more in line with the family's interests. My nephew also wants to give Shaoyu to Liu Cong."

    After a long while, Cai Xun said slowly: "I said last time, as long as it is Liu Biao's son, it doesn't matter whether he is young or old. Since you are the head of the family, you can decide for yourself whether it is Liu Qi or Liu Cong! But you must also respect Mrs. Zhou Mu's  Opinion, she is a key figure in our Cai family."

    "Yes! My nephew understands."

    Cai Hao understood what his uncle meant. What his uncle meant was that he could choose to support Liu Cong. After a pause, he added, "There is one more thing that I need to ask my uncle for."

    ??

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 21: A Brief Statement of War

    Cai Xun glanced at Cai Jin, who was peeping at the door of the courtyard. Cai Jin was his grandson, whom he always loved very much, and he smiled and said, "Is it related to Jin'er?"

    "It has something to do with him."

    Cai Mao turned around and waved, and Cai Jin hurriedly walked into the yard, knelt down and kowtowed three times, "My grandson, Cai Jin, kowtow to my grandfather!"

    Cai Xun chuckled, "Did you get into some big trouble? Your uncle came to me to report you."

    "My grandson didn't get into trouble because Mr. Cong asked me to do something for him. My grandson felt that the matter was of great importance and he didn't dare to agree without permission."

    Cai Jin also reported everything about the Xuanlin Sword to his grandfather. Cai Xun frowned and said to Cai Mao with some dissatisfaction: "Do you want to ask me about this little thing?"

    Cai Mao said hurriedly: "Because my nephew always feels that this Liu Jing is extraordinary. He has a very good relationship with Liu Bei, and Jing Sheng gave him the Xuanlin Sword. There is a profound meaning in this. In a few years, this Liu Jing will be  If he becomes an adult and gets Jing Sheng's attention, I'm worried that Liu Bei will infiltrate Jingzhou through him, and he will even become the leader of Jingzhou."

    The following words were not said, but the meaning was very clear. Cai Mao wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate the potential threat of Liu Jing and nip the threat in the bud.

    Cai Xun used a small hoe to slowly loosen the land and crush the caked soil. After a long time, he slowly said: "After all, he is Liu Jingsheng's nephew. Don't go too far."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Liu Jing's courtyard, Uncle Meng was sitting on a small stool by the well. While washing dishes, he looked helplessly at Liu Hu, who was squealing with excitement in the courtyard. This big fool jumped into the courtyard like a frog.  , clamoring for a sword duel with the young master.

    After all, he is also an elder brother. After a few pleasantries and greetings to his brothers, it is not too late to talk about sword competition!  Even if you don¡¯t know how to greet or greet, you must at least let the young master know who you are. No, you just say the same thing over and over again, sword duel. If you didn¡¯t know him, you would have thought it was a robber entering the house!

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? However, the young master seemed very willing to compete with this stupid big man, and the two of them started fighting without saying a word of brotherly affection.

    Liu Hu used a blunt sword, which was at least five feet long and weighed twenty kilograms. Even though it was a blunt sword, if it hit someone on the head, it would still kill someone.

    "Good swordsmanship, let's kill the tiger with one more sword!"

    Liu Hu¡¯s voice was hoarse from shouting, and he was extremely excited. No one had sword competition with him for a long time, so he seemed to have endless energy, and slashed at Liu Jing¡¯s head and face with the big iron sword in his hand.

    "For Liu Jing, this is simply a sparring opponent sent from heaven. He really needs such a strong and fierce opponent, who can just give him a test of the effect of Luo Feng Kung Fu.

    Liu Hu¡¯s big iron sword is like a turbulent sea, his dance is impervious to wind and rain, and his swordsmanship is really good, while Liu Jing is like a small boat in the turbulent sea. No matter how violent the waves are, he floats on the sea and never sinks.

    He also slashed out with a sword, which looked like a knife and a sword. He used all kinds of exquisite power to neutralize Liu Hu's offensive. He accidentally swung the sword, but it was so fast that Liu Hu was in a hurry.

    After fighting for a full hour, Liu Hu was finally exhausted. He threw the sword away, stretched out his legs, and sat on the ground panting, "No more fighting, no more fighting, it's so damn enjoyable!"

    Liu Jing was really a little tired. He sheathed his sword, sat next to Liu Hu and said with a smile: "Brother Tiger is so awesome! I lose this competition."

    Although Liu Hu is called a martial arts idiot, he understands many things in his heart. He gave a thumbs up and praised: "You won. You had hundreds of opportunities to kill me, but you showed mercy, unlike that Cai Duzi."  , cruel and ruthless.¡±

    At this moment, a family member appeared at the gate of the courtyard and bowed to report: "Master Jing, there is someone looking for you outside the gate."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Waiting on the steps outside the Liu Mansion were two tall and thin teenagers. Both of them had serious expressions. One of them was holding a black bamboo slip. These two were a pair of brothers from the Cai family. One was named Cai Hong and the other was.  His name was Cai Yuan, and he was ordered by Cai Jin to issue a letter of challenge to Liu Jing.

    The practice of sword fighting in the Han Dynasty has a long history. Among the masonry portraits of Han Dynasty tombs, sword fighting is one of the important themes in the portraits, and sword fighting is the most popular among them.

    Regardless of the common people or those who are good at martial arts, they all use martial arts to show their superiority. Gentlemen also like to compete with each other to test their swords. In the Han Dynasty, people were invited to compete in sword competitions. It could be formal or informal, just like a few friends getting together.  Fighting with each other with swords is an informal form of entertainment.

    But there are also famous people who want to compete through sword fighting. This requires a formal invitation, a date, a fair person, and a battle to determine fame.

    You can also delay the war, delay it for a year or two, and wait until you have perfected your swordsmanship before fighting. The battle between gentlemen can beIt doesn't matter if you wait ten years and slow down the war, but you must keep your word.

    You can even avoid the battle, that is, admit defeat directly, but most people will not use this method. If you lose in a sword fight, you will lose by skill, but not by people. If you admit defeat directly, you will lose by people.

    Today, Cai Jin officially invites the battle. The black bamboo slip in Cai Hong's hand is the battle slip. At this time, Liu Jing and Liu Hu walked out of the house quickly. Cai Hong stepped forward and saluted, "But Mr. Jing?"

    Liu Jing didn¡¯t know what happened, so she nodded, ¡°I am!¡±

    Cai Hong presented the war slips and said loudly: "Cai Jin of Xiangyang heard that the young master has excellent swordsmanship and is willing to use the sword to make friends. The day after tomorrow, at the sword test platform in the north of the city, Cai Jin is waiting for the young master."

    Liu Jing was stunned. He had heard the name Cai Jin mentioned by Liu Hu just now. How could he be invited to a competition out of nowhere?

    But Liu Hu's face turned pale. He quickly pulled Liu Jing aside and whispered: "This Cai Jin is Cai Mao's nephew and a disciple of Wenpin. He is ruthless. Among the young people, no one is his opponent. You can  Take it easy and wait until two or three years before fighting again.¡±

    When Liu Jing heard that he was a disciple of Wenpin, he suddenly became interested and said with a smile: "What if I want to challenge him?"

    Liu Hu looked at Liu Jing and saw that he was not joking. He had to smile bitterly and said, "If you want to accept the challenge, just accept the challenge."

    Liu Jing stepped forward to take Zhan Jian and smiled slightly, "Please tell Mr. Cai that I am willing to make friends with him through swordsmanship."

    Cai Hong was overjoyed, "Then it's settled, the day after tomorrow is the right time, and the sword testing platform will be in the north of the city."

    "It's a deal!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, Liu Jing came to the East Army Camp again. The soldiers guarding the camp all knew him, and they all laughed and said, "Is Mr. Jing looking for General Zhao?"

    "Exactly! Is General Zhao here?"

    "Sir, please wait a moment!"

    The soldiers rushed into the camp to report. After a while, Zhao Yun rushed out to greet him. Laoyuan smiled and said: "I was thinking that you should come to me, and sure enough you came."

    Liu Jing was stunned, "Brother, do you know I'm coming?"

    Zhao Yun nodded and said with a smile: "The news about your sword duel with Cai Mao's nephew has spread throughout the city, how could I not know about it?"

    Liu Jing scratched his head and said with an embarrassed smile: "I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know what's going on, I really don't know what I'm doing, I want to come to my brother's place to sharpen my spear again."

    Zhao Yun laughed loudly, held his shoulders and walked towards the camp.

    "Is brother injured?"

    Zhao Yun shook his arm and said with a smile: "Fully recovered, no impact at all."

    Liu Jing was relieved. He was afraid that the arrow injury would affect Zhao Yun's martial arts. If it didn't affect Zhao Yun's martial arts, that was the best result.

    The two came to the training ground. Zhao Yun picked up a knife and threw it to Liu Jing, "Let's do it again!"

    "But I made an appointment with the other party to have a sword showdown."

    Zhao Yun shook his head and said solemnly: "Don't stick to weapons. A sword is a sword, and a sword is a sword. Use it as you like."

    Liu Jing somewhat understood this sentence. The essence of Zhao Yun's martial arts is not in weapons, but in strength. He slowly raised the sword and stared at Zhao Yun, accumulating strength but not releasing it.

    Zhao Yun saw that Liu Jing had completely lost the wild leopard-like murderousness last time, and became reserved. He couldn't help but secretly admired in his heart, his brother is really a genius!  In just one month, he was able to restrain his murderous aura. It took him two months to do it back then.

    He was greatly admired in his heart, but it was a pity that the master did not allow him to accept apprentices. Otherwise, he would be satisfied with such an apprentice.

    "bring it on!"

    Zhao Yun gave an order in a low voice, and Liu Jing suddenly attacked, killing like lightning. All his strength was channeled to the blade, and he slashed at his face, 'Woo!  ¡¯ A strong wind blew out.

    Even Zhao Yun felt the cold stab of the blade on his face. It was difficult to take the knife. He secretly yelled "OK" and took a step back. The knife slashed upwards and saw 'Click!  ¡¯ There was a strong push, and Liu Jingteng took two steps back, but managed to steady himself without letting go of the knife.

    ¡°Not bad, great progress!¡±

    Zhao Yun struck with his sword again, exactly the same as the last move, but this time, in Liu Jing's eyes, Zhao Yun's sword seemed to have slowed down. He could clearly see the acceleration of Zhao Yun's sword.  Also speeding up, there was another ear-piercing sound, the two swords struck each other, and he actually held Zhao Yun up for a sure-kill move.

    Zhao Yun also had a look of astonishment in his eyes, it¡¯s impossible!  How could he do it after only one month?

    The thought in his mind just flashed, Zhao Yun shouted, "Fly!" He turned from chopping to twisting, fighting with one arm, and the huge force caused Liu Jing's knife to fly away. Zhao Yun swept him with a kick and kicked him out.  How far is it?

      Liu Jing sat up slowly, her heart full of frustration. Zhao Yun slowly walked to him and squatted down, smiling: "Do you think it's too far?"

    Liu Jing nodded silently. He had been practicing hard for a month and felt that he had mastered some of the essence of sword skills. He was very confident in his heart. He did not expect to lose so miserably. He let out a long sigh.

    Zhao Yun smiled and said: "Your sword skills have improved so fast that even I find it incredible. In fact, you can resist me for five rounds."

    "But I only blocked you for one round." Liu Jing smiled bitterly.

    "What's the reason?"

    Zhao Yun stared into Liu Jing's eyes and said, "You could obviously compete with me for five rounds, but why did you lose after only one round? What's the reason?"

    Liu Jing thought for a while, "I think I lost because of my strength. My strength is too weak."

    "That's it. Your sword only has the strength of thirty kilograms, but I have the strength of one hundred and twenty kilograms. The difference is four times. How can you withstand it?"

    "Then what can I do to improve my strength?" Liu Jing looked at Zhao Yun expectantly.

    Zhao Yun smiled slightly, "We will talk about this later. Now we have to deal with tomorrow's sword competition. I don't want you to lose at the hands of Wenpin's apprentice."

    He patted Liu Jing on the back and shouted loudly: "Get up!"

    Liu Jing jumped up, raised the knife in his hand, stared at Zhao Yun sharply, shouted, and slashed with the knife

    ??

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 22: The Contest in Front and Behind the Stage

    In the quiet room in the backyard of Cai's Sword Hall, Cai Jin held a sharp ring-headed sword in both hands and stared intently at the wooden dummy in front of him. He seemed a little nervous and his hands were shaking slightly.

    Tomorrow is the time for the sword show. He did not expect that the Cai family deliberately publicized it and made the whole city aware of it, turning a small sword show into a major event that attracted the attention of the whole city.

    Cai Jin understood the intention of the family leader. It was normal for him to be injured in a sword fight. As long as he injured Liu Jing in an honest sword fight, Liu Biao would have nothing to say.

    But in this way, Cai Jin felt that he was carrying huge pressure on his shoulders. What if he loses tomorrow?  The reputation he had accumulated over the years and his position as the number one young master in Jingxiang would be destroyed in one day.

    Cai Jin felt his lips were dry. The wooden man in front of him seemed to have turned into iron. He couldn't cut it with this knife.

    At this moment, a cold voice came from behind, "If your hands are shaking again, just admit defeat! Don't compete with swords."

    Cai Jin lowered his head, turned around and knelt down, "Master!"

    A man of about thirty years old appeared at the door. He was tall and thin, with broad shoulders and a pair of particularly sharp eyes, as if he could read Cai Jin's thoughts.

    This person is Zhonglang General Wenpin, a famous general in Jingzhou. He was ordered by Liu Biao to guard Fancheng and Xinye. He was strict and upright, honest and self-disciplined. He was very prestigious in the Jingzhou army. He was also Cai Jin's master.

    Wenpin walked forward slowly and sneered, "Are you worried that losing will affect your reputation?"

    "Yes!" Cai Jin did not dare to raise his head and responded in a low voice.

    "I don't understand. What's your reputation? Are you the most powerful general in the world, as famous as Lu Bu, or a famous general like Guan, Zhang, and Zhao Yun? Tell me, what's your reputation?"

    Cai Jin¡¯s face turned red with shame. He understood his master¡¯s sarcasm. Who was he, the best young master in Jingxiang?

    The stern look on Wenpin's face faded, and a gentle smile appeared again, and his tone became softer, "If I remember correctly, the title of the No. 1 Young Master in Jingxiang was obtained by you when you were twelve years old!"

    "Yes! When my disciple was twelve years old, he defeated more than thirty people from seven sword halls in a row to win this title."

    "But now that you are sixteen years old, do you still want to bear this title until you are twenty?"

    Wenpin's words were like enlightenment. Cai Jin was shocked and finally understood the master's painstaking efforts. If he didn't give up the title of young master, he would never be able to become an adult.

    "I understand, my disciple is nothing now, just a unknown general. I will step by step become a famous general in Jingzhou, and like my master, I will become a man of indomitable dignity."

    Wenpin nodded happily. This disciple understood the truth very well and did not disappoint him. He added: "Only when you know yourself and the enemy can you win every battle. I don't know the details of Liu Jing's martial arts, but I know that he studied martial arts with Zhao Yun."

    Cai Jin was extremely surprised, "He is Zhao Yun's apprentice?"

    "He is not Zhao Yun's apprentice, and he has not known Zhao Yun for a long time. He only received Zhao Yun's guidance. But in any case, since Zhao Yun agrees with him to compete with you, it means that Liu Jing is also outstanding. You  Don¡¯t underestimate the enemy in the slightest.¡±

    Having said this, Wenpin's eyes also showed a trace of hope. He held Cai Jin's shoulders, stared into his eyes and said slowly: "I hope you can defeat him and let Zhao Yun understand that Jingzhou is not empty."

    "Disciple understands!"

    Cai Jin stood up and calmed down. He raised the knife with both hands, concentrated his strength on his arms, and slashed out with the knife, 'Crack!  ¡¯ With a sound, the wooden man was split into two pieces with a sharp sword.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The sword platform is located in the northwest of Xiangyang City close to the city wall. This is where famous swordsmen compete with each other. The sword platform covers an area of ??dozens of acres and is two feet high. It looks like the base of a pyramid. The platform is spacious and flat, and is quite large.  Three basketball courts in later generations.

    The agreed time was at 10 o'clock in the morning. After the Cai family's deliberate publicity, the news of Liu Jing and Cai Jin's sword fight had already spread throughout Xiangyang City, attracting the interest of countless people. It was still dark before dawn.  Then one after another, good people came to watch the fun.

    At this time, thousands of people were already crowded on both sides of the sword platform. Most of them were scholars studying in Jingxiang and students from various sword halls. Not only that, the trees around the sword platform were also full of people watching the excitement.

    In an open space directly north of the sword platform, there are more than a dozen seats placed for some famous people in Jingzhou. Liu Biao and Cai Mao did not come. Among all the civil servants in Jingzhou, only Kuai Yue came, and Kuai Yue was also a good person.  The man of the sword came to watch this sword show as a private person.

    In addition, Liu Cong also came, as well as a dozen Jingzhou generals.Including Wenpin, two people came from Liu Bei's side, but they were Sun Qian and Mi Fang. They also came in private capacities.

    More than thirty people from the Cai family came, almost all disciples of the Cai Family Sword Hall, and they gathered in the northwest corner. The girl at the front was Cai Shaoyu, the protagonist behind this sword competition.

    She was wearing a light green jacket, a long crimson frilly skirt, a silver silk belt around her waist, and a bun on her head. She had a pretty face, but her eyes were very cold. She was squinting at Liu Jing in the distance, with a look in her eyes.  A trace of disdain.

    Her clan brother Cai Jin has always been a master of swordsmanship that she admires, and he is considered perfect in her mind. However, that rude guy doesn't know the bounds of heaven and earth, and actually wants to compete with her clan brother in swordsmanship. Let's see how he loses his face later.  He still dares to hold the Xuanlin Sword. Does he think that if he has the Xuanlin Sword, he will marry him?  Dream on!

    Liu Cong was sitting not far away. His eyes never left Cai Shaoyu. At this time, he was more nervous than anyone else. He was the one who provoked this matter. He originally wanted to make an appointment with three or five people in the wilderness outside the city.  There was a low-key sword show, and then Xuan Lin came into his hands silently. Liu Jing did not say anything to save her face.

    But I didn't expect that there would be such a big commotion. It was known all over the city. Thousands of people came to watch the battle. Even Kuai Yue, Wang Wei, Huang Zhong and others came. Naturally, my father also knew about it. In this way,  Even if he gets the Xuanlin Sword, what's the point?

    Liu Cong has liked Cai Shaoyu since he was a child, and has long regarded her as his future wife. He originally thought that the relationship between the man and the concubine was perfect, but he did not expect that his father did not want to marry Shaoyu as his daughter-in-law, which made Liu Cong feel extremely uncomfortable.

    Liu Cong couldn't help but secretly look at Cai Shaoyu again. Seeing the beautiful lady, he felt more and more disappointed. He sighed longly, feeling regretful and annoyed in his heart. He really shouldn't have come up with this bad idea of ??a sword showdown.

    There is a small table in the middle of the seat, with one person sitting on each side. On the left is Captain Wang Wei, and on the right is Zhonglang General Huang Zhong.

    Wang Wei is the commander-in-chief of Liu Biao's personal guard and a confidant of Liu Biao. Wang Wei is loyal to Liu Biao and has a high status in Jingzhou, even surpassing Huang Zhong.

    Huang Zhong is also a famous general in Jingzhou. He was born in the Huang family among the four major families in Jingzhou. However, the Huang family is divided into two branches. One is in Jiangxia, represented by Huang Zu, the prefect of Jiangxia. The other is in Nanyang, represented by the famous scholar Huang Chengyan.  Representative, Huang Zhong belongs to the Huang family in Nanyang.

    Huang Zhong has been in the army for more than 30 years since he was in his twenties. He is still unknown in his fifties, mainly because he was suppressed by Cai Mao. Although he served as Zhonglang General, he has never been reused by Liu Biao.

    However, he has a high prestige in the military, so this time he and Wang Weilai served as the intermediaries.

    "General Wang, I'm a little surprised. It's just two children competing for swords. Is it necessary to cause such a big noise?" Huang Zhong frowned and whispered to Wang Wei.

    Wang Wei sneered quietly, "Han Sheng, someone wants to make things worse, didn't you notice?"

    Huang Zhong seemed to be a little awakened. He looked back at a group of Cai family's children. He found a strange phenomenon. There were more than thirty Cai family children, but none of the Cai family elders came.

    Huang Zhong smiled bitterly and shook his head. He really didn't understand why the Cai family valued this sword showdown. Even if they valued it, there was no need to make it known to the whole city.

    At this time, Wang Wei looked at the hourglass and saw that the hour was about to come, so he said to Huang Zhong: "Get ready to start!"

    Huang Zhong nodded, picked up the small silver hammer and struck the bronze bell on the table, ¡®Dang!  ¡¯ With a crisp sound, the master of the sword competition shouted loudly: ¡°The time is coming, the swordsmen are ready!¡±

    The two protagonists of the sword competition have arrived. Cai Jin holds a long sword in both hands and stands five feet away. He holds the sword close to his forehead and stares at Liu Jing with murderous intent.

    Liu Jing was slowly retreating, feeling the autumn grass and land under his feet. He suddenly drew his sword and struck three swords in all directions, feeling the impact of the wind speed on the sword. He closed his eyes and felt the direction of the sword platform with his heart.

    This is the subtlety that he gradually realized after practicing Zhao Yun's Luofeng Kung Fu. Only in this way can the power he exerts be accurately grasped.

    Wenpin's face changed slightly while sitting at the table. He was an expert in swordsmanship. He saw that Liu Jing was actually feeling the speed of the wind and the feel of his feet. This is not something that ordinary swordsmen need to consider. Only those with exquisite swordsmanship will consider such details.

    He suddenly became worried. This Liu Jing was obviously a strong opponent. He only hoped that his disciple Cai Jin would never underestimate the enemy.

    "Han Sheng, let's start!" Wang Wei reminded Huang Zhong in a low voice.

    Huang Zhong was a little distracted. He gently stroked his long beard and stared at Liu Jing sharply. He felt that the child was a bit weird. Facing Cai Jin's murderous intention, he was calm and calm, without any nervousness or murderous intent.  , as if it was the first time for him to compete with others.

      But Huang Zhong has been in the military for decades, and he has a sophisticated vision. He saw that Liu Jing's every move was very organized. He was by no means a novice, but more like a veteran warrior. This man could actually restrain himself.  With murderous intent, Huang Zhong's interest became even stronger.

    "Han Sheng, the time has come, let's start!" Wang Wei reminded him again.

    Huang Zhong heard it this time. He nodded and struck the bronze bell with a small silver hammer. With a clear bell ringing, the master of ceremonies loudly shouted: "The sword show begins!"

    The noisy crowd around them fell silent instantly, and thousands of pairs of excited eyes stared at the two young swordsmen in the field

    ??

    The latest chapter of this book is first released by Chuangshi Chinese Network, the place where the latest, hottest and fastest original online works are first released!

 Volume 1, Chapter 23: Become famous in one battle

    ¡¾Feel sorry!  I just rushed home and was sweating profusely]

    =====

    Liu Jing threw the scabbard far away and held the sword across his chest. The Xuanlin sword sparkled in the sunlight.

    His eyes were like cat eyes. Under the sunlight, the pupils shrank to a line, and the originally dull gaze suddenly became sharp.

    In fact, he has been looking for Cai Jin's weaknesses from the beginning. Cai Jin is not Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun has no weaknesses or flaws. He can only create them himself.

    But Cai Jin's weakness was obvious. From the moment he stepped onto the sword platform, Liu Jing noticed that Cai Jin was holding the sword hilt with his left hand. This was a habitual action, but now he was holding the sword with his right hand, and Liu Hu also told himself,  Cai Jin is a right-handed sword.

    But the details would not deceive Liu Jing's eyes. When Cai Jin held the sword with both hands just now, his left hand posture was more stretched than his right hand, and the fingers of his left hand appeared longer and stronger. From these details, Liu Jing could keenly judge that Cai Jin  It's actually a left-hand sword, and the right-hand sword is nothing but confusion.

    If so, Cai Jin's flaw should be on the right side. However, although he saw Cai Jin's weakness, it was not easy to seize the opportunity. He first had to neutralize Cai Jin's fierce offensive.

    Cai Jin shouted loudly, suddenly started to move forward, and rushed forward. He was distracted and stabbed Liu Jing with his sword at an extremely fast speed. There was only a flash of light, and the sword was as fast as lightning, piercing Liu Jing's heart.

    There were exclamations all around, and Liu Hu's broken gong was heard shouting: "Brother Jing, be careful!"

    Liu Jing was also a little angry in her heart. She had no enmity with the Cai family, but he was the one who came up with the death sword. He was so cruel and vicious, did he want his own life?

    He no longer hesitated, and took action with his long sword. The cold light of the Xuanlin sword flashed past, the second strike came first, ¡®Dang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and the sword struck the opponent¡¯s blade. He was mistaking the sword for a knife. This strike made Cai Jin¡¯s arm numb, the tiger¡¯s mouth shook open, and the sword almost came out.

    Cai Jin secretly screamed that something was not right, and jumped back to jump away. However, he could not control the inertia of his forward motion for a moment, causing his figure to stagnate for a moment. He took a step slower, and Liu Jing's left foot swept forward. This was the next step.  Taekwondo is just a frame. The key is to infuse the power of gathering strength in Zhao Yun's secret book.

    This kick was simple and clean, but extremely powerful. It hit Cai Jin's right rib accurately. The right side was Cai Jin's weak point. He couldn't dodge, screamed, staggered, and took five or six steps back.  .

    Liu Jing did not pursue him. He slashed his sword and defended himself like a mountain. Cai Jin blushed with embarrassment. Although his master repeatedly told him not to underestimate the enemy, he still had a little thought and still used the weaker sword in his right hand in an attempt.  He deceived Liu Jing, but did not expect that Liu Jing was extremely powerful and almost defeated him with a sword.

    Only then did he understand what his master had warned him, 'The sword uses the royal way to defeat people, but if it is more important than the deceitful way, it will bring disgrace to oneself.  ¡¯

    "If he had used his left-handed sword from the beginning, he would not have almost lost with one sword. However, his opponent actually used his foot and kicked him so hard that his ribs almost broke. The excruciating pain made him unsteady. Did the opponent violate the rules?

    There was silence all around, no one cheered, and everyone was dumbfounded. I don¡¯t know how many sword fights there have been on this sword platform, and I have never seen anyone kicking someone with his feet. How to judge this?  All eyes were directed towards the middle seat.

    Wang Wei was in a bit of a dilemma. Kendo competitions can only be decided with swords. Although there is no rule that you cannot use your feet, the rules have been like this for hundreds of years and no one has violated it, so he did not announce it in advance.

    How to calculate this?  Wang Wei looked at Huang Zhong, "Han Sheng, do you think this is a warning?"

    Before Huang Zhong could speak, Wen Pin said coldly: "The two armies are facing each other, with the goal of killing the enemy. Is it necessary to set rules for the enemy on the battlefield?"

    Wenpin was also extremely dissatisfied with Cai Jin. He repeatedly told him not to underestimate the enemy, but he still used his right-handed sword, being so smart that he almost lost with one sword.

    This is also where Wenpin is disappointed with Cai Jin. Although Cai Jin is outstanding in all aspects, he also has a fatal weakness, that is, his pride and arrogance, which is a weakness brought about by his family. This weakness is enough to make  He cannot become a great person.

    Wenpin also hoped that Liu Jing would wake up Cai Jin with this kick.

    Huang Zhong nodded, "Since General Wen also thinks so, let's continue the sword showdown!"

    'when!  ¡¯ He struck the bronze bell again, and the master of ceremonies shouted: ¡°Continue the sword show!¡±

    There was a commotion among the thousands of people around. It turned out that kicking could be used.

    At this time, Wenpin also discovered something unusual about Liu Jing. He found that the child did not look like a son of an official who lived in the deep courtyard all year round, but more like a soldier who had experienced hundreds of battles. His eyes were so sharp that he could see Cai Cai at a glance.  Jin's weakness is on the right side, which puts even his literary talents to shame.

    He felt that this battle might be more difficult for Cai Jin.

     £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Jin has stabilized. He handed the sword to his left hand and restored his most powerful left-hand sword. At this time, he no longer dared to be careless and adopted a defensive posture, watching Liu Jing's every move closely.

    Liu Jing also adopted a defensive stance, using his sword as a sword and tilting his sword downwards. This was Zhao Yun's move, which blocked all the opponent's offensive lines.

    The two of them seemed to have turned into stone sculptures, motionless, waiting for each other's attack. Time passed little by little, and a stick of incense had already been burned, but both sides remained motionless, as if two old monks were sitting still.

    The surroundings started to get a little impatient and became more and more noisy. There were a lot of whispers. Cai Shaoyu couldn't help but said to her brother Cai Hong: "This Liu Jing is a despicable villain. He actually kicked people with his feet. I really wish that my third brother would strike with his sword."  Kill him, what are you waiting for, third brother?¡±

    Cai Hong knew the details of Cai Jin. When he saw that Cai Jin had recovered his left sword, he felt a little worried. He smiled bitterly and said, "Maybe the kick just now was too hard. Third brother needs time to recover."

    A quarter of an hour has passed, and the two of them are still motionless. There is a lot of noise all around. At this time, someone finally couldn't help shouting, "Two pieces of shit, how can we compare?"

    "If you don't want to compete, get out of here!"

    There were shouts and curses, and suddenly Cai Jin roared, raised his sword and ran forward, and the surrounding area became quiet again. Everyone looked at Cai Jin excitedly, hoping that his sword would end the contest, but Huang Zhong and Wenpin simultaneously  Cai Jin sighed and lost.

    Liu Jing looked at Cai Jin, who was running closer and closer, with a cruel smile on his lips. In a battle of wills on the battlefield, this Cai Jin was still far behind!

    Cai Jin finally couldn't bear it anymore. He gathered all his strength and struck Liu Jing head-on with his sword, as if Liu Jing was the wooden figure he practiced swords on.

    Just when the sword was still a foot away from Liu Jing's head, Liu Jing's body suddenly turned to the left to avoid Cai Jin's head-on sword. His sword struck out horizontally at the same time. It seemed slow, but it seemed as if it had lost its middle trajectory. In an instant,  Then he struck Cai Jin's right rib.

    Cai Jin was taken aback, and his body dodges, but it was too late, and he saw a burst of blood. Cai Jin let go of his long sword, covered his right ribs, stumbled back a few steps, and fell to one knee on the ground.

    Liu Jing gently wiped away the blood on the sword blade with her hand, and said lightly: "You are defeated!"

    There was silence all around. Wenpin rushed up and helped Cai Jin. He carefully checked Cai Jin's injuries, breathed a sigh of relief, and nodded gratefully to Liu Jing, "Thank you, Mr. Jing, for showing mercy."

    Liu Jing turned back to pick up the scabbard and put the sword back into its sheath. The master of ceremonies looked back at Huang Zhong and Wang Wei, saw them nodding, and then shouted, "The sword competition is over, Liu Jing wins!"

    Thunderous cheers suddenly erupted from all around, and the cheers resounded throughout the sword platform. Liu Hu yelled like a child, so excited that he burst into tears. He took off his clothes and threw them high into the sky.  .

    The children of the Cai family left the sword platform with a gloomy face without saying a word. Cai Shaoyu turned around and stared at Liu Jing with great hatred. She felt even more humiliated than Cai Jin's defeat.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The sword show ended and the crowd began to disperse. Many people could not hold back their excitement and ran towards the city to spread this wonderful sword show to more people.

    Liu Jing, surrounded by more than a dozen teenagers, came to Wang Wei and Huang Zhong. If he won the sword competition, he would not only get honors, but also other rewards.

    Wang Wei smiled and said: "I heard General Zhennan often mention Young Master, saying that Young Master Jing has extraordinary knowledge and can understand the general trend of the world. Unexpectedly, he is also very skilled in swordsmanship. He can be said to be versatile in both civil and military affairs. He is my hope for the future of Jing Xiang."

    Liu Jing hurriedly bowed and said: "General Wang, thank you for the reward. I am a shallow boy and don't dare to accept such high expectations."

    Huang Zhong pondered next to him and asked curiously: "I feel that Mr. Jing seems to have rich practical experience. Has Mr. Jing been on the battlefield or been a hunter?"

    Liu Jing's heart skipped a beat. He never expected that his hunter experience would be revealed. A man with such a discerning eye like Huang Zhong would see through it. If Liu Biao knew about it, it would be a serious matter.

    He quickly replied: "Returning to General Huang, Liu Jing has no actual combat experience. He just likes to think. When he was a child, he often watched military training. In fact, I only studied martial arts for a month."

    "One month!"

    Wang Wei and Huang Zhong were both shocked. They looked at each other. How could it be possible that they had only practiced martial arts for a month?

    At this time, Sun Qian came up next to him and said with a smile: "I can prove this. Master Jing has indeed only studied martial arts with Zilong for a month. Even Zilong has always praised Master Jing as a martial arts genius."

    Liu Jing may be self-effacing, but when Sun Qian said it, people had no choice but to believe it, and Wang Wei laughed., "It turns out that Young Master Jing is the apprentice of General Zhao Yun, no wonder he is so great."

    There was a bit of bitterness in his laughter. The original master once mentioned that he would accept Liu Jing as his disciple, but he didn't expect that Zhao Yun would take over.

    Sun Qian shook his head and explained: "Originally, General Zhao wanted to accept Mr. Jing as his disciple, but Uncle Liu felt that he needed to seek the permission of Zhou Mu, so he only taught martial arts and did not accept a disciple."

    "This sentence made Huang Zhong's heart move. He stroked his beard and thought secretly, 'Since Zhao Yun has not accepted a disciple, can he accept this child as his disciple, so that he will not live a mediocre life?"  ¡¯

    Huang Zhong had noticed Liu Jing for a long time. He saw that Liu Jing was eight feet tall, with broad shoulders, a slightly elongated face, eyebrows like swords, a straight and high nose, and extraordinary appearance. He liked her very much. This is the majestic appearance of a man.

    Huang Zhong had an idea in his mind, but he didn't show it. He just smiled, picked up a bag of gold, and handed it to Liu Jing, "This is the winner's reward. Sixty taels of gold is also Kuai Gong's wish. Please accept it."  !¡±

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. He was shy in his pocket, but he didn't expect to receive a reward of sixty taels of gold. This made him overjoyed. He was not polite, took the gold bag, bowed to Kuai Yue and saluted, "Thank you so much, Mr. Kuai."  award!"

    Kuai Yue smiled slightly, "Master, if you thank me, you can come to my house for a simple meal, okay?"

    "Kuai Gong does not think Liu Jing is rude, Liu Jing should obey his orders."

    "good!"

    Kuai Yue didn¡¯t expect that he would agree so happily, so he couldn¡¯t help but happily said: ¡°Then it will be tonight.¡±

    He then said to Wang Wei and Huang Zhong: "I would also like to ask the two generals to accompany me."

    Wang Wei and Huang Zhong knew that these were just polite words, and they quickly declined to say that they had anything to do. Kuai Yue did not force himself, stroking his beard and smiling at Liu Jing: "Tonight, I will sweep the bed in preparation for the young master's arrival!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ??

    The latest chapter of this book is first released by Chuangshi Chinese Network, the place where the latest, hottest and fastest original online works are first released!

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 24: Reciprocity of courtesy

    In just one hour, the news of Liu Jing's victory over Cai Jin spread throughout Xiangyang City, making this unknown young man the center of attention in Xiangyang City. People in the streets and alleys were talking about this wonderful Liu Jing victory.  Cai fights.

    In the late Han Dynasty, reputation was the most important thing. This battle made Liu Jing famous. He became a well-known young hero in Xiangyang and even Jingzhou.

    But some people are happy while others are worried. This time Cai Jin was defeated. In addition to the Cai family, Liu Cong was also the one who suffered the biggest blow.

    He had been instigating the sword fight from the beginning, but he did not expect that the sword fight would become more and more noisy in the end, nor did he expect that Cai Jin would lose and help Liu Jing become famous.

    But Liu Cong is even more afraid that the truth about this matter will be revealed by the Cai family. If his father finds out in the end, he will be in big trouble.

    Liu Cong felt both regret and fear in his heart. As soon as the sword competition was over, he hurried home and locked himself in the study. Only then did his heart settle down a little.

    He was lying on the mat, resting his head on his hands, looking at the roof and thinking wildly. In fact, he was more worried about Mrs. Cai. Mrs. Cai asked him to find a way to get the sword. What should he tell him now?

    Fortunately, Mrs. Cai didn't know about the sword show, otherwise those jealous maids would have sued him as soon as he came back.

    In the past two days, Liu Cong was exhausted from the torture related to this sword. He lay down for a while, and his consciousness began to blur. He was about to fall asleep, but at this moment, the voice of his personal maid Caiyun came from the yard, "Master,  Mr. Jing is here."

    "Master Jing, the second master has just come back, please come in first! I will report it for you."

    Caiyun's voice was crisp and sweet, just like the singing of an oriole. Liu Cong liked to hear her voice the most, but at this moment, Liu Cong wanted to stuff her mouth with a rag, begging in his heart, please!  Sister Caiyun, my aunt, can you tell me that I'm not here?

    But it¡¯s useless to beg. Caiyun is already knocking on the study door, ¡°Sir, open the door, there¡¯s something going on!¡±

    Liu Cong had no choice but to agree: "The door is unlocked, just let him in!"

    At this point, he had no choice but to pretend he didn¡¯t know anything.

    The door opened and Liu Jing walked in. He had just come back, so he came to Liu Cong first, not to cause trouble for him, but because he had something else to do.

    Seeing that Liu Cong¡¯s hair was a little messy and his eyes were sleepy, he cupped his hands and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m disturbing Brother Cong¡¯s rest.¡±

    Liu Cong was stunned. Liu Jing didn't even have any intention of raising an army to accuse him. Didn't he know that the sword showdown was related to him?

    Liu Cong suddenly felt lucky. He pretended to rub his nose and said in a loud voice, "I feel a little sick today, so I don't want to go out. Is there anything wrong with Brother Jing?"

    Liu Jing certainly guessed that the sword competition was related to Liu Cong. If he lost, he would have to hand over the sword. Isn't this Liu Cong's painstaking plan to get his own Xuanlin sword?  At this moment, he pretended not to know anything.

    Although Liu Jing despises Liu Cong as a person, she does not want to break up with him. After all, he is Liu Biao's son, and it will not benefit anyone to break up with him.

    He took off a long sword from his waist, put it on the table, pushed it to Liu Cong, and said with a smile: "This is Cai Jin's sword. It is said to be a gift from his master. He loves it as much as his life. Today he lost in the sword competition.  This sword belongs to me, but it¡¯s useless for me to ask for the sword, so give this sword to Brother Cong!¡±

    Liu Cong¡¯s face suddenly turned red. He was using his own hand to return the sword to Cai Jin!  He must have known that this matter had something to do with him. He was about to refuse, but then he thought, this is fine. Cai Jin must have hated himself deeply because he failed in this sword competition. Returning the sword to him could just relax the relationship.  .

    Thinking of this, Liu Cong laughed dryly and said hypocritically: "This sword is brother Jing's trophy, how can I be embarrassed to ask for it?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, it's courtesy!"

    The four words "courtesy reciprocity" suddenly reminded Liu Cong. Only then did he understand what Liu Jing meant. She actually wanted to exchange knives with him. Even though Liu Cong was thick-skinned, he still felt extremely ashamed in his heart.

    From the very beginning, I had been deliberately planning to acquire the Xuanlin Sword. In the end, I failed to acquire the Xuanlin Sword, but lost Cai Jin's sword.

    Unexpectedly, in the end, he went around in a big circle and exchanged swords for swords. However, this sword was no longer the other sword. It was like a heavy slap on Liu Cong's face.

    Liu Cong couldn't help but said gloomily: "What on earth do you mean?"

    Liu Jing took off the Xuanlin Sword again, put them on several cases, and said with a faint smile: "This sword is also given to Brother Cong."

    Liu Cong was stunned. He stared at the Xuanlin Sword in a daze. For a long time, he sighed in his heart. He has just come to be a good person now. Does he dare to take it?

    He shook his head, "I appreciate Brother Jing's kindness. I guess my father will ask about this matter soon."Please take care of this matter!  "

    "Okay! Wait until I tell my uncle, and I will give you the sword. In fact, I don't like swords, I prefer knives."

    Liu Cong thought for a while, stood up, opened the cabinet, took out a knife from it, and placed it in front of Liu Jing, "As brother Jing said, courtesy reciprocates, I accepted Cai Jin's sword, and I also asked for this knife."  Brother Jing accepts it.¡±

    Liu Jing picked up the knife, and it turned out to be Dian Wei's knife. He gently stroked the blade and sighed in his heart, this is Dian Wei's knife!

    Liu Jing picked up the knife and Xuanlin sword, stood up and saluted, "Thank you, Brother Cong. I'll take my leave."

    He turned around and left the study. Liu Cong looked at his back, feeling extremely bitter in his heart. If he had known this would be the result, why would he make a big detour?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the training ground of the East Army Camp, Zhao Yun was practicing soldiers as usual, but today he was a little absent-minded. He was thinking about today's sword-fighting competition. The time should be over, so can Liu Jing win?

    People are not like grass and trees, and who can be ruthless? From being grateful to Liu Jing, Zhao Yun later taught him all his martial arts secrets. He had already regarded Liu Jing as his brother and apprentice.

    "It's just that Liu Jing has a special status, and the lord does not approve of him accepting Liu Jing as his disciple. Zhao Yun can understand this. Liu Jingsheng set up sentries to monitor them. If they interact too closely, it will be detrimental to Liu Jing and the lord.

    "It's just that the child is very talented and a great talent in martial arts. He really doesn't want to give up. If he can't, he can only teach him as a teacher and brother and do his best to teach him.

    Zhao Yun sighed lowly. At this moment, a soldier shouted: "The Lord is here!"

    When Zhao Yun turned around, he saw his lord and Sun Qian walking quickly. Sun Qian was there to watch the sword. A glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in Zhao Yun's heart. He quickly stepped forward and knelt down on one knee, "Greetings to my lord!"

    Liu Bei quickly helped him up and complained: "Zilong, didn't I tell you not to bow anymore, why are you still like this?"

    Zhao Yun smiled bitterly, "I'm used to humble positions."

    He looked at Sun Qian again, with an unconcealed expectation in his eyes. Sun Qian smiled slightly, "Is Zilong so unsure?"

    "I just taught him for a short period of time because I was afraid that he would be inexperienced. After all, he has been learning martial arts from Wenpin for ten years."

    "His will is stronger than Cai Jin's. The two faced off for a quarter of an hour. In the end, Cai Jin couldn't keep his composure and was defeated with a sword. Even I, a scholar, can see that Mr. Jing's will is extraordinary."

    "Did he win?" Zhao Yun's face beamed with smile, and his tense heart finally relaxed.

    Next to him, Liu Bei had something else on his mind. He was not here for the sword show, "Zilong, I have something to tell you."

    Zhao Yun felt that he had neglected his lord, and quickly bowed and said: "Please give me your orders, lord."

    Liu Bei pointed to the side, and the three of them walked slowly along the side of the training ground, "That's it. I heard that Zhang Wu and Chen Sun were rebelling in Jiangxia. I planned to talk to Jing Sheng and let me lead the troops to destroy them, but  I guess he won¡¯t give me elite troops. The key is to rely on our own army.¡±

    Zhao Yun understood his lord's worry and smiled slightly, "Now we meet Cao Jun again. If our forces are equal, we will not lose."

    This was what Liu Bei wanted, and he was immediately overjoyed, "Yun Chang and Yide said the same thing. I was worried that they were trying to comfort me. When you say this, I feel relieved."

    "Is Zilong's arrow wound better?" After walking for a while, Liu Bei asked again with concern.

    "never mind!"

    Zhao Yun shook his arm and said with a smile: "When you encounter Cao Jun, you can still kill seven in and seven out."

    At this time, Liu Bei changed the topic and returned to his real purpose of looking for Zhao Yun today. He smiled and said, "I feel that Mr. Jing is a bit unlike a child of a noble family. Don't you feel it, Zilong?"

    Zhao Yun shook his head, "I don't know what the children of aristocratic families should be like, so I can't answer your lord's words."

    "But you and he have gone through a lot in Runan. I think you should know him better, or in other words, know his details better, Zilong, do you understand what I mean?" Liu Bei looked at Zhao Yun with a half-smile.

    Zhao Yun was silent for a moment and said, "I understand what my lord means."

    "Then tell me, what do you think?" Liu Bei asked without hesitation.

    Zhao Yun was hesitant, and he gradually bit his lips, remembering what Shu Zuo Wu Xiu said before he died, but Zhao Yun finally shook his head, "My lord, you are worrying too much. Shu Zuo was not dead at that time. He asked me to take care of him."  Mr. Jing brought him back to Jingzhou, I believe Shu Zuo didn¡¯t lie to me.¡±

    Liu Bei's face showed a slight look of disappointment, and a trace of displeasure flashed in his eyes, but he quicklyThen he disappeared and said with a smile: "Actually, I was just asking casually. I want to go find Jing Sheng and talk about Jiangxia. Okay! You continue to train."

    After saying that, Liu Bei turned around and left. Zhao Yun looked at his lord's back and couldn't help but sigh deeply in his heart.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Biao had actually heard about today's sword show. Although he was very interested, he did not go to the sword platform. It would be unfair to Cai Jin if he showed up at the sword platform.

    In the official room, Kuai Yue described today's sword competition in detail to Liu Biao. Kuai Yue was also very emotional, "I would like to congratulate my lord, Jingzhou has gained another good general. I am watching the battle. Although Master Jing is a young man, his mind is worse than that of Liu Biao." Adults need to be mature, and his calmness even puts Han Sheng to shame. My lord, this is the talent of a commander!"

    Liu Biao's eyes turned into slits from laughter. To fight tigers, he had to rely on his brothers. In battle, it was still father and son. What he hoped most was that his family could produce talents who could fight for him in all directions, so that he would no longer be restrained by the Jingzhou family. Unfortunately, now  His nephew was so disappointing to him.

    However, the arrival of Liu Jing brought him a glimmer of hope. Liu Jing's performance on the first day impressed him, and the praise from Kuai Yue and Huang Zhong strengthened his confidence.

    At this time, Kuai Yue whispered again: "But there is one more thing about my humble position. I hope it will attract the Lord's attention."

    "you say!"

    Kuai Yue was about to speak when a guard reported at the door, "My lord, Uncle Liu has something urgent to see you."

    Kuai Yue's thoughts changed, and he swallowed back the words that had just come to his lips. His slightly excited eyes became indifferent, "Actually, it's nothing, I just hope that the master will train Mr. Jing well!"

    He wanted to say that he should be careful not to let Liu Jing and Liu Bei get too close, but at the critical moment, Liu Bei's request for an audience made Kuai Yue change his mind. Liu Jing's interaction with Liu Bei might not be a bad thing for Jingzhou

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1, Chapter 25: Some are happy and some are worried

    Liu Biao stared at Kuai Yue for a moment, and he realized that Kuai Yue didn't mean what he said. However, since Kuai Yue refused to say it clearly, Liu Biao stopped asking more questions and ordered the guards: "Please come and talk to Duke Xuande."

    Not long after, the guards led Liu Bei into the official room. As soon as he entered the door, Liu Bei bowed and smiled and said, "I am here to congratulate my brother on getting a talented son."

    "Hey! Don't praise him to the sky, it's just a sword fight. If my dear brother talks about this again, I will run away." After saying that, Liu Biao made a gesture of leaving.

    Liu Bei waved his hands exaggeratedly, "Okay! I admit that I came here for other reasons and it has nothing to do with Mr. Jing. Brother, please don't run away."

    The two looked at each other and laughed together. Liu Biao invited Liu Bei to sit down in the room and met with Kuai Yue. As expected, Liu Bei no longer mentioned the matter of Liu Jing, but he also did not mention the rebellion of Chen Sun and Zhang Wu in Jiangxia.

    "I have been in Jingzhou for a month. I have received my brother's warm hospitality and there is no shortage of food and grass. I am extremely grateful. I came here to say goodbye to my brother today."

    This news surprised Liu Biao, "Where are you going, brother Xian?"

    Liu Bei gave a wry smile and said, "Ma Shoucheng and I have an old relationship, and I plan to go to Xiliang to join him."

    Ma Shoucheng is also known as Xiliang Ma Teng. When Liu Biao heard that Liu Bei was going to join Ma Teng, he couldn't help but frowned. Kuai Yue asked at the side: "Jingxiang is separated from Xiliang by Hanzhong and Guanzhong. How can the emperor get there?"

    "I plan to take the road through Bashu, go north to Xiqiang via Wenjun, and then take a detour to Liangzhou."

    It¡¯s all nonsense. Liu Biao was a little dissatisfied, but he still said calmly: ¡°Is there someone plotting against my dear brother behind my back? My dear brother had no choice but to take this step.¡±

    "No, no one is trying to harm Bei."

    "Does that mean I didn't take good care of you and didn't provide enough food and rice?"

    Liu Bei still shook his head, "Brother is so kind to me. I only have more food and rice. How dare you think that I don't take good care of you?"

    "Then why did my dear brother leave Jingzhou and abandon me?" Liu Biao stared at him with bright eyes, as if he wanted to call an army to accuse him.

    Liu Bei gave a wry smile and said, "Bei doesn't want to leave Jingzhou. It's really that he is receiving salary without merit. Bei is deeply uneasy"

    Before Liu Bei had finished speaking, Liu Biao suddenly understood. He couldn't help but burst out laughing. He pointed at Liu Bei and sighed: "Good brother! What do you want a foolish brother to say to you? Can't you just say what you have to say directly? You have to go round and round, which makes you feel uncomfortable."  I thought I had offended my dear brother, please tell me what you want to do."

    It is not unnecessary for Liu Bei to talk in such a roundabout way. If he came into the house and said that he wanted to fight Zhang Wu and Chen Sun, Liu Biao might not agree, and he would think that Liu Bei had other intentions. But if he went in such a roundabout way, things would  There is room for negotiation.

    In fact, everything is like this. If you are direct and honest, although it seems to be sincere, your attitude will become blunt, leaving others unprepared, resulting in resistance, and things will not be done well.

    If you are round and slow, things will often be much easier to handle. In interpersonal communication, this is also called "tact". Tact is by no means a bad thing. Tact also means round and slow. It is a kind of interpersonal communication.  Means, roundness is implication, slowness is time. With implication and time, giving others a little room to think will make it easier for people to get along with each other and eliminate barriers.

    Liu Bei is so sophisticated, how could he not understand this truth? He did not mention taking refuge with Liu Zhang, but said he would take refuge with Ma Teng, which made his idea absurd. There must be a reason behind the absurdity. If we dig deeper, the matter will be easier to discuss.  , if he said he would seek refuge with Liu Zhang, Liu Biao might have other ideas.

    Now that the words have been explained, Liu Bei no longer beat around the bush and directly made his request, "I heard that Chen Sun and Zhang Wu of Jiangxia rebelled, and I am willing to share the worries for my brother."

    Liu Biao was discussing with his subordinates about the rebellion of Chen Sun and Zhang Wu in Jiangxia, and it had not yet been decided. Since Liu Bei took the initiative, Liu Biao thought about it briefly and readily agreed, "Since my good brother is willing, please ask Xian  Brother, it¡¯s just that the Jingzhou army has just returned from the campaign in Jiaozhou, and the soldiers are exhausted, so I can only give you 20,000 troops, so you don¡¯t have to worry about food and logistics. In addition, I asked General Wang Wei to be your deputy to help you destroy the rebels. "

    Although Liu Biao agreed to let Liu Bei go on the expedition, the issue in principle was unambiguous. The army would not be given more, and military power would not be handed over to Liu Bei.

    Liu Bei expected this. He smiled slightly and said, "I will obey my brother's arrangements in everything."

    At this time, Kuai Yue, who had been silent all this time, suddenly smiled and said: "I suggest that Young Master Jing be allowed to follow Xuande on the expedition to exercise his abilities."

    Kuai Yue originally wanted to suggest that Liu Jing and Liu Bei should not have too much contact, but without a deep understanding of some things, it is impossible to know whether it is a benefit or a disadvantage. Whether Liu Jing and Liu Bei are in a relationship is a benefit or a disadvantage, Kuai Yue decided to wait and see for a while.  Let¡¯s talk next year.

    In fact, Kuai Yue still?For a deeper purpose, today's sword fight pushed Liu Jing to be on the opposite side of the Cai family. I heard that Liu Jing's martial arts was taught by Zhao Yun, so can Liu Bei be pushed to the opposite side of the Cai family?

    Liu Biao had no objection to this proposal. He had high hopes for Liu Jing. More importantly, he also knew that a good car could not be built behind closed doors. Since there was an opportunity to go on an expedition, it was not a bad thing to let Liu Jing go out to practice.

    Liu Biao pondered for a moment and then smiled and said, "Brother Fool's nephew will also be entrusted to Brother Xian."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In a ward in the backyard of Cai's mansion, the window curtains were closed, blocking out the afternoon sunlight, making the room a little dark and filled with a strong smell of medicine. Cai Jin was lying on the bed, his face sallow and listless.  He looked haggard and had completely lost his usual decisiveness and courage.

    Two doctors had just changed the medicine for him. Cai Jin's younger brother Cai Hong was sitting by the couch, carefully feeding him medicine. At this time, someone at the door whispered: "The master of the house is here!"

    I saw Cai Hao walking into the room with his hands behind his back and a long face. Cai Hao was in a really bad mood today, not just because Cai Jin lost the sword fight and ruined the reputation of the Cai family.

    There is another thing. He has just received news that his lord has agreed that Liu Bei will lead the army to suppress the rebellion of Zhang Wu and Chen Sun in Jiangxia. Such an important matter was not discussed with Cai Mao.

    In fact, Cai Mao originally planned to recommend his younger brother Cai Zhong to lead the army to suppress the rebellion of Zhang Wu and Chen Sun. On the one hand, it could atone for Cai Zhong's defeat in the extermination of the Jiang bandit Gan Ning last year. On the other hand, it could increase the Cai family's military power.  Breaking into Jiangxia, which was firmly controlled by Huang Zu, was like killing two birds with one stone.

    Unexpectedly, the lord actually asked Liu Bei to lead the army, completely ruining his plan and making Cai Mao feel extremely depressed.

    Cai Mao walked into the room, and Cai Hong quickly knelt down and bowed, "Greetings to the master of the family!"

    Cai Mao nodded, standing in front of the sick bed and looking at Cai Jin coldly. As the saying goes, the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. Although this sentence is a bit exaggerated here, the meaning is similar.

    Cai Jin¡¯s failure was extremely disappointing to Cai Mao. He had so much hope in defeating Liu Jing that he did not hesitate to use family resources to promote the sword show. But in the end, if his expectations were too high, he would be disappointed even more.

    The cold face of the family leader made Cai Jin feel uneasy. He moved his lips and murmured: "My nephew has failed the family master's expectations and is willing to be punished."

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the punishment later!¡±

    Cai Hao asked Cai Hong next to him again, "How is his injury?"

    "Reporting to the head of the family, the third brother's injury is fine. There is no damage to the internal organs or muscles. The doctor said that he will be fine after a month or two of rest."

    Cai Jin is the son of Cai Yan, Cai Mao's younger brother. Cai Yan was the governor of Bajun at that time and was away from Xiangyang, so he entrusted his son to Cai Mao. He was injured and Cai Mao had difficulty explaining to his brother, so he came to ask about it. I heard that Cai Jin was injured.  The injury was fine, his face softened slightly, and he asked Cai Jin, "Why did you fail this time?"

    Cai Jin's eyes showed pain. His master told him afterwards that his martial arts were actually stronger and more comprehensive than Liu Jing's, but he lost because he underestimated his opponent.

    "My nephew I didn't expect him to be very experienced. My nephew I underestimated the enemy."

    "experience?"

    Cai Mao had doubts in his eyes, "What experience will he have?"

    "Master said he has rich fighting experience."

    Cai Hao was even more confused, "How the lord's nephew has fighting experience is puzzling."

    However, as soon as this idea arose in Cai Mao's mind, he was interrupted by his daughter who barged in. Cai Shaoyu, wearing a red warrior uniform, rushed into the room and shouted: "Third brother, I decided to lead the Cai family warriors to kill tonight."  That bastard, take revenge on Third Brother."

    Cai Mao turned around and glared at his daughter, "What are you talking about?"

    Cai Shaoyu didn't expect that her father was also in the ward. She trembled in fright and lowered her head, "Didn't you say anything?"

    Cai Mao became increasingly angry. He was frustrated in officialdom, and the younger members of his family did not let him get his way. Even his daughter became a troublemaker.

    Cai Hao snorted heavily, turned around and left. When he reached the door, he turned back to warn his daughter, "Let me warn you first, Liu Jing will be your husband-in-law in the future. If you hurt him, you will remain a widower for the rest of your life!"  "

    "No!"

    Cai Shaoyu shouted in horror, "Dad, I don't want to marry him."

    "It's not up to you."

    Cai Mao said a harsh word and walked away quickly. Cai Shaoyu chased after him for a few steps, "Dad! Father!"

    But Cai Mao ignored her and quickly walked away. Cai Shaoyu looked at the back of her father who walked away resolutely, tears of grievance welled up in her eyes. She wiped away her tears and gritted her teeth, "I will never marry that rude bastard!"

    £®  ??.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At dusk, a horse-drawn carriage slowly stopped in front of the gate of Liu Mansion. A young man in a white brocade robe got out of the carriage, walked quickly up the steps, and gave a slight salute to the porter, "I'm here, Kuai Qi.  On the orders of my uncle, I send an invitation to Mr. Jing and ask the steward to pass it on to him. "

    After saying that, he took out a silk scroll and handed it to the porter. The porter was a little dizzy. The porter is the place where gifts are received and is very aware of all kinds of etiquette.

    When ordinary people treat guests, they can send a small servant to dictate a sentence. Small and medium-sized families are a little more particular and will send a bamboo slip to express respect and formality. When large families treat guests, they will write invitations on hemp paper.

    Only when entertaining extremely distinguished people would they use brocade books. Kuai Gong not only sent his son and nephew to treat the guests, but also sent brocade books. This kind of courtesy was extraordinary.

    The concierge was the gate manager of Liu Biao's Mansion. Of course he was well-informed and he didn't care about Jinshu. However, Kuai Yue's attitude toward Master Jing surprised him. After a sword fight, Master Jing's reputation actually increased to  Is this to this extent?

    ¡°Mr. Kuai, please wait a moment!¡±

    The concierge rushed towards the east courtyard. Not long after, Liu Jing, neatly dressed, hurriedly walked out of the house. He had been waiting for a long time.

    Kuai Qi also watched today's sword show and recognized Liu Jing. He quickly bowed and saluted, "I've kept Mr. Jing waiting for a long time. I'm here, Kuai Qi, on my uncle's orders, I'm here to greet Mr. Jing."

    Liu Jing originally planned to go to the Kuai Mansion by himself, but he did not expect that Kuai Yue would be so solemn. Not only did he send a brocade book, but he also sent his nephew to greet him in person. The formal etiquette made him a little flattered. You must know that this is the Kuai family!  The second most famous family in Jingxiang.

    Only Liu Biao, Cai Mao and other big figures would be treated with such courtesy at banquets. Now that Liu Biao's nephew, Liu Biao, was treated with such grand courtesy, Liu Jing was somewhat touched.

    "Liu Jing is ashamed that your government has taken so much trouble."

    Kuai Qi smiled slightly, "Young Master Jing defeated Cai Jin today. He is already a young man with much attention in Jingxiang. It is an honor for the Kuai family to be the first to entertain the Young Master. Young Master Jing, please get on the carriage."

    He made an inviting gesture, and his posture was elegant and calm, which made Liu Jing respect him. He was worthy of being a son of an aristocratic family. He was indeed gentle and graceful, and in one fell swoop he changed the prejudice against the children of aristocratic families brought to him by the Cai family.

    The two got on the carriage, which accelerated and rushed towards the Kuai family's residence in the south of the city

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 26 The Second Family of Jingxiang

    The carriage slowly stopped in front of Kuai Mansion. On the steps, Kuai Yue led several young people who had been waiting for a long time. Kuai Yue wore a hibiscus crown and a precious mink fur coat. He was the owner and must be dressed formally.  To show respect for guests.

    The few young people at the back were wearing ordinary robes and plain scarves, and they were more casually dressed. Although the courtesy was heavy today, the banquet was just a small banquet with not many people, only five or six people to accompany them.

    Liu Jing stepped out of the carriage, hurried up to greet him, bowed his head and saluted, "Liu Jing is rude to keep Kuai Gong waiting for a long time."

    Kuai Yue walked down the steps and said with a smile: "I felt friendly when I met Mr. Jing for the first time. Today's gathering is just random. Come! Come! I will introduce some young talents from Jingzhou to Mr. Jing."

    Kuai Qi didn't need an introduction. He led Liu Jing here. The two of them were already familiar with each other along the way. There were three young people behind Kuai Yue, one of whom looked similar to Kuai Qi. Kuai Yue introduced with a smile: "This is Quan Zi'e.  Reading in Longzhong.¡±

    Kuai Yue has three sons. The eldest son and the second son are both serving as officials. Only the third son Kuai Er is with his father. He is only nineteen years old this year.

    Kuai Er quickly saluted and said a few polite words to each other. Kuai Yue introduced another person, "This is my nephew, whose surname is Ma Liang and whose courtesy name is Jichang. He is from Yicheng, Xiangyang. He and Quanzi are classmates and friends, and we are here to accompany him today."

    Liu Jing saw that there was indeed a cluster of white eyebrows in his eyebrows, which gave him a strange appearance. He couldn't help but smile and said: "In Ma's Wuchang, white eyebrows are the best. Liu Jing has heard about it for a long time. When I saw it today, it is indeed well-deserved."

    Ma Liang was not very old, about seventeen or eighteen years old, and he also wore a sword in his waist. He returned the greeting with a smile and said: "I also went to the sword platform to watch Mr. Jing compete with swords today. Mr. Jing moved as fast as an eagle.  It is as quiet as Mount Tai, which makes Ji Chang admire him greatly."

    "Brother Ji Chang deserves the award!"

    The last person was about twenty years old, tall, with a face like a crown jewel, and clear and bright eyes. He kept smiling and saying nothing. Kuai Yue brought Liu Jing forward and introduced him with a smile, "This talented man  He is also Quanzi's classmate and good friend. His surname is Zhuge, his single name is Liang, and his given name is Kongming. He is from Langya County and is the most proud disciple of Duke Pang. "

    Liu Jing was in awe. It turned out that this person was Zhuge Liang. This was the first time he saw him. He quickly bowed and saluted, "It turns out to be Mr. Wolong. I have admired Brother Zhuge for a long time and has outstanding learning. Liu Jing is very lucky to meet him today."

    The Zhuge family is also a prominent family in Langya. Zhuge Liang's parents died early, and he and his brother Zhuge Jun followed his uncle Zhuge Xuan to take office in Yuzhang County. After Zhuge Xuan lost his official position, he defected to Liu Biao in Jingzhou. Zhuge Xuan died of illness four years ago, so Zhuge Liang studied in Xiangyang for half a year.  After studying for half a year, he became a disciple of Pang Degong of Lumen.

    Zhuge Liang was born in a prominent Langya family and was quite famous in Xiangyang. He was related by marriage to the Pang family and the Kuai family. Zhuge Liang had two sisters. The second sister was married to Pang Shanmin, the son of Pang Degong, and the eldest sister was the wife of Kuai Qi, so today  It was for this reason that Kuai Yue invited him to accompany him.

    Zhuge Liang did not go to see today's sword show, and he was not very interested in the event that everyone in Xiangyang City was talking about. At least he did not show his admiration for Liu Jing's swordsmanship.

    His personality is relatively mild. Another way of saying mild is lukewarm, and he doesn't like to be intimate with others. However, since Liu Jing respects his title of Wolong, he has to show due etiquette.

    You know, most people regard his nickname "Wolong" as a joke that can be discussed after dinner.

    Zhuge Liang also saluted and said: "Master Jing is a talented young man, and his reputation is determined by one sword. But Kong Ming admires Master Jing even more and urges Zhou Mu to accept Uncle Liu Huang. This is a righteous move, but it is a pity that the world is ignorant."

    His words made Ma Liang next to him look embarrassed. Just now, Ma Liang was praising Liu Jing for being as agile as an eagle and as quiet as Mount Tai, but now Zhuge Liang was a little dismissive of the sword.

    Kuai Yue chuckled and said, "Too much etiquette is also a burden. Let's talk about it in detail when we enter the room!"

    Everyone entered the gate chatting and laughing. Today's treat was in the guest hall. The banquet in the pre-Qin Dynasty was not that everyone gathered around the table today, but was a separate meal system. The weather was cold, sheepskin mats were used, and a short lacquer table was placed in front of each person.  , cups, plates, spoons, bamboo chopsticks and other food utensils have been placed.

    There is also a charcoal basin in the middle of the living room, and a large gilt copper warm wine bottle placed on the charcoal basin stand. The wine bottle is filled with fine wine, and a beautiful maid is responsible for distributing the wine to everyone with a long wooden spoon.  .

    Kuai Yue is the host, sitting in the middle chair, and the other juniors sit on both sides. Liu Jing sits on the first seat on the left, next to Kuai Qi, and opposite to Zhuge Liang, because he is also a guest and is older than Ma Liang.

    Soon, more than a dozen maids brought hot meat dishes and various seasonal fruits. The silver ear cups were filled with fine wine. Kuai Yue held up the ear cups with both hands and said with a smile: "Master Jing is invited to come to the house for a drink today."  , and it is also a practice for the young master. Everyone can drink this cup to show respect. "

    Liu Jing felt a little strange in her heart, why Jian???  But he didn't ask any more questions and drank a glass of wine with everyone.

    At this time, Zhuge Liang asked with a smile: "Just now, Uncle Kuai Shi said that Mr. Jing wanted to travel far, but it was for Jiangxia's sake."

    Kuai Yue chuckled, "Kong Ming knows the world's affairs without leaving home. Yes, it's Jiangxia's affairs."

    He smiled slightly at Liu Jing and said, "Young Master will go on an expedition the day after tomorrow."

    Liu Jing became even more confused, and she bowed and asked, "Liu Jing knows nothing, please make it clear to Mr. Kuai."

    "That's it. Zhang Wu and Chen Sun rebelled in Jiangxia. My lord has ordered Uncle Liu Huang to lead 20,000 troops to quell the rebellion. I suggest that your lord lets you go with them to experience the military."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. This gave him the opportunity to ask Zhao Yun for advice on how to fight immediately. It came at just the right time. He quickly thanked him, "Thank you so much, Mr. Kuai, for speaking for me and making my wish come true."

    "Young Master, there is no need to be polite."

    Kuai Yue stroked his beard and smiled, and continued to ask Zhuge Liang: "What does Kong Ming think of the rebellion between Zhang Wu and Chen Sun?"

    Zhuge Liang thought for a while and said: "The strategic location of Jiangxia is where Soochow has the deepest involvement. Sun Jian died in Jiangxia back then. Soochow has been trying to conquer Jiangxia for a long time, but it is unable to do so. It has been a year since Sun Quan came to the throne, and the internal affairs have gradually calmed down. We  I heard that his general Lu Su once advised him to march into Jingzhou while Cao Cao had no time to look south. Although he was opposed by Zhang Zhao and other important ministers and gave up, Lu Su was given a prominent position. This shows that Sun Quan wanted to capture Jingzhou.

    But last year¡¯s Luling Sun Fu Rebellion and Lujiang Li Shu Rebellion made Sun Quan afraid to launch troops rashly. Once he failed, his status might be endangered.

    Therefore, the best way is to test, and provoking civil strife in Jiangxia is the best way to test it. If the rebellion in Jiangxia subsides in time, Soochow will not send troops. If the rebellion in Jiangxia gets worse, Soochow will definitely take advantage of the chaos and send troops to Jiangxia.  , so I estimate that the Soochow army is waiting for the opportunity.  "

    Zhuge Liang's words made everyone think deeply. Liu Jing thought for a moment and asked: "Brother Kong Ming said that the rebellion between Zhang Wu and Chen Sun had traces of Soochow. Is there any basis for it?"

    Zhuge Liang shook his head and said with a faint smile: "Liang is just a scholar. He has no basis and is just guessing."

    "But guesses must be based on evidence!" Liu Jing asked reluctantly.

    Zhuge Liang looked at him deeply and asked quietly, "Then what basis should I have?"

    Liu Jing said slowly: "I think Brother Kong Ming's basis is the deployment of troops in Jingzhou."

    Zhuge Liang raised his head and smiled, and extended his thumb to Liu Jing. Ma Liang seemed to have some understanding on the side. Only the Kuai brothers looked at each other, wondering what kind of riddle they were playing.

    Kuai Yue nodded and praised: "Kong Ming indeed has a far-sighted plan, and Mr. Jing also has a good idea. It is true. We got the news that Soochow ordered Lu Su to be a general and trained troops in Pengze. In fact, he deployed 30,000 troops to look at Jiangxia.  Therefore, the lord did not dare to use Huang Zu's army to suppress the rebellion of Zhang Wu and Chen Sun, but sent another army to defend against the Soochow army taking the opportunity to attack Chaisang."

    Everyone laughed and praised Zhuge Liang for his vision. However, Zhuge Liang quickly glanced at Liu Jing and thought to himself, "This man is not a martial artist, but he can actually see my thoughts. It's not easy!"  ¡¯

    After everyone drank a few more glasses of wine, the conversation turned to interesting things. Kuai Yue smiled and said, "Master Jing, can you show me the Xuanlin Sword?"

    Liu Jing took off the Xuanlin sword and handed it to Kuai Yue. Kuai Yue held the scabbard in his hand and slowly pulled out the Xuanlin sword. He admired it for a moment and smiled at everyone: "Do you know that this sword also has a name?  "

    Ma Liang asked curiously: "Besides Xuanlin Sword, what else is it called?"

    Kuai Yue smiled mysteriously, "In addition to the Xuanlin Sword, this sword is also called the Marriage Sword."

    Everyone was stunned. Liu Jing seemed to understand something vaguely and asked quickly: "Please make it clear, Duke Kuai!"

    Kuai Yue blinked and asked with a smile: "Master Jing, have you ever felt that Miss Cai's daughter has a soft spot for you?"

    The hall burst into laughter. This was the most interesting topic. Liu Jing touched his nose and he really came to his senses. Could this sword be related to Cai Shaoyu?

    He felt a little anxious and asked urgently: "Kuai Gong, please speak clearly! Don't whet my nephew's appetite anymore."

    Kuai Yue chuckled, pointed at Liu Jing and said to everyone: "Did you see a beauty waving at her? Mr. Jing is anxious."

    Everyone laughed again, and Kuai Yue whetted Liu Jing's appetite, and then said calmly: "This sword is actually a token of the marriage between Liu and Cai. The nephew of the Liu family who holds this sword will marry the daughter of Military Advisor Cai. This  It was decided two years ago, so we would like to congratulate Master Jing on his return as a beauty."

    Amidst the congratulations from everyone, Liu Jing seemed to be in an ice cave, asking him to marry the daughter of the Cai family?  He would rather go back to become a monk and become a Taoist priest. Liu Biao said??It's too arbitrary. He actually decided such an important life-long event for himself.

    Liu Jing had never had a girlfriend in his previous life. Although during the Three Kingdoms era, Shiliu could already marry a wife, but now that he has only been in this era for more than a month, he is still far from caring about this matter, but there are some things that he cannot decide.  , and unknowingly, a marriage came quietly.

    He actually wants to marry the daughter of the Cai family!  He would rather die head-on.

    He really doesn¡¯t like the daughter of the Cai family. Even if he is asked to marry her as a concubine, he will not do it, not to mention that it is impossible for the legitimate daughter of the Cai family to be his concubine.

    Just when Liu Jing was lamenting his fate, Zhuge Liang sighed, "Master Jing has a wife to marry when he is only sixteen years old. I, Kong Ning, am already weak, but where is my good wife?"

    Zhuge Liang's words almost made Liu Jing choke. He raised his glass and said with a smile: "Isn't Brother Kong Ming's wife Yueying, the daughter of the Huang family?"

    As soon as he finished saying this, everyone in the hall looked at him with extremely surprised eyes, and then burst into laughter

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1, Chapter 27: A Match Made in Heaven

    The whole hall laughed, Zhuge Liang was ashamed and angry, his face turned red, and he remained silent. Liu Jing also knew that he had made a mistake. Zhuge Liang had just said clearly that he had not married yet, but he had revealed the secret. He did not know how to explain it.  I could only laugh twice.

    By this time, they had been having the banquet for more than half an hour, and each of them had drank more than a dozen glasses of wine. Seeing that they were almost done, Kuai Yue said with a smile: "Master Jing will go on an expedition the day after tomorrow. Go back and rest early. The banquet ends here today."  , Sir, please forgive me for the poor hospitality.¡±

    Liu Jing quickly said some polite words and said that the reception was excellent. Everyone stood up and sent Liu Jing out of the house. Liu Jing deliberately slowed down and walked with Zhuge Liang. He apologized in a low voice: "I was speechless after drinking just now. I hope Brother Kong Ming doesn't take it to heart."  superior."

    Zhuge Liang shook his head, "Forget it, Mr. Jing just came to Jingzhou and doesn't understand the situation. I don't blame you."

    Liu Jing felt even more strange. She didn¡¯t understand the situation. Is there anything wrong with her words?  He didn't hesitate to ask any questions, so he walked out of Kuai's mansion, and Kuai Qi sent him back.

    The carriage went all the way to Liu Mansion. In the carriage, Liu Jing finally couldn't help but asked: "Brother Qi, is it inappropriate for me to talk about Kong Ming's marriage?"

    Kuai Qi smiled slightly and said, "Although Huang Chengyan's daughter Yueying is well-educated, virtuous, and has unparalleled piano skills, she is really ugly, with yellow hair and black face, thin and weak, and is really not the appearance of a prosperous husband, so the people in Jingzhou joked and ridiculed her in private.  If someone is unlucky, it means marrying the daughter of the Huang family. Although this is rude, it has become a common saying, so when the young master said that Kong Ming married Yueying, he thought the young master was mocking him. "

    Liu Jing scratched her head and then realized that it seemed that Zhuge Liang was quite courageous and actually married Huang Yueying in the end.

    The carriage arrived at the Liu Mansion very quickly. It was already dark. Two large lanterns were hung above the door of the mansion. The few guards who usually stood at the door also withdrew into the mansion. It was unusually quiet on the steps, and there was no one.

    Liu Jing jumped off the carriage and bowed her hands to Kuai Qi, "Thank you Mr. Kuai for sending me off. We will see you later."

    "See you later!"

    The carriage turned around and drove toward the east of the city, disappearing into the darkness after a short while.

    Liu Jing stretched his body for a long time to loosen his muscles and bones, and walked quickly up the steps. At this moment, he suddenly heard someone behind him calling him, "Liu Jing!"

    When Liu Jing turned around, she saw what seemed to be a man on horseback standing under a tree dozens of steps away. The night was very dark, and he could only roughly make out an outline. It was a petite woman, but she just called her  By the sound of her voice, Liu Jing already knew who she was.

    Liu Jing became wary because the person who came was evil. He walked up slowly and asked with a smile: "Is this Miss Cai?"

    The girl riding the horse was Cai Shaoyu. She had been waiting for Liu Jing for almost half an hour. Finally, she waited for him to come back. She said coldly: "Follow me!"

    "Miss Cai, it's too late. If you have anything to do, let's talk about it another day!"

    Liu Jing already knew the reason for that sword, and could understand her inexplicable hatred for her, and even sympathized with her a little.

    She liked Liu Cong, and Liu Cong also liked her, but she intervened and made the two of them miserable. In fact, it was not her fault, it was all Liu Biao's fault. It was precisely because he understood their pain that Liu Jing  His tone of voice also softened.

    "Liu Jing, if you are a man, come with me!"

    Cai Shaoyu turned the horse's head and ran towards a corner ahead. Liu Jing pondered for a moment, he really wanted to speak clearly.

    Cai Shaoyu stopped her horse in front of a secluded alley. She did not bring any Cai family warriors with her. Her father's warning made her finally give up her stupid idea.

    She looked at Liu Jing slowly walking forward with hatred in her eyes, pointed her riding whip, and shouted with raised eyebrows: "I want to make it clear, I would rather die than marry a bastard like you."

    Liu Jing said lightly: "Girl, please understand one thing first. I don't want to marry you at all, and I have no intention of marrying you."

    Cai Shaoyu was stunned, as if she had been poured down by a basin of ice water, and the anger in her heart was extinguished. After a while, she asked again: "In this case, why did you accept the Xuanlin Sword?"

    Liu Jing took out the Xuanlin sword and swung it twice, then retracted the scabbard, shook her head and said: "In my eyes, it is just a sharp sword and has nothing to do with marriage. I only learned about this sword tonight."  It¡¯s related to you, so I decided that I won¡¯t want this sword again.¡±

    Liu Jing's clear statement made Cai Shaoyu's anger calm down for the most part, and another hope ignited in her heart. Maybe Liu Jing could help her achieve her wish.

    She bit her lip and said, "Who are you going to give this sword to?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "This should be returned to Zhou Mu. Of course, if the girl has a designated candidate, I can also help the girl. I have always liked it.Help others.  "

    Cai Shaoyu hesitated for a long time, but in the end she couldn't say anything. She had no choice but to sigh secretly and said: "Then you should return it to Zhou Mu! But why did you refuse? I mean, what is your reason?"

    "There are many reasons!"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "For example, the woman I like is gentle and kind, has outstanding beauty, and is well-educated. In short, she is not a girl. I think my uncle can understand my difficulties and will not force me. Wouldn't this solve it?"  "

    Although what Liu Jing said was true, Cai Shaoyu felt uncomfortable hearing it. He was clearly ridiculing herself. She was slightly angry and held back her anger: "Then what do I look like in your heart?"

    Liu Jing laughed, "As I said just now, didn't the girl ask questions knowingly?"

    "you"

    Cai Shaoyu's eldest daughter lost her temper again, glared at Liu Jing and said, "You mean to say that I am rude and rude, and I am an ugly person, right?"

    "This is the girl's own admission, I didn't say anything."

    "You bastard!"

    Cai Shaoyu was furious and rushed forward with a whip. Liu Jing was on guard and before she could get angry, she turned around and ran away. From afar, she heard his loud laughter coming from the door of the house, "Miss Cai, you are like this  If your brutality continues, no one will dare to marry you, and even if I throw my sword on the street, no one will dare to pick it up."

    Cai Shaoyu was so angry that her mouth was filled with smoke. She watched Liu Jing enter the house. Her teeth itched with hatred, so she turned around and whipped the tree trunk hard.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing returned to the yard and was about to knock on the door when a man walked out of the darkness and said, "Brother Jing, I have something to do with you."

    The person who came was none other than Liu Cong, and Liu Jing couldn't help but sigh, "We are not a family, and we don't belong to the same family. You two are truly a match made in heaven."

    "What did you say?" Liu Cong asked in confusion.

    "It's nothing, let's go inside and talk!"

    The courtyard door was unlocked, so Liu Jing pushed the door open directly and went in. Liu Cong followed behind worriedly. The two of them walked into Liu Jing's room. The room was no longer as shabby and empty as when they first arrived. There were a lot more furniture.  There is a copper lamp and a couch with a screen, so that you can cover yourself with a quilt and read a book against the screen.

    The two sat down. At this time, Liu Cong was no longer as arrogant as he was at the beginning. Many things had changed during the sword competition. The most direct change was that Liu Jing had won respect, and even Liu Cong had become humble. This  This is a truth from ancient times to the present: big fists are always easier to talk to.

    "Cai Jin asked me to convey his gratitude to you for returning the sword to him." Liu Cong said first.

    "How is he now?"

    "It's okay! He only suffered a slight injury, no injuries to his muscles, bones and internal organs. He can recover after a month or two of rest."

    Liu Cong hesitated for a moment. In fact, he wanted to talk about Cai Shaoyu. He hesitated and said: "Today Military Advisor Cai mentioned your marriage. From his tone, it seemed that he was going to betroth Shaoyu to you. Shaoyu cried all afternoon.  £®

    Having said this, Liu Cong timidly raised his head and looked at Liu Jing expectantly, hoping that he could show enough sympathy.

    Liu Jing took off the Xuanlin sword and put it on the table, pushing it to him, "I met Miss Cai tonight, and I told her clearly that I will not marry her. Brother Cong, from now on, this sword belongs to you."  ¡±

    Liu Cong stared at the sword blankly. There was an indescribable sadness in his heart. He was a little touched and a little ashamed. He gently touched the sword. After a long time, he sighed, "Brother Jing, I feel sorry for the shameless people in the past."  I apologize to you."

    Liu Cong is a very arrogant person at heart, selfish, mean, and difficult to get along with others, but he is also an ordinary person after all, and he also has a good side. When Liu Jing showed generosity and generosity, he was also moved  , and was willing to bow his head and apologize to Liu Jing, which was unimaginable in the past.

    ¡°But this is also the charm of Liu Jing¡¯s personality. He is cheerful and open-minded, and has a human sophistication that is inconsistent with his age. He knows how to get along with others. Even Cai Jin was convinced when he was defeated by him.

    But this does not mean that he can be bullied. He has his own bottom line and principles, as well as his own dignity. If anyone dares to violate his bottom line and principles or insult his dignity, he will fight back harder and more viciously.

    In his opinion, it was completely unnecessary for Liu Cong to be jealous of love. He patted Liu Cong on the shoulder and said with a smile: "The reason why I gave you the sword was not out of brotherly love. It was actually because  I don¡¯t like Miss Cai, and I don¡¯t know the meaning of this sword, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t accept it at all.¡±

    "But Shaoyu is the daughter of the first aristocratic family in Jingxiang. How many people want her, but you ignore her. I really?Understand.  "

    Liu Jing chuckled, "If I can marry four or five wives, it doesn't matter if I have one more. But if I can only marry one wife, of course I have to choose the best one. Brother Cong, don't you think Miss Cai is a little too squeamish?"  I can¡¯t afford to take care of such a wife.¡±

    Liu Cong nodded silently, and understood what Liu Jing meant by "squeamish". Where squeamish is, it is clearly fierce, willful, and unreasonable. Moreover, she is not very beautiful, and her appearance is not as good as that of Leji from Lefang, but.  £®  £®  £®  £®  She is Cai Mao's only daughter!

    If you don¡¯t marry her, how can you compete with your eldest brother for the inheritance rights of the Lord of Jingzhou?

    "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Jing. There are some things in Jingzhou that you don't understand yet, but you will know them in the future."

    "All right!"

    Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "The day after tomorrow I will go with the army to fight in Jiangxia. I hope that when I come back, I can hear the good news about Brother Cong's engagement."

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1, Chapter 28, First Arrival in Wuchang

    Jiangxia County is an important county in the east of Jingzhou. The Yangtze River meanders through the territory. The river network is criss-crossing and the water transportation is very convenient. Jiangxia County borders Changsha County in the south, Anlu County in the north, Qichun County in the east, and passes through the Han River from Xiakou  It has direct access to Xiangyang and its strategic position is extremely important.

    Jiangxia County was also the first stop for Jiangdong Army's attack on Jingzhou. Starting from Sun Jian's cross-river attack on Liu Biao, Jingzhou Army and Jiangdong Army launched a series of battles around Jiangxia County. Even Sun Jian was unfortunately killed in Jiangxia County.

    Since Sun Ce launched the Battle of Jiangxia in the fourth year of Jian'an, Jiangxia County has entered a troubled period.

    Zhang Wu and Chen Sun were originally powerful bandits in Jingzhou. When their army was defeated by Liu Biao, they surrendered to Liu Biao. Liu Biao appointed them as military marquises and stationed their troops in Yangxin County in the middle of Jiangxia County. As time went by, they gradually  People forget.

    At this time, Sun Quan in Jiangdong had been on the throne for a year, and he urgently needed to make achievements and establish prestige. Sun Quan turned his attention to Jiangxia, but Sun Quan's position was not very stable. He was also worried that if Jiangxia was defeated, his position would be endangered.

    At this moment, General Lu Su proposed a plan to provoke civil strife in Jiangxia and wait for an opportunity to act. Zhang Wu and Chen Sun became the knives in Jiangdong's hands.

    Zhang Wu and Chen Sun have occupied Yangxin County, looted homes and gathered more than 8,000 thieves. The 30,000 Jiangdong navy under the leadership of Lu Su stationed troops at Pengze Lake and stared at Jiangxia, making the situation in Jiangxia very complicated.

    Wuchang County, this city is the seat of Jiangxia County. There are more than 20,000 troops stationed here, and General Huang Zu is stationed here.

    Wuchang County is also the commercial center of Jiangxia County. On the river, there is an endless stream of merchant ships, loaded with various supplies, coming to Wuchang for trade, and they are not affected by the Zhang Wu and Chen Sun rebellions.

    Wuchang County is close to the Yangtze River, about one mile away from the river. There is a special Cao River leading from the Yangtze River to the city. Merchant ships loaded with goods sail along the Cao River into the county to conduct commercial transactions in the county.

    This morning, three merchant ships with a load of about 500 shi slowly sailed from the Yangtze River to Caohe River. It can be seen from the waterline of the ships that the merchant ships were also fully loaded with goods.

    Standing on the bow of a ship in the middle was a girl about eleven or twelve years old. Although her figure and appearance were still a little immature, she had already grown into a tall, handsome little beauty.

    She has a plump face, a slightly pointed chin, fair skin, as crystal clear as transparent jade, her eyebrows are very long and black, and curve into her temples thickly, but the most beautiful thing is her charming and slightly melancholy eyes.

    She wears a beautifully woven bamboo hat on her head, a light red cloak on her upper body, a black mink fur jacket underneath, a silver-white ribbon around her waist, and a black pleated long skirt underneath, revealing a pair of delicate little leather skirts.  boots.

    This girl gives people a dazzling beauty, but she wears two three-foot sharp swords on her waist and a bow and arrow on her back, which gives her beauty a hint of murderousness, making people dare not look at her.

    But what showed her status was not her dress, but the triangular black-edged apricot-yellow flag placed on the bow of the ship. The flag was embroidered with a golden carp, which was the logo of Chaisang Tao's Trading Company.

    The Tao family is a prominent family in Chaisang. They became extremely rich through business, helped the poor and the weak, and enjoyed great prestige among the people. Its influence is not only in Chaisang, but also in the entire Yangtze River. When mentioning the Tao Trading Company on the Yangtze River, it can be said that  No one knows it, no one knows it.

    The trading house owned more than 800 merchant ships of various types and more than 3,000 ship servants. It monopolized the grain and salt trade in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and was involved in other businesses. The wife of the head of the family, Huang, was the sister of Huang Zu and had many connections with the Jiangxia government.  Deep relationship.

    ??However, the Tao family does not rely on any one force. It has always maintained its independence. Coupled with the huge influence of the Tao family business, Tao Sheng became a guest of Sun Quan and Liu Biao at the same time.

    Entering the Caohe River requires customs inspection, so the river outside the Caohe River is crowded with thousands of merchant ships, all queuing up to wait for inspection to enter the city.

    The golden carp flag on the bow brought great convenience to the three merchant ships. The ships on both sides gave way, allowing the three merchant ships to pass smoothly among the crowded ships without queuing and go directly to the Caohe checkpoint.

    The crew members on the merchant ships on both sides whispered about the girl on the bow, "Do you think that could be the daughter of the old Tao family?"

    "It's very possible. Look at the bamboo hat on her head. Can you see it? It seems to be inlaid with gems and sparkling. She actually wears two swords and carries a bow and arrow on her back. This is not an ordinary girl!"

    The girl was completely unaware of the commotion around her. She was concentrating on a fleet of warships approaching on the river in the distance. The fleet was huge and consisted of hundreds of warships.

    At this time, a middle-aged man about forty years old came out of the cabin behind her. He was wearing a white brocade robe, with a thin face and clear eyes. Three strands of black beard were floating on his chest. He looked at Minato not far away.  Going into town soon?, then he smiled at the girl and said, "Ren, we are about to enter the city, so go back to the cabin first!"

    The girl nodded, with a sweet smile on her lips. She pointed at the fleet of ships in the distance and asked, "Uncle, what fleet is that?"

    The middle-aged man then saw the fleet on the river. He stared at it for a long time, his face became serious, and he said to himself, "Is that Huang Zu's navy?"

    "No! That must be the Xiangyang reinforcements."

    Another boy of sixteen or seventeen years old walked out of the cabin. He was eight feet tall, with tiger eyes and thick eyebrows. He had a strong and burly figure. He wore a sharp sword at his waist and was full of strength.

    He looked at the fleet on the river in the distance and sneered: "One day, I will definitely capture this fleet with my own hands to increase the power of our army."

    The middle-aged man gave a helpless smile and said, "The thing I regret most is bringing you brothers and sisters here, especially you, a stupid young man. If something happens to you, how will I explain to your mother?"

    The girl came back and smiled sweetly: "Uncle, didn't I promise that I will never get into trouble if I want Luma? Fourth brother, right?"

    The young man nodded, "I'm just expressing my ambition. I won't get into trouble, let alone ruin my uncle's affairs."

    After a pause, the young man asked worriedly: "Uncle, the reinforcements from Jingzhou have arrived, and they must attack Zhang Wu and Chen Sun, and Lu Ma is in Zhang Wu's hands. Why don't we go directly to Yangxin County?"

    The middle-aged man shook his head, "With your status, how can you directly contact Zhang Wu? When we see Mr. Su later, he will send someone to ask Zhang Wu for the war horse, so don't worry!"

    At this time, a steward on the first merchant ship ahead shouted: "Entering the Cao River!"

    The Caohe checkpoint has arrived, and the middle-aged man hurriedly said to the brother and sister: "Enter the cabin! Of course, there will be negotiations with the Tao family steward when entering Caohe, so we don't want to draw attention to ourselves."

    The brother and sister nodded and followed the middle-aged man into the cabin. The girl walked behind. She stopped again, turned back and took a deep look at the military fleet on the river.

    The military fleet passed by their ship. On a large ship, she seemed to see a young general holding a gun standing on the side of the ship and watching them.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The 20,000 Jingzhou Army led by Liu Bei set off from Xiangyang by boat and sent troops to Wuchang County. They first wanted to protect the safety of Wuchang County, and then entered Yangxin County inland to wipe out the rebellion of Zhang Wu and Chen Sun.

    On the big ship, Liu Jing silently watched the densely packed merchant ships not far away. He had already changed into a suit of armor, wearing an eagle-edge helmet and fish-scale armor. He held a two-foot-long bright silver gun in his hand and temporarily served as the commander of the village.  job.

    Liu Jing was quite disappointed with this expedition. He originally planned to use the opportunity of this expedition to ask Zhao Yun for advice on riding and archery, but he did not expect that Liu Bei decided to take a boat, which disappointed his expectations.

    Riding and shooting is a basic skill for a general, but he does not have it. This has always been his biggest concern.

    At this time, Zhao Yun walked up to Liu Jing. He knew Liu Jing's disappointment and smiled slightly: "There is no secret to practicing riding and shooting. The key is to practice hard. I practice Sanjiu in winter and Sanfu in summer. I didn't start until I was seventeen.  The hardest part of practicing riding and shooting was that I didn¡¯t get off the horse for a month. This requires years of hard training, not just this moment.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded silently, "I know."

    Zhao Yun glanced at him and said seriously: "The key is the marksmanship. I will teach you the thirteen styles of marksmanship. You must be firmly proficient in it, and then combine it at will in actual combat. It depends on your talent. This set of marksmanship I  The master has taught it to at least a hundred disciples, but I am the only one who has mastered it, do you understand what I mean?"

    Liu Jing understood what he meant. In fact, he was brought in by his master, and practice depends on oneself. Zhao Yun taught him the marksmanship, but whether he can achieve anything depends on his own understanding.

    Liu Jing smiled, "I feel that the marksmanship must be coordinated with the Luo Feng Kung Fu that the general first taught me, in order to truly exert its power."

    Only now did Liu Jing know that Zhao Yun's master was Changshan Yuzhenren, who became a Taoist priest in Luofengshan, Changshan County. He created Luofeng Kung Fu, and it has only been passed down to four people so far. He, Liu Jing, is the fifth person. It can be seen from this that Liu Jing is the fifth person.  Zhao Yun was very kind to him.

    Zhao Yun laughed and said, "That's very good, keep talking."

    Liu Jing thought for a while and continued: "For example, when the general fired back at Gao Lan, the marksmanship was actually a combination of the carbine and the hammer gun. However, just using marksmanship has no effect. You have to concentrate your efforts on one strike, and then strike again in the middle.  By increasing the power and speed, Yu Jin suffered a big loss. I understand it now, but it¡¯s a pity that I understand it but can¡¯t use it, which is frustrating. "

    Zhao Yun secretly praised Liu Jing's intelligence in his heart. He was absolutely right. His understanding was indeed extraordinary. He patted Liu Jing on the shoulder and said with a smile: "The key to learning martial arts is understanding. YouNow that you have understood, the only thing left is time. Only 10% of talent plus 90% of hard work and years of accumulation can you finally become a talent. Use time to prove your ability!  "

    Zhao Yun paused for a moment and then said: "The marksmanship I teach you are only simple moves, just to let you have a little understanding first. They are not all the moves. There are actually hundreds of moves. I will teach you slowly in the future."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Thank you, brother!"

    The two chatted for a few more words. At this moment, Liu Jing suddenly saw three ships of Tao's Trading Company. He pointed to the flags on the ships and asked curiously: "Brother, have you seen that pennant? Where is it?"  "

    Zhao Yun looked at it for a moment and shook his head, "I have never seen it before."

    At this time, General Wang Wei slowly stepped forward and said with a smile: "That is the golden carp flag of Chaisang Tao's Trading Company. Tao Jun, the largest businessman in the south of the Yangtze River, was once named Tinghou by the court.  The contribution is so great that even our Lord wanted to give the Tao family some face. When Sun Quan came to the throne last year, he specially invited the current head of the family, Tao Sheng, to be a guest. "

    Liu Jing nodded. It seemed that Tao Sheng was very smart. He sent money and food to Liu Biao to maintain his position in Jingzhou, and then provided benefits to Jiangdong. Therefore, he became Sun Quan's guest again. He had both sides, and both the shopping mall and the officialdom benefited.  I would like to visit this person if I have the chance.

    A sudden thought occurred in his heart, and he remembered that Tao Yuanming in later generations was from Chaisang. Could he be a descendant of this Tao family?

    Suddenly a shout came from the distance: "We're reaching the shore!"

    Everyone looked to the west and saw the fleet slowly approaching the riverside dock. After three days of sailing, they finally arrived in Wuchang County

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 29 Liu Bei¡¯s Deep Meaning

    ¡¾Why!  The recommendation vote is comparable to the monthly vote of the year. I hope everyone will support me and vote for me!  ¡¿

    =====

    Wuchang County is not today¡¯s Wuhan. Wuhan is in Xiakou. Wuchang County during the Three Kingdoms period is actually today¡¯s Ezhou. It is also the seat of Jiangxia County. The county has a population of nearly 60,000 and is already a large county.

    But the 60,000 people are only the registered population. In addition to the more than 20,000 garrison troops and thousands of businessmen from Jingxiang and Soochow, the population is close to 100,000.

    At this time, there was loud music and colorful flags on the pier. Huang Zu, the governor of Jiangxia, personally led hundreds of officials and local famous gentry to the pier to welcome Liu Bei's army.

    Liu Jing stood on the side of the ship and stared coldly at Huang Zu. His impression of Huang Zu came from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In the novel, Huang Zu was a stupid and incompetent man who was repeatedly defeated. He was captured several times by Jiangdong's army and finally died in the river.  In Gan Ning's hands.

    Therefore, Liu Jing's impression of Huang Zu was not good, but the Huang Zu in front of her didn't seem to be too bad. He was about forty years old, with a majestic build, a head as big as a bucket, and a big beard. He looked very rugged.  But a pair of small eyes flashed with a sly smile.

    It can be seen that Huang Zu welcomed Liu Bei's arrival with sincerity. Not only did it cost people and money, but he also organized more than 200 prominent nobles from Jiangxia County to come to see Liu Bei. Just informing these prestigious nobles took a lot of energy.

    Only if you attach great importance to this meeting, you will arrange it like this. From these details, Liu Jing felt that there seemed to be a tacit understanding between Liu Bei and Huang Zu.

    This is indeed the case. As a northern warlord, Liu Bei insisted on taking a boat and did not dock at Xiakou, but took a special detour to Wuchang. This makes people feel that Liu Bei came to Wuchang deliberately.

    And Liu Bei actually prepared a gift, which was unexpected and showed Liu Bei's thoughts. Did Liu Bei take the initiative to quell the rebellion of Zhang Wu and Chen Sun just to meet Huang Zu?

    Liu Jing¡¯s thinking was very sharp, and he could vaguely see some clues from some clues.

    On the dock, Liu Bei was having a cordial conversation with Huang Zu. This time Liu Bei took the initiative to apply for the annihilation of Zhang Wu and Chen Sun. He indeed had a plan. He had understood the situation in Jingzhou. Jing Xiang was not Liu Biao's Jing Xiang alone. In fact, he was one of the four famous families.  The famous families include Jingxiang, Cai, Kuai, Pang and Huang.

    He wanted to gain a foothold in Jingzhou, not only due to Liu Biao's attitude, but also to the support of the famous Jingxiang family. The Cai family did not expect him, and they were full of hatred for him as soon as they arrived and wanted to eradicate him.

    Kuai didn't have much hope either. Kuai Yue was pro-Cao and had fundamental differences of interest with him. He met Pang several times and he also visited him personally, but Liu Bei felt that Pang was lukewarm and would not treat him well.  I support it, but I won't oppose it. I am a neutral.

    Liu Bei's eyes fell on the Huang family, especially the Huang family of Jiangxia. Huang Zu was a famous anti-Cao faction in Jingzhou. He and Liu Bei were a natural alliance of interests, and they could definitely come together.

    But Liu Bei also knew that if he acted too deliberately, Liu Biao would be suspicious of him, so Liu Bei devoted himself to quelling the rebellion of Zhang Wu and Chen Sun. He took this opportunity to come to Jiangxia to meet with Huang Zu and form an alliance of interests, which made Liu Bei  Supported by the Huang family.

    In fact, Liu Bei sent Jian Yong to secretly meet Huang Zu more than half a month ago. Huang Zu also showed strong interest, which is why today's official meeting took place.

    "Brother Xuande, if you have time tomorrow, how about going to my Huang Family Villa?"

    Huang Zu shook his head and invited Liu Bei with great joy, "I want to hold a grand villa banquet to welcome brother Xuande."

    Liu Bei pretended to do something wrong: "I am afraid that I will miss the main task of suppressing the bandits."

    "It's okay! It's okay! The villa is very close, you can go back and forth in one day, and the army also needs to rest for two days!"

    "Haha! It's better to be respectful than obey."

    "Zhigong, you have to go with us, don't refuse." Huang Zu turned around and greeted Wang Wei with a smile.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing followed him from afar. In fact, as Liu Biao's nephew, Huang Zu should come over and say hello. Not to mention receiving the same treatment as Liu Bei, at least not less than Wang Wei. Even if it was not possible, he should say hello, but Huang Zu never did.  Pay attention to him.

    Did Liu Bei not tell him of his arrival?

    On second thought, I thought it was impossible. With Liu Bei's magnanimity, he would not do such a meaningless villainy. Moreover, even if Liu Bei didn't say it, Wang Wei would say it.

    This can only mean that Huang Zu ignored him on purpose. Why did he do this? Did he want to use himself to express his dissatisfaction with Liu Biao?

    Liu Jing couldn't figure out the reason for a while, so he had to follow him from a distance. At this time, he could already judge that his guess was not wrong. Liu Bei came to Wuchang County deliberately to make friends with Huang Zu.

    At this time, Liu Jing suddenly felt someone tapping his shoulder heavily.Looking back, it turned out to be Guan Yu in a green shirt.

    He has known each other for a month and a half with Liu Bei and others. Except for Zhao Yun, who is relatively close, he also has a good relationship with Sun Qian. However, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others only met and said hello, and had no contact with each other.

    It was unprecedented for Guan Yu to come to him on his own initiative. Seeing that Guan Yu looked pale, Liu Jing said with concern, "General Guan seems to be a little seasick."

    Guan Yu nodded, "Beijing people are not used to taking boats. This is the first time in my life that I have walked such a long waterway."

    "It seems that General Zhang is too"

    Guan Yu looked back at Zhang Fei, who was listless, and said with a slight smile: "He is the same, he is not used to riding in a boat."

    Guan Yu pondered for a moment, and then said: "I watched you practice spear yesterday, and I found that you were too stuck on the moves themselves. Of course, you will be so persistent when you first learn spear skills, but I want to tell you, in fact, all weapons in the world are of the same origin, only offensive and defensive  There are two moves, attack must be smooth and sharp, and defense must be impregnable and impeccable. You only need to understand the essence of the move, and every move can be successful."

    Liu Jing nodded silently, "Thank you, General Guan, for your guidance."

    Guan Yu patted him on the shoulder again and said with a smile: "Prefect Huang must have received a letter from Liu Zhoumu not to treat you specially, so I only treat you as a low-level officer."

    Liu Jing marveled at Guan Yu's meticulousness. He actually saw Huang Zu's cold treatment of him and came to comfort him at the right time. Of course, Liu Jing also knew that Guan Yu had another layer of meaning, the close relationship between Liu Bei and Huang Zu.  A little too obvious.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Bei's army was stationed in the west of Wuchang City. The soldiers rested for two days and took turns to go to the city to drink and have fun. Liu Jing also stole half a day to relax and wander around the city.

    It has been a month since he came to Jingzhou. He has been practicing martial arts hard almost all the time and rarely goes out. Today's conversation with Zhao Yun and Guan Yu made him understand that practicing martial arts cannot be achieved in a short time and requires accumulation over a long period of time.

    Since this is the case, he should live like a normal person, devote himself wholeheartedly when practicing martial arts, and relax when resting. Only a combination of work and rest can last long.

    Wuchang City is the largest city west of Jingzhou. The city wall is more than 30 miles in circumference. It has a large population, prosperous commerce, and various shops. The streets are full of people, and shouts and hawking sounds come and go.

    Since he won sixty taels of gold in the last sword competition, he has a lot of money in his pocket. Moreover, this area is the land of fish and rice, with abundant goods and low prices. A two-foot big herring can be bought for three five-baht coins.

    In the Han Dynasty, gold was also currency, and items could be purchased directly with gold. Gold was divided into three types: gold, platinum and red gold. Platinum refers to silver and red gold refers to brass.

    Of course, gold can also be exchanged for money at Di's store. According to the official price, one pound of gold can be exchanged for 10,000 yuan, and platinum and red gold are slightly lower.

    "But the pound here refers to a small pound. One pound is only about 240 grams, which is equivalent to half a pound in later generations.

    At the end of the Han Dynasty, there was great chaos and the money system was chaotic. Private money and bad money flooded the market and were inconvenient to carry. As a result, the price of gold rose sharply. A pound of gold in the north could be exchanged for 20,000 yuan. Red gold and platinum also rose.

    However, in Jingzhou, Bashu and Jiangdong areas, the war is not fierce. Even if a war occurs, it will not harm the civilians like the northern army. The society is relatively stable and the economy has not been damaged. The government strictly controls private money, so the black market price of gold remains the same.  Twelve thousand dollars, almost the same as the official price.

    Some businessmen discovered the difference in gold prices between the north and the south, and began to resell gold between the north and the south to make huge profits. However, the risks were also extremely high, and even a little negligence could lead to loss of life and property.

    Liu Jing wandered around the shops. Although he lacked a lot, he was about to go to Yangxin County to participate in the war. It was not convenient to carry the things he bought, so he walked around without buying anything.

    Unknowingly, he walked to the Cao River. The other side of the Cao River seemed to be more lively. Liu Jing found an arch bridge called Xingchun Bridge. He was still dozens of steps away from the bridge. He heard a noise coming from the bridge in the distance. It seemed that there was a woman.  There were pleadings and harsh words from several big men.

    "Young Master Huang, I will definitely repay the money I owe. Please give me a few more days of grace."

    This was a pretty young woman selling fish at the bridge. A large group of evil slaves surrounded her. In the middle was a young man wearing a gold crown and a brocade robe, who playfully touched the woman's face with a smile.

    "Lu Niang, why is this necessary? You followed me, you have delicacies from the mountains and seas, and you have maids to serve you. You are so beautiful, why do you still sell fish here? Come back with me, and as long as you serve me for a month, I promise  The money owed by the family has been written off.¡±

    The young woman¡¯s arms were grabbed by the evil slave. She tried to dodge and begged, ¡°Master Huang, I have a husband, please let me go.¡±?Me!  "

    "Husband? Isn't your husband me? Haha! Mother Lu, I can't wait any longer. Let's go back and consummate the marriage now."

    The young master shouted, "Take her into the carriage!"

    A dozen evil slaves took the young woman's arms and dragged her to the other end of the bridge. There was a carriage parked there. The woman struggled desperately, her hair was disheveled, and she cried loudly to all sides: "Help! Help me!  ¡±

    Pedestrians on the bridge were quite afraid of these evil slaves and did not dare to provoke them. They ran off the bridge one after another and pretended not to have seen this.

    In despair, the young woman suddenly turned around and saw Liu Jing in military uniform, crying and asking for help, "General, help me!"

    Liu Jing saw everything that happened before and after. He was furious and flew towards him. He was so fast that he rushed behind the evil slave in the blink of an eye. He grabbed their heads and bumped them hard, causing them to fall down softly.  .

    When the rabbit was up and the falcon was about to fall, Liu Jing rushed behind the young master, strangled his neck with her arms, and quickly dragged him towards the bridge.

    Liu Jing has a lot of experience in fighting wild beasts in this life, and the same goes for people. There are sixteen evil slaves on the other side. They all carry knives and walk vigorously. They probably have martial arts skills. In this case, the best way is to capture them.  If the thief captures the king, then the master will be captured, and things will be easier to handle.

    "Otherwise, these people will divide their forces into two groups. Some will stay to deal with him, while others will take the woman away. If she cannot be rescued, she will be humiliated.

    Sure enough, this unexpected situation caught everyone off guard. A group of evil slaves looked at each other and stood on the bridge as if they had been cast a restraining spell.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 30 Xingchun Bridge Incident

    Liu Jing's knife was already placed on the young master's neck, and she said coldly: "Let that woman go."

    The young master finally broke free from Liu Jing's stranglehold. He took a deep breath, straightened his neck and shouted: "Traitor, do you know who I am?"

    Liu Jing's heart moved. He then remembered that the woman just now seemed to be called "Master Huang". Could this be Huang Zu?

    One of the leaders said fiercely: "Young general, you still don't know who my young master is! If you know the nephew of Huang Taishou, please let him go immediately. You can go your own way. We won't hold you accountable."

    As expected, they are from the Huang Zu family. No wonder they are so arrogant and dare to rob someone in broad daylight. Liu Jing sneered and said, "You can let him go. Let the woman go first."

    This young man is Huang Zu¡¯s nephew Huang Yi. He relies on Huang Zu¡¯s power to run rampant in Wuchang City, but today he met Liu Jing.

    He was about to shout out loudly, but his neck tightened and a cast iron-like arm strangled his throat, 'Gu Gu!  ¡¯ The sound almost made him faint.

    A strange smile appeared on the evil slave leader's face. This young officer has a mental problem. He can just let this woman go and then arrest her. Isn't it easy?

    He turned around and waved his hand, "Let her go!"

    The evil slaves let go, and the woman ran to the bridge and grabbed the railing tightly. She was terrified. The leader stepped forward and stared at Liu Jing with his sharp eyes.

    "Is that okay? We have released him, and you must keep your word."

    Liu Jing ignored him and waved to the young woman, "Come here!"

    The young woman slowly walked forward, her legs weakened, and she knelt down on the ground, her teeth chattering with fear, "General, what should I do?"

    Liu Jing took out a few ingots of gold from Huang Yi's arms, gave them to the woman, and told her, "They will never let you go. Go home and take your family to escape. Escape to Jiangdong. Let's go!"

    The young woman was so moved that she kowtowed three times to Liu Jing, "The general saved his life, and the little girl will repay him by holding a grass ring in her hand in the next life."

    Thinking of the Huang family's cruelty, she was so frightened that she didn't dare to stay any longer. She got up and ran away in a panic to the other side of the bridge.

    Huang Yi was furious, struggled desperately, and finally shouted, "You bastards, hurry up and catch her!"

    All the slaves rushed forward, "Stop!" Liu Jing shouted, applying more force to the sword in his hand, and a stream of blood flowed from Huang Yi's neck, making everyone motionless in fear.

    "Who dares to move, I will kill him!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, a cold arrow shot from the other side¡¯s roof, ¡®Whoosh!  ¡¯ The arrow came from the ground, the arrow was powerful and accurate, and it hit Huang Yi¡¯s heart. The cold arrow penetrated Huang Yi¡¯s heart. ¡°Ah!¡± Huang Yi screamed in pain, his whole body twitched, and he died soon after.

    This arrow was hard to guard against. Liu Jing looked up and looked for it, only to see a girl in black clothes and black skirt standing on the roof of the tavern dozens of steps away. She was wearing a red cloak, with two swords at her waist, and a bow and arrow in her hand.  Was looking at him coldly.

    "The young master is dead!"

    There was a huge chaos on the bridge, "Kill them!" The sixteen evil slave soldiers divided into two groups, eight of them killed Liu Jing, and the other eight rushed towards the girl in black skirt.

    Liu Jing kicked the corpse away with one kick, as brave as a tiger, pounced on him with his sword, and struck the evil slave leader head-on with his sword. In a flash of cold light, the sword was in front of him.

    The leader of the evil slaves was unable to dodge, and was hit in the forehead with a knife. "Ah¡ª¡ª" he let out a long scream and suddenly fell into the Cao River, causing a splash of water.

    The wind behind him was strong, Liu Jing's body was like a whirlwind, the sword gathered strength instantly, a bolt of lightning pierced out, a burst of blood flew up, the sword penetrated deeply into the chest of the sneak attacker behind him, and a scream was heard that shook the world.

    In the blink of an eye, he killed two of them, and the other six retreated after seeing that he was as brave as a tiger.

    At this moment, an exclamation came from the distance, "Get out of the way!"

    Liu Jing looked up and saw that the girl in black skirt had jumped onto the carriage and stabbed the horse's buttocks with a sword. Two horses pulled the carriage and rushed towards the bridge like crazy. Amidst the screams, the carriage crashed into the carriage.  He hit the crowd of evil slaves, but the evil slaves were unable to dodge, and six or seven people were knocked over and fell to the ground.

    The girl was the beautiful girl who had just sailed into the city today. She and her uncle were having lunch on the third floor of the tavern, and happened to see Huang Yi snatching a woman from the window.

    The girl is a person who hates evil as much as she hates evil, and will never tolerate the oppression of good people happening in front of her eyes.

    Seeing this tragic scene in front of her, and seeing the ugly and lustful face of the young man, the girl's whole body seemed to be ignited with anger, a fierce and terrible fire.

    She wants to kill all these evil people and remove them from the world. In her mind, tolerance for evil people is a sin against good people.

    "The murderous intention is already burning in her heart, and no one can stop her, not to mention Huang Zu's nephew, even the son of the King of Heaven."?We must also kill and exterminate without mercy.

    The girl in the black dress held a sword in each hand. She jumped down from the carriage lightly, raised the sword and dropped it. Two evil slaves who fell on the ground were stabbed to death by her sword. She shouted and jumped on the other two.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A fierce battle was going on on the bridge. As the girl in black dress joined the battle group, the situation changed. This girl was only eleven or twelve years old. She held two sharp swords in her hands, her eyes were filled with hatred and anger, and she had a murderous heart and vicious hands.

    Although she is young, her martial arts skills are very strong. Her body is as light as a butterfly, her swords are flying, and she kills several people in a row. She strikes cleanly and kills them all with one sword.

    In a moment, she killed seven people, including those who were injured by Liu Jing. She killed them all with one sword, leaving no one alive. Even Huang Yi was killed twice by her sword.

    At this time, twelve of Huang Yi's sixteen men had been killed. The remaining four saw that the situation was not good and wanted to jump into the river to escape.

    The girl's hand shook, and a sword flew out from her hand, piercing the back of an evil slave's heart and nailing him to the ground.

    Another person was knocked over by Liu Jing in a panic, but the last two school swordsmen jumped into the Cao River and disappeared in an instant.

    In just a quarter of an hour, fourteen of Huang Yi's sixteen men were killed. At this time, the girl in the black dress discovered that one person was still injured and walked towards him with her sword in hand.

    The injured person was so frightened that he trembled all over. He suddenly knelt down, kowtowed to the girl in black skirt, and begged: "Girl, spare this villain's life! This villain is just following orders"

    Before he could finish speaking, the girl said coldly: "You have done so many evil things in the past, and it is your turn to pay for it today!"

    She raised her sword and cut the man's throat with one sword, and then stabbed his heart with another sword.

    Even Liu Jing on the bridge couldn't help but shake his head. Although he had faced too many deaths, he had no pity for the murder of these evil slaves, just for the little girl in front of him.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although he was acting chivalrously and righteously, his actions were too ruthless.

    At this time, the girl in red raised her head, staring at Liu Jing with a pair of sharp beautiful eyes, with murderous intent flashing in her eyes, approaching him step by step. Liu Jing was wearing the armor of the Jingzhou Army. In her opinion, he was a natural enemy.

    Liu Jing was startled. He didn't understand why the girl in front of him looked at him with such hostility. He smiled faintly and said, "We fight side by side and share weal and woe. The girl will not be able to distinguish between friend and foe to this extent!"

    The girl woke up and realized why she was confused. This officer was just like her. He drew his sword to help when there was an injustice on the road. Like her, he hated evil as much as he hated evil and supported the good.

    How could I think of killing him?

    The murderous intention subsided, and she took a closer look at Liu Jing. She saw that he had eyebrows like swords, a straight nose, extraordinary appearance, a tall and burly figure, and seemed to be full of strength. This suddenly reminded her of her eldest brother.  , his body and appearance are somewhat similar to his eldest brother.

    The girl felt a little good in her heart and shook her head, "I won't kill you. You are the only good person in the Jingzhou army."

    Liu Jing heard her voice sound childish, so she smiled and asked her, "What is your name and where are you from?"

    "My name is"

    Before the girl finished speaking, someone from a distance shouted: "Aren, how long are you going to kill?"

    "See you later!"

    The girl took two steps back, turned around and ran into the distance, disappearing without a trace after a while.

    Liu Jing looked at the corpses on the ground and couldn't help but smile bitterly. Such a chivalrous and righteous act ended up causing a lot of trouble. Although this young man deserved to die, he was Huang Zu's nephew after all, and Jiangxia was the territory of the Huang family. How could Huang Zu be willing to let it go?  , this girl is too reckless.

    Originally, he just wanted to kidnap Huang Zu's nephew, so that Huang Zu would give him face and let the woman and her family go, and the matter would be settled satisfactorily.

    Unexpectedly, a woman named Cheng Yaojin appeared on the way and shot Huang Zu's nephew to death, turning a small matter into a big one and leaving him with a lot of headaches.

    Liu Jing grabbed a dozen corpses on the ground and threw them all into the Cao River. However, he unexpectedly picked up a slender gold hairpin on the ground with nine soybean-sized gems inlaid on it. It was exquisitely made. It was probably that  The little girl is missing.

    Liu Jing waited for the girl to run away, and then she shouted to the crowd gathered around her: "I am the general of Uncle Liu's army. When the road is rough, I draw my sword to help. If the government wants to arrest me, just come to the military camp."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    " Fifteen people were killed in broad daylight in a busy city, including Huang Zu's nephew Huang Yi. This was a huge case anyway. Magistrate Zhao of Wuchang County immediately came to investigate in person, but he could not continue the investigation after only half a day.

    One of the parties involved turned out to be Lieutenant General Liu Beijun.Now Liu Bei is a guest at Huang's Villa at this time, how dare he go to the army to ask for someone, and the other party, the girl in black, also escaped without a trace.

    Magistrate Zhao was helpless. On the one hand, he drew a picture and offered a reward for the capture of the girl in black. On the other hand, he personally rushed to Huang's Villa to report the matter to Huang Zu.

    ¡¾Writing a book is not easy, please give me your recommendation and support!  ¡¿

    ??

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 31, Girl in Black Dress

    ¡¾Read the book and vote!  ¡¿

    ===

    As night fell, a small oil lamp was lit in the tent, and the light flickered. Liu Jing sat cross-legged and looked carefully at the golden hairpin in her hand.

    The girl in the red cloak left a deep impression on him. On the one hand, she was clear about love and hate, and she was determined to eliminate evil. Although she was reckless and reckless in her actions, he did not expect much from an eleven or twelve-year-old girl.  Reasonable and calm.

    On the other hand, she is cruel and ruthless, killing all with one sword, and it is hard to imagine that she is just an eleven or twelve-year-old girl.

    On the head of the golden hairpin is engraved the word "ren", which is probably the girl's name, "ren", but I don't know what her last name is, and I don't know who she learned her martial arts from. At first glance, it is the martial arts of killing people on the battlefield, clean and  Simple, nothing superfluous.

    " Moreover, Liu Jing saw that the girl's sword was made by a famous master. It cut iron like clay and was extremely sharp. It could not be held by ordinary people. I am afraid that the origin of this girl is not simple.

    At this time, Zhao Yun¡¯s voice came from outside the door, with a hint of blame in his tone, ¡°It¡¯s time to practice martial arts!¡±

    Liu Jing was really upset because of the Xingchun Bridge incident and was not in the mood to practice martial arts. Since Zhao Yun came to call him in person, he had to get up, pick up his spear and leave the camp.

    Outside the big tent, Zhao Yun was riding on a horse. His eyes were a bit reproachful for his laziness. He was holding another horse beside Zhao Yun. Liu Jing stepped forward and said with a smile: "Brother, do you know what happened in Wuchang City this afternoon?"

    "You mean, the Xingchun Bridge case?"

    Zhao Yun had heard about it from the soldiers. He glanced at Liu Jing and asked with some confusion: "Does that matter have anything to do with you?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "That's exactly what I did!"

    Zhao Yun looked at him calmly for a moment and said calmly: "No matter what you have done, I don't want to ask about it. I only care about one thing, teaching you martial arts. Now I will teach you how to ride a horse."

    He threw the horse's reins to Liu Jing, "Get on the horse!"

    Liu Jing was surprised and happy, and finally taught him how to ride a horse. He followed Zhao Yun's example and slowly got on the horse with one stirrup. Fortunately, the horse was very docile, so he got on the horse smoothly.

    Liu Jing put her feet into the wooden rope loop again and stabilized her body. Zhao Yun shook the reins and said, "Follow my position. First, practice your riding skills, and then practice fighting on horseback."

    The two of them walked one behind the other, slowly walking toward the distant training ground in the dark night

    The city of Wuchang was in chaos. Groups of Huang Zu's soldiers were running on the streets. Public places such as hotels, taverns, and brothels where people gathered were searched one by one, and a young lady in red wearing two swords was arrested.  Noises and curses were heard one after another, and the city of Wuchang was in a state of uproar.

    There was a large-scale private hotel near Watergate called "Shuilu Taoshi". The private hotel was later known as an inn. Compared with the official post office and Chuanshe, a private hotel was called a private hotel, also known as Nilv or Nilvv.  Hostel.

    Private hotels provide room accommodation, rice and firewood, but they need to cook their own meals, so most travelers staying in the hotel go out to eat in pubs until they return in the evening.

    This private hotel is an inn opened by Tao Trading Company in Wuchang County. However, it is not open to the public. It is only used for people from Tao Trading Company to stay and stay. It is an internal hotel.

    At this time, in a room in the backyard, the middle-aged man had an angry look on his face, slapping the table and scolding the girl in red cloak, "How did you promise me that you would never get into trouble? I took you out to play just because I trusted you, but look  What did you do? How could you kill more than a dozen people!"

    Although the girl lowered her head, she looked unconvinced. She muttered: "My eldest brother led thousands of troops and killed more than a dozen people in the wild. Why can't I kill them?"

    "shut up!"

    The middle-aged man became even angrier and slammed the table, "Is this the same thing? If you don't like it, go out now and kill everyone you see. You can kill thousands of people in one night, so why don't you?"  I can be as famous as my brother, so why don¡¯t you go?¡±

    How often had the girl been reprimanded like this? She bit her lips, her eyes were a little red, and she said in a trembling voice: "How could I casuallykill innocent people indiscriminately? The dozen or so people I killed todayall  Those who bully good people are evil people. Master and Big Brother have said that if we let them go, they will harm more good people. I have done nothing wrong."

    The middle-aged man sighed deeply in his heart. He didn't know what to say. The girl regarded her eldest brother as a god and followed her eldest brother as a role model in every move. Her master, the old nun of Biyun Temple who was famous for his ruthlessness and ruthlessness, taught her by words and deeds.  !

    It doesn¡¯t matter, she went back and told her mother that there was nothing she could do.

    &nbspAfter a while, he said helplessly: "I will not talk about the right or wrong of what you did. Now we are in enemy territory and you are causing trouble. If you brothers and sisters are caught by the government, how can I tell your mother and brother?"  Explain?"

    The girl could accept this accusation, and she whispered: "Uncle, I know I was wrong, and I will never be reckless again."

    At this time, a deep voice came from outside the house, "Mr. Wu, I have news."

    "Please come in!"

    The door opened, and a young man of about thirty years old walked in. His name was Tao Zheng, the second son of Tao Sheng, the head of the Tao family. This time he specially accompanied them.

    The middle-aged man said to the girl: "Go! Learn from your fourth brother. He practices martial arts behind closed doors and never leaves the house. How can he be like you, who goes out to cause trouble!"

    The girl forgot her sadness and became naughty again. She stuck out her tongue and ran away on tiptoes. The middle-aged man looked at her naughty look and shook his head helplessly. After all, he was still a child!

    Tao Zheng closed the door, sat down and said, "Let's talk about the Xingchun Bridge first! Miss Ren is lucky, this time she actually involves Liu Bei's general"

    Before he finished speaking, a young girl's surprised voice came from outside the door, "Is this the young general?"

    Tao Zheng looked back in shock. The girl was actually hiding outside the door and eavesdropping. The middle-aged man's face sank and he shouted: "Ren, don't eavesdrop. Go!"

    The girl muttered something outside the door, pouted, and left with an unhappy look on her face.

    Tao Zheng heard her footsteps walking away, and then he continued: "There is a lot of commotion in the city now, but because Liu Bei's generals are involved, the army and the government dare not investigate in detail."

    The middle-aged man frowned and asked again: "What is the background of the person who was killed?"

    "The person who was killed was Huang Yi, the third son of the Huang family, Huang Zu's nephew. Things are getting a bit big."

    The middle-aged man's heart was twisted into a ball. Huang Zu's nephew was nothing in his eyes. The key was that this was Jingzhou, not Jiangdong. He pondered for a moment and then asked: "Who is Liu Bei's general?"

    Tao Zheng shook his head, "I don't know about that. I just know that this man is quite attentive. He took care of Miss Ren's funeral and took the murder on himself. Onlookers said he was a young general."

    The middle-aged man thought for a moment and said to himself, "Is it Guan Ping, the son of Guan Yunchang?"

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about this, maybe he is an unknown young general.¡±

    The middle-aged man nodded and stopped asking about the matter. At this time, Tao Zheng said again: "There is also the matter about Mr. Su. Unfortunately, Mr. Su is not in Wuchang. He seems to have gone to Jiangling."

    The Mr. Su they were talking about was Su Zhen, the uncle of Huang Zu¡¯s deputy general Su Fei. He was also a big businessman and had a close relationship with the Tao family. The middle-aged man came to Wuchang this time just to get to know Su Fei through this Mr. Su. Unexpectedly, he  But not there.

    The middle-aged man had a look of disappointment on his face. He came all the way here, but Su Zhen was not in Wuchang, which made his plan come to nothing.

    In this rebellion of Zhang Wu and Chen Sun, Su Zhen also played a disgraceful role. He was the bridge between Zhang Wu, Chen Sun and Soochow.

    The middle-aged man frowned, "Isn't this person very close to Zhang Wu? Why did he run away at this critical moment?"

    Tao Zheng smiled bitterly, "Maybe he sensed that the situation was not good and was afraid that he would be implicated in Zhang Wu and Chen Sun's rebellion. I heard from people in his house that he left in a hurry this morning, which should be related to the arrival of Liu Bei's army."

    "This is a bit troublesome." The middle-aged man paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back.

    Tao Zheng said anxiously: "Starting from this evening, the search alert has been strengthened at the city gate. Tonight we are only searching hotels and pubs, but tomorrow we will search the whole city. I suggest that we leave the city immediately and go back to Chaisang to avoid the limelight.  "

    The middle-aged man nodded, for safety reasons, that¡¯s all.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the school field, Liu Jing was practicing equestrian skills according to Zhao Yun's instructions. The horse he was riding was an old horse that was nearly thirty years old. Although it still looked relatively strong, the spirit of the horse had faded and it looked listless. Even Liu Jing was so  A layman can also see its aging.

    Zhao Yun felt a little apologetic. He really didn't have any extra war horses, so he had to use this old horse to teach Liu Jing. However, the old horse was docile and good at understanding instructions, which was conducive to practicing equestrian skills.

    This is also the case. Jingxiang is a water town in the south. It is customary to go out by boat. Unlike the north, which mainly relies on animal power, there are indeed not many horses.

    Liu Jing was a person who was full of curiosity about new things in her previous life. She learned to ride a bicycle in the second grade of elementary school without a teacher, and she still maintains this strong desire for knowledge in this life.

    He was extremely smart. He learned to ride a horse in just an hour and even rode a horse.Very good, he can run a short distance on a horse. Zhao Yun is no longer surprised by his talent. If Liu Jing proposes to run out of camp at this time, he will not be surprised. His younger brother is not afraid  Things to do.

    Liu Jing was very interested in riding horses. At the end of the Han Dynasty, there were already stirrups, but they were only single-sided stirrups. They were mainly used for mounting the horse. After riding the horse, there were also foot covers, a soft cover with a wooden stick wrapped in cloth, used to place the feet.  .

    In addition, the saddle also appeared with a double-warped saddle that was lower in the middle and higher at the ends, which could prevent people from slipping off the horse. This was the prototype of the later high-bridge saddle.

    In fact, as early as the Western Han Dynasty, horse equipment including saddles and leggings suitable for marching and fighting appeared. It was from the Xiongnu that the large-scale cavalry of the Han Dynasty appeared.

    By the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, high-bridge saddles and double stirrups began to be widely used, and heavy armored cavalry appeared.

    The late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms were a critical period for the evolution of horse equipment. Although it was not fully mature, its practicality was already available, so Cao Cao's tiger and leopard cavalry, assault cavalry and other cavalry services appeared one after another.

    Liu Jing certainly knew the advantages of high-bridge saddles and stirrups. There were even horseshoes that only appeared in the Song Dynasty. At this time, the horseshoes were wrapped in thick animal skins.

    But Liu Jing knew in her heart that even if she knew something, she couldn't do it. Once it was done, the real beneficiary would be Cao Cao in the north, not them.

    While we were practicing, a fire suddenly broke out over the camp, and countless torches were lit. We could faintly hear an officer shouting an order, "All sergeants, stand up."

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1, Chapter 32, Chapter 32: Raising troops to investigate crimes

    ¡¾Not popular enough!  Thank you for your hard work, let¡¯s all work together, click, recommend, comment, point out shortcomings, and write this book together!  ¡¿

    ===

    Liu Jing looked back and stared for a moment. He knew that Huang Zu had finally arrived, but Zhao Yun didn't seem to see anything. He still ordered loudly, "Run on the left side!"

    But they could no longer practice. A soldier rushed over and shouted: "General Zhao, my lord ordered you to come over immediately."

    Zhao Yun glanced at Liu Jing, and then said slowly to him: "Go and change into a military uniform, pretend to be the emperor's personal soldier, and stand next to me."

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I don't want to escape!"

    Liu Jing didn¡¯t want to pretend to be a hero. He knew that as long as he got into the crowd of soldiers, where would Huang Zu find 20,000 soldiers?

    But in this case, there will definitely be problems in the alliance between Liu Bei and Huang Zu, and Zhao Yun will not conceal Liu Bei's murder. This will make Liu Bei hate him and prohibit Zhao Yun from teaching him martial arts.

    On the contrary, as long as he does not destroy the alliance between Liu Bei and Huang Zu and takes the initiative to clear Liu Bei of his responsibilities, Liu Bei will only be grateful to him.

    Of course, he was Liu Biao's nephew. In the end, Huang Zu didn't dare to do anything to him. The worst he could do was hold a grudge and offend this person.

    Liu Jing has repeatedly considered the gains and losses in this process, and her mind is the same as Ming Jing's.

    Zhao Yun showed admiration in his eyes and nodded, "You are right, a man should be bold and courageous. I am not as broad-minded as you."

    In the open space in front of the military camp, Huang Zu was filled with anger, like a volcano about to erupt. He was entertaining Liu Bei at Huang's Villa. Suddenly, he received a report from the county magistrate that his nephew Huang Yi had been killed. He was furious and immediately rushed back with Liu Bei.  military camp.

    On the one hand, of course he loved his nephew Huang Yi very much. His father died young, so Huang Zu regarded Huang Yi as his own and loved him in every possible way. He also developed Huang Yi's bad habit of oppressing good people and committing numerous crimes, but none of them  Being covered up by Huang Zu made Huang Yi even more arrogant, leading sixteen evil slaves around all day long to cause trouble.

    On the other hand, Jiangxia is Huang Zu's personal territory. The Huang family is a prominent family in Jiangxia County, and he is the prefect of Jiangxia County. He has simply become the emperor of Jiangxia County. This is his territory. He said it exactly. Today, someone dares to do so.  Killing his nephew on his territory was a provocation to Huang Zu.

    "Brother Xuande, be sure to hand over the murderer to me tonight, and I will double your compensation. Please give me this face."

    On the side, Liu Bei could only complain secretly in his heart. In fact, when he heard two school swordsmen reporting to Huang Zu at Huang's Villa, he guessed that it was Liu Jing who was responsible. A young officer of fifteen or sixteen years old, eight feet tall and with long hair.  With a dignified appearance and sharp swordsmanship, who is this but Liu Jing?

    But he didn't dare to say clearly that he was Liu Biao's nephew. If he did, Huang Zu would think that he was using Liu Biao's nephew to suppress him and not give him face. Liu Bei was very embarrassed. He had to find a way to clear up this relationship.  OK.

    At this time, Zhao Yun hurried over and saluted Liu Bei, "Lord!"

    Liu Bei quickly pulled Zhao Yun aside and asked in a low voice: "Did Mr. Jing do that?"

    Zhao Yun nodded silently, and Liu Bei's heart suddenly sank. It was really Liu Jing. This matter was troublesome. How could he tell Huang Zu? If something happened to Liu Jing, how could he explain to Liu Biao?

    Liu Bei's heart was in chaos, and he asked again after a while: "Then what is his attitude?"

    Zhao Yun sighed: "He said he would take the responsibility and not embarrass the Lord."

    This sentence immediately made Liu Bei breathe a long sigh of relief. If this was the case, it would be best not to involve himself, let alone destroy the alliance he and Huang Zu had just reached. It was for this alliance that Liu Bei resisted Huang Zu's search.  A disgrace to the military.

    Liu Bei stood aside silently and did not interfere with Huang Zu's pursuit of the murderer.

    In the light of the hunting fire, groups of soldiers and low-level officers were brought up and asked to be identified by Huang Zu's two school swordsmen. These two school swordsmen were the last two to escape by jumping into the river.

    The scope of identification has been significantly reduced. He is eight feet tall and under twenty years old. Even so, there are still more than a thousand people who need to be identified.

    In the flickering firelight, Huang Zu looked at the similar faces one after another. He was going crazy. He kept turning back and scolding his two subordinates, "Is that so? Damn it, did you see clearly?"

    The two school swordsmen were sweating profusely and their eyes were blurred. Their minds were so confused that they could hardly remember the appearance of the young sergeant.

    Huang Zu gnashed his teeth with hatred and shouted loudly: "A man dares to do something brave. If he dares to kill people, why don't he dare to stand up."

    At this time, a cold voice sounded beside Huang Zu, "Aren't I right next to you?"

    Huang Zu turned around furiously, only then did he realize that there was a tall officer standing next to him. The light was dim and his face could not be seen clearly.

    Huang Zu was startled, took a few steps back, pointed at the officer and shouted, "Who are you?"

    This officer was Liu Jing. He had been standing beside Huang Zu for a long time. He slowly walked forward and sneered: "Aren't you looking for me? I'm right in front of you."

    Several soldiers came forward with torches and illuminated Liu Jing's face. The two school swordsmen exclaimed together, "It's him, it's him who killed the young master!"

    "Yes, I killed Huang Yi."

    Liu Jing did not defend himself. He stepped forward, looked at Huang Zu sharply, and said sternly: "Prefect Huang, your nephew raped civilian girls in broad daylight. He committed many evil deeds in Jiangxia, but you openly condoned and deceived him.  "Excuse me, what's your crime?"

    Huang Zu is the head of the Huang family, a famous family in Jiangxia, and has served as the prefect of Jiangxia for many years. He still has general common sense in officialdom. With Liu Jing's tone, he is obviously not an ordinary person.

    But at this time, Huang Zu was so angry that he lost his mind, and his judgment was obviously weakened. He actually did not hear the difference in Liu Jing's tone for a while.

    Huang Zu was furious with hatred and shouted: "Catch me!"

    Dozens of soldiers rushed forward to arrest Liu Jing. Liu Bei secretly screamed that something was wrong. Just as he was about to speak, more than a thousand crossbowmen suddenly appeared around him. Their crossbows were unloaded and their arrows were sharp.  Surrounded.

    I heard the deputy general Wang Wei shouting sternly: "Huang Zu, if you dare to arrest someone, don't blame me for being ruthless."

    The situation suddenly became tense. Surrounded by more than a thousand crossbowmen, Huang Zu suddenly woke up like a basin of cold water was poured down on him.

    In fact, he also knew that Liu Bei was only the general in name. It was impossible for Liu Biao to really give the command of more than 20,000 people to Liu Bei. The real commander of this army was the deputy general Wang Wei.

    He quickly raised his hands and shouted: "Zhi Gong, please give me this face. Huang Zu will definitely be rewarded later."

    Liu Bei allowed Huang Zu to search the military camp. Wang Wei just gave Liu Bei a face and kept silent. But if he really wanted to arrest people, Wang Wei refused. This was not only related to his dignity, but more importantly, Liu Jing  He is the nephew of the lord, how could Wang Wei let Huang Zu capture him.

    Wang Wei also sneered and said: "Prefect Huang, I don't let you arrest people, it's for your own good. Otherwise, how can you explain to the master?"

    Huang Zu finally calmed down. Wang Wei's words made him feel a little uncomfortable. He looked Liu Jing up and down again and asked hesitantly: "Who are you?"

    Liu Jing slightly cupped her hands to him, "I'm Liu Jing!"

    Huang Zu took a breath of air. Of course he knew that his lord's nephew was in the army. He also received a special letter from Liu Biao, asking him not to publicize the matter, so Huang Zu pretended not to know anything.

    But the consequence of not knowing anything was that his nephew was killed. Huang Zu only felt dizzy in front of his eyes. What should he do?  Was his nephew's death in vain?

    Huang Zu restrained his inner anger and bowed, "It turns out to be Mr. Jing. Huang did not treat him well and was rude, but"

    When he said that, Huang Zu's voice became sharp, "But even if I don't treat him well, Mr. Jing can't kill my nephew. You need to give me an explanation for this matter!"

    His tone was extremely tough. Even Liu Biao's nephew could not kill his own family at will.

    "Since I stand up, of course I will give you an explanation!"

    Liu Jing looked at him with bright eyes and did not give in. "But your nephew Huang Yi raped women in broad daylight, bullied men and women in Jiangxia, and committed all kinds of evil. But you openly condoned it and deceived the superiors and subordinates. Let me first  Let me ask you, when will you give an explanation to the people of Jiangxia? "

    Liu Jing had already said this once before, but Huang Zu didn't take it to heart. When Liu Jing asked again, he suddenly realized that Liu Jing had pointed the contradiction at him.

    Of course Huang Zu knew who his nephew was. In the past two years, people had filed complaints against him almost every month, but they were all covered up by Huang Zu. Huang Zu was not afraid of things getting serious. With his power and connections in Jingzhou,  Ordinary people can't do anything to him, but if he turns into Liu Jing, Liu Jing will tell Liu Biao directly, and things will not be that simple.

    Thinking of this, Huang Zu's tone was no longer as tough as before, but he couldn't let go and still said harshly: "The state has national laws and the family has family rules. Even if my nephew has done everything wrong, he should be tried and punished by the government.  It was not Mr. Jing's turn to take action, but now Mr. Jing has killed him, what do you say? "

    Liu Jing sneered, "Since Huang Taishou also knows the national law, Liu Jing can't ask for it. I very much agree that the case should be handled by a national judge. I suggest that this case be tried by the state pastor. I am willing to go to court with Huang Taishou, and all the witnesses and materials will be required."  Submit it and let Zhou Mu take a look at who wants to kill whom.?  "

    Liu Jing¡¯s tit-for-tat confrontation made Huang Zu feel a little guilty. He actually didn¡¯t understand the details at the time. Is there anything abnormal?

    He turned around and waved, called the two school swordsmen up, and asked in a vicious low voice: "What on earth is going on?"

    The two of them also knew that Liu Jing's identity was unusual. They were so frightened that they knelt down and did not dare to hide it anymore. They briefly told what happened in the afternoon, and finally said tremblingly: "This officer did not kill the young master. He was a  The young lady shot a cold arrow and killed the young master, but we didn¡¯t notice it because there was so much chaos.¡±

    "You bastard!"

    Huang Zu kicked the two school swordsmen over with his two kicks. Why didn't he tell him earlier? He changed his face very quickly and immediately smiled at Liu Jing. "It's really a misunderstanding. It turned out that Mr. Jing was not the one who did it. It was Huang who was reckless and didn't check."  The truth is clear, sir, please forgive me.¡±

    If it were anyone else, even if he wasn't the one who committed the crime, Huang Zu would never give him mercy, but he couldn't afford to offend Liu Jing. He was afraid of making things worse, so he had to find a way to get down.

    Unexpectedly, Liu Jing refused to give up, and still had an imposing manner: "As Huang Taishou said, the state has national laws, and families have family rules. I will report this matter to Mingzhou Mu to find out how many things Huang Yi has done that are harmful to nature and justice."  Why was he killed? We must find out and give an explanation to the people of Jiangxia and to Governor Huang."

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 33 Liu Biao¡¯s Concerns

    [It¡¯s a new day, please vote for recommendation!  !  ¡¿

    ===

    Huang Zu's face was extremely embarrassed and he couldn't say a word for a long time. Then he realized that this Liu Jing was very powerful. He was obviously the one who killed his nephew, but he took advantage of the justice. As soon as he opened his mouth, he fell into passivity. Huang Zu remained silent.  Speechless, I can only hold hatred in my heart.

    At this time, Liu Bei came out and said with a smile: "Master Jing, since Huang Yi is dead, no matter what he did before, he will end it with his death. Now we are here to quell the bandits. The Soochow Navy is watching the outside, so we should focus on the overall situation."  , can you give me some face and put this matter aside for now?¡±

    Liu Jing was waiting for Liu Bei to come forward. Of course, he could not pursue it. How could Liu Biao offend Huang Zu for a few common people? Liu Biao would not pay attention to this matter at all, and might even ask him to apologize to Huang Zu.

    Since Huang Zu was willing to settle the matter and no longer pursue the matter, Liu Jing naturally followed the slope and made the big issue a trivial matter. However, he had to let Liu Bei accept this favor. He knew that Liu Bei would definitely come forward at the critical moment and act as a peacemaker.  Otherwise he would not be Liu Bei.

    Liu Jing hurriedly bowed and saluted: "Since the emperor's uncle has spoken, I dare not obey the order, but I am willing to listen to the emperor's mediation."

    Liu Bei was very proud and smiled at Huang Zu again: "Huang Taishou, since the man was not killed by Mr. Jing but by someone else, then this is a misunderstanding. It is better to dissolve enemies than to make enemies. Huang Taishou, you see  £®

    Huang Zu also knew that there was nothing he could do against Liu Jing, not to mention that he did not kill the person. Even if he killed him, the revenge would not be avenged. He had to hold back his bad breath and give Liu Bei some face.

    "Since Brother Xuande has come forward, let's drop this matter and disturb your army tonight!"

    He saluted Wang Wei from a distance again, "Zhi Gong, farewell!"

    He ignored Liu Jing, turned around and walked out of the camp. More than a hundred people followed him and left quickly. Liu Jing sneered, this hatred between him and Huang Zu was settled.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the Mufu in Xiangyang City, a messenger galloped over on horseback. He dismounted, ran up the steps and said to the porter: "Please report to the lord, there is an urgent message from Jiangxia."

    The concierge did not dare to neglect, so he let the messengers enter the house and rushed to report the news.

    In the study, Liu Biao was sitting under the lamp reading a letter, looking a little uneasy. It had been five days since Liu Bei led his army eastward, and he had just sent someone to deliver a letter.

    In fact, Liu Biao did not take the rebellion of Zhang Wu and Chen Sun to heart. The key was the 30,000 Soochow Navy troops eyeing Jiangxia. This was his innermost concern.

    Although Sun Jian and Sun Ce died one after another, Jiangxia's desire to advance eastward never died. Jiangxia was the first stop for Jiangdong's army to advance westward, and a war would break out sooner or later.

    In Liu Bei's letter, Liu Bei detailed Jiangdong's strategic intentions, pointing out that Jiangdong not only seeks Jiangxia through the navy, but also is very likely to march into Changsha. Changsha County currently has insufficient troops, so Liu Bei recommended himself to guard Changsha County in the letter.

    Liu Bei actually wanted to defend Changsha. Liu Biao sneered. I'm afraid he didn't have good intentions.

    At this time, a report from the concierge came from the yard, "Master, there is an urgent letter from Jiangxia."

    Liu Biao perked up and quickly ordered: "Send it up!"

    Not long after, a guard entered the room and presented a letter. Liu Biao took the letter and took a look. Sure enough, it was a letter from Wang Wei. He was waiting for news from Wang Wei.

    Liu Biao opened the letter impatiently and read it hastily. The letter mentioned three things. One was that Liu Bei had a close relationship with Huang Zu, and the second was that the young master Liu Jing killed Huang Zu's nephew who had done evil in Wuchang City.  , and the third thing was that Huang Zu used thousands of private soldiers to conduct a large-scale search of Wuchang City.

    This letter made Liu Biao angry and worried. He was angry that Huang Zu used private troops to search the city without his consent.

    The possession of private armies by Jingzhou clans has always been a worry for Liu Biao. Before he took office, bandits were rampant in Jingzhou. In order to protect themselves, the major clans formed private armies one after another.

    Later, in order to gain the support of the Jingzhou family, Liu Biao acquiesced to the continued existence of their private soldiers. By now, it has formed a serious problem that cannot be solved.

    He repeatedly ordered that no private soldiers be used without his consent, but his orders had no effect. Huang Zu once again sent out private soldiers to search the city, which made Liu Biao intolerable.

    Huang Zu not only used private soldiers to cause Liu Biao a headache, but he also had secret contacts with Liu Bei.

    Liu Biao stood up and paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. Although Wang Wei did not say clearly how close Liu Bei and Huang Zu were, Liu Biao could vaguely guess that the two people might have reached an agreement.

    What is Huang Zu trying to do? Is he going to betray himself?  Difficult?Liu Bei proposed to garrison Changsha County. He and Huang Zu responded from the north and south, and half of Jingzhou was divided. What a good plan!

    Will Huang Zu betray him?  Liu Biao also thought it was impossible. After all, Huang Zu had followed him for many years and had always been loyal. Liu Bei had just come to Jingzhou. It could be said that he had nothing but his reputation. It was impossible for Huang Zu to betray him for Liu Bei.

    The two of them may have been in close contact for other reasons. Liu Biao thought for a moment. In any case, Liu Bei seemed to be unwilling to be lonely. He must be arranged to go to Xinye as soon as possible to defend himself against Cao Jun.

    At this time, the study door opened, and Mrs. Cai walked into the study carrying a bowl of bird's nest porridge. She put down the porridge bowl and said with a smile: "Why is the general so worried? Could it be that Emperor Liu's army was in trouble?"

    Mrs. Cai also heard that someone from Jiangxia sent a letter. It was probably that letter that caused her husband's worries.

    Liu Biao shook his head, "It's nothing big. Liu Bei's army hasn't attacked Zhang Wu yet. It's just some minor things."

    Liu Biao didn't want to tell his wife more about Liu Bei. If he told his wife too much, Cai Mao would have ideas and affect his plans. He looked at his wife's doubtful eyes, smiled faintly, and added: "The letter just said, Huang Zu  My nephew did evil in Wuchang City and was killed by Jing'er. "

    "What?"

    Mrs. Cai's mind was suddenly attracted by Liu Jing's incident. She raised her eyebrows and said angrily: "How dare he be so bold and kill the nephew of the Huang family? Isn't this causing trouble for the general?"

    Liu Biao frowned slightly, "Madam, there must be some reason for this. Don't jump to conclusions hastily. The letter also said that Huang Zu's nephew was killed for doing evil. We don't know what evil he did. Moreover, Huang Zu and Jing'er  It¡¯s settled, don¡¯t take things too seriously.¡±

    Mrs. Cai came to the study tonight to talk about the marriage between Liu Cong and the Cai family. Liu Jing's killing of Huang Zu's nephew was just an accident. She didn't understand the situation. Her husband explained it to Liu Jing and said no more about it.

    She sighed, "General, in fact, Cong'er and Shaoyu are in love, why don't they help the children? Shaoyu doesn't like Jing'er, and Jing'er has no intention of marrying Shaoyu. I think  "

    Before she could finish speaking, Liu Biao turned down his face in displeasure, "I've already said this, and we'll talk about it when Jing'er comes back. I don't want to hear any explanation now!"

    Liu Biao heard his eldest son accidentally mention yesterday that the Xuanlin sword had actually been in the hands of his second son Cong. This incident made him furious. Although Liu Cong repeatedly explained that Liu Jing gave him the sword voluntarily, Liu Biao  But he didn't believe it. He believed that his son had deceived Liu Jing using despicable means, perhaps through coercion.

    Even if Liu Jing didn¡¯t want the sword, he would return it to himself. How could he give it to his son without permission? There must be something wrong with it.

    In fact, letting his nephew marry a daughter of the Cai family was the result of repeated considerations by Liu Biao. The marriage with the Cai family must be done, but if his son is allowed to marry, this will inevitably cause dissatisfaction from other aristocratic families, and at the same time, the Cai family will become too powerful.  , which is not conducive to his checks and balances on the Cai family.

    It is the best thing to let your nephew marry the daughter of the Cai family. It does not look down upon the Cai family, nor will it cause dissatisfaction from other aristocratic families. Moreover, Liu Jing is a nephew, and is one level better than Liu Qing and Liu Hu.  Insult the Cai family.

    Liu Biao has already decided on this matter. He no longer wants to listen to his wife's persuasion. He is not interested in anything about the love between children and the beauty of adulthood.

    Mrs. Cai hit a soft nail. She was secretly annoyed in her heart, but she was helpless. She finally persuaded the Cai family to marry Liu Cong, but she got stuck again with her husband.

    But how could she just give up?

    "General, is it really impossible for Cong'er? He and Shaoyu"

    "Stop talking!"

    Liu Biao protracted his voice, waved his arms a little arrogantly, and said in a tone that could not be refuted: "I have decided that Cong'er will marry Pang's daughter, Qi'er will marry Kuai's, and Shaoyu can only be Jing.  Marry her."

    "It seems that the general is very prejudiced against our Cai family!" Mrs. Cai puffed up her chest, feeling a little irritated by her husband's arrogance.

    ¡°On the contrary!¡±

    Liu Biao turned around, looked into his wife's eyes with piercing eyes and said, "I have no prejudice against the Cai family. On the contrary, I prefer the Cai family. Otherwise, we wouldn't be standing here talking, right?"

    Perhaps because he felt that his attitude towards his wife was a bit harsh, Liu Biao softened his tone and said, "Madam, Jing'er is my closest relative and my only nephew. I think he is worthy of Shaoyu."

    "Let your nephew go to hell!"

    Mrs. Cai could no longer suppress the anger in her heart. She said a vicious word, turned around and walked away angrily.

    Liu Biao looked at his wife¡¯s angry back,He couldn't help but shook his head. The Cai family wanted to take precedence in everything, but this time he couldn't comply with their wishes.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yangxin County is a middle county located in the central and western part of Jiangxia County. The county has a population of more than 20,000 people. It is also the place where two Jingzhou generals, Zhang Wu and Chen Sun, stationed their troops.

    Since Zhang Wu and Chen Sun rebelled, Yangxin County has been separated from Jingzhou's control.

    "Where's my horse!"

    An officer in his forties rushed out of the county government office like a wind. He wore his helmet crookedly and his armor was disheveled. He didn't pay attention to it. He just looked around anxiously, as if he was looking for his most beloved woman.

    "General, the horse is here!"

    A soldier trotted forward leading an extremely majestic war horse. The war horse was very young. Its snow-white fur shone like silk, and its mane was fine and elegant. Viewed from the side, it had a well-proportioned physique, strong and slender limbs, and its limbs were strong and slender.  Its hooves are like steel, and it runs powerfully. It has a pair of sea eagle eyes, which can not only see far away, but also see clearly in dense fog, swirling snowflakes, and even in the dark.

    Even the most ignorant farmer can see that this is a rare thousand-mile horse.

    "My BMW, my lifeblood!"

    The middle-aged officer ran forward, hugged the horse's neck tightly, and pressed his face against the horse's neck. He was afraid that if he was not careful, the BMW would leave him.

    The middle-aged man is Zhang Wu, the leader of this rebellion. He got this BMW from a horse dealer last year. It is rumored that it comes from the Western Regions and is Zhang Wu¡¯s lifeblood.

    Liu Biao also took a fancy to this horse and asked him to take it to Xiangyang several times, but Zhang Wu refused. The reputation of this horse even spread to Soochow. Sun Quan specially sent someone to express his greetings to the horse. Zhang Wu refused  But he refused to use war horses to show his sincerity to Sun Quan.

    It is precisely for this reason that Sun Quan is extremely dissatisfied with him.

    At this time, Zhang Wuzheng was anxiously waiting for news about the Soochow army. He had stayed in Yangxin County for too long, and he felt that danger was coming.

    But his contact with Soochow has been interrupted, and Su Zhen has had no news for him for several days.

    He didn¡¯t know what he should do, whether to stay in Jiangxia County or transfer to Pengze to join Jiangdong Army. Zhang Wu was extremely uneasy.

    At this moment, a soldier rushed over, knelt down on one knee, and reported urgently: "General Zhang, the scouts have sent news that the main force of Jingzhou, about 20,000 people, is coming towards us!  "

    This news stunned Zhang Wu

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1, Chapter 34: Encirclement and Suppression of Rebels

    About eighty miles away from Yangxin County, an army of more than 20,000 people was marching westward in a mighty manner, with flags fluttering, armor bright, and a huge momentum.

    At the front of the team, Liu Bei was riding on his horse, looking around, thoughtfully in his heart.

    "This must be Uncle Liu's first time fighting in the south!" Lieutenant General Wang Wei laughed.

    "Yes! It is very different from the north. There are lakes and rivers everywhere, which is not suitable for cavalry combat."

    Liu Bei was very emotional and said with a smile: "If Cao's army reaches Jiangnan, their advantage will not be very obvious. As long as the southern army unites to resist Cao, I think it is not impossible to defeat Cao's army."

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe this sentence when it comes from other people¡¯s mouths, but when it comes from Uncle Liu Huang¡¯s mouth, I believe it without a doubt.¡±

    "Haha! That's an award."

    After a pause, Liu Bei asked with a smile: "How much does Master Zhi know about the situation of the rebels?"

    "You know everything about it!"

    With a contemptuous smile on his face, Wang Wei explained to Liu Bei: "Zhang Wu and Chen Sun have only three thousand formal troops. Although they now have more than ten thousand troops, most of them are farmers recruited temporarily, and perhaps even  There are some scoundrels with little fighting power, so Uncle Liu doesn¡¯t need to worry. In fact, we are more worried about the Jiangdong Army in this battle. "

    Liu Bei nodded, "I am also worried about the Jiangdong Army, because I am afraid that they will suddenly appear from Yangxin County."

    Wang Wei laughed, "Although this is possible, we only need to strengthen our spies to fully understand the enemy's movements."

    While the two were talking, Liu Jing ran up on horseback. In just two days, he completely learned how to ride a horse and only wanted to master it. Unfortunately, he was riding an old horse and could not gallop long distances. This was also a fly in the ointment.  .

    "Master Jing, this is your first time participating in a battle! I feel that you are very excited." Wang Wei asked with a smile.

    "A little bit!"

    Liu Jing and Liu Bei looked at each other. They both remembered the battle of Runan and couldn't help but smile knowingly.

    "Uncle, I would like to follow General Xiaoguan on patrol. Is it allowed?"

    Liu Jing is not a formal soldier. He just fights with the army. To a large extent, Liu Biao wants to hone his will. Wang Wei knows this very well. When he was about to object, Liu Bei nodded and agreed, "Okay!"

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and bowed on her horse, "Thank you, uncle, for the order!"

    He turned the horse's head and ran back. Wang Wei couldn't shout. Looking at Liu Jing's retreating back, he was very worried and said: "Uncle Huang, he has no war experience. Is it too dangerous for him to go on patrol? What if?"  Something happened. £®

    Liu Bei smiled slightly, "Master Jing is very smart and rational, and General Xiaoguan will also take care of him."

    Wang Wei was helpless. Liu Bei was the general after all. Since the general had agreed, it was useless for him to object. He could only sigh and looked back at Liu Jing's back worriedly.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Bei sent a total of three scout teams, each with about a hundred people. The first team was led by Guan Ping. Guan Ping was Guan Yu's adopted son. Everyone in the army called him General Xiaoguan. He was about 20 years old.  He always comes forward with a cheerful smile, which is very different from his father's reticence.

    ¡°Perhaps because they were similar in age, Guan Ping and Liu Jing quickly became familiar with each other, and they talked about military affairs together whenever they had nothing to do.

    In Wuchang City, the two of them agreed that Liu Jing would follow Guan Ping in this battle, but Guan Ping did not dare to make the decision without authorization and had to obtain permission from the general Liu Bei.

    Guan Ping was about to set off. He was looking ahead with his hand curtain closed. When he saw Liu Jing, a smile appeared on his face. He urged his horse forward and asked, "How is it? Uncle Emperor, are you sure?"

    "That's right!" Liu Jing replied excitedly.

    Guan Ping laughed and waved his hand, "Let's go!"

    He took Liu Jing and more than a hundred patrol scouts and rode towards the south.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The terrain near Yangxin County is hilly, with undulating mountains, beautiful rocks, and dense forests. Although it is early winter, the large woods are still densely shaded, and the running water is not frozen, like a jasper belt, winding between the mountains.

    Although the scenery is beautiful, the population is very sparse. The population of Jiangxia County is mainly concentrated in the areas along the river in Chaisang, Wuchang and Xiakou.

    Although the area under the jurisdiction of Yangxin County is the largest in Jiangxia County and several times that of Wuchang County, its population is less than 30% of Wuchang County.

    The crowd ran for more than thirty miles without encountering anyone. At this time, Guan Ping saw Liu Jing's horse struggling, so he waved his hand, and everyone slowed down their horses and gradually stopped.

    "Mr. Jing, how about I change a horse for you?" Guan Pingsmiled.

    Liu Jing knew that there were not many war horses in the army, and every war horse was loved by its owner as if it were life. Although Liu Jing longed for a strong and good horse, he was unwilling to do anything to take away people's love.

    This is the character he brought from his previous life. Although he has traveled through thousands of years, he still exists vigorously.

    Liu Jing shook her head, "No need. Once Zhang Wu and Chen Sun are defeated, I will find a way to get a good horse from the spoils of war."

    Speaking of good horses, Guan Ping's eyes showed reverence, "My father's horse is the best in the world, even Cao Cao's Huang Feidian can't compare."

    "Of course, Lu Bu is among men, and Red Rabbit is among horses! I have always believed that no one in the world is qualified to ride a Red Rabbit horse except your father."

    "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Jing. If your father hears your words, he will definitely look at him differently."

    The two were talking and walking. At this time, several cavalrymen galloped up from the front and immediately picked up a woodcutter.

    "Report to the general, this woodcutter was found in the woods ahead. He seems to know something about the situation."

    The woodcutter got off his horse, knelt down and said tremblingly: "Greetings to the general!"

    "Don't be afraid, tell us what you know and we will let you go immediately."

    "yes!"

    The woodcutter tried hard to search for things that might be of interest to the other party in his memory. Soon, some tragic events made him so angry that he forgot about the danger before him.

    "I want to say that Zhang Wu and Chen Sun are really devils. Most of the young people in our village have been captured by them, and the women have hidden in the mountains. If they are slow, they will catch them and rape them. We also have food. He took our  All the food was taken away.

    Liu Jing was not interested in this. He interrupted the woodcutter and asked, "We want to know, have you met Jiangdong soldiers in the past month or so?"

    "Never seen it before!"

    The woodcutter shook his head, "I must have never seen Jiangdong soldiers. The last time I saw Jiangdong soldiers was two years ago."

    After a few more cross-examinations, the crowd found that there was indeed nothing unusual, so they released the woodcutter. Guan Ping pondered for a moment and said, "Although the woodcutter didn't see the Jiangdong soldiers, it doesn't mean they didn't. Maybe he didn't meet them. I think we still need to  Continue to patrol south, what do you think, Mr. Jing?"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "You are the leader of this scout, so naturally you have the final say."

    "Okay! Let's continue patrolling south."

    Guan Ping led the people, accelerated their horses, and ran towards the mountains.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, Liu Bei led an army of 20,000 people to Yangxin County and stopped three miles away from the county seat. The army quickly formed a formation. The army of 20,000 people was overwhelming, swords flashing and murderous.

    Although Yangxin County has a vast territory, the county seat is very small, and the city walls are short and dilapidated, and the city gates are incomplete. The military role is not great, and it is not enough to defend against the attack of the army. On the contrary, it will hinder the army's escape.

    With the sound of rumbling war drums, the armies of Zhang Wu and Chen Sun came out of the city to fight. There were about 9,000 troops. Except for the 3,000 Chinese troops who were slightly neat, the armies on both sides were not fully equipped and their ranks were not neat. They were holding all kinds of weapons.  Weapons, even sticks with hoes.

    Zhang Wu and Chen Sun recruited nearly 10,000 troops, not to fight against the Jingzhou Army, but to a large extent as a bargaining chip when surrendering to the Jiangdong Army. With more than 10,000 troops in hand, at least becoming a Zhonglang general would not be a problem.

    Unexpectedly, before the Jiangdong Army arrived, the Jingzhou Army came to kill them. Both Zhang Wu and Chen Sun were extremely uneasy.

    Under a big flag, Zhang Wu secretly looked at the Jingzhou Army a mile away. He had received news that it was Liu Bei who led his army to kill, which made him even more worried.

    But he did not dare to abandon the city and flee without a fight. You must know that defeat is completely different from fleeing without a fight. Defeat can be said to be weak, but running away is cowardly, and Soochow will not tolerate him.

    "General Chen, go and lead the battle!" Zhang Wu shouted to Chen Sun who was not far away.

    Chen Sunnian is about thirty years old, seven feet five tall, with a muscular body and a three-pointed two-edged sword in his hand. His qualifications in the army are lower than Zhang Wu's. In Soochow, Zhang Wu is also regarded as the leader.  The chief general, he is the deputy general.

    Chen Sun was timid and did not dare to challenge. He turned around and said, "General Zhang, why don't you let others test the truth first? It won't be too late for me to go into battle."

    Zhang Wu ignored him and shouted to the soldiers: "Beat the drum and cheer for General Chen!"

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

    The sound of drums was like thunder, shaking the sky and the earth. The soldiers raised their arms and shouted, urging General Chen to go to war. Chen Sun had no choice but to rush his horse towards the Jingzhou Army.

    He swung the three-pointed two-edged sword with a fierceHe shouted: "I am Chen Sun! Who dares to fight with me?"

    Under the banner of the Jingzhou Army, Liu Bei also noticed that there seemed to be an extremely majestic war horse among the enemy troops, which greatly tempted him. He asked Wang Wei in a low voice, "Who is that rider on the white horse?"

    Wang Wei smiled slightly, "That's Zhang Wu. His war horse is called Lu. It's a good horse. My Lord was also very attracted to it, but it's a pity that Zhang Wu doesn't know the taste."

    "What a majestic horse!" Liu Bei admired sincerely.

    At this time, Chen Sun came out to fight and yelled loudly. Liu Bei was furious and asked his surroundings: "Who will behead this thief for me?"

    ¡°Brother, watch me behead someone!¡±

    Zhang Fei roared loudly and spurred his horse to gallop. The roar was like thunder, like a god descending from the earth. In an instant, he was in front of Chen Sun, and his eight-foot-long snake spear stabbed out like lightning.

    Chen Sun was so frightened that his hands and feet became weak and he trembled. He raised his sword and made a cross, but Zhang Fei's spear was as heavy as a mountain and he couldn't parry it. As Chen Sun screamed, Zhang Fei pierced his chest with a spear.

    Chen Sun's dead body fell from his horse. Zhang Fei waved his spear and shouted, "Kill!" He single-handedly rushed towards the enemy camp.

    When Liu Bei saw that the enemy general had been killed, he immediately ordered: "Attack the entire army and defeat the enemy!"

    The 20,000 Jingzhou troops screamed for their lives with earth-shattering cries, and rushed towards the rebels like a rushing wave. The rebels' morale was low, and they collapsed before fighting. Everyone rushed to escape, and the battlefield was in chaos.

    Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhang Wu turned his horse's head and ran away. His horse was very fast and he was the first to escape from the battlefield in a moment

    ¡¾Second update, please vote for recommendation!  ¡¿

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 35 Lu Fei Kuai

    About thirty miles east of Yangxin County, there is a low-lying hill with dense pine forests. The official road going east winds from the west, crossing the hills and dividing the pine forest into two.

    The pine forest is covered with thick pine needles, dry and comfortable. Liu Jing, Guan Ping and more than a hundred scout soldiers are sitting under the pine trees to rest and chat about the battle in Yangxin County.

    "To be honest, I have no interest at all in fighting against little thieves like Zhang Wu and Chen Sun. I can't win without force. To be honest, I have no interest at all." Guan Ping said with a smile.

    "Yes! It's better to lie here, leisurely and comfortable."

    Liu Jing was lying under a pine tree, holding a pine branch in her mouth, staring at a squirrel on the top of the tree, jumping around playfully.

    He seemed very leisurely. Although he also hoped to get a war horse from the battle between Zhang Wu and Chen Sun, he didn't need to worry about it, Zhao Yun would help him.

    Guan Ping glanced at him again and said with a smile: "I heard from my father that Mr. Jing has quite a lot of combat experience. Has Mr. Jing ever fought in a war?"

    "What kind of combat experience? I just run fast and flee for my life first when encountering danger. Don't I understand this?"

    Liu Jing's words caused a burst of knowing laughter from the soldiers. At this time, a soldier on guard outside the woods shouted: "General Guan, someone is coming this way, it seems to be an army!"

    Everyone jumped up and ran out of the pine tree. Liu Jing also jumped up and ran to the edge of the pine forest, climbed up a pine tree and looked into the distance.

    I saw an army running towards them on the official road in the distance, about two or three miles away from them. Liu Jing could tell at a glance that this was a defeated army. The number of the army was about four to five hundred, led by a general.  Riding a magnificent white horse.

    Liu Jing¡¯s eyes fell on the majestic war horse. It was obviously a good horse, which attracted his attention tightly.

    "Everyone obey my orders!"

    Guan Ping issued the order in a deep voice, "We are going to ambush this army."

    The scouts mounted their horses one after another and followed Guan Ping towards the dense forest.

    This defeated army was defeated from Yangxin County. Zhang Wu gathered more than 400 defeated soldiers and fled in panic toward Chaisang, and this official road was the only way to Chaisang.

    Everyone fled for more than thirty miles in one breath. The pursuers were far away. Zhang Wu wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked around. He was very familiar with this area. The hill in front was called Heilingang. After passing Heilingang,  There is a small town just a dozen miles away.

    He turned back to the soldiers and said, "Brothers, please work harder and go to Yangdong Town to eat and rest!"

    As soon as he urged the horse to run towards Heilingang, his horse was very fast, and all the soldiers complained incessantly, so they had to follow Zhang Wu and run hard. After a while, the army rushed to Heilingang and continued to flee eastward along the official road.  .

    There are dense pine forests on both sides. Although it is still noon, the light inside the pine forest is dim, and the cold wind blows from the gaps in the forest, making people feel the cold wind.

    Zhang Wu took the lead, and the soldiers behind him ran intermittently. The team had stretched for nearly a mile. In the dense forest, hundreds of Jingzhou Army scouts had already drawn their bows and nocked arrows, aiming at the defeated soldiers dozens of steps away.

    At this time, Guan Ping unexpectedly discovered that Liu Jing was missing. He was shocked and looked around, but there was no sign of Liu Jing.

    But time did not allow him to look around any longer, so he immediately ordered: "Shoot!"

    Hundreds of arrows were shot out from the woods densely. The defeated soldiers were caught off guard and screamed. They fell to the ground one after another. They had already become frightened birds and had no fighting spirit.

    The sudden attack scared them so much that they yelled and ran for their lives. Guan Ping shouted: "Kill!"

    "Kill!"

    The scout cavalry shouted and rushed out of the pine forest, brandishing their spears, and attacked the defeated soldiers on the official road. The defeated soldiers on the official road became a mess, shouting in terror, and running away desperately.

    Zhang Wu relied on the speed of his horse and galloped all the way. After a while, he was the first to escape from the battlefield.

    About a few miles away from the battlefield, Zhang Wu gradually slowed down his horse and looked back for a moment. He could no longer hear the shouts of killing, and he finally felt relieved.

    At this moment, a strange sound came from the left side. He turned around suddenly and saw a big pine tree slowly falling down and hitting him head-on. Zhang Wu was so startled that he took a few steps back.

    ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and the big tree fell in front of him, stirring up a burst of dust. The war horse was so frightened that it raised its front hooves and let out a long neigh.

    The moment Zhang Wu's attention was attracted by the fallen tree, a black figure jumped down from the tree behind him, and the sharp sword slashed directly at the back of Zhang Wu's neck. At this time, there was a loud sound of the tree falling to the ground.  Covering up the sound of the wind coming from the sword.

    At the moment when Zhang Wu suddenly woke up, a sharp pain came from his neck, and his vision went dark, and nothing could be seen.?? Got it.

    Zhang Wu¡¯s head was chopped off by Liu Jing, and the blood from his neck spurted out ten feet high, splashing all over Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing kicked Zhang Wu's body away and sat on the saddle instead. The pungent blood and the cold murderous intent frightened the horse. He jumped over the big tree and ran quickly eastward along the official road.

    Liu Jing hugged the horse's neck tightly, clamped the horse's belly with his legs, and the wind whistled in his ears. His riding skills were not very good, but he had a kind of perseverance that ordinary people could not match. He gritted his teeth and endured the bumps and throws of the horse.  He was thrown off, but he was never thrown off his horse.

    This is a battle of wills between man and horse. Liu Jing knew very well that once he was thrown off the horse, he would lose this BMW horse. He gritted his teeth, endured the pain of violent jolts in his internal organs, and exhausted his whole body  Strength controls the horse.

    The war horse galloped in the wilderness, and Yangdong Town had long been left behind. It was not known whether the war horse had been running for half an hour or an hour. Liu Jing was exhausted, but the war horse was still full of energy and galloped hard.

    At this moment, a two-foot-wide river suddenly appeared in front of him. The war horse neighed and jumped over the river. The violent beating of the war horse made Liu Jing unable to hold the horse tightly. He rolled over and fell off the horse, "Plop!"  ¡¯ He fell into the water with a sound.

    The war horse galloped away. Liu Jing slowly climbed up the bank from the river. His whole body felt as if it was falling apart. However, he was extremely frustrated and finally failed. He was so angry that he punched the soil hard.

    At this moment, Liu Jing suddenly heard a long hiss. He raised his head in surprise and saw a white war horse galloping towards here in the distance, with its mane flying. It looked like a beating white horse in the field.  Elf.

    Liu Jing felt a kind of ecstasy that he had never experienced before. He endured the pain all over his body and climbed up. He laughed and opened his arms to welcome the white elf who was running towards him.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The battle in Yangxin County has ended. This is a battle without any suspense. Without the support of the Jiangdong Army, the rebels encountered the Jingzhou Army, which had an absolute advantage, and collapsed in one battle.

    More than 9,000 rebels were killed, nearly 2,000 were killed, and more than 5,000 were captured. The rest fled in chaos. The battle was over. Jingzhou soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield. Groups of captured soldiers walked past dejectedly, capturing  The weapons, armor, and war drums and flags were piled up like a hill.

    Liu Bei was riding a horse on a hill, watching the groups of prisoners of war passing by from a distance, but he was not happy. His army failed to capture the trophy he longed for, a BMW horse.

    "Brother, the main reason is that the thief Zhang Wu ran too fast and couldn't catch up with him in time. It's my responsibility." Zhang Fei blamed himself on the side. He also wanted to grab the horse for his brother, but unfortunately he was blocked by the rebel army.  , watching Zhang Wu escape.

    "never mind!"

    Liu Bei sighed in his heart. He had no fate with that war horse. That war horse was destined to belong to Sun Quan. He put on a tolerant smile on his face and said, "Third brother, it's just a horse. Don't take it to heart."

    Although the elder brother comforted him like this, Zhang Fei still blamed himself very much and felt depressed.

    At this time, someone in the distance shouted: "General Xiaoguan is back."

    Liu Bei looked back and saw Guan Ping coming with more than a hundred cavalry and escorting hundreds of prisoners of war. He was smiling brightly. Liu Bei greeted him with a smile, "My dear nephew, what's the matter with you that you captured so many prisoners of war?"

    "We intercepted Zhang Wu's defeated troops, and even Zhang Wu was killed by Mr. Jing."

    ¡®Zhang Wu!  ¡¯ Liu Bei¡¯s heart moved, and he quickly looked towards the army. He saw Liu Jing, and even saw the majestic war horse under Liu Jing¡¯s crotch. The soldiers gathered around and stroked the horse enviously.

    Liu Bei felt an uncontrollable sorrow in his heart. He didn't expect that Liu Jing would get this BMW. Judging from Liu Jing's appearance, he loved this horse very much.

    At this time, Zhang Fei was attracted by the war horse. He galloped forward, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Master Jing, my eldest brother has admired this horse for a long time. Can you give up your love?"

    "Yide!"

    Liu Bei's face sank and he reprimanded: "How did you say that? I, Liu Bei, am not someone who steals people's love."

    Liu Bei urged his horse forward, smiled and cupped his hands and said, "Congratulations to Mr. Jing for killing the leader of the thieves and making a great contribution."

    Liu Jing was filled with hatred. This was the BMW he had sacrificed his life for. Did Liu Daer just want to take it away with just one sentence?  Dream on!

    Although he thought so in his heart, he couldn't show it, at least he had to appear generous on the surface. Liu Jing got off his horse and led the horse to Liu Bei, "Uncle Liu is a hero in the world. He should ride a dragon, a horse, and a horse. Since the emperor likes this horse,  , just take it.¡±

    "The words are very beautiful, and the person is very generous, but Liu Bei has already said it to death just now. He is not a person who takes away people's love. Even if Liu Jing really gives it to him, he can't take it.

      Liu Bei felt bitter in his heart, but with a grateful smile on his face, he said: "Thank you Master Jing for your generosity. Master Jing is a young hero. Riding this horse will complement each other. Liu Bei accepts the horse according to your wishes, but I cannot forgive this horse."  accept."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Uncle Liu Huang is so humble and admirable."

    However, Liu Jing was sincerely willing to give the horse to Zhao Yun to express her gratitude to him for teaching him martial arts. Liu Jing took the horse to Zhao Yun and bowed and saluted, "Liu Jing will always remember General Zhao's kindness in teaching martial arts."  , this war horse was given to the general to express Liu Jing¡¯s gratitude to the general.¡±

    At this time, countless pairs of eyes looked at Zhao Yun, and even Liu Bei couldn't help but squint at Zhao Yun. Everyone could see that Liu Jing gave the horse to Liu Bei just in response to Zhang Fei's politeness, but he gave the horse to Liu Bei.  To Zhao Yun, he was sincere and his tone was completely different.

    Zhao Yun pondered for a moment, he could feel Liu Jing's affection, but if he accepted the horse, it would eventually fall into the hands of the lord. Although the lord was loved by him, this matter would affect the lord's reputation, not the other way around.  It's a good thing, Zhao Yun doesn't want to do this.

    Thinking of this, Zhao Yun patted the war horse and smiled slightly, "Thank you Mr. Jing for your kindness. I think this horse is very affectionate towards you. Since it has recognized you as its master, how can you transfer it to someone else? Horses also have loyalty.  , I hope you will take good care of it.¡±

    Zhao Yun and Liu Jing looked at each other. There were some words that didn¡¯t need to be said. They understood in their hearts, and both of them showed knowing smiles.

    Not far away, Liu Bei glanced sideways at the exchange between Zhao Yun and Liu Jing. The look in his eyes became extremely cold. Of course he knew why Zhao Yun refused to accept the war horse. It was simply that in his heart, he was not as important as Liu Jing. He would rather leave the war horse.  He left it to Liu Jing, but refused to dedicate it to himself. His loyalty to him had faded, and he thought he didn't know?

    After a while, Liu Bei turned around and looked at the sky, with his hands behind his back, but he snorted heavily in his nose, "Humph!"

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 36 Chibi Tavern

    Jiangxia County has many lakes and criss-crossing rivers. Most ordinary people travel by boat when going out, and most merchants use waterways. On the one hand, the cargo volume is large, and on the other hand, the journey is easy.

    But some people also take the land route. There are two official roads from Yangxin County to Xiangyang. One is to cross the river at Xiakou and go north along the right bank of the Han River. The other is to cross the river at Chibi and go north along the left bank of the Han River.

    Among the two official roads, it is more convenient to take the left bank.

    At noon that day, a young officer came to the Chibi Ferry, followed by a cavalry attendant. Although the officer looked dignified and had extraordinary appearance, what caught the attention of passers-by was the war horse he was riding.

    This is a white war horse. The horse is extremely majestic. It walks elegantly and powerfully, attracting passers-by's attention.

    The young officer was naturally Liu Jing. He did not accompany Liu Bei's army by boat and return to Xiangyang by water. Instead, he returned by land on his beloved horse. Liu Bei could not persuade him and was worried that his horse would be stolen, so he sent a group of soldiers.  A guard with a good martial arts skills.

    When he first got a BMW, his strong desire to spend time with his beloved horse made Liu Jing not want to take a boat. Instead, he rode all the way north, which deepened his relationship with his beloved horse.

    Liu Jing immediately stood on the high hill and looked at the rolling Yangtze River in the distance. This is Red Cliff. The rolling Yangtze River flows eastward, and the waves wash away the heroes. In another seven years, a battle that will determine the pattern of the world will break out here.

    But I don¡¯t know what kind of color Liu Jing¡¯s arrival will add to this period of history.

    Liu Jing stared at it for a long time, but was interrupted by a hospitable bartender. "Master Jun, it's almost noon. Let's have a glass of water and wine in the shop before crossing the river! The boatmen on the pier are also resting now. Go  There¡¯s no one left.¡±

    Liu Jing looked back at the bartender and saw that he was smiling and his eyes were full of enthusiasm, so she asked, "Where is your bar?"

    The bartender pointed to a tavern not far behind him, "This is the first one in the town!"

    Liu Jing followed his hand and found that a hundred steps away from him was Chibi Town. Chibi Town was a small town with about a hundred households, most of which were called Jia (the ancients called those who went out to operate businesses, and those who opened shops on the ground).  Called Jia).

    There are dozens of shops on both sides of a main street, including hotels, taverns, brothels, food supplies, groceries from the north and south, etc., mainly doing business with Jiang customers.

    Many ships plying the river will also dock at Chibi to drink and buy things, so Chibi Town seems quite lively.

    The first tavern at the entrance of the town is the tavern that the bartender refers to. It is a two-story building with a vegetable garden at the back. It covers an area of ??about two acres. There is a horse hitching post in front of the gate, with more than a dozen horses tied up.  A wooden pole was erected, with a wine flag on it, with black edges and a yellow background, and the words "Chun Lai Ju" written in big words.

    Liu Jing was eager to cross the river. He was hesitating when his entourage smiled and said: "How about General Liu go have a drink first, and I will go to the pier to arrange a boat and then come over."

    Liu Jing nodded, that¡¯s fine. At this time, the bartender smiled and said, ¡°There are also Jun Ye¡¯s friends in the pub. They recognized Jun Ye and asked me to greet him.¡±

    "friend?"

    Liu Jing was slightly stunned. He couldn't remember any friends he had in Jiangxia County. He glanced at the tavern in confusion, and his curiosity finally made him rush towards the tavern.

    The business in the tavern is not very good. The second floor is basically empty. Only the first floor is occupied by less than half of the guests. There are only about a dozen people.

    As soon as Liu Jing arrived at the door, he saw two people sitting at the door, a man and a woman, both very young. The boy was about the same age as him, tall and tall, with tiger eyes and a high nose, slightly dark skin, wearing brocade robes and leather belts around his waist.  , looks heroic, but his eyes are particularly blazingly staring at his horse.

    Liu Jing recognized the girl sitting opposite him at a glance. Wasn't she the girl who fought with Huang Yi's slaves at Xingchun Bridge?  It turned out to be her!

    The girl saw Liu Jing and stood up with a smile, "General, do you still recognize me?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "I am relieved that the girl can leave Wuchang City safely!"

    He tied the war horse to the hitching post and asked the bartender to get good horse feed and clean water. Then he walked into the tavern, cupped his hands slightly and smiled and said: "I didn't expect to meet a girl again in Chibi. Sure enough, we meet each other everywhere in life."  ¡±

    The girl is no longer dressed in a black skirt and red cape like last time. Instead, she is wearing a long skirt with a waist and a white skirt tied at the armpits, making her figure look slender and pretty. She is also wearing a thick short jacket, which is snow-white.  There was a fiery red fox fur around his neck.

    At this time, there was no trace of murderous aura in her body, and the dagger and war bow were gone. She became gentle and virtuous. Although she was a little young, there was an indescribable elegance in her movements, which was different from the murderous aura she had last time.My little girl is completely different from the other two.

    The girl Yingying gave a gift, "Thank you for your hard work, sir, so that I can leave Wuchang City safely. The little girl is very grateful."

    Although she practices martial arts, hates evil as much as she hates evil, and kills people regardless of the consequences, when she is quiet and quiet, her thoughts become very delicate. Liu Jing bears the consequences of killing people with all her strength, and her heart is like a mirror.

    ¡°Girl, you¡¯ve got a prize!¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and saluted back, not taking this matter to heart. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, but found that the young man next to him was a little absent-minded. He looked at his horse from time to time, with a look of longing that was difficult to conceal in his eyes.  Liu Jing felt a sense of vigilance in her heart. Could it be that they were coming for her own war horse?

    He coughed lightly and smiled at the young man: "I am Liu Jian, a commander of the Jingzhou Army. May I ask what your surname is?"

    The young man quickly withdrew his gaze, looking a little flustered, as if someone had read his mind, and he quickly clasped his fists and said, "My surname is Tao, from Chaisang. General, you can call me Shiro. This is my little sister. Thank you, Master, for helping me in Wuchang City.  "

    Liu Jing then understood their identities. They turned out to be the Tao family of Chaisang. No wonder they looked like members of the wealthy family.

    "You don't have to be polite, Mr. Tao. In fact, I should be the one thanking your sister for helping me."

    "Haha! The general is too modest."

    The young man waved his hand and said with a smile: "General, please take a seat!"

    Liu Jingqian gave a few words and sat down. The angle where he sat was just right so that he could see the horses outside the tavern. The young man ordered someone to serve the wine again, and then he asked with a smile: "From the accent, the general seems to be from Taishan County. How could he do that?"  Join the army in Jingzhou?"

    "The world is in chaos, nothing is impossible."

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, took out a small brocade bag from her arms, carefully took out a gold hairpin from the bag, and handed it back to the girl, "This is the girl's gold hairpin! It's so delicate. I wish I didn't take it."  Broken.¡±

    The girl's eyes lit up and she took the gold hairpin with a smile on her face, "I thought I lost it, but it turned out that the young master found it. My mother gave it to me. I'm so grateful to the young master."

    At this time, the young man looked at the war horses outside the tavern again. He finally couldn't help but said: "General Liu, did you get the war horses outside the tavern from Zhang Wu?"

    "Exactly! Zhang Wu was killed by me, so his horse will naturally belong to me. I think the young master seems to be very interested in this horse."

    The young man bit his lip and summoned up the courage to say: "To be honest, we came to Jiangxia just for this war horse. There is a white tear stain under this horse's right eye. His name is Lu. He is a famous horse in the world. I am willing to go out."  I bought this horse for a hundred gold, I wonder if the general can part with it?¡±

    Liu Jing laughed. This young man really didn¡¯t understand the ways of the world. He actually said that he was a famous horse in the world and even offered a hundred gold to buy it. No one would sell it to him.

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I won't sell it even if it's a thousand pieces of gold!"

    The young man's face changed, he stayed for a long time, and drank the wine in the glass. The girl next to him smiled and said: "General Liu, we have been paying attention to this horse since last year. We also sent people to contact Zhang Wu, and Zhang Wu agreed.  We gave this horse as a gift, but unexpectedly a war broke out. Zhang Wu died unexpectedly, and this horse was also obtained by the general. This makes us very sorry. If the general trusts us, he can come with us to Chaisang Tao's house. We  I am willing to exchange three thousand taels of gold for this horse. I wonder if the general will agree?"

    "It turns out that it was because of this horse that the girl and I met again in Chibi. It seems that you have noticed me a long time ago."

    Liu Jing shook her head, "What a pity! I won't exchange it for ten thousand gold."

    As soon as Liu Jing finished speaking, the young man put his ear cup on the table and said coldly: "I was polite to you because you were helping my sister-in-law in Wuchang City, otherwise we would have discussed it with you long ago.  Let¡¯s take action, Mr. Liu, don¡¯t be punished if you don¡¯t drink the toast!¡±

    "Does Mr. Tao want to steal my horse?" Liu Jing's tone also turned cold, tit for tat.

    "I just advise you that those who know the current affairs are heroes. Your martial arts skills are not even comparable to those of my sister-in-law, let alone me and others. Just open your eyes and take a look!"

    When the young man said this, more than a dozen drinkers stood up. They were all tall and tall, with sharp eyes. Each of them had a sharp knife at their waist. They sealed the door and windows, leaving Liu Jing with no way to escape.

    Liu Jing chuckled and said, "It seems that I can only be a wise man who knows the current affairs and give away the war horse with both hands."

    As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly moved and reached out to grab the girl in front of his eyes. Before the girl could resist, he had already strangled the girl's neck and pressed a dagger with a cold light against her beautiful cheek.

    The girl reacted very quickly, and slammed her elbow back, hitting Liu Jing in the chest. Liu Jing grunted, tightened the dagger in her hand, and a shallow blood mark appeared on her delicate cheek skin.

      "If you dare to mess around again, your appearance will be ruined."

    The girl was not afraid of death, but she was extremely afraid of losing her appearance. Even if she killed a hundred Liu Jing, she could not regain her flowery and jade-like appearance. She could not help but loosen her clenched fists. She was filled with hatred and shouted: "Shameless!"  Disciple, let me go!"

    Liu Jing grabbed the girl, and the girl's resistance and subsequent surrender were all completed in an instant. It was only then that her brother and the surrounding entourage reacted.

    "You are brave!"

    The young man became furious, slapped the table and stood up, "Let her go!"

    More than a dozen followers gathered around with swords drawn. Liu Jing stood up, dragged the girl against the wall, and said coldly: "I'm sorry, I just don't understand current affairs. If you want her to die, just come forward.  "

    All the followers looked at the young man. The young man grew up in a good education. He had always been aloof and did not understand the dangers of the world. He never dreamed that Liu Jing would dare to take his sister as a hostage. He was simply eating the heart of a bear and the courage of a leopard.  He had no idea that Liu Jing had always been brave enough to do anything, and there was nothing in the world that he didn't dare to do.

    The boy was confused for a moment. If something happened to his sister, how would he explain it to his mother and second brother?  He took a deep breath and waved his hand quickly, "Let her go, I don't want your horse anymore."

    The young man's show of weakness made Liu Jing see more clearly. This girl was simply more precious to them than the princess. This was their weakness. How could he let her go?

    Liu Jing sneered and shouted: "Get aside, everyone!"

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 37 Girl Hostage

    [Recommendation votes are precious, it would be a pity to waste them!  Vote for Lao Gao!  ¡¿

    ====

    " When the young man saw Liu Jing showing his fierce look, murderous intent, and holding a sharp dagger on his sister's neck, he felt angry and panicked, but he had nothing to do.

    After a moment of confrontation, the young man had no choice but to give in. He glared at Liu Jing fiercely and ordered everyone around him, "Get aside!"

    Everyone stepped back and gave way to the door of the tavern. Liu Jing whispered to the girl: "I am safe, so I will let you go. If you dare to resist once, I will slash your face and leave!"

    The girl bit her lips until they turned white. She had never been held hostage by a man before, but he still held her tightly. This humiliation made her extremely embarrassed, but she was also afraid that the other man would accidentally cut her cheek. Then her  The appearance is over.

    After all, she is a girl who loves beauty and values ??her beauty more than anything else. She also understands the other person's situation. As long as the other person does not harm her excessively, she will not risk losing her appearance to fight against the man who holds her hostage.

    She had no choice but to endure the humiliation and followed Liu Jing slowly towards the gate obediently. Liu Jing controlled the girl and left the tavern step by step. At this time, Liu Jing's entourage had already heard the news and ran back from the dock.

    Seeing that Liu Jing had come out, he hurriedly untied the reins of the war horse. Liu Jing whistled, and the war horse followed him obediently towards the riverside dock.

    The young man and a dozen of his men followed them all the way. The young man saw his sister's delicate body being dragged step by step towards the dock by Liu Jing. He was so angry that his eyes burst out with fire, and he secretly swore that he would cut this person into pieces.  part.

    "Everyone, listen up. As soon as he lets him go on the pier, we will take action at the same time. We will never let him escape. Do you understand?"

    "Understood!"

    Everyone clenched their weapons and followed Liu Jing step by step, ready to go.

    On the pier, the ship was ready. It was a five-hundred-stone building ship. Liu Jing's entourage led the horses onto the ship first.

    At this time, Liu Jing quickly glanced at the young man and his men following him from the corner of his eye. He saw that they had grasped their weapons and deployed in all directions. It was obvious that they were about to launch an attack.

    "madness!"

    Liu Jing sneered and whispered to the girl: "Get on the boat!"

    "Why do you want me to get on the boat?"

    The girl couldn't help but get angry. She gritted her teeth and stared at Liu Jing, "I have been obedient until now. How long will it take for you to let me go?"

    Liu Jing¡¯s dagger was still pressed against her face, showing no mercy, ¡°I¡¯ll let you go after crossing the river, get on the boat!¡±

    The girl had no choice but to be held hostage by Liu Jing and boarded the boat. The boat shook a little and started slowly. The young man was furious and rushed forward and shouted: "Liu Jing, what are you going to do, don't let my sister go!"  "

    Liu Jing said without looking back: "You wait for another hour, and the ship will naturally send my sister back. If you dare to cause trouble, my sister will die at the bottom of the river. Which is more serious, you can weigh it yourself!"

    The young man was filled with hatred, but he could do nothing. He watched the ship leave the dock and sail towards the center of the river.

    A follower stepped forward and whispered: "Young Master, why don't we follow him in a boat and do it underwater!"

    The young man turned back and glared at the follower, vented all his anger on him, and kicked him away, "You idiot, Shang Xiang is in his hands, do you want to kill her?"

    Everyone was too frightened to say anything.

    The young man stared at the ship in the distance again, slowly calmed down, and said in a deep voice: "I was careless this time, I admit defeat, and I won't let him escape next time."

    He turned back and ordered one of his subordinates, "Follow me to Xiangyang, inquire about Luma's whereabouts, find out who this officer is, and then come back and report."

    "Follow your orders!"

    The men bowed and hurriedly looked for a boat.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the river, the ship slowly sailed to the other side. Liu Jing stood on the bow of the ship with his hands behind his hands, staring at the vast and shining river. At this time, Liu Jing had already let go of the girl. She sat on the other side, gently rubbing the quilt.  Liu Jing's cheek was pressed with blood marks with the dagger.

    Although her appearance was not disfigured, it would take at least two months for these marks to disappear. She was filled with hatred and anger, and tears welled up in her eyes.

    At this time, Liu Jing couldn't help but glance at the girl again.

    "What are you looking at!"

    The girl gritted her teeth and stared at him and said: "Kill me with one knife and throw my body into the river. This is the best way to save me from coming to settle accounts with you in the future."

    "I didn't mean to offend you, girl, but you bullied me too much. I fought for my life on the battlefield to win my Luma. YouBut I want to snatch it away. If it weren't for the fact that the girl has fought the enemy side by side with me, I would have killed you long ago. I, Liu Jing, am cruel and ruthless, and I will do what I say.  "

    "Your name is Liu Jing!"

    The girl looked at him, "Isn't your name Liu Jian? You lied to us."

    Liu Jing smiled and looked at her, "I'm just lying to you! But is the girl's surname also Tao?"

    The girl curled her lips contemptuously, "You don't need to know my last name. You just need to remember that if you offend me, you will regret it for the rest of your life."

    "There is a word 'ren' on the girl's gold hairpin. That is the girl's name. I guess her surname is Sun!"

    The girl's face changed drastically and turned pale. She looked at Liu Jing in horror, as if her background was exposed all at once. She had a fear of being deceived. Her brother and followers were not around. When the boat reached the other side, he would still be there.  Let yourself go?

    The girl couldn't help but look into the river, wondering if she could escape by jumping into the river.

    Liu Jing said calmly: "No matter whether your surname is Sun or Cao, I will definitely believe what I say and will naturally let you go. However, it's best that the girl and brother Ling don't get involved in danger anymore. You are too immature and many of your words are revealing."  If something is wrong, I can tell it, and so can others.¡±

    Liu Jing¡¯s words made the girl feel slightly at ease. After a moment of silence, she couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°How did you guess it?¡±

    Liu Jing laughed, "I just deceived you, but you admitted it yourself, girl, what do you think?"

    "you"

    The girl¡¯s face turned red with anger, ¡°Youyou are a scoundrel!¡±

    Liu Jing ignored her. Although Sun Jian and Liu Biao were feuding, it had nothing to do with him. He just kidnapped Sun Quan's sister. The consequences were enough for him to drink. So he first found out her identity and then let her go. I hope they can  Take this favor!

    After a while, the girl's heart calmed down a little. She couldn't help but glance at Liu Jing again. She seemed to have thought of something. She bit her lip and whispered: "General Liu, an ordinary man is not guilty. He is guilty of having a jade.  Even Zhang Wu couldn't keep this horse, let alone a small village leader. This horse is destined not to belong to you. If you are willing to dedicate your war horse to me, I will not only give you three thousand taels of gold, but also recommend you to Jiangdong.  General Junya, I will also cancel your offense against me. How about this? This is your opportunity to get promoted and make a fortune."

    "Are you trying to persuade me to surrender to Soochow?" Liu Jing looked at her with a half-smile.

    The girl sighed, "I'm telling the truth. You definitely can't keep this horse. By the way, your surname is Liu, unless you are cousin Liu's nephew, but could you be?"

    The girl stared at Liu Jing, her eyes full of expectation. She hoped that Liu Jing would understand the pros and cons and finally hand the horse over to her. At this moment, the boat suddenly shook violently, and she realized that she had reached the other side.

    Liu Jing did not respond to her expectations. He took the horse and bowed slightly to her, "Girl, take care of yourself!"

    "Liu Jing, aren't you afraid that I will retaliate and kill you?" The girl rushed forward a few steps and shouted loudly. Her heart was filled with the humiliation of being held hostage. She was unwilling to see Liu Jing leave like this.

    Liu Jing stopped, without looking back, and said in a deep voice: "I didn't harm the girl, why did the girl harm me?"

    After saying that, he led the war horse to the shore, and the two of them got on their horses. Liu Jing gave an order to his entourage, who ran forward, threw a knife at the girl's feet, and the two of them galloped away towards the north.

    Perhaps due to the anger in her heart, the girl did not realize the deep meaning of Liu Jing throwing the knife for a while. Her heart was still wandering between anger and unwillingness. Looking at Liu Jing's figure disappearing, she stamped her feet with hatred, "The surname is Liu,  Just wait and see!¡±

    Although she was extremely resentful of Liu Jing's rudeness and kidnapping and was unwilling to accept his favor, her resentment soon faded away.

    Because she found that if he didn't give her a knife, her return journey would be even more difficult. After all, six or seven rude boatmen despised her because she was held hostage, and this contempt made their eyes change.  Not being kind, everyone looked at her with evil intentions.

    The girl jumped up the stairs, cut off the thick handrail with a knife, and shouted angrily: "Sail the boat honestly, otherwise none of you will survive."

    The girl's bravery made the boatmen put away their contempt and no longer dared to have evil intentions, so they opened the boat and sailed to the other side.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Wuchang City, Huang Zu put his hands behind his hands on the crane-releasing pavilion at the dock, watching Liu Bei's army fleet go away. He sighed softly, with a meaningful smile on his lips.

    "Father, the child has something to say." Huang Zu's eldest son Huang She, who had been standing beside him, whispered. He had been holding some words in his heart for several days, just waiting.Prepare the army to leave.

    Huang Zu nodded and winked at the soldiers beside him. The soldiers left the pavilion one after another, and the last one closed the door.

    "My son, what do you have to say?"

    "My father made friends with Liu Bei, and the boy was very worried that the governor would be displeased. Wang Wei came with the army. How could the governor not know about it? Would the governor be dissatisfied with his father because of this?"

    Huang Zu narrowed his eyes and laughed, "How could I not understand this taboo in official circles, but you don't understand that once this happens, Liu Biao may not only suppress me, but also win over me. You  What methods do you think Liu Biao will use against the Huang family in Jiangxia? "

    Only then did Huang She understand what his father meant, "Father is saying that the state pastor will redouble his efforts to win over the Huang family and get his father away from Liu Bei, right?"

    "of course!"

    Huang Zu said confidently with a smile: "Liu Biao relied on the support of famous families in Jingzhou when he started his career. He did not dare to offend the famous families in Jingzhou, especially me, the Huang family of Jiangxia, which is directly related to the safety of Jiangxia County. If he suppresses and persecutes me, I will directly surrender to Jiangdong. Isn't he afraid?  , so I know very well that he will only try to win over me, but will never suppress me. "

    Having said this, Huang Zu sighed slightly, "In the past two years, Liu Biao has been a bit contemptuous of me. Liu Bei's fawning over me should be regarded as a warning to him! Let him wake up."

    "Father is really smart!"

    Huang She then understood his father's intention and admired him sincerely. He paused and said, "Then can father use the opportunity of Zhou Mu to win over him and mention the murder of his third brother? This matter cannot be left unattended like this, at least.  That Liu Jing should publicly apologize to the Huang family!"

    "You know nothing!"

    Huang Zu glanced at his son coldly, "I have written a letter of apology to Liu Biao for this matter. It was my Huang Zu who was not strict in controlling his nephew, which led to him publicly raping civilian girls in broad daylight. He deserves it!"

    Huang She was stunned, "ThisFather, this would hurt the family's feelings too much."

    Huang Zu stared at the river with his hands behind his hands. For a long time, he smiled faintly and said, "Compared to my interests, family feelings are simply not worth mentioning."

    ??

    ??

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 38, The Jinfan Thief

    Every step of Lao Gao's progress is inseparable from everyone's support. He is in a stalemate on the list. I hope everyone will vote for it!  Click to collect, Lao Gao is very grateful.

    ======

    Two days later, Liu Jing finally returned to Xiangyang City. He and his entourage first went to the pier in the north of the city. When they learned that Liu Bei's fleet had not returned yet, he took out a gold ingot of five taels and stuffed it into his entourage. He smiled at him and said, "We are here along the way.  Thank you for your hard work, please go home first! Please accept this money, it is a little thought from me, and I can buy something for my wife, children, and parents."

    The entourage¡¯s home was in Fancheng on the other side of the Han River. He couldn¡¯t refuse, so he gratefully accepted the gold, bowed and left.

    Liu Jing watched him go to the dock, then turned his horse and ran towards the city gate, all the way north. After riding for three days, he was a little tired. He planned to go back to his hometown to have a good sleep before going to his uncle Liu Biao to report on the mission.  .

    Liu Jing's horse was running briskly all the way. It was noon at this time, and the open spaces on both sides of the official road outside Beicheng were filled with various stalls. People were coming and going, and business was booming.

    There are several taverns and hotels not far away. You can faintly hear the laughter and noise coming from the taverns. The most famous Wangjiang Tavern in Xiangyang City is located in the northernmost part.

    The defense of Xiangyang City is very tight. Outside the north city, there is an urn city. After passing through the urn city, there is the real inner city. Nearly a thousand soldiers guard the north gate.

    Although the city was well-defended, the soldiers were not very dedicated. Dozens of soldiers guarding the city lazily gathered in small groups to rest by the city wall. A few soldiers looked askance at the pedestrians coming in and out, but generally they did not ask any questions about the pedestrians.  , only when they see suspicious people will they stop them for questioning.

    At this moment, the soldiers¡¯ eyes lit up almost at the same time, ¡°Look!¡± Someone shouted in a low voice, ¡°That horse!¡±

    The soldiers all saw it. A very majestic war horse was running slowly towards the city gate. The man on the horse seemed to be an officer.

    At this time, as long as it was not a civil servant under E Guanbo's command, the soldiers would not take seriously an officer without an entourage.

    Dozens of soldiers were in high spirits and swarmed around Liu Jing's horse. They were not provocative and blocked the road, but crowded on both sides of the road and pointed at the horse.

    "What a beautiful horse, even more majestic than Commander Cai's yellow-hoofed lion head."

    "Grandmaster Cai's horse is far inferior. I think Lord Zhou Mu's Chasing the Wind Horse is even inferior."

    While they were discussing, someone recognized the owner of the war horse and exclaimed in a low voice: "Isn't this Mr. Jing?"

    "Who is Young Master Jing?"

    "Idiot! Mr. Jing doesn't even know who defeated Cai Jin in a sword fight last time. Have you forgotten?"

    "It turns out it's him, the nephew of Zhou Mu!"

    Recognizing Liu Jing, several soldiers who wanted to strike up a conversation were frightened and retreated. Liu Jing smiled, urged the horse and left. Everyone could only watch the majestic war horse galloping into the city gate.

    Liu Jing has long been accustomed to these envious comments along the way. He also realizes that this war horse will bring him a little trouble, but he hopes it is just a little trouble.

    As soon as we entered Wengcheng, someone suddenly shouted from behind: "The Jinfan thief is here!"

    I saw countless hawkers setting up stalls selling vegetables and groceries outside the city. They were all so frightened that they stumbled in from outside the city, scrambling to be the first, and swarming in. The posture was like that of later generations of hawkers encountering law enforcement.

    The words ¡®Jinfan Thief¡¯ aroused Liu Jing¡¯s great interest. He immediately turned the horse¡¯s head, lightly clamped his legs, and the horse clattered towards the outside of the city.

    The area outside Beicheng was originally a lively place, selling fish and vegetables, various north and south miscellaneous department stores, hundreds of stalls, as well as three pubs and two hotels.

    But at this time, the tofu stall was overturned, the vegetables were trampled to pieces, the vendors ran away, the three pubs were closed, and dozens of drinkers hid behind the windows and peered out.

    The sound of "Jinfan Thief" scared the people of Xiangyang into a panic.

    As many people who were brave enough to watch the excitement came out, some vendors also missed their stalls and slipped out of the city. Hundreds of people gathered on both sides of the city gate.

    There were more than a hundred sailboats parked along the river not far from Xiangyang City. About 400 people got off the boats and gathered on the river bank. The sails of a large ship behind them were being furled.  Woven with colorful brocade.

    Three big men walked quickly towards the city gate. The leader was about 20 years old, eight feet and two tall, with dark skin, piercing tiger eyes under a pair of sword-shaped eyebrows, a high nose and square face, and a handsome appearance.  .

    He was wearing a gorgeous brocade robe, but his coat was open, revealing the bronze muscles on his chest. He held a pair of halberds in his hands, a bow and arrow on his back, and a long knife on his waist. He walked with great power, looking both bohemian and majestic.  stern.

    He walked past Liu Jing, a strong manly aura rushed towards him, bringing a strong pressure. The pair of double halberds in his hands weighed at least eighty kilograms, and a pair of big hands held the double halberds tightly like steel tiger claws.

    Liu Jing quickly urged his horse to give way to the roadside. The big man glanced at his horse in surprise and smiled at him, showing his snow-white teeth.

    This smile immediately made Liu Jing feel a fondness for him. Could this man be the famous Gan Ning in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The defenders at the city gate had become nervous. Groups of soldiers rushed to the top of the city, holding spears and bows and arrows, watching the hundreds of visitors on the water who appeared outside the city.

    The general in charge of the defense of Xiangyang was named Cai Zhong, a younger brother of the Cai Mao clan. He was just a tooth general. He was seven feet six tall, with extremely thick and broad shoulders. He had a pair of triangular eyes. He was known as a ruthless person in Xiangyang.

    He just heard from his soldiers that a BMW had entered the city, so he ran to the top of the city, but happened to see Gan Ning appear. Cai Zhong was holding a gold-backed tiger-tooth knife, and watched with cold eyes as several people gradually approached the city gate.  The big man.

    "Stop!"

    Cai Zhong shouted sharply: "Who among you dares to break into Xiangyang City without permission?"

    The leader of the big man waved his hand to signal his men to stop. He quickly stepped forward and saluted with fists in his hands, saying loudly: "I am Gan Ning Gan Xingba. I heard that Liuzhou Mu was looking for talents, so I came here to serve!"

    Although everyone had guessed that he was Gan Ning, his self-introduction still caused an uproar in the city. Gan Ning was very famous in Jingxiang and everyone in Jingzhou, old and young, knew that this man was the leader of the water thieves in the river.  He is righteous and generous, but at the same time cruel and ruthless. If he respects others, he will repay him tenfold; if he hates others, he will retaliate tenfold.

    ??????????????????????????????????????????Out of the water, he displays his chariots and horses, and when traveling on the water, he connects to the canoe. He also uses brocade as a sail when sailing, so he is nicknamed the "Jinfan Thief".

    Because he killed people like crazy and looted money and goods without mercy, he had been rampant in Jingxianghe and Bashu rivers for many years. The government repeatedly encircled and suppressed him without success, but they did not expect that he would appear under Xiangyang City.

    "The Jinfan thief is going to kill someone!"

    The soldiers on the city were shouting, bows and arrows raised, and hundreds of arrows were aimed at Gan Ning below the city. Everyone was extremely nervous, as if Gan Ning was leading troops to attack Xiangyang.

    Cai Zhong's triangular eyes narrowed into a thin line, and a fierce light flashed in his eyes. He was also ordered to exterminate this Jinfan thief two years ago, but returned with a huge defeat. It was that failure that caused Zhou Mu to be furious.  He was dismissed from his position as a fake captain of the navy and became the general who defends the city today.

    Cai Zhongxin suddenly had a murderous intention, and it actually came to his door. How could he let go of this opportunity?  But he also knew in his heart that Gan Ning was extremely skilled in martial arts and had weapons in his hands. A hasty attack would make this man run away, so he needed to use a trick to coax him into the city first.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Thinking of this, Cai Zhong chuckled, "It turns out that Brother Gan came to seek refuge with Zhou Mu and correct his evil ways. This is a good thing!"

    He turned around and ordered his men, "Put down your bows and arrows!"

    The soldiers slowly put down their bows and arrows. Cai Zhong quickly walked down the city and out of the city gate. He bowed deeply and saluted, smiled, revealing his two golden front teeth, and said with great sincerity: "Brother Gan  He is a hero among men and is willing to join Zhou Mu. This is a great joy for the Jingzhou Army. I, Cai Zhong, will do my best and I am willing to lead Brother Gan to see Zhou Mu. Please follow me into the city!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing heard clearly, and it turned out to be Gan Ning. At this time, more and more people gathered around him, and Liu Jing heard whispers from the people around him.

    "This Jinfan thief is in trouble. He unexpectedly met Cai Zhong. Cai Zhong was defeated by him back then. How can we spare him today?"

    "No way! Gan Xingba came to seek refuge with Zhou Mu. Cai Zhong dares to kill him?"

    "Hmph! What do the Cai family dare not do? Zhou Mu will not offend the Cai family for Gan Ning."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing was secretly surprised. Today is a bit troublesome. If Gan Ning can't stay, he will definitely go to Soochow. But the problem now is that Cai Zhong seems to be taking the opportunity to kill people.

    Although he, Liu Jing, is Liu Biao's nephew, he is still a soft-spoken person at this time, and Cai Zhong may not be willing to listen to him. The current plan is that only Liu Biao personally comes forward to save the situation, but if he goes to invite Liu Biao, it will take at least half an hour.  , wait until then, the day lily is cold, what should I do?

    Liu Jing was anxious, but at the moment there was nothing she could do.

    Gan Ning sneered. He was not a three-year-old child. What was Cai Zhong's intention? Of course he understood that since he had expressed his intention to seek refuge with Liu Biao, Liu Biao must come to see him in person to clear the air and ensure his own safety. If Liu Biao  Without even this bit of heart and sincerity, he had no choice but to seek refuge with Sun Quan of Soochow.

    Gan Ning smiled lightly and said, "Thank you very much, General Cai, for your kindness. I, Gan Ning, have come all the way here."?, I just hope that Zhou Mu can give him face and come to meet him at the north gate. Please tell General Cai to tell Zhou Mu that Gan Ning is waiting for him here.  "

    "Presumptuous!"

    Cai Zhong was furious, "How could you, the state pastor, come to greet you, a thief in the river? If you don't know how to appreciate me, then don't blame me for being rude."

    Cai Zhong waved his hand, and more than a hundred soldiers behind him swarmed up, surrounding Gan Ning. A hundred crossbows were aimed at Gan Ning from front to back and left to right.

    Gan Ning¡¯s men were shocked, and drew their swords to rush forward, but Gan Ning waved his hand to stop them. He sneered without showing his face, "Is this the way of hospitality in Jingzhou?"

    Cai Zhong raised his head and laughed, "If there is a road to heaven, don't take it. If there is no way underground, you will have to surrender. Gan Xingba, today is the day you will be crowned. Come and die!"

    He was about to give the order to shoot arrows, but Gan Ning tightened his grip on the two halberds and was about to explode. At this moment, a loud shout came: "The state pastor has an order!"

    Immediately afterwards, a majestic war horse rushed into the encirclement like the wind. Several soldiers were unable to dodge and were knocked to the ground by the war horse. The sudden change caused the impending momentum of both sides to stop

 Volume 1, Chapter 39: Resolving the Crisis

    Cai Zhongzhong was stunned when he arrived in time. The order to shoot arrows was not issued. Gan Ning also withdrew the murderous spirit that was about to burst out. The two of them looked at the charging man at the same time.

    The person who came was wearing fish scale armor and an eagle-edge helmet. He was dressed like an ordinary low-level officer, but the BMW under his crotch was particularly eye-catching.

    Gan Ning was surprised, but kept his expression. Cai Zhong stared at the BMW with greed in his eyes, and then glanced at Liu Jing. He didn't recognize Liu Jing. Seeing that he was just a low-level officer, he suddenly became furious.  Pointing the long knife in his hand, "Who are you? How dare you do the following!"

    The people around were whispering, and they were all surprised. The person who came was naturally Liu Jing. At the critical moment, he rushed in without thinking.

    Liu Jing said calmly: "I am just a village commander, and I would like to make some comments to General Cai."

    Cai Zhong's triangular eyes narrowed and he laughed ferociously, "You don't know how to live or die. How dare a small village leader do something like this? I will be killed according to military regulations. Leave this horse to me. Spare your life, otherwise  , I will kill you too!¡±

    Cai Zhong stared at Liu Jing with a fierce look, but Liu Jing sneered silently.

    "Archers, prepare!" Cai Zhong ordered fiercely.

    Hundreds of crossbowmen raised their crossbows. At this time, an uncle guarding the city gate ran forward and whispered a few words in Cai Zhong's ear.

    Cai Zhong was startled, he was Zhou Mu's nephew. It turned out that this young general was Liu Jing who defeated Cai Jin. He looked at the young general in front of him with doubts. He looked at the handsome horse with a confident expression. It looked like he was really Zhou Mu's nephew.  .

    Cai Zhong didn¡¯t dare to mess around anymore. He waved his hand and said, ¡°Put it all down!¡±

    The soldiers all put down their crossbows. Liu Jing turned back to Gan Ning and smiled slightly: "General Gan is a heroic man. Can I say a few words of justice?"

    Gan Ning secretly screamed with shame. He also became greedy for the young man's war horse. He wanted to snatch it away, but unexpectedly the other man defended himself wholeheartedly, which made him feel ashamed. His face became a little hot, and he nodded and said: "Young Master  Please say!"

    Liu Jing was enthusiastic and generous in his previous life. He liked to fight injustices and was willing to solve problems for others. He also had experience as a lawyer. He knew very well how to alleviate the conflicts between the two parties in this situation.

    Not only must the conflict that is about to break out be controlled, but Gan Ning must be kept. He must not be allowed to go to Soochow, and he must not offend Cai Zhong too much. He must be given a step back to prevent him from becoming angry and killing people regardless of the consequences. In short, all aspects  We all have to take care of everything so that this crisis can be eliminated.

    He revealed his identity and gained recognition from the other party. This was the first step towards success, but the next few steps should not be missed.

    Liu Jing raised his hands and smiled at Cai Zhong: "General Cai is loyal to his duties and his meticulous attitude is admirable. It's just that General Gan came thousands of miles to come here with sincerity. I believe Zhou Mu is also willing to use his reputation as an open-minded, accepting and hospitable person."  It spreads throughout the world and attracts more talented people, so I ask General Cai to be a little more tolerant and wait for the state pastor to handle the matter. I wonder what General Cai thinks?"

    ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Out of a few compliments, but the words that follow are soft yet strong, soft yet thorny. In fact, they are warning Cai Zhong, don't ruin the lord's reputation for recruiting talents.

    You must know that reputation is extremely important in the late Han Dynasty, especially for princes like Liu Biao. Only with a virtuous reputation will people come to seek refuge.

    Cai Zhong looked very ugly. Originally, he wanted to kill Gan Ning without anyone noticing, which would not only relieve his hatred, but also kill the water thief and kill two birds with one stone.

    However, when Liu Jing appeared, he knew that his plan had failed, but let it go, and he couldn't lose face. Cai Zhong said coldly: "It turns out to be Mr. Jing. He was offended just now. Since Mr. Jing wants to protect the state,  "Mu's reputation, please report it to Zhou Mu. This person is a huge thief. I want to keep an eye on him and prevent him from committing robberies in the name of surrender."

    Liu Jing is a little embarrassed. He can't leave Beicheng at this time. He knows very well that once he leaves, something will happen. Even if Gan Ning survives, he will be driven away by Cai Zhong.

    He pondered for a moment and then said: "Can you please General Cai to accompany me?"

    "no!"

    Cai Jing flatly refused, "It is my duty to strictly guard the city gate and prevent water thieves from entering the city. I will not leave the city gate."

    Liu Jing really feels that things are difficult to handle. It would have been better if he had known that his entourage would not leave first. What should he do? Who is willing to deliver the message for him?

    People on both sides were talking a lot. Under a big tree not far away, an old Taoist priest with white hair and boyish face was holding a strong mule and watching Liu Jing from a distance, stroking his long beard and smiling without saying a word.

    At this moment, a long laugh came from the nearby wine shop, "Master Jing, how about I report it to the State Mu for you?"

    I saw a tall and thin scribe walking out of the wine shop.Wearing a white Confucian robe and a plain scarf, he is about twenty-five or six years old. He has fair skin, bright and straight eyes, is elegant and calm, and is indescribably gentle.

    Cai Zhong knew this person, and secretly thought he was lucky, "It turned out that he was hiding in a wine shop and almost made a big mistake."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed, bowed her head and saluted, "Sir, may I ask your surname?"

    The young scribe slightly cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I am a staff member in Liuzhou's pastoral tent. I am a native of Shanyang!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Zhennan General¡¯s Mansion located in the west of the city is also the Jingzhou Prefectural Mufu, the center of power in the entire Jingxiang region. At this time, in the state government office, Liu Biaozheng, Cai Mao and Kuai Yue were discussing important matters.

    Liu Biao received a letter from Yuan Shao today, requesting Liu Biao to send troops to the Central Plains. Yuan Shao attacked from the north. The two armies attacked Cao Cao from the north and the south, killing the Han traitors and sharing the common cause.

    In fact, this is the second letter written by Yuan Shao. During the Battle of Guandu last year, Yuan Shao wrote and asked to form an alliance with Liu Biao to attack Cao Cao. Liu Biao was hesitant, but except for Huang Zu, all his important ministers agreed.  Opposed to forming an alliance with Yuan Shao.

    Even Han Song and Biejia Liu Xian persuaded him to surrender to Cao Cao while he was weak in order to gain re-employment.

    Today, Yuan Shao's second letter did not stir up much trouble. Kuai Yue smiled and said: "Last year, I knew that Benchu ??was bound to lose, so I advised my lord not to befriend the Yuan family. Yuan Shao is a man of little kindness and lack of wisdom. Tian Fengzhi  He planned but was jealous and harmed him, and he had an army of millions but was indecisive. It is so similar to He Jin in the past. If he fights against Cao's army again now, he will definitely lose!"

    Liu Biao pondered for a moment and then asked Cai Hao, "What does Degui think?"

    Although Cai Mao and Kuai Yue had family conflicts of interest, they had the same opinion on opposing an alliance with Yuan Shao. Cai Mao sneered, "Last year when Yuan was strong and Cao was weak, we did not form an alliance with Yuan Shao. Now Yuan Shao is weak."  Cao Qiang, we want to form an alliance with Yuan Shao. Isn¡¯t this a joke? If there are ten more letters like this, my lord doesn¡¯t need to pay attention.¡±

    Liu Biao was really worried. He was not worried about Yuan Shao, but worried about himself. Once Cao Cao destroyed Yuan Shao, would the next one be to attack Jingzhou?

    Cai Hao noticed Liu Biao's worry and said, "Wei Chen suspects that this letter is Yuan Shao's plan to bring trouble to Jingnan!"

    Liu Biao was startled, "How do you say this?"

    "Yuan Shao was defeated at Guandu last year, and this year he was defeated again at Cangting. He is at the end of his rope. At this time, he can't protect himself. He has no intention of killing Han bandits and working together for the common good. If my lord sends troops to the Central Plains, Jingzhou will definitely suffer a brutal attack from Cao's army.  In order to retaliate, Yuan Shao escaped the disaster and had a chance to breathe. This is actually Yuan Shao's plan to encircle Wei and save Zhao. My lord must not fall into the trap. "

    Liu Biao sighed secretly. He was in danger if he saved her, but if she didn't save him, there would be future troubles. It really put him in a dilemma.

    At this time, a guard quickly walked to the door and bowed to report: "I would like to report to the Zhou Mu. Mr. Yi asked to see you and said that you have something important to report."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yi is a native of Gaoping County, Shanyang County, and is from the same hometown as Liu Biao. When he was young, he went to Jingxiang to live with Liu Biao to escape the war. Because he was very intelligent and had a photographic memory of what he read, he was deeply appreciated by Liu Biao, so he helped him complete his studies and  He became a disciple of Pang Degong, a famous scholar in Xiangyang.

    At the age of twenty, when he was weak, Duke Pang recommended him to Liu Biao and became Liu Biao's staff, organizing documents and drafting letters for him, which won Liu Biao's trust.

    Today, Yiji had a day off and went shopping in Fancheng on the other side. When he came back, he had lunch at a restaurant outside Beicheng. Unexpectedly, he met Gan Ning who came to help him. He also saw with his own eyes Liu Jing's decisive resolution of the crisis.

    Yi Ji hurriedly walked into the lobby, still sighing at Liu Jing's decisiveness and wit. This requires not only courage, but also means, and more importantly, knowing how to be reasonable and disciplined. Even the slightest negligence will lead to failure. Liu Jing has done all this.  , It seems that this young man is only fifteen or sixteen years old, but he is very experienced in doing things, which makes Yiji deeply amazed.

    Yi Ji knelt down and bowed respectfully to Liu Biao, "I have something important to report to my lord."

    "What's wrong, Uncle Ji?" Liu Biao asked with a slight smile.

    "My subordinate went to Fancheng today. When I came back just now, I was about to meet Gan Ning who came to seek refuge with my lord."

    "But that Jinfan thief Gan Ning Gan Xingba?"

    Next to him, Cai Mao was furious. He was in charge of the Jingzhou navy and had many battles with Gan Ning, but was humiliated by him. This seriously damaged his reputation in the army and made him hate Gan Ning.

    "It's this person!"

    Yi Ji then told Cai Zhong outside the city gate that he wanted to kill Gan Ning, but Liu Jing stepped forward to defuse the imminent murderous intention of both parties. He described it in detail. He was very eloquent and had a good impression of Liu Jing in his heart.  Liu Jing's image was deliberately elevated.

    Cai Mao and Kuai Yue looked at each other. It turned out that Liu Jing was back.Mao was a man of status. Although he hated Gan Ning to the core, he would not be as unscrupulous as Cai Zhong. He knew that in the officialdom, he should not seize the initiative first. He suppressed the anger in his heart and said nothing for the time being, waiting for Liu Biao's opinion.

    Liu Biao pondered for a moment and said: "How to deal with this Gan Ning is indeed a headache."

    He glanced at Cai Mao, meaning to ask for Cai Mao's opinion. Cai Mao sneered, "This man has killed countless people and is full of evil. How many people in Jingzhou want to kill him and then quickly. Since he is here, I think the innocent people who died in his hands will  The living beings can rest in peace."

    Yi Ji was very worried. If he decided to kill Gan Ning, what would be the difference between it and Cai Zhong killing him? He quickly advised: "My lord, please listen to me. Gan Ning is a hero from Jing and Xiang. He is very skilled in martial arts. Now the world is in chaos.  The thief Cao peeked south. It was the time when Jingzhou was employing people, and there were many famous people in Jingzhou but few military generals. It was God's help to Gan Ning who came to surrender. The lord should use his force and not blame the past. He must not be rejected thousands of miles away, let alone kill him.  I hope my lord will learn from this."

    Cai Mao snorted loudly, "The wise help the virtuous to gain reputation, but the evil bring bad reputation. If my lord accepts a Jiang bandit as a general, he will destroy his own reputation. Who among the virtuous people in the world will dare to seek refuge with the lord? Mr. Yi, you have to consider your lord's reputation."  "

    Liu Biao had some contradictions in his heart. He also knew that Gan Ning was extremely skilled in martial arts and had courage that no man could match. Using him as a general would be a good choice to control Soochow or Cao's army. However, Cai Mao's words hit the mark again and he accepted the Jiang thieves as generals.  It would damage his reputation and stop the sage, which made Liu Biao really unsure about paying attention.

    At this time, Kuai Yue smiled slightly and said: "Actually, my lord, there is a third way to go."

    Liu Biao thought for a moment and suddenly realized that between accepting and not accepting, he did have a third way to go.

    ¡¾It¡¯s a new day, I hope everyone will vote to support Lao Gao and help Lao Gao compete for the list. This is actually a kind of fun!  ¡¿

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 40, Kuai Yue¡¯s Persuasion

    Outside the north gate of the city, Gan Ning was still waiting patiently. He was defeated because he participated in the battle against Liu Zhang's accession in Shu and was forced to become a water thief. At this time, the world was in chaos. He was unwilling to be a thief and wanted to make contributions, so he came to Liu Biao to seek refuge.  .

    Unexpectedly, Cai Zhong attacked him as soon as he arrived at the city. This made Gan Ning feel really unhappy. If it was his temper, he would have walked away long ago. However, for the sake of the young Liu Jing who wholeheartedly protected him, he decided to endure it a little longer.  Don't argue with Cai Zhong until you see Liu Biao.

    Liu Jing looked back at Gan Ning from time to time. He was also very worried, worried that Gan Ning would leave in anger and really go to Sun Quan.

    Gan Ning is one of his favorite characters in the Three Kingdoms. There was no such figure as Liu Jing in history. Now that there is one, will Gan Ning's fate be changed?

    On the top of the city, Cai Zhong squinted his eyes and looked at Liu Jing from time to time. At this time, he was no longer interested in Gan Ning, but this Liu Jing aroused his interest, especially the war horse under his crotch, which made him salivate.

    "Zhou Mu is here!"

    A soldier shouted loudly, and saw groups of soldiers walking out of the city quickly, surrounded by Liu Biao, the state herdsman who was riding on a tall horse, followed by several people on horseback, including Cai Mao, Kuai Yue and others.

    Liu Biao reined in his horse and looked at Gan Ning indifferently. Gan Ning hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down on one knee, "Bajun Gan Ning pays homage to General Zhennan!"

    Liu Biao smiled slightly and said, "Sir Gan, please rise!"

    Gan Ning stood up and said again: "Gan Ning has done many bad things in the past. I hope that the general will forget his fault. I am willing to serve the general."

    Liu Biao laughed, "Gan Zhuangshi is willing to change his mind and serve the imperial court. This is Jingzhou's luck, and it is also my Liu Biao's luck. I would like to ask Gan Zhuangshi to lead his troops and settle in Fancheng for the time being. I will allocate money and food on time. General Ya and Qu Chang  If you have wronged Gan Zhuangshi by your humble position, I will report it to the imperial court and guarantee you to be the Zhonglang General. What do you think of Gan Zhuangshi?"

    Gan Ning was overjoyed that Liu Biao actually agreed to guarantee him the title of Zhonglang General. He knelt down on one knee again and said, "I am willing to serve General Zhennan."

    Liu Biao squinted and smiled. This was the third way that Kuai Yue was referring to. He neither used him nor expelled him. Keeping Gan Ning in Jingzhou would not damage his reputation, but also calmed down the thieves on the water. It can be said that  Kill two birds with one stone.

    The so-called guarantee that he is Zhonglang General is just an excuse. To stabilize Gan Ning, Liu Biao can appoint him as General of the Tooth, General of Music, etc., but for positions such as General of the Zhonglang and School Lieutenant, he must report to the court.  .

    ??And the imperial court has always been procrastinating in doing things, and there will be no news for a year or two. More importantly, if the matter cannot be done, he can pass the responsibility to Cao Cao. Anyway, Liu Biao has done his best, and the matter has nothing to do with him.

    Gan Ning was an upright person, so he didn't understand such evasive tactics in the officialdom. He thought Liu Biao was sincere in guaranteeing him the title of Zhonglang General, and he was full of gratitude and expectations to Liu Biao.

    Liu Biao then ordered one of his men to work, "Send Gan Zhuangshi and his party to Fengyi Pavilion in Fancheng, and they will be resettled."

    The leader stepped forward and waved his hand, "Please, Mr. Gan!"

    Gan Ning took a deep look at Liu Jing, bowed to him and saluted him: "My dear friend, Gan Ning will keep your support today in mind. We will see you soon!"

    Liu Jing returned the favor with a smile, "General Gan, please stay with peace of mind. I will definitely be useful!"

    Gan Ning turned around and led his men on to the boat, heading towards Fancheng on the other side, and gradually sailed away.

    Liu Biao then glanced at Liu Jing, smiled slightly and said: "Yi Boji said that you are discerning and courteous, and you are a talent that can be developed. I decided to send you to Lumen Academy to study. If you study hard for five years, you will be successful."  You go back and tidy up, your eldest brother will take you there tomorrow."

    Liu Jing sighed secretly. It was already the sixth year of Jian'an. How could he bother to read it? He bowed and saluted: "Thank you uncle for your kindness. My nephew is more willing to learn martial arts. I will study and practice by myself at night. I hope my uncle will help me."

    Liu Biao was startled. He didn¡¯t expect Liu Jing to reject him in public, which made him slightly unhappy, but he didn¡¯t show it. He just smiled and said, ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s talk about this later.¡±

    At this time, Liu Biao saw Liu Jing's BMW again, and his eyes became a little eager. He had received Wang Wei's express report that Zhang Wu's BMW had been obtained by his nephew.

    He had also thought about Zhang Wu's horse for a long time. He sent people to see the horse several times, which was actually a hint to Zhang Wu. Unfortunately, Zhang Wu valued his life and would rather offend Liu Biao than dedicate it to him.

    "Haha! This horse is not bad."

    Liu Biao gently stroked BMW's mane, his eyes becoming more eager.

    Cai Mao next to him smiled and said: "Master Jing, Mr. Zhou Mu heard about this war horse last year, but it's a pity that Zhang Wu doesn't know how to like it"

    The implication is to tell Liu Jing, do you know what¡¯s interesting?  A casual remark is often a sting.

    Liu Jing repliesHe glanced at Cai Zhong and said with a smile: "General Cai has asked me for this horse just now. If I don't give it to him, I may be in danger of my life. Commander Cai, you are making me very difficult!"

    The best way to deal with the sting is not to hide, but to fight tit for tat. Cai Hao's expression changed and he turned around to glare at Cai Zhong. Cai Zhong was so frightened that he quickly stepped forward and knelt down, "Lord, this is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!"

    Liu Biao smiled calmly and said, "Everyone loves horses. General Cai doesn't need to be so scared."

    Although Liu Biao liked this BMW, he would not take it as his own. At the beginning of the year, Kuai Liang told him that the horse was named Lu, and riding it would hinder the owner. Now Zhang Wu died for this BMW, and he really agreed.  Of course he won't want this horse again.

    He smiled at Liu Jing and said: "I have read the military report and it said that you intercepted and killed Zhang Wu and achieved military exploits. This horse will be given to you as a military merit reward. Take good care of it."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. He was in a dilemma as to whether he should dedicate the horse to Liu Biao. He was reluctant to give it to Liu Biao. If he didn't give it to him, he seemed to be disrespecting his elders, which made him in a dilemma.

    Now Liu Biao officially expressed his support to him, which saved him a lot of troubles, which made him very happy. He hurriedly clasped his fists and thanked: "Thank you uncle for the reward!"

    Liu Biao chuckled, turned his horse and went back to the city. Yi Ji slowly approached Liu Jing and whispered: "Young master should not have explicitly refused to go to Lumen to study just now. You should agree first and talk about it later."

    Liu Jing shook her head, "Some things can be compromised, but there are some things that cannot be vague. Failure to keep one's word will offend my uncle and the Pang family. What do you think, sir?"

    Yi Ji blushed and chuckled, "Young Master is absolutely right, Yi Ji has learned a lesson."

    He cupped his hands and followed Liu Biao back. After a while, the soldiers at the city gate were all gone. At this time, Cai Zhong slowly walked up, cupped his hands and said, "I didn't know it was the young master just now. I must have offended you."

    "General Cai, there's no need to be polite. If we don't fight, we don't know each other!"

    "Young master is so generous!"

    Cai Zhong smiled again and said: "If you don't mind me, I would be willing to teach you martial arts. I wonder if you will give me this face?"

    How could Liu Jing like him? What's more, Cai Zhong had ulterior motives. He might have some plans for himself, so Liu Jing cupped her hands and smiled and said, "Thank you, General Cai, for your kindness. My uncle wanted General Wang Wei to teach me. I don't want him to teach me."  It¡¯s such a rejection, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Cai Zhong laughed twice, "Haha! So that's it. General Wang's martial arts skills are beyond my comparison. Congratulations, young master."

    "General Cai, we will see you later!"

    Liu Jing bowed to him and said, "Goodbye."

    He urged his horse to run towards the city. Cai Zhong watched him go away, his face suddenly darkened, and he snorted loudly, "You ungrateful thing!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A small accident made Liu Biao a little uneasy. He paced back and forth in the official room with his hands behind his back. Today, Liu Jing actually refused his arrangement in public, which really made him unhappy.

    It has been a month and a half since Liu Jing came to Jingzhou. As time passed, he gradually began to feel the character of his nephew.

    On the surface, this nephew is low-key and silent, tolerant to others, motivated and sensible, and relatively understanding of the world. Except for a slight lack of etiquette, he is pretty good in other aspects.

    But now Liu Biao has also discovered that his nephew is tough and very opinionated. Especially when it comes to vital interests, he will never give in.

    It can be seen from today¡¯s war horse that although Cai Mao reminded him, he always remained silent. It can be seen that he did not want to give the war horse to himself. Perhaps that was his vital interest.

    In addition, my nephew is also very opinionated. He will not easily change the things he decides, and he will not even hesitate to confront himself. Today's Lumen study is the best explanation, and he even rejected his own proposal in public.

    Although these characters are not bad, Liu Biao still felt very unhappy in his heart. In Jingzhou, no one dared to object to his arrangements and opinions. His words were holy words in Jingzhou, but Liu Jing actually dared to say no to himself, and even  Not the first time.

    In addition, he was rude to his wife and gave the Xuanlin Sword to Cong'er without authorization. The accumulation of these small things made Liu Biao begin to feel dissatisfied with his nephew. He didn't like this nephew a little bit.

    At this time, Kuai Yue¡¯s voice came from the door, ¡°Lord, can I come in?¡±

    "Come in!"

    Liu Biao sat back in his seat. After a moment, Kuai Yue walked in and bowed, "My lord!"

    "Sit down and talk!" Liu Biao smiled and waved his hand.

    Kuai Yue sat down opposite, looked at Liu Biao carefully, and said with a smile: "My lord, it seems he is not in a good mood?"

    Liu???Sighed slightly, "Some inexplicable worries."

    "Is it because of Mr. Jing?"

    Liu Biao nodded, "Yes! That child makes me a little disappointed."

    "My lord's disappointment, is he dealing with Cai Mao today, or is he studying at Lumen Academy?"

    "It's both! He should learn to apologize, and he should learn to respect the opinions of his elders, but he did neither."

    Kuai Yue stood up and bowed deeply, "I came here to congratulate you, your lord, for the great talent in your family."

    Liu Biao was startled, "How do you say this?"

    "My lord, please allow me to speak frankly."

    "Go ahead! Of course I won't blame you."

    Kuai Yue smiled slightly, "Master, what do you think would happen to Gan Ning without Liu Jing today?"

    Liu Biao pondered for a moment and said: "Either Gan Ning will be killed, or he will make a big fuss and leave."

    "Then what will happen if Mr. Cong is in Beicheng instead?"

    Liu Biao gave a bitter smile, "I'm afraid it will be even more chaotic. Not to mention him, even Qi'er can't handle it well. He is too hesitant and cowardly."

    "But Mr. Jing has handled it properly. My lord, he is only sixteen years old. This kind of courage to deal with crises is unique among his peers. At least I have never seen it. And I heard Mr. Xuande said that his general Zhao Yun  When he was injured by Cao Cao's army in Runan, it was Master Jing who never abandoned him and took him to escape. Even when he was caught by Yu Jin, he was able to deal with it calmly. When he was besieged by Cao Cao himself and led an army, he was still able to escape tactfully. The lord did not think that  Is this child affectionate, sharp-witted, and a malleable talent?"

    Liu Biao also heard Liu Bei talk about this matter, but Liu Biao didn't quite believe it. He felt that Liu Bei was deliberately promoting Liu Jing.

    He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, and then sighed, "But he is too tough. He even dares to contradict my words in public. He focuses on practicing martial arts and does not want to read the books of sages. I am worried that he is too rebellious."

    "This is exactly what my subordinates want to advise my lord. Jingzhou is the place where the four battles took place. In the north, there is Cao Cao who is looking to devour whales. In the east, there is Sun Quan who is ambitious. In the west, there is Liu Zhang who is ready to make a move. In the south, there is Jiaozhou and Zhang Jin has been fighting for years. In the future, Mr. Qi will succeed to the throne. Although he is more than capable.  , but he is not brave enough and is too weak to withstand strong enemies from all sides. Has the Lord considered who among his nephews can help him?"

    Without waiting for Liu Biao's reply, Kuai Yue continued: "Master Jing is brave and brave, and has the talent to lead troops. Although he dares to contradict my lord today and criticize Cai Mao, in the future he will also look down on Cao Cao and treat Sun Quan coldly, my lord.  Isn¡¯t this the good assistant God has bestowed upon Mr. Qi?¡±

    Liu Biao was barely a man of great talent and strategy, so how could he not understand the profound meaning of what Kuai Yue said? He nodded slowly and sighed: "What you say is a good word!"

    At this moment, Liu Jing was no longer so disgusting to him.

    However, Kuai Yue sighed secretly. He had followed Liu Biao for more than ten years and really understood him. Liu Biao's biggest weakness was his indecision and his ability to change orders day by day. Now he was persuaded to persuade him, but what about tomorrow?

    ¡¾Asking for recommendation votes!  ¡¿

 Volume 1, Chapter 41: Night Talk with Uncle and Nephew

    "Tell me about it! Find a suitable method and teach this ignorant boy a lesson."

    In the study, Cai Mao was discussing what happened today with his two clan brothers, Cai Zhong and Cai He. As the second most powerful person in Jingzhou, Cai Mao was publicly humiliated by Liu Jing outside Beicheng, causing him to lose face in front of hundreds of people.  , Cai Hao really couldn't swallow this tone.

    Sitting next to him was his nephew Cai Jin. Although Cai Jin had not recovered from his injuries, he was already able to get out of bed and walk. As a descendant of the Cai family who was related to Liu Jing, he was also called by Cai Mao.

    Although Cai Zhong and Cai He's official positions are not very high, their reputations are very resounding. When the Cai family's twin tigers are mentioned in Xiangyang City, everyone will change their color. They are both highly skilled in martial arts, fierce and willing to fight.  Ruthless, no one dares to mess with them, even the Xiangyang Pang family has to stay away from them.

    Today, Cai Zhong suffered a big loss in front of Liu Jing and almost angered Liu Biao. Although Liu Biao did not blame him, his status must have declined in Liu Biao's heart. At this time, Cai Zhong was full of anger.

    "I simply plotted against him. He can protect him for a while, but how can he protect him for a lifetime? When he was crossing the river by boat to Fancheng, he sank the boat in the river and got rid of him without knowing it. What do you think, brother?  ?¡±

    Next to him, Cai He also nodded, "I agree with Third Brother. After all, he is Liu Biao's nephew. He is being shielded by Liu Biao. He is obviously difficult to deal with, so we might as well plot against him. As long as there is no evidence, Liu Biao can't do anything to the Cai family."

    The two brothers insisted on getting rid of Liu Jing secretly. At this time, Cai Jin, who was sitting at the bottom, couldn't help but said: "Third and fourth uncles, I think we should act openly and openly. We can compete with him again."  Defeated, why use secret means to deal with a junior? This will damage the reputation of the Cai family. "

    "You bastard!"

    Cai Zhong was furious and turned around to glare at Cai Jin, "You have disgraced the Cai family, do you still have the right to speak?"

    Cai Jin blushed and argued: "At least I competed openly and honestly. I failed because my skills were inferior to others. I have a clear conscience. No one will look down on the Cai family for this. But you are plotting behind the scenes. This is the behavior of a villain. Once you are  Zhou Mu knows that it will be a disaster for the Cai family, and you are just playing with fire and burning yourself."

    Cai Zhong was a man with a violent temper. A junior dared to contradict him, which made him furious. He rushed forward and punched Cai Jin in the face. Cai Jin was injured and could not dodge, and was knocked to the ground by the punch.  .

    "Get out of here! You useless thing!" Cai Zhong yelled viciously.

    Cai Jin endured the severe pain from the wound and stood up slowly. He held his head high and looked at Cai Zhong coldly. His disdainful expression made Cai Zhong even more angry. He clenched his fists and was about to hit him when Cai Mao shouted: "Okay.  Come on, stop making trouble!"

    Seeing that Cai Jin's face turned pale, Cai Mao probably pulled the wound, so he said: "Go down! Don't make your third uncle angry again."

    Cai Jin coldly glanced at Cai Zhong, bowed to Cai Mao, and slowly turned around to go down. Cai Zhong looked at his back and hummed heavily: "The family is rebellious by cheating!"

    Cai Mao was a little unhappy that he said this, so he said in a long voice: "Third brother, don't say that. Our Cai family is not rebellious, we only have different ideas."

    Cai Zhong stopped talking. Cai He next to him smiled and said, "Does the head of the family agree with our plan?"

    Cai Hao actually didn't agree with the opinions of these two people. If they were ordinary people, it would be okay to kill them. But Liu Jing was Liu Biao's nephew after all, so he was still a bit wary of throwing rats away.

    He thought for a long time, sighed and said: "Let me think about it again! This matter is not subject to my order, you must not act rashly, do you understand?"

    Although Cai Zhong and Cai He were full of anger, they did not dare to disobey the family leader's order. They looked at each other and nodded in agreement

    Cai Hao came to the backyard gloomily and walked into his uncle Cai Xun's yard. He saw his uncle slowly cleaning the yard with a bamboo broom. Cai Hao did not dare to disturb and stood at the door.

    "What's the matter?" Cai Xun glanced at Cai Mao, but did not stop the broom.

    "Second uncle, Liu Biao's nephew has repeatedly offended the Cai family, and my nephew can't bear it."

    "Is this the Liu Jing who wants to marry Shaoyu?"

    "yes!"

    Cai Hao then told his uncle Cai Xun what had happened recently, and finally sighed: "I may have nothing to say after failing in the competition, but today my nephew is facing tit-for-tat with me in public. This tone is really difficult for my nephew to swallow."

    "Then what are you going to do?" Cai Xun put down his broom, sat down on the stone pier, and asked in a calm tone.

    "My nephew can't make up his mind now. The third and fourth brothers advocate secretly killing him. I think the risk is too great and the gain is not worth the loss, soCome and ask my second uncle for advice.  "

    Cai Xun sneered, "He was tit-for-tat with you outside Beicheng today. Did Liu Biao ask him to apologize to you?"

    "Thisit seems not." Cai Hao suddenly came to his senses, yes!  Why didn't Liu Biao let him apologize to him? Did Liu Biao acquiesce to Liu Jing's ridicule?

    "Do you understand now?" Cai Xun looked at him sharply.

    Cai Mao wiped the sweat from his forehead. He suddenly remembered another thing, that is, Liu Jing killed Huang Zu's nephew in Wuchang City. It seemed that Liu Biao had no intention of asking Liu Jing to apologize. Could it be that Liu Biao's attitude towards the Jingzhou family began to change?  Yet?

    "My nephew understands a little bit."

    "Just understand that a sixteen-year-old boy is insignificant. You should pay attention to Liu Biao behind him. This Liu Jing is actually a mirror. He can reflect Liu Biao's attitude towards the Jingzhou family. This is the key. Liu Biao did not ask him to go to the Jingzhou family.  Huang Zu's apology shows Liu Biao's dissatisfaction with Huang Zu's close relationship with Liu Bei. Similarly, Liu Biao's acquiescence in his ridicule towards you shows that Liu Biao is also dissatisfied with you! "

    "Yes! My nephew understands." Cai Mao's back was soaked, and his uncle's words awakened him, the person in the game.

    Cai Xun smiled again and said: "As for dealing with this Liu Jing, I don't want to express any opinions, but I agree with your point of view. In everything, you have to weigh the pros and cons. What benefits can the Cai family get by killing Liu Jing? Similarly, what will happen to the Cai family?"  What benefits are you losing? Once you figure this out, you¡¯ll know what to do.¡±

    Cai Mao nodded silently and killed Liu Jing. This was just a breath of bad breath from Cai Zhongxin, but it put the Cai family in danger of being confiscated and exterminated. As the head of the family who is responsible for the future and interests of the entire family, he must be clear-headed and not be blinded by hatred.  eyes.

    Cai Xun ignored him, picked up the broom and continued to clean the yard slowly.

    Cai Hao saluted and slowly exited the yard. Suddenly he felt a red shadow flash not far away. When Cai Hao turned around, he found someone hiding in the corner of the yard, and he immediately chased after him.

    After chasing through two doors, Cai Hao saw the person running in front of him, it was his daughter Shaoyu, "Stop!" Cai Hao shouted angrily.

    Cai Shaoyu was so frightened that she stopped. Cai Mao stepped forward and glared at her daughter, "Have you been following me?"

    Cai Shaoyu lowered her head and did not dare to speak. She just heard from her third uncle that her father went to her second grandfather to discuss Liu Jing's affairs. She suspected that it was related to her marriage, so she came to eavesdrop, but was discovered by her father.

    Cai Mao knew his daughter's thoughts very well. He said coldly: "Since you are always worried, I will tell you clearly that I have decided to accept Liu Zhoumu's proposal and promise you to his nephew Liu Jing. You are completely dead."  Be honest! Get ready to get married."

    "No! I won't marry him." Cai Shaoyu shouted angrily.

    "It's not up to you."

    Cai Mao glared at her fiercely, turned around and left. Cai Shaoyu was horrified. She ran forward and hugged her father's arm, "Dad, please, don't let me marry him!"

    Cai Mao actually did not necessarily want to marry his daughter to Liu Jing, but he was in a bad mood at the time, and his daughter was so ignorant and followed him furtively, which made him extremely annoyed.

    He wanted to teach this misbehaving daughter a lesson. Cai Mao coldly threw her away and strode away. Cai Shaoyu chased her for a few steps and shouted: "I would rather die than marry him."

    "Then you go die!" Cai Mao said a word from a distance, and the footsteps disappeared.

    Cai Shaoyu didn't know her father's true thoughts. She slowly fell to her knees on the ground, despairing in her heart. She suddenly covered her face and burst into tears

    As night fell, Liu Jing quickly came to Liu Biao's study room under the guidance of a guard. The guard knocked on the door and said, "Lord, he is here!"

    "Come in!" Liu Biao's voice came from inside the room, his tone was quite gentle.

    The guards pushed them aside and Liu Jing walked in quickly. He knelt down and saluted Liu Biao, "Nephew, meet your uncle!"

    "Get up!"

    Liu Biao smiled and waved his hand, "I have something to tell you."

    Liu Jing sat upright and waited respectfully for Liu Biao to speak. Liu Biao was quite satisfied with Liu Jing's attitude at this time. He could feel Liu Jing's respect. There was indeed a kind of respect from the younger generation to the elders.

    "Let's talk about your marriage! I think you should know everything."

    Liu Jing didn¡¯t expect that they were talking about marriage. He thought they were talking about Huang Zu¡¯s affairs or today¡¯s incident with Gan Ning. He was unprepared for the moment, so he nodded silently and bent down to listen.

    "Actually, the first thing I considered for the marriage between this family and the Cai family was Qing'er. However, the Cai family is, after all, the number one family in Jingzhou, with a high position of power, and Qing'er is just my nephew, so he's a little behind."??I don't have much respect for the Cai family, so I thought of you. This is one of the reasons why I took you from my hometown.  "

    At this point, Liu Biao glanced at Liu Jing and saw that he remained calm, with no expression of sorrow or joy. He secretly praised his calmness in his heart and continued: "This is also the reason why I gave you the Xuanlin sword last time.  Linjian is the sword that Cai Mao and I agreed to marry, but I don't understand why you gave it to Cong'er. Are you dissatisfied with this marriage? "

    After a pause, Liu Biao smiled again and said, "If you have anything to say, just say it. I just want to have a frank talk with you tonight."

    Liu Jing was silent for a long time and said: "Uncle, do you think the current conflict between me and the Cai family makes it possible to get married?"

    "Contradiction?" Liu Biao chuckled, "What does your little thing mean? If Cai Mao doesn't even have such a big heart, he still talks about the No. 1 family in Jingzhou and is still a military advisor. Don't worry! There is nothing between you.  contradiction."

    Speaking of this, Liu Biao looked at Liu Jing and asked slowly: "Please tell me clearly first, what is your attitude towards this marriage? Do you agree or not?"

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 42, The Wind in the Pillow Comes Again

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and shook her head decisively, "I don't want to marry a daughter of the Cai family."

    Although Liu Biao had vaguely guessed Liu Jing's attitude. He gave the Xuanlin Sword to Cong'er, which showed that he was not enthusiastic about the marriage, but he still did not expect that Liu Jing's attitude was so firm and there was no reply.  room.

    Liu Biao sighed secretly in his heart, then smiled and comforted Liu Jing and said: "I also know that Cai Mao's daughter is more willful and lacks the virtuousness of a lady. However, she is still young. As she grows older, I think her temperament will gradually change.  After all, she is the direct daughter of the Cai family, so she is not far behind, so you have to think of the best. "

    Liu Biao always believed that the reason why Liu Jing refused this marriage was the daughter of the Cai family, not the young man of the Cai family!  He always only considers the woman's appearance and character, but does not care about her family background. When he gets older, he will understand the importance of family background in marriage.

    Unexpectedly, Liu Jing still shook her head, "It's not about the woman. I don't know her and don't care. The key is that I don't want to marry a daughter of the Cai family."

    "Haha! You don't even want to marry a daughter of the Cai family. Who else do you want to marry? You must know that the Cai family is the number one family in Jingzhou. People who want to be related to this family are like crucian carp crossing the river. Do you want to marry a daughter of the Kuai family?  , or the daughter of the Pang family, if that¡¯s the case, you are totally wrong.¡±

    Liu Biao felt that Liu Jing had not been in Jingzhou for a long time, and perhaps he did not understand the situation. He only saw Cai Zhong and Cai Jin, the poorer people, and had a prejudice against the Cai family.

    He patiently explained: "Both the Pang family and the Kuai family are inferior to the Cai family in terms of reputation, official connections, and family strength. In Jingzhou's official circles, countless people are Cai Xi's disciples. If you don't even have the Cai family's daughter,  I don¡¯t like it, I¡¯m afraid it will make people laugh if it spreads.¡±

    "Thank you uncle for your kindness, but getting a wife is the most important thing in life. How can we not consider it carefully? Although the Cai family is good, it is just a small aristocratic family in Jingzhou. It is nothing, at least in my eyes.  Uncle, there is no need to praise them too highly."

    Liu Jing¡¯s words really surprised Liu Biao. It turned out that his nephew looked down on the Cai family. So whose daughter did he want to marry?

    "Tell me, what do you think of a wife? I'm very interested."

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "Perhaps in my uncle's opinion, I am a bit too ambitious, but I do hope so. I hope that my future wife will be at least the daughter of a prince, either the daughter of Cao Cao, the sister of Sun Quan, or something else."  I really don¡¯t like the daughter of the Cai family.¡±

    Liu Biao was stunned when he heard that Cao Cao's daughter, Sun Quan's sister, and even his son did not dare to have such an idea, but his nephew Liu Biao simply didn't know what to say. It seems that there is no need to talk about tonight's conversation.  If you go down, there will be no results.

    Liu Biao smiled bitterly, "Okay! You go back first. There is no rush in this matter. You can think about it carefully. If you have friends you can trust, you can also ask their opinions to see if they support you marrying Cao Cao's daughter."  Sister of Sun Quan, go!¡±

    "My nephew is disturbing my uncle!"

    Liu Jing bowed, stood up and left. Liu Biao looked at him walking away and shook his head, this kid is too ambitious

    When Liu Jing returned to the courtyard, Uncle Meng greeted him. Seeing that Liu Jing was safe and sound, he breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "I thought the young master was going to be beaten by his master! Just be fine."

    "Why do I have to be beaten by my uncle?" Liu Jing asked in confusion.

    "Everyone in the house is saying that the young master got a horse and didn't give it to the master, which made him angry. The master wants to do something to the young master, so the old slave is very worried about the young master."

    "Uncle Meng, don't worry. My uncle didn't mention the war horses to me."

    Speaking of war horses, Liu Jing immediately thought of his beloved horse again and turned to go to the stables. Uncle Meng smiled and said: "I just went to see it. The grooms took good care of it and the horses were in good spirits. I will go to see them again in the evening."  Once you see it, sir, don¡¯t worry!¡±

    "Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Meng."

    Although Liu Jing didn't stay with Uncle Meng for a long time, he could feel that Uncle Meng respected and even loved him from the bottom of his heart, although this was because Uncle Meng had taken care of him in the past.

    But Liu Jing was also grateful to him, but Liu Jing didn't like to show it, but kept her respect for the old man in her heart.

    After walking a few steps, he turned back and asked with a smile: "Uncle Meng, do you think it is appropriate for me to marry a daughter of the Cai family?"

    "ThisI can't say."

    "It doesn't matter, just say whatever you want and express your own thoughts."

    Uncle Meng lowered his head and thought for a long time and said, "If possible, I think the young master should marry the woman he likes."

    Liu Jing nodded silently, this is the person who truly cares about himself and is dedicated to his own happiness.Fu Zhuxiu's feelings were simple and sincere. On the contrary, although Liu Biao was his uncle, he only regarded him as a pawn to win over the family's feelings and arbitrarily arranged for him to marry without considering his wishes at all. In comparison,  Liu Biao's concern for him was far less sincere than Uncle Meng's.

    In fact, Liu Jing told Liu Biao that he wanted to marry Cao Cao's daughter or Sun Quan's sister. It was just a polite excuse. It was not that he really wanted to marry Cao Cao's daughter or Sun Quan's sister, but it was a sign of contempt for the Cai family.  But how highly does a small local aristocratic family think of themselves?

    The wife he really wants to marry must be the woman he loves, and he will never consider the other party¡¯s identity and background too much. Cao Cao¡¯s Mrs. Ding has never heard of her family background.

    He has decided that when it comes to marriage, no matter how Liu Biao tries to persuade him, he will never agree to marry a daughter of the Cai family

    It was late at night, Liu Biao was lying on the bed, looking at the tent in trance. He seemed a little worried and couldn't fall asleep.

    "What's on your mind, General?" the young wife asked softly as she lay aside.

    "Alas! I'm worried about Jing'er's marriage."

    Liu Biao sighed, "That kid rejected me outright, which I really didn't expect."

    Mrs. Cai is secretly happy in her heart. She has also been worried about this matter these days. Her husband still refuses to let go, which puts her plan in danger of falling through. It turns out that Liu Jing is not willing to do it either. That is the best.

    Mrs. Cai held back the joy in her heart and advised softly: "Perhaps there is indeed no fate between them. I have always felt that marriage should follow fate and cannot be forced. If the fate is forced, the final result will not be good. The general thinks  Woolen cloth?"

    "snort!"

    Liu Biao snorted coldly and said: "A child of fifteen or sixteen years old knows what fate is. I thought he was mature and sensible, but what he said today surprised me and really disappointed me!"

    Frankly speaking, it was Liu Jing's stubbornness that disappointed Liu Biao. He was the first person who dared to contradict him, even though he was his nephew.

    "What did he say?" Mrs. Cai asked curiously.

    "He said that the wife he wanted to marry was Cao Cao's daughter and Sun Quan's sister. Do you think he was ridiculous?"

    ¡®Puch!  ¡¯ Mrs. Cai covered her mouth and smiled. There are people in the world who don¡¯t know how to be noble. Even if Cao Cao or Sun Quan want to marry Jingzhou, it¡¯s not his nephew¡¯s turn!

    Mrs. Cai suddenly rolled her eyes and was secretly surprised. Isn't this a great opportunity to deal with Liu Jing?

    "General, I think he actually has a deeper meaning in thinking this way."

    "What's the deep meaning?" Liu Biao turned his head and looked at his wife in confusion.

    "What kind of person does the general think Jing'er is like?"

    "I think he is calm and sophisticated. Although he is a young man, his words and actions seem to be somewhat more practiced than adults. He is a very insightful person."

    "Yes! I think so too. Although I didn't have much contact with him, he left a deep impression on me, and he saw the same thing as the general. In this case, doesn't the general think it's a bit strange that he said this?  "

    Liu Biao thought for a while, but did not understand what his wife was referring to, "What do you mean by this?"

    "General, what I mean is actually very simple."

    Mrs. Cai lowered her voice and said in her husband's ear: "I wonder if he is considering that he will inherit Jingzhou's foundation in the future, so he wants to marry Cao Cao's daughter or Sun Quan's sister. General, you  Say what?"

    Liu Biao took a breath of air, "Buthe is only sixteen years old and has such ambition? No way!"

    "impossible!"

    Liu Biao thought for a while and shook his head firmly. He felt that his nephew would not be such a person. Besides, he was still young and would not have such unreasonable thoughts. When he was sixteen, he didn't understand anything.

    Mrs. Cai sneered, "General, have you forgotten? Kong Beihai will give up pears at the age of four. Those who are ambitious don't have to be young!"

    Liu Biao was silent. He let out a long sigh and slowly closed his eyes. For a long time, he talked to himself and seemed to say to his wife: "Then let him be like Qing'er. It would be better to move out. Don't  Make some rumors come out!"

    Mrs. Cai was secretly proud. She knew her husband better than her wife. She knew her husband's suspicious character very well. As long as she said some things, whether her husband believed it or not, it would leave a shadow in his heart. No matter how smart and capable Liu Jing was, she could still defeat her.  The pillow style?  ¡­

    Early the next morning, at dawn, Liu Jing took the horse out of the mansion. He wanted to go out of the city to walk the horse while there were few people on the street. His horse needed running training, and keeping it in the mansion for a long time would only weaken its energy.

    Liu Jing got on her horse and was about to urge her horse forward when she suddenly heardHe saw someone calling him next to him, "Master Jing!"

    Liu Jing turned around and saw a tall and thin man standing under a big tree not far away. It was Cai Jin who had been defeated by him in a sword duel last time.

    Liu Jing turned over and dismounted again, led the horse forward and said with a smile, "Is Brother Cai feeling better from his injury?"

    Cai Jin nodded and said with a smile: "Thank you Mr. Jing for being merciful. I'm much better now. I'll be fully recovered in another month."

    "oh!"

    Liu Jing smiled again and asked, "Is Brother Cai here to see me so early?"

    Cai Jin took out a brocade book and presented it to Liu Jing with both hands, "This is my invitation to challenge. I want to compete with Mr. Jing again."

    This is the rule of the sword fight. If you lose the first sword fight, you can have another fight. If you lose again, you can't fight again, so Cai Jin does have another chance.

    Liu Jing also knew this rule, and he did not refuse. He took the challenge and said with a smile: "It doesn't hurt to compete again, but Brother Cai's injury has not recovered yet, which is not good for you!"

    Cai Jin shook his head, "The time for me to make another appointment is not now, but two years later. During these two years, we will practice martial arts separately. Two years later, we will compete again and show off. Can Mr. Jing agree?"

    Liu Jing had a good impression of Cai Jin. He was an upright person. The last time he did not use any intrigues and tricks, he lost in his own hands in a sword duel. Two years later, Liu Jing was also full of expectations.

    He readily agreed, "Okay, let's make it a deal!"

    The two of them stretched out their palms and struck hard, which was a high-five.

    Cai Jin bowed his hands and said with a smile: "Let's look forward to the competition in two years' time. See you later."

    "See you later!"

    Cai Jin turned around and left, but after taking two steps, he couldn't help but hesitate for a moment, and finally turned around and said, "Young Master Tianjing, please pay more attention to these people and pay attention to whether there are any suspicious people around you. Don't be careless."

    Liu Jing was startled, what does this mean, what should you be careful about?

    His thoughts changed rapidly, and he seemed to understand a little bit. He nodded slowly, "Thank you Brother Cai for your kindness. I will definitely be careful."

    Cai Jin walked away quickly. Liu Jing looked at his retreating figure and thought to herself: 'It seems that the Cai family are not all despicable people!  ¡¯

 Volume 1, Chapter 43: Suspicious Person

    Liu Jing watched Cai Jin go away and savored his words carefully. Could it be that the Cai family wanted to attack her secretly?

    Liu Jing shook his head. He didn't believe that Cai Hao would be so mentally retarded. After all, he was also a military advisor in Jingzhou, so he probably wouldn't use the official taboo of plotting. Killing Liu Jing would be more than worth the loss. He didn't believe that Cai Hao would do such a loss-making business.

    but.  £®  £®  £®  £®  Cai Zhong might have the possibility to hide it from Cai Mao and attack him. Liu Jing thought of Cai Zhong's two golden front teeth. From his treatment of Gan Ning, it can be seen that this person is an unscrupulous person.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing looked to both sides warily. It was still early in the morning and there were almost no people on the street, except for an old farmer selling vegetables on the corner.

    In addition, in a pavilion a dozen steps away on the left, an old Taoist priest was meditating with his eyes closed and his legs crossed. There was also a healthy mule tied to the pavilion, which looked dusty. It seemed that this old Taoist priest had come from afar.

    Looking elsewhere, there was no one suspicious. Liu Jing clamped her legs on the horse¡¯s belly and said, ¡®Drive!  ¡¯ The war horse ran and soon left the Liu Mansion and headed east of the city.

    Just as he left, the old Taoist priest sitting in the pavilion slowly opened his eyes, staring at Liu Jing's retreating back with two sharp eyes, and a meaningful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Xiangfan is the Han River ferry at the southern end of the "Nan Xiang Pass", consisting of Xiangyang on the south bank of the Han River and Fancheng on the north bank.

    Xiangyang City originated as a ferry city under military control. Its status was not significant during the Han Dynasty. Since Liu Biao occupied Jingzhou and governed Xiangyang, the city's dangers were used to prevent the northern forces from moving south, and its status has become important.

    In Chinese history, whenever there were two regimes in the north and the south, Xiangfan would always be dragged into the flames of war. Whether it was the confrontation between the Three Kingdoms, the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Song and Jin Dynasties, and the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Xiangfan had experienced wars.

    Chen Liang of the Song Dynasty once said: "Xiangfan is connected to Wuhui in the east, Bashu in the west, Huxiang in the South Pole, and Guanluo in the north. The expansion and contraction on the left and right are all opportunities for advancement."  ¡¯

    This sentence reveals that it is Xiangfan's important strategic geographical location that caused the two cities to be repeatedly exposed to war.

    Although Xiangfan is one, the city of Xiangyang where Liu Jing lives is mainly composed of official residences and residences of officials and gentry, as well as a concentration of various schools in Jingzhou. It has a strong cultural atmosphere and underdeveloped commerce.

    Fancheng on the north bank is Jingzhou's commodity distribution center and freight terminal transit place. Merchants gather here and commerce is developed. There are all kinds of shops, taverns, hostels, mansions, brothels, music houses, casinos and other commercial places. Every day, people flow like  It¡¯s trendy and very lively.

    The ferry boats traveling between the two sides of the river are like crucian carp crossing the river, running day and night.

    Perhaps to avoid taboos, Liu Biao¡¯s Zhennan General¡¯s Mansion is located in the west of the city, facing east, with a straight Xiangmian Avenue running through the city from east to west. This is also the characteristic of Xiangyang City, which is long from east to west and narrow from north to south.

    Liu Biao's residence is located next to the government office. This area is where the government government is concentrated. Patrol soldiers can be seen everywhere, and the security is very tight.

    After trotting for a while along a section of the Chu-red government wall, Liu Jing came to Xiangmian Avenue. The avenue was fifty paces wide, with two rows of dense trees planted in the middle, forming a flat avenue between the trees. This is the official Xian's avenue.  Tao can only be used by officials and famous nobles.

    "There are ordinary roads on both sides of the trees, with entry on the left and exit on the right. Pedestrians in different directions go on one side and are never allowed to go in the opposite direction.

    This is a kind of power order. Under the suppression of power, pedestrians go their own way in an orderly manner. Once people take the official way, or mix up in the same place, it means that Xiangcheng City begins to be chaotic, and even means that the city is in chaos.  As a result, Liu Biao lost control of Jingzhou.

    There are ordinary people who get up early to make a living on both sides of the civilian road. They are coming and going, which is quite lively. However, there are few passers-by on Guanxian Road. Although it is winter, it has not snowed yet. There are still dense trees on both sides of the road. It is a straight and spacious road.  Directly leads to the east city gate.

    Liu Jing's horse galloped on the Guanxian Road. The horse's hooves were flying, and the white figure was as fast as the wind. Liu Jing lay on the horse, with the wind on both sides whistling in his ears. In a moment, the horse ran out.  East City Gate, galloping across a wider wilderness, this fast and exciting excitement made Liu Jing almost shout at the top of her lungs.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Two and a half hours later, Liu Jing finally returned to Xiangyang. Although he was sweating profusely from running, both the man and the horse were particularly energetic, and he felt a sense of joy from head to toe.

    Liu Jing no longer rides a horse. He leads his beloved horse slowly and walks slowly. The horse's gait is light. From time to time, he playfully puts his head on his face and rubs it. Occasionally, he snorts heavily and sprays saliva in his face.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Walking into the west gate, there are several pubs and hotels on both sides. Flags and flags are flying high in the air. It is gradually approaching noon, and several bartenders??The front door warmly welcomes guests.

    After running all morning, Liu Jing felt hungry and thirsty. He patted his beloved horse's long face and said with a smile: "Old man, do you want to go have a drink?"

    A bartender saw Liu Jing's hesitation, and hurriedly stepped forward and said with a smile: "Sir, this shop has the best wine in Jingzhou, as well as carp just caught from the Han River. Carp fried with spring onions is a famous dish in the shop.  The price is low, come and take a seat! ¡±

    The bartender took another look at the majestic war horse, and quickly added: "The shop also has freshly steamed fine black beans, which are a delicacy for expensive war horses."

    Liu Jing was tempted by these words. He chuckled and said, "For the sake of the good black beans, I will go to your store!"

    He casually grabbed a handful of money from his arms, about a dozen copper coins, stuffed it into the bartender's hand and said with a smile: "Take good care of the horse for me, I'll reward you with this money."

    The copper coins jingled in his hand, and the bartender's eyes widened with a smile, "Don't worry, Master! I will definitely take good care of the war horse, and tie it to the horse post so that Master can see it at a glance."

    This is an unwritten rule. Valuable war horses cannot be kept in the backyard stable. Once stolen, the pub cannot afford to pay for it, so there will be a hitching post on the side of the door, guarded by the bartender who welcomes guests. At the same time, the owner can also see his horse.  .

    Liu Jing took a look at the horse hitching post. There was only a healthy mule tied to the horse hitch. He walked quickly into the tavern, went up to the second floor and sat down by the window. He could see his beloved horse when he put his head around.

    There were not many guests in the tavern, and half of the seats were not filled. The drinkers sat in small groups, drinking and chatting together, but two seats away sat an old Taoist priest, wearing an old gray Taoist robe and a bamboo crown.  He is getting older, but he is still energetic, has a childlike face, and is quite a fairy. There are only a few plates of vegetables and a pot of wine in front of him, and he is holding a wine glass, savoring the wine.

    Liu Jing was slightly startled by this old Taoist. Isn't it the same old Taoist who was in the pavilion at the gate of Liu's mansion in the early morning?  Why did we meet again?

    Liu Jing felt a little strange in her heart. Could it be that this old Taoist was a suspicious person sent by Cai Zhong?  But then I thought it was impossible. The old man came to the tavern first. If he had not come to the tavern, they would not have met. It should be just a coincidence.

    Liu Jing sat down and ordered a few plates of side dishes and a bottle of wine. He looked at the horse again. The bartender just now was feeding his horse with freshly steamed black beans and brought another bucket of water.

    "The common man is not guilty, but he is guilty of the crime!" The old Taoist priest not far away said to himself.

    This old man is talking about himself!  Liu Jing couldn't help but smile bitterly. Since he got this war horse, his life has never been as carefree as before. He knows that many people are peeking at this BMW, and it will be stolen if he is not careful.

    Sometimes, when Liu Jing wakes up in the middle of the night, he will worry about his horse, and even suspects that Liu Cong wants to take action. Liu Cong's eyes also reveal his greed for the horse.

    But there is no other way. Whatever you gain, you must lose. It can only be said that with his current strength, it is still difficult to keep this BMW, and it will definitely take a lot of hard work.

    Liu Jing smiled kindly at the old Taoist priest and picked up the wine glass. Just as he took a sip of wine, he suddenly heard the long neigh of horses coming from outside, followed by the bartender's horrified shout, "You are not allowed to move.  That¡¯s someone else¡¯s horse!¡±

    Liu Jing hurriedly looked around and saw that his horse had been unhooked from the hitching post by a big man. The bartender was knocked to the ground. The big man pulled the reins and tried to get on the horse, but his horse struggled and neighed.  , I don¡¯t want to be ridden by a big man.

    Liu Jing was furious, grabbed the knife and ran downstairs. As soon as he ran out of the tavern, he saw the big man already riding on the horse, whipping the horse's butt. The horse was in pain and raised its front hooves high.  Let out a painful cry.

    Seeing that the horse was about to run, Liu Jing was still twenty steps away from the horse. Although he ran hard, it was already too late. Liu Jing's eyes were red, and he threw the knife in his hand at the horse thief, but the horse thief was unusually strong.  Luma dodged sideways, clamped his legs on the war horse, and finally started running.

    But Lu Ma, who was there, had just taken a few steps when suddenly, a gray shadow fell from the sky, like a circling eagle, and landed lightly on the horse's back. There was only a muffled grunt, and the horse thief fell off his horse.

    The horse that had just started running stopped again. The person who controlled the horse was the old Taoist priest. He looked at Liu Jing with a smile, and his clear eyes shone with a trustworthy light.

    Liu Jing's heart dropped, and she bowed to the old Taoist. Her eyes fell on the horse thief again, with terrifying murderous intent in her eyes. She stepped forward, grabbed the horse thief by his hair, and dragged him two steps.  The sword was drawn from the ground.

    "Master Jing, spare my life!"

    The horse thief shouted in horror, "I'm just following someone's orders, there's nothing I can do about it."

    Liu Jing raised his sword to his head?His throat shouted sharply: "Who instigated you, tell me!"

    ¡°I can¡¯t say it, please spare me, Master!¡±

    Liu Jing raised the knife and cut off the left wrist of the horse thief with one knife. The horse thief screamed in pain and screamed like a slaughtering pig, "It's Cai Zhong! He ordered me."

    The old Taoist next to him felt a little unbearable and pleaded with Liu Jing: "Master Liu, although this horse thief is hateful, he is not the mastermind. There is someone behind the scenes. He is just following orders. Master, give me some face and spare his life."  !¡±

    The old Taoist saved his horse. Now that he had spoken, Liu Jing wanted to give him face and cut off the horse thief's hand. The anger in Liu Jing's heart calmed down a little. He kicked the horse thief hard and said, "Get out!"  "

    The horse thief endured the severe pain, picked up his severed hand and ran away in panic. After waiting for him to run away, Liu Jing walked up to the old Taoist priest and bowed deeply, "Thank you, Immortal, for saving my horse. Liu Jing can't thank you enough."  ¡±

    The old Taoist priest stroked his beard and smiled slightly, "The anger dropped from his Dantian and went down to the well!"

    Liu Jing¡¯s eyes suddenly widened and she looked at the old man in disbelief

    ¡¾Asking for votes!  ¡¿

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 44 Changshan Yuzhenzi

    'The anger fell from Dantian to the well!  ¡¯

    This is the first sentence in the Luo Feng Kung Fu that Zhao Yun taught him. This technique is a secret that Zhao Yun¡¯s sect has not taught. How could the old Taoist in front of him know?

    Liu Jing suddenly reacted, "You are"

    The old Taoist smiled slightly and said, "This poor Taoist is Changshan Jade Master. Have you ever heard of Mr. Jing?"

    Liu Jing was excited. It turned out to be him, Zhao Yun's master Chang Shanyu. He had heard Zhao Yun mention that he was at least eighty or ninety years old. Unexpectedly, it was the old Taoist priest with gray hair and childish face in front of him. Liu Jing immediately knelt down on his knees and bowed respectfully.  He kowtowed respectfully and said, "Liu Jing pays homage to Immortal Master Yu Zhenren!"

    This old Taoist is Zhao Yun's master, Yu Zhenren, also known as Yu Zhenzi. He practices in Luofeng Mountain, Changshan County. He is eighty-seven years old this year. He has skills in cultivating immortals. Although he is nearly ninety, his physical condition is like that of a middle-aged man.  He is energetic and can walk on the mountain road like flying, so the local people call him the Jade God.

    Twenty days ago, he received a letter from his beloved disciple Zhao Yun, begging him to teach Liu Jing in martial arts. In the letter, Zhao Yun praised Liu Jing's talents and even surpassed his own. This moved Yu Zhenren, who had not cared about the world for a long time.  I came to Xiangyang specially because of my heart.

    Of course, Zhao Yun was not self-taught. He was originally the son of a hunter in the Taihang Mountains. When he was fourteen years old, he captured a female wolf alive with a noose. Out of pity for the wolf, he released the prey. When Yu Zhenren saw it, he thought Zhao Yun was compassionate.  Therefore, Zhao Yun accepted him as a close disciple. Zhao Yun practiced martial arts hard for five years and finally developed superb martial arts skills.

    Master Yu was ready to go into seclusion, but a letter from his beloved disciple Zhao Yun made it impossible for him to cut off his dusty heart and went south to Jingzhou alone.

    Master Yu helped Liu Jing up with a smile. He had actually been in Xiangyang for a few days. He saw Liu Jingyong saving Gan Ning outside Beicheng and had a very good impression of Liu Jing.

    However, Liu Jing cut off the horse thief's hand with one sword, but Master Yu felt that Liu Jing's murderous intention was a little stronger, which made him a little regretful.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and talk outside the city!¡±

    Master Yu smiled and mounted his healthy mule and rushed out of the city. At this time, Liu Jing could no longer care about Cai Zhong sending people to steal the horse. He quickly urged the horse to gallop and followed Master Yu out of the city.

    Although Liu Jing has not been learning martial arts for a long time, he has already begun to get a glimpse of the ropes. The Luo Feng Kung Fu given to him by Zhao Yun allows him to quickly concentrate his power to explode. The subtle use of power can also make his sword skills erratic and elusive.

    However, Liu Jing's own lack of strength makes it difficult for him to become a first-class military commander no matter how clever he is. This is the reason why a clever woman cannot make a meal without rice.  Enemies who are truly powerful in martial arts.

    Liu Jing is eight feet tall and has a similar build to Zhao Yun, but Zhao Yun can easily lift a stone beast weighing more than 1,500 kilograms, while he can only lift a maximum of 400 kilograms. This is the difference in strength between the two of them.

    And the cultivation of strength requires building the foundation from an early age, transforming the human body's muscles and bones, making the human body's bones and muscles stronger, the muscles more powerful, and fully tapping human potential.

    If you have not gone through foundation-building training since childhood, it is destined to be difficult to become a battlefield general when you grow up. Just like Liu Jing, who has been hunting in the mountains since he was a child, his speed and agility are superior to others, but in the end he can only become the best among the small soldiers.  , the greatest achievement was to kill two Cao Jun cavalry.

    Liu Jing also knows that her biggest problem is that she practices martial arts too late. She only started learning martial arts at the age of sixteen. She has missed the foundation building training since childhood, and her muscles and bones have basically grown into shape.

    This time made him extremely depressed, but what Zhao Yun said to him in Wuchang City gave Liu Jing hope again.

    ¡®I only started learning martial arts when I was fourteen, and I completed it in five years. Why couldn¡¯t you do it when you were sixteen?  ¡¯

    It was this sentence that gave Liu Jing hope again, but where was the foreshadowing of Zhao Yun's sentence?  He had been puzzled until Zhenren Yu appeared, and Liu Jing understood the deep meaning of Zhao Yun's words.

    At this time, Liu Jing was full of gratitude to Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun never showed his love for him, but he sincerely cared about and helped him.

    The opportunity is right in front of him. Whether he can seize this opportunity is related to Liu Jing's future and destiny in the Three Kingdoms. In the Three Kingdoms era, only the strong can survive.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On a hill outside the city, Master Yu stood in a pavilion, gazing at the Han River in the distance with his hands behind his hands. Behind him, Liu Jing stood with his hands hanging down, his head lowered, like a student who was punished for being late for school.

    ¡°Sixty years have passed, the rivers remain the same, but the world has gone through vicissitudes of life.¡±

    Master Yu sighed slightly, did not look back, and said in a low voice: "When I was young, I once stood here and looked at the Han River. The river passed eastward, and sixty years passed in a flash."

    He turned back and asked Liu Jing with a smile, "Can youDo you understand this mentality of vicissitudes of life?  "

    Liu Jing nodded silently, "I can understand."

    "You are only sixteen years old, can you understand?" Master Yu was somewhat interested, sat down and asked.

    "Sometimes I feel the passage of 1,800 years of history. I see that the world will be reunited if it is divided for a long time, and it will be divided if it is united for a long time. I can see the tragic scenes of fighting against the invasion of aliens. I can also see myself in future generations, but it is very vague.  I can't see clearly. Sometimes I sit quietly for a day, close my eyes and recall the flow of history. Only then do I realize that I am so small, as small as a drop in the ocean. "

    Master Yu laughed, and his smile was extremely kind. He could deeply understand the vicissitudes of Liu Jing's words. He was not deliberately trying to flatter himself. He might really have a sense of history. This child was indeed a bit related.  Different.

    "Aside from passing on the 'Luo Feng Kung Fu' to you, what else did Zilong teach you?" Master Yu's smile disappeared and he began to get down to business.

    "To report back to you, General Zhao also taught me the basic thirteen-style marksmanship."

    "Then have you learned it?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "Juniors are stupid. They only learn its form, but not its spirit."

    Master Yu¡¯s eyes fell on a smooth boulder, which weighed six to seven hundred kilograms. He waved the whisk in his hand towards the boulder and said, ¡°Try lifting that boulder.¡±

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly in his heart, how could he move it, but he didn't understand what Master Yu meant, so he had to step forward and try his hands. In an instant, all his strength gathered in his arms, and he shouted, and the big stone was moved slightly, but only  An inch off the ground, it fell heavily again.

    Liu Jing said in shame: "This junior is incompetent and cannot lift this big stone."

    Master Yu asked in surprise: "Have you really only practiced the 'Luofeng Kung Fu' for more than a month?"

    "This junior has known General Zhao for less than two months."

    Master Yu nodded slowly. No wonder Zilong said that Liu Jing's qualifications were extremely high and extraordinary. He had only practiced for a month and a half, but he had already mastered the technique of exerting force instantly. His eldest apprentice had to practice for at least half a year to do it.  He is indeed a genius!

    Master Yu admired in his heart, but showed no expression on his face, and smiled slightly: "Do you know why I asked you to move this stone?"

    ¡°Juniors don¡¯t know.¡±

    "Actually, the thirteen-style marksmanship Zilong taught you was also created by me. It's called the 'Hundred Birds Chaotic Phoenix Spear'. It was created after I spent ten years observing the flight and fighting postures of various birds.

    But if you don't learn the 'Falling Phoenix Kung Fu', then the Thirteen Styles of Spearmanship are meaningless. But if you can't move this big stone, then you can't truly understand the 'Falling Phoenix Kung Fu'. This is actually a chain of events.  Damn, strength is the foundation of martial arts. No matter who it is, they may practice martial arts in different ways, but the foundation is the same. Do you understand?  "

    Liu Jing was extremely excited. The huge loss he had felt for more than a month was revealed by Yu Zhenren's words.

    He slowly fell to his knees and said with tears: "Liu Jing learned martial arts too late and can no longer build a foundation. I beg the real person to teach me. I am willing to worship the real person as my teacher."

    Master Yu stared at Liu Jing for a long time, and then slowly said: "Do you know why I asked you to spare that horse thief?"

    Liu Jing did not respond and waited quietly for Master Yu to give him the answer. Master Yu sighed, "This is actually the condition for me to accept a disciple. My disciple must be compassionate."

    Speaking of this, Master Yu smiled faintly again, "Of course, I don't require everyone to be as compassionate as a monk, but I hope that my disciples can have a compassionate heart. The big man is not actually a thief, he is just following orders.  , but you cut off his wrist with a knife, leaving him disabled for life, but it was his wife and children who suffered.

    Back then, Gongsun Zan also wanted to become my disciple, but I declined him because he had too much desire to kill. However, I still passed on the Hundred Birds Chao Phoenix Spear to him, but he did not learn my Phoenix Falling Technique.  , so I only learned its form but not its spirit. What a pity!  "

    Liu Jing felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He had understood what Master Yu meant, but he rejected his request to become a disciple because his heart was not compassionate enough.

    "But I don't have the murderous heart like Gongsun Zan. I just want to make contributions, be a famous general in the late Han Dynasty, save the world, and become famous all over the world like General Zhao." There was a hint of Liu Jing's tone in his voice.  A trace of begging, this is his only hope, he doesn't want to lose this opportunity.

    "The end of Han Dynasty!"

    Master Yu sighed, "Your words contain a kind of vicissitudes of life that young people don't have. Maybe you don't even realize it yourself, but you are indeed not Gongsun Zan. If you can connect with me, you may be able to help me."  Practice, so I would like to treat you as a little friend.¡±

    Liu Jing lowered his head,He was extremely frustrated. He just wanted to learn martial arts and not talk about Taoism. Master Yu laughed and said, "Don't worry! Zilong can learn martial arts and be reborn after three years. I can also make you change your tendons and cleanse your marrow. It just takes how long it will take. Then  It depends on your hard work and talent.¡±

    These words made Liu Jing's cold heart warm again. He was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes and he kowtowed heavily, "I am willing to work a hundred times harder to live up to the teachings of the real person."

    Master Yu nodded, "I will wait for you in front of the gate of Qingzhu Temple in Longzhong at the fifth correction tomorrow. Remember, you only have this chance. If you don't come by, I will return to Changshan County."

    The fifth watch is also called Wuye on weekdays, which is between three and five o'clock in the middle of the night in later generations, and the fifth watch is exactly four o'clock in the middle of the night. Master Yu asked Liu Jing to wait in front of the gate of Qingzhu Temple in Longzhong.

    There are many problems here. First, the city gate does not open until a quarter of the hour, which is around 5:30 in the morning. If we leave the city for Longzhong tomorrow morning, we will definitely not be able to catch up.

    Secondly, he has never been to Longzhong once. It is said that it is more than 20 miles away to the west of the city. As for where Qingzhu Temple is, he knows nothing about it.

    So Liu Jing made a decision. He would go to Longzhong this afternoon, first explore Qingzhu Temple, and then stay overnight in Longzhong.

    The urgency in his heart made Liu Jing want to leave immediately, but on second thought, he still had to go back to the Liu Mansion first, and at least tell Uncle Meng that he was going to Longzhong to visit friends and would not be back tonight.

    Having made up his mind, Liu Jing galloped towards the Liu Mansion. At this time, he had forgotten about Cai Zhong's horse stealing

 Volume 1, Chapter 45: Intensified Conflicts

    After entering the Liu Mansion, Liu Jing rushed towards his small courtyard excitedly. At this time, he only had longing for a better future in his heart. He missed the foundation building as a child. Almost everyone thought that he would never have any martial arts knowledge in this life.  Even he himself was almost in despair.

    "But Zhao Yun only started practicing martial arts at the age of fourteen. It only took him five years to master martial arts, which gave Liu Jing another glimmer of hope.

    Zhao Yun can do it, why can¡¯t Liu Jing?  The key is to get the guidance of a master. The only person in the world who has this ability is Master Yu.

    Liu Jing excitedly walked into his small courtyard. As soon as he entered the door, he felt an ominous feeling. He instinctively put his hand on the handle of the knife, and there was an abnormal sound in the room, like someone breaking something.

    "Master!"

    Uncle Meng¡¯s low voice came from the woodshed next to him. Liu Jing walked into the woodshed quickly. The situation in front of him made him startled. He saw Uncle Meng struggling to stand up against the wall, his face covered with blood.

    "How is this going?"

    Liu Jing quickly supported Uncle Meng. He had a broken forehead and was bloody. Liu Jing quickly took out a piece of gold bandage from her arms and carefully applied it to Uncle Meng's wound.

    "Uncle Meng, who is in the room?"

    "well!"

    Uncle Meng sighed, "It was the daughter of the Cai family. She came in angrily. I wanted to stop her, but I accidentally hit my forehead on the box."

    There was a knock on the door. Liu Jing snorted loudly, turned around and walked back to her room.

    "Young master, you must not hurt her!" Uncle Meng followed behind and said anxiously.

    "I have my own sense of proportion."

    Liu Jing walked quickly to the door of his room. He pondered for a moment and pushed the door open. The situation in the room made him feel angry and narrowed his eyes.

    The room was in a mess, all the furniture was chopped to pieces, the copper lamp was cut into two, and the clothes were torn. Cai Shaoyu was like a crazy little female animal, holding Liu Jing's white dragon dagger in her hand, going crazy.  Chop up the sleeping couch.

    The door ¡®boom!  ¡¯ The ground was pushed away, and Cai Shaoyu turned back suddenly. She cried all night, her eyes were red, and she stared at Liu Jing. There was a trace of shock in her eyes, but more of them were hatred and anger.

    Liu Jing walked into the room calmly, picked up the Tinghou Seal in the corner, patted the dust on it, and picked up a few ingots of gold scattered on the ground, which were the rewards he received from the sword show.

    His eyes fell on the white dragon dagger in the girl's hand. The seal, gold, and white dragon dagger were his most valuable possessions.

    "Give me the sword!" Liu Jing stretched out her hand with a cold tone.

    "I am going to kill you!"

    Cai Shaoyu shouted hysterically and rushed forward with a sword. Liu Jing dodged and kicked her in the air, and the sword came out of her hand.

    Liu Jing thought of Cai Zhong's horse theft, Mrs. Cai's meanness, and Cai Mao's hidden arrows. At this moment, he hated the Cai family to the extreme and became extremely cold-hearted.

    Liu Jing grabbed Cai Shaoyu's arm and dragged her outside the house.

    "You bastard! You hurt me, let me go!" Cai Shaoyu screamed in pain.

    Liu Jiang dragged her to the door and threw her into the yard, "Get out!"

    Cai Shaoyu had never been treated like this before. She was grabbed by the arm and thrown into the yard. She was so ashamed and angry that she sat on the ground and cried loudly, "I want to tell my father, my aunt and uncle, and let them beat you to death. I won't die."  marry you!"

    "enough!"

    Liu Jing roared angrily, frightening Cai Shaoyu to stop crying. Liu Jing could no longer bear it, pointed at her and angrily rebuked: "I told you last time that I will not marry you. A woman like you, even if she comes four  Ten, I don¡¯t like you either. Stop being sentimental. Even if all the women in the world die, I won¡¯t marry you. Just go away!¡±

    Cai Shaoyu's face turned pale, and then turned red with shame and anger. She thought to herself: 'So this person looks at me like this, despises me, abuses me, and humiliates me. I am the legitimate daughter of the Cai family.  In your eyes, am I so unbearable?  He is worse than a beggar. Even if all men in the world die, I will not marry such a man. I would rather become a monk and a bhikshuni.  ¡¯

    Cai Shaoyu slowly stood up and straightened her dress. She stared at Liu Jing with a pointed look, gritted her teeth and said, "Okay! I will remember your words. One day you will regret what you said today, I swear!"

    "It's no use even if you swear a hundred times, leave now!"

    Cai Shaoyu stamped her feet fiercely, turned around and rushed out. It wasn't until she ran away that Uncle Meng sighed, walked forward slowly and said, "Master, you shouldn't treat her like this. She is the daughter of the Cai family after all. Throw her away."  When we got to the yard, not even the maids in the house were like this, let alone she was??£®  £®  £®  £®  £®  "

    Liu Jing was furious, "I don't care who she is. If she offends me, I will still take action. No matter whose family she is from?"

    As soon as he finished speaking, a sneer came from the door, "Hey! What a brave young man."

    This sneer is like a red letter spit out by a snake, causing cold sweat to break out on the spine.

    Liu Jing turned around and saw Madam Cai appearing at the gate of the courtyard surrounded by more than a dozen maids and maids. There was a slight sweat on her temples, which showed that she came in a hurry. Madam Cai had just met Cai Shaoyu, and she ran away crying, even more so.  This angered Mrs. Cai.

    "Young Master Jing is very courageous! I really admire him." Mrs. Cai sneered sharply, her eyes flashing with coldness like poisonous snakes.

    Liu Jing calmed down and bowed slightly, "What can I do for you, madam?"

    "I came to visit my niece. I heard that she is here with you. Is she still there?"

    "Report to Madam, she has left."

    "Really? I heard she was bullied here. Did you bully her? Master Jing!"

    "I don't understand what Madam means."

    Liu Jing had completely calmed down. He felt that Mrs. Cai's visit was unkind, but he did not want to show weakness. "Madam, you might as well explain, why did the dignified daughter of the Cai family come into my room while I was away? Is this so?"  Is it the Cai family tradition? "

    "What are you talking about!" Mrs. Cai glared at Liu Jing.

    At this time, Uncle Meng couldn't help but said: "Madam, it was Miss Cai who came to cause trouble first. She chopped the room to pieces, and all the dishes and basins were thrown"

    "Shut up!"

    Mrs. Cai scolded angrily, interrupting Uncle Meng, "Master is talking, why are you, a slave, interrupting?"

    Uncle Meng was so frightened that he knelt down and lowered his head without saying a word. Liu Jing helped Uncle Meng up and said coldly to Mrs. Cai: "Madam, in your eyes, he is a slave, but in my eyes, he is an elder." He said  If it does, it represents me.¡±

    Uncle Meng still lowered his head, his lips were trembling, and tears welled up from his eyes unconsciously. Mr. Jing actually said that he was an elder. He had been a domestic slave for forty years, but this was the first time that a master regarded him as an elder.

    Mrs. Cai laughed loudly and turned the topic to a slave. It was an insult to her. Her sarcastic eyes stared at Liu Jing again.

    "Okay! If you want to ruin yourself, I have no objection at all, but I am here to tell you that from now on, you must move out of Liu Mansion. There is no longer a place for you to live here. This is what your uncle meant. You don't have to go there anymore.  Find him."

    Liu Jing sneered. He had no longer wanted to live in the Liu Mansion. "Very good. I'm just asking for it. I'll leave immediately. Mrs. Cai, please go ahead and invite me!"

    Mrs. Cai glared at him fiercely and waved her hand, "Let's go!"

    She took a large group of servants and left like a gust of wind. Only Liu Jing and Uncle Meng were left in the yard. Liu Jing smiled and said to Uncle Meng: "Let's clean up and go!"

    Uncle Meng shook his head, "Thank you for your kindness, young master, but I am deeded to the Liu Mansion. If I leave the Liu Mansion, I will be arrested by the government, so I will stay."

    "But that woman will abuse you, and she will vent her hatred for me on you."

    Uncle Meng smiled, "It's nothing. The worst thing is that I can feed the horses. Besides, I have a good relationship with several housekeepers. After decades of friendship, they will take care of me. Don't worry, sir!"

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, then turned around and went to the small study, hurriedly wrote a letter, then found Uncle Meng and handed the letter to him, "Please pass this letter to the eldest son for me, and I will ask him to take care of you."

    "Thank you, sir, I will give the letter to him."

    Liu Jing took out three more ingots of gold and gave them to Uncle Meng, "Keep this little gold in your pocket, in case something happens, you may need it."

    "No! No! I can't have it."

    Uncle Meng hurriedly postponed, "Young Master is outside and needs money even more."

    Liu Jing ignored him and forced the gold to him. Then he picked up the leather bag and turned around. Laughter came from outside the hospital, "Uncle Meng, please take care of yourself!"

    Uncle Meng ran out of the yard and looked at the back of the young master walking away. Tears welled up unsatisfactorily once again, blurring his eyes

    At night, the eldest son Liu Qi hurried to his father's study. He was about to knock on the door when he heard his stepmother Mrs. Cai yelling angrily from inside the room, "Does the general want to indulge him again? He actually beat Shaoyu. Such a thing  It¡¯s shocking. When did it happen? He didn¡¯t hit Shaoyu, he hit my Cai family in the face. General, the Cai family cannot accept this marriage!¡±

    "Ma'am, calm down. We'll talk about this later. Don't get so angry. Besides, didn't he move away?"

    ??"Hmph! I never want to see him again, he is disrespectful"

    Outside the door, Liu Qi secretly sighed. Many things in the world cannot be explained clearly. His mother's words seemed to have the upper hand in morality, but without a cause, how could there be an effect?

    At this time, the sound of soft footsteps came, Liu Qi quickly hid behind a pillar, the door opened, and Mrs. Cai came out. She turned around and said, "General, whether it is a delaying tactic or a long-term plan, anyway, this door  I will never agree to the marriage, I think Cong'er is more suitable than him."

    Liu Biao¡¯s cold snort came from the room, and Liu Qi frowned, ¡®My mother really supports my second brother¡¯s marriage to Shaoyu.  ¡¯

    In fact, Liu Qi also wants to marry Cai Shaoyu, not because he likes Cai Shaoyu, but for his future plans. After all, the Cai family is the most famous family in Jingzhou. With the support of the Cai family, his position will be stable.

    Mrs. Cai's soft footsteps faded away, and Liu Qi walked out from behind the pillar, walked up and knocked on the door, "Father, it's me!"

    "Come in!" Liu Biao's tired voice came from the room.

    Liu Qi pushed the door open and entered the house. He saw his father standing in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, staring silently at the darkness outside the window.

    "My son, please pay homage to your father!" Liu Qi knelt down and kowtowed respectfully.

    "Are you here because of Jing'er's affairs?" Liu Biao asked in a serious tone.

    "Yes! He left a letter for the child."

    Liu Qi took out a letter and said, "Father, this is the letter."

    Liu Biao shook his head, "I don't want to see it for the moment, so you don't have to give it to me."

    Liu Biao sat down. After a long time, he smiled bitterly and said, "Housework is really a headache!"

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 46: The Choice of Martial Arts Training

    His father's words made Liu Qi feel relieved. It seemed that his father was not confused. He knew that Jingdi was innocent. It was just family issues that put him in a dilemma.

    "Father, it is really Shaoyu who caused trouble first and destroyed all the items in Jingdi's room, so it is understandable that Jingdi is furious. Father, the child thinks that it is unfair to the mother to kick him out of the house like this."

    Liu Qi never dared to say anything wrong with his stepmother. This time he summoned up the courage to accuse Mrs. Cai of being unfair, which contained a hint of dissatisfaction with Mrs. Cai for favoring his second brother.

    Liu Biao sighed, "It was actually my intention to let Jing'er move out, but my original intention was to let him move out, arrange a house for him, arrange food and accommodation for him, and then have a detailed discussion with him. It is definitely not what we are doing today.  As a result, to be honest, I am also very sad. After all, he is my nephew. How can I explain to his dead father? "

    "Then father what are you going to do?" Liu Qi asked as tactfully as possible.

    Liu Biao is indeed very difficult to deal with. He has gradually become aware of the conflict between his nephew and his wife. He also understands that it is unfair for Liu Jing to be driven away today, but.  £®  £®  £®  It was impossible for him to fall out with his wife because of Liu Jing, and family matters were difficult to resolve. He felt this deeply.

    After pondering for a moment, Liu Biao said, "Go and comfort him for me! Arrange food and lodging for him, and tell him that I know what I am doing and will not treat him badly in the future, so that he can understand my difficulties."

    "The kid will definitely comfort him and arrange his food and accommodation. In addition, the kid has a suggestion."

    "What suggestions do you have? Tell me!"

    "My child, what do you mean, can you find something for Brother Jing to do, for example, assign him a position, so that it will be natural for him to move out and live without causing outside discussions, and he can also understand that his father  A lot of hard work.¡±

    "Do you think it's okay?" Liu Biao asked.

    Liu Qi nodded, "He has participated in the battle to destroy Zhang Wu, and he is young and mature. He is fully qualified for ordinary military positions. More importantly, he has made great achievements by killing Zhang Wu. It is normal for his father to be promoted to an official for his merits."  , no one will say anything.¡±

    Liu Biao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. He was moved by the suggestion of his eldest son Liu Qi. He pondered for a while and said with a smile: "Okay! Let me think about this matter again."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Longzhong is about twenty miles west of Xiangyang. Go out from the west of Xiangyang City and walk seven or eight miles to Tanxi. After crossing Tanxi Bridge and walking west for about ten miles, you can reach Longzhong.

    Longzhong is located south of the Han River, only twenty miles away from Xiangyang. Although it has long been Liu Biao's territory, in the administrative divisions of the Han Dynasty, it belonged to Fancheng County, Nanyang County on the other side of the Han River.

    So in history, the dispute lies in whether Zhuge Liang lived in seclusion in Nanyang or Xiangyang. In his apprenticeship list, Zhuge Liang said that he worked in Nanyang because Longzhong belonged to Nanyang County, but his life and social circle were all in Xiangyang.

    Liu Jing arrived in Longzhong at dusk. He found a clean inn to stay in Longzhong Town. To his relief, Qingzhu Temple was two miles west of the town. Everyone in the town knew it.  Very easy to find.

    "Is this your first time coming to Longzhong?"

    The owner of the hotel is a middle-aged man in his forties. He is fair and fat, has a friendly smile, and is very talkative. He holds an oil lamp and leads Liu Jing to the room.

    Liu Jing led the BMW and followed the owner. He had already learned his lesson. His horse needed to be taken care of by him personally and could not be left to the store.

    "Well! It's my first time in Longzhong."

    "What do you think of Longzhong, Master?"

    ¡°It¡¯s a good place with beautiful mountains and clear waters, beautiful scenery, and simple folk customs.¡±

    "Haha! Our Longzhong is not only beautiful with beautiful scenery, but also rich in humanities. The Lumen Academy of the Pang family is in Longzhong. Mr. Shui Jing Sima Hui, Feng Chu Pang Shiyuan, Wolong Zhuge Kongming, as well as Xu Yuanzhi, Cui Zhouping and other famous northerners are all here.  Gather in Longzhong.

    ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? The streets in Longzhong town are full of scholars. You are lucky, and there happens to be a vacant room. If you had come a few days earlier, there would be no rooms at all, and they would all be occupied by scholars.  "

    "Why is this?"

    "A few days ago, Mr. Shui Jing openly recruited disciples. Thousands of scholars came from all over Jingzhou. That's called lively. So the hostels were all full. Even the Qingzhu Temple where the young master was going was full of scholars, and they all wanted to worship.  Mr. Shui Jing is my teacher.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded. He also knew that more than a thousand celebrities from the north came to Jingzhou to escape the war, making Jingzhou the last paradise for the northern gentry. Because of the Pang family's Lumen Academy, Longzhong became the headquarters for the northern gentry.  .

    "Okay, this is it, sir, please come!"

      The owner of the store led Liu Jing to a small courtyard, which was a single courtyard with two rooms and a courtyard wall as high as a person around. Liu Jing rented the courtyard for 20 yuan a day, and the price was not much.  expensive.

    ¡°Thank you, shopkeeper, I¡¯ll take care of you tomorrow morning.¡±

    "Don't worry! I will wake you up at the fourth watch tomorrow morning."

    The shop owner handed the oil lamp to Liu Jing and returned to the front yard. Liu Jing led the horse into the yard. The yard was very quiet. An old locust tree was like a stooped old man, leaning on the corner of the courtyard wall.

    Liu Jing simply blew out the oil lamp and sat down on a big stone in the yard. He looked up at the bright stars in the sky. His heart was in chaos. Since he came to this era, his heart has never been calm.

    At this time, he finally calmed down and carefully watched the night sky of the Three Kingdoms era. The night sky of the Three Kingdoms was no different from that of later generations. I wonder how many secrets are hidden in this endless universe?

    A meteor streaked across the sky, and Liu Jing couldn't help but sigh lowly. Perhaps this was another soul that had traveled through two thousand years.

    Is it possible for him to go back?

    If he can't go back, where should he go in this era of war and war?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Longzhong is located in the undulating mountains to the west of Xiangyang. There are more than a dozen pavilions and small towns scattered among the mountains and ravines. The people here are honest and honest, and the roads are not littered. It is like a paradise forgotten by the war.

    Before the fifth watch, Liu Jing appeared on horseback on a small road outside Qingzhu Temple. Qingzhu Temple is built on the mountain, with a bamboo forest covering an area of ??hundreds of acres behind it. A small stream gurgled by the Taoist temple.  The place where spiritual veins gather.

    There were still more than a hundred steps away from the Taoist temple. Liu Jing turned over and dismounted, leading the horse forward slowly. It was the deepest night at this time, and there was silence all around.

    Not long after, Liu Jing arrived in front of the Taoist temple. There was a small pine forest on the left side of the gate, and the outline of a pavilion was faintly visible on the slope.

    Liu Jing led the horse up the mound. From a distance, he saw a thin figure in the pavilion. Liu Jing felt excited and quickly approached the pavilion. There was an old Taoist sitting cross-legged in the pavilion. It was the jade he met yesterday.  Real person.

    Liu Jing let go of the horse, walked into the pavilion, knelt down, and kowtowed respectfully, "Junior Liu Jing pays homage to the real person!"

    Master Yu slowly opened his eyes, smiled slightly and said, "Did you live in Longzhong yesterday?"

    "Yes! I arrived at Longzhong last night. The gate of Xiangyang City will not open until midnight. If I come here in the morning, I won't be able to catch up."

    "troubled you."

    Master Yu took out a small purple jade bottle from his arms, poured out a longan-sized pill from it, and handed it to him along with a wine gourd, "Chow up the medicine and drink it with wine."

    Liu Jing was a little stunned. This started without any prelude. Should I say something?

    ??????????????????????? But his daze lasted only for a brief moment, and soon he calmly accepted this beginning. There was really no need to say anything more, everything had already fallen into place.

    Liu Jing restrained her inner excitement and took the pills and wine bottle. He gently crushed the pills and a strange fragrance came to his nose. There seemed to be a musk component in it.

    He put the medicine into his mouth, raised the wine gourd and drank a few sips. The wine was extraordinary. An unbearable spiciness rushed into his mouth, just like eating a ball of mustard. His eyes and nose were filled with spiciness.  , so choked that he almost spurted out, but Liu Jing still held it back and slowly swallowed the medicine and wine.

    When Master Yu saw him finish taking the medicine, a smile appeared on his face. Yes, this child could bear it, which was a good start.

    He took half of the brick from beside him and said with a smile: "There is another half of brick outside the west gate of Xiangyang close to the city gate. Go and get it for me. I will give you half an hour. Remember, there is only half of it."  hour.¡±

    Liu Jing took a closer look at the appearance of the bricks, turned around and ran away. He had only half an hour for a round trip of more than forty miles. This was like the half marathon race in later generations. He wanted to join the ranks of the masters.

    "He ran pretty fast!"

    Master Yu walked to the pavilion with his hands behind his back, looking at Liu Jing's running figure from a distance, with a knowing smile on his face. Although the child didn't talk much, he was very smart. He didn't ride a horse, and he actually guessed what he was going to do.  Intention can be taught to children!

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing's whole body was burning like fire, as if his internal organs were going to be burned up. The pain of burning all over his body could only be relieved slightly by running desperately.

    At this time, Liu Jing could no longer feel tired at all. He had only one thought, run!  Run like crazy!

    In the darkness before dawn, a figure ran quickly in the wilderness west of Xiangyang.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Half an hourGradually, Master Yu, who was sitting cross-legged and meditating, slowly opened his eyes again. In the hazy morning fog, he saw a figure running from a distance, holding half a green brick in his hand, and his head was full of exhaustion.  Khan, a happy smile appeared on Master Yu's face. Yes, this child passed the test.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "I started accepting disciples when they were four or five years old, and slowly built up their foundation and cultivated them. Unfortunately, among the more than thirty disciples I accepted, only two succeeded in the end, and most of the others became mediocre and wasted money.  It took me decades.¡±

    Later, I met Zilong. Unfortunately, he was already fourteen years old at that time and could not build the foundation from scratch. But I felt that he was destined for me and I didn¡¯t want to give up on him, but how should I teach him?

    This problem is very difficult for me, so I thought about it for seven days and nights in the Luofeng Guanzang Sutra Pavilion, and finally came up with a bold plan. Maybe I can discover the unknown power in Zhao Yun's body.

    Since then, I have used a brand-new method to train Zilong, and it finally proved that I was successful. It only took five years to train a young Orion boy into the world's top master. Of course, this and his superhuman talent  related.

    "Master Jing, you only started building the foundation when you were sixteen years old, two years later than Zilong. Although you also have extraordinary talents, your physique has already grown, unlike Zilong who was still growing back then.

    So the medicine I prepared for you is different from Zilong and more powerful. I really can¡¯t guarantee success. You need to make a decision. Are you willing to take this risk?  "

    In the pavilion, Master Yu looked at Liu Jing, his clear eyes full of frankness.

    "What will happen if it fails?" Liu Jing asked in a deep voice.

    "If you fail, you will be paralyzed in bed for life."

    Liu Jing nodded without hesitation, "I would rather die than spend the rest of my life mediocre."

 Volume 1, Chapter 47: Cruel Training

    Whether it is Liu Jing or Zhao Yun back then, it is impossible for their muscles and bones to develop again, they are almost finalized.

    But they have potential that has not yet been tapped. In fact, everyone has this potential, but the size is different.

    ??Zhenzhen Yu has specially formulated drugs to stimulate potential, and they have nice names, called Xihuanjiu and Yijindan. Its function is to stimulate this potential of the human body.

    So every time after taking the medicine, Liu Jing would feel an infinite power surging in her body, but soon this powerful feeling disappeared.

    The purpose of overload training is to stabilize this potential that the human body only occasionally bursts out, and turn it into a normal force.

    This has the same effect as the training of weightlifters in later generations. Yuzhenren has only one purpose, to fully tap Liu Jing's potential and double his strength. Only with the strength of a thousand pounds can he truly practice Luo Feng Kung Fu, and finally practice  Hundreds of birds shoot at the phoenix, which are linked together.

    That night, Liu Jing was almost carried into Qingzhu Temple by several Taoist priests. When the medicine disappeared, the extreme fatigue almost killed Liu Jing. Even he himself could not remember how much he had run.  miles and climbed several mountains.

    In Liu Jing¡¯s understanding, practicing Qigong should be done step by step and slowly increasing the amount, but Master Yu did not do this. He took medicine three times a day, pushing him to the limit of his physical fitness.

    ¡®Plop!  ¡¯

    Liu Jing, who had stripped naked, was thrown into a large iron pot about one foot in diameter. A young Taoist priest was busy adding firewood under the iron pot. The fire was blazing under the iron pot and the inside of the iron pot was steaming.

    Another little Taoist priest poured a basket of collected herbs into the iron pot, as if he was making a pot of fragrant vegetable and human broth.

    However, there is a bamboo mat placed in the iron pot so that Liu Jing's skin does not need to touch the hot bottom of the pot and she can only enjoy the boiling water.

    Liu Jing was almost numb to the stimulation of the outside world and could not feel the scalding temperature of the water. He only felt that he was falling continuously in the painful hell, until he fell into the eighteenth level of hell.

    Master Yu stretched out his hand and tested the temperature of the water. It was already boiling hot and the water temperature was about the same. Then he said to the fire-burning Taoist priest: "Remove the firewood and don't burn it anymore."

    "Chang Immortal, how long does he need to soak?" a young Taoist priest asked.

    "At least for an hour, wait until the water becomes warm, then put firewood on to boil the water."

    Using boiling water and adding herbs is to get rid of Liu Jing's fatigue and restore his physical strength so that he can continue intensive training tomorrow. This kind of devilish training must last for at least a month before it can be converted into normal long-term training.

    "Master, when will I start tomorrow morning?" Liu Jing asked weakly while lying in the soup.

    "Get up at four o'clock tomorrow morning and let's go hiking." Master Yu replied with a smile.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Qi knew that Liu Jing went to Longzhong, but didn¡¯t know where he was?  After coming to Longzhong five times, I finally found Liu Jing in Qingzhu Temple.

    Liu Jing did not want Liu Qi to know too much about the details of his martial arts training, so she took him to the town.

    "Brother, have Uncle Liu Huang's troops come back?" Liu Jing said with a smile.

    "You have been back a long time ago. They are now stationed in Xinye. The emperor even asked about you and praised your achievements."

    "It's a pity that we were not able to welcome the army in triumph."

    The two of them walked to the small town. Liu Qi asked him to have lunch. Liu Jing asked with a smile: "Eldest brother, do you have any money? I don't have any money."

    Liu Qi took out a small ingot of gold, about three to four taels, weighed it in his hand, and asked with a smile: "Is this enough?"

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for me to eat ten meals.¡±

    The two walked into a tavern talking and laughing, but soon Liu Qi was stunned. For this meal, Liu Jing had to eat five kilograms of meat and two liters of rice, which was simply unbelievable to him.

    "Brother Jing, how come your appetite has increased so much?"

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly. If Liu Qi knew that his daily exercise amount was more than ten times that of the past, he would not be surprised.

    "Maybe he's been growing recently! He's so edible, and I find it strange." Liu Jing answered vaguely.

    Liu Qi had more important things in mind, so Liu Jing's appetite became insignificant. He pondered for a moment and said: "Brother Jing, my father is very sorry for your departure from home. He asked me to come to you to express my feelings for you."  Apologize and care, I hope you can understand his difficulties.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "I can understand my uncle's difficulties. It's hard for an upright official to deal with household affairs! It's hard to tell who is right in family conflicts."

    Liu Qi didn¡¯t expect Liu Jing to be so sensible. The worries in his heart these days seemed to suddenly disappear.The wind blew away, and my heart suddenly became clear.

    Liu Qi chuckled and said, "If my father knew that you were so considerate, he would be so happy. To be honest, I actually think it's not your fault. The root cause is still the marriage between you and the Cai family."

    "I don't want to marry with the Cai family. I have made it clear to my uncle."

    "I know."

    Liu Qi sighed, "Actually, Shaoyu is not suitable for you. She has been spoiled since she was a child. She needs a more tolerant, or gentle-tempered husband. You are tolerant, but deep down you are very strong. Even if you two force it,  When we get married, it will be difficult to get along with each other in the future.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded silently, Liu Qi was right.

    The two were silent for a moment, and Liu Qi asked again: "What are you going to do about this matter?"

    "What else can I do?"

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly, "I will definitely not agree. My uncle has pushed me into a hurry, so I have no choice but to go back to my hometown in Shanyang."

    "Actually, there is no need to do this. If you are resolute, your father will not force you anymore, but I think marrying Shaoyu will bring many benefits. I advise you to think about it again!"

    Liu Qi was very conflicted. On the one hand, he hoped that Liu Jing would give up the marriage and not compete with him for Shaoyu, but on the other hand, he was worried that his second brother would get support from his mother and eventually marry Shaoyu and gain the support of the Cai family.  Threaten his status as heir apparent.

    So he also hoped that Liu Jing could seize the marriage and cut off the second brother's path to the throne. This kind of worry about gains and losses made Liu Qi's statements a bit contradictory.

    "Is there anything else, eldest brother?" Liu Jing didn't want to mention the Cai family's marriage anymore, so she changed the topic.

    "The other thing is to solve your food and lodging problem. In addition, my father wants to find a position for you."

    Liu Jing is very interested in these two things. What he lacks most now is money. He eats too much now, Qingzhu Temple cannot support him, and the little gold in his hand cannot last long.

    What¡¯s more important is that his medicine consumes a lot of money. The medicine brought by Master Yu can only last him for a month. After one month, he will have to find a solution by himself.

    In addition, he has been looking forward to joining the job for a long time. This means that he officially joined the official position and began his struggle.

    Liu Jing tried her best to restrain her inner eagerness, and smiled and said: "That's true, I eat too much now, and Qingzhu Temple can no longer support me, a fat-bellied Celestial Master. I wonder how eldest brother plans to solve my food and lodging problem?"

    "I found a small house for you in Fancheng. It's fully furnished and you can move there at any time. As for your meal, you can eat at Jianghan Tavern in Fancheng. You don't have to worry about the meal money. I will settle the settlement with them naturally.  ¡±

    Liu Jing was slightly startled. How could he be sent to Fancheng?

    But as soon as he thought about it, he realized that this was actually marginalizing him. Maybe Liu Jing's popularity had affected Liu Qi and Liu Cong, or maybe he was unwilling to marry Cai Shaoyu, and Liu Biao wanted to give him a warning.

    In short, it had a bit of a derogatory meaning. Liu Jing couldn't help but sneered in her heart, and asked quietly: "Then what position are you planning to assign to me?"

    Perhaps because he felt guilty for arranging Liu Jing to go to Fancheng, Liu Qi relaxed his tone and said with a smile: "You can consider the specific position yourself. As long as it is not too excessive, my father should be satisfied with you and kill Zhang Wu for you."  "

    At this time, Liu Jing remembered something. Regarding his future practice, he pondered and said: "I hope the new position is related to Hanshui."

    "This request is not too much. I will tell my father. In addition, how long have you been staying in Longzhong? My father wants to know what you are doing in Longzhong?" Liu Qi looked at Liu Jing doubtfully.

    "ThisI met an old Taoist and am learning how to make elixirs from him. It will take another month! I will appear in Fancheng in one month."

    Liu Qi nodded, took out thirty taels of gold, put it on the table and pushed it to Liu Jing.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing ran all the way back to Qingzhu Temple. He had been practicing martial arts for five days. It was not until yesterday, when the extreme fatigue in his body gradually disappeared, that he deeply realized the changes in his body. He actually felt like he had been reborn.

    It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted, his body was lighter, his steps were more powerful, and his energy was more abundant. He could easily run back to Xiangyang without feeling tired, as if he had an endless energy all over his body.

    He knew that this was not entirely the result of devilish training, but that Yu Zhenren's medicine also played a role. This medicine seemed to stimulate his potential. This was only the first five days, and a month later, it would happen again.  What is the effect?

    ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Ran all the way to the entrance of the Taoist temple, so far away?Seeing Master Yu standing in the pavilion, "Master!" Liu Jing waved her hands excitedly and rushed over.

    "Do you know how much time you have exceeded?" Master Yu asked coldly.

    Liu Jing scratched his head, a little embarrassed. Master Yu only gave him a quarter of an hour, but he spent at least half an hour on a whim.

    "Junior is willing to be punished!"

    "Yeah?"

    Master Yu's face became full of smiles again, "Since you took the initiative, I won't be polite. I will punish you by running twenty miles more today."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing soon learned that running an extra twenty miles a day was not actually a punishment, but an increase in training volume. After half a month, he was running a hundred miles a day, which was almost equivalent to running a marathon every day.  .

    But that¡¯s not enough. He has to climb the mountain dozens of times, starting at four o¡¯clock in the morning and ending at midnight. Almost every day, he is carried into the Taoist temple by little Taoist priests, then stripped naked and thrown into a pot to stew slowly.

    Liu Jing felt stronger day by day. Soon, he had been training for more than twenty days. During this period, Zhao Yun visited him twice and sent him twenty stones of grain and ten pigs.  But it was Liu Bei's intention for him.

    That night, after Liu Jing took a medicated bath, a lot of his fatigue had disappeared. At this time, he usually went back to his house to sleep, but today, Liu Jing came to Yuzhenren's room and knocked on the door, "  Real person, it¡¯s me!¡±

    "come in!"

    Liu Jing pushed the door open and entered the room. Master Yu was sitting cross-legged and meditating with his eyes closed. Although Master Yu did not allow Liu Jing to call him master, Liu Jing already regarded him as her master in her heart.

    Liu Jing stepped forward, knelt down, and bowed respectfully, "Are you really looking for me?"

    Master Yu slowly opened his eyes and smiled: "I have something important to do with you."

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 48 Parting and Reunion

    [Monday is a new start, and the ranking is fierce. As there are more and more great masters, it is becoming more and more difficult to rush to the ranking. I hope everyone will support me and give me a vote to be on the list. Please support me!  ¡¿

    =====

    Liu Jing sat up straight with a respectful attitude. He was grateful to Yuzhen from the bottom of his heart.

    Master Yu smiled slightly and said, "It has been twenty-three days since training. What do you think of the effect?"

    "Reporting back to the real person, I have a feeling of being completely transformed. Many things that were impossible to do before can now be done easily."

    "Like what?"

    "Take running as an example. From here to Xiangyang Xicheng, it took half an hour to run back on the first day. I was so tired that I almost died. But now I can run back effortlessly. Although I haven't saved any time,  But I could easily run two round trips without feeling very tired.

    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Yesterday I went to move the big stone, and I could barely lift it and walk a few steps. This is an improvement in strength.  "

    Master Yu felt a hint of smugness in Liu Jing's tone, and his eyes immediately became stern, "Although Zilong is right, you are indeed a very qualified young man, no less than he was back then, but you still have a very difficult life ahead of you."  You have a long way to go, don¡¯t be complacent just because of a little progress, you know what I mean?¡±

    Liu Jing felt as if he had been beaten with a stick, and the joy in his heart disappeared. He nodded silently. Master Yu meant that even with Zhao Yun's qualifications, he still has to train hard for five years, and he still has a long way to go!

    "I understand." Liu Jing's eyes showed guilt.

    Master Yu's eyes became gentle again and he said with a smile: "I am ashamed to say that although I have taught no less than thirty disciples, there are only three people who have truly mastered my martial arts. The eldest disciple Tong Yuan and the second disciple Li Yan.  My close disciples Zhao Yun, Tong Yuan and Li Yan have passed away, but they also have many famous disciples, like Zhang Xiu and Zhang Ren, you should have heard of them!"

    Liu Jing was a little surprised. Of course he knew that Zhang Xiu, the spear king of the North, and Zhang Ren, the spear king of Xichuan, were both famous for their marksmanship. It turned out that they were the disciples of Zhenren Yu.

    Master Yu continued with a smile: "I have met Zhang Xiu and Zhang Ren. They both started practicing martial arts at the age of seven and practiced exactly according to my skills. However, their qualifications can only be said to be better, far behind Zilong."  , it can be said that Zilong's talent is unique in a century.

    But you have a kind of coincidence. Frankly speaking, you are indeed not as good as Zilong in terms of physical fitness, but you have a unique understanding of life. It is this that attracts me and makes me have great hopes for you.  .  "

    "Please rest assured, Zhenren, Liu Jing will never let down Zhenren's expectations."

    Master Yu took out two gourds, one red and one black, from the box next to him, put them on the table and said: "I have prepared the marrow washing powder in the red gourd for you. Just soak one pack in a pot of wine. The black gourd is your usual  As for the Yijin Dan you take, as for the herbs you take for daily bathing, Taoist Luo Lu knows that I have asked him to pick them up for you."

    Liu Jing was startled, "Is the real person going to leave?"

    Master Yu sighed and said: "I originally wanted to train with you for two more months, but my body feels a little wrong and I have to rush back. I hope it's not too late."

    "You can ride my horse back, my horse is faster." Liu Jing said anxiously.

    Master Yu smiled a little desolately, "You silly boy, when I said it was too late, I didn't mean the journey, but the moment I have been waiting for my whole life, so don't ask."

    Master Yu didn¡¯t say it clearly. There were some things he couldn¡¯t tell Liu Jing. His time was coming soon and he had to go back to the mountain to complete the last part of his spiritual path.

    Master Yu took out another thick book and handed it to Liu Jing solemnly, "This is something I have written these days. If you read more, you will know what to do in the future, as well as the formula and preparation method of the medicine.  , this is the secret of our Luofeng Sect, which is more important than the Luofeng Cultivation Technique and the Hundred Birds Chaotic Phoenix Spear. You must promise me that you will never reveal it to a third person. "

    Liu Jing took the booklet and said solemnly: "I promise the real person that I will never leak it to a third party!"

    Master Yu laughed again, "I can't see through it anymore. If you can save people in this world, what's the point of keeping it secret? It doesn't matter if the prescription remains in this world. You can do whatever you want. You don't have to stick to the guarantee. I will cancel your guarantee."  ¡±

    "Disciple, remember it."

    Master Yu pointed at the booklet again and said: "You must take the contents of the booklet seriously and strictly follow the instructions I give you to complete them one by one. Do not rush for success. In addition, on the last two pages, there is a sword technique that I created specially for you.  , I see you are very fast, maybe you can win with speed in the future.¡±

    Liu Jing thought that he might not be able to see Master Yu in the future, and that he would not be able to repay his kindness in the future. He felt sad and knelt down and kowtowed three times. "Liu Jing will always bear in mind the great kindness of Master Yu.Will definitely repay the real person.  "

    Master Yu smiled slightly, "If you succeed in the future, you can take care of the villagers of Changshan County. This will be considered as repaying me. If we are destined, we may meet in some form. I hope to appear in front of me by then.  He is an upright and highly skilled Mr. Jing.¡±

    "Disciple, remember!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the room, Liu Jing silently placed the book on the table and flipped through it page by page. The content was written in great detail, including how he should train in the future, what method he would use, how much training he would need, and the dangers he might encounter.  How to resolve it is described in detail in the book.

    In the book, Master Yu especially warned him not to be greedy for more and seek quick results, as that would be too risky. He needs to proceed step by step and persevere, and he will see results after three or four years.

    In addition, Zhao Yun taught him that the Hundred Birds Chao Phoenix Spear was only a basic move and was not complete. The truly completed Hundred Birds Chao Feng Spear had 13 moves and 281 variations. It was the secret of the Luofeng Sect and was not passed down.  Zhao Yun did not dare to give it to him privately even with the consent of Master Yu.

    Master Yu has already told Zhao Yun that he can teach Liu Jing the complete Hundred Birds Phoenix Spear.

    Liu Jing is not a person who is easily moved, but Master Yu¡¯s teachings to him made him feel sore in his nose. He really didn¡¯t know how to repay this kindness.

    Liu Jing turned to the last page, but was slightly startled. Yu Zhenzi told him that the last two pages were a sword technique specially created for him, but when he saw the pattern, it was not one move, but twenty-four pictures.  , each picture is cut out with a knife, from various angles.

    He studied carefully for a moment, and then finally understood that it was actually one move, but this move required a thorough understanding of the twenty-four types of attacks before he could find the inspiration for the slash. It seemed extremely complicated,  But in the end, he accumulated a lot of experience and simplified the twenty-four kinds of attacks into one sword, which was extremely fast.

    Yuzhenzi wrote a sentence at the end, a sword that shocked the wind and thunder. This style can be called the wind and thunder transformation.

    Such a complex twenty-four swords were finally reduced to one sword. Liu Jing seemed to have thought of something. He pondered for a long time and suddenly understood why the masters of traditional Chinese painting had infinite artistic conception when they randomly painted a few strokes, seemingly simple.  It's simple, but it's something ordinary people can't imitate.

    "Perhaps this is also a kind of simplifying the complex. For these few random strokes, they spent countless efforts and years before pouring their whole life's talent and learning into these simple strokes.

    So Zhao Yun's stance of casually blocking him has countless variations. It's no wonder that the thirteen-style marksmanship Zhao Yun taught him is not the complete Hundred Birds Chaofengqiang. How could there be only the complete Hundred Birds Chaofengqiang?  Thirteen postures, and I don¡¯t know how much essence is hidden behind each posture.

    And these changes can only be learned by fully understanding the Luo Feng Kung Fu. Without strength, it is impossible to truly understand the Luo Feng Kung Fu. Until this time, Liu Jing finally realized that all high-strength martial arts are actually transformed into complex forms.  simple.

    Painting, calligraphy, articles, and even cooking, all the skills in the world are like this.

    He jumped up and pulled out his sword. Huo Di slashed diagonally with his sword, and then the sword light drew an arc and struck out. These are the first and second pictures, there are twenty-four pictures in total, all the essences are  Only after you understand it thoroughly can you create this sword wind and thunder transformation.

    Liu Jing was extremely excited after trying every move one by one. He had learned all the Luofeng Kung Fu that must be included in this sword technique. In other words, this was a move specially made for him by Master Yu.

    It was only then that Liu Jing truly learned Yu Zhenren¡¯s martial arts. Although there was only one move, the martial arts principles contained in it were of endless use to Liu Jing.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    That night, Master Yu said goodbye to Qingzhu Temple and headed north overnight to return to Changshan County. Liu Jing continued to stay at Qingzhu Temple for training, trekking through mountains and rivers from morning to night every day, running long distances without slacking off.

    Ten days later, Liu Jing officially completed the first phase of training and left Longzhong for Fancheng.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Fancheng is located on the north bank of the Han River, across the river from Xiangyang. Although the city area is slightly smaller than Xiangyang, its population and prosperity far exceed that of Xiangyang. It is the handicraft industry city and material distribution center of Jingzhou.

    Merchant ships gathered on the pier, and various shops lined the city. All kinds of goods from Jiangdong, Bashu and Jingxiang gathered here. You could even see groups of mules and horses from the north, loaded with all kinds of goods.

    There are not only shops in the city, but also various workshops, including weaving, shoemaking, blacksmithing, papermaking, woodware, bronzeware, lacquerware, etc. There are 360 ??industries, all of which are available.

    There are more than 200,000 permanent residents in the city. Tens of thousands of people cross the river by boat every day to make a living in Fancheng. There are also people from all over the world.?Businessmen, refugees from the north, and farmers from all over Jingzhou came to make a living. The actual population of Fancheng exceeded 300,000, and there were nearly 20,000 porters and boatmen making a living in the dock area alone.

    Liu Jing quickly found the house arranged for him by Liu Qi. It was located by a small river near the south of the city. It was a small house covering an area of ??about one acre. There was a long row of willows planted along the river at the door, with thousands of branches.  Swaying gently in the wind, you can imagine its beauty in spring.

    The house was an old house owned by a Jingzhou businessman and had been vacant, so Liu Qi lent it to Liu Jing for temporary residence.

    Liu Jing led the horse to the door, but the door creaked open, and Uncle Meng walked out of the yard carrying a basket. The two looked at each other, and Liu Jing suddenly shouted in surprise: "Uncle Meng"

    Uncle Meng smiled so hard that the walnut lines on his face bloomed, "Sir, you are finally here."

    He was about to kneel down to salute, Liu Jing, with quick hands and eyes, supported him, "Uncle Meng, don't kneel!"

    Uncle Meng¡¯s eyes were a little moist, and he said with a choked voice: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see the young master again.¡±

    "Me too!"

    Liu Jing was elated. He had been worried that Uncle Meng would be abused by Mrs. Cai. Now that he appeared here, it meant that he would follow him in the future.

    This is the happiest thing for him these days. He also knows that this must be Liu Qi's deliberate arrangement. Liu Qi's attentiveness and understanding make Liu Jing secretly grateful.

    "Sir, why have you become so dark and thin?" Uncle Meng then realized that Liu Jing had lost a lot of weight and his skin had become dark, which shocked him.

    "It's a long story, let's go inside and talk."

    Liu Jing smiled and led the horse towards the house. At this time, another little girl ran out of the yard. She was about eleven or twelve years old, with a round, pink face and big and bright eyes.

    "Uncle Meng, who is he?" The little girl looked at Liu Jing curiously, she is so tall.

    "This is Mr. Jing, come and meet him."

    Uncle Meng introduced Liu Jing with a smile, "This is the daughter of Zhao Erniang in the kitchen. Her name is Aduo. She used to work in the pharmacy in the mansion. Mr. Qi specially transferred her out. From now on, she and I will serve the young master."

    The little maid obediently stepped forward and bowed, "Aduo, please pay homage to the young master!"

    The sound is sweet and crisp, like a sweet and juicy green apple

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 49 Money is a big problem

    Dear book lovers, don¡¯t forget to vote for recommendation after reading this!

    =====

    Liu Jing has never liked having maids to serve him. He finds it inconvenient. For example, in summer, he can't stay shirtless in the room to enjoy the coolness.

    but.  £®  £®  £®  This little maid is actually well-behaved, smart, pitiful, cute, and very considerate. Now that she is here, Liu Jing refuses and nods with a smile, "Let's talk about it in the house!"

    Walking into the yard, you can see the whole house. The yard is not big. There is a tall old apricot tree planted in the upper left corner. The crown of the tree is very large, like a canopy, covering half of the house.

    There are about six or seven rooms in the house, and there is a small vegetable garden behind the house. It is very clean inside and outside. It is a very ordinary small family house. The first impression it gave Liu Jing was not bad.

    Uncle Meng went to feed the horses, and the little maid led Liu Jing to his room.

    "Young Master, these are two rooms, inside and outside. Uncle Meng said that the inner room is the Young Master's bedroom, and the outer room can be used as a study."

    Speaking of this, the little maid asked secretly: "Does the young master read?"

    "It's okay! I watch it sometimes."

    "Oh! My mother said that being literate is a big deal. If you can be an official in the future, my father can't read, so I can only be a maid now." A Duo pouted slightly and said angrily.

    Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help laughing when he saw that her childlike innocence was still intact, ¡°I will teach you how to read when I have time in the future.¡±

    "OK!"

    A Duo clapped his hands with joy, but immediately became discouraged, "You're not far behind in teaching my father how to read. I'm a little girl, and I can't be an official even if I can read."

    After saying that, she felt sad again. Unfortunately, her father passed away at the beginning of the year.

    Liu Jing didn't pay attention to her psychological changes and sat down in front of the window. He hadn't sat properly for a month. Sitting down now and stretching for a long time made him feel so comfortable.  He felt relaxed and happy.

    "Young master, you haven't eaten yet! I'm going to bake pancakes for you. I can make mutton and shallot pie. It's delicious. Do you want it, master?"

    A pair of big eyes looked at Liu Jing with expectation. When Liu Jing saw that her face was round, like a snow-white bun, she smiled and said, "Let me change your name!"

    "Okay!" Duo'er clapped her hands with joy. There was a widow in the house named Miss Duo. She had a bad reputation. Duo'er didn't like this name for a long time. Since the young master wanted to change his name, it was the best thing.

    "What do you call me, young master? Chunlan or Dongmei?" Her big eyes were full of expectation.

    "Just call itLittle Baozi!" Liu Jing said with a smile.

    "Buns?"

    Duo'er was stunned, "What are steamed buns?"

    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful thing that I always miss.¡±

    Although she didn¡¯t know what a steamed bun was, and the word ¡®little steamed bun¡¯ seemed a bit unpleasant, the young master missed him so much, so she nodded, ¡°Then I¡¯ll listen to the young master and call him little steamed bun. My mother¡¯s surname is Bao!¡±

    She pouted her little mouth and said coyly: "But you are not allowed to be called this name when you grow up."

    Liu Jing laughed loudly, "When you get married in the future, you will be called by your official name. This is just a nickname."

    Duo'er's face turned red with shame, she lowered her head and pinched the corner of her clothes and whispered, "It's still it's early!"

    Seeing how cute she looked, Liu Jing couldn't help but smile and said, "Little Baozi, I'm already hungry. Why don't you make mutton and green onion pancakes?"

    "Hey! Let's go now."

    Little Baozi agreed, turned around and ran away happily. Liu Jing watched her lively figure running away, and then she realized that actually having a little maid would be good, at least she wouldn't be so boring.

    At this time, Liu Jing calmed down. He needed to sort out his thoughts. According to the requirements in Zhenren Yu's book, he needed a lot of things, including a large wooden barrel, herbs for daily bathing, and his big appetite, which he would need in the future.  Gunpowder, snake gallbladder, musk that are more than thirty years old, and Ganoderma lucidum that is a hundred years old, these are all extremely valuable medicinal materials.

    Liu Jing knows what she lacks most now, money!  Although the Liu family gave him three hundred taels of gold and one kilogram of rice every month, this little money and rice meant nothing to him. At this time, he only had five taels of gold left in total. Without money, he could not accomplish anything.

    But.  £®  £®  £®  Where was he going to get some money?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The onion and mutton pie made by the little buns was so delicious that it left people wanting more. After coming out of the yard, Liu Jing checked the direction and walked directly to the south of the city.

    Fancheng is a developed commercial city, with shops everywhere and shouts and shouts. Almost all goods in Jingzhou are distributed here.

    But this does not mean that the streets and alleys of Fancheng are allThe shop is paved with money, and just bending down and grabbing a handful can solve his dilemma of lack of money.

    Of course, he can invent some gadgets for later generations, promote them, and make money quickly, but this is the end of the Han Dynasty, and Liu Jing has enough awareness. Some ideas are beautiful, but the reality is cruel.

    However, this does not mean that he cannot make money. He certainly has his own methods and can make big money.

    Like Xiangyang, Fancheng also has a central axis street called Nanyang Street, which runs from north to south. Many famous large shops are located on both sides of this main road.

    Liu Jing inquired all the way, and soon found his target, a magnificent commercial house located in the most prosperous place in the south of the city.

    He walked up the steps and looked up at the plaque on the door with a black background and gold edges. The four ancient seal characters of 'Tao's Trading Company' were particularly clear and eye-catching.

    In Fancheng, when Tao's Trading Company is mentioned, everyone is in awe. Its status in Fancheng is even comparable to that of the county government.

    Tao Trading Company does not have many shops, but it does the largest business in Fancheng. Whenever Tao Trading Company's golden carp streamers appear at Fancheng Pier, it always causes a moderate sensation.

    The Tao family's huge commercial trade also brought huge amounts of tax money to Jingzhou, and there was also generous tribute to Liu Biao.

    So that Tao Sheng, the head of the Tao family, could directly enter the state government gate without reporting for inspection. This was a privilege given to him by Liu Biao to show his honor.

    As soon as Liu Jing walked up the steps, a servant came out to greet him, bowed and said, "Master, are you here to discuss business?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "I'm here to negotiate a big deal."

    ¡°Master, please come this way!¡±

    The servant was very polite. Although he didn't know Liu Jing's origins, he still respectfully invited Liu Jing to a living room, where a maid came in and served tea.

    Liu Jing only sat for a moment before he heard a cough. A young steward walked in. He looked at Liu Jing with some doubts. He seemed to think he looked familiar, but he was polite. He smiled and said, "I'm Jiangxia Li Yifeng."  "Young Master, you can call me Manager Li. If you hear that Young Master is coming to discuss business, you might as well tell me."

    Liu Jing stood up and raised her hands, "I am Xiangyang Liu Jing"

    As soon as Liu Jing said this, the steward suddenly came to his senses and said in a voiceless voice: "You are Mr. Jing!"

    It turns out that he knows her, so that¡¯s the best thing. She doesn¡¯t have to introduce herself. Liu Jing nodded, ¡°Exactly!¡±

    "I said that the young master looks familiar. I also went to see the young master's sword competition last time. His swordsmanship is admirable!"

    "Manager Li, thank you very much."

    The two sat for a while, and then Manager Li came to his senses. Mr. Jing was the nephew of Zhou Mu. Was he really here to discuss business?

    Manager Li couldn't help but laugh and asked, "What kind of business does Young Master Jing come to discuss?"

    Liu Jing took out a folded note and handed it to Manager Li, "This is what I want to do business with."

    Manager Li took the note and opened it, only to see two sentences inside, 'The Tao family welcomes distinguished guests from Jiangdong, and the yellow sheep are killed in Wuchang City.  ¡¯

    Manager Li frowned, "Master Jing, what does this mean?"

    "You don't understand. This needs to be given to your family master. He will naturally understand."

    Steward Li was stunned for a moment, then he quickly stood up and said, "Master, please sit down for a moment. I will report to the chief steward. I am a lowly person and am not qualified to deliver news for the head of the family."

    "Go!"

    Liu Jing picked up the tea cup and took a sip slowly. He was very confident, given the Tao family's all-around talent.  This deal will definitely go through.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Manager Li hurriedly walked into the backyard with the note, came to a house, and knocked on the door, "Second Young Master, it's me. I have something important to report."

    "Come in!"

    Manager Li pushed the door open and walked in. There was a person sitting in the room, leaning on the couch and reading a book. Most of the books at this time were still bamboo slips, but wealthy people were already using paper to copy books, mainly Buddhist scriptures, but also some  There are famous works by various scholars during the Warring States Period.

    This is a young man about thirty years old. He has fair skin and a pair of bright eyes. He looks extremely shrewd. He is Tao Zheng, the second son of the head of the family, Tao Sheng. He was the one who led people into Wuchang City last time.

    Huang Zu¡¯s nephew Huang Yi was killed, and posters were posted everywhere in Jiangxia to arrest the murderer. There was a rumor among the boatmen in Wuchang City that they had seen this girl on the Tao family¡¯s boat.

    This made the Tao family feel guilty. Tao Sheng specially ordered his son Tao Zheng to come to Xiangyang to inquire about the news.

    It has been almost half a month since Tao Zheng came to Xiangyang. There has been no movement on this matter and it seems that it has been settled.

      Manager Li stepped forward and bowed, "Second Young Master, there is a man coming outside, Mr. Jing."

    "Which Mr. Jing?" Tao Zheng sat upright with unusual sensitivity and looked at the steward with bright eyes.

    "He is Zhou Mu's nephew. Last time, the Second Young Master told him to pay attention to this person's movements."

    Tao Zheng has found out that the person who killed Huang Yi in Wuchang City was Liu Jing. He specially asked the chief manager to report to him immediately if there is any news about Liu Jing.

    Tao Zheng felt a little uneasy and asked quickly: "What is he doing here?"

    ¡°He said he came to discuss business with us, so he gave me this note.¡±

    Manager Li handed the note to Tao Zheng. Tao Zheng opened the note and took a look. He stood up in shock and his voice changed, "Is the other person gone?"

    "No! He's still waiting in the living room." Manager Li was also shocked. He had never seen the second young master so rude before.

    Tao Zheng was sweating on his forehead. He knew the meaning of the note very well. Liu Jing already knew the true identities of the two brothers and sisters. It was like a bolt from the blue.

    Once Liu Biao knew about this, it would mean confiscation of the Tao family's family and extermination. Even if the Tao family could escape to Jiangdong in time, the Tao family's main industry would be completely destroyed, and the consequences would be too serious.

    Tao Zheng didn't dare to delay for a moment and walked away. After taking two steps, he turned back and ordered Manager Li, "Have the chief manager close the door immediately, and ask Coach Luo to lead the boys to block all the exits. Without my order, no one can  No one is allowed in or out.¡±

    Seeing the change in the Second Young Master¡¯s face, Manager Li couldn¡¯t help but secretly regret it. He originally wanted to bypass the Chief Manager and secretly win the Second Young Master¡¯s favor. Unexpectedly, the matter seemed to have become serious, and he was asked to go to the Chief Manager again. How could he explain this?

    Helpless, Manager Li had no choice but to bite the bullet, lamenting in his heart that now that he had offended the chief manager, his New Year's bonus money and food would probably be cut.

    Manager Li has forgotten an iron rule in the workplace: he would rather offend his boss than his boss.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the room, Liu Jing was still drinking tea slowly and leisurely, with the knife on the table. This was not to encourage courage, but his attitude. He had long been mentally prepared. There were only two results for this kind of thing, either silence or becoming a Buddha.

    If the Tao family has any idea of ????extinguishing the Tao family, then Liu Jing will destroy the entire Tao family first. There is never any golden mean in this kind of thing.

    Of course, if the Tao family is willing to talk to him in detail, then there will be a broad space for cooperation between him and the Tao family.

    At this time, rapid footsteps came from the yard, but they slowed down again at the door and became calm and steady, as if adjusting their emotions. Liu Jing sneered. The visitor should have understood his note

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 50, New Official Takes Appointment

    A black shadow flashed, and a young man wearing a blue brocade robe and a scarf walked into the room. From his age, the confidence in his eyes, and the calmness and calmness of his steps, Liu Jing could tell that,  This person's status in the Tao family is not low.

    Liu Jing stood up and said with a smile: "This dear friend is"

    ¡°I¡¯m Chai Sang Tao Zheng, Mr. Jing, you can call me Tao Er.¡± After all, he is a person of status, and Tao Zheng does not want to pretend to be a business manager.

    "It turns out he's the second master. I've admired his name for a long time!" Liu Jing had inquired about the Tao family's situation beforehand. It seemed that the second master Tao didn't care about business and was only responsible for the Tao family's internal affairs.

    "Master Jing, please sit down!"

    Tao Zheng did not exchange any pleasantries. He was a very pragmatic person. Perhaps because he was nervous, he directly took out the note, put it on the table and asked, "Master Jing, what do these two sentences mean?"

    He stared at Liu Jing sharply, and he would not let go of every expression on the other person's face.

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "I met a brother and sister in Chibi Town. They were friends in killing thieves together in Wuchang City, so everyone was honest with each other. The brother's name is Sun Kuang and the sister's name is Sun Ren. They escaped with the help of the Tao family.  Wuchang City, the second master shouldn¡¯t know this, right?¡±

    Tao Zheng¡¯s back was already soaked, and he secretly complained in his heart, how could these brother and sister be so naive and actually tell their real names? Isn¡¯t this going to kill the Tao family?

    I complained in my heart, but couldn't admit it with my mouth, "I'm sorry, I don't understand Mr. Jing. Who are the Sun brothers and sisters? What does this have to do with my Tao family?"

    Liu Jing's face darkened, she stood up, put away her long sword and said coldly: "Since the Tao family doesn't bother to talk to me, then please invite your head and Zhou Mu to talk! I'm leaving."

    After saying that, he strode out. Tao Zheng was worried. Although he had made arrangements, Liu Jing, with such a majestic figure in front of him, must be highly skilled in martial arts. What if Coach Luo couldn't stop him?  Once you go under the knife and fall out, it's too late to take things back.

    "Master Jing, please stay! Please stay!"

    Tao Zheng hurriedly stopped Liu Jing and bowed repeatedly, "We have something to discuss, please sit down."

    Tao Zheng turned around and shouted: "Hurry and change the tea!"

    This is a signal to tell people outside that everyone must leave the courtyard. The maids and servants have left. Several big men are guarding the gate of the courtyard and no one is allowed to enter.

    At this time, there were only two people within a few feet of him and Liu Jing. Liu Jing put away the knife and her expression softened a little.

    "I think the second master should be someone who understands. Why didn't the army come to surround your Shang Mansion, but I came alone? Do you need me to explain it again?"

    Tao Zheng smiled bitterly, "It's a very important matter. Some actions are human nature. I hope Mr. Jing will forgive me."

    "With all due respect, the Tao family did not handle this matter properly. If you are not careful, your family will be confiscated and exterminated. You have taken such a big risk, but the Tao family has not gained anything. If anything happens to the brother and sister, Sun Quan will be angered."  , The Tao family is too careless."

    Tao Zheng nodded silently, "Master Jing is right, this matter was indeed mishandled by the Tao family, and my father was also furious."

    He was suddenly shocked again, this was Liu Biao's nephew!  He actually had a heart-to-heart relationship with him. He looked at Liu Jing in surprise, not really understanding what he meant.

    "Didn't I say that when I came in? I'm actually here to make a deal with the Tao family."

    Liu Jing looked at him with a half-smile.

    Tao Zheng has the talent of being a businessman in his blood. When he heard Liu Jing say the word "buy and sell", he immediately understood and his heart suddenly relaxed. As long as the other party is willing to accept the money, everything is easy to discuss.

    As the saying goes, "Those who work hard will find weapons, and those who work hard will find power." For Liu Jing, he could think of many ways to make money, but none of them could compare to the joy of having someone give it to him with both hands.

    The Tao family has too much money, so there is nothing wrong with spending it for them. More importantly, even if Liu Jing is rich, he may not be able to buy precious medicinal materials such as thirty-year-old snake gallbladder and century-old Ganoderma lucidum. The Tao family  But it can be easily obtained. Is there anything that the leading merchants in Jingzhou and even the entire south cannot obtain?

    Looking at Tao Zheng's expectant eyes, Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "I've been in some trouble recently. I want to get some medicine, but I can't get started. I know the Tao family's business is very big. Can you please help me?"  The Tao family helps me with this."

    Tao Zheng smiled bitterly, "It is the Tao family's honor to serve Mr. Jing. In fact, Mr. Jing only needs to send a servant to deliver the medicine list. We will immediately collect the medicine and deliver it to Mr. Jing. Mr. Jing really does not need to come in person.  "

    "The implication of his words was to tell Liu Jing that if it was just for some medicine, there was no need to threaten the Tao family with that matter.

    Liu Jing understood what he meant and smiled in her heart. Whether it was medicine or money, for the Tao family?It's nothing, just a drop in the bucket. With the reputation of Liu Biao's nephew, even if the matter of the Sun brothers and sisters is not mentioned, the Tao family will give the money with both hands. The key is that Liu Jing has other deep intentions, and through this, he can make friends with the Tao family.  It's by no means a bad thing.

    "It's nothing. I came here in person just to show my sincerity and to let the Tao family know that the Tao family and I are actually in the same boat."

    Both parties were playing riddles, and Liu Jing was also telling him, 'I know about the Sun brothers and sisters, but I don't intend to expose the Tao family and am willing to make friends with the Tao family.  ¡¯

    The two looked at each other and laughed tacitly.

    Liu Jing took out a medicine list, which only had six ingredients on it. In fact, the prescription given to him by Master Yu had more than thirty ingredients. Other medicines were relatively easy to obtain, but only the six ingredients were slightly more precious, not only in terms of price, but also in general pharmacies.  It was rare, so he had no choice but to ask the Tao family.

    Tao Zheng took the medicine list and looked at it. Without asking any questions, he immediately nodded and said, "Don't worry! Within ten days, Tao's Trading Company will get all these medicines. You can have as many as you want."

    "Thank you very much!"

    Liu Jing stood up and said goodbye, "There are many interruptions today. I will definitely go to Chaisang to visit your father when I have time."

    At this time, a steward came in with a plate of gold. There were ten ingots in total, about two hundred taels. Tao Zheng personally presented the gold to Liu Jing, "This is a little bit of my heart. Please accept it, Mr. Jing."

    Liu Jing knew that if he didn't accept it, Tao Zheng might not be able to sleep tonight, so he didn't refuse, accepted it happily, and left.

    Tao Zheng kept sending Liu Jing out of the gate. Looking at his back as he walked away, Tao Zheng's expression changed and he immediately turned around and ordered: "Go and prepare the boat quickly. I want to return to Chaisang immediately."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As night fell, Liu Jing came to the Han River alone. His intensive training period was over and his physical strength had greatly increased. The next step was strength training. This is a long training process that takes at least three years.

    Liu Jing looked to both sides. This is a gravel river beach west of Fancheng. It is inaccessible and extremely quiet. It is a good place for practicing martial arts.

    Liu Jing slowly pulled out his sword and stared at a small tree more than ten steps away. He shouted loudly and ran out as fast as thunder. Lightning struck out with his sword, and there was a faint sound of wind and thunder in the light of the sword.

    ¡®Crack!  ¡¯ The small tree as big as a bowl was split into two pieces with a knife.

    Liu Jing raised his head and let out a long breath. He practiced this sword hard for ten days before he finally mastered it. It seemed like a simple sword, but it contained the essence of twenty-four kinds of attacks.

    Including the changes in power, it gives people an illusion, just like the sudden thunder, which seems not to be fast, but it is too late to cover the ears. This is the profound meaning of the wind and thunder changes, covering the ears is not as fast as the thunder.

    This is no longer the same as his previous martial arts. This sword finally made him enter the ranks of generals.

    But Liu Jing also knew in his heart that this move was still a little weak compared to the Thirteen-Style Hundred Birds Chaofeng Spear, mainly because of the lack of strength. As long as he practiced a thousand catties of strength and used this move, he would be enough to compete with Zhao Yun.  Confronted.

    The key is strength. He slowly walked to the river. The next step was to start strength training. Zhao Yun's training method back then was to cut down trees. After three years of cutting down trees, he gained supernatural powers. Liu Jing's training method was different, which was swimming.  , which was specially formulated for Liu Jing by Master Yu considering the abundance of water in the south.

    No matter in the past life or in this life, Liu Jing can swim, and he can swim well. He took out a pill of Yijin Dan and chewed it in his mouth, then opened the small wine bottle and drank the strong liquor inside.

    In just a moment, a raging fire ignited in his body, and the burning was unbearable. He hid his clothes and pants on the shore, and then jumped into the rolling Han River.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Two days later, Liu Jing finally got his first position in Jingzhou: Hanshui Tour Supervisor Cao. This was a position between the military and government affairs. It originally belonged to the Jingzhou Navy, but was later assigned to the local government and is now under the jurisdiction of the Jingzhou Navy.  In Xiangyang County, it is under the direct jurisdiction of the prefect. Its responsibilities are to patrol the Han River, arrest water pirates, inspect merchants to pay taxes, and maintain order on the river.

    "There are three tourist settlements on the Han River. You are in charge of the second tourist settlement, which governs the section from Fancheng to Yicheng County. You have 120 men and more than 30 large and small boats"

    Wang Jing, the Prime Minister of Xiangyang County, personally led Liu Jing to take office. Wang Jing was about thirty years old, with a medium build, handsome features, and a gentle temperament. He was the brother of Wang Can, a famous scholar, and the son-in-law of Liu Biao.

    Liu Wan, the eldest daughter of Liu Biao, married Wang Jin five years ago. The couple respected each other as guests and were very loving. They had a son and a daughter. The eldest son was named Wang Ye and he was only four years old this year.

    Wang Jian was also from Shanyang County, Gaoping County. He took his brother Wang Can to Jingzhou ten years ago and gained Liu Biao's trust.

    ?Perhaps because of his fellow countryman, Wang Jian was particularly enthusiastic about Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing has been deliberately learning the dialect of his hometown from Uncle Meng for more than a month. Although his Taishan County accent is still relatively strong, there is already a little bit of Gaoping accent in his words. Wang Jing can hear this dialect and feels more cordial.  .

    The two rode horses to the official office of the Youjian Office. Wang Qian pointed to the pier not far away and said with a smile: "This is the east pier of Fancheng. It is much smaller than the west pier, but only official ships are allowed to berth. Did you see it?  Those ships are your official ships."

    Liu Jing looked towards the water. There were more than ten old boats moored on the water. She couldn't help but frown slightly, "Didn't you say there were more than thirty boats?"

    Wang Ju chuckled, "Other ships have gone to patrol the water. I specifically asked that a few patrol officers should be there!"

    The two of them walked a few more steps, and a few followers were a little further away from them. The smile on Wang Jian's face slowly disappeared. He glanced at Liu Jing meaningfully, "This position is not as simple as you think. I only have one thing to tell you."  You, talk less and pay more attention.¡±

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 51: A small yamen with nine feet of water

    [The early bird catches the worm. It¡¯s only midnight, and Lao Gao is already up looking for the worm. Brothers, here¡¯s the new recommendation ticket, that one.  £®  £®  Just vote for Lao Gao!  ¡¿

    =======

    Liu Jing was startled and didn¡¯t understand what he meant. He was about to ask a few more questions, but at this time they had already arrived at the official office of the Youjiao Office.

    The government office covers an area of ??about five acres and has more than 20 rooms. It is composed of two front and rear courtyards. The front courtyard is a place for soldiers to eat and rest. The courtyard is large and covered with grass, and the small courtyard at the back is used for offices.

    As soon as he walked through the gate, an official came out with more than a dozen of his subordinates. He lifted up his robes and knelt down in fear, "I'm humble enough to pay homage to the county magistrate!"

    "Everyone, please get up!"

    Wang Jian asked for help, then introduced Liu Jing to them with a smile, "This is your new governor. You should all have heard of Mr. Jing's reputation!"

    Everyone was overjoyed and knelt down again to salute, "Meet the governor!"

    ¡°Brothers, you don¡¯t have to be polite, please get up quickly!¡±

    Liu Jing was very popular in his previous life, worked as a lawyer, and was very good at dealing with people, so it was easy for him to communicate with these low-level soldiers. Not long after Wang Qian left, Liu Jing became close to his subordinates.

    He has a total of three deputies, one named Zhang Ping, who serves as the Youjiao Cao, responsible for catching water thieves, one named Li Jun, who serves as the Youjiaojin Cao, responsible for auditing taxes, and one named Lu Sheng, who serves as the secretary.  , in charge of internal affairs.

    Zhang Ping and Li Jun took their brothers out for inspection. The only official in the government office was Shu Zuo Lu Sheng, and there were more than 20 soldiers on rotation. At this time, Liu Jing's official room in the backyard was full of people, laughing and chatting.

    Everyone feels that this son is good. Although it is the nephew of the state herd, there is no a little shelf. More importantly, to give them a kind of intimacy between words, he knows the rules very much, just like the same person.

    Liu Jing took out an ingot of five taels of gold from her arms, threw it to a big man and said with a smile: "According to the rules, you should collect the money to treat guests, but the new official has taken office! You have to give some expression to the brothers, and I will do it tonight."  We¡¯re here to treat you, so feel free to drink and eat meat until you¡¯re drunk!¡±

    Everyone was overjoyed and felt that the new leader was generous and it would be easier to follow him in the future. The first impression is very important. If Liu Jing takes office, he will be arrogant and try to steal everyone's favor, or he will put on a high airs and be serious. Such a leader will not be easy for the people below.  Life will never be easy.

    On the contrary, the price is five taels of gold, and everyone calls him a brother. Such a person will sympathize with his subordinates. When everyone heard that Mr. Jing took office, they were nervous at first, but now they feel relieved and feel free.

    Secretary Lu Sheng waved to everyone, "I want to say a few words to the governor, everyone, go ahead! I'll toast to the governor in the evening."

    Everyone dispersed in a hurry, leaving only Liu Jing and Lu Sheng in the room.

    "The governor must be worried! He's hanging out with these reckless people."

    Lu Sheng is about thirty years old. He is a scholar. He looks elegant and fair, but after hanging out with people for a long time, he has a bit of boldness in him.

    "No, I like these brothers very much. They laugh and scold them sincerely. They are all good-natured people. I feel very comfortable staying with them and there is not much intrigue."

    "That's true. In fact, we all used to be navy soldiers. We were transferred to the jurisdiction of the local government last year. Didn't the governor notice that we all have a strong sense of military spirit?"

    Liu Jing nodded, and he felt it too. All of them were tall and moved quickly. They had obviously been trained by the army.

    He pondered for a moment and then asked: "I would like to ask, what is the official position of my wandering governor?"

    This is what Liu Jing wants to know most. What is his official position and what is his status?  Even now he is still confused.

    Lu Sheng smiled bitterly, "This is a bit complicated. The imperial court does not have this position. It was set up by Jingzhou ourselves. The official name is You Jiao. It is actually the same as You Jiao among township officials, but the responsibilities are more important than that of township officials and the status is also  Slightly higher, I think it¡¯s half a level higher than the township official.¡±

    "What about in the army?"

    "It should be a military prince. Our former Ma Du Cao was a military prince."

    The military lord is Qu Chang, similar to the battalion commander in later generations. Liu Jing nodded and realized that when he followed Liu Bei to Jiangxia to annihilate Zhang Wu, he was temporarily appointed as the general of the camp. It seemed that he had been promoted one level.

    Lu Sheng stood up and closed the door, then whispered: "There is something I want to tell Mr. Jing. Our former governor was killed."

    Liu Jing was startled, "Why is this?"

    Lu Sheng looked outside and saw that there was no one outside, so he lowered his voice and said: "Because it is too easy to make a fortune in this position. The former Ma Ducao made hundreds of taels of gold in just two years."?As a result, he was reported and the evidence was conclusive, and he lost his head last month.  "

    "Who reported it?" Liu Jing came to his senses. I am afraid that only insiders can have the evidence for this kind of thing.

    Lu Sheng hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Master Jing, does he know the background of the thief Cao Zhangping?"

    Zhang Ping was one of Liu Jing's deputies. He was appointed as the thief cao of Youjiao. He did not return from his patrol. Liu Jing only heard Wang Qian mention that this person was the oldest person in the Youjiao. If he hadn't taken up the post, then he would have been  He was promoted to governor, but he didn't expect that Lu Sheng actually meant what he said.

    "You mean to say that this person was the one who accused the former Ma Ducao, right?"

    Lu Sheng smiled bitterly, acquiescing to Liu Jing's question.

    "Tell me, who is this Zhang Ping?"

    "He is not a simple person. His brother is Zhang Yun, the nephew of Zhou Mu, who is appointed as the captain of Jingbei Navy, while his sister is married to Cai Zhong. Zhang Ping himself is also very skilled in martial arts, especially in water kung fu. His nickname  Jianglang."

    Liu Jing was a little stunned. Why was it Cai Zhong again? We were really enemies of each other. It turned out that Zhang Ping was Cai Zhong's brother-in-law.

    After pondering for a while, Liu Jing asked again: "Since his back is so profound, why is he only a small thief?"

    Lu Sheng shook his head secretly in his heart. It turned out that Mr. Jing didn't know what position he had got, and he didn't know whether he should say some words. But when he thought that the next person Zhang Ping wanted to deal with was himself, Lu Sheng no longer hesitated.

    "There are three tourist offices in Hanjiang. Only the second tourist station is in charge of Fancheng and Xiangyang. The benefits are huge as you can imagine. Therefore, the governor of the second tourist station is also known as the most fertile vacancy in Jingzhou. Jing  Haven't you heard of it?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I know nothing."

    After a pause, he asked again: "What else?"

    Lu Sheng also took the risk and continued: "Young master Jing may not know that Zhang Pingyuan was the first governor of the army. He was transferred only half a year ago, and he actually demoted himself one level to become a thief. It's surprising!  "

    "snort!"

    Liu Jing sneered, "I guess he planned to kill the former governor at that time."

    "Yes, at that time we all thought that he made a mistake and was demoted. He was very low-key. But three months later, Ma Ducao was arrested for receiving stolen goods and was beheaded soon after. Only then did we know that Zhang Ping  I already had a plan.¡±

    Only then did Liu Jing understand the true meaning of what Wang Qiang said, "Talk less and pay more attention." It seems that although the sparrow is small, it has all the internal organs, and there are so many battles in a small travel agency.

    Logically speaking, Zhang Ping should have succeeded him as governor and enjoyed the delicacies of Jingzhou's most fertile post. However, he did not expect that he would fall from the sky and dash his hopes. This Zhang Ping now does not know how to hate himself.

    ¡°Then who put himself in this position?  What kind of inside story was hidden behind this? Liu Jing felt that it was so foggy that he couldn't see through it for a while.

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????mbmblly gave him a vague feeling that the water in Jingzhou officialdom was deeper than the Yangtze River.

    At this moment, a loud noise suddenly came from the yard, and then someone yelled: "You bastards, how dare you close the door and lick the new master's feet one by one, do you think I have already left?"

    The sound was thick and fierce, like a broken gong, and extremely harsh. Lu Sheng smiled bitterly, "He's back."

    Liu Jing did not expect that Zhang Ping would be such a vulgar and shallow person, but he has such a profound background, but he only got to play one song, which shows that he is unbearable.

    "Lu Shuzuo, let's go take a look first! Let's see what he says."

    Seeing that Liu Jing refused to accept the move, Lu Sheng had no choice but to go out.

    At this time, a burly man had already walked into the backyard quickly. This man had a face full of flesh, eyes protruding like crabs, and eyebrows thicker than brushes, like a ball of hair hitting his face.  Extremely vicious.

    This person is the thief Cao Zhangping, the younger brother of the naval captain Zhang Yun, and the brother-in-law of Cai Zhong. He is about twenty years old and a well-known figure in Xiangyang. Perhaps the name Zhang Ping is not well-known, but when it comes to "water  The wolf's vicious reputation is well-known to every household.

    Zhang Ping wanted to get the most lucrative position in Jingzhou, and he did not hesitate to demote himself. Just after he killed his predecessor, Ma Ducao, he originally thought that he was almost certain to be promoted. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing was killed in the end, and he was promoted after all the hard work.  The peaches were picked and taken away.

    This almost made his chest burst with anger. He had just learned about this. When he heard that the new governor had taken office, he rushed back angrily.

    Behind him were more than thirty soldiers watching the fun, and they immediatelyThe small courtyard was crowded, and everyone's eyes were nervous and full of expectation.

    "Tie Cao, why are you so angry?"

    Lu Sheng saw that Zhang Ping's face was purple and he was angry and fierce. He had never seen him so angry before, and Lu Sheng couldn't help feeling terrified.

    Lu Sheng was the former Ma Ducao. After Ma Ducao was killed, he was the next person Zhang Ping wanted to deal with. Zhang Ping already hated him extremely, and now all his anger was directed at Lu Sheng.

    Without saying a word, Zhang Ping rushed forward and punched Lu Sheng hard on the face. Lu Sheng was just a weak scholar. There was no way he could escape. He screamed and was sent flying ten feet away. He covered his face.  Writhing in pain on the ground.

    There were exclamations in the courtyard, and then there was silence. This was so surprising that he actually hit Shu Zuo.

    "I'm beating you, this slave dog!" Zhang Ping pointed at Lu Sheng and yelled.

    At this time, the door of the room opened. Liu Jing stood at the door and looked at him coldly. Zhang Ping didn't take Liu Jing seriously at all. A sixteen-year-old brat actually took his advantageous position. Even Liu Biao  What about my nephew?

    "I forgot, beating a dog depends on the owner, Lu Gou, do you want me to apologize to your new owner?" Zhang Ping glanced at Liu Jing coldly, and continued to curse Lu Sheng viciously.

    Liu Jing snorted heavily, "Are you Zhang Thief Cao?"

    "I'm just, what do you want!" Zhang Ping didn't give any face, and opened his mouth to tear his face.

    "Since you are a thief, why don't you kneel down and worship your boss when you see him?"

    Zhang Ping looked Liu Jing up and down and gave a grim smile, "Boy, even if you have a backing, the rule in the army is that the strong is the master. If you want me to kneel down to you, yes, show me your skills!"

    ¡¾Don¡¯t forget to vote for recommendation!  ¡¿

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 52 The most fat vacancy in Jingzhou

    [Writing a book is not easy, I hope everyone will vote for Lao Gao, please!  ¡¿

    ======

    Although Zhang Ping did not hold a high position in the army and was just a military prince, he was well-known in Jingzhou. He was nicknamed Water Wolf and had a notorious reputation. He relied on the support of his elder brother Zhang Yun and brother-in-law Cai Zhong.  He was so unscrupulous on the Han River that almost every boatman on the Han River suffered from him.

    In the open space in the outer courtyard, dozens of soldiers stood against the wall, forming a large circle. Everyone's eyes were full of expectation. Zhang Ping actually wanted to challenge the new governor, which really made everyone nervous. These two people  They are both very well-connected people. One is Zhang Yun's younger brother and Cai Zhong's brother-in-law, while the other is Zhou Mu's nephew.

    Everyone is especially worried about Liu Jing. Although Liu Jing defeated Cai Jin in a sword fight and caused a sensation in Xiangyang, it was just a competition between teenagers. How many rounds can he withstand against a real adult master?  Once something happens to Liu Jing, how will he explain it to Zhou Mu? Will it implicate him?

    Everyone began to worry. Dozens of pairs of eyes looked at Zhang Ping. Lu Sheng sat on a big rock and covered his nose. He was even more worried. It was because of him that Liu Jing ended up fighting. If something happened to Liu Jing, he might  Lu Sheng would be the first to be implicated. Lu Sheng especially knew Zhang Ping, who was ruthless and ruthless, and his attacks were not serious, and countless people were injured at his hands.

    "Buddha bless him, nothing will happen to him!"

    In the yard, Zhang Ping and Liu Jing stood on each side, each holding a black and red two-color stick. This was their whistle stick when patrolling. It was made of jujube wood. The wood was heavy and extremely strong, although it was not as direct as a sword.  It hurts people, but if it hits a vital part, it will still put lives in danger.

    Zhang Ping's eyes were sinister, flashing fiercely, and he bowed slightly behind his back, like a wild wolf that had found its prey, with a hideous smile on his face. He had personally seen the martial arts competition between Liu Jing and Cai Jin. Although it was not bad,  In his eyes, it's just child's play. If you want to compare with yourself, it's still far behind!

    He didn't dare to kill Liu Jing directly, but today he must give Liu Jing a severe lesson, let him quit the post of governor, and at the same time give his brother-in-law Cai Zhong an explanation. He knew that Cai Zhong hated Liu Jing very much.  Jing, today I just took advantage of this opportunity to vent a bad breath on Cai Zhong.

    Liu Jing seemed a little calm and calm, swinging the two-color stick in his hand nonchalantly, but he was thinking quickly in his mind about how to transfer the sword technique of wind and thunder to the stick. He suddenly found that it was completely feasible, no matter what he used  Any weapon can use the Wind and Thunder technique.

    Just think of the stick as a knife.

    The strength of his arms began to gather, waiting for the fatal blow to explode.

    At this time, Lu Sheng slowly walked to Jin Cao Li Jun. Li Jun was also the main official of the Tourist Office and was responsible for inspecting merchants' tax payments. He had just come back when he encountered Zhang Ping's challenge to Liu Jing. He crossed his hands on his chest  , looking coldly at the duel between the two men in the yard.

    "Jin Cao, who do you think will win?" Lu Sheng asked worriedly.

    "In terms of martial arts, maybe the new governor Cao can't win, but Zhang Ping will definitely be the unlucky one in the end."

    "Why?" Lu Sheng asked puzzledly.

    Li Jun glanced at Lu Sheng, shook his head and said: "It seems that Zhang Ping's punch was not light. Shu Zuo is a little confused. Can Zhang Ping escape the following crime?"

    Lu Sheng bit his lip, "Perhaps Zhang Yun would say that they were just competing in skills and had no intention of committing any crime."

    "Hmph! Of course Zhang Yun would say that, but what would he say to the person who arranged for Mr. Jing to take office?"

    Lu Sheng stopped saying anything and turned his attention to the two people competing. He was most worried that Liu Jing would be injured and disabled, and Liu Jing would not be able to stay. Once Zhang Ping became the master, he would be in misery, and Lu Sheng's  Her heart clenched into a ball, hoping that Liu Jing would not make any mistakes.

    In the yard, Liu Jing seemed to have changed. He was no longer as careless as before, but turned into a cheetah. His eyes were staring at Zhang Ping like a sharp blade. Every muscle in his body was tense. He was full of strength.  It has been gradually filled up and has reached a critical point that is about to explode.

    Zhang Ping also felt the change in Liu Jing, and he was slightly shocked. He looked like a soldier who had experienced hundreds of battles.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    But Liu Jing didn't let him think about it. He roared and suddenly launched into action. He was like a cheetah hunting prey. His body was as fast as lightning. He rushed to Zhang Ping in an instant and slashed at Zhang Ping with the two-color stick in his hand. The stick was in front of him.  It was as if his hand had turned into a knife.

    An ordinary stick contains the ultimate principles of martial arts.

    ¡°Well done!¡±

    Zhang Ping shouted loudly and hit Liu Jing on the left shoulder with his stick. His actual weapon was a 40-pound cooked copper stick. In terms of stick skills, he was much stronger than Liu Jing. He saw that Liu Jing actually used the stick as a knife.  So, I couldn't help but sneer in my heart.

      At this time, Liu Jing's stick was still two feet away from Zhang Ping's forehead, but Zhang Ping's stick came first and was only one foot away from Liu Jing's left shoulder. Zhang Ping laughed ferociously, "Boy, fall down!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Ping's eyes suddenly widened. Why did the other party's stick suddenly appear in front of him?  It was like there were countless sticks swinging in front of my eyes, and I couldn¡¯t dodge anymore, ¡®Pop!  ¡¯ A stick hit him hard on the forehead. The severe pain made him scream, his vision went dark, and he fainted.

    Liu Jing put away her stick and looked coldly at Zhang Ping who fell to the ground. Her heart was also ups and downs. Unfortunately, she didn't have a knife in her hand, so she couldn't use the wind and thunder momentum. However, the twenty-four moves were finally reduced to one move.  , even the wooden stick brought out the essence of that move.

    There was silence all around. Everyone couldn¡¯t believe what they saw. The famous Water Wolf fell down with just one stick. He was an expert at playing sticks, so he couldn¡¯t even block a stick?

    The silence was only for a moment, and suddenly the small courtyard burst into thunderous cheers. Everyone couldn't help but cheer. Everyone rushed forward, lifted Liu Jing high, and threw him into the air, as if they were welcoming the hero who returned in triumph. They sincerely  joy.

    Several of Zhang Ping¡¯s confidants carried the unconscious Zhang Ping and slipped away quietly.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "This time, the governor attacked Zhang Ping hard, wiped out his prestige, and greatly relieved the soldiers' hatred. In fact, everyone hopes that the governor can win."

    On a small street east of Fancheng, Lu Sheng led Liu Jing and a dozen of his men to visit the wife and children of his former Ma Ducao. Lu Sheng was extremely excited. Liu Jing's final victory made him feel relieved. At least he didn't have to.  Worried that Zhang Ping would take care of him.

    "This matter is not over yet!"

    Liu Jing said calmly: "You will write an impeachment later and report it to Wang Juncheng. He will say that Zhang Ping and the following offenders should be executed according to military regulations. If the superiors refuse to punish him and want to protect him, then I will report this to the state pastor."  thing."

    Of course, the matter will not end here. How can Liu Jing allow Cai Zhong's brother-in-law to be his subordinate, cause trouble for him on the first day, and let him do whatever he wants in the future? Of course he will take this opportunity to drive Zhang Ping away, as follows  Committing a crime is the best excuse. He believes that Wang Qiang will help him.

    Lu Sheng was overjoyed to be able to drive Zhang Ping away, which he wished for even more, "I'll write as soon as I get back from my humble job!"

    When everyone walked into an alley, Lu Sheng looked back at a dozen of his subordinates and laughed in a low voice: "This is a very clever move to visit Ma Du Cao's wife and children! Everyone said that Mr. Jing was affectionate, but in fact Ma Du Cao was extremely  I feel sorry for my subordinates. His death made everyone sad and they dared not speak out. I heard that Mr. Jing was going to visit orphans and widows, so we all chipped in. "

    Liu Jing smiled and said nothing. After a while, everyone came to a small courtyard. The courtyard door was dilapidated, and large areas of paint peeled off, revealing mottled gray and white.

    Lu Sheng stepped forward and knocked on the door, "Sister-in-law, it's me, Lu Sheng."

    The door opened a crack, revealing the pale face of a young woman, about thirty years old, fairly pretty, wearing a coarse cloth skirt, with a copper hairpin in her hair. Behind her were two little boys, both of whom were timidly looking at the door.  Large crowds outside.

    The young woman knew Lu Sheng. She looked at Liu Jing and asked hesitantly, "What's wrong with Lu Shuzuo?"

    "This is our new Governor Liu. He came to visit his sister-in-law and nephew on his first day in office today."

    "oh!"

    The young woman opened the door with sadness in her eyes, "Please come in!"

    Liu Jing smiled and cupped her hands, "Sorry to bother you, sister-in-law."

    He led everyone into the yard. There were vegetables planted in the corner of the yard, a dozen chickens, and a small persimmon tree. Although the yard had chickens and ducks, it was kept very clean.

    "Please have a seat in the room!"

    The young woman invited everyone into the living room. Two of her men put down a heavy basket. Liu Jing pointed at the basket and said with a smile, "This is 10,000 yuan that everyone has collected. It is a little bit of our kindness. Please accept it, sister-in-law."

    The young woman¡¯s eyes turned red, she covered her mouth and turned away, holding back her tears. After a while, she choked with sobs and said, ¡°Thank you, Governor Liu, thank you all!¡±

    Liu Jing sighed and sat down, Lu Sheng also sat down, and a dozen of his subordinates retreated to the yard to wait. At this time, Liu Jing found three bags of rice behind him and several bowls of water on the table, as if they had just had some.  The guest has just left not long ago.

    The young woman quickly stepped forward to clear the bowls on the table, and said apologetically: "A few people came from my mother's family and brought me some rice. They just left. I'll make honey water for you."

    "It's okay, sister-in-law, you're welcome. Let's sit down and leave."

    "How can I let you just sit there! At least drink some hot water."

    The young woman hurried out. Liu Jing looked back at the rice bag. He was surprised to find that there was a word "kuai" printed on the rice bag.??, I couldn't help but be startled.

    "What's her maiden name?" Liu Jing asked Lu Shengdao doubtfully.

    Lu Sheng showed embarrassment on his face. There were some things he didn't want to say, but Liu Jing found out unexpectedly. He had no choice but to whisper: "She is the concubine of the Kuai family. Ma Ducao's background is actually  Kuai family.¡±

    This unexpected discovery shocked Liu Jing. It turned out that the murdered Ma Ducao was the son-in-law of the Kuai family. What about himself?  Could it be that Kuai Yue was secretly using his own power to serve as governor of Youjiao Station?

    ¡°Also, what is the relationship between Liu Qi and Kuai Yue?  You must know that Liu Qi should propose his position to Liu Biao.

    The fog that had shrouded Liu Jing's heart in the past two days gradually dissipated. Autumn can be seen in every leaf, and each small travel agency actually reflected the officialdom struggle in Jingzhou.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 53 Zhang Yun and Cai Mao

    "Brother, I don't want to be driven away, please find a way to help me!" In the room, Zhang Ping bowed and begged.

    There was a man sitting at the top, about twenty-four or five years old. He was also tall and tall, but he looked very heroic, with a long and thin face and a tall nose, but there was always a hint of cunning in his eyes, which made it difficult to trust.

    This person is Zhang Yun, Liu Biao's nephew, who was appointed as the captain of the Northern Jingzhou Navy.

    He is Zhang Ping¡¯s clan brother. Although Zhang Yun looks down on this rude and ignorant clan brother from the bottom of his heart, Zhang Ping has excellent water skills and is very obedient. Zhang Yun needs such a capable subordinate.

    "I don't know what to say about you, you actually lost at the hands of a young boy."

    Zhang Yun spoke very slowly, with a hint of coldness in his tone, which made people shudder. He looked at Zhang Ping coldly, "You haven't seen him compete with Cai Jin last time. Don't tell me that your martial arts skills are not good enough."  Not as good as him."

    Zhang Ping lowered his head deeply and said with great shame: "I just watched him compete with Cai Jin, so I underestimated the enemy."

    "Underestimating the enemy! Everyone talks about underestimating the enemy. Cai Jin underestimated the enemy's failure, and you also underestimated the enemy. Are they all so stupid! Can't you be normal?"

    Speaking of this, Zhang Yun's tone became stern and he stared at Zhang Ping fiercely. At this time, he wanted to kick him out.

    Zhang Ping lowered his head and said nothing. In fact, he couldn't figure out why Liu Jing's stick was clearly two feet away, so it suddenly hit him. He could only think that he underestimated the enemy.

    "Well, let's not talk about the martial arts competition. What are you going to do about this matter? As for you, the documents to impeach you have already been handed over to Governor Li. I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to help you."

    This is what Zhang Yun hates deeply. He went to great lengths to transfer his clan brother to the second bank in order to protect his business and avoid paying taxes. However, he did not expect that Zhang Ping would  Such stupidity was caught by Liu Jing all of a sudden.

    "I was so angry at the time that I didn't consider the consequences at all, and he was just a sixteen-year-old kid"

    "shut up!"

    Zhang Yun shouted angrily, "A arrogant soldier will be defeated. If you underestimate him again, you will die in his hands, you idiot!"

    "Yes! I understand, little brother." Zhang Ping was so frightened that he kept silent and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

    Zhang Yun finally endured this breath. When things came out, he couldn't ignore it. He was angry because he was angry. If Zhang Ping was transferred, all his previous efforts would have been wasted.

    After pondering for a moment, Zhang Yun said slowly: "Go and apologize to Liu Jing first, and explain to him that you just admired his name for a long time and wanted to compete with him, and you had no intention of doing anything wrong."

    "I understand, thenwhat should we do above?"

    "Don't worry about the above things. I will naturally find a way. Just do your own thing well."

    "Thank you, brother, I'll take my leave."

    Zhang Pingping bowed and said goodbye slowly. Zhang Yun was still deep in thought. Although the position of the Governor of the Travel Bureau is not big, it involves a wide range of things. A small Governor of Fan City can control the business of Fancheng.  It is said to be a key wedge inserted at a critical moment.

    This position was first controlled by the Kuai family. It took a lot of effort to put the clan brother in, and then killed the governor Cao Ma Tong. He thought that the clan brother would definitely take the position, but unexpectedly today Liu Jing suddenly appeared.  No sign at all.

    Although this Liu Jing was said to be his cousin, he had never met him and had no contact with him. However, Liu Jing had only been in Xiangyang for more than two months. He would not understand the importance of visiting the governor. This matter  The matter may have nothing to do with him, it must have been deliberately arranged by someone.

    Who could it be?  Zhang Yun immediately thought of the Kuai family. After Ma Tong was killed, Kuai Yue actually remained silent. This was unreasonable. Zhang Yun was almost certain that Liu Jing's placement as the governor must have something to do with Kuai Yue.

    If it is really Kuai Yue, it will be a bit troublesome. He can't defeat Kuai Yue and must rely on external force. It is best to use the power of the Cai family. Zhang Yun thought for a long time, stood up and ordered: "Ready your horse immediately!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There was something that Zhang Yun never expected. His brother Zhang Ping had just left the mansion and went to find Cai Zhong. Zhang Ping was Cai Zhong's brother-in-law. In his opinion, he was in trouble and asked his brother-in-law for help.  It's a matter of course.

    "But Zhang Ping didn't understand that this was not just Zhang Ping's personal matter, it also involved his clan brother Zhang Yun. He was just a pawn of his clan brother Zhang Yun.

    In Cai's mansion, Cai Zhong led Zhang Ping to Cai Mao's study in a hurry. Cai Zhong was very clear about the ins and outs of this incident. He did not expect that Liu Jing would take office today. He immediately realized the entanglement here.  ??I'm afraid it's not that simple.

    He couldn¡¯t make the decision, so he could only come to Cai Mao, the head of the family.

    When he reached the door of the small courtyard of the study, he stopped and turned back to Zhang Ping: "Please wait for a moment. I will talk to my brother first and then call you."

    Although Zhang Ping is stupid and impetuous, he also understands some human ways. He has already entrusted his clan brother with this matter, and now he comes to Cai Mao for help. Will it make his clan brother unhappy?

    ¡°Brother-in-law, why don¡¯t we discuss this matter another day! Don¡¯t bother the head of the family.¡±

    Cai Zhong glanced at him in surprise, suddenly understood, and smiled: "Don't worry! The master is just helping me, it has nothing to do with you. It's only natural that you come to me, no one will say anything to you, just wait with peace of mind  , I will give you good news.¡±

    After saying that, Cai Zhong entered the small courtyard directly regardless of Zhang Ping's wishes.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Mao had just returned from the government office and was sitting in the study reading a book. At this time, the voice of his clan brother Cai Zhong came from outside the door, "Brother, can I come in?"

    "Come in!"

    The door opened, Cai Zhong walked in from outside the house, knelt down and saluted, "Brother, I have something to say about Liu Jing."

    Cai Hao was half-leaning on the screen. When he heard the name 'Liu Jing', he immediately sat up and asked with a smile: "Did he finally show up?"

    Liu Jing had been missing for a month. Cai Hao accidentally remembered it and felt a little strange. He was kicked out of the house and then disappeared. He thought Liu Jing had returned to his hometown in Shanyang.

    Cai Mao now knows that Liu Jing does not want to marry his daughter, which makes him slightly relieved, but the key is Liu Biao's attitude. If Liu Biao insists on Liu Jing's marriage, Liu Jing will have to give in in the end.

    It¡¯s just that Liu Biao doesn¡¯t mention this matter now, which makes Cai Mao always think about it and can¡¯t let it go.

    "What is he doing now?"

    "I just got the news now that Liu Jing has been appointed as the second governor. A lot of things happened on the first day."

    Cai Zhong then told Cai Hao exactly what happened in the Youfu Prison today, and finally said: "My brother-in-law is outside the door. He has already gone to beg Zhang Yun and came to me again. I don't know whether I should do this or not."  Intervene, come here to ask for advice.¡±

    Cai Mao frowned. He didn't know about this matter. The appointment of Governor Cao was a matter for Xiangyang County. There was no need to report to Liu Biao. From the procedural point of view, Cai Mao would not know.

    But this matter involves the secret fight between Zhang Yun and Kuai Yue. Cai Hao actually doesn't know about it, which is a bit of a problem. Cai Hao asked quietly: "Did you know about the secret fight between Zhang Yun and Kuai Yue before?"

    "My little brother knew a little bit about it before."

    "Bang!" Cai Mao slapped the table hard and scolded Cai Zhong, "Why didn't you report this to me earlier?"

    Cai Zhong trembled with fright, "This matter has nothing to do with the Cai family, so"

    "You bastard! Is this a trivial matter? You're only telling me now about such a major matter, you" Cai Mao pointed at Cai Zhong, too angry to speak.

    "Eldest brother, I realize my mistake."

    Cai Mao forced himself to calm down. He found that if this matter was handled well, he could completely bring Zhang Yun to his side. Zhang Yun was Liu Biao's nephew and had a high status in the army. If he teamed up with him to deal with the Kuai family,  Isn't this God helping him Cai Mao?

    The Cai family of Xiangyang and the Kuai family of Nanjun, before Liu Biao came to Jingzhou, the two families were one in the south and the other in the north. However, Liu Biao separated one side, and the Cai family and the Kuai family were reused at the same time. The two families competed for greater interests.  Overt and covert fighting began between them.

    Cai Mao pondered for a moment and soon figured out his thoughts. The relationship between Xiangyang County Prime Minister Wang Jian and Kuai Yue was unusual. Liu Jing's position should be that Kuai Yue asked Wang Jian to install him in retaliation for Zhang Yun's killing of Ma Tong last month.  One thing.

    Now that Liu Jing has become the governor, of course she wants to kick Zhang Ping out, so she uses the following crimes to speak for herself. Wang Jing will definitely follow the trend and directly remove Zhang Ping from his post, or transfer him.

    Thinking of this, Cai Hao ordered: "Call him in!"

    Cai Zhong went out and quickly brought Zhang Ping in. Zhang Ping knelt down and kowtowed respectfully, "Meet the military advisor."

    "You're welcome, we are all relatives. How can I stand by and watch when you are in trouble? I have already heard from my third brother about this matter. Don't worry! I will definitely try my best to help."

    Cai Mao's tone was so kind that Zhang Ping almost burst into tears. He kowtowed repeatedly, "Thank you, military advisor."

    Cai Hao smiled and asked: "How did Colonel Zhang tell you about this matter? I mean, you should have seen him after today's incident!"

    "This" Zhang Ping was a little embarrassed, but after Cai MaoShrouded in majesty, he still told the truth.

    "My brother asked me to apologize to Liu Jing first, saying that I was not guilty, but that I admired martial arts, and I must reconcile with him."

    When Zhang Ping said this, Cai Mao understood Zhang Yun's intention. Zhang Yun still wanted his clan brother Zhang Ping to stay in the prison. In this way, the fight between Zhang Yun and Kuai Yue was inevitable. Could he?  What about adding more fuel to the fire?

    In fact, Cai Mao could not interfere in the internal affairs of Xiangyang County, but Cai Mao also had connections. Wu Qing, the chief historian of Xiangyang, was the son-in-law of the Cai family, and he could keep Zhang Ping's position through him.

    Thinking of this, Cai Hao smiled gently and said: "This matter is actually not difficult to handle. After all, you were beaten up by Liu Jing, so although you were rude first, you failed second. Your brother is right, you have to admit your mistake."  , You must admit your mistake with your tail between your legs, and your attitude must be sincere. As long as you can stay, the position of governor will still be yours in less than a year. "

    "Why is this?" Zhang Ping asked puzzledly.

    Cai Mao's eyes narrowed with a smile, "He is the nephew of the lord and will not stay in a small position for too long."

    Zhang Ping suddenly realized that it was no wonder that the clan brother had to stay by himself. It turned out to be this reason.

    At this moment, a family member outside the door reported, "Sir, Colonel Zhang is outside the house asking to see you!"

    Cai Hao and Cai Zhong looked at each other, and both couldn't help but laugh. Zhang Yun was indeed here

 Volume 1, Chapter 54, Two Plans

    In the courtyard of the Youfu Station, Zhang Ping knelt down respectfully to Liu Jing and saluted with clasped fists, "Zhang Ping, who holds a low position, is rude and ignorant, and does not understand the superiority and inferiority of superiors. He offended the governor, and I am here to apologize!"

    Zhang Ping hugged Lu Sheng again, "Zhang Ping also wants to apologize to Shu Zuo."

    Lu Sheng quickly returned the gift, not daring to accept his apology.

    Zhang Ping's apology was expected by Liu Jing. When they first met yesterday, no matter how much Zhang Ping apologized, Liu Jing would not spare him. However, when he unexpectedly discovered that his appointment as the governor of Youyue was actually arranged by Kuai Yue  , Liu Jing was somewhat unhappy in her heart.

    "I personally can accept Cao Cao's apology, but I always keep a clear distinction between public and private matters. Whether Cao Cao can stay depends on the wishes of the county."

    "It doesn't matter whether I can stay or not. What's important is that Du Cao woke me up with a stick and made me understand that I need to be self-aware. I always thought that I was strong in martial arts. The last time I saw Du Cao competing with Cai Jin, I couldn't bear it.  I couldn't help but want to fight with the governor, but I ended up humiliating myself. Alas! I have been practicing stick skills for more than ten years, but I can't stop the governor's attack. "

    After a pause, Zhang Ping said again: "I am willing to make meritorious service and serve the Governor Cao. I will work harder to patrol the river and ask the Governor Cao for his approval."

    Zhang Ping¡¯s tone was very sincere. It had to be said that this man had a rough face and seemed fierce and rude, but when he softened, he was like a grandson, wanting to crawl on the ground and lick the other person¡¯s feet.

    In fact, this kind of talent is terrifying. He is a typical person with no bottom line. He has no self-esteem and naturally no heart of forgiveness. Once he succeeds, his methods will be cruel and ruthless.

    ??You must always be extremely vigilant against such people and not be fooled by his so-called sincerity.

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "Zhang Cao, don't be busy doing things now. Go home and have a good rest. We will wait for news from the county government."

    The two men were arguing over what Zhang Ping should do now, whether to take up his post in Daizui or wait for the letter at home, which involved a critical time difference.

    Zhang Ping only wants to stay in his position. If this matter goes unsolved, it will have little impact on him, and it is very likely that this matter will go undisturbed.

    But Liu Jing did not agree with his decision to stay in office and resolutely drove him home.

    The wrangling above has led to no conclusion for a while. If Zhang Ping is not on duty, Liu Jing can rearrange the manpower. Even if the impeachment fails, by the time Zhang Ping comes back, things will have changed.

    So the two of them were tit for tat and refused to give in.

    Zhang Ping added with a smile: "Now that we are seeing the end of the year, it is the busiest time of the year. Water thieves are ready to take action, and tax evasion is the most common. How can I rest at home in a humble job at this time?"

    Liu Jing said with a smile: "Zhang Thief Cao is admirable for his loyalty to his duties. However, according to convention, it is really not appropriate for Zhang Thief Cao to show up at the Tourist Office these days to avoid being criticized. Go back and rest first. I will try my best to help the thief."  Cao Meiyan, as soon as there is news, I will notify you to come back, don¡¯t worry!¡±

    No matter what Zhang Ping said, Liu Jing refused to give in. At this time, Zhang Ping no longer dared to offend Liu Jing. With no choice but to leave, Zhang Ping had no choice but to say goodbye.

    When Zhang Ping left, Lu Sheng immediately smiled and said: "The governor did the right thing. Zhang Ping is the best at hiding people behind his back. If he stays here, he will be a thorn in the governor's back and hurt the governor."  It¡¯s not good to control the travel agency.¡±

    How could Liu Jing not understand this truth? Since ancient times, there has been one emperor and one courtier, and even this small travel agency is no exception.

    He was provoked by Zhang Ping as soon as he took office. If he can't handle this matter, who will listen to him in the future?  Where does his prestige lie?

    It¡¯s just that Liu Jing can¡¯t decide whether Zhang Ping will stay or not. He has already submitted the report, and the rest is a struggle from above, which has little to do with him.

    But having said that, he can actually add insult to injury.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After thinking for a moment, Liu Jing ordered Lu Sheng, "Gather all the brothers together. I have something to say to them."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At noon, the soldiers were eating in the courtyard. Liu Jing hurriedly walked out of the prison. Outside the gate of the prison, stood an eleven or twelve-year-old girl. She was Liu Jing's maid Xiaobaozi.  A basket, timid, stretching its neck to look inside the door from time to time.

    At this time, Liu Jing walked out of the door quickly. When the little bun saw it, he jumped up with joy, "Master, I am here."

    "What's the matter?" Liu Jing stepped forward and asked.

    "Sir, someone was looking for me at home. He was an elder and gave me this."

    Little Baozi took out a piece of plain white paper from the basket and handed it to Liu Jing. Liu Jing took it. It turned out to be a greeting card, with the letter on the top of the head: 'See you on this special occasion.  £®  £®  £®  ¡¯

    Liu Jing was surprised, it turned out to be KuaiYue, he quickly asked: "Is the person still there?"

    "Still waiting at home! He seems to have something to see the young master."

    ¡°I¡¯ll go back right away!¡±

    Liu Jing went back to his place and took out his war horse, got on his horse and ran towards the city.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    When visiting the widow of the former Ma Ducao yesterday, Liu Jing finally learned the inside story of Youjiao Station, which was actually the struggle between the Kuai family and Zhang Yun.

    Although Liu Jing didn¡¯t understand why the two families were competing so fiercely because the governorship of Youjiao was not a high position, there was one thing that made Liu Jing unhappy.

    That was the role played by Kuai Yue in his appointment as the governor. He actually treated Liu Jing as a pawn and used him to deal with Zhang Yun.

    In fact, Kuai Yue is a good person and takes good care of him. If Kuai Yue directly makes this request to him, he will be very willing to help Kuai Yue. However, Liu Jing's character is that he doesn't like to be manipulated.

    He has his own dignity. Although Kuai Yue is an elder and a senior official in Jingzhou, Liu Jing still hopes that Kuai Yue can give him a certain amount of respect.

    So since Liu Jing learned the truth yesterday, she felt a little unhappy in her heart. However, Kuai Yue actually came to explain in person, which made Liu Jing's heart feel a little unhappy.

    "Uncle Shi came to the door in person, this junior can't afford it!" Liu Jing said anxiously as she walked into the yard.

    Kuai Yue was sitting in the room drinking tea. When he heard Liu Jing's voice, he put down his tea cup and walked out. He smiled and said, "Is it okay for me, the landlord, to come and see the tenants?"

    "It turns out this is Uncle Shi's house." Liu Jing really didn't expect it.

    "Yes! I came here specifically to collect rent today."

    Kuai Yue winked at him with a childlike mischief, and both of them couldn't help but laugh.

    "It's cold outside, Uncle Shi, please come inside and sit down!"

    Liu Jing invited Kuai Yue into the living room, and Uncle Meng served them tea. Kuai Yue looked at the room and said with a smile, "This house is very rough, are you still used to it, my dear nephew?"

    "It's not bad. I like the quietness here very much. In fact, I don't care about living here. I can live in a hut. Besides, it's better than living under someone else's roof."

    "Relying under someone else's roof? Haha! My nephew is serious. The state pastor asked my nephew to come out to live. In fact, I hope that my nephew can be self-reliant, otherwise the position will not be arranged."

    Liu Jing didn¡¯t want to talk too much about this matter, so she changed the topic back, "Uncle Shi knows about Zhang Ping, right? My impeachment was submitted yesterday afternoon. I wonder if there is anything to say."

    When the topic turned to business, Kuai Yue smiled bitterly and said apologetically: "I came here specifically to apologize today. I didn't mean to take advantage of my nephew's appointment as the Governor of the Tour. I just didn't have time to explain it to him. I didn't expect it to happen on the first day."  Something happened, I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    "Uncle Shi is an elder, how can he apologize to a junior like me? I really can't afford it. There is no need to talk about this matter anymore. I have no objections and I am very grateful to Uncle Shi for his arrangement."

    Kuai Yue saw that Liu Jing was neither humble nor overbearing, he was courteous, and he really liked him in his heart. In fact, today he not only came to explain the situation to Liu Jing, but also wanted to discuss with him how to deal with this matter.

    Kuai Yue pondered for a moment and said, "Cai Mao was actually involved in this matter."

    Liu Jing was startled, "Isn't Zhang Ping Cai Zhong's brother-in-law? It's normal to involve Cai Mao. Isn't this strange?"

    Kuai Yue shook his head, "Although he is Cai Zhong's brother-in-law, this incident did not alarm the Cai family and has nothing to do with Cai Mao. But I heard that Zhang Yun visited Cai Mao yesterday, so today Wu Qing, the chief minister of Xiangyang,  Try your best to defend Zhang Ping, this Wu Qing is the son-in-law of the Cai family. "

    "Then what?"

    Liu Jing then asked: "What will be the consequences of the impeachment?"

    "There was no result, it was a stalemate. Wang Juncheng wanted to remove Zhang Ping, but Wu Qing insisted on it. The two were at loggerheads, so Li Taishou put the matter on the back burner and discussed it later. I'm afraid it won't be settled in the end."

    Liu Jing remained silent. In fact, it was not a bad thing to let things go. At least he could use "this matter has not been dealt with yet" as an excuse to shut Zhang Ping out and not reinstate him. I believe he has the power.

    The key is that Cai Hao was involved in this matter. Cai Hao obviously gave Zhang Yun face. In this way, Cai Hao and Zhang Yun wore a pair of trousers. This Cai Hao was quite good at seizing the opportunity. Perhaps in history, Cai Hao  The alliance with Zhang Yun started from this incident.

    Seeing Liu Jing's silence, Kuai Yue thought he was worried about the consequences of the incident, so he comforted him and said: "Actually, this incident is not a big deal. For the Kuai family, it is just to regain their breath.  My son-in-law of the Kuai family was slaughtered like this. I really can¡¯t swallow this. To be honest, the Kuai family still has a small position as a governor.I don't like him, mainly because I don't want to let Zhang Ping go. If my nephew feels embarrassed, forget it.  "

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then asked: "Then why does Zhang Yun want to fight for this position?"

    Kuai Yue sneered, "It's just for profit."

    Liu Jing walked a few steps in the room with his hands behind his back. He actually didn't like the small position of governor, but if he used this matter to make the Kuai family owe him a favor, it would be a big deal. Although he let it go  Zhang Ping somewhat damaged his prestige, but compared with the favor he received from the Kuai family, this loss was insignificant.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled and said: "Uncle Shi, I have two plans. The first is to drive Zhang Ping out of the second bank. This is very simple. I can do it tomorrow"

    "How can you do it?" Kuai Yue asked in confusion.

    "It's very simple. I will ask all the soldiers to go to the county government tomorrow to file a letter accusing Zhang Ping of bullying his subordinates. He probably won't be able to come back."

    Kuai Yue laughed and said, "This method is good. In fact, going to the state government to complain will have better results."

    "Then Uncle Shi, do you want to hear the second plan?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    "My dear nephew, please speak, I am all ears!" Kuai Yue became more interested. He wanted to know how Liu Jing would handle this matter.

    "The second option is to let Zhang Ping stay at the Youjian Station. I promise to hand over his life to Uncle Shi within half a year, and at the same time let Zhang Yun's reputation be ruined."

    Kuai Yue's eyes lit up, he glanced at Liu Jing again, and smiled meaningfully. He knew Liu Jing's ability and believed in his words.

    And Kuai Yue also felt Liu Jing's sincerity in making friends with the Kuai family, which was what Kuai Yue had always expected. When he first met Liu Jing, he felt that he was extraordinary.

    Now, it doesn¡¯t matter whether Zhang Ping can be killed or not. What matters is that Liu Jing is sincere to the Kuai family.

    Kuai Yue nodded, "If this is the case, I will choose the second option. I am looking forward to seeing a wonderful ending."

    Having said this, Kuai Yue stood up and said with a smile: "If my nephew doesn't find it too rough, I will give it to you as a gift to my nephew for his promotion!"

    ¡¾Looking forward to your votes!  ¡¿

 Volume 1, Chapter 55: The Arrival of the First Day

    [Lao Gao is really a little embarrassed about this chapter, borrowing some writing methods from old books]

    ======

    That afternoon, Liu Jing wrote to the county government to explain to Zhang Ping, stating that it was just a misunderstanding and that he was willing to withdraw Zhang Ping's impeachment.

    King Cheng of Xiangyang County also received instructions from Kuai Yue and no longer insisted on the matter. Li Gui, the governor of Xiangyang, followed suit and dismissed Zhang Ping's case and allowed Zhang Ping to resume his post.

    Although Li Taishou was procrastinating in dealing with Zhang Ping's matter and had no results for a long time, he acted quickly and efficiently in revoking the punishment. He settled the case in half an hour and ended a moderate storm in his appointment.  .

    In the evening, Zhang Ping followed the custom of Jingzhou and personally sent two deer deer to express his apology and convey Zhang Yun's apology to Liu Jing. Liu Jing happily accepted the deer deer. At this point, the matter came to a perfect conclusion.  , the waves subsided.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the first watch, Liu Jing appears in front of the Han River. Only at this time will he become another person, a young man struggling to realize his dream.

    Liu Jing could never forget the first time he saw Zhao Yun, his fierce shooting skills, and his bravery despite being defeated by thousands of people. That was his dream, and he wanted to become such a fierce general.

    There is still an appointment with Cai Jin in two years, and he has to face one opponent after another. Liu Jing has never been as eager to learn martial arts as he is today.

    More importantly, Master Yu helped him find a path to the ultimate master. Master Yu had already led him in, and the rest was his own hard work.

    "Water is the spirit of all things, and it is also the source of strength. Zilong grows in the mountains and uses wood to become his weapon. But you will grow up in the swamp, and you should use water as your weapon."  £®  £®  £®  £®  ¡¯

    Liu Jing was naked from the waist up, wearing only a pair of robes, holding a sword in hand, staring quietly at the dark Han River, but thinking about what Yu Zhenren said in his mind. At this time, his nose felt cold, and he felt something in his heart.  , raised his head, there were snowflakes floating in the sky.

    There are many, as thin as down, and it is still ten days before the New Year. It is the first time it snows in Jingxiang. Snow is also the life of water, right?

    Liu Jing smiled. He chewed the Yijin Dan and drank the marrow-cleansing wine in the small bottle. Soon, a raging fire ignited in his body. He bit the knife in his mouth and jumped into the cold and biting Hanshui.  .

    The water splashed up and submerged him in an instant. He entered a dark world, surrounded by icy water, and couldn't see anything. He kept diving, as if he had entered a dark tunnel, which gave him a familiar feeling.  .

    More than two months ago, didn¡¯t his soul come to this era from such a dark tunnel?

    ??Would he be able to return to the next life if he dived endlessly like this? But the answer soon appeared, no, he had already touched the soft mud at the bottom of the river.

    This place is not far from the river. The water depth is about one foot or seven feet, which is equivalent to four meters. He also dived to the bottom yesterday morning and found a big rock here.

    The buoyancy at the bottom of the river was very strong, so he had to find a fixed point for himself. Soon he touched the big stone and clamped the stone tightly with his legs like a horse.

    At this time, the elixir in his abdomen melted, causing his whole body to be burned with fire. It was extremely hot, as if his internal organs were melting.

    It was March 9th, the coldest season of the year. Even though it was in the south, the river was still bitingly cold, as if it would freeze a person's bone marrow, but the heat in his belly prevented him from feeling the cold.

    The second stage training course arranged by Master Yu was to enter the water three times every night, swim three thousand steps, and then sink to the bottom of the water to swing the knife. Each time, he had to swing the knife a thousand times, and he was only allowed to take eight breaths in the middle.  This means that every time he holds his breath, he has to swing the knife at least one hundred and twenty times, thus forcing him to swing the knife as fast as possible.

    This is something that most people cannot imagine, but only in this way can he develop his strength to the greatest extent and fix the potential in his body.

    It was only then that Liu Jing understood why he had to undergo a month of brutal training in the early stage. It was to allow him to stay as long as possible under the water. In fact, it was to increase his physical strength and lung capacity.

    At the bottom of the river, Liu Jing clamped her legs tightly on the boulder and began to swing her knife rapidly in the water.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The resistance of the cold and water made it particularly difficult for him to swing the sword, but he gritted his teeth and endured it. He believed that Master Yu, who had trained a top warrior in the world, would definitely make himself successful again.

    In the dark bottom of the river, Liu Jing's knife was swinging extremely fast, creating waves on the surface of the water. He had gradually adapted to it.

    After making one hundred and twenty blows, he surfaced, took a breath, and dived to the bottom of the river again, continuing to swing the knife again and again.

    ? ???£®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ¡®Wow!  ¡¯ With a sound, he surfaced again. This was his last breath, and this time he wanted to challenge himself.

    Liu Jing dived into the water and swung the knife vigorously. His arms were extremely sore and every bone in his body seemed to be broken.

    In the boundless darkness under the water, he forced himself to swing the knife vigorously, overcoming the soreness and pain in his arm, and the roots of his teeth were almost broken.

    He had already swung one hundred and twenty times, almost reaching the limit, but his challenge target was one hundred and fifty times. He just felt that every cell in his body was about to explode, one hundred and thirty-six, one hundred and thirty-seven.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  One hundred and thirty-eight, this kind of pain was unbearable for him anymore. His lungs were about to explode, and he was almost in a coma due to lack of oxygen.

    One hundred and forty-eight, one hundred and forty-nine.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As soon as his legs were loosened, his body rose rapidly. At the moment when he was about to rush out of the water, he swung his last knife in the water, one hundred and fifty!

    ¡®Wow!  ¡¯ He finally broke out of the water, and a burst of fresh air hit his face. Liu Jing was paralyzed and took a greedy breath of fresh air.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing slowly swam ashore. At this time, his arms were extremely sore. Although he had been training hard for a month, swinging a knife in the water a thousand times still made his muscles unbearably sore. Liu Jing did not feel any pain.  Complaining is his willing choice. Even if Master Yu is not around, he can still persevere.

    After resting for a while and regaining his physical strength, he swam into the Han River again and started the second course. He swam a thousand steps, which was not much, just swimming back and forth on the Han River. This was actually a way to restore his physical strength. He tried his best to  Relax your body.

    Not long after, the back and forth swimming was over. Liu Jing took a deep breath again, dived into the dark depths of the river bottom, and began her second underwater sword practice.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    By this time it was getting dark, and housewives from poor families began to wash clothes by the river, banging their sticks on the stone surface like "Bang!"  boom!  ¡¯ It sounded straight.

    Liu Jing leaned behind a willow tree by the river, with his back to the shore. He took out a green elixir from a small porcelain bottle under his neck and drank it. This was prepared for him by Luo Lu, the Taoist Priest of Qingzhu Temple, using Yu Zhenzi's prescription, and  Taking a bath in boiling water has the same effect.

    He meditated again with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. His muscles all over his body relaxed into a state of selflessness. He concentrated his attention on a point in his mind and let the power of the medicine slowly dissipate in his body. He felt that his physical strength was recovering at an unprecedented speed.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The New Year is also called Zhengdan or Zhengri. In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, the Qin calendar was adopted, and the first day of October was regarded as Zhengdan. It was not until the first year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar was used as the first day of the year, and it has continued to this day.

    During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the New Year was mainly about sacrifices. The court would hold a grand court meeting, which was the "congratulations of the great dynasty" in history. The emperor ascended the throne, accepted the congratulations of hundreds of officials, and also accepted the pilgrimage of envoys from all over the world.

    But for ordinary families, the main focus is on offering sacrifices. For this day, preparations have to start very early, and winter wine must be brewed for the Zhengdan sacrifice on Shangxin Day in October every year.

    Then three days before the first day of the new year, the family elects a deacon for the sacrifice, and the entire sacrifice is presided over by the head of the family and the deacon.

    On the day before New Year, at noon, Liu Jing was having lunch at home when a violent knock on the door almost broke the old wooden door.

    Liu Jing frowned, who is this and why is he so rude?

    Liu Jing was about to step forward, but Little Baozi ran to the yard, "I'll do it!"

    The door creaked open, and then the little bun screamed, "Young Master Tiger!"

    I saw a tall and big black figure running towards me like a gust of wind, suddenly blocking the light in the room, "Brother Jing, are you still free to eat?"

    It turned out to be Liu Hu, the clan brother. He was sweating profusely, as if he had run for dozens of miles. He panted and said, "Brother Jing, uncle asked you to go back to participate in the sacrifice."

    Liu Jing felt relieved. He had been worrying about the sacrifice for the past two days. Why didn't Liu Biao come to call him? Generally speaking, the clan members met three days ago to discuss the procedures for the sacrifice.

    Tomorrow is the first day of the first lunar month, and the sacrifices will begin before dawn. Why didn't Liu Biao inform him? You must know that this is Liu Jing's first sacrifice, and it is related to the issue of him officially becoming an heir of the Liu family, so Liu Jing's two  Tian was a little uneasy.

    Liu Hu¡¯s arrival finally made Liu Jing breathe a long sigh of relief. Although Liu Hu was rude and rude, in Liu Jing¡¯s view, he was so straightforward and lovely at this time.

    "Come! Come! Let's have lunch together." Liu Jing enthusiastically invited Liu Hu to sit down.

    Liu Hu came from Xiangyang, and it took him half a day to find this small house. It was really interesting.When he was hungry, he was not polite. He sat down and rolled his hands, and he bit into half of a green onion and mutton pancake.

    Little Baozi felt extremely distressed. Those were the pancakes she had fried for Mr. Tiger, and the tiger had no share. Liu Jing smiled and ordered her: "Little Baozi, give Mr. Tiger a bowl of porridge and fry some more pancakes."  ¡±

    Little Baozi had no choice but to agree and went to the kitchen. Uncle Meng brought another bowl of water to Liu Hu. Liu Hu drank the bowl of water, then let out a long burp and asked with wide eyes.  Liu Jing said: "I heard that you defeated the water wolf?"

    Water Wolf is Zhang Ping's nickname. Although defeating Zhang Ping was an internal matter of the Youjiao Office, this kind of thing spread very quickly. Within a few days, the news spread to almost all the sword halls in Xiangfan and Xiangfan, making Liu Hu envious.  It only took so long that Liu Jing's martial arts skills were able to defeat the water wolf.

    Liu Jing gave a bitter smile. He didn't want to spread this matter. If it spread, it would add endless troubles to him. Many good people would come to challenge him. After all, he only knew one trick.

    "Stop talking nonsense and eat quickly! We will go to Xiangyang after eating. Aren't you in a hurry?"

 Volume 1, Chapter 56: Returning to the Liu Mansion

    After leaving the Liu Mansion for more than a month, Liu Jing returned to the Mansion again. However, he did not live in the Liu Mansion for a long time and had no feelings for the Liu Mansion. Mrs. Cai kicked him out of the Liu Mansion and cut off his relationship with the Liu Mansion.  A trace of nostalgia for the Liu family.

    It¡¯s just that he is a descendant of the Liu family, so it is natural for him to return to the Liu Mansion to participate in the sacrifice. No matter how much Mrs. Cai hates him, she can¡¯t stop him from entering the manor before the New Year.

    ¡°Brother Jing, I want to move in with you, do you think it¡¯s okay?¡±

    Walking to Liu's house, seeing no chance, Liu Hu finally couldn't help but express his wish. This was something he had considered for a long time. He had been studying martial arts for many years, but had not made much progress. But seeing Liu Jing's rapid progress, he finally made him  I can't stand this temptation anymore.

    Liu Jing stopped and felt a little surprised. He saw Liu Hu's face turned red, but his eyes were extremely serious. It seemed that he was serious.

    "Butdoes your brother allow it?"

    Liu Hu¡¯s elder brother is Liu Qing. Their father also passed away. They lived with their mother in Xiangyang City.

    "There should be no problem. I have lived in the sword hall for several years and he didn't say anything. Besides, I am already eighteen years old and can completely stand on my own." Liu Hu looked at Liu Jing eagerly, hoping that he would agree.  .

    At this time, Liu Jing's heart moved. He just wanted to give Zhang Ping'an a deputy, but couldn't find a suitable candidate for the moment. Isn't Liu Hu the best candidate?

    He is a famously stupid big man in Xiangyang, but in fact, Liu Jing knows that he is not stupid, but has no ambition. Last time he had a sword fight with Cai Jin, didn't he persuade himself not to accept it?

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled and said: "It's okay to live with me, but I have a condition. I will arrange for you to work in the police station. Of course, you will not be a soldier. How about it?"

    Liu Hu scratched his head and chuckled, "You are afraid that you can't support me! Are you?"

    "Forget it if you don't do it!" Liu Jing was furious. This guy had complicated thoughts.

    He urged his horse to head towards the gate of the mansion. Liu Hu quickly grabbed him and said with a smile: "I'm just joking with you. How could I not agree? I'll do whatever you say."

    "Okay, let's make it a deal!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing and Liu Mansion walked into the main hall. The children of the Liu family were already gathered together. In addition to a few children of the Liu family whom Liu Jing knew, there were also some brothers from distant houses, sitting around Liu Biao. Everyone had a look of humility on their faces.  smile.

    Liu Biao has four brothers. Liu Biao is the eldest son. The second son died of illness since he was a child. The third son and his family died in the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The fourth son, Liu Jing¡¯s father, also passed away.

    There are more than a dozen other members of the side clan, most of whom were lost in the chaos of the late Han Dynasty. Those who survived all came to Jingzhou and attached themselves to Liu Biao, but most of them were mediocre in qualifications and were scattered throughout Jingzhou. This time, everyone came to worship their ancestors.  Arrived in Xiangyang.

    Liu Biao was sitting in the middle. The first person on the left was his nephew Liu Qing. He was even further forward than Liu Qi. From this point, Liu Jing judged that this year's sacrificial deacon should be Liu Qing.

    Liu Qing and his brother Liu Hu look completely different. He is about in his early twenties, with a medium build, fair skin, and looks gentle and elegant. He is a typical white-faced scholar.

    "Haha! Jing'er is here."

    When Liu Biao saw Liu Jing entering the hall, he smiled and said to everyone: "We haven't seen him for several years. Let's see if he has changed much?"

    When Liu Biao said these words, Liu Jing suddenly broke into a cold sweat. He had almost forgotten his true identity. He always regarded himself as the real Liu Jing. Now no one doubted that he was fake.

    That¡¯s because most people have never seen the real Liu Jing, but the tribesmen are different. These tribesmen have all seen him. Only then did Liu Jing realize that his real big test had not come until now.

    Liu Jing suppressed the nervousness in her heart, knelt down respectfully and bowed to Liu Biao, "Nephew pays homage to uncle."

    By this time, he had heard whispers coming from both sides.

    "I seem to have grown a lot taller. I am darker and thinner than before, but stronger."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    These comments made Liu Jing suddenly think of something, and he suddenly had a perfect excuse. He has changed a lot from a month ago.

    Liu Biao had not seen him for a month. He looked at him and asked strangely: "Jing'er, aren't you studying gunpowder? Why have you become so dark and thin that I can hardly recognize him?"

    Liu Jing said quickly: "Replying to my uncle, I started learning gunpowder at first, but soon I started practicing martial arts. I have to run and swim every day, so"

    Liu Biao laughed and said, "Let me tell you! How come you almost don't recognize me after not seeing you for more than a month? It turns out you are practicing martial arts. I guess everyone thinks you have changed a lot."

    Liu Biao turned around and asked:A middle-aged man said, "Second brother, do you think so?"

    This middle-aged man is called Liu Du. He is Liu Biao's distant cousin and Liu Hu's uncle. He is quite smart and capable. He was appointed as the prefect of Lingling County by Liu Biao last year. Liu Du only came to Jingzhou four years ago, so he has some impression of Liu Jing.  .

    He stroked his beard and said with a smile: "It has changed a lot. Four years ago, I was a naughty yellow-haired boy. In the blink of an eye, I became an adult. It makes people feel that the passage of time has also meant that our family will prosper."

    He asked Liu Jing again, "Jing'er, how is your leg now?"

    Liu Jing knew from Uncle Meng that his leg had been broken when he was a child. He already knew this very well, but the question was, who was the middle-aged man in front of him?

    Although Uncle Meng told him the family tree, he had never met the people on the family tree. He could not match the real person. This man obviously knew him. If he didn't know him, it would make no sense.

    "However, maybe we can fool him. Didn't Liu Biao call him second brother just now?"  He looked to be about fifty years old, probably older than his father.

    Liu Jing decided to take a gamble. He immediately knelt down, bowed, and said respectfully: "Reporting to the second uncle, my nephew's leg is completely healed. How is the second uncle's health?"

    Everyone likes Zhili¡¯s children. Liu Du immediately smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m okay! I can adapt to the climate in Lingling.¡±

    When Lingling was mentioned, Liu Jing immediately knew who he was. Liu Du had called him Zhongfu since he was a child, not his second uncle. He immediately changed his words and said, "Zhongfu's body has always been strong and he can adapt to anything.  I wonder if Brother Xian is here."

    The next young scholar nodded and said with a smile: "Brother Jing, I'm here!"

    At this time, Liu Biao smiled and said: "Okay, everyone is here. It's time for me to talk about the specific details of tomorrow's sacrifice."

    Liu Hu gently pulled Liu Jing and took him to the last two seats on the right to sit down. Liu Jing was relieved and finally passed the first level.

    "Tomorrow is the first day of the lunar month, and the sacrifices will begin at Mao quarter. I will be the main priest, Qing'er will be the deacon, and we will gather in the ancestral hall for the fifth update. Don't be late. I will explain everyone's affairs again"

    Liu Hu next to him whispered to Liu Jing: "You didn't come to the first discussion yesterday. The head of the family said that it was your first time to participate in the sacrifice, so he wouldn't let you do anything. Just follow me. Etiquette and the like are very simple. What do I do?  Just do whatever you want.¡±

    Liu Jing has a very good impression of Liu Hu, who is so considerate. Who said he is stupid? If this clan brother can handle it well, it will be of great help to him in the future.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled and said: "Brother Tiger, let's stay together tonight! Let's discuss martial arts."

    "Okay!" Liu Hu became excited, "I will practice martial arts with you."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, Liu Jing gave Liu Hu a copy of the "Wind and Thunder Transformation" sword manual, "The reason why I can defeat Water Wolf is because I know this move. I have to practice twenty-four sword attacks in total. In fact, there is only one sword. This  It is a secret that is not passed on. I am giving it to you officially, and I hope you will not spread it. "

    "The Wind and Thunder Transformation" was specially created by Yu Zhenzi for Liu Jing and has nothing to do with Luofengmen, so it doesn't matter if Liu Jing passes it on to Liu Hu. The key is that he cannot pass it on to Luofeng Clan.

    But Liu Jing didn¡¯t think so. To practice the ¡®Wind and Thunder Transformation¡¯, you must know a little bit of Luo Feng Kung Fu. Liu Jing also decided to pass on part of Luo Feng Kung Fu to him.

    What he needs is a right-hand assistant, and the rules of Luofengmen cannot restrain him.

    Liu Hu was stunned when he saw it. He had never heard of twenty-four moves in one move.

    "Brother Jing, can I practice?"

    "You should master the moves first, and then I will teach you the techniques. Don't be in a hurry, practice slowly! If you know this move, Cai Jin will no longer be your opponent."

    Liu Hu was so happy that he jumped up and shouted, "I'm going to practice now!"

    Liu Jing grabbed him, stared at him and said: "If you spread this matter, you don't want me to teach you anything again!"

    Liu Hu saw Liu Jing's extremely serious expression, and he nodded solemnly, "Even if I cut my tongue, I will never say anything!"

    Liu Jing also stood up and said with a smile: "I will go to Xixiang River now and make sure to gather at the ancestral hall at the fifth watch."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The ancestral hall of the Liu Mansion is located in the West House, which worships the ancestors of the past dynasties starting from King Lu Gong Liu Yu. This is Liu Biao's family temple, covering an area of ??20 acres and consisting of dozens of buildings. It is also the most sacred place for every family.

    Before the fifth watch, the men and women of the Liu family have already arrived at the men's and women's dressing rooms located on both sides of the gate. They need to change into black sacrificial robes and flat-topped sacrificial crowns here, and then line up to go to the main hall to worship.  .

      Men come first and women follow. For example, a married daughter cannot participate in sacrifices. Instead, she participates in sacrifices at her husband's house.

    Liu Biao had already changed into his crown uniform and was silently watching the other tribesmen changing their clothes. Suddenly he frowned slightly and asked Liu Hu, "Where is Jing'er? Why don't you see him?"

    Liu Hu chirped and said, "He's a little unwell. Come a little later and he'll be there soon."

    As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Jing appeared in the room silently. Liu Hu was overjoyed and pointed out: "He's here!"

    Liu Biao nodded, "Teach him how to change his clothes, and take him with you today. Don't let anything happen."

    "My nephew understands!"

    Liu Hu quickly ran to Liu Jing and complained in a low voice: "Why are you here!"

    "Isn't it time yet?" Liu Jing smiled apologetically.

    "The fifth update is the time to set off, and we have to change into sacrificial clothes. Hey! I forgot to tell you, hurry up!"

    Liu Hu hurriedly helped Liu Jing put on the black sacrificial robe, and then helped him put on the flat crown. This was the first time Liu Jing put on the sacrificial robe. He knew the meaning of the sacrificial ceremony very well, and participated in the sacrificial ceremony, which meant that he was officially recognized as a member of the Liu family.  Son.

    'when!  when!  ¡¯

    As the melodious memorial bell rang, more than a hundred people from the Liu family, led by the head of the family, Liu Biao, lined up to go to the main sacrificial hall.

    On this day, the sky was clear and bright, and the seventh year of Jian'an finally came

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 57 Farewell to Friends

    [New day, please vote for recommendation]

    ====

    The sacrificial ceremony did not last long and ended in half an hour. Liu Biao had to rush to the government office to accept the day's congratulations from Jingzhou officials. The rest of the clan members were doing their own activities. Most of them gathered together to chat and prepare to attend the grand Liu family banquet at noon.  .

    However, it is not necessary to attend this family banquet. People like Liu Biao cannot attend. Liu Jing naturally wants to leave. If he stays with his tribe for too long, the greater the chance of him being exposed.

    However, although Liu Jing wanted to leave, she was unfortunately held back by her clansmen. She asked them questions and played a few games of six-bet chess with them. This was something Liu Jing had just learned, with two groups of six white and six black playing chess by throwing chopsticks.  , that is, throwing the chopsticks into the pot one foot away to obtain the qualification to play chess.

    There are games, there is wit, and the competition is extremely strong, so many people are obsessed with gambling, "wasting work, forgetting sleep and food, and burning the sun until the light is gone".

    In the game of chess, falling out, yelling, and fighting often occur, and some famous incidents have occurred as a result. For example, Lao Ai of the Qin Palace had a drunken fight with a powerful man while playing chess. Lao Ai angrily said: "I am the emperor's fake  father!  ¡¯ This incident triggered Qin Shihuang¡¯s purge of the Lao Ai Group.

    Another example is that at the end of the Warring States Period, Jing Ke had a chess dispute with Gou Jian of Lu (not the one who lay down his salary and tasted courage). Gou Jian cursed, and Jing Ke, the majestic warrior who assassinated the Qin Dynasty, fled in panic.

    There was also a dispute between the Crown Prince Liu Qi and the Crown Prince of Wu Liu Bi during the chess game. The Crown Prince became so angry that he killed the Crown Prince of Wu Liu Bi with a chessboard. This incident became the fuse of the Seven Kings Rebellion.

    In order to get along with the soldiers, Liu Jing also learned to play this kind of gambling, but the soldiers did it for gambling, and no one dared to win against him, so they tried every means to lose money to him.

    Liu Jing can understand the mentality of the soldiers, and he is actually the same today.

    Today, he patiently played chess with more than a dozen elders of the Liu family all morning, and lost to them more than thirty taels of gold. He won praises from the elders, saying that he was worthy of being the nephew of the head of the family, and that he was quite the ancestor of the family.  the wind.

    It was approaching noon, and the banquet at the Liu Mansion was about to begin. Liu Jing did not want to see Mrs. Cai, so she was about to leave. As soon as she walked out of the lobby, she was stopped by Liu Qi coming from behind.

    "Brother Jing! Wait a minute."

    Liu Jing quickly saluted and said with a smile: "Eldest brother, long time no see."

    Liu Qi said apologetically: "I was so busy preparing for the sacrifice during this period that I couldn't take care of Brother Jing for a while, so I left you a bit cold. I'm sorry!"

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m busy at this time too!¡±

    "By the way, you have a position, I almost forgot."

    Liu Qi smiled again and said, "How is the governor doing?"

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly and shook her head, "Every day there are so many things that make people's heads full of troubles. Just arranging the duty for the New Year, everyone has been wrangling for a long time. This is still a small travel agency. If one  Army, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    "There are big management methods, but they are actually pretty much the same."

    Liu Qi changed the topic and said with a smile: "If you are free today, I will take you to a banquet. I think you will be interested."

    Liu Jing happened to not want to stay here, so she immediately agreed, "I can leave at any time!"

    "You wait a moment, I'll change some clothes, and then we'll set off." Liu Qi turned around and hurried away.

    Liu Jing was sitting by the flower bed in the central courtyard waiting patiently. At this moment, Mrs. Cai, surrounded by a large group of maids and women, hurriedly walked from the other side and met Liu Jing head-on. Both of them were a little stunned.  .

    Although Liu Jing was in a hurry to leave just because he didn't want to see her, he didn't expect that the enemy would meet on a narrow road. He had no choice but to step forward and bow, "See you, Madam!"

    Mrs. Cai looked at him with complicated eyes. Two days ago, her husband and the Cai family reached a compromise, temporarily shelving the marriage for one to two years. The reason was that Cai Shaoyu was still young and they would wait until she grew up to discuss marriage.

    Although this result is not the best, it at least solves the immediate crisis and gives Mrs. Cai time to calmly arrange for Liu Cong to marry the daughter of the Cai family.

    On the other hand, Liu Jing made it clear that he would not marry Shaoyu, which temporarily weakened Mrs. Cai's hostility towards Liu Jing.

    However, the root of Mrs. Cai's hatred of Liu Jing was not this marriage, but her child's miscarriage. She always believed that Liu Jing killed her child.

    This kind of hatred is hidden in Mrs. Cai's heart like a poisonous thorn. Every time she sees Liu Jing, Mrs. Cai's heart feels stinging, thinking of the child she lost.

    "I heard that you have taken up an official position?" Mrs. Cai asked coldly.

    "yes!"

    "Oh! That's good. Young people should know how to make progress and don't always think about relying on their father's support. Your uncle is very busy, soThen try to disturb him as little as possible.  "

    "I know!"

    Liu Jing's tone was also very cold, without even a false smile. This woman really disgusted him so much that saying another word was a kind of torture to him.

    "Why, you hate me so much?" Mrs. Cai felt a little annoyed at Liu Jing's coldness.

    "How dare I hate Madam? It's Madam who hates me, so I want to disappear from Madam's presence as soon as possible and say as little as possible to avoid ruining Madam's good mood."

    "Hmph! You are self-aware. Besides, let me tell you one thing. Your marriage with the Cai family has been dissolved, so you don't have to worry about it."

    This news was good, and Liu Jing's mood suddenly improved. He was relieved and bowed again, "Thank you, madam, for telling me the good news."

    "Humph!" Mrs. Cai snorted again and said sarcastically: "This way you can marry Cao Cao's daughter and Sun Quan's sister, which our Cai family cannot afford."

    After saying that, Mrs. Cai walked away. Liu Jing was a little stunned. This was what he said to Liu Biao. Mrs. Cai actually knew it. It seemed that Liu Biao valued this sentence very much. Could it be because of this sentence that Liu Biao let himself  Move out?

    Liu Jing is young after all, and he is not so mature and thoughtful about some things. He sometimes blurts out some things that he should not say, which arouses suspicion from others.

    Obviously, marrying Cao Cao's daughter and Sun Quan's sister aroused Liu Biao's suspicion. Perhaps Liu Biao was already doubting his ambition. Liu Jing felt a little annoyed. He also realized that sometimes he was too sharp and was only two years old in Xiangyang.  So much has happened in just over a month.

    Just when Liu Jing was secretly upset, Liu Qi had changed his clothes and hurried over, "Brother Jing, let's go!"

    He changed into a purple robe and wore a golden crown. He looked rich and handsome. I wonder who he was going to see today.

    Liu Jing put her thoughts back and followed Liu Qi out.

    Liu Jing did not ride a horse, but got on Liu Qi's carriage, which drove quickly to the west of the city.

    "Today a friend is going to travel far away. Several of our classmates from Lumen Academy bought him wine to say goodbye. It happens to be a special date, so we all can get together. There is a person among you who is very interested in you."

    "Who is it?" Liu Jing was intrigued by Liu Qi.

    Liu Qi smiled mysteriously, "You'll know when you get there."

    The carriage slowly stopped at a tavern next to the West City Gate. It turned out to be the same tavern where the horse was stolen last time. It was early in the day, and most families were having dinner at home. The streets were deserted, and there were no guests in the tavern.  A few figures.

    Liu Qi saw three carriages parked at the door and couldn't help but smile: "They are already here."

    The two went to the second floor, where there were only two or three drinkers.

    The tavern is very spacious. There are no tables and chairs. Everyone sits on the floor. There is a low food table in front of each person. Or there are many people but few people. The seats are randomly separated by fences to keep the seats at each table independent.

    If you are in a slightly high-end tavern, you can still see screens separating them. Even in places where nobles have banquets, you can also see gold and white jade screens.

    In a corner, five or six people were already sitting, all of whom were young scribes, wearing scarves and Confucian robes. One of them Liu Jing knew was Kuai Qi, and there was another person he also knew, but it was Ma Liang with white eyebrows.

    Liu Jing suddenly thought of Zhuge Liang. He glanced around and did not see Zhuge Liang, but unexpectedly found that there was a young woman among them.

    Wearing a curtain hat, covered with gauze, the appearance cannot be seen clearly. She wears a short light green jacket, a long purple skirt, and a wide white brocade belt around her waist. She has a slender figure.

    There was also a little maid sitting behind her, who was quite well-behaved and pretty.

    There were two people next to him, who were talking with their heads down and did not notice their arrival.

    "I'm coming!"

    Kuai Qi saw the two of them and shouted with a smile. Everyone stood up one after another. Liu Qi stepped forward quickly, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I'm really sorry, I'm a step late and kept everyone waiting."

    Ma Liang chuckled, "We are discussing, and we will fine you three drinks later."

    "It deserves to be punished! It deserves to be punished!"

    At this time, the other two people also stepped forward and bowed, "Mr. Qi, long time no see."

    The two men are older and younger, the elder is about forty years old and the younger is twenty-three or four years old. They are both wearing Confucian robes and have elegant temperaments.

    Liu Qi smiled and introduced the two people to Liu Jing, "These two are the real leaders today, and we will practice it for them today."

    This older one, Cui Jun, Cui Zhouping, and Boling Cui family, encouraged Yuan Shao to rebel against Dong Zhuo and enjoyed a high reputation.

    Liu Jing?I¡¯ve heard about Mr. Cui¡¯s name for a long time, but I didn¡¯t expect that he was already middle-aged. He quickly saluted, ¡°Young man Liu Jing, I¡¯ve heard about Mr. Cui¡¯s name for a long time.¡±

    Cui Zhouping stroked his beard and smiled, "We have also heard about Mr. Jing's name. I heard that Mr. Jing has obtained the Luma. Can you take a look?"

    "I'm still in the Liu Mansion and haven't ridden out yet. I'll definitely let Mr. Cui give it a try next time."

    Cui Zhouping smiled and said nothing. Liu Qi introduced a young man to Liu Jing, "This is Xu Yuanzhi of Yingchuan. He is ambitious and talented."

    Liu Jing was in awe. It turned out that he was Xu Shu. This was the first time he saw him. Xu Shu was about seven feet five tall, with fair skin, delicate appearance and piercing eyes.

    "So you are Xu Shu from Yingchuan!"

    Xu Shu was startled and said with a smile: "Master Jing, have you also heard of me?"

    "Brother Yuan Zhi's name is like thunder!"

    I just heard about Cuizhou Ping's long name, but now she is like a thunderous ears. This is obviously not entertainment, and she is a bit biased towards Xu Yan. Liu Qi hit a round field and introduced the last woman to Liu Yan.

    "This is an outstanding woman among women. She is highly talented and knowledgeable, and she is not inferior to men. Yueying, the daughter-in-law of the Huang family, also made a special trip to practice for Zhou Ping and Yuan Zhi today."

    Liu Jing's attention was suddenly attracted. It turned out that this was Huang Yueying. It was rare for her to show up for her friends' practice. This courage was very commendable.

    "It's a pity that she was wearing a curtain and hat to cover her face, so she couldn't see her appearance. He quickly bowed and saluted, "I've heard for a long time that Miss Huang is outstanding in learning, beautiful in appearance and wise in nature. I'm lucky enough to meet her today. Liu Jing is lucky."

    "Young Master Jing is very commendable. Young Master Jing saved Zhao Yun bravely. He was wise and brave, and died generously for his faith. He is such a loyal and righteous man. Even my father is full of praise. I would like to invite Young Master to come to the Huang family as a guest when he is free."

    Huang Yueying's voice was very soft, but Liu Jing felt ashamed for a while. Unexpectedly, the news about him saving Zhao Yun spread. Zhao Yun should have told Liu Bei, and Liu Bei spread the news. Although this is not a bad thing, Liu Jing still doesn't want others to know.  Know.

    He quickly said a few words of humility, saying that he would definitely visit the Huang family when he had time. At this time, he smiled and asked, "Why isn't Brother Kong Ming here today?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 58: Talent conceals ugliness

    Liu Jing asked casually, ¡®Why doesn¡¯t Kong Ming come?  ¡¯

    The atmosphere at the banquet suddenly became awkward. Even Liu Jing was aware of this embarrassment, but he didn't understand what he said wrong.

    At this time, today¡¯s convener Kuai Qi quickly smiled and said: ¡°The food and drinks are ready, no need to be humble anymore, everyone can sit down!¡±

    Liu Jing followed everyone and sat down. The seats were arranged in a circle. Several bartenders brought the wine and food to them in a flowing manner, and placed a warm wine bottle in the center. A pretty wine girl was responsible for pouring wine for everyone.

    Cui Zhouping picked up the cup and said to everyone: "Thank you all for coming to say goodbye to us today, and especially thank you Mr. Qi for coming to see us off in person. We are going to the north, and we will be back in three to five months at most. Please don't worry too much."  hang."

    Xu Shu also picked up the ear cup and said with a smile: "This time I mainly go home to visit my mother. Thank you all for coming to say goodbye. I will do it first as a token of respect."

    He drank all the wine in his ear cup. Everyone wished them a smooth journey and drank the wine each. At this time, Liu Jing said to Xu Shu: "Liu Jing admires Brother Yuanzhi for being filial to his mother. Why doesn't Brother Yuanzhi take his mother directly?"  It¡¯s easier to take care of me in Xiangyang.¡±

    Xu Shu sighed, "I think about it the same way. The main reason is that my brother refuses to let my mother go south, and my mother is also unable to leave her hometown. She refused to agree to the persuasion several times, so there is no other way."

    Liu Jing nodded and stopped talking. Everyone chatted for a few more words. Liu Qi smiled at Huang Yueying and said, "I have heard for a long time that my daughter-in-law is unparalleled in her piano skills. Can you play an impromptu song for me to listen to the fairy music when I wait for the first time?"

    Everyone clapped and laughed, "Mr. Qi's suggestion is excellent, Miss Huang, can you let us enjoy it!"

    Huang Yueying did not refuse, and smiled sweetly, "In this case, Yueying will show her shame."

    She turned around and told the little maid a few words. The maid nodded and went downstairs. After a while, she took a piano from the carriage, a bartender brought a piano table, and the maid put the piano away.

    Huang Yueying lifted up a circle of curtains to cover up the veil. It was only then that Liu Jing finally saw her appearance. It was really disappointing. Her skin was slightly dark, her nose was slightly flat, her eyes were not clear enough, and the hair on her temples looked a bit dry and yellow.  .

    With yellow hair and a black face, the rumors in the countryside are not wrong, but they are not that exaggerated. He is too ugly to be seen, but his appearance is slightly mediocre.

    Huang Yueying looked calm, adjusted the music slightly, then smiled sweetly at everyone and said, "My little sister has made a fool of herself for everyone."

    She plucked with her slender fingers, and a string of flowing piano tones popped out from her fingers. She was playing "Nie Zheng's Assassination of the King of Han", also known as "Guangling San". Although it was a single piano, the sound was impassioned.  Sometimes he looks up to the sky with grief and anger, sometimes he is murderous, and sometimes he is gentle and sad.

    Even Liu Jing's mood fluctuated with the sound of her piano. He was fascinated by the sound of her piano. The entire tavern was silent. Several bartenders also sat aside, listening to the music blankly, forgetting to serve the guests.

    Suddenly, the sound of the piano stopped and lingered in the beams. After a long time, the tavern suddenly burst into cheers. At this time, Liu Jing also discovered that Liu Yueying was not ugly. Her talents made her appearance insignificant.

    Huang Yueying stood up, bowed, and said with an apologetic smile: "I have something to do at home, so I can't stay long, so I'll take my leave now."

    The crowd did not keep it. She got up and thanked her New Year's piano. Liu Yan looked down at her back to her, and couldn't help sighing, "So beautiful, how are you lucky to marry her!"

    Everyone looked strange and couldn't hold back their laughter. At this time, the rumble of the carriage came from below and Huang Yueying left. Kuai Qi finally couldn't help laughing and said: "Master Jing, do you know why Kong Ming didn't come and why Miss Huang did?  Leave disappointed?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I don't know!"

    Ma Liang also smiled and said, "Actually, this matter has something to do with you."

    "Is it related to me?" Liu Jing was stunned, "What are you talking about?"

    Kuai Qi took a sip and said slowly: "Last time at the small banquet in Kuai Mansion, Master Jing said, isn't Kong Ming's wife Huang Yueying? Master, do you still remember?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "I remember, I just said it casually."

    "Your casual remarks have caused great harm to Kong Ming. Now everyone is saying that Kong Ming is going to marry Huang Yueying. The rumor is getting wider and wider. Everyone in Xiangyang knows it. Now when everyone sees Kong Ming, they joke, 'When will I marry Huang Yueying?'  My daughter-in-law? 'As a result, Kong Ming didn't dare to go out, so today he heard that Miss Huang was coming, so he couldn't come because of something unexpected. "

    Liu Jing scratched his head. Only then did he realize that his unintentional words had caused such a big trouble. He asked again: "But does this have anything to do with Miss Huang leaving early?"

    Everyone laughed, "If Kong Ming doesn't come, how can Miss Huang not leave disappointed? Do you think Miss Huang is really here to say goodbye?"

    Liu Jing then understood that it turned out that Huang Yueying liked Zhuge Liang, but Huang Yueying didn'tThe impression left by Jing Jing was very good. If it could help her come true, it would be a good story. But it seems that Zhuge Liang didn't have this intention. Did he think she was ugly?

    "What's Kong Ming's attitude? Doesn't he want to marry Miss Huang?"

    Xu Shu next to him smiled and said: "I'm afraid Kong Ming doesn't even know it himself, but he is very face-conscious. This matter has spread like wildfire. Even if he had this intention, he would not dare to marry."

    Liu Jing patted her forehead and said with a smile: "In this case, wouldn't I become a sinner?"

    "You are a sinner, so we have to punish you with three drinks."

    Everyone was making noises, and Liu Jing had to drink three glasses of wine, but he couldn't let go of the incident. He said to everyone: "Speaking of which, this incident is indeed my fault. I don't want lovers to find it difficult to get married.  I want to help them and make up for their mistakes. What can you do?"

    Everyone is interested in this kind of thing. Xu Shu thought for a moment and smiled mysteriously: "Actually, I have a way."

    He whispered a few words to everyone, and everyone clapped their hands and praised it. Xu Shu smiled and said: "I don't want to stay out of this matter. Why don't we wait until I come back and we can implement it together."

    Liu Qi smiled and said nothing. He was the son of Zhou Mu, and he did not want to get involved in this matter. He was about to remind Liu Jing, but Liu Jing smiled happily and said: "Then it is settled, I will take the lead in this matter."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After the farewell banquet was over, Liu Jing also planned to return to Fancheng, but his horse was at the Liu Mansion, so he took the carriage back to the Liu Mansion.

    In the carriage, Liu Qi pondered and said: "Brother Jing, just have casual friendships with Xu Shu, Cui Jun and others. Don't have too deep friendships."

    "Why?" Liu Jing was a little confused by what he said.

    "I'll tell you some things later. Anyway, the waters in Jingzhou are very deep and the factions are distinct. The local faction and the outside faction have always been incompatible. It's okay to have casual friendships, but not to have deep friendships. So I advise you not to have too much relationship with these northern celebrities.  Deeply, it will affect your career in Jingzhou."

    Liu Jing was silent for a moment and said slowly: "The reason why Cao Cao is strong is that he knows how to use people and uses them only. So many talents come to Jingzhou to seek refuge, but Jingzhou does not support them. Based on this, my brother thinks that Jingzhou can and  Does Cao Cao resist?"

    Liu Qi was startled and looked at Liu Jing with a hint of helplessness on his face, "I have no choice but to persuade my father, but my father said that we must ensure the interests of the Jingzhou nobles, so I can only try to appease these foreign nobles."

    Liu Jing shook his head, "Brother, with all due respect, the so-called local faction and foreign faction actually have no meaning. They should be divided into anti-Cao faction and pro-Cao faction. Northern nobles like Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping would rather abandon their mothers than refuse to  Serving Cao Cao and defecting to Jingzhou is the most righteous thing.

    On the contrary, for local factions such as the Cai family and the Kuai family, they consider the interests of the family more. Once Cao Cao's army arrives, can they give up the survival of the family and fight against it?  When the time comes, who will surrender to Cao Cao and who will resist Cao Cao? Have you ever thought about this, eldest brother?  "

    Liu Qi was silent. He couldn't answer. Of course he knew the risks Liu Jing pointed out, but they couldn't help themselves. They couldn't knock down all the local bureaucrats in Jingzhou and then appoint northern gentry instead!

    If that happens, they will be doomed. The Jingzhou gentry is their foundation. The foundation cannot be touched. It is even difficult to coexist peacefully. The Jingzhou gentry will not give outsiders any chance at all, unless they are in-laws of their Liu family.

    "Brother Jing, things are not as simple as you think." Liu Qi sighed, vaguely agreed, and then was speechless.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing left the Liu Mansion on the pretext that he was busy with the affairs of the Youjiao Office. Of course, he was not qualified to attend the New Year celebration ceremony of Jingzhou Prefectural Government. All officials in Jingzhou with more than 400 shi were required to attend the ceremony, and his Youjiao Superintendent  Cao only had three hundred stones.

    Liu Jing had just led his horse out of the Liu Mansion when he heard someone calling him from behind, "Brother Jing!"

    When I turned around, I saw Liu Hu. He rushed over and said breathlessly: "I told my brother and he agreed to let me take a job at the Tourist Collection Office. Otherwise I will move to your place today."

    "You impatient guy!"

    Liu Hu scratched the back of his head and smiled cheekily, "Is that okay?"

    "Okay! Go get your luggage."

    "The luggage is here!" Liu Hu hid his hand behind his back. When his hand was exposed, he actually held a baggage.

    Liu Jing was a little dumbfounded. She just told him yesterday. Is he ready?  He really has no way to deal with this stupid big guy. He calls him stupid, but everything is ready. How stupid is he!

    Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder, "Then let's go!"

    At this time, Liu Jing discovered that Liu HuHe is quite tall, half a head taller than himself, and seems to be taller than Zhang Fei. He is eight feet five, and his shoulders are as broad as a millstone.

    Liu Jing thought. The reason why she wanted to practice in the water was because she was not strong enough and wanted to increase her strength to more than a thousand kilograms. So, could this Liu Hu be born with divine power?

    "Tiger, how much can you lift, I mean above your head." Liu Jing asked curiously.

    "this"

    Liu Hu scratched his head and said with a smile: "I can lift up to six people at a time. If you think about it, it's seven to eight hundred kilograms!"

    Liu Jing nodded, this is the limit that martial arts practitioners who have not had foundation building since childhood can achieve, what a pity!  No matter how hard Liu Hu worked, he could only become a second-rate military general at best. Perhaps in the future, he could teach him the Hundred Birds Chaofeng Spear so that he would at least become proficient in marksmanship and become a general like Le Jin and Li Dian.

    Once you train this guy well, he will become your first right-hand man

    ¡¾Asking for recommendation votes at noon!  ¡¿

 Volume 1, Chapter 59: The Second Meeting with Gan Ning

    Liu Jing led the horse and Liu Hu and walked quickly. After a while, they arrived at the pier, got on the ferry, and the ship sailed towards the north bank.

    As soon as the ship arrived in the middle of the Han River, Liu Jing suddenly saw a public boat heading towards the police station. He knew everyone on the boat. He quickly waved and shouted: "Cao Wu!"

    When the people on the official boat saw him, they quickly approached and stopped the ferry. The leader was named Cao Ke, ranking fifth, so everyone called him Cao Wu.

    The two ships were close together, and Cao Wu said anxiously: "Director Cao, something happened!"

    "What happened?" Liu Jing felt a little unhappy. Today was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and Cao Wu shouted that something had happened. This was not a good sign.

    "Director Cao, Zhang Ping has been captured."

    ¡®Zhang Ping!  ¡¯ Liu Jing was startled, why was it him again? He asked displeasedly: ¡°Who was kidnapped?¡±

    "He was captured by Gan Ning's men in the middle of the night yesterday."

    Liu Jing frowned, how could Zhang Ping get into trouble with Gan Ning? At this moment, he thought, something is wrong!  Zhang Ping was not on duty yesterday and today. What was he doing?

    "what is going on?"

    Cao Wu glanced at the boatman next to him and hesitated, "Can the governor change the boat?"

    After getting on the public boat, Liu Jing sat down and asked, "Tell me! What happened?"

    "Zhang Ping was not supposed to be on duty today, but he suddenly came over at midnight last night, changed shifts with Yang Shun, who was on duty, and then went out on patrol in the middle of the night, bringing a dozen brothers with him. At dawn today, Gan  Ning sent someone to deliver a message, saying that Zhang Ping and a dozen brothers were in his hands and asked the governor to come over and talk about it. We don¡¯t know the specific situation. "

    This is strange. What was Zhang Ping doing running out in the middle of the night?  Liu Jing pondered for a moment, even if he didn't care about Zhang Ping, he was in charge of a dozen brothers.

    Liu Jing then asked: "Where is Gan Ning now?"

    "It seems to be somewhere west of Fancheng."

    At this time, Liu Hu next to him said: "In Fengyi Pavilion."

    "Yes! It's at Fengyi Pavilion."

    Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Turn around and go to Fengyi Pavilion!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Gan Ning was stationed at Fengyi Pavilion to the west of Fancheng. There was a bay with dozens of official rooms on the shore. It was actually a boating station. Officials coming and going came by boat. If they were tired after dark, they could  Stay overnight in this inn.

    Liu Biao simply assigned this post to Gan Ning, letting him and his men stay here permanently, and sending them money and food on time every month. In fact, he was raising Gan Ning in Fancheng. He neither used him nor treated him badly, nor did he treat him badly.  Bad Liu Biao's reputation also eliminated the biggest water thieves problem in Jingxiang.

    Liu Biao¡¯s excuse was to recommend Gan Ning to the imperial court as Zhonglang General. According to the normal process, it could take at least a few months, or at most a year or two, and it would be delayed indefinitely.

    There is indeed a pavilion next to the post station, called Fengyi Pavilion. The post station is also named after this pavilion. The pavilion is built on a rockery mountain, about seven or eight feet high. Sitting in the pavilion, you can overlook the Han River and watch the river rolling southward.  , the view is broad and refreshing.

    Liu Jing stood with his hands behind his hands facing the wind. The river wind with a hint of fishy smell blew into his face, blowing his hair. The mountains and rivers were picturesque, the river went eastward, and the turbid waves rolled in. This scene made Liu Jing's heart rise and fall.

    At this time, there was a rush of footsteps behind him. Liu Jing turned around and saw that it was Gan Ning walking towards Feng Yi Pavilion.

    Liu Jing saw that he was no longer as open-minded as last time. He was wearing a green hero's cloak, a brocade belt around his waist, and a crown on his head. The heroic spirit of the water thief disappeared, and he gained a bit of elegance.

    "General Gan is so dressed that no one can recognize him."

    Gan Ning chuckled and waved his hand. Two of his men spread a mat in the pavilion and put out more than a dozen kinds of wine and food. Gan Ning smiled slightly and said, "I've long wanted to treat Mr. Jing to a drink. Can you please sit down with me?"

    "General Gan, you're welcome."

    Liu Jing cupped his hands and sat down directly without being polite. Gan Ning also sat down and poured him a glass of wine. His eyes were full of apology, "Young Master was kind to me, but I captured the Young Master's men. I will first  I have no choice but to apologize to the young master.¡±

    Liu Jing drank slowly without saying anything. He knew that Gan Ning must have deep intentions in arresting Zhang Ping.

    Gan Ning sighed and his expression became solemn, "The matter is a bit complicated. Let me say it slowly. In fact, the root of this matter is the Battle of Runan more than two months ago."

    "The Battle of Runan?" Liu Jing frowned. He was too familiar with that battle.

    "Yes."

    Gan Ning nodded and said: "After the Battle of Runan, Cao Cao left his younger brother Cao Hong to handle Runan's funeral affairs. According to Cao Cao's killing order, all the thousands of captured Yellow Turban soldiers were to be killed."??, in order to eliminate future troubles, but Cao Hong thought of it and killed only a small part of them, and sold the rest as slaves privately to make money. I also got the news, so I ordered my men to pretend to be businessmen and bought five hundred military slaves.  Prepare to resell in Jingzhou.  "

    Liu Jing's head is a bit big. It is not impossible to buy and sell slaves, but it must be registered with the government. Each slave must be registered by the government one by one. If it is not approved by the government for registration, it is a crime of private slave trading. If the quantity is large, it will be a crime.  A grave sin.

    And Gan Ning secretly bought prisoners of war from Cao's army, which was a serious crime. Once Liu Biao knew about it, it would cause big trouble. Why was Gan Ning a little confused?

    Gan Ning seemed to know what Liu Jing was thinking, and said with a wry smile: "When I bought the slaves, I had not yet surrendered to Zhou Mu, but I also knew that this matter would be troublesome, so I sent my subordinates to do it, but for some reason, this matter  The matter was exposed, and Zhang Yun actually found out about it. As far as I know, he also asked someone to buy military slaves in Runan, and now he has turned around and tried to take advantage of me. "

    "You mean, he wants to snatch the slave from you?" Liu Jing probably understood why Zhang Ping came to be on duty in the middle of the night last night, it must be related to this matter.

    "exactly!"

    Gan Ning nodded, "These young slaves were bought for one tael of gold per person at that time. They can be resold for ten taels. Five hundred people are equal to five thousand taels of gold, which is enough for my men to spend for a year, so this transaction is very important to me."  Important, but when Zhang Yun found out that I had these slaves, he asked someone to come to me and offered to buy them for three taels of gold each. Of course I didn't agree, so Zhang Yun became angry and made harsh words about these slaves.  If Nuruo can enter Jingzhou, he will write his name backwards."

    "What happened to Zhang Ping? Why did you arrest him last night?"

    "I made a test last night and personally transported ten slaves along the Bi River into the Han River. The journey was relatively smooth. Unexpectedly, they were intercepted by your tour station shortly after entering the Han River. The leader was Zhang Ping. He  I kept saying to capture the slave traders, but the two sides fought, and I captured all three ships and more than a dozen soldiers from the prison, including Zhang Ping, who is now in my hands. "

    Gan Ning is indeed in a dilemma. Should he let these people go or not? If he does, they will immediately accuse him of smuggling military slaves. If they don't let him go, the news will spread soon and things will become more troublesome. So now Gan Ning  Ning was in a dilemma. After much deliberation, he had no choice but to consult Liu Jing.

    Unexpectedly, Liu Jing came by herself before his people left.

    Some things really don¡¯t need to be explained too clearly. Liu Jing understood everything Gan Ning meant. Gan Ning was in big trouble now. Liu Biao had an excuse to kill him just for the crime of smuggling military slaves.

    And it seemed that Gan Ning was a little unwilling to do so. He invited himself to drink, undoubtedly because he wanted to do him a favor.

    Liu Jing definitely wanted to help, but he didn't want Gan Ning to find it too easy, otherwise he wouldn't be able to show his favor.

    After pondering for a while, Liu Jing said: "Let's do this! Let a dozen brothers go home first and let them go home for the New Year. We ask them not to tell anyone. As for Zhang Ping, let me think about it again. He is Zhang Yun's brother, which is really not good.  manage."

    Since Gan Ning asked Liu Jing for help, of course he had to give him face. He immediately ordered his men: "Except Zhang Ping, let all the other dozen people go."

    The men agreed and were about to leave when Liu Jing stood up and said, "I'll go talk to them first."

    At this moment, a subordinate rushed over and reported urgently: "Chief Qi, there are many troops coming outside. It's Zhang Yun."

    Gan Ning stood up and said angrily: "He is indeed here."

    He turned to leave, but Liu Jing grabbed him and said, "Wait a minute!"

    Liu Jing's mind was spinning very fast. As soon as he arrived with his front foot, Zhang Yun arrived with his rear foot. Could it be that he was waiting for him? What he was really dealing with was not Gan Ning, but Liu Jing. Is this possible?  Or maybe he kills two birds with one stone.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing said in a deep voice: "General Gan, calm down first. Zhang Yun led his army here. I'm afraid it was premeditated, or Zhang Ping was caught, it was a trap set by Zhang Yun."

    Gan Ning is also an extremely shrewd person, but he is a little obsessed with the authorities, and Liu Jing, an onlooker, can't see clearly. Liu Jing's reminder made him slowly calm down.

    It seems that this is the case. Zhang Ping is nicknamed Water Wolf. His underwater skills are extremely powerful. Even if he cannot be beaten, he can still dive and escape. It seems a bit too easy to catch him by yourself.

    Is it really a trap set by Zhang Yun?  If that's the case, things are a bit troublesome.

    Gan Ning is not worried about himself. With his force, even if he is outnumbered, he can still break out of the encirclement. He is just worried about the safety of his men. These men have been with him for many years. He does not want them to be implicated by him and be harmed inexplicably.  .

    Thinking of this, he asked for help.Looking at Liu Jing eagerly, Liu Jing's calmness gave him a glimmer of hope.

    Liu Jing wants to stabilize Gan Ning now, and does not want him to leave Jiangdong in anger because of this incident, causing Jingzhou to lose a general.

    "Don't worry, General Gan. Zhengdan has a custom of not fighting. This must not be Zhou Mu sending troops. It should be Zhang Yun leading his own troops. I will handle this matter."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing called Liu Hu forward and whispered a few words to him. Liu Hu nodded and immediately climbed over the wall and left through the waterway, where Zhang Yun's army was not surrounded.

    Liu Jing strode out of the pavilion. Gan Ning was worried that he had made a mistake, so he also took weapons and followed him out. However, Liu Jing waved her hand, "General Gan, don't go out for the time being. I can deal with it alone."

    Gan Ning nodded and stopped. He would watch from the door. If Liu Jing was in danger, he would immediately come to the rescue.

    Outside the wall of the inn, more than a thousand Zhang Yun's troops surrounded the inn on three sides. In front of the gate, Zhang Yun was fully armored and holding a broadsword in his hand. He stared at the door sternly, with a smug sneer flashing from time to time in his eyes.

    In fact, he was already prepared. He had just received the news that Liu Jing had entered the post station, and he immediately led his army to surround Fengyiting Post Station.

    Zhang Ping was caught by Gan Ning, which was indeed his deliberate arrangement. His purpose was to make the matter bigger and lead Gan Ning to sell slaves privately.

    He heard that the five hundred military slaves Gan Ning bought were all extremely strong Yellow Turban soldiers, so Zhang Yun was determined to take them as his own and make them his subordinates. Unexpectedly, Gan Ning didn't buy it, which really made him angry.

    Today¡¯s incident was a painstaking plan of his, with the goal of killing two birds with one stone, arresting Gan Ning, and at the same time making Liu Jing guilty of harboring the crime of harboring Cao Cao, and revoking his post as governor.

    Zhang Yun was extremely proud. Today he was going to let out a bad breath. A young boy actually wanted to fight with him. Dream on!

    He waved his long sword and shouted sternly: "Gan Ning comes out and speaks, or I will rush into the inn!"

 Volume 1: Chu Ming Chapter 60: Facing Danger and Chaos

    [New day, please vote for recommendation!  ¡¿

    ====

    The door of the inn opened, and Liu Jing came out with two of his men. This was the first time he saw Zhang Yun. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cai Hao and Zhang Yun were the chief and deputy naval commanders appointed by Cao Cao. This shows that Zhang Yun is still very good.  Somewhat talented.

    When Liu Jing saw that Zhang Yun was tall and burly, handsome and talented, she held up her hands and smiled and said: "Today is the first day of the lunar month, and all the officials in Jingzhou are paying homage to Hezhou Mu. My cousin is a high-ranking school captain, so why do I have time to come here?"

    Zhang Yun's mother is Liu Biao's sister and Liu Jing's aunt, so the relationship between Liu Jing and Zhang Yun is that of cousins ??and brothers. However, they have not had a chance to talk about their family relationship, but because of Zhang Ping's incident, there is a grudge between them.  .

    Zhang Yun naturally knows about the relationship between them. From the kinship relationship, he should also find an opportunity to visit Liu Jing.

    It¡¯s just that Zhang Yun heard that Liu Jing had offended Mrs. Cai, so he was also wary of Liu Jing and found various reasons to delay their meeting. However, he did not expect that their first meeting would actually involve a fight.

    Zhang Yun said coldly: "No matter what day, I will not take it lightly. I heard that Gan Ning trafficked military slaves and was good at arresting officials, so I came here to investigate this matter."

    Liu Jing smiled lightly and said: "What a coincidence, I am also here to investigate this matter. This place belongs to Fancheng, which is within the jurisdiction of my travel agency. Zhang Ping is my subordinate, so this matter is within my scope of responsibility."  , I should handle it, Captain Zhang kindly accepted it, I can handle this matter, I don¡¯t need Colonel Zhang¡¯s help.¡±

    Liu Jing¡¯s words were neither humble nor arrogant, and well-founded. Zhang Yun was speechless for a long time. Catching thieves was a local government affair.

    And since he was a navy captain, it was indeed inappropriate to interfere in local government affairs. Unless Xiangyang County asked Liu Biao for help, and Liu Biao ordered the navy to assist, Zhang Yun would have overstepped his duties by sending troops to arrest people.

    Gan Ning, who was hiding at the door, secretly cheered. If the last time Liu Jing helped him was a sign of quick wit and an accident, then today's words really made Gan Ning realize that this Liu Jing is indeed not simple. He is only sixteen years old.  , such sharp words.

    Gan Ning also felt a sense of expectation for Liu Jing. Maybe he could really help him solve this crisis.

    Zhang Yun took a while and said bitterly: "Who is Gan Ning? He is a notorious water thief in Jingzhou. He is so powerful that you, a small gangster, can't deal with him? If he causes a murder and triggers chaos in Fancheng, you can't  Can the little governor Cao Yu pay this responsibility?"

    Zhang Yun's words made Gan Ning furious. He dared to insult him as a notorious water thief. He tightened his grip on his halberds. If things got serious, he would be the first to kill Zhang Yun.

    Liu Jing sneered, "Captain Zhang was surprised by what he said. I don't know what General Gan did in the past, but I saw with my own eyes that Zhou Mu surrendered to him and promised to make him Zhonglang General and live in Fengyi Pavilion temporarily. In this way,  He has nothing to do with the water pirates.

    "Zhang Xiaowei's insistence on accusing him of being a water thief is simply nonsense. But is the dignified Zhou Mu a person who associates with water thieves? Isn't Zhang Xiaowei afraid of Zhou Mu's wrath when he insults Zhou Mu's reputation like this?"  "

    Liu Jing was a lawyer in his previous life. He was fierce and arrogant. How could Zhang Yun be his opponent? Zhang Yun was labeled as a bully.

    Before Zhang Yun had any countermeasures, Liu Jing took advantage of the victory and pursued the attack: "In addition, Captain Zhang is worried that I am weak, which I think is even more ridiculous. Under the rule of Zhou Mu, everyone has their own responsibilities. If I can't deal with it, I will naturally report it to the superiors.  "There is no need for Colonel Zhang to tell me what to do. Please go back and I will take care of this matter."

    Zhang Yun was speechless after being refuted. The other person was still a sixteen-year-old boy. He couldn't help but became a little angry and shouted: "I will take care of this matter today, get out of my way!"

    Liu Jing pulled out the knife and said coldly: "Unless you kill me, you will never step beyond your authority."

    "you!"

    Zhang Yun was furious and stared at Liu Jing fiercely, with anger bursting out of his eyes, "You are brave!"

    "I am not bold, but you are bold. You took advantage of Zhou Mu's Zhengdan banquet to privately lead an army in an attempt to occupy Fancheng to rebel. I have already sent Liu Hu to report to Zhou Mu. Zhang Yun, please think about your own head first.  !¡±

    Zhang Yun suddenly broke into a cold sweat. He did not expect that Liu Jing would not only accuse him of insulting Zhou Mu, but also impose a charge of rebellion and conspiracy on him.

    This is Zhang Yun's weakness. Although these more than a thousand people are his personal subordinates, today is Zhengdan. It is indeed a bit risky for him to lead his army to surround Fengyi Pavilion. If he can capture the military slaves and rescue the Youjiao Station  He can still give an explanation.

    But if he cannot be caught, or the reason cannot convince Liu Biao, it will make Liu Biao dissatisfied, and even if Kuai Yue seizes the opportunity and turns against him, he will lose more than he gains.

    Only then did Zhang Yun realize that he had underestimated LiuWell, although he was just a junior governor and his official position was insignificant, he was Liu Biao's nephew and his status was extraordinary.

    Zhang Yun had a headache. He finally realized that his plan of killing two birds with one stone was actually a mistake. At this time, a confidant stepped forward and whispered: "Just now, a brother saw Liu Hu leaving from the waterway."

    Zhang Yun knew in his heart that Liu Hu must go to report the news. Once Kuai Yue caught him, he would be in trouble. The matter could not get worse. He had to endure the bad breath today.

    Zhang Yun had no choice but to say bitterly: "Since Liu Ducao can solve the crisis, there is no need for me to bother you, but I warn you, if my brother fails to return home by night, don't blame me, Zhang Yun, for being ruthless.  "

    "You must have misunderstood Captain Zhang! I have not arranged for Zhang Ping to be on duty these two days. If anything happens to him, it has nothing to do with me."

    "What a sharp mouth, withdraw the troops!"

    Zhang Yun was helpless. Zhang Ping was not on duty today. Once he got into the details, he would find that he was the one who arranged for his clan members, which would anger Liu Biao. Moreover, the five hundred military slaves would not be in the inn. There was no evidence and he could not explain to Liu Biao that he  It's really a bit of a loss.

    Zhang Yun had no choice but to lead his troops on board, and dozens of large ships sailed to the other side, but Zhang Yun did not let go completely. He left a dozen of his men behind to monitor Feng Yiting's every move on the river.

    After Zhang Yun evacuated, Gan Ning came out with his men. Gan Ning felt both admiration and gratitude in his heart. He admired Liu Jing's words and forced Zhang Yun's army back. At the same time, Liu Jing offended Zhang Yun for him. This favor made Gan Ning  Ning was so grateful that he didn't know how to repay.

    Gan Ning knelt down on one knee, held his fist high and said, "Master Jing's kindness, Gan Ning will always remember it in his heart."

    Liu Jing quickly helped him up and said sincerely: "General Gan and I hit it off as old friends. This is for loyalty, not for any repayment from General Gan. Don't say any more words of gratitude."

    Gan Ning was moved and thought to himself: 'I heard that he risked his own life to save Zhao Yun in Runan, never abandoned him, and showed his loyalty. I thought it was an exaggeration, but now it seems that he is indeed well-deserved. This man is indeed a man of loyalty.  I am so lucky to be able to make friends with him.  ¡¯

    At this time, Liu Jing said again: "General Gan, don't relax now. This matter is far from over. A bigger crisis is coming later. Now we are just solving the urgent need. If General Gan can trust Liu Jing, I will try my best to handle this matter properly."  deal with."

    Gan Ning, of course, knew that the matter had become serious and he could not handle it. He bowed deeply and said, "Master Jing's orders, Gan Ning will obey everything!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the backyard of the post station, more than a dozen captured soldiers have been released, leaving only Zhang Ping. He was sitting in a small room, and they were not restrained. He took a nap in the morning and was full of energy.

    Zhang Ping was very proud. He was caught by Gan Ning. It was the trap set by Zhang Yun. He found an opportunity to deal with Gan Ning. Although it was a bit risky, Zhang Ping also knew that Gan Ning did not dare to kill him. Now Gan Ning was caught.  After falling into the trap, he was waiting for Zhang Yun to come to rescue him, so how could he be dissatisfied.

    At this time, there was a sound of footsteps in the yard, and then the iron door opened with a bang. Zhang Ping raised his head and was so frightened that he stood up. Liu Jing appeared at the door and looked at him coldly.

    Zhang Ping reacted immediately, knelt down immediately, and bowed, "I'm humble enough to pay homage to the governor!"

    "Zhang Tie Cao, I don't understand, why are you here?" Liu Jing asked with a sneer.

    Zhang Ping lowered his head. He didn't know how to answer. After a while, he said: "I am humbled by my duty, and I would like to thank the governor for saving me."

    Liu Jing looked back and saw that several Gan Ning's people immediately retreated, leaving only a dozen or so people in the room.

    "Zhang Tie Cao, it is my duty to rescue you from here. Gan Ning has agreed to let you go, but you were not on duty last night. You changed your attendance without my consent. Do you admit your guilt?"

    Zhang Ping nodded, as he expected, "I am willing to accept the punishment for my humble position!"

    "Okay, let's follow the regulations of the Tourist Collection Office. Anyone who disrespects the orders of the superior will be severely punished. I think this is your first offender. I will only lock you up for two days. This matter will be dismissed. If you dare to commit the crime again, you will be expelled from the Tourist Collection Office directly!"

    Zhang Ping was stunned. Only then did he realize that he had been tricked and was being held in solitary confinement. How could he explain it to his clan brother? There were still many things waiting for him to do.

    ¡°Director Cao, it¡¯s just a day now. Can I be detained for another day so that I can be reunited with my family?¡±

    Liu Jing shook her head and said without any qualms: "If you wanted to be reunited with your family, you wouldn't change your duty without permission. Since you don't care about it yourself, why would you change it?"

    He immediately ordered his subordinates, "Take Zhang Thief Cao back and put him in solitary confinement for two days. No one is allowed to visit him within two days."

    A dozen soldiers came forwardHe asked Zhang Ping to go back. Zhang Ping was filled with hatred, but he had no choice but to follow the soldiers.

    Watching Zhang Ping walk away, Liu Jing shook his head. In fact, confinement of Zhang Ping was not very effective. The key to solving this military slave crisis lies in Gan Ning.

    When a crisis comes, the methods of dealing with crises in ancient and modern times are mostly the same. For example, if you encounter a difficult matter in later work, you must first seize the time, understand the whole story of the matter in the shortest possible time, and then consider countermeasures.

    The so-called countermeasures are two methods. One is to look for external connections. Just because you can't solve it, it doesn't mean that others can't solve it. Find someone who can solve the problem, find ways to rely on connections, and ask people for help.

    The other is internal, which means minimizing the crisis as much as possible. For example, if any documents are missing, they should be quickly replaced. If there is a problem with the data, modify it immediately. Legalize the illegal aspects as much as possible to reduce legal risks, etc.

    Of course, the most important thing is to report to the leader first, so that the final responsibility lies with the leader. Many people hide it when something goes wrong, thinking it is their own fault and dare not report it to them.

    ¡°As everyone knows, after the report, you will be responsible for your work mistakes, deduction of bonus, and writing a review at most, but the legal risk is transferred to the leader. Of course, the psychological pressure is also transferred to the leader.

    In fact, any crisis can be solved in the end. As the saying goes, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome and no mountain that cannot be climbed.

    The crisis Liu Jing encountered today is the same. He must understand the situation clearly in the shortest possible time before he knows what to do?  Only then did he know how to deal with Zhang Yun.

    Especially the conflict between Zhang Yun and Gan Ning has become irreconcilable. At this time, Liu Jing can only make one choice. Supporting Gan Ning will inevitably offend Zhang Yun, and not offending Zhang Yun will inevitably hurt Gan Ning. It is difficult to have both sides.

    So Liu Jing chose to support Gan Ning. Although he offended Zhang Yun, he won Gan Ning's trust. Furthermore, turning against Zhang Yun was also beneficial to the Kuai family's trust in him. This means that if you lose something, you will gain something. Just look.  How to weigh the pros and cons yourself.

    At this time, Gan Ning walked into the courtyard and asked, "Master Jing, what should we do next?"

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 61 Emergency Remedy

    [Recommendation votes are very important. Lao Gao has been pushed off the popularity list. He can only keep the recommendation list. I hope everyone will support Lao Gao]

    =====

    Now Gan Ning¡¯s risk does not come from Zhang Yun, but from Liu Biao. Although Gan Ning has no position for the time being, Liu Biao accepted his surrender after all, and Zhang Yun did not dare to arrest people randomly without evidence.

    But Zhang Yunhui reported to Liu Biao and exaggerated the facts. In addition, he was Liu Biao's nephew, which aroused Liu Biao's anger. It is conceivable that Liu Biao did not care about Gan Ning. In this way, Gan Ning's situation would be extremely dangerous.

    Fortunately, today happens to be the first day of the month, and there are many things going on. Even if Liu Biao wants to ask about this matter, he will have to wait until tomorrow.

    Liu Jing can then use the precious time left today to complete all the missing things and exonerate Gan Ning.

    Now it depends on whether Gan Ning can cooperate with him.

    "General Gan, if I offer to give you all five hundred military slaves, can you agree?"

    The words are a bit abrupt, but this is the key to the problem. If Gan Ning is to be exonerated, Liu Jing must take this matter forward. Otherwise, even if Gan Ning's slave trading is legal, it will also arouse Liu Biao's suspicion. The slave trade is  Not everyone can do this kind of thing.

    Gan Ning was silent. Of course he understood what Liu Jing meant, to help him get out of guilt, but he had already received a deposit of one thousand taels of gold from the next family. If he transferred the military slave to Liu Jing, the gold would have to be returned.  Man, he suffered a great loss.

    However, Gan Ning was a wise and sensible person after all. He just remained silent for a moment and then agreed, "Okay! I will transfer all the five hundred military slaves to you. I will give you their information, and you don't have to give it to me."  What kind of compensation can I give to you?"

    Liu Jing smiled, "Let's talk about compensation later! Let's get through the crisis first and then talk about this."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing met Kuai Yue at Fancheng Pier. He asked Liu Hu to deliver a message to Kuai Yue. When Kuai Yue heard that it was about Zhang Yun, he hurriedly rode over.

    "My dear nephew, what happened?" Kuai Yue saw Liu Jing and asked loudly from afar.

    Liu Jing urged her horse forward, cupped her hands and said with a smile: "Uncle Shi, it's not easy to talk here, please find another place!"

    Kuai Yue nodded and followed Liu Jing to a secluded place. Kuai Yue ordered his men to watch, and then he hurriedly asked Liu Jing, "What happened?"

    Liu Jing told Kuai Yue exactly what happened without hiding anything from him. Kuai Yue gradually understood and frowned: "Are you really going to take this risk for Gan Ning? You know Zhou Mu is probably because of  This matter is offensive to you. Although Gan Ning is a talented person, you will lose more. Think about it again!"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I know there will be risks, but there are some things I do for my own beliefs and for justice, without thinking too much about interests."

    Kuai Yue sighed softly. No wonder Liu Jing was willing to risk his life to save Zhao Yun. His thoughts were indeed different from ordinary people, and he would not be hindered by immediate interests. Gan Ning was a talent, and it would be a pity to lose him. It didn't matter, it was okay to help him.  It's a long-term plan for myself.

    Thinking of this, Kuai Yue nodded and smiled: "Now I understand, okay! I can help you."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and quickly bowed deeply, "Thank you, Uncle Shi."

    Kuai Yue smiled and said, "Actually, I was just like you when I was young. I tried to do things with loyalty. I advised He Jin not to trust the eunuchs. But He Jin didn't listen, so I pursued him, but I failed him and made him angry. If I didn't  If you are stubborn, you can get a high-ranking official position. Forget it, let¡¯s not mention the past. I will go to Wang Juncheng and ask him to help me. You can go to him later!¡±

    "Thank you, Uncle Shi, for your help!"

    Kuai Yue smiled, patted him on the shoulder, looked at him and said, "You are a caring person. That's why I helped you. I hope you won't let me down."

    He raised his head and chuckled, urging the horse to leave. After walking a few steps, Kuai Yue turned back and said, "I would like to advise you again, never underestimate Zhou Mu. He is like a bright mirror in his heart."

    Kuai Yue walked away in a hurry. Liu Jing understood what Kuai Yue meant. He thought for a long time and realized that this matter could not be hidden from Liu Biao.

    "Brother Jing!"

    Liu Hu also galloped over on horseback. He asked a little strangely: "It seems like it's over after just a few words?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "I asked Mr. Kuai to do something. I will go to the county government office later."

    "I will go with you."

    Liu Jing shook her head, "You go to the police station with me first, and I will introduce you to some brothers. Zhang Ping should be on duty tonight, but he was detained by me, so you will take his place."

    "But" Liu Hu was a little panicked, "I don't know anything, how can you expect me to be on duty?"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Naturally, there will be people following you. You are Zhou Mu¡¯s nephew, and there are many people who want to curry favor with you!  "

    Liu Hu scratched his head, filled with expectation and worry, and followed Liu Jing to Youjiao.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the afternoon, Liu Biao took his eldest son Liu Qi out of the government office after a day of celebrations. He had been busy since dawn, and Liu Biao seemed a little tired.

    As soon as he walked to the carriage, Zhang Yun, who had been waiting aside, hurriedly greeted him and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, uncle."

    Liu Biao also liked this nephew very much. He was smart and capable and could lead troops in war. He was his right-hand man. Regarding the large number of officials today, officials from all over Jingzhou gathered in Xiangyang. Liu Biao did not notice that Zhang Yun did not attend the ceremony today.

    "What's the matter with my virtuous nephew?" Liu Biao asked with a smile.

    "Uncle, my nephew has something important to report."

    Liu Biao nodded, "Get on the carriage and talk!"

    He was a little tired and got on the carriage. Zhang Yun and Liu Qi saw the ceremony. They also got on the carriage. The carriage started slowly and drove towards the gate of the state government.

    In the carriage, Zhang Yun carefully reported to Liu Biao about Gan Ning's smuggling of military slaves, "Uncle, this is absolutely true. My nephew has obtained the exact information. Gan Ning bought 500 military slaves from Runan and is now hiding them in Bi."  Somewhere along the water, my nephew suspected that Gan Ning had ulterior motives in buying these five hundred military slaves."

    "What's his intention?" Liu Biao asked with his eyes closed.

    "He is recruiting troops to increase his own strength."

    Liu Biao opened his eyes slightly, flashed with murderous intent, and then closed them again.

    ¡°What basis do you have for what you say?¡±

    "Last night in the middle of the night, Cao Cao, a nephew of the clan and a thief from the Youjiao Station, discovered Gan Ning trafficking military slaves when he was patrolling the Han River. He went to investigate and found the military slaves. Gan Ning was afraid that the matter would be exposed, so he arrested him.  Get up and be locked up in the inn. This is absolutely true, and my nephew is willing to guarantee it with my head."

    Zhang Yun's words finally offended Liu Biao. Liu Biao also knew about the slave selling in Runan, but he didn't expect Gan Ning to be involved. He said coldly: "What a Jinfan thief. I took him in with good intentions, but he dared  Smuggling military slaves, do you think our Jingzhou laws are child¡¯s play?¡±

    After a pause, Liu Biao asked calmly: "I heard that you sent out troops last night. Is this just for this reason?"

    Zhang Yun was startled, "My nephew was just desperate to save his brother, so he sent out some soldiers. He just put pressure on them and forced them to release them. He did not take any action and quickly withdrew the troops. Without my uncle's consent, of course my nephew  Don¡¯t dare to mess around.¡±

    Liu Biao didn't speak for a long time. He closed his eyes and didn't know what to think. After a while, Liu Biao slowly said: "Don't send out private soldiers at will in the future. If you need to send out troops, you can report it to me. As long as the reason is legitimate, I will  agree."

    "Yes! Nephew, remember this!"

    Zhang Yun was secretly happy. As long as he got Liu Biao's authorization, he would immediately send troops to arrest Gan Ning. At that time, he would be famous.

    At this moment, Liu Qi, who had been silent all this time, suddenly asked: "The governor of Youjiao Station is not Jingdi. Doesn't he care if his men are arrested?"

    Liu Biao was startled, and then he remembered that Liu Jing had been appointed as the governor of Youjiao. He couldn't help but look at Zhang Yun strangely.

    Zhang Yun secretly hated Liu Qi in his heart, but he already had a countermeasure, and said quickly: "Brother Jing is of course responsible for verifying this matter, but he has a close relationship with Gan Ning and will be in a dilemma. I suggest it is best not to let him interfere."

    Although Liu Biao was temporarily bewitched by Zhang Yun, he was after all a man who did great things and was the lord of Jingzhou. He also had his shrewdness. He heard the obvious prejudice against Liu Jing in Zhang Yun's words.

    Liu Jing is the governor of the Tourist Office. It is his business to arrest thieves and investigate tax evasion and slave trading. Liu Jing is responsible for this matter, but what Zhang Yun said makes sense. Liu Jing is likely to protect Gan Ning.

    After thinking for a long time, Liu Biao slowly said: "Don't make this matter too big."

    Zhang Yun was overjoyed. Liu Biao agreed. He immediately said: "Uncle, don't worry, my nephew has his own sense of proportion."

    At this time, Liu Qi reminded again: "Father, today is a day!"

    Liu Biao was reminded by one sentence, and Liu Biao added: "Well! Today is a day, so we can't use troops. Let's talk about it tomorrow!"

    Liu Biao closed his eyes, not wanting to hear anything more. Zhang Yun did not dare to disobey, but he had to wait until tomorrow. He was filled with hatred and stared at Liu Qi's back fiercely.

    But since Liu Biao agreed, tomorrow is tomorrow, he must make Gan Ning pay the price with blood!  Zhang Yun gritted his teeth for a while.

    After Zhang Yun left, Liu Biao opened his eyes again and looked at Zhang Yun's retreating back. He couldn't help but sneered.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Xiangyang CountyThe county government office is located in the south of Xiangyang City. It covers an area and is much smaller than the state government office. Today is the first day of the year, and most officials and civil servants are resting at home, so the county government office seems very quiet.

    But it was a different scene in the official chamber of the county magistrate. Three assistants were busy checking names and registering slaves. A list of five hundred slaves was placed in front of them.

    They need to register these slaves one by one and then issue slave deeds. The workload is quite heavy and they will be busy at least until late at night.

    However, although the three clerks worked hard, they were also willing to do so. Each of them had a heavy piece of gold in their pockets, which made them extra motivated. They had both the entrustment of their superiors and extra income. Although it was a little harder, the three of them still had a lot of work.  People feel particularly comfortable and have a sense of dignity that their work is worth it.

    In the next room, the county magistrate Wang Zhizheng and Liu Jing were chatting about the division of factions in Jingzhou. Wang Zhi was happy to express his opinions on this topic.

    "Wherever there is officialdom, there will be disputes over interests, and when there are disputes over interests, there will be factions. This is a normal thing, just like a piece of pie. There is only so much in total, but everyone wants a piece, and everyone can get it.  how much?

    What¡¯s more, the pie in Jingzhou has been divided long ago, and there is no room for outsiders to share it, so Mr. Jing should not feel unfair. Everyone understands the truth, but when it comes to your own interests, interests are the most important thing.  "

    Wang Jian is Liu Biao's son-in-law. From the geographical classification, he also belongs to the outsider, but Wang Jian does not admit that he is a pure outsider.

    "The so-called foreign sect refers to people whose native place is not Jingzhou, so the lord should also be a foreign sect, but no one would think so, so we have always believed that in addition to the foreign sect and the local sect, there should be the Conglong sect, that is, the He  The lord is related by marriage or disciple, such as me, Zhang Yun, Yi Ji, and even Mr. Jing. We are not from Jingzhou, but we are not simple northern nobles, and the Jingzhou nobles fully accept this. "

    Liu Jing nodded. He understood Wang Xi¡¯s interest theory, but he may not agree with it.

    "I think Zhou Mu should set up a special institution, such as Jixian Academy, Hanlin Academy, etc., to accommodate some outstanding northern nobles, such as Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu, Cui Zhouping, Shi Guangyuan, Sima Hui, etc. These talents  It¡¯s like a precious asset, it would be a pity to throw it away.¡±

    Wang Ju smiled and advised in the tone of an experienced person: "Although Mr. Jing's idea is good, it is not easy! The Jingzhou gentry will never allow this kind of yamen to exist. At the beginning, the lord proposed to provide monthly subsidies to these northern gentry who came to Jingzhou to take refuge.  The money and grain also met with strong opposition from the Jingzhou nobles. In the end, the lord promised to give priority to the Jingzhou nobles in employment, and the proposal was approved.

    Mr. Jing, the officialdom is complicated. In fact, the lord also understands many things, but he is also helpless. Mr. Jing is young and energetic, and he has just arrived in Jingzhou not long ago and does not understand the situation. This feeling is understandable, but in the future, Mr. Jing will slowly  Understand that the interests of the officialdom are fundamental to keeping one's share. If you want to maintain your interests, you must cooperate with the local faction. I am someone who has experienced this, and I can see a little more clearly than you.  "

    At this time, a clerk walked in with a thick stack of slave deeds, bowed and saluted: "Jun Cheng, this is the first batch of completed slave deeds, a total of 100 copies, please take a look."

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 62 An accident within an accident

    Wang Jian's theory of self-interest in officialdom was full of sophistication and clich¨¦. Liu Jing did not agree with it. However, Wang Jian was very generous and actually agreed to complete 500 slave contracts. In this way, the smuggling of military slaves became a legal slave trade.  .

    The owner of the slave also changed from Gan Ning to Liu Jing, so he completely distanced Gan Ning from the matter, which made Liu Jing breathe a long sigh of relief.

    Of course, he also knew that the risk of this matter was very high, and most people would not do it easily. After all, it was only 500 shares. If the investigation continued, the situation would become very serious, and the person involved would even be dismissed from office and questioned. All he can say is,  In this matter, he owed Kuai Yue a big favor.

    But why is Kuai Yue willing to pay such a big favor for himself? Is it just waiting for him to give Zhang Ping's head to him? It's impossible. Liu Jing knows very well that Zhang Ping's head is actually not valuable.

    ¡° If Zhang Ping¡¯s head is not valuable, then his identity is valuable. In fact, Liu Jing also vaguely guessed that Kuai Yue¡¯s real purpose was to win over herself.

    This is not a bad thing!

    Although Liu Jing did not accept Wang Chong's theory that officialdom was only about profit, he still had to find ways to win over the Jingzhou gentry. If he could get the support of the Kuai family, he would have the opportunity to establish his own power.

    At dusk, Liu Jing returned to her home in Fancheng with the three hundred slave contracts she had completed first. As soon as she entered the door, the little maid Xiao Baozi ran up and asked anxiously: "Why did the young master just come back?"

    Liu Jing tapped the tip of his round nose and said with a smile: "Why, I'm not at home, so there's no rice for the pot?"

    "Not at all!"

    Little Baozi stamped his feet and said, "There are guests coming to see you. From yesterday afternoon to today, they have come three times."

    "Oh! What about now? Is he still there?"

    ¡°I just left not long ago, come here quickly, I left you a lot of things.¡±

    Little Baozi led Liu Jing towards the living room, and saw a pile of boxes of various sizes piled up on the living room table. There were forty or fifty boxes, and Uncle Meng was sorting them one by one.

    "Sir, these are expensive things!" Uncle Meng opened a box and couldn't help but sigh.

    Liu Jing stepped forward and saw a fan-sized Ganoderma lucidum placed in the box. It was at least a hundred years old. Liu Jing knew who the visitor was, so he opened a small box again. There were two dried snake gallbladders inside.  The size of a pigeon egg.

    "Who from the Tao family is here?" Liu Jing asked hurriedly.

    Little Baozi handed him a greeting card, "This is the greeting card left by the guest."

    Liu Jing took the post and saw it read, 'Chaisang Tao Zhan respectfully pays homage to Mr. Jing!  ¡¯

    ¡®Tao Zhan?  ¡¯ He frowned. He knew that the head of the family was named Tao Sheng, but he didn¡¯t know who this Tao Zhan was.

    Uncle Meng laughed at the side and said: "This Tao Zhan is about forty years old. I went to inquire about it, but it's strange that I have never heard of this person in the Tao family. He is probably an elder of the Tao family. I think he is very polite."  , no airs at all.¡±

    ¡°Uncle Meng, I¡¯ll go out for a moment and you can collect these documents for me.¡±

    Liu Jing handed the slave deed to Uncle Meng and walked out quickly. Little Baozi chased him to the door and shouted: "Sir, let's go after dinner!"

    "I've been very busy these two days, so you don't have to worry about me!" Liu Jing's voice has faded away.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Not long after, Liu Jing came to the door of Tao's Trading Company again. He did not expect that the Tao family would come so quickly. He was actually Tao Sheng's younger brother. It seemed that this Tao Zhan had more status than Tao Zheng last time.

    Today is the first day of the year, and Tao Zhan actually doesn't even care about family sacrifices. From this, it can be seen that the Tao family attaches great importance to the affairs of the Sun brothers and sisters.

    After waiting for a moment in front of the gate, there was a rush of footsteps, and a dozen people came out. Liu Jing saw Tao Zheng at a glance, and he came too.

    Next to Tao Zheng is a middle-aged man in his forties, with a medium build, soft facial contours, and bright eyes. He looks very shrewd. It can be seen that this man is pampered and well-maintained. He is probably Tao Zhan.

    But Tao Zhan was smiling brightly at this moment, bowing his head and saying, "I'm Chaisang Tao Zhan. I've been to Mr. Jing's house three times, but Mr. Jing is not here. I didn't expect to come to the house in person."

    Liu Jing couldn't help but feel a little funny when she saw Tao Zhan's hands were slender and delicate, like a woman's. They were so well maintained. He quickly returned the gift, "I went back to Liu's Mansion yesterday to worship my ancestors. I'm sorry that I made Master Tao make three trips in vain."  ¡±

    "Where! Where! It's me who came to the door abruptly. Master, please sit down in the house."

    "please!"

    Everyone was polite to each other, and Liu Jing bowed her hand to Tao Zhenggong. They greeted each other and entered the mansion together.

    Tao Zheng deliberately slowed down his pace. He watched Tao Zhan and Liu Jing chatting and laughing from behind, with a calm look on his face, and secretly sighed.Take a breath, is this a bit too much?

    However, he remembered his father's order before leaving. If the problem was serious, he would not hesitate to kill someone and silence him. This made Tao Zheng worried. How could he kill someone and silence him.

    Sitting down in the living room, Tao Zheng looked at everyone, and everyone left. Only Tao Zhan and Tao Zheng accompanied Liu Jing. Tao Zhan smiled and said: "Young Master Jing has not been in Jingzhou for a long time, but he has achieved many good reputations.  Now that Jingzhou has become quite famous, even Chaisang Tao has heard about the young master. Young Master Jing¡¯s future is limitless!¡±

    "Senior, you've given me a reward. I don't know how to deal with the world. Please give me some advice, senior."

    "Master Jing is too humble."

    Tao Zhan quickly glanced at Tao Zheng and saw that his face was expressionless, and then said with a smile: "I came from Chaisang this time mainly to thank Mr. Jing for protecting the reputation of our Tao family and not spreading that matter.  I think the Second Young Master¡¯s gratitude is not enough to express the Tao family¡¯s feelings, so I have been asked to come here to express my most sincere respect to the Young Master.¡±

    After saying that, he stood up and bowed deeply to Liu Jing. Liu Jing waved her hands quickly and said, "This matter is just that the Sun brothers and sisters came to Jingzhou to play, and the Tao family is doing their best to be landlords. I don't think it is a big deal, so your government doesn't need to worry too much."

    Although he offered words of comfort, the Tao family didn't think so. Tao Zhan came all the way from Chaisang not just to listen to Liu Jing's two-sentence explanation.

    Tao Zhan pondered for a moment, then smiled lightly and said: "Of course I understand Mr. Jing's good intentions, but I also ask Mr. Jing to understand the importance the Tao family attaches to this matter, because the family master really doesn't know about this matter. For this, the family master is furious and sends the second master to justice.  Beat him severely and ban him from participating in clan sacrifices for three years. After all, the Tao family is just a businessman, and there are things that they dare not touch and cannot violate. "

    When Liu Jing saw Tao Zheng bowing his head and saying nothing, he understood a little bit what Tao Zhan meant. The Tao family actually didn't believe him.

    Liu Jing has a clear understanding. I am afraid that the collusion between the Tao family and Jiangdong is not as simple as taking the Sun brothers and sisters to visit Jingzhou. I am afraid there is a big story behind it. What I have seen is just a small part of it that has surfaced.

    That¡¯s why the Tao family is so nervous. Tao Zhan actually gave up family sacrifices and came to Xiangyang. Liu Jing is almost certain that there must be a deeper collusion between the Tao family and Jiang Dong.

    Liu Jing smiled, "I just met the Sun brothers and sisters in Chibi because of the Luma incident, and an unpleasant thing happened, that's all, so I don't think this matter is serious, it's just Tao  The way of being a guest at home.¡±

    Tao Zhan stared deeply at Liu Jing, trying to find any clues from his expression and eyes, but he found nothing.

    Tao Zhan lowered his head and thought, ¡®Does he really only know so much?  If this is really the case, that would be reassuring, but I am afraid that what he said is not true!  ¡¯

    Although he was still a little worried, Tao Zhan also knew that nothing could be said from Liu Jing. He smiled and asked: "Please forgive me for being presumptuous. I want to confirm again that only the young master knows about this matter.  right!"

    Liu Jing nodded, "That's true! Since I have made a promise to the Second Young Master, I will never break my promise."

    "Thank you, Mr. Jing, for keeping the Tao family's secrets."

    Tao Zhan stopped mentioning this matter, changed the subject, and said with a smile: "In addition, regarding the medicinal materials that the young master needs, my master has promised to fully supply the young master with as much as he wants. If you have any other needs, please just ask him.  If the Tao family can do it, they will do their best.¡±

    Liu Jing was embarrassed and quickly thanked her, "Thanks to the Tao family for their kindness. There is nothing needed for the time being."

    At this time, a steward appeared at the door and winked at Tao Zhan. Tao Zhan understood, smiled apologetically at Liu Jing, stood up and went out.

    Liu Jing apologized to Tao Zheng again: "I am extremely sorry for causing the second son to be blamed."

    Tao Zheng waved his hand, "I am young and ignorant. I have brought trouble to the family. I should be blamed. It has nothing to do with Mr. Jing."

    As soon as he finished speaking, Tao Zhan screamed angrily from outside, "How could he do this? We have paid the deposit, and now there is no one left, how can he just deal with us with this sentence? With such no credit, no wonder he can only be a robber."  Jiang thief!"

    Tao Zhan¡¯s voice became very high-pitched, which made Liu Jing stunned for a moment, but his attention turned to the content, and he thought, who is this river thief talking about?

    Tao Zhan came in with an angry face from outside. When he walked into the living room, he controlled his anger again and restored a smile on his face, "Haha! Sorry for the little thing."

    Liu Jing smiled and asked: "Did Tao Trading Company buy a batch of special goods recently?"

    "What do you mean by special goods?" Tao Zhan asked, stroking his beard.

    "For example, five hundred slaves" Liu Jing stopped immediately and watched Tao Zhan's expression change.

    TaoHe was stunned for a moment, with a look of surprise in his eyes. How could Liu Jing know about this? He asked doubtfully: "How do you know, Master?"

    "Of course I know, I also know that this is a deal between Gan Ning and the Tao family, isn't it?"

    Tao Zhan nodded, not denying it, "That's true. The Tao family needed a ship guard, so Gan Ning took the initiative to contact him and said that he had 500 strong yellow turban military slaves who could be sold to us. We  The contract has been signed, and the Tao family paid a thousand taels of gold as a deposit, hey! "

    Tao Zhan sighed, and then said in a hateful voice: "It's a pity that Gan Ning is not trustworthy. He actually said that there are no more military slaves, and only half of the deposit can be refunded. Isn't this making fun of the Tao family?"

    Liu Jing secretly called out luck, then this matter would be easy to handle, it can be said to be solved easily, this is simply God's will!

    Liu Jing said quickly: "The matter of five hundred military slaves is not that simple. I sincerely ask the Tao family to give me a face and help me with this."

    Tao Zhan laughed, his eyes particularly bright, "Young master, you might as well tell me how the Tao family can help you. The Tao family will be very happy."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing said goodbye and left. Tao's uncle and nephew kept sending him to the door of the house. Watching him go away, Tao Zhan suddenly covered his mouth and burst out laughing, and the laughter was clearly that of a young woman.

    Tao Zheng glared at her fiercely, "If you can, just keep pretending to the end and see how others expose you."

    He turned around and walked towards the house. Tao Zhan quickly followed him and said with a smile: "Will the second brother demolish the bridge when he crosses the river? If it weren't for me, the second brother would really be punished with a three-year suspension of sacrifices!"

    Her sweet voice was indeed the voice of a girl. Tao Zheng couldn't help but stop a few steps. This incident made his father furious. If it hadn't been for his little sister's intercession, he would have been punished with a suspension of sacrifice for three years instead of this year.  One year is so easy.

    "Okay! I won't talk about you anymore, but I don't think it's appropriate for you to pretend to be an elder. Liu Jing will misunderstand and think that the Tao family attaches great importance to it, but they don't even offer sacrifices to their elders. Do you understand?"

    "Don't worry! I understand in my heart."

    Tao Zhan¡¯s eyes turned, and he smiled sweetly: ¡°Second brother, do you think I dress up like you?¡±

    "Why doesn't it look like that? This is your special skill. Even your voice has changed. I don't know how you can do it!" Tao Zheng smiled bitterly and sighed.

    The brother and sister walked slowly towards the backyard. Tao Zheng asked again: "I have to rush back to participate in the sacrifices on Shanghai Day and Shangding Day. Why don't you go back with me?"

    Tao Zhan shook his head, "Father asked me to pay attention to his movements to prevent the Sun family affairs from being leaked. I also handled the matter of the five hundred slaves this time. Although I gave up, I wanted to see the final result. Second brother  Go back by yourself! I¡¯ll stay in Xiangyang.¡±

    Tao Zheng glanced at her and said with a half-smile, "This Liu Jing is very good-looking. Don't let her fall in love for a long time."

    "snort!"

    Tao Zhan curled his lips in disdain, "I have seen so many good-looking young men. How can I fall in love so easily? My second brother looks down on me too much."

    Speaking of this, Tao Zhan smiled mischievously, "But I'm curious, what does he want those medicines for? Agu said those medicines are all for strengthening the body, could he use them for martial arts training?"

    "This is someone else's private matter, so just leave it alone."

    Tao Zheng looked at her again and saw that she still looked like a middle-aged man. He couldn't help but sigh: "You look like this and speak like a woman, which makes people feel weird. You'd better return to your true self quickly! I feel really bad about it."  No."

    "I like it very much!" Tao Zhan smiled sweetly, turned around and left

    ¡¾Lao Gao has been working hard to update, everyone should also work hard to vote!  ¡¿

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 63, Late Night Urgent Order

    A huge matter, Liu Jing finally solved it to a certain extent through his various efforts and some luck.

    The Tao family was generous and exempted Gan Ning from the return of the thousand taels of gold deposit, so that Gan Ning would no longer suffer losses in this matter and relieved Liu Jing's guilt.

    Not only that, the Tao family also signed a new contract for the sale of slaves with him, perfectly filling the last loophole. Gan Ning's role in the slave trade became that of a trustee, acting for Liu Jing.  Go to Runan to buy slaves.

    In this way, the entire incident is complete from the process to the law, making Zhang Yun impeccable.

    He started to be busy when he encountered a situation at noon, and he kept busy until it got dark, and then he reluctantly came to an end. Liu Jing breathed a long sigh of relief, and his heart that was hanging in the air was finally able to let go of half of it.

    Now, he only needs to wait until the last two hundred slave deeds are delivered, then all the legal documents are ready, and he can explain the matter to Liu Biao tomorrow.

    Liu Jing went home very briskly, as if her burden had been lifted.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    However, the movement of all things in the world has its own rules. Nothing will be smooth sailing. It is in line with the old saying that "people plan things, and God makes things happen". Often, just when a big event is about to be decided, an unexpected thing comes quietly.  .

    Liu Jing was pacing back and forth in the room with her hands behind her back. It was already midnight, but the last two hundred slave deeds had not been delivered, and Liu Jing's heart was hanging again.

    Judging from the time, the two hundred slave deeds should have been completed long ago, but why were they not delivered? Could it be that there was an accident?

    Liu Jing has begun to feel a little anxious. He is not worried about the two hundred slave contracts, but is worried about the reasons that affect the two hundred slave contracts. There must be some major changes that led to the accident.

    At this moment, there was a faint sound of horse hoofbeats in the distance, which was very far in the quiet night. Liu Jing suddenly stopped and his ears pricked up. He had a strong premonition that the sound of horse hoofbeats was coming towards him.  .

    The sound of horse hooves disappeared at his door, followed by 'Bang!  boom!  ¡¯ There was an anxious knock on the door, and someone was shouting: "Master Jing! Master Jing!"

    Before Uncle Meng could open the door, Liu Jing quickly walked into the courtyard and opened the door. Outside were two guards. Liu Jing recognized them as Zhang Zhi and Luo Zhu, two of Liu Biao's confidants.

    "What's the matter?" Liu Jing asked with some anxiety.

    Zhang Zhi took out Liu Biao's silver medal, bowed and said, "Young Master Zhou Mu ordered you to return home immediately."

    Liu Jing sighed in his heart. He had already guessed that Liu Biao's order to return home must be related to the two hundred slave contracts.

    "Okay! I'll pack a few things and I'll follow you."

    Liu Jing took all the documents with her, took the horses out, and galloped towards the south gate of Fancheng with them.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Liu Biao's study, Wang Jian stood with his hands hanging down, his head lowered, his face full of frustration. Liu Biao paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, his face full of anger. He couldn't help but turn back and glare at Wang Jian, "You are so bold, you dare to do such a thing.  ?¡±

    Wang Ju secretly hated Cai Hao. He didn't know how Cai Hao found out about his registration and deed, and reported it to Liu Biao. As a result, Liu Biao sent his guards to the county government office to search out 200 slave deeds, and the matter became a big deal.  .

    Wang Ji was Liu Biao's son-in-law. Liu Biao did not make any announcement about this matter. Instead, he called him back to his house and gave him a severe scolding.

    "I did not handle this matter properly, but the law also allows for the replacement of the contract after the fact."

    "You still dare to quibble!"

    Liu Biao scolded angrily, "Today is a new day. Is this normal behavior for you to use this opportunity to renew the slave contract for him? You can say it yourself!"

    Wang Qi sighed deeply and did not dare to speak any more.

    At this time, a report from the guard came from outside the door: "Master, Mr. Jing is here."

    "Let him in!"

    After a while, Liu Jing walked into the room quickly, knelt down and bowed, "Nephew pays homage to uncle."

    Liu Biao glanced at Liu Jing with great dissatisfaction. He had caused so many things in just two months. This nephew is really not an ordinary person!

    Liu Biao walked back to the table, threw a thick stack of slave contracts in front of him, and said coldly: "You can explain it yourself! I don't want to hear any more sophistry."

    Liu Jing thought about it all the way. He couldn't hide this matter. If he continued to hide it, he would only make himself more passive. So he just had to talk frankly about it.

    "Uncle, can we talk to you in private?"

    Liu Biao nodded and said to Wang Jian: "Go ahead! Write me a pledge of guarantee for this matter and promise not to do it again next time."

    "Yes! I am resigning."

    ??Wang Jian didn't dare to look at Liu Jing and bowed back. Liu Biao closed the door, returned to his seat and sat down. Then he slowly said: "There are only two of us in the room now. Please tell me honestly. What's going on?"  what happened?"

    Liu Jing started from what he said when he first entered Youjiao. He first talked about his grievances with Zhang Yun, and then told in detail what happened today, without hiding anything. Finally, he took out all the things that happened in his bag.  The written contract was placed in front of Liu Biao.

    "Actually, I have already accomplished the consummation and put everything on my head. If nothing happens to Wang Juncheng tonight, then this matter will be seamless. But no matter what, I will not hide it from my uncle. This is just a wish I have for my father-in-law."  Explain.¡±

    Liu Biao picked up the documents and looked at them carefully. He was surprised. He never expected that his nephew would handle the matter so satisfactorily in just half a day.  Making a contract to buy and sell slaves is not something ordinary people can do.

    He thought for a moment and then asked: "How come the Tao family is willing to help you with this favor?"

    Liu Biao is extremely shrewd. It must be Kuai Yue's instruction that the county government is willing to renew the slave contract. What about the Tao family?  They were strangers to each other, how could they help Jing'er such a big favor and even waive Gan Ning's deposit of one thousand taels of gold? This is not a small honor!  Liu Biao then realized that his nephew must have some kind of relationship with the Tao family.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said, "I wonder if my uncle knows that I killed Huang Zu's nephew Huang Yi in Wuchang City?"

    Liu Biao picked up Huang Zu's apology letter from the table, read it and said, "I know about this. It is said that Huang Yi robbed a common girl in broad daylight and was killed in the chaos, but it was not you.  "

    "Yes! In fact, the person who really killed Huang Yi was the daughter of the Tao family, an ignorant girl. Because I took full responsibility for the crime afterwards, the Tao family was very grateful to me and specially sent someone to Xiangyang to express their gratitude to me, so  I already have a relationship with the Tao family."

    Liu Biao nodded. Huang Zu's report also said that the real culprit who killed Huang Yi was related to the Tao family, which is consistent with Liu Jing's statement.

    Liu Biao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. He was shocked by this incident. Only then did he realize that his nephew Zhang Yun had hidden selfish motives and actually sold military slaves privately. He kept everything hidden from him. No wonder he worked so hard on this matter. It turned out to be  A trap he set.

    Liu Biao glanced at Liu Jing again. He went from being angry with Liu Jing at first to understanding his behavior after gradually getting to know the situation and praising his ability.

    At this time, most of Liu Biao's dissatisfaction with Liu Jing has slowly disappeared. Liu Jing did not hide anything, which made Liu Biao deeply gratified. Moreover, Liu Jing handled the matter satisfactorily and his ability was really impressive.

    Liu Biao recalled Kuai Yue's evaluation of Liu Jing, saying that he was a rare talent. It was indeed good!  No wonder Kuai Yue was willing to help him do this. This Kuai Yue was very discerning and wanted to win over Liu Jing.

    Thinking of this, Liu Biao's expression softened and he asked again: "Why are you so partial to Gan Ning and not willing to take such a big risk for him? Why?"

    Liu Jing had been trying to convince Liu Biao about Gan Ning. Unfortunately, Liu Biao was too jealous of his reputation and refused to reuse Gan Ning. Liu Jing was worried that after this incident, Gan Ning would no longer want to stay in Jingzhou. No matter what happened today,  , Liu must be able to express himself before he can be reused.

    "Uncle, actually Gan Ning and my nephew have never known each other, but my nephew has long heard that he has great martial arts skills and extraordinary courage. Such talents will be our strong support in fighting Cao's army southward in the future. My nephew does not want him to suffer injustice in Jingzhou.  , and turned to Jiangdong."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing took a deep breath and said: "You know, both Cai Zhong and Zhang Yun have personal vendettas against him. If my uncle cannot support him, it is very likely that Zhang Yun and Cai Zhong will pretend to be public for their own benefit and will be willing to do so."  I'd rather be forced to leave, this is the outcome my nephew least wants to see."

    "Do you really think so?" Liu Biao looked at Liu Jing and said.

    Liu Jing nodded, "My nephew is very worried. Once Cao's army goes south, how determined will the Jingzhou nobles be to fight against Cao's army? We have to prepare for a rainy day!"

    Liu Jing's words touched Liu Biao's heart, and he remained silent for a long time. Finally, Liu Biao said calmly: "Okay! I won't blame you for this matter. Since you have completed the matter, the matter of the five hundred military slaves is over."  , I have my own arrangements regarding Gan Ning, please go back!"

    "Yes, farewell nephew!"

    Liu Jing breathed a long sigh of relief, handed all the documents to Liu Biao, and he withdrew.

    Liu Biao stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, thinking for a long time without saying a word. Although his nephew was a great talent, he had to be controlled in his own hands to make him effective, and he should not let him take away his son's limelight.

    Thinking of this, Liu Biao immediately ordered: "Find the eldest son!"

    Not long after, Liu Qi walked into the study, knelt down and saluted, "Father, please give me your instructions."

      ¡°What do you think of Jing¡¯er?¡±

    ¡°Brother Jing is young and mature, smart and capable, and can be of great use!¡±

    After a moment of silence, Liu Biao asked again: "Do you think he is the kind of ambitious person?"

    Liu Qi shook his head, "Father, he is only sixteen years old! He has only been in Jingzhou for more than two months, how can he be ambitious? Father is too worried, and the child does not think he has any ambitions."

    "But your mother told me that Jing'er is very ambitious and wants to replace your brother."

    Liu Qi bit his lip and said: "Brother Jing is a very strong person with a strong self-esteem and does not know how to compromise. Because of the marriage of the Cai family, he and his mother have fallen out. The mother hates him deeply. I hope my father can  understand situation."

    Although Liu Biao was a suspicious person, he would not doubt his nephew's ambitions just by a word or two from his wife. However, Liu Jing had been too eye-catching in the past two months and overshadowed his son, which made Liu Biao a little worried.

    But then again, a nephew is a nephew. Unless he is designated by himself, he has no legal basis to inherit his own inheritance. No matter how capable he is, the officials will not recognize him as the lord of Jingzhou.

    Thinking of this, Liu Biao felt relieved again. He temporarily put aside his worries about Liu Jing and said to Liu Qi: "Gan Ning is indeed a talent. I don't want him to be forced to leave Jingzhou. Zhang Yun may be detrimental to him tomorrow. You  You can use this opportunity to stop Zhang Yun and make Gan Ning grateful to you and loyal to you. Do you understand what it means to be a father? "

    Liu Qi nodded silently, "I understand, kid!"

    Liu Biao put his hands behind his hands and watched his eldest son go away. A cold smile flashed in his eyes, Zhang Yun.  £®  £®  £®  snort!

 Chapter 64 of Volume 1: Killing People at Night

    At the fourth watch, Liu Jing appeared on the riverside again. Although he was worried about things during the day, these did not affect his practice at night. His strength growth was a long accumulation process. The key was to persevere and never slack off.  No matter how busy or tired you are during the day, training at night cannot be interrupted.

    What's more important is that he has been training underwater for half a month. Liu Jing has already felt that his strength has increased. His sword swing is stronger and he can move heavier rocks. These visible improvements are exciting to him.  Practice harder and harder.

    Liu Jing hid his clothes on the shore, jumped into the water, and gradually dived to the bottom. Holding the underwater boulder between his legs, he began to swing the knife quickly in the water. This was not only practicing his arm strength, but also practicing his crotch strength, which was beneficial to  The improvement of his equestrian skills is also extremely important to Liu Jing.

    He has no problem running on horseback, but he is still very weak when fighting on horseback. The key is that his crotch strength is insufficient and he cannot firmly fix himself on the horse. While practicing arm strength, he also trains crotch strength, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone.  , but this was Liu Jing¡¯s own discovery, and even Master Yu was not aware of it.

    The knife struck out powerfully, creating a wave of water in the water. He also breathed out his last breath. Liu Jing kicked off his legs and rushed towards the water. He rushed out of the water in an instant. He gasped for breath, greedily breathing in the freshness on the water.  Air, for a moment, he took another deep breath and dived to the bottom of the water

    Time gradually arrived at five o'clock, Liu Jing had finished practicing underwater chopping and began to cross the Han River. This was a kind of recovery training. After practicing the underwater chopping, which consumes a lot of physical strength, it was not appropriate to stop and rest immediately.  For a sport that consumes less physical energy, swimming is undoubtedly the best choice.

    There was a lot of wind and waves on the water tonight, and dark waves slapped his face. Just as he started to cross the second lap, he unexpectedly found a fleet of ships sailing slowly west of Fancheng. Liu Jing immediately recognized it.  This was a navy fleet. He was secretly surprised. Where was this navy going?

    He instinctively thought of Gan Ning. Could it be that this naval force was going to Fengyiting Station?

    It is very possible. Isn¡¯t Zhang Yun the captain of the navy?  Liu Jing immediately turned around and swam to the shore. After a while, she swam ashore, put on her clothes, and immediately ran towards Fengyiting Station without caring about recovering from meditation.

    Liu Jing's training place is also west of Fancheng, less than two miles away from Fengyiting Station. He crossed two hills and passed through the dense woods on the hills. After a while, he rushed to the east gate of Fengyiting Station.  It was very quiet in Shiyi Station, and everyone was in the deepest sleep.

    'boom!  boom!  boom!  ¡¯ Liu Jing slapped the courtyard door hard. After a while, someone walked into the courtyard and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    "Hurry up and open the door. I am Mr. Jing. If you have something urgent, please see General Gan."

    The door opened with a creak. It was one of Gan Ning's men who took a lantern to look at him and recognized Liu Jing. "Ah! It's really Mr. Jing, what's the matter?"

    "Hurry and tell General Gan to get up, there may be troops coming."

    The men were startled, turned around and ran away. Soon, the entire Feng Yiting Post Station was in alarm. Hundreds of men stood up and gathered in the courtyard. Gan Ning walked over quickly with a pair of halberds in hand, "Master Jing."  ,What happened?"

    "I saw a navy warship coming this way on the river. It may be detrimental to the general, so I rushed to report it and asked the general to immediately move with me to the Youjian Station to take shelter temporarily."

    As soon as Liu Jing finished speaking, one of Gan Ning's men rushed over and reported: "Chief, there are indeed ships approaching outside, there are hundreds of large ships."

    Gan Ning's face was gloomy. Hundreds of warships had arrived, which contained at least five or six thousand people. Are they really willing to put themselves to death?

    "Thank you for your kindness, sir, but I would rather not leave. I have to kill Zhang Yun today."

    Gan Ning¡¯s eyes were filled with murderous intent. He couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. Jingzhou had bullied him too much, so he might as well just quit!

    He handed over to Liu Jing and said, "Gan Ning will remember the kindness of the young master in his heart. Please come back! I can handle it myself."

    He turned around and walked towards Feng Yi Pavilion. Liu Jing was worried. Once there were casualties in the fight, Gan Ning would no longer be able to stay in Jingzhou. He grabbed Gan Ning's arm and said, "Brother Gan, please listen to me."

    Gan Ning looked at him in surprise, Liu Jing bit her lip, pulled Gan Ning aside, and whispered: "There are some things I didn't want to say, but the matter is critical, and I have to express my heartfelt words to Brother Gan. Now, although Cao Jun is defeated by the North  Yuan Shao was trapped, but Yuan Shao's situation was over and his demise was not far away. If Yuan Shao was destroyed, Cao's army would inevitably invade the south in a large scale, which would be a few years later.

    My uncle is content with one side and does not want to make progress. His two sons are weak and cannot bear the big responsibility. The nobles in Jingzhou each have their own plans. Once Cao's army goes south, Jingzhou's situation will be overturned. If that happens, I, Liu Jing, am willing to rise up and lead the Jingzhou army.?Resisting Cao Cao's army is my ambition. I hope General Gan will not argue with Xiao, but will remain brave and brave to resist Cao Cao's Han thieves, help the Han Dynasty, and be famous in history. I hope General Gan will think twice.  "

    Gan Ning was extremely surprised. He did not expect Liu Jing to say such words, pointing out that Liu Biao was not enterprising and Qi Cong was weak, which sounded a bit treasonous.

    But Gan Ning thought this was a golden statement. He also had great ambitions. Although he didn't know whether Liu Jing could take on this important task, he owed Liu Jing a favor. For this reason, he wanted to give Liu Jing face.

    Gan Ning thought to himself, 'This man's knowledge is extraordinary, and he may have great achievements. Now we should not act rashly, we must consider the long term.  ¡¯

    Although Gan Ning would not bow down to Liu Jing just because of his words, he was quite tempted by Liu Jing's ambition, and Liu Jing was also right in saying that he would not argue with Xiao Xiao and stay brave enough to resist.  Cao Cao is a traitor to Han, this is a righteous act.

    "I, Gan Ning, owe the young master a lot. Since Mr. Jing won't let me argue with Xiao, I would rather obey the young master's arrangements!"

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and immediately said: "General Gan, please follow me to the Youjiao Station for temporary shelter. I will go to Zhou Mu early tomorrow morning and ask him to uphold justice for General Gan."

    Gan Ning nodded, turned around and shouted: "Everyone, please follow Mr. Jing's command and go to the Youjian Station for temporary shelter!"

    Gan Ning's men were all well-trained, and hundreds of them followed Liu Jing and quickly evacuated, heading towards the Youjiao Station

    Zhang Yun led hundreds of warships and nearly 6,000 naval troops to gradually approach Fengyiting Station. Zhang Yun obtained Liu Biao's permission and officially mobilized the army.

    At this time, his heart was full of pride. Although Liu Biao did not allow him to make things worse, he could not do it if he took action. He could pass the responsibility to Gan Ning. It was Gan Ning who resisted desperately, so he had no choice but to strike hard.  .

    Anyway, tonight, he will definitely take the opportunity to kill Gan Ning.

    When the ship docked, groups of soldiers rushed off the ship, "immediately surrounded the inn, and no one was allowed to let go!"

    Zhang Yun issued a reward order, "Whoever beheads Gan Ning tonight will receive a reward of one hundred taels!"

    The soldiers were excited, and soon they surrounded the post station. At this time, a tooth general rushed back and reported: "General, something is wrong. It seems that there is no one in the post station."

    Zhang Yun was startled, and he immediately ordered: "Come into the inn!"

    "Boom!" There was a loud noise, and the south gate was knocked open by soldiers. More than a thousand soldiers rushed into the post station. Zhang Yun also strode into the post station. After a while, the generals came to report one after another, "General, there is no one in the post station."  !¡±

    "What?"

    Zhang Yun was furious, "Where did they all die?"

    At this time, a soldier sent to monitor was brought up. The soldier knelt down and said tremblingly: "General Qi, just a quarter of an hour ago, Gan Ning led his men to leave the inn and go east."

    Zhang Yun grabbed him by the collar and asked fiercely: "Where have they gone?"

    "I don't know, butbut I saw Master Jing."

    Zhang Yun threw the soldier to the ground and slowly stood up straight. He understood that Gan Ning must have gone to the police station. Things were a bit troublesome. After all, it was an official government office. Zhang Yun pondered for a long time. If Gan Ning was not killed tonight,  I'm afraid there is no chance.

    He gritted his teeth and ordered in a stern voice: "All the troops, get on the boat and go to the Youyuan Station in the east!"

    A boat traveling to the deposit house slowly docked at Xiangyang Pier. Liu Hu led his horse ashore, got on his horse and galloped towards the north gate of Xiangyang.

    At this time, we were still half an hour away from the city gate. The city gate was tightly closed, but soldiers had already begun to move around, making preparations for opening the city. Some fishermen and vegetable farmers outside the city were also waiting outside the city with their burdens, preparing to open the city.  Go into the city behind the city gate and sell vegetables.

    Liu Hu rode a horse and ran to the city gate and shouted: "I am Liu Hu. Cao Jun from the north bank is coming to kill me. I want to enter the city quickly to report to Zhou Mu and open the door for me!"

    When the villagers outside the city heard that Cao Cao was coming to kill them, there was a sudden commotion. Many people shouted, regardless of selling vegetables, and rushed to their homes with their burdens. Soon, torches appeared on the top of the city, and an officer on duty asked loudly  Said: "What happened?"

    "I am Liu Laohu. Cao Jun is coming to kill me. I want to report to Zhou Mu. Open the city gate quickly!"

    Liu Hu's reputation was very loud in Xiangyang City, and the soldiers all heard about it. Hearing that Cao Jun was coming to kill, the defenders did not dare to delay. They slowly lowered the suspension bridge and opened the outer city gate. Liu Hu urged his horse into the city and ran towards the Prefectural Mufu's house.  

    The Fancheng East Wharf was filled with hundreds of ships traveling to the port, occupying all the berths. The Fancheng Wharf was also filled with merchant ships and ferries, leaving military ships nowhere to dock.

    But this did not stopAs a result, several large ships equipped with ramming heads came and immediately smashed a dozen or so abandoned ships into pieces. A berth was quickly cleared. Several large ships full of soldiers docked first, and the ship planks were caught up.  Troops of soldiers ran down from the ship.

    Liu Jing led more than thirty soldiers from the patrol station and stood in front of the gate, watching coldly as Zhang Yun's ships collided recklessly. More than twenty public ships had been sunk. Very good. He was looking forward to Zhang Yun's ship.  Keep showing off and see how he explains tomorrow.

    Not long after, three thousand soldiers came ashore. Zhang Yun strode forward and pointed his broadsword at Liu Jing, "I have been ordered by Zhou Mu to capture the rebel Gan Ning. Get out of my way!"

    Liu Jing stretched out her hand, "You can do whatever you want, even kill me, but please give me the order from Zhou Mu!"

    How could Zhang Yun give Liu Biao's order? Liu Biao only verbally agreed to him. Zhang Yun's face sank, "It's the state herd's command!"

    Liu Jing sneered, "What a command from the State Shepherd. This is the dignified official office of the Traveling Police Station. You sank the official ship and besieged the official office. I don't believe this is also the order of the State Shepherd. General Zhang, go and explain it to the State Shepherd tomorrow."  !¡±

    How could Zhang Yun take his threat to heart? He burst out laughing and waved his sword, "Surround them!"

    More than a thousand soldiers swarmed up and surrounded Liu Jing and his men. They aimed their bows, crossbows and weapons at them, making them unable to move.

    Zhang Yun waved his hand and shouted sternly: "Come in and kill all Gan Ning and his men. No one will be spared!"

 Volume 1, Chapter 65: Please enter the urn

    More than a thousand soldiers broke open the gate of Yougao Station again and rushed in. At this time, Zhang Yun saw Liu Jing's face full of sneer, and he suddenly felt something bad in his heart. Could it be.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

    Before he could react, he saw a huge fire in the Youjian Office, black smoke rising into the sky, and a raging fire burning. Zhang Yun was stunned. How could there be a fire?

    I saw groups of soldiers running out of the prison in panic. An officer stumbled over and reported urgently: "General, there is no one in the prison!"

    Zhang Yun turned around to look at Liu Jing, only to see him looking at him coldly. Zhang Yun suddenly realized that he had been deceived, and he yelled at the officer, "Why was there a fire?"

    ¡°We don¡¯t know either, it was started from the firewood house.¡±

    Zhang Yun wiped the sweat from his forehead. This was obviously a plan planned by Liu Jing in advance. He was careless and fell into the trap. He immediately shouted anxiously: "Go and put out the fire!"

    The soldiers boarded the boat one after another to get buckets of water to put out the fire, but the fire spread quickly. In a moment, the entire Youchao Station was on fire. At this time, Liu Jing said lightly: "General Zhang, I want to remind you that your brother is still in the Youyuan.  Within the depository.¡±

    Zhang Yun was so frightened that his liver and gallbladder split. He shouted like crazy: "Go in and save people! Save people!"

    Dozens of his confidants rushed into the sea of ????fire carrying water-soaked bedding. At this time, Zhang Yun was already in a state of confusion. He could not grasp the loss of Gan Ning, the anger of falling into the trap, the worry for his brothers, and the anxiety about the consequences.  These emotions intertwined in his heart, making him angry and regretful. He hated Liu Jing so much that he wanted to kill him with a knife, but a trace of reason told him that he couldn't kill him. If he killed Liu Jing, he might not be able to save his life.

    At this moment, dozens of soldiers rushed out of the fire carrying one person. Zhang Yun hurriedly stepped forward. It was his brother Zhang Ping. His eyebrows and hair were burned clean and he was seriously injured. He was already dying.  Zhang Yun was anxious and angry, and said with great heartache: "Send back to the city quickly to find a doctor for treatment!"

    The fire at Youjiao Station burned bigger and bigger, with flames reaching more than ten feet into the sky and thick smoke billowing. The entire city of Xiangfan could see clearly. Zhang Yun let out a long sigh. Although he knew this was Liu Jing's design, Liu Biao would not believe it.  It was really difficult for him to explain that the Youjiao Station was burned down.

    "General, what should we do now?" Zhang Yun's deputy general Deng Xun asked uneasily.

    Zhang Yun stared at the blazing fire in the police station. He was confused and didn't know what to do. After pondering for a long time, he finally sighed. It seemed that he could only admit defeat tonight.

    ¡°Take all the brothers back!¡±

    "What about you, General?"

    "I'll explain it to Zhou Mu."

    "There is no other way. We can only explain the matter clearly to my uncle first, otherwise Zhang Yun will not be able to wash away this injustice even if he jumps into the Yangtze River."

    The army quickly boarded the ship, and one warship after another left the north bank, sailed eastward, and returned to the navy camp east of Xiangyang. Zhang Yun also boarded a ship, but did not return to the military camp and sailed directly to the south bank.  He went to meet Liu Biao and explain the situation.

    Soon, the troops outside the police station left cleanly, and no one was left. Only Liu Jing and more than thirty of his men were left in the empty wilderness. Next to him, Jin Cao Li Jun cursed in a low voice,  "Bah! He just left without even an apology."

    "Hmph!" Liu Jing sneered, "I'm afraid he is so upset now that he rushed to explain to Zhou Mu. This time he explained a lot. I hope he gets darker and darker."

    Li Jun couldn¡¯t help but give a thumbs up to Liu Jing, ¡°The supervisor did a great job in letting Zhang Yun, who has always been cunning, fall into a trap.¡±

    "Is he cunning? I don't think so."

    Liu Jing shook his head, "It's just a little clever. He really has a brain. Why don't you think about how I can hide more than 500 people in a small travel agency? Even if I can hide it, I don't know how it will be packed. This  In this case, there is no need to go in at all, just shoot arrows in a circle, and the people inside will be forced out naturally. "

    "The governor is right. There are actually many loopholes in this. Zhang Yun didn't even think of it. It shows how hot-headed he is and how blinded he is by the self-righteous opportunities."

    Liu Jing glanced at Li Jun strangely. He was a little strange. These words were not something that a little Jin Cao could say.

    Liu Jing became more curious. He asked Lu Sheng about Li Jun's background, but found that no one knew about Li Jun's background. It was impossible for someone without a background to hold a lucrative position like a gold cao, who was responsible for the water.  The inspector was investigating tax evasion. His surname was Li. Could it be that he had some relationship with Li Gui, the governor of Xiangyang?

    When Zhang Yung arrived at the south bank, he encountered a large group of people approaching Liu Biao. The fire at the Youjian Office alarmed Xiangyang and Fancheng. Naturally, Liu Biao received an urgent report, and he guessed that Zhang Yun was causing trouble.I was angry and resentful in my heart. I told him clearly not to make the matter a big deal, but he still wanted to make the matter known to the whole city.

    Liu Biao went out of the city to surrender to You, and he was accompanied by a group of officials including Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, and Li Gui, the governor of Xiangyang County.

    Zhang Yun felt weak for a while, so he had no choice but to step forward and kneel down on one knee, clasping his fists and reporting: "I apologize to my lord for my humble duty."

    Liu Biao glanced coldly, snorted heavily, ignored Zhang Yun, and walked directly to the boat. Zhang Yun blushed and didn't know what to do. At this time, Cai Hao walked up to Zhang Yun and reminded him:  : "Captain Zhang, let's get on the boat together! Let's talk about it at the scene."

    Zhang Yun had no choice but to follow the ship, and several ships sailed towards the north shore.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

    At this time, the sky was getting brighter and Tao Zhan, and the Youjiao Institute had almost been burned to a white ground. The fire had been extinguished, but the green smoke was still lingering. The men, women, old and young who came from Fancheng to watch the excitement surrounded the Youjiao Institute.  There were tens of thousands of people on the three outer floors, and there was a lot of discussion.

    Soon, the news of Zhang Yun's revenge against Liu Jing and Huo Shao Youjiao spread rapidly among tens of thousands of people with the help of thoughtful people. Almost everyone knew the whole story, and some people who saw the warship leaving with their own eyes were even more concerned.  It was told vividly and vividly, as if one were actually present, adding additional evidence.

    As for the personal grudge between Liu Jing and Zhang Yun, the reasons are even more bizarre, but the most convincing version is due to changes in love.

    Tao Zhan, escorted by more than a dozen followers, also came to watch the fun. At this time, she had changed into women's clothes, with her hair in a double bun, wearing a red jacket, a precious white fox fur collar, and  Wearing a lavender gold-rimmed long skirt tied under the armpits, she looks slim and pretty.

    Tao Zhan is only fourteen years old this year. She is the youngest daughter of the head of the family, Tao Sheng. The girl has just grown up, and her appearance is very marked. She has a plump figure, white skin, and although her eyes are not big, they are particularly bright and attractive. Her eyes are flowing, her smile is sweet, and her hair is  Her black hair is thick and dark, she is a completely beautiful girl.

    Although Tao Zhan is extremely doted on by her father, she is not arrogant. On the contrary, she is very shrewd and cunning, especially with extraordinary acumen for numbers. Since last year, Tao Sheng has handed over the entire family business to her for review, and every transaction  She would sort out everything clearly, and not a single clue could escape her eyes. She was as meticulous as a hair, and everyone in the Tao family respected and feared her.

    Tao Zhan has an aunt named Tao Yun, who is a young widow. She has a unique skill, which is disguise. She can be said to be a master of disguise. She can even change her voice. Tao Zhan has learned the art of disguise from his aunt since he was a child. He is better than his master.  Yu Lan.

    However, once she disguised herself as her father and even deceived her mother. It was that time that she was severely scolded by her parents and aunt. From then on, she had a sense of proportion in her disguise and did not dare to disguise herself at will.

    This time Tao Zhan was appointed by her father to come to Xiangyang to investigate Liu Jing¡¯s knowledge of the affairs of the Tao family and the Sun family. Her makeup was able to fool even Liu Jing, which made her very proud.

    At this time, she was listening to the people around her talking about the feud between Liu Jing and Zhang Yun with a smile on her face.

    "Zhang Yun and Mr. Jing are cousins, and they should be brothers and sisters, but they changed because of love. Zhang Yun has not married yet. I heard that he likes the daughter of the Cai family and has long wanted to marry her, but the daughter of the Cai family was promised to Mr. Jing.  , so Zhang Yun hates Mr. Jing deeply."

    Of course Tao Zhan knew that the conflict between Liu Jing and Zhang Yun was actually caused by five hundred military slaves, but this did not affect a woman's natural tendency to gossip. She was very interested in what she heard. She was about to ask something interesting.  But someone next to her asked for her.

    "Does Mr. Jing like the daughter of the Cai family?"

    "Of course I like it. She is the only legitimate daughter of Military Advisor Cai. Who doesn't like her marriage to the Cai family? But I heard that Mrs. Zhou Mu disliked Mr. Jing and kicked him out of the house, so now Mr. Jing lives in Fancheng."

    "Isn't Mrs. Zhou Mu the sister of Military Advisor Cai?"

    "Exactly!"

    Tao Zhan¡¯s interest became even more intense. It turned out that there were so many interesting things here.

    At this time, a soldier on the dock shouted: "Zhou Mu is here, everyone is waiting to retreat!"

    Hundreds of guards came ashore and began to drive away the onlookers. Everyone retreated, but they were still watching from a distance of two to three hundred steps. Zhou Mu personally came to deal with the matter, and no one wanted to leave.

    Liu Biao's boat docked, and he looked at the smashed Yau Collection Office ship with a gloomy face, feeling angry for a while. When he saw the Yau Collection Station burned to the ground, the anger in his eyes became even more uncontrollable.  Even Li Gui, the governor of Xiangyang next to him, was livid. Zhang Yun had gone too far.

    At this time, Zhang Yun completely lowered his head and waited uneasily for the punishment to come. The key was that he had no evidence to prove that Gan Ning had any relationship with You Jiao.

    Liu Biao got off the boat, Liu Jing came forward and knelt down on one knee, and reported: "Report to Zhou Mu, Captain Zhang is favoringHe violated the law privately, disrupted official duties, and privately led troops to force him to release his clan brother who had been punished for violating the regulations. When he refused to obey, he set fire to the Youxiao Station.  "

    Zhang Yun, who was behind, seemed to have missed the mark, and his head was pounding. He never expected that Liu Jing would use this crime on him.

    He was very worried, so he knelt down and explained, "Uncle, my nephew has no intention of doing this. My nephew is here to arrest Gan Ning."

    Liu Biao said coldly: "Captain Zhang, there are no uncles or nephews here. I am Jingzhou Mu and General Zhennan. Please distinguish the occasion."

    Zhang Yun was sweating profusely and had to explain again, "I am reporting to General Zhennan. I have no intention of doing this. I am here to capture Gan Ning."

    Liu Jing sneered, "That's strange. Don't you know that Gan Ning is stationed at Fengyi Pavilion Station in the west of Fancheng? Who did he come to arrest?"

    "I first went to Feng Yiting Inn, but I missed them. I also heard that they had escaped to the Youjia Station, so I chased them. It was not me who burned the Youjia Station. It was his plan and framed it for me."

    ¡°That¡¯s a bunch of nonsense!¡±

    Liu Jing asked sternly: "You said that Gan Ning fled to the Youjiao Station. What evidence do you have? Your army surrounded us. Thousands of you rushed in and smashed it. Finally, you set fire to the Youjiao Station to cover up the crime. And now you are still doing this?  It is falsely accused that we set the fire ourselves, do you, Zhang Yun, still have any sense of shame?"

    Zhang Yun was so angry that he was trembling all over, pointing at Liu Jing, "You, you are spitting blood!"

    At this moment, Kuai Yue, who had been silent all the time, suddenly asked: "Colonel Zhang, you keep talking about arresting Gan Ning. I am very surprised. What heinous crime did Gan Ning commit? Why do you have to personally go out and lead the army to arrest him?"  ?¡±

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 66, A Gorgeous Touch

    Tao Zhan looked at the dock from a distance with great interest. She found that Liu Jing seemed to have a tough attitude. She straightened her neck and clenched her fists. From time to time, she turned back and pointed at the burned-out settlement house. Her expression was like that of a child who had lost his home.  I was excited again, but also a little aggrieved.

    But the usually arrogant Zhang Yun was half-kneeling on the ground, explaining pitifully, like a reckless young man who had gotten into trouble, desperately defending himself, and lowering his head in frustration from time to time. Obviously his explanation was unsuccessful.

    Tao Zhan was really curious, what happened today?  Could it still be related to the five hundred military slaves?

    However, there was still a trace of worry in her heart. If Liu Jing offended Zhang Yun like this, wouldn't she be afraid of Zhang Yun's revenge on him?

    Tao Zhan didn¡¯t know that Liu Jing was no longer afraid of any hatred at this time. He was a mediocre person who was not disliked by others. Since Cai Hao and Huang Zu already hated him to the core, it didn¡¯t matter if he added Zhang Yun.

    The power struggle has been like this since ancient times. If God does not send a ladder to climb up, then you need to find such a ladder yourself. The simplest way is to climb up by stepping on other people's shoulders.

    On the pier, Zhang Yun was further depressed by Kuai Yue's questioning. His thoughts were confused, and he unexpectedly replied: "Gan Ning smuggled five hundred military slaves. This is a serious matter. Of course, the army should intervene."

    This answer is obviously ultra vires. Things that should be done by the local government have been taken away by the military.

    At the same time, the answer was also very inappropriate. It was tantamount to betraying Liu Biao. If Liu Biao did not agree, would Zhang Yun dare to send troops privately?

    This undoubtedly tells everyone that it was Liu Biao who agreed to the army's overstepping of authority, which made Liu Biao even more angry.

    Liu Biao had lost his patience. Today was the second day of the first lunar month. Officials from all over Jingzhou gathered in Xiangyang City. It was an important moment for Liu Biao to increase his prestige. However, Zhang Yun staged a big show of burning down the police station for him, which burned Liu Biao's face.  Nothing left.

    "Don't mention the five hundred slaves again!"

    Liu Biao said to Zhang Yun coldly: "The procedures for those five hundred slaves are complete and in compliance with Jingzhou's laws, and they have nothing to do with Gan Ning. Now I just ask you, how do you explain this matter to me?"

    Zhang Yun was originally half-kneeling on the ground, but now he was kneeling down completely. He was sweating profusely. He didn't know what to do. He glanced at Cai Mao from the corner of his eye as if asking for help.

    Cai Hao did not express his position from beginning to end. Of course he understood Zhang Yun's current predicament, but Cai Hao knew Liu Biao very well. He knew clearly that the county government had cheated on the slave contract last night, but now he refused to admit it.

    This shows that Liu Biao's attitude has changed. It is very likely that Liu Biao summoned Liu Jing last night and Liu Jing has convinced him. In this case, Cai Mao does not need to ask for trouble at this critical moment.

    However, Cai Hao also saw Zhang Yun's look for help. This was a good opportunity to win over Zhang Yun. It would be a pity to give up.

    Cai Mao pondered for a moment, then winked at Xiangyang County Magistrate Shi Wuqing, asking him to intercede. Unexpectedly, Wu Qing pretended not to see it.

    Wu Qing was also in a dilemma. This was because the army had infringed on the interests of the local government. At the beginning of the new year, a fire burned down the Youchao Office. It was undoubtedly a slap in the face to the Xiangyang County government. Everyone in the government was extremely angry.

    If he, Wu Qing, interceded for Zhang Yun again at this time, he would no longer be able to gain a foothold in the county government. Wu Qing knew very well what was more important and which was less important. He pretended that he had not seen Cai Mao's hint and turned around and ordered his men, "  Those who are watching, don¡¯t let them get too close.¡±

    Cai Hao felt secretly resentful in his heart, so he had to remind Zhang Yun at the most critical point, "Colonel Zhang, I want to know, have you asked my lord for instructions on this matter?"

    Zhang Yun was not stupid, he was just confused under the heavy pressure. He did not think of Liu Biao's embarrassing situation for a moment. Cai Mao's reminder immediately made him understand that he had to take responsibility for Liu Biao and take the blame for him.  , otherwise Liu Biao would never spare him.

    Zhang Yun quickly confessed, "Hibiscus is guilty. He sent troops without asking the lord for instructions, causing the soldiers to catch fire in the chaos and burn down the prison. I am willing to bear all responsibilities."

    Liu Biao finally breathed a sigh of relief. This bastard finally understood.

    "Then you admit that you are guilty?" Liu Biao stared at him closely.

    Zhang Yun lowered his head and sighed secretly in his heart, what else could he say?  Zhang Yun closed his eyes, "I admit my humble position!"

    Liu Biao nodded, turned around and asked Kuai Yue and Cai Mao, "How do you think we should deal with it?"

    Cai Hao was the first to say: "Colonel Zhang just made a momentary oversight and did not make a serious mistake. I sincerely ask my lord to give him a lighter sentence for the sake of his past meritorious service."

    Liu Biao remained silent and turned his gaze to Kuai Yue, "What is Kuai Gong's opinion?"

    ? ?Yue quickly glanced at Liu Jing and saw that his expression was calm and showed no deep hatred. He thought to himself, "Although this is a good opportunity to punish Zhang Yun severely, this matter involves the lord and the truth is unknown. It is too harsh."  On the contrary, it will be self-defeating, so it is better to figure it out slowly.  ¡¯

    Kuai Yue bowed and smiled: "I support your lord's decision."

    After receiving the statements from the two major interest groups, Liu Biao knew how to deal with it. Although he should also ask the attitude of the other party, that was his junior, so he did not need to think too much.

    Liu Biao looked at Zhang Yun and said coldly: "As a captain of the navy, you used your power for personal gain and mobilized troops without authorization. This is a serious crime and should have been severely punished. However, in consideration of your contribution in the Changsha County war, I demoted you to the rank of captain of the navy."  Lieutenant, can you accept a one-year suspension of salary and deprivation of your military service?¡±

    This punishment made Cai Mao and Kuai Yue stunned at the same time. The two of them looked at each other, suspecting that they had heard wrongly, 'deprived of the part'. The lord actually deprived Zhang Yun of the part. It was incredible. How could this happen?

    This punishment was unbelievable to Zhang Yun. Demotion and suspension of salary were only temporary measures. Zhang Yun could accept it, but deprivation of his subordinates seriously damaged his vital interests, which meant that he would no longer have a single soldier under his command. Any deployment of troops would require  Liu Biao agreed.

    "Don't you want to accept it?" Liu Biao's voice became dissatisfied.

    Zhang Yun was filled with hatred, but he had to accept it. He glanced at Liu Jing with hatred and said sadly: "I accept all punishments for my humble position!"

    "good!"

    After Liu Biao punished Zhang Yun, he said to Li Gui, the prefect of Xiangyang: "The tour station has been destroyed and can be rebuilt. All personnel losses will be doubled in compensation. In addition, Governor Liu Cao will be rewarded for his loyalty to his duties and will receive a one-level salary increase."

    Li Gui hurriedly bowed and said: "The state pastor handled it justly. I am grateful for my humble position."

    Liu Jing took a step forward and said: "I humbly request that Gan Ning be given a fixed position."

    Liu Biao smiled and said, "This matter is not urgent. We will discuss it after the New Year."

    After saying that, he glanced at Liu Jing with a half-smile, then turned around and got on the boat. The boat quickly left the north bank and sailed towards Xiangyang City. Liu Jing watched Liu Biao go away. He finally understood Liu Biao's restraint and punished Zhang.  For such a small matter, Cai Mao and Kuai Yue must be consulted for their opinions.

    At the same time, he was also confused, ¡®Why did Liu Biao take the opportunity to deprive Zhang Yun of his music department?  ¡¯

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhou Mu's nephew burned down the jail and was severely punished in the end. This news spread like the wind among tens of thousands of people, causing an uproar. Zhang Yun was actually demoted and suspended. Jingzhou senior officials and Zhou Mu's close relatives, this is not the case in Jingzhou  Something unprecedented.

    Various speculations spread wildly among the crowd. Tao Zhan was a little worried about Liu Jing. Zhang Yun was actually deprived of his troops. This was a very serious matter. This showed that Liu Biao was very dissatisfied with Zhang Yun's first military expedition without authorization.

    Tao Zhan glanced at Liu Jing from a distance, shook his head secretly, and became enemies with Zhang Yun over this trivial matter. This young man was a little too impulsive and not calm enough, but he was a young man!  Understandable.

    Tao Zhan took out an invitation card, handed it to the attendant next to him, and gave him a few instructions. The attendant nodded and hurriedly walked towards Liu Jing, while Tao Zhan turned and left the crowd.

    "Master Jing!"

    The attendant stepped forward to salute and handed an invitation to Liu Jing, "This is from my master to the young master."

    Liu Jing was startled, then laughed after taking the post. He recognized that it was Tao Zhan's handwriting, which was vigorous and powerful. He looked through it and it read, "Tomorrow at 1:00 o'clock, Wangjiang Tower in Xiangyang, please have a drink."  .  ¡¯

    "Where is your master?" Liu Jing looked around and did not see Tao Zhan. At this time, the Tao Zhan in his mind was still a steady and sophisticated middle-aged man.

    The attendant smiled slightly, "The master has gone back, so I ordered the villain to send a post."

    "Okay! Please tell your master that I will be there on time tomorrow afternoon."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed. Li Gui, the prefect of Xiangyang, calmed down the people in the office and promised to rebuild a larger and more impressive government office as soon as possible. He temporarily allowed them to rent private houses not far away to work, and at the same time gave each of them 200 yuan to calm their panic.  .

    After appeasing everyone, Governor Li also returned to Xiangyang. At this time, Liu Hu came out of the boat with his horse. Liu Jing quickly stepped forward and asked, "Have you got it?"

    Liu Hu patted the leather bag on his horse and said with a smile: "They are all here! Five hundred copies, a lot."

    Liu Jing was so happy that he immediately got on his horse and galloped north along Bishui with Liu Hu.

    An hour later, a small manor appeared in front of them. A tall red wooden tower in the manor was particularly eye-catching.

    It should be right here, the place Gan Ning told him, Hongta Manor,Liu Jing stared at the water for a moment, then galloped towards the gate of the manor.

    As soon as they arrived at the gate, the gate opened. Gan Ning led a large group of men to greet him from the manor. Liu Jing got off her horse and smiled from a distance: "How did General Gan know that I was coming?"

    "My men are here to report that the incident in Fancheng is over, and I guess Mr. Jing should arrive by now."

    Gan Ning has learned from his subordinates what happened outside the Youyuan Station in Fancheng. A major event that caused a lot of uproar has finally been resolved, and Zhang Yun has also been demoted and suspended, and deprived of his music department, which is very satisfying.

    Gan Ning knew the details very well. Not long after leaving Fengyiting Station, Liu Jing came up with this strategy and gave it the wonderful name of "leading the army into the urn".

    At this time, Gan Ning felt both admiration and gratitude for Liu Jing. He took a few steps forward, knelt down on one knee, held his fist high and said, "Young master, Gan Ning will bear in mind your great kindness!"

    Hundreds of his men also knelt down and shouted in unison: "Thank you Master Jing for your kindness!"

    Liu Jing quickly helped Gan Ning up and said in a deep voice: "General Gan, there is no need to thank him. Liu Jing just does it for the sake of his heart and does not want to see General Gan being harmed by villains."

    Gan Ning nodded silently, for the sake of his heart, he couldn't be more like this.

    After sighing, Gan Ning asked again: "Did Zhou Mu mention how to arrange for me?"

    "I have already mentioned this matter to Zhou Mu, and he said we will discuss it in a few days. I think he will consider it. Hanging the general like this is not an option."

    "I no longer expect any Zhonglang general."

    Gan Ning gave a wry smile and said: "With my qualifications, I have no virtue and ability to be ranked as a lieutenant general. I just hope to be more realistic and serve as a military commander is enough."

    Liu Jing was silent for a moment, looked into Gan Ning's eyes and said, "I just hope General Gan can wait patiently and give me three years."

    Needless to say, Gan Ning understood. He smiled slightly and patted Liu Jing on the shoulder, "I know what will happen in the future. No need to say more, sir, let's talk about slaves! I received a message from the Tao family last night  The news said that I gave up the deposit for your sake, which means I earned five hundred taels of gold without damaging my credit. Speaking of which, I owe you another favor. "

    "Mainly, the Tao family also owes me a favor."

    "These military slaves are all in the manor, what are you going to do with them?"

    "I want to let them go."

    "Let him go?" Gan Ning was stunned.

    Liu Jing nodded, "I'm not used to using slaves yet. I want to release them and let them go home to reunite with their families. Is that okay?"

    Gan Ning is also a hero after all. He was only a little surprised before he readily agreed, "It's absolutely possible. These people are all slaves of the Young Master. You can do whatever you want with the Young Master."

    Gan Ning immediately ordered his men: "Go and gather all the military slaves!"

    Not long after, five hundred young and strong military slaves were taken out of the prison by the guards. They were shackled and dragged on long iron chains that clanked.

    Perhaps it was because they had not seen the sun for a long time. Everyone was wearing curtains, looking at the warm afternoon sunshine, and greedily breathing in the fresh air blowing from the water. Although they all looked thin, they were in good spirits. They were not as bad as Liu Jing imagined.  .

    Five hundred people came to the square of the manor one after another, and the guards began to unshackle them. This move made the military slave stunned. Since they became prisoners of war more than two months ago, they have been locked in shackles. Today  It was the first time it was unlocked.

    Everyone looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what had happened, which caused a small commotion and murmurs.

    "Everyone listen!"

    Gan Ning stood on the high platform and shouted loudly: "I have something important to announce to everyone."

    The five hundred army slaves fell silent immediately, and Gan Ning said loudly: "You should know your identity clearly. Most of your companions were executed by Cao Jun, but you were bought by me and escaped a great disaster. I have already said this  I told you, I believe everyone should understand, so what is the fate waiting for you? "

    The five hundred military slaves stretched their necks and raised their ears high, for fear of missing any words. Many of them had already resigned themselves to their fate. They all knew that they were about to become slaves. Although they were humiliating, compared to their companions who were killed, they were  Lucky again.

    Therefore, what they want in their hearts is to go to a better employer, where they can have enough to eat, and if possible, allow them to return to their hometown to bring their wives and daughters. Of course, this requires meeting a truly kind-hearted person.  's owner.

    Most people would not agree. If that were the case, they would have no choice but to accept their fate. To survive in troubled times, wives and children are separated, and families are broken up. This is commonplace.

    "This is your new master, Mr. Jing, the nephew of Liu Zhoumu of Jingzhou.Now all of you are at His disposal.  "

    Five hundred pairs of eyes watched Liu Jing walking onto the high platform. He was a young boy, tall and handsome.

    Liu Jing stared at the five hundred pairs of expectant eyes below and said slowly: "From now on, you are all my slaves. Your life and freedom are in my hands, but I don't want you to be slaves!"

    There was still silence, most people did not understand the meaning of his last sentence, Liu Jing increased his tone again.

    "Each of you has parents, wife and children. Your family is waiting for you to come home. Your children are starving. Your parents are old and your wife is thin. There is no rice in the urn. Your old father is holding on the door and looking forward to your return  £®

    When Liu Jing said this, his eyes became a little moist. He thought of his parents in later generations. They must also be standing in front of the window waiting for him to return home.

    He is not harsh on life. He can endure a life without electric lights and telephones, as well as a house made of rammed earth and a road without cement.

    He can even endure the short life and the cruel and hopeless war, and he can accept everything in the Three Kingdoms calmly.

    If there must be something that he cannot accept or endure, it is a slave who has lost the most basic dignity and freedom and spends his life as humble as an animal. He knows that his wife, children and parents are about to starve to death, and they cannot visit him.  One step away and you can only forget your loved ones in numbness.

    If he must have a little brand that is different from this era, it is this. He cannot accept five hundred free and living lives being reduced to slaves like livestock, no matter how generous and kind their masters are.

    After taking over the power of life and death over these five hundred slaves from Gan Ning, the first decision Liu Jing made was to give them freedom.

    In the audience, many people lowered their heads and burst into tears. They thought of their young children and aging parents.

    Liu Jing took a deep breath and her voice became passionate, "You are all warriors and tall men. You should not be slaves. You should be free and go home to take care of your parents, wives and children. So I decided to release you.  Now, I¡¯m letting you go home!¡±

    ¡®Plop!  ¡¯

    I don¡¯t know who took the lead in kneeling down, followed by the second and third, one after another, row after row, and soon, all 500 people were kneeling down. No one spoke, and tears of gratitude flowed in every one.  on people's faces.

    Gan Ning's eyes were slightly red. He had not been so moved for many years. In Liu Jing, he did see something different, something that was more shining than gold.

    This is a kind of kindness, kindness to the people of the world. Those who win the hearts of the people win the world. Gan Ning knows his choice, and he will wait patiently for that day to come.

    Liu Jing held up a thick stack of slave contracts and said, "This is your slave contract. I will release you from your slave status. You can go to the Jingzhou government to exchange for civilian household registration, or you can tear it up and return to your hometown. This is  You are free to make your own choices.¡±

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 67, Testing the Knife in the Bamboo Forest

    Caijia Village is located in the northwest of Xiangyang City. It is the settlement area of ??the Cai clan. There are about two hundred households. Most of them are named Cai, either close relatives or distant relatives, and are more or less related to Cai Mao.

    At noon, Cai Hao rode to Caijia Village with more than a dozen followers. He seemed a little worried. The tribesmen greeted him along the way, but he only reluctantly agreed.

    Soon I arrived at the main house of Cai Mansion, which is a large house covering an area of ??nearly 100 acres. It is also the main house of the Cai family. Cai Mao's main relatives all live in this house, including several of his uncles and more than a dozen nephews.  , but Cai Mao came to see his second uncle Cai Xun today.

    Cai Hao walked all the way into the house and came directly to a quiet small courtyard in the back house. The door of the courtyard was ajar. Cai Hao carefully pushed the door open and went in. He saw his second uncle Cai Xun sitting in the corner of the yard, using a small hammer to knock out the pieces of soil connecting the boards.  broken.

    "Second uncle!"

    Cai Mao called out in a low voice. Cai Xun slowly raised his head and saw that it was Cai Mao. He was a little surprised and asked with a smile: "Didn't you say you went back to Xiangyang yesterday afternoon? Why are you back again?"

    "Reporting to my uncle, something happened and my nephew is a little upset. Please give me some advice."

    "Then tell me, what happened?"

    Cai Mao sighed, and then told Zhang Yun in detail about burning the prison camp, and finally said: "My nephew did not expect this result. He was demoted and suspended, and was deprived of his ministry.  It was a bit unexpected.¡±

    Cai Xun frowned, "Zhang Yun is also a very shrewd person. How could he do such a stupid thing and even dare to burn down the Youyuan Prison? How can Xiangyang County lose face?"

    "Zhang Yun was eager to kill Gan Ning, but my nephew believes that it was not Zhang Yun who burned the Youjiao Station."

    "You mean, this is Liu Biao's nephew's trick to get someone to hurt you?"

    "Exactly! My nephew thinks that Zhang Yun actually fell into the trap."

    Cai Xun nodded, "You can't tell that this young man is very brave. He tricked Zhang Yun, burned down the police station, and made Zhang Yun disgraced. It's unexpected that Liu Biao has such a nephew."

    "That Liu Jing is indeed very capable. He wiped out Gan Ning's smuggling of military slaves." Cai Hao told Liu Jing's handling of military slaves again.

    Cai Xun¡¯s face became serious. It¡¯s not easy for a young boy to control the county government and the Tao family!

    After a while, Cai Xun asked: "Then what do you want from me?"

    "Actually, my nephew also has a way to find out the truth about the burning of the police station. As long as he finds the other soldiers at the police station that night, he will know whether Liu Jing arranged the fire starter in advance, but he doesn't know whether he should do it or not.  , I was very hesitant and came here to ask my second uncle for advice. "

    "Why do you want to find out the truth?" Cai Xun looked at him and asked.

    "My nephew thought this was a good opportunity to win over Zhang Yun."

    ¡®A good opportunity?  ¡¯

    Cai Xun sneered, "You can imagine it, but Liu Biao can't think of it? Why didn't he check it out? My nephew, I'm not telling you, but you still haven't seen through what the problem is?"

    "My nephew also feels that Zhou Mu is making excuses. It was not Zhang Yun's intention to burn down the travel agency. It was just caused by a fire in the chaos. Demotion and suspension of salary are enough, but depriving him of his salary is too serious."

    "The problem lies in this unit. You didn't say that Zhang Yun had led more than a thousand units to besiege Fengyiting Station the night before, right?"

    "It's true!"

    Speaking of this, Cai Hao understood, "What the second uncle meant was that this incident actually angered Liu Biao, so Liu Biao used the topic to deprive Zhang Yun of his service."

    Cai Xun nodded, "That's right. Who is Liu Jingsheng? He dares to use troops without his orders. How can he tolerate it? He is the real mastermind. I'm afraid he allowed Zhang Yun to send troops."  It also has profound meaning, do you understand?¡±

    Cai Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "My nephew understands a little bit. Liu Biao wants to use this matter to warn Jingzhou officials that he must agree to use the army, even if he is a close nephew."

    Cai Xun squinted and smiled. His nephew was not stupid enough to understand what he meant. "Since you understand what to do, I don't need to say more."

    "My nephew will stay out of this matter."

    At this time, Cai Xun thought of something again and reminded Cai Mao: "That Liu Jing was able to produce five hundred slave deeds overnight. This must be Kuai Yue's secret help. It seems that the Kuai family values ??this person very much. You can do the same."  Try to win over him. If he doesn't know how to praise, then the Cai family will pay attention to him and use all means to suppress him. Don't give him a chance to get ahead, do you understand? "

    Cai Mao was a little reluctant about this, but he didn't dare to refuse, so he had to vaguely agree, "My nephew understands!"

     £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing rushed back to Fancheng in the afternoon. He did not go home for the time being. Instead, he went to the temporary rental place of the Youzhao Office. Not far from the burned Youzhao Office, it was a vacant private house covering an area of ??about three acres.  , close to the civil dock.

    At this time, the tens of thousands of people who had gathered to watch the Youyuan Prison had already dispersed. Although it was still the focus of the event, the discussion venue had moved from outside the city to the inside. There was no one watching the burnt Youyuan Prison, and there were only a dozen soldiers.  Cleaning out some unburned documents and items from the rubble.

    Liu Jing unexpectedly discovered Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun was standing on the pier in front of the Youyuan Station, holding the horse and looking worriedly at the burned ruins. Liu Jing felt a warmth in his heart. Zhao Yun was caring.  I came here specially to visit.

    "Brother Zilong!"

    Liu Jing yelled and urged his horse to run up. Zhao Yun also saw him, with a smile on his face. He was accompanying his lord Liu Bei to Xiangyang to attend the Xiangyang New Year Ceremony. He only learned about the travel agency at noon. He was worried.  , so he crossed the river to visit.

    "Your soldiers said you were not here, and I was about to go back!"

    Zhao Yun stepped forward and looked Liu Jing up and down. When he saw that he was not injured, he finally relaxed and said, "I heard that Zhang Yun sent three thousand troops to besiege you. We are all worried that something will happen to you."

    Liu Jing turned over and dismounted, and said with a smile: "Give him Zhang Yun a hundred courages, and he won't dare to hurt me. Brother, don't worry."

    Zhao Yun shook his head, "Today is just your luck. In the chaos of the army, even if Zhang Yun doesn't want to kill you, there is no guarantee that his men will obey orders absolutely. It is easy to be accidentally injured. Just like Zhang Yun doesn't want to burn down the police station, but  His men did it, what can I say? You can¡¯t take too many risks.¡±

    Liu Jing couldn¡¯t say that he was the one who burned the Youfu Station, as that would affect Zhao Yun¡¯s view of him. He scratched his head, smiled, and changed the topic, ¡°Master Yu has gone back, did you know?¡±

    "I know. Master specially passed by Xinye and told me about you. He asked me to continue to guide you and supervise you to prevent you from being lazy."

    Speaking of this, Zhao Yun couldn't help but laugh and said: "Tell me honestly, have you been lazy in the past half month? Have you continued to train every day?"

    "Brother, you underestimate me. Am I the kind of person without will?" Liu Jing shouted with a somewhat exaggerated expression.

    "It's hard to say, I have to prove it myself."

    Zhao Yun patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Find a secluded place and let's practice."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. He had made great progress during this period and was already itching to do it. He was looking forward to practicing with Zhao Yun to prove his martial arts skills. Since Zhao Yun took the initiative, he was naturally very happy.

    He pointed to a bamboo forest in the northeast, "There happens to be an open space in the bamboo forest. It's very secluded. We can go there."

    Liu Jing led the horse and was about to leave, but saw Liu Hu next to him. Seeing him looking at her eagerly, Liu Jing suddenly remembered something. Liu Hu learned martial arts, and she still couldn't hide it from Zhao Yun. After thinking for a while, Liu Jing pointed at Liu  Hu said to Zhao Yun: "This is my brother Liu Hu. He works with me. He is someone I can trust. He is also very skilled in martial arts. Can I let him watch?"

    Zhao Yun understood what Liu Jing meant. Although Yu Zhenzi did not accept Liu Jing as his disciple, he devoted all his money to teach him and ordered himself to pass on the real Hundred Birds Phoenix Spear to Liu Jing.

    Zhao Yun already regards Liu Jing as his junior brother, and even regards him as his brother. His biggest wish is to let Liu Jing practice the same martial arts as himself, but he has his own principles and does not want to fall behind.  Fengmen's martial arts are easily spread.

    Zhao Yun understood the implication of Liu Jing's words, pondered for a moment and said: "If you definitely want to teach him something, I can only pretend to know nothing. However, without the consent of the master, I am the Falling Phoenix Kung Fu and the Hundred Birds Chaotic Phoenix Spear."  I don¡¯t dare to spread it casually, you are a special case, I hope you can understand.¡±

    Liu Jing understood what Zhao Yun meant, that is, Zhao Yun did not teach Liu Hu, but acquiesced to his own teaching, and he pretended not to know.

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and said quickly: "I know it well, and I will never dare to teach it to others at will."

    Zhao Yun nodded, "As long as you understand, let's go!"

    Liu Jing winked at Liu Hu, and then led Zhao Yun towards the bamboo forest. Liu Hu was nervous and full of expectations. He led the horse and followed them at a distance.

    The bamboo forest occupies a large area. There is a two-acre open space in the middle, covered with thick bamboo leaves. Zhao Yun tied the horse, drew his sword, and looked at Liu Jing, "Use the wind and thunder transformation that Master taught you, and do it with all your strength!"

    Liu Jing slowly drew out his sword, and quickly gathered strength with his arms. The twenty-four smooth attack moves flowed through him like mercury, and gradually gathered into one move.

    He shouted, ran forward, a cold light flashed, and struck Zhao ?? with a knife.On his shoulder, this knife suddenly changed like wind and thunder, and hundreds of kilograms of power exploded in an instant.

    Liu Hu's face changed greatly when he saw it. He had seen this wind and thunder move hundreds of times and remembered it in his heart, but he always felt that it was too cumbersome. He could not complete the twenty-four changes with just one slash.

    It wasn't until Liu Jing struck out with his sword that he suddenly understood that Liu Jing had not used twenty-four changes at all, only one sword, but his sword contained all the changes, and every change could be reflected in this sword.  Find the shadow.

    Liu Hu finally realized that these twenty-four changes were only in his heart, and there was no need to use them. After understanding it, under any circumstances, there is only one knife.

    "good!"

    Zhao Yun cheered and dodged slightly to the left. The pull of the sword slowed Liu Jing's sword speed. He then made a backhand strike and the two blades struck each other, 'Crack!  'Fires flew everywhere, and a powerful force made Liu Jing take two steps back, but he did not let go of the sword. He swung the sword and used the wind and thunder transformation instead, turning the offensive into defensive, blocking all the loopholes, but there were still some mistakes in the defense.  There is a hidden way to fight back.

    Zhao Yun did not continue the fight, but looked at Liu Jing blankly, his heart full of surprise. Not only was Liu Jing able to resist him for one round, but his martial arts improved rapidly. Of course, Zhao Yunyuan did not use his full strength, but despite this, he still made progress.  great.

    What¡¯s more important is that Liu Jing was able to innovate on her own. Instead, she used the Wind and Thunder Transformation to turn an offensive sword technique into a defensive sword technique. It was also very good, and she didn¡¯t find any flaws.

    Zhao Yun didn't believe it, "Is this what Master taught you? Turn offense into defense."

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I realized it myself. As long as the wind and thunder are used in reverse, offense can be turned into defense. In fact, offense and defense are just a matter of thoughts. In Wuchang, Guan Gong also told me this."

    Zhao Yun let out a long sigh, "You only practiced this move for half a month and you can understand its essence. It's really not easy. Your understanding even surpasses mine."

    "Brother, do you mean that I have made great progress?" Liu Jing asked with a smile, but there was a bright look of expectation in his eyes that could not be concealed.

    Zhao Yun nodded slightly, but did not praise him, "This is normal. Master's pills can stimulate the power of Dantian in a very short time. The progress will be fastest within three months, but it will slow down obviously after three months, and then  It is very difficult to break through, and it takes several more years of hard work to achieve a breakthrough. That was the case for me back then, and it is the same for you. Whether you can finally break through depends on your luck. "

    Liu Jing was poured with a basin of water to calm down. He nodded silently. He needed persistent and long-term training to be able to break through

 Volume 1, Chapter 68: The Needle Hidden in the Thread

    After breaking up with Zhao Yun, the sky was getting dark. Liu Jing went to the new office of the Tourist Payment Office again, and after finishing some trivial matters, he returned home. On the way, Liu Hu, who had been worried all the time, finally said, "Brother Jing,  How do you master the Wind and Thunder Transformation? Can you teach me?"

    Liu Jing smiled, turned around and asked him, "Have you started practicing?"

    ¡°I have watched it countless times and know those moves by heart.¡±

    "Looking at moves does not mean practicing martial arts. Although Feng Lei Bian only has one move, it contains a lot of martial arts principles. You have to rely on your own experience. I can't teach you. If it doesn't work in three months, just half a year. If it doesn't work in half a year, then one year, or  In two years, with your natural power, as long as you understand this trick thoroughly and come up with new ideas, even Cai Zhong and Zhang Yun will not be your opponent, and you will become a famous general in Jingzhou. "

    Liu Hu¡¯s eyes lit up. He was a famous general in Jingzhou. That was an honor he had never dreamed of. He asked anxiously: ¡°Then how should I practice?¡±

    "Lock yourself in a dark room, don't light a lamp, and experience every pose with your heart. Don't do more every day, just practice for two hours. As time goes by, you will gain something."

    Liu Hu bit his lip and nodded heavily, "I understand, I'll start tonight."

    Liu Jing patted his generous shoulder again, smiled slightly and said: "As long as you have perseverance and perseverance, there is nothing impossible in this world."

    Unknowingly, the two of them returned to the small house. The breakfast was already prepared. Liu Jing and Liu Hu sat down, and saw a woman in her thirties carrying food into the house. She bowed to the two of them humbly. Liu Jing and Liu Hu sat down.  Jing was startled, who is this?

    Liu Hu knew her and asked with a smile: "Aunt Bao, why are you here?"

    The middle-aged woman hurriedly said: "Master Qi asked me to come over and cook."

    Uncle Meng explained from the side: "Master, this is Little Baozi's mother, the cook of the Liu Mansion. The eldest son said that Mr. Tiger was also here, and Little Baozi was too busy by himself, so he asked Little Baozi's mother to come over and cook.  The lady had no objection."

    He eats a small bun in every mouthful, and even Liu Jing is a little embarrassed. This is the name he gave, and he can call him a small bun, but it is a bit funny that someone as old as Uncle Meng is also called a small bun.

    But Liu Jing didn't correct him. There were no Baozi in this era, so it didn't matter. He glanced at the woman and found that she was the mother of the little Baozi. Liu Jing couldn't help but secretly thank Liu Qi for his thoughtful consideration.

    "Little Baozi's father died of illness last year, and he and his mother depended on each other. He sent her here to relieve his worries. Liu Jing liked Xiao Baozi very much, a little maid who was smart, well-behaved, and considerate.

    After dinner, Liu Hu went into an empty room to practice his sword, while Liu Jing returned to his room, which seemed to have a few more pieces of fine furniture.

    What surprised Liu Jing the most was that next to his desk there was a floor-standing bronze lamp with two dragons playing with a pearl. It was about three feet high and exquisitely made. The two dragons were lifelike. Even the pearl the two dragons were playing with was a valuable one.  The pearl is a precious thing.

    Liu Jing was stunned. Would Mrs. Cai give such a precious bronze lamp to herself?

    "Master!"

    Little Baozi rushed in like a little bird and said with a smile: "This was delivered by Mr. Tao this afternoon, as well as the furniture, as well as the kitchen utensils, tableware, and many other things that I didn't have time to take apart. They are all of the best quality."  ¡±

    "Tao Zhan?"

    Liu Jing thought of the middle-aged man, and the little bun said with a smile, "That's him. He delivered it in person. He also told the young master not to forget about dinner tomorrow."

    Liu Jing nodded. This Tao Zhan was very attentive. He even thought of kitchen utensils and tableware. He was comparable to women. But you should still thank him tomorrow.

    "Sir, please drink tea. I just fried it."

    Little Baozi obediently placed a cup of fragrant tea on the table, and Liu Jing sat down. He had not stopped since last night's busy work. As soon as he sat down, a deep sense of fatigue hit him, making him  Almost fell asleep.

    Liu Jing picked up the cup, and a strong smell of ginseng rushed towards her, "Little Baozi, did you use ginseng?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    "I saw a lot of ginseng sent by the Tao family, so I fried half of it for you."

    Little Baozi twirled his fingers, and there was a little worry in his big flashing eyes, "Is it going to be used for gunpowder? I shouldn't make tea."

    "It doesn't hurt to make green tea!"

    Liu Jing took a sip of tea, suddenly remembered something, and asked with a smile: "Little Baozi, last time Uncle Meng said you knew gunpowder?"

    "Yeah!" Little Baozi nodded heavily, "I work in Fuzhong Pharmacy, and I have been making medicine with Uncle Ma Wu for two years. Madam's medicine is the pill concocted by me."

    Liu Jing remembered telling Liu Qi last time that she was learning how to prepare pills at Qingzhuguan, so Liu Qi picked one from the pharmacy.It was a coincidence that the maid was given to him.

    Liu Jing thought for a while, although Yuzhenzi finally agreed that there was no need to keep the formula secret.  However, Liu Jing still doesn't want the prescription to be leaked to outsiders at will. Little Baozi is fine. She will be her personal maid in the future. It is most suitable to let her make the gunpowder. Moreover, this medicine is only suitable for herself. There is nothing wrong with leaking it.  Meaning, don¡¯t think too much about it.

    Before Liu Jing could say anything, Little Baozi pursed his lips and said with a smile: "Young master, do you want me to use gunpowder in the future?"

    "Liu Jing laughed and said, "You have such a ghostly and elf-like mind, you can think pretty fast, okay!  Let¡¯s talk about gunpowder in a few days.  "

    At this time, Uncle Meng hurried over and said nervously: "Sir, Military Advisor Cai is here, right at the door."

    If Tao Zhan's gift of furniture only surprised Liu Jing, then Cai Mao's visit surprised Liu Jing. He never expected that Cai Mao would come, but at this time Liu Jing didn't have time to think about it and immediately ordered Xiao Baozi,  "Go make two more cups of tea!"

    He immediately stood up and walked towards the courtyard gate. At the entrance of the small courtyard, a dozen followers surrounded Cai Mao and did not enter the courtyard.

    Cai Mao was squinting at the small house in front of him. It is said that this small house was given by Kuai Yue, but it was a little too shabby. What is the difference between this and ordinary houses that can be seen everywhere in the city? Kuai Yue used this small favor to treat Liu Jing  Bought?

    The sound of footsteps was heard, and Liu Jing's burly figure appeared at the door. He bowed and saluted and said with a smile, "I don't know if Military Advisor Cai is here, but I am waiting from afar!"

    According to the rules of the officialdom, Liu Jing should kneel down and bow down when seeing Cai Mao, but Liu Jing just bowed. He was not used to this kind of kneeling down and bowed down. Except for Liu Biao, who was his elder, he did not do this kind of courtesy to anyone.

    Seeing that he only bowed to himself, Cai Mao felt a little unhappy, but he didn't show it on his face. He still smiled and said, "I came in a hurry and disturbed Mr. Jing's rest."

    "Commander Cai, please come in!" Liu Jing made an inviting gesture.

    Cai Hao nodded, turned around and ordered his followers, "You all wait outside."

    Liu Jing was not polite and directly invited Cai Hao into the living room. The living room was still tidied up. Two single chairs were placed. The sofas were covered with thick blankets. Because it was winter, the blankets would make it a little warmer.  There is also a brazier on each bench, which makes it extra warm.

    Cai Hao sat down, looked around the room and said with a smile: "This house is a little too old and a little damp. I also have a house in Fancheng, which is much larger than this one. There are gardens and woods in the house, and there are dozens of servants.  It¡¯s vacant anyway, Mr. Jing, why don¡¯t you move there tomorrow?¡±

    Liu Jing was still thinking secretly, what was Cai Mao doing here? Was he going to threaten herself?  Because of Zhang Yun's incident, he knew that Cai and Zhang were very close because they had a common enemy - the Kuai family. They almost formed an alliance. Today Zhang Yun was demoted, which naturally harmed Cai Mao's interests. Cai Mao would not  What a good look on yourself.

    "But Cai Mao wanted to please himself as soon as he opened his mouth. He had a good house for him to live in. This actually made Liu Jing a little wary. What did Cai Mao want to do?

    "Thank you, Military Master Cai, for your kindness. It's just that I don't care much about where I live. I'm very satisfied with this small house."

    Liu Jing implicitly rejected Cai Hao's arrangement. Cai Hao laughed twice and said, "Young Master's requirements are indeed not high."

    Cai Mao's proposal to change residences was just a test, and it was expected that Liu Jing would not agree. At this time, Xiao Baozi came in with two cups of tea, placed them on the table for the two of them, and then withdrew.

    "Mr. Jing, is this your maid?" Cai Hao glanced at the little bun.

    "This is my uncle's maid. My uncle arranged for her to take care of my daily life."

    Liu Jing's mind was tense. He was very vigilant. A look from Cai Hao might bring death to Xiao Baozi. He couldn't be careless or give Cai Hao any chance.

    Cai Hao didn't have the idea of ??a maid. He just asked because he had other ideas. Maybe Liu Jing could consider starting a family. He has a niece, which would be suitable for him.

    But let¡¯s not mention this matter for now. Cai Hao raised his eyebrows slightly and said with a smile: ¡°Today Mr. Jing wiped out Zhang Yun¡¯s face. Everyone in Jingzhou clapped their hands and cheered. Hey! Even I breathed a sigh of relief.¡±

    "It's not like everyone is applauding! Many of Zhang Yun's allies probably hate me, Liu Jing, to the core." Liu Jing glanced at Cai Hao with a half-smile but asked.

    Of course Cai Mao understood that Liu Jing was alluding to him. He cursed angrily in his heart and could only force a smile and said: "Of course some people will hate it, but I am very grateful to you. Today, Zhou Mu deprived Zhang Yun of his tribe. From now on, I will  No one will dare to use the military discipline without authorization. As a military advisor, I am of course relieved that a chronic disease in Jingzhou that has not been cured for a long time has been solved by Mr. Jing. ""Commander Cai thinks too highly of me. How can Liu Jing take the credit for improving military discipline? The military counselor should be grateful to Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing¡¯s ungratefulness made Cai Mao a little embarrassed. He couldn¡¯t find anything to say for a moment, and the room fell silent. They drank tea separately without speaking, making the atmosphere in the room heavy.

    In fact, Cai Mao's original intention was not to win over Liu Jing, because Liu Jing was only Liu Biao's nephew, not Liu Biao's son. No matter how capable he was, he could not replace Qi and Cong as the lord of Jingzhou. Instead of wasting time on Liu Jing, it was better to  The time and money were put on Liu Cong.

    But he couldn¡¯t explain to his second uncle if he didn¡¯t come. Second uncle seemed to value Liu Jing very much, so he had to pretend to come and talk to Liu Jing.

    It is just like this. Cai Mao has no sincerity in his heart. If Liu Jing is willing to be won over by him, it will be an unexpected gain, but if he can't be won over, there is no regrets, and he can also explain it to his second uncle.

    Cai Mao smiled, and then the topic turned to Liu Jing's life events, "Actually, I came here today to tell you about Shaoyu. She will not turn fifteen until today. According to the rules of the Cai family,  The girl was getting married at the age of seventeen, so I also communicated with Zhou Mu and asked Shaoyu to wait two years older before arranging the wedding for her. Zhou Mu also agreed. I hope my nephew can understand my painstaking efforts as a father.  Wait two years.¡±

    Cai Mao's tone was very sincere, and Liu Jing also heard about the postponement of his marriage to Cai Shaoyu. This was obviously not Liu Biao's wish. It should be the Cai family's opposition to marrying their daughter to him. This opposition was especially expressed by Mrs. Cai.  obvious.

    The purpose of Cai Mao's visit today is also very obvious. He wants to win over Liu Jing, but where is his sincerity?  A house that was more spacious than this one, and it was only temporarily loaned to him.

    On the core issue of Cai Shaoyu, he is still tough and has no intention of giving in. This is what Cai Mao calls sincerity.

    "Perhaps in Cai Hao's view, he condescended to come to his house to give himself a huge favor. She should kneel down and thank him for his visit. Liu Jing couldn't help but sneer in her heart. Who does this Cai Hao think of herself?

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled faintly and said, "Actually, I plan to achieve some success before thinking about starting a family. These are also the last words my father gave me before he died. He ordered a man to put his career first. I will always keep it in mind. If  It's just what I want if I can delay the marriage."

    "Haha! My wise nephew is indeed very ambitious. If I have the chance, I would recommend it to your uncle. It would be a bit too unfair for you to be a governor of a traveling police station."

    Cai Hao laughed hypocritically, and then asked: "I wonder when my nephew will consider getting married?"

    Liu Jing¡¯s sneer was almost hanging on her face. On the one hand, she had to postpone her marriage for two years. On the other hand, she asked herself when she would consider getting married, and then put the responsibility on herself. It was simply despicable.

    Liu Jing did not answer him directly, but asked: "Didn't Military Advisor Cai just say that he would not consider his daughter's marriage for two years? Don't you think it's too early to talk about it now?"

    "What I mean is that if my nephew plans to get married within this year, I have a niece who is beautiful, dignified, intelligent and virtuous. I don't know my nephew"

    Liu Jing didn't speak for a long time. Only then did he understand Cai Mao's intention. He actually wanted to use Li Daitao's strategy to freeze him. Who does this make him Liu Jing?

    With Cai Mao¡¯s status and sophistication, he would know that this is a great humiliation to people, but he still does it, which only shows that he has extreme contempt for himself in his bones.

    Liu Jing's heart burned with raging anger. He took a deep breath and said: "I am just a small official who has not joined the ranks. I have a low status. How can I be worthy of the noble daughter of the Cai family, Liu Jing?"  I am self-aware and appreciate Commander Cai¡¯s kindness.¡±

    The last bit of patience in Cai Mao's heart was finally exhausted by Liu Jing's uncooperation. He groaned deeply in his heart. He condescended to come to visit him. What a shame. He actually always resisted him. Such an ignorant person,  It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t win over them!

    Cai Mao didn't want to continue talking about his niece. He was extremely disgusted with Liu Jing in his heart, and a cloud quickly fell over his face, and his voice became stern, "You mean, you don't plan to marry a daughter of the Cai family, do you?  "

    Liu Jing no longer dealt with him. Since he wanted to break his face, he simply made his words clear.

    "If Military Advisor Cai thinks it is, then so be it!"

    "Good! Enjoyable."

    Cai Mao no longer had any politeness, stood up and said coldly: "I understand what you mean. From today on, I, the daughter of the Cai family, have nothing to do with you, so I say goodbye!"

    He stormed out angrily, walked out of the hospital in a few steps, waved his hand, "Let's go!"

    Liu Jing also walked to the gate and watched a group of people go away with cold eyes., he snorted disdainfully, "Pretending!"

    He saw through Cai Mao's hypocrisy and illusion

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 69 The Gaze of the Third Party

    [Explanation, considering that many readers have to go to work tomorrow morning, the three consecutive updates at 12 o'clock tonight will be postponed to 9 o'clock tomorrow morning; this one is a debt repayment update. Lao Gao owed four chapters plus when he published the world's heroes.  The unpaid debt has always been on my mind. In addition, readers who still have recommendation votes in their hands, please vote for Lao Gao!  ¡¿

    =====

    Compared with the hustle and bustle of the day, the night is silent, but only under the cover of night will the real people who are in charge of the overall situation appear one by one.

    At the same moment when Cai Mao visited Liu Jing, in front of a private house covering an area of ??about eight acres in the north of Xiangyang City, a black figure hurriedly walked from the street corner. In the darkness, his face could not be seen clearly, but his steps were quick and he looked a little anxious.  .

    He walked up the steps and knocked on the door. After a moment, the door creaked open, and a faint light shot out from the door, shining on the face of the person who knocked on the door. It turned out that he was Li Jun, the Jin Cao who had always been low-key and mysterious at the Youjiao Office.

    Li Jun stepped through the door and asked in a low voice: "Is Mr. Jia here?"

    "Here, waiting for you." A man holding a lantern said.

    Li Jun hurriedly walked towards the inner courtyard. In front of the door of a room, two sturdy men stood. Li Jun stepped forward and bowed his hands, "I want to see Mr. Jia."

    A big man immediately reported: "Sir, Li Jun wants to see you!"

    "Let him in!"

    The two big men moved out of the way. Li Jun took a deep breath to calm down his nervousness, opened the door and walked in.

    The light in the room is soft and the layout is simple. There are several couches and several rows of bookshelves guarding the wall. The bookshelves are filled with various bamboo slips.

    A middle-aged man was sitting on the couch reading a book. He was thin and gentle, but his eyes revealed a shrewdness that ordinary scribes did not have.

    His name is Jia Hong. He is an ordinary staff member under Cao Cao's account. He is usually responsible for sorting out some documents. Last year, he was sent to Jingzhou by Cao Cao and became Cao Cao's eyes and ears in Jingzhou. He was responsible for managing the detailed operations of Cao's army in the entire Jingzhou area.

    At this time, Li Jun hurriedly walked in, knelt down and bowed, "I am humble Li Jun, greeting sir!"

    "Captain Li, please excuse me and take a seat!"

    Li Jun sat down. He was actually one of the countless spies placed by Cao Jun in Jingzhou. He was originally a scout commander of Cao Jun. He was shrewd and capable. He came to Xiangyang two years ago and was placed in the Youjiao Station by the senior officials of Jingzhou who were close to Cao Cao.  , held the post of Jin Cao.

    Although he is not a big official, he has considerable power. He can bring a lot of information and has always been valued by Jia Hong. However, since Liu Jing became the governor of the Travel Bureau, Li Jun's importance has been highlighted again. Jia Hong went to him directly and asked him to  He collects information about Liu Jing every day, which is an order personally issued by Cao Cao.

    Jia Hong is also looking forward to Li Jun's arrival. What happened today has spread throughout Xiangfan and Xiangfan. Captain Zhang Yun of the Navy was punished. This is a big event anyway and must be reported to Cao Cao in time, but the truth and details in between  , only Li Jun knows best.

    "Let's talk about what happened today! I'm a little impatient." Jia Hong smiled slightly.

    ¡°What happened today is really exciting, with twists and turns. I really admire Liu Jing¡¯s quick wit and calmness.

    Although Li Jun's true identity was carefully crafted by Cao Jun, he really admired Liu Jing. He took care of Zhang Ping and beat Zhang Yun into disgrace only half a month after taking office. Liu Jing was just a sixteen-year-old boy, so he wanted to  It¡¯s surprising to think about.

    Li Jun slowly told Jia Hong what happened today, and Jia Hong wrote down Li Jun's narrative in detail.

    He put down his pen and read it carefully again, frowning slightly, "Is he so powerful?"

    "Biji was involved in this matter from the beginning to the end. Every word is true, and there is another news about Bizhong. He actually released the five hundred military slaves."

    "Oh? Are you serious?" Jia Hong didn't quite believe it. After all, freeing slaves was still very rare in this era.

    "It shouldn't be wrong. I heard what Liu Hu said. He went north with Liu Jing today, probably to solve the slave issue."

    Jia Hong finished writing the matter and handed the written thing to Li Jun, "Look, did I miss anything in what I wrote?"

    Li Jun took the white linen paper and read it carefully. It was basically consistent with what he said. He nodded, "No problem!"

    After Li Jun left, Jia Hong also showed a look of surprise on his face. Burning the police station, outsmarting Zhang Yun, and freeing the military slaves. So many things happened today, and they were all concentrated on one young man. The pair fell silent.  In the past few years, Jingzhou's officialdom has undoubtedly set off a small wave.

    ¡°It¡¯s not simple, it¡¯s interesting. Even Jia Hong realizes that more and more wonderful stories will happen to Liu Jing.

    He sorted it out again, put it in the envelope, and handed it to someone.?Messenger, "Go to Xuchang quickly and deliver this letter to the Prime Minister."

    The messenger received the letter and hurried away. Jia Hong looked at the messenger's retreating figure. He felt a little strange in his heart. The prime minister seemed to be very concerned about Liu Jing's situation. Why was this?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Cai Mansion, Cai Mao was sitting on the couch, listening to Cai Zhong report to him about contacting Zhang Yun. Since Zhang Ping was seriously injured by the fire, it would be difficult to save him.

    Zhang Ping¡¯s link between Cai and Zhang¡¯s family has been lost. Cai Zhong is Zhang Ping¡¯s brother-in-law, so he takes on the important role of this link.

    Today he went to see Zhang Yun specifically for this matter, hoping that the two factions of Cai and Zhang would formally form an alliance. This was something Cai Mao had repeatedly asked him to do.

    "Reporting to my brother, Zhang Yun is in a very low mood now. I said that I would join hands with him to deal with Liu Jing, but he was very frustrated and said that he had been warned by Zhou Mu and did not dare to act rashly again. No matter how I tried to persuade him, he refused to agree.  , really disappointing.¡±

    "Isn't this disappointing, but it's a sign that he's become smarter."

    Cai Hao sneered, "I don't think there will be any benefit from killing Liu Jing. It will just be a bad breath, but the price paid is so heavy. He has even been deprived of his career. If he doesn't learn his lesson,  In the next step, he won¡¯t even be able to keep his military position.¡±

    "But"

    Cai Zhong wanted to talk more about the relationship between Liu Jing and the Kuai family, but Cai Mao waved his hand impatiently and interrupted Cai Zhong, "I don't want to hear about Liu Jing now. Talk about the alliance between Cai and Zhang. I have discussed this with him.  ?"

    It¡¯s not that Cai Mao doesn¡¯t want to deal with Liu Jing, it¡¯s just that he doesn¡¯t want to discuss the matter with Cai Zhong. This person is stupid and reckless. If he knew what he was thinking, he might cause a lot of trouble.

    Cai Zhongzhong was a little disappointed. Even the head of the family was no longer interested in Liu Jing. He was the only one left. How could he deal with Liu Jing?  Frustrated, he had to put the matter aside for the time being and turn his thoughts to his brother's problem.

    "Reply to brother, I have talked with him."

    "Then what's his attitude?"

    Cai Zhong shook his head, "His attitude is not very cooperative and he doesn't seem to be very interested in the alliance between Cai and Zhang."

    "Why?" Cai Hao frowned and asked in confusion.

    "He saidwhy didn't my brother speak for him or defend him on the matter of Buqu? He couldn't feel his brother's sincerity."

    "What kind of sincerity does he want!"

    Cai Hao snorted heavily, feeling a little annoyed. In fact, he knew what Zhang Yun was referring to. He was also present when Zhang Yun was punished that day, but he remained silent.

    It¡¯s not that Zhang Yun didn¡¯t know the situation at that time. Liu Biao was just taking the opportunity to reduce his power. Who dared to object at that time? Besides, didn¡¯t he intercede for him?

    Cai Zhong sighed and said: "Brother, he was willing to form an alliance last time. I guess he was in a bad mood these past two days and said angry words. When he calms down, I will talk to him again and the problem will not be big.  "

    Cai Mao nodded. The Kuai family was their common enemy. He also felt that there should be no problem in forming an alliance between Cai and Zhang.

    "I'll leave it to you to form an alliance with Zhang Yun. This matter must be negotiated, so go ahead!"

    Cai Zhong bowed and hurriedly retreated. Cai Hao walked to the window and watched Cai Zhong walk out of the yard, his thoughts in his heart confused.

    He tried his best to sort out his clues and distinguish priorities. Although Liu Jing was hateful, he did not harm the fundamental interests of the Cai family. In Jingzhou, he was far from posing a threat to the Cai family.

    The real threats to the interests of the Cai family are Liu Bei, who is lured into the house by Liu Biao, and the Kuai family, who is secretly competing with the Cai family. These two are the real enemies of the Cai family. It is them that I should deal with, not a little brat.  .

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A carriage, escorted by dozens of cavalry, slowly stopped in front of the steps of Liu Mansion. The leader was Zhao Yun. He watched the situation in all directions vigilantly. A soldier stepped forward and opened the door, and pulled the lord Liu Bei out of the carriage.  Help out.

    Liu Qi, who was waiting at the door, quickly ran down the steps and came up to greet him. He knelt down and saluted: "My nephew Liu Qi pays homage to my uncle."

    Liu Bei quickly helped him up and said with a smile: "I have kept my nephew waiting for a long time. Is your father here?"

    "Father is waiting in the study. Please come with me, uncle."

    Sun Qian walked out of the carriage again. He smiled and said, "Master, then I won't go in."

    Liu Bei nodded, "Okay! Just wait outside."

    Liu Bei followed Liu Qi to the door of the mansion, and the housekeeper invited Zhao Yun, Sun Qian and others to rest elsewhere.

    "Uncle, there is something I have to remind you first."

    ? ?Seeing that there was no one around, Qi whispered: "About Zhang Yun, it's best for uncle not to mention it."

    "Oh! Why is this?" Liu Bei asked with a smile.

    "This afternoon, my aunt came to plead for Zhang Yun. Instead of agreeing, my father scolded my aunt and said that my aunt was arrogant and pampered my son. My father is still angry. My uncle must not mention Zhang Yun's matter. What my nephew means is  Say, don¡¯t plead for him.¡±

    "I understand, thank you nephew for reminding me."

    Liu Bei secretly thought that the eldest son was honest and trustworthy. He smiled and asked, "Can I tell you about Master Jing?"

    "It doesn't matter. My father thinks that Brother Jing is innocent this time. He just praised me for his righteous deeds and actually freed five hundred slaves. Most people can't do this."

    Liu Bei was a little surprised that there was such a thing. He didn't know about it.

    And Liu Biao actually appreciated this. Generally speaking, except for scholars and scholars who would judge it as a righteous act, those in power would not support it, because it would offend other large estate owners who owned slaves, that is, the powerful elite.

    If Liu Biao appreciates this, it can only mean that the number of farmers in Jingzhou has dropped sharply, which has affected the government's income, and Liu Biao is worried about this.

    If this is the case, will Liu Biao reduce Xinye¡¯s money and food supply?

    Liu Bei's heart tightened, and he couldn't help but quicken his pace, and followed Liu Qi to the study.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the study, Liu Biao was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. He was really in a good mood today. He took this opportunity to severely punish Zhang Yun and deprived him of his song. In this way, no one would dare to use the song privately. This  The cancer in Jingzhou may be cut away from this.

    Today, Zhang Yun complained about his grievances all afternoon, repeatedly confessing that he was not the one who set the fire and that he would not burn his own brothers to death. In fact, Liu Biao also understood that even if he gave Zhang Yun a hundred courages, he would not dare to do so at the beginning of the first month.  The government office was set on fire, and the fire was indeed burning strangely. Perhaps it was Liu Jing's trick.

    However, Liu Biao didn't want to investigate the matter. It didn't matter who started the fire. What was important was that he had already frightened all the officials. Zhang Yun was his nephew and was also deprived of his subordinates. Let's see who dares to do it without permission in the future.  Use the song.

    From this point of view, Liu Jing's resourcefulness in this matter was quite admired by Liu Biao.

    At this time, a guard reported from outside the house, "Lord, Uncle Liu is here!"

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 70 Liu Bei¡¯s Thoughts

    Liu Biao chuckled and walked out quickly. For Liu Biao, the benefit guarantee brought by Liu Bei's stationing in Xinye barely made up for Liu Bei's threat to Jingzhou. Although Liu Biao had concerns, at least he did a good job on the surface. Liu Biao  He was extremely polite and affectionate to Liu Bei and regarded him as his younger brother.

    "Xuande, I thought you would come last night, why did you delay it until today?" Liu Biao complained, pretending to be unhappy.

    Liu Bei quickly bowed and saluted, "I originally wanted to come to pay my brother a New Year's greeting last night, but I was worried that my brother would have too many things to do, so I didn't dare to disturb him. I hope I don't disturb my brother today."

    "My dear brother, what you said is wrong. Your visit is not a big deal. My dear brother, you are too humble."

    Liu Biao smiled and let Liu Bei into the study, and ordered people to arrange wine and food, "I must have a good drink with my dear brother tonight."

    Liu Bei smiled slightly, "Since my brother wants to drink, I have no choice but to be respectful rather than obey."

    The two sat down on the couch. After a while, the guards brought out seven or eight plates of exquisite side dishes and a jug of wine. Liu Biao poured Liu Bei a glass of wine and asked with concern: "My dear brother is stationed in Xinye, are there any difficulties?"

    Liu Bei shook his head, "We have enough money and food, and our soldiers are elite. There are no difficulties. Thank you for your concern, brother."

    Liu Biao sighed again and said: "Fortunately, Cao Cao is busy with the war in the north and has no time to take care of Jingzhou. Otherwise, Cao Cao's army will station in Nanyang, and the pressure on Xiandi will be great. But by then, I will definitely send reinforcements to Xiandi. Alas! Jingzhou Army  He is not good at fighting against the northern army and has no generals to use, so he can only rely on his wise brother. "

    Liu Biao's kind words were meaningless. Of course Liu Bei knew in his heart that if Cao's army pressed south, Liu Biao would most likely use Cao's army to eradicate him and would not give him more troops. Although he smiled bitterly in his heart, he thanked him in his mouth.  : "Brother, I am deeply grateful for your consideration!"

    Liu Biao smiled, "Come on! Let's drink first."

    The two drank a few glasses of wine, and Liu Bei pondered for a while and said: "Brother Shicai said that there are no generals in Jingzhou. In fact, this is not necessarily true. For example, Cai Mao, Zhang Yun, Huang Zhong, Wang Wei, and Wenpin are all generals in Jingzhou.  , Even Kuai Yue led troops to conquer Sun Jian, and there were many talents, but my brother was too worried. "

    Liu Biao smiled bitterly and said, "My good brother only knows one but not the other. Although Cai Mao and Kuai Yue are good, they are from Jingzhou aristocratic families and their will to resist Cao Jun is not firm. Zhang Yun only has a false name. Although Wang Wei has military power, he is not a commander in chief."  Weak, Huang Zhong is old, Wenpin can't support himself alone, Jingzhou's talent is really withering, how can he compare with the good brother Guan Zhang Zhao, I know it in my heart. "

    Liu Bei laughed and said, "In this case, I can recommend someone to my brother. This person is young and promising, and he is loyal. If he is well cultivated, he will definitely become the pillar of Jingzhou in a few years."

    Liu Biao¡¯s eyes lit up and he quickly leaned forward and said, ¡°Who are you talking about, brother Xian?¡±

    Liu Bei had no need, so he touched his chin and said with a smile: "This man is far away in the world, but close to my brother."

    "Who are you talking about, brother Xian? I don't quite understand."

    Liu Biao looked at Liu Bei with some confusion. Who was he referring to when he spoke so mysteriously?

    Liu Bei smiled, "I mean Mr. Jing, didn't you think of it, brother?"

    "He!" Liu Biao was slightly startled. He really didn't expect it.

    "But he is only sixteen years old, so he will be seventeen after the New Year! But now, is it too early to talk about him being the pillar of Jingzhou?"

    "But brother, have you ever thought about whether what he did can be done by an ordinary boy of sixteen or seventeen?"

    Liu Biao was silent. In fact, he had considered it. He also admired his nephew's skill and courage and wanted to reuse him. But what his wife said last time has been lingering in his heart. Will his nephew really replace his son?

    This is an aspect that worries him, which makes him always conflicted and difficult to make decisions.

    Liu Bei was such a slick person that he immediately guessed Liu Biao's thoughts and persuaded with a smile: "Actually, brother, don't worry too much. Nephew and prince are completely different things. The lord of Jingzhou can only be the prince. This is a convention. All the officials in Jingzhou know it well."  , On the contrary, only the blood relatives of the nephew will cherish the family business more and protect it with their lives. As the saying goes, fighting a war depends on the father and son. Since the elder brother is willing to reuse his nephew, of course he should reuse his nephew. "

    Liu Biao remembered Kuai Yue's advice, which was almost the same as Liu Bei's, persuading him to reuse his nephew. Liu Biao couldn't help but sigh, "He has performed very well, so I agreed to let him serve as the governor of the Youjiao Station at a young age.  It¡¯s just that he needs to walk step by step and accumulate qualifications. Because he is my nephew, I am more strict with him and must convince everyone.¡±

    Speaking of this, Liu Biao hesitated for a moment. Kuai Yue persuaded him and his eldest son also persuaded him. He both said he would consider it. Now Liu Bei also persuaded him. With this face, he finallyThis is too much to get over.

    "But my dear brother is right. Cao Cao is eyeing us. The time we have is really running out. We can no longer follow the rules and go slowly. If he is a talented person, we should let him stand out earlier. Okay! I will give him a due consideration.  New location."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Bei said goodbye and got on the carriage. With Liu Qi raising his hands and working hard, the carriage sped off into the night. Zhao Yun led dozens of cavalry guards to protect both sides of the carriage.

    In the carriage, Liu Bei thought for a long time and asked Sun Qian solemnly: "Gongyou, are you sure that this Liu Jing is a fake?"

    Sun Qian shook his head, "I'm really not sure, I can only guess. He is really not like the Liu Qilang I met seven years ago, unless Liu Wensheng also has a son."

    ¡°I¡¯ve asked around, Liu Wensheng only has one son, and it must be him.¡±

    Sun Qian hesitated for a moment, and then said: "But there are so many Liu Biao's tribesmen, how could they not recognize the real thing and the fake one, and they also participated in the sacrifice together, maybe he is real."

    "Humph! Those stupid ordinary people, they don't know what is true or false." Liu Bei sneered disdainfully.

    Sun Qian lowered his head and thought for a moment, but he still couldn't make this judgment. "My lord, after all, it was seven years ago, and it was only a one-time relationship. I can only say that he doesn't look alike, but I can't be sure."

    Liu Bei also had doubts in his eyes, is this Liu Jing real?  The window was dark, and Liu Bei's eyes became deeper. The matter was of great importance, and he must find out the truth.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, another news spread in Xiangyang and Fancheng. Master Jing actually released five hundred slaves.

    Five hundred slaves are a huge wealth even for a famous family like the Cai family, let alone the common people who have no chance to enjoy the service of slaves.

    This news was like a big stone falling into a thousand-year-old well, which aroused heated discussions in the two cities. Countless people were discussing this matter. In contrast, Zhang Yun's deprivation of officialdom was still a little far away from ordinary people.  A little further.

    "The act of giving up huge wealth by freeing five hundred slaves aroused everyone's interest, and many people were excited about it.

    Some people scolded Liu Jing for being stupid and prodigal, while others praised him for his righteous deeds of kindness. Of course, some people said that he was pretentious and trying to win people's hearts, but no matter whether they were praised or criticized, this time, even a three-year-old child knew the name of Mr. Jing.

    ¡®When you grow up, don¡¯t be like Mr. Jing and throw away all the valuable things at home.  ¡¯

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At noon, Liu Jing arrived at Xiangyang Wangjiang Tower on time. This tavern is located outside Beicheng, only more than 200 steps away from the dock. It is very famous in Xiangyang.

    The tavern occupies an area of ??about three acres, with a vegetable patch and stables in the backyard. Facing the official road is a two-story building with carved beams and painted beams. The whole body is painted red, which is quite elegant. However, it is old and some of the paint has fallen off in large areas.

    A three-foot-tall wooden pole carries a triangular apricot-yellow black-edged flag, with the words "Wangjiang Tower" written on one side and the big Chinese character "wine" written on the other side, which is very eye-catching.

    Liu Jing rode to the front of the tavern, got off the horse, and a steward waiting in front of the tavern came forward and bowed, "Master Jing, my master has been waiting for a long time."

    Liu Jing recognized the steward who had met him for the first time, so she smiled, handed him the reins of the war horse, and walked quickly towards the door of the tavern.

    In front of a window on the second floor, a beautiful girl wearing a white fox fur and a pink pleated skirt watched Liu Jing approaching. It was Tao Zhan who had resumed women's clothing. She saw that Liu Jing actually handed over the BMW horse.  His own steward smiled, revealing a very pretty and charming arc.

    The sound of climbing the stairs was heard, and Tao Zhan sat back down, waiting for Liu Jing to come with a smile. At this time, Liu Jing was led by the bartender to a seat separated by a screen. He walked around the screen, but his footsteps suddenly stopped.  .

    What is in front of me is not the Tao Zhan I saw two days ago, but a young girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a double bun, a lotus-like face, bright eyes and white teeth, and is extremely beautiful.

    "You are" Liu Jing asked hesitantly.

    Tao Zhan stood up and gave a salute with a smile like a flower, "Tao Zhan is my father. There is something going on in the family. Yesterday, my father rushed back to Chaisang. He is very sorry and specially ordered me to entertain the young master for him today. The little girl ranks ninth in the Tao family.  Young Master, you can call me Jiuniang.¡±

    It turned out that Tao Zhan had gone back. Liu Jing suddenly realized that he smiled and saluted quickly, "It turns out to be Miss Jiu. I was rude just now. There is no need to be so polite. Since your father has gone back, we can meet again another day. There is really no need to trouble the girl."

    Tao Zhan¡¯s eyes turned and he asked with a smile: ¡°Young master, what you mean is that womenIt is inconvenient for a noble person to show his face, or does it mean that we are strangers, and it is a bit rude for me to invite the young master to a banquet?  "

    "Thisis none of it."

    Liu Jing smiled awkwardly. This little girl is so smart. He was referring to the former. It was a bit unqualified for her father to let such a pretty and beautiful daughter come forward to treat him.

    Tao Zhan looked at him for a long time and smiled brightly, "I was just joking. Sir, please sit down!"

    The two of them sat opposite each other by the window, and several bartenders quickly brought food and wine. The dishes were exquisite and expensive, but relatively light, such as steamed saury, carp with raw meat, boiled turtle, etc.

    Tao Zhan wanted to pour wine for him, Liu Jing quickly grabbed the wine bottle, "No trouble, girl, I'll do it myself!"

    He poured himself a full glass of wine and asked with a smile, "Girl, do you want a drink?"

    Tao Zhan shook his head, "Sir, please excuse me. I want a pot of fruit pulp and I'll send it to you right away."

    Just as he was talking, the bartender brought a pot of fresh fruit pulp. Tao Zhan also poured half a cup of fruit pulp into his ear cup. He picked up the ear cup and said with a smile: "Master Jing freed five hundred slaves. It's amazing."  In admiration, Jiuniang offered the young master a glass of wine instead of wine."

 Volume 1, Chapter 71: Enemies meet on a narrow road

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly. The news about the five hundred slaves had already spread in Xiangfan and Xiangfan. It was probably Gan Ning who spread the word for him. Although this guy had good intentions, he pushed himself into the limelight. He didn't want others to know about it.  I thought I was just trying to gain fame.

    "Thank you, girl, Liu Jing will do it first!"

    Liu Jing drank the wine in the glass in one gulp. At this moment, he suddenly felt something in his heart. This girl's smile seemed familiar. Where had he seen it before?  But I couldn't remember it for a moment.

    Tao Zhan just took a shallow sip of the fruit juice, put down the earcup, and smiled and said: "I heard that the young master is going to marry a daughter of the Cai family. She is a talented man and a beautiful woman. Congratulations to the young master."

    Liu Jing didn¡¯t want to mention this matter in front of outsiders, but she didn¡¯t want to explain either. She just smiled lightly and said, ¡°Thank you, girl!¡±

    Liu Jing reached for the jug, but Tao Zhan moved a step faster and already had the jug in her hand. She pulled her sleeves, held the jug with her slender fingers, and filled a glass of wine for Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing saw Tao Zhan's hands were smooth and smooth, as white as grease, with the little finger slightly raised, and a jade hand as soft as boneless. His heart suddenly moved, this hand, isn't it?  £®  £®  £®  Tao Zhan's hand?

    He remembered that when he met Tao Zhan the day before yesterday, he felt that his hand was like a woman's, exactly the same as the hand in front of him. He was suspicious and looked at the other person's face again. Although his appearance was completely different, could that smile look so familiar?  Isn't this Tao Zhan's smile?

    Liu Jing suddenly remembered another thing. When Tao Zhan first learned about Gan Ning's breach of contract, the voice he shouted angrily was a woman's voice. He was distracted at the time. Now that he thinks about it, this is indeed a strange thing.  .

    "you"

    Liu Jing stood up and stared at Tao Zhan sharply, "Who are you?"

    "Didn't I just say it? I am the ninth lady of the Tao family. Is the young master weird?" Tao Zhan was not surprised at all and still looked at him with a smile.

    "You were lying to me the day before yesterday. You are obviously Tao Zhan!" Liu Jing stared at her and said word by word.

    ¡®Chi!  ¡¯ Tao Zhan covered his mouth and smiled. She couldn¡¯t hold it back any longer, and she laughed like a flower branch.

    "What are you laughing at? Am I right?" Liu Jing said angrily.

    "Hey! You guy, your eyes are quite tricky, you actually saw through me, you are the third one."

    "Humph!" Liu Jing snorted heavily. He thought of his senior, who yelled briefly for a long time. It turned out to be a girl pretending to be a girl. His face was a little confused, and his heart was a little angry.

    Liu Jing turned around and left. Tao Zhan had expected that he would leave in anger. Before he could take two steps, she flew forward like a butterfly and blocked his way.

    Tao Zhan bowed deeply to him and said softly: "Jiu Niang did not intend to deceive the young master. Now I apologize to the young master. Please forgive Jiu Niang's naughty heart."

    Seeing her sincere apology, Liu Jing calmed down a little and said calmly: "This is not a big deal, I won't take it to heart, but I really should go back."

    ¡°Young Master, are you sure you didn¡¯t leave because of this incident?¡± Tao Zhan asked seriously.

    "of course not!"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "Although I was a little dissatisfied just now, now that you have apologized, I don't care. My tolerance is not so narrow."

    "Then, is it a bit unbecoming of a guest for the young master to leave like this after having only one glass of wine and not taking a bite of the food? Or maybe it could be said that the young master is of high status and does not want to dine at the same table with me, the daughter of a merchant."

    Tao Zhan stared at Liu Jing with bright eyes, waiting for his answer.

    Of course, Liu Jing still wanted to leave because he was angry in his heart, but Tao Zhan's intelligence made him speechless for a while. After a while, he said: "Girl, you are serious. I am not a arrogant person."

    "Since you are not a noble person, why don't you drink two more glasses? Is it because you think the wine here is not good?" Tao Zhan asked again with a smile.

    At this time, Liu Jing thought of the furniture and the lamp that she gave him. He liked it very much and had not thanked her yet. Thinking of this, the anger in his heart was immediately relieved.

    Liu Jing touched her nose and laughed, "Actually, I mainly think that the food is a bit bland and not to my taste, and the portion is too small, so I won't be full"

    Tao Zhan couldn't help but smile again, his eyes moved, and he rolled his eyes at him, "Then why didn't you tell me earlier? It cost me a lot of trouble."

    Tao Zhan immediately called the bartender over and ordered him: "Another five kilograms of roasted deer breast, a roasted lamb, a red braised large crucian carp, and another"

    "That's enough! That's enough!" Liu Jing quickly stopped her.

    "Okay, hurry up and get it delivered to me right away!"

    The bartender agreed and rushed away. The two sat down again. Liu Jing was unhappy just now.Soon the ice and snow melted.

    He took a closer look at Tao Zhan¡¯s face and secretly admired, this girl¡¯s disguise skills are really good!  Even though he was made up to look like a middle-aged man, there was no flaw at all.

    Tao Zhan¡¯s pretty face turned red due to his bright gaze, and he said coquettishly: ¡°Does Mr. Jing also like to stare at the face of the daughter of the Cai family like this?¡±

    Liu Jing then realized that she was being rude and apologized quickly: "I was just curious about the girl's disguise skills. I really didn't mean anything else."

    Tao Zhan picked up the flask again and filled a glass of wine for him. He smiled and said, "I don't care if you have other intentions, but you will be punished for being disrespectful. I will fine you three drinks. Do you agree or not?"

    "Okay! I'll get drunk and the girl will take me back."

    "Of course it's okay to send you back, but aren't you afraid that the BMW will be mine from now on?"

    Liu Jing chuckled and waved her hand, "If you like that horse, girl, I will give it to you."

    "Are you really willing to give it to me?"

    Tao Zhan looked at Liu Jing with his wonderful eyes, and there was a mischievous smile in his eyes, "Aren't you afraid that I will pass it on to the Sun brothers and sisters? They have asked me again and again."

    "This" Liu Jing scratched his head. He suddenly realized that this girl was very powerful and there were some things that she couldn't say nonsense.

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and smiled, "A gentleman does not take away the love of others. Although I am not a gentleman, some gentlemen are not as good as a little girl like me. Of course I will not ask for your horse, but you must drink the three glasses of wine as a penalty."

    "Okay! I accept the punishment."

    Liu Jing picked up the ear cup and drank it all in one gulp. Tao Zhan saw that he was happy and felt happy. She poured him two more glasses of wine and also poured half a glass of wine for herself. She picked up the ear cup and said with a smile: "Young Master is a generous person."  My dear, I¡¯ll give you another drink, thank you for giving me face.¡±

    At this time, two bartenders brought a roasted whole lamb. Liu Jing was hungry, so she picked up the meat cleaver and ate without ceremony.

    Tao Zhan picked up the wine glass and drank carefully. He stared at Liu Jing with eyes as clear as pool water, but he was thinking about the marriage between Liu Jing and Cai Shaoyu. He heard that the daughter of the Cai family was famous for being unruly and arrogant. This young master Jing married  She obviously got married for the benefit of the Liu and Cai families, but it just ruined the happiness of marriage. What a pity!

    "What is the girl thinking about? She seems to have something on her mind." Liu Jing put down the knife, picked up a towel and wiped the greasy hands and corners of his mouth, and glanced at Tao Zhan.

    Tao Zhan raised his crescent-shaped eyebrows and smiled leisurely, "I was wondering what kind of impression I left on you today, cunning, dishonest, or some other depressing words."

    "It's not that serious."

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Smart, intelligent, beautiful and intelligent, this is the impression you gave me. You don't look like a businessman's daughter at all."

    "What does Mr. Jing think a businessman's daughter should be like?" Tao Zhan looked at Liu Jing and his expression became serious.

    Liu Jing also realized that he had made a mistake and shouldn't have said this, which implied discrimination. He quickly explained: "I'm just talking about ordinary small businessmen in the street, like the Tao family, who are as rich as the enemy in Jingzhou and Soochow.  Guests here, it is difficult to equate your Tao family with ordinary businessmen, please don¡¯t misunderstand me.¡±

    Tao Zhan shook his head, "Maybe the Tao family is different from the kind of market merchants you mentioned, but the Tao family is still a merchant, just a bigger merchant, and they still make profits from business. I know the status of a merchant very well, Mr. Jing, there is no need to be deliberately  explain."

    At this point, Tao Zhan's pretty face revealed a smile as fragrant as a bud, "Young master Jing is the nephew of Zhou Mu, with noble royal blood, but he is willing to condescend to dine with me, the daughter of a businessman. I am already grateful."  No. I don¡¯t have any resentment towards you.¡±

    Liu Jing was silent for a long time, and then said slowly: "Why do you deceive yourself like this? You clearly know that I am just talking casually, but you still want to belittle yourself, and then put a hat of discriminating against businessmen on my head. Does it mean that you have high self-esteem?"  If I, Liu Jing, were discriminating against businessmen, would I come to the banquet and deliberately make friends with your Tao family? Miss Tao, you underestimate me, Liu Jing."

    Tao Zhan stared deeply at Liu Jing with her shining eyes. There was no admiration in her eyes, but observation, using her girlish sensitivity to capture every expression of Liu Jing and the sincerity in every word.  .

    She secretly thought: 'I am not easily deceived. It is not easy to win my trust by saying a few nice words.  ¡¯

    ¡°However, from Liu Jing¡¯s words, she did feel sincerity and not hypocrisy, ¡®Could it be.  £®  £®  Did he really not discriminate against my status as a businessman?  ¡¯

    Tao Zhan¡¯s eyes flashed, and he smiled and said: ¡°We won¡¯t talk about this for the time being. It¡¯s harmless. Let¡¯s talk about something interesting! For example, your marriage to the Cai family.¡±

    Liu JingHe frowned and was about to speak when he heard footsteps coming from outside the screen, followed by a young man's voice. His tone was extremely unhappy, "This has always been my seat, why did you give it to someone else?"

    "I don't dare, I don't dare! I thought the young master wouldn't come today, so" This was the shopkeeper's pleading voice.

    "Get rid of everyone inside!" The person came in an unusually strong tone.

    Liu Jing recognized the voice, and it turned out to be Liu Cong. Before he could get up, the shopkeeper hurriedly walked in and said with a bitter face: "Master, I'm sorry, please change seats!"

    Tao Zhan¡¯s pink face sank. She was treating them today, but she wanted to drive them away, which made her lose face. She was about to rebuke angrily, but Liu Jing waved her hand to stop her.

    "let me!"

    Liu Jing did not stand up, but smiled faintly and said, "Brother Cong, are you going to drive me away?"

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 72, Unreasonable Making Trouble

    It was Liu Cong outside. He heard Liu Jing's voice and was startled. How could it be him?  He quickly turned around the screen and saw Tao Zhan. His eyes couldn't help but light up, and he looked straight, 'Oh my God!  Is there such a beautiful woman in the world?  ¡¯

    Tao Zhan was disgusted by his direct gaze and turned away, ignoring him. Liu Cong secretly praised in his heart: 'Wonderful, wonderful, such a beautiful girl!  ¡¯

    He then turned around and saw Liu Jing, and immediately laughed, "I asked why the voice sounded so familiar. It turned out to be brother Jing. What, are you eating too?"

    Liu Jing smiled, which was regarded as acquiescence. At this time, a few more people came outside the screen. The first person was a young man, of medium height, gentle and elegant. He was Cai Yi, the eldest son of Cai Mao, who was Liu Xian's assistant in Jingzhou. But Liu Jing  Jing has never seen him.

    But he was very familiar with the latter two. One was Cai Jin, who was competing with him. He seemed to have fully recovered, and was in high spirits and looking good.

    "The other person is Cai Shaoyu. She is wearing a black otter fur and a light yellow skirt. She has a thin layer of powder on her face, and her lips are reddish-pink, making her skin look a bit white and bright.

    Liu Jing's eyes only glanced at her face, and her eyes met Cai Jin's, and both of them smiled slightly.

    Since he warned Liu Jing, the relationship between the two has improved a lot. They are no longer hostile to each other, but a kind of sympathy between opponents.

    Cai Shaoyu also walked into the screen, and Tao Zhan was sitting opposite. Her eyes happened to catch sight of this beautiful girl, but there was no admiration like Liu Cong in her eyes, but a kind of surprise and jealousy.

    She was surprised at first when she heard Liu Jing's voice, and anger just emerged from her heart. She never expected that Liu Jing was actually with a beautiful girl.

    Anger then turned into surprise, but this trace of surprise was like the dead leaves still hanging on the trees in early winter, which disappeared after a gust of cold wind.

    Cai Shaoyu's eyes turned cold. She quickly glanced at Liu Jing with the corner of her eye, and then glanced at Tao Zhan. She felt extremely contemptuous in her heart. Where did this wild girl come from?

    But Cai Shaoyu immediately felt uncomfortable. She discovered that this wild girl was wearing a rare white fox fur, and although the black otter fur she wore was also more expensive, it was much inferior to this wild girl.

    ¡°I guess this wild girl¡¯s status is not low, this damn Liu Jing actually had dinner with another woman!

    Cai Shaoyu's anger rose again, and she asked coldly: "Master Cong, where do you think we should eat?"

    Liu Cong quickly smiled and said: "Since we are brother Jing and not outsiders, let's get together!"

    At this moment, he forgot that Liu Jing was his love rival, and couldn't help but secretly glance at Tao Zhan, and said to Liu Jing with a smile on his face: "Brother Jing, you don't want to introduce me, this girl is"

    Before Liu Jing could speak, Tao Zhan said first, "The little girl is the daughter of Chaisang Xiushuitinghou, her name is Wuniang."

    The Marquis of Xiushuiting is the title of Zhu Ling, another wealthy family in Chaisang, and has a very good relationship with the Tao family. Tao Zhan obviously does not want Liu Cong to know her true identity.

    She smiled at Liu Jing again and said, "Master Jing, I'll take my leave now. You and your companions can continue!"

    She stood up, nodded slightly to Cai Shaoyu, and left in a hurry. However, Cai Shaoyu had cold eyes and ignored her. He looked to the other side with a straight face.

    At this time, Liu Jing stood up and looked at the sky, and smiled at Liu Cong: "Brother Cong, I still have official duties to attend to in the afternoon. I will drink with you another day, so I'll take the first step."

    Without waiting for Liu Cong to object, he handed over to Cai Jin and Cai Yi and left in a hurry. From the beginning to the end, he did not even look at Cai Shaoyu.

    Cai Shaoyu glanced sideways at Liu Jing's back and saw that he was walking very fast, obviously chasing the girl in front of him. For some reason, she felt an indescribable sadness in her heart.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Miss Tao, wait a minute!"

    As soon as Tao Zhan walked out of the tavern door, Liu Jing chased him from behind. Tao Zhan stopped, tilted his head and asked with a smile: "Aren't you going to accompany your friend?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "If you don't like drinking with them, it's better to go back."

    A carriage stopped in front of Tao Zhan, and Tao Zhan smiled sweetly, "Then let's go back to Fancheng together!"

    The steward also brought Liu Jing¡¯s war horse. Liu Jing got on the horse and urged the horse and carriage to move slowly. However, he did not notice that a jealous look was flashing in the second floor window.

    Tao Zhan opened the car curtain and leaned on the car window with his arms, revealing a pretty peach blossom-like smile. She asked curiously: "Master Jing, who was that young lady just now? She was quite arrogant."

    "Of course she is arrogant!"

    Liu Jing sneered, "The Cai family'sMaster, doesn¡¯t Miss Tao still want to talk to me about her?  "

    "is her!"

    Tao Zhan was immediately stunned, "She, she is engaged to you, how can she go out drinking alone with other men? This is a bit too much!"

    Liu Jing snorted disdainfully, ¡®Engagement!  ¡¯ It¡¯s just a joke.

    "Miss Tao, I have never acknowledged any engagement. What does she have to do with me?"

    Tao Zhan became even more interested, and her eyes were full of curious smiles, "Tell me quickly, has something happened to you again?"

    Liu Jing was helpless. Various rumors spread that he and Cai Shaoyu had entered into an engagement, which made it difficult for him to tell anyone.

    Normally, he would ignore it and disdain to explain, but for some reason, he wanted Tao Zhan to know the truth right now. Perhaps it was because Cai Shaoyu actually followed Liu Cong out for dinner, which made him unable to show off his face in front of Tao Zhan.  .

    Of course, there might be some other reasons, but Liu Jing didn't want to think too much about it at this time.

    "Nothing happened!"

    Liu Jing said bitterly: "I have nothing to do with her. She doesn't look down on me at all. The so-called marriage contract is just the wish between the elders, and it is only the wish of one party. The Cai family has never agreed. Yesterday Cai Hao came to see me,  We have talked it over and I have nothing to do with his daughter.¡±

    "That's it. No wonder you ignored her, but"

    Tao Zhan smiled a little mysteriously, "I don't think she is very indifferent to you. I believe in my feelings."

    "You are just making a wild guess. More than a month ago, she went to the Liu Mansion to act bad, crying that she would never marry me. As a result, I left the Liu Mansion."

    "So you were kicked out of the Liu Mansion!" Tao Zhan covered his mouth and chuckled.

    At this moment, there was a sound of horse hoofbeats coming from behind. The sound of horse hoofbeats was rapid, as if they were chasing someone. Liu Jing turned around and was stunned. She saw Cai Shaoyu chasing after him on horseback with an angry look on his face.

    "Liu Jing, stop!"

    Cai Shaoyu ran forward, reined in his horse, pointed the whip at him and angrily shouted: "What did you say to my father last night?"

    Tao Zhan gave an order, and the carriage moved forward a dozen steps and stopped. She leaned against the window, as if she was sitting on the clouds and watching the fighting in the lower world.

    Liu Jing was really tired of this little girl who kept causing trouble for him. He held back his anger and said coldly: "Miss Cai, you should ask your father about this matter. What does it have to do with you and me?"

    "You not only insulted my father, but you also want to marry my cousin again, don't you?"

    Cai Shaoyu¡¯s voice was very sharp, and several passers-by were so frightened that they quickly ran away. Tao Zhan, who was not far away, was slightly startled, wondering why he had lured Cai¡¯s niece out again.

    However, Cai Mao's niece is not worthy of Liu Biao's nephew. After all, the relationship is between monarch and minister. It should be Cai Shaoyu who is suitable for Liu Jing.

    Having said that, Cai Shaoyu's excuse for running away angrily seemed a little too weak. She actually kept saying that Liu Jing insulted her father. Who is her father? The second most powerful person in Jingzhou, can Liu Jing be able to bully her?

    Her words were like an excuse made by a child after doing something wrong. Thinking of 'excuse', Tao Zhan's heart suddenly moved, and she noticed that Cai Shaoyu's eyes accidentally glanced towards her, and his eyes were clearly full of jealousy.

    Tao Zhan understood it all at once and couldn't help but smile to himself. This silly boy will definitely be angered by this girl.

    Sure enough, Liu Jing was angered by Cai Shaoyu's unreasonable troubles. He couldn't bear it anymore and said angrily: "That's enough! Don't think that I care about your Cai family. I don't even care about you. Let alone the Cai family's niece. Let's go! Don't be here  It¡¯s a disgrace here.¡±

    Cai Shaoyu¡¯s face turned red, her chest heaved violently, and suddenly, ¡®Wow!  ¡¯ He cried loudly, turned his horse¡¯s head, whipped his horse violently, and galloped away.

    Liu Jing felt her head was as big as a bucket. She had never seen such a cunning and stupid woman. Mrs. Cai was much smarter than her.

    After a long while, Liu Jing sighed and urged her horse to follow the carriage without saying a word. Tao Zhan took a sneak peek and saw that his face was gloomy and his anger was not gone.  .

    "Alas!" Liu Jing finally sighed, "People say that a tiger father has no sons, so even a daughter should be good. I don't know how Cai Mao raised such a naughty and stupid daughter."

    ¡°Perhaps the young master doesn¡¯t know her well, but actually I think she is quite cute and a sweetheart.¡±

    ¡®A sweetheart?  ¡¯ Liu Jing snorted coldly, ¡°If in the future your husband also has a bad temper and beats and scolds frequently, then he will also be a temperamental person. Do you like it?¡±

    Tao Zhan blushed and said angrily: "Master,What nonsense are you talking about!  "

    Liu Jing waved her hands quickly, "It's just a joke, girl, don't be angry!"

    Tao Zhan wasn¡¯t angry, but he didn¡¯t speak anymore. The two walked a dozen more steps, and Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°I hope this stupid girl won¡¯t bother me again!¡±

    Tao Zhan secretly smiled in his heart, "A girl's heart is like a needle in the sea, how can a stupid guy like you understand it!"  ¡¯

    The two of them crossed the river by boat. Liu Jing was going back to pay the deposit, while Tao Zhan was returning to the trading company. Tao Zhan stopped him, "Master Jing!"

    Liu Jing urged her horse forward, cupped her hands and said with a smile, "Do you have any other instructions, young lady?"

    Tao Zhan was a little unhappy when she thought about being disappointed at dinner today, but Liu Jing's smiling face made her couldn't help but laugh, "I invited you to dinner today, but you were disappointed. Why don't I do it again another day?"  Please, are you willing to give me, a businessman¡¯s daughter, some face?¡±

    "Since the girl said this, how can I say no? You decide the time and place!"

    Tao Zhan tilted his head and thought for a while, then said: "I can't decide at the moment. Anyway, you agreed. I will send you a post in a few days."

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait for news from the girl.¡±

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and smiled, his eyes flowing like autumn water. The gauze curtain of the car window was gently lowered, leaving only a delicate figure on the gauze curtain. The carriage slowly started and drove towards Fancheng.

    Liu Jing kept watching the carriage disappear, looked up at the blue sky, and breathed a long sigh of relief. He unexpectedly found that the sky was so blue, as pure as a transparent gem.

    He also discovered that the hustle and bustle on the dock was actually so full of vitality, and everything in the world became beautiful.

    "Drive¡ª¡ª"

    He clamped his legs and urged his horse to gallop towards the temporary detention center not far away

 Volume 1, Chapter 73: Obtained a new position

    Let¡¯s develop them separately!  It affects clicks too much. Three chapters were published in a row, but there was only one click. It has fallen seriously behind on the recommendation list. I hope some book friends who have not voted for it will support Lao Gao.

    ¡¾Next chapter, tomorrow around 11:30 noon¡¿

    ====

    As soon as he arrived at the door of the Youqing Office, Liu Hu rushed out and said urgently: "Brother Jing, uncle has sent people to look for you twice. Go quickly!"

    Liu Jing was startled. Before he could think about it, he turned his horse and ran towards the pier. Liu Hu quickly followed him on horseback, "Brother Jing, wait for me. I'll go with you."

    "Tiger, did the messenger say anything?" Liu Jing asked on the ferry.

    "No, but my uncle seems to be in a hurry. The messenger asked me to look for you. I have searched all over Fancheng. Uncle Meng and Little Baozi don't know where you have gone?"

    Liu Hu¡¯s eyes were filled with complaints, ¡°Where have you been?¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and looked towards Xiangyang City. He had a hunch that it was a good thing that Liu Biao was looking for him anxiously.

    The two of them crossed the river and entered Xiangyang City, then rode towards the Liu Mansion.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Today is the third day of the first lunar month, and it is also the last day of rest for the government. For Liu Biao, who has been busy for two days, it is his first day of rest. At this time, Liu Biao is sitting in the study room reading. He likes to read books most in his life and collects them.  There are so many books, and they are among the best in Jingzhou.

    Liu Biao didn't want to be disturbed when he was reading, and needed absolute silence. However, he seemed a little restless at this time. He was waiting for Liu Jing. It had been almost an hour since he sent someone to inform him, but Liu Jing was delayed in coming. This made Liu Biao feel uncomfortable.  Wei Wei was a little unhappy.

    Although Liu Biao was just a shepherd in Jingzhou, he was a direct descendant of the Han Dynasty, and he had no obstacles in his mind to join the Nine Five-Year Plan. He felt that he was more suitable to inherit the Han Dynasty than the current emperor, especially when Cao Cao used the emperor to control the princes.  It is unshirkable responsibility for the continuation of the Liu family's country.

    Although he was ambitious, Liu Biao did not dare to march to the north to attack Cao Cao. He knew that he was far from Cao Cao's opponent. Even if Yuan Shao invited him to attack Cao's army from the north to the south, he did not dare to send troops because of doubts.

    Liu Biao¡¯s biggest wish was to support the south, establish the Southern Han Dynasty, and continue the Han Dynasty in the south.

    Although Liu Biao had ambitions, he did not have the courage. Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, and Huang Zu, whom he trusted most, all firmly opposed his having such an idea, turning Liu Biao's ambitions into a fantasy.

    In the past two days, Liu Biao's eyes were focused on his nephew Liu Jing. After the New Year, this child should be seventeen years old. Seventeen years old is the beginning of making achievements. Whether it is Kuai Yue, Liu Bei, or the eldest son Liu Qi's advice  Even he could not make Liu Biao get rid of his suspicion of Liu Jing.

    His Jingzhou inheritance must be passed down to his son. No one can pry it, not even his nephew. The more capable Liu Jing appears, the more worried Liu Biao becomes.

    But on the other hand, Liu Jing is his nephew after all, and he is more worthy of his trust than outsiders. In particular, he is smart and capable. If he is trained well, he can indeed become the right-hand man of his eldest son Liu Qi. Everything has two sides, it depends on how he is.  arranged.

    It was Liu Bei¡¯s repeated persuasion last night that finally made Liu Biao make his decision.

    At this time, the guard reported outside the door: "Master, Mr. Jing is here, and Mr. Tiger is here too!"

    "Let them two come in!" Liu Biao put down his book and waited for Liu Jing to enter.

    Liu Jing and Liu Hu quickly walked into the study, knelt down and saluted together, "Greetings, uncle!"

    Liu Hu is Liu Biao's nephew, and he is a little different from Liu Jing, but Liu Biao also likes him very much, and likes his stupidity and honesty.

    Relatively speaking, Liu Biao didn't like Liu Hu's brother Liu Qing too much. Liu Qing's qualifications were mediocre and nothing outstanding.

    "You two, get up!" Liu Biao said with a smile.

    The two stood up and stood with their hands down. Liu Biao smiled at Liu Hu and said, "Hu'er, please stand aside first. I'll say a few words to your brother Jing first."

    Liu Hu hurriedly took two steps back and stood against the wall. Liu Biao then asked Liu Jing, "I heard that you freed five hundred slaves?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "That's true!"

    "Why?" Liu Biao looked at him and asked.

    "Reporting to my uncle, if there are more slaves, the number of homesteaders will inevitably decrease, which is not good for the government's tax revenue. My nephew has always been opposed to slavery, but he is a soft-spoken person and cannot persuade the rich. He can only do his best and restrain himself."

    Liu Jing's remarks against slavery were in Liu Biao's heart. If Jingzhou had enough homesteaders and sufficient taxes, he would be much less dependent on the major wealthy families in Jingzhou. Unlike now, where almost half of the military rations are provided  They were all provided by wealthy families, so that he could not afford to offend the Jingxiang family.

    However, Liu Jing¡¯s approach still made Liu Biao slightly embarrassed.Displeased, he freed the slaves without asking for his consent. Once word spread, although Liu Jing's reputation was gained, he was his nephew. This made the Jingxiang family think that the slaves were freed.  What he meant was to hint at them.

    It can only be said that Liu Jing was a little reckless in doing things. Although he was not satisfied in his heart, Liu Biao did not want to say more. He just said lightly: "It is good to increase the number of farmers, but these slaves returned to Runan and increased Cao Cao's number of farmers.  Instead, he became an enemy, what do you say?"

    Liu Jing was already prepared in his heart. He knew that Liu Biao would definitely be dissatisfied with this matter. He said calmly: "Uncle, please calm down. My nephew has something to say. These slaves were originally prisoners of war of the Yellow Turban Army. Because you  The people of the South and the Yellow Turban Army supported Liu Bei. Cao Cao issued a killing order and almost killed all the Yellow Turban Army who supported Liu Bei. When these people return to their hometowns, life will not be easy. Most of them will bring their children to Jingzhou.  Once settled, the five hundred people will become two to three thousand, increasing the population of Jingzhou, which will be a good thing for Jingzhou. "

    Liu Biao's expression softened a little. Liu Jing's words made sense. This situation was likely to happen. The dissatisfaction in his heart gradually disappeared, and a smile finally appeared on his face.

    Liu Biao's smile made Liu Jing sigh in relief. Just like a ship rushing out of the rapids, he finally passed this level, and the next step should be smooth sailing.

    "Okay! Let's not talk about this matter for now."

    Liu Biao let go of the slave matter and turned to the main topic of the day, "I came to you today because I want to talk to you about the travel agency. This is your first duty. Let me ask you first. How do you feel?  Are you suitable for this position?¡±

    Liu Jing thought for a while and said, "My nephew has only been in this position for more than half a month. The people under him are very hardworking and the work is done smoothly. Thank you uncle for your concern."

    "It's not bad! It's only half a month to be able to do it smoothly. It's really not easy, but"

    Liu Biao changed his tone and asked with a smile: "I mean, do you want to change seats?"

    Liu Jing was secretly looking forward to it. It seemed that Liu Biao really planned to reuse him. In fact, Liu Jing didn't want to do anything as a superintendent. Although he was rich in oil and water and was stared at by many people, that was not what he wanted to do.  matter.

    ????????????????????????????????????????

    And the reason why he went to the Youqiang Office was actually because Kuai Yue had another purpose and it was not his will.

    Liu Jing controlled her emotions and said respectfully: "My uncle has arranged it, and my nephew dare not disobey it."

    "Really?" Liu Biao said with a faint smile, "But there are some arrangements, but you would rather die than obey!"

    Liu Hu's face turned pale with fright. Brother Jing actually preferred death to his uncle's arrangement. How he had such courage was simply unimaginable.

    Liu Jing's face heated up. He knew that Liu Biao was referring to the marriage with the Cai family, which was a life-long matter, so of course he couldn't obey it.

    At this time, Liu Jing suddenly remembered Cai Mao¡¯s visit last night, and thought to herself, ¡®Should I tell Liu Biao about this?  ¡¯

    Liu Jing dismissed her idea as soon as she thought about it. Liu Biao didn't mention it. Cai Hao obviously kept silent. So why did he say it? In order to save Cai Hao's face, Liu Biao would blame himself instead, and maybe he would do it again.  Mentioning the matter of marriage is self-defeating.

    Liu Jing lowered his head and said nothing.

    Liu Biao just said it casually and didn't take it to heart. He continued with a smile: "Xuande repeatedly persuaded me to reuse you last night. In fact, you are my nephew. How could I not use you? I just considered that you are still young and have seniority."  It's not enough. If I use you too much, some people will say that I value relatives and neglect the virtuous. So I have been thinking about it again and have been unable to make a decision. But now I have figured it out. To fight a war, we still need to rely on father and son soldiers. Since you calmed down the Zhangwu War in Jiangxia  With your performance, I decided to let you join the army."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. This was exactly what he expected. He immediately bowed down and said, "My nephew is willing to obey my uncle's arrangements."

    Liu Biao nodded, stared at Liu Jing and said, "But you have to understand that I can't give you a high position."

    "My nephew understands my uncle's painstaking efforts."

    "It's good that you understand. The reason why Zhang Yun was promoted to captain at such a young age was due to his accumulation of merit. However, you have little qualifications and it is not a good thing to establish a high position at a young age. Therefore, I appoint you as a military prince in my direct army, commanding five hundred people.  ,Is there a problem?"

    The military marquis is also the commander of the Qu. He is one level higher than the camp commander and lower than the Yajiang. He is a middle- and lower-level officer. Liu Jing was slightly disappointed. He thought he was at least a Yajiang, but he did not expect that Liu Biao was only transferred at the same level.

    "You can only command an army of five hundred, and you are in the army directly under your command."It slightly made up for Liu Jing's loss.

    "I'm grateful to my uncle for the promotion. My nephew is fine."

    Liu Biao is such a person. He caught the flash of disappointment on Liu Jing's face. He was secretly amused. Liu Jing's loss was expected by him. He was just a horizontal transfer to him. Of course he would be disappointed.  .

    After thinking for a moment, Liu Biao smiled and said: "In addition, I am going to use Gan Ning. Now you should be satisfied!"

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. Gan Ning was finally activated. The disappointment in his heart was immediately swept away. This was what he looked forward to most. He didn't know how Liu Biao planned to use Gan Ning. He looked at Liu Biao expectantly.

    Liu Biao smiled slightly, "Zhang Wu and Chen Sun have been wiped out, and there is a shortage of people to guard Yangxin County. After much thought, I still think Gan Ning is the most suitable. This morning, I have made him a military commander to guard Yangxin County."

    ?¡­.  .

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 74, An Unexpected Letter

    Liu Jing didn't say anything for a long time. Gan Ning finally went to Jiangxia. Moreover, Gan Ning was a general on the water, but he was asked to guard the hinterland of Jiangxia. This.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing sighed in his heart, he didn't know what to say. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms said that Huang Zu treated Gan Ning poorly, but in fact, the root cause still lies with Liu Biao.

    Sun Quan knew that he could use talents and eventually succeeded in becoming an emperor. Cao Cao relied on talents and finally unified the north. Liu Biaokong had talented people such as Kong Ming, Pang Tong, and Xu Shu, as well as generals such as Huang Zhong, Gan Ning, Wenpin, and Wei Yan.  In the end, the foundation was lost, and it must be said that Liu Biao had problems with his employment.

    Maybe he has difficulties, but who doesn¡¯t?  It depends on how to deal with difficulties. People who are trapped by difficulties and have no courage to solve problems will never achieve great things.

    Take the matter of using Qubu for personal use as an example. It has been eleven years and this problem has not been solved yet. It is still a small thing that led to Zhang Yun being attacked. However, when Zhang Yun was announced as guilty, Qubu was not mentioned at all.  If you worry about gains and losses, and are afraid of hands and feet, can you really limit the proliferation of curves?

    Liu Jing secretly sighed in his heart. Autumn can be seen in a leaf. From Liu Biao's appointment of Gan Ning, it can be seen that this man is too scheming, employs people with suspicion, and does not have the courage to do big things. If it were him, he would let Gan Ning guard Chaisang.  With sincerity, could Gan Ning surrender to Soochow?

    At this moment, Liu Jing suddenly remembered a fatal thing. If he joined the army and the military regulations were strict and he was not allowed to leave the military camp without authorization, what should he do if he practiced martial arts?

    This thought jumped into his heart, and Liu Jing suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. He had forgotten this most critical thing. His lips moved, but he didn't know what to say.

    Liu Biao saw Liu Jing's abnormal expression. He thought Liu Jing had an opinion about Gan Ning's affairs, and he felt a little unhappy, "What, you are not satisfied with Gan Ning's arrangement?"

    Liu Jing shook her head quickly, "My nephew doesn't dare because of his own affairs. My nephew has other reasons."

    "If you have any difficulties, you can tell me."

    Perhaps Liu Biao also realized that his attitude was a bit cold. After all, he was his nephew and still a child. He should be more tolerant. His face began to become gentle and he smiled: "Jing'er, your parents have passed away.  , I am your dearest person, if you have any difficulties, just tell me, uncle will try his best to help you."

    Liu Jing didn't want to talk about his martial arts training, but if he didn't, he couldn't find a reason to make special requests. Unfortunately, Liu Jing had no choice but to hesitate and said: "Reporting to uncle, my nephew actually practices martial arts in Hanshui every night and cannot leave Hanshui.  , the nephew begged his uncle to place his nephew in the Navy."

    Liu Hu¡¯s eyes widened and he thought to himself: ¡®Hey, my dear, it turns out that he is practicing martial arts in the Han River. No wonder he has made rapid progress. This kid actually secretly hid it from everyone. I don¡¯t even know what kind of training method is used to practice martial arts in the water?  ¡¯

    Liu Hu was obsessed with learning martial arts, and a glimmer of hope arose in his heart as to whether he could learn something.

    Liu Biao was also very interested and said with a smile: "I see, this is the first time I heard of someone practicing martial arts in Hanshui. In fact, you can be placed anywhere, but the key is that you have to tell me the truth. I don't like it."  Being deceived."

    Having said this, Liu Biao¡¯s eyes became sharp and he looked at Liu Jing, ¡°Do you understand what I said?¡±

    Liu Jing nodded silently, "My nephew understands!"

    "Just understand, I will consider your request."

    Liu Biao's expression was like a chameleon, changing from dissatisfaction to gentleness and then sternness. But when his eyes turned to Liu Hu, his eyes became soft again.

    Liu Hu had been trembling with fear, but his heart was filled with the same expectation. Before Liu Biao could say anything, Liu Hu immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "My nephew is willing to follow Brother Jing, and I beg my uncle to fulfill my wish."

    Liu Biao couldn't help laughing, "I say you are stupid, but you are not stupid, okay! I will make it happen for you.".

    Liu Jing and Liu Hu said goodbye and left. Liu Biao stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, staring at several wintersweets in the yard. The pale yellow wintersweets were in bloom and filled with fragrance, but Liu Biao had no intention of enjoying them. He was still there.  Think about Liu Jing.

    Speaking of martial arts training just now, it reminded him of something. It was said that his nephew actually learned martial arts from Zhao Yun. This made Liu Biao suddenly realize something. No wonder Liu Bei strongly recommended Jing'er.

    Liu Biao couldn't help but sneered. This was Liu Xuande's good idea. No matter what, he didn't want Liu Bei to be too close to his nephew, lest Jing'er become a pawn in his hands.

    At this time, there was a knock on the door, and the voice of the second son Liu Cong came, "Father, can I come in?"

    "Come in!"

    Liu Biao's thoughts were disrupted. He retracted his thoughts and returned to his seat. The door opened and Liu Cong walked in. He knelt down respectfully and kowtowed, "Greetings to my father!"

      Liu Biao is quite satisfied with this second son except for his short stature. In other aspects, he is quite satisfied. In particular, he is very filial and cares about himself and his stepmother. His wife has praised him more than once. In contrast,  Liu Qi did slightly worse on this point.

    "What's the matter with you?" Liu Biao asked with a slight smile.

    "I heard that the beginning of April is the birthday of the old master of the Tao family, and I would like to go to Chaisang to pay my respects on my father's behalf!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Brother Jing, are you really practicing martial arts in the river?" Liu Hu asked cautiously on the ferry across the river.

    Liu Jing stood on the side of the ship, silently staring at the vast river. He didn't hear Liu Hu's question. His mind was still on his new position. There were many things in the study that he had not thought of. Only now he began to slowly recall them.  .

    Why is it Liu Bei who intercedes for him and repeatedly persuades Liu Biao to reuse him? Of course, to a certain extent, Liu Bei hopes that he can take on a big responsibility, but Liu Jing always has an intuition that Liu Bei is a complicated person and may not have good intentions.

    Seeing that Liu Jing ignored him, Liu Hu sighed and felt a sense of self-blame in his heart. He was really greedy. Isn't he still satisfied that Jing's brother taught him such a profound swordsmanship?  It's like exploring Jingdi's secret again.

    'Snapped!  ¡¯ Liu Hu actually gave himself a sharp slap in the face.

    Liu Jing was startled, looked back at him, frowned and said, "What are you doing?"

    Liu Hu looked ashamed, lowered his head and said, "I'm so greedy, and I want to learn Jingdi's underwater martial arts training."

    "You are thinking too much!"

    Liu Jing sighed, patted him on the shoulder and smiled: "Tiger, my underwater training is not to learn martial arts, but to exercise my strength. I am not strong enough. If I have natural power like you, why should I work so hard?  "

    Liu Hu then understood. He scratched his head and said, "Then you can practice lifting stone locks! Everyone in the sword hall practices this way, and I also practice strength this way. The effect is pretty good."

    Liu Jing shook his head. He practiced martial arts underwater not just to increase his strength, but more importantly to practice the use of strength. The various hidden currents under the water made his strength run more smoothly. I'm afraid this is what Master Yu asked him to do underwater.  The real purpose of practicing Qigong.

    It¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t want to say more about these words, and Liu Hu might not be able to understand them. Liu Jing smiled and changed the subject, ¡°Originally, I was going to recommend you to take over as the governor of the Youjiao Station. Why do you want to join the army with me again?¡±

    Liu Hu bit his lip and hesitated: "I just think your choices are correct, I will follow you."

    Liu Jing looked at this big man who was half a head taller than himself, and felt quite moved in his heart. He found that Liu Hu was actually not stupid. He was smarter than many people. He would not analyze the status and gains and losses of the Youxiao Institute. He would just keep an eye on it.  If I don¡¯t keep it myself, he won¡¯t keep it either, alas!  This stupid guy.

    "Let's go back and have a good rest first, and we will take office together tomorrow." Liu Jing found that she liked this wise and foolish clan brother more and more.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the evening, Liu Jing finished his dinner and was sitting in his room, sipping tea and reading a book. He had loved reading Zhuangzi in his previous life, and now that he was revisiting it, he had a deeper understanding.

    At this time, there was a knock on the door in the yard. Liu Jing put down the letter, raised her ears, and listened attentively. The door opened, and she heard the little bun asking: "Who are you looking for?"

    "I am from Tao's Trading Company. My master ordered me to deliver a letter."

    Liu Jing got up and walked to the courtyard. At the door of the courtyard was Manager Li whom he knew. He also saw Liu Jing. He took out a letter and presented it to Liu Jing respectfully, "Master Jing, this is a letter from my master.  ¡±

    Liu Jing thought it was an invitation, but found it was a letter. He took the letter and asked, "Where is your master?"

    "Report to Mr. Jing, my master has rushed back to Chaisang in the afternoon."

    Liu Jing was stunned by this news. He was fine when we broke up at noon, but he rushed back to Chaisang in the afternoon. What happened?

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and asked, "Did something happen to Chai Sang?"

    ??????????????????????????????????????????????? Guan Li was strictly ordered by Tao Zhan not to speak nonsense, but there were some words that he didn¡¯t say out loud, and he felt uncomfortable holding them in his heart. Guan Li hesitated for a moment, and then hesitantly revealed a few words.

    "This afternoon, my master received a brocade letter. I heard it was an invitation letter. After reading the brocade book, my master immediately decided to return to Chaisang."

    It turned out to be a brocade invitation. This was not something ordinary people could handle. Liu Jing asked again: "Who sent the brocade invitation?"

    Manager Li shook his head, "I heard it from the master's maid. We don't know who she is specifically."

    Liu Jing?After thinking about it, maybe there was an explanation in the letter, so he nodded and said with a smile, "Thank you, Manager Li, for making the special trip."

    Manager Li said goodbye and left. Liu Jing entered the room with the letter. He sat down and took out the letter paper, and a line of beautiful and elegant small characters appeared in front of him.

    Mr. Jing:

    When the young master received this letter, I had already left Fancheng by boat and was on my way to Chaisang. I am really sorry. I originally planned to invite you to have a drink again at noon the day after tomorrow, but something happened and I had to  A temporary decision was made to return to Chaisang.

    I am also very sorry and deeply saddened. I hope that the young master can understand my departure and don¡¯t think that I am a broken promise person.

    In my family, I am responsible for auditing the accounts of commercial banks in various places. It is the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, when the commercial banks in various places start to report accounts. It may be very busy, but it may be one month as early as two or three months as late as possible. I will return to Fancheng to ask you.  Have a drink.

    As I was putting down the writing, I suddenly remembered that the young master had agreed to attend the banquet, but I had not set a time. So, the invitation two or three months later should not be considered a breach of contract!

    Thinking that I had not breached the contract, my guilt immediately eased a bit. I patted my chest and was glad that I had not thought about which pub to go to at that time.

    I hope you take care of yourself and look forward to seeing you again!

    Yours sincerely, Chaisang Tao Zhan

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After reading the letter, Liu Jing felt an indescribable sense of loss

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 75 Xu Du¡¯s Plot

    Book friends who have recommendation votes, don¡¯t waste it, give it to Lao Gao!  It¡¯s timely assistance!

    ====

    In the north of Xudu City, close to Jian'an Palace, there is a mansion that is no less imposing than the imperial palace. It covers an area of ??hundreds of acres, with carved beams and painted buildings, cornices and brackets, and hundreds of various buildings. It is huge in scale.

    This is the residence of Cao Cao, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty. Since Runan County withdrew his troops and returned to the north, Cao's soldiers were exhausted, while Yuan Shao in the north was busy quelling the civil strife in Hebei and had no time to visit south.

    Cao Cao then concealed his flag and stopped his troops, accumulating strength and training his troops, waiting for another war against Yuan Shao in the autumn.

    Unexpectedly, the arrival of a piece of information from Hebei shook Cao Cao's mind.

    Under nightfall, two rows of armored warriors stood in front of the Prime Minister's Mansion, heavily guarded. At this moment, a carriage slowly stopped in front of the Prime Minister's Mansion, and a guard ran up the steps and opened the door.

    Cheng Yu walked out of the carriage, smiled slightly and said, "It's so late, hasn't the Prime Minister rested yet?"

    "The Prime Minister is waiting for you in the study, sir. Please come with me!"

    Cheng Yu is already in his early sixties this year, but he has good health skills, is refreshed, walks vigorously, and can still ride a horse to follow the army in the north and south.

    Tonight, Cao Cao specially sent someone to invite him. Now that Haishi has passed and everything is quiet, and people are about to take a rest, the Prime Minister sent someone to find him. Cheng Yu vaguely felt that there must be something urgent.

    He followed the guards into the gate and walked all the way to Cao Cao's study.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the study, the brazier was burning brightly, making the room as warm as spring. There was a bronze beast incense burner in the corner, with faint green smoke floating in the air, filling the room with a light fragrance.

    Cao Cao was sitting on the couch by the window. There were several single couches in front of him. At this time, Cao Cao was chatting and laughing with Xun Yu, another important staff member.

    Xun Yu was about forty years old, about seven feet eight tall, with a face like white jade, graceful demeanor, elegant and handsome appearance, and was a completely handsome man.

    But Cao Cao valued him not because of his great appearance, but because of his outstanding intelligence. He was one of the five most important counselors in Cao Cao's account, and was praised by Cao Cao as 'my son's wife'.

    Cao Cao and Xun Yu were chatting happily. At this time, a guard came outside the door and reported: "General Zhenwei is here."

    General Zhenwei was Cheng Yu¡¯s title. Cao Cao nodded, ¡°Let him in!¡±

    After a while, Cheng Yu walked into the room, knelt down and bowed, "My subordinate, Cheng Yu, pays homage to the Prime Minister!"

    Although Cheng Yu¡¯s title is General Zhenwei, Cao Cao usually calls him Sir. He is the eldest of Cao Cao¡¯s five great counselors, and Cao Cao also respects him very much.

    "Sir, please sit down!"

    Cao Cao smiled slightly, waved his hand to ask Cheng Yu to sit down, and said apologetically: "I'm really sorry for disturbing your rest so late!"

    "When the Prime Minister has something to do, Cheng Yu will naturally come over. This is the duty of a subordinate. The Prime Minister does not need to apologize."

    Cheng Yu stroked his beard and smiled, and nodded to Xun Yu, but he thought to himself: Even Xun Yu is here, could it be because of Yuan Shao?

    In the past two days, they have received intelligence from Hebei that Yuan Shao is seriously ill and may die soon. Several of Yuan Shao's nephews are vying for the throne, and the overt and covert fighting has become intense.

    At the same time, the opinions of Cao Cao's counselors were also divided into two groups. Some wanted to take advantage of the chaos to attack Hebei, but others wanted stability. It is not the behavior of a gentleman to attack when a family is mourning.

    Cheng Yu also advocated holding back his troops, but he did not do so for the sake of being a gentleman. Instead, he waited for Yuan Shao to die of illness and the Yuan brothers to have internal strife and kill each other, and then send out troops to defeat each of them.

    Cao Cao took a piece of information from the table and handed it to Cheng Yu. He smiled and said, "This is the information just sent from Jingzhou. Take a look at it first! It's really interesting."

    Cheng Yu was slightly startled, a letter from Jingzhou?  He thought, maybe the prime minister wanted to talk about Jingzhou, so he asked with a smile: "But that Liu Jing has another story?"

    Cao Cao raised his head and laughed, "That's right. This kid will never give up until he turns Jingzhou upside down."

    Since Runan returned with his troops, Cao Cao has been paying attention to Liu Jing's situation in Jingzhou. The incident in Rangshan left a very deep impression on him. This was the first time that he cared so much about an enemy boy.

    He had already received several pieces of information about Liu Jing and knew his situation in Jingzhou very well. Unexpectedly, this boy taught the naval captain Zhang Yun a lesson, which really made Cao Cao clap his hands and laugh.

    Cheng Yu frowned after reading the information, "Liu Biao is taking the opportunity to clean up the music department!"

    "I know this!"

    Cao Cao was not interested in Liu Biao, but now he was very interested in Liu Jing. He smiled and said, "You said that the fire in Youjiasuo was set by this boy himself?"

     "Prime Minister, this letter says that he released it himself."

    "Is there one? Why didn't I see it?"

    Cao Cao quickly took the information, read it carefully again, and couldn't help stroking his beard and laughing: "Sure enough, it was written, I didn't notice it, but as I thought, it was indeed his own trick, not bad! This kid I  I like it, it suits my taste. ¡±

    Cheng Yu secretly smiled bitterly, the Prime Minister is like this, no matter whether he is an enemy or a friend, as long as he likes it, he will praise it without hesitation. It was the same with Guan Yunchang back then. After so many years, it has not changed at all.

    Cao Cao seemed to understand Cheng Yu's thoughts and smiled slightly: "I just saw what happened to this young man and found it very interesting. Of course I'm not talking about him tonight, it's just because he made me think about Jingzhou."

    Cheng Yu then understood, and smiled slightly: "I guess the Prime Minister will never forget what happened in Runan!"

    "Well! Last time I was in Runan County, this guy left a deep impression on me. It whetted my appetite just like reading a book. I always want to know how he performed in Jingzhou. So far, he has performed well and is worth it.  I will continue to wait and see.¡±

    Speaking of this, Cao Cao said with some regret: "The last information said that this boy is eight feet tall and has an extraordinary appearance. It's a pity that I didn't meet him in person, but I have ordered their portrait and it will be sent to him soon."

    Xun Yu next to him hesitated and persuaded: "Prime Minister, after all, he is just a young man. He will not be able to make any big waves in Jingzhou in at least a few years. Why should the Prime Minister put precious energy on him? My subordinates feel that the Prime Minister is too much for him."  Paying attention to it, even more than Yuan Shao, is a bit biased. "

    Cao Cao smiled and waved his hand, "Yuan Benchu's matter is of course important, but this young man's matter also involves Jingzhou, so let's talk about him first. In fact, we want to discuss Jingzhou's plan."

    Xun Yu smiled and said no more. He didn't know why the prime minister suddenly thought of Jingzhou. Could it be that he wanted to attack Jingzhou?

    Cheng Yu pondered for a moment and then added: "Actually, the key to Jingzhou lies in the interests of several major families. Although the north is not peaceful and we have no time to estimate Jingzhou for the time being, there are some things we can do first. We can contact the families first and promise to protect them.  Interest, once the north is calmed down, our army moves south, and the Jingzhou family surrenders, Jingzhou will be unstoppable and defeated in one battle. "

    Cao Cao nodded, "Actually, we have been contacting the Jingzhou family for a long time. Both the Cai and Kuai families have made it clear that they are willing to be loyal to the Han Dynasty. In fact, they are willing to surrender. My alternative is to say that Liu Biao is tough.  I refused to send protons to Xudu, and almost killed Han Song the year before last. Huang Zu and Liu Bei are both hardliners. Now there are many resistance voices in Jingzhou and few conciliators. I am hesitating whether to station heavy troops in Nanyang and eradicate Xinye first.  Liu Bei killed the chicken to scare the monkeys and weakened the hard-liners in Jingzhou."

    "Prime Minister, no!"

    ??

    If the Prime Minister's troops attack Nanyang, he will inevitably force Liu Biao and Sun Quan to join forces, or contact the Yuan family in Hebei. If the Yuan family reconciles, it will form a pincer attack from the north and the south, which will be detrimental to the war situation in the Central Plains.  "

    Cao Cao thought for a moment and then asked Cheng Yu, "What is Zhongde's opinion?"

    Cheng Yu understood Cao Cao's thoughts very well. It was because Yuan Shao was seriously ill and was about to die, and the Yuan family's disciples were already competing for the throne, which would inevitably lead to a civil war among the Yuan family. Therefore, the prime minister wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to go south to annihilate Liu Biao and then return.  The division went north to clean up the mess in Hebei.

    Although it is a good idea, many things are not as simple as you think.

    Cheng Yu smiled slightly, "Frankly speaking, I support Wen Ruo."

    "Why is this?" Cao Cao asked in a deep voice.

    He knew that Cheng Yu was always cautious and considered things carefully. Maybe there was something that he had not considered. He stared at Cheng Yu, waiting for his explanation.

    Cheng Yu said calmly: "Jingzhou has the Han River in the north and the Yangtze River in the south. The territory is crisscrossed by water networks and densely covered with rivers. I wonder if the Prime Minister is considering training the navy?"

    "Of course you do!"

    "The naval force will be practiced for at least a year, and there will be troop mobilization. The elite troops in Jingzhou are about 140,000 to 50,000. The prime minister wants to be unstoppable. It depends on one battle. At least 500,000 troops need to be mobilized. If there are not so many troops, then we can only  Fighting a protracted war, if the lips are dead and the teeth are cold, Sun Quan and Liu Zhang come to rescue, Liu Bei writes to Xiliang again, asking Ma Teng to attack Guanzhong.

    Even if we win this battle in the end, it will definitely be a tragic victory. If the Yuan clan in the north has been unified by then, will we still have the strength to pacify the north?

    Or maybe in the later stages of the Southern War, we are stuck in a quagmire, but the Yuan family has been unified and the army is pressing on the border. How can we resist?  Although these things existIt's an exaggeration, but things in the world are like chess, and it's hard for us to predict everything.  "

    Xun Yu also advised: "Prime Minister, in fact, Liu Biao has no great ambitions. He sticks to success but does not know how to make progress. This is our great fortune. Our current priority is Hebei. After completely pacifying Hebei, we will go south. We will have no worries. If the Prime Minister is not worried,  , General Xiahou Dun can be ordered to lead an army of 30,000 troops to garrison in Nanyang to contain Liu Biao's main force. In this way, Jiangxia will be empty. Why won't Sun Quan be tempted? Once Sun and Liu fight, the prime minister will finally reap the benefits. "

    Cao Cao was a man of great talent and strategy. He was only slightly tempted for a moment and wanted to take advantage of the civil strife in the Yuan family to send his troops to defeat Jingzhou. However, he did not consider many details, especially the northern soldiers who were not used to water warfare, which would require a lot of time and energy.  Training, this goes against his idea of ??a quick victory.

    He also knew that if it took too long, the north would inevitably change. At this time, it was indeed unwise to seek Jingzhou. It would be better to secretly support the Jingzhou family, provoke internal strife in Jingzhou, and at the same time inspire Sun and Liu to fight, making them both lose, and finally take it upon himself.  profit from fishing.

    Thinking of this, Cao Cao smiled and said: "Since the two great counselors are strongly opposed, I have no choice but to obey and let the matter of going south to Jingzhou be put aside for the time being. However, if Wen Ruo is right, I might as well create conditions for the Liu and Sun families to  Let¡¯s have a good fight.¡±

    After a pause, Cao Cao said to himself, "If I can take the opportunity to eradicate Liu Bei, it will undoubtedly remove a thorn in my side. I wonder if Yuan Rang has the courage."

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 76 Sun Quan¡¯s Ambition

    Wu County was the capital of the Sun clan's regime in the Eastern Wu Dynasty, which is today's Suzhou City. It was built by Wu Zixu and the city lasted for 2,500 years until today.

    On Lingyan Mountain outside the west city of Wuxian County, a complex of exquisite and elegant buildings was built, covering an area of ??about 100 acres. The Qionglou and Jade Pavilions complement the mountains and forests, and are extremely elegant.

    This is the palace of the Wu family, Sun Quan¡¯s mother. It was originally the Guanwa Palace built by Fu Chai for the beautiful girl Xi Shi. It was later destroyed by fire. However, the Wu family liked the scenery here, so Sun Quan rebuilt the palace on the basis of the original Guanwa Palace.  , for the mother to live in.

    Soon after the New Year, Mrs. Wu fell ill, and many famous doctors were invited to treat her, but all failed. The disease became worse and worse, and several doctors made it clear that the old lady would not survive the summer.

    Sun Quan was also undressed and served his mother day and night. As his mother's condition worsened, his mood became particularly heavy.

    A courtyard not far from Wu's ward was designated as Sun Quan's temporary stay. This small courtyard, covering an area of ??less than three acres, became a gathering place for the military and government affairs of the Soochow regime. Every day, attendants would come from the city to  Send all kinds of documents and military reports.

    In the study room on the second floor, Sun Quan was sitting behind a few cases writing furiously, stopping from time to time to look up and think deeply.

    Sun Quan is twenty-one years old today and is the youngest lord among all the separatist princes. He has a purple beard and blue eyes, bright eyes, a broad mouth, and a majestic appearance that is different from ordinary people.

    When the imperial envoy visited Sun Ce, he asserted, "I think that although each of the Sun brothers is talented and brilliant, they are all prosperous, but the middle brother is filial and honest.  surface.  ¡¯

    Sun Quan took over the foundation of his elder brother Sun Ce the year before last. There were internal and external troubles. Sun Fu had ambitions to seize the throne. His elder brother Sun Hao wanted to seize Kuaiji and become independent. Li Shu, the governor of Lujiang, openly rebelled.

    But Sun Quan pacified the inside and outside, suppressed rebellions, appointed talented people, pacified Shanyue, and opened up territory. Not only did Sun Quan fully control the power of Jiangdong, but he also had sufficient troops and food, and his soldiers were at their best.

    Last autumn, Cao Cao's army attacked Liu Bei in Runan, Jingzhou was shaken, and Liu Biao mobilized 100,000 troops to garrison Xiangyang, resulting in a shortage of troops in Jiangxia, which gave Sun Quan an idea.

    At this time, Zhang Wu and Chen Sun in Jiangxia were dissatisfied with Huang Zu and wanted to claim rebellion. They secretly sent a message to Jiangdong. Under Lu Su's persuasion, Sun Quan decided to send troops to Peng Ze to wait and see the situation.

    If Liu Biao is unable to quell the rebellion of Zhang Wu and Chen Sun, he will take the opportunity to conquer Jiangxia. If Liu Biao's army arrives from the west, the Jiangdong army will not move.

    But Liu Biao ordered Liu Bei to lead his army to the west, and quickly quelled the rebellion of Zhang Wu and Chen Sun, without giving Jiangdong Army a chance.

    Just when Sun Quan was considering whether to increase his troops to Peng Ze and capture Chaisang in one fell swoop as a bridgehead to attack Jiangxia, his mother unfortunately fell ill, forcing Sun Quan to stop fighting and pray for his mother's recovery.

    At this time, footsteps came from the door, followed by a girl's clear voice, "Brother, can I come in?"

    It is the voice of younger sister Shangxiang. Sun Quan's father Sun Jian was married to Wu sisters. The eldest sister was Sun Quan's mother and gave birth to four sons, while the younger sister only gave birth to one daughter, named Sun Ren and named Shangxiang.

    Although they have the same father and mother, the Sun brothers love their only little sister very much. They treat her as a treasure since childhood and protect her as she grows up. She is called Princess Jiangdong by the people of Soochow.

    Sun Quan also loved this sister very much. He told his young generals more than once that whoever can marry my sister must be the most stalwart husband in Jiangdong.

    But last autumn, the fourth brother Sun Kuang took Shang Xiang to travel to Jiangxia with his uncle Wu Jing, and something almost happened. Sun Quan not only blamed himself, but also severely punished Sun Kuang and his sister Shang Xiang, grounding them for two months.

    "Come in!"

    Sun Quan¡¯s tone was very gentle. Shang Xiang¡¯s punishment period had passed, and he loved her even more, as if he wanted to make up for the shortcomings of the past two months.

    A slender figure entered the room. It was Sun Shangxiang, the princess of Jiangdong. A trip last autumn brought her unforgettable memories.

    She was also severely punished by being grounded for two months, but even if her brother was not grounded, she would not leave the house. The few blood marks on her face made her depressed and unwilling to go out to meet people.

    She also hated Liu Jing in her heart. She later found out that the young officer who kidnapped her turned out to be Liu Biao's nephew. This surprised and embarrassed her. She also promised to make him a tooth general, but she didn't know.  How he was laughing at himself at that time.

    However, as the blood stains on her face gradually disappeared and her flower-like appearance returned, the anger in her heart towards Liu Jing also faded a little. After all, she was only a twelve-year-old girl. Although she had a precocious mind, she  His essence is still innocent, and his heart cannot tolerate too much hatred.

    In the past two months, my aunt has been seriously ill, and Sun Shangxiang has cried countless times. Although she is not her biological mother, she is?I have loved her very much since I was a child. Every time she naughtily bullied her brother, my aunt always favored her.

    Hearing that the aunt could not be cured and had to prepare for her funeral, Sun Shangxiang felt even more sad and shed tears every night.

    "Brother, are you looking for me?" Sun Shangxiang lowered his head and asked sadly.

    Sun Quan shook his sister's hand and felt her hands were cold. He saw her eyes were crying like peach. He felt pity in his heart and said with a forced smile: "You have been serving your mother for the past two days. You didn't seem to be here last night either."  "Sleep, you are still young and your body is weak. You should pay attention to rest. Don't stay up late tonight. We are here to serve your mother!"

    "Brother, I haven't slept for two nights. You have to be busy with military and government affairs during the day, so you need to rest more. I have nothing to do. If you feel sleepy, just take a nap for a while. Don't worry about me, brother."

    Sometimes Sun Quan was also worried about his sister wielding swords all day long, but this time his mother was seriously ill and his sister showed the gentle and considerate side unique to girls. He was relieved. After all, she is a girl, and her gentle temper will never affect her.  Throw it away.

    Sometimes he also considers finding a satisfactory husband for his sister, but when he thinks about it, he suddenly laughs when he thinks that she has just turned twelve years old. It's still early!  I don¡¯t know who will be worthy of my sister in the future.

    At this time, Sun Quan unexpectedly discovered that there was a thin trace of blood on his sister's neck, and he couldn't help but frowned, "Shang Xiang, on your neck"

    At that time, Liu Jing left a total of four blood stains on Sun Shangxiang's face and neck. Now the rest have faded, leaving only a little blood streak on her neck, which makes her depressed.

    Unexpectedly, she was discovered by her brother. She was so frightened that she quickly covered her neck, "It's nothing. It will be fine in a few days."

    Sun Shangxiang was afraid that her brother would be annoyed by this, so she was not allowed to go out. Although she also hated Liu Jing in her heart, she did not want to cause trouble at this time. She would rather bear the anger herself than let her brother mention that matter again.

    Sun Quan's face darkened. It was not that he hated Liu Jing. Liu Jing knew the identities of their siblings and let them go. Sun Quan was surprised, and even felt a little grateful in his heart.

    He was angry at the adventure of the two brothers and sisters. Thinking of this, he wanted to blame him. Sun Quan complained again: "It's just a horse. If you hurt your life because of this, how can I explain to my mother?"

    Sun Shangxiang pouted, shook his brother's arm and said coquettishly: "I know, it was just an accident last time, I promise not to make the same mistake again, brother, please don't mention this matter again."

    Sun Quan had nothing to do with this sister, so he sighed and said, "Forget it, we'll talk about this later. You go and stay with your mother first. I have official duties."

    Seeing that his brother no longer cared about this matter, Sun Shangxiang felt happy again and slipped out like a little bird. Looking at his sister's lovely back, Sun Quan smiled and shook his head. When will this precious sister really grow up?

    Sun Quan took back his thoughts and asked the guard next to him, "What's the matter?"

    "Report to the Marquis of Wu, Zhou Hujun asks for an audience!"

    Sun Quan was overjoyed. He was about to send someone to find Zhou Yu, but he didn't expect him to come by himself, "Invite him in quickly!"

    Not long after, Zhou Yu walked in with dignity. Zhou Yu was only twenty-eight years old this year. He was majestic and handsome. He was especially good at music. He was very famous in Jiangdong. Therefore, there is a saying among the people that "if the music is wrong, Zhou Lang will take care of it".  , so people in Jiangdong also love to call him Zhou Lang.

    Sun Quan also valued Zhou Yu very much. After he inherited his brother's position, he named Zhou Yu the Central Protector of the Army and jointly took charge of the military and political affairs in Jiangdong with Zhang Zhao.

    Zhou Yu walked into the room, knelt down and bowed to Sun Quan, "Zhou Yu pays homage to the Marquis of Wu!"

    "My lord, there is no need to be polite, please sit down!"

    Zhou Yu sat down and a guard served tea. Sun Quan took a copy of the imperial edict from the table and said: "I received an edict from the imperial court a few days ago, asking the Sun family in Jiangdong to send their legitimate son to Xudu as a hostage. I am very concerned about this matter.  It¡¯s difficult. If I don¡¯t obey the imperial edict, I will be labeled as a rebellious minister. If I obey the imperial edict and send my brother to Xudu, I¡¯m afraid I will be controlled by others.¡±

    Zhou Yu smiled coldly, "What kind of edict is this? It's clearly the intention of the thief Cao. The year before last, didn't the thief Cao also order Liu Biao to be a proton? But Liu Biao clearly refused, and no one said that Liu Biao was a rebellious minister. Justice is in the heart of the people. Wu  Why should you obey Cao Cao's orders?"

    Sun Quan nodded, "Justice is in the heart of the people." This sentence is very good. In fact, Sun Quan did not want to send his brothers to Xudu as hostages, but he was undecided. Zhou Yu's persuasion made him determined.

    "The ministers were indecisive, and I have been hesitant to this day. I am determined, and I know what to do."

    Zhou Yu smiled again and said: "Actually, I came here to discuss with Wu Hou about marching into Jiangxia. Cao Cao was concentrating on pacifying Hebei and had no time to go south. Liu Fu, the governor of Yangzhou, was training troops in Huainan and based on Gu Hui's investigation of the enemy's situation., Liu Fu focused on defense and had no intention of going south. It can be seen that the focus of Cao's army was in Hebei.

    Xiahou Dun stationed 30,000 troops in Nanyang to threaten Jingxiang and contain Liu Biao's main force. Jiangxia only had Huang Zu's 25,000 troops. Why don't we take this opportunity to capture Jiangxia?  "

    Sun Quan sighed, "I don't think so. It's just that my mother is seriously ill, so I don't dare to fight for fear of leaving a name of unfilial piety."

    Zhou Yu lowered his voice and said: "I asked the magician to observe the sky at night. Although the wife is seriously ill, there is no sign of the main star falling. Moreover, I heard that Hua Tuo is recruiting disciples in Guangling. I have ordered people to invite him. He will be here soon. Maybe he can  The disease of the Dowager has been cured, but the chance of fighting is fleeting, so Wu Hou must be able to stop it."

    Sun Quan thought for a long time and then said: "My mother's illness needs to be cured, and we must seize the opportunity to fight. It's better to ask Hua Tuo to extend the treatment first. If my mother's condition can be stabilized, regardless of whether she is cured or not, we will capture Chaisang first and prepare for the attack on Jiangxia."  What do you think of Gong Jin?"

    Zhou Yu nodded, that¡¯s fine. He immediately said: ¡°My subordinates recommend Xu Sheng as the vanguard to prepare for Pengze and attack Chaisang at any time!¡±

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 77 New Field Emergency Report

    [When I woke up early in the morning, I found that I was very fierce and actually got two hundred votes. Thanks to my book friends, but I found that others were even more fierce. I felt a little depressed. Bart, we never do that kind of thing, so I would like to ask for your support from my book friends.  Vote for Lao Gao and strive to get more than 1,000 recommendation votes today!  ¡¿

    ======

    Spring has arrived, the air is filled with soft sunshine and warm breath, the woods are already covered with green buds, and larks are flying and singing over the woods.

    The river is greener. Groups of teal ducks and white geese are roiling in the river. From time to time, fishing boats pass by, with a few cormorants standing on the bows, like generals wearing black armor.

    The spring breeze blows, and the big flag on the head of the south city of Fancheng is fluttering in the wind. On the top of the city, Liu Hu is wearing iron scale armor, an eagle-edged helmet on his head, and a sword around his waist. He is patrolling back and forth on the city head. He is tall and tall, as if  Half of an iron tower, holding a sixty-pound sword in his hand, he looked majestic.

    He is now the commander of the Fancheng garrison, in charge of one hundred soldiers. The Fancheng garrison is Liu Jing's army. This army is somewhat similar to the independent battalion of later generations, consisting of five hundred soldiers.

    This army is in charge of the north and south gates of Fancheng. It is not under the jurisdiction of the captain Wenpin who is stationed in Fancheng. Instead, it is subordinate to Liu Biao's Yamen army and is directly responsible to the captain Wang Wei.

    This is also a special feature of Liu Biao's army. Some strategic cities are controlled by Liu Biao's direct yamen, such as Wuchang, Fancheng, Jiangling, Public Security Bureau, etc.

    Therefore, Liu Jing controls this army of 500 people, which is almost an independent kingdom. He can enter and exit the city gate freely without affecting his martial arts training. This is also Liu Biao's painstaking arrangement for him.

    This morning, it was Liu Hu's turn to be on duty. He had been the commander of the village for nearly three months and had already become close to his subordinates.

    Although Liu Hu is the nephew of Zhou Mu, he is very popular and has no airs of an officer. No matter the soldiers or other officers, everyone likes him and calls him "Brother Tiger!"  ¡¯

    "Brother Tiger!"

    A soldier rushed over quickly, knelt down on one knee and reported: "There is an urgent military report coming from Xinye!"

    Liu Hu smiled and kicked him, "You guy, when you talk about business, you should call me the village chief."

    The soldier scratched his head and smiled sheepishly: "Remember it, little one, and you will definitely not make a mistake next time."

    Liu Hu walked quickly down the city gate and looked around at the city gate, "Where is the military lord?"

    "Brother Tiger, it seems that the military lord has returned to the military camp."

    "Alas! I have to make another trip." Liu Hu had no choice but to turn around and run quickly into the city.

    The garrison of Fancheng garrison is not far from the city gate. It is a medium-sized military camp, covering an area of ??about 100 acres. It is composed of five rows of brick buildings and a training school. It is surrounded by walls. There is also a three-foot-high sentry tower next to the gate.  , there are sentries patrolling day and night, and soldiers standing guard in front of the gate. No one is allowed to enter.

    Liu Jing's barracks is located on the far left of the first row of military camps. It consists of three rooms. In addition to his own main room, there are also two auxiliary rooms. One room is stacked with various bamboo slips for documents, and the other room is  There are two assistants working in the room to process documents.

    Liu Jing has been serving as a military prince for nearly three months. From the initial excitement to the gradual dullness, he is busy every day, doing almost the same things, guarding the city, training soldiers, mediating disputes, and writing a monthly letter.  The report was dull and boring.

    In the past three months, Liu Jing spent most of his time in Fancheng and rarely went to Xiangyang, which gradually restored his life to peace and no further incidents occurred.

    "However, Liu Jing has gained a lot in his own martial arts. The hard training every night has made his strength stronger day by day. He can already wield weapons weighing nearly 40 kilograms with ease.

    The progress in martial arts has greatly increased Liu Jing's confidence and made him full of hope for the future.

    In the room, Liu Jing is concentrating on reviewing the March report. This is a summary report that he must write every month. It is usually drafted by the secretary, revised by him, and submitted to his boss Wang Wei.

    Although these are trivial matters, Liu Jing still dare not be careless. Wang Wei is an extremely serious person and he will carefully check some data.

    In the report last month, there was a slight discrepancy between the amount of money and grain received by the army and the amount allocated. Wang Wei came to the military camp to verify it in person, and found out that it was because some moldy grain was excluded from the report. Despite this, Liu Jing still learned from Wang Wei  Strict and upright attitude.

    I heard that my predecessor was severely punished by Wang Wei for embezzling money and food, and he is still in prison.

    Also, the armory was stolen a month ago and a lot of crossbows and swords were lost. Liu Biao was furious and ordered the entire army to search. Each military camp had to be checked and counted by specialized personnel. There was a lot of fuss, but no results were found in the end.  Still nothing happened.

      At this time, there was a rush of footsteps outside, and Liu Hu rushed in like a gust of wind, "Brother Jing, a war is about to begin in Xinye!"

    Liu Jing stood up abruptly, "Is the news true?"

    This is the news he has been waiting for. As early as ten days ago, news came from Nanyang that Cao Jun increased his troops by 20,000, and the Nanyang garrison increased from 10,000 to 30,000. Houdun of Yinxia in Henan personally led his troops to Nanyang.

    This is a bad omen. As people from Nanyang continue to drag their families and families south to seek refuge, the defenders of Fancheng are like ducks in the spring river. What did they realize first?

    Liu Jing, who was guarding the gate of Fancheng, also felt the smoke of war approaching, but he was looking forward to being on the battlefield.

    He has been in Jingzhou for nearly half a year, and his mentality has changed a lot. At first, he fled across the battlefield and entered Jingzhou, and he had an inexplicable fear of war.

    But now it¡¯s different. He is eager to experience a war to sharpen his three months of hard training. Just like a soldier who has just picked up a gun, he always has a natural desire for war.

    He thought Liu Hu was too slow to answer, so he asked again: "Where is the messenger?"

    "We have already crossed the Han River to Xiangyang."

    Liu Jing thought for a moment, "Then I'll go too!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Liu Biao¡¯s official room in the prefecture, Liu Biao was discussing the military situation in Nanyang with Cai Mao. Liu Biao received news ten days ago that Cao Cao sent general Xiahou Dun to lead an army of 20,000 to reinforce Nanyang, bringing the Cao army¡¯s elite troops in Nanyang to more than 30,000, posing a huge threat to Xiangyang.

    Just now, he received an urgent military report from Liu Bei. Xiahou Dun sent his general Li Dian to lead an army of five thousand to harass the border of Xinye County, and a small-scale battle broke out between the two sides.

    Liu Bei's garrison of only 6,000 men could deal with Li Dian's 5,000 men. However, if Xiahou Dun led 20,000 troops south, the new field would be difficult to protect, so Liu Bei urgently asked Liu Biao for help.

    The news of Cao Jun's attack on Xinye made Liu Biao worried. He also received news that Yuan Shao was seriously ill, and several nephews were vying for the position of heir apparent, leading to internal strife.

    Liu Biao was worried that Cao Jun would take advantage of the Yuan family's nephew's fight for the throne and move his army south to attack Jingzhou, with Xiahou Dun most likely just being the vanguard.

    But at this time, Liu Biao was furious because Huang Zu refused to send troops again. Sun Quan's mother was critically ill, the Jiangdong army had withdrawn from Pengze, and there was no threat from Jiangxia. Liu Biao ordered Huang Zu to mobilize 20,000 troops to support Xiangyang and increase Xiangyang's defense.

    However, Huang Zu refused to come because there was an epidemic in the army and it was not appropriate to work with troops. Liu Biao soon realized that there was no epidemic at all. It was clearly Huang Zu who did not listen to his orders.

    This is not the first time, and Liu Biao finally couldn't bear it anymore.

    "The first time Cao Jun attacked Wancheng, I ordered him to mobilize 10,000 troops, but he refused to come. The second time he attacked Wancheng, I ordered him to mobilize 8,000 troops, but he still refused. In the battle of Runan last year, I again  I ordered him to mobilize 10,000 troops, but he refused again and again. Does he still regard me as the lord?"

    Liu Biao was so angry that he almost went crazy. Cai Hao was frightened and tried to persuade Liu Biao again and again, but it was difficult to calm down Liu Biao's anger.

    But Liu Biao became cold. He stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, murderous intent in his heart. After a long time, he said coldly: "He should regard Jiangxia Army as his Huang Zu's army."

    "Lord"

    Cai Mao wanted to persuade him again, but Liu Biao waved his hand, "No need to talk about this anymore, let's talk about Cao Jun! How should I deal with it?"

    "yes!"

    Cai Mao sighed, had to pull his thoughts back, and thought for a moment: "My lord, the key is that Cao Cao is not at peace in the north. He is temporarily unable to go south. The garrison in Nanyang is only a threat. Then Liu Bei has the obligation to fight against Cao's army. Moreover, we  I think the pressure on him should be greater than that on the Lord.¡±

    After all, Cai Mao is Jingzhou's military advisor and has the first say on military aircraft issues. Although he is pro-Cao, it is not in his interest for Cao's army to go south at this time, so he also advocates increasing troops in new areas to fight against Cao's army.

    But Cai Mao had a deeper idea. If he could use the help of Cao Jun to annihilate Liu Bei, he would be able to kill two birds with one stone.

    He also advised Liu Biao: "Currently, Xinye has more than 6,000 troops. I suggest that Liu Bei add 10,000 troops, so that Xinye's strength reaches 16,000, which can barely resist Cao's army. However, I think that our 10,000 troops  The reinforcements cannot be handed over to Liu Bei, they must be commanded by our own people."

    Liu Biao nodded. Cai Mao's suggestion spoke to his heart. He placed Liu Bei in Xinye so that he could become his own barrier. Since Cao Jun increased his troops to Nanyang, the role of this barrier should be brought into play.

    In fact, Liu Biao also had other thoughts. If Cao Jun did not go south in a large scale, but only harassed on a small scale, could he make good use of Cao Jun?

    Liu Biao agreed: "Just??As you say, we can send 10,000 reinforcements to Xinye to ensure that Xinye has enough weapons, money and food. But who should command these 10,000 reinforcements?  "

    "For this humble post, I recommend Captain Zhang Yun. He is the lord's nephew and his loyalty is unquestionable. Moreover, he has led troops to fight against Cangwu Prefect Shi Huang many times. He has rich experience and can take on big responsibilities."

    Liu Biao pondered for a moment, Cao's army was not Cangwu's army. Zhang Yun could fight in the water, but Liu Biao was really worried about him fighting Cao's army.

    At this moment, a guard reported at the door, "Kuai Canjun is here!"

    Kuai Yue¡¯s official position was Zhonglang General, the third most important decision-maker in Jingzhou. He came at the right time. Liu Biao also wanted to hear his opinion, so he immediately ordered: ¡°Let him in.¡±

    Not long after, Kuai Yue quickly walked into the official room, knelt down and bowed to Liu Biao, "My subordinate, Kuai Yue, pays homage to my lord!"

    "There is no need to be polite, please sit down!"

    Kuai Yue sat down, bowed slightly to Cai Mao, nodded and said with a smile: "So the military advisor is here too."

    The Kuai and Cai tribes have always been in competition in Jingzhou, although they have common interests in some aspects. For example, they both belong to the pro-Cao faction, and they are opposed to the reuse of northern gentry.

    ¡°But on each other¡¯s core interests, it is difficult for the Kuai and Tsai clans to reach a consensus.

    For a long time in the past, the interests of the Cai family were in Xiangyang County, while the interests of the Kuai family were in Nan County. They were in harmony with each other and were relatively peaceful.

    But since last year, Liu Biao considered marrying his two sons to the Jingzhou family, which involved the long-term interests of the Kuai and Cai families, and the conflicts between them began to become prominent.

    Cai Mao originally supported Liu Qi, but his uncle Cai Xun and his sister Mrs. Cai strongly advocated supporting Liu Cong. More importantly, Liu Qi himself favored the Kuai family, which made Cai Mao deeply disappointed.

    He began to change his attitude and support his second son Liu Cong, and considered marrying his daughter Cai Shaoyu to Liu Cong in order to control Liu Cong.

    Kuai Yue publicly supported his eldest son Liu Qi. He and Liu expressed a tacit agreement to marry his brother Kuai Liang's daughter Kuai Jing to Liu Qi to complete the marriage between Kuai and Liu. Although both parties have not officially expressed their stance, this day will come soon.

    Affected by the marriage of the Liu brothers, the four major families in Jingzhou gradually took sides, forming two major forces, the Caihuang Group and the Kuai Pang Group.

    But at this time, the two major groups are still in their infancy. Liu Cong has not yet married Cai Shaoyu, and Kuai Jing has not yet married Liu Qi. Their interests are mixed and their relationships are unclear. It is the time when the old and new patterns of Jingzhou are changing, just like the dawn of night and day.

    Of course, Liu Biao is also very aware of this change in the situation. As a person with the highest power, he does not want his subordinates to unite and divide them to form two opposing groups. This is in Liu Biao's interests and allows him to control Jingzhou.

    So Liu Biao also began to change his attitude and no longer forced Liu Jing to marry a daughter of the Cai family. It might not be a bad thing if his second son Liu Cong was allowed to marry a daughter of the Cai family.

    But Liu Biao was not in a hurry. He hoped that the evolution of this power structure could be completed slowly under his guidance, in one or two years, so that it would be easier for him to deploy.

    Although Huang Zu brought him overwhelming anger, Liu Biao would not show it on his face. He acted as if nothing had happened. He smiled and said to Kuai Yue: "I am discussing with the military advisor about Cao Jun's reinforcement of troops in Nanyang. We  They all advocate sending reinforcements to Liu Bei to strengthen the defense of Xinye. I wonder if Yidu has any better suggestions? "

    Kuai Yue smiled and said, "I support your lord's plan. Liu Bei is more experienced in dealing with Cao's army than us. If the reinforcements are not large, they can be handed over directly to Commander Liu Bei. If the reinforcements are large, it is better to be controlled by our own generals."

    It seems that there is a consensus to send reinforcements. The key now is who to send. Liu Biao pondered for a while and asked: "I plan to send 10,000 elite troops north. Who do you think is more suitable to be the leader?"

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 78, Mr. Jing can also go on an expedition (please vote for more updates)

    [Additional update, please vote for recommendation!  Lend me forty votes to fight for your breath and make it into the top six]

    ========

    Kuai Yue glanced at Cai Mao and saw that he had a long face and cold eyes. It was obvious that he also had someone to choose, perhaps because he was not recognized by Liu Biao.

    "I wonder who the military advisor plans to recommend?" Kuai Yue asked with a smile.

    "I recommend Zhang Yun. He is young and promising, has rich experience in leading troops, and has sufficient qualifications."

    He snorted again, "Why, does Kuai Canjun think it's inappropriate?"

    "Zhang Xiaowei is in charge of the Han River Navy. If we are fighting against the Jiangdong Army, I think he is very suitable. But now we are Cao Jun. It seems that Zhang Xiaowei has no experience in fighting cavalry. In fact, I think your brother is good."

    Cai Mao was stunned, "When Kuai joined the army, did he mean Cai Zhong or Cai He?"

    "Anyone is fine, I recommend them as my generals."

    Only then did Cai Mao understand what Kuai Yue meant. He recommended his younger brother as a general. Then he would be the one to recommend the main general, and he would even lead the army himself. What a brilliant idea!

    Cai Hao sneered and said nothing, and Liu Biao beside him asked with a smile: "Who should Xiandu recommend as the main general?"

    Kuai Yue leaned slightly and said: "My subordinates recommend General Wenpin as the general. Originally, I wanted to recommend Huang Zhong as the general. However, although Huang Zhong is highly skilled in martial arts, his commanding ability is still slightly inferior to Wenpin."

    Liu Biao thought for a moment and then asked: "Then do you think our reinforcements of 10,000 are too small?"

    "Replying to my lord, the general of Cao's army this time is Xiahou Dun. I heard that Yu Jin, Li Dian and other generals are also there, and the 10,000 troops are sent. I do feel that it is a bit low. Of course, if Cao's army is just a trial attack, it will be enough."

    Liu Biao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. Jingzhou was surrounded by enemies on all sides. He had to defend against Sun Quan in the east and Liu Zhang in the west. Jiaozhou in the south was unstable. There were also troops stationed in various counties in Jingzhou. His total strength was only 120,000, including him.  The 25,000 Jiangxia troops could not be mobilized.

    There are only more than 50,000 troops stationed in Xiangfan area, and they have to guard Fancheng and Xiangyang towns. If 20,000 reinforcements are sent, the defenders of Fancheng will not be enough. Once they are attacked by Cao's army, the consequences will be disastrous.

    But only 10,000 reinforcements were sent, and Liu Biao felt that it was a little too little. He was in a dilemma, pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, thinking silently.

    At this time, Cai Mao smiled and said: "In fact, it is not bad to let General Wen be the main general. He will lead 10,000 troops to assist Liu Bei. Then I would like to lead 25,000 troops as backup, of which 5,000 will be stationed at Fancheng and 20,000 troops will be stationed at the mouth of the river.

    If there is a crisis ahead, I can quickly lead my troops to help. If there is nothing in the front, I can stand still. In this way, I can advance or retreat. What do you think, my lord?  "

    Liu Biao walked to the map and looked at it carefully. Hekou Town is located between Fancheng and Xinye, sixty miles away from Xinye and fifty miles away from Fancheng. It is exactly in the middle.

    Deploying an army here can connect the previous and the lower, advance and attack, retreat and defend, and can take care of both cities. It is the best solution for insufficient troops.

    This plan was acceptable to Liu Biao. He thought for a moment and then readily agreed, "That's it. Wenpin will be the main general, Cai Zhong will be the assistant general, and he will lead the 10,000 elite troops of the Northern Battalion to assist Xinye."

    He was very satisfied with Cai Mao's plan, and naturally agreed that Cai Mao would personally lead the troops as backup. "De Gui can lead 20,000 troops to station at the mouth of the river, and the governor will provide backup."

    Cai Mao was overjoyed, stood up and clasped his fists, "I humbly obey my orders!"

    Next to him, Kuai Yue sneered and said nothing. Wenpin moved north, and Cai Mao took over Wenpin's Fancheng. But could he really get what he wanted?

    At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Mr. Jing and Mr. Hu want to see you."

    When the two nephews arrived, Liu Biao was in a good mood and said with a smile: "Let them in!"

    Not long after, Liu Jing and Liu Hu walked in quickly, both wearing military uniforms. They knelt down on one knee and saluted, "Meet Zhou Mu!"

    "Two young generals, please rise!"

    Liu Biao saw that the two of them were taller and burlier than the other, and he liked them in his heart. They were his descendants of the Liu family and the hope for the prosperity of his family.

    Especially Liu Hu, who used to be dull and silly, has become sensible and wise since following Liu Jing. This makes Liu Biao deeply gratified, and his attitude towards Liu Jing is much more lenient than three months ago.

    "What's the matter with the two young generals?" Liu Biao asked with a smile.

    Liu Jing bowed and said: "I heard that there is an urgent military situation in Xinye. If Jingzhou wants to send troops to assist, my nephew is willing to lead his troops to march north with the army."

    Liu Hu also said in a loud voice: "Uncle, please grant me permission!"

    The smile on Liu Biao¡¯s face stopped. It turned out that the two of them wanted to go to war with the army. This.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    He was a little hesitant in his heart. Asking for orders to fight was a good thing in itself, but these two were his nephews after all. Liu Hu was not a big problem, and Liu Hu was"I'm only sixteen or seventeen years old. Isn't it a little too early?"

    Liu Jing seemed to understand Liu Biao's thoughts and continued to explain: "My nephew participated in the battle to annihilate Zhang Wu and Chen Sun last year. He personally fought and killed Zhang Wu. He has already made military exploits. This is no longer the first battle. My nephew wants to follow the Jingzhou army to go north to gain experience."  ¡±

    "My nephew also wants to go north to experience."

    Like a yes-man, Liu Hu repeated Liu Jing¡¯s words, and everyone in the room laughed together.

    But Cai Mao secretly thought: 'Since he himself is in danger, it is actually a good thing to let him participate in the war, maybe he will never come back again.  ¡¯

    He had vicious thoughts in his mind, but he said with a smile on his face: "Master, it is actually a good thing to let them experience it. There are not many such opportunities in small-scale battles. It is very good for their growth. I think General Wen should be able to  Take good care of them."

    Cai Mao's last words reminded Liu Biao that last time he followed Liu Bei to annihilate Zhang Wu and Chen Sun, but this time he followed Wenpin, a general he could trust.

    He looked at Kuai Yue again. Although he did not say it explicitly, he was asking for his opinion. Kuai Yue stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Everything has advantages and disadvantages. I believe that the advantages of the two young masters outweighing the disadvantages of joining the army in the northern expedition."

    "All right!"

    Liu Biao pondered for a long time and finally agreed, "I allow you to lead your troops to march north with the army."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Zhong never dreamed that he would get this opportunity to serve as the assistant general in the Northern Expedition. Although he was not the main general, for him who was demoted, this was undoubtedly an opportunity to turn around. He had been looking forward to this opportunity for too long.

    "Thank you for your strong recommendation, brother. Cai Zhong will not disappoint brother's high expectations." Cai Zhong knelt in front of Cai Mao, his voice choked with sobs.

    Of course Cai Mao knew it well. This was the result of a balance of power. If Wenpin was recommended by Kuai Yue as the chief general, then Cai Mao should recommend him as the deputy general. Therefore, Kuai Yue took the initiative to propose Cai Zhong as his deputy general just to give himself an explanation.  .

    Of course, Cai Mao would not say this in front of his brothers. He said sincerely: "This time I fully recommended you to be the general, but Kuai Yidu repeatedly blocked it. Fortunately, Zhou Mu was sensible and rejected Kuai Yidu's unreasonable request.

    After a pause, Cai Hao glanced at Cai Zhong's grateful eyes, smiled slightly and said: "I spent a lot of effort to recommend you to succeed this time. I hope you won't let me down."

    "Cai Zhong will definitely try his best and never let his brother down!"

    Cai Hao was very satisfied with his brother's attitude, but not only was his attitude good, he also had important things to explain. Cai Hao waved his hand, "Sit down! There are a few things I want to explain to you."

    Cai Zhong sat down, and Cai Mao pondered for a while and said: "The first thing is about Liu Bei. I always think that he is the archenemy of my Cai family. However, Liu Jingsheng values ????him very much and wants to rely on him as a barrier. He refuses to listen to my advice. In addition to  To get rid of Liu Bei, the best way is to use Cao Jun to get rid of him. "

    Cai Zhong was taken aback, "Brother means"

    Cai Mao nodded, "This is a good opportunity. We must let Liu Bei die at the hands of Xiahou Dun. Even if we are defeated, it doesn't matter."

    "But if the army is defeated, my younger brother will also have to bear the responsibility." Cai Zhong said worriedly.

    "Don't worry, you are not the commander-in-chief. The responsibility is not yours, but Wenpin's. Do you understand?"

    Cai Zhong wiped the sweat from his forehead, "But isn't Wenpin Jin'er's master?"

    "So what? He is Jin'er's master. Could it be that he belongs to me, Cai Mao?"

    Cai Mao's tone became stern. Wenpin was the person who annoyed him the most. He had worked hard to cultivate him and promoted him step by step, but in the end, he fell into the arms of the Kuai family, which Cai Mao couldn't bear.

    Cai Mao looked at Cai Zhong sharply, knowing that he was still a little confused and needed to beat him again and again.

    "And there is Liu Jing" Cai Mao stretched out his voice again.

    Cai Zhong immediately cheered up without Cai Mao's reminder. He had already thought of this as an opportunity to deal with Liu Jing. He had always been worried about the humiliation of the city gate three months ago, and now Liu Jing was going north with the army.  How could he let go of this opportunity.

    Seeing that he was eager to try, Cai Mao felt a little unhappy, "I just want to remind you not to do it too obviously. Wenpin is not stupid. If Liu Biao knows that you are secretly targeting Liu Jing, you will be miserable.  do you know?"

    Cai Zhong was agitated, then slowly calmed down, bowed and said, "Brother, please give me instructions!"

    Cai Mao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and finally stopped and said calmly: "Just like Liu Bei, kill him with the help of Cao Jun."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

      Early the next morning, Liu Biao worshiped the God of the Han River and gave Wenpin the tiger talisman and arrows. Wenpin led an elite army of 10,000 and marched toward Xinye in a mighty manner.

    At the same time, Cai Mao personally took over the post of logistics commander and led 20,000 troops to station at the mouth of the river to defend Fancheng and at the same time support the new fields.

    Liu Jing led 500 soldiers to the rear of the team. This was Wenpin's arrangement. Although Liu Jing wanted to be in the front army, the military orders were overwhelming and he did not dare to disobey Wenpin's military orders.

    "Tiger, when was this knife of yours made? How come I don't know?"

    In the team, Liu Jing saw a mountain-splitting knife hung on another horse next to his clan brother Liu Hu. It looked like a kitchen knife from later generations. The knife was square in shape and weighed sixty or seventy pounds. It looked quite powerful.  .

    Although Liu Hu marched on horseback, he was actually a famous infantry general. On the one hand, his ability to control horses was slightly weak. More importantly, his unusual weight plus a 70-pound sword weighed nearly 300 pounds. For an ordinary war horse,  I really can't support it.

    Liu Hu chuckled, "I asked a craftsman to make it two months ago. The power of the Wind and Thunder Transformation can only be used with a knife."

    Liu Jing shook his head. In fact, he could also use the wind and thunder with a gun, but Liu Hu did not have this kind of understanding and could not reach the realm of analogy, so he could only use a knife.

    However, Liu Hu has been studying hard in the past three months and has mastered the "Wind and Thunder Transformation" move to perfection. He has mastered some of the essence. Coupled with his natural power, he has become a warrior who cannot be underestimated.

    It¡¯s a pity that he only knows one move, while Cheng Yaojin still has three axes!  At least he needs to teach him two more unique moves. He can change the hammer of Bainiao Chaofeng's Thirteen Spears into a dragging knife slash, and the seventh move of Sweeping Thousands of Troops can be changed into a blocking slash.

    " In this way, Liu Hu has three unique skills, which are more than enough to deal with ordinary generals.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled and said: "After this battle, I will teach you two more unique sword skills. With the wind and thunder transformation, you can also become a fierce general in Jingzhou."

    Liu Hu was overjoyed, "You must teach me!"

    Liu Jing was a little bit concerned. At this time, a messenger cavalry from a distance rushed towards him, holding an order arrow in his hand and shouting: "Commander Wen has ordered us to camp on the spot!"

 Chapter 79 of Volume 1, Chu Ming

    Xiangyang is not far from Xinye, only more than a hundred miles away, and can be reached at dawn or dusk. However, Wenpin was cautious and ordered the camp to be stationed when it was still thirty miles away from Xinye County.

    This area is the west bank of Bishui, surrounded by low mounds, with a wide view. In the distance is a dense forest more than ten miles away.

    ??This is the key to setting up camp. There must be water, open fields, flat terrain, and meticulous civil service. Ten thousand troops set up camp. After a full hour of busy work, a large camp covering an area of ??several hundred acres was set up.

    The center of the camp is a granary for military supplies, and then there are hundreds of tents and military camps. The baggage vehicles are surrounded in a circle outside the camp, and there are another 200,000 spears surrounding the outermost part. The spears are inserted diagonally into the ground, sharp.  The tip of the spear faces outward.

    Not only that, but tens of thousands of caltrops were also sprinkled on areas that were more likely to be charged by cavalry, which was also a sharp weapon against cavalry. In addition, eight sentry towers were built at the four corners of the camp, which could overlook miles, and were heavily guarded in all directions.

    Wenpin was about 30 years old. He was originally just a low-level officer. He was highly skilled in martial arts. He liked to read military books and was good at both civil and military affairs. In a campaign to conquer Jiaozhou, he led 300 men to defeat thousands of enemy troops. He stood out and was favored by Cai Hao.  Recommended to Liu Biao.

    Liu Biao also admired his martial arts and strategy very much, and promoted him to the rank of military marquis, and soon to the rank of tooth general. Five years later, he was gradually promoted to the rank of captain, and became one of the six famous generals in Jingzhou. He led 20,000 troops to guard the north of the Han River.  .

    Wenpin was strict in running the army, but at the same time he loved his soldiers like a son. He was upright and upright, so he was deeply loved by the soldiers in Jingzhou. Like Huang Zhong and Wang Wei, he was one of the most prestigious generals in the Jingzhou army.

    Because Wenpin felt the kindness of Cai Mao, he accepted Cai Jin, Cai Mao's nephew, as his apprentice four years ago. He was once considered a member of the Cai family. However, Wenpin had a personal feud with Zhang Yun. More importantly, he supported his eldest son Liu Qi, while the Cai family  Then he began to favor his second son Liu Cong.

    So Wenpin has gradually parted ways with the Cai family. In addition, Wenpin is from Nanyang and has a very close relationship with Huang Zhong, and the Nanyang Huang family has formed a party with the Kuai family.

    Although there is no inevitable causal relationship, Wenpin did start to favor Kuai Yue. This time he was the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, and it was Kuai Yue who recommended him.

    In the military camp, Wenpin led a dozen generals to inspect the camp situation. He was a rigorous man and had to do many things himself.

    Walking to the sentry tower in the southwest corner, Wenpin looked at the construction of the sentry tower. There were protective trenches dug around it, and there were no corners cut. He nodded, feeling quite satisfied.

    "General, do you want to go up?" a general asked.

    Wenpin didn't say anything and climbed directly up the ladder to the sentry tower. There were two sentries on the sentry tower, each guarding one side. Once an abnormality was discovered, they would ring a bell to warn. A cast iron bell was hung on the sentry tower.  If it is knocked violently, the sound can be heard for several miles.

    "What's going on?" Wenpin asked when he saw that the two sentries seemed to have something to say.

    "Reporting to the commander-in-chief, we seemed to have seen Cao Jun's scouts just now."

    A sentry pointed to the southwest, "Spotted just a mile away."

    Wenpin's face sank, he stepped forward and looked to the southwest. A dozen miles to the southwest was a dense forest that stretched for more than a hundred miles.

    As far as the eye can see, low hills undulate. It is already dusk, and the blood-red sunset hangs over the forest, spreading the last bit of its afterglow to the earth, dyeing the forest and wilderness with a layer of magnificent gold.

    At this moment, several cavalrymen appeared on a mound, about a mile away from the camp. They were looking towards the camp from a distance. Wenpin saw at a glance that they were Cao Jun scouts.

    Wenpin suddenly became furious. He clearly sent several patrols around, but why didn't he intercept Cao Jun's scouts?

    "Where is Deng Wu?"

    Wenpin turned around and shouted loudly, and a young general bowed down in response, "I'm here to serve you!"

    "You lead three hundred cavalry to quickly surround Cao Jun's scouts. If they are allowed to escape, you will come to see them!"

    "Follow your orders!"

    General Deng Wu flew away. In a moment, a cavalry force of 300 people rushed out of the camp gate and outflanked Cao Jun's scouts.

    But Wenpin's anger was still lingering, and he ordered again: "Catch the patrol leader in charge of the southwest and punish him severely!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing¡¯s 500 people belong to the independent music department, which is responsible for protecting the safety of food and grass. They are directly led by the general Cai Zhong. Although Cai Zhong had a personal grudge against Liu Jing, he did not show any hatred along the way and instead took good care of him.

    When allocating camp tents, Cai Zhong also specially gave them thirty good tents. Other soldiers had thirty people per big tent, but Liu Jing had twenty people per tent.

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

     But based on his understanding of Cai Zhong, he felt that it was unlikely. Cai Zhong might have other intentions, so he did not make any statement and waited to see what happened.

    The sun was setting and the sky was dim. Five hundred of Liu Jing's men were gathering together to eat. They were laughing and chatting. It was very lively. From time to time, Liu Hu's fat body could be seen crowding among the soldiers to grab food. The soldiers would not let him.  , and became a noisy group.

    At this time, Liu Jing suddenly saw an officer dozens of steps away, tied up with five flowers, heading towards the Chinese army's tent in front. The general looked like he was just a low-level officer in military uniform, but he was tall and handsome.  Tied up, but with his head held high, he was not depressed and quite imposing.

    Liu Jing thought to himself: 'I don't know what military regulations this person has violated, but he was bound here. He looks quite mighty.  ¡¯

    He immediately ordered one of his subordinates, "Go and find out what happened over there and why they arrested people?"

    The soldiers rushed away and came back shortly to report: "Marquis, this man is a patrol commander. I heard that he found a Cao army scout within the patrol area. Commander Wen was furious and arrested him for questioning. I heard that this  Failure to do so may lead to execution.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, so that's what happened. This man had a dignified appearance. It would be a pity to kill him. Although Liu Jing thought so, he didn't want to be troublesome. Wen Pin was strict in governing the army and his military laws were as high as mountains.

    He turned to leave, when the soldier behind him said again: "I heard that this man's name is Wei Yan, and he is quite good at martial arts."

    ¡®Wei Yan!  ¡¯

    Liu Jing turned around suddenly. He suspected that he heard wrongly and asked again, "What is his name?"

    The soldier scratched his head, "His name is Wei Yan. Many people know him. He is not popular and has offended many people"

    Before the soldier finished speaking, Liu Jing rushed towards the Chinese army's tent. What a joke!  This is Wei Yan, a famous general from the Three Kingdoms, who is about to be executed.

    Liu Jing knew that there were many talents in Jingzhou, but there were more people who focused on literature and fewer famous generals. The famous ones were Huang Zhong, Gan Ning, Wenpin, and Wei Yan. In fact, Wang Wei and Huang Zu were also good, not as useless as in the novel.  .

    These famous generals have all appeared one after another, but Wei Yan has not yet appeared. Liu Jing also asked someone to inquire, but there was no news. He suspected that Wei Yan might not be in Jingzhou, but Wei Yan was from Yiyang, and Yiyang did belong to Jingzhou.

    Just when Liu Jing couldn't find this person, he didn't expect that Wei Yan appeared at the most unexpected moment, and he was in crisis as soon as he appeared and was about to be executed by the civil servant.

    Liu Jing was so anxious that he ran towards Wenpin's tent, fearing that if he was too late, Wei Yan would be killed.

    If Wei Yanruo dies, who will help him conquer the country?  £®  £®  £®

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the commander's tent, Wenpin's face was ashen. Although Deng Wu led the cavalry to encircle and suppress them with all their strength, two of the seven Cao army scouts escaped. His military plane was leaked, which made him furious.

    Wenpin slapped Shuai An hard and scolded: "The patrol was not strict, which caused Cao Jun's scouts to get close to the tent. Do you think you are guilty!"

    This is a characteristic of Wenpin. Even if he wants to kill a soldier, he must announce the reason and what military regulations he has violated.

    Especially this Northern Expedition is of great significance. It is the first time that he discusses crime and punishment. Of course, he must make the other party aware of his crime and convince the three armies.

    Wei Yan was tied up and kneeling on the ground. He was twenty-nine years old this year. He had served in the army in Jingzhou for seven years. From the campaign in Jiaozhou to the attack on Changsha, he had made numerous military exploits.

    But unlike others, who did meritorious service in order to get promoted, he did meritorious service to pay for his crimes. Wei Yan was proud, often made rude remarks, repeatedly offended his boss, and never left his shoes.

    Every time he performs meritorious service, various troubles will appear to offset his achievements. Despite this, Wei Yan refuses to change his character. He is like a down-and-out phoenix among the pheasants. It is difficult for him to get ahead. After seven years in the army,  In 2000, the people who joined the army with him had been promoted to the rank of general, while he was still a small village commander.

    Wei Yan refused to lower his head and said proudly: "Although I have neglected my duty, there is a reason. I only brought twenty brothers, but I have to be responsible for an area of ??thirty miles. Especially the southwest is densely forested, and the nearest forest to the military camp is only eight miles.  Cao Jun's scouts came out of this forest, but it takes at least thirty people to completely monitor this forest. Even if we don't focus on other places and focus here, there won't be enough people. Why doesn't the commander ask why? "

    "I only look at the results. Whether you go with ten people or a hundred people, these are your own affairs. I don't care. But if Cao Jun's scouts appear within your patrol range, you will not bear the blame. Who will come?"  Bear the blame?"

    Wenpin became angrier as he spoke. Finally, he slapped the table and said, "Push it out and chop it!"

    Several axemen supported Wei Yan and walked out. Wei Yan turned around and shouted: "I am not the one who sent the troops, why should I take the responsibility? Marshal, your punishment is unfair!"?? 

    Wenpin narrowed his eyes. A small village leader dared to accuse himself of injustice without asking for mercy. He was really tired of living.

    Wei Yan was pushed out of the tent and forced to kneel on the ground. An axe-hand raised the sharp machete high and pointed it at Wei Yan's neck.

    Wei Yan closed his eyes and sighed softly, "I didn't expect that I, Wei Yan, would die here."

    At this moment, a shout came from the distance: "Save one under the knife!"

    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? by a man who many soldiers knew, turned out to be Mr. Jing, the sword and ax hand didn't strike.

    Liu Jing was so frightened that his heart almost jumped out of his chest, and Wei Yan was just a hair away.

    "Wait a minute, I'll beg the coach for mercy. If that doesn't work, I'll kill you again!"

    The swordsman put down the knife, and Wei Yanchang breathed a long sigh of relief. He didn't expect that someone would come to save him.

    Before he could see who it was, Liu Jing had quickly walked into the tent, knelt down on one knee to greet him, "Liu Jing, a humble official, comes to see Wen Shuai!"

    [Today, a book friend talked about the ceremony of kneeling and worshiping. Lao Gao simply said a few words. Before the Tang and Song Dynasties, people knelt and sat without chairs, so standing to salute was condescending, giving people a sense of oppression, and seemed a bit rude.  Prayer is actually a kind of equality salute, sitting in the same posture as the other person.

    Therefore, the kneeling ceremony is usually done indoors, while in the wild, it is mostly performed by bowing.

    After the Song Dynasty, when chairs became more common, kneeling and sitting no longer existed, so the kneeling ceremony in official circles had changed its flavor and turned into a kind of slave ceremony of looking down and looking up.

    So these are actually two completely different etiquettes. Although the gestures are the same, the meanings are completely different]

 Volume 1, Chapter 80: First Acquisition of Talents

    Wenpin had already heard Liu Jing shouting outside the tent to save people under the knife. He was startled. Could it be that Liu Jing still had some kind of friendship with this little village chief?

    Logically speaking, Liu Jing¡¯s position is not high, he is just a small military prince. He is not qualified to intercede for Wei Yan, but his status is special, he is Liu¡¯s cousin and nephew, even Cai Mao has to give him some face.

    However, Wenpin has always been strict and upright, so it might not be easy to get him to spare Wei Yan. Liu Jing felt uneasy, so she had to bite the bullet and said: "It's hard to find a good general in Jingzhou. I hope Wen Shuai spares Wei Yan's life!"

    Wenpin looked at Liu Jing for a long time and said calmly: "Young Master Jing will also become a general who leads troops in the future. Military law is like a mountain. If he should be killed, his life will be spared, if he should be punished, but nothing will happen. In the past, how can Master Jing serve the people?"

    "This" Liu Jing didn't understand Wei Yan's situation and couldn't find a reason to plead for mercy.

    At this time, Wei Yan was heard shouting outside the tent: "The military law is as good as a mountain, but I, Wei Yan, am guilty of a crime that will not lead to death, and Commander Wen is punished for a minor crime, so how can I convince the public?"

    Wenpin's face changed. Wei Yan's greedy ears were about to shout, but Liu Jing seized the opportunity and said: "Wenjun, can you listen to his defense again? Otherwise, accidentally killing the sergeant will also damage Wenjun's army."  reputation."

    In fact, Wenpin also wanted to hear Wei Yan's explanation. He had a vague feeling that things might not be that simple.

    It's just that Wei Yan's position is low, and he can't lose face for a while. Now that Liu Jing has pleaded for mercy, Wenpin will go along with it.

    ¡°For Master Jing¡¯s sake, I will give him a chance to plead his case and push forward!¡±

    Several soldiers pushed Wei Yan in and pushed him to his knees. Wenpin looked at him coldly and said, "Speak! If you have any objections, just say it."

    Wei Yan narrowly escaped death, glanced at Liu Jing gratefully, and then said in a deep voice: "The humble post is because the patrol was not strict, which caused Cao Jun's scouts to approach the tent. The humble post is guilty and dare not shirk it, but the humble post is the commander of the camp. I applied to the military marquis in advance.  I took all fifty brothers out of the camp, but the military prince refused and only allowed me to take twenty people. As a result, the patrol force was insufficient. Although it is a serious crime to hold a low position, the military prince is also guilty of making a mistake in sending troops. "

    Wenpin walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, thought for a moment, and then asked: "Then have you told your superiors why you brought fifty patrol soldiers?"

    "My humble post said that if we have to patrol thirty miles, twenty men will definitely not be enough, and there will be loopholes. But the military prince did not listen, and said that he would only give twenty men, not one more."

    Wenpin was slightly angry and said to the soldiers on his left and right: "Find me this man's military commander!"

    A soldier rushed away, and after a while, he brought two officers. One was a military lord, Wei Yan's immediate superior, and the other was General Ya, the officer in charge.

    The two of them knelt down on one knee: "See you, Marshal!"

    "Let me ask you, why are only twenty people given to this person to patrol the forest of more than thirty miles? Do you think twenty people are enough?"

    The Marquis and the General looked at each other. They were both military men and women. They had already discussed countermeasures on the road. Although Wei Yan was wearing small shoes, if something happened, he had to take away his own responsibilities.

    The Marquis of the Army kowtowed and said, "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, it is really because of the lack of horses that we do not allow him to take fifty men."

    "Nonsense!"

    Wei Yan couldn't help roaring, "I'm the one to collect the war horses. What does it have to do with you? It's obvious that you don't want to send fifty people to me, and all of my fifty men can ride horses. You won't say that you are afraid of not having enough riders."  Bar!"

    The prince's face was red and speechless, but General Ya said calmly: "Report to the commander, this Wei Yan has always been rebellious to his superiors and disobeyed military orders. He is a famous thorn in the army. How many people are sent to him?"  He only needs to carry out the orders given by the military prince. It is not his turn to refute and accuse the military prince of sending too few troops. Although the number of twenty troops is relatively small, it cannot be used as an excuse for his dereliction of duty, nor can he shift the responsibility to his superiors.  Please give me a warning, Commander-in-Chief!"

    Liu Jing, who was standing next to him, saw his unreasonable words and couldn't help but retort: ??"Since ancient times, the responsibility has been taken from top to bottom. If one day, a sentry neglects his duty and leads to the defeat of Jingzhou, will Wen Shuai still have to go to the Zhou Mu?"  Explain, this is Xiao Bing¡¯s responsibility and has nothing to do with him?¡±

    There was silence in the big tent. Wenpin nodded slowly, "The tooth general Wu Qing takes the first responsibility. He is pushed out to hit fifty military sticks and is demoted to one level. The military prince made a mistake in judgment and sent troops ineffectively. He takes the heavy responsibility and hits one hundred."  The military stick will be demoted to one level; if Wei Yan fails to patrol and misses the enemy's scouts, he will take the lead and be beaten with thirty military sticks and be dismissed from his post as a pawn!"

    The soldiers pushed the three of them out and beat them hard. Wenpin smiled at Liu Jing and said, "Speaking of which, I would also like to thank Mr. Jing for reminding me that I was almost punished unfairly and my reputation was ruined."

    Liu Jing bowed and saluted, "Wen Shuai changed his mind when he heard it. Liu Jing admires him very much, but I still have something to ask for."

    ¡°??If you have anything, just say it, as long as it doesn't violate military regulations, I can consider it.  "

    Wenpin was so polite, but in the final analysis, he still did not treat Liu Jing as his subordinate.

    Liu Jing looked back at Wei Yan who was being beaten outside the tent, and sighed: "This is Wei Yan. Although he escaped with his life, General Ya and the military lord will definitely not spare him. He will definitely die in their hands. I beg Wen  Shuai transferred him to my side.¡±

    Mr. Jing fell in love with Wei Yan. Wenpin understood Liu Jing's thoughts, but since it was a favor, Wenpin readily agreed: "Okay! You can take him away later."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Wei Yan is deeply grateful to the young master for saving his life!"

    In Liu Jing¡¯s military tent, Wei Yan endured the pain and knelt down to kowtow. Although he was beaten to a bloody pulp, thirty military sticks were nothing to him. He didn¡¯t hurt his muscles or bones, and he would be fine after a day or two of rest.

    But there was only a kind of gratitude in his heart for being reborn. If Liu Jing hadn't saved him today, he would have died today. He didn't know how to express his gratitude.

    Liu Jing did not help him up or comfort him. This kind of clich¨¦d plot would not happen again at least with Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing put his hands behind his hands and said coldly: "First of all, you can't call me my son. You are just one of my soldiers now and should be called my military lord. Secondly, I saved you just because I felt that Wen Shuai's punishment was unfair, so I stepped in to stop you.  To maintain military discipline, I don¡¯t know you, and I¡¯m not trying to save you.

    Third, if you think that I saved you, you have nothing to rely on. If you dare to violate military discipline and dare to fear death, I will still kill you. Remember?  "

    Wei Yan nodded silently, "I remember my humble position!"

    Liu Jing smiled faintly again, "Although Wen Shuai dismissed you as a pawn, I think your demotion is enough. Therefore, you are now the uncle. Your boss is the village chief Liu Hu. Do your best!"

    "I understand my humble position and will not let the military prince down."

    Wei Yan saluted, and a soldier helped him retreat. Liu Hu next to him had already been holding back his words. When he saw Wei Yan coming out of the tent, he immediately shouted: "How can you give me this famous thorn?"

    Liu Jing patted Liu Hu on the shoulder and smiled slightly: "He is not a thorn in the side. One day, he will become a powerful general. I will not misjudge him."

    Liu Hu scratched his head, as if he had said this to himself, and to Gan Ning, as if this mighty side was a bit too cheap.

    Liu Jing seemed to understand what he meant by scratching his head, slapped him hard on the shoulder, and said angrily: "Don't send your newbie down yet, see how his injury is, give him some medicine or something, go quickly!"

    Liu Hu grinned and went out. Liu Jing crossed his hands on his chest and raised his head to reflect on today's harvest. It felt like he caught a three-pound crucian carp in the river in his previous life. There was a surprise of unexpected harvest.

    This is Wei Yan!  Historically, if Zhuge Liang had listened to his plan to attack Chang'an through Ziwu Valley, history might really have been changed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As night fell, Cai Zhong quickly walked into the Chinese army's tent, raised his hands to Wenpin and said, "Zhong Ye, do you have anything to do with me?"

    Wenpin nodded, "I just received an urgent military report from General Zuo. He is short of food and grass. I hope we can send some of it."

    Cai Zhong sneered, "It's not that he doesn't have enough food and grass! He wants to test whether we are willing to help him."

    Wenpin glanced at Cai Zhong in surprise. He had always looked down on Cai Zhong. He had a despicable personality and was stupid and unintelligent. Unexpectedly, he reacted very quickly today.

    "No matter what his reasons are, since we sent people to ask for help, we can't just sit back and watch. What does General Cai think?"

    Cai Zhong was beaten by Cai Mao all night last night, and he has gradually realized that killing someone does not necessarily require a fierce look, and sometimes hiding a knife in a smile makes it harder for people to guard against it.

    He changed from his former fierceness and brutality to become polite and respectful to Wenpin, and he also paid special attention to Liu Jing.

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? He only felt that Cai Zhong seemed to have changed his temper, and soon he figured out that maybe it was because he was on an expedition. Without Cai Mao to back him, he had to restrain himself.

    So when Wenpin spoke to Cai Zhong, he was more or less polite. Cai Zhong was in charge of the rear army, and he was in charge of all the food, grass and baggage. Wenpin used a discussion tone.

    Cai Zhong then smiled and said: "Zhong Ye is the commander-in-chief of the first army. Since the commander-in-chief has orders, Cai Zhong will of course obey and immediately allocate food and grass."

    After hesitating, Cai Zhong suggested again: "I suggest that Young Master Jing escort the grain and grass to Uncle Liu's military camp. What does Commander Wen think?"

    Wenpin thought about it and realized that it would not be a bad idea to let Liu Jing escort him. He had a close relationship with Liu Bei.He sent food there, which was more able to eliminate Liu Bei's suspicion, but just letting him go alone made Wenpin feel uneasy.

    Wenpin walked to the map and found Liu Bei's garrison. It was a hilly area on Bowang Slope northwest of Xinye, about fifty miles away.

    Judging from the current intelligence, Cao Jun is confronting Liu Bei and has no intention of attacking Jingxiang Army.

    What's more important is that Xiahou Dun's main force has not yet arrived. Now it is just the confrontation between Li Dian and Liu Bei's army. It is not too dangerous. If we set off now, the food and grass will arrive at Liu Bei's camp tomorrow morning.

    Wenpin pondered for a moment. Although he needed to consider Liu Jing's safety, he also believed that a man could never grow into a towering tree without going through wind and rain.

    "You can order Deng Wu to lead a thousand troops and go with Liu Jing to protect the food supply."

    Deng Wu is a native of Xinye. He was born into the Deng family. He is highly skilled in martial arts and cautious and steady. He has always been Wenpin's right-hand man. He is very familiar with the terrain of Xinye. If he and Liu Jing are allowed to go together, even if they are attacked by Cao's army on the way, they will be able to defeat him.  Take it in stride.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 81 Accident

    In the dark night, a team of more than 600 grain and grass trucks drove northwestward along the official road. A total of 1,500 Jingzhou soldiers guarded the grain and grass truck fleet.

    He led the three hundred cavalrymen to clear the way and looked around vigilantly. From time to time, spies would gallop back on horseback to report on the road conditions ahead.

    Liu Jing was at the back of the team, riding his horse slowly. On a hay cart next to him, Wei Yan was lying in a haystack. Although his muscles and bones were not injured, after all, he was still beaten by thirty army sticks.  He was so bloody that he could not walk, and he did not want to stay in the military camp, so he could only lie down on the grain cart.

    "Uncle Wei, are you feeling better?" Liu Jing asked with a smile, her tone full of concern.

    "Reporting back to Junhou, it's just a flesh injury. He will be fine after a few days of rest."

    It has been nearly two hours since Wei Yan became the uncle. He has adapted to his current status and can finally calm down and consider some issues.

    He had poor interpersonal relationships in the army, especially with his superiors, and was a notorious thorn in the side. The fundamental reason was that he was arrogant, looked down on the lower-level officers and soldiers, and disdained to associate with them.

    Wei Yan was highly skilled in martial arts and rich in strategy, but it was a pity that he was not at the right time and did not get the chance to stand out. He was like a phoenix among the pheasants, with dull fur and lost the aura of the king of birds.

    But today, he was rescued by Liu Jing by mistake and became an uncle under Liu Jing.

    Although his official position was demoted one level, Wei Yan saw hope. The military prince he followed was no longer the kind of mediocre villain, and he was Liu Biao's nephew.

    Wei Yan has also heard about Liu Jing, and even his bosses who he hates will sometimes talk about it. Even they admit that Liu Jing is the smartest among Liu Biao's nephews.

    So if Wei Yan followed Liu Jing, would his destiny change from then on?  The more he thought about it, the brighter his heart became, and he was full of expectations for the future.

    ¡®Liu Jingsheng¡¯s sons are all idiots, maybe Mr. Jing will replace him one day.  ¡¯ Wei Yan thought secretly.

    At this time, a cavalryman rushed over, cupped his hands to Liu Jing and said: "Marquis, General Deng invites you!"

    Liu Jing nodded and smiled at Wei Yan: "Recover as soon as possible. Don't miss the opportunity of this battle."

    "Thank you for your concern, Junhou."

    Liu Jing clamped her legs between her horses and ran towards the front of the team. Wei Yan watched him go away and sighed quietly. He needed to recover from his injuries as soon as possible and didn't want to become a burden, but he couldn't hurry.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Not long after, Liu Jing caught up with Deng Wu, the tooth general at the front of the team. Deng Wu was a young general, about 27 or 28 years old. He was from the Deng family, a wealthy family in Xinye. He was of medium stature and had average strength, but his mind was weak.  Flexible, smart and capable, he is Wenpin's most valued right-hand man.

    "General Deng, do you have anything to do with me?" Liu Jing reined in her horse and asked.

    Deng Wu pointed his horse whip at the dark mountains in the distance and said with a smile: "We are about to enter the hilly area ahead. The woods on both sides are dense and easy to be ambushed, so I remind you to be careful."

    Liu Jing glanced at the mountains in the distance, immediately turned back and ordered: "All vehicles should be covered with tarpaulin."

    Covering with tarpaulin is mainly to prevent enemy troops from attacking grain trucks with rockets, especially ox carts loaded with hay. We must also beware of rocket attacks. The soldiers got busy and covered the carts tightly with thick tarpaulins.

    After being busy for a while, it became quiet again. Deng Wu smiled and pointed to the county seat in the southwest direction behind him: "That is Xinye County, and my home is in the county seat."

    Xinye County is not far away, only three or four miles away. The long city wall is particularly clear in the moonlight. Liu Jing stared at it for a moment and asked: "I heard that General Deng is a member of the Deng clan in Xinye?"

    "It can't be called the Xinye Deng family."

    Deng Wu smiled and said: "Our Deng family is very large. It is distributed all over Nanyang County. The ancestral hall is in Wancheng. The Xinye Deng family is just one of them. There are about a dozen houses, but it is still a direct lineage. The head of the Deng family in Wancheng  , is my eldest grandfather, and Deng Yi, who is in charge of Jingzhou, is also a member of our clan."

    At this time, Liu Jing suddenly remembered someone and asked with a smile: "Is there a person named Deng Ai in the Deng family?"

    Deng Wu was startled and turned to look at Liu Jing in surprise, "Which Deng Ai is it?"

    "It's just that he stutters a bit and his articulation is not very clear. He should still be a child now."

    Deng Wu laughed and said, "How could Mr. Jing know Quan Zi?"

    It was Liu Jing¡¯s turn to be stunned. It turned out that Deng Wu was Deng Ai¡¯s father. It was unexpected!  Just this.  £®  £®  £®  Ask yourself how to explain how he knew Deng Ai.

      Liu Jing's thoughts were spinning very fast and she said with a smile: "I heard when I was chatting with General Zilong that my son is very talented and has a photographic memory of reading. He is known as a child prodigy in Xinye."

    Anyone would be happy to hear others praise their son. Deng Wu was indeed proud of his son. Although his son Deng Ai had a unclear speech, he was extremely smart and had a memory of reading. He has been hailed as a child prodigy since he was three years old. Now  He is eight years old and is very famous in Xinye County. If Zhao Yun told Liu Jing, it would be reasonable.

    "Young Master Jing is a great compliment. Quanzi is just a little clever. I hope he will be both civilized and military when he grows up and become a pillar of talent."

    As the two of them talked, the convoy slowly drove into the valley. There were low hills on both sides. The hills were no more than a dozen feet high. The hills were round and gentle, and densely covered with woods. It was indeed an easy place to be ambushed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The soldiers of the Jingzhou Army were all on alert, holding shields in their hands and watching both sides of the mountain road. Liu Jing's 500 troops were responsible for the rear section, which was about one mile long and guarded 200 grain trucks.

    Inside the cart, Wei Yan frowned. He was very experienced and felt that the terrain was unfavorable and it was too easy to be ambushed.

    "General Liu!"

    He called Liu Hu in a low voice. Liu Hu was appointed as the head of the village and was his immediate superior. Liu Hu stopped riding and followed the team on foot. He held his mountain-splitting kitchen knife in one hand and his shield in the other, watching intently.  Walking into the woods on the mountain, he didn't hear Wei Yan calling him.

    "General Liu!"

    Wei Yan shouted again. Only then did Liu Hu hear it. He turned around and glared at Wei Yan, "You called me?"

    He was prejudiced against Wei Yan and always thought he was a thorn, but Liu Jing did not allow him to treat Wei Yan badly. Liu Hu could only express his dislike for Wei Yan in his own way, that is, he was not allowed to call himself tiger.

    Young soldiers in the army call him Brother Tiger, while older soldiers call him Tiger. He likes it very much, but usually hates others calling him Tun Chang Liu or General Liu. Only people he doesn't like will call him that.

    "What's going on?" Liu Hu asked loudly again.

    "General Liu, I suggest that the soldiers should stand on both sides of the livestock. If the cart is covered with tarpaulin, it will not be afraid of rockets. But if the livestock is not protected, it will be terrible if it is shot by a cold arrow."

    Liu Hu thought for a while and realized that this was true. If the livestock was shot to death, the grain truck would be unable to move. This was a good suggestion. His impression of Wei Yan immediately improved a bit. He gave a thumbs up and praised: "You  Good advice!¡±

    He immediately ordered the soldiers around him, "Follow the animals on both sides and use your shields to block them."

    The good plan spread quickly. Before long, almost all the village chiefs ordered soldiers to protect the livestock. There were more than 600 ox carts and 1,500 soldiers. Although the livestock could not be completely covered, there were soldiers following the animals.  On the other hand, the protection of livestock has been strengthened a lot.

    "Old Wei!"

    Once Liu Hu changed his image of people, he would become very affectionate. Although before a cup of tea, he was still mumbling in his heart about why Wei Yantou followed him, but at this moment, he forgot to treat Wei Yan  He was so disgusted that he affectionately called him Lao Wei.

    "You said that if Cao's army ambushes, will it be cavalry?"

    Wei Yan smiled slightly and said: "If it is cavalry, there is no need to worry, because there will definitely not be more than two hundred people."

    "Why?" Liu Hu asked puzzledly.

    "Because cavalry is not suitable for fighting on forest roads, they are more suitable for attacking in the wilderness. If there are more than three hundred cavalry, they will definitely attack us on the plains in the wilderness. Only small-scale patrol cavalry will ambush in the woods because of their small number of troops. So  , if there is an ambush, it can only be infantry, with at most a small amount of cavalry."

    Liu Hu suddenly realized that he had never understood these practical experiences, and now it was Wei Yan who taught him. He sincerely praised, "Old Wei, I really have you."

    Wei Yan also laughed. He found that his immediate boss was very honest and cute, with no ambition at all, but Liu Jing made him feel a little scared. It was a pleasure to follow this tiger, and he began to like Liu Jing a little bit.  .

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    This valley forest road is about ten miles long. The trees are densely shaded along the way, covering the road. A dangerous atmosphere envelopes the forest road. Although the spies did not find that Cao Jun was ambushing, all the soldiers felt a little uneasy, and even the livestock changed.  Cheng became a little irritable.

    At this time, a cavalryman shouted from the front: "General, the road ahead is blocked by a big tree."

    Deng Wu and Liu Jing looked at each other and shouted at the same time, "No!"

    There is a big tree blocking the road ahead, so where did the spies go?

    Liu Jing said anxiously: "I will go to the rear army!"

    Without waiting for Deng Wu¡¯s consent, he turned his horse around.He ran towards the back of the team, shouting: "Stop the whole army, there is an ambush, be on alert!"

    The team suddenly became extremely tense, and all the soldiers stared at both sides. At this moment, a cart driver screamed, and was hit by an arrow in the neck. He fell off the bullock cart, and then there were continuous screams.  One after another, they were all drivers driving cars. After a round of cold arrows, more than thirty drivers were hit by arrows.

    At the same moment when the cold arrows were fired, a long stretch of hundreds of rockets was shot out from the woods, like dense sparks blooming in the night sky, streaking across the night sky and shooting directly at the oxcart.

    But the oxcart was covered with a thick oilcloth, which was specially treated to be thick and tight, waterproof and fireproof. When the rocket hit the oxcart, it was unable to ignite the grain and grass, and was immediately extinguished by the soldiers with bamboo branches and brooms.

    But in the rear army, an ox cart carrying fodder was still set on fire, and soon the flames shot into the sky. A frightened ox broke off the shaft of the cart and ran around, making the team a little confused.

    At this moment, Liu Jing galloped over on horseback and stabbed with his spear. The impact of the horse made the spear extremely powerful. The sharp tip of the spear pierced the bull's head. The mad bull fell to the ground and died. Liu Jing drew his spear and shouted: "  Everyone, stop the chaos and gather around me!¡±

    The chaotic soldiers calmed down a little. A dozen people overturned the burning cart and separated the unburned fodder. The soldiers moved closer to Liu Jing. The arrows suddenly stopped and became extremely quiet, like a heavy rain.  The moment before arrival.

    Suddenly, shouts of killing erupted from the woods on both sides. More than a thousand soldiers of Cao's army hidden in the woods swarmed out and attacked the middle section of the Jingzhou Army's grain convoy

    ¡¾Don¡¯t forget to vote for your precious recommendation votes!  ¡¿

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 82, The First Trial of the Calf Knife

    It should be said that it was just a coincidence that Cao Jun ambushed the grain convoy this time. This Cao Jun army was sent by General Li Dian who was confronting Liu Bei Jun in Bowangpo. Their goal was to sneak attack on Xinye City and force Liu Bei Jun to retreat in panic. Unexpectedly, it turned out that  By chance, he encountered the Jingzhou Army's food delivery convoy.

    The Cao Army general responsible for the sneak attack on Xinye was named Han Zhi. He was a general who surrendered to Yuan Shao and is now a general under Li Dian. The Jingzhou Army's food convoy disrupted Cao Jun's plan to sneak attack on Xinye County. Han Zhi believed that Xinye was very likely to attack Xinye County.  Get the news and take precautions, causing their sneak attack to fail.

    But after withdrawing his troops like this, Han Zhi was worried about being beaten by Li Dian. After repeated consideration, Han Zhi made a bold decision and turned the sneak attack on Xinye City into an ambush on the grain team.

    The first wave of offensive was launched. More than a thousand Cao Cao's troops rushed into the grain truck and interrupted it. However, the general Han Zhi was in the rear of the grain truck a mile away. He led more than a thousand ambush troops to wait patiently, waiting for the success of the plan to divert the tiger away from the mountain.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Set fire to the grain truck!"

    General Cao Ya, who was in charge of the middle section of the attack, shouted loudly, and more than a hundred soldiers rushed towards the grain truck with torches in hand. The forest road was in chaos, and the two armies were fighting in the darkness.

    The Jingzhou army was originally smaller in number than the opponent, and the length was three miles. The soldiers were scattered, but Cao's army concentrated on the middle section. There were only less than 500 Jingzhou soldiers in this section, but they had to withstand the charge of nearly a thousand Cao's troops, and they were killed in a short time.  They were defeated steadily and suffered heavy casualties.

    Dozens of grain trucks were set on fire, and the flames shot into the sky. Military Marquis Luo Ji led hundreds of Jingzhou soldiers to resist hard, but gradually they could no longer hold on, and the situation was extremely critical.

    At this moment, Deng Wu led three hundred soldiers to come to the rescue and joined the battle, easing the pressure on the interrupted army.

    Jun Hou Luo Ji rushed forward and shouted angrily at Deng Wu: "General Deng, I asked Jun Hou Liu for help three times, but he always ignored me. Does he just want to sit back and watch us be annihilated?"

    Deng Wu was startled and looked towards the rear team. It was pitch black and extremely quiet. Deng Wu was also a little surprised. Why did Liu Jing stand still? Was he really scared?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although Liu Jing experienced the thrilling battle of Runan, he was a fugitive that time, struggling for his life in the rebel army. But less than half a year later, he faced war again, and this time, he was a fugitive.  A low-level officer from Jingzhou participated in the war and received the baptism of blood and fire.

    Although Liu Jing also lacks actual combat experience and the skills to command military operations, he has an advantage that ordinary low-level generals cannot have, that is, a calm mind and keen judgment.

    Now the enemy is in darkness and we are clear. He does not know how many Cao troops are ambushing, but one thing he knows very well is that the rear army was also attacked by rockets. Although the number was not large, it means that there are also Cao troops ambushing the rear army.

    It is for this reason that Luo Ji, the military lord, sent people to ask for help from him three times, but Liu Jing always stood still and refused to rescue him, ordering his soldiers to stick to the rear.

    The shouts of killing from the Chinese army more than a mile away were loud, the fire was blazing, and the screams of soldiers kept coming, but it was unusually quiet here. Liu Hu was so anxious that he rushed forward and shouted: "Marquis, let me lead our brothers  Let¡¯s go and help! Marquis Luo Jun has sent people to ask for help three times, I¡¯m afraid he can¡¯t support us anymore.¡±

    Liu Jing bit her lip and stared at the depths of the dense forest not far away. He could not see anything in the darkness, but he seemed to see countless Cao Jun soldiers lying in wait in the dense forest with spears. If he were a general of Cao Jun,  , he would also make the tiger leave the mountain like this, Liu Jing believed in his own judgment.

    At this time, a cavalryman rushed over and shouted: "Marquis Liu, General Deng, please send two hundred troops for assistance!"

    Liu Jing was still silent, and Liu Hu couldn't help but shouted: "Junhou, let me go!"

    "Shut up!"

    Liu Jing shouted loudly, his voice was so fierce that Liu Hu trembled with fright and did not dare to say anything anymore. He had never seen Liu Jing so fierce before.

    Liu Jing calmed down for a moment and said to the cavalry: "Please tell General Deng that an ambush by Cao Jun is not that simple. I cannot leave my post without permission."

    The cavalrymen saluted, turned their horses and galloped away. Wei Yan, who had been silent all this time, asked: "Does the military lord think there is an ambush on our side?"

    Liu Jing nodded. Suddenly, there was a bang in the dense forest, and a dense row of arrows shot from the woods, hundreds of them.

    Jingzhou soldiers raised their shields to meet them, but more than a dozen soldiers were caught off guard and were shot over with screams. More than a dozen livestock were also shot to the ground. Liu Jing also raised his shields to meet the arrows, and several arrows were shot at them.  On top of his shield.

    Immediately afterwards, a cry of killing broke out in the woods. Groups of Cao soldiers came from the woods to the west. There were thousands of them. Liu Jing was secretly glad that he had guessed correctly. The main force of the enemy army was  To attack the rear section of the grain truck.

      "Don't be confused, line up to fight!"

    Liu Jing shouted loudly that he had already prepared and gathered all five hundred of his men together. The five hundred soldiers held long contradiction cards and lined up in five rows. They abandoned the grain convoy and faced the oncoming enemy group of Cao's army.  superior.

    It was like a stormy sea crashing on a solid reef, and the waves broke in an instant. The densely attacking soldiers of Cao's army collided with the lined-up Jingzhou soldiers, and screams suddenly sounded. The shield array like a copper wall and an iron wall blocked the attack of Cao's soldiers.  After the impact, sharp spears were thrust out, and dozens of Cao Jun soldiers were stabbed and fell to the ground.

    More and more Cao Jun soldiers came and attacked fiercely from all directions. More than a hundred carts overturned or were ignited. Flames swept into the sky and smoke filled the air.

    "Don't worry about the carriage, keep the formation!"

    Liu Jing's voice was hoarse from shouting, and he was extremely anxious. Big beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. This was his first time commanding an army in combat. He had no experience and relied entirely on his rational judgment. At this time, he faced a dilemma.  The choice is to either keep the army from being defeated or give up the food truck.

    Liu Jing finally chose the army. He did not need food, but his soldiers must not suffer heavy casualties. He made up his mind and commanded the battle with a sword.

    At this time, a Cao Army garrison leader led more than 20 Cao Army cavalry to rush in. The huge impact hit the Jingzhou military formation, instantly knocking over seven or eight soldiers.

    More than two dozen Cao Jun cavalry rushed into the phalanx. The formation on the west side of the phalanx was disrupted, and a huge gap was opened in the originally neat formation, leaving the Jingzhou army on the west side in chaos.

    Liu Jing was anxious and angry, even though he had read a lot of military books in the past three months, and even though he had learned many strategies by analogy in later generations.

    But theory is not equal to reality. When this critical situation suddenly came, Liu Jing was so anxious that he couldn't think of any way to deal with this crisis. He didn't know what to do for a while.

    "Marquis of the Army!"

    This is the voice of Wei Yan. His voice is a few steps away. The stick wound on his leg prevents him from riding a horse or running. He is hiding in a cart, holding a spear and a pair of bows and arrows.

    Wei Yan had already killed five or six soldiers of Cao's army who were trying to burn the chariot. He had rich experience in actual combat and knew how to deal with the crisis at hand. He couldn't help but remind Liu Jing, "Marquis, kill the cavalry leader first, and the rest of the cavalry will use their long swords."  The spearmen can be eliminated by attacking from the front and back."

    Wei Yan's suggestion gave Liu Jing some countermeasures. He galloped forward with his horse, and the horse was as fast as thunder. He raised his spear in his hand and stabbed Cao Jun's commander in the face. The spear seemed unpleasant, but it hit Cao Jun in the blink of an eye.  In front of the village chief.

    The commander of Cao Jun was shocked and raised his spear to fight, but it was too late. Liu Jing's spear tip had already pierced his throat, 'Poof!  ¡¯ The sharp spear point stabbed out from the back of the neck.

    The camp commander of Cao Jun was killed, which halted the sharp offensive of Cao Jun¡¯s cavalry. Liu Jing seized this opportunity, waved his gun and shouted loudly in the team: "Chen Huan's troops are outflanking from the left, and Liu Hu's troops are flanking from the right!"

    More than 70 Jingzhou soldiers came from the left wing, and more than 100 Jingzhou soldiers came from the right. They surrounded more than 20 Cao Jun cavalry who rushed into the square formation. They stabbed with spears from the front and back, killing all the enemy troops in a moment, and stabilized the situation.  The position was disrupted.

    "Marquis, you must maintain your formation!" Wei Yan shouted again.

    However, Wei Yan did not need to remind him about this. Liu Jing knew in his heart that a neat formation can inspire powerful collective strength. He immediately ordered loudly, "Every army is in position and resume formation!"

    The gap that was opened quickly closed, and the formation began to recover.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the dark night, the two sides fought fiercely, and the Jingzhou military formation was scattered again and again, but under the command of Liu Jing, it gathered together again and again.

    Although Cao¡¯s army had more than twice the strength, they encountered strong resistance from the Jingzhou army¡¯s formation. The two armies were fighting inextricably. The Jingzhou army relied on the tacit cooperation of the formation and never fell behind.

    Liu Hu's eyes were red with bloodshed. He roared loudly, swung his mountain-cleaving knife and slashed wildly among Cao's army. He was extremely powerful, and his body was like a black tower. He had long forgotten the tricks of Feng Lei Bian, and he was like a crazy tiger.  Cao's army fought desperately.

    The heads of Cao Jun soldiers were chopped off by his big kitchen knife, and their bodies were cut off. There were bloody corpses everywhere. It was so horrific that even Liu Hu turned into a bloody man.

    Han Zhi, the commander-in-chief of Cao's army, was furious when he saw Liu Hu's fierceness. He kept staring at him. At this time, Han Zhi discovered Liu Hu's defense loophole, urged his horse to gallop, and struck Liu Hu's back with a long halberd.  The halberd came, and the door behind Liu Hu was wide open. He was defenseless. Seeing the halberd piercing Liu Hu's back, Liu Jing's eyes turned red and he shouted hoarsely: "Tiger, behind!"

    But in the chaos, Liu Hu heard nothing, and HanWith a ferocious laugh, he raised his arms and stabbed. Liu Jing closed his eyes in pain. Was Liu Hu just killed in battle?

    Wei Yan had been paying attention to Liu Hu's battles and was worried about him. Wei Yan found that although Liu Hu was powerful and brave in battle, he had no actual combat experience.

    Especially since he doesn¡¯t have any basic self-defense skills. One-on-one combat may be fine, but in a melee among a crowd, his carelessness is extremely dangerous.

    Wei Yan had already seen Liu Hu's danger. A general from Cao's army attacked Liu Hu from behind, but Liu Hu was unaware. Wei Yan was so anxious that he knelt on the cart, stretched out his bow and nocked an arrow, and drew the bow like a full moon, aiming.  The enemy's head was shot with an arrow.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, Liu Hu also felt the danger behind him. When Han Zhi's halberd stabbed him, he turned around suddenly and saw a sharp halberd stabbing his throat. He had no way to hide, and he was so scared that he grinned widely.  He shouted, "His grandma, I'm going to die!"

    At this critical moment, a wolf-fang arrow was shot like lightning, and the arrow penetrated Han Zhi's neck. Han Zhi's halberd deflected and pierced Liu Hu's ear.

    Liu Hu¡¯s ear was scratched by a small thorn on the halberd. It was burning and painful. Liu Hu had never shed a drop of blood since he was a child. Now that his ear was pierced, how would he find a wife in the future.

    He was immediately furious. Before Han Zhi could fall from his horse, Liu Hu jumped up, swung a large kitchen knife and slashed at his neck. A cold light flashed, and Han Zhi's head suddenly flew up more than ten feet high, and blood flowed from his neck.  squirt.

    Liu Jing saw a thrilling scene. Liu Hu actually walked back from the gate of hell. He looked back at Wei Yan and saw him holding a bow and arrow, smiling and nodding to himself.

    Liu Jing sighed softly. If he had a bow and arrow, he wouldn't have to watch Liu Hu in danger. Today was thanks to Wei Yan. This was an outcome that he had not expected when he rescued him.

    At this time, Liu Hu found a very long spear, picked up Han Zhi's head with the tip of the spear, raised it high in the air and shouted loudly: "General Cao's army is dead! General Cao's army is dead!"

    Liu Jing did not expect Liu Hu to be so smart. She was overjoyed and shouted loudly: "My sons, General Cao is dead. Today is the day to kill the enemy and make meritorious service!"

    The morale of hundreds of Jingzhou troops was greatly boosted and their momentum was like a rainbow. They killed Cao Jun's soldiers and retreated steadily. Han Zhi was dead and Cao Jun had no one to command. The morale of the troops began to collapse. They only persisted for a moment and finally collapsed. Cao Jun's soldiers shouted,  They scattered and fled, and the Jingzhou army took advantage of the victory to pursue them, killing the enemy soldiers and leaving them dead in the field, and countless people surrendered.

    In the central army, the Jingzhou Army suffered heavy casualties, with nearly 400 casualties. The company's Hou Luoji was also unfortunately killed by a cold arrow. Deng Wu led more than 600 Jingzhou Army and nearly 800 Cao Army to fight fiercely. In the darkness, it was difficult to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy, and the melee formed a group.  Both sides lost their structure and acted independently.

    At this time, more than 400 Jingzhou troops from the rear army, led by Liu Jing, came to attack. Since Cao Jun in the rear army had been defeated, Cao Jun in the middle section could not fight alone. General Cao Junya saw that the situation was not good and shouted, "Withdraw troops!"

    Cao¡¯s army retreated like a tide. Deng Wu sat helplessly on the ground and breathed a long sigh of relief. The Jingzhou soldiers suddenly burst into thunderous cheers

    This was just a small-scale ambush battle. Two thousand Cao Cao's troops ambushed a convoy transporting grain and grass in Jingzhou. Although Cao's army ended in failure, both sides suffered heavy losses. The Jingzhou army suffered more than 500 casualties. The military lord Luo Ji was killed, and more than 200 grain trucks were killed.  The carriages were burned and destroyed, more than 200 livestock were killed, and 150 carriage drivers were killed.

    But similarly, the two thousand Cao soldiers also suffered more than 800 casualties, nearly 300 were captured, and the general Han Zhi was killed. In the end, only 800 Cao soldiers were able to successfully evacuate.

    This was a lose-lose battle. All in all, the Jingzhou Army finally won a tragic victory. The young military lord Liu Jing, with his calmness, rationality, and keen observation, enabled the Jingzhou Army to win the first battle against Cao Army since the war began.  victory

 Volume 1, Chapter 83: Entering the Camp

    [Chapter skipped, sorry!  ¡¿

    =====

    Thirty percent of vehicles and livestock have been lost, dozens of vehicles of fodder and grain have been burned, and there are more than 300 prisoners of war. Unable to move forward, Liu Jing had to send people to Xinye for help.

    When daybreak was about to break, Guan Ping led more than a thousand soldiers to the forest road. Guan Ping dismounted from his horse, raised his hands to Liu Jing and said with a smile: "Congratulations to my dear brother for your great success in opening the door and your first achievements!"

    Liu Jing was very happy to meet Guan Ping after not seeing him for several months. He lightly punched Guan Ping on the shoulder and said with a smile: "You mean it's not my part to kill Zhang Wu, right?"  Bar!"

    Guan Ping scratched his head, "You guy, why are you so fussy? Can't you take the credit for killing Zhang Wu on me? Why don't you give me the horse?"

    Both of them burst out laughing. Liu Jing took Guan Ping and introduced him to Deng Wu. They exchanged greetings. Deng Wu sighed and said, "I didn't expect that we were attacked halfway. We suffered heavy losses and were short of people and animals. I hope General Guan will help."

    In front of Deng Wu, Guan Ping stopped joking, nodded and said: "We caught a Cao Jun spy in the middle of the night yesterday, and we found out that these Cao Jun soldiers were preparing to attack Xinye County. Fortunately, you showed up and they changed their target.  , Otherwise we are not prepared and Xinye County will be in danger.¡±

    Guan Ping took another look at the damaged vehicles and scattered grain, and said to Deng Wu and Liu Jing: "I will deal with the aftermath! I will return your trophies and prisoners to the Jingzhou Army Camp, and the remaining grain vehicles will be temporarily stored in Xinye County.  "

    Guan Ping considered the matter very carefully. He would not encroach on Liu Jing's victory and relieved them of their worries. Deng Wu was very grateful. He rectified his troops, horses and vehicles. One thousand soldiers escorted more than 400 grain trucks and continued to march towards  Go forward in the direction of Bowang Slope.

    "As expected of Guan Yunchang's son, he is affectionate and righteous, and can distinguish between public and private affairs, which is admirable!" After the team had walked for more than ten miles, Deng Wu could not help but praise Guan Ping. The person he admired most in his life was Guan Yu.  Guan Ping also liked it.

    Liu Jing was thinking about another thing. He asked Deng Wudao: "Brother Shangwen, you are a native of Xinye. Do you think Uncle Liu is really short of food and grass?"

    Deng Wu pondered for a moment, then showed a wry smile on his face, "To be honest, Xinye is a large county with fertile land, sufficient water, and a large population. It has a lot of money and food. It can support an army of 10,000 people. Logically, there should be no shortage of food and grass. I heard  General Cai means that Uncle Liu¡¯s request for food this time is probably to test whether our Jingzhou Army really supports him.¡±

    Liu Jing secretly shook his head. With Liu Bei's city, how could he let a fool like Cai Zhong guess his true intention? For some reason, Liu Jing had an intuition. He felt that the real purpose of Liu Bei's request for food was not food and grass. What was that?  ?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After a battle, Liu Hu and Wei Yan had nothing to talk about. They sat side by side. Liu Hu was in high spirits and chatted with Wei Yan. Wei Yan's kindness in saving his life made him regard Wei Yan as a close friend in an instant.

    "Old Wei, I really don't know where you learned your martial arts skills. Five tigers combined can't beat you."

    Wei Yan was smiling. He liked Liu Hu's frankness and open-mindedness very much. "It was my father who taught me. I started learning martial arts when I was five years old. I broke countless whips. It's hard to describe the hardships."

    "You all have perseverance, and Brother Jing is the same. Every night you have to practice martial arts in the river and sink yourself to the bottom of the river. Thinking about it makes me tremble all over. I am the laziest and stupidest, so I can't practice martial arts."

    Wei Yan was curious and sank himself to the bottom of the river. How could he practice martial arts? However, he knew that this was a taboo for martial arts practitioners and could not ask more questions. He smiled and said: "I found that you are very powerful and brave. The only thing you lack is your basic skills."  If it¡¯s not enough, you can¡¯t listen to all directions and see six directions. In fact, this can be learned and it is not difficult. I will teach you when I have time. In a year at most, you will not encounter the danger like last night again. "

    Liu Hu was overjoyed, "You have made your promise and you are not allowed to go back on it!"

    Wei Yan smiled slightly and said, "I, Wei Yan, have made a promise worth a thousand pieces of gold. How often have I ever regretted it?"

    ?¡­.  .

    The team walked another seven or eight miles, and in front of them was Bowangpo. At this time, they saw a team of more than a hundred cavalry rushing towards this direction, led by a general, with a white horse and a spear, silver armor and red tassels. He was tall and majestic.  Lin Ling, as if a god descended to earth, is none other than Zhao Yun.

    Liu Jing saw Zhao Yun from afar, and she was so happy that she galloped away, waving her hands and shouting: "Brother Zilong!"

    Zhao Yun had a knowing smile on his face. He hadn't seen this brother for two months, and he was very happy. He didn't know how he was doing with his martial arts training now. Training Liu Jing into a strong martial arts general has always been Zhao Yun's.  wish.

    Not only did he want to repay Liu Jing for saving his life, but also because he discovered Liu Jing's martial arts talent. He hoped that one day, he could?It is his responsibility to fight side by side on the battlefield.

    ¡°Brother Xian, I heard that you were attacked last night, are you okay?¡± Zhao Yun asked with concern.

    "I'm fine, but last night was really scary. It's hard to explain in words. I'll tell my brother slowly when I have time."

    At this time, the grain convoy also followed. Deng Wu saw Zhao Yun and clasped his fists on his horse and said: "Jingzhou Army General Deng Wu, see General Zhao!"

    Zhao Yun was delighted when he saw the huge grain truck, which was several miles away. He returned the greeting and said to everyone: "General Deng, thank you for your hard work. We have all worked hard along the way. Please follow me back to the camp. My lord has bought wine to wash away the dust for you all."

    Zhao Yun turned his horse around and led the convoy toward the military camp

    Bowang Slope is located about twenty miles northwest of Xinye. It is the only way from Wancheng to Xinye. There happens to be a terrain fault, and Bowang Slope is located at the height of the fault.

    Walking further northwest, the terrain drops suddenly. Standing on the slope and looking northwest, you have a wide field of vision, including rivers and forests. Therefore, it is named Bowang, and it is a favorable place for military strategists.

    Liu Bei was waiting for work, and his army was stationed at a favorable position on the slope. Li Dian's army camp was three miles away and could be clearly seen from the high slope.

    Liu Biao has been confronting Li Dian's army for more than ten days. Li Dian's army has more than 6,000 troops, and Liu Bei's army also has 5,000 men. The two sides are evenly matched. However, last night, Cao's army was annihilated by more than 1,000 men, while Liu Bei's army increased by one.  More than a thousand Jingzhou reinforcements were sent, one was declining and the other was rising, and Liu Bei's troops gained the upper hand.

    Although the troops began to dominate, Liu Bei was not excited. He had just received news that Xiahou Dun personally led an army of 20,000 from Wancheng to Xinye, and would arrive at Bowangpo the day after tomorrow at the latest.

    Although Liu Bei was worried, he still warmly welcomed the arrival of Liu Jing and his entourage. The camp gate was opened wide, colorful flags were fluttered, and Liu Bei personally led dozens of generals to welcome them out.

    Deng Wu and Liu Jing quickly stepped forward and knelt down on one knee, "Join Uncle Liu!"

    Liu Bei quickly helped them up and said with a smile: "We are looking forward to the stars and the moon, and we are looking forward to the arrival of the grain truck. Your arrival has relieved me of my worries. Liu Bei is very grateful."

    Deng Wu was moved by Liu Bei's cordiality and enthusiasm. He had long heard that Emperor Liu's uncle was a courteous and virtuous corporal, and he was very open-minded. When he saw him today, he was indeed well-deserved.

    Deng Wu said apologetically: "Originally, we sent 600 carts of grain and grass, but we were attacked by Cao's army on the road and lost more than 200 carts. However, the grain and grass are all there and are temporarily stored in Xinye County. I hope we did not affect the emperor's uncle."  military deployment."

    "Of course it has no impact!"

    Liu Bei sighed, "Speaking of which, the attack on you is my responsibility. I was too careless and let Cao Jun go around our rear. I should have sent someone to meet you."

    Having said this, Liu Bei glanced at Liu Jing again and said with emotion: "Fortunately, Mr. Jing is fine, otherwise I would not be able to explain to Jing Sheng."

    Liu Jing bowed slightly and smiled: "Thank you for your concern, uncle."

    "Everyone, let's enter the camp! I have arranged the food camp for everyone. Let's rest and eat first to refresh ourselves, and then we can talk slowly."

    Liu Bei enthusiastically invited everyone into the camp, and ordered people to take them to the tent. Watching Liu Jing's back retreat, Liu Bei narrowed his eyes and smiled meaningfully. With him in his hands, were he still afraid of losing the battle?  ?

    After arranging all his men, Liu Jing returned to his tent and lay down. The battle last night made him extremely excited. When he closed his eyes, he seemed to have returned to the battlefield of blood and fire.

    In particular, he successfully commanded the army and formed a formation to confront Cao Jun, which gave him a great sense of accomplishment. It turned out that commanding thousands of troops and horses to fight was also so thrilling.

    In fact, becoming a commander is not bad, and it does not require a high force value, but as soon as this idea came up, he was rejected by himself.

    Unless you can become a vassal king like Cao Cao and have peerless generals like Xu Chu and Dian Wei serve him, you should still be like Sun Ce and command the military force, and be superior in both.

    Just as I was thinking, footsteps came from outside the tent, and Zhao Yun's voice came, "Brother Jing!"

    Liu Jing stood up in a hurry, carried out the tent, and saw Zhao Yun standing outside his tent wearing armor, holding a spear, and leading a horse. Liu Jing quickly handed over his hand, "Brother, please sit in the tent!"

    Zhao Yun shook his head and said calmly: "Put on your armor, bring your guns and horses, and follow me."

    Liu Jing felt guilty for a while. He knew what Zhao Yun was going to do. He was going to take a preliminary examination to test his progress in martial arts. However, Liu Jing stabbed the Cao Jun commander to death with a shot last night, which greatly boosted his confidence. He was also eager to give it a try.  Fight against real masters.

    Liu Jing¡¯s heart became hot. Hasn¡¯t he been looking forward to this day for a long time?Feeling guilty, he went back to his tent, put on his helmet, ran to the next tent, took out his horse, and chased Zhao Yun with a spear in hand.

    On the military camp field, Zhao Yun got on his horse, waved his spear and shouted: "You can do it with all your strength, don't have any scruples."

    Nearly a hundred steps away, Liu Jing stood up with his spear drawn. The courage in his heart was burning a little bit, and his arms were filled with strength. He practiced hard under the water for three full months, and his strength increased greatly. Originally, he used a twenty-five-pound knife.  Now you can use a 40-pound spear.

    ¡° Moreover, the undercurrents at the bottom of the river hit from all directions, which also exercised his keen insight and physical sense, making his understanding of power more subtle. Now is the time for him to test his achievements.

    Liu Jing shook his spear, shaking out four spear flowers, and with a loud shout, the war horse ran out quickly, killing Zhao Yun like thunder!

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 84: Merit Test

    Zhao Yun also urged the horse, but he was not very fast. He held a gun in one hand and looked at Liu Jing sharply. From the moment Liu Jing lifted the gun and mounted the horse, Zhao Yun could see that his riding skills had improved greatly, but he still lacked the firepower and movements.  Not smooth enough.

    Liu Jing seems to be flying like a horse, but that¡¯s because he has a BMW on his hip. If it were an ordinary war horse, his ability to control the horse would be greatly weakened.

    And the moment he sprints, he can spit out four gun flowers. It is not easy to spit out four gun flowers in three months. However, he is still far from the road to becoming a strong martial artist. He still needs long-term efforts and accumulation.

    "However, compared with three months ago, Liu Jing has made great progress, which is amazing. It is equivalent to the results of ordinary people who have practiced hard for one or two years.

    Zhao Yun secretly approved in his heart. Of course, Liu Jing was far from his opponent. He shouted, "Come on!"

    Liu Jing stabbed Zhao Yun with his spear, and the sharp tip of the spear flashed brightly in the sun, like a bolt of lightning flashing across the night sky, hitting Zhao Yun's chest, "Be careful!" Liu Jing couldn't help shouting.

    Although Liu Jing used the Wind and Thunder Transformation, which seemed slow but was actually fast, and the tip of the spear flashed in front of Zhao Yun, in Zhao Yun's eyes, Liu Jing's moves were still not worth mentioning.

    Zhao Yun was just hesitating, whether to give Liu Jing an encouragement or to give him a blow. The hesitation only flashed in Zhao Yun's heart, and he made a decision. He could not give him false feelings, and Liu Jing must understand his true martial arts.  .

    Zhao Yun calmly raised his gun and pointed it out, 'Dang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and Liu Jing¡¯s spear was swung away. Zhao Yun flicked the spear, spit out nine gun flowers, and thrust the spear straight into Liu Jing¡¯s chest, ¡°Take my shot!¡±

    The speed of the gun is neither fast nor slow, and it is leisurely and unhurried.

    Liu Jing wanted to fight back, but there was not enough time. He wanted to dodge, but he was too early. The tip of the spear came like a shadow, leaving him unable to hide.

    Helpless, Liu Jing had no choice but to raise the fire to the sky, holding the gun with both hands and holding it outwards. Unexpectedly, Zhao Yun's gun was as heavy as a mountain, pressing the barrel of his gun tightly, and the tip of the gun was like a poisonous snake, and it had already withstood his chest armor.  

    Zhao Yun's gun did not penetrate and stopped at the last moment. If it was an enemy, Liu Jing would have been pierced through the chest by a gun.

    After a moment of stalemate, Liu Jing sighed and abandoned his gun. He had been training hard for three months, but he still lost to Zhao Yun in one round. He couldn't help but feel a little discouraged. What's the difference between this and three months ago?

    He felt very sad, got off his horse and strode towards the side of the school field. The horse followed him obediently. Liu Jing sat on a big rock and stared blankly at the military camp in the distance. He had stabbed Cao Jun to death with a gunshot last night.  His confidence was shattered by Zhao Yun's spear.

    For more than ninety days, he would dive into the Han River to train hard every night, even during the coldest three-nine days. However, his persistent training only resulted in a single shot. Liu Jing could not accept this cruel reality, which made him  Extremely frustrated.

    "Actually, I can give you one round. After the two horses stagger, I will beat you in the second round."

    Zhao Yun's gentle voice came from behind him. He could understand the loss in Liu Jing's heart. At this time, his heart was full of pity for this brother, but pity is not indulgence. Zhao Yun's voice immediately became colder, "Are you willing to do this?  ?¡±

    Liu Jing shook her head, "Why should you deceive yourself?"

    Zhao Yun stepped forward, patted his shoulder hard, and said seriously: "Since you also know, why do you deceive yourself?"

    Zhao Yun's words pierced Liu Jing's heart. In fact, Liu Jing also knew in his heart that he had also made progress. He only lost in strength, but he did not lose in terms of moves.

    Zhao Yun's shot was neither fast nor slow, which seemed dull to others, but Liu Jing understood. That shot contained great control, and the speed was extremely precise. If he wanted to counterattack, the speed of the gun would be too high.  It's too late, so I have to dodge, but the gun speed is correspondingly slower. Dodging will be self-defeating, so I can only choose to parry outward.

    This is actually bringing the essence of Bainiaochaofeng Spear to its extreme. In the final analysis, it is still an application of power.

    Liu Jing couldn¡¯t understand it before, but now he understands it. This is why Zhao Yun said that he was deceiving himself.

    Liu Jing sighed, "Although I say this, I still can't resist a round. I'm still the same as three months ago, feeling unwilling!"

    Zhao Yun also sat down next to him, smiled slightly and said: "In your opinion, it is one round of failure, but in my opinion, it is very different. In the past, I only used three points of force to resist your attack, but now it takes  Eight points of strength, or even full strength, this is your progress. If you fight against Yu Jin, you can already resist him for five rounds. Could you have imagined it three months ago? "

    Liu Jing's eyes lit up, and the shattered confidence in his heart solidified again. He turned back to look at Zhao Yun, "Brother, are you saying that I can resist Yu Jin for five rounds?"

      "Didn't you kill the commander of Cao Jun's army with one shot? Why don't you have confidence in yourself?"

    Zhao Yun smiled with great encouragement, "I believe that in two years, you can fight me for thirty rounds!"

    Liu Jing bit her lips and nodded silently.

    At this time, a soldier ran from a distance and shouted: "Master Jing!"

    Zhao Yun knew that this man was his lord's personal soldier, so he said to Liu Jing: "My lord should be looking for you."

    Liu Jing stood up and greeted him, "What's the matter?"

    The soldier knelt down on one knee and reported, "Uncle Huang asked Mr. Jing to go to the Chinese army's tent to discuss important military matters."

    Liu Jing nodded, "I'll go right away."

    The soldier smiled at Zhao Yun and said, "My lord, please invite General Zhao to go with you."

    Zhao Yun felt sad in his heart. He understood that his lord was a little unhappy, so he nodded silently, led his horse and walked quickly towards the Chinese army's tent.

    ?¡­.

    In the Chinese army's tent, Liu Bei stood in front of a map and was whispering something to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. At this time, soldiers outside reported: "General Zhao and Master Jing are here."

    A trace of displeasure flashed in Liu Bei's eyes. He had just seen Zhao Yun teaching Liu Jing martial arts from a distance, which made him quite dissatisfied. Did Zhao Yun care about Liu Jing as soon as he arrived at the camp?

    Although Liu Bei also knew that Zhao Yun was loyal and loyal, and wanted to repay Liu Jing for saving his life, it wouldn't matter if it was someone else, but it happened to be Liu Jingsheng's nephew, and the authenticity of this nephew was unknown, so he was ready to make good use of him.

    On the one hand, Liu Bei wanted to use the relationship between Zhao Yun and Liu Jing to win over Liu Jing, but on the other hand, Liu Bei did not want Zhao Yun to treat Liu Jing sincerely, so Liu Bei himself was in a contradiction.

    "Please come in, Mr. Jing!"

    Liu Bei had a gentle smile on his face again, and said to Liu Jing who walked into the tent: "I just received the latest information, so I invite you to come together to discuss the military situation."

    Liu Jing was slightly startled when he saw that Deng Wu was not in the tent. He originally thought that Liu Bei was asking the generals of the Jingzhou Army to discuss military affairs together. Then Deng Wu was a Ya general, one level higher than himself, so he should be invited here. Why did he just invite him?  Call yourself, it seems that you got it wrong.

    However, Liu Jing didn't say much. With Liu Bei's sophistication, he didn't need to remind him at all. He just waited and watched. He nodded to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and walked to the map without saying a word.

    Liu Bei glanced at him, then walked to the map and said: "Just now, the spies sent urgent information. Cao Jun's commander Xiahou Dun has led an army of 20,000 to the military camp. Now we have 6,000 people, while Cao Jun has 20,000.  There are more than 5,000 men, four times our strength, including 5,000 cavalry. The situation is extremely unfavorable to us. "

    Speaking of this, Liu Bei sighed and looked at everyone, "I didn't expect Xiahou Dun to come so quickly. Everyone, tell me, how should we deal with it now?"

    Zhang Fei was impatient and immediately shouted: "Brother, give me an army, and I will take over Xiahou Dun's lair and let them come and go as they please."

    Liu Bei shook his head, "It will take at least two days to get to Wancheng. There is not enough time. By the time you reach Wancheng, our entire army will have been wiped out. This is not appropriate!"

    "This" Zhang Fei was speechless and couldn't say a word.

    Guan Yu pondered for a moment and said: "Maybe we can retreat to Xinye first, hold on to the city, and ask for help from the Jingzhou army at the same time. I think it is feasible."

    Speaking of this, Guan Yu and Liu Bei looked at each other, and then glanced at Liu Jing. His implicit message was to tell Liu Bei, since Liu Jingsheng's nephew is here, why won't the Jingzhou Army come to help?

    Liu Bei knew it well, and finally turned his eyes to Liu Jing, and asked with a smile: "Do you have any good ideas, Mr. Jing?"

    At this time, Liu Jing remembered one thing. Isn¡¯t the Battle of Bowangpo in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms the current battle?  Xiahou Dun was the main general, and Yu Jin and Li Dian were the deputy generals. However, Luo Guanzhong concealed the truth and postponed the battle that took place in the seventh year of Jian'an to the thirteenth year of Jian'an, giving Zhuge Liang the aura of a god.

    "I'm thinking that the opponent has an absolute advantage in military strength and must be looking down upon us. Xiahou Dun is even eager to seize the emperor's uncle to take credit. Can we use Xiahou Dun's mentality to win with a strategy?"

    As soon as Liu Jing finished speaking, Sun Qian beside him nodded and said: "Master Jing is right. Now Cao Cao is focusing on Hebei and is trying his best to destroy Yuan Shao. He has no time to take care of Jingzhou. This time, Cao Cao's army went south to Xinye, obviously not for Jingzhou, but to destroy Jingzhou."  Drop the lord.

    The lord has always been a thorn in Cao Cao's side. Now that the lord is stationed in the new field, with a small army and few generals, it is a good opportunity to destroy the lord. Therefore, Xiahou Dun will definitely be worried that the lord will withdraw from Jingzhou south and ruin his plan. We can indeed use Xiahou Dun  This kind of eagerness, withStratagem to win.  "

    Liu Bei walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and nodded slowly, "Gongyou's analysis is very thorough, that's true."

    He smiled at Liu Jing again and said, "Master Jing is still discerning and has seen through Xiahou Dun's bottom line."

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "I'm just offering advice, Mr. Sun is the real one. The Jingzhou Army is willing to fully cooperate with the Emperor's uncle and obey the Emperor's orders!"

    Liu Bei nodded and said to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei: "This battle depends entirely on these two wise brothers."

    "Brother, despite your orders, I will not give up even if I die!"

    Liu Bei then said to Zhao Yun: "Zilong, I will give you five hundred elite soldiers. You and one thousand Jingzhou troops will cooperate with each other to intercept and kill Cao's army from the rear, capture more prisoners of war, and seize the soldiers and flags."

    Zhao Yun knelt down on one knee, clasped his fist high and said, "I obey my orders!"

 Volume 1, Chapter 85: Burning Bowang Slope

    It was also a coincidence that Xiahou Dun's army arrived at Bowangpo only two hours later than Liu Jing. This time Xiahou Dun led 20,000 elite troops not only to eradicate Liu Bei.

    At the same time, it also forces Jingzhou to strengthen Xiangyang's military strength, weaken Jiangxia's defense, and give Jiangdong an opportunity to take advantage of it, thereby provoking a war between Jiangdong and Jingzhou.

    But for Xiahou Dun, provoking a war between Jiangdong and Jingzhou is a little far away. This goal may not be achieved, but eradicating Liu Bei is an immediate achievement.

    In the Chinese army's tent, Xiahou Dun had taken Li Dian's place. He paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands, listening to Li Dian's report on the confrontation with Liu Bei's army.

    Xiahou Dun is about forty years old, eight feet two tall, and has a powerful appearance. Like his brother Xiahou Yuan, he is a brave general who can defeat all armies. Unfortunately, when he attacked Lu Bu a few years ago, he was shot in the left eye by a stray arrow and lost his ability ever since.  With one glance, he was called the 'Blind Xiahou'.

    Despite this, he was still deeply trusted by Cao Cao, who named him Henan Yin and took charge of the armies in the Central Plains. In order to completely annihilate Liu Bei this time, Cao Cao even ordered Xiahou Dun to come to Nanyang in person to supervise the battle.

    Xiahou Dun had a heavy responsibility. He was afraid that Liu Bei would escape into Jingzhou, so he ordered Li Dian as the vanguard to contain Liu Bei. Then he led his army to Xinye, preparing to annihilate Liu Bei in one fell swoop.

    As Liu Jing said, Xiahou Dun's biggest worry was that Liu Bei would turn into a rabbit and escape into the Jingzhou Water Country. At that time, he would really be unable to catch him, and he would have to cut off his retreat first.

    "I ordered you to send troops to cut off Liu Bei's retreat, how could you come back defeated?" Xiahou Dun asked with anger in his eyes, extremely unhappy.

    Li Dian lowered his head in shame, "My subordinates sent Han Zhi to lead two thousand men to sneak attack Xinye County and cut off Liu Bei's retreat. Unexpectedly, Xinye was already prepared. Han Zhi led his troops to ambush the official road, preparing to ambush Liu Bei's retreating army.  , but unexpectedly encountered a Jingzhou Army grain transport convoy, and a fierce battle broke out between the two sides. The forces were evenly matched. As Han Zhi was killed in the fierce battle, our army was unfortunately defeated. My subordinates are guilty. Please punish the general! "

    "You can't even defeat the Jingzhou Army. You are really incompetent!"

    Xiahou Dun cursed angrily, but had no choice but to hold back his anger and asked: "How many reinforcements are there in Jingzhou and where are they stationed?"

    Li Dianzhan said tremblingly: "Reporting to the general, the Jingzhou Army has about 10,000 troops and is stationed south of Xinye, about fifty miles away from Bowangpo."

    "strangeness!"

    Xiahou Dun frowned, "Why are they so far apart? Does the Jingzhou Army have no intention of aiding Liu Bei?"

    "I think there must be a special reason for this. Maybe Liu Biao and Liu Bei don't get along with each other and have some ill feelings towards each other."

    "Of course I know!"

    Xiahou Dun waved his hands dissatisfied, "Don't worry about them. Now we want to prevent Liu Bei from evacuating after hearing the news, and we must fight him immediately."

    Having said this, Xiahou Dun turned around and shouted to General Bi: "The troops and horses are not allowed to camp. We will attack Liu Bei's camp immediately."

    As soon as he finished speaking, a spy report suddenly came from outside: "Urgent military information, Guan Ping and Mi Fang led a thousand troops to protect their families and left Xinye and evacuated to the south!"

    Xiahou Dun was stunned. Did Liu Bei's army respond so quickly?  This is going to be bad.

    At this time, there was a commotion outside, and some soldiers shouted outside the tent: "There is a fire on Bowang Slope!"

    Everyone walked out of the tent. Countless soldiers had gathered outside the tent. They looked towards Bowang Slope three miles away.  Looking at each other, wondering what happened?

    Xiahou Dun felt a little uneasy in his heart. He thought of the evacuation of his family members in Xinye County. This was most likely the same incident. Liu Bei saw that the situation was not good and was about to run away. Isn't this what he has been doing for so many years?  When the situation is bad, run away.

    At this time, a spy rushed over, knelt down on one knee and reported, "General, Liu Bei has set fire to the military camp and led his army to retreat south."

    "As expected, I guessed it right!"

    Xiahou Dun gritted his teeth and said: "This rabbit that has become a spirit will run away when it smells something bad."

    He thought of the prime minister's instructions to eradicate Liu Bei. If he doesn't seize this opportunity, he may never have another chance.

    Xiahou Dun thought that Liu Bei was going to escape, and feared that he would disappoint the prime minister's expectations. He anxiously ordered: "Quickly call on the 10,000 troops and follow me to catch up!"

    Li Dian was taken aback and quickly advised: "General, calm down. Liu Bei is extremely cunning. If he just feints to retreat and ambush us halfway, the consequences will be disastrous. We cannot pursue him."

    ??Are you making irresponsible remarks here?  "

    Li Dian was so ashamed that he lowered his head and did not dare to persuade him any more. Xiahou Dun glared at him fiercely. Although he was very anxious and wanted to kill Liu Bei with one knife, he also knew that his army was marching forcefully and the soldiers and horses were extremely exhausted.  If he attacks rashly and is ambushed by Liu Bei, he will lose more than he gains.

    He thought for a moment and then said to the ban: "General Yu can lead five thousand troops around the small road and rush in front of Liu Bei to cut off his retreat. I will rest my troops and horses for a while and come to respond immediately."

    "I humble my duty and obey my orders!"

    Yu Jin took the order and left. Xiahou Dun immediately ordered: "The three armies will rest for an hour, eat and drink, and then send out troops after an hour."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    This time when Cao Jun attacked Xinye, Yu Jin volunteered to take the command. He had always regarded his encounter in Runan as a great shame and humiliation. He was deceived by a little kid, which has become a big joke among Cao Jun.

    Every time he had a drinking party, someone would make fun of him about it. Even the Prime Minister would make fun of him about it. On the day of the banquet, the Prime Minister toasted to him and joked, "I will give you another drink for Mr. Liu."  liquor.  ¡¯ He was so ashamed that he felt ashamed.

    For half a year, Yu Jin had been worried about this matter. This time Xiahou Dun was ordered to garrison in Nanyang. Although he was not attacking Xiangyang and could not meet Liu Jing, Yu Jin still took the initiative to ask for orders and was willing to follow Xiahou Dun on the southern expedition.

    There is a subconscious feeling in his heart that if he is closer to Xiangyang, he may have more chances to wash away his shame.

    At this time, Yu Jin had suppressed all his strength. He had only one thought in his mind, which was to catch Liu Bei and turn himself over completely.

    "Quick! Speed ??up!"

    Yu Jin shouted orders and commanded the five thousand Cao troops to march quickly. The path he took was the shortcut taken by Cao General Han Zhi yesterday with his two thousand troops. He took the mountain road and climbed over the hills. It was a straight line to the new field, and the official road  To pass between the hills, it is inevitable to take a detour.

    Although it is a straight-line shortcut, it cannot be used by heavy carriages or large-scale cavalry. It can only be traveled by infantry and light troops.

    Five thousand Cao Cao's troops were mighty, stretching for miles, passing through hills one after another, and rushing towards Xinye. All the soldiers seemed to be desperate for their lives. Yu Ban issued a death order and must reach Xinye within an hour and a half.  county

    Bird Valley, this nearly ten-mile long forest road is the official road where Liu Jing was attacked last night. The undulating forest road leads all the way to Bowang Slope. Whether you take the shortcut or the official road, you will eventually intersect with this road.  Come up the forest road.

    In the dense forest about two miles away from the mouth of the valley, four thousand Liu Bei's troops have been ambushing here for a long time. Generals Guan Yu and Zhang Fei each led two thousand men to ambush on the east and west sides.

    Guan Yu squinted his eyes and stared at the long and narrow official road in the distance, appearing to be a little uncertain. Zhou Cang saw his worry and asked in a low voice: "Are you worried about me?"

    Guan Yu shook his head, "Don't ask too many questions."

    Zhou Cang put away his sword and stood up, not daring to ask any more questions. Guan Yu's thoughts were not on his adopted son Guan Ping, but on worries about his future.

    In the first year of Zhongping, the 23-year-old Guan Yu followed Liu Bei and raised troops in Zhuo County. Eighteen years have passed. During this period, he has experienced many ups and downs, with his wife and children separated. Guan Yu is already forty-one and has reached the age of forty-one years.  .

    But he was even more confused. Their future was still confused. Although they were temporarily staying in Xinye County, they were still staying under Liu Biao's fence. My brother said more than once, be patient and wait for the opportunity, and God will not let me down in the end.

    But.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Where are the opportunities?

    In fact, Guan Yu also understood in his heart that the opportunity his brother mentioned was in Liu Biao. Liu Biao was old and had no successor. The eldest son was weak and the second son was mediocre, both of whom were not of great use.

    Once Liu Biao went west and Jingzhou became ownerless, their opportunity came. But it seemed that his brother valued Liu Jing very much. Just a month ago, his brother told him and Yide after drinking that there was a big secret hidden in Liu Jing.  Their hope of capturing Jingzhou lies in Liu Jing.

    Guan Yu is a little worried. Judging from Liu Jing's judgment of the battle situation today, this son does have some insight, but he is only seventeen years old. Guan Yu is worried that his brother will spend his whole life hunting geese, but he will not be blinded by the geese in the end.

    Just when Guan Yu was thinking about it, a spy rushed over.

    "Reporting to General Guan, General Cao Jun has led five thousand men and is heading this way!"

    Guan Yu was slightly startled, why is it Yu Jin and not Xiahou Dun?  As soon as he thought about it, Guan Yu realized that this was just Xiahou Dun's vanguard, probably trying to cut off his retreat.

    Guan Yu sneered, Xiahou Dun's idea was quite beautiful, but unfortunately they were still a step too slow. This was a new country. If you don't think about it, who is the local leader here?

    " will?, here it comes!  "A soldier pointed in the distance and shouted in a low voice.

    Guan Yu nodded, "I've seen it."

    I saw a Cao army of thousands of people marching rapidly from the north. The march was so hasty that even spies had no time to explore the way ahead.

    Cao Jun came out of a mountain depression in the middle of the valley. The mountains ahead were steep and they could not climb over the mountains. They had to turn to the official road. However, this place was not far from Xinye County. After exiting this forest road, it was another two miles to walk.  You can reach Xinye County.

    Yu Jin was anxious and kept urging the soldiers to move quickly. His mission was to occupy Xinye County, and then lead his army to block the entrance of the valley so that Liu Bei's army could not go south.

    Now he doesn¡¯t know how far away Liu Bei¡¯s army is from him, but if the opponent has food and baggage, the marching speed should not be fast. At this time, Yu Jin has already seen the valley entrance in front, and he shouted: "Get out of the valley entrance and rest!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of clappers in the mountain forest, followed by a volley of arrows from both sides. Thousands of arrows were fired at Cao Jun's soldiers from both sides of the mountain road. There were screams on the valley road, and hundreds of people were shot.  Fall to the ground.

    Cao Jun suddenly went into chaos. Even Yu Jin's horse was hit by several arrows. He fell to the ground with a long hiss. Yu Jin fell four feet away. More than a dozen soldiers rushed up to support him.

    The sound of drums in the mountains and forests on both sides was like thunder, and the shouts of killing were loud. I don¡¯t know how many troops were ambushing here. Thousands of Cao¡¯s troops were in chaos. Everyone was scrambling to escape. Yu Jin shouted anxiously: "Calm down! Calm down!"

    Although the soldiers of Cao's army have been trained, the forest road is narrow, and once chaos breaks out, it is difficult to restore order. At this time, a group of military horses came out from the west, led by a general with black helmets, black armor, black horses, swallow jaws and tiger beards, and they were extremely powerful.  , holding a snake spear eight feet tall in his hand, shouting like a thunderbolt from the blue, "Zhang Fei from Yan is here and has been waiting for you for a long time!"

    He led two thousand soldiers into the enemy group. Cao Jun's soldiers were so frightened that they had no intention of resisting and fled desperately. At this time, Zhou Cang also led more than a thousand soldiers to fight out from the mountains and forests to the east. The two armies attacked and killed Cao Jun.  They were defeated, and countless people knelt down, surrendered, and begged.

    Nearly a thousand soldiers at the front of Cao's army rushed out of the valley mouth, but a war drum sounded, and they saw a group of hundreds of soldiers blocking the way. The leader, a general with a red rabbit horse on his hip, holding a Qinglong Yanyue Sword, lightly stroked his long beard and said coldly:  "Guan Yunchang is here, surrender quickly and spare your life!"

 Volume 1, Chapter 86, First Battle with the Ban

    Liu Jing and Zhao Yun's ambush was interrupted in Bird Valley, where he was ambushed last night. They just changed their roles, from the attacked to the ambusher.

    Not far to the south of them, about a hundred steps away, there is a mountain pass trail that crosses from the northwest. There is another trail from Bowangpo.

    Not long ago, they watched helplessly as a large group of Cao's troops poured out from the mountain pass and ran towards the south. A few miles away in the south, there was already an open cloth bag waiting for them.

    "Reiner the war horses and stop them from neighing!"

    Zhao Yun ordered in a low voice. Although he had experienced hundreds of battles, he was a little nervous at this time. After all, the distance was too close. He was worried that the horses would make noise and alert Cao Jun. Then their previous efforts would be wasted and they would even be in a dangerous situation.  situation, leading to the final defeat.

    Zhao Yun quickly glanced sideways at Liu Jing beside him, and saw that he looked calm, staring at the forest road in front of him in deep thought.

    Zhao Yun nodded secretly. When he saw Liu Jing this time, he found that compared with three months ago, not only his martial arts had improved greatly, but he was also calmer and wiser. Judging from his discussion and suggestions today, it was almost unbelievable that he was only seventeen years old.

    "what's on your mind?"

    "I'm thinking about yesterday's night attack. It was the first time I commanded an army. It was so thrilling that I will never forget it."

    "You surprise me every time. No one knows your true identity like me."

    Zhao Yun sighed slightly, "You are a genius, not only in martial arts, but in everything I know, you are better than ordinary people."

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "Big Brother, I'm overrated. I'm not strong in all aspects. For example, I'm not as good as Liu Cong when it comes to winning women's favor. For example, I'm not as good as Tiger when it comes to making friends with men."

    Liu Jing looked back and glanced at Liu Hu and Wei Yan who were whispering. Liu Jing felt very lucky that he took the first step and snatched Wei Yan away from Liu Bei.

    At this moment, a thunderous cry of killing came from the distance. Liu Jing and Zhao Yun became nervous at the same time. This was the ambush battle between Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

    Soon, sporadic Cao Jun soldiers retreated towards this direction. Zhao Yun suddenly found that Cao Jun soldiers were running towards the fork, which was the way they came from.

    "I'll seal the fork!"

    Zhao Yun waved his hand and led five hundred soldiers towards the fork, quickly blocking the fork. Soon, a fierce battle broke out in front of the fork.

    The fork was blocked, and more and more Cao Jun rushed towards Lindao, in groups of more than 2,000 people.

    "Brothers, kill!"

    Liu Jing shouted loudly, brandished his spear and leaped out on his horse. More than a thousand soldiers shouted and charged towards Cao Jun. Liu Jing took the lead, followed by Liu Hu and Deng Wu who also roared and charged towards Cao Jun.

    Originally, Deng Wu was a tooth general, but Liu Jing's outstanding performance last night convinced Deng Wu and handed over the command to him.

    The ambush troops rushed into the defeated Cao army. At this time, Cao's army was already frightened. The Jingzhou army killed them, which made them even more frightened. They fled in all directions, but the forest road was narrow and blocked in front and back. Cao's army had nowhere to escape, so they all knelt down and surrendered.

    Liu Jing's horse was very fast, and he swung his spear directly at a fleeing general of Cao's army. This man was also a surrendered general of Yuan Shao's army. His name was Zhong Jin. He was now a general in the Imperial Department, holding a fifty-pound axe.

    When he saw another ambush coming out, he was panicking, but he saw that the enemy general coming towards him was a young general. He felt relieved immediately, laughed evilly, and swung his ax towards Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing swung his spear and pushed the ax away. His horse was very fast and passed by Zhong Jin in an instant. He stabbed Zhong Jin in the back of the neck with his backhand shot, the gun speed was as fast as lightning.

    Zhong Jin didn't expect Liu Jing's horse to be so fast. He was shocked. The big ax struck back, and a strong wind came and struck Liu Jing's spear head. Unexpectedly, it was a false spear.

    Zhong Jin chopped the air with an axe, and felt a chill on his vest. Liu Jing pierced his back with a spear, and the tip of the spear came out from his chest. Zhong Jin screamed and was knocked off his horse by Liu Jing.

    Once again, Cao's army was in chaos, and countless people surrendered. Liu Jing drew out his spear and stared at the bloody spear tip, and his confidence suddenly doubled.

    At this time, dozens of defeated soldiers were fleeing, with a few soldiers on horseback among them. Liu Jing stepped forward on his horse, raised his spear horizontally, and shouted sternly: "Those who surrender will be spared death!"

    The leading soldier had a cloth covering his head. Perhaps Liu Jing's voice made him startled. He pulled off the cloth and looked face to face with Liu Jing. Both of them were stunned at the same time. This soldier turned out to be Yu Jin in disguise.

    It can be said that the road between enemies is narrow. Yu Jin never dreamed that he would meet Liu Jing here. Of course he knew her. Liu Jing's appearance has been engraved in his heart, and he will not forget it even if it is burned to ashes.

    Although he was defeated like a mountain at this time, why did he come to Nanyang? Isn't it just to wash away the shame with blood?  Even if the sky falls at this time, he doesn't care.

    "Mr. Jing"??, long time no see!  "

    Yu Jin laughed ferociously and pulled out the golden-backed tiger-tooth knife from the saddle bridge. Without hesitation, he rushed towards Liu Jing on horseback and shouted sternly: "Give me your head!"

    Yu Jin swung the knife with all his strength, and the force was like a raging fire. The light of the knife flashed and struck Liu Jing's neck horizontally.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The moment he saw Yu Jin, Liu Jing also tightened his grip on the gun barrel. He was so nervous that his heart almost jumped out of his chest, even though he had just killed a general of Cao's army, and even though Zhao Yun also said that he could fight Yu Jin for five rounds.

    But after all, this is Yu Jin, a famous general in Cao's army. His martial arts and his experience, but he has only learned martial arts for less than half a year.

    But Liu Jing had no room for hesitation, not even a chance to retreat. Yu Jin suddenly launched his attack and killed him, so he could only fight with his back to the wall.

    A warrior's fire of bravery burned rapidly in Liu Jing's heart. He no longer hesitated or was timid, and brandished his gun to fight.

    Liu Jing¡¯s eyes almost popped out, glaring at the sharp blade that was slashing towards his neck. His power exploded instantly, the spear came first, struck with all his strength, and the sword and gun collided, ¡®Dang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and Yu Jin¡¯s swift knife was deflected.

    Yu Jin's sword weighs sixty kilograms, and when he cuts with all his strength, it has a force of almost five to six hundred kilograms. Although the power of this sword is extremely heavy, it is far inferior to Zhao Yun's mountain-like pressure.

    Liu Jing¡¯s arms were numb, but he still gritted his teeth and took the knife.

    The two horses were galloping and passed each other in an instant. The two sides fought for a round.

    Liu Jing was already soaked, as if in a dream. Suddenly, he was surprised to find that he had taken the first round.

    But Liu Jing¡¯s surprise was far less than Yu Jin¡¯s shock. This sword attack allowed Yu Jin to understand Liu Jing¡¯s martial arts, which was equivalent to the level of a tooth general and two or three levels lower than his own.

    But.  £®  £®  £®

    Yu Jin also knew Liu Jing¡¯s background. Six months ago, this was a young man who couldn¡¯t even ride a horse and had no martial arts at all.

    Yu Jin found it simply unbelievable that in just half a year, he could actually receive a violent blow from himself.

    He looked at Liu Jing blankly, and there was an inexplicable timidity in his heart. If only a few years later,  £®  £®  He couldn't think about it anymore.

    Liu Jing slowly straightened his back, and a kind of confidence that he had never felt before filled his heart. This morning, he was extremely frustrated at losing to Zhao Yun. At this time, when he fought with Yu Jin, he realized that he was not the best.  Not as weak as imagined.

    Why are you so cowardly? Just now, didn't he also kill a general of Cao's army?

    Maybe he can really fight Yu Jin for five rounds. Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. Liu Jing's confidence greatly increased and she shouted, "Yu Wenze, take another shot from me!"

    He galloped on his horse and thrust his spear straight into Jin. He used the wind and thunder technique. The spear trembled and spit out four spearheads.

    There was a sinister smile on Yu Jin's lips. He had already discovered Liu Jing's weakness, which was his lack of experience in facing the enemy. He had to take the initiative to bully the weak with the strong, but when fighting the strong with the weak, it was best to do so without knowing the details of the other party.  Be on the defensive and remain unchanged in the face of change.

    He has only fought with himself for one round, is he going to take the initiative?  Still a bit too tender.

    Yu Jin sneered, shook his left hand, rolled out a meteor chain hammer from his sleeve, quickly put the buckle on his middle finger, and held the meteor hammer in his hand without showing any signs of it.

    Just when Liu Jing¡¯s spear was still four feet away from him, his meteor hammer shot out instantly, and a black shadow flew out, ¡®Wow!  ¡¯ With a sound, the hammer chain wrapped around the head of the gun.

    Yu Jin swung his left arm outward, and the spear was pulled away. He swung his right arm fiercely and slashed the sword head-on, as fast as lightning.

    The moment the gun tip was entangled with the chain hammer, Liu Jing realized something was wrong. This was something he had never thought of. He did not expect that the dignified General Cao Jun actually had a hidden weapon.

    Only then did he realize that he had made a mistake in attacking. If he had taken defense, Yu Jin's every move would have been clearly seen. He had no experience, but at this time, he had to pay an extremely heavy price for his lack of experience, and that was his life.

    Liu Jing closed her eyes in despair, welcoming the blow that ended his life. Her heart was filled with desolation, and all her ambitions came to nothing at this moment.

    At the critical moment, a wolf-toothed arrow was shot from afar and hit Jin's throat. Yu Jin was shocked. Between saving his life and killing Liu Jing, he resolutely chose the former and dodged.

    ¡®Poof!  ¡¯ Blood burst out, and the arrow shot deeply into Yu Jin¡¯s shoulder socket. The severe pain made Yu Jin scream and almost fell off his horse.

    Dozens of steps away, Zhao Yun smiled coldly, stretched out his bow and nocked an arrow again, and drew the bow like a full moon, aiming at him. Yu Jin was so frightened that he couldn't care about Liu Jing, threw off the hammer buckle, and turned the horse's head.??.

    Zhao Yun shot the second arrow, hitting the back of Jin's neck. It was because of Jin's command that a soldier ran up to him and blocked the arrow. The soldier screamed and fell to the ground.

    Yu Jin was so frightened that his heart almost stopped beating. He slashed with the big knife in his hand and ran north desperately. Dozens of soldiers guarded him desperately, and they fought a bloody path and fled north.

    Zhao Yun pulled out the third arrow, but slowly retracted his bow. Yu Jin carried the shield on his back, and other parts of him were blocked by his own soldiers. This arrow could not hurt him, but the first arrow hit Yu Jin's shoulder socket, so it was rewarded to you.  A report from the southern battlefield.

    Zhao Yun was worried about Liu Jing and galloped over on horseback, "Second brother, how are you?"

    Liu Jing narrowly escaped death. After a while, he realized the beauty of life and smiled bitterly, "Even if I die, I don't want my head to be split in half. It's too miserable."

    "Don't be stupid. Remember today's lesson. The first enemy general you killed was not a strong martial artist. You just took advantage of your horse's speed to catch him off guard. But when facing a truly strong person,  Never take the initiative to attack, use silence to stop and strike later.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "I really remember it, but didn't Big Brother say that I can withstand Yu Jin for five rounds? That's why I dare to fight him."

    Zhao Yun was speechless for a long time. He was referring to pure martial arts. Who would have thought of the strange changes on the battlefield? Unexpectedly, Liu Jing remembered his words and regarded them as a magic weapon for him to dare to fight with Yu Jin. This  Guy.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhao Yun smiled helplessly, "I also want to learn a lesson, and I will never talk nonsense to you again."

    "I was just joking with my eldest brother. I will keep the lessons of this battle firmly in mind."

    Liu Jing smiled heartily, regained his confidence, and shouted to the soldiers: "Clear the battlefield quickly and take all prisoners of war to Xinye County."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yu Jin was injured and fled all the way. After running for more than ten miles, he met Xiahou Dun who led an army to meet him. Yu Jin couldn't hold on any longer. He fell off his horse and cried loudly, "I was ambushed by Liu Bei's army in my humble position and the whole army was wiped out!"

    ??

    A middle-aged scribe with sinister eyes and a weakened face next to him smiled and said: "Victory and defeat are common matters for military strategists. Why should General Xiahou take it to heart?"

    Xiahou Dun shook his head, sighed again, and said to the middle-aged scribe: "If Wen He had come earlier, I wouldn't have been defeated like this. What should I do now?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 87, The Truth is Approaching

    [At the beginning of a new day, please support Lao Gao and ask for your recommendation votes]

    ===

    The middle-aged man is Jia Xu. He has slightly dark skin, a thin face, a skinny hooked nose, a goatee under his chin, slender eyes, and his eyelids cover most of his pupils. He can't help but smile.  Revealing a hint of sinisterness.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Jia Xu to surrender to Cao Cao, only a little more than two years, but he became famous early and was promoted to important positions by Dong Zhuo and Li Ji. His status was once prominent. Of course, this was related to his origin in the Xiliang faction.

    After surrendering to Cao Cao, Jia Xu served as Jinwu and Tinghou. It should be said that compared to Cheng Yu, Xun Yu and others, he was not reused. Jia Xu also knew in his heart that the death of Cao Ang, Dian Wei and others had nothing to do with him.  There is a direct relationship. Cao Cao only used himself because of his reputation. In the dead of night, how could Cao Cao not hate himself in his heart?

    This time Xiahou Dun attacked Xinye Liu Bei. Considering that Jia Xu was familiar with the Nanyang area, Cao Cao sent him to assist Xiahou Dun. However, he arrived a step too late and encountered Yu Jin's defeat.

    "Victory and defeat are common matters for military strategists. General Xiahou need not blame himself."

    Jia Xu felt Xiahou Dun's self-blame and annoyance, so he smiled and comforted him: "At present, we still have 20,000 troops and even cavalry, which gives us an advantage. As long as we fight the subsequent battles well, we can still save the situation."

    Xiahou Dun was quite pleased with Jia Xu's comfort. After thinking about it, he could only think about it in the long term. He sighed, "Everything depends on sir."

    Jia Xu nodded, "The enemy's situation is unknown now, so we should not act rashly. The general can send more scouts to find out the situation of Liu Bei and the Jingzhou army. Only when you know yourself and the enemy can you send troops."

    "Sir, what you said makes sense!"

    Xiahou Dun immediately sent out hundreds of scouts to investigate the situation. Hundreds of scouts galloped south along the forest road.

    At this time, a soldier came forward and reported: "Report to the Commander-in-Chief, General Yu said that there is important information."

    ??

    Xiahou Dun was startled and did not react for a moment. Who is Liu Jing?

    Jia Xu asked in surprise: "Is this Liu Biao's nephew, Liu Jing, who even teased the Prime Minister during the Battle of Runan?"

    Yu Jin nodded, "It is this person. He seems to be leading the Jingzhou army, about a thousand people."

    Xiahou Dun finally understood, "Could it be that this person was the leader of the Jingzhou grain security army that defeated us last night?"

    "It should be him. We haven't seen him for just over half a year. His martial arts have made rapid progress, which is unbelievable. I wanted to take the opportunity to kill him, but unfortunately I met Zhao Yun and fell short."

    Yu Jin¡¯s tone was full of regret, and he was extremely frustrated. He failed to kill Liu Jing this time. This person will become a nightmare in his life, and he will be unable to get rid of it for the rest of his life.

    Liu Jing's appearance was unexpected. Xiahou Dun seemed to have thought of something, but could not see clearly. He turned back to look at Jia Xu, who was silent in thought.

    "Sir, there seems to be something useful here." Xiahou Dun asked tentatively.

    Jia Xu smiled and said, "We can leave the forest road first, station the troops, and then consider countermeasures."

    Xiahou Dun nodded and immediately ordered: "Speed ??up the front army and garrison the forest road!"

    The large group of Cao Jun sped up and marched southward in a mighty manner.  .

    In the team, Xiahou Dun thought for a long time. The news that Liu Jing was in Liu Bei's army always made him anxious. He slowed down his horse and rode alongside Jia Xu.

    "Sir, don't you think this person can be used? He is Liu Biao's nephew." Xiahou Dun whispered.

    Jia Xu lightly stroked the goat's beard and smiled: "Of course he is very important. The key to this battle lies on him. I suggest the general send more people to keep an eye on him."

    Jia Xu whispered a few words to Xiahou Dun, which was exactly what Xiahou Dun meant. He was overjoyed and said, "It's exactly what Mr. Dun said!"

    He immediately sent out 300 of his most elite scouts to investigate Liu Jing's movements

    Liu Bei's army quickly cleared the battlefield and escorted thousands of prisoners of war back to Xinye County. Xinye County is a large county with a population of more than 2,000 households. However, with the outbreak of the two Wancheng battles, a large number of people moved south, causing the population of Xinye County to expand rapidly.  In just a few years, the population exceeded 4,000 households and more than 30,000 people.

    However, Xinye County is quite large, with a circumference of nearly twenty miles, and the city is three feet high. It is strong and generous, which is conducive to defense. This was also affected by the Battle of Wancheng. Liu Biao specially sent people to heighten and strengthen the city wall.

    Liu Bei was in Xinye County at this time. He burned the Bowangpo military camp and quickly retreated south, returning to the county seat first.

    ?But Liu Bei had no intention of withdrawing his troops to Xiangyang. On the one hand, although Liu Biao sent reinforcements, he hoped that he would resist Cao's army and did not approve of his retreat south.

    On the other hand, it was also because Xiahou Dun had 3,000 elite cavalry. If he retreated south, he would be chased by the cavalry and most likely the entire army would be annihilated. Liu Bei had to consider this risk.

    In the military office, Liu Bei paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. From time to time he walked to the table and stared at a map of Nanyang County. This time, Liu Bei made a lot of preparations for Cao's army to move south, including sending out capable soldiers to sneak into the counties of Nanyang County.  I just got an unexpected piece of information.

    Xiahou Dun's grain and grass logistics center was not in Wancheng, but in Ye County in the northeast corner of Nanyang County. Ye County was not far from Yingchuan County and was an extremely important transportation hub, which facilitated the transfer and transportation of grain and grass. At the same time, Xiahou Dun sent troops in a hurry, and there was no time for the logistics of a large amount of grain and grass.  Transported to Wancheng.

    This is an opportunity!  Liu Bei found a way to completely defeat Xiahou Dun, but the problem now is that Xiahou Dun's army blocked the road to the north, making it impossible for him to send troops northward. He must find a way to move Xiahou Dun's army away.

    Liu Bei pondered for a long time and could not think of a good plan. At this time, a soldier outside the door reported, "Report to General Zuo, Jingzhou Mu sent people to deliver an urgent message, and General Wen's messengers arrived at the same time."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Not far from the county government office, there is a school ground covering an area of ??more than 30 acres. It was originally a training ground for the army. Now it is temporarily the place where the Jingzhou Army is stationed. There are dozens of tents and more than a thousand tents set up in the open space to the south of the school ground.  The Jingzhou Army was stationed here.

    In a corner of the school grounds, Deng Wu is teaching his son Deng Ai to ride a horse. Deng Ai is about seven or eight years old. He has handsome features, a strong body, a gentle demeanor, and is extremely polite. However, he is also powerful in martial arts.  .

    Deng Wu loved his son so much that he had decided to take his son to Xiangyang after the battle and find a way to send him to Lumen Academy.

    "Uncle Jing, this horse is too strong, I can't hold it with my legs."

    Deng Ai was riding on Liu Jing's horse. The horse was extremely strong. It seemed that he didn't like the young man riding on his back. He seemed a little irritable. The horse's hooves hit the ground and made a clicking sound. Deng Ai was still young and had strong strength.  It was far from enough and he couldn't control the horse, so he shouted in panic.

    Liu Jing stepped forward with a smile, gently touched the war horse's face, and whispered a few words to him. The slightly agitated war horse calmed down again, and slowly walked forward carrying Deng Ai on its back.

    Deng Ai was surprised and delighted, "Uncle Jing, can your horse communicate with people?"

    Liu Jing said helplessly: "First of all, it can't understand human speech. It only knows that I'm comforting it. Second, don't call me Uncle Jing anymore. Just call me Brother Jing."

    Deng Ai stuck out his tongue and said with a smile: "Dad asked me to call you Uncle Jing. If you don't like it, talk to my dad about it. I don't dare to disobey his order."

    After saying that, he glanced at his father secretly. Deng Wu said angrily: "You brat, what do you mean by an old man? Am I that old?"

    Everyone laughed, and at this time, someone shouted: "Uncle Liu Huang is here."

    Liu Jing turned around and saw Liu Bei, escorted by more than a dozen followers, hurriedly walking towards this side. Liu Jing quickly stepped forward and saluted, "My nephew, see you, uncle!"

    At this time, a Wenpin messenger soldier next to him knelt down on one knee and handed over an order arrow, "Commander Wen has ordered, the Jingzhou Army will return to the camp immediately without delay!"

    Liu Jing slowly took the order arrow, feeling a little confused. Why was he suddenly asked to go back? What happened?  He looked towards Liu Bei.

    Liu Bei sighed and handed a letter in his hand to Liu Jing, "Not only is it a military order, your uncle also sent someone to deliver a letter, asking you to return to Jingzhou immediately. It seems that he fell ill."

    Liu Jing was startled. He took the letter and read it. It was written by Liu Qi. The letter was addressed to Liu Bei and asked him to arrange for Liu Jing to return to Jingzhou immediately. The reason was that Liu Biao fell ill.

    At the end of the letter, Liu Qi wrote a message to Liu Jing: "My father is seriously ill and I miss my brother Jing very much. I hope filial piety comes first and returns to Xiangyang as soon as possible."  ¡¯

    "The war was in full swing, but Jing Sheng unfortunately fell ill. It was Jingzhou's misfortune."

    Liu Bei let out a long sigh and said to Liu Jing: "Filial piety comes first. Before Cao's army besieges the city, you should set off immediately and I will make arrangements for you."

    Liu Bei left in a hurry, and Deng Wu stepped forward and whispered: "Could it be that Zhou Mu was worried that you were in danger, so he asked you to leave Xinye."

    Liu Jing secretly thought, "I left the Jingzhou Army camp last night. It's only the afternoon now. The messenger must use the fastest speed. Judging from this urgency, it shouldn't be a taboo for him to be with Liu Bei. It can only be  Worried about being in danger and affecting the overall situation of Jingzhou.?After all, he is his nephew. If something happens to Cao's army, he can't just ignore it.  '

    In fact, Liu Jing didn¡¯t want to leave, and he was a little hesitant. Deng Wu saw what he was thinking and said with a wry smile: ¡°Wen Shuai¡¯s military orders are like mountains, we can¡¯t disobey them, and it seems that Uncle Liu doesn¡¯t want us to stay.¡±

    In fact, Liu Bei is already driving him away.

    A soldier of Liu Bei hurried over and saluted, "The captured military supplies have been prepared. It is inconvenient for the prisoners of war to go on the road. My lord said that they will be sent to Xiangyang in the future. It is already getting late. Please lead the army on the road as soon as possible."

    Liu Jing was thoughtful and silent. He still felt that there was something fishy in this. It was impossible for his uncle to let him go back because he was sick. What was the secret hidden in this?

    Deng Wu smiled bitterly and said to Liu Jing: "Since the master has issued an order to expel the guests, let the brothers clean up. Let's leave quickly before Cao Jun arrives!"

    At this moment, a thought suddenly came to Liu Jing's mind. Could it be that Liu Biao wanted to use Cao Jun's help to kill Liu Bei, and since he was in Xinye, Wenpin had to come to help, thus affecting Liu Biao's plan.

    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t hesitate to use filial piety to pressure myself and force myself to leave.

    Liu Jing vaguely felt that he was close to the truth. Why did Wenpin's army stationed thirty miles away and refused to come to Xinye? Why didn't Liu Biao allow Liu Bei to withdraw south?

    There are various signs that Liu Biao is killing people with a borrowed knife, isn't it?  Liu Biao knew very well that Cao Cao would not attack Jingzhou at this time.

    Liu Biao actually had no need to send reinforcements at all. He sent reinforcements with only one intention: to prevent Liu Biao from retreating south.

    As for coming with the food, it was entirely because Wenpin didn't understand Liu Biao's true intentions, so Liu Biao was so eager to force him to leave.

    So with Liu Bei¡¯s sophistication, would he not be able to see Liu Biao¡¯s intentions?  He should just stay on his own.

    In this case, why is Liu Bei urging him to leave again, and what kind of wishful thinking is he having?

    But there was no time for Liu Jing to think about it any further. He quickly stopped Deng Wu and said, "Wait a minute!"

    "Sir, what happened?" Deng Wu saw Liu Jing's worry and asked with concern.

    "I'm worried that we will be ambushed by Cao's army." Liu Jing said worriedly.

    Deng Wu was stunned, "No way! Cao Jun hasn't come over yet, how could it be possible?"

    ¡°It¡¯s just a gut feeling.¡±

    Liu Jing sighed in his heart. His intuition came from Yu Jin. Yu Jin recognized him on the battlefield. Will they take the opportunity to deal with him?

    "You stay in Xinye, I will go back alone."

    Deng Wu looked embarrassed, "But military orders are like mountains. You don't know Commander Wen's temper. Disobeying military orders will result in beheading."

    Liu Jing bit her lip, "I'm going to explain the situation to Wen Shuai, but the brothers must stay."

    "But what if the young master is intercepted by Cao Jun?"

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then said: "There is a way to solve it. I will leave with a hundred cavalry. This is fast. Even if Cao Jun discovers that I am leaving, he will not have time to intercept me. I can rush back to the camp in half an hour at most."

    Deng Wu thought for a long time but had no choice but to do this.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A quarter of an hour later, Liu Jing led a hundred Jingzhou cavalry, leaving Xinye County under the setting sun, and rushed south quickly.

    Just as Liu Jing led his army out, more than a dozen Cao Jun spies immediately galloped away to the north.

    Liu Bei stood on the city wall with his hands behind his back, watching Liu Jing's cavalry go away. He sneered and said to himself: "Liu Jingsheng, do you think I, Liu Bei, am a fool?".

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 88 Jia Wenhe¡¯s plan

    ¡¾Asking for recommendation votes¡¿

    ====

    In Xiangyang, Liu Biao paced back and forth anxiously in the room with his hands behind his back. He was very angry. Before the army left, he repeatedly asked Wenpin to pay attention to Liu Jing's safety. In fact, he was hinting to him not to send Liu Jing to the front line.

    In fact, he could not let Liu Jing go north, but in order to make a gesture and make people think that he was determined to resist Cao's army, he still let Liu Jing and Liu Hu's two nephews go north to fight against Cao.

    Unexpectedly, Wenpin did not understand his intention and actually sent Liu Jing to deliver food to Liu Bei's military camp. This made Liu Biao suppress his anger.

    It was so easy to wait for this opportunity to use the hands of Cao Jun to kill Liu Bei and eradicate this trouble in Jingzhou, but Wenpin's extraneous problems are likely to ruin this plan.

    Liu Biao was so worried that he sent someone to deliver the message to Liu Bei quickly, even though he was ill to put pressure on him. The reason why he sent the message to Liu Bei but not to Liu Jing was because Liu Biao knew his nephew, and Liu Jing would most likely disobey his orders regardless of himself.  Whether you are sick or not.

    But Liu Bei will not. He will definitely force Liu Jing to leave, otherwise he cannot afford the loss of reputation.

    Now Liu Biao is worried about whether he can make it in time.

    "Damn Wenpin!" Liu Biao cursed in a low voice. He didn't understand his intentions, so why should he be a general?

    "Father!"

    Liu Qi's voice came from outside the door, "Can the child come in?"

    "Come in!" Liu Biao calmed down and returned to his seat to sit down. He didn't want his son to see his gaffe, and of course, he didn't want his son to understand what he was thinking.

    Liu Qi walked in quickly, knelt down and bowed, "Meet my father!"

    "Well! What's wrong with my son?"

    "My son is here to visit his father. I wonder if his father's condition is getting better?"

    Liu Biao was indeed a little sick, but it was very slight, far from enough to bring Liu Jing back, and Liu Qi knew it in his heart.

    But Liu Qi¡¯s thoughts were not deep. He believed that his father was unwilling to let Jingdi take risks on the battlefield. Once something happened to Jingdi, his father would not be able to explain to his dead uncle.

    So Liu Qi took the initiative to write for his father and wrote to Liu Bei, making sure that Liu Jing returned to Xiangyang.

    Liu Biao nodded, "I still have a slight headache, but it's much better. There's no need to worry, my son."

    "Father, although Brother Jing is practicing martial arts, his experience in facing enemies is far from enough. I rushed him into battle, and I am very worried about his safety."

    "Didn't I write a letter?"

    Liu Biao said with some displeasure: "It won't matter if he comes back. What are you worried about?"

    "Father, this is not what I mean."

    Liu Biao was startled, "Then what do you mean?"

    Liu Qi bit his lip and did not answer for a moment. Liu Biao felt even more strange. He felt that his eldest son was a little abnormal, and this abnormality was not new today. During this time, the eldest son had always been a little abnormal.

    Liu Biao was just busy with his affairs and couldn't bother to ask questions for a while. Now the eldest son was hesitant to speak and was worried, so Liu Biao felt that it was necessary to talk to the eldest son.

    Liu Biao¡¯s tone became gentler, and he smiled slightly: ¡°Go ahead! I¡¯ll listen.¡±

    Under his father's kind gaze, Liu Qi mustered up his courage and said, "I hope my father can arrange for Brother Jing to guard Jiangxia."

    Liu Biao was stunned. He didn't expect that his eldest son would actually propose this plan and let his nephew guard Jiangxia. Why would he think of Jiangxia instead of elsewhere?

    Liu Biao did not immediately question it. He pondered for a moment and asked, "Have you been thinking about this for the past few days?"

    Liu Qi has been preoccupied these past two days. He is actually considering his own power. Ever since his father and Cai Mao agreed to temporarily shelve the marriage, Liu Qi realized that his father had already given in on the Cai family's marriage.

    Judging from the quiet behavior of his mother, Mrs. Cai, during this period, it is very likely that his brother Liu Cong will marry Cai Shaoyu in the end. If that is the case, then he will marry a daughter of the Kuai family to win the support of the Kuai family.

    In terms of civil service, Liu Qi is not worried. With the power of the Kuai family and the Pang family, he can compete with the Cai family and the Huang family, but he is weaker in terms of military power.

    The military power in Jingzhou is mainly in the hands of Cai and Huang. Although the Kuai family has Wenpin, Wenpin is actually relatively neutral and impartial, and may not be reliable.

    Liu Qi then thought of Liu Jing. Liu Jing must be supporting him. During this time, his father had begun to consider using Liu clan members to take power. Then could Liu Jing be put in Jiangxia to seize Jiangxia's 25,000 troops for himself and replace Huang Zu?  , Kuai Yue told him that his father's next step must be to attack Huang Zu.

    Liu Qi has realized that this move is crucial for him to eventually become the Lord of Jingzhou.??.

    However, although Liu Qi thought so, he did not dare to say it clearly, so he could only say vaguely: "My child has been thinking about it these days. Brother Jing and I are related by blood. We both have the same grandfather. Why not let my brother control the military?  This is the key to allowing our Liu family to control Jingzhou.

    To be honest, the four major families in Jingzhou all have their own thoughts. Once Cao Jun comes, Ha'er knows very well how much will they have to resist.  "

    Liu Qi¡¯s words touched Liu Biao¡¯s heart. This time Cao Jun went south, which greatly touched him. It was like crying wolf. After shouting for a long time, he was almost numb. Suddenly, Cao Jun came to Xinye.

    The wolf really came and stung Liu Biao. He began to realize that Cao Cao's army would go south sooner or later, so who would resist Cao Cao's army for him?

    He will not count on Liu Bei. Jingzhou aristocratic families such as Cai, Kuai, Pang, and Huang also have their own family interests and are unreliable. He has to rely on his own Liu family.

    Liu Biao deeply agreed with what the eldest son said. He smiled and said, "I don't want Jing'er and Hu'er to go on an expedition. That's why. There are already few children in the Liu family. I don't want to make matters worse, so I have to call them back."

    "So, father, what happened in Jiangxia"

    "Let's consider this in another two years! He is still young after all, and it will be good for him to learn more martial arts strategies."

    Speaking of learning martial arts, Liu Qi also suggested: "My child recommends veteran Huang Zhong as Jingdi's master."

    Liu Biao nodded. He had considered this issue. He would definitely not allow his nephew to learn martial arts from Zhao Yun again. Huang Zhong was not only highly skilled in martial arts, he was also good at leading troops and strategies.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it after he comes back!¡±

    After a pause, Liu Biao asked again: "Why did you think of letting Jing'er go to Jiangxia County?"

    Liu Biao's eyes were full of doubts.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The sun has sunk below the horizon, the red clouds on the edge of the earth have faded into pale pink twilight, and the sky has gradually turned from light blue to light green.

    The lush tall willow trees in the sunshine by the river, in the strange hazy twilight, contrasted with the darkened sky, looked like a row of black giants standing by the river.

    At this time, a fierce sound of horse hooves broke the tranquil twilight, and a group of birds preparing to spend the night on the willow tree were startled and flew up.

    The cavalry team came from far and near, about a hundred cavalry, galloping southward along the official road by the river. It was Liu Jing and the hundreds of cavalry led by him.

    Liu Jing had already left Xinye County for ten miles, and they also saw Cao Jun's spies on the road. Cao Jun's spies hurried north, which showed that his strategy was very correct. He threw away the slow-moving infantry baggage and galloped on horseback. It took him half an hour at most.  If he could reach the Jingzhou Army camp, even if Cao Jun wanted to intercept him, it would be too late.

    Xinye is almost a flat wilderness to the south, with rich land and green farmland on both sides of the river. You can't see the edge at a glance, but there are also rolling hills in the distance, which look like the back of a giant dragon in the dusk.

    At this moment, there was a sudden sound of "ßÝ¡ª¡ª" not far away, and it was a shot of thunder that shot over their heads.

    Liu Jing reined in his horse and saw hundreds of cavalry appearing dozens of steps away, blocking the way.

    "It's Cao Jun!"

    Someone shouted in a low voice. Liu Jing turned his head quickly and saw the shadows of a large group of cavalry on the other side of the river. He turned his horse's head, and countless dark figures appeared behind him.

    Sweat suddenly soaked his vest, and Liu Jing suddenly realized that he had entered the enemy's encirclement. It turned out that Cao Jun had already laid a dragnet.

    "Marquis, over there!"

    A cavalryman pointed to the northwest, which seemed not to be surrounded. Liu Jing turned his horse's head without hesitation, "Let's go!"

    Liu Jing urged his horses and led more than a hundred cavalry to rush towards the northwest corner. In a moment, he broke out of Cao Jun's encirclement.

    Cao Jun¡¯s cavalry were chasing and surrounding him from all directions. There were two to three thousand cavalrymen in the dark dusk, which made Liu Jing secretly frightened. This must have been arranged by Cao Jun, and it was obviously aimed at herself.

    But what surprised Liu Jing was that Cao Jun only chased the enemy and did not shoot arrows or attack. It was as if they were hunting, driving their prey into a cage and capturing them alive.

    Although Liu Jing was aware of Cao Jun's intentions, there was nothing Liu Jing could do. He was forced to flee westward, and the west was the only way out.

    "Marquis, there is a hill in front of you!"

    A cavalryman yelled, and Liu Jing also saw it. It was a low hill, standing abruptly on the plain, covering an area of ??dozens of acres, lying in front of them. There were countless Cao Jun cavalry on both sides, like a huge bag.  Already trapped them.

      Although Liu Jing's horse was a thousand-mile horse and could completely escape the pursuit of Cao's cavalry, how could he leave his companions and escape alone.

    "Go up the hill!"

    Liu Jing gave an order, and everyone rushed towards the hill. The slope was not steep, but a gentle slope. In just a moment, Liu Jing led his men to rush up the hillside.

    Cao Jun's cavalry did not catch up with them, but quickly surrounded the hills, surrounding them, and they were blocked.

    Liu Jing and his men reined in their horses, but they had no way to go. Cao's army was at the foot of the mountain more than 200 steps away. Soldiers continued to reinforce them, and it seemed that they had been ambushed.

    "Marquis, what's going on?"

    The cavalrymen under his command were all talking and asked in confusion: "Why didn't Cao Jun arrest us?"

    "We have fallen into a trap that has been laid out for a long time!"

    Liu Jing bit her lip. He understood Cao Jun's intention. It was already obvious. "If I hadn't made a mistake in judgment, we would have become a bait now."

    "Who came up with this plan? It's so damn clever!" Liu Jing couldn't help but cursed bitterly.

    At the foot of the mountain, Cao's army surrounding the hills had increased to 10,000 troops and surrounded the hills. Xiahou Dun looked at the hundreds of cavalry on the top of the mountain and couldn't help but cheered. He raised his hands and praised Jia Xu: "Sir, this move is brilliant.  ah!"

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled proudly. He was bound to succeed in this plan. Even if Liu Jing did not come out in Xinye City, he would send someone pretending to be a messenger to trick Wenpin into coming to rescue him.

    "However, the Prime Minister is very interested in this Liu Jing. General Xiahou can pass on the order not to hurt him, but to capture him alive."

 Volume 1, Chapter 89: Advancing and Retreating Together

    At the top of Xinye City, five thousand soldiers and more than ten thousand mobilized civilians tightly defended the city, patrolling day and night, and standing ready.

    In the North City, Liu Bei stared closely at the wilderness outside the city shrouded in night, but he could not see anything. Just now, Liu Bei received intelligence from the spies. The brigade of Cao's army was heading south quickly. The forest road of Bird Valley was no longer there.  Cao Jun, this made Liu Bei feel a little nervous.

    Maybe the Jingzhou Army moved north, and Xiahou Dun wanted to deal with the Jingzhou Army with all his strength, but no matter what, his opportunity had appeared, and Liu Bei immediately ordered: "Quickly order Yide to come see me!"

    After a moment, Zhang Fei stepped forward and saluted with clasped fists, "See you, big brother!"

    Liu Bei warned him: "Third brother, you can lead a thousand cavalry and rush to Ye County, burn all the food that Cao Jun has hoarded in Ye County, and then go south to pretend to attack Wancheng to create a momentum, go quickly!  "

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother, I¡¯ll leave right away!¡±

    Liu Bei himself only had 300 cavalry. In the past two days, he had successively obtained 700 or 800 horses from Cao's army, making up 1000 cavalry, which became Liu Bei's most elite army. They were handed over to Zhang Fei for command. Not long after, Zhang Fei led a group of cavalry.  Thousands of cavalry rushed out of Beicheng and rushed towards Ye County in the north.

    Liu Bei watched Zhang Fei go away and sighed slightly in his heart. Whether he can defeat Cao Jun depends on this.

    At this time, there was a commotion in the city, and someone shouted: "Report to the emperor quickly, we have to leave the city!"

    Liu Bei heard the voice of Liu Hu. He was startled and walked quickly down the city. Under the firelight, he saw Liu Hu pulling Deng Wu and more than a dozen Jingzhou Army officers. Liu Hu had an angry look on his face.  They shouted to the soldiers who were blocking them: "Please come here, uncle!"

    Liu Bei stepped forward and asked, "What's going on?"

    Liu Hu took Wei Yan to practice martial arts in the afternoon. He didn't know Liu Jing had left. When he came back, he found out that Liu Jing had taken the first step, which made Liu Hu very dissatisfied. Although Deng Wu repeatedly explained that the military prince was doing it for his own good, but  When Liu Hu's tiger temper comes up, he can poke a hole in him even if he's in trouble.

    Especially when he heard that Cao's army was heading south, Liu Hu went crazy. He shouted at the top of his lungs: "Liu Bei, open the city gate quickly and let us out!"

    When the guards around Liu Bei heard that this guy actually called the lord by his name, they were furious and drew their swords to glare at him. Liu Bei quickly waved his hand to stop the soldiers. He stepped forward and sincerely advised: "Master Tiger, don't be anxious. Master Jing is leading the cavalry south."  , we can reach the Jingzhou Army camp in the last half hour, there will be no danger, but it is easy to bump into Cao Jun when we go out now, sir, think twice!"

    Deng Wu also advised: "Young Master has been away for an hour and a half, and he has arrived at the military camp long ago. If he encounters danger, he will definitely send someone to ask for help, so nothing will happen!"

    There is a popular saying in Xiangyang City, "It is better to make the dragon roar than to make the tiger angry." In other words, it is better to make Liu Biao unhappy than to make a tiger angry. The tiger refers to Liu Hu. Liu Hu usually has a very bad temper.  He is good and honest, but once he gets angry, there will be no peace in Xiangyang City.

    "You bastard!"

    Liu Hu grabbed Deng Wu by the collar and shouted, "If you dare to say another word, I will twist your head off."

    Deng Wu had no choice but to say to Liu Bei: "Uncle Emperor, please open the city gate and let us out."

    Liu Bei was a little embarrassed. After all, Liu Hu was also Liu Biao's nephew. If something happened, he would not be able to explain it, so he did not agree for a while.

    Liu Hu was so angry that he left Deng Wu behind, picked up a big iron rod and rushed towards the city gate. After a moment, there was a sound from the city gate, 'Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ There was a loud banging sound on the door, and a soldier rushed to report: ¡°General Zuo, Mr. Tiger is smashing the city gate, and the city gate is broken.¡±

    Liu Bei was also slightly angry in his heart. He was so presumptuous that he dared to smash his own city gate. He said coldly: "Since you must leave, I can't stop you. You can go to the south gate!"

    Liu Bei immediately ordered, "Prepare to open the south city gate and let them out!"

    A quarter of an hour later, Deng Wu and Liu Hu led more than a thousand Jingzhou soldiers to leave Xinye County and rush south.

    At this time, Zhao Yun stepped forward and knelt down, "Zhao Yun begs my lord for something."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the hill, Liu Jing and the cavalry all dismounted and sat under a few big trees to rest and recover their strength. They had no defensive weapons. There were more than a hundred people, and each of them only had a bow and a pot of arrows.  It's swords and spears. If Cao's army attacks in a large scale, they will soon be wiped out.

    "Marquis, do you think General Wen will come to rescue us?" a chief asked worriedly.

    Liu Jing shook his head, "I don't want him to rescue us. This is the purpose of Cao Jun. As long as the reinforcements leave the camp, they will be ambushed by Cao Jun halfway."

    "But, what should we do?" asked another uncle.

    Liu JingningLooking at the dense firelight at the foot of the mountain, he pondered for a moment and said: "Recuperate your energy first, and wait for the opportunity to fight out!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Xiahou Dun quickly walked into a large tent and said anxiously: "I just got news that a group of Liu Bei's cavalry went north. Could it be to attack Wancheng?"

    Jia Xu smiled and said: "General, don't worry. Although General Yu is injured, with him in Wancheng, Liu Bei's army cannot take advantage and can only return without success."

    Xiahou Dun frowned. He had been dealing with Liu Bei for many years and knew that Liu Bei was cunning. He sent troops north, not necessarily to attack Wancheng.

    "What if we are going to sneak attack Ye County?"

    Jia Xu thought for a moment, it was possible, and then he said: "You can quickly order someone to ride a fast horse to Ye County, and order the defenders to be on guard."

    Xiahou Dun immediately sent two soldiers, one to Wancheng and one to Ye County, ordering them to get ahead of Liu Bei's cavalry.

    Xiahou Dun was always puzzled by the siege of Liu Jing, so he asked: "Sir, why don't we attack Xinye City directly and let Liu Bei ask Liu Biao for help? In this way, we can siege the city for reinforcements, and we can both destroy the Jingzhou army and capture Xinye. Wouldn't it kill two birds with one stone?"  ?¡±

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled, "Looking at Liu Jingsheng's posture, he is just pretending. He is not really supporting Liu Bei. Liu Jingsheng might also hope to use our hands to kill Liu Bei and eliminate his henchmen."

    Xiahou Dun was stunned, "In this case, why did he welcome Liu Bei to Jingzhou?"

    "General Xiahou, what Liu Jingsheng wants is fame. Liu Bei has a world-famous reputation, and he is at the end of his road. He connects Liu Bei to Jingzhou and makes Liu Biao famous all over the world. This is what he looks forward to most, but Liu Bei is a world hero, and Liu Jingsheng  Don't you know that since he has lured the wolf into the house, he must find a way to get rid of the wolf, but not to damage his reputation? What should we do? Isn't it just God's favor to use our hands to get rid of Liu Bei? "

    ??

    Jia Xu shook his head, "This is what the Prime Minister wants. Not only do you want to get rid of Liu Bei, but you also want to stab Liu Jingsheng again and force him to transfer Jiangxia's troops to Xiangyang."

    Xiahou Dun suddenly realized. At this time, a sergeant walked into the tent, knelt down and saluted, "See the military advisor!"

    This sergeant was originally a soldier of Liu Bei. He surrendered to Cao's army after being captured in Runan. He was very familiar with the situation in Liu Bei's army.

    Jia Xu handed him a forged letter from Liu Bei and repeatedly warned him: "Remember, don't say that Mr. Jing is besieged. You are Liu Bei's request for help. Just say that the new country is in danger and ask the Jingzhou army to come to rescue.  When Wenpin asks about Young Master Jing, please tell me that Young Master Jing left the city at dusk and is no longer in Xinye."

    Xiahou Dun next to him couldn't help but ask: "If we didn't say that Mr. Jing was surrounded, would Wenpin think that he went back to Xiangyang directly?"

    Jia Xu smiled sinisterly: "You are wrong. With Wenpin's caution, he would have sent scouts to investigate the situation no matter what, so that they could discover that Mr. Jing was surrounded, and Liu Bei was in a critical situation, so he could only send troops to rescue him.  "

    "I see!"

    Xiahou Dun secretly admired him. Jia Xu was indeed a wise man who could see through people's hearts.

    Jia Xu gave the sergeant a few more instructions, and the sergeant left the camp.

    At this time, Jia Xu said coldly: "Liu Jing must break out of the encirclement. The general cannot let anyone go, and then capture Liu Jing alive and hand it over to the prime minister."

    Xiahou Dun scratched his head. He didn't realize why he didn't surround him again.

    "General Xiahou, as long as we make Wenpin believe that Liu Jing has been surrounded by us, we will have achieved our goal. As for Liu Jing himself, it is actually not important anymore. If we leave him on the hill, he will have long nights and many dreams. If he sends someone to break out, where will he go?  Wen Ping¡¯s report, isn¡¯t Wen Ping ready?¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the hill, the cavalrymen had enough rest, mounted their horses, and were ready to go. They could not delay any longer. Liu Jing was already preparing to break out. He found that the torches in the northwest corner were slightly weak, and the number of troops here was correspondingly smaller. It would be better to fight out from here.  Have the opportunity.

    "Marquis of the Army!"

    An uncle suggested: "It is better to lead fifty brothers from the humble position to break through from the northeast to attract Cao's army, and then the military princes can break through from the southwest. This will be easier."

    Liu Jing shook his head, "In that case, your entire army will be wiped out, and no one will survive. If we all fight out together, at least half of our brothers will survive."

    The uncle wanted to persuade Liu Jing again, but Liu Jing waved his hand to stop him, "Stop talking, I have made up my mind!"

    The uncle lowered his head and said no more. Liu Jing said to everyone: "Everyone, remember, no matter who rushes out??, go and tell General Wen immediately that Cao Jun is using us as bait to ambush Jingzhou Army halfway, so General Wen must not be fooled!  "

    An uncle shouted: "We are willing to fight to the death to resist Cao Jun and let the young master rush out!"

    Liu Jing shook his head and said slowly to everyone: "Brothers, I, Liu Jing, am by no means a person who is greedy for life and afraid of death. In this breakout, we will advance together in life and death, and share weal and woe!"

    The cavalry were deeply moved and bowed together, saying, "I would like to follow Mr. Jing!"

    Liu Jing drew out her sword and shouted, "Brothers, follow me and fight out!"

    He galloped his horse and ran along the slope to the foot of the mountain. A hundred cavalry followed closely behind, brandishing their spears, and swooped towards Cao's army at the foot of the mountain with murderous intent

 Volume 1, Chapter 90: Bloody Battle Breakthrough

    In a forest about three miles away from Cao Jun, Deng Wu and Liu Hu led a thousand Jingzhou soldiers to hide in the forest. They captured a Cao Jun spy and got news from him. Liu Jing was besieged by tens of thousands of Cao Jun in a forest.  On top of the hill.

    Liu Hu's eyes suddenly turned red with anger. If Wei Yan hadn't stopped him, he would have charged into Cao's camp with a sword.

    Deng Wu looked at the hills from a distance. Under the bright moonlight, he could vaguely see the outline of the hills. There were flames at the foot of the hills. Countless Cao troops surrounded a hill with a radius of dozens of acres.

    At this time, a spy rushed over, and everyone gathered around him, "What information do you have?"

    "Reporting to all generals, Cao's army is surrounded on all sides. Only the number of people in the northwest corner is slightly smaller. We can attack from the northwest corner."

    Deng Wu was cautious. He was concerned about whether he could successfully approach Cao Jun, and asked: "How many Cao Jun patrols are there outside?"

    "Reporting to the general, Cao Jun's patrol posts are mainly concentrated in the south and northeast, not many in the west. I didn't encounter any patrol posts all the way back."

    "How many troops are there in the northwest corner?"

    At this time, Liu Hu couldn't bear it anymore and cursed with a glare: "Bald Deng, how can you talk so much nonsense?"

    Deng Wu did not dare to offend him, so he had to explain: "If we cannot rush through and we are surrounded by Cao's army, then the whole army will be annihilated."

    Liu Hu stood up and said loudly: "What's the use of asking so many people? Are there more enemy soldiers, so we won't charge?"

    He shouted to the soldiers: "In this battle, there is a possibility of death. If you are willing to follow Liu Hu, let us fight up the mountain. We have parents, wives and children to take care of at home. Stay and remember to burn more paper for us. Let's go!"  "

    He put the big kitchen knife on his shoulder and strode towards Cao Jun three miles away. In the woods, soldiers stood up one after another and followed Liu Hu without hesitation, ten, fifty, or one hundred.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There were more and more soldiers, and in the end there were seven or eight hundred people. No one spoke, and everyone's eyes were full of perseverance and a look at death.

    Even Wei Yan was moved. Regardless of his injuries, he stood up and wanted to leave, but Deng Wu held him down and said, "You stay, I'll go!"

    Deng Wu got on his horse and urged the horse to chase Liu Hu with a sword in his hand. At this moment, there was a faint commotion in Cao Jun's camp in the distance.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the darkness, Liu Jing led a hundred cavalrymen into the Cao army soldiers who were besieging the hill. They killed all the Cao army soldiers and turned them upside down. In a moment, they took more than 50 steps.

    Although Liu Jing and his cavalrymen were desperate and fierce, Cao Jun was well prepared. Groups of soldiers came from all directions, like layers of cocoon webs, surrounding Liu Jing and his men.  .

    Although Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers did not shoot arrows, their spears were merciless and stabbed from all directions. Some soldiers screamed and fell off their horses, covered in blood, and were immediately cut into pieces with random blades.

    Watching his companions fall off their horses and die, Liu Jing's eyes turned red. He aroused his raging potential, shouted hoarsely, and struck with a gun and knife. There were many corpses lying beside him, and his whole body was stained red with blood.

    But the surrounding Cao troops were killing more and more, surrounding them. Seeing that they could no longer break out of the encirclement, at this moment, there was a chaos hundreds of steps away.

    An army came in, and the first general was Liu Hu. He was as powerful as a mad tiger, wielding a big kitchen knife, chopping melons and vegetables, and rushed into Cao's army. Behind him were seven or eight hundred Jingzhou Army soldiers, with high morale.  .

    Everyone was so angry that they killed Cao Jun's soldiers and retreated steadily. Liu Hu had already seen Liu Jing and was so excited that he shouted loudly: "Brother Jing, the tiger is coming!"

    Liu Jing heard Liu Hu's cry, her nose suddenly choked, and her eyes were a little red. They came to save him when he was in danger, regardless of life or death, regardless of safety.

    At this time, his strength doubled, and he shouted hoarsely, "Everyone, go to hell!"

    Liu Jing galloped on his horse, his spear flew left and right, and he gradually opened a bloody path.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Xiahou Dun got the news that Liu Jing was going down the mountain to break out of the encirclement. He rushed towards the northwest corner under the escort of hundreds of people.

    He was not worried. They expected Liu Jing to break out of the encirclement. He had already issued a death order.  Except for Liu Jing, who was captured alive, all the others were killed, leaving no one alive.

    Liu Jing¡¯s martial arts skills are not very high, and he cannot escape the trap he has set.

    "Report to the Commander-in-Chief that a Jingzhou army has marched in and is about to join Liu Jing."

    Xiahou Dun was furious, "Beat the drums and mobilize the troops!"

    The sound of rumbling drums sounded in Cao's army. Thousands of Cao's troops came from the east and south, like a trap, and surrounded Liu Jing and hundreds of Jingzhou soldiers. At this time, nearly 6,000 Cao's troops surrounded them.

      When Xiahou Dun arrived with a steel gun, a tooth general reported on the horse, "Alert to the governor, Liu Biao's nephew Liu Hu is also here!"

    Xiahou Dun was overjoyed that there was one more person. He sternly ordered, "Seize Liu Jing and Liu Hu, kill the rest, and don't let any of them go!"

    There were thunderous shouts of killing on the battlefield, and more than a thousand elite Cao troops came from the west. The thousand men were divided into ten teams, and they ran quickly, scattering the Jingzhou soldiers, dividing and surrounding them.

    Screams were heard one after another on the battlefield. More than half of the Jingzhou soldiers were dead or wounded. Liu Jing was exhausted and almost collapsed. He rushed left and right, but he could never break through Cao Jun's encirclement.

    A huge net rushed towards Liu Hu. Liu Hu was covered by the giant net. Dozens of Cao's soldiers rushed forward and held him down.

    "Let go of my brother!"

    Liu Jing tried his best to kill. Suddenly, a scream came from not far away. The voice was so familiar. Liu Jing turned around suddenly and saw a scene that made his eyes split. Just a few dozen steps away, Deng Wu was killed by dozens of people.  He was surrounded by Cao Jun's cavalry and hacked by Cao Jun's cavalry. He saw Deng Wu's desperate eyes before he died.

    "Deng Wu!"

    Liu Jing screamed loudly, as if his chest was torn apart, and a mouthful of blood spurted out. He rushed forward like crazy, stabbed randomly, and killed four cavalrymen in a row.

    At this moment, he felt a heavy blow on the back of his head, and the world was spinning. Liu Jing sighed, was he finally going to die?  His vision went dark, and he fell softly on the war horse.

    Cao¡¯s army, General Ya, who attacked him from behind, was overjoyed and reached out to catch him. Suddenly, a wolf fang arrow shot at him. General Ya, unable to dodge, shot an arrow through his throat.

    The tooth general screamed, rolled and fell off his horse. Then, a long roar came from not far away, the white horse flew, and a general killed him like a god. The silver gun in his hand seemed to be attached with the death charm of the king of hell. Wherever it passed,  Cao's soldiers were killed and their horses were turned upside down, and their blood flowed into rivers. It was Zhao Yun who came to kill him.

    Behind him were three hundred cavalry, all with bright helmets and strong momentum like dragons. They followed Zhao Yun and killed him from left to right, and in an instant they cut a bloody path.

    Liu Hu¡¯s Cao army was killed and dispersed. Liu Hu jumped up from the ground, grabbed his big kitchen knife, and slashed left and right.

    Zhao Yun shouted loudly: "Guan Ping, take him away!"

    Guan Ping grabbed a horse and threw the reins to Liu Hu, "Let's go!"

    Liu Hu threw away his kitchen knife, got on his horse, led more than 300 of his remaining soldiers, and followed Guan Ping to escape.

    Zhao Yun rushed to Liu Jing's side with a gun. Cao's soldiers were so frightened that they retreated. Zhao Yun saw that Liu Jing was covered in blood, and blood was pouring from the back of his head. It flowed out from the broken helmet and fell on the horse, fainting.

    Zhao Yun frowned, what should I do?  He was just about to catch Liu Jing on his horse, when suddenly, Lu Ma let out a long hiss, and ran away with Liu Jing on his back, towards Guan Ping.

    Zhao Yun was overjoyed. He didn't expect this horse to be so smart. He shouted loudly, waved his spear, opened a bloody path, and escorted Liu Jing to the north. After a while, the two of them disappeared into the dark night.

    Xiahou Dun rushed to the battlefield under the escort of hundreds of people. The battlefield was tragic and dead bodies were everywhere. However, Liu Jing and Liu Hu had already fled and more than 300 Jingzhou soldiers had fled. Cao's army fell short.

    ??

    At this time, Jia Xu also rushed over on horseback. The bloody and tragic sight in front of him was shocking. How could this happen?

    Xiahou Dun sighed, "Sir, what should we do now?"

    Jia Xu shook his head helplessly, "Liu Jing has escaped, Wenpin will not be fooled. Give up the Jingzhou army, attack Xinye County with all his strength, and at least bring Liu Bei's head to the prime minister."

    Xiahou Dun was refreshed. This was his main task. He immediately ordered, "Reorganize the army and march to Xinye City!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In a pine forest more than ten miles away, Liu Jing finally woke up. The wound on the back of his head had been bandaged. Zhao Yun sat aside and looked at him with concern.

    With a splitting headache, Liu Jing saw Deng Wu¡¯s desperate eyes before his death. Tears welled up from his eyes and flowed down his cheeks.

    Zhao Yun sighed and whispered: "Liu Hu and the others have been rescued. They should be safe and sound."

    As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Hu shouted from outside, "Brother Jing, are you here?"

    Liu Jing stood up with difficulty, walked two steps, and suddenly remembered something, stopped, and sighed softly: "Brother, I want to trouble you with something."

    "Say, what's the matter?"

    "Take care of Deng Wu's son for me for a few days. After the war is over, I will find a way to send him to Lumen Academy."

      Liu Jing remembered that this was Deng Wu's biggest wish, and she would fulfill it for him no matter what.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the Jingzhou Army camp, a sergeant sent by Liu Bei presented a letter asking for help, begging bitterly: "The city of Xinye is vast, and our army's defense force is insufficient. We have been in danger one after another. Once the city is defeated, not only the life of the lord will be at risk, but also  It will affect tens of thousands of innocent people in Xinye. I beg General Wen to rescue Xinye for the sake of both of us being part of the same army."

    Wenpin read Liu Bei's letter carefully. There was no pleading in the letter. He just said that Xinye and Xiangyang were dying.  ¡¯

    It is Liu Bei's handwriting. Wenpin is a little embarrassed. He has received Liu Biao's secret order and will not care about Liu Bei's life or death. What should he do?

    He suddenly thought of Liu Jing. He had issued a military order, but there was no news. Wenpin quickly asked: "Master Jing is still in Xinye?"

    The sergeant blinked, "Didn't Mr. Jing come back in the afternoon?"

    Wenpin was stunned. An unpleasant feeling arose in his heart, and he quickly asked: "When did you leave? Alone?"

    The sergeant shook his head, "We took more than a thousand people with us. Mr. Jing and Mr. Hu were together, and they left Xinye at dusk."

    Wenpin's face changed drastically. He received news from spies that about thirty miles away in the northwest, thousands of Cao's troops surrounded a hill. Could it be that the people surrounding them were Mr. Jing and Mr. Hu?

    Wenpin suddenly became anxious. If something happened to Liu Jing and Liu Hu, how would he report it to the master?  He immediately ordered: "Pass my order and order five thousand troops immediately!"

 Volume 1, Chapter 91: Active Rescue

    "Wait!" Liu Jing's cold voice suddenly came from outside the tent.

    Wenpin was overjoyed. He was extremely worried when Liu Jing came back. The curtain opened and Liu Jing walked in from the outside. He did not wear a helmet and wrapped his head in white linen. This was because he had a head injury.  Liu Hu followed behind him. He was actually injured in many places, but his skin was rough and his flesh was thick, so it was not a big problem.

    Liu Jing slowly walked up to the messenger soldier and sneered, "Do you know who I am?"

    The soldier who delivered the message was stunned and speechless for a long time. Wenpin suddenly understood. He was furious and stabbed with his sword. The soldier who delivered the message screamed and fell to the ground and died. Even until his death, he did not know that this young man in front of him was  who is it?

    Wenpin drew his sword and said angrily: "Jia Xu'an dares to bully me?"

    He waved his hand, and the soldiers carried the body out. He asked Liu Jing with concern, "Sir, is the injury on your head serious? Let the military doctor take a look."

    "Thank you, Wen Shuai. The bleeding has stopped. I applied the golden sore medicine. I was hit by Cao Jun with the back of his sword. The wound is not big and relatively stable."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing frowned slightly, "Wen Shuai was talking about Jia Xu just now?"

    Wenpin nodded, "I got news that Jia Xu came from Xudu to assist Xiahou Dun and used forged documents to trick me into attacking. This should be Jia Xu's vicious plan."

    ¡®So it¡¯s Jia Xu?  ¡¯

    Liu Jing then realized that the person who set up this poisonous trap turned out to be the famous Jia Xu, and he was indeed well-deserved. If Zhao Yun hadn't come to save him, he would have been caught by Cao Jun, and Cao Jun's plan to encircle the mountain and rescue him would have succeeded.  .  Now they should abandon the Jingzhou Army and attack Liu Bei with all their strength.

    Just when I thought of this, someone outside reported: "Let me tell you, Marshal Wen, Liu Bei sent someone to ask for help!"

    Wenpin and Liu Jing looked at each other. This must be a real request for help. Wenpin nodded, "Please come in!"

    With hurried steps, a sergeant walked in, knelt down on one knee and said: "On the order of General Zuo, I came to ask General Wen for help. Nearly 20,000 Cao troops surrounded Xinye. The situation in Xinye is critical. Please ask Jingzhou for rescue."

    He handed over a letter written by Liu Bei with both hands. Wenpin opened it and read it. It was exactly the same as the handwriting just now, and his brows furrowed.

    However, Liu Jing recognized that the sergeant in front of him was Liu Bei's personal bodyguard, and at dusk, he asked himself to leave Xinye quickly.

    "Wen Shuai, this person is real!"

    Wenpin nodded, "You go down and rest first, I will make arrangements for you."

    "Thank you, General Wen!"

    The messenger sergeant went down, and Wenpin was pacing back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his back, looking worried. Seeing this, Liu Jing further confirmed his suspicion. Liu Biao didn't want to rescue Liu Bei at all, and that was why Wenpin was in such trouble.

    "Wen Shuai, isn't it that my uncle is not allowed to rescue?"

    Wenpin sighed for a while, "From my original point of view, Liu Bei and we are at odds with each other. If Liu Bei dies, no one in Jingzhou will advise the lord to resist Cao Cao and should rescue him. However, the lord has strict orders, and I dare not disobey the king's order!"  "

    Although Liu Jing was also wary of Liu Bei, he knew that Liu Bei later occupied Jingzhou and would become his strong enemy sooner or later, but Cao Cao in the north would be his real enemy in the future. Compared with Cao Cao, Liu Bei was nothing.

    On the other hand, Liu Bei is the key figure in the fight against Cao Cao. As Wenpin said, if Liu Bei is finished, no one in Jingzhou will be willing to resist Cao Cao, history will be changed, Cao Cao's cavalry will sweep across Jingzhou and Jiangdong, and he will be weak.  To put it bluntly, he is far from Liu Bei's reputation.

    So at this time, at least before the Battle of Chibi, I should fully cooperate with Liu Bei to resist Cao Jun. As for how to share the results of victory in the future, or how to divide the spoils, it depends on each person's ability.

    In fact, Liu Jing has weighed this point repeatedly. Everything has two sides. Although Cao Jun's southern invasion is indeed a good opportunity to kill Liu Bei, he hopes to take advantage of it.

    But if Liu Bei had died, the Battle of Chibi would most likely not have happened. Without the Battle of Chibi, which was a turning point that affected the situation of the world, Liu Jing alone could not change Cao Cao's trend of unifying the world.

    There is a more important point, if Xinye City is destroyed, can Zhao Yun survive?  Even for Zhao Yun, he must persuade Liu Biao to rescue Liu Bei.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing immediately concluded: "I will rush to Xiangyang now to persuade my uncle to send troops."

    Wenpin nodded. This was what he expected. He hoped that Liu Jing could persuade his lord to support Liu Bei. He immediately agreed to Liu Jing's plan, "Then my army will advance another twenty miles and station itself to deter Cao Jun."

    When Wenpin said this, he glanced at Cai Zhong who had just walked to the door of the tent. He immediately became alert and said, "I will ask Qu Bu to escort you to Xiangyang and set off immediately.".

      Cai Mao's camp is stationed in the north of Hekou Town, right between Fancheng and Xinye. It is only twenty miles away from Wenpin's camp. Cai Zhong serves as a general in Wenpin's camp. Cai Mao knows Wenpin's situation well.  Clearly.

    In the big tent, Cai Hao had just received an express letter from Cai Zhong. Liu Jing had returned injured and had rushed to Xiangyang to persuade Liu Biao to send troops. This news made Cai Hao punch the table hard, "You bastard!"

    Cai Mao cursed lowly and walked back and forth with his hands behind his back. In this battle of Xinye, Cai Mao had two biggest wishes. He could use Cao Jun's hands to eradicate Liu Bei. At the same time, if possible, Liu Jing would also die in Xinye and pull out the thorn in his flesh.

    But now, not only did Liu Jing return safely, but he also wanted to persuade Liu Biao to send troops. Of course, Cai Mao knew that Liu Jing was reticent, but if Kuai Yue was willing to come forward, the situation would be different.

    For Cai Mao, he would be surprised if Liu Jing was killed, but this was not his plan. His real plan was to use the hands of Cao Jun to eradicate Liu Bei. Fortunately, Liu Biao also had such an idea, which made Cai Mao very proud.  As long as the Jingzhou army does not support Liu Bei, Liu Bei will undoubtedly die this time.

    It was only Cai Zhong's letter that made Cai Mao nervous again. If Liu Biao was persuaded to send troops to support Liu Bei, then this good opportunity to eradicate Liu Bei would be missed.

    Cai Hao was extremely anxious. He couldn't wait any longer and immediately ordered: "Order Zhang Yun to come see me!"

    Zhang Yun is Liu Biao's nephew. Although he was demoted in the case of burning the tour station, he was still trusted by Liu Biao. This time he appointed him as Cai Mao's general and led 5,000 naval troops to the north along Bishui. Hundreds of large ships also  Anchored near the town of Bayou.

    After a full quarter of an hour, Zhang Yuncai ran into the tent panting, knelt down on one knee and said, "See the military advisor!"

    Cai Mao and Zhang Yun had formed an alliance. Cai Mao took a fancy to Zhang Yun's status and navy military power, while Zhang Yun took a fancy to Cai Hao's family background. In addition, both of them supported the second son Liu Cong, so they hit it off immediately.  The alliance between Cai and Zhang was formed and was Liu Cong's most important supporting force.

    "Bu Zhang, how is the progress of that matter?" Cai Mao did not mention Liu Jing's matter, but asked another matter first.

    Zhang Yun couldn't hold back his inner excitement and said: "Everything is going smoothly, the condoms have been put up, and we are just waiting for the Tao family to get them in."

    Cai Mao thought about it and then said: "You must be careful about this matter. If you need to silence them, silence them to prevent accidents. In addition, I have also said hello to Huang Zu. Governor Jiang will fully cooperate with you, but you must not  Let the Tao family know that this matter is related to Huang Zu, otherwise it will be difficult for him to explain. "

    "Brother, don't worry, I know what's going on."

    Cai Mao nodded and turned the topic to business, "I have an urgent military situation and I have to go to Xiangyang to discuss it with the lord. I'll be back before tomorrow night. If I'm not here, you will be in charge of the army. Don't be careless!"

    ¡°Brother, are you worried that Zhou Mu will regret it?¡±

    "I'm really worried, I need to persuade him again."

    After arranging military affairs, Cai Mao left the military camp with more than a hundred soldiers from his tribe and rushed to Xiangyang overnight

    Liu Jing galloped all the way under the escort of dozens of elite cavalry. He arrived at the Han River at dawn and crossed the river to the other side. At this time, the gate of Xiangyang City was opened. Liu Jing galloped into Xiangyang City and rushed towards Kuai Mansion.  And go.

    Kuai Yue had finished packing and was about to get on the carriage and go to the state government office. As soon as he stepped down the steps, he heard the sound of rapid horse hooves in the distance, "Kuai Gong, wait a minute!" someone shouted.

    Kuai Yue was stunned for a moment. He recognized Liu Jing's voice and stopped. After a moment, Liu Jing galloped over and reined in his horse, "Kuai Gong, I have something urgent to do with you."

    Seeing Liu Jing¡¯s head wrapped in gauze, Kuai Yue couldn¡¯t help but asked strangely: ¡°Is my nephew injured?¡±

    "Kuai Gong, it's hard to say anything. The situation is urgent now. Please Kuai Gong give us a helping hand."

    Kuai Yue nodded, "Let's talk about it after we get in the car!"

    Liu Jing got on the carriage, started the carriage, and drove slowly towards the state government office.

    In the carriage, Liu Jing handed Wenpin's letter to Kuai Yue, and briefly told him about the battle of Xinye. He also told him about his siege, and finally said: "Now 20,000 Cao troops are besieging Xinye.  The situation in Xinye is critical. I beg Kuai Gong to persuade Zhou Mu to send troops to assist Xinye.¡±

    Kuai Yue read Wenpin's letter, and it was similar to what Liu Jing said, except that Wenpin emphasized that the lips were dead and the teeth were cold. Kuai Yue was silent for a long time, and he also understood Liu Biao's thoughts, which was to use Cao Cao's hand to get rid of Liu Bei.

    Sighing, Kuai Yue said: "Actually, the Zhou Mu has always been hesitant about Liu Bei's attitude. On the one hand, he hopes that he will serve as a northern barrier, but on the other hand, he is worried that Liu Bei will seize Jingzhou's foundation. If Liu Bei can be honest and stationed in Xinye, the state will be safe."  Mu would not be suspicious of him, but he was not quiet. First he went to Jiangxia to form an alliance with Huang Zu, and then??Wuji was anxious to make friends with famous northerners who were stranded in Jingzhou, and I heard that he was going to Lumen Academy to teach. How could the lord not care about him? To be honest, it might be more difficult to convince the lord to rescue Liu Biao this time.  "

    "But rescuing Liu Bei is not a personal matter, but is in line with Jingzhou's vital interests."

    Kuai Yue smiled bitterly, "Of course I know this, but I don't know what the lord thinks."

    Having said this, Kuai Yue patted Liu Jing on the shoulder, "Don't worry, I will do my best!"

    Liu Jing was silent. This was not a question of trying his best, but of convincing Liu Biao.

    Kuai Yue also looked out the window and smiled without saying a word. Liu Bei and Cai Mao had a bad relationship. If Liu Bei could be won over to support his eldest son Liu Qi, it would play a big role in determining Mr. Qi as his heir in the future.

    Based on this, he will try his best to persuade his lord to send troops

 Volume 1, Chapter 92: Fierce words

    Kuai Yue's carriage drove into the gate of the state government and stopped slowly in front of Liu Biao's official room. A guard ran forward and opened the door for them. Kuai Yue glanced at the gate and saw several soldiers standing at the door, so he asked:  "Does Zhou Mu have any guests now?"

    "Reporting to Duke Kuai, it's the military advisor. He has just arrived and is talking to the lord. Prefect Li is also here."

    Liu Jing was secretly surprised. This Cai Mao came so quickly, he was a little worried in his heart. Kuai Yue turned back and patted his hand, "Don't worry, follow me in."

    The two of them walked towards Liu Biao's official room one after the other. In fact, Liu Jing had been thinking all the way and had already thought of a reason to persuade Liu Biao.

    But he had to take advantage of Kuai Yue's power. If he went to Liu Biao directly, Liu Biao would just treat him as a child and not listen to his persuasion. But with Kuai Yue by his side, the effect would be completely different.

    In the official room, Cai Mao had just arrived and was reporting the new field war to Liu Biao. Liu Biao was originally discussing government affairs with Li Gui, the governor of Xiangyang, but the military situation was important, so Liu Biao asked Li Gui to sit aside for a while.

    Li Gui is the governor of Xiangyang with a high status. He has also followed Liu Biao for many years and is a person Liu Biao trusts greatly. He sat drinking tea and listened to their conversation quietly.

    "My lord, although Liu Bei succeeded in ambushing Cao's army at Bowangpo, Cao's army is too powerful. Xiahou Dun has led 20,000 troops to surround Xinye. Xinye city will be destroyed in at most two days. The battle situation has been decided. Liu Bei will undoubtedly lose this battle."

    "If Cao's army captures Xinye, will they continue to march south?" Liu Biao asked uneasily.

    Although Liu Biao hoped to use the help of Cao Jun to eradicate Liu Bei, he was more or less worried about Cao Jun's next move and whether Cao Jun would occupy the new territory and eye Xiangfan.

    They are even worried that Cao Cao's army will continue to move south and attack Fancheng. Now that Yuan Shao is critically ill and his nephews are fighting among themselves, they are no longer able to fight against Cao Cao's army. Will Cao Cao use this opportunity to launch an attack on Xiangfan?

    When Cai Mao was about to persuade, a guard at the door reported: "Kuai Canjun and Mr. Jing are here. They have something urgent to ask to see the state pastor."

    When Liu Biao heard that Liu Jing was back, he was overjoyed and said quickly: "Let them in quickly!"

    A trace of jealousy flashed across Cai Mao's eyes. As expected, this brat went to invite Kuai Yue.

    Liu Jing and Kuai Yue walked into the room quickly, and Kuai Yue saluted, "See you, my lord!"

    Liu Jing walked forward quickly, knelt down and bowed, "Nephew, pay homage to uncle!"

    Liu Biao was shocked when he saw Liu Jing's head wrapped in fine white linen, "Jing'er, are you injured?"

    "Reporting to my uncle, my nephew was surrounded by Cao's army last night. Most of the thousand Jingzhou troops were killed or wounded. My nephew and Brother Hu fought their way out of the encirclement. It's pitiful that Deng Wu died at the hands of Xiahou Dun to protect his nephew."

    Liu Jing¡¯s words contained a huge amount of information. Even Cai Hao didn¡¯t know it. He couldn¡¯t say a word, but Liu Biao frowned and said, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell me in detail!¡±

    Liu Jing thought about it all the way. If he wanted to persuade his uncle to send troops, he had to make him understand that Cao Jun not only wanted to destroy Liu Bei, but also invaded Jingzhou southward. Liu Biao would weigh the pros and cons when his own interests were involved.

    "My nephew received an express message from his uncle yesterday evening, so he rushed back to the Jingzhou military camp with a hundred cavalry. Unexpectedly, he was ambushed by Cao's army."

    Liu Jing told Liu Biao what happened last night in detail. Even Zhao Yun arrived in time to save her and Liu Hu's lives without hiding anything.  The fake letter was handed to Liu Biao.

    "Jia Xu's plan is very deep and interlocking. The purpose is to surround me and lead Wen Shuai to come to my rescue. He even does not hesitate to create false information. Once Wen Shuai sends troops, he will definitely be ambushed by Cao's army on the way. Fortunately for Jingzhou, my nephew  Only by breaking out of the siege in time and rushing back to the Jingzhou camp did the Jingzhou army avoid the danger of being wiped out. "

    Liu Jing was very eloquent and detailed. He described the thrill of the time so vividly that everyone in the room felt the thrill of last night. If Zhao Yun had not rescued him in time, Wenpin would have fallen into the trap, and the entire army would have fallen into the trap.  Overturned.

    Liu Biao took a breath of air and couldn't say a word for a while.

    Cai Mao's thoughts changed sharply and he found a loophole in Liu Jing's words, "What I'm curious about is how Cao Jun knew that Mr. Jing was in Xinye, and how he knew that Mr. Jing was out of the city. Is this ambush too coincidental?"

    "The military advisor didn't know something. I participated in the ambush of Cao Jun in Bird Valley and fought with Yu Jin. Yu Jin knew me, so Cao Jun knew that I was in Liu Huangshu's army.

    As for setting up an ambush, it was actually just Jia Xu's plan. Even if I didn't leave the city, Cao Jun would create the illusion that I was surrounded, so Jia Xu had someone pretend to be Liu Bei's messenger to deliver the message, just to let Wen Shuai fall into the trap, but I happened to be out of the city.  It makes the fake become real.  "

    Cai MaolengHe said, "This is a bit far-fetched!"

    "That's true, and Wen Shuai almost fell into the trap. If I hadn't rushed back in time, Wen Shuai would have led five thousand troops to rescue me and Liu Hu."

    Cai Mao wanted to target Wenpin again, but Liu Biao waved his hand, "Degui, let's not argue about this matter anymore."

    Liu Biao knew Wenpin very well and was an upright and upright person. He would never make up such a thing to deceive him. Moreover, since Liu Jing was his nephew, he would not deceive him either.

    More importantly, this kind of thing cannot be deceived, and the truth will be known after checking it. Therefore, Cai Hao doubts whether the matter is true or not. It can only be said that he is a bit picky.

    Liu Biao frowned and said to himself: "What I'm curious about is why Cao Jun attacked Jing'er. They surrounded Xinye and the Jingzhou army went to rescue. Why can't they besiege the city and rescue her?"

    Next to him, Kuai Yue smiled and said: "My lord, actually this is the key. The reason why Cao Jun did not do this is that they wanted to defeat them one by one, annihilate the Jingzhou army first, and then turn around to attack Xinye. In fact, Cao Jun was also very afraid that we and Liu Bei would cooperate with each other to fight against them.  , because this is the only way to defeat Cao Jun."

    Liu Biao somewhat understood what Kuai Yue meant, "You mean, Cao Jun will not only destroy Liu Bei this time, but also deal with the Jingzhou Army?"

    "That's right! Cao Cao will never stop just after annihilating Liu Bei. After annihilating Liu Bei, Cao Cao's army will definitely target Jing Xiang."

    "Absurd!"

    Cai Mao had just been refuted by Liu Biao and had been silent. At this time, he couldn't bear it and said: "Yidu's words are too alarmist. The purpose of Cao Jun's battle is to eliminate Liu Bei and has no other deep meaning. The situation is now obvious. Yuan Shao is critically ill.  Hebei is about to be in chaos, which is a good opportunity for Cao Cao to attack Hebei. At this time, how can Cao Cao defeat Jingzhou with Xiahou Dun's 20,000 troops? Yidu underestimates our Jingzhou army. "

    ¡°The military advisor¡¯s vision is too narrow!¡± Liu Jing mocked from the side.

    Liu Biao¡¯s face sank and he scolded unhappily: ¡°Jing¡¯er, why are you talking? Why don¡¯t you apologize quickly?¡±

    Liu Jing leaned forward slightly and clasped her fists, "I was rude for a moment, but I didn't mean it. I apologize to Uncle Shi. I hope Uncle Cai won't take it to heart."

    Cai Mao sneered, "No, I'd really like to hear Mr. Jing's opinions."

    Cai Hao was extremely angry. He was a military advisor in Jingzhou and the head of the largest aristocratic family. Over the years, no one had ever dared to say that he was narrow-minded. Even Liu Biao didn't dare to say that. A young boy who was still young dared to do this to him.  rude.

    Moreover, Liu Jing's apology was not sincere and was obviously perfunctory, which made Cai Hao even more angry. He suppressed his anger and bowed to Liu Biao and said: "My lord, the sage said, it is enough to die in the morning after hearing the truth. If you can hear Master Jing's high opinion,  This little courtesy is nothing, please allow me, my lord!"

    Of course Liu Biao could hear the anger in Cai Mao's words, and he was a little unhappy in his heart. Jing'er had already apologized to him, and he still refused to forgive him. What kind of words did he say? A dignified family head, Jingzhou military advisor, even  I don't even have the courage to care about a child.

    Liu Biao didn't know that in normal times, even if Cai Hao was unhappy, he wouldn't show it and would still pay attention to his image. But today, Cai Hao was at a disadvantage. Seeing that his plan to eradicate Liu Bei was about to be shattered, he felt anxious, angry, and restless.  , and naturally lost his usual calmness and rationality.

    Next to him, Kuai Yue said with a smile: "Master Jing is very knowledgeable and always impresses people. I want to hear about it too."

    Liu Biao nodded, "Jing'er, since these uncles want to hear what you have to say, just tell me!"

    Liu Jing then said calmly: "What Cai Shishu said is not completely wrong. Cao Cao is indeed restrained by the north and has no time to worry about it. If he says that he is attacking Jingxiang in a large scale, no one with a discerning eye will believe it. But if it is said that Cao Cao is doing this,  He was just to eliminate Liu Bei. This is too much to underestimate Cao Cao. Who is Cao Cao? How can he not bully others once he has gained power!"

    "How can you not deceive others when you are in power? Master Jing sees it clearly!" Kuai Yue praised without hesitation.

    Liu Biao also stroked his beard and nodded. This sentence is indeed reasonable. Cao Cao is such a person. Next to him, Cai Mao said bitterly: "Then how do you think he wants to bully others?"

    Even Cai Mao had to admit that if Cao Cao captured Xinye, he would not let it go.

    Liu Jing smiled, nodded to Li Gui on the side, and continued: "Since Cao Jun does not want to attack Jingxiang, then why is he deliberately planning to annihilate Wen Shuai's Jingzhou Army? The Jingzhou Army is stationed thirty miles away. If Cao Jun only  If you want to get rid of Liu Bei, you can ignore the Jingzhou Army, but why do they do this? "

    "Wait a minute!"

    Cai Mao interrupted Liu Jing, "Maybe Xiahou Dun was ignorant and didn't think about thatDeep down, I thought that the Jingzhou Army was reinforcements, so it was entirely possible to annihilate them first.  "

    Liu Jing sneered lightly, "Master Cai doesn't know yet! Jia Xu is also in Cao's army. This is his strategy."

    Everyone in the room was silent. Jia Xu turned out to be Zhang Xiu's military advisor and had been in Nanyang County. Everyone had dealt with him. Of course everyone knew about Jia Xu's strategy. Even Liu Biao was deep in thought. He also realized that,  Things are not that simple.

    "Jing'er, what do you think is Cao Cao's real purpose?"

    The critical moment finally came. Liu Jing took a deep breath to calm down, and slowly said to Liu Biao: "My nephew thinks that Cao Cao's real intention is to provoke a war between Jiangdong and Jingzhou. When he kills Yuan Shao, Jingzhou and Jingzhou will fight together."  Both sides of Jiangdong were defeated, and Cao Cao led his army south again, annexing Jingzhou and Jiangdong in one fell swoop."

    Liu Biao took a breath of air. This result was so unexpected. He quickly asked: "What does that have to do with the Battle of Xinye?"

    "Of course it does matter. If Liu Bei is destroyed and 50,000 troops are stationed in Xinye and Xiangfan is targeted, Jingzhou will have to station heavy troops in Xiangyang, which will inevitably affect the Jiangxia garrison. Doesn't this give Jiangdong an opportunity to take advantage of? My uncle thinks that Sun Quan will let this go.  Opportunity?"

    The room was silent, extremely quiet, and everyone was deeply shocked. Although it was a bit unbelievable, everything made sense.

    After a long while, Liu Biao sighed with emotion, "I made a mistake!"

 Volume 1, Chapter 93: Good News

    [A new week has begun again. Lao Gao is out of town and cannot issue a single chapter and ask for votes. I guess the recommendation votes are very miserable now. Please give Lao Gao some help and the votes should not be so ugly]

    =====

    A doctor took Liu Jing to bandage and treat him. Cai Mao felt bored and returned to the front army. Li Gui reported to Liu Biao another day and also said goodbye. Liu Biao and Kuai Yue were the only two people left in the room.

    Liu Biao stood in front of the window, staring at the big trees outside the window, looking a little lonely. He didn't know why he felt lost in his heart. Maybe his two sons couldn't say what Liu Jing said.

    Liu Biao was finally persuaded. Of course, he had to consider the overall situation. Before he decided to borrow a knife to eradicate Liu Bei, he did not realize that this matter would be related to Soochow. When Liu Jing clarified the pros and cons, he especially realized that eradicating Liu Bei would be detrimental to  When he would do more harm than good, Liu Biao's determination finally wavered.

    Kuai Yue sat in his original position, calmly watching Liu Biao's back. He had followed Liu Biao for more than ten years and knew Liu Biao's mood well. He knew that Liu Biao had been persuaded, and Kuai Yue was also heartbroken.

    "My lord, isn't it gratifying to have such a nephew?"

    Kuai Yue could feel Liu Biao's loss and understand why he was lost, so he bit his 'nephew' hard and reminded Liu Biao that to a certain extent, all nephews are the same.

    Liu Biao smiled bitterly in his heart, turned around slowly and said gently: "I have thought too much about Yidu. Of course I am happy to have such a nephew. To be honest, even you and Degui couldn't tell that Cao Cao was interested in Soochow.  But my nephew has seen through it, do you think I can't feel proud?"

    Kuai Yue raised his head and smiled, and said with emotion: "The waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves ahead. We are all old. We should give more opportunities to the younger generations. To be honest, Master Jing's performance this time is indeed remarkable, not just today."  Knowing that, his fight in Cao¡¯s army last night was even more exciting and made people feel that the world belongs to them. "

    Liu Biao nodded, "You are right. I want to give more opportunities to young people. This time Jing'er made me understand that he can completely control the situation for me."

    Kuai Yue was overjoyed and said quickly: "I recommend Mr. Jing to be Jiangxia's general and deputy to Huang Taishou. What do you think, lord?"

    There was a slight flash of displeasure in Liu Biao's eyes. Last night, the eldest son also persuaded him to place Jing'er in Jiangxia. Kuai Yue said the same today. Didn't these two people collude in private?

    Liu Biao said calmly, "Don't worry, I will make arrangements for him when he recovers from his injuries. This time, since I know his abilities, of course I will use him more."

    Speaking of this, Liu Biao thought of something again and said with a smile: "There is also the matter of Qi'er and Jing'er's marriage. Qi'er is not young at all, so let him get married to Jing'er as soon as possible! It will also save us elders from always having to take care of the marriage."  They worry, what do you think?¡±

    Jing'er is Kuai Yue's nephew and Kuai Liang's daughter. She is dignified, beautiful, quiet and amiable. Liu Biao has long taken a liking to her and once joked that he would make her his daughter-in-law. He said these words today  , even if it is his official statement.

    Kuai Yue was overjoyed and quickly stood up and saluted, "The Kuai family thanks the Lord for your favor and is willing to make this marriage an unbreakable bond between the Liu and Kuai families."

    Liu Biao nodded, "In two days, I will invite a matchmaker to come to propose marriage.".

    Liu Biao finally decided to send troops to rescue Liu Bei. He immediately ordered Wenpin, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun to advance by land and water, and led 30,000 Jingzhou troops to attack Cao Jun who besieged Xinye.

    The Jingzhou army and Liu Bei's army should cooperate with each other and jointly attack Cao's army. Xiahou Dun was defeated and fled back to Wancheng.  Cao Jun's supplies of food and fodder were burned, causing Cao Jun's army to suffer heavy losses in food and fodder.

    Xiahou Dun had to give up his plan to attack new areas and wrote a letter to apologize to Cao Cao.

    Cao Jun¡¯s menacing southern invasion finally failed in the joint resistance of Jingzhou Army and Liu Bei Army.

    This news made everyone in Jingzhou rejoice, beating gongs and drums to celebrate the victory, and it also pushed Liu Biao's prestige to a new height.

    But Liu Biao was not very happy. For him, this was not the best ending.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, Liu Biao lay in bed unable to fall asleep. He stared at the tent ceiling. He was still thinking about Liu Jing going to Jiangxia. In fact, Liu Biao had already planned to let his eldest son Liu Qi or his second son Liu Cong go to Jiangxia. This was also because he did not want to go to Jiangxia.  I'm so worried about Huang Zu.

    Although Huang Zu was once his confidant, after Sun Jian's death, Huang Zu became increasingly arrogant and gradually controlled Jiangxia. He had been the prefect of Jiangxia for seven or eight years, and Jiangxia almost became the territory of his Huang family.

    Two years ago, Cao Jun attacked Nanyang for the second time. Xiangfan was shocked. Liu Biao ordered Huang Zu to attack quickly.The Jiangxia army came to help, but Huang Zu refused to send troops because of the threat from Jiangdong. Last autumn, when Cao's army attacked Runan, Huang Zu still made excuses and refused to transfer the Jiangxia army to Xiangyang. This made Liu Biao extremely dissatisfied and also resented Huang Zu.  There is suspicion.

    But Liu Biao was worried that his eldest son Qi and his second son Cong were no match for Huang Zu, so he couldn't make up his mind for a long time. This time Liu Jing's talent impressed Liu Biao, so he could just let Liu Jing go to Jiangxia, but  £®  £®  Liu Biao felt that he needed to find a capable helper for him.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, in the study room outside, Liu Biao was discussing with a veteran in his fifties about his nephew Liu Jing's martial arts training.

    This veteran is none other than Huang Zhong, a famous general from Jingzhou. Huang Zhong is over eight feet tall. He is as strong as a giant ape. His arms are as strong as a thousand kilograms. He wields an eighty kilogram Red Dragon Sword. His sword skills are elusive and truly worthy of the name.  The best general in Jingzhou.

    ?????????????? In particular, he can shoot a two-stone bow, and his arrows can hit hundreds of hits. He is also known as the best arrow in Jingzhou. Although he is over fifty and his beard and hair are half white, his prowess is still the same as before.

    Huang Zhongguan worshiped General Zhonglang and was also a famous general in Jingzhou. He had served in the army for more than 30 years and had outstanding prestige in the Jingzhou army.

    In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Huang Zhong is a late-blooming veteran, but in fact, he only appeared less in the Central Plains, and his deeds in the first half of his life are not known to the world.

    However, he made great achievements in Liu Biao's battle for Jingzhou and followed Liu Biao in his northern and southern campaigns. Especially in quelling the rebellion of Zhang Xian and his son in Changsha County, he was promoted step by step to the rank of General of Two Thousand Shi Zhonglang.

    However, Huang Zhong was not Liu Biao's confidant, which is also an indisputable fact. Huang Zhong finally assisted Liu Biao's nephew Liu Qing, but did not assist Liu Qi or Liu Cong. From this, it can be seen that Huang Zhong did not enter the core power circle.

    The reason for this is somewhat related to Jiangxia Huangzu.

    The Huang family in Jingzhou is divided into two branches, one is the Jiangxia Huang family, with Huang Zu as the head, and the other is the Nanyang Huang family, with the famous scholar Huang Chengyan as the head.

    Huang Zhong was an important figure in the Huang family in Nanyang. Since Cao Jun had captured Nanyang County, Huang Chengyan moved his family to Jingzhou and became one of the famous families in Jingzhou.

    Although they are both from the same clan as the Huang family, the two Huang families are not harmonious and are in a state of secret competition. Huang Zu relied on his deep personal relationship with Liu Biao to give the Huang family in Jiangxia the upper hand in the dispute between the two Huang families. In addition,  The Huang family in Shangnanyang belonged to a foreign family, so Liu Biao had a more or less non-native rejection of Huang Zhong.

    However, Huang Zhong relied on his high prestige in the army so that Liu Biao did not dare to despise him. He also became one of the six generals of Jingzhou, Huang Zu, Wenpin, Wang Wei, Huang Zhong, Wu Ju, Zhang Yun, Huang Zhong  In charge of the 10,000-strong army of Xiangyang South Camp.

    "Originally, I planned to let Mr. Zhi teach that boy martial arts, but I felt it was inappropriate. On the one hand, Mr. Zhi was his superior, so it would be inconvenient to teach him. More importantly, he did not want to learn martial arts from Mr. Zhi. Last time I asked him, I felt that he  You respect me very much. I wonder if General Huang is willing to teach this bad nephew of mine?"

    The Zhigong Liu Biao is talking about here is Wang Wei. Yesterday, Wang Wei wrote a letter to Liu Biao, praising Liu Jing's performance in the past three months and praising his natural ability to lead. He hoped that Liu Biao could train Liu Jing and become a leader in Jingzhou.  's top pillar.

    It is not easy to get Wang Wei's praise. In addition, Wang Wei is Liu Biao's most trusted confidant, and his suggestions are more convincing than Liu Bei's persuasion.

    Liu Biao thought about it all night. He really needed to train his three nephews and let them guard the four sides for him. Among the three, he especially valued Liu Jing.

    So early this morning, Liu Biao invited Huang Zhong here, hoping that he could teach Liu Jing to practice martial arts.

    In fact, as early as a few months ago when Liu Jing defeated Cai Jin, Huang Zhong had thought of accepting Liu Jing as his disciple. Liu Jing's calmness as calm as a mountain in the last sword left a very deep impression on him. Such calmness  This was the first time he saw the young man.

    But later Huang Zhong learned that Liu Jing was learning martial arts from Zhao Yun, so he gave up the idea of ??accepting Liu Jing as his disciple. A gentleman does not take away the love of others. This is Huang Zhong's consistent life principle.

    This time Liu Biao asked him to teach Liu Jing martial arts, Huang Zhong was also very embarrassed. Although he already knew that Liu Jing did not worship Zhao Yun as his teacher, it was still unrealistic to ask Liu Jing to turn to his sect. After all, this was not Liu Jing.  own wishes.

    In fact, there is another reason that makes Huang Zhong hesitate, that is, Liu Jingnian is seventeen years old and has reached adulthood. He can no longer build the foundation and transform his muscles and bones. In this case, how can he learn his own Dragon-Severing Sword Technique.

    It was just Liu Biao's request that he couldn't refuse. Huang Zhong could only bow and clasp his fists and said: "My lord has an order, and I dare not disobey it. As long as Mr. Jing is willing, I can teach him at any time."

    "Okay! With your words, I feel relieved."

    "Then I will retire first. Mr. Jing can come to me at any time."Liu Biao had already sent someone to find Liu Jing. He didn¡¯t know when he would arrive, so he didn¡¯t try to persuade Huang Zhong to stay. He nodded, ¡°You go ahead! I¡¯ll talk to him later.¡±

    Huang Zhong bowed and slowly withdrew, leaving Liu Biao alone in the room.

    Liu Biao walked to the window with his hands behind his back, his brows serious. Last month something happened in Jingzhou. When the Xiangyang armory counted weapons, it was found that one thousand crossbows and five thousand knives were missing.

    Just when he was furiously tracing the whereabouts of the weapons, the captured Kurasao employee died mysteriously in prison. As soon as this key figure died, the clues to the missing weapons case were lost.

    This major case had been put to rest due to the invasion of Cao Jun, but it sounded the alarm in Liu Biao's heart. He knew that this matter must be related to several aristocratic families. These aristocratic families were nominally loyal to him, but in fact they were secretly  Cultivate power.

    Although he agreed to marry the Kuai family yesterday, it does not mean that he trusts the Kuai family. The marriage is just a political means to tie the family to Liu Biao.

    The family's strength and secret development made Liu Biao deeply aware that outsiders were not reliable, and only the family's children were the staunch defenders of the Liu family in Jingzhou.

    He began to pay more attention to the children of his family than ever before. In addition to ordering his brother Liu Du to guard Lingling County, he also planned to let his nephew Liu Qing take charge of Changsha County. However, he lacked the ability and qualifications, so Liu Biao temporarily appointed Liu Qing as the chief minister of Changsha County.

    The other one is Liu Jing, who is also his nephew who has great hopes for him. Especially in this battle of Xinye, Liu Jing's performance impressed him with admiration. He has decided to train this outstanding Liu family child.

    At this time, a guard came from outside the door to report, "Master, Mr. Jing is here.".

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 94: Don¡¯t want to meet

    [Please vote for recommendation!  !  Everyone, if you have a vote, vote for Lao Gao]

    =======

    "Let him in!"

    Liu Biao walked back to his seat and sat down. A few days ago, Liu Jing was injured in Xinye. The appearance shocked him. He didn't know if he was feeling better now.

    The door opened, and Liu Jing, wearing a military uniform and a military officer's soft hat, walked in quickly, knelt down and saluted, "Nephew, meet your uncle!"

    Liu Biao looked him up and down carefully, and his complexion was a little better than the last time he saw him. However, Liu Biao didn't notice the changes in Liu Jing last time. Today Liu Biao discovered that Liu Jing had become taller and stronger than a few months ago, and he  It seems to have grown a little taller.

    Liu Biao was slightly startled because he was dazzled, Liu Jing had actually grown taller.

    "Jing'er, why do I feel like you've grown taller?"

    Liu Jing had been practicing martial arts underwater for three months before the Xinye War broke out. The hard training every night made his body stronger and his strength doubled. He also found that he had grown taller, about an inch taller.

    Liu Jing smiled sheepishly and said, "Reporting to uncle, my nephew has indeed grown an inch taller."

    "Haha! This is a good thing. Is your injury feeling better?" Liu Biao asked again with concern,

    ¡°When I told my uncle, the scabs had already formed, and the doctor said it wouldn¡¯t be a problem and it would be fine in a few days.

    Liu Biao nodded, changed the topic, and returned to today's business. He took a report from the table and said with a smile: "General Wenpin gave me a formal report yesterday. He praised you very much for your performance in this battle."  He said that you have a natural ability to be a commander, and suggested that I train you well and make good use of you. I thought about it for a long time last night, and I decided to let the old general Huang Zhong teach you martial arts and strategy, and the old general Huang has just agreed. "

    After saying that, Liu Biao looked at Liu Jing with sharp eyes. He didn't want to hear Liu Jing's rejection again.

    Liu Jing felt a complicated feeling in his heart, feeling happy and a little regretful at the same time. He didn't quite understand Liu Biao's intention. Did he still not want to get too close to Zhao Yun, or in other words, didn't want to get too close to Liu Bei?  It¡¯s not close, so I found another master for myself.

    If it were someone else, of course he would not agree, but now it is Huang Zhong, Guan, Zhang, Zhao, Ma, Huang, Huang Zhong among the Five Tiger Generals, so how can he not be tempted?

    But how could he explain it to Zhao Yun? After all, Zhao Yun devoted himself to teaching him martial arts. Although he did not have the title of master and apprentice, he had the feeling of teaching skills. If he really worshiped Huang Zhong as his teacher, how would Zhao Yun feel?

    Liu Jing was also in a dilemma. He didn't know how to reply, but one thing he knew in his heart was that this time he could no longer disobey Liu Biao's arrangements. He finally changed Liu Biao's view of himself in the Battle of Xinye.

    "If you don't cherish this opportunity and refuse Liu Biao again, it will be extremely detrimental to his future future, so he can only agree first."

    "My nephew is willing to obey my uncle's arrangements!"

    Liu Jing's statement made Liu Biao very happy. It was rare for his nephew to agree to his arrangement so readily.

    "This matter is settled. Tomorrow morning you go to Nanda Camp to find General Huang Zhong and General Wang Wei. I will explain to him."

    "Nephew, I obey!"

    Liu Biao was in a very good mood and liked Liu Jing quite a lot. He smiled and asked: "After the Battle of Xinye, did it have any impact on you? For example, did you feel that you had suffered injustice?"

    After the Battle of Xinye, Liu Biao greatly rewarded the three armies. Most of them received rewards, even the navy troops who did not participate in the battle were rewarded. Only Liu Biao suppressed the achievements of Liu Jing and Liu Hu and deleted their names from the battle report.  go.

    Therefore, almost no one in Xiangyang City knew that Liu Jing had made great achievements, and no one talked about him. Even Liu Bei couldn't stand it. While thanking Liu Biao for his support, he also implicitly reminded Liu Biao that Liu Jing had made great achievements.

    But Liu Biao was unmoved and never expressed anything. He still let Liu Jing take up his original position as the gatekeeper of Fancheng.

    Liu Biao had his own considerations, but he wanted to know if Liu Jing had any objections to the injustice he suffered.

    Liu Jing shook his head. He didn't care about any reward. He only felt endless sadness for Deng Wu's death. He even felt that accepting any reward was a kind of blasphemy against Deng Wu. He could never forget that Deng Wu looked at him before he died.  of despair.

    Liu Biao did not give him a reward, which was in line with his wishes.

    "My nephew thanks his uncle for the reward to Deng Wu and his generous pension for the fallen soldiers. My nephew then begs my uncle to arrange for Deng Wu's son to go to Lumen Academy. This is my nephew's only request and nothing else."

    Liu Biao stroked his beard and sighed, "You are a person who values ??love and justice. I will write to ask Pang Degong to accept Deng Wu's son. In fact, Wenpin also asked me. He was also very sad about Deng Wu's death in battle.  "

      ¡°Thank you uncle for the arrangement!¡±

    Liu Jing stood up and said, "The nephew is gone."

    Liu Biao nodded, "If you have anything to do in the future, you can come to me directly. Maybe you can go to the state government office. You don't have to worry."

    "My nephew remembers it."

    Liu Jing bowed and retreated. Liu Biao looked at his strong and tall back and thought secretly in his heart: "Yi Du is right. Qi'er is too weak to take on the great cause of Jingzhou. He needs Jing'er to help him. Jing'er falls."  He can really become Qi'er's right-hand man.  ¡¯

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing left Liu Biao's study and walked quickly to the outer house. Perhaps it was because they were on a narrow road. As soon as she walked out of a courtyard, she met Mrs. Cai at the entrance of the courtyard.

    Liu Jing's pace was so fast that they almost collided with each other. Mrs. Cai frowned at first, but when she saw clearly that the armor-clad officer in front of her was actually Liu Jing, her eyebrows immediately stood up.

    "It's you!"

    From the first day of the first lunar month to the present, Mrs. Cai has not seen Liu Jing for more than three months. Liu Jing¡¯s life trajectory has no intersection with hers. He rarely even comes to Xiangyang, and Mrs. Cai gradually forgets about Liu Jing.

    But some memories can never be forgotten, they are only temporarily forgotten. At some inadvertent moment, it is like the wind blows away the sand covering the memory, and those forgotten past events suddenly appear in front of you.

    At this moment, Mrs. Cai suddenly thought of her lost child, and the sting hidden in her heart stung her hard again.

    "What are you doing here?" Mrs. Cai looked at him coldly.

    Liu Jing has long been accustomed to his hatred for Mrs. Cai and will not take it to heart. More importantly, the battle in Xinye made him go through life and death, and he has taken many things lightly. Mrs. Cai, who was annoying him a few months ago, now treats him  The mentality has no impact.

    Liu Jing bowed and replied calmly: "Reporting to Madam, my uncle has something to do with me."

    "Hmph! I heard that you have been promoted and are domineering in Fancheng. No one takes it seriously!"

    Mrs. Cai didn¡¯t know about Liu Jing¡¯s participation in the war. The promotion she was talking about was that Liu Jing was promoted from a governor to a military prince three months ago. This was because Liu Biao deliberately did not mention Liu Jing in front of her.

    "Madam, you are serious. I am just a little military prince. How can I dare to act arrogantly in Fancheng? I wonder where madam got this news?"

    "Since someone told me, Liu Jing, I advise you to be self-aware and don't think that just because you are Zhou Mu's nephew, you can do whatever you want. Let me tell you, I know every move you make, and Zhou Mu knows it too!"

    Mrs. Cai sneered. She wanted to teach Liu Jing a lesson again to vent her hatred, but she couldn't find any reason at the moment. Liu Jing's tall figure stood in front of her, giving her an invisible sense of oppression.  She couldn't stand up.

    Mrs. Cai glared at Liu Jing fiercely, then walked toward the inner courtyard surrounded by a group of maids.

    Liu Jing watched her go away, smiled, turned around and walked away.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After leaving the Liu Mansion, Liu Jing took out the war horse from the stable, got on the horse, and galloped all the way to Beicheng.

    Not long after, Liu Jing entered the North Gate Wengcheng. At this moment, a group of people on horseback came face to face. The group of people were chatting and laughing, and a burst of laughter like silver bells came faintly in the wind.

    Gradually, a group of people approached. They were a group of officials' children who had come for an outing in the countryside. The two leaders were Liu Cong and Cai Shaoyu.

    Liu Cong wears a golden crown on his head, a white satin brocade robe, and a jade belt around his waist. He is riding on a tall horse. His face is full of spring breeze, and he has a kind of coolness like a jade tree in the wind.

    Next to him, Cai Shaoyu was riding a rouge horse, wearing a light green dress and a bright red cloak. She applied a thin layer of vermilion powder on her face. Her hair was combed into a three-ring bun with a jade-inlaid gold hairpin inserted sideways, because  Due to the excitement, his face was flushed and his eyes showed an uncontrollable smile.

    She turned her eyes and saw Liu Jing at a glance. The smile in her eyes disappeared and her expression became a little uncomfortable.

    She has not seen Liu Jing in the past three months. Her father made it clear that her marriage to Liu Jing has fallen through, so she should be happy.

    But she didn¡¯t know why, but she felt a little disappointed. Especially when she saw Liu Jing and Tao Zhan together, Tao Zhan¡¯s beauty made her feel unspeakable jealousy.

    Even she didn't understand what she was thinking. She certainly didn't think she was in love with Liu Jing. She liked Liu Cong, his understanding and flattery. With him, she could indulge  laughing out loud.

    But the only impression Liu Jing left on her was that he was fierce and powerful. She could never forget the scene when he grabbed her arm and threw her into the courtyard like a chicken. That??She has never experienced humiliation since she was a child.

    It was unforgettable and hard for her to let go. Her heart was filled with hatred for Liu Jing. But when Liu Jing and she became strangers and had nothing to do with each other, what did she feel she had lost?

    It¡¯s like something that should have belonged to her was suddenly lost. Even if she didn¡¯t like it, she still felt a sense of loss that she no longer had it.

    Cai Shaoyu's face was still rosy, with a residual heat from excitement, but a dozen steps away, she saw Liu Jing with a dull gaze, which made her feel a little panicked. She lowered her head, not daring to look into his eyes.

    But Liu Jing didn¡¯t look at her at all and ignored her existence. Liu Jing had already forgotten about this girl who had once annoyed him.

    He cupped his hands to Liu Conggong and said with a smile: "Brother Cong, long time no see."

    Most of the dozen officials' sons and daughters behind were sixteen or seventeen years old. They were all dressed in bright clothes and had an uncontrollable sense of superiority on their faces. Among these people, except for Cai Hong, a descendant of the Cai family, and Liu Jing, all the others had met him.  He didn't know any of the young people.

    More than a dozen people stopped their horses and glanced at Liu Jing sideways, with more or less disdain in their eyes. Naturally, they didn't know what had happened to Liu Jing recently, and their impression of him still stayed with them three months ago.  In his eyes, Liu Jing's transfer was not a good thing.

    From being a fat man who was jealous of everyone, he became the gatekeeper of Fancheng. Everyone in Xiangyang believed that this was the result of Liu Jing offending Zhang Yun.

    "A person who has only been in Xiangyang for a few months dares to make trouble and compete with the navy captain. This kind of person who does not know the heights of the world is easily hated by others.

    Although Liu Jing is the nephew of Zhou Mu, he may be very important in the eyes of ordinary people, but in the eyes of these officials and officials, what does he mean?

    Of course, there is a more important reason, and that is the jealousy of peers. There is a sub-officialdom in Jingzhou, which is composed of these officials' children. This group of young officials' children rely on their father's influence and each regard themselves as the future high-ranking officials of Jingzhou.  , they are even more exclusive than their parents.

    ¡°But Liu Jing, an outlier, caused waves in Jingzhou again and again, and also aroused great repercussions in Jingzhou¡¯s sub-official circles. What he received was not praise, but more jealousy and ridicule.

    When Liu Jing was removed from the position of the oily governor of Youjiao and replaced by the military governor of Fancheng, his disguised demotion became a joke in the official circles.

    Liu Cong knew something about Liu Jing's participation in the war, but he would never tell anyone about it, which would show Liu Cong's incompetence. Liu Cong laughed hypocritically and said: "It's rare to see Brother Jing in Xiangyang! Jing  Where are you going, brother?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit official.¡±

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, and then cupped his hands: "I still have something to do in Fancheng, I'll take my leave first."

    "Brother Jing is very busy, so please do as you please!"

    Liu Jing also ignored Cai Shaoyu. He even turned a blind eye to the group of officials' children behind him and rode out of the city.

    The crowd looked back at him to go far, and he whispered, "It's so arrogant that there is no one in the eyes, not even the minimum etiquette."

    "He thinks that he is very busy and we are very idle and uneducated, so he looks down on us, bah! Why are you pretending to be noble?"

    Amid the sarcasm, Cai Shaoyu turned around and glared at Liu Jing's back, her face looking very ugly.

    Liu Jing didn't put her in his eyes, and didn't even look at her, as if she didn't exist. This humiliation of being ignored was in sharp contrast with the glory just now, which made her feel helpless for a moment.  Accepting it, this filled her heart with a kind of ignored irritation, which completely ruined her interest in today's outing.

    "Shaoyu, are you feeling unwell?" Liu Cong noticed Cai Shaoyu's abnormality and asked with concern.

    "It's nothing, I'm going back."

    Cai Shaoyu was a little irritable and lost his patience. His tone was full of anger, "I'm a little tired. Let's go back and rest first."

    "I'll take you back!" Liu Cong's voice was very gentle, as considerate and caring as ever.

    Cai Shaoyu felt Liu Cong's care, her anger subsided slightly, and her voice became softer, "No need, I can go back by myself."

    She urged her horse to go into the city first. Liu Cong remembered something and hurriedly caught up with her to remind her: "Don't forget Wangjiang Tower tomorrow."

    "Let's talk about it tomorrow!" Cai Shaoyu lost interest, replied feebly, and gradually walked away.

    "Mr. Cong, what's wrong with her?" A nobleman's son asked curiously.

    "I don't know, maybe she's a little tired."

    Liu Cong looked at her back and slowly clenched his teeth. He knew that Cai Shaoyu's sudden depression must have something to do with Liu Jing.

    I don¡¯t know why, Liu Cong¡¯s brainAnother beautiful face appeared in the sea, the daughter of the Tao family. She actually refused her invitation. Could she be inferior to Liu Jing?

    At this time, Liu Cong felt a trace of inexplicable jealousy towards Liu Jing. Of course, this was related to the fact that his father had always praised Liu Jing in recent days, but his father had never praised him like this.

    "Damn it!" He cursed in his heart.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 95: The Heart of a Snake and Scorpion Woman

    Mrs. Cai is also a woman who cannot bear to be angry. Although Liu Jing did not give her any anger, the hatred caused by seeing Liu Jing today was accumulated in her heart, making it difficult for her to calm down. After hesitating for a long time, she finally thought  A bowl of ginseng tea appeared in her husband's study.

    "Achan, you don't seem very happy. Who made you angry?" Liu Biao put down the book and asked with concern.

    Since the last time his wife had a miscarriage, Liu Biao accompanied his wife to the temple twice to beg for a child, and then visited famous doctors to seek medical advice, but his wife was still unable to get pregnant. This made Liu Biao feel full of guilt for his wife, and he also loved her very much.  add.

    Mrs. Cai put the ginseng tea on the table and sat down opposite Liu Biao. She said sullenly and unhappy: "Who else can be there besides your precious nephew?"

    The bad relationship between Mrs. Cai and Liu Jing was an open secret in the palace. Although no one dared to say it openly, everyone knew it. Even Liu Biao knew the truth about Liu Jing's departure from the Liu family. He later heard from his eldest son Liu Qi  Got up.

    Although Liu Biao understood in his heart, he could only pretend to be deaf and mute. One was his wife and the other was his nephew. In this kind of family dispute, who would be right and who was right, and what reason could there be?

    However, a battle in Xinye completely changed Liu Biao's prejudice against his nephew. At this time, his wife's attack on his nephew could only make Liu Biao disgusted.

    "Why did he offend you again?" Liu Biao asked coldly.

    Mrs. Cai did not realize the change in her husband's tone, and still said angrily: "Huh! He is rude to me. He calls me madam when we meet, and does not bow down. I don't understand why he is so uneducated. General, you can't indulge him like this."  !¡±

    If it were in the past, Liu Biao must have been extremely unhappy after hearing this. He could not tolerate his nephew being rude to his elders.

    But Liu Xian's mood has changed now. He has made a decision in his heart and will no longer be easily influenced by his wife.

    "Jing'er is a very good child. He is the best child of my Liu family. Neither Qi'er nor Cong'er is as good as him. I plan to reuse him. Maybe one day, I will let him inherit my business and become the leader of Jingzhou  Lord.¡±

    Mrs. Cai¡¯s original intention was to let her husband punish Liu Jing severely, such as demoting him or driving him to the wild lands of the south to relieve the hatred in her heart.

    But what her husband said left her stunned, "General, no way! If you let him inherit Jingzhou's foundation, what will happen to Qi'er and Cong'er?"

    "Then it depends on whether the two of them have any future. So far, I can't see any future for them. I will give them a few more years. If it doesn't work, I will make Jing'er the heir apparent!"

    After a pause, Liu Biao said coldly: "Of course I hope that my son will inherit my inheritance, but I will never let Jingzhou's foundation be destroyed in the hands of my incompetent son, so I will also consider Jing'er. Madam, I suggest you do something about it in the future."  It¡¯s for your own good that he be tolerant.¡±

    Mrs. Cai's eyes widened. She couldn't believe her ears. After a while, she had to stand up and said bitterly: "Okay! I will never interfere in the general's housework again. I am a weak woman and cannot afford to offend your baby."  Nephew, I will apologize to him and kowtow to him to admit his mistake!"

    Full of resentment in her heart, she turned around and stormed away angrily. Liu Biao looked at her retreating back and snorted coldly, "If you can, go back to your parents' home and complain!"

    Although she was scolded by her husband, Mrs. Cai did not really intend to swallow her anger. Especially when Liu Biao actually wanted to support Liu Jing as the heir of Jingzhou, Mrs. Cai was extremely shocked and frightened. She had always regarded Liu Qi as Liu Cong's only one.  competitors.

    Now Liu Jing appears out of nowhere. Regardless of whether her husband is deliberately angry with her or is really mean to do so, Mrs. Cai feels that she cannot take it lightly. If it comes true, what will she do in the future?

    Back to her yard, Mrs. Cai slowly calmed down and gradually understood in her heart that her husband was actually warning her not to speak ill of Liu Jing again, but he may not really want to hand over the Jingzhou foundation to Liu Jing.

    ¡°Which father in the world would abandon his son and take care of his nephew instead? He must be deliberately irritating himself.

    But Mrs. Cai is still worried. In any case, at least her husband has more or less had this idea. Maybe one day, he will be confused and pass the inheritance to his nephew.

    Mrs. Cai paced back and forth in the room with her hands behind her back. She could not tell the Cai family about this matter yet. Telling her brother rashly when the matter was not yet clear would make the Cai family act out of order and do confused things.

    Not only the Cai family, but no one can say that this matter must be considered in the long run. She will deal with Liu Jing secretly, but she cannot do it herself. She must rely on external forces. On the one hand, she can use the power of the Cai family, and on the other hand, she can  Liu Cong can be used.

    Mrs. Cai¡¯s heartWhen he got into trouble, he immediately ordered his personal maid, "Go and call the second young master."

    Liu Cong has always obeyed his words, so letting him deal with Liu Jing is a very good knife. The husband can ignore the fight between aunt and nephew, but he cannot ignore the fight between their brothers.

    Not long after, Liu Cong hurried over. He had just returned to the house, and before he could return to his own yard, he heard his mother calling him. He was so frightened that he hurried over and walked into the living room. Liu Cong knelt down and bowed, "My child."  Meet my mother!"

    Mrs. Cai nodded when she saw that he was sweating profusely, his face was red, and he was breathing slightly. She always liked Liu Cong's respectful attitude when he was called upon.

    "I heard that you and Shaoyu went out for an outing today?"

    "Reporting to mother, we just came back and she has returned home and had a great time."

    "It seems that you are very fond of her, and that's how it should be. In fact, as long as you two are in love, and I support you, and you have the support of the Cai family, I don't think your father will forcefully separate you. The key is you.  You must let everyone understand that the two of you are the most perfect couple when they get married, and it is the best outcome for the family and the entire Jingzhou cause. "

    Liu Cong hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but whisper: "But I'm a little worried about Shaoyu, will she change her mind about me?"

    Mrs. Cai understood his worries and frowned, "Why do you have such thoughts?"

    "Today we met Liu Jing in Wengcheng. Shaoyu doesn't seem to have the same hatred towards Liu Jing as before, her."

    Before he could finish speaking, Mrs. Cai interrupted him without hesitation. She was really unhappy and said, "I really don't know what to say about you. You actually have such an idea. Could she like Liu Jing? You are Zhou Mu."  Son, he is the nephew of Zhou Mu, can you two be compared?

    I know better than you what my niece¡¯s temperament has been since she was a child. Besides, you grew up together and she has liked you since she was a child. Is this feeling so easy to change?  If you must find a love rival, you might as well look at home.  "

    "Mother means brother?"

    Liu Cong didn¡¯t believe it. He knew that Shaoyu didn¡¯t like his brother. ¡°Mother, Shaoyu told me personally that she would not choose my brother.¡±

    Mrs. Cai sighed secretly in her heart. This Cong'er was good at everything, but he was a little stupid and couldn't see through some things. In other words, he didn't understand Shaoyu at all.

    Fortunately, the engagement between Liu Qi and Kuai Jing has not been announced yet. Except for the elders of the two parents, no one else knows about it. Even Liu Qi himself does not know, let alone Liu Cong.

    That¡¯s why Mrs. Cai can use Liu Qi to stimulate Liu Cong and make Liu Cong understand some truth.

    "What is Shaoyu's identity? She is the legitimate daughter of the head of the Cai family and the only daughter of the head of the family. How precious is her identity. The person she wants to marry must be the lord of Jingzhou. Who does Liu Jing count?"

    Mrs. Cai said meaningfully: "Cong'er, I might as well tell you the truth. Shaoyu's future husband must be the lord of Jingzhou. Do you understand? This is not only my idea, but also the decision of the Cai family, so you have to think  To marry Shaoyu, you must work hard to prevent Shaoyu from marrying your brother in the end. "

    Mrs. Cai looked at Liu Cong sharply, and Liu Cong lowered his head deeply. He finally understood what his mother meant. Even if Shaoyu liked him again, if he had no hope of becoming the Lord of Jingzhou, then in the end, Shaoyu would still have to marry him.  's brother.

    Liu Cong felt a sense of sadness in his heart. Such beautiful words as congeniality and lovers finally getting married were all in vain in the face of power and status.

    Mrs. Cai observed her words and saw that Liu Cong was suddenly depressed and did not rise up as she expected. She couldn't help but curse in her heart, 'useless thing!  ¡¯

    She winked at her maid, who immediately went to the outer room. Mrs. Cai persuaded him earnestly: "You don't have to be so depressed. I heard that Yuan Benchu ??didn't pass the title of prince to his eldest son. Don't you really?"  A little hope?"

    Liu Cong bit his lip. How could he not have thought about it? He dreamed of replacing his brother and inheriting the great cause of Jingzhou. He even married Cai Shaoyu in order to gain the support of the Cai family.

    Although he fell in love with Tao Zhan and was amazed by her beauty, he just wanted to take her as his concubine, and his wife must be the daughter of one of the four great families in Jingzhou.

    "Mother, what should the child do?"

    Mrs. Cai finally came around. She wanted Liu Cong to deal with Liu Jing for her. Of course, helping Liu Cong rise to power was also her goal, but that was still relatively far away.

    Although Liu Cong is a little worried that Liu Jing will compete with him for Shaoyu, Mrs. Cai will not make a fuss about this matter, because Liu Cong will soon understand that Shaoyu will never like Liu Jing.

    We still have to take the position of the Crown PrinceTo make an article.

    "Cong'er, the battle for the crown prince will not come to an end in a day or two. It will take years of fighting, at least ten years. There will be no result until the last moment, so don't worry too much."

    Liu Cong nodded, "My child understands."

    "It's good that you understand, but if you don't have long-term worries, you must be worried about the near future. Many things need to be prepared for a rainy day and planned early. Only in this way can you lay the foundation for the final victory. You can't wait until the end to rush around. I think you should also understand this.  clear."

    Liu Cong nodded silently, "My child understands!"

    Madam Cai guided Liu Cong step by step, almost completely controlling his thoughts and consciousness. The time was ripe, and Madam Cai finally expressed her thoughts, "In the past few months, your father has begun to pay attention to his nephew's power. Liu Cong  The appointment as Changsha County Magistrate last month is the best evidence. The next step must be Liu Jing. I can see that he wants to train Liu Jing to be your brother's right-hand man, and Liu Jing is indeed very talented. Sooner or later, he will  Taking charge of the military, Cong'er, I suspect that he will eventually become a key figure in your brothers' struggle for power, so you can't take it lightly."

    Mrs. Cai did not tell Liu Cong that his father had the idea of ????passing the foundation to Liu Jing. That would scare him. As long as Liu Cong understands that Liu Jing will be a major threat to him in the future, Liu Cong will do his best to deal with it.  Liu Jing, she beat him from time to time.

    Liu Cong bit his lips until they turned white. He completely believed what his mother said. It was indeed the case. His father might really let Liu Jing take over the military power.

    Mrs. Cai inserted the most critical sentence into Liu Cong's heart like a knife, "Think about it for yourself, if that time comes, who will he support, you or your brother?"

    "Bang!" Liu Cong punched the floor hard. He knew very well that Liu Jing must be supporting his brother.

    Mrs. Cai looked at her son, who was slightly underserved, and smiled coldly. She didn¡¯t need to say anything else, Liu Cong was already on his way.

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 96: Welcome or Reject

    It was almost evening when he returned to Fancheng. Liu Jing did not go back to the military camp. Instead, he went directly back to his home. He still lived in the small bungalow, less than a mile away from the military camp and only a short walk away.

    The general of the army does not have to live in the military camp. As long as he is in war, the general cannot leave the military camp and must stay in the military camp day and night.

    In normal times, the general can live in the military camp and go home at night if it is convenient. There is no mandatory requirement for this, as long as the night duty is arranged.

    Liu Jing continued to serve as a military marquis. In addition to the more than 300 surviving soldiers, he added more than 200 soldiers, leaving him with more than 500 troops.

    Liu Jing has five village chiefs under his command. Every night there is a village chief who is on duty and is responsible for guarding the city gate. Everyone takes turns to be on duty at night. Liu Jing will also do random checks and appear at the city gate from time to time in the middle of the night.

    As soon as he walked to the door of his house, Liu Jing felt something strange. It seemed that there was a guest at home. There was a carriage parked at the door, and the carriage looked familiar to him. He stared at it for a long time, and suddenly recognized it, and a feeling suddenly surged in his heart.  Uncontrollable joy.

    He opened the door, walked quickly into the yard, and saw the living room at a glance. In the living room, a girl wearing a snow-white dress, who looked like a beauty in the autumn water, stood up, and looked at him with a pair of clear and expectant eyes, with a hint of naughty.  Smile, but underneath the mischievous smile, there is an imperceptible tension and expectation. This girl is Tao Zhan.

    It has been three months since she left. At first, Liu Jing would sometimes think of her, but as time went by and military affairs became busy, he gradually forgot about Tao Zhan.

    But when she unexpectedly appeared in front of him, Liu Jing felt joy from the bottom of his heart. It turned out that he was still looking forward to seeing her again.

    Tao Zhan had already changed into a spring dress, which was as white as pear blossoms. He also wore a lavender short jacket on his upper body, and his arms were wrapped in embroidered silk. Under the reflection of the setting sun, he looked particularly pretty and handsome. He was even more beautiful than the last time he saw her.  There is a youthful and charming beauty.

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and smiled, "Why, you don't recognize me anymore after you have been promoted to military lord?"

    "How come you don't know me?"

    Liu Jing walked into the room, scratched her head and said with a smile: "I'm just a little surprised. When did you come? I meant to come to Fancheng."

    "I just arrived in the afternoon. I went to the travel agency first and was told that you had been transferred, so I rushed here to congratulate General Liu on his promotion!"

    After saying that, she followed the example of a man and bowed to Liu Jing in an exaggerated manner, but halfway through the salute, she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

    Tao Zhan's liveliness and cheerfulness made Liu Jing feel better. He also joked: "Why do I feel that Miss Tao is not here to celebrate, but is rushing to my place to make a living."

    At this time, Xiao Baozi happened to come in with a cup of tea. When she heard Liu Jing's words, she trembled with fright and almost spilled the tea in the cup. How could the young master talk to the guests like this? It was very rude. She quickly put down the cup.  Pulling Liu Jing's sleeve, "Master, you can't say that, it's rude to the guests."

    Tao Zhan stepped forward and hugged the little bun, pulled him aside and laughed softly: "You little girl, I praised you for being considerate. Why don't you understand what your young master means?"

    Little Baozi was startled and asked like a little goose: "What does my young master mean?"

    Tao Zhan smiled sweetly, his eyes moved, he glanced at Liu Jing, and said in a deliberately long voice: "I think! Someone must be reminding me that I still owe him a glass of wine."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A quarter of an hour later, Liu Jing and Tao Zhan appeared in the Left Bank Tavern. The Left Bank Tavern is the best and largest tavern in Fancheng. Located at the North City Gate, it is a four-story large tavern covering an area of ??five acres. It is not only the largest in Fancheng, but also the largest in the entire city.  Jingzhou is also second to none.

    The Left Bank Tavern is crowded with customers every day, and the business is very prosperous. However, scribes and officials do not come here very often. The customers here are mainly businessmen. The scribes and officials prefer to go to the Wangjiang Tavern on the opposite bank, where the atmosphere is more elegant.

    Compared with the last time they were robbed of their seats at Wangjiang Tavern, the treatment Liu Jing and his two received here is obviously different. This is certainly related to Liu Jing being in charge of the gate of Fancheng, but more importantly, Tao's Trading Company is in this place.  The pub has a dedicated private room.

    The best elegant room on the fourth floor has been specially reserved for Tao's business to entertain guests.

    The owner of the tavern personally led the two of them up to the fourth floor and said respectfully: "Invite you two distinguished guests!"

    Liu Jing walked into the elegant room and saw that the elegant room was decorated with splendor and splendor. Four crystal lamps were lit with candles, making the room as bright as day.

    Every utensil is a precious thing, including jade bowls, silver chopsticks, gleaming golden knives and daggers, fine rosewood couches and tables, and a bronze unicorn incense burner standing in the corner with green smoke curling up.  The whole room??It is filled with a rich sandalwood scent.

    Everything is so gorgeous and luxurious, even the four maids are beautiful and beautiful, one of the best in a hundred.

    Liu Jing noticed a sign on the door with the word "Tao Fang" written on it, which meant that this was an elegant room exclusively for the Tao family. It was estimated that even the items in the room were specially decorated by the Tao family.

    Tao Zhan was smart and intelligent. When Liu Jing saw the word 'Taofang', she frowned slightly and quickly explained with a smile: "Actually, this is also my first time here. I never talk about business. I am in the family."  As long as the contract is finalized, the steward here usually comes to treat guests to dinner. "

    Liu Jing nodded and sighed: "It's a bit too luxurious here, but it's understandable. When doing business, you always have to save face."

    "If Wangjiang Tavern hadn't annoyed me, I would definitely invite you to the other side. To be honest, it's too noisy here and I don't like it very much."

    Tao Zhan smiled sweetly, and her bright eyes looked even more hopeful under the candlelight. She waved her hand, "Since we are guests, please take a seat, General Liu or Mr. Jing."

    "It's better to call me Master Jing. The title General is quite weird and it sounds awkward to me."

    Liu Jing sat down with a smile. Tao Zhan felt happy when he saw that he was giving her face, so he also sat down opposite him. Several maids served them tea and wine, and they were busy going back and forth.

    Tao Zhan held up the ear cup with her slender hands, and her gauze sleeves slipped down, revealing her arms as white as suet. She pursed her lips and said with a smile: "Master Jing, I never drink when I go out, but today I made an exception because I left without saying goodbye last time.  Apologize to Mr.

    "You're exaggerating, but if you can't drink, I can feel your sincerity even if you drink fruit juice."

    Tao Zhan didn¡¯t respond. She picked up the ear cup and drank the warm wine slowly. A blush immediately appeared on her pretty face.

    Liu Jing also quickly picked up the ear cup and drank it down with her. The two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

    "Girl"

    Liu Jing was about to speak, but Tao Zhan hesitated, as if he wanted to say something. Liu Jing immediately stopped talking, "What did the girl want to say?"

    Tao Zhan smiled sheepishly and said: "Actually, in Chaisang, my family and friends call me Xiao Jiuniang. This is my nickname. However, I don't like small letters, so everyone started calling me Jiuniang again from last year. You also call me Jiuniang."  Can."

    After a pause, Tao Zhan asked again: "Does the young master have a nickname?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, and both of them were silent. After a while, Tao Zhan whispered: "I came to Xiangyang this time because something happened at Tao's Trading Company. My father ordered my second uncle to handle it, so I followed him."  Come."

    Liu Jing said nothing and listened calmly to her continued words.

    "About half a month ago, a fleet of the Tao family disappeared mysteriously on the Han River. There were about fifty ships, fully loaded with freshly harvested cocoons, and more than twenty workers who also disappeared. This matter was reported by Tao  From a family perspective, it is not a serious matter. The year before last, Gan Ning robbed 300 Tao family cargo ships on the Yangtze River, but this was the first time on the Han River. It didn¡¯t matter if the ship and the goods could not be recovered. The key point is  Twenty guys, we must get them back."

    "Any clues now?" Liu Jing asked with concern.

    Tao Zhan shook his head, "There is no news right now."

    "If I can help the girl a little bit, I can go to the travel agency and ask. They might have something to say."

    "no no!"

    Tao Zhan waved his hands hurriedly, "I invited the young master to drink, not to ask for your help. The Tao family can handle this matter, and my second uncle is very well-connected, and is familiar with the government and water thieves. He will go to see Li Taishou tonight."  ¡±

    The two of them were silent again. Many things come to light inadvertently, especially women's minds are more delicate, and they tend to pay more attention to details that have nothing to do with things.

    Tao Zhan couldn't help but sigh quietly in his heart. He still called himself girl and did not change his words.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After the banquet, Liu Jing sent Tao Zhan back to the trading house.

    At the entrance of the trading house, Tao Zhan did not get off the carriage. The thin curtain blocked Liu Jing's sight. He could not see Tao Zhan's expression or her appearance.

    ¡°Thank you very much, Miss Jiu, for your warm hospitality tonight.¡±

    Liu Jing also wanted to call her Jiuniang, but he changed his words again. He still felt a bit abrupt. He felt that Tao Zhan's subsequent enthusiasm had a slightly polite element, and this politeness was invisibly extended.  their distance.

    ¡®Perhaps she doesn¡¯t want to call her Jiuniang.  ¡¯ Liu Jing thought secretly.

    After a long while, I heard Tao Zhan¡¯s faint voice coming from the carriage, ¡°Young Master is too polite, this is my answer.As for what happened in the past, since I am the daughter of a businessman, of course I have to maintain my credibility. How can I keep my words?  "

    "Oh! How long does that girl plan to stay in Fancheng?"

    "I don't know either. It depends on the progress of my second uncle's handling of the matter, but I think it will not exceed five days at most."

    Liu Jing felt slightly disappointed. Are you leaving in five days?

    He pondered for a moment and then said: "Before she leaves, I also want to invite her back. I wonder if Liu Jing has this honor?"

    "This there will be another chance in the future, won't it? Mr. Jing." The voice in the carriage was still soft, but it was just a polite softness, slightly dull.

    Liu Jing sighed in his heart, Tao Zhan's polite refusal made him very embarrassed, so that's fine!  If you don't want to, forget it.

    "Okay! I'll take my leave now. Girl, have a good rest. We'll see you later."

    After saying that, Liu Jing turned his horse's head and galloped towards the city gate. The carriage still did not move, but the curtains of the carriage were slightly opened. A pair of bright eyes watched Liu Jing go away, and their eyes were filled with a kind of saying.  Unexplained resentment.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 97: A storm comes at night

    Liu Jing did not go to check the situation of the city defense, but went directly to the Youjiao Station two miles away. The Youjiao Station was newly built not long ago. Compared with before, not only the building was more magnificent, but the area was doubled.

    But the number of people did not increase, and there were still more than a hundred people. The new governor Cao's surname was Jiang. It is said that this person was somewhat related to Huang Zu.

    Several major subordinates, Zhang Ping, were burned and seriously injured, and eventually died.

    ?? And Shuzuo Lu Sheng also followed Liu Jing to the military camp and served as a civilian officer in Liu Jing's camp. Among the officials in the entire travel agency, Liu Jing only knew Li Jun.

    It was also a coincidence that Liu Jing had just turned over and dismounted at the gate, and saw Li Jun walking out of the gate. Li Jun was pleasantly surprised, "Is it Mr. Jing?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "I just have something to ask you."

    Li Jun said quickly: "Master, please come to my official room to speak."

    Liu Jing led her horse into the official room with him, looked at it and said with a smile: "It seems to be much more spacious than before."

    "What's the use of being spacious? If you don't work well, you'll feel panicked."

    Li Jun asked Liu Jing to sit down, found a bottle of wine, and placed two plates of side dishes. Li Jun poured Liu Jing a glass of wine and sighed: "This new Governor Jiang is an out-and-out greedy person.  On the first day he took office, he hinted that the brothers should be filial, and I was forced to give him thirty taels of gold. Several brothers who were not filial were found by him to find various excuses and were kicked out of the Youxuan one after another.  You have to say flattering things, and you can yell at them if you offend them."

    Liu Jing frowned, "What is this person's background?"

    "I heard that he is Huang Zu's clan brother-in-law. He was originally a subordinate of Cai Zhong. He was jointly sponsored by Cai Mao and Huang Zu. He has a strong backing, so he is very arrogant."

    Liu Jing has seen this kind of thing a lot no matter in his previous life or in his future life. Who in the officialdom is not fighting for the backstage!  Moreover, this Li Jun also has a backing and is quite solid. It is said that he is a clansman of Li Gui, the governor of Xiangyang.

    Liu Jing smiled, stopped talking about the matter, and turned the topic to business, "I came to you because I have something important to ask for your help."

    ¡°Master, please tell me, but if I can help, I will never refuse!¡±

    "That's right. A group of cargo ships from the Tao family were hijacked in the Han River and their whereabouts are unknown. Have you heard about this?"

    Li Jun nodded, "I have heard about this matter. It seems to be south of Yicheng County and not within our jurisdiction, so I didn't ask much."

    After a pause, Li Jun asked again: "Is this matter related to the young master?"

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "It has something to do with a friend of mine. He asked me to do it, so let me ask you, who did it?"

    Li Jun looked at the roof and pondered for a long time, then said slowly: "Maybe I can find out the truth. Please give me two days."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Half an hour later, Li Jun appeared in Xiangyang City. He came to the small house again and knocked on the door rhythmically. The door opened a crack, and he ducked in.

    In the room, Jia Hong was sorting out the intelligence coming from all over Jingzhou. Someone reported at the door: "Sir, Li Jun is here."

    Jia Hong was startled, what was he doing here, but then he thought, he was looking for him too.

    "Let him in!"

    Li Jun quickly walked into the room and bowed, "Sir!"

    ¡°You¡¯re here just in time, there¡¯s something I want to tell you.¡±

    Jia Hong smiled slightly and said, "Sit down first and then talk!"

    Li Jun sat down and Jia Hong took a secret order from the table, "I just received a secret order from Xudu today, ordering us to pay close attention to Liu Jing's situation. I heard that the Prime Minister was very interested in him and specially asked  Yu Jin asked about his situation in detail. "

    He put the secret order back on the table. This was not something Li Jun's level could see. Jia Hong said again: "So I thought about it and you are the most suitable one. I will find a way to transfer you to Liu Jing's army."  , you also show your loyalty to Liu Jing, so as not to make him feel strange."

    Li Jun is a soldier, and he only knows how to obey orders absolutely. Since his superiors have orders, he can only obey, but from the bottom of his heart, he also hopes that following Liu Jing, he will at least be more comfortable than he is now.

    Seeing that he had no objection, Jia Hong smiled again and said, "Just tell me! What's the matter?"

    "Replying to Mr. Liu, I am also here because of Liu Jing's matter. He just came to see me in his humble position."

    Li Jun then told him about Liu Jing's request to investigate the Tao family's ships, and finally said: "I don't know if I can help him due to my humble position, so I didn't agree. I came here specifically to ask for instructions, sir."

    Jia Hong frowned slightly, why would Liu Jing care about this matter?  What is his relationship with the Tao family?

    Jia Hong asked again: "So, how much details do you know about this matter?"?? 

    "Beizhi knows a little bit. One of Beizhi's subordinates once found some clues. This matter may be related to Zhang Yun."

    ¡®Zhang Yun?  ¡¯

    Jia Hong's eyes lit up. He knew that Liu Jing and Zhang Yun had a grudge. If this incident could provoke a secret fight between Liu Jing or even Kuai Yue and Zhang Yun, wouldn't this be a good way to make a deal with Xu Du?

    "There is another secret order Jia Hong received today, asking him to find ways to provoke internal fighting in Jingzhou. He was worried that he had no idea what to do. This thing came at the right time.

    Cai Mao and Zhang Yun formed an alliance, and Liu Jing had a close relationship with the Kuai family. It was a God-given opportunity. Thinking of this, Jia Hong quickly asked: "When did you promise to tell Liu Jing the result?"

    "I'll tell him in two days."

    The two days are indeed a bit tight. Jia Hong nodded. He must mobilize all his strength to find out the matter as quickly as possible.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, in Cai Mao's study, Cai Mao was discussing a major matter with Cai Zhong and Zhang Yun. The cause of this matter still lay with Liu Biao.

    Three months ago, because of the burning case of Youjiao Station, Liu Biao used Zhang Yun to operate, deprived him of his troops, dispersed Zhang Yun's three thousand private troops and distributed them to various armies in Jingzhou.

    But in the end, Liu Biao couldn't stand in the way of family ties and promised Zhang Yun that he could rebuild the Qubu. At this time, all the former private armies had been dispersed and incorporated into the formal army, and it was impossible to recruit them back, so Zhang Yun had to start recruiting again.

    Building a private army with thousands of people would cost a lot of money and food. Zhang Yun didn't have much money on hand, so he had to ask Cai Mao for help.

    Out of their allyship, Cai Mao promised to support him with part of the food supply. Zhang Yun still had to deal with the rest of the money and food by himself. Cai Mao also pointed out a clear way for him to take advantage of the Tao family's ideas.

    Since ancient times, merchants have been cash machines for the rich and powerful. The Tao family is the richest person in Jingzhou, but the Tao family is not an ordinary businessman. It is impossible to send a few soldiers to the door to make the Tao family spit out the money. They still have to use  Strategy.

    "Military advisor, everything is ready. When do you think it is more appropriate to take action?" Zhang Yun asked Cai Mao in a low voice.

    After receiving lessons from the Youjiao Station, Zhang Yun has become smarter and no longer takes responsibility independently. This strategy was devised by Cai Mao. Zhang Yun will naturally tie himself to Cai Mao. If anything happens, Cai Mao will also have to take the responsibility.  Carry it yourself.

    Of course Cai Mao knew this well, but in order to win over Zhang Yun, he was still willing to take this risk. However, the Tao family and Huang Zu had a marriage relationship, so it was inconvenient for him to come forward.

    Cai Hao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then turned back to Zhang Yun and said: "I have already informed Jiang Ducao of the Youjiao Station about this matter, and he promised to come forward to investigate, but you have to remember one thing, no matter who you are in this matter,  Whether you encounter a naval patrol by accident, or whether you send troops deliberately, you must report it to the state pastor in time, and you must not make the same mistake as last time."

    "Please rest assured, military advisor, I won't make another mistake this time, but I'm a little worried that Xiangyang County will intervene, and then a few fake Tao family boatmen may be exposed."

    Cai Hao laughed and said, "Don't worry, Wang Zhu went to Xinye and won't come back until the day after tomorrow. That old fox Li Gui won't get into trouble easily. You record the confession as quickly as possible, and then kill the fake boatman, so there will be no more trouble."  If you prove it, the case will become a solid case, and then the Tao family will obediently pay for it no matter what you say."

    Zhang Yun couldn't help but get excited, "Since Wang Jian will come back the day after tomorrow, I want to take action tonight, arrest people and finalize the case tomorrow, and hurry up and finish the matter before Wang Jian comes back. Even if he wants to intervene, he will have nowhere to intervene."

    Cai Hao thought for a moment. Since the Tao family has come to Fancheng, it is not appropriate to delay the matter any longer. He nodded, "Okay!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the third watch, a fleet of more than fifty flat-bottomed cargo ships appeared on the Han River more than thirty miles east of Fancheng.

    This kind of flat-bottomed cargo ship is the main shipping force on the southern waterways. It has a shallow draft, large cargo capacity, and is easy to control. Whether in the Han River or the Yangtze River, this kind of flat-bottomed cargo ship can be seen everywhere.

    But this fleet of ships is a bit special. There are double carp flags on the bows of each ship. This is the logo of Tao Family Trading Company, which means that this fleet belongs to Tao Family.

    The dark night is not suitable for sailing. The black water is sparkling and undulating, hiding murderous intent.

    A steward of the Tao family stood on the big boat headed by him, looking around with a solemn expression. His name was Zhang Xian, and he was a steward of the Tao family.

    A dozen days ago, he was escorting a batch of newly purchased cocoons to Chaisang, but was detained by a group of unknown persons. They were not released until an hour ago.

    He didn¡¯t know what happened, why they were detained, and who were these people?  He knew nothing about it. Fortunately, the goods were not in short supply and he could go back and explain to his employer

    However, Zhang Xian was still worried. He found that there were two more strange men on the last ship. He wanted to check the cargo, but they refused to let him on the ship. Heng Dao  He stood with a ferocious attitude, which made him feel a little bad.

    "Steward, look!"

    A boatman suddenly pointed to the water and shouted: "The boat from the Youchao Station is coming!"

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Aviation The black flag of the inspection station is flying on the boat, a dozen big men with knives standing on the bow of the boat, menacingly ordered the boat to stop.

    "Stop the ship for inspection!"

    Manager Zhang had no choice but to wave his hand, "Stop the boat!"

    The fleet slowed down and came to a slow stop. Before the ship could stop, dozens of soldiers from the patrol station rushed onto the ship, brandishing their long knives and shouting across the water, "Pull off the tarpaulin and open the bilge!"

    The leading officer was none other than Cao Jiangzhong, the new traveling governor who succeeded Liu Jing. He jumped on the main ship and asked Zhang Xianhuo: "Where is the fleet?"

    Zhang Xian hurriedly stepped forward and nodded, "We are the fleet of Tao Trading Company, and there are some ordinary goods on board."

    Zhang Xian heard that this Jiang Ducao was the son-in-law of the Huang family, and that his mistress was also the daughter of the Huang family of Jiangxia. They were all members of the same family, so he should give him face.

    "But Jiang Zhong obviously didn't buy this account. He said coldly: "Even Tao's Trading Company needs to be inspected. There is an order from above to strictly check for prohibited items."

    It was at this time that the inspecting soldier shouted: "Director, a crossbow and a sword were found in the bottom cabin."

    Jiang Zhong¡¯s expression changed drastically, he grabbed the steward Zhang Xian by the collar and said viciously: ¡°How dare you smuggle prohibited military supplies!¡±

    "The villain doesn't know! The villain doesn't know!"

    Zhang Xian was so frightened that he waved his hands repeatedly. Something suddenly occurred to him. Looking back, he saw that the last big ship had been detected. He suddenly realized that they must have been framed.

    At this time, someone shouted again: "The navy's patrol fleet is coming."

    I saw a fleet of warships appearing on the water. This was the Jingzhou navy patrol post, consisting of more than thirty warships.

    Zhang Yun stood on the first building boat, staring coldly at the Tao family fleet on the water not far away, with a proud smile on his lips, as if he saw a big fish caught in the net.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Biao was woken up by his wife in his sleep, "General! General! It seems that there is something to report outside."

    Liu Biao looked sleepy and asked unhappily: "What's the matter?"

    There was a guard outside the door reporting: "Report to Zhou Mu, the naval patrol found a fleet carrying prohibited weapons. Lieutenant Zhang asked Zhou Mu, how to deal with it?"

    Liu Biao yawned, feeling sleepy again, and said extremely impatiently: "Tell him to investigate thoroughly!"

    The guards retreated, Liu Biao turned over and fell asleep again, but Mrs. Cai was confused, what was she doing?

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 98 Veteran Huang Zhong

    At the same moment when the Tao merchant ship was captured, on the north bank of the Han River, Liu Jing stared at the dark water, looking a little worried. He would go to Huang Zhong to learn martial arts tomorrow morning. He didn't know whether this was a good thing or the beginning of trouble for him.  .

    Of course it should be a good thing. He can learn more profound martial arts, and even learn Huang Zhong's world-famous archery.

    Liu Jing was filled with expectations and contradictions at the same time. She didn¡¯t know how to explain this matter to Zhao Yun.

    He stood up slowly, put the knife in his mouth, took off his clothes, and was bare-chested, wearing only a pair of very short trousers. He stretched his muscles and jumped into the river. The cold water quickly reached his head. He struggled towards the river.  Swim into the darkness at the bottom.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Before daybreak, Liu Jing left Fancheng and headed to Xiangyang South Military Camp. Today was his first day to learn martial arts from Huang Zhong.

    Last night, he sat by the Hanshui River and meditated for nearly an hour. Finally, he put aside his inner troubles. A true man stands between heaven and earth and has a clear conscience. Why bother to stick to the world's rules?

    At this time, his heart was even more full of expectations. Zhao Yun taught him the exquisite marksmanship and the Falling Phoenix Kung Fu. What could he learn from Huang Zhong?

    After the ferry passed the north bank, Liu Jing got on her horse and galloped towards the south of Xiangyang City.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the big tent, Huang Zhong was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. He was also a little worried. Liu Biao gave him a task, asking him to take the time to teach his nephew Liu Jing martial arts. The implication was that he was asked to teach Liu Jing martial arts.

    But until now, he hasn't figured out how to teach Liu Jing.

    At this time, a general cautiously suggested, "The old general might as well try his martial arts first to see if he has any merit, and then teach him a thing or two, so that he can explain it to the state pastor."

    The general's suggestion still made some sense. He must first get to know Liu Jing's skills before considering how to teach him martial arts. Moreover, Huang Zhong was still a little curious in his heart as to whether Liu Jing had succeeded in learning martial arts from Zhao Yun.  What does it look like?

    At this time, there were soldiers outside the tent reporting, "Marquis Liu Jun is here!"

    ¡®Is he coming?  ¡¯

    Huang Zhong looked at the hourglass. It was on time. He smiled and walked out of the tent quickly.

    Outside the tent, Liu Jing was walking quickly towards this side under the guidance of a soldier. Liu Jing had met Huang Zhong during the last martial arts competition with Cai Jin. He had long admired Huang Zhong's reputation.  When the old man saw Huang Zhong walking out of the tent, Liu Jing quickened his pace, knelt down on one knee and held his fist high, "General Liu Jing, please see General Huang!"

    The hierarchy of superiors and inferiors in the Jingzhou Army was very strict. Although Liu Jing was Liu Biao's nephew, he was a military lord of Qubu and was far inferior to General Zhonglang. It was like a battalion commander meeting a division commander in later generations. He was several levels behind.  .

    However, in terms of affiliation, Liu Jing was Wang Wei's subordinate, not Huang Zhong's subordinate, so Huang Zhong's tone was somewhat polite. He quickly helped Liu Jing up and said with a smile: "Young master Jing, there is no need to be polite. We are not talking about the military now."  Honor and inferiority.¡±

    There was a reason why Huang Zhong didn't call Liu Jing a military lord. If it was a matter of business versus business, he couldn't leave Liu Jing in his military camp without permission. He had to get Wang Wei's consent first, and Wang Wei always made a distinction between public and private affairs.  , even if Zhou Mu greeted him, he might not agree.

    Therefore, Huang Zhong can only interact with Liu Jing in a private name.

    Liu Jing also understood this, so he was not surprised. He stood up and said with a smile: "I have heard about the reputation of Old General Huang for a long time, and I have always wanted to come to see him, but I was really held back by trivial matters. I just saw the old general today, and I felt ashamed and confused.  joy."

    Huang Zhong stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Many people have said that they have admired my name for a long time and came to visit me. However, once the visit turned into a competition of martial arts, I could only risk my life to accompany you. Isn't it the same with Mr. Jing?"

    "No! Compared with the seniors, the martial arts of the juniors are like a firefly seeing the bright moon. How dare you have such unreasonable thoughts? I really admire the seniors."

    After a pause, Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh, "Of course, if the senior is willing to give pointers to the junior's martial arts, the junior will be grateful."

    Huang Zhong stroked his beard and laughed loudly, and everyone also laughed. Huang Zhong said cheerfully: "Since Mr. Jing wants me to teach you martial arts, then I can only be respectful and obey your orders. Lead the horse and bring the sword!"

    The men hurriedly brought Huang Zhong's war horse, and two more soldiers came forward carrying the Red Dragon Sword. Huang Zhong's sword weighed eighty kilograms, the blade was red, and it was extremely sharp. It was also called the Red Dragon Sword. It was Huang Zhong's sword in Nanjun.  income.

    Huang Zhong held the knife in his hand and asked with a smile: "What weapon does Young Master Jing use?"

    Liu Jing did not expect that the opening remarks of the apprenticeship would be a competition. It seemed to be usually like this. When a master accepts an apprentice, he always has to test the apprentice's qualifications by dancing with two swords or lifting a few stone locks.

    When Master Yu teaches himself, doesn¡¯t he also have to run a lap by himself?    only.  £®  £®  £®  £®  Huang Zhong seemed to be a little different and actually ended up fighting in person. However, Liu Jing also felt an eagerness and a passion to prove his ability. He trained hard for three months and then went on an expedition on the Xinye battlefield to fight against Yu Jin.  How likely is it that he can fight Huang Zhong?

    This is another kind of bravery that is not afraid of tigers. He cupped his fists and said: "I would like to ask the old general for advice, but Liu Jing did not bring any weapons."

    Although Liu Jing also had a 40-pound steel gun, it was lost in the Battle of Xinye, and a new steel gun has not yet been built.

    Huang Zhong felt Liu Jing's courage. He couldn't help but think of his own youth. Wasn't he just as courageous?

    In Liu Jing, Huang Zhong seemed to see himself more than thirty years ago, and a trace of pity for this young warrior surged in his heart.

    He nodded slightly and said with a smile: "I heard that the young master uses a gun. I have a dozen good iron guns in my collection here. You might as well pick one."

    He waved his hand, and a dozen soldiers took out a dozen fine iron spears from the back tent. They were of different lengths and weights, each with its own merits, but they were all equally well-made, and it was obvious that they were all made by famous craftsmen.

    ¡°Young master, please choose one at will!¡±

    Huang Zhong¡¯s biggest hobby is collecting weapons. In fact, not only him, but also general qualified generals have this hobby, just like scholars like to collect books.

    It's just that Huang Zhong was famous in Jingzhou for his large collection of weapons. After decades of collecting, he owned hundreds of weapons of various kinds. His wife and children died early, and he was alone, so he put all his energy into him.  Among his greatest hobbies, these weapons are like his children.

    The ancients said that the plum blossom is the wife and the crane is the son, but when it comes to Huang Zhong, it is the bow as the wife and the sword as the son.

    When Liu Jing saw that Huang Zhong had brought out his collection of treasures, he was also very interested and happily stepped forward to choose.

    In fact, after the battle in Xinye, he also discovered that he was not suitable for using a gun. While stabbing the enemy, he also liked to chop and smash, which he could not do with a gun. Therefore, during this period, he was also considering changing to a gun that was more suitable for him.  Weapons can both stab and slash like a gun and chop like a knife.

    It¡¯s just that Huang Zhong has already taken out the gun, so he can¡¯t refuse.

    Liu Jing took a fancy to an iron gun at a glance. It was about one foot and six feet long. The gun body was slender, the shape was simple and smooth, the head of the gun was faintly cyan, and the tip of the gun was extremely sharp. It was obvious at a glance that it was made by a famous master.

    Liu Jing holds the gun in his hand. It weighs about the same as he imagined, about forty pounds, and feels extremely comfortable. He likes it very much, "Just choose it!"

    Liu Jing flicked the tip of his spear and thrust out a spear, spitting out a sharp green light. Huang Zhong nodded secretly. The spear was very powerful and quite imposing. It was obvious that the young man had worked hard.

    He stepped forward and said with a smile: "I think the young master will definitely take this spear. This spear is called Qingying. I got it from a bandit in Bashu twenty years ago. It ranks second among the spears in my collection."  ¡±

    Huang Zhong took the spear from Liu Jing's hand and stabbed it out with a low cry. Seven spearheads came out, which shocked Liu Jing. The thirteen-style Hundred Birds Chaotic Phoenix Spear was hit, and the last move was 'Hundred Birds Chaotic Phoenix'.  , that is, one spear thrusts out seven spear heads, but that requires mastering twenty-six moves to do it, which is very complicated.

    Zhao Yun could stab out nine spear heads with one shot, taking this move to its extreme, but Liu Jing did not expect that Huang Zhong could stab out seven spear heads with just one shot, but he himself was using a knife.

    He couldn¡¯t help but think of what Yu Zhenzi had said to him, that all weapons in the world come from the same origin, and there are eighteen kinds of weapons, it just depends on everyone¡¯s preference.

    In fact, he also had a deep understanding of this sentence, just like the Wind and Thunder Transformation taught to him by Master Yu. It was obviously a sword technique, but he could also use this move with an iron rod and defeated Zhang Ping.

    In the past three months, he has also mastered the Feng Lei Bian move with a spear, which is as powerful as a long sword and even faster.

    It is with this understanding that it is not surprising that Huang Zhong was able to stab the seven flowers with one spear.

    Liu Jing has practiced martial arts hard for three months, and his martial arts skills have greatly improved. He is also full of confidence in himself. It is also an honor for a martial artist to be able to fight Huang Zhong.

    Liu Jing raised her spear and mounted her horse, waved her spear, and shouted, "Please teach me, General Huang!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A hundred steps away, Huang Zhong stood up with his sword in hand, gently stroked half a hundred of his beard, and smiled slightly. He took the spear from Liu Jing and spit out the first green light, and then Liu Jing got on his horse and stood with the spear horizontally.  £®  £®  £®

    With all kinds of details, he got to know Liu Jing's background. No matter in terms of strength or momentum, he could only say that martial arts training had just started and was far from his own.

    But think about it, compared to the last sword duel, he has transformed from a swordsman to a warrior, and he knows very well how much steps he needs to take.

    In just a few short daysSuch great progress had been made in just a few months, which made Huang Zhong impressed. He suddenly realized that his idea was wrong. It was not necessary to build a foundation from a young age. This Liu Jing was the best proof.

    "Master Jing, feel free to do whatever you want!" Huang Zhong shouted, but he remained motionless, waiting for Liu Jing to take the lead in attacking.

    More than twenty generals have gathered in front of the big tent. They whisper, wondering if Liu Jing can block the old general's sword.

    Everyone's eyes were fixed on Liu Jing's war horse. This was an unusually majestic war horse. It was the legendary Lu Bao Bao. The majesty of the war horse made Liu Jing particularly energetic and powerful, making everyone have to do it.  He secretly praised, "What a brave young man."

    "here we go!"

    Someone shouted low, and everyone cheered up and looked into the field together.

    Although he suffered a big loss at Yu Jin's hands and made Liu Jing understand the principle of braking with stillness, today was an exception. Liu Jing took the lead in starting. Lu Baomao took the powerful steps and galloped faster and faster.  .

    After just a few dozen steps, a white gust of wind gradually formed, and the sound of horse hooves was as fast as thunder. This momentum seemed to be able to break huge rocks, making everyone hold their breath. The power of a horse was so violent.  So.

    Liu Jing's momentum was even more heroic at this time. He held the green shadow gun in one hand and held the reins tightly with the other hand. His eyes were like lightning, staring at Huang Zhong. He was completely a brave warrior. A battle in the new field had just been formed.  The murderous aura completely broke out in him at this time.

    Huang Zhong also suddenly realized that he had underestimated the opponent just now. The swift and powerful galloping of the war horse made him even more murderous, completely covering up his youthful side.

    At this time, Huang Zhong's contempt completely disappeared, and he began to get excited. There was no slightest contempt. He cheered up, brandished his knife and shouted, "Well done!"

    In just an instant, Liu Jing's horse rushed to Huang Zhong. He shouted loudly and pierced Huang Zhong's throat with a spear. The tip of the spear was strong and accurate. This was the wind and thunder transformation taught to him by Master Yu. He had already mastered this transformation.  Zhao realized it to the extreme, and he also vividly demonstrated the most subtle use of power in Luofeng Kung Fu.

    This shot was not very fast, and even felt a bit sluggish, but in the blink of an eye, the tip of the gun was in front of Huang Zhong's throat, only two feet away

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 99 Huang Zhong teaches skills

    [I cry for recommendation votes!  ¡¿

    ===

    Huang Zhong was also suddenly startled. He reacted very quickly, roared, and slashed out with a sword. The speed of the sword was extremely sharp, 'Clang!  ¡¯ There was a loud, ear-piercing sound, and the sharp blade struck the barrel of the gun.

    The tip of the spear was knocked away when it was half a foot away from Huang Zhong's throat. At this time, strength became the key to victory or defeat. If Liu Jing practiced hard for another year or two, he would be able to use one.  Huang Zhong's sword may not be able to split the big iron spear weighing eighty kilograms.

    The huge concussive force from the blade hitting the gun shaft actually made Liu Jing's arms tingle. The mouth of her left hand was opened, and she was holding the gun with one hand. She lost her balance and almost fell off her horse. The two horses missed each other and galloped away.

    Although Huang Zhong clearly had the upper hand in this round, he was also broken into a cold sweat. He did not expect that Liu Jing's marksmanship was so strange. It seemed as slow and heavy as an old cow pulling a broken cart, but there was a murderous intention hidden in the slowness.  , the tip of the gun seemed to be missing a section of track, and it was in front of the throat in the blink of an eye.

    He suddenly realized that this was Zhao Yun's Hundred Birds Chaofeng Spear. If Zhao Yun could become famous all over the world, his marksmanship must be exceptional. Huang Zhong couldn't help but secretly praise it. It was indeed the best marksmanship in the world, and it was well-deserved.

    However, Liu Jing's weakness is also very obvious, that is, his strength is too weak, and he still cannot withstand his own sword. He only relied on the speed of his horse and his excellent marksmanship to fight him for one round. If he fights again, he is sure  Knock Liu Jing off his horse within two rounds.

    "Master Jing, do you want to fight again?" Huang Zhong asked loudly from a distance.

    At this time, Liu Jing was not depressed. The powerful power of Huang Zhong's sword was within his expectation. He was still far behind. Although he had made some progress after three months of hard training, compared with Huang Zhong, his own strength was still  negligible.

    But on the other hand, he was able to withstand Huang Zhong for one round, but when competing with Zhao Yun, he could not reach it for one round. This was exactly the experience he gained in the Yujin battle. If he took the initiative, he would definitely  He had to use his horse speed and gun speed to catch the enemy by surprise. Didn't he almost succeed just now?

    However, there was really no need to continue the fight. Liu Jing dropped the gun, turned over and dismounted, knelt down on one knee and clasped his fists, saying: "Junior Liu Jing, I sincerely admit defeat!" This is the standard ceremony for admitting defeat in a competition.

    Huang Zhong chuckled, got off his horse, stepped forward to help Liu Jing up, and said, "Actually, you are not bad, but your strength is slightly weaker. If your strength is comparable to mine, then we will have no problem fighting for fifty rounds."

    After a pause, Huang Zhong asked again: "Should Zhou Mu have discussed the matter of learning martial arts with you?"

    Liu Jing already had an idea. Without hesitation, he knelt down on one knee, cupped his fists and said, "I am willing to learn archery from General Huang!"

    Huang Zhong couldn't help but laugh. This boy reacted very cleverly. He actually wanted to learn archery from him, which was not bad. He nodded, stared at Liu Jing and said, "You can learn archery from me, but I have two conditions.  Listen carefully."

    Liu Jing said nothing and listened attentively. Huang Zhong said slowly: "A gentleman does not take what others like, so the first condition is that I only teach you archery, but I am not your master."

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly, Zhao Yun was not his master, and Master Yu thought he was not compassionate enough, so he was unwilling to accept him as his disciple. Now Huang Zhong said that a gentleman does not take away what others have good, so he still refused to accept him as his disciple.

    Liu Jing nodded silently. When Huang Zhong saw that he agreed, he solemnly said: "Then let me tell you the second condition. Learning archery from me is also a long-term and hard-working process. Since you have learned archery from Huang Han,  Then you must persevere and practice your magic arrow.

    If you want to give up halfway, you can, but you must promise me not to use arrows for life. If I find that you use inferior archery to ruin my reputation, I will kill your arm with one arrow and make you unable to use arrows for life. You can  promise!  "

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and finally nodded cautiously, "I agree!"

    When the words came to an end, Huang Zhong felt like a mirror in his heart. He nodded slowly, "Okay, come with me!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing followed Huang Zhong into the back tent, which was Huang Zhong's private tent. There were all kinds of weapons on display, all of which Huang Zhong had collected over the years. They walked to the bow stand, which contained at least two weapons.  Ten sets of bows and arrows.

    ¡°The first thing to learn archery is to choose a good bow. Some people say that you should start with ordinary bows. I don¡¯t think so. Once many habits of using inferior bows are formed, it will be difficult to change them in the future, so I have always advocated choosing a bow.  The first priority for archery practitioners.¡±

    Huang Zhong said, taking a bow from the bow stand and handing it to Liu Jing, "Try this carved bow. It was made by the Yue people. It took three years and has only eight buckets of power. It's just right for you."

    Liu Jing took the bow, opened it and shot in the air, only to hear 'Bang!  ¡¯ A sound from the stringsThere was a buzzing sound in the big tent. Huang Zhong smiled and handed him a horn trigger, "Wear this on your thumb, otherwise the bow string will easily cut your hand."

    Liu Jing knew about this thing. It was a thumb ring, usually made of horn or jade. When he saw Huang Zhong wearing thumb rings on both his left and right thumbs, he couldn't help but feel moved and asked, "Can the old general shoot the bow left and right?"

    "Of course, general generals can shoot left and right bows. People with excellent archery skills such as Lu Bu can not only shoot left and right bows, but also shoot four arrows with one bow."

    "Can the old general shoot four arrows with one bow?" Liu Jing asked curiously.

    Huang Zhong shook his head, "I can shoot three arrows at most, but I can only shoot a two-stone bow. I heard that Lu Bu can shoot a three-stone bow, and his power is unparalleled in the world."

    In fact, Liu Jing had nothing to do in the military camp for the past three months. He also practiced archery and learned a lot of basic knowledge about archery. However, there seemed to be some differences between the archery instructor in the army and what Huang Zhong said.

    "I heard people say that when practicing bowing, you should first practice the walking bow. After you are proficient in the walking bow, you can then practice the riding bow. They all say that the walking bow is the foundation."

    Huang Zhong frowned, "Who said this?"

    Liu Jing looked a little embarrassed, "All the archer instructors in the army said so."

    "The riding bow has the shooting method of the riding bow, and the infantry bow has the shooting method of the infantry bow. They are completely different. Of course, when training archers, you must first practice the infantry bow. As I said just now, it is difficult to change some habits after they are formed. You are  "General, it is more difficult to change the habit of riding a bow than it is to change the habit of riding a bow, so you have to start training from riding a bow. The bow you have now is a riding bow."

    After saying that, Huang Zhong picked a pot of arrows and walked outside the tent, "Let's go outside the tent to test the arrows!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing got on his horse, holding a bow and arrow in his hand, and the quiver on his back. He could draw the arrow directly from behind his shoulder. This was his first time shooting on horseback.

    Soon, Liu Jing discovered the difficulty of riding and shooting. Normally, when riding a horse, you hold the reins in your hands to stabilize your body, but in archery, you hold the bow with both hands and rely entirely on your legs to control the horse.

    If there are stirrups and a high-bridge saddle, it may be better. Now the horse is completely held between the legs, especially when the horse is running, ups and downs, and when shooting arrows at a gallop, if you are a little careless, you will fall off the horse.

    It was only then that Liu Jing fully realized the difficulty of training a cavalry. No wonder Cao Jun wanted to drive civilians to be cannon fodder. This was to protect the cavalry. If he were Cao Cao, he might do the same. After all, a well-trained cavalry is really important.  So precious.

    "Run!"

    Huang Zhong followed him on horseback and roared loudly. At this moment, Huang Zhong's generous and kind image was gone, and he became extremely stern. His roar was like thunder, "The power is like chasing the wind, the eyes are like lightning; the bow is fully opened,  £®

    Liu Jing's heart was awe-inspiring. He tried his best to control his body balance, suddenly opened the bow and drew it to full length. His eyes were like lightning, and he swept forward without stopping. When the arrow touched his finger, a carved feather arrow shot out like lightning, hitting three people.  There was a straw man ten steps away, and the arrow passed over the straw man, missing by a foot.

    What Liu Jing practiced in the Fancheng military camp was the foot bow, which was completely different from the current cavalry bow. The cavalry bow was smaller, but its potential energy was greater. The strength of the two arms generally could not be sustained, and the bow had to be shot before it was opened, so it required very good eyesight and archery skills.  high.

    On the contrary, infantry bows are relatively soft. In order to ensure power, they are generally large bows that can be slowly drawn to aim, and large arrows are used to shoot at an elevation angle, unlike cavalry bows which shoot in a straight line. Therefore, in the Three Kingdoms era, the number of assault cavalry  Very few, usually infantry and archers.

    Before Liu Jing could react, Huang Zhong whipped him hard on the back, "You bastard! This is only thirty steps. It depends on where you go. I'll give you two more chances. If you still can't.  If you don¡¯t, then stop learning.¡±

    Liu Jing bit her lips and galloped. This time he no longer panicked, calmed down his emotions, and fixed his eyes on the straw man. When he practiced his walking bow in Fancheng, he could accurately shoot the straw man from 80 steps away. Now he can only  At thirty paces, even on horseback, he should be able to shoot.

    When he got the chance, he stretched his bow and nocked an arrow, and shot out an arrow. The arrow passed over the straw man's head. This time, it was one foot away. Huang Zhong nodded secretly, 'Yes, this kid understands very quickly!  It's a bit reliable.  "

    But Huang Zhong was still very stern and whipped him hard again, "You still didn't hit the target. You only have one chance. If you don't hit the target, get back!"

    Huang Zhong was very strict in running the army. He would be rewarded heavily for victory and punished heavily for defeat. He would show no mercy. Even if Liu Jing was the nephew of Zhou Mu, the same would apply.

    Liu Jing galloped on his horse and drew out the third arrow. He had gradually found some feeling in his hand. The few archery tips Huang Zhong taught him flowed through his mind like mercury. His heart became extremely calm. His arms were as steady as mountains. He opened his bow and shot.  Completed in one breath, the bow is opened like the autumn moon, and the arrow is shot like a shooting star.

    The arrow shot smoothly. Huang Zhong secretly shouted "Good" and followed the arrow with his eyes. The arrow was steady.When it hit the straw man, the surrounding soldiers applauded and cheered, and the third arrow hit the target as expected.

    Of course, Huang Zhong didn't expect that his third arrow would hit. For ordinary people, it was not easy to stabilize their body on horseback when they practiced riding and shooting for the first time. What's more, when he opened his bow and fired an arrow, he just yelled at Liu Jing.  Such encouragement, but I didn't expect that he actually did it.

    Huang Zhong couldn¡¯t help but secretly admire him, ¡®His qualifications are indeed extraordinary, he is truly talented and beautiful!  ¡¯

    Liu Jing's horse stopped slowly. He did not expect that his third arrow would hit the target. He was extremely happy in his heart. Apart from joy, he was inevitably a little proud.

    Huang Zhong saw his pride and couldn't help but sneered. He rode his horse to a hundred and twenty paces away and galloped. While running at high speed, he drew out two arrows and shot them out at the same time. The two arrows were powerful.  The arrow hit the straw man's left and right eyes at the same time.

    Huang Zhong ran to the other side again, holding the bow with his right hand and pulling the string with his left hand. Two arrows were shot out at the same time, hitting the straw man's left and right wrists.

    The superb archery skills caused everyone to be silent, and then the cheers were thunderous. Liu Jing looked ashamed and lowered his head.

    Huang Zhong said nothing more and slowly urged his horse forward. He stared at Liu Jing and said, "Starting from today, shoot two hundred arrows every day. After ten days, I ask you to hit the target with one arrow from fifty steps away. If you can't do it, I will  I'll take it upon myself to give you two hundred military sticks!".

 Volume 1, Chapter 100: The Tao family is in trouble

    On the school grounds of Fancheng Military Camp, Liu Jing galloped on his horse. Every time he took dozens of steps, an arrow shot out. Sixty steps away stood a straw man.

    Liu Jing has been practicing for nearly an hour and shot more than sixty arrows. His arms were so tired that he could hardly even pull the bow.

    But the effect was not very good. Only ten of the more than sixty arrows hit the straw man, and the rest all flew away. This result made Liu Jing a little frustrated.

    At this time, a soldier who took the arrow for him advised: "Marquis, you are a little too impatient. Shoot steadily and you will hit the target."

    Liu Jing sighed. He didn't understand that he was shooting too fast, but Huang Zhong ordered him to shoot two hundred arrows a day. At the current speed, it would take at least four hours to finish shooting. He simply doubted whether he could complete this target.

    If it is a walking bow, it may be possible to shoot one arrow after another, but it is different when riding a bow. Just balancing the body requires physical strength and energy. Shooting each arrow is a very difficult task.

    To complete the task of two hundred arrows, one must work even harder. Liu Jing felt deeply at this time that Huang Zhong seemed gentle, but in fact he was extremely severe.

    However, Liu Jing was gratified that he found that his horse control skills improved rapidly, which was also a weakness of his. Now he only shot more than 60 arrows, and his balance ability on the horse has greatly improved. If he continues to practice like this  , three months later, he will also become a master of horse control.

    There are gains and progress in practice, which can inspire people's fighting spirit. Liu Jing took a short rest and ordered the soldiers: "Bring me two more pots of arrows!"

    On the school field, Liu Jing once again started a new round of archery. At noon, Liu Jing felt that her arm was completely numb, and even the soreness disappeared, without any feeling.

    He has already shot a hundred arrows, and he is still halfway to completing today's mission.

    Liu Jing got off his horse and walked towards his official room. At this moment, a soldier rushed to report, "To inform the military lord, a woman named Tao came from outside the camp. She said she had something urgent to see."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The woman named Tao can only be Tao Zhan. I wonder what is urgent about her?  Liu Jing didn't have time to think too much and walked quickly outside the military camp.

    Walking out of the military camp, I saw a young girl flashing out from behind a big tree more than ten steps away. It was Tao Zhan. She ran towards her with panic on her face.

    "Young Master!" She shouted in a low voice, her voice very nervous.

    Liu Jing didn't see her carriage, and felt a little strange. He felt Tao Zhan's panic again, and asked quickly: "What happened?"

    "Sir, help me, Tao's Trading Company something happened."

    Liu Jing was startled and looked back towards the street. From here, he could faintly see Tao's Trading Company. He saw what seemed to be a large group of soldiers over there.

    He nodded, "Come home with me first, and we'll talk about it later."

    Tao Zhan followed Liu Jing closely like a frightened deer. Soldiers like wolves and tigers rushed into Tao's Trading Company, leaving her with lingering fear. Every soldier running past her made her feel nervous, as if  They all came to catch her, so she couldn't help but hold Liu Jing's strong arm.

    Only in this way can she get a sense of security.

    Not long after, they returned to Liu Jing's courtyard. With the sound of the door closing, Tao Zhan breathed a long sigh of relief. Liu Jing patted her hand and comforted her with a smile.

    Only then did Tao Zhan realize that he was still holding Liu Jing's arm. She was so frightened that she even pulled away her hand. Her pretty face suddenly turned red and she whispered, "Thank you, sir!"

    "Go to my study to talk!"

    Liu Jing felt that Tao Zhan's lingering fear was still trembling slightly, and he quickly ordered Little Baozi, "Little Baozi, pour me a glass of wine."

    In the study, Tao Zhan sat down, holding the ear cup in his hand and slowly took a sip of wine, and his heart gradually calmed down.

    "Thank you, I'm much better."

    Tao Zhan was grateful. If Liu Jing hadn't helped her, she really didn't know where to go now?  She thought again of her second uncle being kidnapped and tied up. Her eyes turned red and she couldn't help but shed tears.

    "Tell me, what happened?" Liu Jing looked at her and asked in a deep voice.

    Tao Zhan restrained his emotions and said with a red nose: "I don't know what happened. Just now, a large group of soldiers rushed into the business and said that we were smuggling contraband, so they arrested the second uncle and all the managers.  £®I just went to buy makeup and saw them.

    Tao Zhan's voice trembled, and he finally couldn't help crying. Liu Jing thought for a moment, and comforted her softly: "Don't worry, after all, the Tao family is the honored guest of Zhou Mu, and the army dare not do anything to him."  ¡±

    Tao Zhan wiped away his tears with a handkerchief and looked at Liu ?? with red eyes.??, "Sir, can you help me?"

    Liu Jing nodded silently, stood up and told the little bun, "Take good care of Miss Tao."

    The little bun nodded quickly, "Don't worry, sir!"

    Liu Jing glanced at Tao Zhan again, turned around and strode away. Tao Zhan watched his back walking away, feeling only an indescribable gratitude in his heart.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing walked to the city gate, and Zhuang Zhong, the commander of the camp on duty, hurriedly came up to him, bowed and saluted, "Please give me your orders, military marquis!"

    "What's going on today? So many soldiers came to the city to arrest people?"

    Zhuang Zhong curled his lips contemptuously, "They are all navy soldiers. I heard that the Tao family seems to be trafficking in some prohibited items. I don't know the specific positions."

    "Navy army?"

    Liu Jing was extremely sensitive. He immediately thought of Zhang Yun. Could this matter be related to Zhang Yun?

    He pondered for a moment, he had to figure out the situation first. He thought of Li Jun, wondering if he had any news?

    Liu Jing went back to the military camp to get the war horse, got on his horse and ran towards the Youjiao Station. As soon as he left the city gate, he saw Li Jun running towards him on horseback. Liu Jing quickly pulled the reins.

    "Sir, I'm just going to find you!" Li Jun said anxiously.

    Liu Jing pointed to the woods in the distance and said, "Go over there and talk."

    The two came to a secluded place in the woods, and Li Jun whispered: "Sir, the matter is a bit serious."

    "Don't be anxious, speak slowly."

    "About midnight last night, Jiang Ducao, who never went out of the river, took a group of brothers out of the river. As a result, they captured the Tao family fleet and found two hundred military crossbows and a thousand swords from the fleet. As a result, at this time  , Zhang Yun led the naval patrol arrived in time and detained both people and ships. "

    ¡°What a coincidence!¡±

    Liu Jing sneered and asked: "Are these fifty ships the missing fleet of the Tao family?"

    "I don't know about that. Anyway, the people and the boat are all in the water village."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then asked: "What is the crime of smuggling two hundred military crossbows and one thousand swords?"

    Li Jun shook his head and smiled bitterly, "According to Jingzhou's laws, those who smuggle five military crossbows will be exiled thousands of miles away, those who sell ten military crossbows will be beheaded, and those who sell more than one hundred military crossbows will have their whole families beheaded!"

    Liu Jing's heart sank. It was obvious that Zhang Yun was going to attack the Tao family. The situation was urgent and rescue must be carried out immediately.

    "Thank you very much!"

    Liu Jing turned his horse around and was about to leave. Li Jun stopped Liu Jing again, "Master Jing, I have friends in the Navy Prison. Maybe I can deliver some news for you."

    ¡°Then thank you, Brother Li. Thank you later!¡±

    Liu Jing cupped her fists and cupped her hands, urging her horse to gallop towards the dock. Li Jun watched Liu Jing go away and couldn't help but sigh. In fact, he liked Liu Jing very much and really didn't want to be his subordinate.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Tao Li, the second boss of Tao's Trading Company, and more than a dozen stewards were kidnapped and taken into the Navy Dazhai located ten miles east of Xiangyang City.

    More than a dozen people were taken directly to the military prison, while Tao Li was taken to Zhang Yun's tent. Tao Li is the younger brother of the head of the family, Tao Sheng, and an important figure in the Tao family. He is about fifty years old and of medium build.  , has a square face, big ears, fair skin, and a dignified appearance.

    This time he brought his niece Tao Zhan to Xiangyang to investigate the disappearance of fifty merchant ships. Unexpectedly, just one day after his arrival, before he could find out anything, the Tao family committed an incident and the army arrested him directly.

    "You bastards, untie me!"

    Taoli yelled and cursed, and a soldier kicked him.  He pushed him viciously into the tent.

    Zhang Yun was sitting in the big tent, with a half-smile on his face and an indescribable pride in his eyes, "Does the second proprietor still recognize me?"

    "It's you!"

    Tao Li knew Zhang Yun. The year before last, he and his family made a special trip to visit the navy captain.

    "It turns out to be Colonel Zhang. Could it be that you arrested me?"

    Zhang Yun waved his hand and ordered everyone to retreat, then smiled lightly and said: "The second proprietor still doesn't know why he was arrested! Then let me tell you, we found two hundred military crossbows and weapons from the Tao family's merchant ship.  A thousand swords, do you know what this crime is?"

    Tao Li flew into a rage and roared: "You are so slanderous. My Tao family has been in business for fifty years. When did we ever traffic in weapons?"

    ¡°That¡¯s just because the Tao family wasn¡¯t caught.¡±

    Zhang Yun smiled coldly and took a stack of confessions from the table, "This is the confession of the crew on the ship, including Zhang Xian, the steward of the Tao family. He has admitted that it was the Tao family who arranged the trafficking of contraband. There are all witnesses and material evidence. You can't help it."  Don¡¯t admit it.¡±

    "Zhang Xian?"

    Tao Li was stunned. Zhang Xian was missing.Half a month?  His thoughts changed and he immediately understood something. Looking at Zhang Yun's proud face, Tao Li sneered, "If I'm not wrong, this is your plan!"

    Zhang Yun laughed, gave a thumbs up and praised: "As expected of Lao Jianghu, he is really quick to respond. Yes, I set the trap. I robbed the Tao family's fifty cargo ships, and I also put the swords and crossbows in the bottom cabin.  , but your people have confessed, and soon your managers will also press their fingerprints under the stick. It can be said that you, the Tao family, can escape this  "Jie?"

    A sentence burst out from Tao Li's lips for a while, "How despicable and shameless, hum! What do you want?"

    Zhang Yun approached his face, narrowed his eyes and said, "Would such a smart second proprietor still ask such stupid questions?"

    "You want money?" Tao Li understood what he meant.

    "That's right!"

    Zhang Yun nodded and said slowly: "Young people don't tell secrets. I want 20,000 taels of gold. Pay 10,000 taels first, and the other 10,000 taels must be paid within one year. This is my condition."

    Tao Li sighed loudly, "Dream!"

    Zhang Yun came close to his ear and laughed softly: "I am arresting your niece now. Do you know what will happen to her if she goes to prison and falls into the hands of those wolf-like guards? I think that  "You agreed quickly."

    Zhang Yun snorted sinisterly and waved his hand, "Take him to prison and make him confess!"

    Several soldiers rushed into the tent and pushed Tao Li out fiercely. Zhang Yun thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and shouted, "Come here!"

    A soldier rushed in, and Zhang Yun ordered: "Go and tell the prison boss that Wang Cheng and Zhao Yong must be killed by me, and I will say that they committed suicide out of fear of crime!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 101: Active Rescue

    The so-called Navy Prison is actually a place where soldiers who violate military regulations are imprisoned. It is located in the southeast corner of the Navy Dazhai. It is a long building made of bluestone, more than 20 feet long, and can hold hundreds of people.

    But at this time, only the clerks and stewards of Tao's Trading Company were imprisoned in the prison. There were more than 40 people in total. After the torture in the middle of the night yesterday, almost all the clerks who were on the ship confessed.

    Even the steward Zhang Xian, who knew clearly that the case was being framed, could not withstand the torture and was forced to sign the frame-up document, admitting that Tao's firm had smuggled banned weapons.

    In the innermost room of the prison, the steward Zhang Xian was tightly locked with an iron chain. He was lying on a tattered bed, with straw piled in one corner, and several rats squeaking their heads out of the bed.

    Zhang Xian was beaten to a bloody pulp and could not move. At this time, a sound came from the wooden fence with a thick arm: "Crash!"  ¡¯ With a sound, a jailer in soap clothes unlocked the door and walked in. He held a bag of gold wound medicine in his hand. He said in an evil voice: ¡°There is an order from above. I am afraid that you will die, so let me give you medicine!¡±

    Zhang Xian snorted and turned away. The jailer ignored him, squatted down, and applied the gold wound medicine on his hands and feet.

    At this time, the jailer looked back and lowered his voice: "What do you want me to take you out of?"

    Zhang Xian turned around in surprise, glanced at him, suddenly sneered, and lay down again. The jailer smiled bitterly, "You have already confessed, do I still need to trick you? Someone asked me to do it."

    Zhang Xian then slowly turned around, and after a while, he sighed, "I can't stand the torture. I've done something unfaithful, so what else can I say?"

    The jailer nodded silently and said: "Your two proprietors were also arrested and put in the cell next door. The stewards are interrogating you one by one!"

    At this time, a scream came from afar, followed by someone faintly crying: "I'll do it! I'll do it!"

    Zhang Xian bit his lips. He suddenly remembered something and whispered: "I only have one sentence. Wang Cheng and Zhao Yong are our associates. They are the ones who framed the Tao family."

    Liu Jing was pacing back and forth in front of the steps of the Yamen Square with his hands behind his back. He was a little worried. He should have hidden Tao Zhan in the military camp if he had known it. He should not have hesitated for the damn military discipline.

    He was very worried that Zhang Yun's army would find Tao Zhan and take her away. However, it was his own house, so maybe he would still be a little cautious.

    Although she knew that this self-comfort was meaningless, Liu Jing still hoped that Tao Zhan would be safe.

    Liu Jing has roughly guessed that Zhang Yun did it. The Tao family's most abundant resource is money, and Zhang Yun framed the Tao family just to make money.

    At this time, a guard came out, saluted and said: "Kuai joins the army and invites the young master to come in!"

    Kuai Yue¡¯s official position was Zhonglang General in the Army. He was the highest-ranking official in Jingzhou after Cai Mao and the third most powerful person. His official residence was located next door to Liu Biao¡¯s official residence. Although it was next door, there was still a long way to go.

    Liu Jing followed the guards into the official room. The official room was divided into two rooms, the inner and the outer. The outer room was where ordinary guests were entertained and the assistants sorted documents. The inner room was Kuai Yue's real office.

    "Master Jing, please come in!" Kuai Yue's laughter came from the room.

    Liu Jing quickly walked into the back room and saw Kuai Yue sitting behind the desk writing furiously. He quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply, "Junior, please see Kuai Gong!"

    Since Kuai Yue helped him persuade Liu Biao last time, he has not seen Liu Jing again. He put down his pen and looked him up and down with a smile, "Is your injury feeling better?"

    ¡°I¡¯ll report back to Duke Kuai, I¡¯m almost ready.¡±

    Kuai Yue nodded, "I heard from your uncle that he is going to let Huang Zhong teach you martial arts. Have you already become a disciple?"

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly in his heart. Huang Zhong would not take away the love of others and would not accept him as his disciple. There was no need to become a disciple. He shook his head and said, "It's just learning skills."

    After a pause, Liu Jing continued: "I have something to ask Kuai Gong for help today."

    "Haha! Why are you so anxious?"

    "Last night, the Tao family's ship was intercepted by the navy"

    Liu Jing told Kuai Yue the information he knew in detail, and finally said: "Both the patrol station and the naval army showed up in this matter quite strangely. It was obviously premeditated, and the Tao family's fleet was in half a  He disappeared a month ago and suddenly appeared again. Weapons were found on the ship. Doesn¡¯t Mr. Kuai think this is a frame-up? "

    Kuai Yue closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then said slowly: "Prefect Li also told me about this matter in the morning. He was also quite dissatisfied with it. The Youyuan Office did not report it to him. He heard it from the Fancheng County Magistrate.  , only to know that this big thing happened.¡±

    Liu Jing's heart moved. He remembered that Tao Zhan said that his second uncle came to find the missing fleet and asked the Governor of Xiangyang.The Tao family has a relationship with Li Gui, so will Li Gui stand by and watch the Tao family suffer this time?  Certainly not.

    ?????????????????????? Did Li Gui come to find Kuai Yue because of this?  In order to save the Tao family.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing's eyes became eager and she stared at Kuai Yue with piercing eyes. Kuai Yue seemed to understand Liu Jing's thoughts. He smiled, stood up and walked to the window with his hands behind his hands, looking at the blue sky for a long time.  , he smiled lightly and said: "Do you know why Zhang Yun attacked the Tao family?"

    ¡°Juniors don¡¯t know!¡±

    Kuai Yue sighed, "Your uncle agreed to Zhang Yun's resumption of his private army a month ago and allowed him to have three thousand troops. This is the root of the problem. Zhang Yun has no money and food, so he can't recruit troops!"

    Liu Jing was slightly startled. Kuai Yue revealed the secret in one sentence. It turned out that Liu Biao had once again allowed Zhang Yun to recruit private soldiers. He could not help but frown and asked in confusion: "Didn't my uncle say last time that he would use this incident to eliminate the enemy?"  Are there any dangers from private soldiers in Jingzhou?"

    Kuai Yue smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Things are not that simple. The three major problems in Jingzhou, Buqu, slaves, and manors, are all related to the major families in Jingzhou. Including our Kuai family, we also have more than 5,000 Buqu private soldiers.  He owns more than a dozen large manors and thousands of slaves.

    The more powerful ones are the Cai family, the Huang family, and the Pang family. These are just the four major families. In fact, there are dozens of small and medium-sized families. For example, the Tao family of Chaisang is one of them. Zhou Mu wants to take advantage of Zhang Yun's incident to attack the family tribe.  But he didn't have the courage to really attack the family, and finally let it go, so he agreed to Zhang Yun's restoration of the tribe, which was actually because he gave up on the matter.  "

    Liu Jing was silent, this incident was beyond his expectation, but when he thought about it carefully, it was expected. When he read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in his previous life, he always thought that Liu Biao was a useless person who was deceived by the Cai family and died in vain.  Foundation.

    But at this time, he realized that Liu Biao was actually a man of great talent and strategy. He came to Jingzhou alone, relied on the Jingzhou family, fought in the north and south for more than ten years, and conquered thousands of miles of territory.

    But Liu Biao had a fatal weakness. He lacked courage and determination. He valued fame too much and did not dare to offend the Jingzhou family. He would compromise on everything. In the end, he became dependent on the Jingzhou family, so that he changed orders day by day, making people feel at a loss.  Somewhat indecisive.

    He has been unable to get out of this vicious circle. He has been busy balancing the interests of the family all his life, and even arranging his own marriage is a compromise to the interests of the Jingzhou family.

    It is precisely for this reason that he restored Zhang Yun's music department two months after depriving him of it. This is enough to explain all the problems.

    But now we are not talking about these complex political and economic issues. Now we are talking about solving the immediate crisis. Liu Jing's thoughts returned to the Tao family's affairs, and she said in a deep voice: "I hope Kuai Gong can help me solve the Tao family's crisis."

    Kuai Yue nodded. Li Gui had already come to see him once in the morning. He was a little hesitant because he knew that Cai Mao was behind this matter. This matter had nothing to do with him. He didn't want to get involved too deeply, but now Liu Jing  Also came to beg him, and Kuai Yue finally decided to intervene in the matter.

    "Okay! I'll go talk to Zhou Mu. In addition, you should also try your best to find some evidence that is beneficial to the Tao family. If the evidence of the Tao family's smuggling of weapons is conclusive, and there is the persistence of Cai Hao, Zhang Yun and others,  Even if Zhou Mu wants to mediate this matter, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy.¡±

    "Junior understands, let's go look for evidence."

    Liu Jing bowed and left Kuai Yue's official residence. He was worried about Tao Zhan's safety, so he immediately returned to Fancheng.

    Kuai Yue sat in the official room and pondered for a while, and then he came to Liu Biao's official room unhurriedly. Liu Biao's official room was an independent two-story building, located next to Kuai Yue's official room, but it was actually more than 300 steps away.  , it takes a while to walk.

    Kuai Yue walked to the door of the official room and asked the guard: "Is Zhou Mu here?"

    "Reporting to join the army, Zhou Muzheng and Cai Military Advisor will discuss military affairs."

    Cai Mao was also there, so this was a bit difficult to handle. Kuai Yue thought for a moment, and then said to the guard: "Report to the Zhou Mu for me, saying that I have something urgent to see you for!"

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 102 Everyone has his reasons

    "What urgent matter does Mr. Kuai bring to me?" In the room, Liu Biao stopped talking to Cai Mao and looked at Kuai Yue with a smile.

    "It's about the Tao family"

    Next to him, Cai Mao straightened his back and a trace of nervousness flashed in his eyes. He had already guessed what Kuai Yue was going to say. It seemed that Kuai Yue was really going to intervene in this matter.

    Kuai Yue glanced at Cai Mao, and then said slowly: "I heard that the Tao family's boat was impounded last night, and even Tao Li was arrested by the navy this morning. Does my lord know about this?"

    Liu Biao frowned. Although Zhang Yun reported something to him last night, he did not know that it actually involved the Tao family. Moreover, he was not awake at the time and did not take it to heart.

    "Degui, what's going on?" Liu Biao asked in a long voice, a little unhappy.

    Cai Mao was in charge of military affairs. He had to report to Liu Biao for the deployment of naval forces. Cai Mao had a plan in mind and said calmly: "I have also heard about this matter. I sent someone to question General Zhang. He said that he had informed General Zhang last night.  The lord reported it, and with his consent, he sent troops to capture the fleet smuggling weapons.

    As for whether the people arrested were the Tao family's fleet, as Yidu said, the subordinates are not sure, but Jingzhou has its own laws, which has little to do with who traffics weapons. If the Tao family smuggles weapons, it violates the law.  According to the law, one should also be punished.  "

    Cai Mao is an extremely shrewd person. He knows that there are two things involved here. One is whether Zhang Yun sent troops without authorization, and the other is whether the evidence of the Tao family's trafficking in weapons is conclusive. As long as these two things are handled well, victory is basically guaranteed.  As for extorting money from the Tao family, that can be done privately.

    Having said this, he glanced at Kuai Yue quickly, his eyes full of pride and provocation. This time they had done a perfect job, and he didn't believe that Kuai Yue could find any loopholes.

    Liu Biao was a little embarrassed. He did agree to Zhang Yun last night, but he didn't expect it to be the Tao family. The Tao family is an extremely important family with strong financial resources and provides him with a large amount of money every year to support his military expenses.

    In fact, he also knew that the Tao family also secretly had contacts with Jiangdong, but he could understand, businessmen!  In business, interests always come first. He has to do business in both Jingzhou and Jiangdong. He also pretends to be deaf and dumb and collects tribute from the Tao family every year.

    At this time, Liu Biao was slightly annoyed. He had realized that Zhang Yun was deliberately concealing himself. He was right to report it, but why didn't he say it was the Tao family? As a school captain, Zhang Yun didn't understand how important the Tao family was to him.  Zhang Yun obviously used some kind of trick to get himself into the trap.

    It¡¯s just that Liu Biao didn¡¯t show his emotions or anger, and there was no expression on his face, making it impossible to tell his attitude.

    Kuai Yue is very clear about the importance of the Tao family to Liu Biao. Punishment cannot be compared to that of a doctor. When it comes to Liu Biao's level, no laws or crimes are important. What matters is only interests and weighing the gains and losses of interests.

    But there are some truths that need to be made clear, and Liu Biao must understand the truth in his heart. Since Cai Mao and Zhang Yun have already lifted the stone, it is not wrong to let them use this stone to hit themselves in the foot.

    "My lord, first of all, there is a problem with the process. As far as I know, this fleet was seized by the patrol station, and then the navy was dispatched to hijack the fleet. I have two questions. This matter  Why didn't the Youjiao Office report the matter to the superior? In addition, the Youjiao Office was fully capable of handling the matter. This was also their responsibility. Why did the Navy want to take this matter away? It was obviously a matter under local jurisdiction.  What's the point of the army?"

    Cai Mao quickly said: "The trafficking of weapons and crossbows is of course related to the army. General Zhang took over the matter because he was worried that the Youjiao Office could not handle the matter well and cause chaos. As for why the Youjiao Office did not report it to the superiors, it may be a delay.  Yes, maybe they'll report back tomorrow."

    Kuai Yue did not give in, and said tit for tat: "Even if the naval forces are well-intentioned and are afraid of problems, why don't they hand over the case to the county government after dawn? Instead, the Yue Lord takes over and tries the case himself. This is obviously  County government affairs.

    Taking a step back, even if Colonel Zhang had not thought of it, why did he ignore it when Li Taishou went to the military camp to ask for prisoners in the morning? At the same time, he also sent troops to rush into Fancheng and capture Tao Li and the Tao family steward. These were local government affairs and had nothing to do with it.  What's the point of the army?

    ???????? Could it be that his dignified captain doesn¡¯t even understand this truth?  Perhaps Military Advisor Cai also thinks this is irrelevant, so he can abolish the local government and let the military take care of everything.  "

    Kuai Yue caught the fact that Zhang Yunyue was acting on behalf of the Lord, and pressed every sentence with precise answers. The questions made Cai Mao speechless. He was secretly anxious and must notify Zhang Yun immediately to plug this loophole.

    Cai Hao quickly handed over to Liu Biao and said: "My lord, because Captain Zhang reported this matter to his subordinates early in the morning, my subordinates paid attention to it. Maybe we don't know the specific situation, and I can't just talk about it. Please lord."  Let your subordinates investigate first., and then report back.  "

    Liu Biao shook his head, "There is no need for the military advisor to investigate in person. It's very simple. Order Zhang Yun to come see me!"

    Someone went to inform Zhang Yun, and the official room became quiet again. Cai Hao was secretly worried, and went out on the pretext of dealing with an urgent military matter. Only Kuai Yue and Liu Biao were left in the room.

    Liu Biao then asked calmly: "Do you think there is a problem here?"

    "To report to my lord, my subordinates just feel that this is unreasonable."

    "Why is this unreasonable?" Liu Biao looked at him and asked.

    Kuai Yue stroked his beard and smiled, "Have the Tao family been in business for decades, how often have they ever done anything illegal? With the Tao family's tens of millions of assets and their courage to swallow the Yangtze River, my lord thought that they would risk confiscating the family and smuggling a mere three hundred military crossbows.  , make this little profit?¡±

    "If it wasn't the Tao family that did it, then who did it? Was it framed?"

    Kuai Yue smiled and said, "Lord, the news I got is that this fleet disappeared for half a month beforehand, so Tao Li came to Xiangyang to look for it. There have been articles about this for a long time. There is one more thing, lord, have you forgotten? Two  I took inventory of the weapons arsenal more than a month ago, but there were thousands of crossbows missing! "

    One sentence reminded Liu Biao that he already understood that someone was framing the Tao family in an attempt to get money from the Tao family. As for who did it, he knew more or less.

    At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Colonel Zhang is here."

    "Let him in!" Liu Biao said with a hint of severity in his tone.

    Kuai Yue quickly stood up and said: "Then, please avoid this humble position."

    Liu Biao nodded, "Go!"

    Zhang Yun was Liu Biao's nephew. It would be difficult for them to say certain things when Kuai Yue was around. Kuai Yue knew this very well, so he stood up and retreated.

    Not long after, Zhang Yun hurried in. He received an urgent notice from Cai Mao on the way, and he already had a countermeasure in mind. There were all witnesses and physical evidence in this matter. As long as he killed him in one bite, there would be no loopholes.

    "My nephew meets his uncle!"

    Liu Biao sat down and asked calmly: "Last night you told me that someone was smuggling weapons. How are they being dealt with now?"

    "Reporting to uncle, the matter has been found out. It was the Tao family who had the audacity to smuggle crossbows and knives. All the clerks and managers have admitted that it was indeed the Tao family. The evidence is conclusive."

    After finishing speaking, Zhang Yun presented a thick stack of confessions. Liu Biao took the confessions, looked at them, and asked quietly: "In that case, why didn't you transfer this case to the county government? I heard that Governor Li asked you  I wanted someone but you refused, why?¡±

    Zhang Yun had already thought of a countermeasure. He leaned forward and said, "Report to uncle, because during the interrogation process, my nephew discovered that the Tao family and Prefect Li have a very close relationship.

    This time Tao Li came to Xiangyang to meet with Li Taishou. They have a very close personal relationship, so my nephew suspected that Li Taishou came to ask for someone, but he actually wanted to use it for personal gain and help the Tao family get away with it, so I firmly refused to agree.  "

    Zhang Yun¡¯s answer is also very reasonable. Liu Biao also knows that the relationship between the Tao family and the prefect Li Gui is very good. Is this really the case?

    At this time, Zhang Yun added: "My nephew also believes that with the strong financial resources of the Tao family, they will naturally look down on this weapon, but the nephew suspects that this is actually the Tao family transporting it to others, and the Tao family itself  It has nothing to do with it, and this was proven in the confession.¡±

    "Who do you think this is being transported for?"

    "The nephew suspected Gan Ning. In his confession, he said that the fleet was not hijacked, but went to Bishui. After waiting there for half a month, someone sent weapons and crossbows to the ship. One of them seemed to be Gan Ning's subordinate.  , but during the arrest, he jumped into the water and escaped.¡±

    Liu Biao was a little confused. Zhang Yun's answer made sense. Thinking about it, it was indeed possible. After all, Gan Ning had brought 500 slaves from Runan. Liu Biao knew that it was Liu Jing who helped him get away with the crime.

    ¡°It is entirely possible that Gan Ning would bring another batch of weapons from Runan. Going by land is too dangerous and easy to be interrogated, so he usually goes by water.

    Since basically no one in the Tao family¡¯s caravan will conduct inspections, it is most appropriate to let the Tao family transport the goods.

    As for why the Tao family took risks for Gan Ning, it was because the place where Gan Ning was stationed was very close to Chaisang. The Tao family had many requests from Gan Ning, so they would naturally take risks for him.

    Liu Biao felt that these speculations were reasonable. In fact, the fundamental reason was that Liu Biao did not believe Gan Ning. Zhang Yun caught Liu Biao's mentality and dragged Gan Ning in.

    Liu Biao pondered for a moment and then asked: "Then why didn't you make it clear to me when you reported last night that it was related to the Tao family?"

    Zhang Yun quickly kowtowed and reported: "Reporting to my uncle, yesterday my nephew didn't know that this matter was related to the Tao family. It was only during the interrogation last night that he learned that they were Tao family members."The fleet, my nephew would never dare to hide it from his uncle!  "

    Liu Biao saw Zhang Yun¡¯s innocent face and couldn¡¯t help but believe it. He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, secretly thinking: ¡®Is this really Gan Ning¡¯s task of entrusting the Tao family to transport goods?  ¡¯

    After pondering for a long time, Liu Biao said to Zhang Yun: "Stop this matter for the time being. No more interrogation. I want to ask Tao Sheng personally and let him explain to me. In addition, Tao Li will be put back to the trading company and placed under house arrest. No questioning is allowed."  He uses torture!"

    Zhang Yun was secretly happy. This way he would have time to complete the case, close all the loopholes, and use some means to ensure that the Tao family would not obediently hand over the gold.

    "My nephew obeys my orders!"

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 103 Key Witness

    Liu Jing hurried back to Fancheng. He was worried that Tao Zhan would be caught by Zhang Yun's people. Once Tao Zhan was taken into the military camp, even if he killed Zhang Yun in the end, he would not be able to undo the damage that Tao Zhan might suffer.

    Liu Jing has never cared about a girl as much as he does today. He didn't spend much time with her, but her humor, intelligence and beauty were deeply ingrained in his heart.

    Although there are some things he doesn¡¯t want to face, he has to admit that the reason why he works so hard to help the Tao family is not because the Tao family can give him any favors, nor because he has any noble virtues of helping others.

    Of course, it is undeniable that Liu Jing has the intention to win over the Tao family, but at this moment, it is largely because he has ulterior motives.

    Liu Jing galloped on his horse, and after a while he rushed back to his residence, turned over and dismounted, and knocked on the door hastily. After a while, the door creaked open a crack, revealing a round and big eye of the little bun, "It's the young master!"

    The fear in her eyes suddenly turned into joy. She opened the door and beat her chest with joy, "I thought some robber came to the door."

    "Are you okay?"

    As soon as Liu Jing finished speaking, she saw Tao Zhan running into the courtyard. His beautiful eyes were filled with concern and expectation, and Liu Jing's heart suddenly dropped in her throat.

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded to her, and found that there was another little maid beside her. She was only eleven or twelve years old. She was about the same age as Little Baozi. She had pretty features and was well-behaved.

    ¡°Sir, is there any news?¡± Tao Zhan walked up and asked nervously.

    "There is some news, let's go to the study room to talk."

    Liu Jing closed the door and walked into the study. He was slightly startled. He found that his study had been tidied up. There were more than a dozen volumes of bamboo slips placed randomly on the table and neatly arranged. It was this daughter of a wealthy family.  Did the eldest lady clean it up for herself?

    He knew it wasn¡¯t Xiao Baozi, so he didn¡¯t allow Xiao Baozi to touch the things in his study. Liu Jing¡¯s heart felt a little warm, and she glanced behind her from the corner of her eye, just as Tao Zhan walked in.

    Liu Jing immediately pretended to be nonchalant and asked her to sit down. Xiao Baozi served two cups of tea. Liu Jing asked Tao Zhan with concern: "I'm not here today, so you didn't go out?"

    Tao Zhan shook his head, "I didn't go out. I asked Little Baozi to find Gillian."

    It turned out that this maid was called Gillian. Liu glanced at the little maid standing at the door. She was timid and seemed to be quite timid.

    "Sir, how is the situation?" Tao Zhan asked in a soft voice.

    "I got the news from the Youjiao Station today because the Tao family was caught by Zhang Yun's navy for smuggling three hundred military crossbows and thousands of swords. Now everyone is imprisoned in the navy's stronghold,"

    "Then what?"

    Tao Zhan continued to ask, her expression was extremely calm and she was not irritated at all.

    Liu Jing was a little surprised by her calmness. He thought Tao Zhan would stand up and angrily scold Zhang Yun for spitting, but he didn't expect that she was so calm and composed. This made Liu Jing seem to see another Tao Zhan.

    A calm, rational Tao Zhan who can handle big things.

    Liu Jing also calmed down and continued: "Then I went to the state government office, found Kuai Yue, and asked him to help intercede. There is no result for the time being."

    Tao Zhan lowered his head and thought for a moment, then raised his head and stared at Liu Jing, his clear eyes shining with the light of wisdom.

    "Sir, that fleet is undoubtedly the missing fleet. The mastermind should be Zhang Yun. He framed the Tao family in order to extort money from the Tao family. If this is the case, they will not hurt me for the time being."  Uncle, but the others were probably tortured and forced to give confessions, and the situation is not good for the Tao family. "

    Having said this, Tao Zhan sighed again, "Actually, it's easy for them to make my second uncle surrender. As long as they catch me, my second uncle will definitely give in."

    Liu Jing blurted out, "That's why I rushed back because I was afraid that you would be captured by them."

    Tao Zhan bit his lip lightly and lowered his head shyly. A sweet feeling surged in his heart. It turned out that he cared about him so much. Yesterday, he thought he didn't take her to heart.

    After a moment, she whispered again: "Master Jing, if you don't worry about my safety, I can put on makeup."

    Liu Jing slapped himself hard on the forehead. How could he forget this important matter? Tao Zhan could hide it by dressing up as a man. He said with great joy: "Girl, you should have told me earlier, so I wouldn't have to worry so much."

    Tao Zhan rolled his eyes at him and said coquettishly: "Do you think I didn't expect it? It's just that the makeup package was in Gillian's hand. I only found her half an hour ago. She came back just as she wanted to disguise you."

    Liu Jing was completely relieved, stood up and said with a smile: "This will make me feel relieved. You stay at home and I will go find out the news and find a way to get rid of you."Uncle rescued him first.  "

    Tao Zhan¡¯s pretty face turned red when he heard him say ¡®stay at home¡¯, but when he saw that he was about to leave, he quickly said: ¡°Master, wait a minute!¡±

    Liu Jing scratched her head, "What else do you want to explain?"

    "You sit down first, I haven't finished speaking yet!"

    Liu Jing sat down. Tao Zhan was happy when he saw that he was obedient. He couldn't help but smile. He thought about it and said, "Actually, the key to this matter lies in Zhou Mu's attitude. Even if Zhang Yun's so-called evidence is conclusive, Zhou Mu doesn't want to embarrass him."  It¡¯s useless for the Tao family. Are you going to see Zhou Mu? "

    Liu Jing nodded, "I want to explain this matter to my uncle in person."

    "If the young master sees Zhou Mu, you might as well tell him that the Tao family has 200,000 shi of grain in Yuzhang County. If Jingzhou does not persecute the Tao family, the Tao family is willing to dedicate these 200,000 shi of grain to Zhou Mu. If  Zhou Mu must listen to the slander and frame the Tao family, and then the Tao family will be burned together, and it will be too late for Zhou Mu to regret it!"

    At the end of his speech, Tao Zhan¡¯s tone became sonorous and powerful, and his expression was decisive.

    Liu Jing nodded silently, "I understand."

    He stood up and walked towards the courtyard. After walking a few steps, he turned back and said with a smile, "Actually, there's no need to worry. I will dispatch a team of soldiers to protect the house. I'm not afraid of them coming to force you."

    Tao Zhan looked at Liu Jing and said softly: "Young master, you must also be careful."

    Liu Jing took a deep look at her, turned around and strode out of the yard. He got on his horse and drove towards the city gate. Watching Liu Jing walk away, Tao Zhan sighed quietly.

    The little bun next to her smiled and said to her: "Actually, my young master is quite gentle. If Miss Cai sees him treating you like this, she will definitely go crazy with anger."

    "Oh? Isn't your young master gentle to her?" Tao Zhan asked pretending to be curious.

    "No! Last time Miss Cai rushed into Young Master's room, beat Uncle Meng, and chopped things to pieces. As a result, Young Master grabbed her arm and threw her into the yard, just like throwing a chicken or duck. We  They were all frightened, that¡¯s the precious princess of the Cai family!¡±

    Tao Zhan was interested. It turned out that there was such an interesting thing between Liu Jing and Cai Shaoyu, so what else?

    She stepped forward and took Little Baozi's hand, and said with a smile: "This kind of thing is quite interesting. Don't you want to learn makeup from me? Let's talk while we learn, okay?"

    "OK!"

    The little bun was so happy that he clapped his hands, "Let's start now!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing went to the military camp first and dispatched a team of soldiers to guard his home. Then he left the city and headed for the dock. As soon as he arrived at the dock, he heard someone calling him from behind, "Master Jing!"

    Liu Jing turned around and saw Li Jun, riding on a horse, waving to him from a distance. Liu Jing was so happy that she quickly turned her horse around and ran forward and asked, "Is there any news?"

    Li Jun looked serious and nodded, "If there is something important, sir, please come with me!"

    Li Jun urged his horse to go east, followed by Liu Jing. The two of them ran one after another, about seven or eight miles away, and came to a house. Li Jun got off his horse, stepped forward and knocked on the door, and the door opened.  The face of a young man was revealed. Seeing that it was Li Jun, the man quickly opened the door.

    "Mr. Jing, this is the house of a friend of mine."

    Li Jun whispered to Liu Jing again: "My friend is working in Shuizhai Prison."

    Liu Jing was surprised. Is there any secret hidden in this courtyard?  He looked around and followed Li Jun into the house. When he walked into a small room, a pungent smell of medicine hit his face. He saw a person lying on a bed. There were several wounds on his neck and body that had been bandaged. There was a man next to him.  The famous doctor and craftsman is packing his things.

    Seeing Li Jun come in, the doctor hurriedly said: "He is fine. He will recover in a month or two. I have left the medicine and prescriptions. I will go ahead and come to me if you need anything."

    The doctor did not dare to stay long and left in a panic. Liu Jing glanced at the wounded man and asked, "Who is he?"

    "He is the key figure in this Tao family case!"

    Liu Jing suddenly became interested and asked quickly: "How do you say this?"

    "This person's name is Wang Cheng. He and another person were Zhang Yun's undercover agents in the fleet. The crossbows and swords in the cabin were hidden by them. As a result, they were captured by the navy and taken to the water village, and a confession was recorded.  Just an hour ago, Zhang Yun ordered the two of them to be killed and silenced, and the other one was killed.

    And this Wang Cheng was tricked into death by my friends in prison, and then he was thrown into the river. He was rescued by the brothers outside who I had arranged in advance. Now that he is not dead, he can prove that it was Zhang Yun who planned it.  He assassinated the Tao family.  "

    Liu Jing was overjoyed with this key witness. This Li Jun was simply too capable for this kind of thing.?It can be done.

    No matter how Li Jun did it, Liu Jing was in the dark at this time, and having this key witness was enough to make Zhang Yun miserable.

    "Will he testify?"

    As soon as Liu Jing finished asking, Wang Cheng, who was lying on the couch, said in a hoarse voice: "I am willing to testify for Mr. Jing!"

    Next to him, Li Jun added with a smile: "This man is the chief of the naval force. He was once Zhang Yun's confidant. Many people know him. He pretended to be a Tao family clerk and also recorded a confession. His fingerprints are on the confession. As long as  As soon as the fingerprints were checked, Zhang Yun's conspiracy was immediately exposed.

    Liu Jing stepped forward and said to Wang Cheng: "If you are willing to cooperate with me to testify, I can save your life."

    At this time, Wang Cheng, who was lying on the couch, already hated Zhang Yun. Zhang Yun promised to give them a hundred taels of gold each and let them go home. It was precisely because he was his confidant that Wang Cheng believed in Zhang Yun, but he did not expect  In the end, Zhang Yun actually wanted to kill them and silence them, which made Wang Chenghan heartbroken. Whether it was to repay a favor or revenge, he would expose Zhang Yun.

    "II am willing to serve you, Master!"

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 104 Face to Face

    At dusk, in a servant's room in the front yard of Liu's mansion, Wang Cheng, who was lying on the bed, told Liu Biao the truth of the matter intermittently. Liu Jing stood aside, feeling a little uneasy, wondering whether this killing move would be successful.  efficient.

    ¡°If Liu Biao already knew the truth and just pretended to be deaf and dumb, he would be self-defeating. But then again, the Tao family still has value for Liu Biao.

    He did not believe that Liu Biao would cut off a financial source in Jingzhou for the selfish desires of a nephew, especially since the manor was huge and the number of farmers was decreasing. When Jingzhou's finances were in crisis, the possibility of Liu Biao's connivance with his nephew was even lower.

    Liu Jing believed that this killing move would anger Liu Biao, so he quietly observed the changes in the expression on Liu Biao's face.

    On the bed, Wang Cheng's injuries were still very serious, but Liu Jing could no longer delay. If the time went on, once the situation went unfavorable to Zhang Yun, there would most likely be serious consequences of killing people and silencing them. Only by using surprise troops could Zhang Yun be saved.  At the most unprepared moment, a knife kills.

    The expression on Liu Biao's face was one of shock at first, and then an indescribable anger surged up. His fists were clenched, and his eyes were as cold as ice. After a while, he turned around and ordered: "Get the confession from my study!"

    A guard rushed away, and after a while, a thick stack of confessions was delivered. These were the confessions of everyone in the Tao family case. Liu Biao looked through it a little and found Wang Cheng's confession.

    He read it over and found that it was indeed a confession made as a clerk of the Tao family, admitting that he was the one who carried the weapons onto the ship, of course under the order of the Tao family steward. Below was his fingerprint, a bright red thumbprint.

    "Fingerprint him!"

    Two guards came forward and re-printed Wang Cheng's right thumb on the confession. Liu Jing suddenly felt next to him. If he killed someone in the future, even this finger would have to be cut off, so that there would be no loopholes.  .

    The guard handed the confession to Liu Biao. Liu Biao squinted and saw that there was a new red fingerprint under the original fingerprint. The two fingerprints were exactly the same and they belonged to the same person.

    Liu Biao's expression changed drastically. He had confirmed that Wang Cheng was Zhang Yun's personal soldier, whose real name was He Zhen. At this time, he had become a key figure in the Tao family case, and the truth was suddenly revealed.

    "You come with me!"

    Liu Biao strongly restrained his raging anger. His anger was like a flood that was about to burst. Zhang Yun and Cai Mao dared to bully him like this. For Liu Biao, Jingzhou was his territory. This was the crime of bullying the emperor. Liu Biao turned around and rushed to the study.  As he walked away, Liu Jing quickly followed.

    He followed Liu Biao, already feeling Liu Biao's rage about to explode.

    Back to the study, Liu Biao stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, staring at the apricot tree in the courtyard, silent for a long time. On the banner above his head, there were two big words written on it, 'Control Anger'.

    He needs to think and sort out the causes and consequences in his mind. This must be Zhang Yun recruiting his troops. He has no money or food in his hands, so he has the idea of ??the Tao family and wants to extort huge wealth from the Tao family, so framing is the best way.

    "Why do you want to help the Tao family?"

    Liu Biao slowly turned around and glanced at Liu Jing, who was standing with his hands down. This was his question, how could Liu Jing get involved with the Tao family?

    Before Zhang Yun can be held accountable, he must clear up all the doubts in his heart.

    Liu Jing had already known about this problem. He bowed and said calmly: "Return to my uncle. When my nephew went to Jiangxia last time, he got acquainted with Tao Zheng, the second son of the Tao family. Later, he found out that I was a member of the Travel Bureau.  The governor was fawning over me in every possible way. Just yesterday afternoon, he came to me and said that a fleet from the Tao family was missing and begged me to help find it, so my nephew intervened in the matter. "

    "Then what?" Liu Biao looked at Liu Jing and quickly judged the authenticity of his nephew's words, which should be true.

    "Then my nephew found his old colleagues at the Youjian Station and found out what happened last night. Some of them knew the jailers in the navy camp, so my nephew asked them to help."

    "Is that all?"

    "Another point."

    Liu Jing added: "This afternoon, my nephew went to find Kuai Gong and asked him for help."

    A doubt in Liu Biao's mind was quietly solved. No wonder Kuai Yue suddenly came to tell him about this in the afternoon. He was a little surprised. How could Kuai Yue know about this? It turned out to be his nephew.

    Liu Biao nodded. He was very satisfied with Liu Jing's honesty. As a superior, no matter what the subordinates did, as long as it was not excessive, he could tolerate it. The only thing he couldn't tolerate was the deception of the subordinates.

    This is the so-called "crime of deceiving the emperor". Liu Jing is his nephew. He befriends the Tao family, secretly communicates with Youjiao, and asks Kuai Yue to help. These are all small problems. The key is that his nephew cannot deceive himself.  , Liu Biao particularly values ????'integrity'Character.

    Compared with Liu Jing's honesty, Zhang Yun's deception of himself is particularly dazzling. He can even tolerate Zhang Yun's framing of the Tao family and his extortion of the Tao family, but he can never tolerate his deception of himself.

    This has already violated Liu Biao¡¯s bottom line. No matter who it is, even his own son, no one will forgive him as long as he violates his bottom line.

    The embankment of anger in Liu Biao's heart finally burst, and the overflowing anger raged like a flood. He shouted sharply, "Come here!"

    A guard walked in and knelt down on one knee: "Please give me the instructions from the state pastor!"

    "Go and find Zhang Yun immediately."

    "As ordered!" The guard hurried out.

    Liu Biao was pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, his pace was rapid, showing his inner anxiety. At this time, Liu Biao thought of Cai Mao and Cai Mao's various defenses to Zhang Yun.

    I'm afraid Cai Mao was also involved in this matter, or even planned it. Liu Biao clenched his fists sometimes, and sometimes let go. He pondered for a long time, and finally imprisoned Cai Mao in the corner of his heart that still had some sense. He didn't want to make the matter a big deal.  , Cai Mao let it go for the time being.

    In fact, Liu Biao was angry with Zhang Yun not because Zhang Yun blackmailed the Tao family, nor because Zhang Yun deceived him, which made him feel angry that he had been fooled. The real reason was that Zhang Yun and Cai Mao had formed an alliance long ago.  He couldn't bear it anymore.

    Yes, he couldn't bear it. Ever since he learned that Zhang Yun had secretly formed an alliance with Cai Mao, dissatisfaction took root in his heart.

    Liu Biao glanced at Liu Jing again. This nephew had been silent for three months, but he made people admire him as soon as he came out. Zhang Yun's painstaking frame-up plan seemed to be watertight. He even deceived himself, but it was easily broken by his nephew.  , Liu Biao couldn't help but admire this ability.

    And Liu Jing performed outstandingly in Xinye in the Battle of Xinye, which particularly satisfied Liu Biao. After listening to Huang Zhong¡¯s report at noon, Liu Jing had already begun to learn martial arts from Huang Zhong. This was a good start.

    Liu Biao secretly praised Liu Jing, but he didn't know that in this Tao family case, the person behind the situation that really turned the situation around was not Liu Jing's ability or luck, but Cao Cao's power in Jingzhou.

    But no matter what, Liu Biao has gradually begun to place high hopes on his nephew. Now that the power structure in Jingxiang is unclear, he must vigorously cultivate Liu's children. If Jing'er can stand out within two years, she may become his most effective soldier.

    Liu Biao thought to himself: 'After this incident is over, it is necessary for his nephew to go to Chaisang to appease the Tao family for him. After all, the Tao family receives a large amount of money and food every year, which is an important financial source and should not be lost.  ¡¯

    Liu Jing stood with his hands down, calm on the outside, but he was thinking quickly in his heart. Judging from Liu Biao's attitude, I'm afraid Zhang Yun will be in trouble this time. If Zhang Yun is suppressed, who will take over the post of naval captain? Is it possible?  It will be Wang Wei.

    Liu Jing has gradually figured out Liu Biao's intentions. No matter who takes over as the navy captain, Liu Biao will definitely use this opportunity to remove the Jingzhou family's influence in the army.

    Liu Jing suddenly had a clear understanding that Zhang Yun was demoted this time because he and Cai Mao's alliance angered Liu Biao. Indeed, Zhang Yun was Liu Biao's nephew and should have been someone worthy of his trust and was able to hold the power of the navy.

    He should be loyal to Liu Biao and not have too much contact with the aristocratic family, but he was caught in the trap and went to form an alliance with Cai Mao. In this case, can Liu Biao still trust him to take charge of the navy?

    ¡°Perhaps Liu Biao couldn¡¯t find an excuse for him for a while, but now he showed up at his door. It can only be said that Zhang Yun is guilty of his own evil and will not survive.

    Not long after, there was a rush of footsteps outside, followed by Zhang Yun¡¯s voice, ¡°Nephew Zhang Yun, please see your uncle!¡±

    "Come in!"

    Liu Biao's voice was very calm, which reassured Zhang Yun a little. He was in the military camp thinking about how to end the Tao family's arms trafficking case as soon as possible, that is, to get money from the Tao family as soon as possible.

    Although he temporarily stabilized his uncle, Kuai Yue had already intervened in the matter. The longer the delay, the more disadvantageous it would be to him.

    The Tao family, in particular, may refuse to hand over the money because of Kuai Yue's intervention. In fact, Zhang Yun has already thought of the fastest way to solve the Tao family's case, which is to catch Tao Li's niece, Tao Sheng's daughter.  As long as she falls into his hands, Tao Li will immediately surrender.

    He has sent people to look for the daughter of the Tao family, but found nothing. But just now, he learned from a steward named Li that the daughter of the Tao family has a close relationship with Liu Jing. Could she be hiding with Liu Jing?  ?

    Zhang Yun also received news at the same time that Liu Jing sent more than a hundred soldiers to guard his home. This was actually equivalent to telling him that Tao's daughter was most likely hiding in Liu Jing's home.

    Just when Zhang Yun was about to take action, his uncle Liu Biao sent someone to take himFind it.

    Zhang Yun walked into Liu Biao's study, and looked into Liu Jing's eyes. His heart skipped a beat, why is Liu Jing here?

    Zhang Yun had a bad feeling in his heart. Perhaps the incident at the police station last time was unforgettable for him. He always had an unspeakable fear of Liu Jing and tried not to provoke this disaster star.

    And this time the Tao family case should have nothing to do with him, but now Zhang Yun knows that the Tao family case is still related to Liu Jing, and the Tao family daughter is probably hidden by Liu Jing.

    Zhang Yun was still worried on the way, maybe Liu Jing would be involved again this time, but the situation in front of him told him that Liu Jing was probably involved.

    Zhang Yun didn't have time to think too much and knelt down and kowtowed, "My nephew Zhang Yun pays homage to my uncle!"

    "Get up!"

    Liu Biao¡¯s expression was dull, showing no emotion or anger. Zhang Yun stood up uneasily. When he lowered his head, he quickly glanced at Liu Jing.

    But Liu Jing was like a clay god, standing there motionless with no expression on his face, not even saying hello to him.

    Zhang Yun swallowed dryly and waited for Liu Biao's question. After a long while, Liu Biao asked calmly: "How is the Tao family's affairs handled? Has Tao Li been sent back?"

    Of course Tao Li was not released, and was still locked up in Shuizhai Prison. Zhang Yun wanted to delay it for two or three days, waiting for the Tao family to give in before releasing him, but now Liu Biao actually asked again.

    Zhang Yun's thoughts changed rapidly. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and whispered: "My nephew has already given the order. I don't know whether he has been released. I will supervise him after I get back."

    Liu Biao nodded and did not ask further questions at this time. He said calmly: "Jing'er just told me that you framed the Tao family case and the purpose was to make money from the Tao family. Is that true?"

    This was the last chance Liu Biao gave to Zhang Yun. Zhang Yun's heart jumped wildly with shock. Did he show his weakness?  It is impossible for Liu Jing to find any loopholes. There are all witnesses and material evidence in this matter, and all the people who should be silenced have also been silenced. Liu Jing has no clue. He is just guessing.

    Zhang Yun immediately turned around and stared at Liu Jing, shouting with a stern voice: "Master Jing, you are talking nonsense. I will loyally protect Jingzhou and will never give any chance to take advantage of you. How could you frame me? Master Jing, you are still holding a grudge."  Let¡¯s do the next thing!¡±

    Liu Jing smiled, "Uncle is asking you now, why are you yelling at me?"

    Liu Biao looked at Zhang Yun with endless disappointment in his eyes. He waved his hand and ordered the guards on the left and right, "Bring the man up!"

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 105: Great Favor to Tao

    Several guards carried a stretcher in from the outside. Lying on the stretcher was a seriously injured man. His breath seemed to be about to expire, but the moment he saw Zhang Yun, a dazzling hatred burst out from his eyes, and he died.  Staring at Zhang Yun.

    The appearance of the injured man frightened Zhang Yun out of his wits. Wasn't this man silenced by his own order?  How could he still be alive?

    He slowly looked back at Liu Jing and saw Liu Jing squinting at him, his eyes full of ridicule. Zhang Yun suddenly understood that he had suffered a fatal blow from Liu Jing.

    "Nephewnephew"

    Zhang Yun's face was pale, his lips were trembling, and he couldn't say a word. He knew that he had been exposed, and a kind of despair welled up from the bottom of his heart seized his body and mind. The appearance of this key figure was like a bolt from the blue.

    His whole body was shaking more and more violently, from his thighs to his chest, and then to his skull. Then, he was like a tree blown by the strong wind, swaying, and suddenly fell to his knees on the ground, his bones cracking.  Sound.

    "Are you still going to insist that you didn't frame me?"

    Liu Biao's tone became extremely cold, and there was a kind of disgust that could not be concealed in his eyes. He was a man who was full of lies and had despicable intentions, a man who dared to deceive even himself. Such a man was actually in charge of 20,000 naval troops. Once he got  Given the opportunity, will he overthrow himself and become his own master?

    Zhang Yun was so shocked that he suddenly shouted, "Uncle, this is Cai Mao who instigated me. He is the mastermind of everything. He plans everything. He is the one who has taken a fancy to the Tao family's money. His nephew is his  deceive!"

    At this time, even Liu Jing couldn't help but sigh. If Zhang Yun didn't mention Cai Mao, maybe he still had a glimmer of hope, but if he pulled Cai Mao out, he would really be doomed. Liu Jing secretly shook his head, what a stupid person.  !

    Liu Biao stared at Zhang Yun, and finally he sighed. It was a waste of his many years of cultivating him to grow such an ugly crooked melon. He ordered the guards next to him, "Take him and imprison him temporarily!"

    Several guards came forward to catch Zhang Yun. Zhang Yun was so anxious that his voice changed, and he begged with a cry, "Uncle, please spare my nephew this time! I never dare to do it again, never again!"

    "I already said it last time. If you have another chance, I will never forgive you. Do you think I'm joking?"

    Liu Biao sneered, waved his hand, "Take him down!"

    Several guards dragged Zhang Yun down, and heard Zhang Yun shouting from a distance: "Uncle, for the sake of mother, please spare me!"

    The stretcher was also carried out, leaving only Liu Biao and Liu Jing in the room. Liu Biao sat down tiredly. He had not been as physically and mentally haggard as he was today for a long time.

    After a while, he glanced at Liu Jing and smiled self-deprecatingly, "Jing'er, do you think your uncle is so pitiful that he would betray his own nephew?"

    Liu Jing shook his head, "It can't be said to be betrayal, it can only be said to be deception. Maybe Zhang Yun thinks this deception is irrelevant."

    "Yes! He may not think it's a big deal, but what about you?"

    Liu Biao stared at him, his sharp eyes seeming to penetrate Liu Jing's heart, "Do you think I'm making a fuss out of a molehill?"

    Liu Jing still shook her head, "The matter was not big at first, but Zhang Yun made it big."

    Liu Biao stared at Liu Jing with his eyes wide open. He didn't believe that Liu Jing had seen through the truth, but his words clearly showed that he was an understanding person. After a while, Liu Biao's face showed a happy smile, "Jing  Son, you always amaze me!"

    After pondering for a while, Liu Biao asked him again, "Then what do you think Zhang Yun should do?"

    "My nephew dare not speak nonsense."

    Liu Biao waved his hand, "You can just say it, I want to hear your opinion."

    "My nephew thinks"

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and said, "Even if my uncle wants to use him in the future, at least he will make the Cai family feel pain for now."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    That night, Liu Biao ordered Zhang Yun to be removed from all positions in the army and demoted to Yiling County Lieutenant. At the same time, Cao Jiang Zhong, the governor of the traveling police station who participated in the frame-up of the Tao family, was dismissed from his post and investigated for the crime of abusing his power (of course that night  , Jiang Zhong hanged himself mysteriously in prison).

    Subsequently, Liu Biao appointed Wenpin as the captain of the navy and ordered the navy to release everyone in the Tao family.

    This decision shocked everyone. A violent weapons smuggling case was reversed in one day, and in the end it was Zhang Yun who fell down.

    The officials in Jingzhou praised Liu Biao for being selfless and showing no mercy to his nephew, which invisibly greatly improved Liu Biao's reputation and prestige. However, a few people understood that Zhang Yun's demotion was a blow to the power of the Cai family.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

      In the inner room of Tao's Trading Company, Tao Li, who had been released, was lying on a couch covered with soft mattresses. He was not tortured, but the navy soldiers tied him with thick ropes, which still caused injuries to his meridians and pain all over his body.  .

    At this time, Tao Li only felt grateful to Liu Jing. Without his protection of his niece and his efforts to turn the tide and reverse the situation, the Tao family would have met a tragic end.

    I thought that if the Tao family continued to send benefits to Liu Biao, they could become Liu Biao's guests. However, in the face of power, the Tao family seemed so weak. This is the fate of businessmen. Even if they are rich and powerful, they cannot escape the crushing power of the country.  Pressure, so Lu Buwei resolutely embarked on the road to seize power after becoming rich and powerful.

    Tao Li sighed in his heart. After returning, he would discuss this issue with his brother that was related to the fate and future of the Tao family.

    "Second proprietor, they are here!" came the report from the attendant at the door.

    " Immediately after the sound of running footsteps, Tao Zhan, the Tao family's precious daughter, ran into the room.

    "Second uncle!"

    She screamed in surprise, her beautiful eyes filled with the joy of reunion with her relatives, and a few crystal tears.

    "Second uncle, how are you?"

    Tao Zhan took his uncle's hand and looked up and down, "You're not injured, are you?"

    Tao Li loved his precious niece the most. He patted his niece's hand and said with a smile, "It's okay. It's just that I'm tied up with ropes and my whole body hurts. I'll just rest for two days."

    At this time, he saw Liu Jing appearing at the door again. Tao Li's eyes were filled with gratitude, and he struggled to get up, "Jiuniang, help me sit up quickly."

    Liu Jing was a little stunned. It was probably the first time for him to see this Tao Li, but he had seen him before. He glanced at Tao Zhan, and Tao Zhan was also looking at him secretly, with a naughty and sly smile in his eyes.  meaning.

    It was the first time he met Tao Zhan. Tao Zhan was disguised as a middle-aged man. He looked exactly like Tao Li. No wonder he felt so familiar as soon as he walked in.

    "Master Jing!" Tao Li had already sat up.

    Liu Jing quickly stepped forward and knelt down, bowing respectfully, "Junior Liu Jing pays homage to senior!"

    Tao Zhan felt happy when he saw him meeting his second uncle with the courtesy of a junior, which gave him enough face, and he couldn't help but smile.

    Tao Li waved his hands repeatedly, "Young master Jing, there is no need to be polite, please sit down quickly!"

    He then ordered the maid, "Hurry and serve Mr. Jing tea."

    Liu Jing sat down on the side, which was the guest's seat, but Tao Zhan sat next to her uncle, looking at him with a smile. She wanted to see how Liu Jing behaved in front of her uncle.

    Tao Li sighed and said to Liu Jing with great gratitude: "This time the Tao family was in trouble, it was all because of the young master who worked tirelessly to redress the grievances of the Tao family, and finally saved our Tao family from the disaster. Mr. Tao Li will bear in mind the great kindness of the young master.  The Tao family will also remember it."

    Liu Jing quickly leaned over and said with a smile: "Senior, you are exaggerating. I have a close relationship with Ergong Zizheng and Jiuniang. This time the Tao family was framed. No matter from the perspective of justice or as a friend, Liu Jing has no obligation to refuse. Senior  Don¡¯t take it too seriously, it¡¯s just my effort.¡±

    After saying that, Liu Jing glanced at Tao Zhan secretly. He used the name "Jiuniang" for the first time. He didn't know what her expression was. Unexpectedly, Tao Zhan was also secretly looking at him. When their eyes touched, Tao Zhan suddenly  His face turned red with embarrassment and he quickly turned his head away, but there was a surge of sweetness in his heart. He was finally willing to call himself Jiuniang.

    But she was also secretly amused that Liu Jing actually moved his brother Tao Zheng out and put him in front of her, as if he and his brother had a deep friendship. Couldn't this guy who wants to save face say it was for himself?

    A storm subsided, and the Tao family survived the rapids that threatened to capsize the boat. Liu Jing's great kindness to the Tao family made Tao Zhan feel good about him and felt full of gratitude to him, but Tao Zhan did not dare  Look at him, head turned to the side.

    Tao Li chuckled, "Young master, with just a little effort, he brought down the dignified naval captain. It's really incredible!"

    Liu Jing was also nervous because of the look he had with Tao Zhan. He smiled a little awkwardly and said, "Actually, there was another reason for removing Zhang Yun from the post of captain. The person who was really unlucky because of this case was the governor of the Youjiao Station.  Jiang Zhong.¡±

    "I think so. How could Zhou Mu remove his nephew from the post of school captain because of the small Tao family? There must be other reasons for this."

    The two chatted for a while, and Tao Zhan gently pulled his uncle's lapel and reminded him in a low voice: "Second uncle, that matter."

    Tao Li smiled and said: "Hey! You kid, how could I forget?"

    He then said to Liu Jing: "In half a month, the old head of the Tao family, Jiuniang's grandfather, will be here."On your tenth birthday, I formally invite you to Chaisang. As a distinguished guest of the Tao family, how about it? Can Mr. Jing give the Tao family this face?  "

    Liu Jing felt a little embarrassed. He was practicing riding and shooting. He didn't know if Huang Zhong would allow him to take leave. He glanced at Tao Zhan again and saw her looking at him expectantly. He felt warm and agreed without hesitation, "  OK! I will definitely go.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the night, Liu Jing said goodbye to Tao Zhan at the door of the trading house. Just last night, they also said goodbye here, but the two broke up with suspicion and displeasure. Just one day later, their moods changed and they became affectionate.  , reluctant to leave.

    "Mr. Jing, didn't you say you wanted to treat me to dinner last night? Do you want to default on the bill?" Tao Zhan put his hands behind his back, shook his body slightly and smiled.

    Liu Jing scratched her head, "I'm afraid you won't agree, just like last night, so I don't dare to speak."

    Tao Zhan raised his beautiful eyebrows slightly, and a sly smile appeared in his beautiful eyes, "Did I say no? I just said that next time, of course, if Mr. Jing is not sincere, then I will not force it."

    "Okay then! I'll treat you to a drink at Wangjiang Tower at noon the day after tomorrow. I'll pick you up then."

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and smiled, "Logically, I should be more reserved, but a businessman's daughter always puts profit first. It's rare that Mr. Jing is willing to invite me. How can I not give him face? It's a deal."

    Liu Jing saw that she was frank and liked her very much, so she cupped her hands and said with a smile, "Then I'll say goodbye and have a good rest tonight."

    Liu Jing got on her horse and turned around to leave, but Tao Zhan stopped him, "Master Jing, you said there is something important that you haven't done today. You want me to remind you, what is it?"

    Liu Jing was startled, what else has he not done?  He suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Too bad, I still have a hundred arrows to shoot"

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? One hundred arrows.

    "I have to go!"

    He turned the horse's head and ran towards the military camp. From a distance, he could be heard shouting, "Thank you for the reminder."

    Tao Zhan covered his mouth and chuckled, "What a funny guy, running around shooting arrows in the dark."

 Volume 1, Chapter 106: A wonderful thing

    In front of the pier in Xiakou, a young man in Tsing Yi stood with a sword in his hand. His figure was tall and slender, like a thousand-year-old vine, with a kind of hard flexibility.

    He is about twenty-four or five years old, with pale skin and cold and arrogant eyes. He holds a long sword with his long and strong fingers. The scabbard is white and the bronze hilt is polished like a decades-old sword.  , he stood with his hands behind his hands and looked coldly at the Yangtze River.

    At this time, there was a sound of footsteps, and dozens of soldiers surrounded Huang Zu and his eldest son Huang She. The young man in green shirt glanced at Huang and his son, and only nodded slightly.

    "How long has Master Wei been here?" Huang Zu asked with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Just arrived!¡±

    The young man in green shirt smiled faintly and said to Huang She again: "Master Huang, can we set off?"

    Huang She nodded and cupped his fists towards Huang Zu, "Father, the child is gone."

    Huang Zu was a little worried. He stepped forward and told his son, "When I go to Xiangyang, I must find out the news clearly. If it is true, I must find ways to attack him and buy time for my father."

    "Father, don't worry, the child understands in his heart."

    Huang Zu saluted the young man in green shirt with cupped fists, "Master Wei, I'll leave everything to you."

    ¡°Do your best!¡±

    Everyone got on the boat, the sails were pulled up, and the Yangfan set sail. Huang Zu stood at the dock and watched his son's boat go away. He said to himself: "Liu Biao, why did you break your promise and deceive me?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the official road outside Xiangyang North City, Liu Jing was riding a horse and following a carriage slowly. Tao Zhan was sitting in the carriage, chatting softly with Liu Jing who was riding outside the carriage through the curtain of the carriage.

    "Mr. Jing, I don't understand why you have to go to Wangjiang Tower. According to my character, if they didn't give me face like last time, I will never set foot in that tavern again."

    "I am the opposite of you. The more Wangjiang Tower doesn't give me face, the more I will go away. If they don't apologize, they will never even think about entering Fancheng in the future."

    "I kind of understand. Is the young master pretending to be a public servant for personal gain?"

    Liu Jing laughed heartily, "We should call the public to avenge private revenge!"

    The car curtain was made of two layers of light gauze, translucent, and the car was slightly dark. In this way, Tao Zhan could see Liu Jing's every move, but Liu Jing could not see Tao Zhan's expression, which made her quite proud and felt  I have a psychological advantage.

    She held her cheeks, her eyes moved, and she looked at Liu Jing outside the car with a smile. This guy is quite handsome. Although he is a little less elegant, he is heroic and majestic. He is many times better than Liu Cong.  .

    She didn¡¯t understand why Miss Cai didn¡¯t like Liu Jing, but she fell in love with the thin and unattractive Young Master Liu.

    Are the daughters of these aristocratic families really pitiful?  Even his own life-long event will be involved in the power struggle in Jingzhou.

    The carriage slowly arrived at Wangjianglou Tavern. Last night, Liu Jing specially sent a subordinate to book a table. As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the tavern, the shopkeeper and two bartenders rushed out of the tavern. The fat shopkeeper Wang  He personally held the reins of Liu Jing's war horse, nodded and bowed, and said with a smile on his face: "We have already made arrangements, and we are just waiting for the young master to come!"

    Wangjiang Tavern is the most famous tavern in Xiangyang City. Sitting in front of the window, you can overlook the beautiful scenery of the Han River. Therefore, there is an endless stream of dignitaries coming here to dine. Although Liu Jing is the nephew of Zhou Mu, he is actually not a big deal among the guests of the tavern.

    But the shopkeeper is afraid of his military position and the control of the gate of Fancheng. If he deliberately makes things difficult for the tavern and is not allowed to enter the city, they will not be able to enter Fancheng to buy ingredients, and the tavern will be destroyed.

    This means that the county magistrate is not as good as the current manager, so the shopkeeper is particularly enthusiastic about Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Thank you very much!"

    He turned over and dismounted, stepped forward to open the car door, and stretched out his arm. Tao Zhan wore a curtain hat, and the white gauze around the pointed hat was lowered, covering his pretty and charming face.

    Her slender jade fingers were placed on Liu Jing's arm. The jade fingers were as green as green onions. The bright red cardamom on her fingers were particularly bright in the sun. She stabilized her figure and slowly stepped out of the carriage. Usually, the maid stepped forward to help her, but today the maid  Without him around, Liu Jing stepped forward to help.

    Inside the gauze curtain at the brim of the hat, Tao Zhan smiled softly. This was the first time she had enjoyed such treatment. A tall general actually helped her down with his arms. Although it was a little strange, Tao Zhan didn't find it weird.  Abrupt, everything was natural and natural, and she felt that Liu Jing was attentive and considerate.

    Tao Zhan was wearing a white embroidered long skirt today. The long skirt was tied under her armpits and hanging elegantly on the ground. Her arms were wrapped in vermilion silk, which made her look even more beautiful. In fact, Tao Zhan is not that tall and slender type. She has a good figure.  Above medium, slightly plump, round and graceful, with another kind of charming charm.? 

    The shopkeeper personally led them to the second floor, where they were still in the same seats as last time. However, Liu Cong heard that he would not come today. Even if he came, the shopkeeper decided to offend him. Who told him not to guard Fancheng?

    "Young Master, please have a seat, and please have a seat too, Miss. I offended you a lot last time. Today I am treating you to a guest in the shop. I want to apologize for my poor hospitality last time."

    The shopkeeper is a well-rounded man who knows how to deal with people. He knows how to please Liu Jing and make up for the previous offense.

    Liu Jing nodded, "As long as you have this attitude, there is no need to treat you. I won't take what happened last time to heart."

    "Thank you for your magnanimity, sir. I will serve you wine and food right now."

    The shopkeeper quickly asked the bartender to arrange the food and drinks, but he stopped interrupting and withdrew knowingly. Tao Zhan took off his hat. In fact, she didn't want to come to Wangjiang Tavern. The fundamental reason was that she didn't want to meet Liu Cong. Liu Cong's meeting last time  This invitation forced her to return to Chaisang, which made her very upset. This time she didn't want to be disappointed again.

    At this moment, someone at the table next to him suddenly shouted: "Master Jing!"

    Liu Jing turned around and her eyes lit up. It turned out to be Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping. What a coincidence. They were also in the tavern. Liu Jing quickly stood up, cupped her hands and smiled and said, "When did the two brothers come back?"

    Xu Shu stepped forward and saluted: "Zhou Ping has been back for a few days. I just came back yesterday."

    Although Liu Jing also wanted to be alone with Tao Zhan,  £®  £®  £®  £®  This is Xu Shu. He would be even happier if he could have a drink with Xu Shu.

    He quickly introduced the two scribes to Tao Zhan, then introduced them with a smile: "This young lady is the daughter of Chaisang Tao, and she is my best friend."

    Tao Zhan¡¯s beauty certainly amazed them both, but when they heard that she was the daughter of the Tao family of Chaisang, Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping both understood that she was the daughter of the Tao family.

    Although the Tao family was the richest in the world, they were still businessmen and their status was not high, especially among the scholars who studied metaphysics in Jingzhou.

    It¡¯s just that Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping were extremely well-educated and would never show any disdain on their faces. They both bowed deeply and said, ¡°It¡¯s Miss Tao, I¡¯m rude.¡±

    Tao Zhan also bowed to them, "Both gentlemen are talented people, well-known in Jingxiang. Although the little girl is in the boudoir, she has heard about them. When we meet today, the little girl is lucky for the rest of her life."

    Liu Jing saw that they seemed to have just arrived, so she smiled and said, "Brothers, bring the wine table over and have a drink together."

    Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping looked at each other. They were two talented men and a beautiful woman. It didn't matter if they got involved. The two refused repeatedly, but Liu Jing insisted. However, they had no choice but to laugh and said: "Young Master Jing is so kind, so it's better to be respectful than to obey."  ¡±

    The two ordered the bartender to move the table over, and the four of them gathered in a circle, chatting and laughing. Although Tao Zhan did not want them to sit over, as long as Liu Jing was chatting and laughing happily, she would not resist. She sat quietly aside, smiling.  Silent.

    "Last time Mr. Jing talked about Kong Ming's matter, should we implement it?"

    Xu Shu is relatively young and has been thinking about Zhuge Liang and Huang Yueying. He was talking about it with Cui Zhouping just now, and happened to meet Liu Jing. Xu Shu could not control his anxiety and asked.

    What happened last time was that Liu Jing was touched by Huang Yueying's music and wanted to help this infatuated woman. However, three months have passed and his courage to do what is right has faded. If Xu Shu didn't mention it, he would not talk about it again.  thing.

    Since Xu Shu asked, Liu Jing had to think about it and asked the two of them, "I'm worried that if we mess up the couple, they won't get along in the end. I wonder if the two of them have this fate?"

    Cui Zhouping stroked his beard and smiled and said: "Actually, we all know that the woman must have a deep friendship, love-sickness, and even fell ill two months ago, but the man is a little hesitant."

    "Why is he hesitating?" Liu Jing asked puzzledly.

    "Do you still need to ask?"

    Xu Shu smiled bitterly, "Kong Ming likes Yueying's talent and learning, but he thinks her appearance is not good, so he can't make up his mind. He wants Yueying to be his confidant, but Yueying wants him to be his husband."

    At this time, Tao Zhan, who had been silent, asked with a smile: "What you are talking about seems very interesting, can you let me know?"

    "sure!"

    Liu Jing told Tao Zhan that Huang Yueying was infatuated with Zhuge Liang, but Zhuge Liang was hesitant. Generally speaking, it is a woman's nature to be a matchmaker, and Tao Zhan was no exception. Her interest was immediately aroused, and she curiously  Asked: "Then how are you going to help this Miss Huang?"

    Xu Shu had a secret in his heart and could never hide it. Before Liu Jing could speak, he smiled and said: "We plan to propose marriage to the Huang family on behalf of Kong Ming so that Miss Huang can realize her wish. In the words of Mr. Jing, it's like making rice."  Mature rice.¡±

     Tao Zhan rolled his eyes at Liu Jing and said, "Raw rice makes cooked rice." What do you mean by that?

    "I think your idea is good, but it's a bit rash. This is a lifelong event!"

    In Tao Zhan¡¯s heart, which is as pure as white jade, money, status, and everything else can be gone, but if there is no love, the marriage will definitely be unhappy.

    She saw that these three men were self-righteous and wanted to use hidden methods to bring together a couple who they believed to be a deep-rooted couple.

    She was really worried for them, "But have you ever thought about it, if Mr. Zhuge doesn't like Miss Huang, even if he marries her out of honor, what will happen in the future? Will Miss Huang's life be happy, and what will happen to Mr. Zhuge?"  treat you."

    "Young lady is worrying too much."

    Cui Zhouping explained with a smile: "We know Kong Ming very well. He said personally that he admired Miss Huang's talent in learning the piano, but he was unable to make up his mind due to secular prejudices. Therefore, as his best friends, we have a responsibility  Let¡¯s help him fulfill his wish. I believe that after they get married, they will be a husband and wife and respect each other as guests.¡±

    Xu Shu also smiled and said: "Of course we won't mess with each other. Kong Ming is not an ordinary person. He is lucky to marry Yueying. He will be grateful to us."

    Seeing that they were going their own way, Tao Zhan could only think on the bright side. Maybe this was indeed a good thing. She asked Liu Jing again, "How does Mr. Jing plan to propose?"

    "It's very simple. Brother Cui will imitate Kong Ming's handwriting, so let Brother Cui imitate the handwriting to write a proposal. We will find a matchmaker to hand it over to the Huang family for Kong Ming, or let Brother Cui come to deliver the proposal in person."

    Tao Zhan frowned slightly, "But what about the elders? When the two families finally decide on marriage, the elders need to come forward."

    Liu Jing thought of Kuai Yue and said with a smile: "This is easy. I will find an elder and promise to give the Huang family enough face."

    Tao Zhan sighed secretly in his heart, it was all nonsense. Mr. Jing had always been rational, but he had become like a child.

    "She didn't know that Liu Jing had the special ability of knowing five hundred years later, although sometimes this kind of foresight is not very reliable.

    Xu Shu thought for a moment and put forward a new suggestion, "In fact, it is best to let Kong Ming send the proposal himself. The head of the Huang family will be more impressed by his sincerity, and the marriage will be a sure thing."

    "You are telling a joke!"

    Cui Zhouping dismissed his suggestion, "How could Kong Ming deliver the letter by himself? If he is willing to happily marry Yueying, what else will we do here to figure it out?"

    Liu Jing felt something in her heart, and quickly glanced at Tao Zhan, thoughtfully, and said with a smile: "Actually, as long as you think carefully, you can let Kong Ming deliver the letter himself."

    Tao Zhan found that she was getting to know Liu Jing better and better. When he smiled slyly, she knew that Liu Jing was planning on her. As soon as she thought about it, she suddenly understood Liu Jing's intention and was very angry, "You guys have to be messy.  I don¡¯t care, but don¡¯t get me involved in this!¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Xiangyang Tibetan Library is the largest book collection place in Jingzhou. It covers an area of ??100 acres and consists of ten huge buildings. It has a collection of hundreds of thousands of bamboo slips. Scholars come here to study and study from morning to night every day.  There was an endless stream of scholars.

    Early the next morning, Zhuge Liang came galloping over on horseback as usual. He came here almost every three or four days to borrow and exchange books. He was already a frequent visitor to the library. As soon as Zhuge Liang arrived at the gate, he heard someone calling him from behind.  , "Brother Kong Ming!"

    When Zhuge Liang turned around, it turned out to be Xu Shu. He turned over and dismounted, cupped his hands and said with a smile, "When did Yuan Zhi come back?"

    "I just arrived the day before yesterday and was planning to visit my dear friend in the next two days. Unexpectedly, it was a coincidence that I met him here."

    "It's really a coincidence. I came here to look for some books, and Yuan Nao must also be here to read some books!"

    "Exactly, why don't we find a place to chat."

    Zhuge Liang smiled happily and said: "Go find a book first, and I'll treat you to a drink at noon."

    ¡°Then let¡¯s hit Kong Ming¡¯s autumn wind.¡±

    The two laughed and walked into the Tibetan library together.

    " About twenty steps away from the gate, there was a carriage parked with the curtain half open. Tao Zhan was sitting in the carriage and observing Zhuge Liang carefully. She had already memorized Zhuge Liang's appearance and behavior.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 107: Who holds the red thread under the moon?

    In the room, Tao Zhan had put on makeup for Liu Jing, but Liu Jing was still in a semi-intoxicated state, squinting and savoring Tao Zhan's delicate and soft hands caressing her face.

    Sometimes she would open her eyes again and admire her white, jade-like wrists, as well as the bursts of fragrant wind blowing from her sleeves.

    Tao Zhan was so focused that he didn't realize Liu Jing's desire to be a disciple. Beside her, there were two pretty maids, Xiao Baozi and Gillian, who were equally focused.

    ¡°The most important thing in makeup is face shape and body shape. Mr. Jing¡¯s face shape is similar to that of Zhuge Kongming, both have donkey-shaped faces.¡±

    "etc!"

    Liu Jing woke up from her intoxication and interrupted her dissatisfiedly, "What is a donkey-shaped face?"

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and smiled, "I thought you were asleep, so I wanted to test you. It turns out you are still awake, okay! Your face is a little longer, so that's ok!"

    Little Baozi and Gillian both covered their mouths and snickered. Little Baozi and Liu Jing had been together for a long time and got to know his character. Gillian was afraid of him at first, but slowly, she also discovered his kindness and tolerance.  The timidity also disappeared little by little.

    ¡°Then there¡¯s the body shape.¡±

    Tao Zhan continued: "Master Jing's figure is similar to that of Brother Kong Fang. They are both snake-shaped. They are both longer, so they are easy to dress up. Look, how are you doing now?"

    Little Baozi¡¯s round eyes like lychees came up to take a closer look, and he exclaimed, ¡°Ah! The young master has completely changed into a completely different person.¡±

    Gillian was also so excited that she clapped her hands, "It's completely different."

    Liu Jing said angrily: "Can you let me see for myself?"

    Tao Zhan handed him the bronze mirror with a smile. Liu Jing took the mirror and looked at herself. She saw that in the mirror was a completely different person. She looked like Kong Ming 70% and 30%. He didn¡¯t know who he looked like.

    "Thisisn't so much like him!"

    Tao Zhan hit him on the head and said slightly angrily: "Do you think I'm doing magic? Makeup is that simple. If we don't get along with each other for a few months, how can we put on a disguise? Besides, I only looked at him from a distance yesterday.  At a glance, when you go out later, you will put on the Confucian clothes and the hibiscus crown he usually wears, and you will be inseparable. "

    "What about speaking?" Liu Jing asked again.

    Tao Zhan was stunned for a moment, "Didn't you saynot to enter the Huang Mansion?"

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly, "I'm just afraid that Mr. Huang will force me to come in. That would be terrible."

    "That's your business. It's better to be in trouble, so that you don't have to mess around like this."

    Having said that, Tao Zhan still used his memory to fix a few details of his eyebrows and make them look more like them.

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re ready to go.¡±

    Tao Zhan also changed into Confucian clothes, wearing a Zhangfu crown on his head, long clothes with wide sleeves, a pair of gorgeous hook shoes, and holding a book in his hand. He looked like a young and handsome scholar. Liu Jing smiled bitterly in his heart. He looked like a woman in disguise.  Men's clothing, but if she doesn't go, there will be a problem with her makeup that she can't solve, hey!  I don¡¯t know what the outcome will be today.

    The two got on the carriage and the carriage sped towards Longzhong. They had made an appointment with Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping at a meeting place.

    Huang Chengyan¡¯s mansion is located in the north of Longzhong, at the foot of Xiangshan Mountain. A clear green river flows around the mountain. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers. The scenery is extremely beautiful. More than two hundred households of the Huang family who moved from Nanyang live here.

    A large gray-white house in the middle is Huang Chengyan's mansion. Of course, this is just the temporary residence of the Huang family. Their ancestral home in Nanyang is several times larger than this.

    Huang Chengyan is about forty years old this year. He is married to the Cai family and has two daughters. The eldest daughter, Eying, is married to Kuai Liang's eldest son. The second daughter, Yueying, is sixteen years old and is waiting to be married.

    Huang Chengyan has been worried about his daughter Yueying's marriage. Although Yueying is extremely talented and well-educated, and her piano skills are unparalleled, it is a pity that she has poor appearance and no one has ever come to ask for her hand in marriage. Not only that, the local people also bully them for being outsiders.  The rumor "Don't marry a daughter of the Huang family" spread throughout Xiangyang, which made Huang Chengyan extremely angry, but he was helpless.

    Huang Chengyan actually understood his daughter's thoughts very well. On the Mid-Autumn Festival night of the year before last, Yueying played the harp, Kongming played the flute, and the harp and flute played together. The lovesickness took root in Yueying's heart. On the Social Day in February this year, he specially invited Zhuge Liang to stay in the mansion.  Unexpectedly, Zhuge Liang declined his invitation because he wanted to go on a study tour.

    Huang Yueying became lovesick and fell ill. Huang Chengyan was really unhappy, but he had nothing to do. His daughter's appearance was not good, so it was no wonder that others looked down on her.

    Huang Chengyan was sitting in the study room reading, but he faintly heard the tinkling sound of the piano. The sound was melodious and melodious, like crying, which made him sigh deeply in his heart, this child.

    At this time, a housekeeper reported at the door, "Old master, Xu Yuanzhi and Cui of YingchuanZhou Ping asked to see him and said he would send a marriage certificate.  "

    ¡®A marriage certificate?  ¡¯

    Huang Chengyan was startled, who was this marriage certificate being sent to? Suddenly an idea came to his mind, it couldn't be a marriage certificate for Kong Ming!  Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping are both close friends of Kong Ming, and both of them are married. Naturally, they are not proposing for him. Huang Chengyan's heart became hot and he quickly ordered: "Invite them to the living room quickly!"

    Huang Chengyan was a little excited. If Kong Ming really came to ask for his hand in marriage, his daughter's lovesickness would be cured. He hurriedly put on a robe and hurried to the living room.

    In the living room, Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping sat side by side. As agreed in advance, the two of them sent marriage certificates. Liu Jing dressed up as Kong Ming and waited outside the door. This was because Huang Chengyan knew Kong Ming. Although the appearance and dress were eighty percent similar, his voice was different.  No, it was revealed as soon as he opened his mouth, so Liu Jing could not enter the house.

    Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping exchanged glances from time to time. Both of them were a little nervous. Once Huang Chengyan found out, it would be a trivial matter to offend someone. More importantly, the marriage between Kong Ming and Huang Yueying would be completely over.

    At this time, Huang Chengyan walked into the living room with a smile, "I've kept you two nephews waiting for a long time."

    Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping stood up and saluted, "I came uninvited and disturbed Uncle Shi."

    "You're welcome, my two wise nephews, please take a seat."

    The three of them were seated separately. The butler next to him hurriedly stepped forward and whispered to Huang Chengyan: "Mr. Zhuge is here too. He is just outside the gate and refuses to come in for any reason!"

    Huang Chengyan was startled and asked a little strangely: "Since Kong Ming is here too, why don't you come in and just stand at the door?"

    Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping both laughed. Cui Zhouping explained: "Brother Kong Ming is thin-skinned. Please understand his feelings."

    Huang Chengyan narrowed his eyes and smiled, "What's his mood?"

    Xu Shu took out the proposal letter and presented it with both hands, "This is Kong Ming's marriage letter. He wants Yueying to be his wife. It should be the words of the matchmaker and the orders of his parents. Unfortunately, Kong Ming's parents died, and his uncle also passed away. There are no elders in the family, so he had to do it himself."  It is our duty as close friends to come and propose.¡±

    Huang Chengyan took the marriage certificate and read it over, he was so happy that Kong Ming was finally willing to propose to him, what a good thing!  He chuckled and said, "What's the matter with this kid? He doesn't dare to come in."

    He immediately ordered the butler, "Please come in, Mr. Zhuge!"

    Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping hurriedly tried to stop him, but Huang Chengyan waved his hand, "You don't need to persuade him. I still want to talk to him. Without elders, I can only handle it by myself. This is actually not bad."

    Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping looked at each other, and they secretly complained that this was going to be bad.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In an embroidered building in the back house, Huang Yueying was wearing a plain skirt and her hair was tied up. She was sitting on the terrace on the second floor, burning incense and playing the piano. The melodious sound of the piano played smoothly from her hands, like clouds and flowing water, mountains and rivers. Where is the soulmate?  The sound of the piano contains her deep lovesickness.

    Huang Yueying's hair is chestnut-colored, not yellow, with a kind of brightness. In later generations, this kind of hair color made women flock to it, but in the Three Kingdoms era, this kind of hair color was extremely rare, and her skin was not white, but black, and  Not a dull black, but a healthy black and bright color.

    However, people of this era could not stand her chestnut hair and dark skin, especially the locals, who were always jealous of the aristocratic family, so they said that she had yellow hair and a black face, which spread more and more widely and became the spokesperson for ugly women. To be fair,  Huang Yueying is actually not ugly, but her facial features are ordinary and there is nothing outstanding about her.

    ¡®Zheng!  ¡¯ The sound of the piano changed a tune, and then there was a rush of people going upstairs. Huang Yueying raised her eyebrows slightly, a little displeased.

    "Girl!"

    A maid ran over quickly, out of breath, but her brows were full of surprise, "What a good thing!"

    "What are you doing in a hurry?"

    Huang Yueying complained to her: "Even if it's a good thing, you can't be so rude. How do I teach you?"

    "Girl, Mr. Zhuge is here to propose marriage."

    "ah!"

    Huang Yueying was stunned for a moment. She stood up slowly and sat down again. Her heart began to beat violently. Did he really come to propose marriage?

    "Girl, what should I do?" Her maid was so anxious that she didn't know what to do.

    However, Huang Yueying calmed down, and the tinkling sound of the piano flowed out of her hands again. This time she played Feng Qiuhuang. There was no longer a sound of resentment in the sound of the piano, but it contained feelings and eloquent words.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Outside the Huang Mansion, Liu Jing pretended to be Zhuge Liang, pacing back and forth in front of the steps with his hands behind his back. He was also anxious. The weather was a bit hot today, and beads of sweat were streaming down his forehead, which made his eyebrows a little dull.

    And he has dark skin,Zhuge Liang's skin was white, so he applied a thick layer of powder. Now sweat was flowing down his face. His face was like a loess plateau with severe water and soil erosion, with ravines and ravines. If he didn't move away, he would really be exposed.

    At this time, the housekeeper hurriedly walked out, bowed and saluted, "Mr. Zhuge, my master invites you in!"

    Liu Jing was stunned, how could he get in?  He covered his throat and waved his hands, and said in a hoarse voice: "I'm feeling a little sick and it's hard to see people. I'll come visit Huang Gong another day."

    "Sir, it's okay to come in and sit down. I want to say a few words to you and drink some tea to soothe your throat. It's not the Huang family's way of hospitality to let you wait outside."

    The housekeeper insisted on inviting him in. Liu Jing was a little embarrassed. What should I do?  He couldn't help but look back at the carriage in the distance. Tao Zhan looked at him with a smile in the carriage, as if he was watching a good show.

    Liu Jing didn't know what to do. At this moment, she saw Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping running out, shouting at the same time: "Uncle Shi, please stay, we are in an emergency!"

    They rushed out of the gate. Xu Shu grabbed Liu Jing and ran, "Quickly!"

    Liu Jing seemed to have seen the owner. He quickly said politely to the housekeeper, "Come and visit again next time!"

    After saying that, he followed the two of them and fled in a hurry, almost jumping into the carriage. The carriage started. Liu Jing put her head towards Huang Chengyan on the steps and waved to her. She shouted in a hoarse voice: "Uncle Shi, my nephew, please."

    Huang Chengyan clasped his hands behind his back and watched the 'nephew Zhuge' go away with a smile. He couldn't help stroking his beard and said with a smile: "This kid is quite thin-skinned."

    He turned back and told the housekeeper, "I will hold a banquet the day after tomorrow. Many celebrities from Jingzhou are coming. At the same time, I have decided on Yueniang's marriage, so be prepared!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 108: Lumen Academy

    Lumen Academy is located at the foot of Lumen Mountain in Longzhong, surrounded by beautiful mountains and rivers. Lumen Academy is built on the mountain, layer upon layer, occupying almost half of the eastern foothills. Lumen Academy is the largest private institution in Jingzhou, and the only one in Jingzhou.  Second to the Xiangyang Official School, there are more than 400 students. The students come from all over the world, and they are all young and talented people selected from a hundred.

    Lumen Academy was run by Pang Degong, the head of the Pang family. It was a private property of the Pang family. It was originally a private school of the Pang family. However, due to the fame of Pang Degong spread throughout the world and the gathering of northern gentry in Jingzhou to escape the war, Lumen Academy became an overnight success.  Crossed the threshold of the family and became a world-famous private school.

    Young celebrities such as Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Xu Shu, Cui Zhouping, Shi Guangyuan, etc., as well as officials' children such as Liu Qi, Kuai Qi, Huang She, Ma Liang, etc. also studied in Lumen Academy. Lumen Academy was full of talents, and it has become a member of the Jingzhou gentry and  The base camp where northern nobles gathered.

    In the morning, Liu Jing brought the young Deng Ai to Lumen Academy. Today was also the day for Huang Chengyan to treat guests, and Liu Jing also received the invitation. However, Huang Chengyan¡¯s treat was in the afternoon, so Liu Jing used the morning time to send Deng Ai away.  Go to Lumen Academy.

    Deng Ai lost his father and has been immersed in grief. Today he took off his mourning clothes because he wanted to become a disciple, but he still wore a fine white linen robe, and even his shoes had white rims and white soles. He was sitting in Tao Zhan's carriage.  He lowered his head and never said a word.

    Tao Zhan will also attend the Huang family's banquet today, but she is a representative of the Tao family. Her grandfather was an official in Nanyang and had some friendship with Huang Chengyan. Huang Chengyan specially sent an invitation to Tao Li, but Tao Zhan asked for it.  Come here, how can she not participate in such an interesting thing today.

    In the carriage, Tao Zhan looked lovingly at the child who had lost her father. She also had a little brother who was about the same age as Deng Ai. Deng Ai's grief reminded her of her own younger brother.

    "You can study at Lumen Academy with peace of mind."

    Tao Zhan comforted him softly, "I will arrange all the expenses required for studying, as well as your mother's living and accommodation, for you. Don't worry about these things. Reading well is to repay your mother for her kindness in raising you.  When my father takes a breath, he can rest in peace even though he is in despair."

    Deng Ai was deeply moved. He wiped the tears from his eyes and whispered, "Thank you, sister. Deng Ai will definitely study hard and will not let his father down."

    At this time, the carriage stopped. Tao Zhan looked out the window and smiled: "We are here!"

    When the door opened, Liu Jing reached out to lift Deng Ai out of the carriage, and then handed his arm to Tao Zhan. Tao Zhan smiled sweetly, held his arm, and slowly stepped out of the carriage.

    "How is he?" Liu Jing asked in a low voice in her ear.

    "He is very eager to study, hey! This child is really heartbreaking."

    Liu Jing knew that Tao Zhan was only fifteen years old, so she said such grandmotherly words and couldn't help laughing. Tao Zhan blushed and rolled his eyes at him, "Why are you laughing?"

    "nothing!"

    Liu Jing quickly suppressed her laughter, took Deng Ai's hand, walked towards the academy gate, and carefully told him, "Not only must you respect the master, but you must also humbly ask for advice, even if you are a fellow student, and the etiquette must not be discarded."

    "Thank you, uncle, Deng Ai will remember it."

    Tao Zhan next to him couldn't help but corrected him: "Xiao Ai, you call him uncle, but you call me sister, your seniority is a bit wrong, right?"

    Deng Ai scratched his head, "Daddy ordered me to scream."

    "Then you might as well call me uncle." Liu Jing said to Tao Zhan with a smile.

    ¡°What a beautiful thought!¡±

    Tao Zhan glared at him. It seemed inappropriate for Deng Ai to call him aunt, so he had no choice but to say: "Forget it, everyone calls him his own."

    She remembered something again. She just heard Deng Ai say that Liu Jing participated in the Battle of Xinye not long ago and was actually injured. She didn't know it at all. She glanced at the back of Liu Jing's head and saw faintly under his hat, exposed  A corner of white gauze and linen cloth, and he couldn't help but secretly wonder, "Why didn't he tell himself this matter? Could it be that in his heart, he was still an outsider, so he didn't want to let himself know."  ¡¯

    Thinking of this, Tao Zhan felt a little disappointed. His originally good mood was disturbed by this incident.

    The three of them walked to Lumen Academy and announced that the concierge had known about it in advance and immediately led them in. Tao Zhan was a woman and could not enter, so he stood outside the gate and waited.

    Lumen Academy is majestic and has many buildings. It goes up the mountain. Liu Jing felt that Deng Ai was a little nervous, so she smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry, we are all scholars. I heard that Pang Degong is very kind, so he must  will treat you well."

    Deng Ai nodded, quickened his pace, walked to the backyard, and met two people, one tall and one short. The taller one was eight feet long, fair-skinned, and handsome in appearance. He was none other than Zhuge Liang, while the short one had thick eyebrows and a raised nose.?Dark face, short beard, somewhat ugly appearance, about early twenties.

    Liu Jing didn¡¯t expect to meet Zhuge Liang here, so she quickly raised her hands and said with a smile: ¡°Brother Kong Ming, you¡¯re welcome!¡±

    "It turns out to be Young Master Jing."

    Zhuge Liang quickly responded with a smile and said, "Why did you come to Lumen Academy today?"

    "Today I am bringing my nephew to become my disciple."

    Zhuge Liang then remembered that he had not introduced Liu Jing, pulled the man over and introduced with a smile: "This is my close friend, my master's nephew Pang Shiyuan."

    It turns out that this person is Fengchu Pang Tong. Liu Jing stood in awe, bowed his hands and saluted, saying: "Liu Jing of Xiangyang has heard of Fengchu's name for a long time. It's a blessing to see him today."

    "You're welcome, I've heard the name Mr. Jing for a long time."

    Pang Tong had no interest in officials and officials like Liu Jing. He bowed his hand in return, took Deng Ai's hand and said softly: "Are you Deng Ai, the son of Deng Wu?"

    Deng Ai saw that although he looked ugly, he was friendly when he smiled, so he nodded, "That's me!"

    "Come with me! Master is waiting for you."

    He held Deng Ai's hand and said to Liu Jing: "Master Jing, let's take him in first."

    "Wait a minute!"

    Liu Jing stopped Pang Tong. He knelt down in front of Deng Ai, straightened his hair, took out the White Dragon dagger from his waist, and handed it to him, "This sword is called White Dragon. It was left to me by my father."  , I will give it to you now.¡±

    Deng Ai took the dagger and nodded silently. Liu Jing stroked his head, looked into his eyes and said: "Your father is an upright hero. He died generously for his faith. I hope you can be proud of him. If anyone dares to insult  Your father, kill him with this sword."

    Next to him, Pang Tong's expression changed slightly, with a look of displeasure on his face. He held Deng Ai's hand, "Let's go!"

    Liu Jing stood up, patted Deng Ai on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "Go!"

    Pang Tong obviously didn't want Liu Jing to go in with him. He took Deng Ai's hand and walked quickly to the inner courtyard. Deng Ai kept looking back at Liu Jing. He suddenly shouted: "My father and uncle are both upright heroes.  It¡¯s all my children¡¯s pride, I won¡¯t let you down!¡±

    Liu Jing waved goodbye to him and watched his back gradually disappear. She couldn't help but sigh. She hoped that Deng Ai could succeed in his studies and become a great talent with both civil and military skills like in history.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Master Jing, are you going to attend Huang Gong's family banquet today?" Zhuge Liang asked with a smile.

    Liu Jing's heart skipped a beat, and then she suddenly remembered that Zhuge Liang was the protagonist of today's Huang family banquet. However, judging from his tone, it seemed that he didn't know that yet. Liu Jing turned her mind back and asked tentatively: "Today Kong Ming  Brother, are you going too?¡±

    Zhuge Liang nodded, "Yuanzhi and Zhouping have been staying at my house for the past two days. I will go with them in the afternoon."

    With these two people resisting, Liu Jing felt relieved and smiled slightly, "I'm going to go in the afternoon too."

    While talking, the two of them walked to the gate of the academy. Zhuge Liang bowed his hands and saluted, "I'll go back and change first. See you in the afternoon!"

    After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and floated away. Tao Zhan slowly walked up next to him, looked at Zhuge Liang's back, covered his mouth and said with a smile: "I'm looking forward to seeing his performance in the afternoon."

    "Me too!"

    The two looked at each other and laughed in unison. Liu Jing was in great spirits and pointed to Longzhong Town in the distance, "Let's go have a drink."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It has been a few months since the last time I came to Longzhong. There has been almost no change in Longzhong Town. There are dilapidated shops and listless bartenders. It is almost noon, and several pubs are full of scholars in twos and threes.  When going from Xiangyang City to Huang Chengyan's mansion, Longzhong Town is the only way to go.

    ¡°Sir, let¡¯s go to that house!¡±

    Tao Zhan pointed to a tavern in front of him that was made of bamboo. Although it was a bit old, it was more elegant and elegant than other taverns. Liu Jing remembered that this tavern was called Qingzhuzhai. The food and drinks were average, but nothing else.  Restaurants aren't much better.

    "This is the one!"

    Liu Jing got off the horse and stepped forward to open the car door, but this time Tao Zhan refused to help his arm to get out of the car. A large group of young scholars stood in the tavern, arguing about which tavern to go to.

    Suddenly, the argument disappeared, and a group of people looked at Tao Zhan with wide eyes, marveling at her beauty. Tao Zhan's pretty face turned red, and he secretly regretted that he should have brought out the curtain hat.

    In full view of everyone, Tao Zhan was embarrassed to hold Liu Jing¡¯s arm, so he held the edge and got out of the carriage, smiling apologetically at Liu Jing.

    At this time, a bartender came out and said, "Two distinguished guests, there is a quieter seat on the second floor."??, please follow me!  "

    The first floor was full of drunkards and intellectuals, high-spirited and scolding Fang Qiu. They were from all over the world, but when Tao Zhan walked in, there was a sudden silence in the lobby.

    All her vision looked at her. She wore a long skirt, white as cloudy, crystal skin, thin eyebrows like daisy, her eyes containing autumn waves, walking, walking, like a fairy.

    It¡¯s just that the young man next to her is tall and burly, wearing a military uniform and holding a sword in his hand. He has a bit of murderous intent, which made many scholars lament in their hearts, 'How can you appoint a thief when you are a beautiful woman?  ¡¯

    Tao Zhan felt uncomfortable being looked at by so many people, but with Liu Jing by her side, there was an invisible force protecting her, giving her a sense of dependence and peace of mind.

    The second floor was also full of guests in twos and threes, and there were indeed two empty seats by the window, which happened to be for two people. At this time, Liu Jing turned his eyes to the corner. There were more than a dozen guards with swords standing in the corner. He looked familiar.  The people on the seats also saw him, stood up and shouted: "Brother Jing!"

    This person was Liu Cong. When he saw Tao Zhan, his eyes suddenly became hot.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 109 Encounter in Longzhong

    Liu Cong also went to Huang's family banquet today. He passed by Longzhong and took a rest here to have a glass of wine. With him, there was Cai Yi, Cai Mao's son. They planned to have a glass of wine and rest for a while before leaving, but unexpectedly it happened.  Met Liu Jing and Tao Zhan.

    Rather than saying that Liu Cong saw Liu Jing first, it is better to say that he saw Tao Zhan first. When they met in Wangjiang Tavern three months ago, Tao Zhan's peerless appearance left a very deep impression on him, and he immediately inquired about it.  , this beautiful girl is Tao Sheng's daughter.

    He immediately ordered someone to send an invitation, asking Tao Zhan to come out for a while. Unexpectedly, Tao Zhan left Fancheng and returned to Chaisang on the pretext of family matters. Liu Cong regretted it for several days and never forgot it.

    When Tao Zhan walked upstairs, Liu Cong's eyes suddenly lit up. The beauty was back again. Her white dress was like snow, and the beauty was like jade. His eyes were straight. It was not until Liu Jing's appearance that he came back to his senses.  Come.

    Liu Cong walked up quickly and said with a smile: "Brother Jing, why are you here?"

    The question was to Liu Jing, but he glanced at Tao Zhan. Before Liu Jing could answer, Liu Cong quickly bowed and saluted, "Miss Tao, last time you left without saying goodbye, I was very sorry!"

    From the moment she saw Liu Cong, Liu Jing noticed that his eyes glanced at Tao Zhan from time to time. There was an unbearable eagerness in his eyes. Liu Jing was just a little disgusted, but it was not surprising. Along the way upstairs, there were many scholars.  Staring at Tao Zhan, his eyes almost melted.

    However, Liu Cong actually knew Tao Zhan, which made Liu Jing startled. She immediately became vigilant and turned around to ask Tao Zhan: "Jiuniang, do you know my brother?"

    Tao Zhan was extremely disgusted with Liu Cong's seductive look. She was afraid that Liu Jing would misunderstand her, so she quickly leaned closer to Liu Jing, then smiled sweetly at Liu Jing and said, "Have you forgotten? Last time at Wangjiang Tavern  , you were also there, didn¡¯t I go back to Chaisang that day?¡±

    She never told Liu Jing why she left without saying goodbye that time and returned to Chaisang. In fact, she was afraid of affecting the relationship between their brothers. She thought that her indifference would make Liu Cong aware of it, so she stopped. Unexpectedly, Liu Cong brought up the old matter again today.  , obviously unwilling to give up, she simply stopped hiding it and implicitly told Liu Jing the truth.

    Liu Jing then understood the reason why Tao Zhan returned to Chaisang. It turned out that Liu Cong had fallen in love with her, and he suddenly felt a little angry. Liu Cong actually dared to steal a woman from him?

    The annoyance in Liu Jing's heart was not shown on his face. He smiled faintly and said, "Brother Cong, where is Miss Cai? Why aren't you here?"

    "She went to Huang Mansion by herself and went with her mother."

    The expression on Liu Cong's face was a little unnatural. While talking, Tao Zhan and Liu Jing actually leaned together, which was tantamount to hinting at himself.

    Liu Cong was very dissatisfied. She was the son of a dignified Zhou Mu, and she actually fell in love with her cousin.

    Although it was discouraging, Tao Zhan's beauty made Liu Cong unwilling to give up. He stepped forward and bowed deeply to Tao Zhan, "Miss Tao, I made an agreement with my father last night. On your ancestor's seventieth birthday, I will represent my father."  I¡¯m going to pay my birthday, I believe the Tao family will accept me.¡±

    Liu Cong¡¯s words were very straightforward. Liu Jing¡¯s eyes slowly narrowed. What did he mean?

    At this time, Liu Cong smiled at Liu Jing again and said, "Brother Jing, Miss Tao, why don't we sit down and have a glass of wine together, and then we go to the Huang Mansion together."

    "No need, let's take the first step."

    Liu Jing and Tao Zhan looked at each other. They turned around and were about to leave. Liu Cong quickly winked at his guard, and a guard stepped forward to stop Tao Zhan.

    "Young Master Jing can leave, but this girl must stay with you"

    Before he finished speaking, the long knife from Liu Jing's waist suddenly struck out. This knife struck the guard's shoulder. The guard screamed and rolled down the stairs.

    Tao Zhan was so frightened that his face turned pale. He covered his mouth with his hands and looked at the injured guard lying on the stairs in horror.

    Liu Jing slowly sheathed the sword, turned around and said coldly to Liu Cong: "We are not three years old anymore. I advise you that it is best not to do some things. When I gave you the Xuanlin Sword, I warned you  I don¡¯t want your people, but you can¡¯t even think about what belongs to me.¡±

    Liu Cong was so shocked that he took two steps back and couldn't say a word for a long time. At this time, Cai Yi from behind sneered and said: "Master Jing has such a fast sword, but no matter how fast your sword is, it can't be compared to Zhou Mu's."  Do you think the Tao family will choose Zhou Mu¡¯s son or Zhou Mu¡¯s nephew?¡±

    Liu Jing looked at him deeply and said lightly: "You might as well give it a try!"

    After saying that, he took Tao Zhan's wrist, turned around and went downstairs.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Cong walked to the window and watched Liu Jing escorting the carriage away with a sullen expression. A trace of embarrassment and anger flashed in his eyes. She didn't say a word, so disrespectful to herself.

    ¡°Master Cong, women¡¯s thoughts are very strange.¡±

      Cai Yi slowly walked to Liu Cong, watched the carriage going away and said calmly: "Don't think she is cold and indifferent to you now, but once you get her, she will be completely devoted to you."

    "Butthis Liu Jing is not easy to mess with, and his father sometimes prefers him." Liu Cong said bitterly.

    Cai Yi glanced at him and thought to himself, 'No wonder his father said that Liu Cong is easy to control. It's true. He is cowardly and incompetent. If he can be supported to ascend the throne, it will indeed be in the best interests of the Cai family.

    This Liu Jing is not easy to deal with, but you can use this woman to make the two brothers turn against each other. This is a good method.  ¡¯

    Thinking of this, Cai Yi said coldly: "In a world of beauties, only the strong can live there. Could it be that the majestic future master of Jingzhou can't even get a woman he likes?"

    Cai Yi used the simplest way to provoke the general. He didn't say many words and was very straightforward. But it was this simplicity and straightforwardness that stabbed Liu Cong in the vital point.

    ¡®In a world of beauty, only the strong can live!  ¡¯

    Liu Cong murmured to himself, and he remembered what his mother said. Liu Jing's support of his eldest brother will sooner or later be an obstacle to his fight for the Lord of Jingzhou, yes!  If he couldn't even get a woman, how could he have the face to compete for the Lord of Jingzhou.

    Liu Cong despised Liu Jing from the bottom of his heart. From the first day he met Liu Jing, this contempt took root in his heart. How could he let Liu Jing take away the woman he liked.

    Liu Cong¡¯s fists slowly clenched.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The carriage left the small town of Longzhong in a short time and continued northward along the official road. It was still nearly twenty miles away from Huang Mansion and could be reached in half an hour at most. The mountains on both sides of the official road were undulating, with dense forests and branches.  It was covered with green fruits, and flocks of birds flew out of the woods and circled on the official road.

    Liu Jing was silent and thoughtful all the way. Two major family factions have gradually formed in Jingzhou, the Liu Qi faction and the Liu Cong faction, and Liu Biao arranged for his nephew Liu Qing to be the Changsha County magistrate. Obviously, he wanted Liu Qing to control Changsha County. In this way,  In addition to the Liu Qi sect and Liu Cong sect, there was another Liu Qing sect.

    Of course, the formation of the Liu clan faction is still in its infancy, but as time goes by, this clan faction pattern will become more and more clear, and eventually become incompatible with each other.

    But Liu Jing thinks more about herself. Liu Qing is about to become the Changsha Sect. What about herself?  In the struggle for power in Jingzhou, will the Liu Jing faction form?

    Judging from the current situation, Liu Biao seems to have wavered and plans to let him become an independent faction. This may be related to the Battle of Xinye, which changed Liu Biao's attitude towards himself.

    I met Liu Cong in the tavern today. A fight between them gave Liu Jing a premonition that sooner or later, he would find Liu Cong at odds with each other. This was not only the confrontation between Liu Qi and Liu Cong, but also the competition between him and Liu Cong.  The inevitable result of Jingzhou's power.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing was extremely anxious. He had never been so eager to get his own territory as he was today.

    Tao Zhan was in a bad mood in the carriage. The last time she was at Wangjiang Tavern, Liu Cong's appearance made her extremely disappointed. Today, her originally cheerful mood was disrupted by Liu Cong again. Needless to say, she disliked Liu Cong.

    But at this time, there was an inexplicable worry in her heart. Liu Cong said that he was going to Chaisang to visit his father. She understood the meaning behind this words. What did he mean? Since he wanted to marry the daughter of the Cai family, why should he fight?  Your own idea?

    If it were any other person, Tao Zhan would have looked contemptuous, but Liu Cong was different. He was the son of Zhou Mu and half the master of Jingzhou. If he used his identity to put pressure on his father, would his father agree?

    This is what worries Tao Zhan. Although she is full of resentment and disgust towards Liu Cong, she has to calmly consider the consequences.

    At this time, Tao Zhan secretly glanced at Liu Jing outside the carriage through the curtain. Although she felt that she had not fallen in love yet and still maintained her sobriety and rationality, she did not deny that she had a good impression of Liu Jing.  I am also willing to keep this good impression and even give him a chance.

    But does he have this intention?  Why don't you want to express your feelings directly?

    Along the way, he looked so worried. Could it be that he was worried about hurting the brotherhood and was timid? Tao Zhan wanted to know what Liu Jing was thinking at this time. Like a cat walking through her heart, she began to  He became a little restless, what on earth was he thinking?

    "Master Jing!"

    Tao Zhan opened a crack in the car curtain and whispered, "I'm sorry."

    Liu Jing woke up from her deep thoughts and realized that she had neglected Tao Zhan. He smiled apologetically, "I was thinking about something and forgot about you. How about we find another tavern to rest?"

    "No need, we should be arriving in Huang soonIt¡¯s over.  "

    Tao Zhan hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Did the trouble I caused in the tavern just now make you feel embarrassed?"

    "trouble?"

    Liu Jing shook her head: "You are thinking too much. There is no trouble. I was just thinking about what Cai Yi said."

    Having said this, Liu Jing smiled and asked: "If I had found another seat at that time, would Miss Tao plan to sit with me, or go to entertain Mr. Cong?"

    "What do you think?" Tao Zhan asked, looking at him seriously.

    Liu Jing couldn't help but joke, "He is Zhou Mu's son, and I am just Zhou Mu's nephew. I think Miss Tao might choose him."

    As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Liu Jing felt that he had made a mistake. How could he joke like this.

    But the words had been spoken and could not be taken back. Liu Jing could only smile and said, "Don't be angry, I was just joking."

    Tao Zhan¡¯s pretty face immediately darkened, ¡®Pa!  ¡¯ Pulling the car curtain, an insulted anger rose in her heart. Who did he think he was?

    After a while, she said coldly: "I, Tao Zhan, am the daughter of a businessman. Of course I will follow others' influence, and I will disappoint you."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 110, Huang Family Banquet

    Although the purpose of Huang Chengyan's family banquet today is to arrange an engagement for his daughter Yueying, to a certain extent it is also a celebrity banquet. The celebrity banquet is equivalent to the night banquet of wealthy families in later generations. It is a large-scale social banquet. The Nanyang Huang family held a wedding ceremony in Jingxiang  Although it does not have the connections and power of the four major families, its reputation is not inferior to that of any major family.

    So much so that Cai Xi, Cai Mao's father, did not hesitate to marry his eldest daughter to Huang Chengyan, and Huang Chengyan's eldest son married a daughter of the Kuai family, so that although the Huang family was in Xiangyang, it had the reputation of Nanyang.

    This time Huang Chengyan invited guests and sent out nearly 300 invitations. For the big families in Jingzhou, the Huang family had to come because of the face they had to give; for the northern gentry who had taken refuge in Jingxiang, this might be an opportunity for them to become officials in Jingzhou and they should not let it go.  .

    For high-ranking officials such as Liu Biao and Liu Bei, this is a good opportunity to contact celebrities and increase their reputation, so Liu Biao and Liu Bei both attended. For Jingzhou officials, this is an excellent opportunity for them to establish contacts and broaden their career.

    Therefore, everyone had their own thoughts, and almost everyone who received the invitation rushed to the Huang Mansion, making the Huang Mansion gate busy with traffic and guests, making it extremely lively.

    Liu Jing and Tao Zhan were silent for seven or eight miles, and finally arrived at the Huang Mansion. Liu Jing was also a young man who had never been in love in his previous life. In love, he was no better than Liu Jing in this life. He also knew  He had offended Tao Zhan, but he was at a loss as to how to explain to her and relieve her anger.

    Tao Zhan may seem gentle and delicate, but deep down she is an extremely strong woman.

    Tao Zhan has been testing him to see if he is only interested in his appearance like Liu Cong.

    If that was the case, he might give himself to Liu Cong for some benefit. Although Tao Zhan also knew that Liu Jing and Liu Cong were different, she hoped to get a clear answer from Liu Jing, but what Liu Jing said  The joke was exactly what she didn't want to hear, and it hurt her heart deeply.

    In fact, this is a common thing among young people. They have a good impression of each other, but the relationship between them has not been revealed. In this way, it is easy to suspect each other, test each other, and eventually cause some conflicts. This has been the case from ancient times to the present.

    The two of them were still more than a hundred steps away from Huang's Mansion. There was a signboard to guide them. The female family members entered through the side door, and the male guests walked through the main entrance. The carriage stopped and Liu Jing also reined in the horse. They were about to break up here and the two were not allowed to speak.

    "you"

    They both spoke at the same time and stopped at the same time. Liu Jing quickly said: "You go ahead and say it first!"

    Tao Zhan saw that he was about to break up and did not apologize to himself. He felt angry again and said coldly: "When the banquet is over later, I will go back to Fancheng myself. I won't bother Master Jing!"

    Liu Jing felt a little unhappy when she heard her cold tone. She obviously just made a mistake and made a mistake, so she was so angry. Is it necessary?

    Liu Jing also said coldly: "Then Miss Tao, take care of yourself!"

    As soon as he urged his horse to run towards the front door, Tao Zhan bit his lips and watched him go away. His eyes suddenly turned red and he said to the coachman in a trembling voice: "Let's go back and not attend the banquet."

    The driver turned his horse to leave. At this moment, several carriages drove up from a distance. They were guarded by cavalry on the left and right. The carriages were gorgeously decorated and distinguished, but it could be seen that they were women's carriages. The Huang family came to greet them, "  Mrs. Zhou Mu, please take the side door and go directly into the back house!¡±

    The carriage passed by, and through the window, Tao Zhan saw Cai Shaoyu sitting in the carriage. She looked arrogant and her eyes were cold. A thought suddenly came to Tao Zhan's mind. She changed her mind and told the coachman, "  We also go in through the side door.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There was a large group of maids and women standing in front of the side door. Huang Chengyan's wife, Mrs. Dacai, and seven or eight female members of the Huang family were at the door to greet the guests. In fact, they accepted the invitations, exchanged a few words, and asked the maids to lead them into the inner house to rest.

    At this time, Mrs. Zhou Mu arrived, and the front door of the house suddenly became lively. Huang Chengyan's wife was Mrs. Cai's eldest sister. The two sisters were particularly affectionate when they met, and Cai Shaoyu, the niece, was even more affectionate, and she was cheered by thousands of people.  Invisibly, the other guests were left out in the cold.

    But other female guests also rushed forward to greet Mrs. Cai, fearing that Mrs. Cai would not remember her.

    Huang Yueying is also standing by the side door. Although she is the protagonist today, she still has to greet the guests with her mother before it is officially announced.

    It¡¯s just that she doesn¡¯t like her aunt Mrs. Cai very much, nor her cousin Cai Shaoyu. Growing up, they always ridiculed her appearance and their tone was very mean, so Huang Yueying hid behind a few maids and didn¡¯t want to go forward to receive gifts.

    At this moment, Huang Yueying suddenly saw a girl in a white dress. She was extremely beautiful and exquisite. She was holding an invitation in her hand. She was alone. She stood far away, as if she didn't bother to be the first to please Cai Cai like other female relatives.  Madam, there is a faint hint ofA contemptuous smile.

    Huang Yueying fell in love with her immediately. Like herself, she was unwilling to please Mrs. Cai. She quickly stepped forward and said with a smile, "Is this sister also a guest?"

    The girl in the white dress was Tao Zhan. She was not willing to please Mrs. Cai, so she just stood at a distance, waiting for them all to go in. At this time, she saw a young girl greeting her. Her skin was slightly dark, and her hair was slightly yellow. Tao Zhan was heartbroken.  As soon as I thought about it, I knew who this was.

    She hurriedly handed the invitation to her, bowed Yingying, and said with a smile: "I am Jiuniang of the Tao family, and you are Miss Huang. I heard the two eldest brothers Xu Yuanzhi and Cui Zhouping mentioned you."

    Huang Yueying is close friends with Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping. When she heard that Tao Zhan actually knew these two people, she was surprised and happy, "In this way, we are not outsiders. Did you come with them?"

    Tao Zhan hesitated for a moment and said angrily: "I came with Mr. Jing, you must know this person too!"

    Huang Yueying nodded and smiled: "I met him once on a daily basis. He has a good character, is cheerful and polite, and I like him quite a lot."

    Tao Zhan heard her praise Liu Jing for his good character and liked him quite a bit. He felt a little relieved and tried again: "Miss Huang only has a relationship with him once. I'm afraid she doesn't know him well!"

    Huang Yueying shook her head, "I'm never wrong when it comes to people. Although Mr. Jing is Zhou Mu's nephew and a son of an official, he is heroic and magnanimous and treats others with sincerity. He is much better than Zhou Mu's son."

    Huang Yueying's praise of Liu Jing made Tao Zhan feel a little ashamed. She thought of Liu Jing's kindness to the Tao family, and recalled the anger and embarrassment she felt when she met Liu Jing for the first time. He must not only be interested in her.  appearance.

    Thinking of this, her anger towards Liu Jing disappeared by seven or eight points, and she thought to herself: 'As long as he is willing to take the initiative to come to me and apologize, I will forgive him.  ¡¯

    At this time, a large group of female relatives entered the inner house, and there was no one at the side door. Huang Yueying smiled slightly, "Follow me!"

    She held Tao Zhan¡¯s hand, and the two walked into the inner house intimately, talking and laughing.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing entered the Huang Mansion from the front. There were many guests and it was extremely lively. The guests all gathered together in twos and threes to chat. After walking through two courtyards, Liu Jing did not meet anyone she knew.

    Liu Jing found a stone strip in a corridor and sat down. For some reason, he suddenly thought of Tao Zhan and felt a little regretful. He was a dignified man, but he was so fussy with a little girl. It was against the magnanimity of a man, so he asked her to give in.  So why bother, why bother with her? After the banquet is over, you still have to escort her back.

    "Why is Mr. Jing sitting here alone?" A deep and deep voice suddenly came from behind.

    Liu Jing turned around and saw that it was Guan Yu, wearing a green robe and a wingless gauze hat. This was beyond Liu Jing's expectation. Guan Yu was actually here. He quickly stood up and saluted, "Why is General Guan here?"

    In the battle of Xinye, thanks to Liu Jing's full help, Liu Bei's army was saved from annihilation. Everyone in Liu Bei's army was very grateful to him, including Guan Yu. He used to look down on Liu Jing and always thought that Liu Jing was relying on Liu Biao.  My nephew actually has no abilities and has always been indifferent to him.

    However, in the battle of Xinye, Liu Jing used his courage and credibility to change Guan Yu's prejudice against him.

    Guan Yu smiled slightly: "I am accompanying my brother to the banquet. I am bored and walking around."

    Liu Jing was startled. It should be Zhao Yun who came to accompany Liu Bei to the banquet. Why did he become Guan Yu? Why didn't his brother come?  Liu Jing felt a little strange in her heart.

    Guan Yu understood Liu Jing's thoughts and explained: "Master Zilong has attained enlightenment and ascended to heaven. He rushed to Changshan County overnight, so I will accompany my elder brother."

    Liu Jing felt sad. Master Yu passed away, but she couldn't rush to see him off. He taught her martial arts in vain, but she didn't repay him at all. Liu Jing felt guilty and sad at the same time, like a stone weighing heavily on her.  In his mind.

    Guan Yu sat down next to him and persuaded softly: "When my master passed away, I was recruiting soldiers and Ma Ping Yellow Turban bandits in Zhuo County. At that time, I was very high-spirited and wanted to do a big business. I had not met my elder brother yet.  When I heard that Master passed away, I felt very sad and rushed back to Xie Liang, but in the end I didn't go back. In fact, as long as you remember a person in your heart, then even if he has passed away, he will still live in your heart.  Then his spirit under the spring will also know. On the contrary, if you rush back to see him once and then forget about him, it is better not to go back. Keeping it in your heart is a kind of memory. "

    Liu Jing was surprised that Guan Yu had such a delicate mind and understood human nature so well. He had always felt that Guan Yu was extremely aloof and looked down on people in the world, but now he discovered that Guan Yu actually had such a sensitive heart.

     "Was General Guan already a prince before he met the emperor's uncle?" Liu Jing asked curiously. He seemed to have discovered a little bit of Guan Yu's secrets from his words.

    Guan Yu chuckled, "How can we talk about princes? At that time, I just had great ambitions and wanted to eliminate thieves for the people, so I recruited more than a thousand warriors from the countryside. But soon I met my elder brother and felt that he was the one who wanted to do business. From then on, I followed him south.  Conquer the North."

    Liu Jing nodded slowly. A mystery in his mind was finally solved. He had always felt strange why Guan Yu had his own subordinates, such as Zhou Cang and Guan Ping, but Zhang Fei did not. As a result, the Jingzhou Group was later formed, and Guan Yu  It has almost become an independent force.

    ??Also, the relationship between Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang has always been at odds. This is by no means as simple as Guan Yu despising Zhuge Liang. It actually involves a struggle for power and interests.

    Now Liu Jing finally understood that Guan Yu himself was a small warlord, following Liu Bei, and there should be an agreement with Liu Bei, so he had his own subordinates.

    This is like the establishment of a company in later generations. Guan Yu is a small shareholder who brings capital to invest, while Zhang Fei is a senior employee but has no shares. The same is true for Zhao Yun, but he only joined the company when it was in the middle of its development, so his status is not as good as Zhang Fei.

    "Has General Guan thought about his future?" Liu Jing asked again with a casual smile.

    Guan Yu smiled faintly and said, "My destiny is to be connected with my brother. It is my duty to help the Han Dynasty. If the traitor Cao is not eliminated, I will not give up."

    The two were talking when someone not far in front suddenly called him, "Master Jing!"

    Liu Jing turned around and saw Cui Zhouping running over in a panic. He ran up to Liu Jing and stamped his feet and said: "Master Jing, I've been looking for you everywhere. Things are really bad!"

 Volume 1, Chapter 111: The drunkard¡¯s intention is not to drink.

    [Add more updates on weekends to pay off old debts]

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

    Seeing that Liu Jing was busy, Guan Yu patted him on the shoulder, nodded to Cui Zhouping, turned around and left. Liu Jing saw Cui Zhouping's anxious face, so he smiled and asked, "What happened?"

    "Kong Ming already knows."

    "This is normal! He will know sooner or later."

    Cui Zhouping sighed, "It's not that simple. We just met Mr. Huang in the front hall. He said that he was grateful to Kong Ming for his proposal and that he would officially announce the matter today. Kong Ming's face changed drastically at that time."

    Liu Jing did not panic, and asked calmly: "Does Mr. Huang know that the marriage proposal that day was fake?"

    Cui Zhouping also calmed down, "Huang Gong doesn't know yet. We pulled Kong Ming away in time, but Kong Ming knew the truth and was getting angry and wanted to walk away. Yuan Zhi pulled him to persuade him, we have to think of a way."

    Liu Jing thought for a while and said to Cui Zhouping: "You go and hold him first. I'll find someone to find a solution and I'll be here soon."

    Cui Zhouping nodded, "You have to hurry up, we are at Jinshui Pavilion!"

    Cui Zhouping left in a hurry, and Liu Jing thought for a moment. He had already thought of this result in advance, and now there was only one way to persuade Kong Ming.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the guest room of the Huang Mansion, the host Huang Chengyan is chatting with Liu Bei and Kuai Yue. Although today is a banquet for the Huang family, it is also the day when Huang Chengyan's daughter Huang Yueying gets engaged. Zhuge Liang has already handed over the marriage certificate to the Huang family, so according to the agreement at that time, today should be  It is the two parties who confirm the marriage contract.

    In fact, according to the process, the elders of both parties should meet, and the Zhuge family should send pigs, sheep and other betrothal gifts to the door. However, Huang Chengyan also knew that Zhuge Liang had no elders, so it was unnecessary to talk to the elders when they met, and Huang Chengyan was considerate of his future son-in-law, so he also  I don't want to accept any betrothal gift from him.

    ???????????????? More importantly, Huang Chengyan is eager to get married, and he can¡¯t wait for the newlyweds to come to the bridal chamber today, so the process can be saved if possible. A grand engagement event is held today to prevent Zhuge Liang from changing his mind and regretting the engagement.

    "Xuande didn't know something. Zhuge Kongming was extremely talented and knowledgeable. He was known as Wolong in Jingzhou. He often compared himself to Guan Zhongleyi, who was a first-class talent in Jingzhou. We often say, I wonder who can get Zhuge  As a supplement, you can become the world's hegemony."

    Liu Bei was a little surprised. Guan Zhong proposed to respect the king, fight against the barbarians, and work hard to govern, which made Duke Huan of Qi the hegemony. Le Yi assisted King Zhao of Yan, which revitalized the Yan state. Both of them were talented kings. A small scholar from Xiangyang could compete with the two of them.  Comparable to people?

    Although Liu Bei was surprised in his heart, he did not show it on his face, but he wanted to meet Zhuge Liang.

    Next to him, Kuai Yue stroked his beard and said with a smile, "It's understandable that Mr. Huang loves his son-in-law very much."

    At this time, Kuai Yue saw Liu Jing appearing at the door. He signaled to himself that something seemed to be wrong. He nodded and said with a smile: "You guys talk first, I'll go out for a while."

    Kuai Yue walked quickly to the door, "What's the matter?" He saw Liu Jing smiling a little guilty, so he asked with a smile: "Did you get into some trouble and asked me to take care of it for you?"

    "Uncle Shi, please come over."

    Liu Jing pulled Kuai Yue aside and whispered about their proposal to marry Zhuge Liang.

    Kuai Yue's eyes widened. This was simply nonsense. He complained to Liu Jing: "If you do this, if a quarrel breaks out, what will happen to the Huang family's head?"

    Liu Jing hurriedly raised his hands and said: "This junior also realizes his mistake. Please help me, Uncle Shi, to solve this difficult matter for me."

    Kuai Yue had no choice but to bite the bullet and take on this hot task. After all, Zhuge Liang's eldest sister was Kuai Qi's wife, and he didn't want Zhuge Liang to offend Huang Chengyan.

    "Okay! I'll explain it to Mr. Huang, and then you can apologize."

    Liu Jing was startled. He didn't mean that. He quickly grabbed Kuai Yue and said, "Uncle Shi, I want you to persuade Kong Ming to accept this marriage."

    "Absurd!" Kuai Yue said angrily: "Marriage is a major event in life, but you insist on letting others marry regardless of whether others agree or not. Isn't this harming people for life?"

    "Uncle Shi, calm down. In fact, we all know that Kong Ming wants to marry Miss Huang, but he is afraid that others will laugh at him, so he can't make up his mind. I just help him make up his mind. Xu Yuanzhi and Cui Zhouping are both his close friends, how could he not  Understand his heart, Uncle Shi, this is a good thing, not harmful. "

    In fact, Kuai Yue also heard from his nephew Kuai Qi about the incident between Kong Ming and Huang Yueying. The two had feelings for each other, but they suffered from each other due to worldly prejudices.

    He calmed down, thought about it, and felt that this was not necessarily a bad thing. After pondering for a while, Kuai Yue sighed, "Where is he now?"

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and said quickly: "In the Jinshui Pavilion!"

      Kuai Yue was related to Zhuge Liang, and he didn't want Zhuge Liang to lose his reputation because of this matter, so he had to agree, "Okay! I'll go and persuade him. I can't guarantee whether I can succeed."

    "How can it fail if Uncle Shi takes action? Otherwise, how could I come to invite Uncle Shi?"

    Kuai Yue smiled and hit him on the head, and scolded him with a smile: "You weird elf, think about your marriage! Don't worry about others all day long."

    "Uncle Shi, how do you think my uncle will arrange for me?" Liu Jing asked in a low voice.

    "Don't ask about this matter. I still say the same old thing. Your uncle's heart is like a mirror. If you perform well in this new field battle, he will definitely give you a big reward. Just wait patiently."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In an empty room near the water pavilion, Zhuge Liang looked angry and scolded his two close friends, "How could you do such a thing? I treat you as a friend, but you treat me as a puppet? Just do whatever you ask me to do.  , Even my marriage has to be arranged for me. If I don't want to, how will Miss Yueying meet people? Have you thought about it for her? "

    Zhuge Liang hurriedly walked around the room with his hands behind his back. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, "And that Liu Jing, I have never met him. Why should he care about my affairs? You are so confused that you let him get involved in this matter."

    Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping looked at each other. They felt that Zhuge Liang's tone had softened. He actually thought about Huang Yueying, which meant that he still had Huang Yueying in his heart. Now he just couldn't live with it because of his face. As long as he persuaded him to save his face, there was a high probability that this would happen.  That¡¯s it.

    "We will definitely apologize to you formally for this matter, but now you must consider Miss Huang's feelings. She is infatuated with you. Now she has hope, but you have to cut off her hope with your own hands. Kong Ming, what are you doing?  How can I bear it?¡±

    Zhuge Liang had a serious face, "This is your fault. You can handle it yourself. What does it have to do with me?"

    He flicked his sleeves, turned around and left. Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping hurriedly grabbed him, "Kong Ming, you must not leave!"

    Just here, there was a cough from outside the door, and Kuai Yue walked in, "What happened? Why is it so noisy?"

    The three of them immediately calmed down and bowed together, "See Mr. Kuai!"

    At this time, Xu Shu glanced and found Liu Jing standing outside the window behind Zhuge Liang, waving to him to leave. Xu Shu quietly pulled Cui Zhouping, and the two slowly retreated.

    There were only two people left in the room, Kuai Yue and Zhuge Liang. Kuai Yue waved his hand, "Let's sit down and talk!"

    Zhuge Liang¡¯s eldest sister married Kuai Qi. Speaking of which, Kuai Yue is indeed his elder, and Kuai Yue is the third most powerful person in Jingzhou. Zhuge Liang must give him this face.

    He and Kuai Yue sat down, and Kuai Yue glanced at him, and then said gently: "Actually, it will be of no harm to you to be related to the Huang family."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the corridor outside the room, Liu Jing, Xu Shu, and Cui Zhouping were anxious, wondering whether Kuai Yue could convince Zhuge Liang.

    Xu Shu sighed, "If this thing comes to pass, I have to go out and hide, otherwise I will be embarrassed to face Kong Ming."

    ¡°Then follow me back to Boling!¡±

    Cui Zhouping smiled and said, "It just so happens that my second grandfather will celebrate his eightieth birthday next month. Why don't Yuan Zhi go back with me?"

    Xu Shu shook his head and said, "Seeing that the Hebei War is about to break out, I'm afraid it will be very bad for me to go back to Boling with you at this time. I won't go."

    "What are you going to do in Boling? Why don't Yuan Zhi go to Chaisang with me?"

    Liu Jing laughed at the side and said, in fact, he, Liu Jing, would not be so bored as to be a matchmaker for Zhuge Liang. The drunkard's intention was not in drinking, but in the young master Xu in front of him. After a common struggle, he and Xu Shu had become  A dear friend.

    "What are you going to do at Chaisang?" Xu Shu asked with a smile.

    "Miss Tao's grandfather is also celebrating his birthday and specially invited me to be a guest. Brother Yuanzhi might as well go with me,"

    Xu Shu thought of the relationship between Liu Jing and Tao Zhan and couldn't help but smile, "If Master Jing doesn't think I'm an eyesore, you can go to Chaisang."

    At this time, the door opened, and Kuai Yue and Zhuge Liang walked out of the room. Kuai Yue was smiling, but Zhuge Liang had a gloomy face with a helpless expression.

    Kuai Yue chuckled, "Kong Ming and I are going to see Mr. Huang, you guys can go and do your own business! It's none of your business."

    Liu Jing and the other three were overjoyed, which meant that Kuai Yue had convinced Zhuge Liang and the marriage was a success. The three of them quickly stepped forward to congratulate Kong Ming on marrying his beautiful wife.

    Although Zhuge Liang was finally persuaded by Kuai Yue and expressed his willingness to make mistakes and marry Huang Yueying, he was extremely uncomfortable in his heart and could not lose face. He always treated the three of them with disdain.Paying attention, with a straight face, he followed Kuai Yue to the guest room.

    Although Zhuge Liang¡¯s attitude was indifferent, the three of them didn¡¯t care. In any case, as long as Zhuge Liang was willing to marry Huang Yueying, it didn¡¯t matter even if Zhuge Liang chased them with a knife. The three of them smiled happily and made an appointment to drink and celebrate before they dispersed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Time gradually reached the afternoon, and the female family members who were resting in the inner courtyard also came to the front hall one after another, and the Huang family courtyard became even more lively.

    In a pavilion against the gable wall of the Plum Garden, Liu Cong was drinking gloomily. Beside him, in addition to Cai Yi, the son of Cai Mao, there was also a young man in his mid-twenties. This man was Huang She, the eldest son of Huang Zu.  Just arrived in Xiangyang yesterday.

    Not far behind him, stood a young man in green shirt, holding the hilt of a sword, with cold eyes and an unusually thin body, like a mature thousand-year-old vine. He was always following Huang She a few steps away.

    Huang Zu had two sons. The eldest son Huang She was also very famous in Jingzhou. He was not only talented in literature, but also good in martial arts. He could be called both civil and military.

    The second son, Huang Yong, was highly skilled in martial arts. Like his father Huang Zu, he had a bad temper and was cruel and cruel, making it difficult to get along with others. However, Huang She was cunning and cunning.

    At that time, the famous scholar Mi Heng had a good relationship with Huang She, but he was executed for offending Huang Zu. The whole world was in an uproar, and the Huang family and his son were scolded by thousands of people.

    It is precisely because of this incident that Huang She has not come to Xiangyang for two years. This time he was sent to Xiangyang by his father Huang Zu for business. Huang Chengyan sent an invitation to Huang She for the sake of being part of the Huang family.  .

    Huang Shooter shook a feather fan and was playing chess with Cai Yi. He glanced at Liu Cong, smiled slightly and asked, "Why does Mr. Cong look so worried?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 112: It¡¯s a beautiful time

    Cai Yi put down a chess piece and said with a smile: "I have a beautiful woman in my heart, and it's hard to let go of my worries."

    "Oh?" Huang She asked curiously, "I wonder which beauty caught the attention of Mr. Cong and made him so obsessed with it?"

    "You should know that the mother of that beauty is your Jiangxia Huang family."

    Huang She concentrated for a moment, and suddenly a surprised expression appeared on his face, "Is it the ninth lady of the Tao family?"

    Liu Cong was stunned and jumped over: "It's her. Does Brother Wendu know her?"

    Huang She laughed loudly and gave a thumbs up, "Brother Cong really has good eyesight and has actually chosen the most beautiful woman in Jiangxia. She is the beauty that countless young talents fall in love with."

    Liu Cong had a long face, "Could you be interested too?"

    "I have a wife, so why would I be interested? Butmy brother might have a fight with you."

    "What do you mean, Tao Jiuniang has been betrothed to your brother Huang Yong?" Liu Cong asked nervously.

    Huang She shook his head, "Not so much, because my father didn't want him to marry a merchant's daughter, but my brother fell in love with her and wanted to marry her, so he and his father had a quarrel over this matter."

    Liu Cong's face was unpredictable. He didn't expect that this matter would involve the Huang family. Huang Yong, the second son of Huang Zu, also fell in love with Tao Zhan. However, it was understandable. Who wouldn't want to take in such a beautiful girl?  check-in.

    "Brother Huang means that she is already famous and has a master, and I, Liu Cong, cannot get involved with her, right?"

    "No! No! I didn't mean that."

    Huang She shook her feather fan and explained: "If she likes Mr. Cong and is willing to be with Mr. Cong, then I will persuade my brother to let go. Of course, if she chooses my brother, then there is nothing I can do to help."

    At this time, Cai Yi next to him said calmly: "You two should stop arguing and find a way to deal with the other person together! That is your real threat."

    Huang She was stunned, "Brother Cai, what do you mean?"

    "Ask him!" Cai Yi pointed at Liu Cong.

    Huang She looked at Liu Cong in confusion. At this time, Liu Cong was like a deflated rubber ball, becoming listless. After a while, he said: "Ninth lady of the Tao family seems to have fallen in love with someone."

    "who?"

    Huang She's face turned gloomy. Tao Zhan was known as the most beautiful woman in Jiangxia and was Tao Sheng's daughter. She often appeared in public, and all the young people who saw her were obsessed with her. Huang She's younger brother Huang Yong also fell in love with Tao Zhan at first sight during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year.  , was immediately shocked and vowed not to marry anyone but her.

    Huang Yong was very brave and fierce. He heard that Lu Zhan, a famous scholar in Wuchang, proposed to marry Tao Zhan for his son. The marriage certificate had been sent. Huang Yong immediately led people to attack the Lu family and beat Lu Zhan's son Lu Xun seriously. He was frightened.  Lu Zhan went to Tao's house the next day to get the marriage certificate.

    It was after this incident that no one in Jiangxia dared to propose to the Tao family. Tao Zhan was regarded by the people of Jiangxia as Huang Yong's woman.

    However, Huang Zu did not allow Huang Yong to marry Tao Zhan. For this reason, Huang Yong and his father had a quarrel. However, recently, his father relented and agreed that his son could marry Tao Zhan as his concubine.

    But if it was to take a concubine, even Huang She would have his mind set on it. Why wouldn't he want to take such a beautiful woman into his room?

    "It's just that Huang She is a sinister person and has a deep secret. He never shows it on his face. He just keeps this matter in his heart and waits for the opportunity.

    Hearing that Tao Zhan had fallen in love with someone else, Huang She suddenly became angry. He asked quietly, "Can you tell me who this person is?"

    At this time, Cai Yi pointed at the door of the courtyard and said, "Isn't that the person?"

    Huang She turned around and looked at the entrance of the courtyard. He saw a tall and handsome young officer standing at the entrance of the courtyard. Huang She didn't recognize him, so he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who is he?"

    Cai Yi sneered, "You should be very familiar with him. Didn't your cousin die in his hands?"

    ¡°It turns out it¡¯s him!¡±

    Huang She suddenly woke up and stared fiercely at Liu Jing who was walking away, slowly clenching his fists.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing was a little bored and walked around. Although there were people in twos and threes everywhere, he didn't know most of them. Even if he met a few Jingzhou officials he knew, he couldn't bring up the interest to chat with them.

    There is always a beautiful figure in his heart. I wonder how she is now?  Seeing many female relatives coming out of the inner courtyard, she should have come out too!

    Liu Jing sighed in his heart. No matter in his past life or this life, he had never been as disturbed by a woman as he was today. There was a small misunderstanding between them, and Liu Jing was eager to find Tao Zhan and clarify the misunderstanding with her.

    He was especially worried that she would return to Fancheng in a fit of anger and go to Fancheng from here.??, she had to pass through a mountainous area, and the road was not very peaceful. She was a single woman, and there was an old coachman, so how could she do it without her own protection.

    Thinking of this, he felt even more worried. On the surface, he was walking around casually, but in fact, he was searching everywhere in every yard, and he wanted to take a closer look at all the young women.

    "Good nephew!"

    At this time, someone suddenly called him from behind. When Liu Jing turned around, it turned out to be Liu Bei, followed by Guan Yu.

    Liu Jing quickly saluted, "See you, uncle!"

    Liu Bei smiled and said: "I just heard Yunchang say that when I saw you, I started looking everywhere to make it easier for me to find you. Why is my nephew here alone?"

    "Reporting to Uncle Emperor, I'm waiting for a friend."

    Liu Bei patted Liu Jing's shoulder. Seeing that there was no one around, he whispered: "My nephew is a smart man. He should know how grateful I am to you. If you hadn't urged Zhou Mu to fight in this battle of Xinye, I might have died."  He died at the hands of Cao Jun."

    Liu Jing felt a little strange. Her advice to Liu Biao was very secretive. How could Liu Bei know about it?  Who leaked the secret could not be Cai Mao or Kuai Yue. This incident revealed Liu Biao's attempt to kill someone with a borrowed knife, and the two of them would never leak it.

    ¡®Could it be?  £®  £®  £®  £®  ¡¯

    Liu Jing suddenly thought of Li Gui, who was also present at the time, but in the end Liu Jing felt that it was Liu Qi who leaked it. It is very likely that Kuai Yue told Liu Qi about it, and then Liu Qi told Liu Bei. If so, then now Liu Qi and  What's the relationship with Liu Bei?

    Liu Bei seemed to understand Liu Jing's thoughts and smiled again: "Don't think too much about this matter. I won't tell it, but I want you to understand the gratitude in my heart. If my nephew needs my help in the future, Liu Bei will  Just ask, I will do my best to help.¡±

    "Thank you for your kindness, uncle. In fact, your uncle allowed Brother Zilong and Guan Ping to come to rescue me. I already owe this favor."

    Liu Jing knew that if Liu Bei did not agree that night, Zhao Yun and Guan Ping would never appear at his most dangerous moment.

    It should be said that he did owe Liu Bei a favor, no matter what Liu Bei's considerations were.

    And Guan Yu, he allowed Guan Ping to attack. This was actually a favor, and it was a real favor.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing looked at Guan Yu gratefully, but Guan Yu smiled faintly and glanced elsewhere.

    "My wise nephew is far-sighted. I wonder if my nephew has any advice for me?" Liu Bei looked at Liu Jing sincerely.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "Actually, I suggest that the emperor should have more contact with his uncle. Many things are caused by misunderstandings. There is Cao Cao's army in the north, and both sides should unite sincerely to fight against Cao's army."

    "You are right. Many things do occur due to misunderstandings. In addition, I want to persuade Zhou Mu to take the opportunity to attack Nanyang County. How likely is it that you think Zhou Mu will agree?" Liu Bei asked tentatively.

    Although Liu Jing was young, he was able to persuade Liu Biao to send troops to assist him, and he could see through Cao Cao's strategic intentions. This vision was something that people dare not underestimate. Liu Bei felt that Liu Jing seemed to understand Liu Biao's thoughts very well.

    Liu Jing said with a faint smile but not a smile: "I can't say anything about this, but the emperor can go and talk to his eldest brother, Mr. Qi. He should know better than me."

    "I understand. Thank you Mr. Jing. I won't disturb Mr. Jing and other friends."

    Liu Bei smiled a little awkwardly. He knew that Liu Jing had guessed the relationship between him and Liu Qi, so he didn't ask any more questions, so he smiled and cupped his hands and left.

    Liu Jing watched him go away and shook his head. Historically, Liu Bei did not attack Wancheng. It should be that his idea was rejected by Liu Biao, so there was no need for him to participate in this matter.

    After the battle of Xinye, Liu Jing had a clear understanding that Liu Biao was about to use him. In this case, he had to have as little contact with Liu Bei as possible to avoid unintended consequences at the last moment.

    He already knew Liu Biao's thoughts very well. The person Liu Biao was most taboo on was, first of all, Liu Bei, and secondly the Cai and Huang families who held military power. Otherwise, would he have punished Zhang Yun like that?

    At this time, Liu Jing saw a group of female relatives walking out of a moon gate, each holding flower branches in their hands. His heart moved and he quickly walked towards the moon gate.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Jiuniang, this is the Begonia Garden. There are eighty-one Begonia trees in total. In late spring, I like to come here to enjoy the flowers."

    Huang Yueying and Tao Zhan stood side by side, walking slowly among the colorful begonia flowers, admiring the beautiful scenery of the garden full of begonia flowers in bloom.

    Huang Yueying looked at the begonia petals floating all over the ground and couldn't help but sigh, "It's a pity that you came a few days late. If you had come a few days earlier, the flowers would be in full bloom, and it would be so beautiful, with delicate buds everywhere."

    ? ??I also like the current Begonia very much!  "

    Tao Zhan put his hands behind his back, pursed his lips and smiled: "The petals are falling, and they are crushed into mud. It has a sad beauty of late spring."

    "How old are you? You are so old-fashioned. It was the same when you played the piano just now. It was full of the meaning of cold autumn. Let me ask you, are you going to marry a husband you don't like, that's why you feel sad?" Huang Yueying smiled.  asked her.

    "No problem, I still don't know where my husband is?" At this point, Tao Zhan's face turned slightly red, and a tall figure appeared in his mind.

    She thought to herself, "I wonder what this guy is doing now?"

    At this time, a maid ran over and waved to Huang Yueying, "Girl!"

    "What's up?"

    "The master and madam asked you to come over. I have something important to tell you."

    Huang Yueying's heart was pounding. She knew that it was probably related to her marriage, so she quickly said to Tao Zhan: "Jiuniang, I will come back to you later."

    "You go ahead! There's no one around, so I can just enjoy the flowers by myself."

    Huang Yueying did not bother to joke with her and left in a hurry. Tao Zhan was the only one left under the crabapple flowers. She walked among the flower branches with her hands behind her back, lowering her head from time to time to smell the lingering fragrance of the flowers.

    She took a detour and walked to another crabapple. The flowers were blooming and hanging low, covering her body. At this time, a young man in military uniform came from the side path and looked around for someone.

    Tao Zhan pushed aside the blossoming branches and walked out, but happened to meet him face to face

 Volume 1, Chapter 113: People are prettier than Begonia

    The two looked at each other face to face for a long time. Tao Zhan's pink face turned cold and he wanted to ignore him, but when he saw his embarrassed face, he couldn't help but say, "Plop!"  ¡¯ I laughed out loud, and the frost disappeared from my face.

    She rolled her eyes at Liu Jing and said, "This is the land of women, what are you doing here?"

    When Liu Jing saw her smiling, a big stone suddenly fell to the ground in his heart. He scratched his head and said, "I was worried that you were gone, so I looked for you everywhere."

    "What you are saying is wrong. First, if you are worried about me leaving, you should not look for me here, but outside. Second, if I leave, what are you worried about?" Tao Zhan said with a half-smile but not a smile.  Look at him.

    "From here to Hanshui Pier, there are still more than ten miles of mountain roads, all in the wilderness. How can I let you go on the road alone."

    Tao Zhan heard that his words were sincere and he really cared about her, and a sweet feeling surged in her heart. However, she still put her hands behind her back and said coquettishly: "I remember someone said that I only want to entertain the rich and powerful. Is this what I remember?"  is it wrong?"

    "Oh! Even if I said something wrong, I'm sorry."

    Tao Zhan wanted to find out what his word 'even' meant, but then he thought about it and thought he was sincere, so he decided to give him some face.

    "Forget it! For the sake of someone who still has some conscience, I won't argue with him."

    Tao Zhan¡¯s eyes flickered, he glanced at him again, pursed his lips and asked with a smile: ¡°Did that thing succeed?¡±

    Liu Jing patted her forehead and said happily: "I almost failed. Fortunately, I found Kuai Gong and persuaded Kong Ming. I can see that he also likes Miss Huang, but he can't let go and is very angry with us."

    "Of course I'm angry. How can you ask for marriage for someone like this?"

    Tao Zhan's eyes showed a mischievous look again, and he smiled and said: "One day I will dress up as you and propose to the Cai family. Didn't you say that Military Advisor Cai wants to betroth his niece to you? Maybe you two are really a match made in heaven.  , how about it, is Liu Junhou willing? "

    Liu Jing was in a good mood and also joked, "You can't dress me up, my figure is too different. Besides, if I go to see Cai's niece, someone will be furious"

    "You have a beautiful idea, do you think I will be angry? Stop dreaming, the person I like has not shown up yet!"

    Tao Zhan was very proud, her beautiful eyes were filled with joy. The sadness just now had been swept away. She glanced at Liu Jing again and asked with a smile: "I just remembered one thing. I will go back to Chaisang the day after tomorrow.  Didn¡¯t you promise my uncle to go to my grandfather¡¯s birthday? Should you go with me or go alone?¡±

    ¡°I will definitely go, but I don¡¯t know if I can go with you yet.¡±

    After pondering for a while, Liu Jing said again: "I would like to invite Xu Shu to go with me. Do you think it is convenient?"

    "Of course you are welcome."

    The two of them walked slowly among the begonia flowers side by side, neither of them talking anymore, feeling the beauty of "silence is better than sound at this time" with their hearts.

    Liu Jing picked a begonia with a few buds and handed it to Tao Zhan, smiling: "I'm afraid the flowers will fall asleep late at night, so I burn a high candle to illuminate the red makeup."

    Tao Zhan took the flower branch and carefully tasted these two poems. They were so appropriate and had such profound artistic conception. She was surprised and asked in a low voice: "You wrote this?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said nothing. How could he write such a poem.

    The two of them walked around Haitang a few times. At this time, a melodious bell sounded from the front yard, which was a signal for the guests to sit down. Other flower appreciators in Haitang Garden walked towards the front yard one after another.

    "Let's go too!"

    Tao Zhan said softly: "You haven't eaten at noon. You must be starving."

    With a beautiful woman by his side, Liu Jing really didn¡¯t feel hungry. As soon as Tao Zhan reminded her, Liu Jing suddenly felt unbearably hungry and cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

    "After you reminded me, I found that I was almost too hungry to walk."

    Tao Zhan rolled his eyes at him and said angrily: "Then you still want to find me, because you are afraid that you will starve to death before you get there halfway."

    Liu Jing hesitated and said, "If you still want to enjoy the flowers, I will stay with you for a while."

    Tao Zhan smiled and said, "What a fool, let's go!"

    Tao Zhan pulled him, and the two left Haitang Garden and walked quickly towards the main hall.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Most of the buildings in Qin and Han Dynasties are grand, spacious and majestic. Even the main halls of famous families are spacious and impressive.

    Huangjia Zhengtang covers an area of ??seven or eight acres and consists of the main hall and two side halls. The main hall can accommodate 300 people for dining, and the two side halls can also accommodate 100 people each. Today's guests and their family members total more than 500 people.  , three halls were filled exactly.

    The main hall is mainly for Jingzhou senior officials and famous families, while the side hall is for Jingzhou celebrities and the children of senior officials.Some low-level officials outside were also sitting in the side hall.

    The seats in the main hall are very particular. There are strict rules for each person's grade, status, and where to sit. Name tags are placed on the seats, and guests need to be seated one by one.

    The Huang family¡¯s treat today is a family banquet. The biggest difference between a family banquet and an official banquet is that the family banquet is a two-person couch, with the husband and wife sitting together.

    ??And for official banquets, officials usually sit on one side, and family members sit together on the other side. Relatively speaking, family banquets are much more casual.

    Except for the strict seating rules in the main hall, there are no rules in the side halls on both sides. You can sit at will. This is also because it is difficult to distinguish their status, so guests can sit freely.

    Liu Jing and Tao Zhan entered the left hall. Most of the guests were already sitting in the side hall. Everyone was whispering, making the hall noisy.

    "Mr. Jing, Miss Tao, this way!"

    Someone was calling them. Liu Jing turned around and saw Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping. They were sitting in the last row on the east side, with an empty seat next to them.

    Liu Jing and Tao Zhan walked over happily, "Why are the two brothers sitting here?"

    Xu Shu smiled slightly and said, "It's quiet and comfortable to sit in the back. There are not many seats, so I can only bother you two to sit together."

    Liu Jing saw that there happened to be a double couch next to her, so she sat down with a smile, glanced at Tao Zhan, and hinted that she should also sit down. Tao Zhan's pretty face turned red, and his eyes quickly looked to both sides, and saw that there was indeed no single seat, even if there were vacancies.  , there are other men next to her, so of course she will not sit down.

    Tao Zhan saw that many seats were shared by men and women, so he reluctantly sat down next to Liu Jing.

    But as soon as she sat down, she realized something was wrong. Most of the men and women sitting together seemed to be husband and wife. How could they sit together like this? Tao Zhan looked embarrassed and hurriedly wanted to get up, but Liu Jing grabbed her wrist.  , making her unable to get up.

    Tao Zhan felt ashamed, how could he be so arrogant and rude, forcing herself to sit with him? She turned her hand over, and her long nails pierced into the flesh of the back of his hand. Liu Jing was in pain, but she forced a smile and said to Xu Shu  Say, "Do you want Pang Shiyuan to come over today?"

    "He should be here! I saw him just now. He seemed to be with his brother, a mountain man."

    After a long while, Tao Zhan slowly loosened his nails and glared at him fiercely. However, she did not get up and leave again. It seemed that no one else cared about them sitting together, and the embarrassment on her face naturally disappeared.

    After thinking about it, I still felt that I couldn¡¯t let go of face, so I whispered to him: ¡°I¡¯ll tell you first! Yueying may let me sit with her later, so I won¡¯t sit here.¡±

    Liu Jing gently stroked the back of her hand that was pricked by nails and smiled: "Today is a big day, so of course I have to sit with Kong Ming."

    "Impossible, how can people who are engaged sit together again."

    While talking, Tao Zhan's pretty eyes fell on the back of Liu Jing's hand. He saw a red and deep nail mark on the back of his hand. He couldn't help but secretly regret it. If someone looked at it, they would know it was him.  Did you do it?  Will you say anything nonsense?

    At this moment, Tao Zhan suddenly saw Huang She not far away. He squinted and stared at him coldly. Tao Zhan suddenly became nervous, why did he meet him here.

    "Mr. Jing, why don't we go to the right hall?"

    Liu Jing was startled. He followed Tao Zhan's gaze and saw Huang She. He didn't know Huang She, but when he saw this man's cold eyes, staring at Tao Zhan unblinking, Liu Jing suddenly became angry.  .

    "Who is this person?"

    "He is Huang She, the son of Huang Zu."

    It turned out to be him. Liu Jing remembered that he had killed Huang Zu's nephew. At this time, he remembered something again. It seemed that Xiao Baozi had said that Tao Zhan's mother was Huang Zu's sister.

    "He is your cousin?"

    Tao Zhan shook his head, "My mother is just a concubine of the Huang family. She is several generations away from them. Even my great-grandfather is different."

    After a pause, Tao Zhan whispered again: "This Huang She's brother is called Huang Yong. He is very fierce and domineering. He comes to see me all day long. If I don't see him, he will stay at Tao's house and even hurt our housekeeper.  , my father didn¡¯t dare to offend me, so he had to send me to my aunt¡¯s house in Jiangdong to escape. Mr. Jing, it seems that your second brother is here, so let¡¯s change places!¡±

    Liu Jing also saw it. The people sitting behind Huang She were Liu Cong and Cai Shaoyu. Liu Cong was also staring here, but his eyes were full of passion and greed.

    Liu Jing sneered, "We'll just sit here and won't change!"

    At this time, a cloud sound sounded, and groups of maids filed out carrying wine, food, and fruit pulp. In the open space in the middle of the lobby, several graceful dancers were dancing to the sound of music. These maids and dancers  Ji and the musicians were all invited by the Huang family from Fancheng, and even the food and drinks were of several sizes.The hotel is responsible for the purchase and preparations are very rich.

    With Liu Jing's firm attitude, Tao Zhan felt a little relieved and ignored Huang She and Liu Cong. At this time, she felt something. When she turned around, she saw Cai Shaoyu appearing in front of her with a cup of fruit pulp, a look on her face.  There was a hint of sour smile, but there was also a kind of contempt that could not be concealed in the smile.

    "Miss Tao, long time no see."

    Cai Shaoyu quickly glanced at Liu Jing again, secretly annoyed in her heart. He looked down on her, but it turned out that he liked this woman.

    She also admitted that Tao Zhan was beautiful, but she was the daughter of a businessman, could she compare with her?  She was so ashamed that she was not even worthy of carrying her own shoes.

    But Liu Jing drank slowly without raising her eyelids, and seemed not to feel Cai Shaoyu's arrival at all.

    Tao Zhan couldn't be as cold and arrogant as Liu Jing. She picked up the cup and stood up. She smiled and said: "The last time we met was during the New Year, at Wangjiang Tavern."

    Cai Shaoyu smiled hypocritically and said, "Miss Tao has a good memory. I can't find anyone to talk to here. I'm really bored. Can Miss Tao sit down with me and talk to me?"

    Before Tao Zhan could speak, Liu Jing sneered and said, "There is such a stupid woman in the world who counts money for others after being sold."

    Cai Shaoyu's expression changed, "Liu Jing, what are you talking about?"

    Tao Zhan quickly smoothed things over: "Master Jing is not talking about the girl. I'm sorry. I'm feeling a little unwell, so I won't go over. I'll chat with the girl another day."

    Cai Shaoyu was hit with two nails, one hard and one soft. She couldn't bear it. She didn't dare to offend Liu Jing, so she vented her anger on Tao Zhan. She said with a low face: "Yes! There are people who are of low status and are not worthy of being with each other."  I'm dating, and I'm really a bitch. I actually condescend to invite a businessman's daughter to sit with me. If word gets out, people will laugh to death."

    Tao Zhan's face suddenly turned red, she bit her lips, her eyes filled with humiliated anger. She took a deep breath, controlled her anger, and said calmly: "Miss Cai, you have insulted me enough.  I don¡¯t want to say anything more to you, just go away!¡±

    Cai Shaoyu secretly glanced at Liu Jing, but when she saw that he still ignored him, as if he didn't know anything, she became even more angry and glared at Tao Zhan fiercely, "I won't leave, and I will insult you, how about that?"  "

    At this time, Liu Jing suddenly turned his head and stared at Cai Shaoyu coldly.

    "roll!".

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 114: Demonstration

    Cai Shaoyu's face turned pale. Liu Jing actually told her to get lost. Still in full view of everyone, her tears suddenly burst out. She threw the wine glass to the ground, turned around and left.

    ¡®Bang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise.

    There was a sudden silence in the side hall, and countless pairs of eyes looked here. Many people knew Liu Jing and Cai Shaoyu, and saw a beautiful girl sitting next to Liu Jing.

    There were a lot of whispers in the side hall. Two women were competing for one man. This was the most interesting thing.

    Rumors that Liu Biao was planning to let his nephew marry Cai Mao's daughter had spread throughout Jingzhou officialdom as early as last year. Although there were twists and turns in the rebirth and the rumor was that the marriage was cancelled, it was generally accepted that there was some kind of relationship between Liu Jing and Cai Shaoyu.  fact.

    Now Cai Shaoyu threw the cup and left, and Liu Jing had a beautiful girl sitting next to him. Almost everyone guessed the cause and effect relationship between them. It must be a wave of love, but who is this beautiful girl?  Many people don't know it.

    " However, there are also people who know her, and they can't help shouting, 'The daughter of the Tao family, the most beautiful woman in Jiangxia.  ¡¯

    "It turns out that Mr. Jing doesn't want to marry a daughter of the Cai family because he has a crush on her."

    "This Mr. Jing is a bit stupid. How can a businessman's daughter be compared with a daughter of the Cai family? Young man! He is greedy for beauty and has an impulsive mind."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There were endless discussions, and Tao Zhan's face turned red. On the one hand, it was certainly because Cai Shaoyu humiliated her, which made her very angry, but on the other hand, there were so many people talking about her, and if something like this happened again, it would be hard to  Is her relationship with Liu Jing confirmed?

    Although Tao Zhan doesn¡¯t dislike everyone seeing her and Liu Jing as a couple, after all, their relationship has not been revealed yet, and girls are thin-skinned and don¡¯t always like to be the center of public opinion.

    Tao Zhan was restless and wanted to get up and leave.

    "Why do you need to pay attention to her!"

    Tao Zhan complained to Liu Jing in a low voice, "Didn't you see that I had rejected her? You just thought she was uneducated and said crazy things, making her feel boring, and then left. Yet you still want to provoke her? Look, how much  Disgusting things.¡±

    Liu Jing drank slowly and leisurely. As long as Tao Zhan didn't leave in a rage, he didn't care about the rest. Tao Zhan saw that he was silent and couldn't do anything to him.

    This time she couldn't just leave in anger. Although she was a little embarrassed by the incident, Liu Jing angrily scolded Cai Shaoyu because of her. How could she not know that Tao Zhan was only secretly grateful in his heart.

    At this time, Huang Yueying came quietly from the back door. She pressed Tao Zhan's shoulders from behind and smiled in a low voice: "You made it easy for me to find him."

    Tao Zhan was startled. When she turned around and saw Huang Yueying, she was suddenly surprised and happy. She quickly held her hand and asked, "Why are you here?"

    "Come here to find you! I'm afraid no one will greet you."

    Huang Yueying glanced at Liu Jing again, said "Oh¡ª¡ª" meaningfully, winked and smiled: "I know, it seems there is no need for me to come."

    "No! No! You and I will go sit in the room. There are too many people here and I'm not used to it."

    When Tao Zhan was embarrassed and ashamed, Huang Yueying's timely appearance was her life-saving straw. She held Huang Yueying's hand and turned back to Liu Jing, "Sister Yueying and I will go talk and we'll be back soon."  "

    After saying this, she regretted it. He thought she had to sit next to him when she said this. She didn't mean it. There were so many empty seats here. Although she thought so in her heart, Tao Zhan didn't say it out loud.  , forget it, just give him face!

    "Um!"

    Liu Jing nodded and said in a long tone, "Go!"

    Tao Zhan saw that his tone was like a husband promising his wife, with a stern face and a condescending attitude. Her face turned redder, and she wanted to pinch him again to save him face, but he took it seriously.

    The smile in Huang Yueying's eyes became even stronger, and she actually said, "I'll be back in a while." When did the young couple become so affectionate? In fact, Huang Yueying's heart was about to explode with joy. Just now, in front of several elders,  , officially settled her marriage with Zhuge Liang.

    A year of lovesickness and sorrow was gone. She was eager to find someone to express her joy to, but she had no friends. She only had Tao Zhan, whom she had just met today and fell in love with at first sight, so she came over.

    Huang Yueying saw Xu Shu and Cui Zhouping giving a thumbs up to her to express congratulations. Her face turned redder, so she took Tao Zhan's hand and they walked quickly to the back door.

    I just heard Huang Yueying joke in a low voice, "I dragged you away, and he wasn't angry?"

    "You damn girl, keep talking nonsense!"

    Tao Zhan pinched her, and the two of them had sex.He left with a smile.

    The heroine left and the lobby gradually became quiet again. At this time, Liu Jing simply sat with Xu and Cui. Xu Shu smiled and said: "I am thinking now, should I go to Chaisang with you?"

    Cui Zhouping joked on the side: "I just told Yuan Zhi to choose one of the dancers as his concubine immediately, and then take him to Chai Sang, so that I don't have to watch you two being in love with each other."

    Liu Jing also nodded and smiled: "This is a good idea. I will pay for it, Lao Cui will be the matchmaker, and I will let brother Yuan Zhi enter the bridal chamber tonight."

    "You two bad guys, you have dirty thoughts!"

    The three of them joked for a while, and Liu Jing asked Xu Shu again, "Isn't Brother Yuanzhi's wife in Xiangyang?"

    "In my hometown, I still have a son."

    Xu Shu sighed, "This time when I return to my hometown for the New Year, I plan to bring them all together. However, conditions do not allow it, and I am worried that Cao Jun will attack Jingzhou in two years, so I decided not to bring them for the time being. I still plan to return to my hometown to farm in two years."  ¡±

    Liu Jing nodded. He had something to say to Xu Shu, but now was not the time.

    "Brother Xu, Miss Tao will go back to Chaisang first this time. I will leave in a few days. Then we can go together."

    "You're not going the same way as her?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I'm still learning archery. I can't leave until at least five days later. She will go back with her uncle the day after tomorrow."

    Liu Jing sighed in his heart when he thought about having to submit a report to Huang Zhong in five days. Now he could only practice a hundred arrows during the day and another hundred arrows at night. Although he worked hard every day, Liu Jing knew that Huang Zhong wanted him to be more capable.  If you work hard, you'd better be able to shoot three hundred arrows a day, but you just can't do it yet.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Shaoyu returned home in disgrace and offended the other three people. When Liu Cong saw Liu Jing and Tao Zhan sitting side by side, he was jealous. Under the encouragement of him and Cai Yi, Cai Shaoyu reluctantly ran to invite Tao Zhan and her.  Sitting together, Liu Jing scolded him back.

    This was the second time she was humiliated by Liu Jing, which made her unbearably embarrassed. She sat on her seat with a livid face and said nothing. Just as Liu Cong was about to speak, Cai Shaoyu said viciously: "What do you mean by asking her to sit with you?"  I am the legitimate daughter of the Cai family. What is she? The daughter of a businessman. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s insulting for me to invite her?¡±

    Cai Shaoyu did not dare to offend Liu Jing again. She directed all her anger at Tao Zhan. In her opinion, Liu Jing humiliated her in this way only because of Tao Zhan.

    That stinky woman thought she was pretty, so she dared to compare herself with her. She was the legitimate daughter of the head of the Cai family, and she was just the daughter of a businessman. Who was she?

    "If you dare to mess with me again, I'll tell you what will happen. I'll go find Mr. Qi. At least he won't let me do anything that is degrading to my status."

    Liu Cong was so frightened that he quickly tried to comfort her with good words. At this time, he ignored Tao Zhan and promised Cai Shaoyu that he would never let her do anything embarrassing again. Only then did Cai Shaoyu calm down his anger.

    At this time, Cai Yi winked at Huang She, and the two walked out of the lobby. Their fathers formed an alliance. As the eldest sons of the Cai and Huang families, they naturally would not talk about romance when they were together.

    In fact, the two of them are important figures in Jingzhou's sub-officialdom. Huang She is appointed as the Wuchang County Lieutenant, and Cai Yi is the assistant to Liu Xian, a powerful figure in Jingzhou. Both of them have a bright future in the future.

    "Have you heard that Zhang Yun was demoted this time?"

    Huang She nodded, "I heard about it. My father specifically told me about it before leaving."

    "What did Uncle Shi say?" Cai Yi asked with interest.

    "My father said it was a bit strange. He was just blackmailing a businessman. Normally, he would only give a warning, but this time he was demoted to county captain. My father thought this was actually a warning to the Jingzhou family."

    Cai Yi sighed, "My father thinks so too. In fact, he is targeting my Cai family and Zhou Mu with cruel methods!"

    The two of them walked a few steps, and Huang She changed the topic, "I recently heard news that Liu Jing may come to Jiangxia. Do you know?"

    "I haven't heard of this, but"

    Cai Yi frowned slightly, "I wouldn't be surprised if he went to Jiangxia."

    "You mean Liu Qing went to Changsha."

    Cai Yi nodded, "Recently, the state pastor has begun to attach importance to family power. I heard that even Liu Qi is preparing to be sent as the governor of Nanjun. With Liu Qing in Changjiang County, how can there be no one in Jiangxia? The possibility of letting Liu Jing go to Jiangxia is indeed very high  ¡±

    Huang She didn't say anything for a while. This time his father sent him to Xiangyang to inquire about the news. They got news in Jiangxia that Liu Biao had appointed Wu Qing, the son of Wu Ju, as the military marquis of Fancheng and was preparing to take over Liu Jing's military post.  However, Liu Jing's new position has not been announced.

      The Huangs were very worried that Liu Biao would send Liu Jing to serve in Jiangxia, and they heard that after the Battle of Xinye, Kuai Yue had recommended Liu Jing to Liu Biao to go to Jiangxia. It is very likely that their conclusion was correct, and Liu Jing would come to control Jiangxia.  Huang family.

    Among the major families in Jingzhou, no family has ever controlled Jiangxia as deeply as the Huang family. This was originally a tacit understanding between Huang Zu and Liu Biao, but now the tacit understanding is about to be broken, which makes the Huang family and his son extremely worried.

    "Brother Cai, have you heard of Wei Pu?"

    "You mean the swordsman Wei Pu?"

    Of course Cai Yi has heard of it. He is from Lingling and is the son of Wei Zhong, the best swordsman in Jingzhou. He became famous in Jiangdong at a young age and is also extremely famous in Jingzhou. Cai Yi frowned and asked, "Why did you mention him?"

    "This time I brought him."

    Cai Yi was startled. He turned back and glanced at the young man in green shirt not far away, "Is he Wei Pu?"

    "It's him who is currently my personal guard, but my father is asking him to deal with Liu Jing this time."

    Cai Yi looked at Huang She in surprise, "Master Huang, you don't mean to"

    "No! No! No! You misunderstood. You didn't want to plot against Liu Jing. The Huang family will not take such a risk."

    Huang She pondered for a moment and said: "My father wants me to find an opportunity for Wei Pu to defeat Liu Jing in public, and then publicize it to severely damage his reputation. In this way, even if he goes to Jiangxia, at least within a year, he will  You have to keep your tail between your legs and don¡¯t dare to be arrogant.¡±

    Cai Yi understood that this method was good, and attacking reputation was always the most effective method. Liu Biao sent Mi Heng to Jiangxia, but Huang Zu killed Mi Heng, making the Huang family and his son despised by the world, and their reputation was completely lost.

    Similarly, if Wei Pu is allowed to defeat Liu Jing in an almost humiliating way, then no one in Jiangxia will look down upon Liu Jing, and he will not have prestige in the army. It seems that Huang Zu really has good intentions!

    Thinking of this, Cai Yi smiled sinisterly, "Isn't today the best opportunity?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 115: Unexpected

    Huang She walked up to Liu Cong and whispered a few words to him. Liu Cong's eyes lit up, he took a deep look at the man in green standing at the door of the lobby, and then turned to Liu Jing.

    By this time Tao Zhan had come back and was talking to Liu Jing, Xu Shu and others.

    Liu Cong snorted coldly, "There is a beautiful woman nearby, so I'm sorry he has no face to refuse. I'll go talk to my father."

    Liu Cong stood up and walked towards the main hall. Huang She and Cai Yi exchanged glances and walked towards Liu Jing together.

    Huang Yueying wanted to test the horoscope, but was called by her father. Tao Zhan had to return to his seat. At this time, she and Liu Jing were persuading Xu Shu to go to Chaisang.

    Liu Jing invited Xu Shu to go to Chaisang. Xu Shu agreed to go with him just for talk. After all, Liu Jing was not the son-in-law of the Tao family, so his invitation was meaningless. How could Xu Shu go there rashly without an invitation from the Tao family.

    "Brother Yuanzhi, on behalf of the Tao family, I formally invite you to visit. I will return to Chaisang with my uncle the day after tomorrow. We will take a two-thousand-stone building ship with dozens of empty cabins. The conditions are very good in all aspects. It is completely okay.  Let¡¯s go together the day after tomorrow!¡±

    Xu Shu smiled sheepishly and said: "Since Miss Tao kindly invites you, I will come to disturb you, but I still want to go with Mr. Jing so that we can talk more easily on the way."

    "That's a shame. I originally wanted to ask Brother Yuanzhi for advice."

    Tao Zhan smiled sweetly again, "Then we'll make it a deal. We hope to see Brother Yuanzhi in Chaisang."

    "Haha! Since I agreed, I will definitely come."

    Tao Zhan and Liu Jing sat back down again. Liu Jing laughed softly and said, "It's still a building. With such good conditions, why don't you invite me?"

    Tao Zhan rolled his eyes at him and said coquettishly: "Don't you want to learn archery and wait a few days before you can leave? You said that yourself."

    "Can't you wait for me for another two or three days?"

    ¡°What a beautiful thought!¡±

    Tao Zhan curled his lips in disdain, "Businessmen are always punctual and trustworthy. If they promise to leave in three days, they will leave on time. You don't have such a big face, let me wait for you for another three days."

    Having said this, Tao Zhan glanced at him quickly and saw that his expression was a little unnatural. Knowing that his joke was a bit too big, he asked in a low voice: "Are you angry?"

    "It's okay! I have a broad mind and I won't take this little thing to heart."

    Tao Zhan ¡®tsk!  He covered his mouth with a smile, rolled his eyes, rolled his eyes and said, "You! You are a stupid person. You have been so kind to the Tao family, why can't I wait for you for two or three days? Even if I don't want to, but  My second uncle will definitely agree, but there is a custom in my hometown. On the seventh day before the old man¡¯s birthday, the whole family must gather together to pray for the old man. This is called the seventh day before the old man¡¯s birthday, so he will leave after three days at the latest, and if it is later, he will leave.  It¡¯s too late, do you think I really don¡¯t want to wait for you?¡±

    Liu Jing felt relieved after hearing her explanation clearly, and smiled again: "Didn't I say it? I have a broad mind, and I won't take this little thing to heart."

    "Go! If you had a broad mind, you wouldn't make me angry today."

    The two were chatting and laughing in a low voice. At this time, Huang She and Cai Yi came over with smiles on their faces. When Liu Jing saw it from a distance, his face sank and he stood up, "Do you two have anything to do with me?"

    Cai Yi smiled and said: "Let me introduce you to Mr. Jing. This is Huang Wendu of Jiangxia, the eldest son of Huang Prefect. In fact, Miss Tao should be very familiar with Mr. Huang."

    Tao Zhan said calmly: "It's not that we're familiar with each other, we're just acquaintances, Mr. Huang, isn't it?"

    "Yes Yes!"

    Huang She also said with a smile on his face: "Last year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, my brother and I went to your mansion as guests, and we were lucky enough to meet Jiuniang. My brother still misses her so much that he has already lost weight."

    Liu Jing saw that the two of them were speaking with innuendos, especially when Huang She looked at Tao Zhan, and tried to hide it, but she still couldn't hide the eagerness in her eyes. This was a look that only men could understand.

    "Do you two have anything else to do? If you don't have anything to do, just invite me!" Liu Jing made no secret of her disgust towards them and directly issued an expulsion order.

    Huang She waved to Wei Pu, a man in green. Wei Pu walked up slowly. Huang She said in a very respectful tone: "This is one of my subordinates. He is very skilled in swordsmanship. I have heard for a long time that Young Master Jing has excellent swordsmanship. He defeated  I came to Cai Jin, so I came here to ask for advice."

    Wei Pu bowed and saluted, "Master Jing, please teach me!"

    Liu Jing glanced at Wei Pu and said with a smile: "It's such a good atmosphere to compete with swords. Isn't it too embarrassing?"

    "This is why Mr. Jing is unaware of something."

    Next to him, Cai Yi added: "During a big banquet, it is always an elegant thing to compete with swords to add to the fun. Last year at the banquet, Zhou Mu even came out in person to compete with my father, or compare poems."He writes a wonderful article or throws an arrow from a golden pot. This happens every year. How come it has turned into a nuisance when it comes to the young master?  Of course, if you feel that your skills are not as good as others, let¡¯s just say so and we won¡¯t force you.  "

    Tao Zhan¡¯s expression changed and he said coldly: ¡°Young master, don¡¯t pay attention, don¡¯t accept their provocation.¡±

    Liu Jing was actually thinking about how to use tonight's banquet to win Liu Biao's final trust when he met Liu Cong and Cai Yi at noon.

    Unexpectedly, the opportunity fell from the sky. How could he not agree? He pretended to be difficult, and finally said helplessly: "Since Mr. Huang is so sincere, if I refuse, wouldn't it mean that I, Liu Jing, am timid and useless?"  There¡¯s no need to save face in front of a beautiful woman, okay! I accept it.¡±

    Huang She was overjoyed, "Okay! Let's make some preparations and have a sword showdown in the open space in front of the main hall."

    He turned back to his seat. Cai Yi took a deep look at him, smiled proudly, and turned away. Tao Zhan suddenly became anxious, "How can you agree? They obviously came prepared. I don't know where this man in Tsing Yi came from."  Master, if you agree like this, aren't you playing into their hands? If you lose in front of so many people, it will affect your reputation."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Don't worry! I know what's going on."

    Xu Shu next to him also laughed and said: "Miss Tao, don't worry, Liu Jing is very good at crossing Chencang secretly, he should be sure of it."

    Although Tao Zhan was extremely smart, she was so anxious at this moment that she did not think of Liu Jing's intention. She frowned slightly and asked, "What do you mean?"

    Liu Jing glanced at Xu Shu quickly, and said with a smile, "Don't let the secret be revealed, you will know it soon."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Biao sat on the chairman's seat in the middle of the main hall, facing everyone on both sides. Next to him was his wife, Mrs. Cai, and on the other side were the owner Huang Chengyan, his wife Cai, and Liu Bei.

    Huang Chengyan had announced the engagement of Zhuge Liang and his daughter Huang Yueying in public, which made the main hall extremely lively. Huang Yueying's marriage was originally a sensational news, but he married Zhuge Kongming, who was literary, romantic and good-looking, which happened to be the answer in the previous paragraph.  The rumors of the time made the guests particularly excited and kept talking about it.

    The banquet had been going on for nearly an hour, the sky was getting dark, and the banquet was gradually coming to an end. At this time, Liu Cong walked to his father and whispered a few words to him. Liu Biao was startled. Huang She's subordinates wanted to compete with Jing'er.  Sword, he felt slightly unhappy.

    Mrs. Cai next to her asked, "Cong'er, what's the matter?"

    Liu Cong hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "Reporting to mother, one of Huang She's subordinates admires Jing's swordsmanship and is willing to compete with him for fun."

    For Mrs. Cai, she supported everything that was not beneficial to Liu Jing. She immediately smiled and said: "General, this is an interesting thing. Since young people have such elegance, we shouldn't oppose them! I think if General  Refusal would make Jing'er incompetent and he should be allowed to make his own decision."

    Liu Biao sneered in his heart. Of course he knew Huang Zu's intention of proposing a sword duel with Liu Jing at this time, so he asked quietly: "What is your brother Jing's attitude?"

    "Haier heard that he readily agreed."

    Liu Biao thought for a moment. He really wanted to see how Liu Jing would deal with this matter.

    Liu Biao nodded, "Okay! I agreed. I will call them to the main hall and compete with each other in the main hall."

    While Liu Cong was asking Liu Biao for instructions, on the side, the housekeeper hurriedly walked up to Huang Chengyan and whispered a few words to him. Huang Chengyan was startled, "What does he want this for?"

    "Mr. Jing didn't say anything specific. I just asked the old master for a favor."

    Huang Chengyan thought for a moment. Although he didn't know Liu Jing's intention, he still agreed, "I remember that there seems to be good ones in the small warehouse. You take him to the warehouse and let him choose."

    "As ordered!" The butler hurried away.

    Huang Chengyan was puzzled. What did Liu Jing want with this thing?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The news that Liu Jing was going to compete with Huang Sheng's subordinates quickly spread throughout the three halls of the Huang Mansion. Guests from the side halls on the left and right rushed to the main hall. Both sides of the main hall were crowded with guests. Everyone looked forward to this wonderful scene.  's arrival

    The Han Dynasty was passionate about martial arts. For hundreds of years, banquet competitions have always been the most attractive finale. This is different from a duel. This is an impromptu competition. When the excitement arises, friends draw their swords and fight.  The onlookers applauded and cheered. This scene can be seen in the painted brick paintings in Han tombs.

    Not long after, Liu Jing walked over quickly. He did not use a sword, but a horizontal sword with a ring head. In the eyes of everyone, Liu Jing stood calmly, waiting for the arrival of the battle. He did not panic. He had killed the enemy in Wuchang.  dead pornLater, he specially investigated the background of the Huang Zu family and knew their situation well.

    Wang Wei said that Huang Zu's second son Huang Yong was a powerful character, but he was simple-minded and had an extremely bad temper. He was comparable to his father's bad temper, but he did not have his father's cunning.

    As for Huang She, he is said to be good at both civil and military skills, but his martial arts skills are far inferior to those of his brother Huang Yong.

    When Wei Pu, a man in Tsing Yi, appeared in the main hall, there was a murmur of whispers. People in Jingzhou mentioned that his father Wei Zhong, almost everyone knew that he was a famous swordsman in Jingzhou.

    Precisely because his father Wei Zhong was so well-known in Jingzhou, Wei Pu had been active in Jiangdong since his debut at the age of sixteen, and became famous in Jiangdong. When it comes to Sword Master Wei Pu, almost everyone in the six counties of Jiangdong knows about him.

    In fact, many people in Jingzhou have heard of Wei Pu, but have never seen him in person, so when he appeared in the main hall, almost no one knew him. This was the famous sword master Wei Pu, and Huang She certainly didn't.  He will reveal his true identity and just tell everyone that he is one of his men.

    Tao Zhan found Huang Yueying and sat with her. She was extremely nervous. In fact, she knew better than anyone else that the fundamental reason why Huang She wanted to deal with Liu Jing was for her.

    Huang She¡¯s younger brother Huang Yong was rude and unwise. He vowed to marry her at the top of Chaisang City, causing an uproar in Jiangxia County. But she knew that Huang She was also plotting against her, but he was much more sinister.

    Just two months ago, Huang She bribed one of her maids and planned to kidnap her when she went to the temple to burn incense and fulfill her vows. Unexpectedly, the maid was exposed and confessed Huang She's intentions, and she finally knew what Huang She was thinking.

    She was extremely worried. If Liu Jing was unfortunately defeated, how would she explain the matter?

    Huang Yueying felt Tao Zhan's nervousness, and her body was trembling slightly. Huang Yueying held her hand, smiled and comforted: "Don't worry! My father praised Mr. Jing very much, saying that he was brave, resourceful, calm and rational. Since he  "I agree, it must be because of him."

    Tao Zhan couldn't help but sigh lowly when he thought of Xu Shu's words, I hope so.

    At this time, the man in Tsing Yi stood dozens of steps away, facing Liu Jing, holding his sword and clasping his fists, "Master Jing, please come."

    At this time, Liu Jing¡¯s cold voice was heard echoing in the lobby.

    "Master Huang She, you and I have made an appointment to have a sword duel. If you don't want to do it, forget it. Why did you send a servant to compete with me, Liu Jing? I am the nephew of the state shepherd. Am I not qualified to compete with you, the son of a prefect?"  Sword? Don¡¯t bully others too much!¡±

    [There were many swordsmanship masters in the Han Dynasty, such as Zhang Zhong, Qu Chenghou, Wang Jun, Cui Yan, etc., who were famous all over the world for their swordsmanship. There are people with excellent swordsmanship in other states and counties. The people in this book  Wei Zhong is a famous swordsman in the south]

 Volume 1, Chapter 116: Digging a hole and burying oneself

    [It¡¯s the beginning of another sultry day, and Lao Gao will be sweating hard again. Brothers, support Lao Gao with your recommendation votes!  ¡¿

    ========

    In the lobby, hundreds of pairs of eyes looked at Huang She. Everyone's eyes were full of surprise and dissatisfaction. It was obvious that they agreed with Liu Jing's accusation.

    Huang She never expected that Liu Jing would operate on himself. He stood up a little at a loss and explained loudly, "Master Jing, I think you must have misunderstood."

    "I didn't misunderstand!"

    Liu Jing's voice was still cold, "How could I agree to a sword duel with your humble official? Isn't this an insult to my own identity? Mr. Huang, you didn't dare to sword duel with me, so you found a scapegoat."

    Liu Jing slowly sat down and said calmly: "Master Huang, I will not do anything to harm my identity. Either you go ahead, or you openly admit your cowardice and shamelessness!"

    Wei Pu was so angry that he was trembling with anger when he heard that he was openly scorning him. He was a domestic slave on the left and a lowly official on the right. He ignored Huang Zu's request not to reveal his identity and said solemnly: "Master Jing, do you know who I am? I'm here.  Wei Pu, the son of Wei Zhong, is he qualified to compete with you?"

    There was an uproar in the lobby. Wei Zhong was famous for his swordsmanship and Jing Xiang was famous. No one expected that this man in green was actually Wei Zhong¡¯s son. Moreover, many people also knew Wei Pu¡¯s name and had made a name for himself in Jiangdong.

    Liu Biao couldn't help but snorted coldly. This meant that Huang Zu had deliberately arranged it. He knew that he was going to send Jing'er to Jiangxia, so he began to use various means to obstruct it. Sword fighting to damage reputation is also a very despicable method, but  Liu Biao remained silent, he wanted to see how Liu Jing would handle the matter.

    Liu Jing had known for a long time that this man in Tsing Yi had an extraordinary status and would not be a lowly official. From his attitude towards Huang She, which was neither humble nor arrogant, it could be seen that he was an independent person, but he wanted Huang She to dig a hole for himself.  Damn, how could he compete with this Wei Pu?

    Liu Jing stood up and smiled slightly: "It turns out that he is the son of a famous swordsman. I'm sorry. Since you proposed to compete with me, I can accompany you, but not today. Today is Mr. Huang She who proposed to compete with me. I'm sorry.  He proposed half an hour earlier than you, and I agreed. Mr. Wei, please go down!"

    Wei Pu had completely forgotten his responsibilities at this time, and was immersed in the anticipation of competing with Liu Jing. He looked at Liu Jing and asked word by word: "Then when is our sword showdown scheduled?"

    "A year and a half later, in the autumn of the eighth year of Jian'an, Mr. Cai Jin and I will also have a sword duel at that time. Can you accept it?"

    Wei Pu nodded slowly, "Okay! I will definitely come to you then."

    He turned around and saluted Huang She: "Master Huang, there is nothing I can do for you today. We will see you later!"

    After saying that, he turned around and strode out of the lobby. His figure was like a lone crane, and he disappeared into the hazy night in a moment.

    Liu Jing watched him go away, then smiled and cupped her hands to Huang She, "Master Huang, please!"

    The situation suddenly changed, and everyone turned their attention to Huang She. Even Tao Zhan breathed a long sigh of relief, and stared at Liu Jing with a pair of beautiful eyes. She finally understood what Xu Shu said about the clever plan to seduce Chen Cang, so that was it.

    She was quite appreciative in her heart. This guy was quite smart and caught Huang She's loopholes. However, Huang She's martial arts was also very strong. Could he be Huang She's opponent?

    Thinking of this, Tao Zhan felt a little worried again. Huang Yueying had been secretly watching Tao Zhan. He saw her biting her lips for a while, her face pale, her face red, her eyes bright and shining. She couldn't help but feel funny in her heart. This was even worse than when she went into battle by herself.  Nervous, this little girl seems to be interested in someone.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    But Huang Yueying is also a little worried, how could Liu Biao allow his nephew to marry Tao's daughter, hey!  It just depends on their fate.

    In the lobby, Huang She's face turned white and red. Wei Pu's departure pushed him into an extremely embarrassing situation. On the one hand, Wei Pu revealed his identity and exposed their plan. I'm afraid Liu Biao was already suspicious. On the other hand, Wei Pu  Pu walked away regardless of himself, leaving him in a dilemma.

    At this time, Cai Yi whispered from the side: "Liu Jing has not been studying martial arts for a long time. With his martial arts skills, he should be able to defeat him."

    This sentence was like a shot in the arm for Huang She. He had been considering using a disparity in strength to severely humiliate Liu Jing and damage his reputation, but he had forgotten that he was actually not weak either.

    yes!  Liu Jing only started learning martial arts last fall, only half a year at most, and he has been practicing martial arts for ten years. Even Cai Jin is not his opponent, so why should he be afraid of Liu Jing?

    Huang She took a deep breath, stood up and walked to the field. He also carried a long sword with him and raised the long sword high. "Master Jing, being respectful is worse than obeying your orders. I, Huang She, am willing to fight with you!"

    In the lobby, peopleThe crowd began to get excited. This was the result they expected to see. Liu Jing's sword fight with a humble man was far inferior to the decisive battle between the two young masters. Huang She was known as both civil and military, and enjoyed a high reputation in Jingxiang.  And Liu Jing is a rising star. He defeated Cai Jin in one battle and became famous. This is really exciting.

    However, many people understand that the sword fight between Liu Jing and Cai Jin is just a battle between teenagers, and it is far from being compared with adults. Liu Jing is only seventeen years old and has just become an adult. How can he and Cai Jin, who is nearly ten years older, be in their prime?  Huang She's sword competition, many people are not optimistic about Liu Jing.

    Today Huang Zhong did not come, and only Wenpin was present among the generals. Cai Jin slowly walked to his master and said worriedly: "Master, Master Jing, I am afraid that it is a mistake to compete with Huang She."

    Seeing the worried look on his face, Wenpin felt a little strange. When did his disciple start caring about Liu Jing? He smiled and asked, "Where did I go wrong?"

    Cai Jin said worriedly: "If he loses to Wei Zhong's son, everyone will take it for granted and it will not damage his reputation much. But if he loses to Huang Shooter, it will give people the feeling that Zhou Mu is inferior to Huang Zu.  It will greatly damage his reputation. I know that his martial arts skills are really no match for Huang She."

    Almost no people in Xiangfan knew about Liu Jing's performance in the Xinye battle, but Wenpin knew very well that Liu Jing could resist the enemy for five rounds, and Huang She could only do the same. The two of them should be between equals, Huang She's experience  Slightly more, but Liu Jing is better at calmness and quick wit. This will be an evenly matched battle.

    "You don't have to think too much, just look at the results."

    Wenpin also looked forward to this competition. His position was very clear and he supported Liu Jing's victory. Not only was he at odds with Huang Zu, but more importantly, he liked Liu Jing. A battle in the new field deepened the relationship between them.  emotion.

    The middleman of the competition was Cai Mao, who volunteered to serve as the arbiter. Although he favored Huang She in his heart, Liu Biao was present and he did not dare to show the slightest tendency to favor Huang She.

    In fact, Cai Mao took the initiative to serve as the arbiter for a deeper purpose. He had just received a report from his eldest son Cai Yi, and immediately understood the intention behind the competition, which was the secret fight between Liu Biao and Huang Zu in Jiangxia.

    Huang Zu¡¯s intention was obvious, which was to disgrace Liu Jing in public and weaken Liu Jing¡¯s influence on Jiangxia. Maybe Liu Biao would give up Liu Jing¡¯s appointment in Jiangxia.

    But doesn¡¯t Liu Biao know?  In particular, Wei Pu's identity was exposed and Huang Zu's intentions were revealed, but Liu Biao remained silent. From this, we can see Liu Biao's determination to eradicate Huang Zu.

    Under this situation, Cai Hao didn't want Liu Biao to think that today's incident was also related to him, and he wanted to get rid of this suspicion.

    "Two young masters, the banquet competition is mainly for fun, not a life-and-death battlefield. Everyone understands the rules, but I would like to emphasize again that no one is allowed to hurt."

    Cai Hao raised his voice again, "Both of them are holding actual combat weapons. This does not comply with the rules of the banquet competition, so the weapons must be changed."

    Huang Chengyan nodded and smiled: "I deeply agree with what the military advisor said. I have two long ironwood swords, which are specially prepared for banquets and competitions. I wonder if they can be used?"

    "It can be used. Please use the sword, Master Huang."

    After a moment, two family members each came forward with a wooden sword and presented it to Cai Hao. Cai Hao picked up the sword and danced twice. It was a standard banquet competition with wooden swords. He bowed to Liu Biao again and said: "Master, are you ready for them?"  Change the sword?"

    Liu Biao stroked his beard and thought to himself, this Cai Mao was very clever. He saw what he was thinking and was eager to show it. He nodded, "I'm allowed to change the sword!"

    The wooden sword was handed over to the two sword contestants. Liu Jing handed the sword to Xu Shu and took the wooden sword. The wooden sword was five feet long, cut from iron wood, weighed about twenty kilograms, and was black in color.  The lines are extremely fine. Since most ordinary iron swords only weigh just over ten kilograms, this wooden sword weighing twenty kilograms is obviously a two-handed sword.

    Liu Jing again remembered what Yu Zhenzi had said to him. All martial arts in the world come from the same lineage. The so-called various weapons are just different habits of using force. So this two-handed wooden sword can be regarded as either a sword or a sword.  For a knife, even a gun, or a stick.

    Facing Huang She, he didn't want to use the "Feng Lei Transformation" move. In fact, the "Feng Lei Transformation" move was just an evolution of the third move of "Feng Nod" in Bai Niao Chao Feng Spear. The "Feng Nod" move was the one that Zhao Yun used to stab Gao Lan.  The move with half an ear was extremely powerful.

    The Wind and Thunder Transformation was just a simplified version of one of its moves. Because Liu Jing was not strong enough at the time and did not have a deep understanding of the Falling Phoenix Kung Fu, Master Yu simplified the "Phoenix Nodding" move, which can only be said to be a hundred birds shooting at the Phoenix Spear.  Entry level moves.

    After months of hard training, Liu Jing has mastered three moves of the Hundred Birds Shooting Phoenix Spear. One move is the Phoenix Nodding, which is a head-on shot. The second move is the Phoenix Turning Back, which is actually a carbine spear. The other move is the Golden Wing Sweep.  It is equivalent to cutting in the middle in swordsmanship.It is a move that is both offensive and defensive.

    Of course, even though he has mastered these three moves, they are still far behind Zhao Yun's same three moves, mainly due to the difference in strength and depth.

    Liu Jing waved her sword with both hands and struck out lightly. A resonance of "Woo¡ª¡ª" echoed in the wind, and a kind of confidence gradually filled his heart. At this time, he suddenly saw Tao Zhan, and her beautiful eyes were full of joy.  Concerned about himself, he looked at her deeply, with a slight smile on his lips.

    This smile made Tao Zhan's heart beat fast. His eyes were panicked and he lowered his head. At the same time, he felt an indescribable pride. Among the countless eyes looking at him, he found himself.

    At this time, there was a soft sound of a cloud board, and Cai Mao shouted: "Start!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 117: Sword Skills Are Like Strategies

    The two people in the lobby made moves at the same time. Coincidentally, both of them were on the defensive. The yellow wooden sword was placed across their foreheads. At this time, they were defending against the classic move of cutting off the head, deflecting the incoming sword, and slashing with the long sword.  It can be said that it is both offensive and defensive.

    Just as Liu Jing didn't understand Huang She's habits, Huang She also didn't understand Liu Jing. He was rich in experience and knew the importance of anticipating the enemy and fighting in advance, so he stood with his sword horizontally, waiting for Liu Jing's attack.

    Liu Jing has experienced the Yu Jin battle and has already learned a profound lesson. He will never attack anyone who is stronger than him.

    But unlike Huang She, Liu Jing touched the sword to the ground, as if leaning on a cane, standing still as if he was firm on Mount Tai. This surprised many people, as this did not seem to be a move.

    But a wise person could tell at a glance that the first move was revealed and the two immediately saw each other. Huang She was experienced, capable of both offense and defense, and had hidden murderous intent.

    Liu Jing, on the other hand, was calm and calm, as if he was aloof from the incident. It was obvious that Huang She was inferior to Huang She in predicting the enemy's intelligence. You must know that this was a wooden sword weighing twenty kilograms. He held it across his forehead, requiring both arms to compete, but how long could he hold on?  ?

    This is not because Liu Jing is lazy, but because he expected Huang She to be defensive, so he decided to confront him from the beginning, so the sword was placed on the ground without any effort and could last indefinitely.

    ? Then it must be Huang She who strikes in the end, because he cannot put down his sword like Liu Jing. He cannot afford to lose face in front of everyone.

    Even Cai Jin noticed this and praised in a low voice: "So smart!"

    Wenpin stroked his beard and smiled, "When two armies are fighting, no one can win forever. Mistakes are inevitable. But as a good general, when he discovers his mistakes, he must correct them immediately to avoid making the same mistakes again. Although Huang She is aware of the enemy  He is slightly inferior, but if he can put down his sword or immediately switch to the offensive, he will be a qualified general. If he persists, he will have no future on the battlefield. "

    Cai Jin nodded silently. He was not a smart person, so he remembered the master's words firmly.

    But Huang She did not correct his mistake as soon as Wenpin said. He did know that he made a mistake in judgment and neglected the details of the epee. If the opponent did not attack, he could only keep the sword across his forehead, and his arm would soon be damaged.  Sour and numb.

    Putting down his sword like Liu Jing, Huang She would never be able to do it. He couldn't afford to lose this face, but he was hesitant to take the initiative to attack. He didn't know Liu Jing's background, so he charged forward with his sword, and both sides  It becomes one light and one dark. If he is in the light and Liu Jing is in the dark, he will suffer a big loss.

    Time passed little by little while Huang She hesitated. It had been a quarter of an hour, and the two sides were still motionless. Whispers began to sound in the lobby. Is this a stalemate until dawn?

    Liu Jing's arms were free, without any pressure. He was like a spectator watching the excitement, smiling and looking at Huang She who was more than twenty steps away. At this time, Huang She's forehead was already sweating, and the long sword began to tremble slightly.  My arms are sore and numb, and I can barely hold on anymore.

    Wenpin sighed and said to himself, "If you know your mistakes and don't correct them, how can you be a general?"

    At this time, Huang She heard a loud shout, raised his wooden sword high, and rushed towards Liu Jing like the wind and rain. His momentum was so fierce that it caused exclamations in the hall, and even Liu Biao sat up straight.

    Liu Biao knew that Huang She was good at both civil and military skills. At this time, he also saw that Huang She had impressive aura and had been immersed in swordsmanship for at least ten years. However, his nephew Liu Jing had only practiced martial arts for half a year. Could he really withstand Huang She's sword?  ?

    He mainly wanted to see how his nephew would respond, so he agreed to their competition. So far, Jing'er's performance has been remarkable and has not disappointed him. But at this time, Liu Biao was also sincerely worried. How could his nephew not be able to defeat Huang She?  manage?

    Tao Zhan exclaimed, holding Huang Yueying's wrist with one hand and putting the other hand on her chest. Her eyes widened and she was so nervous that her heart almost jumped out. When she saw Huang She stabbing Liu Jing head-on,  She was so scared that she closed her eyes.

    Liu Jing finally launched his attack. From the moment Huang She struck out, his eyes were fixed on Huang She's every move. Huang She was agile, fast, and fierce. He was indeed capable, but from his arms  The wooden sword started to tremble after only a quarter of an hour, indicating that his strength was not strong.

    At this time, Huang She roared and struck head-on with a sword. The blade of the sword cut through a black patch of air and reached Liu Jing's head in an instant. Liu Jing took a quick step forward to the left and dodged the sword.

    According to the normal sword posture, Huang She's sword should have struck the ground with a heavy impact. Unexpectedly, Huang She laughed ferociously, flipped his wrist, and the sword struck diagonally, directly striking Liu Jing's right arm.

    This is also the point of Huang She's cunning and brilliance. His swordsmanship is very high, but he adopts the chopping posture of a third-rate swordsman. The result of such a fierce attack is that the wooden sword hits the floor tiles hard, and his hands shake.  pain.

      Almost all the swordsmen who faced him would dodge the sword, causing his sword power to fail, and then counterattack, but Huang She could change the direction of the force midway, luring the opponent to dodge, and then he would cut the opponent with one sword.  arms.

    Although a wooden sword was used today, the heavy wooden sword would still break Liu Jing's arm bones or even cut off his arm.

    The hall was filled with exclamations of exclamation again. Even Wenpin couldn't hold his breath. Huo Di stood up. He didn't expect that Huang She could change the direction of the sword midway. Liu Jing dodged the sword, which was obviously a trap.

    But an accident happened at this moment. Huang She slashed Liu Jing's right arm with his sword. There was a muffled metallic sound from Liu Jing's arm, but there was no sound of bone cracking.

    Liu Jing returned to her horse and struck out with her sword. The sword was neither fast nor slow, but extremely accurate. It hit Huang She's calf hard. Huang She groaned and knelt on one knee.

    Soon, the severe cramping pain caused by being chopped off in the calf made him no longer care about his image. He shrank into a ball, threw the wooden sword aside, sweated profusely, his face was deformed in pain, and he screamed.

    There was silence in the lobby, except for Huang She's painful screams, which were particularly harsh. Several attendants quickly carried Huang She down for treatment.

    Everyone could see that Liu Jing was using a lose-lose tactic. He hit his own arm with a sword, but it also hit Huang She. However, Huang She fell to the ground, but Liu Jing seemed to be unscathed.  why is that?

    Everyone¡¯s eyes were full of doubts. Only Huang Chengyan understood in his heart and secretly appreciated, ¡®This brat really has a brain.  ¡¯

    Liu Jing smiled faintly and slowly untied her robe. The answer was immediately revealed. Inside the wide robe, she wore a tight-fitting chainmail that even covered her arms.

    Everyone immediately understood, and there were cheers and applause in the hall. The strategy contained in this sword show opened everyone's eyes. This was completely a victory in the art of war.

    Even Cai Mao had to announce loudly, "In the sword competition, Liu Jing won and Huang She lost!"

    The cheers resounded through the hall again. Tao Zhan was so happy that he almost shed tears. His beautiful eyes were as bright as gems, and his heart was full of love. With him here, he had nothing to fear from the Huang brothers. Liu Jing gave her  A strong sense of dependence.

    Huang Yueying sighed softly. She suddenly envied Tao Zhan for having such a brave and scheming lover. She felt it was necessary to let Kong Ming also practice swordsmanship. After all, in war-torn times, a man can only protect himself if he possesses powerful force.  His wife and children.

    Liu Biao was thoughtful and silent. He was a little strange. Why did Jing'er wear chain armor to the banquet?  Huang Chengyan, who was standing next to him, laughed in a low voice: "Just now when we were preparing for the competition, Mr. Jing found my butler and borrowed a pair of chain armor. I guess he thought of the strategy to defeat Huang She at that time."

    Liu Biao suddenly realized that this was the case. He stroked his beard and nodded happily. It seemed that sending Jing'er to Jiangxia was indeed a wise move.

    If Liu Biao was still hesitant before, worried that his nephew was not Huang Zu's opponent, he could not make up his mind, but after tonight's battle, he finally understood that only Jing'er could deal with Huang Zu and take back control of Jiangxia's army. At this moment  Liu Biao made up his mind.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The stars gradually disappeared in the light mist. The moon was not yet full, with cold light shining and clear brilliance pouring out. The moonlight was like light blue water, flowing all over the sky and falling on the rolling mountains and forests, making the mountains seem like  With a layer of silver glitter applied, the official road and the mountains and forests on both sides became particularly clear.

    A carriage was running leisurely in the hills and valleys in the north of Longzhong. Liu Jing was guarding the carriage on horseback. He looked warily at the mountains and forests on both sides from time to time. He was worried that Huang She would become angry and send someone to ambush them.

    Almost all the guests from the Huang Mansion went back to Xiangyang via the south route, while they were the only ones who took the north route back to Fancheng.

    Tao Zhan sat in the car, holding his chin with his hands, silently watching Liu Jing outside the carriage through the gauze curtain. Liu Jing's tall and heroic physique made her particularly fascinated. She had been like this when she was a little girl.  A dream, in the future, there will be a tall and heroic man guarding her, walking with her under the moonlight, walking towards the endless distance.

    As she grew up, this dream faded away, but she did not expect that when she was fifteen years old, this dream became a reality.

    Tao Zhan didn't speak, and quietly experienced this unique and wonderful taste in the quiet moonlit night. She had never experienced such turbulent emotions throughout her body, this intoxicating happiness, this deep-seated feeling in her heart.  The excitement everywhere.

    But he doesn¡¯t seem to understand his feelings yet. Maybe he has also tasted this feeling, but he is expressing it in another way, that is, to protect her wholeheartedly.

    It¡¯s just, sirHer reserve still made Tao Zhan unwilling to open the thin gauze curtain in front of her. She still had an inexplicable fear in her heart. She was afraid that once the gauze curtain was opened, she would lose him.

    She couldn¡¯t tell what this worry was. Maybe she didn¡¯t want to face it too early. This worry was like a mist hidden deep in her heart, always adding a touch of sadness to her sweetness.

    The carriage quickly crossed the Han River from Longzhong Ferry and headed towards Fancheng. Not long after, the carriage finally stopped at the door of Taoji Trading Company, and the moment of separation finally came.

    "Mr. Jing, will you come to Chaisang?" Tao Zhan asked him in a low voice.

    "Of course I will come. I promised and I will definitely not break my promise. Why do you ask this question?" Liu Jing was smiling.

    "What if your master wants you to practice archery but doesn't allow you to come?"

    "So that's what you're worried about."

    Liu Jing comforted her with a smile, "He will assign tasks to me, and then agree on a time to test my results. As for my going to other places, he will not interfere."

    Tao Zhan smiled sweetly, and his usual mischievous smile returned to his eyes, "Then it's agreed, if you dare not come, I will stop your medicine and make you regret it later."

    "If you threaten me like this, how dare I not come?"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and took a few steps back on her horse, "Jiuniang, I'll go back first. I still have a task of two hundred arrows waiting for me tonight!"

    "Since you are so pitiful, I will let you go. Go ahead and run away."

    Speaking of this, she couldn't help but hide her mouth and said, "Tsk!"  ' With a smile, Liu Jing was in a good mood. She turned her horse and ran towards the military camp. She heard his shout from a distance, "Jiu Niang, have a good journey!"

    Tao Zhan watched him go away and whispered: "I hope to meet you in Chaisang."

    After speaking, endless tenderness filled her eyes.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 118, The First Archery Trial

    [Chuangshi¡¯s official Weibo said: Once you upgrade to Level 2, you will get a recommendation ticket. It is estimated that many friends have tickets in hand. Everyone, take a look at your ticket warehouse!  It¡¯s a new day, Lao Gao asks everyone for votes]

    =======

    Although the wine of love is sweet, it is not suitable to indulge in it. Liu Jing urged his horse to return to the military camp. Soon, his whole body and mind were devoted to the arduous practice of archery.

    It has been the fifth day since Huang Zhong taught him the first day. Although two hundred arrows a day may not sound like much, for the big bow with soft strings, two hundred arrows is really nothing.

    But this is mounted archery, and every arrow must be shot while running. In the absence of high-bridge saddles and stirrups, the horse is mainly held between the legs, which requires a lot of crotch strength and extremely high requirements for body balance.  It takes a lot of energy to shoot an arrow.

    Moreover, the cavalry bow is smaller than the infantry bow and has great power. It requires arm strength to shoot out the bow. An ordinary cavalryman can shoot ten arrows in a row, and his arms will be sore and numb. For a general, shooting twenty arrows in one breath will make both arms  He is about to lose his strength, so he can only shoot about fifty to sixty arrows in an hour, averaging one arrow every two minutes.

    But as his strength and skills continue to increase, the strength of his bow and arrows will increase, and the efficiency of archery will also increase. Now he has improved. At the beginning, he could only shoot fifty arrows in an hour, but now it has gradually increased to sixty.  , mainly because the horse control skills have been improved.

    Liu Jing usually practices archery, arranging 150 arrows during the day and 50 arrows at night, mainly because he wants to practice night archery at the same time, and the time is relatively leisurely, but today he went to Longzhong and consumed a whole day. He could only practice at night  Make up for the lack of daylight.

    He had to shoot two hundred arrows a night and go swimming to practice swordsmanship. With such a strong amount of training, Liu Jing sighed and said he didn't want to sleep tonight.

    There is an incense stick on the straw man sixty steps away. It requires good eyesight to see it. The moonlight is good today, and you can faintly see the outline of the straw man. Liu Jing is galloping on his horse. He has already controlled it.  He regained his balance and cocked an arrow. Sixty steps away, he pulled the bow as fast as the full moon. A wolf-fang arrow shot out like lightning, heading straight for the straw man sixty steps away.

    It didn¡¯t matter whether he hit the target or not. Liu Jing took out another arrow, strung it, and galloped for a few steps. However, he unexpectedly discovered that the incense burner was gone and the sky above the target was pitch black.

    He wondered in his heart, could it be that the incense was extinguished by the wind?

    He urged his horse forward, and then he realized that the arrow just shot out the incense head with one arrow. Although it was just a blind cat encountering a dead mouse, Liu Jing was still overjoyed. The legendary arrow shot out the incense head with one arrow, and finally in  In his hands it became a reality

    Early the next morning, Liu Hu led Li Jun, the village chief who had just been transferred from the Youjiao Station, to the door of Liu Jing's room. From a distance, he saw Wei Yan standing at the door hesitantly. Liu Hu was overjoyed and said, "Old Wei  "When did you come back?"

    After the Battle of Xinye, Liu Biao rewarded meritorious soldiers. Liu Jing specifically asked Liu Biao for two small houses, both with two acres of land, located in Fancheng. One of them was given to Deng Wu's wife and children, and the other was given to Wei Yan, so Wei Yan  I specially asked for ten days' leave to go back to my hometown of Yiyang to pick up my mother, wife and daughter.

    Wei Yan smiled and said, "I just came back early this morning, settled my old mother, wife and daughter, and came to cancel my leave."

    Seeing that the door was still closed, Liu Hu couldn't help but asked in a low voice: "Aren't you up yet?"

    Wei Yan shook his head, "I heard that Jun Hou went to bed just before dawn and practiced martial arts all night."

    Liu Hu stuck out his tongue and blamed himself: "Damn it, if only I had this perseverance, I slept like a pig last night."

    Wei Yan glanced at Li Jun behind Liu Hu and asked with a smile, "Who is this?"

    Liu Hu quickly introduced, "This is Li Jincao, who used to work in the police station. He has just been transferred to us as the village chief."

    Wei Yan also knew that the Youjiao Office was known as the most fertile vacancy in Jingzhou. This man actually gave up his post as Jincao and came to be the gatekeeper of Fancheng. It was simply unbelievable. How much courage it took.

    Wei Yan could not help but be in awe, and cupped his hands and said: "Wei Yan admires Li Jincao's courage."

    Li Jun gave a wry smile. He couldn't help what his position was, so he had to sigh, "Youjiao Station is not a place for people to stay. Two governors have died in a row in the past two months. If you continue to do this, your life will be gone."  It¡¯s better to follow Liu Junhou Shuchang, and there is still a future.¡±

    Wei Yan nodded, "It seems that Li Jincao is also a sensible person."

    At this time, the door opened. Liu Jing looked tired, her eyes were red, and she said in a hoarse voice: "Come in!"

    Last night, Liu Jing practiced until dawn before finally completing the task of two hundred arrows. His arms were exhausted and he was exhausted. Liu Jing sat down, closed his eyes, and let his thoughts slowly recover. At this time, a man  The soldier came in with a cup of strong tea.

    &nbsp"Liu Jing took a sip of tea, sobered up a little, and then smiled and said: "I don't practice archery during the day and cram at night. This method is really harmful to people. In the end, I can't even pull the bow."

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for the military lord to work so hard!¡±

    Wei Yan smiled and said: "Practicing archery, like practicing martial arts, relies on long-term accumulation. When I was practicing riding and shooting, I shot a hundred arrows a day. Two hundred arrows is a bit too much."

    Liu Jing couldn't help but said bitterly: "Huang Laoxie wouldn't think like this. He also hinted to me that at least two hundred arrows a day would be better. If it were two hundred and fifty arrows, the effect would be better. Listen, two hundred and fifty arrows a day."  , I suspect that he is trying to kill me."

    When everyone heard Liu Jing call Huang Zhong Huang Laoxie, they couldn't help laughing.

    Liu Jing smiled at Li Jun again and said: "I have seen the military commander's transfer order, and welcome the arrival of Chief Li!"

    Li Jun knelt down on one knee and said, "I am willing to serve the military lord."

    Liu Jing knows that Li Jun is an extremely smart and capable person, especially with a wide range of friends and many ways to go. His arrival will be a great help to him, which makes him feel very relieved, but Liu Jing never dreamed of Li Jun's true identity

    A few days later, as agreed ten days ago, Liu Jing came to the Nanjun Camp early in the morning to prepare for Huang Zhong's first acceptance test.

    In the middle of the school grounds, a straw man and straw horse were erected. Wearing an iron helmet and leather armor, and holding a spear, it looked exactly like a Cao Jun cavalry. Fifty steps away from the straw cavalry, a straw horse was drawn with lime.  There is a white line. Liu Jing must be outside the white line and hit the 'Cao Jun Cavalry' with an arrow while running at high speed.

    Huang Zhong took out an ox-horn and raised his head to the sky to blow it. "Woo¡ª¡ª" The low horn sound resounded through the school grounds. In the corner of the school grounds, horses were seen galloping, dust was flying, and a cavalry team of 300 people rushed out, holding shields in their hands.  Spears, a team of fifty people, ran around the 'Cao Jun Cavalry', creating obstacles. Liu Jing had to seize the opportunity in the chaos and hit the target with an arrow.

    At this time, Huang Zhong shouted again: "Get ready! It will be completed within thirty drums."

    He personally wielded the drumsticks and beat the drums violently, only to hear 'Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The war drums sound loudly, and an arrow must be shot within thirty drums.

    There was harassment from the rebels, there was a time limit, and he had to hit the target with one blow, which put huge pressure on Liu Jing. He took a deep breath, galloped out, controlled the horse with both legs, held the bow in his left hand, and came from behind with his right hand.  He pulled out an arrow from the arrow pot on his back, and his movements were extremely skillful.

    From this short run of more than 20 steps, Huang Zhong nodded secretly. Liu Jing's horse control ability has improved significantly compared with the last time. The last time was a little unstable, but this time it was extremely stable and the balance was very good.  In just ten days, this child was indeed a martial arts prodigy, which made Huang Zhong very pleased.

    Five days ago, there was a big banquet at the Huang Mansion. Liu Jing stole the show at the banquet and defeated Huang She. His reputation had already spread throughout Jingxiang. Huang Zhong did not attend the family banquet because he was on duty, but he found out the next day  After hearing the detailed story, Huang Zhong was not happy. He only cared about whether Liu Jing completed the task of 200 arrows assigned by him on time every day. Obviously Liu Jing had no time to shoot arrows, which made him extremely annoyed.

    It was not until the day before yesterday that he heard that Liu Jing had practiced martial arts all night after coming back, and his anger calmed down a little. Today's exam, he deliberately increased the difficulty in order to teach this kid a lesson for his arrogance.

    Huang Zhong beat the drum vigorously, and the sound of the drum was like thunder, ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ It was already twenty-three times. Huang Zhong stared at Liu Jing sharply and saw that he had no intention of firing an arrow, while the three hundred cavalry were running at a dazzling pace. The dust on the school field was flying, and his vision became blurred.

    Huang Zhong narrowed his eyes and increased his strength on his hands, ¡®Dong¡ªdong¡ªdong!  ¡¯ Already the twenty-eighth tone.

    "Dong¡ª¡ª" the twenty-ninth sound.

    At this moment, Liu Jing suddenly launched into action, drawing the bow like the moon, and shooting arrows like shooting stars. A wolf-toothed arrow passed through the mist-like dust, passed through the gaps of the running cavalry, and shot directly at the grass cavalry.

    "Dong¡ª¡ª" the thirtieth sound.

    Huang Zhong stopped beating the drum, and the cavalry also stopped immediately. Hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to look at the cavalry, and saw a wolf-tooth arrow firmly inserted into the chest of the cavalry. There was a sudden sound on the school field.  There was a round of applause, and even Liu Jing felt a little shyly proud.

    Huang Zhong lightly stroked his white beard and smiled slightly. It was not unusual to shoot a straw cavalryman, but Liu Jing was actually counting the beats of drums in his heart. This is called planning and then acting, which is very valuable and a child can be taught!

    On the school field, Huang Zhong and Liu Jing walked slowly side by side, "What have you gained from these ten days of practicing archery?" Huang Zhong said with a slight smile.

    Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "My biggest gain is not actually being able to hit the target with one arrow, but that my ability to control horses has been greatly improved, which is also very beneficial to my immediate fight."

    "YouWell done, why is it said that mounted archery is the foundation of a general? This is the reason. Only those with strong mounted archery ability can control a war horse to fight.  "

    "What should I do next, junior, to practice archery?" Liu Jing asked again.

    Huang Zhong smiled and said, "Same as now, two hundred arrows a day, but next time I have to shoot from seventy steps away."

    "Huang Gong, can you accept it in a month next time? I will leave for Chaisang tomorrow to attend the birthday of Mr. Tao. The state pastor also specially granted leave. It may take half a month before I can come back."

    In fact, Huang Zhong was just worried about Liu Jing being lazy, but today's results made him very satisfied, and he was relieved. Liu Jing is a person with self-control and there is no need to worry about himself.

    Huang Zhong stroked his beard and smiled and said: "One month is too long, let's give it twenty days! Accept it after twenty days. Shoot three arrows from seventy steps away. All three arrows must hit the target. Do you understand?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 119 Night Talk between Uncle and Nephew

    Liu Jing still lives in his small house near the river. After living here for several months, he has gradually become accustomed to and likes this small house. This is his house and his home.

    Liu Jing does not come back every day. Sometimes when he is on duty, he will live in the military camp. There are also some special circumstances, such as archery last night, he slept directly in the military camp.

    The room was brightly lit and soft, and Liu Jing was sitting in her study reading by light. At this time, Xiao Baozi walked into the room with a cup of hot tea. His mouth was slightly pursed, as if he was a little unhappy.

    "Young Master, drink tea!"

    She put the tea on the table with an aggrieved voice. Liu Jing put down the book and looked at her. Seeing that her eyes were red and she seemed to have cried, she couldn't help but laugh, "What's going on? Who bullied you?  "

    Little Baozi lowered his head, Liu Jing took a sip of tea and looked at her again, "Did you get beaten by your mother?"

    "My mother won't hit me!" Little Baozi muttered in a low voice, like a mosquito humming.

    "why?"

    Liu Jing thought about it and suddenly understood something. She smiled and said, "Do you want to go to Chaisang with me?"

    The little bun was silent, lowered his head and wringing his fingers. Liu Jing didn't expect that this little girl had such delicate thoughts. She wanted to go to Chaisang with her, but she didn't say anything and insisted on asking her to guess the riddle.

    "It's okay to go to Chaisang with me. I'll say it first. I won't take care of you."

    "I don't want you to take care of me, Gillian will take care of me. We made an appointment to go to Chaisang Lake together, and she also promised to teach me how to weave a straw basket."

    Gillian is Tao Zhan's personal maid. A few days ago, she and Little Baozi were flirting with each other and spent the whole day together. They have become close friends. Liu Jing originally thought that Little Baozi was reluctant to leave her, but now she realized that this little girl wanted to find a friend.  Playing without taking yourself to heart at all.

    He couldn't help but feel angry and funny, and wanted to tease her again, but her eyes were shining with anticipation. He felt that if he refused even a little bit, it would be like pouring a basin of ice water into a lit brazier, and the little girl would probably disappear.  The jade is damaged.

    Thinking about it but not being able to bear it, Liu Jing stopped teasing her and nodded, "Okay then! Go pack your things and we'll set off early tomorrow morning. We'll go by boat."

    "Thank you, sir!"

    The little bun smiled broadly, jumped up with joy, and ran out quickly, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

    When Liu Jing saw her running as fast as a little mouse, she was afraid that she would regret it, so she couldn't help but shake her head. This little girl was spoiled by him, but she also thought that she was only eleven years old, not more than ten years old, and she felt relieved. This was obvious.  Just a child!

    At this time, there was a knock on the door outside, and Liu Jing's ears suddenly stood up. Who could this be?

    Not long after, Uncle Meng went to open the door, but his frightened and trembling voice came, "OldMaster!"

    ¡®Old master?  ¡¯

    Liu Jing's mind moved, and he suddenly knew who was coming. It was his uncle Liu Biao. He walked quickly into the courtyard, and a large group of guards came in, surrounded by one person. It was Liu Biao, the lord of Jingzhou.

    Liu Jing never expected that Liu Biao would come to his humble home in person. He hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "Nephew Liu Jing, meet my uncle!"

    Liu Biao smiled and helped him up, "No need to be polite, I came here specially to see you, where is the tiger?"

    "Report to uncle, Brother Tiger is on duty tonight."

    Liu Biao nodded, looked at the small house again, and said with a smile: "Although the house is not big and a bit old, it is very clean. I heard that this is the house that Kuai Yidu gave you. He is quite thoughtful!"

    "Reporting to uncle, Cai Gong also wanted to give his nephew a big house last time, but he declined."

    "Haha! Military Advisor Cai's house is not that easy to get."

    Liu Jing invited his uncle into his study and asked Xiao Baozi to serve tea. Liu Biao sat down and looked at the pile of letters in the corner of the room. He picked up a volume and it turned out to be Zhuangzi.  Qiushui, Liu Biao couldn't help but smile and said: "You actually like Lao Zhuang's articles?"

    "I don't even like my nephew, he has nothing to do."

    Liu Biao nodded, "I heard Mr. Huang say that you have worked very hard to practice martial arts, and I was just trying to tell you that you must not only practice martial arts, but also learn literature. The way to be handsome is to be both civil and martial arts. Practicing martial arts as an apprentice is nothing more than a great general's ear! You  Understand?"

    "My nephew understands that whenever he has time, he will stay up late at night to read. Sun Tzu Thirteen Chapters, Sun Bin and Wei Liaozi, all these military books Tao Lue, Huang Gong requires my nephew to read intensively, and he does not dare to slack off."

    "Huang Gong also said that you are a person with strong self-control. In fact, I can see it. In the martial arts competition at Huang Mansion a few days ago, I found that you are very strategic. Huang She's martial arts is actually better than you, but you can  To win with a sword, this is a typical plan first, to defeat the strong with the weak, to be honest, this is more gratifying to me than if you defeated him with martial arts.  "

    Liu Jing nodded silently and said nothing. He knew in his heart that his uncle must have a deep meaning when he came to see him tonight.

    Liu Biao pondered for a moment, then smiled and said: "Advisor Cai came to me last night. He said that he would betroth his brother Cai Jue's daughter to you. I have seen that girl. She has a good personality and appearance. Will you consider it?"

    Liu Jing said without hesitation: "If you want to be a concubine, I can accept her."

    ¡®Be a concubine!  ¡¯

    Liu Biao laughed, "Cai Jue is the governor of Zhangling County and the second son of Cai Xi. That girl is his eldest daughter. If you want to take her as your concubine, I'm afraid the first thing Cai Jue will do is to hang himself from the beam.  ¡±

    "Then what else is there to talk about?" Liu Jing sneered.

    The smile on Liu Biao's face disappeared, and he smiled faintly and said: "In fact, I have already rejected it for you. Unless it is Cai Shaoyu, I will not consider any daughter of the Cai family."

    Liu Jing still remained silent. Liu Biao's words made him feel a little uncomfortable. Who he wanted to marry was his own business and had nothing to do with anyone else.

    Liu Biao raised his eyes and glanced at him sharply. He heard from his second son last night that Liu Jing had been closely related to the daughter of the Tao family recently, which made Liu Biao very unhappy. Although the Tao family was rich and powerful, after all,  She is a merchant. How could his nephew Liu Biao marry a merchant's daughter? Don't even think about it.

    But Liu Biao knew his nephew very well and knew that he had a stubborn temper. If he tried to obstruct him, it would be counterproductive, so he began to think about it.

    However, Liu Biao came here today, but it was not about marriage. He changed the subject and asked: "You know why I allowed you to compete with Huang She that day at Huang Mansion?"

    Liu Jing was silent, and Liu Biao smiled again: "I came to you today, just to have a frank talk with you. If you have anything to say, just say it."

    In fact, Liu Jing has been thinking about this issue. Obviously, Huang She's martial arts is better than his own, and Liu Biao should know it, so why did he allow Huang She to compete with him? If he doesn't handle it properly and loses to Huang Sheng, not only will he  His reputation was damaged and Liu Biao lost face.

    In this case, why did Liu Biao still allow himself to compete? After much deliberation, there was only one reason, and that was that Liu Biao wanted to attack Huang Zu.

    After pondering for a long time, Liu Jingcai slowly said: "I think it was the same reason as Zhang Yun's demotion."

    Zhang Yun was disliked by Liu Biao because he was too close to Cai Hao, and was demoted to the rank of captain. Liu Jing's understanding was that Liu Biao was going to attack a famous family, probably the Cai family.

    Liu Biao pondered for a moment, then smiled and said: "Let's go out for a walk!"

    There is a small river in front of Liu Jianjing's house. Both sides of the river are covered with weeping willows. It is late spring, the catkins are blooming, and the sky is filled with white catkins. Although it is night, the catkins are still flying all over the sky.

    However, Uncle Liu and his nephew didn¡¯t seem to care about these catkins. The two of them walked slowly along the river. More than 20 steps away, fifty guards followed them from a distance, watching the surroundings with vigilance.

    "My demotion of Zhang Yun was not actually a blow to the Cai family. Frankly speaking, the Cai family still does more good than harm to me now, and it is far from time to hit them."

    "That nephew really doesn't understand."

    "Actually, it's very simple. It's because I'm worried that Zhang Yun has ambitions."

    Liu Biao sighed softly, "After the incident at the Youjian Station, Zhang Yun's mother came to plead for her son every day. Because she is my biological sister, she has no fear of saying something. She even said that her nephew can inherit my inheritance.  "Jiye, if she only said it once, that would be fine, but she said it three times in a row, so I wonder if this is Zhang Yun's idea."

    Liu Jing was silent, but every word Liu Biao said made him feel secretly frightened. It turned out that things were not as simple as he thought.

    Liu Biao sneered and continued: "Later I tested him and allowed him to resume his music. If he was honest, I would let it go. But a few days later, the Jingzhou arsenal was stolen, and thousands of crossbows were stolen.  The sword and knife were stolen, and the warehouse manager died in prison without any explanation. This incident made me very wary. Who did it? "

    "Uncle thinks it was Zhang Yun who did it?" Liu Jing vaguely understood.

    Liu Biao nodded, "At first I thought it was some officialdom worms who stole weapons for profit, but after what happened to the Tao family, I unexpectedly discovered that the crossbows that framed the Tao family were the stolen weapons in the arsenal, crossbow machines.  There was a number on it, and then I realized that it was Zhang Yun who did it. Of course he didn't steal it and sell it privately. It should be used to arm his private music department. "

    Having said this, Liu Biao stopped, looked at Liu Jing and said, "He actually wants to recruit five thousand private soldiers. What do you think his intention is?"

    ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s just aWhen the world is full of powerful people, who doesn't recruit hundreds or even thousands of private soldiers? I heard that the Cai family also has thousands of private soldiers?  "

    Liu Biao nodded, "You don't just cater to me. You have your own ideas. That's good."

    After a pause, Liu Biao sighed again: "Actually, if his mother hadn't repeatedly said that my nephew could inherit my inheritance, I wouldn't have dealt with him like this. He dared to steal weapons from the arsenal. The next step would be to steal my country!"

    Liu Jing did not agree with Liu Biao's conclusion. He thought to himself: 'It only means that Liu Biao was too suspicious, and even his nephew could not believe it. If Zhang Yun was really ambitious, he would not have that attitude towards Gan Ning.  ¡¯

    "However, it is always a gratifying thing when Zhang Yun is demoted. Liu Jing does not feel sorry for Zhang Yun. Sometimes, Liu Biao's suspicion is not a bad thing.

    "Okay! Let's talk about Huang She again."

    Liu Biao changed the subject again. This was the real purpose of his visit to Liu Jing today. His face was gloomy and he said coldly: "Since two years ago, I have been unable to mobilize Jiangxia's army."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ¡¾The first chapter of the first volume is over, please read the second volume of Jiangxia, gentlemen, vote for Lao Gao¡¿

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 120 Xu Shu warms up the wine and talks about the master plan

    At dawn the next day, a large ship slowly left Fancheng Pier and sailed southeast along the Han River.

    This is a 500-stone boat with five boatmen, two floors, and a special mule and horse cabin. It is most suitable for a family or a few friends to charter a boat. This kind of boat is also the most popular on the Yangtze River and Han River.  common.

    Liu Jing and Xu Shu were standing on the bow of the boat, with the river wind blowing their clothes and turbans. Liu Jing had taken off his military uniform and was wearing a green robe, a brocade belt around his waist, and a white turban on his head. He looked like a scholar.  It feels a bit like a jade tree standing in the wind when you stand up.

    Xu Shu wore a half-worn white Confucian robe, a study tour crown on his head, and held a feather fan in his hand. His temperament was elegant and clear. Huang She held a feather fan at the Huang family dinner last time, and today Xu Shu also holds a feather fan.  .

    This overturned Liu Jing's thinking. It turns out that the feather fan is not Zhuge Liang's patent. In this era, most scholars and literati basically wear feather fan towels, which is considered a trend.

    "Mr. Jing, when you go to Jiangxia, has Zhou Mu assigned you any tasks?" Xu Shu said with a smile while shaking his feather fan.

    Xu Shu was of course a wise man. During the martial arts competition in the Huang Mansion, he discovered some clues. When Huang She was hit and fell to the ground, Liu Biao's face was not shocked or anxious, but there was a cold smile on his face. Although this sneer was just  It passed by in a flash, but Xu Shu keenly captured it.

    He suddenly realized that the relationship between Liu Biao and Huang Zu was not as close and unbreakable as the legend said. There was also a kind of intrigue and secret struggle between them.

    Especially this time, Liu Jing went to Chai Sangtao's house to attend her birthday and asked for 20 days' leave. Liu Biao agreed without hesitation. I'm afraid there was some scheming hidden in Liu Biao's mind.

    Liu Jing nodded, "Of course I have a mission. My uncle asked me to take a closer look at Jiangxia during this trip."

    If Liu Jing invites Xu Shu to Chaisang this time just out of good intentions, then he is really deceiving himself. Who is Xu Shu, can Liu Jing not know?

    In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was as resourceful as Zhuge Liang, but it was a pity that Cao Cao caught his weakness and could not implement his talents, which became the biggest regret in the Three Kingdoms.

    In history, Xu Shu also had to serve in Cao Ying because his mother was captured. However, because he had followed Liu Bei, he could not be reused throughout his life and died in depression. He was also regarded as a tragic figure in the Three Kingdoms. The first time Liu Jing saw Xu Shu  One thought is to decide not to let the tragedy of history repeat itself.

    At this time, Jingzhou was full of talents. Northern celebrities gathered in Xiangyang, but they were rejected by the local gentry and most of them were not reused. They stayed in Jingzhou only because Liu Biao had grain and rice to support them.

    The same goes for Xu Shu. Judging from his clothes, he is indeed unsatisfied and can even be said to be in poverty.

    But scholars have their own lofty ideals. No matter how poor Xu Shu was, he would not go to pay homage to the old man of the Tao family just because of Tao Zhan's invitation.

    After all, the Tao family is a businessman. It is okay to chat with the daughter of the Tao family and become friends, but if he goes to the Tao family to pay his birthday, he will be ridiculed if other scholars find out.

    Xu Shu also had his own ideas. In fact, if Liu Jing hadn't invited him, Xu Shu would never have gone to Chaisang. He would rather go to Boling with Cui Zhouping. Even Wei Yan could see that Liu Jing was going to make a name for himself.  Tianfeng, couldn't Xu Shu see it?

    Xu Shu initially considered joining Liu Biao's eldest son Liu Qi and becoming Liu Qi's staff, but Liu Qi, like Liu Biao, only superficially valued the northern gentry.

    Deep down, he still relies heavily on the Jingzhou clan. After so many years of dating, he has never arranged a position for any northern noble family, which made Xu Shu disappointed with him.

    It was because of the cold reception in Jingzhou that both Cui Zhouping and Shi Guangyuan decided to return to the north to look for opportunities. However, Xu Shu became Liu Jing's friend by chance, and Xu Shu began to consider his own future.

    Xu Shu smiled again and said: "Everyone says that Zhou Mu and Huang Zu have a deep friendship and can share the world. But in fact, the person Zhou Mu is most afraid of is probably not the Cai family, but Huang Zu."

    The conversation had reached this point, and both parties knew it. Liu Jing cupped her hands and smiled and said, "I would like to have a detailed chat with Brother Yuanzhi over warm wine, and I sincerely ask for your advice!"

    Xu Shu shook his feather fan, narrowed his eyes and smiled

    In the cabin, Little Baozi hummed a tune, like a little sparrow building a nest, and was busy folding Liu Jing's clothes. At this time, Liu Jing and Xu Shu walked in. Liu Jing smiled and said: "Little Baozi, give it to me."  Let¡¯s warm a pot of wine with Mr. Xu and order a few plates of tea!¡±

    "good!"

    The little bun agreed crisply and flew away like a bird. Liu Jing and Xu Shu sat by the window, facing the small table, with a panoramic view of the vast waves of the Han River, which was heart-opening.

    Liu Jing poured a cup of herbal tea for Xu Shu and herself, and sighed slightly: "Actually, last time I killed Huang Yi in Wuchang County, I felt that my uncle and Huang ZuThe relationship between them was a bit delicate, and it didn't seem to be the harmonious one I imagined. It wasn't until last night, when my uncle suddenly came to see me, that I knew about my uncle's resentment towards Huang Zu.  "

    Xu Shu hesitated for a moment, "Master, is it appropriate to tell me this?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "Brother Yuan Zhi and I were in love with each other and conspired to marry Kong Ming. Now we are sitting on the same boat. Why is it inappropriate?"

    Liu Jing's words were so humorous that Xu Shu burst out laughing. All the doubts in his heart were swept away. He stood up and bowed deeply, "Young Master, treat each other with sincerity. Yuan Zhi is willing to listen attentively."

    At this time, Xiao Baozi came in with a food box, put a pot of wine and a few side dishes on the table, and said with a smile: "A chicken, a plate of mutton in sauce, a braised fish, and a few vegetables, Mr.  It¡¯s definitely not enough, I¡¯ll make some more mutton pies.¡±

    "That's enough! That's enough!"

    Liu Jing waved her hands and said with a smile, "You go and make us a pot of tea. I'll ask Mr. Xu to teach you how to read tonight."

    The little bun happily agreed and ran out. Xu Shu looked at her back and said with a smile, "This little bun is quite cute."

    Liu Jing shook her head and smiled: "You don't know her little thoughts. I joked with her early in the morning, saying that if she didn't obey, I would send her back to Fancheng halfway, so she wanted to show that she was useful."

    Xu Shu pointed at Liu Jing and smiled: "You! Isn't this bullying a child?"

    "It's okay, just tease her and have fun along the way."

    The two drank a glass of wine, and the topic returned to the topic. Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "My uncle told me that the Jiangxia Army has become Huang Zu's private army. In the past three years, Jiangxia Army has been mobilized to Xiangyang several times, and Huang Zu always  Declined for various reasons.

    Moreover, the eighteen generals in the Jiangxia Navy were Huang Zu¡¯s confidants. They were promoted to high positions one by one on the pretext of their meritorious service in fighting against the Jiangdong Army. My uncle wanted me to take back Jiangxia¡¯s military power and even kill Huang Zu.  , no matter what.  "

    Xu Shu had also thought about Huang Zu's affairs in the past two days. He raised his glass and smiled and said: "Actually, Huang Zu's shortcoming is that the aristocratic family occupies county positions. The Huang family is the largest family in Jiangxia. Huang Zu's clan members, disciples, private soldiers, and family members  The slaves, more than ten thousand people in total, raised their arms and Jiangxia responded. In addition, Huang Zu, as the prefect of Jiangxia, had controlled the officialdom of Jiangxia for many years, allowing the Huang family's power to expand without limit. Generally speaking, this kind of aristocratic family has the most control over county offices.  The imperial court's taboos are all rooted in the powerful separatism more than ten years ago."

    Liu Jing frowned, "Since the consequences are serious, why does Zhou Mu still reuse Huang Zu in such a way, leading to today's ultimate dilemma?"

    "There are three reasons for this. The first is that Zhou Mu and Huang Zu have a close personal relationship. When Zhou Mu pacified Jingzhou, he received Huang Zu's full support. Now, if Zhou Mu wants to secure Jingzhou, he also needs the support of the Huang family.

    Like other Jingzhou aristocratic families, Zhou Mu and the Huang family have formed an integrated interest, especially Cao Cao's eye on the south and Jiangdong's snake on Jingzhou. Therefore, whether it is reciprocating favors or stabilizing Jingzhou, Zhou Mu does not dare to act rashly against the Huang family and the aristocratic family.

    The second is a special reason. Sun Jian died in the hands of Huang Zu, so Jiangdong and Huang Zu had a feud. Anyone could surrender to Jiangdong, but Huang Zu would not, so Zhou Mu decided to let Huang Zu guard Jiangxia, and Jiangxia  It is the gateway for Jiangdong's army to march westward to Jingzhou. Only Huang Zu guarding Jiangxia can reassure Zhou Mu.

    Third, Huang Zu came to defend Jiangxia with his family, and everyone in Jiangxia responded to his call. Jiangdong Army repeatedly attacked Jiangxia. This was also the reason. This was the only advantage of the family in occupying the county position, but it was favored by the Zhou Mu.  Well, in order to protect his family's interests in Jiangxia, Huang Zu would of course fight to the death to resist the Jiangdong Army.

    Everything has advantages and disadvantages, but now it seems that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Huang Zu has almost become a separatist prince, so Zhou Mu finally couldn't bear it.  "

    Xu Shu's words were analyzed very thoroughly, which made Liu Jing secretly admire. He was indeed a wise man, and he had completely understood Jiangxia's interest structure. Liu Jing thought for a moment, and then asked: "Then how should I seize Jiangxia's army?  Complete the task assigned by your uncle?"

    Xu Shu picked up the feather fan, shook it and smiled and said: "Three feet of ice is not a day's cold. Huang Zu has been operating in Jiangxia for a long time and has a very deep influence. When the young master first arrived in Jiangxia, his strength is weak. He must not rush forward. He should plan for it slowly."  First establish a firm foothold, let Huang Zu be weak, and gradually disintegrate. When the time is right, he can be defeated with one blow. "

    Liu Jing nodded, stood up and saluted, "Brother Yuan Zhi's teachings can be said to be golden and good words. Liu Jing has learned from them."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Taking a boat all the way south, at noon that day, the ship arrived at Jingcheng Town, which was the first market town entering Jiangxia. It was necessary to replenish food and vegetables here, and the ship slowly docked.

    "Sir, the boat lady and I are going to buy some fruits and vegetables!"On top, the little bun waved to the big ship from a distance and shouted,

    Liu Jing stood on the bow of the boat with her hands behind her hands and said with a smile: "Go! Don't be playful and miss the boat."

    Liu Jing watched from a distance as the little girl hopped up the hillside following the boatwoman who was cooking, picking a handful of wild flowers in her hand. Rather than buying fruits and vegetables, she wanted to go shopping.

    After two days on the boat, the little girl lost interest in boarding the boat for the first time. She was counting her fingers every day to figure out when she would arrive at Chaisang.

    "This area is not safe!"

    Xu Shu walked forward slowly and looked at a cliff about a hundred feet high in the distance. The cliff was as sharp as a knife, with rolling mountains behind it. He said with some worry: "The folk customs in this area are fierce and there are many bandits. Little Baozi, you have to be careful.  a little."

    Before Liu Jing could answer, the boatman next to him laughed and said: "Master Xu is right. There is a group of bandits in this area. The leader is known as the Zuo King of Jiangxia. I heard that he is also from Xiangyang. He is very skilled in martial arts. Thousands of people gathered together. How about Huang Zu?"  The first time we sent people to suppress the bandits, they failed, but don't worry, sir! They usually don't come to the river. The territory within two hundred steps of the river is the territory of the Jinfan bandits. They don't violate the river, so they just buy something in the market above.  , As long as you don¡¯t go out of the market, it¡¯s usually fine.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, there was a slight commotion on the hillside, and someone shouted, "The Zuo King of Jiangxia is here!"

    Immediately afterwards, a dozen fish-selling boatmen rushed over from the hillside with their burdens on their backs.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 121 King Zuo of Jiangxia

    Liu Jing was so shocked that she jumped out of the boat and ran towards the hillside. When she met several boatmen, she grabbed one of them and shouted: "How's it going up there?"

    The boatman was so frightened that he stammered: "The bandits are looting the market, it's terrible!"

    Liu Jing threw him away, took out the sword from her waist and ran away. In a moment, she rushed up the hillside. On the hillside was a piece of flat land of several acres, which was the traditional country market.

    There are usually hundreds of stalls selling grain, fish, fruits and vegetables. There are also vendors from Jingling County selling needles, threads, brains and other daily necessities here. The customers are also nearby villagers and ships on the Han River to replenish food.

    Since this area happens to be at the junction of Jiangxia County, Jingling County and Xiangyang County, with many mountainous areas, thieves have been rampant and banditry has been constant for decades. After Liu Biao took control of Jingzhou, he sent troops to suppress the bandits, and the banditry was suppressed for a time.

    But three years ago, another group of bandits appeared in this area, with about a thousand people. It is said that they are a branch of the Runan Yellow Turban Army. The leader calls himself King Zuo of Jiangxia. He usually works in the fields, but when food is insufficient, he robs homes and houses, which makes the local officials extremely angry.  Headache.

    For this reason, Huang Zu sent troops three times to encircle and suppress the bandits, but the bandits were extremely cunning. As soon as the officers and soldiers came, they disappeared without a trace. As soon as the officers and soldiers left, they came back again, and the bandits were defeated three times without success.

    However, they usually don¡¯t come to Jingkou Town, because the town is within two hundred steps along the river and is within the sphere of influence of the Jinfan thief Gan Ning.

    However, since Gan Ning surrendered to Liu Biao last fall, this boundary between water and land has gradually been broken. Today is a small gathering, and villagers from all over the country gathered. As a result, a group of more than a hundred mountain bandits took the opportunity to arrive.  Loot.

    Since the population in this area is sparse, most of the bandits are locals, so they generally do not kill people, but only rob money and food. If they encounter young and beautiful women, they will also rob them and go up the mountain.

    Liu Jing rushed to the top of the slope and saw a mess in the market. People going to the market were lying on the ground in shock. Today there happened to be a big businessman selling silk and satin, so the robbers looted his stall and left, including the businessman.  He was also taken hostage and demanded money and materials from his family.

    Liu Jing was so anxious that she looked around and shouted: "Little Baozi!"

    At this time, Liu Jing suddenly felt someone hugging his leg. When he lowered his head, it turned out to be the boat woman. She burst into tears, "The little lady was taken away by them!"

    Liu Jing¡¯s mind was buzzing!  ¡¯ There was a sound, and a rush of hot blood rushed to the brain, and the teeth clenched loudly. These bastards dared to catch their own maid.

    At this moment, there was a chaos not far ahead, and there were cries. Dozens of villagers were seen beating a young man. The young man was rolling on the ground, crying, and his head was still wrapped in a yellow scarf. He was clearly a boy.  A little yellow turban thief.

    Liu Jing was furious, rushed up and pushed everyone away, stepped forward and grabbed the young man, and said viciously: "You are also a yellow turban thief!"

    Someone nearby yelled: "This little thief hasn't stolen the chicken yet, beat him to death!"

    This is a little bandit who catches chickens but fails to evacuate in time. He is caught by everyone and usually beaten to death by the villagers. This little bandit looks to be about twelve or thirteen years old. He is thin and looks like a monkey, but his eyes are  He was very cunning and clever. At this time, he was beaten until his mouth was bleeding, and he was crying so much that tears and snot ran all over his face.

    Liu Jing grabbed him and put the knife on his neck, "Your people took my maid away. Where did she take her?"

    With the sharp sword pressed against his neck, the little bandit was so frightened that he stammered: "Here. In Qiru Mountain!"

    Liu Jing turned around and asked the villagers, "Where is Qiru Mountain?"

    An old man said: "More than twenty miles to the south, there are actually seven mountains. The mountains are dangerous. I heard that the bandit's lair is in that area."

    At this time, Xu Shu also squeezed into the crowd. When he heard that the little bun was captured, he immediately said anxiously: "Sir, I will rush back to Xiangyang to invite troops!"

    Liu Jing had calmed down and was deep in thought. He estimated that Little Baozi had been caught and taken on the road. The mountain road was rugged and he couldn't catch up with him on horseback. This was the junction of the three counties, and the nearest Jingling County seemed to be about seventy miles away.  Moreover, such a small county does not have many troops.

    Either go back to Xiangyang to move troops, or go to Jiangxia for help. Jiangxia Huangzu will not pay attention to him, and the Xiangyang army will not send troops for a little girl. Gan Ning can do it, but it is a pity that he is three hundred miles away and blocked by mountains. Waiting  If reinforcements were brought in, Little Baozi would probably be dead a long time ago.

    Liu Jing was in a dilemma. After thinking for a long time, he could only redeem Xiaobaozi with money. Fortunately, he had two hundred taels of gold with him, which was enough to redeem him. He shouted to everyone: "I will recruit someone for five hundred dollars. If you have someone,  No one wants to go to Qiru Mountain with me to ask for someone!¡±

    Five hundred dollars can buy two pigs and fifty chickens locally, which is a lot of money. But when everyone heard that they were going to Qiru Mountain, they all backed away with fear in their eyes. Life was more valuable.

      Liu Jing immediately doubled, "One thousand yuan per person!"

    Finally, someone was tempted. Seven or eight young people raised their hands. They thought very simply. They wanted to make money, but they also wanted to protect their lives. Once a fight broke out, they could just turn around and run away.

    There were still a little less than seven or eight people. Liu Jing asked a few more times, but no one was willing to agree. Some people whispered: "With this money, ten little maids have been bought, so just arrest them!"

    Liu Jing looked at the seven or eight young men holding wooden sticks and hoes, feeling helpless. He had no choice but to take these mountain people to suppress the bandits.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the way, Liu Jing learned something from the little bandit. The bandit who came to attack the market this time was not King Zuo of Jiangxia himself, but one of his right-hand men. His surname was Wang, and his name was Wang Tai. He was originally from Runan.  The yellow turban thief led more than a hundred of his men to attack the market this time and harvested dozens of pieces of silk and satin, some grain and meat and poultry, and of course Liu Jing's charming little maid Baozi.

    On the way, Liu Jing lost some of her anger towards this little bandit. Seeing that he was quite clever, she asked him: "What is your name? Why did you commit yourself to becoming a thief at such a young age?"

    The young bandit said nonchalantly: "I was called the Five Monkeys on the mountain. There were originally four thin men who were all called monkeys. I am the fifth. I used to beg for food in Jingling County. I heard that being a mountain king can give you a full meal, so I followed.  "

    "Oh! How many years have you been going up the mountain?"

    "It's been about three or four years! I can't remember. Anyway, I was one of the first batch of veterans." The little bandit said with a smile.

    Liu Jing frowned, he was still a veteran. When he saw that the young man's hands were tied and a young junior was holding them with a rope, he said: "Untie him!"

    The young man waved his hands hurriedly, "No way, this little thief is as cunning as a monkey, let him go and run away."

    "Bah!"

    The little bandit turned around and sighed loudly, "Am I the kind of person who breaks his word? Since I promised to lead the way, I will naturally take you to Qiru Mountain."

    The young man kicked him hard and cursed: "You naughty little brat, when did you agree to lead the way? We all know the road to Qiru Mountain, so we don't want you to lead the way."

    The little bandit cursed again unwillingly: "This young master is a benevolent and righteous person. He never bullies the weak, but his reputation has been ruined by you fools."

    Liu Jing glanced at him in surprise. He found that this boy was really cunning. Hearing that he had the intention of untying him, he immediately used words to flatter himself. If he was really a scholar, maybe he would really untie him.

    Liu Jing hit him on the head with a riding crop and scolded him with a smile: "You brat, if you didn't say such nonsense, I might have let you go. What a pity! I'm not a righteous person, so you just  Stop dreaming."

    He then ordered his men, "Tie him up tighter. If he dares to escape, he will be beaten to death with sticks!"

    The little bandit was tied up and screamed like a monkey. He stared at Liu Jing fiercely and turned around, not knowing what bad idea he was planning.

    After walking for more than ten miles on the mountain road, everyone saw Qiru Mountain. Seven round peaks stood in the high mountains, like seven women's breasts, so it was named Qiru Mountain.

    Xu Shu was a little worried, so he urged his horse forward and whispered: "Young Master's identity is extraordinary. Why don't I go up the mountain to talk to them? You are waiting at the bottom of the mountain. Once we have negotiated, they will naturally bring me and Xiaobaozi down the mountain in exchange for the ransom. Young Master  What do you think?"

    Liu Jing did not answer. He stared at the mountain road ahead from a distance and discovered the enemy's situation. He saw a large group of men in black coming in front, dozens of them, wearing yellow scarves on their heads, short clothes, calf-nosed trousers, and feet.  Wearing straw sandals and holding various weapons in their hands, all of them looked fierce and were walking towards this side quickly.

    Several recruits also saw it, and they were so frightened that they didn't want any reward, so they turned around and ran away, stumbling and in a state of embarrassment. The little bandit took the opportunity to run wildly, "Second Master Wang, I am the Five Monkeys!"

    Xu Shu was a little surprised and whispered to Liu Jing: "Master Jing, have you noticed anything unusual?"

    Liu Jing nodded. He also noticed something unusual. Among a group of yellow scarf thieves, there was a little donkey. The person riding the little donkey was none other than Little Baozi. He was smiling and gnawing on a mountain fruit. How could he be kidnapped at all?  Sad to leave.

    Little Baozi suddenly saw Liu Jing, and he waved his hands happily and shouted: "Sir, I'm here!"

    Liu Jing was shocked and confused, what happened?  Could it be that Little Baozi is the long-lost relative of the bandit leader?  It¡¯s ridiculous to think about it.

    At this time, dozens of yellow scarf thieves knelt down together, "We didn't know we were our benefactors, and we disturbed our benefactors. We are willing to be severely punished by our benefactors!"

    Liu Jing's heart moved, and he seemed to understand something. Little Baozi ran over, took Liu Jing's hand, and jumped with joy like a little tit. Liu Jing touched her head and smiled:"You are not wronged!"

    "No! When they heard that I was Master Jing's maid, their faces turned pale with fright, and they slapped themselves as hard as they could, and then I became a princess."

    Liu Jing already knew who these people were. They must be the 500 military slaves he had let go. He couldn't help but feel a little angry. He let them be free men, but these guys didn't change their thieves and were wrapped in yellow scarves again.

    He stepped forward and asked coldly: "Are you the five hundred military slaves I freed?"

    The leader of the yellow scarf thieves was so ashamed that he kowtowed and said: "The villain Wang Tai, Meng Gongzi Yishi, originally planned to serve the people in Jiangxia, but he was deceived by the government. They deceived us into being illiterate and deceived us into becoming tenant slaves of Huang Zu's farm. I  In anger, he brought dozens of brothers to seek refuge with King Zuo, betraying Mr. Jing's loyalty. "

    This explanation relieved Liu Jing's anger. She nodded and said, "I don't blame you, but you can come to me and I can place you in another place. But if you become a bandit again, what will you do in the future?"

    Wang Tai kowtowed and cried: "We have no shame in coming to see Mr. Jing. If Mr. Jing can have mercy on us, please take us away! We are willing to follow you and serve you."

    Liu Jing sighed. Although he didn't want to accept the Yellow Turban Thief as his subordinates, he couldn't ignore these people, so he had to nod, "Let's do this! Go and tell King Zuo, and then come to Chaisang to find me."

    At this moment, a yellow scarf thief led hundreds of people to run towards this side. He was extremely tall and handsome, riding a black war horse and holding a big sword in his hand. He shouted from afar: "Second brother, you want to give up."  Will I leave?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 122, Unexpected Harvest

    Falling behind, please help!

    ======

    The person who came was none other than the bandit leader known as the Left King of Jiangxia. He was originally a subordinate of Liu Pi in Runan. Because he was from Xiangyang, Liu Pi ordered him to return to Jingzhou to open up a new foundation. Unexpectedly, the people of Jingzhou were determined and unwilling.  He went up the mountain to become a bandit and stayed around for three years before he managed to pull out an army of more than a thousand men. This was far from the goal of ten thousand a year that he had promised Liu Pi.

    Today, he happened to be at the foot of the mountain to pick up his brother who was returning from a robbery, but he heard that his brother Wang Tai had met his benefactor. He knew very well that Wang Tai's benefactor was Liu Jing, Liu Biao's nephew, which made him anxious and urged his horse to chase him.

    Dozens of steps away, Liu Jing looked up and down at the bandit leader. He was twenty-five or six years old, eight feet tall, and handsome. He held a long knife weighing at least fifty kilograms, wore an eagle-edge helmet, and  Wearing armor, he doesn't look like a bandit, but he is clearly a general.

    King Zuo of Jiangxia was also sizing up Liu Jing, who was a little taller than himself, young and heroic, with extraordinary appearance, and a pair of eyes that seemed to see through his own heart. He thought to himself, 'So this is the famous Mr. Jing in Jingzhou.  True to its name.  ¡¯

    But at this time, the Zuo King of Jiangxia was more concerned about the fate of his men. He got off his horse, stepped forward and said to Wang Tai: "Second brother, do you really want to abandon your brother and leave?"

    Wang Tai sighed, pulled the leader aside, and persuaded him in a low voice: "Brother, in fact, this is an opportunity. The Runan Yellow Turban has been destroyed, Liu Pi and Gong are both dead. Brother has been struggling for three years. I feel that we  Is there any hope for the future?¡±

    Wang Tai's words hit the heart of King Zuo of Jiangxia hard. He originally came to Jingzhou to fight with great hope, but three years later, he only had a thousand people under his command, and it was beginning to be difficult for him to feed only these thousand people, otherwise he would not  They would cross the border and go to the riverside to plunder.

    They are gradually unable to survive, their reputation is in disrepute, and their lives are becoming more and more difficult. The encirclement and suppression by officers and soldiers are becoming more and more fierce every time. It is very likely that Liu Biao will also send troops to encircle and suppress them. More importantly, the Runan Yellow Turban Army is dead, and he will be unable to fight alone. Sooner or later, he will go to the  If he perishes, what is his future?

    King Zuo of Jiangxia sighed, "Even Gan Ning has surrendered to the government, so why do I want to be a thief all my life? I wanted to join Liu Bei. After all, he came from Runan, and both Liu Pi and Gong surrendered to him, but then  I feel that there is no future with Liu Bei, and it is difficult to make a decision. "

    Wang Tai understood his eldest brother's thoughts very well. He had great ambitions but no talent. He wanted to imitate Gan Ning and join Liu Biao, but he was afraid that Liu Biao wouldn't tolerate it and handed him over to Huang Zu. He took the opportunity and said: "Why don't eldest brother join me and join Mr. Jing? He is  Liu Biao's nephew is also my benefactor. He is kind and tolerant. I will have no future with him. "

    King Zuo of Jiangxia was also a little tempted. This is Liu Biao's nephew, and he will become a prince in Jingzhou in the future. He pondered for a while and said, "I wonder if he will accept me?"

    "I'll go talk to my brother!"

    Wang Tai walked quickly to Liu Jing again, bowed and saluted: "Master, my eldest brother is also a talented person, both civil and military. He does not want to be a thief all his life. He is willing to follow the master. I wonder if the master is willing to accept him?"

    Liu Jing took another look at Jiangxia Zuo Wang not far away, and saw him looking here expectantly. The riding whip in his hand was bent, and he looked a little uneasy. He didn't look like an ordinary bandit. Liu Jing was moved in his heart.  Then he asked: "What is the name of this Zuo King of Jiangxia?"

    "His surname is Liao Minghua, his courtesy name is Yuanjian, and he is from Zhonglu, Xiangyang."

    Liu Jing was startled, and then felt a surprise in his heart. It turned out that the left king of Jiangxia was Liao Hua. No wonder he didn't look like an ordinary thief, and he had the air of a general. If Liao Hua wanted to surrender to him, of course he wouldn't want it. Liu Jing immediately said: "As long as  He is sincerely serving me and I will definitely use him again.¡±

    Wang Tai ran away, and not long after, Liao Hua followed him and knelt down in front of Liu Jing, "Liao Hua, the mountain bandit, did not abandon Master Meng Jing. It turns out that I have done the work of dogs and horses for you!"

    Liu Jing quickly dismounted and helped Liao Hua up, "General Liao is a talented general. It is a pity to be reduced to a yellow turban. Fortunately, the general has woken up and it is not too late. Since the general is willing to serve me, Liu Jing, I will never treat him badly."  For you!¡±

    Liao Hua felt ashamed and happy at the same time. Ashamed because he laughed at Gan Ning for joining the government, but he finally embarked on this path. He was happy because he felt Liu Jing's sincerity and did not despise him because he was a Yellow Turban bandit.  , this respect gave him a feeling of being a new human being.

    He also said with great sincerity: "Liao Hua has been confused for many years. Today, he met the Lord of the Ming Dynasty. He is like clearing the clouds and seeing the sun. He is very happy. Liao Hua should change his mind and start a new life."

    ???????????????????????????????????????? Liu Jing suddenly thought of the saying, ¡®There are no generals in Shu, Liao Hua is the vanguard¡¯. In fact, conversely, Shu Zhong is not so bad, but it proves that Liao Hua can conduct himself in the world

    Although Liao Hua was eager to follow Liu?, but Liu Jing did not take him with him immediately. Liao Hua surrendered to Liu Jing because of Wang Taizhi's persuasion. Although his tone was very sincere, Liu Jing always felt a bit hasty. He wanted to give Liao Hua some time to think, so he let Liao Hua go.  Clean up the stronghold, dismiss the tribe, and make an appointment with Chai Sang.

    Liu Jing, on the other hand, took Wang Tai and other twenty or so military slaves he had freed with him. Unlike Liao Hua, they were determined to follow him. Liu Jing hired another large ship, and the two ships moved forward one after the other.  Heading south.

    Liu Jing stood on the bow of the boat, looking at the river with her hands behind her hands. The farther south she walked, the wider the river became. The waves on the river were vast, and a group of gulls and herons were circling and chirping on the river. The sky was high and the clouds were clear.  Extraordinarily open.

    At this time, Xu Shu walked slowly to his side, looked at Jiang and smiled: "I didn't expect this accident to turn out to be a big gain in the end."

    "Didn't Yuan Zhi blame me for accepting the Yellow Turban Thief as my subordinate?" Liu Jing glanced at him and asked with a smile.

    Xu Shu shook his head and sighed, "Actually, I admire Cao Cao very much. Regardless of whether he is high or low, he is a man of merit. It sounds easy to say, but it is so difficult to do it. You can see it from Liu Jingzhou, not to mention his status.  Although he is humble, he refuses to use even the northern nobles with high status, let alone those of low origin. Regardless of Liao Hua's Yellow Turban background, Young Master Jing resolutely accepted him, which makes me admire the Young Master's broad-mindedness even more. The Young Master is an outlier in Jingzhou!  "

    A wry smile appeared at the corner of Liu Jing's mouth. He was indeed an outlier in Jingzhou. There was no distinction between family status in his mind. Although his speech habits had been integrated into this era, his thoughts still retained a little bit of equality from later generations. He  If you have not received the education of this era, you will naturally not bear the mark of this era.

    Although Liu Jing is also trying to integrate, the things in his bones will not change. He has always had a wish in his heart. He hopes that one day, it will not be him to adapt to this society, but this society to adapt to him.

    At this time, Xiao Baozi's scolding voice came from the cabin, "You are not making tea like this, you are making medicine. You can't be distracted by the sencha at all. If it disappears in the blink of an eye like you do, the young master should die of thirst."

    Liu Jing and Xu Shu looked at each other, and both of them showed knowing smiles. This was Little Baozi teaching Hou Wu a lesson. Hou Wu was the Five Monkeys. He was only eleven years old today. He was the same age as Little Baozi. He had been there since he was three years old.  He had been begging for food on the street since he was young, and had been working as a bandit in the mountains for three years. Liu Jing liked his cleverness, so he accepted him and named him Liu Zheng, and his nickname was Hou Wu.

    Hou Wusheng is astute and especially good at observing people's emotions. As soon as he got on the boat, he tried his best to please Little Baozi and worked for her. Unfortunately, he was not a tea-making material. He failed to make tea twice and was scolded by Little Baozi.

    Liu Jing slowly walked into the cabin and saw Hou Wu with his head lowered and standing with his hands down, a look of frustration on his face, while Little Baozi had his hands on his hips and looked like a fierce elder sister, teaching Hou Wu his uselessness.

    Seeing Liu Jing come in, Little Baozi had no choice but to say angrily: "Forget it, you are not good at making tea. I will be the one to do it from now on. You don't need to fold the young master's clothes. You can just serve tea and water and run errands!"

    "Hou Wu, go and learn to sail from the boatman!"

    Liu Jing patted his round head and said with a smile: "A man, don't imitate women all day long."

    "Thank you for your teaching, Master, I understand!"

    Hou Wu stuck out his tongue at the little bun, made a face, and ran away in a hurry. Even Xu Shu couldn't help laughing. This guy looked young and mature, but he was still a child at heart

    The ship traveled for another two days. In the morning, Hou Wu on top of the mast pointed in the distance and shouted: "Here we are, Chaisang City is here!"

    Chaisang is the Jiujiang of later generations. It was established as a county in the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty. When Liu Biao governed Jingzhou, it belonged to Jiangxia County. It is located in the southeast of Jiangxia County. It is the easternmost strategic place in Jingzhou. Due to its extremely important geographical location,  Making it a battleground for military strategists, every time Jiangdong's army marched westward, they always pointed their troops at Chaisang.

    In fact, Chaisang has changed hands several times between Jingzhou and Jiangdong, but most of the time it has been under the control of Jingzhou.

    In the long-term war between Jingzhou and Jiangdong, because Jingzhou was located in the place of the Fourth War, threatened by Cao's army in the north and fighting Jiaozhou in the south, it was always on the defensive in the war with Jiangdong, facing the aggressive offensives of Jiangdong's army again and again.

    For this reason, Chaisang City was built extraordinarily tall. The city was three feet high and made of huge bluestones. It was wide and thick and could drive three carriages abreast at the head of the city.

    But Chaisang City is not big. The perimeter of the city wall is only twelve miles, and the population is more than 10,000. It can only be regarded as a middle county.

    There are currently a thousand troops stationed in Chaisang County, and the military and government are unified. The county magistrate and Yajiang are both the same person, named Zhou Ling. He is also the son-in-law of the Huang family, a native of Chaisang, and a member of the Zhou family of the wealthy Chaisang family.Brother.

    In addition to the Zhou family, there are two major families in Chaisang County. One is the Tao family, the number one merchant in Jiangnan, and the other is also a half-businessman, the Zhu family. However, the Zhu family is more about land. Chaisang has always had the Tao family.  The boat, the Zhu family¡¯s Niu Zhi said.

    These days, Chaisang County is extremely lively. The old master of the Tao family is celebrating his seventieth birthday. Invitations are being sent out everywhere. Nearly a thousand celebrities from all counties in the south of the Yangtze River will gather in Chaisang.

    Even Liu Biao personally wrote a letter of congratulations and sent his second son Liu Cong to celebrate Mr. Tao's birthday on his behalf. This was also to appease the Tao family who was frightened by the weapons smuggling case last time.

    What¡¯s interesting is that Liu Biao¡¯s nephew Liu Jing also came to Chaisang to pay his birthday, but he came in a private capacity.

    For a time, Chaisang City was in chaos, dragons and snakes were mixed, and a big drama was slowly beginning.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 123: Storm gathers Chai Sang

    Pengze, Jiangdong Navy Camp, has always been the base for Jiangdong Army to attack Jingzhou. It is a vast blue lake, close to the Yangtze River. Nine major rivers flowing from the south converge on this lake, so it was later called Jiujiang.  .

    Pengze was originally just a town, but since Sun Jian crossed the river to attack Liu Biao a few years ago, it has become the center of Jiangdong's navy camp. Pengze town has also gradually expanded. Now there are nearly a thousand households and a building has been built.  A besieged city can be upgraded to a county.

    Two miles east of Pengze Town, close to the lake, there is a military camp covering an area of ??more than a thousand acres. This is the Jiangdong Navy Camp, which can accommodate more than 50,000 troops. However, currently there are only nearly 20,000 troops parked on the lake.  with hundreds of warships.

    From the number of warships and the number of troops, it can be seen that this is the truce period for Jiangdong Army. Like last autumn, Jiangxia Zhang Wu and Chen Sun rebelled, and Jiangdong Army responded, which increased the number of Pengze Jiangdong Camp to 40,000.  With more than 2,000 warships, the Jiangxia Army was extremely nervous and a war was about to break out. However, the Jingzhou Army put out Zhang Wu's rebellion in time, and the Jiangdong Army did not launch an offensive in the end.

    Therefore, Jiangxia spies will judge the movements of the Jiangdong Army by detecting the increase or decrease in ships in Pengze Lake. In the past two months, the Jiangdong Army has continued to reduce its troops, which means that the Jiangdong Army has entered a truce period.

    In the Chinese army tent located in the middle of the camp, Lu Suzheng, the deputy commander of the Jiangdu Navy, and Xu Sheng, the commander of the other department, discussed the next move. Lu Su was about thirty years old and a native of Dongcheng, Linhuai County. He had slightly dark skin and sharp eyebrows.  , The long beard under the chin is about one foot long, and he has the image of a handsome bearded man.

    Lu Su joined the Jiangdong Army not long ago, only more than a year. He was recommended to Sun Quan by his fellow countryman Zhou Yu, and won Sun Quan's trust. He advocated using the opportunity of Cao's army to pacify Hebei to attack Jingzhou, unify the south, and accumulate strength to defeat Cao's army.  In order to resist, his plan was supported by Sun Quan, and in September last year he was appointed as Captain Peng Ze of the Navy and Deputy Commander of the Jiangdong Navy.

    But last autumn, Zhang Wu and Chen Sun in Jiangxia rebelled. Lu Su immediately prepared his troops and prepared for the enemy. However, because Liu Biao decisively sent Liu Bei to suppress Zhang Wu's rebellion, Huang Zu's army gathered in Chaisang, so Lu Su could not find an opportunity to take advantage of it.  Sun Quan's mother was seriously ill, and Jiangdong's army finally gave up its plan to attack Jiangxia.

    Just half a month ago, Cao Jun launched the Battle of Xinye, which shocked Jingzhou. At this time, Sun Quan sent an urgent order, ordering Lu Su to conquer Chaisang and use Chaisang as the basis to attack Jiangxia.

    From then on, Lu Su implemented a troop reduction strategy and continued to withdraw troops from the Pengze Navy Camp to the east, reducing the number of warships in the Navy Camp to more than 400, which was the limit of the Navy's warships.

    Lu Su lightly stroked his long beard and said with a smile: "Judging from the information sent by the spies, our troop reduction plan has had obvious results. Huang's 8,000 navy troops stationed in Chaisang have all withdrawn north to Xiakou. Now there are only  More than six hundred people.¡±

    Next to him is Xu Sheng, Sima of another department. He is slightly younger, only twenty-four or five years old. He is eight feet two tall and has a heroic appearance. Xu Sheng is also a general that Sun Quan loves very much. Although his official position is not high, Sun Quan's order this time  However, he was specially appointed as the chief general to attack Chaisang.

    Xu Sheng frowned, "Why didn't Huang Zu's navy retreat to Wuchang, but to Xiakou?"

    Lu Su chuckled, "This is a very interesting phenomenon. In January, the garrison in Xiakou was only 3,000 people, while the garrison in Wuchang was 15,000 people. Plus Chaisang's 8,000 people, Huang  Zu's defense focus is obviously on the east, but starting last month, Huang Zu began to gradually increase his troops to Xiakou. Now Xiakou's troops have reached 15,000, while Wuchang's troops are only 10,000.  , General Xu, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s interesting?¡±

    Xu Sheng pondered for a moment and asked, "Is Huang Zu defending the west?"

    Lu Su nodded, "To be precise, he was defending Liu Biao. It is rumored that Liu Biao and Huang Zu began to have conflicts three years ago. Starting from this year, this conflict has become more and more intense. I am afraid that Huang Zu has begun to support his own troops."

    "But isn't he independent now?"

    "Now he is only semi-independent. The Jiangxia army is controlled by him, and Jiangxia officials are recommended by him, but nominally he is still Liu Biao's minister. In order to maintain this subordinate relationship, Liu Biao allocates a large amount of money and food to him every year.

    The problem now is that Liu Biao wanted to take back the military power in Jiangxia and did not want Huang Zu to be so independent anymore. Huang Zu must have smelled it, so he had heavy troops stationed in Xiakou.  "

    Xu Sheng seemed to have thought of something. He lowered his head and thought for a while, and said: "If this is the case, we should sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight. When they kill both sides, we will take advantage of the situation. If we attack Jiangxia too early,  On the contrary, the internal strife in Jingzhou will disappear, what do the governors think?"

    Lu Su secretly approved. No wonder the lord admired Xu Sheng so much. He was indeed very strategic. This man was an independent general. The lord probably wanted him to guard Chaisang.

    Lu Su smiled and said: "I have written a letter to tell you?My lord, please delay the attack on Jiangxia and wait for the civil strife in Jiangxia. However, Chaisang must be captured first as the foundation for our attack on Jiangxia. This is also the master plan set by the lord, and we must implement it to the letter.  "

    Xu Sheng immediately clasped his fists and saluted, "I humbly obey my orders!"

    Lu Su smiled slightly again, "I heard that the Tao family is holding a birthday celebration, and guests are gathering. This is actually the best time."

    Liu Jing¡¯s boat slowly approached Chaisang Pier. Chaisang City is very close to the Yangtze River. The closest point is only a hundred steps away. You can shoot into the river with a bow and arrow.

    At this time, Chaisang Pier seems to be extremely congested, and various ships preparing to dock have been lined up several miles away. At this speed, it will take at least more than an hour to dock.

    "How is this going?"

    Liu Jing asked the boat boss in confusion, "Is Chaisang Pier always so congested?"

    The boss of the ship was also confused. He shook his head repeatedly, "There was no such congestion before. We docked directly at the dock. I have been to Chaisang countless times, and today is the first time. Young Master, wait a moment, I will go and ask."

    "I am coming too!"

    Hou Wu was really like a little monkey, jumping onto another boat and running forward. He was already very good at water, but after hanging out with the crew for two days, he almost turned into a water monkey.

    "Mr. Jing, is it because Tao Mansion is celebrating a birthday?" Xu Shu slowly walked forward.

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I don't think so. The Tao Mansion will not affect shipping in this way. Their family has always kept a low profile."

    He vaguely saw a corner of the pier through the gaps in countless ships. He saw dozens of fully armed soldiers, menacingly ordering the ships to stop and inspect. Even the ships celebrating the Tao family's birthday were no exception.  Family face.

    At this time, the boss of the ship came back and said repeatedly: "Sir, we are in trouble!"

    "What's going on?" Liu Jing asked with a frown.

    "I heard that Huang Yong led hundreds of soldiers to search the dock. Every ship was searched, so they were blocked. I don't know what they were searching for. I heard that they had been searching for three consecutive days."

    "Huang Yong?" Liu Jing was startled, and an idea immediately came to his mind, wouldn't he be searching himself?

    Although she thought this idea was a bit absurd, Liu Jing's intuition told her that Huang Yong's search was probably related to her. At this time, Hou Wu's voice came from a distance, "Young Master!"

    But he ran to another boat, which was heading here, with a Tao family's double carp flag on the bow. Hou Wu jumped on the boat and said with a smile: "Master, they are looking for you."  , so brought.¡±

    On the bow of the boat was an old man in his fifties, who was fair and fat. Liu Jing knew this man. He was the chief executive of Tao's Trading Company in Fancheng. His surname was Zhao. He also knew Liu Jing. He stepped forward with a smile and clasped his fists in salute.  "I came here to greet Mr. Jing on the order of the master of the family."

    He also boarded Liu Jing's big boat and whispered: "It's inconvenient to go ashore here, please go to another pier in the Tao family."

    The ships were rippling, and the two ships left the dense fleet and followed the Tao family's ships to the east.

    "Huang Yong was indeed targeting the young master. When he heard that Huang She was defeated by the young master in Xiangyang, Huang Zu became furious and beat Huang She severely. His younger brother Huang Yong was even more furious and publicly announced that he would kill the young master."

    Liu Jing sneered, "Does Huang Zu allow his son to kill me?"

    Manager Zhao shook his head, "I don't know the details, but Huang Zu was also in Chaisang, and his son actually publicly searched the young master at the dock. It was obviously with his father's tacit approval. Of course, Huang Zu would not admit it, he would only talk about discipline.  Not strict."

    Liu Jing suddenly realized that the conflict between Huang Zu and Liu Biao had become intense. He, Liu Jing, was the nephew of the dignified Zhou Mu, and Huang Zu dared to condone his son's public arrest. It was obvious that Huang Zu did not take Liu Biao seriously at all. In Jiangxia,  Huang Zu was the Tu Emperor.

    "Then the Tao family didn't negotiate with Huang Zu?"

    Liu Jing found it a bit unbelievable. An old man from the Tao family passed his birthday, but Huang Yong was causing trouble in the middle. How could the Tao family stand by and watch without giving the Tao family face?

    Manager Zhao sighed, "Why don't you negotiate? Yesterday morning, the head of the family still asked Huang Zu. Huang Zu sent someone to ask Huang Yong to stop, but Huang Yong didn't listen at all. He said that unless Jiuniang was married to him, he would  When he wanted to kill Mr. Jing, Huang Zu said that this was a matter of affection between his children and he couldn't interfere. It was clear that Huang Zu was deliberately conniving and wanted to give Mr. Jing a blow. "

    Liu Jing's brows knitted together. He had heard Tao Zhan say that Huang Yong did whatever it took to get her, and even injured the Tao family's housekeeper. This time it was Huang She who obviously said something to add fuel to the fire, so this idiot  That's why he's so crazy, he actually wants to kill himself.

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?It was all attributed to Huang Yong's stupidity and cruelty, but it still made Liu Jing feel uncomfortable. On the first day he came to Chaisang, he actually avoided Huang Yong.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Tao family has two special docks in Chaisang. One is close to the official dock and has been occupied by Huang Yong's soldiers. Ships that approach the dock are also searched. The other is a small backup dock three miles away.  It was decommissioned a year ago, and the pier is full of old and abandoned ships, so it seems deserted and deserted, with only a few people guarding the pier.

    The Tao family has made special preparations and moved a berth, and Liu Jing was about to lead the horse ashore.

    At this moment, there was a rapid sound of horse hooves in the distance, and a young general with more than two hundred soldiers rushed towards this direction. Manager Zhao's face changed drastically, and he looked into the distance and shouted in horror: "Jing  Young Master, Huang Yong is here!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 124: Who gives authority to whom?

    Liu Jing has been in this era for half a year, and has also experienced a lot of officialdom disputes. Whether it is Cai Mao's plot or Zhang Yun's open fight, they are all more or less afraid of his status as the nephew of Zhou Mu and dare not do anything.  Too much.

    It¡¯s not that Liu Jing relies on this identity, but that this has always been a bottom line in Jingzhou officialdom, that is, Liu Biao¡¯s power.

    Under this bottom line, some people can use Cao Cao's hands to kill him, and some people can use various martial arts competitions to teach him a lesson, but none of them are like Huang Yong today, who publicly clamored to kill himself.

    And true to his word, he carried two short halberds and charged in, completely crushing Liu Biao's authority and the bottom line of Jingzhou officialdom.

    Of course, Huang Zu could use the excuse that his son was reckless and impulsive, trapped in love, and that he himself was incompetent in educating his son, but none of this could explain the fact that Huang Yong searched the Chaisang Pier for three days.

    It can only be said that Huang Zu already knew about his mission in Jiangxia. In order to protect his own interests, he did not hesitate to let his son take action.

    Huang Yong¡¯s horse was extremely fast. In a moment, he rushed dozens of steps away and could already see his appearance clearly.

    Huang Yong is about 20 years old. He is not tall, only 7 feet 5, but his shoulders are very broad. His head is as big as a bucket, and his hair is disheveled. He looks like a skinny lion tortured by hunger.  Big body, small body, slightly deformed.

    Huang Yong just heard that the steward of the Tao family went east with two ships. He immediately guessed that they were going to the old dock of the Tao family. No other ships went there. Why did only these two ships go? Could it be?  Liu Jing is here?

    Revenge and rage burned in his chest, and he led his troops to kill them regardless of risk.

    Of course Huang Yong wanted to avenge his brother, but more importantly, his brother told him that Tao Zhan had fallen in love with Liu Jing, and he saw the two of them sitting on the same bed with his own eyes.

    This news is enough to make Huang Yong crazy. He has long regarded Tao Zhan as his woman. No one can get involved, not even Liu Biao's son.

    At this time, Huang Yong stared at Liu Jing like a hungry lion, roaring like a beast from time to time in his throat, holding the iron halberd tightly in his hands, trembling all over.

    He suddenly shouted: "Liu Jing, get off the boat!"

    But Liu Jing ignored him and sneered disdainfully.

    He also heard that Huang Yong's martial arts was far superior to that of his brother Huang She. He was a famous fierce general in the Jiangxia army, but he had a bad temper and would attack when his words were inappropriate. He was ruthless and merciless, and many people died in his hands.  countless.

    He could see this. Huang Yong was holding two iron halberds. They were the same weapons as Dian Wei and Gan Ning. Each iron halberd weighed at least thirty kilograms.

    Liu Jing has learned Huang She's martial arts, which is slightly better than his own, so isn't Huang Yong's martial arts much better than his own?

    Although he knew that he was no match for this person, Liu Jing did not panic. He put his hands behind his back and looked coldly at Huang Yong who was dozens of steps away.

    Of course Liu Jing would not get off the ship to fight with Huang Yong. He did not want to die in the hands of this fool, but it was impossible for him to escape.

    He could only make a bet based on his judgment of the current situation.

    Liu Jing never believed that Huang Zu would let his son kill him. In that case, he and Liu Biao would not be able to maintain even the most superficial relationship and would directly face war. In addition, Jiangdong Army would look at one side.

    " And Huang Zu had a feud with Jiang Dong, and it was impossible for him to surrender to Jiang Dong. Huang Zu would not be so stupid as to put himself to death first when the situation was still unclear.

    "If Huang Zu really wanted to kill him, he wouldn't have asked his son to come forward. He would have ordered his men to pretend to be river thieves and kill him secretly on the river. Wouldn't that have eliminated his relationship with Huang Zu?

    But Huang Zu did not send anyone to intercept and kill him on the river, indicating that he did not want to break up with Liu Biao yet. He just planned to let his son teach him a lesson and give him a warning.

    So how did Huang Zu stop this stupid son in time?  Isn't he afraid that his son will accidentally kill him?

    Liu Jing has discovered that a large ship is moored not far away. He had not seen it just now, but now it has appeared unknowingly. Liu Jing can conclude that Huang Zu must be on this ship.

    With this discovery, Liu Jing simply let go. He stepped forward and shouted to the ship: "Prefect Huang, is this your way of hospitality?"

    Everyone looked at the big ship. Even Huang Yong was stunned, and his eyes became confused. Is his father on this ship?  How could Liu Jing know?

    At this time, the curtain on the boat was lifted, and a middle-aged man wearing a brocade robe walked out from inside. He had a head as big as a bucket and a face like a pumpkin. He was Huang Zu, the governor of Jiangxia.

    He had a bit of embarrassment on his face. He didn¡¯t expect Liu Jing to guess that he was on this ship.Above all, this made him feel very passive, because it showed that Liu Jing had seen through his own mind.

    Huang Zu really didn¡¯t want his son to actually kill Liu Jing. Now Liu Biao just asked his nephew to share Jiangxia with him. The struggle hasn¡¯t even started yet. A strong dragon may not be able to defeat a local snake?

    Who will win in the end is still uncertain. Huang Zu¡¯s biggest wish is to maintain the status quo. He can not only get financial and food support from Liu Biao, but also enjoy the benefits of self-reliance in the army. Why not?

    Because of this, Huang Zu did not want to break up with Liu Biao, at least he would not do so until the last moment.

    He just wanted to teach Liu Jing a lesson and give Liu Jing a show of strength, but Huang Zu was worried that his son was insignificant, so it would be terrible if he really killed Liu Jing.

    So Huang Zu also rushed to Tao's old dock and hid in the boat, waiting for his son to humiliate Liu Jing so much that he came out to stop him, but he didn't expect that Liu Jing suddenly guessed that he was on the boat.

    Huang Zu laughed dryly, cupped his hands and said, "I heard that Mr. Jing has arrived. I was afraid that the dog would be rude, so I came all the way to frighten Mr. Jing."

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "Thank you for your concern, Governor Huang, but I can't get off the boat now, and I am unarmed and fighting with you. What do you think I should do? Governor Huang -"

    Huang Zu¡¯s eyes widened and he cursed Huang Yong, ¡°Beast, if I¡¯m not careful, you¡¯re going to cause me a big disaster, why don¡¯t you get out of here!¡±

    Huang Yong was so angry that he was scolded by his father. He was so angry that he almost broke his teeth. The jealousy in his heart made him so crazy that he finally lost his mind. He suddenly threw a short halberd at Liu Jing,  "go to hell!"

    Liu Jing, however, remained motionless, squinting at the flying halberd. He could see that Huang Yong was impatient and missed his shot slightly.

    He snorted coldly, and the halberd flew past his ear and stuck heavily on the mast, causing everyone around him to exclaim.

    Even Huang Zu was so frightened that his heart almost jumped out of his chest. He suddenly became angry. His son unexpectedly insulted him in public. He shouted, "You traitor, kneel down!"

    Huang Yong ignored his father and glared at Liu Jing fiercely, "Boy, you are lucky!"

    He turned the horse's head and galloped away. Huang Zu was so angry that he almost vomited blood. Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "Prefect Huang, there is no need to be angry. Every family has a scripture that is difficult to recite. Sometimes the governor also has a headache for Mr. Cong."

    Huang Zu sighed, "I have a rebellious son in my family and my life is unfortunate. If I hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid this idiot would have caused a big disaster for me. I will teach him a lesson when I go back and let him apologize to you."

    "Prefect Huang is serious. I can understand your master's mood. You are a young man! It is normal to be crazy about love. It will be fine after you get past this age."

    Huang Zu was speechless for a long time. He wanted to excuse himself, but unexpectedly Liu Jing took the initiative to excuse him. He did not accuse him of committing the crime, let alone sue Zhou Mu angrily.

    Looking at Liu Jing's smiling face, Huang Zu felt nervous. He knew that he had met a strong enemy. He originally wanted to give Liu Jing a blow, but now it seems that Liu Jing gave him a blow.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Tao family's mansion is located in the northwest corner of Chaisang City, close to the Cao River leading to the Yangtze River. It is a mansion covering an area of ??300 acres, even twice the size of the county government. This is also Liu Biao's tacit approval. The old man of the Tao family owns Tinghou  With his status, he can also enjoy a large house and a beautiful family in politics.

    The Tao Zhai not only occupies a huge area, it is also a castle-like mansion, surrounded by a river that protects the house. The courtyard wall is strong and tall, on which the servants who protect the house can walk. It is close to a suspension bridge to communicate with the outside world, just like a city within a city.

    In order to win over the Tao family, Liu Biao even gave Tao Zhai a special power, which was to allow the Tao family to have a tribe of 500 people and to openly use crossbows and long weapons.

    In fact, this is also a privilege that is not real. It has long been an open secret that wealthy families have private military corps. Crossbows and long weapons are common among the people. The Tao family can only legally own corps and use prohibited weapons. There is no  People can use this to make a fuss about the Tao family.

    However, the Tao family has more than 500 private soldiers. The Tao Trading Company has more than 1,500 sailors and cargomen. Most of them are capable young men who undergo training every year to resist water thieves.  Including the tenant slaves in the manor, in the event of war, the Tao family can quickly mobilize at least 3,000 people to defend their homeland. This is why the Tao family wanted to buy 500 military slaves from Gan Ning.

    The Tao family has plenty of money and food, but the only thing they lack is people.

    In addition, the Tao family also has a huge industry in Jiangdong, which is not known to the people of Jingzhou, so that Tao Sheng can become Sun Quan's guest. This is also the reason why Liu Biao is a little dissatisfied with the Tao family, so much so that he was framed by Zhang Yun in the case.  , Liu Biao showedA rather ambiguous attitude.

    Despite their large family fortune, the Tao family has always been relatively weak politically. Only one of the Tao family's children has served as a public security county captain. For this reason, the Tao family can only seek protection from wealthy families through marriage. The head of the family, Tao Sheng, married the Huang family.  The daughter was his wife, and one of Tao Sheng's sisters married the Lu family, a wealthy family in Jiangdong.

    At the same time, in addition to paying taxes every year, the Tao family also provides a large amount of financial and food assistance to Liu Biao and the Jiangdong Sun family. This allows the Tao family to stand firm in the complex situation in the south.

    However, some insults and insults are inevitable. For example, Huang Yong injured the Tao family's housekeeper in order to gain Tao Zhan's humiliation. Zhang Yun framed the Tao family for profit, including this time Huang Yong searched the dock and harassed Tao.  Birthday guests at home, etc. These all show the weakness of the Tao family as businessmen. The Tao family has no other choice but to endure.

    In the back hall of the Tao family, the protagonist of this birthday, Mr. Tao, was gathering with more than a dozen grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

    Mr. Tao's name is Tao Lie, and he is about to be seventy years old. In the Three Kingdoms era, seventy years old was enough to be considered an old man. Even if there were a few, most of them would be in their twilight years. However, Mr. Tao was energetic, with a rosy face, clear thinking, and well-maintained.  Very good.

    He also loved his children very much, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He spent nearly half of his time with them every day. Among these dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he had several children whom he loved the most, one of whom was his favorite.  It was Tao Zhan. He was proud of having such a beautiful granddaughter.

    In two days it will be the old man's seventieth birthday, and Tao Lie is in a cheerful mood. What he cares most about is whether the guests are satisfied with their stay and whether they are eating well. For this birthday banquet, the Tao family specially prepared more than a dozen guests.  All the hotels in the family were booked, and more than a dozen taverns in Chaisang City were all converted to supply the Tao family.

    "I heard that the second son of the Huang family was causing trouble outside the city. Is this true?"

    Mr. Tao asked a little unhappily. This was a great-grandson who told him that Huang Yong searched the passenger ship at the dock, which made people panic. Tao Zhan, who was sitting next to his grandfather, suddenly turned pale. Of course she knew that Huang Yong was because of  She was searching for Liu Jing. For this reason, she specially arranged for the chief steward to pick up Liu Jing. She didn't know if she had received Liu Jing. She became a little worried and at the same time she felt deep resentment towards Huang Yong.

    Tao Sheng quickly glanced at his daughter, bowed and said, "Reporting to father, this is indeed the case. We have continuously negotiated with Huang Zu, and I heard that they had already evacuated just now."

    Tao Zhan was stunned. Could it be that Liu Jing is here?  That's why Huang Yong withdrew. Did anything happen to Liu Jing?  A series of questions made her more anxious, and she wanted to run to the dock. Tao Zhan was a little restless and wanted to find an excuse to leave.

    Mr. Tao felt his granddaughter's uneasiness and asked strangely: "Jiuniang, are you feeling uncomfortable?"

    "Reporting to my grandfather, my granddaughter is a little dizzy and wants to go back to her room to rest."

    "Well! Let's go then."

    Tao Zhan stood up, bowed to his grandfather and father, and hurried away. Watching his granddaughter go away, Mr. Tao said to Tao Sheng, "There are many distinguished guests here this time. Not only Mr. Cong, the second son of Zhou Mu, is coming, but also the Kuai family  Both the Cai family and the Pang family have nephews and nephews coming to celebrate their birthdays. We must let them come and leave satisfied. Don¡¯t treat it just as a birthday. We must use this opportunity to expand the influence of the Tao family. Do you understand?¡±

    Tao Sheng bowed and saluted, "My child understands, please don't worry, father!"

    "I don't want to worry! But there are some things that I'm afraid you still don't understand." Tao Lie sighed lowly. Unless he was dead, how could he not worry about his family.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 125 Chaisang Tao

    Tao Sheng is Tao Lie's eldest son. He is about fifty years old this year. He is of medium height and has a kind smile. He is a father and husband with a good temper, a tolerant head of the family and a filial son. At the same time, he is also smart and capable, and has led the Tao family.  The business is well managed.

    ??Whether it¡¯s from the family or outsiders, everyone praises him, but Tao Sheng also has a weakness, that is, his character is a bit weak. It is because of his character that the Tao family has mostly swallowed their anger and calmed down when they encountered bullying in recent years.

    Despite this, he still won the recognition of Liu Biao and Sun Quan with his honest character and generous tribute, and he was able to navigate between the two princes with ease.

    However, Tao Sheng is in a bad mood these days. His wife Huang fell ill unexpectedly five days ago.  He placed his wife in a nunnery in the west of the city, isolated from his family.

    But early this morning, the doctor brought news that his wife's illness had not improved at all, but had become more serious, which made him extremely worried.

    Tao Sheng and his wife had three sons and two daughters together. He also had a concubine who gave birth to a younger son for him. The eldest daughter married the eldest son of the Han family in Changsha three years ago. The second daughter Jiuniang was only fifteen years old and was waiting for a child.  , but the marriage of his younger daughter also really bothered Tao Sheng.

    ¡°About last year¡¯s Mid-Autumn Festival, Huang Zu¡¯s second son Huang Yong suddenly fell in love with Jiuniang. He came to threaten her several times and forced Tao Sheng to marry his daughter to her.

    Tao Sheng did not object to marrying Huang Zu. To a certain extent, this was a good thing. However, Tao Sheng did not like Huang Yong's violence and ferocity.  Tao Sheng hated his housekeeper for hurting him.

    Moreover, Huang Zu was only willing to let his son take his daughter as a concubine, which made Tao Sheng even more dissatisfied. Dissatisfaction was dissatisfaction, and Tao Sheng had no choice. He could only choose to escape and hide his daughter in a deep house, but Huang Yong repeatedly  The harassment at his door made him extremely troubled, so he asked his daughter to go to Xiangyang, to some extent to avoid it.

    Just now, he heard from the steward that the soldiers on the dock had stopped searching and Huang Yong led the troops to leave. This made him sigh in relief. However, he didn't know the reason why Huang Yong stopped harassing them.

    "Brother!"

    As soon as Tao Sheng walked into the atrium, he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind. When he turned around, he saw his brother Tao Li walking towards him in a hurry.

    Tao Li encountered a disaster in Xiangyang not long ago. He was framed by Zhang Yun for smuggling weapons, which almost caused great turmoil in the Tao family. Thanks to Liu Biao's nephew, only a few core figures in the Tao family knew about it.  Even my father didn't dare to tell.

    Tao Sheng was very aware of the impact of this incident on the Tao family. Although the incident was over, its impact was extremely far-reaching because it affected the entire officialdom of Jingzhou.

    Zhang Yun was demoted and the Cai family fell into silence, which means that Liu Biao's suppression of the family in Jingzhou has begun. We don't know when this power turmoil will end, and we don't know how deeply the Tao family will be involved.

    This matter made Tao Sheng more worried than his wife's illness.

    "What's the matter, second brother?"

    Tao Li walked quickly to his brother and whispered a few words to him. Tao Sheng was surprised, "Is this serious?"

    Tao Li nodded, "I just heard what Manager Zhao said. Mr. Jing was chased by Huang Yong, but Huang Zu appeared in time and saved the situation. I don't know the specific situation."

    Tao Sheng frowned, "Where is Manager Zhao?"

    "It's in the front yard."

    "Let him come to see me immediately!"

    Tao Sheng was extremely anxious. He wanted to know what happened. He felt that there were many details that needed to be clarified.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Zhao Fu meets the big proprietor!"

    In the room, Manager Zhao knelt down and bowed respectfully.

    "Sit down! I have something to ask you."

    Tao Sheng asked him to sit down and said: "I want to know what happened on the dock. Tell me what happened in detail. Don't miss anything."

    "yes!"

    Manager Zhao then explained in detail what happened on the dock. He even told the family owner that Tao Zhan sent him to greet Liu Jing, without any concealment.

    The more Tao Sheng listened, the more surprised he became. This matter contained too much information. What is the relationship between his daughter and Liu Jing?  How did Liu Jing know that Huang Zu was hiding on the boat next to him?  And it feels like Liu Jing gave Huang Zu a kick in the end.

    What surprised Tao Sheng the most was that Huang Zu was hiding aside. This meant that it was Huang Zu who really wanted to deal with Liu Jing, not Huang Yong. Why did Huang Zu do this?

    He glanced at Tao Li and said,Full of doubts, Tao Li smiled and said to Manager Zhao, "Please step aside first!"

    Manager Zhao retired and only the Tao brothers were left in the room. Tao Li then said slowly: "Brother, haven't you noticed anything unusual about Jiuniang these days?"

    Tao Sheng frowned, thought for a moment and said, "I feel like she has been a little worried and uneasy these past few days. I always thought she was worried about her mother's condition."

    "Being worried is worrying about your mother, but being uneasy is not. She is actually waiting for someone."

    Tao Sheng then understood what his brother meant, "You mean Liu Jing?"

    Tao Li nodded slowly, "I discovered in Fancheng that Jiuniang has a close relationship with Liu Jing. I'm afraid she has some thoughts about Liu Jing."

    Tao Sheng didn't speak for a long time. How could this be possible? Liu Biao's nephew asked, "What's Liu Jing's attitude?"

    "Brother, Liu Jing single-handedly reversed Zhang Yun's case for us. He did not hesitate to offend Zhang Yun and Cai Hao. Brother, think about it, do our Tao family have such a deep relationship with him?"

    Tao Sheng sighed. He could understand that a young man would be so desperate to please a woman only when he loves her deeply. No wonder Huang Yong hated Liu Jing so much and insisted on killing him.

    Tao Sheng was very upset. The family backgrounds of the Tao family and the Liu family were too different. The Tao family might not be able to reach this marriage. At least Liu Biao would never agree. How could Liu Biao, who valued fame so much, marry the daughter of a businessman?  .

    ¡°And he heard that the wife Liu Jing was going to marry was Cai Mao¡¯s daughter. Did she want to marry his daughter as a concubine?  But if that was the case, and he refused to agree, how could his precious daughter be forced to become someone else's concubine?

    At this time, Tao Sheng remembered something again and asked quickly: "Then how did he know that Huang Zu was hiding nearby, and he felt that Huang Zu was behind this incident? What secrets are hidden in it?"

    Tao Li shook his head, "To be honest, I am also confused, but I feel that Liu Jing is here with bad intentions. Huang Zu is very afraid of him. Maybe it has something to do with the power struggle in Jingzhou."

    Tao Sheng fell into deep thought, and he seemed to be vaguely aware of something.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Tao Zhan left the inner hall and went to the main entrance. She did not see Liu Jing and the others arriving, and returned to her room. At this time, she was also very confused. On the one hand, she was happy for Liu Jing's arrival, but at the same time she was also  Worried that Huang Yong would hurt him, that stupid man had no reason to argue.

    On the other hand, my mother fell ill and was seriously ill. She was not in the mood to consider personal issues, and she didn't know how to introduce Liu Jing to her father and clan members. Of course, Liu Jing was Liu Biao's nephew and a distinguished guest of the Tao family. He would  He was warmly received, but Tao Zhan hoped that his grandfather would love him sincerely. Alas!  Grandfather seemed to prefer scholars.

    Tao Zhan was restless in the room and thinking wildly. Maybe his arrival was just a courtesy and not for himself. He calmed down and found that there was a huge disparity in family status between them. At this time, he felt that the daughter of the Cai family was more suitable for his career.  A man!  Merit will always be the most important thing.

    At this moment, there was a rush of running sounds outside, and her personal maid Gillian rushed over, "Girl, here we come! Here we come!"

    "What's coming?"

    Gillian panted and said, "Master Jing is here, and I also saw Little Baozi."

    Tao Zhan stood up immediately, feeling extremely nervous. She asked again, "Have they seen you?"

    "Little Baozi saw me and asked why you didn't come out?"

    Tao Zhan patted his chest. No matter what, Liu Jing was his guest. She always showed up to say hello, so it wouldn't be rude. She put on a short shirt, wrapped her arms with silk, and quickly  Walking towards the gate of Tao Mansion.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The front door of the Tao Mansion is decorated with lanterns and colorful silks and satins. On both sides of the door, expensive palace lanterns are hung on every big tree. It looks extraordinary. The last time the Huang Mansion entertained guests, it looked much shabbier than this one.  .

    Liu Jing, Xu Shu and a dozen of his subordinates were waiting in front of the steps. He was looking at the castle curiously. This was the first time he had seen such a building structure. There were actually two feet wide guards on all sides.  The river seemed to be very deep, and a three-foot-long suspension bridge became the only connection between Tao Mansion and the outside world.

    Of course, he discovered that he could also leave the Tao Mansion by boat, leading to the Cao River, and finally sailing into the Yangtze River. When the situation was critical, the Tao family could leave the Tao Mansion by boat, and even if they did not leave, the high-walled courtyard of the Tao Mansion would be difficult to defend.  It would take at least several thousand soldiers to break through.

    Liu Jing secretly thought that she would build a castle like this in the future.

    At this time, there was a sound of footsteps, and then a middle-aged man's laughter came, "I don't know if Mr. Jing is coming, but he is far away from us."?Forgive me!  Forgive me!  "

    I saw two middle-aged men coming out surrounded by a large group of servants. One of them, whom Liu Jing knew, was Tao Li who was arrested in Fancheng. The middle one was slightly fatter, fair-skinned, quite handsome, and had a bit of a long face between his eyebrows.  Tao Zhan's shadow.

    Liu Jing immediately judged that this person must be Tao Zhan's father Tao Sheng, the head of the Tao family.

    He quickly bowed and saluted, "My nephew Liu Jingte came to Tao Mansion to pay his birthday. He came in a hurry and didn't prepare any etiquette. He only brought a small gift. Please accept it, head of the family!"

    He turned around and winked, and two of his men brought up a gold-painted wooden box. Inside were several gifts prepared by Liu Biao for him. Even he didn't know what they were.

    Xu Shu was slightly startled. He didn't know that Liu Jing had prepared a gift. If he had known it, he would have taught him. Tao Sheng was also slightly stunned. Normally, he would only send a gift list when he came to pay homage to his birthday. The specific physical delivery was done by the butler. This was never done like this.  Liu Jing carried the gift directly up like this.

    Tao Sheng and Tao Li looked at each other, and both couldn't help laughing. This child was quite interesting. Tao Sheng quickly asked the housekeeper to carry the things in, and said with a smile: "Young Master is so polite, please come in quickly!"

    At this moment, Tao Zhan rushed over and met Liu Jing face to face. Tao Zhan suddenly stopped and looked at each other. Tao Zhan lowered his head involuntarily, feeling extremely flustered.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 126: There is a traitor in the family

    "Miss Tao, long time no see."

    Liu Jing was smiling all over her face. In front of Tao Sheng, he was embarrassed to be too intimate. He cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Liu Jing is here as promised. I hope I'm not too late."

    Xu Shu also smiled and saluted, "Hello, Miss Tao!"

    Liu Jing's calmness made Tao Zhan feel at ease. She was very grateful that Liu Jing did not take the liberty and did not embarrass her father. Last time, she was angry because Liu Jing didn't call her Jiuniang, but today, she was afraid that Liu Jing would kiss her.  Hotly called her Jiuniang.

    The girl's heart is so strange that it cannot be measured by common sense, so it is called the needle on the seabed, which means elusive.

    With her heart at peace, she smiled brightly and saluted, "Welcome Brother Xu and Mr. Jing to the Tao Mansion, and I'm even more grateful that you made a special trip to pay homage to my grandfather."

    She introduced Xu Shu to her father and uncle, "This is Mr. Xu, Xu Yuanzhi of Yingchuan. He is quite famous in Xiangyang."

    Tao Fu was a businessman who was only interested in officialdom and generally had little contact with the Jingzhou gentry. Except for being familiar with Huang Yanzhi, Tao Sheng had little contact with anyone else, so he had never heard of Xu Shu's name.

    But politeness is required, Tao Sheng bowed his hands, said a few words of longing, and invited them in. Tao Sheng accompanied Liu Jing, Tao Li accompanied Xu Shu, but Tao Zhan was ignored.

    Tao Zhan followed behind with her hands behind her back, feeling a little frustrated. She tried hard to show off for a long time, but her father and uncle didn't seem to recognize her status as the master.

    She was supposed to introduce the Tao family's mansion to the guests, but her father and uncle got there first. Tao Zhan had no choice but to follow them silently.

    Tao Sheng was not aware of his daughter's frustration at all. In his opinion, Liu Jing was Liu Biao's nephew and a benefactor of the Tao family. As the head of the family, of course he had to entertain him personally. He happily introduced Liu Jing to the situation of the Tao family.  .

    "Over there is the east courtyard, which is mainly the guest room. There are too many guests coming to pay their respects this time, so the east courtyard can only accommodate a part of it, but the Tao family, where Mr. Jing lives, has already been prepared."

    "Thank you, Master, for the arrangement!"

    Tao Sheng smiled, then pointed to a towering tree in the yard and said, "This old cypress was planted by Tao Zhou Mu in Xuzhou forty years ago. It is vigorous and green and has always been the tree that protects my Tao family's house.  "

    Liu Jing asked curiously: "Tao Zhoumu was also born in the Chaisang Tao family?"

    Tao Sheng stroked his beard and chuckled, "It's not the Tao family of Chaisang, but they are all from the same clan and clan. They are from the Danyang branch, and we are from the Chaisang branch."

    "Master Jing, please come this way!"

    Tao Sheng wanted to take Liu Jing to see his father. At this time, a housekeeper rushed over and whispered a few words in Tao Sheng's ear. Tao Sheng was surprised to see that Liu Cong and Cai Yi's boat had arrived at the river.

    Liu Cong and Liu Jing are different. Liu Jing only came in a private capacity, but Liu Cong came to pay birthdays on behalf of the state pastor, and Cai Yi, the eldest son of Cai Mao, also came together.

    Tao Sheng did not dare to neglect, and quickly said to Liu Jing apologetically: "Master Jing, I have something urgent and I can't accompany you any longer."

    Liu Jinggong cupped his hands and said with a smile: "If the master of the house has something to do, just go and do it."

    Tao Sheng gave Tao Li a few more instructions before leaving in a hurry. At this time, Xu Shu smiled and said, "I'm a little tired from the journey. I want to take a rest first. I don't know."

    Tao Li understood his niece's mood better than his brother, and smiled slightly, "In that case, I will take Mr. Xu to the east courtyard to rest."

    He smiled at Tao Zhan again and said, "Jiuniang, please take Master Jing to see your grandfather!"

    Tao Zhan blushed and whispered, "Yes! Jiuniang obeys your order."

    Tao Li led Xu Shu away, and the servants dispersed. Only Tao Zhan and Liu Jing were left. Seeing no one around, Tao Zhan rolled his eyes at him and said angrily: "Are you still planning to continue calling?"  Is it Miss Tao?"

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly, "Let's call you Jiuniang!"

    Tao Zhan was just talking, to test his attitude. Seeing that he still had feelings for her, she felt happy again, pursed her lips and said with a smile: "Just kidding, you can only call me Jiuniang when you are alone. When you are with your father and  In front of my grandfather, I still call Miss Tao more dignified."

    Liu Jing nodded, and smiled softly: "Xiaosheng, I obey!"

    "Go! You're glib."

    Although Tao Zhan said this, she still hoped that he would be more eloquent. At this time, she remembered something and asked with concern: "That idiot didn't do anything to you, did he?"

    Liu Jing knew that she was referring to Huang Yong, but Liu Jing did not take Huang Yong to heart. He was only very concerned about the relationship between Huang Yong and Tao Zhan. When he came to Chaisang, as long as people mentioned Huang Yong, they would inevitably mention Tao Zhan.  Jia Jiuniang.

    It makes people feel that Tao Zhan is Huang Yong¡¯s woman, which really makes people feel uncomfortable. Liu Jing wants to know what is the relationship between the two of them.??Is there any engagement?

    However, Tao Zhan called Huang Yong a fool, which pleased Liu Jing. He also smiled and said, "He is indeed a fool."

    "Tao Zhan sighed and whispered: "Last year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Huang Zu brought his two sons to the Tao Mansion. At that time, I couldn't stand in the way of my mother and played a zither in public, which resulted in trouble.

    Huang Yong seemed to be possessed by an evil spirit. He came to harass the Tao Mansion every one or two months. Not only was he extremely ferocious and injured the Tao Mansion housekeeper, he also stood on the south gate of Chaisang and shouted,  The whole city knew about it.  .  "

    Speaking of this, Tao Zhan's eyes showed shame, "My reputation has been ruined by him. Not only that, my father originally intended to marry me to the Lu family in Wuchang, but when he found out, he went to the Lu family and smashed it.  He severely injured Mr. Lu and scared the Lu family to recover the marriage certificate overnight. "

    "This is not a bad thing!" Liu Jing couldn't help laughing.

    Tao Zhan glared at him angrily, "The Lu family is an innocent family. Mr. Lu is just a weak scholar, but his legs were broken by him. He is still lying on the bed and was injured because of me. You still say it is not a bad thing?"

    Liu Jing stopped talking, but he really felt that it was not a bad thing. Tao Zhan sighed again: "Of course, I only feel sorry for Mr. Lu, and have no intention of marrying him. I have never met him, I just heard  He said he has four sisters and grew up surrounded by makeup. To be honest, I don¡¯t like this kind of man.¡±

    "Then what kind of man do you like?"

    Tao Zhan¡¯s eyes flickered, he glanced at him, and said with a smile: ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this, it¡¯s not like you anyway.¡±

    The two walked while talking, and after a while, they arrived at the back hall. At this time, Tao Zhan remembered something again and quickly whispered to Liu Jing: "I want to visit my mother in the afternoon, can you go with me?"

    Liu Jing felt a little strange. Doesn't her mother live at home?  With this thought in his mind, he still nodded, "No problem, I will definitely accompany you."

    Tao Zhan felt happy again and smiled sweetly: "Let's go! I'll take you to see my grandfather."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Junior Liu Jing pays homage to Mr. Tao, and wishes him longevity and prosperity!" Liu Jing bowed respectfully to Mr. Tao.

    Tao Zhan introduced to his grandfather in a coquettish manner: "Grandpa, this is Mr. Jing. He has helped my granddaughter a lot in Fancheng. This time he is here specially to wish my grandfather a birthday."

    Mr. Tao was confused. He didn't know anything about Liu Jing, let alone Liu Jing's identity. However, Mr. Tao was a veteran of the world after all, and Liu Jing's surname made him a little sensitive, and he could feel it.  My granddaughter seems to like him.

    When he saw that Liu Jing was tall and burly, with a heroic appearance and a talent, he understood in his heart that no matter who Liu Jing was, since he was a guest invited by his granddaughter, he was his honored guest.

    The old man chuckled and said, "Sir, please get up!"

    Liu Jing stood up and quickly glanced at Tao Zhan again. Seeing Tao Zhan pursed his lips with approval in his eyes, he felt a little hot in his heart. Is this considered Tao Zhan officially introducing himself to her family?

    "Where are Mr. Jing from? His accent doesn't sound like someone from Xiangyang, but rather like the accent from the Langya Taishan area."

    "If I go back to my hometown, I am from Gaoping County, Shanyang County."

    Tao Lie was startled, and then his expression moved, "Could it be that the young master is from the Zhou Mu family?"

    "Zhou Mu is the uncle of the younger generation."

    "It turns out that Mr. Jing is the nephew of Zhou Mu!"

    Tao Lie suddenly understood. He glanced at his granddaughter with a bit of blame, as if he was blaming her for not telling him earlier. Tao Zhan smiled tenderly and said, "Grandpa, don't think too much. Master Jing's coming here has nothing to do with Zhou Mu. He is  My granddaughter invited me here specifically to wish my grandfather a happy birthday. I have no other important responsibility.¡±

    Having said that, Liu Jing¡¯s identity cannot be ignored. Tao Lie quickly asked: ¡°Where is your father? Isn¡¯t he here?¡±

    "It seems that my father has an important guest, and he went to the pier to greet him, so my granddaughter is here to receive Mr. Jing. Grandpa, I want to take Mr. Jing around."

    If it were normal, Tao Zhan would have said anything, but at this time, Tao Lie felt a little unhappy. His son was confused and went to pick up some distinguished guests. Isn't Liu Biao's nephew not noble enough?  He did not agree to his granddaughter's request and told her: "Go and find your second uncle!"

    Tao Lie smiled and waved to Liu Jing again, "Master Jing, please sit down!"

    At the same moment when Liu Jing first arrived at Tao Mansion, in another large house in the east of Chaisang City, several burly soldiers of Huang Zu brought the tightly bound Huang Yong into a room and said, "Let me go."  , you bastards, I want to kill you?You guys!  "Huang Yong struggled desperately and yelled.

    In the room, Huang Zu stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, his face as gloomy as water. Just now, Cai Yi, Cai Mao's son, sent a letter from his entourage, which was Cai Mao's personal letter.

    The letter confirmed Huang Zu's guess that Liu Biao had begun to fully seize military power from the noble family.

    Cai Mao was originally the Military Advisor and Counselor for Military Affairs, but now it was changed to the Military Advisor and Counselor for Government Affairs. With just one word difference, Cai Mao was deprived of his power to be in charge of the army's food, grass and baggage, and was replaced by Zhizhong Deng Yi.

    The letter also confirmed that Liu Biao had decided to transfer Huang Zhong to be the captain of Changsha County, leading an army of 5,000 to garrison in Xiajun County, Changsha County.

    Although Liu Jing has not been appointed for the time being, Cai Mao still reminded Huang Zu not to act rashly to avoid being caught by Liu Biao.

    Huang Zu was convinced. Huang Zhong led five thousand troops to garrison Xiajun County, which is the closest to Jiangxia County and only one day's journey from Chaisang. This was Liu Biao's insidious attack on him.

    Liu Biao seized the power of the family to control the army. Except for Kuai Liang's eldest son Kuai Xiaozhen, who was the captain of Nanjun and controlled five thousand soldiers, the other people in charge of the army were the Cai and Huang families. Especially himself, who controlled the power of Jiangxia County. How could Liu Biao do that?  Let yourself go.

    At this sensitive time, we really couldn¡¯t act rashly, and Liu Biao found an excuse to send troops to Jiangxia.

    At this time, Huang Yong was forcibly taken into the room by the soldiers. Huang Yong yelled like crazy: "Father, you asked me to kill that Liu Jing!"

    Huang Zu was furious and rushed forward and gave Huang Yong a slap in the face.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 127: Promise

    Huang Yong has been favored by Huang Zu since he was a child. He is very similar to Huang Zu in appearance and personality, which makes Huang Zu very fond of him. In addition, he has been diligent in practicing martial arts since he was a child and has developed strong martial arts, which makes Huang Zu look at him with special eyes.  .

    Although Huang Yong has a bad temper and is cruel, Huang Zu doesn't care at all. It was the same when he was young. After this age, after reaching the age of thirty, he will gradually become sensible and learn to control himself.

    So Huang Yong pursued Tao Zhan like crazy, and Huang Zu didn't interfere too much. As long as Huang Yong didn't marry Tao Zhan as his wife or become a concubine or something, he didn't care.

    But today, Huang Zucai regretted it for the first time. He should not have indulged his son so much, causing him to have no scruples and regardless of the consequences. It is very likely that his foundation will be destroyed in the hands of this traitor.

    When Huang Zu saw his son's eyes turned blood red and looked as ferocious as a beast, he raised his arm and slapped Huang Yong hard again, roaring like thunder, "If you dare to touch a hair on his face, I'll skin you off."  Skin!"

    Huang Yong had never seen his father so furious, and he finally felt a hint of timidity in his heart. His arrogance was suppressed, and he lowered his head deeply without saying a word.

    Huang Zu knew that his son¡¯s mind was incapable of understanding the complex official struggle, and he did not want to explain it to him. He waved his hand and ordered his men to take him away.

    "My lord, do you want to continue to imprison the young master?" the soldier asked in a low voice.

    Huang Zu was a little upset. He wanted to rush to Xiakou immediately to supervise the garrison in Xiakou. How could he rest assured that this troublemaker was in Chaisang? After thinking about it, he said: "Send him to Wuchang and let his brother take care of him."  Guard, just say it¡¯s my order and he¡¯s not allowed to go out!¡±

    Several soldiers took Huang Yong down. Huang Zu took Cai Mao's letter and read it again. Liu Biao was ready to go. I don't know what action he will take against Jiangxia next. At this moment, Huang Zu was very anxious. He wanted to go immediately.  Rush to Xiakou for deployment.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing's residence in Tao Mansion is located in the northwest corner of the east courtyard. It is an independent courtyard. More than a dozen of his subordinates, including Wang Tai, live in this small courtyard together. Not many distinguished guests can enjoy the treatment of an independent courtyard.  Apart from Liu Jing, only Liu Cong came to celebrate his birthday on behalf of Zhou Mu.

    The courtyard where Liu Cong lived was not far away, only a few dozen steps away from Liu Jing's courtyard. After lunch, Liu Jing took a nap for half an hour to regain his energy. He was going to start practicing martial arts in the evening. He had been delayed on the road these days.  Already anxious.

    "How long will the young master plan to stay in Tao Mansion this time?" Xu Shu asked with a smile while sitting aside.

    Liu Jing stretched and smiled: "I don't know how long I will stay. The key is when will uncle allow me to return to Xiangyang?"

    "Actually, what I mean is that if possible, the young master should stay as long as possible to establish friendship with the Tao family."

    Liu Jing looked at Xu Shu strangely. He knew that Xu Shu was not someone who spoke casually. This morning, he and Huang Yong were in tit-for-tat, but he remained silent. Now that he suddenly mentioned the Tao family, he must have something to say.

    "Yuanzhi might as well say it clearly."

    "I talked with Manager Zhao for a while this morning, and I realized how powerful the Tao family is. Perhaps he was telling the truth. The Tao family has more than 30 large warehouses along the river in Jiangdong, and they have a grain and salt business.  It was huge, and although the exact number is unknown, it still shocked me.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "Just from the Tao Mansion, I feel that they are just an ordinary big family. They are very low-key. It is unbelievable that they are the richest people in the south. They are as rich as the country. This is also their  The cleverness and helplessness.¡±

    "Sir, what I mean is that one day in the future, the master will take Jiangxia as his foundation, so what benefits can such a strong family fortune of the Tao family bring to the master?"

    Liu Jing stood in front of the window with her hands behind her hands, staring out of the window from a distance. She didn't say anything for a long time. Xu Shu continued: "The Tao family is very smart and spreads their wealth around. Even if they occupy Tao's house, they can't get the wealth. They can only let Tao  The government willingly took it out, which is why I advised the young master to establish a relationship with the Tao family. "

    Liu Jing still said nothing, but his eyes became deeper

    In the afternoon, a carriage drove out of the north gate of Chaisang, and then turned around and headed west. On both sides of the carriage, in addition to Liu Jing's dozen men, there were hundreds of sword-wielding servants from the Tao Mansion. Tao Zhan had been killed by Tao Zhan.  The family's key protection was because Huang Yong was still in Chaisang in the morning, so the Tao family was extra careful.

    Liu Jing followed Tao Zhan's carriage on horseback all the way out of the city. Tao Zhan remained silent. Liu Jing also felt Tao Zhan's emotional changes. Her mood seemed to be very low. Liu Jing did not disturb her. He felt that her mood was not stable.  It seemed to be related to her mother. Liu Jing had already learned the details from Xiaobaozi at noon.

    A maidservant who served Tao Zhan¡¯s mother returned from visiting relatives in her hometown.Soon after, Tao Zhan fell ill, and then Tao Zhan's mother and two other maids also fell down one after another. The first maid who fell ill was already dead, but the Tao family found out in time and isolated Tao Zhan's mother and the other two maids.

    But these days coincided with Mr. Tao's birthday, and there were many people paying homage to him. The Tao family was afraid that something might happen, so they sent the three patients to a bhikkhu temple in the west of the city for isolation. It was a bhikkhu Buddhist temple supported by the Tao family. Tao Zhan's mother also visited the  She practiced in a Buddhist temple, and this time, she also hoped that she would be blessed by the Buddha.

    The journey was safe without any harassment. After traveling for about ten miles, a Buddhist temple appeared in a bamboo forest ahead. Buddhism was introduced to the Central Plains during the Eastern Han Dynasty and gradually began to spread. However, it was not fully accepted by the people at the end of the Han Dynasty and was only accepted by the people.  The upper class believed in Buddhism, and it was not until the Northern and Southern Dynasties that Buddhism began to spread on a large scale.

    The Tao family is also one of the few Buddhist families in Chaisang. They built two temples in Chaisang, one in the south of the city and dedicated to more than a hundred monks.

    The other one is located in the west of the city. It is a bhikkhu nunnery. More than a hundred female monks who believe in Buddhism practice here. However, they are not monks and do not live in the temple permanently. They only stay here for a while while practicing. Huang Zu¡¯s mother sometimes also  I come here to practice spiritual practice, and there are usually only a few female believers guarding the temple.

    The carriage slowly stopped in front of the temple. Tao Zhan got out of the carriage and whispered to Liu Jing: "My mother is ill. She is temporarily living here and has someone to take care of her."

    Liu Jing sighed secretly in his heart. He estimated that it was some kind of infectious disease, and isolation was necessary. But as long as the isolation was effective, it didn't matter if he lived in the house. Moving out of the house for isolation would have a great impact on the patient's body and mind.

    The Tao family should have moved her out because they were afraid of infecting guests, and Liu Jing knew that as long as there was no direct contact and she washed her hands in time, it wouldn't be a big problem.

    Tao Zhan whispered again: "Originally I didn't agree, but my father said it was my mother's wish. My mother believes in Buddhism and hopes to be blessed by the Buddha, so I agreed."

    Liu Jing's mind changed. This is not bad. Recuperating in a Buddhist temple is also a psychological comfort for believers.

    "Let's go! Let's go in and have a look."

    Liu Jing accompanied Tao Zhan into the Buddhist temple and came to a small courtyard where seven or eight maids were waiting. They happened to meet a doctor coming out. Tao Zhan quickly asked: "Mr. Li, how is my mother?  "

    The doctor smiled bitterly and shook his head, "The situation has not worsened, but I suspect it is typhoid fever. I have suggested that your father go to Changsha County to ask for Zhang Taishou as soon as possible. I don't know if Zhang Taishou has time."

    Zhang Taishou of Changsha County is Zhang Zhongjing, a famous doctor in the late Han Dynasty. He has extremely high medical skills, especially in the treatment of typhoid fever. He was appointed as the prefect of Changsha County last autumn.

    It is Zhang Zhongjing¡¯s efforts that made people in Jingzhou understand some common sense, such as immediately isolating if there is an infectious disease, which virtually saved many people¡¯s lives.

    Liu Jing said from the side: "Would you like me to go to Changsha and invite Governor Zhang here? He should give me this face."

    "That's not necessary. My grandfather was an official in Nanyang County in his early years and has a close relationship with the Zhang family. As long as my father writes a letter, he will definitely come." Having said this, Tao Zhan glanced at Liu Jing gratefully.  .

    "Sir, please wait outside. I'll go see my mother and then come back."

    Tao Zhan walked quickly to the yard. Liu Jing was pacing outside the yard with his hands behind his back. After a moment, Tao Zhan walked out quickly with red eyes and whispered: "Sir, can you come in for a moment? My mother wants to meet her."  you."

    Liu Jing nodded silently, walked into the yard, and followed Tao Zhan into the room. The room was dimly lit, filled with a strong smell of medicine and pungent lime. The corners and the floor were covered with lime. Two maids stood against the wall next to them.  Trying to endure the irritation of lime.

    The windows were deliberately covered with cloth, and the bed by the window was covered with a thin gauze curtain. Lying in the gauze curtain was a woman with a skinny face, deeply sunken eyes, and a sallow complexion without a trace of blood.  ,,Although her condition is serious, she can still see her beauty when she was young.

    Tao Zhan took two steps forward, knelt down in front of her, held her hand, held back tears and whispered: "Mom, he is here."

    When Mrs. Huang saw Liu Jing, her eyes showed a happy smile. Liu Jing also stepped forward, knelt down in front of the woman and saluted, "Auntie!"

    The woman's trembling hand reached out to him. Liu Jing hesitated and took her hand. The woman patted the back of his hand, then took Tao Zhan's hand and held their hands together tightly. Tears flowed from her eyes.  eyes welled up.

    At this time, Tao Zhan felt shy, sad, and a little embarrassed. She just told her mother what she was thinking, and did not say what Liu Jing's attitude was, but her mother didn't care so much and forced them to  Put your hands together.

    Tao Zhan suddenly understood his mother¡¯s thoughts??She knew that she had only been around for a long time, and she could only like someone. No matter who it was, she had to entrust herself to him. This was a mother's greatest wish, and she did not want to wrong her daughter until the last moment.

    Tao Zhan felt sad, and tears rolled down his face, "Mother!"

    The woman touched her daughter's face lovingly, and she suddenly looked at Liu Jing. Her cloudy eyes burst out with a bright light, filled with endless expectations. Liu Jing understood the woman's gaze, and he nodded slowly.  He nodded and gave her a solemn promise.

    Mrs. Huang laughed, her eyes full of love, Liu Jing bowed to her, stood up and slowly exited.

    Walking out of the room, Liu Jing took a long breath. He suddenly understood why Tao Zhan brought him to visit his mother. He just wanted her mother to take a look at him before leaving.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 128: Undercurrent

    After leaving the Buddhist temple, it was already dusk, and Tao Zhan was still silent, but this silence was a little different from when she came. The sadness and worry were the same, but there was an added embarrassment. She didn't know how to face Liu Jing.

    She didn¡¯t expect that her mother would join their hands together. Is this obviously a kind of trust, entrusting her life to him?

    What would he think? Would he think that it was his own intention to tell his mother that he also liked her? Would he think that he was being sentimental?

    It seems that he promised his mother, but could this promise be a kind of sympathy?  Maybe it¡¯s because you can¡¯t bear to hurt your mother?

    ¡°Could it be thathe really promised his mother?

    Tao Zhan was in a state of confusion. Several times she wanted to open the car window to say hello and say a few words. This awkward atmosphere almost overwhelmed him, but her hand touched the car curtain and retracted.  I never had the courage.

    "Jiuniang!"

    Liu Jing's voice came from outside the car. He finally broke the silence. Tao Zhan's heart started pounding, and then he was filled with worry, 'Does he want to deny his promise to his mother?  ¡¯

    "Um!"

    She whispered in agreement and lowered her head. Although she was sitting in the carriage and could not see him, her face still turned red.

    "I think it's better for your mother to move back home."

    Tao Zhan was relieved. It turned out that this was what happened, and her nervousness immediately disappeared. "Father said that there were many guests and he was afraid of infecting them."

    "Actually, don't have direct contact, it won't be contagious. Your mother didn't cough, and she won't be contagious face to face. And didn't we shake hands with your mother today? And the doctor, he has come into contact with so many patients, why is he okay?  I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that serious.¡±

    "But my mother said that she feels more peaceful in front of the Buddha."

    "No! Your mother just doesn't want to involve you, and doesn't want you to worry about her. Jiuniang, no matter how good the Buddha's heart is, it can't compare to family affection."

    Tao Zhan was silent, and Liu Jing struck deep in her heart, "No matter how good the Buddha's heart is, it can't compare to family love."  ¡¯

    She suddenly felt like crying, a feeling of guilt that made her cry blood, but she couldn't!  She couldn't leave her mother alone in a Buddhist temple like this. She had to take her home.

    Tao Zhan opened the car curtain and said excitedly: "Master Jing, let's go back and help me take my mother home."

    Liu Jing paused for a moment, then said softly: "Don't worry, it's already dusk now. I'll convince your father tomorrow morning. Give me some time. I'll make something, and then we'll make suggestions together."

    Tao Zhan slowly calmed down, yes!  She must make her father agree, otherwise her mother will not go back with her. She thought about it and asked strangely: "What do you want to do?"

    Liu Jing smiled mysteriously, "You will know when the time comes."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Due to the large number of guests in the east courtyard, the Tao Mansion opened the unused east gate to facilitate management, allowing guests to enter and exit through the east gate. It also opened the east suspension bridge and closed several passages connecting the east gate to the backyard of the main house.

    ¡°And many guests brought their entourages, so the staff was complicated. The Tao Mansion also sent two hundred armed servants to the inner house for protection, patrolling day and night, and the protection was extremely tight.

    Liu Jing first sent Tao Zhan to the main entrance. Tao Zhan got off the carriage and smiled at Liu Jing: "I really trouble you to accompany me today. Fortunately, I didn't meet that idiot."

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll run into him in the past few days, at least he won¡¯t show up in the past few days when I¡¯m here.¡± Liu Jing smiled confidently.

    "Why?"

    Tao Zhan was puzzled, his beautiful eyes full of curiosity, "Is he afraid of you?"

    "He is not afraid of me, but his father is afraid of me, so he should be locked up by Huang Zu."

    "Hmph! It seems that Huang Zu is not stupid."

    Tao Zhan smiled lightly again, "Then I'll wait for you to talk to your father together."

    Liu Jing nodded, turned around and led the horse away. Tao Zhan kept watching his back as he walked away, then sighed gratefully and walked into the door.

    As soon as I walked to the front yard, I saw a large group of people walking out of the courtyard. It was Tao Sheng who escorted Liu Cong and Cai Yi out.

    With a smile on his face, Liu Cong quickly walked out of the middle door, but when he saw Tao Zhan, his eyes suddenly lit up, "Jiu Niang is here too?"

    Tao Zhan was extremely dissatisfied when he heard that he actually called her by her nickname. She ignored him and walked towards another small door with a cold face.

    Seeing that his daughter was actually ignoring the distinguished guest, Tao Sheng felt a little embarrassed on his face and snorted heavily, "Zhan'er!"

    Tao Zhan had no choice but to step forward and salute his father, "See you, father!"

    "Where did you go this afternoon?""Replying to my father, my daughter went to visit her mother in the afternoon."

    The four words 'visiting mother' touched the softest part of Tao Sheng's heart. He sighed secretly and said to her softly: "Young Master Cong came here specifically to pay homage to my grandfather, and so does Mr. Cai. He is an honored guest of our Tao Mansion, so you can't  Discourteous!"

    Tao Zhan nodded silently, turned around and saluted Liu Cong and Cai Yi, "Welcome Mr. Cong and Mr. Cai to the Tao family."

    Liu Cong rarely saw Tao Zhan not with Liu Jing, so he smiled and invited: "I was talking to your father about the scenery of Chaisang just now. I plan to go to Xunyang River tomorrow. Do you have the honor to invite Jiuniang to accompany you?"

    Seeing that her father was about to agree on her behalf, Tao Zhan said anxiously: "I have to visit my mother tomorrow, Master Cong. My mother is seriously ill and I really don't want to play. Please forgive me!"

    Liu Cong¡¯s face finally became a little uneasy and turned cold, with a long ¡®Oh!  ¡¯ and said, ¡°Since Miss Tao has no intention, then forget it.¡±

    "Master Cong, Master Cai, I'm sorry, I'll take my leave now."

    Tao Zhan turned around and walked towards the small door. Tao Sheng also saw that Liu Cong was interested in his daughter, but he thought of Liu Jing, swallowed the words on his lips, and smiled bitterly.

    Liu Cong stared at Tao Zhan's charming figure, with a fiery light shining in his eyes, and thought to himself, "No matter what, he wants to get Tao Zhan. Such a beautiful girl is hidden in the room, no matter how much he loves her.  Pass.  ¡¯

    At this time, Cai Yi, who had been smiling and silent, finally said: "Since Mr. Cong is so interested and Jiuniang's father is by his side, why don't you ask for marriage?"

    Liu Cong couldn't bear it any longer and knelt down to Tao Sheng, "My nephew has admired Jiuniang for a long time. He is willing to marry Jiuniang as his equal wife. I beg Uncle Shi to grant my wish."

    "Ping's wife" is just a nice word. In fact, she is still a concubine, and there is no guarantee of status, unless she is particularly loved by her husband. Just like Liu Bei's Mrs. Gan, she has won respect because she has followed Liu Bei for a long time.

    Being young and beautiful may be a guarantee, but once age and beauty fade, it will be difficult to have the so-called equal wife status. This kind of statement can only deceive young and ignorant girls, how can it deceive Tao who has experienced the world for a long time?  win.

    Tao Sheng certainly does not want his daughter to be a concubine, and his second brother also said that Liu Jing seems to like his daughter very much. More importantly, Liu Jing has been very kind to the Tao family, and Tao Sheng has always been grateful.

    It's just that Liu Cong has a distinguished status, and Tao Sheng can't refuse directly. That would offend others. He hesitated and said with a smile: "It's her honor that Master Cong likes my daughter. It's just that she has been busy recently and Zhuo Jing unfortunately fell ill."  , let me think about this matter again, sir, please get up!"

    Tao Sheng helped Liu Cong up, smiled and comforted him: "Don't worry, sir, I will consider it carefully."

    Liu Cong was secretly happy. As long as Tao Sheng was willing to consider it, there would be hope. He was the son of Zhou Mu and his status was much higher than Liu Jing. Although parents would consider their daughter's feelings to some extent, he believed that for someone like Tao Sheng,  Businessmen pay more attention to practical interests, not to mention clan members, who wouldn't want to marry Zhou Mu.

    "Then please leave it to Uncle Shi. My nephew will say goodbye first!"

    Liu Cong bowed, and Cai Yi left the main gate and took a detour to the east gate of Tao Mansion.

    "Brother Cai, how likely do you think it is?" Liu Cong asked impatiently when he returned to his yard.

    "It depends on how important Zhou Mu is to the Tao family, but I believe that even if Tao Sheng is hesitant, the Tao family will definitely support this marriage. Tao Sheng is the head of the family, how can he ignore the wishes of the clan, Mr. Cong  Just wait for the good news!¡±

    Liu Cong could not hold back the joy in his heart and said to the dozen followers behind him: "I will give you five hundred coins each. Go out to drink and have fun!"

    Everyone was overjoyed and bowed their thanks in succession: "Congratulations, young master!"

    Everyone rushed to ask Shu Zuo to receive the money, and Liu Ye squinted his eyes, as if he saw that he and Tao Zhan entered the cave house.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the Yangtze River, a group of ships left Chaisang and headed towards Wuchang City. On the last large ship, Huang Yong squinted and looked at the blood-red sunset from time to time, with murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

    His hands were tied behind his back, and his feet were tied with ropes. Next to him sat two soldiers guarding him. Both of them were Huang Zu's personal soldiers, and they did not dare to offend Huang Yong too much.

    "This is your lord's order, and we are also following it. Second Young Master, if you endure for one more night, the ship will arrive in Wuchang tomorrow morning, and we will definitely let you go."

    The two kept explaining, but Huang Yong just sneered and said nothing. After a moment, he suddenly said: "Please squeeze my shoulder, my blood is blocked, and I will die soon."

    A soldier quickly stepped forward to squeeze his shoulders. At this moment, Huang Yong's hands came out of the rope and strangled him like lightning.The soldier's neck, 'click!  ¡¯ With a sound, the soldier¡¯s neck was broken.

    Huang Yong pulled out the long knife from his waist and stabbed it with his backhand. Another soldier was caught off guard and was pierced through the heart by the knife, letting out a long scream.

    The screams alerted dozens of other soldiers on the same boat, and they all rushed from the front boat. At this time, Huang Yong had cut off the rope on his feet, bit the knife in his mouth, jumped into the vast Yangtze River  middle,

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As soon as it got dark, Liu Jing was ready to lead his horse out. One of his men discovered that there was a very large school ground in Chaisang South City where he could practice riding and shooting.

    "Master!"

    At this time, Little Baozi ran out of the yard and asked: "How many layers do you need to sew that thing?"

    Liu Jing thought for a while and said with a smile: "It's about twenty layers, can I sew it tonight?"

    "You can tighten it up a little bit, and Wang Datou went to buy hand clothes, but I haven't seen any hand clothes made of leather."

    Wang Datou is Wang Tai, and hand clothes are today's gloves. They were very popular in the Qin and Han Dynasties and were also unearthed in the Mawangdui Han Tomb. Leather gloves naturally have their uses.

    Liu Jing got on his horse, turned around and said with a smile: "I told him, if he can't get the leather gloves, don't come back!"

    "Drive!" He clamped the war horse between his legs and urged the horse to run outside the Tao Mansion.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 129: Unexpected disaster

    As night falls, the number of clouds in the night sky gradually increases, the clouds become dense, the moon disappears, and the night becomes darker.

    ??After exiting the suspension bridge from the east gate of Tao Mansion, there is an east-west street paved with stone slabs. There is a dense forest across the street. It is lush and green during the day and is particularly eye-catching, but at night it looks a bit eerie.

    At this time, behind a big tree by the woods, Huang Yong stared coldly at the east gate of Tao Mansion, with the sword in his hand heavily scratching the big tree one after another.

    He has completely lost his mind, and there is only endless hatred in his heart. He will not consider the future of Jiangxia or the overall situation of Jingzhou. His father's exhaustion has nothing to do with him.

    There is only one woman in his heart. Since ancient times, what makes men crazy is ninety-nine times because of women. A woman can turn a normal person into a devil, not to mention that Huang Yong himself has a bit of devilish temperament.

    At this moment, a carriage rolled over, and the suspension bridge protecting the river began to slowly lower. Huang Yong narrowed his eyes, and the opportunity came.

    Just as the carriage began to turn and waited for the suspension bridge to be lowered over the Huzhai River, Huang Yong ran out of the woods and got into the bottom of the carriage with unusual agility. The carriage started again, negotiated with the gatekeeper for a few words, and drove in.  The east courtyard of Tao Mansion.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the inner hall of Tao Mansion, in the study of old man Tao Lie, a pair of red candles flickered with soft firelight, making the room particularly bright.

    Tao Lie wore a large purple-red Baizi longevity robe. The loving smile on his face disappeared and became extremely serious, and there was even a bit of anger in his eyes.

    "Why are you telling me such a big thing now?"

    Tao Lie only found out today that Zhang Yun had done something to the Tao family. He had taken the initiative to ask about it, otherwise he would not have known about it at all, so how could he not be angry.

    Standing opposite were the eldest son Tao Sheng and the second son Tao Li. Both of them looked embarrassed. After a while, Tao Sheng smiled bitterly and said: "We don't want to hide it from our father. It happens to be his birthday. We plan to wait until his birthday is over before telling him."

    "Hmph!" Tao Lie sneered, "You have no such plan at all. Maybe you think I'm old and no longer useful, right?"

    "I don't dare, kid!" Tao Sheng lowered his head.

    Tao Lie said coldly: "I heard that Liu Cong proposed to you today that he wants to marry Jiuniang?"

    This is the reason why Tao Lie found his two sons. He heard the housekeeper talk about this matter, but the two sons did not report it to him in time, so he began to wonder how many things they were hiding from him.

    "Yes! He raised this matter."

    Tao Sheng found that his father was still as shrewd as before. There was no way he could hide these things from him. He sighed in his heart. It seemed that nothing could be hidden anymore.

    "Then have you agreed?" Tao Lie stared at the eldest son with bright eyes.

    "The child did not agree!"

    "Then you refused?"

    "I didn't refuse, I just said I would think about it."

    "Why didn't you refuse?" Tao Lie's voice suddenly turned harsh.

    At this time, Tao Li, who had been silent, said: "Father, my brother doesn't want to offend Mr. Cong directly. He just wants to delay it and use a tactful way to let Mr. Cong understand that Tao Mansion does not agree."

    "Really? I thought you were tempted. You really want to marry Biao Liu!" Tao Lie's tone contained a hint of sarcasm.

    In fact, the reason why Tao Sheng did not refuse on the spot was because he had some thoughts in mind. As he said to Liu Cong, "It is an honor for the Tao family to marry Zhou Mu. Even if he is an equal wife, how many people can't even dream of it."

    His father's words pierced his mind, and he blushed, and after a while he said: "My child just said that he would consider it. After a few days without mentioning this matter, Mr. Cong will naturally understand that the Tao Mansion has no intention of getting married.  It¡¯s better to give him some face than to refuse directly.¡±

    Tao Lie's eyes softened and he nodded: "I just want to remind you that our Tao family is between the Sun and Liu families. We must be very careful not to make the wrong step. If we send more money and food to Liu Biao, Sun Quan will not  He won't know what to say, but once he marries Liu Biao, Sun Quan will not spare our Tao family. At that time, our huge industry in Jiangdong will be in danger! Even our Chaisang Tao family will be wiped out because of this, and Sun Quan would rather  Even if you kill us, you won¡¯t leave us as enemies, do you understand?¡±

    Tao Sheng broke out in a cold sweat. He really didn't expect this. Thanks to his father's forethought, Lao Jiang Mila saw this key issue.

    He felt extremely ashamed, lowered his head and said, "I don't think twice about it, I should reject it immediately."

    "There is no problem in delaying it for a while. As long as we are resolute and talk about the strategy, we must make Liu Cong give up before he leaves, otherwise Liu Biao will"If someone comes to ask for marriage, it will be troublesome.  "

    "My child understands!"

    Tao Lie then said to his two sons: "There is also the matter of Zhang Yun. I have a feeling that this matter is not over yet. With Liu Biao's arrogant character, he would not let his son and nephew come to Tao's house at the same time. He can definitely  Asking his nephew to pay birthday wishes to the Tao family on his behalf is enough to save face, so why send his son again? Have you thought of the reason? "

    The Tao brothers looked at each other and bowed together: "Father, please make it clear!"

    Tao Lie thought for a moment and then said calmly: "I feel that Liu Jing came to Chaisang for other reasons, and it is not as simple as coming to pay birthdays."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The east courtyard is quite lively. There are still two days before the Tao family's birthday, and most of the guests have arrived. There are four to five hundred people living in the entire east courtyard. There are many people, and there is a mixture of people. Although the Tao family hopes that each guest will restrain his entourage,  But there was still a lot of noise.

    After entering the east courtyard, Huang Yong no longer had any scruples and walked to the northwest corner in a swagger. He knew that there were several independent courtyards in the northwest corner where distinguished guests lived. As Liu Biao's nephew, he would definitely be treated as a distinguished guest.

    Soon he came to a small courtyard. Several followers led horses out in front of him. Huang Yong ducked and hid in a bush about ten feet high.

    "Do you think the Tao family will agree to the young master's request and betroth the Tao family's ninth lady to the young master Cong?"

    "I think there is definitely no problem. It is such an honor for the son of Zhou Mu to propose marriage. Even high-ranking officials are not so lucky, let alone a businessman like the Tao family, they will definitely agree."

    "However, the little Jiuniang of the Tao family is really beautiful. Her skin is as white as snow. I was stunned. She is just a little bit fatter."

    "You know nothing! That's called plumpness. If you think that such a top-notch beauty is fat, you are really lucky. If such a beauty marries me, I would rather lose ten years of my life."

    "It's been a dream, let's go! Go to the brothel tonight to find a young lady, she will be just as beautiful."

    Several people got on their horses and urged the horses away. Behind the bushes, Huang Yong tightened his grip on the handle of his knife, his pupils shrank to a thin line, and murderous intent burst out in his heart. It turned out that Liu Cong was also interested in Jiuniang, and he seemed to have proposed.

    Liu Biao¡¯s two nephews are both bad guys. Kill them all without leaving any one alive.

    At this time, a waiter yawned and lazily walked this way. Suddenly, an arm stretched out from the darkness and dragged him into the bushes.

    "Where does Liu Jing live?"

    "Master Jing is right in front, in the courtyard with the lanterns."

    With a muffled cry, Huang Yong broke his neck. After a moment, he changed into a waiter's clothes and came out, hiding the knife behind his back, and walked quickly towards the small courtyard where the lanterns were hung.

    Huang Yong is not a stupid person, and he is not weak in IQ. He knows how to disguise himself as a waiter and use a carriage to sneak into the east courtyard instead of rushing in madly.

    But his emotional intelligence is almost zero. For the woman he likes, he will do whatever it takes, not even caring about his father's overall foundation, let alone who the other party is, not to mention Liu Biao's nephew, even if he is the prince, he will still care.  Kill without mistake.

    This is a typical character flaw, like a beast, with the cunning of a beast but without the sanity of a human being.

    Huang Yong walked to the small courtyard and deliberately stood in the dark so that the people inside could not see his appearance. He knocked on the door. After a while, the door opened. When Liu Jing saw a waiter, he asked:  "What's the matter?"

    "I am a servant of the Tao family. The master of the house invites Mr. Jing to go to the inner courtyard for a talk."

    "I'm sorry, my young master seems to have gone out to practice martial arts. He may not be back until very late."

    Huang Yong was extremely disappointed. He suppressed the murderous intention in his heart and asked again: "The master of the house is in an emergency. Where is he? Let's go find him."

    "I heard that I am going to the school to practice martial arts."

    At this time, a carriage rushed from a distance, followed by several horseback attendants. The wheels rattled. An orange-red lantern hung on the carriage, swaying from side to side, and there was a black character "Liu" in the light.

    "Is this Master Jing back?" Huang Yong asked nervously.

    The subordinate shook his head, "My young master rides a horse and does not ride in a car. This should be Mr. Cong."

    "Liu Cong?"

    "Exactly!"

    Huang Yong suddenly tightened his grip on the knife in his hand, and a terrifying murderous intention burst out from his eyes.

    The subordinates sensed his murderous intention and glanced at him suspiciously. They found that he was holding the handle of the knife tightly. The subordinates were startled, ¡®Bang!  'Close the door with a bang.

    Huang Yong turned around and walked towards Liu Cong, walking faster and faster, holding the long knife tightly in his hand. At this time, Liu Cong had got out of the carriage and brought a beautiful singer with him.

    "You guys hurry up and buy some food and drinks!  "Liu Cong ordered his men.

    At this time, Huang Yong had already rushed towards him. Liu Jing's men in the distance saw Huang Yong's intention and shouted: "Master Cong, there is an assassin!"

    Liu Cong turned around and saw a big man rushing towards him. He was so frightened that he suddenly pulled the woman to block Huang Yong. With a sharp scream, the singer was killed by Huang Yong with a knife.

    Liu Cong was so frightened that he turned around and ran away. Four guards rushed at him from the left and right. Huang Yong was extremely ruthless, and the swords flew. He cut off the throats of the four guards and curled up and died on the ground.

    At this time, Liu Cong had already run seven or eight steps. Huang Yong, like a wild wolf, pounced on him, kicked him to the ground, grabbed his hair, swung him back, and gave him a few fierce blows.  He kicked Liu Cong, causing him to cry and scream.

    Liu Cong crawled and ran back. After running a few steps, he fell heavily again. He had to crawl backwards with all his strength. Soon his body was against the wheel. His eyes were full of fear, his lips were trembling, and the fear of death filled his body.  Trembling.

    ¡°I am the son of Zhou Mu, please don¡¯t kill me!¡±

    Huang Yong held the long knife tightly and walked towards Liu Cong step by step with a ferocious smile. This bastard wanted to steal his woman just because he was Liu Biao's son. He was really tired of living.

    At this moment, Cai Yi ran out of the courtyard. In the dim light of the lantern, he recognized Huang Yong and shouted anxiously, "Young Master Huang, please show mercy, that is Mr. Cong, you can't kill him!"

    Huang Yong also recognized Cai Yi. He was shocked and slowly came to his senses. Yes, if he killed Liu Biao's son, his father would probably have to skin him.

    But.  £®  £®  £®  £®  Is that all you want to do?  He has proposed to the Tao family. With his father's power, can the Tao family refuse to agree?

    Huang Yong imagined Liu Cong and Tao Zhan entering the bridal chamber. He became furious again, and a vicious idea came to his mind. If he didn't kill him, his life would be worse than death.

    He used the tip of the knife to lift Liu Cong's chin, and whispered with a ferocious smile: "You don't want to steal my woman! I'll let you grab it, but you can't use it."

    He violently kicked Liu Cong in the crotch. Liu Cong let out a heartbreaking scream and curled up into a ball. Huang Yong turned back and pointed at Liu Cong and shouted to the people running around to watch the excitement: "Who dares?"  This is the fate of the woman who robbed me, Huang Yong.¡±

    Seeing how ferocious he was, people around him were so frightened that they ran away. Amidst Liu Cong's screams, Huang Yong turned around and walked away, his figure gradually disappearing into the darkness.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There was chaos in the Tao Mansion. In a school field two miles away, Liu Jing rode a horse and galloped. The sound of horse hooves was like thunder. He opened his bow and nocked an arrow. He turned around suddenly and shot out a wolf-tooth arrow like lightning, shooting fifty steps straight.  A wooden figure with an incense stick on the outside.

    He did not check whether he had hit the target, turned the horse's head and galloped again. He drew an arrow from behind his shoulder with his right hand, drew the bow like the moon, and the arrow was like a shooting star. From a distance, he heard 'Bang!  ¡¯ With a sound, the arrow hit the wooden board.

    He had already shot twenty arrows, and he discovered another improvement, that is, the time between two arrows was significantly shortened.

    According to the time of later generations, it took two minutes to shoot an arrow at first, but later it was reduced to one and a half minutes. He had not practiced for several days, and his strength was fully restored. Today, he shot twenty arrows, and it only took more than twenty minutes, an average of one.  A little over minutes.

    And his arms are not sore. This phenomenon is a kind of improvement after a pause. He had a similar experience in his previous life, which surprised Liu Jing secretly. In this case, two hundred arrows can be shot in two hours.

    At this moment, a black figure appeared in the distance, slowly walking toward him, and when it was twenty steps away, it stopped again, staring at him coldly like a wild beast.

    Liu Jing put back the bow and arrow, held the gun in his hand, and straightened his back. He knew who was coming.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 130 Tao Family¡¯s Gift

    "Liu Jing, I'll give you a chance. As long as you swear to me and never touch Jiuniang again, I will spare your life!"

    Huang Yong had a cruel smile on his face. Sometimes humiliating a man is more interesting than killing him.

    Liu Jing smiled coldly, "She is my woman. I would like to advise you to stay away from her, otherwise I will slaughter your entire Huang family!"

    "She is my woman" immediately made Huang Yong furious. No one in Jiangxia dared to speak to him like this.

    Huang Yong roared, jumped up, jumped ten feet high out of thin air, and struck Liu Jing head-on with his sword, as fast as lightning. Huang Yong is known as the most powerful general in Jiangxia. Although the two halberds are not in his hands, the sword in his hand is still there.  A fierce wind of swords blew up, and the sword struck Liu Jing directly.

    ¡°Well done!¡±

    Liu Jing shouted loudly, and without telling him any rules, she swung her spear, and the tip of the spear thrust out like lightning, sealing Huang Yong's four vital points.

    'when!  ' With a loud noise, the blade struck the gun shaft, sparks bursting out. Even though it was just an ordinary sword, the huge power on the blade still split Liu Jing's spear.

    Huang Yong laughed evilly, twisted his body in the air, and swept towards Liu Jing with one leg. He did not ride a horse, nor did he bring a double halberd. A sword was far from being able to compete with Liu Jing's spear. He seemed to be at a disadvantage, but in fact he  There is also a secret weapon.

    His secret weapon was not a hidden weapon, but his feet. Huang Yong worked hard on his legs, and his feet were as if they were made of pig iron. They were powerful, ferocious, and extremely dexterous. As long as he split Liu Jing's spear, he could  His feet can wrap around Liu Jing's neck and break Liu Jing's neck in an instant.

    The moment Huang Yong hooked Liu Jing's shoulders with his feet, Liu Jing was already on guard. He smiled coldly and took out the sword in his hand, waiting for this moment.

    I saw a ray of cold light slashing towards Huang Yong's lower body along the seam of his leg. This move was exactly the Feng Nod, Bai Niao Chao Feng Qiang's most powerful attack move that Liu Jing had practiced extremely skillfully. The sword seemed slow, but  But he suddenly accelerated in the middle, and at the same moment when Huang Yong's legs were resting on his shoulders, he struck Huang Yong's private parts hard with a knife.

    Blood spurted out, and the strength in Huang Yong¡¯s legs suddenly disappeared, ¡®Ah!  ¡¯ With an earth-shattering scream, Huang Yong fell from the air. His lower body was split open by Liu Jing¡¯s knife, and he fell to the ground rolling and wailing desperately.

    Liu Jing urged her horse forward, Huang Yong endured the severe pain and begged, "Master, please spare my life!"

    Liu Jing only looked at him coldly, then raised a gun and pierced his chest. Huang Yong screamed and died immediately.

    At this moment, Wang Tai rushed over and shouted from a distance: "Sir, something happened in Tao Mansion!"

    He suddenly stopped and looked at Huang Yong on the ground in surprise. He never expected that Huang Yong would die in Liu Jing's hands.

    Liu Jing smiled faintly and said, "Dispose of his body for me. It will not be publicized for the time being."

    "I understand the humble position, but do you want to keep his head?" Wang Tai asked again.

    "Can!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    When Liu Jing rushed back to Tao Mansion, the east courtyard of Tao Mansion was already in chaos. Hundreds of servants of Tao Mansion carried lanterns and illuminated the east courtyard as if it were daylight. The body had been removed and Liu Cong was moved into the inner courtyard for treatment.  , the guests in the east courtyard were talking a lot, and no one knew why Huang Yong was so cruel to Liu Cong.

    When Huang Yong left, he said that anyone who dares to steal a woman from him will suffer the same fate. So who is this woman?  The foreign guests were confused, but everyone in Chaisang knew it. Wasn't it Tao Zhan, the daughter of the Tao family?

    The dignified son of a state shepherd suffered such a heavy blow because of a woman. Everyone lamented over it. Why did it happen?

    Liu Jing arrived in front of his small courtyard. He had already learned the details of what happened from his subordinates. He was more concerned about Tao Zhan's safety now. Did Huang Yong sneak into Tao Mansion to find Tao Zhan before he found him?

    "Master!"

    Xu Shu came up to us, "You know the situation, right?"

    Liu Jing nodded and asked with concern: "Are all the brothers back?"

    "Everyone is back. Our people are fine. I heard that five people died on Mr. Cong's side. Hey! It turned out that Huang Zu's son did something unexpected. I'm afraid it will disrupt Zhou Mu's plan this time."

    Xu Shu sighed, he pulled Liu Jing aside again, and whispered: "Young master must collect evidence for this matter immediately"

    Before Xu Shu could finish speaking, Tao Zheng, accompanied by several family members, walked over quickly and bowed to Liu Jing, "Master Jing, please come to the inner courtyard. My father has invited you!"

    Liu Jing also wanted to see Liu Cong. No matter what, he was his cousin after all. He nodded and said to Xu Shu: "We can continue talking when I come back!"

    Liu Jing followed Tao Zheng and walked quickly inward.? Walking through the atrium, Tao Zheng saw no one around and whispered: "Master Cong is seriously injured. Huang Yong kicked him in the lower body, which was intentional."

    "What did the doctor say?"

    Tao Zheng sighed, "The doctor said that if this life could be saved, Mr. Cong would probably be a cripple."

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, what a coincidence, Huang Yong crippled Liu Cong, and he chopped Huang Yong's vagina into pieces with a knife. Liu Biao knew that his son had become a cripple, how would he deal with Huang Zu?  How would Huang Zu be furious?

    However, Liu Jing did not want to tell the Tao family that Huang Yong had been killed by him for the time being. The fewer people who knew about this kind of thing, the better.

    "Does Brother Tao know the whereabouts of Huang Yong?"

    "I don't know for the moment. He hurt Zhou Mu's son and will definitely run away. He should leave Chaisang now."

    "Haha! It's better to go to the end of the world and come back after seven or eight years."

    The two came to the inner house and walked into a courtyard. In addition to a few important Tao clan members, Liu Jing also unexpectedly saw Tao Zhan. She was not sad, but full of worries, but saw that she was safe and sound.  , Liu Jing was also relieved.

    Seeing Liu Jing coming in, Tao Zhan felt relieved and came forward first, "Sir, the thief didn't find you, right?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I was practicing archery on the school field and didn't meet him."

    At this time, Tao Zhan ignored the presence of his father and brother, and the concern in his heart was fully revealed, "I heard that the thief went to find you first, and when you were not here, he turned his anger on Mr. Cong. I have been worried that something would happen to you."

    Liu Jing felt a warmth in her heart. Although Tao Zhan usually welcomed and rejected him, at the critical moment, he felt her concern. Liu Jing smiled and said, "Don't be afraid if you meet him. He may not be mine."  opponent."

    At this time, the doctor came out of the room, and everyone gathered around him, asking anxiously: "How is it?"

    The doctor sighed, "My life has been saved, but"

    He glanced at Tao Zhan. There was a woman present and it was difficult to say something. Tao Sheng immediately ordered: "Zhan'er, go back to your room!"

    Tao Zhan did not dare to disobey his father's order. He glanced at Liu Jing again, then turned and left. At this time, the doctor sighed: "The injury to the lower body is serious, and it is estimated that he will be disabled in the future."

    ??The expressions of everyone present in the Tao Mansion changed. For a man, having his private parts disabled is worse than death. This is the son of Zhou Mu!  If something goes wrong in the Tao Mansion, how will they explain it to Liu Biao?

    Everyone's mood became very heavy. At this time, the county magistrate Zhou Ling who came after hearing the news said: "Chaisang's doctor is not very good. He must send Mr. Cong to Wuchang County immediately. The ship is ready. I will send five hundred  Military escort.¡±

    Zhou Ling's attitude was very clear. Liu Cong must not be allowed to die in Chaisang. He did not want to bear this responsibility. He glanced at the Tao family again, "What do you think?"

    Everyone nodded silently. No one could do anything. Zhou Ling made a quick decision: "That's it, send him away immediately!"

    At this time, Tao Sheng stepped forward and said to Liu Jing: "Excuse me, sir. My father has something important to ask you."

    Liu Jing originally wanted to take a look at Liu Cong, but then she changed her mind and didn't want to go, so she followed Tao Sheng to another courtyard.

    "Master, is there any whereabouts of Huang Yong?" Liu Jing smiled and asked again.

    Tao Sheng nodded, "I have received the news that Huang Yong hijacked a ship and left Chaisang not long ago, and his whereabouts are unknown."

    After a pause, Tao Sheng continued: "Maybe he just went to the other side, hid for a short time, and will come back when the storm calms down a bit. I always feel that he will not be willing to give in. Mr. Jing had better leave Chaisang as soon as possible."

    Liu Jing sneered in her heart, who is Tao Sheng trying to coax?

    The two walked into a courtyard. Tao Sheng came to a house and said respectfully: "Father, Mr. Jing is here."

    "come in!"

    Tao Lie's voice came from the room, which sounded a bit old and completely different from the gentle tone in the morning. From this, Liu Jing felt the tremendous pressure on the Tao family. Although the Tao family was as wealthy as the country, this was not something that could be settled with money.

    He and Tao Sheng walked into the room. There was no light in the room, and it was dark. In the darkness, a person could be faintly seen sitting by the window.

    "Why doesn't Father light the lamp?" Tao Sheng asked in surprise.

    "Is Master Jing here?" It was still Tao Lie's voice, looking very tired and old.

    "Junior is here!"

    Tao Lie sighed, "You guys sit down!"

    Tao Sheng and Liu Jing sat down. Tao Lie didn't speak for a while. Tao Sheng couldn't help but relay the doctor's words to his father. After a while, Tao Lie sighed, "How can the Tao family explain to Zhou Mu?"

    Liu Jing said from the side: ""This was done by Huang Zu's son. Although it happened in Tao Mansion, it actually has nothing to do with Tao Mansion. I would like to explain the situation to my uncle, and I believe that my uncle will not blame the Tao family."  "

    "Thank you, Mr. Jing, for your kindness, but"

    Tao Lie sighed again, "In any case, Mr. Cong was here to attend my birthday ceremony and was injured in the Tao Mansion. How could the Tao family stay out of it? We are ready to take responsibility for this matter."

    The room was silent again. At this time, Tao Sheng stood up and said, "My child is waiting outside the door."

    Tao Sheng went out, and only Tao Lie and Liu Jing were left in the room. At this time, Tao Lie said slowly: "Master Jing, there are some things we want to discuss openly and honestly."

    "Liu Jing is willing to have a heart-to-heart relationship with the head of the old family!"

    The lights in the room were turned on, and a dim yellow light ignited around Tao Lie. The dark shadows in the room were driven to the corner. The smile on Tao Lie's face became kind and no longer as heavy as before.

    "Master Jing's trip must be related to Huang Zu!"

    Liu Jing was startled. He didn't expect Tao Lie to ask about this matter. Only then did he realize that Tao Lie let his son go out just to facilitate the conversation about important things and to remove the obstacles to the conversation.

    This is a bit difficult for Liu Jing to handle. Just now he said that he was sincere, but now he refuses to say it clearly, which makes him a bit untrustworthy.

    After pondering for a moment, Liu Jing asked with a smile: "Why did the old master say that?"

    Tao Lie is so sophisticated. He saw Liu Jing's dilemma. He wanted to speak for himself and answer yes or no.

    Tao Lie smiled and said, "I just inferred from some small things that the Tao family helps the Jingzhou Army purchase 50,000 shi of grain every year. Half of the 50,000 shi of grain is to be shipped directly to the Jiangxia Army. But starting from this year, the state animal husbandry orders all our grain  After it was shipped to Xiangyang and no longer distributed to Jiangxia, I was wondering if there was some gap between Zhou Mu and Huang Zu. Of course, I was just guessing. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "My uncle wants me to stay in Jiangxia permanently."

    Tao Lie's old eyes narrowed. As he expected, Liu Biao asked his nephew to come to Jiangxia just to seize Huang Zu's power. It seems that the conflict between Liu Biao and Huang Zu has been made public.

    "So if something happens to Liu Cong, will it become the fuse of a war? Tao Lie is worried. The Tao family is really involved in the power struggle in Jingzhou. This is not good!

    After thinking for a long time, Tao Lie laughed again, "The Tao family has a good weapon, and I would like to give it to the young master. Please accept it."

    Liu Jing felt that the old man in front of him seemed to want to say something to him, but when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back. Liu Jing felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. Why was he hesitant to speak openly and honestly?

    He didn¡¯t ask any more questions, stood up and saluted, ¡°Thank you very much, my master.¡±

    Tao Lie smiled and called his son, "Sheng'er!"

    Tao Sheng appeared at the door, and Tao Lie told him: "Take Mr. Jing to see the weapons!"

    "yes!"

    Tao Sheng leaned forward and said, "Master, please come with me."

    Although Tao Shenggui is the head of the Tao family and is in charge of the Tao family's huge business and huge wealth, in front of his father, Tao Sheng is as respectful as a housekeeper.

    Liu Jing followed Tao Sheng to a room not far away. This was the entrance to the Tao family's underground warehouse. The Tao family's underground warehouse was built two feet underground and was made of large bluestones, which was particularly strong.

    But it is not hidden, it is easy to find here. A housekeeper lit the oil lamp and saw that the warehouse is not big, about four feet in diameter, with several rows of iron shelves and dozens of wooden boxes piled up.

    To Liu Jing¡¯s surprise, he didn¡¯t see any gold or silver jewelry, but the iron shelf was filled with swords, bows and arrows, and a lot of armor. It turned out that this was an armory.

    "This is a small warehouse of the Tao family, which mainly stores soldiers and armor."

    Tao Sheng smiled and said: "The Tao family does not collect weapons, so there are no expensive swords. However, generally merchants will keep one or two large weapons in their homes, the heavier the better. As weapons that attract gold, the Tao family also has a few.  One of the weapons was also obtained by chance. It can be regarded as a famous weapon. It has been stored here and is a golden treasure of the Tao family. "

    "Since it is the golden weapon of the Tao family, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to take it away!"

    "It doesn't matter. The young master took it away, and we'll just add another one. Merchants don't care about the value of weapons, they only care about quantity and weight."

    They walked to the corner, and there were indeed more than a dozen large weapons piled here, including several swords, guns, spears and halberds. Each one was thick and long, and looked extremely bulky.

    At this time, Liu Jing found a long wooden box on the ground, about three feet long. At a glance, he knew it was a weapons box.

    "This is it, a weapon insideIt came from Xuzhou, where the clan uncle Tao Qian worked as a state shepherd, and the Tao family was quite popular there. The Tao family bought this weapon with two thousand taels of gold.  "

    ¡®Two thousand taels of gold!  ¡¯

    Liu Jing was a little stunned when he heard this. He didn¡¯t know what weapon could be worth this price. What kind of weapon could it be?

    ¡°I thought it was too expensive at the time, but my father said that this weapon was unique in the world and could be bought to house the family, so he bought it and kept it for several years.¡±

    Tao Sheng smiled mysteriously and opened the weapon cover with the steward. Inside was a halberd about two feet long, and it was a double-sided crescent halberd.

    The halberd is usually a single-sided crescent halberd, rarely double-sided. There is another name for the double-sided crescent halberd, that is, Fang Tian Painted Halberd.

    Liu Jing was stunned. It turned out to be Fang Tian's painted halberd. Liu Jing had also seen Fang Tian's painted halberd. Among Liu Biao's ceremonial guards, there were guards holding Fang Tian's painted halberd, but they were all clumsy and far inferior to this one.  Fang Tian is as delicate and slender as a painted halberd.

    Is this Lu Bu¡¯s painted halberd?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ¡¾I found some information that Lu Bu did not have just one halberd, but three, which were used alternately. However, there is also a saying that Lu Bu actually used a spear, not a halberd.  ¡¿

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 131: Declined

    Liu Jing slowly raised the halberd. To his surprise, the halberd was delicate in appearance and probably weighed only fifty or sixty kilograms, but it was very heavy in hand, weighing at least eighty or ninety kilograms.

    According to legend, Lu Bu's Fangtian Painted Halberd weighed one hundred and twenty kilograms, but this double-sided crescent halberd only weighed one hundred kilograms. Maybe it wasn't Lu Bu's Fangtian Painted Halberd, but if it wasn't Lu Bu's Fangtian Painted Halberd, how could it be worth two thousand?  Two gold.

    Moreover, this halberd is not ordinary at first glance. It is made of the finest iron and steel. The steel is very fine, which makes the long pole thinner, but it can still remain heavy. The double crescents and the body of the halberd are integrated. It is definitely not like an ordinary crescent halberd.  It is not welded together, but cast with a special mold.

    The entire halberd was greenish-red, and both the tip and the crescent blade were extremely sharp. Liu Jing had indeed never seen a better weapon than this halberd, and even Gan Ning's double halberd was far inferior.

    "How do you feel, young master?"

    Liu Jing nodded and sighed: "It is indeed the best halberd, never seen before!"

    Tao Sheng smiled and said: "This Fangtian Painted Halberd is two feet long and one foot long and weighs eighty-one kilograms. It was originally the weapon of Marquis Wen Lu Bu, so it is also called Marquis Wen's Cutting Halberd."

    "How could it be Lu Bu's weapon?"

    In Liu Jing¡¯s impression, since the Red Rabbit Horse has returned to Cao Cao, then Lu Bu¡¯s Fang Tian Painted Halberd should also have been obtained by Cao Cao. How could it be spread? Could it be that it was a Xibei product?

    Tao Sheng smiled and explained: "This is indeed Lu Bu's painted halberd. Maybe the young master doesn't know. There are two painted halberds of Lu Bu, both made by the same craftsman. They are called the Yin and Yang Double Halberds. This one is the Yin Halberd. Back then,  In the battle of Hulao Pass, Lu Wenhou used this one. After arriving in Xuzhou, Lu Bu kept it and changed it to the Yang Halberd. It weighed ninety-two kilograms and was one foot longer than this one. It is now in the hands of Cao Cao. "

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then asked: "How does the head of the family know that it is Lu Bu's real halberd and not an imitation?"

    "Since the young master must know, I will make it clear that this halberd was actually purchased from Chen Su, the son of Chen Deng, the prefect of Dongcheng. Chen Deng and my father had an old relationship. Unfortunately, he died of illness last year. My father went to attend the funeral, and his son was not there.  Dare to keep Lu Bu's halberd, and because he was in urgent need of money, he sold it to my father. With the friendship between our two families, this halberd would never be fake.

    ¡°And afterwards we also found a descendant of the famous craftsman who made this halberd. He confirmed that this halberd was made by his father, and there were two of them made at that time.  "

    Having said this, Tao Sheng¡¯s eyes were filled with smiles, ¡°How about it, just accept it!¡±

    Liu Jing gently stroked the halberd. Regardless of whether it was Lu Bu's halberd or not, it was a rare weapon in the world and represented the highest level of casting in this era.

    "It's a pity that it weighs eighty-one kilograms, which is twice as heavy as his forty-kilogram spear. He can't use this weapon for the time being, but he might be able to use it in the future.

    Since it was Lu Bu¡¯s painted halberd and the Tao family sincerely gave it to him, how could Liu Jing not want it?  A smile broke out on his face, he put down his halberd, bowed and saluted, "Thank you, Master, for your kindness. Liu Jing accepts it."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing originally thought that after getting Fang Tian¡¯s painted halberd, he could carry it back to his yard, but he didn¡¯t expect that Tao Sheng would pull him back to Tao Lie¡¯s yard.

    Only then did he realize that the gift of weapons was just an interlude, and Tao Lie had not finished speaking.

    Liu Jing had some doubts in her heart. Could it be that the Tao family had some purpose in giving away weapons?

    The lights in the room became brighter, Tao Lie changed his clothes, and his smile became more friendly than before, "Young master, you may like that halberd!"

    "I like it very much. Thank you to my old master for giving me the halberd."

    "Hey! It's true. The Tao family is deeply grateful for the great kindness that the young master has shown to the Tao family. A halberd is far from being comparable to the great kindness that the young master has shown to the Tao family, but this is just a little thought from the Tao family."

    "The master of the house is too polite."

    For some reason, Liu Jing always felt uneasy. She helped the Tao family because of Tao Zhan. Tao Li could not have known why the Tao family didn't mention Tao Zhan at all.

    Just as he was thinking about it, Tao Lie glanced at him meaningfully and said with a smile, "Young Master must be very familiar with my Jiuniang!"

    Liu Jing's heart skipped a beat. It finally came. This was Tao Lie testing himself. Liu Jing leaned forward without hesitation and said: "Liu Jing has admired Jiuniang for a long time and is willing to marry Jiuniang. I beg my old master to do it."  !¡±

    The smile on Tao Lie¡¯s face turned kind, he was still a young man!  Doing whatever it takes for your feelings, without considering the impact on your future.

    However, Tao Lie already knew about Liu Jing's help to the Tao family in Zhang Yun's case. He also had a very good impression of Liu Jing personally. More importantly, he could see that Jiuniang liked him very much, otherwise she would not have taken him with her.  Come to see him, and based on this alone, Tao Lie is willing to have Liu Jing become his grandson-in-law.

    It¡¯s just that he has too many worries, and some words he?We need to have a frank talk with Liu Jing.

    "Mr. Jing, from an emotional point of view, I am personally willing to betroth Jiuniang to you, but your status is special, and I have to consider many things. First of all, does Zhou Mu agree? With all due respect, Zhou Mu will definitely not  He agrees with you to marry a daughter of the Tao family, but he wants you to marry a daughter of the Cai family."

    Liu Jing was silent. Of course he knew very well that Liu Biao would never agree to marry a daughter of the Tao family. Even if Liu Hu married a daughter of the Tao family, he would not agree, let alone himself.

    "I have considered this. When it comes to marriage, I will not bow to my uncle. I still have to make my own decision. Maybe he will be very unhappy, but in the end he will accept the fact."

    "Okay! Even if you can convince Zhou Mu, do you think about the fate of the Tao family?"

    Liu Jing was stunned for a moment. He did not understand the meaning of this sentence. Tao Lie sighed: "If the Tao family and Liu Zhoumu get married, not only Huang Zu will not tolerate us, but Sun Quan will not let us go, so this evening Mr. Cong asks  I firmly disagree with taking Jiuniang as my concubine, and that¡¯s why.¡±

    After a long while, Liu Jing asked hesitantly: "I understand the Tao family's difficulties, but I don't understand what the old patriarch means. Is the old patriarch rejecting my proposal?"

    Tao Lie shook his head, "I clearly rejected Mr. Cong's marriage proposal, but you and Jiuniang are in love with each other. How can I refuse? But if I agree to you, the Tao family will be in disaster again. Mr. Jing, what are you doing?  Any solution?"

    Liu Jing felt that the Tao family was actually rejecting him tactfully, but how could he be willing to give up Tao Zhan? He lowered his head and thought for a moment and said, "This matter can be slowed down for a while."

    Tao Lie sighed in his heart. He was rejecting Liu Jing tactfully, telling him that it was impossible for the Tao family to marry Tao Zhan to him, but Liu Jing refused to give up, which made Tao Lie feel very embarrassed.

    But he also likes Liu Jing. If Liu Jing were not Liu Biao's nephew, he would agree without hesitation. But Liu Jing is Liu Biao's nephew. Although Liu Jing is good, for the sake of the family, he still has to give up. Tao Lie feels  Liu Jing must be reminded again.

    "Young Master has been very kind to the Tao family. Based on this kindness, I should repay the Young Master and help you and Jiuniang. However, the Tao family does have difficulties. Unless Jingzhou and Jiangdong are reconciled, the Tao family can neither marry Jiangdong nor marry Jiangdong.  I have become attached to Jingzhou, I hope you will understand."

    Liu Jing was silent. Only then did he understand that the Tao family's intention in giving Fang Tian's painted halberd to him was to repay him with Fang Tian's painted halberd. As for Tao Zhan, he didn't want to think about it. That was what the Tao family meant.

    Liu Jing's face became extremely ugly. He stood up and said: "I understand. Since the Tao family refuses to marry a daughter, I will not force it like Huang Yong. However, I don't want Fang Tian's painted halberd. I will not accept it for nothing."  Lu, thank you old master for your kindness, Liu Jing bids farewell!"

    After saying that, he turned around and left. Tao Lie became anxious and shouted repeatedly: "Master Jing, please wait a moment!"

    Liu Jing stopped and said coldly without looking back: "Is there anything else, old master?"

    Tao Lie sighed in his heart. The Tao family could not afford to offend Mr. Jing, so he could only say in a pleading tone: "Mr. Jing, please believe me. The Tao family is sincere in their gratitude to the young master. They only beg the young master to give the Tao family  Two years.¡±

    "How do you say this?" Liu Jing slowly turned around and looked at Tao Lie and asked.

    "I can assure you that within two years, the Tao family will not accept anyone's proposal to Jiuniang. Please give the Tao family two years to resolve the crisis. After two years, the Tao family will definitely give the same explanation to the young master.  ¡±

    "so be it!"

    Liu Jing nodded slowly, "Two years later, I will propose to the Tao family again!"

    He left the room and walked away. Liu Jing's voice came from the yard, "Let Fang Tian's painted halberd be used as the dowry of the Tao family!"

    Tao Lie was a little stunned. He had finally seen the tough side of Liu Jing.

    At this time, Tao Sheng walked in slowly, "Father, how are you?"

    Tao Lie shook his head, "I'm not talking about death. Let's talk about it in two years! Maybe the situation will change by then."

    ¡°But what if the situation has not changed or has become worse after two years?¡± Tao Sheng asked worriedly.

    Tao Lie smiled bitterly, "I don't know either, I'll tell you later!"

    The father and son were silent for a moment, and Tao Sheng asked again: "Do we still want to send Zhan'er to Jiangdong?"

    "certainly!"

    Tao Lie's face sank, "She is the root cause of this incident. If Liu Biao forces her to marry Liu Cong and covers up the truth about Liu Cong's injury, what should we, the Tao family, do? Besides, keep her in Chaisang, just in case she  How could the Tao family explain to Jiang Dong when they took it upon themselves to follow Liu Jing? "

    Tao Sheng wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was very possible that his father had thought deeply about the problem.

      ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a boat right away and we¡¯ll set off tonight.¡±

    Tao Lie was quite satisfied with his son's decisiveness, and he reminded her: "In addition, Liu Jing must not tell her about Liu Jing's proposal to the Tao family."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing returned to his yard depressed and in a really bad mood. He always thought that Liu Biao was the biggest obstacle to his marriage with Tao Zhan, but he did not expect that the Tao family was the biggest obstacle.

    Of course, he also understands the difficulties of the Tao family. The Tao family has been walking between Sun Quan and Liu Biao for more than ten years, walking on thin ice, not daring to make a wrong step. If they marry either party, it may bring death and annihilation to the Tao family.  disaster.

    But understanding is understanding, whether it was the Tao family's tactful rejection or the final concession, it made him feel unhappy.

    "Master Jing, has something happened?" Xu Shu noticed something unusual about him and asked with concern.

    "It's nothing serious. It's just a matter of the second young master. He may be disabled. I don't know how to explain it to my uncle?"

    Liu Jing didn¡¯t want to tell Xu Shu about his failed marriage proposal. After all, it was his private matter.

    Xu Shu pondered for a moment, "I still have something to say to the young master just now."

    "If there is anything else, please go on."

    Xu Shu said worriedly: "I'm worried that Cai Yi will conceal the truth and protect the Huang family."

    "You mean" Liu Jing somewhat understood what Xu Shu meant.

    Xu Shu nodded, "Cai Yi will definitely hint to Zhou Mu, or instruct Young Master Cong to falsely accuse you of sending someone to impersonate Huang Yong and kill Young Master Cong. If Mrs. Cai is there to stir up some trouble, it will be difficult to explain the matter clearly.  ¡±

    "As expected!"

    Liu Jing took a breath of air-conditioning. With the relationship between the Cai and Huang families, this is definitely a possibility, and the possibility is extremely high.

    At this time, Xu Shu sighed slightly and said: "The key is to have evidence. If we can catch Huang Yong and send him to Xiangyang, the frame-up of the Cai family will naturally be solved, and we can turn against the Cai family."

    At this time, Liu Jing also laughed, "Does Yuan Zhi know that Huang Yong's head is in my hands?"

    "What?" Xu Shu's eyes widened suddenly.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 132 The situation is serious

    I forgot that today is Monday, please support Lao Gao and give me your vote

    In another room, the dispute between Tao Zhan and his father reached a deadlock.

    "I do not go!"

    Tao Zhan's attitude was extremely decisive, "I don't agree with this method of escape. Father thinks that if I leave, Liu Biao will let the Tao family go? What kind of blame and pressure will the Tao family face at that time? Father has considered  ?"

    Tao Sheng sighed for a while and said to his daughter: "There is no other way. What should come will come. But no matter what, I can't push my daughter into the tiger's mouth. I can't marry you to Liu Cong. He  He has become a useless person, do you understand?"

    Tao Zhan's face turned slightly red. Although she understood the meaning of the word 'waste', it was not her place to know. She bit her lip and asked, "Why doesn't father ask Mr. Jing for help? He knows best what happened before and after.  , and is the nephew of Zhou Mu. If he is willing to help the Tao family and explain clearly to Zhou Mu, I think the Tao family can avoid this difficulty. "

    "and"

    Before his father could speak, Tao Zhan added, "I also think that maybe it's not that serious. Liu Biao won't take our Tao family seriously."

    "He will not take the Tao family seriously, but the Tao family's money and food are very important to him."

    "Father, please talk to Mr. Jing again!"

    Tao Sheng shook his head slowly. Liu Jing proposed marriage, but his father had already declined him. How could he help the Tao family again?

    But he couldn't tell his daughter about this. Tao Sheng smiled bitterly and said implicitly and euphemistically: "Zhan'er, you must know that this is your grandfather's decision. He is far-sighted and considers it more carefully than us. He not only doesn't want you to  Marry that loser Liu Cong, but firmly disagree with the marriage between Tao and Liu, which will bring a devastating blow to the Tao family's business in Jiangdong. I hope you can understand the powerful relationship between this. "

    Tao Zhan's face turned pale, she lowered her head and said nothing. Tao Sheng thought that her daughter had been persuaded, and continued to persuade: "You are responsible for the accounting audit of the Tao family. You should understand the situation the Tao family is facing. We are in a trap."  Between Jiangdong and Jingzhou, the slightest bias will be questioned and dissatisfied by Jiangdong and Jingzhou.

    So for so many years, we have been trembling and walking on thin ice without any incident, relying entirely on the heavy financial transfers to Liu Biao and Sun Quan.

    But this time, something big happened to Liu Cong in the Tao family. Whether he can escape this disaster is still a question. In this case, you should stop causing trouble to the family. Listen to your grandfather and take refuge in Jiangdong temporarily.  "

    Tao Zhan Bingxue is smart. She has vaguely understood something. Why did her father avoid her when she mentioned Mr. Jing? Why did her grandfather repeatedly emphasize that Liu Tao cannot marry. Could it be that grandfather only meant Liu Cong?

    The unique female intuition told her that something must have happened that she didn't know about, and it was related to Liu Jing, but her grandfather and father hid it from themselves.

    "Father, tell me the truth!"

    Tao Zhan bit his lip so hard that it almost bled, "Why don't you ask Mr. Jing for help? Is there something you are hiding from me?"

    Tao Sheng was left speechless by his daughter's questioning. He suddenly became angry. His father's words were orders. How could he bargain with his father like this?

    "Don't ask any more questions!"

    Tao Sheng's voice became stern, "Anyway, you have to leave. I'll give you half an hour to pack your things. After half an hour, you have to leave Tao's house!"

    "What will happen to the Tao family if my daughter leaves? I won't leave!" Tao Zhan stood up and contradicted his father without giving in.

    Tao Sheng was furious, turned around and shouted: "Come here!"

    The housekeeper and several healthy women walked in from outside the door and saluted together, "Please give me your instructions!"

    Tao Sheng pointed at his daughter and ordered: "Take her away and control her. She is not allowed to have contact with anyone!"

    The housekeeper and several healthy women hesitated, then stepped forward to grab Tao Zhan and dragged him away. Tao Zhan was extremely anxious and shouted to his father: "Father, you can't send me away! Please let me go and talk to Mr. Jing."  Let¡¯s talk, this is the only way to solve the Tao family¡¯s crisis.¡±

    At this time, Tao Sheng could not listen to his daughter's opinions, let alone allow her to meet Liu Jing. He waved his hand impatiently, "Drag him out!"

    Tao Zhan was forcibly dragged out by the housekeeper and several strong women. Tao Sheng was irritated and paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. Of course he knew that the matter would not be solved as soon as his daughter left. On the contrary, the situation would become more serious.  .

    With the roots of Liu Cong¡¯s descendants destroyed, how could Liu Biao let the Tao family go? Thinking of this, Tao Sheng felt a shuddering fear. He simply didn¡¯t know how to solve this unprecedented family crisis.

    Thinking about the serious consequences??Tao Sheng couldn't help but feel more irritable. He walked to the window and pushed it open. A fresh night breeze blew in his face, carrying the moist and fishy smell of the river. Tao Sheng's mind suddenly became clearer.

    In fact, he also vaguely felt that his daughter's suggestion made some sense. Liu Jing might really be the only key to unlocking this crisis, but his father's firm attitude prevented him from persuading his father to change his decision.

    "Just send her away!"

    Tao Sheng sighed lowly, his heart full of irritation and helplessness. When the family disaster was about to come, he had no intention of preparing for the birthday banquet the day after tomorrow.

    "Master!"

    A deep voice came from outside the door. He sounded like a middle-aged man. Of course Tao Sheng knew who was coming. He nodded, "Come in!"

    Two middle-aged men walked in from the door. The leader was tall and thin, and his face was pale. It was as if his face was too tight and there was no expression on his face, as if he was wearing a mask.

    This person¡¯s name is Tao Qun, he is Tao Sheng¡¯s cousin and an important figure in the Tao family.

    The person behind him had a popular face, and everyone thought he looked familiar. His name was Tao Miao, and he was also Tao Sheng's cousin. Both of them were members of the family hall.

    There are seven people in the family hall. Important matters of the Tao family must be reviewed by the family hall. Tao Sheng and his brother Tao Li are also members of the family hall.

    When Tao Sheng saw the unkind expressions on the two men's faces, he suddenly felt something bad in his heart. He quickly smiled and said, "Is there something wrong with you two worthy brothers?"

    Tao Qun said coldly: "I heard that something happened to Mr. Cong and his lower body was seriously injured. We want to confirm with the head of the family whether the news is true?"

    Tao Sheng nodded, "That's true!"

    Tao Miao from behind added: "Does the head of the family think this is a trivial matter?"

    Tao Sheng already understood what he meant. He pondered for a moment and said, "This is not a trivial matter, it is a huge matter."

    The two looked at each other and Tao Qun sneered, "Since the head of the family also thinks it is a big deal, why should Jiuniang leave? Can she stay out of it?"

    Tao Sheng couldn't say a word for a long time. He did have selfish motives in this matter.  He did not want his daughter to marry a useless person as a concubine.

    After a long while, he said coldly: "This is the old family leader's decision. It's useless for you to tell me."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The small river in the west courtyard of Tao Mansion eventually flows into the Huzhai River, leads to the Cao River, and finally flows into the Yangtze River. There is a pavilion next to the small river with windows on all sides, called the waiting pavilion. As the name suggests, it is the place where the Tao family rests and waits to board the boat.

    At this time, Tao Zhan was locked in the pavilion. Although his hands and feet were not bound, there were eight strong men-like women standing around the room, with their hands on their chests and their eyes as sinister as eagles.

    Tao Zhan was very anxious. Of course she also knew that the family would face a great crisis. If she left, what would the family do?

    The only way now is to ask Liu Jing to help explain the truth to Liu Biao. Only he can convince Liu Biao, but besides herself, who else will Liu Jing give face to?

    Of course, she didn¡¯t want to trouble Liu Jing. The Tao family already owed Liu Jing too much. She didn¡¯t want Liu Jing to think that she was in contact with him for some purpose. At least she liked Liu Jing for no utilitarian reasons.

    But her surname was Tao after all, and she did not want to see her beloved grandfather and father taken away by the army. At this time, she could no longer care about her feelings. She just hoped that Liu Jing could help her. Apart from him, she could not find anyone else.  Someone you can rely on and trust.

    At this time, a ship docked next to the pavilion, and the housekeeper appeared at the door, carrying a big baggage in her hand, "Ninth girl, please go!"

    Regardless of whether she wanted to or not, several strong women stepped forward and prepared to forcefully attack her. Tao Zhan angrily yelled, "I can leave on my own!"

    Several strong women stopped and still surrounded her, carrying lanterns, not giving her a chance to escape. Tao Zhan walked out of the pavilion with a cold face. She suddenly saw a familiar housekeeper, Aunt Gu, who was watching.  He raised her up with her and treated her very well.

    She is looking over here from a distance, as if she doesn¡¯t quite understand what¡¯s going on?

    With a thought in her mind, Tao Zhan turned around and ran away. Several strong women were well prepared and grabbed her and dragged her to the boat.

    "Let me go! Let me go!" Tao Zhan struggled and shouted loudly.

    In the distance, Aunt Gu¡¯s eyes showed fear, she turned around and ran away in a panic.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was almost the first watch, and most of the guests in the east courtyard had fallen asleep and gradually forgot about the trouble Huang Yong had caused. Only a few windows in the entire east courtyard were still lit.

    Liu Jing¡¯s room is undoubtedly one of the rooms with light coming out.He sat on the table outside the window and carefully looked at his first invention in this era, a pair of masks, made of nearly twenty layers of fine gauze, densely sewn together.

    There is also a pair of gloves sewn with animal skins on the table. These gloves are already available in the cold north, but they have been slightly modified to separate the five fingers for easier work.

    Wearing a mask can undoubtedly prevent the spread of viruses in the air, and wearing gloves can also avoid direct contact with dirt contaminated by viruses.

    ¡°This is preparation for bringing Tao Zhan¡¯s mother back tomorrow. With masks and gloves, I believe Tao Sheng is also willing for his wife to return home and finish the last part of her life.

    There is also Tao Zhan. Although she made an appointment with her grandfather, the Tao family will consider her marriage with her two years later. Although it will take a long time, Liu Jing believes that with Tao Lie's status, he will never remain silent.  letter.

    Two years!  I wonder what she will think when she finds out?

    Liu Jing did not expect that so many things would happen tonight, and there were so many things that made him feel uneasy.

    At this time, there was a rapid knock on the door outside the yard, followed by the surprised voice of Little Baozi, "Gillian, why are you here? Are you here to see me?"

    "I'm here to see your young master. I have something urgent to tell him." Gillian panted.

    Liu Jing was startled, and an unpleasant thought suddenly came to her mind. What happened?

    He quickly walked to the yard and asked, "What happened?"

    Gillian stepped forward and bowed, unable to conceal the nervousness in her tone, "Sir, my girl was forcibly sent away by the Tao Mansion."

    Liu Jing was shocked and asked anxiously: "When and where were you sent to?"

    "Just now, before making an appointment for a cup of tea, Aunt Gu said that several strong women forced her to get on the boat. The boat had left Tao Mansion and disappeared"

    Before Gillian could finish what she said, Liu Jing rushed to the stables. He was in a state of confusion. Tao Zhan was about to be sent away by his family. Why?

    Although Liu Jing wanted to rush to the inner house and catch Tao Lie to question her, at this moment, he only had one idea: to catch up with Tao Zhan and not allow her to leave.

    The fierce horse rushed out of the courtyard like the wind. Liu Jing galloped out of the Tao family's east courtyard and galloped along the Cao River towards the city gate.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 133: Murderous Intent in the Beautiful Scenery

    The night shrouded the dark river surface, and the black waves reflected the outlines of the river boats. Most of the boats were moored by the river, tied with ropes to tree trunks or wooden piles on the riverside, and the boats rose and fell with the waves.

    Under the night, a fleet of more than a hundred clippers was moving slowly along the river. This fleet was no different from ordinary cargo ships.

    There is even a merchant ship's flag on the bow, and a string of double carp lanterns hangs on the mast of the first ship. This is the symbol of the Tao family business, just like a Tao family merchant fleet transporting goods.

    "It's just that the fleet seems a little weird as it travels late at night, but if you look closer, you will find a murderous aura that cannot be concealed, and you can faintly see weapons such as spears, bows and arrows.

    On the first large ship, there stood a young officer, about twenty-three or four years old, eight feet tall, wearing a tasseled helmet and iron armor, holding a bright silver gun in his hand, and had a square face with a Chinese character.  He has a heroic appearance and piercing eyes.

    He is Xu Sheng, the general of Eastern Wu. On the orders of his lord Sun Quan and the governor Lu Su, he led an army of three thousand to seize Chaisang.

    Xu Sheng¡¯s intelligence was very detailed. He knew that at noon today, Huang Zugang led 5,000 naval troops to leave Chaisang. At this time, Chaisang only had 500 defenders.

    As long as Chaisang City is captured, he only needs to lead a thousand men to use Chaisang's high walls and thick walls to defend the city, thus making Chaisang a springboard for Jiangdong's army to seize Jiangxia.

    Chai Sang has an extremely profound impact on the lord's layout of Jingzhou. It can be said that it is the most critical chess piece.

    Xu Sheng felt a heavy responsibility.

    At this time, a spy rushed to the shore and shouted in a low voice: "General Xu, the water gate opened just now, and a Tao family boat sailed out. The city gate also opened, and a man on horseback came out.  ¡±

    Xu Sheng stared at Chaisang City not far away, which was still one mile away from Chaisang Cao River. He looked at the night again and saw that it was just before midnight. The water city gate and the city gate were opened at the same time. It seemed that the information was not wrong.

    The guard on duty tonight is named Zhuo Zhao. The intelligence says that this man is extremely greedy for bribes. Since he is willing to open the city gate and let people go, bribery will definitely work.

    Xu Sheng turned around and ordered: "Stop the boat at the mouth of Caohe River and act according to the original plan!"

    The fleet slowed down even more and sailed slowly toward the Cao River, while the other five ships dressed up as merchant ships and accelerated toward the Cao River. Standing on the bow of the leader was a middle-aged man who was short, fat, and shrewd.  He is capable and shoulders the important task of defrauding the water gate.

    He held a twelve-weight gold ingot tightly in his hand and stared nervously at Minato who was getting closer and closer.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Before entering the Yangtze River, the small boat Tao Zhan was on slowly docked at the shore. There was a large ship docked in front of it, and Tao Zhan needed to transfer to the thousand-stone ship here.

    There were four or five crew members standing on the shore. They put a long plank on the boat. The plank was very narrow and could not accommodate two people walking side by side. The four strong women, two in front and two in front, sandwiched Tao Zhan in the middle and walked along the boat.  Ban slowly walked to the shore.

    Just when the first strong woman was about to step onto the revetment, a black figure on horseback suddenly appeared on the shore. He was very fast and struck left and right with a spear in his hand. Four or five crew members were knocked to the ground by him.

    The horse rushed forward quickly, swiping the spear in his hand, and heard two consecutive screams of terror. The two strong women walking in front fell heavily into the water one after another.

    The rider jumped off the horse and handed it to Tao Zhan, "Give me your hand!"

    Tao Zhan was startled at first and instinctively took a step back. But when she heard the voice, she was suddenly filled with surprise. She ran two steps forward without hesitation, stretched out her hand, and held it tightly in the air.

    Liu Jing pulled her ashore, "Follow me!" he whispered.

    Tao Zhan nodded heavily, and with just one word and a look, the two of them were already close to each other.

    Liu Jing put her arms around Tao Zhan's waist, struggled to lift her up in the air, and placed her gently on the horse. He immediately got on the horse, wrapped his arms around her, held the reins, and clamped the horse between his legs.  He ran away quickly and disappeared into the darkness for a moment.

    Liu Jing snatched Tao Zhan away just as the rabbit was rising and the falcon was about to fall. By the time the people on the two Tao family boats reacted, Liu Jing had already taken Tao Zhan and disappeared in the darkness. The Tao family was suddenly in confusion. Someone shouted: "  Miss Ninth has been snatched away, please go back and report to the head of the family!"

    The boat immediately turned around and sailed towards the city.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    By the river, Liu Jing slowed down his horse, and the horse walked slowly. Tao Zhan leaned on Liu Jing's broad chest, her heart beating wildly, and she was flustered, but there was also a long-awaited expectation in her heart. At this time, she could not let him go.  Pushing him away, I didn't want to push him away, I could only lower my head shyly.

    Liu Jing also lowered her head and gently touched her hair and temples with her face, feeling the ecstasy of her ears and temples rubbing together.No one spoke, they communicated heart to heart, and the two hearts that loved each other finally collided together.

    Tao Zhan looked at the ground, her eyes as bright as gems, and then her eyes were covered with a light mist. Her heart was already intoxicated, longing for this moment to stop forever.

    At this time, Liu Jing finally couldn't help but kiss her gently on the round earlobe. Tao Zhan's whole body trembled. She slowly turned around, with a hint of jealousy in her eyes, looking at him resentfully, as if she was blaming him.  of boldness.

    Liu Jing did not retreat, but instead slowly moved closer and pressed hot lips on her forehead, which was as white as porcelain. Tao Zhan's heart softened and he slowly closed his eyes. She was already intoxicated, her whole body was soft and soft.  On his arm.

    Liu Jing kissed her forehead and the tip of her small nose. When his hot lips were gradually moving to her plump lips, Tao Zhan stretched out his little hand to seal his lips. He opened his eyes and looked at him  He shook his head slightly.

    Liu Jing knew that she was thin-skinned, and it was the limit for him to kiss her face. Kissing her lips seemed impossible.

    And in the Three Kingdoms era, being able to ride a horse together before marriage, cuddle up to each other, and kiss a beautiful face was already shocking. He and Tao Zhan were able to do this, and they were the lucky ones among countless lovers. He should be satisfied.

    More importantly, Tao Zhan allowed himself to kiss her face, which already proved that he had won her heart. How could Liu Jing not be elated?

    His heart was so happy that he was about to explode with joy. He quickly helped her sit up and whispered: "I chased you in a hurry, lest you run away. God favored me and finally allowed me to catch up with you."

    Tao Zhan saw that Liu Jing was polite and didn't forcefully kiss her again. She was happy in her heart and smiled sweetly, "Without the hint from me to Aunt Gu, how could you know that I was leaving? Did Gillian tell you that I was taken away by force?  "

    "Yes! You have a loyal little maid."

    "Hey! If I had known earlier, I would have accepted my fate and left, so that I wouldn't have been taken advantage of by someone."

    Tao Zhan rolled his eyes at him again, his eyes charming, and Liu Jing's heart skipped a beat.

    "I will never let you go. Even if you go to Soochow, I will definitely chase you back!"

    Tao Zhan laughed, his smile as bright as a peach blossom, "Well! I believe you are a man of your word. Since you are willing to chase me, I will give you a little reward."

    Speaking of this, Tao Zhan's face became hot. How could letting him kiss him be a reward? Was he a contemptible woman?  This is clearly a life-long commitment. I wonder if this stupid guy understands?

    She lowered her head and asked Liu Jing in a low voice: "Let me ask you, did you say anything to my grandfather?"

    "We have talked a lot about which aspect you are referring to." Liu Jing had a teasing smile in her eyes.

    Tao Zhan bit his lip lightly and said, "You're not bad, forget it."

    Liu Jing quickly put away his joke and said sincerely: "Yes, I have proposed to your grandfather, but he said that you are still young. Let me wait patiently for two more years, and he will definitely give me an explanation."

    Although Liu Jing did not tell the truth completely and did not tell her the real reason why Tao Lie declined her, Tao Zhan was so smart that she immediately heard the problem.

    My mother also married my father at the age of fourteen, and my two aunts married at the age of fifteen. My grandfather never said that they were young, but when he came to him, he used their young age as an excuse. I don't know if his grandfather deceived him or he didn't.  Tell yourself the truth.

    Tao Zhan's heart suddenly cast a shadow. After a while, she sighed quietly, her eyes filled with infinite regret. Could he wait for her for two years?

    Liu Jing understood the look in her eyes and whispered in her ear: "I swear to you"

    Before Liu Jing finished speaking, Tao Zhan's soft little hands blocked his mouth again, and a pair of bright eyes stared at him, as if exploring his inner world, "I don't want you to swear, Mr. Jing, I just want to know, you  Are you serious? Do you really want to marry a businessman¡¯s daughter?¡±

    "I am serious, very serious."

    "You don't regret it?" Tao Zhan stared at him, his bright eyes full of emotion and expectation.

    Liu Jing shook her head firmly, "No! I will never regret it."

    "ThenI believe you, Mr. Jing, and I am willing to marry you." Tao Zhan's cheeks were swollen red, but she still bravely expressed her wish.

    "I can't let you go. Your leaving will make my heart wither. No! I can't let you go."

    Liu Jing turned the horse's head and walked along the path towards Chaisang City Gate. "Now I will send you back first. I want to have a good talk with your father and ask him to keep you."

    Tao Zhan didn¡¯t say anything, and his father?Sent him away to avoid being involved in the case of Liu Cong's injury, but she hoped that Liu Jing would intercept her, so that she could at least understand his heart.

    Tao Zhan also hopes that Liu Jing will have a good talk with his father for his own sake. As long as both parties are honest and honest, they should be able to find a solution to the current crisis in the Tao family.

    Since the last Zhang Yun case, Liu Jing used great courage to reverse the case for the Tao family within one day, Tao Zhan has an inexplicable trust in Liu Jing. She feels that Liu Jing will definitely be able to resolve the crisis for the Tao family.

    Liu Jing turned the horse's head and headed towards the city gate, but as soon as he urged the horse to take a few steps, he unexpectedly found a fleet of ships anchored at the mouth of the Caohe River. There were no ships here just now.

    "Strange, why is it the Tao family's fleet?" Tao Zhan looked at the double carp lanterns on the mast and said to himself in confusion.

    "Is there anything abnormal?" Liu Jing asked puzzledly.

    "The day after tomorrow is my grandfather's seventieth birthday. The Tao family has already ordered that within seven days of my grandfather's birthday, all Tao family merchant ships will stop trading. Why is there still a cargo ship here with such a deep draft and transporting a lot of things?"

    "Maybe they don't know this order." Liu Jing explained with a smile.

    "impossible!"

    Tao Zhan shook his head, "This is not an order, it is a rule. It has been ten years. No one knows about Tao's Trading Company. I don't know where Tao's Trading Company is. I suspect this is impersonation."

    ¡°You¡¯ll know if you go up and take a look.¡±

    Liu Jing urged her horse to move forward slowly. When she was still thirty steps away from the river, several black figures suddenly stood up in the grass, and several military crossbows were pointed at them.

    Liu Jing was shocked, pushed Tao Zhan on the horse, drew his knife and swung out, 'Ding Dong!  ¡¯ With a sound, two arrows were knocked away by him, and another arrow passed over Tao Zhan¡¯s head.

    Several more black figures came up from behind with spears, shouting and shouting, and quickly formed a semi-surrounded situation. The latest one among them raised a spear and stabbed Tao Zhan head-on. The tip of the spear was less than half a foot away from her throat, which frightened Tao Zhan.  Scream loudly.

    Liu Jing suddenly turned the horse's head and slashed with his knife, 'Dang!  ¡¯ With a loud sound, the sword split the spear. He clamped his legs together, and the horse quickly started and ran a dozen steps in an instant.

    Before the opponent could catch up, the war horse ran faster and faster, and soon disappeared into the darkness.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ¡¾Historically, Xu Sheng was famous for guarding Chaisang. At this time, Chaisang should have belonged to Jiangdong. There has been a slight change here so that Chaisang is still in the hands of Jingzhou¡¿

 Volume 1, Chapter 134: Night Attack

    "General Qi Zhen is a man and a woman, riding a horse together. The woman seems to have no martial arts skills, but the man is very skilled. He holds a sword in his hand and resisted two of our attacks. More importantly, his horse is very agile and fast.  Extremely fast. If their horses weren't so fast, we would definitely kill them."

    "Hmph! I don't say that I have no ability, but I praise others for their speed."

    Xu Sheng snorted coldly, his face was livid, and he stared at the patrol commander fiercely. They were actually discovered by someone, and they ran away in the end. This breath made him unable to swallow it.

    "Do you usually eat pig food?"

    Xu Sheng angrily rebuked: "Fifteen patrols, equipped with crossbows and spears, were escaped by the enemy, and you still have the nerve to come see me!"

    The uncle half-knelt on the deck, his face full of shame and said: "This is a humble and incompetent position. I am willing to accept the general's punishment!"

    "What's the point of punishing you now?"

    Xu Sheng paced back and forth on the deck with his hands behind his back. He was extremely worried. The attack failed and the opponent escaped. It was very likely that they would be exposed. Of course, he hoped that the opponent was just frightened and said nothing.

    But Xu Sheng also knew in his heart that the other party could escape from the attack of ten people, which showed that they were by no means ordinary people, and it would be difficult to hide it.

    Xu Sheng slowly walked to the bow of the ship and looked anxiously towards the water gate. There was no news yet. Could there be any accident over there?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After running a mile in one breath, Liu Jing took a long breath and recovered from the thrilling siege. In such a short moment, he had escaped from the edge of death twice, which made him break out in a cold sweat.

    "Sirwhat is that?" Tao Zhan's voice trembled, he was still in shock.

    "I don't know, it should be an army."

    Crossbows, spears, and semi-encirclement ambush, experience told Liu Jing that this must be a well-trained army.

    He turned back and looked at the fleet at the mouth of Caohe River in the distance. His heart was also full of doubts. Who are they?

    "It can't be the Jingzhou army. Could it be the army of Huang Zu of Jiangxia?"  It is also unlikely that Jiang Xiajun will not pretend to be Tao Trading Company. This is their territory.

    At this time, a bold idea jumped into Liu Jing's mind. Could it be Jiang Dongjun?  The more I think about it, the more likely it is that there are more than a hundred ships that can hide two to three thousand people, and Chaisang's defenders don't have many.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing turned around and looked towards Shuicheng Gate.

    He saw five large ships preparing to enter the city, but Liu Jing did not run towards the water gate. Instead, she turned her horse's head and ran directly towards the city gate.

    "Sir, what happened?" Tao Zhan could feel Liu Jing's nervousness.

    "You follow me into the city first, and then you ride my horse back to Tao Mansion and tell your father that we encountered Jiangdong's army."

    "Jiangdong Army!" Tao Zhan exclaimed in low voice. Just as her grandfather was about to celebrate his birthday, Jiangdong Army actually came to kill him.

    Liu Jing did not explain any more, and urged her horse to run to the bottom of the city, shouting: "I am Mr. Jing. I just left the city. Please let me enter the city."

    He knew better than anyone else that once the alarm was issued, not only Jiangdong Army would be unable to enter the city, but he, Liu Jing, would also be unable to enter the city.

    The dozen or so defenders on the city all knew him and Tao Zhan. The city gate opened a crack, and Liu Jing galloped into Chaisang City.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Many cities in the south have amphibious gates, that is, there is a smaller water gate next to the city gate for ships to enter and exit. Such amphibious gates are still preserved in Panmen in Suzhou today.

    There are two iron gates in front and behind the water gate. There is a narrow passage in the water gate cave leading to the city head. Usually there will be a person standing at the entrance of the passage to collect the tax and let the boat into the city.

    After the ship passed the second iron gate, it entered the urn city. There was another iron gate at the other end of the urn city. It was necessary to leave the urn city before officially entering the city.

    By this time, the iron gate of Shuicheng Gate had long been closed. There were four or five large ships parked in front of the iron gate. A short, fat, middle-aged businessman stood on the bow of the ship, shouting loudly to the top of the city.

    "General, please help me. I will update tomorrow at five o'clock. This batch of goods must be handed over to the owner. Otherwise, my hard work will be in vain for a month. General, please help me!"

    The merchants were pleading. The general on duty at the top of the city, named Zhuo Zhao, was a village commander. He had already arrived and was squinting at the ships and merchants below the city.

    It¡¯s not that he has any doubts about the ship, but he is estimating how much money he can make by letting this batch of goods enter the city.

    "You should also know that I have to take a lot of risks by letting people into the city at night." Zhuo Zhao spoke very slowly, reminding the merchants in the city word by word,

    "I know, I am willing to give the general??compensation.  "

    "Since you also understand the rules, okay! According to the calculation of two taels of gold for one ship, for your five ships, I will charge you ten taels of gold."

    The businessman immediately raised the gold high and said, "General, I have prepared the gold."

    Zhuo Zhao saw that he understood the rules and it would be easier to handle. He waved his hand and said, "Open the outer water barrier!"

    With a creaking sound, the outer water grate slowly opened, and Zhuo Zhao immediately turned around and went down the passage.

    The city gate is not wide and can only accommodate a five-hundred-stone ship. Zhuo Zhao is already standing in front of the stone path that is one person wide and waiting. He collects the gold and the ship enters the city. It has been this way for several years, and he has long been used to it.

    But he never dreamed today that the "horse does not grow fat without night" that he believed in for several years would eventually become the cause of his death.

    The ship slowly came forward, and the middle-aged businessman smiled and offered a piece of gold with both hands. Zhuo Zhao took the gold, weighed it lightly, and understood. He smiled, turned around and ordered the soldiers on the city, "Open the gate.  !¡±

    This is about to open the second gate. The merchant's eyes are already shining with a hint of pride. As long as they enter the Wengcheng, a mere five hundred defenders will not be able to stop them.

    At this moment, a shout came from the top of the city: "Don't let them enter the city, they are Jiangdong Army!"

    This shout was like a strange peak rising up, and it was particularly clear in the silent night. Zhuo Zhao also heard it, and was stunned, how could it be Jiang Dongjun.

    But the merchant reacted faster than him, and a dagger hidden in his sleeve stabbed out like lightning. Zhuo Zhao saw the dagger coming, and it was too late to dodge. The sharp dagger ¡®poof!  ¡¯ The ground stabbed into his chest.

    Zhuo Zhao screamed and fell to the ground dead. The scream broke the tranquility of the night. Dozens of Jiangdong soldiers rushed out of the cabin. The middle-aged businessman roared, stepped on Zhuo Zhao's body, and swung his knife along the corridor.  Rush towards the city.

    At this time, the soldiers on the top of the city also reacted. The local alarm bell sounded, and the whole city was shocked.

    Two miles away at the mouth of Caohe River, more than a hundred Jiangdong ships also clearly heard the alarm bells coming from the city. Xu Sheng's face changed drastically. What he was most worried about happened. It must be the escaped man and woman who called the police.  , causing them to fall short.

    Xu Sheng was so filled with hatred that his heart was bleeding, but it was useless to hate him any more. He stamped his feet fiercely and shouted loudly: "All the ships will go up and seize the water gate."

    They did not carry siege weapons, so Shuicheng Gate became the key to the Jiangdong Army's struggle. More than 120 warships disguised as merchant ships rushed out together. They tore off the disguise, drums were beating like thunder, and they shouted to kill.  The sky shook, with three thousand troops holding torches and waving swords, making the water of the Cao River shine like daylight.

    The battle at Shuicheng Gate has become fierce. The commander on duty was dead. Liu Jing resolutely took over the command and commanded more than 70 soldiers to fight fiercely with the Jiangdong Army.

    Since the second iron gate was not opened, the fight between the two sides focused on the upper city passage.

    Dozens of Jiangdong soldiers were packed into the narrow passages of Shuicheng. The passage was only one person wide and more than twenty paces long. Fortunately, it did not lead directly to the city head, but there was a turning point. It was this turning point that became the  The nightmare of Jiangdong Army soldiers.

    Dead bodies were piled up in the narrow passage, and screams were heard one after another. The short and fat businessman who was the leader also fell in a pool of blood, with three arrows in his body.

    The short twenty-odd steps of the corridor almost turned into a passage of death. A dozen Jingzhou soldiers held bows and arrows to guard the entrance of the corridor, constantly firing arrows into it, and at the same time, arrows continued to be shot out from inside.

    Another seven or eight people were holding spears and guarding the exit. Once an enemy armed with a shield showed up, they would kill them from all sides without hesitation.

    At the entrance of the cave, a soldier couldn't dodge and was hit in the face by a cold arrow. Blood splattered everywhere. He screamed and fell on his back.

    At this time, a burly enemy will jump out of the hole. He is holding a shield and a broadsword. He uses the shield to block the spears coming from both sides. The broadsword slashes past, and a soldier is decapitated and the body is planted.  fall.

    This man was extremely brave, slashing left and right, and killed three Jingzhou soldiers in succession. Under his cover, the Jiangdong soldiers in the corridor began to rush out, and two more people rushed out.

    The situation was extremely critical. Liu Jing shouted, rushed at him with his gun, and shot two Jiangdong soldiers who rushed out.

    The enemy general was furious and slashed at Liu Jing with his sword. Liu Jing thrust out his spear at the same time. When the sword was still a foot away from his head, his spear had already pierced the enemy general's throat.

    The sword clattered to the ground. Liu Jing struggled with her arms and swung her spear. She carried the enemy's body into the corridor and knocked over two Jiangdong soldiers who were about to run out.

    The situation suddenly changed. Jingzhou soldiers who had calmed down from the shock swarmed forward and killed seven or eight enemy soldiers with crossbows and spears, forcing Jiangdong Army to retreat again.The other side of Tao.

    "Master Jing!"

    Several soldiers rushed over, carrying more than a dozen baskets of hay and branches. Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Light them and pour them into the corridor."

    After a while, the hay and branches were set on fire, and the soldiers pushed into the passage. Suddenly, thick smoke billowed in the passage, and the acrid smoke filled the air. The Jiangdong soldiers were choked unbearably, and they ran away from the corridor one after another.

    Liu Jing suddenly thought of a clever plan to deal with Jiang Dongjun.

    "Brother Zhang, you are responsible for guarding the entrance of the corridor. You can burn it with smoke or block it with huge rocks. I will go down to the city to have a look!"

    Liu Jing turned around and ran towards the city.

    A fierce battle was also taking place at the water gate in Wengcheng. More than thirty Jingzhou Army soldiers held crossbows and fired arrows at the city hole behind the water fence.  When they fell to the ground, ten soldiers had been shot by arrows and fell in a pool of blood.

    A large ship blocked the city gate in the waterway. Dead bodies were floating on both sides of the ship. A dozen Jiangdong soldiers who were very good at water used their shields against the iron fence to form a shield wall.

    And there were constant muffled sounds in the water. This was soldiers in the water using giant axes to smash the iron fence.

    "Master Jing, the situation is somewhat unfavorable."

    The chief uncle said worriedly: "It seems that one iron bar has been cut off. If this continues, three iron bars will be cut off in a quarter of an hour at most, and they will be able to get through. It is useless for us to shoot arrows into the water."

    "Find a few brothers with good water skills to dive down and use spears to kill the people who slashed and slashed."

    A word reminded the uncle, and he immediately ordered three soldiers with good water skills to sneak into the bottom of the river with spears in hand to assassinate the enemy who was chopping down the iron fence.

    Liu Jing shouted to the soldiers again: "Shoot the ship with rockets!"

    This is undoubtedly a brilliant method. Dozens of rockets are fired into the city cave from above the shield wall.

    Soon, the big ship was ignited, and the fire spread rapidly. Thick smoke billowed inside the city gate, and the fire was blazing. The soldiers on the ship had nowhere to escape, so they jumped into the water to escape. Even the water surface was ablaze, and there were loud cries.

    At this time, hundreds of defenders finally arrived. They rushed to the top of the city and fired arrows at the city. Under the dense rain of fire arrows and arrows, several more ships were set alight.

    The beacon at the highest point in the east of the city was also lit. At night, the three pillars of fire burned brightly, asking for help from Wuchang County in the distance.

    Jiangdong Army's offensive rhythm was disrupted. Seeing that there was no hope of a sneak attack, Xu Sheng couldn't help but sigh and had to order a retreat. As Jiangdong Army retreated, the first iron gate that they had deceived opened crashed down.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 135: People and Money

    [Chuangshi finally took action. Although the force was not strong, at least it showed its attitude. What's particularly happy is that I didn't deduct a single vote, which proved my innocence! Yes!  How can anyone be ranked 11th for three consecutive weeks]¡ª¡ª

    There are a thousand troops stationed in Chaisang County, and the military and government are unified. The county magistrate and Yajiang are both the same person, named Zhou Ling. He is the son-in-law of the Huang family, a native of Chaisang, and a descendant of the Zhou family, the largest family in Chaisang.  .

    But this time Liu Cong was injured, Zhou Ling temporarily dispatched 500 troops to escort Liu Cong to Wuchang for medical treatment, leaving only 500 defenders in the city. But at this juncture, Chai Sang encountered an attack by Jiangdong Army.

    Zhou Ling's face was uncertain, and he stared blankly at the Jiangdong Army fleet in the distance. It was obvious that the Jiangdong Army had not given up attacking Chaisang, but was temporarily retreating to prepare for the next attack.

    At this time, Liu Jing slowly walked to him and said in a deep voice: "It is estimated that Jiangdong Army will launch a second attack in the early morning."

    "Young Master is right. They just made a sneak attack tonight and were not fully prepared. Since there is no hope of a sneak attack, they will redeploy. This will take some time. We must also seize the time to strengthen our defense."

    Speaking of this, Zhou Ling said to Liu Jing gratefully: "Thanks to Mr. Jing for discovering Jiangdong Army's conspiracy in time, otherwise Chai Sang would have been in danger."

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "This is as it should be. Chaisang City's destruction will be of no benefit to anyone."

    Zhou Ling thought that he only had 500 people, and couldn't help but said worriedly: "Young Master Jing is calm in the face of danger and has commanded well. I kindly ask Master Jing to stay and help me command the defense. To be honest, I am under too much pressure on my own."

    "I don't have a problem, it's just that Chai Sang's troops are indeed insufficient. Has County Magistrate Zhou thought of any way to deal with it?"

    Zhou Ling glanced at the beacon fire in the east city and sighed: "What else can I do? I can only ask Wuchang for help. If the beacon is lit and it reaches Wuchang in an hour, reinforcements will definitely arrive in at least two days.  The key is whether I can hold on for two days, we only have five hundred people, alas!"

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "We definitely need help. Not only Wuchang, I can also write a letter and order my men to send it to Yangxin County and ask Gan Ning to lead his army to help. In addition, several big families in Chaisang have soldiers.  They are well trained and can mobilize their own soldiers to participate in the defense, at least a thousand of them."

    "Of course it's possible to ask Gan Ning for help, but he's just a servant of the Chaisang family"

    Zhou Ling seemed very embarrassed. He knew that the big families in Chaisang were all on both sides, especially the Tao family, which was inextricably linked to Jiangdong. It might not be realistic for them to send their servants to participate in the defense.

    Liu Jing understood his worries and made a decision immediately: "It doesn't matter, I'll go talk to the Tao family!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing hurried to Tao Mansion. As soon as she entered the gate, she met Tao Zhan head-on. Tao Zhan had been worried about Liu Jing's situation. She had already asked her trustee to inquire, but she was restless, so she ran to the door to wait for news from the housekeeper.  Unexpectedly, Liu Jing came back.

    She immediately breathed a long sigh of relief, patted her chest, looked him up and down, and said with a smile: "I was worried about what happened to you! Fortunately, my arms and legs were not broken."

    Liu Jing felt her concern for him, and a warmth came into his heart. He scratched his head and asked her with a smile, "You were not embarrassed by your father when you came back, right?"

    Tao Zhan covered his mouth and laughed softly: "No! The house is in a mess, and my father can't take care of me. Maybe he doesn't know that I'm back again."

    "Then where is your father? I want to discuss with him about borrowing servants from the Tao family."

    After walking a few steps, Liu Jing turned back and asked: "How likely do you think it is?"

    Tao Zhan lowered his head and thought for a while, then shook his head, "Father is in the atrium. You can go and talk to him, but I think it's unlikely."

    Liu Jing nodded and walked quickly towards the atrium. Tao Zhan watched his back walking away, but he was thinking about how to help Liu Jing.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As expected from Zhou Ling's worries, Tao Sheng listened to Liu Jing's request to send servants to help in the battle and remained silent for a long time. He did have more than 400 servants in his house, all of whom were highly skilled in martial arts and well-trained, but the Tao family never participated.  The dispute between the Sun and Liu families.

    The reason is naturally known to everyone. Now Liu Jing requires him to become a monk to participate in the city defense, which really makes Tao Sheng feel embarrassed. If Jiangdong knows that he has sent troops to defend, then how will the Tao family gain a foothold in Jiangdong in the future?

    But there were some words he had to say, "The Tao family will always remember Mr. Jing's great kindness to the Tao family. Naturally, the Tao family will do their best to satisfy the young master's request. However, the Tao family also has difficulties. Mr. Jing should also understand something about it.  In addition to sending servants, the Tao family is willing to fully support the defense of the city."

    Tao Sheng¡¯s implication is that the Tao family??You can provide money and food, but you cannot provide people.

    Liu Jing didn't say anything for a long time. He was really a little unhappy. What time it was now, the Tao family was still thinking about how to rely on both sides.

    Liu Jing said calmly: "Since the Tao family is in trouble, I won't force it. As for other support, I don't need it yet."

    As soon as Liu Jing finished speaking, Tao Lie's bell-like voice came from the yard, "Who said the Tao family doesn't want to leave anyone!"

    Under the guidance of two lanterns, Tao Lie quickly walked into the room, followed by Tao Zhan. Since Tao Zhan had given her heart to Liu Jing, she naturally thought about Liu Jing wholeheartedly. She knew that her father would most likely not agree.  , only by asking his grandfather to change his father's decision.

    When Tao Sheng saw his father entering the house, he was so frightened that he stood up quickly. However, he saw his daughter following behind, and his eyes were even more surprised. Hadn't she already left Chaisang?  Why are you back again?

    Tao Sheng's heart was in a mess, with thousands of things piled up in front of him, and he couldn't care about his daughter for the time being.

    "Why did father come in person?"

    Tao Lie snorted coldly at him, clasped his fists at Liu Jing and said, "Mr. Jing came to negotiate in person. The Tao family will definitely give you this face. Mr. Jing, please sit down!"

    Liu Jing glanced at Tao Zhan gratefully. Mr. Tao came at the critical moment, which must be her tip-off. Tao Zhan happened to look at him, his eyes full of mischief and pride.

    A few people sat down, and Tao Lie sighed: "If Jiuniang hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known that Jiangdong Army was attacking Chaisang. It seems that I am really an old man sitting around waiting to die."

    Tao Sheng heard the dissatisfaction in his father's tone and quickly explained: "My child has just learned about it, but it's not yet five o'clock, so he doesn't dare to disturb his father's rest."

    Tao Lie ignored him and said to Liu Jing: "I don't hide it from Mr. Jing. Back then, I had reached a tacit agreement with Liu Jingsheng and Sun Wentai. No matter how the two families fought, the Tao family would remain neutral. If I gave Jingzhou 50,000 shi of food, then  Jiangdong must also be given 50,000 shi, so the Tao family has been able to survive in the cracks for so many years. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "I understand the Tao family's difficulties, so I won't force it."

    "no no!"

    Tao Lie quickly waved his hand, "I just said that the Tao family has to give Mr. Jing's face. People will definitely lend it to Mr. Jing, but we have to change the way."

    Not only Liu Jing was stunned, but even Tao Sheng didn't understand what his father meant. How could he change his approach?

    Tao Lie smiled slightly, "Young Master can raise a flag in Chaisang City to recruit soldiers, and all the money and food will come from the Tao family. Not only that, I will arrange for three hundred Tao family servants to join Young Master Jing's team by recruiting soldiers. This will be their personal responsibility."  , has nothing to do with the Tao family."

    Liu Jing suddenly understood and secretly admired Tao Lie, Jiang was still hot as an old man.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing and Tao Zhan left the room, and only Tao Lie and Tao Sheng, father and son, were left in the room. Tao Sheng then said worriedly: "Although my father used various methods to become a monk to help Liu Jing, I'm afraid this matter still cannot be hidden from Jiang Dong.  "

    Tao Lie said coldly: "Of course I know I can't hide it from Jiang Dong, but so what? Will Sun Quan attack the Tao family for this? Unless he doesn't want the money and food every year, do you think he will fight with the Tao family over this trivial matter?  Shameless?"

    Tao Sheng lowered his head and said nothing. He already understood what his father meant. Sun Quan would weigh the pros and cons. As long as the Tao family did not openly help the Jingzhou army, Sun Quan would turn a blind eye and pretend not to know about it.

    Tao Sheng sighed, "The father is still thoughtful, but the child is far inferior."

    Tao Lie glanced at him and then said seriously: "I just figured out one thing. The real purpose of Liu Biao sending Liu Jing to Jiangxia this time is probably to compete with Huang Zu for control of Jiangxia. Once Liu Jing succeeds, then  He will become the Lord of Jiangxia."

    Tao Sheng pondered for a moment and said, "Father, I have something to say. I don't know whether to say it or not?"

    "If you have anything to say, just say it."

    "Haier feels that maybe Liu Jing can help the Tao family solve the crisis of Liu Cong's injury."

    Tao Lie thought for a long time and finally nodded, "If I have to choose, I would rather place my bet on Liu Jing. To be honest, I don't trust Huang Zu at all."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing came out of the courtyard, turned to the east courtyard, and found Xu Shu and a dozen of his men. Although it was still dark, almost every window in the east courtyard was lit with lights. Jiangdong's army attacked Chaisang at night.  The news has spread throughout the east courtyard, filling the east courtyard with an uneasy commotion.

    "Master, how is the situation?" Xu Shu asked anxiously as soon as he entered the courtyard.

    "Let's go to the room and talk."

    Liu Jing walked quickly to the room and thenAfter finding Wang Taiye, Liu Jing sat down, took a sip of tea, and said to the two of them: "Jiangdong Army's sneak attack failed. They are temporarily retreating. It is estimated that they will continue to attack the city after dawn. I don't want to stay out of it this time."

    Xu Shu nodded, "Chaisang is the gate of Jiangxia. If Chaisang city is destroyed, the situation in Jiangxia will be critical! Since the young master is entrusted by the state pastor, of course he cannot stay out of the matter. If possible, I suggest that the young master seize the command power."

    Having said this, Xu Shu smiled slightly, "Master, don't you think this is actually an opportunity?"

    Liu Jing is thoughtful, and Xu Shu can always see the essence of the problem clearly in a chaotic situation, so that he can accurately hit the key points.

    At this time, Wang Tai said from the side: "Sir, what can I do?"

    Liu Jing retracted her thoughts and smiled at Wang Tai: "You can do two things for me. I will write a letter and you will immediately ask Hou Wu to send it to Yangxin County and hand it over to Gan Ning. Secondly, I plan to go to Chaisang  The Tao family will provide all the money and food needed to recruit troops. You can bring your brothers to recruit a private army for me."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 136, Seizing Power

    Brothers, don¡¯t forget to vote!

    ???????

    Before dawn, the sound of running footsteps of groups of soldiers could be heard in Chaisang City. They held torches and knocked on the door from door to door, mobilizing young men and women to participate in the defense of the city.

    Including various prestigious families in Chaisang, they are also mobilizing people with relevant interests to participate in the defense. This is undoubtedly more useful than the government's persuasion. For a time, Chaisang's young people enthusiastically signed up.

    Two large flags were also erected at the north and south gates of Chaisang, with the word "recruitment" written on them. This was Liu Jing recruiting his private army with generous treatment, and all the money and food needed were borne by the Tao family.  , the required weapons and armor will be issued by Chaisang Armory.

    The city of Chaisang has been boiling for a long time. Everyone is in a state of uneasiness and turmoil, especially the young and strong men. They either join the civilian husbands to defend the city, or sign up to join Mr. Jing¡¯s music department. In contrast, Liu Jing gave  Their treatment is obviously higher than that of civilians, and even better than that of the regular army.

    For a time, there were long queues at the two recruitment offices at the north and south city gates, and soon more than 2,000 people were lined up. However, Liu Jing only planned to recruit a thousand private troops.

    For Liu Jing, this was an opportunity. He could take advantage of the Jiangdong Army's attack on Chaisang and begin to develop his own private army. At the same time, he received strong support from the Tao family in terms of money and food.

    On the top of the city, Zhou Ling watched Liu Jing recruiting Qubu private soldiers with complicated eyes. He also felt something was wrong. Logically speaking, Liu Jing only came to Chaisang to attend the Tao family's birthday and was just a passer-by.

    But at this time, he actually started recruiting soldiers in the city. So what should be done with these private soldiers after this battle is over?

    Will Liu Jing leave Chaisang again?  Zhou Ling couldn't help but think of Huang Zu's worries. At first, he thought Huang Zu's worries were unfounded, but now it seems that Huang Zu's worries are not groundless.

    "General, it should be recruiting troops for the army, but why did it become Mr. Jing's private recruitment?"

    A confidant of the village chief asked worriedly: "Should we stop him from exceeding his authority?"

    Zhou Ling shook his head, "Let's talk about it later!"

    He was worried and thought of another big thing.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was getting daylight, and Jiangdong Army was also ready to attack. Although Jiangdong Army did not carry heavy siege weapons such as ladders, it did not mean that they could not attack the city. Jiangdong Army spent a night felling hundreds of tall trees.  The strong and straight bamboos are each six or seven feet long, far higher than the city.

    They used bamboo rafts to build more than 30 rafts, and used large iron nails to fix thick logs on the rafts so that they could climb with their feet. This formed a simple way to climb the city.  Bamboo raft ladder.

    The sky lit up white, the morning sun was bright, and a thin layer of morning mist surrounded the head of Chaisang City. Xu Sheng stood on the bow of the ship, staring at the tall and solid city wall not far away. The opponent used fire attacks to attack the water.  The city gate has become unrealistic.

    He decided to attack in two ways, one as the main force, directly attacking the city, and the other as a auxiliary, still attacking Minato. If the east is not bright, the west will be. He believes that one side will always work.

    "General Xu!"

    A sergeant rushed to report, "General Pan is ready to attack the city!"

    General Pan is the general Pan Zhang. He has the same position as Xu Sheng, both serving as Sima of another department, but Pan Zhang is from the north, and although Xu Sheng is also from Langya County in the north, his wife Lu is from a well-known local family in Wu County.  , the local connections are stronger than Pan Zhang.

    Sun Quan finally appointed Xu Sheng as the chief general and Pan Zhang as his assistant general, and ordered them to capture Chaisang.

    Xu Sheng nodded slowly and resolutely ordered: "Pass my order, beat the drum and gather the troops!"

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯

    Huge war drums beat, and three thousand Jiangdong soldiers quickly gathered by the Cao River, with bright armor and spears like a forest. Although the sneak attack failed, it did not affect the morale of the Jiangdong Army. Their morale was still high and murderous.

    On the top of the city, five hundred soldiers armed with bows and spears were ready. In addition to the five hundred soldiers, there were more than 2,000 civilians dressed in white to assist the army in defending the city.

    Zhou Ling held the hilt of the knife and looked uneasily at the Jiangdong Army in the distance. The sky was dim and he could clearly see the situation of the Jiangdong Army. In particular, he saw dozens of siege rafts, which made him feel heavy.

    "General, it shouldn't be a big problem."

    A village commander comforted Zhou Ling in a low voice, "Master Jing still has a thousand soldiers to recruit, but the opponent only has 3,000 people. We should be able to defeat them with the help of the fortified city."

    Zhou Ling looked to the other side of the city wall. There were 500 newly recruited soldiers there, led by Liu Jing's subordinate Wang Tai, while Liu Jing led another 500 people to guard the water gate.

    Zhou Ling sighed in his heart, his determination to resist wavered a little.?, if the city of Chaisang is destroyed, not only will my life be in danger, but my family will also be ruined. This time I only have 500 people, so the possibility of defending Chaisang is too small.

    He lowered his head and thought to himself: ¡®It seems that I should write a letter to Jiang Dongjun.  ¡¯

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Next to the water gate of Wengcheng, Liu Jing led five hundred new soldiers to guard both sides of the water gate. They were wearing armor, holding crossbows and spears, and they were all concentrating on the Cao River outside the city.

    Among the five hundred recruits, at least three hundred were servants of the Tao Mansion. They had all received rigorous training. They were all highly skilled in martial arts and had extraordinary skills. At the same time, they were loyal and strictly abided by military orders, which made Liu Jing very satisfied.

    He was already considering whether to return these three hundred warriors to the Tao family after the battle.

    Liu Jing also changed into a suit of armor, holding a green shadow gun in his hand and a bow and arrow on his back, looking out of the city with bright eyes.

    According to the division of labor between him and Zhou Ling, half of the 1,000 people he recruited were to defend the city, and the other 500 were responsible for guarding the water gate. No matter what siege strategy the Jiangdong Army used, Water Gate was the place they must attack.

    At this time, Liu Jing suddenly found Wang Tai walking down the city with a large group of soldiers, and couldn't help being stunned, "What's going on!"

    "Sir, the County Magistrate of Zhou did not allow us to defend the city and drove us down."

    Liu Jing frowned, what did Zhou Ling mean? He drove all his people out of the city. What did he want to do?

    Liu Jing has clearly felt that Zhou Ling is rejecting her and does not give him any chance. It seems that Zhou Ling has noticed it and she must implement the plan as soon as possible.

    He thought about it and thought of a plan. He called over one of his subordinates and whispered a few words to him. The subordinates understood and immediately ran away.

    Zhou Ling drove all Mrs. Liu Jing¡¯s men down from the city and immediately summoned several close generals to discuss the situation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight this battle!¡±

    Zhou Ling openly expressed his thoughts to everyone.

    Everyone looked at each other, and one general couldn't help but said: "County magistrate, we now have 1,500 people and thousands of civilians, but the other party only has 3,000 people. I think"

    "do not talk!"

    Zhou Ling interrupted him coldly, "Three thousand people are just the vanguard. There are tens of thousands of Jiangdong troops on Peng Ze's side. They will attack soon. How can I resist them then?"

    No one dared to say anything anymore. At this time, a soldier rushed over and whispered a few words in Zhou Ling's ear. Zhou Ling nodded and said to everyone: "Let's do this for now! Let's look at the situation. If it doesn't work, we will surrender. No need.  Lost his life for others.¡±

    The person he refers to here is Huang Zu, and he no longer wants to sacrifice his life for Huang Zu.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhou Ling quickly walked down the city with two soldiers and walked into an alley near the north city gate. There was a man standing at the door of a small courtyard. He saluted Zhou Ling and said, "I have been waiting for County Magistrate Zhou for a long time."

    Zhou Ling turned around and told his two men: "Wait here for a moment, I'll be here soon."

    Zhou Ling followed the other party into the small courtyard. He had always believed that Jiang Dong must have a spy hidden in Chaisang. Otherwise, how could the other party have grasped the timing so accurately? But now he knew that Jiang Dong's spy was hidden here.

    A young man stood at the door of the main hall of the courtyard. He smiled and bowed to Zhou Ling, "County Magistrate Zhou is indeed sincere and willing to surrender to our Jiangdong."

    "Do not talk nonsense!"

    Zhou Ling said coldly: "Whoever is the leader here, I want to talk to him."

    "The leader is waiting in the house. Magistrate Zhou, please invite me!"

    The other party made an invitation gesture. Zhou Ling straightened his back and walked into the room with his hands behind his back. As soon as he entered the room, Zhou Ling was stunned. He saw Liu Jing holding a military crossbow and pointing it at him, with a smile in his eyes.

    Zhou Ling suddenly understood. He was so frightened that he turned around and wanted to run away, but it was too late. He just heard 'Click!  ¡¯ With a sound, a crossbow arrow shot out like a poisonous snake, hitting Zhou Ling¡¯s chest.

    Zhou Ling screamed and fell to the ground dead. Liu Jing stepped forward, took out a letter from his arms, opened it and read it again, glanced at Zhou Ling's body, and sneered: "If there was no surrender,  Heart, will you end up like you are now?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the top of the city, hundreds of soldiers gathered together. Liu Jing held up Zhou Ling's letter and shouted loudly to everyone: "This is the evidence that Zhou Ling had an affair with Jiangdong. This person attempted to surrender the city and has already been killed."  Is there anyone who is dissatisfied with my execution under military law?"

    Everyone was silent. A dozen generals in the front row lowered their heads and did not dare to speak. Liu Jing passed the letter to the generals to browse, and everyone began to talk in low voices. Those who were literate proved that this was indeed Zhou Ling's personal letter.

    Several officers who had just participated in the discussion knew it very well. Although they wanted to kill Liu Jing,Ling was a little dissatisfied, but the evidence was solid and they had nothing to say.

    An old village chief named Sang Ming reacted very quickly and immediately clasped his fists and said: "Zhou Ling collaborated with the enemy and deserved his death. We are willing to obey Mr. Jing's command!"

    Everyone woke up one after another and bowed together to salute, "I am willing to obey Mr. Jing's command!"

    Hundreds of sergeants knelt down on one knee and shouted loudly: "I am willing to obey Master Jing's command and fight against the Jiangdong Army!"

    Liu Jing squinted and smiled, this was the effect he wanted.

    He looked back at the commander of the village who had just taken the lead in committing allegiance, and shouted loudly: "Where is Sang Ming?"

    "My humble duty is here!" Sang Ming knelt down on one knee.

    "I appoint you as the Marquis of the Zuo Army and lead 500 people to defend the eastern section of the city wall!"

    "Yes!" Sang Ming was overjoyed. After getting rid of Zhou Ling, he was the first to benefit.

    Liu Jing then said to his confidant Wang Tai: "General Wang can lead another 500 people to defend the western section of the city wall. If the eastern section is in danger, he can provide timely support."

    "I humble my duty and obey my orders!"

    Replacing Zhou Ling's power, Liu Jing re-defended the city wall and dispersed two thousand civilians.  He was incorporated into the defensive army in the eastern section. At this time, Jiangdong Army's arrows were already on the string, and the war was about to break out.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Sir, they are coming!" A soldier pointed at the Cao River outside the city and shouted in a low voice.

    Everyone became nervous and stared intently at the Cao River outside the city. Liu Jing also saw a long, dark object slowly floating toward the water gate, like a giant python floating on the water.

    "This is the battering ram to attack Minato!"

    An experienced soldier recognized the object and explained to Liu Jing: "It is actually a strong tree trunk with the front sharpened and covered with iron sheets. It is used to hit the water gate fence. Although it cannot break the iron fence, it can't break the iron fence."  It can deform the iron gate and make a big hole."

    "Where are the Jiangdong soldiers hiding? Underwater?" Liu Jing asked again.

    ¡°Just hide under the battering ram and breathe through a reed pipe.¡±

    Liu Jing also saw that there were more than a dozen thin black tubes on both sides of the long battering ram.

    "Follow my orders and prepare your crossbows!"

    Three hundred military crossbows were raised at the same time, aiming at the approaching battering ram. Just as the battering ram was about to approach the water gate, Liu Jing issued the order: "Shoot!"

    Three hundred arrows were shot at the battering ram at the same time. The arrows were so powerful that most of them were blocked by the two iron fences. Some of them hit the battering ram, but dozens of arrows still shot into the water.

    There was blood emerging from the water, dyeing the river red, and corpses began to float up.

    At this moment, earth-shattering drum beats came from the distance, the drum beat rapidly, and Jiangdong Army's large-scale siege began.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 137: The bloody battle with Chaisang

    [Add more and ask for recommendation votes]¡ª¡ª

    Three thousand Jiangdong soldiers were divided into two groups. One thousand people were led by General Pan Zhang, who drove dozens of warships to attack Shuimen.

    The other group of two thousand people, led by Xu Sheng himself, ran towards the city wall with more than a dozen bamboo rafts and ladders, drums beating like thunder, and killing shouts shaking the sky.

    "Boom!" With a loud noise, the battering ram hit the iron fence hard, and several arm-thick iron bars were bent immediately.

    There were dozens of ropes tied to the battering ram, and thirty people stood on each side. They pulled the ropes and suspended the battering ram in the air. With shouts, the battering ram echoed and hit the iron gate, and another roar  With a muffled sound, the battering ram hit the iron fence hard.

    Although hundreds of people in the city kept firing arrows, the two iron gates became a natural barrier for Jiangdong's army, and most of the arrows were blocked by the iron fence.

    Liu Jing frowned and looked up at the city. There were no defenders on it. He cursed himself in his heart and immediately turned around and ordered a village commander: "Zhang Qian, take the first and second villages quickly."  Camp the city and shoot arrows from above!"

    "Follow your orders!"

    The village chief turned back and waved his hand, "Follow me!"

    He led two hundred of his men and ran towards the city. In a moment, arrows rained down from the city. Dozens of soldiers who were pulling the ropes were hit by arrows and fell to the ground.

    Pan Zhang, the general who was commanding the attack on the gate in a ship behind, was immediately furious and ordered: "Suppress the city with bows and arrows, and then attack the gate with 60 people!"

    Nearly a thousand Jiangdong soldiers under the city fired arrows at the top of the city, suppressing the crossbowmen at the top of the city and preventing them from showing up to shoot again.

    Sixty people rushed forward, took the rope, and once again swung the battering ram to hit the iron gate. Liu Jing shouted in the barbican: "Shoot the ship with rockets!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ With a loud noise, tall bamboo rafts were heavily placed on the city wall, and wooden planks were placed on the moat. Thousands of soldiers rushed across the moat and struggled to climb up.

    Arrows rained down on the city, and rolling logs and stones fell like hailstones. Jiangdong soldiers held up their shields to resist, but they were still knocked down and rolled down.

    Jiangdong's army gathered ten bamboo rafts and attacked on the 200-step-long city wall. More than a thousand soldiers under the city raised crossbows and fired arrows at the top of the city. Soldiers were constantly hit by arrows and fell from the top of the city screaming.

    The fighting between the two sides gradually became intense.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The city gate was in flames, and seven or eight warships were set ablaze by rockets. The fire was raging. There were corpses everywhere on the big ships and on both sides of the Cao River. The defenders at the city head also suffered more than 40 casualties, and the battering ram  Rolling on its side, the ropes were snapped by the fire.

    At this time, the battering ram had smashed a two-foot-wide gap in the iron fence, allowing one to sneak in sideways. Nearly a hundred Jiangdong soldiers got through the gap and entered the Shuimen Cave.

    Shuimen Cave is about three feet long and one foot eight feet wide. There is a three-foot-wide stone step on the left. The corridor on the stone step has been blocked by Jingzhou military boulders. If you want to enter the Wengcheng, you can only break open the iron gate on the other side.  Door.

    "It's a pity that the battering ram could not enter the Shuimen Cave. The Jiangdong soldiers could only use axes and knives to file, but they suffered a brutal blow from the Jingzhou sergeants.

    Liu Jing led 300 people to fire intensively into Shuimen Cave with bows and crossbows, leaving Shuimen Cave with no foothold. The Jiangdong soldiers could only soak in the water and hold up their shields to defend themselves.

    But without the powerful impact of a battering ram, it is impossible to cut an iron bar as thick as an arm with just an axe, knife and file.

    There was nowhere to hide in Shuimen Cave, screams kept coming, the river was dyed crimson with blood, and there were many corpses in Shuimen Cave. The soldiers tried to block the iron fence with shields, but they were ruthlessly split open by Jingzhou soldiers with axes.

    In less than half an hour, nearly a hundred Jiangdong soldiers who entered Shuimen Cave were almost all killed or injured, and the remaining dozen or so Jiangdong soldiers also tried their best to escape. The entire Shuimen Cave was filled with the pungent smell of blood.

    But compared to the successful defense of Shuimen Cave, the defense of the city wall was full of dangers and was in danger.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The battle for the city wall has been going on for more than half an hour. There are piles of bones on the city wall and rivers of blood.

    The city wall was stained with patches of crimson, and seven of the ten siege bamboo rafts had been destroyed, but new bamboo rafts were constantly being put into battle.

    The two thousand Jiangdong Army had 500 casualties and 500 casualties, while the defenders at the top of the city also had more than 700 casualties. Most of them were civilians assisting in the defense. They had no leather armor to defend themselves and would often bleed excessively after being shot by arrows.  And died.

    At this time, the defenders began to use iron forks for city defense. This iron fork was three feet long and weighed more than a hundred kilograms. It was specially used to deal with siege ladders.

    An iron fork held a bamboo raft, and more than a dozen people pushed it outward. The bamboo raft swayed and creaked, and began to leave the city wall and straighten outwards. As the defenders moved,With a shout, the bamboo raft finally tipped outwards, and dozens of Jiangdong soldiers on the raft screamed.

    Xu Sheng, who was watching the battle not far away, could no longer suppress his inner anxiety. The Watergate attack had achieved nothing, and the city wall attack had suffered heavy casualties. If he continued like this, his three thousand troops would not be able to hold on for long.

    Xu Sheng raised his gun and shouted: "Follow me to attack the city!"

    He swung his spear and ran towards the city. Hundreds of soldiers behind him saw their general going into battle in person. Their morale was immediately high, and they followed Xu Sheng to fight bravely.

    Xu Sheng rushed onto a bamboo raft and ran up seven or eight steps in one breath. More than a dozen rolling logs and rocks from the top of the city were thrown at him head-on. Xu Sheng raised a shield with his left hand and waved a spear with his right hand, flying huge rocks and rocks from above his head.

    Xu Sheng was famous in Soochow for his high martial arts skills and immense strength. He was not only strong in martial arts, but also proficient in strategy. He was a well-known general in Soochow with both civil and military skills. He was highly regarded by brothers Sun Ce and Sun Quan.

    He knew very well that morale could be boosted but not depleted. When the Jiangdong Army suffered repeated attacks, he would be able to boost morale by taking the lead.

    Xu Sheng approached the city in the blink of an eye. At this time, seven or eight spears were stabbed at him. He raised his shield to resist, stabbing randomly in the gaps with his spears. In a moment, five or six defenders were stabbed by him and fell to the ground.

    More than ten steps away, Sang Ming saw that Xu Sheng was extremely brave and was about to climb the city. He was furious, shouted loudly, and slashed at him with a knife.

    ¡°Well done!¡±

    Xu Sheng shouted, threw away his shield, and waved his gun with both arms to parry. There was a loud noise, the sword and gun collided, and the huge force made Sang Ming's arms numb, and the sword almost flew out.

    Sang Ming was horrified and turned around to escape. Unexpectedly, Xu Sheng's spear was so fast that he flipped his hand and the spear went 'poof!  ¡¯ The ground pierced Sang Ming¡¯s neck, and he struggled to lift it out.

    Sang Ming screamed and flew out of the city. Xu Sheng jumped onto the city and stabbed with his spear. In an instant, three or four soldiers were stabbed over by him, and the soldiers retreated in fear.

    At this moment, Wang Tai shouted loudly and slashed at Xu Sheng with his sword.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing is arranging his soldiers to deploy rockets in Wengcheng. Rockets are undoubtedly a powerful weapon against Jiangdong Army's water attacks. Last night and today, Jiangdong Army was defeated twice, both by fire attacks.

    At this moment, a soldier rushed over and shouted in horror: "Master Jing, General Sang has been killed, the enemy has attacked the city!"

    Liu Jing¡¯s face changed drastically. If Jiangdong¡¯s army occupied the city, it would mean that Chaisang had been lost. He roared and turned around and ordered: ¡°Leave a hundred men and follow me for the rest!¡±

    He led two hundred soldiers to run towards the city. At the corridor, he met another two hundred sergeants led by Zhang Gan. The two armies merged and became 400 people. They shouted and killed towards the city.

    At the top of the city, more than a hundred Jiangdong Army soldiers were fighting fiercely with hundreds of defenders at the top of the city. Liu Jing suddenly saw Wang Taizheng fighting a fierce battle with a Jiangdong general.

    This Jiangdong general was highly skilled in martial arts and killed Wang Tai until he was defeated and forced to retreat to the city wall. Wang Tai was in danger.

    It was too late to rush to the rescue. In desperation, Liu Jing opened his bow and nocked an arrow, and shot an arrow at the enemy general. This was his first time shooting an arrow at someone. It should be said that his archery skills were far from perfect.  The situation is just that sometimes you are lucky. Xu Sheng was caught off guard by this arrow, and it hit Xu Sheng's left arm. Xu Sheng screamed and took a few steps back while covering his arm.

    Wang Tai was saved from danger and rolled to avoid Xu Sheng's gun circle. At this moment, Liu Jing and hundreds of his men shouted and rushed into the enemy group.

    Among the four hundred men, nearly three hundred were Tao family soldiers. They were all highly skilled in martial arts and experienced hundreds of battles. Their entry immediately reversed the critical situation at the top of the city.

    Jiangdong soldiers were killed and retreated steadily. They left the city one after another and went down to the city along the bamboo rafts. Xu Sheng was extremely unwilling to see that he had failed. He roared loudly and wanted to fight Liu Jing, but several of his soldiers forced him to fight.  He dragged him down to the top of the city.

    Jiangdong Army's attack was frustrated and morale was low.  Finally retreated like a tide.

    This siege battle lasted for nearly an hour and ended with the defeat of the Jiangdong Army. The three thousand troops suffered nearly a thousand casualties, more than a dozen ships were burned, and more than thirty siege bamboo rafts were also lost.

    The defenders and civilians of Chaisang also paid the price of more than a thousand people. Even Sang Ming, who had just become a military prince, died tragically in the hands of Xu Sheng.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Master, don't you think it's God's will?"

    During the interval between battles, the soldiers rested against the wall. Liu Jing and Xu Shu, who were unanimously elected as the new generals by the soldiers, walked slowly on the top of the city.

    Xu Shu smiled slightly and said: "Zhou Ling's death paved the way for the young master to control Chaisang. Originally, I wanted to persuade the young master to find an opportunity to kill this young master.However, God was sympathetic to the young master and charged him with having an affair with the Jiangdong Army, so that the young master could successfully take over Chai Sang's army.  "

    "yes!"

    Liu Jing also lamented: "I came to Chaisang just to celebrate my birthday. Unexpectedly, by God's will, I encountered the Jiangdong Army attacking Chaisang. By a strange combination of circumstances, I actually took control of Chaisang's military power. This can only be explained by God's will."  ¡±

    Liu Jing walked to the top of the city, stared at the Jiangdong Army fleet in the distance, and said with a little worry: "But if the city is captured by Jiangdong Army, I will still have nothing."

    "Didn't you realize that Jiangdong's army only has 3,000 men? This shows that Jiangdong does not intend to attack Jiangxia on a large scale. He only wants to sneak attack Chaisang and use Chaisang as a springboard for Jiangdong to attack Jiangxia. So we can see Sun Quan's determination.  Not firm."

    "So Yuan Zhi thinks, how to deal with the current crisis, I mean, how to defend Chaisang City?" Liu Jing asked again.

    Xu Shu stood by the city wall and smiled with his hands behind his back, "In fact, it is not difficult to defend the city. Chaisang City is tall and solid, and it is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The key to the danger today is that there are too few defensive methods. In addition to bows and arrows, they are rolling logs and rocks.  , in fact, the effect is not great. If there are stone cannons and trebuchets to carry out long-distance attacks on the Jiangdong Army, it will not only kill a large number of enemies, but also prevent their ships from approaching the water gate, which will be a heavy blow to the morale of the Jiangdong Army.  , Master, why don¡¯t you use it?¡±

    "There are still these people!"

    Xu Shu pointed at a large row of civilians lying at the base of the city wall and sighed: "Young master, letting these untrained people go to the front line of the battle is actually a mistake. They cannot play their role. They should be allowed to fight in the rear."  , such as letting them use rifle bows to shoot arrows at the city from behind, or training them to operate trebuchets, so that they can play the role of a soldier. "

    Xu Shu's analysis was very thorough and he could always see the crux of the problem. Liu Jing nodded, he was indeed Xu Shu, and he lived up to his reputation. He felt a little ashamed and said: "Yuan Zhi is right, I will order people to find the carpenter right now.  "

    Xu Shu smiled, looked at the vast Yangtze River, and said slowly: "Actually, the key is the reinforcements from both sides. If it goes as expected, Huangshe's reinforcements from Wuchang will definitely arrive, and Jiangdong's reinforcements may also arrive.  If Jiangdong's army defeats Jiangxia's army, then the key to this battle is whether Gan Ning can arrive in time. With Gan Ning on the outside and the young master on the inside, Jiangdong's army will be defeated. "

    Liu Jing felt a little emotional in her heart. In fact, God's will not only made him the general of Chaisang, but Xu Shu came with him, making him his military advisor.

    "Xu Shu entered Cao's camp without saying a word", this common saying cannot be allowed to happen to him no matter what.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "As an aside, after this battle is over, I will find you a house in Chaisang, and at the same time recommend you as the captain of Chaisang County. Yuan Zhi will bring your mother, wife and children together."  Come on!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ¡¾Brothers, please give me a helping hand at this critical moment!  ¡¿

 Volume 1, Chapter 138: Defensive Weapons

    [Third update, continue to ask for recommendation votes for support]

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

    The Jiangdong Army had withdrawn to the mouth of Caohe. The sneak attack in the middle of the night and the fierce battle in the early morning caused the Jiangdong Army to suffer heavy losses, with nearly a thousand casualties. Six chiefs and two camp commanders were killed. Even the commander-in-chief Xu Sheng was wounded by an arrow. It can be said that the army was lost and the general was lost.  , morale was severely damaged.

    In a large ship, Xu Sheng¡¯s upper body was exposed, his left arm was inserted into the wooden ring, and he was biting the leather in his mouth. A military doctor next to him was carefully pulling out the arrow from his left arm.

    A burst of severe pain came. Xu Sheng was sweating profusely in pain and closed his eyes, ¡®Cang!  ¡¯ With a sound, the arrow fell into the copper plate.

    "It's done!" The military doctor also breathed a long sigh of relief, "Fortunately, the arrow is not poisonous and did not damage the muscles and bones. The general will recover after a month or two of rest."

    Xu Sheng took the handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, and he slowly breathed out. At this time, a soldier next to him said: "General, I have already found out who shot this arrow?"

    "Who is it?" Xu Sheng asked with a frown.

    Generally speaking, it is extremely normal to be hit by cold arrows on the battlefield, and you will not specifically ask who fired the arrow. This is not important.

    But Xu Sheng had a deep impression on that young general and could not forget it. Who was he?

    "Some brothers who participated in the war said that at that time, the enemy troops called the young general Mr. Jing. It is very likely that this man was Liu Jing, Liu Biao's nephew."

    ¡®It turns out it¡¯s him!  ¡¯

    Xu Sheng recalled the prisoner's confession that Zhou Ling was killed for collaborating with the enemy. He couldn't help but reveal a bitter smile. He led his army to attack Chaisang. Wouldn't it be that Liu Jing got an advantage in vain.

    At this time, Pan Zhang walked into the room quickly. Although Xu Sheng failed to attack the city, he also failed to attack Shuimen, which made him depressed and unable to stand up in front of Xu Sheng.

    "Is Wen Xiang's injury serious?" Pan Zhang asked with concern.

    Xu Sheng shook his head, "No muscles or bones were injured, so it's not a big problem."

    "Then what should we do next?"

    Xu Sheng pondered for a moment and said: "Now we only have two thousand troops left. It is obviously unrealistic to capture the city. We can only wait for the governor to send reinforcements."

    Pan Zhang didn't speak for a long time, and finally sighed, "We shouldn't only lead three thousand troops. It was a bit of a mistake."

    "Three thousand troops were just for a sneak attack. There was no mistake in it. My mistake was in the way I captured Chaisang."

    Having said this, Xu Sheng also had a look of remorse on his face. If they had known that the guard general last night was so greedy for money and bribery, they should have bribed him first. With the guard general's support, it would be easy for them to seize Chaisang.

    Now they have made one mistake after another, and Liu Jing is now guarding Chaisang. I'm afraid they will have to pay a heavy price.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was a different scene in Chaisang City. Almost all the mature trees in the city were cut down, and the logs were dragged to the largest school ground in Chaisang, which was the same school ground where Liu Jing practiced martial arts and buried Huang Yong.  There were mountains of wood and iron.

    Hundreds of tents have been set up in the school grounds, and more than 2,000 craftsmen from Chaisang City, including carpenters, blacksmiths, leatherworkers, and stonemasons, are building stone cannons and trebuchets according to the drawings.

    Not only the craftsmen, but almost the entire city of Chaisang was mobilized. Every household donated their private collection of weapons, armor, leather, and even polished building stones.

    ??Including the Tao family, Zhu family and other large Chaisang families, they actively donated money and materials. The Tao family alone spent 100 million yuan and 10,000 shi to store grain. This was all the money and grain stored in the Tao family's castle.

    On the other side of the school grounds, Wang Tai led more than a hundred Tao family soldiers to train three thousand civilians and teach them the basic weapon skills.

    "Three thousand young and strong civilians have been equipped with weapons and armor. They are no longer ordinary civilians. Apart from their weak combat skills and clumsiness in using weapons, there is no difference between them and regular soldiers from the outside.

    Xu Shu was temporarily appointed as the chief of Bingcao, in charge of Chaisang's military affairs. Since Liu Jing himself had no position in Chaisang, Xu Shu's position as chief of Bingcao was also a false position, and he was just Liu Jing's staff.

    Despite this, this is Xu Shu's first position in Jingzhou, and it has great power and responsibility. All money, food, materials and craftsmen are under his charge. He is also conscientious and does not dare to slack off in the slightest.

    Liu Jing knew that he was too busy alone, so he borrowed five smart and capable stewards from the Tao Mansion to assist him, and allocated him a hundred soldiers.

    Xu Shu received full authority from Liu Jing and quickly displayed his outstanding talents. In less than half a day, he had everything in order, and the trebuchet he built began to operate smoothly.

    In fact, whether it is Xu Shu or Zhuge Liang, their real talent is not in military strategy, but in strategic situations.In government affairs, just like a general's talent lies in commanding the army, not fighting on the battlefield.

    From recruiting craftsmen, felling trees, managing materials, to drawing drawings, arranging wages, board and lodging, organizing craftsmen's division of labor and collaboration, etc., there are so many things and affairs are very complicated, and it is not easy to do almost everything well.

    But it only took Xu Shu half a day to handle everything in an orderly manner. This had to amaze everyone that this scholar had such outstanding talents.

    At this time, Xu Shu was accompanying Liu Jing to inspect the manufacturing progress of the city defense weapons. As the top commander of Chaisang City, Liu Jing did not need to do it himself. He had to focus on coordinating the defense.

    Liu Jing also received general support from Chaisang soldiers and civilians, partly because he was Liu Biao's nephew and had a distinguished status.

    On the other hand, the Tao family's full support for Liu Jing led the Chaisang family to recognize Liu Jing, while another wealthy family, the Zhou family, remained silent and did not object to Chaisang's support for Liu Jing.

    With the rich and powerful families taking the lead, ordinary people naturally followed the lead and enthusiastically supported Liu Jing in his fight against Jiangdong's army.

    It is precisely for this reason that Chaisang City was able to mobilize the entire city and spend money and effort to support Liu Jing's defense against Jiangdong.

    Liu Jing felt strange when he saw groups of craftsmen busy working on their own and transporting materials in an orderly manner. He smiled at Xu Shu and asked, "It only took half a day for these craftsmen to get on the right track. How did Yuan Zhi do it?"

    Xu Shu smiled slightly, "Actually, it's very simple. Every city has its own craftsmen. I just need to find these craftsmen, give them ten times the profits, specify when it will be completed, and promise to give them every stone cannon or trebuchet they build."  How much reward, then I don¡¯t have to worry about anything, they will naturally step up to supervise the craftsmen.¡±

    Liu Jing suddenly realized that Xu Shu had found a bunch of project managers again. No wonder it was progressing so fast. This was because he knew the art of management.

    "Then when will the first one be caused at the earliest?" Liu Jing asked curiously.

    Xu Shu smiled mysteriously, "Master, please follow me."

    Liu Jing followed him into a large tent and was stunned for a moment. He saw a huge stone cannon placed in the tent, and several craftsmen were busy inspecting it.

    Stone cannons are also called stone cannons. During the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao used them extensively to attack Yuan Shao's army, with great effect.

    Its shape is actually that of an enlarged crossbow, which can fire giant arrows or rocks. Its range is between fifty and one hundred steps, and it plays an active defensive role in defending the city.

    For example, rolling logs and stones is a powerful weapon against the siege army, but generally speaking, people need to stand by the city wall and throw stones downwards, so that they are easily hit by the crossbow arrows of the siege army below.

    But with the stone cannon, it can be fired from a distance, avoiding the casualties of the defenders. At the same time, it has a longer range and a larger killing range. It is also an effective defensive weapon against ships and various siege weapons.

    Liu Jing stepped forward and gently touched the first stone car. It was made of newly cut trees, and the bark was still unpeeled. It was a little rough, but it could be seen that the binding was very strong.

    Xu Shu called an old craftsman in his sixties forward and introduced to Liu Jing: "This old craftsman is called Qin Wu. He used to make ordnance in Cao Jun's camp. At the end of last year, he led his family to Chaisang.  He drew the drawings of the sub-stone cannon and the trebuchet, and he led his apprentices to build this stone cannon.¡±

    The old craftsman knelt down and saluted, "I pay my respects to Mr. Jing!"

    Liu Jing quickly helped the old craftsman up, "Old Qin, there is no need to be polite."

    He glanced at the stone cannon and smiled: "Being able to build a stone cannon and a trebuchet is a great achievement. I will definitely reward you heavily."

    Qin Wu had a look of shame on his face, and he sighed: "Actually, this stone cannon can only be used for ten days at most, and can only be used temporarily."

    Liu Jing was stunned, "How can you say this?"

    "Reporting to the young master, a qualified stone cannon requires special attention to the wood. It is best to use strong date wood or oak wood, and it must be air-dried for more than three years. This stone cannon is made of camphor wood, which is okay, but it is not air-dried.  It will deform and crack after more than ten days and can no longer be used.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded and let the wood dry. He could understand this, but it only needed three years to dry. Did Cao Cao start preparing for it three years ago?

    Qin Wu seemed to know what Liu Jing was thinking, and said with a wry smile: "In the northern region, seasoned wood is everywhere, and there are uninhabited empty houses everywhere. If the house is demolished, the beams will be there."

    So Liu Jing finally understood. He smiled and said: "Maybe I can get these beams in the future, but no matter what, with these stone cannons and trebuchets, I can defend Chaisang. I am still very grateful to you."  ¡±

    At this moment, there was a sound coming from outside the tent:With cheers, a craftsman rushed in and said with great excitement: "Master Qin Wu, the trebuchet is finished!"

    Everyone quickly walked out of the big tent and saw a trebuchet standing not far away, about two feet high, with a long throwing rod like a fishing rod thrown by an angler. A group of craftsmen surrounded it and cheered.

    Liu Jing felt hot and was about to step forward when a soldier ran over quickly and whispered a few words in Liu Jing's ear.

    Liu Jing was so happy that she ignored the trebuchet, said hello to Xu Shu, got on her horse and headed towards Nancheng.

    Chaisang has two city gates, the north and the south. Currently, the south city has been sealed off, leaving only the north city for entry and exit. However, due to the war, the north city no longer allows people to enter and exit at will.

    But at this time, a group of soldiers and horses appeared outside the south city, about fifty or sixty people, with mixed colors and different weapons. The leader was a general holding a broadsword and riding on a horse.

    This person is none other than Liao Hua, who came from Jingcheng City.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 139, Two Reinforcements

    Liu Jing didn't let Liao Hua follow him at first, mainly to give him a chance to think about it. Historically, Liao Hua followed Guan Yu. He didn't want Liao Hua to be confused by Liu Bei again after following him, so he wanted Liao Hua to think about it carefully.  , think it through before coming to yourself.

    In fact, in the final analysis, it is because Liao Hua is not Wei Yan. If he were Wei Yan, he would not give him any chance to consider the so-called leadership airs. At some point, Liu Jing will also put on a show.

    Liu Jing ordered the city gate to be opened, and Liao Hua led a group of men into the city. In fact, Liao Hua also considered repeatedly, should he go to Liu Bei or Liu Jing?

    Liu Bei's subordinates have Zhang Zhaoyun. If he joins the army, his status may not be as good as that of Zhou Cang. It is better to follow Liu Jing, become a veteran of his establishment of power, and assist him in the fight for Jingzhou.

    Liao Hua figured this out and rushed to Jiangxia resolutely. Liao Hua dismounted his horse, knelt down with a knife on one knee, and said in a deep voice: "Liao Hua, a wild man from the mountains, has come to seek refuge with Mr. Jing and is willing to serve Mr. Jing!"

    Liu Jing hurriedly stepped forward to help him up and said with a smile: "General Liao, please get up. The attack on Jiangdong is very urgent now. It is the time to recruit people. General Liao's arrival is like a timely rain from heaven."

    Liu Jing's words are not an exaggeration. What he needs most now is a general to command the army. Although Wang Tai is loyal to him, his martial arts skills are a little poor and he was almost killed by Xu Sheng. Liao Hua is also a famous general after all, and he can defend him.  City, he felt much more stable.

    Liao Hua was grateful in his heart and bowed and said: "Liao Hua is willing to do his best to serve the young master."

    Liu Jing looked at the dozens of soldiers behind him. Liao Hua quickly explained, "These are old brothers. I really can't bear to send them away. I just want to bring them here and hope that the young master will accept them."

    He was afraid that Liu Jing would not accept him, so he hurriedly waved his hands to his opponent, "Why don't you pay your respects to Mr. Jing soon!"

    Dozens of soldiers knelt down together and said in unison: "I beg Mr. Jing to include him!"

    Liu Jing was a little embarrassed. In fact, he was not willing to accept so many Yellow Turban bandits as his subordinates. This was not because of discrimination. The main reason was that these people had been bandits for a long time, were accustomed to looting, and had extremely poor military discipline. He wanted Liao Hua to come alone.

    But now that he is here, he has to give Liao Hua face. Thinking of this, Liu Jing agreed, "Okay! As long as they maintain military discipline, they can stay and continue to be your subordinates."

    Liao Hua was overjoyed. The thing he was most worried about along the way was finally solved. He quickly clasped his fists in gratitude and said, "Thank you, Master."

    Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder again and said with a smile: "Logically, I should let you get used to it first, but the situation is critical now. Come with me, and I will arrange a position for you to defend the city."

    Liu Jing led Liao Hua and dozens of others and quickly headed towards the north city wall.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although after two bloody battles in the middle of the night and early in the morning, Jiangdong's army pressed the enemy, it unexpectedly quieted down in the next two days, and Jiangdong's army never attacked the city again.

    On the one hand, this is because the Jiangdong Army has insufficient troops to attack the city and can only wait for reinforcements. On the other hand, it is also besieging the city for reinforcements and waiting for the reinforcements to ambush the Jiangxia Army.

    The beacon fire in Chaisang City has been lit, and Jiangxia reinforcements will arrive from Wuchang City in three days at most.

    As for the Chaisang defenders, they also seized the most precious two days to strengthen their defenses busily and methodically. They installed more than a hundred trebuchets and stone cannons on the city wall, operated by 3,000 trained civilians.

    It was the appearance of these trebuchets and stone cannons that greatly strengthened the defense of Chaisang City and greatly boosted the morale of the Chaisang defenders.

    This morning, Liu Jing inspected the city as usual. After two days of active preparation and careful deployment, the defense of Chaisang City has been completely renewed. The water gate has been increased from two iron gates to three, and a thousand-year-old gate has been added in the middle.  The heavy iron gate and hundreds of barbed steel tips were installed under the water to prevent soldiers from outside from entering, completely blocking the way for Jiangdong's army to enter through the water gate.

    Two hundred stone cannons and fifty trebuchets were installed on the top of the city. The stone cannons were operated by three people and could shoot twenty kilograms of talc seventy steps away with high accuracy, while the trebuchets were operated by fifty people.  When operated, a boulder weighing more than a hundred kilograms can be thrown three hundred steps away, which is extremely powerful.

    There are about 1,300 regular defenders on the city, commanded by Liu Jing himself, with Liao Hua and Wang Tai as his assistant generals. Wang Tai is responsible for commanding the civilians to operate stone cannons and trebuchets, while Liao Hua is in charge of the defense of the front army.  Xu Shu is responsible for the entire logistical support.

    Almost tens of thousands of people in Chaisang City were mobilized. Those with money contributed money and those with strength contributed. The elderly cooked, women participated in carrying supplies, and even the children were not idle. They wandered around the city in groups, looking for spies from Jiangdong Army.  , strive for a high reward.

    Under the influence of the atmosphere of sincere unity, everyone in Chaisang City is united to fight against Jiangdong. This is Chaisang City.This is a grand event that has not been seen in the city for decades. As a big city that has long been sandwiched between Jingzhou and Jiangdong, this situation of completely leaning to one side is extremely rare.

    Liu Jing had just walked above the water gate when suddenly a rapid alarm bell sounded from the East City Observation Tower, ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The alarm bells rang throughout the city, and all the soldiers became nervous and rushed to the edge of the city, looking towards the river in the distance.

    I saw a huge fleet appearing on the northwest Yangtze River, with hundreds of warships, flags fluttering, and a magnificent momentum. On the big ship at the head, a red and yellow flag was fluttering. This was the battle of the Jingzhou Army.  flag.

    The garrison at the top of the city suddenly burst into joy, and the cheers resounded through the sky. The reinforcements from the Jingzhou Army arrived, but Liu Jing showed no joy at all. He silently looked at the fleet in the distance with a very complicated expression in his eyes.

    At this time, Xu Shu slowly walked up to Liu Jing and said in a deep voice: "Master, do you feel there is anything unusual about Jiangdong Army?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "It's surprisingly quiet."

    "It was this strange silence that made me feel something was wrong. I'm afraid Jiangdong Army was already prepared."

    Liu Jing was silent for a long time and sneered: "Frankly speaking, I don't want Jiangdong Army to fail now."

    Xu Shu laughed, "In the eyes of the young master, Huang Zu's reinforcements are also enemies."

    "It's best if both sides suffer, and in the end I, the fisherman, will gain."

    At this moment, a soldier pointed at the Jiangdong Army fleet and shouted: "Look! Jiangdong Army has begun to withdraw."

    Liu Jing also saw it, and saw the Jiangdong military fleet starting to pull up the sails, leaving the mouth of Caohe River, and evacuating eastward with a little panic. Xu Shu frowned, "As expected, this is Xu Sheng's trick.  "

    Next to him, Liao Hua asked: "How did Sir, how could you tell that Jiangdong Army was plotting something?"

    "It's very simple. There are many sentry ships in the Jiangdong Army fleet. How could they not know that the Jiangxia Army is coming to help? If they wanted to retreat, they would have retreated long ago. They would never wait for the enemy to come to them before retreating. This must be theirs.  A plan to lure troops."

    Hearing that Xu Shu¡¯s analysis was very reasonable, Liao Hua felt a little anxious and quickly asked Liu Jing, ¡°Master, should we notify reinforcements?¡±

    Liu Jing stared at the Jiangdong Army warships and said coldly for a long time: "We'll see!".

    For the Huang family and his son, Jiangxia has always been the private property of the Huang family, and Chai Sang is more important in this family property. Therefore, after receiving the beacon fire alarm from Chai Sang, Huang She personally led five thousand and three hundred troops.  More warships came to rescue Chai Sang.

    At this time, Huang She did not know that Zhou Ling was dead and Chaisang City had changed its owner. The information he received was that Jiangdong's army failed to attack the city and suffered heavy losses. This made Huang She more confident that he would defeat Jiangdong's army in one battle.  .

    Under the hunting flag, Huang She stared coldly at the distant river. He seemed a little worried. This worry came from Liu Cong's serious injury and the disappearance of his brother Huang Yong.

    Liu Cong was injured by his brother. There is no doubt about this. He knew very well that his brother was such a person, fierce and reckless. Many people died in his hands. It was lucky that Liu Cong did not die.

    However, there were two problems he didn't know how to deal with. One was how they should explain it to Liu Biao?  Secondly, where is brother Huang Yong? Did he abscond in fear of crime, or did something happen to him?

    There is also Liu Jing. He did not withdraw to Wuchang with Liu Cong and stayed in Chaisang City. What was his purpose?  Does Chaisang City still control Zhou Ling now?

    Huang She couldn't help but look up at Chaisang City in the distance. He had an ominous premonition in his heart. Liu Jing was not willing to be lonely. Something must have happened to Chaisang City?  no!  The defense of Chaisang City must be taken back.

    At this moment, on the mast, a soldier looking out pointed at the river in the distance and shouted, "General Huang, the Jiangdong Navy has been spotted ahead!"

    Huang She suddenly woke up from his meditation, took two quick steps to the bow of the ship, and looked into the distance.

    In the distance, at the mouth of the Caohe River two or three miles away, a fleet of more than a hundred warships was leaving in a hurry. It was obvious that the Jiangdong Army was preparing to evacuate.

    How could Huang She let Jiangdong's army escape? He immediately ordered, "Zhong Shun leads his troops into the city, and the other warships will follow me to pursue the fleeing army!"

    Three hundred Jiangxia Army warships were divided into two groups. Huang She led more than 200 warships to pursue the Jiangdong Army, while his general Zhong Shun led dozens of warships towards the mouth of the Caohe River.

    On the top of the city, Liu Jing watched with sharp eyes as more than fifty Jiangxia military warships sailed into the Cao River. It was obvious that this fleet was here to support Chaisang City, or to take back Chaisang City.

    Liu Jing¡¯s fists were clenched. Chaisang City already belonged to Liu Jing, how could he give it away again.

    "No one is allowed to open the city without my order!"

      Huang She's ships chasing Jiangdong's army have gone away, and thirty of the more than fifty large ships have sailed into the Cao River.

    The accident happened at this time. Two to three hundred Jiangdong soldiers suddenly appeared in the lush grass on the shore. They held bows and arrows and fired rockets at the sails of the Jiangxia Army warships. The Jiangxia Army warships were caught off guard.  In an instant, more than a dozen warships caught fire. Taking advantage of the wind, the fire engulfed the sails and masts, and then set the entire ship on fire. Thick smoke billowed and flames shot into the sky.

    There was chaos on the Cao River. Dozens of large ships were stuck together, unable to turn around. Soldiers cried and screamed and jumped off the ships to escape.

    At this time, the soldiers on the top of the city all looked at Liu Jing. Liu Jing stared at a forest outside the city. Although this was an opportunity to gather the defeated soldiers, he was a little worried that this was a trick by the Jiangdong Army to lure troops.  Lead his army out of Chaisang City.

    But thinking about it carefully, it seems impossible. Even if their own army is annihilated, they will not be able to deal with Jiangxia's reinforcements. Moreover, their own army may not be annihilated in a short time.

    Liu Jing only thought for a moment, waved, and Liao Hua quickly stepped forward. Liu Jing whispered a few words to him, and Liao Hua nodded, "I obey my command!"

    Liu Jing then resolutely issued the order, "Go to Kaicheng to attack and receive Jiangxia Army soldiers into the city."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 140: The Army Presses on the Realm

    The gate of Chaisang City was opened, and Liao Hua led a thousand soldiers to kill them and went straight to the mouth of Caohe River.

    At this time, the mouth of the Caohe River was in chaos. More than 20 large ships were set alight. The fire spread on the Caohe River. The fire was raging and the smoke was thick. The entire river became a sea of ??fire.

    Many soldiers were unable to escape and were burned to death on the boat, filling the air with a pungent stench, but more soldiers jumped into the water to escape and swam ashore.

    The Jiangdong soldiers who were ambushing on both sides of the Cao River obviously did not have time to intercept and kill the fleeing Jiangxia soldiers. The gate of Chaisang City was opened, and more than a thousand defenders came out.

    After firing several rounds of rockets, Jiangdong soldiers quickly evacuated to both sides and left Chaisang City.

    Seven to eight hundred Jiangxia soldiers gathered in twos and threes by the Cao River. Everyone had thrown off their helmets and armor, and was in an extremely embarrassed state. They looked at the burning ship on the water with lingering fear.

    At this time, the Chaisang defenders rushed over and surrounded the Jiangxia soldiers. Liao Hua shouted: "The Jiangdong Army is about to kill, come back to the city with us quickly!"

    Lieutenant General Zhong Shun looked at him with doubts. Logically, he should have seen all the commanders under Zhou Ling, but he had never seen the person in front of him. He stepped forward and clasped his fists and said, "I'm Wuchang Ya General Zhong Shun.  What is this general¡¯s name?¡±

    "My surname is Liao, and I have just been promoted. If anything happens, we will talk about it in the city!"

    Zhong Shun wanted to ask about Zhou Ling's situation again, but his soldiers were already impatient. They were afraid that Jiangdong's army was coming, so they rushed into the city. In just a moment, all the soldiers on the bank ran away, leaving only  Zhongshun is alone.

    Helpless, Zhong Shun had no choice but to follow him and ran towards the city, but he had just run a few steps when Liao Hua suddenly came from behind and slashed at the back of Zhong Shun's neck with his knife. Zhong Shun didn't even scream, but the head was dead  Then he was split more than ten feet away.

    Liao Hua said coldly to everyone: "This man missed the opportunity to fight and disobeyed military orders. According to military regulations, he will be executed without mercy!"

    He waved his hand and said, "Go back to the city!"

    More than a thousand defenders followed Liao Hua and escorted Jiangxia's defeated troops towards Chaisang City. After a while, they entered the city and the city gates closed with a rumble again.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Huang She led more than 200 warships to chase eastward, but after only chasing for more than 20 miles, he realized something was wrong. The Jiangdong navy who had originally fled in panic lined up and waited quietly on the river ahead.  superior.

    Like laying a dragnet, waiting for them to take the bait, Huang She became confused. What was Jiangdong's army doing? Is there an ambush nearby?

    At this moment, the observer on the mast shouted: "General Huang, the enemy has been discovered from the north and south!"

    Huang She was shocked. He stood on the side of the ship and looked towards the rivers on both sides. He saw two Jiangdong naval forces appearing on the river at the same time. Hundreds of warships were attacking his fleet from the north and south.

    Immediately afterwards, someone on the boat shouted: "General Huang, there is news from behind that there is enemy situation in our rear."

    Cold sweat slowly flowed down Huang She's forehead. He finally realized that he had fallen into a trap. It turned out that Jiangdong Army's reinforcements had arrived long ago and were waiting for him!

    "General, what should we do?" Several generals looked at him anxiously.

    Huang She carefully looked at the warships on both sides. Based on his experience, there were at least tens of thousands of troops. If he did not leave, the entire army would be annihilated.

    He gritted his teeth and ordered: "Retreat immediately! Break through and return to Wuchang."

    Several generals were shocked, "General, does Chai Sang leave it alone?"

    "What the hell, I can't even protect myself!" Huang She became angry and cursed fiercely.

    Jiangxia navy began to turn around and break out to the northwest, but the Jiangdong army's dragnet had already been set up, so it was not easy to escape.

    On a large ship, Jiangdong Navy Deputy Commander Lu Su stood with his hands behind his back, looking coldly at the Jiangxia warships in the distance. They were deployed in their plan today. If Xu Sheng failed to attack Chaisang, reinforcements from both sides would arrive.  , at this time, Chaisang City can only consider later, and must first annihilate the Jiangxia reinforcements.

    "Captain, they are running away!" General Ling Tong discovered Jiang Xia's army's plan.

    "They can't escape!"

    Lu Su smiled coldly and shouted sternly: "Beat the drum, attack!"

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ Drums were beating loudly on the river, and the shouts of killing were shaking the sky. More than 500 Jiangdong warships, large and small, attacked the Jiangxia military fleet from all directions.

    Arrows rained like rain, stone cannons hit hard, and boulders flew across the river. The two sides started a fierce fight on the river.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Chaisang City, more than 700 Jiangxia soldiers have reorganized and lined up. From now on, they no longer belong to Huang Zu's army, but become Chaisang's army. These troops are undoubtedly a new force. They are organized into  The battle group makes Chai Sang's regularThe army jumped to 2,000 people, and with the 3,000 civilian soldiers, the garrison at Chaisang City had 5,000 people, which made everyone heave a long sigh of relief.

    Despite this, Liu Jing still couldn't see a smile on his face. He stood at the eastern end of the city and looked toward the southeast of the Yangtze River. It had been almost an hour. The Jiangxia naval fleet had never returned, and there were faint war drums drifting in the wind in the distance.  The sound evokes endless associations.

    "I'm afraid as I expected, Jiangxia Army was ambushed by Jiangdong Army."

    Xu Shu said in a deep voice from the side: "What I am concerned about is, how many Jiangdong Army reinforcements will arrive?"

    Liu Jing did not speak, but his thoughts flew to the distant future. In Liu Jing's memory, the Jiangdong Army did not attack Jiangxia on a large scale in the seventh year of Jian'an. It should be the eighth year of Jian'an. He remembered that battle very clearly.  Gan Ning shot Ling Tong to death with one arrow.

    But now the Jiangxia Army has indeed launched a large army to attack Chaisang. That only means one thing. In the battle that took place in the seventh year of Jian'an, the Jiangdong Army successfully attacked and Xu Sheng captured Chaisang City. But now because of his appearance, Xu Sheng  The failure to seize the city triggered a large-scale attack by Jiangdong Army on Chaisang.

    Is this because of myself? History has begun to change and it no longer follows the original track.

    Liu Jing still remembers clearly that Liu Qi should be guarding Jiangxia, but now he has to guard Jiangxia. Moreover, Liu Cong was injured in an accident. Is it possible for him to inherit Liu Biao's legacy?  No emperor or prince would ever let a son who has lost his male function inherit his career.

    Obviously, Liu Biao will not let Liu Cong inherit Jingzhou Mu again, and the crown prince can only be Liu Qi. But the problem is, if Liu Qi finally takes the position of Jingzhou Mu and no longer surrenders to Cao Cao, even Liu Bei will be reused by Liu Qi, then history  How will it go?  Will Sun and Liu form an alliance again, and will there be another Chibi War?

    This series of historical chain reactions filled Liu Jing's heart with confusion. He felt that he could no longer apply past history to reality. The current historical trajectory had been deflected, and his eyes became dark. He could only fumble forward.  .

    At this moment, he suddenly felt how important counselors like Xu Shu were to him. Only those with far-sighted eyes could see the context of historical development.

    ??History, Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang chose Liu Bei one after another because they saw the development trend of history.

    Xu Shu felt that Liu Jing was distracted, so she couldn't help but turn around and look at him strangely, and asked with a smile: "What are you thinking about, Master?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "I was thinking, if we and Jiangdong Army are fighting like this to the death, in the future, when Cao Jun goes south in a large scale, will we and Jiangdong Army form a strategic alliance?

    Xu Shu also laughed, "Kong Ming also said that from ancient times to the present, it has been difficult for the south to compete with the north. Cao Cao has strong soldiers and strong horses. Not Jingzhou or Soochow can resist it. Only the two families can unite and take advantage of the Yangtze River water warfare to defeat Cao Cao's army.  , it can be seen that Kong Ming and Young Master have different approaches but similar approaches."

    While the two were talking, the sound of war drums in the distance suddenly became clear, rumbling like thunder on the river. A soldier on the observation tower nearby shouted: "Jiangxia Army is defeated!"

    Everyone looked towards the river in the distance, and saw more than thirty warships speeding towards the northwest. The red and yellow war flags on the first warship were the Jiangxia warships seen more than an hour ago. Originally, there were two hundred warships.  There were more than fifty warships, but now only more than thirty were left. The Jiangxia army returned with a disastrous defeat.

    Dozens of burned warships at the mouth of the Caohe River sank to the bottom of the river, blocking the waterway and preventing the Jiangxia military warships from retreating to Chaisang City. Of course, they had no intention of retreating to Chaisang City. Huang She led the last few dozen ships  The warship sailed north in panic and fled towards Wuchang County.

    Two or three miles east of the defeated ship, the huge Jiangdong navy appeared, together with the Jiangxia warships they captured. They were densely packed, their sails covered the sky and the sun, covering the entire river, forming an extremely powerful scene.  Seven hundred warships were arranged in seven teams, stretching for dozens of miles.

    "There are at least 20,000 troops!"

    Xu Shu said to himself, and it could be seen that he was also a little nervous. This was actually the first time he encountered a war. He was really not sure whether he could win in the end.

    Liu Jing also had a solemn expression on his face. He could see that the Jiangdong Army was bound to win over Chai Sang, even at the cost of dispatching tens of thousands of people. He wondered who was the commander-in-chief of the Jiangdong Army now, could it be Lu Su.

    Liu Jing turned around and saw fear on the faces of his soldiers. This was understandable. Most of these soldiers were new recruits and had never seen any big war scenes. Of course they would be scared. Isn't Liu Jing also nervous?  ?

    Liu Jing quickly walked to the big drum, picked up the drumsticks, and started beating the drum hard, ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  'The sound of huge drums resounded throughout the city.

    Immediately afterwards, countless large drums also started beating,The uplifting drums echoed over Chaisang City. Amidst the confidence-inspiring drums, the confidence of the soldiers defending the city began to gradually recover. Many people's eyes were no longer fearful, but turned into a desire for war.

    The Jiangdong Army ship docked at the pier. Groups of soldiers stepped off the ship and began to quickly assemble in the wilderness in front of the pier. Within an hour, 20,000 troops gathered into four square formations, with flags like clouds and swords and guns like forests.  The soldiers of the Jiangdong Army were in neat armor and had high morale.

    The four phalanxes of 5,000 men were full of murderous intent. The Jiangdong Army attacked Chaisang City several times, sending tens of thousands of troops at once. This time was extremely important to them, and they were bound to win.

    Lu Su, surrounded by more than a dozen generals including Xu Sheng and Ling Tong, stood on horseback on a mound, looking at Chaisang City two miles away.

    "Wen Xiang is sure that the commander of Chaisang City has changed?" Lu Su glanced at Xu Sheng and asked.

    Xu Sheng hurriedly stepped forward and saluted: "I captured several wounded prisoners of war who were not dead. I learned from them that Zhou Ling was dead. The current guard is Liu Jing, Liu Biao's nephew, who is quite famous in Jingzhou."  .

    Lu Su nodded, "I have also heard of this man. He is a promising young man, but he has just taken over the power of Chaisang and may not be able to convince the public. We can be polite first and then attack!"

    He turned around and ordered his soldiers to say: "Send me a letter to Liu Jing. If he surrenders, I promise to release him back to Xiangyang. If he dares to resist, once the Jiangdong Army enters the city, not only will his life be in danger, but also  The defenders of Chaisang will also be killed, leaving no one alive."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 141, The Second Bloody Battle

    [Please vote for recommendation!  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    On the top of the city, a messenger anxiously presented the letter to Liu Jing. He was very scared, fearing that Liu Jing would behead him in anger.

    Liu Jing opened the letter and saw the beginning: 'Lu Zi, deputy commander of the Jiangdong Navy, pays tribute to Mr. Jing'

    It turned out to be Lu Su. Liu Jing read the letter slowly and couldn't help but sneer in her heart. She asked him to surrender and promised to let him go back. Is this the so-called "courtesy first, then soldier"?

    He pondered for a moment, then immediately turned around and ordered: "Get paper and pen!"

    He immediately wrote a letter on the top of the city, sealed it with fire paint and handed it to the messenger, "Please give this letter to your governor. Everything I want to say is in it."

    The messenger accepted the gift and left. Xu Shu stood aside, feeling slightly surprised. He wondered why Liu Jing wrote a letter to Lu Su. Could it be that Lu Su would accept the letter and withdraw his troops?  He didn't want to ask too many questions, but he was worried that Liu Jing would be confused for a moment and do something weak, which would affect the morale of the army.

    At this time, Liu Jing straightened her back and shouted loudly to the soldiers at the top of the city: "Today is a moment to create history. Let the shame of Jiangdong Army be forever engraved on the wall of Chaisang City. Today, each of us will become a hero."  £®

    Thousands of soldiers and armed civilians were watching Liu Jing silently, and everyone's eyes were shining brightly.  Their blood began to boil, and courage burned in their breasts.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the mound, Lu Su took Liu Jing's letter from the messenger and ordered his surroundings, "Give him ten taels of gold and go down and rest!"

    The messenger thanked him profusely and withdrew. Lu Su then opened Liu Jing's letter and read it carefully with squinted eyes.

    ¡®Liu Jing of Jingzhou addressed to His Excellency the Governor of Jiangdong Lu:

    Jing has heard for a long time that Your Excellency is a generous and faithful man. In the past, when Gong Jin was short of food, Zi Jing shouted and gave it to each other, which became a good talk. He also said to Wu Hou: "The Han Dynasty cannot be revived, and Cao Cao cannot be eliminated. It is a general plan, and the only way is to stand up."  Jiangdong to see the world.  ¡¯ This is a golden and good saying, which shows that Zijing has a great talent for insight into the world.

    ?? Since the Lord is a man of faith and a man of great talent, why is he so unwise this time and commits theft like a rat, only to be manipulated by a thief?

    Cao's thief traveled north to Hebei, but was unable to go south, so he ordered Xiahou Dun to station troops in Nanyang to contain Xiangyang, forcing Jingzhou to be unable to go eastward, and attracting chaos from Jiangdong. This is Cao's thief's plan. Once Jiangdong and Jingzhou compete, both sides will suffer, and Cao's thief will surely win.  The profit of a fisherman, the pros and cons of this, I hope the public will know clearly.

    Although Jing is a junior, he knows the righteousness. Cao Cao is eyeing the north and is powerful. No Jingzhou or Jiangdong family can stop him alone. Jing sincerely hopes that the Sun and Liu families will put aside their past grudges, put aside their grudges, and join hands to fight against Cao's thieves to protect Jiangnan.  The people were protected from the ravages of Cao¡¯s army.

    Jing knew that Duke Lu was a loyal man with a lofty vision and was by no means a mediocre person. He hoped that the Duke would persuade the Marquis of Wu to reconcile the two families and work together to fight against Cao's thieves and support the Han Dynasty.  £®  £®  £®  £®  ¡¯

    After reading this letter, Lu Su felt ups and downs in his heart. On the one hand, he was certainly surprised at how Liu Jing knew what he said to Wu Hou.

    On the other hand, Liu Jing's letter of joining hands to fight against Cao Cao's thieves also touched Lu Su's heart. He also knew very well that Cao Cao was their real enemy. The battle between Jingzhou and Jiangdong ultimately gave Cao Cao an advantage.

    Liu Jing just sent a letter to him to withdraw his troops. This was a bit too rash, and he could not express it to his master.

    Lu Su handed the letter to Xu Sheng and Ling Cao, "This is a letter written by Liu Jing. You should also read it!"

    Xu Sheng took the letter and read it, thoughtful and silent, but Ling Cao said angrily: "Liu Jing, you just want us to retreat with a letter. This is too much bullying. Commander, please order an attack on the city!"

    Lu Su glanced at Xu Sheng again, "What are Wen Xiang's thoughts?"

    Xu Sheng handed the letter back to Lu Su, sighed and said: "Actually, I think his words are somewhat reasonable, but Wu Hou's order is here. You must obey it. Commander, if you don't fight for a long time, your morale will decline. Order the attack on the city."  !¡±

    Lu Su nodded slowly. No matter what Liu Jing said was reasonable, the arrow to attack Chaisang was already on the string and had to be fired. He pointed his horsewhip at Chaisang City and resolutely issued an order: "Attack the city!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ A huge war drum sounded.

    'Woo¡ª¡ª' The low horn sound resounded throughout the earth, and 10,000 Jiangdong troops took the lead in going into battle. They came like a tide, holding shields in their hands and carrying hundreds of city ladders several feet high. They fought bravely one by one, shouting  The sound of killing shook the sky.

    They were carrying long wooden planks, which would be spread across the two-foot-wide moat and used as bridges. Ten thousand Jiangdong troops rushed over. Without probing the attack, they directly launched a fierce attack.

    On the top of the city, two thousand defenders and three thousand civilian soldiers stood on the top of the city. The defenders looked coldly and raised their bows together.Arrow, but the three thousand civilian army was a little frightened. The overwhelming Jiangdong army outside the city made each of them couldn't help but tremble.

    But the war had broken out, and they jumped into the battle without hesitation. Three thousand civilian soldiers were responsible for pulling the trebuchet and operating the stone cannon. The huge trebuchet was about two feet high, with a stone bag hanging on the back of the long arm, and was pulled by fifty people.  It can throw a hundred kilograms of boulders two to three hundred steps away.

    Liu Jing watched with cold eyes as the dark enemy troops rushed forward. The Jiangdong soldiers preparing to attack the city were followed by the ladders. The enemy troops had already entered within 300 steps. Liu Jing waved his long sword and gave the order, "Launch!"

    Drums were beating loudly at the top of Chaisang City, and fifty trebuchets were launched at the same time. The long arms were swung out, and boulders weighing eighty or ninety kilograms were thrown into the air. Dozens of boulders were spinning in the air, whizzing and smashing into the dense crowd.  crowd.

    ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ The huge boulder crashed down and rolled among the crowd, and blood-stained dust rose into the sky. More than a dozen people were smashed into bloody pieces, which was horrific. The huge boulders smashed into the crowd one after another, and there were screams one after another.

    The dense boulders also hit the siege ladder at the same time, ¡®Crack!  ¡¯ A siege ladder was hit, and the ladder broke into several pieces. Dozens of people carrying the ladder fell down one after another.

    The siege ladder of Jiangdong Army is simple and practical, with exquisite workmanship. It has hinges and wedges. It can be folded and placed on the boat so that it can be attacked at any time.

    The Jiangdong Army even brought ladder boats, which were ladders installed on the boats. They sailed under the water gate and soldiers could climb up the ladders directly from the boats. At this time, the Cao River had been dredged, and ten siege ladder boats were slowly moving forward.  Heading towards the water gate.

    But no matter how strong the siege ladders were, they could not withstand the rapid impact of boulders. In just a hundred steps, nearly half of the siege ladders were destroyed by boulders, but there were still more than fifty siege ladders gradually approaching the city wall.

    In the sky, huge boulders were tumbling, roaring and hitting the ground. In a short period of time, the trebuchets and stone cannons launched four rounds. Hundreds of boulders were shot at the enemy group, causing huge casualties of more than 2,000 people. However,  Jiangdong's army did not stop, they rushed into the bow and arrow range.

    The defenders on the city fired arrows like rain, and two thousand arrows were fired at Jiangdong Army intensively. Soldier arrows were used to defend the city. They were longer and heavier than cavalry arrows. When shot from a high place, they would carry their own weight with them.  The enemy troops are extremely lethal.

    Jiangdong's army raised their shields to meet them. The shields of Jiangdong's army were wooden shields, which were strong and strong. However, they could not withstand the crossbow arrows at close range, nor could they withstand the heavy arrows.

    Although most of the shields barely withstood the arrows, many shields were still penetrated by arrows, killing the enemy soldiers behind the shields. Soldiers screamed and fell down one by one.

    A siege ladder approached the city wall, ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, rubble flew everywhere, and the first siege ladder was set up on the top of the city.

    Immediately afterwards, more than thirty siege ladders were set up on the top of Chaisang City. Thousands of Jiangdong soldiers rushed up like a swarm of ants, slashing with knives, stabbing with spears, and shooting with arrows, desperately rushing to the top of the city.

    Arrows rained down on the city like dense rain, rolling logs and stones fell like hailstones, knives and spears were stabbed, and flesh and blood flew everywhere. Jingzhou Army soldiers used long forks to fork the ladders and pushed outwards. A long ladder was pushed out and backwards.  After flipping down, a series of shrill screams came from the ladder.

    The Jiangdong Army under the city began to counterattack. Arrows were fired at the top of the city like dense rain. Jingzhou soldiers were continuously shot and fell from the top of the city screaming, and the casualties gradually increased.

    However, the continuous projection of stone cannons and trebuchets left Jiangdong Army soldiers with nowhere to hide, resulting in heavy casualties. At this time, only by storming the city and destroying the trebuchets could the threat above them be completely eliminated.

    The towering siege ship also gradually approached the city head, but about a hundred steps away from the water gate, it was unexpectedly stuck.

    The reason is that there are several sunken ships under a foot of the water, which prevents the siege ship from moving forward, but this distance is exactly the range of the rocket.

    As the rockets were launched, dozens of burning rockets drew smokey arcs in the air and shot toward the first siege ladder ship.

    At the same time, it was accompanied by ¡®Bang!  boom!  ¡¯ sound, the stone cannon above the water gate was also fired, and more than thirty smooth polished boulders were shot at the enemy ship. The force was so strong that the ladder installed on the bow was smashed to pieces.

    In an instant, the sails of the ship were ignited by rockets, and the fire burned rapidly. The soldiers on the ship jumped into the water to escape.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The fierce battle at the top of the city reached a fever pitch. In the east of the city, General Pan Zhang led a group of Jiangdong soldiers to attack the top of the city. Liao Hua screamed and came with more than a hundred defenders for support. The two sides fought to the death in the narrow city top.

    The sword slashed, the spear stabbed, Liao Hua slashed with the sword, the neck of a Jiangdong soldier was chopped, blood spurted out, and the body fell heavily into the city.

    Another Jingzhou defender¡¯s heart was pierced by the tip of a spear, and he let out a heart-rending scream. He used his last strength to jump down the city together with the enemy soldiers who killed him.

     The bloodshed of war is vividly displayed at this moment, and human life is as humble as grass.

    At this moment, people turned into beasts, their cowardice and kindness disappeared, everyone's eyes flashed with a vicious light, and there was only one thought in their hearts: killing.

    The crisis in Chaisang City gradually became apparent. Pan Zhang led a dozen strong soldiers to guard the place where the battle ladder climbed to the city, causing Jiangdong's army to continuously surge up from here.

    The balance of power between the two sides is constantly changing. From Liao Hua leading more than a hundred people against more than 90 Jiangdong troops, it gradually turned into more than 200 Jiangdong troops fighting against the defenders. Liao Hua and his men began to gradually become exhausted.

    "Hurry and report to the Young Master, I need reinforcements here, I can't hold them anymore!" Liao Hua roared, and a soldier rushed towards the west of the city.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 142: A critical moment

    On the river west of Chaisang, a fleet of eighty clippers was speeding due east, with colorful brocade sails hanging on the lead ship. Although after Ganning surrendered to Jingzhou, such colorful brocade sails had already been seen on the Yangtze River.  disappeared.

    But today, it appeared on the river again. The ships in front of it all gave way in shock, and Gan Ning stared sharply ahead.

    His hair was disheveled, his long black hair fluttering in the wind, his lapels spread out, revealing the bronze muscles on his chest. He stood on the bow of the ship holding a pair of halberds, looking rough and mighty.

    Next to him sat a young man as thin as a monkey. He was Hou Wu sent by Liu Jing to deliver a message to Gan Ning. Hou Wu was smart and capable, familiar with the journey, and lived up to Liu Jing's trust. He soon found Gan Ning.  rather.

    Hou Wu sat aside, looking at Gan Ning in awe. He was so tall, mighty, fierce and elegant. He was the hero he admired most, far more than King Zuo of Jiangxia. Now he was actually sitting in the same boat with him and so close to him.

    Hou Wu's heart was in chaos. He seemed to have turned into a stone monkey and remained motionless for two whole hours.

    "Brother, there are still twenty miles before we reach Chaisang City!" On the mast, one of Gan Ning's sworn brothers shouted loudly.

    Gan Ning nodded, turned around and ordered: "Raise the blood flag and order the brothers to prepare for battle!"

    A bright red pennant appeared on the top of the mast, which was a semaphore order to prepare for battle. Then more than 80 clippers also raised blood flags one after another.

    The fleet rode the wind and waves and sailed quickly towards Chaisang City.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although trebuchets and stone cannons brought heavy blows to Jiangdong's army, Jiangdong's army was powerful and invested 15,000 people to attack the city. As a result, trebuchets and stone cannons gradually lost their sharp defensive effect, and more and more Jiangdong troops were attacked.  The army attacked the city.

    The pressure on the west city is even greater than that on the east city. A section of the city that is about 20 feet long is full of dangers. The Jiangdong Army with two siege ladders broke through the defenses and attacked the city. It was like opening a gap, and more than two hundred people surged in an instant.  Go up to the city and control this section of the city wall, making the defense of Chaisang extremely dangerous.

    At this extremely critical moment, Liu Jing led more than 300 people to support him, and fought fiercely with more than 500 Jiangdong troops who rushed to the top of the city. The two sides were crowded together in a fan shape. People were crowded and bumped into each other, and they could no longer be used.  Long weapons can only be chopped with knives, stabbed with daggers, poked with arrows, or even smashed with fists and bitten with teeth.

    People kept wailing and fell to the ground, maybe they were only slightly injured, but they were soon trampled alive and suffocated to death. Screams came one after another, dead bodies were everywhere, and the city was stained red with blood.

    Liu Jing's eyes were red and his voice was hoarse. He kept shouting at the top of his lungs: "Don't step back, don't take a step back!"

    Several siege ladders outside the city were filled with dense Jiangdong Army soldiers. They just had nowhere to climb the city. As long as the defenders on the city retreated a little, hundreds of people would immediately attack the city and Chaisang City would be overwhelmed.  go.

    Both sides have no way out, it just depends on who can persist to the end. In fact, the situation of the defenders of Chaisang City is extremely critical. If they can't fight back the enemy troops rushing to the city, they will soon collapse.

    At this time, a soldier rushed over and shouted in a tearful voice: "Sir, Dongcheng can't hold on any longer. General Liao is asking for support!"

    Liu Jing was sweating profusely on his forehead, and his body and face were covered in blood. He looked around and yelled: "Let Wang Tai come and see me!"

    Wang Tai was responsible for commanding the civilians. At this time, the civilians were also in chaos. At least half of them could no longer face the bloody killings, so they secretly escaped from the city and hid in their homes. This is a necessity of human nature. Only after long-term training can they become steel.  Only in this way can one become a truly qualified warrior.

    They were temporarily recruited and trained for only two or three days. It might be possible for them to deal with Xu Sheng's thousands of people, but facing the attack of 20,000 Jiangdong troops, it is obviously unrealistic for them to regard death as if they were dead and fight to the end.

    Wang Tai commanded more than 600 people to defend the middle section. The pressure here was much smaller than that at the east and west ends. It was not the focus of Jiangdong's army's attack, and no Jiangdong army attacked the city. However, fierce fighting still existed, with more than a dozen siege ladders in the middle section.  During the attack, arrows from both sides rained down, and rolling logs and rocks fell like hail. Soldiers on both sides continued to suffer casualties, and screams resounded throughout the city.

    "General Wang!"

    A soldier rushed over and shouted to Wang Tai: "Young Master has an order, I order you to go there immediately."

    Wang Tai told a village leader a few words and ran towards the west of the city with sweat on his face.

    "Please give me your orders, sir!" Wang Tai ran to Liu Jing, panting.

    "How many civilians are left?" Liu Jing asked anxiously.

    Wang Tai looked back at the civilians beside the stone cannon and trebuchet. He thought for a moment and said, "There are about six hundred people left."

    Liu Jing is not too lateThe order said: "All the civilians have joined the battle and can be divided into two. You lead 300 people to reinforce the West City and push Jiangdong's army down the city. The remaining 300 people are handed over to me and I will go to support the East City."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Wang Tai rushed away, and more than 600 civilians were quickly divided into two. Wang Tai led 300 people to increase the defense of the west city, while Liu Jing led the remaining 300 people to kill the east city.

    At this time, Dongcheng Liao Hua's troops were gradually unable to support him. He only had about 60 people left, while Jiangdong Army had increased to more than 300 people. Seeing that the defense on the eastern front was about to collapse, at this extremely critical moment, Liu Jing led a group of  A new force arrived in time.

    "Brothers, follow me and fight in!"

    Liu Jing shouted sternly, waving the spear in his hand, and rushed into the enemy group. The big spear flew, and he appeared and disappeared. He overthrew three enemy generals in a row, and forcibly opened a bloody path, so that the reinforcements and the remnants of Liao Hua merged into one.  .

    The general's leading role greatly boosted the morale of the Jingzhou defenders, and the offensive was like a tide. The Jiangdong army was forced to retreat steadily. People kept rolling down the city. Even Pan Zhang couldn't support it and retreated towards the city with a sharp ax in his hand.

    With just a cup of tea, all Jiangdong's troops who had attacked Dongcheng were driven out of the city. The crisis was finally resolved. At this time, Liu Jing shouted to Liao Hua: "I will defend Dongcheng. Go and support Wang Tai!"

    Liao Hua was so impressed by his admiration for Liu Jing that he clasped his fists and saluted, "Follow the order!" He led more than 20 people to Xicheng to help Wang Tai.

    At this time, Liu Jing picked up the drumstick and once again beat the war drum that Zhao Yun taught him. The sound of the drum was earth-shattering: 'Dong-dong-dong!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The sound of the drums became more and more urgent, and the sound of the drums echoed over Chaisang City. Every sound of the war drums struck the hearts of the Jingzhou soldiers, boosting their morale and fighting spirit.

    On the top of the city, the battle situation began to reverse. Groups of civilians who had fled down the city returned to the top of the city. They mustered up their courage and joined in the defensive operations to defend the city.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the hill, Lu Su looked at the fierce battle on top of the city and frowned. It had been an hour and a half and Chaisang City had not yet been taken. Seeing that the casualties were becoming more and more severe, he silently estimated in his heart that the casualties had already been  Close to four thousand people.

    If you add the more than a thousand casualties suffered by Xu Sheng a few days ago, the loss will exceed 5,000 people. Lu Su did not expect such heavy casualties. How could he explain this to Marquis Wu?

    At this time, Xu Sheng stepped forward and whispered: "Captain, the morale of our army is already declining, but the morale of the enemy is high. It is estimated that this wave of offensive will not be successful. It is better to withdraw first and rest before fighting again, otherwise the casualties will be even greater."  big."

    "no!"

    Ling Cao said decisively on the side: "Fifteen thousand people attacked the city, and the enemy army was only a few thousand people. They were killed and retreated. If the news spreads, it will make Jiangdong Army lose face. Please give me five thousand reinforcements from the governor. I will be there."  Capture Chaisang within half an hour. If you fail, I am willing to be punished by military law!"

    As soon as Ling Cao finished speaking, there was a shouting from behind. Everyone turned around in unison, only to see that the river behind them was already filled with flames and thick smoke billowing into the sky.

    The place where the fire was lit was the anchorage of their ships storing grain and grass. Lu Su was shocked and asked around, "What's going on?"

    A soldier rushed over and reported urgently: "Alert to the Governor, the Jinfan thief Gan Ning arrived with more than a thousand people and killed him. The defenders of the water stronghold were defeated. They broke into the water stronghold and set fire to it. All the grain storage ships were occupied.  Burned down, emergency situation!"

    Everyone looked at each other in shock when they heard this, and Xu Sheng said anxiously: "Captain, Gan Ning is brave and good at fighting. He has a long-standing reputation. It is difficult for ordinary people to defeat the enemy. If we don't return our troops to defend, I'm afraid all the ships will be burned!"

    Lu Su looked pale. He knew that Gan Ning had surrendered to Liu Biao and that he was the guard general of Yangxin County. He must have come to help Liu Jing.

    Lu Su was in a dilemma. After a long while, he sighed and gave the order to withdraw: "Withdraw troops and return to the water stronghold!"

    'when!  when!  when!  ¡¯

    The rapid sound of the golden bell sounded, which was the order for Jiangdong's army to withdraw its troops. Gan Ning's unexpected sneak attack caused heavy losses to Jiangdong's army, and Lu Su was forced to order his troops to withdraw.

    Jiangdong's army retreated like a tide. Looking at the retreating Jiangdong soldiers and the fire in the enemy's water stronghold, the city was filled with joy.

    On the top of the city, Liu Jing stood with a gun in hand. He also saw the thick smoke and flames on the river. This must be Gan Ning coming to kill him. He was so excited that he could no longer restrain his inner emotions. Hot tears fell from his eyes.  Welling in eyes.

    Only in an almost desperate war can one deeply appreciate the value of reinforcements. When he needed support the most, Gan Ning finally arrived.

    At this moment, Liu Jing felt a sense of rebirth like a phoenix's nirvana.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    When Jiangdong¡¯s army retreated to the ships, Gan Ning¡¯s fleet disappeared on the river, but he did not go far away.It's hiding somewhere, patiently waiting for the opportunity.

    If the river is also a hunting ground, then Gan Ning is undoubtedly the best hunter in this hunting ground. He leads his men like a pack of the most cunning wolves. They will not conflict with their opponents head-on, but look for opportunities to devour them with one strike.

    In the cabin, Lu Su was distracted, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. In just one and a half hours, his army's casualties had reached 4,100. This number shocked him deeply. More than half of the casualties were caused by the opponent's trebuchets.  Enter the stone cannon.

    Including Xu Sheng¡¯s loss of more than a thousand people, there were 5,200 casualties. This was the heaviest casualty for Jiangdong Army in recent years. What¡¯s more important is that Chaisang City has not yet been captured.

    Lu Su didn¡¯t know how to explain this casualty to his lord, let alone how Zhang Zhao and others would angrily scold him.

    At this time, Xu Sheng¡¯s voice came from the door, ¡°Captain, can I come in?¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 143 Jiangdong Retreats

    Lu Su sighed, "Come in!"

    Xu Sheng quickly walked into the cabin, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "Greetings to the Governor!"

    Lu Su sat down and waved his hand, "Wen Xiang, please sit down too!"

    Lu Su is only in his early thirties this year, but he looks a little older. He looks like he is forty years old. He and Xu Sheng have a very good personal relationship. They are not only superiors and subordinates, but also gentlemen.

    "Wen Xiang, tell the truth, do you think Chaisang City can be defeated?" Lu Su asked, looking at Xu Sheng.

    Xu Sheng smiled bitterly, "We still have more than 15,000 people, and Chaisang's defenders are less than 3,000. We can certainly capture it, but we will lose at least another 5,000 people. Can the governor bear it?"

    Lu Su was stunned. He didn't understand what Xu Sheng meant. Xu Sheng explained: "Three thousand of them were lost during the siege, and two thousand were casualties in dealing with Gan Ning. Also, our food and grass were almost completely burned."  , It can only last for two days at most, so the governor must make a decision immediately. "

    Lu Su was extremely embarrassed. He hoped that Xu Sheng would just tell the truth, but in fact he also understood that Xu Sheng's estimated losses were not an exaggeration. If Liu Jing fought against a trapped beast, their losses would probably be even greater.

    "If that's the case, our losses will exceed 10,000. Marquis Wu cannot accept this result in any case. Even if we capture the Jiangxia Army, we will not be able to make up for the heavy casualties." Lu Su's smile was full of bitterness.

    "That's why I came to persuade the governor."

    Lu Su looked at Xu Sheng for a long time, and then he understood what he meant, "Wen Xiangare you trying to persuade me to withdraw my troops?"

    Xu Sheng nodded slowly, "If Gan Ning had not appeared, I would not have persuaded the governor to withdraw his troops. But if Gan Ning appeared, the situation of the battle would change. In fact, I said that taking Chaisang would be the best result, but I am afraid that Huang  If Zu is killed unexpectedly, the consequences will be serious."

    Lu Su lowered his head and thought for a moment, then looked at Xu Sheng and said, "You seem to have something in your words?"

    Xu Sheng nodded, "In fact, Liu Jing was the biggest beneficiary of this battle at Chaisang. His killing of Zhou Ling meant the break between him and Huang Zu, and also marked the beginning of Liu Biao and Huang Zu's fight for Jiangxia."  , in the days to come, Chaisang City will inevitably be full of all kinds of overt and covert struggles. As long as we pay close attention to the changes in the situation, we still have a chance to capture Chaisang City. However, this time, we have lost more than 5,000 people. If we continue to fight,  Even if Chaisang is captured, the governor will not be able to explain to Wu Hou. "

    Lu Su walked to the window with his hands behind his back and stared at the river from the small window. For a long time, he sighed: "But even now, I can't explain it to Marquis Wu."

    At this time, rapid footsteps were heard outside the cabin, and a soldier reported outside: "Report to the Commander-in-Chief, Marquis Wu has an urgent order!"

    Lu Su was startled and said quickly: "Send it to me quickly!"

    A soldier entered the cabin and handed Sun Quan's order to Lu Su. Lu Su opened the order and looked at it. He froze a little. After a while, he said with a bitter look on his face: "The mother of the country died of illness, and the lord ordered to stop attacking Chaisang."  , Withdraw troops back to Soochow!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In May of the seventh year of Jian'an, Sun Quan's mother died of illness, and everyone in Soochow mourned. Sun Quan ordered to stop the battle of Chaisang. On the night of receiving the withdrawal order, Jiangdong's fleet withdrew from Chaisang, and a battle began for Chaisang.  , and ultimately ended with heavy casualties on both sides.

    In this battle, the Jiangdong Army suffered more than 5,200 casualties and lost more than a hundred ships of various types. The defenders of Chaisang City also suffered nearly half of their casualties. Chaisang City was shrouded in sadness in the miserable wind and rain.

    But it was this sudden battle that enabled Liu Jing to firmly control Chaisang. This strong riverside city became Liu Jing's first foundation.

    The gate of Chaisang City opened wide, and Liu Jing led Xu Shu, Liao Hua, Wang Tai and other more than 20 civil servants to welcome them out. Outside the city, Gan Ning and his more than a thousand brothers had been waiting for a long time. Gan Ning stepped forward and  He knelt down on one knee and saluted, "I am humbled by my humble duty, but the rescue came late and frightened the young master. Gan Ning's sin is unforgivable!"

    Liu Jing hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, and said with great sincerity: "Brother Gan came to my rescue when I was in the most critical moment. Liu Jing can only feel grateful. Brother Gan's kindness will be remembered in my heart!"

    When Gan Ning saw him calling him Brother Gan, he was quite moved and sighed: "Compared with your kindness to me in Fancheng, what is this? It's just a little effort for me, but I'm afraid that if I'm too late, the city will fall.  Even death is not enough for me to atone for my sins.¡±

    Liu Jing laughed, "We two, you don't want you to thank me, I will thank you. This will never end. I'll introduce some of my subordinates to Brother Gan!"

    He pulled Xu Shu over and said with a smile: "This Xu Yuanzhi, a famous scholar in Yingchuan, is now in charge of military affairs for me."

    Gan Ning hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "I have heard long ago that Xu Fu in Yingchuan was a heroic hero. Gan Ning has always admired him. I am lucky to see you today."?¡±

    Xu Shu's real name is Xu Fu. He was a master of swordsmanship and a good chivalrous man. Four years ago, he killed people for justice and fled to Xiangyang. He changed his name to Xu Shu and abandoned martial arts to pursue literature. However, many people still know his background, even Gan Ning has heard about it.  .

    Xu Shu chuckled and exchanged a few polite greetings. He neither denied that he was Xu Fu nor admitted it. He was just grateful to Gan Ning for his timely assistance.

    At this time, Liu Jing pulled Liao Hua up again, "This General Liao is also my right-hand man. He has made great contributions in defending the city this time!"

    Gan Ning was stunned for a moment. Of course he knew the Zuo King of Jiangxia. The two of them were sitting together to negotiate the boundary the year before last. Liao Hua scratched his head with an embarrassed look on his face. The two looked at each other and suddenly laughed together.  stand up.

    Liu Jing then realized that the two of them should have been familiar with each other for a long time, and he couldn't help laughing. This was really interesting. Jiang Xia's two bandit leaders, land and water, were used by him at the same time.

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Everyone got along well with each other soon, and the group of people surrounded Liu Jing and entered Chaisang City.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although a tragic and bloody battle to defend Chaisang ended with the withdrawal of Jiangdong's army, the wine of victory brought to Liu Jing was not sweet. The Chaisang defenders also suffered heavy casualties, especially the civilians who assisted in defending the city.  The Second World War resulted in nearly 2,000 casualties.

    After the passion of victory, there was a sound of sadness hanging over Chaisang City. Almost every household hung up white flags to mourn the relatives who died in the war. The distribution of pensions and rewards was carried out in an orderly manner, and the remaining wood  All coffins have been made and delivered to the homes of every fallen soldier in time.

    "Mr. Jing, this is the same!"

    Liu Jing, accompanied by the county magistrate Zhu Xun, is going door to door to express condolences. Zhu Xun is a native of Chaisang and the eldest grandson of the Zhu family, the second richest family in Chaisang. His wife is Tao Li's eldest daughter.

    The Zhu and Tao families are married to each other and support each other. They both prosper and suffer. There is a saying in Chaisang, "The Tao family's boats are the Zhu family's cattle." In other words, the Zhu family has the most land, and it is true that the Zhu family has the most land.  In this way, nearly 30% of the land near Chaisang City belongs to the Zhu family.

    Due to the Tao family's full support for Liu Jing, the Zhu family naturally did not fall behind. In this battle to defend the city, the Zhu family provided 15,000 shi of food. Because of this, Liu Jing also looked at the Zhu family in a different light, making him  Zhu Xun assisted Xu Shu in handling the aftermath.

    Zhu Xun pointed to a small courtyard hung with white flags and whispered: "This family's surname is Zhou. They have ten acres of farmland outside the city. They also rent thirty acres of land from the Zhu family. I remember that their family has two  Son, I don¡¯t know who was killed.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "Go in and have a look!"

    Zhu Xun stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a moment, the door opened. It was a middle-aged man in his fifties with tears in his eyes. He recognized Zhu Xun and was startled. He quickly knelt down and said, "Xiaomin  I didn¡¯t know that Magistrate Zhu was coming, please forgive me!¡±

    Zhu Xun quickly helped him up, pointed at Liu Jing and said, "Master Jing saw the white flag hanging above your door, so he came to visit you."

    Hearing that Mr. Jing came to visit him, tears flowed from the man's eyes. He knelt down and cried, "Thank you Mr. Jing for your comfort and for protecting your home. Even though the dog dies with no regrets!"

    Liu Jing helped him up, his eyes were a little red, and he sighed: "The battle was fierce. I failed to protect your son. I should be the one to apologize to you."

    "Young master has tried his best, and you can still come to visit him after his death. The old man is only grateful!"

    The man let Liu Jing into the yard. There was a newly made coffin in the yard. An offering table was placed at one end, with incense, wax paper sticks and various sacrifices. Several women and children were kneeling in front of the coffin and crying.  There was also a young man in his mid-twenties standing, whispering persuasion. It was obvious that the person killed in the battle was the second son of this family.

    Except for one family, almost all the neighbors came to help. The yard and rooms were full of busy people. At this time, a large group of people walked into the yard. They were so frightened that they all ran away. The crying woman was also  Helped to the side, everyone looked at Liu Jing silently. This young master Jing, who was already famous in Chaisang City, had actually become the new master of Chaisang.

    At this time, Liu Jing slowly walked forward, stood in front of the coffin, and silently stared at the young soldier who died. Suddenly, Liu Jing knelt down on one knee and solemnly gave a military salute to the soldier.

    A low exclamation suddenly sounded in the yard.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    One family after another offered condolences. It was almost dusk. Zhu Xun, who followed Liu Jing all the way to express condolences, was quite surprised. Master Jing actually knelt down for every fallen person, whether he was a soldier or a civilian. Regardless of his status or dignity, he expressed his condolences to each and every one of them.  The most sincere respect was expressed to the fallen.

    Zhu Xun didn¡¯t understand it at first, but gradually, he saw with his own eyes that every family member had no resentment.?Only moved by Liu Jing's sincerity and endless gratitude to Liu Jing, Zhu Xun finally understood that Liu Jing used his respect and sincerity for the deceased in exchange for the gratitude and loyalty of the Chaisang people to him.

    Zhu Xun suddenly had a clear understanding in his heart that this young Master Jing might be a descendant of the Liu family who could achieve great things.

    As night fell, there were still many people who had not arrived. At this time, Zhu Xun could no longer bear the physical fatigue and said to Liu Jing: "Master, according to Chaisang's custom, the deceased must stay at home for three days, and tomorrow will be the day after tomorrow."  You can continue to express your condolences to the family.¡±

    Liu Jing glanced at him and saw that his face was full of exhaustion. He was so tired that he could hardly walk. Then he realized how tired he was and quickly said apologetically: "I'm really sorry for letting Zhu County Cheng follow me for a busy day. That's it for today."  , let¡¯s continue tomorrow!¡±

    Zhu Xun blushed and said, "The official is not in good health. I let you down."

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, actually I¡¯m exhausted too.¡±

    Liu Jing chuckled, then he remembered something again and asked Zhu Xun: "How do Jiangdong Army deal with the casualties?"

    Zhu Xun said quickly: "I went to ask specifically just now. I completely followed the instructions of the young master. The injured soldiers treated their injuries. The bones of the dead were burned and put into clay pots. Their names and birthplaces were engraved on the bamboo slips and put in together."  The clay pots are handled with care.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "Tomorrow we will ask the monks to help them save the souls of the dead."

    "Yes! I will take care of it tomorrow."

    Liu Jing gave him a few more instructions, then turned his horse's head and headed towards Tao Mansion.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 144: Tao Mansion pays filial piety

    [In the hot summer, book friends should take care of themselves. Lao Gao has been ill for a week, and the pain is indescribable. In a word, pay attention to prevention]

    =====

    Today is the seventieth birthday of the old man of the Tao family, but what ushered in was a massive siege by the Jiangdong Army. The bloody killings and the mourning all over the city were definitely an ominous sign for an old man's birthday, and the Tao family was forced to cancel  Happy birthday this time.

    All signs and words related to the birthday will be cancelled, and all the guests who come to celebrate the birthday will also receive a generous gift as an apology from the Tao family. After the battle, the guests left Chaisang one after another, and the Tao Mansion  It finally quieted down.

    Liu Jing didn't know that the birthday celebration had been cancelled. He just arrived at the door of Tao's Mansion on horseback, but unexpectedly found that there was also a white flag hanging on the door of Tao's Mansion. This made him startled. Today was Tao Lie's seventieth birthday. How could Tao Lie  The mourning flag was also hung at home, which was not auspicious. Who in the Tao family was gone?

    He urged his horse to the gate, turned over and dismounted, but suddenly he saw Tao Zhan running out of the gate, wearing sackcloth and mourning, with tears on his face. Liu Jing's mind suddenly went blank. What was going on?

    Tao Zhan rushed to Liu Jing, covering her mouth with her hands, tears falling. She wanted to restrain her sadness, but in the end she burst into tears, "My mother she died of illness!"

    Liu Jing then thought of Tao Zhan's mother and felt sad. He had prepared gloves and masks just for Tao Zhan's mother, but in the end they were not put to use. Tao Zhan's mother was not able to return home and died of illness.  In the temple.

    Liu Jing patted her hand and wanted to say something, but couldn't say anything. He had to sigh and help her walk towards the house.

    "My mother was chanting my name at the last moment, but I failed to stay by her side. II am an unfilial daughter"

    The more Tao Zhan cried, the sadder he became. He kept blaming himself. Liu Jing could only comfort her softly and said, "I can't blame you. It was Jiangdong who attacked Chaisang. The city was blocked and you couldn't get out. Besides, you visited her before."  Mother, your mother should understand what you mean and won¡¯t blame you, and neither will anyone.¡±

    "But my mother left alone without any family around her. How painful it was for her" Tao Zhan choked and couldn't speak anymore. She closed her eyes in pain and let the tears fall down her beautiful face.  Roll down.

    Liu Jing no longer tried to persuade her, but just held her hand and sat silently beside her, accompanying her. After a long time, Tao Zhan calmed down a little, and then he realized that Liu Jing had been holding his hand.  Hand, she blushed, quickly pulled her hand back, and took out the handkerchief to wipe her tears.

    After a while, she whispered again: "Father said that my mother's coffin cannot be kept for a long time. It will be buried early tomorrow morning. I will go to the temple tonight to keep her vigil."

    Liu Jing nodded to comfort her and said, "I will accompany you to watch the funeral tonight!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although Tao Zhan¡¯s mother was the mistress of Tao Mansion, she was deeply respected by everyone in Tao Mansion. Even Tao Lie liked this daughter-in-law very much.

    But because she died of an epidemic, the Tao Mansion did not dare to take her coffin back to the Tao Mansion. It could only leave it in the temple. Even the mourning hall was arranged in the temple. Even the custom of keeping the coffin in Chaisang for three days before burial was ignored.  , and had to be hurriedly buried early the next morning.

    At this time, more than a hundred people from Tao Mansion went to the temple to keep vigil, making the mansion deserted, especially the east courtyard, which was originally full of guests paying birthdays. As soon as the war ended, the guests fled Chaisang one after another. In just two hours  Most of the guests left.

    In the afternoon, news came that the mistress of the Tao Mansion had died of illness. The remaining guests heard that she had died of an epidemic, and they were so frightened that they left in a panic. When it got dark, only Liu Jing and him were left in the east courtyard.  several of his subordinates.

    In fact, most of Liu Jing's men lived in the Chaisang military camp. They all held positions above the rank of chief and controlled Chaisang's army. Only Liu Jing and Xu Shu temporarily lived in the entire east courtyard.

    In the room, Liu Jing paced slowly with his hands behind his back. He pondered for a while and said to Xu Shu: "The top priority now is to keep the civilians and convert them into regular troops. We must ensure that Chaisang City has three thousand permanent troops."

    "Are you worried about Huang Zu?" Xu Shu felt a trace of worry in Liu Jing's heart.

    Liu Jing nodded, "Chaisang has always been a strategic town in Jiangxia, and it is also extremely important to Huang Zu. From the fact that Huang She personally led 5,000 people to help, it is enough to see the status of Chaisang in Huang Zu's heart. In fact, I  It feels like Huang Zu would rather Chaisang be occupied by Jiangdong's army than fall into my hands."

    "Young Master's worries may indeed happen. However, at the beginning, Young Master promised the civilian husbands that once the war is over, they will be allowed to return home. Now that the war is over, Young Master does not want to let them go. Will it affect Young Master's credibility?"

    Liu Jing sighed, "That's what I'm thinking about"How annoying!  "

    Xu Shu shook his feather fan and said with a smile: "Actually, it's not impossible."

    Liu Jing was immediately overjoyed and asked anxiously: "How do you say this?"

    "Young Master can take this step in two steps."

    Xu Shu stroked his beard and said with a smile: "The first step is to tell the people that Jiangdong's army will not come again, and there will be no war in the next few years, so as to reassure them; the second step is to lure them and give them money and food benefits, and then  Let them make their own choice. I think that as long as it is profitable, most civilians will stay and join the army. Anyway, they stay voluntarily and it has nothing to do with the Young Master's promise. Others have nothing to say. "

    After a pause, Xu Shu continued: "Actually, I care more about Gan Ning. He is a rare talent. You must not let him run away."

    Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "I still plan to let Gan Ning go to Yangxin County. In fact, Huang Zu mainly controls the riverside of Jiangxia County, and in the hinterland of Jiangxia, his control is weaker. I want to fight Huang Zu with just a piece of firewood."  Not so with Sangcheng. As long as Gan Ning goes to Yangxin County, he can occupy the hinterland of Jiangxia for me in a year. With Huang Zhong's support and the hinterland of Jiangxia as my support, I can force Huang to death step by step.  Ancestor, capture Jiangxia.¡±

    "In fact, the young master can let Liao Hua go to Yangxin County, keep Gan Ning by his side, and let Liao Hua go to the hinterland of Jiangxia to quell the bandits. With his qualifications as the Zuo King of Jiangxia, he can easily quell the bandits and recruit at least three to five thousand people. At the same time,  It¡¯s also good for Liao Hua¡¯s reputation, what do you think?¡±

    Liu Jing did not think about the benefits of quelling the bandits. Xu Shu reminded him with one sentence. Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "Let me think about this matter again."

    At this time, a report came from the yard, "The Tao family has invited the young master to set off."

    Liu Jing nodded and said to Xu Shu: "I'm going to keep watch for Jiuniang's mother. I won't be back tonight. I also have to work hard to sort out the money and food to see how much I can have left after the pension.  "

    "Don't worry, sir! I will sort it out tonight and hand it over to you early tomorrow morning."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There were several carriages parked outside the Tao Mansion. Next to the carriages, Tao Lie, wearing a black cloak, was patiently waiting for Liu Jing. His expression was slightly complicated, and his old eyes were filled with confusion about the future of the family.

    ¡°So many things have happened these days, almost every one of them is closely related to the interests of the family, and every one of them has never been encountered by the family. Even people like Tao Lie who have experienced the vicissitudes of life feel powerless in their hearts and feel that there is nothing they can do.

    At this time, Liu Jing walked out of the house quickly, and the housekeeper of Tao Mansion hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Master Jing, the old master of the house has invited you."

    Liu Jing saw Tao Lie, nodded, walked forward, cupped her hands and said, "I've kept you waiting for a long time."

    In the past few days, Liu Jing led Chaisang's army and civilians to fight against Jiangdong's army, killing decisively and giving orders like a mountain. In addition, he had served as a military prince for several months before, and there was an invisible majesty in his every move.

    Tao Lie also felt this. Liu Jing was a little different from the first time he met him. This made Tao Lie suddenly realize that Liu Jing was about to become the master of Chaisang. Will he one day  Become the Lord of Jingzhou?

    But this thought just passed by for a moment. Tao Lie smiled slightly and said, "Sir, please get in the car! I may have news to tell you that interests you."

    Liu Jing and Tao Lie got on the carriage. The carriage started and drove quickly outside the city. Tao Lie's carriage was very wide. There were three rows in front and back of the carriage. The light was dim. Only the moonlight shone through the window, making the interior of the carriage slightly visible.  See a little outline.

    When the carriage left the city, Tao Lie sighed and said: "I received news from Jiangdong today that Wu Hou's mother passed away. The whole country in Jiangdong mourned. All entertainment and drinking are prohibited within a month."

    Liu Jing was startled by this news. He vaguely thought about the withdrawal of Jiangdong Army. Is this the reason?

    Sun Quan's mother was of course the mother of the country. When the mother of the country passed away, the whole country mourned. Entertainment and drinking were prohibited, and military warfare was naturally prohibited. Even if Sun Quan was not willing to give up Chaisang, at this time, he could only withdraw his troops in hatred.

    Liu Jing was almost certain that it was for this reason that Jiangdong Army was forced to withdraw.

    After thinking for a while, Liu Jing asked again: "Will the Tao family receive an invitation to attend the funeral?"

    Tao Lie nodded, "I attended both the funerals of Sun Jian and Sun Ce. I will probably receive the invitations tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Hey! I have to go there."

    Tao Lie said to Liu Jing again: "I plan to take Zhan'er and her brother with me when I go to Jiangdong this time. The Tao family also has their own mansion in Soochow, and it is Zhan'er's third uncle who is taking care of it. Don't worry.  ! I won¡¯t let her show up, and her aunt will take care of her, so nothing will happen.¡±

    Originally, it was Tao Lie's decision to let Tao Zhan go to Soochow for temporary refuge, but unexpectedly, Liu Jing intercepted Tao Zhan again, which made Tao Lie feelIt was difficult to handle. He also realized that Liu Jing would have to agree to send Tao Zhan away. Tao Lie wanted to discuss this matter with him tonight.

    Liu Jing was also a little stunned. He didn't expect that Tao Lie wanted to talk to him about this. He thought for a while and asked with a smile: "I don't quite understand why Jiuniang must be sent away and left in Chai."  Can't Sang? If the Tao family is worried that Huang Yong will hurt Jiuniang, I don't think there is any need to send her away. "

    Liu Jing had heard from Tao Zhan before that because Huang Yong went to Chaisang to harass her, the Tao family had to send her to her aunt's house in Dongwu for temporary refuge. Is the Tao family still worried about Huang Yong this time?

    Tao Lie heard that there seemed to be something in Liu Jing's words. He hesitated and asked, "I heard that Huang Yong's whereabouts are unknown. Does it mean that the young master knows his whereabouts?"

    Liu Jing laughed, "I might as well tell the old family owner frankly that Huang Yong is buried near the school grounds. In a few days, I will take his head to Xiangyang."

    This unexpected news made Tao Lie's eyes widen.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 145: Parting is Like River Water

    Tao Lie never expected that Huang Yong would be killed by Liu Jing. For a moment, he was surprised, happy, and worried at the same time. The news came unexpectedly, and he was not mentally prepared at all, so his eyes widened in disbelief.  Staring at Liu Jing, she was obviously a little out of sorts.

    Fortunately, Huang Yong brought great trouble to the Huang family. He broke into Tao's house several times armed with weapons in an attempt to snatch Jiuniang away. He smashed the door of Tao's house, injured Tao's people, and made Tao's family miserable.  After encountering great humiliation in Chaisang, Tao Lie hated Huang Yong deeply, but had nothing to do. Hearing the news of his death today, how could he not make Tao Lie extremely happy.

    But Tao Lie was a seventy-year-old man after all. He had an insight into the world and understood the pros and cons. He couldn't help but feel worried. Once Huang Zu knew that his son had been killed, could he let the Tao family go?  First Liu Cong was injured, which brought endless trouble to the Tao family, and now Huang Yong was killed, making Tao Lie even more upset.

    After a while, Tao Lie asked again: "Are you going to tell Zhou Mu about this?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "In a few days, I plan to go back to Xiangyang, bring Huang Yong's head to Zhou Mu, and explain clearly that Huang Yong hurt Liu Cong, so as to prevent me from being framed by villains."

    Tao Lie understood what he meant. The Cai family would probably make a fuss about Liu Cong being injured and blame it on Liu Jing, so Liu Jing couldn't be careless about this matter. But then again, if Liu Jing could explain it well  Perfection, can you help the Tao family get rid of this trouble?

    But this thought only passed by for a moment, and Tao Lie then thought that Liu Cong was injured by the Tao family after all, and it was a personal injury. The Tao family did have an unshirkable responsibility, and Liu Biao could not let the Tao family off so easily.

    "If we could pay a sum of money to settle this matter, it would be a great blessing for the Tao family.

    Thinking of this, Tao Lie felt sad for a while. He sighed and said: "I will keep Huang Yong's murder a secret, but this time I went to Soochow to pay my respects, so I decided to take Jiuniang away to avoid the limelight for a while.  Actually, it¡¯s for the sake of Young Master, please understand.¡±

    In fact, Liu Jing knew in his heart that Liu Biao would never agree to marry Tao Zhan. This incident would inevitably cause conflicts between his uncle and nephew. As long as Liu Biao did not force him to marry another woman, he did not want to premise Tao Zhan on Liu Biao for the time being.  things, so as not to affect his Chaisang plan.

    Tao Zhan's temporary departure is indeed not a bad thing for Liu Jing. At least it can avoid conflicts between him and Liu Biao. This is especially important when he first took over Chaisang. Liu Cong was injured by Tao Zhan. If Liu Cong spoke out to retaliate  Please, Mrs. Cai is blowing the wind on the pillow again, Liu Biao may not be able to stay awake.

    Tao Lie has insight into people's hearts and sends Tao Zhan away in time, avoiding the Tao family's embarrassment between himself and Liu Biao, which shows Tao Lie's good intentions.

    And since Tao Zhan¡¯s mother passed away, according to filial piety, she would not be able to get married within a year. Thinking of this, Liu Jing finally nodded, "I just hope that she will be safe in Jiangdong and not be favored by a powerful person in Jiangdong."

    Liu Jing let go, and Tao Lie's heart finally dropped. He chuckled, "Don't worry! We also have a mansion in Soochow, and I won't let her show up."

    "Then when will the old master plan to set off?"

    "Without further delay, I plan to leave at noon tomorrow. In addition to Jiuniang, her brother Tao Zheng will also go to Soochow with me."

    Tao Lie suddenly felt that Liu Jing's silence seemed to be reminding him of something. He thought about it, and then he suddenly realized it. He smiled and said slowly: "I will be gone for at least three months, and at most half a year, but I have already given instructions to the eldest son.  "At present, the Tao family is in charge. If you have any requests, just ask him and the Tao family will help you."

    Liu Jing nodded, this is what he wanted.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Before dawn the next day, Tao Zhan's mother was hurriedly buried amidst the cries of her relatives. She was buried deep in Biyungang on the south bank of the Yangtze River. This was her favorite place with beautiful scenery during her lifetime, and now it has become her  's resting place.

    After bidding farewell to her mother for the last time, Tao Zhan was about to board the ship and leave Chaisang for Jiangdong with her grandfather. At this time, Tao Zhan's heart was filled with sadness of separation. She was reluctant to leave her mother, nor was she willing to leave Liu Jing.

    But she finally understood that staying by herself would only make it difficult for the family to face the conflict between Liu Jing and Liu Biao, and would also make Liu Jing offend her uncle for her own sake. She was reluctant to give up, but finally boarded the ship to Jiangdong.

    On the big boat, Tao Zhan was wearing a snow-white dress, with beautiful eyebrows and watery eyes. She had a plain face and black hair without any modification, which made her appear to be untouched by the world and as beautiful as a fairy. She felt sad for her mother and loved her husband.  Parting made her eyes full of sadness.

    She stared at Liu Jing for a long time. His heroic and strong-profile face made her feel an attachment that was difficult to let go. His bright and firm eyes gave rise to infinite expectations in her heart. She looked forward to one day that she would be able to be famous.  Guang got married and took him as his wife.

      The big ship started and slowly moved eastward along the current. Tao Zhan stood at the stern of the ship, waving to Liu Jing and saying goodbye. At this moment, she finally couldn't help herself, and tears welled up from her eyes.

    Liu Jing stood on the shore, silently watching the big ship go away. The beauty at the stern of the ship, with her long skirt like snow, looked like a white lotus blooming in the summer afternoon.

    Liu Jing slowly opened the plain paper in his hand, and a line of beautiful small words appeared in front of his eyes: "My heart is like gold and stone, my sword cannot break it, my heart is like a river, I miss you without turning back, I hope you will achieve your ambition, and your promise will weigh thousands of mountains."  .  ¡¯

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Huang Zu, the prefect of Wuchang City, smashed an inkstone on the ground, ¡®Bang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, the inkstone shattered, and ink splashed everywhere.

    Accompanied by Huang Zu's roaring roar, "You still have the nerve to come back, but you have lost your troops and generals, and Chaisang City has been occupied by Liu Jing. Do you know that I, Huang Zu, will one day die without a trace of death!"

    Huang She knelt on the ground, dejected and silent. He had really fought this battle in vain, not only losing three thousand troops, but Chai Sang, whom he rushed to aid, had actually been captured by Liu Jing. Zhou Ling charged him with collaborating with the enemy.  He was executed by Liu Jing.

    Huang She was frightened by his father's outburst. He had to bow his head and confess, "My child is guilty and is willing to be punished by his father!"

    At this time, Huang Zu's chief aide Jiang Qi advised him: "Calm down the governor. The change in Chaisang happened so suddenly. No one could have imagined that Liu Jing would take advantage of Jiangdong's army to attack Chaisang overnight and seize power overnight. In addition, Chaisang City was blocked."  According to the news, it is completely understandable that the young master does not know the truth, and we have been fighting with the Jiangdong Army for many years, and both sides have won and lost. This time the Jiangdong Army has the upper hand, and it is normal for the young master to lose. The prefect should not blame the young master too much, he did his best. "

    ¡°In fact, Huang Zu didn¡¯t know that it was a bit far-fetched to blame the eldest son for this matter, but Chai Sang¡¯s fall made him extremely angry, and at the same time, it also made him feel an indescribable fear.

    Liu Jing's theft of Chaisang means that Liu Biao has driven a wedge into Jiangxia. Chaisang's strategic position is extremely important, which is much more serious than Yangxin County being occupied by Gan Ning.

    In fact, if I want to blame him, I blame Huang Zu for being too careless. He knew that Liu Jing was in Chaisang, but he only left 500 people for Zhou Ling. This gave Liu Jing the opportunity to seize the opportunity, and the Tao family. If the Tao family did not support Liu  Jing and Liu Jing could not seize military power. Huang Zu was so angry that his teeth itched, and he wanted to cut that old man Tao Lie into pieces with a thousand knives.

    At this time, Huang Zu was filled with anger, but he couldn't find anyone to vent to, so he had to vent all his anger on his son.

    Jiang Qi¡¯s persuasion made Huang Zu¡¯s anger calm down a bit. He glared at his son fiercely and asked, ¡°Also, where did your brother go? Have you sent someone to look for him?¡±

    Huang She felt that his father's tone had softened slightly, and he quickly said: "Haier has sent people to look for him, but there is no news yet. Boy is a little suspicious. He may be imprisoned in Tao's house."

    Huang Zu shook his head, "Impossible!"

    Huang Zu knew very well that although the Tao family secretly assisted Liu Jing, they did not have the courage to detain his son. Huang Yong would definitely not be with the Tao family.

    Huang Zu secretly thought: ¡®Is it because he injured Liu Cong and knew that he was causing great trouble, so he hid and wanted to escape the limelight before coming out.  ¡¯

    Although this is very possible, Huang Zu is also worried about another possibility, that is, his son is dead. Maybe his son went to Liu Jing and was killed by him. Huang Zu knew that Yong'er would not let Liu Jing go, so  Once Liu Jing seizes the opportunity, will he let his son go?

    Huang Zu was extremely anxious. He was worried about his son's life and death, and also worried about Chai Sang's life and death. Both of them were suffering together, which made Huang Zu's heart a mess. He waved to his son, "You go down first!"

    Huang She stood up and resigned respectfully. After the guards had packed away the fragments of the inkstone and the room became quiet, Huang Zu gritted his teeth and said to Jiang Qi: "I want to send troops to recapture Chaisang immediately. What do you think?"

    Jiang Qi was startled and hurriedly advised: "The governor should calm down. There are no advantages or disadvantages in attacking Chaisang now. Don't be impatient."

    Huang Zu was really impatient, and he wanted to lead his troops to recapture Chaisang immediately, but after all, he was not Huang Yong, and his age was here. Jiang Qi's words made him feel a little more rational, and asked: "Why is there no evil in a hundred evils?"  profit?"

    Jiang Qi sighed and said: "Now that Liu Jing has just defeated Jiangdong's army, his reputation is extremely high, and his morale is high. If the prefect has few troops, he may not be able to capture Chaisang. Once the prefect invests heavy troops in Chaisang, Liu Biao or Jiangdong will seize the opportunity."  , this is one of them.

    Secondly, Chaisang belongs to Jiangxia, and many of the soldiers have relatives and friends in Chaisang. Attacking Chaisang without any reason will make the governor notorious for rebelling against Jingzhou, and will also arouse the resentment of the soldiers, which will be extremely harmful to the reputation of the governor.  unfavorable.

    In the end, attacking Chaisang also means that TaiHe and Liu Biao completely turned against each other. Is the prefect ready?  "

    Jiang Qi's words of persuasion pierced Huang Zu's heart, and Huang Zu finally calmed down. After a while, he asked bitterly: "Then what should I do? Just watch Chai Sang being stolen by Liu Jing?"  "

    Jiang Qi smiled slightly, "I think the prefect's top priority is to reconcile with Liu Biao, stabilize Liu Biao, and get help from the Cai family. No matter what, he can't fall out with Liu Biao, and he can't let Liu Biao find an excuse to send heavy troops to Jiangxia while waiting.  Once the opportunity comes, we can capture Chaisang instead of attacking by force. As long as our army enters the city, Liu Jing will be defeated. "

    Huang Zu finally listened to the advice. He nodded slowly, "As long as I can keep Jiangxia, what if I pretend to be a grandson for once? I will leave for Xiangyang tomorrow."

    "Aren't you afraid that Liu Biao will detain you in Xiangyang?" Jiang Qi asked worriedly.

    Huang Zu shook his head and laughed disdainfully, "Who else knows Liu Biao better than me? If he dares to detain me, he won't be Liu Biao."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 146 Cai Family¡¯s Thoughts

    Xiangyang, Prefecture Mufu, Zhang Jin, the first famous doctor in Xiangyang, was led into the living room of the inner house by a guard. Zhang Jin was about forty years old and was a younger brother of Zhang Ji, a famous doctor in Nanyang. His father, Zhang Bozu, was also a famous doctor and had profound family knowledge.  , coupled with Zhang Jin's long-term medical practice and rich experience, he was eventually hailed as the first famous doctor in Xiangyang, and he also served as the medical director of Xiangyang.

    Zhang Jin walked into the living room with a heavy heart. There was no one in the living room. There was a bamboo curtain hanging with a maid standing on each side of the bamboo curtain. Through the gap in the bamboo curtain, Mrs. Cai's figure could be faintly seen.

    Behind the bamboo curtain, Mrs. Cai was holding a tea cup and was worried. In the past few days, Liu Biao went to Nanjun to inspect and was not in Xiangyang. Liu Cong was sent back to Xiangyang four days ago and is currently being treated in the mansion. Liu Cong's injury was given to  This was an extremely heavy blow to Mrs. Cai. She knew very well that her husband would never make a useless son his heir.

    But she will never give up. She will never give up until the last moment. More importantly, she cannot tolerate Liu Qi being the master of Jingzhou. She must find a way to reverse the unfavorable situation.

    At this time, Zhang Jin knelt down and bowed, "Your Majesty, Zhang Jin, pay my respects to my lady!"

    "Zhang Yizheng, how is Mr. Cong's injury?" Mrs. Cai asked in a calm tone.

    "Reporting to Madam, Mr. Cong is alive and well, but his injuries are very serious. I'm afraid"

    "What are you afraid of?" Mrs. Cai asked.

    Zhang Jin sighed, "I'm afraid I won't be able to have children."

    The living room suddenly became quiet, and the atmosphere became extremely solemn. Zhang Jin felt a little uneasy. After all, Liu Cong's injury was a bit difficult to talk about. Would she be unhappy if he mentioned this in front of Mrs. Zhou Mu?

    After a long time, Mrs. Cai slowly said: "You are the best famous doctor in Xiangyang. You should understand the principle of 'treating a patient for three years'. Now you just take a quick look and you can confirm that he is infertile? Are you like this?"  How can Zhou Mu accept it, Zhang Yizheng, I can¡¯t say things like you.¡±

    Zhang Jin is the number one doctor in Xiangyang and is well-informed. He could tell Liu Cong's injuries at a glance. His kidney veins were broken. How could he have sex again, let alone have children? But Zhang Jin also understood.  What Mrs. Cai meant was that she was not allowed to say anything, but she had to leave a little hope.

    Zhang Jin is extremely smart and well versed in the ways of officialdom. Since Mrs. Cai has reminded him like this, how could he not be interested.

    After pondering for a moment, Zhang Jin added: "Of course, there is no terminal disease in the world. It only depends on the skill of the doctor. After all, Mr. Cong was only injured by a kick and did not see the blood of the sword. If he is treated carefully, he may be able to regain his vitality in a few years. Next  The officer really can¡¯t say anything.¡±

    Mrs. Cai nodded. She was quite satisfied with Zhang Jin's attitude. She winked at the maid next to her. The maid came forward with a silver plate. In the plate was a jade plaque. Mrs. Cai smiled lightly and said: "This piece  I'll give you the jade token. Use it to get five hundred taels of gold from the housekeeper of Liu's house."

    ¡®Five hundred taels of gold!  ¡¯ Zhang Jin was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly, ¡°Thank you, madam, for the reward!¡±

    Mrs. Cai smiled and simply made her words clear, "I hope that when Zhou Mu comes back, you must let Zhou Mu understand that Mr. Cong's illness can be cured, but it will take time. Do you understand what I mean?"

    Zhang Jin sighed secretly in his heart, why didn't he understand what Mrs. Cai meant? Since the money had been accepted, he had to do what Mrs. Cai said, "The official will give Zhou Mu a gratifying answer."

    "It's not a happy answer, it's a positive answer!"

    Mrs. Cai's tone became stern, "Zhang Yizheng, I don't want to kill anyone, but if you don't handle this matter well, you will not be the only one who dies!"

    The naked threat made Zhang Jin sweat on his forehead and feel chills on his back. After a while, Zhang Jin whispered: "I understand, please leave first."

    "Go!" Mrs. Cai said coldly.

    Zhang Jin stood up to say goodbye. Mrs. Cai thought for a moment and then immediately ordered: "Prepare the carriage, I want to go to Caili outside the city!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Under the cover of night, a carriage, protected by more than a dozen mounted guards, was speeding towards Caili in the west of the city. This was a large and majestic carriage, with only a dozen guards wearing helmets and crowns.  This shows the dignity of the carriage owner.

    The owner of this carriage is none other than Mrs. Cai. On the carriage window, Mrs. Cai's pale face appears and disappears, and her pretty eyes are full of worry and gloom. In just three days, Mrs. Cai's pale face appears and disappears.  This is the third time that my wife has gone to her parents' house.

    All this is for Liu Cong, she must convince her brother to continue to support Liu Cong. Since the news of Liu Cong reached the Cai family, Cai Mao's attitude towards Liu Cong has changed a little, and her daughter is not allowed to visit Liu Cong in the Prefecture Mufu.

    Although it was just a subtle change, Mrs. Cai had already realized that something was wrong. I am afraid that her brother had already thought that Liu Cong had no possibility of having an heir and was ready to give up on him. This was absolutely impossible.She couldn't allow it. She had to convince her brother to marry Shao Yu to Liu Cong as originally planned.

    Although she also knows that this is a bit unfair to Shaoyu, Mrs. Cai no longer cares about her children. She only considers her own interests and the interests of the family.

    Yesterday and the day before yesterday, her brother Cai Mao refused to see her on the excuse of being ill. Mrs. Cai knew what her brother meant. Today she stopped going to see her brother and went directly to her second uncle Cai Xun. She believed that her second uncle could convince her brother Cai Hao.

    The carriage stopped in front of Cai's old house, and He, the wife of Cai Huan, Cai Mao's younger brother, came out. They only exchanged greetings. Mrs. Cai didn't have much time, so He led Mrs. Cai directly to the back house.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Why would Madam want to come to see the old man today?" Cai Xun asked Madam Cai with a smile in the room.

    Mrs. Cai bowed respectfully, "Currently, the information about this matter has been blocked, but it is related to the prosperity and survival of the Cai family. My niece must get the support of her second uncle!"

    "What happened?" Cai Xun's smile disappeared and his eyes narrowed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Mao has been quite troubled these days. His eldest son Cai Yi came back from Chaisang and brought him an unacceptable news. Liu Cong was seriously injured after being kicked by Huang Yong. Chaisang's famous doctor diagnosed that he might have a kidney meridian.  If it is broken, it means that Liu Cong has lost the most important thing in a man.

    Cai Mao was annoyed and upset at the same time. He was annoyed because Liu Cong was a playboy. He clearly wanted to marry his own daughter, but he had his mind set on the daughter of the Tao family. He was jealous of Huang Yong and was beaten seriously. Cai Hao also heard about Huang Yong.  Cruel and stupid, simple-minded, and never considering any consequences, Liu Cong was seriously injured for a woman, and finally harmed his own daughter, which made Cai Hao not angry.

    At the same time, he was also upset. Huang Yong's injury to Liu Cong was bound to intensify the conflict between Liu Biao and Huang Zu, which put the Cai family in an embarrassing situation.

    But this is not the most serious problem. The most serious problem is that the Cai family has bet the family's future on Liu Cong. Now that Liu Cong has become a useless person, how can Liu Biao make him his heir again? In this way, how can the Cai family put their hopes on Liu Cong again?  Place your trust in Liu Cong.

    ¡°And Cai Mao doesn¡¯t want his daughter to marry Liu Cong again. Wouldn¡¯t that harm her daughter¡¯s life?

    Therefore, when Mrs. Cai came to visit him twice, Cai Mao refused to see her. He knew that his sister came to intercede with Liu Cong. At this time, he did not want to have anything to do with Liu Cong. This was also to express his dissatisfaction with Liu Cong.

    In the room, Cai Mao was listening to the advice of his son Cai Yi.

    "Father, I have made an agreement with Liu Cong. The situation was chaotic and it was dark at night. He actually didn't see clearly who the other party was. He couldn't be sure whether it was Huang Yong. Moreover, Mr. Cong had never seen Huang Yong.  Brave.¡±

    "But you have met Huang Yong, haven't you?" Cai Mao added thoughtfully.

    "My child has met Huang Yong, but that happened three years ago, and it was at night. That Huang Yong didn't speak. My child only thought that he looked a bit like Huang Yong. I'm not sure he was it. Maybe he was pretending to be Huang Yong."  Maybe Yong."

    "You mean that the Tao family found someone to impersonate Huang Yong, that's impossible! Give the Tao family ten thousand courages, they wouldn't dare to hurt Zhou Mu's son"

    Speaking of this, Cai Hao suddenly understood what his son meant. He looked at his son in shock, "You meanLiu Jing!"

    Cai Yi nodded slowly, "Don't you think this is a clever plan, father? It can exonerate Huang Yong and deal with Liu Jing at the same time. It can be said to kill two birds with one stone. What does father think?"

    Cai Mao's eyes slowly lit up. He didn't expect his son to come up with this bold idea. Although it was absurd, it was reasonable.

    Cai Mao also knew that Liu Jing liked the daughter of the Tao family. It can be explained that Liu Jing secretly hated Liu Cong for proposing to the Tao family and ordered someone to pretend to be Huang Yong and injure Liu Cong. There was no need to say it explicitly. With a little guidance, Liu Biao would naturally propose to the Tao family.  While thinking, this is indeed a good opportunity to deal with Liu Jing.

    At this moment, a report from the housekeeper came from outside the door: "Master, the master of the house is here. I have something to see you!"

    The head of the old family is Cai Xun, Cai Mao's uncle, the former head of the Cai family and the actual person in charge of the Cai family. Cai Hao hurriedly said: "I'll pick him up right now!"

    Cai Xun did not need to report, he had already arrived at the back house in a hurry. At this time, Cai Mao hurried over with his son Cai Yi. The father and son knelt down and saluted, "Nephew, meet my second uncle!"

    Cai Xun waved his hand and said: "You're welcome, get up!"

    Cai Mao got up, took his second uncle to his study, respectfully asked him to sit down, and served him tea. Then he smiled and asked: "Second uncle is here so late, what's the matter? In fact, I just need to send a message, my nephew."  I will go see my second uncle."

    "I heard you are sick?"

    Cai Xun took a sip of tea calmly and glanced at him again. The implication was, 'You are not sick!  ¡¯

    Cai Mao's heart suddenly moved. He only told his sister that he was sick. How did his second uncle know? Could it be that his sister went to find his second uncle?

    At this moment, Cai Hao suddenly understood that his second uncle must be here because of Liu Cong's affairs.

    However, he was also about to discuss Liu Cong's matter with his second uncle. It was of great importance. Cai Hao felt that he had been undecided. Maybe his second uncle could give him a good idea.

    Cai Mao also said frankly and honestly: "Does the second uncle know about Mr. Cong?"

    "I just learned that Mrs. Zhou Mu came to see me just now."

    As expected, it was her younger sister who found her second uncle. Cai Mao felt secretly resentful in his heart. He bit his lip and asked, "Did my second uncle reach any consensus with her?"

    Cai Xun shook his head, "I can only say that she came to me for the benefit of the family. There is no consensus reached. I want to ask you what you think?"

    Cai Mao pondered for a long time and said: "Master Cong has become a useless man. I think it is impossible for Liu Biao to make him his heir again. He has no value to the Cai family."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 147: Deceiving the superiors and concealing the truth from the inferiors

    Cai Xun remained calm and said slowly, "You mean you are ready to support Mr. Qi, right?"

    In fact, Cai Hao didn't think it through completely. He just hated Liu Cong and was angry that he wouldn't fight. But the fact is here. If he doesn't support Liu Cong, he can only support Liu Qi.

    But the question arises again, will Liu Qi accept the support of the Cai family?  To put it bluntly, even if Liu Qi accepted the support of the Cai family, but he married a daughter of the Kuai family, would the Cai family still be able to compete with the Kuai family?

    Cai Hao also knew that it was unrealistic to support Liu Qi, but he couldn't help but feel resentful towards Liu Cong. He was in a dilemma. In the end, he could only curse in a low voice, "That dandy kid really disappointed me."

    Cai Xun took a deep look at him and then said calmly: "When we supported him, we knew he was a dandy. Didn't we support him as the heir apparent just because he was easy to control? That's why he did anything  The Cai family should accept anything out of the ordinary.¡±

    Cai Mao sighed in frustration, "Even so, I feel so hateful when I think of his absurdity!"

    "I'm equally angry, but can hatred solve the problem? I heard from Mrs. Zhou Mu that Zhou Mu will be back tomorrow. Have you already thought about how to express the Cai family's attitude towards this matter to Zhou Mu?"

    Cai Hao lowered his head and said after a while: "I don't want to talk to Liu Biao about this matter tomorrow."

    "Okay! Even if you don't talk about it tomorrow, what about the day after tomorrow? If Liu Biao proposes that Liu Cong and Shaoyu get married, how will you respond?"

    Cai Xun stared at Cai Mao with sharp eyes, and did not let him go just because of his avoidance. On the contrary, his attitude became more severe and he pressed harder step by step.

    Cai Hao finally had nothing to say, so he could only shake his head and said with a bitter smile: "Second uncle, I don't know how to deal with it."

    "I don't know?"

    Cai Xun sneered, "You are the dignified head of the Cai family. At this critical moment that concerns the vital interests of the Cai family, you don't know how to deal with it. You can say this to me, but do you dare to say this in the ancestral hall?"

    Cai Xun's words were so serious that he actually moved the ancestors of the Cai family out, which scared Cai Mao into a cold sweat. Only then did he realize that his second uncle was seriously dissatisfied with him, otherwise he would not have come here in the middle of the night.

    "My nephew realizes his mistake. My nephew is willing to listen to my second uncle's teachings."

    Cai Xun stared at him for a long time, then snorted, "If you make a wrong decision, I won't be angry, but I will be angry with your attitude. Your sister came to you twice, but you refused to see her.  What do you mean? As a family leader, shouldn't you listen to the opinions of other family members? I talked with your sister today. I think her idea is very good, at least it is much better than your ignorance. You know her  What¡¯s your opinion?¡±

    Cai Mao lowered his head and said nothing. Perhaps Cai Xun also felt that his words were too harsh, so he softened his tone and said: "She has already told the doctor Zhang Jin that Mr. Cong only has damage to his kidneys. As long as he pays careful attention to treatment, he will be better in a few years."  He will recover. Look, your sister has found the key. As long as Liu Cong can recover, he will not be a useless person and can continue to inherit the position of state pastor. "

    "But in fact"

    Cai Mao wanted to explain, but Cai Xun interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "I know very well what the facts are. Now we can't let Liu Biao know the facts. We must make him believe that he can recover. Therefore, our Cai family must  Show sincerity, do you know what I mean?¡±

    Of course Cai Mao understands the sincerity of what his second uncle said, which is to marry his daughter Shaoyu to Liu Cong. This is his own daughter, and marrying a useless person will harm her for the rest of her life, right?

    "Second uncle, this is a bit too much for Shaoyu."

    "I also know that this is a bit unfair to her."

    Cai Xun's tone became gentler and he reassured Cai Mao: "Our purpose is to control Jingzhou, so that after Cao Cao's army goes south, the Cai family will get the maximum benefit. At that time, Cao Cao will not tolerate Liu Biao's nephew. When Liu Cong dies, Shao  Now that she is free again, if we help her find a good husband, we will be able to compensate her. For the sake of the family, let¡¯s wrong her first!¡±

    Although Cai Hao was still reluctant, he also knew that he had no choice but to nod, "So be it!"

    At this time, Cai Mao remembered his son's suggestion again and quickly said to his uncle: "This matter may be able to deal with Liu Jing."

    He then told Cai Xun his eldest son's suggestion and looked at Cai Xun as if asking for advice.

    Cai Xun nodded secretly, unable to see that this eldest grandson was also a vicious person, even more ruthless than his father. This method was actually not very clever.

    But Cai Xun did not object, and just said calmly: "Be more subtle about this matter. Neither you nor Yi'er can say too much. Let Liu Cong speak and let Liu Biao think of this possibility. This matter involves Huang Zu."  ??The Cai family cannot take any risks.  "

    "My nephew understands!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    According to the original plan, Liu Biao was supposed to come back three days later, but when he got the news that his son was injured in Chaisang, his lower body was injured. Liu Biao was shocked and hurried back to Xiangyang.

    But just when Liu Biao rushed back to Xiangyang, the news of Chaisang's victory had spread throughout Xiangfan. Liu Jing defeated Jiangdong's army in Chaisang, killing thousands of enemies, and firmly defended Chaisang City, which excited Xiangfan.

    Jingzhou and Jiangdong have always been old enemies. When Jiangdong defeats Jingzhou, or Jingzhou defeats Jiangdong, it will trigger violent reactions on both sides. The winner will be beaming with joy, while the loser will be dejected and vow to fight again. This time Jiangdong's defeat immediately makes Jingzhou rejoice.

    When Liu Biao and his party entered the city, Xiangyang City was full of gongs and drums, filled with the joy of celebrating victory.

    Liu Biao rode slowly on Xiangfan Street. On the east street, a group of more than 200 scholars were parading. They held victory flags and beat victory drums, attracting the attention of passers-by on both sides.  I heard them shouting:

    "Jinggongzi Chai Sang won a great victory, leading more than a thousand men to defeat the 20,000 Jiangdong Army!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Biao's worried face finally showed a smile of relief. While his son Liu Cong caused him endless troubles, his nephew Liu Jing saved him face. Not only did he successfully seize Chai Sang's military and political power, but he also led his army to retreat.  Jiangdong Army's attack.

    This was far beyond Liu Biao's expectation. He did not expect Liu Jing to gain a firm foothold in Jiangxia so quickly. In this way, he would take the initiative in the fight for Jiangxia. As long as he could keep Chai Sang, he would have a chance to compete with Huang Zu.  capital.

    The group arrived at the gate of the Prefectural Mufu Mansion and saw the gate from a distance. Liu Biao's joyful mood was suddenly overshadowed. He thought of his son Liu Cong. How was his injury?

    Liu Biao was so anxious that he got off his horse and ran towards the mansion. Mrs. Cai had heard the news of her husband's return and led a large group of maids and servants to welcome him out.

    "Welcome general back home!" Mrs. Cai smiled broadly and stepped forward to hold Liu Biao's arm.

    Liu Biao dotes on this young wife very much. Although he was very anxious at this time, he still managed to smile to his wife and said, "Madam, you have worked hard to support the family independently."

    "Didn't the general come back only later? Why did he come back three days early?"

    "Alas! When I heard about Cong'er, my heart was on fire, so I hurried back."

    Having said this, Liu Biao asked his wife in a low voice, "How is he?"

    "I invited many famous doctors, and each of them had their own opinions. However, Dr. Zhang had been treating her for four days and said that Cong'er's injury was not as serious as rumored, and she could recover after a period of conditioning."

    Liu Biao trusted the doctor Zhang Jin the most. He was relieved and asked quickly: "Is Zhang Jin still there?"

    "In the ward!"

    Liu Biao didn't care to ask any more questions and hurried to the ward.

    The ward is located in the inner house. It is an independent small courtyard with elegant scenery and very quiet. It has always been the place where Liu Biao used to recuperate.

    At this time, the small courtyard was filled with the pungent smell of medicine. There were more than a dozen maids sitting or standing in the courtyard, all of them trembling and uneasy. Just now, the lady scolded them.

    In the bedroom, Liu Cong was lying on the couch, his face was pale and he had lost a lot of weight. However, just in the morning, the doctor Zhang Jin said that the injuries on his lower body could be slowly healed, which gave him another glimmer of hope.  Not as desperate as before.

    There was a sound of footsteps, and Liu Biao, accompanied by his wife and Dr. Zhang, walked in quickly. Liu Cong suddenly saw his father, his eyes suddenly turned red, and he felt scared and wronged.

    "Father" Liu Cong called out with a trembling voice.

    Liu Biao looked gloomy. He had heard a little about what happened. It was said that Huang Yong, the son of Huang Zu, injured his son because his son wanted to marry a daughter of the Tao family as a concubine, and Huang Yong also wanted to marry a daughter of the Tao family.  He was jealous and cruel.

    This reason made Liu Biao extremely displeased. Thinking about it, his son was actually injured while fighting for a woman made him feel embarrassed.

    However, seeing his son's thin face and pitiful eyes, Liu Biao's heart suddenly arose spontaneously. He felt distressed and loving, and he had long forgotten his son's failure.

    He quickly stepped forward, held his son's hand, and asked lovingly: "Cong'er, how do you feel?"

    Liu Cong quickly glanced at Mrs. Cai. His stepmother was standing behind her with an expressionless face. She had a deep talk with him last night.

    His stepmother told him that the injury can be healed slowly, but he must not lose the opportunity to inherit Jingzhou's foundation because of it.??.

    Liu Cong was convinced, and he decided to cooperate with his stepmother's arrangements to tide over this difficulty.

    Liu Cong forced a smile, "Reply to my father, it's not a big problem, I understand in my heart."

    Liu Biao looked back at his wife. Mrs. Cai understood and turned around to go out. Liu Biao then opened the cup on Liu Cong's body, then opened his coat and took a look. His brows wrinkled, and they shrunk like a small broad bean.

    However, there was no bloody scene, so it was still complete. Liu Biao asked in a low voice: "Do you still feel it?"

    Liu Cong understood what his father meant and couldn't help but blush. He thought about what his mother had taught him. He could never admit that he was unconscious, so he whispered: "You will feel a little when you wake up in the morning."

    Liu Biao couldn't help but nodded when he heard what his son said was serious. This reassured him a little. He comforted his son a few more words, walked outside, sat down and asked Zhang Jin: "Zhang Yizheng, how is my son's injury?"

    Zhang Jin bowed and said: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, there is no external injury. It is probably just the damage to the kidneys. It can be recovered with good care."

    "How long will it take?" Liu Biao asked uneasily.

    Zhang Jin hesitated for a moment. At this time, Mrs. Cai's eyes immediately became stern. Zhang Jin shuddered with fright and said quickly: "This depends on Mr. Cong's physical condition. It can be as early as half a year or as late as two or three years. It will definitely  Can recover.¡±

    Liu Biao sighed slightly, "How could something like this happen?"

    He stood up and walked to the study, and Mrs. Cai followed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 148 Three Rumors

    Liu Biao returned to the study, and his wife, Mrs. Cai, followed him in, took off his robe for him, and said with a smile: "Actually, I was also worried about what happened to Cong'er, but he came back safely, so I was relieved. As for his injuries,  , just recover slowly, general, don¡¯t worry, there are only injuries that cannot be cured, and there are no diseases that cannot be cured. "

    Liu Biao nodded. What his wife said made sense. He sat down and said with some displeasure, "I'm angry because he's so ridiculous. I obviously asked him to appease the Tao family for me, but I didn't expect that he actually went to propose to the Tao family."  , I fought with Huang Zu¡¯s son over a woman, how can I lose face if word spreads about it?¡±

    Mrs. Cai smiled and said calmly: "I can only blame the Tao family's daughter for being so beautiful. I heard that even Jing'er wants to marry her, let alone Cong'er."

    "Jing'er?"

    Liu Biao was stunned. He didn't know anything about this. He couldn't help but frown and asked, "What's going on?"

    "I just heard from Shaoyu that Jing'er likes Tao Sheng's daughter. The last time the Huang family had a sword fight, it was actually because of her. As a result, Cong'er also fell in love with this woman, and it ended up being inappropriate."

    "Nonsense!"

    Liu Biao slammed the table and said angrily: "How can the nephew of a dignified state pastor marry a merchant's daughter?"

    Mrs. Cai was secretly happy in her heart, and quickly persuaded her hypocritically: "I just heard about this, so I may not take it seriously. Besides, young people are passionate about love. This should be understandable. Why should the general be angry?"

    Liu Biao was not stupid. He had always wondered why Liu Jing defended the Tao family so much and did not hesitate to deal with Zhang Yun for the Tao family. He originally thought Liu Jing was doing it for Chai Sang, but now it seems that he was doing it for the daughter of the Tao family.  How could Liu Biao not be angry?

    He paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. At first, Liu Jing refused to marry a daughter of the Cai family, and even said that he would marry Sun Quan's sister and Cao Cao's daughter. Now Liu Biao knew the real reason, which made him feel dissatisfied. If it was the Kuai family  He might be able to accept her daughter, but she is the daughter of Chaisang Tao.

    At this time, Mrs. Cai whispered from the side: "General, the Tao family is really responsible for this matter and failed to protect Cong'er. I just want to marry the Tao family's daughter to Cong'er as a concubine.  It¡¯s to calm Cong¡¯er¡¯s mind, and secondly, it can silence outsiders, what do you think, General?¡±

    Mrs. Cai proposed to marry Tao Zhan to Liu Cong. On the one hand, it was to retaliate against Liu Jing. On the other hand, it was also a test to see if Liu Biao was willing to cover up his son's ugliness. If Liu Biao had this idea, he could arrange the marriage of Shao Yu as soon as possible.  To Liu Cong.

    Liu Biao was a very face-conscious person, and he was also very worried about what outsiders would say about his son. Marrying his son with wives and concubines was indeed a good way to conceal the truth.

    Liu Biao was a little tempted by Mrs. Cai's suggestion. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly thought of Liu Jing, and waved his hand, "We will talk about these things later. I have to go to the state government office first. You can do as much as you can with Cong'er."  Have some fun!¡±

    Liu Biao changed his clothes and left in a hurry. Looking at her husband walking away, Mrs. Cai had a proud smile on her face. At least she was successful in the first step.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Night fell quietly. Ever since Liu Jing took leave to go to Chaisang, Fancheng military camp has been in charge of Liu Hu. However, this is only temporary. Liu Biao has appointed Wu Ju's son Wu Qing as the Fancheng military lord and will soon take over the military camp.

    This news made Liu Hu and others very worried. If Liu Jing is transferred, where will they go?

    In the military camp, Liu Hu was standing alone in front of the archery target practicing archery. He seemed to be in a bad mood and cursed. Several arrows flew away. He simply threw the bow to the ground and cursed: "What a broken bow?"  Damn it, I don¡¯t have a good bow!¡±

    At this time, a soldier rushed over and reported in surprise: "Brother Tiger, the military lord is back!"

    Liu Hu didn¡¯t react for a moment. He was stunned for a long time, then suddenly shouted and ran towards the gate of the military camp.

    From a distance, I saw Liu Jing leading his horse in from the camp gate, and Wei Yan, who was on duty at the city gate, was also following him. Liu Hu was so happy that his heart almost exploded, he jumped up and down and shouted: "Brother Jing!  Don¡¯t you want the tiger anymore?¡±

    He rushed forward, picked up Liu Jing, and turned around to run away. He was so powerful and so excited that Liu Jing couldn't break free for a while. Liu Jing was angry and funny, and shouted: "Tiger, you are going to make me look embarrassed."  ?"

    Wei Yan next to him was so frightened that he quickly grabbed Liu Hu. Liu Hu then let go. Liu Jing punched him in the shoulder and scolded him with a smile: "After all, I have been a village chief for a few months, why haven't I made any progress?"

    Liu Hu scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "I was excited for a moment, please don't be angry, Junhou."

    At this time, the soldiers came after hearing the news and gathered around Liu Jing. Everyone's face was full of excitement and excitement, and they also had a kind of respect for their superiors. Liu Jing's deeds in Chaisang had already spread throughout Xiangfan, and the soldiers  All heardSaid, everyone talked a lot and expressed their inner expectations.

    "Does the military prince want to return to Chaisang?"

    "Marquis, please take us to Chaisang! We are willing to follow you."

    Liu Jing looked at the faces full of expectation, and he was also moved in his heart. Most of these brothers had been with him through life and death in Xinye, and they all had deep feelings for each other. Although they had only broken up for half a month, he felt as if they had already broken up.  long time.

    This was mainly because the battle in Chaisang gave him a new life, which naturally gave him a sense of long-lasting nostalgia for his former military camp. Liu Jing waved to everyone one by one, and then smiled at an uncle and said: "Mr. Han  Ben, while I was away, did you take the opportunity to gamble?"

    The uncle hurriedly saluted: "Qi Junhou, I have never gambled even once in my humble position."

    After a pause, he added: "The main reason is that my wife knew that the military prince was not here, so she took me under control."

    Everyone roared with laughter. Mr. Han was famous for being henpecked. "Old man!" Someone shouted, "Did the money hidden in the soles of your shoes also be taken away?"

    Everyone laughed again, and Liu Jing couldn't help laughing. There were so many lovely soldiers, how could he be willing to give up.

    "Famous brother!"

    Liu Jing shouted to everyone: "After I come back this time, I will go to Chaisang to take up a post. If there are any brothers who are willing to come with me, I warmly welcome them. I, Liu Jing, promise to everyone that I will follow each of my brothers."  There will be a future!¡±

    There was silence at first, and then cheers sounded like thunder.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the room, Liu Jing and several important people discussed the matter of everyone going to Chaisang. Liu Jing first briefly told a few people about the battle of Chaisang.

    "What the military lord did this time was really unethical."

    Liu Hu thought that he had no share in this war, and couldn't help but said sourly: "You went to Chaisang to make a name for yourself, but you left us old brothers here to guard the house."

    Wei Yan couldn't help but kicked him lightly from below. Liu Hu's eyes widened, "Old Wei, it's useless for you to kick me. The chance is gone. Isn't it okay to just complain?"

    Wei Yan looked embarrassed and could only laugh twice. Liu Jing laughed and said: "This battle of Chaisang came so suddenly. I had no preparation in advance. Thanks to the Tao family's support of money and food, I was able to recruit some soldiers. Otherwise,  This time my life will be lost there too.¡±

    Liu Hu muttered, "I'm committed to you anyway, don't even think about getting rid of me again!"

    "alright!"

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hand, "Let's talk about it later! I plan to take all the brothers away this time, so I want to ask you to communicate more with the brothers to see what difficulties they have, such as Han Laoben's  My wife and children will definitely follow. How many such soldiers are there? I need to consider placing them."

    Liu Jing said to Shuzuo Lu Sheng again: "Lu Shuzuo, I will leave this matter to you. You will give me a report no later than the day after tomorrow."

    Lu Sheng nodded silently, "I understand."

    At this time, Wei Yan and several village commanders asked: "Junhou, what can we do?"

    "You have to do two things. One is to cooperate with Lu Shuzuo to understand the difficulties of the brothers, and the other is to stabilize the army and prevent people from deceiving the public with their evil words."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing¡¯s words of evil talk are not unfounded. Just when his reputation is at its peak and everyone is praising him for defending Chaisang and fighting against Jiangdong, there are also some discordant voices mixed in.

    There are rumors that Liu Jing's origin is unknown and he is not Liu Biao's nephew, but Cao Cao sent someone to pretend to be Liu Jing in order to seize Jingzhou.

    There is another rumor, also about Liu Jing, saying that Liu Cong was injured. In fact, Liu Jing sent someone to pretend to be Huang Yong, with the purpose of killing Liu Cong.

    There is also a third rumor: Liu Cong's lower body was ruptured and he could no longer have sex, making him a disabled person.

    Although these three rumors are not the mainstream of discourse, they have not subsided. They are always circulated among the praises, neither high-pitched nor low-key. Especially the third rumor is the most interesting, and everyone in Xiangyang is talking about it.

    Liu Jing heard these three rumors as soon as he arrived in Xiangyang. The third rumor had nothing to do with him, but the first two rumors made Liu Jing more vigilant. The rumor of injuring Liu Cong was expected by him. It must have been spread by the Cai family.  He wasn't worried.

    But the first rumor surprised Liu Jing. Its cruelty was far more vicious than the second rumor. When she first heard this rumor, Liu Jing suspected that it was spread by Liu Bei.

    Thinking about it carefully, I think it¡¯s impossible. Spreading such rumors will not do Liu Bei any good, but will do more harm than good. With Liu Bei¡¯s status and character, it is impossible for him to stab himself in the back at this time.son.

    So who spread this rumor, Cai Mao?  It's still Huang Zu. After much deliberation, only Cai and Huang are the most likely.

    To smear herself from behind and arouse Liu Biao's suspicion of herself, her intentions are not cruel and her methods are vicious. Therefore, for Liu Jing, the first thing is to appease the morale of the army, and the second thing is to win Liu Biao's trust.

    The key is Liu Biao. As long as Liu Biao's trust is gained, these rumors will be meaningless.

    After leaving the military camp, Liu Jing and several followers crossed the river and returned to Xiangyang. At this time, night enveloped both sides of the Han River, and the number of pedestrians crossing the river decreased significantly. Only by chance did a ferry cross the river.

    Liu Jing crossed the river by boat. He led the horse slowly from the narrow boat board to the shore. There happened to be a thousand-stone ship parked next to it. The ship was covered with strings of lanterns. The lights were brilliant and looked particularly special on the dark river.  Brilliant.

    An extra-large dead air lantern about half a foot in diameter was carried on the tall mast. On the orange lantern, a large black character was reflected: "Yellow".

    Liu Jing was slightly startled by the word "yellow". He instinctively thought of Huang Zu's ship.

    At this moment, dozens of soldiers escorted a middle-aged military attache off the ship, and they happened to meet Liu Jing face to face. They saw that this middle-aged military attache had a head as big as a bucket and a face like a pumpkin. They were really enemies on a narrow road.  The man is none other than Huang Zu.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 149: Enemies are on the wrong side of the road.

    Huang Zu was also nearly fifty years old. He had experienced the world for a long time. He had experienced many storms, met many people, and encountered many dangerous dangers in his life.

    But there has never been anyone who has made him hate him as deeply as Liu Jing in front of him, and there has never been any risk that has made him sleep and eat as hard as Chaisang's occupation today.

    Today, he had just come from Jiangxia and was going to have a good talk with Liu Biao to ease the current crisis in Jiangxia. Unexpectedly, the road was narrow and he met Liu Jing as soon as he got off the boat.

    Huang Zu's face immediately darkened. The last time they met in Chaisang, he had even exchanged a few words with Liu Jing hypocritically. But today, when they met, Huang Zu didn't even smile at all, and his face showed a fierce look.

    He stared at Liu Jing fiercely, as if he was extremely jealous when enemies met, but he didn't know yet that the head of his son Huang Yong was in the horse bag of Liu Jing's entourage. If he knew it, it would definitely be a sword-to-sword encounter.

    More than a dozen of Huang Zu's followers drew out their swords with a loud sound. The sword's light flashed and they glared at Liu Jing with fierce eyes.

    Liu Jing, however, was not in a hurry. He held his hands with a smile and said, "It turns out to be Huang Taishou. What a coincidence. Why did Huang Taishou come to Xiangyang?"

    Huang Zu snorted heavily, "If you can come, can't I come?"

    Liu Jing narrowed her eyes and smiled more cordially, "I am a military lord of Fancheng, so it is natural for me to return to Xiangyang, but Governor Huang has not been back for several years!"

    Huang Zu sneered again with disdain, "Liu Jing, you take your Yangguan Road, and I'll cross my single-plank bridge. We two have nothing to say."

    "Well, Governor Huang, please do it!"

    Liu Jing got on the horse, urged the horse to leave, and after walking a few steps, Huang Zu suddenly shouted from behind: "Liu Jing, where is my son Huang Yong?"

    "You go to Jiangdong and ask Sun Quan!" Liu Jing's voice came from afar, and the sound of horse hooves gradually faded away.

    Huang Zu frowned. What does this mean? Was his son captured by Jiangdong's army?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing originally planned to go directly to the Prefectural Mufu to meet Liu Biao after crossing the river, but unexpectedly met Huang Zu by the river, who had also just come from Jiangxia.

    Huang Zu¡¯s appearance in Xiangyang was obviously to seek political resources, which made Liu Jing have doubts. What changes would Huang Zu¡¯s arrival bring to the situation in Xiangyang?

    And those two rumors, were they passed down by Huang Zu?  Or someone else.

    At this time, Liu Jing changed his attention and urged his horse to run towards Kuai Mansion.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    These days, Kuai Yue's thoughts are not in Jiangxia, but in Nanjun. Liu Biao has officially appointed his eldest son Liu Qi as the prefect of Nanjun. Liu Biao's layout has basically been completed.

    Liu Du guarded Lingling and was in charge of the four southern counties, Liu Pan took charge of Changsha, Liu Jing controlled Jiangxia, and now Liu Qi is in charge of Nanjun.

    Although Nanjun is the traditional power territory of the Kuai family, Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue have served as prefects in Nanjun for more than ten years. The influence of the Kuai family has long been entangled in Nanjun. Even the captain of Nanjun is held by Kuai Liang's eldest son Kuai Xiaozhen, who controls  Five thousand military power.

    This time when Liu Qi took charge of Nanjun, the first thing he did was to take over five thousand troops. This was Liu Biao's arrangement.

    But Kuai Yue was not as uneasy about Liu Qi's entry into Nanjun as Huang Zu was. On the contrary, Liu Qi was the son-in-law of the Kuai family, and his entry into Nanjun would only strengthen the Kuai family's interests in Nanjun.

    But one thing made Kuai Yue feel quite uncomfortable, that is, Liu Bei recommended his staff member Jian Yong to be the head of Nan County to assist Liu Qi, and Liu Biao actually agreed, which meant that Liu Bei's power had also extended into Nan County.

    I really don¡¯t know what Liu Biao thinks about. Sometimes he is extremely shrewd, sometimes he is confused. Sometimes he guards against Liu Bei like a thief in his family, and sometimes he is extremely close and regards him as a brother.

    Even veteran officials like Kuai Yue, who had followed Liu Biao for more than ten years, began to fail to understand Liu Biao's thoughts.

    At this time, someone reported outside the study, "Master Qi, Mr. Jing is outside the house asking for an audience!"

    ¡®Liu Jing?  ¡¯

    Kuai Yue was startled as to why Liu Jing was back, but he didn't have time to think about it and said repeatedly: "Invite him to my study quickly!"

    Kuai Yue is undoubtedly a very politically savvy person. On the one hand, he bets the core interests of the family on Liu Qi and marries the Kuai family's legitimate daughter to Liu Qi as his wife. He hopes that after Liu Qi takes charge of Jingzhou, he can bring great benefits to the Kuai family.  Maximum benefit.

    But on the other hand, Kuai Yue secretly made good friends with Liu Jing. He was also worried about causing Liu Biao's dissatisfaction, so he kept a good balance and supported Liu Qi with the whole family, while Liu Jing was only his personal friendship and had nothing to do with the family.  In this way, Liu Biao won't care too much, and Liu Qi won't be jealous. Instead, he will regard Liu Jing as his support.

    But in fact, Kuai Yue had other ideas. Liu Qi was too weak, so heAlthough he is kind, under his cowardly character, this kindness seems too affectionate and indecisive. This kind of character has no problem in inheriting Jingzhou's great cause in peacetime.

    But once the war comes, this character will become Liu Qi's fatal flaw. On the contrary, although Liu Jing is only Liu Biao's nephew and ethically cannot inherit Liu Biao's legacy, he has a leadership temperament that Liu Qi does not possess.  , decisive, tenacious, and daring, which were vividly demonstrated in this battle to defend Chaisang.

    During the war, anything can happen, so Kuai Yue regarded Liu Jing as a backup choice for the Kuai family, carefully maintained his friendship with Liu Jing, and tried his best to help Liu Jing solve difficulties. The two of them did establish a kind of friendship.  A deep personal relationship.

    Not long after, Liu Jing was led into the study. Liu Jing knelt down and bowed respectfully, "Junior, I pay my respects to Duke Kuai!"

    "Young master Jing, there is no need to be polite. Please sit down."

    Liu Jing sat down, and Kuai Yue ordered someone to serve tea again. Then he picked up the tea cup and said with a smile: "Chaisang has won a great victory. I would like to congratulate you, young master."

    "Kuai Gong means that I have clearly stayed in Chaisang?" Liu Jing asked, trying to figure out the meaning of Kuai Yue's words.

    "Although it is not clear, apart from the young master, who else in the Liu family is more suitable to stay in Chaisang? There is no doubt about this."

    Kuai Yue took a sip of tea and smiled again, "Since the young master came to Jingxiang, in just over half a year, a series of changes have taken place in Jingzhou, and the young master has risen to the occasion and seized opportunities again and again.  , in just half a year, he has been able to do things that others could not do in more than ten years. I told Zhou Mu this afternoon that it was God¡¯s will for him to have a nephew like Young Master, and Zhou Mu also deeply agreed. "

    "Thank you so much, Mr. Kuai, for your kind words on Liu Jing's behalf!"

    Liu Jing quickly bowed to express his thanks. Kuai Yue narrowed his eyes with a smile, feeling quite proud. He had Liu Biao's two most valuable nephews in his hands, which gave him a big advantage over Cai Mao.

    It's ridiculous that Cai Mao was hostile to Liu Jing from the beginning. He just didn't want to marry his daughter to Liu Jing. In fact, why bother? No matter how much the Cai family fully supports Cai Shaoyu's marriage to Liu Jing, it is most likely that Liu Jing will inherit Jingzhou's great cause in the end. All I can say is that Cai Mao  I have no vision!

    At this time, Liu Jing said again: "When I returned to Xiangyang this morning, I heard several rumors on the dock. I wonder if Mr. Kuai heard about it?"

    Before Liu Jing could finish speaking, Kuai Yue waved his hands and said, "Those rumors are all nonsense. Don't take them to heart. Some people say that you are not Zhou Mu's nephew, but a spy sent by Cao Cao. This is simply ridiculous."  , and actually said that you sent someone to impersonate Huang Yong, which is obviously to exonerate Huang Zu, no need to think about who spread the news. "

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, then whispered: "Kuai Gong, I just met Huang Zu at the dock. He seems to have just arrived in Xiangyang."

    "Oh? He's actually here too."

    Kuai Yue suddenly became interested, straightened his waist and said with a smile: "In my memory, Huang Zu has not been to Xiangyang for about three years. It is supposed that every New Year's Day, the governors from all over the country should come to Xiangyang to report their duties. Last year's New Year's Day, he excused himself because of illness.  And this year he used Jiangdong to prepare for war. I have forgotten the reason for the day before last. Anyway, he refused to come to Xiangyang. "

    "Then what kind of outcome does Kuai Gong think Huang Zu will have when he comes to Xiangyang?"

    This is what Liu Jing is most concerned about. In fact, he also knows why Huang Zu came to Xiangyang. It is nothing more than to show weakness to Liu and give in to Liu Biao on the premise of saving Jiangxia. Then what will happen in the end and what will Huang Zu do?  Liu Jing was very concerned about what Liu Biao would do if he gave in.

    Kuai Yue understood what Liu Jing meant, pondered for a long time, and sighed: "It's really hard to say. Your uncle has a lot of strategy, but lacks courage. He can't stick to anything. He changes orders day and night. Not long ago, he changed Cai Mao's position to military advisor and concurrent  In charge of government affairs, he is no longer allowed to interfere with military affairs, but the day before yesterday your uncle sent another order from Nanjun, reinstating Cai Mao to also be in charge of military affairs, which is confusing, but I think it may be related to the poor harvest this year. "

    "What does this have to do with the poor harvest?" Liu Jing asked in confusion.

    "My nephew, I don't know. There is a saying in Jingzhou that the Cai family's grain field catches a cold, and the Liu family's army has a headache. It is actually because the Cai family controls a large amount of fertile land in Xiangyang County and Anlu County, and the land tax paid to Jingzhou every year is 20  More than 10,000 shi, once the Cai family uses the excuse of a poor harvest to cut land taxes, the military food problem will become serious, and the state pastor will obviously give in to Cai Mao."

    Liu Jing felt a little chilly in her heart. If this was the case, with the joint pressure from the Huang family and the Cai family, and Huang Zu's concession, would Liu Biao abandon the Jiangxia strategy and order himself to withdraw from Chaisang?  He looked at Kuai Yue expectantly.

    Kuai Yue understood his worries and smiled slightly: "Generally speaking, things will not be as good as you think, nor will they be as good as you think.?Too bad, the key is that you have to get your best interests out of this chaos in Jiangxia.  "

    Kuai Yue's last words were very candid. Liu Jing understood in his heart that he did not need to consider the interests of his uncle Liu Biao. He only wanted to protect his own interests and did not allow Cai Hao and Huang Zu to harm his vital interests. This was enough.

    "Thank you so much, Mr. Kuai, what should I do?" Liu Jing asked again.

    Kuai Yue stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Don't worry! I will visit Zhou Mu in a moment. I will lay a foundation for you first, and then it will depend on your performance."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 150 Huang Cai¡¯s Plan

    [Today¡¯s tickets are a bit weak!  Your recommendation votes are extremely important to Lao Gao. It would be a pity not to use them. I hope you can still vote for Lao Gao. Thank you all]¡ª¡ª

    At the same time that Liu Jing visited Kuai Yue, Huang Zu's carriage also stopped at the gate of Cai Mansion. For Huang Zu, the support of the Cai family was also indispensable, and even to a certain extent, the support of the Cai family was  The key to the success or failure of his trip to Xiangyang.

    At the entrance of Cai Mansion, Cai Yi was already waiting on the steps. Seeing Huang Zu's carriage arriving, Cai Yi quickly stepped forward and said, "Uncle Shi, you have worked hard all the way."

    Huang Zu got off the carriage and asked with a smile: "Is your father at home?"

    "My father is waiting for Uncle Shi in the study. Please come with me."

    ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry to bother you.¡±

    Huang Zu followed Cai Yi into the house with his hands behind his back and walked towards Cai Mao's study.

    The Huang family in Jiangxia and the Cai family in Xiangyang are two famous families in Jingzhou. They have strong financial resources and each control tens of thousands of tenant farmers. The two families are family friends. Cai Mao and Huang Zu have also been friends for more than ten years, and they are married to each other.  damage.

    It is precisely for this reason that Cai Mao has an unshirkable responsibility for Huang Zu's recent encounters.

    In the room, Cai Mao politely asked Huang Zu to sit down, "Wen Jin, we haven't seen each other for several years!"

    Huang Zu sighed and said: "I remember the last time we met was on the eve of the fourth year of Jian'an. At that time, the military advisor was prosperous and prosperous. I was also ambitious and ambitious. How come we haven't seen each other for a few years? We have both.  Have you lost the spirit of late autumn?"

    There is a profound meaning in Huang Zu's words. He is actually hinting to Cai Mao that we are all having a hard time now and we should work together to help each other.

    Of course Cai Mao understood what he meant. In fact, without Huang Zu's advice, Cai Mao also knew what to do. The Huang family was the Cai family's foreign aid. If the Huang family fell, Liu Biao's next step would definitely be to clean up the Cai family. Of course, the Cai family would feel the crisis in Jiangxia.  The lips are dead and the teeth are cold.

    "Wen Jin, please rest assured that this time the Cai family will fully support the Huang family. No matter what, the status quo in Jiangxia must be maintained and Liu Biao cannot be allowed to change the status quo."

    Even if this was Cai Mao's official statement, Huang Zu was waiting for his attitude. His heart was immediately relieved. Huang Zu said with a smile: "Huang Zu is grateful for the military advisor's statement. Since the military advisor is serious, let's talk openly and honestly."  Let¡¯s talk!¡±

    "Wen Jin has something to say, but it doesn't hurt to say it."

    Huang Zu nodded, sighed slightly and said: "Now I encounter two troubles. One is that my rebellious son caused trouble and injured Master Cong. The second is that something happened to Chaisang. Liu Jing occupied Chaisang. I'm afraid this is Liu Biao.  Chaisang¡¯s secret instigation, Chaisang¡¯s geographical location is extremely important and has a great impact on the situation in Jiangxia. No matter what, I must take back Chaisang.¡±

    Cai Hao nodded slowly, "Everything can be discussed. The key depends on how you make concessions. As long as you make enough concessions, I will find a way to convince Liu Biao."

    Huang Zu pondered for a moment, "I think Liu Biao's greatest hope is that I can hand over military power. Like other prefects, I will only take care of government affairs and not the military."

    "You are right, this is indeed what Liu Biao hopes for, but"

    Cai Hao asked him tentatively: "Can you make this concession?"

    "impossible!"

    Huang Zu flatly refused, "I would rather give up political power, but I will never let go of military power. He can't even think about it."

    "That would be a bit difficult."

    Cai Mao sighed slightly, "If you are unwilling to give up military power, I am afraid he will not give up Chaisang easily, unless"

    "Unless what?" Huang Zu asked nervously.

    "Unless you are willing to surrender to Xiangyang and then symbolically give up military power to give Liu a face, he may consider maintaining the status quo."

    "Thislet me think about it."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Huang Zu and Cai Hao talked for a full hour before they left with satisfaction. The maid took away the tea sets and changed the incense. The room finally became quiet. Cai Hao slowly walked to the window with his hands behind his hands and stared at the night sky for a long time.

    In fact, as early as a few days ago, he and his second uncle had discussed the Huang Zu matter. The second uncle, who always only considered the interests of the family, strongly supported the Huang family in this matter.

    ¡®The Cai and Huang families have a close relationship. As long as the two families join forces, Liu Biao will not dare to overly suppress the Jingzhou family. If Liu Biao is allowed to destroy the Huang family, then the Cai family¡¯s crisis will not be far away.  ¡¯

    The second uncle's words seemed to still echo in Cai Mao's ears. He had to admit that the second uncle had a far-reaching view of the problem and could see some key points. No matter what kind of person Huang Zu was, in terms of family interests, the interests of the Cai and Huang families were the same.  Yes, only by protecting the Huang family can we save the Cai family.

    At this time, the door opened, and the eldest son Cai Yi came in, bowed and bowed."Father, the child has sent Huang Taishou away."

    Cai Mao nodded. At this moment, he remembered something again and told his eldest son: "Close the door. I have something to ask you."

    "yes!"

    Cai Yi closed the door, walked to his father and stood with his hands down. Cai Hao pondered for a moment and asked: "What happened to what I arranged for you to do last time?"

    "Reporting to my father, two pieces of news have come from Xiangyang City, but there is a strange thing."

    "What's something strange?" Cai Hao glanced at his son and asked.

    "Haier spread two pieces of news. One is that Liu Cong was injured by someone disguised as Huang Yong sent by Liu Jing, and the other is that Liu Cong's lower body was seriously injured. But the strange thing is that there is another one on the streets of Xiangyang that is not good for Liu Jing.  According to the news, Liu Jing is not the nephew of Zhou Mu, but Cao Cao is a meticulous and ambitious man who wants to separate Jiangxia and establish himself. "

    Cai Mao was busy with military affairs these days and didn't pay attention to the public opinion on the street. He only knew that Liu Jing had a good reputation and was being praised everywhere. He didn't bother to listen, but he didn't expect that there was such a rumor mixed with it, and this rumor was very vicious.  .

    Cai Hao frowned, "Are you sure you didn't spread this rumor?"

    Cai Yi shook his head, "It definitely has nothing to do with the kid. The kid asked his subordinates again, but they didn't know. Father, could this be Huang Zu's doing?"

    Cai Hao lowered his head and thought for a moment, and finally denied it, "It shouldn't be Huang Zu. If it were Huang Zu, he wouldn't hide it, and would ask us to help him spread it. It should be someone else."

    "Then who does father think is responsible?"

    Cai Mao shook his head, "I can't imagine who could do it. This person's intention is very obvious, to disrupt the situation in Jiangxia and Jingzhou, and he is attacking Liu Jing, which is beneficial to us."

    After a moment of silence, Cai Yi smiled sinisterly and said: "Father, my child thinks that this rumor may not be groundless. Maybe there is really something wrong with Liu Jing's identity. My child thinks that we should send someone to Gaoping County to investigate, and maybe we can get some clues."

    In fact, Cai Hao once thought about it this way. After all, he was a little suspicious at the beginning, but he didn't take it too seriously. Liu Jing even participated in the Liu family's family ceremony. With so many people in the Liu family, don't they still know him?

    So he put this matter aside for the time being. Now that his son mentioned it again, Cai Hao was a little moved. Moreover, it didn't take much effort. He could just send someone to investigate. Cai Hao nodded, "This matter  Send a capable man to handle the matter, and be sure to find out Liu Jing¡¯s details.¡±

    "My child understands, let's make arrangements now."

    Cai Hao pondered for a moment, and then asked: "Also, who spread this rumor, you must investigate as soon as possible."

    "Father, please rest assured that the child will have results within a few days."

    Cai Yi left his father's room and returned to his own yard. Although Cai Yi held an official position as Liu Xian's assistant, he was quite powerful in the family and controlled at least half of the Cai family's money and food income.  , and there are more than a hundred smart and capable servants under his command.

    Cai Yi returned to the room and immediately ordered someone to find a capable subordinate. This man's name was Yang Sheng. He was a little talented and learned. He was about thirty-five or sixteen years old. He was from Langya County and was originally a county captain. He fled to Jingzhou five years ago.  , joined the Cai family, was very smart and capable, and was deeply valued by Cai Mao. He became one of Cai Mao's staff, and now he is Cai Yi's right-hand man.

    Yang Sheng entered the room and bowed, "Young Master is looking for a humble position, what are your orders?"

    Cai Yi nodded, "There is a rumor recently that Liu Jing is not the nephew of Zhou Mu, but a spy of Cao Cao. Although it is just a rumor, my father feels it is necessary to check it out. My father has left this matter to me, so I will trouble you sir."  I will go to Gaoping County, Shanyang County to find out Liu Jing¡¯s details, and I will give you a big reward when I come back.¡±

    Yang Sheng bowed and said with a smile: "Don't worry, sir, I am very familiar with Shanyang County, and I will definitely find out Liu Jing's details."

    "Go! Bring the horses and let the butler prepare them. You can set off overnight."

    ?¡­.

    Under the cover of night, Li Jun was walking hurriedly along an alley. He lowered his head and looked very worried. Just now, Lu Sheng registered the list of officers willing to go to Chaisang. He hesitated and said he would think about it and reply tomorrow morning.

    Li Jun really doesn't want to go to Chaisang. He would rather stay at the Yougao Station and wish he had never known Liu Jing. But time will not go back and things are not hypothetical. Now he has to face another choice, whether to follow Liu Jing or not.  Go to Chaisang.

    From his heart, he is willing to follow Liu Jing, but he is not willing to go to Chaisang as Cao Junxizuo. This identity of Cao Junxizuo brings huge pressure to him and makes him live in the shadows all his life.  How much I long to live a pure life.

    Li Jun has no choice,??There is only destiny that is arranged.

    Arriving at a small courtyard, Li Jun knocked on the door. The door was opened a crack. Li Jun asked, "Is Mr. Jia here?"

    "Here! Come in!"

    Li Jun entered the courtyard gate and walked directly to the backyard. In a room in the backyard, Jia Hong was discussing some matters with several of his men.

    Jia Hong has been faithfully executing Xu Du's orders in the past few months and doing everything possible to provoke internal strife in Jingzhou.

    In fact, without his instigation, there were already signs of internal strife in Jingzhou, including the struggle for power between Liu Biao and the Jingzhou family, the dispute between Liu Biao's two sons, and the rise of Liu Jing. He truthfully told Xu Du about all these.  After a report, the order from Xu Du was to continue to expand the conflict between Liu Jing, Cai Mao, and Huang Zu. It is said that this was an instruction from the prime minister.

    This is what Jia Hong has always been puzzled about. Why is the prime minister so interested in Liu Biao's nephew?  Several instructions in a row were all related to Liu Jing.

    Although he was puzzled, Jia Hong still faithfully carried out Cao Cao's instructions.

    Jia Hong paced the room with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed, "Are you sure the Cai family is investigating?"

    A few days ago, Jia Hong ordered his men to publish a piece of news in Xiangyang about Liu Jing's identity, saying, "Liu Jing is not the nephew of Zhou Mu, but a craftsman of Cao Jun." This is of course nonsense and has no basis. His intention is to  Confusing the waters of Jiangxia made the situation in Jingzhou even more chaotic.

    But today his men came to report that someone was already investigating the source of the news, which made Jia Hong feel a little wary.

    "Sir, I can definitely tell you that it's the Cai family. One of the brothers knows that the person who came to investigate is Cai Yi's subordinate."

    Jia Hong thought for a while and said: "The brothers who initially released the news temporarily left Xiangyang and stopped publicizing the matter."

    "Yes! I understand."

    Jia Hong knew that their identities were special and must not be exposed.

    At this time, he found Li Jun standing at the door. He hesitated to speak, and asked strangely: "What can I do for you?"

    Li Jun stepped forward and saluted and said, "Liu Jing may be transferred to Chaisang. I'm a humble official and I wonder if I should go with him?"

    "Go! Of course I want to go."

    Jia Hong glared at him fiercely and replied without hesitation: "This is a matter of course. Your mission is to follow Liu Jing. You have already decided on it. Why do you need to ask for instructions again?"

    Li Jun sighed deeply in his heart. Even though he was extremely reluctant, he still had to go to Chaisang.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 151: Public versus Public

    Early the next morning, Liu Biao came to the government office as usual. He walked into the official room. The room had been cleaned and incense was burned, filling the room with a hot fragrance.

    The weather is getting hotter, Xiangyang is near the water, and summers are extremely hot. Although it has not yet reached the summer heat, the room is already stuffy, which Liu Biao doesn't like very much. He has been in Jingzhou for more than ten years, but he still doesn't like it.  I like the summer in Jingzhou.

    "Why haven't there been any ice cubes placed in the wall?" Liu Biao asked with some dissatisfaction.

    Many wealthy families in Xiangyang have houses with sandwich walls, and they also have ice cellars in their homes. In summer, ice cubes are placed in the sandwich walls to cool down and dispel the heat. The same is true in the government office. There is an underground ice cellar behind the government office that stores a large amount of ice cubes.

    An official bowed down and reported: "Reporting to the State Shepherd, today is the fourth day of May. According to regulations, ice can only be placed after May 18th."

    Liu Biao became even more upset and said angrily: "When the weather changes, the rules must also be changed. The heat is very early this year. It is only the fourth day of May. It is as hot as June. Do we have to wait until May 18th to add ice?"  ?"

    The official lowered his head and said, "All changes must be approved by the state pastor."

    Liu Biao thought that he had just come back yesterday and couldn't express his anger, so he had to hold it in his chest. He glared at the official fiercely, walked into the room quickly and sat down. He still felt too hot, so he ordered: "The weather is abnormal this year, so you can go early."  Leave it on the ice, even if it¡¯s a special occasion!¡±

    The official immediately rushed to find someone to put ice on the ice. Liu Biao was upset not because of the hot weather, but because of his son Liu Cong's injury. Last night he questioned the doctor Zhang Jin again. Although Zhang Jin said it could be cured,  But the time has changed from half a year at the earliest to one year at the earliest, that is, recovery is possible after one to two years.

    In fact, Liu Biao was not stupid. He knew that Zhang Jin was trying to comfort himself. He was seriously injured after being kicked in the lower body. It would not be so easy to recover. It would take a year or two to recover. That was actually a very uncertain thing.

    The eldest son Liu Qi is weak and obviously not a prosperous son. The second son Liu Cong is strong and has high hopes for him. If his son becomes a cripple this time, it will have a great impact on his heir Yanmian.

    Liu Biao had no intention of reading official documents. He sat in front of the desk, staring blankly at the wooden floor and thinking.

    At this time, Shu Zuo Yiji walked in quickly, holding a thick stack of documents in his hand. He was responsible for organizing the documents for Liu Biao. Seeing that Liu Biao was deep in thought, Yi Ji did not dare to disturb him, so he carefully placed the documents on the table and slowly  Back up slowly.

    Liu Biao was startled and took his thoughts back from his deep thoughts. He glanced at Yi Ji, forced a smile and said, "Uncle Ji, long time no see."

    "Actually, Zhou Mu has only been there for five days, not that long."

    Liu Biao sighed, "But too many things have happened in these five days."

    Yi Ji didn't know what Liu Biao meant, so he didn't dare to say anything, so he smiled and said nothing. Then Liu Biao remembered something, frowned and asked, "I heard some rumors that Liu Jing is not my nephew. What's going on?  Did Uncle Ji hear this rumor?"

    Yi Ji smiled faintly, "I heard from a humble position that people will be jealous if their talents are higher than others. Master Jing defeated the Jiangdong Army in Chaisang. His reputation rose. Everyone praised him as a young hero. Of course, some people will also be jealous of him. Master Jing, Zhou Mu."  He has offended a lot of people in the past, isn¡¯t it normal for there to be rumors against him?¡±

    Liu Biao nodded. He didn't really believe this rumor. After all, he had participated in the clan festival and so many clan members had seen him, and no one had any questions about him. It can be seen that it was sheer nonsense to say that he was not his nephew.  As Yi Ji said, Jing'er had offended too many people in the past.

    In fact, Yi Ji alluded to the Cai family, and Liu Biao also understood what he meant. After pondering for a moment, Liu Biao said: "Go and find out about this matter. Where did this news come from? There are two other rumors. You should also check them out."  Check it out.¡±

    Yi Ji hurriedly bowed and said: "I understand, I will resign first."

    Yi Ji retreated, and Liu Biao stood up and walked slowly to the window. Next to him, more than twenty servants were busy placing ice cubes in the wall. The ice cubes were as square as big green bricks and were stacked one by one.  Clamp the wall.

    At this time, Liu Biao could feel the heat in the room receding, and there was an obvious feeling of coolness, and his hot heart gradually calmed down.

    Liu Biao closed the window, walked to a wall with his hands behind his hands, and stared at the map of Jingzhou hanging on the wall.

    He is particularly concerned about Jiangxia. Last night Kuai Yue visited him. Although he didn't say much, his meaning was very clear. Liu Jing will be the key figure to solve Jiangxia's dilemma. At this time, it is the time when the interests of various factions are fiercely competing.

    In order to compete for Jiangxia, the other party will use all kinds of despicable methods. Not only Huang Zu, but even Jiangdong will secretly attack Liu Jing, so it is normal for someone to deliberately discredit Liu Jing.

    Kuai Yue is hereLiu Biao can understand why he supports Liu Jing at the critical moment. After all, they have a very good relationship, but what Kuai Yue said makes sense. Liu Jing defeated Jiangdong and captured Chaisang. The situation in Jiangxia has been disrupted. At this critical moment,  You must be steady!

    You must not be disturbed by slander and ruin your Jiangxia plan.

    Liu Biao narrowed his eyes and secretly warned himself to stay calm.

    At this time, a guard at the door reported: "Reporting to the state pastor, the military advisor has come with Jiangxia Governor Huang to ask for an audience outside the door!"

    Liu Biao had a look of surprise in his eyes. Huang Zu was here, and Cai Hao was actually accompanying him. What did this mean? Are these two people openly challenging him?

    Of course he wanted to see him, but he had to follow the rules. Liu Biao sneered and ordered his men: "Take him to bathe and change clothes, and meet him at the Wende Hall!"

    Wende Hall is the main hall of the state government, covering an area of ??dozens of acres, with more than 81 steps and more than 100 steps, cornices and brackets, and dozens of red lacquer columns that two people can hold together. The entire hall is like a royal palace, magnificent.  It was only named Wendetang to avoid taboo.

    Huang Zu had already bathed and changed, wearing a brand-new official uniform. He stood at the foot of the steps. According to the previous plan, he must reach a compromise with Liu Express today.

    There were thirty-six golden-armored warriors standing on each side of the steps, all with shining golden armor, tall and burly figures, holding various weapons. At this time, a guard walked out of the hall, stood on the steps and shouted: "Zhou Mu  There is an order for Huang Zu, the governor of Jiangxia, to come and see you!"

    Huang Zu picked up the skirt of his robe and ran up the steps quickly. When he reached the lobby, he knelt on his knees, kowtowed, and shouted loudly: "I am guilty of a lowly position, and I have come here to confess my sins to the state pastor!"

    Huang Zu made up his mind to pretend to be his grandson today, using the humblest gesture, the most sincere words, and the most loyal expression. In short, he wanted to give Liu Feng a good face and fully show his status as a subordinate in front of Liu Fang.

    But this was only an attitude on the one hand. On the other hand, Huang Zu had secretly ordered his son to gather troops and be on the alert. Once he was detained by Liu Biao, Huang She immediately supported his own troops and openly rebelled against Liu Biao. This was Huang Zu's case again.  another attitude.

    In the lobby, Liu Biao sat on the ninth-level white jade elixir level. This was actually against the law. The ninth-level elixir level was the status of the emperor. For ordinary local officials, it was up to three levels, or even no level. Although someone had advised him  Liu Biao, but Liu Biao turned a deaf ear to it. In fact, it was not only the steps.

    His carriage and ceremonial guards are all the same as those of the emperor. Jingzhou officials have long been used to it and are not surprised.

    Liu Biao wore a Jinxian crown on his head, a large purple unicorn robe, and a ribbon around his waist. Behind him stood two maids in palace clothes, each holding a talisman given to him by the Han Emperor. On the table in front of him was the State Mu Dao.  Seal, only the costumes and decorations are different. In fact, his demeanor and level are no different from those of the emperor.

    Sitting on both sides were the main officials of Jingzhou, including Cai Mao, the military advisor, Kuai Yue who joined the army, Liu Xian who was not the commander, Deng Yi who was in charge, Wang Can, who was in charge, Pang Ji, Fu Xun and others, as well as generals Wang Wei, Wenpin and Huo.  Du and others were also sitting in the lobby.

    This is Liu Biao's formal interview with him, which is usually for the governors of various counties. Today Huang Zu arrived. Liu Biao did not intend to have a personal relationship with him, so he came to receive him formally.

    Liu Biao¡¯s eyes were gloomy and his face was expressionless. Even if Huang Zu knelt down in front of the lobby to confess his crime and banged his head, he didn¡¯t smile at all or express anything.

    After a long while, Liu Biao said coldly: "Please come in, Governor Huang!"

    Liu Biao's indifferent attitude made Cai Mao feel a little uneasy. Originally, he and Huang Zu discussed using a compromise in exchange for Liu Biao's concessions in Jiangxia and maintaining the status quo. But now it was public against public, and Huang Zu's so-called compromise was that his subordinates should have  Some attitudes cannot be exchanged for Liu Biao's concessions.

    Cai Mao couldn't help but secretly regret it. If he had known that he had talked to Liu Biao first, the matter would not have become a big deal.

    At this time, Huang Zu walked into the hall, knelt down and kowtowed again, and said with great sincerity: "Huang Zu, the governor of Jiangxia, has failed to come to report his duties to the state pastor several times. He is guilty. I come here today to apologize!"

    No one has ever seen Huang Zu with such a low profile. Huang Zu was not like this in the past. He was arrogant and condescending. His tone and demeanor were as if Liu Biao was first and he was second.

    But today, he was as soft as a grandson. In a short period of time, he knelt down twice in a row. Someone counted carefully and found that Huang Zu kowtowed nine times in total, which was unprecedented.

    Liu Biao said calmly: "Prefect Huang, please take a seat."

    Huang Zu sat down uneasily on the lowest seat. Just as he was about to speak, a guard hurriedly walked in, walked to Liu Biao and whispered a few words. Liu Biao showed a look of surprise on his face. It was such a coincidence that Liu Biao  Jing is here too.

    He then said to everyone: "The military lord Liu Jing is outside asking for an audience. The senior officials thought they were asking him to come to the palace."?Participate in the meeting, or meet him separately?  "

    Cai Mao's expression changed. Liu Jing's appearance at this time would be extremely detrimental to Huang Zu. He stood up and saluted: "Lord, Wen De Hall only allows officials with a minimum of 600 shi to attend the hall. Liu Junhou is only a junior officer with 400 shi. Shang  I am not qualified to go to court, the hierarchy is strict, please be clear to me!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Pin on the opposite side said: "Commander Cai only said the first one, but not the second. The Wende Hall is also called the Qinggong Hall. It is a place where meritorious soldiers are commended. In the Battle of Xinye, the Lord commended him here."  At that time, not to mention the 600-shi high-ranking officials, even the 200-shi uncles came out to receive rewards. Master Jing led 2,000 weak soldiers to defeat the 20,000 Jiangdong tiger and wolf army, and saved Chaisang, which can be regarded as a great achievement.  Should he be commended for his great contribution?¡±

    As the commander-in-chief of the Battle of Xinye, Wenpin has always been resentful that Liu Jing did not receive any reward in the Battle of Xinye. Today, Cai Mao said that he was not qualified to go to court. Wenpin could no longer bear it and spoke up.

    There were whispers in the lobby, Cai Mao's face turned red and white, and he secretly resented Wenpin for humiliating himself in public at this critical moment.

    At this time, Kuai Yue, who joined the army, stood up and said with a smile: "My lord, General Wen is absolutely right. Mr. Jing has made great achievements in Chaisang and should be rewarded. I agree with General Wen's suggestion and I can order him to go to court."

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? away and Liu Biao nodded, "In this case, then according to the wishes of all senior officials, he will be declared to the court!"

    Liu Biao then ordered: "Order Liu Jing, the Marquis of the Army, to come to court!"

    "The governor of the state has an order, and the military lord Liu Jing comes to court!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 152, Dispute in the Main Hall

    ¡¾Please give me your votes!  ¡¿

    ====

    After a while, Liu Jing walked into the lobby quickly and happened to look at Huang Zu who was sitting in the last row. Today Liu Jing came specially to visit Liu Biao, but unexpectedly she met Huang Zu reporting on his work.

    The two had long been at odds with each other. When the enemies met each other, they were extremely jealous. Huang Zu's pupils shrank, his small eyes narrowed into a thin line, flashing with a frightening fierce light.

    However, Huang Zu made up his mind to meet in a low-key and respectful manner today, so even in front of Liu Jing, he would not show his true face.

    Huang Zu stood up, held his hands with a smile and said with a smile: "I didn't expect to meet Mr. Jing here. I always want to thank Mr. Jing for killing Jiangdong's army in Chaisang and saving Jiangxia. Please accept my courtesy."

    After saying this, Huang Zu bowed deeply to Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and replied: "Chai Sang's victory is not due to Liu Jing alone. It is the result of the concerted efforts of Chai Sang's soldiers and civilians, and Mr. Huang's timely assistance. Today, I, Liu Jing, would rather not take any merit, but also protect Mr. Huang's performance."  great merit."

    Huang Zu chuckled, "Master Jing loves dogs, Huang Zu will bear this in mind."

    In the lobby, everyone was surprised. It was rumored that Liu Jing and Huang Zu were at odds, but today it seems that the relationship between the two is not bad. They actually showed humility to each other and showed their achievements to each other. The relationship was very harmonious. It can be seen that the rumors cannot be believed.

    Among the officials, only Cai Mao and Kuai Yue sneered.

    No one knows the situation before them better than them. Jiangxia is full of murderous intentions and war is about to break out. The two people's superficial politeness cannot hide the crisis at hand.

    But Liu Biao had no expression on his face. He was observing Huang Zu from another angle. From Huang Zu's low profile today, especially his disrespect towards Liu Jing, Liu Biao understood Huang Zu's intention for this trip to Xiangyang.

    Huang Zu wanted to reconcile with himself and keep his position in Jiangxia. Liu Biao sneered in his heart. Reconciliation was not impossible. The key was what price Huang Zu had to pay.

    Thinking of this, Liu Biao had a sense of proportion in his mind. Today's work report will be just a formality without talking about the actual issues.

    Liu Jing quickly walked into the lobby, bowed and said: "Liu Jing, the humble military lord of Fancheng, comes to see the state pastor!"

    Liu Biao waved his hand, "Marquis Liu Jun, please rise!"

    Seeing his nephew, Liu Biao was really happy. He repelled the attack of Jiangdong Army for himself, and took advantage of the situation to seize Chaisang, which changed the situation of Jiangxia. Otherwise, Huang Zu would not have come to confess his crime in such a low-key manner today. He wanted to give him a good reward.  Liu Jing.

    In fact, Liu Biao had already made a plan on how to reward Liu Jing. He even considered it before Liu Jing set out for Chaisang, but he didn't expect that Liu Jing's victory would come so quickly.

    Liu Biao glanced at Cai Mao and saw that he looked nervous, and then glanced at Huang Zu from a distance. He also looked restless and restless.

    Liu Biao smiled and said with a smile to Cai Hao: "What kind of merit does the military counselor think that the military lord Liu Jing can get?"

    Liu Biao¡¯s question surprised many people. According to the normal procedure, the military merit officer should read out Liu Jing¡¯s achievements in public, and award the reward according to Liu Biao¡¯s plan in advance. After the third reading, if no one objects, it will be officially approved.

    Today, without declaring merit or reading out the reward, Zhou Mu went directly to ask Cai Hao. It was really puzzling. However, everyone soon understood that Liu Jing's battle at Chaisang was related to Huang Zu. Today, they both appeared at the same time.  , extraordinary, I¡¯m afraid Liu Jing¡¯s reward will not be that simple.

    There was silence in the hall, with countless pairs of eyes staring at Cai Hao. Cai Hao did not expect Liu Biao to throw this problem to him, but this was also an opportunity Liu Biao gave him.

    Cai Hao pondered for a while and said: "The evaluation of military merit requires a process, such as how many enemies were killed and the size of the war. Only in this way can we get accurate merit evaluation basis, and the merits evaluated can be convincing, so that the rewards can be corresponding to the merits  "

    As soon as Cai Mao said this, Wenpin, who was sitting opposite him, said with dissatisfaction: "During the Battle of Xinye, the military advisor also said these words. As a result, Master Jing's achievements were wiped out. Could it be that this time the military advisor also planned to  Is Mr. Jing¡¯s record wiped out in one stroke?¡±

    Cai Mao's face suddenly darkened, and he said coldly: "I'm just discussing the matter, and I don't mean to deny Mr. Jing's achievements. Why does General Wen think so?"

    Wenpin ignored him, stood up and saluted Liu Biao, and said loudly: "I am humbled by my lord, and am a general in the army. The key is to have clear rewards and punishments, and to reward and punish them in time. Only in this way can morale be mobilized and the morale of the army be boosted. In the battle of Xinye, Mr. Jing clearly understood  He has made great achievements, but not even an inch of them have been recorded. Although Mr. Jing is the nephew of his lord, he feels it is inappropriate to hold such a low position and is not convinced.

    In this battle of Chaisang, there were only 500 defenders in the city. Master Jing stepped forward, recruited civilians, boosted morale, defeated 20,000 Jiangdong troops with 2,000 weak soldiers, and saved the Jiangxia gate. Such achievements were not enough to  With a heavy reward?  Humility and sincerity? I hope my lord will think twice!  "

    The atmosphere in the lobby was a bit awkward. Liu Biao just wanted to know the extent of Huang Zu's concessions, and then consider how to reward Liu Jing. Cai Mao's delaying technique was exactly what he wanted, but Wenpin was unexpectedly aggressive and insisted on awarding Liu Jing on the spot. This made  Liu Biao was in a bit of trouble.

    At this time, Liu Jing bowed and said: "I would like to inform the state pastor and military advisor that my humble position is not to fight for rewards, but to fight for the people of Chaisang. In the battle of Chaisang, tens of thousands of people had money and strength to contribute, even if  The newly recruited civilians risked their lives and fought hard against the Jiangdong Army, which moved me deeply. I don¡¯t want a reward for my humble position. I just want to comply with the public opinion and stay in Chaisang. I am willing to be the military lord of Chaisang, and I sincerely ask the state pastor for permission!"

    After saying that, Liu Jing took out a thick booklet from her arms and presented it with both hands, "Report to the State Shepherd, this is public opinion!"

    A guard handed the booklet to Liu Biao. Liu Biao took it, but it suddenly fell apart. The booklet fell to the ground. It turned out that the booklet was folded. Liu Biao slowly unfolded the booklet, which was two feet long, and pressed it forward and backward.  Full of fingerprints.

    "Reporting to the Zhou Mu, there are a total of 38,666 fingerprints, accounting for more than 90% of the people in Chaisang. Everyone hopes that the humble position will remain in Chaisang, and there will be no reward for the humble position. They only beg to comply with public opinion and stay in Chaisang.  mulberry."

    Liu Jing discussed with Kuai Yue last night that Huang Zu came to Xiangyang this time to make concessions and reconciliation. With Liu Biao's character of being more strategic than courageous, he would most likely accept Huang Zu's concession.

    If Huang Zu makes enough concessions, Liu Biao may maintain the status quo in Jiangxia and give up his plan to install Liu Jing in Jiangxia. This makes both Liu Jing and Kuai Yue very worried.

    So Liu Jing took this opportunity today to make it clear that he wanted to stay in Chaisang. This was his request. He didn't care how Liu Biao compromised with Huang Zu, but his interests could not be violated.

    There were whispers in the lobby. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing actually stepped out of the chess game of public opinion. Liu Biao felt a little embarrassed. He originally planned to put Liu Jing in Chaisang.

    But Huang Zu¡¯s initiative to give in made Liu Biao¡¯s heart a little shaken. If Huang Zu was willing to return control of the Jiangxia army to himself, then there would be no need to fight for Chai Sang and the status quo could be maintained.

    Now Liu Jing refuses to give up Chai Sang, which makes Liu Biao feel a little embarrassed.

    At this moment, Huang Zu, who was sitting at the bottom, finally couldn't help but smiled sinisterly and said: "Master Jing's plan is very good! Of the 40,000 Chaisang people, 38,000 actually support Mr. Jing. Let me, old Jiangxia  I¡¯m just so impressed.¡±

    Liu Jing turned around and looked at Huang Zu, "Are you saying that I'm cheating?"

    "Of course I dare not say that Mr. Jing is cheating, but I have been an official in Jiangxia for at least ten years, and the Huang family is a prominent family in Jiangxia. With my qualifications, I only have 50% of the reputation in Chaisang Shang, so I don't know Mr. Jing's 90%.  How do you achieve fame?¡±

    Huang Zu squinted at him, with a look of ridicule and disdain on his face. At the end of the sentence, he deliberately raised his voice and glanced at everyone in an attempt to gain the understanding of the officials in the lobby.

    ¡°Of course it can be done!¡±

    Liu Jing also raised her voice and said coldly: "If Huang Taishou didn't have a nephew who bullies men and women, nor a cruel and cruel second son who kills many people, nor would he have been defeated repeatedly in battles, and the entire army of 5,000 people would be defeated.  The eldest son of the enemy, if Huang Taishou could stick to Chaisang instead of running to Xiakou, I think Huang Taishou's reputation in Chaisang would not be only 50%, but at least 70 to 80%!"

    Liu Jing¡¯s sarcasm made Huang Zu¡¯s face turn the color of pig liver. Anger finally appeared in his eyes and he shouted sternly: ¡°Liu Jing, how dare you humiliate me like this!¡±

    Liu Jing said calmly: "I'm just explaining the reason why Huang Taishou's reputation is not improving. How can we talk about humiliation? Why should Huang Taishou be angry?"

    Huang Zu stared and was about to rebuke angrily when Cai Mao couldn't help but remind him: "Prefect Huang, Master Jing will consider the matter of reputation, so you should prepare a report on your duties!"

    Cai Mao's words reminded Huang Zu that a little impatience can ruin a big plan. He held it in his heart and slowly sat down again.

    The hall became quiet again. Liu Jing turned around and saluted Liu Biao and continued: "I don't ask for rewards for my humble position. I just hope to be transferred to Chaisang and ask the state pastor to fulfill my wish."

    At this time, Wenpin also bowed and said: "My lord, I humbly recommend that Liu Jing be appointed as the Sima of another department to guard Chaisang. Mr. Jing will guard Chaisang. It is most suitable!"

    Kuai Yue also stood up and said with a smile: "Chaisang is sandwiched between Jiangdong and Jingzhou. It has changed hands several times in the past decades. According to my subordinates, no official has gained such high popularity in decades. It is rare for Chaisang people to put all their efforts into it."  Supporting Mr. Jing will be extremely beneficial to our long-term control of Chaisang. Master, we must not let go of this opportunity. Mr. Jing should be allowed to guard Chaisang."

    Wang Wei also stood up and said: "My lord, I humbly agree with the suggestions of Duke Kuai and General Wen. The land of Chaisang is important, and no one but Master Jing can do it."Guard, as long as he is there, Jiangdong Army will definitely be afraid of three points.  "

    As soon as Wang Wei finished speaking, Deng Yi also said loudly during the administration: "Master Jing is expected to guard Chaisang, and his subordinates also strongly agree. I sincerely ask for your permission, my lord!"

    At this time, people such as Liu Xian and Pang Ji expressed their support. The situation in the lobby was one-sided. Even Cai Mao was forced to remain silent and did not dare to compete with everyone.

    Although Liu Biao still had some hesitation in his heart, he could not hinder the unanimous support of everyone, so he could only smile at Liu Jing and said: "It seems that if I don't ban you today, no one will let me go, so that's it! It's hard to offend with public anger, Liu Jing will listen to the ban  !¡±

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and stepped forward to salute and said: "Here I am in my humble duty!"

    Liu Biao said slowly: "Marquis Liu Jing led two thousand weak troops to defeat the Jiangdong Army. He promoted our power in Jingzhou and protected our important town of Chaisang. He made a great contribution to Jingzhou. He will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold. He will be granted the title of Sima of another department and guard Chaisang."  Sang, concurrently serves as the magistrate of Chaisang County!¡±

    Liu Jing clasped her fists and saluted, "Thank you to Zhou Mu for the reward. I will keep my humble position in my heart!"

    Beside, Huang Zu's face turned pale. He tried his best, but still couldn't get Chai Sang back.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 153 Liu Biao Concedes

    In the official room, Liu Biao was at his desk reviewing official documents, concentrating on it and never raising his head to look at Liu Jing. Liu Jing stood aside, patiently waiting for Liu Biao to calm down.

    Just like the scene that happened in Wende Hall just now, Liu Biao was forced to agree to make himself Sima of Chaisang Branch under the pressure of the officials. Liu Jing knew that Liu Biao would not feel comfortable in his heart, and he would definitely do something to him.  dissatisfied.

    Although he was a little dissatisfied, he asked himself to come to the official room to see him again, which showed that he did not regret making himself a commander of another department. Perhaps this was his long-awaited plan.

    At this time, Liu Biao put down his pen, glanced at Liu Jing, and then slowly asked: "Are you satisfied now?"

    Liu Jing bit her lip and whispered: "My nephew really doesn't want to be a military lord of Fancheng anymore."

    "Don't you want to be a military lord of Fancheng anymore?" Liu Biao asked again coldly.

    Liu Jing was silent. Liu Biao looked at him for a long time and then said coldly: "Every man has the desire to do great things. Of course you also want to do something great. This time you have the opportunity to become the lord of a city. You don't want to give up, but  You were afraid that I would order you to come back, so you forced me to agree in the lobby, forcing me to comply with your wishes. You are very good, and you are worthy of being my nephew! "

    Liu Jing was still silent. Liu Biao looked at him for a long time. Seeing his stubborn face and thinking of his sick father, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. His anger towards him subsided a little, and he asked again: "  What else do you have to say?¡±

    After a moment of silence, Liu Jing whispered: "My nephew knows his mistake!"

    In fact, what Liu Biao wanted was for him to admit his mistake. It was really not easy for this stubborn child to admit his mistake. When Liu Biao saw that he was finally willing to admit his mistake, a smile appeared on his face, "You kid, you have no need to play tricks on your uncle."  Is public opinion different? You think I'm stupid and can't understand your thoughts. Let me tell you, when I asked Gan Ning to go to Yangxin County, I was already considering letting you go to Jiangxia. "

    At this time, Liu Jing also realized that he had underestimated Liu Biao. Liu Biao's heart was like a mirror, and he could see his thoughts clearly. Liu Jing did not hide it at all, and said frankly: "My nephew knows that my uncle has long-term plans and plans for Jiangxia."  It has been a long time, but my nephew is just worried that his uncle will be deceived by Huang Zu's sweet words and returns the Chaisang that my nephew has worked so hard to get back to him. Once he takes back Chaisang, he will definitely not give me any chance.  When he failed to keep his word, it was too late for us to regret it!¡±

    Liu Biao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and stopped in front of the window. After a long time, he sighed and said: "Actually, I don't believe Huang Zu's concession at all. Instead of asking for his concession, I would rather kill him directly. I just  Worrying about driving them into a panic, Huang and Cai joined forces to rebel, and things would be in trouble. Originally, I had decided to deprive Cai Mao of the power to be in charge of logistics and military affairs. After hearing the news that you had captured Chai Sang, I decided to restore his power. This is why  ¡±

    Liu Jing thought of Kuai Yue's evaluation of Liu Biao, "He was too resourceful but not courageous enough to look forward and backward, changing orders every day."  ¡¯ In fact, what he said is quite right. He has this kind of character, and she can¡¯t persuade him. After a moment of silence, Liu Jing asked again: ¡°So, how will uncle prepare to deal with Brother Cong¡¯s matter?¡±

    Liu Biao was reminded by one sentence, and he sat down and asked: "There are many theories outside. Some say that Cong'er was injured by Huang Yong, and some say that someone pretended to be Huang Yong and injured Cong'er. I asked Cong'er, and he  He doesn¡¯t know the person who injured him, and there are different theories. I want to get the truth from you, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Liu Jing showed a wry smile. The so-called impersonating Huang Yong and injuring Liu Cong was an allusion to himself. Liu Biao was giving himself a chance to explain!  Fortunately, I was prepared first.

    "Uncle, can you let me go get something? It's just outside the gate. I'll be back immediately."

    Liu Biao nodded, "Go!"

    Liu Jing turned and left. Not long after, he came back with a wooden box and put the box on the table, "Uncle, the truth is in the box."

    "What is it?" Liu Biao asked curiously.

    Liu Jing carefully opened the box and uncovered a layer of oilcloth, which was filled with lime. Inside the lime was a human head. Liu Biao was startled, took a step back, frowned and asked, "Whose head is this?"  ?¡±

    "Uncle, this is Huang Yong's head!"

    Liu Jing then wounded Huang Yong and Liu Cong, and then came to see him again, but was killed by him. He told her in detail, and finally said: "So far, Huang Zu still doesn't know that his son has been killed by me. From this  The head can prove the truth about Brother Cong¡¯s injury.¡±

    Liu Biao looked at the head carefully. He recognized it. It was indeed Huang Yong. Liu Biao stared at it for a long time and then asked: "You mean, Huang Zu didn't know that his son was dead?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "He doesn't know!"

    Liu Biao thought that his son had been injured, and now Huang Yong died at the hands of his nephew. The hatred in his heart was finally relieved, but Huang Zu's sideAfraid that there would be trouble again, he thought for a while and told Liu Jing: "Put his head here with me. In addition, you must keep the fact that Huang Yong was killed by you a secret. Don't let Huang Zu know about it for the time being."  I don¡¯t want to make this matter any bigger.¡±

    Liu Jing just wanted to prove that Liu Cong was not the one who harmed him. He didn¡¯t want to get involved in other matters. He immediately nodded in agreement, "My nephew understands!"

    At this time, Liu Jing used Huang Yong's head to prove his innocence and also revealed the truth about Liu Cong's injury. Liu Biao untied another knot in his heart and had a good impression of Liu Jing for a while.

    Thinking that he had such a capable nephew, Liu Biao felt very happy. He smiled and patted Liu Jing on the shoulder and said, "I know you want to take away Liu Hu and the brothers in Fancheng. I will do it first without your request."  Give you this reward and you can take them away!"

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and bowed and saluted: "Thank you uncle for making it happen!"

    "Is there anything else you need me to help you with?" Liu Biao asked with a smile.

    Liu Jing suddenly thought of Tao Zhan, and secretly wondered whether she should let her uncle arrange her marriage to Tao Zhan, but her rationality told Liu Jing that it was best not to mention this matter until later.

    At this time, Liu Jing remembered another thing and said quickly: "My nephew has a suggestion about Jiangdong. I sincerely ask my uncle to agree."

    Liu Biao was stunned, how could he have anything to do with Jiang Dong?  He then asked: "What's your suggestion?"

    Liu Jing said tentatively: "My nephew heard that Sun Quan's mother passed away. I think this is an opportunity to reconcile with Jiangdong"

    Before Liu Jing could say anything else, Liu Biao was furious and flatly rejected Liu Jing's temptation, "No, Jiangdong and I have deep hatred. There is absolutely no possibility of reconciliation. I will never send anyone to pay filial piety."

    Liu Jing sighed secretly in his heart. He also guessed that this would be the result, but he was not willing to accept it. He retreated and said: "Uncle misunderstood what my nephew meant. It was not for reconciliation, but because my nephew wanted to reconcile with Jiang Dong."  During the exchange of prisoners of war, Huang She was defeated by Jiangdong and many Jiangxia soldiers were captured by Jiangdong. The nephew also had many Jiangdong wounded soldiers and thousands of corpses. The nephew wanted to use the opportunity of paying homage to exchange Jiangxia soldiers back.  ¡±

    Liu Biao's expression softened slightly. If it was just an exchange of prisoners of war, it would be feasible. He then told Liu Jing, "It's okay to exchange prisoners of war, but you can't mess with other things, let alone use filial piety as an excuse. The feud between the Liu and Sun families is difficult to resolve. You don't want to do it."  Let Sun Quan laugh at me."

    "My nephew understands. If my uncle has no other arrangements, my nephew plans to return to Chaisang tonight."

    Liu Biao originally wanted Liu Jing to go home with him for a reunion dinner, but when he thought of his son's injury, his mood dropped again, so he nodded and said: "After you go to Chaisang, remember to write more letters and report anything you have to do. If you have any difficulties,  Just bring it up.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded silently, turned around and left. Liu Biao stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, watching his nephew walk quickly towards the door. At this moment, he was full of expectations for this nephew.

    At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Reporting to the state pastor, the military advisor asked to see you!"

    Liu Biao turned around in shock, and Cai Hao was indeed here. He knew that Cai Hao wanted to talk to him about Huang Zu's affairs, and to hear what concessions Huang Zu had made, he immediately said: "Order him to come in!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After leaving Zhouya, Liu Jing hurried back to Fancheng. He had to leave Xiangyang as soon as possible. Liu Jing knew Liu Biao's temperament of changing his orders from morning to night. Although he had agreed to let him guard Chaisang, he might change his mind after negotiating with Huang Zu.  , returned Chaisang to Huang Zu, and transferred himself to another place.

    He must leave Xiangyang before Liu Biao regrets it. Even if Liu Biao regrets it, he will never give up Chai Sang.

    Liu Jing took a boat and crossed the Han River. As soon as he landed, he suddenly heard someone calling him, "Master Jing!"

    Liu Jing turned around and looked for his reputation. He saw a carriage parked at the dock not far away, guarded by nearly a hundred soldiers. A man beside the carriage was waving to him. Liu Jing recognized him. It was Zhao Yun. Liu Jing was very happy.  Lead the horse forward quickly.

    Approaching the carriage, she saw the curtain opened, revealing Liu Bei's always smiling face. It turned out that Liu Bei was also there. Liu Jing ignored Zhao Yun for the time being and stepped forward to bow to Liu Bei: "Junior, see you, uncle!"

    Liu Bei smiled and said: "I heard that my nephew defeated the Jiangdong Army in Chaisang, and he is expected to be promoted. I am happy to congratulate you!"

    "Reporting to Uncle Emperor, it has been officially announced today that I have been promoted to the post of Sima of Chaisang Branch and Magistrate of Chaisang County. I am planning to rush back to Chaisang to take up my post."

    The smile on Liu Bei's face became more cordial and bright, "It turned out to be a Sima from another department. Not bad! Not bad! In a few years, he will be promoted to the captaincy of Jiangxia. At that time, Huang Zu will also give way."

    Liu Jing suddenly remembered that Liu Bei and Huang Zu had a close relationship last time, and there were signs of an alliance. Liu Bei suddenly appeared in Xiangyang today. Could it be that he was going to help Huang Zu?Love?

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing asked tentatively: "Why did the emperor come to Xiangyang today?"

    Liu Bei chuckled and said, "Last time, my nephew advised me to interact more with Zhou Mu. I kept it in mind. I have frequent contacts with Zhou Mu. Today, Zhou Mu sent someone to invite me to talk. It's probably not a big deal."

    Liu Jing glanced at Zhao Yun again. He had a lot to say to Zhao Yun. He also wanted to know about Yu Zhenzi, but he wondered if Liu Bei would give Zhao Yun a chance to talk to him.

    Liu Bei was considerate and immediately understood what Liu Jing meant. He smiled at Zhao Yun and said, "Zilong, you and Mr. Jing haven't seen each other for a long time. Let's have a chat! I'll cross the river and come to Xiangyang later."

    Zhao Yun was overjoyed and quickly bowed: "Thank you, Lord!"

    Liu Bei smiled slightly again, "Then I wish Mr. Jing a safe journey to Chaisang and make new achievements!"

    "Thank you very much for your kind words, uncle, and I wish him the best to establish a foundation soon and start a new career."

    Liu Jing complimented him, got on his horse, bowed his hand to Liu Bei, and then rode alongside Zhao Yun towards Fancheng.

    Liu Bei narrowed his eyes and watched Liu Jing go away, and the smile on his lips became deeper. Sun Qian next to him whispered: "My lord, maybe Zhao Yun will tell Liu Jing about that."

    Liu Bei smiled and said, "It doesn't hurt to let him know."

    Speaking of this, Liu Bei sighed softly, "Jiangxia is a good place!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 154: A complete settlement is needed

    There will be another one around nine o'clock in the evening]

    ====

    In a tavern outside Fancheng Gate, Liu Jing and Zhao Yun found an empty seat and sat down, and ordered a few more drinks and dishes. Liu Jing then asked, "When did eldest brother come back?"

    "I just came back two days ago"

    "Has the real person attained enlightenment?" Liu Jing asked hesitantly

    Zhao Yun was silent, sighing for a long time, with sadness in his eyes, "I was still a step too late. Master left the day before I arrived, and in the end I was unable to say a word to Master. This will become a lifelong regret of mine."

    Liu Jing bit her lip and said with shame, "I didn't even go to say goodbye, so it was in vain that the old man taught me so hard."

    "Let's think about it a little bit. Master has achieved perfection in cultivation, which is different from ordinary death. Since he knows that his end is coming soon, it must be a result of his cultivation. I think Master must have attained Taoism."

    Having said this, Zhao Yun took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Liu Jing, "This is the last message the master left for me. You are mentioned in it and asked me to urge you to learn martial arts. I hope you can become the pillar of the Han Dynasty."

    Liu Jing took the letter, read it silently, and returned it to Zhao Yun. He shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "I'm afraid the pillars of the Han Dynasty have disappointed him."

    Zhao Yun laughed, "I don't know, haven't you already taken the first step? You were promoted to Sima of Chaisang Branch. When I saw you half a year ago, I never imagined that you would rise so quickly. I thought,  It will take at least two or three years for you to have a chance. Brother, you really didn¡¯t disappoint me."

    Liu Jing was a little embarrassed and said: "What made me laugh was actually an opportunity. I happened to encounter the opportunity and seized it, so I succeeded so quickly."

    Zhao Yun nodded, "This is your biggest advantage. You are good at seizing opportunities. In Rangshan, I deeply realized that you will seize every opportunity that is beneficial to you, and even let me save you on the battlefield. In fact, it is you.  Seized the opportunity that passed by.¡±

    The two were chatting in a low voice. At this time, the bartender brought the food and drinks. Liu Jing poured a glass of wine for Zhao Yun and said with a smile: "I remember I said when I was in Rangshan, I would treat you to a drink. If I didn't have this opportunity today, I would have broken my promise.  "

    "Really? I really forgot. It seems that there was such a thing. You asked me to drink rainwater from the mud pit." Zhao Yun couldn't help laughing.

    The two of them drank a glass of wine. At this time, Zhao Yun suddenly remembered something. He pondered for a moment and said to Liu Jing: "Do you know a person named Yang Sheng?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I have never heard of this name. Is there any problem?"

    Zhao Yun sighed, "This person is dead. If he lives, he will be your nightmare."

    Liu Jing was startled and asked quickly: "What's going on?"

    Zhao Yun hesitated, "I don't know whether to tell you or not, but I don't want to hide it from you, so you should still let the truth be known. This person named Yang Sheng is actually Cai Mao's staff."

    ¡®Cai Mao¡¯

    Liu Jing suddenly felt a bad feeling in his heart. He looked at Zhao Yun solemnly, waiting for his answer.

    "Two days ago, there was an unfavorable rumor in Xiangfan, saying that you are not actually Zhou Mu's nephew, but a spy sent by Cao Cao. Maybe Cai Mao had an idea and sent Yang Sheng to your hometown Gaoping to investigate. I don't know  How could this matter be known to the Lord? He immediately ordered me to intercept and kill this Yang Sheng. Just last night, our brothers intercepted this Yang Sheng in the south of Ye County and killed him. This matter  It¡¯s very hidden, only my lord and I know about it.¡±

    Speaking of this, Zhao Yun sighed, "I shouldn't tell you, but I know this matter is very important to you, you just need to understand in your heart."

    Liu Jing was extremely shocked. On the one hand, Cai Mao secretly sent people to investigate him, which caught him by surprise. But in the end, Liu Bei sent Zhao Yun to intercept and kill him, which made him relieved. But how could Liu Bei have thought that Cai Mao would send people to investigate him?  , anddoes Liu Bei know that he is the fake nephew of Liu Biao?

    He stared at Zhao Yun in confusion. He knew that Zhao Yun knew his bottom line. Could it be that Zhao Yun told Liu Bei?

    Zhao Yun shook his head, "Don't look at me like this. You haven't told anyone about your affairs. There must be other strange things in this. I don't know either, but I want to remind you that Yang Sheng hasn't responded for several months.  Cai Mao will definitely be suspicious. Brother, you have to know what to do. You must not let this matter destroy you in the end."

    Liu Jing nodded silently. He had almost forgotten this matter, but he did not expect that this matter was like a hibernating poisonous snake coiled around him. He didn't know when it would wake up and bite him hard. This matter  The matter must be dealt with as soon as possible

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    After chatting with Zhao Yun for about half an hour, Liu Jing asked Zhao Yun againZhao Yun went to Chaisang to stay for a while, and Zhao Yun readily agreed. At this time, Zhao Yun saw that it was getting late, so he said goodbye and left, but Liu Jing did not leave. He sat at the small table for a long time, still thinking about the snake-like thing in his heart.  How should he deal with the matter?

    In fact, what he is most worried about is not Cai Hao. Cai Hao should just guess. It is normal to send people to investigate after hearing the rumors. This shows that the rumors have nothing to do with Cai Hao.

    The key is Liu Bei, how could he guess that his identity was fake?  With Liu Bei's sophistication, he certainly would not expose it to Liu Biao. He would definitely use this matter as his own, forcing himself to submit at the critical moment and seeking the greatest benefits.

    I don¡¯t know if Liu Bei has succeeded, maybe not yet, otherwise he would not have sent Zhao Yun to intercept and kill Yang Sheng, but after the interception, he will definitely send people to Gaoping County to look for his own evidence

    That¡¯s why Zhao Yun reminded himself not to take it lightly anymore. He must not let Liu Bei catch him. He must not let Liu Bei catch him.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing immediately asked for pen and paper to write a note, and found Wang Tai who was waiting outside the tavern. Wang Tai bowed and saluted, "What are your orders, Master?"

    Liu Jing slowly said to him: "Go to Gaoping County immediately and handle a big matter for me. This matter is related to my life. You must not be careless."

    Wang Tai said solemnly: "Please rest assured, young master, Wang Tai will do his best."

    Liu Jing handed the note to him, "Go to Gaoping County and follow the instructions on my note. Don't be merciful."

    "Humble position understands"

    Wang Tai took the note, and Liu Jing asked again: "Go if you want to get angry. I suspect someone has already set off. You must get the matter done before the other person."

    Wang Tai nodded and turned away. Liu Jing watched him riding away and thought to himself: "I hope Wang Tai can get there before Liu Bei sends people."

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    As night fell, Huang Zu hurried to Cai Mao's study under the leadership of Huang Yi in the Cai Mansion. Huang Zu was worried. He wondered how Cai Mao and Liu Biao were talking today.

    But Huang Zu couldn't be optimistic. Just this afternoon, the state government officially issued an order to appoint Liu Jing as the commander of Chaisang's department and concurrently as the commander of Chaisang.

    What worried Huang Zu was that this appointment was announced after the meeting between Liu Biao and Cai Mao, which meant that the meeting between Cai Mao and Liu Biao was not successful. Huang Zu was worried, not knowing what would happen during his trip to Xiangyang.  What kind of ending

    In the study, Cai Hao was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking worried. Today's negotiation with Liu Biao did not go well.

    Of course, he not only talked about Huang Zu's affairs, but also the marriage between the Cai and Liu families. In the former, Liu Biao had a tough attitude and refused to give in, while in the latter, Liu Biao was tactful and spoke sincerely.

    This made Cai Mao realize that Liu Biao's attitude towards the aristocratic family was not as tough as imagined. At least towards the Cai family, Liu Biao still focused on appeasing him.

    "Father, Governor Huang is here" the voice of the eldest son Cai Yi came from outside the door.

    Liu Jing felt a headache. Although he didn't know how to explain it to Huang Zu, there were some things he had to face.

    The door opened, and Cai Yi walked in with Huang Zi from the outside.

    "Military advisor, how are you?" Huang Zu asked impatiently as soon as he entered the door.

    Cai Mao waved his hand and said to his son Cai Yi: "Wait outside and don't let anyone in."

    Cai Yi retreated, and Cai Hao smiled bitterly and said: "It's not good news, but it's not too bad either."

    At this time, Huang Zu also calmed down. He sat down opposite Cai Mao, stared at Cai Mao, and waited for his answer.

    Huang Zu nodded, "I just want to ask you about this, but Liu Biao still refuses to revoke Liu Jing's appointment?"

    Things are not that simple. Cai Hao sighed and said: "He said that the appointment can be revoked, but his conditions are very harsh and you will not accept it."

    "Want to tell you, military advisor?"

    Huang Zu looked at Cai Hao. In his mind, Liu Jing's control of Chai Sang was an extremely serious matter. As long as he could get Chai Sang back, he would rather pay a heavy price, but he didn't know what kind of conditions Liu Biao would have.

    A bitter smile appeared on Cai Mao's face, "Liu Biao's condition is that you be transferred to the position of prefect of Anlu County. Can you accept it?"

    Huang Zu was stunned, and then his eyes widened. He couldn't help but stand up and shouted: "What kind of conditions are these?"

    Cai Mao waved his hand quickly, "Brother Wen Jin, please sit down. Don't be angry. The matter is not that bad."

    Huang Zu took a deep breath, "The military advisor will tell you clearly what agreement was reached in the end?"

    "The final agreement is that you must come to Xiangyang every year to report on your duties. Jiangxia's civilian officials are appointed by the state government. You must obey the military orders of the state herdsmen. Of course, they can be governed by someone you designate.Shuai, in response to you, Liu Biao promised that the Jingzhou Army will only enter Jiangxia at your request."

    "Then who does Liu Jing count?" Huang Zu said angrily

    "Chaisang is a special case. It no longer belongs to Jiangxia and is directly under the jurisdiction of the state government."

    "You mean, the Jingzhou army can enter Chaisang?" Huang Zu somewhat understood what Cai Mao meant.

    Cai Mao silently, that¡¯s what it means

    After a pause, Cai Hao whispered again: "Actually, the key is the army. Brother Wen Jin, as long as the army is firmly in your hands, we think we can give in to all other conditions."

    Huang Zu is also a very practical person. He deeply agrees with Cai Mao's views. In fact, when the government announced the appointment of Liu Jing in the afternoon, he knew that Chai Sang was irreversible.

    However, it is not bad. After Liu Biao captured Chaisang, he did not push the envelope and retained Huang Zu's core interests. In fact, he maintained the status quo. The key was that the Jingzhou army did not enter Jiangxia, which gave Huang Zu some comfort.

    Huang Zu sighed. This ending was far from satisfactory. It could only be said to be barely acceptable.

 Volume 1, Chapter 155: Fatal Pillow Wind

    The recommendation votes are weak and I need everyone¡¯s support. Please give me your third vote. I hope you will continue to support Lao Gao]

    Huang Zu said goodbye and left. He had to rush back to Jiangxia tonight. Cai Mao also breathed a sigh of relief. Although the overall situation of Jiangxia has been decided, there are still some details that are far from over. That is the handling of Huang Yong's injury to Liu Cong.

    It should be said that this is a hidden danger. If it is not handled well, the conflict between Liu Biao and Huang Zu will break out sooner or later. However, Cai Hao has no idea how to deal with it, and Liu Biao does not mention it at all.

    But this matter is also related to the vital interests of the Cai family. Today Liu Biao has hinted that he is willing to continue talking about the marriage of the Liu and Cai families.

    It was this hint from Liu Biao that made Cai Mao's enthusiasm for Huang Zu's affairs subside slightly. He was not too insistent on Huang Zu's Jiangxia negotiations. After all, Huang Zu's interests were still different from those of the Cai family.

    "Father, are you looking for me?"

    Her daughter Cai Shaoyu appeared at the door, her face a little pale. She went to visit Liu Cong today, but she couldn't see him, which made her a little unhappy. She didn't know why Liu Cong didn't see her. Could it be that the rumors outside were true?  He was injured and became a cripple

    Cai Shaoyu is fifteen years old this year. She seems to understand things about men and women. She can't understand what it means for Liu Cong to become a cripple?

    Cai Hao smiled and said, "Come in, daddy has something to talk to you about."

    Cai Shaoyu walked in and looked at her father timidly. She heard that her father was in a bad mood, and she felt a little scared.

    Cai Mao sat down and smiled at his daughter: "Today Zhou Mu and I talked about your marriage. I thought that since both families agree, it would be better to get married as soon as possible. Dad just wants to ask what you think."

    Cai Shaoyu lowered her head, and after a while, she whispered: "Who is the marriage my father is talking about?"

    Cai Mao was startled, and then he remembered that there was another Liu Jing, but there was no official explanation. Cai Mao smiled gently and said: "Of course I won't let you marry Liu Jing, you must marry Mr. Cong. You two grew up together.  Now that your wish is coming true, aren¡¯t you happy?¡±

    Cai Shaoyu still did not raise her head. Although she was still willing to marry Liu Cong in her heart, she found that her enthusiasm for Liu Cong had weakened in the past few months, and Liu Jing did not seem to be as annoying to her as before. After getting to know her better,  Only then did I realize that he had a different kind of masculine charm, but Liu Cong didn¡¯t have that charm.

    But she still likes Liu Cong more. After all, they grew up together, and there is a kind of affection between them that ordinary people cannot replace.  Those rumors made her a little worried

    "Of course, the father makes the decision about his daughter's marriage."

    Cai Mao is so shrewd. After his daughter hesitated for a moment, he guessed his daughter's thoughts and explained with a smile: "You don't have to think too much. The rumors outside are not credible. Nine out of ten are exaggerations. Mr. Cong's injury is true."  , but Zhang Jin also said that he only suffered a minor injury and will recover after half a year of rest, which will not affect your marriage."

    "Then why is the father so anxious to get his daughter married?"

    Cai Mao sighed and said seriously: "I won't hide it from you. In recent months, Liu Biao has begun to suppress the Jingzhou family. Now he mainly suppresses Huang Zu. Therefore, in order to appease the Cai family, he mentioned the marriage. I am also worried about the future.  Liu Biao will turn around and suppress the Cai family, and Liu Qi has already married the Kuai family. For the benefit of the Cai family, I think it is best to finalize this marriage as soon as possible, which is extremely beneficial to the family. Your aunt also means the same, and before Liu Biao relents, settle it first  I don¡¯t want to get married because I¡¯m afraid that he will regret it later and the marriage will not be successful.¡±

    In order to appease his daughter, Cai Mao promised her that the Cai family would fully support Liu Cong in seeking the throne and inheriting the great cause of Jingzhou. After repeated persuasion, Cai Shaoyu finally nodded and agreed, "If it is for the benefit of the family, my daughter is willing to accept this marriage."

    Cai Shaoyu bowed and left. Cai Mao looked at his daughter's back. The smile on his face couldn't help but feel a little bitter. He sighed softly. For the benefit of the family, he could only wrong his daughter first.

    Liu Biao had a lot of things to do today. After dark, he returned to the mansion. He went to his study. His wife, Mrs. Cai, came in with a bowl of ginseng tea. She asked with concern: "The general hasn't eaten yet, so I asked the kitchen to prepare it."

    Liu Biao shook his head, "No, I've already had dinner at the Yamen, and I just want to go to bed early."

    Mrs. Cai quickly stepped forward to take off his robe, and asked with a smile: "I heard that Jing'er is back, why doesn't the general bring him back to get together?"

    Liu Biao turned around and gave her a strange look. She had always hated Jing'er. Why did she think of letting him come back for dinner today? A sudden thought came to her mind. Liu Biao suddenly understood that she must have known about the marriage agreement she and Cai Hao had reached. She  That's why it's so happy

    Liu Biao¡¯s guess was correct. Liu Biao and Cai Hao reached a marriage agreement in the afternoon. Cai Hao immediately sent someone to notify Mrs. Cai. Mrs. Cai was overjoyed.The big stone that has been hanging in my heart finally fell to the ground

    However, Shaoyu¡¯s marriage to Liu Cong will not make Mrs. Cai and Liu Jing laugh away their grudges. Her hatred for Liu Jing is not just as simple as the marriage between the Liu and Cai families.

    She had a deep intention in asking Liu Cong to come. She wanted to expose his affair with the daughter of the Tao family in front of her husband and make her husband furious with her nephew. It would be best if Liu Jing lost her temper at the same time and contradicted his uncle.  That scene must be interesting

    It¡¯s a pity that Liu Jing didn¡¯t come, which made her a little disappointed

    Liu Biao could not understand his wife's delicate thoughts. He always thought that the bad relationship between his wife and his nephew was caused by the marriage of the Liu and Cai families. Now that this obstacle has been removed, the relationship between their aunt and nephew will naturally be reconciled, so the wife asked  Why doesn't the nephew come to the reunion?

    Liu Biao felt comforted in his heart, held his wife's delicate hand with both hands, and said with a smile: "We should pay more attention to ourselves, and don't worry about the juniors for now."

    Mrs. Cai understood what her husband meant, lowered her head shyly, and whispered: "General, I want to have another child."

    Liu Biao and his wife seemed to be married after a long separation. That night, the two of them had a lot of affection and made love. However, Liu Biao was old after all and did not have the strength and energy of a young man. In less than a cup of tea, he was panting and rolled over his wife.  Down, breathing heavily

    Mrs. Cai sighed quietly, put her clothes on fussily, blew out the candles, turned away without saying a word, Liu Biao felt extremely guilty, he hugged his wife from behind, and said with a smile: "Are you angry?  "

    "General, you have worked hard all the way. You shouldn't indulge yourself like this today. It's nothing. Go to bed early," Mrs. Cai said resentfully.

    Liu Biao knew what was wrong with him. As he got older, he no longer had the courage he once had. He felt guilty and annoyed at the same time. He lay on the bed in silence for a while. Neither of them spoke. After a while, Liu Biao changed the subject and said with a smile.  : "I thought again that you actually care about Jing'er, which really makes me happy."

    "In your heart, I'm afraid I am a heinous stepmother and an aunt who is very vicious to my nephew," Mrs. Cai said angrily.

    Liu Biao quickly hugged his wife and coaxed her, swearing that she had no such idea. Then Mrs. Cai turned from worry to joy and said coquettishly: "Now you know that my heart is actually not bad."

    "Of course your heart is not bad, although sometimes you are a bit petty, but overall, you are still very good."

    Liu Biao smiled slightly: "It's rare that you care about him so much. I originally wanted him to come, but I was worried that you two wouldn't get along well, so I didn't call him in the end. I wish I had known that I should have let him come."

    Mrs. Cai turned around, snuggled into her husband's arms and said, "It's the general's fault. Am I so narrow-minded? He is a junior after all. I only hope that he will be polite and sensible, and marry a daughter of a famous family.

    Speaking of marriage, Jing'er is seventeen years old. The general should pay more attention to his marriage. His father is not here, so the general will naturally make the decision, so as to prevent the young man from being impulsive and marrying a businessman's daughter, which will affect the general's reputation.  It¡¯s not good, I¡¯m actually worried about the general¡¯s reputation.¡±

    Mrs. Cai's words touched Liu Biao's mind. He originally planned to ask his nephew about the Tao family today, but his nephew mentioned Jiangdong's filial piety and he forgot about it for a moment. Liu Biao pondered and said: "I miss him."  You would not be so confused as to marry a daughter of the Tao family without my consent."

    Mrs. Cai sighed, "General, I don't want to disappoint the general, but the general also came from a young age. Young people tend to be hot-headed and desperate for the woman they like. Doesn't the general know that?

    I heard that the daughter of the Tao family is as beautiful as a fairy, no less beautiful than the two Qiaos of Soochow. Even Cong'er and Huang Yong are crazy about her. However, Jing'er is also a person who does not follow the rules of etiquette. He is very likely to marry Tao's daughter.  Wife, general, this is my advice."

    Liu Biao thought that his nephew was indeed a person who did not follow the rules of etiquette. If he really married the daughter of a businessman, he would be embarrassed. Liu Biao pondered for a moment and asked his wife: "In your opinion, what should I do?"  ?¡±

    This is what Mrs. Cai was waiting for. She narrowed her eyes and said with a smile: "The general might as well use a tactic to draw out the firewood under the cauldron so that he cannot marry the daughter of the Tao family."

    "What kind of plan is this to draw out the firepower?" Liu Biao asked puzzledly

    "General, my intention is the same as yesterday, let Cong'er marry the daughter of the Tao family as my concubine. This way, we can block outsiders' mouths, and at the same time, we can allow Cong'er to concentrate on studying. The most important thing is that without the Tao family's concubine,  Girl, Jing'er will naturally have no idea and will not do stupid things again and marry the daughter of a businessman."

    At this time, Liu Biao had another thought. He had no longer considered any emotional factors. In his eyes, marriage was just a combination of interests. By marrying his nephew to the Tao family, he could gain financial and food support from the Tao family, which was not conducive.  The only way I can control my nephew is to let him control the money.Only by relying on himself can he conscientiously guard the firewood for himself.

    The wife is right. Marrying Tao Nu to her son as a concubine will, on the one hand, break off the nephew¡¯s bastard thoughts. On the other hand, it will also break off his self-reliance.

    Thinking of this, Liu Biao said to himself: "But how to convince the Tao family?"

    Mrs. Cai raised her eyebrows and said in a dissatisfied tone: "Huh, marrying your daughter to Zhou Mu's son as a concubine is a blessing for the Tao family. Why don't they agree? Besides, if Cong'er was injured, the Tao family also has a big responsibility.  Do they still have any room for bargaining?¡±

    Liu Biao nodded slowly. The Tao family was rich, and marrying the Tao family would also help him obtain enough military supplies, money and food. It could be said that he killed two birds with one stone. He held his wife tightly in his arms, "I know about this, I will write a letter."  Give it to Tao Sheng and ask him to send his daughter to Xiangyang so that Cong'er can marry his wife and concubines."

    "What if the Tao family doesn't agree?" Mrs. Cai asked

    "If the Tao family dares not to agree, I will hold them accountable for their poor care," Liu Biao said coldly.

 Volume 1, Chapter 156: Wei Yan¡¯s Ideal

    Dear brothers, please vote for recommendation¡¿

    Today is destined to not be a peaceful night. There is a building complex covering an area of ??nearly 100 acres in the north of Xiangyang. This is the Xiangyang official residence, which is also the government hotel in Xiangyang. It is composed of thirty small courtyards. People from all over Jingzhou come to Xiangyang for business.  Senior officials will live here, and each small courtyard will be served by dedicated people.

    Under the cover of night, a carriage stopped at the side door of the official residence. A tall, thin man in a black cloak got out of the carriage. The cloak was raised high, covering his face. He walked hurriedly into the official residence and kept walking.  Arriving at the courtyard where Liu Bei stayed

    He turned around and gave some instructions to his two followers, then went directly into the courtyard. It was obvious that Liu Bei knew that this man was coming, and had made special arrangements. No one from the building saw anyone along the way. The young man entered the room, put down his cloak, and spoke softly.  The light illuminated his pale face, and it was Liu Qi, the eldest son of Liu Biao.

    This is not the first time Liu Qi has come to meet Liu Bei. They have already had a tacit understanding. Liu Qi needs to rely on Liu Bei's strength to fight for the position of heir apparent. Liu Bei also needs to understand Liu Biao's thoughts from Liu Qi so as to gain a foothold in Jingzhou. At the same time,  Supporting Liu Qi is also in Liu Bei's interest

    Liu Qi knelt down and bowed respectfully to Liu Bei, "My nephew Liu Qi pays homage to my uncle."

    Liu Bei was reading under the lamp. When he saw Liu Qi saluting, he quickly smiled and waved his hands and said, "My dear nephew, you don't have to be so polite. Please take a seat quickly."

    Liu Qi sat down opposite Liu Bei, and an attendant served him two cups of tea. Liu Qi smiled and asked, "I didn't expect my uncle to come to Xiangyang. My nephew is really overjoyed."

    It is no accident that Liu Bei appears in Xiangyang at this time. The situation in Jingzhou is undergoing drastic changes. At this critical moment, how can Liu Bei sit firmly in the Diaoyutai in the opposition? He must also get involved and find ways to seek his own interests.

    In fact, Liu Bei has already taken action. Not long ago, Liu Bei recommended his staff Jian Yong to Liu Biao as the governor of Nanjun. However, Liu Bei was not satisfied. He also wanted to look for opportunities to obtain big benefits.

    Today at Fancheng Pier, Liu Bei met Liu Jing. Liu Bei wanted to have a good talk with him, but he was afraid that Liu Biao would find out and become suspicious, so he did not talk in detail. Tonight, Liu Qi's arrival was just what he wanted.

    Liu Bei smiled slightly and said: "I came to Xiangyang this time mainly because I wanted to discuss with your father the establishment of the Han Dynasty ancestral hall in Jingzhou. Unexpectedly, Xiangyang seemed to be very lively these two days. This afternoon I heard that Mr. Jing was named Sima of Chaisang.  , A promising young man, not bad.¡±

    Liu Qi came to Liu Bei today not for Liu Jing's affairs, but for his own future and interests. Although he was married to the Kuai family, many of Kuai Yue's suggestions never reached his heart. On the contrary, Liu Bei gave  His suggestions are sharp to the point.

    Moreover, Liu Bei is the uncle of the Han Dynasty, and his reputation is spread all over the world. It is beneficial to him to associate with him. If he can support him to inherit Jingzhou's great cause, it will be a great weight. It is for these reasons that Liu Qi is very interested in  Uncle Liu Bei's support is highly valued

    Liu Qi sighed and said: "Tomorrow I will go to Nanjun to serve as the prefect of Nanjun and stay away from Xiangyang. This way I will not be able to express myself in front of my father. I am afraid it will be detrimental to my future. Moreover, I heard that my father has officially reached a marriage agreement with the Cai family.  "Shaoyu is going to marry Liu Cong. I am very worried. I am worried that my father will choose Liu Cong as his heir in the end. Uncle, what should I do?"

    Liu Bei pondered for a long time and said: "Three feet of ice does not freeze in a day. Your father's impression of you was formed since childhood and will not change easily just because you went to Nanjun. I think as long as you have filial piety and write to your father from time to time.  Regarding your situation, work hard in politics and do the things your father tells you well, and your father will still like you."

    Liu Qi felt sad, kowtowed and cried: "My nephew told me from the bottom of his heart, why did my uncle deal with my nephew?"

    Liu Bei had a wry smile on his face, "This is your family matter, how can I participate casually?"

    Liu Qi kowtowed, "My nephew is willing to listen to my uncle's golden words, and I hope my uncle will not hesitate to teach me."

    Liu Bei winked at Sun Qian next to him. Sun Qian stood up and left. Only Liu Bei and Liu Qi were left in the room. Liu Bei then said calmly: "Everything you lose must gain. Even if you go to Nanjun, you can't  You have to show up in front of your father, but you have the opportunity to control Nanjun. You have to find a way to firmly control Nanjun in a short period of time.

    "I think your father will not let you stay in Nanjun for a long time. When you return to Xiangyang, you will be more powerful than Mr. Cong. Mr. Qi, going to Nanjun is by no means a bad thing."

    "What if my father listens to my stepmother's slander and doesn't let me return to Xiangyang?" This is also what Liu Qi is worried about.

    "It doesn't matter. In my estimation, your father will not pass on the throne until he is critically ill. You only need to win over Liu Pan from Changsha, win over Liu Jing from Jiangxia, establish friendship with your uncle Liu Du, and add your own Nanjun.  When that day comes, you raise your arms and shout, Nanjun, Jiangxia, Changsha,Lingling responded, "Most of Jingzhou is yours. Why should you be afraid of little Xiangyang then?"  "

    Liu Qi nodded slowly and sighed: "My uncle has seen something far-reaching, and my nephew has learned a lesson."

    At this time, Liu Bei suddenly remembered something and said with a smile: "Isn't it rumored that Mr. Cong was injured by Huang Yong and became a cripple? Why would you marry a daughter of the Cai family? And if he is a cripple, why would your father still consider him?  As the lord of Jingzhou, my worthy nephew, you are worrying too much."

    "Father doesn't believe those rumors at all. I know my father. If there were no rumors, maybe he would consider it. But with the rumors, he thought that someone had ulterior motives, and the wife deliberately concealed it for Liu Cong and bribed Zhang Jin. This  Things don¡¯t make any sense anymore.¡±

    Liu Bei thought for a while and said: "Mr. Qi, you still underestimate your father. If he didn't doubt it, he wouldn't be so anxious to marry Liu Cong. It should be said that he was worried, but he didn't know the extent of the injury. Don't worry, this  You can't delay this matter for a few years. As long as Mr. Cong has no offspring for three years and you give birth to an heir, you will be the one to inherit Jingzhou's foundation."

    Liu Bei's words made Liu Qi clear up and see the sun, and his heart became bright. He thanked him again and again, and then left.

    Sun Qian sent Liu Qi away and returned to Liu Bei's study. He saw Liu Bei standing in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, thinking silently. Sun Qian whispered: "My lord, Master Qi has been sent away."

    "Gongyou, why do you think Mr. Qi didn't go to Kuai Yidu for advice, but instead trusted me?" Liu Bei asked in a deep voice.

    Sun Qian smiled and said, "Perhaps Kuai Yue is from a noble family and has family interests, which makes Master Qi feel taboo."

    "no"

    Liu Bei shook his head, "Master Qi will not come to me for no reason. I think he hopes to get my support."

    "I think the lord will definitely support him"

    "Of course, I will fully support him in inheriting Jingzhou's great cause"

    At this time, Liu Bei's eyes were full of expectation, which was a yearning for the future.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At five o'clock, ten large ships lined up and sailed southward on the Yangtze River. The fleet had already passed Wuchang, and after a few dozen miles they arrived at Chaisang. On the bow of the first large ship, Liu Jing stared at the bright black for a long time.  river water

    The water of the Yangtze River flows like a black velvet belt under the night sky, echoing the Milky Way belt in the night sky. Several big stars shine brightly. In this mysterious and distant night, Liu Jing fell into infinite reverie.

    Wei Yan slowly stepped forward, stood beside Liu Jing and stared at the Yangtze River. For a long time, he sighed in a low voice: "How can the army with the soft water of the Yangtze River unify the world?"

    Liu Jing glanced at Wei Yan, smiled slightly and said, "Can the Xiliang army of Ma Teng and Han Sui unite the world?"

    Wei Yan shook his head, "Ma Teng and Han Sui's staff and counselors are just scholars' schemes, and their generals are just disciples. How can they be compared with Cao Cao? The only one who can compete with Cao Cao is Yuan Shao. If Yuan Shao perishes, Cao Cao will be invincible in the world. Jingzhou,  If Jiangdong joins forces to fight against Cao, there may still be some hope, but it is difficult for Sun and Liu to join forces to fight against Cao."

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "In fact, it's not difficult. It's just that the crisis is not here now. Once the crisis comes, all feuds will be in vain. Chang Wen doesn't have to worry too much. The first thing we have to do now is to seize Jiangxia and establish our own power. The rest is temporarily  Don¡¯t think too far ahead¡±

    Wei Yan was silent for a moment and said: "Master Jing, there is something I don't know whether to say or not."

    Liu Jing glanced at him and smiled: "If you have something you can't say, just say it."

    "Mr. Jing, I think it's a bit of a mistake for you to take Jiangxia as your foundation."

    Liu Jing did not speak, and Wei Yan continued: "The Huang family in Jiangxia has deep influence, Jiangdong is eyeing it, and Jingzhou refuses to relax its control. It can be said that it is an easy-to-attack and difficult-to-defeat place. I am worried that the young master has worked hard to defeat Huang Zu, but in the end he failed."  The fruits were plucked by Jiangdong. At that time, the young master¡¯s years of hard work turned into a bamboo basket to fetch water.¡±

    Liu Jing smiled, "In your opinion, where should it be based?"

    "Hongzhi believes that Shangyong should be the base. Shangyong is a hilly and mountainous place. The terrain is complex and difficult for cavalry to attack. Moreover, Shangyong borders Xiangyang and Nanyang to the east and Bazhong to the south. The important thing is that Shangyong can be used as a springboard to capture Hanzhong.  , continue to march into Guanzhong and Bashu, and we can get three of them in the world, enough to compete with Cao Cao."

    Liu Jing sighed softly, "Chang Wen, your idea is not bad, but it is not appropriate for the time. It is not my choice where to base it. The reason why I became the master of Chaisang in just half a year is largely due to  I won the trust of Zhou Mu, and at the same time, I seized the rainbow opportunity of the conflict between Zhou Mu and Huang Zu, and also met with the Jiangdong Army's attack. If I had not been able to seize this opportunity, then why would I still be defending the city in Fancheng today?  Talk about foundation?"

    Wei Yan lowered his head. He also felt that he was a little picky. Liu Jing had achieved today's victory.Tian's achievement is not easy, and Shangyong is now occupied by Cao's army. Taking Shangyong will undoubtedly declare war on Cao Cao, and Zhou Mu may not be willing to do it.

    Wei Yan sighed, "Young Master is right, thinking about humble positions is too simplistic."

    Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "There is nothing wrong with having ideas, but we have to take it step by step, seize every opportunity, accumulate experience, and when we gradually become stronger, maybe one day, I will say like you  If you use Shangyong as a springboard to attack Hanzhong and Guanzhong, then I will make you Hanzhong Colonel and my vanguard."

    Wei Yan's eyes gradually brightened, and he said with great expectation: "If that day comes, I, Wei Yan, would like to serve as the general's vanguard, open up territories for the general, and establish hegemony."

    At this time, a soldier on the mast shouted: "Chaisang is ahead, we are here"

    Liu Jing approached the side of the ship, facing the strong river wind, his hair flying. He saw the majestic and tall city outline of Chaisang City, gradually revealed against the backdrop of a ray of morning light in the eastern sky.

    ¡®Chai Sang, I¡¯m back again¡¯ Liu Jing murmured to herself

 Volume 1, Chu Ming, Chapter 157: Picking up the weak ones

    Please recommend votes. There are less than 400 recommended votes today. I am at a low point, but I hope I will continue to support Lao Gao]

    From ancient times to the present, China has been a country bound by blood and human ties. It is shaped like a pyramid. The royal family is at the top, followed by the powerful families who hold great power. Then there are the world's famous, county and county leaders.  , decreasing downward layer by layer.

    At the lowest level of this bloodline pyramid, there are millions of families with the same surname.

    In each county, there is also a pyramid-shaped power status system. The entire world is made up of pyramids of various sizes, forming the largest, strict and stable social hierarchy system.

    Like other counties in Jingzhou, Chaisang has an independent social hierarchy composed of large and small families. At the top, there are three major families in Chaisang, the Tao family, the Zhu family and the Zhou family.

    Among them, the Tao family is a merchant family with the most wealth in the south of the Yangtze River. They are not only the largest businessmen in Chaisang, but also in Jingzhou and Jiangdong. The Zhu family is the largest landowner in Chaisang. Almost every Chaisang farmer who farms is a Zhu family.  tenant

    The Zhou family is different again. The Zhou family is also a large landowner, but the land of the Zhou family is not in Chaisang, but mainly concentrated in Wuchang.

    Among the three major families, although the Tao family has the most wealth in Jiangnan, its power status is the lowest. The Zhou family has no wealth, but it is troubled in the power field of Jiangxia.

    Zhou Bing, the prime minister of Jiangxia County, was the brother of Zhou Gu, the head of the Zhou family. The wife of Su Fei, Huang Zu's top general, was also the daughter of the Zhou family. Even Huang Zu's concubine was also from the Zhou family. Before Liu Jing took control of Chai Sang, even Chai Sang  Zhou Ling, the tooth general and county magistrate, is also Zhou Gu¡¯s nephew.

    Compared with the Zhou family's strong position in Jiangxia's power arena, the Tao and Zhu families are in a weak position. Therefore, Chaisang has the power to control Zhou, Chuan Tao and Niu Zhuzhi. Normally, the three families are independent and do not violate each other's boundaries.  We get along fairly well

    The Zhou family is the dominant one, while the Tao and Zhu families are closely related and are married to each other.

    This battle to defend Chaisang had a great impact on Chaisang's power structure due to Liu Jing's strong entry into Chaisang. In particular, Liu Jing seized power and killed Zhou Ling, the tooth general, which stirred up the Chaisang family's power struggle again. On the surface, it was calm.  Undercurrents surging under the situation

    The Zhou family fell silent for a time after Zhou Ling was killed by Liu Jing. No one could see the Zhou family in raising funds to defend the city or provide post-war pensions. However, after Liu Jing rushed to Xiangyang to report on his work, the Zhou family gradually recovered.

    The head of the Zhou family is named Zhou Gu. He is about fifty years old. He has a fair face and a thin face. He is also well-educated and quite a celebrity. In his early years, Zhou Gu also served as a county magistrate in Changshan County, Hebei Province. The Yellow Turban Rebellion swept across Hebei Province.  He escaped with his life in the troubled times, so he abandoned his official position and returned south to concentrate on running the family.

    In more than ten years, the Zhou family has gradually become a famous family in Jiangxia, and its status is still higher than that of the Tao family.

    But in the past half month, as Liu Jing gradually took control of Chai Sang, the Zhou family fell into an unprecedented crisis. Zhou Gu was worried about it and thought about countermeasures.

    In the room, Zhou Gu was writing at his desk. He was writing a letter to his brother Zhou Bing. Zhou Bing was the governor of Jiangxia and one of Huang Zu's confidants. Although Huang Zu was the governor of Jiangxia, his energy was mainly focused on the army. Jiangxia  Government affairs are basically handled by Zhou Bing, who is very powerful.

    Zhou Ling, who was killed by Liu Jing this time, was the nephew of Zhou Gu and Zhou Bing, and the son left by their deceased eldest brother. Zhou Ling was killed. Of course, Zhou Gu could not swallow this breath, but Liu Jing was powerful and controlled  Without Chaisang's army, the Zhou family did not dare to fight forcefully and could only endure it until now.

    But Zhou Gu was also keenly aware that Liu Jing's entry into Chaisang City must be Liu Biao's arrangement, with a clear purpose of wresting control of Jiangxia from Huang Zu. As a Zhou family member, living in Chaisang City, Huang and Liu would inevitably be  Affected by the conflict, how can the Zhou family survive in this dangerous trap?

    This is the real reason why Zhou Gu is worried. He must ask his brother Zhou Bing clearly, what should the Zhou family do?  If it doesn't work, the Zhou family will temporarily move to Wuchang County.

    At this time, there was a knock on the door, and the housekeeper said outside the door: "Master, this is an urgent letter from the second master of Wuchang County."

    Zhou Gu immediately put down his pen and "bring it in". He was writing a letter to his brother, but he didn't expect his brother's letter to arrive first.

    The housekeeper came in, handed him a letter, and then slowly stepped back. Zhou Gu opened the letter, but his brows furrowed slightly. At this time, there was a burst of rapid footsteps, and Zhou Gu's clan brother Zhou Xin appeared at the door.  , "Master, I heard that my second brother has written a letter?"

    Zhou Xin is also an important figure in the Zhou family. Zhou Gu excuses his poor health and never shows up to the public. He usually leaves his younger brother Zhou Xin to deal with it. Zhou Gu nodded and said, "Come in and talk."

    Zhou Xin walked into the room, looked at the letter in Zhou Gu's hand, and asked, "What did the second brother say in the letter?"

    "What else can I say?"

    Zhou Gu sighed and handed him the letter, "Let's humble ourselves."??Forbearance, together with Liu Jingxu and Wei Snake, prevented us from moving to Wuchang, saying that this was Huang Zu's wish."

    Zhou Xin hurriedly read the letter, frowned and said, "Master, do you think Huang Zu wants to take advantage of us?"

    "I think so too, but what choice do we have?" Zhou Gu said worriedly

    Zhou Xin was silent. They really had no choice. After a moment, Zhou Gu changed the subject and asked, "I asked you to go find Tao Qun yesterday. What did he say?"

    Zhou Xin said quickly: "I heard that the Tao family's fleet of 400 ships full of goods was seized by Huang She in Xiakou. Huang She forced the Tao family to hand over Huang Yong and Tao Zhan, otherwise the Tao family's fleet would never be able to survive.  Jiang Xia, the Tao family is in a bit of chaos now. Tao Qun and Tao Miao are challenging the family leader, asking Tao Sheng to give an explanation to the family, but Mr. Tao has gone to Jiangdong again, and no one can suppress the chaos in the Tao family."

    Zhou Gu sneered and asked, "Did Liu Jing interfere?"

    "How can he interfere? This is an internal matter of the family. Besides, Huang Zu wanted him to rob the Tao family's ships and give Huang Zu a reason to send troops to Chaisang."

    Zhou Gu took a few steps with his hands behind his back. The Tao family was very important to Liu Jing. The Tao family's business route was cut off, which was a fatal blow to the Tao family. Although the consequences of the Tao family's chaos could not be seen for the time being, an intuition told Zhou  Valley, the decline of the Tao family will definitely benefit the Zhou family and Huang Zu¡¯s recovery of Chaisang.

    Zhou Gu thought for a while and said: "Tao Qun and Tao Miao can be used. You try to maintain good relations with them. If you have any news, please tell me at any time."

    With Liu Jing being appointed as Sima of Chaisang Branch, Liu Biao and Huang Zu reached a compromise, and the overall situation of Jiangxia was determined, but it did not mean that Jiangxia was in peace.

    On the contrary, the struggle between Huang Zu and Liu Jing around Chai Sang was still raging. Huang Zu did not dare to send troops to attack Chai Sang openly, but used another method to deal with Liu Jing.

    Huang Zu knew the importance of the Tao family's money and food to Liu Jing. In order to implement a plan to eliminate Liu Jing's salary, Huang Zu turned his target to the Tao family and asked his son Huang She to come forward. Just three days ago, Huang She was detained in Xiakou.  The Tao family's fleet of 400 ships transporting cloth captured dozens of Tao family workers.

    At the same time, Huang She issued an ultimatum to the Tao family. The Tao family must hand over Huang Yong and Tao Zhan immediately. Otherwise, the Tao family's fleet will never pass through Jiangxia again.

    Jiangxia is the waterway hub of the entire Jingzhou. Cutting off the Tao family's fleet from passing through Jiangxia will undoubtedly cut off the Tao family's Jingzhou trade route, causing an extremely heavy blow to the Tao family. It was this incident that triggered the Tao family's long-standing internal tensions.  Due to the conflict, two important figures in the family, Tao Qun and Tao Miao, jointly attacked Tao Sheng and asked Tao Sheng to give the family an explanation.

    The house leaked and it rained all night again. Just last night, Tao Sheng received another handwritten letter from Liu Biao, asking him to marry his daughter Tao Zhan as his second son Liu Cong's wife. A wife is just a nice way of saying it, but she is actually a concubine. He ordered  He sent his daughter to Xiangyang as soon as possible, and with continuous blows, Tao Sheng finally couldn't bear the huge pressure.

    He had no sleep all night. At dawn, he came to the military camp and asked Liu Jing for help.

    Chaisang Military Camp was originally located in the north of the city, covering an area of ??more than 20 acres and surrounded by walls. However, Liu Jing felt that this old military camp did not have a training venue, so he moved the military camp to the Nancheng Campus and converted the North City Military Camp into a grain depot.

    At present, Chai Sang's army has more than 2,500 people, including 500 old brothers brought by Liu Jing from Fancheng. In addition, there are Gan Ning and hundreds of his subordinates, but they are not stationed in Chai Sang.  Sang, and Longwan City stationed about seven miles west of Chaisang

    Longwan City is Chaisangzi City, with a circumference of only three miles. It is actually a military city, close to the Yangtze River. Standing on the city, you can shoot arrows directly at the ships on the Yangtze River. In this way, Gan Ning and Liu Jing become each other's horns.

    It has been five days since Liu Jing returned to Chaisang. During these five days, he has focused almost all his energy on reorganizing the army. The army of two thousand five hundred people will become the capital for him to raise troops, and it is the army that truly belongs to him.  How to build this army into an elite army, Liu Jing has been thinking about it these days.

    In the room, Liu Jing was discussing military affairs with Xu Shu. Xu Shu was strongly recommended by Liu Jing and was appointed as the captain of Chaisang County and counselor of military affairs.

    This is the first official position that Xu Shu has obtained in Jingzhou in several years. Although the official position is not big, he is just a county lieutenant. But in fact, he is Liu Jing's military advisor and is in charge of military affairs for Liu Jing. The affairs of the county lieutenant are left to him.  Handled by deputy, barely interfering

    The two were discussing the army's reward and punishment regulations. At this time, a soldier reported at the door: "This is to Sima, the head of the Tao family has something important to see."

    Tao Sheng is the father of Tao Zhan, and he has some relationship with Liu Jing as his future son-in-law. The important thing is that the Tao family will be an important source of money and food for Liu Jing. He cannot be neglected, so Liu Jing ordered: "Invite him in."

    After a while, a soldier led Tao Sheng into the room. Tao Sheng had a sad look on his face. When he entered the door, he saluted and said: "Master Jing, the Tao family encountered marijuana."I'm tired, I have nothing to do, so I came here to ask for help from the young master."

    Liu Jing and Xu Shu looked at each other, and Liu Jing comforted him: "Master, don't worry. Sit down and talk slowly. There will always be a way to solve the problem."

    Tao Sheng sighed, and then told Huang She to intercept the ship and not allow the Tao family's merchant ships to cross Jiangxia. He said worriedly: "Compared to the oppression of the Huang family, Zhou Mu's intimidation is the most important thing. Zhou Mu actually wants to  Jiuniang is Liu Cong's concubine. If he doesn't agree, he will hold the Tao family responsible for the poor care. Now the whole family is in chaos. Master, what should I do? "

    With that said, Tao Sheng handed Liu Biao¡¯s letter to Liu Jing

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 158 The simplest and most effective method

    [Preview of a new book, today¡¯s noon is Yanjiu MM¡¯s big push. Everyone is welcome to try it. In addition, Lao Gao continues to ask for votes!  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    Liu Jing had somewhat heard about Huang She's attack on the Tao family. This was also expected by him. The Huang family had no choice but to deal with the Tao family, which provided money and food. Cutting off the Tao family's trade routes was the best solution.  Effective method.

    But Liu Jing did not expect that Liu Biao actually wrote a letter asking Tao Zhan to be Liu Cong's concubine, which made Liu Jing feel uncontrollably angry.

    He believed that Liu Biao was fully aware of his relationship with Tao Zhan, but he wanted to interfere and take away his beloved woman and give him that good-for-nothing son. Is this humiliating him?

    Liu Jing forced himself to calm down. He believed that Liu Biao would not force Tao Zhan because he doted on his son. The dignified Zhou Mu would not do such an outrageous thing. So what was Liu Biao doing?

    At this time, Xu Shu next to him said: "Master Jing, I'm afraid Zhou Mu is still here because of you."

    With Tao Sheng standing beside him, Xu Shu's words could not be explained too clearly, but with Xu Shu's suggestion, Liu Jing suddenly understood that Liu Biao was not doing it for his son, but for himself.

    He wanted to control himself through money and food. Liu Biao didn't want the Tao family to be his financial backing and prevent him from being independent, so he used the method of asking for Tao Zhan to sever his relationship with the Tao family. In the end, Liu Biao still had his bones.  So I don't trust myself at all.

    In fact, Liu Biao and Huang Zu were both using the same tactic to remove the salary from the bottom of the cauldron, and they both realized the importance of the Tao family to them. But what Liu Jing still didn't expect was that Liu Biao's tactic of removing the salary from the bottom of the cauldron was to a large extent the same as the pillow.  Related to border wind.

    The key now is the attitude of the Tao family. Can Tao Sheng withstand Liu Biao's pressure?  Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then asked Tao Sheng, "What is the head of the family going to do?"

    Tao Sheng sighed, "My father promised Mr. Jing that he would not consider marrying his daughter within two years. Just for this promise, my father took my daughter away specifically. Naturally, I will not agree to Zhou Mu."

    Although he said this, Tao Sheng's face was filled with bitterness. If he could withstand the pressure, he would not come to Liu Jing for help. If Liu Biao was offended, the Tao family would be completely ruined in Jingzhou, which was what his father was most worried about.  , it finally happened.

    Liu Jing sensed his embarrassment, so she smiled and said, "If the master of the house has any difficulties, just tell him."

    "well!"

    Tao Sheng sighed and said: "To be honest, Sir, the Tao family has fallen into great chaos now. At least half of the clan members are dissatisfied with me, thinking that I caused the Tao family's trade routes to be cut off, and there are many others."  The young people asked Jiuniang to go back to Chaisang immediately and explain clearly what happened to Huang Yong.

    This is just because of the pressure from the Huang family. If they know that Zhou Mu is also persecuting, the Tao family will be even more chaotic. According to the clan rules, if more than 60% of the clan members object, then the family hall can remove me as the head of the family in the ancestral hall.  , at that time, I couldn¡¯t control the situation.  "

    Liu Jing slowly paced the room with his hands behind his back. Of course he knew how important the Tao family was to him. Although he still had some money and food left, it could only last for half a year at most.

    Frankly speaking, Liu Jing did not want to rely on Jingzhou's money and food, and even Huang Zu would do everything possible to intercept Jingzhou's money and food and cut off his own logistics supplies, so he could only rely on the support of the Tao family and the Zhu family.

    Now that something is happening in the Tao family, it's a vicious plot against him. How can he just stand by and watch?

    Liu Jing thought for a while and then smiled and said: "You can write to the Zhou Mu and tell the Zhou Mu that Jiuniang was kidnapped by Huang She on the way to Xiangyang, and ask the Zhou Mu to ask Huang Zu for help."

    Tao Sheng's face was a little pale. He had never been a daring person and was notoriously cautious. If he were to use this method to deceive Liu Biao, once Liu Biao knew about it, wouldn't it be a crime of deceiving the emperor?

    After a moment of silence, Tao Sheng asked again: "This will affect Jiuniang's reputation. Does the young master have any other plans?"

    Tao Sheng reminded Liu Jing with one sentence. Indeed, although the strategy was good, it would affect Tao Zhan's reputation. Everyone thought that Tao Zhan had been snatched away by Huang She. What happened in the middle? I wonder what kind of rumors there would be.

    Liu Jing nodded and agreed with his concerns, "The head of the family is right to remind you that this plan is inappropriate, so you don't need to consider it."

    Liu Jing thought carefully for a moment and said: "The way to postpone this matter is to tell Zhou Mu clearly that Jiuniang's mother has passed away and she is observing filial piety. She will not talk about marriage for a year or two. Please ask Zhou Mu to understand Jiuniang."  "Filial piety to women."

    Even Xu Shu couldn't help but high-five him, "Young Master, this is a good reason. Zhou Mu has always prided himself on being filial. If he persists, he will be a slap in the face. He cannot afford to lose this face."

    Tao Sheng couldn't help but slap his forehead. He was so anxious and confused that he couldn't even think of this reason.

    Liu Jing smiled again and said, "That's enough."OK, the head of the family also needs to tell Zhou Mu in a letter that the military supplies shipped by the Tao family to Xiangyang have been seized by Huang She. The Tao family can no longer transport money and food to Xiangyang, so they specially ask Zhou Mu for rescue!  "

    Xu Shu laughed loudly, "Young master, I am really convinced by you. You have come up with this plan of fighting fire with fire. Yes, it is indeed a clever plan. If Zhou Mu wants money and food, he has to solve the problem for the Tao family."

    Liu Jing looked at Tao Sheng again, "Master, how are you doing?"

    Tao Sheng nodded silently, "You can say that."

    Liu Jing saw that he still had a sad look on his face and was not happy about solving the problem, so he asked him again: "What other difficulties does the master of the family have?"

    Tao Sheng shook his head and smiled bitterly: "This only temporarily solves Zhou Mu's crisis. What if the Huang family cuts off the Tao family's trade route? Even if Zhou Mu puts pressure, he will not dare to seize the money and grain we transport to Xiangyang.  But what about other goods, what about the goods shipped from Xiangyang? The problem now is that the whole family is against me, Mr. Jing, once I am removed as the head of the family, I am afraid that these methods will not be implemented. "

    Liu Jing had nothing to do about Huang She's interruption of the Tao family's trade route. However, Liu Jing had a way to keep Tao Sheng as the head of the family. He thought for a while and said: "Let me think about this matter, and I will try my best."  Help the head of the family.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Tao Sheng said goodbye and left. Xu Shu smiled and said, "There are some things that you don't want Tao Sheng to know, right?"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Yuan Zhi knows my heart. After all, he is the head of the family and wants to safeguard the interests of the clan, so he may not agree with me on some things. When I do it, it will be too late for him to object."

    At this time, the county magistrate Zhu Xun walked into the room quickly, bowed and saluted: "See Sima!"

    "Zhu County Cheng, there is something I want to ask you about. How much do you know about the civil strife in the Tao family?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There is a tavern covering an area of ??about five acres in the east of Chaisang City, called "Jingshuiju". It is very famous in Chaisang, with an endless stream of customers all year round, and the business is booming.

    At noon, Tao Qun slowly came to Jingshuiju Tavern as usual. He comes here to eat at noon every day and has developed a habit.

    When I walked to the door of the tavern, I happened to meet my old friend Zhou Xin. Zhou Xin and Tao Qun had a very good personal relationship and could talk about anything. Two days ago, Tao Qun also complained to Zhou Xin about the owner of the family, Tao Qun.  Sheng's incompetence and family chaos.

    Unexpectedly, we met again today. Tao Qun cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Second brother, what a coincidence! We meet again."

    "Brother Tao, I have something to ask you. Let's go upstairs to talk."

    Seeing his serious look, Tao Qun nodded and followed him upstairs. The two of them sat down. Zhou Xin took out a letter and handed it to Tao Qun, "Take a look!"

    Seeing his mysterious face, Tao Qun couldn't help but take the letter with doubts. He only glanced at the cover and was so surprised that he stood up. This was actually a letter written by Huang Zu to him.

    Zhou Xin pulled him down and whispered: "Brother, don't make a fuss, stay calm."

    Tao Qun opened the letter anxiously and read it hastily. The letter was written simply, with only one content. As long as he led his tribe to dethrone Tao Sheng as the head of the family, Huang Zu would support him as the new head of the family and guarantee the interests of the Tao family.

    Tao Qun was frightened when he saw this, and after a while he said, "Why did you find me?"

    "Of course Taishou Huang knows the Tao family. With the family's prestige, besides Tao Sheng, it's you. Do you think Taishou Huang can stop looking for you?"

    Tao Qun sat blankly for a long time before letting out a long sigh.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Half an hour later, Tao Qun came out of the tavern. He was leisurely when he went in, but he was worried when he came out. At this time, a carriage drove by and stopped.

    "Uncle Qun, I'm looking for you everywhere?" Zhu Xun's sincere smile appeared on the car window.

    The Tao and Zhu families have been married for generations and have a very close relationship. Of course, Tao Qun is very familiar with Zhu Xun. Zhu Xun is the county magistrate and they often interact with each other. Normally, Tao Qun would greet him with a smile, but today he has no thoughts.

    "My dear nephew, what's the matter?"

    Zhu Xun took out a red cloth bag and said with a mysterious smile: "I got the piece of Shang jade that Uncle Qun has always wanted."

    Tao Qun¡¯s biggest hobby is collecting beautiful jade. He can be called a jade fanatic. He collected hundreds of pieces of various kinds of beautiful jade and often locked himself in his room all night long to play with them carefully.

    A few days ago, someone wanted to sell a piece of merchant jade. Unfortunately, there was a war. When Tao Qun got the news and came over, the jade seller had already left Chaisang. Tao Qun regretted it for a long time. It was a rare merchant.  Jade!

    At this time, Tao Qun was overjoyed and ignored the worries Huang Zu had brought to him.He got on the carriage at the door and said impatiently: "My dear nephew, show me the jade quickly!"

    At this moment, a man in black suddenly appeared behind Tao Qun and strangled his neck with his arms. Just as Tao Qun was about to shout instinctively, a ball of rags was accurately stuffed into his mouth.

    ¡®Woooo¡ª¡ª¡¯

    Zhu Xun glanced at him coldly, closed the curtains of the carriage, quickly started the carriage, and sped towards the military camp in the south.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Staggering, Tao Qun was pushed into a room. The room was empty and bright, except for a single couch. Sitting on the couch was a young general, Liu Jing, the owner of Chaisang. Behind him and  On both sides, stood a dozen shirtless men.

    Tao Qun was extremely surprised and at the same time extremely uneasy. He quickly knelt down and bowed, "My dear fellow Tao Qun, please pay homage to Liu Sima."

    Liu Jing ignored him and ordered coldly: "Push in!"

    A young man of eighteen or nineteen years old came in from outside. He was handsome and handsome. He was Tao Bing, Tao Qun's most beloved son.

    The father and son did not expect to meet here, and they looked at each other. At this time, Liu Jing shouted: "Beat me to death!"

    A shirtless man knocked Tao Bing over with one punch, and several vicious thugs swarmed up and punched Tao Bing.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 159 Sun Quan¡¯s Dilemma

    [An additional chapter will be added on the weekend. Book friends with recommendation votes, support Lao Gao!  ¡¿

    ===

    There were howls and screams in the room. Tao Qun saw his son rolling on the ground and being beaten so badly that he was frightened. He knelt down in front of Liu Jing and begged, "Please Master Jing, please spare the dog!"

    Liu Jing glanced at him coldly and ignored him. At this time, Tao Yun screamed and his leg bones were kicked off. Tao Qun was so frightened that he could no longer think about anything else. He took Zhou Xin out of his arms and gave it to him.  letter, held high,

    "This is the letter Zhou Xin gave me. I didn't get it until noon. I didn't do anything. I swear!"

    Liu Jing was slightly startled, waved his hand, and ordered his men to stop beating him. He took the letter from Tao Qun and read it again. It turned out to be a letter written by Huang Zu to Tao Qun. This was beyond his expectation.  I pulled out a weed, but unexpectedly a ginseng tree was pulled out from under the weed.

    "Did the Zhou family contact you?"

    Liu Jing knew that Zhou Xin was an important figure in the Zhou family and Zhou Ling's uncle.

    Tao Qun said with a tearful voice: "He gave me this letter at noon today and said some tempting words. I have no idea, let alone betray the young master."

    Liu Jing received the letter and then said to him: "Tao Sheng is the head of the Tao family. His authority cannot be challenged by anyone. I hope you understand this."

    Tao Qun was stunned. It turned out that it was not about Huang Zu, but about the Tao family. He secretly regretted it. Why was he so anxious to take out the letter?  He lowered his head and dared not say a word.

    Liu Jing understood his thoughts and said coldly: "This is your luck. If you really dare to have an affair with Huang Zu, you will die without a burial place."

    Tao Qun trembled with fright and said hurriedly: "I don't dare, the common people."

    Liu Jing nodded and pointed at the dying Tao Bing on the ground, "This is just a warning to you. He will stay in the military camp to recover. If you dare to oppose Tao Sheng again, you will have your son's head."

    Tao Qun knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily. In another room in the military camp, Tao Yi, another important figure in the Tao family, also cried bitterly and promised that he would never oppose the head of the family, Tao Sheng.

    Tao Qun was taken away. Liu Jing took out Tao Qun's letter and read it carefully several times. He paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. He knew that Zhou Bing, the prime minister of Jiangxia County, was Zhou Gu's brother and Huang Zu's confidant.  After killing Zhou Ling, the Zhou family became silent.

    But he believed that the Zhou family would not remain silent forever and would definitely take action. Sure enough, the Zhou family found Tao Qun.

    Liu Jing thought for a long time, this is an opportunity, how should he make full use of this opportunity?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Dongwu Palace, also called Wuhou Palace, stands at the foot of Huqiu Mountain in the north of Gusu City. It covers an area of ??nearly a thousand acres and is surrounded by towering city walls. It is divided into two parts: the back city and the political city. The back city is the residence of Sun Quan, the Marquis of Wu.  House, and Zhengcheng is where the officials of Jiangdong hold offices and hold court meetings. This is the political and military center of Jiangdong's regime.

    Since Sun Quan's mother died of illness a month ago, the entire Soochow has been in a state of sadness. All entertainment activities have been stopped, and taverns have banned the sale of alcohol. White flags are hung in every household and incense burners are placed in every household to express condolences for the death of the old lady. The whole country has  All military activities were stopped up and down. It was against this background that the Jiangdong Army stopped its attack on Chaisang City.

    Lu Su was wearing a large white Confucian robe and a Jinxian crown on his head. He walked hurriedly and looked solemn as he quickly walked through the Wu'an Gate between the palace city and the political city and entered the palace city.

    Since Chai Sang's return, Lu Su has been under tremendous political pressure. Jiangdong veterans headed by Cheng Pu have demanded that Lu Su be dismissed and held responsible for the defeat. However, Sun Quan tried his best to explain to Lu Su and ignored all opinions.  Lu Su was willing to punish Lu Su, which filled Lu Su's heart with gratitude.

    During this period, he was also quite low-key, spending most of his time at home, reading and fishing, and recuperating his temper. Today, Lu Su received a summons from Sun Quan and hurried to Soochow Palace.

    Lu Su came to the Qilin Hall. Although the name was "Tang", the actual size was a palace. This was also Sun Quan's study room where he handled government affairs. Lu Su waited at the door for a moment. A guard came out and said with a smile: "Wu Hou invites the general to come in."  !¡±

    Lu Su straightened his clothes and quickly walked into Qilin Hall.

    In the study, Sun Quan was sitting in front of the desk writing furiously. He was still wearing white linen mourning clothes. Although his mother had passed away for a month, he had never removed his filial piety, but his heart had gradually come out of the grief of losing his mother. He put everything into his heart.  I put all my energy and thought into government affairs, using the heavy government affairs to forget the sadness in my heart.

    "My lord, General Lu is here." A guard's soft report interrupted Sun Quan's thoughts.

    "Let him in!"

    Sun Quan put down his pen. He came to Lu Su about Liu Jing. Liu Jing has become a celebrity in Jiangdong these days.??Because he led his army to defeat the Jiangdong Army in Chaisang.

    But in the old lady's royal hall, among the overwhelming plain flags and white flags, a filial piety flag saying "Jingzhou Liu Jing mourns the old lady through the ages" suddenly appeared. It was placed at the first place in the VIP table, attracting the attention of hundreds of officials in Jiangdong.  , this incident quickly spread throughout Soochow City.

    Liu Jing¡¯s mourning flag was naturally entrusted to Tao Lie, but Sun Quan deliberately put it first, which aroused heated discussions in Jiangdong.

    Sun Quan took out two letters from the desk. Both letters were written by Liu Jing. One was a letter written to Lu Su during the Battle of Chaisang, and the other was a handwritten letter Liu Jing asked Tao Lie to bring to Sun Quan.  , just got it this morning.

    Sun Quan was very interested in these two letters and read them more than once. Although he did not agree with Liu Jing's ideas, he was impressed by Liu Jing's magnanimity and planned to keep these two letters.

    At this time, Lu Su hurriedly walked into the study, knelt down and bowed, "Your Majesty, Lu Su, pays homage to the Marquis of Wu!"

    "Zijing, there is no need to be polite, please sit down!"

    Sun Quan asked Lu Su to sit down, looked at him again, and said with a smile, "Zijing is recuperating well at home!"

    Lu Su said with some fear: "I have no intention of slacking off, and I am willing to serve Wu Hou at any time."

    "I was just joking, Zijing, don't be nervous."

    Sun Quan smiled slightly and said: "I came to you today just to find something for you to do."

    Lu Su leaned forward and listened attentively. Sun Quan took the letter that Tao Lie brought and handed it to Lu Su, "This is the letter Liu Jing wrote to me. Take a look at it!"

    Lu Su was secretly surprised that Liu Jing actually wrote a letter to Wu Hou. Why?  He took the letter and read it hastily. In the letter, Liu Jing expressed his condolences for the death of the old lady with sincere words, but behind the letter, he actually wanted to exchange prisoners of war.

    Lu Su pondered for a moment and asked tentatively: "Wu Hou wants me to go to Chaisang?"

    Sun Quan nodded and sighed: "I heard from Tao Lie today that Liu Jing was a thoughtful man. He put the bones of all Jiangdong soldiers who died in battle into urns one by one, marked their names and places of origin, and built a mourning hall.

    The injured captured soldiers were carefully nursed back to health, and most of them recovered. Since he is so caring, how can I not appreciate his kindness? I decided to exchange with him and give him all the captured Jingzhou soldiers. I will entrust you with this matter.  Do it.  "

    "I am willing to serve Wuhou and go to Chaisang, but"

    Lu Su hesitated and said, "I'm just worried that the important ministers will oppose me as the envoy."

    Sun Quan knew very well that Cheng Pu's request to punish Lu Su this time was actually selfish. Cheng Pu and Zhou Yu had a bad relationship, and Lu Su was recommended by Zhou Yu. Cheng Pu's request to punish Lu Su severely was actually selfish.  Slap Zhou Yu in the face.

    Sun Quan knew it well, so he ignored Cheng Pu and saved Lu Su. He had asked Xu Sheng in detail. It was not that Lu Su's command was unfavorable, but that Liu Jing led Chaisang's army and civilians to destroy the cauldron and use stone cannons and  The trebuchet severely damaged Jiangdong's army.

    The battle was very fierce. Jiangdong's army attacked the city several times, but was driven off the city by Chaisang's defenders. Finally, reinforcements from Gan Ning arrived and burned Jiangdong's grain ships, finally forcing Jiangdong's army to withdraw.

    This is not because Lu Su is incompetent, even if Cheng Pu goes there, it will be the same. Moreover, Lu Su used a trick to annihilate Huang She's five thousand navy.

    Sun Quan smiled and waved his hand, "Don't worry, Zijing. I will give you the talisman. You have full authority to go to Chaisang on my behalf. No one dares to say anything to you?"

    Lu Su also laughed, "If this is the case, I will have nothing to fear."

    The two were silent for a while, and Sun Quan asked thoughtfully: "Zijing, what do you think of Liu Jing?"

    Lu Su thought for a while and said: "Although I was defeated by him, I don't want to slander him. This man is very good at seizing opportunities. He came to Jingzhou from his hometown in Gaoping only half a year ago and has become famous. He seizes opportunities again and again, including  In this battle of Chaisang, he became famous in one battle and got a piece of Jiangxia¡¯s pie, which is admirable.¡±

    After a pause, Lu Su continued: "When he came to Jiangxia this time, it was obvious that Liu Biao wanted to take back control of Jiangxia from Huang Zu, but he took advantage of our Jiangdong Army's attack on Chaisang to seize Chaisang in one fell swoop.  Jiangxia Gate, his courage and strategy were fully demonstrated in this war, Wu Hou, this person is no small matter. "

    Sun Quan nodded, "Although he is Liu Jingsheng's nephew, he is an alien of the Liu family!"

    Sun Quan took the letter from the table, which contained his dense annotations. He sighed: "Sun and Liu unite to fight against Cao Cao. Liu Jingsheng's nephew actually has such a mind. This is a person who can do great things. I also deeply appreciate it."  I deeply feel that this person should not be underestimated.¡±

    Lu Su hesitated for a moment, "Does the Marquis of Wu also consider Sun and Liu to unite?"?¡±

    "How can it be!"

    Sun Quan shook his head and said with a smile: "I just appreciate his broad-mindedness, but it doesn't mean that I agree with him. Cao Cao is currently busy in Hebei and has no time to go south. I will take this opportunity to annex Jingzhou, march into Bashu, and unify the south.  This is the way to compete with Cao Jun. If Sun and Liu unite, even if I want to, Liu Biao may not agree. "

    "But if Liu Jing becomes the lord of Jingzhou and he proposes an alliance between Sun and Liu, will Wu Hou consider it?" Lu Su asked cautiously.

    In fact, the reason why Lu Su gave Liu Jing's letter to Sun Quan was that, to a certain extent, he agreed with Sun and Liu to reconcile and unite against Cao Cao.

    It¡¯s just that the feud between the Sun and Liu families was too deep, and Lu Su was a low-key man who never dared to mention the matter. This time he handed Liu Jing¡¯s letter to Sun Quan, hoping that Sun Quan would consider it.

    Sun Quan walked a few steps back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. The reason why he valued Liu Jing was not because he agreed with his ideas, but because he felt that his courage and strategy were far superior to those of Liu Qi and Liu Cong.

    One day in the future, he is likely to become the lord of Jingzhou. If that is the case, the confrontation between Jiangdong and Jingzhou may change.

    For a long time, Sun Quan stared at the roof and sighed softly, "I hope he can become my opponent, but I don't want him to take over Jingzhou. Zijing, what a dilemma!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 160: Long-term fishing

    Xiakou is also known as Wuhan in later generations. When Huang Zu was in charge of Jiangxia, Xiakou had not yet built a city, but it was also a densely populated area. Since Xiakou was the intersection of the Yangtze River and the Han River, its strategic position was extremely important.

    A few months ago, Huang Zu also gradually shifted Jiangxia's military center of gravity to Xiakou, where nearly 10,000 troops and thousands of warships were stationed.

    On the West Pier of Xiakou, there are hundreds of merchant ships parked densely. Each merchant ship is hung with the Tao family's double carp flag and carries cloth and other goods. These are the more than 400 Tao ships seized by Huang She.  A merchant ship and more than a hundred crew members and stewards were also imprisoned.

    This is the reality. Although the Tao family is as wealthy as the country, without the backing of power, they are just a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered and will be slaughtered by the powerful at any time.

    "Father, these four hundred and twenty tugboats have a great harvest!" Huang She pointed at the densely packed ships and said to his father Huang Zuzhu with a smile.

    Huang Zu clasped his hands behind his hands and squinted at the hundreds of tugboats. The water lines were very deep, indicating that they were carrying heavy cargo. "Aside from burlap, what else do these ships have?"

    "There are also two hundred bolts of silk and satin, which are very few. The children have already unloaded them."

    Huang Zu had a look of dissatisfaction on his face. It was only two hundred pieces of silk, which was too little. Moreover, what did he want these burlaps for? Although they were heavy, they were worthless. What he wanted was food and money.

    Huang Zu muttered something rudely in his throat, and turned back to Huang She and said, "Send someone to tell the Tao family that I can return the ship's cargo to them and release the people, but they must exchange it for fifty thousand shi of grain. I know they are here."  There are warehouses in Jiangdong, and there is plenty of food.¡±

    "But. What's wrong with Tao Zhan? He still has brothers. Didn't he give an explanation?"

    "Fuck!"

    Huang Zu cursed angrily, "Liu Jing is in Chaisang, can they give Tao Zhan to you? Also, your brother should have nothing to do with the Tao family, I'm sorry they don't have the guts!"

    Regarding the whereabouts of Huang Yong, Huang Zu was already a little desperate. He sent people to Jiangdong the day before yesterday to demand the redemption of his son. If Huang Yong was not in Jiangdong, then Liu Jing had told lies.

    Huang Zu had an unpleasant feeling in his heart. His second son had died in Liu Jing's hands. Otherwise, why would Liu Biao not mention this matter? There was only one explanation. He had already seen his son's head.

    Huang Zu's face was as gloomy as water. After a while, he said coldly: "Exchanging food with the Tao family does not mean that they will be spared. If the Tao family's ships show up again, I will continue to detain them!"

    At this time, a soldier from afar ran over, knelt down on one knee and reported, "To the prefect, there is urgent information coming from Yangxin County."

    The soldier presented a piece of information to Huang Zu. Huang Zu read it and couldn't help but laugh, "Liu Jing used idiots to suppress the bandits, but was beaten to pieces. That Liao Hua was defeated in three battles, and the seven hundred defenders were defeated."  With only two hundred people left, Yangxin County can hardly survive.¡±

    Huang She thought for a moment and then asked his father, "Did Yangxin County ask Liu Jing for help?"

    "Why didn't you ask for help? I sent three letters asking for help. If Yangxin County is lost, how can Liu Jing explain to Liu Biao?"

    Huang Zu was in a particularly good mood, and he wished that these bandits would capture Chaisang as well. Huang She, however, was more gloomy. He thought about it again and hesitated: "Father, I feel there is an opportunity here."

    Huang Zu suddenly woke up and slapped his forehead heavily, "Damn it, why didn't I think of that!"

    He immediately ordered: "Go quickly and find Zhou Juncheng to see me."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Zhou family was quiet for a while. During this period, Liu Jing paid a special visit to the Zhou family, expressing her willingness to reconcile with the Zhou family and preparing to arrange for the Zhou family's children to enter Chaisang officialdom. However, the head of the family, Zhou Gu, only said that the Zhou family had no intention of getting involved in officialdom.  Liu Jing's visit was a gesture of gratitude, but the relationship between them had not substantially improved.

    " Then both parties calmed down. Liu Jing never came to see the Zhou family again, and the Zhou family also kept an unusually low profile, prohibiting their children from engaging in all public activities. The entire Zhou family seemed to have disappeared in Chaisang City.

    But this is just peace in Chaisang City. In fact, Zhou Gu has been secretly communicating with his brother Zhou Bing, and sent what happened in Chaisang City to Wuchang in a timely manner. Zhou Gu knows that the interests of the Zhou family are in Wuchang, and in Huang  For Zu, he and Liu Jing can only be enemies.

    In the room, Zhou Xin sighed and said, "Master, that Tao Qun has turned into a waste now and drinks alcohol all day long. I can't find him anymore, and he is no longer willing to oppose Tao Sheng, which is disappointing."

    "This is understandable. Tao Sheng colluded with Liu Jing to beat his son seriously. How could he have the courage again? I'm more concerned about whether he betrayed us." Zhou Gu said coldly, standing in front of the window with his hands behind his hands.

    "Brother, please don't worry. I have confirmed it. He said that the letter was burned and he just pretended that nothing happened. I believe that although he did not dare to offendLiu Jing, but he also did not dare to offend Huang Zu. Judging from the current situation, Liu Jing did not have any surveillance on the Zhou family, which meant that he had not yet become suspicious.  "

    Zhou Gu nodded, and this was where he felt a little more at ease. After Liu Jing came to visit last time, he thought Liu Jing would send someone to monitor the Zhou family, but after careful observation for several days, there was no suspicious person outside the Zhou family.

    If Liu Jing is suspicious of the Zhou family, even if he doesn't take action against the Zhou family, there will definitely be surveillance. This shows that Liu Jing is too busy controlling Chai Sang to take into account Huang Zu's threat.

    Perhaps he thought that the two sides had reached a compromise and there would be no more battles to seize the city. Zhou Gu sneered and could only say that Liu Jing did not understand Huang Zu too much. Who was Huang Zu? In the face of his own interests, he would be compromised by a so-called compromise.  Bind your hands and feet?

    "This morning, I received an express message from my second brother, asking me to pay close attention to the movements of Liu Jing's army. I will leave this matter to you."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    kill!

    The school field was filled with shouts of killing and the heat was rising. More than two thousand soldiers were training in the scorching heat. They were sweating profusely and waving their spears, forming a spectacular spear array.

    On the side, Wei Yan was also sweating profusely, but his attitude was extremely stern. He held a long whip in his hand and shouted straight at the throat, "Where is the momentum? Give me the momentum!"

    "Damn it, your marksmanship is wrong. I taught you it in vain. Go aside and practice it a hundred times!"

    Wei Yan pulled a soldier out of the team and ordered him to practice alone, "A hundred times!" He yelled: "One less time, I will punish you!"

    The soldiers have become accustomed to Wei Yan's harsh yelling and scolding. Although he has a fierce attitude, he is extremely serious. The marksmanship he teaches is much better than the mass marksmanship. If used skillfully, the lethality on the battlefield will be significantly improved.

    As a coach, Wei Yan trained with the soldiers under the scorching sun, which was harder and more tiring than the soldiers, which made the soldiers truly convinced.

    Wei Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead. He also had a great sense of accomplishment in his heart. He had been depressed for many years, relied on his talent, was unruly, and looked down on his villainous bosses. Therefore, he was repeatedly beaten by his bosses, even risking his life.  Almost lost it.

    Until he met Liu Jing, this was what Wei Yan thought was a turning point in his life. He had now been promoted to the rank of military prince. Not only that, but he had also given him the training rights of two thousand troops. What kind of trust was this, which made Wei Yan have a feeling in his heart.  A scholar is moved by the feeling of dying for a confidant.

    At this time, there was cheering in the distance. Wei Yan looked into the distance with a knowing smile in his eyes. On the other side of the school field, Liu Jing was galloping on his horse, constantly drawing his bow and shooting arrows sideways.

    In just one stick of incense, he had already shot twenty arrows, and the straw man sixty steps away was full of arrows. "Not bad!" Wei Yan admired in a low voice.

    He saw with his own eyes the rapid progress of Liu Jing's archery skills and trained hard every day. In just half a month, he improved from shooting ten arrows with a stick of incense to twenty arrows. Of course Wei Yan knew that this was extraordinary progress.

    Not only his archery skills, but also his strength has been steadily increasing, which has been greatly improved compared to the last battle of Xinye.

    At this time, Liu Jing galloped on his horse, drew an arrow and nocked a bow eighty steps away. He drew the bow like the moon, and the arrow was like a shooting star. He shot an arrow at the straw man. With a "pop" sound, it hit the chest. The arrow was very powerful and shot through the straw man.  , there was cheers all around again.

    Even Liu Jing was quite proud of this arrow. He found the best feel and hit the chest with an arrow eighty steps away. This had never happened before. At this time, he suddenly saw Wei Yan looking this way from a distance, as if  Shaking her head, Liu Jing felt strange in her heart, she drew her bow and ran towards Wei Yan.

    "What does the editor think is wrong?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Wei Yan was not flattering, and said bluntly: "Hitting one arrow is just a fluke, and one must hit ninety-nine out of a hundred arrows to be truly capable. Sima, do you think you can let me praise you?"

    Liu Jing also smiled faintly, "It's indeed a fluke. If I shoot the second arrow, I won't feel this way again. You are right, it is not worthy of praise."

    "In that case, which soldiers"

    Wei Yan pointed at the twenty-odd soldiers surrounding the archery target and said, "Can I allow them to accept my training, instead of blindly flattering me and affecting the training of the soldiers here?"

    Liu Jing then understood why Wei Yan had always been disliked by his superiors and repeatedly criticized. This person's words were indeed easy to offend others. Although he was telling the truth, his way was wrong.

    Even his face was a little worried, but Liu Jing knew him well and would not care about him. He smiled and said, "Those twenty or so people are all spies who have come back for a short break. They will set off in the evening, so there is no need for training."  ¡±

    He turned back and waved, "You all go back to camp!"

    More than twenty onlookers of soldiers left the school grounds and returned to the camp. Only then did Wei YanRealizing that he was speaking too bluntly, he quickly apologized: "I have always spoken freely. I say whatever comes to my mind. Why can't I change it? I hope Sima doesn't blame me!"

    Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "I know your temper. Although your words are not pleasant to listen to, you are right. The soldiers here are sweating like rain in training, but they are watching without incident. It is indeed inappropriate. Don't worry.  Come on! I won¡¯t take it seriously.¡±

    Wei Yan was grateful in his heart, but could not express it. He just nodded silently. Liu Jing looked at the two thousand soldiers again and saw that their muscles were dark and shining in the sun. Everyone was full of energy and powerful. He couldn't help but  Smiling slightly, "Just training like this is not enough, you also need to train your physical strength. I plan to let them march a long distance tonight."

    "Where is Sima going?"

    "Go to Yangxin County!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 161: Lure the Soldiers

    From Chaisang to Yangxin County, you can take the waterway or the land route. Take the waterway a little further, go west along the Yangtze River, enter Fushui, a small tributary at the mouth of the Fushui River, pass through Xiazhi County, and then go westward to reach Yangxin County.  Gan Ning aided Chaisang City by water.

    ??The land route takes a straight line, all the way to the west, through the rolling hills and mountains, about 150 miles, and finally reaches Yangxin County.

    Since Yangxin County is located at the junction of the Jiangxia Mountains and the plains, it has a large population and rampant banditry. Although Zhang Wu and Chen Sun were wiped out by Liu Bei's army last year, there are still three groups of bandits in Yangxin County, each with more than a thousand people.  They robbed houses and disturbed Jiangxia.

    Huang Zu also repeatedly sent troops to suppress the bandits, but never succeeded. Until Gan Ning stationed himself in Yangxin County, the three bandits were intimidated by Gan Ning's reputation and restrained a lot. This time Liu Jing sent Liao Hua to replace Gan Ning in guarding Yangxin County, which was a big deal.  To a certain extent, they hope to use Liao Hua's old identity as the left king of Jiangxia to recruit these three bandits.

    But Liu Jing¡¯s plan didn¡¯t seem to be going well. A few days ago, Liao Hua sent three letters asking for help. He failed to suppress the bandits and begged Chai Sang for rescue.

    At night, an army of two thousand people left Chaisang City and marched quickly westward. At the same time, Gan Ning, who was stationed in Longwan City, also led hundreds of his subordinates to leave Longwan City and head west by waterway.  .

    Although the departure of these two armies was very secretive, it was still discovered by those who were interested.

    Zhou Xin hurriedly walked to the backyard of Zhou Mansion. He opened the door of Zhou Gu's study and shouted anxiously: "Master, they are gone!"

    Zhou Gu was reading under the lamp. When he saw his brother was surprised and happy, sweating profusely, he was very dissatisfied and said: "Why are you anxious? You are so old, you can't be more stable!"

    Seeing that his brother was angry, Zhou Xin was so frightened that he quickly lowered his head and did not dare to say a word. Zhou Gu glared at him fiercely, and then said calmly: "Tell me now! What happened and who left?"

    "Master, the Chaisang garrison set out just now."

    Zhou Gu¡¯s eyes lit up. This was the news he had been waiting for for a long time. He still asked quietly: ¡°How exactly do you leave?¡±

    "I have inquired that a total of two thousand people, led by Liu Jing personally, left Chaisang to the west on the pretext of marching training and under the cover of night. Moreover, Gan Ning's fleet also left Longwan City at almost the same time, and took the waterway.  Go west, Master, there must be something fishy going on if you go out to train at night."

    Zhou Gu nodded. The training march was of course just an excuse. Even Gan Ning's army from Longwan City was dispatched. This must be to assist Yangxin County. It would take at least three days to go back and forth to Yangxin County. In addition, it would take more time to suppress the bandits.  He will be gone for seven or eight days. This is simply a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

    But Zhou Gu calmed down and asked: "How many troops are there in the county now? Who will be in charge?"

    "There should be five hundred people, and I heard they are led by Liu Hu."

    Zhou Gu walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then considered the cause and effect, sorted out all the details one by one, and found no flaws. Then he wrote a letter at his desk and handed it to Zhou Xin: "Immediately send someone to Wuchang County to take care of this."  Give the letter to the county magistrate. It¡¯s extremely urgent. Let¡¯s go now!¡±

    "Isn't the county magistrate in Xiakou?"

    "No! They are all in Wuchang now."

    The night is getting deeper and deeper, and it is already the third watch. The city of Chaisang is silent and dark. Only dim lanterns are hung at the gates of the city gate, the military camp and the hotel. At this time, the guard at the south gate has been replaced by Liu Jing's.  Dozens of confidants, at this time, a soldier ran from a distance and whispered to the guard: "There is no movement over there at the Zhou family, and there is no one around."

    The defender nodded and waved his hand, "Open the city!"

    The city gate creaked open, and only a large group of soldiers trotted in from outside the city. There were more than a thousand people. The leader was none other than Wei Yan. He was riding a horse with a sword in hand. The four hooves of the horse were wrapped in thick linen. Wei Yan waved his hand and lowered his head.  He ordered: "Speed ??up and don't make any noise!"

    The soldiers sped up and ran, making a sound of rustling. They only ran a hundred steps or so before they entered the South Military Camp on the campus. The gate of the military camp was immediately closed, and the city gate was also creaking shut. From opening the city to closing the city, it took less than a moment.  After a while, everything returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened

    At this time, he had led an army of 10,000 from Xiakou to Wuchang County. He was well prepared and waiting for news from Chaisang Zhougu. Yangxin County was Liu Jing's other extremely important territory besides Chaisang.  How could Liu Jing let bandits occupy it?

    Huang Zu knew that Liu Jing would definitely send reinforcements, but to what extent the reinforcements would be sent is questionable.

    On the Wuchang pier, Huang Zu stared at dozens of warships, his round pumpkin face turned into a bitter gourd, his small eyes flashed with monstrous rage, and he fistedHe squeezed and unclenched his head, unclenched and tightened, and his knuckles turned white. He got a reply from Peng Ze Jiangdong Camp this morning. Jiangdong Army did not arrest his son Huang Yong.

    This confirmed his guess that his son Huang Yong had probably died in the hands of Liu Jing. It was for this reason that Liu Biao did not pursue the matter of Huang Yong's injury to Liu Cong. The pain of losing his son filled Huang Zu's heart.  , he completely forgot that it was Huang Yong who wanted to kill someone first. He didn't care about this. He only cared about his son. If his son died, how should he avenge this?

    At this time, he not only hated Liu Jing for the land, but also the hatred for his son. "Liu Jing, I swear I will cut you into pieces!" Huang Zu murmured to himself while looking at the Yangtze River.

    Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps behind him, and the eldest son Huang She was seen walking in a hurry with Zhou Xing, the county magistrate. Zhou Xing was the younger brother of Chaisang Zhou Gu. He was about forty-five or six years old. He looked very similar to Zhou Gu, but he was very strong.  He didn't look as sickly as Zhou Gu.

    Zhou Bing held a letter in his hand. It was written by his brother Zhou Gu, telling them an extremely important piece of information.

    "Father, Liu Jing has sent out troops!" Huang She said anxiously as he entered the door.

    Huang Zu turned around suddenly and stared at Huang She with blood-red eyes, "Tell me the specific situation!"

    Zhou Bing quickly presented the letter to Huang Zu. Huang Zu's blood-red eyes like wild beasts made him slightly frightened. After giving the letter, he quickly stood aside.

    Huang Zu hurriedly read the letter and his eyes widened. Liu Jing personally led two thousand soldiers out of the city to the west. Gan Ning also sent troops. What kind of marching training, fart!  It was obviously to rescue Yangxin County.

    "Father, the opportunity has finally come!" Huang She said, unable to contain his excitement.

    After all, Huang Zu was a veteran who had been on the battlefield for a long time. Although everything was developing smoothly, he felt that Liu Jing seemed to have sent too many troops. There were only 500 people left in the entire Chaisang City, so he spent all his money on it.  Aren't you worried about sending troops to attack Chai Sang?

    ¡°Father, I don¡¯t think the problem is big.¡±

    Huang She had already thought of a countermeasure in his mind and suggested to his father: "We can send dozens of elite soldiers, disguised as tenants of the Zhou family, to drive a grain boat to the Zhou family in Chaisang to deliver grain. With the cover of the Zhou family, we can enter Chaisang."  There is no problem with Sang, and then we sneak attack the city gate in the middle of the night. This is when the defense is at its weakest. The defenders of Chaisang will definitely be caught off guard. As long as we capture the city gate, we can rush into Chaisang. With our absolute strength advantage, Liu Jing  This time he will die without a burial place.¡±

    "There is no place to die!"

    Huang Zu murmured to himself, "No! He is too cheap. I will cut him into pieces with a thousand knives and crush his bones into ashes!"

    "Did the Tao family have any reply last time?" Huang Zu turned around and asked Zhou Bing again.

    "I reported it to the prefect, but the Tao family didn't have any reply."

    "Very good!" Huang Zu sneered: "Since you don't know how to praise, then let's help him."

    Huang Zu suddenly turned to Huang She and said, "You and Su Fei will lead an army of 3,000 to attack Chaisang. Liu Jing's army will definitely come back for reinforcements. I will personally lead an army to ambush him. This time he cannot escape from my grasp, Huang Zu."

    Huang She was overjoyed and bowed: "My child obeys my command!"

    Huang Zu said to Zhou Bing again: "With the Zhou family, the county magistrate is responsible for contacting them."

    Although Zhou Bing didn't want to get into this kind of thing and offend Liu Biao, at this time he couldn't help himself and had to bite the bullet and said: "I will definitely handle my humble job."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although Yangxin County has a small population, it covers a huge area. It is the largest county in Jiangxia County, occupying nearly 30% of the entire Jiangxia County.

    At the first watch of the fourth day, the night was dim, and the pale moonlight was flowing in the dark clouds. Under the moonlight, an army of more than a thousand people marched rapidly eastward in the mountains and hills west of Chaisang County.

    There are lush mountains and forests on both sides, and the shrill cries of night owls can be heard in the distance. This is already within Chaisang County, about sixty miles away from Chaisang, forty miles away from the Yangtze River, and separated by more than a dozen rolling peaks.

    Liu Jing is located in the middle of the team. He is riding on a majestic war horse. He is wearing scale armor and an eagle-edge helmet. He carries a blue shadow gun and has sharp eyes as he looks at the movements around him.

    At this time, a thin figure, like an ape, suddenly jumped down from a big tree and landed just in front of Liu Jing's horse, causing a slight commotion. A dozen soldiers immediately pinned him down with spears.

    "It's me, I'm Hou Wu!" The thin black shadow shouted in fright.

    Liu Jing urged her horse forward and scolded with a smile, "You little monkey, if you sneak out again, beware of being shot to death with an arrow!"

    "Sir, I don't dare anymore. I have news about General Gan."

    Hou Wu is Liu Jing's little follower. He has an ability that is beyond the reach of ordinary people. He can climb mountains and ridges, climb trees and walk on vines as if he were walking on the ground. He also has a strong sense of direction and will never get lost. He is aA genius at tracking reports.

    During this march, his mission was to contact Gan Ning and Liu Jing. He had just arrived from the riverside, climbed dozens of miles of mountain roads, and found Liu Jing's team accurately.

    "Does General Gan have a letter for me?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Hou Wu licked his chapped lips, "Sir, it's a message, but my mouth is too dry and I'm hungry, so I can't tell it."

    Liu Jing was angry and funny, and threw her dry food bag and water bottle to him, "Eat and drink after you finish talking!"

    Hou Wu was as dexterous as a monkey and jumped up to the white horse. The white horse was dissatisfied and beat its hooves, but it was a little helpless.

    He whispered in Liu Jing's ear: "General Gan has discovered Huang Zu's fleet, which has hundreds of large ships. General Gan said that Huang Zu wants to intercept us."

    After saying that, he jumped off his horse again like a monkey and ran to a big rock to drink water and eat dry food.

    Liu Jing was in high spirits and started indeed. It seemed that Huang Zu was more eager than he thought. Success or failure depended on this. He immediately ordered: "Speed ??up and return to Chaisang!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 162: Taking advantage of the situation

    In the Chaisang military camp, Xu Shu was listening to a report from a water spy. He found dozens of 500-stone warships on the river about ten miles northwest of Chaisang, slowly approaching Chaisang.

    Xu Shu stroked his beard and laughed. This was the army sent by Huang Zu to attack Chaisang. If the inference was not wrong, they must have taken action tonight. According to the arrangement with Liu Jing in advance, Liu Jing led his army to ambush outside, and  Xu Shu then took charge of Chaisang and led the army into the urn.

    Xu Shu walked to the door with his hands behind his hands. The setting sun in the distance was like blood. The afterglow cast on the top of Chaisang City, giving Chaisang City a bright red color. The old people said that the setting sun was too red, which was a manifestation of the bloody disaster. Although Xu Shu was right  This statement is scoffing, but today's sunset seems to be like blood, which seems to prove this point.

    At this time, Liu Hu quickly ran over, clasped his fists and saluted, and said with a loud sound: "County Lieutenant, we are all ready."

    County Lieutenant is just Xu Shu's official name, but in fact Xu Shu is Chai Sang's military advisor, assisting Liu Jing and controlling military affairs. He is the second-ranking figure in Chai Sang's army. Even Liu Hu treats him with respect.

    "Marquis Hujun, do you know what I asked you to gather the troops for?"

    Liu Hu shook his head, "Tiger doesn't know!"

    "You follow me to arrest people and find out the forty Jiangxia soldiers hiding in Zhou's house!"

    Liu Hu's eyes suddenly widened. There was actually Huang Zu's army in Chaisang City. He was extremely excited and eager to try, "County Lieutenant, let's go then!"

    Xu Shu nodded and walked out quickly with Liu Hu.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As Huang She arranged, he selected forty elite soldiers from the army, disguised themselves as tenant farmers of the Zhou family in Wuchang, and drove more than a dozen grain ships to Chaisang. He claimed that they were here to deliver grain to the owner Zhou family, and the Zhou family immediately came forward.  As a guarantee, and because they did not bring any weapons, the small fleet was put into Chaisang City.

    The forty people then disappeared without a trace. The Zhou family hid them in the house, waiting for the opportunity to come. In the room, the head of the family, Zhou Gu, was a little nervous. He had just received Huang She's order, and Jiang Xia's general would be here on Wednesday tonight.  At the next hour, they attacked the water gate of Beicheng and ordered forty dead soldiers to seize the water gate in advance.

    The reason why we chose to attack Shuimen was because both Shuimen and Lumen had Wengcheng. It would be difficult for forty people to rob Lucheng Gate, but Shuimen could use the Cao River to sneak into Wengcheng. These forty people were all very good at water, so they came here just to attack Shuimen.  Pick them.

    Thinking of the approaching night attack, Zhou Gu couldn't help but feel extremely nervous. Although he had been looking forward to this day for a long time, the fact that it was really coming made Zhou Gu start to feel uneasy. He was afraid that an accident would happen at the last moment.

    At this time, there was a sound of footsteps outside, and a housekeeper reported: "Master, Zhu County Cheng and Xu County Lieutenant are here, saying that there is a problem with the Zhou family's land tax, and the fourth master cannot handle it. Please ask the family master to go out."

    "Useless things!"

    Zhou Gu cursed secretly in his heart. At this critical moment, he didn't want to fall out with the government, so he had to put on his outer robe and go to the lobby.

    In the lobby, dozens of government officials surrounded Xu Shu, and sitting next to him was the county magistrate Zhu Xun. Zhu Xun was drinking tea slowly with a tea bowl in his hand, his face was calm.

    Xu Shu's face was as dark as water, and he said to Zhou Xin in a stern tone: "I have checked the records of Chaisang over the years. Your mansion has 63 hectares of land in Chaisang, but you have not handed over a load of rice to the government. How do you explain it?  !¡±

    week  After being collected at all levels, they were concentrated in Xiangyang, and then Xiangyang allocated part of it to the army.

    Because the Zhou family secretly gave the land tax that should be handed over to the government to Huang Zu's army, the Zhou family actually committed tax evasion. According to Han law, evading land tax was a first-class crime, and beheading was a certainty. The Zhou family's tax evasion  The number is such that their homes will be confiscated and their families will be wiped out.

    Zhou Xin didn¡¯t know how to explain it. He didn¡¯t dare to tell Huang Zu, so he had to bow to him repeatedly, ¡°There is another hidden story about this matter. I have reported it to the head of the family, who will explain it.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Gu walked in, "What's the matter?"

    Zhou Xin quickly stepped forward and whispered: "They are saying that there is something wrong with our Chaisangtian Fu."

    "What is the problem!"

    Zhou Gu was extremely dissatisfied and said: "Our land tax has always been handed over to the county government. If we don't hand it over to the county government, of course the county government has no records. Xu County Lieutenant went to the county government to check and found out that my Zhou family has been innocent for generations. How often did we leak the land?"  Tax?"

    When Zhou Xin was stunned, he secretly admired the master's cleverness for deferring the matter to the county government so lightly and deftly. However, Xu Shu would never go to the county government to investigate and the matter would be settled. He quickly patted his forehead and said to Xu Shu:  "I'm really confused. Every year, the Zhou family escorts grain ships to Wuchang to pay field taxes. I was confused and forgot."

    ??Xu Shu smiled coldly, "Then please explain, head of the family, why a dozen grain ships came to Chaisang yesterday?"

    Xu Shu said this in an understatement, but it was like a thunderbolt to Zhou Gu. He suddenly understood that Xu Shu was not here to check and apply for any land taxes, but he was here to arrest the forty Jiangxia soldiers. Before he could react, more than a dozen government officials came.  Surrounding Zhou Gu and Zhou Xin.

    Xu Shu walked forward with his hands behind his back, looked at Zhou Gu and said: "The life and death of the Zhou family depends on your thoughts. The head of the family is a smart man. Whether he wants to protect the family or maintain his loyalty to Huang Zu, you can choose for yourself!"

    Zhou Gu stood blankly for a long time, then he sighed deeply and lowered his head. He thought for a long time, but he couldn't do anything. Everything about him had been noticed by the other party for a long time. He had a feeling that he had been tricked. At this time, the Zhou family still had a choice.  Room?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was almost the second watch, and a fleet of ships slowly approached the mouth of Caohe River. All the lights and fires on the ships were extinguished, and they were gliding silently in the mountains and rivers. On the bow of the first big ship, Huang Sha, wearing a helmet, pierced his armor.  Holding a stainless steel crescent halberd, he stared coldly at the dark Chaisang City Wall in the distance.

    "Sir, there doesn't seem to be any movement!" Su Fei, the general next to him, reminded him in a low voice.

    Su Fei is the third-ranking figure in the Jiangxia Army, second only to the Huang family and his son. He serves as the captain of Jiangxia. He has followed Huang Zu for many years and has always been Huang Zu's valued right-hand man.

    Su Fei was a little worried. From what he knew about Liu Jing's affairs, he felt that Liu Jing was not a careless person. On the contrary, he was very meticulous and cautious. How could he go out to defend Yangxin County with only 500 troops?  Army, you must know that Chaisang is much more important to Liu Jing than Yangxin County.

    Although Su Fei felt something was wrong, he could no longer persuade the Huang family and his son who were blinded by the fire of hatred. Huang Zu had determined that his second son Huang Yong died in the hands of Liu Jing. He flew into a rage. The anger of revenge for his son made him desperate.  He vowed to seize Chaisang and behead Liu Jing.

    Although Huang She was calmer than his father and had thought of some ways to seize the city, he was just as anxious and wanted to catch Liu Jing. Su Fei sighed secretly in his heart. Both father and son were blinded by hatred.  He knew that Huang She actually wanted to snatch the daughter of the Tao family, so he was so eager to work hard.

    At this time, Huang She's eyes were filled with the excitement of finding prey. He ignored Su Fei and stared at the iron fence of Shuicheng Gate. Suddenly, he saw a small firelight flashing inside the iron fence. Huang She's  His eyes suddenly widened and he stared at the dark Minato without blinking. At this time, the firelight flashed twice in succession.

    Huang She was immediately overjoyed, "They succeeded!"

    He turned around and ordered: "Give me the order, the fleet will enter the Caohe River and sail into the water gate."

    Large ships entered the Cao River one after another, riding the wind and waves, and sailed towards Shuicheng Gate. It should be said that Huang Zu was still very experienced. He knew that the masts of the ships were a problem when entering Shuicheng Gate. In order to solve this problem, he specially selected  Thirty low-masted sailing ships can just sail into the water city gate.

    The speed of the fleet was getting faster and faster, and Huang She became more and more excited. He had already seen the iron fence open. At this time, a scene that made his blood boil seemed to appear in front of him. Tao Zhan fell to him like a little sheep.  On the bed, Liu Jing's head was hanging on the door, dripping with blood. This was a sweet dream he had had again and again, and it was about to come true today.

    Su Fei felt that Huang She's eyes were blood red and he was already a little possessed. He was secretly surprised and said quickly: "Sir, I will command the Chinese army!"

    He turned around to leave, but Huang She grabbed his wrist and said viciously: "I am the commander-in-chief, and I am the first to lead the army. Why do you want to run away?"

    Su Fei smiled bitterly and explained: "Sir, the general and the general cannot be on the same ship. This is the rule."

    "What bullshit rules!"

    Huang She scolded: "What I said is the rule. If I ask you to stay, you must stay."

    Su Fei was also slightly angry and stared into Huang She's eyes sternly. After a while, Huang She let go of his wrist and snorted, "Go ahead!"

    Su Fei turned around and walked to the door of the cabin, but heard Huang She say coldly behind him: "I will go to the city later. I have something to do. You will be the commander-in-chief and direct the battle for me."

    Su Fei then realized that Huang She wanted to enter the city first, probably to capture Tao Zhan. This man usually seemed calm, but now it seemed that he was exactly the same as his brother Huang Yong.

    It¡¯s just that one is shown on the outside and the other is hidden in the heart. Only at critical moments will he show it.

    Su Fei¡¯s mouth showed a cold expression of disdain, and he turned around and walked out of the cabin door.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was pitch dark at the water gate, and the front and rear iron gates had been lifted, allowing the fleet to enter the Wengcheng unimpeded.?A dark figure was waving to the ship outside the city, "Quick! Quick!"

    Huang She¡¯s ship took the lead in sailing into the Shuimen City Cave and sailed into the Wengcheng very smoothly. Even Huang She himself found it a bit incredible. Was it really so easy to enter the Wengcheng?

    But the facts were before his eyes. They entered Wengcheng, and he even saw the city walls inside Wengcheng. Then the second and third large ships also sailed into Wengcheng. At this moment, something happened.  The two iron gates inside and outside suddenly fell down and hit the water hard, causing a wave of waves.

    The fourth ship couldn¡¯t dodge, ¡®Bang!  ¡¯ There was a loud bang, and it hit the outer iron gate. Sawdust flew into the air, and the ship shook violently. The hull lay across the water. The soldiers on the ship screamed, and many soldiers fell into the water during the violent shaking.

    This is the signal to take action, and the water city gate suddenly burst into flames, 'dong dong dong!  'The drums were beating like thunder, and the shouts of killing came one after another. There were countless ambushes in the dark night, and arrows were fired like rain inside and outside Wengcheng. More than a hundred soldiers who were ambushing at the mouth of the Caohe River fired rockets together, and soon ignited the sails of several large ships.  , the soldiers on the ship screamed in terror and jumped into the water to escape.

    The ship caught fire and was unable to move across the water gate. This blocked the retreat of the ships in Caohe River, leaving dozens of ships in Caohe River in a dilemma and in chaos.

    In the Wengcheng, dense arrows had been fired for an unknown period of time. Suddenly, there was a burst of fire. More than a thousand soldiers appeared on both sides of the Cao River in the Wengcheng. The serious-faced general at the head was none other than Wei Yan.

    With a wave of his hand, dozens of soldiers rushed onto the ship, and soon a young general was escorted away. He wore a golden crown crookedly and looked frightened.

    "I am Huang She, the son of Huang Zu, please spare my life!" He shouted as soon as he saw Wei Yan.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 163: Catch them all in one fell swoop

    On the Cao River, dozens of large ships followed closely. The water gate in front was closed. Arrows rained down on the city, mixed with rockets. Several ships near the city wall were set on fire, while several ships behind were also ambushed and set on fire.  The fire soared into the sky, putting the fleet in a dilemma.

    The soldiers began to panic, crowding the side of the ship and shouting. Su Fei, who was in the middle of the fleet, was also confused. Huang She fell into the trap and fell into the city. How could he explain this to Huang Zu?

    A general came over in a small boat and asked loudly: "Captain, the morale of the army is in chaos, what should we do now?"

    Su Fei forced himself to calm down. He knew that he had been caught in a deep trap. It had been a trap from the beginning. Even the Zhou family had been controlled by others. Now he could not go ashore no matter what. He did not know what kind of ambush there was on the shore. It was very likely that Liu  Jing was waiting on the shore.

    Su Fei looked at both sides of the Cao River. In fact, the Cao River was quite wide and could be turned around. The fleet could only be safe if it returned to the Yangtze River.

    "Order the small boats to clear the channel, turn the fleet around, and return to the Yangtze River!"

    ¡®Dong dong dong!¡¯ The drum order for the fleet to turn around sounded, and each large ship began to slowly turn around. Although the scene was still chaotic, Jiang Xiajun had found hope of survival.

    More than a dozen small boats took the lead in an attempt to clear several large burning ships blocking the waterway. They used long ropes to tie the ships lying in the middle of the river and pulled them hard to the river. Several large ships began to move slowly, and everything was favorable.  The direction of Jiang Xiajun's development.

    An accident happened again at this moment. The soldiers moved the big boat and saw not a wide and flat waterway, but hundreds of densely packed small boats. They rushed into the Cao River like a school of fish, and arrows roared towards Jiang Xia.  The soldiers on the military boats were hit by arrows and fell into the water, and screams were heard.

    There was a small boat at the head with a brocade sail tied to it. Standing on the bow was a general, eight feet away, broad-shouldered and round-waisted, with a mighty appearance and holding a pair of halberds. This man was none other than Gan Ning.

    Gan Ning led his subordinates to successfully escape the encirclement and suppression of Huang Zu's fleet on the Yangtze River. Taking advantage of the flexibility and speed of the ships, he left Huang Zu's fleet far behind and rushed to Chaisang to intercept the sneak attack.  Chai Sang's Jiangxia Army.

    "Go up and destroy the first three enemy ships!"

    Gan Ning shouted loudly, and more than a hundred small boats rushed into the Cao River with great agility, shuttling among the Jiangxia army ships. The three leading ships were soon surrounded and drowned by the soldiers who swarmed aboard.

    The three large ships soon sank to the bottom of the river, blocking the waterway again. The remaining twenty large ships of the Jiangxia Army were blocked in the Caohe River again. Seeing that the ships in front were set alight by fire, the soldiers became confused again and started shouting.  Jump into the water and swim to shore.

    Su Fei stood on the bow of the ship. Seeing that the situation was over, he had no choice but to shout: "Abandon the ship and go ashore! Abandon the ship and go ashore!"

    At this moment, a black shadow jumped onto the boat in front of him and stood upright in front of him, staring at him with a half-smile in his eyes, "Su Fei, do you still recognize me?"

    "It's you!"

    Su Fei took two steps back, with a look of horror in his eyes. It turned out to be the Jinfan thief Gan Ning. He and Gan Ning had known each other for a long time and had dealt with each other for many years. He knew how powerful Gan Ning was. If Gan Ning was also a water thief,  He was not afraid, but Gan Ning was now Liu Jing's man and his enemy, so what could they possibly have to say?

    "Su Fei, surrender! I will spare your life."

    Su Fei bit his lip tightly and took a few steps back. Suddenly, he roared and slashed at Gan Ning with his knife. Gan Ning sneered, his figure dodged the sword attack like a ghost, and the two halberds in his hands were like lightning, stabbing Su Fei straight.  Fei's chest and throat were immediately in front of him. Su Fei was so frightened that he turned back and rolled sideways, avoiding Gan Ning's fatal blow.

    But just as he was about to stand up, the tip of a cold halberd pressed against the back of his neck. He heard Gan Ning say coldly from behind: "If you dare to move again, you will definitely die!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    More than two thousand Jiangxia soldiers abandoned their helmets and jumped into the water to swim. There is a kind of human instinct in this. For example, after the Jiangdong soldiers jumped into the water, most of them swam to the east bank. The east bank was the direction of their hometown, while most of the Jiangxia soldiers swam to the east bank.  On the west bank, this is because Wuchang and Xiakou are to the west of Chaisang.

    Groups of soldiers climbed ashore and ran desperately toward the darkness in the west. A few hundred steps away, there was a dense forest that stretched for more than ten miles. Escape into the woods seemed to mean safety. At this moment, in the woods,  A cry of death broke out.

    Liu Jing, who had been ambushing here for a long time, led a thousand soldiers to fight out. Although the thousand soldiers were tired from marching, their morale was high at this time. They blocked the escape route of the Jiangxia army. They wielded swords and spears and fought bravely to kill the enemy.  Most of Jiangxia's troops took off their armor and discarded their weapons when they dived. They were unarmed and were beaten to pieces. With no way out, they all knelt down and begged to surrender.

    At the fourth watch, the fighting inside and outside the city finally ended, and the three thousandThe Jiangxia army that launched a sneak attack killed more than 500 people and surrendered more than 2,200 people. Only a few hundred people escaped at night. Even the leader Huang She and the assistant general Su Fei were both captured.

    The land and water city gates were opened, and groups of dejected prisoners of war were escorted into the city. Eighteen warships that had not been burned were also transported into the city as trophies.

    In a room near the city gate, Huang She was naked from the waist up, his arms were tied with beef tendons, and he knelt on the ground dejectedly. At this time, his heart was filled with fear and hatred. He was afraid that Liu Jing would kill him.  , and hatred is just the opposite. He is extremely eager to kill Liu Jing.

    Huang She also knew in his heart that Liu Jing was unlikely to kill him because he had greater use value. At this time, there was a sound of footsteps, and he felt someone walking towards him and stopped in front of him. Huang She  I saw a pair of muddy military boots.

    Huang She slowly raised his head, and he saw a stern face, it was Liu Jing who he wanted to kill day and night.

    "Mr. Huang, we meet again!"

    Liu Jing smiled lightly and said: "I just didn't expect that we would meet in this way. Maybe an hour ago, you still imagined me being tied and kneeling in front of you, right!"

    A huge sense of shame rushed straight into Huang She's head, and he suddenly roared hysterically, "You bastard, kill me if you can!"

    He tried desperately to stand up, but was held down by several soldiers. Liu Jing was not annoyed and said in a cold tone: "Of course I won't kill you. I want to exchange you for Huang Zu for what I want.  But I can do some tricks on you, for example, just like your brother did with Liu Cong."

    Liu Jing laughed softly in his ear: "How about making that thing of yours never straighten up? It's very simple."

    Huang She was immediately frightened. He was not afraid that Liu Jing would kill him, but he was afraid that Liu Jing would trick him. He knelt on the ground and backed away, "No! You can't."

    Liu Jing stared at him for a long time, then suddenly slapped him hard twice. Huang She's eyesight turned black and he almost fainted. Bloodshot eyes flowed from the corners of his mouth. Liu Jing grabbed his hair, lifted his face, and glared viciously.  She looked at him and said: "You shameless bastard, how dare you compete with me for women? Are you impatient with life?"

    At this time, Huang She's heart was filled with fear and despair. Even if Tao Zhan stood in front of him, he didn't dare to have any thoughts. He shouted in horror, "I don't dare, I swear, I will never have any ideas about her again.  "

    "Your swearing is like shit, it stinks!"

    Liu Jing scolded him with great disgust and ordered to the left and right: "Take him down and keep him under strict supervision!"

    Several soldiers dragged Huang She away. Huang She was so frightened that he shouted, "Master Jing, please spare me! Don't castrate me. I don't dare to think about it anymore. I don't dare to do it anymore!"

    Liu Jing's face was as dark as water, and she said nothing. After a long while, she ordered: "Bring Su Fei up."

    At this time, Gan Ning stepped forward and whispered: "Master, Su Fei and I have an old relationship, can you give me some face?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "I have my own sense of discretion."

    After a moment, Su Fei was pushed up. He knelt on one knee on the ground, lowered his head and said nothing. Liu Jing had met Su Fei during the last attack on Zhang Wu and Chen Sun of Jiangxia, which was only more than half a year ago.  The situation at that time is still fresh in my memory.

    Liu Jing stepped forward and said with a smile: "General Su, we meet again."

    Su Fei sighed and said, "Kill if you want, I won't surrender to you."

    ¡®Surrender?  ¡¯

    Liu Jing looked at him strangely and asked in confusion: "Why did General Su say the word surrender? I am the nephew of Zhou Mu, and I guard Chaisang on behalf of Zhou Mu. You are also the captain of Jiangxia appointed by Zhou Mu. We all  He is a subordinate of Zhou Mu, how can he talk about the word 'surrender'?"

    Su Fei was speechless by Liu Jing's question. After a long while, he said: "I am only loyal to Governor Huang. As for who he is loyal to, it has nothing to do with me!"

    Liu Jing nodded, thought for a moment and said: "Frankly speaking, I will not force you to surrender. I am not interested in you. I am only interested in your soldiers. The reason why I came to you for questioning is that I want to know  , Who are you loyal to? Are you loyal to Huang Zu or Zhou Mu? Now I understand that you are loyal to Huang Zu, so I have nothing to say. I will convey your original words to Zhou Mu. "

    Su Fei lowered his head even further and moved his lips, but could not say anything. There was a look of shame on his face. He was originally promoted by Liu Biao and appointed as the captain of Jiangxia. According to the Han system, the prefect is in charge of the government.  The Wei commanded the army, and both of them reported directly to the imperial court, and the imperial court sent state shepherds to supervise.

    But the system is set by people and will change according to people's will. First of all, the state animal husbandry is no longer a so-called supervisory agency, but has become a real local political power, and it has gradually formed a separatist trend. At the same time, tooIt no longer only dealt with politics, but extended its hands into the army. The captain was marginalized and gradually became a vassal of the prefect.

    This is extremely obvious in Jiangxia. Su Fei was originally appointed by Liu Biao to take charge of the Jiangxia army, but now he has become Huang Zu's accomplice.

    Su Fei felt extremely ashamed. After a while, he whispered: "I can't help myself with many things, and Zhou Mu also understands it."

    Liu Jing stared at him deeply for a while, and then said calmly: "You don't need to explain this to me, I don't care. I have a letter with several conditions on it. You can give it to Huang Zu for me. If he agrees,  I will let his son go. If he doesn¡¯t agree, I will hang Huang She¡¯s head on the city wall for a month.¡±

    With that said, Liu Jing ordered the people around to untie Su Fei and handed him a letter, "Let's go!"

    Su Fei was a little surprised. He didn't expect Liu Jing to let him go so easily. He suddenly glanced at Gan Ning and saw that Gan Ning's face seemed to be smiling but not smiling. He suddenly understood in his heart, held his hand to Gan Ning, turned around and took a big step.  As he left, Liu Jing watched him go away, and then ordered: "Let him out of the city!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1: Chu Ming Chapter 164: Asking Prices

    It wasn't until dawn that Huang Zu's fleet arrived at Chaisang City in a hurry. At this time, the morning light was clear, and a layer of faint river fog loomed over the river. Huang Zu stood on the bow of the boat, his face expressionless.  Ashen, eyes fixed on Caohe.

    The fires on several large ships on the Cao River have been extinguished, but green smoke is still rising. Several ships plunged into the bottom of the water, and half of their bodies were raised out of the water. They were burned beyond recognition, whether they were burned ships or scuttled ships.  , the wreckage is particularly hideous and eye-catching.

    Huang Zu had received the news from the defeated army. His army had been completely wiped out. His eldest son was trapped in the city and his life or death was unknown. His general Su Fei was also captured by the Jingzhou army. This news was enough to make Huang Zu speechless.  , at this time, he was still in a state of dazed anger. This was a state of ignorance in which he was extremely angry but had nothing to do. He could not even imagine how serious the consequences would be.

    After a long time, Huang Zu suddenly turned around and punched the mast hard, his teeth chattering loudly, "Young Liu Jing bullied me too much!"

    None of the dozen or so generals around him dared to come forward to persuade him. At this time, his chief staff officer Jiang Qi came forward to persuade him: "Prefect, the matter has come to an end. It is useless to be angry now. We still have to find a way to redeem the eldest son.  Then slowly consider your future actions.¡±

    Huang Zu sighed, "I was blinded by hatred. The so-called banditry in Yangxin County was obviously Liu Jing's trick to lure soldiers, and the Zhou family was already under his control. I should have considered all of this, but I was blinded by hatred."  Xinqiao, the responsibility for this fiasco lies with me!¡±

    Jiang Qi comforted him again: "The governor does not need to blame himself. Everything has advantages and disadvantages. It is difficult to distinguish between true and false. It is impossible for everyone to see it accurately. Frankly speaking, I did not see that Liu Jing was using a trick this time."  , Even humble positions also have responsibilities.¡±

    Huang Zu¡¯s face was gloomy and he said nothing. What¡¯s the use of talking about responsibility now?  At this time, a soldier shouted: "It seems to be General Su Fei, on the shore!"

    Huang Zu was stunned. He quickly walked to the side of the boat and looked towards the shore. He saw a person on the shore waving and shouting desperately. He was less than 200 steps away. People with good eyesight could vaguely see clearly.  From his appearance, Huang Zu saw that his figure and appearance were indeed like Su Fei's.

    He was surprised, wasn't Su Fei arrested?  Why was he released again? He didn't have time to think, and immediately ordered: "Send a small boat quickly to pick him up!"

    A sampan was put down from the big ship. Several soldiers rowed the sampan to the shore. After a while, they picked up the man and rowed back. It turned out to be Su Fei.

    I saw that his clothes were neat and he did not look like he had been tortured at all. For some reason, Huang Zu was not happy and even felt a little angry. His son did not come back, but he came back first.

    At this time, Jiang Qi walked up to Huang Zu and said meaningfully: "If I guessed correctly, Liu Jing should have given Gan Ning face."

    Huang Zu narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly, "That's great!"

    Su Fei was picked up on the ship and knelt down in front of Huang Zu to salute, "The last general is guilty. He failed to dissuade the eldest son in time, which resulted in the defeat of the whole army. I beg the eunuch to punish him."

    Huang Zu sat on a pile of cables and said angrily: "You mean to say that this defeat was caused by my son Huang She's recklessness, is that true?"

    Su Fei's whole body was agitated. Of course he heard something behind Huang Zu's words and did not admit that it was his son Huang She who caused the defeat. However.  £®  £®  £®  If Huang She wasn't eager to seize the city, is it still his own responsibility?

    Su Fei would rather be killed than accept the humiliation of being wrongly accused. His words suddenly became excited, "Although today's defeat was due to Liu Jing's plan, if we act cautiously and plan carefully, the entire army will not be wiped out.

    The humble minister also advised the eldest son to advance by land and water, enter five ships and hundreds of people first, seize the water gate, and then attack with the whole army. However, the eldest son did not listen, and he was the first to enter the water gate.  £®  £®  £®  £®  "

    "enough!"

    Huang Zu interrupted Su Fei's statement, with a look of irritation on his face, "I just ask you, why was my son still imprisoned, but you were released?"

    "Liu Jing ordered me to send a letter to the prefect!" Su Fei took out the letter from his arms and presented it to Huang Zu.

    Jiang Qi next to him sneered: "Sending a letter is a trivial matter that can be left to a small soldier. Is it necessary to have a dignified assistant deliver the letter in the future? General Su, is there something hidden in this?"

    Su Fei heard the provocation in his words and couldn't help but glare at Jiang Qi, "What do you mean, do you mean that I, Su Fei, surrendered to Liu Jing? I, Su Fei, am also an upright man. If I surrender, I will not  I will come back, and if I come back, there will be no surrender.¡±

    He then said to Huang Zuzheng: "Prefect, I, Su Fei, have been following you for so many years. Don't you still know who I am?"

    Su Fei was very prestigious in the army. The generals nearby came forward to plead for Su Fei. Huang Zu suppressed the anger in his heart and said,He waved his hand and said, "What's the truth? We'll talk about it later. Now you go down first."

    "As a humble servant, I have to tell the prefect about the situation of the Chaisang garrison and the details of this defeat."

    "No!"

    Huang Zu winked impatiently at the people next to him, and several tooth generals stepped forward to help Su Fei down.

    Huang Zu snorted coldly, his son was in Liu Jing's hands, would he still attack Chaisang regardless of life or death?

    After waiting for Su Fei to leave, Huang Zu opened Liu Jing's letter, but before he could read a few lines, he became furious, stood up, tore the letter into pieces, and threw it into the river.

    "Son of a bitch!"

    Huang Zu cursed loudly, "Even if my son dies, I will never agree. Liu Jing, go live in your nightmare!"

    Jiang Qi and the officers looked at each other in confusion. It is estimated that Liu Jing put forward conditions that were difficult for Huang Zu to accept, otherwise he would not have been so angry.

    Jiang Qi stepped forward and asked cautiously: "Prefect, what conditions did he put forward?"

    Huang Zu was furious and said bitterly: "He actually proposed to trade my son for Wuchang. This is so shameless!"

    Jiang Qi laughed, "This is Liu Jing's asking price. He knew that the prefect would definitely not agree, so he offered conditions that were unacceptable to the prefect. He also knew that it was impossible. He thought that he must have other conditions."

    Jiang Qi's persuasion made Huang Zu sober up a little. He also realized that Wuchang is the seat of Jiangxia County. How could Liu Jing ask for Wuchang County? This was of course his exorbitant price.

    However, Huang Zu regretted a little. He shouldn't have torn the letter into pieces, otherwise he could understand Liu Jing's true asking price by looking at the conditions behind it.

    Although he regretted it in his heart, he did not say it out loud. He still said forcefully: "Let him dream! I will not agree to any conditions. If he doesn't let my son go, I will crush Chaisang and leave no chickens or dogs behind!"

    Jiang Qi understood Huang Zu's mentality. He waved his hand gently, and all the generals retreated. He and Huang Zu were the only two people left in the cabin. Jiang Qi then whispered: "Why don't you humble your post and go to Chaisang to visit?  Regarding the young master¡¯s situation, we will think about how to deal with it later.¡±

    The reason why Jiang Qi gained Huang Zu's trust was that he was his confidant. It was not because of his intelligence, but because he understood Huang Zu's heart, which was hypocritical, violent, and desperate for face.

    Moreover, Jiang Qi is very good at talking. For example, he clearly went to Chaisang to negotiate with Liu Jing on behalf of Huang Zu, but he did not say so. Instead, he said that he was going to visit the eldest son. This gave Huang Zu steps and face, and made Huang Zu just  You can speak harshly without being slapped in the face.

    Huang Zu felt very comfortable and nodded, "If Liu Jing mentions the conditions for releasing my son to you, you might as well listen to it. I don't want to be a hero. After all, I only have one son, but there is one thing. He wants money and food for me."  No, if he mentions Wuchang County again, you can bring my son¡¯s head right back.¡±

    ¡°I understand my humble position, let¡¯s go to Chaisang!¡±

    Jiang Qi got off the ship, took two followers, and took a small boat to Chaisang City.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the head of Chaisang City, Liu Jing was watching hundreds of warships on the river from a distance. It was initially estimated that there were about 10,000 people. Liu Jing even had an idea in his heart that he would simply let Huang Zu attack the city.

    He believed that with the strong and tall city walls, the trebuchets and stone cannons he rebuilt, and the 2,500 soldiers, he could completely resist the attack of 10,000 people.

    But this thought only passed by for a moment. He knew that even if he occupied the entire territory of Jiangxia now, he could not replace Huang Zu's influence in Jiangxia. Historically, Jiangdong moved all the tens of thousands of Huang Zu's slaves to Qu.  Only after leaving did he successfully control Jiangxia.

    He still has to work steadily, step by step, to establish a solid foundation and build a reputation before finally annexing Jiangxia. It won't be possible in a year or two, so he can't rush for success.

    At this moment, Xu Shu walked over quickly and said with a smile from a distance: "Sir, Huang Zu sent his aide Jiang Qi to discuss the matter of Huang She."

    Liu Jing was startled and couldn't help laughing. It turned out that this person also had the surname Jiang. Could it be that he was the younger brother of Jiang Qian? What a coincidence. Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "Just follow the plan we discussed in advance and call that person  Come, let me give him a few more words."

    Not long after, a young Jiangxia soldier was brought over. He was wounded by an arrow and had thick linen gauze wrapped around his arm.

    This man¡¯s name was Ding Ping, a native of Wuchang County, and a relative of Jiang Qi. He first served as Huang Zu¡¯s personal soldier, and was later sent by Huang Zu to follow Huang She.

    This time he was captured together with Huang She, but at this time he had surrendered to Liu Jing because his father was rescued by the Chaisang defenders during the last Jiangdong Army attack and is now a Chaisang Army garrison commander.

    Ding Ping stepped forward and knelt down on one knee, "I am humble enough to pay homage to Sima!"

    Liu JinglianHe hurriedly helped him up and asked with concern: "How is the injury?"

    "Reporting to Sima, the injury is not a problem and he is recovering."

    Liu Jing nodded, then smiled and said, "You know what I'm going to tell you, right?"

    ¡°Keep your humble position in mind!¡±

    "If you take care of things for me, I will never treat you badly in the future."

    Ding Ping was moved in his heart and knelt down again and said: "Please rest assured, Sima, I will try my best to get things done without any mistakes."

    Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder and comforted him a few words, and then he was taken away. Xu Shu stepped forward and said with a smile: "Let the subordinates go down to talk to Jiang Qi, the young master should come forward in person."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said with a smile: "To show my sincerity, I will talk to him in person. However, Yuan Zhi can take him to see Huang She first, and then I will talk to him in detail."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 165 Jiang Qi Fei Jiang Qian

    "Clang!"

    An iron door was opened, Xu Shu turned around and said to Jiang Qi: "It's right here, Mr. Jiang, come with me!"

    Jiang Qi felt uneasy and followed Xu Shu into the dark and bottomless dungeon. The light in the dungeon was dim but very quiet. There were no other prisoners inside. When he walked to a cell, Jiang Qi saw Huang She at a glance.  It turned out that he had been beaten severely and was covered in blood and flesh. He was curled up on a wooden couch, and his hands and feet were tied with thick iron chains.

    "The eldest son! The eldest son!"

    Jiang Qi called Huang She several times. Huang She slowly raised his head and glanced at him feebly. Suddenly, light appeared in his eyes, 'Wow!  ¡¯ He dragged the chain and climbed to the wooden gate, grabbed Jiang Qi¡¯s hand, ¡°Mr. Jiang, are you here to save me?¡±

    Seeing how miserable he looked, Jiang Qi couldn't help but sigh, nodded and said, "I was entrusted by your father to find a way to rescue you."

    "Sir, you must rescue me. I really can't bear it." Huang She couldn't say any more and burst into tears.

    Jiang Qi quickly comforted him and promised to rescue him. He looked back from the corner of his eye and saw the proud smile on Xu Shu's face. He couldn't help but secretly complain in his heart. In this case, the negotiation would be detrimental to him.

    "Mr. Jiang, please come! Sima is still waiting for you."

    Jiang Qi nodded, turned around and followed Xu Shu out of the dungeon, directly to the county government office. The county government office occupies a small area, less than a hundred acres. It is also the military government office of Sima Sima, where Chai Sang's military power is concentrated.

    Xu Shu led Jiang Qi to the front of the meeting hall. Liu Jing was already sitting in the hall. Seeing Jiang Qi arriving, Liu Jing stood up with a smile and said, "Is this Mr. Jiang?"

    Jiang Qi hurriedly stepped forward and bowed deeply, "Jiang Yongji, a humble scholar from Wuchang, comes to see Young Master Jing!"

    "Mr. Jiang is too polite, please sit down!"

    "Thank you, Master!"

    Jiang Qi sat down, and Xu Shu sat beside him. Liu Jing ordered someone to serve tea, and he asked with a smile: "Is Mr. Jiang a native of Wuchang?"

    "Exactly!"

    Jiang Qi hesitated and then said: "Actually, my ancestor is from Chenliu County. He moved his family to Wuchang County forty years ago. I was born in Wuchang County."

    Liu Jing chuckled: "It turns out that Mr. Jiang also has northern blood. No wonder he is a generous person."

    "You made me laugh."

    The servants served them tea. Liu Jing picked up the tea bowl and took a sip slowly, then turned the topic back to business, "Sir, you should have seen Mr. Huang just now!"

    "I saw him. I just begged Mr. Jing not to mistreat him for the sake of being a subject."

    "No! How could I abuse Mr. Huang?"

    Liu Jing pretended to be surprised and asked Xu Shu next to him, "Xu County Lieutenant, the county jail is under your jurisdiction. Please order someone to check. Is there anyone who has taken revenge on Mr. Huang without authorization?"

    Xu Shu quickly stood up and said, "I'm going to check now!"

    Liu Jing quickly stopped him, "There's no rush now, we'll talk about it later."

    Liu Jing said apologetically to Jiang Qi: "I'm too busy with so many things to worry about. As you know, Mr. Huang also has many personal enemies. Maybe someone will avenge his private revenge and attack Mr. Huang secretly. This  I will never allow this situation and try to avoid it.¡±

    Jiang Qi smiled bitterly in his heart. After fighting like that, an understatement of revenge would have been revealed. But think about it, Huang She was a prisoner of war, and it was normal for him to suffer any kind of crime. Liu Jing was just giving himself a little face. If he negotiated  If it breaks, what will happen if you kill him.

    Thinking of this, Jiang Qi stopped mentioning Huang She's abuse and continued the topic, "Young Master also knows that Huang Taishou only has two sons. The life and death of the second son Huang Yong is still unknown. Now there is only one eldest son Huang She left. Since  If he falls into the hands of Young Master Jing, Governor Huang will naturally want to redeem him, so he specially asked me to talk about how to redeem him? I wonder if Young Master Jing has any plan."

    "plan!"

    Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh, "Didn't I write a letter and ask Su Fei to take it back? Didn't Taishou Huang receive it?"

    Jiang Qi showed embarrassment on his face and explained: "Prefect Huang had a very hot temper. He could not accept the request to cede Wuchang County, so he tore the letter into pieces. I don't know what he wrote afterward."

    Liu Jing and Xu Shu looked at each other, and they both laughed meaningfully. Liu Jing said lightly: "Since Huang Taishou cannot accept the cession of Wuchang, what is there to talk about? Mr. Jiang can do it himself, I'll excuse you."

    After saying that, Liu Jing stood up and started to leave. Jiang Qi was stunned, but he immediately woke up and said repeatedly: "Master Jing, please stay!"

    Xu Shu also stood up quickly and stepped forward to persuade: "Sima, give Mr. Jiang some face! Let's hear his explanation."

      Liu Jing finally showed an angry look on his face, and said coldly to Jiang Qi: "I am an enemy of Huang Zu, and everyone in the world knows that I will not give him any face. Huang She was injured because of my order, I just  I'll give you a face and not embarrass you. If you think we can't talk anymore, then we'll fight. I can defeat 20,000 Jiangxia troops. If I don't believe it, I'm still afraid of your mere 10,000 people. Go back and tell Huang Zu that I will fight tonight  Send Huang She's head, he wants to attack the city, I, Liu Jing, will accompany you at any time!"

    Jiang Qi stepped forward and bowed repeatedly, saying, "Young master, please calm down!"

    Liu Jing snorted heavily and sat down again, "Mr. Jiang, I am giving you face, otherwise I will never make any concessions."

    "Thank you sir, Jiang Qi is deeply grateful!"

    After such a turmoil, Jiang Qi felt that he was much weaker. He also knew that Huang Zu had attacked first and was in the wrong. In addition, Liu Jing was strong and not afraid of a battle, but Huang Zu would never dare to do it for the sake of his son's life.  After a long battle, he finally forced himself to come to negotiate.

    Jiang Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a grimace: "Wuchang is the seat of Jiangxia County and the seat of Huang Taishou's family. Wuchang County cannot be given to the Young Master under any circumstances. Apart from this, everything else is easy to negotiate."

    Next to him, Xu Shu also advised: "Sima should also consider the feelings of Zhou Mu. Now Jiangxia County has a foreign enemy like Jiangdong. Jiangxia should remain stable. If Wuchang is asked for, it may be difficult for Zhou Mu to explain it. Please Sima think twice."

    Jiang Qi begged, Xu Shu pretended to be a peacemaker, and persuaded. Liu Jing thought for a long time, and then reluctantly said: "Okay! I will make three more conditions. If Huang Zu still doesn't agree, then I will give him a son."  Collect the corpse!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "What! You want me to cede Xia Pheasant County?"

    Huang Zu suddenly turned around and stared at Jiang Qi fiercely. Xiazhi County is located between Yangxin County and Chaisang County, close to the Yangtze River. Although its area is not as large as Yangxin County, it has a large population and a very important strategic position. However, the county seat is not on the Yangtze River.  On the other side of the Yangtze River, it is more than 20 miles away from the Yangtze River.

    Huang Zu knew better than anyone else that once Xiazhi County was taken away by Liu Jing, then the entire southern part of Jiangxia County would belong to Liu Jing. Huang Zu was so filled with hatred that he turned around and punched the bulkhead with a few punches, his throat  He growled like a beast, how could Huang Zu accept this shameful humiliation?

    At this point, Jiang Qi had no choice but to persuade Huang Zu, "Prefect, even if Xiazhi County is not given to Chaisang in the next step, they will seize it by force. Xiazhi County is located between Yangxin County and Chaisang County, and they are attacking from both sides."  "

    Huang Zu lowered his head while holding on to the bulkhead, and asked in a muffled voice for a long time: "What other conditions does he have?"

    "His second condition is that Jiang Xia's army is not allowed to intercept Tao's merchant ships anymore, and the detained people, merchant ships, and goods must be released immediately."

    This condition is not too excessive, and it will not cause any loss to Huang Zu. Huang Zu nodded, "I can agree to this condition, what else is there?"

    Jiang Qi had a look of embarrassment on his face. The third condition was difficult for him to say, but he had to say it. He sighed and said: "The third condition they proposed is that the prefect should compensate 100,000 shi of grain and 30,000 shi of grain."  Two gold.¡±

    Huang Zu¡¯s eyes almost popped out of his head. One hundred thousand shi of grain and thirty thousand taels of gold. Didn¡¯t this empty out the wealth of the Huang family?  He slowly shook his head and said, "Mr. Jiang, you are really confused. How could I possibly get so much grain and gold? Not to mention that I can't get it. Even if I could get it, I wouldn't be able to give it to him. I will never give it to him on this condition."  promise."

    Jiang Qi knew that Huang Zu would reply like this, so he advised again: "I also know that this condition will make things difficult for the prefect, but even if I go to bargain with them in a humble position, I can only get half of the grain at most. That still leaves 50,000 shi of grain and 30,000 taels of gold."  , Liu Jing made it very clear that the third condition must be the exchange of materials, and he will never give in. I would like to ask the prefect to weigh it!"

    Huang Zu paced back and forth in the cabin with his hands behind his back, feeling extremely heavy. Why didn't he understand in his heart that if he attacked again, he might not be able to capture Chaisang, but his son's life would definitely be over. Now his son was in the hands of others.  With so many asking prices, it was impossible for him not to bleed, but he was also in short supply of food. Even if he had 50,000 shi of food, it would be difficult for him to come up with it, let alone 30,000 taels of gold.

    After thinking for a long time, Huang Zu asked: "I just heard you say that the third condition must be material exchange. Is this what Liu Jing said exactly?"

    "yes!"

    There was a sneer on Huang Zu's face, "Since it's material, it doesn't have to be money and food. I can give him other things. You go and talk to him again. Apart from money and food, I can agree to any other material."  ¡±.

      After three rounds of negotiations, Liu Jing finally reached an agreement with Huang Zu. Liu Jing changed the third condition to: He wanted all the family members of the captured Jiangxia soldiers, that is, the population, a total of more than 12,000 people, as  With a little concession and sincerity, Liu Jing released more than 300 injured Jiangxia soldiers and allowed them to return to the ship with Jiang Qi.

    Two large ships sailed out of the water gate, loaded with more than 300 wounded soldiers in a commotion. Jiang Qi was also on board, and he comforted these injured soldiers with good words.

    At this time, Jiang Qi unexpectedly discovered a relative of his among the prisoners of war, his wife's nephew named Ding Ping. He quickly called Ding Ping forward and asked, "Why are you captured too?"

    Ding Ping stepped forward and kowtowed: "Report to uncle, my nephew was captured together with General Su Fei."

    Jiang Qi nodded, and seeing no one around him, he asked in a low voice: "Then do you know why Su Fei was released?"

    Ding Ping scratched his head, "I don't know the specific nephew, but it should be related to Gan Ning's plea."

    Jiang Qi¡¯s eyes became more interested, and he quickly asked: ¡°How do I plead for mercy? Please tell me!¡±

    "At that time, General Su was locked in a wooden cage. His nephew and more than a dozen prisoners of war were beside the cage. General Su asked someone to find Gan Ning. I heard him say that I have an old relationship with you. Today I am in trouble. Can you please help me?"  Save my life?"

    "that is all?"

    Ding Ping nodded, "It seems that there were only so many. Gan Ning didn't say anything and turned around and left. Later I heard that General Su had been released. Several brothers and I were praising Gan Ning for his loyalty."

    Jiang Qi stroked his beard and sneered. As expected, if Gan Ning hadn't begged for mercy, how could Liu Jing have let him go? Hum!  How can such a person be a general if he is greedy for life and afraid of death in battle?

    He must let Huang Zu know about this.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 166: Fine Iron

    [Please vote for additional updates!  ¡¿

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

    Of course, the reconciliation plan reached by Liu Jing and Huang Zu could not be implemented immediately. It would take a month just for the families of the captured soldiers to move to Chaisang. It would also be a month before Huang She was finally returned to Huang Zu. But five days later  , more than 400 merchant ships and more than 100 men who were impounded by the Tao family returned to Chaisang.

    At the same time, Huang Zu promised that he would not embarrass the Tao family¡¯s merchant ships in the future, and that the Tao family¡¯s fleet would pass through Jiangxia as smoothly as before. This undoubtedly solved the Tao family¡¯s most serious problem and made the Tao family happy.

    Even when more than 400 cargo ships returned to Chaisang, more than 200 Tao family disciples, led by the head of the family, Tao Sheng, went to the riverside to worship the River God, welcome the return of the merchant ships, and commemorate Tao with the most pious ceremony.  A new beginning at home.

    Of course, Tao Sheng knew better than anyone else that it was not Jiang Shen who should be thanked, but Liu Jing. He not only guaranteed his position as the head of the family, but also helped the Tao family solve the most difficult problems.

    After returning from the riverside, Tao Sheng immediately went to Sima Jun Yamen. He wanted to express the Tao family's gratitude to Liu Jing in person.

    A soldier led Tao Sheng into Liu Jing's official room. Liu Jing's official room was a room facing south. It was spacious and bright. Although the weather was sultry, the woods in the yard were dense and the cool breeze was blowing, so it didn't feel very hot.  It was hot. Liu Jing was standing in front of a map of Jiangxia, carefully drawing the scope of Xiazhi County with a pen. It could be seen that he was quite satisfied with this newly acquired territory.

    Tao Sheng quickly walked into the room and bowed deeply, "See you, young master!"

    Liu Jing put down her pen and asked with a smile: "Has the owner gone to the river to pick up the ship?"

    "I received it. No one, goods or ships were lost. The Tao family is deeply grateful for Mr. Jing's great kindness!"

    As he spoke, Tao Sheng knelt down and kowtowed three times to Liu Jing. Liu Jing was shocked. This was his future father-in-law. How could he kowtow to him? He hurriedly helped Tao Sheng up, "Master, you don't have to do this."  "Dali, I have a close relationship with the Tao family, how can I not try my best to help the Tao family."

    Tao Sheng was moved in his heart. He remembered what his daughter had said. Liu Jing would do her best to help the Tao family if she had the ability. Now it seemed that his knowledge was not as good as that of his daughter, which made Tao Sheng feel ashamed.

    It was right for his father to let him fully support Liu Jing. It was Liu Jing who was also dependent on the Tao family for money and food that made him tell the truth about the relationship and help the Tao family get out of trouble at the critical moment.

    Tao Sheng felt ashamed and sighed in his heart, and sighed: "We, the Tao family, have unanimously decided to do our best to support Mr. Jing, even if we spend all our wealth. The Tao family's money and food are mainly stored in Jiangdong, and the Tao family is in the Yangtze River.  There are dozens of warehouses along the coast, and we will gradually transport these materials, money and food back to Chaisang."

    Tao Sheng became so generous not entirely out of gratitude. After dealing with Huang Zu this time, Tao Sheng discovered that Huang Zu was no match for Liu Jing, and Liu Jing would sooner or later occupy Jiangxia.

    Moreover, his talents are far better than Liu Qi and Liu Cong. If Jingzhou changes in the future, it is very likely that Liu Jing will become the lord of Jingzhou. Of course, this is only a possibility, but with the full support of the Tao family in money and grain, it may not be impossible to achieve.  .

    For the Tao family, this is a good opportunity to find a backer. The sooner support is received, the greater the Tao family's profits will be in the future. The Tao family is a businessman, and the most successful businessman, and their vision is naturally extraordinary. The family unanimously decided to  The future of the Tao family depends on Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing smiled. He expected the Tao family's stance. In fact, even if the Tao family didn't express their stance, their interests were already tied together.

    He asked Tao Sheng to sit down and said to him sincerely: "I am also very grateful to the Tao family for their support. In the future, I will also build a powerful navy to protect the Tao family's business interests. The Tao family will no longer have to live  Between Jiangdu and Jingzhou.¡±

    Tao Sheng sighed, "The Tao family has been looking forward to this day for a long time."

    If we talk about Tao Sheng's attitude towards Liu Jing, he had some grudge in his heart before because of his daughter Tao Zhan, but now the slightest estrangement in his heart has disappeared.

    The smiles and words of the two people became candid. Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said, "I don't know how long Huang Zu's oath can last. We still have to be careful."

    "There's no need to worry."

    Tao Sheng smiled and said, "Although Huang Zu has a despicable character to the outside world, he has one advantage, that is, he usually keeps his promises in Jiangxia County. This is why he pays great attention to his reputation in Jiangxia County. Since he  If he promises not to intercept the Tao family's ships, he will usually not break his promise."

    "This is the best."

    At this time, Liu Jing thought of something again and asked, "Is there any way for the Tao family to get good quality steel? It's as iron as that Fangtian painted halberd."

    Tao Sheng frowned slightly and said, "IfThe Tao family can easily obtain iron connections. To be honest with you, the Tao family also has two iron mines in Danyang County. They recruit thousands of workers to mine and smelt iron. However, the iron must be sold to the Jiangdong government and no outsiders are allowed.  Of course, the Tao family has a way to transport it out. The key is that the young master wants high-quality stainless steel. It can be obtained in small quantities, but it is a bit difficult to obtain large quantities.  £®  £®  £®  "

    As soon as he said this, Tao Sheng suddenly remembered something and asked quickly: "I wonder if the young master is in a hurry?"

    Liu Jing thought for a while and said: "It's not urgent, it can be done within a year."

    "Then there will be no problem."

    Tao Sheng explained excitedly: "The key to refining fine steel is not technology, but the use of good carbon and carbon powder. Toner is easy to get, but there is not much carbon in Jiangnan and Jingzhou, but there is it in Bashu, and we have it."  We can buy a large amount of carbon from Bashu, transport refined steel ore from Danyang, and burn some carbon powder, and we will start smelting it in Chaisang. You can have as much as you want."

    Carbonite is coal. Coal has high calorific value and can be used to refine high-quality steel. Liu Jing also became a little excited. He quickly walked to a large map on the wall and quickly found Danyang County. Only then did he  Suddenly I realized that Danyang County was Ma'anshan in later generations.

    ¡°This matter should be implemented sooner rather than later.¡±

    "Don't worry, young master, we will send the fleet to Bashu the day after tomorrow, and we can transport tens of thousands of kilograms of carbon at a time."

    ¡°There are also craftsmen who make iron!¡±

    Liu Jing reminded him again: "Although the person who made Fang Tian's painted halberd has passed away, I wonder if his descendants have received the true inheritance. If they can be found"

    "That's not necessary!"

    Tao Sheng smiled and waved his hand, "All the better iron smelting craftsmen from the Central Plains were recruited by Cao Cao to Xuchang. However, since ancient times, weapon craftsmen have been out of the country. I can find the best blacksmiths in Wu County and Kuaiji County.  No less than the old craftsman who made Fang Tian¡¯s painted halberd.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Tao Sheng said goodbye and left. Liu Jing walked slowly in the room with his hands behind his back. He had seen with his own eyes the fierceness and ferocity of Cao's cavalry. The soldiers in the south of the Yangtze River were far from being able to match it. Although the soldiers in the south of the Yangtze River could take advantage of the navy to protect themselves,  This is not a long-term solution. The key is to have its own superior military services.

    Like the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, the First to Die, and the White Horse Yicon, these military units each have their own advantages and can be equal to ten on the battlefield. He, Liu Jing, also needs such a special military unit to become his ace army and be able to compete with Cao's army in the future.

    Although this is just a preliminary idea, Liu Jing is already very enthusiastic and he will put it into practice immediately. Although it will take several years to hone the integration, he must take the crucial first step.  Moreover, God also favored him. He gave him a big businessman like the Tao family, which added a powerful boost to the success of his dream. In this way, how could he not do his best?

    At this time, Zhu Xun appeared at the door and said respectfully: "Sima, are you looking for me?"

    Liu Jing turned around and said with a smile: "Yes! Please come in and sit down."

    Zhu Xun walked into the room, bowed, and then sat down. Liu Jing asked with a smile: "How much did you get from this inventory of the Zhou family's land, money and property?"

    After the war, the Zhou family was the first to be investigated and punished. However, because the Zhou family was willing to assist the Jiangxia Army in the end, Liu Jing spared the Zhou family from the death penalty, expelled their entire family from Chaisang, and confiscated their properties and land.  Xun took out an inventory and handed it to Liu Jing, "The Zhou family is very cunning. They transferred their money and goods to Wuchang beforehand, so they did not gain much in terms of property. More than 10,000 stones of grain were found in their manor. This is  The biggest gain."

    "Where is the land?" Liu Jing asked quietly. This was what he cared about most.

    "There are sixty-three hectares of farmland, 6,300 acres, mainly concentrated on both sides of the Xunyang River south of Chaisang."

    It was only 6,300 acres, which was too little. Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then asked, "How much official land is there?"

    "Reporting back to Sima, the official land is about 4,000 acres."

    The total land is only 10,000 acres, which is still not enough for resettlement. The reason why Liu Jing is in urgent need of fertile land is because about 2,000 families will soon move from Wuchang and Xiakou. These are the families of prisoners of war, and the prisoners of war will naturally become Liu Jing's.  Soldiers, then their families also need to be accommodated.

    According to the minimum standard of ten acres per household, at least 20,000 acres of land are needed. There is still a gap of 10,000 acres. Liu Jing couldn't help but glance at Zhu Xun. The Zhu family is the largest landowner in Chaisang, with hundreds of hectares of farmland.  There are countless cattle. Can they give out part of the land?

    Zhu Xun smiled a little awkwardly. He understood the meaning in Liu Jing's eyes. In fact, the Zhu family also fully supported Liu Jing. In the last battle against Jiangdong, the main reason why a large number of civilians were mobilized was the role played by the Zhou family.

    The Zhou family can provide food and people, but it is a bit difficult to ask the Zhou family to provide land. Land is the root of the Zhou family.Originally, without the land foundation, the Zhou family would decline.

    But Zhu Xun also knew that if the Zhou family did not pull out anything, Liu Jing might also be sad at this time. He thought for a while and said: "Sima, let me go back and discuss it with my father! Let's see if the Zhu family can also do their best."

    Liu Jing¡¯s eyes narrowed with a smile, what he wanted was Zhu Xun¡¯s words.

    "I will not treat the Zhu family badly. I can give you a promise. As much as the Zhu family puts in the land, I will give the Zhu family twice the land compensation in Xiaji County. The plains and mountains are at the Zhu family's choice."

    Zhu Xun stood up and bowed, "Sima, please don't worry, I will give you an answer early tomorrow morning."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhu Xun¡¯s father, named Zhu Liang, was the head of the Zhu family. That night, Zhu Xun and his father discussed the land purchase plan proposed by Liu Jing.

    Zhu Liangnian is about fifty years old. He is short and fat, with a fat head and big ears. He has a kind smile, but he is actually an extremely cunning and shrewd person. In the past twenty years since he took charge of the Zhu family, the Zhu family's land and  The number of cattle doubled.

    Zhu Liang paced slowly with his hands behind his back, muttering to himself: "I exchanged firewood for pheasants, and used cooked land for raw land. Even if it is twice the compensation, I still suffer a loss in terms of land price. You must know that one acre of firewood  You can buy three acres of pheasants to go to the fields. However, it is not a loss for you to get a big favor from Liu Jing, but there is one thing that must be made known to Liu Jing. Our Zhu family has suffered a big loss. "

    Seeing that his father was extremely shrewd, Zhu Xun couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Father, as long as we fully support him, he will definitely not treat the Zhu family badly in the future, and there is no need to be so fussy."

    "Okay! How many fields does he need?"

    "At least one hundred hectares."

    The fat on Zhu Liang¡¯s face shook violently. This is 30% of their Zhu family¡¯s fertile land!  Years of hard work have been in vain, but Zhu Liang is also a man with vision. Since the Tao family is willing to spend money on Liu Jing, why can't the Zhu family.

    He thought for a long time and said: "You can reply to Liu Jing that these hundred hectares of fertile land are the Zhu family's full support for him, and there is no need to replace the land in Xiaji County."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    [Due to the low productivity of the Han Dynasty, a family needs at least a hundred acres of land to survive. Therefore, as mentioned in this chapter, ten acres of land is actually not enough. You also need to cultivate the land yourself. In addition, the high-carbon steel smelting method of the Han Dynasty was introduced by Zhang Qian from the Western Regions.  Brought back, coal was used as fuel to make iron in large quantities during the Eastern Han Dynasty]

 Volume 1, Chapter 167: A guest comes from Jiangdong

    Within the next ten days, Huang Zu began to fulfill his promise and gradually moved their families to Chaisang based on the list of prisoners of war provided by Chaisang.

    Most of the family members of these prisoners of war were slave households attached to Huang Zu's tenants, and the migration was relatively smooth. Because the water network in Jiangxia was dense and every household had a boat, the migration was almost based on waterways.

    A dense number of boats began to appear on the Yangtze River. Each boat was a family, carrying meager household property, such as boxes and cages, quilts, pots, farm tools, etc. There were also thin children and gray-haired old people on the bows, men and women.  The woman carefully rocked the boat, avoiding the wind and waves on the water and yearning for a new life, and sailed from Wuchang and Xiakou to Chaisang.

    On the Chaisang Pier, the local government has already prepared, and the county magistrate Zhu Xun is fully responsible for the resettlement. He has set up dozens of tables on the pier, and more than a hundred government officials and hundreds of soldiers are inside and outside.  Busy, some are responsible for registration, and some are responsible for arranging food and accommodation. Although busy and noisy, the arrangements are orderly and not chaotic.

    On the pier, dozens of long lines were already lined up, and families were registering for naturalization. From time to time, there were touching scenes of the reunion of captured soldiers and their families. The families hugged each other tightly and cried in each other's arms.  Liu Jing, who was watching from a distance, could not help but be moved, silently watching the family reunion.

    At this time, a large ship of 500 yuan sailed on the river east of Chaisang. Standing on the bow was a man of about thirty years old. He was tall, with a foot-long black beard and an elegant appearance. This man was exactly  Lu Su, who came to Chaisang from Soochow, was ordered by Sun Quan to discuss the aftermath of the war with Liu Jing.

    This can be said to be the first time for the Sun and Liu families in the past ten years. Although the two families had negotiated when they exchanged Sun Jian's body, it was a negotiation based on anger and hatred, and what was left was a feud that was difficult to reconcile.  .

    But this time Lu Su came, it was Sun Quan who was impressed by Liu Jing's sincerity. Although the two sides had just ended a war, Sun Quan admired Liu Jing's method of dealing with the enemy's dead and the suggestions he made.

    Of course, this move was far from being able to bridge the feud between the Sun and Liu families, but it opened a hole in the feud and brought the Sun and Liu families, who had not known each other since old age, into contact for the first time.

    Lu Su stood on the bow of the boat and saw small boats in the river sailing towards Chaisang Pier. The Chaisang Pier was already crowded with ships and extremely lively. The families in these small boats were obviously relocating, which made Lu Su feel quite strange.  What happened?

    "Go and ask, what happened?" Lu Su ordered one of his men.

    At this time, the big ship had already approached Chaisang Pier. The front, back and left sides of the ship were crowded with migrating boats. His men lay beside the ship and inquired for a while before returning to report: "General Qi, I heard that Huang Zu attacked Chaisang not long ago."  , a great defeat, these ships are the family members of captured soldiers, who moved to Chaisang from Wuchang or Xiakou."

    Lu Su suddenly realized that Huang Zu and Liu Jing had fought another battle. He could also see that Huang Zu suffered a big loss. Otherwise, how could the family members of these captured soldiers come to Chaisang?

    However, Lu Su still admires Liu Jing. He values ????people. From the exchange of prisoners of war with Jiangdong to today when he asked for the families of prisoners of war, we can see Liu Jing's thinking. He cares about population very much. This is actually a rule.  the writer¡¯s thoughts.

    Lu Su suddenly had a clear understanding of why Sun Quan valued Liu Jing so much. He sent himself here. Rather than completing the aftermath of the war with him, he wanted to use this opportunity to establish a relationship with him.  "General, let's go to Caohe!"

    A soldier pointed to the Cao River to the east and shouted: "The Cao River is wide, but it is too crowded here."

    Lu Su glanced at Caohe from a distance, sighed in his heart, nodded and agreed, "Okay!"

    The big ship turned around, sailed out of the dock crowded with small boats, and headed for the Cao River at the other end.  .

    Liu Jing was inspecting the progress of resettling immigrants on the dock at this time. Zhu Xun accompanied him as he walked among the groups of immigrants. "Although there is a serious shortage of tents, all the big families are very helpful. Food and accommodation have basically been taken care of. Most people will  They were placed on both sides of the Xunyang River and more than a dozen villages were formed according to the terrain and river conditions.¡±

    "What about the new house?" Liu Jing asked again.

    "The houses are relatively simple. Most of these immigrants are from poor families. They build houses with mud. This is still the case now. There is also plenty of wood on both sides of the Xunyang River. As long as the land is demarcated, they can solve the problem of new houses by themselves. There are more than 200 households.  People¡¯s conditions are better and they are planning to build houses in the county.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded and said: "Although they can solve it by themselves, the government cannot ignore it and help them build houses. If there is insufficient manpower, I will send soldiers to assist. I will simply let more than two thousand soldiers go to help them."  Their families are going to build a house.¡±

    Zhu Xun also laughed, "Don't worry, Sima! The government will not turn a blind eye."

    At this timeA soldier rushed over and reported to Liu Jing: "Report to Sima, there is an envoy from Jiangdong, and the envoy's ship has arrived at Caohe!"

    Liu Jing was startled and looked back towards the Cao River. There was a large ship parked near the entrance of the Cao River. There was a purple pennant on the bow, which meant that it was an official ship. He immediately realized that this must be Sun Quan.  Got an answer to my letter.

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and handed over the matter of the dock to Zhu Xun. He got on his horse and ran towards Caohe River with more than a dozen followers.

    Hundreds of soldiers were on alert on both sides of the Cao River. Liu Hu was on duty today. He had personally led five hundred soldiers to monitor the large ship. There was a sound of horse hooves, and Liu Jing galloped over on horseback and asked loudly: "What's going on?"  ?¡±

    Liu Hu hurriedly stepped forward to report: "Sima, he is the special envoy from Jiangdong. What do you call 'Lushu'?"

    Liu Jing's mind changed and she suddenly realized that this was Lu Su coming. He immediately urged his horse to the shore and shouted: "Is Brother Zijing here?"

    I saw a bearded man about thirty years old walking out of the cabin. He smiled and said with cupped hands: "I am Jiangdong Lu Zijing, is this Mr. Jing?"

    Liu Jing had always had a very good impression of Lu Su. Although they had a fight, it did not change Liu Jing's impression of him. When he saw Lu Su's graceful demeanor and calm demeanor, he liked him even more and returned the favor with a smile:  "I am Liu Jing, welcome brother Zijing back to Chaisang."

    There is a deep meaning in the sentence "Return to Chaisang", but Lu Su can understand it. He glanced sharply at Liu Jing, and both of them laughed meaningfully.

    Liu Jing and his entourage boarded the Dongwu ship. Soldiers from both sides of the strait led the ship and sailed towards the water gate. On the bow of the ship, Liu Jing and Lu Su stood side by side. Liu Jing pointed to the busy immigrants on the dock in the distance and introduced to Lu Su:  "Not long ago, Huang Zu's sneak attack on Chaisang failed. His son was captured by us, along with thousands of soldiers. Therefore, according to the terms we negotiated with Huang Zu, the families of the captured soldiers will all move to Chaisang. Today Zijing  This is what I saw.¡±

    Lu Su nodded and said: "There are at least more than 10,000 people. For Jiangdong, it is easy to accommodate more than 10,000 people, but for the Chaisang region, these more than 10,000 people are a heavy burden!"

    "It may be a burden at the beginning. But in the long run, they will become homesteaders and the source of Chaisang's taxes. Moreover, their arrival has given me thousands of loyal soldiers, so this group of immigrants is far from being a burden to me."  The pros far outweigh the cons.¡±

    "It is indeed the superior who seeks the country!"

    Lu Su said with emotion: "In fact, Jiangdong is also constantly migrating people from the Shanyue people to prefectures and counties. Some people say that the Shanyue people are aggressive by nature and have ignorant folk customs. Moving them out will be detrimental to Jiangdong. But my Lord said something,  It actually coincides with what Mr. Jing said. In the long run, the Shanyue people will become farmers and become a source of tax for Jiangdong, which will far outweigh the disadvantages for Jiangdong. "

    Having said this, Lu Su looked back at Liu Jing, his eyes full of sincerity, "I think Mr. Jing should get to know our master. I believe you will have many things in common."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "I'm also looking forward to getting to know Sun Quan."

    Now Liu Jing is very interested in Lu Su. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Lu Su is seen as a generous elder, but relatively stupid and incompetent, which is a good foil for Zhuge Liang's resourcefulness. But in fact, Lu Su is both civil and military and has an open mind.  , knowledgeable.

    Liu Jing also knew that Lu Su advocated uniting with the third force to fight against Cao Cao. It was during the Battle of Chaisang that he would write such a letter to Lu Su, hoping that he and Lu Su could reach some kind of tacit understanding and pave the way for the future.  Laying the foundation for joining forces to resist Cao Cao.

    This is also Liu Jing¡¯s real intention in contacting Jiangdong this time. The feud between the Sun and Liu families has nothing to do with him. He knows that in the future, Cao¡¯s army will move south in a large scale, and his only way out is to unite with Sun Quan to fight against Cao.

    Liu Jing asked again: "Is Jiangdong still mourning for the old lady?"

    "When I came out, I had returned to normal life, but the old lady's condolences will continue until the end of the year."

    Speaking of mourning, Lu Su remembered something and said with a smile: "Master Jing actually sent a mourning flag to the old lady and placed it in the first place among the distinguished guests, while Cao Cao was in the second place. This incident caused a sensation in Soochow, Jing  The young master has also become a popular figure in Jiangdong."

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "That was just to pay tribute in my personal capacity and had nothing to do with Jingzhou Mu. Did Jiang Dong misunderstand it?"

    "Probably not. Everyone knows it has nothing to do with Liu Biao."

    As the two of them talked, the ship entered the city and stopped in front of a big house in the north of the city. This was where the bones of the fallen soldiers were stored. Lu Su's smile faded and his expression became serious. He followed Liu Jing.  Entering the mansion, the scene in front of him shocked him.

    I saw several layers of tables and desks placed in the grand hall-like lobby.??Spread out one after another, these tables are filled with densely packed spiritual tablets, and it is like a mountain of spiritual tablets in front of you.

    At the front is a huge offering table, which is filled with various tributes such as three animals, dried fruits, and an incense burner with green smoke. Four monks sit on each side, clasping their hands and chanting sutras to save the souls of the soldiers.

    Lu Su was extremely moved. These were his soldiers. He knew very well that although more than 4,600 souls were killed under Chaisang City, their dignity was not trampled on and their souls found rest. This was impossible in the past.  What happened, but he saw it with his own eyes today.

    At this moment, Lu Su was filled with gratitude to Liu Jing, and he finally understood why Sun Quan said he was grateful for Liu Jing's sincerity.

    Lu Su paid three sticks of incense, knelt down, and kowtowed respectfully to thousands of soldiers to apologize. He silently recited: "I, Lu Su, did not fight well, which made it impossible for you to return to your hometown. May your souls rest in peace. I will take you to your homeland."  The bones return to their hometown!¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 168: Visitors from Changsha

    There was no suspense in the negotiations between Liu Jing and Lu Su. Both parties had the greatest sincerity and properly resolved the last remaining issues of the Battle of Chaisang.

    According to the agreement between the two parties, Liu Jing handed over all 532 wounded Jiangdong prisoners of war to Lu Su to take away. At the same time, the ashes of more than 4,500 fallen soldiers were also taken away by Lu Su.

    In return, Jiangdong will also hand over to Liu Jing the 2,700 Jiangxia prisoners of war captured during the war with Huang Sheshui. At this point, the Battle of Chaisang finally drew a successful mark.

    On the top of Chaisang City, Liu Jing watched dozens of large ships heading east. This was the Tao family's fleet. It had carried away the wounded soldiers and ashes from Jiangdong. When it came back, it would also bring the prisoners of war from the Jiangxia army back to Chaisang.  mulberry.

    "Do you know that the young master is not afraid of Zhou Mu?" Xu Shu walked slowly to Liu Jing's side, frowning slightly, and asked worriedly.

    He has seen clearly in the past two days that Liu Jing and Lu Su have been very close to each other. It can be seen that Liu Jing is determined to reconcile with Jiang Dong, which makes Xu Shu very worried about Liu Biao's attitude.

    Liu Biao and Jiang Dong were feuding. He would never allow his nephew to have secret affairs with Jiang Dong, especially when Liu Jing raised a banner of mourning and stirred up Jiang Dong. How could Liu Biao ignore it? How could Liu Jing explain to Liu Biao?

    Liu Jing shook his head, "Some things cannot be stopped just because Zhou Mu doesn't like it. I will also weigh the pros and cons. At most, I will explain to my uncle and admit my mistake. But reconciling with Jiangdong is completely in the interests of Chai Sang and Jiang Xia. I think uncle  You can understand me too.¡±

    "I'm afraid he doesn't think so."

    Liu Jing's face also became serious. He turned back to look at Xu Shu. He was more than half a head taller than Xu Shu. He gave a cold and condescending gaze and said slowly: "Whether Zhou Mu is angry or not is just a small matter, but the reconciliation with Jiangdong  It is a great cause, and I will not give up the great cause for the sake of trivial matters. I hope Brother Yuanzhi can understand this. "

    Xu Shu felt the harshness in Liu Jing's tone. He sighed and nodded. He understood Liu Jing's great cause. Xu Shu also turned his eyes to the river, staring at the fleet that turned into a black spot. He suddenly remembered something,  He pondered for a moment and asked: "What do you plan to do with the prisoners of war repatriated from Jiangdong?"

    Liu Jing also realized that his attitude towards Xu Shu was a little harsh just now. After all, he was doing it for his own good and should not talk to him so harshly. Liu Jing felt apologetic in his heart and his tone of voice was much softer. He smiled slightly and asked: "What if  I¡¯ll use it to replenish the army, what do you think?¡±

    "better not!"

    Xu Shu shook his head, this time his attitude was very decisive, "Keeping these prisoners of war will do more harm than good to Sima."

    Liu Jing was not surprised or stunned. Xu Shu's negative attitude seemed to be expected by him. He smiled and asked: "Why do you think using these prisoners of war to supplement my army will do more harm than good?"

    Xu Shu smiled bitterly, "Young Master should understand better than me. If these people are returned to their homes, it will have a great impact on the Young Master's reputation. Not only for their families, the entire Jiangxia will be grateful to the Young Master. The reputation of the Young Master in Jiangxia will be greatly affected by this."  How advantageous it is. On the contrary, if the young master regards them as his source of troops, although it is understandable, he will lose a great opportunity to gain Jiangxia's reputation and people's support. "

    Liu Jing walked a few steps at the top of the city with her hands behind her back, then leaned on the battlements and stared into the distance, pondering for a long time without saying a word. It should be said that Xu Shu's suggestion coincided with his thoughts.

    He turned back to look at Xu Shu, and seeing the expectant look on his face, he couldn't help but smile.

    "I would like to ask Yuan Zhi to formulate a detailed plan for this matter, arrange publicity personnel, and simply do it in a big way."

    Seeing that Liu Jing accepted his plan, Xu Shu felt greatly relieved and bowed deeply: "I will definitely make arrangements for all Jiangxia people to accept the favor of the young master."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A few days passed, and the Jiangxia Army prisoners of war had not yet arrived from Jiangdong, but Liu Jing unexpectedly welcomed guests from Changsha County.

    At dawn, a team of more than 300 cavalrymen appeared outside Chaisangnan City. The leading cavalryman shouted: "Please report to Liu Sima quickly. General Huang, the captain of Changsha County, is here."

    In the middle of the cavalry is a veteran of about sixty years old, with a half-hundred-year-old beard and bright eyes. He is Huang Zhong, a famous general in Jingzhou. Huang Zhong is still Zhonglang General. He is also the captain of Changsha County and is in charge of the five thousand troops in Changsha. In fact,  He was going to assist Liu Pan, but the north of Changsha County was close to Chaisang. Liu Biao's other intention was to let Huang Zhong send troops to help Liu Jing defeat Huang Zu at the critical moment.

    Therefore, Huang Zhong's garrison is also located in the northern part of Changsha County, Xiajun County and Puqi County. It is close to Jiangxia. Once the war in Jiangxia becomes fierce, Huang Zhong can come to help in time.

    However, the last time Jiangdong Army launched a large-scale attack on Chaisang, Huang Zhong had not yet taken office and the army had not been deployed, so Liu Jing did not use Huang Zhong, the largest reinforcement.

      Huang Zhong arrived five days ago. As soon as he arranged the troops, he immediately set off for Chaisang. Rather than visiting Liu Jing, Huang Zhong came to check Liu Jing's archery progress.

    Since Liu Jing has learned archery from him, he is half of his apprentice. Huang Zhong will never allow his disciples to be careless and have mediocre archery skills, which will damage his reputation as Huang Zhong.

    At this time, the city gate opened, and Liu Jing led Wei Yan, Liu Hu and other generals out of the city quickly. His face seemed happy, but he could not hide the nervousness in his heart. Although Liu Jing insisted on practicing archery every day, he knew what was going on.  , he is still far away from Huang Zhong's request. This time Huang Zhong's request is, sixty steps away, twenty arrows and eighteen hits, but his best record in the past few days is twenty arrows and fifteen hits.

    Liu Jing walked a few steps quickly and knelt down on one knee in front of Huang Zhong, "General Liu Jing, please see General Huang!"

    The entourage behind him also knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See you, General Huang!"

    Huang Zhong quickly stepped forward to help Liu Jing up, "Master Jing, please get up, generals, please get up!"

    Huang Zhong has great prestige in the Jingzhou army. His arrival caused a sensation in the Chaisang defenders. The soldiers who defended the city came forward to salute one after another. Even Wei Yan, a thorny head, sincerely admired Huang Zhong. Huang Zhong and everyone saluted one by one, and then  He sighed to Liu Jing: "When you come to Chaisang, it feels like going home. This feeling is very good."

    Although Huang Zhong did not officially accept Liu Jing as his disciple because of Zhao Yun, they had a master-disciple relationship, and Liu Jing also regarded him as his master. He smiled slightly and said: "If the old general likes Chai Sang,  You might as well stay for a few months this time and train the soldiers for me."

    Huang Zhong glanced at him, and he could see that Liu Jing was complicated. He probably wanted her to stay forever, but was also afraid that she would be too strict. Huang Zhong chuckled, "I'm afraid you don't mean what you say! If I stay here for a few months,  The first one to be unlucky is you.¡±

    Everyone knew that Liu Jing learned archery from Huang Zhong, and they couldn't help but laugh knowingly. Liu Jing scratched his head and said, "It's not bad luck! The old general staying here will only make my archery skills improve, and it's not too late for me to be happy."

    Huang Zhong sneered, "Then let's see how you perform today, and then I'll decide whether to live in Chaisang for a few months."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The training on the school field has stopped. Thousands of soldiers surrounded the riding and shooting range. Everyone stretched their necks and watched Liu Jing's archery with great interest. A wooden platform was set up on the riding and shooting range, with a drum hanging on the wooden platform.  , Huang Zhong personally held the drumsticks, his beard and hair were stretched wildly, and he swung the drumsticks fiercely with both arms, making a loud roaring sound.

    A war horse galloped from the northwest corner, stirring up billowing yellow dust. Liu Jing held an eight-dou eagle bow in his hand, wore scaly armor, a bright silver helmet with red tassels on his head, and a pot of arrows on his back. He was galloping on the horse.  Like a god, the horse is like a flying dragon, and his heroic appearance arouses applause from the soldiers.

    Liu Jing galloped past the drum stand, controlling the horse with both legs, drawing an arrow with her right hand, stringing up the bow, and the bow was like a full moon. When the string sounded, a wolf-tooth arrow shot out like lightning, hitting the straw man more than sixty steps away.  .

    ¡®Click!  ¡¯

    The long arrow accurately hit the straw man's chest, causing the surrounding soldiers to burst into jubilation. This was Liu Jing's seventh arrow. The first six arrows hit the target, but Huang Zhong's face was as dark as water, with no trace of a smile on his face, and he waved again.  Beating the big drum with his arm, he no longer gave Liu Jing time to prepare and asked for continuous shots, which suddenly became more difficult.

    Liu Jing turned around the dock, ran for a few steps, without thinking, he drew his bow and arrow again, and shot out an arrow. This arrow was very powerful, but it missed the straw man's neck, causing a cry of regret from all around.  .

    Huang Zhong snorted. He missed the arrow as soon as he accelerated the rhythm. It seemed that his usual training was not enough. His face was as cold as frost and the drum beat louder.

    The first mistake made Liu Jing bite her lip hard. He was not in a hurry to show up, but was recalling the reason why he missed the arrow just now. He should have shot too hastily and did not find the best feel. In fact, this was also the reason why Liu Jing and the real  The difference between archery masters is that real archery masters don¡¯t need to look for any feel when shooting, archery is an instinct.

    And Liu Jing is far from developing this instinct. It takes tens of millions of arrows to practice hard before he can master it. Now he can only rely on the feel of his hand. When the hand feels good, he can hit the target with one arrow. If the hand feels weak, it will easily miss the target.  .

    Today, he felt good. He hit the target with seven consecutive arrows, but he was a little hasty on the eighth arrow and missed the target.

    Liu Jing took a deep breath, calmed her mind, galloped again, drew an arrow, opened her bow and nocked the arrow, her arms were as steady as a mountain, and shot the arrow. Liu Jing breathed a sigh of relief. The arrow accurately shot through the grass.  The person's neck was once again greeted with cheers.

    This arrow found an excellent feel. The next dozen arrows shot like clouds and flowing water, and the arrows hit the target. When Liu Jing pulled out the last arrow, he had already hit eighteen of the nineteen arrows, completing the task Huang Zhong gave him.  task.

    At this time, when Huang Zhong's drum beat reached its peak, Liu Jing opened his bow and nocked an arrow, and shot out the last arrow. But as soon as the arrow was released, he secretly screamed, "Oh!"  It flew past five feet.

    There was silence all around. The arrow failed so badly that the soldiers around him were stunned. Liu Jing turned back to look at Huang Zhong, only to see him glaring at her sternly. Liu Jing couldn't help but smile bitterly. The arrow failed, and all the previous efforts were wasted.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the top of the city, Liu Jing and Huang Zhong walked slowly side by side. Huang Zhong did not punish him for shooting the last arrow. In fact, Huang Zhong knew that Liu Jing had encountered major events during this period, which were life and death. In this case, he  It is extremely rare that he can still maintain training and make progress, and he really does not need to punish him.

    "I came to Chaisang today mainly because I want to talk to you about the future."

    Liu Jing walked in silence. Most of the time, he was listening and rarely interrupted Huang Zhong. Huang Zhong glanced at him and continued: "Before leaving, Zhou Mu talked with Shen about the reason why he asked me to stay here."  The reason for the troops in the northern part of Changsha County is largely to help you. I can send troops to help you capture Jiangxia at a critical moment. I want to hear your plan. "

    The two of them had reached the end of the city wall, holding on to the battlements and looking eastward. The majestic Yangtze River appeared in front of them, flowing eastward. Liu Jing thought for a long time and whispered: "My plan is not to seize Jiangxia. This is  I have been doing something for a while to ease the hatred between Jingzhou and Jiangdong. This is to unite Soochow and fight against Cao in the future. Can the old general understand my painstaking efforts?"

    Huang Zhong was greatly shocked. He did not expect Liu Jing to say such a thing, but Huang Zhong was a well-informed veteran after all, and he suddenly understood what Liu Jing meant.

    Liu Jing didn't take Huang Zu seriously at all. His heart was already focused on the future. After pondering for a moment, Huang Zhong asked: "If Jiangdong attacks Jiangxia again, will there still be a joint resistance against Cao Cao?"

    "There are no permanent alliances, and naturally there are no permanent enemies."

    Liu Jing looked at Jiang calmly and said: "As long as it is in the interests of both parties, we will naturally sit down and negotiate."

    Huang Zhong was silent. He could understand what Liu Jing meant. He reconciled with Soochow for the benefit of Jingzhou. After a long time, Huang Zu sighed softly and asked: "You are slowing down Jiangdong. Do you have the support of Zhou Mu or is it?"  Is it allowed?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "He won't agree!"

    "Then you still" Huang Zhong became even more puzzled.

    Liu Jing put her hands behind her hands and smiled lightly, "I, Liu Jing, will not deliberately follow anyone's orders when doing things. My starting point is for the future of Jingzhou. As long as I think it is right, I will insist on doing it.  I won¡¯t hesitate to offend Zhou Mu.¡±

    Liu Jing looked back at Huang Zhong, her bright eyes filled with too much expectation, "I hope to get the support of the old general."

    Huang Zhong showed a sly smile and said: "If you can convince me then, then I will definitely support you!"

    "What if I can't be convinced?" Liu Jing asked again with a smile,

    ¡°If you can¡¯t even convince me, then what¡¯s the point of what you¡¯re doing?¡±

    Liu Jing nodded. He stared at the majestic river, and his heart couldn't help but have great ambitions. He seemed to be talking to Huang Zhong, and he seemed to be talking to himself: "******, when encountering a storm,  Transform into a dragon, old general, I, Liu Jing, am a golden scale in the Yangtze River. When the storm gathers, that¡¯s when I, Liu Jing, will shed my scales and fly up."

    Huang Zhong was also infected by Liu Jing's ambition. He seemed to have forgotten that he was loyal to Liu Biao, and nodded slowly: "I look forward to that day."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 169: Horse-killing Sword

    Time gradually passed, and it was the autumn of the eighth year of Jian'an. Liu Jing had been in the Three Kingdoms era for two full years.

    After Yuan Shao died of illness last year, internal strife broke out among the Yuan brothers in order to compete for inheritance rights. Cao Cao watched the changes and waited for opportunities to attack. At the same time, he alienated Xiliang Ma Teng and the Yuan brothers to prevent them from responding in the west.

    In Jiangxia, although the overall situation remained calm, undercurrents continued under the calm river surface. Huang Zu twice sent people disguised as Jiang thieves to rob Chaisang's property on the Yangtze River, but they were defeated both times by Liu Jing.  Gan Ning escorted them and killed all the river thieves, so Huang Zu had to give up.

    On the other hand, Huang Zu found out that Liu Jing had contacts with Jiangdong, so he secretly sent someone to inform Liu Biao.

    This news made Liu Biao furious and ordered Liu Jing to return to Xiangyang to explain the matter. Thanks to Kuai Yue's repeated defense and the explanation that Liu Jing's reputation in Jiangxia had greatly increased due to the matter, the matter was finally settled.

    At the fourth watch, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse. A bright moon hangs in the sky. The bright moonlight shines on the Yangtze River, dyeing the rippling river with a layer of silver.

    On the south bank of the Yangtze River, Liu Jing was sitting quietly on the bank alone, with his upper body bare, his thick black hair spread over his shoulders, his eyes slightly closed, and the bronze muscles on his chest undulating slightly. His physical strength was gradually recovering.

    Liu Jing is eighteen years old this year, and the years have carved the mark of maturity on his angular face. During the year and a half of Chaisang, Liu Jing would appear in the Yangtze River in the middle of the night every day. Long-term hard training has made him  His body gradually changed. He became taller and stronger, his muscles and bones were strong, and his strength increased rapidly.

    All of this is due to the relationship with Yu Zhenzi. If the appearance changes only make Liu Jing look stronger and stronger, only Liu Jing herself knows the inner changes.

    His strength has improved rapidly twice, one occurred last winter and the other occurred this summer. It was a qualitative change caused by the accumulation of quantitative changes.

    The two consecutive improvements in strength made Liu Jing as if he had been reborn. The weight of the weapons he used increased from forty kilograms to seventy kilograms, and his bow power increased from eight buckets of bows to one stone and five buckets.

    Although he still couldn't use Lu Bu's Fangtian Painted Halberd at this time, he was not worried because Zhao Yun had told him that there were usually three opportunities to improve his strength. He had already obtained two, so there was one last drastic change.

    He was patiently waiting for the third opportunity to come. This was an experience that could only be encountered but could not be sought. Suddenly, every part of his body would be swallowed up by a huge force.  An experience of great comfort and pleasure.

    Liu Jing's physical strength has gradually recovered. He stood up slowly, held the sword in his mouth, and jumped into the majestic Yangtze River again. He soon disappeared from the river and sank into a deeper and darker underwater world.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At a quarter o'clock, when the sky turned white in the east and the sky was bright and bright, a melodious bell rang at the top of the city, "dong-dong¡ª¡ª". The hundreds of farmers selling vegetables who had been waiting outside the city suddenly became excited and excited.  Carrying loads of vegetables and driving ox carts, they rushed to queue up at the city gate.

    The city gate creaked open on time, and traders, vegetable farmers, and a few traveling scholars rushed in. Chaisang City began its daily life again.

    At this time, several followers came slowly on horseback, surrounded by the exhausted Liu Jing. The soldiers had long been accustomed to their leader's night training. This happened every day, rain or shine, and the soldiers admired his perseverance.

    Liu Jing entered the city, threw the reins to his entourage, and went directly to the city. He still needed to rest for half an hour to fully recover his physical strength.

    All this has been done for a long time, it happens every day. There is a special rest room in the tower. There is only a bamboo mat in the room and nothing else.

    He chewed a green pill and swallowed it, and sat cross-legged on the bamboo mat. At this time, all his spiritual thoughts disappeared, as if he was in an endless void, and his physical strength was just a  Bit by bit started to recover.

    Half an hour later, Liu Jing walked out of the city in high spirits. The next step was for him to go to the military camp to inspect the daily soldier training.

    Something unusual happened today. As soon as Liu Jing walked down the city, a soldier came up to him, "Reporting to Sima, Xu County Lieutenant just sent someone to say that if Sima goes to the city, please go to the iron workshop and say  There's something important."

    The iron workshop was established last year. It actually includes two workshops: smelting and forging. It is the most important weapons forging base in Chaisang.

    Since last year, Liu Jing has purchased a large amount of high-quality iron ore from Danyang County through the Tao family, and a considerable amount of coal from Bashu. Two hundred smelters are responsible for smelting high-quality steel.

    Fine steel is also high carbon steel. Its smelting method was introduced from the Western Regions by Zhang Qian. In fact,The first step is to add an appropriate amount of carbon powder to the iron smelting to make the iron harder and create high-quality weapons.

    Starting to smelt and build last year, Chai Sang not only owns more than 200,000 kilograms of high-quality steel, but also created hundreds of special armors and weapons.

    The iron workshop is located next to the water gate. It was originally a wasteland covering an area of ??more than 30 acres. Liu Jing bought this wasteland from the land owner, built a warehouse, built a furnace, and built high walls around it.  It is patrolled and guarded by two hundred soldiers, and the security is very tight.

    During this period, Liu Jing also paid special attention to the situation in the iron workshop. A major experiment was being carried out in the workshop. It had failed dozens of times in a row, but it was getting closer and closer to success.

    Liu Jing just walked to the gate of the workshop and met Xu Shu hurriedly out, with an uncontrollable excitement on his face.

    "Young master, I was just going to find you!" Xu Shu said excitedly when he saw Liu Jing.

    "Is it successful?" Liu Jing had an intuition that it should be successful.

    Xu Shu was extremely excited and said: "Master, it's successful, it's finally built."

    Liu Jing stayed for a moment, and then rushed to the northwest corner like a gust of wind. He rushed straight into a room. The room was extremely large, and light came in from the surrounding windows, making the room extra bright.

    There are already more than a dozen people in the room, including the official in charge of the iron workshop, Chaisang worker Cao Wuqun, and several workers. The rest are all famous blacksmiths.

    There is a three-foot-long table in the middle of the room. It is actually made up of four tables. At this time, there is a special weapon placed on the table. From the appearance, it should be a sword, but this sword is long.  About two feet long, the handle is four feet long.

    The shape of this long sword is slightly similar to the horse-cutting sword made by Shaofu Temple, but when you look closely, it is different. The horse-cutting sword of Shaofu Temple is a palace imperial weapon and is generally not used on the battlefield, so it feels and looks different.  It is exaggerated to be thick and strong, weighing forty-seven kilograms and one and a half feet long.

    As early as half a year ago, craftsmen had created a horse-killing sword, but that was not what Liu Jing wanted. He wanted a more refined horse-cutting sword that was more suitable for actual combat.

    It took more than half a year and after dozens of failures, the craftsmen finally created Liu Jingyao's horse-killing sword. In fact, its shape is no longer a sword, but a knife, which is more slender and stronger, with edges on both sides.  , extremely sharp.

    This sword for killing horses weighs only thirty-four kilograms and is one foot and four feet long. The blade is so thin and thin that it seems to be able to cut it with one knife. But in fact, this long sword is extremely hard, especially the blade is made of the best stainless steel.  Made to be extremely sharp.

    This is the Mo Dao that Liu Jing imagined. Although it is still different from the Mo Dao used by the Sui Dynasty army, it is very similar, and it has all the advantages of the Mo Dao, but all the craftsmen unanimously call it  Horse-killing sword.

    Liu Jing picked up the linear sword, which was about three and a half meters long, and waved it left and right. A powerful murderous intent emerged from his hand. He imagined hundreds of heavily armored soldiers waving the sword at the same time, like a wall pushing against them.  They charged towards Cao Cao's extremely powerful tiger and leopard cavalry.

    Liu Jing gently stroked the blade, and there was a faint green light on the blade. He suddenly turned around and shouted: "Wu Gong Cao is here!"

    Worker Cao Wu Qun immediately stepped forward to salute, "Here I am, humble duty!"

    "Let me ask you, how long does it take to make such a sword?"

    Wu Qun bowed and said: "Reporting to Sima, we have completely mastered the method of making this horse-killing sword, but the process is very complicated and difficult to make. If you are not careful, it will fail. Let us make preliminary calculations. The three craftsmen used  It takes half a month to build one.¡±

    Liu Jing stared at him with sharp eyes, "I don't care so much, I just ask you, how many hands can you give me in a month?"

    Wu Qun made a quick calculation in his mind and said with a bitter look on his face: "At least ten, and at most only fifteen."

    Liu Jing was a little disappointed. He planned to form a force of 500 heavy armored soldiers, but this speed of equipment would take at least four years to complete. Four years later, it would be the 13th year of Jian'an.

    Liu Jing put down the horse-killing sword and told Wu Qun: "Try to speed up as much as possible! In addition, just like making heavy armor, the making technology of the horse-killing sword must be kept strictly confidential and must not be leaked."

    "Please rest assured, Sima, I strictly control the secrets in my humble position and will never let them out."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After leaving the iron workshop, Liu Jing turned to the military camp. At this time, the total number of Liu Jing's troops had reached 6,000, of which 500 were stationed in Yangxin County and Xiazhi County each, led by Military Marquis Zhao Zhi and Military Marquis Wang Tai respectively.  The commander-in-chief, Gan Ning, led a thousand men to station in Longwan City as Chai Sang's side.

    The remaining four thousand troops are stationed at Chaisang. These troops have undergone long-term training and are extremely elite. They are composed of Wei Yan, Liu Hu, Liao Hua, and Li Jun.The general Mingya was in command and was loyal to Liu Jing.

    After more than a year of development, Liu Jing has become the most powerful person among Liu Biao's nephews, with 6,000 elite soldiers, more than 300 warships, and 500 war horses.

    Liu Jing galloped over on horseback, dismounted in front of the camp gate and asked, "Is General Tiger here?"

    "Report back to Sima, he is leading heavy armor training in the school grounds."

    Liu Jing nodded and quickly walked into the military camp. He saw Liu Hu from a distance. In the southwest corner of the school grounds, Liu Hu took the lead and was leading three hundred heavily armored soldiers to practice the long sword formation.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 170: Heavy Armored Infantry

    According to Liu Jing's plan, he was to build a thousand-man heavy armored infantry, whose weapons were sabers. This heavy armored infantry was not afraid of arrows or cavalry attacks, and would be his elite force to charge into battle and fight against the cavalry.

    But building such an army is time-consuming and labor-intensive, requiring a large amount of high-quality steel and the most skilled blacksmiths. Last year, the Tao family hired 30 high-level blacksmiths from Kuaiji County and Wu County at a high price, and recruited three more from Jiangxia.  It took more than a hundred blacksmiths a whole year to create 300 pieces of heavy armor and 300 three-pointed, two-edged knives.

    Liu Jing selected 300 tall and strong men among the soldiers. Each of them was more than eight feet tall, with big shoulders and round waist, and great strength. Liu Hu led this most elite heavy armored soldier.

    Liu Jing slowly came to the southwest corner, and saw three hundred heavily armored soldiers wearing thick armor, with gleaming iron scales made of fine steel. They were tightly sealed from head to toe, with only their mouths, noses and eyes exposed.  The armor weighs thirty kilograms, plus the three-pointed two-edged sword weighing thirty kilograms, each soldier bears a weight of sixty kilograms.

    This is undoubtedly a heavy burden, and it cannot be fought for a long time. There is only one solution, and that is to strengthen training so that the soldiers can gradually adapt to this heavy pressure.

    On the school field, three hundred heavily armored soldiers stood in three rows, waving the three-pointed two-edged knives in their hands at the same time. The long knives were flying like snowflakes, and the air was filled with cold air. Leading them was a general who was also wearing heavy armor. His signature was like  A huge kitchen knife, everyone knows who he is.

    "Kill!"

    Liu Hu shouted loudly and slashed away with the broadsword in his hand. The three hundred heavy armored infantry behind him shouted at the same time and slashed with three hundred long swords at the same time. A flash of sword light flashed.

    At this time, Liu Hu saw Liu Jing coming from a distance, so he stopped training, turned around and ordered: "Take off your armor and rest for half an hour!"

    Dozens of soldiers nearby rushed forward to remove their armor. Liu Hu also took off his armor. He was sweating profusely and his underwear was soaked. He picked up the water hyacinth and drank it to his heart's content. Then he said to Liu  Jing smiled and said: "This kind of training is not bad. I found that my strength has increased again."

    Liu Jing walked up to the front row and stood on his shoulder, smiling and saying: "Let me tell you some good news first."

    Liu Hu scratched his head, "What good news?"

    "The iron workshop has made the first horse-cutting sword!"

    Liu Hu jumped up in surprise, "Where is the knife?"

    He had been looking forward to the horse-killing sword for a long time. As his martial arts gradually improved, he finally understood the three marksmanship skills Liu Jing taught him, "Feng Nod, Phoenix Turn Back and Phoenix Wing Sweep". The essence of these three moves could not be used with a knife.  , must use weapons that can stab and cut, and his big kitchen knife is becoming less and less popular with him.

    He is looking forward to the birth of the Zhanma Dao. He has seen the drawings. It is a particularly slender sword with a sharp front section that can pierce the chest like a sword. It is simply a weapon designed for these three moves.

    "Sima, can you give me the knife to use first?" Liu Hu's eyes were full of longing.

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "Leave the sword to the craftsmen for study! Wait two more days to build the second horse-cutting sword, and I will give you one."

    Although Liu Hu was itching and unbearable, he had no choice but to sigh. Liu Jing sat on the ground opposite him, picked up a small wooden stick and made some gestures on the ground. He said to Liu Hu: "The most powerful thing about heavy armored soldiers is not their personal bravery."  , but a collective force. Three hundred of them must form an iron plate. They stand together and walk in synchrony. They are lined up like a wall and must not be scattered. On the battlefield, once a heavily armored soldier is alone,  , you will definitely die, do you understand what I mean?¡±

    Liu Hu nodded silently, "I understand!"

    "It's not enough for you to understand, you must also let all the soldiers understand and make them aware of the importance of collective strength. For example, during the break now, you can organize everyone to discuss what methods the enemy can use to deal with heavy armored soldiers, and then we  How should we respond? If you bring out everyone's enthusiasm, you will be qualified as a commander."

    "Then I'll go now!"

    Liu Hu stood up and strode towards the soldiers. Liu Jing did not catch him and looked at him shouting in the crowd of soldiers, "Come to Tiger, let's discuss how to avoid death."

    Liu Jing couldn't help but shook his head and laughed. He found that Liu Hu and Wei Yan were two extremes. Wei Yan was extremely strict and meticulous, but fair and equitable, winning the respect of the soldiers, but also a little scared.

    But Liu Hu has a natural affinity that makes people like him. Both soldiers and generals call him Tiger. When they are dissatisfied with him, they can even have a fight with him. It is this brotherly friendship that makes Liu Hu  The tiger also won the heartfelt love of the soldiers.

    In comparison, Liao Hua and Li Jun seem a little mediocre and have nothing outstanding.

    ? ?At this moment, a soldier rushed over, knelt down on one knee in front of Liu Jing and reported: "Report to Sima, there is someone looking for you outside the military camp, it seems to be General Zhao Yun."

    Liu Jing was immediately overjoyed that Zhao Yun was here. He had not seen Zhao Yun for almost a year, but he immediately became confused, why did Zhao Yun come to Chaisang?

    Liu Jing quickly came to the camp gate and saw Zhao Yun not far from the gate, wearing military uniform and riding a horse with a smile on his face. There were two followers following him dozens of steps away.

    Seeing Liu Jing coming out, Zhao Yun could not conceal his inner joy and urged his horse to come forward, "Brother, we haven't seen each other for a long time."

    He turned over and dismounted, and the two hugged each other tightly. Zhao Yun looked him up and down again and sighed: "I haven't seen you for a year, and you have grown stronger and stronger."

    ¡°If you train hard every day and eat a lot, you will naturally grow stronger.¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and asked: "How come eldest brother thought of coming to Chaisang?"

    "Can't I come and see you?" Zhao Yun asked seriously.

    "Of course you can, but you don't have time, and you didn't write a letter beforehand."

    Zhao Yun smiled and patted his shoulder, "Of course I don't have time to come see you specially. This time I am accompanying my lord to see a doctor in Changsha County. I passed by Chaisang and came here to see you."

    "Uncle Liu Huang is sick?" Liu Jing asked in surprise.

    Zhao Yun hesitated for a moment, but finally said it, "He is not sick, but he has not had a child for a long time. He is anxious. He heard that Zhang Ji, the governor of Changsha, is good at diagnosing infertility, so he came to Changsha for treatment."

    Liu Jing nodded, so that was the case, he thought to himself, ¡®Maybe it was after this visit to the doctor that Liu Bei finally had Liu Chan.  ¡¯

    At this time, Zhao Yun brought up his true purpose again, "The last time I competed with you was the Battle of Xinye. It has been a year and a half. I want to try your martial arts. Come on! Let's compete."

    Liu Jing was also itching. Over the past year, not only had his strength greatly improved, but he had also gained a deeper understanding of the Hundred Birds Chao Feng Spear. At this time, compared with him in the Battle of Xinye, he seemed to be a completely different person.  generally.

    Not long after, the two men went into battle. Liu Jing's Qingying Spear had been abandoned. Half a year ago, the craftsmen in the iron workshop made him a crescent halberd out of fine steel. It was four feet long and six feet heavy.  Eighteen pounds, he has already practiced it very skillfully.

    Zhao Yun was a little surprised. Liu Jing actually started to use a halberd. The halberd was more fierce than the spear. Not only could the spear kill, but it could also be chopped with the sword. Zhao Yun initially practiced the halberd, but his master Yu Zhenzi insisted that he use the spear.  Because Zhao Yun lacked a domineering spirit and the halberd was the weapon of the overlord, Zhao Yun nodded secretly. He also felt that Liu Jing was more suitable to use the halberd.

    "Come on! Do it with all your strength." Zhao Yun shouted from a distance.

    Liu Jing stared at Zhao Yun, gently clamped the war horse between his legs, and the war horse began to trot, and then ran faster and faster, as fast as the wind. Liu Jing waved his halberd and stabbed Zhao Yun's throat straightly.  Not slow, but full of strength, as heavy as a mountain, this is also a move of phoenix nodding, but it no longer feels as fast as lightning, as if it has become ordinary.

    "But Zhao Yun could feel the murderous intention in the ordinary, this is a simple and simple move, he did not dare to be careless in his heart, and shouted, 'Well done!  ¡¯

    With a shake of his arms, the spear spit out nine spearheads and wrapped around the halberd. This is the "hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix", the first imperial move in the world. Just listen to "Dang!"  There was a loud noise, the halberd swinging open, Zhao Yun broke through Liu Jing and struck him head-on. The two horses crossed each other, Zhao Yun's spear hammer struck out, with a sharp sound of wind, it went straight to Liu Jing's back. The original blow will kill Gao Lan  Severely injured.

    Liu Jing, however, lightly picked up his halberd, and with subtle strength, he accurately lifted the hammer and spear away. In the first round, the two of them fought to a draw. Even Zhao Yun couldn't help but cheer. What a young warrior. He was so excited.  Shouted: "Brother Jing, let's come again!"

    This time Zhao Yunting stabbed with his spear and took the initiative. Liu Jing shouted and waved his halberd to greet him. The two fought in the school field.

    Not far away, Liu Hu's mouth opened wide. He clearly remembered that two years ago, Liu Jing couldn't resist Zhao Yun for one round. Now they actually fought for more than ten rounds. Liu Hu felt envious and jealous.  It's sad that this kid's martial arts has far surpassed his own.

    But the one who was most surprised was Zhao Yun. He never dreamed that Liu Jing's martial arts would improve so quickly. He had already fought with him for fifteen rounds. Although his strength was still inferior to his own, his understanding of Bainiaochaofengqian was so great.  Already no less than himself.

    However, Zhao Yun's experience was far superior to that of Liu Jing, so he quickly took the initiative and fought for a few more rounds. When the two horses were at odds again, Zhao Yun held the gun with one hand and diverted Liu Jing's halberd, and drew the sword with his right hand.  A sword struck at Liu Jing's neck.

    This oneThe timing was perfect. Liu Jing had lost his center of gravity and couldn't help himself. He couldn't dodge even if he wanted to. Zhao Yun's sword was so fast that it passed by Liu Jing's eyes. If it was a real attack, his head would have been dead.  Fly up.

    "I surrender!"

    Liu Jing was about to withdraw his halberd and admit defeat. Although he was admitting defeat, his face was full of joy and excitement. He could actually fight with Zhao Yun for nearly twenty rounds. Thinking that at the beginning, he could not even block Zhao Yun's move, but now he actually  Can have a fierce battle with Zhao Yun.

    Zhao Yun urged the horse forward, hugged him on the horse, and praised in a low voice: "Very good!"

    "How does it compare with Yu Jin?"

    Zhao Yun smiled slightly, "Now that you meet Yu Jin again, you can be on a par with him. However, your experience is not enough and you still need to be tempered in actual combat. Don't fall into Yu Jin's hands again just because of my words."

    The two of them couldn't help laughing when they thought about what happened last time. Zhao Yun rarely laughed like this.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 171: Night Visit with Liu Bei

    From the autumn of the sixth year of Jian'an to the present, it has been two years since Liu Bei took refuge in Jingzhou. Although the relationship between him and Liu Biao has been good and bad, over the past two years, they have gradually gotten to know each other, and Liu Biao has become much more tolerant of him and no longer regards him as someone in his eyes.  Ding often invited him to Xiangyang for banquets, and the relationship between the two was very harmonious.

    This time Liu Bei came to Changsha County to see the prefect Zhang Ji for medical treatment, and he got Liu Biao's consent in advance. This is also Liu Bei's cleverness. After two years of getting along with him, Liu Bei found that Liu Biao was more formal than practical.

    Liu Biao is very concerned about attitude. Many things seem impossible to succeed, but as long as you seriously discuss it with Liu Biao, the results will often be unexpected.

    For example, Liu Bei recommended Jian Yong to be the chief registrar of Nanjun. Nanjun seemed to have nothing to do with Liu Bei, but Liu Bei hoped that Jian Yong would be the link between him and Liu Qi, so he had a serious talk with Liu Biao. Unexpectedly, Liu Biao  He actually agreed to his request.

    There are many other things like this. As long as you don¡¯t hide anything from Liu Biao and take the initiative to express your wishes to him, Liu Biao will mostly agree happily.

    As time went by, Liu Bei had a clear understanding. Liu Biao was not afraid that he would seize Jingzhou, but he was very concerned about Liu Bei's reputation surpassing his own in Jingzhou. Liu Biao valued his reputation, and any move by Liu Bei to improve his reputation would  tabooed by him.

    After realizing this, Liu Bei deliberately lowered his own reputation and improved Liu Biao's reputation. At every gathering, he would not hesitate to praise Liu Biao's magnanimity in front of celebrities in Jingzhou and the north.

    Time after time, year after year, Liu Biao's wariness towards Liu Bei gradually faded away, and the relationship between the two became closer. Even on some major military and national affairs, Liu Biao would send people to invite Liu Bei to ask for his opinion.

    Of course, Liu Bei also knew that nothing would come out of nowhere, and Liu Biao would not change his attitude towards him for no reason. During the Battle of Xinye, he wanted to kill him with Cao Cao's hands, but now he regards him as a brother, and he almost wants to share it with him.  Jingzhou.

    Liu Bei also figured out Liu Biao's deeper intentions. Liu Biao was going to incorporate Liu Bei into the Jingzhou system. In other words, Liu Biao wanted to annex Liu Bei, and he did so. It would be best to appoint Jian Yong as the head of Nan County.  Side note.

    This is like a fight between a snake and an eagle. The eagle originally wanted to peck the snake for food, but the snake was hostile and resisted. But when the snake suddenly discovered that the eagle could actually be its delicacy, the snake's mentality naturally changed.

    Liu Bei's brilliance lies here. He did not resist Liu Biao's annexation, but followed the trend. At the same time, he did not relax because of Liu Biao's trust in him. On the contrary, he became more humble and sincere to Liu Biao and treated his subordinates more and more.  The restrictions have become more stringent.

    This time Liu Bei came to Changsha for medical treatment. He only mentioned it briefly and received a positive response from Liu Biao. He was nearly fifty years old and still had no children. No matter what, it would make people feel sympathy.

    At this time, Liu Bei was also in Chaisang. He did not rush to find Liu Jing, but asked Zhao Yun to visit Liu Jing. He knew very well that there must be Liu Biao's spy around Liu Jing. If Liu Biao knew that he came to Chaisang, he would go there immediately.  Looking for Liu Jing might cause some unnecessary suspicion.

    It will also affect his trip to Changsha. This time in Changsha, instead of saying that Liu Bei went to see the prefect Zhang Zhongjing for medical treatment, it would be better to say that he went to see Liu Pan.

    Except for Liu Cong, all the nephews of Liu Biao were very interested in Liu Bei. Liu Qi's generosity and kindness, and Liu Jing's mysterious origin. It is said that Liu Pan was somewhat similar to Liu Qi. He was generous and low-key, and never made any publicity. Liu Biao obviously wanted to go to Changsha.  The county handed it over to him.

    Liu Bei wanted to use this trip to Changsha to live in Changsha for a few months under the pretext of medical treatment and establish a deep personal relationship with Liu Pan.

    As for Liu Jing, Liu Bei himself was very grateful to him and wanted to establish a friendship with him. However, an incident that happened more than a year ago made Liu Bei quite afraid of Liu Jing.

    Last summer, Cai Yi sent people to investigate Liu Jing's details, but Liu Bei intercepted him. Liu Bei then sent people to Gaoping County to inquire about the information, trying to find the truth about Liu Jing's identity.

    Unexpectedly, his people arrived a step too late. Five members of Liu Jing's uncle's family were accidentally killed in the sea of ????fire. No one could escape. They were the only people in Gaoping County who knew Liu Jing. Their deaths made it impossible for Liu Bei to stay in Gaoping County.  Find any clues about Liu Jing.

    This incident made Liu Bei deeply afraid, and he realized that Liu Jing was cruel and vicious, which finally made him give up the idea of ??having a close relationship with Liu Jing. Although Liu Jing was young, he was very scheming, and he had too many interactions with this person.  If he turned around and sold himself to Liu Biao, he would lose more than he gained.

    When Liu Bei was meditating in the room, a follower at the door reported: "General Zuo, Mr. Jing wants to see you."

    Liu Bei was not surprised. He knew that Liu Jing would come. The reason why he appeared in Chaisang City was that he was actually ready to receive Liu Jing. He thought for a while and said: "Invite him in!"

    After a moment, Liu Jing walked in quicklyHe went into the room and bowed to Liu Bei, "My nephew Liu Jing pays homage to my uncle!"

    From the changes in etiquette, we can see that Liu Jing's attitude towards Liu Bei has also changed. In the past, Liu Jing never bowed to Liu Bei. At the same time, he called himself a junior and called Liu Bei his uncle. But now, just like Liu Qi, he calls Liu Bei his uncle.  Liu Bei is now his uncle.

    This change in attitude is related to the family sacrifice on the first day of this year. During the ceremony, Liu Bei, as a distant clan member, also participated in the clan sacrifice of Liu Biao's family. This was actually a deliberate gesture by Liu Biao. He called Liu Bei his younger brother and  It¡¯s not just words.

    In other words, he has incorporated Liu Bei into the Liu family in Jingzhou. Theoretically, there is no problem at all. They are all Han royal family. Liu Bei is called the emperor's uncle by the current emperor, and Liu Biao is the direct bloodline of the royal family. They  It was natural to come together.

    Liu Bei would happily accept Liu Qi and Liu Pan calling him uncle, but Liu Jing would also call him uncle, which made him feel a little uncomfortable. At least he knew that Liu Jing did not mean what he said.

    However, Liu Bei still smiled and said: "My nephew, there is no need to be polite, please sit down!"

    Liu Jing sat up straight and said with a smile: "When did my uncle come to Chaisang? Why didn't you write a letter first so that my nephew could prepare. Now I have to let my uncle stay in the hotel. My nephew is really sorry."

    Liu Bei chuckled, "Zilong should have told my nephew that I am going to Changsha and passing through Chaisang. The main reason is that Zilong wants to meet my nephew. I will only stay one night and leave early tomorrow morning, so I won't bother my nephew."  "

    After a pause, Liu Bei looked at Liu Jing again and said with a smile: "I haven't seen you for a year. My nephew has made great progress. It is completely different from the clan sacrifice at the beginning of the year. No wonder when I left, the state pastor also praised my nephew and said that he is already a Jingzhou official."  A general who can stand alone and has a wise nephew to guard Chaisang will make Jiangdong's army dare not move further westward."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said, "I'm afraid there is something that will disappoint my uncle. Jiang Dong is already ready to make a move."

    Liu Bei was surprised, "Did my nephew say that Jiangdong is going to attack Jiangxia?"

    "I don't know whether they are going to attack Jiangxia, but one thing I am sure of is that Jiangdong has sent more troops to Pengze. Hundreds of warships have been added in two days, which is extraordinary."

    "Did your wise nephew report this matter to the state pastor?" Liu Bei asked again.

    "Not yet. It's not yet certain whether it's an increase in troops or a normal fall defense change. I'm going to observe it for a few more days and report back once it's confirmed."

    Liu Bei sighed softly, "My dear nephew, I'm not telling you, you did do some things inappropriately. Your uncle said that you are good at everything, but you are bad at making decisions without permission.  Play.

    For example, if you went to Soochow to pay filial piety, you did it without your uncle's permission in advance. In fact, this is a taboo in official circles. Because he is your uncle, he will tolerate you more. If it were anyone else, he would not be able to do it long ago.  I'll tolerate you.

    In fact, I also understand that you don't want to be controlled by Jingzhou, but some superficial things must be done well, just like Cao Cao. Everyone called him a Han traitor, but he did a good job in superficial etiquette, and even made people blameless.  .

    Another example is myself, I am General Zuo, and your uncle is just a general with no rank. According to the court positions, my official position is above him, but I treat him with great courtesy and tell him everything. This is right.  His respect also earned his respect for me.

    So I would like to advise my nephew, Chaisang is in your hands, you just need to hold on to this core interest, report other things to Zhou Mu, respect him, and it will only be beneficial to you.  "

    Liu Bei¡¯s words were heartfelt and sincere. Liu Jing did not doubt Liu Bei¡¯s sincerity at all. What he said was beneficial and did not harm his own interests. Why wouldn¡¯t Liu Bei do it?

    Liu Jing nodded, leaned forward and said, "Thank you for your uncle's persuasion. Liu Jing is young and ignorant. He doesn't understand many things, and he doesn't know when he made mistakes. I will remember my uncle's words and report the Jiangdong Army's movements to my uncle immediately."

    Liu Bei chuckled and said, "If you make a mistake, correct it. This is better than never making a mistake. If this Jiangdong Army matter is handled well, it will completely change the state pastor's dissatisfaction with you. My dear nephew, listen to me. There will be no mistakes."  wrong."

    "My uncle's words from the bottom of his heart will be remembered by my nephew."

    At this time, the room became quiet, and neither Liu Jing nor Liu Bei could find anything to say for a moment. After a while, Liu Jing asked lightly: "This time when uncle comes to Chaisang, he should pass by Wuchang!"

    Liu Bei's heart trembled. He immediately understood what Liu Jing meant. He was asking him if he had visited Huang Zu. Liu Bei couldn't help but secretly cursed Liu Jing as a little fox. He still couldn't forget the fact that he deliberately befriended Huang Zu two years ago.

    At that time, Liu Bei wanted to find foreign aid in Jingzhou, so he deliberately made friends with Huang Zu. Unexpectedly, Huang Zu was more inclined to the Cai family, and the Cai family was hostile to him, so his friendship with Huang Zu was also??There is no follow-up.

    Speaking of which, this incident made Liu Bei quite ashamed. He had not yet clearly seen the power structure in Jingzhou, so he attacked rashly. In the end, nothing was achieved, but Liu Biao was dissatisfied. This was a lesson for Liu Bei.

    Today, Liu Jing mentioned his old words again, which made Liu Bei feel a little ashamed. He shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "My nephew is talking about Huang Zu! This is a stupid thing I did two years ago, so don't mention it!"

    Liu Jing also laughed, "My uncle is really very ambitious. In fact, I want to ask my uncle for advice on how to completely eradicate Huang Zu so that I can occupy Jiangxia."

    Liu Bei looked at Liu Jing's eyes and saw that his eyes were full of sincerity. Liu Bei pondered for a moment and said with a smile: "This is an internal matter of Jingzhou, and I dare not speak nonsense. My nephew, don't ask me. In fact, you might as well ask the Zhou Mu, he  He thinks further than I do."

    Liu Jing couldn't help but secretly cursed 'this old fox', but he refused to let Liu Bei go, and continued to ask: "As the saying goes, bystanders know better. My uncle has been fighting for decades and has rich experience. Why didn't he give advice to his nephew at this critical moment?"  Son one or two?¡±

    Liu Bei stared at him for a long time, sighed slightly and said: "My nephew also knows that this is a critical moment. Seeing Jiangdong's army approaching, at this time, you and Huang Zu should work together to deal with Jiangdong's army. If Huang Zu is defeated unfortunately, you  Can we survive the crisis in Jiangxia on our own?"

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, and then glanced at Liu Bei. Seeing his serious face, Liu Jing suddenly stood up and gave a deep salute, "Uncle for your advice, my nephew is very grateful!"

    Liu Bei chuckled, "My dear nephew, I didn't say anything."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume One, Chapter 172, The Cloud of War Is Approaching

    [Brothers, please vote for me!  Strive for over 2,000 votes]

    ??¡ª¡ª

    On the Yangtze River outside Pengze Lake, a fleet of more than 2,000 warships is marching westward in a mighty manner, stretching for dozens of miles, with a magnificent momentum. On top of a large ship of nearly 3,000 stones, a large  Flags were flying on the mast. The white gold-rimmed flag had the word "Sun" written on it. It was bright red and could be seen from miles away.

    There is a man standing on the bow of the boat with his hands behind his back. He is of medium height but very strong. He is wearing a purple Zen robe with wide sleeves and a golden crown from a long journey. He was born with a purple beard and blue eyes, with bright eyes, a square mouth and a strange appearance.  To ordinary people, this person is Sun Quan, the lord of Jiangdong.

    It has been more than three years since Sun Quan ascended the throne as the lord of Jiangdong in the fifth year of Jian'an. In the past three years, Sun Quan has worked hard to govern and recuperate, making Jiangdong financially wealthy and with elite soldiers. The Jiangdong Army is ready to send troops to Jingzhou.

    Taking Jingzhou from the west and unifying the south of the Yangtze River has been the dream of the three generations of Jiangdong monarchs for more than ten years. Although there were moves by Liu Jing and Xu Jiangdong, it was only Liu Jing's personal behavior after all, and it did not mean that Jingzhou was sincere. Even Sun Quan had  The scene of sending someone to Xiangyang to report the funeral, but being turned away by Jingzhou, severely damaged the atmosphere of reconciliation that Liu Jing and Jiang Dong had just reached.

    In the autumn of the eighth year of Jian'an, the time was ripe. With the unanimous support of the courtiers, Sun Quan resolutely sent 60,000 troops and mobilized 20,000 boatmen. Sun Quan personally served as the commander, appointed the guard Zhou Yu as the assistant general, and the school captain Ling Tong as the vanguard, and ordered his deputy  The commander-in-chief Lu Su, the governor of logistics and food, led 2,400 warships to attack Jiangxia in a mighty manner.

    Sun Quan put his hands behind his hands and stared at the river for a long time. Then he turned back to Zhou Yu and said, "Gong Jin!"

    Zhou Yu quickly stepped forward and saluted, "My subordinate is here!"

    "You can order people to go to Chaisang to tell Liu Jing that the Jiangdong army is coming. Order him to surrender as soon as possible to ensure the safety of Chaisang's army and people."

    General Xu Sheng stepped forward and said anxiously: "Marquis Wu, I'm afraid Liu Jing will not surrender."

    Sun Quan smiled calmly, "It's okay if you don't surrender! He can abandon the city and leave. I will also spare Chaisang's soldiers and civilians. Otherwise, I will avenge last year's revenge."

    Zhou Yu nodded, "My subordinates understand, so I will send someone to deliver the message."

    Sun Quan looked at the mighty river in the west and couldn't help but sigh slightly, "Liu Jing is a good person and can be called a great talent. Unfortunately, he is Liu Biao's nephew and cannot be used by me. It is better to get rid of him early!"

    Having said this, Sun Quan turned around and said to the generals: "Pass on my order. After conquering Chaisang, whoever captures Liu Jing alive will be promoted to two ranks and will receive a reward of 10,000 taels. Whoever takes his head will be promoted to one rank and will receive a reward of 10,000 taels."  Five thousand taels!¡±

    Under the heavy reward, the Jiangdong soldiers were extremely eager to try, and all their hearts flew to Chai Sang.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Three beacons have been lit at the top of Chaisang City, and raging fire is spraying into the sky, sending a signal of war to Jiangxia and the entire Jingzhou.

    The city of Chaisang was already in chaos. Liu Jing got the exact information that more than 80,000 Jiangdong troops were about to arrive in Jiangxia. Chaisang would be the first stop for Jiangdong's army to attack. Liu Jing knew very well that the reason why he was lucky a year ago  The victory over Jiangdong Army was due to the death of Mrs. Jiangdong, and Jiangdong Army was forced to retreat.

    Now that Jiangdong's 80,000-strong army is attacking Jiangxia, they are well prepared. Chaisang can no longer resist the offensive of Jiangdong's army. Liu Jing makes a resolute decision. Chaisang's soldiers and civilians all retreat to Xiazhi County and Yangxin County. He leads 2,000 troops  Stick to Chaisang.

    The army and civilians of Chaisang have begun to evacuate on a large scale. Ships loaded with people and food have left Chaisang and headed west to Xiazhi County and Yangxin County.

    On the top of the city, Liu Jing stared at the crowds of people on the pier for a long time. The people of Chaisang supported the old and young, carrying bags of valuable soft goods, and were waiting patiently to board the ship.

    At this time, Xu Shu slowly walked forward and stood beside Liu Jing. After a long time, Liu Jing asked him: "Have you sent someone to deliver a message to General Huang?"

    "It has been sent, and the letters to Zhou Mu and Huang Zu have also been sent."

    Liu Jing smiled, "Then I'll be relieved."

    After a moment, Xu Shu couldn't help but ask: "Why not all evacuate and leave an empty city for Jiangdong?"

    Liu Jing shook his head and sighed: "I can't afford the loss of this 'loyalty'. If everyone evacuates, I, Liu Jing, will be accused by thousands of people. I abandoned the city and fled at the critical moment. How can I face the elders of Jingzhou?"

    Xu Shu nodded silently. He could understand Liu Jing's decision, but he had another kind of worry in his heart.

    "ButYoung Master personally leads the soldiers to defend Chaisang. Once Chaisang falls, who can guarantee the safety of Young Master? What should we do if Young Master has three advantages and two shortcomings? Can Young Master consider General Yi to defend the city?"

    "No!"

    Liu Jing shook his head decisively, "As a general and a Sima of Chaisang's branch,??If you don't defend the city, how can you serve the people?  "

    Xu Shu wanted to persuade him again, but Liu Jing waved his hand to stop him, "Yuan Zhi, don't persuade him anymore. I have made up my mind. If I can't defend Chaisang, I will retreat and will not lose my life in Chaisang."

    After saying that, Liu Jing smiled and patted Xu Shu on the shoulder, turned around and went down to the city.

    Liu Jing arrived at the Tao Mansion. At this time, the Tao Mansion was also arranging a retreat. For this retreat, the Tao family also mobilized 1,500 merchant ships to assist the Chaisang defenders in transporting strategic materials such as food and refined steel.

    Liu Jing quickly walked into the Tao Mansion and met her maid Xiao Baozi. She ran over in a panic, "Master, I was just going to find you."

    "What happened?"

    Liu Jing looked behind her again, but Tao Zhan was not there. She frowned and asked, "Where is Jiuniang?"

    "Sir, Jiuniang is in the inner house. She refuses to leave and says she wants to stay with her grandfather."

    Liu Jing only felt a headache, not because of Tao Zhan, but because Tao Lie gave him a headache. The old man was extremely stubborn and insisted on staying in the house. No matter how much the Tao family tried to persuade him, it was useless. Now Tao Zhan actually didn't  To stay.

    "Okay! You go back and pack your things first, and you will leave with Jiuniang later, and I will persuade them."

    Liu Jing had no choice but to walk quickly to the inner house of Tao Mansion.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Most of the people in the Tao Mansion had already evacuated, making the Tao Mansion seem deserted. Liu Jing walked quickly all the way to the inner house without meeting any of his family members. When he was wondering, he suddenly heard footsteps coming from behind him. Liu Jing  When he turned around, it was Tao Zhan walking through another small door.

    "Jiuniang!" Liu Jing stopped and called her.

    Tao Zhan went to Soochow for temporary refuge last time and did not come back until half a year later. After returning, he did not see Liu Jing much. Although the man was affectionate and the concubine was interested, Tao Zhan still had filial piety.

    Tao Zhan is sixteen years old this year, and she has become more beautiful, dignified and graceful. Although her mother's death has made her always a little depressed, she rarely dresses up and wears plain white dresses most of the time. But this simple and elegant style,  It added a bit of sad beauty to her.

    At this time, she did not see Liu Jing. She was walking towards her with her head lowered and worried. Suddenly she heard Liu Jing calling her. She immediately raised her head, looked around, and finally saw Liu Jing beside a big tree in front of her.

    There was a sudden surprise in her heart, and she ran a few steps quickly and came to Liu Jing, "Why are you here?"

    Liu Jing stretched out her hand to trim her messy hair, smiled slightly and said, "I'm here to see you, can't I?"

    "No! Of course."

    Tao Zhan shook his head hurriedly. Seeing Liu Jing's bright eyes full of enthusiasm, she couldn't help but blush, lowered her head and whispered: "Of course I am very happy that you came to see me, but I think you should now  I¡¯m very busy and don¡¯t have time to take care of me.¡±

    Liu Jing gently held her in his arms and whispered in her ear: "Now that the war is coming, everyone is worried about their relatives. You are my only relative, how can I ignore you?"

    A sweet feeling of being loved and cared for poured into Tao Zhan's heart. She pressed her face against his chest and murmured: "But you refused to leave. Do you know how worried I am about you?"

    Only then did Liu Jing understand that Tao Zhan was worried about himself just now. He was moved and kissed her plump and smooth forehead with his lips, and said with a smile: "I am the commander-in-chief, so of course I have to be the last one to evacuate.  Honor, I will not let Jiang Dongjun get Chaisang City so easily, but I promise you that I will return to you safely. "

    Tao Zhan sighed quietly, "Can you persuade my grandfather to leave? He refuses to leave, and I don't want to leave either."

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "I'll give it a try."

    Tao Zhan immediately became excited, "Follow me!"

    She took Liu Jing's hand and ran towards the backyard. The two of them arrived in front of Tao Lie's study. From a distance, they saw Tao Sheng, Tao Li and several other Tao family elders standing outside the study. Tao Zhan whispered to Liu Jing: "  Now my grandfather doesn¡¯t see anyone but me. He has a bad temper, so please be patient.¡±

    Liu Jing smiled, "Don't worry!"

    When everyone saw Tao Zhan coming with Liu Jing, they all moved out of the way. Tao Sheng stepped forward and whispered: "Young Master, my father refuses to leave. He refuses to listen no matter how hard he tries to persuade him, and even loses his temper."

    "What's the reason?" Liu Jing asked.

    Tao Sheng sighed, "It's probably because he felt he couldn't explain to Jiang Dong that he decided to stay and give Jiang Dong an explanation."

    Liu Jing nodded silently, and he also felt that this was the reason.

    At this time, Tao Zhan stepped forward and knocked on the door, shouting crisply: "Grandpa, it's me, I'm Jiuniang!"

    There was a cough in the room, and then Tao Lie's old voice was heard, "Come inBar!  "

    Tao Zhan turned around and gave Liu Jing a wink, and Liu Jing followed her quickly into the study. The hearts of the Tao elders outside were suddenly in suspense. They all straightened their ears and listened carefully to what was going on in the room.

    Everything in the room was as before. The incense burner in the corner of the room exuded a faint smell of sandalwood. Tao Lie was half leaning on a rattan bed, covered with a quilt. There was a cup of tea on the small table next to him. He was wrapped in a turban and looked peaceful.  His eyes were closed on both sides, and his gray beard and hair made him look particularly old.

    Suddenly, Tao Lie opened his eyes and stared at Liu Jing behind Tao Zhan. After a while, he smiled like a child and said, "Jiuniang, have you brought reinforcements?"

    Tao Zhan knelt down in front of his grandfather and whispered: "If my grandfather doesn't leave, I can't leave either. But if I don't leave and he loses his temper again, what should I do?"

    Liu Jing quickly stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "Junior, pay homage to my grandfather!"

    "Hey! You annoying children don't let me live in peace."

    Tao Lie struggled to sit up, and Tao Zhan hurriedly helped him up. Tao Lie sat up straight, panting, and turned around to glare at Tao Zhan, "Whether I leave or not has nothing to do with you, little girl, why don't you?  Walk?"

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and smiled, "The family has unanimously decided to let me stay and take care of my grandfather. This is not up to me."

    "Nonsense!"

    Tao Lie cursed and said to Liu Jing helplessly: "Master Jing, please sit down and let's talk."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 173 The situation in Jiangxia is complicated

    "Last year Jiangdong's mother died of illness, and I went to Jiangdong to pay my respects. According to the specifications of the invitation I received, I was just an ordinary guest, no different from the other three thousand ordinary guests. But just because of the young master, I unexpectedly  Being promoted to a distinguished guest, the number of seats occupied increased from more than 2,800 to 72. Sitting in the main hall, even Sun Quan personally served me tea. It was a sensation and an honor. "

    Speaking of this, Tao Lie shook his head and smiled at Liu Jing: "But I am very sober. The reason why I am treated favorably in Jiangdu is mainly because I delivered a message for you, which attracted Sun Quan's attention. On the other hand, Tao Lie  The family also happened to pay a large amount of tax to Jiangdong, so Sun Quan told me that without the Tao family, there would be no meat in the bowl of Jiangdong's army. "

    Having said this, Tao Lie looked into Liu Jing¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Master, do you understand what I mean?¡±

    After pondering for a while, Liu Jing asked: "Is it because the Tao family is in a dilemma that the old family leader decided not to leave?"

    Tao Lie nodded, "This is a matter of attitude. The Tao family must give Jiang Dong an explanation. Please understand, Master."

    Liu Jing originally wanted to say, ¡®The Tao family can¡¯t always be caught in the middle!  ¡¯ But he didn¡¯t say this in the end. He could understand Tao Lie¡¯s difficulties. The Tao family had given him a lot.

    But over the past year or so, due to angering Liu Biao, the Tao family's business in Jingzhou has dropped by 70%. Now it relies entirely on Jiangdong for support. If Sun Quan is angered again, the Tao family's business empire will be completely over. However.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing sighed and said softly: "Maybe I don't care about the support from both sides of the Tao family, but has the old family owner ever thought about whether Sun Quan doesn't care about it either?"

    Tao Lie slowly closed his eyes. Liu Jing's words pierced his heart like a knife. This was also a question he had been avoiding. But now that the war was approaching, it seemed difficult for the Tao family to avoid it. After a while,  , Tao Lie sighed, "Sir, let me think about it again."

    Liu Jing patted his hand, "No matter what decision the old man makes, I will respect it!"

    Liu Jing stood up to say goodbye, Tao Zhan hurriedly sent him out. Liu Jing walked in a hurry, Tao Zhan hurried behind, and walked to the atrium. Liu Jing stopped and looked back at Tao Zhan. He didn't say a word.

    But Tao Zhan understood what he meant. She walked forward slowly with her hands behind her back, and said with a sweet smile: "Do you think I should stay with my grandfather? Or should I follow someone's advice and evacuate Chaisang temporarily?"

    Liu Jing stared at her quietly and said for a long time: "If you stay in Chaisang, I will not be able to evacuate safely. In the end, I will be captured by Sun Quan and watch you become Sun Quan's concubine. Do you want such a result?"

    Tao Zhan trembled all over, quickly held Liu Jing's hand, bit his lip and said, "Jing Lang, why do you have such an idea?"

    Liu Jing also realized that he spoke too harshly and was in a bad mood, so he brought this negative emotion to Tao Zhan. He laughed and said in a somewhat joking tone: "Chaisang City is broken.  There is only one female prisoner in the city. How can Sun Quan not be moved by such a beautiful woman? Moreover, she is the daughter of the Tao family. How can Sun Quan do it? "

    Before Liu Jing could finish speaking, Tao Zhan stretched out his jade hand and blocked his mouth, "Stop talking. I understand what you mean. I will not stay and embarrass you, so I will leave immediately."

    Having said this, she gently snuggled into Liu Jing's arms and whispered: "Actually, I said I didn't want to leave because I wanted to be with you, not because of my grandfather. Do you understand?"

    Liu Jing felt a warm feeling in his heart. It turned out that she refused to leave because of him. He smelled the fragrance on Tao Zhan's head and suddenly made up his mind. He held her soft shoulders and stared at her beautiful eyes like a deep pool.  Word by word: "After this war is over, I will marry you."

    Tao Zhan raised his head in excitement and stared at Liu Jing, his beautiful eyes shining like gems. She had been looking forward to this day for a long time, but it was not yet two years old. Can her grandfather agree?  Her beautiful eyes were covered with a light mist again.

    Liu Jing hugged her into his arms again, gently stroking her hair, but with a hint of determination in her tone, "A manly man, if he doesn't have the courage to fight for the woman he likes, how can he have any dignity in the world?  Still have the ambition to conquer the world.¡±

    After saying that, he let go of Tao Zhan, turned around and strode away. His voice was heard from a distance, "Go pack your things! I will arrange a boat for you and take the little buns away with me."

    Tao Zhan looked at Liu Jing's majestic back, and her beautiful eyes couldn't help but be fascinated. She has known Jing Lang for a year and a half. Is the day she has been looking forward to finally coming?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Wuchang, Huang Zu received urgent information sent by Liu Jing. At the same time, he also received news from the spies from Pengze. Jiangdong's military strength increased greatly.The number increased to between 60,000 and 80,000. This news made Huang Zu pale. He had already realized that this time the Jiangdong Army would attack Jiangxia in a large scale, and he was probably in danger.

    In the room, Huang Zu was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, circling around the room with his hands behind his back. What should he do?  His total strength was only 20,000 men. How could he withstand Jiangdong's attack of nearly 80,000 men?

    "Father!"

    Huang She burst into the room like a gust of wind and said urgently: "I just got the news that Liu Jing is evacuating Chaisang soldiers and civilians on a large scale. I'm afraid he will abandon the city."

    This news was like adding insult to injury. Huang Zu was stunned for a while, and then he suddenly roared like thunder, "Damn you bastard, Chai Sang doesn't resist. Do you want to throw all Jiangdong's army to me?"

    "Father, I'm afraid that's what he means. What should we do?"

    Huang Zu was so confused that he certainly didn¡¯t know what to do. What if he knew what to do?  Will he still be helpless here?  At this time, aide Jiang Qi also walked in quickly. Huang Zu grabbed him as if he had seen a savior and said, "Mr. Jiang, Jiang Xia is in danger. What should I do?"

    Jiang Qi sighed, "At this point, we can only ask Zhou Mu for help. If Zhou Mu is willing to send reinforcements, there may be a glimmer of hope to save Jiangxia."

    Huang Zu was stunned. He really didn't want to ask Liu Biao for help. After a while, he sighed and said, "Besides this, is there no other way?"

    Jiang Qi shook his head, "Even Liu Jing knew that Chaisang could no longer defend Chaisang, so he moved to Xiangzhi and Yangxin counties. Grand Administrator, Jiangdong Army's attack this time is unusual. I heard that Sun Quan personally led the army to go out. It can be said that he is bound to win.  Unless the prefect, like Liu Jing, abandons Jiangxia and evacuates to Nanjun and Xiangyang, he has no other choice but to ask for help. "

    Huang Zu stood blankly for a moment, and finally sighed, "That's fine! No matter what, I can only ask him for help."

    Huang Zu forced himself to calm down. He stared at the map for a moment, then turned back to his eldest son Huang She and said: "All the money and food are in Xiakou. I personally led an army of 15,000 to garrison Xiakou. You lead an army of 5,000 to garrison Wuchang. If you can defend it,  Just defend it. If you can't hold it, abandon Wuchang and withdraw to Xiakou by land. Our father and son's lives are at stake. If it doesn't work, we will withdraw to Nanjun."

    Huang Zu immediately wrote a letter and ordered it to be sent to Xiangyang immediately. He now placed all his hopes on Liu Biao's reinforcements.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the morning of the third day, Liu Jing led a group of soldiers on horseback to patrol the deserted city of Chaisang. After three days of emergency evacuation, all money, food and materials and more than 90% of the population were evacuated to Xiazhi County and Yangxin County. The entire Chaisang County  There are less than a thousand people in the city, and most of them are old people who are unwilling to leave their homes.

    The originally prosperous streets now became deserted, with shops closed, pubs closed, and only a few stray dogs looking for food on the streets.

    "Sima!"

    A soldier rushed over and reported breathlessly: "Mr. Tao sent someone to ask you to come and say that we have something to discuss."

    Liu Jing immediately turned his horse's head and ran towards Tao Mansion.

    Tao Lie thought about it for a whole day and finally decided to stay in Chaisang City. Although Sun Quan would probably force the Tao family to make the final choice, he could not just leave. At least under the current situation, he needed to give Sun Quan  One way to say it is that the Tao family will continue to support Jiang Dong.

    Most of the people in Tao Mansion were gone, leaving only Tao Lie and a few elderly family members. These five or six family members had followed Tao Lie for nearly forty years and were loyal. One family member led Liu Jing.  Walking towards the inner house, he muttered, "The mansion is too quiet. This is the first time I have encountered this kind of thing in my fifty-two years in Tao Mansion. Hey! I wonder when will everyone come back?"

    Liu Jing knew this old man, his name was Tao Fu. He became Tao Lie's schoolboy at the age of fourteen. He is sixty-six years old this year. His son is the steward of the Tao Mansion and led his family to Yangxin County.

    Liu Jing ignored his nagging and came to the small door of the inner house after a while. Tao Fu turned around and smiled at Liu Jing: "The master said that only Mr. Jing can go in alone, and the entourage can wait outside."

    Liu Jing turned around and ordered several followers, "You guys wait here, I'll be back soon."

    He followed his family into the inner house, and all the way to Tao Lie's bedroom, Tao Fu knocked on the door, "Master, he is here."

    "Come in!" Tao Lie's voice came from inside.

    Tao Fu opened the door and said, "Sir, please!"

    Liu Jing felt a little weird. The few times he saw Tao Lie, he was always in his study room, but today he came to Tao Lie's bedroom. What's going on?  He felt vaguely in his heart that if Tao Lie came to find him, there must be something big going on.

    Tao Fu did not come in and closed the door. The room seemed a little dark. Tao Lie's bedroom was very elegant and simple. There was only a bed and a box, and nothing else, but it was spotless.?? 

    Tao Lie was sitting cross-legged on the couch, looking at him with a smile. Liu Jing stepped forward, knelt down, and kowtowed respectfully, "Meet my grandfather!"

    He and Tao Zhan had an engagement, and Tao Zhan's grandfather was naturally his grandfather. Although Tao Zhan was not here at this time, Liu Jing still maintained his etiquette.

    "Good boy, there's no need to be too polite."

    Tao Lie smiled and waved his hand, asking Liu Jing to sit down. He said straight to the point: "I have been thinking about it for three days. Although I still have various concerns, I still decided to betroth Zhan'er to you. If you are willing to marry her,  if."

    Liu Jing immediately said respectfully: "Thank you, grandfather, for helping me. Liu Jing really wants to marry Jiuniang."

    Tao Lie considered it very realistically. This time Jiangdong's army was marching westward. If Liu Jing could persist to the end, he would definitely be the lord of Jiangxia. By marrying his granddaughter to him, the Tao family would be completely tied to him. As for Sun Quan  When Tao Lie went to Jiangdong last year, he had a clear understanding. It seemed that Sun Quan did not care about the interactions between the Tao family and Liu Jing, and Liu Jing was also willing to reconcile with Sun Quan. Then the Tao family might become a bridge between Liu Jing and Sun Quan.  .

    As for Liu Biao, Tao Lie no longer cares. The Tao family cannot cover everything. If he must offend someone in the end, then he would rather offend Liu Biao.

    Tao Lie smiled slightly and said, "Since we are related as grandparents and grandchildren, I want to tell you a big secret of the Tao family. Only Zhan'er's father and I know. I think you will be interested."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 174 The Secret of the Tao Family

    [This is a big chapter of nearly 5,000 words, please give me a vote!  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    Liu Jing sat quietly, waiting patiently for Tao Lie to continue. He was really interested in what big secret the Tao family, who was so rich, had. Could it be the secret of the Tao family's wealth?

    Tao Lie seemed to know what Liu Jing was thinking. He smiled, pointed at the big box in the corner of the room and said, "Go and move the box!"

    Liu Jing was puzzled. He stepped forward and held the box. Only then did he realize that it was a copper box. It was extremely heavy, weighing five or six hundred kilograms. He struggled with his arms and slowly moved the copper box. Below it was a copper box.  frame.

    Tao Lie clapped his hands and said with a smile: "Yes, it's really amazing. The box that only takes five people to move can be moved by the young master alone. It's not easy."

    He pointed to the shelf below and said, "Take the shelf away and give it a try!"

    The shelf was also made of copper. Liu Jing was mentally prepared. He grabbed the shelf and pulled it upward with all his strength. This pull had at least a thousand pounds of force, but the copper shelf did not move at all.

    Tao Lie laughed, "You can't pull this copper frame. If you destroy it by force, the secret below will be destroyed. Master, put the box back. Make sure the four corners are tightly closed."  "

    Liu Jing carefully put the copper box back. He had noticed that there were four convex points on the four corners of the copper shelf, which happened to align with the four concave points on the four corners of the box.

    At this time, Tao Lie smiled and said: "Open the box, find the double carp roulette wheel at the bottom of the box, and twist it."

    Liu Jing opened the box and found a double carp roulette wheel at the bottom of the box. He twisted it hard and heard a 'click' sound, and the box suddenly became an inch taller.

    It was only then that he noticed that the ground had lifted up an inch. It seemed that there was a secret passage under the copper box. The design was very delicate. The box had to be lifted down and then put back down to activate the switch in the box.

    Then the box was lifted open, and the copper frame could be easily removed, revealing an iron plate with a ring. At this time, Tao Lie appeared next to Liu Jing holding a candle.

    "Open the iron plate and wait for ventilation before going down." Tao Lie's expression became extremely serious.

    Liu Jing grabbed the iron ring and slowly opened the iron plate, revealing a dark hole underneath. When the stench dissipated, Tao Lie slowly walked down the tunnel with a candle in hand.

    The tunnel was very narrow, with only room for one person to walk, and the height was only six feet. Liu Jing had to bow his head and bow his head. He followed Tao Lie and walked forward slowly. Under the weak candlelight, the tunnel led straight ahead, which seemed to be a hundred steps away.  .

    Liu Jing thought carefully. He remembered that Tao Mansion was located in the northwest corner of Chaisang, close to the city wall. Could this be a secret passage leading outside the city?

    "Sir, you have thought of it, right?"

    Tao Lie stopped and smiled in front of him: "This is a big secret of the Tao family. There is a secret tunnel leading outside the city, which is ninety-nine steps long. Forty years ago, my father led 300 young men  It took the man two years to dig it. The Huzhai River is next door. If you forcibly destroyed the copper frame at that time, the water from the Huzhai River would flow in and the secret passage would be destroyed. "

    Liu Jing asked after a long while: "Where does this secret passage lead to outside the city?"

    "There is a river temple outside the west city, dedicated to the water god. This secret passage leads to the water god's seat. When the time comes, turn the water god's body and you can go out."

    Having said this, Tao Lie said again: "Sir, let's turn back! I'm old and can't walk anymore."

    Liu Jing turned around and came out of the secret passage with Tao Lie. Tao Lie sat on the ground and panted: "When Jiangdong's army besieged the city, it was difficult for my nephew to break out, so he went out through this secret passage and locked up the four sides.  After ten years, it finally works."

    Liu Jing was moved and stepped forward to hug Tao Lie tightly, "Thank you, grandfather, for telling me such an important secret of the Tao family. I, Liu Jing, will always bear in mind my grandfather's kindness."

    Tao Lie smiled kindly, and the more he laughed, the happier he became. Finally, he laughed heartily, all the wrinkles on his face relaxed, and he smiled as brightly as a child.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At noon, a rapid and harsh bell sounded from the top of the city, ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  The bells echoed over the empty Chaisang City. The soldiers rushed to the city. They saw a mighty fleet appearing on the river a few miles away, with as many as two thousand warships.  The sails cover the sky and the sun, making it a magnificent sight.

    Liu Jing stood on the east city wall, watching the main force of the Jiangdong Army from a distance. Yesterday, he received a letter from Sun Quan, urging him to surrender or abandon the city. But no matter which plan, he Liu Jing  There was no choice. Surrendering was absolutely impossible. Abandoning the city and leaving, although it would keep him safe for a while, would completely ruin his image and the people of Jingzhou would no longer trust him.

    He has no choice.

    "Sima, that's Sun Quan's ship!" A person saidthe soldier yelled, pointing to a particularly huge building ship.

    Liu Jing saw it. It was a three-thousand-stone building ship. The handsome flag was flying at the top of the mast. The big word "Sun" was particularly dazzling in the sun. He could even faintly see the people on the ship. A group of people stood on the bow.  , also looking towards the top of the city, Sun Quan should be among them.

    "bring it on!"

    Liu Jing silently said to herself, "Let's make this battle more tragic!"

    On the big ship, Sun Quan looked at Chaisang City several miles away with complicated eyes. This fortified city that should have been captured last year has always been flying the flag of Jingzhou. Under this fortified city, his army encountered  He suffered the humiliation of a disastrous defeat, and today, he will wash away the shame of last year.

    He also saw the dense crowd of soldiers on the top of the city. He was very interested, where was Liu Jing?  He never took the Liu family in Jingzhou seriously, and even looked down upon Liu Biao.

    But Liu Jing was the only one who looked at him differently. If seizing Jingzhou was not Jiangdong's national policy, he would really like to sit down and talk to Liu Jing about how the two sides could join forces to fight against Cao Jun?

    "Wu Hou, the vanguard has arrived at Chaisang!" A messenger came forward and bowed to report.

    Sun Quan nodded slowly, "Pass my order, order Ling Cao to lead an army of eight thousand to attack Chaisang!"

    Zhou Yu next to him was shocked and hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Marquis Wu, eight thousand people are attacking the city. The number is too small. It is best to have 20,000 people."

    Sun Quan put his hands behind his hands and said coldly: "The morale is low. Even 30,000 people can't attack Chaisang. It's spread that I, Sun Quan, am also a man who relies on numbers to win. He won without using force. Don't say more."

    Zhou Yu did not dare to persuade him any more, but Sun Quan ordered again: "I have ordered that the first one to attack Chaisang will be rewarded a thousand taels!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

    Huge war drums beat on the river, and large ships docked at Chaisang Pier. Groups of soldiers in bright armor swarmed out of the war ships and quickly gathered on the shore.

    Dozens of large ships carrying huge siege weapons also slowly sailed towards the dock. On the river, more than a thousand warships also began to gather on the river. They were moored quietly on the river, with masts like a forest, overwhelming the sky.

    The war came quickly, like an uninvited man who broke into other people's homes. Amidst the rhythmic chants, hundreds of ropes pulled a three-foot-high nest car slowly from the ship.  Driving slowly down, the bottom of the nest car is equipped with huge wooden wheels, and it walks slowly, like a huge monster.

    There are also siege ladders and countless siege ladders, which are also being slowly unloaded from the ship. Compared with the last time, Jiangdong is fully prepared this time. Eight thousand soldiers are ready in formation, divided into  Four square formations, with neat armor, forest of spears, and murderous intent.

    At this moment, the war drums on the top of the city also sounded. The rumble of war drums resounded throughout the city, inspiring the courage of every soldier. Trebuchets creaked open, loading huge rocks, and accumulating  Ready to go.

    Liu Jing stared at the 8,000 Jiangdong soldiers who had assembled in the distance. He knew that this was Sun Quan's pride and he was unwilling to attack the city with heavy troops. They were not even willing to disembark from the ship. Judging from their willingness, it seemed that they were ready to attack within an hour.  Get down the Chai Sang.

    But it was Sun Quan¡¯s pride that gave Chaisang¡¯s defenders a chance.

    At this time, the war drums of Jiangdong Army suddenly became louder. This was an order to attack. The leader, Ling Cao, pointed his sword at the top of the city and shouted: "Attack!"

    Eight thousand Jiangdong troops surged towards the city wall like a tide, mixed with ten monster-like nest carts and ten siege ladders. Each nest cart was pulled by thirty oxen and creaked towards the city wall.

    The open space to the north of Chaisang City was not wide, only two miles wide. Soon, the tide of Jiangdong's army entered within 400 steps. Liu Jing's eyes were fixed on the enemy group, and he resolutely issued the order, "Launch!"

    Twenty-five trebuchets were suddenly launched. The trebuchets were improved and used winches to generate power. In this way, forty people could control one trebuchet. There was a banging sound, and twenty-five large rocks weighing more than a hundred kilograms were thrown towards  In the sky, large rocks rolled in the air, drawing an arc, and with a harsh roar, they smashed into the enemy group with great speed.

    Jiangdong soldiers looked at the boulders rolling over their heads, and they all dodged, ¡®Boom!  ' With a loud bang, the two soldiers were smashed to pieces. The boulders covered with flesh and blood continued to roll, knocking over more than a dozen people in a row.

    Twenty-five boulders came one after another, and screams and wails resounded throughout the battlefield. Immediately afterwards, the second round of trebuchets was launched again, and the long arm swung out, throwing a boulder weighing 100 kilograms into the air.

    Dozens of boulders rotated in the air, roaring and smashing into the dense crowd, ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ The huge boulder fell down and rolled among the crowd, and red dust rose into the sky. More than a dozen people were smashed to pieces, and it was too horrible to see.Three huge rocks smashed into the crowd, causing screams one after another.

    In the sky, huge boulders were tumbling, roaring and hitting the ground. In a short period of time, the trebuchet launched four rounds, and more than a hundred boulders hit the enemy group, causing more than a thousand casualties, but the Jiangdong Army did not.  Without stopping, they rushed within a hundred steps of bow and arrow range.

    Thousands of defenders at the top of the city fired arrows at the same time. The arrows were like a torrential rain, and they shot at the rushing Jiangdong army. The Jiangdong army raised their shields to meet them. Three thousand crossbowmen fired arrows at the top of the city at the same time. A team quickly formed up and down the city.  Zhangjian.com.

    Soon, the defenders on the top of the city were suppressed. The storm of arrows made it impossible for the defenders to get close to the battlements. Soldiers were constantly hit by arrows and fell from the top of the city screaming.

    Jiangdong's army quickly laid wooden planks on the moat. The wooden planks were two inches thick, two feet long and five feet wide. There were huge iron nails at both ends. If they were hit with a wooden hammer, they could be firmly nailed to the ground. This was for  Siege ladders and nest carts were prepared.

    Ling Cao stared at the city. Although his army suffered heavy casualties, he remained unmoved. At this time, a tooth general stepped forward and whispered: "Lieutenant, although the terrain at the east city is too dangerous to attack the city,  But the south and west walls can be attacked, and there are almost no defenders on the walls. Why do we only attack the north walls?"

    Ling Cao shook his head, "You don't understand what Wu Hou means. Wu Hou is not just trying to capture the city. He wants to defeat Liu Jing, defeat Liu Jing, and use a bloody victory to boost morale."

    Ling Cao shouted: "Push up the ladders and chariots and start attacking the city!"

    Ten ladders and ten nest carts began to slowly approach the top of the city. At this time, the trebuchets on the top of the city were still firing, but their targets had turned to the ladders and nest carts.

    The long arms were thrown out one after another, and dozens of boulders smashed into the slowly approaching behemoth.

    ¡®Click!  ¡¯ A ladder was hit, and the ladder broke into several pieces. More than a dozen people who were clinging to the ladder fell off one after another.

    ¡®Boom!  ' With a loud noise, a nest car was also hit by a huge boulder. Wood chips flew everywhere, the giant tree collapsed, and dozens of soldiers on the nest car fell down screaming.

    The tall nest car is a weapon for siege. The length and width of the nest car are two feet each, and the height is three feet. It is made of giant wood and covered with cowhide. The structure is very simple. The nest car is hollow, with stairs leading to the top. The top is a wooden platform, standing on it.  It was filled with forty or fifty Jiangdong soldiers. The front end of the platform was a thick wooden board covered with cowhide, which could resist the Sui army's bows and arrows.

    There are four wooden wheels underneath, dragged by thirty oxen, and pushed by hundreds of soldiers on the left, right and rear.

    This kind of nest car is higher than the city wall. Soldiers can stand on the nest car and shoot arrows at the top of the city. At the same time, when it is against the city wall, it can also send soldiers to the top of the city, which is sharper than the ladder.

    ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ Another nest cart was hit at the bottom, and a wooden wheel came out. The nest cart suddenly tilted, swayed, and gradually lost its center of gravity. The soldiers on both sides ran away shouting. In the midst of the shouts, the nest cart collapsed.

    The Jiangdong army's offensive was like a tidal wave. The huge rocks they took turns were like waves splashing in the ocean, and they were instantly submerged by the crowd. As the siege ladders and nest vehicles approached the city wall, the enemy army like a frenzy finally began to attack the city.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the Wende Hall of Xiangyang Prefecture, dozens of senior civil and military officials from Jingzhou were sitting on both sides of the hall, all with serious expressions. The entire hall was filled with a tense and depressing atmosphere.

    The large-scale westward advance of Jiangdong Army brought unprecedented pressure to Jingzhou. At the same time, Cao Jun also increased the garrison in Nanyang, and the number of troops increased to 30,000 again, eyeing Xinye and Nanyang to suppress it.

    In the lobby, Cai Mao was reading Huang Zu's letter for help aloud, "Jiangxia has a small army and few generals, and no food or grass. Although Zu has the heart to fight to the death against Jiangdong, there is a huge disparity in strength. In addition, Master Jing has abandoned Chaisang."  Fleeing west, Jiangxia is in danger. Please send reinforcements quickly to save Jiangxia. £®

    There was silence in the lobby, Liu's face was as heavy as water, and his eyes were unpredictable, but everyone could feel the unconcealable worry in his heart.

    At this time, Kuai Yue stood up and said: "I need to correct something here. Master Jing did not abandon Chaisang and fled westward. He just moved Chaisang's soldiers, civilians and food supplies. He was unwilling to support the Jiangdong army. However, he himself led two  Thousands of soldiers defend Chaisang."

    Cai Mao sneered, "The Jiangdong army is pressing down on the border, and Chaisang is in danger. It is reasonable for Young Master Jing to abandon the city and leave. However, Kuai joined the army and said that he led his army to fight Chaisang to death. How could he know this?"

    Kuai Yue retorted and asked: "Last year, Master Jing led an old and weak army to fight against the 20,000 tigers and wolves from Jiangdong. He still refused to abandon the city. This time, Master Jing wrote a letter and made it clear that he would never let Jiangdong's army easily occupy Chaisang. He was willing to lead the army to Chaisang."  Two thousand troops defended Chaisang and severely attacked Jiangdong's arrogance. I believe that Commander Cai also saw this letter. Why are you still so suspicious? "

    &nbsp"This is what Huang Zu said!"

    "Hmph! Everyone in the world knows that Huang Zu hates Young Master Jing. How can we believe his words?"

    The two were arguing. At this time, Liu Biao shouted impatiently: "Okay! Stop arguing."

    Cai Mao and Kuai Yue stopped arguing and bowed and sat down. Liu Biao then said slowly: "Whether Liu Jing resisted or not will be known later. There is no need to argue here. The question now is how can we assist Jiang Xia?"  , how many troops are appropriate? Let¡¯s discuss this issue!¡±

    After a while, Liu Xian stood up and said, "Report to Zhou Mu, Cao's army has just been defeated in Xinye. Although it has increased its troops in Nanyang, it may not invade south again. Therefore, we only need to maintain an appropriate amount of two to thirty thousand troops on the front line of Fancheng.  But Jiangxia is in danger, and I suggest that we send troops from two directions to support Jiangxia."

    Liu Xian¡¯s suggestion was quite attractive, and Liu Biao immediately asked, ¡°Excuse me, which two routes should we send troops to?¡±

    Liu Xian smiled and said to everyone: "One way is the main force, and we can send 20,000 troops to rescue Xiakou along the Han River. The other way is the auxiliary troops, that is, Huang Zhong's army in Changsha County, which can go north to rescue Chaisang, and 26,000 troops."  With thousands of reinforcements, plus Jiangxia and Chaisang's own armies, as long as they are commanded properly, I believe that Jiangdong Army can be defeated and Jiangxia can be saved."

    Liu Xian's suggestion aroused a discussion in the hall. Liu Biao stood up and said resolutely: "It's decided. Jiangxia must be rescued. I wonder which general is willing to lead troops to rescue Jiangxia?"

    Wenpin immediately stood up and said: "I am willing to share the worries of the state pastor!"

    Cai Mao also stood up and said: "Zhou Mu, let me go this time!"

    Liu Biao looked at Wenpin, then at Cai Hao, and finally nodded to Cai Hao, "Commander Cai, I'll leave it to you this time."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 175: Bloody Battle Breakthrough

    The fierce battle at the top of Chaisang City has reached dusk. Six chariots and three ladders have leaned against the city wall one after another. The huge wooden board in front of the platform at the top of the chariot fell down and built up to the top of the city, forming an aerial bridge.

    Dozens of Jiangdong soldiers brandished swords and spears and rushed towards the city. Behind them, Jiangdong troops climbing up the stairs were emerging in a steady stream.

    The Chaisang defenders used stone cannons to destroy all the ladders, but they were somewhat helpless against the nest carts. The nest carts were wrapped in rawhide and were not afraid of rockets. They could not be destroyed with stone cannons. The six nest carts were close to the city wall, forming a  There were six passages along which countless Jiangdong troops swarmed to the top of the city.

    "Hold the city and drive away the enemy!"

    Liu Jing shouted loudly, and he led two thousand Chaisang defenders to rush forward bravely, and started a fierce bloody battle with Jiangdong's army at the top of the city. There were many corpses and bones, and the city was stained with blood. Liu Jing was surrounded by more than 20 Jiangdong soldiers.  He was not afraid, his halberd flew up and down, and he pierced the throats of more than a dozen people in a row. Seeing his extraordinary bravery, the other Jiangdong soldiers screamed in fright, turned around and fled.

    At this time, a soldier shouted: "Sima, there is a sneak attack from behind!"

    Liu Jing glanced back from the corner of his eye. Only an eight-foot-three-tall Jiangdong Army officer held a sword in his hand and rushed to the battlement behind him. He suddenly rushed towards him and slashed the back of his neck with his sword.

    Liu Jing shouted loudly, and stabbed his halberd backwards like lightning. The tip of the halberd penetrated the attacker's chin and pierced the head. The bloody halberd tip came out from the Tianling Gai. Liu Jing swung the corpse away violently.  Five or six Jiangdong soldiers were knocked over.

    He roared again and charged into the enemy group in Chaocha, like a tiger and a flock of sheep, and like the reincarnation of the God of Killing. He killed Jiangdong soldiers crying and screaming, and there were many corpses lying at his feet, with blood and flesh everywhere.  Flying away, the other soldiers were frightened by his murderous intent and were so frightened that they rolled and crawled away from the nest car.

    At this time, dozens of defenders hooked the chariot with iron hooks and ropes, and pulled hard from the side. The chariot began to tilt, gradually lost its center of gravity, and collapsed!

    The Chaisang defenders finally found a way to deal with the nest carts, and their morale was immediately high. They followed the same method, first concentrating their forces to suppress the enemy troops in the nest carts, and then using long iron hook ropes to pull them from the side, causing the nest carts to overturn one after another.

    At this time, ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  ' At the sound of the withdrawal bell, Jiangdong's army finally withdrew like a tide.

    After an afternoon of fierce fighting, the city was littered with dead bodies, and both sides suffered heavy casualties. The Chaisang defenders suffered nearly 500 casualties, while the Jiangdong Army also suffered more than 3,000 casualties, most of which were killed and injured by boulders.

    "Ling Cao, who is humble in his position, was unfavorable in the first battle and suffered heavy losses. I apologize to the Marquis of Wu!"

    On the big ship, Ling Cao was naked and kneeling in front of Sun Quan. Sun Quan's face was as sinking as water, his eyes flashed with anger, and he said hatefully: "The opponent only has two thousand people, but you have more than eight thousand people. Not only can't you take the city, but you also lose money."  It¡¯s tragic, how can you explain it to me?¡±

    Ling Cao lowered his head in shame. He couldn't explain it, and he didn't have the face to explain it anymore. At this time, Zhou Yu advised from the side: "Wu Hou, the key is that the opponent's trebuchet is too sharp. Most of the soldiers were injured by the trebuchet.  In fact, the fierce battle in the city only resulted in more than a thousand casualties. As long as we effectively prevent the trebuchets when we attack again, it will be easy to capture Chaisang City. "

    Sun Quan nodded and asked, "What can Gong Jin do?"

    Zhou Yu looked up at the sky and saw that the sky was covered with dark clouds. He smiled slightly and said, "There will definitely be no starlight and moonlight tonight. We can abandon the use of chariots and ladders and directly use light siege ladders to lurk under the cover of night."  Under the city, by the time the defenders discovered it, it was already too late!¡±

    Ling Cao couldn't help but said: "In fact, the opponent's defenders are not enough. We can attack Nancheng and Xicheng at the same time, attack from three sides, and capture Chaisang easily."

    At the prior combat meeting, Xu Sheng also proposed this three-sided attack plan, but it was rejected by Sun Quan. In Sun Quan's view, capturing Chaisang was not a problem at all. The key was that he wanted to capture Chaisang through a bloody battle, thereby inspiring Jiangdong.  He was very confident about the morale of the army and believed that Ling Cao's eight thousand troops would be able to capture Chaisang before dark.

    Unexpectedly, the desperate resistance of Chaisang's defenders made his plan come to nothing. Now that Ling Cao proposed this plan again, Sun Quan was no longer so insistent. He looked tentatively at Zhou Yu, hoping that Zhou Yu could help him.  Make up your mind.

    Zhou Yu thought for a while and smiled: "It is not difficult to capture Chaisang. I suggest that we should attack mainly from the north. We can bluff the west. I estimate that Liu Jing will definitely break out from the south city by then. The lord can ambush two men outside the south city."  With a heavy army, Liu Jing can be captured in one battle."

    Sun Quan nodded and praised: "As expected of Gong Jin, he has left no trace behind!"

    He immediately ordered: "Where are Xu Sheng and Pan Zhang?"

    "The general is here!" Xu Sheng and Pan Zhang stepped forward together and saluted with clasped fists.

    Sun Quan¡¯s adviceThe two said: "Tonight Liu Jing will evacuate from Nancheng. You two can each lead 4,000 men and set up two ambushes. Even if Liu Jing can kill the first ambush, he will not be able to kill the second. Capture Liu Jing alive. I remember."  Great job you two!"

    The two of them were overjoyed and clasped their fists together and said, "Yes!"

    Sun Quan walked to the side of the ship with his hands behind his hands, looked at Chaisang City with squinted eyes, and said to himself: "Liu Jing, I will set up a dragnet tonight, let me see where you are going to escape?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Night is gradually falling. The weather is gloomy tonight, with thick clouds covering the stars and moonlight, making the night extremely dark. Standing on the top of the city, you can't see the outside of the city more than ten steps away. This is a very favorable situation.  The night of the sneak attack.

    On the corridor to the upper city, teams of soldiers rushed forward carrying loads of hay and firewood, as well as sulfur and other flammable materials. In less than half an hour, thousands of loads of firewood were spread all over the city.  Covered the entire northern city.

    Under the city, several military doctors were bandaging the wounds of more than a hundred wounded soldiers. Liu Jing comforted the wounded soldiers one by one: "No need, everyone. I will not leave you behind under any circumstances. There are still more than a hundred war horses in the city. You can ride them."  "Come on, our seriously injured brothers will be taken care of by special personnel. Please hold on, as long as we break out of the siege, there will be warships on the riverside to meet us."

    The wounded soldiers were so moved that they knelt down and cried: "Meng Sima will not abandon us. When the injuries get better, we are willing to continue serving Sima!"

    Liu Jing comforted them a few more words. At this time, a military prince rushed to report: "For your information, Sima, the firewood has been arranged!"

    Liu Jing nodded, "Order the soldiers to go down to the city to rest, eat their stomachs, and prepare to break out!"

    Outside the North City, Ling Cao led more than 5,000 people, carrying dozens of siege ladders, and silently moved closer to the city wall. The dark night covered Jiangdong's soldiers. There was no movement on the city top, and it was obvious that Jiangdong's army was not approaching.

    The first thousand or so soldiers had already crossed the moat and were clinging to the city wall. Everything was ready and waiting for the order to attack. At this moment, a cry of killing suddenly broke out outside the west city, followed by the rumble of war drums.  The sound was earth-shattering, and alarm bells rang loudly on the city top.

    I just heard someone shouting from the top of the city: "Go to Xicheng to defend it, Jiangdong Army is going to attack Xicheng!"

    Ling Cao was secretly happy when there were footsteps running towards the west city. He suddenly shouted, "Do it!"

    More than twenty siege ladders were erected almost at the same time and set up on the top of the city. More than a thousand soldiers rushed to climb to the top of the city. More than 4,000 soldiers behind them swarmed up. The shouts of killing suddenly broke out. In the darkness, Jiangdong soldiers crossed over one after another.  The moat carried countless siege ladders and rushed towards the north city head.

    At this moment, several rockets were fired from inside the city to the top of the city. Soon the firewood was ignited. Taking advantage of the wind, the fire began to burn quickly and billowing smoke.

    The first batch of more than a thousand people had already rushed to the top of the city, but they did not see a single defender. Instead, they saw firewood covering the top of the city, and the fire burned rapidly on the firewood.

    Some soldiers began to react and climbed down the ladder one after another. Many were pushed down from the city in a panic. Long screams were heard. Ling Cao didn't know what had happened. He was so anxious that he grabbed one of them by the collar and shouted.  Said: "What happened up there?"

    "Report to the captain, there is an ambush above, it's all firewood, and the fire is burning!"

    Ling Cao was shocked and quickly ordered: "Stop attacking! Stop attacking!"

    But his shouts were drowned out by the shouts of the soldiers, and no one could hear them. The soldiers in front fled down the city one after another, but the people behind did not know what happened. A large number of soldiers continued to climb towards the top of the city, but soon  There was chaos, the city was on fire, the flames were raging, and the smoke was thick, making it impossible to go up to the city.

    At this moment, the North City Gate suddenly opened wide and the suspension bridge fell. Liu Jing took the lead and led 1,500 to 1,500 people to fight out of Chaisang City. Hundreds of people were caught off guard and were killed, crying and fleeing in all directions.

    Although the chaos outside the North City was a good opportunity to kill the enemy, Liu Jing was not willing to fight. He led his troops to run diagonally for two miles, quickly rushed into a dense forest, and ran towards the northwest.

    Sun Quan stood on the big ship and stared at the flames soaring above Beicheng. His brows furrowed. This was obviously because they had not expected that Liu Jing was ambushing him.

    Just then, a small boat came, and a soldier on the boat shouted: "Marquis Wu!"

    Sun Quan looked over the side of the ship and asked, "What happened?"

    "Reporting to the Marquis of Wu, the enemy has been prepared. The north wall has been covered with firewood. The fire has been lit and we cannot attack the city!"

    Sun Quan cursed secretly in his heart and asked again: "Can Liu Jing break through?"

    "They opened the north city gate, took advantage of the chaos to fight their way out of the city, and fled northwest."

    "SurprisinglyIt's the North City Gate!  "

    Sun Quan and everyone on the boat looked at each other, dumbfounded. No one could have imagined that Liu Jing would risk his life and survive. Instead of taking the south gate, he took the north gate to escape.

    Although taking the North Gate was extremely risky, Liu Jing successfully created chaos and took advantage of the enemy's chaos to break out of the siege.

    Sun Quan couldn't help but look back at Zhou Yu, and saw that Zhou Yu's face was pale, his fists were clenched tightly, and there was a look of shame in his eyes. He obviously lost to Liu Jing in predicting the enemy.

    At this time, General Lu Meng stepped forward and saluted: "I would like to report to the Marquis of Wu that Liu Jing is fleeing to the northwest. There must be someone on the river to support him. I am willing to lead a fleet to catch up with Liu Jing."

    Zhou Yu also stepped forward and clasped his fists to admonish, "Marquis Wu, if Liu Jing is not eradicated early, he will become a trouble in the future. My subordinates are willing to lead troops to wipe out Xiazhi County and Yangxin County, and bring Liu Jing's head to see him."

    A trace of love for talents surged in Sun Quan's heart. He shook his head and sighed: "This man is always unexpected, wise and brave. He is a rare talent in Jingzhou. There is no need to chase him. He ordered Ling Cao to put out the fire, and the rest of the army entered the city to rest.  "Tomorrow, follow me to the north to attack Wuchang. We will eradicate Huang Zu first and then deal with Liu Jing later."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 176: When will I take office?

    There was no need to deliberately fight the fire. After the firewood burned out, it would naturally go out. Half an hour later, tens of thousands of Jiangdong troops marched into Chaisang City. What greeted them was an empty city.

    Although Sun Quan had received the news in advance that Liu Jing had transferred a large amount of Chaisang's materials and people, and he was mentally prepared, when he faced the empty city with almost nothing, the uncontrollable dissatisfaction and loss still made him extremely angry.  .

    "Search the whole city for me, and bring everyone who has not left to see me!"

    Not long after, hundreds of old, weak, sick and disabled Chaisang people were driven by soldiers and came to Sun Quan. They knelt all over the ground. Sun Quan glanced at these timid old and weak people and asked angrily: "Chaisang clan?  No one? "

    ¡°Marquis Wu, I¡¯m here!¡±

    When Sun Quan turned around, he saw several soldiers escorting the stumbling Tao Lie. Last year, Tao Lie was Sun Quan's honored guest, but today he became a prisoner of Jiangdong Army. Sun Quan stepped forward and asked coldly: "You  Why don't you leave?"

    Tao Lie knelt down and saluted, saying: "The common people have received the kindness of Marquis Wu. When Marquis Wu comes, the common people will naturally stay to welcome Marquis Wu."

    "Hmph! The Tao family has all fled, so what's the use of you staying?"

    "To inform the Marquis of Wu, the Tao family is just trying to escape the war. They are old and do not want to regret their death. They are willing to be dealt with by the Marquis of Wu!"

    In fact, Sun Quan also knew that the Tao family was in a dilemma between Jingzhou and Jiangdong, so as long as the Tao family could pay taxes and benefit Jiangdong, he would not embarrass the Tao family. However, this time, he did not want the Tao family to waver anymore.  Thinking of this, he asked coldly: "This time the Jiangdong Army captures Jiangxia, how will the Tao family choose?"

    Tao Lie secretly sighed in his heart, Liu Jing was right, Sun Quan no longer gave the Tao family a chance to sway, he could only say tremblingly: "Return to the Marquis of Wu, if Jiangdong Army captures Jiangxia, the Tao family will not do business in Xiangyang  Whatever!"

    This answer made Sun Quan very satisfied. He smiled slightly and said: "In that case, I will wait and see. I will temporarily stay in Tao Mansion tonight to disturb the old master for one night."

    Sun Quan immediately ordered: "Let these people go, and order the soldiers to find a house to rest, and not to destroy the people's houses."

    The order was issued, and groups of soldiers rushed to every corner of Chaisang City. Sun Quan, escorted by hundreds of soldiers, went to Tao Mansion and rested for the night in Tao Mansion. At dawn the next day, Sun Quan ordered Lu Meng to lead 3,000 people to guard Chaisang.  He personally led tens of thousands of Jiangdong troops to set sail again by boat, and thousands of warships headed towards Wuchang in a mighty manner.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Part of Xiazhi County is closely along the Yangtze River, but the county seat is still more than 20 miles away from the Yangtze River. It is located on the bank of Fushui River, a small tributary. Continue westward along Fushui, and walk more than a hundred miles to reach Yangxin County, another large inland county.

    At present, these two counties are under Liu Jing¡¯s control. This time, Chaisang¡¯s army and civilians retreated westward on a large scale to these two counties.

    Liu Jing led more than a thousand soldiers and returned to Xiazhi County early the next morning after being received by the fleet.

    One hundred hundred-stone warships sailed quietly on the rich water, and each ship was full of soldiers. Many soldiers took a nap during the night, but in the early morning, everyone's face still couldn't hide their tiredness.  Talking, extremely quiet.

    The fierce battle yesterday afternoon still seems to be echoing in everyone's ears. It takes many days to recover from the exhaustion after the battle.

    Liu Jing was sitting on the first boat. He was leaning against the wall of the boat. Like the other soldiers, he was also closing his eyes and concentrating. At this time, a soldier pushed him gently and said, "Sima, Xiazhi County is here!"

    Liu Jing cheered up. After all, he was not a soldier. After the battle, the soldier no longer thought about anything and just rested. But Liu Jing could not. There were too many things for him to consider.

    He stood up and looked toward the river. His eyes gradually crossed a low hill, and the town of Xiazhi County appeared in front of him.

    Compared with Chaisang County, Xiazhi County looks much smaller and shabby. The city wall is less than two feet high, has no moat, and is only more than ten miles in circumference. It stands alone in a low hill.

    At this time, Liu Jing laughed. He saw Xu Shu and a dozen officials standing on the shore, smiling to welcome the return of these warriors.

    But Liu Jing unexpectedly saw Yi Ji among the welcoming officials. He was a little surprised and asked, 'Why is he here?  ¡¯

    The ship slowly docked, Liu Jing got off the ship, and hugged Xu Shu tightly. This was not etiquette, but a kind of excitement after waiting for life and death. Without any unnecessary words, a tight hug was enough to express their inner emotions.  .

    Liu Jing smiled again and hugged every official to celebrate his safe return.

    At this time, Liu Jing walked up to Yi Ji. Before Liu Jing could open his arms, Yi Ji quickly bowed and saluted, "I'll spare it. Yi Ji meets Mr. Jing!"Seeing his rather embarrassed expression, everyone couldn't help laughing. Liu Jing smiled, and then he said to Xu Shu: "Let the brothers rest! There are still injured brothers, and we will find a doctor to give them careful treatment."

    "Yes!" Xu Shu led the officials to make arrangements in a hurry.

    Liu Jing and Yi Ji walked slowly along the river. Yi Ji sighed and said, "This time I came to Chaisang on the orders of Zhou Mu. I want to talk to you about the issue of paying money and food to the army.  Last year, the Tao family originally had tens of thousands of shi of grain and 30 million yuan of money to give to Xiangyang, but the Tao family did not pay. This was the first time in more than ten years. This made Zhou Mu very angry. Last month, Zhou Mu ordered you to punish him severely.  Tao family, but you didn't obey the order, which made Zhou Mu also dissatisfied. There are not many farmers in Jingzhou, and Jingzhou can't support so many troops."

    Liu Jing was a little tired after going through a big battle. He didn¡¯t want to listen to these roundabout words anymore, so he waved his hand and interrupted him, "Mr. Yi, if you have anything to say, just say it!"

    Yi Ji smiled awkwardly and said, "Zhou Mu hopes to resolve this matter decently, and doesn't want you to get into trouble because of the Tao family. He offered two options. The first is that the Tao family will still pay tribute to Xiangyang.  At the same time, the money and food for the Chaisang garrison will still be borne by the Xiangyang Prefectural Government. Secondly, the money and food from the Tao family will be directly used as supplies for the Chaisang garrison. What I mean is that the prefecture will no longer pay money and food to Chaisang. "

    This is the so-called solution to the Tao family's problems decently. Liu Jing sneered in his heart and deducted the supplies of Chai Sang's army in exchange. The Tao family's money and food were originally extra income and expenditure. Liu Biao's move was equivalent to no longer paying for Chai Sang's army.  He had a good plan for the military expenses of the garrison.

    After pondering for a moment, Liu Jing asked: "I wonder which one Zhou Mu prefers?"

    ¡°Zhou Mu said it¡¯s best to be the first one, so that everyone looks good.¡±

    Liu Jing shook his head, "If I really had to choose, I would choose the second option. You must know that the money and food coming from Xiangyang will be seized by Huang Zu, and I can't actually get it. The second option is more realistic."

    Yi Ji sighed lowly. The second point was actually that Chai Sang was out of Xiangyang's control. Zhou Mu was extremely reluctant to see the second point come true, but the reality was that Zhou Mu had nothing to do.

    At this time, Liu Jing changed the subject and said with a smile: "Tell me about the situation of brothers Liu Qi and Liu Cong! How are they doing now?"

    Liu Qi and Liu Cong got married last fall. Liu Qi married Kuai Liang's daughter, while Liu Cong married Cai Shaoyu. It is said that the two parties were very grand, but Liu Jing did not attend.

    The topic became more relaxed, and Yi Ji also had a smile on his face, "The two of them fought openly and secretly for the position of the heir, and they were a bit unscrupulous. There were rumors that Mr. Cong and the daughter of the Cai family had been married for a year, but they did not consummate the marriage, which angered the Cai family.  , Zhou Mu also apologized to Military Advisor Cai.

    Someone else complained to Zhou Mu, saying that Mr. Qi indulged in drinking and sex in Jiangling. Zhou Mu secretly sent people to Nanjun to investigate, and it was indeed true. Mr. Qi had a close relationship with a group of scribes, and they often hung out together, drinking and sleeping with prostitutes. Zhou Mu was furious.  , ordered people to go to Nanjun and whip Mr. Qi twenty times. In this round, everyone thought Mr. Qi lost.  "

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and asked again: "I wonder which young master Mr. Yi supports?"

    Yi Ji snorted coldly, "To be honest, I don't support either of these two young masters. One is narrow-minded, stupid and incompetent, and talks good things about the Cai family all day long. If he is the lord of Jingzhou, in fact, the Cai family is the lord of Jingzhou.  , the other one is slightly better, but he is greedy for wine and lust, has no need for talents, and has a cowardly character, which is easy to be controlled by others and cannot achieve great things. No matter who among them becomes the lord of Jingzhou, it will be a big disaster for Jingzhou. "

    "What are Mr. Yi's plans?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    "I?"

    Yi Ji was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said sadly: "To be honest, I don't know, just take it one day at a time!"

    The two of them walked a few more steps, and Liu Jing smiled and said, "Why don't I recommend a position to Mr. Yi?"

    Yi Ji is a smart man. He already understood what Liu Jing meant. Liu Jing turned the topic of the two young masters' incompetence to himself step by step. In fact, what he wanted to say was himself.

    Yi Ji lowered his head and thought for a moment, then asked, "I wonder what position you want to recommend to me?"

    "I recommend Mr. Yi to be the governor of Jiangxia County."

    Yi Ji was shocked. Of course he understood the deep meaning of Liu Jing's words. Liu Jing's goal was to capture Jiangxia County. In the future, he would be the governor of Jiangxia County, but he appointed himself as the chief history officer. This was the second highest position after the county magistrate.  As a senior civil official, this shows that Liu Jing attaches great importance to him, which makes him grateful.

    It¡¯s just that Jiangxia County is still in Huang Zu¡¯s hands. He looked at Liu Jing in confusion. How should this long history be appointed?

    Liu Jing understood the dissatisfaction in his eyes??, smiled lightly and said: "The long history is something that will happen in the future. Now I have to wrong Mr. Yi to serve as the magistrate of Xiaji County."

    Only then did Yi Ji understand what Liu Jing meant. He thought for a while and said with a smile: "In that case, I will go back and report to the governor, and ask the governor to agree to let me be the magistrate of Xiazhi County. I think the problem is not big, and then I will choose an auspicious day."  Come and take office, what do you think?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "It's been too long, I can't wait any longer."

    Yi Ji was a little confused. These were inevitable procedures. How could he serve as the magistrate of Xiaji County without being appointed by the state pastor? He glanced at Liu Jing and couldn't help asking: "When does that young master want me to take office?"  ?¡±

    Liu Jing stopped, the smile on his face disappeared and turned serious. He looked at Yi Ji and said slowly: "I will take office today!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 177, Local Products of Xiazhi County

    [I always have to add an update on weekends. I would be embarrassed if I didn¡¯t.  ¡¿

    ??¡ª¡ª

    The county magistrate of Xiazhi County was originally a member of Huang Zu's clan. After Xiazhi County was handed over to Liu Jing, Huang County Magistrate was transferred back to Wuchang. Now the entire county affairs are under the responsibility of the county magistrate. The county magistrate's surname is Mao and Chaisang.  The man is about forty years old and has a very ordinary appearance, the kind of ordinary appearance that is hard to find in a crowd.

    However, the Prime Minister of Maoxian County is also smart and capable. This time when the people of Chaisang moved westward, he put in a lot of effort, devoted all his energy and energy.

    At noon, Liu Jing rode on horseback, accompanied by Mao Xiancheng, to inspect the situation in Xiaji County.

    "Reporting to Sima, our Xiazhi County is a small county. The county has a population of only more than a thousand households and five to six thousand people. The county is small. With the influx of people from Chaisang this time, the county's population has suddenly increased to 15,000.  It¡¯s the limit.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded. He also saw that the small county town was full of immigrants, and the houses of the aboriginal people had been expropriated. Almost one family lived in one room, making the small county town overcrowded. There were shouts and curses everywhere.  The sound of people crying and the crying of children filled the whole county with a disgusting stench.  "

    Liu Jing frowned and turned back to Mao County Prime Minister: "This is not possible. The county is in chaos and diseases are easy to spread. Once the plague breaks out, disaster will be imminent, and measures must be taken immediately."

    Yi Ji next to him said: "Sima is right. We must strictly prevent epidemic diseases. You can use lime to eliminate the poison. In addition, once someone gets sick, they must be isolated immediately."

    As a high-ranking official from Xiangyang, he was also the county magistrate just appointed by Mr. Jing. Prime Minister Mao did not dare to defend himself, so he only agreed.

    Liu Jing glanced at Yi Ji with satisfaction, and then said to the two of them: "If you are short of manpower, you can ask the garrison outside the city for assistance. Just say it is my order and ask Wang Tai to dispatch hundreds of soldiers to assist you."

    Mao County Magistrate was overjoyed. He was worried about the lack of manpower. Since there are soldiers to help, the matter can be done. He quickly said: "Then let's arrange the humble post now?"

    Liu Jing glanced at Yi Ji again. Yi Ji felt very helpless. He could be said to have been forcibly appointed as the magistrate of Xiazhi County. On the one hand, he felt it was a bit ridiculous. He was obviously the envoy of Zhou Mu without the consent of Zhou Mu.  , became the county magistrate in Jiangxia, which did not comply with the official appointment process.

    But on the other hand, he himself was a little tempted. Seeing that both Liu Qi and Liu Cong were unreliable people, and he was not from the Jingzhou gentry, but was just a fellow villager of Zhoumu. He had no background and no backing. His future would be  Where again?

    Liu Jing's regard for him made him see a glimmer of hope. Maybe he would have a future by following Liu Jing, so he was very conflicted in his heart. Like a bride who wanted to marry a man but felt that the etiquette was not enough, she went in coquettishly and aggrieved.  The bridal chamber was appointed as the magistrate of Xiaji County.

    Yi Ji understood what Liu Jing meant when he looked at him. He sighed in his heart and had no choice but to step into the role of the county magistrate and bow down and salute, "I'll make arrangements with Mao Xian Cheng for my humble post!"

    "I'll go to the military camp with you!"

    Liu Jing had nothing to do for the time being, so he took Yi Ji and Mao County Prime Minister to the military camp outside the city. The military camp was stationed outside the North City. There were two thousand soldiers, led by Wei Yan and Wang Tai, while Liu Hu and Liao Hua were stationed.  In Yangxin County, Gan Ning patrolled the Yangtze River to monitor the actions of Jiangdong Army.

    Since Liu Jing was temporarily staying in Xiaji County, Xu Shu rushed to Yangxin County early in the morning. Yangxin County had a larger population and money, food and materials were concentrated there. Liu Jing ordered Xu Shu to be fully responsible for the military and political affairs of Yangxin County.

    As soon as they arrived in front of the military camp, Wei Yan and Wang Tai came out after hearing the news. They knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See Sima!"

    "Two generals, please rise. I have something to trouble you."

    Liu Jing led everyone to the big tent. He sat down and told Wei Yan and Wang Tai the situation. It was natural to send troops to assist the local government, but Wei Yan was more careful and asked: "This will require a lot of lime.  Is there so much lime in Xiaji County?¡±

    Liu Jing didn't know much about the situation in Xiazhi County either. He looked at Mao Xian Cheng, who smiled and said: "General Wei doesn't know something. The biggest specialty of Xiazhi County is the 'two stones', one of which is lime.  The Qizi Mountain area in the west of the city is rich in limestone, and many businessmen hire people to mine it every year. There is ready-made limestone in the warehouse over there, and it can be used directly by ship. "

    Wang Tai smiled at the side and said: "This is easy to handle. I know Qizishan. Without further delay, I will immediately take five hundred soldiers to move the boat."

    At this time, Liu Jing asked curiously: "I wonder what the other of the 'two stones' is?"

    "Reporting back to Sima, it is a black and very viscous substance that can burn and has a pungent smell, but we usually use it to treat diseases. The locals call it carbolic oil, and some people even use it to light lamps."

    Liu Jing was stunned, isn¡¯t this oil??  He immediately asked: "Where is this petroleum oil?"

    Seeing Liu Jing¡¯s expression of concern for this kind of carbolic oil, Maoxian Cheng immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s in the Xia Zhi Lake area in the south.¡±

    Liu Jing immediately stood up and said: "General Wang and Magistrate Yi are going to move the lime ore. I want to see this carbolic oil. Please ask Magistrate Mao to take me to Xiazhi Lake.".

    The terrain of Xiazhi County is high in the northwest and low in the southeast. A lake is formed at the lowest point in the southeast. Because of the name of the county, it is called Xiazhi Lake. The lake is surrounded by large forests and sparsely populated. Hunters and woodcutters usually set out there.  , but Huxi is rich in petroleum oil, a major local product of Xiaji County.

    The so-called petroleum oil is actually petroleum. Xiazhi County is located in the center of the Jianghan Plain. This is the Jianghan Oilfield in later generations. There is abundant oil underground, which generally requires specialized mining to obtain it. However, in some stratigraphic fault zones, oil will also overflow through cracks.  On the surface, this is how ancient people obtained oil.

    There happened to be several stratigraphic fault zones in the west of Xiazhi Lake, and underground oil overflowed to the surface, forming several natural oil wells. However, at this time, people still did not know the usefulness of oil. It was mainly used to treat skin diseases, but some people also discovered that  It can be burned and used to light lamps and cook.

    Liu Jing followed Mao County Prime Minister to Xiazhi Lake and soon found several cracks rich in petroleum oil. He happened to encounter several local people collecting petroleum oil. When he saw a large group of soldiers, several oil producers were frightened.  You have to get out of the way quickly.

    "Sima, this is the oil well with the largest output." Mao County Prime Minister took Liu Jing to a crack in the ground and pointed down.

    Liu Jing looked at this so-called ground fissure oil well. It was actually a natural fissure, with an oval shape at its widest point. It was dark and bottomless underneath, but when you got close to the ground fissure, you could smell a pungent smell.  The areas around the cracks in the ground were filled with dried and solidified oil, dyeing them black.

    "Won't the petroleum oil inside here spill out?" Liu Jing asked.

    Mao Xian Cheng scratched his head, "It overflowed once or twice a few years ago, but it disappeared later. You need to use a wooden bucket with a rope to go in and scoop it out, but it's not deep. You can collect it in less than one foot. Anyway, you can't finish it. In fact,  It¡¯s not of much use to ordinary people.¡±

    Before Liu Jing could finish speaking, he waved his hand to interrupt him. He turned around and said to a military prince: "Now all the petroleum oil is requisitioned by the military and no one is allowed to mine it. In addition, tell General Wei to send  Three hundred people are stationed at Xiaji Lake to guard these oil wells."

    The military marquis agreed and immediately sent someone to notify Wei Yan. Liu Jing couldn't hold back the excitement in his heart. Yesterday during the fierce battle with Jiangdong Army, he was helpless when faced with the attack of Chao Che. At that time, he thought,  If you have kerosene, you can use it to burn the nest car.

    Unexpectedly, he just thought of kerosene yesterday, and discovered oil today. This made Liu Jing feel that this was God's favor on him. He asked Mao Xiancheng again, "This kind of petroleum oil, except in Xiajie County,  Are there any in other counties?¡±

    Mao Xiancheng thought for a while and said, "I heard that there are also people in Jingling County, more than here. The specific positions are not very clear."

    At this time, a soldier borrowed a wooden barrel and a long rope and brought up a barrel of petroleum oil from the oil well. It was like black syrup, sticky and thick. The soldiers gathered around and asked all kinds of questions: "  Sima, what¡¯s the use of this?¡±

    Liu Jing laughed, "It's useless now, but if it's taken care of, it will be of great use."

    He immediately said to Mao Xiancheng: "Go and find me a blacksmith. I need him to make something."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing once saw local oil refining in later generations. Although many of the equipment were not available in this era, and he did not understand many details, he did understand a little about the basic principles.

    It is also very simple, just three steps of precipitation, distillation and cooling. Although it is impossible to refine industrial products such as gasoline and diesel, at least after processing, the oil is no longer so viscous and can be used in the military.

    At this time, Liu Jing¡¯s mind was completely focused on refining kerosene. He found a blacksmith and made some curved pipes out of iron sheets. He also dug a few ponds and found a few large iron pots.

    The principle is very simple. It settles for a day or two first, then puts the filtered oil into an iron pot for refining. The evaporated oil vapor flows through the iron pipe. A section of the iron pipe is in the pool. When passing through the pool, the oil vapor will condense and flow from the iron pipe.  The fire oil flowing out from another section will become clear and light yellow.

    Of course, this is still far from the diesel gasoline of later generations. This is actually the most primitive kerosene, and it is also the kerosene that Liu Jing expected. In fact, more than a hundred years later, this same liquid appeared.  On the list of weapons and equipment of the Byzantine Empire.

    On the afternoon of the third day, when Liu Jing and dozens of soldiers were devoting themselves to refining kerosene, Gan Ning sentA soldier from the army brought unexpected news. Wuchang County was captured by Jiangdong's army. Huang She was defeated and fled to Xiakou in panic with hundreds of remaining soldiers.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Wuchang County, Sun Quan stood on the top of the city, the largest city in Jiangxia, looking down at the thousands of households in the city. At this time, he felt a sense of ambition. Taking Wuchang City would mean controlling the heart of Jiangxia.

    But Sun Quan also knows that it is not easy to completely control Jiangxia. The key lies in the Huangzu family. If Jiangxia can be smoothly integrated into Jiangdong territory, the key is to uproot the Huang family from Jiangxia.

    Sun Quan summoned General Pan Zhang and whispered to him: "Immediately lead 500 troops to the Huang Family Villa and kill all the Huang Family members for me, leaving no one behind!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    [Jingling County is Qianjiang in later generations, the headquarters of Jianghan Oilfield. The entire Jiangxia County is the core area of ??Jianghan Oilfield, so it is reasonable to discover oil in Xiajie County. Lao Gao never writes about high technology.  It's a thing, but occasionally I'll have some sexual intercourse. It's just that the appearance of kerosene is a bit similar to the hero of the world. I'm scratching the back of my head, everyone, please forgive me!

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? etc.  ¡¿

 Volume 1, Chapter 178, Reinforcements Arrive

    In the hills and mountains to the west of Yangxin County, an army of 5,000 people is marching westward in a mighty manner. The leader is a general with a bronze helmet and iron armor, holding a broadsword in his hand, and a majestic maroon horse under his crotch. It is none other than the veteran general Huang  Loyal.

    Next to Huang Zhong followed another general, with a white horse and a silver spear, a tall figure, a heroic appearance, and a high-spirited spirit. This general was Zhao Yun.

    At this time, Zhao Yun was accompanying Liu Bei to seek treatment from the prefect Zhang Zhongjing in Changsha County. It happened that the Jiangdong Army was launching a large-scale attack on Jiangxia. Zhao Yun followed Liu Bei's order and came with veteran Huang Zhong to support Chai Sang.

    The two of them marched westward and didn't talk much, but Huang Zhong had heard Zhao Yun's name for a long time and respected him very much. Zhao Yun also knew that Huang Zhong was the number one veteran general in Jingzhou and taught Liu Jing how to practice archery, so he also respected Huang Zhong.  , the two of you respect each other, and actually feel a bit of sympathy for each other.

    "General Zhao, this time the Jiangdong Army attacks Jiangxia, it is no small matter. Sun Quan actually led the army personally. If they successfully occupy Jiangxia, they will not give up easily. In all likelihood, they will turn around and attack Changsha County. Therefore, our battle  It¡¯s very important. If Chaisang can be controlled, Jiangdong¡¯s army will not be able to go south to Changsha County.¡±

    Zhao Yun thought that Liu Bei was also in Changsha, so he nodded, "We will do our best!"

    Zhao Yun didn¡¯t speak much, but everything he said was carefully considered. What he said about doing his best was actually a promise that he would definitely help Liu Jing regain and hold Chaisang.

    Huang Zhong was about to speak when he suddenly heard a commotion in front of him. He couldn't help but was stunned and asked urgently: "What happened?"

    "Old General, someone saw a monkey wearing clothes in the woods!"

    At this time, Zhao Yun also saw a figure flying in the woods, extremely agile, jumping from one tree to another. He stared at it for a moment and said in a deep voice: "It's not a monkey, it's just a human. It's just flexible and strong."  , you can fly in the trees.¡±

    Huang Zhong sneered, "It depends on whether his body is faster or my arrow is faster!"

    Huang Zhong raised his bow and nocked an arrow, aiming at the figure, but he slowly put down the bow and arrow, "I think I have seen this person before, he is a subordinate of Mr. Jing."

    He immediately ordered: "Don't shoot arrows to hurt people!"

    Not long after, a dozen soldiers brought the man out from the woods, but it was a short boy. This boy was Liu Jing's follower Hou Wu. He was ordered to patrol the outskirts of Yangxin County and discovered this group of thousands of soldiers.  An army of men.

    He knew Huang Zhong, and he quickly stepped forward and knelt down on one knee, "Old General, I am Hou Wu, Mr. Jing's subordinate. Do you remember the old general? We met when the old general came to Chaisang last year."

    Huang Zhong nodded and ordered him to be let go. Then he bent down and asked, "Where is your young master now?"

    "Reporting to the old general, my young master is currently in Xiaji County. Mr. Xu and General Hu are in charge of Yangxin County."

    It turned out that Liu Jing was not in Yangxin County. Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun looked at each other and nodded together. Huang Zhong immediately ordered: "The whole army should speed up and go to Xiazhi County!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In a corner of the military camp in Xiazhi County, Wei Yan and more than a dozen generals gathered around to watch Liu Jing's experiment. A hundred steps away, there stood a three-foot-high wooden house, and a soldier poured kerosene in a clay pot.  On the wooden house, he quickly left.

    A hundred steps away, Liu Jing lit a rocket, pulled out the bowstring, and shot an arrow. The rocket drew an arc in the air and accurately hit the wooden house, 'Boom!  ¡¯ There was a loud sound, and the fire broke out, and the wooden house was quickly engulfed in flames.

    The general next to him suddenly clapped his hands excitedly. Liu Jing smiled triumphantly and said, "You see! This kind of fire oil is particularly helpful for fire attacks. It will have miraculous effects in siege battles and water battles. This will be  A great weapon for our army.¡±

    After all, kerosene is not gunpowder. The emergence of gunpowder ultimately changed the nature of war. However, kerosene is only a combustion accelerant and cannot change the nature of war.

    But it can make fire attacks easier, which can turn the tide of the battle in small ways. For example, to deal with the nest car, you can directly use kerosene to burn it, and it is no longer as passive as the last time you defended Chai Sang.

    In fact, since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, fire attack has been an important means of war, and the army has been looking for the best combustion accelerant. For example, during the Chu-Han war for hegemony, the Han army used flammable wheat straw to form a big ball and ignited it.  Attack the enemy with huge fireballs.

    Later, it was discovered that sulfur is flammable, and sulfur was used in fire attacks. At this time, during the Three Kingdoms period, people had not yet discovered the fire attack effect of oil, but soon, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the army began to use oil as a combustion fuel.  As for weapons, Liu Jing was just more than a hundred years ahead of schedule and applied oil to war.

    Like in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Kong Ming burned the Tengjia Army and used gunpowder, which is suspected of time travel.

    At this time, a soldier rushed to report: "Report to the Secretary? General Huang Lao led five thousand troops from Changsha and arrived outside the military camp. General Zhao Yun was also in the army.  "

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. Huang Zhong led the reinforcements, and Zhao Yun was also in the army. He quickly said to everyone: "Come with me to greet him!"

    Five thousand troops were stationed ten miles away. Huang Zhong led a dozen generals to pay homage to the camp. Zhao Yun was among them. Huang Zhong looked at the neat camp and a handsome flag embroidered with the word "Liu", and couldn't help stroking his beard and smiling at Zhao Yun.  : "Zilong, this guy looks quite the same!"

    Zhao Yun also smiled slightly, "I won't be surprised by any of his changes. Many things may seem unbelievable to others, but in my eyes they are normal. Mr. Jing cannot be treated by ordinary people."

    "yes!"

    Huang Zhong sighed and said, "I really hope that Zhou Mu will appoint him as the successor of Jingzhou. In this way, Jingzhou will have hope."

    At this time, the sound of drum music came, and the camp gate opened wide. Liu Jing led the generals above the camp commander to welcome them out. Huang Zhong turned over and dismounted, stepped forward, clasped his fists, and said with a smile: "Huang Zhong's rescue was late, and the young master was frightened!"

    "Where! The old general came at just the right time. It was a timely help."

    Liu Jing smiled so hard that she couldn't close her mouth. Not only did Huang Zhong come, but Zhao Yun also came. This was God helping him. He exchanged a few words with Huang Zhong and then stepped forward to salute Zhao Yun, "Why is General Zhao here too?"

    Zhao Yun smiled slightly and said: "Young master is kind to my lord. At that time, the Jiangdong Army was attacking in a big way, so my lord felt that he should do his best. Unfortunately, there were no soldiers around him, so he asked Zilong to help him."

    Liu Jing nodded. Liu Bei was indeed very good at life. Asking Zhao Yun to help him at a critical moment undoubtedly owed him a favor. However, Liu Jing was willing to owe this favor. Nothing made him more excited and happy than Zhao Yun coming to help him.  Excited.

    Liu Jing concealed her inner excitement and quickly invited everyone into the camp. Everyone entered the tent and the guests and hosts sat down. The soldiers served tea to everyone. They talked and laughed in the tent, which was particularly lively.

    At this time, Huang Zhong cupped his fists and said with a smile: "I have something to say before me. This time I came to assist Jiang Xia on the order of Zhou Mu. Zhou Mu made it very clear in the order that he asked me to assist Mr. Jing in dealing with Jiangdong's army.  In other words, I am not the commander-in-chief, Mr. Jing is the commander-in-chief.¡±

    Huang Zhong is very smart. He knows that he has a high status in the Jingzhou army, and he is also a Zhonglang general. He surpasses Liu Jing in terms of seniority and military position.

    According to the rules, Liu Jing should obey his orders, but he came from Changsha County after all, so how could he dominate the scene, so he made it clear first that he would obey Liu Jing's command.

    Huang Zhong's statement was timely. Liu Jing nodded and said to everyone, "I have received the latest information. Sun Quan led an army of 50,000 to confront Huang Zu and Cai Mao's reinforcements in Xiakou. Now is our opportunity.  , According to my plan, we will retake Chaisang, so General Huang¡¯s reinforcements came very timely.¡±

    At this time, Zhao Yun asked from the side: "How many troops do we have now?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "I have 5,000 troops on hand, plus 5,000 reinforcements, we actually have 10,000 troops. As long as we use our troops flexibly, we can defeat Jiangdong Army."

    Liu Jing¡¯s words made everyone excited. Huang Zhong asked: ¡°When will we counterattack Chaisang!¡±

    "I'll set off tonight, but I have something ugly to say beforehand."

    The tent suddenly became quiet, and Liu Jing's eyes became sharp. He glanced at everyone slowly and said slowly: "From now on, all 10,000 troops will be mobilized under my military orders. If anyone disobeys, they will be killed!"  "

    Everyone stood up in awe and saluted, "Yes!"

    After Sun Quan went north, Chaisang City was guarded by three thousand people led by General L¨¹ Meng. L¨¹ Meng was only twenty years old this year. Like Liu Jing, he was a minister of the other department. He was young and promising, and was highly valued by Sun Quan.

    Lu Meng was very cautious and constrained military discipline. He did not allow soldiers to gamble or drink. At the same time, the city gates were not opened. Soldiers were arranged to patrol the city from morning to night without any slack.

    That night, Lu Meng was patrolling the city as usual. The lord led the army to the north. He was always a little uneasy, and the reason was Liu Jing.

    He felt that his lord valued Huang Zu too much and underestimated Liu Jing, which was a bit of a mistake. According to his idea, after occupying Chaisang, he should not rush northward, but concentrate his troops to go to Xiazhi County and Yangxin County to completely wipe out Liu Jing's remaining troops, and then turned around.  Go deal with Huang Zu.

    The Lord's intelligence was also weak. He only knew that Liu Jing had more than 2,000 troops. He felt that this information must be inaccurate. Liu Jing finally defended Chaisang and had 2,000 troops. He also had to divide his troops to defend Xiaji County and Yangxin.  The county must have more than 2,000 troops, but at least 4,000 to 5,000 troops, which is not a lot of troops.

    Now the main force of Jiangdong Army is going to attack Xiakou.?So will Liu Jing use this opportunity to counterattack Chai Sang?  Lu Meng felt very worried, so he patrolled the city personally these past few nights, not daring to be careless.

    At this time, in the woods to the west of the city, Liu Jing led three thousand troops to quietly wait for the opportunity. Beside him were Liu Hu and Wei Yan. Tonight, Liu Hu will also lead his three hundred heavy armored infantry to attack. He  My heart is full of expectations.

    Liu Jing waved his hand, called Wei Yan and Liu Hu up, and told them: "Wait a moment, I will lead a hundred brothers to sneak into the city, open the north gate, and cooperate inside and outside. You can lead the army in time. The signal is a  Rocket."

    Wei Yan said anxiously: "How can we let Sima take risks? Why not let me go!"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I know a secret passage that no one can use except me, so let me do it! As long as the response is timely, I will be fine."

    Wei Yan had no choice but to agree, "Sima must go, and I can't stop him. I will definitely respond on time."

    Liu Jing smiled and patted their shoulders. He stood up and waved back, "Follow me!"

    One hundred elite soldiers who had been waiting for a long time followed Liu Jing and ran to the west of the city.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 179, Counterattack on Chaisang

    The outside of Chaisangxi City is not as flat and spacious as the North City. There are crisscrossed rivers, lush woods, and several low and uneven hills. It is impossible to drive large siege weapons. Near the city wall, it is even more densely covered with rocks, making walking difficult. There are only a few artificial roads.  The path created.

    But there is a small temple covering an area of ??several acres near the city wall. This is Chaisang¡¯s Jiangshen Temple, a place for worshiping the River God.

    Every spring and autumn, there will be an endless stream of boatmen and businessmen coming here to worship the river god and pray for safe boating. This river temple was built with money from the Tao family, so the Tao family usually sends people to take care of it.

    During this period, due to the outbreak of war in Chaisang, the Jiangshen Temple was also closed. The surrounding area was deserted and no one came to worship. At night, Liu Jing led a hundred elite soldiers to sneak into the Jiangshen Temple. The soldiers knocked out the temple priests and surrounded the Jiangshen Temple.  In front of the statue of God.

    The God of the River is Gonggong, the God of Water. He holds a steel fork in his hand and has a ferocious face. The statue is made of pig iron and is one foot to five feet high and weighs more than a thousand kilograms.

    As several soldiers pushed hard, the statue of Jiang Shen began to creak and turn, and an iron plate was lifted, revealing a large dark hole under the seat, which was the exit of the Tao family's secret passage.

    Liu Jing held an oil lamp in his hand. When the foul air had drained out, he took the lead in entering the secret passage. Like the other end of the secret passage, the secret passage was very narrow and could only allow one person to pass. He had to lower his head and bend forward. The soldiers followed.  Liu Jing moved forward quickly one after another without hesitation or any pause.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Perhaps because of Sun Quan¡¯s preferential treatment, the Tao family was not attacked by Jiangdong soldiers. Lu Meng also restrained the soldiers and did not allow anyone to enter the Tao family to harass them.

    These days, the Tao Mansion is quiet, with only five or six elderly Tao family members living there. They spend day after day with the old head of the family, Tao Lie. Because of his age, Tao Lie's sleep is not very good, and he is slightly  Any movement will wake him up.

    Not long after he lay down, Tao Lie was about to fall asleep when suddenly ¡®Click!  A soft sound was heard very clearly in the room, followed by the sound of creaking metal friction. Tao Lie slowly sat up. He had heard that the sound came from the copper box in the corner. He looked at the copper box nervously.  When I opened the box, I saw the copper box moving little by little.

    Tao Lie pulled out the long sword from the wall, stepped forward and shouted loudly: "Who is it?"

    ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s me!¡±

    Liu Jing¡¯s voice came faintly from underground, ¡°It¡¯s me, I¡¯m Liu Jing!¡±

    Tao Lie was pleasantly surprised. He immediately realized that Liu Jing had come in through the tunnel from outside the city. He quickly said: "Slow down, don't be reckless, be careful to trigger the mechanism!"

    Liu Jing studied the entrance mechanism last time. He knew that if he did not follow the rules and forcibly pulled the switch below, the tunnel would be flooded. This was why he had to lead the team himself. Liu Jing carefully opened the mechanism.  Remove the copper box and a hole appears.

    He jumped out of the tunnel, which scared Tao Lie. He took a few steps back and almost fell. Liu Jing quickly supported him and said with a smile: "Grandpa, it's me, I'm back again."

    Tao Lie calmed down and asked, "Are you the only one?"

    Liu Jing shouted low at the entrance of the cave, and saw soldiers in black jumping out of the cave one after another. Each one held a spear in his hand and carried a bag on his back. Soon, several rooms were packed, with enough people  Hundreds of people.

    At this time, Tao Lie suddenly understood what they were going to do, and couldn't help but sigh, "Master Jing, you are taking a bit of a risk!"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Grandpa, please continue to rest and act as if nothing happened. We will take care of it naturally."

    With a wave of his hand, he led a hundred of his elite men, left Tao Lie's bedroom, and ran towards the outer house of Tao Mansion. Tao Lie stood at the door, watching them go away.

    He told Liu Jing the secret of the tunnel in order to let Liu Jing escape from here in times of crisis, but he did not expect that Liu Jing would use it to enter the city. Tao Lie couldn't help but let out a long sigh, filled with worry.

    The more than 100 people Liu Jing brought were all elite soldiers. Not long after, he captured two patrol soldiers. From them, he learned the password tonight, as well as the strength of Chai Sang's troops and the commander-in-chief. It turned out to be Lu Meng. Liu Jing was very sad.  Interesting, in history, Guan Yu fell into the hands of this person. Lu Meng crossed the river in white, but tonight it was him, Liu Jing, in black who deceived the city.

    He gave the order, and the soldiers took out their baggage and put on Jiangdong Army armor. Liu Jing also put on armor. At this time, his eyes turned to the northwest corner of Tao Mansion, which was close to the city wall, where the opportunity was hidden.  

    A quarter of an hour later, a group of more than a hundred Jiangdong soldiers patrolled the city wall and walked quickly towards the north city. Not long after, they arrived at the entrance of Wengcheng. There was a sentry post in front of them, with five or six sentries.

    "Password!" someone shouted in the darkness.

    "The sun is shining brightly!" Liu JingchenThe voice replied.

    The password was correct. Several Jiangdong Army sentries stepped forward to look at them and said with a smile: "You are patrolling so late. Thank you for your hard work, brothers. Which general are they under?"

    Before they could react, a dozen soldiers pounced on them like wolves and tigers, knocking them down. Just as the soldiers were about to shout, sharp daggers cut their throats.

    Several soldiers took their place on guard, and Liu Jing led the team to continue walking towards the North Tower. The suspension bridge and the hub for opening the city gate were in front of the North Tower.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Beicheng Tower had been burned down in the last fire, and only a few ruins of the tower were left. At this time, Lu Meng and dozens of his men were on the Beicheng Tower. Lu Meng was worried, staring at the entrance of the Caohe River in the distance. He was very worried.  , a fleet sailed into Caohe River in the middle of the night.

    At this moment, someone not far away shouted and asked: "Who is it? Password!"

    "The sun is shining brightly!"

    "Who are you?"

    "We are here to change the guard on the orders of General Lu!"

    The voice came from far away, and Lu Meng could hear it clearly. He couldn't help but feel a little strange. When did he let someone come to change the guard?

    He walked forward quickly. There was just a group of more than a hundred Jiangdong soldiers. The leader was a burly young general holding a long spear in his hand. He was even more surprised. Who was this person? Why had he never seen him before?  Pass?

    With a thought in his heart, he stepped forward and asked tentatively: "Do you have General Lu's command arrows?"

    Liu Jing did not know L¨¹ Meng, and he did not know that the young general in front of him was L¨¹ Meng, the guard of Chaisang. He pretended to be calm and replied: "We are just following General Lu's orders. If you don't believe it, you can ask General Lu!"

    Before Lu Meng could speak, an impatient soldier nearby shouted, "Nonsense, this is General Lu!"

    The situation suddenly changed, Liu Jing's expression changed, and he shouted loudly. He stabbed Lu Meng's chest with a long halberd and shouted: "Do it!"

    There was a chaos on the top of the city. The soldiers shouted and rushed towards the Jiangdong soldiers. Lu Meng had been on guard for a long time. When Liu Jing's halberd struck, he took a few steps back and drew his sword to strike at Liu Jing's halberd.

    Just listen to ¡®Dang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and Lu Meng¡¯s arm was so shocked that his sword became unstable and flew away from his hand. He screamed in his heart and rolled backwards, rolling more than ten feet away, avoiding Liu Jing¡¯s fatal blow.

    Lu Meng grabbed a spear, shook his hand, and the tip of the spear flew like a pear blossom, stabbing Liu Jing like a storm. At this time, Liu Jing was no longer the jerky young man he was two years ago.  The essence of Lu Meng's flying spears became very simple in his eyes.

    Liu Jing waved her halberd lightly, ¡®Crack!  ' With a sound, the crescent moon on the halberd hit the spear shaft accurately, splitting the spear shaft into two pieces. Then the halberd swung and stabbed Lu Meng's chest flatly. It was neither fast nor slow, and its power was as heavy as a mountain.

    The moment Lu Meng's spear shaft was chopped off, he knew something was wrong. He reacted very quickly and immediately repeated his old trick, rolling his body backwards in an attempt to avoid the halberd that followed.

    But this time he was a beat slower, ¡®Crack!  Liu Jing's halberd tip pierced his left arm. Lu Meng screamed in pain, stepped back suddenly, and pulled his arm out of the halberd tip. At this time, more than a dozen of his men fought to protect him.  He fled towards the east of the city.

    Liu Jing did not pursue him. The alarm bells rang loudly on the city top. Countless Jiangdong soldiers rushed out of the military camp and came towards Beicheng. There was not much time left for him.

    They seized the north city head, creaked down the suspension bridge, and opened the city gate. However, to open the city gate, they still had to go down to the city and pull out the iron bolt on the city gate. A village commander led fifty people to kill along the corridor and go down to the city.

    Liu Jing took out her bow and arrow, lit a rocket, raised her head and shot into the air. She saw a bright rocket flying straight into the sky, drawing a bright arc in the sky.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Wei Yan and Liu Hu, who were ambushing in the woods, saw the rocket almost at the same time. Liu Hu jumped up and shouted, "Brothers, fight with me!"

    A cry of killing broke out in the woods. Three thousand ambush troops, led by Wei Yan and Liu Hu, rushed towards Chaisang City. They rushed onto the suspension bridge and rushed into the Wengcheng.

    But at this time, three thousand Jiangdong Army, led by General Lu Xun, also arrived. They controlled the inner city gate. Lu Xun calmly watched the Jingzhou Army enter Wengcheng. When he saw the opportunity coming, he shouted: "Fire the arrow!"

    More than a thousand Jiangdong crossbowmen standing at the top of the inner city fired arrows into the Wengcheng. The Jingzhou soldiers who rushed into the Wengcheng were caught off guard and were shot down in large numbers.

    Chaisang is a big city. Like Xiangyang City, there is an inner city wall in the shape of a 'kou' built inside the city gate. The part surrounding the middle is the Wengcheng. One end of the Wengcheng is the outer city gate and the other end is the inner city gate.  At the same time, there are internal and external water gates.

    And outsideThere is a coupon gate between the outer wall and the inner city wall. There is a heavy iron gate inside the gate, which must be opened from the inner city. Normally, the iron gate is open and the inner and outer cities are connected. However, Lu Meng was very cautious. At night, the iron gate inside the coupon gate was closed.  The gate was lowered, and it was impossible to kill from the outer city wall.

    You can only run along the outer city wall to the south gate and go down to the city from the south. In this way, you can also enter Chaisang City, but the premise is that there are no defenders in the south city.

    At this time, Liu Jing was furious and shouted loudly outside the city: "Liu Hu, lead your heavy armored infantry to break down the inner city gate for me!"

    This was the first time that Liu Hu's heavy armored infantry entered the battle. Not long after, only 300 dark heavy armored infantry were seen slowly walking out of the city cave.

    They have trained this kind of siege warfare more than once, and it is very organized. One hundred people in the middle hold a thick battering ram, and one hundred people on each side hold shields to protect them. They walk towards the inner city gate step by step like a centipede.

    At this time, more than a thousand Jingzhou Sword and Shield Army, led by Wei Yan, also poured in from outside the city. They held their giant shields high, held swords in their hands, and moved forward slowly following the pace of the heavy armored infantry.

    Lu Xun looked at this special army with some surprise. He felt something was wrong, but couldn't explain it, so he raised his hands and shouted: "Aim at the enemy!"

    More than a thousand crossbowmen from Jiangdong rushed to the ground and aimed their crossbows at the worm-like heavy armored infantry group. Lu Xun loudly ordered: "Shoot!"

    Thousands of arrows roared and shot at the enemy group, but an accident happened at this moment. There was only a clanging sound, but not a single enemy soldier fell to the ground.

    There was a sudden commotion on the inner city. Jiangdong soldiers were frightened. They had never encountered an enemy who was not afraid of arrows. Lu Xun was also shocked and thought to himself, 'What kind of soldiers are these, not afraid of bows and arrows?  "

    He was shocked and doubtful, but he shouted again: "Cum again!"

    Thousands of arrows were fired at the heavy armored infantry group again, but still without any effect. At this time, Liu Hu's roar broke out in the barbican, "Run!"

    The heavily armored soldier began to run forward, rushed to the city gate, and struck forward violently. The hammer head covered with pig iron hit the inner city gate heavily, and only heard an earth-shattering muffled sound, 'Boom -' the door  The entire inner city wall was crumbling, and many soldiers were unstable and fell to the ground.

    Jiangdong soldiers fell into panic. Some Jiangdong soldiers began to abandon their weapons and fled towards Nancheng. At this time, a soldier rushed to the top of the city and shouted to Lu Xun: "General Lu, General Lu ordered the troops to withdraw immediately. Evacuate Chai from the south gate."  mulberry!"

    Lu Xun was filled with hatred and gritted his teeth, but he was a subordinate general and did not dare to disobey the general's order. He punched the wooden pillar of the city tower with his fist, and had to turn around and shout: "Withdraw troops immediately!"

    More than a thousand Jiangdong soldiers at the top of the city quickly evacuated. At this moment, there was another earth-shaking muffled sound, and the inner city gate was finally knocked open. Thousands of Jingzhou sword and shield soldiers swarmed in and entered Chaisang City.

    Liu Jing couldn't help but sneered as he watched Jiangdong's army evacuate towards the south gate in panic.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 180 Zhou Yu¡¯s Plot

    Suddenly, drums sounded loudly outside the south gate, and fire shot into the sky. An ambush force rushed out from outside the south gate. In the light of the fire, the leader was none other than Zhao Yun.

    Zhao Yun waved his spear and shouted: "Changshan Zhao Zilong is here, anyone who surrenders will avoid death!"

    Jiangdong's army was in chaos. The morale of the army was turbulent, but now it was even more chaotic. Everyone was scrambling to escape. Lu Meng shouted loudly, "Stop, line up and fight!"

    No matter how much he yelled, it still had no effect.

    At this time, Zhao Yun pointed his spear and said, "Kill!"

    A thousand Jingzhou troops attacked, and Jiangdong's troops suffered heavy casualties, crying and wailing, and countless surrenders. In the chaos, Lu Xun did not dare to fight, broke out a bloody road, and fled eastward with more than a hundred remaining troops.

    However, L¨¹ Meng and more than 20 soldiers were surrounded by more than 300 people, unable to break out. In addition, L¨¹ Meng's arm was injured and unable to fight. At this time, more than a dozen soldiers fought desperately to open a gap and shouted: "  General, go quickly!"

    Lu Meng urged his horse to rush out of the gap. At this moment, Zhao Yun rushed from behind, but he did not attack Lu Meng from behind. The two horses crossed each other. Zhao Yun lightly relaxed his ape arms, grabbed Lu Meng's armor silk ribbon, and pulled him away.  He dismounted his horse and shouted: "Tied!"

    Several soldiers rushed forward, held Lu Meng down, and tied him up with ropes.

    The general was captured alive. The Jiangdong army was attacked before and after, and had no way to escape. They had to kneel down and surrender. In this battle, only a few hundred of the 3,000 Jiangdong soldiers escaped, and more than 500 people were killed or injured. The rest of the soldiers all surrendered, and even the general Lu Meng was captured.  Zhao Yun was captured alive.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Overnight, Chaisang City changed hands. Teams of Jingzhou soldiers searched the empty city. At dawn, more than 300 Jiangdong soldiers hiding in private houses were found.

    In an empty room, Lu Meng was sitting on a wooden couch, silently accepting the medical treatment for his injuries. There were more than a dozen soldiers guarding him standing around.

    Lu Meng was extremely depressed at this time. Not only was Chaisang City lost, but he was also captured by the enemy for the first time. Even if the Marquis of Wu rescued him, how could he gain a foothold in Soochow in the future?

    The key to the capture of Chaisang this time was the cooperation between the Jingzhou army and the outside world. It was not that Lu Meng was weak in defense, but Lu Meng had always been puzzled. How did the Jingzhou army sneak into the city?

    Could it be that a certain section of the city wall was poorly patrolled and the Jingzhou Army seized the opportunity?  But thinking about it, it was impossible. The city wall was more than two feet high and surrounded by a moat. How could it be possible for more than a hundred people to go to the city? Lu Meng was puzzled.

    At this time, the sound of footsteps came, and Liu Jing and several officers appeared at the door. Liu Jing walked into the room, cupped her hands and said with a smile: "It turns out that your Excellency is Wu Xia Amen, I have admired you for a long time!"

    Lu Meng felt that this person looked familiar and stared at Liu Jing. He suddenly remembered that this person was the young general who stabbed him last night. He sneered, "Who are you?"

    "I'm Liu Jing!" Liu Jing responded with a smile.

    "It turns out you are"

    ¡®It turns out he is Liu Jing!  He actually sneaked into the city himself.  ¡¯ Lu Meng thought in his heart, and he couldn¡¯t help but secretly admire Liu Jing¡¯s courage.

    "What do you want to do with me?"

    Liu Jing smiled lightly, "Actually, I hope you can surrender to me."

    "Humph!" Lu Meng snorted, with a sarcastic smile on his face: "Do you think I will surrender to you?"

    Liu Jing sincerely handed over his hand and said: "Ziming is from Runan, not Wuzhong, and he doesn't have any family members in Wuzhong. This is the first time I persuade someone to surrender. I hope Ziming can consider it carefully."

    Seeing that Liu Jing's attitude was quite sincere, Lu Meng also put away his sarcasm, shook his head and said: "I understand Mr. Jing's sincerity, but with all due respect, Mr. Jing is only the head of a county, and he has not let me  Lu Meng's capital is so attractive, whether it's public or private, I can't give up the Marquis of Wu and surrender to you."

    Of course Liu Jing knew that Lu Meng would not surrender to him, but he wanted to test Lu Meng's intentions, and smiled: "If I, Liu Jing, also become a prince, can Ziming consider it?"

    Lu Meng pondered for a moment and said: "If I, Lu Meng, are captured by Master Jing three times and treated with kindness and justice, I will surrender to you."

    Liu Jing laughed loudly and said to the people on his left and right: "Give him his war horse and let him go."

    Behind him, Wang Tai was very anxious and said quickly: "Sima, leave him to negotiate with Sun Quan, don't be fooled by his cunning words."

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I know better, let him go!"

    Lu Meng was greatly shocked, "Do you really want Mr. Jing to let me go?"

    Liu Jing looked into his eyes and said slowly: "I respect you as a man who promises a thousand pieces of gold. I, Liu Jing, will not use you as a condition for negotiation. You go!"

    Lu Meng was moved in his heart and bowed deeply, saying, "Young master,?, please report back to me, L¨¹ Meng took his leave!  "

    Several soldiers sent Lu Meng away. Liu Jing watched Lu Meng go away with his hands behind his hands. He curved his lips, smiled lightly, and whispered to himself: "Sun Quan, I hope you can accept this favor from me."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Xiakou, the confrontation between Jiangdong Army and Jingzhou Army entered the seventh day. Cai Mao led 20,000 troops and more than 400 warships to set up a stronghold beside the entrance of Han River. Huang Zu's 15,000 men and nearly five  Hundreds of large and small warships were west of Xiakou, and the two armies were thirty miles apart.

    "And right in the middle of the two armies was the main force of the Jiangdong Army's 50,000-strong naval force and more than 1,500 warships. Neither side dared to act rashly.

    In the early morning of this morning, fog enveloped the river. A small boat approached Sun Quan's three-thousand-stone ship. A ladder was thrown from the big ship. Zhou Yu and several followers climbed the ladder onto the big ship. According to the deployment of Jiangdong Army, Zhou Yu led  Fifteen thousand troops and 300 warships monitored Cai Mao's army, while Sun Quan was responsible for dealing with Huang Zu.

    Zhou Yu got on the big ship and walked quickly to the middle cabin. Sun Quan had just sent someone to look for him, and he was quite anxious. Zhou Yu didn't know what had happened, so he hurried over.

    In the cabin, Sun Quan stood in front of the small window with his hands folded, staring at the mist-shrouded river. Some mist drifted into the room, making the ship walls covered with dew and became a little damp. Sun Quan felt very heavy. He had just received the news.  , Liu Jing succeeded in attacking Chaisang at night and reoccupied Chaisang.

    This news was a heavy blow to Sun Quan, and he realized that he had made a mistake. He should first concentrate his forces to destroy Liu Jing, and then deal with Huang Zu. Huang Zu would not rescue Liu Jing anyway, so he could handle it calmly, but it was a pity that he was too  He valued Huang Zu and despised Liu Jing, which led to the fire in the backyard, which made him regret it too late.

    At this time, Zhou Yu's voice came from outside the cabin, "Wu Hou, can I come in if you are a humble official?"

    "Come in!"

    Zhou Yu quickly walked into the cabin, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See Wu Hou!"

    After a while, Sun Quan let out a long sigh, "Gong Jin, I regret that I ignored your advice and let Liu Jing go. Now that Chai Sang has been recaptured by Liu Jing and Lu Meng is captured, it's too late to regret!"

    Zhou Yu was startled and asked after a long time: "When did this happen?"

    "Just three days ago, there was a fire in my backyard. What should I do?" Sun Quan couldn't help but sigh again. He was really regretful in his heart.

    At first, Zhou Yu advised him to attack Xiazhi County and Yangxin County to completely relieve his worries before heading north. However, Sun Quan always insisted on killing Huang Zu before Xiangyang reinforcements arrived, and then turning back to deal with Liu Jing. He refused to listen to Zhou Yu and Lu Meng's advice.  .

    In fact, Zhou Yu knew in his heart that the reason why Wu Hou did not attack Liu Jing in time was because Wu Hou had a good impression of Liu Jing and was unwilling to kill Liu Jing. This was the real reason. Although he understood in his heart, Zhou Yu could not say  come out.

    After pondering for a moment, Zhou Yu said: "Actually, Marquis Wu does not need to worry too much. Although Liu Jing occupied Chaisang, he will definitely be eager to move Chaisang's troops, people, money and food back, and has no time to take care of Wuchang for the time being. Moreover, his troops and warships are limited.  We can't conquer Wuchang, so we don't have to rush to deal with Liu Jing. We should concentrate our forces to defeat the enemy. As long as Huang Zu is completely wiped out and Cai Mao is defeated, we can go back and deal with Liu Jing and Wuhou calmly. I think it's too late. "

    Sun Quan frowned, "We have been facing off against the enemy for seven days. Does Gong Jin have any strategy to defeat the enemy?"

    Zhou Yu smiled slightly and said: "Only when you know yourself and the enemy can you be victorious in every battle. I have learned a lot about Cai Mao's army in the past few days. I will defeat the enemy tonight!"

    Sun Quan was overjoyed, "After defeating Cai Mao, Huang Zu's situation is over. I have ordered Huang Gai to lead an army of ten thousand to the west to cut off Huang Zu's escape. I am willing to hear the good news tonight!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, just after Haishi, the Jingzhou reinforcements in Shuizhai changed their duties. Cai Zhong, a younger brother of the Cai Mao clan, was on duty tonight. Although Cai Zhong did not make any contribution in the Battle of Xinye, he still followed the trend and was rewarded. He has been promoted.  For other departments Sima.

    But Cai Zhong himself was not satisfied. His target was Beishui Military Academy Lieutenant. After Zhang Yun was demoted, the position of Beishui Military Academy Lieutenant remained vacant, which made many people jealous.

    Cai Zhong was also the deputy lieutenant of the navy at the time. If he had not been defeated by Gan Ning, he should have taken over the post of captain of the navy as a matter of course. Cai Zhong has always believed that the position of captain of the navy was originally his, and no one could think of it again.  Take away.

    But even though he thought so, if he had no merit, Liu Biao would not promote him, so this time to support Jiangxia, Cai Zhong held back his energy. He vowed to make great achievements and be promoted directly to the rank of captain.

    Cai Zhong was sitting in the water village, drinking tea. Although he wanted to drink a few glasses of wine, Cai Mao was very strict in running the army. Drinking was strictly prohibited during war, and Cai Zhong did not dare to violate the ban.

    At this time, a soldier rushed over and reported urgently: "StartGeneral ??, the patrol found Sun Quan's boat and took advantage of the fog to come and take a peek at our water stronghold!  "

    Cai Zhong stood up and asked anxiously: "Maybe it's definitely Sun Quan's ship?"

    "It must be! There is also the banner of Marquis Wu on the ship, and only three or four warships are escorting it."

    Cai Zhongzhong became excited. If he could catch Sun Quan, it would be a great achievement. He would be promoted to captain. Cai Zhong immediately ordered his surroundings: "Don't tell the military advisor about this matter!"

    He was eager to achieve success, and feared that Cai Mao would stop his achievements, so he led more than 40 night-watch ships with a total of more than 3,000 people, sailed out of the water stronghold, and surrounded Sun Quan's ship.

    At this time, Sun Quan's ship seemed to have discovered the threat, and turned around and fled south. Cai Zhong laughed ferociously and shouted loudly: "Don't let the big ship go, chase it!"

    Just as Cai Zhong's fleet left the water stronghold, hundreds of Jiangdong boats loaded with firewood quietly sailed towards the Jingzhou military water stronghold in the heavy fog. At this time, Cai Zhong led his army to attack, and there were no generals on duty in the stronghold.  The defense was empty, and hundreds of small boats suddenly burst into flames. Taking advantage of the wind, the fire rushed directly into the Jingzhou military water stronghold.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 181 The Death of Huang Zu

    Cai Zhong was about to catch up with Sun Quan's boat, and his heart was about to explode with joy. At this moment, a soldier suddenly pointed at the north bank and shouted: "General, the water stronghold is on fire!"

    Cai Zhong turned around and saw flames and thick smoke billowing into the sky in their water stronghold. The fire stretched for several miles and engulfed the entire water stronghold. Cai Zhong was shocked. Only then did he realize that he had fallen into the trap of luring the tiger away from the mountain. He was so anxious that he  Shouted: "The warship must turn around quickly!"

    But it was already too late. He only heard the thunderous beating of drums, loud shouts of killing on the river, and warships from all directions surrounding him. Cai Zhong was so horrified that he sat down on the ground. He realized that he had caused a huge disaster.  .

    Cai Mao was pushed out of his sleep by soldiers. He heard that there was a fire in the water village and Jiangdong military ships rushed in from all sides. He was so anxious that he cursed: "Why didn't that idiot Cai Zhong stop him?"

    "Military advisor, General Cai fell into the trap of luring the tiger away from the mountain. He was lured out by someone pretending to be Sun Quan. The defense is empty and the Jiangdong army is talented"

    Cai Hao roared in anger, kicked over the reporting soldier, and ordered: "Abandon the warship, all soldiers come ashore quickly!"

    Cai Mao summoned more than 16,000 soldiers and had just rushed ashore. At this moment, shouts of killing broke out in the woods on the shore. Zhou Yu personally led 5,000 troops to kill. Xu Sheng, the left army, Pan Zhang, the right army, and thousands of Jiangdong soldiers  He rushed into the Jingzhou army in an instant.

    Most of the Jingzhou army fled ashore from a dream, with no armor or weapons, and they were in chaos. The Jiangdong Army suddenly killed them, causing them to be in chaos. The Jingzhou army trampled on each other, everyone rushed to escape, and they quickly collapsed without organizing any resistance.  Countless people surrendered.

    Cai Mao disguised himself as a soldier in the chaos and fled the battlefield. He did not dare to stay and fled directly back to Xiangyang.

    On the south bank of the Jiangdong Water Village, Sun Quan stood on the big ship with his hands behind his hands, watching the Jingzhou Dazhai burn. He was very happy in his heart. He turned around and smiled at everyone: "As expected of Zhou Lang, with just a raise of his hand, Jingzhou's reinforcements were all over."  The army was destroyed."

    Lord Bo Cheng Bing smiled and said: "Since Cai Mao has been defeated, why not take advantage of this opportunity of high morale to annihilate Huang Zu in one go?"

    Sun Quan nodded and ordered his soldiers: "Send this order to Zhou Yu. The defeated army does not need to pursue anymore. The entire army will prepare for war tomorrow to encircle and suppress Huang Zu!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    If Huang Zu was compared to an animal at this time, he would be a trapped beast. Ever since his eldest son Huang She defeated Wuchang, Huang Zu had realized that the end was coming, especially when Sun Quan killed all the Huang family, leaving Huang Zu  What he felt was not anger, but a kind of inner trembling, which made him panic all day long, and he drank to drown his sorrows all day long.

    In the room, the guard Ding Ping brought a jar of wine to Huang Zu. Huang Zu carried the wine jar and poured a large bowl. Then he waved his hand and ordered Ding Ping to step back. Ding Ping was Huang Zu's guard at first, and he was  A relative of the aide Jiang Qi gained Huang Zu's trust by exposing Su Fei and became Huang Zu's confidant bodyguard.

    He quickly retreated. At this time, the big tent door said, "Swipe!"  ¡¯ was opened with a sound, and Su Fei walked in anxiously. Ding Ping was startled and hurriedly hid behind the tent.

    Su Fei was originally Huang Zu's lieutenant, Huang Zu's left and right arm, but last year he failed in the attack on Chaisang. Huang Zu suspected that Su Fei had secretly surrendered to Liu Jing, and from then on he was not allowed to command the army again, and was only given a sinecure.  .

    This time Jiangdong launched a large-scale attack on Jiangxia. Su Fei suggested Huang Zu several times, but Huang Zu never paid attention. Su Fei had just received the news that Cai Mao had been defeated. He was so anxious that he rushed in desperately.

    "Is the governor still thinking about drinking now?" Su Fei stamped his feet anxiously.

    Huang Zu glared at him fiercely, slammed the wine bowl, and cursed: "You dare to break into my tent without my consent. Are you tired of living?"

    "Prefect, Cai Mao has been defeated. Sun Quan is gathering an army. The fire is imminent!"

    "What!" Huang Zu broke out in a cold sweat. He suddenly woke up from the wine. He couldn't say a word for a long time.

    At this time, Su Fei sighed and said: "Beizhi also received another news. Liu Jing recaptured Chaisang, captured Lu Meng, and defeated Jiangdong's army. Beizhi believed that if the prefect and Liu Jing cooperated with each other now, maybe they could still  Protect Jiangxia, Governor, and withdraw your troops to Chaisang!"

    Huang Zu walked forward slowly, suddenly grabbed Su Fei's lapel, stared at him fiercely and said, "I understand now, you are the undercover Liu Jing placed beside me, right?"

    Su Fei was so angry that he shouted: "I have worked hard for the prefect, and I have no selfish motives, but the prefect said that I have ulterior motives, which is so embarrassing!"

    Huang Zu sneered and shouted: "Come here!"

    Dozens of soldiers rushed in. Huang Zu pointed at Su Fei and said, "Drag this man out and beat him to death with sticks!"

    Dozens of soldiers, like wolves and tigers, dragged Su Fei down. Su Fei cursed: "Huang Zu, if you kill me today, you will die without a trace tomorrow!"

    "Drag him out and beat him to death!" Huang ZuxiYelled angrily.

    At this moment, Jiang Qi hurriedly walked in, knelt down and said: "Prefect, calm down, now is not the time to kill him."

    Huang Zu sat down heavily, took two breaths and said, "Why isn't it the time to kill him?"

    "Prefect, Su Fei is quite prestigious in the army. Killing him now will definitely shake the morale of the army, which will not be conducive to the prefect's fight against Jiangdong's army. It is better to put him in prison first and kill him afterwards."

    Huang Zu was confused and confused. He also felt that Jiang Qi's words had some truth, so he ordered: "Don't kill him for the time being. He will be imprisoned by me. I will behead him in two days."

    Jiang Qi further advised: "Now that Cai Mao is defeated, Jiangdong's army will definitely attack us in a large scale. If we fight on the water, our army will definitely be defeated. It is better for the prefect to abandon the ship and go ashore, and use the geographical advantage to confront Jiangdong's army. If the situation is unfavorable, it can still be done."  What does the prefect think of withdrawing from Nanjun by land?"

    Huang Zu thought for a long time and finally nodded in agreement, "Just follow what you said."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Huang Zu abandoned his warships and withdrew his troops ashore. He divided his 15,000 men into two camps. One battalion of 5,000 men was commanded by his son Huang She and stationed west of Xiakou.

    He himself led 10,000 people to station in Xiakou, with the two camps ten miles apart. According to Huang Zu's idea, if he was unfortunately defeated, he could retreat to Huangshe's camp and lead the last 5,000 people to escape to Nanjun.  Some capital.

    At night, Jiang Qi paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his back. Seeing that Huang Zu was about to die, how could he not think of ways to protect himself? He did not want to be buried with Huang Zu. At this time, his son Jiang Nan hurriedly walked into the tent.  Kneel down and salute, "Father, are you looking for me?"

    Jiang Qi nodded and said to his son: "I want to surrender to Jiangdong. You can go to the Jiangdong camp for me to meet Wu Hou and express my wish."

    He took out a letter and a gold medal and handed them to his son, and said: "Give the letter to Marquis Wu, and you can enter and leave the camp at will with the gold medal."

    Jiang Nan nodded and walked away quickly. Jiang Qi watched his son walk away and sighed softly.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sun Quan had already gone to bed, but when he heard that Huang Zu's confidant Jiang Qi had sent his son to deliver a message, he immediately got dressed and ordered someone to bring Jiang Nan in. Jiang Nan came in and knelt down, kowtowed and said, "I pay homage to the Marquis of Wu!"

    Sun Quan saw that he was quite young, only sixteen or seventeen years old, so he smiled and said, "Where is your father's letter?"

    Jiang Nan hurriedly took out the letter and presented it. Sun Quan took the letter and read it. The words in the letter were quite flattering to Jiang Qi and he was willing to serve Jiangdong. Sun Quan thought for a moment, took out a pen and paper and wrote four words and handed it to Jiang Nan, "  Give this letter to your father and he will know it right away."

    Jiang Nan left, and Sun Quan immediately ordered: "Let Zhou Yu come to see me quickly!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Jiang Qi took the letter from his son and opened it. There were only four words on it, "Huang Zu's head". He took a breath of air. Sun Quan actually wanted Huang Zu's head. This was difficult to do!

    Jiang Qi paced around the tent. He really didn't want to bear the name of regicide, but this was Sun Quan's condition. If he didn't kill Huang Zu, Sun Quan wouldn't be able to use him. Think about it.  Go, he has no way out.

    Jiang Qi gritted his teeth and said, "That's all, if you don't care for yourself, you will be destroyed by heaven and earth!"

    He risked his life for the sake of wealth for the rest of his life.

    Jiang Qi immediately ordered to his confidants: "Go and find Ding Ping to see me!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Ding Ping came out of Jiang Qi's tent, looking very worried. Many things were indeed unpredictable. Originally, he accepted Liu Jing's order and ordered him to find a way to become Huang Zu's bodyguard again. When Huang Zu fled for his life, he killed him on the road.  Huang Zu, this was the task Liu Jing gave him, but he didn't expect that Jiang Qi would let him kill Huang Zu tonight and cut off Huang Zu's head for him.

    This made it difficult for Ding Ping. He didn't know if this violated Liu Jing's order. Liu Jing requested that Huang Zu be killed after the defeat. Although Huang Zu was killed in both cases, the timing was different.

    Ding Ping returned to Huang Zu's sleeping quarters. He was on duty tonight, serving Huang Zu. At this time, Huang Zu was drunk and snoring loudly. Ding Ping sat in front of Huang Zu's bed in a daze. At this time, he killed Huang Zu.  It is indeed easy to kill Zu, but what if we kill Huang Zu?

    There are more than a dozen of Huang Zu¡¯s soldiers outside the tent, how can I escape?

    After sitting there for an unknown amount of time, Ding Ping stood up. He brought a basin of water and took a thick stack of rough-edged paper from the table. He wet a piece of paper and carefully placed it on Huang Zu's mouth and nose, and then  One picture, seven or eight pictures were posted in a row. At this time, Huang Zu could no longer breathe, his face was swollen red, and he began to struggle instinctively.

    Seeing that Huang Zu was about to wake up, Ding Ping felt anxious. He drew out Huang Zu's sword, raised it high, gritted his teeth, and slashed at Huang Zu's neck. The big human skull rolled off the bed.

      Ding Ping hurriedly covered Huang Zu's body with a quilt, found a food box, poured out the partitions and bowls and chopsticks, put the head on it, and walked out of the tent.

    "My lord wants to drink, please order me to get some food to go with the wine."

    He said something vaguely, and then hurried to Jiang Qi's tent with the food box.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just when Jiang Qi left the camp, the Jiangxia Army camp suddenly became chaotic. Huang Zu was killed. The news spread throughout the military camp in an instant. The soldiers lost their fighting spirit and some soldiers began to flee.

    Su Fei was imprisoned in the back camp, with his hands tied behind his back, and was guarded by several Huang Zu's soldiers. At this time, he heard shouts in the camp, and there seemed to be chaos.

    Su Fei didn't know what was going on. Just when he was in doubt, Zhang Shuo, the tooth general, led more than a hundred people to suddenly attack and hacked Huang Zu's soldiers to death.

    Zhang Shuo rushed into the tent, cut Su Fei's rope, and said urgently: "General, Huang Zu was killed by Jiang Qi. The army has no leader and is in chaos. Let's ask the general to make the decision!"

    Su Fei was shocked. He immediately realized that the danger was coming, and immediately said: "Hurry up and lead the soldiers with me to retreat south, Jiangdong Army is about to kill!"

    Everyone rushed out of the tent, and Su Fei got on his horse. At this time, there was chaos in the northeast. Zhou Yu led 10,000 Jiangdong troops and rushed into the Jiangxia Army camp from the northeast corner. Sun Quan also suspected that it was Huang Zu's trick and did not dare to send more troops.  Zhou Yu was sent to wait outside with 10,000 troops. It was not until he saw Huang Zu's head that Zhou Yu believed it and ordered the army to attack.

    Su Fei was so anxious that he galloped on his horse and shouted: "Brothers, follow me to the south and leave quickly!"

    Su Fei has a high prestige in the Jiangxia Army, and he responds to hundreds of responses. The Jiangxia Army soldiers who were in chaos seemed to see a bright light in the darkness. Suddenly, thousands of people followed Su Fei and fled south. There was a chaos in the Jiangxia Army camp.

    Zhou Yu divided his troops into two groups. Along the way, he ordered Pan Zhang to lead 3,000 men to kill Jiang Xia's army, while he himself led 7,000 men to kill Huangshe's camp ten miles away.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 182: Raising troops to investigate crimes

    [This chapter is an additional update to repay the debt of the previous book. It will be updated normally at 9 p.m.]¡ª¡ª

    Chaisang County is busy inside and outside. In the past few days, tens of thousands of Chaisang people have been returning to their homes. When the Chaisang people were evacuated to Yangxin County and Xiazhi County, many generals opposed it, including Liu Hu and  Wei Yandu objected, believing that it would be time-consuming and labor-intensive, but Liu Jing insisted on withdrawing together with the army and civilians, despite all opinions.

    On the top of the city, Liu Jing was inspecting the craftsmen as they reinstalled the trebuchets and cannons. These trebuchets and cannons were manufactured in Yangxin County, and they were reinstalled after the firewood and mulberry were transported.

    "Got home!"

    A burst of cheers outside the city caught Liu Jing's attention. He turned around and walked to the wall, where he saw hundreds of ships lining up to enter the city. The excitement of returning home aroused cheers from the people.

    Liu Jing looked far away. He looked at the small boats on the Cao River carrying Chaisang people back to the city. Everyone's face was happy, with the joy of returning home, and Liu Jing's mouth also showed a smile.

    At this time, there was a slight noise behind her, and Liu Jing looked back. It turned out that hundreds of women were coming to deliver food on the top of the city. Some were carrying wooden barrels, and some were holding clay pots on their heads. The barrels were filled with steam.  There are steamed cakes and delicious glutinous rice paste in the clay pot.

    The arrival of the women immediately made the city lively. The fatigue of the craftsmen and soldiers was immediately swept away, and they gathered around with constant laughter.

    Liu Jing smiled. It seems that men and women should work together so that they are not tired. It seems to be a golden rule from ancient times to the present. Suddenly, Liu Jing saw a familiar figure, a young woman wearing a bamboo hat on her head. She was plump but not  She was slim and had an indescribable grace in her movements. She was asking a soldier about something, and the soldier pointed in her direction.

    Liu Jing was a little stunned, could it be her?

    The young woman saw him, and a touching smile appeared on her beautiful face. At this moment, Liu Jing recognized her, she was really Tao Zhan.

    Liu Jing was surprised and happy, and walked towards her quickly, but when he walked in front of her, he hesitated a little. He saw Tao Zhan wearing an ordinary farmer's black wide-brimmed bamboo hat and an ordinary woman's dark gray uniform.  Wearing a long coarse cloth dress and carrying a bamboo basket on her arm, covered with cloth, from the outside she looks like an ordinary poor woman.

    It¡¯s just that her white and delicate skin is different from ordinary women, revealing her extraordinary identity.

    "Why are you here?" Liu Jing looked her up and down and couldn't help laughing.

    Tao Zhan was filled with joy when he finally found Liu Jing, but when he saw his eyes looking at his clothes, he couldn't help but roll his eyes at him.

    "Why, as a member of Chaisang, can't I come and deliver some meals to the soldiers to show my kindness?"

    "Of course, it's just"

    "Just what?"

    Tao Zhan interrupted him and stopped him from talking anymore. She feigned anger and glared at Liu Jing again, "Is there anything wrong with me wearing this dress? This is the cloth I knitted and made by myself.  Dress."

    "No!"

    Liu Jing quickly explained with a smile: "I just didn't expect you to appear at the top of the city, so I was very surprised and thought I was being deceived."

    Seeing his sincere attitude, Tao Zhan turned his anger into joy. He gave him the bamboo basket and said with a smile: "Eat! This is your lunch."

    A warm current flowed into Liu Jing's heart. It turned out that she had brought food to him. He was moved and took the basket and said with a smile, "What is it?"

    "I made a few side dishes myself, and I learned from Little Baozi to bake two mutton patties for you, see if you like them."

    Liu Jing couldn't help but glance at her delicate little hands again. Such delicate hands could weave and make clothes by themselves and cook. It was really hard for her.

    He nodded silently, found a large flat stone, opened the cloth, and found a delicate food box in the basket. When he opened the food box again, he saw a plate of green cabbage and white radish cut into thin strips.  Served on a white jade plate, it is a feast for the eyes. This is not a side dish, but like a work of art.

    Tao Zhan had taken off her bamboo hat, revealing her black hair, which made her even more beautiful. She handed Liu Jing a pair of chopsticks, and took out a piece of mutton cake from the food box with her slender hands, and carefully spread a thick layer of it with a flat spoon.  Roll up a thick layer of meat dumplings and hand it to him, saying with a smile: "Eat it quickly!"

    Liu Jing smiled, took the meat pie, munched it, and ate up two plates of side dishes. Seeing that he ate deliciously, Tao Zhan felt happy and took out a small bottle from the basket and handed it to him, "General Liu  , how about a drink?¡±

    Liu Jing shook her head quickly, "No! You can't drink. This is a military rule."

    Tao Zhan winked mischievously, "Did I say it was wine?"

    Liu Jing was startled, he took the vialAfter smelling it, a refreshing scent of osmanthus came to my nose, and my whole mind seemed to clear up.

    "This is"

    "This is sweet-scented osmanthus pear pulp mixed with the best mountain spring water. I made a few cans of it in Yangxin County when I had nothing to do. I have dry lungs in autumn. Drinking this is the most nourishing. I used to learn how to make it from my mother every year. This year I made it myself.  Done."

    Speaking of her mother, Tao Zhan's eyes flashed with sadness. She didn't want to affect Liu Jing's mood, so she smiled and said, "Let's see if you like it. If you like it, I have a lot more."

    Liu Jing drank it all in one gulp without adding any honey. A refreshing fragrance lingered on his lips for a long time. He nodded, "It's really good. It's very fragrant. But next time, don't put it in a small bottle."  , which will cause the soldiers to misunderstand.¡±

    Tao Zhan rolled his eyes at him, "There's no next time. I'm in a good mood today, so I made a special trip. Next time, let Little Baozi bring you food! I didn't let her come today, and she was still pouty and unhappy.  "

    Having said this, she stood up, looked around the city, and couldn't help but sigh: "It's embarrassing to say this! I grew up in Chaisang City, and this was the first time I came up to this city. It turned out to be  With this look, General Liu, can you see the Yangtze River?"

    "Of course you can see it! I'll take you there."

    Liu Jing stood up, pointed to the east, and said with a smile: "The Yangtze River is the most spectacular there. Miss Tao, please invite me!"

    Tao Zhan pursed her lips and smiled, and followed Liu Jing slowly towards the east of the city. Unknowingly, she took Liu Jing's arm. Seeing that there was no one around, she whispered again: "I'm here to ask you, have you gone?"  Xiazhi County, why don¡¯t you come to Yangxin County to see me?¡±

    "Because I was worried about Jiangdong's army attacking, I didn't dare to leave Xiazhi County. I had to entrust Yuan Zhi to take care of Yangxin County, including the Tao family. I also asked him to visit."

    "So what you said makes sense, but what about now?"

    Tao Zhan looked at him with a half-smiling expression and asked, "It's been three days and you still refuse to take a step into Tao's house. Do you think of me until I shamelessly come to bring you food?"

    Liu Jing heard the blame in her tone and quickly explained: "I was busy from morning to midnight. I just wanted to split myself in two. I was also worried that Jiang Dongjun would arrive at any time. I had thousands of things in my mind.  Jiuniang, I¡¯m really sorry.¡±

    Of course, Tao Zhan didn't really blame him, he just wanted to know his weight in his heart. Liu Jing's answer made her very satisfied. She smiled sweetly and said, "The attitude is not bad. For the sake of someone's sincere attitude, this girl,  Just spare him once, eh! It¡¯s getting late, I have to go back.¡±

    Liu Jing was stunned, "Don't you want to see the Yangtze River?"

    Tao Zhan¡¯s face bloomed with a smile like a peach blossom, and he shook his head gently, "I don¡¯t know why, but suddenly I don¡¯t want to watch it anymore. Let¡¯s watch it another day! General Liu, can you take me back to your home?"

    Liu Jing then realized that she didn't want to see the Yangtze River. She just wanted to find a deserted place to say a few words to herself. He couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart, what a woman's heart!

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After seeing Tao Zhan back, Liu Jing just walked to the corridor of the city wall when a huge body suddenly blocked his way.

    "Sima, I just can't figure it out!"

    When Liu Jing looked up, he saw Liu Hu scratching his head and standing in front of him with a puzzled face. Liu Jing felt his head was pounding. Why were there so many people with opinions today? He asked angrily: "What can't you figure out?  "

    ¡°Since you knew you were going to bring these people back, why did you send them away in the first place?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re doing?¡±

    Liu Jing looked at him, "Is that why you can't figure it out?"

    "yes!"

    Liu Hu stopped scratching his head. He mustered up the courage, bit his lips and said, "Brothers are very tired by doing this, and more than a dozen brothers have been injured. I think it's not worth it."

    Liu Jing did not answer him directly. He walked up to the top of the city. Liu Hu followed him from a distance. Liu Jing walked to the city wall and stared at the densely packed boats on the Cao River. After a while, he said calmly: "Have you ever tasted the feeling of being abandoned?  ?¡±

    Liu Hu shook his head, "No."

    ¡°I¡¯ve tasted it!¡±

    There was a bit of sadness in Liu Jing's smile, "That feeling is uncomfortable, and the same goes for the soldiers and civilians of Chaisang. If they didn't share life and death last year, maybe they wouldn't care."

    Liu Jing sighed and continued: "The Jiangdong army is pressing on the border. At this time, should you abandon your subjects and escape by yourself, or should we share weal and woe and evacuate together?"

    Liu Hu then understood what Liu Jing meant. After a while, he hesitated and said, "But Jiangdong Army will not necessarily hurt them."

    "Yes! I know Sun Quan will not harm them, but that is not what I want. What I want is the loyalty of my subjects to me. If soIf I don¡¯t share weal and woe with them, how can the people of Chaisang be loyal to me? How can the people of Jiangxia accept me? When the war comes, if I don¡¯t abandon the people of Chaisang, then the people of Jiangxia will believe that I, Liu Jing, will also not abandon them.  ,do you understand?  "

    Liu Jing poked Liu Hu's chest heavily with her finger, and her voice became deeper, "You have to know, this is how people's hearts are won!"

    Liu Hu lowered his head. This was a state he could not understand, but he knew that Liu Jing was right. After pausing for a while, Liu Hu's thoughts returned to what he cared about, and complained to Liu Jing: "They destroyed  The iron-making furnace has been damaged, and the craftsmen said it will take at least a month to recover, so I won¡¯t be able to get the Zhanma Dao this time.¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and patted his generous shoulder, "The sword is used to deal with cavalry. The Jiangdong Army does not need it. A three-pointed two-edged sword is enough. Train well! There will be a time when you show off your skills."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 183 Jiangdong¡¯s main force arrives

    Liu Hu left happily. Just as Liu Jing was about to go to the military camp, a loud horn sound suddenly sounded in the distance, "Woo¡ª¡ª"

    The horn sounded across the river, and the soldiers stood by the wall and looked into the distance. They saw a fleet of hundreds of large ships sailing toward the Cao River, with sails flying and covering the sky.

    This was the return of the fleet transporting food supplies, which caused cheers from the people on the boats around. Liu Jing suddenly thought of his kerosene and walked quickly towards the city.

    On the last dozen large ships, special supplies were transported. The ships were loaded with large round jars. The edges of the jars were stained with a lot of black viscous liquid. Most of them had been dried by the river wind and turned into a  A layer of black dry shell turns into powder with just a pinch.

    This is the ship specially designed to transport kerosene for Liu Jing. Of course, it is crude oil that has not been refined. Even so, the oil can be burned and used for military purposes.

    "Sima, I promise not to drink even a single drop!" Liao Hua shouted loudly to Liu Jing who was standing on the shore on the big ship.

    Liu Jing laughed. He found that Liao Hua also had a humorous side. When the ship approached the shore, Liu Jing jumped onto the ship.

    Liao Hua came forward, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "Greetings to Sima!"

    Liu Jing helped Liao Hua up and praised him for his ability to suppress the bandits. In fact, Liao Hua took action and the three bandits in Yangxin County surrendered. However, just when Huang Zu peeked at Chai Sang, the bandits acted out the role of the bandit under Liao Hua's arrangement.  A crisis engulfing Yangxin County.

    This time the Jiangdong Army was about to attack Chaisang for the second time, Liu Jing transferred Liao Hua back. Liao Hua's ability to defend the city was indeed good. The last time he defended the Jiangdong Army, he left a deep impression on Liu Jing.

    But Liao Hua also has a weakness, that is, he prefers wine. This is a habit he developed when he was the Zuo King of Jiangxia.

    Liu Jing stepped forward and lifted the firecloth. Under the firecloth was a neatly stacked jar of crude oil. These jars were originally jars for wine and pickles, and were found in every household. Tens of thousands of these large jars were soon collected.

    Liao Hua patted the jar and sighed: "It's a pity that it's not wine. It would be great if more than a dozen ships were filled with wine!"

    "Wine can't help us defeat Jiangdong's army. These black guys are much stronger than wine. You will know when the battle gets fierce."

    Liao Hua chuckled, "If it can help us defeat the Anxi Army, I will stop drinking and drink it exclusively!"

    "A man once said what he said, it's hard to catch up!" Liu Jing looked at Liao Huadao with a smile.

    Liao Hua scratched his head. He was just joking. How could he drink this thing? "Sima, it's okay if you don't drink, but you can avoid it if you drink this."

    "Brothers, please listen to me!" Liu Jing shouted loudly.

    Soldiers from dozens of nearby ships came to the side of the ship and stared at Liu Jing. Liu Jing pointed at Liao Hua and said loudly: "General Liao just swore that if he defeated the Jiangdong Army this time, he would never drink again. Please  Brother, prove it!¡±

    The soldiers suddenly burst into laughter, and one soldier shouted: "Don't worry, Sima, if General Liao dares to drink secretly, we will file a complaint immediately!"

    The crowd laughed louder, Liu Jing patted Liao Hua on the shoulder, her eyes turned into slits with laughter, "Brothers have high expectations for you!"

    Liao Hua lowered his head. He actually knew that Liu Jing was helping him quit drinking. He bit his lips and suddenly raised his head and said, "I can promise that as long as I defeat Jiangdong Army, I, Liao Hua, will never drink a drop of wine again."

    "very good!"

    Liu Jing looked into Liao Hua's eyes and said, "Liao Yuanjian has always been a man who makes promises worth a thousand pieces of gold. I look forward to you fulfilling your promise."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, a small boat came quickly. There was a tall and burly general standing on the bow of the boat. It was Gan Ning. He suddenly saw Liu Jing on the big boat and shouted quickly: "Sima, I am looking for you!"  "

    Gan Ning jumped onto the ship, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See Sima!"

    In fact, Gan Ning was also appointed Sima of another department by Liu Biao, but Gan Ning, the official appointed by Liu Biao, did not take it seriously. He valued Liu Jing more. Like Wei Yan, Liao Hua and others, Gan Ning also bet his future and destiny on Liu Jing.  In the face of Jiangdong's superior troops, Liu Jing's perseverance and neither humility nor arrogance made him deeply admired and convinced.

    But unlike Wei Yan, Liao Hua and others, Gan Ning had his own subordinates, about 600 people who had followed him for many years. Liu Jing also acquiesced that Gan Ning had his own Qubu.

    Liu Jing stepped forward to help him up and said with a smile: "Now is not a war time, just do ordinary courtesy, it doesn't have to be so complicated."

    Gan Ning stood up and said solemnly: "Everyone has his or her own dignity. Etiquette is the rule. Sima should not indulge his subordinates too much."

    Gan Ning¡¯s advice made Liu Jing feel grateful.? He smiled and said, "Let's go and talk in the back!"

    The two came to the back cabin, which was where the crew rested. There were windows on the bulkhead and a small table. The two sat down opposite each other. A soldier served them tea. Gan Ning pondered for a moment and said: "It's a humble job."  I have a plan that I came here to suggest to Sima.¡±

    "you say!"

    "Yesterday, a brother came from Pengze and told me the news that the Jiangdong Army's Pengze Dazhai warships have less than three hundred. I estimate that the number of troops is at most three thousand. Sima, this is an opportunity."

    Liu Jing was silent in thought for a long time, and said: "Actually, I have also considered it, but the Pengze military camp is well-defended, so it may not be easy for a sneak attack."

    Gan Ning smiled slightly, "L¨¹ Meng has been cautious enough and his defenses are tight enough. It's not like he was broken through by Sima. I dare not say on land, but in the water, I don't think there is any defense that can stop me."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed, "Then I will lend a helping hand!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Three days later, the spies came with news that the main force of the Jiangdong Army was found on the river fifty miles away. There were nearly two thousand warships, and they were heading towards Chaisang. Sirens sounded throughout the city, and groups of soldiers rushed to the city.  At the head, the trebuchets and stone cannons were filled with young and strong civilians who helped in the battle.

    Although some people and supplies have not yet been transferred to Chaisang at this time, Chaisang City has completed war preparations. The city is covered with trebuchets and stone cannons, and 7,000 elites and 20,000 civilians have devoted themselves to the defense of the city.  .

    Liu Jing stood at the top of the city, squinting at Chaisang Pier. On the pier, dozens of soldiers were pouring barrels of kerosene into the water. There was a circle of floating ropes around it to ensure that the kerosene would not be diluted and spread into the river.

    Although the oil they dumped has not been purified, it has been precipitated and many impurities have been removed. It is no longer as viscous as it was originally and is more flammable.

    Liu Jing looked into the distance again. Although he was only 50% sure of winning this battle, he had 100% determination and confidence.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Above the river, two thousand warships floated down the river, their sails covering the sky. This was the main force of the Jiangdong Army, with a total of more than 50,000 men. They carried with them the remaining power of defeating Cai Mao's reinforcements and killing Huang Zu.  Kill Chai Sang.

    The situation in Jiangxia is already very clear. As long as Liu Jing's army is defeated, Jiangxia will be officially merged into Jiangdong territory. Not only Jiangxia, but also Changsha County in the south is also bound to win.

    On a huge ship in the middle, the gold-rimmed flag of the Marquis of Wu fluttered in the river wind. Sun Quan stood on the bow of the ship with his hands behind his hands, staring at the majestic river for a long time, but his face was very solemn. Regarding this second meritorious service, Chai Sang,  He no longer had the relaxed feeling he had last time. He had a hunch that this time it would be a bloody battle.

    After thinking for a long time, Sun Quan turned around and asked, "Is Ziming here?"

    Lu Meng walked out of the crowd, stepped forward and knelt down on one knee, "The general is here!"

    After Lu Meng was released by Liu Jing, he came directly to Wuchang and has been recovering from his injuries in Wuchang. He felt guilty and did not dare to see Sun Quan. He did not board the ship until yesterday. Sun Quan took a look at his injured arm and asked gently: "The extent of the injury."  how's it going?"

    Lu Meng sighed and said: "The military doctor said that the bone is broken and it will take at least two months to heal."

    Sun Quan nodded, "Then take good care of yourself and don't have any thoughts. When you recover, I will use you as before."

    Lu Meng was moved in his heart, "Thank you so much, Marquis Wu!"

    Sun Quan smiled and asked attentively: "I want to ask you, what kind of person do you think Liu Jing is?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 184: Head-on attack

    Please vote!¡ª¡ª

    Lu Meng thought for a while and said: "Reporting to the Marquis of Wu, Bei Shi also thought about this issue. The deepest impression Liu Jing left on Bei Shi was that he personally led his troops to sneak into Chaisang and put himself in danger, which shows that this person is extremely adventurous and good at doing dangerous things.  Chess, and he attacked the North City, but set up an ambush outside the South City. This person is thoughtful and strategic. "

    After a pause, he said frankly: "But he let me go again. His motives made me puzzled."

    Sun Quan nodded. He agreed with Lu Meng's point of view. As for Liu Jing letting Lu Meng go, he understood that Liu Jing was doing it for him, which meant that he had not closed the door to reconciliation with Jiangdong.

    Sun Quan admired Liu Jing's broad-mindedness. War is war, but he will not become enemies because of war. Once the situation calls for it, they still have the possibility of forming an alliance.

    Since Liu Jing is so broad-minded, Sun Quan will also accept this favor. In this battle, Liu Jing cannot be killed under any circumstances. He must be captured alive or let him live.

    At this time, Sun Quan glanced at Lu Xun again. Seeing that he was about to speak but hesitated, he smiled and said, "Do you have any ideas, Boyan?"

    Lu Meng's face immediately sank, and he snorted slightly. Although Lu Xun fought tooth and nail to break out of the encirclement that night and was not punished by Sun Quan, Lu Meng knew clearly that he was wounded at that time, and he led his army to fight against Zhao Yun to fight for the brothers behind him.  vitality.

    But as Lu Xun was a subordinate general, he should also fight against the enemy like himself. However, Lu Xun cut a bloody path and escaped first, so that none of the soldiers behind him could escape.

    Although Lu Xun did not violate military regulations and was not punished, Lu Meng despised his character and did not want to say another word to him.

    Lu Xun stepped forward, knelt down on one knee and said, "I have something to report to the Marquis of Wu."

    "Say it!"

    "I discovered that Liu Jing seems to have a special army, with about three hundred people. They are not afraid of arrows and are very elite."

    Sun Quan suddenly became interested and asked quickly: "What kind of army do you think it is?"

    "After thinking about it carefully, I realized that this should be a heavy armored infantry. They are covered in heavy steel armor, so they are not afraid of arrows."

    Sun Quan's face suddenly looked a little ugly. He is the king of a country. Of course he knows how much it costs to build such a heavy armored infantry. It is impossible to do it with the financial resources of Chaisang County alone. This only proves the fact that Liu Jing  Received the full support of the Tao family.

    "Huh!" Sun Quan snorted heavily, and after taking Chai Sang, he would settle the accounts with the Tao family one by one.

    At this time, the fleet began to pass the mouth of the Fushui River. Zhou Yu pointed to a dozen small boats anchored at the mouth of the river and said: "Have you seen it, Marquis Wu? This is the mouth of the Fushui River. You can reach it by walking southwest along the mouth of the river for more than twenty miles."  Go down to Pheasant County and continue for eighty miles to Yangxin County. I have received information that there are still a lot of people in Yangxin County and we have not had time to withdraw from Chaisang."

    This time Zhou Yu did not persuade Sun Quan to attack the two counties, but his intention was very clear. It depends on whether Sun Quan is willing to let these two counties go.

    Sun Quan put his hands behind his hands and looked at the mouth of the river. For a moment, he sneered, "Why don't I wipe out these two counties?"

    He turned around resolutely and ordered: "Where is General Han Yigong?"

    A general in his thirties came out to salute, "The last general is here!"

    This man has dark skin, sharp eyes, a strong back, and particularly long arms. He is the famous Jiangdong general Han Dang. He followed Sun Jian in the north and south, established Jiangdong Foundation, and is now Zhonglang General. This time he also followed Sun Quan in the westward expedition.  , made great contributions in the battle to capture Wuchang County.

    Sun Quan immediately ordered: "I will give you five thousand soldiers to attack Xiangji County and Yangxin County by land and water. They will raze the two counties to the ground and capture all the people and supplies."

    "The general will obey your orders!"

    Han Dang got off the ship and ordered his troops. Sun Quan stared at the mouth of the river for a moment. Murderous aura gradually filled his chest. He turned around and shouted loudly: "As I said, the first one to enter Chaisang City will be rewarded with five thousand taels of gold."  , whoever captures Liu Jing alive will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and promoted to two ranks!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At noon, the Jiangdong army finally appeared in the sight of the defenders of Chaisang City. It was an extremely spectacular scene. The large ships that blocked the sky and the sun almost covered the entire river. More than 2,000 warships appeared densely on the river.  superior.

    The more than 50,000 troops were just a fighting force. In fact, there were 60,000 to 70,000 boatmen and civilians mobilized before the expedition. Jiangdong devoted almost all the efforts of the country to this western expedition.

    At this time, horns were heard on the river, and the low horns resounded throughout the river. This was an order for the entire army to land. Large ships filled with soldiers began to slowly approach the dock.

    Chaisang¡¯s wharf is about two miles long and can accommodate dozens of large ships at the same time.But to the west of the pier, there is a forest that stretches for more than ten miles. The forest is only about 30 steps away from the pier. There is a muddy official road in the middle, and to the north is the Yangtze River lapping at the river bank.

    At this time, more than a hundred soldiers who were ambushing in the woods had quietly appeared at the edge of the woods. They held bows and arrows and watched the Jiangdong ship approaching the dock. Many people cast their eyes on the river. The usually light green river water turned into  The river surface next to the dock is covered with a layer of black viscous substance. Many people are worried. Can this petroleum oil be burned?

    Jiangdong Army also discovered the black viscous liquid in the water. Large ships docked at the dock and were immediately surrounded by the viscous black liquid. Many soldiers exclaimed, but most of these exclamations were of a kind.  Disgusted, no one felt the danger was coming.

    Seeing more than twenty large ships docking at the pier, at this moment, a low order came from the woods. More than a hundred soldiers lit the rockets in their hands, stretched their bows and fired towards the Yangtze River. More than a hundred rockets crossed the pier and fired into the Yangtze River.  In the Yangtze River, although most of the rockets entered the water and were extinguished, a few rockets ignited the kerosene on the water.

    ¡®Boom!  ' With a sound, a flame ignited on the water. The flames spread rapidly, forming a burning sea of ????fire, accompanied by billowing smoke. In just an instant, more than 20 warships near the dock were all plunged into a sea of ????fire.

    The soldiers on the ship suddenly shouted in panic. Many ships tried to turn around and leave, but they soon burned, and fire and smoke began to engulf these warships.

    The sound of horns on the river stopped. Tens of thousands of Jiangdong soldiers from two thousand warships were watching this horrific scene. Fire broke out on the river and gradually engulfed more than twenty warships.

    This thrilling scene shocked all Jiangdong soldiers to hold their breath and stared straight at this terrifying scene on the water. The river was actually burning?

    Many soldiers knelt down, kowtowed on the deck, and begged the River God to calm down their anger. This was beyond their understanding. Apart from understanding that the River God was angry, they could not understand the burning of water, let alone the coexistence of water and fire.

    Sun Quan stood on the bow of the boat, staring blankly at the scene in front of him, his eyes also full of shock, and even a little timid.

    Of course he understood that this was not the anger of the River God. He saw the rockets shot into the river with his own eyes. This must be the fire attack of the Jingzhou Army, but what was it?  Sun Quan was extremely shocked by this. It could actually burn on water. This was simply a weapon in water warfare.

    At this time, Zhou Tai stepped forward and saluted, "I would like to inform the Marquis of Wu, I may be able to guess some clues."

    Sun Quan turned around and asked: "Say quickly! What is this?"

    "When I was young, I saw a kind of black oil in Jingling County. It was very viscous, could float on the water, and could burn. The locals called it petroleum oil. Just now, I saw such a black layer on the water near the dock.  "

    It was then that everyone suddenly realized, and Sun Quan asked anxiously: "Is there this kind of petroleum oil in Jiangdong?"

    "I didn't pay attention to it. I'll look for it, maybe there is one."

    Sun Quan was silent, and his eyes turned to the dock again. At this time, his eyes showed a sad look.

    More than a dozen ships near the dock were set on fire. Fortunately, almost all the hulls of the big ships were burned, and most of the ships sailed away from the sea of ????fire. Several ships in the sea of ????fire were unable to move and began to tilt and sink.  The soldiers jumped off the ship one after another to survive. The fire on the water made the soldiers scream in agony.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The garrison on the top of the city was also silent, with no cheers. Everyone felt the same surprise in their hearts. Many people also knelt down and kowtowed heavily, piously grateful to the River God for his protection.

    When all the ships were forced to leave the dock, the city finally cheered. The soldiers were extremely excited. Liu Hu raised his arms and shouted, "The God of the River protects us, we will win this battle!"

    "This battle must be won!"

    Excited shouts erupted from the top of the city. Countless soldiers, their faces flushed, raised their spears and shouted loudly. The morale of the Jingzhou Army was burning at this moment.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The war was temporarily suspended, and Jiangdong Army was no longer in a hurry to land. It was not because Sun Quan was afraid of kerosene, but because of morale. The head-on attack encountered during the landing at noon greatly reduced the morale of Jiangdong Army, which made Sun Quan worried.

    ¡°All soldiers must understand!¡±

    In the cabin, Sun Quan raised his voice and said to dozens of generals: "Let them know that this is not some river god showing off his power, but petroleum oil, which is a kind of oil that can float on the water and burn at the same time.  Don¡¯t have any fear!¡±

    At this time, Zhou Yu stepped forward and said, "Marquis Wu, I have an idea."

    Sun Quan nodded, "Gong Jin, please speak!"

    ?"Since Jingling County and Xiaji County have this kind of carbocarbon oil, why don't we try to get some of it. I have already sent people to Xiaji County, and they should be able to get it soon. I suggest  "

    Before Zhou Yu finished speaking, there was a slight commotion at the door, and Zhou Tai walked in quickly holding a clay pot. He excitedly shouted: "Wu Hou, it is indeed carbolic oil!"

    This is a tank of crude oil obtained from Xiazhi County. Zhou Tai placed it on the table, and the generals immediately gathered around, all craning their necks to look.

    Sun Quan stepped forward to smell it, then scooped out a spoonful and let it slowly flow down from the air. The petroleum oil was long and thin, sticky and thick, like honey.

    "Wu Hou, this is the carbolic oil that I saw in Jingling County that year. The black object floating on the water today that burned our warship is also it."

    Sun Quan nodded and asked Zhou Yu, "Gong Jin just said, do you have any suggestions?"

    Zhou Yu smiled slightly and said: "Since the soldiers all think that the river god is angry, why doesn't Wu Hou take this opportunity to summon the river god once and convince the soldiers that the river god has calmed down."

    Sun Quan¡¯s eyes narrowed. He understood what Zhou Yu meant, and his suggestion was indeed brilliant.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 185: The War Rekindled

    Early the next morning, mist like a gauze loomed on the river. All the soldiers and boatmen appeared on the side of the ship. All eyes were on the Wuhou ship. The three thousand stone Wuhou ship was moored alone in the middle of the river.

    On the bow of the ship, Sun Quan, the Marquis of Wu, was wearing a black sacrificial robe and a flat-topped crown, burning incense and praying: "Now that I have traveled far, the road is open, the wind boy and the rain master are spreading in the middle of the road, traveling east of the Yangtze River, fighting in Jingzhou, the blue dragon is accompanying the ship,  The white tiger guides the way, the Xuanwu works together, the water god calms the heart, and the anger is gone."

    At this moment, a black object appeared on the water, and tens of thousands of soldiers suddenly exclaimed. This was the black floating object that appeared on the dock yesterday, 'Boom!  ¡¯ There was a sound, the fire burned, and thick smoke billowed.

    Tens of thousands of people were horrified and knelt down one after another, praying for the wrath of God to stop the water. At this time, the accompanying priests threw the three tributes on the table into the river. Sun Quan bowed again and again, prostrate himself with great respect. When Sun Quan bowed for the third time, unexpectedly  But it happened that the fire gradually became smaller and finally extinguished.

    Tens of thousands of Jiangdong's troops suddenly burst into cheers. This was the water god's anger. Sun Quan stood up and raised his arms high to the sky. Tens of thousands of Jiangdong's troops cheered again, washing away the sluggish morale.

    On the top of the city, Liu Jing watched the fire in the river gradually extinguish. Then he heard the cheers of Jiangdong's army. He had already guessed what was going on. He couldn't help but smile. He turned back to Xu Shu and said: "There are also smart people in Jiangdong. It's really bad."  underestimated.¡±

    Xu Shu sighed, "This is called fighting fire with poison. Jiangdong did not refute the rumors, but sacrificed to the water god to break them. It is indeed very clever. I am just worried that Jiangdong's army will see through the young master's fire oil and may be on guard."

    "It doesn't matter!"

    Liu Jing did not take Xu Shu's worries seriously and said calmly: "This is not a prop to pretend to be a magic weapon. This is a real weapon for fire attack. Even if some of them know the details, it doesn't matter. Can they guard against it?"

    Xu Shu sighed lowly, "I'm afraid a big battle today is unavoidable."

    Liu Jing glanced at Xu Shu, then looked at the Jiangdong naval fleet in the distance, and sneered, "I'm looking forward to fighting them!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Jiangdong Army once again landed on a large scale, this time without encountering any obstruction. Groups of Jiangdong soldiers rushed off the ships and quickly gathered on the shore. Soon, phalanxes appeared on the shore, with about 3,000 people in each phalanx.  .

    The team is neatly organized, with bright armor, and a forest of swords and spears. There is a murderous atmosphere outside the city, and from time to time, low horn sounds are heard, 'Woo¡ª¡ª'

    The landing lasted until midnight. Liu Jing stood on the top of the city, staring at the Jiangdong Army in the distance. The outside of the city had turned into a sea of ??fire. Tens of thousands of torches illuminated the night like day, and the dense army was vaguely visible.

    On the pier, large ships docked one after another, and immediately large groups of soldiers rushed out and rushed onto the land.

    To the west, a fire dragon formed by tens of thousands of torches was marching rapidly southward, joining thousands of Jiangdong troops outside the southern city. There was a loud rumble in the middle, and a huge silhouette could be faintly seen moving in the dark night, in the light of the fire.  Under the light, it looks like a huge beast.

    It can be seen that this time Jiangdong is pressing forward with all its troops. It is no longer an attack of 10,000 people, nor will it only attack the north gate, but a simultaneous attack from the north and south.

    Liu Jing's eyes became profound. If the Nirvana of Phoenix needs to be reborn from the ashes, then this battle of Chaisang will also be his Nirvana. After surviving this battle, Liu Jing will become the leader of Jiangxia.  host.

    On the ship of Marquis Wu near the dock, Sun Quan also stood on the bow of the ship and stared at the city of Chaisang with his hands behind his hands. Unlike Jiangdong's army, the city was dark, without fire, and the army could not be seen, just like a silent  In the world, only the ruins of the city tower show its broken figure in the night light.

    Sun Quan was in a good mood. During the day, he successfully used sacrifices to reinvigorate the morale of the army. The landing since the afternoon has been very smooth so far. This is a good start.

    Taking over Chaisang means that Jiangxia has officially become his territory. This is a great cause that his father and brother have been fighting for for many years, and it will finally be completed in his own hands.

    But Sun Quan was not satisfied with Jiangxia County. After capturing Jiangxia, his army immediately went south to capture Changsha County. In the spring of next year, he would gather his strength again and capture Nanjun and the four southern Guiyang counties in one fell swoop.

    "In this way, Jiangdong's army will occupy most of the south. In his eyes, Liu Biao is nothing more than a withered bone in a grave.

    Thinking of this, Sun Quan¡¯s lips curved, revealing a proud smile.

    His racing thoughts came back and he stared at the dark city top. Perhaps Liu Jing was also watching him from the top of the city.

    Sun Quan was very interested in this young rising star from Jingzhou. He did not want to kill Liu Jing, but wanted to capture him to Soochow, have a good chat with him, and let him see with his own eyes.How can he establish his hegemony? He can defeat Cao Cao without the alliance between Sun and Liu.

    "Wuhou!"

    A deep voice came from behind him. Sun Quan turned around, and it was the captain Ling Cao. His majestic body looked particularly majestic in the flickering firelight.

    "What's up?"

    Ling Cao knelt down on one knee, "I am willing to forgive my sins and fight the first battle!"

    Sun Quan looked at him for a long time and shook his head, "I have ordered Zhou Tai and Ding Feng to fight tomorrow. If they are unfavorable, you can fight the second battle!"

    Ling Cao lowered his head, feeling unwilling to do so, but Wu Hou did not give him a chance, making him helpless.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, the sound of a huge leather drum finally came from outside the city, "Boom! Boom! Boom"

    The earth-shattering drum beat broke the silence of the past two days, and the bells in the north and south cities rang at the same time, ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  when!  ¡¯

    The sound of the bell was piercing, which was the sound of war alarm. The soldiers in the city began to run towards the city in groups. The messengers coming from the north and south of the city reported urgent reports to Liu Jing one by one.

    "Sima, there is movement from the enemy forces in the north of the city, start fighting!"

    "It's the same in the south of the city. Cloud ladders and nest carts have appeared."

    Liu Jing's face was as cold as a rock, without any expression, "Send my order immediately, beat the drums, and prepare for battle!"

    The war drums on the top of the city also beat loudly, and the morale of the Jingzhou army was boosted. Four thousand defenders and 12,000 civilians were deployed at the north city, and there were also 3,000 soldiers and 8,000 civilians at the south city. In addition, there were hundreds of troops at the east and west city heads.  Soldiers on alert.

    Cloud ladders and chariots appeared outside the south city and north city at the same time. They moved forward slowly and made a huge roar. Jiangdong Army began a full-scale attack.

    After two days of silence, Jiangdong Army once again launched a violent attack. Sun Quan invested 40,000 troops from the north and south directions and launched a tidal wave of offensive towards Chaisang City.

    The drums sounded like thunder, and the soldiers rushed like the tide. Ladders, nest carts, and battering rams appeared one after another. Huge boulders roared across the sky and smashed into the dense crowd of soldiers. Dust was flying, blood mist filled the air, and soldiers' bones and tendons were broken.  , or be smashed into meat patties.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    But the huge boulders could not stop the overwhelming soldiers. Sun Quan's promise seemed to still echo in the ears of the soldiers, "The first one to enter Chaisang City will be rewarded with five thousand taels of gold. The one who takes Liu Jing's head will be rewarded with the same reward, and the one who captures Liu Jing alive will be rewarded."  , a reward of ten thousand taels of gold, and an official promotion of two levels!  ¡¯

    Under the heavy reward, Jiangdong's army went crazy. They were not afraid of life and death and fought hard to attack Chaisang City.

    Looking at the siege battle, Zhou Yu smiled and said to Sun Quan: "When our people get the petroleum oil from Xiaji County, use their own methods to repay him, and burn the door with fire, let's see how long Liu Jing can last?"

    Sun Quan stroked his beard and nodded, then asked: "When can we get the petroleum oil?"

    "I have already sent people out early in the morning, and we will be able to get them in large quantities tomorrow at the latest."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Endless forests cover the land to the north of Yangxin County. The terrain here is flat and dotted with low and gently undulating hills. The rich water meanders in the hills and flows to the southwest.

    Fushui is a local river, about three hundred miles long. The water is clear and the current is calm. The widest part of the river mouth is only three feet, making it impossible for ships over a thousand stones to sail.

    At dusk, an army of 5,000 people was rapidly marching towards Yangxin County, 20 miles away. This army was the 5,000 Jiangdong Army led by Han Dang. They had successfully occupied Xiazhi County.

    Although Xiazhi County was already an empty city, the Jiangdong Army, which had tasted their first victory, was extremely excited. They accelerated their speed and tried to reach Yangxin County before dark.

    The general Han Dang is riding on a gray war horse. He is eight feet tall, has a strong back and waist, and has extremely long arms. He is good at bows and arrows. He is a famous archer in Jiangdong. In his early years, he followed Sun Jian in the north and south, and made great military exploits. He is also the master of Jiangdong.  The founding hero of the People's Republic of China has a very high status in Jiangdong.

    This time Sun Quan attacked Jiangxia with all his strength. He originally wanted to stay with Han to guard Wu Commandery, but Han Dang insisted on coming to Jiangxia. "I must follow my ancestor and never lag behind. How can the Marquis of Wu treat me poorly?"  ¡¯ Sun Quan had no choice but to appoint him as the right commander of the central army.

    Han Dang lived up to expectations and took the lead in the siege of Wuchang City by breaking through the city and making the first contribution. This time Sun Quan ordered him to annihilate Xia Zhi and Yang Xin counties. Although Han Dang took the order, he felt a little unhappy in his heart because of such a move.  Come on, he won't have any part in attacking Chaisang.

    At this time, a spy rushed over and knelt down in front of Han Dangma to report, "Report to General Han, the five hundred defenders of Yangxin County have discovered us. I heard the alarm bell ringing, and the soldiers at the top of the city drew their bows and nocked arrows.  Stand ready!"

    Han Dang sneered, "Does Mantis also want to block the car? Pass my message."Order, speed up the march, reach Yangxin County before dark, and directly capture the county seat!  "

    With the general¡¯s order, the five thousand Jiangdong Army sped up again and rushed towards Yangxin County.  .

    About eight miles away from Yangxin County, in a mountain col one mile away from the Fushui River, an army of about 3,000 people was ambushed. The general leading this army was none other than Jingzhou veteran Huang Zhong.

    According to Liu Jing¡¯s deployment, the Jiangdong Army will definitely not let go of Xiazhi County and Yangxin County this time. Huang Zhong¡¯s mission is to annihilate this Jiangdong Army.

    The specific deployment of troops to fight was decided by Huang Zhong himself. Huang Zhong was rich in experience. He first gave up Xiazhi County as a bait, allowing Jiangdong's army to easily occupy Xiazhi County, which made them arrogant.

    Secondly, he moved the ambush closer to Yangxin County. He knew that the closer it was to Yangxin County, the lower the Jiangdong Army's vigilance would be. They would only focus on Yangxin County and often ignore the dangers on the road.

    The last step is often the most dangerous, but unfortunately most people ignore this.

    At this time, a thin black shadow flew out from the tree and landed directly in front of Huang Zhong's horse, startling the surrounding soldiers. Huang Zhong lightly hit his head with a riding whip and laughed and cursed: "Jing  Did Master ever warn you that you will be shot to death like a monkey?"

    Hou Wu said with a smile: "Young master has said it before, but I can't change this habit. Old general, I have military information to report."

    "Say it!" Huang Zhong said helplessly.

    "Jiangdong's army is already two miles away, marching along the west bank of the river. There are about 5,000 people and no ships following them."

    Huang Zhong raised his head and looked at the sky. It was dark all around and night had fallen quietly. Jiangdong Army must reach Yangxin County before dark. They did not have time to explore carefully along the way. "Are there any spies along the way?" Huang Zhong asked again.  .

    "There was a group of spies who made a casual investigation, but it's over." Hou Wu replied with a smile.

    Huang Zhong made up his mind and ordered resolutely: "The army is dispatched to ambush Jiangdong Army!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 186: Bloody Battle

    Night had fallen, but Yangxin County was still eight miles away, which made Han Dang quite annoyed. According to his plan, after conquering Yangxin, he immediately escorted the prisoners of war and supplies to Chaisang, and maybe caught up with the final battle of Chaisang.

    If he delays in Yangxin County for too long, it will affect his plan.

    "Can the spies ahead find any abnormalities?" Han Dang asked loudly. As a general, it is necessary common sense to detect the ambush situation ahead during the march.

    "Reporting to the general, the spies did not report anything, so there should be nothing unusual."

    Han Dang nodded and shouted loudly: "Speed ??up further, we must reach Yangxin County before it gets dark."

    Jiangdong Army soldiers had been marching for dozens of miles and were already a little tired. They complained softly, but had to speed up again. Many people's physical strength began to decline seriously, but they could not stop, stumbling and cursing all the way.

    At this time, Jiangdong's army began to pass through a valley. The so-called valley was actually a low-lying area between two hills, through which rich water passed.

    When boating on the river, you can see the undulating mountains on both sides, the lush green forests, and the picturesque scenery. However, it is already the Mid-Autumn Festival, and in the twilight, there is a bit of a cold autumn feeling in the mountains and forests.

    This section of the valley is about five miles long. After passing the valley, you can clearly see Yangxin County.

    At this time, danger was quietly approaching Jiangdong's army. About fifty steps away from Jiangdong's army, two thousand Jingzhou ambush soldiers were waiting. They held crossbows and spears and stared at them with murderous intent.  The Jiangdong Army Brigade passed in front of them.

    Another thousand people were ambushing on the other side, led by Huang Zhong's general Yang Sheng.

    Huang Zhong's eyes had been fixed on the enemy general. He slowly drew out an arrow, put it on the bowstring, and raised the bow to aim at Han Dang. He pulled the bowstring violently, and a wolf-fang arrow shot out from his hand like lightning.

    Huang Zhong's archery order was an order. There was a rapid banging sound in the woods, and Jingzhou soldiers fired arrows at random. Thousands of arrows were fired at Jiangdong Army intensively.

    Han Dang was already experienced in many battles. Although he was in a hurry to rush to Yangxin County and did not realize that the danger was coming, he had a vigilance that he had practiced in countless battles. He suddenly felt a strong wind coming from the side.  , instinctively turned to one side and avoided the fatal arrow.

    ¡®Poof!  ¡¯ The wolf-fang arrow was slightly deflected, hitting Han Dang¡¯s right shoulder. Han Dang shouted, turned over and fell off his horse. At this moment, there was a sound of clappers, and an overwhelming barrage of arrows shot at Jiangdong¡¯s army.

    The Jiangdong soldiers were caught off guard. Countless people fell to the ground after being hit by arrows. There were screams and the team was in chaos. Then the second and third rounds of arrows were fired intensively. The Jiangdong army suffered heavy casualties. The team was in chaos and countless people jumped into the river.  escape.

    In the woods, Huang Zhong saw the enemy troops in chaos. He waved his sword and shouted: "Attack!"

    With the sound of drums, two thousand ambush soldiers bravely fought out from the woods, like a sharp sword, splitting Jiangdong's army in half in an instant, killing Jiangdong's soldiers and turning them upside down, leaving many corpses lying on their backs.

    Jiangdong's army was in chaos, their morale collapsed, and they could no longer organize resistance. Thousands of people shouted in terror and fled in all directions.

    The rich water here is less than three feet wide, and the river is calm. Countless Jiangdong soldiers swam to escape. But as soon as they swam to the other side, an ambush broke out in the woods on the other side, killing the Jiangdong soldiers until they had no way to go to the sky and no way to the ground.

    At this time, Huang Zhong shouted: "Those who surrender will avoid death!"

    Dozens of cavalrymen galloped on their horses, shouting loudly: "The old general has an order, those who surrender will avoid death! Those who surrender will avoid death!"

    It was already dark, and Jingzhou was encircled. The soldiers in Jiangdong had no way to escape, so they had to surrender one after another. On both sides of the Fushui River, there were voices kneeling down and begging for mercy.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Han Dang was rescued by dozens of soldiers, fought his way to the north, and ran for more than ten miles in one breath. Han Dang looked back and saw that under the cold moonlight, there were only more than 300 remnant troops following him.

    Han Dang couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears due to various emotions such as shame, regret, pain, and sorrow. He looked up and sighed, ¡°What kind of shame does this give me when I go to see Wu Hou again!¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At noon, the Jiangdong Army that besieged Beicheng launched its third siege. General Zhou Tai led the attack with 20,000 soldiers. The Jiangdong Army had already conducted two tentative attacks, and this time the army finally pressed forward.

    This time, the northern and southern cities attacked simultaneously, investing 30,000 troops and nearly a hundred siege equipment. The ferocity of the siege was the first time in the history of Jiangdong Army.

    Twenty thousand troops were arranged in four square formations, covering a battlefield two miles long and three miles wide. Each square formation was separated by a hundred steps, just like four huge black carpets, undulating and advancing on the ground. The morale of the army was high and murderous.  soaring.

    They approached the city wall from two miles away, with drums beating like thunder, trumpets flying to the sky, flags covering the sky, spears like a forest, and shields like mountains, glowing with the black color of death under the sunlight.General Zhou Tai rode on his war horse and pointed at the city with his sword, "Forward!"

    ¡°Woo~~¡±

    The low sound of horns resounded throughout the world, and a dozen wooden domes were erected in the middle of each team. These were originally tools used to resist bows and arrows on warships. Jiangdong Army found that they could also resist flying rocks on the city.  With the huge rolling sound under the dome, and nearly a hundred nest carts and ladders, the team began to slowly move toward the city wall.

    Drums were also beating loudly on the top of the city. Wei Yan's eyes were red and he was roaring again and again. Although he had been in the army for many years and had experienced dozens of large and small battles, today was his first time commanding a city defense battle.

    The other party invested 20,000 troops, which put great mental pressure on him. He led 5,000 troops to defend the North City and personally directed the battle.

    "Hurry! Bring up the arrows"

    "Asshole! Go move the rocks first and prepare the trebuchet!"

    Dozens of trebuchets on the top of Beicheng opened with a creak. They were one foot to eight feet tall and their arms were three feet long. They could throw stones up to 300 steps away. It took dozens of people to pull the winch.

    The black trebuchet stands on the top of the city, just like dozens of monsters. A hundred kilograms of boulders are put into the ammunition pockets. Dozens of people tighten the winch belts with full force, waiting for the order to launch.

    There were three thousand defenders and six thousand civilians at the head of the north city. In the middle of the battlements, one thousand soldiers were holding long bows and arrows, and four-foot-long thick arrows were already attached to the bowstrings.

    The bows and arrows used for defense are different from the bows and arrows used for peaceful battles. The arrows do not need to be able to shoot far, but they must be heavy so that the arrows can rely on their own gravity to shoot through the enemy's armor. Therefore, large arrows with thick fingers are generally used.  The arrow shaft has a sharp and streamlined tip with bleeding grooves on all four sides.

    The enemy had gradually entered the range of the trebuchet. Wei Yan gave the order to shoot. He shouted in a hoarse voice: "Trebuchet!"

    When the red flag was waved, all the people loosened the winch and rolled it. Dozens of monsters waved their long arms, and nearly a hundred boulders flew into the air and roared towards the city.

    Looking up from the city, I saw countless small black dots appearing in the sky, like a flock of geese flying across the sky, but the small black dots grew larger and larger, and instantly turned into huge boulders rolling in the sky, falling on their heads.

    The team shouted, and the soldiers hid under Doumeng, but there were still a large number of soldiers who had nowhere to hide, and they were shouting and dodging in all directions.

    The boulder hit, ¡®Bang!  ' There was a loud noise and dust flew up. Several soldiers were unable to dodge and were smashed into pieces by the boulder. The boulder continued to roll forward, knocking over dozens of people before stopping.

    A huge boulder with sharp edges hit the cowhide Doumeng. There was a loud "click" and the Doumeng was crushed. The soldiers crawled out from underneath, but the stone bounced off the Doumeng and bounced forward twenty years.  With one step left, he rushed into the crowd, and screams rang out.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The second round of trebuchets fired again. At this time, a nest car full of soldiers was hit. The upper part of the nest car was suddenly shattered, and the fragments flew everywhere. The wood mixed with human bodies collapsed. The huge impact caused the nest car to lose its center of gravity and fall backwards.  It collapsed suddenly, and more than a hundred soldiers in the chariot suffered heavy casualties.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Jingzhou Army's trebuchets caused nearly 3,000 casualties to the Jiangdong Army, but it could not stop the attack of the 20,000-strong army. As the drums urging battle accelerated in the Jiangdong Army's camp, the soldiers in the four square formations ran.  The overwhelming force rushed towards the city.

    The moat had long been covered with wooden planks and had lost its function as a barrier. Ladders and carts crossed the moat and were set up on the city wall. Tens of thousands of Jiangdong Army soldiers climbed up the ladder like a colony of ants, climbing up with one hand.  Ladder, shield in one hand, sword in mouth, struggling to climb up.

    Arrows rained down from the top of the city, stones and rolling wood fell like hail. Soldiers were hit and shot one after another, and fell down the city screaming.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Like the great cities in the Central Plains, the Chaisang city wall also has another structure, that is, the horse face, which is a protruding piece of city wall. It is named because its shape resembles a horse's face, and it usually protrudes outward by two feet.

    Its function is to enable the defenders to shoot arrows at the enemy from behind. In this way, the siege soldiers ignore their heads and rear, and their backs are exposed and become targets. Long arrows are shot out intensively, which brings serious danger to Jiangdong's army on the ladder.  , the casualties were extremely heavy. Most of the soldiers who were shot to death and fell were shot in the back by arrows.

    The dead bodies piled up quickly under the city wall, and blood flowed into the city river, seeping out from the piles of corpses and dyeing the water of the moat red.

    Chaisang City was rebuilt a few days ago, repairing the damaged crenelations and stone openings, widening and thickening the battlements, and paving them with special-shaped bricks, making the city wall extremely smooth and making it difficult for ladder hooks to grasp the city head.

    The soldiers on the city used steel forks to push it to both sides, and the ladder fell down diagonally. A group of soldiers on the ladder let out a long and tragic scream.??, many people jumped from the ladder, still unable to escape death or injury.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The real threat to the Jingzhou defenders was the chariots. They were taller than the city walls. These siege weapons made of wooden frames and covered with rawhide were like moving high buildings filled with soldiers.

    On the platform on the top of the nest car, dozens of Jiangdong Army crossbowmen fired arrows at the city, but in the offensive layer below there were at least thirty selected Jiangdong soldiers gathered. They were tall and wearing battle armor.  , holding a sword, hammer and spear in his hand, with fierce eyes, and from time to time he let out a low roar like a wild beast.

    In front of the platform is a long, heavy wooden board covered with iron sheets. When the nest car moves forward, the wooden board is pulled up and becomes a natural shield.

    As long as they are not hit by boulders, it is difficult for the Jingzhou Army's arrows to kill the enemy troops in the nest car. Although the impact of stone cannons and dense arrows caused heavy casualties to the crossbowmen on the platform, it is difficult to injure the enemy troops in the offensive layer.  Trapped soldiers.

    Thirty or so nest carts were continuously destroyed, but a dozen or so nest carts were still approaching gradually.

    The Chao Chariot was getting closer and closer to the city wall. When it was only three feet away from the city wall, the heavy wooden planks suddenly dropped and hit the battlements. The gravel flew everywhere. It formed a natural bridge. The more than 30 Jiangdong troops in the attacking layer inside the chariot were  He rushed out of the chariot, jumped to the top of the city, and fought fiercely with the Jingzhou Army defenders.

    Five chariots approached the city wall first, and nearly two hundred Jiangdong troops rushed to the top of the city. These were the two hundred troops selected by Sun Quan from the twenty thousand troops to be used in the first wave to attack the city wall.

    Behind them, there were a large number of soldiers pouring up along the passage inside the chariot. The two hundred Jiangdong soldiers were extremely ferocious and unstoppable. They instantly opened a bloody path among the defenders, and more than a thousand defenders were killed.  They had to retreat one after another, and the situation of defending the city suddenly became tense.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 187, Jiangdong Urgent Report

    Wei Yan's face turned pale with shock. He didn't take it to heart because the opponent only had five chariots near the city. However, he never expected that the soldiers in these five chariots were so fierce, killing his soldiers one after another.  After retreating, he suddenly realized that he had underestimated the enemy.

    "Press up! Annihilate them all"

    Wei Yan swung his sword and committed suicide. The sword slashed fiercely, and the heads of three Jiangdong soldiers were blown away. Blood spurted out, splattering all over Wei Yan. He yelled, "Kill!"

    Swinging his sword into the enemy group, thousands of soldiers followed him and swarmed up, divided and surrounded, and pressed the two hundred fierce trapped troops to their respective places on the city to prevent them from joining together.

    The Jingzhou Army on top of the city also knew that once the Jiangdong Army broke through the city, none of them would survive. Therefore, the Jingzhou Army also fought back desperately. Although the two hundred elite troops from Jiangdong were fierce, they were not many in number after all. Facing the Chaisang defenders  The dense siege made it impossible to break out for a while.

    A fierce battle was still going on above and below the city. The ladders were overturned, and the siege soldiers were shot and fell into the city. Screams and roars came one after another. Below the city, Jiangdong's army was also firing arrows like rain. Some defenders were hit by arrows and fell to the ground. The attacks and defenses of both sides  The battle has entered a fierce state.

    But the greatest threat was from the five chariots. They were like five convenient passages for climbing the city. A steady stream of Jiangdong troops climbed to the top of the city from here. Wei Yan was so anxious that his eyes were red. He saw the defenders shooting arrows at the chariots.  , throwing stones and throwing them, but it had no effect.

    The thrown long rope iron hook had just hooked on the wooden pillar, and was immediately cut off by the Jiangdong soldiers on the platform with their swords. The Jiangdong soldiers also learned their lesson and no longer gave the defenders a chance to pull them aside.

    At this time, a soldier rushed over and shouted to Wei Yan: "General Wei, Sima You ordered, use kerosene! kerosene!"

    Wei Yan suddenly realized that there was a lot of kerosene hidden in the gate at the top of the city. He immediately yelled: "Use kerosene to burn down the chariot!"

    Hundreds of soldiers rushed up with pots of kerosene in their arms, and threw the pots onto the five-seat cart. The pots shattered, and the light yellow kerosene filled the cart. This was purified kerosene, which burned more violently.  .

    At this time, the rockets fired in unison, and the nest car went "Boom!"  'The ground burned, flames flew, and in just a moment, the raging fire engulfed the five nest carts one after another. The soldiers in the nest cart screamed, and the soldiers on the platform had nowhere to escape, and they all jumped off the nest cart, which was several feet tall.  Most of them cannot escape death.

    Without the back-up support, the two hundred fierce troops who first rushed to the city were beaten less and less, and in the end they were all annihilated by the defenders.

    Liu Jing did not directly command the battle. This time, the northern and southern cities attacked at the same time. He also needed to pay attention to the sneak attacks on the east and west city walls. He needed to control the overall situation.

    At this time, Liu Jing stood on the observation deck, watching the fighting around him. Compared with the bloody battle in the north city, the south city was much better. More than a dozen nest vehicles were all destroyed by trebuchets and stone cannons halfway, and the siege soldiers could only rely on ladders.  They attacked with the siege ladder, but were suppressed by Liao Hua's two thousand defenders, causing heavy casualties.

    Although Liao Hua's martial arts skills are not as good as those of Wei Yan, his ability to defend the city is better than Wei Yan's, and he has gained a lot of experience and lessons from last year's bloody battle.

    Liu Jing saw that the kerosene had a miraculous effect and the morale of the enemy troops was depressed. He immediately ordered: "Order Wang Tai to support Beicheng!"

    In a moment, Wang Tai led a thousand troops to attack Beicheng, bringing the defensive strength of Beicheng to 4,000. The Jingzhou army gradually gained the upper hand and controlled the situation.

    In the distance, Sun Quan stared blankly at the chariot that was destroyed by the fire. He once again experienced the power of kerosene. After a long time, Sun Quan sighed, "Send the order to withdraw the troops!"

    'when!  when!  when!  ¡¯

    As the bell rang to withdraw troops, the siege Jiangdong Army retreated like a tide, leaving corpses on the ground, broken ladders and burning nest cars. The first large-scale attack of Jiangdong Army ended.

    A cheer suddenly erupted from the top of the city.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the top of the northern city, soldiers were busy cleaning up the battlefield. Arrows were piled up like mountains. Rolling logs and stones were being cleaned and arranged again. Corpses were being carried down one by one. Dozens of doctors were nervously treating injured soldiers.

    Liu Jing was also inspecting Beicheng, comforting the injured soldiers from time to time. At this time, morale was high and he did not need to continue to encourage him.

    At this time, Wei Yan walked over quickly and knelt down on one knee in front of Liu Jing with shame on his face to plead guilty, "I humbled my position and underestimated the enemy, and almost allowed Jiangdong's army to attack the city."

    Liu Jing helped him up and smiled: "This is a matter of experience. Chang Wen has insufficient experience in defending the city, so it is impossible to do it flawlessly. Mistakes are inevitable. Chang Wen made up for the mistakes in time. This is the key. I believe it will not happen."  There¡¯ll be another time.¡±

    Wei Yan smiled bitterly, "There won't be a next time!"

    Liu Jing nodded and said: "Don't think too much, concentrate onBe prepared for a war. We are about to face a more intense and cruel siege, and we must be fully prepared.  "

    "I understand my humble position." Wei Yan bowed and retreated.

    At this time, Liu Jing glanced at Liu Hu who was standing aside and saw that his face was full of anxiety. Before he could speak, Liu Jing smiled and said: "You will have a chance to fight, don't worry."

    "But you said the same thing last time!"

    Liu Hu acted like a child, his voice full of grievances. Liu Jing smiled and patted his shoulder, comforting him: "Your heavy armored infantry are my killer weapons. How can I easily use them to raise thousands of troops until a critical moment?"  Japan, how can I not use you if we use troops for a while?"

    Liu Hu then grinned. He scratched his head and said, "This way I can go back and explain, otherwise, those guys will beat me into a dead tiger."

    Liu Jing was angry and funny, so she kicked him and said, "Get out of here! Otherwise, I will beat you into a dead tiger."

    Liu Hu chuckled and rushed down to the city. Watching his huge figure disappear, Liu Jing shook his head and came to the city wall again, staring at the horrific remains of siege weapons and corpses on the ground outside the city.

    Hundreds of Jiangdong Army soldiers secretly appeared on the battlefield and carried some undead wounded soldiers back to the camp. More than a hundred Jingzhou soldiers also collected arrows and other weapons on the battlefield. The two sides did not interfere with each other, and no fighting took place.  It is a tacit understanding in war that allows both sides to rescue wounded soldiers during the interval between wars.

    Of course, this is not absolute. Not all enemy warring parties will abide by this tacit understanding, but at least the Chaisang defenders and Jiangdong Army will acquiesce in the existence of this rule.

    Liu Jing looked towards the Jiangdong Army camp in the distance.

    The Jiangdong Army camp is located in the northwest. There are hundreds of acres of open land there, which is where the Tao family's private dock is. There was originally a narrow forest separating the battlefield in the north of the city, but this narrow forest has all been cut down, leaving the camp  Connected with the battlefield.

    "What does Sima think of the war situation over there with General Huang?"

    I don¡¯t know when, Xu Shu appeared next to Liu Jing, with a worried look in his eyes, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m worried about Xiazhi County.¡±

    Liu Jing glanced at him and suddenly understood what he meant, "Is Yuan Zhi worried that Jiangdong Army also uses kerosene?"

    Xu Shu nodded, "Since they have seen through kerosene, they will also use such a sharp combustion-supporting weapon. I am worried that they will use trebuchets to throw kerosene onto the city top and burn the North City again, or use kerosene to burn the city gates.  It¡¯s a threat to us all.¡±

    Xu Shu¡¯s worries were reasonable, but Liu Jing believed that Huang Zhong would not disappoint him. He laughed and said, "General Huang ambushed the enemy with three thousand elite soldiers. I believe he will have good news."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Inside the tent, Sun Quan's face was ashen, and he was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. At the entrance of the tent, Han Dang was kneeling downcast, without saying a word. Half of his arms were bare, and the arrow on his shoulder had been pulled out.  , bandaged up with medicine.

    Today's attack on Chaisang was not successful, and I was already very depressed. Now that I heard that Han Dang was defeated and all five thousand troops were wiped out, I couldn't help but feel angry.

    "How did I tell you that you should march cautiously and step by step to win two county towns? Do I want you to win overnight? You are so impatient. It's strange that you didn't fall into the trap. Now you have ruined my big thing.  How do you explain it to me?"

    The more Sun Quan talked, the angrier he became. The major event he was talking about was not the occupation of Yangxin County, but Xiazhi County. He originally planned to send people to collect a large amount of petroleum oil to use against Chaisang. Now that Han Dang has been defeated, he has no idea of ????taking petroleum oil.  It was also shattered, which made him not angry.

    At this time, Zhou Yu who was standing next to him stepped forward to persuade: "Marquis Wu and General Han are not careless. We always thought that Liu Jing had insufficient troops and would not leave many defenders in Yangxin County, but we did not expect that Huang Zhong had already arrived with his army.  Wu Hou, this is actually a problem with our intelligence."

    Although Zhou Yu was also extremely frustrated, Han Dang was defeated miserably. None of the people who went to Xiaji to get kerosene came back, which meant that they could not use kerosene to counterattack Chaisang. Many of his plans could not be realized, which made him full of hope.  Feeling of failure.

    "But now is not the time to hold people accountable. Wu Hou must be allowed to calm down, and he must not be blinded by anger.

    Zhou Yu¡¯s persuasion made Sun Quan¡¯s anger calm down a little. He glanced at Han Dang again and saw that Han Dang was haggard and seriously injured, so he said bitterly: ¡°Go down and heal first! Wait until the injury is healed before punishing him.¡±

    "Thank you so much, Marquis Wu, and thank you Zhou Hujun!"

    Han Dang saluted and thanked him, stood up and retreated. Watching Han Dang go away, Sun Quan sighed and said: "Today's battle was not going well, with more than 8,000 casualties, and Han Dang's 5,000 troops were wiped out, especially Liu Jing.  Using fire attack will seriously affectMilitary spirit, Gong Jin, what should we do next?  "

    Zhou Yu felt that Sun Quan's confidence was shaken, and comforted him: "Wu Hou is too concerned about the opponent's fire attack. In fact, I believe that although Liu Jing has a more powerful fire attack weapon, it cannot affect the battle situation. The key is the arrival of Huang Zhong's reinforcements.  This enabled Liu Jing to supplement his troops.

    The minister estimated that there should be six to seven thousand defenders in the city. We should change the siege strategy. I suggested giving up the north-south siege and concentrating our forces to attack the north city.  "

    At this moment, there was a sudden sound of running outside the tent, and a sergeant loudly reported outside the tent, "Marquis Wu, there is an urgent message from Jiangdong!"

    Sun Quan was startled and said quickly: "Bring the letter!"

    An envoy hurried into the tent and presented an urgent letter from Zhang Zhao to Sun Quan. Sun Quan opened the letter and read it, his face suddenly became heavy.

    "Wu Hou, what happened?" Zhou Yu asked uneasily from the side.

    Sun Quan shook his head and said worriedly: "The military advisor wrote that the Shanyue people took advantage of the lack of troops in Wu Kingdom to rebel and captured the county seat with great momentum. The military advisor hopes that we will withdraw immediately."

    Zhou Yu did not persuade anymore. At this time, Sun Quan needed to make a decision. Sun Quan walked to the door of the tent with his hands behind his back and stared at Chaisang City for a long time. He suddenly turned around and said resolutely: "Even if we withdraw our troops, we must capture Chaisang and capture Liu Jing alive."  , pass my order, concentrate your forces to attack Beicheng, and you must capture Chaisang within two days!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ¡¾In the eighth year of Jian'an, Sun Quan launched a large-scale attack on Jiangxia and defeated Huang Zu. It was indeed because of the rebellion of the Shanyue people in the country that he was forced to withdraw his troops.  ¡¿

 Volume 1, Chapter 188: Changes in Peng Ze

    Pengze is not only the name of a county, but also the name of a lake. It is located about fifty miles west of Chaisang. The lake is vast, with vast expanse of blue waves, and is integrated with the Yangtze River.

    Pengze Lake is also the boundary between Jingzhou and Jiangdong, but Jiangdong is stronger, so Pengze Lake is actually controlled by Jiangdong and becomes a naval base for Jiangdong to attack Jingzhou.

    Jiangdong Military Water Village is located to the east of the Great Lake. There are hundreds to thousands of warships on the water, and a large number of military camps, warehouses and other buildings are built on the shore.

    At this time, more than 2,000 warships of the Jiangdong Army went west to attack Jiangxia. There were only more than 300 warships and more than 3,500 troops left in Pengze's navy base. This was the moment when the military strength was the most empty.

    At night, a fleet of more than a hundred small boats gradually approached the Pengze Water Army Dazhai. The Water Army Dazhai occupies an area of ??about 200 hectares. The water village is full of boats. Around the water village, every three  Ten steps later, there was a wooden pile in the water. The wooden piles were connected with ropes, which was quite crude.

    The gate of the water village is located in the middle, and is marked by two water sentry towers about ten feet high. Soldiers patrol the sentry towers day and night.

    Although the fence of the water village is simple, patrol ships pass by from time to time, and the defense is very tight.

    On the boat, Gan Ning stared into the water village for a moment. At this time, a black figure swam in the water and shouted in a low voice in the darkness: "Brother, I am Lou Si!"

    This is Gan Ning's trusted general Lou Fa who was sent to investigate the enemy's situation. Everyone called him Lou Si. His water quality was the best among Gan Ning's men and he was appointed as a military marquis.

    Gan Ning immediately ordered the boat to meet him. Lou Si climbed onto the boat and soon came to Gan Ning.

    "How is the situation?" Gan Ning asked in a low voice.

    Lou Si took a breath and said: "There are about three hundred warships in the water stronghold. There are no soldiers on the ships. The soldiers are all in the military camps on the shore. However, the patrols are very strict. It is no problem for one or two ships to enter, but there are so many of our ships.  , will definitely be discovered.¡±

    "How many ships are there usually on patrol?" Gan Ning pondered for a moment and then asked.

    "This is not necessarily true. It can range from two ships to five or six ships, but there are alarm bells on each ship that can be sounded at any time."

    Speaking of this, Lou Si suddenly remembered something and said quickly: "But the northwest corner is where dilapidated hulks are piled. There are almost no patrols there. You can enter from that way."

    Gan Ning shook his head, patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work. Let's go have a drink to warm up first. I'll let you lead the way later."

    The soldiers took Lou Si down. Gan Ning thought for a moment and said to his general Shen Mi: "It's better to act according to the original plan. I'll leave this place to you."

    In the night, Gan Ning's troops divided into two groups. He led a group of ships to sail towards the northwest corner.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Shen Mi is about 20 years old, with a medium build, smart and capable, and especially good at water. He has followed Gan Ning since he was a boy and is now a military prince. Together with Lou Fa, he has become Gan Ning's most capable right-hand man.

    Shen Mi led more than 80 small boats and waited quietly on the lake. About an hour later, Shen Mi waved his hand and led the fleet towards the water village in the distance. Each boat was filled with straw men.  It appeared that the army was densely packed, and there was a soldier holding a torch on the bow of each ship, making the fleet visible from a distance.

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????¡­  when!  when!  when!  ¡¯

    The alarm bells rang throughout the water stronghold, and seven or eight sentry ships rushed out of the water stronghold. Just as they approached the opponent's fleet, the other party fired a volley of arrows. The sentry ships were caught off guard, and several sentries screamed and were hit by arrows.

    The few remaining sentinel boats turned around and fled back to the water village, shouting: "Report to General Lu quickly, the Jingzhou navy is coming in force!"

    The alarm bell rang again, resounding throughout the water village.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Currently, the main general guarding the water village is Lu Fan, the general of the Zhonglang. Lv Fan is a veteran of Jiangdong who is versatile in both civil and military affairs. He followed Sun Ce and made outstanding achievements many times, and was regarded as a confidant by Sun Ce. Therefore, he was named the Zhonglang General of the Conqueror by Sun Ce and became the leader of Jiangdong.  Senior military official.

    After Sun Quan succeeded to the throne, he also put Lu Fan in great importance. Lu Su defeated Chaisang last year, so Sun Quan appointed Lu Fan as the commander-in-chief of Pengze Navy and in charge of the Pengze Navy camp.

    This time Sun Quan launched a large-scale attack on Jiangxia and took away most of the troops and warships in Pengze Dazhai, reducing the number of warships and soldiers in Pengze Water Village to the lowest level in history.

    Lu Fan was reading in the tent of the military camp when he suddenly heard the sound of an alarm bell coming from the water village. He was surprised and walked out of the tent quickly, looking into the water village from a distance. Unexpectedly, he discovered that the waste ship was placed in the northwest corner.  There was fire.

    Lu Fan suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. He suddenly realized that the enemy had discovered the defensive loophole in the northwest corner. At noon today, he also discovered that there was no patrol sentry where the scrap ship was placed in the northwest corner. It was a defensive loophole. He was preparing to adjust the patrol route tomorrow, but unexpectedly  Something happened tonight.

    At this time, a soldier flew? came, knelt down on one knee and reported: "Report to the Commander-in-Chief, there are Jingzhou troops coming outside the water stronghold. There are nearly a hundred warships, and the boats are densely packed with soldiers, and they are heading towards the water stronghold."

    Lu Fan already understood in his heart that this must be the Jingzhou army taking advantage of the emptiness of Pengze to attack the water stronghold at night, setting fire to it and blocking the warships in the water stronghold from breaking out. However, more than 300 warships were moored in the water stronghold. If  If we don't break out, everything will be burned down.

    Especially the dozens of large ships are loaded with tens of thousands of soldiers ready to assist Jiangxia. They are materials urged by Wu Hou and are ready to set off early tomorrow morning. If they are burned, the consequences will be extremely serious.

    But Lu Fan was also very worried about the safety of the warehouse on the shore, which contained a large amount of food and supplies. If he went to rescue the ship, the number of troops guarding the warehouse would inevitably be insufficient.

    He now doesn¡¯t know the enemy¡¯s true intentions. Are they looking for a ship or a warehouse?  Lu Fan hesitated for a moment.

    At this time, there was a huge fire in the water village. The fire rose on the water and burned into a piece. Thick smoke billowed. More than 80 scrap ships were all on fire. The fire spread rapidly to the south.

    The officers and soldiers under his command were so anxious that they shouted, "Commander, if we don't save the ship, all the ships and soldiers will be burned. How can we explain to the Marquis of Wu?"

    Sweat beads rolled down Lu Fan¡¯s forehead. He had to make a decision now. Destroying the ship or burning the warehouse were both possible, but judging from the current situation, the ship was destroyed right in front of him, so that¡¯s fine!

    Lu Fan gritted his teeth and turned back to his general Cheng Ning: "General Cheng, our troops are divided into two groups. You can lead two thousand soldiers to evacuate the ships, while I will lead a thousand soldiers to guard the warehouse."

    "The general will obey the order!"

    Lu Fan immediately ordered, "Except for the Zuoying soldiers, all other troops are on board, and the ships in the water village are evacuated immediately!"

    Cheng Ning led two thousand soldiers to quickly rush onto the warships and evacuated all more than three hundred warships, while Lu Fan ignored the military camps and ships and led a thousand soldiers to rush to the warehouse.

    The warehouse of Pengze Navy Dazhai is located behind the military camp and is surrounded by barracks. It covers an area of ??nearly 100 acres and consists of more than 80 huge warehouses. Although Sun Quan attacked Jiangxia this time and emptied half of the warehouses, there are still some  A large amount of food supplies are placed in forty warehouses.

    There are 300 soldiers patrolling the warehouse itself. If an additional 1,000 soldiers are added for defense, then as long as there are not many sneak attacks on the enemy, the warehouse can still be safe.

    Lu Fan did not have many troops at hand. He had thought carefully and tried his best to arrange his troops to have both sides. However, the reality was different from what he had imagined.

    In the dark of night, Gan Ning led his 400 elite men to ambush between the military camp and the warehouse. The military camp and the warehouse were only a hundred steps apart. Gan Ning and his men had climbed over the wall of the military camp and ambush in the grass.

    Gan Ning was not in a hurry to deal with the warehouse. He knew that some troops would definitely come to support the warehouse.

    "Hush! Silence!" Gan Ning shouted in a low voice. There was already movement in the military camp.

    Lu Fan led a thousand soldiers to rush toward the warehouse. At this time, the warehouse was very quiet and there was no sign of being attacked. This made Lu Fan slightly relieved.

    "Open the door quickly!" Lu Fan rushed to the warehouse door and shouted loudly.

    As soon as Lu Fan finished speaking, a scream suddenly came from behind him. Lu Fan turned around suddenly and saw an army of about four to five hundred people rushing into his team in the darkness. They were all extremely brave and killed his men in an instant.  One split into two.

    "Open the door quickly!" Lu Fan shouted anxiously.

    But when the warehouse defenders discovered that there was a sneak attack by the army, they refused to open the door. They sounded the alarm, 'Damn!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The alarm sounded throughout the warehouse, and more than three hundred defenders rushed towards the back door.

    Lu Fan had no time to wait for the door to open. He turned around and shouted: "Don't panic, line up to fight!"

    A thousand soldiers were split into two and became a mass chaos. Although the three to four hundred people close to Lu Fan began to line up to fight, they were far from the opponents of Gan Ning and his men, and they were killed and retreated.

    Gan Ning and his men were experienced in hundreds of battles and had extremely strong combat effectiveness. Gan Ning in particular was extremely skilled in martial arts. One man was worth a hundred, and they killed Jiangdong's army, causing them to flee in all directions and suffer heavy casualties.

    ¡°Captain, leave quickly!¡±

    One of the tooth generals shouted anxiously: "Brothers can't hold it anymore, general, leave quickly!"

    Seeing that the warehouse was still refusing to open, Lu Fan's men began to collapse. If he didn't leave, his life would be lost here.

    Lu Fan stomped his feet in hatred, turned around and fled. Dozens of soldiers surrounded him and fled to the north of the military camp.

    A thousand soldiers could not stop the slaughter of Gan Ning's army. They cried and fled in all directions, but Gan Ning stopped his men and said, "Don't chase, fight into the warehouse."

    More than 400 men threw ropes and tied the fence. They all worked together and the warehouse fence collapsed. Gan Ning shouted and took the lead in killingThe warehouse is closed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Lu Fan rushed to the dock in one breath and boarded a warship. Only then did he calm down. At this time, the fire in the water village reflected the lake's surface red. Not only were dozens of ruined ships burned, but more than 30 large ships had no time to evacuate.  , was also engulfed by fire, and the entire water village almost became a sea of ??fire.

    However, most of the warships have been evacuated and anchored in various places in the water village. They have not been affected by the fire, which makes Lu Fan slightly relieved.

    ¡°Captain, look!¡±

    A soldier pointed in the direction of the warehouse on the shore and shouted. Lu Fan had already seen it, and saw the sky above the warehouse with flames and thick smoke billowing. The entire warehouse area had been completely engulfed in fire.

    Lu Fan sighed lowly. Although he had anticipated the enemy's true intentions, he still failed to save the warehouse, which made him feel infinitely disappointed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 189: Life and Death

    At the same moment when Pengze Water Village in Jiangdong was attacked by Gan Ning, Chai Sang's fierce battle also entered its most brutal moment.

    Jiangdong Army invested more than 35,000 men, concentrated all its forces and all siege means, and launched a fierce attack on Beicheng at dusk.

    The fierce battle between the two sides has been going on for more than an hour. Jiangdong Army has been repulsed twice, and both sides suffered heavy casualties.

    On the battlefield, the drums sounded like thunder, the horns whimpered, and the shouts of killing shook the sky. The overwhelming Jiangdong army rushed towards the city. Under the north city, arrows rained like rain, forming a dense arrow net. Six thousand Jiangdong crossbowmen  Completely suppressing the bow and arrow counterattack at the top of the city.

    The Jingzhou Army could only shoot downwards through the arrow holes on the battlements, but the number of arrow holes was sparse and could not effectively damage the Jiangdong Army. Most of the defenders could only hide behind the battlements and throw rolling logs down from the stone mouth. ªZʯ.

    But what was really injured by the Jiangdong soldiers' bows and arrows was the civilian men behind who were operating the trebuchets and stone cannons. The dense arrows passed over the city head, and part of them was shot into the city, while the other part was shot at the civilian men located at the back of the city wall.  The casualties were heavy, and they all lay on the ground, making the trebuchets and stone cannons on the city head temporarily unable to exert their power.

    Jiangdong's army attacked like a tide, and siege ladders were set up on the top of the city. Jiangdong's soldiers climbed up like a swarm of ants. The defenders began to fight back. Stones and wood fell like hail, dense as rain, and a group of  A group of Jiangdong soldiers were beaten with bloody heads, broken bones and tendons, and screamed as they tumbled down the ladder from the city.

    More than a dozen defenders used a two-foot-long iron fork to hold up the ladder. "Harder!" they shouted in unison. The siege ladder was creaking and pushed up, standing vertically in the air. The defenders pushed hard again, and with the  With a scream, the siege ladder crashed backwards.

    Next to him, a Jiangdong army general was the first to attack the city. He stabbed with a long spear with extraordinary ferocity, stabbing more than a dozen people to death in a row. He jumped onto the city, and a steady stream of Jiangdong soldiers surged up from behind. In an instant, they tore open the firewood.  The defense of the Sang garrison.

    Lieutenant General Wei Yan was in charge of this section of the city wall, but the lieutenant general was killed in action. Wei Yan was leading his soldiers at the other end of several hundred steps to fight against the enemy troops attacking the city. He did not yet know the danger here.

    At this time, Liu Jing led more than a hundred soldiers to patrol here. A village commander discovered Liu Jing and rushed to shout: "Sima, a Jiangdong army has broken through the defense. Please ask Sima for emergency support."

    Liu Jing also saw the crisis. He was shocked and turned around and shouted, "Follow me!"

    More than a hundred soldiers followed Liu Jing and rushed away. Liu Jing shouted and stabbed several Jiangdong soldiers to death with his halberd. The tooth general knew Liu Jing.

    He was overjoyed, jumped forward, swung his spear, and pierced Liu Jing's chest. Liu Jing sneered, drew the spear away from his halberd, stepped aside, waved his halberd and struck the back of the tooth general's head.

    This is one of the thirteen-style Danfeng Chaoyang Spear. Liu Jing mastered it like a firecracker, no less than Zhao Yun. He saw a cold light flash past. Jiangdong's military fangs were unable to dodge, and the long halberd and crescent knife hit the enemy.  Split the back of his head and split half of his head more than a foot away, and the body fell to the ground.

    The soldiers in Jingzhou cheered like thunder, and their morale was boosted. Liu Jing shouted, "Follow me!"

    He took the lead to kill the Jiangdong soldiers. The soldiers behind him worked hard and killed more than a hundred enemy soldiers who rushed to the city. The city was full of corpses. They were retreating steadily. Many Jiangdong soldiers had no way to retreat and jumped screaming.  Go down to the city

    On a low hill one mile outside the north city, Ling Cao, the general of the Jiangdong Army, was staring intently at the battle at the top of the city. Beside him, his son Ling Tong asked: "What did father find?"

    Ling Cao nodded, pointed in the direction of Cao River and said: "Have you noticed that there are no trebuchets or stone cannons on the city wall near Cao River? I heard from General Lu that the city head in that area is six feet narrower than elsewhere. This should be it.  The reason was that the trebuchets and stone cannons could not be placed.¡±

    "Does father think it is possible to break through from Caohe?"

    Ling Cao did not answer his son's question. He turned around and ran towards Sun Quan's location. Ling Tong was puzzled. Although he was young, only fifteen years old, he had already gone to war with his father. He was brave and good at fighting, and was deeply loved by Sun Quan. He made an exception.  He was made a military lord and became the youngest general of the Jiangdong Army.

    At this time, Sun Quan was standing in the welcoming pavilion next to the dock, watching the siege battle with worry. Although Jiangdong's army attacked bravely again and again, they were still unable to break through the defense line of Chaisang's defenders. Sun Quan was worried. If the casualties were too heavy,  Even if he captured Chaisang, he would still be unable to feel the joy of victory.

    Jiangdong¡¯s total military strength is not large, only a little over 100,000 troops. This time he led an army of 60,000 in the westward expedition, which means he has already used 60% of his troops. If the losses are too heavy, it will be difficult for him to explain to his subjects when he returns.

    "Wuhou!"

    Ling Cao's tall figure appeared outside the pavilion. He bowed and said: "I have discovered the weakness of Chaisang City's defense. I would like to ask for orders to fight!"

      Sun Quan was startled, and immediately walked to the pavilion and asked, "Where is the weak point in the defense?"

    "Reporting to Marquis Wu, the weak point of Chaisang City's defense is at Shuimen. Didn't Marquis Wu notice that there are no trebuchets and stone cannons near Shuimen?"

    Sun Quan was startled. He raised his eyes and looked in the direction of Shuicheng. Although he couldn't see anything in the darkness, he remembered that during the daytime attack, no boulders were launched from Shuicheng. He frowned and turned around to ask Lu Xun, "What's this?"  Why?"

    Lu Xun stepped forward and bowed and replied: "Reporting to Marquis Wu, the width of the city wall on Shuicheng is slightly narrower than that of other places, making it difficult to place trebuchets and stone cannons. General Ling is right, Shuimen is indeed the weak point of Chaisang City's defense. I am humble and obedient."  It is said that when Huang Zu attacked Chaisang, he was also preparing to attack Shuimen. They should know better than anyone what the weaknesses of Chaisang City are? "

    Sun Quan stared at the water gate and was silent for a long time. He suddenly turned around and asked, "If the defenders float the petroleum oil along the water and light the river on fire, how will you respond?"

    "The humble duty will use driftwood to block the water gate so that the petroleum oil cannot flow out of the city. The humble duty will then light a fire to burn the defenders!"

    Having said this, Ling Cao knelt down on one knee and said: "I am willing to issue a military order. If I cannot attack the city, I will come to see you with my head!"

    Sun Quan Zhuangzhi immediately agreed, "I will give you three thousand troops and thirty siege ships, and you will be given one hour to break through the enemy's defenses."

    Ling Cao said solemnly: "Humble positions will never disappoint Marquis Wu!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A quarter of an hour later, Ling Cao led thirty siege ships slowly approaching the water gate. The siege ships were different from ordinary warships. They were wide and straight, very stable in the river water, and were equipped with various siege equipment, such as stone cannons.  , trebuchets, ladders and battering rams, etc., you can attack the city from the water.

    This is also the trump card of Jiangdong Army, but they are afraid of the fire oil of Chaisang defenders and dare not enter the battlefield. This time Sun Quan handed them over to Ling Cao.

    Ling Cao stood on the bow of the boat with an iron gun in his hand, commanding the troops to attack the Shuicheng Gate from both sides of the Cao River. A dozen water ghosts dived from the water to the Shuicheng Gate, and connected five or six driftwood to form a line on the water.  A wooden dam was built to prevent petroleum oil from drifting out of the city, and then another wooden dam was installed a hundred steps away to prevent the defenders from throwing kerosene from the top of the city.

    The guard at the top of Shuimen City is Wang Tai, who leads 800 soldiers to guard Shuimen and the city wall. At this time, he looks solemn and watches the enemy warships slowly approaching Shuimen. Wang Tai participated in the battle against Jiangdong Army last year.  At that time, he was responsible for guarding the water city gate and had rich experience.

    Wang Taidang immediately ordered: "Pour out the kerosene!"

    The power of kerosene was realized by everyone in the Jingzhou army. Wang Tai knew that kerosene was very effective against warships. The soldiers immediately poured hundreds of jars of viscous kerosene into the Cao River and floated it out of the city along the river.

    But an accident happened at this moment. A Jiangdong soldier who was ambushing outside Shuicheng suddenly lit a torch. He immediately jumped into the river and ignited the kerosene that had just overflowed the water gate.

    ¡®Boom!  There was a loud bang, and the water surface burst into flames. The flames quickly spread into the city. In a moment, the entire water city gate turned into a sea of ??fire. The fire burned into the urn city. The soldiers were shocked and hurriedly moved away the remaining kerosene. Several jars of fire were  The oil had no time to move away, and the shore also burst into flames.

    "General Wang, the kerosene is blocked by something and can't flow out." A soldier shouted from the city.

    Wang Tai looked around for a moment and couldn't help but cursed, "Damn it!"

    He turned around and ordered: "Bring up two hundred jars of kerosene and pour it down from the top of the city!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Ling Cao, who was on the big ship in the distance, stared at the fire and laughed coldly. This was what he expected. The Jingzhou army was good at using fire attacks, but he had a way to break it.

    Seeing that the wooden dam successfully blocked the floating petroleum oil and prevented the fire from spreading outward, Ling Cao waved his spear and shouted loudly: "Attack!"

    More than twenty large ships have been moored more than a hundred steps away from Shuicheng Gate, just outside the range of bows and arrows. The large ships were loaded with Jiangdong Army's stone thunder chariots. Following Ling Cao's order, there was a sudden roar.  With a loud sound, huge rocks flew towards the city, and the overwhelming flying rocks roared across the night sky.

    In the dark night, the defenders had moved two hundred jars of kerosene to the city. Several defenders were preparing to pour kerosene down from the top of the city. Unexpectedly, huge rocks flew towards them. The defenders were caught off guard, and many soldiers were hit by the huge rocks.  When hit, the bones and tendons were broken immediately, and the flesh and blood were blurred.

    Two hundred kerosene altars were also smashed to pieces, and kerosene flowed all over the ground. Screams could be heard from the top of the city. Wang Tai was so anxious that he shouted: "All of them fall down!"

    The defenders fled one after another, some lying on the ground, and some hiding behind the battlements. However, Jiangdong Army's long-range attacks never stopped. Huge boulders roared overhead, and the Chaisang defenders were suppressed.  No way to fight back.    'boom!  ¡¯ With a loud noise, a boulder weighing a hundred kilograms hit a battlement. The battlements shattered, and rocks flew everywhere. Several soldiers hiding behind the battlements were unable to dodge, and their heads were badly bruised by the rocks.

    Another boulder roared over, smashing another battlement into three pieces. Several soldiers behind the battlement shouted and fled in all directions.

    Jiangdong's army clearly had an advantage in attacking on the Caohe River. Chaisang's defense army's artillery attack failed and they had no long-range weapons to counter the opponent, so they were in a very passive situation.

    Seeing that the time was ripe, Ling Cao waved his hand, and a large flat-bottomed boat slowly sailed up and pressed against the city gate. A wide ladder was set up on the big boat, and a huge iron hook on the ladder hooked the city head. Dozens of people  Jiangdong Army soldiers quickly climbed up the ladder.

    The big boat and ladder quickly formed a passage to the city, and more than a thousand Jiangdong soldiers on both sides of the Cao River rushed to board the boat.

    At this time, the Jiangdong Army's stone cannon attack stopped. Wang Tai was the first to discover the enemy's assault on the city. He was shocked and shouted loudly, "The enemy has ascended the city. Follow me and fight up."

    He waved his gun and rushed forward. The defenders on the top of the city reacted one after another. Dozens of defenders shouted, followed Wang Tai and rushed forward, blocking the gap and fighting fiercely with the Jiangdong soldiers who boarded the city.

    Soldiers kept screaming and falling from the city. The two sides fought desperately, and no one was willing to take a step back. At this time of life and death, everyone above and below the city were fighting for their lives, and life and death hung on a thread.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 190: Phoenix Nirvana

    'boom!  'There was another huge crash. A huge flat-bottomed city boarding boat hit the water gate. Two siege ladders were hung on the city wall. Ling Cao, holding an iron gun in one hand and a shield in the other, jumped on the siege ladder and quickly climbed up.  the climb.

    More than a dozen defenders intercepted and attacked, and a huge boulder hit Ling Cao's head. Ling Cao raised his shield to meet him, 'Bang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and the boulder was thrown aside. Ling Cao¡¯s spear thrust out like lightning and pierced the chest of the stone-throwing soldier. With a scream, the soldier was thrown away.

    Ling Cao's spear stabbed five or six soldiers to death in a row. The defenders were so frightened that they retreated. Ling Cao jumped up to the top of the city, threw away his shield, and thrust out his spear like a storm. Ling Cao followed Sun Ce and raised his troops. He was brave and good at fighting.  , he was promoted to the rank of school captain due to his meritorious service, and his martial arts skills were very strong.

    Ling Cao issued a military order in front of his lord, vowing to capture Beicheng. More importantly, he only had one hour, and the huge pressure made Ling Cao desperate to kill.

    In a matter of seconds, nearly twenty soldiers died under his iron gun. Behind him, a steady stream of Jiangdong soldiers climbed up the city.

    Seeing that the situation was critical, Wang Tai was so anxious that he swung his big gun and stabbed Ling Cao head-on, 'Dang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and the two iron guns collided in the air. It seemed that Wang Tai still had the upper hand.

    Wang Tai was overjoyed and stabbed Ling Cao in the throat with his spear. At this moment, he suddenly felt a chill in his chest. Ling Cao's iron spear had pierced his chest without knowing it.

    Wang Tai looked down at his chest in disbelief. The severe pain made him scream miserably, and his body rose into the air. Wang Tai died tragically under Ling Cao's gun.

    Ling Cao lifted Wang Tai's body in the air and shouted: "The enemy general is dead! The enemy general is dead!"

    Wang Tai was killed in battle, and his men's morale was shaken and they retreated one after another. The morale of Jiangdong's soldiers was greatly boosted and they swarmed into the city. The defense of Shuicheng Gate was finally broken by Jiangdong's army, and the situation took a turn for the worse.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liao Hua was responsible for the defense of the eastern section of Beicheng, a section near Shuicheng. His defense area was also attacked wildly by Jiangdong's army. He led more than a thousand soldiers to fight back, killing Jiangdong's soldiers back again and again.

    "General Liao!"

    A soldier rushed over and reported in tears: "General Wang Tai has been killed and Watergate has been lost!"

    Liao Hua¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, Wang Tai was killed in battle!  He and Wang Tai were sworn brothers. The news of Wang Tai's death in battle made his eyesight split. After a while, he shouted in a hoarse voice, "Brothers from the First Battalion, follow me!"

    He swung his sword to kill Shuimen. After running for more than ten steps, Liao Hua finally calmed down. He stopped, turned around and said to a soldier: "Go and report to Sima quickly. Shuicheng has been lost and General Wang Tai has been killed."

    Liao Hua quickly judged the situation, turned around and said to Lieutenant General Li Jun: "You lead the army to withstand the enemy's attack on the city, and I will lead three hundred brothers to guard the gate of the inner city!"

    After making some arrangements, Liao Hua led 300 soldiers and ran towards the inner city passage. Liao Hua calmed down completely. What he was thinking about now was not to avenge Wang Tai, but to prepare for the worst and guard the gate to prevent Jiangdong's army from entering.  city.

    After a while, Liu Jing, who received the news, rushed over with 500 reinforcements. Wang Tai's death also dealt a heavy blow to Liu Jing. Wang Tai was his most trusted confidant, even more than Liu Hu and Wei Yan.

    But at this time, Liu Jing had no time to grieve. On the one hand, too many people around him were killed in battle, which made him numb to death. On the other hand, the severe situation had forced him to ignore his grief.

    In the darkness, Liu Jing could not see the situation in the direction of Shuimen. He asked urgently: "How is the situation?"

    Li Jun shook his head, feeling very heavy, "I heard that Shuimen has fallen, and thousands of enemy troops are attacking the city. General Liao is leading his army to support it."

    At this time, a soldier pointed at the Cao River and shouted: "Sima, Jiangdong warship!"

    Liu Jing also saw it. If he could not see the situation clearly on the city, then he could see the situation clearly on the Cao River. Large ships were sailing into the water gate and disappearing, which could only mean one thing.  , the water gate has been opened, and Jiangdong warships entered Wengcheng.

    Sweat dripped from Liu Jing's forehead. The situation had become extremely dangerous and the outer city could no longer be defended. Liu Jing made a decisive decision and ordered Li Jun: "Immediately lead your army to destroy all the stone cannons and trebuchets, and then withdraw to the inner city."

    "Follow the order!"

    Li Jun led hundreds of soldiers to rush to both sides of the city. Liu Jing stared at the warship for a long time and had no choice but to issue an order to withdraw: "Pass my order to abandon the outer city and withdraw the entire army to the inner city!"

    As Ling Cao breached the water gate of Chaisang City, more and more Jiangdong soldiers attacked the outer city of Chaisang from the water gate. The Jingzhou defenders were forced to evacuate to the inner city, and countless civilians ran wildly to escape into the city.

    Not only that, as the Shuicheng Gate opened and Jiangdong Army ships began to sail into Wengcheng, Chaisang City encountered an unprecedented crisis.

      Outside the city, Sun Quan was overjoyed after receiving the news. Ling Cao did not disappoint him and broke through the North City defense. Sun Quan immediately ordered: "The entire army enters the city, and those who surrender will be spared death!"

    Next to him, Lu Xun had the experience of guarding Chaisang. He couldn't help but stepped forward and reminded: "Marquis Wu, Chaisang and the inner city, I'm afraid there will be a fierce battle."

    Sun Quan had understood the structure of Chaisang City in advance, shook his head and said with a smile: "If we attack the outer city, it will be difficult to defend the inner city, so we might as well!"

    He then said to General Pan Zhang: "General Pan can lead three thousand troops to detour to Nancheng. If Liu Jing evacuates from Nancheng, he can be captured on the spot!"

    "The general will obey the order!"

    Pan Zhang led his army towards Nancheng, and Sun Quan ordered again, "Be the first to enter Chaisang City, and you will be rewarded with a reward of ten thousand taels!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Since Liu Jingye captured Chaisang City at night, he has also discovered some defense loopholes in Chaisang City. There is no problem in killing from the outer city to the inner city. There are two strong gates that can be defended, but the outer city can lead directly to the south city.  , and siege ladders can be set up on the east and west walls to enter the city at any time. This is undoubtedly a loophole in the city's defense.

    It was because of his personal experience that after Liu Jing retook Chaisang City, he built two gates in the outer city close to the Wengcheng City. The same pig iron gates were installed inside, weighing several thousand kilograms. Despite this, they were still  There is something that worries Liu Jing, and that is the east and west city walls.

    The top of the inner city was covered with 4,000 Jingzhou Army soldiers. Except for Liu Hu's 300 heavy armored infantry, the Jingzhou Army had already moved out. At this time, the gate of the outer city was opened, but Jiangdong Army was unable to swarm out.  enter.

    Arrows rained down from three sides of the inner city. The dense rain of arrows from the Jingzhou Army shot into the Wengcheng, suppressing the Jiangdong Army tightly and unable to rush into the Wengcheng to attack. Several Jiangdong warships that rushed into the Cao River in Wengcheng were also set ablaze by rockets.  A raging fire started.

    The outer city wall was also covered with Jiangdong soldiers. Since the stone cannons and trebuchets on the outer city wall were destroyed by the Jingzhou army when they retreated, Jiangdong soldiers were unable to use long-range attack weapons and could only use bows and arrows to shoot arrows at the inner city wall.  So much so that a net of arrows formed over the Wengcheng.

    "Sima, I'm afraid there will be problems with the defense of the east and west city walls." Liao Hua said worriedly.

    This is what Liu Jing is worried about. There were originally hundreds of defenders on each of the east and west city walls. Although the number of troops was not large, the defenders in the north of the city could rush to support at any time.

    But now, they are unable to go to support. Although there are gates to prevent Jiangdong's army on the north city from attacking the east and west cities, if Jiangdong City directly uses the siege ladder to climb the city, it will be easy for them to enter the city.

    This is currently the biggest loophole in the defense of Chaisang City, which worries Liu Jing. If another part of the army is withdrawn from the city and rushed to the east and west cities, Liu Jing is worried that the inner city defense force will be insufficient.

    Just when Liu Jing was in a dilemma, an officer behind him shouted: "Sima, there's something going on here!"

    Liu Jing quickly walked to the city wall and looked into the city. He saw a dense crowd of people on the streets in the city. Many of them were civilians who had just withdrawn from the city. They held various weapons in their hands, which made Liu Jing unable to help but  Startled, what's going on?

    "Sima!"

    Xu Shu ran to the city and shouted: "The elders in the city are willing to help defend the city. There are more than 30,000 people. Is there any need?"

    In the light of the fire, several men shouted: "We are willing to live and die with the Jingzhou Army, and we are willing to serve Mr. Jing!"

    "I am willing to serve Mr. Jing!" Tens of thousands of people shouted together, with a spectacular momentum.

    Liu Jing was extremely moved. At the critical moment, the people of Chaisang were willing to live and die with him. This is what kind of trust and affection.

    Liu Jing¡¯s tears filled her cheeks. He raised his arms and clasped his fists and shouted, ¡°Thank you all, thank you to all the Chaisang elders. I, Liu Jing, will never abandon you even if I fight until the last moment. I am willing to live and die with Chai Sang!¡±

    "I am willing to live and die with you!" Thirty thousand people raised their arms and shouted, and the shouts resounded throughout Chaisang City.

    Liu Jing suddenly turned around and said to Liao Hua: "You can lead six hundred brothers and organize the people to strictly guard the east and west cities. Please ask Mr. Xu to help arrange it."

    "The general will obey the order!"

    Liao Hua happily took the order, and tens of thousands of people helped to defend the city. The hidden dangers in the east and west cities were resolved. He immediately led 600 soldiers to rush down to the city, and together with Xu Shu, organized the people to participate in defending the city.

    Watching the dense crowd rushing towards the east and west cities, Liu Jing's heart dropped to the ground. His eyes were fixed on the north city head again, and all his energy was focused on dealing with the enemy troops attacking the inner city.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Pan Zhang led three thousand soldiers to rush outside Nancheng. His mission was very clear. He ambush outside Nancheng and intercept Liu Jing's retreat. It should be said that this was a key chess piece in the Battle of Chaisang and indispensable.

    Nancheng went through yesterday¡¯s eventThe battle was devastated. Under the cold moonlight, the ruins of destroyed nest cars and ladders were everywhere outside the city. The bodies of dead soldiers who had not had time to clean up were also seen everywhere. The pools of blood were shocking.

    About a few hundred steps southwest of the city gate, there is a dense forest. This is the continuation of the forest to the west of the city and the most favorable place for an ambush. When Pan Zhang led 3,000 soldiers to the edge of the forest, an accident happened.  .

    With the sound of a clapper, a volley of arrows was fired in the woods. The dense arrows were fired at the running Jiangdong Army. The Jiangdong soldiers were caught off guard and were shot down in large pieces. There was a wailing and screaming sound.

    Pan Zhang rushed to the front, and his horse was also shot by several cold arrows. The horse neighed miserably and fell to the ground. Pan Zhang rolled to the ground and was pinned down by the fallen horse. Jiangdong Army was suddenly in chaos.

    Just hearing the sound of intensive war drums, an army came out of the woods, led by a general, with a white horse and silver armor, holding a spear, majestic, as if a god descended from heaven, it was Zhao Yun.

    "Zhao Yun has been waiting here for a long time!"

    Zhao Yun shouted loudly and rode up to kill the enemy. The five hundred soldiers behind him shouted and charged at the enemy. Pan Zhang, with the help of his own soldiers, desperately pulled out from under the horse. By this time, Zhao Yun had already reached him. Pan Zhang roared,  He swung his ax and struck at Zhao Yun. Without his horse, his martial arts performance was greatly reduced.

    Zhao Yun feinted with a shot, pushed aside his axe, and shot with his backhand, stabbing Pan Zhang in the throat. The tip of the spear flashed towards him, as fast as lightning. Unfortunately, Pan Zhang couldn't dodge, and was pierced through the throat by Zhao Yun's shot.  He screamed and died under Zhao Yun's gun.

    Zhao Yun drew out his spear, shouted loudly, and rode his horse into the enemy army. The spear was like a storm, invincible, and the Jiangdong Army was killed in a river of blood.

    Five hundred soldiers followed Zhao Yun and fought bravely to kill the enemy. Although Jiangdong's army was several times larger than the enemy's army, the death of their leader made Jiangdong's army unwilling to fight. They turned around and fled one after another. Zhao Yun led the army to kill them and turned them upside down, leaving corpses everywhere.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 191: Rebirth from the Fire

    The stalemate between the inner city and the outer city of Chaisang did not last long, and was soon broken by the attack of Jiangdong Army. Under the command of general Ling Cao, Jiangdong Army changed its offensive strategy.

    Ling Cao deployed two crossbow troops on the north city to suppress the Jingzhou soldiers on both sides of the inner city with superior force. In this way, the Jiangdong army that invaded Wengcheng could hold up their giant shields and advance slowly, without being attacked by Jingzhou bows.  Crossbowmen fired from both sides.

    A thousand Jiangdong soldiers holding giant shields rushed into Wengcheng. Under the cover of their giant shields, more than a hundred strong men rushed towards the inner city gate with huge battering rams. This scene was similar to when Liu Jing recaptured Chaisang.  The city is exactly the same.

    Arrows rained down from the city head, but hundreds of strong men holding battering rams slowly moved closer to the inner city gate under the tight protection of giant shields. This was the most direct and effective way to break into the inner city. The huge  The battering ram only needs three hits to break open the city gate.

    Liu Jing looked at the battering ram slowly approaching with stern eyes, and a sneer appeared on his lips. When the battering ram was still twenty steps away from the city gate, Liu Jing gave the order, "Drop it!"

    The soldiers on the top of the city picked up the ceramic altars and threw them down. There was a sound of cracking in the urn city, and black viscous liquid flowed all over the ground. Ling Cao could see this scene clearly from the outer city, and he was suddenly shocked.  He lost his composure and repeatedly ordered: "The soldiers in Wengcheng must retreat quickly!"

    But it was too late. Dozens of rockets soared from the top of the inner city and shot towards the Wengcheng. Flames suddenly burst into flames inside the Wengcheng, and the fire burned rapidly. The sudden fire plunged the soldiers in the Wengcheng into a sea of ??fire.

    There was chaos in Wengcheng. The soldiers trampled on each other and rushed to escape outside the city. Many soldiers became burning men, wailing and running around, and soon fell to the ground.

    Arrows were fired from the city, and the soldiers who fled out of the city were unprepared. They were shot down one by one, causing heavy casualties. Jars of kerosene were continuously thrown from the top of the city. Hundreds of rockets were flying in the sky, and the fire became stronger.  , causing the flames to fly several feet inside the urn city, and the soldiers on both sides were frightened.

    Many accidents seem to be accidental, but they will happen inevitably.

    At this time, a Jingzhou soldier was a little more powerful and shot a rocket off the target. The rocket passed over Wengcheng and hit the city head above Shuimen.

    In the initial siege, Wang Tai prepared to use kerosene to burn down the enemy warships, but before he could drop the kerosene, the roaring boulders smashed two hundred jars of kerosene, and the kerosene flowed all over the city.

    This was Wang Tai's regret, but this regret brought about an unexpected ending. The rocket that deviated from its target accidentally hit the city wall and ignited the kerosene all over the ground. The outer city wall near Shuimen also began to burn.  , flames soared into the sky, and thick smoke billowed.

    The area of ????the flames is not large, only more than 20 feet. If it had been a quarter of an hour ago, it might not have had any impact, at least it would not have serious consequences. But at this time, the fire burning in Wengcheng has made the hearts of Jiangdong soldiers become  Extremely fragile and sensitive.

    When the northern city head also suddenly burned, the tight string in the hearts of Jiangdong soldiers suddenly broke. There was chaos on top of the city. Countless soldiers climbed up the ladder and fled down the city, accompanied by their hoarse shouting: "The fire is coming.  ! Beicheng is burning!¡±

    The Jiangdong soldiers were terrified and ran for their lives. They trampled on each other and shouted wildly. Many people jumped off the city regardless of everything. Ling Cao yelled in panic and killed several people, but he could not stop the panic of the soldiers and the morale of the soldiers.  It seemed like it collapsed in an instant.

    This accident shocked Liu Jing, but he hardly hesitated and immediately ordered the anxious Liu Hu: "Heavy armored infantry attack and retake the North City!"

    Liu Hu jumped two feet high, ¡®Ouch!  ' He yelled, turned around and ran towards the city wall, shouting at the top of his voice to the city: "Brothers, business is coming, come with me and fight!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As the iron gate of the west gate of the city opened, three hundred heavy armored infantry, led by Liu Hu, wearing heavy armor and holding three-pointed two-edged swords, rushed towards the north city with murderous intent. Behind them, Wei Yan led more than a thousand  Soldiers followed closely.

    Most of Jiangdong's army on the north city fled, leaving only more than 3,000 people under Ling Cao's direct command. Under Ling Cao's strong protection, they have recovered slightly from the chaos, but they are still in shock.

    "All soldiers are at their posts!"

    Ling Cao shouted sternly: "Raise your shield to protect your bow and arrow!"

    The soldiers ran back to their seats and crouched down to avoid the arrows fired from the inner city. At this moment, Ling Cao unexpectedly found that the bows and arrows in the inner city had stopped shooting. He was confused and confused. There was thick smoke billowing from the urn city.  Obscuring his view.

    There was a sudden commotion in the west, and screams kept coming. Ling Cao was shocked. Looking back, he saw an army coming from the west. He could see it very clearly under the firelight.

    This armyThere were about three hundred soldiers. The soldiers were extremely tall and burly. They were like iron towers. They were covered in black and held three-pointed and two-edged swords. Wherever this army passed, flesh and blood flew everywhere, and they were unstoppable.

    Ling Cao suddenly remembered what Lu Xun had said. Chai Sang had an elite heavy armored infantry, which should be this army. Seeing that this army was killing Jiangdong Army and was retreating steadily, and was unable to resist, Ling Cao was furious and shouted  With a sound, he swung his gun and killed him.

    The pace of the heavy armored infantry was not fast. Every step they took was very calm. The team was extremely neat, six people abreast, a total of fifty rows. They moved like a mountain, slashing with their blades, killing all ghosts and gods.

    At this time, Ling Cao led hundreds of people to fight towards him. Ling Cao shouted and stabbed the chest of Liu Hu in the middle with a big iron spear. The tip of the spear carried strong wind and was extremely fast.

    Liu Hu shouted low, and the formation of the heavy armored infantry immediately changed. Six people in the second row stepped out from the side and surrounded Ling Cao from the left. Twelve people in two rows slashed at Ling Cao with twelve knives at the same time.

    What Ling Cao received was twelve three-pointed two-edged knives slashing at him at the same time. This meant that even if he stabbed Liu Hu, he would be chopped into pieces by the other eleven knives at the same time.

    Ling Cao was secretly surprised. He retracted his gun and jumped back, avoiding the collective attack of the heavy armored infantry. The heavy armored infantry did not change their rhythm because of Ling Cao. They resumed their formation and moved forward step by step, killing Jiangdong.  The soldiers retreated steadily.

    Seeing that this heavy armored infantry was so sharp and unstoppable, Ling Cao was helpless for a moment. At this time, there was a commotion from the east, and a soldier rushed over to report, "To General Ling, there are also Jingzhou troops coming from the west.  The leading general seems to be the enemy general Liu Jing."

    Ling Cao was overjoyed to find out that it was Liu Jing. If he could capture him, Chaisang City would be at his fingertips. He ignored the heavy armored infantry and ran towards the east. Hundreds of soldiers could not withstand the impact of the heavy armored infantry and followed Ling Cao one after another.  Withdraw eastward.

    The coupon gate to the east opened, and Liu Jing led two thousand soldiers to fight out. They rushed through the flames burning above the Shuicheng gate and attacked Jiangdong's army.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, the morale of the Jiangdong Army was low and it was difficult to withstand the two-sided attack of the Jingzhou Army. It was gradually unable to support itself. Only half a mile of the two-mile-long northern city wall was left under the control of the Jiangdong Army, which was still shrinking. The Jiangdong soldiers had no intention of fighting.  , all climbed up the ladder and fled outside the city.

    Seeing that the northern city head was about to be retaken by the Jingzhou Army, hundreds of Jiangdong soldiers, led by the general Ling Cao, launched a last counterattack. What they faced was no longer heavy armored infantry, but the main force of the Jingzhou Army coming from the east.

    Among the rebels, Ling Cao found Liu Jing at a glance. Liu Jing was eight feet three tall and holding a halberd. He was like a god. Ling Cao cut a bloody path and was less than four feet away from Liu Jing. He shouted, "  Liu Jing, take a shot from me."

    Liu Jing had already seen Ling Cao, and a soldier told him that it was this man who killed Wang Tai. When the enemies saw each other, they were extremely jealous. Liu Jing waved his halberd, making the phoenix nod, and stabbed Ling Cao's chest flat with the tip of the halberd.

    Phoenix Nod is the official version of Fenglei Transformation, and it is also the first move of Bai Niao Chao Feng Spear. Although it is also a one-shot thrust, it is much more difficult than Fenglei Transformation. Fenglei Transformation pays attention to the change of speed, slow down first.  The back is fast, and Feng's nodding is a kind of power control, the speed is neither fast nor slow.

    Ling Cao is a man who knows the goods, so he shouted, "Well done!"

    ??Dodged to avoid Liu Jing¡¯s halberd, Ling Cao¡¯s spear stabbed Liu Jing¡¯s left rib from the side, ¡®Dang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and the spears and halberds collided. Liu Jing swung the iron spear away, but the crescent blade struck Ling Cao¡¯s neck.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The two sides exchanged spears and halberds, fighting in one place, and the two of them killed for more than ten rounds. At this moment, the Jiangdong Army camp in the distance suddenly burst into flames, and the shouts of killing shook the sky.

    Ling Tong rushed to the top of the city and shouted from a distance: "Father, Wu Hou has an order, ordering you to retreat immediately!"

    With the corner of his eye, Ling Cao also saw the Jiangdong Army camp in the distance with flames rising into the sky. He was secretly surprised. Seeing that he could not defeat Liu Jing for a while, he no longer wanted to fight, so he used a flaw to jump out of the battle circle.

    "Liu Jing, I will spare your life today, we will fight again tomorrow!"

    Under the desperate guard of more than a hundred soldiers, Ling Cao retreated towards the city. How could Liu Jing allow him to escape? He drew his bow and arrow from behind, aimed at Ling Cao, the string was as full as the moon, and shot out an arrow.

    For more than a year, Liu Jing has been practicing archery every night, and his night arrows have become as perfect as fire. This arrow passed through the crowd. At this time, Ling Cao had climbed up the city ladder, and he was about to stand at the top of the city.  The moment it disappeared, the wolf-fang arrow struck like lightning. Ling Cao heard the strong wind, but it was too late to dodge.

    ¡®Pfft¡ª¡ª¡¯

    The spike arrow pierced Ling Cao's throat. Ling Cao groaned, rolled down the siege ladder, and fell into the moat.

    "Father!"

    Ling Tong yelled, he jumped down from the city and fell into the moat. When he jumped out of the river,When he arrived at his father, he found that he had died of anger.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the Jiangdong Army camp, Huang Zhong led three thousand troops to suddenly attack. The camp was empty, with only more than two thousand defenders. They were killed by surprise and fell into chaos.

    Huang Zhong led his troops to attack from two sides and set fire to the camp. In the chaos, Jiangdong soldiers protected more than two dozen civilian officers and fled the camp.

    At this time, Sun Quan was already on his boat. He stared blankly at the fire in Chaisang City, and his heart went blank. He got the news half an hour ago that Pengze Water Village was attacked by Gan Ning, and the warehouses and military camps were destroyed.  Burnt down, heavy losses.

    This news dealt a heavy blow to Sun Quan's confidence, and finally his determination was shaken, and he had the intention to quit. It was this news that made Sun Quan return to the ship. This was a subconscious thing that even Sun Quan himself was not aware of.  .

    But bad news came one after another. General Pan Zhang was killed, the camp was attacked, and the siege failed. Sun Quan felt his heart began to ache.

    He slowly sat down, lowered his head and said nothing. The generals and civil servants around him were all quiet. Even Zhou Yu did not dare to come forward to persuade Sun Quan, and he did not know how to persuade him.

    At this time, Lu Su stepped forward, bit his lip, and slowly persuaded: "Marquis Wu, we have suffered nearly 30,000 casualties, and our morale is low. We cannot continue to fight. If we continue to fight, I'm afraid  We will not be able to return to Koto."

    Sun Quan still lowered his head, his body was trembling slightly, his fists were clenched, and his knuckles turned white. At this moment, Ling Tong rushed in crying and knelt on the ground, "Wu Hou, my father was unfortunately killed in battle!  "

    Sun Quan was shocked, like a thousand arrows piercing his heart. He could no longer hold on, and a mouthful of blood spurted out. He fainted and fell to the ground. All the generals were stunned and rushed up in unison.

    "Wuhou! Wuhou! Go find the military doctor quickly."

    After a while, Sun Quan came to his senses and sighed, "Gentlemen, I have no face to see my father and brother! I have no face to see Jiangdong elders!"

    Zhou Yu shed tears and said: "Wu Hou, please take care!"

    Sun Quan shook his head, sighed again, and said to Zhou Yu: "Gong Jin, please pass on my order quickly. The entire army will board the ship and withdraw back to Jiangdong. Order Cheng Pu to abandon Wuchang and Xiakou and withdraw the entire army!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Battle of Chaisang lasted for two days and two nights. From Yangxin County to Chaisang City, both sides suffered heavy casualties. The Jiangdong Army was ultimately unable to conquer Chaisang. At this time, several counties and mountains in the east of the Yangtze River were in rebellion, and emergency reports came one after another.

    With no choice but to give up Jiangxia, Sun Quan ordered the entire army to withdraw to Jiangdong. The Battle of Jiangxia, which had been fiercely fought for nearly half a month, finally came to an end.

    A morning glow slowly rose, and golden light shone on the top of Chaisang City. Liu Jing was bathed in the morning glow, and his whole body was dyed golden. He stared at the Yangtze River without saying a word for a long time.

    At this time, Xu Shu slowly stepped forward and said in a low voice: "Congratulations to Sima for successfully defeating the Jiangdong Army and about to capture Jiangxia."

    Liu Jing shook her head and smiled slightly, "Yuan Zhi, this is God's arrangement, let me become a phoenix and be reborn from the ashes!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ¡¾Around 9pm, we will add another chapter, and strive to get over 120,000 clicks and over 3,000 recommendation votes this week¡¿

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 192 Peng Ze¡¯s Night Talk

    Before daybreak, the mighty war fleet of Jiangdong Army arrived at Pengze Water Village. The fire in Pengze had just been extinguished, but the smoke lingered. Green smoke curled up in the distance, and the air was filled with a pungent smell.

    Sun Quan stood on the bow of the ship with his hands behind his hands, staring gloomily at the burned wreckage of the warship in the water village. He did not get angry. At this time, he had calmed down and was able to face the failure of the Western Expedition.

    More importantly, Peng Ze¡¯s troops and warships suffered little loss, but their warehouses and grain and grass supplies were burned. Although it was heartbreaking, the soldiers only suffered casualties of more than 300 people, which made Sun Quan slightly relieved.

    The big ship slowly docked, and Sun Quan got off the ship. Lu Fan, who had been waiting on the shore, immediately led a dozen officers to greet him.

    Lu Fan knelt down and bowed respectfully to Sun Quan, "I despise my position to pay homage to the Marquis of Wu. I despise my position to defend the camp, which is disadvantageous and caused a heavy setback to the camp. I am willing to be punished by the Marquis of Wu."

    "We will discuss the punishment later. General Lu can take Gu Gu to see the warehouse!"

    Sun Quan was not in the mood to punish his men at this time. If he wanted to be punished, he should be punished first.

    Lu Fan could not understand the complex emotions in his lord's heart, but he understood what his lord meant. No punishment for the time being. This is a kind of language art. The so-called no punishment for the time being is actually an implicit expression of no punishment.

    As long as the defeat is not too disastrous, even if there is a far-fetched reason, it will become an excuse not to punish, and in the end nothing will happen.

    And he, Lu Fan, saved most of the ships and troops, which would be a reason not to be punished.

    Lu Fan felt relieved and quickly stood up and led Sun Quan and the generals to the warehouse area behind the military camp.

    The fire in the warehouse has been extinguished, but dozens of burned-to-shattered warehouses are still emitting green smoke. More than a thousand soldiers are busy tidying up the warehouses. Bags of unburned grain have been pulled out and piled on the open ground.  , just like a hill.

    Another hill next to it is a pile of unburned armor. Hundreds of soldiers are picking out complete weapons and armor one by one.

    After only walking around for a while, Sun Quan felt exhausted. He turned around and said to everyone: "Go back to the ship! I want to rest. You are also very tired. Let's go and rest!"

    After returning to the ship, the generals also went to rest. After not sleeping all night, and coupled with the fatigue and stress of the past few days, Sun Quan's body was extremely exhausted. Despite this, he could not fall asleep.

    He stood up, walked to the small window on the bulkhead, and stared in the direction of Chaisang from a distance. This time, in the expedition to Jiangxia, 60,000 troops were sent out, and nearly half of the troops were lost in the end. Jiangxia was also a waste of water.

    Although he cut off Huang Zu¡¯s head so that he could offer sacrifices to his father¡¯s spirit in heaven, can his father really feel at ease?

    Sun Quan felt extremely ashamed when he thought of the tragic defeat of Chaisang. This was the most disastrous defeat since he took power. Although he could use the rebellion of the Shanyue tribe in the country as a cover, he had to go back, but deep down in his heart, he had to admit that his  fail.

    Sun Quan paced back and forth in the cabin with his hands behind his back. He was slowly recalling the reasons for the failure of the Battle of Chaisang.

    On the way back, many generals attributed the failure of the Battle of Chaisang to the Jingzhou Army's use of "kerosene." They learned the word "kerosene" from a prisoner of war.

    Sun Quan did not deny that kerosene played a great role, especially on the morale of the army. However, Sun Quan did not think that kerosene defeated Jiangdong Army. If Huang Zu used kerosene, then Jiangdong Army would still win in the end. The key is still  people.

    When thinking about people, he could not avoid Liu Jing. Although he did not want to think of this person at this time, Sun Quan knew very well that this time, he was actually defeated by Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing's resourcefulness and tenacious resistance caused him to be defeated first in Yangxin County, then in the south of the city, defeating General Pan Zhang, and finally in the city head, where General Ling Cao was killed.

    Thinking of the deaths of Pan Zhang and Ling Cao, Sun Quan felt a twinge of pain in his heart. There was a trace of regret in that pain. If he had listened to Lu Meng and Zhou Yu's advice at the beginning and killed Liu Jing, there would have been no future consequences.  In the tragic defeat, neither Pan Zhang nor Ling Cao will die.

    ¡°In the final analysis, it is still Sun Quan¡¯s responsibility. He is the real person responsible for Jiangxia¡¯s failure.

    Sun Quan walked to the ship window again, stared at the bright color appearing in the sky, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

    At this time, Lu Su's voice came from outside the cabin, "Wu Hou, can I come in if I have a humble position?"

    Sun Quan was slightly startled. How did he know that he had not rested?  But Sun Quan still nodded, "Come in!"

    The cabin door opened, Lu Su walked in, knelt down and bowed, "Su pays homage to my lord!"

    Sun Quan also sat down and waved his hand, "Please get up!"

    Lu Su sat up straight and said with a smile: "I think my lord, although he is tired,?But my mind was in turmoil and I was bound to be unable to sleep. In fact, I was the same, so I took the liberty to disturb you. The guard at the door said that the master had indeed not rested.  "

    Sun Quan gave a bitter smile, "I'm afraid it's not just you and me, most people can't fall asleep. Only when you calm down can you feel the pain in your heart."

    Lu Su pondered for a moment, "My lord, are you sad for Pan Zhang and Ling Cao?"

    "not completely."

    Sun Quan shook his head, with some sadness in his eyes, "Both Pan Zhang and Ling Cao have followed my brother for many years and made great military exploits for Jiangdong, but I failed to make good use of them, causing them to die young. This is my fault.  Not only that, but the root cause of Jiangxia¡¯s failure this time also lies with me, Zijing. I want to write a letter of guilt and publish it in Jiangdong to give an explanation to the fallen soldiers. "

    Lu Su was shocked and quickly dissuaded him: "My lord, you must not do this!"

    "Why?" Sun Quan looked at him puzzled.

    "If the lord has been in power for many years and has a stable foundation, it is okay to occasionally commit crimes against oneself. However, the lord has not been in power for a long time and the foundation has not yet been stable. If the lord openly blames himself for the crime, it will greatly damage the lord's prestige.  It is not conducive to the rule of the lord and the stability of Jiangdong to allow some unfinished evil to stir up again. Please think twice, lord."

    Sun Quan walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. He was persuaded by Lu Su. What Lu Su said was very reasonable. He almost gave up. Thinking of this, Sun Quan turned around and asked: "Then what should I do about the defeat of Chaisang this time?"  How to explain to the Chinese people?¡±

    "My lord, all the generals are saying that the defeat of Chaisang was mainly due to the use of kerosene by the Jingzhou army. My lord, you might as well agree with this statement and blame the reason for the failure on kerosene. Then we will also look for this kerosene. Once we find it,  , will definitely boost morale and public sentiment, and the shadow of this failure will be swept away.¡±

    Just when Sun Quan was about to speak, Lu Su continued: "Secondly, the lord cannot be said to have been defeated by Liu Jing, but by the Jingzhou Army. Liu Jing must be downplayed to avoid affecting the lord's prestige."

    Sun Quan nodded. Lu Su thought very carefully and carefully. He had not thought of this. He was in a slightly better mood, sat down again and said with a smile: "Zijing has dealt with Liu Jing several times, what do you think of this person?  "

    Lu Su also laughed, "Gong Jin and I talked about this person just now. Gong Jin said that he underestimated this person at first, thinking that Liu Jing would evacuate from the south gate like ordinary generals, so he did not attack the south gate, but  Unexpectedly, he discovered that there was an ambush at the south gate and took the north gate. This incident made Gong Jin deeply sad. He thought that he had underestimated the enemy. "

    Sun Quan sighed, "Actually, I am not underestimating the enemy. I always thought that Huang Zu of Jiangxia was more important, and Liu Jing was second. So I was anxious to destroy Huang Zu first, but in the end, I gave Liu Jing a chance to breathe. This is also my fault.  ah!"

    Lu Su lowered his head and said nothing for a long time. Sun Quan looked a little strange and glanced at him, "Zijing, did I say something wrong?"

    Lu Su shook his head and said in a low voice: "I personally think that Wu Hou is not underestimating the enemy, but has a love for talents. It's just that he didn't think of the consequences of attacking Chaisang twice at the time."

    Sun Quan was silent. Lu Su's words revealed his true thoughts. Why he let Liu Jing off repeatedly? This was not because of his stupidity, but because of his great wisdom.

    If there was no letter from Liu Jing and Sun Liu to join forces to fight against Cao Cao, and without Liu Jing's filial piety to Mrs. Sun, would Sun Quan have the heart to let Liu Jing go?

    As a ruler, Sun Quan will think more deeply, because Liu Jing also has his long-term interests. If Liu Biao cannot be destroyed, then reconciling Sun and Liu and fighting against Cao Cao is undoubtedly the best solution. Unlocking Sun and Liu  The key to joint obstacles is Liu Jing.

    Just because he wanted to leave some leeway, Sun Quan did not attack Xiaji County and Yangxin County after he captured Chaisang for the first time. But how could he not have imagined that his benevolence made him pay a heavy price in the end?  .

    Sun Quan never wanted to admit this, but Lu Su suddenly revealed it. Sun Quan stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, his face gloomy and silent.

    Lu Su understood Sun Quan¡¯s mood. He thought about it all night before he mustered up the courage to come to Sun Quan. He sighed and said, "I mentioned this matter because I actually wanted to go to Chaisang again for the Marquis of Wu."

    Sun Quan still didn't say anything, but he was a little tempted. It wasn't that he thought about the alliance between Sun and Liu again, that was a long-term prospect. He was worried that Jingzhou would take the opportunity to expand eastward. Jiangdong would not have enough troops, so he would have to mobilize a large number of troops to pacify Shanyue. In this way,  , the western counties will be empty of troops. If Liu Biao takes the opportunity to expand eastward, it will be a bit troublesome.

    But if there is a reconciliation with Liu Jing, then even if Liu Biao wants to expand eastward and Liu Jing does not agree, it will be difficult for the Jingzhou Army to advance eastward.

    Thinking of this, Sun Quan finally asked: "Do you think Liu Jing will agree to reconciliation?"

    Lu Su smiled slightly, "His affairs will not be simple. As far as I know, because of the Tao family'sThere has been a slight rift in the relationship between Liu Jing and Liu Biao, at least Liu Biao is wary of him. Now that Liu Jing has annexed Jiangxia and gradually matured, plus he defeated the Jiangdong Army, his reputation will definitely surpass Liu Qi and Liu Cong.  Many people will consider him to succeed Jingzhou Mu. Does the Lord think Liu Biao will really let his nephew replace his son?  "

    Sun Quan laughed and said, "Zijing is right. Liu Jing has just won Jiangxia and it will take time to consolidate his position. He will then have a secret fight with Liu Biao. At this time, he also needs to stabilize us. Then the reconciliation between the two parties will hit it off."

    "So I humbly ask for orders to go to Chaisang again and talk to Liu Jing about the exchange of prisoners of war, and then we can talk about reconciliation between the two parties."

    Sun Quan thought for a long time, then smiled lightly and said: "I will write a letter to support him as the lord of Jingzhou. Zijing will give it to him on my behalf, and then send someone to Xiangyang to promote it. I think Liu Biao will be very interested."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 193: Soldiers first, etiquette second

    Jiangdong's army rested until noon the next day, then left Pengze Water Village and sailed toward Jiangdong. In the afternoon, Lu Su took two followers and returned to Chaisang City in a small boat.

    Pengze Water Village is very close to Chaisang, less than a hundred miles away. At dusk, Lu Su's boat arrived at Chaisang City.

    By this time, it had been two days since the war ended, and the battlefield had been basically cleared, but there were still many soldiers salvaging sunken ships and clearing river obstacles in Caohe River.

    Looking from afar, the city gate has been opened. Farmers hiding in the city are driving ox carts back to their homes outside the city. There are also several businessmen from other places who are explaining something to the soldiers guarding the city gate.  .

    On the top of the North City, dozens of craftsmen were rebuilding the city towers. Soldiers used water to clean away the blood stains on the city walls. The corpses in the moat were all fished out and transported to the west of the city by boat for burning.

    At this time, Liu Jing was inspecting the city. The north city tower was burned down in this battle, and more than a hundred craftsmen were renovating the tower.

    The war has just ended, and Liu Jing is not in a hurry to annex Jiangxia. On the one hand, it is because the Jiangdong Army has not completely withdrawn from Jiangxia, and on the other hand, the soldiers are tired and need to rest for a few days.

    But this could not stop Liu Jing's thoughts. His mind had already flown across the Yangtze River and he began to consider his next move. He must occupy Jiangxia before Liu Biao.

    Once Liu Biao takes the lead, he will inevitably restrain himself, and Jiangxia will no longer be his foundation. Liu Jing waited for two years before finally reaching this moment. He could not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity no matter what.

    While he was thinking about it, a soldier rushed over and said, "Sima, the Governor of Lu from last time is here again."

    Liu Jing was startled. He held up the curtain and looked towards the Cao River. In the distance, he saw a small boat sailing into the Cao River and heading towards the water gate.

    Liu Jing knew that Sun Quan had at least five to six thousand Jiangxia soldiers prisoners of war, and he also had thousands of Jiangdong prisoners of war. One was captured by Lu Meng when he broke out, and the other was Huang Zhong's prisoners in Yangxin. He was also considering taking the Jiangxia soldiers  After changing back, Lu Su came unexpectedly.

    However, it is still necessary to show his authority, otherwise Sun Quan will despise him.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing called Liu Hu over, whispered a few instructions to him, and then quickly returned to the military office.

    Chaisang Military Government Office and the County Government Office were together, about a hundred steps away from the Caohe Pier. Lu Su's boat arrived directly at the dock. There were no welcoming officials on the dock, but a group of soldiers in full armor.

    Lu Su felt a little uneasy. When he got to the pier, an officer came up and asked, "Are you the envoy from Jiangdong?"

    "Of course!"

    "My Sima is waiting at the military office, please come!"

    From the pier, you can see the military office a hundred steps away, but it is not easy to walk there. Two hundred burly and heavily armored soldiers stand with swords in hand, all of them fierce and murderous.

    Lu Su understood that he had to walk through the group of soldiers. If he took a detour, it would be Jiangdong's shame.

    Lu Su took a deep breath and walked quickly towards the military office. As soon as he walked up to the heavily armored soldiers, he said, 'Dang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and the three-pointed and two-edged knives were set together at the same time. Two hundred sharp long knives were set up to form a long canopy of knives. The cold light flashed. As long as the hand was a little softer, the long knives struck down, and Lu Su¡¯s head would fall to the ground.

    Lu Su's two followers were so frightened that their faces turned pale and their legs were trembling. Although Lu Su was also frightened by this murderous intention, he still walked forward step by step and walked for a full quarter of an hour before he finished this walk.  After walking a hundred steps, I couldn't help but secretly let out a long breath. I felt that my legs were weak and my back was already soaked.

    But his two followers never dared to pass by and stayed at the other end.

    There were soldiers in full armor standing on both sides of the military yamen, all holding weapons and looking fiercely. There was a table on the steps. Liu Jing sat behind the table and stared at Lu Su coldly.

    There was a large oil pan on the open space in front of the steps, with firewood piled underneath. The fire was blazing, the oil was boiling, and green smoke filled the air above the oil pan.

    Just after walking through the sword formation and facing the frying pan again, Lu Su knew that this was Liu Jing giving him a blow. He sighed secretly in his heart. He was actually mentally prepared. How could he shake hands and talk happily just after the battle?  reason.

    Lu Su stepped forward, bowed and saluted: "Lu Su, the envoy from Jiangdong, comes to see Liu Sima!"

    Liu Jing said coldly: "Since you are the envoy of Jiangdong, why can't you pay homage?"

    Lu Su took out a gold medal, raised it in his hand, and said loudly: "This is the gold medal of the Marquis of Wu. Seeing the gold medal in Jiangdong is like seeing the Marquis of Wu. Since I am the envoy of the Marquis of Wu, I should perform the courtesy of the Marquis of Wu. Does Liu Sima think I should bow down?"

    "shut up!"

    Liu Jing slapped the table and shouted sternly: "When the two armies are fighting, you will die or I will die. Even if Sun Quan comes in person, we will kill them all, come on!"

      Several big men holding forks came forward to stand by. Xu Shu, who was standing next to him, quickly begged for mercy: "Sima, the two countries are at war. If you don't kill the envoy, I hope Sima will show mercy."

    Liu Jing snorted coldly, "Behead the envoy as a demonstration and cook him for me!"

    "Liu Jing, don't go too far!" Lu Su shouted angrily.

    Several big men ignored Lu Su's struggle, pressed him down, and lifted him up with a fork, high above the oil pan. The green smoke filled the air and the heat wave was suffocating. They looked at the boiling boiling water below them.  Damn it, Lu Su was almost desperate. Is Lu Su really going to be cooked and fried to death?

    Liu Jing looked at Lu Su with a look of despair. A proud smile appeared on his lips, but the smile flashed past and he was still full of anger.

    At this moment, Xu Shu knelt down and begged, "Sima, although Jiangdong is the enemy temporarily, we should have a long-term vision. If Cao Cao attacks, who will join forces with Sima to fight against Cao? Sima, please spare the life of Governor Lu."  ¡±

    Xu Shu's words immediately reminded Lu Su, and Lu Su also shouted loudly: "Wu Hou felt the general's filial piety and couldn't bear to kill them all. If he had directly wiped out the two counties of Xiaji and Yangxin, where would we be today? Liu Sima couldn't kill me, but he couldn't bear it.  It would be impossible to reconcile the Sun and Liu families. If I had known this, why would I let Lu Meng go in the first place? "

    Liu Jing slowly put his hands on his hands and stepped forward, looking at Lu Su and asked: "Is Governor Lu afraid of death?"

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid!¡±

    "If you are not afraid of death, why should you ask for mercy?"

    "Su's death is not regretful, but he cannot fulfill Wu Hou's mission. Su is guilty of Jiangdong. If he dies, there will be no way for reconciliation between the Sun and Liu families. Su will die without resting in peace. So Su is not afraid of death, but he doesn't want to die either!"

    Liu Jing stared at him for a long time, then waved her hand, "Put him down!"

    Several sergeants lifted Lu Su back to the ground. Lu Su felt that his legs were weak and he was almost unsteady. The lingering fear in his heart was still lingering. Liu Jing said coldly: "I wanted to kill you to appease the morale of the army, but for the sake of Xu County,  For the sake of interceding for you, I will spare your life this time. Go back and tell Sun Quan to make preparations. In the spring of next year, I, General Liu Jing, will lead my army to the east and wipe out the two counties of Yuzhang and Qichun!"

    Lu Su sighed, "I will tell Wu Hou, but it will be beneficial to both parties if Lu Su can be allowed to complete this mission."

    Liu Jing snorted, turned around and walked towards the military office. When she was almost at the door, she ordered her surroundings, "Bring him to the official room to see me!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Not long after, a soldier brought Lu Su into the official office and came to Liu Jing¡¯s official room. He reported: ¡°Sima, the Jiangdong envoy is here!¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "Let him come in! Then invite Lieutenant Xu County too."

    Lu Su walked into the room, and the soldiers rushed to inform Xu Shu. Liu Jing stared at Lu Su for a long time, and then said calmly: "Captain Lu, please take a seat!"

    Lu Su had gradually calmed down at this time, but it was really difficult to fathom Liu Jing's thoughts. Could it be that Liu Jing's intention to let Lu Meng go was no longer there?  Does Liu Jing really want to conquer Yuzhang and Qichun?  Is Liu Jing really so short-sighted that she was dazzled by a big victory?

    Lu Su had many thoughts in his heart. He originally thought he knew Liu Jing very well, but at this time he couldn't see through it anymore.

    The two of them sat down respectively. Lu Su took out a letter and presented it to Liu Jing with both hands, "This is a letter written by Marquis Wu to Sima. Please ask Sima to read it."

    Liu Jing took the letter and read it carefully. The letter did not mention the Battle of Jiangxia at all, let alone the Battle of Chaisang that ended just the day before yesterday. He just thanked Liu Jing for his condolences to his mother who died of illness, and also appreciated Liu Jing's proposal.  Sun and Liu proposed reconciliation and joint resistance against Cao.

    Seeing this, Liu Jing couldn't help but look at the date below. The letter was signed yesterday.

    But Liu Jing felt that this should be a reply to the letter he wrote last year. Of course, he also understood that Sun Quan did not mention the war in the letter. Since he wanted to talk about reconciliation, unpleasant things should be avoided as much as possible.

    He continued to read. There was not much content behind it, but the last sentence was that Jiangdong fully supported him as the Lord of Jingzhou.

    Liu Jing frowned. There was ambiguity in this sentence. Should he support him to replace Liu Biao, or should he support him to succeed Liu Biao?

    But no matter which one it was, Liu Jing felt it was inappropriate. As a person of Sun Quan's status, such words should not be left in writing.

    He was confused and silent. Lu Su seemed to know Liu Jing's confusion and quickly explained: "The Marquis of Wu hopes that Sima can become the heir of Jingzhou. In this way, Jingzhou and Soochow will have the opportunity to unite to fight against Cao's army in the future. He hopes that Liu Qi and  Liu Cong will make people despair, these are Wu Hou¡¯s original words.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Shu's voice came from behind, "The war has just ended, and the soldiers' bones are not yet cold, but Governor Lu is talking about reconciliation and alliance. This must be a bit chilling for the Jiangdong soldiers!"

    Xu Shu slowly walked in?, bowed to Liu Jing, nodded to Lu Su and said with a smile: "I am a straightforward person and speak upright. Please don't blame Mr. Lu."

    Lu Su quickly stood up and saluted, "Don't dare! What Mr. Xu said makes Lu Su ashamed. It is really not appropriate to talk about alliance today, only the exchange of prisoners of war."

    Liu Jing waved her hand, "Yuan Zhi, please sit down, and Governor Lu, please sit down too!"

    Lu Su bowed gratefully to Xu Shu again and then sat down. Several soldiers served them tea. Liu Jing picked up the tea and winked at Xu Shu.

    Xu Shu understood, and smiled and said to Lu Su: "Speaking of prisoners of war, I wonder how many Jiangxia soldiers the Jiangdong Army has? Where are they now?"

    Lu Su already understood the division of labor between Liu Jing and Xu Shu. The specific negotiations were conducted by Xu Shu, and Liu Jing only made decisions later.

    He took out seven thick volumes from the bag he carried with him, put them on the table, and pushed them to Xu Shu, "This is the list of prisoners of war. There are 9,455 people in total, and most of them are in Xiakou and Wuchang."  Captured in the battle, Wu Hou means that no matter how many prisoners of war we have in your hands, we will release all of them. They are all in Pengze. "

    Liu Jing and Xu Shu quickly looked at each other, both of them were secretly surprised. There were so many prisoners of war, nine thousand people. How could it be possible?  You must know that Huang Zu's total military strength was only 15,000.

    Xu Shu carefully flipped through several rosters and handed one of them to Liu Jing. Liu Jing took it and flipped through it. It was filled with names and places of origin. At this time, he unexpectedly discovered that there were many Xiangyang names in it.  Soldier of nationality.

    He was startled, and after thinking about it carefully, he suddenly realized that these soldiers must be reinforcements brought by Cai Mao, who were defeated and captured by the Jiangdong Army.

    Liu Jing frowned and asked Lu Su, "I wonder how many prisoners of war there were in the battle against Cai Mao?"

    Lu Su thought for a while, "About four thousand people."

    It actually accounted for nearly half. Liu Jing nodded and continued to look at the roster. At this time, Xu Shu smiled again and said: "We have about 5,000 Jiangdong Army prisoners of war in our hands. In this exchange, won't Jiangdong suffer a bit?"

    Lu Su shook his head and said solemnly: "Wu Hou said that the exchange of prisoners of war does not depend on the number of people, but on the sincerity. As long as both parties are sincere, it does not matter if there are more people or fewer people."

    Xu Shu chuckled, "Since Wu Hou is sincere, then we can take advantage."

    Lu Su apologized and said with a smile: "This is indeed Wu Hou's ambition. He hopes that war will return to war and reconciliation will return to reconciliation. If there is nothing wrong with Soochow, Wu Hou would be willing to have an interview with Liu Sima."

    After a pause, Lu Su asked again: "Besides exchanging prisoners of war, does Liu Sima have anything else to explain?"

    Liu Jing said lightly: "I can feel Wu Hou's sincerity. If the two families stop fighting and make peace, I think Wu Hou will show at least eight points of sincerity."

    Lu Su understood that Liu Jing had other conditions, so he asked tentatively: "I wonder what Sima thinks the other three points of sincerity are?"

    Liu Jing laughed, "It's actually simple. I hope Wu Hou will not embarrass the Tao family and maintain the status quo of the Tao family. I hope the Tao family can become a bridge of communication between the two of us."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Lu Su said goodbye and returned to Pengze. When Xu Shu saw off Lu Su and came back, he saw Liu Jing still looking through the list of prisoners of war. He sat down and smiled and said, "Has Sima thought of Sun Quan's true intention?"

    Liu Jing closed the booklet in his hand and said with a smile: "Tell me, what is his intention?"

    Xu Shu sneered and said: "If I guessed correctly, Sun Quan was worried that Sima would take the opportunity to expand eastward, so he was so generous. He exchanged nine thousand people for five thousand, and exchanged a favor from the master."

    Liu Jing thought for a while, then smiled and said, "I think there must be something wrong within Jiangdong, so he rushed back in such a hurry. Perhaps as you said, Sun Quan is worried about my eastward expansion, but I don't have anything for the time being."  If you want to expand your business, let¡¯s hold Jiangxia County in your hands first.¡±

    Xu Shu laughed, "But what Sima said just now was so conclusive that Lu Su believed it to be true. I guess Sun Quan won't be able to sleep again if he goes back to report it."

    "It's better to let him worry for a while, so as not to think that Jiangxia is just a vegetable garden. He can come and leave whenever he wants. Teach him a lesson."

    At this time, Xu Shu was a little worried and said to Liu Jing: "Sima has occupied Jiangxia County. I'm afraid there will be trouble in Xiangyang."

    Liu Jing knew that he was referring to Liu Biao. Although Liu Biao first put him in Jiangxia County to let him deal with Huang Zu, it did not mean that after killing Huang Zu, Jiangxia would be given to him.

    At first Liu Jing thought that Liu Biao would appoint him as the governor of Jiangxia, but after a year, he gradually understood Liu Biao's true intentions, and Liu Pan was a mirror.

    In Changsha County, Liu Pan served as the county magistrate. The prefect was Zhang Ji, but the army was commanded by Huang Zhong. The military and political power was not in Liu Pan's hands.Above all, it plays a surveillance role.

    ?Then it must be the same for Jiangxia County. In Liu Biao's design, Liu Jing cannot command the army or be a prefect. He must either be a false captain or a county magistrate like Liu Pan, monitoring Jiangxia County for Liu Biao.

    His troubles don't stop there, they are also related to the Tao family. The Tao family was originally an important provider of money and food in Jingzhou, but now they support him Liu Jing. How can Liu Biao not be angry? This can be seen from the arrival of the Yi nationality.  Liu Biao's plan for himself.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled disdainfully and said: "We don't need to take Xiangyang seriously, but we can't be careless. Lu Su also said that Cheng Pu has withdrawn his troops from Wuchang. As long as the Jiangdong Army withdraws from Jiangxia, we will immediately take action and annex Jiangxia."

    Liu Jing thought about the Xiangyang prisoners of war again, and was about to discuss it with Xu Shu. Suddenly, a soldier outside the door reported: "For Sima, General Su Fei of Fankou has sent a letter."

    Liu Jing and Xu Shu were startled at the same time. Su Fei had sent a letter. This news was really surprising. Liu Jing quickly ordered: "Please come in!"

    Liu Jing knew that Su Fei had gathered 5,000 Jiangxia troops and gathered in Fankou. He was the key figure in his annexation of Jiangxia.  Now that Su Fei actually took the initiative to send a letter, how could he not be filled with expectations?

    After a while, the soldiers led a messenger in. The messenger bowed and presented a letter to Liu Jing, "This is a letter from General Su to Mr. Jing."

    Liu Jing took the letter and ordered the envoys to be taken down to rest. He opened the letter and read it, couldn't help laughing, and said to Xu Shu: "It seems that the sky is on our side, and there is no more trouble in Xiangyang."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 194, Seizing Power in Wuchang

    Five days later, a navy warship from Chaisang slowly approached the Wuchang County dock. Jiangdong Army had evacuated Wuchang County three days ago. Wuchang County was immediately taken over by Su Fei, and Liu Jing asked Gan Ning to contact him.  However, Su Fei took the initiative to send a secret letter from his confidants, expressing his willingness to support Liu Jing as the new master of Jiangxia.

    On the dock, Su Fei watched the Chaisang fleet approaching from a distance. After evacuating from Xiakou, he reorganized Jiangxia's defeated troops and gained more than 5,000 soldiers. These days, he led his troops to station in Fankou until the Jiangdong Army arrived at Chaisang.  After a disastrous defeat, the entire army evacuated Jiangxia, and he reoccupied Wuchang County.

    Su Fei¡¯s eyes were a little complicated. I wonder what kind of status Liu Jing would give him?

    Beside, Su Fei's deputy general Zhang Shuo whispered: "Why doesn't the captain send someone to dedicate Jiangxia to Zhou Mu? Then Zhou Mu will probably appoint the captain as the prefect of Jiangxia."

    Su Fei sighed, "Master Jing has defeated the main force of the Jiangdong Army. The situation is complete. Do you think he will allow others to get involved in Jiangxia? I'm afraid Lianzhou Mu has no choice but to be hostile to him. It is better to offer the city proactively, at least in Jiangxia."  There is a place for you and me.¡±

    Zhang Shuo was silent. Just as he was about to speak again, a small boat sailed to the dock first. The leader on the boat was a tall and burly man. It was Gan Ning. He saw Su Fei at a glance and shouted: "Brother Yicai, you  Sure enough, it¡¯s here.¡±

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Su Fei¡¯s name, Su Fei was overjoyed when he recognized Gan Ning. Before Zhang Shuo could say anything else, he immediately went up to greet him, "Brother Gan, why are you here first?"

    Zhang Shuo saw that Su Fei did not listen to him, and his eyes showed anger. He originally wanted to tell Su Fei that if he presented Jiangxia to Liu Biao, even if he was not named the prefect of Jiangxia, he would be reused elsewhere. Isn't this much better than following Liu Jing?  , but Su Fei wanted to surrender to Liu Jing and refused to listen to his advice. Zhang Shuo was very angry, as this would affect his future.

    Gan Ning jumped off the boat, laughed and hugged Su Fei tightly, "I heard that Huang Zu was dead, so I was worried about your safety. I am very happy to know that Brother Yicai is safe and sound!"

    Su Fei also sighed: "I feel the same, I am also worried about your safety. The defeat of Jiangdong Army is good news for all of us."

    Gan Ning nodded, "To me, the fact that you dedicated Wuchang to Mr. Jing instead of Zhou Mu is the best news. Brother Yicai, you made the right move at the critical moment."

    Su Fei quickly asked in a low voice: "Brother Gan, can you tell me how Mr. Jing plans to use me?"

    Gan Ning smiled. He was here to appease Su Fei first, to reassure Su Fei that he would not switch his allegiance to Liu Biao again. Gan Ning then asked, "Do you think you can hold any position?"

    Su Fei smiled bitterly, "I never would have imagined that the military advisor is Xu Shu, the main generals are you, Master Hu, Wei Yan, Liao Hua, and Li Jun. What can I, Su Fei, do?"

    In fact, what Su Fei was most worried about was that Liu Jing still asked him to be the captain, but this captain was really useless and had no real power. He didn't want to be the captain anymore.

    Gan Ning patted him on the shoulder, "I came here to tell you about this first. There are three positions for you to choose from. One is to continue to serve as the captain and be the nominal second person in Jiangxia. The second is to join the army and assist Xu Shu.  He will be in charge of military affairs, and then he will be transferred to a civilian position and serve as the county magistrate of Jiangxia."

    Su Fei lowered his head and said nothing. He would not take up the post of captain again. Although he was a high-ranking official with two thousand stones and the same level as the prefect, he was not interested in it. He was quite tempted by joining the army and doing a good job. However, the county magistrate was also very attractive.  Although his position was only six hundred stones, Liu Jing must have focused on military affairs, so the political power of Jiangxia County actually rested in the hands of the county magistrate.

    The original Jun Cheng was Zhou Bing, who surrendered to Jiangdong when the city of Wuchang was broken, and was later taken away by Jiangdong's army, leaving the post of Jun Cheng vacant. Su Fei was a native of Jiangxia, so of course he understood the importance of the Jun Cheng. He thought deeply.  After a long while, he said with a smile: "Then I will change my career! Mr. Jing doesn't think Su Fei is dull and I am willing to accept the position of county magistrate."

    In fact, this was also Liu Jing's hope. He wanted to take over Su Fei's army, but he did not want Su Fei to hold a military position again, so he specially gave him the post of Jun Cheng. Not only did he take away Su Fei's military power, he would not treat him badly.  Everyone is happy.

    Gan Ning was overjoyed that Su Fei was so sensible, which saved him a lot of troubles and struggles in the future, and also saved him from dilemmas.

    At this time, a loud shout came from the pier: "We're docked!"

    More than two hundred warships led by Liu Jing began to slowly dock. The first thousand-stone ship docked first. A group of soldiers got off the ship. Liu Jing immediately got off the ship. Behind him were veteran general Huang Zhong and tooth general Wei Yan.  , Su Fei hurriedly came forward, knelt down on one knee and said: "Su Fei has been waiting for the young master for many days, and is willing to serve the young master!"

    Gan Ning whispered something in Liu Jing's ear. Liu Jing nodded, quickly helped Su Fei up with a smile, and said with a smile: "Su Gong refused to surrender to Jiangdong, which shows that he is a loyal person. From now on, Jiangxia's government affairs will be more important."  Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Su.¡±

      This sentence was equivalent to acknowledging Su Fei as the county magistrate of Jiangxia. Su Fei was overjoyed and bowed again: "Su Fei is willing to do his best to govern Jiangxia and will not let Mr. Jing down."

    Su Fei paid homage to Huang Zhong again. At this time, more than a dozen civil and military officials came forward to see Liu Jing. Su Fei pulled Zhang Shuo forward and said with a smile: "This is General Zhang Guangyuan. This time we will protect the people."  Half of the army is General Zhang¡¯s subordinates, please take care of Mr. Jing in the future.¡±

    Zhang Shuo was in a complicated mood and knelt down on one knee to salute, "General Zhang Shuo is here to see Mr. Jing."

    Liu Jing quickly helped him up and said with a smile: "I have heard that General Zhang is the leader of the Eighteen Tooth Generals. Liu Jing has admired him for a long time. It is a blessing to meet him today."

    "Young Master Jing is overly praised. Zhang Shuo is a rude person. Please be patient with Mr. Jing in the future."

    "sure!"

    Liu Jing patted his shoulder affectionately and said with a hearty smile: "I hope we can unite as one and build Jiangxia into a copper and iron wall so that the Jiangdong Army will not dare to go further west."

    At this time, Huang Zhong stepped forward and said, "Zhang Shuo, we haven't seen you for a long time."

    Zhang Shuo then saw Huang Zhong, and he was shocked. When he first joined the army in Xiangyang ten years ago, Huang Zhong was already the commander-in-chief of his army. If Zhang Shuo was still a little dissatisfied with Liu Jing, then Huang Zhong was his supreme commander.  Not daring to offend anyone, he hurriedly knelt down again, clasped his fists and said, "It turns out the old general is here too. Zhang Shuo is being rude. I hope the old general won't blame him."

    Liu Jing next to him smiled faintly. This was the effect he wanted. He came today to seize military power. To be sure, Huang Zhong had to follow him.

    Huang Zhong comforted Zhang Shuo with a few words. At this time, Su Fei introduced the other officials to Liu Jing one by one. Then everyone surrounded Liu Jing and headed for Wuchang County.

    ?¡­.

    Wuchang County is the largest county in Jiangxia. It is the seat of the county government. The city has a circumference of nearly 30 miles and a population of more than 100,000. The nearby farmland is vast and commerce is developed. It is a major grain-producing area in Jiangxia. Liu Jing visited Wuchang County the year before last.  In Wuchang County, he killed Huang Zu's nephew and formed a grudge with Huang Zu.

    Logically, Liu Jing should have inspected the county seat and then went to the county government office to talk to the officials, but this was not the case. After entering Wuchang County, Liu Jing went straight to the military camp. For him, the county seat was not important, what was important was  With the five thousand troops in Su Fei's hands, he must use the fastest speed to firmly control the army in his hands.

    The military camp is also in the county, located in the west of the city. It is a large military camp covering an area of ??nearly a thousand acres. It was originally the garrison of Huang Zuya's army. The conditions are very good in all aspects. Now Su Fei's 5,000 troops are stationed here.

    Since Su Fei has recognized Liu Jing as the lord of Jiangxia and accepted the position of county magistrate, the army in his hands will naturally be handed over to Liu Jing. In the Chinese army's tent, there are nearly a hundred famous tooth generals, military lords and village commanders.  Gathered together, everyone already knew that Liu Jing would take over the army today. Everyone was uneasy. What was their fate in this Jiangxia storm?

    There were several people standing above the tent, including the original general Su Fei, the new general Liu Jing, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan and Gan Ning, as well as twenty elite soldiers on both sides.

    The atmosphere in the big tent was a bit abnormal. This was not a formal transfer of power. They lacked one of the most important things, which was Liu Biao's military talisman. Without Liu Biao's appointment and military power, their transfer of power seemed a bit awkward.  The name is not correct and the words are not correct.

    "Generals!"

    Su Fei raised his voice and slowly said to everyone: "Everyone must know that Mr. Jing led Chai Sang's army to defeat Sun Quan and drove the Jiangdong Army out of Jiangxia, thus avoiding the tragic end of becoming prisoners of war and slaves. But  , the war is not over. The Jiangdong Army did not return to Jiangdong, but stayed in Pengze Water Village and will return to Jiangxia at any time. Therefore, all the defenders in Jiangxia must unite and command under one roof. For this reason, I decided to subordinate the army to  Mr. Jing is under the command. From now on, the five thousand troops in Wuchang County will be officially handed over to Mr. Jing."

    After saying that, he raised his sword high and presented it to Liu Jing. At this moment, someone suddenly said: "General Su, we have always been commanded by Huang Taishou, although Huang Taishou is no longer here.  Perhaps as Young Master Jing, we can replace Governor Huang, but we should not wait until the official appointment of Zhou Mu before we follow Young Master Jing's command."

    Everyone in the tent looked at the speaker. He was a tall and thin officer named Jiang Zhi. He was also a tooth general and had a good relationship with Zhang Shuo.

    The two had already agreed to surrender to Liu Biao but not to Liu Jing. At this time, Zhang Shuo did not express any objection, and Jiang Zhi could no longer bear it and stood up.

    They are confident. The combined strength of Jiang Zhi and Zhang Shuo's men is 3,000, accounting for most of them. They know very well that once Liu Jing seizes military power, they will not be able to protect themselves.

    Since Jiang Zhi has spokenZhang Shuo was no longer silent when he objected, and said loudly: "I agree with General Jiang's opinion. Mr. Jing has a noble status and we dare not offend him. However, the military power of Jingzhou belongs to the Zhou Mu. Now Mr. Jing wants to take over Huang Taishou's army."  , I think we should wait for the appointment of the state pastor, so that the name can be justified and the three armies will be respected. "

    There were whispers in the big tent. Liu Jing walked up to Jiang Zhi step by step and stared into his eyes. "You disobey my military order, don't you?"

    "I don't mean this by humble post, I just mean to wait for the state pastor"

    Before Jiang Zhi finished speaking, Liu Jing suddenly pulled out his sword and stabbed him in the chest. Jiang Zhi never dreamed that Liu Jing would kill someone. He couldn't dodge and was stabbed through the chest by the knife. He screamed and fell to the ground dead.

    Zhang Shuo was shocked. Just as he was about to run out of the tent, several soldiers swarmed him, pinned him to the ground, and tied him up.

    Liu Jing then cut off Jiang Zhi's head with a knife. He raised the head high and shouted: "Among the generals in the tent, are there any who disobey my military order, Liu Jing?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 195: Annexing Jiangxia

    There was silence in the big tent, and the silence was unusual. Behind Jiang Zhi stood more than a dozen of his subordinates, and on the other side of the big tent, Zhang Shuo's twenty or so subordinates also gathered.

    But these dozens of people were not confused because Jiang Zhi was killed and Zhang Shuo was arrested. On the one hand, it was because the general Su Fei was still there, and on the other hand, they were afraid of Liu Jing's prestige.

    A battle at Chaisang brought Liu Jing's prestige in Jiangxia County to its peak. Not only was he admired by ordinary people, but he also invisibly established a huge prestige among the former Huang Zu army.

    At this time, Liu Jing walked towards Zhang Shuo again with a knife in hand, murderous intent blazing in his eyes, and he would not spare anyone who dared to stop him from withdrawing his troops.

    Zhang Shuo stared at Liu Jing's bloody sword. He was desperate. He looked at Su Fei imploringly. Zhang Shuo had followed Su Fei for many years. The two had a deep friendship. In the Xiakou camp, it was Zhang Shuo who led Su Fei.  Rescue would be a life-saving grace for Su Fei.

    Su Fei couldn't bear it and hurriedly stepped forward and begged for mercy, "Although General Zhang has offended Mr. Jing, can you please please spare his life for my sake, Mr. Jing?"

    Huang Zhong couldn't help but said: "Master Jing, can you give me some face?"

    Zhang Shuo was originally a subordinate of Huang Zhong and respected Huang Zhong very much. Seeing that Zhang Shuo was about to be killed, Huang Zhong couldn't bear it and asked Liu Jing for mercy.

    If Su Fei¡¯s face could not stop Liu Jing¡¯s murderous intention, then coupled with Huang Zhong¡¯s face, Liu Jing¡¯s sword was ultimately unable to strike.

    He sheathed his sword and said coldly: "According to military regulations, anyone who disobeys military orders will be killed. For the sake of General Su and General Huang interceding for you, I will spare your life, but you will not be spared your life."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing shouted: "Remove his military post and drive him out of the military camp!"

    Several soldiers worked together, peeled off Zhang Shuo's armor, escorted him out of the tent, and drove him directly out of the military camp.

    After taking care of Jiang Zhi and Zhang Shuo, Liu Jing raised his sword high and shouted sternly at the officers in the room: "I, Liu Jing, will take over the military power, who else will not accept it?"

    Several clever military princes immediately knelt down and said, "I am willing to serve Mr. Jing!"

    Nearly a hundred officers in the tent knelt down one after another, "I am willing to serve Mr. Jing!"

    Su Fei secretly sighed. He finally understood Liu Jing's iron-blooded methods of seizing power. If he really surrendered to Liu Biao, then the person who had his head chopped off would not be Jiang Zhi, but Su Fei. He had to be grateful.  own wisdom.

    Liu Jing nodded, "I will treat those who serve me Liu Jing favorably. Generals, please rest assured that I will not purge you again. This is my promise to you."

    This promise was timely, and the generals in the army were immediately overjoyed. Their worst fears were finally solved. With Liu Jing's promise, their future was bright again.

    "I am willing to serve Mr. Jing!" The generals shouted in unison again, this time with a bit more surrender than before.

    Liu Jing also breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at everyone: "From today on, General Su will no longer hold a military position, but will be transferred to Jiangxia County Cheng. From now on, we will rely on Su County Cheng for our military supplies."

    The atmosphere in the tent suddenly became relaxed. Su Fei gave a wry smile and explained to the generals: "Although we are county magistrates, we will still be brothers from now on. If you have any difficulties, I, Su Fei, will try my best to help."

    Speaking of this, he suddenly felt something was wrong, and quickly added: "Of course, with Mr. Jing here, your difficulties can be easily solved, and I don't need to bother you."

    Su Fei bowed to Liu Jing and left the tent temporarily. Since he had officially handed over power, it was not appropriate for him to stay in the tent anymore.

    At this time, Liu Jing was lecturing his subordinates in the tent. Liu Jing's face became serious. He took a few steps with his hands behind his back, and then said to the generals in a deep voice: "Just now, Su Juncheng also said that the Jiangdong Army has stopped.  Stationed in Pengze, although it is unlikely that they will attack Jiangxia again, we still have to take precautions and strengthen our military strength immediately. "

    Liu Jing led the Chai Sang Army to defeat the main force of the Jiangdong Army. What he said naturally had an irrefutable authority, and no one among the generals had any objection.

    Liu Jing looked at the general in the tent again and continued slowly: "The main reason why the Chai Sang Army finally defeated the Jiangdong Army was the rigorous training. So I plan to start with training and train the Wuchang garrison hard for seven days. In the future,  Within the next seven days, General Huang will be solely responsible for the training, with the assistance of General Wei and General Gan. The next seven days will be your hard work. "

    Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Many people did not understand Liu Jing¡¯s true intention. Is it really to defend Jiangdong Army?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Training has always been the most effective way to control troops. During training, soldiers and generals are exchanged, and all generals will face new troops, so they cannot rely on their own troops.

    According to experience, after a rigorous training, the army will firmly controlIn the hands of a trainer, this is Liu Jing's goal and the result he expects.

    After coming out of the military camp, according to the plan, Liu Jing was going to the county government to take charge of government affairs. But as soon as he walked out of the camp, Liu Jing stopped. He remembered something important.

    He turned around and said coldly to the military lord Li Qing who was following him: "Take a few brothers to find that Zhang Shuo, kill him, and bring his head to me."

    Although Liu Jing did not kill Zhang Shuo in the military camp for the sake of Su Fei and Huang Zhong, it did not mean that he would let this man go.

    Zhang Shuo was the leader of Huang Zu's eighteen tooth generals, and he was quite prestigious in the Jiangxia army. If he was not completely eradicated, he would become his own trouble sooner or later.

    In fact, in the Battle of Chaisang, Liu Jing's army also suffered heavy casualties. After Huang Zhong led his army back to Changsha, he had very few troops left, and he had to use a large number of Jiangxia troops to supplement his troops.

    He does not want any interference or accidents to occur in this process, especially if Zhang Shuo is kicked out of the military camp. He will never be willing to accept it. It will inevitably undermine his control of the Jiangxia Army. Therefore, he must be killed without leaving any future troubles.

    Military Marquis Li Qing, like Wang Tai, was one of the Yellow Turban slaves released by Liu Jing. He was loyal to Liu Jing and performed particularly well in the Battle of Chaisang. He was promoted from the commander of the army to a military marquis, replacing Wang Tai's position.

    Li Qing knelt down on one knee and responded: "I understand, I will search for Zhang Shuo immediately."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Jiangxia County Government Office is located in the north of Wuchang County, near the North Gate. It is a building complex covering an area of ??100 acres. It has been the official government office of Huang Zu for many years. When Liu Jing annexed Jiangxia, the Jiangxia County Government Office naturally belonged to Liu Jing.

    After leaving the military camp, Liu Jing transferred to the Jiangxia County Government. Su Fei had already arrived one step ahead and greeted the officials in the county government. When Liu Jing arrived, Su Fei led the officials to pay homage to him one by one.

    Liu Jing did not embarrass these low- and middle-level officials. These officials were also extremely important to him. They could ensure the normal operation of Jiangxia County.

    Liu Jing comforted him with good words, talked about salary and treatment, and struggled for half an hour before sending all the officials away. He breathed a long sigh of relief, stood up and looked at his temporary official room.

    Frankly speaking, he likes this county government office very much. It is spacious, grand, yet refined and elegant. There are small scenes everywhere. It can be seen that Huang Zu has put a lot of effort into this government office. His official room is also bright and spacious.  All kinds of furniture are made of high-quality nanmu and are very delicate and elegant.

    Working here does give people a sense of power, but Liu Jing has not yet decided whether to move to Wuchang in the future or stay in Chaisang.

    At the same time, he also had another idea. He wanted to build a city at Xiakou, which strangled the Han River and the Yangtze River. It had an extremely important strategic position. Building a city at Xiakou would help him see Xiangyang to the north.

    At this time, Su Fei smiled at the door and said, "Master Jing, can I come in?"

    "Please come in!"

    Su Fei walked into the room, followed by two people. One was Deng Long, the magistrate of Wuchang County. He was born in the Deng family of Nanyang. He was the younger brother of Deng Yi, the ruler of Jingzhou. He was a classmate of Huang She, and they had quite a personal relationship.  Therefore, although the Nanyang Deng family and the Nanyang Huang family were family friends, Huang Zu still appointed Deng Long as the magistrate of Wuchang County.

    The other person, Liu Jing, knew him as Zhou Gu, the former head of the Zhou family. The Zhou family left Chaisang and moved to Wuchang last year. Unexpectedly, things were unpredictable. Huang Zu was killed, Zhou Bing surrendered, and Liu Jing annexed Jiangxia County.  Then the Zhou family's life began to be difficult again.

    However, Su Fei's wife was the daughter of the Zhou family. It was precisely because of this relationship that Zhou Gu entrusted Su Fei with a favor, hoping to gain Liu Jing's understanding. After all, the Zhou family had never violated Liu Jing again in the past year or so.  interests, and they have always kept a low profile, suffering the revenge of Huang She.

    "It turns out to be the head of the Zhou family. I haven't seen him for a long time."

    Liu Jing nodded to Deng Long and said hello, then smiled at Zhou Gu and said, "Your brother went to Jiangdong, and I thought the Zhou family would follow."

    Zhou Gu's face turned pale. Liu Jing's words meant that Jiangxia's officialdom would no longer use the Zhou family. He was desperate and nervous, and said in a trembling voice: "The Zhou family is rooted in  Jiangxia, how can you go to Jiangdong?¡±

    Liu Jing felt Zhou Gu's nervousness, and he suddenly realized that Zhou Gu had misunderstood his words. He smiled and said: "As long as the Zhou family actively pays land tax and supports the Jiangxia army, in my eyes, the Zhou family, Zhu family, and  There is no difference between the Tao family and I will treat everyone equally."

    Liu Jing's words gave Zhou Gu another glimmer of hope. He quickly said: "The Zhou family will fully support Mr. Jing and will never turn to Jiangdong."

    Liu Jing is just giving Su Fei face. It is difficult to say what happened to the Zhou family. If Zhou is used by Sun Quan, there is no guarantee that the Zhou family will not betray Jiang Xia. After all, it is a family with a criminal record. Let¡¯s wait and see in the future!  heAfter a few words of comfort to Zhou Gu, Zhou Gu stood up and left.

    In fact, Liu Jing wanted to know many things, but he never had time to ask in detail. It was not until Zhou Gu left that he found the opportunity and asked Su Fei, "Does Su Juncheng have any news about Huang She?"

    This is news that Liu is extremely concerned about. He knows that Huang She's army was defeated by Zhou Yu, but he doesn't know the details. He doesn't know the whereabouts of Huang She. The key is that the Huang family has great influence in Jiangxia. Once Liu Biao appoints Huang She as the prefect of Jiangxia  , I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not good for myself.

    Su Fei shook his head, "I only know that Huang She escaped from the rebellion. I don't know where he went, but one thing is for sure. When he escaped, there were no soldiers around him. His whereabouts are unknown. He may have gone to Xiangyang."  To join the Cai family, you don¡¯t need to take this person too seriously.¡±

    "Why?"

    The county magistrate Deng Long next to him laughed, "Huang She has a bad reputation among the Jiangxia army. He has been defeated repeatedly and is not loved among the people. More importantly, the roots of the Huang family have been completely eradicated by Sun Quan. Even if Huang She  I won¡¯t be able to accomplish much if I return to Jiangxia.¡±

    "What do you mean?"

    Liu Jing asked in confusion: "What does it mean that 'the roots of the Huang family have been completely eradicated by Sun Quan'?"

    "Young master, you don't know yet! The Huang family villa has been massacred by Sun Quan's men. There are hundreds of Huang family children, ranging from an eighty-year-old man to a three-year-old child. There are hundreds of men, women, and children left behind. I went there just the day before yesterday.  When I arrived at Huang¡¯s Villa, I couldn¡¯t find anyone named Huang.¡±

    This news surprised and delighted Liu Jing. He really didn't know about this. He was also worried about dealing with the Huang family, but he didn't expect that Sun Quan would give him a big gift and eliminate his worries completely. This couldn't be better.

    Liu Jing thought of something again and asked quickly: "What about the Huang family's property and land? How to deal with it now?"

    Deng Long glanced at Su Fei, and Su Fei said: "I need to explain something to you. I have taken away the Huang family's 30,000 shi of grain reserves and used them as food for five thousand soldiers. As for other property, I have not taken any of it."  , all sealed in Huang's Villa."

    Liu Jing nodded, this is normal. Su Fei's five thousand army needs military rations. He is a native of Jiangxia and it is impossible to rob people's food. It is reasonable to take food from the Huang family and he will not blame him.

    But Liu Jing is more concerned about the Huang family¡¯s fertile land. He knows that the Huang family is known as the third largest family in Jingzhou, second only to Cai and Kuai, and owns almost half of the fertile land in Jiangxia County.

    He asked again: "What about the land? How is the land condition?"

    "Reporting to Mr. Jing, the Huang family has a total of 9,400 hectares of fertile land, distributed in Wuchang and Xiakou. Now all the land deeds are in the county government. As for how to deal with it, both Beizhi and the county magistrate believe that it should be decided by the prince.  ¡±

    Liu Jing thought for a while, then smiled and said: "Tomorrow morning, let's go to Huang's Villa to see how big the harvest will be."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 196 Huang Family Real Estate

    In the early morning, the sun had not yet come out, the sky was bright and a layer of looming white fog shrouded the Jianghan Plain.

    It is late autumn and early winter at this time. Although the Jianghan Plain is not as biting as the early spring breeze in the north, it is still a bit chilly, and a layer of white frost has condensed on the endless fields.

    The autumn harvest has long ended, and the fields are deserted. Apart from groups of birds looking for food, there are also a few old farmers who got up early to clean up the wheat fields that have just been sown.

    It was a quiet morning, but soon, a fierce sound of horse hooves broke the tranquility of the morning.

    On the official road west of Wuchang County, a team of more than 500 soldiers was marching rapidly. The leader was a young general, wearing a silver helmet and iron armor. He was tall and had an angular face. He spoke little and stared deeply at the fields in the distance.  , none other than Liu Jing.

    Beside him was a civil official, Deng Long, the magistrate of Wuchang County, who specially accompanied Liu Jing to Huang's Villa.

    Su Fei is not accompanying him today. He has just taken over the post of county magistrate and has a lot of things to deal with. Wei Yan and others are also busy training soldiers and have no time to accompany him.

    Huang's Villa is not far away. It is fifty miles west of Wuchang County, backed by a vast lake. In fact, the so-called Villa has a false name, but there is an artificial rockery less than a hundred feet high in the backyard.

    "Sir!" Deng Long pointed into the distance and smiled: "Just keep walking along this official road, and you will arrive at Huang's Villa around noon."

    Deng Long was very talkative and told Liu Jing about Wuchang's human relations, officialdom, and family history along the way. Although Liu Jing did not speak most of the time, Deng Long could see that Liu Jing was listening attentively, so he spoke enthusiastically  Went down.

    But there was one thing that made Deng Long embarrassed, and that was the title he gave Liu Jing. He also knew that as a subordinate, it would be a little unreasonable to call Liu Jing Master Jing, but it was also inappropriate to call him Sima. After all, Sima was Chai Sang's alias.  Ministry of Sima, now Wuchang County.

    In fact, it is most appropriate to call him Taishou, but since he was not appointed by Zhou Mu, Deng Long always felt that calling him Taishou was not in line with official rules.

    Of course, he also knew that sometimes one should not be too strict with rules. For example, when Su Fei was appointed as the prefect, he did not follow the rules. But what if Liu Jing was transferred and a new prefect came who followed the rules?

    So Deng Long still had to bite the bullet and call Liu Jing his son. Fortunately, Liu Jing didn't care about it, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

    He introduced the local customs along the way, and the team walked for another hour. By this time, they had walked out of a forest and entered a wider farming area.

    This is the hinterland of the Jianghan Plain, covering hundreds of miles from Wuchang to Xiakou. The land is fertile and the water source is abundant. It has always been the important grain-producing area of ??Jiangxia County.

    It can be said that this area with a radius of several hundred miles is the richest center of the entire Jiangxia County. If you control this area, you will control the entire Jiangxia County.

    It is precisely for this reason that the Huang family has been encroaching on this prosperous land for decades. It has occupied nearly 40% of the fertile land, owned thousands of slaves, and controlled tens of thousands of tenant farmers, allowing the Huang family to firmly occupy Jiangxia County.  dominant position.

    However, all this has been wiped out with the eastward expansion of Jiangdong Army. Except for Huang She's whereabouts are unknown, the entire Huang family has been wiped out, and their vast hectares of fertile land have become ownerless land.

    The team walked through the official road in the fields. Liu Jing saw many farmers doing farm work in the fields. He looked back at the soldiers. Everyone seemed a little tired, so he smiled at Deng Long and said: "County Magistrate Deng, take a rest.  Just for a while!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m a little tired too. Drink some water and take a rest before continuing on the road.¡±

    Liu Jing turned around and said to everyone: "Everyone take a rest for a while!"

    With the order given, the soldiers looked for grassy fields to sit down, took out their water bottles, drank water and chatted.

    Liu Jing did not rest, but slowly walked into the field. Not far away, several old farmers hoeing the field were looking at the army with fear, but they saw their leader officer walking towards her. The old farmers were frightened.  As they turned to leave, Liu Jing stopped them, "Elders, please stay!"

    Several old farmers did not dare to leave anymore and turned around to salute, "What can I do for this general?"

    Liu Jing tried his best to use a gentle tone and said with a smile on his face: "I want to chat with a few elders and take up a little time. Is it convenient?"

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

    "Grandpas, how is the grain harvest this year?" Liu Jing asked casually, as if chatting about everyday things.

    The old farmers looked at each other, and one of them shook his head and said: "This year is a small year, and rice production is generally 20% less than last year. However, the wheat harvest in the summer is good, which makes up for the loss in the autumn harvest."

      "Has this Jiangdong Army invasion affected everyone?"

    "It's okay! Basically there was no fighting in the wild. I heard that Mr. Huang was defeated in one battle, but it didn't have any impact. To be honest, general, we didn't even see the shadow of Jiangdong Army."

    Liu Jing nodded. This is indeed true. Jiangdong Army mainly took the water route and did not attack Xiakou by land.

    At this time, Deng Long also came over. He was wearing civil official robes and often went to the countryside for inspections. He was quite popular in Wuchang County. Several old farmers recognized him and hurriedly stood up and knelt down: "Young man, give me to the county man."  kowtow!"

    Deng Long was a little embarrassed. Liu Jing was right next to him. Instead of saluting him, the old farmers kowtowed to him. He glanced at Liu Jing furtively, but Liu Jing was as if nothing had happened.

    Deng Long knew clearly in his heart that Liu Jing probably didn¡¯t want people to know his identity. Thinking of this, he smiled slightly and said: ¡°Several elders, please get up and let¡¯s chat casually.¡±

    Since the county official spoke, everyone did not dare not listen, and they all sat down. Deng Long also sat down. He didn't know Liu Jing's intention. He was originally very talkative, but now he fell silent.

    Liu Jing smiled again and said, "Do these elders farm land for the Huang family?"

    "Of course!" said an old farmer: "We are all his tenants, renting the Huang family's crops for a living."

    Another old farmer pointed his hand, "To be honest with the general, the land in this area, all the way to the lake area in the north, belongs to the Huang family. However, when we heard that something happened to the Huang family, everyone felt uneasy."

    Liu Jing laughed, "If something happens to the Huang family, you don't have to pay the rent for the autumn harvest. Isn't that a good thing?"

    "Of course this is a good thing, but what happens in the future? If the government takes away the land, how can we make a living?"

    " Several old farmers said this and looked at the county magistrate Deng Long. This is their shrewdness. It is best to ask about this matter while the county magistrate is around.

    Deng Long smiled bitterly. Although the land title deeds were all in the county government office, Liu Jing decided how to deal with it in the end. He had no right to make any explanation.

    In fact, when Liu Jing came out for inspection today, she didn't want to see the Huang Family Villa. It was just a manor. The valuable gold, silver and soft goods had long been snatched away by Jiangdong's army, and the food was transported away by Su Fei, leaving only some bulky ones.  Furniture and utensils.

    The scenery may be nice, but he is at his busiest time now and does not have time to take a one-day tour of the manor. He will take Tao Zhan to take a closer look when he has time later.

    Liu Jing came out for inspection today, actually because of the land. In his opinion, the Huang family's greatest wealth is land, which is as much as ten thousand hectares. How to deal with these ten thousand hectares of land is related to his control of Jiangxia.

    The key to solving the problem of land is the human problem. These ten thousand hectares of land involve the vital interests of ten thousand tenant farmers. If you are not careful, it will cause civil unrest. How can he not handle it carefully?

    Liu Jing smiled again and said: "Don't worry, everyone, the land always needs people to cultivate it. We can't let Magistrate Deng go to the fields to cultivate it himself. There are ten thousand hectares of land! Do you think Magistrate Deng can bear it?"

    Liu Jing said it very humorously, and everyone laughed. At the same time, they were relieved. He was right. People are always needed to farm. In the past, they farmed for the Huang family, and at worst, they will farm for the government in the future.

    However, the two sophisticated old farmers came to their senses. The officer was teasing the county magistrate so blatantly, but the county magistrate smiled bitterly and did not dare to get angry. Doesn't this mean that the officer's status is much higher than that of the county magistrate?  ?

    who is he?  Several people had questions in their minds at the same time.

    "What if!"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "I'm just saying, if, if you hand over half of the land, and the other half of the land is officially yours, you don't have to pay land rent anymore, you just pay land tax to the government normally, do you think this solution can be done?"  do you accept?"

    Several old farmers didn't say anything. It was really hard to accept at first. They actually wanted to hand over half of the land, but later they were tempted. The other half of the land was privately owned by them. This was incredible, which meant that the Huang family's  Land was given to them.

    ??Everyone knows how to settle accounts. Half of the annual harvest must be handed over to the Huang family. In the future, if the land belongs to them, they will no longer have to pay land rent. Although the land is half less, the work will be less.

    And it can increase production without actually losing anything. More importantly, from now on, the land belongs to you, which is a lot of wealth. No one can refuse such an offer.

    After only a moment of silence, several old farmers became excited, "Of course this is good, but is there such a good thing?"

    ¡°Don¡¯t we need to pay for more land?¡±

    "Can you also give us the Huang family's cattle?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????This?OUT? off?the?county?magistrate?Deng?Long?they?didn¡¯t?ask,?but?they?all?gathered?around?Liu?Jing???Everyone can see that this young officer is probably the one who can call the shots.

    In fact, Liu Jing has repeatedly considered this plan. He needs stable self-cultivators, and restoring the Huang family's tenant farmers and slaves to self-cultivators is undoubtedly the best way.

    But he also needs land to reward military merits and provide compensation to the families of fallen soldiers, so the best way is to split the interests in half, leaving half of the interests to the farmers on the original land, while he wants to keep the other half in his hands, divided like this,  The interests can be balanced and everyone will be happy.

    Next to him, Deng Long finally understood Liu Jing's thinking. He secretly admired him. He originally thought that Liu Jing wanted to take the Huang family's wealth and land as his own, which is what most people would do.

    But he didn¡¯t expect that Liu Jing was considering returning to self-cultivation. In this way, not only would the people of Jiangxia be grateful to him, but more importantly, it would greatly increase the government¡¯s tax revenue.

    If the entire Jingzhou can be dealt with according to Liu Jing's ideas, then Jingzhou will soon become stronger.

    Deng Long secretly thought: "This is a man with a very long-term vision. Maybe he can really accomplish something great."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 197: Undercurrent

    In the past two days, Su Fei has been extremely busy. As a new county magistrate, he has to sort out the messy government affairs in the past, understand the government affairs processing procedures, and meet with middle and low-level officials.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Things are complicated, and all kinds of unexpected accidents can happen at any time. Su Fei is so busy that he hardly even has time to go to the toilet.

    After being busy until late at night, Su Fei dragged his tired body back to his house. Su Fei's house was also in Wuchang County. It was a mansion covering an area of ??30 acres. It was home to a family of more than a dozen people and many servants and maids.

    At this time, Su Fei also knew that Liu Jing had begun to train the army. Of course, he understood the deeper meaning of training the army. In fact, it was to completely control the army.

    Although he understood this, Su Fei did not want to interfere. The army had nothing to do with him. He handed over military power and received good compensation.

    For a few years of county, when Liu Yan became the master of Jingzhou, he would be promoted to the prince. He was less than 40 years old this year, and there was at least twenty years of future.

    All in all, Su Fei was very satisfied with the treatment in front of him.

    The carriage stopped in front of the house. Su Fei had just opened the door when a black figure suddenly jumped out from the side. Su Fei's followers were startled and they all pulled out their knives.

    "Brother, it's me, don't do anything!"

    Su Fei heard that the voice seemed to be that of Zhang Shuo. He quickly stopped his men and asked in a low voice: "Are you Zhang Shuo?"

    "It's me, help me!"

    An attendant picked up a lantern, and Su Fei saw it clearly. It was indeed Zhang Shuo, with disheveled hair and wet body. What surprised Su Fei even more was that Zhang Shuo seemed to have no left hand.

    "What happened?" Su Fei asked in surprise.

    "Brother, help me, someone wants to kill me!"

    Zhang Shuo knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly. Su Fei and Zhang Shuo had a good personal relationship, and Zhang Shuo was kind to Su Fei. Although Su Fei had guessed something, he still couldn't bear to see Zhang Shuo so panicked, so he nodded.  "Let's talk about it when we get home!"

    Su Fei brought Zhang Shuo back to his house, ordered someone to change his clothes, and bandaged his wounds before bringing him to his study.

    Su Fei sat behind the small table and stared at Zhang Shuo as he wolfed down his meal. He also saw that his left hand had been cut off at the wrist. He seemed to be injured elsewhere. He was still eating desperately despite being injured all over his body. This showed that he was extremely hungry.

    Zhang Shuo drank a bowl of soup and then said with tears: "To be honest, brother, I have been soaking in the river and haven't eaten for two days."

    Su Fei felt a trace of pity in his heart and sighed: "What happened?"

    "What else can happen?"

    Zhang Shuo gritted his teeth and said: "Liu Jing wanted to kill me and eradicate the roots. I was chased by them. Thanks to five brothers who desperately blocked each other, I jumped into the river and escaped with my life. I hid in the river for a day and didn't dare to climb ashore until night. If not  I am strong and I must die in his hands this time."

    Su Fei was silent. In fact, when he first saw Zhang Shuo being injured, he guessed that it was Liu Jing. Now that it was confirmed by Zhang Shuo, he was quite frightened. This was something he did not expect. Liu Jing actually  We need to cut the grass and root it out.

    Of course, Su Fei also knew that if Zhang Shuo was forcibly kicked out of the military camp, he would certainly not be willing to accept it. He would definitely find ways to undermine Liu Jing's control of the army, so it was not surprising that Liu Jing wanted to kill him, but this incident made Su Fei see  The other side of Liu Jing made him nervous.

    After a long while, Su Fei asked slowly: "Then what are you going to do?"

    Zhang Shuo's heart was filled with hatred at this time, and he had to take revenge. However, he also knew that Su Fei was now the county magistrate and would not help him anymore.

    He did not dare to tell the truth to Su Fei, and begged with tears: "I am already a useless person. I just want to escape with my life. I beg my elder brother to help me get out of Wuchang City for the sake of our long-term friendship. I want to go to Yingchuan County to seek refuge."  Uncle, he spent the rest of his life there.¡±

    Su Fei nodded. This request was not too much. He could do it. He immediately ordered someone to fetch fifty taels of gold and handed it to Zhang Shuo, "I will send you out of the city on an official ship. You can keep the fifty taels of gold in Ying by yourself."  If you have any difficulties buying some land in Sichuan County, write to me and I will try my best to help you."

    Zhang Shuo knelt down on his knees, kowtowed heavily and said, "Eldest brother is my reborn parent. This kindness and kindness will be remembered by my younger brother."

    Su Fei helped him up, "Leave quickly while the water gate is still open!"

    Zhang Shuo thanked him profusely and left with a family member.

    However, Su Fei felt uneasy. This incident allowed him to see Liu Jing's ruthless side. On the one hand, he spared Zhang Shuo in the military camp to save face for himself and Huang Zhong, but when he turned around, he wanted to secretly eradicate Zhang Shuo.  , this method made him shudder.

    This incident also sounded a warning to Su Fei. He rememberedYesterday, Liu Jing told himself that from now on Jiangxia's government affairs would be handed over to him, Su Fei, and he was very excited for a while.

    But now it seems that I am really a bit stupid. Which ruler is willing to hand over power?  Jiangxia's military and political power must still be in the hands of Liu Jing. If you think that you have the power of government affairs as a county magistrate, you would be wrong.

    Thinking of this, Su Fei couldn't help but let out a long sigh, and his heart was filled with unspeakable disappointment.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A few days later, the army's training began to shift to the second stage. According to the plan, five thousand troops would be taken to Chaisang to train to defend the city, and then to Yangxin County for physical training. It would take nearly a month. A month later, this  The army will be completely transformed.

    A fleet of hundreds of large ships loaded with five thousand soldiers left Wuchang City in a mighty manner and headed for Chaisang. On the first large ship, Liu Jing and Huang Zhong stood on the bow. Neither of them spoke, their expressions  But a little dignified.

    After a long time, Liu Jing sighed, "Can't the old general help me for another half year?"

    Huang Zhong patted Liu Jing's shoulder lightly and said with a smile: "Actually, you did a good job and your methods are very beautiful. Jiangxia belongs to you. You don't need my help anymore. You can promote more people who have participated in Chaisangzhi."  The generals who fight will be more loyal to you."

    Liu Jing thought of Zhao Yun. In the early morning after the battle at Chaisang, he left a note and quietly left Chaisang and returned to Changsha.

    Now that Huang Zhong is leaving, Liu Jing can't help but feel a little disappointed.

    But he also knew that Huang Zhong should have gone back after the war. His mission of supporting Chai Sang had been completed, but Huang Zhong still stayed to help him seize power in Wuchang. Once Liu Biao knew about it, Huang Zhong would be in trouble.

    Huang Zhong knew these risks, but he still followed him to Wuchang without any complaints. This was precisely because of his love for himself. How could he continue to push him into dangerous situations without knowing what was good for him.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing's heart was filled with gratitude and worry, "How will the old general explain to the Zhou Mu during this trip to Wuchang?"

    Huang Zhong smiled slightly, "Don't worry, going to Wuchang is not necessarily to help you. I can say that it is to prevent military chaos and stabilize the situation in Jiangxia. As long as the state pastor does not pursue it, then you can find any reason to explain it, but now Changsha County  Kong, I am worried about trouble in Changsha County, so I must rush back as soon as possible. "

    After a pause, Huang Zhong said again: "In addition, there is one more thing I want to advise you."

    "Old General, please speak frankly!"

    Huang Zhong pondered for a moment, then looked into Liu Jing's eyes and said: "I understand that you want to control Jiangxia, and I won't stop you, but I don't want you and your uncle to turn against each other from now on. I hope you can communicate with Zhou Mu on this matter."  , gain his understanding, and let him officially appoint you as the governor of Jiangxia, so that you can legitimately control Jiangxia. "

    Liu Jing nodded silently. He didn't need Huang Zhong to remind him that now was not the time to fall out with Liu Biao.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the Cai Mansion in Xiangyang, Cai Mao has become extremely low-key since his return from the disastrous defeat at Xiakou. He leaves early every day and comes home late every day to handle official business in the state government office. He refuses all social interactions and does not see any officials or gentry who come to visit him. It is as if  A different person.

    Although Liu Biao did not hold him responsible for the defeat, Cai Mao knew very well that if the Cai family did not give in, then his position as military advisor would not be preserved.

    He knew very well what Liu Biao lacked most, money and food. Since the Chai Sangtao family cut off the tribute to Jingzhou, Jingzhou's money and food expenses had become tight. Liu Biao had a special talk with him about this, but Cai Mao did not express his position.

    But this time after the defeat of Jiangxia, Cai Mao knew that he had to make concessions. For this reason, he told Liu Biao through his sister, Mrs. Cai, that he was willing to increase the amount of money and food provided by the Cai family by 20%.

    It was his compromise that led to Liu Biao's official statement on his failure: "Victory or defeat is a common matter for military officers. I hope he will not bear the burden of this matter."  ¡¯

    Although he was forgiven by Liu Biao, Cai Mao still adopted a low-key introspective posture. His introspective posture was also affirmed by Liu Biao. Yesterday evening, Liu Biao specially ordered someone to deliver several baskets of fine crabs.

    A few baskets of lively crabs made Cai Mao feel as if he had received an amnesty. His heart suddenly became lively and he began to regain his former scheming.

    In the study, Cai Mao was reading under the lamp, but his mind was not in the book. He just received the news today that Liu Jing had changed defenses in Jiangxia and stationed Chaisang's garrison in Wuchang and Xiakou, while Wuchang's army was transferred to  Chai Sang goes to train.

    This means that Liu Jing fully annexed Jiangxia. This is a result that Cai Hao absolutely does not want to see. The destruction of Huang Zu has made Cai Hao feel very disappointed, and the rise of Liu Jing has made him the master of Jiangxia.?It was even more difficult for him to accept.

    Cai Mao knew very well that the rise of Liu Jing was a huge threat to Liu Cong and also threatened the fundamental interests of the Cai family.

    At the same time, he also felt a kind of fear. He still clearly remembered the situation when Liu Jing first arrived in Xiangyang two years ago. At that time, he felt that the young man had a unique temperament, which he felt was a murderous intention.

    Now in just two years, Liu Jing has occupied Jiangxia, the third largest county in Jingzhou, which shows that he did not make a mistake back then.

    What makes it difficult for Cai Mao now is that Liu Jing defeated the main force of Jiangdong Army and saved Jiangxia, which has made his reputation in Jingzhou skyrocketing.

    Everyone in the government and the public regarded him as the pillar and hope of Jingzhou, and were full of praise for him. Any dissent or dissatisfaction would immediately be criticized by strong public opinion, making Cai Mao dare not openly criticize Liu Jing.

    But Cai Mao still found a way to deal with Liu Jing. He knew that there was another person who didn't want to see Liu Jing annex Jiangxia. This person was Liu Biao. He knew very well Liu Biao's true intention of sending Liu Jing to Chaisang. He wanted Liu Jing to go to Chaisang.  After Jing killed Huang Zu, he did not want Liu Jing to replace Huang Zu.

    Today, Liu Biao sent him several baskets of crabs. Does that mean anything?

    At this time, a report from the guard came from outside the study, "Military advisor, we have been brought here."

    "Bring him in!"

    The door opened, and several guards brought in a man who was above average in stature and very strong, but he had lost his left hand, which made people uncomfortable. This man was Zhang Shuo, who had come to Xiangyang from Jiangxia.

    Of course Zhang Shuo will not go to Yingchuan County. He is determined to take revenge on Liu Jing. Even if he has become a cripple and cannot find an opportunity to kill Liu Jing, he still wants to come to Xiangyang to inform Liu Jing so that Liu Jing can't bear the consequences.  .

    Zhang Shuo knelt down and saluted, "I humble myself, Zhang Shuo, and pay my respects to the military advisor!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 198: Whistleblower

    Please vote for recommendation!  !¡ª¡ª

    Zhang Shuo once served in the army in Xiangyang and rose to the rank of military marquis. Cai Mao also knew him and knew that he was the leader of the eighteen tooth generals in Jiangxia.

    In the room, Cai Mao listened quietly to Zhang Shuo's story, his face still expressionless, but he was thinking quickly in his heart. Everything Zhang Shuo said was very useful, and it made him understand how Liu Jing seized power in Jiangxia.  .

    When Zhang Shuo finished speaking, Cai Hao immediately stood up and said, "I can make the decision for you. Now you go to a place with me."

    "I wonder where the military advisor is taking me?" Zhang Shuo asked timidly.

    Cai Hao laughed and said, "Of course I will take you to see Zhou Mu."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The night was not too late at this time, and Liu Biao did not fall asleep. He was sitting in the study reviewing several articles written by his son Liu Cong. Liu Biao had to admit that his son Liu Cong's temperament changed drastically after he got married.  Impatient, become steady and polite.

    There has also been great progress in dealing with people. What makes Liu Biao even more gratified is that the second son no longer hangs out with those dandy boys, nor does he go to the wine shop. He spends most of his time at home and studies hard. From the articles he wrote,  It can be seen that what he said is meaningful and insightful.

    Liu Biao gently stroked his long beard and read his son's article aloud. He had to admit that he liked his second son more and more. Although his injury was still being nursed back to health, it did not hinder Liu Biao's love for his second son. On the contrary,  It also made Liu Biao pity his son even more.

    Liu Biao was not very fond of his eldest son Liu Qi. The key was that his eldest son was drunk, lustful and dissolute, but he refused to change his ways despite repeated admonitions, which made Liu Biao deeply abhorred.

    The spies he sent discovered more than once that brothel prostitutes secretly haunted Liu Qi's mansion in Jiangling. Although Liu Qi was very careful, good at covering up, and kept the arrangements very confidential, he was still discovered by the spies.

    This made Liu Biao begin to wonder if Liu Qi's previous performance in Xiangyang was one thing on the surface and another behind the scenes, deliberately deceiving himself. Otherwise, how could he have revealed his true colors when he went to Nanjun?

    Favoring him on one side and disgusting on the other, Liu Biao gradually came up with the idea of ??making Liu Cong his heir. However, it was customary for the eldest son to be the heir. If he made his second son the heir, he would probably be strongly opposed by the senior officials headed by the Kuai family, and even  It will cause civil strife in Jingzhou.

    So Liu Biao suppressed this idea, hid it in his heart, and never mentioned the matter of establishing a crown prince. However, in the past few days, Liu Biao heard another call, calling for his nephew Liu Jing to be the heir of Jingzhou, and the call was not loud enough.  Small.

    This made Liu Biao feel a little angry. He had told his wife that he might make Liu Jing his heir, but those were just angry words to his wife. How could he give his nephew something that should belong to his son.

    However, Liu Biao also had to admit that Liu Jing was far more talented than his two sons. In this battle of Chaisang, he defeated the main force of the Jiangdong Army that was several times larger than before, which is really impressive.

    But this does not mean that he will appreciate his talents and hand over Jingzhou to him from now on. On the contrary, Liu Biao has a kind of vigilance in his heart. Will Liu Jing one day take away his son's inheritance?

    It is very possible, because after a year of observation, Liu Biao was finally able to determine that Liu Jing was also an ambitious person.

    Just when Liu Biao was thinking about Liu Jing, a guard reported at the door, "Master Cai has something urgent to see you!"

    Liu Biao was startled as to why Cai Mao was here, but he didn't think much and immediately ordered: "Invite him in."

    Not long after, the guards led Cai Hao into Liu Biao's study. Cai Hao knelt down and saluted respectfully, "Your Majesty, Cai Hao, is here to see Zhou Mu."

    "There is no need to be polite, military advisor, please sit down!"

    Liu Biao asked Cai Hao to sit down, and then said with a smile: "Master Cai hasn't been out at night for a long time, right?"

    Cai Mao didn't dare to look at Liu Biao, lowered his head and said: "It's so late at night, I didn't want to disturb Zhou Mu's rest, but a man came from Jiangxia and brought some inside information. I felt it was very important and couldn't hide Zhou Mu's rest, so I sent him  Brought it."

    "oh?"

    Liu Biao asked in surprise: "Who is this person?"

    "This person is the leader of Cai Hao's eighteen tooth generals, Zhang Shuo. Does the state pastor still remember this person?"

    Liu Biao nodded, he still had some impression, "Where is this person now?"

    "Just wait outside the mansion. If the governor wants to see him, I will bring him in immediately."

    "Okay! Bring him in to see me quickly."

    Cai Mao went out and soon brought Zhang Shuo into Liu Biao's study. Cai Mao had repeatedly warned him in advance not to say that Liu Jing sent someone to cut off his wrist, lest Liu Biao suspect that he was framed by Liu Jing for personal revenge.

    Zhang Shuo knelt down and kowtowed, "I humble myself, Zhang Shuo, to pay my respects to Zhou Mu!"

    ?Liu Biao was startled when he saw that his left hand was gone, "General Zhang, why are you disabled?"

    "This is me who was injured by an unknown person on the way to Xiangyang. I don't know who hurt me."

    Liu Biao stared at him for a long time, and then said calmly: "Tell me everything that happened in Jiangxia, without any concealment."

    Liu Biao received a formal report from Liu Jing yesterday about the detailed process of the Battle of Chaisang. However, the report was rather vague about the situation in Jiangxia after the Jiangdong Army withdrew. It only said that Su Fei's army was uncontrollable.  It was dangerous, so Su Fei wrote a letter asking him to maintain order.

    Although the words were vague, Liu Biao still understood the meaning hidden between the lines. Liu Jing had occupied Jiangxia County. This made Liu Biao feel both disappointed and angry that he had been deceived. He did not discover that his nephew was  Ambition.

    But Liu Biao wanted to know, what happened in Jiangxia?  How did Liu Jing annex Jiangxia?  Zhang Shuo's whistleblower today undoubtedly revealed the truth about Jiang Xia to Liu Biao.

    "How dare he kill Jiang Zhi in public in the Chinese army's tent?" Liu Biao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and asked angrily.

    "yes!"

    Zhang Shuo said with tears: "I and Jiang Zhi wanted to join Zhou Mu and were unwilling to serve Master Jing. When the military power was handed over, Jiang Zhi openly opposed it, saying that without the authorization of Zhou Mu's military talisman, how could he hand over military power at will? This sentence angered  After killing Mr. Jing, he killed Jiang Zhi in public on the grounds of disobedience to military orders. "

    Liu Biao was so angry that his face was livid, and he clenched his fists. He stood in front of the window without saying a word. Cai Hao winked at Zhang Shuo and motioned for him to continue talking.

    Zhang Shuo then said: "Master Jing wants to kill me again. Thanks to the intercession between Su Juncheng and General Huang, Master Jing lets me go and drives me out of the military camp."

    Liu Biao remained silent, which was beyond Cai Hao's expectation. Zhang Shuo's last words were intended to lure Su Fei and Huang Zhong out, but Liu Biao did not react abnormally, which surprised Cai Hao.

    Cai Mao has been keeping a low profile these days and doesn't listen to what's going on outside the window. He doesn't know that Liu Jing has written a formal report. The report also mentioned that Su Fei was temporarily appointed as the county magistrate and Yi Ji was appointed as the long history to stabilize the political situation in Jiangxia.

    Therefore, Liu Biao was not surprised that Zhang Shuo mentioned Su Juncheng. This is the reason.

    At this time, Liu Biao finally spoke, "I know about this. General Zhang, please go down first! Take good care of yourself. As for your duties, we will arrange them later."

    Although Liu Biao's tone was calm, Cai Hao could tell that Liu Biao was suppressing his anger and just didn't want to lose his temper in front of Zhang Shuo. He was secretly happy and quickly ordered people to take Zhang Shuo away.

    At this time, only Liu Biao and Cai Hao were left in the room. Cai Hao did not dare to speak, lowered his head and said nothing. After a long time, Liu Biao glanced at him and asked lightly: "What does De Gui think of this matter?"

    Cai Mao was shocked. Liu Biao called him cousin instead of military advisor. This meant that Liu Biao was talking to him in a private capacity and did not represent official opinions.

    Although Liu Biao asked him in a private capacity, Cai Mao still said cautiously: "Everyone in Jingzhou knows that I am at odds with Mr. Jing. I feel that I should avoid this matter."

    Of course, this was a game of play. If he really avoided it, why did he bring Zhang Shuo here again? Liu Biao knew it, and he sneered secretly in his heart, but said with a smile on his face: "De Gui judges the public with justice, why can't he say it, but he said  No problem!¡±

    Cai Hao heard a hint of urgency in Liu Biao's words. Although Liu Biao also wanted to hide it, Cai Hao had followed Liu Biao for more than ten years and knew him well.

    Liu Biao rarely met with unfamiliar people in the study, but this time he not only met with Zhang Shuo in the study, but also asked for his opinion without any time delay. This has never happened before.

    This shows that Liu Biao is anxious about this matter. Cai Mao suddenly had a clear understanding. I am afraid that Liu Biao hopes that he can help him in this matter.

    It¡¯s no wonder that now Jingzhou officials highly respect Liu Jing, but he is the only one who opposes Liu Jing, so Liu Biao will ask for his opinion.

    What does this mean? It means that Liu Biao is not willing to hand over Jiangxia to Liu Jing. After thinking about this, Cai Hao began to get excited. As long as Liu Biao supports him, then this game of chess will go easily.

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, I don't disapprove of Mr. Jing being the governor of Jiangxia. It's just that I feel that Mr. Jing's method is inappropriate. He should not bypass Zhou Mu and occupy Jiangxia without authorization. This is one of them, and Jiangxia County is unusual.  , is one of the three major counties in Jingzhou and must be under the strict control of Xiangyang. In the past, Huangzu dominated Jiangxia, but now that Huangzu has been eliminated, it is a good time for Xiangyang to take back Jiangxia. Once Xiangyang controls Jiangxia, then our eastward expansion will be impossible.  Got a foothold.¡±

    After all, Cai Hao is the military advisor of Jingzhou, and he hates the situation in Jingzhou so much.Liu Biao also saw clearly, and his two plans hit Liu Biao's heart hard.

    Liu Jing annexed Jiangxia without authorization and bypassed Liu Biao. This was the first taboo in official circles and the most taboo for those in power. Secondly, Jiangxia County was extraordinary. It not only had a large population, but also had an extremely important strategic position. It was one of the three major counties in Jingzhou.

    In the past, it was occupied by Huang Zu and formed a de facto semi-separated regime. Liu Biao sent Liu Jing to Chaisang in order to use him to defeat Huang Zu and regain control of Jiangxia.

    Now that Huang Zu has been destroyed, it is a good time to take back control of Jiangxia. How could Liu Biao allow the second Huang Zu to appear, even if it was his nephew.

    In fact, this is the fundamental contradiction between Liu Biao and Liu Jing.

    Liu Biao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. After all, he was a state shepherd with a high position and had experienced countless ups and downs over the decades. He would not make a major decision just because of Zhang Shuo's report. He needed to weigh his interests. Besides,  Liu Jing is his nephew. What can't be compromised between uncle and nephew?

    Liu Biao looked up at the roof and said slowly for a long time: "Today is October 20th, and in one month it will be my sixty-second birthday. This year I want to have a big birthday, and I will have officials from all over the country who are more than 500 dan gather together."  Come to Xiangyang!¡±

    When he mentioned the age of sixty-two, Cai Hao couldn't help but glance at Liu Biao again, and couldn't help but sigh secretly. It has only been a year, and it has become like this.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 199: To Go or Not to Go?

    Please vote!¡ª¡ª

    Chaisang County Government Office was in chaos. The yard was filled with hundreds of large boxes. Soldiers and government officials were busy inside and outside, packing various items. This was not because Chaisang County Government Office was moving, but with the County Government Office.  The military government office is moving to Wuchang.

    Liu Jing finally decided to move the military office to Wuchang. The reason was simple. He was no longer the lord of a city, but the lord of a county, even though he had deep feelings for Chai Sang.

    But emotions did not allow him to rule Jiangxia County effectively. Chaisang could not compare with Wuchang County in terms of city size, population, taxation, or concentration of aristocratic families.

    "Those dozen boxes are soldier rosters. They are all bamboo slips. Put them down carefully and don't drop them!"

    In the yard, dozens of soldiers were carefully carrying more than a dozen large boxes out of the room. A military prince reminded them. At this time, Xu Shu hurried in. He glanced around the yard and did not find Liu.  Jing then asked: "Marquis Ma Jun, have you seen Sima?"

    Xu Shu is no longer the captain of Chaisang County. He has been appointed as the Changshi. The Changshi is actually the chief staff officer and is not a formal official position in the court. As the Changshi of Jiangxia from Yiji, he is in charge of the affairs on behalf of Liu Jing and together with the county magistrate.  Xu Shu also had a long history in Jiangxia's government affairs, but he was in charge of military affairs.

    The military officers never take the officials in charge of government affairs seriously, but Xu Shu is highly respected by the officers and soldiers. In the hearts of the officers and soldiers, Xu Shu is actually a military advisor. Ma Junhou quickly stepped forward and saluted, "Qi Changshi,  Sima is in the room."

    Xu Shu nodded and walked quickly to Liu Jing's official room. In the official room, all documents and other items had been evacuated, leaving only empty bookshelves and tables. At this time, Liu Jing was sorting some of his books in the box.  were the last items to be moved.

    "Sima made it easy for me to find him!"

    Xu Shu walked in with a smile, "I heard that Sima was patrolling the city. I have searched a lot in the city, and it turns out that he is still in the military office."

    Liu Jing put the last book into the box and said to the two soldiers next to him: "It can be moved!"

    The two soldiers moved the book box out, and Liu Jing wiped off the dust on his clothes and asked with a smile: "Is there anything important?"

    "What else can I do?"

    Xu Shu sighed, "Tomorrow I will follow Sima to Xiangyang. Who will take care of my affairs for the time being? Sima has been reluctant to appoint me. I can't explain it!"

    Liu Jing glanced at him and said with a smile: "Don't Chang Shi have three people working under him? You can divide the matter evenly among them. If anything happens, the three of them can discuss it."

    "But there must be a seal holder! Do you need me to appoint him?" Xu Shu asked hesitantly.

    Liu Jing nodded, "If Yuan Zhi has someone he trusts, he can also designate someone else."

    Xu Shu smiled bitterly in his heart. It turned out that the reason Liu Jing remained silent was to let him handle the matter by himself. In fact, he had vaguely guessed it, but he was not sure, so he came to confirm it today. Xu Shu thought for a while and said, "Then  Let Lu Sheng handle the seal!"

    Lu Sheng was the secretary who followed Liu Jing in the Youjiao Office. He was later transferred to Fancheng to be the chief of the guard army, and then followed Liu Jing to Chaisang. He is now one of Xu Shu's three employees. Although his ability is average,  But considering his loyalty to Liu Jing, Xu Shu decided to hand over Chang Shi's military seal to him.

    Liu Jing smiled and did not interfere with Xu Shu's decision. He changed the subject and said: "Yesterday, Wei Yan rushed back from Yangxin County overnight and advised me not to go to Xiangyang. He was worried that I would be detained in Xiangyang by the Zhou Mu. Yuan Zhi thought I could  can not go?"

    Xu Shu sighed slightly, "To be honest with Sima, I have considered this issue, and Wei Yan's concerns are reasonable. But everything has pros and cons, it depends on how Sima weighs them."

    Liu Jing waved her hand, "Let's sit down and talk!"

    Three days ago, Liu Jing received an official document from Xiangyang. November 20th would be the 62nd birthday of Zhou Mu. Zhou Mu wanted to celebrate lively and ordered officials with more than 500 shi from all over Jingzhou to gather in Xiangyang to pay their respects.  At the same time, Liu Jing also received a handwritten letter from Liu Biao, hoping that he could go to celebrate her birthday.

    Obviously, Liu Biao's birthday was planned for him, Liu Jing, and Liu Jing had guessed it, but he also had excuses not to go, such as the Jiangxia Navy adding troops to Peng Ze, etc. But Liu Jing also realized that he really wanted to  To occupy Jiangxia, you still have to go to Xiangyang.

    The two sat down, and Liu Jing ordered someone to serve tea again. Xu Shu then said slowly: "Let's talk about not going! First of all, we don't have to worry about the Zhou Mu detaining Sima. Secondly, we occupy Jiangxia. Finally, we force the Zhou Mu to have no choice but to go."  Admit the facts. From this point of view, we can still occupy Jiangxia without going to Xiangyang, but the disadvantages are also obvious. "

    Liu Jing nodded silently. In fact, he was more concerned about the disadvantages. He also thought of some disadvantages.??But he wanted to hear Xu Shu's opinion more.

    Xu Shu took a sip of tea and continued: "First of all, the young master will be accused of being unfilial. Although we can find various excuses, those excuses can only coax the stupid people and stupid women. Jingzhou officials all know in their hearts that it is the young master who refuses to  Going to Xiangyang, coupled with Cai Mao and others' publicity, and even refusing to attend my uncle's birthday, the young master's reputation will definitely be damaged. "

    "Besides fame, what else is there?"

    Xu Shu smiled again and said: "Actually, fame is nothing. After all, there are people who understand the young master's difficulties. The biggest disadvantage is how the young master will obtain Jingzhou in the future? If the young master refuses to go to Xiangyang this time, but becomes independent in Jiangxia without authorization, then what will happen to the young master?"  It will offend most Jingzhou officials.

    The reason why Huang Zu is hated is because he separatized Jiangxia, and the Jingzhou decree is invalid for Jiangxia. If the young master becomes Huang Zu¡¯s second, how many Jingzhou officials will support the young master when he takes Jiangxia to annex Jingzhou in the future?  "

    At this point, Liu Jing understood what Xu Shu meant. Xu Shu wanted him to go to Xiangyang.

    Liu Jing laughed, "Since the words have been said, then I'll go! But I have to make some preparations to prevent me from being detained in Xiangyang."

    Xu Shu went back to his palace to arrange a replacement. Liu Jing thought about it again and ordered his subordinates: "Prepare your horses, I'm going to the Tao Mansion!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Tao Mansion was also in chaos at this time. Since Liu Jing's ruling center was moving to Wuchang, the Tao family also had to consider the future of the family.

    After some internal negotiations within the family, the Tao family made a decision. Chaisang is still the foundation of the Tao family. The family ancestral hall is still in Chaisang, but the family business will be transferred to Wuchang.

    So in the past few days, the Tao family has also started a big move. There is also the Tao family's house in Wuchang City, as well as warehouses and businesses. The Tao family has sent people to take care of it in advance. In the past two days, the money and account books need to be moved there first.  Wuchang.

    In the front yard of Tao's house, Tao Sheng was busy directing the move. Although it was early winter and the weather was very cold, Tao Sheng was still sweating profusely. At this time, a family member rushed to report, "Master Jing, the master of the house."  Here we go, right outside the house!"

    Tao Sheng was startled and hurriedly walked out of the house. He quickly walked out of the door and saw Liu Jing standing on the steps with a smile on her face, waiting patiently. Tao Sheng hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "Why is the young master here today?"

    "There are a few things I want to discuss with the Tao family, so I came here to visit."

    Liu Jing visited the Tao family once after the war and made a special trip to propose marriage. The Tao family had agreed to the marriage, but Tao Lie made a request, hoping that the marriage could be approved by the Zhou Mu.

    This request should be said to be completely reasonable and reasonable. Both Liu Jing's parents are dead. If he has no uncles or close relatives, then it doesn't matter if he doesn't need the consent of his elders.

    But Liu Jing happened to have his uncle Liu Biao, and he had a high status. Liu Jing should tell his uncle first, both emotionally and rationally.

    This time Liu Jing returned to Xiangyang, to a certain extent, she hoped that Liu Biao would agree to the marriage; Liu Jing also knew that there was a high possibility that Liu Biao would not agree, but that is another matter.

    Tao Sheng thought Liu Jing was here to discuss marriage, so he smiled and said, "Come in quickly! Zhan'er's grandfather happens to be here, let's talk together."

    Liu Jing followed Tao Sheng into the gate and walked towards the inner hall.

    In the inner hall, Tao Lie was joking with more than a dozen juniors. Tao Zhan was sitting next to her grandfather. She was suddenly surprised to find that Liu Jing was here. Her face suddenly turned red and she hurriedly avoided it.

    Since the Tao family officially agreed to Liu Jing's proposal, it meant that she was Liu Jing's fianc¨¦e. This relationship filled her with shyness, and she did not dare to associate with Liu Jing like before.

    According to the etiquette and customs, men and women can interact like friends before marriage, but once they enter the marriage process, it is the wedding night when they see each other again.

    Tao Zhan reacted quickly. She stood up and walked to the back door. There was a screen in front of the back door. Tao Zhan quickly walked into the screen, but stopped again, hid behind the screen, and watched Liu Jing quietly.

    At this time, Liu Jing walked into the inner hall, knelt down and bowed, "Liu Jing pays homage to my grandfather!"

    Behind the screen, Tao Zhan pursed her lips and smiled. This 'grandfather' shouted sweetly, which made her very happy.

    Tao Lie and Liu Jing established a deep friendship during the last sneak attack on Chaisang. This time Liu Jing and Jiang Dong negotiated Tao's terms.

    And Sun Quan also happily agreed, which also meant that Jiangdong would no longer pursue the relationship between the Tao family and Liu Jing, and would no longer embarrass the Tao family's business. This made Tao Lie full of gratitude to Liu Jing.

    Tao Lie stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Sir, please sit down. There is no need to perform this great ceremony."

    Liu Jing sat down and said with a smile: "I'm going to Xiangyang tomorrow. Does grandpa know?"

      Tao Lie glanced at Tao Sheng, and Tao Sheng nodded, "I've also heard something. I heard that the governor of the state is celebrating his birthday, and officials with more than 500 shi from each county will go to Xiangyang to pay their respects."

    Tao Lie knew that things were not that simple, but there were some things that the Tao family couldn't handle, so he smiled and said, "Otherwise, the Tao family should prepare a birthday gift for the young master!"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "Thank you, grandpa. I have prepared a birthday gift. I have seized a lot of good things from Huang Zu's house, but the Tao family really needs to prepare a birthday gift."

    Tao Lie was stunned, "Young Master, do you mean that the Tao family also wants to celebrate their birthdays?"

    "Yes, my uncle gave me a letter, and the letter also invited the Tao family to attend the birthday ceremony."

    Tao Lie was silent for a while, and then he sighed and said, "Sir, Zhou Mu probably wants the Tao family to resume their previous offerings!"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "If he is willing to resume the Tao family's business in Jingzhou, then I think it would be okay to resume the offering, at least there will be no loss."

    Tao Lie pondered for a moment, and he felt relieved with Liu Jing's words. Moreover, this was not bad. It would be the best result not to offend Liu Biao. He nodded, "Okay! Then let Tao Li work with the young master."  Go to celebrate your birthday."

    Liu Jing had other ideas. He hesitated for a moment and asked Tao Lie: "This time I want to ask Jiuniang to go to Xiangyang with me. Please ask my grandfather for permission!"

    Behind the screen, Tao Zhan's face turned red. She knew that Liu Jing wanted to take her to meet the family elders, probably Liu Biao, and her heart was pounding.

    But as soon as she thought about it, she remembered that Liu Biao planned to marry her to Liu Cong as a concubine, and threatened and lured her to the Tao family, and she felt a little uncomfortable.

    At this time, Tao Lie laughed and readily agreed to Liu Jing's request, "This is what it should be. Of course I won't object."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chuming, Chapter 200: Encountering danger on the way

    Early the next morning, five thousand-stone ships loaded with 500 elite soldiers guarding Liu Jing left Chaisang and sailed toward Xiangyang.

    According to Jingzhou regulations, the prefect who comes to report on his duties every year is allowed to bring no more than 500 followers. Of course, he must bear all the food and lodging expenses by himself.

    Despite this rule, over the years, only Huang Zu came to Xiangyang with 500 soldiers, because this rule was originally tailor-made for Huang Zu.

    This morning, the fleet was sailing on the Han River, and after traveling for more than thirty miles, it would enter Xiangyang County.

    On the three-story boat headed by Liu Jing, Liu Jing changed into a white thick cotton Confucian robe, a brocade belt around his waist, a golden crown on his head, and a rich man's coat with wide sleeves. He was completely dressed like a child of a noble family.

    The river wind was blowing the big flag on the mast. The wind was strong and the wind was biting. The waves on the river were rolling. The big ship was going against the wind and not traveling very fast.

    This trip to Xiangyang was different from any previous one. On the surface, it seemed that he was carrying a huge halo of glory, defeating the Jiangdong Army in the Western Expedition, and saving Jiangxia. Liu Jing's name has become a household name in Jingzhou, and he has been highly praised.  This shows the attention and welcome he will receive in Xiangyang.

    But what Liu Jing saw was the murderous intention under the glory. This time he went to Xiangyang, not so much to pay birthdays, but to negotiate.

    How to obtain the maximum benefit and how to firmly control Jiangxia in his own hands will require arduous negotiations. But once the negotiations fail, he will face huge risks. Will Liu Biao allow him to return to Jiangxia?

    Risks and opportunities coexist. Liu Jing has always been a person who likes to challenge himself and is never afraid of any challenge. From the first day he entered this era two years ago, he started a new life amidst risks and challenges.

    "Master!"

    A crisp voice behind him interrupted his thoughts. When Liu Jing turned around, it was his maid Xiao Baozi.

    Little Baozi has been following him for almost two years, and she is already twelve years old. Except for growing taller, her personality and appearance have hardly changed at all. She still has a round face and round eyes, and her face is like a  Bai Shengsheng's little buns.

    Liu Jing saw that her nose was bruised by the cold river wind, she was holding her clothes tight and shivering all over. She couldn't help but walked up and said with a smile: "What are you doing out here? Isn't it warmer in the cabin?"

    "We arediscussing whether we shouldcook the food ourselves and ask the young master for his opinion."

    She and we undoubtedly include Tao Zhan. Liu Jing pulled up the lapel of her clothes for her and said with a smile: "You don't have to do it yourself. There is a cook on the ship. Of course, if you are willing to show off your skills, I have no objection."

    The answer was a bit ambiguous. The result of the ambiguity was that when the chef brought the food, he found that they were already eating. Liu Jing saw the chef's embarrassment and quickly smiled and said: "Put it down! Your food is the main meal."

    The muscular cook put down the big plate, and soon she was shocked to find that the two maids were actually sitting and dining with the master. This was unimaginable. Of course, she didn't dare to ask, and backed away with a look of horror.  Go down.

    In fact, anyone who knows Liu Jing¡¯s life knows that he is extremely easy-going and doesn¡¯t care much about his superiority. In the past two years, the maid Xiao Baozi has almost always dined with him at the same table. Unlike other wealthy families, the little maid must carry the dishes.  The plate is hidden in the corner to eat.

    In the spacious cabin, there is an equally large table. There are fruits and vegetables and more than a dozen exquisite side dishes on the table. On a large plate, there are more than a dozen brown and fragrant mutton and tender onion pancakes.  , and two pots of fruit pulp.

    Liu Jing and Tao Zhan sat opposite each other. They didn't talk much, but they didn't seem unfamiliar. On the other hand, the two maids sitting on the other side were whispering and talking over and over about their pitifully little experience, but they never tired of it.  .

    Tao Zhan wore a thick light green long skirt with silver edging. The long skirt was tied under her chest, making her look beautiful and slender. She also wore a white half-sleeved short jacket, and a long red gold-edged silk draped around her shoulders.

    Perhaps because she was traveling far away, she finally put on a little makeup, and her black hair was styled into a pony bun, which is the most popular hairstyle nowadays. A jade hairpin was inserted on both sides of her hair, which looked luxurious but not tacky.

    There was no makeup on her face. Applying makeup on her jade-white face would obscure its beauty. Only her willow eyebrows were slightly modified, curved and long, which highlighted her beautiful deep pool-like eyes.

    In addition to the beautiful eyebrows, only the round lips are slightly tinged with vermilion. This lip color is like the finishing touch, adding a little more human atmosphere to her fairy-like beauty.

    Tao Zhan smiled kindly and put another table with the dishes brought by the cook. She knew that Liu Jing had a big appetite, and the few pancakes she made were far from enough for him, so she pushed a roast leg of lamb in front of him.  , pursed his lips and smiled: "Eat! I know you can"?.  "

    Liu Jing took the knife plate and smiled while cutting the meat: "What did you want to ask just now?"

    Tao Zhan picked up the pulp ear cup, took a sip lightly, and said with a smile: "Actually, it has nothing to do with me. I'm just a little curious. It doesn't mean that officials with more than 500 dan go to Xiangyang to celebrate their birthdays, but there are not many people in the entourage.  An official from Jiangxia, did they go through another route? "

    "That's not true. Su Juncheng and Yi Changshi were both appointed by me. Xiangyang has not recognized it yet. Naturally, they are not officials above 500 shi. Magistrate Zhu has just been promoted to magistrate of Chaisang County. I also appointed him. As for several other counties  "Ling, I have important things to do anyway, so I have to take leave."

    "I see!"

    Tao Zhan covered his mouth and said with a smile: "So General Liu alone represents Jiangxia."

    Liu Jing also smiled and said, "Wouldn't this save you trouble?"

    Tao Zhan suddenly thought of her own affairs, and a trace of sadness flashed in her eyes. She sighed lowly, "Jing Lang, I'm a little worried."

    "What are you worried about?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Tao Zhan bit his lip lightly, "Do you still remember Liu Cong? He made undue demands on his father. I'm worried that if I show up in the Liu Mansion, the old talk will be brought up again."

    "You are such a silly girl!"

    Liu Jing shook her head and sighed: "If you think about it again, do you think it's possible? If it's really like what you said, then who am I? A little cockroach that can be crushed to death?"

    Tao Zhan lowered his head. In fact, she also knew that she was already engaged to Liu Jing, and it was impossible for Liu Biao to connect her with Liu Cong. However, she hated Liu Biao and Liu Cong in her heart and did not want to see them at all. But she didn't know  What should I say to Liu Jing?

    Liu Jing took a deep look at her. He could understand Tao Zhan's feelings. She had always been a person who had a clear distinction between love and hate. She would never show disdain to those she hated.

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "Don't think too much, you may not be able to enter the Liu Mansion."

    Tao Zhan Bingxue was smart and immediately understood what Liu Jing meant. Liu Biao would definitely not agree to this marriage, so it was naturally impossible for her to step into the Liu family's door.

    Although she felt at ease not having to enter Liu's house, what should she do if Liu Biao firmly opposed it?

    Tao Zhan couldn't help but think of what her father said to her last night. Regarding her family background, she was just a businessman's daughter after all. Maybe he didn't mind now, but what about the future?

    The family difference between her and Liu Jing was like a big stone, weighing heavily on her heart.

    "Jinglang, I've finished eating. I'm going to wash my hands first. You can eat slowly!"

    Tao Zhan smiled, got up and left the cabin with all his thoughts in mind. Liu Jing looked at her elegant back and couldn't help but smile. She valued Liu Biao's attitude too much, so what's the harm if Liu Biao disagreed?

    At this moment, Liu Jing seemed to hear something unusual. He stood up and walked out of the cabin quickly. Just as a soldier rushed over, he reported urgently: "Report to Sima, a ship was intercepted in front of the river!"

    Liu Jing frowned and walked quickly to the bow of the ship. The view on the river was wide, and he could clearly see two fleets seven or eight miles ahead, forming a figure of eight and crossing the river diagonally. There were about two hundred ships.  Warships, judging from the size of this fleet, they should be from the Jingzhou Navy.

    Liu Jing sneered. This was Liu Biao's attempt to give him a blow. He turned around and ordered: "Pass my order, the fleets will sail side by side!"

    The opponent¡¯s fleet is deployed in a straight figure, which is an encirclement formation. To deal with this formation, we usually use side by side to break out. Once there are lagging ships, they will inevitably be surrounded by the opponent.

    Liu Jing¡¯s fleet did not slow down and continued to sail towards the opponent at a high speed. At this time, the Jingzhou navy also began to change.

    On a large ship of the Jingzhou Navy, Zhang Yun, who had just been reinstated as the deputy captain of the Jingzhou Navy, watched the approach of Liu Jing's fleet and couldn't help but chuckle.

    Cai Mao's defeat in Jiangxia changed Zhang Yun's fate. After all, he was Liu Biao's nephew. Although he was tabooed by Liu Biao and demoted to county captain, more than a year had passed, and Liu Biao gradually forgot about his past evil deeds.  .

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? out of the way of family ties, and after Cai Mao's defeat, he promoted him to deputy captain of the navy, leading 10,000 navy troops stationed in Yicheng County.

    Zhang Yun received a secret order from Liu Biao. If Liu Jing led troops to Xiangyang, he could intercept Liu Jing's soldiers and only allow him to come to Xiangyang.

    This secret order undoubtedly supported Zhang Yun. There were many loopholes in Liu Biao's order. For example, what should Liu Jing do if she resists?  What should I do if Liu Jing takes the lead in attacking the Jingzhou navy?  So how to implement it is up to Zhang Yun.

    At this time, Zhang Yun finally waited for the moment of revenge. He stared at Liu Jing's fleet approaching, and his heart was filled with the expectation of revenge.

      "Captain, do you want to attack directly?" A soldier asked for instructions.

    Zhang Yun shook his head. Of course he couldn't attack directly. He had to do superficial things to avoid being caught. More importantly, he wanted to humiliate Liu Jing to vent his hatred for being demoted.

    "The big ship is coming up!"

    On the top of the mast, a flagman waved the flag, which was the flag language used to communicate with each other on the river. Immediately, more than a dozen warships started and followed Zhang Yun's ship to meet him.

    Two warships slowly approached on the river. Liu Jing suddenly recognized the general standing on the side of the ship, who turned out to be the deposed Zhang Yun.

    Looking at the big flag on the flagpole again, the big flag with the word "Zhang" was fluttering in front of her. Liu Jing felt that danger was approaching her.

    what to do?  Should we turn around and return to Wuchang, or rush over there!  Liu Jing needed to make a decision immediately.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 201: Xu Du¡¯s Chess Piece

    The two ships were getting closer and closer, and were less than thirty steps apart. She could clearly see the people on the opposite ship. Liu Jing could clearly see Zhang Yun's ugly face, staring at him with a ferocious smile on his face, like a wild beast.  Coveting the prey that has been obtained.

    "Liu Jing, you never imagined that today would happen!" Zhang Yun laughed on the opposite boat.

    Liu Jing was unusually calm. She turned around and ordered: "Don't worry, everyone. The Jingzhou navy is not the Jiangdong army. They will not kill each other. Everyone listen to my command!"

    He then raised his voice and said calmly: "I can tell you Jiang Xia's conditions. There are three conditions in total. If you agree, I can give up Jiang Xia."

    Liu Jing's voice was not very clear in the wind, but his words were very important. Zhang Yun frowned and ordered to the left and right: "Get closer!"

    The big boat rocked slowly and Liu Jing's boat got closer. The two big boats were less than twenty steps apart.

    A military commander nearby noticed that a row of burly sergeants had stood out from the side of the other side's ship. He felt a little bad and quickly reminded him: "Captain, the other side has sent more troops. Be careful, it's a trick."

    Zhang Yun also discovered the changes in the troops on Liu Jing's ship, and suddenly realized that if Liu Jing wanted to escape the encirclement, he had only one way to attack the main ship, and he really couldn't get too close.

    He quickly ordered: "Leave immediately!"

    Liu Jing saw that the other party was trying to leave, so he shouted, "Do it!"

    Dozens of burly soldiers picked up the clay pots at their feet and threw them at the opponent's ship. Zhang Yun saw a dark object flying towards him, and he was so frightened that he squatted down quickly.

    'boom!  boom!  'Dozens of clay pots shattered on the deck and hull, and the light yellow liquid flowed all over the deck. At this moment, more than a dozen rockets roared in, igniting the kerosene. The kerosene immediately burned rapidly, and the fire was instantaneous.  Swallowing the deck, Zhang Yun and his men suddenly panicked, and many people jumped into the river in a hurry.

    Liu Jing was already prepared. The moment he gave the order, he drew out his bow and arrow, opened the bow and aimed the arrow at the flag bearer on the mast. When the string was loosened, a wolf-fang arrow was fired, "Whoosh!"  ¡¯ It was shot out of the ground with such force that the flagman on the mast screamed and fell heavily from the mast.

    When the enemy's main ship was in panic, Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Go forward at full speed and rush through the interception!"

    Five large ships lined up to break through to the northwest. The Jingzhou navy was in chaos. The fire on the main ship burned rapidly and the sails were also ignited. The entire ship turned into a fire ship. The fire engulfed the mast. The soldiers jumped into the water one after another. Some of them were too late.  The diving soldiers cried and howled on the boat and died tragically in the fire.

    Zhang Yun jumped into the water in time and escaped with his life. He swam hard to another large ship. At this time, the soldiers behind him shouted, "Captain, be careful!"

    Zhang Yun turned around and was immediately frightened out of his wits. The ship began to tilt, the flaming mast broke and hit him like a mountain.

    In desperation, Zhang Yun suddenly sank down, ¡®Pa!  ¡¯ With a loud noise, the mast hit the water heavily, causing a wave of waves. The ship sank, creating a huge whirlpool and dragging more than a dozen soldiers into the bottom of the river.

    The sudden fire on the main ship frightened the surrounding warships, and they did not dare to approach Liu Jing's ship. They thought of the defeat of Jiangdong's army, which they heard was defeated by fire.

    Liu Jing's prestige in defeating the Jiangdong Army gave the Jingzhou Navy a huge shock. In addition, Zhang Yun did not issue a battle flag order. The Jingzhou Navy did not dare to act rashly and watched helplessly as five warships passed between the two fleets.  drive by.

    When Zhang Yun boarded another large ship, he discovered that Liu Jing's fleet had broken through the siege of Jingzhou navy and sailed far to the northwest, turning into five small black spots.

    "They are all a bunch of idiots, bastards!" Zhang Yun yelled in anger.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Xudu, it was dark at night. A figure was walking hurriedly on the street corner. He soon came to a large house and walked up the steps. The dead energy lantern under the door of the mansion gave off a dim light, illuminating his face. This person was a soldier.  The defeated Huang She.

    After Jiangxia was defeated, Huang She did not flee to Nanjun or Xiangyang. He had long been disillusioned with Jingzhou, and Jiangdong was even more unable to go. After thinking about it, he fled to Xudu.

    He took a look at the house sign, which read "Guomingtinghou Mansion". This was the residence of Cao Hong. Cao Hong had served as the prefect of Runan two years ago, and the Huang family and his son had dealt with him at that time.

    Huang She also knew that Cao Hong would accept bribes, so he specifically asked Cao Hong for help in introducing him. He had come here once two days ago, and today was the second time he came. However, it was Cao Hong who sent someone to look for him, which made him feel nervous again.  Expectation again.

    Huang She bowed her hands to the concierge, "Please tell Duke Cao that Huang She wants to see you!"

    The concierge went in, and after a while a housekeeper came out and said with a smile: "Master Huang, please invite me! My general will"?Waiting in the study.  "

    Huang She followed the housekeeper into the house and arrived in front of Cao Hong's study. The housekeeper reported, "General, Mr. Huang is here."

    "Come in!"

    Cao Hong's voice came from the room. The voice was powerful. Huang shot into the study. The room was brightly lit. He saw that Cao Hong was about thirty years old. He was powerful and strong. He was wearing a wide linen garment and a turban.  , holding a book in his hand. Although he is a famous general in Cao's army, he is also skilled in both civil and military skills.

    Huang She hurriedly stepped forward to salute and bowed to the ground, "See Mr. Cao!"

    "Don't call me Mr. Cao."

    Cao Hong waved his hand. He didn't like this title. It was disrespectful to his brother.

    Huang She hurriedly changed his words, "See General Cao!"

    "Please take a seat!"

    Huang She sat down uneasily and was about to speak when Cao Hong smiled and said, "I have met the Prime Minister today and told him about you. The Prime Minister is very interested and asked me to take you to see him tomorrow morning."

    Huang She was overjoyed and bowed quickly, "Thank you General Cao for your strong recommendation."

    Cao Hong narrowed his eyes and smiled, "You're welcome, we still have some friendship!"

    Huang She understood what Cao Hong meant, and quickly took out a pair of white jade from his arms, placed it on the small table, and pushed it to Cao Hong, "This is a little thought from this junior, please accept it, general."

    Cao Hong's eyes were very poisonous. When he saw that the white jade was crystal clear and smooth without any flaws, it was a very precious thing. He burst into laughter and said that Huang Zu had hidden the treasure. It was indeed good. He immediately said gently: "Don't worry, I will try my best to help you."  Your kind words will definitely get you a job in Xudu.¡±

    "Thank you, General. I wonder what I need to pay attention to when I meet the Prime Minister tomorrow?"

    "It's okay, the etiquette is enough. If the Prime Minister asks anything, you just answer it truthfully. But let me warn you first, the Prime Minister is not easy to lie. If you lie, you will bring it on yourself."

    "Junior understands!"

    Huang She and Cao Hong talked for a few more words before saying goodbye. Leaving Cao Hong's mansion, Huang She was so excited that he walked to the Xuchang River and stared at the river water that had been covered with a thin layer of ice for a long time.

    The reason why Huang She gave up Jingzhou and turned to Cao Cao was because he knew that Cao Cao's army would go south sooner or later. When Cao Cao conquered Jiangxia, he would definitely let someone familiar with Jiangxia serve as the prefect of Jiangxia. If he was valued by Cao Cao, then the prefect of Jiangxia would be  He is the perfect one.

    At this moment, Huang She was full of expectations for the future. He seemed to have seen the scene of Glorious Returning Home. He seemed to have seen Liu Jing being tied up and kneeling in front of him, and being handled by him personally. Thinking that Liu Jing would get Tao Zhan, Huang  His heart was bleeding, and his teeth were slowly clenched.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It had only been half a month since Cao Cao returned to Xudu. The War in Hebei was in full swing. After Yuan Shao's death, his eldest son Yuan Tan and his third son Yuan Shang fought for the right to inherit.

    Yuan Tan was besieged by Yuan Shang's army in the plains. He was besieged internally and externally. He was forced to send Xinbi to ask for help from Cao Cao. Cao Cao took the opportunity to advance and marched to Liyang in October. Yuan Shang was forced to withdraw his troops. Yuan Tan surrendered to Cao Cao. Cao Cao hired Yuan as his son.  Tan's daughter became his wife, and the class teacher returned to Xudu.

    In the room, Cao Cao was discussing peace with Hebei with his counselor Guo Jia. Guo Jia was about thirty years old. He had a handsome appearance, a clear gaze, elegant and handsome, and was outstanding. However, his body was a little thin. In the dark, you would find that he had a hidden secret.  Sick.

    Guo Jia was one of Cao Cao's four most trusted advisers. He served as military advisor and was highly regarded by Cao Cao. Normally, when he talked to Cao Cao, Cao Cao would listen, but today Guo Jia found that Cao Cao seemed a little uneasy. Several times  He was distracted when talking about Yuan Shang.

    "What are you thinking about, lord?" Guo Jia stopped talking and asked with a smile.

    Cao Cao was shocked and realized that he was a little rude. He smiled apologetically and said, "I was thinking about Jingzhou. Please continue."

    Guo Jia knew Cao Cao very well. He knew that his lord's heart was no longer in Hebei, and it would be in vain to talk more. He changed the subject and said with a smile: "Then let's talk about Jingzhou."

    This sentence refreshed Cao Cao, and he laughed and said, "You know me as a filial piety!"

    It¡¯s not that Cao Cao doesn¡¯t care about Hebei, it¡¯s just that he just returned from Hebei and the situation in Hebei is already under his control. It¡¯s like knowing the ending of a story, and his interest in the story has faded a bit.

    On the contrary, he received a detailed report on the Jiangxia War two days ago, which immediately aroused his strong interest, especially Liu Jing's outstanding performance, which made him amazed.

    ????Guo Jia smiled slightly, "My lord has been mentioning Liu Jing to people these past two days. He is quite impressed and seems to have a love for talents again."

    Cao Cao nodded and sighed: "I pride myself on being a good reader of people. I first met him two years ago.This boy, I felt, was extraordinary. He was able to deceive people beyond the bounds. He was also bold, careful, and very clever. He was able to escape from under my nose. He knew that he would never be unknown in Jingzhou. Sure enough, Zhan Chaisang  , defeated Soochow, and annexed Jiangxia, with a kingly demeanor. In just two years, Fengxiao, I was not wrong!  "

    "My lord's ability to recognize people has always been admired by my subordinates. Everyone was laughing at Yu Wenze who was defeated by Liu Jing. Only my lord said that he was lucky to survive. Liu Jing was just a down-and-out young man at the beginning. Only my lord valued him. Many people didn't understand.  After a battle in Jiangxia, everyone praised the Lord for his ability to discern people."

    Cao Cao shook his head. He no longer cared about everyone's admiration for his ability to recognize people. What he cared about was Liu Jing. After reading the detailed report on the Battle of Jiangxia, he felt a trace of worry in his heart.

    Cao Cao never took Liu Biao seriously, and he looked down on Liu Biao's two sons. In his heart, Jingzhou was just a fat pig waiting to be slaughtered. As long as the north was a little flat, he could go south to wipe out Jingzhou at any time.

    But now, Liu Jing has suddenly emerged in Jingzhou, defeated the strong with the weak, and annexed Jiangxia. Cao Cao is very worried that Liu Jing will annex Jingzhou next and become the lord of Jingzhou, which will cause trouble when his army goes south.

    "Fengxiao, to be honest, I'm a little worried."

    Cao Cao couldn't help but said worriedly, "If he becomes the lord of Jingzhou, he will definitely become my strong enemy. And with his attitude towards Jiangdong, the Sun and Liu families will definitely unite, which will affect my southern plan!"

    Guo Jia laughed and said, "My lord is overly concerned. Liu Jing just took advantage of Sun Quan's western expedition to annex Jiangxia. Jingzhou is not Jiangxia, and Liu Biao is not Huang Zu. How could he become the lord of Jingzhou so easily."

    "Besides, Liu Biao is not a man with great ambitions. It is impossible for him to pass the throne of Jingzhou to his nephew. On the contrary, Liu Jing will become a major threat to his son.

    If my subordinates guessed correctly, there will be civil strife in Jingzhou in two years. By then, the lord should have wiped out Hebei. He no longer has any worries. He can take advantage of the civil strife in Jingzhou to wipe out Liu Biao and Liu Jing in one fell swoop.  "

    "Fengxiao is a great kindness and it suits my purpose!"

    Cao Cao smiled happily and said: "We might as well lend a helping hand to Liu Biao to make Jingzhou more chaotic."

    Speaking of this, Cao Cao suddenly remembered something and said to Guo Jiaqi: "It is said that Liu Jing used 'kerosene' in the Battle of Chaisang. This is a black viscous slurry that can be ignited directly or float on the water.  It is extremely powerful in battle. I heard it gushes out of the ground. Fengxiao might as well look for it for me and see if there is such fire oil in the Central Plains."

    "Don't worry, my lord, I will send people to search everywhere immediately!"

    At this moment, someone in the hall reported: "Prime Minister, General Cao Hong has brought Huang She from Jiangxia to pay homage."

    Cao Cao nodded, "Bring them in!"

    Next to him, Guo Jia asked in surprise: "Is this Huang She the son of Huang Zu?"

    "It was this man who came to seek refuge with me when Jiangxia was defeated."

    Guo Jia hesitated and said: "As far as my subordinates know, Huang and his son are not good people. They are loyal to Liu Biao but separatist. They are unfaithful and unkind. The Lord cannot use him."

    Cao Cao sneered, "How can I not know who he is? It's just that he is still useful now. I will take care of him after I capture Jingzhou."

    Just as he was talking, Cao Hong hurriedly walked into the lobby with Huang She. Cao Hong saluted, "Lord, he is here."

    Cao Cao cast his eyes on Huang She, and saw that although this man was handsome, elegant, and talented, there was an unhealthy aura in his eyes.

    But Cao Cao still smiled and asked: "Are you the Young Master She among the four great princes in Jingzhou?"

    Huang She was so nervous that his legs trembled, his legs went weak, he knelt down with a thump, and kowtowed repeatedly, "Jiang Xia Huang She pays homage to the Prime Minister!"

    He thought of many beautiful words, but at this time he could not say a word.

    Cao Cao smiled faintly, "Tell us about the Battle of Jiangxia! And Liu Jing, who is he? It is said that this person led a weak army to defeat the main force of Jiangdong. Is this true?"

    Huang She felt relieved. He could hear that Cao Cao admired Liu Jing. He couldn't help but feel extremely jealous. He forgot that Cao Hong had repeatedly told him not to lie. He lowered his head and said instinctively: "Liu Jing is just relying on him to be Liu Biao."  It was my nephew who was given the post of Sima of another department to guard Chaisang. In this battle of Jiangxia, we resisted the main force of the Jiangdong Army and fought with the Jiangdong Army. Both sides suffered losses. In the end, he took advantage of him. This person was just doing nothing in Jingzhou.  Sir, Prime Minister, don¡¯t believe the rumors.¡±

    With these obviously jealous words, even Cao Hong couldn't help but feel slightly angry in his eyes. Why didn't Huang She listen to his advice?

    Guo Jia sighed in his heart, he is indeed mediocre., couldn't even speak. He looked at Cao Cao, meaning that this person was unavailable, but Cao Cao stroked his beard and smiled and changed the subject, "Are you prepared to be loyal to the truth, Mr. She?"

    Huang She kowtowed repeatedly, "I am willing to do my best for the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao nodded and said with a smile: "In that case, I will make you the Shuiwu Colonel and return to Jingzhou temporarily. Do you understand what I mean?"

    Huang She was so moved that he burst into tears. He even made him a school captain. He kowtowed and cried with tears: "Prime Minister, Huang She is willing to die in repayment for your great kindness!"

    After Huang shot it down, Guo Jia asked in confusion: "Why does the Prime Minister put such villains in such high regard?"

    Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and smiled, "How can we catch big fish without laying heavy bait? Has Fengxiao forgotten about Gaozu's seal of Yongchi?"

    Guo Jia suddenly realized this and gave a thumbs up and praised: "The Prime Minister is brilliant!"

    Cao Cao laughed. He stopped laughing and sighed softly, "It's a pity that I don't have a son named Cao Jing."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ¡¾Explanation: Historically, Cao Cao only restored the system of ministers in the 13th year of Jian'an. It was only after the 13th year of Jian'an that he called the prime minister. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is actually wrong. This is mainly for the convenience of readers¡¿

 Volume 1 Chu Ming Chapter 202 Madam¡¯s Route

    Liu Biao's birthday was November 20th, his 60th birthday the year before last. Because of his wife's miscarriage, he was in a bad mood and canceled the planned birthday celebration.

    Last year, because of his illness, he did not hold a birthday celebration. He did not hold a birthday celebration for two consecutive years. This year is his 62nd birthday. It also coincides with the victory of Jiangxia and the joy of Jingzhou. Liu Biao finally decided to hold a grand birthday ceremony.  .

    Not only were officials with more than five hundred stones from all over Jingzhou gathered in Xiangyang, but they also sent invitations to fifty aristocratic families in Jingzhou, inviting them to come to Xiangyang to participate in the celebration.

    Invitations from various places are sent out in late October. After entering November, the atmosphere begins to become lively day by day. The two cities of Xiangfan and Xiangfan are decorated with lanterns and streamers, clean water is splashed on the streets, everyone puts on new clothes, and everyone is beaming with joy.

    Teams celebrating birthdays from all over the country also began to arrive in Xiangyang one after another. For a time, the hotels in Xiangyang and Fancheng were full, and the government organized more than 30 uninhabited mansions to accommodate officials from all over the country who came to celebrate birthdays.

    In the evening, five large ships from Jiangxia slowly arrived at Xiangyang Pier. This was Liu Jing's ship. Before the ship could dock, the news of Mr. Jing's arrival spread like a gust of wind outside Xiangyang City.

    Vendors setting up stalls outside the city, tavern guests, passing travelers, and even people in the city near the north gate also got the news and rushed to the dock.

    ¡°For a moment, the pier was crowded with thousands of people, and everyone was filled with excitement and anticipation. When Liu Jing¡¯s figure appeared on the side of the ship, the crowd on the pier suddenly cheered.

    Many people were so excited that they shouted loudly, "Welcome Mr. Jing back!"

    Liu Jing did not expect to encounter this scene in Xiangyang. Looking at the excited and grateful faces, he felt an indescribable touch in his heart. He raised his hands high and cupped his fists and said: "Thank you for the welcome! Thank you all."  !¡±

    Cheers sounded again on the pier. At this time, more and more people gathered. Even many soldiers guarding the city came secretly. Wangjiang Tavern even took out the gongs and drums used in the celebration, and more than a dozen bartenders beat the gongs and drums.  , lively and noisy.

    On the top of the city, Cai Zhong, who was demoted as a city defender, looked coldly at the lively scene at the dock. His eyes were full of jealousy. Although the Jingzhou reinforcements suffered a disastrous defeat in Jiangxia, he had an unshirkable responsibility, but Liu Biao saw that  For Cai Mao's sake, he was spared lightly, fined for one year, and demoted two levels.

    Cai Zhong has also become low-key, going out early and coming back late every day, working conscientiously, but this does not mean that Cai Zhong has repented since then. At casual moments, his inner world will still be revealed. For example, now, five to six thousand people are welcoming him on the pier.  Liu Jing, this made her very angry.

    He turned back to his subordinates and said: "Let me investigate carefully. Which soldiers ran to the riverside, and each of them was hit with a hundred military sticks!"

    He snorted heavily, turned around and walked away in a hurry.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Zhong trotted all the way, and just when he reached the gate of Cai Mansion, he happened to encounter Cai Mao's carriage, guarded by dozens of people, coming from the opposite direction.

    Cai Zhong hurriedly ran forward to stop the carriage, "Brother, something happened!"

    The car window opened a crack, and Cai Hao asked displeasedly: "What's the matter in a hurry?"

    "Brother, Liu Jing is here."

    There was a sudden silence in the carriage. After a long time, Cai Mao said, "Come to my study and talk!"

    Cai Mao was more cautious about matters related to Liu Jing and could not discuss them in the street. He returned to the study and Cai Zhong followed.

    Cai Mao sat down, glanced at Cai Zhong and asked, "Where is he now?"

    "As soon as his ship arrived at the dock, thousands of people came to greet him. It was even more spectacular than when Zhou Mu came back from his southern expedition."

    Cai Hao snorted coldly, "He is so majestic!"

    "Yes! I wonder what Zhou Mu will think when he sees this scene. Should the eldest brother tell Zhou Mu?" Cai Zhong suggested cautiously.

    "He will know of course, I don't have to worry about it."

    After a pause, Cai Hao asked again: "How many people did he bring?"

    "Five large ships came, and the sides of the ships were filled with soldiers. I estimate that there were at least four to five hundred people."

    "Humph! He thinks of himself as Huang Zu."

    Cai Hao paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. Although he had repeatedly considered how to deal with Liu Jing, when Liu Jing actually arrived, he suddenly realized that his ideas were too simple.

    At this time, Cai Zhong couldn't help but remind him: "If eldest brother has any doubts, he might as well ask his second uncle."

    One sentence made Cai Mao wake up from a dream, yes!  Why don't you ask your second uncle about such a major matter?

    But Cai Mao did not thank Cai Zhong for the reminder. Why did he need a reminder from an idiot like Cai Zhong? Cai Mao pulled a long face and said in a lecturing tone: "Your sins in Jiangxia are enough to kill you."This time, although Zhou Mu spares you, you can't get carried away. You must keep your tail between your legs and be a good person. You are not allowed to cause trouble, especially Liu Jing. You can't provoke him, otherwise you will definitely die. Do you hear me?  "

    Cai Zhong lowered his head after being taught a lesson. He was extremely unconvinced, but he did not dare to talk back to Cai Mao, so he had to hold back his anger and said, "I know, little brother."

    Cai Hao glared at him fiercely, "Go!"

    Cai Zhong slowly retreated, and Cai Hao walked a few more steps in the room, pondered for a moment, and then turned around and ordered: "Get me a car and go back to Caili!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The welcoming ceremony on the pier lasted for half an hour before the welcoming crowd gradually dispersed.

    Watching the crowd gradually disperse, Liu Jing touched her face that was a little sour from smiling, shook her head with a wry smile, being admired by all people is an honor, but it is also a burden.

    At this time, Tao Zhan came out of the cabin and walked slowly to Liu Jing. When she saw Liu Jing sweating profusely and with a bitter look on his face, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and said, "Phew!"  ¡¯ A smile.

    "Jing Lang looks like he ran to Xiangyang to hide from debts."

    "Do I look like it?"

    Liu Jing touched her face and couldn't help but laugh, "It's almost like I'm collecting debts."

    Tao Zhan took out his handkerchief, carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead and neck, looked at him again, pursed his lips and smiled: "Now he doesn't look like a debtor hiding, huh! He is much more calm, like a scholar who came to study.  "

    Speaking of scholars, Tao Zhan remembered something again and whispered: "I received a letter from Yueying. She repeatedly invited me to stay at her home for a few days when I came to Xiangyang. I want to visit her tomorrow and the day after tomorrow."

    "This is a good thing! I will lead a team of soldiers to escort you there."

    "what are you going to do?"

    Tao Zhan said in confusion, "Yueying doesn't want to see you."

    "I didn't say I wanted to see her. Can I meet her husband?"

    Only then did Tao Zhan understand, a hint of cunning flashed in her eyes, and she smiled and said, "Do you want me to help you take the wife route?"

    Liu Jing saw that she was really smart and guessed his intentions. It was great to have such a lady. He scratched his head and said with a smile: "If you don't mind ruining your friendship with Mrs. Huang, then I will trouble you."

    "Originally! The friendship between Yueying and I is not deep enough. It is difficult to help you with this kind of thing. But since you have opened your mouth and refused to help you, and it is hard to live with your face, then okay! I can only help you slowly,  Don¡¯t expect me to succeed tomorrow, it will take at least a year or two.¡±

    Another main purpose of Liu Jing¡¯s visit to Xiangyang this time was to recruit some talents to Jiangxia, so he brought Xu Shu back to Xiangyang.

    In his list, Zhuge Liang is naturally the key figure, but he also knows that it is not easy to convince Zhuge Liang. Historically, Zhuge Liang observed Xiangyang for many years before finally deciding to follow Liu Bei. It was not as simple as visiting the thatched cottage three times.

    It just so happens that Tao Zhan and Huang Yueying have a good relationship. If they take the wife's route, it might be a shortcut. Thinking of this, Liu Jing bowed deeply to Tao Zhan and said: "Then thank you, madam first!"

    "Go! Who is your wife? Don't even try to take advantage of me."

    Although she refused to admit it, Tao Zhan felt a sweetness in her heart. She covered her mouth and smiled lightly, and then thought of another imminent matter for Liu Jing, hey!  This guy has to worry about everything for himself.

    She smiled and asked: "Let me ask you, when you come to Xiangyang this time, have you and the soldiers thought of where to stay?"

    This is also a big problem for Liu Jing. According to regulations, troops with more than 20 people are not allowed to enter Xiangyang. He has 500 people, so he will definitely not be able to enter Xiangyang and can only live in Fancheng.

    But there are already new troops stationed in the original military camp, and he just heard that the hotel is tight. Not to mention 500 people, even 50 people are difficult to arrange. Do they want his soldiers to live on the boat?

    At this time, he saw the smile on Tao Zhan's face, and suddenly his heart moved, and he asked with a smile: "Is there anything you can do?"

    A mischievous smile appeared on Tao Zhan's pretty face, "What do you think?"

    Liu Jing stretched out her index finger and tapped the tip of her nose, and said with a smile: "I know Tao's Trading Company occupies a large area, but can it accommodate five hundred soldiers?"

    ¡°At most, eight hundred people lived here.¡±

    Liu Jing felt relieved immediately. Tao's Trading Company was close to the city gate. If something happened, he could rush to the dock quickly.

    With a wave of his hand, he called the military lord Li Qing up and ordered him: "The ship has docked at Fancheng. The brothers will temporarily stay at Tao's Trading Company. Military discipline will be strictly enforced and no trouble will be caused."

    "I humbly obey your orders!"

    Liu Jing gave him a few more instructions, and then Li Qing hurried away.

    Liu Jing turned back to Tao Zhan and smiled: "Now??I'm going to Xiangyang, anyway.  £®  £®  £®  £®  "

    "I haven't agreed to let you live in the Tao Family Trading Company yet, so you made your own decision, and now you have to decide where I will go? Forget it, I don't want to care about you."

    Tao Zhan rolled his eyes at him, turned around and walked away gracefully, but after walking a few steps, he turned back and looked at Liu Jing with a smile on his face. His beautiful eyes were full of autumn waves, and they were indescribably soft and charming.

    Liu Jing felt hot in his heart, and he wished he could go back with her now, but he restrained his inner emotions and waved to her with a smile. Tao Zhan then turned around and returned to the cabin.

    At this time, the crowd on the pier had completely dispersed. Liu Jing watched the five large ships sailing to the other side. He kept watching the large ships docking on the other side, and then he took 20 sergeants and rode towards Xiangyang City.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    When passing by the urn city, Liu Jing suddenly heard bursts of miserable screams. He couldn't help but be startled. He followed the sound and saw that in the corner of the city wall not far away, more than 20 soldiers were pushed to the ground and executed.  He held up the five-color killing stick and hit the soldiers on the ground hard.

    "Sima, they seem to be the soldiers who are welcoming us on the dock!" A follower recognized the two dozen soldiers who were beaten.

    Liu Jing immediately felt uncomfortable. The soldiers who welcomed him were actually beaten. Wasn't this a loss of Liu Jing's face?

    He urged his horse to run up, "Stop it all!" He shouted sharply.

    The executioner stopped his stick. The prison chief knew Liu Jing and quickly stepped forward to salute, "See Liu Sima!"

    Liu Jing pointed her riding whip at the soldiers, "What crime did they commit that deserves such heavy responsibility?"

    "Report to Sima, they are off duty."

    It¡¯s hard to say that if you leave your post when you are on duty, you will be beaten with hundreds of sticks according to military regulations. Liu Jing couldn¡¯t find the reason for a while. At this time, the soldiers who were beaten shouted: "Master Jing, we are not off duty, it is not that we are on duty."  !¡±

    Liu Jing¡¯s face sank and she glared at the village commander angrily, ¡°Since you are not on duty, you can¡¯t be off duty. What¡¯s the crime?¡±

    The commander of the village looked embarrassed and murmured: "I am just following the order of the military prince. I don't know the details."

    "Who is your military lord? Let him come to see me." Liu Jing has been the commander-in-chief of Chaisang for more than a year, and has commanded thousands of people in battles. There is naturally a sense of majesty in his words.

    At this time, a cold voice came from behind him, "I am the Military Marquis of Beicheng!"

    The voice was quite familiar. Liu Jing turned around and saw Cai Zhongzheng staring at him with hawk-like eyes. His tone changed from cold to mocking, "Could it be that Liu Sima also wants to train soldiers for me?"

    Liu Jing stared at him, his eyes became sharp. He got on his horse, took off his halberd, and galloped towards Cai Zhong. Suddenly he gave a loud shout and swung his halberd to stab Cai Zhong in the chest.

    There were exclamations all around, and Cai Zhong was also taken aback. He was a little dazed at first, but suddenly realized that Liu Jing was coming with a fierce force and was actually going to kill him. Only then did he react. He screamed in shock, turned over and fell to the ground, and dodged Liu Jing.  A blow to the chest.

    Unexpectedly, Liu Jing did not intend to assassinate him. He reined in the reins, and the horse leaped high with its front hooves. With a long neigh, it stopped in front of Cai Zhong. Just as Cai Zhong was about to turn over and roll away, the cold halberd tip pressed against the back of his neck.  , which made him feel extremely stinging.

    "If you move, you'll be dead!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 203: A loud slap in the face

    There were more than 300 soldiers at the North City Gate. Except for the more than 50 soldiers who were on duty to guard the city, the rest of the soldiers were resting in the urn city. Almost everyone saw the unexpected scene.

    Everyone was so surprised that they stood up and ran over, and soon formed a large circle. At this time, Liu Jing's halberd tip had been removed from Cai Zhong's neck. With a wave of his hand, his soldiers pushed Cai Zhong down.  On the ground, tied behind the back.

    "Liu Jing, this is Xiangyang, not your Chaisang, let me go!"

    ¡°You bastard, if you dare, kill me with one knife!¡±

    Cai Zhong cursed loudly and had long forgotten Cai Mao's instructions. His arms were tied so loudly that his bones were almost broken, causing Cai Zhong unbearable pain.

    ¡°You idiots, why don¡¯t you come and save me quickly!¡± Cai Zhong turned his head and shouted sternly at his men.

    But it had been less than half a month since he took office as Beicheng Military Marquis. None of these soldiers were his confidants. Even one or two of his confidants were afraid of Liu Jing's power and did not dare to save him.

    Cai Zhong's ferocity and viciousness had already caused him to lose his military morale. What's more, what they faced was not Jiangdong's army or Cao's army, but Liu Jing, Zhou Mu's nephew, who had just defeated Jiangdong's army in Jiangxia, a hero that the soldiers admired greatly.

    No one came forward to help Cai Zhong, and many soldiers even turned their backs. At this time, passers-by at the city gate also gathered around him, and more and more people came to the barbican to watch the excitement.

    "Soldiers, listen!"

    Liu Jing raised his voice, and his stern voice echoed in Wengcheng, "As we all know, it was Cai Zhong who left his post without permission in Xiakou, causing a disastrous defeat for the Jingzhou reinforcements. Hundreds of warships were burned, and more than 6,000 people were killed and injured. Four  Thousands of people were captured. Such a serious crime warranted execution in the army, but he was only demoted two ranks, just because he was Cai Mao's brother. How can our fallen brothers rest in peace, and how can thousands of living soldiers be convinced!  "

    Liu Jing was impassioned, and the soldiers present listened quietly. Everyone was infected, and their eyes flashed with hatred and dissatisfaction.

    Liu Jing took a deep breath and said loudly: "According to military regulations, I have no right to kill him, but as a soldier, I have the right to seek justice for my fallen brothers!"

    He turned around and shouted: "Break his legs!"

    Cai Zhong begged, "Master Jing, let me go"

    Before he could finish speaking, five-colored sticks were struck like raindrops, and only Cai Zhong's shrill wails could be heard.

    Liu Jing stared at Cai Zhong coldly, and a sneer slowly appeared at the corner of his mouth. He believed that Cai Mao would understand his intentions.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Hao quickly walked into the inner house and came to his uncle's resting place. When he walked into the yard, he saw Cai Xun sitting cross-legged on a stone mill, slowly peeling a pile of dried beans.

    Cai Hao had to admire this second uncle, who was getting better and better at cultivating his mind and character. He quickly stepped forward, bowed and said, "Second uncle, is he still interested in peeling beans?"

    Cai Xun didn¡¯t even raise his head, and slowly asked: ¡°Is the sky going to fall, or is the ground going to sink?¡±

    Cai Mao smiled bitterly, "My nephew just said that something big will happen in Jingzhou."

    "Since the sky hasn't fallen and the ground hasn't caved in, then what are you worried about?"

    Cai Xun said with a smile: "I grew these beans and harvested them in autumn and stored them in winter. I have peeled them for several days and stored hundreds of kilograms. I don't have to worry about starving this winter."

    Cai Mao knew his uncle's temper. He said no more and stood with his hands down. After a while, Cai Xun glanced at him and asked slowly: "Is Liu Jing here?"

    This sentence immediately cheered up Cai Hao. The second uncle's thinking was so sharp. Not only did he guess his purpose, but more importantly, the second uncle must have a countermeasure. This gave the troubled Cai Hao hope.

    "Exactly!" Cai Mao said quickly: "He just arrived at Xiangyang Pier. He estimated that he brought 500 troops and was warmly welcomed by the people of Xiangyang."

    "He came to celebrate his uncle's birthday. It's normal, and it's reasonable to be popular. If you defeat Jiangdong Army, you can still enjoy the glory of being admired by all people. Is it so strange?" Cai Xun still wrote lightly.

    "Second uncle, Liu Biao's birthday wishes are just an excuse. The real purpose is to lure Liu Jing to come to Xiangyang and completely solve the Jiangxia problem."

    "I can understand this, but what does this have to do with you?" Cai Xun's tone became cold.

    Cai Mao couldn't help but be stunned. He suddenly felt that his second uncle did not seem to approve of the Cai family's involvement in Liu Jing's matter. He was a little embarrassed. He had already participated, so how could he withdraw.

    Cai Mao had no choice but to bite the bullet and said: "Second uncle doesn't know something. This matter is a condition for Liu Biao to exempt me from guilt. He hopes that I can help him with the Jiangxia matter."

     "Humph!"

    Cai Xun snorted coldly, "The condition for exempting you from responsibility is that the Cai family compromises on providing money and food! What does it have to do with this matter? This is a family matter of the Liu family, why do you want to get involved?"

    Cai Mao bit his lips and retorted: "This is not a family matter. Liu Jing will become the second Huang Zu if he separatizes Jiangxia. It is related to the interests of the entire Jingzhou. As a military advisor, how can I stand by and watch!"

    Cai Xun sneered repeatedly, "What a righteous military advisor, Cai makes me feel ashamed. In this case, why do you come to me? Go and be your military advisor!"

    Cai Hao knelt down and said, "My nephew is rude. I apologize to my second uncle!"

    Seeing his sincere attitude, Cai Xun also put away his ridicule, nodded and said: "Get up first!"

    Cai Mao stood up and stood aside respectfully. Cai Xun sighed and said: "Actually, I don't want to embarrass you, nor am I against your participation in this matter. After all, Liu Biao cannot come forward for many things, so he can only rely on you. Although this shows that  Liu Biao values ??you, but everything has a downside, and I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t see it.¡±

    Cai Hao nodded silently and said after a while: "If things fail, Liu Jingsheng will indeed take his anger out on me."

    Cai Xun took a deep look at him, shook his head and said, "It's not for that, Degui. I'm worried that Liu Jing will become the lord of Jingzhou in the future."

    Cai Hao was stunned, and waved his hands after a long while, "No, Liu Jingsheng has clearly told me that in the future, either the eldest son Qi or the second son Cong will inherit the throne of Jingzhou. There will be no third person."

    Cai Xun sneered, "The Han Dynasty lost its deer, and all the heroes competed for it. Jingzhou is also one of the deer's antlers. Do you think Liu Qi and Liu Cong have the ability to own Jingzhou?"

    "ButSecond Uncle also said that we support Liu Cong as the Lord of Jingzhou. The Cai family will get the greatest benefits in the future. Once Cao's army goes south, it will also guarantee that the Cai family will get the first benefit. Second Uncle will not deny it.  Bar!"

    "I'm not denying it. I still support Liu Cong as the Lord of Jingzhou. I just"

    Having said this, Cai Xun sighed, "I just want to leave a way out for the Cai family. What if Liu Jing captures Jingzhou before Cao Cao goes south. I thought it was impossible before, but after the Battle of Jiangxia, I think this is possible."  It¡¯s possible, Degui, we have to prepare for the worst!¡±

    Cai Mao was silent, his second uncle's sincere words hit him hard, and he asked himself, if it weren't for Liu Jing's strong rise, he, a dignified Jingzhou military advisor, would value this person so much, hate him, and even be a little afraid of him.

    He is very aware of the incompetence of Liu Qi and Liu Cong. Once Liu Biao cannot control the situation, the outcome is still unknown, and there is also a rumor that Sun Quan wrote to Liu Jing after the war, willing to support him as the Lord of Jingzhou  .

    Regardless of whether Sun Quan is sowing discord, it at least shows that Jiang Dong and Liu Jing have a tacit understanding. If Liu Jing really gets Jiang Dong's support, then it is not impossible to seize Jingzhou Mu.

    Cai Mao originally wanted to get inspiration from his uncle on how to deal with Liu Jing, but he did not expect that his uncle suggested that he should leave some room for it, which made Cai Mao extremely hesitant.

    Although Cai Hao also understood the truth, there were some things he couldn't help himself. At this time, he did not agree with his second uncle's idea of ??appeasement. After a moment of silence, Cai Hao nodded, "Thank you, second uncle, I understand."

    At this moment, a family member ran over in a panic, "Master, something's wrong!"

    "What happened?" Cai Hao asked very unhappily.

    "The head of the family is the third master, also known as Cai Zhong. His legs were broken and hung on the city gate for public display!"

    "What!"

    Cai Mao's eyes widened. Who dares to act so boldly?  He grabbed the family member's clothes and said, "Who is it! Who did it?"

    "Report The head of the family, I heard that he is Mr. Jing"

    "ah!"

    Cai Mao was stunned for a moment. He suddenly ran outside like crazy. The depression that had been accumulated in his heart for a long time almost made him explode. Why is it this person again!

    Cai Xun was not surprised at all. He was still peeling his dried beans slowly. Suddenly, his hand stopped and a sneer slowly appeared at the corner of his mouth.

    "What a vicious method!" Cai Xun said to himself.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The North City is already crowded with people. Thousands of people are watching the North City Wall from a distance. There is a person hanging on the North City Wall. His head is drooping, his legs are weak and drooping, and he is covered in blood. Almost everyone in Xiangyang knows this person, and he is known as Xiangyang.  Cai Zhong, one of the two tigers.

    There were a lot of whispers, and everyone's face was full of excitement. A news quickly spread among the crowd. It was said that it was Liu Jing who was dissatisfied with Cai Zhong's defeat of Jiangxia.

    ????????????????He was excited that Liu Jing reprimanded Cai Zhong, but at the same time he was worried about his boldness. It was the opinion of the state pastor to deal with Cai Zhong. If he injured the general without authorization, would the state pastor spare him?

    At this time, a group of people rushed over. The leader was Cai He, another younger brother of Cai Mao, followed by more than a dozen other Cai family members.

    Seeing that his brother was hanging in the air, Cai He couldn't help but pointed at the soldiers and yelled, "You bastards, how dare you ignore death!"

    The soldiers did not dare to say a word and lowered their heads. Cai He was so angry that he ignored the soldiers and ran up to the city to untie the rope and slowly lowered Cai Zhong from the city wall.

    Cai Zhong had fainted and was dying. Cai He shouted anxiously, "Go find a doctor quickly!"

    At this time, there was another sound of footsteps, and Cai Mao hurriedly arrived, escorted by dozens of followers. He pushed aside the crowd and squeezed forward. He was stunned for a moment. He did not expect that Cai Zhong was beaten so badly.

    His legs were broken, his body was covered in blood, and his life was hanging by a thread. He was so angry that Cai Hao gritted his teeth and cursed: "Liu Jing, let's wait and see!"

    It was almost getting dark at this time, and Liu Jing appeared outside the gate of the Zhou Mu Mansion. He straightened his clothes and quickly walked up the steps. It turned out that they were on a narrow road. There was a rush of footsteps, and a noble lady suddenly appeared in front of him.  , none other than Mrs. Cai.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 204, First Talk

    After not seeing her for nearly a year, Mrs. Cai is still dressed as elegantly as before. Her face is colder than the weather. It seems that she is not in a good mood.

    Mrs. Cai came over angrily. She had just had a quarrel with her husband about her birthday. He did not allow her to show up during the birthday celebration. This made Mrs. Cai find it incredible. She could not accept such a decision, so she quarreled with her husband.

    But the quarrel could not convince Liu Biao, so Mrs. Cai walked out of the house angrily. She had a subconscious desire to return to her natal family. Every time she quarreled with her husband, she would go back to her natal family for a few days.

    But today, she met Liu Jing as soon as she went out. Mrs. Cai suddenly stopped and took a step back involuntarily. She never expected to meet Liu Jing here.

    "Why are you here?" Mrs. Cai's almond-shaped eyes widened, with anger looming in her eyes.

    "It turns out to be Madam!"

    Liu Jing bowed to her and said with a sweet smile, "Long time no see."

    "Hmph! You are very prosperous now. Everyone is praising you. It seems that even I want to praise you. Do you want it?"

    "It's better to leave Madam's praise to the mirror! I can't afford it, so I'm sorry."

    Liu Jing bowed slightly and walked quickly towards the house.

    "Stop!" Mrs. Cai shouted angrily. Only then did she realize Liu Jing's sarcasm, which immediately made her furious.

    Liu Jing stopped, turned around and asked with a smile: "Do you have any other instructions, madam?"

    Liu Jing's conversation and laughter made Mrs. Cai slowly calm down. She took a deep breath, restrained herself from losing her composure, and said coldly: "You have no right to enter the house at will. You must wait outside for notification."

    "I'm sorry, uncle didn't say that to me at the beginning, I'm sorry!"

    Liu Jing ignored Mrs. Cai and walked quickly to the inner palace. Mrs. Cai was so angry that her vision went black. She suddenly held her forehead and almost fainted. Two maids hurriedly supported her, "Madam! Madam!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing stood outside the study and waited patiently. After a while, a book boy came out and saluted: "Mr. Jing, the state pastor invites you!"

    Liu Jing straightened his clothes and quickly walked into the study. He was mentally prepared that tonight would not end well.

    In the study, Liu Biao was standing in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, staring out the window expressionlessly. It was not clear from his face that he had just had a quarrel with his wife, but when Liu Jing came in, he ignored him.

    Liu Jing stepped forward and knelt down, bowed and said: "My nephew Liu Jing, pay homage to my uncle!"

    Liu Biao did not look back and asked coldly: "How long has it been since we last met?"

    "It's been less than a year, and my nephew is still participating in the clan sacrifice on the first day of the year."

    "Well! So many things have happened in less than a year, Jing'er, you have disappointed me!"

    Liu Biao¡¯s attitude was within Liu Jing¡¯s expectation. Of course, he would not admit that he had disappointed Liu Biao. He asked in a low voice, ¡°I wonder what uncle meant?¡±

    "Yeah?"

    Liu Biao slowly turned around and stared at Liu Jing coldly, "You really don't know?"

    "My nephew is stupid, he really doesn't know!"

    At this time, Liu Jing suddenly felt that Liu Biao's voice was very old. It lacked the vitality it once had. The voice seemed to be squeezed out of the trachea, and there was an indescribable feeling of fatigue.

    He secretly raised his eyes and glanced at Liu Biao, and was immediately shocked. The Liu Biao in front of him was very different from a year ago. Almost half of his beard and hair had fallen off, his face was saggy and deeply wrinkled, and even his back was a little rickety. It was different from the beginning of the year.  During the sacrifice, it was as if he had changed into a different person.

    Liu Biao noticed that Liu Jing was peeping at him and saw the surprise in Liu Jing's eyes. He was like a middle-aged woman who had no time to put on makeup and her true face was seen. He suddenly felt a little angry and asked sharply, "Let me ask you, Jiang Xiazhi"  "How do you explain it to me?"

    Liu Jing was very confused. Liu Biao's appearance shocked her deeply. Has Liu Biao always been like this, or has it changed within this year?

    If this was the case before, wouldn¡¯t it mean that he has been living in a painting? If it¡¯s just this year¡¯s change, could he be poisoned?

    Everything is a gradual change. Even if there is a black swan incident, there will be various clues and signs. How can someone like Liu Biao suddenly become too old? Apart from poisoning, he really can't think of any other explanation.  .

    "I'm asking you something, didn't you hear it?"

    Liu Biao increased his tone and became stern, "I ask you again, how do you explain to me what happened in Jiangxia?"

    Liu Jing temporarily put aside Liu Biao¡¯s appearance changes and returned to today¡¯s business. Today¡¯s business is Jiang Xia. Liu Biao has beenHe didn't go off topic, but Liu Jing was a little distracted.

    Liu Biao's harsh attitude was also expected by Liu Jing. After all, using elder status to exert pressure is an effective negotiation method, but brothers have to settle accounts clearly, not to mention an unreliable uncle-nephew relationship.

    Liu Jing was not overwhelmed by Liu Biao's harsh attitude. He replied calmly: "Uncle, can I allow my nephew to recount the facts in detail from the beginning?"

    Liu Biao stared at Liu Jing for a long time, and he felt like he was punched in the air. Liu Jing's calmness did not force him to realize that the method of using his elder status to exert pressure did not succeed.

    The anger in Liu Biao's eyes slowly faded, and his gaze became unfathomable. He sat down and said calmly: "Sit down and talk!"

    Liu Jing sat up straight, and then recounted what happened exactly as it was. There was a detailed battle report on the war. He didn't say much, but focused on what happened in Wuchang.

    "The situation in Wuchang was very chaotic at that time. Su Fei was already a little unable to control the situation, so he asked me for help. The key is that Huang She was not killed in battle, but was hiding in the darkness of Jiangxia, waiting for opportunities.

    Zhang Shuo and Jiang Zhi were both Huang Zu's confidants and important figures among the eighteen generals promoted by Huang Zu. Su Fei discovered that Zhang Shuo and Jiang Zhi had secret plans and suspected that they had contacted Huang She.  , so my nephew rushed to Wuchang to control the situation.  "

    Having said this, Liu Jing took out a letter and handed it to Liu Biao, "This is the urgent request for help written by General Su at that time."

    Of course, the letter was added after the fact and was meaningless. Liu Biao knew it in his heart. He just glanced at it briefly and asked coldly: "Then why kill people?"

    "My nephew's murder was a completely helpless act. My nephew only brought 500 people to Wuchang at that time. Once there is a mutiny, the consequences will be disastrous. My nephew's summoning of generals to the account is actually to separate the two of them from their own soldiers. Then  In this case, killing is the most effective method.¡±

    Liu Biao slowly closed his eyes, as if waiting for something?

    Liu Jing¡¯s words cannot be said to be unreasonable. The key is that Huang She¡¯s whereabouts are unknown. The Huang family is based in Jiangxia. As long as Jiangxia is not occupied by the Jiangdong Army, Huang She will certainly not leave Jiangxia easily. It is reasonable to summon his old troops.

    But Liu Biao would not listen to any of his explanations. He only wanted the results and did not care about the process. Investigating the process only wanted to change the results.

    At this time, Liu Biao's eyes opened slightly, Liu Jing also heard the footsteps, and the door suddenly opened.

    Liu Jing turned around and saw a few soldiers bringing in a man. This man only had one hand and stared at him with extremely vicious eyes. It was Zhang Shuo who had escaped in Wuchang.

    Zhang Shuo's final escape made Liu Jing quite annoyed. Li Qing's explanation at the time was that there were twenty people against six, and five of Zhang Shuo's men fought tooth and nail to protect Zhang Shuo, allowing Zhang Shuo to escape.

    Although Li Qing tried his best, Liu Jing still hit him with thirty military sticks. Like Liu Biao, Liu Jing only looked at the results to a certain extent.

    The appearance of Zhang Shuo did not make Liu Jing panic. This man was lucky enough to survive and had no choice but to seek refuge with Liu Biao. He had already thought of it, so Liu Jing did not panic and quietly waited for Zhang Shuo's performance.

    Zhang Shuo knelt down and gritted his teeth and said to Liu Biao: "I am reporting this to the Zhou Mu. I am humbled by Zhang Shuo and want to sue this person. He bypassed the Zhou Mu and seized the army of Wuchang without authorization. He bypassed the state government and appointed the county magistrate without authorization. When we accuse him  Overstepping his authority, he killed us mercilessly, Zhou Mu, he has annexed Jiangxia, trying to separate Jiangxia and support himself with troops. "

    On the side, Liu Biao looked at Liu Jing coldly. He did not speak, waiting for Liu Jing's answer. Twenty or so burly guards stood against the wall with sharp eyes. They waited for Zhou Mu to give the order and pounced on Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing shook his head, "It's really nonsense!"

    He saluted Liu Biao again and sneered: "Uncle, if I wanted to separate Jiangxia and support my own troops, would I show up in Xiangyang? This is the most basic common sense. Since Jiangxia has been annexed by me, what am I doing in Xiangyang?"  "

    "Liu Jing, you feel guilty!"

    Zhang Shuo shouted loudly: "If you regard Zhou Mu as your lord, then why did you negotiate with Jiangdong without authorization? This is a matter decided by Zhou Mu, why did you exceed your authority?"

    "He's just a clown who catches wind and shadows!"

    Liu Jing dismissed his cry and said to Liu Biao: "Uncle Qi, this person is Huang Zu's confidant. Because he colluded with Huang She and wanted to seize Wuchang's troops, Su Fei discovered the crisis and urgently asked me for help."  , I have just given Su Fei¡¯s letter asking for help to my uncle. If my uncle doesn¡¯t believe it, I have more evidence, which is the letter from Jiang Zhi colluding with Huang She. Zhang Shuo is also mentioned in it. Does my uncle allow me to send someone?  Go get the letter?"

    "No!"

    Liu Biao just asked Zhang Shuo to show up to dampen Liu Jing's arrogance. Today is not the time for official liquidation., he waved his hand and said to the guards on the left and right: "Take him down!"

    Zhang Shuo¡¯s teeth chattered with hatred and he shouted: ¡°I swear, I will kill you! Kill your whole family!¡±

    "Kill my whole family, including my uncle?"

    Liu Jing sneered and said to Liu Biao: "Uncle, do you believe what such a madman says?"

    Liu Biao was also a little angry. He didn't expect Zhang Shuo to be so unbearable. He asked him to testify against Liu Jing, but he yelled crazily, with hatred in his eyes. What's the point of such a testimonial?

    Liu Biao waved his hand heavily, "Everyone, get out!"

    After everyone retreated, Liu Biao suppressed the anger in his heart, stared at Liu Jing and asked, "Why didn't you report to me and secretly communicated with Sun Quan?"

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "Let me tell you, uncle, Sun Quan's army has died in my hands. No less than 30,000 people have died. He hates me deeply. If there is any news in Xiangyang that Sun Quan and I have a good relationship in private, please don't take it too seriously."  , that can only be Jiangdong¡¯s countermeasures.¡±

    "Don't tell me so much!"

    Liu Biao suddenly became irritable. What he actually wanted to know was, 'What should Jiang Xia do?  ¡¯ But Liu Jing rambled on, refusing to talk about the key issues. Liu Biao gradually lost his patience.

    "Tell me simply, what are you doing in Xiangyang?"

    "My nephew wants to report to his uncle about the exchange of prisoners of war with Jiangdong. My nephew has thousands of Jiangdong prisoners of war and tens of thousands of bones of Jiangdong's army. Sun Quan also has nearly 10,000 Jingzhou army prisoners of war. Only the ones Cai Mao gave away last time.  There are four to five thousand prisoners of war, and my nephew wants to exchange them."

    Jingzhou prisoners of war were also one of Liu Jing's negotiating tools. He revealed the matter inadvertently, and Liu Biao calmed down as if he had been splashed with a basin of ice water.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 205: Stupid Complaint

    [Recommended votes support Lao Gao!  Three updates today!  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    After a while, Liu Biao reluctantly asked: "How is the progress of the negotiations with Jiangdong?"

    ¡°There was no news about my nephew before he left.¡±

    Then both of them stopped talking, and the atmosphere in the room became a little awkward. Liu Jing sighed again, breaking the awkward atmosphere, and said apologetically to Liu Biao: "My nephew has a hot temper and hates evil. He was provoked by my uncle when he first came to Xiangyang today.  Something happened."

    "What's the matter?" Liu Biao was slightly startled.

    "When my nephew entered the city today, he was made things difficult by Cai Zhong, and he had a dispute with Cai Zhong. My nephew beat him seriously and injured him in anger."

    Liu Biao was startled, "Why is this?"

    "Because dozens of soldiers guarding the city came to greet me at the dock, Cai Zhong was jealous and sent people to take these soldiers back and beat them with a hundred sticks each. They were accused of being off duty. In fact, these soldiers were not on duty. My nephew was angry.  However, I went to argue with him, but Cai Zhong's words were vicious, so my nephew couldn't help but take action. "

    Liu Biao did not know what happened at that time, but he knew that Liu Jing and Cai Zhong had a feud, and it would not be surprising if the two of them had a conflict.

    "Let's talk about this matter later!" Liu Biao was thinking about the four thousand prisoners of war, and Cai Zhong's trivial matter could no longer attract his attention.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing said goodbye and left. He would not stay at the Prefectural Mufu tonight, but would return to Fancheng. Liu Biao was worried and paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back.

    Liu Biao's temper has become very irritable and irritable in the past few months. He has lost his previous calmness and rationality. He himself also feels that many things, he used to be able to control his emotions, but now he can't control them and it is very easy.  get angry.

    Liu Biao also suspected that the change in temper was related to his sudden aging. Starting this spring, he suddenly aged suddenly. His hair fell out in large quantities, his skin was pale and dull, and his face was sagging and full of wrinkles.

    What¡¯s more serious is the deterioration of his health. Just last year, he could ride a horse straight to Nan County, but now, he can¡¯t even walk a hundred steps until he is out of breath.

    Liu Biao also suspected that he was poisoned, but he checked repeatedly and found that he was not poisoned. He also observed the people around him carefully and found that they were not poisoned. It can only be said that it is fate. After sixty, old age comes suddenly.  "

    It was precisely because he felt that he would not live long that Liu Biao urgently made arrangements for his funeral. He wanted to leave his son a complete Jingzhou and could not allow Liu Jing to separatize Jiangxia.

    Today was only the first time he and Liu Jing met, and the two sides also started an invisible battle. Although Liu Biao didn't take advantage of him at all, he still got a lot of information.

    First of all, Liu Biao knew that Liu Jing wanted to solve the Jiangxia problem in a conciliatory way, so he looked for reasons to explain Wuchang's seizure of power and came to Xiangyang in person.

    Liu Biao also knew that since Liu Jing led his army to defeat the Jiangdong Army and established his reputation, it was impossible to completely deprive him of his Jiangxia rights.

    The question now is, how much concessions do both sides have to make?  When it comes to Jiangxia's military power, financial power, jurisdiction, and the power to appoint and remove officials, how much can Xiangyang get back this time?

    Liu Biao was quite troubled. Liu Jing mentioned the Jingzhou Army prisoners of war at a critical moment, which made him less confident in negotiating.

    At this time, a guard reported outside the door: "Reporting to the state pastor, General Cai He has something important to see urgently!"

    Liu Biao was startled, what happened?  It turned out to be Cai He. He pondered for a moment and said, "Let him in!"

    After a while, Cai He hurriedly walked into the room, knelt down and cried: "Brother Cai Zhong innocently had his legs broken by Liu Jing, and his life is in danger. I beg the state pastor to make the decision for my brother!"

    Liu Biao was immediately upset. At this time, Cai Mao did not come to help him solve his problems. Instead, he instigated his clan brothers to cause trouble for him. Is this what a military advisor does?

    Liu Biao's face gradually elongated, but he held back his anger and said in a very cold tone: "I know about this."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There was chaos in the Cai Mansion. Cai Zhong's injury disrupted everyone's life. Some people were concerned about his injury and inquired about the doctor's diagnosis and treatment results. Some people were secretly happy and also inquired about his injury, but in their hearts they wished he would die.

    There are also many Cai family children who are angry and frustrated, and gnash their teeth with hatred towards Liu Jing. In a small room in the east courtyard of Cai Mansion, several Cai family children are gathering together to discuss this matter.

    Cai Jin sat in a corner without saying a word. Cai Jin is nineteen years old this year. He was transferred to Liu Biao's bodyguard army in March last year and was promoted to military lord last month. Over the past year, he has also practiced martial arts hard.  Martial arts skills soared.

    Not only has his martial arts improved greatly, his character has also gradually matured, and he is no longer as top-notch as he was two years ago.The aura of the number one young master in Jingzhou was complacent all day long. A competition with Liu Jing pierced his inflated vanity and made him gradually become rational and calm. This change made his master Wenpin quite satisfied.

    Cai Jin and Cai Zhong had a very bad relationship. He looked down on Cai Zhong's character, and Cai Zhong couldn't stand him. They mostly looked at each other angrily when they met.

    Therefore, today Cai Zhong was severely injured. Cai Jin was not angry, but he could not show joy, so he remained silent. In this matter, he almost said nothing.

    "Third brother, what do you think about this matter?" Several of the Cai family's disciples, who were relatively close to each other, asked him together when he was silent.

    Cai Jin sneered and said: "Frankly speaking, I don't hate Liu Jing. Uncle Wu made a big mistake in Jiangxia, which led to the annihilation of 20,000 troops. The crime should be beheaded, but he was punished lightly. Everyone in the army  Everyone is extremely dissatisfied, including me. His legs were broken by Liu Jing today because he was held responsible for his crimes in Jiangxia. Although Liu Jing should not be punished, I am also very happy. "

    "Lao San, if the head of the family hears what you said, you will be severely punished."

    "snort!"

    Cai Jin snorted disdainfully, "What's the point? I'm not the only one who thinks this way. The Cai family is known as the No. 1 family in Jingzhou. Is everyone as stupid and unintelligent as Cai Zhong?"

    People are divided into groups. These children of the Cai family can't stand Cai Zhong's usual arrogance and domineering. Cai Jin's words touched their hearts.

    At this time, a Cai family member suddenly remembered something and said to Cai Jin quickly: "Third brother, didn't you make an appointment with Liu Jing to compete again in a year and a half? It should be very recently!"

    Cai Jin nodded silently. Of course he would not forget that the time for the competition between him and Liu Jing was on the first day of October. In fact, it had already passed. Too many things had happened in the past year. Even he himself did not know that this agreement was still there.  There's no point anymore

    Cai Hao hurriedly walked into the back house of Cai Mansion. He had just gone to Caili to report Cai Zhong's injury to his uncle.

    On the way back, he got the news that his younger brother Cai He went to Liu Biao and cried without telling him. This made him very angry. He wanted to teach this idiot a lesson!

    As soon as he entered the yard, several of Cai Zhong's wives and concubines immediately gathered around him and cried to him. Cai Mao was upset, so he had to hold back his worries and comfort them for a few words. Then he came to the ward and saw his eldest son Cai Yi. Cai Mao immediately  Asked: "How is your fifth uncle doing?"

    "Reporting to my father, Doctor Zhang came to see me just now. He said that his life can be saved, but the injury is too serious. I am afraid that Uncle Wu will not be able to stand up in the future."

    "Is it that serious?" Cai Hao frowned, but his leg was just broken.

    Cai Yi sighed, "Father, the bones in both of Uncle Wu's legs were broken into several pieces, and the kneecaps were also shattered. The injuries are very serious."

    "Damn it!"

    Cai Mao cursed in a low voice. Liu Jing clearly wanted to kill Cai Zhong. He asked again: "Is your sixth uncle here?"

    The sixth uncle is Cai He. Cai Yi quickly said: "He just came back and is in the ward."

    "Tell him to come to the study to see me!"

    Cai Mao had no intention of visiting Cai Zhong's injury, so he turned around and hurried to his study.

    Cai Hao was indeed in a very upset mood today. Liu Jing's arrival triggered a series of things, and even broke Cai Zhong's legs. Is this giving him Cai Hao's power?

    What upset Cai Mao was his second uncle's attitude. In the past, his second uncle's attitude was very clear, and he was very decisive even in his marriage with Liu Cong. But today, his attitude has become ambiguous, and he is actually worried that Liu Jing will become the leader of Jingzhou.  host.

    Although Cai Mao also feels that this is a possibility, he cannot be merciful just because of this possibility. Liu Qi is even more likely to become the lord of Jingzhou. Is it because of this that the Cai family and Liu Qi are in secret?

    This is where Cai Mao is a little dissatisfied with his second uncle. Since the Cai family's future has been staked on Liu Cong, they must go all out to win Liu Cong's rise. Then it is the Cai family's unshirkable responsibility to attack Liu Cong's enemies.  , Liu Jing is one of the main enemies.

    For the first time, Cai Mao had a disagreement with his second uncle Cai Xun, and this time, he didn't want to listen to his second uncle's advice.

    At this time, Cai He's voice came from outside the door, "Master, my little brother is here!"

    "Come in!"

    Cai Hao's thoughts were brought back. Thinking of Cai He running to cry to Liu Biao without authorization, he felt annoyed again.

    Most of the Cai family are good at both civil and military arts, focusing on literature. Cai He and his elder brother Cai Zhong are two of the few simple military generals. They are called the Two Tigers of Xiangyang. This is actually their nickname when they were young. They were fierce in their youth.  He is cruel and oppresses good people, and everyone in Xiangyang hates him to the core.

      However, as he grew older and held important military positions, he also restrained himself a lot in bullying good people. At least he would not do evil openly. Cai He's martial arts skills were similar to Cai Zhong's, but he was not as reckless and stupid as Cai Zhong.  He acted relatively restrained. He once served as the captain of Anlu County and is now Wang Wei's general. He is highly regarded by Cai Mao.

    Cai He walked into the room and bowed and saluted, "Little brother, see you brother!"

    Cai Hao asked coldly: "I heard that you went to complain to Liu Biao?"

    Cai He heard his brother's cold tone, and he felt a little uneasy. He whispered: "I am really angry. I want Zhou Mu to come and see the miserable situation of fifth brother with his own eyes"

    "Nonsense!"

    Before he could finish speaking, Cai Mao slammed the table and said angrily: "Why didn't you report to me and went to find Zhou Mu without permission?"

    Cai He was so frightened that his heart jumped. He was ashamed and timid. He lowered his head deeply and explained in a low voice: "The younger brother originally wanted to discuss it with the elder brother, but the elder brother went to Caili, and the clan members were extremely angry.  , unanimously requested that the state pastor be invited to judge, but my younger brother couldn¡¯t stand in the way of everyone¡¯s request, so he went to the state pastor.¡±

    Cai He's explanation made Cai Mao less angry. It would be understandable if it was difficult to control the situation. He was afraid that Cai He would become as stupid as Cai Zhong.

    "Would the state pastor be willing to come over and take a look?"

    Cai He shook his head, sighed and said, "Zhou Mu said he was unwell and will ask about this another day."

    Cai Hao couldn't help but sneered, "You understand now, what stupid thing did you do?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 206: The Mysterious Guest

    Cai He's face turned pale. He already had a vague feeling in his heart that what he did was wrong, but he didn't realize it clearly. Cai Mao's words made him suddenly understand that his status was low, and going to Liu Biao would make the matter self-defeating.  , a great opportunity wasted.

    He was frightened in his heart, fell to his knees with a plop, and repeatedly apologized, "My younger brother is stupid and has ruined something big. Please punish me, elder brother!"

    Cai Mao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. Now that the matter had come to this, there was no point in blaming him. He sighed in his heart and said slowly: "The Cai family should not talk about this matter. Let others talk about it. Liu Biao will feel guilty.  Find us to appease us. Then I will discuss the matter with him in depth and it will be effective. If you rush to complain to him, you will not show the grievances suffered by the Cai family and even make him disgusted. In the end, this matter  Let's leave it alone, Sixth Brother, what you did is unwise!"

    Cai He was extremely ashamed and said, "I feel very regretful, please punish me!"

    "Forget about the punishment, you just need to remember this lesson. Liu Jing was very scheming before. Now that Jiang Xia has been around for two years, his scheming has become even deeper. Be extremely careful when dealing with him!"

    Cai He nodded silently, "The elder brother taught me, and the younger brother will keep it in mind."

    At this time, the eldest son Cai Yi hurried into the room and whispered a few words to Cai Hao. Cai Hao's eyes showed surprise, "Is it really him?"

    "It's him. The child went out to see it."

    "Strange, why did he come now?"

    Cai Mao didn't have time to think, and immediately ordered his eldest son, "Bring him to see me!"

    Cai Yi hurried away. When Cai He saw that his elder brother had something confidential, he bowed and slowly retreated.

    Not long after, Cai Yi brought over a man in black, with a medium build and a strong build. He only wore a big bamboo hat on his head, covering his face. It wasn't until he entered Cai Mao's study that he took off the bamboo hat, and it was Huang.  Huang She, the eldest son of the ancestor.

    Huang She took two steps forward and knelt down, "My nephew Huang She, pay your respects to Uncle Cai Shi!"

    Cai Hao quickly helped him up and said, "My dear nephew, I finally waited for you to come."

    Cai Mao's words are not hypocritical. He and Huang Zu have been friends for many years, and Huang She studied in Xiangyang when he was young and often came to Cai's house. They were very familiar with each other. This time Huang Zu died and Huang She disappeared, which made Cai Mao feel very guilty.  After all, his rescue failed.

    At this time, Huang She finally appeared, which greatly surprised Cai Mao. He quickly asked Huang She to sit down and told Cai Yi, "Go and serve tea!"

    Huang She quickly waved his hand, "No, it's best not to let outsiders know that I'm coming to Xiangyang."

    Cai Mao was stunned, "Why is this?"

    Huang She sighed, "It's hard to say a word, so let my nephew speak slowly."

    Cai Mao winked at Cai Yi. Cai Yi understood and sat down next to him. After all, conversations with elders and juniors required Cai Yi's company. Huang She didn't care. He took out a letter from his arms.  , presented it to Cai Hao with both hands, "This is Prime Minister Cao's autographed letter to Uncle Shi!"

    "What!"

    The expressions of Cai Mao and his son changed drastically at the same time, and they looked at each other. Then they suddenly realized that Huang She was not hiding in Jiangxia, but went to Xudu.

    Cai Hao was nervous and expecting at the same time. He slowly took the letter, opened it tremblingly, and read it hastily. He suddenly felt ecstatic. Cao Cao made it very clear in the letter that he hoped Cai Hao would succeed his father and uncle Zhang Taiwei.  Ambition, heart for the Han Dynasty and loyalty to the emperor.

    Of course, this is a euphemism. In fact, it is to ask Cai Mao to switch allegiance to him, Cao Cao, to ensure that the family will be prosperous and wealthy for thousands of years. Cai Mao read this letter three times and remembered every word of Cao Cao's words.

    At the end of the letter, Cao Cao proposed that Cai Mao and Huang She join hands to eradicate Liu Jing from Jiangxia. This surprised Cai Mao. Did even Cao Cao pay attention to Liu Jing?

    At this time, Cai Yi couldn't help but asked: "I wonder if Brother Huang has any position in Xu Duguan?"

    Huang She smiled proudly, "I am a low-level official and not worth mentioning. I was named Shuiwu School Captain by the Prime Minister."

    "It's actually the captain!"

    Cai Yi exclaimed, with a hint of jealousy flashing in his eyes. Huang She was just a defeated general. Jiang Xia was completely lost. He was actually named a school captain by Cao Cao despite his virtue and ability.

    Next to him, Cai Mao's heart began to heat up, and he was so excited that he could not sit still. Even a person like Huang She could be named a captain. So he was the military advisor of Jingzhou and the most powerful minister under Liu Biao. His status was many times higher than that of Huang She.  Then doesn¡¯t he want to worship the position of Jiuqing?

    Cai Mao secretly made up his mind. At this moment, his second uncle's advice had already been thrown out of his mind.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Huang She did not live in Cai Mansion. He had just arrived in Xiangyang today and still had a lot of things to do. After leaving Cai Mansion, Huang She and his two entourages rode to the north of the city on horseback. In a small street??, they soon found a private house covering an area of ??about seven or eight acres.

    An attendant went up and knocked on the door. The door opened a crack. The attendant whispered a few words and the door opened. The attendant turned back to Huang She and said, "Master, please come in!"

    Huang She was surprised. Next door to this private house was the residence of Li Gui, the governor of Xiangyang. He didn't expect that this was Cao Cao's base for collecting intelligence in Jingzhou. He couldn't help but look at Li Gui's dark mansion and thought to himself, "This Li Gui  Could it be that Gui also secretly surrendered to Cao Cao?"

    Huang She didn't have time to think too much and quickly walked into the door. The door creaked and closed again. Huang She walked all the way to the back house and saw a middle-aged scribe standing not far in front with a smile, "Master Huang, I'm in Xiajia."  Hong, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

    Before Huang She left, he learned that the intelligence leader of Cao Jun in Jingzhou was named Jia Hong, who was one of Cao Cao's staff. It turned out that he was this person. Huang She did not dare to show his arrogance and hurriedly stepped forward to salute, "It turns out that he is the one who is here."  Mr. Jia, I have admired you for a long time.¡±

    Jia Hong chuckled, "Sir, please come in!"

    The two walked into the room. Jia Hong asked Huang She to sit down, and ordered someone to serve tea. Then he smiled and said: "I received an express report from Xu Du yesterday and learned that Mr. Huang is also working for the prime minister. What a good thing!  Mr. Huang¡¯s connections in Jingzhou will be of great help to us, and I hope we can have a happy cooperation in the future.¡±

    Huang She felt a little uncomfortable when he heard that he referred to him as Mr. Huang and did not mention his official position at all. However, he also knew that Jia Hong had been in Jingzhou for many years and had a deep foundation. It was said that his influence had extended into many key departments in Jingzhou, so he should not be underestimated.  Huang She also quickly raised his hands and said with a smile: "Please give me some advice, Mr. Jia."

    The two exchanged a few pleasantries and then gradually turned to the topic. Huang She said cautiously: "I was chatting with the Prime Minister, and I felt that the Prime Minister was very dissatisfied with Liu Jing and wanted to get rid of him. Let's discuss how to deal with Liu Jing."

    Jia Hong laughed, with a trace of imperceptible contempt flashing in his eyes. He was also a little uncomfortable in his heart. The prime minister actually named him a school captain for such a ignorant person?

    Jia Hong cursed secretly and said calmly: "The Prime Minister is not dissatisfied with Liu Jing. On the contrary, the Prime Minister admires him quite a lot. Mr. Huang, you don't understand many things, so you should listen to my arrangements!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Wangjiang Tavern is very famous in Xiangyang. In fact, it has not been open for a long time. It was opened in the first year of Jian'an. In just eight years, it has become one of the three major taverns in Xiangyang. People have to admire this tavern for its good management.  .

    But the strange thing is that almost no one knows who the proprietor of this tavern is. All entertainment is hosted by the fair and fat shopkeeper Wang. However, once shopkeeper Wang was forced by several distinguished guests, he revealed  A little bit, their proprietor's surname is Zhang, from Nanyang County.

    This makes many people suspect that the owner of Wangjiang Tavern is Zhang Ji, the governor of Changsha, or a member of the Zhang family, but no one knows whether it is true or not?

    In the evening, Hai hour has passed, and the drums at the gate of Xiangyang City are rumbling. There are fewer and fewer guests in the Wangjiang Tavern. The pub is deserted, with only a few Fancheng drinkers on the second floor left. The bartenders begin to clear the tables.  office, cleaning the store, and preparing for closing.

    At this time, a five-hundred-stone ship slowly stopped at the pier. Several people got off the bow. Their goal was very clear. They walked directly to Wangjiang Tavern. The leader was a young man with a thin face, followed by several people.  It's his entourage.

    When they appeared at the door of the pub, a bartender came up to them and said with a smile: "Sorry, our shop is closing and we will no longer accept drinkers."

    At this time, shopkeeper Wang, who was settling accounts in the store, saw the young man and was so shocked that his eyes almost fell out. He shouted over and over: "No! No!"

    He rushed out and said, "The shop is not closed, please come in!"

    The bartenders were all very surprised. They were clearly ordered by the shopkeeper not to entertain guests anymore, so why did they go back on their word? Could it be that these people are distinguished guests?

    Several bartenders looked at these people in unison, and saw that they were all dusty and had obviously come from afar. The young man at the head was wearing a white embroidered brocade robe and a flat crown on his head. Although he was well-dressed, he was not anything special.  The bartenders were well-informed and knew almost all the dignitaries in Jingzhou, but they had never seen this young man.

    The young man smiled slightly, cupped his hands and said, "Excuse me, is there a private seat upstairs!"

    "Yes! Yes! Master, please come with me."

    The young man followed Shopkeeper Wang to the third floor. When he saw no one around him, Shopkeeper Wang asked in a low voice, "Why are Mr. Lu here?"

    The young man smiled slightly and said, "I am sent as an envoy to Jingzhou on the order of Marquis Wu, and I want to learn about the situation in Jingzhou."

    This young man¡¯s name is Lu Ji. He comes from the Lu family, a famous family in Soochow. He is Lu Xun¡¯s brother. Speaking of which, he and Liu Jing are alsoBecause of the relationship, his uncle and aunt Tao is Tao Sheng's sister and Tao Zhan's aunt.

    Lu Ji has outstanding talents and extensive contacts. He is currently serving as Cao Cao in Jiangdong. This time he was sent to Jingzhou as an envoy on the order of Sun Quan.

    As for the proprietor of Wangjiang Tavern, he is naturally not the Zhang family of Nanyang, but the Sun family of Jiangdong. Wangjiang Tavern is an intelligence point of Jiangdong in Jingzhou.

    As an old enemy of Jingzhou, Jiangdong has a lot of secret works in Jingzhou. These secret works are distributed all over Jingzhou and collect various intelligences. Finally, the intelligence is summarized in Wangjiang Tavern. After being sorted out by the shopkeeper Wang of Wangjiang Tavern, it is sent to Jiangdong regularly.

    Shopkeeper Wang¡¯s real name is Wang Lin, and he is a member of Sun Quan¡¯s shogunate. Although he is not very talented, he is well-rounded and very popular. It is precisely because of this that Sun Quan took a fancy to him and ordered him to come to Xiangyang to open a tavern and take charge of Jingzhou¡¯s fine work.

    The two came to an empty room on the third floor, which was a warehouse. It was filled with tables and couches. The two sat down by the window. Lu Jixiao asked, "Liu Jing should be here! How is the situation in Xiangyang now?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 207: Storm gathers in Xiangyang

    "Don't mention it, it's a mess!"

    Shopkeeper Wang shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "Liu Jing arrived this afternoon and beat Cai Zhong seriously as soon as he got off the boat. I saw it with my own eyes. Both legs were smashed and hung on the city wall. The Cai family went crazy with anger. Zhou Mu  There was no movement over there.¡±

    "Is it so interesting?"

    Lu Ji became even more interested and asked quickly: "Why did Liu Jing hit someone? Was it accidental or deliberate?"

    Shopkeeper Wang hesitated and said: "It seems to be a coincidence, because Cai Zhong first beat the soldiers who went to meet Liu Jing, which angered Liu Jing. But I feel that the matter is not simple, because Liu Jing used the defeat of Jiangxia as an excuse to punish Cai Zhong.  He has won the respect of the entire army. From this point of view, it feels like he is deliberately beating Cai Zhong."

    Lu Ji just asked casually, nodded, took out a letter and handed it to Shopkeeper Wang, "This is the letter from Marquis Wu to you. Everything Marquis Wu wants you to do is in the letter. I am just going to Jingzhou as an envoy. You guys  I don¡¯t care about the matter.¡±

    Shopkeeper Wang received the letter respectfully and read it carefully under the lamp. The letter asked them to create public opinion and help Liu Jing ascend to the throne. Shopkeeper Wang nodded slowly and said to himself: "Being humble will definitely not disappoint Marquis Wu.  ¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing also lives in Tao's Trading Company in Fancheng. Although he has a small house in Fancheng, considering his safety, the soldiers guarding him are determined not to let him live in the small house.

    It was late at night, and most of the soldiers had fallen asleep. Liu Jing's room was still brightly lit, and there were faint shadows moving on the window screen. Liu Jing had not rested, and was discussing the next step with Xu Shu.

    Today's heavy attack on Cai Zhong was unplanned for Liu Jing, but this incident also had advantages and disadvantages for him. The disadvantages are obvious. Cai Zhong's guilt in the battle of Jiangxia is not his turn to deal with. This is  He overstepped the authority of Zhou Mu and acted on his behalf, committing the crime of deceiving Liu Biao.

    And the benefits are equally obvious. On the one hand, he can win the reputation of the military, win the respect of the soldiers, and gain military morale.

    On the other hand, if Liu Jing and the Cai family openly enmity, then all of Cai Mao's accusations against him will be branded as a public revenge, thus losing fairness and persuasion. This will be very detrimental to Cai Mao's support from other high-ranking officials.

    Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, the advantages of attacking Cai Zhong outweigh the disadvantages. This was also the decision Liu Jing made after quick judgment. As Liu Jing's mastermind, Xu Shu did not object. He just felt that Liu Jing was a little impulsive and acted without careful consideration.  Make an irreversible decision.

    What if Cai Mao supports Liu Jing on the Jiangxia issue?  Of course, the possibility is unlikely, but Liu Jing should at least see the situation clearly before making a decision. His impulsiveness is definitely not the way of a king.

    "I just hope Sima can be more cautious next time and think twice before taking action."

    Xu Shu implicitly pointed out the mistakes Liu Jing had made, and Liu Jing knew it well. He bowed and saluted and said, "Liu Jing will remember Sir's criticism. In the future, you will think twice before doing anything."

    Xu Shu felt that he was not open-minded and was just dealing with himself, but Xu Shu had no choice but to change the subject, "The Cai Zhong incident happened today, and the Cai family will definitely have countermeasures, so do our plans also need to change?"

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "When I met with Zhou Mu today, I felt that Xiangyang did not have a clear strategy for the Jiangxia incident. Maybe they didn't know how to deal with it. We don't need to change the plan and keep it constant in response to changes.  In the next few days, we must seize the time to recruit talents from Jingxiang. Tomorrow morning, I plan to visit Mr. Pang De at Lumen Academy."

    Xu Shu laughed, "Then I'll go visit Kong Ming and see what his attitude is like?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "Tomorrow Jiuniang is going to see Mrs. Huang. She promised to test Mrs. Huang's thoughts for me. In fact, I don't think Kong Ming will tell the truth, but his wife may reveal a little bit of his thoughts. I suggest Yuan Zhi hold off for the time being.  Don¡¯t worry about Kong Ming.¡±

    Xu Shu put his hands on his hands and laughed, "It turns out that Sima has this trick. There was a fire at Kongming's back door, and I learned the lesson!"

    Xu Shu¡¯s laughter subsided and asked again: ¡°Then what should I do tomorrow?¡±

    Liu Jing stretched her body for a long time and smiled lazily: "I don't think you have to do anything. As long as you show your face in Longzhong tomorrow, there will be a steady stream of people coming to see you."

    Only then did Xu Shu understand what Liu Jing meant. It turned out that he wanted to use himself as bait to catch those northern gentry who had no talent.

    "In this case, I don't care about Jiangxia Academy."

    Liu Jing waved her hands quickly, "I'm just kidding you, I still have to take responsibility for the Jiangxia Academy matter, but tomorrow you will explore the situation in Longzhong Town for me."

    Xu Shu nodded silently. At this moment, a soldier outside the door reported: "Reporting to Sima, a young officer came outside and said that he and Sima had a sword duel."?!  "

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Jin inquired for a long time and finally learned that Liu Jing lived in Tao's Trading Company. At this time, Cai Jin stood outside the door of the trading company, like a straight tree stump, quietly waiting for Liu Jing to come out.

    There was a sound of footsteps inside the gate, and Liu Jing walked out under the escort of more than a dozen soldiers. Compared with two years ago, both of them had changed a lot. Two years ago, they were both sixteen or seventeen years old.  , are now adults.

    If Liu Jing's change is mainly about his calmer temperament, then Cai Jin's change lies in his appearance. What Liu Jing saw was an officer with a neatly trimmed beard on his lips and a two-inch long beard on his chin. He almost almost  Not recognized.

    "It's really you!"

    Liu Jing laughed, "Brother Cai, long time no see."

    Cai Jin bowed and saluted Liu Jing, "Liu Sima, we had arranged to compete again on the first day of October, but the battle in October was fierce and we had no time to pay attention to it. Now that the war has subsided and Liu Sima is in Xiangyang again, I asked Liu Sima, but  Are you willing to keep your promise?"

    Liu Jing chuckled and said, "Marquis Cai Jun is indeed a trustworthy person. Now that I have agreed, I will not regret it. Except for tomorrow, the place and time will be decided by Junhou Cai."

    Cai Jin was secretly shocked. It was only two months ago that he was promoted to military lord, and Liu Jing actually knew about it. Could it be that he also had eyes and ears in Xiangyang?

    Cai Jin was not too surprised. He had already made arrangements. Since Liu Jing agreed, he immediately said: "Then the day after tomorrow, at the Xiangyang South Campus, I hope to compete on horseback with Liu Sima!"

    Liu Jing had no plans for the day after tomorrow, so he nodded happily, "Then we'll make it a deal!"

    Cai bowed and turned to leave. Liu Jing stopped him and said, "Marquis Cai, please stay."

    "What else does Liu Sima have to do?" Cai Jin turned around and asked.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, stared into Cai Jin's eyes and said: "I hope the competition between us has nothing to do with the family."

    Cai Jin nodded, "It has nothing to do with the Cai family!"

    He turned around and left quickly, gradually disappearing into the night. Liu Jing looked at his back and couldn't help but said to herself: "This person is a Wenpin disciple."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, Liu Jing led more than a hundred soldiers, Xu Shu, and Tao Zhan to Longzhong. Tao Zhan took his maid Giao and Xiao Baozi in a carriage. If nothing else, she would be in Zhuge's mansion.  Stayed for two days and reminisced about old times with Zhuge's wife, Huang Yueying.

    It seems to be a kind of fate. Tao Zhan and Huang Yueying just met by chance at a party. The two became sworn friends and kept writing letters for more than a year.

    Huang Yueying repeatedly invited her to come to Longzhong as a guest, but when Tao Zhan thought of Liu Biao's order, he hated Xiangyang in his heart. If it hadn't been for Liu Jing's request this time, she would not have come to Xiangyang.

    The carriage crossed the Han River from Fancheng West Pier and headed towards Longzhong along the mountainous area.

    Returning to his old home, Xu Shu was particularly excited. He rode on his horse and introduced the scenic spots in Longzhong to everyone, including an ordinary mountain forest, a clear pool of water, and a strange-shaped boulder. Under his rendering, it became  The story comes alive.

    Among them, Little Baozi was the most fascinated. She interrupted from time to time and asked, "Mr. Xu, do you think the pool of tears was formed by the tears of the fairy, and is it just a tear?"

    Xu Shu chuckled, "I don't know the specifics, I guess it's just a tear!"

    "But fairies are also women. When a woman cries, she sheds a handful of tears. There should be many pools of water nearby, right?"

    Tao Zhan listened to her interesting question in the car and couldn't help but laugh: "The fairy moved three thousand miles, and her tears should be shed all the way. From now on, eastward, aren't there lakes all the way?"

    "So that's it!" Little Baozi whispered, his tone was very serious, as if the tears of a fairy turned into a lake.

    Xu Shu smiled again and asked: "Miss Tao, you are going to see Mrs. Huang today. Does she know you are coming?"

    "You should know that I wrote an express letter before leaving. Yesterday I asked the messenger and he said that the letter had been delivered to Zhuge Mansion."

    Through the gauze curtain, Tao Zhan couldn't help but secretly look at Liu Jing. She found that Liu Jing was very silent today. Xu Shu told many allusions along the way. Everyone, including the soldiers, listened with gusto, but Liu Jing was a little uneasy, as if  He was thinking about something and said nothing along the way.

    Tao Zhan thought to himself, ¡®What happened to him today?  ¡¯

    Xu Shu found that Tao Zhan was silent suddenly, and felt a little strange. He glanced at Liu Jing and understood immediately. Liu Jing didn't say a word along the way. He urged his horse forward and slowly approached Liu Jing, "Sima, what happened?  Is something wrong?¡±

    Liu Jing shook her head, "It's nothingIt's a big deal, but I'm just thinking about my meeting with my uncle last night, and I always feel a little weird.  "

    "Sima, can you tell me?"

    "During the sacrifice at the beginning of the year, my uncle was still radiant and energetic. But when I saw him last night, I found that he had suddenly aged ten years. He had lost nearly half of his beard and hair, his skin was sagging, and his back was a little rickety. I felt something was wrong."

    "Sima suspects someone has poisoned you?"

    Liu Jing's eyes flashed with suspicion, "I didn't ask about it, but I still felt that he was plotted. I was thinking, if someone really poisoned him, who would it be?"

    Xu Shu pondered for a moment and said: "If the poison is not noticed by Zhou Mu, it can only be done by the people closest to him. Maybe someone bribed the guards and maids around him, or maybe it was done by the people around him."

    Liu Jing couldn't think of who poisoned him, but he knew the consequences very well. Although he also knew that Liu Biao died five years later in history, Liu Jing also understood in his heart that since his arrival, the ship of history has begun.  Off course.

    He can no longer consider the problem according to the historical development context. Liu Biao is likely to die early. Once Liu Biao dies and Cao Cao's army has not yet moved south, Jingzhou will be plunged into great chaos. Who can be the leader of Jingzhou?

    This will be a huge challenge for Liu Jing, but it is also an opportunity.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 208: Zhuge is not at home

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing sighed and said to Xu Shu: "Judging from my uncle's physical condition yesterday, I'm afraid he won't be able to survive for long, at most two or three years, Yuan Zhi, we must prepare for a rainy day!"

    Xu Shu nodded silently. If this was the case, they really needed to make preparations as soon as possible.

    While talking, they first arrived at Longzhong Town. Although it was only a mile-long street, it was the information distribution center of Longzhong. Every day at noon and evening, a large number of scholars would come here to drink tea and drink. Xu Shu wanted to  Break up with them here.

    "Sima, I will stay here for two days to see if I can catch anything. I hope I can catch a big fish."

    Xu Shu and Liu Jing looked at each other, they both laughed tacitly, and then said goodbye. Xu Shu and five soldiers moved into a hotel.

    The team continued to walk south. At this time, Tao Zhan asked in a low voice through the gauze curtain: "Jing Lang, you seem to have something on your mind today?"

    Liu Jing chuckled, "I don't have anything on my mind. It's just that I won't be able to see you for two days, so I feel a little disappointed."

    "Go! You're glib"

    Although she was glib, Tao Zhan was very happy to hear it. She smiled and said: "Are you worried about the martial arts competition with Cai Jin? You know yourself but don't know the enemy, and you feel a little uneasy?"

    "A martial arts competition? Don't tell me that I almost forgot about it. It seems to be tomorrow! Are you coming?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    "I don't know, try your best! The key is Yueying's side."

    Tao Zhan felt a little embarrassed. She didn't know if Huang Yueying had any other arrangements, but thinking that this was Liu Jing's martial arts competition, how could she not go?

    Tao Zhan smiled sweetly again, "Look at my mood! If she's in a good mood, maybe she'll come and take a look."

    "What if you are in a bad mood?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    "Are you in a bad moodI will cheer you on from afar."

    The two were chatting and joking when they came to Zhuge Liang's mansion. However, it was not a thatched cottage, but a mansion covering an area of ??five or six acres.

    It¡¯s no wonder that visiting the thatched cottage three times is the sublimation of the dream of intellectuals of all ages. Being poor and living in a simple place, the emperor humbly came to ask for help three times, and he had dignity, glory and wealth.

    In fact, Zhuge Liang followed his uncle, Zhuge Xuan, the governor of Yuzhang, to join Liu Biao. Zhuge Xuan was the governor after all. Even if he escaped with no money, Liu Biao would not send him away with a thatched hut. After Zhuge Xuan died, Zhuge Liang would naturally inherit  uncle's inheritance.

    To put it another way, even if Zhuge Xuan has a wife and children and refuses to pass on the property to Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Liang is marrying Huang Yueying!  Will Huang Chengyan let his daughter live in a thatched cottage?

    "Besides, Zhuge Liang's eldest sister married Kuai Qi and his second sister married Pang Shanmin, both of whom married into wealthy families. Can the two sisters allow their brothers to live in a hut and farm for a living?

    Although Zhuge Mansion is not gorgeous, it is located in a beautiful place surrounded by mountains and rivers. There are large bamboo forests on both sides, and a small stream flows through the mansion. It is quiet and elegant.

    A long and narrow stone road leads directly from Zhuge Mansion to the driveway dozens of steps away. On a low hill in the middle, Huang Yueying is holding a round fan in her hand and looking at it from a distance with several maids.

    She saw the carriage stop and immediately came forward with a smile. The door opened and Tao Zhan also got out of the car. The two young women held their hands tightly in joy.

    Perhaps because she had too few close friends, Huang Yueying was also extremely lonely. She was extremely happy to finally see Tao Zhan this time. She held Tao Zhan's hand and refused to let go, "Don't think of running away so easily this time. At least you have to stay with me."  Stay here for a month!¡±

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and smiled, "I can't help myself. If someone wants me to go back, I have to leave."

    "You! You are so worthless. You are so obedient even before you are married."

    Huang Yueying stepped forward to salute Liu Jing again, and said with a smile: "Liu Sima, can you give me a face and let Jiuniang stay a little longer?"

    "this"

    Liu Jing also said apologetically: "I'm afraid it won't work for a month, and we can't stay for that long. Let's try our best!"

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing glanced at the mansion in the distance again and asked with a smile: "Is Brother Kong Ming here?"

    "He and Shi Guangyuan went to Shuzhong and will return in a few days. Liu Sima also invited us to come in and talk."

    How could Liu Jing come to the house when the man of the house was not there? He glanced at Tao Zhan again, and Tao Zhan smiled and winked at him, meaning to tell him to leave quickly.

    Liu Jing clasped her fists and said with a smile: "I'm going to Lumen Academy, so I won't go into the house. It's windy and cold outside, so you guys should come in quickly!"

    Huang Yueying nodded, "In that case, I won't force it."

    She took Tao Zhan¡¯s arm, said with a smile: "I will take you to see my child."

    ¡°I want to see it too, it¡¯s been three months!¡±

    "Well! It was exactly three months yesterday."

    The two women chatted and laughed, and gradually walked away. Liu Jing watched them enter the mansion, and then said to the military prince Li Qing: "Arrange a dozen brothers to temporarily stay in Longzhong Town, and patrol Zhuge Mansion in three shifts every day to protect Miss Tao.  Safety."

    Li Qing certainly knew that Tao Zhan would be their mistress, so they couldn't be careless about safety. He immediately responded: "Don't worry, Sima, I will make arrangements for you!"

    Liu Jing nodded and urged his horse to move forward. He didn¡¯t know if his trip to Lumen Academy today would be fruitful.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After walking another five or six miles south from Zhuge Mansion, Liu Jing arrived at Lumen Academy. The last time she came to Lumen Academy, she sent Deng Ai to study in the academy. A year and a half has passed in a flash, and I don¡¯t know how Deng Ai is doing.  ?

    When Liu Jing came to Lumen Academy today, she also wanted to see the child who lost his father.

    Liu Jing handed over a card and went in. After waiting for a moment at the entrance of the academy, she heard a sound of footsteps and several young people came out. They were all wearing loose clothes and high crowns.

    The leader was of medium height, fair skin, and indescribably handsome. Liu Jing felt that this person looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

    The person next to him, Liu Jing, knew him. It was Ma Liang whom he had met in Kuai Yue's mansion. Ma Liang raised his hands and said with a smile: "Welcome Mr. Jing to visit the academy!"

    The handsome young man next to him also smiled and said: "Master Jing defeated the Jiangdong Army in Jiangxia, which inspired all Jingzhou and was admired by the scholars. Today, I can see Master Jing. The people of the mountain are lucky."

    Liu Jing suddenly remembered, isn¡¯t this person Pang Shanmin?  The son of Pang Degong and Zhuge Liang's brother-in-law, he immediately saluted, "It turns out to be Mr. Pang, whom I have admired for a long time!"

    Pang Shanmin smiled slightly, "My father is waiting in the middle hall. Mr. Jing, please come!"

    "please!"

    Liu Jing followed Pang Shanmin into the academy gate. There were not many students in Lumen Academy, only more than a hundred people. When these scholars heard that Liu Jing, who had defeated Jiangdong Army, had arrived, they all came out of the academy one after another.

    However, these scholars did not gather to watch like ordinary people. Instead, they appeared in twos and threes on Liu Jing's path, either reading, reciting poems, or debating current affairs. When Liu Jing passed by, they all saluted Liu Jing to show respect, and Liu Jing also bowed to Liu Jing.  They nodded in salute.

    "Brother Ji Chang, is Deng Ai here?" Liu Jing didn't see Deng Ai all the way and couldn't help but ask.

    Ma Liang quickly replied: "Master has already sent someone to call him. Junior Brother Deng is Master's most beloved disciple. We are far behind."

    "Why is this? Is he so smart?" Liu Jing was a little curious.

    Pang Shanmin, who was walking in front, turned back and said with a smile: "Not only are we smart and hardworking, but we also have great ambitions. My father said that the best we can do is to be county guards and magistrates, but Junior Brother Deng has the talent to assist the king and pacify the world. He will definitely become a master in the future."  Great weapon.¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded. Pang Degong really had some sense.

    At this time, they walked into the middle hall. The elegant and thin Mr. Pang Degong sat on the couch and talked with a young scribe. The two talked happily. Liu Jing met Mr. Pang Degong at the Huang family banquet and knew that although his beard and hair were white,  , actually less than fifty years old, enjoys a high reputation in Jingzhou.

    Liu Jing hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "Junior Liu Jing, see Mr. Pang!"

    Mr. Pang Degong stood up and returned the greeting with a smile: "I happen to have friends from afar, so I cannot go to greet Mr. Jing in person. I hope Mr. Jing is not surprised!"

    "Where! Where!"

    Liu Jing said a few polite words. He looked at Pang Degong's friend who had come from afar. He saw that he was tall, elegant in appearance, and his eyes were very bright, so he smiled and said: "This talented man is"

    The young man smiled and saluted Liu Jing, "I'm going to Jiangdong Lu Ji!"

    Liu Jing was startled, Jiangdong Lu Ji?  It was the Lu Lang who was pregnant with Yuan Shu at the banquet. He should be Sun Quan's adviser. How could he appear in Xiangyang?

    Liu Jing ordered someone to compile a genealogy of hundreds of officials in Jiangdong, so he had a clear understanding of the officialdom in Jiangdong.

    He quickly returned the greeting and said with a smile: "It turns out to be Brother Gongji, I have heard about it for a long time"

    At this moment, someone from behind suddenly shouted: "Uncle!"

    The voice was childish, like that of a child. When Liu Jing turned around, she saw Pang Tong holding Deng Ai's hand and walking out of the side door. Deng Ai was so excited that he broke free from Pang Tong's hand and ran over, hugging Liu Jing tightly.

    Liu Jing was also quite touched. He and Deng Ai had not been together for a long time, but he did not expect that he took herself so seriously and regarded herself as his relative.

      Liu Jing squatted down and found that Deng Ai had grown taller and stronger than before. He was happy in his heart, but held his hand with a serious face and asked: "I heard from everyone that you are quite valued by Pang Gong in the academy.  , are you proud of your favor?"

    Deng Ai quickly shook his head, "My nephew doesn't dare!"

    Pang Degong stroked his beard and chuckled: "Don't worry, Mr. Jing. This young disciple is knowledgeable and polite, and respects his seniors. Everyone in the academy likes him, and I will teach him with all my heart."

    Liu Jing felt grateful in her heart and bowed deeply, "Thank you Pang Guan for taking the photo!"

    Mr. Pang Degong waved his hand, "You're welcome, Mr. Jing, please sit down!"

    Liu Jing nodded to Pang Tong and sat down opposite Lu Ji. Everyone also sat down, but Pang Degong called Deng Ai to his side and pointed to a small mat. Deng Ai sat down obediently and looked at his uncle Liu with reverence.  Jing.

    Liu Jing¡¯s purpose of coming to Lumen Academy today is not as simple as recruiting a few talents from here.

    Liu Jing came here to make a gesture. He visited Lumen Academy the day after returning to Xiangyang to show that he attached great importance to the gentry. On the other hand, he also had an important plan that required Lumen Academy to assist in its implementation.  .

    But at this time Liu Jing was very interested in Lu Ji. Why did he come to Xiangyang?  Could it be that he was on a mission to Jingzhou on behalf of Sun Quan?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 209 Jiangxia Academy

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled and asked Lu Ji, "When did Brother Gongji arrive? Why did you think of coming to Xiangyang?"

    Lu Ji understood what he meant, but he couldn't find a good excuse for the moment, so he had to force a smile and said: "I just arrived last night, and I have a half-master friendship with Mr. Pang. This time I came here specifically to visit Mr. Pang, and it has nothing to do with business."

    "I see!"

    Liu Jing pretended to be suddenly enlightened and said with a smile: "I thought Brother Gongji was sent to Jingzhou as an envoy on the order of Wu Hou!"

    After a pause, Liu Jing asked meaningfully: "Is that so?"

    Lu Ji was indeed sent to Jingzhou as an envoy on the order of Sun Quan, but it was not to visit Jingzhou officials, but to understand the situation in Jingzhou and to find some talented people to serve Jiangdong.

    Lu Ji¡¯s father, Lu Kang, had a very good relationship with Mr. Pang De, so Lu Ji came to Lumen Academy to study when he was young. Although he did not formally become a disciple of Mr. Pang De, he still had a very close relationship with the Pang family because of his father.

    Sun Quan also knew about the relationship between Lu Ji and the Pang family, so he sent Lu Ji to Jingzhou this time in the hope that he could use this relationship to recruit talents for Jiangdong.

    Sun Quan especially admired Pang Shanmin and Pang Tong. He wrote a personal letter to Pang Degong, hoping to let the two Pangs come to Jiangdong as officials.

    But before he could give the letter to Pang Degong, Liu Jing came to visit.

    Liu Jing's frank words made Lu Ji blush and scratch his head in embarrassment. He was a scholar, not good at words, and could not lie. He knew nothing about the intrigues in official circles, and he didn't know how to answer Liu Jing's temptation.

    At this time, Pang Tong next to him said coldly: "Liu Sima underestimated Wu Hou. More than a year ago, the mother of Jiangdong Kingdom passed away. Wu Hou sent people to Jingzhou to report the funeral, but they were beaten out of Jingzhou with sticks. Such a shame and great humiliation, Liu Sima thought  Will Marquis Wu still send envoys to Jingzhou? "

    The impression of a person is often determined by the first few details. This is Pang Tong's attitude towards Liu Jing. Although Liu Jing fought heroically in Chaisang and Jiangxia and was admired by countless scholars, it was still difficult to change Pang Tong's dislike of him.  .

    Pang Tong didn't like Liu Jing because of a small incident when they first met. At that time, Liu Jing gave the white dragon dagger to Deng Ai and said to him, "If anyone dares to insult your father, kill him with this sword."  !  ¡¯

    It was this sentence that made Pang Tong extremely disgusted with Liu Jing. Are people from Lumen Academy so easy to kill?

    Liu Jing glanced at Pang Tongyi strangely, then smiled slightly, "Those who achieve great things don't stick to small details. If Wu Hou doesn't even have this kind of mind, how can he care about the world? Brother Gongji, am I right?"

    Lu Ji¡¯s face turned even redder and he stammered, ¡°I told you, Master I came to Jingzhou on private matters and it has nothing to do with Marquis Wu.¡±

    "Haha! I'm just asking casually. Brother Gongji, don't be nervous. It doesn't matter if it's true or not. It has nothing to do with me."

    Lu Ji's nervousness has already made Liu Jing understand something. Lu Ji must have been ordered by Sun Quan, but it may not be a visit to Jingzhou. If it was a business-to-business relationship, he should appear in the state government office now, not Lumen Academy.

    "Perhaps Sun Quan had another task for him. Thinking of another task, Liu Jing couldn't help but glance at Pang Degong. Seeing that Pang Degong's expression was a bit unnatural, she couldn't help but secretly wonder, 'Is Sun Quan doing it for Lumen Academy?'  ¡¯

    Lumen Academy is a gathering place for top talents in Jingzhou, such as Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Xu Shu, Ma Liang, Kuai Qi, Cui Zhouping, Shi Guangyuan, etc. They all came from Lumen Academy. Everyone in the world knows it. How can Sun Quan not know about it?

    Liu Jing understood somewhat in her heart that this must be Sun Quan's hand reaching into Jingzhou.

    Pang Degong, who had been silent all the time, noticed Liu Jing's suspicion of Lu Ji. In fact, he also guessed that Lu Ji came for him, but he didn't want Liu Biao to know about it, so as not to affect Pang Ji's career.

    Pang Degong waved his hand and said with a smile: "I will not talk about the current situation today. I am very grateful to Mr. Jing for having arranged Kongming's marriage."

    Pang Degong also knew the truth about Kong Ming's engagement. Although Liu Jing was a bit nonsense, the result was very satisfying. More importantly, Pang Degong wanted to change the topic.

    Liu Jing also laughed, "That incident was caused by Liu Jing being reckless and almost doing something bad with good intentions. Now that I think about it, I'm still a little scared. If something goes wrong, wouldn't it be embarrassing for the Huang family, so this matter is still  It¡¯s better to say less.¡±

    Mr. Pang Degong smiled and said no more. Liu Jing turned the topic to business, "I came to visit Mr. Pang today because I want to discuss something with Mr. Pang. I hope to get Mr. Pang's help."

    Mr. Pang De nodded, "Young Master Jing, it doesn't matter if you say so!"

    "That's it. I decided to build an academy in Jiangxia to provide a place for a group of talents who are interested in studying knowledge. However, I have no experience. I would like to ask Mr. Pang to help me build this academy."

      Mr. Pang De was somewhat interested. He stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Most of the scholars are poor and have to support their families. Mr. Jing, have you ever considered their food and clothing? You can't study when you are hungry!"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Of course I have considered it. If I go to Jiangxia Academy to study knowledge, housing will not be a problem, and I will have money and food every month. It will be more or less than Jingzhou. One stone of rice per month, three thousand yuan, in Jiangxia  I am also a rich and well-to-do family. At the same time, I will give each talented person two hundred acres of farmland in the suburbs of Wuchang, which will completely relieve him of his worries. "

    A low exclamation suddenly sounded in the middle hall. Although Liu Biao would allocate some grain and rice to the nobles fleeing in the north every month, the number was very small and intermittent, and it was not enough to make ends meet. Many scholars had to find other copyists.  To earn a living to support their families.

    No one expected that Liu Jing would be so generous. Not only was he rich in money and food, but he also had a house to accommodate his family, and he also gave him two hundred acres of fertile farmland in the suburbs of Wuchang. This was a fatal attraction for scholars.

    Even Lu Ji was secretly shocked, this Liu Jing is very courageous!

    Mr. Pang Degong couldn't sit still, and he quickly asked: "How many people do we need to recruit for this academy?"

    Liu Jing pointed out a finger and said, "Only a hundred people are recruited!"

    Only a hundred people were recruited, and Pang Shanmin beside him couldn't help but said: "Isn't this a fight for the head?"

    Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "So I want to ask Mr. Pang for help. Of course not everyone can go to Jiangxia Academy. I want to select talents through examinations. Please ask Mr. Pang to check this for me."

    Only then did Pang Degong understand what Liu Jing meant. It turned out that he wanted to try and choose the best. This was a very novel method. Liu Jing found him because he wanted to take advantage of his reputation and that of Lumen Academy.

    ?? Pang Degong pondered for a moment, and then asked: "What requirements does Master have for those who take the exam? For example, background, family, place of origin, etc. I hope Master Jing can tell me candidly."

    Liu Jing said slowly: "I only have eight words. No matter how high or low you are, only those who are good can do it!"

    ?Man sat in astonishment, what if he only wanted talent and virtue?

    Pang Degong took a deep look at Liu Jing, stroked his beard and readily agreed to the commission, "Young Master Jing trusts me so much, how can I not agree? Okay! I will fully assist you in this matter."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing and Lu Ji both left one after another, and the other disciples also dispersed. Only Pang's uncle and nephew were left in the central hall. As soon as they dispersed, Pang Tong said eagerly: "Second uncle, what are Liu Jing's requirements?"  Can you agree? He clearly wants to put the Pang family on fire!"

    Pang Degong gave him a strange look, "Shi Yuan, I found that you are quite prejudiced against him. Why is that?"

    It took Pang Tong a long time to calmly reply: "My nephew has no resentment towards him, he is just discussing the matter."

    Next to him, Pang Shanmin frowned and said, "Father, in fact, I think what Shi Yuan said is right. Liu Jing's so-called establishment of an academy is to recruit talents in different ways. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that if my father wants to help him, what will Liu Biao do?"  Are you looking at our Pang family?"

    Mr. Pang Degong sneered, "Humph! Anyone with eyesight can see that you mean to say that your father is the only one who is blind, right?"

    Pang Shanmin was startled and hurriedly knelt down, "Father has misunderstood. The child has absolutely no such idea."

    Mr. Pang Degong glared at him fiercely, "Get up!"

    Seeing that his nephew was about to speak but hesitated, Pang Degong said, "Shiyuan, if you have anything to say, just say it."

    Pang Tong sighed. He was quite prejudiced against Liu Jing and hated him. So when Liu Jing asked Lumen Academy for help, he was full of resistance.

    When he discovered that his uncle had other ideas, he gradually calmed down and realized that his uncle's considerations were not simple.

    "Second uncle, what my nephew means is that Liu Jing is very scheming, and by setting up Jiangxia Academy, my nephew thinks that he is killing two birds with one stone. On the one hand, he wants to take the opportunity to recruit talents, but on the other hand, he is actually trying to defeat Pang.  The idea of ??the family, in an imperial family, if the nephew is strong but the son is weak, there must be hidden evil plans. He is Liu Biao's nephew. On the surface, Liu Biao will not have any objections, but deep down, he is very taboo about Liu Jing. The nephew advises his uncle to think twice.  OK."

    Pang Degong sighed slightly, "I understand all this. The Pang family has always been independent. How could it be affected by the struggle for the right to inherit the heir? You know why I want to help him. It's because of his words, 'no matter how high or low, only those who are able to succeed',"  This sentence touched me."

    Pang Tong and Pang Shanmin were both silent. After a while, they bowed and slowly retreated. However, Pang Degong stopped his son, "Shanmin, please wait a moment."

    Pang Tong retreated, leaving only Pang Degong and his son in the room. After a long time, Pang Degong asked in a deep voice: "Do you know why you were named Mountain Man?"

    ¡°My father told me since he was a child?I am devoted to learning and do not seek to be heard or reached among the princes. I would rather be a commoner in the mountains.  "

    Pang Degong nodded, "Liu Biao has invited me to be an official more than once, but I rejected them all. I don't want to be an official. But I don't want you to be a mountain man all your life. I also hope that you will have ambitions and help the people."  The world.¡±

    Pang Shanmin knelt down and said, "My child is willing to listen to his father's arrangements!"

    Pang Degong smiled and said: "Actually, I have been waiting for the opportunity. Although it is easy for you to become an official in Jingzhou, I don't like Liu Biao. Neither he nor his son can achieve great things. Although Cao Cao is a talented person, it is a pity that he  It is not my ambition to treat the emperor as a puppet, but now I have an idea.¡±

    Pang Shanmin bit his lips and lowered his head in silence. He didn't know whether his father was talking about Jiangdong or Jiangxia?

    Pang Degong smiled slightly and said, "Mountain people, you should also prepare! Take the exam at Jiangxia Academy and ask Shiyuan again. If he is also willing, then you can go to Jiangxia together."

    "But my father is the examiner, sois this appropriate?"

    There was a childlike mischievous look in Mr. Pang's eyes, and he stroked his beard and said with a smile: "I have done so many things for him, so he should have some thanks! I want a few places, so it's just a thanks. It's okay if I do it by chance!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1 Chuming Chapter 210 Kong Ming¡¯s Wife

    Huang Yueying gave birth to a daughter three months ago, named Zhuge Guo. Although she is a daughter, she is very cute and cute, and is extremely loved by Zhuge Liang and Huang Yueying.

    Two months ago, Dong He, an old acquaintance who was an official in Shu, invited Zhuge Liang to be a guest in Shu. Zhuge Liang became a father for the first time and wanted to accompany his wife and daughter at home.

    However, Huang Yueying persuaded her husband to travel and gain more knowledge, so Zhuge Liang accepted Dong He's invitation and went to Shuzhong. It has been nearly two months.

    Huang Yueying loves her daughter very much. She does not need a wet nurse and spends time with her daughter day and night. Even if her daughter falls asleep, she will sit aside and read and embroider, carefully protecting her daughter.

    The three-month-old child spends most of his time sleeping. In the warm room, Huang Yueying and Tao Zhan sat opposite each other. While they were chatting, their eyes fell on the bamboo and rattan cradle next to them from time to time. The little guy slept soundly.  It smells sweet, and the little face is rosy, which is adorable.

    Tao Zhan picked up the tea bowl and took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "I don't understand. You have a child, you are very fulfilled, you are extremely busy, and you have to serve your husband. Why would you think of me?"

    Huang Yueying stretched out her hand to tuck the child's quilt, stared at the little face for a moment, and then responded with a smile: "Can't I think of you? There are so many interesting things that I want you to share. Besides, I want to find someone to talk to."  , there are some things that men don¡¯t want to hear, and I don¡¯t want to say them to him. After much deliberation, it¡¯s just you. Before you get married, I¡¯ll catch you quickly. When you get married and have the pleasure of a boudoir, I guess I won¡¯t be able to catch you.  ¡±

    "You damn guy, what are you talking about?"

    When Tao Zhan heard her talking about the joy of the boudoir, he felt ashamed, but he was afraid of shocking the child, so he could only reach out and pinch Huang Yueying's hand, and couldn't help but smile: "You have the joy of the boudoir!"  "

    Huang Yueying's face suddenly turned red and she quickly changed the subject, "To be honest, how long are you going to stay in Xiangyang this time?"

    Tao Zhan thought for a while and said: "To be honest, I don't know. The key is to see how he handles his affairs? But I think he should at least wait until the governor's birthday before leaving."

    Huang Yueying nodded. She thought of something again and asked in a low voice: "I heard from my mother that Zhou Mu was planning to marry you to Mr. Cong. Is there any news about this now?"

    Mentioning this matter, Tao Zhan suddenly felt a trace of hatred in her heart. Her face darkened and she said coldly: "He was just dreaming!"

    Tao Zhan's coldness was not directed at Huang Yueying, but at Liu Biao. This incident has always made her heartbroken. She did not want to see Liu Biao because of this incident.

    Huang Yueying also understood in her heart and said with a smile: "Actually, I also want to tell you this. You don't need to take it to heart at all. I heard from my husband that in a few years, chaos will arise in Jingzhou. If I really promise you to Mr. Cong,  , Jingzhou is now in chaos, and Zhou Mu also understands, so this matter will not happen again. "

    Liu Jing also said similar words to Tao Zhan, which reminded Tao Zhan of Liu Jing's great trust in him, so he smiled and said: "Let's not talk about these troublesome things. By the way, have Mr. Kong Ming considered becoming an official? Why don't you?"  Help him find a way, isn¡¯t Zhou Mu your uncle?¡±

    "Hey! Don't mention it. When I returned to my parents' home for the first time after getting married, my father had a good talk with him. He wanted to recommend him a position, but he refused. Later I asked him and he said that Jingzhou had no future and he didn't want to  Being an official under Zhou Mu depends on people's looks."

    "Then do you want to move north?"

    Huang Yueying shook her head, "Impossible, my husband will not serve Cao Cao. His ambition is to help the Han Dynasty and revive the Han Dynasty. How can he join Cao Cao?"

    "Then Zhou Mu is not only a direct descendant of the royal family, but also a relative, so why can't he assist him?"

    Huang Yueying sighed and said: "Zhou Mu is old and has no ambition anymore. Unfortunately, neither of his two sons are talented. My husband is deeply disappointed. This time I went to Shuzhong to see how Liu Zhang was doing."

    Tao Zhan smiled and said: "I heard from my father that the reputation of Liuzhou Mu in Yizhou is not very good. Although he has not done any evil, he is still a mediocre person. Jing Lang also said that he can't even tolerate General Gan Ning and can't achieve anything.  event."

    "That being said, my husband's character must be seen with one's own eyes before he can make a decision."

    Speaking of this, Huang Yueying glanced at Tao Zhan, pursed her lips and smiled: "You don't want to recruit my Kong Ming for your future husband, do you?"

    Tao Zhan blushed. Although she agreed to help Liu Jing take the wife route, she would not hide this kind of thing from Huang Yueying. Huang Yueying was her best friend. She always believed that friends should not be scheming between each other, and there was nothing wrong with being frank.

    "Mr. Xu always recommends Mr. Kong Ming to Jing Lang. Originally, Jing Lang sent me here today. He also wanted to pay a casual visit to Mr. Kong Ming, but he happened to be away. But I think, if Mr. Kong Ming has no intention of going to Jiangxia at all, we can meet and recruit  On the contrary, it would be embarrassing, so I wanted to replace it firstHe asked to see if this was possible. In fact, Jing Lang was also thirsty for talents.  "

    Huang Yueying laughed, "It seems that I have lured the wolf into the house. You guy actually came here with a purpose"

    Speaking of this, Huang Yueying suddenly felt that the word "lure the wolf into the house" was inappropriate and would make Tao Zhan angry. She quickly explained, "I was joking with you, don't be angry."

    Tao Zhan shook his head gently, "I just want to do something for Jing Lang, but I will never hide it from you or deceive you. If you don't want to hear these words, I will never say anything again in the future."

    Huang Yueying felt some displeasure in Tao Zhan's tone, and knew that she had gone too far with her joke. She felt apologetic, held Tao Zhan's hand, and said sincerely: "I know you won't lie to me, and I understand your good intentions.  But I really can¡¯t make the final decision on my husband¡¯s affairs, but if he has the idea of ??seeking a job in Jiangxia, I will try my best to facilitate it.¡±

    Tao Zhan smiled and said, "Actually, Mr. Jing is also a man with great ambitions. Like Mr. Kong Ming, he also wants to help the Han Dynasty and revive the Han Dynasty. I hope they can have the opportunity to sit down and talk. If they are like-minded, then  Wouldn¡¯t it be a good thing if we all work together?¡±

    "Well! What you said makes sense. When my husband comes back, I will test him. If he is really willing to go to Jiangxia, that would be the best."

    The two looked at each other and laughed in understanding.

    At this time, a maid at the door reported: "Madam, a young man came outside. He said he wanted to visit you, sir, and he sent a special note."

    "Didn't you tell him that your husband was not at home?"

    "He said, he said please pass the assassination note to Madam."

    Huang Yueying felt strange. She stood up and took the post, only to see Jiangdong Lu Ji written on the post. Tao Zhan also stepped forward to take a look and was stunned, "Why is it him?"

    "you know?"

    Tao Zhan nodded, "His uncle is my uncle. I went to my aunt's house last year and met him once. He was an official in Jiangdong, why did he come to Xiangyang?"

    Huang Yueying thought for a while and said: "Otherwise, you accompany me to meet this person."

    ¡°I can¡¯t miss him!¡±

    Tao Zhan had a lot of resentment towards the Lu family. The Lu family looked down on the Tao family, which made her always resentful, including this Lu Ji. He was so arrogant towards his brother Tao Zheng in Soochow that he simply dismissed him. When his brother saluted him, he  And ignored it.

    Even if he saw him in Xiangyang at this time, Tao Zhan didn't feel the slightest joy in meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign country, and refused to meet him without hesitation.

    Huang Yueying had no choice but to go out quickly. She saw a tall young man at the gate.

    Huang Yueying bowed and said, "I am Kong Ming's wife, Mrs. Huang. Are you Mr. Lu?"

    Lu Ji quickly bowed and saluted, "Lu Ji is in the east of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. I came here to visit Mr. Kong Ming."

    Huang Yueying said apologetically: "I'm sorry, my husband went to Bashu and has not returned yet, leaving Mr. Lu empty."

    Huang Yueying greeted Lu Ji at the door, but had no intention of inviting him into the house. Generally speaking, if Zhuge Liang was in Xiangyang, then Huang Yueying should invite Lu Ji into the house to sit for a while out of politeness.

    "But Zhuge Liang went to another place, and the head of the house was only the female host. In this case, male guests were not allowed in. This is not only polite, but also a kind of awareness of being a guest.

    Originally, Lu Ji was a distant relative of Tao Zhan, so for Tao Zhan's sake, it wouldn't hurt to invite Lu Ji into the house to sit with Tao Zhan, but since Tao Zhan didn't want to accept the favor, Huang Yueying didn't.  It is necessary to invite him into the house.

    "If Mr. Lu has anything to ask my husband, I can tell him."

    Lu Ji took out a letter, presented it to Huang Yueying and said with a smile: "I have nothing to do. Brother Kong Ming asked me to send this letter. Please give it to Mr. Kong Ming, Madam."

    "Thank you, Mr. Lu!" Huang Yueying took the letter.

    Lu Ji bowed again and left. Huang Yueying kept watching him go away, then returned to the room and said with a smile: "It turns out that it was a letter written by my uncle and asked Mr. Lu to bring it."

    At this time, the child suddenly started crying, and the two women were in a hurry, and they did not care to mention Jiang Xia again.

    Kong Ming¡¯s elder brother is Zhuge Jin, who is currently the governor of Jiangdong. He wrote a letter to persuade his brother to serve Jiangdong. Lu Ji wanted to persuade Zhuge Liang again, but Zhuge Liang was not at home, so he returned disappointed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At noon that day, the news that Lumen Academy and Liu Jing would jointly establish Jiangxia Academy spread throughout Longzhong. The favorable conditions offered by Jiangxia Academy made everyone excited.

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? away? Not only are they provided with generous money and food, but they are also provided with houses and fertile land. Each person can get two hundred acres of fertile land.

    This news was like a huge stone falling into a deep pool, causing an uproar in Longzhong. Countless scholars rushed to Lumen Academy to inquire about the news.

    It was quickly confirmed that the news was true, and more than a hundred people would be recruited to study knowledge through examinations. Regardless of whether they are high or low, only their talents will be selected.  These eight words have brought hope to so many people.

    But soon, another news came from Longzhong Town, Xu Shu appeared in Longzhong Town.

    At this time, Xu Shu had become the leader of the northern gentry. At a time when the northern gentry generally encountered a cold reception from Jingzhou, Xu Shu suddenly emerged in Jiangxia and became Liu Jing's chief staff, making countless northern gentry feel envious.

    Xu Shu stood like a huge role model in front of the northern gentry, making Jiangxia a holy place that many northern gentry yearned for.

    Jiangxia Academy¡¯s momentum and Xu Shu¡¯s timely appearance caused a stir in Longzhong.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 µÚÒ»¾í³õÃù ÖÜÒ»Ïò´ó¼ÒÇóÍƼöƱ



 Volume 1, Chapter 211, Emergency Countermeasures

    Cai Mao hurriedly walked through a long corridor. He was not in a good mood today. Early in the morning, he found Liu Xian and Deng Yi, two other senior officials with real power in Jingzhou.

    Cai Mao hoped that they could follow him and fully assist Zhou Mu in the Jiangxia matter, but to his disappointment, both of them politely rejected his request. Liu Xian dismissed the matter as a family matter of Zhou Mu and it was inconvenient for him.  Intervene.

    Deng Yi put it more directly, "He doesn't have any brothers whose legs were broken, so he can't hate Liu Jing."  ¡¯

    The implication was that Cai Hao was seeking revenge in public, and he did not want to participate. This made Cai Hao very angry. Only then did he fully understand the deep meaning of Liu Jing's breaking of Cai Zhong's legs.

    In this way, no matter how Cai Mao deals with Liu Jing, everyone will think that he is avenging his personal revenge, so no one sympathizes with him and no one supports him, making him lonely.

    Although he had thought about the consequences before, he didn't expect them to be so serious. He wanted officials to sign a joint letter revoking Liu Jing's military power, but except for a few of his confidants, no other officials signed, not even  Many officials should have supported the Cai family.

    Almost everyone thinks that he is avenging Cai Zhong, so most people are unwilling to get involved in this kind of personal feud.

    This incident made Cai Mao extremely frustrated and passive. Now he can only hope to persuade Liu Biao to deal with Liu Jing according to the will of Zhou Mu. Maybe the officials will give Liu Biao some face.

    Cai Hao quickly arrived in front of Liu Biao's official room, and a guard immediately announced for him: "Report to the state pastor, Military Advisor Cai is here."

    "Invite him in!" Liu Biao's voice came from the room, and his tone seemed to be a little heavy.

    Cai Mao felt uneasy like a thief. If Huang She didn't come to him and didn't give him Cao Cao's personal letter, then Cai Mao must be filled with anger at this time. He wants to investigate what happened yesterday. Why should Liu Jing  Beat Cai Zhong seriously?

    But Cao Cao's autographed letter changed Cai Mao's mentality. He stayed up all night, repeatedly thinking about Cao Cao's letter and the future of the Cai family.

    At this time, Cai Zhong's injury no longer seemed so important in Cai Mao's heart. He was very uneasy. After all, he had followed Liu Biao for more than ten years, and now he had the intention of betrayal, which was somewhat difficult to explain in his conscience.

    Cai Mao walked into the room and saw Liu Biao sitting behind the desk reviewing documents. If Liu Jing saw Liu Biao during the day, he would not be too surprised. Liu Biao had put on makeup and modified his face during the day, looking radiant and energetic.  He cheered up and put on a loose official robe, which cleverly covered the rickets on his back.

    It is precisely because of this that neither the soldiers nor the people in Jingzhou knew about Liu Biao's physical changes. Only a few people knew the inside story. However, Liu Jing visited her uncle at night and accidentally discovered the secret of Liu Biao's true appearance.

    Cai Hao stepped forward, knelt down and bowed, "Your Majesty, Cai Hao, pays homage to Zhou Mu!"

    One more thing needs to be said here. In the Han Dynasty, the title "Chen" was not only used between monarchs and ministers. Superiors and subordinates could also call themselves ministers, and the people also called ministers to minor officials. It was only after the Eastern Han Dynasty that the imperial power was strengthened, and the title "Chen" gradually became  For the exclusive use of monarchs and ministers.

    Liu Biao was a little surprised. Cai Mao rarely bowed to him anymore. Why did he become so respectful today?

    As soon as he thought about it, Liu Biao thought of the Cai Zhong incident. This morning, Liu Biao had seen the detailed report and knew the whole story. Liu Jing actually used the Cai Zhong incident to gain prestige in the army. It was obviously to stab him in dealing with Cai Zhong unfairly. This made Liu Biao feel guilty.  Quite annoyed.

    "There is no need to be polite, military advisor, please sit down!"

    Liu Biao winked at the guards again. The guards understood and retreated, closing the door behind them.

    Cai Mao said impatiently: "I just heard the news that Liu Jing went to Lumen Academy early in the morning to establish Jiangxia Academy in Jiangxia and lure the nobles to Jiangxia with high profits."

    "Is there such a thing?"

    Liu Biao didn¡¯t believe it, ¡°What is he doing, recruiting talents?¡±

    "That's right! It's obviously an excuse for Liu Jing to set up an academy. He is clearly trying to win over Jingzhou nobles and Zhou Mu. This person is very ambitious. If this succeeds, his strength will definitely increase. I suggest that you interview Lumen Academy to stop it.  Their ridiculous behavior."

    Liu Biao closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then shook his head, "He wants to set up a school in Jiangxia for a grand reason. What reason do we have to stop him? If we forcefully interfere with this matter, even if it is stopped temporarily, my reputation will be greatly affected, and  If he makes up his mind to continue to set up an academy in Jiangxia, as long as the news spreads throughout Jingzhou, can you stop the nobles from rushing to Jiangxia? "

    Cai Mao was speechless for a moment, and said after a while: "But if he borrows the reputation of Lumen Academy, it will definitely have a great influence and increase his reputation among the nobles. At least he should let Lumen Academy withdraw and weaken his influence. Even if he  Even if we set up an academy, we won¡¯t be able to recruit outstanding talents.??¡±

    Liu Biao still shook his head, "Pang Degong is not a three-year-old child. Since he agreed, he must have his own considerations. The Pang family will naturally give me an explanation for this matter. I don't want to ask about Lumen Academy for the time being."

    Liu Biao was very clear-headed at this time. The key to this matter was Liu Jing running the school, and Lumen Academy was not the main problem. If he turned against the Pang family over this matter, the gain would outweigh the loss.

    What's more important is that he can't stop this kind of thing at all, unless Jingzhou significantly improves the treatment of these dependent nobles, but Jingzhou has financial difficulties and cannot do it at all.

    ¡°And Liu Jing¡¯s purpose is just to recruit staff, which is not too serious. After all, as his status increases, he does need staff.

    He did not recruit staff directly, but used the excuse of setting up an academy. This gave him enough face. Liu Biao knew it, so he was not very enthusiastic about it.

    Cai Mao was a little frustrated. He came with high hopes, but Liu Biao didn't respond and seemed not to pay attention to the matter. This made Cai Mao deeply disappointed.

    Liu Biao glanced at Cai Mao again, then changed the topic and turned it to the matter of Cai Zhong, "I already know the matter of Cai Zhong. Liu Jing is so bold that he dares to commit murder openly. I will not forgive him. However, it is not time to pursue this case yet."  When things happen, the military advisor may understand?¡±

    "I understand!"

    Cai Mao's heart gradually calmed down and his thoughts became sharp again. He suddenly realized that whether it was Jiangxia Academy or Cai Zhong being beaten, Liu Biao's attitude was to downplay these two matters, that is, to leave them alone.  .

    This made Cai Hao feel a little strange. Usually Liu Biao would not tolerate such a public challenge to Liu Biao's authority. How could he endure such a tone today?

    Cai Hao thought of Liu Jing's meeting with Liu Biao last night, and he couldn't help but realize in his heart that Liu Biao must have some leverage in Liu Jing's hands, so he could swallow his anger like this. So, what could this leverage be?

    Liu Biao thought about it for a long time, and finally said the reason slowly, "In the last defeat of Jiangxia, some soldiers escaped and some soldiers were killed, but many soldiers were also captured by the Jiangdong Army. Yesterday, nephew Jing and I talked about the issue of prisoners of war. He told  I, there are 4,453 people in total, military advisor, do you understand what he means?"

    Cai Mao's face was a little hot, which was referring to his failure in Jiangxia, which made him extremely ashamed. However, Cai Mao immediately returned to normal. After thinking about it for a while, he understood what Liu Biao meant, "Did Zhou Mu say that these prisoners of war have already been in his hands?"

    "I don't know if it's in his hands or not, but at least it means that he is in contact with Jiangdong. He must also have prisoners of war from Jiangdong. It is very likely that the two sides have exchanged prisoners of war, strategists, and 4,400 people! How many families are involved?  How could I be indifferent?"

    Having said this, Liu Biao sighed helplessly. This situation really made him extremely embarrassed, making him angry and hateful towards Liu Jing, but also helpless.

    Cai Hao heard that Liu Biao wanted to give in, and he was worried. If Liu Biao finally gave in and allowed Liu Jing to annex Jiangxia, and there would be no trouble, how would he explain it to Cao Cao?

    Cai Hao also stayed up all night last night. After thinking about it over and over, he already had a countermeasure in his mind. After all, he was a military advisor in Jingzhou. He had followed Liu Biao for more than ten years and knew Liu Biao well. He knew where Liu Biao's key point was?

    Cai Mao immediately raised his eyebrows and said angrily: "For such an important matter as exchanging prisoners of war, Xiangyang was bypassed. What does he mean by doing this? Can Liu Jing, Liu Jing, negotiate with Jiangdong on behalf of Jingzhou? Who does he think he is?"  "

    Cai Mao's angry rebuke stung Liu Biao's heart. This was what Liu Biao hated the most. Liu Jing actually negotiated with Jiangdong without authorization and kicked Liu Biao away. Did he think he was Jingzhou Mu?

    Liu Biao gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with cold murderous intent. Cai Hao knew Liu Biao very well. He knew what Liu Biao was most taboo about?

    Liu Biao is most afraid of his Jingzhou inheritance being left aside. If he makes a fuss about this matter and provokes a dispute over Jingzhou's inheritance, then the first task assigned to him by Cao Cao will be completed.

    But he couldn¡¯t take the initiative to speak out about the inheritance. He, Cai Mao, had a close relationship with Liu Cong. If he spoke about it, Liu Biao would be suspicious.

    Cai Hao sneered in his heart and continued to provoke: "Zhou Mu, it can be seen from this incident that Liu Jing's plan is not just Jiangxia, but Jingzhou. If Zhou Mu gives in on the Jiangxia matter, then he will definitely  If we continue to take advantage of Jingzhou, I suggest that we would rather lose four thousand prisoners of war than allow Liu Jing to annex Jiangxia."

    Liu Biao didn't speak for a long time, but Cai Mao's words spoke to his heart. In fact, Liu Jing was his nephew, and he could defeat Jiangdong. He had outstanding abilities. It was not impossible to let him take charge of Jiangxia. At least he could help him guard the southeast gate, so  Liu Biao did not take a tough stance on the Jiangxia incident.

    But Liu Biao was very concerned about the inheritance rights of Jingzhou.??His health has been deteriorating this year, and he also feels that he will not be alive for too long. He must not be vague about the inheritance rights of Jingzhou. If Liu Jing threatens his son's interests, he will not hesitate to remove all Liu Jing's property.  that power.

    Only now.  £®  £®  £®  £®  Liu Biao was still undecided. Cai Hao saw Liu Biao's eyes flickering and knew that he had been persuaded by him, so he cautiously suggested: "Zhou Mu might as well test Liu Jing, be more subtle, and see if Liu Jing really annexed Jingzhou."  Ambition.¡±

    Liu Biao still said nothing, but his eyes began to shine with an elusive bright color.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Mao walked quickly towards his official room. He was quite proud of himself. Although the matter of Cai Zhong's beating seemed to be unresolved, he didn't care. He had persuaded Liu Biao to a deeper extent.

    He could see that Liu Biao was already considering establishing a heir apparent. At this critical moment, what must he do?

    When he walked to the door of the official room, Cai Hao saw his eldest son Cai Yi. Seeing that he looked a little anxious, Cai Hao was startled. What happened?

    Cai Yi saw his father and hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Father, I just got some news!"

    Cai Hao glanced at the soldier next to him and said calmly: "Let's talk about it after we enter the room!"

    Walking into the official room, as soon as Cai Mao sat down, Cai Yi couldn't wait to say: "I just heard that my third brother has made an appointment with Liu Jing for a martial arts competition."

    "Which third brother, Cai Jin?"

    "Yes! I heard that the competition will be held at the South Campus tomorrow morning."

    Cai Mao's eyes widened and he said angrily: "When was this decided? Why didn't he report it to me?"

    "Maybe he doesn't think this matter is important!"

    "fart!"

    Cai Mao cursed loudly, "If he is defeated by Liu Jing again, it will not only damage the reputation of our Cai family. Does he think that with his little martial arts skills, he can compete with Liu Jing?"

    Cai Mao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and he recalled Cai Jin's many rebellious behaviors. He worshiped Wenpin as his disciple, publicly blamed Cai Zhong for his defeat, and often contradicted himself. Now he wanted to compete with Liu Jing, regardless of the family's reputation.

    The more he thought about it, the more angry he became. Cai Mao immediately ordered his son, "Go and tell him that it is my order and he is not allowed to compete with Liu Jing. If he persists in his own way, he will be severely punished by the family!"

    Cai Yi hurried away, and Cai Hao forced himself to calm down and stop thinking about the matter. He turned his thoughts back to Liu Biao and thought about it carefully.

    He found that Liu Biao didn't care about Liu Jing's injury to Cai Zhong, nor about the founding of Jiangxia Academy, but he was very concerned about Liu Jing's contacts with Jiangdong, and even got angry at the first touch. Could he start with this matter?  , prompting the conflict between Liu Biao and Liu Biao to break out.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 1, Chapter 212: Walls Have Ears

    [Please vote for recommendation!  Please support Lao Gao¡¯s efforts]

    ??¡ª¡ª

    Liu Jing returned to Xiangyang at noon, and it suddenly started to rain. In early winter, the rain was falling one after another, and it was very chilly. It was lunch time, and Liu Jing came to Wangjiang Tavern with seven or eight of his men. This was his third time.  When he came to Wangjiang Tavern, he was deeply impressed by the stewed carp in honey sauce.

    The business of the tavern was as prosperous as usual, with people coming and going. The dozen or so bartenders were so busy that their feet could not touch the floor, and their voices were a little hoarse.

    As soon as Liu Jing walked to the door, a bartender came up to him with a smile on his face, "It turns out to be Master Jing. Welcome to the store. Master Jing's presence in person really makes the store shine!"

    Liu Jing didn't want to hear his compliments. He glanced at the tavern where the guests were gathered and frowned, "Is there a seat?"

    The bartender also had a look of embarrassment on his face. He ran back to inquire, then came back and said with a smile: "There is a private room on the third floor. It has been reserved, but it is estimated that the guests will not come. Master Jing, please use it first!"

    If he were not with Tao Zhan today, Liu Jing would not be so polite and reasonable. He led his men and the bartender directly into the tavern.

    Just as they entered the gate, two gorgeous carriages escorted by several horse-riding warriors slowly stopped at the back door of the tavern. The door opened, and the maids helped the three ladies out of the carriage.

    The tavern was extremely noisy and lively, but when we reached the third floor, it suddenly became quiet.

    "Sir, please come in!"

    The bartender invited Liu Jing and his men into the elegant room. The room was elegantly decorated, with a fine white jade screen, two fine golden nanmu couches, famous calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, and all the dishes and other utensils.  They are all of the finest quality.  ,

    Liu Jing stood in front of the wall and admired a picture of "Spring Journey to Rangshan Mountain" hanging on the wall. It reminded him of the time when he and Zhao Yun escaped danger in Rangshan Mountain. Liu Jing actually felt a trace of nostalgia for the past in his heart. At that time, he  When he first stepped into Xiangyang, he was greeted by the unknown and confusion, but now.  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing sighed in her heart, time passed quickly, two years passed in a flash.

    The bartender¡¯s nod and bow interrupted Liu Jing¡¯s thoughts, ¡°Master Jing, please sit down! If you need anything, just ask.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "Bring over all your signature dishes. There are eight or nine of us here. The portions must be sufficient. In short, there are big fish and meat. You can have a few bottles of wine!"

    "Master Jing, wait a moment, the food and drinks will be here soon!"

    When the soldiers heard that they could drink, they all winked and were overjoyed. Liu Jing smiled and said, "Don't even think about it during the war. The main thing today is that I want to have a few drinks and you can take advantage of it."

    "Good luck! Good luck!" The soldiers were all overjoyed. They fought for it, and in a moment the couch was packed to the brim.

    Liu Jing sat down on another couch. Since arriving in Xiangyang yesterday afternoon, he has been busy and has never stopped. He really feels a little tired. He needs to calm down and think about the next move in this game.  ?

    This time he came to Xiangyang for two purposes. One was to strive for the best interests of Jiangxia, and the second was to recruit a group of talents.

    Recruiting talents is relatively smooth. As long as Pang Degong and Lumen Academy are willing to help, the problem is not big. The key is Jiangxia's negotiations.

    Judging from the initial conversation with Liu Biao last night, although his attitude was tough, his position was not firm. Especially when he mentioned the four thousand prisoners of war, Liu Biao's tone and attitude softened obviously.

    This undoubtedly gave Liu Jing reassurance, but Liu Jing also knew that things are constantly changing. Yesterday was yesterday's attitude, and Liu Biao may not give in tomorrow.

    Just as I was thinking about it, there was a noise outside, "This is the room we reserved, how could you give it to someone else? Go and call your shopkeeper!"

    ¡°Aunts, calm down, I¡¯m going to go right now! I¡¯m going to go right now!¡±

    "Go quickly, there's more! Let the people inside come out immediately."

    The voices outside seemed to be all women. Liu Jing was slightly startled. Is there another seat dispute?

    At this moment, the door was kicked open with a 'bang!', and two stout, strong women holding swords appeared at the door. They looked like they were servants from a wealthy family.

    Behind them stood three richly dressed ladies, all wearing high-quality silk and satin dresses. They had gold hairpins in their foreheads, jewelry and flowers on their temples, and gold necklaces on their arms. There was a faint fragrance in the distance.  Rushing towards them, five or six more maids gathered behind them.

    There were hurried footsteps at the top of the stairs, and shopkeeper Wang ran up sweating profusely and saluted repeatedly, "Madams, there are good seats by the window on the second floor. Can you give the shop a favor?"

    "no!"

    A noble lady is viciousHe said harshly: "We reserved this elegant room, why do we have to give up our seats and let them go to the second floor?"

    Another lady also said coldly: "Shopkeeper Wang, you are really confused. What are our identities? You want us to appear in public on the second floor. If Zhou Mu is furious, how can you explain?"

    At this time, a young woman outside suddenly said: "Two sisters, let's go back! Forget it today."

    Liu Jing felt that the voice sounded familiar. He walked out slowly and saw the third lady. He was also a little stunned. She turned out to be Cai Shaoyu.

    I saw that she was already dressed as a married woman, her hair was combed into a high bun, her forehead was exposed, smooth and full, her face was covered with a thin layer of powder, and there was always an indescribable sadness in her eyes.

    Liu Jing quickly clasped her fists and said with a smile: "It turns out to be Cai Young Madam, I'm rude."

    Today, Cai Shaoyu and two of her close friends came to Wangjiang Tavern to have a drink and dine. Unexpectedly, the seat was taken by someone else. When she was angry, Cai Shaoyu suddenly saw Liu Jing, which made her feel nervous. She didn't want to see him, so she hurriedly  As she was about to leave, she didn't expect Liu Jing to recognize her.

    Helpless, she had no choice but to salute, "Mr. Jing, long time no see."

    The two ladies next to him were also surprised. It turned out that this young officer was the famous Liu Jing. The eyes of the two ladies were full of smiles. "It turns out to be Young Master Jing. I was a little offended just now."

    The other party was so polite that Liu Jing was too embarrassed to sit down, so she turned back to the soldiers and said, "Go to the second floor!"

    Seven or eight soldiers rushed down one after another. Liu Jing cupped his hands and said, "Mrs. Cai, please two ladies! I will go to the second floor to dine."

    The two noble ladies said a few polite words and left the elegant room. However, Cai Shaoyu kept her head lowered, never looking at Liu Jing or saying hello. She walked slowly into the room as if she didn't know him.

    Liu Jing looked at her back and saw that although she was dressed maturely, her figure was still exactly the same as before, without any changes as a woman. He knew in his heart that he couldn't help but feel pity. This kind of widowhood was not comfortable.

    Liu Jing followed the bartender to the second floor. As soon as he went down the stairs, he happened to see Lu Ji coming up from the stairs. The two met face to face. Both of them were surprised, and then they couldn't help but laugh. Lu Ji saluted and said: "It turns out that Mr. Jing is the first  to one step.¡±

    Liu Jing also patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "I happen to be alone, so I'll treat Brother Lu to a glass of water and wine."

    "It is my honor to have a drink with Mr. Jing."

    "We will never stop getting drunk today!"

    The two of them were talking and laughing, and walked towards an empty seat in the back. At this time, several men sitting next to the stairs were a little surprised. These people were the generals who protected Cai Shaoyu. They all knew Liu Jing, and they didn't expect him.  Meeting him here, they exchanged secret glances.

    A tall and thin man slowly stood up and sat down on a seat next to Liu Jing's seat. He drank wine leisurely, but his ears were straight, listening to all the conversations between Liu Jing and Lu Ji.  .

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the study, Cai Maozheng and Huang She were discussing the next step. Ever since Huang She handed Cao Cao's autographed letter to Cai Mao, the two of them had become common interests.

    "I fully support Uncle Shi's judgment. Now Liu Biao's attitude towards Liu Jing is wavering. He has to stab him where it hurts before he can deal with Liu Jing ruthlessly. Liu Jing will naturally not be captured without mercy. Then a civil war in Jingzhou will be difficult.  Avoid, this is the result that Prime Minister Cao needs most, after both sides have suffered losses, win Jingzhou at the minimum cost. "

    Cai Mao sighed slightly and said: "Liu Biao is not stupid. Now that Cao's army is attacking Nanyang, he will not do anything that hurts his bones. He would rather give Jiangxia to Liu Jing than allow the civil war in Jingzhou to break out. There is only one civil war in Jingzhou."  Possibly, that was when Liu Biao died and a civil war broke out between the Liu brothers to compete for the master of Jingzhou, just like the Yuan brothers. "

    Speaking of Liu Biao's death, Huang She suddenly remembered something. He quickly asked: "Uncle Shi told me yesterday that Liu Biao's body has collapsed and his current appearance is made up of makeup. What's the reason?"

    Cai Hao pondered for a moment and said: "To be honest, I don't know. The change was very sudden. He started aging rapidly this spring. I have some suspicion that he was poisoned, but there is no evidence."

    "Then Mrs. Cai has no explanation?"

    Cai Hao shook his head, "She has been avoiding this matter. Maybe she knows something, but she refuses to say it. Now people familiar with the matter are talking about how long Liu Biao can live?"

    Huang She suddenly became interested and asked, "How long does Uncle Shi think he can live?"

    "It's hard to say, as far as I'm concerned, it's probably at most two years."

    The two were talking when a servant outside the door reported, "Sir, Lei Heng is here and has something important to report.  "

    Cai Mao was startled, why is he here? Did something happen to his daughter?  He quickly said: "Let him in!"

    After a moment, a young man walked in quickly. He was a tall and thin man in the tavern. His name was Lei Heng. He was originally Cai Mao's personal general. He was an orphan adopted by the Cai family. He had been carefully raised since childhood and was loyal to the Cai family.  , very smart and capable.

    When Cai Shaoyu married Liu Cong, Cai Mao ordered him to lead five of his men to join Liu Cong, specifically responsible for protecting Cai Shaoyu.

    Today he escorted Cai Shaoyu and two girlfriends to Wangjiang Restaurant for drinking. They were sitting on the second floor, but they accidentally saw Liu Jing and Lu Ji.

    Out of curiosity and the instinct to take credit, Lei Heng listened to their conversation with open ears and felt the need to report to Cai Mao.

    Lei Heng knelt down and reported to Cai Mao: "I went to Wangjiang Tavern today with several brothers to protect the young lady, but I discovered an unexpected situation. I feel it is necessary to report to the master."

    Cai Hao valued this Lei Heng very highly. It can be said that Lei Heng was his confidant. He asked Lei Heng to follow his daughter to Liu's house, nominally to protect his daughter, but in fact to a certain extent, he was also monitoring Liu Cong.

    Cai Hao nodded, "If you find anything, just tell me!"

    "I met Liu Jing and another person at Wangjiang Tavern. I deliberately sat next to them and listened. I found that the person drinking with Liu Jing turned out to be an official from Jiangdong named Lu Ji."

    "Lu Ji!"

    Cai Mao was stunned. Of course he knew who Lu Ji was. He was the son of Lu Kang, the former governor of Lujiang. He was a famous talent in Jiangdong and served as an official under Sun Quan. Why did he come back to Xiangyang? Cai Mao asked again: "What is he doing in Xiangyang?"

    "I humbly listened to their conversation. It seemed that Lu Ji was sent as an envoy to Jingzhou by Sun Quan. They didn't talk about any secrets, but I felt that they were very familiar with each other and they joked from time to time."

    Huang She was also a little surprised. Sun Quan actually reached out to Xiangyang. This Lu Ji must have come with a purpose. Could it be that he came for Liu Jing?

    Cai Mao frowned and paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. He was sent as an envoy to Jingzhou by Sun Quan, so why didn't he come to visit the state pastor? He didn't know about it at all. Could it be that he just came to visit Liu Jing, thinking that Liu Jing would  It's Jingzhou.

    Cai Mao's footsteps stopped, and a bold and vicious strategy suddenly popped into his mind. Perhaps he could use this strategy to complete the mission assigned to him by Cao Cao.

    At this time, Huang She also thought of the same vicious plan. He smiled and said: "Why doesn't Uncle Shi use this Lu Ji? This is a good opportunity to attack Liu Jing."

    Cai Hao narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Heroes think alike, my nephew and I actually thought of going together."

    He called Lei Heng up with a wave of his hand and gave him a few instructions in a low voice. Lei Heng nodded, "Don't worry, sir. I will definitely handle my humble job and I will never let you down."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 213 Man in the Rain with Green Yi and Little Hat

    After Cai Shaoyu and Liu Cong got married, they lived in the Liu Mansion's inner residence, in a separate courtyard. This so-called courtyard covered an area of ??five acres, and was actually an independent Fu Zhongfu.

    ??Cai Shaoyu did not live with her husband. Liu Cong moved to the study to live alone on the pretext of recuperating from illness and studying hard. It was difficult to see Cai Shaoyu on weekdays. Cai Shaoyu almost stayed alone in the empty room.

    Although their marriage eliminated the rumors that Liu Cong was injured, in fact, they did not consummate the marriage on the first day of their marriage. Cai Shaoyu wanted to save face, so she talked about her husband with her close friends, secretly swallowing tears in her stomach.

    All this was controlled by her aunt Mrs. Cai. She returned to her parents' home to report according to Mrs. Cai's instructions. Liu Cong also reported to his father according to Mrs. Cai's instructions. Sometimes when Liu Biao came to visit them, Mrs. Cai would secretly send someone to report the news.  The two immediately played the piano and read. The husband and wife were loving and respectful to each other, which made Liu Biao satisfied and returned home.

    Cai Shaoyu endured it silently. Before she got married, she was an unruly and arrogant girl. She always thought that she was the wife of Zhou Mu. But after getting married, she gradually understood the truth. If a woman does not have the love of her husband and wife, she will not be happy even if she becomes a queen.

    But it was already too late. She had no choice but to accept her fate and spend lonely nights in regret.

    Cai Shaoyu was very upset today. She accidentally met Liu Jing, which aroused an inexplicable feeling in her heart. Although she lowered her head and did not look at Liu Jing, Liu Jing's tall and strong figure always appeared in her mind.  He should be her husband, but  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Shaoyu sighed quietly, only after losing it will you understand what is most precious.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Cong¡¯s study is also a separate courtyard. The courtyard is very quiet at this time, and the thin winter rain envelopes the entire courtyard. Liu Cong is busy celebrating his father¡¯s birthday these days and is almost not at home.

    A slender figure walked into the small courtyard holding an umbrella. Cai Shaoyu rarely came here, and only when her father-in-law came to visit them, she would come over and pretend to be a husband and wife with Liu Cong.

    But today she felt restless and wanted to talk to her husband, so she couldn't help but walk into this unfamiliar courtyard, walked up the steps, closed her umbrella, stretched her head and looked into the hall, and asked, "Is there anyone there?"  ?"

    The hall was extremely quiet and no one responded. It seemed that there was no one in the hall. Cai Shaoyu walked into the inner hall. The inner hall was connected to three rooms, one was a bedroom, one was a study room, and the other was a pharmacy. These three rooms she  I only went to the study room and the pharmacy.

    Since Liu Cong was not here, Cai Shaoyu was about to go back. At this time, she accidentally discovered that the window of the pharmacy was not closed and was blown open by the wind. Thick raindrops drifted in. She quickly stepped forward and pushed open the door of the pharmacy.  A faint medicinal smell came to my face.

    The so-called pharmacy actually doesn¡¯t have many medicines. The room is empty except for a few medicine boxes on the small table in the middle, which contain medicines specially prepared for Liu Cong by the Jingzhou Medical Department.

    Cai Shaoyu entered the house and closed the window, but she unexpectedly found a small red medicine box at her feet, hidden under the cupboard. It should have been covered by gauze, but the gauze blew open in the wind, revealing the red medicine box.

    Cai Shaoyu felt a little strange, how could this medicine box be hidden behind the gauze curtain? She put the medicine box on the table and slowly opened it. She saw that the medicine box was lined with golden satin, and on the satin was a white thumb-sized  Small porcelain medicine bottles. Judging from the traces of placement, there should be three medicine bottles, but the other two are missing.

    She picked up the medicine bottle and looked carefully through the light. The medicine bottle was clear and the light blue liquid inside could be seen. Suddenly, a sharp roar came from behind her: "What are you doing?"

    Cai Shaoyu shivered with fright. The bottle fell from her hand and fell to pieces on the ground. A light blue liquid spilled out of the bottle and quickly seeped into the cracks of the bricks. When Cai Shaoyu turned around, she saw Liu Cong appearing at the door.  , his eyes were blood red, staring straight at the fragment.

    Cai Shaoyu accidentally broke the medicine bottle. She felt guilty and apologized quickly, "Cong Lang, I'm sorry, I was not careful!"

    At this time, Liu Cong watched helplessly as the medicine bottle was destroyed and the medicine seeped into the cracks of the bricks. He was so angry that he instantly turned into a beast. He rushed up and slapped Cai Shaoyu hard in the face.  Staring out of nowhere, he fell heavily to the ground.

    However, Liu Cong refused to give up and grabbed her hair again. Regardless of Cai Shaoyu's screams of pain, he dragged her away. He walked to the door and threw her out of the pharmacy. He roared like thunder and cursed: "Get out! Get away!"  Far away, don¡¯t come any further!¡±

    Cai Shaoyu sat on the ground, covering her face, with tears falling down. She couldn't help but feel ashamed and angry. The long-suppressed pain in her heart finally made her burst into tears.

    She stood up, cried and ran into the rain, and quickly ran away. Liu Cong watched her run away with a livid face, without a trace of pity in his eyes.

      He closed the door, squatted down, and carefully searched for the liquid that had seeped into the cracks of the bricks to see if he could scrape back some powder, but he was disappointed, nothing was scraped, and the bottle of medicine was completely destroyed.

    Liu Cong was so angry that he gritted his teeth and cursed: "You bitch ruined my big job!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing led his men to leave the Wangjiang Wine Shop, and the group took a boat across the Han River. At this time, the rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the chill penetrated the clothes and invaded the skin. Several soldiers' clothes were thin and they were shivering from the cold.

    When the ferry just docked, the soldiers got on their horses one after another. At this moment, someone suddenly shouted: "Good nephew!"

    When Liu Jing turned around, she saw a dozen sword-wielding followers guarding a middle-aged man on a large ship next to him. The man was wearing a green robe, a black cap, and a foot-long beard floating on his chest.  Kuai Yue.

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. He heard that Kuai Yue had been ill in the past few days and was preparing to visit Kuai Yue at night. Unexpectedly, he met Kuai Yue at Fancheng Pier.

    Liu Jing hurriedly stepped forward, bowed and saluted: "Junior Liu Jing comes to see Mr. Kuai!"

    Kuai Yue stroked his beard and smiled, "I just went to Fancheng to look for you. I heard that you went to Longzhong early in the morning. I was very sorry. I was about to go back home. I didn't expect to meet you here. What a coincidence!"

    When Liu Jing heard that Kuai Yue actually visited him in person, he was moved and said apologetically: "I didn't know that Kuai Gong was coming, otherwise I wouldn't have gone to Longzhong today and I would have waited."

    Kuai Yue chuckled, "Actually, it was me who was abrupt. You have just arrived in Xiangyang and have a lot of things to do. How could you stay in the house? It's because I didn't think carefully and it has nothing to do with my nephew."

    He pointed to the boat and said with a smile: "This is my boat. My dear nephew, you might as well get on the boat for a chat. My men can also get on the boat and drink some hot soup to warm themselves up."

    "Then thank you so much, Mr. Kuai!"

    Liu Jing led his men on board the ship, and they went to rest. He was led to Kuai Yue's cabin. The cabin was dry and tidy, with a pot of charcoal fire lit and warm as spring. Kuai Yue sat at a small table.  , smiled and waved his hand, "Please sit down!"

    Liu Jing sat down opposite him, and an entourage came in to serve tea. Kuai Yue picked up the tea bowl and said with a smile, "Your nephew went to Longzhong to recruit talents?"

    Liu Jing secretly gave a thumbs up. Jiang was really old and he immediately guessed his intention. He did not deny it, nodded and said: "I plan to build a Jiangxia Academy in Wuchang, and I want to recruit a hundred people with excellent knowledge.  , so I went to Lumen Academy today and asked Mr. Pang for help."

    Liu Jing¡¯s little tricks of substituting others could not be concealed from Kuai Yue, so he did not tell the truth and asked with great interest: ¡°Does Pang Degong agree?¡±

    "I agreed. I will ask Xu Changshi to cooperate with Lumen Academy for me on this matter. I still focus my energy on Xiangyang."

    The three words "Xu Changshi" made Kuai Yue frown slightly. He took a sip of tea and said earnestly: "Xiannephew, you have done well in most things in Chaisang and Jiangxia. You are very skillful, but there is only one thing."  You made a mistake, I must tell you today."

    Liu Jing bowed solemnly, "Please give me some advice, Duke Kuai!"

    "What I'm talking about is your appointment of officials without authorization. You first forced Yi Ji to stay and appointed him as the county magistrate. Then you appointed Su Fei as the county magistrate, and then appointed Yi Ji and Xu Shu as the chief historian. In addition, Zhu Xun was promoted to the county magistrate.  Order, these appointments should have been the power of the state government, but you have overstepped your power.

    Of course, I understand your intention. You want to use the fait accompli to force the state pastor to admit it. But the result of your doing so is not only the anger of the state pastor, but also the disgust of many senior state officials. You have violated the rules of officialdom, which is harmful to you.  It will be unfavorable to take over Jingzhou in the future, dear nephew, do you understand what I mean?  "

    Liu Jing nodded silently. He understood what Kuai Yue meant. He was not only facing Liu Biao alone, but also many senior officials in Jingzhou. This was indeed related to his future takeover of Jingzhou.

    Kuai Yue's accusation was not wrong. In fact, Huang Zhong also hinted at this problem, but he didn't listen at the time. Now that he thinks about it, he did not do it properly. He was a little too anxious and not sophisticated enough.

    Liu Jing sighed softly and admitted his mistake, "Kuai Gong is right. I did not think carefully about this matter and did not consider the feelings of the officials in Jingzhou."

    Kuai Yue stroked his beard and nodded with a smile: "Actually, everyone knows that you are young and energetic, and you do not have the support of experienced officials. It is normal for you to not think carefully about some things. An accidental mistake will make you feel uncomfortable for a while, but it will not be unreasonable.  This is biased against you, you just need to learn from this and don¡¯t do it again in the future.¡±

    Kuai Yue's words reminded Liu Jing that he really needed an experienced official by his side. He handled many things too naively and impulsively. If there was such a person by his side to remind him, then he would be in trouble in the power struggle in Jingzhou.  If you don¡¯t get stuck, you can get the maximum benefit.beneficial.

    "It would be best if Kuai Yue could assist him, but he is the third most powerful person in Jingzhou and there is no way he could go to Jiangxia. Liu Jing fell into deep thought for a moment.

    Kuai Yue was not in a hurry to recommend experienced auxiliary officials to Liu Jing. He stroked his beard and said with a smile: "I have another suggestion today. I hope my nephew will listen to it."

    "Uncle Shi, please speak frankly!"

    Unconsciously, Liu Jing changed Kuai Yue's title from Kuai Gong to Shi Shu, which was a sign of sincere trust in him.

    Kuai Yue pondered for a moment and said slowly: "The solution to any internal disputes and contradictions is not who eats whom, but a compromise. My dear nephew, I hope you can learn to compromise, not only for you."  Uncle, it is even useful to Jiangdong and Cao Cao, and it will also be helpful to your life. Everyone has their own interests. You are not the only one in this world. If you learn to compromise, you will understand the way of life. "

    Liu Jing was silent, Kuai Yue's words were really good words, he was taught.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 214 People¡¯s hearts are unpredictable (Part 1)

    [Please vote for recommendation!  It¡¯s hard!  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    As soon as she returned to Tao's Trading Company, Liu Jing got the news that Liu Biao had sent someone to look for Tao Li in the morning.

    In fact, Liu Biao looked down on the Tao family. On the one hand, he enjoyed the Tao family's huge annual financial support. On the other hand, he ignored the Tao family's feelings and forced the Tao family to give their daughter Tao Zhan to Liu Cong as a concubine. It was this incident that aroused Tao's suspicion.  The family was so dissatisfied that they suspended the offerings that had been made for more than ten years.

    Liu Biao felt huge pressure on money and food after only one interruption of the donation, which made him regretful. He also wanted to appease the Tao family and save the situation, so this time he specially invited the Tao family as distinguished guests for his birthday.

    It should be said that Liu Biao's attitude towards the Tao family was within Liu Jing's expectation. The money and food provided by the Tao family were very important to Jingzhou. He felt this even more deeply after coming to Xiangyang. It would be strange if Liu Biao continued to ignore the Tao family.

    Although it was expected, Liu Jing still felt a little uneasy. After all, the Tao family was equally important to him.

    Liu Jing did not hesitate, and immediately entered the inner hall and found Tao Li. Tao Li was the second son of Tao Lie and the second-ranking figure in the Tao family. He was mainly responsible for the business in Jingzhou, while the third son of Tao Lie was in charge of the business in Jiangdong.

    This time the Tao family came to Xiangyang to pay their respects, Tao Li was the representative. Logically speaking, Tao Sheng, the head of the Tao family who visited Liu Biao several times, was highly respected. However, this time, Tao Lie decided to let his second son be the representative of the Tao family.  This is also his shrewdness.

    This time, the Tao family is not independent, but only a vassal of Liu Jing. In this case, it is not appropriate for the head of the family to come forward, but to let a minor figure appear to show the low profile of the Tao family.

    Tao Li had also just finished lunch and was about to take a nap when Liu Jing's voice came from outside the door, "Second uncle, do you want to take a rest?"

    Tao Li quickly stood up and came out, bowed and saluted and said with a smile, "Why are you here, Master?"

    Although Liu Jing followed Tao Zhan's title and called him second uncle, Tao Li couldn't be ungrateful, let alone really regard himself as 'second uncle'.

    "There's something I want to talk to my second uncle about."

    Tao Li nodded, "Please come in and talk!"

    Tao Li invited Liu Jing into the cabin, and the two sat down. Tao Li poured him a cup of hot tea and said with a smile, "Young Master, if you have any questions, just tell me."

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "I want to talk about the Tao family's birthday celebrations this time."

    Although Liu Jing did not mention the fact that Liu Biao sent people to come, Tao Li knew that Liu Jing coming to him at this time must be related to this matter.

    Before Liu Jing could say anything else, he took out an exquisite invitation, put it on the table and pushed it to Liu Jing, "This is an invitation written by Zhou Mu himself, inviting me to meet at the state government office tomorrow, but I won't go.  I would excuse myself by getting sick."

    Liu Jing looked at the invitation carefully, and the smile on his face disappeared. He pondered for a while and said: "Frankly speaking, this birthday greeting from the Tao family is actually a key condition for my negotiation with Zhou Mu.

    When I was in charge of Chai Sang, the Zhou Mu¡¯s biggest objection to me was that the Tao family would no longer pay tribute to him, causing him to have a tight military budget. Today, he sent a special invitation to invite his second uncle to meet at the Zhou Yamen. This can be seen from this.  It shows the importance he attaches to the Tao family.  "

    Tao Li nodded, "The Tao family pays huge amounts of money and food to Jingzhou every year. Zhou Mu has said more than once that the Tao family is the pillar of Jingzhou. Every year on his birthday, the Tao family is a guest. We know that the Tao family loves Zhou Mu."  important."

    After a pause, Tao Li said again: "My father also talked to me before leaving. The Tao family will fully cooperate with the young master's trip to Xiangyang. This birthday greeting, the Tao family will never act alone, and will follow the young master as a tribute.  Congratulations on your birthday."

    The so-called accompanying birthday greetings are to sign Liu Jing's name in the greeting card. This situation is often used in the communication between people with different status. For example, writing "congratulations to so-and-so's disciples" on the greeting card is used to borrow the name of another person with a higher status.  High people improve themselves.

    Although the Tao family itself is highly valued by Liu Biao, they have to keep a low profile this time, so the words "Chaisang is under the command of Liu Sima" will be written on the birthday greeting card to express the relationship between the Tao family and Liu Jing.

    By saying this, Tao Li showed the Tao family's attitude to Liu Jing. No matter how Liu Biao tempted him, the Tao family would never betray him.

    Liu Jing nodded. Since the Tao family is so sensible, there is no need for him to say anything more. He stood up and said with a smile: "Since the second uncle wants to rest, I won't disturb you anymore."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing returned to his room and planned to take a nap. At this time, a soldier reported outside the door, "Report to Sima, the Prime Minister of Xiangyang County wants to see you!"

    Wang Jing was Liu Biao's son-in-law and a key member of the Kuai Party in Jingzhou. He gave Liu Jing great help in handling the Gan-Ning slave trade the year before last and made 500 false slave contracts. For this, he was severely punished by Liu Biao and was once demoted to  The magistrate of Zhonglu County did not serve until the beginning of this year.??Reinstatement.

    Liu Jing has always felt guilty about this matter. When she heard that he came to visit her, Liu Jing quickly responded: "Invite him to your guest room quickly!"

    After saying that, he felt it was inappropriate, so he personally greeted him. Outside the gate, Wang Ji was standing with a smile on his hands. Wang Ji came from a well-known family and had been an official in Jingzhou for many years. He had strong qualifications. In addition, he was Liu Biao's son-in-law, so he was in Jingzhou.  He was very popular in official circles, but among the Jingzhou faction, he belonged to Kuai's party and was Kuai Yue's number one ally.

    "I've kept you waiting for a long time, Prime Minister Wang!" Liu Jing walked out quickly, smiling and saluting.

    Wang Jian replied with a smile and said, "Mr. Jing is busy with business, so I came to disturb you. I'm very sorry."

    "Wang Juncheng is too polite!"

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hand, "Please come in!"

    "please!"

    Wang Jing followed Liu Jing into the distinguished guest hall. The two sat down separately. A sergeant served tea. The two exchanged a few words. Wang Jing complimented Liu Jing on Jiangxia's great victory and his fame. As soon as the topic changed, he gradually entered today's world.  Theme of.

    "Did Young Master Jing find something wrong with Zhou Mu's body?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "I went to visit my uncle last night and found that he was very old, like a man in his seventies or eighties. I was also a little surprised. How could he suddenly become so old? Is there any inside story?"

    "Why!"

    Wang Ju sighed, "Zhou Mu also suspected that he was poisoned, but no matter how he checked, there was no sign of poisoning. Later, Zhang Yizheng said that it might be that Zhou Mu worked too much when he was young and accumulated the root causes of the disease. After he passed sixty, these disease roots  It was exposed immediately, and everyone believed it once it was explained.¡±

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and then asked: "In this case, how many years will uncle have left?"

    Wang Ju held out three fingers and said, "Zhang Yizheng said that it will be two or three years at most, but I only told you this in private. Only a few people know about it, and even Zhou Mu himself dared not say it."

    Liu Jing was silent. At this time, Wang Xiang said again: "Now the senior officials in Jingzhou are panicked and worried about the future of Jingzhou. Mr. Jing, I might as well tell you the truth. Mr. Qi is worried."

    Liu Jing frowned, "Are you saying that my uncle is very likely to make Mr. Cong his heir?"

    Wang Ju nodded, "Judging from the current situation, it is most likely Mr. Cong. Hey! You can't blame Zhou Mu for being partial. Mr. Qi sometimes really disappoints people."

    Liu Jing thought of what Yi Ji had said to her and asked, "So, is it true that Mr. Qi is sleeping with prostitutes?"

    Wang Ju sneered, "That one is relatively young. The most terrible thing is that he dares to do anything when he is interested. He dotes on Li Qingmei, a famous prostitute in Jiangling. He once took her to the study to review documents and make decisions on his behalf.  As a result, the seeds for spring plowing of official fields this year were distributed two days late, causing widespread resentment among the people.

    This matter was later reported to the state government, and Cai Hao secretly brought Li Qingmei to Xiangyang to confront Zhou Mu, adding fuel to the fire. It was this incident that made Zhou Mu furious and basically ruined Mr. Qi's future.  This time Zhou Mu celebrated his birthday, so he was not allowed to participate in the preparations at all, and he was not allowed to come to Xiangyang.  "

    Liu Jing only felt a headache. If this was the case, it would be difficult for Liu Qi to help him up.

    At this time, Wang Jian took a deep look at Liu Jing and said slowly: "If Liu Cong becomes the lord of Jingzhou and the Cai family takes over, we will be finished. So I discussed with Duke Kuai and we considered giving up Master Qi and supporting Jing instead."  "Master."

    Liu Jing smiled and shook her head, "How could I possibly, Zhou Mu would not consider making his nephew his heir. I suggest you find a way to reverse Mr. Qi's decline. This is the way to win."

    Wang Ju sighed, "We have invested so much money in Mr. Qi. Whenever there is a chance, we will try our best to fight for it. But if you don't think too long, you will have immediate worries. We must prepare for the worst, so Kuai and I  I will discuss it with you. While we are fighting for Master Qi, we should also support Master Jing in his ascension to the throne."

    Liu Jing bowed and saluted, "Thank you, County Cheng, for considering me. It's just that Liu Jing has few talents and low abilities, and he is not an heir. I'm afraid he will live up to your expectations"

    Before Liu Jing could finish speaking, Wang Jian waved his hand and said: "Young Master Jing is too arrogant to belittle yourself. Young Master Jing defeated the Jiangdong Army in Jiangxia and has long been admired by everyone. Not only us, many high-level officials in Jingzhou hope that Young Master Jing will be the leader of Jingzhou."  Lord, we just want to use the young master¡¯s current reputation to strike while the iron is hot and win over as many senior officials in Jingzhou as possible to lay the foundation for the young master to inherit the throne of Jingzhou.¡±

    Having said this, Wang Xi said in a sincere tone: "The key is that the young master needs to express his attitude and give reassurance to the many senior officials who support the young master, including me."

    It should be said that Wang Xi¡¯s suggestion was exactly what Liu Jing had dreamed of. If Kuai Yue had not talked to him this morning, he might have agreed without hesitation, but since he and Kuai YueAfter an in-depth discussion, he felt that he should not have too much interaction with other people.

    "And this kind of thing is not something that can be discussed casually with people. Although he owes Wang a favor, the favor is not enough for him and Wang to have a heart-to-heart relationship.

    But Liu Jing didn¡¯t want to refuse him outright. After all, Wang Hui had a high status and deep connections. If he really supported her fully, it would be of great help to Liu Jing in the future. He also wanted to strive for this relationship.

    After pondering for a moment, Liu Jing also responded sincerely: "First of all, I would like to thank the county magistrate for his support. However, this matter is of great importance. Let me think about it carefully. I will definitely give the county magistrate a satisfactory answer."

    Wang Jian smiled happily, "Of course, this matter must be considered in the long term."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, in the study room of the Liu Mansion, Liu Biao listened intently to Wang Cang's report. After hearing Wang Cang's last statement, Liu Biao frowned and asked, "You mean, he didn't make it clear that he was willing to participate in the fight for the position of state pastor?  "

    Although Wang Xi belongs to Kuai's party, this is only for Cai Mao. In front of Liu Biao, the state pastor, he has no interest factional disputes. More importantly, he is Liu Biao's son-in-law, and Liu Biao can entrust him with his confidant affairs.  .

    Just this morning, Liu Biao gave him an important task, asking him to test Liu Jing's ambitions, that is, whether he had any plans to seize Jingzhou Mu, so Wang Jian paid a visit to Liu Jing in the afternoon.

    Wang Jian was very loyal to Liu Biao and did not hide anything. He told the exact situation of his meeting with Liu Jing, but he did not mention that Liu Biao had two or three years left to live, which would be sad.

    "Reporting to my father-in-law, my son-in-law tried again and again and felt that Liu Jing was very cautious. Although he did not express his position clearly, he did not clearly refuse. It's just that I am not familiar with him and he refused to show his sincerity in front of me, but I think  It can be concluded that he indeed believes that Jingzhou has an opportunity and has the ambition to annex Jingzhou. "

    Liu Biao's face was ashen. He didn't need Wang Jian's explanation. He already understood Liu Jing's ambition from Wang Jian's narration. His fists slowly clenched. "This ungrateful and ungrateful bastard actually wants to steal his son's life."  Foundation!  ¡¯

    At this moment, Liu Biao felt murderous intent in his heart!

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 215 People¡¯s hearts are unpredictable (Part 2)

    [Today is the Ghost Festival, which is also the Bon Festival, commonly known as July Half. It is recommended that book friends should not go out for a walk at night, especially stay away from the river. If you really want to go out, it is best to bring garlic with you.  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    At the same moment when Wang Xi secretly reported to Liu Biao, in Kuai Mansion in Xiangyang, Kuai Yue and his brother Kuai Liang were discussing the current situation.

    Kuai Liang was in poor health and lived in his old house in Zhonglu County most of the time. This time Liu Biao celebrated his birthday and sent an invitation to Kuai Liang. More importantly, the situation in Jingzhou is complicated now. For the benefit of the family, Kuai Yue also hopes that his brother  Come give yourself a helping hand.

    "Is it unlikely that I will make Liu Qi his son-in-law?" Kuai Liang asked worriedly. Liu Qi is his son-in-law. If he cannot become his son-in-law, it will have a great impact on him.

    Kuai Yue sighed, "Originally I knew something was wrong with Mr. Qi. In May, Mr. Qi hoped to return to Xiangyang to serve, but was rejected by the state pastor. This time, the state pastor celebrated his birthday, and as the eldest son, he even participated in the preparations.  He has no qualifications, which shows that his status is worrying. I am at least 80% sure that Liu Biao is ready to make Liu Cong his heir. "

    Kuai Liang was silent for a while and then said: "So, what should the Kuai family do?"

    "This is why I invited my brother here."

    Kuai Yue smiled and said: "Frankly speaking, I want to increase my support for Liu Jing. If the east is not bright and the west is bright, and Liu Qi cannot help him, we will turn to support Liu Jing. I believe he will not let us down."

    "I can also understand Brother Xian's thoughts, and I will fully support it, butwhat does this have to do with me?" Kuai Liang asked with some confusion.

    "I talked to Liu Jing today and pointed out that his biggest disadvantage now is that he does not have a capable officialdom veteran to guide him, which makes him make many mistakes, so"

    When Kuai Yue said this, he looked at his brother expectantly. Kuai Liang suddenly understood what his brother meant, "You mean, let me assist Liu Jing?"

    Kuai Yue nodded, "For me, or for the Kuai family, there is no more suitable candidate than my brother. We support him at critical moments. I believe that with his ability, he will be able to replace Liu Cong and Liu Qi.  Become the Lord of Jingzhou."

    Kuai Liang walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. The news came suddenly, leaving him unprepared. However, Kuai Liang had a broad mind. He was considering not just short-term interests, but longer-term interests, even the century-old interests of his family.

    He frowned and asked hesitantly: "But dear brother, have you ever thought about how long it will take for Cao Cao to go south? And Liu Jing is an anti-Cao faction, is it in the interest of our family to support him?"

    Kuai Yue laughed, "Of course I have considered it. We support Liu Jing in seizing the lordship of Jingzhou and preventing the Cai family from ascending to power, but we do not support him in resisting Cao Cao. Judging from Liu Biao's current physical condition, he has at most two years left."  , I believe that before Cao Cao¡¯s army goes south, Jingzhou will definitely change its owner. If Liu Cong takes the throne and the Cai family takes power, that will be the beginning of the Kuai family¡¯s disaster, and I also got news that Jiangdong may also support Liu Jing.¡±

    Kuai Liang had a strange look in his eyes and said with a smile: "Maybe I am not well informed, but Jiangdong's support for Liu Jing seems a bit unreasonable and not in Jiangdong's interests. I think Jiangdong's support of Liu Cong is more in line with their capture."  Jingzhou¡¯s national policy.¡±

    "No! My brother only knows one thing but not the other. Faced with Cao's army moving southward in Jiangdong, they must hope that the Lord of Jingzhou will be a staunch anti-Cao faction. I got the exact news that Sun Quan went to Chaisang on the day after the Battle of Chaisang.  Lu Su was sent as an envoy to Chai Sang to discuss a way to reconcile. This shows Jiangdong's attitude towards Liu Jing, and I believe that sooner or later they will move toward an alliance. "

    Kuai Yue finally convinced Kuai Liang. Kuai Liang thought for a long time and then readily agreed, "Since brother Xian is so confident, I can follow brother Xian's arrangement to assist Liu Jing, but in what capacity should I go to Jiangxia?"

    When Kuai Yue saw that his brother had agreed, he was overjoyed. He stroked his beard and said with a smile, "I have already arranged your identity. Liu Jing will build an academy in Jiangxia. Let me be the president of the academy!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The winter rain in Xiangyang is still falling thinly and densely, but at night, the rain adds a bit of chill, making the winter rain half-icy and half-condensed, making it extremely cold. Whether it is Xiangyang or Fancheng, the streets are deserted and extremely cold.  See less pedestrians.

    When Wangjiang Tavern was about to close, Lu Ji finally walked out of the tavern, with two followers following him closely. Lu Ji lived in Fancheng, and he had to take a boat to cross the river, but tonight Lu Ji was a little too drunk, and the cold wind  As soon as he blew, he became drunk and started to stagger when walking. Two attendants quickly supported him from the side.

    "I'm fine!"

    He pushed away the two attendants and suddenly ran quickly to the roadside, squatted down and vomited, and the two attendants patted him on the back.

    At this moment, a carriage suddenly drove up beside them.Suddenly, several men in black jumped out of the carriage, as fast as eagles, and pushed Lu Ji and two followers to the ground. The two followers resisted desperately and were stabbed to death in an instant. Lu Ji was caught.  The carriage, together with the body, quickly disappeared into the dark rainy night.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although Liu Biao had ordered in the second year of Jian'an that no private prisons were allowed in Jingzhou, every big family had its own workarounds, and the Cai family was no exception.

    The Cai family has set up a punishment room in the sword hall to punish students who violate laws and disciplines. But in fact, this so-called punishment room is the Cai family's private prison. There is also a dungeon underground and is guarded by special family generals.

    It was just getting dark, and in the cold drizzle, a carriage slowly drove into the Cai Family Sword Hall, escorted by more than a hundred people. The sword hall was deserted at night, and there was not a single martial arts apprentice.

    The carriage stopped in front of a house. Cai Hao and Huang She walked out one after another. At this time, a dark figure came up, bowed and saluted: "See the head of the family!"

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡±

    Cai Hao praised him twice and then asked, "Where is he now?"

    The dark shadow is Lei Heng, the general of the Cai family. He led his men to arrest Lu Ji. In the darkness, he looked like a black tower. He bowed and replied: "Reporting to the master of the family, he is now imprisoned in the dungeon. He just drank too much.  Still a little confused.¡±

    Lei Heng respectfully presented another letter to Cai Mao, "This is the letter found on him. It is an autographed letter written by Sun Quan to Duke Pang De."

    Cai Mao took the letter, but did not read it. Instead, he asked Lei Hengdao: "Can anyone find him when he is arrested?"

    "No, both of his followers were killed very neatly."

    At this time, Huang She on the side couldn't help but said: "Uncle Shi, you might as well read the letter first."

    Cai Hao glanced at him and said calmly: "My dear nephew, don't worry, everything will happen in the same way."

    Huang She blushed, cursed secretly in his heart, and did not dare to say a word. Cai Mao opened the letter, and his men quickly put the lanterns forward. Cai Mao read it roughly, it was the recruitment letter written by Sun Quan to Pang Degong.

    But Cai Mao didn't care about the content of the letter. He only cared that the letter was written by Sun Quan, which was crucial to his plan.

    He praised the letter and couldn't help but smile proudly: "With this letter and Lu Ji, Liu Jing will not be able to escape this disaster."

    Huang She snorted coldly, "Then we need Lu Ji's cooperation. Will he be willing?"

    Yesterday, when Huang She met Cai Mao for the first time, he still acted like a junior. But today, his posture was a little less junior, his tone was a little more like a captain, and he was not so polite when talking to Cai Mao. This made Cai Mao feel a little better.  dissatisfied.

    Cai Mao said disdainfully in a mocking tone: "What do you young people who are studying fear most? Let me tell you, you are afraid of being beaten, afraid of death, afraid of damage to your reputation. Believe it or not, Lu Ji will bow his head obediently tonight.  Cooperate with me."

    Seeing that Huang She still looked unbelieving, Cai Hao snorted coldly and waved his hand, "Go and have a look!"

    The group of people followed Cai Mao into the house. Huang She hesitated and followed in.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the sword hall practice field about a hundred steps away from the punishment room, Cai Jin was practicing slashing on horseback. Tomorrow morning would be the day of his second martial arts competition with Liu Jing, and he was very nervous.

    Although there is no publicity for tomorrow's competition in advance and very few people know about it, it can be said that it is a private competition between the two of them. Even if they lose, there is no need to worry about damage to their reputation.

    But Cai Jin was still uneasy. He was very aware of the gap between himself and Liu Jing. He heard from his master that Liu Jing no longer used a gun, but a halberd made of fine steel, which weighed seventy kilograms, and his gold  The back lancet only weighs fifty kilograms, and there is a twenty kilogram difference between the two, which means that they are no longer in the same level.

    The master told him frankly that he was definitely not Liu Jing's opponent. Although he had already realized that he would lose, he could not break his promise in the martial arts competition agreed in the past. Cai Jin had never been a person who broke his promise. Even if he made the promise ten years ago, he could not break his promise.  He will also keep his promise and fight Liu Jing even though he knows he will lose.

    But at this time, Cai Jin's pressure came not only from Liu Jing, but also from within the family. The head of the family issued an order strictly prohibiting him from competing with Liu Jing tomorrow, otherwise he would be severely punished. The pressure from the family and the pressure from the gap in martial arts weighed heavily.  In his heart, he felt a little heroic.

    He considered for an afternoon whether to cancel tomorrow's duel with Liu Jing and admit defeat directly. He couldn't beat him anyway, but Cai Jin did not make this decision in the end. He still came to the sword hall practice ground to prepare for the battle.

    Cai Jin spurred his horse to gallop, swung his sword, and suddenly the sword flashed with murderous intent. His sword skills made him appear and disappear. Finally, he shouted loudly and chopped a wooden stake into the air with one strike. Cai Jin put away his sword and stared at the person who was being chopped.  The wooden pile was divided into three sections, and I couldn't help but sigh secretly.?, he was able to split it into three pieces last year. For more than a year, no matter how hard he tried, there was still no progress.

    "Third brother!"

    A young member of the Cai family rushed over and said excitedly: "The master of the family is also coming to the martial arts gym."

    Cai Jin was shocked. Could it be that the head of the family was looking for trouble for him?  "Where is he now?" Cai Jin asked nervously.

    "It seems that he went to the punishment room."

    This makes Cai Jin a little strange. What are you doing in the punishment room?  The head of the family never goes there. Is there any important person being imprisoned now?

    ¡°Third brother, I heard that someone was arrested and locked up in the basement of the punishment room. I don¡¯t know who he is specifically.¡±

    Cai Jin nodded, "Then is Cai Yi here?"

    The reason why he is interested in Cai Yi is because Cai Yi has been causing trouble for him. Cai Jin knows very well that if Cai Yi is not here, the head of the family will not bother him tonight.

    "Cai Yi didn't see it, but I saw Huang She."

    "Huang She!" Cai Jin was stunned, "Huang She, the son of Huang Zu?"

    "It was him. I saw him and the head of the family together, entering the punishment room together."

    Cai Jin felt strange. Didn't Huang She disappear on the battlefield?  Zhou Mu also offered a reward of 50,000 yuan to find Huang She's whereabouts.

    Why was he suddenly with the head of the family? Cai Jin was puzzled, so he whispered to the Cai family: "Take me to have a look."

    "Third brother, come with me. I know a place where I can hide so they can't find me."

    Cai Jin dismounted from his horse and followed his brothers into the darkness.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 216 Urgent Report

    ¡¾Please vote!  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    On the bank of the Han River in the west of Fancheng, several soldiers were anxiously waiting for Sima Liu Jing to appear. It had been nearly an hour since Liu Jing entered the water before dark. They only occasionally saw him breathing on the water.  Just like a mud cow entering the sea, it disappeared without a trace.

    One of the soldiers was particularly anxious. He came to report that someone was looking for Liu Jing in Fancheng and had been waiting for a long time.

    In this drizzly and extremely cold night, the Han River was not safe. The soldiers could see whirlpools rising on the water. Although the water was calm, there were rapid undercurrents under the water, which made them worried.

    Liu Jing has already adapted to the undercurrents underwater. He even learned to use the undercurrents to guide his strength. He even regarded the undercurrents as enemies coming from all directions and struggled to compete with them. This struggle with the undercurrents would consume a huge amount of physical strength.  Liu Jing will be exhausted every time, but it can greatly improve his martial arts skills.

    Today's practice is a little special for Liu Jing. He is not preparing for tomorrow's competition. He has not taken Cai Jin to heart yet. He is dealing with himself. He challenges himself every time. Today is no exception. Today he uses  The one he wore was the Fangtian Painted Halberd weighing ninety-one kilograms, which was the Wenhou Halberd given to him by the Tao family.

    Although the weapon used by Liu Jing is the 70-jin crescent halberd, in fact, his strength has been slowly improving. He can already use Gan Ning's 80-jin double halberd, but it is still a little short of fire, but to use  With the ninety-one-pound Fang Tian Hua Ji, he needed a breakthrough from quantitative change to qualitative change.

    During the Chaisang battle a month ago, he had a premonition of a power breakthrough in his body. This time when he came to Xiangyang, his premonition was particularly strong, so he specially brought Fang Tian Huaji with him.

    Today's undercurrents were turbulent and coming towards him from all directions. It was like breaking out of an encirclement among thousands of troops. Liu Jing waved the 91-pound Fangtian Painted Halberd under the water to fight against the undercurrents from all directions. He had trained  After an hour, I was already exhausted.

    But at this time, he had clearly felt the point where his body had broken through. It was like a light dozens of steps away. He could clearly see it and was struggling to walk towards it step by step. The oxygen in Liu Jing's chest was  Having vomited all he had, he began to be in a state of semi-anoxic suffocation. In this semi-anoxic state, his potential was maximized.

    "It's a pity that he can't hold on anymore. The breakthrough point seems to be right in front of him, like a flower that is blooming brightly, but he is unable to pick it. Liu Jing knows that if he doesn't get out of the water, he will die under the water.

    He struck out the last halberd, sighed secretly, released his legs from the boulder under him, let go of the halberd with both hands, and rushed towards the water quickly, 'Wow!  ¡¯ He rushed out of the water and breathed in the fresh air.

    Then he dived into the water suddenly, touched Fang Tian's painted halberd, and walked step by step from the bottom of the water to the shore. He was only one step away from a breakthrough, but in the end he failed.

    This so-called 'breakthrough' is actually a process of fixing the burst of potential. When the potential is stimulated again and again, this potential will slowly become a normal state, and breakthrough means a quantitative change to a qualitative change.  the final step.

    Liu Jing has already experienced two breakthroughs. He is not too frustrated. He knows that he has completed the ninety-nine steps and has a solid foundation. The last step can be taken at any time. This kind of breakthrough is not something that comes by chance.  It's not something you can ask for, it's something that comes naturally.

    When Liu Jing walked out of the river, the soldiers cheered and came forward to greet him. They wrapped his body in thick, dry linen cloth, and two soldiers took Fang Tian's painted halberd.

    "What's the matter?" Liu Jing noticed that another soldier was hesitant to speak, as if he wanted to report something.

    The soldier hurriedly stepped forward to report: "Let me report to Sima, someone has been waiting at the trading house for a long time."

    "who is it?"

    "Reporting to Sima, it's an officer named Cai, I think his name is Cai Jin."

    'It's him!  ¡¯ Liu Jing thought to herself, why is he here?  Could there be any changes in tomorrow's competition?

    "Is he the only one?" Liu Jing asked again.

    "Yes! He is the only one."

    After finishing his martial arts practice, Liu Jing usually had to sit still for half an hour to recover his strength, but since Cai Jin was waiting for him, he probably had something important to do, so Liu Jing stopped staying, quickly put on his clothes, mounted his horse and headed towards Fancheng.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Jin has been waiting for Liu Jing for nearly half an hour. He was pacing back and forth in the living room with many thoughts on his mind. He was very conflicted in his heart. He didn't know whether it was wise for him to come to Liu Jing tonight or whether it would harm the interests of the family.  But when the head of the family and Huang She left, he clearly heard what Huang She said before getting on the carriage.

    ¡®Liu Jing will die this timeundoubtedly!  ¡¯

    It was this sentence that gave Cai Jin the idea to help Liu Jing. Although Cai Jin had a sword duel with Liu Jing two years ago due to Liu Cong's request, and he was defeated by Liu Jing's sword that time, it was that sword duel.  , which made Cai Jin feel a sense of sympathy for Liu Jing.

    This time Liu Jing defeated the Jiangdong Army in Chaisang, which made Cai Jin full of admiration for Liu Jing. He even took the initiative to propose a competition early this morning, which was already an honor for him.

    On the other hand, Cai Jin is a Wenpin disciple and an upright person. He has always disliked some of the family master's actions, especially in order to support Liu Cong, the family master did not hesitate to marry Shao Yu to a useless man.  Cai Jin was extremely dissatisfied.

    This time, when Huang She was about to collude with the head of the family to frame Liu Jing secretly, Cai Jin couldn't bear it anymore and came to report the news to Liu Jing overnight. But no matter what, he would never do anything to betray the family. He had to consider a plan that would satisfy both parties.  , which can not only help Liu Jing, but also not harm the interests of the family.

    Just as Cai Jin was pacing back and forth in the living room, there was a sound of footsteps down the hall, followed by Liu Jing's hearty laughter, "Brother Cai, are you going to change the competition to evening?"

    Cai Jin turned around and saw Liu Jing walking quickly into the lobby. He hurriedly stepped forward to greet her, "I've met Liu Sima before. I'm here to bother you so late. I really have something important to do."

    Liu Jing nodded slightly and waved her hand, "Please sit down and talk!"

    The two sat down, and Liu Jing looked at Cai Jin with a smile. He never imagined that Cai Jin would have anything important to do.

    Cai Jin pondered for a moment and said, "I saw Huang She tonight."

    This is indeed something that interests Liu Jing. He has been paying close attention to Huang She's whereabouts. He knows that Huang She is a poisonous snake hiding in the dark and will spring out and bite him at any time when he is not paying attention.

    "Where did you see Huang She?" Liu Jing asked again.

    Cai Jin shook his head, "There are some things I can't say more. It's related to the interests of the family. All Liu Sima needs to know is that Huang She is in Xiangyang now. He wants to frame you, and it seems that he has already caught you. You should be careful!"

    Liu Jing nodded. Although Cai Jin didn't say it explicitly, he hinted to himself that Huang She and Cai Mao were colluding. It should be said that this was also expected by Liu Jing. After all, they had a common enemy.  Easier to move toward union.

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "I can understand Brother Cai's difficulties. Apart from what you just said, is there anything else that Brother Cai can tell me?"

    Cai Jin lowered his head and thought for a moment. Perhaps he also felt that the information he provided was too little to help Liu Jing. He gritted his teeth and finally said: "There is a person imprisoned in the dungeon of the Cai Family Sword Hall's punishment room. I don't know who it is."  I know, but this person is Huang She¡¯s key figure in dealing with you.¡±

    Having said this, Cai Jin stood up and saluted, "I can only say this much."

    Liu Jing returned the gift and said sincerely: "Thank you, Brother Cai, for reporting the letter in time. Liu Jing is very grateful!"

    Cai Jin shook his head and smiled calmly, "Liu Sima and I are neither enemies nor friends, but I respect Liu Sima as a warrior, so I will do my best to ask Sima to take care. Cai Jin bids farewell!"

    Cai Jin didn¡¯t mention the martial arts competition tomorrow at all, and Liu Jing didn¡¯t mention it either. Both of them knew in their hearts that at this time of murderous intent, tomorrow¡¯s martial arts competition would probably not be held.

    Cai Jin said goodbye and left. Liu Jing stood at the gate and watched Cai Jin's back walking away. She couldn't help but fell into deep thought. How did Huang She frame her? What did he hold on to?

    He looked at the sky. It was just dark at this time, and the city gate of Xiangyang was not closed yet. He immediately ordered: "Bring me a horse, I want to go to Xiangyang!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Half an hour later, Liu Jing led 20 soldiers in front of Cai's Sword Hall. The door of Cai's Sword Hall was closed. Liu Jing winked at a soldier. The soldier understood and immediately went up to knock on the door.

    After a while, someone inside responded: "Who is it?"

    "I'm here to increase the defense of the punishment room on the orders of the family leader. Open the door quickly!"

    The door creaks!  ¡¯ There was a sound, and an old man looked around. Before he could react, a gleaming sword was placed on his neck, which frightened the old man and almost fainted.

    The soldier grabbed him by the collar of his clothes and said, "Say quickly! Where is the punishment room?"

    The old man pointed to the northwest corner tremblingly. The soldier pushed him and said, "Take us there!"

    Liu Jing rushed into the sword hall on horseback and ran towards the punishment room. The punishment room was a building covering an area of ??one acre, with a rockery behind it.

    Everyone walked into the gate, and the building was pitch dark. A soldier lit a torch, and everyone could clearly see the structure inside. After walking through three iron gates, they entered the lobby, which was divided into small rooms.

      There are iron bars in front of each room. Obviously, each room is a small cell, but these cells are empty and there is not a single prisoner in sight.

    "Where is the entrance to the dungeon?" Liu Jing asked the concierge sternly.

    The concierge pointed to the east corner tremblingly, and everyone saw it. There was an iron gate there. As soon as everyone walked to the iron gate, they saw a guard running out in a panic and rushing to the other side.

    Several soldiers rushed up to him and pushed him to the ground. The guard was so frightened that he shouted: "Don't kill me! It has nothing to do with me."

    The soldiers escorted the guard back. The guard was so frightened that he knelt down in front of Liu Jing and kowtowed repeatedly, "Spare your life! It has nothing to do with the villain."

    Liu Jing pointed at the guard with her riding crop and said coldly: "Let me ask you, who is being held in the dungeon?"

    "Yesit's Lu Ji, the envoy from Jiangdong. He was taken away half an hour ago bythe head of the family, and all the prisoners were taken away."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 217 By any means necessary

    At the same moment when Liu Jing left Xiangyang in despair, a house in the south of Xiangyang suddenly burst into flames. Hundreds of soldiers surrounded the house. The sound of swords and screams kept coming from inside. From time to time, soldiers carrying  Bring out the body of the murdered man.

    Cai Mao stood in front of the house with his hands behind his back, with a proud smile on his face. This house was temporarily designated as the residence of Jiangdong spies. They would catch Jiangdong spies Lu Ji here. As for the followers who were killed, they naturally came from Cai Mao.  Prisoner raised in home dungeon.

    For Cai Hao, this method of subverting one's strengths and weaknesses has long been familiar to him. He has arranged everything properly without any flaws.

    At this time, several soldiers dragged Lu Ji out from the crowd. It could be seen that Lu Ji had been beaten badly and his breath was weak.

    The soldier stepped forward and reported, "To the military advisor, this person resisted fiercely. The brothers were a little more ruthless, but they did not kill him."

    Cai Hao nodded and asked, "What can you find?"

    A soldier handed over a bundle, "This is his personal belongings."

    Cai Hao rummaged through the bag and found a letter. His eyes narrowed and he could not hide his pride.

    "take away!"

    Cai Maohao smiled and waved his hand, "Take him to see Zhou Mu."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was already Xu Shizheng, which was eight o'clock in the evening. Many people had gone to sleep. The streets were quiet and there were few pedestrians. More than a hundred soldiers escorted the injured Lu Ji and quickly came to the Prefecture Mufu.

    Cai Hao walked beside Lu Ji and lowered his voice: "If you want to survive, just do as I say, otherwise, I will let you die without a chance to die."

    Lu Ji had been conquered by the torture. He sighed quietly and said nothing.

    Cai Hao snorted coldly, walked quickly to the door of the mansion, raised his hands to the two guards who came out after hearing the news, and said: "Please tell Zhou Mu, I have something important that needs to be reported to Zhou Mu urgently."

    Liu Biao was in his study at this time. He had just received news that there was a fire in a house in the south of the city. He was about to send someone to check on the situation. At this time, a guard came outside to report, "Advisor Cai is here and said there is something urgent to report."

    Liu Biao was startled. Could it be related to the fire in the south of the city? He immediately ordered: "Bring him in!"

    Not long after, Cai Mao hurried into the study and said excitedly: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Wei Chen just received a report that someone was hiding in a house in the south of the city with weapons. Wei Chen led people to arrest him, but he didn't expect to catch him.  Jiangdong Detective."

    Liu Biao didn¡¯t react for a moment and asked, ¡°What Jiangdong spy?¡±

    "Reporting to Zhoumu, it is Jiangdong who reported Cao Yulu Ji, and I know this person."

    After speaking, Cai Mao presented another letter to Liu Biao. This was the letter he carried with him, and it seemed to be Sun Quan's personal letter.

    Liu Biao took the letter and glanced at it. The cover of the letter read, 'To Liu, the Governor of Jiangxia.  £®  £®  £®  ¡¯

    This is indeed Sun Quan¡¯s handwriting, and Liu Biao recognizes it, but who is Liu Prefect of Jiangxia?  Liu Biao's thoughts changed and he suddenly realized that this so-called Prefect Liu was Liu Jing, wasn't he?  Anger welled up in his heart.

    He tore open the cover of the letter, took out the letter and read it again. It was indeed a handwritten letter from Sun Quan to Liu Jing. There was a seal of the Marquis of Wu underneath. The content in his heart was that he hoped that the two families could reconcile and fight against Cao Cao together. In the second half of the letter, he expressed  Sun Quan's worries about Liu Qi and Liu Cong were relieved.

    'The people in the north are not good at boating, and Cao's army needs to rely on soldiers from Jingzhou to conquer the south. Regardless of whether Qi or Cong are the masters of Jingzhou, they will be a disaster to Jiangdong. But the young master is brave and good at fighting, with far-sighted vision, and can resist Cao Cao. Quan heard that the young master has great ambitions,  Not willing to be a prisoner of Cao's thieves, so is Quan!

    Jiangdong is willing to do his best to help the young master ascend to the position of Jingzhou Shepherd and control the army of Jingzhou. Jiangdong and Jiangxi can build and defeat Cao's coalition forces to fight against Cao's thieves.

    Please return to Jiangxia as soon as possible and send envoys to Jiangdong to discuss cooperation matters in detail. Quan is looking forward to it!  ¡¯

    After reading this letter, Liu Biao's face gradually turned purple, and the intense anger clouded his mind. He finally couldn't help but cursed: "How dare you bully me, Shu Zian!"

    Cai Hao was secretly happy and struck again while the iron was hot: "Lu Ji is outside in the yard, but he resisted fiercely, was seriously injured, and his breath is very weak. Can Wei Chen go and treat his injuries first?"

    Liu Biao restrained his raging anger and walked slowly to the door. He looked at Lu Ji who was being held up by several soldiers in the yard. He lowered his head and breathed weakly.

    "Lift his face up!"

    A soldier grabbed Lu Ji's hair and lifted his face up. A soldier put a torch in front of him, illuminating Lu Ji's face. Liu Biao nodded. Sure enough, it was Mr. Lu who was pregnant with oranges during the dinner. Three years ago  He had seen it once.

    "Take him down for treatment, don't hurt him!" Liu Biao knew his father Lu Kang, since he wasIt¡¯s not a bad idea to abuse a son of a human being too much.

    The soldiers took Lu Ji down, and Cai Hao was secretly happy. Liu Biao did not cross-examine Lu Ji, which showed that he completely believed the matter. He knew that Liu Jing and Jiang Dong secretly colluded to seek the position of Jingzhou, which Liu Biao could not tolerate under any circumstances.  thing.

    "Zhou Mu, I am willing to personally lead the troops to capture Liu Jing."

    Liu Biao looked up at the dark red sky for a long time, and finally shook his head, "Let me think about this again!"

    Cai Mao was very anxious and said quickly: "But Zhou Mu"

    Before he could finish speaking, Liu Biao waved his hand, "Go ahead! I'm a little tired."

    "Yes! Wei Chen is resigning."

    Cai Hao had no choice but to retreat. The room and yard suddenly became quiet, and he could only hear the raindrops hitting the fallen leaves, rustling!  ¡¯ sound.

    Liu Biao was pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He was thinking about the incident where Wang Jing tested Liu Jing at noon. Then in the evening, the scandal broke out that Liu Jing secretly colluded with Soochow to seize Jingzhou. Although this incident felt too coincidental.  A little, but Liu Zhan now preferred to believe it was true. He only felt mentally and physically haggard and extremely tired.

    After a long time, Liu Biao sighed softly, "Jing'er, you are forcing me to do this!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Mao, his men and Lu Ji hurriedly left the Prefectural Mufu Mansion. Beside the gate, a maid was waiting anxiously with a letter in her hand.

    At this time, the maid saw Cai Mao approaching from a distance, and she was about to go up to him. Suddenly, two black figures appeared behind him, covered her mouth, and dragged her into the darkness.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The letter in the maid's hand soon appeared on Liu Cong's desk, and two of his guards reported: "The young lady's personal maid was about to deliver this letter to Military Advisor Cai, but it was intercepted by me."

    ¡°Well done!¡±

    Liu Cong praised, "I'll reward you with a thousand coins. Go to the accounting office to get it!"

    "Thank you, sir!"

    The two guards were grateful and retreated. Liu Cong's face immediately darkened, and he cursed in his heart: This bitch secretly sent a message to her parents' family!

    Liu Cong tore open the letter and read it hastily. He was shocked. Cai Shaoyu actually mentioned in the letter that he was experimenting with a strange medicine. She knocked over the bottle of medicine and was beaten by him. She asked her father to seek justice for her.  .

    This is actually Cai Shaoyu's normal statement of facts, but in Liu Cong's heart, it was as if his secret had been revealed all at once, making him panic and angry.

    "This bitch must be taught a lesson!"

    Liu Cong gritted his teeth, pulled out the sword from the wall, and rushed out. Losing his roots as a man, Liu Cong's heart gradually became twisted and perverted, full of darkness and viciousness.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing had just crossed the Han River and a group of people had just arrived at Fancheng. Just as he was about to enter the city, a burst of horse hooves came from a distance, and then several soldiers galloped over on horseback, shouting from a distance: "Master Jing, slow down."  !¡±

    Liu Jing watched several soldiers approaching. He seemed to have seen the leader, who seemed to be Liu Biao's personal bodyguard. At this time, the cavalry rushed to him, reined in their horses and shouted: "The state pastor has something urgent to see you, please."  Master, go to Xiangyang quickly."

    This is the second time Liu Jing went to visit Liu Biao in just two days. The first time he took the initiative to visit him, but this time Liu Biao summoned him.

    Recalling what Cai Jin said, Huang She seemed to have caught him. Liu Biao's late-night summons made Liu Jing extremely vigilant.

    He thought for a moment and realized that Liu Biao had to see him, but he also had to be prepared. He immediately returned to his residence, wore fine armor under his clothes, and took antidote beforehand.

    At the same time, Liu Jing arranged for 300 soldiers to meet outside Xiangyang City, and arranged for two large ships to wait in front of Xiangyang Pier. Then he led 20 elite soldiers and several guards to Xiangyang.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The light in the study was bright, and Liu Biao deliberately put on makeup to hide his old age. He was smiling and looked extremely kind and kind.

    "Haha! I brought you here tonight because I want to have a chat with you. It won't affect your rest, right?"

    Liu Jing bowed respectfully and said, "My nephew is just worried about affecting my uncle's rest!"

    "It doesn't matter!"

    Liu Biao smiled and said: "I took a nap in the afternoon and am in good spirits. Sit down!"

    The uncle and nephew sat down, and two big men like stone sculptures stood behind Liu Biao with their hands crossed, as if they were the work of a clumsy sculptor. Their bodies were surprisingly thick, but their faces had no life at all.

    Liu Biao personally poured a cup of hot tea for Liu Jing. Looking at the hot tea, although it was the most tempting thing on a cold winter night, Liu Jing still restrained himself.In order to suppress his thirst, he just pretended to pick up the tea bowl and touched his lips.

    At this time, he was extremely vigilant. Liu Biao's old appearance made him involuntarily think of poison. Although he had taken the antidote beforehand, he was still very careful.

    However, Liu Biao didn't seem to notice the pretense of Liu Jing drinking tea. In other words, if he saw it, he would pretend not to see it. His smile at this time was not just a pretense.

    "My dear nephew, you must be eighteen years old this year!"

    "My nephew will be nineteen years old in the future."

    "Nineteen years old is the perfect age to make achievements. Sun Bofu also joined the army at the age of nineteen. Although I don't like this person, I have to admit that he has extraordinary qualities."

    Liu Jing was silent and listened quietly to Liu Biao's words. He felt that Liu Biao was gradually getting to the point. Liu Biao changed the topic and sighed: "Today, I suddenly thought of your father, my younger brother. He  Only your bloodline remains in the world, and I have the responsibility to take good care of you for him, Jing'er, do you have a name?"

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, nephew, it seems I have had it before, but I forgot about it.¡±

    Liu Jing heard Uncle Meng say that he had words, but Uncle Meng didn't know. At this time, he took a deep breath and could only answer by saying that he had forgotten.

    Liu Biao raised his head and thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said: "I remembered it. Your father had given him the name Yansi, Liu Yansi, but it was rejected. It seems that the elders in the clan already had the name Yansi.  Jing'er, let me give you a new word!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 218 Crisis breaks out

    Liu Jing leaned forward and said, "Uncle decides everything!"

    Liu Biao smiled and nodded. He stroked his beard and thought for a moment and said, "Your father's name is Liu Bing. In fact, this is not his real name. It was because he grew up to be frail and sick, so your grandfather changed his name to Bing. His real name is Liu Biao."  Liu Qing, courtesy name Wensheng."

    Liu Biao paused and smiled again: "You are my father's only bloodline, and you will continue his line of future generations, so I will give you a name: Yanqing, so that your name contains both my name and my father's name, Jing'er."  , I hope you have more children, but up to now, our brothers don¡¯t have a grandchild, which makes me very anxious.¡±

    "Yanqing, Liu Yanqing!"

    Liu Jing secretly thought that this abbreviation was not elegant enough, and he couldn't help but think of Prince Yanqing. Fortunately, his name was not Xiaoqing, nor Yan'an, but since he had already decided, he did not refuse, and quickly bowed and said: "  Thank you uncle for the words!¡±

    "You don't have to be polite to me, this is my responsibility."

    Liu Biao chuckled, then picked up the teapot and added water to his bowl, only to find that the tea was not moved at all. He was startled, and immediately understood, secretly annoyed in his heart, this bastard!  To be so vigilant.

    But there was no expression on Liu Biao's face. After describing his family relationship, he started to get down to the topic of the day. He sighed again and said: "Speaking of the few heirs, I have to talk to you about marriage. I heard some rumors.  You plan to marry Tao Sheng¡¯s daughter, is there anything wrong with that?¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "It is true!"

    Liu Jing was ready to wait for Liu Biao's rage, but unexpectedly, Liu Biao was very calm. He thought for a moment and said slowly: "The Tao family is a businessman, but you, Liu Jing, are my nephew and a member of the royal family."  Direct lineage, this difference in family status, have you ever considered it?¡±

    Of course Liu Jing had considered it, and he replied calmly: "Cao Cao's first wife, Ding, and his first wife, Bian, never had a noble status. Uncle Liu's wife, Mi, was also the daughter of a merchant. He never heard him dislike her. My nephew thought that a man's son  Jianye should strive for self-improvement, why rely on his wife?¡±

    Speaking of this, he felt a little ashamed. Wasn't he relying on the Tao family's strong financial resources?

    Liu Biao still didn't get angry. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "Have you decided to marry her?"

    "I have decided!"

    Liu Biao nodded, "I know you like to be independent. When I asked you to marry the Cai family's daughter, you refused to marry the merchant's daughter, so why not! I know that Tao Lie once served as an official in Nanyang County, and I plan to join forces with Xuande to send troops.  Attack Nanyang, and after capturing Nanyang, I will appoint you as the governor of Nanyang and Tao Sheng as the county magistrate of Nanyang. What do you think?"

    Only then did Liu Jing understand what Liu Biao meant. He wanted to use the marriage in exchange for giving up Jiangxia, and at the same time use Nanyang County to compensate. What a good idea!

    Liu Jing could not help but sneer in her heart, not to mention whether Nanyang could be captured, even if it could be captured, would it be possible to defend it?  If he can't hold on, Liu Jing will have no choice but to come to Xiangyang to beg for food.

    The more important thing is Liu Bei. Liu Biao¡¯s deeper foreshadowing is that he wants to compete with Liu Bei to cause internal strife in Nanyang. He comes to reap the benefits, which is a good idea, but does he need Liu Biao to make the decision in his marriage?

    Liu Jing lowered his head and said nothing. He did not agree immediately. He knew that if he refused categorically, the consequence would be that he would not be able to leave Liu's house. But if he agreed, Liu Biao would immediately announce the appointment of him as the prefect of Nanyang County to appease his subordinates, and he  I can't leave Liu's house either, what should I do?

    At this moment, Liu Jing suddenly heard the low and dense footsteps, which had surrounded the study. Liu Jing raised his head and glanced at Liu Biao, and found that the affection in his smile had disappeared, and there was a flash of light behind his hypocritical smile.  A fierce murderous intention that is difficult to conceal.

    Liu Jing's thoughts were spinning rapidly. The only way to escape was to kidnap Liu Biao and leave Xiangyang City. But in that case, his charges of disloyalty and unfilial piety would be confirmed, and his future would be completely ruined. But if not, how could he leave Liu Biao?  Mansion?

    Besides, two bodyguards were standing next to Liu Biao, yes!  Next to him, behind him just now, now they were standing on either side of Liu Biao, one on the left and one on the right. He had no chance at all.

    The two pairs of stone sculptures' dull eyes suddenly became as sharp as sharp knives, staring at him fiercely. As long as he made the slightest movement, the two bodyguards would immediately activate and block Liu Biao with their mountain-like bodies.

    Sweat had soaked Liu Jing's back. For the first time, he felt that there was nothing he could do. At this moment, a young woman shouted in terror from outside, "Save me! Father-in-law, save me!"

    This was Cai Shaoyu's voice, and Liu Jing also recognized it. It was like a door accidentally opened in front of a dead end, and Liu Jing's heart suddenly lit up.

    Cai Shaoyu suddenly burst into tears, "Let go, let me go!"

    The door bangs!  ¡¯ After being knocked away, Cai Shaoyu stumbled in. She was not so rude and forceful.In the study, Liu Cong wanted to kill her, which frightened her so much that she rushed into the study desperately.

    Seeing that Cai Shaoyu was about to fall, Liu Jing quickly supported her and said, "Second sister-in-law, be careful!"

    Several soldiers also rushed to the door. They failed to catch Cai Shaoyu and let her rush in. The soldiers' faces were extremely frightened. Cai Shaoyu's unexpected appearance interrupted the crisis that was about to break out. Liu Biao could not hold back his anger and shouted angrily.  :"What happened?"

    Cai Shaoyu fell to her knees and cried loudly, unable to utter a word. She wrote a letter to her father this afternoon to tell him about her humiliation. Unexpectedly, the letter was intercepted by her husband Liu Cong.

    Just now, Liu Cong threatened her with a sword, not allowing her to reveal what happened during the day to anyone. Cai Shaoyu discovered that Liu Cong really wanted to kill her, and she was so frightened that she ran to Liu Biao for help.

    There was a sound of footsteps running towards her, and Liu Cong also chased her to the door of the study. He held a sword in his hand and stared at Cai Shaoyu fiercely. If this bitch dared to reveal his secret, he would kill her with one strike.

    Liu Biao became even angrier when he saw his son entering the house with a sword, "Beast, what are you going to do? Drag him out!"

    The opportunity suddenly appeared in front of Liu Jing, and before it disappeared, Liu Jing stepped forward, grabbed Liu Cong, and took the sword from his hand, but shouted angrily, "Second brother, what are you doing? Take  Is the sword threatening my father? Come out with me!"

    He grabbed Liu Cong and strode outside. The long sword was unknowingly placed on Liu Cong's shoulder and back, only two inches away from the back of his neck. At this time, Liu Cong hadn't reacted, and his bones were shaking.  It was pinched by Liu Jing, and the pain caused him to yell: "Asshole! Let me go, someone, let him go!"

    Liu Jing warned in a very low voice: "If you dare to scream again, I will kill you with one sword!"

    Liu Jing¡¯s gloomy tone finally made Liu Cong come to his senses. He glanced at Liu Jing and saw the murderous intent in his eyes, and the long sword was placed under his neck.

    He saw hundreds of sergeants hiding around him, and then he finally understood that his father was going to deal with Liu Jing, but unfortunately he became Liu Jing's hostage. He was suddenly frightened and turned around to look at his father eagerly.

    Hundreds of soldiers who were lying in ambush around him showed up one after another. They watched helplessly as the second young master became Liu Jing's hostage, but no one dared to step forward.

    Liu Biao also chased him out of the room, and saw Liu Jing holding his sword under the back of his son's neck. He was stunned and stunned. He was anxious and angry, but there was nothing he could do.

    At this time, Liu Jing said loudly: "Uncle, the second brother is emotionally unstable. I will take him to Fancheng first and give him some guidance. Don't worry, uncle! As long as I am here, the second brother will never have an accident."

    Just when Liu Cong was about to speak, the cold sword had already moved to his neck, and the sharp blade cut his skin. "If you want to die, just say it!" Liu Cong was so frightened that he bit his lips violently, not daring to say another word.

    Liu Jing dragged Liu Cong quickly out of the study yard and walked to the front yard. At this time, Mrs. Cai also heard the news that Liu Cong was going to kill Shaoyu, and ran in panic, but met Liu Jing and Liu Cong head-on.  .

    "What's going on, Liu Jing, what are you doing with your sword against my son?"

    Liu Jing was ready to risk his life at this time. He shouted in a low voice: "Get out! If you say one more thing, I will kill you too."

    ¡°Madam, leave quickly!¡±

    Hundreds of guards rushed out with knives, and the leading officer shouted, "He has taken the second young master hostage, madam, go away!"

    Mrs. Cai then realized the danger, and her face changed with fright, and she rolled and crawled aside.

    It was as if she was meeting Liu Jing for the first time, and she felt extremely frightened in her heart. The cold murderous intent in Liu Jing's eyes made her tremble, her legs weakened, and she collapsed to the ground. The two maids could not help her.

    Liu Jing couldn't care about Mrs. Cai at this time. He was so anxious that if he delayed another step, the danger would be even greater. He no longer showed mercy and dragged Liu Cong out quickly, only to hear Liu Cong's unbearable pain.  He cried: "Please be gentle, please be gentle, blood! My neck is bleeding."

    At this time, Liu Biao also ran out with a sword. He seemed not to have seen his wife lying on the ground. His eyes were burning with anger and he stared fiercely at Liu Jing's retreating back.

    At this time, the leader of his guards came forward to report: "It's not too late to catch him now, please ask the state pastor for instructions!"

    Liu Biao originally just wanted to catch Liu Jing and control him in his house, and had no intention of killing him. Now that his son was in Liu Jing's hands, his last bit of courage was gone, and he could only sigh and said: "Keep an eye on him."  He, don¡¯t act rashly.¡±

    "Zhou Mu, maybe we can use the army to intercept them in Fancheng."

    "asshole!"

    Liu Biao suddenly became furious, raised his hand and slapped him in the face, "Do you want to kill my son?"

    He turned around and stormed towards the study angrily and left.After a few steps, he stopped and turned around and ordered: "No one is allowed to leak this matter!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing dragged Liu Cong out of the mansion. Fortunately, twenty of his men were still holding horses and waiting opposite the gate. Seeing Liu Jing almost rushing out, the soldiers gathered around him.

    "Sima, what happened?"

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask too many questions!¡±

    Liu Jing pushed Liu Cong to the soldiers, "Tie him up and take him away!"

    The soldiers quickly tied up Liu Cong, gagged him, covered him with a blanket, and put him on horseback. Everyone got on their horses and followed Liu Jing towards the north gate.

    It was already the first watch, and the rain was getting heavier. The dense rain was mixed with tiny snow particles, and it was bitingly cold. Liu Jing led his men and quickly ran to the foot of the North City, shouting: "I am Liu Jing,  The state pastor¡¯s summons is over, please open the city gate and let me out!¡±

    The soldiers on the top of the city recognized him. Just now, the guards of the State Shepherd led Liu Jing into the city with gold medals. Now he was leaving the city. According to the custom, he also needed to show his gold medals when leaving the city. However, the soldiers guarding the city respected Liu Jing, so they did not embarrass him and opened the door.  The city gate.

    Liu Jing galloped towards the outside of the city. Just as Liu Jing left the city, hundreds of Liu Biao's guards immediately chased him. The leading officer shouted to the top of the city: "Where is Mr. Jing?"

    "We've left the city!"

    "You damn bastards, how dare you open the city and release people without permission!" The guards yelled, but they did not dare to rush out of the city.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The war horse stopped by the Han River. Liu Jing raised his head and felt the coldness of the dense rain mixed with snow particles hitting his face. The biting ice could not compare with the chill in his heart.

    The chill in his heart seemed to freeze his whole body, mind and emotions into icicles. The shock tonight was unforgettable in his life. He had to be grateful to God. When he was facing despair, God once again released kindness to him.  .

    After sorting out his thoughts for a while, Liu Jing immediately turned back to Li Qing and said: "You lead a hundred brothers to rush to Longzhong immediately, bring Miss Tao and Mr. Xu back, and tell them that the situation is critical and they must return to Jiangxia immediately."

    Li Qing agreed and immediately led a group of soldiers towards Longzhong. Liu Jing said to a soldier: "Hurry back to the trading house immediately and ask all brothers to get out of the city and board the ship!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 219 Withdraw eastward

    At the fourth watch, the rain had stopped, and snowflakes were flying in the sky. The first snow in Xiangyang finally came. Xu Shu and Tao Zhan, guarded by more than a hundred soldiers, had crossed the Han River and were heading towards Fancheng.  .

    Xu Shu was riding on the horse, with a trace of unconcealed worry in his eyes. Li Qing had already briefly told him what happened in Xiangyang.

    Although Li Qing didn't know what happened specifically, Xu Shu had combined some information about the late-night summons, emergency return, and Liu Cong as a hostage, and he guessed that Liu Biao must have attacked Liu Jing.  .

    But Xu Shu was still puzzled. Jiangxia negotiations had not officially begun yet. Why did Liu Biao act in such a hurry?  This is not in line with normal behavior, but looks like the actions of an impatient boy. Liu Biao is obviously not a young boy.

    What happened here?  Xu Shu is now eager to see Liu Jing to learn the truth.

    In the carriage, Tao Zhan was also thoughtful and silent. While she didn't understand why Liu Jing was so anxious to get them back, she felt even more worried.

    She is the daughter of a businessman. She knows that in business wars, there is intrigue and ruthlessness in the pursuit of profit. In the field of power, in addition to ruthlessness in the fight for power, there is also a kind of bloody killing. After all, Liu Jing is only a nineteen-year-old young man. He can fight with  Do these sophisticated people fight?

    Today, she spent a day with Huang Yueying. She sincerely envied Huang Yueying's life. She cared for her husband and raised her children, and was carefree. She did not have to worry about her husband's safety in the power arena, nor did she need to consider the fate of herself and her children. She was calm and peaceful.  Spending this life peacefully is not a blessing.

    But thinking more deeply, Huang Yueying's husband is not willing to spend his life in such a plain and peaceful way. Isn't he going to Shuzhong just looking for opportunities to become an official?

    Therefore, Huang Yueying's peace can only be temporary. In the final analysis, a peaceful and peaceful life is just an ideal for women, an unrealistic ideal.

    A mediocre man is carefree and indifferent, but would she, Tao Zhan or Huang Yueying, be willing to marry such a mediocre man?

    Tao Zhan couldn't help but reveal a faint bitter smile. Since she chose Liu Jing, she should accept his life and not think of changing it. Only by following the trend and trying to help her is what Tao Zhan should do.  .

    At this time, the carriage stopped. Tao Zhan looked through the curtains and saw five large dark ships. They had arrived.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    When the last soldier got on the big ship, the five big ships began to slowly start, sailing towards Jiangxia without hesitation and determination.

    Xu Shu freshened up a little, and then hurried to Liu Jing's cabin with the soldiers. In the cabin, Liu Jing was writing a letter at his desk. Xu Shu did not dare to disturb him and stood quietly aside.

    After a while, Liu Jing finished writing the last line and read it briefly. When the ink was slightly dry, she put it in an envelope and sealed it with wax.

    First, he handed a letter to a soldier and told him: "Go to Lumen Academy in Longzhong quickly, give this letter to Pang Degong, and tell him that everything about the academy will be entrusted to him. I will wait for you in Jiangxia."  "

    The soldier saluted and hurried away. Liu Jing handed the second letter and the third letter to another soldier, "This is a military report. Give it to Liu Biejia, the prefecture government officer. He said that he just received Chai Sang."  Urgent information, Jiangdong Army has reinforced Peng Ze, I must rush back immediately, and then ask him to take you to see Zhou Mu, and then hand this letter to Zhou Mu in person. "

    Both messengers left the cabin, and Liu Jing smiled bitterly at Xu Shu and said, "We left in such a hurry, and many things can only be made up for by writing letters."

    "Sima, I just heard that Liu Cong was also on the boat?" Xu Shu asked in surprise.

    Liu Jing nodded, "He will be our talisman all the way east. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us to escape Zhang Yun's interception when we go back. Only with Liu Cong in my hands, Zhang Yun will be cautious and not dare to act rashly."

    "But Sima should also know Zhang Yun very well. He often does things by any means. If he pretends not to know that Liu Cong is in our hands and takes action forcefully, how should we deal with it?" Xu Shu asked with a little worry.

    "So I want to write a letter to Zhou Mu to let him know that this is possible. I have promised in the letter that as long as I arrive in Jiangxia safely, Liu Cong will come back safely, otherwise we will all die together. I believe he will  Warn Zhang Yun, Zhang Yun has just taken office, he dare not ignore Zhou Mu¡¯s warning.¡±

    Xu Shu nodded and said with a smile: "Sima has thought carefully. In fact, Zhang Yun may not be able to react when we speed up and rush through Yicheng County. He can't think of it. Why did we go back in just two days? Maybe Zhang Yun is here too."  On the way to Xiangyang for birthday wishes."

    "Yuan Zhi is right, it is very possible, but we still have to take precautions, and only by being careful can we sail the thousand-year shipWell!  "

    Both of them laughed in understanding. Xu Shu sat down. He was more concerned about what happened that made Liu Jing escape overnight and asked, "Sima, can you tell me what happened?"

    Liu Jing¡¯s face became solemn and she sighed slightly, ¡°Liu Biao wanted to arrest me tonight, but I was lucky enough to catch Liu Cong and escape from Liu¡¯s mansion.¡±

    "Why is this? The Jiangxia negotiations have not yet begun, and Liu Biao is eager to make this move. This is a bit unreasonable." Xu Shu was full of doubts, and this was what he couldn't understand.

    Liu Jing guessed it, and he sighed and continued: "It was Cai who came in tonight and told me that Huang She and Cai Hao colluded to imprison a person in Cai's Sword Hall. I rushed to the sword hall and found out that they had captured Lu Ji  , If I guessed correctly, he should have accused me of having an affair with Jiang Dong and trying to conspire with Jingzhou. Liu Biao believed it, and then he took the murderous intention. "

    Xu Shu sighed: "I think it can only be for this reason. The more important thing than Jiangxia is Jingzhou. It should be that he found out that you had the ambition to seize Jingzhou's pastoral, so he took the murderous intention and got rid of you. Jiangxia will naturally  Come back, I¡¯m glad Sima was able to catch Liu Cong, otherwise it would be really dangerous tonight.¡±

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "This is God's favor on me."

    The two looked at each other, clasped their hands and laughed.

    Xu Shu added: "Actually, the initiative is now in our hands. If I guessed correctly, Liu Biao will soon send someone to Jiangxia to negotiate. That will be the time for Sima to take off."

    Liu Jing stood in front of the window with her hands behind her hands, staring at the dark river. Xu Shu was right. Liu Biao would definitely send someone to negotiate. He was looking forward to that moment.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In another cabin, Tao Zhan was sorting out the messy luggage with Little Baozi and Gillian. They left Zhuge Mansion in a hurry. All the clothes and luggage were stuffed directly into the bag. This made Tao Zhan, who has always been particular about neatness, not used to it.  , the first thing she did when she returned to the cabin was to spread out all the items and rearrange them one by one.

    "Little Baozi, why don't you go and serve your young master and hang out with me all day?" Tao Zhan looked at the little Baozi and asked with a pursed lips.

    "I don't want to go to him!"

    Little Baozi pouted and said: "He has a gloomy face all day, which makes people scared. He must be in a bad mood today. I don't even dare to go. I might as well stay here with you and be happy."

    "But who will fold the young master's clothes and make the tea? Since you are his personal maid, you shouldn't need to remind me about these things."

    The little bun smiled slyly, "I just know him! Believe it or not, he will be here soon."

    As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Jing's voice sounded outside the cabin, "Jiuniang, can I come in?"

    The three women all said, "Scoff!"  ' He laughed out loud, Tao Zhan suppressed his laughter and responded: "Come in!"

    Liu Jing walked into the cabin and saw clothes everywhere in the cabin. She couldn't help but laugh, "Are you going to open a clothing appraisal shop?"

    Tao Zhan quickly put away a few pieces of underwear, and then he made a space and said with a smile, "If you are willing to be a clerk, it would be okay for me to open a clothing appraisal shop."

    Liu Jing sat down cross-legged and glanced at the two maids who were still chuckling. Little Baozi reacted and pulled Gillian, and the two maids quickly exited the cabin knowingly.

    Soon I heard two little maids shouting in surprise, "Ah! It's snowing heavily."

    Tao Zhan put on a thick coat, walked quickly to the window, opened the wooden shutter, and the cold wind blew in with snowflakes.

    Tao Zhan quickly closed the flap and said with a smile: "The snowflakes are so big, I think we will be able to see the snow tomorrow."

    "I also like snow, especially when I was a child."

    "Yes! When I was a child, I looked forward to snowing the most. When winter came, I would lie in front of the window and look forward to snowing every day. Unfortunately, the snow in Jiangxia was never heavy. I was looking forward to when I could go to the north and see the real snow.  It¡¯s snowing heavily.¡±

    Liu Jing walked up behind her, held her shoulders, and said softly: "In the future, I will accompany you to the north to see the snow, and to Liaodong to see the ice and snow. The jade trees and branches there are completely a world of ice and snow."

    "Is this what you mean?"

    "Of course, do you thinkit's impossible?"

    Tao Zhan lowered his neck and shook his head gently, "I don't know, I just think I can't see that day."

    "Why do you have such thoughts?" Liu Jing looked at her and asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe I¡¯m a little sad tonight.¡±

    Liu Jing turned her body over to face him and asked her in a low voice: "Tell me, what happened to you today?"

    Tao Zhan shook his head, "I'm fine, I'm just a little worried about you tonight, butI'm worriedI believe nothing will happen to you.  "

    "Why do you believe so?"

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, I just believe it!¡±

    Tao Zhan smiled affectionately, bit his lip again and explained, "Maybe I'm a selfish person and always think about myself first. If something happens to you, what will I do in the future?"

    Liu Jing was shaken, but Tao Zhan's words that he spoke lightly contained deep love for him. He couldn't help but lower his head and look at Tao Zhan.

    It happened that Tao Zhan was also looking at him, staring intently into his eyes. The depths of those beautiful eyes were filled with tenderness like water. For a moment, Liu Jing felt a warm current running through his body, and his heart seemed to have stopped.  beat.

    He gently grabbed her wrist and carefully pulled her into his arms. Tao Zhan seemed to want to push him away, but there was no strength in his hands. Slowly, she stopped pushing and snuggled closer to him.  In her arms, she pressed her face against his neck, her face was hot, her heart was excited and nervous, and her chest was rising and falling slightly.

    Liu Jing hugged her waist and stared down at her. Tao Zhan's heart was gradually melted by his fiery gaze, and she also looked at Ailang dreamingly.

    Liu Jing lowered his head and came close to her red lips. Tao Zhan did not refuse this time. She was so shy that they met each other. The two finally kissed each other. Liu Jing picked her up and slowly fell to the floor.

    At this moment, a low cough suddenly came from outside. To Tao Zhan, this cough was like a thunderclap above her head. She woke up immediately. She was so frightened that she sat up, touched her chest, gasped, and quickly tidied herself up.  With his slightly messy hair, he couldn't help but give Liu Jing a blank look, as if he was complaining about his recklessness and letting others know.

    But there was silence outside, and no one was peeping. Tao Zhan felt relieved, glanced at him secretly, pursed his lips and said with a smile: "Okay! Let's talk about business. I asked Yueying for you today, see Kong Ming  Sir, would you like to follow me?"

    Liu Jing stopped joking and asked, "Then what did she say?"

    "First of all, Mr. Kong Ming didn't want to live in the mountains forever. He went to Shuzhong. In fact, he wanted to find opportunities in Shuzhong. But Yueying received his reply yesterday and seemed a little disappointed with Liu Zhang."

    Liu Jing nodded. He believed that Zhuge Liang had made a choice. It was expected that Liu Zhang was not chosen. "Then what?" he asked again.

    ¡°Then Lu Ji came to visit, but Yueying didn¡¯t let him in. He left a letter from Brother Kong Ming and left.¡±

    Liu Jing knew that Zhuge Liang's Jiangdong brother was Zhuge Jin, and he must have recommended his brother to Sun Quan. However, Lu Ji could no longer persuade Zhuge Liang. Think about it, Cai Mao also made a mistake for himself.  Good thing.

    "What else did you say?"

    Tao Zhan thought for a while and then smiled: "I invited Yueying to come to Jiangxia. She said she would come when the child is a little older, and she would bring her husband with her. In addition, Yueying also promised that she would persuade her husband to come to Jiangxia.  Take a look and travel.¡±

    In fact, Huang Yueying¡¯s original words were that when Tao Zhan got married, she would bring her husband and husband to Jiangxia to congratulate her. Tao Zhan was embarrassed to say this.

    Liu Jing also knew that Zhuge Liang was not so easy to recruit and that he had to consider the matter in the long term and not in a hurry, so he stopped asking any more questions.

    At this moment, the boatman shouted from outside the cabin: "The wind is blowing, raise the sail!"

    The ship was about to speed up. Liu Jing smiled and patted Tao Zhan's hand, "I'll go take a look!"

    Although Tao Zhan was reluctant to part with him, he felt that if they stayed in the same room for too long, he would be criticized, so he nodded, sat up straight and put a cloak on him, and whispered: "It's cold outside, so be careful."

    Liu Jing kissed her forehead, stood up and walked quickly outside the cabin.

    Tao Zhan looked at the back of her husband walking away, and she was also looking forward to the moment of the wedding night.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 220 An Unquiet Night

    In more than ten years, Liu Biao could not sleep all night only twice. Once when he had just arrived in Jingzhou to take up his post, he was alone, without soldiers, food, and no one to use. At that time, he could not sleep for several nights in a row.

    It was tonight again that Liu Biao completely broke with his nephew Liu Jing. He tried to kill him but failed, but instead he captured his son and ran away. This made Liu Biao feel angry and frustrated at the same time.

    It wasn't until the failure dealt a heavy blow to Liu Biao that his turbulent heart finally calmed down, and his stubborn mind gradually began to clear up. He stood in front of the study window and stared at the falling snowflakes in the sky. There were already accumulations on the trees and flower beds.  A thin layer of snowflakes.

    Liu Biao knew that the Han River would not freeze and could not stop Liu Jing from going. He should leave now!  I won't stay in a dangerous place anymore.

    Liu Biao sighed lowly, feeling a little regretful in his heart. He found that he had been blinded by selfish desires. Liu Jing was his nephew after all!

    "My nephew wants to inherit his uncle's business. This is actually not a treasonous thing. It is normal for him to have such thoughts. Why can't I tolerate him?"

    There is also collusion with Jiangdong. This is obviously Jiangdong's plan to alienate each other. The two armies that have just ended the bloody battle only exchanged prisoners of war. How can they shake hands and have a good time? How can they explain to the soldiers and the subjects?

    Liu Biao did not realize that this was Cai Mao's subversion. He only thought that it was Sun Quan's countermeasure.

    What made Liu Biao even more regretful was Jiang Xia. In his original idea, solving Liu Jing would also solve Jiang Xia. He could let another nephew, Liu Hu, monitor Jiang Xia, just like his brother Liu Pan in Changsha County.

    But now that Liu Jing has escaped, Jiangxia has become a big problem. Will Liu Jing support his troops and stand on his own?  Will he lead his army into Changsha County?

    Liu Biao thought of Huang Zhong, who was probably not as loyal to him as Liu Jing. This worry about Changsha County weighed more heavily on Liu Biao's heart.

    Whether it was family regret or intellectual sobriety, Liu Biao fell into a kind of self-blame that was difficult to extricate himself. As the night deepened, he seemed to be getting older.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    I don¡¯t know how long it took, but footsteps were heard outside the study, and a guard reported outside: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Liu Biejia wants to see you!"

    Liu Biejia is Liu Xian, the third most powerful person in Jingzhou after Cai Mao and Kuai Yue, and he has Liu Biao's trust.

    While Cai Mao favored Liu Cong and Kuai Yue favored Liu Qi, Liu Xian was a neutral faction and carefully maintained the balance between Cai and Kuai. It was for this reason that when Liu Biao encountered some crisis, he was the first person he thought of.  , tonight will be no exception, but tonight it is Liu Xian who takes the initiative to come.

    Liu Biao nodded, "Invite him in!"

    Soon, Liu Xian hurried into the study. He was about forty years old and tall and thin. He bowed to Liu Biao and said, "President Mu, I have something important to report!"

    "What's the matter?" Liu Biao turned around and stared at him.

    "Just now Mr. Jing sent someone to find me, delivered a military report, and asked me to forward a letter to the state pastor."

    "Where is the letter?" Liu Biao asked nervously.

    Liu first presented the letter. Liu Biao took it but did not read it anxiously. Instead, he asked first: "What military report did he send?"

    Although Liu Xian didn't know that Liu Biao was going to attack Liu Jing, Liu Jing asked him to forward a letter to Liu Biao, and he understood something in his heart. Liu Jing's hurried departure must have something to do with Liu Biao.

    "When I returned to Zhoumu, Mr. Jing said that Jiangdong was adding troops. He was worried about the safety of Jiangxia, so he rushed back to Jiangxia."

    Liu Biao smiled bitterly for a while, it was not too bad, at least Liu Jing found an excuse to protect the face of both parties.

    He sighed and said to Liu Xian: "Farewell, Military Advisor Cai found evidence that Liu Jing had an affair with Jiangdong. Lu Ji also admitted that Sun Quan and Liu Jing had private contacts. The personal and material evidence is conclusive. Do you think I should make it public in the name of Zhou Mu?"  Announce this?"

    Liu Xian was startled, and then he realized that Liu Jing's urgent departure must have happened because something big had happened. It was most likely that Zhou Mu wanted to kill Liu Jing and failed.

    He thought for a moment and asked, "But has Zhou Mu considered the consequences of doing this?"

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it, but I want to hear your opinion.¡±

    "Reporting to Zhoumu, although this can ruin Liu Jing's reputation, the people of Jiangxia believe that this is not true. They believe that this is for the purpose of exchanging prisoners of war. The direct consequence of this is the independence of Jiangxia.

    Not only that, it is very likely that Changsha County cannot be saved, and the consequences for the four southern counties will be quite serious. Is it worthwhile for Zhou Mu to lose most of Jingzhou¡¯s territory in exchange for Liu Jing¡¯s reputation?  "

    Liu Biao did not say anything. This was the conflict in his heart. Revealing Liu Jing's collusion with Jiangdong and damaging his reputation would effectively prevent him from seeking Jingzhou.? position.

    But on the other hand, there is no room for relaxation between him and Liu Jing. Liu Jing will inevitably separatize Jiangxia and, with the support of Jiangdong, capture the four southern counties such as Changsha County and Lingling. This loss will be unbearable for Jingzhou.

    Liu Biao had to weigh the pros and cons, and Liu Xian's advice undoubtedly tilted his inner balance towards negotiation. Moreover, since his son was in the hands of Liu Jing, he was also a bit wary of throwing rats away.

    Liu Biao sighed secretly in his heart and finally decided to give up revealing Liu Jing's secret. He nodded, sat down slowly, opened the letter and read it. Liu Jing promised in the letter that he would put Liu Cong back after returning to Jiangxia, but asked him to promise  Be safe on the road.

    Liu Biao knew that Liu Jing was referring to Zhang Yun, but Zhang Yun was already on his way to Xiangyang and there would be no danger. The key was that Liu Jing was willing to let Liu Cong go, which was what he cared about most.

    Liu Biao was relieved and continued to look down. At the end of the letter, Liu Jing mentioned that he hoped that the Jingzhou envoy would come to Jiangxia to discuss the future of Jiangxia. This sentence cheered up Liu Biao, and the matter had not reached the worst point yet.

    But after a second thought, Liu Biao realized that the reason why Liu Jing did not fall out and was willing to continue talking about Jiangxia was not because he was his uncle, but for the sake of Jingzhou Mu. After all, he still wanted to  Looking for the post of pastor in Jingzhou.

    Liu Biao couldn't help but feel a little angry again, but this time he restrained himself, pondered for a moment, and said to Mr. Liu: "Sit down! We discussed the Jiangxia matter."

    There are some things that need not be said. Since Liu Jing asked Liu Xian to send a letter to Liu Biao, she was implying that Liu Xian would come to Jiangxia for negotiations.

    Liu Biao naturally knew that Liu Xian belonged to the neutral faction, and he was indeed the most suitable candidate. Not only did Liu Jing know him, but Liu Biao also recognized Liu Xian, and the candidate for negotiation was decided.

    Liu Xian also knew very well that he was going to be the middle bridge. He did not refuse. He nodded happily, sat down and said with a smile: "Zhou Mu, I suggest that we start with the Jiangxia Prefect."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Tao Zhan was picked up by someone sent by Liu Jing in the middle of the night. Huang Yueying only knew that something happened in Xiangyang, but she didn't know what happened specifically.

    She was worried about Tao Zhan, but the child cried several times at night, which kept her from sleeping well all night and kept her busy until dawn.

    It was just dawn when Huang Yueying was suddenly awakened by a noise in the yard, and then she heard her old servant reporting: "Madam, the master is back!"

    Huang Yueying was pleasantly surprised. She quickly got up and walked out of the room. She saw a layer of white snow in the yard. Only then did she realize that it had snowed all night. But at this time, she no longer cared about the snow. She only cared about her husband.

    At this time, Zhuge Liang walked into the yard wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat. Behind him was another person, also wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat. They were dressed the same.

    As soon as he entered the yard, Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "Madam, do you have any hot soup? I've been walking all night, and I'm cold and hungry. I've suffered a lot."

    "Look at you, why don't you find a place to rest for the night? Can't you just rush on the road during the day?" Huang Yueying couldn't help complaining when she heard that her husband had traveled all night.

    The man behind said apologetically: "Sister-in-law, this is all my fault. I wanted to come to Xiangyang to stay, but I missed Sutou, so I had to drive all night."

    Huang Yueying saw that this man was quite young, about twenty years old, and seemed to have never seen him before, so she smiled and asked: "Husband, who is this?"

    Zhuge Liang patted his forehead and said with a smile: "I forgot to introduce you. This is Dong Xiuzhao, who is from Zhijiang, Nanjun. I have a very good relationship with his father, but they have moved their family to the middle of Shu, where I live."  His home."

    The young man quickly bowed and saluted, "Dong Yun, I have caused trouble for my sister-in-law."

    Huang Yueying smiled and replied, "Welcome Mr. Dong to be our guest!"

    At this time, the maid came out of the study and said, "Madam, the brazier has been lit."

    Huang Yueying quickly smiled and said: "Husband, come into the house quickly! Let the fire warm you up, and I will bring you hot soup."

    "How is Aguo?" Zhuge Liang asked about his daughter again.

    "She is sleeping soundly. My husband will go see her later and rest for a while first."

    Zhuge Liang nodded, and he and Dong Yun took off their raincoats and bamboo hats, and entered the study. They rubbed their hands and sat down next to the brazier. Thinking of what happened last night, Dong Yun asked in confusion: "Brother Kong Ming, what do you think about last night?"  What happened?"

    Zhuge Liang and Dong Yun rushed to Xiangyang in the middle of the night and prepared to stay outside Xiangyang City. Unexpectedly, there were troops outside Xiangyang City and they were not allowed to approach Xiangyang City. They had to walk back to Longzhong at night.

    Zhuge Liang shook his head and smiled: "I am not a god. I have been away from Xiangyang for two months. How do I know what happened last night? If you ask me, who should I ask?"

      "Husband, you can ask me!"

    Huang Yueying walked in with a vermilion lacquer plate. In the lacquer plate were two bowls of thick broth. It was steaming and was the best thing to keep away the cold. She knelt down and placed the broth on the small table next to them.  He went up and said with a smile: "Do you want to know what happened in Xiangyang last night?"

    "How could the lady know?" Zhuge Liang was slightly startled.

    "Because a guest came to our house yesterday, and it happened to be related to this matter."

    Huang Yueying smiled mysteriously at her husband, and then said slowly: "Yesterday, Tao Jiuniang came to our house as a guest. She planned to stay for a few more days, but an emergency happened in the middle of the night last night and she was picked up by soldiers."

    Dong Yun didn¡¯t know who Tao Jiuniang was, but Zhuge Liang knew, and he immediately reacted, ¡°Did something happen to Liu Jing last night?¡±

    Seeing Dong Yun's confused look, he quickly explained to him, "Tao Jiuniang is the daughter of Chaisang Tao. She has a very good relationship with Yueying. She is also Liu Jing's fianc¨¦e."

    Dong Yun suddenly realized that she was Liu Jing's fianc¨¦e. He pondered for a moment and then asked: "I heard that Liu Jing won a great victory in Jiangxia and defeated the main force of the Jiangdong Army. He should have come to Xiangyang to report on his work. How could the tense incident last night happen?"

    Dong Yun was in Shu. Although he knew a little about the general trend of the world, he didn't know much about the details. Zhuge Liang's heart was as bright as a mirror.

    He shook his head and sighed: "Because Liu Jing is Liu Biao's nephew, his expansion of power in Jiangxia has affected the interests of Liu Qi and Liu Cong. It is estimated that the negotiation broke down, or Cai Hao interfered and encouraged Liu Biao to take the opportunity to get rid of Liu Jing.  It¡¯s nothing more than these two possibilities.¡±

    Dong Yun also sighed and said: "If this is true, I'm afraid there will be civil strife in Jingzhou."

    "As long as Liu Biao is still there, there will be no civil strife. However, he has been a bit stupid in the past two years. He has made many foolish moves. He has sent Liu Qi to Nanjun, Liu Jing to Chaisang, and Liu Pan to Changsha, which has resulted in de facto  The local government is strong. From ancient times to the present, the local government is strong but the imperial court is weak. This is the way to cause chaos!"

    "Actually, I don't think Liu Biao can do anything about it. The Jingzhou family is powerful. Liu Biao wants to use his clan to suppress the family. He has also taken great pains. Maybe this is also a way to control Jingzhou."

    "no!"

    Zhuge Liang shook his head and said, "That's not the problem. If Jingzhou was the early Han Dynasty and the world was unified, there would be no harm in doing so. But the key is that Jingzhou's enemies are outside, with Jiangdong in the east and Cao Cao in the north. In this case, the only way is to conquer the entire Jingzhou  The financial, material, and military resources were gathered in Xiangyang and clenched into an iron fist. Only in this way could we have the capital to resist the enemy's humiliation externally and protect the territory internally. But now that the financial and military resources are scattered, and the iron fist has become five fingers, how can we resist Cao Cao?  "

    "But isn't Jiangdong defensive?" Dong Yun said with a smile.

    "Liu Jing is an exception. To be honest, he is much stronger than Liu Qi and Liu Cong. If he becomes the lord of Jingzhou, there is a glimmer of hope."

    Huang Yueying next to her said with a smile: "I heard that Liu Jing is going to set up an academy in Jiangxia. There are only a hundred places, the salary is generous, and it is assisted by Lumen Academy. Are you two interested in going to Jiangxia?"

    Zhuge Liang shook his head, "I just came back from outside. I'm exhausted. I don't want to run anymore. If Xiu Zhao is interested, you might as well go and take a look."

    Dong Yun also smiled and said: "It doesn't matter whether I go to the academy or not, but I plan to travel to Jiangdong. When passing by Jiangxia, I can stop by."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 221 Xiakou Negotiations

    [Please vote for more updates]¡ª¡ª

    In Xiakou, a cold wind blew across the Yangtze River, rolling up waves. It was already mid-November, entering the coldest season of the year. There were not many boats on the river, and most of the fishing boats had already  Stopping at the shore, a long merchant ship occasionally appeared on the river.

    At this time, a five-hundred-stone ship appeared on the river outside Xiakou Town. On the bow of the ship, Jingzhou Farewell Liu Xian was looking at Xiakou Town in the distance with his hands behind his back.

    He was suddenly surprised to find that Xiakou seemed to be building a city. Tens of thousands of people were carrying earth and stones along the river. They were extremely busy. The outline of a city had faintly appeared.

    Liu Xian suddenly became interested and turned around and ordered: "Dock to the shore!"

    The big ship slowly docked, and the wharf in Xiakou was also full of ships, most of which had the Tao family's double carp flags. The ships were loaded with grain. Liu went ashore first and followed the path to Huanghu Mountain.

    ?? Huanghu Mountain was later known as Wuhan Snake Mountain. At this time, the top of the mountain was covered with a thin layer of white snow. There was no Yellow Crane Tower on the top of the mountain, only a sentry tower made of bluestone, which could overlook the river from a distance.

    Standing on the top of the mountain, Liu Xian could see more clearly. The outline of the new city appeared in front of him. It was about twenty miles in circumference and surrounded the entire Xiakou Town. The ground of the wall road had been compacted, and the foundation stone of the west wall was  Half of it has been paved, and nearly 30,000 civilians and soldiers are busy. Looking at this situation, it is estimated that the new city will be completed by next spring.

    "Excuse me"

    Liu Xian found two civilian husbands who were hiding on the mountain to rest. He stepped forward and asked with a smile, "How long has it been since the construction of Xiakou City began?"

    Two civilian husbands were sitting behind a big stone chatting. Suddenly they heard someone asking them from behind. They jumped up in fright. Seeing that the person was wearing official uniform, they were even more frightened and knelt down and kowtowed, "We don't dare to be lazy. Let's go and do it right away."  live."

    Liu Xian smiled and waved his hand, "You don't have to be afraid. I came from Xiangyang and just got off the boat. I want to ask you a few words."

    When two civilians heard that he had just disembarked from the ship, they were frightened for a moment. An older man replied: "Replying to the envoy, it has been twenty days since the city was built."

    "Oh! Are you all locals?" Liu Xian asked with a smile.

    "We are from Wuchang County. We came here to work after the autumn harvest. It would be impossible if we didn't come!"

    "Why is this?"

    The two civilian husbands looked at each other, sighed and said, "We are tenant farmers of the Huang family. We make a living by renting and cultivating the Huang family's land. Later, the army came to our home and ordered us to do hard labor in the winter. Otherwise, the land would be taken back and distributed to the military households. There was no other way.  ¡±

    Liu Xian nodded. The people in Jingzhou are loose and benevolent policies may not be effective. A combination of leniency and severity is the way to govern. This was what Huang Zu did in the past. Liu Jing did not rebel because he hated Huang Zu and inherited Huang Zu's Jiangxia policy strategy.  , which is not bad.

    At this time, a soldier came down from the sentry tower and ran directly to Liu Xian. He cupped his hands and said with a smile: "This envoy is here to see my Sima!"

    Liu Xian heard something in the soldier's words and quickly responded: "Exactly, is Liu Sima here?"

    The soldier pointed to the busiest group of people at the foot of the mountain, "Have you noticed, the tallest one is my Sima!"

    Liu Xian's eyesight was bad and the distance was too far. He could only vaguely see a group of people, but the soldiers would not lie to him. Liu Xian was overjoyed. It turned out that Liu Jing was in Xiakou. Fortunately, he had to go to the shore to take a look, otherwise  My trip to Wuchang was in vain.

    He quickly took a few followers to find a way down the mountain.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was already the tenth day since Liu Jing returned to Jiangxia from Xiangyang. As early as when he took over Wuchang, he ordered Liao Hua and Yi Ji to come to Xiakou to build a city. Xiakou straddles the Yangtze River and Han River, and its strategic location is extremely important.

    Starting from the year before last, Huang Zu also gradually transferred Jiangxia troops and supplies to Xiakou, making Xiakou's strategic position more prominent.

    More importantly, after the Chaisang War, Jiangdong was unable to march westward within three or four years. The biggest threat to Jiangxia was no longer Jiangdong, but from the west. Whether it was Cao's army in Xiangyang or Nanyang, it would become Jiangxia's biggest threat.

    In terms of deeper strategic considerations, moving Jiangxia's military and political center to Xiakou will help Jiangxia's army control the Han River and conquer Xiangyang.

    It has been three days since Liu Jing came to Xiakou for inspection. He is quite satisfied with the progress of the city building. This time, not only did he mobilize nearly 30,000 civilians, but also more than 4,000 Jingzhou Army prisoners of war who were exchanged from Pengze were also put into building the city. According to the  The plan is to complete the construction of the city by February next year.

    Liu Jing was discussing the height of the city gate with several craftsmen. At this time, Liao Hua called him from a distance, "Sima, someone is coming from Xiangyang!"

    Liu Jing turned around and sawLiu Xian was walking towards him, and he was immediately overjoyed. Liu Biao had indeed sent Liu Xian to negotiate.

    At that time, Liu Jing sent soldiers to deliver a message to Liu Xian, largely because Liu Xian was a neutral faction. He was neither biased towards Liu Qi nor Liu Cong. In fact, from another perspective, he was not interested in either of them.  That will be extremely beneficial to Jiang Xia's negotiations. At least he will face Jiang Xia's rise rationally.

    Liu Jing hurriedly greeted him, clasped his fists and saluted with a smile: "Don't drive, Liu, you're welcome!"

    Liu Xian also smiled and saluted back: "I thought Mr. Jing would be in Chaisang, preparing to actively defend Jiangdong Army, but I didn't expect that he would actually build a city in Xiakou."

    Liu Jing laughed, "Isn't the construction of Xiakou a city also a form of defense?"

    Liu Xian gave a bitter smile. It was better not to reveal this kind of thing. Thinking of his mission, he carefully suggested: "Master Jing, let's talk about it?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "Let's go to Wuchang to talk."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Dozens of large ships slowly left Xiakou and headed for Wuchang City. Liu Xian stood in front of the ship window with his hands behind his hands and stared at the construction of Xiakou City in the distance for a long time. He was very discerning and knew very well that Liu Jing was building the city of Xiakou.  The profound meaning is that this obviously shifts Jiangxia's strategic focus westward. In the final analysis, Liu Jing's eyes are still fixed on Xiangyang.

    "Master Jing, are those soldiers who built the city prisoners of war from Jingzhou?" Liu Xian turned around and sat down and asked.

    "It's them."

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Anyway, they have nothing to do in the military camp. Let them participate in building the city, which will give full play to their advantages."

    "Zhou Mu hopes that these prisoners of war can return to Xiangyang as soon as possible, and hopes that the young master will release them back to Xiangyang as soon as possible."

    "freed?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "There is no issue of release. No one was monitoring them when they were building the city. They can leave Jiangxia and return to Xiangyang at any time, and I will not stop them. Why use the word 'release'?"

    Liu Xian was a little confused. He frowned slightly, "You mean they don't want to leave Jiangxia?"

    "No! After all, my wife and children are in Xiangyang County. Who doesn't want to go home? I guess it's because they haven't received their wages, so they don't want to leave. Once the wages are released, I guarantee that most of them will rush home to celebrate the New Year."

    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened!¡±

    Liu Xian suddenly realized that these prisoners of war were paid to participate in the construction of the city. Liu Jing was very clever and used this method to detain the prisoners of war in Jiangxia.

    However, Liu Jing has at least expressed his willingness to repatriate these prisoners of war, which made Liu Xian's heart drop.

    He pondered for a moment and changed the topic, "There is also the matter of the Jiangxia Prefect. Zhou Mu proposed a plan. Master Jing can propose five candidates, and then Zhou Mu can randomly appoint one of these five candidates. I wonder if Master Jing agrees?  "

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "Now the soldiers and people of Jiangxia County only recognize one governor, and that is me. Apart from me, Jiangxia County will not accept anyone as a governor. Please tell the governor about this."

    On the issue of the prefect, Liu Jing was unambiguous. Although he could make Liu Hu the prefect and Kuai Liang the prefect, and the actual person in power was him, the military generals and county officials were unanimously opposed. This involved a famous person.  If the name of the problem is incorrect, the words will not be correct.

    If Liu Jing cannot be the governor of Jiangxia, many things will not be handled, and many of the decisions he makes will not be legal. The stakes are very important, so he must take the position of governor. This is the first clause of the negotiation. He  Never give in.

    Before Liu could speak first, Liu Jing continued: "The four thousand prisoners of war are to be replaced as governors. If Xiangyang refuses, there will be no discussion below. These more than four thousand troops will directly receive land in Jiangxia, and their families will also  If you want to move east to Jiangxia, don¡¯t think about it first!¡±

    "This" Liu Xian was in a dilemma. Although Liu Biao allowed him to be the plenipotentiary to negotiate with Liu Jing, Liu Biao did not fully agree with Liu Jing being the prefect. If he agreed rashly, it would not be easy to explain when he returned.

    He thought for a while and then said: "Let's do this! Let's continue the discussion based on the young master's appointment as the governor of Jiangxia."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It took about a day and a half to sail from Xiakou to Wuchang County. At noon the next day, the fleet arrived in Wuchang. Liu Jing asked Mr. Liu to rest first and ordered people to wait on him. After making arrangements for Mr. Liu, he immediately led dozens of soldiers to the west.  After running for an hour in the wilderness along the official road, Liu Jing arrived at Jiangxia Academy.

    Jiangxia Academy is the former Huang Family Villa, the residence of the Huang family. Since the Huang family was exterminated by Jiangdong, the Huang Family Villa has become an empty mansion.

    Despite this, it is still the most gorgeous mansion in Jiangxia. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers and has beautiful scenery. Not far away isThe vast, sparkling lake and the magnificent building complex cover an area of ??nearly a thousand acres and can accommodate three to four hundred families.

    Many people suggested that Liu Jing take over this mansion, but Liu Jing did not agree. First, the villa was a little far away from Wuchang City, dozens of miles away, making it inconvenient to travel. On the other hand, he was alone. Even if he was married, there would only be two people living there.  Such a large house is a bit too empty and deserted.

    Therefore, Liu Jing decided to rename Huang's Villa Jiangxia Academy, where more than a hundred outstanding talents and their families would live. The examination selection for Jiangxia Academy is being carried out in an orderly manner at Lumen Academy. There is no result yet, but Jiangxia Academy has already  Someone moved in, and this person was the new academy director, Kuai Liang.

    Liu Jing agreed to Kuai Yue's proposal and appointed Kuai Liang as the president of the academy.

    The group of people rushed to the academy. The plaque of Huang's Villa had been removed, and a pavilion was built in front of the academy gate. In the pavilion was a white jade tablet with the four characters "Jiangxia Academy" engraved on it.

    There are specialized officials in the academy. When they heard that Sima was arriving, the officials immediately came out to greet him, bowed and saluted, "I have the honor to see Sima!"

    "Is Master Kuai here?" General Liu turned over and dismounted and asked with a smile.

    The official pointed to a few old men fishing by the lake not far away, and said with a smile: "There is a person there, and he is Master Kuai!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 222 Jiangxia Prefect

    Kuai Liang was a quiet person who was not in good health and was very picky about the living environment. When he heard that the Jiangxia Academy he was going to was the Huang Family Villa, known as the No. 1 Villa in Jiangxia, he happily took his old wife and several  The servant who had been with them for many years came to Jiangxia to take up his post.

    Except for the shadow that the Huang family's children were massacred in the villa, every other aspect of the academy satisfied him very much. He moved into the quietest and most elegant courtyard, which was the former main residence of Huang Zu. It has been tidied up in the past few days.  After settling in, Kuai Liang began to enjoy the leisurely life here.

    Early this morning, he put on a raincoat, a bamboo hat, a fishing rod and a fishing basket, and followed a few local farmers to the lake to catch ice fish. The so-called ice fish fishing is to dig a hole on the frozen lake and fish through the ice hole  in fishing.

    It was winter, and the price of fresh fish in the city was very expensive, so many farmers took advantage of their leisure time to come to the lake to fish and earn some money to prepare for the New Year. However, Kuai Liang came to the lake with great interest purely out of interest and curiosity.  Fishing with the farmers.

    Although Kuai Liang was once a high-ranking official in Jingzhou, he had been out of office for many years. In addition, he was knowledgeable and generous, so he got along well with several old farmers who fished together. Everyone also knew that he had a distinguished status and specially helped him dig holes to put bait. In less than an hour,  , Kuai Liang caught a dozen crucian carp and carp about a foot long, which made him feel very good.

    "Kuai Gong has gained a good harvest!"

    Kuai Liang suddenly heard Liu Jing's voice. When he turned around, he didn't know when Liu Jing appeared beside him. He chuckled and said, "I plan to make a pot of tofu and fish soup tonight. Master Jing, are you interested in sharing it?"  ?¡±

    "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Kuai, but let's wait for another day! I just came back from Xiakou and there are too many things to do."

    Kuai Liang knew that Liu Jing came to him for something important. In fact, he was nominally the dean of Jiangxia Academy, but in fact he served as Liu Jing's staff, helping Liu Jing to make some important decisions.

    Kuai Liang asked Liu Jing to sit down, and then smiled lightly, "Is it someone from Xiangyang?"

    Liu Jing saw that he had guessed the purpose of her visit at once, and couldn't help but admire her in her heart. She smiled and said: "Exactly!"

    "Who is coming?"

    "Liu Biejia, are you familiar with Kuai Gong?"

    "It turns out it's him, haha! How could I not be familiar with him? But this person's coming is beneficial to you. One of his two sons is married to the Deng family of Nanyang, and the other is married to Pang Ji's daughter, and Pang Ji's wife is my sister."

    "But he has a very tough attitude and refuses to let go even above the governor of Jiangxia."

    Kuai Liang smiled slightly, "I can only say that you don't know Zhou Mu very well. One of Zhou Mu's best tricks is to avoid the truth and attack the false. If he refuses to let go of his post as prefect, then what he really wants is  He is definitely not a governor, but has other plans."

    Liu Jing nodded. In fact, he also realized this. He definitely wanted the post of prefect. It was really unnecessary for Liu Xian to argue with him over the post of prefect. So what did Liu Biao really want?

    "What is Kuai Gong planning for Zhou Mu?"

    Kuai Liang threw the fishing rod into the ice cave, pondered for a moment and said: "For Jingzhou, the most important thing in Jiangxia is the power to appoint and remove officials, taxation and the army. Among them, the appointment and removal of officials is just a formality for Jingzhou and has no meaning.  They can¡¯t get a penny or a meter from taxes, and the rest is the army. You can refer to the compromise reached by Huang Zu and Zhou Mu, and you can probably understand Zhou Mu¡¯s true intention.¡±

    Liu Jing pondered for a while and then said: "Kuai Gong, the compromise reached by Zhou Mu and Huang Zu had two main points. First, Jiangxia civil servants must be appointed by Xiangyang, and secondly, Zhou Mu has the right to mobilize the Jiangxia army, but these two points  I won¡¯t even agree.¡±

    "This is the same now! Huang Zu was at a disadvantage at first, and he had to agree to some of Zhou Mu's harsh requirements, but now you are different. You can make some concessions to Zhou Mu in terms of face. For example, Jiangxia civil servants are appointed by Xiangyang, but the list  It's you who decides and so on.

    Secondly, the Jiangxia army is still loyal to Zhoumu and will actively support the Xiangyang crisis, such as fighting against Cao's army going south, etc. If these things are done in terms of face and morality, no one in Jingzhou officialdom can blame the young master anymore.  "

    Liu Jing secretly admired Jiang in his heart. Jiang was indeed a very old man. He thought very carefully and without leakage. He asked again: "Then what does Kuai Gong think is Zhou Mu's true intention?"

    At this time, when the fishing rod moved, Kuai Liang quickly pulled up the fishing rod and saw a one-foot-long carp soaring from the ice hole. Its golden dorsal fin shone in the sun. Kuai Liang was so excited that he shouted like a child,  "Golden carp! It's a golden carp, I caught a golden carp!"

    Several old farmers gathered around and talked with each other. Everyone had envy in their eyes and congratulated Kuai Liang one after another. Kuai Liang proudly said to Liu Jing: "This is the most famous golden carp in Jiangxia. It is extremely rare.  It can only be caught in the Yangtze River. Unexpectedly, it was my first time fishing?, I actually caught it, which means I will have good luck next year.  "

    Kuai Liang stroked his beard and laughed happily.

    "Congratulations to Mr. Kuai!"

    Liu Jing saw that his thoughts were interrupted at the critical moment, but he had no choice but to congratulate Kuai Liang on his luck with a wry smile.

    Kuai Liang patted Liu Jing's shoulder again, handed the golden carp to him, and said meaningfully: "The golden carp comes because of you. This is a metaphor for you and a metaphor for God's love for you.  I¡¯ll give this fish to you.¡±

    A soldier next to him was about to come forward to pick him up, but Liu Jing shook his head, walked quickly to the lake, raised his hand, and accurately threw the golden carp back into the ice cave. He turned back and smiled at Kuai Liang,  Kuai Liang also laughed and gave him a thumbs up.

    Kuai Liang put away the fish basket and walked side by side to the academy with Liu Jing. As he walked, he said slowly: "The real request of Zhou Mu must be the army, but it is not necessarily the right to mobilize the army. If you agree to support the Xiangyang crisis,  , then this article has no meaning to him, I think he will control the number of your troops. "

    "Can he be restrained?"

    Liu Jing sneered and said: "I can train the militia and turn it into an army at any time, or I can secretly increase the number of troops and he has no way of knowing. What's the point?"

    Kuai Liang also laughed, "There are loopholes to exploit in everything. This is called instructions from above and responses from below. In fact, the above also understands that they are just asking the below to do superficial things. In fact, in the final analysis, what Zhou Mu wants is still  It¡¯s just a matter of face.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At dusk, Liu Jing and Liu Xian reached a compromise. On the premise that Liu Jing would serve as the prefect of Jiangxia, they reached a twenty-four-point agreement, the most important of which are the following.

    1. Liu Jing unconditionally releases 4,500 Jingzhou prisoners of war to return home, and shall not be prevented by any excuse or means.

    2. County officials in Jiangxia are appointed by the state government, but the candidate list is drafted by Jiangxia County or drafted by the state government, and must be approved by Jiangxia County.

    3. The Jiangxia Army is not allowed to create its own flag or military number, and must be consistent with the Jingzhou Army.

    4. The total number of Jiangxia troops shall not exceed 12,000, and the number of warships shall not exceed 500.

    5. The Jingzhou navy on the Han River shall not block any merchant ship in Jiangxia.

    6. Jiangxia navy warships can sail within Jingzhou, but the number of warships must not exceed 30, and the number of warships must not exceed 500.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    That night, Liu Xian returned to Xiangyang by boat overnight. The twenty-four-point agreement reached must be approved by Liu Biao before it can take effect.

    On the pier, Liu Xian gratefully thanked Liu Jing who came to see him off, "Thank you Mr. Jing for your cooperation in the past two days, and I was able to complete the task. Thank you again!"

    Liu Jing also clasped her fists and returned the salute, "Liu Gong has been traveling for days. Thank you for your hard work. I hope good news will come to you soon. I also wish Liu Gong a safe journey."

    Liu Xian nodded, then asked with a smile: "Master, do you have anything you want me to convey to Zhou Mu?"

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "I hope he takes care of himself!"

    "I will definitely inform you in time."

    Speaking of this, Liu Xian hesitated and said: "I have heard for a long time that the young master is very thirsty for talents. I have a nephew named Zhou Buyi, who is also a young and talented nephew. Now he is working for me in Xiangyang. I would like to recommend him to the young master. I wonder if the young master can  accommodate."

    After Liu Xian's reminder, Liu Jing immediately remembered that during the Three Kingdoms era, there was a child prodigy named Zhou Buyi who had a close relationship with Cao Chong and was later killed by Cao Cao. He didn't know this person very well, but for Liu Xian's sake, he also  This person must be reused first to win over Liu Xian.

    "Thank you Mr. Liu for recommending this talent. You might as well invite him to study at Jiangxia Academy. I warmly welcome him."

    Liu Xian readily agreed, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Sir, farewell! Everyone, farewell!"

    "Have a safe journey Liu Bie! Take care!"

    Amid everyone's farewells, Liu Xian boarded the boat, and the ship sailed away from the dock, sailing toward the northwest under the bright red sunset.

    Xu Shu kept watching the ship go away, then smiled at everyone and said: "When can we change the name of Sima to the prefect? ??I think we have been waiting for a long time. Can we change it now?"

    Everyone laughed, and Su Fei shouted the loudest, "It should be done, it should have been changed a long time ago. A country cannot live without a king, and a county cannot live without a governor. From now on, Liu Sima will be changed to Liu Taishou."

    Liu Jing waved her hand and said with a smile: "Wait a little longer! Don't rush for a day or two, wait until the Zhou Mu approves it, so as not to be caught with false accusations."

    At this time, someone in the distance suddenly shouted: "Yuan Zhi!"

    When Xu Shu turned around, he saw a ship docking at the dock not far away. Five or six scholars on the ship were waving to Xu Shu.hand.

    Everyone is a little strange, who are these people?  Xu Shu laughed and said, "It seems that some impatient person came first!"

    He hurriedly greeted him and said with a smile: "Brother Ziyuan, why are you here in Jiangxia!"

    A scholar in his thirties jumped off the boat, hurriedly stepped forward, put his hands in his hands and said with a smile: "We want to come to Jiangxia to find something to do. Can Yuan Zhi introduce some connections?"

    Xu Shu smiled and said: "Aren't we recruiting students to study at Jiangxia Academy? Why don't you give it a try?"

    "How can we pass the exam? Thousands of people signed up, but only a hundred people were recruited. It's not our turn. We're not taken seriously in Xiangyang anyway, so we just came to Jiangxia to try our luck."

    The crowd surrounded Xu Yan's seven mouths, and she begged him to introduce the door. At this time, Liu Yan slowly walked up and asked Xu Yandao: "These are your friends?"

    At this time, the sky was not completely dark, and the sunset had gradually faded, but the light was dim and the field of vision was clear. All the scholars recognized Liu Jing at once, and immediately became silent, and they all quietly took two steps back. They had a good relationship with Xu Shu, but there was something amiss.  Afraid of Liu Jing.

    Xu Shu nodded and smiled: "They are all descendants of the northern gentry. Some brought their sons and daughters to Xiangyang, and some came with their parents and lived together in Xiangyang. They have been hanging out for several years, but there is no future."

    He pulled out the thirty-year-old scholar and introduced him: "This is Cao Ziyuan of Yingchuan, the grandson of Cao Baifu, a great scholar of Yingchuan."

    The scholar hurriedly bowed and saluted, "Little citizen Cao Lin of Yingchuan, please see Mr. Jing!"

    With Cao Lin taking the lead, other scholars took turns to come forward and salute, "I am Huang Yun of Chang'an, named Minghan, please see Mr. Jing!"

    "I am Chen Liu, Li Xun, whose name is Zisi. I would like to serve Mr. Jing."

    Several scholars came forward to salute one by one, and Liu Jing smiled and returned the greeting. At this time, the last young scholar came forward, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I have admired the name of Mr. Jing for a long time. I live in Shu under Dong Yun, and I came here to visit Jiangxia.  It is truly a blessing to meet Mr. Jing.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 223 Talented people come from far away

    [Lao Gao has to rush back to his hometown on Monday to deal with some urgent matters. He may have to ask for a few days off from his book friends, so I will try to update more in these two days. There will be four to five updates tomorrow. I would like to say hello to everyone in advance.]¡ª¡ª

    It was actually Dong Yun. Liu Jing was slightly startled. Is he the Dong Yun who succeeded Zhuge Liang in history?

    Liu Jing couldn't be sure for a while. He kept his expression and just nodded and smiled slightly to Dong Yun. He then said to everyone: "Welcome to Jiangxia. Whether you are a northern gentry or a Jingzhou gentry, as long as you are a talented person, Jiangxia  I warmly welcome you all and will definitely arrange your life well. You are the first batch. I hope more nobles will follow you to Jiangxia."

    Several scholars were overjoyed and bowed together: "I am willing to serve you!"

    Liu Jing nodded and said to Xu Shu: "I will leave them to you. If you have any difficulties, please discuss with Su Juncheng. We can draft a resettlement plan to accept more nobles."

    Xu Shu happily smiled at the few scholars and said, "Come with me, everyone! I will arrange your food and lodging first, and we will slowly talk about other things."

    Several scholars bowed to Liu Jing and followed Xu Shu with their luggage. Dong Yun was the only one left on the pier. He came to Jiangxia by boat and eventually went to Jiangdong. He was just visiting Jiangxia on the way, not here.  He was looking for a job, but Liu Jing paid attention to him.

    Liu Jing slowly walked up to him and said with a smile: "If I remember correctly, the young master's father is currently the county magistrate of Chengdu."

    "Exactly!"

    Dong Yun was a little surprised, "How could Young Master Jing know?"

    "I accidentally heard someone say in Longzhong, how could Mr. Dong think of coming to Jiangxia?"

    "I came to Jingzhou with Zhuge Kongming. I admired the Chaisang battle, so I wanted to see it with my own eyes."

    Liu Jing laughed, "What a coincidence. I went to visit Kong Ming, and Sister-in-law Yueying said she went to Shuzhong, so she probably went to Brother Dong's house, right?"

    Dong Yun nodded, "That's right. I returned to Longzhong with Kong Ming the day after Miss Tao left Zhuge Mansion, and I heard my sister-in-law talk about it."

    "Then we are no longer outsiders. I happen to have time these two days, so why don't I accompany Brother Dong on a tour of Jiangxia!"

    Dong Yun was even more surprised. He didn't expect that Liu Jing would accompany him to travel to Jiangxia in person. Although Liu Jing kept saying that he was not an outsider, Dong Yun knew in his heart that he and Liu Jing had nothing to do with each other. Liu Jing's enthusiasm made him feel uneasy.  Somewhat touching.

    "Thank you very much, Mr. Jing, for your kindness. I really don't need to trouble myself."

    "Brother Dong is too outspoken. I have always admired your father's character. Since I came from Bashu, I naturally want to fulfill my friendship as a landlord, so don't be polite."

    Dong Yun heard that he had always admired his father. This was obviously a polite comment, but he was still moved by Liu Jing's enthusiasm and no longer refused.

    "In that case, please trouble Young Master Jing. My courtesy name is Xiuzhao. Young Master Jing can just call me by my first name."

    Liu Jing smiled happily, "Then I'll call you Brother Xiuzhao, please! I'll take care of you first."

    Liu Jing lowered his stature to entertain Dong Yun, naturally out of his desire for talents. He did not have a strong foundation like Cao Cao, nor Sun Quan's three generations of Jiangdong industry, nor Liu Bei's world-renowned reputation. Excellent talents will not surrender easily.  he.

    But without talents, there is no way to compete for the world. He can only seize every opportunity and recruit all the talents he encounters. Dong Yun was also a prime minister in history. Since he appeared in Jiangxia, Liu Jing will never take advantage of him again.  He lets go.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, Liu Jing arranged a boat and personally led Dong Yun to Chaisang, which was the place Dong Yun wanted to visit most during his eastward journey.

    ??Above the river, the cold wind was biting, and the big ship sailed with the current and wind, as fast as an arrow, all the way to Chaisang.

    "What does Brother Xiuzhao think of Liu Zhang?"

    Liu Jing looked at the river outside the window and asked seemingly casually, but Dong Yun's every expression could not escape his eyes. He called Liu Zhang by his first name. This was actually extremely rude. If Dong Yun regarded Liu Zhang as his master, then he would definitely  Will show disgusted expression.

    Dong Yun was not unhappy with Liu Jing calling Liu Zhang by his first name. He shook his head and said, "To be honest, I don't think highly of him at all."

    "Why?"

    "There are two rivers in the sky, thousands of miles of fertile land, a large population, civil servants, military generals, and talents, but he can't even win a single Hanzhong. This man is really a mediocre person!"

    Speaking of this, Dong Yun sighed melancholy.

    Liu Jing already understood in her heart that Dong Yun seemed to be not just traveling, but also wanted to find a loyal lord, so it was up to her to seize this opportunity.

    "Xiu ZhaoDo you know the general trend of the world?  "

    Dong Yun shook his head and said with a smile: "In the land of Bashu, there is little information, and not much is known about the general situation of the world. If Mr. Jing can tell you, I am willing to listen attentively."

    Liu Jing sat down, took out a pen and paper, and quickly drew a map of the current power.

    "Cao Cao occupies the north. He has the political advantage of using the emperor to control the princes, and he also has the military advantage of having well-equipped troops and food. Yuan Shao is dead, and the Yuan brothers are fighting for power internally. It cannot last long. Hebei is at the end of the war and will be destroyed in two or three years.  !

    If Hebei is destroyed, Cao Cao will send his army south to attack Jingxiang, seize the Jingxiang navy, and then march on land and water to attack Jiangdong and wipe out the south in one fell swoop. At that time, Liu Zhang of Shuzhou will be unable to make a sound and will inevitably surrender without a fight.

    This is Cao Cao's big plan, and the key lies in whether the Sun and Liu families can put aside their old grudges and fight against Cao together, take advantage of the weakness of the northern navy that is not used to water warfare, and seize the opportunity to defeat Cao's army. At that time, the world's territory will be redrawn.  "

    Dong Yun nodded silently, and sighed in a low voice: "How can the hatred between Sun and Liu be solved easily for generations?"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, took out the letter Sun Quan gave him, and handed it to Dong Yun, "This is Sun Quan's personal letter to me. Brother Xiu Zhao may wish to take a look."

    Dong Yun already understood in his heart that Liu Jing valued him so much and was probably trying to recruit him. He hesitated and accepted the letter.

    Sun Quan wrote very clearly in the letter that he was willing to join hands with Liu Jing to fight against Cao's army. This surprised Dong Yun, who quickly asked: "Master Jing will form an alliance with Jiangdong. Can the governor agree?"

    Liu Jing laughed, "My uncle doesn't have this courage, but it doesn't mean that all the Liu family's children don't have vision and mind. Jiangxia is my Liu Jing's Jiangxia, what does it have to do with Xiangyang?"

    Dong Yun admired him in his heart. He stood up and gave a long salute and said: "Dong Yun has learned Master Jing's ambition."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Five days later, Dong Yun returned from Chaisang, and Liu Jing still accompanied him back. Liu Jing's official duties were already piled up, and he really had no time to chat with Dong Yun anymore, so he had to sit down at his desk to review some urgent documents.

    Dong Yun sat by the window, with ups and downs in his heart. Although Liu Jing didn't mention a word from beginning to end, he fully understood Liu Jing's intention, which was that he hoped that he could stay in Jiangxia, so he took the trouble to accompany him eastward.  Run west, abandoning all official duties to guide himself.

    This heavy favor weighed heavily on Dong Yun's heart, making it difficult for him to repay, and he was also very conflicted. His original intention was to go to Jiangdong to look for opportunities.

    This was what his father meant. Although his father was loyal to Liu Zhang, he was not optimistic about Liu Zhang and hoped that he could go to Jiangdong to seek a future. However, his father was firmly opposed to him seeking a job in Jingzhou.

    Although his father arranged a route for him, in the end he still had to walk the road himself.

    Dong Yun was not optimistic about Liu Zhang, nor was he optimistic about Liu Biao, but he did not consider Liu Jing. Among the princes in the world, except for Hebei, Zhongyuan, Jingzhou, and Bashu, the only one left was Jiangdong.

    He heard that Corporal Sun Quan was a man of merit and a rare wise king. This moved him quite a bit, so he planned to travel all the way to Jiangdong to look for opportunities to seek official positions. Jiangxia was just a stop for him to rest along the way.

    But unexpectedly, he met Liu Jing in Jiangxia, who was eager for talents. Liu Jing's desire for talents can be seen from Liu Jing's attitude towards those scholars.

    He came with several scholars and knew them well. Except for Cao Lin, who was slightly talented and learned, the others were all mediocre people.

    Despite this, Liu Jing still gave them generous treatment, which even they themselves could not imagine. This is a bit like buying bones for a thousand gold.

    There is also the Lumen test of "no matter high or low, only those who are qualified will be promoted".

    All these left a deep impression on Dong Yun, making him deeply feel Liu Jing's thirst for talents and Liu Jing's lofty ambitions. Although he only has Jiangxia now, once Liu Biao dies, with his  Strong, can Liu Qi and Liu Cong compete with him?

    Maybe I can really consider staying in Jiangxia, but what will my father tell me?  His father firmly opposed him seeking a job in Jingzhou, which put him in a bit of a dilemma.

    Dong Yun pondered for a moment. He glanced at Liu Jing and saw that he was concentrating on reviewing military documents. He hesitated and said: "Master Jing!"

    "Brother Xiuzhao, what's the matter?" Liu Jing stopped writing and said with a smile.

    "I want to go to Jiangxia Academy, but I don't need the young master to accompany me. I only need a horse and a guide."

    Liu Jing nodded and agreed happily, "When you return to Wuchang, I will make arrangements for you!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Dong Yun found Kuai Liang at Jiangxia Academy. He heard from Liu Jing that Kuai Liang was the dean of Jiangxia Academy, and Kuai Liang had a very good relationship with his father Dong He. Dong Yun often went to Kuai Mansion to study as a guest when he was young. It can be said that??Kuailiang is his uncle.

    Meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign country made Kuai Liang overjoyed. He invited Dong Yun to his study and asked him to sit down with a smile.

    "Why would my wise nephew think of coming to Jiangxia?"

    "My nephew planned to travel to Jiangdong. When passing through Jiangxia, he happened to meet Mr. Jing. He enthusiastically accompanied him on the trip to Jiangxia and has stayed in Jiangxia for six days."

    "Oh! Are my nephew and Mr. Jing familiar with each other?"

    Dong Yun shook his head, "We are not familiar with each other. This is the first time we have met."

    Kuai Conscience was a little surprised that Liu Jing actually stayed with Dong Yun for six days. You must know that Liu Jing was so busy with his official duties that he was often too busy to travel around Jiangxia with an ordinary scholar.

    Thinking of this, Kuai Liang couldn't help but take another look at Dong Yun. He knew that this wise nephew had been hailed as a child prodigy since he was a child. His father taught him well and put his intelligence and talents into knowledge. When he was eleven or twelve years old, Dong Yun's  Talent and learning are no less than those of adults.

    He and his brother Kuai Yue often said that this son would become a great person when he grew up. A few years ago, Dong Yun's talent and reputation spread throughout Bashu. With such a talent, it seems that Liu Jing also wanted to keep him in Jiangxia.  .

    Kuai Liang thought to himself, ¡®I can help Liu Jing.  ¡¯

    Thinking of this, Kuai Liang smiled and said: "If I guessed correctly, my nephew wants to go to Jiangdong to find a job, right?"

    Dong Yun's thoughts were revealed by Kuai Liang, and he nodded awkwardly, "That was indeed my original plan."

    "My nephew, I'm not talking about you. Although Jiangdong Sun Quan is known as a polite and virtuous corporal, this 'scholar' must also have prerequisites. He must be a famous person, and the Jiangdong family is given priority.

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Out of fame and no recommendation from famous people, and you are from Jingxiang and Bashu, why would Marquis Wu use you?  If you are lucky, you can be a book assistant. If you survive until the age of forty, you may have a bright future. If you are not lucky, you will have to go back home after running out of expenses. Dear nephew, don't believe too much in rumors. In fact, everything depends on your connections everywhere.  relation.  "

    Dong Yun nodded silently. In fact, he had also considered it in the past two days. Instead of going to Jiangdong to find a job at a loss, it would be better to accept Liu Jing's enthusiasm. At least Liu Jing would put down his body and work tirelessly to accompany him, which would be a blessing to him.

    Thinking of this, Dong Yun sighed and said: "Going to Jiangdong was my original idea, but now I want to stay in Jiangxia and repay Mr. Jing's kindness, but I am a little worried that my father will not agree. He is firmly opposed to me seeking a job in Jingzhou."

    Kuai Liang smiled slightly and said, "It's very simple. You can stay and study in Jiangxia Academy with peace of mind. I recommend you to enter Jiangxia Academy. Your father will take care of my face, so he won't embarrass you."

    Dong Yun thought of this method on the way. Since Kuai Liang took the initiative, he did not refuse and immediately stood up and bowed deeply, "Junior, I will trouble Uncle Shi from now on!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 224 Marriage Discussion

    Soon, news came from Xiangyang that Liu Biao approved the negotiation agreement between Liu Xian and Jiangxia and officially appointed Liu Jing as the prefect of Jiangxia.

    Liu Jing immediately ordered the repatriation of 4,000 Jingzhou prisoners of war. At the same time, the troop restriction order also officially came into effect. Jiangxia's total military strength should not exceed 12,000 people. At this time, Jiangxia's total military strength was exactly 12,000 people.

    With Liu Jing being appointed as the prefect of Jiangxia, Jiangxia County has also turned a new page.

    Another month passed, and the day of the ninth year of Jian'an was about to arrive. Wuchang City and Chaisang City began to be decorated with lights and colorful decorations. This was not to welcome the New Year, but to celebrate another festive day, the great joy of Liu Jing, the new governor of Jiangxia.  The day is approaching.

    The Han Dynasty, like later dynasties, followed the six rites in the marriage process, including receiving gifts, asking for names, accepting gifts, accepting invitations, asking for dates, and welcoming in person. However, because the six rites are too stylized and cumbersome, most ordinary people  It is more practical to organize weddings without sticking to the six rituals. Although the wedding ceremonies of the upper class are very grand, there are also some new changes.

    Nacai is a proposal of marriage. Generally speaking, it is a man who proposes to a woman, but this is not necessarily the case. For example, because Liang Hong was of noble character, many powerful people wanted to marry their daughters to him, so they proposed to him one after another. There were also fathers who proposed to their children. In the end,  The famous thing is that Lu Gong felt that Liu Bang had a noble minister and proposed to marry his daughter Lu Fei to him.

    During the Qin and Han Dynasties, society was tolerant, and many children chose their own spouses. For example, Princess Pingyang liked Wei Qing, Liu Jing and Tao Zhan were in love, and so on.

    Of course, marriage usually requires the consent of the parents. If the parents do not agree, there will often be anecdotes like Zhuo Jun and Sima Xiangru eloping, but this is a scandal for the Zhuo family.

    ???????????????? Asking for a name is mainly about matching the horoscope, and as a fortune teller collects money from people, he will naturally not do bad things to others, and almost always brings good luck and good fortune, so asking for a name is just a formality.

    The more important purpose of asking for names is to prevent marriages with the same surname, and people with the same surname are not allowed to marry. This was very important in the Qin and Han Dynasties, especially in the early Han Dynasty, because many families changed their surnames for various reasons, so it must be confirmed in advance.

    Naji's acceptance is actually the same process. Naji tells the other party the good luck in divination, while acceptance is an engagement. The man needs to send a betrothal gift to the woman. This is an extremely important step.

    ??According to different social status, the betrothal gifts are also different. For example, when Empress Lu married Princess Lu Yuan as the queen for her son Emperor Hui, the betrothal gift was 20,000 catties of gold. This became the standard betrothal gift for queens in the Han Dynasty.

    But ordinary families don¡¯t have many requirements. Depending on their family circumstances, most people with poor families can complete all the procedures of marrying a wife with only 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.

    The people of Qin and Han Dynasties attached great importance to betrothal gifts. Betrothal gifts were regarded as wives and concubines. In the eyes of Qin and Han people, betrothal gifts represented not only property, but also had deeper spiritual connotations. On the one hand, betrothal gifts reflected the financial strength of the man's family, thus providing him with  The family wins face and respect.

    On the other hand, it also means that the man respects the woman and repays and compensates the woman's family for the hardships of raising their daughter. The woman's family will only feel their dignity after accepting a generous betrothal gift.

    It is precisely this broad social psychology that gradually formed the exaggerated hiring style of the Han Dynasty.

    The marriage between Liu Jing and Tao Zhan also went through six rites. For example, Liu Jing initially asked Tao Lie to marry Tao Zhan. Although Tao Lie did not agree immediately, he did not object.

    After the Chaisang War, the two parties officially confirmed their marriage, which actually led to the Nagina Conquest.

    Liu Jing also gave the Tao family a special betrothal gift, which was to include the Tao family's terms in the negotiation with Jiangdong. Finally, Sun Quan promised that the Tao family would not be punished for supporting Liu Jing. As always, this was a big deal for the Tao family.  Words are undoubtedly the heaviest betrothal gift.

    It was the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month. Early in the morning, a carriage set off from Wuchang and headed for Jiangxia Academy. There had just been a heavy snowfall last night. The whole city of Wuchang was covered in white. The carriage was running on the snow, although it was speeding.  Not fast, but very smooth.

    Tao Lie sat in the carriage, staring at the vast wilderness covered with snow. Although he was over seventy years old, he was still in good health and could travel long distances. Although this heavy snowfall was rare in Jiangxia, he did not  Focus on the snowy scene outside the car window, but think about something on your mind.

    He lives in Wuchang these days, and he will be solely responsible for the marriage of his granddaughter Tao Zhan. For him and the Tao family, the marriage of his granddaughter is not just a simple marriage, but also related to the future and destiny of the Tao family. Through this  The family marriage completely tied the Tao family and Liu Jing together.

    A year and a half ago, he did not agree with this marriage, thinking that this marriage would cause the Tao family to encounter dual crises in Jingzhou and Jiangdong. However, a battle between Jiangxia and Xia completely changed everything. The rise of Liu Jing made the Tao family  The dual threats faced were eliminated.

    Tao Lie has never wanted to promote this marriage as much as he does today.??, for this reason, he worked tirelessly and traveled between Chaisang and Wuchang. Today he went to Jiangxia Academy to meet with Kuai Liang to discuss some specific details of the marriage.

    Both of Liu Jing's parents died. Although Liu Biao was his uncle, Liu Biao refused to come to Jiangxia on the pretext of being busy with business. Instead, he entrusted his nephew Liu Pan to be the groom's representative to be responsible for organizing the wedding. In addition, he asked Kuai Liang to be the groom's elder.  , officiating the wedding on his behalf.

    Kuai Liang¡¯s daughter married Liu Qi. Speaking of which, he and Liu Biao were also in-laws and could be considered relatives. To a certain extent, he could indeed replace Liu Biao as Liu Jing¡¯s elder.

    An hour later, the carriage slowly stopped at the side entrance of Jiangxia Academy. At this time, Jiangxia Academy was different from what it was more than a month ago. The examination and admission had ended, and more than a hundred outstanding students including Ma Liang, Pang Shanmin, Liu Min and others were admitted.  Talented people from Jingxiang and the north will come to Jiangxia Academy to study.

    In addition, more than a dozen young talents recommended by senior officials in Jingzhou, including Dong Yun, Zhou Buyi, and Kuai Qi, will also stay at Jiangxia Academy.

    Most people will come to the academy one after another after the New Year, but more than thirty northern nobles have already brought their families to Jiangxia and moved into the academy.

    The side entrance was quite lively. Seven or eight nearby farmers were selling eggs, fresh fish, winter fruits, pickles, chickens, ducks and other agricultural products outside the side entrance. More than 20 female dependents who had settled in the academy were carrying baskets and shopping.  Dishes, bargaining is a bit lively.

    Tao Lie walked into the academy. The second half of the academy was the living area. Access was through the side door. Perhaps because of the snow, the academy seemed deserted, but the desertedness soon disappeared. A large group of children ran out of the snow.  , wielding wooden knives and wooden swords, and rushed towards the rockery, shouting with young voices, everyone vying for the first place, suddenly making the academy full of life.

    Tao Lie has been coming to Kuai Liang's yard. This is his second time here. He is familiar with the road. When he walked into the courtyard gate, he saw Kuai Liang making a snowman in the yard, concentrating on it, just like an art master completing his work. Tao Lie  He laughed and said, "Kuai Gong is very leisurely and elegant!"

    When Kuai Liang saw that Tao Lie had arrived, he dropped the shovel in his hand and said with a smile: "I was playing with two children. Unexpectedly, the two little guys ran away to play and fight, and the rest was left to me.  , I have no choice but to continue enjoying the childlike fun.¡±

    Tao Lie chuckled, "I just saw a dozen children rushing up the hillside together."

    Tao Lie and Kuai Liang have known each other for many years. At that time, Kuai Liang was responsible for the money, grain, and taxes in Jingzhou and often dealt with the Tao family. The two were quite familiar with each other. Kuai Liang patted the snow particles on his hands and body and invited Tao Lie into the study.

    There was a brazier lit in the study, and it was as warm as spring. The two sat down in front of the brazier. An old servant served them hot tea. Kuai Liang smiled and said: "The wedding is in a few days, and Mr. Tao will have to work even harder."

    Liu Jing¡¯s wedding date is set on the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month. The Han Dynasty was very particular about wedding dates. No marriage was allowed on the anniversary of death, such as Fusun, Rebellion Day, Blood Death Day, etc., and an auspicious day must be chosen.

    People in the Han Dynasty generally believed that if you do not choose an auspicious day or avoid years of marriage, it will bring disaster to the family and even the entire family. Therefore, the man usually uses divination to determine the wedding date, and then informs the woman, and then the woman begins to prepare the dowry.

    Tao Lie did not object to the fixed wedding date. The Tao family held sacrifices at Chaisang on the third day of the first lunar month and rushed there immediately after the wedding. There was enough time, but he was a little worried about Liu Jing. Obviously, Liu Jing would  I cannot return to Xiangyang to participate in the clan sacrifice. Not only Liu Jing cannot participate in the clan sacrifice, but Liu Pan and Liu Hu can also not participate. Is this appropriate?

    "Kuaigong, I'm afraid it will affect the Liu clan sacrifice!" Tao Lie sighed and expressed his worries.

    Kuai Liang shook his head and said with a smile: "Don't worry, the Liu Clan Festival will be held on the fourth day of the first lunar month. After the wedding, Liu Pan and Liu Hu immediately rushed back to Xiangyang by land. As long as they hurry up, they will be able to make it in time, but some guests from Xiangyang may come.  No, it¡¯s really a pity.¡±

    He didn't care much about Tao Lie, the guest in Xiangyang. He only cared about the Liu Jing brothers. When he heard that Kuai Liang didn't mention Liu Jing, he couldn't help but asked, "Don't Master Jing need to go back to Xiangyang to participate in the clan sacrifice?  "

    Kuai Liang took out a letter and handed it to Tao Lie, "This is a letter from Zhou Mu. It was just delivered yesterday. It specifically talks about Young Master Jing's marriage. It was also mentioned in the letter, saying that the family has unanimously agreed that Young Master Jing will be married this year."  You don¡¯t have to participate in the clan ceremony, it doesn¡¯t count as a violation of the clan rules.¡±

    Tao Lie didn't speak for a long time. He was worldly and knew that there was a deeper meaning in it. I'm afraid it wasn't just because of the marriage. After pondering for a long time, Tao Lie asked: "Kuai Gong, do you think it is possible for the uncle and nephew to repair their relationship?  "

    Kuai Liang smiled bitterly, "Frankly speaking, it's difficult! I'm not saying it's completely impossible, but this kind of antagonism due to a power struggle generally won't restore the relationship within five to ten years, and Zhou Mu's body is still  How many years can I live? So I have no idea.not optimistic.  "

    Tao Lie sighed, "Speaking of which, ordinary people are more humane."

    Kuai Liang chuckled, "That's not entirely true. It's possible for two brothers to fight over a cow and become enemies for the rest of their lives!"

    Tao Lie also laughed, "Kuai Gong is right, every family has difficulties, outsiders just don't know."

    The two of them turned the conversation to business. Tao Lie took out a thick inventory, handed it to Kuai Liang and said with a smile, "This is the dowry from the Tao family. Please take a look at it, Duke Kuai!"

    Kuai Liang took the thick inventory and couldn't help but smile: "I remember that five years ago when the Tao family married a daughter, the dowry caused a sensation in Jiangdong, with 10,000 beams of silk. I can only imagine that this time I married a daughter.  Yes, that dowry will definitely shock the world."

    Tao Lie smiled proudly and said: "This marriage is different from the past. Of course, the dowry will be thicker. This time Jiuniang will get married. In addition to clothes and utensils, she will mainly use money and food to support Master Jing in raising the army."  , In addition, there is a special dowry, I guess it has arrived in Xiakou. "

    "What kind of special dowry is it?" Kuai Liang asked curiously.

    Tao Lie laughed, "Kuai Gong will know soon."

    ?¡­

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 225 Special Dowry

    In Xiakou, as the New Year was approaching, the city construction was suspended. The peasants distributed a few buckets of rice and returned home to prepare for the New Year.

    After two months of city building, the outline of the new city has emerged. The city has a circumference of more than 20 miles, and the city wall has been repaired one foot high. Covered by heavy snow, it looks like a giant snake with a white back, stretching into the gray twilight in the distance.  In the mist, the uneven ground was filled with snow, turning into a vast white flat land.

    In the distance, Huanghu Mountain was also covered with thick snow, as if it was dressed in pure white, and its branches turned into bloated silver bars.

    But the pier was extremely lively. Some of the ships on the pier had been removed, leaving a wide pier enough for the Qianshi River boat to dock. More than a thousand soldiers had put the entire pier under martial law and no one was allowed to approach, while dozens of  The Tao family man stood in front of more than a hundred carriages, looking anxiously at the river, as if waiting for something.

    Liu Jing, Liu Hu, Wei Yan, Gan Ning, Liao Hua and other senior military officials gathered in a pavilion on the dock. Everyone's eyes were shining and full of expectation.

    Liu Jing had a calm expression and waited patiently for the arrival of the Tao fleet. He was actually a little worried that the Tao fleet would be intercepted by the Jingzhou Navy halfway. This was because the large ships carried extremely important strategic materials.

    On the sidelines, Tao Zheng was very excited, but also more worried. After all, this was the Tao family's furthest business trip in decades, and it cost a lot. It was a special dowry for his sister Tao Zhan. If something happened, what would happen to the Tao family?  Credibility will be the hardest hit.

    The entire pier was quiet, and everyone was looking forward to the arrival of the fleet. At this time, someone suddenly shouted, "It's coming!"

    Then many people shouted, "It's coming! It's coming!"

    Liu Jing also saw it. Under the reflection of the setting sun, a fleet of more than a hundred large ships was sailing toward the dock. Liu Jing was relieved. Great, fortunately, it was not intercepted by the Jingzhou Navy.  Otherwise, the civil war in Jingzhou will really break out.

    Tao Zheng was so excited that he ran towards the dock and shouted: "Get ready to pick up the boat!"

    Dozens of Tao family workers rushed up. As the first big ship slowly docked and the ship's planks were put on the pier, the pier suddenly burst into cheers. Liu Jing couldn't hold back her excitement and walked quickly to the big ship.  , Liu Hu and Gan Ning had already rushed to the ship first, and they were even more impatient.

    A group of war horses were led out and clattered off the ship. Liu Jing's eyes suddenly lit up. Jiangxia also had a lot of horses, most of which were draft horses and ordinary draft animals. However, the horses in front of him were completely different. This was real.  War horses come from the Hexi Corridor.

    Even the war horses in Liu Biao's army were obviously inferior. This reminded Liu Jing of the Xia Houyuan cavalry he saw in Runan. They were able to run like mountains with a momentum that only this kind of war horse could achieve.

    He slowly walked up to the group of war horses and gently stroked each war horse, as if caressing the most beautiful woman. They were tall and strong, with well-proportioned limbs, and their gray, black, white or red fur was shiny. They looked beautiful in the sunset.  Glittering in the light, their long tails fluttering in the wind, their high necks densely covered with brushy manes, they are all young war horses.

    Large ships docked one by one, and groups of war horses came out of the ships. They soon crowded the dock. The war horses were all bridle-ed. Most of them were docile and had obviously been well-trained.

    More than a thousand soldiers waiting on the dock rushed forward, each holding a horse. Their expressions were as if they were welcoming the arrival of their wives, and they were extremely fond of the horses in front of them.

    These more than a thousand war horses were bought by the Tao family in batches from Liangzhou at high prices. They took the Sichuan-Long Road to Hanzhong, then from Hanzhong to Shangyong, and then to Nanyang. After a lot of trouble, they arrived in batches at the Tao family's home.  The manor in Bishui was finally transported to Xiakou by boat from Bishui. There were as many as fifty grooms responsible for taking care of the horses.

    The expenses and bribes spent on the road alone amounted to more than a thousand kilograms of gold. The bribe given to Yang Song, Zhang Lu's number one counselor in Hanzhong alone, amounted to five hundred kilograms of gold, so that he could successfully pass through the entire territory of Hanzhong.

    This is also the biggest business that the Tao family has done in the past two years. As Tao Zhan's special dowry, according to Kuai Liang, this will indeed become a sensational event in the world. I don't know how many officials along the way will be punished by Cao Cao because of this matter.  severe punishment.

    At this time, Liu Hu led an unusually majestic black war horse forward and said with a smile: "Prefect, I want this war horse, it likes me!"

    Seeing that he was as excited as a child, Liu Jing shook her head, stepped forward, patted the war horse and said with a smile: "Although such a horse is good, but you are a step general, what do you want the war horse for? Why don't you give it to someone else."

    Unexpectedly, as if the war horse understood Liu Jing's words, it neighed loudly, raised its two front hooves high, and everyone around it hurriedly got out of the way.

    Liu Hu, however, put his arms around the war horse's neck, coaxing and patting him. Soon, thisThe war horse actually calmed down, cupped Liu Hu's big face with his mouth, and followed him obediently.

    "Have you seen!"

    Liu Hu said with aggrieved face: "He is my brother, can I give it to others?"

    People around him couldn't help but laugh. Among them, only Liu Jing was his brother.

    Liu Jing was just joking with him. If he really didn't give him a war horse, he would not let him come with him. Seeing Liu Hu's aggrieved look, he smiled and said: "Then keep an eye on your brother! Don't let him come with you."  It's getting worse."

    Liu Hu was overjoyed and led the horse towards an open space. Although the harness was not yet fully equipped, he was already eager to try the horse.

    At this time, Liu Jing heard someone calling him in the distance. When he turned around, he saw Tao Li and a person walking towards him quickly. Judging from the appearance of the person, he was tall and tall, with thick eyebrows and deep eyes, high cheekbones, and a long chin.  With a big beard, he is obviously not a Han, but rather a barbarian from the Western Regions.

    Liu Jing stepped forward, bowed and saluted, "Thank you for your hard work this time, uncle!"

    This time the horse trafficking was completely planned by Tao Li, including the transportation from Bishui to Jiangxia, which was also done by Tao Li. It can be said that he put all his efforts into it. Although Tao Li is also an experienced businessman, this time, he also felt extremely dangerous.

    It was precisely because of this that Liu Jing was full of gratitude to him and his etiquette was extremely thoughtful. Tao Li also loved his niece-in-law very much. He smiled at Liu Jing and said: "Actually, I am very accomplished if I can successfully complete the task.  It feels good, and this time the Tao family has also opened up a new trade route. In the future, we will be able to transport many goods from the Western Regions to Jingzhou smoothly. "

    He pulled up the Hu man behind him and introduced him to Liu Jing: "This is the son of the Xianling Qiang chief of Ganzhou. His name is Asuo. These war horses were sold by his father. This time he came to Jingzhou specially because he wanted to  Buy some goods from Jingzhou and go back."

    He then introduced Liu Jing to Asuo, the son of the chieftain, "This is Liu Jing, the governor of Jiangxia, the nephew of Jingzhou Mu."

    Asuo's full name is Nangong Suo. On the way, he heard Tao Li introduce Liu Jing and knew that he was good at fighting and a brave general. He also saw that Liu Jing was tall, mighty and extraordinary in appearance, so he quickly knelt down and saluted, "Nangong Suo, hello."  Governor Liu!"

    He can speak fluent Chinese, and although he looks older, as if he is about thirty years old, when he speaks, his voice is clear and clear, and he is obviously in his early twenties.

    Liu Jing hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Young chief, please rise. No need to be polite!"

    Nangong Suo stood up, turned around and waved, "Bring me up!"

    Several of his Qiang followers led up a white horse. It was tall and strong, with well-balanced limbs and strong limbs. It was all white, without a single hair. There was a circle of white hair around its four hooves. Anyone who knew a little about horses could see that this horse was white.  It is a rare thousand-mile horse.

    Nangong Suo patted the war horse and said with a smile: "The name of this war horse is Fei Ying. It is a Dawan horse from the Western Regions and is also quite famous in Xiliang. When we first met today, this war horse was dedicated to the prefect."

    Liu Jing stepped forward and held the war horse, stretched out his hand and pressed hard on the horse's back. He pressed with a force of three to four hundred kilograms, not to mention a thousand kilograms. Unexpectedly, the war horse did not move at all.

    ¡°What a horse!¡±

    Liu Jing couldn't help but admired. Although the appearance of the horse was good, he valued the load-bearing capacity more. Their weight plus weapons and other sundries would weigh at least three hundred kilograms, so the requirements for war horses were very high. An ordinary horse  Root can't afford it.

    Liu Jing turned around and told the soldiers: "Bring me a saber!"

    The soldiers quickly fetched a horse-zapping sword. The horse-zapping sword was fully equipped with heavy armored infantry. This is a unique weapon in Jingzhou.

    Liu Jing handed the horse-cutting knife to Nangong Suo and said with a smile: "Thank you so much, young chief, for the gift. I can't give it back. This horse-cutting knife is a token of my gratitude."

    Nangong Suo had never seen such a long knife before. It was one foot and five feet long, with a short handle and a long blade. It was extremely strong. He waved it twice and couldn't put it down. He said with great joy: "It's a good weapon. Thank you for the gift, prefect."

    Seeing that it was getting late, Liu Jing smiled at the soldiers and said: "Take the war horses back to the camp, feed them well, and return to Wuchang early tomorrow morning!"

    The soldiers were filled with joy and marched toward the camp with their horses.

    ?¡­

    At night, Liu Jing came to the horse camp, which was a tent specially built for war horses. There were more than a hundred tents in total, and more than a thousand war horses were placed in these tents.

    The horses were very quiet, and the groom poured buckets of freshly steamed black beans into the trough from time to time, and the trough next to it was also filled with water.

    Most of the horses in Jingzhou are fed with wheat straw, but this batch of military horses has higher requirements. Ordinary wheat straw cannot produce good horses, so high-quality food must be used. There is no pasture in Jingzhou, so black beans can only be used.

    Therefore, raising cavalry is very expensive. On average, it takes six households to raise one cavalry, and even moreIt goes without saying that there are other branches of the military.

    Without the full support of the Tao family, Jiangxia alone would not be able to support more than a thousand cavalry.

    In the tent, Liu Jing happened to meet Tao Li, who was also checking on the horses with his hands behind his back.

    "It's so late, isn't your second uncle still resting?"

    Tao Li shook his head and smiled: "I'm so excited that I can't sleep."

    "You didn't face any difficulties along the way, right?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    "There will always be difficulties, but if we use money to clear the way, there will be no danger. What's more important is that they came in more than a dozen batches and did not attract the attention of the defenders on the road."

    Having said this, Tao Li smiled contemptuously and said: "Actually, many people know what's going on, but for the sake of money, they all pretend to be deaf and dumb."

    "I heard that Hanzhong is the smoothest, right?"

    Tao Li nodded and smiled: "We have Yang Song's token in Hanzhong, and the journey has been smooth. All the defenders along the way thought it was Yang Song's business, and no one dared to stop it."

    Liu Jing nodded, remembering Tao Li's words, he stepped forward to observe these war horses. The war horses were already equipped with saddles, but they were all straight saddles with ropes for the feet, and there were small pedals on one side for mounting the horses.

    Although Liu Jing knew about bridge-type saddles and stirrups, they cannot be used now. Cao's cavalry is far stronger than that in the south. Once word spreads, this will make Cao's army even more powerful.

    However, you can consider using horseshoes. Liu Jing noticed that the four hooves of the war horse are wrapped in animal skins. Although this can protect the horse's hooves, it is very inconvenient to walk and easy to fall off. From the perspective of protecting the war horse, horseshoes can be used.

    This batch of war horses is of great significance to Liu Jing. With this batch of war horses, he can build a powerful cavalry. Whether it is attacking the enemy formation or making a long-distance raid, it will have a great advantage. It can be said that the combat effectiveness of the Jiangxia Army is  , because of this cavalry, they leapt to a new level.

    At this time, he was full of gratitude to the Tao family

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 226 Distinguished guests arriving from afar

    More than a thousand war horses did not take the boat, but returned to Wuchang by land. Long before welcoming the horses, Liu Jing prepared the horse training ground.

    This horse training farm is actually the original horse farm of Huang Zu. It is located to the west of Jiangxia Academy. It is a wilderness covering an area of ??more than 2,000 acres. It is surrounded by fences and the ground is flat. To the west of the horse farm, there is another one covering an area of ??100 acres.  The buildings include barracks, stables and food storage.

    It¡¯s a bit ridiculous to say that although Huang Zu opened a horse training farm of 2,300 acres, in fact, he only had more than 300 horses, which he bought from the north at a high price.

    The horse farm was sparse, so he got more than 500 draft horses mixed in. In fact, draft horses can also be used as military horses, such as delivering letters, carrying goods, and ordinary soldiers riding on marches, etc.

    But when it comes to fighting fiercely on the battlefield, animal-powered horses are far behind. In terms of speed, endurance, fighting power and sprinting ability, they are far inferior to real war horses.

    On the one hand, the breed is not good, on the other hand, Jingzhou cannot raise good horses, so the streets and alleys are full of bad horses.

    But even so, Huang Zu's more than 300 war horses and more than 500 livestock horses were looted by Jiangdong's army, leaving only an empty racecourse.

    When Liu Jing was in Chaisang, he also had more than 100 war horses. They originally belonged to the Jingzhou Army and were later brought to Chaisang. These more than 100 war horses were of good breed, but due to rough feeding, their physical condition was greatly reduced. In the end, they could not form cavalry, so they had to  Used for training.

    The more than a hundred soldiers who were stationed earlier had already cleaned up the horse training ground. As more than a thousand war horses entered the horse training ground, the horse training ground suddenly became lively.

    Liu Jing stood at the edge of the racecourse, watching the busy activity inside the racecourse. The racecourse was now covered with white snow, up to a foot deep, and training was not possible for the time being.

    Liu Jing watched Nangong Suo from a distance. On the way, he unexpectedly got news from Tao Li. The more than a thousand war horses had been castrated and there was no stallion. The Qiang people were unwilling to sell the stallions.  give them.

    This made Liu Jing really unhappy. Although he could understand that the Qiang people did not want their stallions to flow out, this result still disappointed him. He had planned to breed war horses by himself in Jiangxia, but now his plan was disrupted.

    Nangong Suo swept away a piece of snow and lay on the soil to smell it carefully. At this time, one of his followers brought a basket of horse feed. It was just steamed black beans. He grabbed a handful and put it on the ground.  Chewing it carefully in his mouth, he shook his head.

    Seeing this, Liu Jing walked up slowly and asked with a smile: "Is there anything wrong?"

    Nangong Suo bowed quickly, "These war horses have lived in Ganzhou and Liangzhou for generations and have long been accustomed to the water and soil there. I am very worried that they will not adapt to the water and soil of Jingzhou and will get sick and die."

    This sentence aroused Liu Jing's worry, and he quickly asked: "How are you now?"

    "The quality of the soil is different, but it is winter now and the soil has subsided. When the soil becomes more fertile in spring, they will probably have adapted. There will not be a big problem, but there is a problem with the food."

    Liu Jing nodded silently, "Please continue!"

    Nangong Suo laughed, "Raising horses is like raising children. They can't be too pampered or too rough. These horses will be too delicate if they just eat black beans. If they don't have black beans to eat when marching and fighting in the future, they will have problems. I suggest you can  Chop wheat straw into fine pieces and mix it with black beans, 50/50. With this combination of thickness, the horse will grow fatter.

    In addition, I brought a lot of the best alfalfa seeds this time. The prefect can find a place with sufficient water and sparse population. They are usually planted in autumn, but it is not very cold here. They can also be planted in winter. They will be ready tomorrow spring.  It will sprout and grow, and the war horses can eat fresh alfalfa in the summer, which is their favorite, and it is extremely important for the physique of the war horses.  "

    Liu Jing immediately thought of Yangxin County, which has a sparse population and can grow alfalfa on both sides of the rich water. This can greatly reduce the cost of raising horses. Why didn't she think of this?

    Liu Jing¡¯s dissatisfaction with Nangong Suo because of the stallion faded a bit. He bowed deeply to Nangong Suo and said, "Thank you for your help, Young Chief. Liu Jing is grateful!"

    "You're welcome, who made me fall in love with the prefect?"

    Nangong Suo smiled heartily and said: "In the future, the prefect will definitely visit Liangzhou as a guest. I will treat the prefect as a distinguished guest."

    Liu Jing nodded, "If I have the chance, I will definitely go!"

    Nangong Suo seemed to understand Liu Jing's disappointment, and smiled slightly: "In two years, when I succeed to the throne, maybe I will sell a few stallions to the prefect."

    Liu Jing also laughed, cupped her hands and said, "Thank you in advance!"

    At this time, a soldier outside the fence in the distance shouted: "Prefect, I have something important to report!"

    Liu Jing apologized to Nangong Suo and turned around to greet him, "What's the matter?"The soldiers reported: "Master Qi is here, and Uncle Liu Huang is here too. They are almost at Wuchang Pier. Xu Changshi and Master Pan ask the prefect to go back immediately."

    Liu Qi and Liu Bei came, which surprised Liu Jing. He quickly gave Liao Hua a few words, got on his horse, and led dozens of soldiers to gallop towards Wuchang City

    Liu Bei initially sought treatment from Zhang Ji in Changsha and took the opportunity to get close to Liu Pan, but Liu Biao's birthday interrupted his plan. He had to return to Xiangyang to celebrate his birthday, but he missed Liu Jing. This time Liu Jing got married, and Liu Bei also  After informing Liu Biao, Liu Biao agreed to come to Wuchang to attend the wedding.

    Liu Bei also discovered that Liu Biao's health was deteriorating rapidly and could no longer survive for a few years. From this, he sensed the signs of imminent civil strife in Jingzhou. At this time, he became more concerned about Liu Biao's nephews, especially Liu Qi, who always held Liu Bei's heart.

    But Liu Qi is in Nanjun, and Liu Bei is in Xinye. This time Liu Biao celebrates his birthday, and Liu Qi is not allowed to come to Xiangyang. This leaves Liu Bei no chance to contact Liu Qi. Liu Bei secretly got the news about Liu Jing's wedding, and Liu Qi is very likely to do so.  To attend, he also came to Wuchang in the name of celebrating the wedding.

    It was also a coincidence that Liu Bei's ship had just arrived at the Wuchang pier, and Liu Qi's ship had also arrived. The two unexpectedly met at the pier.

    However, Xu Shu and Liu Pan came to greet them at the pier. Liu Bei and Liu Qi didn't talk much, just ordinary greetings, but they understood each other tacitly.

    The group of people were welcomed into the Wuchang County Yingbin Post House. This is where Wuchang County and even Jiangxia County entertain senior officials. The conditions are very good and there are dedicated people to serve them. In the lobby, everyone exchanged a few words and sat down. Xu Shu said to Liu Bei.  He Liu Qi smiled and said: "I'm really sorry, my eunuch happened to go to Xiakou, I guess he should be back today."

    Liu Bei nodded and said with a smile: "I heard that Xiakou is building a city on a large scale. We will stop by and have a look when we go back. Mr. Qi can also go and have a look."

    Liu Qi quickly bowed and said: "Since Uncle Shi said so, I will definitely go and see it."

    Liu Qi asked Liu Pan again, "How are the preparations for the wedding going?"

    Liu Pan is the county magistrate of Changsha. This time he and Huang Zhong came specially to attend Liu Jing's wedding. Moreover, he received a personal letter from his uncle Liu Biao, ordering him to be responsible for organizing the return gift. Liu Pan was so busy these days that he never touched the ground.  He did almost everything himself. Fortunately, he had many people and Kuai Liang took the decision on some important matters, so although he was busy, it still went smoothly.

    "We are almost ready. I really admire the Tao family's generosity. The dowry is really eye-opening. The food alone is 200,000 dan, and it is said that the dowry also includes a thousand war horses."

    Liu Pan spoke unintentionally, but the listener did. Xu Shu and Liu Bei changed their expressions almost at the same time. Xu Shu never mentioned the war horses. Although this matter would have to be hidden sooner or later, he didn't want Liu Bei to see these war horses in Wuchang, even if he knew about it.  Yes, that's what happened.

    But Liu Bei was extremely sensitive. He actually gave away a thousand war horses as a dowry, which made his eyes filled with envy. If he had a strong cavalry, he would not have been defeated so miserably in recent years. Back then, the Mi family only had a few dowries.  It was just ten thousand stones of grain and thirty million dollars, but this time the Tao family actually gave away a thousand war horses as a dowry.

    But Liu Bei¡¯s palace was very deep, so he didn¡¯t say anything, but Liu Qi frowned and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it suspected of overstepping the bounds of marrying a thousand war horses?¡±

    Xu Shu chuckled and said, "It's not too much of a transgression! We good people like to call it a dowry, but generally dowries are made of wild goose bis, black silk, bundles of silk, etc. I have never heard of using war horses as a dowry. In fact, it is  It¡¯s just that the Tao family¡¯s support for the Jiangxia army is not for private use by the prefect.¡±

    At this time, Liu Bei asked: "I wonder where these war horses are now? Can I let you have a look?"

    Before Liu Pan could speak, Xu Shu said with a smile: "The war horses are still in Xiakou! The prefect has already gone to pick them up. I don't know if he has received them."

    At this moment, there was a sound of footsteps outside, and then Liu Jing's hearty laughter was heard, "Liu Jing didn't know that uncle Shi and eldest brother were coming, so he was neglectful!"

    ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? away and Liu Bei cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I heard that my nephew is happy with the double happiness, and I came from Xinye to congratulate my uncle!"

    Liu Jing had a good impression of Liu Bei. During the last battle with Chaisang, Liu Bei took the initiative to send Zhao Yun to assist in the battle. This made Liu Jing owe Liu Bei a favor. To a certain extent, he also had to admire Liu Bei for being a good person and always doing something.  This act of providing help in times of need made people have no choice but to accept his favor.

    Liu Jing bowed deeply and said, "Uncle Shi came all the way from Xinye to Wuchang. Liu Jing is very grateful."

    At this time, Liu Qi also stepped forward and said with a smile: "Congratulations to Brother Jing on your great happiness!"

    "Thank you, brother!"

    Everyone entered the hall and sat down one after another. Liu Jing suddenly saw Zhao Yun, who was standing behind Liu Bei, although he said nothing at all.? But when Liu Jing looked at him, Zhao Yun nodded slightly, with a smile on his lips. Although he didn't speak, his eyes were full of sincere blessings.

    Liu Jing took a deep look at Zhao Yun, then looked away, and smiled at everyone: "The Tao family was very worried that no one from the Liu family would come to the wedding. Now that the Liu family is all here, I am very grateful to everyone for giving me this face."

    Everyone was humble and praised Liu Jing for being blessed with the support of the Tao family. Speaking of the Tao family's support, Liu Bei quickly winked at Liu Qi. Liu Qi understood and smiled and said to Liu Jing: "I heard that the Tao family gave a dowry to my virtuous brother.  Thousands of war horses, I wonder if the war horses have arrived?¡±

    Liu Jing was startled, how could this matter get out? He kept his expression and said with a smile: "The war horses are still on their way to Wuchang, it will take a few days! But I have brought some good horses for everyone to take a look.  "

    After saying that, he led everyone outside and walked into the yard. The sergeant brought five or six horses. They were selected from a thousand war horses. They were all extremely powerful horses.

    Liu Bei is a man who knows horses. He looked around at the horses and couldn't help but praise them, "This is a real BMW, dear nephew, where did you get these horses?"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "If you like it, Uncle Shi, you can pick one."

    "Is your good nephew really willing to give it to me?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "As early as two years ago, I wanted to give Uncle Shi a horse, but I never had the chance. Today I take this opportunity to fulfill my wish. Uncle Shi, please feel free to choose."

    Liu Bei knew that he was talking about the Luma incident in Yangxin County. He chuckled and said, "Since my nephew is sincere, I would rather obey his orders than respect him."

    He had long taken a fancy to a red war horse, which was ten feet long and red as fire. Although it was not as good as Guan Yu's Red Rabbit, it was still a rare BMW. He pulled the horse out and said with a smile: "This  Nice horse!¡±

    "Uncle Shi has a good eye. This horse is named Chixia and it is only three years old."

    Liu Bei liked it very much and thanked him repeatedly. Liu Jing asked Liu Qi and Liu Pan to pick a horse each, and both of them picked their favorite horses.

    At this time, Liu Jing glanced at Zhao Yun from a distance and said with a smile: "I also prepared a war horse for General Zilong. I would like to thank General Zilong for rescuing Chai Sang."

    He waved his hand, and a soldier walked in with a snow-white war horse. Compared with the other horses, this war horse was more powerful and had a strong and powerful pace. Everyone could see that this was a thousand-mile horse.

    Liu Jing led the war horse to Zhao Yun and handed him the reins, "This horse is called Fei Ying. Please accept it, General Zilong!"

    Zhao Yun's heart was as clear as a mirror. Liu Jing's presentation of the horse to his lord and the Liu brothers was just a preparation and painstaking effort. His real purpose was to give the horse to himself.

    Zhao Yun felt a kind of brotherly affection. He was extremely moved in his heart, but smiled faintly on his face, "Thank you Mr. Jing, Zhao Yun accepted it!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 227 Liu Bei¡¯s long-term plan

    At night, Zhao Yun hurried into Liu Bei's room, clasped his fists and said, "Master, are you looking for a subordinate?"

    Liu Bei nodded and said with a smile: "I heard you went to practice horse training. How about it? The horse power is still strong!"

    Of course Liu Bei understood that Liu Jing's gift of the horse to him was just a foil. His real purpose was to give the white BMW to Zhao Yun, but he was afraid that Zhao Yun would give it to him, so he blocked his mouth with a Chixia horse first.  To say that he was taking care of his own face, it would be better to say that he was considering Zhao Yun's situation, which can be said to have good intentions.

    This shows that in Liu Jing¡¯s heart, he is far inferior to Zhao Yun. Although this matter has nothing to do with Liu Bei, it still makes Liu Bei feel uncomfortable.

    He has never been happy with the deep friendship between Zhao Yun and Liu Jing, and has only tolerated it for the sake of a deeper conspiracy. But today, Liu Jing favored one and the other in front of so many people, which made Liu Bei lose his face.

    He found Zhao Yun and wanted to reprimand him, but when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back and said with a smile: "I didn't expect Mr. Jing to be so grateful. For more than two years, he has always remembered your kindness to him.  It¡¯s not easy!¡±

    Zhao Yun bit his lip and said, "Although he is kind and righteous, his subordinates must consider their loyalty first. The subordinates dare not accept the white horse he presented as a gift. In fact, the subordinates are out training horses for their lord."

    Liu Bei chuckled, waved his hand and said, "You are overly concerned. It's just a horse. Since he gave it to you, you should accept it. This is also Mr. Jing's intention. If you give it to me again, wouldn't you be denying him face? Besides,  , you are a general, the war horse is very important to you, just accept it!"

    Zhao Yun shook his head, "I am a minister, how can I receive a horse from my lord at the same time? This violates the etiquette of a monarch and his ministers, and I dare not accept it. If my lord does not accept it, I will return the horse to Mr. Jing."

    Liu Bei sighed, "It seems that I am too troublesome, okay! Just accept this horse as if it was given to you by me!"

    Zhao Yun knelt down on one knee, cupped his fist and said, "Thank you, Lord, for the horse!"

    ?¡­

    Zhao Yun retreated, and Liu Bei paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He knew that Zhao Yun was a bit insincere in what he said. He could see clearly that when Zhao Yun accepted the horse, his eyes were full of gratitude and joy, but now they turned into helpless ones.  Horse, this made Liu Bei very angry.

    He also knew that Zhao Yun was loyal to him at other times, but when it came to Liu Jing, Zhao Yun's loyalty was compromised. He could see that Zhao Yun regarded Liu Jing as a brother, but deliberately concealed it in front of him. If he hadn't  Mention, will he return the horse to Liu Jing?

    Thinking of this, Liu Bei was deeply worried. Now he and Liu Jing have no conflict. Once he and Liu Jing have a conflict, or a war breaks out, what will Zhao Yun's position be?  This problem has troubled Liu Bei for two years, and today it once again deeply confused him.

    At this moment, a soldier reported at the door: "General Qi, Mr. Qi wants to see you!"

    Liu Bei perked up. For him, Liu Qi was much more important than Zhao Yun. He came to Wuchang actually just for Liu Qi. Liu Bei quickly said: "Invite him in quickly!"

    After a while, Liu Qi hurriedly walked into the room, knelt down and bowed, "My nephew Liu Qi pays homage to my uncle!"

    Liu Bei quickly helped him up and said, "Master Qi, please get up quickly."

    In the past year or so, although Liu Bei has not met Liu Qi, they have been exchanging letters. Especially after Jian Yong became the Princess of Nan County, the exchanges between the two have become more convenient, and a kind of relationship has been established between them.  tacit agreement.

    The two sat down, and Liu Qi couldn't help but said anxiously: "My nephew's absurd behavior of following my uncle's advice to have sex with a prostitute has aroused my father's anger. Duke Kuai told me clearly that I am afraid that it is unlikely that my father will make me his heir.  I also understand that if my father passes away this time, he will order me to guard Nanjun and not go to Xiangyang. I am afraid that my father has already made a decision in his heart, what should I do? "

    Liu Qi's absurd use of prostitutes was not his intention, but Liu Bei's plan. Although Liu Qi was reluctant, but out of trust and respect for Liu Bei, he still did it, but he did not expect that it would lead to such serious consequences, and he even had no hope of becoming an heir.  , making him panic.

    He has been suppressing this matter in his heart. When he met Liu Bei today, he couldn't help but pour it out.

    Liu Bei naturally knew this, and he smiled slightly and said: "Young master, don't worry. In fact, even if you are diligent and self-disciplined, you can't compete with Master Cong. Could Chong'er compete with Shen Sheng back then?"

    With the full support of the Cai family, the secret help of Mrs. Cai, and your father is old and no longer as shrewd as he used to be, sooner or later he will make Mr. Cong his heir, and you can't compete with him.  "

    Liu Qi lowered his head. After a long time, he sighed deeply, "But I always feel useless in my heart."

    "Why does Mr. Qi feel this way? After a setback, he becomes decadent. This is not the ambition to do great things. I will not be able to do anything in my life."I have failed many times, but I have never lost confidence. Mr. Qi, you must learn from Uncle Wei!  "

    Liu Qi suddenly came to his senses, stood up and bowed deeply, "My nephew realizes his mistake!"

    Liu Bei smiled and waved his hand, "Sit down!"

    When Liu Qi sat down, he said meaningfully: "I let the young master do ridiculous things just to confuse Zhou Mu and Cai family, thinking that the young master is useless. If the young master is working hard in Nanjun and training soldiers and horses, do you think Zhou Mu will  Will you two brothers kill each other in the future? "

    Liu Qi nodded silently. His uncle was right. If his father passed the throne to his second brother and found that he was fighting hard, he would never allow the civil war in Jingzhou and would definitely transfer himself away from Nanjun. His absurdity could indeed confuse his father.

    Seeing that he had understood, Liu Bei smiled and said: "I talked with your father. Although I didn't say it explicitly, I found that your father was also very conflicted. On the one hand, he didn't want the civil war in Jingzhou and brothers to kill each other, but on the other hand, he  I am afraid that if you have no foundation, Mr. Cong can easily kill you, so he is determined to put you in Nanjun. In this case, your attitude is very important. If you grasp this degree and firmly control Nanjun, you will be needed.  of wisdom.¡±

    ¡°Nephew, you don¡¯t know what to do?¡±

    Liu Bei smiled and said: "Actually, you have done a good job. You took the initiative to return to Xiangyang to serve. This is a wise move. It will make your father feel that you don't care about Nanjun. At the same time, he will not let you return to Xiangyang to avoid the outbreak of internal fighting between brothers.  , just do this in the future and there will be no problem.¡±

    Liu Qi thought for a long time, and then said: "If I am stupid, what will happen to the army? How can I control the army?"

    Liu Bei narrowed his eyes and smiled and said: "This requires external help. If you can trust me, I can recommend Yun Chang to help you."

    Liu Qi sighed, "It would be nice to have someone to help me, but I'm afraid my father won't."

    "It doesn't matter. The young master can write to the governor of the state to persuade him not to trust me too much and to be wary of Liu Bei's ambition. In this case, I recommend Yunchang to go south to Yiling and be named Junhou. He will actually train your troops for you and monitor you.  Although your Zhang Yan is Cai Mao's subordinate, he is actually a corrupt person. You can use a lot of money to keep his mouth shut, so that everything will be safe."

    Liu Qi was moved and cried: "My uncle is so kind to me, how can I repay my nephew?"

    "My nephew, don't worry about not being able to repay me. I also said in my letter that when my nephew becomes the pastor of Jingzhou, he can send troops to help me take Nanyang and Shangyong. I want to take Hanzhong as my foundation. In fact, I helped my nephew  Just to help myself.¡±

    Liu Qi nodded heavily, "Liu Qi will never let down his uncle and will definitely send troops to help!"

    ?¡­

    Zhao Yun felt a little uncomfortable today. He knew that his lord was suspicious of him. Since two years ago, his lord had resented him for being too close to Liu Jing. For this reason, he also deliberately kept his relationship with Liu Jing cold. For more than a year, he had almost  He has no dealings with Liu Jing.

    The last time the lord went to Changsha for medical treatment, he passed by Chaisang. It was the lord who asked him to visit Liu Jing, including later supporting the battle of Chaisang. It was also the lord's arrangement. But today because of a horse, the lord began to be dissatisfied with him again.

    The Lord clearly knows that it was Liu Jing who sacrificed his life to save him in Runan, and he also knows that he should repay the kindness he received from others, but why can't he tolerate himself treating Liu Jing as his younger brother?  Could it be that if he regarded Liu Jing as his younger brother, would he betray him?

    Zhao Yun couldn't help but complain about Liu Bei in his heart. He felt that Liu Bei didn't understand him, and even didn't believe him. Zhao Yun was in his thirties this year. He had been fighting in the north and south for many years. He had never married again, and he had not been with Liu Bei for a day.  In the good days, he spent most of the time running away from defeat. He would not complain about these and followed Liu Bei loyally.

    But Zhao Yun is also a human being after all. When his loyalty is not understood and is even doubted by his lord, one can imagine his frustration.

    Zhao Yun walked to the city wall unknowingly. The soldiers guarding the city knew him and did not stop him. Zhao Yun slowly walked up to the city wall. He stood by the female wall, staring at the dark river in the distance, and then looking towards the distant north.  , all the way to my hometown.

    He thought of his parents, his wife and children who died tragically in the rebellion, and his deceased master. An unprecedented feeling of loneliness filled his heart. Unknowingly, Zhao Yun was in tears.  Flow all over face.

    "Mom!" His voice was hoarse, calling in a low voice for his long-dead mother.

    ?¡­

    "What! Do you want to go back to your hometown to visit your parents' graves?" Liu Bei looked at Zhao Yun kneeling on the ground in surprise, and couldn't say a word for a long time.

    "I dreamed of my mother last night. It was my mother who urged me to go back to offer sacrifices. I haven't visited my parents' graves for ten years. I beg my lord to allow me to return to my hometown."

    Liu Bei was silent for a long time, and then sighed, "It's my fault, I apologize to you!  "

    "No!"

    Zhao Yun quickly shook his head, "That matter was my fault. I should not have accepted the horse. Now that the master has given it to me, I feel at ease. My desire to return to my hometown to visit my grave has nothing to do with this matter. When I was in Xinye, I had  This idea."

    Liu Bei stared at him silently for a long time, and then asked: "Then when will you come back?"

    "As soon as two months, as late as three months, my subordinates will definitely come back."

    Liu Bei was helpless. He prided himself on his filial piety. How could he not allow his subordinates to visit his mother's grave? He had no choice but to nod his head, "Okay! Take your two brothers with you and be careful along the way."

    Zhao Yun nodded silently, "I will be careful, my lord. Thank you, lord. I will set off tonight. Please tell Mr. Jing that I can't attend his wedding. I'm very sorry!"

    "Go ahead! I will tell you."

    Zhao Yun bowed and slowly retreated. Liu Bei watched him go away, feeling as if he had overturned the five-flavor bottle in his heart. All kinds of flavors were present. After a while, he also sighed longly.

    ?¡­

    ¡¾There is another chapter around 11pm¡¿

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 228 Marriage

    I¡¯ve updated nine chapters in the past two days because Lao Gao has to go back to his hometown tomorrow to deal with some things, which may take a few days. I¡¯m very sorry.

    Lao Gao has been writing this book for so many years, but he has only interrupted it twice. One time was in 2008, because the company had a New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, and another time was when Qidian was holding an annual meeting, and it was interrupted once. I still vaguely remember that it was Sanjie.  I asked for leave.

    Including the Spring Festival and Thirty Nights, Lao Gao has never stopped updating, as all old readers know.

    This is the first time I have asked for leave. There are various reasons, and Lao Gao has no choice but to ask for your understanding. When I come back, I will definitely make up for all the missing chapters, and I will not owe a chapter.

    I apologize to everyone again.

    ============

    Starting from the day before the wedding, the city of Wuchang gradually became lively. Firecrackers were set off one after another, and diabolo tubes were burned in the fire, making crisp crackling sounds to drive away evil spirits and filth. This bamboo-burning custom must be observed on festive days in the Central Plains.  Indispensable.

    At noon, as the wedding team appeared, the streets in Wuchang were deserted. Almost everyone ran onto the streets and lined the streets to cheer the arrival of the wedding team.

    Weddings in the Han Dynasty have always been famous for their extravagance. Even ordinary families would ride in ten chariots, ride on slaves and serve as servants, and drive around each other. Comparisons became more and more popular. After one marriage, countless families went bankrupt. They were trying to save face for a while, but behind the scenes.  But it was miserable.

    By the time of the Three Kingdoms, due to the poverty of the people and their inability to afford extravagant expenses, this custom had gradually begun to become more pragmatic, and they acted according to their ability. Often, a bullock cart followed by three or five relatives could be used to welcome the bride.

    In the north, Cao Cao also advocated simplicity and strictly prohibited extravagance. The extravagant style of weddings in the north gradually changed. However, the Jingzhou area was less affected by the war and the people generally had savings. In addition, Liu Biao was very concerned about appearance, so the trend of comparison in Jingxiang weddings was still relatively serious. However,  Compared with the extravagant competition during the Han Dynasty, it has become somewhat restrained.

    When Liu Jing got married this time, he also followed Cao Cao's example and showed a posture of working hard to govern. He repeatedly explained to the officials and generals that money and food should be used for the army and soldiers and should not be spent on a wedding. His attitude won the hearts of hundreds of officials and generals.  This was the consensus of the officials and generals, so when Liu Jing got married this time, she also showed herself to the people and strived to be frugal.

    Amid the cheers of the people, a team of more than thirty bullock carts drove slowly, with more than a hundred soldiers acting as a guard of honor, following the bullock carts. A group of drums cleared the way in front, and the drums were loud.  Extremely lively.

    Except for the first oxcart that welcomes the bride, which has a brocade awning, the other oxcarts are all flat carts, which are loaded with various betrothal gifts, including more than 30 kinds of cloth, silk, sheep, wine, wild geese, rice, etc., and are decorated with red  The belt is tied and the "six rites", which are various auspicious words, are sealed on it.

    The betrothal gift had already been sent to the bride's house, but it was only taken out for display during the wedding. At the front of the procession, the groom Liu Jing was riding on a tall horse. He wore the groom's crown and a bright red wedding robe.  Wearing a black leather belt around his waist, he looked energetic. With a smile on his face, he saluted the people around him and was greeted by cheers.

    Frankly speaking, Liu Jing's wedding ceremony is only comparable to that of a middle-aged family, which is a little shabby compared to his status, but this is a benchmark. If he does this, then Jiangxia officials cannot exceed his standards for weddings.  If officials take the lead, the people will inevitably follow suit or dare not overstep their bounds, and the extravagant marriage trend in Jiangxia will naturally come to a halt.

    With the rise of frugality in Jiangxia, the trend in Jingzhou will gradually change. This is called up and down, and it will have immediate results.

    According to the rules, the man¡¯s family members also had to accompany him to welcome the bride, but Liu Qi and Liu Bei did not accompany them. Instead, brothers Liu Pan and Liu Hu accompanied Liu Jing to Tao¡¯s house, and the group headed towards Tao¡¯s house in a mighty manner.

    Tao Mansion is located in the west of Wuchang City. It is a large house covering an area of ??80 acres. In the past few days, more than a hundred members of the Tao family have come from Chaisang in the past two days, including Tao Zhan's aunt and eldest sister who married to Jiangdong.  Wu came.

    In the room, Tao Zhan was dressed in bridal attire and had been sitting quietly for two hours. Although Liu Jing tried to be simple when welcoming the bride, for the Tao family, some basic things were indispensable, except for the so-called dowry that shocked the world.  , as well as the bride¡¯s attire and real dowry.

    In the Han Dynasty, there was no fixed bridal attire, no phoenix crowns, harems, or hijabs. All attires were customized by each family, and most of them were gorgeous. Cai Yong once described the bridal attire, "Beautiful women are richly decorated, Ye Ru"  Chunhua'.

    ??The brides of wealthy families are "dressed in red raccoon leather, and are worn all over the road", while the brides of ordinary families are "dressed in long skirts, with hairpins on top."

    Tao Zhan wore her hair in a high bun, and her hair was covered with pearls. A jasper step was inserted diagonally in her hair, making her face shine like the moon. Today she specially put on makeup and applied a thin layer of powder on her face.  Hibiscus, the color of her lips is a little red, which makes her more charming and charming.

    She was wearing a black dressShe wears a skirt, a mink fur coat, a rare white fox fur around her collar, and deerskin boots with colorful belts, which makes her even more elegant and elegant, with a kind of national beauty.

    Today was Tao Zhan's big day, and she was filled with excitement and anticipation, and even the shyness of a young girl who had just become a wife. Except for the two personal maids Gillian and Little Baozi, the only ones in the room were Tao Zhan's aunt and eldest sister.  .

    Tao Zhan has two aunts. One is the aunt who taught her the art of disguise since she was a child. She died of illness three years ago. The other is the aunt who married the Lu family in Jiangdong. There is also the eldest sister Tao Min. Tao Zhan's mother has died of illness.  , so the eldest aunt took on the responsibility of mother and elder.

    Aunt Tao came over and said to her with a smile: "Don't you remember everything I told you last night?"

    Tao Zhan nodded shyly. She remembered those things very clearly and it was going to happen tonight.

    At this time, Tao Min, the eldest sister, came forward with a silver plate with two silk threads in it. Mrs. Tao sighed and said, "Normally, mother should do the favor for you, but mother is not here, so I do it."

    Face-opening means that when a girl gets married, she plucks out some stray hairs between her eyebrows to make her face smoother. The most important thing to distinguish a young woman from a girl is to see if she has a face-opening. Face-opening is very simple. You don¡¯t need tweezers, just use two tweezers.  The silk thread twists off the vellus hair.

    "Thank you so much, Auntie!"

    Tao Zhan slowly raised his face, and Mrs. Tao carefully plucked out the stray hairs between her eyebrows one by one. At this time, the sound of drum music came from the distance, and a maid flew upstairs and shouted excitedly:  "I'm coming!"

    Tao Zhan suddenly became nervous, and her heart was pounding. She took her eldest sister's hand and said timidly: "Sister!"

    Tao Min patted her sister's hand gently and said with a smile: "It's not like you don't know him, so what are you afraid of when you are so familiar with him?"

    The aunt next to me also sighed and said: "It's like this for new wives, but you don't have to serve your parents-in-law, which is your greatest luck and makes many people envious. The year before last, Jiao Zhongqing, a small official in Lujiang, and his wife committed suicide because of the quarrel between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.  "I'm sorry, Jiuniang, I hope you can take care of the family business, take care of your husband's worries, give birth to children early, and be worthy of your parents-in-law."

    Tao Zhan silently nodded in agreement, not knowing what she was feeling, whether she was happy or sad, happy or nervous. At this moment, her heart became blank.

    The welcoming team did not stay at the bride's house for a long time. Different from the later Sui and Tang Dynasties, the bride was welcomed at night in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. They had to recite poems and pay homage to the bride's house. They had to recite poems everywhere they went. They also had to accept the cross-examination of the bride's three aunts and six wives, and finally bribed them.  And get away (those who are interested can see Yuan Qing's Wife Marrying in My World's Heroes).

    In the Han Dynasty, the wedding ceremony was relatively simple. The main activities took place at the groom's home, usually at noon. The bride's family prepared lunch for the wedding team and gave everyone money.

    So today is their happiest day for both the soldiers serving as honor guards and the drummers. The Tao family gave each of them twelve taels of gold as wedding money, which was enough to make them so happy that they couldn't sleep at night.

    In the inner hall, Liu Jing sat in the middle. In front of him was Tao Lie, the old head of the Tao family. On both sides were Tao Zhan's father Tao Sheng, his uncle Tao Li, and his third uncle Tao Jun who came from Jiangdong. This was an important part of the wedding ceremony.  Ring, the entrustment given by the woman's elders to her son-in-law, and then the daughter's instructions.

    "Jiuniang has been pampered since she was a child. She is ignorant at a young age and does not understand the ways of the world. I hope that my grandson-in-law will be more tolerant and tolerant. I also hope that you can love each other and share weal and woe. If there is any difficulty, the Tao family will definitely help."

    Liu Jing kowtowed heavily and said, "Sister-in-law, I remember!"

    "The auspicious time has come, let the new couple set off!"

    As the best man Liu Hu shouted loudly, drums and music suddenly played in unison. Six maids held fans in front and behind to cover the bride as she came out. Gillian and Little Baozi, one on the left and one on the right, helped the bride walk slowly and climbed onto the large cow.  car.

    Amidst the sound of drums, Liu Jing set off first, followed closely by an ox cart. The ox cart behind was no longer a betrothal gift, but various dowries, colorful silks and satins, dresses, boxes and cages, and was followed by twenty servants of the Tao family.

    The motorcade drove along the original road toward the groom's house.

    Liu Jing has his own house in Wuchang City, close to the county government office. It is a middle house covering an area of ??about 30 acres. This is the official residence of the Jiangxia prefect, and all previous prefects lived here.

    The mansion is divided into three parts. The outer house is for servants and servants, the middle hall is a living place for guests, and the inner house is the owner's private residence. There is also an inner garden and a pond covering an area of ??three acres, which is fresh and elegant.  , create scenery every step of the way.

    Today¡¯s wedding was held in the central hall. The Han Dynasty wedding banquet was very grand, with bells, drums, five music, and countless songs and dances. Although Liu Jing tried to be frugal and eliminated singing, dancing and music, the necessary banquets were still indispensable.

    From the moment the bride enters the house to the moment she gets married, there are complicated etiquettes and strict rules.I won¡¯t describe them one by one.

    The fun continued until evening, when the groom, whose face was red from drinking, was sent into the bridal chamber. At this time, the bride Tao Zhan had been sitting in front of the bed waiting for nearly an hour.

    The doors and windows in the bridal chamber have long been closed, and it is as warm as spring. Wedding candles are lit in the inner and outer rooms, and big words of happiness are hung on the walls. The bed is covered with fine brocade, the curtains are hung low, and wine is placed on the small table.  Pots and cups.

    Liu Jing closed the door, walked forward with a smile, sat down next to Tao Zhan, and said apologetically: "They caught me and forced me to drink. I drank a few more drinks. Don't blame me."

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and laughed softly: "Can I be beaten with a stick?"

    The groom¡¯s stick is the most popular way of joking in weddings in the Eastern Han Dynasty and even the Three Kingdoms. However, excessive use of the stick often kills people, and Tao Zhan is also a little worried.

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "They all know that if anyone dares to slap me, I will repay him a hundred times tomorrow, so no one dares to mess around."

    Tao Zhan smiled sweetly, took two wine cups, stretched out his jade fingers coated with bright red cardamom, picked up the wine flask and poured two cups of wine.

    "Husband, would you like to drink a glass of wine from me."

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "I would drink it differently."

    "What method?" Tao Zhan was puzzled.

    "so!"

    Liu Jing asked Tao Zhan to pick up the wine cup, and their arms crossed each other. Tao Zhan understood immediately. Her face turned red suddenly, and she drank a glass of wine with her husband shyly.

    Liu Jing put down the wine cup, stood up, hugged Tao Zhan into his arms, kissed her lips, and whispered: "Are you excited today?"

    Tao Zhan nodded lightly, his eyes dimmed, Liu Jing picked up her legs, held her in his arms, walked quickly into the inner room, and said with a smile: "This is the rule in my hometown, the bride is not allowed to touch the floor when going to bed.  , and there must be no trace of it on the body.¡±

    When Tao Zhan heard that he was not allowed to put on his clothes, he was so ashamed that he buried himself in his arms and whispered: "Put out the lights!"

    Liu Jing put her down, walked to the table and suddenly blew out the candles. She turned around and wanted to take off her skirt, but failed. She only heard Tao Zhan chuckle in the tent: "How can there be such a rule? Don't even think about it."  Lied to me!"

    Although she said this, she felt extremely shy when she thought that she would take off her skirt tonight and lie naked next to her husband. She also thought about what her aunt said, and her heart was beating with nervousness.

    She slowly lay down, closed her eyes, and waited for that moment to come.

    Liu Jing lay beside her, kissed her lips tenderly, gently unbuttoned her clothes, and slowly inserted his hands into her skirt. They had been in love for two years, and Liu Jing touched her extremely smooth body for the first time.  Delicate and tender jade body

    In the night of flowers and candles in the bridal chamber, when fish and water blend together, in the last few days of the eighth year of Jian'an, a newlywed couple unites amidst the sound of blessings

    The second volume of "Jiangxia" is finished, please read the third volume of "Red Cliff"

    Picturesque, a moment how many hero.  I recall Gong Jin's time, when Xiao Qiao got married for the first time, with a majestic appearance, a feather fan and a turban, and while talking and laughing, the rapist was wiped out.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Please follow Lao Gao on Weibo, there will be surprises on Weibo...

    There are some legal issues here [Qidian is giving me trouble], so I can¡¯t update it yet, but I will definitely continue to update it in a few days. Because I am afraid that book friends will be impatient to wait, Lao Gao first updated it on Weibo.  , a temporary transition for a few days.

    It is Tencent Weibo. You can open it if you have QQ. It is very simple. Then follow Lao Gao's Weibo @gaoyue2006720, and you will see the new chapter, "Chapter 229: The Battle of Counselors". Here is the link:

    http:\/\/p.  t.  qq.  com\/longweibo\/index.  php?lid=13122557272643863657

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 229 The Battle of Counselors

    Three years later, in the early spring of the twelfth year of Jian'an, a strange star appeared in the Big Dipper constellation. People in the world talked a lot that a monarch must die that year.

    In early February, news came from Jingzhou that Liu Biao, a herdsman in Jingzhou, was seriously ill and might die soon.

    Yecheng was originally the capital of Yuan Shao. After Cao Cao captured Yecheng in the ninth year of Jian'an, he moved his capital to Yecheng in order to control Hebei.

    News that Liu Biao was seriously ill finally reached Yecheng, and Cao Cao had just returned to Yecheng from Chunyu. He had awarded more than 20 heroes, which meant that the overall situation in Hebei was decided.

    At this time, Cao Cao was considering an eastward expedition to Wuhuan, but the news from Jingzhou disrupted his plan.

    In the lobby of the Prime Minister's Mansion, Cao Cao urgently summoned several close advisers to discuss Jingzhou's countermeasures.

    At this time, the Yuan brothers in Hebei were at peace, but there was a hidden danger. The brothers Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi had not yet been completely annihilated. They colluded with Wu Huan and attempted to use Wu Heng's power to retake Hebei.

    Cao Cao prepared to conquer Wuhuan in the east, but was unanimously opposed by the generals. All the generals said that the Yuan brothers were just fugitives, and Wuhuan was a ungrateful and unjust man. How could he be exploited by the Yuan brothers? If everyone stayed away  In the Central Plains, once Liu Bei takes advantage of the opportunity to attack Xudu, the army will be unable to save him.

    There are different opinions. At this time, an opportunity appeared in the south.

    In the lobby, Cao Cao seemed a little restless, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. According to his plan, he had to completely quell the trouble in Hebei before he considered going south to Jingzhou. Now that Liu Biao was seriously ill, it would inevitably trigger a fight for the throne among his disciples. It was the attack  A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Jingzhou.

    He couldn't help but take out another letter written by Cai Mao, "Liu Jingzhou is seriously ill and Cai is in charge of the military. Mao is willing to dedicate Jingzhou to the prime minister and hopes that Cao's army will go south as soon as possible."  ¡¯

    Obviously, by going south while Cai Mao is in power, Jingzhou can be captured at the minimum cost.

    But if Wuhuan is not destroyed and the Yuan family is not eliminated, future troubles will inevitably arise. So how to choose the best plan that can take into account all three aspects?

    Cao Cao looked at the counselors and first landed on Cheng Yu. When he saw Cheng Yu smiling and holding a feather fan in his hand, he looked confident, so he smiled and said, "Zhongde, let's talk first!"

    Cheng Yu is the oldest among all the people, but he has the best spirit. His face is red and full of energy, which is in sharp contrast to Guo Jia next to him.

    Cheng Yu smiled slightly, "Since ancient times, the north has been strong and the south has been weak. Although Liu Biao is seriously ill, it may cause civil strife in Jingzhou, but in my opinion, it is of little significance. Even if Liu Biao is healthy and Jingzhou is weak, how can it resist the north?  Cavalry King Division, on the contrary, Wu Heng has hundreds of thousands of cavalry, and they were eyeing Hebei during the Yuan Shao period. The Yuan brothers turned to them for help, but in fact they led the wolf into the house. There was also Liaodong Gongsun Kang, who was also an ambitious man. The prime minister sacrificed his strength for weakness.  I'm afraid that if we just gain Jingzhou and lose Hebei, we will lose more than we gain!"

    Xun Yu, who was next to him, also said: "Zhongde is absolutely right. We are not actually worried about the Yuan brothers. We are worried about Wuhuan. Ten years ago, the Wuhuan people took advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains and robbed more than 100,000 Han households. It is very possible that  The Yuan brothers formed a conspiracy with them. Wuhuan wants their children, gold and silk, and Yuan wants land in Hebei. Once we move south, Wuhuan's cavalry will definitely take advantage of the opportunity and sweep into Hebei. It will be too late for the prime minister to regret it.

    But Cai Mao is clearly a sycophant, trying to seek glory behind his master, and his words are often exaggerated. His so-called control of the military is just the soldiers of Xiangyang. Nanjun is in the hands of Liu Qi, Jiangxia is occupied by Liu Jing, and Changsha is actually controlled by Liu Pan. What about Cai Mao?  Can you offer Jingzhou?

    It¡¯s better to wait for them to have internal strife. The Prime Minister will use this opportunity to conquer Wuhuan, completely stabilize the situation in Hebei, and then consider Jingzhou later. Perhaps Jingzhou is weak and only a small army can occupy Jingzhou. Why does the Prime Minister need to go on an expedition?  "

    Xun Yu was Cao Cao¡¯s confidant and a loyal defender of the Han Dynasty. This was a subtle relationship between him and Cao Cao.

    This time, Cao Cao paid special attention to Xun Yu. Not only did he increase the number of households by 1,000, he was also granted the title of San Gong, which was much higher than other counselors, even higher than Cheng Yu and Guo Jia.

    Xun Yu knew very well that this was not so much a reward from Cao Cao as a test by Cao Cao. He was determined not to accept the reward and refused it more than ten times before Cao Cao finally revoked his decision.

    It was Xun Yu who had a special kind of loyalty to the court, so he was particularly firm between Jingzhou and Wu Heng, supporting Cao Cao's conquest of foreigners and opposing the attack on Jingzhou.

    Cao Cao understood Xun Yu's thoughts very well, but he didn't say much. He turned his eyes to Jia Xu in the back seat. Although he didn't say a word, he saw that Jia Xu had an expression on his face that clearly didn't agree, so he nodded and smiled.  Said: "Wen He shouldn't be silent all the time, why not talk about it."

    Cao Cao's four great counselors are Xun Yu, Xun You, Guo Jia, and Cheng Yu. These four are also his confidants and obey their advice. Although Jia Xu has plans, he is not yet Cao Cao's confidant.  He advocated that embroidery should still be maintained, so Cao Cao treated him?Trust is slightly lacking.

    However, although Jia Xu cannot be compared with the four great counselors, he is familiar with Jingzhou and participated in the Battle of Xinye in the seventh year of Jian'an. It happened that Xun You went to Xudu to collect food, so Cao Cao invited Jia Xu to discuss the military affairs.  Xun You's position.

    Jia Xu is self-aware. He knows that his qualifications are not enough to join the core decision-making circle. Especially after the defeat of Xinye, he felt ashamed, so he has kept a low profile in the past few years and generally does not participate in military affairs decision-making. Even if he accidentally participates, he will not  Try not to express an opinion.

    But at this time, he was named by Cao Cao, and he was implicitly criticized for always being silent. Jia Xu had to stand up and said: "I am afraid that my words will mislead the Prime Minister's decision-making, so I dare not speak."

    "What Wen He said is wrong. Is there anything I can't listen to? Tell me."

    Jia Xu had no choice but to bite the bullet and said: "The situation in Jingzhou is not as simple as we thought. Brothers Liu Qi and Liu Cong are cowardly and incompetent people. Cai Mao does not need to be taken seriously. I am worried that it is Liu Jing and Liu Bei. Liu Jing has been  He worked hard to govern, had enough troops and food, and reconciled with Jiangdong.

    Liu Bei is ambitious and secretly assists Liu Qi. Sooner or later, he will annex the troops of Nanjun. If the prime minister does not plan early and is dominated by these two people, plus the Jiangdong Alliance, it will not be so easy to attack Jingzhou at that time.  "

    Jia Xu¡¯s words touched one of Cao Cao¡¯s heartstrings, and that was Liu Jing. Cao Cao never imagined that the young man who escaped from the rebel army would become the most powerful force in Jingzhou five or six years after entering Jingzhou.

    He received intelligence from Jingzhou that Liu Jing already had 18,000 elite soldiers and 1,000 warships, including 2,000 elite cavalry and a 500-strong heavy armored infantry force.

    Although Liu Qi has 30,000 troops, his combat effectiveness is not as good as that of Liu Jing. However, Guan Yu and his son trained troops and horses for Liu Qi, and the Nanjun army should not be underestimated.

    Jia Xu is right. Once the opportunity is lost, it will not be easy for Liu Jing and Liu Bei to conquer Jingzhou.

    This made Cao Cao feel a little entangled again. At this time, Cao Cao felt that Jia Xu had not completely finished speaking, and there seemed to be something left unsaid.

    He glanced at Cheng Yu and found that there was obvious displeasure in Cheng Yu's eyes. He immediately understood in his heart that Jia Xu probably did not want to conflict with Cheng Yu, Xun Yu and others.

    Cao Cao nodded and smiled at everyone: "Let me think about this matter again. Let's go back first!"

    Everyone stood up to say goodbye. After everyone dispersed, Cao Cao quietly ordered the guards to find Guo Jia and Jia Xu.

    In the study, Guo Jia and Jia Xu sat down one after another. Guo Jia did not speak in the lobby today. This was related to his physical weakness. Guo Jia fell ill since last winter. Although there was a slight improvement, he still has not recovered and is very weak.  .

    Jia Xu seemed to understand the Prime Minister's intention of coming to him. He sat aside and smiled without saying a word.

    At this time, Cao Cao first asked Guo Jia, "Fengxiao, do you think we should conquer Wuhuan first or Jingzhou first?"

    Guo Jia smiled slightly and said, "The Prime Minister wants to conquer Jingzhou. How many soldiers are there who are good at water warfare?"

    This sentence stopped Cao Cao. The northerners are not good at water warfare. Once Liu Jing fights away from the river, I am afraid that no matter how many troops he has, it will be useless.

    Guo Jia continued: "If a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his tools. When the prime minister goes south, it is not as simple as dealing with the Jingzhou family. As Wen He said, Liu Jing and Jiangdong are on good terms, and we are very likely to encounter Sun Liu.  "Allied forces, under these circumstances, if the southern expedition is rushed, the outcome will be uncertain. My subordinates suggest that it is better to plan the southern expedition in the long term."

    After thinking for a long time, Cao Cao sighed: "All the generals do not agree to conquer Wuhuan in the north, so what can I do?"

    Guo Jia then said calmly: "The generals are just tired from the battle and are unwilling to go on an expedition. In fact, the Prime Minister does not need to spend money and food to go on a large-scale expedition. His subordinates heard that there is a lot of food and grass in Yi County, and Yi County can be an important logistics area. The soldiers are very fast. The Prime Minister  He can lead a light force to make a surprise attack thousands of miles away, catching Wuhuan by surprise. His subordinates recommended Tian Chou to the prime minister as a guide. This man is familiar with the terrain of Wuheng. With him, he can take half the chance of victory. After Wuhuan is defeated, it will be summer, and it is time for the soldiers to rest.  The naval force will be drilled and we can go south to Jingzhou early next year.¡±

    Cao Cao nodded silently, Guo Jia's suggestion came to his heart. This is called strategizing and winning thousands of miles away.

    After thinking for a long time, Cao Cao asked another thing that worried him, "But will Liu Bei take the opportunity to attack Xudu?"

    Guo Jia sneered and said: "With Liu Bei's own strength, it is sheer fantasy to sneak attack Xu Du, unless he can persuade Liu Biao, but Liu Jingzhou is still in good health and is unwilling to step out of Jingzhou. Now he is about to die, how can he be willing to take it?  The army is dispatched and Xiangyang is empty of troops. What if Nanjun and Jiangxia take the opportunity to attack Xiangyang? The prime minister does not need to consider the possibility of a surprise attack on Xudu."

    At this time, Jia Xu said from the side: "Liu Biao can't do it, but Liu Jing can't tell. Military advisor, don't forget that he has two thousand cavalry. I heard that they are all elite."The sharp Hexi war horses went north from Xiakou, all the way was plain, and it took three days to reach Xuchang.  "

    Guo Jia's expression changed, and he turned around and said to Jia Xu: "As long as you are more vigilant along the way and defend in time, there is no point in the cavalry coming. They can't break through Xuchang City. Besides, Liu Biao is seriously ill. Liu Jing's thoughts should be on Xiangyang and will not take care of Xu."  Du, even Liu Bei will not consider Xu Du, Wen He is too worried. "

    Jia Xu still shook his head, "This is because the military advisor does not understand Liu Jing. His thoughts are not in Xiangyang, but in the world. The military advisor really underestimated this person."

    "Wen He misunderstood. I'm not looking down on this person. It's really a small matter to attack Xudu, but it's a big thing to conquer Wuhuan. How can we abolish the big one just because of the small thing?"

    "I didn't misunderstand. Fengxiao underestimated the sneak attack on Xudu. Even if we can't take Xudu, how about taking Chenliu? Or take Luoyang. When Liu Jing raises his arms, he is afraid that the Central Plains will be shaken and the morale of the army will be unstable.  , there are even those who are dissatisfied with the Prime Minister and take the opportunity to cause trouble, causing the Central Plains to fall into war again. "

    Seeing that the two of them had different opinions, Cao Cao smiled and said: "Don't argue for now. Everyone has his own reasons. Please continue to talk as a filial piety."

    The implication was that Jia Xu was asked not to interrupt Guo Jia for the time being. Jia Xu sneered in his heart and said no more. He found that neither Cheng Yu, Xun Yu nor Guo Jia took Liu Jing seriously, and they all looked down upon Liu Jing.  The prime minister thinks highly of this person.

    Guo Jia also realized the seriousness of the problem. He pondered for a moment and said: "Maybe we can increase our troops in Nanyang to contain the Jingzhou army, including Liu Jing. If the situation is critical, we can directly bypass Xinye, capture Fancheng, and point our troops at Xiangyang.  Liu Biao will definitely ask Liu Qi and Liu Jing for help, so everything will be fine!"

    Cao Cao nodded and asked Jia Xu, "What do Wen He think?"

    Jia Xu thought for a moment and said: "We can capture Fancheng. I agree with the idea of ??filial piety!"

    "good!"

    Cao Cao readily agreed and said to Guo Jia: "I order Cao Ren to be the chief general, Cao Hong and Yu Jin to be deputy generals, Li Dian and Yue Jin to be the vanguards, and add 30,000 troops to Nanyang. At the same time, I will recruit 300,000 civilians to dig the Xuanwu Pond in the north of Ye City. Three  It must be completed within a month, how about Fengxiao?¡±

    Guo Jia smiled and said, "Martial skills are enough, but we still lack literary skills!"

    Cao Cao suddenly understood and looked at Jia Xu with a smile. Jia Xu knew what Cao Cao meant, so he bowed and said, "I am willing to serve the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao nodded, "Wen He can join the army as a lieutenant general to assist Cao Ren. If he can contain Liu Jing's cavalry from heading north, it will be a great achievement."

    "I obey your order!"

    When Jia Xu retreated, only Guo Jia and Cao Cao were left in the room. Guo Jia then whispered to Cao Cao: "The prime minister wants to attack Liu Biao, so there must be some changes in the court. My subordinates suggest that we first clean up the court and then discuss the south."  "The matter of conquest."

    Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly. He knew in his heart that Jingzhou was the last hope for many people in the court, and he really needed to scare the monkeys.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 230 Merchant Ship Accident

    Wuchang City in the 12th year of Jian'an has not changed much from three years ago, but the population has decreased. Nearly 20% of the people have moved to the newly built Xiakou City.

    Xiakou City is actually a military city. Most of the residents in the city are military families, and most of the land outside the city is military land. The glory of Jiangxia's army is maintained with almost zero and extremely low taxes.

    Liu Jing's army has already broken through the compromise reached in three years and reached 18,000 people. It is impossible to support such a huge army with just one Jiangxia County. The key is to rely on the support of the Tao family.

    It can be said that Xiakou City was built entirely with the support of the Tao family. When Jiangdong's army withdrew from Wuchang, they looted all the money and grain in the official warehouse.

    The Tao family¡¯s huge merchant fleet is active along the long Yangtze River, reaching Bashu in the west and Yuhang in the east, making huge profits every year.

    Most of these profits were continuously converted into grain and shipped back to Jiangxia, supporting Liu Jing's huge military and civilian expenses.

    At dusk, a military fleet sailing from Xiakou was slowly arriving at the Wuchang pier. On the pier, Tao Zhan, wearing a ponytail and a lavender dress, was looking forward to it.

    After three years of marriage, under the nourishment of love, Tao Zhan has become more beautiful and gorgeous, with a bit more of the charm unique to a young woman. Her figure is still plump yet slender, and her skin is white and elastic.

    But Tao Zhan is also worried, that is, they have no children yet. She is already nineteen years old, which is the best age to have children. Her expectation for children has always been a worry for her.

    As the big ship docked, the boatmen working on the dock suddenly became busy. The little bun next to him pointed at a few people who were getting off the ship, and shouted excitedly: "Madam, I saw it, the young master is down!"

    If we want to judge the beauty-skills award, Xiaobaozi will undoubtedly win the highest gold award. She is fifteen years old this year, but her appearance is still the same as five years ago. She has a white and fat round face, big round eyes, and round eyes.  He has a small mouth and his personality has not changed. He always looks like a child who has not grown up.

    However, she has grown taller, and her figure has gained the ups and downs of a girl. After a little thought, she no longer allowed others to call her Little Baozi. She had to be called Little Bao Niang, but Liu Jing was used to calling her Little Baozi.  If she couldn't change it, there was nothing she could do.

    The Han Dynasty has always been tolerant of women. Women can go out, go to public places, and interact with men. More importantly, they can divorce or remarry after losing their husbands, and the other party will not dislike them.

    For example, Jiao Zhongqing was just a minor official. After he was forced to divorce his wife, his wife could even remarry the son of a higher-status prefect.

    For another example, in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhao Fan is willing to marry his widowed sister-in-law to Zhao Yun. This is actually a normal thing. Zhao Yun can complain that he is not beautiful or that he is old, but he cannot complain that he has lost his integrity.  It is the author's personal opinion.

    Another example is Princess Pingyang. Although she has married two husbands in a row, she can still marry General Wei Qing a third time. Although this is due to her status as a princess, it is more due to social customs. This is still true for the royal family, let alone common people.

    Even Wenjun Ben, who has been passed down through the ages, was also a widow, and she was also married to Sima Xiangru, who was not yet married.

    However, social tolerance does not mean that women can make friends at will, regardless of their reputation, especially women with status. After getting married, they will generally not associate with men of the opposite sex. This is also a sign of respect for their husbands.

    But unlike later generations, she was not locked up at home all day long. She could still visit relatives and friends, and go on long trips. This kind of tolerance towards women continued into the Tang Dynasty, even the Northern Song Dynasty, until the rise of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism in the Southern Song Dynasty  Later, the woman was finally imprisoned.

    Tao Zhan is the wife of the prefect. She relies on her status and naturally has her own etiquette. This time Liu Jing went to Xiakou and Chaisang to inspect the city defenses. They went there for a full month. She missed her dearly and got the news that her husband was coming back.  She came to the dock to greet him personally.

    Liu Jing also saw his wife at a glance. He was so happy that he walked up quickly, put his hands in his hands and said with a smile, "I've kept you waiting for a long time."

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and smiled, "Husband, do you want to go to the county government office first, or go home directly?"

    Liu Jing looked at the sky and saw that it was already evening. Although he had something to discuss with Su Fei, he should probably go home now.

    "My wife came to pick her up in person, how could she not go home?" Liu Jing said with a smile.

    Tao Zhan knew that he went home with her because it was getting late, but she didn't say anything. She walked to the carriage with a smile. Liu Jing helped her get into the carriage, and the carriage drove towards the mansion.

    In the carriage, Liu Jing stretched, closed her eyes and smiled: "I am really tired after running outside for a month."

    "My husband has turned a bit darker."

    Tao Zhan took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat and said with a smile, "It's early spring."?Husband can actually turn dark. I can imagine that he must be exposed to direct sunlight every day.  "

    "No, the city needs to add defensive weapons. It is a very important matter and cannot be careless, so I have done it myself and have been busy for a month."

    "Well! It seems to be quite hard, and you have lost a few pounds. I will stew an old hen for you at night to make up for it."

    "No need to stew the chicken, just use you to make up for it." Liu Jing said with an ambiguous smile.

    Tao Zhan pinched him gently, and Liu Jing suddenly remembered that the little bun was sitting behind him. He quickly changed the subject, "What are you busy with at home during this time?"

    Tao Zhan snuggled into Liu Jing's arms and sighed softly. Although she didn't say it, Liu Jing understood that it must be related to the matter of begging for a child. He felt apologetic and hugged his wife's shoulders tightly.

    At this time, Tao Zhan sat up straight and whispered: "There is one thing I want to ask my husband, do you agree?"

    "What's up?"

    "The day before yesterday, my father came to me and said that my grandfather had an old friendship with Zhang Ji, the governor of Changsha. My grandfather wanted to ask Zhang Ji to diagnose my pulse. I wonder if my husband agrees?"

    Zhang Ji is Zhang Zhongjing, and his medical skills are naturally excellent, but Liu Jing knows that this kind of thing often happens to men. It can be seen that the Tao family is also very worried about Tao Zhan's childlessness.

    Liu Jing smiled, "If Zhang Taishou is willing to come, of course you can, but you should check my pulse first. Jiuniang, don't worry about this matter anymore, just let nature take its course."

    Tao Zhan sighed secretly in his heart, this kind of thing is related to the happiness of a woman's life, how could she not be worried, but even though she was worried, she didn't want to show it.

    Tao Zhan forced a smile and asked, "My husband is coming home this time. You have no plans to go out again for the time being, right?"

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any for now!¡±

    As soon as Liu Jing finished speaking, a soldier rushed from a distance and reported urgently: "To the prefect, something happened to the Tao family merchant ship!"

    Tao Zhan was shocked, ¡®Ah!  ' With a sound, she held Liu Jing's hand tightly. Liu Jing patted her hand, comforted her, and then asked in a deep voice: "What happened?"

    "It seems that a merchant ship was sunk by the Jingzhou navy. I don't know the specific situation. General Wei asked the prefect to go to the military office."

    ¡°I¡¯ll be here right away!¡±

    Liu Jing was very annoyed, but also a little puzzled. For three years, they and the Jingzhou Navy had been living in peace. Today, the Navy actually attacked the Tao family. What was the reason?

    He said to Tao Zhan again: "I want to go there."

    "Husband, go quickly! My father is probably there too."

    Liu Jing got off the carriage, got on his horse, and galloped towards the military office.

    The military government office and the county government office in Jiangxia have been separated. The military government office is located in the east of the city. Its full name is the Jiangxia Governor's Military Office. Liu Jing has also served as the captain of Jiangxia since the year before last, and has assumed military power in the name of the captain.

    After a while, he arrived at the military office, got off his horse, and walked quickly into the lobby. He saw Tao Sheng like an ant on a hot pot, extremely anxious. Wei Yan and Xu Shu comforted him in a low voice. They had already sent someone to inform the prefect.  Arriving soon.

    "My lord-in-law, what happened?" Liu Jing quickly walked into the lobby.

    Tao Sheng hurriedly stepped forward and said: "My dear son-in-law! As for the stallions we talked about last time, we got more than a dozen high-quality stallions from Hexi. Unexpectedly, they were intercepted by the Jingzhou Navy in Yicheng County and the stallions were taken away.  horse."

    Three years ago, a group of war horses were trafficked from Hexi, but the Qiang people deliberately castrated all the stallions. Although the war horses in the army did need to be castrated, the Qiang people's purpose was not to let the stallions flow out.

    In the next three years, hundreds of war horses were purchased one after another, all of which were castrated. Liu Jing wanted a few high-quality stallions, so she entrusted the matter to the Tao family.

    Unexpectedly, the stallion was intercepted by the Jingzhou navy after a lot of hard work. Liu Jing's expression suddenly changed, and she turned around and asked Wei Yan, "Aren't there military ships to protect you?"

    Wei Yan sighed and stepped forward to report, "The ten warships we sent to escort were also severely damaged by the siege of Jingzhou Navy. Five warships were sunk, more than thirty brothers were killed, and many brothers fell into the water and their whereabouts are unknown.  ¡±

    Liu Jing squeezed the handle of the knife tightly, murderous intent burst out in her heart. Such a Zhang Yun dared to kill his people and snatch his horse. He was impatient to live.

    He turned back to Dong Yun, who joined the army, and ordered: "Dong Canjun, please order your troops immediately to prepare two hundred warships and five thousand troops!"

    Wei Yan next to him was startled and hurriedly stepped forward to persuade: "Prefect, this happened suddenly. The other party's intention is unclear. Maybe it is to lure us to send troops. Don't act recklessly."

    Liu Jing nodded, "I know, I will be polite before fighting in this matter. If Zhang Yunruo refuses to admit his fault, then we will have to fight."

    At this time, there has been noThe loud Xu Shu winked at Liu Jing. Liu Jing understood. He comforted Tao Sheng a few words and ordered people to send him back to Tao's mansion. Then he followed Xu Shu into the inner hall and called Wei Yan and Dong Yun together.  .

    Dong Yun only stayed at Jiangxia Academy for less than half a year before he officially became Liu Jing's staff, and then served as Xu Shu's assistant. Last year, he served as the governor of the capital to consult for joining the army. He was equivalent to Liu Jing's secretary. He entered the room and sat aside.  Down, without saying a word.

    Xu Shu pondered for a moment and said to Liu Jing: "Zhou Mu is seriously ill. At this time, Zhang Yun suddenly attacked. Has the prefect considered a deeper reason?"

    Liu Jing nodded silently. He had actually considered it on the way. This might be Cai Hao's trick to lure troops, hoping to provoke a war before Liu Biao died of illness and frame himself for injustice.

    "But fifteen high-quality stallions are very important to him. He must get them back. It is difficult for him to have both.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 231 The Taoist Priest of Unknown Origin

    "No matter what, the fifteen stallions must be recaptured!"

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "As for other deep-seated issues, we must also consider them to minimize the negative impact."

    At this time, Dong Yun said from the side: "Prefect, I think the other party's purpose is only three points, but in fact we can deal with it."

    Liu Jing turned around and said with a smile: "Xiu Zhao, please continue!"

    Dong Yun leaned forward and said: "The first is to deploy an ambush to lure the Jiangxia army into the trap they set. The second is to damage the prefect's reputation and force the prefect to take action, so that the world will think that the prefect sent troops to fight for the throne when Zhou Mu was seriously ill, thus damaging the prefect.  The third reason for his reputation in Jingzhou is that Zhang Yun had received information in advance and knew that he was transporting stallions, so he intercepted it without authorization out of greed. "

    Dong Yun¡¯s thinking was very clear, Liu Jing nodded, ¡°Keep talking.¡±

    "The first one is to deploy an ambush. I think it's unlikely because it doesn't make any sense, but you still have to be careful. You can send more scouts. I won't say more. The third one is Zhang Yun's interception without authorization. I think it's possible. The premise is  Someone informed him."

    Before Dong Yun finished speaking, he was interrupted by Wei Yan, "This third possibility is not very likely. I asked the Tao family leader that this transportation of stallions is very confidential. They are all confidants, and they did it until the last minute.  Only then did I know that it was impossible to report the news in advance. In addition, the soldiers who escaped also said that Zhang Yun had been prepared for the ambush. It should be said that the ambush was planned, but the interception of the stallion was a coincidence. "

    Dong Yun smiled and said, "In that case, the second one is the most likely, but it doesn't matter. We can send people to various places in Jingzhou in advance to spread the truth about this matter everywhere. Let's say that Zhang Yun's navy intercepted Jiangxia's military supplies.  In this way, we are forced to send troops. I believe anyone with a little bit of brain will understand the truth. "

    At this time, Xu Shu also smiled and said: "Dong Canjun's plan is good. You can publicize it in advance and gain the upper hand. But I will add one more thing. The prefect can first issue an ultimatum to ask the state government why Zhang Yun wants to intercept and attack."  Shen Jingzhou¡¯s warship must be seized and then deal with Zhang Yun.¡±

    Speaking of this, Xu Shu said meaningfully: "If our propaganda is successful and everyone thinks that we are sending troops just for revenge, then why don't we take the opportunity to send troops to Yicheng and defeat the Jingzhou Navy?"

    Xu Shu¡¯s last words touched Liu Jing¡¯s heart. He was worried that he had no excuse to send troops, but Zhang Yun did him a big favor.

    Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "Everyone is right, I will follow your plan this time, and I will be patient for a few more days!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing finally accepted everyone's plan and temporarily put aside the idea of ??sending troops overnight. He wrote an emergency ultimatum and ordered it to be sent to Xiangyang to Kuai Yue. He also asked Xu Shu to arrange for more than a hundred capable soldiers to go to Xiangyang to publicize the matter.

    He was busy until dark before he finished the matter. At this time, he was a little exhausted, so he left the military office and returned to his hometown under the escort of dozens of soldiers.

    About a month ago, Liu Jing received the news that Liu Biao's condition had worsened and he would not be able to survive for a few months. It should be said that this was expected by him. He always thought that Liu Biao only had two years left to live, but he did not expect that he would still be delayed for three.  Year.

    Liu Biao was seriously ill, which meant that the critical moment for power struggle in Jingzhou was coming. He had been preparing for this for three years. Now his greatest hope is to unify Jingzhou before Cao Cao goes south, and to gather the power of Jingzhou to join forces with Jiangdong to fight against Cao Cao.  .

    Liu Jing's war horse clattered on the stone-paved street. Wuchang is different from Xiangyang. Wuchang's business is quite developed. The street he was walking on is the main commercial district of Wuchang County. Taverns, shops, brothels, and hotels can be seen everywhere.  , even at night, there are still people coming and going, and it is quite lively.

    At this time, Liu Jing suddenly heard a voice not far away, "It's ridiculous that the people in Jingzhou are short-sighted. They only care about one state and one county, but they don't know how vast the world is. It's ridiculous! It's extremely ridiculous!"

    Liu Jing was startled and reined in his horse. He looked up and saw that next to him was a tavern called Zui Feng Tower. The sound just now came from the window on the second floor.

    He suddenly saw a Taoist priest talking to himself while drinking: "If you don't care about the world, how can you seek a domain?"

    Liu Jing was confused. He felt that this Taoist priest was targeting him, so he immediately ordered his surroundings, "Catch this Taoist priest!"

    The soldiers rushed into the tavern and captured the Taoist priest in a moment. Liu Jing saw that the Taoist priest was in his early forties, with a foot-long beard, a dignified appearance, and clear eyes. From the outside, he looked like an upright man.  people.

    Liu Jing sneered and said: "Where are you a Taoist priest from? How dare you pretend to be a ghost here!"

    The Taoist priest said calmly: "I am just a wandering Taoist priest. I came from the north and passed by Wuchang. I was just feeling the current events. Why did Liu Taishou arrest him?"I?  "

    "Hmph! How many Taoist priests have dared to travel in the north after the Yellow Turban Rebellion? And since you are passing through Wuchang, why do you know me?"

    "I am from Shanyang County. I met the young master many years ago in Shanyang County. Now I know the prestige of Liu Taishou? Besides, it has been twenty years since the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Liu Taishou is still young. Why is there such a thing?  Antique ideas?¡±

    Liu Jing secretly laughed in his heart, it was all nonsense, but when he saw that this man was calm and unhurried, with a smile on his lips, he thought to himself: 'This man's words are extraordinary, not ordinary people.  ¡¯

    Liu Jing saw many people surrounding him, so he ordered his soldiers: "Take this person back to the house!"

    Liu Jing whipped his horse whip lightly, and the horse started to clatter, running towards his mansion in small steps.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing, like all senior officials in Jingzhou, has two study rooms: an outer study and an inner study. The outer study is located in the middle hall. He rarely goes there and spends more time in the inner study.

    The inner study is a private place. Outsiders are generally not allowed to enter except for his beloved wife. It is where he rests and thinks about problems. He spends most of his time in the inner study at night.

    The so-called outer study room is actually an upgraded version of the living room, arranged like a study room, and then named as a study room, which gives guests a sense of being valued and honored.

    Liu Jing changed into a robe, sat down in the study outside, took another sip of hot tea, and then ordered her left and right: "Bring that Taoist priest up!"

    Although he had many things to deal with now, the words that the Taoist priest said made him feel something and touched his heart.

    Soon, the Taoist priest was pushed up. He broke away from the soldier's hand, gently waved his sleeves, adjusted the bamboo crown on his head, raised his head, stood with his hands behind his back, and ignored Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing couldn't help laughing because of his small movements. These were not Taoist priests, they were clearly habits of reading.

    There was also a layer of calluses on the middle of his index finger and thumb, which should be the result of years of practicing calligraphy. From these details, Liu Jing judged that this was a fake Taoist priest and should be a scholar.

    "Excuse me, what is your surname?" Liu Jing asked politely.

    The man still raised his head and ignored him. The soldier next to him was furious and was about to scold him. Liu waved his hand to stop the soldier's anger. He still smiled and said: "Only three people have come in my outer study room. Xu Chang  Shi, Su Juncheng, and General Wei, you are the fourth person, do you think I will let a wandering Taoist priest enter my study? "

    This sentence was full of face. The man knew that Liu Jing had seen through him, so his face finally softened, and he bowed and said: "I am Li Fu, a Julu man. I was the master of Yuan Shang. Yuan Shang was defeated by Cao Jun. I am hiding in Ye."  The county has just come from Yecheng and is dressing up as a Taoist priest just to deceive others."

    Liu Jing had read the name Li Fu in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Although his deeds were not described in detail, he was able to pass through Cao Jun's camp and enter Yecheng, and at the same time get out of Yecheng. It can be seen that he was a very good person.  A courageous person.

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hand, "Please sit down!"

    Li Fu was not polite, sat down and said frankly: "I originally wanted to seek refuge with Liu Jingzhou, but I heard that Liu Jingzhou was seriously ill and did not see foreigners, so I turned to join Military Advisor Cai, but he ordered me to kick him out."  , leaving a sentence: Jingzhou people still don¡¯t have enough to eat, and the people from the north come to grab food again!¡±

    Speaking of this, Li Fu sighed and said with a wry smile: "You are a short-sighted person. It doesn't matter if you don't vote. I heard that the prefect once said, 'No matter how high or low you are, you should choose the best to serve.'  I went into the study."

    Liu Jing was actually a little contemptuous. After hearing what he said, she felt ashamed. She stood up and saluted and said: "The restaurant heard what Mr. Li said, which means a lot. Liu Jing, please make it clear!"

    Li Fu nodded, "I'm here to tell Cao Cao about the situation of the thief, will you listen?"

    "Liu Jing is all ears!"

    Li Fu then smoothed his beard and said slowly: "When I came out, Cao Cao was mobilizing two hundred thousand people to dig the Xuanwu Pond in the north of Ye County. Do you know his intention?"

    Liu Jing pondered for a while, then suddenly realized: "He wants to train the navy and prepare to go south!"

    Li Fu smiled slightly, "It is true that the excavation is to train the navy, but he may not go south immediately. He is about to personally lead the army to conquer Wuhuan. I wonder if you want to seize the opportunity here?"

    Liu Jing did know that in the twelfth year of Jian'an, when Cao Cao was campaigning eastward against Wuhuan, Liu Bei proposed a surprise attack on Xudu, but Liu Biao vetoed it.

    Now that history has changed, Liu Biao is seriously ill, so he will naturally not consider a sneak attack on Xudu, but with the addition of Liu Jing, how should the historical context be followed?

    Liu Jing also considered using cavalry??Sneak attack on Xudu, but it didn't feel too reliable. His two thousand cavalry went deep alone. Supply and logistics were a big problem. What's more important was that Cao Cao had so many advisers. Would they not have thought of it?

    After all, Liu Bei did not send troops to attack Xudu, and I don¡¯t know how Cao Jun responded. But one thing is certain, Liu Bei advocated that the Jingzhou army attack Xudu, and it was definitely not a sneak attack. Otherwise, he would have gone there himself, so there would be no need to persuade Liu Biao.

    Cao Cao's army must be on guard. Once his cavalry is wiped out in Xudu, the gain will outweigh the loss. Thinking of this, Liu Jing said in a deep voice: "Cao Cao's eastward expedition to Wuhuan has left the Central Plains empty. This is indeed an opportunity, but with this  I am afraid that I will not be able to carry out the northern expedition to the Central Plains on my own, and if Jiangxia is empty, Cai Hao will definitely take the opportunity to invade. Liu Jing will lose his foundation and become like a dead leaf in winter, drifting without support and eventually turning into rotting mud. "

    Li Fu stroked his beard and smiled and said: "There is no need to send out all the troops. I heard that your Majesty has two thousand elite cavalry who can go north from Anlu County to attack Runan. The defenders in Ancheng County are less than one thousand. If we capture Runan, we can attack Runan again."  Referring to Yingchuan, the world will be shaken, and some people with different intentions will take advantage of it."

    Before Li Fu could finish speaking, Liu Jing said coldly: "Hebei Yuan family can make a comeback again. Li Zhubo has made great achievements for Yuan Shang, right?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 232 Sends Troops to Counterattack

    Liu Jing stared at Li Fu with sharp eyes. Li Fu's last words revealed the truth, and Liu Jing suddenly realized that this person came all the way to Jingzhou not to seek refuge with the new master, but to try every possible means to revive the Yuan family.

    It is true that Liu Jing admitted that he did have a keen eye and saw the opportunity for Cao Cao's Eastern Expedition, but Liu Jing did not like to become someone else's dowry.

    Li Fu's face changed, as if he had been hit by a sap. He couldn't say a word for a long time. A bitter smile slowly appeared on his face and he sighed: "I admit that I have selfish motives. I hope that the Yuan family can take advantage of the troubled times to recover."  But this will also help you. Once Cao Cao clears the pressure from the rear, his next step will be a large-scale expedition to the south. Will Jiang Xia be able to finish his eggs? Please think again!"

    Liu Jing snorted coldly, "I know exactly what to do, but I, Liu Jing, will not allow others to deceive or take advantage of me. Come on!"

    Liu Jing gave a sharp shout, and several soldiers walked in quickly. At this time, Liu Jing suppressed his dissatisfaction and calmly ordered: "I will give Master Li fifty taels of gold and send him out of the house!"

    Li Fu took a deep look at Liu Jing, and finally sighed: "Although I received courtesy from the envoy, I have no future, what can I do!"

    Liu Jing said nothing and watched Li Fu being invited out by the soldiers with a gloomy face. He was left alone in the room again. Liu Jing was quite upset.

    At this time, he felt a kind of anxiety before the storm in his heart. He was not a spectator who could sit on a high building and sip tea and appreciate the magnificence of the storm. He was a participant who would gamble in the coming storm, just like a bird in the storm.  Swallows anxiously looking for a habitat in the sweltering air.

    How can he get the most benefit from this storm?  Just like an extremely dry land, storms are not scary, but rather exciting. When heavy rain pours, the land can drink the nectar given by God.

    Liu Jing closed his eyes and pondered, should he attack Runan and Yingchuan?  He stood in front of the map on the wall with his hands folded, meditating for a long time.

    At this time, Tao Zhan walked in quickly with a bowl of hot ginseng soup. She did not disturb her husband, but gently put the ginseng soup on the table. Liu Jing was shocked, looked back at his wife, and said apologetically: "  There are too many things to do and I don¡¯t have time to spend with you.¡±

    Tao Zhan smiled sweetly and brought the ginseng soup to her husband again, "Drink it while it's hot, and I'll talk to you later."

    Liu Jing took the ginseng soup and drank it all in one gulp. Seeing that he was drinking happily, Tao Zhan felt happy, so he held his hand, and his face turned red before he opened his mouth. Liu Jing understood, sat down, and  She sat in his arms, hugged her waist and smiled: "Tell me! What's the matter?"

    Tao Zhan¡¯s face turned redder, and he whispered in Liu Jing¡¯s ear: ¡°I¡¯ll count the days, just these two days.¡±

    The smile on Liu Jing's face became ambiguous, and she asked deliberately: "What happened these two days?"

    Tao Zhan bit his lip lightly with his teeth and pinched his arm, "You asked knowingly!"

    Liu Jing had been separated from his wife for a month, and his heart started to heat up, especially when he held his wife's plump and moving body. How could he hold it in check? Liu Jing took Tao Zhan's legs, hugged her up, and said with a smile: "  Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Tao Zhan suddenly remembered that this was the outer study room and that a maid would come to clean it and would look at their indecent appearance. She also heard that her husband's voice was too loud and was afraid that others would hear it. She was so anxious that she knocked Liu Jing on the shoulder with her little pink fist.  , "Others will see it, put me down quickly!"

    Liu Jing laughed, put her down, took her hand, and ran quickly to the inner house.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yicheng County is located south of Xiangyang, on the west bank of the Han River, close to Jiangxia. It is an important strategic fulcrum of Xiangyang County. It is also a large county with a large population. The county has a circumference of more than 20 miles and a population of more than 4,000 households.  Prosperous, it is the second largest port on the Han River after Fancheng.

    However, the importance of Yicheng to Jingzhou is not because of its trade or agriculture, but because it is the headquarters of Jingzhou's Northern Navy. There are three naval forces in Jingzhou, one is the Northern Navy located in Yicheng County, and the other is the Northern Navy.  They are the Nan Shui Army located in Jiangling County, and the Jiangxia Navy.

    When the Southern Navy was controlled by Liu Qi and the Jiangxia Navy belonged to Liu Jing, the Jingzhou North Navy became particularly important. The current captain of the North Navy is Zhang Yun. It has been three years since he came back to take charge of the Navy at the end of the eighth year of Jian'an.  many.

    Perhaps because he had learned a lesson from being demoted, he became loyal and carried out Liu Biao's orders to the letter. Three years ago, Liu Biao did not allow him to intercept ships traveling to and from Jiangxia.  The order was executed.

    In the past three years, both the Tao family's merchant ships and Jiangxia official ships have sailed unimpeded on the Han River. Only the ships from the Yicheng Youxuan Station intercepted the merchant ships from time to time, inspected them as usual, and extorted some oil and water. In addition, after passing  None of the merchant ships in Yicheng County encountered any trouble.

      But as Liu Biao became seriously ill, the situation in Jingzhou immediately became complicated. Zhang Yun began to have ideas. He began to conspire with Cai Mao to prepare to fully control the military power of Xiangyang.

    As early as many years ago, Zhang Yun had a close relationship with Cai Mao because they had a common political enemy, Kuai Yue. This relationship angered Liu Biao, and Zhang Yun was demoted. However, after he came back, he and Cai Mao had another relationship because of Liu Jing.  New alliances were formed.

    Last year, Zhang Yun secretly surrendered to Cao Cao under Huang She's instigation, and was promised by Cao Cao to be named Tinghou and Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. Interestingly, Zhang Yun did not know that Cai Mao had also surrendered to Cao Cao.  Cai Mao didn't know that Zhang Yun was instigated by Huang She to rebel.

    Just half a month ago, Zhang Yun came to Xiangyang to visit Liu Biao. During this period, he and Cai Mao secretly discussed to provoke a new conflict between Liu Jing and Xiangyang, forcing Liu Jing to send troops, in order to seize Liu Jing's excuse to rebel while Zhou Mu was seriously ill.

    Ten days ago, Zhang Yun intercepted a Tao family merchant fleet escorted by the Jiangxia navy. This was Cai Mao's plan, because intercepting the merchant fleet alone was not enough to anger Liu Jing, and he had to sink his fleet.  Only Liu Jing could bear it when it comes to warships.

    But Zhang Yun knew very well that this kind of merchant fleet must be transporting important supplies. Sure enough, he intercepted fifteen extremely precious stallions from the Western Regions. This made Zhang Yun overjoyed. At the same time, he was greedy and took these fifteen stallions.  The horse was hidden away and kept as his own.

    In the naval office, Cai Mao sent his eldest son Cai Yi to Yicheng County. Cai Yi looked solemn and told Cai Mao what happened in Xiangyang. Liu Jing's counterattack had already begun.

    "Uncle Shi, in recent days, there have been rumors in the streets and alleys of Xiangyang that the ship transporting Jiangxia military supplies was ambushed by the Jingzhou Navy. Hundreds of Jiangxia soldiers were killed. Not only that, Kuai Yue also handed over a letter of accusation from Liu Jing.  To the state pastor."

    Zhang Yun curled up the corner of his mouth, revealing a disdainful smile. His uncle was already unconscious, so what was the use of writing a letter to him?  He smiled in a mocking tone: "Zhou Mu must take it very seriously! He must be furious and want to fire me, right?"

    Cai Yi shook his head, "Of course Zhou Mu will not know anything, but Kuai Yue did not care about this. He launched an official petition to condemn Uncle Shi for intercepting Jiangxia merchant ships and killing Jiangxia soldiers. Dozens of Kuai Party members signed this incident.  It has a great influence in Xiangyang officialdom, and almost everyone is talking about my father and Uncle Shi attacking Liu Jing. "

    Only then did Zhang Yun realize that he was in the wrong first. If Liu Jing sent troops to fight back, it would be retaliation for his robbery of the ship. It had nothing to do with Zhou Mu's rebellion while he was seriously ill. The strategy he and Cai Hao discussed was also  It is tantamount to failure. This Liu Jing is very capable.

    "Then what's your father's attitude?" Zhang Yun asked with a frown.

    "My father was very worried that Liu Jing's revenge was just an excuse, and he was actually taking the opportunity to attack Xiangyang."

    Zhang Yun was startled, "You mean to say that this incident was self-defeating for us and gave Liu Jing an excuse to send troops."

    Cai Yi showed embarrassment on his face and nodded, "That's it. My father is worried about the safety of the Jingzhou navy, so he specially sent his nephew to deliver a message, asking Uncle Shi to be careful."

    Zhang Yun sneered and said: "I think your father was frightened by Liu Jing. He sent troops very well. I am waiting for him!"

    As soon as Zhang Yun finished speaking, a soldier rushed over and reported urgently: "Reporting to the captain, Jiangxia Navy warships have been spotted on the river. There are hundreds of them, and they are heading towards Yicheng County!  "

    Zhang Yun stood up suddenly, and Liu Jing was indeed here.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the river, three hundred Jiangxia warships were lined up in three characters, with war sails like clouds and thousands of masts like forests, sailing towards Yicheng County with murderous intent. On the bow of the main ship, Liu Jing was wearing armor and holding Wenhou's halberd, looking majestic.  , he stared sharply at the northern river, waiting for the Jingzhou navy warship to appear.

    In this battle, he is no longer just trying to get the stallion back. He wants to take this opportunity to defeat the Jingzhou Navy and occupy Yicheng County.

    Next to him is Sima Li Jun of the Navy Department. He followed him when he was at the Yougao Station. It has been five or six years now. He is now in charge of the Wuchang Navy and is Liu Jing's right-hand man.

    Li Jun is tall and burly, with a slender face and a long scar on his left cheek, which is a souvenir from the battle of Chaisang.

    He was strict and upright in charge of the army. Once the soldiers violated military regulations, he would never tolerate him. Even Liu Jing's intercession was of no use. The soldiers were all afraid of him. In addition, he had a stern face that never smiled, and the soldiers called him "His Name" behind his back.  Cold faced tiger.

    Li Jun is not born cold, but he has a heavy baggage in his heart. Although he has not touched that baggage for many years, he knows that sooner or later, that baggage will be lifted.

    "Li Sima, what do you think is our victory or defeat in this battle?" Liu Jing asked calmly from the side.

     Li Jun pondered for a moment and said: "To the Grand Administrator, based on my observations of the Jingzhou Navy over the past few years, our victory in this battle is 50-50. Zhang Yun is very good at training the Navy and is quite methodical.

    ¡°And the opponent has 20,000 naval troops, which far exceeds ours. If we fight hard, do we have an advantage besides kerosene?  Others are at a disadvantage.

    But Zhang Yun has always been unkind and unkind, and treated his soldiers harshly. His soldiers may not be willing to sacrifice their lives for him. His subordinates feel that this is the key to our victory.  "

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "Soldiers are deceitful! Fighting head-on is only out of necessity. The army I have worked so hard to train is not for the internal strife in Jingzhou."

    At this moment, the watchman on the mast suddenly shouted: "Enemy ship found ahead!"

    Liu Jing looked far into the distance, and sure enough, she found a dense cluster of small black spots on the river surface, and the Jingzhou navy came out.

    He sneered, turned back to Li Jun and said, "Follow my plan!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 233 Trial Test

    The Jiangxia navy stopped moving forward and quickly formed a wild goose formation on the river. The so-called wild goose formation means that the main battleship is in the center, with the auxiliary ships and small boats on the wings. This formation is most conducive to encirclement and counter-encirclement, and is often used in water battles.

    The main weapons of water warfare are still bows and arrows, as well as auxiliary means such as stone cannons and fire attacks. However, since the Jiangxia Army led the use of kerosene, kerosene has become the most sharp weapon of the Jiangxia Army, and they have successively introduced cupping cans.  , fire bottles, fire clay basins and rolling fire balls and other kerosene weapons made Jiangxia's army even more powerful.

    However, among Jiangdong Army and Cao Army, kerosene also appeared first, but their kerosene was not refined and was far less sharp than Jiangxia Army.

    At this time, the sky was gradually getting into the evening, which was not conducive to a water battle. The Jingzhou Navy was also stationed a few miles away, confronting the Jiangxia Navy. On the main ship of the Jingzhou Navy, Zhang Yun looked at the opponent's fleet coldly.  With rich experience, he saw that the opponent only had more than 300 warships, so he deduced that the maximum number of troops was five to six thousand, and he had 20,000 sailors, which gave him an absolute advantage in numbers.

    At this time, Sima Feng Yi, the commander of another department, was worried and stepped forward to persuade: "Captain, Jiangxia's military fuel is sharp, and the river is not good for us. I humbly suggest that we close the gate of the water stronghold to resist the war. When the Jiangxia army runs out of food, they  Naturally retreat."

    If Feng Yi had persuaded Zhang Yun before sending out troops, maybe Zhang Yun would have considered it, but now that the army had come out and was retreating, this had a great impact on morale. How could Zhang Yun listen? He shook his head, "Now that we have sent out troops,  , How can we retreat without fighting?¡±

    "But it's dusk now, which is just the right excuse to retreat."

    Zhang Yun waved his hand and said impatiently: "Stop talking about it. What I have decided cannot be opposed!"

    Feng Yi had no choice but to retreat. At this time, a soldier shouted: "Colonel, the enemy ships are attacking, there are only three ships!"

    Zhang Yun held up his hand curtain and looked around. He saw three two-thousand-stone warships sailing out from the Jiangxia warship group. They lined up in a line and were slowly heading towards the Jingzhou navy. This can be understood as a kind of duel on the water.  , which is a small-scale battle between warships.

    This situation is often a kind of mutual testing, which is very common on land battlefields, but it is the same in the water. In addition to testing, it will also occur in some special circumstances. For example, it is almost dusk today, and it is not realistic to conduct a large-scale night battle. Either the two sides  The confrontation lasted until dawn, or a small-scale battle was carried out to boost the morale of our own soldiers.

    If one side challenges, the other side may not engage in combat or ignore it, but this situation is relatively rare, because if you do not engage in combat and allow the other side to show off its power in front of your array, it will be detrimental to your own morale, and you will generally engage in combat.

    Zhang Yun immediately ordered to Lieutenant Chen Shuo: "General Chen can lead five warships to fight. Be careful of the fire oil and be sure to defeat the opponent!"

    "Follow the order!"

    Chen Shuo got off the big ship and boarded another two-thousand-stone warship in a small boat. With the flag waved, five identical two-thousand-stone warships sailed out from the Jingzhou navy to meet the Jiangxia army's warships.

    Three years ago, when Liu Jing went north to Xiangyang, he used kerosene to severely injure Zhang Yun. That battle left a very deep impression on Zhang Yun, making Zhang Yun realize that kerosene played a decisive role in water battles.  Perhaps it was precisely because of Jiang Xia's army that Zhang Yun was quiet for three years.

    Soon after, he inquired about the origin of kerosene and sent people to buy it. Only a very small amount was purchased. The kerosene was tightly controlled by the Jiangxia army.

    But last year, he got a method for fire-proof oil from the local people, which was to cover it with sand. After several tests, he confirmed that this method worked.

    It was the piles of extremely cheap sand on the river beach that gave Zhang Yun the courage to intercept Jiangxia's warships, but he didn't know how long something made of sand could last?

    Zhang Yun stared at the five warships speeding towards the Jiangxia navy in a two-winged goose formation. He was also a little uneasy. After all, after three years of no fighting, Jiangxia would have more sharp weapons.

    In fact, this is the main reason why Zhang Yun decided to fight. He did not want Jiang Xia to suddenly come up with weapons that he could not accept during a large-scale battle, causing him to be completely defeated.

    The same is true for the Jiangxia Army. Rather than saying that the small-scale battle is a test for the Jiangxia Army, it is better to say that it is an experiment for the Jiangxia Army.

    After all, the Jingzhou Army is not Cao¡¯s army, but a precious resource of Jingzhou, and Liu Jing does not want to engage in a large-scale annihilation war.

    Three Jiangxia warships, led by Li Jun, were distributed in a "pin" shape on the river, quietly waiting for the arrival of the enemy.

    Li Jun holds a 30-pound spear in his hand. Although his martial arts is not very high, his thinking is careful, his work is flawless, and he is very capable of commanding. Liu Jing brought him out this time to let him fight Jiangxia.  The army's first water battle.

    Li Jun is well aware of the heavy responsibility he bears. He can only win but not lose the first battle., although the war drums on both sides were rumbling, Li Jun was extremely calm in his heart. He shouted sternly to the soldiers watching: "Call me at five hundred steps!"

    He turned back and ordered: "Prepare the slings!"

    The six small catapults on both sides of the main ship began to ¡®crack!  ¡¯ He pulled it up and put a fire clay pot and cupping pot in his pocket. The so-called fire clay pot is a nice name. In fact, it means mixing fire oil and earth into a thin mud state to increase the viscosity of the fire oil.

    After use, it is put in a pottery pot, lit and then smashed out with a trebuchet. It can be stuck on the sails and walls of the ship. This is a method thought up by an old navy soldier and it is very practical.

    The fire pot is a clay pot filled with kerosene, which is thrown by a trebuchet and shattered on the opponent's deck. In the past few years, the Jiangxia Army has refined a large amount of kerosene. Their kerosene is no longer as thick and black as before.  It is a light yellow, clear kerosene after refining.

    At this time, the watchman shouted from the mast: "General Li, the enemy's main ship has arrived five hundred steps away!"

    Li Jun shouted again: "Call me from two hundred steps away!"

    He gave another order, "Crossbowmen prepare!"

    On the warship, dense sailors appeared on both sides of the ship again, holding military crossbows and watching the approaching ship.

    "General, the two hundred steps have arrived!" the scout shouted from the mast.

    Li Jun had already seen clearly that the enemy's main ship appeared on the left, less than two hundred steps away, while another warship was about four hundred steps away on the right. It was obvious that the enemy wanted to attack him from both sides.  The warship where it is located.

    The main warship of Jingzhou had drifted a hundred steps away with the current, and a sergeant shouted: "Retract the sails!"

    The sails dropped quickly to prevent the other party from burning the sails with kerosene. The burning of the sails three years ago taught them a profound lesson. The sails must be furled within a hundred steps.

    At this moment, I just heard ¡®Bang!  ¡¯ With a muffled sound, a piece of talc was shot out from the Jingzhou warship, drawing an arc and falling into the water. Preemptively, the main ship of the Jingzhou army took the lead in launching an attack, and arrows shot down like raindrops in the wind.

    On the river, they mainly used bows and arrows. More than a hundred steps away, they officially entered the attack range. Not only were arrows raining down, but the stone cannons installed on the big ships also fired talc at the same time.

    This kind of stone bullet weighs more than ten kilograms and is polished very smoothly. It can be fired more than a hundred steps away and can shatter the walls of enemy ships. However, to be truly destructive, it must be within sixty steps. The Jingzhou navy is snatching seeds.  When he was on horseback, he sank five escorting Jiangxia warships using this kind of stone cannon.

    Li Jun did not order a counterattack. His warship was gradually approaching the enemy ship. The two ships were getting closer and closer, and they were no longer fifty steps apart.

    At this time, ¡®Bang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and a piece of slippery rock hit the side of the ship, creating a gap in the side of the ship. Wood chips flew everywhere. A soldier behind the side of the ship was unable to dodge, and his head was shattered by the slippery stone, and he fell softly to the ground.

    Then there were several more crashes, and the slippery rock hit the wall of the ship. At this time, a scream was heard from the mast, and the scout hiding above was hit by a stray arrow and fell from the three-foot-high mast, squirting from his mouth and nose.  Blood and died tragically on the spot.

    The Jiangxia Army did not receive the order to attack and was suppressed by the enemy ship's arrows. The Jiangxia Army was passively beaten for a while. Li Jun's expression was stern, not affected by the declining situation at all, but in order to avoid the main ship from being flanked.  , another Jiangxia met the enemy ship on the right.

    The enemy's main ship and the Jiangxia army's main ship formed a one-on-one situation. The two ships were only more than twenty steps apart. Seeing that the two ships were about to collide, the Jingzhou army's main ship was slightly deflected and wanted to pass by the other side. Li Jun  This was the opportunity he was waiting for, and he immediately ordered, "Launch the clay pot of fire!"

    The soldiers used torches to ignite the fire clay in the basins, and three trebuchets were launched at the same time. The three lit braziers flew through the air and shot towards the enemy's main ship. The soldiers on the two ships exclaimed, "The Jingzhou Army warship is coming!"  The soldiers also stopped shooting and looked up at the fireballs flying from the sky.

    Deputy Lieutenant Chen Shuo secretly screamed that something was wrong. They were afraid of the opponent's fire oil attack. Sure enough, they came. He shouted urgently: "Prepare the sand to put it out!"

    Dozens of soldiers rushed out of the cabin holding sand buckets. By this time, the fire clay pots had already landed. One fire clay pot missed its target and fell into the river, while the other two fire clay pots hit the target accurately.  The basin fell on the deck, and the oil and sludge spilled out, causing a fire on the deck. The soldiers poured sand on the fire, and they were in a panic.

    Another fire clay pot hit the ship wall, and the thick mud stuck to the ship wall. The fire burned the ship wall, and thick smoke billowed. There was chaos on the ship. Chen Shuo shouted anxiously: "Take the things on the ship wall."  Brush it off!¡±

    More than a dozen soldiers stretched out long poles and cloths towards the fire on the ship wall, trying to brush off the oil sludge on the ship wall. At this time, Li Jun gave the order to shoot arrows, and the Jiangxia Army warships fired arrows at random, and the arrows shot at the ship with great force.  Enemy ship, dozens of men holding long polesThe soldiers were shot by arrows one after another and fell into the river screaming.

    Immediately afterwards, three more clay pots came roaring, and another place on the wall of the enemy ship was on fire. As the fire pots fell on the deck one after another, the pots broke, and the fire oil filled the ship. The warship was already a sea of ??fire.  .

    Li Jun smiled coldly. This was just the beginning. He immediately shouted: "Get ready to shoot the pole!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 234 Attacking the heart is the most important thing

    At this time, thirty soldiers untied the ropes tied to the deck and pulled out a slender and thick wooden pole. This was also a new warship weapon of the Jiangxia Navy, called the pat pole.

    That is, when two ships cross each other, the big ship will smash down a long pole and use its own falling force to hit the opponent's warship. This kind of pole has extremely high requirements on wood. It must be tough and heavy in order to cause damage to the enemy's large ship.  harm.

    This kind of wood with special requirements could not be found in Jiangxia, and Tao's Trading Company searched for this kind of wood for a whole year. Finally, they found a kind of wood in Yuzhang County. The wood is delicate, very heavy, and extremely tough. It is bent into a semicircle.  It does not break, and the wooden shape is slender and straight, making it very suitable for use as a racket stick.

    The racket pole is about six feet long and weighs more than a thousand kilograms. One end is fixed on the boat. It is usually placed horizontally and tied to the deck. When attacking, it is controlled by a rope. It also has a special wooden slot to prevent damage to your boat when it falls. This  In fact, it is a weapon for close combat on warships, practical and sharp.

    When the Sui Dynasty conquered the Chen Dynasty in the south, the Sui Dynasty navy used this racket to sink countless Chen Dynasty warships, destroying the Chen Dynasty navy in one fell swoop.

    In the chaos, the two ships passed each other with only one foot apart. Chen Shuo was so anxious that he shouted urgently: "Defend with your shield!"

    The distance was too close and it was extremely easy for the Jiangxia army to throw kerosene and attack them. In the chaos, dozens of Jingzhou naval forces raised their shields and quickly formed a shield wall along the side of the ship.

    At this moment, a soldier shouted in horror, "Get out of the way!"

    When Chen Shuo raised his head, he was immediately frightened. He saw a thin and long black shadow coming towards his head. Many soldiers were so frightened that they stumbled away and only heard 'Boom!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and the heavy racket hit the deck. The hull could not withstand such a heavy blow, and a large crack opened above it.

    Chen Shuo was pulled away by a soldier in time and fell heavily on the deck. Only then did he clearly see the terrifying object in front of him. It was actually a long black wooden pole, six or seven feet long, and the other end was on the opponent's ship.  .

    There were ropes on the long wooden poles, which creaked and stood up high. Chen Shuo was shocked. He knew what was going to happen. He didn't care about the soldiers and rolled and climbed towards the stern of the ship.

    Just after running a few steps, the racket stick was slammed down again, with a fierce force, and another loud noise. The warship could no longer support it, and only heard continuous 'clicks' from the hull!  ' The cracks continued to the bottom of the ship, and a large amount of river water poured into the bottom cabin.

    Chen Shuo had already run to the stern of the ship, when there was another loud noise. This was the third blow. The ship shook violently and tilted high. Chen Shuo fell heavily. When he turned around, he was so shocked that his heart stopped.  It has been broken into two pieces.

    The soldiers screamed and fell into the water one after another. The broken part of the hull had sunk into the water, causing the two ends of the ship to tilt up. Chen Shuo's body rolled down. He grabbed the side of the ship, yelled, and jumped into the river with all his strength.

    When a ship sinks into the river, it will cause a huge whirlpool, sucking people and objects around it into the river bottom. Chen Shuo knew this very well, so he paddled desperately and swam to the shore desperately.

    It was almost dark at this time, and half-darkness enveloped the river.

    The winner was decided on the battlefield. The main ship of the Jingzhou Army was broken into two pieces by a shooting pole and gradually sank to the bottom of the river. A fire broke out on the other ship on the battlefield. The soldiers all jumped into the river to flee. The remaining three warships were also burned by the fire.  He lit it on fire and fled to Jingzhou Junshui Village in chaos.

    Jiangxia Army dispatched more than a dozen small boats to search for Jingzhou navy soldiers who fell into the water. There were cries for help everywhere on the river, but they were all rescued one by one by Jiangxia boats.

    More than 10,000 soldiers of the Jingzhou navy witnessed this battle. Except for screams, there was silence at this time. The burning ship on the river was particularly bright under the night and gradually began to sink. This scene made everyone's heart heavy.  , timidity and depression spread like a plague among the army, and morale was very low.

    Zhang Yun's mood became extremely heavy. In addition to kerosene, the Jiangxia Navy also had a long-rod heavy-hitting weapon, which was sharper and unbelievable. However, he really saw it. The two ships were crossing each other.  In just three blows, the warship was broken.

    In such a water battle, even if he has ten times the opponent's warships and troops, he may not be able to defeat the opponent. Zhang Yun couldn't help but sigh lowly, and for the first time he felt regretful in his heart.

    At this time, a military commander rushed forward and asked Zhang Yundao for instructions: "Qi Lieutenant, the sky is already dark. Will the navy continue to fight until dawn?"

    Zhang Yun shook his head, "No need to confront, just pass my order, the rear team will become the front team, and the fleet will return to the water village."

    On the river, the Jingzhou navy began to retreat slowly. Liu Jing stood on the big ship and stared at the Jingzhou ships retreating. At this time, Li Jun got on the big ship, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "My subordinates give orders to the prefect!"

    Liu Jing praised him and said: "The fight was very good and the timing was accurate. I will take credit for your first victory in this battle."

    ?"Thank you, Governor!"

    Li Jun hesitated and asked again: "Now that the morale of the Jingzhou army is low, can we take advantage of the situation to attack and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop?"

    Liu Jing shook his head, "They are not enemy troops. Our only enemy is Zhang Yun. Defeating them now is like destroying valuables in the house. I don't want to do that. I'll do it according to the original plan. Jia Yun sneaked in."  ?"

    "Reporting to the prefect, Marquis Jia Jun disguised himself as an escaped soldier and followed Chen Shuo to the shore."

    Liu Jing had a sneer on her face, "Then it's time for me to go ashore, and I'll leave the navy to you!"

    "Subordinates obey orders!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Jingzhou Junshui Village makes use of a natural lake. The water village is located in Yinan Lake, more than ten miles south of Yicheng County. This is a medium-sized lake with an area of ??about 100 hectares, and is connected to the Han River.

    The mouth of the lake is about a hundred feet wide and can accommodate dozens of large ships. There are usually three iron ropes blocking the mouth of the lake to prevent foreign ships from entering. Two sentries have been set up at the same time, and sentry boats are constantly patrolling back and forth. More than a thousand warships of the Jingzhou navy can  Parked quietly in Yinan Lake.

    The military camp is on the shore, covering an area of ??nearly a thousand acres and consisting of more than a thousand large tents. It is located on the north bank of Yinan Lake. The west of the military camp is close to the Han River. Since the navy has been stationed here for many years, most residents of Yicheng County  They are the family members of navy soldiers.

    In the night, the iron rope blocking the lake entrance was lowered, and warships slowly sailed into Yinan Lake one after another. The ships docked one after another, and the navy soldiers disembarked one after another.

    "Many soldiers didn't even eat lunch, and it was getting late. They were already hungry, and they rushed to the military camp one by one.

    Although Zhang Yun was also upset and exhausted, he was the commander-in-chief, and he had to consider many things carefully. The Jiangxia navy was eyeing the Han River, and the soldiers could not rest.

    Zhang Yun immediately ordered half of the navy and 300 warships to be deployed at the front line of Hukou to prevent the Jiangxia navy from breaking into the water village. Another 20 patrol teams were sent out to patrol near Yinan Lake to monitor the Jiangxia army's land attack on the naval base.  camp.

    There was a lot of noise in the navy camp. Groups of soldiers were gathering outside the tent to have dinner. The camp was illuminated by torches. The figures were swaying. The shouts and laughter were mixed together, making the camp extremely noisy and chaotic.

    An officer dressed as a camp commander walked quickly past the large tents and came to a large tent in the southwest corner. Two soldiers stood at the door of the big tent. The officer cupped his hands and smiled at the soldiers: "This is General Feng's tent.  ?"

    The two soldiers looked him up and down and asked, "Who are you?"

    "My surname is Cao. I am from the same hometown as General Feng. I grew up with him."

    The soldier heard that his accent was the same as Feng Sima's, so he nodded, "Wait!"

    A soldier went in to report. Soon, the curtain was lifted, and Sima Fengyi of the other department walked out quickly. When he saw the officer, he laughed and said, "It's really you, Wu Lang, why are you here?"

    He stepped forward and punched the officer on the shoulder. The two hugged excitedly. The officer smiled and said, "Second brother, we haven't seen each other for ten years!"

    "Yes! I have been away from my hometown for ten years, so I haven't seen each other for ten years. Come on! Let's have a drink."

    Feng Yi pulled him into the tent. This officer's name was Cao Yun. He was Wei Yan's confidant and a native of Yiyang County. He happened to be in the same hometown as Feng Yi and grew up together. They had a very close friendship.  Liu Jing was ordered to come to seize Feng Yi's friendship.

    The two of them entered the tent and sat down. Feng Yi took out a bottle of wine from the box and said with a smile: "Although drinking is not allowed during the war, what the hell! It doesn't hurt to have two drinks."

    He found two ear cups, poured two glasses of wine, picked up the wine glass and said, "Here! Let's drink it."

    The two drank it all in one gulp, and Feng Yi poured two more glasses of wine. He couldn't help but said bitterly: "Today's water fight made people extremely frustrated. Zhang Yun was so damn stupid to intercept Liu Jing's wine."  Goods, now people are coming to kill them, and the fire has burned the Jingzhou navy to the point of peeing. Thinking about it makes you feel useless. "

    Cao Yun heard that his tone was unusually dissatisfied with Zhang Yun. He smiled slightly, took out ten ingots of gold from the leather bag he carried with him, each ingot of gold weighed twenty taels, put it on the table and pushed it to him.

    Feng Yi stood up in shock, "Xiandi, what are you doing?"

    "This is because Taishou Liu knew that the second brother's family was not in a good situation, so he specially asked me to give it to the second brother to treat his uncle!"

    Feng Yi's eyes widened, he pulled out his knife suddenly, pointed at Cao Yun and shouted: "Who are you?"

    Cao Yun shook his head and said with a smile: "My second brother doesn't know who I am?"

    Feng Yi stared at him for a long time, then slowly put away the knife, but his eyes were still filled with surprise and doubt, "Brother Xian, are you Jiang Xiajun?"

    Cao Yun?He got excited and said, "Isn't the Jiangxia Army the same as the Jingzhou Army? What's the difference between us? It's just that I am in Wuchang and you are in Yicheng."

    Having said that, Cao Yun also knew that they were the enemy today. He took out Liu Jing's autograph letter from his arms, put it on the table and pushed it to Feng Yi, "This is the autograph letter from the prefect to my second brother. You first  Let's see!"

    Feng Yi sat down and slowly picked up the letter, but his hands were shaking slightly. He knew very well what happened. It was Liu Jing who took a fancy to him, so he sent his fellow countryman Cao Yun to persuade him to surrender. He opened the letter and read it, and it turned out to be Liu Jing.  Jing Zai persuaded herself to go to Jiangxia.

    Feng Yi lowered his head and said nothing. Although he hated Zhang Yun very much and was not interested in Cai Hao and Liu Cong, this was a big deal after all. How could he agree to such a thing? The confusion in his heart was understandable.

    Cao Yun persuaded him again: "Everyone is very clear about the situation in Jingzhou now, and I won't say much about it, but one thing is that if Cao Cao's army goes south, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun will definitely surrender, and the northern soldiers are not used to water warfare, Cao Cao will definitely  There will be no mercy if we are used as the vanguard. Sooner or later we will fight to the death. Rather than becoming slaves of Cao Jun, it is better to follow Prefect Liu to defend our homeland. And if I remember correctly, the second brother¡¯s elder brother died at the hands of Cao Jun.¡±

    Feng Yi was shaken up. His eldest brother was a small businessman who made a living by doing business in Xuzhou. He was killed by Cao Jun in Xuzhou. His sister-in-law and nephew were also missing. Thinking of this, Feng Yi's fists slowly clenched and he raised his head.  He began to say to Cao Yun: "Tell me! What does Prefect Liu want me to do?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 235 Substituting one thing for another

    Deputy Lieutenant Chen Shuo was slightly injured while escaping from the river. His forehead was scratched by a piece of wood. Although it was only a minor injury, Chen Shuo was in a bad mood. He refused to go and replace Zhang, saying that he was seriously injured.  Yun defended the entrance of the lake and bandaged his forehead in an exaggerated way.

    In the camp, Chen Shuo was lying on a bed, with his hands under his head, staring blankly at the tent roof. The unforgettable scene kept appearing in his mind: the heavy wooden pole suddenly crashed down, and sawdust scattered everywhere.  , the hull cracked and broke into two pieces, as if it had been cut in half. The intertwined and shocking fracture surface was deeply engraved in his mind like a brand. He would think of that scene as soon as he closed his eyes.  .

    Chen Shuo sighed softly. He didn't know how long it would take for this nightmare scene to be erased from his mind.

    "Is Brother Zhong Ren here?" At this time, the voice of Sima Feng Yi from another department came from outside the tent.

    The highest commander of the Jingzhou Navy was Captain Zhang Yun, followed by Deputy Lieutenant Chen Shuo, and then five other commanders. Among them, Feng Yi and Chen Shuo had the deepest friendship. They were both generals under Wu Ju for ten years.  friendship.

    Chen Shuo knew that Feng Yi was here to visit him, so he stood up and said, "Come in!"

    Feng Yi walked into the tent and said with a smile: "I heard that Zhongren was seriously injured, so I came here to visit him."

    Seeing the smile on Feng Yi's face, Chen Shuo knew that he didn't believe that he was seriously injured. He smiled bitterly and said, "You don't have to be so pitiful. I'm not injured. I'm just in a bad mood. I don't want to defend myself and find an excuse."

    After a pause, he smiled self-deprecatingly, "If I say I was frightened by Jiang Xiajun, that's fine!"

    "Zhong Ren has been in the army for twenty years, how could he be frightened by a battle? He should be shocked, just like me. To be honest, today's battle made me panic and feel confused."

    Chen Shuo nodded, "Sit down and talk!"

    The two sat down and Feng Yi asked in a low voice: "Do you think Liu Jing will give up and continue to attack us?"

    Chen Shuo sneered, "The fifteen horses of good breeds from the Western Regions that he had worked so hard to get were intercepted. How could Liu Jing give up? Besides, he had already done a good job of publicity in Xiangyang. Everyone knew that Zhang Yun was in the wrong and was prepared to do this.  Fully, this battle will be fought to the end!¡±

    "What does Zhongren think of the victory or defeat?"

    Chen Shuo sighed, "We will definitely lose!"

    Both of them were silent. After a long while, Feng Yi said in a deep voice: "Zhong Ren, I don't want to sacrifice my life for Zhang Yun."

    "I don't want to either!"

    As soon as he said this, Chen Shuo suddenly felt that something was wrong. Feng Yi's words were not said casually, but seemed to be a conclusion after careful consideration. He glanced at Feng Yi with some surprise.

    Feng Yi seemed to understand Chen Shuo's thoughts. He nodded silently and repeated again, "I don't want to sacrifice my life for Zhang Yun!"

    Chen Shuo stared at him for a long time, then sighed, "Then what are you going to do? Go to Cangwu to find Governor Wu?"

    Feng Yi shook his head, "I plan to go to Jiangxia!"

    "Youwant to seek refuge with Liu Jing?"

    "yes!"

    Chen Shuo was silent for another moment and said with a wry smile: "Although I almost died at the hands of Jiang Xia's army, I have to admit that your choice was wise. People in Jingzhou are saying that Liu Cong is stupid, Liu Qi is weak, and Liu Pan is as plain as day."  In Baishui, only Liu Jing can take charge. To be honest, I also hope that Jingzhou will be inherited by Liu Jing, at least we will not be so cowardly. "

    "I also think so. Once Cao Jun goes south and we follow Cai Mao, Liu Cong and others to surrender, Cao Jun will definitely drive us to be scapegoats. Rather than bear the name of rebellion after death, it is better to fight Cao Jun vigorously, even if we die.  It¡¯s worth it, at least my son will say that his father died defending his homeland.¡±

    Chen Shuo was also moved. It can be said that Feng Yi's words hit the mark. Not only Feng Yi and Chen Shuo were moved by these words, but any Jingzhou soldier would consider it. After all, this is a big issue of right and wrong, related to personality.  and honor.

    "Do you think Liu Jing will take you seriously?" Chen Shuo asked in a low voice.

    Feng Yi took out two letters from his arms. He read them and handed one of them to Chen Shuo, "This is a handwritten letter written by Mr. Jing to me."

    Chen Shuo was surprised. He took the letter and read it hastily. Liu Jing actually valued Feng Yi so much. He couldn't help but feel a trace of jealousy in his heart. He had a much higher status than Feng Yi. Why didn't he have his share?

    At this moment, he suddenly thought of something and stared at another letter in Feng Yi's hand. Who was that letter to?

    Feng Yi handed him the letter in his hand and said with a smile: "This is a personal letter written by Mr. Jing to you, if you are willing to read it."

    "Why didn't you give it to me earlier!" Chen Shuo snatched the letter from Feng Yi's hand with some embarrassment

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    South of Yinan, in the endless woods, an army is marching northward silently along the path in the woods. This army consists of about 5,000 people. In addition to 3,000 infantry, there are two  Thousands of cavalry, this cavalry is the most elite force of the Jiangxia Army. Together with the 500 heavy armored infantry led by Liu Hu, they are collectively called the Dragon and Tiger Armies.

    The infantry was led by Wei Yan, while the cavalry was led by Liao Hua. However, at this time, the cavalry was led by Liu Jing himself. He handed over the navy to Li Jun. The navy was not the main force in this battle, but the cavalry was.

    Liu Jing was at the front of the cavalry, riding on the BMW Lu, holding Wenhou's halberd weighing 91 kilograms. He broke through the shackles of strength the year before last, which brought his strength to another level.  Not only has he mastered the Hundred Birds Chaofeng Spear technique to perfection, but he has also thoroughly understood the essence of Luo Feng Kung Fu.

    More importantly, he also made innovations. He added the essence of the sword and halberd skills that Huang Zhong taught him to the Hundred Birds Chaofeng Spear. It changed from thirteen moves to seventeen moves, adding more sword and halberd skills such as chopping, slashing, and smashing.  moves.

    After another two years of training, his martial arts has become increasingly mature. Last year, Gan Ning fought with him for more than fifty rounds, and finally Gan Ning was defeated by him. Huang Zhong also praised his martial arts as being on par with the little overlord Sun Ce back then.

    It was extremely quiet in the woods. You could hear the cooing cry of a night owl from deep in the forest. At this time, there was a sound of wings not far ahead, and a night owl flew into the night sky. Only a young man was seen.  As he rushed towards him, many soldiers aimed their crossbows at him, but then put them down.

    The person who came was Liu Zheng, the most effective scout under Liu Jing's account. Liu Zheng was also Hou Wu back then. He was seventeen years old this year, but he had only grown a little taller. Anyone who saw him for the first time would think he was  He is a child of eight or nine years old.

    Despite his small stature, he has abilities that many people cannot match. He has the talent for tracking and searching, and has amazing running speed. He can climb mountains and ridges, climb trees, and leap like a fish on flat ground. He can also swim like a fish in a river.  Swim freely.

    Because of these extraordinary abilities, he was recognized as the king of scouts of the Jiangxia Army and received a nickname, "Tu Xingsun", but everyone used to call him Wulang.

    Tonight, he was afraid of disturbing the birds in the woods, so he did not dare to scurry through the trees like a monkey. Instead, he ran on the ground until he reached Liu Jing's horse, knelt down on one knee and said, "Report to the prefect,  We caught two enemy patrollers."

    "Get up!"

    Liu Jing smiled angrily and said, "If everyone hadn't known about your figure, you would have been shot and killed long ago if you came here without any idea. Why can't you remember how many years I've been talking about you?"

    Liu Zheng scratched his head and said with a smile: "I always say I want to change it, but when I get anxious, I forget everything."

    Liu Jing had nothing to do with him and was too lazy to scold him, so she asked, "Where is the enemy sentry you captured?"

    "Right behind me!"

    When he turned around, there was no one in sight. He couldn't help but froze, scratched his head and cursed: "Where is his grandma's person?"

    After a long time, a team of scouts escorted two enemy sentries and came running out of breath. Liu Zheng stepped forward and cursed: "You guys, can't you run faster?"

    Several soldiers complained in a low voice: "Can't you, old man, run slower?"

    Liu Jing urged her horse forward and looked at the two enemy sentries. The two enemy sentries were so frightened that they fell to their knees and begged for mercy.

    Liu Jing glanced at them and ordered the soldiers beside him: "Take them down for questioning."

    The soldiers took the two sentries down, and soon came forward to report: "They all said that there are more than 20,000 people in total, of which 10,000 are still on board, guarding the Hukou area, and are responsible for intercepting Jiangxia warships. In addition,  Ten thousand people in the barracks.¡±

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and then asked: "How many troops are there in Yinan County?"

    "About a thousand people!"

    Liu Jing waved her hand and called Liu Zheng over. She said a few words to him. Liu Zheng nodded, turned around and ran away. He disappeared for a moment. Liu Jing ordered people to find Liao Hua and Wei Yan and treat them.  He said with a smile: "Come up and attack, we will come up with a strategy for this battle!"

    The two of them were overjoyed, knowing that Liu Jing had already made up his mind. They bowed together and said: "Please give the order, prefect!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The northernmost part of the Jingzhou navy camp is the warehouse area. All grain, grass and ordnance are stored here. They are separated by huge wooden fences and guarded by nearly two thousand soldiers. Entry and exit from the warehouse are very strict. You must have Zhang Yun's command arrow or Deputy Lieutenant Chen  Shuo's token.

    At about one watch, a team consisting of more than 200 soldiers and more than 300 carts came to the gate of the warehouse area. The leader of the army was named Xia Zhi, who was a confidant of Deputy Lieutenant Chen Shuo. He rode there.  In front of the gate, Chen Shuo's token was raised high and said, "Follow the Deputy Lieutenant."Order, come and get a batch of food and grass!  "

    The defenders recognized the token and opened the door. The team rumbled into the warehouse area. It was very quiet in the warehouse area and there were not many people. Xia Zhi whispered to an officer: "You go to transport grain and grass, I have other things to do."  "

    The officer led the people away, and Xia Zhi led fifty cavalrymen and ran towards the northwest corner of the warehouse. The northwest corner of the warehouse is an independent building guarded by soldiers. This is Zhang Yun's private warehouse, where some of Zhang Yun's personal belongings are placed.  Items, and ten soldiers are guarding here.

    The reason why Zhang Yun placed his private warehouse here is because it is the northernmost part of the camp. Once something happens to the camp, he can immediately escape from the back door with his belongings. Moreover, the identity of this warehouse is extremely secretive. Only a few people know that it belongs to Zhang Yun.  private warehouse.

    Four soldiers were standing guard at the entrance of the warehouse, watching the surrounding situation vigilantly. At this time, seven or eight black figures rushed out from behind the warehouse, pushed the four soldiers to the ground, raised their knives and killed them decisively.  Four people.

    The warehouse door opened a crack. In the darkness, Xia Zhi waved his hand and dozens of his men rushed into the warehouse. Then the door was closed and four soldiers stood guard outside, as if nothing happened.

    In the warehouse, Xia Zhi led his men to kill six other sleeping defenders. They led a group of horses and galloped all the way to the innermost part of the warehouse. When they ran to the end, they pushed open a small hidden door, and suddenly there was something inside.  There is another world.

    This is a very well-ventilated space, arranged as a temporary stable, and fifteen high-quality stallions are standing quietly in the stable to rest.

    The two grooms looked at the soldiers rushing in in horror, and were immediately pushed to the ground by the soldiers. Xia Zhi waved his hand, "Change the horses!"

    The men brought out fifteen stallions and put the horses they brought into the stables. Xia Zhi captured them together with the two grooms and quickly left the warehouse.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 236 The sound of cavalry at night

    Not long after the fifteen stallions were swapped out of the warehouse, Feng Yi and several of his confidants followed Liu Zheng out of the military camp and rode towards the northwest.

    Feng Yi was secretly wondering, what was Liu Jing doing with him at this time?

    There is also the young man in front of him. Although he is not riding a horse, he is running as fast as flying, and his speed can be compared with that of a war horse. I heard Cao Yun say that this man is the most powerful scout of the Jiangxia Army, and it seems that he is indeed well-deserved.

    "Liu Junhou, where are we going?" Feng Yi finally couldn't help but ask after walking for more than ten miles.

    Liu Zheng didn't ask him any questions. He jumped up onto a big tree, stared around for a moment, pointed to the west, "It's right in front!"

    The crowd walked west for several more miles, and a hidden path appeared in front of them. At this moment, a whistle sounded, and dozens of sentries blocked their way, surrounded them, raised their crossbows and pointed them at them.  The village chief shouted: "Who are you?"

    Liu Zheng stepped forward and bowed, took out a command arrow, and said with a smile: "It's me! I'm looking for General Wei!" 1

    Everyone in the Jiangxia army knew him, and he also had command arrows. The sentry put away the crossbow arrows and took them deep into the woods. Soon, the group saw the path filled with resting soldiers.

    Not far away, there was a small tent in an open space. Everyone came to the small tent. The sentry went in to report, and soon came out and said: "General Wei, please come in."

    Feng Yi entered the small tent. The light inside the small tent was dim. There was a table in the middle with a map on it. A burly general was looking at the map carefully. Feng Yi knew that the person in front of him was Liu Jing's general Wei Yan. He  He stepped forward and bowed and said, "See General Wei!"

    Wei Yan raised his head and glanced at him, with a smile on his face. He stepped forward and patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "We are all from Yiyang!"

    The accents of the two people were exactly the same, which immediately made Feng Yi feel as if he were meeting a fellow villager in a foreign country. He also smiled and said, "I am from Huangqiao Township."

    "I know, you and Cao Yun are from the same hometown, and I'm from Muar, you know! It's just east of Huangqiao."

    "I know! I often went to Sheri when I was a child. There was a towering tree there, known as the King of Trees. It was next to the blacksmith shop. I still remember it very clearly."

    Wei Yan chuckled, "That tree king is near my house. At that time, I often fought with the boy from Huangqiao. We are similar in age. Maybe we even fought when we were young!"

    "Probably!"

    The two laughed together, and their relationship immediately became closer. Wei Yan then pulled him to the table and tapped the map on the table with his index finger like a radish, "This is Yicheng County, General Feng, I  On the order of the prefect, we will capture Yicheng County tonight."

    ¡®Yicheng County!  ¡¯ Feng Yi was secretly surprised and said quickly: ¡°The families of most of the navy soldiers are in Yicheng County. Once a war breaks out in Yicheng County, Zhang Yun will probably send reinforcements immediately!¡±

    "I know this, and the prefect knows it even more. That's why the prefect asked General Feng for help."

    "I?"

    Feng Yi was startled, then his thoughts changed, and he suddenly understood.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yicheng County, like Chaisang County, is not the center of county governance. It has only two city gates, the East City Gate and the West City Gate. The East City Gate is close to the Han River and is the main city gate of Yicheng County.

    The Xicheng Gate is an auxiliary gate, which is connected to Xiangyang in the north by land. At the same time, the Navy Camp is connected to Yicheng County mainly through the Xicheng Gate, and the distance is not far apart, only ten miles away.

    There are about 800 defenders in Yicheng County, mainly guarding the two city gates. During the day, news of the battle between the Jiangxia Army and the Jingzhou Army has reached Yicheng County, making the atmosphere in Yicheng County tense.

    The defense of Yicheng County was in charge of a tooth general, and Cai Yi rushed to Yicheng County when it was getting dark. He planned to stay in Yicheng County for one night and set off for Xiangyang early tomorrow morning.

    The night was dark, and it was early spring. The spring was cold, and the night wind still carried a hint of chill. The cold made the defenders on the city shiver. Several soldiers murmured in a low voice, "If I had known, I would have brought quilts to the city and wrapped them in them."  Keep yourself warm too.¡±

    "I've been dreaming about it. I asked you to wrap yourself up in a quilt and go to town. It's strange that you don't sleep."

    "It's not bad to sleep! What will happen now?"

    "What's the matter? Don't you know that the navy has started a war?"

    "It's none of my business to start a war. If you can, give me more money and food."

    Several soldiers were bickering on the top of the city. At this time, there was a noise in the distance. Everyone stopped and looked outside the city. Not long after, a Jingzhou army appeared outside the city. There were about a thousand people, led by a man.  The general is none other than Sima Feng Yi.

    "Soldiers in the city, listen, I am from the other department.Ma Fengyi came to support the defense of the county on the order of Captain Zhang. Open the city gate quickly!  "

    The commander on duty knew Feng Yi and quickly shouted: "General Feng, wait a moment, I will send someone to report to General Ma immediately!"

    Some soldiers rushed to the tower and reported to General Ya. The General Ya who was responsible for guarding Yicheng County was named Ma Zan, who was Zhang Yun's confidant. Due to the naval battle that took place tonight, he did not dare to go home.  Sleeping in the city tower, he was woken up by soldiers not long after he fell asleep.

    "General Ma, I have something to report!"

    "What's the matter?" Mazan asked fiercely. He had not been sleeping well these past few days. He was easily woken up after falling asleep, which made him particularly annoyed.

    "An army came from the navy, saying it was to reinforce the defense of the county."

    Mazan sat up suddenly, "Who is leading the troops?"

    "It's Feng Sima, bringing about a thousand people."

    "Why is it him?"

    Ma Zan frowned. He knew that Feng Yi and Chen Shuo were actually members of Wu Ju, the prefect of Cangwu, and were not Zhang Yun's confidants. Zhang Yun generally would not send him here, but should send Yang first.  What's more important is that Feng Yi is a Sima of another department, and he is just a tooth general, half a level lower than him. Does the captain want him to take orders from Feng Yi?

    Although he was a little dissatisfied and doubtful, he still put on his shoes and hurried to the city gate. He looked at the bottom of the city and saw that it was indeed Feng Yi, followed by more than a thousand soldiers. He asked loudly: "General Feng  ¡±

    Feng Yi took out a command arrow, which was imitated by the Jiangxia Army. It was exactly the same as the real command arrow. To increase troops, only the command arrow was needed. If it was a defense change, not only the command arrow was needed, but also the military talisman. Only Zhang Yun and Ma Zan knew which military talisman it was.  If it is planted, it will be difficult to imitate, so it will be much easier to increase troops.

    A basket was put down on the city. Feng Yi ordered the soldiers to put the command arrows into the basket, and the basket was pulled up. In fact, Mazan did not suspect that Feng Yi was deceitful. He just didn't want Feng Yi to enter the city and become his boss, so he found various reasons.  Delay, but Feng Yi's order arrow was completely correct, so he had no excuse.

    Ma Zan laughed dryly and said: "Don't be surprised, General Feng, because I heard there was a battle on the river in the afternoon, so I have to be strict, it's just a routine matter."

    Feng Yi also smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, the captain was worried about Jiang Xia's army sneaking into Yicheng County, so he ordered me to increase the defense. Yang Sima was supposed to come over, but he was injured in the afternoon, so Deputy Lieutenant Chen proposed to let  I will help with the defense. General Ma will still be responsible for the defense. I will only come forward when the Jiangxia army attacks the city."

    Ma Zan suddenly understood that it was Chen Shuo who suggested it. No wonder!  However, Feng Yi did not care about defense, so he finally felt relieved and ordered his left and right: "Kaicheng!"

    The coin was put down with a creak, and the city gate slowly opened. Although Yicheng County's battle status is important, the strategic fulcrum is the navy, not the county seat. Therefore, the county seat is a bit simple and there is no urn city. You can directly enter the county seat through the city gate.

    Feng Yi watched the city gate open, and he ordered in a low voice: "Enter the city!"

    He urged his horses and led the soldiers slowly into the county town. Mazan had already descended from the city and greeted him at the city gate. Although he did not welcome Feng Yi's arrival in his heart, he still pretended to be polite on the surface and handed him over.  He smiled and said, "Thank you Feng Sima for your hard work!"

    Unexpectedly, Feng Yi suddenly turned against him and ordered: "Arrest him!"

    Several sergeants around him rushed forward, pushed Mazan to the ground, and put a long knife on his neck. This change was so sudden that everyone was caught off guard. The sudden change shocked everyone.  , Mazan was pushed to the ground and shouted: "Feng Yi, what crime do I have? Arrest me for peace!"

    "You know it yourself!"

    Feng Yi raised another command arrow and shouted at the defenders above and below the city: "Ma Zan, the defender of Yicheng, colluded with Cao's army in an attempt to betray the Jingzhou army. The captain has ordered that he be executed without mercy!"

    "You fart!"

    As soon as Mazan cursed, the sharp sword slashed down fiercely. With a scream, Mazan's big head rolled ten feet away, and blood spurted out from his neck. Hundreds of people above and below the city were all stunned.  There was silence and everyone was shocked. Was Mazan just slaughtered?

    Feng Yi immediately ordered, "I will take over the defense of the city, and all soldiers will return to the military camp!"

    He also secretly ordered his men to arrest twenty of Ma Zan's confidants and not let any of them go. Soon, Wei Yan led the remaining two thousand people into the city, took over the East Gate, and controlled Yicheng County like iron.  It was like a barrel, and no one could escape.

    At this time, they got an unexpected gain. Several soldiers pushed Cai Yi up, who was tied up, and reported to Wei Yan: "Report to General Wei, this man wanted to escape from the city, but was caught by his brothers, only to find out that he turned out to be  Son of Cai Mao."

    Wei Yan was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "Mr. Cai, this is a great gift from your father.ah!  "

    Cai Yi sighed bitterly and turned away. He was extremely annoyed. He knew he would not spend the night in Yicheng County.

    Feng Yi stepped forward quickly and said with a smile: "General Wei, Yicheng County is completely under control."

    "good!"

    Wei Yan nodded, and it was time to take the next step. He immediately ordered, "Light the beacon for help!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Jingzhou navy camp was very quiet. The first watch had passed at this time, and most of the soldiers had fallen asleep, but Zhang Yun could not rest. Jiangxia's warships were still staring at the water village on the river. I don't know if it will happen at night.  There will be an attack.

    All kinds of worries were like a heavy weight weighing on Zhang Yun's heart, making him restless. He had already written an urgent letter asking for help and ordered people to rush to Xiangyang overnight.

    Zhang Yun was restless, walking out of the tent from time to time and looking towards the Yangtze River, assessing the movements of Jiang Xia's army. At this moment, there was a slight commotion around him, which made Zhang Yun stunned. Then a soldier from the north shouted: "Colonel, Captain,  Yicheng County Beacon Fire!¡±

    When Zhang Yun turned around, he saw a beacon burning in Yicheng County in the distance. This was a call for help when he was in danger. Zhang Yun was shocked. Is Yicheng County in danger?  Why didn't Mazan send anyone?

    Zhang Yun was distraught. Most of the family members of the navy soldiers were in Yicheng County. If Yicheng County was lost, the blow to the morale of the army would be unimaginable. He was pacing back and forth anxiously.

    At this moment, several sentries came running with an injured soldier. The injured soldier raised the jade leopard talisman, knelt on the ground and panted: "Report to the captain, three thousand Jiangxia troops are besieging Yicheng County. General Ma and  Mr. Cai defended with all his strength and was about to lose his support. General Ma begged the captain for immediate support. "

    Zhang Yun took over half of the jade leopard military talisman, which was the military talisman he gave to Ma Zan. He asked urgently: "Why is Mr. Cai in Yicheng County?"

    "Master Cai originally only rested for one night and was on his way tomorrow morning, but unexpectedly he was surrounded in the county town. He also begged the captain for support."

    Having said this, the soldier took out another dagger and said, "This is what the young master asked me to give to the captain."

    Zhang Yun recognized this dagger. It was indeed Cai Yi's personal dagger. Cai Yi was the eldest son of Cai Mao and the next generation head of the Cai family. His status was extraordinary. If he had any shortcomings, Zhang Yun would not be able to explain it to Cai Mao.

    Zhang Yun no longer hesitated and immediately ordered: "Quickly gather the five thousand troops!"

    At this time, Chen Shuo limped over and asked: "Colonel, is there something wrong in Yicheng County?"

    Zhang Yun nodded and said irritably: "Mazan sent someone to report that three thousand Jiangxia are besieging Yicheng County, and Mr. Cai is also in the county."

    Chen Shuo was horrified, "Captain, if we are lost in Yicheng County, and the Jiangxia army escorts the soldiers and their families to cry out, the morale of the soldiers will immediately collapse. We must not lose them. Why don't we humble ourselves and lead the army to rescue?"

    Zhang Yun saw that he was injured on his leg and could not ride a horse, and the injury on his head seemed to be quite serious. He shook his head and said, "You can't march in a hurry. It's better for me to go to the rescue myself! You are responsible for guarding the military camp."

    Chen Shuo immediately agreed, "I obey the order!"

    A quarter of an hour later, five thousand troops were lined up. Zhang Yun also mounted his horse, holding a spear and wearing armor, looking murderously at Yicheng County ten miles away. At this time, a general rushed to report: "Report.  Captain, the troops have been assembled!"

    "Attack!"

    Zhang Yun gave a fierce order, urged his horses, and led five thousand troops towards Yicheng County.

    Chen Shuo watched them go away, with a sneer on his face. According to Liu Jing's plan, he was supposed to lead the troops to Yicheng County, and then pretend to be ambushed halfway, and then ask Zhang Yun for help. Unexpectedly, Zhang Yun was so anxious that he personally  It couldn't be better to lead the troops.

    Chen Shuo waited for Zhang Yun's army to disappear a mile away, then his expression changed and he coldly ordered: "Pass my order, all officers above the camp commander must gather at the Chinese army's tent to discuss the defense plan."

    He then whispered to his trusted generals: "After the officers enter the tent, you can lead a thousand brothers to surround the Chinese army's tent, and no one is allowed to escape."

    "Follow the order!"

    Chen Shuo smiled proudly, he had given this great gift, and Liu Jing should thank herself properly no matter what.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 237 Yicheng Ending

    Zhang Yun was so anxious that he led his 5,000 troops to rush north. The distance from the navy barracks to Yicheng County was about ten miles. There was a large dense forest along the way. They crossed the official road in the forest and ran quickly. Zhang Yun kept urging the soldiers.  "Quick! Speed ??up!"

    He didn¡¯t even think about whether there was an ambush on the road and kept running all the way. Half an hour later, the 5,000-strong army finally arrived at the west gate of Yicheng County. It was already the third watch.

    Outside the west gate of Yicheng County is a wilderness about three or four miles wide, surrounded by woods, with low rolling hills in the distance. In a forest to the north of the wilderness, Liu Jing personally led two thousand cavalry and had been waiting for a long time.

    During the enemy's march north, he had countless opportunities to ambush Zhang Yun's five thousand troops. However, the woods were not conducive to cavalry operations, so Liu Jing gave up the ambush and arranged the final ambush location outside the west city gate.

    Liu Jing was watching five thousand enemy troops running towards the west gate from a distance. At this time, Liu Zhengshen appeared next to Liu Jing without anyone noticing. The soldiers around Liu Jing were startled and they all glared at him.

    Liu Zheng scratched his head, winked at the soldiers with a grimace, stepped forward and whispered to Liu Jing: "Prefect, I can see clearly that the leader of this supporting army is none other than Zhang Yun himself."

    Liu Jing nodded, and it turned out to be Zhang Yun. A sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he turned around and ordered the cavalry: "Send the order, prepare to attack!"

    Two thousand cavalrymen were immediately gearing up and eager to try. The horses also raised their hooves and lightly stepped on the ground, ready to go. This would be the first battle of Jiangxia's elite cavalry.

    Zhang Yun came out of the woods and felt something was wrong when he saw Yicheng County. It was quiet outside the county town, and there was no sign of any attack on the city. The city gate was wide open and no one could be seen. He was full of suspicion.  , after hesitating for a long time, he ordered the army to enter the city.

    Zhang Yun waved his sword and said, "Enter the city!"

    Five thousand troops marched toward the county town in a mighty manner. When they were approaching the county town, less than a hundred steps away from the county town, suddenly drums sounded loudly, and countless soldiers appeared on the city top. Arrows were fired in volleys, and dense arrows roared and shot.  came, the Jingzhou navy was caught off guard, and they fell down one after another after being hit by arrows. The screams resounded through the night sky, and the Jingzhou navy suddenly fell into chaos.

    Seeing that the time had come, Liu Jing raised her halberd high and shouted loudly: "Attack!"

    The sound of horse hooves suddenly became louder, and two thousand cavalrymen rushed out of the woods. In the darkness, the war horses were like ghosts running in a group, their spears were flying, their swords were sharp, their hooves rolled up yellow dust, and they headed toward Jingzhou with a force that shook the world.  The navy swept away.

    The chaos of the ambush at the top of the city had not subsided. The enemy cavalry suddenly attacked again. The cavalry was as powerful as a mountain falling apart. The Jingzhou navy soldiers were frightened to death. Their morale collapsed in an instant. Countless soldiers dropped their weapons, turned around and fled. Zhang  Yun was so anxious that he shouted loudly: "Don't panic, the spears must gather in formation to fight!"

    But no matter how he shouted, no one listened to his orders. His shouts were quickly drowned in the frightened shouts of the soldiers. Seeing the crisis, several soldiers shouted: "Colonel Lieutenant, leave quickly!"

    Zhang Yun was so frightened that he turned his horse and fled. At this moment, the Jiangxia cavalry roared and rushed into the Jingzhou navy. With a team of 100 people, they divided the Jingzhou navy into pieces and killed the enemy soldiers with their heads rolling and corpses lying everywhere.  All over the fields, Jingzhou navy soldiers cried for their fathers and mothers and ran in all directions.

    Seeing that the enemy army had been defeated, Liu Jing ordered again: "Those who surrender will avoid death!"

    Dozens of cavalrymen galloped away, holding arrows and running among the ranks, shouting: "The prefect has an order, those who surrender will avoid death!"

    ¡°The governor has an order, those who surrender will avoid death!¡±

    The order quickly spread among the troops, and the Jiangxia cavalry began to change their fighting methods. Instead of killing and assaulting, they deployed nets on both sides to cut off the retreat of the Jingzhou navy and surrounded them in the wilderness outside the West City. Everyone in the wilderness shouted: "  Those who surrender will avoid death! Those who surrender will avoid death!¡±

    The Jingzhou navy had no way to escape, and they all knelt down and surrendered. In the dark night, thousands of Jingzhou navy were kneeling down.

    But Zhang Yun escaped from the battlefield. He fought his horse and fled southward, trying to escape back to the military camp. He didn't care about his own soldiers at all, and had already thrown them away without a trace. At this moment, the war horse suddenly stopped suddenly and raised its front hooves.  Raised high, under the moonlight, a big tree fell down, blocking the way.

    At the moment when the war horse raised its hooves, a thin black figure jumped down from the nearby tree and threw Zhang Yun from the horse to the ground. Just as Zhang Yun was about to struggle to get up, a dozen soldiers who were ambushing on both sides of the woods suddenly  He rushed forward, pushed Zhang Yun to the ground, and tied him up with ropes.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At dawn, Liu Jing, closely guarded by three hundred cavalry, slowly rode into the Jingzhou Navy Camp. At this time, the general situation in the Navy Camp had been determined, and more than twenty generals loyal to Zhang Yun and Cai Hao were imprisoned.  After getting up, the other generals expressed their willingness to switch to the Jiangxia Army and be loyal to Liu Jing.

    not onlyOfficers, including 15,000 naval troops and nearly a thousand warships, also surrendered to the Jiangxia Army. As early as the fourth watch, Li Jun had led hundreds of Jiangxia warships into Yinan Lake, and the Jiangxia Army had complete control.  Lived in Shuizhai.

    Liu Jing entered the military camp, and Deputy Lieutenant Chen Shuo led more than 200 generals to greet him. Under the leadership of Chen Shuo, everyone knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See the prefect!"

    Liu Jing quickly got off the horse, helped Chen Shuo up, smiled and comforted him: "No need to be polite, Deputy Lieutenant Chen, please get up!"

    Chen Shuo sighed and said: "The general cannot see the situation clearly and has been unable to serve the prefect for so long. I feel deeply ashamed."

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "We all work for Zhou Mu. In the end, we are all a family. Deputy Lieutenant Chen doesn't have to blame himself so much. Speaking of which, we don't know each other even if we don't fight. Besides, I want to thank you for protecting me."  Fifteen stallions, that¡¯s very important to me.¡±

    Chen Shuo was secretly happy and said quickly: "The final general is just a matter of hands!"

    Liu Jing smiled and patted his arm, then stepped forward and clasped his fists at everyone: "Since you generals are willing to hang out with me, Liu Jing, I have only one thing to say. From now on, we will share the same hardships and blessings."  Xiang, I, Liu Jing, will never disappoint you. Everyone will have what they deserve, including promotion and wealth.¡±

    Liu Jing looked at the excited faces of everyone, and said slowly: "But everything has a prerequisite, and that is to abide by military discipline. To put it bluntly, it means doing things according to the rules. We are all soldiers, so you should understand what I mean!"

    Everyone suddenly agreed, "I am willing to serve the prefect!"

    Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh in her heart, these military oilies, who are they to follow the rules, but they show their allegiance, are their own rules just loyalty?

    It is estimated that Zhang Yun¡¯s rules are like this, and it still takes some time to get used to it. Liu Jing said no more, comforted everyone with a few words, and walked to the dock.

    At this time, the sky was clear and the entire lake could be clearly seen from the dock. The lake was covered with large and small warships. This result made Liu Jing very satisfied.

    Although he cared about the army, he valued these warships more. He captured the Jingzhou navy warships. Once Cao's army went south, they would have no ships to use. Even building ships would take a year, which gave him an opportunity.

    At this time, a soldier hurried over and bowed: "Xu Changshi is here!"

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. He was about to discuss some matters with Xu Shu, but Xu Shu came unexpectedly. He immediately said: "Invite him to meet at the big tent!"

    Not long after, Xu Shu came quickly with several civil servants. When he saw Liu Jing, he smiled and said: "Prefect, have the fifteen stallions been recovered?"

    Liu Jing nodded, pointed at Chen Shuo next to him and said with a smile: "We have recovered him. Thanks to Deputy Lieutenant Chen's arrangements in advance, I was afraid that Zhang Yun would send him to Xiangyang or disappear in the chaos. I was lucky."

    At this time, several civil servants behind him bowed to Liu Jing and saluted, "See the prefect."

    The first civil servant is Ma Liang. He has been appointed as the chief official and is Xu Shu's right-hand assistant. The original chief official, Lu Sheng, has been appointed as the magistrate of Xiakou County, and his position has been replaced by Ma Liang.

    There are three other people behind, one is Liu Xian's nephew Zhou Buyi, one is Pang Shanmin, the son of Pang Degong, and the other is also Liu Xian's nephew Liu Min, who is a disciple of Mr. Shui Jing and Sima Hui.

    These three people all temporarily served as counselors and military counselors, and were actually Liu Jing's staff.

    Liu Jing smiled at everyone and said: "Everyone came in time. I just want to ask you to sort out the navy information and documents for me. Thank you for your hard work."

    Everyone expressed their willingness to serve with all their heart, so Liu Jing asked Chen Shuo to take everyone there, and then he and Xu Shu entered the big tent.

    The two sat down, and Xu Shu asked first: "Does the prefect want to maintain the navy in Yicheng, or withdraw to Jiangxia?"

    "I am considering withdrawing to Jiangxia first. The Xiangyang army is too close here, and occupying Yicheng will give a false pretext. It is better to transfer the warships and naval forces to Jiangxia."

    Xu Shu smiled and said, "Actually, I have the same idea. Warships are very important now. Once Cao Jun discovers this, they will attack Yicheng County at all costs. It is better to move directly to Jiangxia. This is the best policy."

    Xu Shu mentioned Cao Jun, which is also a problem. Liu Jing received a report from Nanyang spies. Cao Jun showed signs of increasing troops in Nanyang, but the specific situation was unknown, so Liu Jing did not want to talk about it for the time being.

    He turned the topic to today's business, "Yuan Zhi, I have something to discuss with you."

    "The governor has agreed."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "It's about Cai Yi and Zhang Yun. I caught these two people. How do Yuan Zhi think I should deal with them?"

    "Cai Yi is very simple. You can use him to exchange some conditions with Cai Mao. For example, if you annex the Jingzhou navy this time, you can ask Cai Mao toRemain silent, believing that he would do this for the sake of his son's life.  "

    "What about Zhang Yun?" Liu Jing asked again.

    Xu Shu thought for a moment and then asked: "What does the prefect want to do with him?"

    Liu Jing frowned slightly, "This man does have some talent in leading the navy. I want to kill him to get rid of future troubles, but it feels a bit pity to kill him. He should have other uses, so I am quite worried about it."  hesitate."

    Xu Shu smiled slightly and said, "The prefect thinks too highly of him. Zhang Yun is the captain of the naval force just because he is the nephew of Zhou Mu. In fact, there are many generals who are good at naval warfare, but they just don't have the chance to get ahead. Just like Li Jun, he used to  He is just a minor official in the Youjiao Station. If he had not met the prefect, he would still be a minor official today. How could he possibly display his talents in water warfare? Therefore, Zhang Yun's ability to lead troops is insignificant. "

    "Yuan Zhi means that I let him go?" Liu Jing somewhat understood what Xu Shu meant.

    Xu Shu nodded slowly, "I suggest that the prefect let him go. He is actually a bad horse, and he is a bad horse with a powerful backing. As long as he is around, sooner or later all the good horses in Xiangyang will be driven away."

    Liu Jing thought of Wenpin and Wang Wei in Xiangyang, and couldn't help laughing, "Since Yuan Zhi asserted this, then I will listen to your suggestion and let this person go first, or let him send a letter to Cai Mao for me.  ¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 238 Secret Conspiracy in the Study Room

    In Xiangyang Cai Mansion, Cai Mao has been a little upset these days. He did not expect that Liu Jing's counterattack would be so sharp. Not only did he have the upper hand on the moral level, but everyone in Jingzhou knew that it was Zhang Yun who made the move first, and Liu Jing  An attack on the Jingzhou navy has been launched.

    Now Cai Hao doesn¡¯t know how the battle is going. Can Zhang Yun support him?  More importantly, his son Cai Yi is also there. Will something happen to him?

    All kinds of unanswered questions and worries made Cai Mao restless. He wanted to send troops to support Zhang Yun today, but he was firmly opposed by Wenpin and Wang Wei, as well as many Jingzhou officials.

    Now Liu Jing only sent troops to Yicheng for personal grudges. Once Xiangyang sends troops, the civil war in Jingzhou will inevitably break out.

    Although Liu Biao is seriously ill now, Liu Cong is temporarily acting as the agent of Jingzhou's government affairs, and Cai Mao has military and political power, but after all, it is not so powerful that he can dominate the sky with one hand. Kuai Yue, Liu Xian and others also have a certain say.

    Especially Wenpin and Wang Wei, who were directly in charge of the army, these two were Cai Mao's biggest problems. He knew that these two people were only loyal to Liu Biao. Now that Liu Biao was seriously ill, they were holding back. But what would their attitude be once Liu Biao died of illness?

    We can see some clues from the two of them resolutely opposing the increase of troops in Yicheng today. They nominally used the excuse to prevent the outbreak of civil war, but in fact they still secretly favor Liu Jing. What will they do once Liu Biao dies?

    Cai Mao has already thought of the most terrifying result. If they don't seize power directly by force, they take the army away and go to Jiangxia or Nanjun, and Xiangyang will be finished.

    Xiangyang currently controls 90,000 troops, including 30,000 naval troops commanded by Zhang Yun. The remaining 60,000 troops are in the hands of Wenpin, Wang Wei and Cai Mao. Wenpin leads 20,000 troops stationed on the north bank of the Han River to cooperate with Liu Bei in defending Cao Jun.  .

    Wang Wei led 20,000 troops to the south of Xiangyang, mainly to defend Nanjun. The remaining 20,000 troops, except for the 10,000 troops stationed in Xiangyang City led by Cai He, also had 10,000 troops stationed in other counties.  Cai Mao controls.

    Originally, Zhang Yun's navy was responsible for defending Jiangxia and was always the most valued by Cai Hao. However, today Wang Wei and Wenpin joined forces to oppose sending troops to support Yicheng, making Cai Hao feel another potential crisis.

    In comparison, Zhang Yun's possible defeat no longer seems that important, except for the safety of his son.

    At this moment, a family member outside the door reported, "Master, Mr. Lu has something urgent to see you!"

    Cai Mao was slightly startled, what's the matter with him?  Cai Hao still nodded, "Invite him in!"

    The so-called Mr. Deer is Huang She. Three years later, he has been hiding behind the scenes, wooing Jingzhou officials for Cao Cao, and making suggestions for Cai Mao. He is like a poisonous snake hiding in the dark, ready to spring out and bite people at any time. In a moment, Huang She quickly walked  When he walked in, he said anxiously: "Uncle Shi, Zhang Yun's entire army has been wiped out!"

    Cai Hao was shocked, "How do you know?"

    "Zhang Yun escaped and came back. At my place, he also brought back a letter from Liu Jing." After saying that, Huang She took out a letter and handed it to Cai Hao.

    Cai Mao felt bitter in his heart. The navy was still finished. He couldn't help but feel a little confused. Why did Zhang Yun go to Huang She and actually bring a letter from Liu Jing? What's going on?  Could it be that he was captured and released by Liu Jing? This should be the case, otherwise how could he deliver a message to Liu Jing?

    Cai Hao slowly sat down and opened the letter and read it. Sure enough, it was about his son. His son had fallen into the hands of Liu Jing. Liu Jing asked him to keep silent about Zhang Yun's defeat, otherwise his son's life would be in danger.

    Cai Mao was silent. What he was most worried about happened. At this moment, he suddenly hated Zhang Yun deeply. Why didn't Zhang Yun take good care of his son?  But then I thought about it. Even Zhang Yun himself was caught. How could he save Yi'er?

    With a helpless sigh, Cai Hao asked again: "How is Zhang Yun now? Why doesn't he come to see me?"

    Huang She shook his head and said, "His entire army was wiped out and he was captured by Liu Jing. He was filled with shame and shameless to come see Uncle Shi."

    "Hmph! It's unbelievable that he would be ashamed."

    Cai Mao was filled with hatred. At this time, he did not want to see this useless person again. He had superior troops, but was defeated by Liu Jing and the entire army was wiped out. It would be best for this incompetent and useless person to die.

    Huang She smiled sinisterly and said, "Uncle Shi, don't you think it's just right for Zhang Yun to come back?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "Didn't Uncle Shi hate Wenpin and Wang Wei deeply? When Zhang Yun comes back, he can replace one of them, especially Wenpin. He is stationed in Fancheng and is the biggest threat to Cao's army going south. What does Uncle Shi think?"

    Cai Hao's eyes lit up. This was an excellent idea, buthe thought for a moment and said, "It's possible, but Zhang Yun is a defeated general."?If he replaces Wenpin or Wang Wei, people may be dissatisfied.  "

    "Uncle Shi is a little confused. As long as it is the order of Zhou Mu, do Wenpin and Wang Wei dare not obey it? If Uncle Shi is worried about pushing these two people into a hurry, he might as well use the excuse to strengthen the defense of Jiangxia and follow Wenpin and Wang Wei  Each hand takes a part of the army and gives it to Zhang Yun, so that Wenpin and Wang Wei will not react violently, what does Uncle Shi think? "

    Cai Mao thought for a moment. He could use Mrs. Cai to get Liu Biao's troop deployment order. This was indeed a way to alleviate the threat of Wenpin and Wang Wei. If Cai He's 10,000 troops were added to the mix, he could completely control Xiangyang.  .

    Cai Hao nodded, "Okay, it's decided. You go talk to Zhang Yun. If he has any questions, let him come to me directly."

    "Uncle Shi, my nephew has something else to do!"

    "Tell me, what else is there?"

    "I just want to remind Uncle Shi. Uncle Shi should know that the Prime Minister has ordered more troops to Nanyang. Cao Jun is likely to make moves recently. Uncle Shi"

    Before Huang She could finish speaking, Cai Hao interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "You don't need to remind me, I know what I'm talking about."

    Huang Sheqian laughed twice and said, "Uncle Shi, it's enough. I'll take my leave then."

    "Go!"

    At this moment, Cai Mao suddenly felt disgusted with this Huang She. If Cao Cao had anything to do, he could just send someone to find him. Why did everything have to go through this Huang She? Will Huang She still have to pressure him in the future?

    He didn't send Huang She off either, and watched his back coldly as he walked away. He became a little upset again. A few days ago, he knew about the news that Cao Jun was sending more troops to Nanyang. He felt that this was a precursor to Cao Jun's attack on Xiangyang.  , but Cao Jun didn't contact him at all, which made him feel that Cao Cao didn't trust him. If he couldn't get Cao Cao's trust, his future would be worrying!

    After thinking for a long time, Cai Hao sighed and ordered to his left and right: "Prepare the carriage, I'm going to the Prefectural Shepherd's Mansion!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Huang She left Cai Mansion. He changed his name to Lu She and had his own house in the east of the city. However, he did not return to his residence. Instead, he got on his horse and went straight to the north gate.

    He received two important tasks from Cao Ren of Nanyang last night. One was to ask him to think of ways to weaken Fancheng's defense. This had been agreed upon with Cai Hao and to weaken Wenpin's troops by allocating troops to Zhang Yun. The other was to ask him to weaken the defense of Fancheng.  It was a bit troublesome, so Cao Ren asked him to find a way to build 500 warships.

    If Zhang Yun had not been defeated, it would have been easy to get it, but now Zhang Yun's entire army has been wiped out, and all the Jingzhou warships have fallen into the hands of Liu Jing. Cai Mao has no choice but to ask him to get 500 warships wherever he goes.

    Just when Huang She was upset, he got important information from Jia Hong last night. There was someone in Jiangxia who might be able to help him complete this task.

    Huang She galloped towards Xiangyang Pier.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Biao suddenly fell ill not long after the New Year. He was in a coma for five days before slowly waking up. His lower body had completely lost consciousness. He spent almost half of the day in a coma. Even when he woke up, he was sometimes confused and sometimes awake.  He was also very prone to anger, and his servants would be dragged out and beaten severely if they were not careful. Even Mrs. Cai was often dragged out and beaten to death on his orders.

    Not only was he unconscious, but more importantly, his body had completely collapsed. The eight-foot-tall man only weighed more than a hundred pounds and was as skinny as a skeleton. Anyone who saw him could tell that he was exhausted. Support  In less than a few months.

    After Liu Biao fainted and regained consciousness at the beginning of the year, he ordered Liu Cong to be crowned the crown prince and handed over the power of government affairs to Liu Cong. He also ordered Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, Liu Xian, Pang Ji and others to assist Liu Cong and discuss all matters together.  Implementation after approval, but in fact Liu Cong is just a puppet. He does not leave the house. All decisions must be approved by Mrs. Cai before he promulgates and implements them.

    Although Liu Biao handed over the power of government affairs to Liu Cong, Liu Biao never handed over the tiger talisman for mobilizing the army to Liu Cong, and still held it in his hands. Perhaps this was out of an idea to prevent brothers from fighting each other, but things went against his wishes.  There is no ability to control the military talisman at all. The military talisman is actually under Mrs. Cai's control.

    At the beginning of night, Liu Biao's concubine Luo Shi slowly walked to Liu Biao's ward with a bowl of Tremella and lotus seed soup. Eight of Liu Biao's confidants stood at the door of the ward.

    Liu Biao was also quite vigilant. He knew that he would be delirious most of the time, so he only allowed the doctor Zhang Rong and his concubine Luo Shi to enter his ward. Even his wife, Mrs. Cai, was not allowed to enter.

    Luo Shi was the dowry maid of Liu Biao's ex-wife Chen. When she was about thirty years old, she gave birth to Liu Biao's son Liu Xiu. He is now fourteen years old and is extremely sick and weak. He only has a medicine jar. He takes more medicine than food and never has enough food.  Almost all doctors thought he would not live to adulthood.

     It is precisely for this reason that although Liu Biao had a third son, no one considered his inheritance, as if this person did not exist.

    Although Luo was old and beautiful and had never been favored by Liu Biao, at the most critical moment, she became Liu Biao's most trusted person. This was also because she had no family background and was just the daughter of a small family.

    Luo Shi walked slowly to the door carrying the tray. The guards immediately got out of the way. She pushed the door and entered the room. She walked to the back room. Liu Biao was in a coma. He had lost all his hair. He was wearing a soft hat and his face looked like  The skull has a face like gold paper.

    Luo Shi put down the lacquer plate, hesitated, and slowly took a jade box from Liu Biao's pillow and opened it carefully. Inside were eight jade-carved military talismans and a jade tablet. The military talismans were in the shape of dragon, tiger, leopard, unicorn, and eagle.  Wait, there are only half of them.

    With this military talisman and the troop deployment document issued by military advisor Cai Mao, all the troops in Jingzhou can be mobilized, including the troops of Liu Jing and Liu Qi, and they can be asked to assist in defense.

    The jade tablet is also very important. It records who uses which military talisman. This is a secret that only Liu Biao and the commander know.

    Luo Shi's heart was pounding with nervousness. She lifted up her skirt. There was a bag sewn inside the skirt. She took out eight other imitation military talismans and a fake jade medal from the bag, and replaced the military talisman and jade medal in the jade box.  Hidden in the skirt.

    Putting the jade box back to its original place, she turned around and went out. The guards were accustomed to her coming and going, and no one questioned her, so Luo Shi went back to the inner house.

    Arriving at the inner hall, Mrs. Cai was sitting at the table waiting for her. Luo took out the military talisman and jade tablet and placed them on the table, lowered his head, "Madam, they are all here."

    Mrs. Cai was overjoyed. She checked them one by one and found that it was indeed Liu Biao's most important military talisman. She smiled at Luo Shi and said, "Don't worry! I will never break my promise. No matter what happens to the general in the future, I will guarantee all your son's expenses."

    "Thank you madam, my maid is going to serve the master."

    "Go! I will order someone to deliver the gold to you in two days to make you feel at ease."

    "Thank you, madam!"

    Luo Shi slowly retreated, and Mrs. Cai felt extremely proud. She put the military talisman and jade token into a jade box that had been prepared, held the box in her arms, and immediately ordered: "Come here!"

    A maid came in from outside, and Mrs. Cai ordered her: "Prepare the carriage, I want to go back to Cai Mansion!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 239 Blocking the Road and Offering Strategies

    In Xiakou, large ships loaded with naval troops who had moved from Yicheng slowly docked. Groups of soldiers rushed off the large ships and looked up in surprise at the Huanghu Tower on the top of the mountain. It was a military castle built  It is tall and solid. The highest point is a five-story observation tower. Standing on the top of the tower, you can have a panoramic view of the Yangtze River.

    The surrounding castles are equipped with heavy trebuchets and stone cannons, which can launch boulders to the pier and destroy all ships approaching the shore.

    Xiakou Pier was crowded with navy soldiers from Yicheng. They lined up quickly. Many people were worried. After all, their families were in Yicheng County. Despite repeated reassurances from above, Xiangyang did not dare to touch their family members.  The soldiers always felt uneasy, but there was nothing they could do about it.

    At this time, the sound of drums sounded in the east, which was an order to set off. Groups of soldiers quickly ran eastward, bypassing Huanghu Mountain and heading to the newly built navy camp east of Xiakou City.

    In the west corner of the pier, there were people from Xiakou who came to watch the excitement. Li Fu stood among the crowd, looking at a large ship docking with complicated eyes. Although he was kicked out by Liu Jing a few days ago, he did not  Don't be discouraged, he feels that Liu Jing understands very well.

    Especially when he learned that Liu Jing led his army to conquer the Jingzhou Navy, he realized that Liu Jing was thinking about the Jingzhou Navy at that time and had no time to take care of the Northern Expedition. So what now?  The Battle of Yicheng is over, will he think about it again?

    Li Fu was still unwilling to give up this opportunity to restore Yuan's family in Hebei. At this time, the ship slowly docked, and he saw Liu Jing stepping off the ship's plank. There was a commotion in the crowd, including more than a dozen officials and followers from Xiakou.  He pushed through the crowd and went forward.

    Li Fu moved quickly, blended into the entourage, and followed him to greet him. A soldier saw that his clothes were wrong and was about to stop him. His eyes widened and he said, "I am Li Fu, a member of the Jiangxia Bingcao army. I have urgent military information to report to the prefect."  , can you afford to delay the military situation?"

    He was the boss of Yuan Shang's tent, and he had a certain kind of official authority. The soldier was stunned for a moment, and then let him go with him.

    Liu Jing got off the ship and faced a group of Xiakou officials who welcomed him. He forced a smile and greeted everyone one by one. At this moment, a man jumped out from the official team, knelt on the ground and shouted:  "Prefect Liu, why don't you listen to me again!"

    The soldiers nearby were horrified, pounced on the man, and pushed the man to the ground. The officials looked at each other, and no one expected that a stranger would appear among them.

    Liu Jing recognized Li Fu and shouted to stop the soldiers. He stepped forward and sneered: "Does Master Li want to assassinate me?"

    "I don't dare! If I don't say something, it's like a fish stuck in my throat, and I won't be happy if I don't spit it out!"

    "You are just trying to persuade me to send troops to save the Yuan family in Hebei. What else can you say?"

    "I want to say Anlu County!"

    Liu Jing¡¯s expression changed, she stared at Li Fu for a long time, and then ordered her left and right: ¡°Take him on board!¡±

    The soldiers pushed Li Fu onto the ship. Liu Jing said a few more polite words to the officials, then turned around and boarded the ship.

    In the spacious cabin, Li Fu was pushed in by his own soldiers. Liu Jing waved his hand to let the soldiers out. Then he pointed to the couch and said with a faint smile: "Please sit down!"

    Li Fu was not polite and sat down. He did not wait for Liu Jing to ask first and said directly: "I just heard the news that Cao Jun is sending more troops to Nanyang. Is it true?"

    "What if it's true? So what if it's not true?" Liu Jing looked at him and asked.

    "If it is true, then it proves that Cao Jun was indeed afraid of Jiang Xia's army going north, so he struck first and sent troops to Nanyang to contain Jiang Xia's army?"

    "Why contain the Jiangxia Army and not the Jingzhou Army?"

    "It's very simple. Liu Jingzhou is a man of empty talk. Even if he is healthy, he will not send troops to Xudu. What's more, he is seriously ill now, and it is even less likely to send troops to the north. Liu Bei has insufficient troops and is powerless. If someone really sends troops to go north, they can only  It's Jiangxia, so Cao Jun sent troops to Nanyang, so Xiangyang will definitely ask for help from Jiangxia, making it impossible for the prefect's army to go north. "

    Liu Jing nodded. This person was quite clear-headed and had reliable opinions. He also believed that Cao Jun did not intend to attack Jingzhou now and that the additional troops in Nanyang were actually for defense.

    "Then what's going on in Anlu County you're talking about?" Liu Jing asked quietly.

    Li Fu sighed and said: "I know that the prefect is mainly worried about sending troops northward in vain and wasting his troops. In fact, I have a plan that can allow the prefect to go northward and gain both benefits."

    "What's the plan?"

    "It's very simple. The prefect sent troops to capture Runan, and then the cavalry went north to threaten Xudu. If Cao's army was on guard, he immediately turned around and returned to Anlu County. In this way, he made a gesture of readying a northern expedition at any time, but in fact, the prefect succeeded in occupying Anlu.  County, this is actually a false plan to destroy Guo."

    Liu Jing stared at him for a long time, and suddenlyHe smiled and said, "If Master Li is willing to make a bet with me, I will agree with your plan."

    Li Fu was overjoyed and quickly stood up and saluted, "I would like to hear the details!"

    "It's very simple. If the Yuan family is not destroyed, I will send troops to Runan and threaten Yingchuan. As a favor to you, I will send you out of the country with a lot of money. But if within half a year, the Yuan family brothers are killed by Cao Cao, the Yuan family will be extinct.  , then you must be loyal to me, and I will continue to appoint you as the chief of Jiangxia Army. Are you willing to make this bet? "

    Li Fu thought for a moment. If the Yuan family was destroyed, he would have nowhere to go. Moreover, Liu Jing was a very good lord and worthy of his allegiance. He said without hesitation: "Then we will make an agreement!"

    "Okay! We've made an agreement."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Li Fu retreated, and Liu Jing stood in front of the small window with his hands behind his hands, staring at the north, silent for a long time. He knew that he could go directly to Xudu from Xiakou all the way north. In history, Liu Bei once advised Liu Biao to take advantage of Cao Cao's expedition to Wuhuan.  Attacked Xuchang, but Liu Biao ultimately did not adopt it.

    No one knows the reason why he did not adopt it. Perhaps, as Guo Jia said, Liu Biao was fond of talking but lacked practical action, but perhaps Liu Biao was worried that Jingzhou's military strength would be empty and Jiangdong would take advantage of it to invade.  This is indeed a possibility before reaching reconciliation and some kind of tacit understanding with Jiangdong.

    What about yourself?  Now that Liu Jing is faced with this opportunity and choice, what should he do?  If he sends his troops northward, Jiangxia will no longer be his Jiangxia when he returns. Even if he divides half of his troops and goes northward, it is very likely that Cai Mao will take advantage of the situation and invade.

    Or, as Li Fu suggested, only two thousand cavalry could be sent northward in a high-speed and mobile way to raid Runan and Yingchuan counties, causing a huge impact in the Central Plains and forcing Cao Cao to retreat.

    But if this happens, sooner or later the entire Hebei will be completely destroyed by the Wuhuan, and millions of Han people will be plundered and turned into miserable slaves.

    This is the real reason why Liu Jing has been hesitant. To a certain extent, he supports Cao Cao in annihilating Wuhuan. Although Cao Cao is his biggest enemy, if he expands his ambitions to the whole world instead of Jingzhou,  Then Cao Cao's northern expedition to Wuhuan was also in his interest.

    However, Li Fu's fake plan to destroy Guo made him quite tempted. He had been considering plotting to plot Anlu County, but he couldn't find a reason for the moment. Although he thought of many strategies, such as pretending to Cao Cao's army to attack Anlu County, Jiangxia  The army went to rescue and so on.

    However, these strategies have flaws. Once exposed, Liu Jing will be discredited and the gains will outweigh the losses. However, Li Fu's plan completely avoids these risks. It is an honest and upright deployment of troops and maneuvers. After thinking for a long time, Liu Jing turned around and ordered  : "Invite the three generals Wei Yan, Chen Shuo and Liao Hua to come."

    Not long after, Wei Yan, Chen Shuo and Liao Hua came to Liu Jing's cabin one after another. Liu Jing asked them to sit down, and first asked Chen Shuo with a smile: "How are you, brothers, are you satisfied with the conditions at Xiakou Military Camp?"

    Chen Shuo nodded, "The conditions are very good and everyone is very satisfied. It's just that the brothers are a little worried about the families of Yicheng County. If Xiangyang threatens the families of the soldiers, I'm afraid that the morale of the army will be unstable."

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "You might as well go back and tell the soldiers that Cai Mao's eldest son is a hostage in my hands. Cai Mao dare not attack Yicheng County under any circumstances. Moreover, General Feng Yi leads a thousand troops to garrison Yicheng County.  Don't worry."

    Chen Shuo also breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "I forgot that Cai Yi is in our hands, so that's okay. In fact, we are also afraid that the military relatives will move around and waste the people and money."

    "As long as you understand, explain this matter clearly to the soldiers, and I promise to ensure the safety of their families!"

    "With the governor's promise, there's nothing you can't believe. I'll go talk to the soldiers right away."

    Liu Jing smiled and turned the topic to another matter. He smiled at Chen Shuo and said: "Jiangxia Army has a tradition. When joining Jiangxia Army, you must undergo a month of training. Jingzhou Navy is no exception.  , so I brought you and General Wei here to discuss training with you."

    Chen Shuo was silent. Of course he knew what the training of the Jiangxia Army was about. It was to reorganize the army, disperse all the soldiers and generals, and completely destroy the factions in the navy. After the training, the navy would become  A whole new army.

    Although he knew that such a day would come, when it really came, Chen Shuo still felt a little sad, but he also understood that since Liu Jing brought him and Wei Yan together to discuss the matter, it was to tell him that he would still  He is the commander-in-chief of this army.

    Chen Shuo nodded slowly, "I have no objections!"

    "Okay! This matter has been settled. How to train specifically? General Wei has rich experience. He will be fully responsible. General Chen will assist. I will leave this matter to you two."

    Chen Shuo felt a little bitter in his heart. Wei Yan was solely responsible for many things.It was up to him, but he had no choice but to nod and agree, "My subordinates will fully cooperate with General Wei!"

    Wei Yan stood up to say goodbye, and the two left immediately. Only Liu Jing and Liao Hua were left in the cabin. Liao Hua had already realized that Liu Jing was about to entrust him with an important task. He straightened his back and looked solemn.

    After a long while, Liu Jing slowly said to him: "There is indeed a big thing for you to do. You lead two thousand cavalry to Runan, and then"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 240 Regret

    After the Battle of Yicheng, Jiangxia Navy returned to Wuchang City to rest and recuperate. Li Jun ordered a three-day holiday. A large number of soldiers poured into the city for shopping and rest, making Wuchang City particularly lively.

    At dusk, Huang She drove the donkey into Wuchang City. He put on a little makeup, put on a fake beard, wore a bamboo hat, and a half-worn green robe. He rode a skinny old donkey. He looked like a down-and-out  Huang She had no choice but to be a charlatan. Almost everyone in Wuchang City knew him. If he was not careful, he would be recognized and arrested.

    Huang She walked into this city that he had not seen for several years. He was once the master of this city, but now, he was abandoned by this city. Huang She felt infinite sadness in his heart. Thinking of the defeat three years ago, he even more  My heart is filled with hatred and loss.

    But hatred and loss are meaningless. Real means must be used to avenge and regain everything that should belong to him, including this city, all the people in the city, and all the women are his private property.

    At this time, Huang She's eyes were fixed on a large house, which was Liu Jing's official residence. In that house lived a woman, a woman who had once haunted him in dreams. He must get her, quickly.  Now, Cao Jun's iron hoofs are about to reverberate through Jingzhou, and that's when Huang She comes back to fight again.

    Huang She suppressed his hatred in his heart and urged the donkey to move forward. After a while, he came to another house. This was the house of Sima Li Jun of Jiangxia Navy. The house was not big, covering an area of ??only eight acres.  Li Jun lives here with his wife, several children, and several servants and maids.

    Huang She came to the front of the house and looked at the bronze plaque mounted on the wall. It had the words "Li Zhai" on it. It was here. He jumped off the donkey, walked up the front steps and said to an old man guarding the door: "  Please tell General Li that someone is coming from his hometown."

    The old man looked at him slowly and shook his head, "The accent doesn't sound like it!"

    Huang She had no choice but to take out a bronze medal and handed it to the old man, "Please pass this to General Li, and he will know."

    At this moment, a cold voice suddenly came from behind, "Who are you?"

    Huang She turned around and saw a tall and burly man standing behind him, staring sharply at the bronze medal in his hand. The old man stood up quickly and smiled: "The master is back!"

    Huang She suddenly realized that this person was Li Jun. He slowly turned around, held the bronze medal in his hand, and looked into Li Jun's eyes with a smile. Li Jun's face gradually became extremely pale.

    The moment that had been bothering him for many years finally came. For countless nights, he could not sleep because of this moment. But no matter how much he tried to escape in his heart, this moment still appeared vividly in front of him. It was not a nightmare, but a real thing.  happened.

    Li Jun's heart suddenly became extremely weak. He nodded, "Follow me!"

    Li Jun was worried and took Huang She into the inner hall, but Huang She was extremely proud. When he knew that the dignified Jiangxia Navy Commander was actually the spy arranged by Cao Jun to be with Liu Jing, he was overjoyed. In this way, he completed  The task of five hundred warships is easy.

    However, Huang She also understood in his heart that Li Jun was hidden so deeply that Cao Jun might not be willing to let him be exposed easily, but for the sake of 500 warships, he decided to risk it all.

    The two sat down, Huang She took out another silver medal and put it on the table, "This is my token, Chief Li, please take a look!"

    Chief Li was Li Jun's position in Cao's army. He was just a low-level officer, and Huang She was the captain. Huang She's tone clearly contained a condescending attitude. At this time, he was not ready to pretend to be himself anymore.  He took off his hat and tore off the fake beard on his face.

    "It's you!" Li Jun was stunned for a moment. He had seen Huang She before, but he didn't expect it to be him.

    Huang She said proudly: "I didn't expect it! Chief Li, I am now the captain of the naval martial arts school of Cao Jun, and the prime minister personally conferred the title."

    He specifically spelled out the two official names of Tuen Chief and School Lieutenant very clearly, as if to remind Li Jun of the status gap between them. Li Jun had no choice but to kneel down on one knee, clasping his fists high and saying: "Li Jun, the last general, sees Huang."  Captain."

    Huang She was so proud that he almost couldn't help but laugh up at the sky. He pretended to say: "Captain Li, please get up. There is no need to be so generous."

    Li Jun sat down silently. When Huang She saw that he was silent, he took the initiative to tell his purpose of coming, "Captain Li should know about Cao Jun's garrison in Nanyang, right?"

    "I don't know." Li Jun shook his head.

    "Of course! Jiangxia is relatively isolated, so it's normal for information to be slow."

    Huang She looked a little embarrassed, so he had to explain: "The Prime Minister has sent 30,000 more troops to Nanyang County. Nanyang County currently has 50,000 troops, ready to sweep across Jingzhou, but there are not enough warships to cross the river. General Cao hopes that you can lead the Jiangxia Navy to defect.  ¡±

    ¡°???Which General Cao?  "

    "General Cao Ren, the Marquis of Duting."

    Li Jun thought for a long time and said: "Captain Huang, it's not that I don't believe you, but this matter is of great importance and must be handled with caution. I hope to see General Cao Ren's order."

    How could Huang She get Cao Ren's warrant? This matter was originally done by him without authorization, but he was also prepared.

    Huang She took out a command arrow that Cao Cao gave him back then, put it on the table, pushed it to Li Jun, and said with a sinister smile: "To be honest, the prime minister's order in this matter is actually just a password. This is  You should know the prime minister¡¯s command arrow!¡±

    Li Jun took the command arrow, and his expression suddenly changed. He recognized that it was Cao Cao's command arrow.

    Li Jun slowly walked to the window with his hands behind his back and stared out of the window for a long time. He remembered the situation when he was ordered to come to Jiangxia. His mother was monitored by Cao Jun. This was Cao Jun's method of using family members as hostages to force them to be loyal to Cao Jun.  .

    He recalled that he and Liu Jing had shared weal and woe over the years, developing and growing step by step, training soldiers, building warships, and sailing and testing ships. Those scenes were unforgettable, as if they happened yesterday.

    And Liu Jing¡¯s absolute trust in him, entrusting Jiangxia Navy to him, and even allowing him to lead troops on his own for long-distance training, all of these are like ripples in Li Jun¡¯s heart.

    I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but he didn¡¯t look back. A murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and he said slowly: "This matter is of great importance. Let me think about it again and reply to Captain Huang tomorrow morning, okay?"

    "Of course!" Huang She agreed readily,

    Li Jun pondered for a moment, then turned back and said: "Jiangxia is strictly investigating the Xiangyang spies these days, especially at night. The interrogations are extremely strict. Colonel Huang will stay in my house! There are also the Colonel's entourage, so it's best to bring them here too."  , Don¡¯t be careless at all.¡±

    Huang She shook his head and said with a smile, "I'm the only one. I didn't bring any entourage this time for the sake of confidentiality."

    Li Jun nodded and handed him the command arrow on the table, "This is the prime minister's command arrow, so keep it away."

    "Of course, I'm always careful!"

    Huang She smiled and reached out to take it. At this moment, a dagger appeared in Li Jun's hand. He swung it violently, a cold light flashed, and blood burst out. Huang She was caught off guard, and his right hand was cut off at the wrist.

    Huang She screamed and fell backwards. His martial arts skills were higher than Li Jun's, but he was too confident and never imagined that Li Jun would suddenly attack and suffer a big loss.

    Li Jun roared and rushed forward. At this time, Huang She had reacted and kicked Li Jun on the waist, knocking him to the ground. He turned around to get up, but forgot that he had no right hand, and suddenly he stood up.  Sora fell down again, and his broken wrist hit the ground hard. The pain made him almost faint.

    At this moment, five or six soldiers rushed in from outside and slashed at him with knives. Huang She was seriously injured and unable to defend himself, so he was hacked to death in the room.

    Huang She has been in Jingzhou for three years, but he never imagined that he would die in Li Jun's hands. This was also caused by his misjudgment and eagerness for success.

    Li Jun stood up, looked at Huang She's body, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At Wuchang Pier, Liu Jing's boat slowly docked. Before the soldiers could get off the boat, Li Jun quickly boarded the boat with a small baggage, took off his outer clothes and knelt on the deck with his upper body naked.

    "Li Jun, the unfaithful and unfilial official, begs the eunuch for death!"

    Liu Jing came out of the cabin and looked at Li Jun in surprise. He did not go up to help him, but said to the soldiers on the left and right: "Bring him into the cabin."

    In the cabin, Liu Jing listened solemnly to Li Jun's story. His face gradually turned livid. He stood up and ran back and forth in the cabin with his hands behind his hands. He was disappointed and angry at the same time. He never expected that he had followed him.  Li Jun, who had been undercover for five years, turned out to be Cao Jun's undercover agent.

    This is his most trusted confidant. He followed him when he visited the police station. It turned out that he was  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing suddenly stopped walking again, his chest heaving violently, and his heart was filled with the shame of being deceived. This was a strong feeling that he had never felt before, and he didn't know what it felt like. It was like a knife cutting him.  His heart was cut with blood dripping from his heart, making it difficult for him to accept.

    He suddenly turned his head and stared at Li Jun, his eyes were blood red, and finally couldn't help shouting: "How do you explain to me?"

    "You are really worthy of me!" Liu Jing gritted her teeth and said every word.

    Tears flowed down Li Jun's face. He kowtowed three times and said sadly: "I know that my crime deserves death, and I am willing to die for atonement. I beg the eunuch, for the sake of our long-term friendship, please don't embarrass my wife and children.  They don't know anything."

    After saying that, he gritted his teeth, pulled out the dagger from his waist, and wiped it towards his neck. Liu Jing was shocked, and with quick eyes and quick hands, he kicked his dagger.The dagger was kicked away, but it was still a step too late. The sharp dagger had already cut his throat, and blood flowed out gurglingly.

    Liu Jing supported him, turned around and shouted, "Go to the military doctor quickly!"

    Li Jun covered his wound and said with tears on his face: "My mother is in the hands of Cao Jun. Loyalty and filial piety cannot be both, the only choice is death"

    Before he finished speaking, he fainted. Liu Jing was so anxious that she tore off a piece of her clothes to bandage his wound. At this time, several soldiers rushed in with a military doctor.

    Everyone hurriedly treated Li Jun. Liu Jing stood up slowly, picked up the small bag that Li Jun had brought, and shook it open. It turned out to be a human head. Looking carefully, Liu Jing recognized that it was Huang She's head.

    Liu Jing stood there for a long time, seeming to understand something. He walked to the window with his hands behind his hands and stared at the white clouds and blue sky. For a long time, he let out a long breath.

    At this time, thousands of feelings surged through his heart.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 241 Liu Bei's Escape to the West

    A large ship sailed from Fancheng on the other side and slowly docked at Xiangyang Pier. On the bow of the ship, Liu Bei watched several boatmen putting the planks of the ship on the pier. There was an unconcealable anxiety in his eyes. When the planks of the ship had just been put up,  Well, he immediately boarded the plank and got off the ship. Behind him, Liu Feng and dozens of other soldiers led their horses and got off the ship.

    Three years ago, Zhao Yun asked for leave to go back to visit his parents' graves, so Liu Biao appointed his adopted son to temporarily take over Zhao Yun's position as his personal bodyguard.

    But this temporary replacement lasted for three years, and it did not become official, and Zhao Yun was not replaced. Zhao Yun went to Nanjun with Guan Yu to train soldiers for Liu Cong, which also lasted for three years.

    Liu Bei got on his horse and galloped towards Xiangyang City.

    Liu Bei came in a hurry this time. The tense situation in Nanyang burned his heart like fire. Cao Jun massively increased his troops to Nanyang, with the total force reaching 50,000. This was obviously his intention to invade south, which made Liu Bei anxious.

    Liu Bei galloped on his horse, and arrived in front of the Prefectural Shepherd's Mansion in a moment. He got off his horse, ran up the steps quickly, and said to a guard guarding the door: "Please tell the Prefectural Shepherd that Liu Bei has something urgent to see you!"

    The guard knew Liu Bei and quickly bowed and saluted: "Uncle Emperor, I'm sorry, Zhou Mu has no guests."

    "I met Zhou Mu last time, why can't I do it now?"

    Liu Bei said anxiously: "I do have an urgent military situation. Can you inform me of it for me?"

    The guard shook his head, "This is Madam's order. Zhou Mu sees more guests, which makes his condition worse. Besides, Zhou Mu is asleep most of the time, making it difficult to see guests."

    Perhaps out of admiration for Liu Bei, the guard lowered his voice and said: "Uncle Emperor, you might as well meet Mr. Cong first, he will act as the state shepherd."

    Liu Bei knew that Liu Cong was a puppet and it was useless to see him. However, he might be able to see Zhou Mu through him. Liu Bei handed over his hand and said, "Then please tell Mr. Cong."

    "Uncle, please wait a moment, I'll report it right away."

    The guards went in, and Liu Bei walked back and forth at the door with his hands behind his back. In fact, he had already written three reports asking for reinforcements, but they were all lost in the sea. There was no news. He guessed that Cai Hao was most likely to hold him. Cai Hao was a military advisor. These  The letter asking for help had to go to him first, so how could he forward it to Liu Biao.

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? The guard ran out again, "Uncle, please come with me, Mr. Cong has invited you!"

    Liu Bei was slightly unhappy. He was an elder, and Liu Cong should at least go out to greet him. Instead, he let a guard take him in, without even the most basic etiquette and respect.

    But at this time, he had something to ask for from Liu Cong, so he had no choice but to endure this tone, turned around and gave Liu Feng a few instructions, and then followed the guards into the Prefecture Mufu.

    Liu Cong is currently in charge of state affairs as the crown prince. Logically speaking, he should be in charge of the state government. However, Mrs. Cai believes that he should take care of his father at the same time and fulfill his filial piety. In addition, Cai Hao supports his filial piety, so Liu Cong can only  Sitting in the palace, performing filial piety and handling state affairs at the same time.

    Liu Cong¡¯s office is located in the West House. It was originally a guest room. However, after Liu Biao became seriously ill, the Prefecture Mufu no longer allowed any guests, so it was transformed into Liu Cong¡¯s official room.

    Since Liu Cong was kidnapped by Liu Jing three years ago, Liu Cong and Cai Shaoyu have almost completely broken up. Liu Biao also knows that there are conflicts in their relationship. As long as they maintain superficial harmony, he is out of sight and out of mind, and doesn't bother to care.

    Liu Bei was quickly taken into Liu Cong's official room. As soon as he entered the room, Liu Cong came up to him, knelt down, kowtowed respectfully, and said, "My nephew, Liu Cong, come to meet your uncle!"

    Liu Bei was secretly startled by Liu Cong's respect. If he was so respectful, why didn't he come out to greet him? He was suspicious, and seeing Liu Cong's strange eyes, he couldn't help but look around, and suddenly found a pair of embroidered shoes under the screen.

    Liu Bei immediately understood that Mrs. Cai was hiding behind the screen, and Liu Cong had really become a puppet. However, Liu Bei thought that Liu Cong's gaze was different just now, which was actually a hint to him, which meant that Liu Cong was not willing to be a puppet. Liu Bei immediately figured it out.  at this point.

    He kept his expression and stepped forward to help Liu Cong up and said with a smile: "My dear nephew, please get up. No need to be polite!"

    "Uncle, please sit down!"

    Liu Cong warmly greeted Liu Bei to sit down, and couldn't help but glance at the embroidered shoes behind the screen. He gradually couldn't bear the feeling of being a puppet. He received various documents from the state government every day, and he just  If he can mark according to Cai Mao's wishes on the second page, he can only veto if Cai Mao objects, and he must agree if Cai Mao approves.

    He didn't know when such days would end. Thinking that the power that should have belonged to him had been seized by the Cai family, and Liu's Jingzhou became Cai's Jingzhou, he felt resentful in his heart, including the woman behind the screen. He was also full of hatred.  , he was used by this woman from beginning to end.

    Although I felt resentful in my heart, I didn¡¯t dare to show it on my face.Instead of resentment, there was more fear in his heart. Madam Cai had the evidence of his secret poisoning. If he disobeyed, Madam Cai could easily destroy him.

    "Is there something urgent, uncle?"

    Liu Bei nodded and said anxiously: "The situation is urgent. Cao's army has massively increased its troops in Nanyang. The food and grass are ready. They will invade south soon. We must deploy our troops immediately. My dear nephew, this matter is extremely urgent and cannot be delayed any longer."

    Liu Cong had a look of embarrassment on his face, "I understand the emperor's anxiety and the tension of the situation, but I am only responsible for handling government affairs and there is nothing I can do about mobilizing the army."

    Liu Bei pondered for a moment, "Can you inform me of the state pastor? I want to see him."

    Liu Cong bit his lip. Just when he was about to agree, Mrs. Cai turned out from behind the screen and smiled hypocritically: "It turns out that the emperor's uncle is here. I don't know who I am. I'm rude."

    Liu Bei quickly stood up and saluted, "I came so unexpectedly, I'm disturbing my sister-in-law."

    "It's not rude, it's just unlucky. Zhou Mu has just taken medicine and gone to sleep, so it's hard to disturb him again. I'm sorry."

    "But sister-in-law, we have emergency military information."

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid this won¡¯t work!¡±

    Mrs. Cai shook her head and said: "I am a woman and do not understand these official affairs. I only care about Zhou Mu's health. Now Zhou Mu is getting seriously ill day by day. As a family member and as a subordinate, we are doing everything possible to protect him."  Health, rather than disturbing his rest and harming his health, what do you think, Uncle Emperor?"

    Mrs. Cai looked at Liu Bei with a smile but not a smile. Liu Bei was speechless for a moment, and Mrs. Cai said calmly: "The state pastor will hand over the affairs of the military affairs to the military advisor. If there is any military situation, you can go to the military advisor Cai to discuss it. If the situation is urgent, the military advisor Cai can also make a decision."  To make a decision, you don¡¯t have to go to the state pastor.¡±

    Having said that, Liu Bei had no choice but to salute, "In this case, Liu Bei takes his leave."

    "Uncle, walk slowly!"

    Mrs. Cai did not hold back, so Liu Bei had to leave in a hurry. Watching Liu Bei's back disappear, Mrs. Cai's face turned cold, and she turned around and said coldly to Liu Cong: "What you should do, what you shouldn't do, I hope you don't have to remind you a third time."  , you should know the consequences!¡±

    Mrs. Cai turned around and left. Liu Cong stood frozen in the hall. His face turned pale and red, his fists slowly clenched, and he secretly gritted his teeth. At this time, his personal book boy came forward and said: "Master, it's time to take medicine."  !¡±

    Liu Cong suddenly remembered something, pulled the boy over and whispered a few words to him. The boy nodded, turned around and ran away. Liu Cong sneered, "You can't even think of succeeding!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Half an hour later, Cai Mao personally sent Liu Bei out of the prefecture and said with a smile on his face: "Uncle, please don't worry, we are desperate, we will never fight to the death. Uncle Huang will go back first to prepare for war, and I will join the army with Kuai and Liu Bie."  Let's discuss it with them. If everyone agrees, we will immediately send troops north to defend Cao's army."

    Although Liu Bei did not believe in Cai Mao's sincerity, it happened that Deng Yi was not in Xiangyang during the political period, and Pang Ji went to Longzhong. These two people who had a good relationship with him were not here. Although Kuai Yue was there, he was not there because of Liu Qi's incident.  , the Kuai family has deep conflicts with him, so naturally they will not help him.

    Liu Bei had no choice but to say goodbye and leave. As soon as Liu Bei left, Cai Mao's face changed, and murderous intent burst into his eyes. Liu Bei was actually in Xiangyang. How could he let go of this opportunity to kill him? Cai Hao immediately whispered to his left and right: "Hurry up."  Ask Cai Zhong to come see me!¡±

    Liu Bei was depressed and rode slowly on Xiangyang Street. He didn't know where to go.  How to solve the crisis in Nanyang? After much deliberation, I could only go to Longzhong to discuss with Pang Ji. At this moment, Liu Cong's little book boy Alin rushed over and said breathlessly: "Uncle, Mr. Cong asked me to tell you  You, the Cai family want to kill you, please leave quickly!"

    Liu Bei was shocked. He didn't even have time to say thank you. He whipped his horse and ran north. Liu Feng led his soldiers to follow closely. He was still hundreds of steps away from the north gate when he suddenly heard the sound of closing the city gate coming from the top of the city.  With the sound of drums, the North City Gate slowly closed.

    A group of soldiers rushed towards the north gate. The sweat on Liu Bei's forehead fell. He knew very well that the dock must have been blocked. If he did not leave Xiangyang City, he would be finished. Liu Bei turned his horse and ran towards the west gate. The west gate had always been  Closed at the latest.

    The group of people rushed to the west gate and saw the west gate preparing to close. Liu Bei felt anxious and shouted: "Wait a moment and let me out."

    The defender recognized him as Liu Bei and hesitated for a moment. Liu Bei was riding the red-blooded horse given to him by Liu Jing. The horse was very fast and rushed out of the west city gate like lightning. After rushing out of the city gate, Liu Bei saw that there were no pursuers behind him.  Then he breathed a sigh of relief.

    At this time, Liu Feng also arrived, and he said loudly: "Father, why don't we turn around and go south to the military camp of General Wang Wei!"

    Liu Bei thought for a moment, but now he must return to Xinye.Xiangyang could not go back, so he could only ask the Pang family for protection and cross the river from Longzhong. Thinking of this, he said to Liu Feng: "You can let someone pretend to be me, and you can protect him and run south. I will go to Longzhong to find Pang Ji."  , crossing the river from Longzhong to the north. "

    Liu Feng hesitated and said: "How can I let my father go alone? It's better for the child to accompany his father."

    Liu Bei waved his hand anxiously, "My horse is fast, but if you can't keep up, it will expose your target. You go quickly!"

    After a pause, Liu Bei said again: "Tell your second uncle again and ask him and Zilong to lead their troops north quickly to prepare to face Cao Jun."

    Liu Feng had no choice but to lead his men to run forward. Liu Bei turned his horse's head and galloped forward, running along the official road in the direction of Longzhong. In front of him was the Tanxi Bridge.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At noon, Liu Bei arrived at Lumen Academy. At this time, he was hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. He got off his horse and led the horse towards the mountain gate. At this time, someone behind him laughed and asked: "Isn't this Uncle Liu Huang? Why?  Come alone?"

    When Liu Bei turned around, he saw that it was Mr. Shui Jing, Sima Hui. Liu Bei had lived in Jingzhou for many years and often interacted with famous people in Jingzhou. Sima Hui was the greatest Confucian in Jingzhou after Pang Degong. How could Liu Bei not recognize him? He quickly saluted and said, "Bei just came from  When I came to Xiangyang, Cai wanted to harm me and fled all the way to Longzhong."

    Sima Hui was from Yangzhai, Yingchuan, and came to Jingzhou as a refugee. He was a representative figure among northern celebrities. He did not care about officialdom in Jingzhou, accepted disciples behind closed doors, taught and educated people, never offended anyone, and agreed to everything.  , and became a famous "good man" in Jingzhou.

    Sima Hui smiled and said: "It's good to escape!"

    Liu Biao knew that he agreed to everything and did not want to talk to others in depth, so he did not ask more questions. Unexpectedly, Sima Hui smiled and said: "Last time, I recommended Feng Chu and Wo Long to the emperor's uncle. Is there any progress?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 242 Seeking talents

    Around the beginning of the year, Sima Hui and Liu Bei had a meeting. Liu Bei asked Sima Hui to introduce several young talents. Sima Hui recommended Fengchu Pang Tong and Wolong Zhuge Liang. Liu Bei also heard about these two people, so he visited Duke Pang De for this purpose.  , invited Pang Tong to serve as an official in Xinye, but Pang Degong had an ambiguous attitude and did not agree immediately.

    As for Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei also heard that he had outstanding knowledge, but Zhuge Liang's wife was Cai Mao's niece and Liu Biao's niece, and Zhuge Liang's second sister was the daughter-in-law of the Kuai family. It was precisely based on these inextricable official connections that Liu Bei was worried  I had concerns, so I didn¡¯t go to Zhuge Liang.

    Soon Liu Biao was seriously ill and Cai was in power. Liu Bei did not dare to come to Xiangyang easily, so the matter fell into nothing. Now when Sima Hui asked about it, Liu Bei had to apologize and said: "There are too many things to take care of at the moment. Let Mr. Shui Jing  disappointed."

    Sima Hui was not disappointed, but smiled and nodded, "Okay! Okay!"

    What¡¯s so good about it?  Liu Bei was also confused.

    The two walked to the mountain gate and asked the gatekeeper to go in and announce. After a while, Pang Tong and Pang Shanmin both came out and said, "Welcome Uncle Liu Huang and Uncle Sima Shi!"

    Pang Shanmin came to Longzhong on the order of Liu Jing. Seeing that Cao's army was about to move south, Pang Shanmin's mission was to persuade his father to lead the nobles in Longzhong to take refuge in Jiangxia. Liu Jing had agreed to change Jiangxia Academy to Lumen Academy Jiangxia Branch and renovate the entire academy.  The assets were donated to Lumen Academy, and at the same time he promised to cover the living expenses of all nobles, with very favorable conditions.

    However, there are also differences within the Pang family. Although Pang Degong intends to temporarily move Lumen Academy to Jiangxia, his younger brother Pang Ji opposes the Pang family's move to Jiangxia. This is why Pang Ji is not in Xiangyang today.

    Even the younger generation of the Pang family had differences. Pang Shanmin advocated moving to Jiangxia, while Pang Tong firmly opposed it.

    Pang Shanmin stepped forward and said with a smile: "Why do the two uncles come together?"

    Sima Hui chuckled and said: "Okay! Okay! It's best to come together."

    Liu Bei smiled bitterly and explained: "We met in front of the mountain gate. My dear nephew, is your third uncle here?"

    Before Pang Shanmin could speak, Pang Tong stepped forward and said with a smile: "The third uncle is here, I will lead the emperor's uncle forward."

    Liu Bei was worried about the pursuers behind him, so he didn't bother to say hello to Pang Degong first, so he nodded and said, "I have something urgent to find him, so I'll bother my nephew."

    "Uncle, please come with me!"

    Pang Tong led Liu Bei towards the backyard from the other side. Sima Hui watched the two people walking away, stroking his beard meaningfully and laughing. He also followed Pang Shanmin towards the main hall.

    Pang Tong led Liu Bei along. As he walked, he smiled and asked, "Why did the emperor come to Longzhong alone?"

    "Oh! Don't mention it."

    Liu Bei then briefly told what happened in Xiangyang. Only then did Pang Tong know the crisis Liu Bei encountered. He pondered for a moment and then smiled: "Actually, crises are also opportunities. If the emperor can seize the opportunity, he may turn around from now on."

    Liu Bei slowed down and asked in a low voice: "My dear nephew, what do you say?"

    Pang Tong smiled and said, "I wonder if the emperor would like to hear about long-term strategies, medium-term strategies or short-term strategies?"

    Liu Bei's eyes narrowed, "I want to hear it all, but time is tight. Can you tell me the short-term or medium-term strategy first?"

    "The short-term strategy is very simple. The emperor's uncle abandons Xinye and leads his army to the south to join the army. If he is defeated by Cao's army, he will cross the Han River with him and retreat directly to Nanjun. There will be two generals, Yunchang and Zilong, to support him, as well as Wang.  Since the Wei army is neutral, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to get to Nanjun. I think the emperor¡¯s uncle should be able to gain a foothold in Nanjun!¡±

    Liu Bei nodded silently. He had also considered this plan, but Xiangyang might not let him cross the border, and might take the opportunity to eat him. What he considered was to go to Anlu County, and then use Jiangxia to go to Nan County. Liu Jing should give him this  face.

    "My dear nephew, you might as well tell me the right strategy."

    "The central strategy is to unite to resist Cao Cao. The emperor's uncle never thought of leading the four families to jointly resist Cao's army going south this time."

    Liu Bei pondered for a moment and said: "Are you talking about Nanjun, Jiangxia, Xiangyang and myself? There are four families in total?"

    Pang Tong nodded, "Cao Cao has already set out to conquer Wuhuan, so the threat from Nanyang this time is not that Cao's army is actually attacking Jingzhou. If I guessed correctly, it should be an attack-based defense against the Jingzhou army. Cao Cao is afraid that we will take advantage of the emptiness in the Central Plains to go north.  Therefore, as long as the four families join forces to fight against Cao, they should be able to win this battle. The key is that the emperor's uncle takes the lead. This will be immeasurable in improving the emperor's prestige in Jingzhou and laying the foundation for the emperor's uncle to take over Jingzhou in the future. "

    If the first strategy is a bit dull, then the second strategy is quite popular. So what about the third strategy?  This made Liu Bei full of expectations.

    Liu Bei secretly admired that he was worthy of being called Feng Chu. This was definitely the words of a wise man. He immediately had the intention of recruiting talents in his heart. This was the talent he had been looking for for many years but could not find.Such a genius, no wonder Sima Hui recommended him again and again.

    After pondering for a while, Liu Bei smiled and said: "Your third uncle should send someone to take me back to the north later. I wonder if Shiyuan is also willing to give me a ride? Let's go to Xinye together."

    Liu Bei has changed his title. He no longer calls him his nephew, but calls him his cousin. This means he is treated as an equal. In addition, using the excuse of giving him a ride, the implication is to win over Pang Tong.

    How could Pang Tong not understand that he had already observed the situation in Jingzhou. Liu Bei seemed weak, but in fact he was not weak. He had already controlled the 30,000 troops in Nanjun. With the 6,000 troops in his hand, he could completely compete with Jiangxia and Jiangxia.  Xiangyang fought in separate courts.

    But there is Cai Mao in Xiangyang, Xu Shu and Dong Yun in Jiangxia, and Pang Tong's position is no longer available, and Liu Bei still lacks a military adviser.

    What¡¯s more important is that his uncle Pang Ji also persuaded him to follow Liu Bei, which finally made Pang Tong make up his mind. He had been looking for opportunities these days and was preparing to go to Xinye, but he didn¡¯t expect Liu Bei to come today.

    He seized this opportunity and made Liu Bei look at him with admiration. Now that Liu Bei had spoken, Pang Tong also threw away the reserve of a scholar and bowed deeply, "Pang Tong is willing to serve the emperor's uncle!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Pang Shanmin came to Longzhong with two missions. One was to persuade his father to temporarily move Lumen Academy to Jiangxia. As long as Lumen Academy moved, the nobles in Longzhong would follow them to Jiangxia.

    This is not only due to the high prestige of Lumen Academy, but more importantly, since Liu Biao fell ill at the beginning of the year, Jingzhou has stopped providing financial and food subsidies to the northern gentry, which caused a huge response among the gentry. However, in Jiangxia, the food and rice subsidies were generous and they had no life.  No worries, these nobles with their families would definitely give up for five buckets of rice.

    Pang Shanmin has convinced his father, but he is not sure about another mission, which is to persuade Zhuge Liang to go to Jiangxia. Although he is Zhuge Liang's brother-in-law and a close friend of Zhuge Liang, he doesn't know if he can convince his brother-in-law and good friend.

    Zhuge Liang invited Pang Shanmin into the study. Zhuge Liang was very happy with Pang Shanmin's arrival. Most of his former friends left Longzhong. Cui Zhouping and Shi Guangyuan went to Yecheng and found positions under Cao Cao. Xu Shu, Ma Liang and Pang Shanmin then  After going to Jiangxia, Kuai Qi was in Nanjun, and his only friend in Longzhong was Feng Chupang Tongtong, which made Zhuge Liang feel quite lonely.

    And the arrival of Pang Shanmin made the deserted study suddenly lively.

    Zhuge Liang wore a lotus crown on his head, dressed in Bagua mysterious clothes, shaking a feather fan, and asked Pang Shanmin with a smile, "Are you used to living in Jiangxia?"

    "It's almost the same as Xiangyang! It's just a little warmer. Your second sister complained that it's a bit humid in summer, but the living conditions are pretty good, which she is very satisfied with." Pang Shanmin also replied with a smile.

    "What about you? Are you satisfied?"

    ¡°I¡¯m quite satisfied too. I¡¯ve been busy all day long and feel very fulfilled.¡±

    "Your ambition is to be a small official in Jiangxia?" Zhuge Liang shook his feather fan lightly and smiled.

    Pang Shanmin sensed the teasing in Zhuge Liang's tone. He felt a little displeased in his heart and said lukewarmly: "Although the mountain springs are thin, hundreds of springs turn into rivers. If there is no river, why is it a river and sea? Why does Kong Ming look down on me?"

    Zhuge Liang sighed slightly, "I have not underestimated you. With your talent, it is too unqualified to be a book assistant. Xu Shu can be a Sima, Dong Yun can be a soldier, but you are engaged in work. It is too unqualified."

    It turned out that Zhuge Liang was complaining for himself. Pang Shanmin's resentment subsided a little and he smiled and said: "Although I have studied hard for ten years, I have no experience in doing things. To be honest, these two years of training have helped me a lot.  "

    Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "Three years of hard work are enough. Your next step can be to become the Prime Minister of Anlu County."

    "Anlu County Magistrate?"

    Pang Shanmin asked in confusion: "What do you mean?"

    ¡°What I mean is very simple.¡±

    Zhuge Liang smiled and said: "You, Governor Liu, want to plot against Anlu County, but you have no excuse. This time Cao's army goes south, isn't it the best excuse? With Anlu County in the pocket, who will be the county magistrate? Either Liu Min or you,  Besides the two of you, who else can stop the officialdom of Jingzhou?"

    Pang Shanmin nodded silently. Only then did he understand why Liu Jing valued Zhuge Liang so much. Before coming to Longzhong, Liu Jing had indeed talked with him and planned to let him serve as the Prime Minister of Anlu County. Zhuge Liang actually guessed this. Pang Shanmin was quite worried.  be surprised.

    After a moment of silence, Pang Shanmin turned the topic to business, "If I remember correctly, Brother Xian is also in his twenties this year. The ancients said that a man reaches his thirties, which is nearly 30 years old. Has Brother Xian never considered leaving the mountain?  Do you want to make a career?"

    "Of course I have considered my future. Three years ago I went to Shuzhou to seek a job. It was just that Liu Zhang was too cowardly and not the master of pioneering achievements, so he returned disappointed. The Liu brothers were even more disappointed.Neng, I have made a wedding dress for others. To join them is to commit suicide. Cao Cao and Han thieves do not agree with me. Although Liu Huangshu is a benevolent and righteous man, he does not seem to be interested in me. As for Ma Teng and Zhang Lu, they are mediocre.  As for people, my brother wrote me another letter last month, asking me to become an official in Jiangdong. To be honest, I was quite moved.  "

    "Brother Xian, why don't you consider Jiangxia?" Pang Shanmin finally couldn't help but said, Zhuge Liang had mentioned it to everyone, but Jiangxia was not mentioned.

    Zhuge Liang put his hands on his hands and laughed, "Does Governor Liu like me, a man from the countryside?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 243 The Iron Cavalry Attacks

    No matter how hard Pang Shanmin tried to persuade him, Zhuge Liang always smiled and said nothing. He neither agreed nor refused, but he still let it slip a little. He was lazy and didn't want to travel far away for the time being. He would consider Jiangdong and his party in the autumn, and finally gave Pang Shanmin some food.  Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, Pang Shanmin stood up and left.

    At this time, Huang Yueying came in with two cups of tea. Seeing that her husband was the only one in the room, she couldn't help but be startled, "Where is my sister-in-law?"

    "He went back beforehand." Zhuge Liang said with a slight smile.

    "This is rude!"

    Huang Yueying apologized and said: "I didn't even give him a cup of tea. This is not the way to treat guests. He wants to blame me for not serving him well."

    "It doesn't matter!"

    Zhuge Liang waved his hand and smiled: "His ambition is not to drink tea, but to me, so even if he doesn't have tea to drink, he won't have any complaints. But I don't have tea to drink, so I am full of resentment!"

    "What are these words!"

    Huang Yueying knelt down, brought the tea to her husband, and asked with a smile: "What are you doing asking your husband to do it? Are you inviting him to Jiangxia?"

    Zhuge Liang nodded, "He invited me to Jiangxia, but I didn't agree."

    "Why don't you agree, husband? Remember that time, didn't your husband say that Liu Jing is a person who does great things and you can follow her? Why don't you agree now?"

    "Think about it again! This is considered a lifelong event. Once you follow me, you will be a minister for life. Of course, you must be cautious."

    Huang Yueying nodded, "Husband, you should consider it carefully. However, Jiangdong is already established, with many factions and complicated connections. Even though your uncle is in Jiangdong, he may not be able to help you. Your husband going to Jiangdong is just the icing on the cake. I hope that your husband can help you in times of need."  ¡±

    Helping Liu Jing in times of need has a special meaning between them, that is, taking refuge in Liu Jing. Huang Yueying and Tao Zhan often exchange letters. Tao Zhan persuaded her to come to Jiangxia more than once, and Huang Yueying also repeatedly persuaded her husband to go to Jiangxia. To Liu Jing, it was timely help in times of need.  Well, Zhuge Liang was moved by the advice.

    Zhuge Liang took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "Thank you, good wife, for reminding me. I will consider it carefully. In fact, Jiangxia is not bad. It depends on Liu Jing's sincerity."

    Huang Yueying really knew her husband. She knew that although he was hesitant on the surface, he was actually as clear as a mirror and had a clear mind. She didn't try to persuade her about this, so she stood up with a smile and said, "I'll go check on Guo'er. She should be sleeping."  woke up."

    As soon as he reached the door, Zhuge Liang remembered something and reminded Huang Yueying, "Yueying, I asked you to tell your father-in-law to immediately withdraw the servants' property from Fancheng. Have you told your father-in-law?"

    "I have already sent someone to deliver the letter this morning."

    Huang Yueying asked with some worry: "Husband, do you think Fancheng is dangerous?"

    Zhuge Liang nodded, "Cao Jun will definitely attack Fancheng to scare Jingzhou and prevent Liu Jing from going north."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although the situation in the north of the Yangtze River is becoming increasingly tense, the news that Cao Jun is about to attack south has already spread throughout Fancheng and beyond. Many residents who are sensitive to the news have crossed the river south. Boats are coming and going on the Han River, and every ferry is full of passengers.  With people fleeing across the river.

    ¡°But there are also many people who don¡¯t believe that the situation will deteriorate to that point. They are still working on their own businesses to maintain the normal operation and prosperity of Fancheng. Although Fancheng is shrouded in tension, it is far from the level of panic.

    The deployment of troops in Fancheng has also changed. Originally, Wenpin led 20,000 troops to be stationed in the north of Fancheng. However, a few days ago, Cai Mao ordered people to send military symbols and transfer orders, and ordered Wenpin to allocate 10,000 troops to Zhang Yun. At the same time, Wang  Wei was also forced to allocate 10,000 troops to Zhang Yun, so that Zhang Yun once again had 20,000 troops stationed between Xiangyang and Yicheng counties to defend Jiangxia's army from moving north.

    Although Wenpin knew that Liu Biao's transfer order was not necessarily out of his heart, the military symbols were completely correct and the military orders were overwhelming, so he had to obey.

    With the force cut in half, Fancheng's defensive capabilities were greatly weakened. Wenpin had no choice but to shrink the defense line and transfer the 5,000 troops stationed in the west of Fancheng back to the North Camp, so that the North Camp of Fancheng still maintained a strength of 10,000 troops.

    In the big tent, Wenpin paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking worried. The recent situation has become more and more obvious. Cao's army is about to go south, but Jingzhou made a stupid decision to reduce the number of troops defending the north and instead defend Jiangxia.

    Although the lord was sometimes confused, Cai Mao was not confused. He should know the current situation better than anyone else. He was Jingzhou's military advisor. Wenpin didn't believe that Cai Hao didn't even have the ability to discern the situation, but he still transferred him.  The defenders in Jiangbei only meant one thing: Cai Mao did not want to resist Cao Jun.

    Wenpin suspected that Cai Mao had already intended to surrender. It was normal that only by surrendering to Cao Cao could his family's interests be preserved. However, Wenpin never imagined that Cai Mao had actually surrendered to Cao Cao three years ago.

    This??, Cai Jin quickly walked into the tent, knelt down on one knee and reported: "I will see the commander-in-chief at the end!"

    Cai Jin is Wenpin's favorite disciple, but he is also his subordinate. In the military camp, they are just superiors and subordinates, not master and disciple. However, after all, there is a master-disciple relationship, and Wenpin will inevitably favor him in military affairs.  beloved disciple.

    More importantly, although Cai Jin is a descendant of the Cai family, he is upright, honest and steady, which is very different from Cai Mao and Cai Zhong. This makes Wenpin pay special attention to him and entrust him with some important tasks.

    Wenpin turned around and asked, "Have you received Liu Bei?"

    Cai Jin sighed, "The general is a step too late. He has already returned to the new wilderness. If the commander allows, the general can go to the new wilderness."

    Wenpin received the news at noon that Liu Bei was crossing the river from Longzhong Pier to the north. He was about to discuss with Liu Bei a joint fight against Cao Cao, so he asked Cai to go into the pier to meet Liu Bei. Unexpectedly, it was a step too late. Wenpin shook his head and said: "  Forget it, there¡¯s no rush now, I¡¯ll send someone to Xinye! I have an important task for you now.¡±

    "Please give me your orders, Commander-in-Chief!"

    Wenpin pondered for a moment and then said: "Jingzhou navy has been lost. We no longer have warships in our hands, so ferries will become the key. You will immediately lead a thousand troops, requisition all ferries, and park the ferries at Fengyiting Station. You will be responsible for it."  Guard, if you see a beacon fire, immediately withdraw all ferries to the south bank!"

    "The general will obey the order!"

    Cai Jin got up and hurried away. Wenpin walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and gave the order again: "Pass on my order. When sleeping at night, all soldiers are not allowed to take off their armor, and their weapons are not allowed to leave their bodies!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Hekou Town is a small town affiliated with Fancheng. The town has a population of less than 100 households and is located fifty miles north of Fancheng.

    This is also a fork in the road. Two official roads diverge here. One official road goes northeast for another sixty miles to Xinye, while another official road goes northwest and leads directly to Nanyang.

    Because it is an important transportation thoroughfare, most people in the town make a living by opening shops and doing business. There are all kinds of shops in the town, such as pubs, hostels, brothels, mansion shops, mule and horse shops, etc.

    But on the other hand, although the geographical location of the town is relatively important, Jingzhou did not build a military fort here. There was only a garrison of thirty people, which was of little use. Hekou Town had no strategic value.

    Night has not yet completely fallen, and the setting sun has dyed the mountains and the small town red. The town at the mouth of the river is still very lively. The taverns and brothels are crowded with guests, mostly businessmen passing by for a rest.

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????mbOUT??

    The largest tavern in the town was bustling with people and business was booming. Nearly a hundred guests filled the tavern. In addition to the merchants, there were more than 20 soldiers who also followed their captain and mingled in the tavern.  Although the current situation is already tense, the soldiers have long been accustomed to the enjoyment of Bayou Town, and the tense situation has no impact on them.

    Just as the crowd pushed the cup and changed the cup, when he was drinking and fisting, the restaurant gradually calmed down. They seemed to hear a weird noise. This kind of stuffy sound sounded in the sky and continued, making people jump up.

    In the end, there was silence in the tavern, and everyone seemed to have turned into clay sculptures, with surprise and questions on their faces, and their ears were perked to listen to the sounds coming from outside.

    The sound was getting closer and closer, and it began to feel earth-shattering. Many people looked out the window to check. At this moment, a bartender rushed in and shouted: "Run! Cao Jun's cavalry is coming."

    Many people also saw it with their own eyes. Dust was flying on the entrance to the north of the town, and the billowing yellow dust filled the sky. The cavalry, black in the dust, rushed towards the town like a huge wave. The tavern suddenly exploded, and the drinkers cried.  Calling mother, running away desperately, trampling over tables, smashing dishes, and people kept falling heavily.

    Not only the taverns, but all the residents and shops were the same. Crowds of people ran out of the taverns and brothels and fled southward as hard as they could, stumbling and crying. The shouts, screams, and wails resounded through the streets.

    But they could not outrun Cao Jun's cavalry. The three thousand cavalry rushed into the crowd like autumn wind sweeping through fallen leaves, and trampled them over with their horses.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Hundreds of fleeing people fell down and died miserably. Their heads were cut off with swords, their chests were pierced by spears, and they were trampled to pulp by war horses and cavalry. No one among the hundreds of people survived, and their flesh and blood flowed all over the ground.

    The three thousand cavalry were immediately divided into dozens of teams, and they broke into the store, looted money and raped women. Those who could not run out of the store in time were also looted and killed by the rebels. In the end, no one survived.

    This cavalry is the vanguard cavalry led by General Le Jin. It is composed of former youths.?The cavalry has always been known for its lax military discipline.

    When it was dark, Cao Ren ordered them to secretly kill Fancheng. They were still hidden all the way. But when night fell and they reached Hekou Town, they could no longer suppress the beastliness in their hearts and demanded to loot Hekou Town.

    Le Jin considered that if they were not allowed to express their bestiality, there would be even more chaos when they reached Fancheng, so he agreed to the requests of several tooth generals and allowed the soldiers to loot Hekou Town.

    A quarter of an hour later, the cavalry mounted their horses one after another, loaded with various belongings and continued to kill towards Fancheng.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 244 The troops are approaching the city

    At the second watch, Wenpin hadn't rested yet. His years of military experience had given him an unusual sensitivity. He felt that there would be a military incident tonight, but he didn't know where it would happen. Was it Xinye or Fancheng?

    "But this is just his military sensitivity, not the exact information. He can't act rashly yet. The soldiers have fallen asleep. All he can do is maintain the highest alert.

    Wen Pin ordered his soldiers to sleep with their swords in hand, and sent out twenty teams of patrols to strengthen patrols in the north. He also ordered a thousand crossbowmen to stay on duty at night and strictly guard the camp. Despite this, he still felt restless and restless.

    Suddenly, there was a rush of running sounds in the distance, and a soldier could be heard faintly shouting: "Report to the commander quickly, we have discovered the enemy's situation!"

    Wen Pin¡¯s heart sank, he was indeed here!  He quickly walked out of the tent and saw a soldier running towards him, shouting: "Commander, Cao's cavalry has been spotted three miles away and is heading towards the camp!"

    Wenpin was shocked and immediately shouted: "Beat the drum and gather the troops!"

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

    The sound of huge war drums sounded, and the soldiers woke up from their dreams. They jumped up one after another, rushed out of the tent, and quickly gathered outside the tent. In less than half a stick of incense, the 10,000 Jingzhou troops were already assembled.

    At this time, they had faintly heard the thunderous sound of horse hooves, getting closer and closer, only one mile away from the camp.

    Wenpin shouted again urgently: "Light the beacon!"

    The beacon tower south of the camp was lit, and the flames shot into the sky, sending an alarm to Fancheng and Xiangyang in the south.

    Wenpin had already rushed to the camp wall. The walls around the camp were made of rammed wood and earth. They were about two feet high and had a wooden frame. Soldiers stood on the wooden frame and fired arrows. There were also shooting holes below for easy access.  Crossbow shooting, upper bow and lower crossbow, clear levels.

    Wenpin stood on the wooden frame and stared at the north. Under the dim moonlight, he faintly saw a large group of black shadows appearing in the distance. About five hundred steps away, the sound of horse hooves was like thunder, dust was flying, and the cavalry was speeding.  Run towards the camp.

    "Get your crossbows ready!" Wenpin shouted sharply.

    The five hundred archers standing on the wooden board nocked arrows with their arrows tilted upward, preparing to shoot in a parabola, while the crossbowmen below used their flat-end crossbows to send the arrows out of the shooting hole. They did not need to aim, and they gave an order.  Then a volley of arrows shot out.

    At this time, Deputy General Yang Xing rushed over and reported to Wenpin: "Commander, the soldiers have been assembled!"

    Wenpin felt a little relieved. He had rich experience and knew that if the enemy troops gathered before launching the first wave of attacks, they would have a 70% chance of victory. Wenpin immediately ordered: "Add another 3,000 crossbowmen and  The Thousand Sword Shield Army comes to defend, and the remaining soldiers are ready to fight!"

    In the dark night, murderous intent was coming. Cao Jun's cavalry had rushed a hundred steps away. Wenpin shouted, "Shoot!"

    There was a dense sound of clappers, and a thousand crossbowmen fired arrows at the same time. Five hundred arrows rose into the sky, like a thin black cloud, and quickly floated towards the cavalry.

    The crossbow arrows were faster and more powerful, like a swarm of roaring locusts, instantly pounced into Cao Cao's cavalry group. For a moment, people were turned upside down, and more than a hundred cavalry were shot to the ground.

    Immediately afterwards, a black cloud of arrows fell from the sky. The shooting distance was slightly shorter, only seventy steps, but dozens of people still escaped the crossbows. The cavalrymen who were running at the front were shot to the ground.

    At this time, deputy general Yang Xing led 3,000 crossbowmen and 1,000 sword and shield soldiers to come for support. The soldiers rushed to the shelves one after another. The sword and shield soldiers pressed against the wall and raised their shields, forming a shield wall to protect the archers behind them.  .

    The archers were just behind the shield wall, unfurling their bows and arrows, and shooting into the air at an oblique angle, while the crossbowmen were hiding under the wall to shoot. They were well-organized and well-organized.

    Cao Jun did not have the slightest advantage. They could not attack within fifty steps of the camp. After nearly five rounds of arrow shooting, the cavalry had already killed and injured nearly 500 people. This was a very heavy loss for the expensively trained cavalry.

    In the rear, General Le Jin frowned. When he accepted the military order, he used a sneak attack to break through the Jingzhou Army camp, defeated the 10,000 defenders defending the north of Fancheng, and then occupied Fancheng.

    This is the military order given to him by the general Cao Ren. The order is very clear. The main task is to capture the Jingzhou Army camp and capture Fancheng as a supplement.

    Le Jin also has rich experience. He knows that when the cavalry makes a surprise attack at night, if the opponent is not prepared in advance, he will definitely break through the camp before the opponent's soldiers gather. As long as the cavalry rushes into the camp, the enemy's army will be gone.

    But he didn¡¯t expect that Wenpin was experienced and prepared in advance, causing him to lose the opportunity.

    The purpose of cavalry attacking a camp is to seize the opportunity and catch them by surprise. However, once the opportunity is lost, the cavalry will be exposed to the opponent's dense arrow formation. Obviously, he has already lost.

    When Le Jin saw that the cavalry suffered heavy casualties, heHe secretly regretted it. If he had known that if he had robbed all the people in Hekou Town and let them attack from the front, there would not have been such heavy casualties, but regretting was useless. He had to grit his teeth and order: "Ming Jin retreats!  "

    "Dang! Dang! Dang!"

    The retreat bell rang, and more than 2,000 cavalrymen withdrew like a tide. Le Jin immediately ordered, "Change the route and attack Fancheng!"

    The more than 2,500 cavalrymen ignored the injured cavalrymen and horses on the ground. They turned their horses' heads and ran southward like lightning, and disappeared in a moment.

    The Jingzhou army cheered suddenly, but Wenpin was extremely worried. He knew that Cao Jun must have gone to Fancheng. Although he also had arrangements, he didn't know whether the defenders could hold on.

    He climbed up the sentry tower and looked south, only to see that Fancheng, ten miles away, had also lit a beacon fire. The light of the fire was particularly bright in the night sky. He breathed a sigh of relief, which meant that Fancheng was ready.

    At this time, deputy general Yang Xing walked up to Wenpin and said worriedly: "Cao's army has reached Fancheng. Now it is only the vanguard cavalry, but the main army will definitely come soon. Once Cao Ren leads tens of thousands of troops to kill, our camp will definitely be difficult to protect.  The fall of Fancheng is inevitable, so let¡¯s find a way to evacuate to the south bank first!¡±

    Wenpin pondered for a moment, then sighed and said: "You are right, we must evacuate immediately, let's leave now."

    Yang Xing was shocked, but the risk of withdrawing troops at night was too high. Once the enemy cavalry detects it, they will definitely chase us. I am afraid we will suffer heavy casualties.

    Wenpin looked at the night and saw that it was almost the third night. He shook his head and said, "The enemy must not have expected that we would withdraw overnight. Now their attention is on Fancheng. We must do the opposite and withdraw our troops eastward to Anlu."  County, then go south to Jiangxia and join the Jiangxia army. "

    "But what if Cao Jun crosses the river?"

    Wenpin laughed and said, "It doesn't matter. I have ordered Cai Jin to collect ferries. If he sees a beacon fire, he will immediately cross south. Cao's army cannot get the ferries, so they can only look at the river and sigh."

    ¡°The handsome man is brilliant!¡±

    Wenpin shook his head and said: "Stop flattering, order the soldiers to bring a bucket of rice each, throw away all the camp luggage, and set off for Anlu County immediately!"

    A quarter of an hour later, nearly 8,000 Jingzhou troops, led by Wenpin, quickly evacuated the Beida Camp and marched rapidly northeast. They could enter Suixian County dozens of miles away. However, there were many mountains over there, and Cao Jun's cavalry could not  Fight in the mountains.

    They didn¡¯t have much time and had to enter Suixian before dawn. The soldiers retreated quickly towards Suixian at a trot.

    In the dark night, the shining beacon fire came from the north, and the beacon fire was also lit in Xiangyang City. At this time, Cao Jun's massive attack signaled.

    In a house outside Dongcheng, a man released three pigeons into the air. The pigeons spread their wings and flew towards Jiangxia.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At noon the next day, Cao Ren, the general of Cao's army, led a mighty 40,000-strong army to Fancheng. However, Fancheng was not captured by Cao's army at this time. The cavalry led by Le Jin had no siege ability and was unable to capture the tall and solid city for a while.

    Cao Jun quickly set up camp west of Fancheng. Large white tents appeared neatly in the wilderness to the west of Fancheng like mushrooms after the rain, stretching for more than ten miles, with a spectacular momentum.

    On a high ground outside the camp, more than a dozen main generals of Cao's army, including general Cao Ren, deputy generals Cao Hong and Yu Jin, and pioneer Li Dian, were looking at Fancheng and the Han River in the south, as well as Xiangyang on the other side of the Han River.

    This was the first time that Cao Jun entered the hinterland of Xiangyang, so close to Xiangyang. Unfortunately, a Han River blocked Cao Jun from continuing to move south.

    Cao Ren¡¯s face was gloomy. None of his battle plans had been realized so far, which made him extremely annoyed. More importantly, Le Jin did not capture a ferry, which made Cao Ren most angry.

    At this time, Le Jin led five tooth generals to step forward quickly. He felt uneasy, so he knelt down and reported, "General Le Jin has come to see the general!"

    Cao Ren asked coldly: "Has the Jingzhou Army camp been captured?"

    "Wenpin was well prepared and kept his troops at night, quickly mobilizing thousands of strong bows and crossbows to block the attack. The cavalry suffered heavy casualties and was unable to capture the enemy's main camp."

    "Has Fancheng been captured?" Cao Ren asked coldly.

    "No, cavalry has no siege capability."

    Sweat had already fallen from Le Jin¡¯s forehead. Although the cavalry he led were sharp on horseback, their combat effectiveness when dismounted was not as good as that of the infantry.

    " Moreover, the troops are too few and without siege weapons, it is impossible to attack the tall and strong Fancheng. If they attack by force, the cavalry will inevitably suffer even more heavy losses. Once the cavalry loses thousands, even the prime minister will probably be furious.

    In fact, Le Jin believes that last night¡¯s defeat was not entirely his fault.Cao Ren also had the responsibility to mobilize troops for battle. Attacking the enemy's camp and capturing Fancheng should not have been done by the same army. They should have been carried out by two armies at the same time. Although he thought so, he did not dare to say it clearly.

    "The general has tried his best, but Wenpin is really experienced and didn't give us the slightest chance."

    "Have you tried your best?"

    Cao Ren snorted again, "Let me ask you again, how many ferries have you collected?"

    Le Jin lowered his head and said after a while: "The ferries have been collected by the enemy in advance. The big camp is fighting, and all the ferries have crossed the south of the Yangtze River. We only found a few small boats."

    "enough!"

    Cao Ren shouted sharply, his face was livid with anger, he pointed at Le Jin and cursed: "Three thousand cavalry have gained nothing, why do you come to see me?"

    "The main reason is that the enemy generals are already prepared. If one link fails, Fancheng and Ferry will no longer be able to fight for it. If two armies are sent at the same time,"

    Cao Ren was so angry that he was shaking all over. Le Jin clearly meant that he had made a mistake in sending troops. He was about to order him to beheaded, but Cao Hong reminded him: "General, you must report this to the prime minister and punish Le Jin severely!"

    One sentence reminded Cao Ren that Le Jin was the prime minister's confidant. Although the raid was unsuccessful, it also forced away the main force of the Jingzhou army, allowing his army to move south smoothly.

    If he kills him rashly, the prime minister will not be able to explain it to him, but if he does not punish Le Jin, his prestige will inevitably be affected.

    Thinking of this, Cao Ren said coldly: "It's obvious that you sent troops to sack Hekou Town and delayed the military plane. How dare you make excuses? Come on!"

    Cao Ren shouted sharply, "Drag him down and beat him with a hundred military sticks!"

    He then pointed at the five tooth generals and said, "You also have a share in the plunder and plunder. Drag us down together and beat each of you with a hundred military sticks!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 245 Allied Forces Resist Cao Cao

    Liu Jing, led by a doctor, quickly walked into the room. In the room, Li Jun was lying on the bed, with thick gauze wrapped around his neck. His head had been fixed and he could not move. His dagger was extremely sharp.  , causing his injury to be very serious, and he would have to rest for at least one or two months before he could recover.

    Liu Jing walked slowly to Li Jun and stared at him coldly. Li Jun closed his eyes in shame, not daring to look at Liu Jing. Liu Jing then glanced at the people in the room, and everyone withdrew knowingly.  , only Liu Jing and Li Jun were left in the room.

    "Let me tell you some news."

    Liu Jing's tone was still very calm, as if she was talking about an insignificant thing, "Your mother has been rescued and is now on her way to Jiangxia."

    Li Jun was shocked, and two tears fell from the corners of his eyes. He could not speak, but the tears were enough to show his inner gratitude.

    "As for your future, you can choose it yourself."

    Liu Jing did not seem to be moved by his tears, and still said coldly: "You have two choices. One is to leave Jiang Xia Army. The world is so big, you can stay anywhere."

    Li Jun opened his eyes, with a look of extreme pain. At this time, Liu Jing's cold tone finally showed a hint of gentleness, "The second option is to accept my punishment and be demoted to a military prince!"

    Li Jun¡¯s tears finally burst out.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Think about it! Recuperate your injuries and I'll wait for your reply."

    Liu Jing took out Li Jun's sword, hung it on the wall, turned and left the ward.

    Li Jun looked at the sword on the wall with tearful eyes. He understood Liu Jing's intentions and still hoped to fight alongside him. Why didn't he want to?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Fancheng was finally forced to surrender under the siege of Cao Jun's 40,000 troops. However, since Cao Jun did not have a ferry across the river, in the following days, Cao Jun did not continue to expand the victory, but looked across the river at Xiangyang on the other side.

    Fancheng was captured by Cao's army, which shocked the whole Jingzhou. At the same time, the news of Cao's army's bloodbath in Hekou Town also reached Xiangyang. This news was like a bolt from the blue.

    Xiangyang was in panic. A large number of people fled their homes with their families and fled to Jiangxia and Xiangnan counties. A large number of family members of officials were also included in the fleeing team and took advantage of the chaos to leave Xiangyang City.

    Not only Xiangyang City, but also other counties in Xiangyang County were also driven away. Zhonglu, Linju, Yicheng, Suixian and other subordinate counties also experienced a wave of fleeing. Especially Yicheng County, they almost fled.

    The official roads in Xiangyang County, Jiangxia County and Nan County were filled with people fleeing, supporting the old and the young, and the stream continued for hundreds of miles away.

    Jiangxia encountered the largest refugee crisis, and the first wave of tens of thousands of refugees poured into Jingling County, Jiangxia County three days later.

    At this time, Jiangxia was ready to accept the refugees. Liu Jing appointed Su Wei, the county magistrate, and Yiji, the chief minister, to be fully responsible for accepting the refugees from Xiangyang. He also dispatched more than a hundred civil servants such as Dong Yun, Zhou Buyi, Ma Liang, and Liu Min to assist.  Su Fei and others resettled the refugees, and at the same time sent 5,000 troops to assist, and also allocated 50,000 shi of grain, 10,000 tents and other materials to Jingling County.

    Although the situation in Jingzhou was turbulent and the refugee flow was huge, Liu Jing did not have time to go to Jingling County to appease the refugees. He had more important military affairs to deal with.

    Liu Jing has received the news that Liu Bei's army and Wenpin's army withdrew to Anlu County almost at the same time. Wenpin's army was on the other side of Xiakou, while Liu Bei's army was fifty miles away to the east.

    The situation is a bit delicate. Wenpin has 8,000 troops, while Liu Bei has 7,000 troops. Although the two armies are on the north bank, their purposes are different.

    Wen Pin¡¯s purpose is very clear, that is, he wants to return to Xiangyang via Jiangxia, but Liu Bei¡¯s motives are unclear and he has not sent anyone to contact him so far. Liu Jing has asked Kuai Liang to go to Liu Bei¡¯s camp to check on the situation.

    In the Xiakou military office, Liu Jing was discussing countermeasures with several generals and Chief Shi Xu Shu.

    Xu Shu smiled slightly and said: "If I guessed correctly, Liu Bei's army should be waiting for reinforcements from Nanjun. The Nanjun army will definitely come from the waterway and bring hundreds of warships so that Liu Bei's army can evacuate from the waterway."

    Wei Yan next to him asked: "Does Yuan Zhi mean that Liu Bei's army will withdraw to Nanjun?"

    Xu Shu nodded, "We should withdraw to Nanjun, and then organize our troops from Nanjun to go north to fight against Cao Cao."

    At this time, Gan Ning asked in confusion: "Then why didn't Liu Bei directly form an alliance with the Jiangxia army and go north from Jiangxia to fight against Cao Cao?"

    Xu Shu smiled slightly, "This means that a strong dragon cannot overwhelm a local snake. If we set off from Jiangxia, we will be the main force to fight against Cao, and Liu Bei's army can only be the auxiliary. In the final victory over Cao's army, the main credit is also ours, and the reputation is also gained by the prefect, Liu Bei  Nothing is gained, soHow could he be willing? He would rather withdraw to Nanjun. He could not only take the opportunity to seize the military power of Nanjun, but also become an independent main force against Cao Cao. Killing two birds with one stone, why not Liu Bei?  "

    Everyone nodded silently. Xu Shu had indeed seen clearly. Liu Bei's current attitude was probably that he was waiting for reinforcements from Nanjun. Xu Shu glanced at Liu Jing again and saw that he was silent and thoughtful, so he smiled and asked, "What do you think, Governor?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "My thoughts are similar to yours. It is impossible for Liu Bei to be our auxiliary army. If he performs well in this battle and is recognized by the people of Jingzhou, maybe he will also have hope of taking over as the shepherd of Jingzhou, just like he did back then."  The same as taking over Xuzhou.

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????? However, Zhou Mu is still here, so it may be unrealistic for him to want to lead the resistance against Cao Cao. Even if Zhou Mu has this idea, the Cai family will not agree. This time, Xiangyang will still be the leader in the resistance against Cao Cao.  "

    "I would rather not go according to the command of Xiangyang Cai Haogui's grandson!" Liu Hu said with an angry look on his face and a loud sound.

    Liu Jing glanced at him and shook her head, "Not only will you not go, but no one will do it. How to resist Cao is Jiangxia's business. We don't have to listen to Xiangyang's command."

    At this moment, a soldier rushed to the lobby and reported: "Kuai Gong is back, and it seems that Uncle Liu has also come with him."

    Liu Jing had some doubts in her heart, why is Liu Bei here?  But he immediately ordered: "Go to the dock to meet us!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the Xiakou Pier, a large ship has slowly docked. Kuai Liang and Liu Bei quickly stepped off the ship's plank, followed by Liu Bei's new aide Pang Tong behind them.

    Fancheng was captured, and Xinye was isolated and attacked from both sides. The situation became precarious. Liu Bei was forced to abandon Xinye and led 7,000 troops and tens of thousands of Xinye people to retreat eastward to Anlu County.

    According to Liu Bei's idea, he simply used an excuse to resist Cao Cao and garrisoned troops in Anlu County. Anlu County became his possession, but Pang Tong urged him to go to Nan County.

    On the one hand, they want to take the opportunity to seize the military power of Nanjun. On the other hand, the garrison in Anlu County has become Liu Jing's northern barrier, which will attract Cao Jun's key attack.

    Liu Bei believed this and gave up the idea of ??garrisoning troops in Anlu County. However, transporting tens of thousands of people to Nan County was a big problem that he could not solve by himself. Liu Jing's assistance was required.

    At this time, Kuai Liang came to greet the news on Liu Jing's order, and Liu Bei took this opportunity to come to Xiakou together.

    Liu Bei got off the ship, and Liu Jing, who was waiting on the shore, immediately came up to him, bowed and saluted, "My nephew is very pleased that uncle Shi is safe and sound!"

    "Thank you for your concern, my dear nephew. It was also luck this time. Cao Jun did not attack Xinye, so I escaped."

    "Then what are uncle's plans for the future?"

    Liu Jing¡¯s question was a bit difficult for Liu Bei to answer. Liu Bei pondered for a while and said: "There may be something that needs help from my nephew, so I crossed the river specially to negotiate."

    "In that case, uncle Shi, please follow me into the city to discuss it in detail."

    At this time, Liu Jing raised her hands to Pang Tonggong and said with a smile: "Congratulations, sir, for meeting the Ming Lord!"

    If Pang Tong¡¯s original character was to be followed, he would have responded coldly, but now that he was Liu Bei¡¯s chief staff member, he needed to consider his lord¡¯s face, so he reluctantly smiled in return and said, ¡°Thank you, Governor Liu!¡±

    A group of people entered the city and came to the military office. Everyone took their seats in the middle hall.

    Liu Bei sighed first and said: "This time I retreat eastward, I did not expect that more than 50,000 Xinye soldiers and civilians would follow me in the retreat. Although they did not want to be Cao's traitors, following tens of thousands of people did have big problems. First of all, there was a serious shortage of food.  , To be honest with my nephew, the food I brought with me can only support everyone for two more days, and I will run out of food the day after tomorrow, so I came across the river to borrow food from my nephew shamelessly. "

    Liu Jing waved her hand and said with a smile: "Uncle Shi is serious. The people of Xinye are also the people of Jingzhou. As a member of Jingzhou, it is my duty to help the people."

    Having said this, Liu Jing turned around and told Chen Shuo, "Go and make arrangements. First, send 10,000 shi of grain from the Xiakou grain depot across the river, and send it immediately to relieve the emperor's urgent need."

    "Follow the order!"

    Chen Shuo saluted and hurried down. Liu Bei was overjoyed. He did not expect Liu Jing to be so cheerful. He stood up and saluted, "I will first thank my nephew for the people of Xinye!"

    Liu Jing quickly smiled and said: "Uncle Shi, please sit down. This is what my nephew should do."

    When Liu Bei sat down, Liu Jing smiled calmly and said: "There are only 50,000 people following the emperor's uncle to Nanjun, not to mention the toss and turns on the road. Can Nanjun afford the monthly food burden in the future?"

    Liu Bei couldn't help but smile bitterly, "My nephew is right. I walked more than a hundred miles eastward from Xinye. I took tens of thousands of people for three days. The young and strong men were better off, and the old and weak women and children were even worse.  It¡¯s extremely difficult. Dozens of people have already died of illness and exhaustion on the road. To bring so many people to another place?I¡¯m a little scared thinking about going to Nanjun, not to mention the food burden in Nanjun.  "

    Liu Jing was startled, "Uncle Shi, you mean they are not by the river?"

    Liu Bei nodded, "It's more than four hundred miles from Xinye to here. How can we get to the river in three days? They are in Pinglin County, and Mi Fang leads an army of 500 to take care of them."

    Liu Jing immediately understood Liu Bei's intentions. He no longer had the ability to take care of these tens of thousands of people. He wanted to give up but was afraid of ruining his reputation, so he came to him for help.

    Liu Jing thought for a while and said: "If it is in Pinglin County, it is more convenient for the supply ship to go through the Jianshui River, but only the tugboat with three hundred stones can go, and the ship can only go to Suixian County, they still need to go south for a few days.  Shili came to Sui County to receive relief."

    "There is no problem with this. My nephew can just send the relief food to Suixian County. I immediately ordered Mi Fang to transfer the refugees to Suixian County."

    Although Liu Bei did not say it explicitly, his meaning was already clear. He could not take tens of thousands of Xinye people to Nanjun and was going to entrust them to Liu Jing. This was also the main purpose of Liu Bei's trip.

    Of course, Liu Jing can ignore it. After all, this is the people of Xinye and a favor from Liu Bei. Therefore, Liu Jing must have certain conditions to take over these people.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then said: "In order to facilitate the care of these people, I suggest that the Jiangxia army should take over. What does Uncle Shi think?"

    Liu Bei secretly smiled bitterly in his heart. In this way, Liu Jing would have an excuse to garrison Anlu County. In fact, he would give Anlu County to Liu Jing.

    But he had nothing to do. If Liu Jing left his hand, tens of thousands of Xinye people would live and die. This would seriously damage Liu Bei's reputation, and he could not afford such consequences.

    Fortunately, Anlu County has no strategic significance to him, and it can be regarded as a favor. Liu Bei nodded, "As long as the Jiangxia army passes, I will immediately order Mi Fang to lead the army to evacuate."

    During their conversation, the two men formally finalized the plan to hand over the refugees to Xinye.

    Liu Bei finally let go, and he changed the topic to more important things, "The second thing I came here this time is to discuss with my nephew a joint fight against Cao Cao."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 246 Three-Party Wrestling

    In this battle against the invasion of Cao's army, the three parties in Jingzhou will inevitably unite. Pang Tong proposed two plans for this. The first plan is that Liu Bei should try his best to use his imperial uncle's identity and world reputation to become the leader of this battle.  The leader of the anti-Cao alliance, thus laying the foundation for the final annexation of Jingzhou.

    If the first plan fails due to resistance, the second plan can be implemented, which is to push Liu Qi out, call on all factions in Jingzhou to unite to resist Cao Cao, and use Liu Qi's identity and influence to seek maximum benefits.

    Pang Tong¡¯s two plans won Liu Bei¡¯s approval. Liu Bei came to Liu Jing today just to discuss the first plan.

    Liu Bei pondered for a while and said: "This time Cao Jun went south with two obvious intentions. One was to use offense as defense to prevent us from taking advantage of Cao Jun's eastern expedition to go north to the Central Plains. Therefore, Cao Jun directly occupied Fancheng, threatened Xiangyang, and shocked Jingzhou. If we cannot organize  If there is no effective defense, then Cao Jun is very likely to cross the Han River and attack Xiangyang again. Once Xiangyang is captured, Jingzhou will be in danger. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "We also think so. Cao's thief's ambition will not stop at Fancheng. We must fight back against Cao's army as soon as possible."

    At this time, Pang Tong said with a smile: "Speaking of Jingzhou's strength, it is not weak. There are 30,000 elite soldiers in Nanjun, plus 7,000 Xinye troops, so there are nearly 40,000 people. And there are nearly 30,000 people in Jiangxia, and the military strength is not that big."  Weak, the key is Xiangyang. Xiangyang has nearly 60,000 troops, but they belong to three factions. In this way, the forces in Jingzhou are complicated and each has its own interests. It is like a piece of loose sand. If it fights Cao Jun with such an attitude, it will inevitably be defeated.  Cao¡¯s army was defeated individually, so the key to fighting Cao¡¯s army is to work together and unite to resist Cao.¡±

    As soon as Pang Tong finished speaking, Xu Shu also took over his words and continued: "Brother Shi Yuan is absolutely right. Although Cao's army is small in strength, they are all veterans who have been on the battlefield for many years and are powerful. In addition, they are led by the famous general Cao Ren.  , the counselor Jia Xu is very resourceful, it is difficult for any party in Jingzhou to defeat Cao's army, so a joint fight against Cao is the only way."

    Xu Shu changed his tone and said: "In fact, it is not difficult to unite. The Zhou Mu is still alive. Although he is seriously ill, he will appoint someone to lead the Jingzhou army to resist Cao's army. I wonder who Uncle Liu Huang thinks the Zhou Mu will appoint?"

    Xu Shu is reminding Liu Bei that it is not your turn to be the leader of the alliance. Liu Bei is still alive, so he will naturally appoint the leader of the three-armed alliance.

    And Xu Shu, the alliance leader, does not need to be said, everyone present understands that this alliance leader is none other than Cai Mao. He is the Jingzhou military advisor. Liu Biao is seriously ill, and he is in charge of military affairs.

    Liu Bei's expression changed, and he sneered and said to Liu Jing, "Could it be that my wise nephew is preparing to accept the command of Military Advisor Cai?"

    Liu Jing shook his head, "I have an agreement with Xiangyang. The command of the Jiangxia army will not be handed over to the state government. Cai Mao cannot command the Jiangxia army, and of course he cannot command the New Field Army. On the other hand, Mr. Qi's side is facing a powerful enemy. If he does not accept the command of Military Advisor Cai  , It doesn¡¯t make sense both emotionally and rationally. I¡¯m afraid there will be criticism and it will have a great impact on Mr. Qi. I advise the emperor to resolve this issue first.¡±

    Liu Jing¡¯s meaning is already very clear. Liu Bei¡¯s internal crisis has not yet been resolved, so he should not mention anything about the alliance, let alone dream of becoming the leader of the alliance.

    At this point, there was no need for the two sides to continue talking. Liu Bei also realized that his top priority was not to win the dominance of the alliance, but to seize the Nanjun army as soon as possible. He was anxious and left first.

    Liu Jing took Liu Bei to the riverside. Watching Liu Bei and his entourage get on the boat, Liu Jing asked Xu Shu, "Yuan Zhi just didn't finish his thoughts. Do you have anything else to say?"

    Xu Shu smiled slightly, "Jiangxia has the most powerful navy in Jingzhou, but Cao Jun has no navy. Don't you want to go to Fancheng in person to show off your power?"

    Liu Jing smiled so hard that her eyes narrowed, "Yuan Zhi knows my heart!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the big ship, Liu Bei looked worried. Liu Jing's words made him realize the crisis that Cao's invasion had brought to Nanjun.

    In the past three years, no war has occurred, and Jingzhou has no reason to mobilize the troops of Nanjun. This time Cao's army went south, which just gave Xiangyang an excellent excuse to mobilize the troops of Nanjun.

    "Whether it is as a son of a man, as a minister, or as a righteous man, Liu Qi cannot refuse Xiangyang's transfer order. What should he do?  For a moment, Liu Bei was anxious.

    At this time, Pang Tong smiled and said: "Uncle Huang, don't worry. Although Jiangxia has no intention of alliance, Liu Jing still wants to cooperate with Uncle Huang to fight against Cao. It can be seen from his willingness to accept the people of Xinye that he still cooperates."  Sincerity, in fact, this is not bad. The final result is that both parties can gain fame, and the impact on our original plan is actually not great. "

    Liu Bei nodded silently, and after a while, he sighed again: "Now I can't care about resisting Cao Cao. The top priority is to get the military power of Nanjun first."

    "You can let Mr. Qi claim his illness and entrust the general power to the emperor's uncle. If Jingzhou mobilizes troops, the emperor's uncle can lead the troops north. This can stop everyone's mouth and also gain the military power of Nanjun. Wouldn't it kill two birds with one stone?  What a difficult thing.¡±

    Liu Bei nodded. He was really confused by the authorities. He couldn't think of such a simple solution. But he frowned again, "I'm afraid I won't have enough time!"

    Pang Tong pondered for a moment and said: "This is actually easy to handle. Doesn't the emperor own a red-blooded horse? You can entrust this horse to a confidant and rush to Jiangling to deliver the message. In a day and night, you can reach Jiangling and let Mr. Qi  The illness lasts for a few days, and then the emperor can go directly to Jiangling by boat. The army can be temporarily handed over to General Zhang, and he can come to Jiangling later, which should be in time. "

    Liu Bei was convinced, and immediately said: "Sir, you are right, it's settled."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    That night, Liu Jing published a "Complaint Against Cao Cao's Thief" in Jiangxia, angrily denounced Cao Cao for being a Han minister but actually a Han thief.

    The Cao thieves brazenly invaded Jingzhou in order to destroy the Han clan clan, and dragged Jingzhou into the flames of war for their own selfish interests, causing a loss of life. The people of Jingzhou were ravaged by Cao's cavalry. The tragedy in Hekou Town is the future of Jingzhou people.

    Liu Jing called on the people of the world to condemn Cao Cao's thieves, and called on the people of Jingzhou to never give in and resist Cao Cao. At the end of his message, he wrote: "Liu Jing is not talented. Since he is a clan member of the Han Dynasty, he should take it as his own responsibility to help the Han family and the country.  I am willing to pour out the troops of Jiangxia and lead the people of Jingzhou to fight against Cao's army. I am willing to hold the three-foot dragon spring to kill the heads of Cao's thieves and restore the clear sky to the Han Dynasty!"

    Liu Jing immediately sent hundreds of cavalry to various counties and counties in Jingzhou to spread the "Call against Cao Cao" throughout Jingzhou.

    That night, Liu Jing personally led 20,000 Jiangxia elite troops and 500 warships up the Han River to the north, heading towards Fancheng in a mighty manner.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Caili, Xiangyang, Cai Mao and Cai He, escorted by dozens of soldiers, galloped all the way to Cai's old house.

    Cai Mao has just received the news that his uncle Cai Xun is critically ill. Although the current situation is turbulent, Cai Xun is the former head of the family and the only remaining direct elder of the Cai family. He has a great influence on the Cai family, so Cai Hao has to put down his complicated chores and urgently  Rush back to Caili.

    Running to the front of the house, Cai Hao and Cai He got off their horses and ran quickly into the inner house. At the gate of the small courtyard, they met their younger brother Cai Yan. Cai Yan was Cai Xun's son and Cai Jin's father. He was the governor of Bajun at the time.

    Cai Yan has a stable and pragmatic character and does not like to talk much. He was appointed as the governor of Bajun eight years ago. He wanted to be transferred from Bajun three times, but he was tried hard to retain him by the elders of Bajun three times. The last time he was transferred by the elders of Bajun together with his horse.  Carry it back to the county seat.

    Even Liu Biao praised him several times for serving three terms as an official and benefiting the country. This time he came to Xiangyang to visit Liu Biao, the state herdsman, and unexpectedly encountered the invasion of Cao Jun.

    Cai Hao didn't bother to greet Cai Yan and asked urgently: "How is your second uncle doing now?"

    Cai Yan glanced at Cai He behind him, nodded and said, "My brother and I will wait a moment. Father, please let me in alone."

    Cai Hao quickly walked into the yard and directly walked into the quiet room where Cai Xun was resting. As soon as he entered the room, he was stunned. There was a large table in the room. There were several spiritual tablets on the table, there was an incense table for worship, and cigarettes were curling up.  .

    On the futon next to the table, my second uncle Cai Xun was meditating with his eyes closed. His complexion was rosy and he was in good spirits. He didn't look at all like he was critically ill.

    Cai Xun half-opened his eyes and pointed at the spiritual plaque on the table, "This is the spiritual tablet of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Kneel down!"

    Cai Hao was shocked and doubtful. He slowly knelt down and kowtowed three times to the spiritual tablet. Cai Xun then asked coldly: "In front of your father's spiritual tablet, tell me, have you surrendered to Cao Cao?"

    Cai Hao already understood that his second uncle was pretending to be sick to trick him back. He was silent for a long time, and then nodded and acknowledged Cai Xun's question.

    "Surrendering to Cao Cao is not a shameful thing. Now Cao Cao and Han are inseparable, and from the long-term perspective of the family, your approach is not wrong. I can understand this matter, but I want to ask you, now that Cao Cao's army is going south, capture  How are you going to deal with Fancheng?"

    When Cai Mao saw that his uncle had no intention of blaming him, he was relieved. However, when he thought of Cao Jun's capture of Fancheng, his brows immediately furrowed.

    "Replying to my uncle, Cao Ren sent me a secret letter yesterday, asking me to raise 500 ferries to send to the north bank. I am very distressed about this matter. I don't know what to do."

    "This is the problem of you surrendering to Cao Cao too early. If you wait until Cao Cao personally leads the army to go south, then you can surrender. On the one hand, you can protect the country and the people, and on the other hand, you can also lose your glory and wealth. But if you surrender too early, you will become Cao Cao.  a chess piece, if you makeIf you don't do it, you will betray Jingzhou. If you don't do it, you will betray Cao Cao. My nephew, you are in a dilemma!  "

    Cai Mao lowered his head in shame, "My nephew knew that he was wrong. I should have discussed it with my second uncle earlier. But the matter has come to this, and it is too late for my nephew to regret it. Now I am in a dilemma. I really don't know what to do. Please forgive me."  My uncle showed me a clear path."

    "It's really difficult!"

    Cai Xun thought for a moment and then asked: "How many ferries are there in Xiangyang now?"

    "There are more than 800 ferries in total, of which 300 Fancheng ferries are in the hands of my nephew Cai Jin. He refused to hand over the ferries to Xiangyang. There are also more than 500 Xiangyang ferries under my control. Now this is what Cao Ren wants.  Five hundred ferries, for some reason, he knows the situation in Xiangyang very well. "

    "Isn't this strange? How could Cao Jun not have spies in Xiangyang?"

    After a pause, Cai Xun asked again: "Is there any movement in Jiangxia Navy?"

    "My nephew has received urgent information. The Jiangxia Navy set off last night and will arrive in Xiangyang tomorrow morning at the latest."

    Cai Xun nodded and said slowly: "You should know your identity. You are the military advisor of Jingzhou, not some low-level officer who is greedy for a few taels of gold. You surrendered to Cao Cao, not Cao Ren, so you don't have to pay attention to Cao Ren at all."  If you agree to his request, you will be demeaning yourself. Remember my words, you are raising Jingzhou to surrender, not being an internal response to Cao's army. Your intention is to succeed Jingzhou as the pastor, not like Huang She.  What a bullshit captain."

    Cai Xun's words were like a wake-up call, and Cai Hao suddenly woke up. He was sweating profusely, feeling grateful and ashamed, and kowtowed repeatedly, "My nephew understands, thank you uncle for the warning!"

    "Do you know what to do?" Cai Xun asked with a squinted smile.

    "My nephew understands that he will ask Liu Biao to appoint me as the commander-in-chief of the three armies of infantry, horse and water, and the governor of Jingzhou to resist Cao Cao, laying the foundation for his future succession as the shepherd of Jingzhou."

    ¡°It¡¯s not too confusing, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Cai Mao kowtowed, stood up and left. After a while, Cai Yan came in, bowed and asked, "Father, is there anything else you want to tell the child?"

    Cai Xun said calmly: "Go and tell Jin'er to burn all the Xiangyang ferries. Go now and ask him to burn them before dark."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 247 Show off your power

    At dusk, the Xiangyang pier was filled with thick smoke, like a sea of ??fire. Hundreds of soldiers set fire to the ship on the pier.

    Not only in Xiangyang, but also at Longzhong Wharf ten miles away, flames shot into the sky and smoke filled the river. More than 300 ferries coming from Fancheng were also set on fire by soldiers.

    The fire on the Xiangyang Pier caused an uproar in Xiangyang City. People outside the city gate were crowded with people watching the excitement, and they were all whispering.

    Although most people were surprised, many people were still secretly happy and burned the ferry, which meant that Cao Jun could not cross the river south.

    After a while, Cai Mao led thousands of soldiers and rushed out of the city. Seeing that half of the ships had been set on fire, he became furious and ordered his soldiers to rescue the ships.

    The soldiers who were burning the boats on the pier saw the reinforcements rushing out of the city and fled quickly. However, a camp commander couldn't run in time and was caught by Cai Mao's soldiers, who pushed and pushed him and brought him up.

    "Who is it? Who ordered the fire?" Cai Hao roared with fire in his eyes. His momentum made him want to swallow up the village commander in front of him.

    The Marquis lowered his head, very frightened in his heart, and replied with a trembling voice for a while: "Reporting to the military advisor, it was General Cai who ordered the fire."

    Cai Mao was startled and his anger subsided. He looked back at his men and then asked in a low voice: "Which General Cai?"

    "General Cai Jin."

    "Is it him?" Cai Hao gradually calmed down. He knew that Cai Jin was a stable person and would not do such stupid things. There must be a reason for this.

    He originally wanted to kill the village chief, but at this time he had retreated from the murderous intention. After thinking for a moment, he said to the village chief: "I will spare your life first and go find Cai Jin to see me. If you dare to escape, I will kill you."  The head is displayed to the public.¡±

    "Yes! I don't dare!"

    The village chief quickly agreed and hurried away. Cai Hao then slowly walked to the dock and looked at the blazing fire dozens of steps away. The flames were spitting out, and the hot steam erupted outwards, burning his face and burning his face.  My heart shrinks as it bakes.

    Although he did not dare to burn more than 500 ferries, nearly 300 were burned, but he still took back more than 200 ferries, which made him feel a little relieved.

    In the distance, a man came galloping on horseback. This was Cai Jin who came in a hurry. He got off his horse, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "General, I will pay my respects to the military advisor!"

    Cai Mao whipped his head with a whip. He pointed at the burning warship and roared: "You bastard! Look at the good things you have done."

    A deep bloodstain appeared on Cai Jin's face. He remained motionless. Cai Mao whipped him more than a dozen times, causing the skin on his face and neck to be torn. Then he let out a bad breath and glared at him: "  How do you explain it to me?"

    Cai Jin held back the severe pain on his face and body, bit his lip and said, "Master, please let me report this privately."

    Cai Hao glanced at the soldiers around him. The soldiers retreated one after another, and then he said bitterly: "If you have anything to say, just say it!"

    Cai Jin lowered his voice and said: "Master, this is actually my grandfather's order, asking me to burn all the ships in Xiangyang."

    Cai Mao was stunned. It turned out to be what his second uncle meant. Why is this?

    His thoughts changed rapidly, and he suddenly realized that this must be because his second uncle was afraid that he and Cao Jun would secretly communicate with each other, so he simply put an end to his idea.

    But.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  How can the Xiangyang army do without ships?

    He was extremely angry. His second uncle was too bossy and treated him like a three-year-old child, which made him extremely dissatisfied.

    After a long time, he said in a long voice: "I know about this, go ahead!"

    Cai Mao saluted, got on his horse, and galloped away. Cai Mao watched helplessly as the fire engulfed the three hundred warships. After a while, he sighed. In any case, he would leave some ferries for emergency use.

    The fire on the Xiangyang pier burned until evening, and then the fire gradually extinguished. All the ships disappeared and turned into piles of wreckage, floating on the water, which was horrible to see.

    At the same time that the fire at Xiangyang Wharf was burning, at the top of Fancheng on the other side, Cao Ren, the commander-in-chief of Cao's army, surrounded by dozens of generals, was also watching the fire on the other side from a distance. They could faintly see the flickering light of the fire.

    At this time, several Cao Jun spies came back in a small boat. Cao Jun collected dozens of small fishing boats on Bishui, but they were of little use and could only be used as sentry boats for the army to cross the river.

    A spy rushed over and reported loudly under the city: "General, all the ferries in Xiangyang City were burned down, and the ferries at Longzhong Wharf were also burned down. I wonder what happened?"

    Cao Ren's face suddenly darkened, and he snorted with great displeasure, "You're such a duplicitous person, it's no use for the Prime Minister to trust him so much!"

      Cai Mao's secret surrender to Cao Cao has always been a secret. Only a few people knew about it. On top of the city, except for Jia Xu, the other generals were confused. They didn't know who Cao Ren was talking about.

    Jia Xu knew that Cao Ren was angry and advised him: "General, don't be angry. The mission of going south this time is to capture Fancheng. We have completed the mission and can explain it to the Prime Minister."

    "Bullshit! What do you mean by completing the mission?" Cao Hong yelled at Jia Xu loudly and unceremoniously, glaring at Jia Xu fiercely, "For the general to kill all the enemies, how can he let him go when he sees the enemy in front of him?  ?¡±

    Jia Xu's face suddenly turned red. He had a bad relationship with Cao Hong. Cao Hong scolded him in public, which made him lose face. He was about to have a fit, but Cao Ren glared at Cao Hong and scolded: "Don't retreat yet!"

    Cao Hong snorted coldly, turned around and left. Cao Ren did not mention Cao Hong's rudeness, let alone apologize. Then he continued the topic and said calmly: "Having said that, I can take Xiangyang and seize a bigger one."  How can one not be angry when there is no boat to cross the river despite great achievements?¡±

    Jia Xu suppressed the anger in his heart, shook his head and said: "If we push too hard, it will make Jingzhou unite with the same enemy. It is better to maintain a coercive posture. In order to compete for dominance, the various factions in Jingzhou will inevitably  Fight overtly and covertly, and wait until they lose both sides, then we will take advantage of the fishermen. If the general is not satisfied with the achievements in front of him, I would advise him to start building ships. By the time the prime minister officially goes south, there will be hundreds of warships. This is the real  Great contribution.¡±

    "Cao Ren is a wise man. Although he doesn't like Jia Xu very much, he knows good from evil and can distinguish right from wrong. He is not full of hatred towards Jia Xu like Cao Hong.

    Jia Xu¡¯s reminder made him realize that the biggest problem for Cao¡¯s army going south in the future will be warships. Whether it is going south to Jingzhou or expedition to Jiangdong, thousands of warships are the foundation for pacifying the south.

    Cao Ren nodded, "Jia Canjun is very right. I will start selecting a site for shipbuilding tomorrow."

    In the early morning, when the first rays of rays burst out from the thick clouds, golden light spread to the earth, and the Han River undulated and shimmered with golden light, on Fan City, the soldiers of Cao Jun who defended the city began to change their defenses.

    Over the past few days, the soldiers of Cao's army have gradually become accustomed to this calm defense, and even have a trace of contempt for the Jingzhou army on the south bank. The Jingzhou army has never shown any sign of sending troops, as if Fancheng has never had anything to do with Jingzhou.

    Just as a group of soldiers had just changed their defenses, a harsh bell suddenly sounded from the sentry tower at the top of the city, 'Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯

    The bell rang rapidly throughout the city, and all the soldiers of Cao's army were shocked. Some soldiers pointed to the east and shouted: "Warship! The warship is coming!"

    The soldiers rushed to the east of the city, and saw a group of huge warships appearing on the river under the red morning glow. There were hundreds of them, with masts like a forest and sails like clouds, with a huge momentum.

    Cao Ren also received the report and rushed to the city. He couldn't help but sneered. This was Liu Jing. As he had expected, Cao Ren turned around and ordered: "Quickly mobilize five thousand crossbowmen to the river. If the warships  Come closer and shoot me with random arrows!¡±

    The deputy general agreed and quickly ran down to the city.

    Although five years have passed and everyone has forgotten the joke, Yu Jin can never forget Liu Jing who made him suffer a lot back then. This has almost become a lifelong shame and is engraved in his heart.

    This was his second expedition to Jingzhou. In Bowangpo, he was shot by Zhao Yun with an arrow. It took him a full year to heal. Although his martial arts skills were not affected, on rainy days, his scar  There will still be a dull pain.

    This time he came to Jingzhou again, and the hatred in his heart was still there, but the hatred became deeper and would not be revealed easily.

    Yu Jin also saw the warship on the Han River on the top of the city. He knew that it was the Jiangxia warship coming, and Liu Jing was most likely among them, but he was in no hurry to fight Liu Jing. He knew very well that as long as the battle  If he keeps fighting, he will have revenge sooner or later.

    Yu Jin hurriedly mobilized five thousand crossbowmen to rush to the shore. Cao Jun used sandbags to build a sand wall about four or five miles long on the bank of the Han River, just to deal with the Jiangxia navy.

    Five thousand crossbowmen rushed over and hid behind sand wall bunkers. Five thousand Cao Jun soldiers were at war with each other and looked nervously at the Jiangxia warships on the river.

    At this time, the Jiangxia navy fleet was still three miles away from Fancheng. It was sailing in the middle of the Han River, far away from the shore. The sails had been furled and the speed had slowed down. On the first two thousand stone ship, Liu Jing  Wearing armor and helmet, he stared at Fan Cheng coldly.

    "Prefect, there seem to be thousands of crossbowmen on the shore!" the observer on the mast shouted loudly.

    Liu Jing has noticed that there is a long earth wall on the shore of Fancheng. It is made of sandbags and is about six feet high.Less than a hundred steps away, it was obviously a bunker to defend against bows and arrows.

    Once the ship docks, the crossbowmen hiding behind the bunker will inevitably fire arrows and destroy the landing soldiers on the shore. It can be seen that Cao Jun has made full preparations.

    At this time, Xu Shu slowly stepped forward and said with a smile: "What does the prefect think Cao Jun needs most now?"

    "It should be a warship!" Liu Jing replied lightly.

    "But have you ever thought about it, the prefect? ??In addition to the warships in Jiangxia, there are hundreds of warships in Jiangling in Jingzhou. But now Cao Jun can't even cross the Han River, how can they get these hundreds of warships?"

    Liu Jing somewhat understood what Xu Shu meant, "You meanCao Jun wants to build a ship?"

    Xu Shu nodded and smiled: "Other than that, I can't think of any other way they can do it, unless there is a ferry in Xiangyang. But I heard that the Xiangyang ferry was burned down by a fire last night, which also burned away the last hope of Cao Jun's army.  ¡±

    "Shipbuilding is a matter for the future, I am concerned about the present now."

    Liu Jing stared at the several-mile-long sand wall on the shore and said coldly: "Since we have come from Jiangxia, we must give Cao Jun a warning."

    He turned around and ordered: "Send my order and prepare to attack Cao's army on the shore!"

    On the river, the ships are far apart. Unlike land battles where drums can be used to give orders, the orders must be very precise. On the main ship, two red war flags are waving. This is to send a signal to the big ships behind. The warships behind  The flags were also being spread, and soon the order issued by Liu Jing spread throughout the army.

    The red flag is an attack signal, one red flag refers to archery, two red flags represent a heavy attack, that is, the use of trebuchets and stone cannons, three red flags are scattered attacks, ships can attack at will, and Liu Jing's order is a heavy attack,  That means using stone cannons and trebuchets to deal with Cao's troops on the shore.

    One by one, large ships with a thousand stones began to turn around and leave the team, approaching the shore. The soldiers started the trebuchets and stone cannons installed on the sides of the ships.

    The trebuchets and stone cannons used in ships are relatively small and are usually placed in the cabin. They are only pushed out in times of war and fixed on the side of the ship.

    Stone cannons are mainly used to shoot talc, which weighs about seven or eight kilograms. They are not aimed at people. They are mainly used to attack the opponent's warships at close range. They can also be used to destroy some buildings on the shore. It is obviously meaningless to use stone cannons to attack sandbag walls. Today's  The main means of attack are trebuchets.

    A series of small trebuchets appeared on the side of the ship, and the soldiers quickly fixed them on special iron wedges. This trebuchet was controlled by a winch and could be operated by three soldiers. It could throw an object weighing ten kilograms to more than a hundred people.  Step outside.

    As dozens of large ships gradually approached the shore, Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers behind the sand wall began to become nervous. Yu Jin quickly estimated the range and found that they were already within the range of the crossbows.

    He immediately shouted loudly: "Prepare the crossbows!"

    A burst of rapid drumbeats sounded, and five thousand military crossbows were raised and aimed at the slowly approaching ship. Cao Jun's soldiers hooked their fingers on the hanging knives. As the ship got closer and closer, Yu Jin shouted, "Shoot."  !¡±

    There was a crisp banging sound, and five thousand arrows were fired at the large ship very close to the shore. The soldiers on the ship squatted down and hid behind the side of the ship. However, several Jiangxia soldiers were still unable to dodge and were hit by crossbow arrows.  Shouting and falling from the boat.

    Just when the first round of crossbow arrows ended and the second round of crossbow arrows had not been fired, Jiangxia warships also began to attack, and there was a "Bang!"  boom!  ¡¯ sound, sealed clay pots filled with kerosene were thrown out by the trebuchet, roaring towards the sand wall bunker.

    The pottery jar fell to the ground and broke, and the kerosene flowed all over the ground. Cao Jun's soldiers did not know what this unpleasant-smelling liquid was, so most of them did not take it to heart and continued to fire arrows at the ship. The second round of crossbow arrows was fired at the warship.

    Yu Jin was secretly surprised. He quickly walked to the sandbag wall, dipped his finger into a little liquid, put it to his nose and smelled it. The pungent smell suddenly reminded Yu Jin of something, this was petroleum oil!

    This should be the rumored secret fire attack weapon used by the Jiangxia Army to defeat the Jiangdong Army. Two years ago, Cao Jun also discovered petroleum oil in Puyang. Yu Jin had seen it, but the petroleum oil was black and viscous, not as clear as this.  But the smell is similar.

    Yu Jin suddenly felt anxious and shouted loudly: "Send the order, evacuate immediately!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 248 Ship Clearance

    At the same time as the order was issued, burning fireballs were thrown out from the ship, rolling towards the sand wall. The fireballs ignited the kerosene all over the ground, 'Boom!  ¡¯ The fire suddenly burst into flames, and the inside and outside of the sand wall suddenly fell into a sea of ??fire.

    Countless Cao Jun soldiers were ignited by fire. They turned around and ran in terror, wailing and rolling on the ground, and screams were heard.

    Yu Jin was so anxious that he shouted: "Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

    Five thousand soldiers of Cao's army withdrew from the fire one after another and retreated to the rear. At this time, a soldier rushed over, raised his command arrow and shouted at Jin: "General Yu, the general has ordered the crossbow troops to withdraw to the barracks immediately!  "

    Yu Jin wanted to retreat a hundred steps and continue to shoot the Jiangxia troops who were about to disembark with crossbows, but Cao Ren had an order, so he had no choice but to order the entire army to withdraw to the barracks.

    At this time, waves of war drums came from the north, and 20,000 infantrymen with spears lined up from the military camp, forming a long square formation, with fifty people in a row. The momentum was so huge that the end could not be seen at a glance, and they rushed towards the dock quickly.

    The sand wall in front of the pier was still burning, but the Jiangxia navy did not disembark. Three hundred warships were anchored on the river, facing off from a distance with the 20,000 Cao Army spearmen killed on the shore.

    Liu Jing stood on the big boat with his hands behind his hands, looking at Cao Jun on the shore as if facing a formidable enemy. A smile appeared on his face. Since Cao Jun was successfully dragged into Fancheng, Gan Ning's side was more likely to succeed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It had been five days since Cao Jun occupied Fancheng. They were unable to cross the river south due to lack of ships. However, Cao Ren was not helpless. He sent people to collect ships along the north bank of the Han River and its tributaries.

    Within five days, Cao Jun still collected more than 300 civilian ships of various types. Although most of these ships were small fishing boats and not large ferries, they could ferry more than 2,000 people across the river at a time, and could ferry thousands of soldiers across the river overnight.  People, barely able to complete Cao Jun's task of crossing the troops south.

    However, for the army that is officially marching south, it is generally not possible to use such small boats to cross the river. Crossing the river in small boats is very dangerous. First, it is small in capacity, especially difficult to carry war horses. But more importantly, retreat will be a big problem. Once the southern expedition is unfavorable,  It will be difficult to retreat to the north bank, and it may even lead to the danger of the entire army being annihilated.

    Therefore, although Cao Ren collected more than 300 small boats, he still did not want to use these small boats to cross the river. He planned to transform these small boats into small-scale warships for crossing the river.

    ??Sent small-scale Cao troops to the south bank to harass the counties and counties in Jingzhou, disrupt spring plowing in Jingzhou and capture small counties, undermine the people's morale in Jingzhou and the morale of the army, make the Jingzhou army exhausted, and lay the foundation for the main force of Cao's army to go south next year.

    From this perspective, these more than 300 small boats are still quite threatening to the south coast of Jingzhou.

    At present, more than 300 warships are mainly concentrated in Luwan, downstream of Bishui. It is a natural bay located east of Fancheng and less than ten miles away from Fancheng. It can berth thousands of small boats. Cao Jun is here  More than a hundred fishing boats were seized here, and there are currently more than a thousand troops stationed here.

    Bi Shui is a tributary of the Han River. The upper reaches are composed of six or seven small tributaries. Each small tributary is several feet wide. The convergence of the tributaries causes the water surface to change rapidly.

    As tributaries continued to pour in from both sides of the bank, after passing Hekou Town, the water surface suddenly widened to 30 feet and the water depth was several feet. It could drive a two thousand stone river ship. Luwan was located at the widest part of the water surface. Cao Ren planned to  Establish a shipbuilding yard in Luwan.

    To the west of Luwan is a small village. Dozens of families make a living by fishing and shipbuilding. They have built several small shipbuilding workshops. More than 300 small boats are moored on the water next to the village.  More than a thousand soldiers were divided into three squads, patrolling day and night, guarding the only more than 300 small boats.

    As night fell, several clippers appeared on the Bishui River under the cover of night. The boats were extremely fast. Gan Ning stood in front of the clippers, wearing a black sailboat, with a bow and arrow on his back, and a sharp halberd in his hand.  Stare sharply ahead.

    Without any obstruction along the way, the boat entered Luwankou, swung its oars, sailed into the Luwan water berth, and headed towards the group of small boats several miles away.

    "Brother, something is wrong. It's too quiet. There is no patrol!" A subordinate whispered to Gan Ning.

    Gan Ning also found that something was not normal. Since Cao Jun used a thousand soldiers to protect these small boats, and now they were close to the boats, why did Cao Jun not notice at all? But at this time, Gan Ning did not bother to patrol around, and ordered without thinking: "Launch into the water."  , gather the boat!¡±

    Several men slid into the water, dived in front of the boats, and moved the boats closer to the shore, so that the boats scattered on the water could be gathered together as much as possible so that they could be burned and destroyed.

    At this moment, a loud shout suddenly came from the distance, "Who is that person in the water?"

    The patrol on the shore finally spotted them, and they immediately shouted, "There areEnemy situation!  "

    The bells on the shore rang loudly, and Cao's army rushed out of the military camp not far away and rushed towards the inlet. On the boat, Gan Ning stretched out his bow and arrows, and fired rapidly, and the arrows were not missed. He shot down seven or eight soldiers in a row.  , the remaining Cao Jun soldiers shouted and fled in all directions.

    Gan Ning saw a dark group of enemy troops running towards him from a distance, dozens of steps away from the inlet. He turned around and ordered: "Speed ??up!"

    Dozens of men poured cans of kerosene from the boat into the water, and the kerosene spread rapidly in the water. At this time, arrows continued to shoot from the shore, and the arrows whizzed past their heads. The leader, General Cao Junya, led a hundred people.  The remaining people jumped off a dozen small boats and rushed towards this direction.

    Gan Ning turned around and saw that his men had not yet boarded the boat. He picked up a shield and ordered the two oarsmen, "Come up and fight!"

    The small boat met the enemy ship. Gan Ning held a halberd in one hand and a shield in the other. When the two ships collided, Gan Ning jumped onto the enemy ship. His short halberd stabbed out like lightning. A village commander was unable to dodge and was hit by the tip of the halberd.  Pierced in the throat, screaming and falling into the water.

    Gan Ning's short halberds were flying, and he stabbed to death all five or six Cao Jun soldiers on the boat in a moment. At this time, Cao Junya was furious and charged from the side with his spear, "You little thief, take your life!"

    Gan Ning held up his spear with his shield and struck with his halberd. Dang!  There was a loud noise, and the enemy general used his spear to open the halberd. At this time, the boats collided with each other. Both of them were unstable and fell into the water together, causing a splash of water.

    A moment later, Gan Ning threw the halberd onto the boat. He jumped from the water onto the boat, holding a wet human head in his hand. It was none other than General Cao's Ya just now.

    At this time, the men behind shouted: "General, it's done, retreat!"

    Gan Ning shouted, "Retreat!"

    Seven or eight speedboats quickly turned around and sailed in the direction of Bishui. After driving dozens of steps, several soldiers lit rockets and fired at the densely packed ships. The bright rockets streaked across the night sky and hit the outermost boats.  .

    The kerosene spilled on the boat was ignited, and the flames rose into the sky, and soon ignited the kerosene floating on the water. The fire on the water quickly spread around, and soon engulfed hundreds of people moored on the water.  A small boat.

    More than a dozen Cao Jun ships that were preparing to pursue the enemy were also caught in the sea of ??fire. The soldiers on board became a mess, jumped into the water to escape, and swam to the shore.

    Gan Ning's speedboat sailed out a few miles and entered Bishui. He turned back and looked towards the inlet, only to see flames rising into the sky and thick smoke filling the inlet. Gan Ning snorted disdainfully and led his men to gradually disappear into the night.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Under the moonlight, more than 300 warships were moored quietly on the Han River. The confrontation between Jiang Xia's army and Cao's army continued. The fire inside and outside the sand wall had long been extinguished and had no impact on the sand wall, but Cao's army did not dare to approach.  Instead of building a sand wall, they used sandbags to build a new sand wall about three miles long fifty steps away from the sand wall. Three thousand crossbowmen were hidden behind the new sand wall and were waiting.

    On the ship, Liu Jing glanced in the direction of Bishui from time to time. He was waiting for news from Gan Ning. Suddenly, the observer on the mast shouted, "Prefect, there is a fire! It's in the direction of Bishui."

    The soldiers looked to the northeast one after another. After a moment, everyone saw the flames soaring into the sky in the northeast about ten miles away, which was particularly dazzling in the night sky. The soldiers on the big ship suddenly cheered.

    Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh. He immediately ordered, "The fleet continues to move forward and berth at Longzhong Pier!"

    A rocket was fired into the night sky, the sails were opened, the anchor was pulled up, and the fleet slowly started again, heading towards Longzhong, ten miles away to the west.

    At the top of Fancheng, Cao Jun also discovered the fire in the direction of Bishui. Someone immediately went to notify Cao Ren. After a while, Cao Ren ran up the city, holding on to the wall and staring at the fire in the distance. He knew that something must have happened to Bishui's ship.  , Cao Ren's face turned livid, and he punched the city wall hard.

    At this time, Jia Xu slowly walked forward and said: "General, there is no need to be angry. This is actually a good thing."

    "A good thing?"

    Cao Ren turned around and looked at Jia Xu in confusion, "How do you say this?"

    Jia Xu smiled slightly and said: "Actually, this fire exposed two things. One is the absolute advantage of Jiangxia Navy on the water, which we simply cannot match.

    Secondly, it also exposed Liu Jing's bottom line that he would never allow us to own warships, so this fire was set in time and sounded the alarm for us. If we build warships in the future and are burned down by him, then  Wouldn¡¯t it be an even greater loss?  "

    Cao Ren nodded slowly. He understood what Jia Xu meant. If they built the warship, Liu Jing would definitely set it on fire again. This fire reminded them of the importance of strengthening the protection of the warship.

    "I understand, this fire was indeed lit in time! It made me sober."

     At this time, a soldier rushed to report: "General, Jiangxia Army warships have launched and are heading west!"

    Cao Ren frowned, where is Jiang Xiajun going?

    Jia Xu smiled and said: "Jiangxia Army should be stationed in Longzhong. This can be seen that there is no unity within Jingzhou, and they are still in separate formations. Liu Biao will definitely appoint Cai Hao as the chief general, and Liu Jing will not obey Cai Hao's command."  , Liu Bei doesn¡¯t know how, so Jingzhou has actually been divided.¡±

    "So, do we have a chance?"

    Jia Xu thought for a moment and said slowly: "General, let's wait and see what happens. If necessary, we can abandon Fancheng and retreat north to Hekou Town."

    "Never retreat!" This time, Cao Ren no longer accepted Jia Xu's suggestion.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 249 Xu Shu persuades Zhuge

    Longzhong Wharf is just a small wharf. It can only dock a dozen ferries at a time, but the business is very good. Most of the scholars from Longzhong Town go to Fancheng for shopping and entertainment. Especially on school holidays, the wharf is crowded with people and very lively.  .

    But since Cai Jin burned down more than 300 ferries in Fancheng, Longzhong Pier has become very deserted, with almost no one in sight, and the remains of burned ships are still floating in the river next to the pier.

    But before dawn, the old man guarding the dock was so frightened by the scene in front of him that he almost fainted. In the looming fog, the river outside the dock was densely packed with warships, blocking the sky and the sun. The grand occasion was unprecedented. This was Long  A sight I have never seen before in Central Pier.

    The old man quickly mounted his little donkey and hurried to the military camp a few miles away. General Cai had told him that if there was anything strange, he should report it immediately.

    Not long after, Cai Jin came galloping on horseback with several followers. He turned over and dismounted, waved and shouted to the nearest ship: "I am General Cai Jin, an old friend of Liu Taishou. May I ask if Liu Taishou is here?"

    After a while, a small boat was put down, and a sergeant came rocking the boat. He cupped his hands and said with a smile: "General Cai, my governor invites you!"

    Cai Jin got on the boat. Not long after, Cai Jin was taken aboard a large ship. This was the main ship of Jiangxia Navy. Cai Jin was led to the door of the cabin. The soldiers reported: "Alert to the prefect, General Cai is here."

    "Please come in!"

    Cai Jin walked into the cabin and saw a model of the camp placed on a table in the cabin. Beside the table, Liu Jing was discussing the details of setting up the camp with several generals.

    When Liu Jing saw Cai Jin walking in, he smiled at Gan Ning and said, "Let's set up camp according to this plan! Pay special attention to the defense of the sentry tower. It's better to be a little more complicated than to be careless."

    "Follow the order!"

    Because Li Jun was still injured, Gan Ning was transferred from Chaisang by Liu Jing to serve as the deputy general of Cao's army in the western expedition. He bowed and left in a hurry.

    Liu Jingcai smiled at Cai Jin and said, "We haven't seen each other for two years!"

    "Yes! It's been more than two years and a month. The last time I came to Jiangxia was on business."

    Liu Jing nodded, waved her hand and said with a smile, "Please sit down!"

    The two sat down by the window. Liu Jing glanced at him again. There were three shocking blood marks on Cai Jin's face and on his neck. It could be seen that they were from whips. The marks were very new and should have happened recently.

    "What's the matter with the injury on your face?"

    "Alas! My master is angry."

    Cai Jin then told the story of burning the boat, but did not say what the reason was. Finally, he said sadly: "The master of the family was furious and whipped me more than ten times."

    Liu Jing glanced at the faintly visible ferry wreckage outside the window. In fact, this was also the first thing he cared about. Why did Cai Jin burn the boat?  He really couldn't figure out Cai Jin's motives.

    "Can you tell me why you burned the ship? Is this an order from General Wen?"

    Cai Jin felt bitter in his heart, and sighed: "Speaking of it, I should be killed. The ship is a public weapon of Jingzhou, but I burned it because of family interests. I feel really ashamed in my heart. When Marshal Wen comes back, I will apologize to him!"

    "Is your family's intention to burn the boat?" Liu Jing asked puzzledly, why did the Cai family burn the boat.

    Cai Jin nodded, "It was my grandfather's intention. He was worried that the head of the family would not be able to withstand the pressure of Cao Jun and surrender to Cao Jun, so he ordered me to burn the ferry to put an end to the idea of ????the head of the family. Unfortunately, there were still more than two hundred left.  The ship was not burned."

    This reason surprised Liu Jing. He also knew that the Cai family, like the Tao family, was nominally headed by Cai Mao, but in reality the power within the family was in the hands of the previous head. Liu Jing also knew that Cai Xun was a very powerful person.  The wise elders of the Cai family.

    He thought to himself, ¡®This man is quite knowledgeable. I would like to visit him when I have time.  ¡¯

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled and asked, "Are you going to see your grandfather recently?"

    ¡°I¡¯m going there in a few days.¡±

    "You might as well call me when you go, I also want to visit your ancestor."

    "If the prefect is willing to go, I will definitely tell him."

    The two chatted casually for a few words, and then the topic turned to Wenpin. Cai Jin was more concerned about his master's situation. He asked cautiously: "I wonder how my master is doing? He should be in Jiangxia!"

    "General Wen has already arrived in Jiangxia. He set off almost at the same time as me, but he has to avoid Zhang Yun. He will arrive in Xiangyang two days late. He should arrive in Xiangyang tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

    "I can rest assured that!"

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, and then asked with a hint of joking: "If one day, Cao Cao personally leads the army south, and under pressure, the head of your family surrenders to Cao Cao, I wonder if Brother Cai will also follow? I'm being honest, please.  Brother Cai, don¡¯t blame me!¡±

    Liu Jing¡¯sThis question was extremely rude to a certain extent and was a disguised insult to the head of the Cai family. However, Cai Jin was not angry. Liu Jing's words touched his heart. He knew that the head of the family would surrender to Cao Cao sooner or later in order to protect the interests of the family. So, then  Where should Cai Jin go?

    After a long silence, Cai Jin sighed and said, "I'll go with Master. Where does Master go? I'll go there."

    Cai Jin¡¯s answer was as expected by Liu Jing. He went in such a big circle not for Cai Jin, but for Wenpin. The person he really wanted was Wenpin.

    But Liu Jing also knew that Wenpin was loyal to Liu Biao, and as long as Liu Biao was around, Wenpin would not consider anywhere else.

    But Liu Biao¡¯s time is running out, and the time for Wenpin¡¯s decision is getting closer and closer. Wenpin is a loyal and upright person. Will he continue to be loyal to Liu Cong, or switch to Liu Qi?

    This makes Liu Jing very worried. Now Cai Jin is sitting in front of him. Can we know anything about Wenpin's plans from Cai Jin?

    ??Or use Cai Jin as a breakthrough, and finally recruit Wenpin to his subordinates through Cai Jin. To put it bluntly, Liu Biao's death was the beginning of the great division of the Jingzhou family.

    Liu Jing sat up straight, looked at Cai Jin and said slowly: "Brother Cai, have you considered coming to Jiangxia and joining me in the fight against Cao?"

    Cai Jin was silent. In fact, he wanted to join Liu Jing three years ago. But because of his master, he did not choose to go to Jiangxia, but stayed with his master.

    Now that Liu Jing has formally proposed this hope to him, Cai Jin has mixed feelings in his heart and doesn't know how to answer for a while.

    Finally, he sighed and said, "Please let me think about it for a while, prefect. Once I decide, I will follow you loyally!"

    Liu Jing nodded, "I'll wait for the good news."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    While Liu Jing and Cai Jin were talking in detail, Xu Shu also appeared in Zhuge Liang's residence. Since Xu Shu went to Jiangxia County five years ago, he has never seen Zhuge Liang again. Although he returned to Longzhong three years ago,  Zhuge Liang happened to go to Shuzhong at that time, and they missed each other.

    After not seeing each other for five years, both of them felt a sense of vicissitudes of life. Too many things had happened in the past five years, making it difficult for them to explain in words.

    In the study, Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu sat across the table. Next to them sat Huang Yueying, who was also an old friend of Xu Shu. They had not seen each other for several years, and everyone felt happy to see their old friend again.

    Zhuge Liang¡¯s baby daughter Zhuge Guo is only four years old. She is also sitting beside her father seriously, but she is practicing calligraphy. She holds a small pen in her delicate little hands and imitates her mother¡¯s calligraphy stroke by stroke.

    After writing for a while, she quietly drew a kitten, and then took a peek at Xu Shu, and saw that Xu Shu had a short beard, so she also drew a cluster of short whiskers under the kitten's chin, and the kitten's eyes were also drawn well.  Xu Shu is somewhat similar.

    The adults did not notice the child's naughty behavior. Zhuge Liang asked with a smile: "When will Jiangxia prepare to attack Fancheng?"

    Xu Shu took a sip of tea and smiled and said: "We haven't decided yet. It will be difficult for Jiangxia's army to defeat Cao's army with its own strength. The three families must work together. We are also waiting for Nanjun's army to go north. It should be in the next few days."  ¡±

    "In fact, Jiangxia's army is not weak. It has elite cavalry and heavy armored infantry. It does not necessarily mean that it cannot defeat Cao's army. The key is to deploy its troops properly, such as using cavalry to sneak attack Nanyang or cut off Cao's army's food route. In this case, Cao's army will  It will inevitably retreat north.

    At that time, Jiangxia's army captured Fancheng, which was the first great victory in Jingzhou. It would have a huge impact on boosting the morale of the army and your prefect's prestige in Jingzhou. Why didn't Yuan Zhi suggest it to Liu Taishou?  "

    Xu Shu nodded, "Xiandi's plan is good, but it's a pity that the cavalry has been used elsewhere."

    Zhuge Liang also laughed, "If I guessed correctly, I should have gone to Runan or Yingchuan, but this move was not clever. Maybe it was what Cao Cao wanted."

    "How do you say this?"

    Zhuge Liang smiled faintly, "At this time, Cao Cao led an army to the Wuhuan expedition. The Central Plains was empty. The Jingzhou cavalry went north. Although it would not capture Xuchang, it would definitely cause a shock in the Central Plains.

    Some people who are dissatisfied with Cao Cao will take the opportunity to contact him, especially there are many anti-Cao ministers in the court. If they make any changes, they will definitely be noticed by the spies deployed by Cao Cao.

    "When Cao Cao returns with his troops, they will be able to eradicate them one by one and eliminate all worries for him to go south to Jingzhou. Do you think Cao Cao will not thank your cavalry for going north?"  "

    Xu Shu was speechless. He had to admit that Zhuge Liang's knowledge was at a higher level, and he did not expect this.

    At this time, Huang Yueying also sighed: "There have been great changes in the past few years. Most of the old friends have gone their separate ways. I often advise Kong Ming to become an official and benefit the people of the world in order to realize his ambition. Don't live in the mountains and forests forever, butEven if he doesn¡¯t listen, Yuan Zhi, you should try to persuade him!  "

    "That's exactly why I'm here!"

    Xu Shu quickly took out an autographed letter from Liu Jing, put it on the table, pushed it in front of Zhuge Liang, and said with a smile: "I wonder if Kong Ming is willing to serve as an official and take up the post of Jiangxia military advisor. Mr. Jing has admired his virtuous brother for a long time, and he is willing to use his virtuous brother's name as a virtuous brother."  As a military advisor, we will work together to help the Han Dynasty!"

    Zhuge Liang raised his head and laughed, "Yuan Zhi is ten times more talented than Kong Ming. Why doesn't Young Master Jing use Yuan Zhi as his military advisor? Why do you have to worry about me, a mountain villager?"

    "My dear brother makes me blush. I am self-aware, but my talent is far inferior to that of my dear brother. I often tell Mr. Jing that Kong Ming has talents in the world. If he meets the master of Ming Dynasty, he will be like Jiang Shang, who was born eight hundred years ago in the Zhou Dynasty.  , Zhang Zifang, who lived in the 400th year of the Han Dynasty, was also fascinated by the wise brother Kong Ming. If he were not busy with military affairs today, he would definitely come to visit in person. "

    Zhuge Liang still shook his head and said with a smile: "Yuan Zhi thinks too highly of me. I am lazy by nature and don't want to be busy with government affairs. I'm afraid I will disappoint Yuan Zhi."

    Huang Yueying next to her saw that her husband declined Xu Shu's kindness, and she felt a little sorry. She also advised Zhuge Liang: "Master Jing must be very good, otherwise Yuan Zhi and the mountain people will not be loyal to him. Looking at Jingzhou, the only prosperous one is Jiangxia.  I also heard that the people of Jiangxia live and work in peace and contentment, do not pick up lost things on the road, and do not close their homes at night. This is the sign of a wise ruler who governs the country. My husband also praises Jiangxia for its good governance. Since Mr. Jing sincerely invites me, why don't you give it a try? "

    Zhuge Liang smiled and said nothing. No matter how Xu Shu and his wife tried to persuade him, Zhuge Liang refused to agree. Xu Shu had no choice but to say goodbye and leave.

    Zhuge Liang saw off the guests and returned to the study. Huang Yueying had already packed up the tea sets and complained to her husband: "I really don't understand what you think. Didn't you say that as long as Mr. Jing sincerely invites you, you can consider going to Jiangxia? Now I'm inviting you.  As a military advisor, you are above Yuan Zhi, but you don¡¯t agree.¡±

    "Sincerity?" Zhuge Liang sneered, "I don't see how he is sincere!"

    "well!"

    Huang Yueying knew her husband too well. She was stubborn and proud at heart. She sighed and said, "It's just that he refuses to come to the door in person. Didn't Yuan Zhi say that? He is busy with military affairs, otherwise he would definitely come to visit."

    Zhuge Liang smiled and said nothing. He hugged his daughter and drew a cat with a pen. The face was a bit long and he added a long beard, just like himself. Zhuge Guo chuckled, grabbed the pen and wrote "Zhuge Liang" next to him.  Cat' three words.

    Huang Yueying didn't notice the little actions of the father and daughter. She was still thinking about what happened just now. Although she defended Liu Jing, she was really a little strange in her heart. Liu Jing was obviously stationed in Longzhong, why didn't he come in person?  You know, this is not a small official like a secretary, but a military advisor.

    She asked in confusion: "Mr. Jing is obviously in Longzhong, why doesn't he come to visit your husband in person? He had to send the mountain people first, and then Yuan Zhi. In fact, I think since he only wants to use your husband, he should come in person to visit me."  Wouldn¡¯t it be more sincere?¡±

    Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "This is the cleverness of Mr. Jing. He has to consider Yuan Zhi's feelings. After all, Yuan Zhi has been with him for many years. Yuan Zhi should be the military advisor, but he came to invite me. If he behaves too enthusiastically,  , it would hurt Yuan Zhi's heart, so he asked Yuan Zhi to come. If Yuan Zhi is willing to accept it, he will naturally come in person after a while. "

    Huang Yueying nodded silently. In fact, she thought Liu Jing was very good. She had come to invite her husband to serve as an official several times, and she had done her best. She also hoped that her husband could help Liu Jing, and he was Tao Zhan's husband, who was good both in public and private affairs.

    "If Mr. Jing comes to invite your husband in person, will your husband agree?"

    "To be honest, I don't know either."

    Zhuge Liang sighed, "It's hard to explain this matter. Liu Jing is indeed good. He is young and pragmatic, ambitious and a wise leader. But after several years of observation, I feel that Uncle Liu Huang is not bad either. He is generous and benevolent, and has great reputation in the world. He is worthy of following."  "They are all people with great ambitions. To be honest, madam, I really can't make up my mind!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 250 Sneak Attack on Nanyang

    Dingying County, Runan County, is a middle county in the north of Runan County. It is only fifty miles away from Yingchuan County. The county seat is built close to Run River. At its most prosperous period, it had a population of about 2,000 households and was famous for raising cattle.

    But in the Battle of Runan in the sixth year of Jian'an, Dingying County also suffered heavy losses, and the county's population dropped sharply to less than 300 households.

    Six years have passed, and the population of Dingying County has only grown to 500 households. The city is dilapidated and the economy is in decline. At night, the entire county is lifeless, like a dead city.

    On the east bank of Ru River, about three miles south of Dingying County, there is a grassland covering thousands of acres, distributed on low rolling hills.

    This is a natural cattle ranch in Dingying County, covered with lush pasture. During the day, people from the county town will drive their cattle here to graze. At night, the cattle will drive back to the county town.

    At dusk that day, more than two thousand war horses appeared on the grassland, leisurely munching on fresh and juicy alfalfa and grass. In a forest to the south of the grassland, more than two thousand Jingzhou cavalry were gathering together to prepare dinner.  .

    This morning, they surrounded and suppressed the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army in Xiaocang Mountain in the south, killed more than a hundred bandits, seized more than 200 cattle and sheep, and rescued dozens of robbed women. The women have been sent home.  , and cattle and sheep became the best trophies for the cavalry.

    Although killing cattle is not in harmony with the farming culture, they did not care too much during the march, and the cavalry had to eat dry food for several days. Today they can finally feast. Dozens of soldiers gathered around the fire to roast beef and mutton.  There was a roar of laughter, and wild laughter kept coming.

    A temporary marching tent has been set up next to the woods. Candles were lit in the tent. A map of the Central Plains was spread on a small table. The cavalry commander Liao Huazheng and Li Fu sat opposite each other and studied the next move.

    It was the seventh day since they sent out troops. On the third day, they captured the security city of Runan County. They then went to Yingchuan County, ran around in the suburbs of Xudu, and then returned to Runan, where they were already stationed for rest.  for two days.

    According to Li Fu's idea, it is best to go to Chenliu or Luoyang. Cao's army there is empty and easy to capture. Once a big city like Chenliu or Luoyang is captured, it will have a huge impact on the situation in the Central Plains. Therefore, in the past two days, Li  Fu has been persuading Liao Hua to go north to Chenliu.

    But Liao Hua was not interested in Li Fu's suggestion. Before leaving, Liu Jing made it clear to him that he only wanted to go to the Central Plains to show off his power and not to waste his troops.

    Although Chenliu and Luoyang are empty, they are big cities in the Central Plains after all, and there must be garrison troops. Liao Hua does not want his soldiers to die in vain in such a unnecessary siege.

    When attacking Ancheng County, more than 30 cavalrymen were killed, which made Liao Hua heartbroken. It would not matter if he occupied the city from now on, but after only occupying the city for one day and then leaving, Liao Hua believed that the death of the soldiers was meaningless.

    So no matter how Li Fu persuaded him, Liao Hua just refused to agree. At this time, a soldier brought in a plate of roasted beef and mutton. Liao Hua smiled and said: "Fill your stomach first. I haven't eaten such delicious barbecue for a long time. Mr. Li Bo  ,please!"

    Li Fu had no appetite for the fragrant roast beef. He was very frustrated. He repeatedly persuaded Liao Hua that capturing Chenliu or Luoyang would shake the world and be of great significance. Even the latent pro-Yuan forces in Hebei would rise up.

    Li Fu cut a small piece of meat with a dagger and put it in his mouth to chew slowly. He couldn't help but said to Liao Hua: "General Liao, Chen Liu's garrison will not exceed two thousand at most. We can pretend to be Cao's army and enter the city. Chen Liu  Located in the hinterland of the Central Plains, the defenders would never have imagined that the Jingzhou Army would march north. It would be easy to capture this city without losing a single soldier. "

    Liao Hua shook his head and smiled: "Master Bo thinks too simply. In Xuchang, we were intercepted by thousands of Cao troops. You forgot, Cao Jun's patrol also admitted that they were ordered to guard against Jingzhou cavalry. This must be Cao Cao's order, Xuchang  With this order, Chen Liu must also have it. We may even be lured into the city by the enemy and be annihilated in Wengcheng. It will definitely not work to pretend to be Cao's army and enter the city."

    "Or we can pretend to be merchants and sneak into the city and cooperate with the cavalry at night."

    Before Li Fu could say anything else, Liao Hua waved his hand and said, "I can understand Master Li's mood, but the eunuch has strict orders and requires me to ensure the safety of the cavalry. This is Jingzhou's most precious wealth, and I don't want to cause unnecessary losses.  "

    Li Fu was still talking, when a soldier quickly walked into the tent and handed a piece of information to Liao Hua, "Urgent order from the prefect!"

    This order was sent by pigeon letter from Xiangyang to Xiakou, and then to Ancheng County. It was delivered by fast horse. Liao Hua perked up and opened the letter quickly. He read it quickly and said to Li Fu with a smile: "Prefect's order."  Let¡¯s divert to Nanyang!¡±

    Li Fu couldn't say a word for a long time, so he could only sigh. In the final analysis, Liu Jing didn't really want to attack the Central Plains. After going around like this twice, he decided toDetermined to go to Nanyang County.

    An hour later, two thousand cavalrymen left Dingying County under cover of darkness and galloped toward Nanyang County.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It is not far from Dingying County to Nanyang County. The distance is only a hundred miles. It is about 180 miles away from the county to Wancheng. There is a flat official road going straight. More importantly, the four hooves of the war horses were nailed three years ago.  Shoe the horses so that the horses can travel long distances.

    Two thousand cavalry marched overnight and arrived at Ye County in the northeast of Nanyang County at dawn.

    Ye County is known as the east gate of Nanyang County. It is located at the junction of Yingchuan County and Nanyang County, just between Funiu Mountain and Tongbai Mountain. It has flat terrain, many rivers, fertile land, and a very important geographical location. It has always been a battleground for military strategists.  .

    Ye County is also the logistics center for Cao Cao¡¯s two expeditions to Wancheng. A large number of warehouses were built here to store food and supplies. It is still a material transfer station for Cao Cao¡¯s army to increase troops in Nanyang.

    In the early morning, the Jiangxia cavalry who had been running all night rested in a forest about ten miles away from Ye County. Liao Hua also sent a team of scouts to gather information.

    The mountain forest is extremely quiet. The sun shines through the leaves into the forest, forming straight beams of light, which shine on the soldiers lying on the ground. A small river runs through the forest, and the river is full of equally tired horses. Some  They were drinking water, and some were quietly chewing hay in the bag.

    Liao Hua sat on a big rock. He was a little anxious. All the dry food they carried would be eaten by noon today. The soldiers were facing the threat of running out of food. He originally did not want to attack Ye County, but in order to get food, he had no choice but to attack Ye County.  County warehouse, now he is worried about the defense of Cangcheng and whether there is any food in Cangcheng.

    While I was deep in thought, there was the sound of horse hooves outside the woods, and a sentry shouted: "General Liao, they are back!"

    After a while, the scouts led the horses into the woods, and Li Fu was among them. He also followed to gather information.

    "Anything gained?" Liao Hua jumped off the boulder and walked forward quickly and asked.

    Li Fu nodded and said with a smile: "Although most of the grain and grass have been transported to Wancheng, there is still a lot of grain and grass in the Ye County warehouse, and there are not many defenders, only more than a thousand people. However, there are earthen walls around the warehouse. If the general  If you don¡¯t want to cause casualties, you still have to resort to tactics.¡±

    Liao Hua nodded, frowned slightly and said, "It's not bad to pretend to be Cao Jun. Unfortunately, we don't have Cao Jun's uniforms or command arrows. I'm afraid this plan won't work."

    Li Fu smiled faintly, "There is something that can attract all Cao Jun."

    At noon, more than a dozen floats drove out of Ye County and headed towards the warehouse. The so-called floats were actually a kind of mobile brothel. The population moved frequently in the late Han Dynasty, and brothels were no exception. Brothel prostitutes would also travel from county to county.  Mobile, doing business in populated areas.

    "But these dozen floats belong to three brothels in Ye County. Under normal circumstances, they generally do not leave the city, let alone at the same time.

    At this time, they were all heading to the same destination. The floats were filled with young prostitutes, warblings and swallows, and they were extremely lively. They left a scent wherever they passed, causing passers-by to stop and watch. Many people looked at it eagerly.  These dozen floats left the city.

    Cangcheng is located in the north of the county, about two miles away. It is a huge building complex covering an area of ??1,000 acres. It is surrounded by earth walls, two feet high, solid and thick. Hundreds of huge warehouses, grain and grass have been built in Cangcheng.  Ordnance, flag drums, tents, and various military supplies are piled in the warehouse.

    Since Nanyang Cao¡¯s army sent troops to Jingzhou, a large amount of materials in the warehouses in Ye County have been transported to Wancheng. However, there are still more than a dozen warehouses filled with grain and grass in Cangcheng. There are currently a thousand defenders guarding Cangcheng.

    Just after lunch, it was the rest time for the soldiers. A dozen floats suddenly appeared in the open space outside the gate of Cangcheng. There were followers setting up tents in the open space, preparing to open for business.

    More than a hundred prostitutes dressed up in gorgeous clothes got out of the bullock carts and horse-drawn carriages, looking around and laughing. A dozen bold young prostitutes even walked forward and waved and smiled at the soldiers guarding the gate, making coquettish gestures.  There were even a few coquettish women who pulled up their skirts, revealing a patch of white thighs.

    The news spread quickly throughout Cangcheng. More than a thousand soldiers of Cao's army swarmed in and crowded the gate. Everyone's eyes were full of eagerness. Some people kept laughing and cursing loudly and saying obscene words.

    At this time, the tooth general from Shoucang City also came after hearing the news. The soldiers immediately surrounded him and booed him, asking to go out of the city to enjoy it.

    More than a dozen large tents have been set up outside the gate. More than a hundred prostitutes lined up in a long row, coquettishly making coquettish gestures to the more than a thousand soldiers inside the gate, luring them out to do business, which further aroused the soldiers' primitive desires.  There were slaps and shouts.

    Teeth will be cutThe soldiers were helpless and had no choice but to give the order: "Go in batches, 300 people at a time, no messing around!"

    The gate slowly opened, and the first batch of more than 300 soldiers swarmed out, quickly forming a long queue in front of more than a dozen large tents. There was a chaos in front of the gate, shouting and cursing.

    But no one would have thought that just a few hundred steps away in a forest, two thousand Jingzhou cavalry had quietly appeared, waiting patiently for an opportunity.

    Soon, all the soldiers of Cao's army were burned with desire and no longer paid attention to General Ya's orders. Groups of soldiers kept running out of the city, more and more. There were more than 800 soldiers of Cao's army lined up outside the city.  The city gates are wide open, allowing free entry and exit.

    Seeing the opportunity coming, Liao Hua waved his sword and shouted: "Kill out!"

    Two thousand cavalry surged out from the woods, like a flood bursting a bank, their hooves sounded like thunder, and their shouts of killing shook the sky. They swept toward the gate of Cangcheng with overwhelming force.

    The soldiers of Cao's army at the gate were in chaos. They stumbled and fled into the city. Hundreds of people blocked the gate, making it impossible to close the gate.

    The Jiangxia cavalry arrived in an instant. The horses collided, spears stabbed, and swords slashed. Cao's soldiers were killed with blood and flesh flying everywhere. Their heads rolled to the ground. The soldiers howled and screamed and fled in all directions.

    General Cao Junya was so anxious that he shouted: "Close the city gate! Close the door!"

    A dozen soldiers pushed open the door desperately, but the outside was crowded with Cao soldiers crying. At this moment, the city gate was slammed open. Liao Hua took the lead and led more than a thousand cavalry into Cangcheng.

    "kill!"

    Liao Hua roared angrily, swung his spear, and shot Cao Junya General to the ground. He turned around and ordered loudly: "Seize the food and grass, and set fire to the city!"

    An hour later, a fire burst into the sky in Cangcheng, Ye County. The fire burned the city, and thick smoke rolled up tens of feet, which could be clearly seen hundreds of miles away.

    The news that Cangcheng in Ye County was attacked and burned quickly spread to the south as if it had wings.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 251 Another attack on the grain road

    The fire in Ye County burned for three days and three nights. On top of Wancheng City at night, Cao Hong's eyes were particularly solemn. He stared at the firelight under the night cover in the distance for a long time. Wancheng was nearly seventy miles away from Ye County, but he could still see it so clearly.  You can imagine the intensity of the fire.

    Cao Hong had just returned to Wancheng from Fancheng, but he encountered Ye County being attacked, which made him feel surprised and worried. At this time, general Lu Kuang stepped forward and said: "Luo Lin, the guard of Cangcheng in Ye County, is careful.  It couldn't have been an accident, it should have been a surprise attack by the Jingzhou Army."

    After a pause, Lu Kuang suggested again: "Ye County has little impact on the entire battle situation. The general recommends not to tell Fan Cheng for the time being, so as not to shake the morale of the army."

    Cao Hong shook his head, "Zixiao is the commander-in-chief, how can we hide him? Moreover, Jia Xu is also in Fancheng. They know what to do and immediately send someone to Fancheng to report!"

    Lu Kuang agreed, and just as he was about to leave, Cao Hong stopped him again, "Also, immediately increase the number of soldiers guarding the grain transport convoy, and strengthen the reconnaissance of the grain road!"

    "Follow your orders!"

    Lu Kuang hurried away, and Cao Hong looked at the fire in the distance again. He slowly gritted his teeth and whispered to himself: "You bastard, if you can, just cut off my food path!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It is about two hundred miles from Wancheng to Fancheng. There is a flat and spacious official road that leads directly from the north to the south. Usually there is an endless stream of vehicles and horses. It is the most important commercial road connecting Jingzhou and the Central Plains.

    Since Cao's army went south and the Battle of Fancheng broke out, this official road was requisitioned by Cao's army. The road became deserted and deserted. Very few vehicles and pedestrians were seen. The business travelers who came and went had to take smaller roads instead. Only troops or military supplies convoys were on the official road.  interest.

    The war was largely about logistical support. Cao Cao¡¯s 40,000 troops went south, and there were thousands of horses, which consumed a lot of food and grass every day.

    Grain and grass were mainly transported from Wancheng through official roads. During Cao's army's southern expedition, Cao's army requisitioned more than 3,000 oxen carts and 10,000 deer carts from Nanyang, Yingchuan, and Runan counties, and continued to drive towards Fancheng every day.  Transport grain and fodder.

    On the morning of the third day after the fire in Ye County, two thousand Jiangxia cavalry took a small road to bypass Wancheng and headed south.

    Early in the morning, it started to rain lightly, and the distant mountains were as if covered with a thin layer of gauze. The green leaves and grass were washed by the rain and became more lush and green, quite a bit like a plain forest in the desert.  The artistic conception of smoke like weaving.

    By noon, the rain gradually became heavier and drizzling, gray-white rain and fog enveloped the earth, and the mountains, forests and hills in the distance became blurred.

    Liao Hua and Li Fu led the cavalry all the way south to the vicinity of Hekou Town, which was the only way to Fancheng. A massacre turned Hekou Town into a dead town. Although the bodies had been buried, Hekou Town was still stained with blood.  , eerie.

    The rain was getting heavier and heavier. The soldiers cherished their war horses and went into the town to take shelter from the rain. However, they unexpectedly found that the town was empty, the shop doors were open, and the inside was in a mess.

    Li Fu was riding on his horse, carefully looking at the broken shop doors on both sides and the bloodstains on the walls. He shook his head and said to Liao Hua: "There must have been a robbery and massacre here. All the people in the town were either killed or ran away.  "

    Liao Hua sneered: "Cao's army is like locusts crossing the border, is it possible to escape?"

    He immediately ordered the cavalry, "Each find a place to rest!"

    The soldiers entered the shop one after another, fed the horses with grass and water, and buried the pots to make rice. After a while of busy work, Liao Hua and Li Fu also entered a shop to rest. Since the Cangcheng was burned down in Ye County, Liao Hua admired Li Fu very much and also  I trusted him a lot and consulted him on almost all military affairs.

    "Do you think the rain will affect Cao Jun's ration delivery?"

    Li Fu smiled and said: "The people responsible for transporting grain and grass are all civilians recruited from nearby counties. Cao Jun is not a pity person. If the transportation of grain and grass is interrupted and Cao Ren is angered, who can bear it? General Liao, don't worry!  A food transport convoy will arrive soon."

    As soon as he finished speaking, a scout rushed into the town on horseback, rushed to Liao Hua and reported: "Report to General Qi, an enemy grain transport team was found ahead, with about 500 ox carts, ten miles away from us!"

    Liao Hua and Li Fu looked at each other and smiled. As expected, the opportunity came. Liao Hua immediately ordered, "Send the order, mount the horse and get ready to go!"

    The cavalrymen got on their horses one after another, covered themselves with oilcloth, turned their horses and galloped out of the town, like streams of water quickly converging into small rivers, and ran out of Hekou Town.

    Hekou Town was built on the official road. The wide official road passed through the middle of the town and divided the town into two. The cavalry did not leave far, and they were just a few hundred steps away in a stretch of several miles long.  Hidden in the woods.

    About half an hour later, a group of long snake-like ox carts slowly walked south. The road was muddy and the ox carts moved extremely slowly.

    oneGenerally speaking, in addition to ox carts, the vehicles used to transport grain on official roads are deer carts. The so-called deer carts are human-powered wheelbarrows. In the Battle of Huaihai, the small carts used by civilians to transport grain were deer carts.

    Most of the convoys transporting grain are a mixture of ox carts and deer carts, but today the grain carts on the official road are all ox carts. Two ox carts are driving side by side, fully loaded with grain and grass. Because of the rain, the grain and grass on the ox carts are not used.  Wrapped in black oilcloth, a driver drove an ox cart slowly forward.

    There are more than a hundred cavalry guards on both sides of the bullock cart. Every few bullock carts, there will be a soldier holding a spear in his hand, watching both sides vigilantly.

    When Li Fu came out of the town, he was thoughtful and silent, as if he had something on his mind. At this time, he looked at the grain oxcart and his frown deepened. Liao Hua noticed something strange about him and asked, "What happened?"  "

    Li Fu shook his head, "I can't explain it, I just feel something is wrong."

    He looked into Liao Hua's eyes and said, "I was thinking that when we burned down the city of Cangcheng in Ye County, the thick smoke rose thirty feet high and could be seen a hundred miles away. Didn't Wancheng know? If they knew, would they have thought of it?  Our next attack target.¡±

    Liao Hua understood what he meant, and his brows knitted together, "Are you saying that this food team has a little too few guards?"

    Li Fu nodded, looked at the slowly approaching bullock cart, and said to himself: "There are more than three hundred people at most. In normal times, these soldiers are enough to guard against hungry people and bandits, but now they should know our existence."  , and being so careless and negligent is inconsistent with both emotion and reason.¡±

    "And these oxcarts seem to be carrying the same things. The fodder should be piled high and the grain carts should be heavy, but they all have the same appearance. What is under the tarpaulin, is it food or an ambush?"

    Liao Hua was startled and looked carefully. The more he looked, the more suspicious he became. Then he ordered a village commander behind him: "Take a few brothers and go around behind the last bullock cart and shoot at the bullock cart with crossbow arrows to see what's there."  reaction!"

    "Follow the order!"

    The commander of the village waved his hand and rushed away with two cavalrymen. After a while, they rushed behind the last ox cart. Immediately, the escorting Cao Jun cavalry rushed to intercept the cavalry. The three horsemen were very good at riding and bypassed the Cao Jun cavalry.

    On the other side, they gradually approached the oxcart. Dozens of steps away, three people raised their crossbows and fired quickly. Three arrows shot strongly into the oxcart.

    There was a scream from the ox cart, and the oilcloth was suddenly opened. Five Cao Jun crossbowmen were hidden inside. Two of them were shot and fell in the ox cart. The other three jumped out of the ox cart in shock and looked around blankly.

    ¡°What a dog!¡±

    Liao Hua cursed, it was indeed a bait. If they rushed forward and the crossbowmen on the ox cart fired arrows at random, they would probably suffer nearly half of their casualties.

    "not good!"

    Li Fu's expression changed and he immediately said: "Get out of here quickly. How can Cao's army not have troops to respond?"

    Liao Hua also realized that the opponents were almost all crossbowmen. If there were no supporting troops, they would be massacred. Cao Jun would never be so careless.

    He turned around and looked around, only to see thick black soldiers appearing several miles away in the north and south, blocking both ends. It was obvious that the other side had laid a trap to hunt them.

    At this time, a military prince next to him suggested: "General, you can leave from behind the town. There is a small wooden bridge to the north of the town, which can be used to cross the Bi River. I will ensure that the wooden bridge is not broken."

    Liao Hua immediately made a decision, "Bypass the bullock cart and return to the town!"

    Two thousand cavalrymen fought out of the woods. They did not rush towards the oxcart. Instead, they bypassed the oxcart from far away from the south and rushed towards Hekou Town. Hekou Town was close to Bishui. As expected, there was something more than a hundred steps away to the north.  A wooden bridge is hidden among more than a dozen dense weeping willows.

    The cavalry quickly crossed the wooden bridge. The last few soldiers set a fire on the wooden bridge. The cavalry crossed the east bank of Bishui. Liao Hua left a cavalry of fifty people to continue harassing the grain road. The rest of the army did not  Stay again and run directly to Fancheng in the south.

    Liu Jing told Liao Hua in the intelligence that there were cavalry supply ships anchored by the Han River.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the Cao Jun camp in Fancheng, the general Cao Ren was pacing back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands. He received several express letters from Cao Hong from Wancheng and learned that Cangcheng in Ye County was burned down and that more than a thousand soldiers guarded the city.  were annihilated. According to intelligence, the attackers were an elite cavalry force of more than 2,000 men.

    Of course Cao Ren knew the origin of this cavalry. Before he sent out the troops, the prime minister repeatedly told him that to prevent Liu Jing from leading the Jiangxia army northward, he must be especially careful with a cavalry of more than 2,000 men.

    Now this cavalry finally showed up. Not only did they attack Ye County and burn down Cangcheng, they also escaped from the trap set by Cao Hong and are now missing.

    It has been ten days since Cao¡¯s army occupied Fancheng, but the Jingzhou army on the other side has not yet arrived.There were signs of counterattack, which made Cao Ren feel helpless as his punches missed the target.

    Although Cao Ren's mission was not to defeat the Jingzhou army and occupy Xiangyang, Cao Cao gave him the mission to occupy Fancheng and maintain a deterrent to Jingzhou. However, as a general, when he saw a weak brigade not far away, he would feel the urge to fight.  The desire tortured him almost to the point of going crazy, but he didn't have a warship.

    This pain made Cao Ren hate Cai Mao even more. He deliberately burned the ferry boat even though he had surrendered to the prime minister. Was this a gesture of contempt for his own order?

    Just when Cao Ren was sighing in the camp, Jia Xu appeared at the door of the tent and asked with a smile: "General Cao, can I come in?"

    Because of Cao Ang and Cao Anmin, Cao Ren and Cao Hong have never liked Jia Xu. Cao Cao had the extraordinary magnanimity to forgive Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu, but the other Cao brothers did not have such magnanimity.

    Cao Ren is a little better. As the general, he must be responsible for the entire Jingzhou war situation, so he is polite to Jia Xu who joins the army. Cao Hong is not. He has an impatient temper. Every time he sees Jia Xu, he always glares at him with a look that makes him want to be stabbed.  Kill Jia Xu.

    Every time Jia Xu offered advice, Cao Hong was the first to oppose him with a very firm attitude. Cao Hong's opposition made it difficult for other generals to express their opinions. Cao Ren tried to persuade him several times to no avail, so he simply sent Cao Hong back to guard Wancheng.  Lest their disagreements affect the war situation.

    Cao Ren glanced at Jia Xu, forced a smile and said, "What's the matter with joining the army?"

    "I'm here to congratulate the general!"

    Cao Ren was startled, "Why am I so happy?"

    Jia Xu narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Isn't the general worried that there are no ferries? I made a little plan to let the general collect hundreds of ferries in vain."

    Cao Ren was still confused. He didn't understand what Jia Xu meant.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    That night, Cao Ren issued an order. Due to Jiangxia cavalry's sneak attack on Nanyang County and harassment of grain roads, which made it difficult to supply food, he ordered Fancheng to be abandoned and the troops to withdraw to Xinye County.

    As the withdrawal order was issued, groups of Cao troops began to evacuate Fancheng and marched toward Xinye County in the north.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 252 Coach Battle

    After nearly ten days of mobilizing troops and generals, a large army had gathered near Xiangyang. Sixty thousand troops in Xiangyang were stationed in the east and west of Xiangyang and outside the north city, led by Wenpin, Wang Wei, Zhang Yun and Cai He respectively.

    Liu Bei also led an army of 20,000 people to detour to Jiangxia by boat, and finally arrived at Xiangyang, stationed in the original Xiangyang Navy Camp twenty miles east of Xiangyang, plus the 20,000 Jiangxia Navy troops already stationed in Longzhong.  , at this time there were 100,000 troops stationed near Xiangyang City.

    This morning, with the joint guarantee of Cai Mao, Kuai Yue and Liu Xian, Liu Jing and Liu Bei came to Xiangyang Chengzhou Yamen to participate in the formal discussion of joint resistance against Cao Cao.

    Liu Jing led a hundred guards into the city from the west gate. After entering the city gate and walking a few hundred steps, they arrived at the state government office.

    At this time, Jingzhou's government offices were deserted. Cao's army's march south had a huge impact on Jingzhou, especially the massacre in Hedong Town, which made everyone in Jingzhou feel in danger. They all moved their families out of Xiangyang.

    Although the officials themselves did not abandon their posts and run away, they had no intention of coming to the state government to work. Most of them hid at home and considered their future.

    Liu Jing went to the meeting hall under the leadership of a guard. Except for a few vigilant guards, he did not see a single official along the way, which made Liu Jing feel a sense of disillusionment. Only the end of a dynasty can come.  It will be so cold and decadent.

    "Good nephew!"

    Liu Jing suddenly heard someone calling him from behind. When he turned around, he saw Kuai Yue standing behind a courtyard gate waving to him, "My dear nephew, come this way!"

    Liu Jing walked into the courtyard and asked with a smile: "Why is Uncle Shi here?"

    "This is Hucao's official room. I often handle official business here."

    Kuai Yue invited Liu Jing into the house. From the yard, the room looked small, but after entering the house, he found that the room was very spacious. There were more than twenty desks and couches. There were paperwork, paper and pens on the desks, but there were only  There were officials sitting behind four desks, and the rest of the desks and couches were empty and covered with a thin layer of dust.

    The two sat down in the back room, and Kuai Yue sighed, "The Zhou Mu is critically ill, and Cao's army went south, which made people in the state government panic. Look, most of the officials didn't come. I sent people to find them, and when they came back, they all said  I am sick or my parents are seriously ill, and I refuse for various reasons. Alas, people¡¯s hearts are gone, and Jingzhou is on the verge of death.¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Actually, simply letting Liu Cong sit in charge of the state government office might save some people's hearts."

    "Just a castrate!"

    When Liu Cong was mentioned, Kuai Yue couldn't help showing a look of contempt on his face. In his opinion, Liu Cong was just a puppet of the Cai family. Liu Cong sitting in Jingzhou was the same as Cai Hao being the state shepherd. Kuai Yue sneered again,  "I'd rather he didn't come and just stayed at the State Shepherd's Mansion."

    "How do Uncle Shi and Cai Mao get along?"

    Liu Jing asked with a smile: "Did there start a fight?"

    Speaking of Cai Mao, Kuai Yue was not annoyed at all. He smiled and said, "I'm afraid you won't believe it. It's a bit strange. Cai Mao has been very polite to me during this period. He came to discuss many things with me and mostly obeyed me.  Liu Xian also feels this way. What does the wise nephew mean by Cai Mao? "

    Liu Jing pondered for a while, then suddenly woke up and sneered: "Uncle Shi, I'm afraid Cai Hao has higher ambitions."

    Kuai Yue understood what Liu Jing meant and nodded, "I am the same way. He wants to inherit the position of state pastor, so he is so polite to us. He obviously wants to win over us, but it's not easy."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "Uncle Shi, if Cao Cao's army goes south and he behaves actively and effectively, it may be possible."

    Kuai Yue was silent. He knew that what Liu Jing said was reasonable. The Cai family was not only the first aristocratic family in Jingzhou, but his father Cai Xi was also famous in the world, with disciples all over the world. Moreover, Cai Hao's uncle Zhang Wen was a former Taiwei and had great prestige.  Gao, he still has connections in the court.

    In order to stabilize Jingzhou, Cao Cao may indeed let Cai Mao serve as the pastor of Jingzhou. If that happens, the Kuai family will really have to step aside, which makes him very melancholy.

    After a while, Kuai Yue sighed, "Speaking of which, the Cai family is still smart. They controlled Liu Cong as a puppet and took control of the military and political power in Jingzhou. I spent so much effort on Liu Qi. In order to support him, the Kuai family spent nearly half of their family property.  In the end, I made Liu Bei¡¯s wedding dress in vain, which makes me extremely sad when I think about it.¡±

    "Have all the interests of the Kuai family been deprived?"

    "It's almost done. The military power has been taken away, and the financial power is also in the hands of Jian Yong. Not only Nanjun, but also the four counties of Yidu, Wuling, Hengyang, and Jianping are also under Liu Bei's control. This time Liu Bei used the excuse of Cao Jun to go south and withdrew his troops.  Nanjun, I don¡¯t think he will come back north again, and that idiot Liu Qi is willing to be manipulated by Liu Bei. He obviously can lead troops north this time, but he just claims to be sick and gives up the military power to Liu Bei. I really don¡¯t know what to do!  Said him."

    ? ?Seeing Liu Qi's stupidity and unkindness, Kuai Yue was filled with resentment and dissatisfaction, but he was helpless.

    He was like a gambler who had lost miserably. He had lost his former wisdom and calmness, and was only filled with resentment and unwillingness. However, he could not offer any useful insights into Liu Jing's current situation and future. He just wanted to tell Liu Jing.  The heart is full of hatred.

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly in her heart and patted Kuai Yue's hand, "The time is coming, let's go!"

    Kuai Yue sighed, got up and took Liu Jing to the main hall. Although he listened to Kuai Yue nagging for a long time, Liu Jing still gained something. He knew that Liu Bei not only controlled Nanjun with the help of Liu Qi, but also controlled Yidu,  Wuling, Hengyang and Jianping counties.

    This can explain how Nanjun can support 30,000 troops. This has always been a mystery in Liu Jing's heart, and now he finally has the answer.

    "It seems that Liu Bei really can't be underestimated!" Liu Jing thought secretly in her heart.

    In the middle hall, Liu Bei has arrived and is sitting on the couch talking to Wang Wei. Cai Mao and Zhang Yun are whispering by the gate. Zhizhong Deng Yi, Farewell Liu Xian and Chang Shi Pangji are also talking on the side. Li Gui, the governor of Xiangyang County, is also talking.  , Jun Cheng Wang Qi, and Nan Jun Cheng Wang Can, who went north with Liu Bei, were sitting on the other side chatting.

    Wenpin, on the other hand, was sitting alone on a single couch, with a serious expression and a straight back, as if he was thinking about something.

    Everyone who was supposed to come was here, but Liu Cong was not there. This was an unpleasant scene. At the moment when the fate of Jingzhou was decided, the Liu family and his son did not show up. This meant that they had gradually withdrawn from the stage of power in Jingzhou.  Only Liu Jing, who represented one party's interests, was left.

    ¡°I¡¯ve kept everyone waiting for a long time!¡±

    Liu Jing walked into the middle hall with a smile, and Cai Hao hurriedly greeted him. He was the military advisor of Jingzhou, his status was only lower than that of Liu Biao, and he was also the convener of today's meeting. He smiled and cupped his hands and said: "Young master Jing, can you come here with this honor?  Cai Mao is extremely grateful. Sir, please come in!"

    Liu Jing glanced at Zhang Yun coldly and walked into the middle hall quickly. Zhang Yun's face turned red and his eyes were as cold as a wild beast staring at Liu Jing. The shame of his subordinates being taken away and himself being captured made him hate Liu Jing in his heart.  Jing is full of hatred.

    Liu Jing and Kuai Yue also found a seat and sat down. Liu Jing deliberately sat next to Wen Pin and laughed softly: "Can General Wen see Cai Jin?"

    Wenpin nodded, "He burned down the ferry without authorization. I have severely punished him and he is now imprisoned in the military camp."

    After a pause, Wenpin leaned forward again and said, "Young Master asked me to return via Jiangxia. Wenpin thanks you again."

    "General Wen, you don't have to be polite."

    Liu Jing glanced at Cai Hao and asked in a low voice: "How is the situation with Zhou Mu?"

    "I don't know either. Except for the Cai family, no one can see the state pastor. It is said that Military Advisor Cai brought an order from the state pastor. I don't know whether it is true or not."

    Wenpin bluntly expressed his distrust of Cai Mao. Liu Jing smiled and did not respond to Wenpin. He wanted to see what kind of order Cai Mao brought?

    "Everyone!"

    Cai Mao stood up, raised his voice and said to everyone: "Cao's army captured Fancheng and threatened Xiangyang. Jingzhou is facing a powerful enemy. The fact that you can come to discuss countermeasures at this critical moment in Jingzhou shows your sincerity. On behalf of Zhou Mu, I would like to thank you in advance."

    Cai Mao¡¯s last words made many people feel uncomfortable. Why can Cai Mao represent Zhou Mu?  Wenpin said coldly: "Commander Cai, I want to remind you that Cao's army has plans to withdraw to the north. We should seize the time to discuss the defense of Jiangbei!"

    "Yes, Cao Jun is preparing to withdraw north, but the channel for Cao Jun to go south has been opened, and they will come to kill at any time. More importantly, our army alone cannot defeat Cao Jun. There must be three-party cooperation. We must cooperate with each other to prevent Cao Jun from being defeated by each other.  Defeat, so I summoned everyone here to discuss. Zhou Mu means to combine the three armies into one and command them under unified command. I wonder what Uncle Liu Huang and Mr. Jing think? "

    Cai Hao glanced at Liu Bei and then at Liu Jing. The smile on his face was still there, but his eyes were a little nervous, a kind of nervousness that could not be concealed.

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "I have no objection, it depends on what the emperor wants."

    Liu Bei pondered for a moment and said: "Commander Cai, can you tell me in detail how to unite the army into one army, how to unify the command, and who will be the commander-in-chief? Is it recommended by everyone, or some other method?"

    "I made it too simple!"

    Cai Mao laughed, took out an order, his face became serious, and he raised his voice and said to everyone: "This is the order issued by Zhou Mu last night. Zhou Mu dictated it, and Mr. Cong wrote it, and stamped it with Zhou Mu. The order said  , a temporary military governor's office was established, and all the troops in Jingzhou were controlled by the military government. As for the first governor, Zhou Mu appointed me to take up the post. "

    Having said this, Cai Hao softened his tone and said with a smile: "?I know that I don¡¯t have this ability, but since the state pastor is so important, I can only do my best. I hope you will support me!  "

    There was silence in the lobby. Although everyone knew that this would be the result, everyone still found it unacceptable that Cai Mao was really going to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

    At this time, Wenpin spoke again, breaking the dull atmosphere in the lobby, "I have a suggestion. I wonder if Military Advisor Cai can listen to it?"

    Cai Mao really hated Wenpin in his heart. This military leader was always against him. Now at this critical moment, he jumped out to sabotage it. If he had known better, he would not have called him to come to discuss.

    Although Cai Mao hated Wenpin so much that he gritted his teeth, he had to pretend to be humble and said with a smile: "General Wen, it doesn't matter if you say so!"

    Wenpin nodded, "In that case, let me make it clear that I fully support the establishment of a temporary metropolitan governor's office. This is conducive to unified operations and giving full play to our military strength. However, I think the selection of the metropolitan governor is still open to discussion."

    "I am the Governor, don't you accept it?" Cai Mao said coldly.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 253 Cai Mao grabs the credit

    "The humble position does not say that the military advisor cannot hold the post of Grand Governor. It is just that the post of Grand Governor should be appointed by the state pastor in public and should not be announced by the military advisor himself. This is a bit"

    "Is there something wrong?"

    Cai Hao interrupted Wenpin and shouted angrily: "You mean I'm falsely conveying the order of the state shepherd, is that true?"

    Wenpin did not back down and said coldly: "I didn't say that. This is what the military advisor said. I just want to say that the military advisor should avoid suspicion."

    Cai Mao was extremely angry, pointed at Wenpin and scolded: "You are clearly alluding to me, Cai Mao, for pretending to pass the order of prefecture pastor. You have been against me for many years. You will oppose everything I propose, and today is no exception, Wenpin!"  What are your intentions?"

    Next to him, Kuai Yue tried to smooth things over and said: "Commander Cai, there is no need to be angry. Since Zhou Mu has been appointed, we will naturally support it, and General Wen will also obey the military advisor's instructions. However, whether Uncle Liu Huang and Young Master Jing agree with this plan, we still need to discuss it with them."  In the face of the enemy, I hope that Commander Cai and General Wen will value peace and not mess up their own positions first."

    Liu Jing was a little surprised. He heard that Kuai Yue's tone was actually a bit helping Cai Mao. At this critical moment, they should be confrontational and unambiguous. Why is peace the most important thing? Isn't this just asking Wenpin to accept Cai Mao as his wife?  Grand Governor?

    Liu Jing glanced at Kuai Yue and thought of what Kuai Yue had just said to him. It seemed that after he failed to compete for Liu Qi, his temperament changed a bit and he began to accept the small favors Cai Mao gave him. Could it be that Kuai Yue had returned to being pro-Cao?  ?

    Liu Jing knew that in history, Kuai Yue was a pro-Cao faction and persuaded Liu Cong to surrender to Cao. However, since his appearance, influenced by various interests, especially after fully supporting Liu Qi as the heir apparent, Kuai Yue gradually turned to the anti-Cao faction.  But after Liu Qi was taken away by Liu Bei, Kuai Yue's attitude began to change again.

    Liu Jing originally thought that with Kuai Yue around, she didn't need to ask for many things, and Kuai Yue would resist for her. But now it seems that Kuai Yue's attitude has become ambiguous and he is no longer reliable.

    Liu Jing stopped being silent and stood up and said: "General Wen is right. This matter is of great importance. It is difficult for people to believe just a piece of order from Zhou Mu. Moreover, Zhou Mu has been lying in bed for a long time and may not understand the situation. It is not as good as me."  Let me propose a plan. Our three armies can set up a coordination command post, and each of them can send one person to participate. If the three armies need to cooperate in combat, the command post can coordinate. I wonder what Military Advisor Cai and Uncle Liu think? "

    Liu Jing's attitude was very clear, that is, he opposed the establishment of a military government office and the establishment of a military governor. He even opposed it when he went to see Liu Biao for confirmation. He knew that Liu Biao would probably let Cai Mao become the governor and take the opportunity to seize his military power.

    Liu Bei originally wanted him to take the lead and serve as the commander-in-chief of the three armies. However, looking at the current situation, it is impossible for Cai Mao to agree. So it would be better to remain independent. At least he can gain some prestige in the end.

    Liu Bei also nodded, "I agree with Mr. Jing's plan to establish a tri-service coordination command post."

    Cai Mao's face became extremely ugly. He stared at Liu Jing and said fiercely: "This is the order of Zhou Mu. Doesn't Mr. Jing no longer recognize Zhou Mu as the lord of Jingzhou?"

    Liu Jing was also rude and argued: "Of course I admit that Zhou Mu is the lord of Jingzhou, but Jingzhou and Jiangxia have reached an agreement. Jingzhou can ask Jiangxia Army for support, but it cannot seize the command of Jiangxia Army. Zhou Mu is in the agreement  It¡¯s stamped with a big seal, and Commander Cai also signed it, doesn¡¯t Commander Cai admit it now?¡±

    Cai Hao was speechless by Liu Jing's words. He turned back and looked at Liu Bei, "Why doesn't the emperor agree?"

    Liu Bei said calmly: "I am commanding the New Field Army, which has nothing to do with Jingzhou. As for the extra army, Mr. Qi entrusted me to command it. If Military Advisor Cai wants to take it back, he should go to Mr. Qi and it has nothing to do with me."

    "If Liu Jing's answer was tit for tat, then Liu Bei's answer was a subtle one. It sounded soft, but it stung Cai Mao so much that he couldn't say a word.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "You bastard!"

    In the room, Cai Mao smashed the teacup on the ground. The teacup burst and scattered pieces. He was so angry that he yelled, "You are so shameless, are you treating me, Cai Mao, like a monkey? One day, he will make them kneel like dogs."  Beg me on the ground!¡±

    Standing next to him were Zhang Yun and Cai He, as well as Xiangyang Governor Li Gui. The reason why Li Gui and Cai Mao got together was because he was also a pro-Cao faction. In Liu Biao's later factional alignment, he finally chose Liu Biao.  Cong became Cai Mao's confidant.

    What¡¯s interesting is that when Liu Biao dealt with Zhang Yun, he was one of the active supporters and promoters, but now he stands with Zhang Yun and jointly makes suggestions for their own factional interests.

    Or this is politics, there are no permanent enemies and allies, only constant interests.

    Li Gui also did not persuade Cai Mao.He waited patiently for Cai Mao's anger to end. He knew that Cai Mao was angry and would calm down when he let out his anger.

    Cai Mao cursed Liu Jing and Liu Bei, and finally calmed down. In fact, he also knew that it was not realistic to bring Liu Jing and Liu Bei's troops under his command, but Liu Jing and Liu Bei smashed his army in front of so many people.  The expectation made him lose face and became angry.

    "What do you think we should do now?" Cai Hao calmed down and asked everyone.

    But his eyes were fixed on Li Gui. He was not interested in Zhang Yun and Cai He. They couldn't make any useful suggestions. But Li Gui, who was usually quiet, was actually very knowledgeable.

    He was the one who planned this time to convene everyone to discuss the establishment of a military office. Although it failed, it was not his problem, but the plan was done well. At least Cai Mao's prestige as the convener was revealed.

    Li Gui knew that Cai Mao was asking himself, so he said calmly: "There are two completely different plans now, and the military advisor can choose by himself."

    "You tell me, I listen."

    "The first plan is to wait indifferently. We stand still and let the Jiangxia army and the Nanjun army go north to fight against Cao Cao. The advantage of this is that we can maintain our strength. After they have defeated both sides, we can come back to take advantage of the situation. It will be very disadvantageous.  Obviously, this will damage the reputation of military advisors in Jingzhou."

    Cai Hao thought for a while, but did not rush to express his position. He asked again: "What about the second strategy?"

    "The second plan is to attack in a hurry. Before the Jiangxia and Nanjun armies have time to mobilize, immediately send troops north to recapture Fancheng, and then send the two armies to go north together. The three armies will fight on their own to see who can defeat Cao's army in the end. This can seize the lead.  The opportunity, especially the capture of Fancheng, will greatly increase the reputation of the military advisor in Jingzhou. If it is properly promoted, this is a good move. "

    ¡°What about the downside?¡±

    "The disadvantage is that we will become the focus of Cao Jun's attack, and may suffer the heaviest casualties in the end. Can the military advisors afford it?"

    Cai Hao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. He needed to weigh the pros and cons. Frankly speaking, he did not consider the first option. It would have a great impact on his reputation. Especially when he wanted to become a pastor in Jingzhou, Jingzhou's reputation was the most important.

    He was quite tempted by the second plan, which was to regain Fancheng. This was indeed an extremely beneficial result. As Li Gui said, as long as it was widely publicized, Cai Mao's reputation in Jingzhou would be at its peak. Isn't this what he dreamed of?

    It¡¯s just that if Cao Jun counterattacks, the casualties will be heavy, and the gain will not be worth the loss, which makes Cai Mao a little embarrassed.

    At this time, Zhang Yun said coldly from the side: "Is it in Cao Jun's interest to counterattack us?"

    One sentence reminded Cai Hao, yes!  Why did Cao's army fight back against themselves and eliminate the pro-Cao faction? What benefit would it bring to themselves?  How could I have forgotten this crucial point?

    As soon as he thought of this, Cai Mao suddenly became excited. He immediately said to Zhang Yun: "This opportunity cannot be missed. You can immediately assemble the army and cross the river in the north of the city. I will go to recapture Fancheng myself!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    An hour later, 10,000 Jingzhou troops quickly assembled outside Xiangyang North City and began to board more than 200 ferries that had been waiting on the shore one after another. The ferries sailed towards the north shore one after another.

    The last army of Cao's army withdrew before dawn, and the guard of Fancheng was handed over to the five hundred young and strong civilians recruited in Fancheng. The city gate was closed, and hundreds of civilians stood at the top of the city tremblingly, looking from a distance.  Hundreds of ferries appeared on the river.

    They didn¡¯t know what kind of punishment they would receive when the Jingzhou army arrived, so soldiers kept slipping away. When the first Jingzhou army arrived, there were less than thirty people left on the city.

    Cai Mao took the lead and personally led more than a thousand soldiers towards the city. A soldier shouted from the city: "Open the city quickly!"

    The city gate finally opened slowly, and dozens of civilians came out of the city and knelt down, shouting: "Commander, we are innocent and were captured by Cao Jun to defend the city."

    Cai Mao leaped forward on his horse, waved his whip and asked loudly: "Is there any Cao army in the city?"

    "Reporting to the military advisor, there are no more Cao troops in the city and they have all evacuated."

    Cai Mao was overjoyed and shouted to the soldiers: "Enter the city!"

    A thousand soldiers marched through the city gate in a mighty manner, and the Jingzhou flag once again fluttered at the top of Fancheng. As the Jingzhou army entered the city, the 100,000 people in Fancheng became excited, and took to the streets with young and old to welcome the Jingzhou army into the city.

    At this time, 10,000 Jingzhou troops had arrived in Fancheng. Cai Mao specially held a grand recovery ceremony. Groups of soldiers lined up into Fancheng and accepted the support of the people on both sides of the street. One hundred thousand people ate pots and pans of food to welcome the Jingzhou army's recovery of Fancheng.

    Cai Hao rode on a tall horse, enjoying the glory of this moment with great pride, the atmosphere of being supported by all people.??He was a little elated, as if he had taken a big step closer to Jingzhou Mu's position.

    He kept waving to the cheering people on both sides. More than a dozen elderly people blocked the road and knelt down, pushing the entering ceremony to a climax. Cai Mao quickly stepped forward to help the old man up, and a cheer like a mountain roaring and a tsunami suddenly sounded.

    "Long live! Long live the Jingzhou Army!" The shouts resounded throughout Fancheng and outside.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the same time that 10,000 Jingzhou troops were holding an entry ceremony into the city, the Fancheng Pier a mile away became deserted, with only a hundred bored soldiers guarding more than 200 ferries.

    A hundred steps east of Fancheng Pier is the Youjiao Post. In front of the Youjiao Post is a sand wall about three or four miles long. Cao Jun once hid behind this sand wall to confront the Jiangxia Army warships.

    ??More than 300 steps eastward from the Youjiao Station is a bamboo forest covering an area of ??nearly 200 acres. There is also a low and gentle hill in the bamboo forest. This bamboo forest is one of the famous scenic spots in Fancheng.

    But there were no tourists in the bamboo forest at this time, but there were more than 2,000 Cao Jun cavalry and hundreds of Cao Jun infantry hidden in the bamboo forest, commanded by General Li Dian.

    This was Jia Xu's plan to use the harassment of the grain road as an excuse to withdraw Cao's army from Fancheng and lure the Jingzhou army into a trap.

    Xiangyang on the other side of the Han River must be the first to get the news. With Cai Mao's nature of rejoicing in great achievements, he will definitely recapture Fancheng before Liu Jing and Liu Bei. In this way, Cao Jun will have the opportunity to seize their ferry.

    Li Dian stared coldly at the dock hundreds of steps away. The opportunity had come. He was not in a hurry to send cavalry to charge. Instead, he sent hundreds of infantry to hide behind the sand wall and slowly move closer to the dock.

    The soldiers of Cao Army were getting closer and closer to the pier, only fifty steps away. Hundreds of soldiers of Cao Army suddenly burst out with a shout, jumped up from behind the sand wall, and killed more than a hundred Jingzhou soldiers on the pier.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 254 First Battle at Fancheng

    The hundreds of Jingzhou troops on the dock were caught off guard. Hundreds of Cao's troops attacked instantly. A dozen or so Jingzhou soldiers in the east were cut down, and screams were heard. The rest of the Jingzhou soldiers saw that the situation was not good and turned around and fled.

    The boatmen who were resting and chatting on the ferry stood up in shock and looked at the killings on the shore in bewilderment. Before they could react, hundreds of Cao soldiers rushed onto the ferry, brandishing their swords and shouting: "Anyone who dares to escape will be killed."  amnesty!"

    The boatmen were so frightened that they all squatted down. General Ya, the leader of Cao Jun, immediately assigned soldiers. Two Cao Jun soldiers got on each boat and ordered the boats to set sail. They left Fancheng Pier and headed towards the mouth of Bishui River.

    In the woods, Li Dian still stood still and looked coldly in the direction of Fancheng. He was dealing with more than a hundred ship-guarding soldiers without the need for cavalry. He was waiting for reinforcements from Fancheng.

    Cai Mao and Zhang Yun of Jingzhou surrendered to Cao Cao three years ago, but their surrender was different from Huang She's surrender. Huang She truly surrendered and accepted Cao Cao's appointment.

    ??The surrender of Cai Hao and Zhang Yun was a kind of pre-surrender, that is, there was an intention to surrender, but there was no formal surrender. This is the same thing as the investment intention and actual investment of later generations.

    Moreover, only Cao Cao and some close advisers knew about their intention to surrender. Cao Ren was also informed before leaving. However, Cao Ren deeply hated Cai Mao for not giving him a ferry and instead burned the ferry. He had regarded Cai Mao as an enemy, so Li Dian  It is reasonable to be ignorant.

    In Li Dian's view, Cai Mao was Jingzhou's military advisor. If he could be captured alive, it would be his greatest achievement. For this reason, Li Dian was particularly excited and looking forward to it.

    "General, here we come!" A soldier pointed in the distance and shouted excitedly.

    Li Dian also saw it. An army of thousands of people rushed out from the gate of Fancheng and rushed towards the dock.

    Li Dian quickly estimated in his mind that there were about three thousand people, which was a good meal for their cavalry. He slowly pulled out his sword and shouted sternly: "Get ready to fight!"

    Two thousand and five hundred cavalrymen of Cao's army drew their swords at the same time, their eyes flashing with ferocious beasts, and they all looked at the Jingzhou soldiers running in the distance with great excitement.

    This Jingzhou army, led by Cai He, rushed towards the pier in panic, trying to recapture the ferry. Cai Mao also appeared on top of the city, looking towards the pier with anxiety on his face. His originally inflated sense of glory had been suddenly attacked by Cao Jun on the pier.  When the news broke, there was only a sense of panic that someone had fallen into a trap.

    Cai Mao had already realized that he had fallen into a trap. The so-called withdrawal of Cao's army from Fancheng was basically a trap. The purpose was to lure the Jingzhou army into Fancheng. The real intention of Cao's army was to seize the ferry.

    At this time, Cai Hao had already seen hundreds of ferries slowly leaving the dock and heading east. This made Cai Hao both frightened and angry, but also worried. Without the ferries, how would they go back?

    "Military advisor, look over there!"

    A sergeant pointed to the direction of the bamboo forest to the east and shouted in horror, "It's Cao's cavalry!"

    Cai Mao also saw it, and saw a dense group of cavalry emerging from the bamboo forest, with bright armor and shining swords, rushing toward the dock with murderous intent.

    Cai Hao was shocked and quickly ordered: "ring the bell and withdraw the troops!"

    ¡®Dang it!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The bell rang to summon the three thousand troops who had fought out to return, but it was already too late. More than two thousand cavalry of Cao¡¯s army rushed like a river and rushed into the panic of Jingzhou¡¯s soldiers.

    The soldiers of the Jingzhou army raised their spears to resist, but they could not resist the cavalry's assault, and were torn to pieces in an instant. The cavalry of Cao's army were extremely ferocious, stabbing with their swords and spears, killing the Jingzhou soldiers, their heads rolling, their limbs flying, and their blood flowing into rivers.

    The Jingzhou soldiers cried and ran away, and gradually began to collapse. Cai He shouted anxiously, "Hold it, hold it!"

    At this time, Li Dian came from behind him, "Thief general! Take your life!" The sound was like a thunderbolt, and he swung his spear and pierced Cai He's heart.

    Cai He was taken aback and blocked with his sword, ¡®Dang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and Li Dian drew away his spear, but his body was unsteady, he staggered, and he almost fell off his horse.

    At this time, the two horses crossed each other. In an instant, Li Dian took advantage of Cai He's instability, grabbed his armor silk ribbon with his backhand, and forcefully pulled Cai He off the horse.

    "Tied!"

    Several Cao soldiers rushed forward, held Cai He down and tied him up.

    Cai He's capture made the Jingzhou army even more confused. Thousands of soldiers fled westward, but Cao's army pursued them and killed them all. They even refused to surrender on their knees and killed them all.

    The gates of Fancheng have been closed. On top of the city, thousands of Jingzhou soldiers silently watched the massacre outside the city. Everyone had a look of fear on their faces. Some young soldiers who had never experienced war could not help crying.  Come.

    An hour later, the cavalry finally ended the massacre, leaving the corpses on the ground, turning their horses and galloping northward.Three thousand Jingzhou soldiers were killed, and more than two thousand of them were killed. The remaining less than a thousand people began to flee back to Fancheng one after another. As soon as they entered the city gate, everyone burst into tears.

    Cai Mao had no choice but to order people to go out of the city to bury the corpses and look for survivors. At this time, Wu Qing, the former guard of Fancheng, stepped forward and said: "Military advisor, Fancheng is not as good as Xiangyang. The north city can be easily broken. Once Cao's army goes south again, it will be dangerous. We should find a way."  Cross the river and return to Xiangyang!¡±

    Cai Hao sighed, "Why don't I want to go back, but the ferry has been snatched away by Cao's army, how can we go back?"

    Wu Qing thought for a moment and said, "Maybe we can withdraw from Deng County."

    Deng County is located dozens of miles west of Fancheng, but it was immediately vetoed by Cai Hao, "Deng County can't do it, and the city will be even more dilapidated."

    Wu Qing immediately said: "Otherwise, we can only retreat to the Deng County Pier in the west and send a few brothers with good water skills to swim across the river to ask for help. Liu Jing should send a boat to help."

    "Will he come?" Cai Hao didn't quite believe that Liu Jing would come to save him.

    "If he refuses to come, how can he meet the elders of Jingzhou?"

    Thinking about it, Cai Mao realized that this was also the case. Even if Liu Jing refused to save him, he could not ignore the eight thousand soldiers from Jingzhou under his command.

    At this time, Cai Mao looked back at Fancheng again. More than an hour ago, he was gloriously accepting the support of the people of Fancheng. In the blink of an eye, he had to abandon these people and leave, and his reputation was damaged.

    But at this time, he could no longer care about these people. Cai Mao called a confidant of the army and told him in a low voice, "You lead five hundred soldiers to guard the city gate. After I evacuate, I will close the city gate tightly and no one will be allowed to leave the city."  , if anyone asks, just say that I led the army north to stop Cao Jun. "

    "General, please obey your order!" The military leader hurried away.

    Cai Mao finished arranging the military affairs in Fancheng and led 7,000 troops out of the city. In the name of garrisoning outside the city, in fact, they rushed westward.

    Cai Mao was very panicked. He knew that Cao Jun was not just seizing his own ship. Since he had laid a trap, how could he let his prey escape?

    Maybe Cao Jun will not kill Cai Mao, but Cao Jun will definitely not let go of Jingzhou Army. If Cai Mao's entire army is wiped out or even captured, then his dream of being a herdsman in Jingzhou will be shattered.

    Cai Mao knew very well that Cao Jun must have deployed heavy troops to wait, and now he could only make an emergency retreat while the enemy troops were not killed. Maybe there was a glimmer of hope.

    "Quick! Speed ??up!"

    In the wilderness, Cai Mao kept urging the soldiers to speed up the march. At this time, he had received news that the main force of Cao's army, about 10,000 people, appeared seven or eight miles away in the north, and they were pursuing them toward the southwest.

    Cai Mao became even more anxious and shouted loudly: "If you go faster, Cao Jun will be chasing after you."

    It is about thirty miles from Fancheng to Dengxian Pier. Although the official road is flat, allowing soldiers to maintain a high-speed march, they cannot cross the river at the North Pier. They have to send people to swim across to report the news, and then wait for the big ship from the other side to arrive.  is there time?

    The urgency of time weighed heavily on Cai Mao's heart, but he had no choice. He had already left Fancheng and could only continue to run west, hoping that there would be enough time.

    From the official road to the north, there is an endless forest. Several long and narrow hills are distributed in the forest, adding several more valleys that can form paths in the forest.

    At this time, the main force of Cao's army, consisting of more than 10,000 people, led by General Yu Jin, was rapidly chasing south.

    The main force of Cao's army did not go far. Just twenty miles north of Fancheng, they dug a trap and waited for the prey to take the bait. At this time, the prey that had been trapped was eager to escape. How could Cao's army let them go.

    "Quick! Speed ??up the pursuit and don't let the Jingzhou army escape!"

    Yu Jin kept urging the soldiers to catch up. At this time, he no longer bothered to send scouts to detect the ambush ahead. In fact, Yu Jin also knew that there was unlikely to be an ambush. If Cai Mao had been prepared in advance, his ferry would not have been hijacked so easily.  .

    And it was impossible for Liu Jing and Liu Bei to get the news so quickly.

    With this understanding, Yu Jin did not waste time on detecting the ambush, and just urged the soldiers to run all the way.

    Half an hour later, Cao Jun passed through the hilly area and took the official road to the west. At this time, Cao Jun's patrol caught two fleeing Jingzhou soldiers and took them to the forbidden horse.

    "General Qi, these are two deserters who were caught by the brothers!"

    Yu Jin looked at the two soldiers coldly. His cold eyes scared the two soldiers to kneel down and kowtow, "Spare your life! Spare your life!"

    "Let me ask you, who is your general?"

    "It's Military Advisor Cai!"

    "Do you have any other ships?"

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?The soldier shook his head hurriedly, "The ship has been lost, and there are no other ships. I heard that they are asking for rescue from the warships on the other side."

    Yu Jin chuckled. The opponent¡¯s general was actually Cai Mao, and he was such a stupid person. Is it too late to expect the other side to rescue him?

    If Cai Mao can be captured, it will definitely be a great achievement, no less than Li Dian's capture of the ship. Thinking of this, Yu Jin became excited, waved his long sword and shouted: "Kill to the north dock and capture Cai Mao, you will be rewarded."  Five hundred taels of gold!¡±

    The soldiers of Cao's army suddenly became excited and started to fight toward the dock while screaming.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 255 World War II is banned.

    The official road heading west from Fancheng was built close to the Han River, less than 200 steps away from the Han River. The terrain on the river bank was flat and mostly covered with various cobblestones. Occasionally, the wreckage of a broken boat could be seen abandoned on the shore.

    On the other side of the official road is a large black pine forest, and deep in the forest are undulating hills that stretch northward for dozens of miles.

    More than 10,000 Cao Jun soldiers were marching westward along the official road at high speed. At this time, they were less than ten miles away from Deng County Pier. Cao Jun soldiers were even more excited and wanted to fly over.

    At this moment, there was a sudden sound of clacks in the woods behind the team. Arrows were fired out in the woods. Arrows as dense as a rapid rain rushed towards the face. There were screams. Countless people fell to the ground after being hit by arrows. Cao Jun was caught off guard.  Suddenly, there was chaos.

    Before Cao Jun could react, an ambush force emerged from the woods. It was extremely ferocious and split Cao Jun's soldiers in two. It was led by a general, wearing armor, holding a pair of halberds, and riding a majestic and tall black horse.  The maned horse, with the red tassel on its helmet fluttering in the wind, is none other than General Gan Ning.

    He led three thousand ambush troops to attack the rear of Cao's army, killing Cao's army by surprise and falling into chaos. Gan Ning rushed towards the rear of Cao's army, shouted loudly, and thrust his halberds as fast as lightning. Cao's army could not dodge and was caught by the enemy.  He was stabbed in the chest and fell off his horse.

    Gan Ning shouted at the top of his lungs: "My sons, be smarter!"

    The soldiers of Jiangxia became more courageous and killed Cao Jun's soldiers, who fell off their horses and fled one after another.

    Yu Jin was shocked and angry when he heard from the front that he was ambushed in the rear. He would actually be ambushed?  But Yu Jin never dreamed that it was Jiang Xia's army ambushing him. He thought it was Cai Mao's formation.

    Yu Jin was furious and ordered to his lieutenant general Lu Xiang: "Stand still while I go and take a look from behind!"

    He yelled at his opponent, Qu Bu, "Follow me back!"

    He turned his horse to kill to the rear, and more than a thousand of Yu Jin's Qu soldiers also turned around and followed Yu Jin to the rear. Just when Yu Jin had walked less than a mile, a drum sounded in the woods ahead, and another  An army came out and rushed straight to Cao Jun's position.

    This army also has three thousand people. The soldiers have sharp spears, shining swords, and are full of murderous intent. The leader of the general is holding a Fangtian painted halberd. He is tall, has cold eyes, and has a silver helmet and iron armor. He is exceptionally majestic. This person is none other than  , it is Jiangxia coach Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing has spies in Fancheng. As early as last night when Cao Jun began to withdraw, the spies in Fancheng sent a pigeon message. Cao Jun was forced to withdraw due to an attack on the grain road.

    Liu Jing immediately thought that this was an opportunity, so he sent Gan Ning to lead 6,000 elite Jiangxia troops, preparing to seize Fancheng.

    But early this morning he got information from Liao Hua. Although the sneak attack on Ye County was successful, the attack on the grain road was almost failed. Liu Jing suddenly realized that it was not reliable for Cao Jun to withdraw because of the attack on the grain road. This may be Cao Jun's reason.  The trap set.

    He immediately ordered someone to notify Gan Ning to give up the action. However, when Liu Jing learned that Cai Mao had begun to lead his army across the river, he deduced the possible actions of Cao Jun and immediately crossed the river to join Gan Ning.

    Liu Jing shouted loudly and charged towards Cao's army first. He waved his halberd like a dragon entering the sea. A rain of blood instantly appeared in front of his eyes. Lieutenant General Lu Xiang saw that Liu Jing was coming with a fierce force. His horse was fast and his halberd was heavy. He had the power of Lu Bu.  I felt a little timid in my heart, but I had to bite the bullet and fight.

    "Let the general know his name!"

    He shouted like this, but Lu Xiang stabbed Liu Jing in the abdomen with a gun. Liu Jing didn't panic, opened the spear with his halberd, and sneered: "Don't you know Jiangxia Liu Yanqing?"

    Liu Yanqing's nickname was Liu Jing, which had spread all over the world. When Lu Xiang heard that the other party was Liu Jing, he suddenly panicked. At this time, the two horses were staggered and very close to each other. Liu Jing held a halberd in his left hand and pulled out a saber in his right hand, and slashed with his backhand.  Hack away.

    Lu Xiang couldn't dodge, and was struck on the back of the head by a knife. The sword was extremely sharp, and immediately split half of Lu Xiang's head away. The horse galloped a few steps, and the body fell off the horse with a thud. Hundreds of Lu Xiang's subordinates, their eyes red, all rushed towards Liu Jing.  Surrounded and killed.

    Liu Jing suddenly had a murderous intention, shouted loudly, and rushed into the crowd. His halberds were flying and he was killing. The heads of enemy soldiers were chopped off, their chests were pierced, and their horses were smashed to death. Those who stood in his way died, and those who went against him died. His horses kept running.  , and opened a bloody path.

    The three thousand Jiangxia soldiers behind him were divided into two groups. One group followed Liu Jing and rushed into the enemy group. The other group moved forward from the north. Like a pair of sharp scissors, they cut Cao Jun in two on the official road.  They were attacked from the front and back, suffered heavy casualties, and fell into chaos.

    At this time, Yu Jin also discovered the chaos ahead. He was very worried. Being attacked at the same time was a taboo for military strategists. It could easily cause the morale of the army to collapse. The Jingzhou army was as panicked as a lost dog. When did the Jingzhou army become so smart again?

    "Fight back with me!"

    he shoutedWith a loud sound, he turned his horse's head and charged towards the front army. The consequences of being attacked by the front army were much more serious than those by the rear army.

    After only running back a few hundred steps, some retreating soldiers rushed over and shouted: "General Yu, it's not the Jingzhou Army, it's the Jiangxia Army!"

    Yu Jin was shocked. It turned out to be Jiang Xia Army. No wonder he was so sharp. It turned out that there was an ambush, but how could Jiang Xia Army know about it?

    He was confused in his mind. Should he continue to fight back or find a way to retreat? But would Jiang Xia Army let them go?  How many troops did the other party have? Various thoughts surged through his mind, and he didn't know what to do for a moment.

    At this moment, a general on a white horse with a silver helmet and iron armor came towards him. Wherever he passed, people fell on their backs. It was Liu Jing. He waved his Fang Tianhua halberd, pointed at Yu Jin and shouted: "Yu Jin will die!"

    This voice sounded very familiar to Yu Jin. He looked at Liu Jing doubtfully. Liu Jing had changed a lot in the past five years. His face became thinner, his eyes became more mature and deep, and he also had fine and thick black stubble on his face. Yu Jin didn't have any for a while.  Recognize him.

    "Who are you?"

    Liu Jing laughed heartily, "Yu Wenze, farewell to Xinye, do you really not recognize our old friend?"

    The sound of "Yu Wenze" made Yu Jin immediately think of the old events in Rangshan six years ago.

    "You are Liu Jing!"

    Yu Jin recognized him immediately. He couldn't help being frightened and angry. He took a few steps back on his horse and stared directly at Liu Jing. There was a very complicated expression in his eyes. He didn't know whether it was surprise, hatred, anger, or  A kind of endless humiliation, Liu Jing brought him humiliation and hatred that would be indelible throughout his life.

    Yu Jin took a deep breath to calm down. He recognized that the Fang Tian Painted Halberd in Liu Jing's hand seemed to be Lu Bu's Wenhou Halberd. Yu Jin was not stupid. He knew the weight of Lu Bu's Wenhou Halberd, and he knew Liu Jing even more.  Progress is rapid.

    It only took half a year from Rangshan¡¯s incompetence in martial arts to Xinye¡¯s numerous battles with him. So now five or six years have passed, what will Liu Jing¡¯s martial arts become like?  Yu Jin simply didn't dare to think about it. With the Wenhou halberd in Liu Jing's hand, Yu Jin didn't dare to think too much.

    But Yu Jin didn't dare to turn his horse to escape, so he could only fight. Yu Jin waved his sword, slapped his horse to kill Liu Jing, shouted loudly, and a cold light struck Liu Jing's neck.

    Five years ago, Yu Jin's sword would have made Liu Jing nervous, but at this time, this seemingly tragic sword became ordinary in Liu Jing's eyes. He sneered, stretched out his arms, and swung his halberd in the direction of the sword.  Hack away.

    Just listen to ¡®Dang!  There was a loud noise, a deafening sound that made the soldiers on both sides cover their ears. The two war horses clattered back a few steps. Liu Jing was calm and calm, as if nothing had happened, but Yu Jin's arms were sore and numb from the shock, and his right hand had a tiger's mouth.  It was shaken away, and only one hand was holding the knife shaft.

    Yu Jin was shocked in his heart. He had experienced hundreds of battles. In this round, he knew that Liu Jing's martial arts had far surpassed his own. He might not be able to sustain even ten rounds. He had the intention of running away.

    But he was not allowed to lose his horse and run away. With a cold smile on Liu Jing's lips, the halberd made a sound of wind and stabbed directly into his chest, neither fast nor slow.

    This seemingly ordinary move left Yu Jin with no way to deal with it. He had no choice but to raise his sword and move it outwards. Unexpectedly, the halberd was as heavy as a mountain, making it extremely difficult for him to raise it. At this moment, the halberd was lifted slowly.  The tip suddenly accelerated and pierced Yu Jin's throat.

    Yu Jin was scared to death, but there was no way to hide. He had to close his eyes and wait for death. Liu Jing tilted her wrist slightly and stabbed his neck with the tip of the halberd, but the crescent blade caught his armor.

    Yu Jin only felt cold and stinging on his neck. Before he could react, he felt dizzy and was knocked off his horse. Liu Jing shouted to everyone, "Tie him up!"

    The soldiers on the left and right swarmed forward, pushed Yu Jin to the ground, and tied him up tightly. Yu Jin's face was pressed to the ground, and he shouted angrily: "Little Liu Jing, if you have the guts, just kill me!"

    Liu Jing chuckled, "How can I kill you! General Yu is my old friend. If I kill you, wouldn't life become very boring?"

    Liu Jing turned around and winked at several soldiers, smiling and saying: "Send him to the other side in a small boat. Do not mistreat the general."

    Several soldiers understood what Liu Jing meant, agreed, blocked Yu Jin's mouth, got on horseback and took him away.

    The commander-in-chief Yu Jin was captured, and his deputy Lu Xiang was killed. Cao's army had no command, and its morale finally collapsed. Countless soldiers surrendered on their knees and begged for their lives. In the chaos, many soldiers ran in the wrong direction, towards the Han River, only to find that they had no way out.  Finally had to surrender.

    But thousands of Cao's soldiers still fled into the forest. Only here could they hope to escape the encirclement and suppression of Jiangxia's army.

    Half an hour later, the war gradually subsided. Cao Cao's 10,000 soldiers suffered more than 2,000 casualties and nearly 5,000 were captured. The remaining soldiers fled into the forest.?Be the lucky escaper of this ambush battle.

    Liu Jing then ordered: "Go to Fancheng!"

    Liu Jing looked back towards the dock again. He wanted to see what Cai Hao would look like at this time. He could imagine Cai Hao's embarrassment at this time.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 256 Clumsy Countermeasures

    Dengxian Wharf is on the other side of Longzhong Wharf. Since this area is relatively deserted and is nearly ten miles away from Dengxian County, it is not a scenic spot, so people are accustomed to calling it Longzhong North Wharf to distinguish it from the other side.  Longzhong Pier echoed.

    At this time, the dock in Deng County was already crowded with people, and groups of soldiers were lining up to board the ships. More than 7,000 troops led by Cai Mao crossed the river here to the other side. Nearly 200 Jiangxia warships were parked in the Han River, and there was a steady stream of them.  They transported Jingzhou soldiers to the south bank.

    Although Liu Jing and Cai Hao had a bad relationship, Liu Jing did not want to inflict this hatred on Jingzhou soldiers.

    On the dock, Cai Mao stood on a hill, watching the large ships leaving the dock with complicated eyes. If he had a choice, he would never ask Liu Jing, but now he had no choice but to lower his head.

    "Military advisor!"

    A soldier pointed to the east and shouted: "Jiangxia Army is coming!"

    I saw a cavalry of a hundred people coming quickly from the east, and rushed to Cai Mao. The leader of the army raised his hands and said: "Inform Cai's military advisor, Liu Taishou invites military advisors to Fancheng!"

    Mentioning Fancheng, Cai Hao felt a sense of shame in his heart, but he had nothing to do. After a while, he could only sigh and said: "Please tell your eunuch that I am very grateful for his help, but as a military advisor, there are many urgent matters that need to be dealt with."  , I won¡¯t go to Fancheng.¡±

    "I understand. I'm humble enough to report this to the prefect."

    The Marquis turned his horse around and led the soldiers quickly eastward. Cai Hao thought of his own embarrassment today, and finally lost control of his face. He cursed in a low voice, 'Fake love, fake love!  ¡¯

    He turned around and walked towards the ship. He no longer wanted to stay in Jiangbei. He was so embarrassed here. At this time, he just wanted to return to Xiangyang.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yu Jin was put on a small boat, and two soldiers escorted him to the other side. Perhaps because Liu Jing ordered not to abuse him, the ropes on Yu Jin's shoulders and legs were untied, and only his hands were tied behind his back.

    The boat was sailing leisurely in the river. Yu Jin was sitting in a corner of the boat, squinting at the two soldiers, secretly thinking about how to escape. Although he could turn over and jump into the river now, he was not good at water.  His hands were tied behind his back, and he would definitely die if he entered the water like this.

    However, he still found an opportunity. Behind him was a box with iron sheets wrapped around the edges. The iron sheet was sharp and could break the rope. His body swayed with the boat, but his wrists rubbed against the iron sheet little by little.

    "Second brother, this ambush of Cao Jun was so accurate! If we were to ambush Cao Jun a minute earlier, we would have failed. This makes me admire the prefect's methods more and more."

    The two guarding soldiers were sitting on the other side chatting, with their hands under their heads, quite relaxed, and the knives they carried were thrown aside.

    Another soldier sneered and said: "Do you think there are such coincidences in the world? If no one secretly reported the news, the prefect would have figured it out so accurately."

    "Who secretly reported the news?"

    "Of course he is an important figure in Cao's army!" the soldier said, quickly glancing at Yu Jin from the corner of his eye.

    "Who is it, second brother, can you tell me?"

    "I saw a letter on the prefect's desk last night with a name on it."

    When the soldier said this, he stepped forward and whispered a few words to the other person. Although the voice was very low, due to the unusual ability to suppress his ears, he could still hear the word "Jia" clearly.

    "It's him! It's impossible! He is the second-ranking figure in Cao's army."

    "What is impossible? People's hearts are separated from the belly. You know how others can think."

    Yu Jin was surprised and doubtful. He thought of the No. 2 figure, Jia Xu. Are they talking about Jia Xu?

    But he had no time to thank him, ¡®Bang!  ¡¯ There was a soft sound, and the rope had been broken by him, but this sound also aroused the alertness of the two soldiers, and they looked towards the forbidden area together.

    Yu Jin suddenly rushed towards the sword next to him and grabbed the sword. Before he could take out the sword, the two soldiers reacted at the same time and jumped out of the boat without a trace.

    Yu Jin was so anxious that he drew out his sword, stepped forward and put it on the boatman's neck, saying viciously: "Pole the boat honestly, or I will kill you with one knife!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As night fell, Yu Jin came ashore from a remote place, quickly got into the forest, and ran desperately to the north.

    When it was almost dawn the next day, Yu Jin found a Cao army on the official road carrying grain to Xinye. He got a war horse and rode towards Wancheng.

    At this time, Yu Jin was in chaos. More than 10,000 troops were wiped out. His guilt was not light. How could he explain it to Cao Ren?  With Cao Ren's stern military temper, he had to be killed. Le Jin just sent his troops to rob Hekou Town and was in danger.He was killed, and now he has lost more than 10,000 brothers. Will Cao Ren let him go?

    The more Yu Jin thought about it, the more he became afraid. In this case, he could only go to Cao Hong to intercede. He and Cao Hong had a good personal relationship.  I hope Cao Hong can help him.

    ¡°And he can also find an excuse, that is, Jia Xu secretly communicated with Liu Jing, which led to his defeat this time.

    In fact, Yu Jin thought about it for a long time last night, and he gradually understood that when Liu Jing asked two soldiers to escort him across the river, he actually meant to let him go. As for the two soldiers saying that Jia Xu was collaborating with the enemy, they deliberately told him so.  How could two pawns know about confidential matters?

    This was obviously a clumsy counter-insurgency tactic by Liu Jing. However, although it was a counter-insurgency tactic, Yu Jin felt that this tactic could indeed allow him to escape. As long as he had an excuse and used Cao Hong's hatred of Jia Xu, he might be able to  Reduce your own guilt.

    Yu Jin was galloping all the way north, about thirty miles away from Wancheng, when he came face to face with a Cao army, densely packed with thousands of people, with flags fluttering and the troops in order. The leader was Cao Hong.

    Yu Jin was overjoyed and waved from a distance and shouted: "Zilian, it's me!"

    Cao Hong received an express message from Cao Ren and learned that Yu Jin's army was ambushed by Jiangxia's army and almost completely wiped out. This news shocked Cao Hong, and he immediately sent 5,000 troops south to support.

    From a distance, Cao Hong saw a man riding a horse towards him on the official road, and faintly heard the man shouting his cousin. He was startled. When the man rushed in, he recognized that this embarrassed man was actually Yu Jin.  He quickly ordered his officials to bring Yu Jin up.

    Cao Hong looked him up and down and frowned, "Wen Ze, how did you become like this? Weren't you"

    Yu Jin sighed, "It's hard to say anything! I'll eat something first and then talk."

    Cao Hong quickly ordered people to take Yu Jin down to wash and eat, and the team continued to move forward. After a while, Yu Jin changed into a military uniform, and the stains on his face were washed away, and he urged his horse to follow Cao Hong.

    "How did my dear brother escape?" Cao Hong glanced at Yu Jin and asked with a smile.

    Naturally, Yu Jin would not tell the truth. He sighed and said, "It was also my luck. The commander of the Jiangxia Army who was guarding me happened to be from my hometown. I know his father very well. When we were crossing the river, this fellow countryman secretly helped me  Cutting the rope, I looked for an opportunity to escape."

    Cao Hong nodded, "This is really lucky. Otherwise, if you were captured and Lu Xiang was killed, we really wouldn't be able to explain to the Prime Minister."

    "But the problem is, more than 10,000 troops have been almost wiped out. How can I explain to the general? You also know his temper. He only respects military law and not people. Can he spare me?"

    Yu Jin's worries were actually Cao Hong's worries. Of course, he knew what kind of punishment Yu Jin would suffer. Although victory or defeat is a common thing for military strategists, Yu Jin was ambushed and defeated. It was just that he led his troops carelessly. It did not mean that the army was not as powerful as the enemy.  , the responsibility lies with the ban.

    With his brother¡¯s military temperament, Yu Jin would lose his skin even if he didn¡¯t die this time. Cao Hong also knew that Yu Jin didn¡¯t go to Xinye and came to him because he wanted him to intercede on his behalf. However, how could he intercede on his behalf?

    After a long silence, Cao Hong was puzzled: "Wen Ze, you also know my eldest brother's temper. He doesn't recognize his relatives in the military camp. If there is no justifiable reason, I can't plead for mercy."

    Speaking of this, he looked at Yu Jin in embarrassment. Yu Jin lowered his head and said nothing. Of course he understood what Cao Hong meant. Originally, he was a little hesitant about telling the story about Jia Xu. Now even Cao Hong had no choice but to make a desperate move.  .

    "The fellow countryman who rescued me quietly told me a secret. The reason Liu Jing saw our intentions so clearly was because someone in our army secretly informed Liu Jing of the news."

    Cao Hong was startled, "No way! How do ordinary people know such a secret?"

    "The problem is that the messenger is not an ordinary person." Yu Jin sighed.

    "who is it?"

    Yu Jin hesitated for a long time, then said with a slurred lips: "Jia Xu."

    "It turns out it's him!" Cao Hong suddenly became furious, "Damn Shu Ru'an dares to cheat and betray the prime minister!"

    Yu Jin quickly said: "This is just the words of my fellow countryman. I don't have any evidence. I'm afraid I can't testify against Jia Wenhe."

    Cao Hong glanced at him and said coldly: "You also think the ambush is strange, don't you?"

    "Yes!" Yu Jin wiped the sweat from his forehead, "It is indeed very strange. It is logically impossible for Liu Jing to know that Cai Hao would be defeated, nor could he ambush beside the official road so accurately. Moreover, given the relationship between Cai Hao and Liu Jing,  , Cai Mao would not let Liu Jing come to meet him, so I can conclude that someone must have leaked our plan to Liu Jing in advance. "

    "That's fine. Only you, Mancheng, Lu Zhongshi, Jia Xu and Wen Xiao know about this plan."?Lu Zhongshi was killed by Liu Jing himself, so of course it was not him. Wen Xiao was the commander, so of course it can be ruled out. Then the remaining three are you, Mancheng and Jia Xu. It may be leaked, but you and Mancheng have been following the prime minister for many years.  A veteran will never betray. Only Jia Xu has betrayed the prime minister. He must be the one who leaked the information.  "

    Cao Hong said this, and Yu Jin felt a little relieved, but he felt that there were loopholes in it. For example, he told his own soldiers about the trick to lure soldiers last night. If Jia Xu used this as an excuse, how should he explain it?  Thinking of this, Yu Jin added: "Maybe someone accidentally leaked it to the soldiers."

    "impossible!"

    Cao Hong's tone was resolute. He was convinced that Jia Xu had betrayed the enemy. He had long wanted to kill Jia Xu to avenge his nephew. How could he let go of this opportunity? Cao Hong patted Yu Jin on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Don't worry.  Come on! I¡¯ll take care of your business, I¡¯ll take care of it!¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 257 Jia Xu Resigns

    Xinye County is almost an empty city with less than 2,000 residents. Some nobles went to Wancheng, while most ordinary people fled with Liu Bei, making Xinye County deserted, and there were few pedestrians even on the official road.

    But Cao Jun did not really retreat to Xinye County. Instead, he set up a temporary camp in the south of Xinye County, in a wilderness only five miles away from Hekou Town.

    Cao Ren was waiting for news about Yu Jin and Li Dian. Li Dian brought him excellent results. He got 230 ferries, all of which sailed to Hekou Town and defeated 3,000 Jingzhou troops. The results were brilliant.

    But the result of Yu Jin's battle was bad news. According to reports from the soldiers who escaped, Yu Jin was ambushed by the Jiangxia army on the official road west of Fancheng. Almost the entire army was wiped out. His deputy general Lu Xiang was killed and his commander-in-chief Yu Jin was captured. This news made Cao Ren almost vomit blood.  .

    The 10,000-strong army was wiped out in this way, reducing his total strength to 35,000. Once defeated, I am afraid that the Jingzhou Army will take advantage of the victory to pursue it. What will happen to the Central Plains?

    At this time, Cao Ren received an urgent order from Cao Cao from Yixian, ordering him to maintain a deterrent against Jingzhou and not allow the Jingzhou army to go north to the Central Plains.

    The prime minister did not forget the war in Jingzhou during the expedition, which shows that the war situation in Jingzhou is of great importance, which invisibly adds huge pressure to Cao Ren.

    In the big tent, Cao Ren was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking worried. Currently, Liu Jing personally led 6,000 people to guard Fancheng, and the remaining 12,000 naval troops took more than 300 warships and were moored at Fancheng Pier, ready to support Fancheng at any time.

    In addition, General Guan Yu led an army of 10,000 troops stationed on the west bank of the Bishui River mouth east of Fancheng, less than ten miles away from Fancheng. They were at odds with Jiangxia's army, which caused Cao Ren a headache.

    A few days ago, Cao Ren was looking forward to a battle with the Jingzhou coalition, but now, his troops have been reduced by 10,000 people, and the prime minister's trust has put tremendous pressure on him. If he loses, the consequences will be extremely serious.  Cao Ren did not dare to fight easily.

    At this time, Jia Xu and Li Dian, who were standing aside, exchanged glances. Jia Xu advised: "General, don't worry. Although Yu Jin was defeated, it does not affect the overall situation. As long as we deal with it properly, we can still fulfill the prime minister's trust. However, if we attack  I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not realistic in Xiangyang.¡±

    Cao Ren sighed, "It will be good if we can maintain the deterrence against Jingzhou now. We no longer expect to occupy Xiangyang."

    "If that's the case, I have two options for the general to consider."

    "Tell me, what's the plan?"

    "The first plan is to maintain the status quo and wait for the opportunity. Neither Liu Jing nor Guan Yu will stay in Fancheng for a long time. After a few days of stalemate, the coalition forces of Liu Jing and Guan Yu will inevitably go north. If I guessed correctly, more than three hundred ships  The warships will also go north along the Bi River, which is much narrower than the Han River. We also have kerosene on hand. We can use the kerosene to seal the river and burn all the enemy warships. When Liu Jing comes to rescue, we can ambush him halfway and kill him.  A great defeat."

    Cao Ren nodded and asked, "What about the second option?"

    Jia Xu smiled again and said: "The second option is to withdraw the troops back to Nanyang, but still occupy Xinye, but the number of troops does not need to be large, two or three thousand people are enough. Occupying Xinye will maintain the deterrence against Jingxiang, and wait for Jiangxia and Nanjun  After the army withdraws, we will attack Xiangyang with lightning speed. If we can capture it in one fell swoop, we will definitely shake up Jingzhou."

    As soon as Jia Xu finished speaking, he heard a sneer coming from outside the tent, "What a man who has withdrawn his troops and returned to Nanyang. Jia Canjun really cooperated well with Liu Jing!"

    I saw Cao Hong walking in from outside the tent, followed by Yu Jin. The three people in the tent were stunned. Wasn't Yu Jin captured?  Why are you back?

    Yu Jin took a step forward and knelt down on one knee to salute, "In the end, Yu Jin escaped by luck and apologized to the general!"

    Cao Ren glanced at him, his heart filled with doubts. How did he escape?  How was the army defeated?  Why did he appear with Cao Hong again?

    But Cao Ren¡¯s biggest doubt is what Cao Hong said, what does it mean that ¡®Jia Canjun and Liu Jing cooperate well?  ¡¯

    Cao Ren waved his hand to Jin, "Just wait aside for now. I'll ask you later?"

    Yu Jin stood up and stood aside, waiting uneasily for the development of the situation.

    Cao Ren asked Cao Hong again, "Wen Lian, what did you mean by what you just said?"

    Jia Xu next to him was also irritated and said coldly: "I also want to hear General Cao's explanation."

    "Jia Canjun, you know it very well. Let me ask you, if we withdraw our troops back to Nanyang, will Liu Jing really return to Jiangxia?"

    "If he doesn't return to Jiangxia, where can he go?"

    Cao Hong shook his head with contempt, "A man as smart as Jia Canjun actually talked nonsense. Is Liu Jing really here to rescue Xiangyang? He is just an excuse to rescue and want to be the lord of Jingzhou. Let's go.Now, he can just use the excuse of defending Cao Jun to seize power calmly, but while we are here, he will not have this opportunity. Jia Canjun seems to be making suggestions, but in fact he is cooperating with Liu Jing. What a good trick!  "

    Jia Xu was startled at first, then his face turned red, he pointed at Cao Hong and said angrily, "You are spitting blood!"

    Cao Ren also frowned, "Wen Lian, why do you say this?"

    Cao Hong stepped forward and saluted, "General, does he know why General Yu was ambushed by Liu Jing? The Jiangxia Army, which was originally impossible to appear, appeared in the west of Fancheng. By coincidence, it ambushed General Yu's troops, almost annihilating the 10,000-strong army.  I can tell the general that someone leaked our battle plan to Liu Jing, so that Liu Jing was prepared, and the leaker was Jia Xu! "

    There was an uproar in the big tent, and Li Dian couldn't help but exclaimed, how is this possible!

    Cao Hong pointed at Jia Xu, "It was this person who secretly communicated with Liu Jing and leaked the secret, so we suffered a tragic defeat."

    By this time, Jia Xu had calmed down. He originally thought that Cao Hong was still the same as before, opposing all his plans and deliberately going against him.

    But now he discovered that Cao Hong's accusation of having an affair with Liu Jing was obviously premeditated. He wanted to use the defeat of the Imperial Army to frame him, and it was true.

    Jia Xu sneered, "It is not difficult to deduce our plot. As long as you plan carefully, you can definitely arrange to ambush Cao Jun. There is no coincidence in this. As long as you can see through that we are not sincere in withdrawing our troops."

    The key is that we must be more vigilant and send scouts along the march to explore the route. If we think that Jiang Xia's army is unlikely to appear, of course it will be a sure defeat. This has nothing to do with someone leaking the secret, but I want to know. General Cao keeps saying that I am having an affair.  Liu Jing, what evidence do you have?  "

    "Of course there is evidence!"

    Cao Hong waved his hand and said, "Bring the people up."

    Several soldiers brought in a soldier in Jiangxia army uniform. Cao Hong was not stupid. He knew that it would be difficult to prove Jia Xu by elimination method. He simply found a Jiangxia soldier among Cao army soldiers to pretend to be Liu Jing's soldier.

    Cao Hong pointed at the soldier and said: "This man is the commander of Liu Jing's personal soldiers. It was he who secretly saved General Yu. He can prove that Jia Canjun colluded with Liu Jing."

    Cao Hong said to the soldier again: "Don't be afraid, just tell the truth."

    The soldier knelt down and kowtowed, and said in a trembling voice with a Jiangxia accent: "The villain's name is Li Ping. He is from Xiakou and is a personal guard of Prefect Liu. The night before yesterday, the prefect ordered me to take two brothers across the river to meet one of them. We  When we were rowing across the river, we saw a child with a big black mole on the tip of his nose. He gave us a letter and said that the situation was urgent and asked me to go back immediately and give the letter to the prefect. He mentioned that the letter belonged to Mr. Jia.  Write."

    ??????????????????????????????? Everyone in the tent understood that the child with the black mole on the tip of his nose was Jia Xu¡¯s scholar Xiao Ban¡¯er, and he looked very distinctive.

    How could this little frame-up trick be hidden from Jia Xu?  Jia Xu sneered and asked: "Since you are Liu Jing's personal guard, let me ask you how the Battle of Chaisang was fought. Maybe it was a little further back in time, so let's talk about how the Battle of Yicheng was fought last month.  , you tell me now?¡±

    The soldier was speechless and couldn't answer. Cao Hong only told him some information about Liu Jing. He knew nothing about other things. How could he answer Jia Xu's question.

    Jia Xu asked coldly: "Let me ask you again, where did Jiang Xiajun's kerosene come from? What color is the kerosene used now? You don't know, right?"

    A few days ago, Jiangxia warships threw kerosene cans to attack the sand wall. One of the kerosene cans did not break, allowing Cao Jun to obtain a kerosene sample from the Jiangxia army. Everyone in the account knew about this, but how could this soldier possibly  Knowing the answer, he lowered his head and trembled all over.

    Jia Xu stared at him for a long time, with anger burning in his eyes. He turned around and knelt down to Cao Ren, "General, please make the decision for me!"

    Cao Ren already knew this, so he glared at Cao Hong fiercely. Cao Hong also lowered his head with a guilty conscience. He didn't expect that he would be exposed so quickly, which made him hateful and wanted to kill the soldier with a knife. At this time, Cao Ren shouted:  "Somebody come!"

    A dozen soldiers rushed in. Cao Ren pointed at the soldiers and said, "Drag this man out and beat him to death with sticks!"

    The soldiers snatched the soldier out like an eagle catching a chicken. The soldier begged Cao Hong, but Cao Hong turned his back and was dragged out for a moment. Cao Ren stared at him again, "Do you know your guilt?"

    Yu Jin secretly scolded Cao Hong for being troublesome. He insisted on finding a stupid witness and was exposed in just two sentences. He might as well use the method of overhearing himself. Anyway, there was no evidence, at least he would not be trapped. But at this time  He had no choice but to kneel down and said, "The general will finally be convicted!"

    Cao Ren stared at him and said: "You relaxed your vigilance and were ambushed by the enemy, resulting in the annihilation of the entire army. This is your crime of neglecting investigation. You should have been beheaded."??The Prime Minister has an order that he must deal with it personally for the princes and above, so I will spare your death for the time being, but you will not be exempted from the crime. You will be dragged out and beaten with a hundred military sticks, and you will be demoted to the rank of tooth general!  "

    Although he escaped death, Yu Jin was still extremely sad when he thought about being demoted from General Huwei to General Ya. He could only say with tears: "I would like to thank the general for not killing!"

    Several soldiers took him out to be tortured with a cane. Cao Ren then angrily scolded Cao Hong, "Get out of here!"

    Cao Hong was ashamed and hurriedly retreated. Li Dian also retreated. Cao Ren and Jia Xu were the only two people left in the tent. Cao Ren helped Jia Xu up and comforted him: "Sir, he is innocent. I understand it in my heart."

    " At this time, Jia Xu's heart became cold. He killed the soldiers and beat Yu Jin, but Cao Hong, who framed him, was unscathed. What kind of treatment is this?

    Jia Xu knew in his heart that if Cao Hong framed other counselors, no matter who they were, Cao Ren would not let Cao Hong go. He would have to punish him with at least a hundred army sticks, but when it was his turn, Cao Ren let him go lightly.  Cao Hong.

    The root cause still lies with Cao Ang and Cao Anmin, perhaps coupled with Dian Wei. Cao Ren respects him on the surface, but in his heart, like Cao Hong, he hates himself to the core.

    This kind of hatred was vividly shown in today's scene, but it was covered up with a bit of hypocrisy, which made Jia Xu despair. He sighed and said: "The next battle is a protracted battle. I will stay here."  It will only embarrass the general. I want to go back to Yecheng to visit my mother and hope that the general will allow me to take leave."

    Cao Ren thought to himself, 'Jia Xu and Cao Hong are already on the same level. If Cao Hong plots against Jia Xu and causes trouble, it would be better to send him away!  ¡¯

    He nodded and agreed, "Sir, you have such a filial heart, how can I not help you? Come on!"

    A soldier commander walked in quickly, knelt down and saluted, "Please give me your orders, general!"

    "You can lead a group of soldiers to escort Jia Canjun back to Yecheng. There must be no mistake!"

    "Follow the order!"

    Seeing that Cao Ren showed no mercy to him, Jia Xu felt even more chilled in his heart.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 258 The oriole is behind

    As night fell, several oil lamps were lit in the camp tent, making it as bright as day. Yu Jin lay on the bed, and two military doctors were carefully cleaning the blood on his legs. Although the soldiers were merciful during the execution, one hundred soldiers  The beating with the stick still left his skin and flesh bruised and he was in great pain.

    However, compared to the heartache of his demotion, the pain in his leg was nothing. Yu Jin lay on the bed, looking gloomy and silent. He thought of Liu Jing, the young man who caused him great humiliation back then.  Growing into a prince, the shame in Yu Jin's heart faded a lot.

    But being demoted to General Ya gave Yu Jin a new humiliation. He had been fighting in the north and south for nearly twenty years, and was promoted to General Huwei step by step. However, he was demoted to General Ya after a defeat. This made Yu Jin feel uncomfortable.  It's really hard to accept, it's better to just kill him.

    At this time, the curtain was raised, and Cao Hong walked in from the outside. His steps were brisk, and there was a kind of excitement that could not be concealed in his eyes. As soon as he entered the tent, he smiled and shouted: "Wen Ze, I have good news for you!"

    Yu Jin ignored him and didn't even raise his eyelids. Cao Hong was startled, but he understood immediately and winked at the two military doctors. The two military doctors covered Yu Jin with a quilt and retreated.

    Cao Hong sat down next to him and asked with a smile: "Why, are you still angry about the demotion?"

    Yu Jin sighed, "Who can bear being demoted from General Huwei to General Ya?"

    "You don't have to worry about this. The Lord General's demotion of you is meaningless without the Prime Minister's approval. How could your achievements over the years be completely wiped out just because of a single defeat? Wen Ze, relax and everything will be fine!"

    In fact, Yu Jin also knew that without Cao Cao's consent, Cao Ren's punishment against him would not take effect, but people's hearts are like this. Most of the time, they are obsessed with the authorities and need an outsider to untie their knots.

    Cao Hong¡¯s timely comfort made Yu Jin feel relieved. He nodded and asked with a smile: ¡°What good news did you just say?¡±

    "Jia Wenhe is gone!" Cao Hong couldn't help but said proudly.

    "Gone?" Yu Jin didn't understand what he meant and asked in surprise: "Wherehave you gone?"

    "He went back to Yecheng. He felt bored and went back on the pretext of visiting his mother. The general also approved his request. Anyway, that bastard will never appear in front of us again."

    Yu Jin knew Cao Hong too well. He was a narrow-minded man who was always careful about spending money. He would never easily let go of those who had offended him. Even though Jia Xu was sent away, would Cao Hong give up?

    He raised his head and stared into Cao Hong's eyes, trying to confirm his inference from his eyes. Cao Hong did not hide it at all, with cold murderous intent in his eyes. His nephews Cao Ang and Cao Anmin died in Wancheng, so he would also pay tribute in Wancheng.  them.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Wancheng, the sun sets in the west, the Cangshan Mountain is like fire, the forests are dyed, and the pedestrians and vehicles on the official road drag out their long figures and head tiredly to the north.

    This is the official road north of Wancheng, which has entered Xi'e County. The east side of the official road is close to the wide Mishui River. The setting sun shines on the water, and the fiery red waves sparkle, as if the water is on fire.

    An ox cart guarded by twenty soldiers was also driving slowly north on the official road. Jia Xu was leaning in front of the small window of the ox cart, watching the setting sun from a distance. The sunset glow shone on his thin and yellow body.  His face and eyes were filled with infinite melancholy.

    Nearly eight years have passed since the Battle of Wancheng. He thought that the hatred had been eliminated, but he did not expect that the hatred was still deeply hidden in the hearts of Cao's children. Cao Hong had an impatient personality, and showed his hatred on his face with joy and anger.

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? What about the others?  Cao Ren's hypocrisy and indifference.  Even Cao Cao's external hotness and internal coldness prevented him from entering the inner circle of counselors. In fact, these are internal manifestations of lingering hatred.

    Jia Xu couldn't help but think of Zhang Xiu. Although Zhang Xiu's daughter married Cao Jun, Cao Cao's son, and he was named General Yangwu, this could not hide the fact that Zhang Xiu was left out.

    Just before he left for Nanyang last month, Zhang Xiu found him and told him something. At the beginning of the year, he met Cao Cao's eldest son Cao Pi in the city gate cave. As a result, he was insulted by Cao Pi. Zhang Xiu was in a low mood and said that Cao Pi would kill him sooner or later.  , there was a hint of complaint in his words.

    It was Jia Xu who urged Zhang Xiu to surrender to Cao Cao. Judging from the situation at that time, Zhang Xiu was bound to lose during Cao Cao's second expedition to Wancheng, and surrendering was undoubtedly the right decision.

    But eight years later, the Cao family still harbors a deep hatred for them. Although Cao Cao can tolerate them, what about the other Cao family members?  There are also Cao Pi, Cao Zhi and others. After Cao Cao's death and his heirs succeeding to the throne, will they be spared?

    This made Jia Xu feel a little confused. Was it really wrong for him to persuade Zhang Xiu to surrender?  But thinking of Cao Hong's hatred and Cao Ren's hidden arrows, Jia Xu couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

    At this time, next toThe bookboy Xiaobaner handed him a cup of herbal tea, "Master, drink some water!"

    Jia Xu recovered his thoughts, took the tea cup and asked with a smile: "Where are you?"

    There is a big round black mole on the tip of Xiao Ban'er's nose, which looks like Mickey Mouse in later generations. He is very smart. He has been following Jia Xu for three or four years. He is eleven years old this year. He looked out and smiled: "Master, even  Don¡¯t you recognize me here? This is Baiyangqiao, we have just entered Xi¡¯e County.¡±

    "Oh! Have you arrived in Xi'e County?"

    Xi'e County is a county under Wancheng. Zhang Xiu's army was deployed in Xi'e County back then, and Jia Xu was still busy here for nearly half a year.

    Jia Xu smiled bitterly, "It seems that I am so old that I have even forgotten about Xi'e County."

    "My grandfather is not old. He can live to be a hundred years old."

    "This kid!"

    Jia Xu smiled and touched his round head, thinking of his grandson, and for a moment his heart was filled with the love of his elders.

    At this moment, Zhao Shiyuan, the commander of the camp who was guarding them, rushed forward and reported urgently: "Join the army. There are unknown cavalry chasing us. I'm afraid the attackers are evil. Can we abandon the car and ride on horseback?"

    Jia Xu opened the curtain and looked behind, only to see dust flying on the official road behind. It seemed that hundreds of men in black on horseback were chasing after them at a high speed.

    As soon as he thought about it, Jia Xu understood that this was Cao Hong who wanted to kill people on the way. As long as he died on the way, it had nothing to do with Cao Hong and could be blamed on the bandits along the way.

    Jia Xu cursed secretly, picked up Xiao Ban'er and jumped out of the oxcart. At this time, he didn't even care about his most beloved boxes of books. Life was the first priority.

    Among the twenty soldiers who escorted him to Yecheng, only Zhao Shiyuan, the commander of the camp, was riding a horse. The rest of the soldiers were infantry. In addition to an ox cart, they also brought two old horses with them, just in case. Now they have to rely on  These two old horses saved their lives.

    Jia Xu was from Liangzhou. He had followed Dong Zhuo for many years and his equestrian skills were really good. He put his little Ban'er on the horse, got on the horse, put one hand around Ban'er who was crying with fear, and pinched the horse's belly with his legs.  He rushed out. At this time, the soldiers didn't care. They were just foot soldiers and couldn't help him at all.

    Jia Xu rode his horse and galloped along the official road. Looking back, he couldn't help but secretly complain. He also expected Zhao Shiyuan to lead the soldiers to resist for a while, but they ran away and disappeared.

    Dozens of men in black chased him closely, less than two miles apart, and then they ran seven or eight miles. The old horse Jia Xu was riding could no longer hold up, began to foam, and the speed became slower and slower.

    At this time, the sunset has long since set, the sky is already dark, and the dark twilight is shrouding the earth like the palm of the devil. On the right side of the official road is a river of water about ten feet wide. Jia Xu can't swim, so going down will be a dead end.

    On the left is a vast forest, which is gloomy and dark, revealing a strange atmosphere. At this time, the pursuers behind him were less than a hundred steps away. They began to shoot crossbow arrows, and the crossbow arrows whizzed past Jia Xu's head.

    ¡®Poof!  ¡¯ An arrow was shot on the top of Jia Xu¡¯s head, inserted into the bun close to his scalp, and turned into a unique arrow-shaped hairpin.

    Jia Xu was so frightened that he kicked Xiao Ban'er off his horse. At this time, not only the book boy, but also his own grandson, he would throw it away without hesitation.

    Jia Xu adjusted his horse and ran out of the official road, running desperately towards the forest a hundred paces away. It was not convenient for horses to run in the forest, so maybe he still had a glimmer of hope to escape.

    But Jia Xu immediately despaired. A group of cavalry, more than a hundred of them, ran out of the forest and intercepted him in a fan shape. However, Jia Xu suddenly discovered that these people were not men in black, but actually Cao Jun cavalry. The leader was a group of cavalrymen.  He is a general, holding two halberds, tall and burly, majestic.

    Before Jia Xu could speak, General Shuangji ordered: "Take good care of Mr. Jia, and the rest of the brothers will follow me!"

    He led dozens of cavalrymen to rush towards the men in black, like tigers charging into a herd of sheep. Wherever the general with two halberds passed, he killed the knights in black and turned their horses on their backs, and screams were heard.

    Jia Xu saw that this man was extremely ferocious, one against a hundred. He suddenly thought of Dian Wei, the general with two halberds, and was even more surprised, 'Could this man be possessed by Dian Wei?  ¡¯

    But one thing is certain, these cavalry are hostile to the men in black, and he can be saved. At this time, Jia Xu saw the little book boy Ban'er running towards him crying, as if his head was broken, and his face was covered with blood.

    Jia Xu felt distressed for a while, quickly turned over and dismounted, hugged the little book boy and comforted him: "I didn't hold you tightly just now, and you accidentally fell off the horse. Next time we won't ride such a bad horse."

    The little book boy nodded repeatedly and stopped crying. At this time, the battle was over. Half of the more than forty knights in black were killed, and the rest turned around and fled.

    General Shuangji urged his horse forward slowly, turned over and dismounted and saluted: "The rescue came late, sir, I was frightened."

      Jia Xu suddenly felt that they did not look like Cao Jun. He was even more surprised and asked cautiously: "May I ask what is the name of this general?"

    General Shuangji smiled and said, "I am down to Gan Ning in Jiangxia. On the order of the prefect, I invite you to visit Jiangxia as a guest."

    Jia Xu seemed to have stepped on the air, as if he had just escaped from the tiger's mouth and stepped into the pit of fire. He was actually Liu Jing's man.

    A wry smile slowly appeared on his face, and he seemed to understand a little. I'm afraid Yu Jin's escape was a foreshadowing, and there must be Jiangxia spies in Cao's camp. Otherwise, how would they know that they were going back to Ye County?

    Liu Jing actually sent Gan Ning to intercept him. Liu Jing actually thought highly of him. He immediately calmed down, pulled out the arrow hairpin on his head, and dusted off the dust on his robe with his fingers.

    "Since Prefect Liu is so enthusiastic about the invitation, I will come with you!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 259 First arrival in Yecheng

    Yecheng was originally the capital of Yuan Shao. After Cao Cao captured Yecheng in the ninth year of Jian'an, he moved the capital to Yecheng to facilitate control of Hebei.

    Not only did the Han Emperor and his court officials move to Yecheng, but the Prime Minister's Palace and the residences of many important ministers also moved here, making Yecheng's importance surpass that of Xuchang, the same capital.

    It was already early April. Cao Cao led an army of 200,000 to an expedition to Wuhuan. It had been more than a month since the expedition, and Yecheng was guarded by his eldest son Cao Pi, who led an army of 50,000.

    Yecheng is known as the largest city in Hebei. It has a circumference of more than 40 miles and a population of more than 300,000. It is adjacent to the Zhang River in the north, has fertile land, and has very developed agriculture.

    After several years of post-war recovery, Yecheng has gradually restored its former prosperous commerce. Businessmen from the north and the south are constantly coming and going, and all kinds of goods from the north and the south are piling up.

    That afternoon, a caravan of more than a dozen people came along the spacious official road to the south gate of Yecheng. The caravan led more than a hundred mules and horses, loaded with large and small bags of goods. In Yecheng, it was like this  The number of caravans can only be considered average, with many appearing every day.

    The caravan was led by two people riding horses in front. One was slightly older, slender and slightly dark-skinned, while the other was very young, in his twenties.

    The elder of the two men was Li Fu, the chief secretary of Yuan Shao who was visiting Jiangxia. He had stayed in Ye County for several years and was very familiar with it, so Liu Jing appointed him as the team leader.

    The other person is Liu Min, who works in the Jiangxia Changshi Mansion. He is Liu Xian's nephew. He is careful, steady and courageous. Liu Jing thinks highly of him. In order to train his ability, he appointed him as the deputy leader and came to Yecheng together.

    They disguised themselves as a group of merchants from Nanyang County, loaded with Chu brocade bought from Jingxiang. This kind of brocade was simple and elegant, very popular among the upper class of Xudu, and could be sold at a good price in Yecheng.

    Of course, their real mission is to transport Jia Xu¡¯s mother, wife and children back to Jiangxia. In order of the importance of the mission, this mission is designated as A-1, which means it is extremely important.

    In the records of the Jiangxia Army, the importance of bringing Xu Shu's mother to Jiangxia was determined to be Class A. Now she was a family member of Cao Cao's counselor Jia Xu, and she actually had to perform the highest-level task. This really puzzled Liu Min.

    Is Jia Xu more important than Xu Changshi?  Liu Min has been thinking about this problem these days and is puzzled by the solution.

    Li Fu next to him was also thinking about his own thoughts. He was also full of questions, but his question was not Jia Xu's, but his own. He did not expect that Liu Jing would ask him to perform this task, of course because he was familiar with Ye.  Cheng, has certain connections here.

    Maybe he could think of it as a help, but Li Fu still felt strange in his heart. Judging from Liu Jing's instructions before leaving and the process of accepting the task, he didn't mean to help at all. Liu Jing completely treated him as a subordinate.

    But he made an agreement with Liu Jing that he would be loyal to Jiang Xia only after brothers Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi died. Now it is obvious that the conditions have not been established. Has Liu Jing forgotten this agreement?

    But after getting along with each other for a month, especially the battle with Liao Hua, Li Fu had a new understanding. He didn't know much about Liu Jing, but he knew Liao Hua very well. He was both civil and military, courageous and yet cautious.  He is a rare general. It is said that Liao Hua was born in the Yellow Turban Army.

    More importantly, Liu Jing handed over almost all the cavalry to him. Liao Hua had complete power. If Liao Hua was willing, he could take this cavalry to surrender to Cao Cao and obtain high-ranking officials and generous salaries. However, Liao Hua had no such idea at all.  He is loyal to Liu Jing. Read the full text of "The First Dandy in the Starry Sky".

    It was this kind of trust and loyalty that enabled this cavalry to exert great power, which made Li Fu sigh. In contrast, the Yuan brothers were suspicious of each other and fought for power. In the end, they were defeated by Cao Cao. Hebei was defeated. There must be a reason.  If so, even if he continues to follow the Yuan brothers, will he still have a future?

    Li Fu¡¯s heart has been shaken. He is like an employee who participated in an internship in later generations. When the internship period expires, he has already developed a sense of identity with this cause.

    It was precisely this sense of identity that made Li Fu not refuse the task when he accepted it in Yecheng. Even he himself did not know why he accepted it.

    "Shopkeeper Li, we've arrived at the city gate!"

    A reminder from a waiter made Li Fu wake up from his deep thoughts. He turned around and told his subordinates, "Try to talk as little as possible. I will handle everything."

    Most of his men were from the south, and they would attract attention as soon as they opened their mouths. The caravan soon arrived at the city gate, and soldiers were on duty to conduct inspections. Ordinary vegetable farmers, single businessmen, porters, or old, weak, women and children would not ask anything, but people like them,  There are nearly twenty people and a hundred healthy mules, and they will definitely be interrogated.

    Li Fu knew very well that generally if there were more than five people, they would be interrogated, and if there were more than 20 people, they would be taken to the Yamen for special questioning, so he only brought 18 people into the city, and more than 30 people stayed outside the city.

    ?"Where are you businessmen from?" Thirty steps away from the city gate, an officer walked up and asked.

    "We came from Nanyang to transport some goods to make a little money."

    Li Fu smiled broadly and spoke with the same accent as the officer. As he spoke, a small ingot of gold was quickly put into the officer's hand, weighing about five or six taels. Liu Min next to him saw it clearly and his face suddenly turned red.

    The officer immediately beamed and patted the goods, "Brother, that's great! You actually got Chu brocade to sell. This stuff has been selling like hotcakes recently. I heard there's a war in Nanyang!"

    "A war is a war, and business has to be done, otherwise everyone will drink from the northwest wind."

    "That's true, my brother has been traveling all over the country, so he seems to be a sensible person."

    Li Fu chuckled, "Do some small business to support your family."

    The officer no longer made things difficult for them, and waved his hand and shouted to the soldiers: "No problem, let them enter the city!"

    The caravan entered the city without any further interrogation. After entering the city, Liu Min looked at both sides and said with a smile: "I know, money can make all the difference. As long as you stuff money, there's nothing you can do."  Things that don¡¯t work out.¡±

    Li Fu shook his head and said with a faint smile: "Things are not that simple. There are many things here!"

    Liu Min bumped into a soft nail and blushed. For a moment, he couldn't help but ask: "Uncle Li, can you tell me something?"

    For the sake of him calling him uncle all the way, Li Fu smiled and said: "First of all, let's look at the overall situation. If it is during a war, there are military judges next to the city gate. If you dare to stuff money, you will definitely be in trouble. At this time, the gatekeeper  Even if the officer wanted it, he wouldn¡¯t dare to ask for it.¡±

    "What about normal times? Like today."

    "It usually depends on the situation. There are actually many hidden rules here. For example, general interrogation should be carried out only after the caravan arrives at the city gate. Didn't you notice that the officer came up from a long way away?"

    Liu Min nodded, "I'm surprised too! Is this a hint of asking for money?"

    "This is a hint, but there are also some requirements. For example, if the city guarding officer is within twenty steps of the city, it means that he can give money, but he must symbolically check and make an explanation. This means that there is an order from above, but the order is not  Yan can be fooled.

    If the officer is more than 20 steps away, it means everything is safe. Pay the money and leave. But if the officer does not leave the city gate at all, be careful. This means that there is a strict order from above to strictly check the coming and going, especially five people.  Above, more strict investigation is required. If there is a problem with the goods in this situation, it is best not to enter the city.  "

    Liu Min suddenly became enlightened after what he said. He nodded repeatedly, "Listening to your words is worth ten years of reading. Liu Min has learned a lesson."

    When Li Fu saw him saluting seriously, he couldn't help but secretly laugh in his heart. Things can't be that simple. In fact, you have to watch your words and emotions.

    For example, if there are too many people who need to be interrogated, the officer will lead his troops to interrogate thirty steps away. At that time, it will be unlucky to stuff money. Many things about human nature cannot be explained clearly in a few words.

    But he didn¡¯t want to waste so much words now. He pointed to a house at the entrance of the alley in front and said with a smile: ¡°I know the manager of that hotel, we will rest there.¡±

    Soon everyone arrived at the inn. The inn was not very big and was a bit old. The wood on the front door had turned white and cracked. There was a shabby plaque hanging on it. The handwriting on it could be vaguely discerned. It seemed to be the second chapter of "Wang Ji".  Character.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the two dead red lanterns hanging next to it, I wouldn¡¯t have known it was a hotel. It¡¯s obvious that the shopkeeper here has no intention of running it.

    A large group of mules and horses crowded the yard. After a while, a waiter lazily came out, yawned, and asked listlessly: "Are you here to stay in the hotel?"

    ¡°Boy, is your shopkeeper still a sesame-eyed person?¡±

    The clerk suddenly became energetic and asked quickly: "Does this man know my shopkeeper?"

    "Call him out and say that an old friend is here!"

    The guy ran in, and a moment later a fat, white, middle-aged man came out. Only then did Liu Min understand why he was called Sesame Eyes. He had never seen anyone with such small eyes, they were smaller than a mung bean.

    When the man saw Li Fu, he was stunned at first, and then he went crazy with joy. He hugged Li Fu and screamed and jumped. He was so excited that tears flowed out, which made everyone sigh. It was a touching scene of the reunion of old friends.  .

    Li Fu whispered a few words to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper chuckled and punched Li Fu on the shoulder, "Why don't you change your old habits?"

    He immediately asked the guys to come out, arrange the mules and horses, move the goods into the room, and asked the cook to arrange dinner.

    Everyone went to their rooms to clean up. Li Fu and Liu Min lived in a small courtyard with only two rooms, one each.Liu Min was about to discuss business with Li Fu. At this time, the shopkeeper Zhima Yan came in with a young woman who was painted and dressed in a coquettish style. She was quite pretty.

    The door opened a crack, Li Fu waved, and called the woman in with a smile. The woman smiled charmingly, twisted her waist and went into the house, and then closed the door.

    Liu Min was puzzled and secretly thought that this woman might also be a relative of Li Fu. He had to ask his brothers about their food and accommodation first.

    After being busy for a while, Liu Min returned to the small courtyard. He happened to meet Li Fu sending the woman out. The woman spread her hands and looked at Li Fu with a smile. Li Fu put a handful of money in the woman's hand. She shook her head. Li Fu had to  After grabbing another handful, the woman accepted the money and winked at Liu Min again, "The pretty boy is pretty good, better than this old black guy!" She smiled and walked away charmingly.

    Liu Min then realized that this woman turned out to be He suddenly turned red and glared at Li Fu, "You are actually looking for a prostitute!"

    Li Fu smiled faintly, "Brother, do you also like her? If you don't think I have used her, I will call her back."

    "You bastard!" Liu Min finally yelled, "We are here to do business, and it is the most important confidential matter, but you still have a heart I really don't know what to say to you."

    At this time, the shopkeeper came in with a food box and said with a smile: "Master, don't blame him, this is his old problem. Before doing big things, you must find a woman. The bigger the thing, the more women there are, and one will come at night.  "

    ?¡­

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 260 Cao Pi¡¯s Wrath

    During dinner, Liu Min approached Li Fu and said apologetically: "I was a little rude this afternoon. I apologize to Uncle Li!"

    "You are very serious about your work."

    Li Fu glanced at him and smiled: "You just don't know how to relax yourself. If you do things nervously, you may not be able to get things done. Listen to me, you must have ambitions, but you can't lack women and wine, and you can be willful and  That¡¯s the true nature of a man.¡±

    Liu Min lowered his head for a while and said: "But I don't like prostitutes, I would rather marry a wife and a concubine."

    Li Fu patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "This can be considered your true character! I have traveled around since I was a child and have experienced too much, so I don't care about any restrictions. Apart from not betraying the lord, I can do whatever I want.  How to do it."

    "Then how do we take Jia Xu's family away?"

    "It's very simple. Just say that Jia Xu is dying of illness in Nanyang and wants to see his family one last time. I guarantee that even his dog will follow us."

    "This is not good!" Liu Min whispered,

    "What's wrong!"

    Li Fu touched his chin and said with a smile: "My face looks treacherous at first glance. It would be better for you, a white-faced scholar, to tell me. They will definitely believe it."

    Liu Min felt embarrassed and lowered her head in silence. At this time, the shopkeeper Sesame Eyes walked in quickly and said a few words to Li Fu. Li Fu nodded and said with a smile: "Thank you very much!"

    When Sesame Eye was about to go out, Li Fu shouted again: "Don't forget, there is another woman."

    "Don't worry! I won't forget it."

    Li Fu then smiled at Liu Min and said: "We have found Jia Xu's house, but his wife took her grandson back to her parents' house and won't be back until evening. I guess she has packed her things and the city gate is closed, so we will take them out early tomorrow morning."  "

    Liu Min couldn't help being surprised and happy. Was it solved so quickly?  He was still worried about how to find Jia Xu's house!  But Liu Min remembered something again and asked in a low voice: "Is this shopkeeper reliable? Will he betray us?"

    Li Fu chuckled, "Do you know Yuan Gong's counselor Guo Tu? This shopkeeper is Guo Tu's younger brother Guo Song, and he is also a talented man. He did not want to be an official of Cao Cao, so he opened a hotel to make a living, and I have  Life-long friendship.¡±

    Liu Min suddenly realized that he was Guo Tu's younger brother, but he didn't agree with this kind of fateful friendship. He muttered in a low voice: "You even have to pay for finding a woman yourself, so what kind of fateful friendship is there?"

    Li Fu was startled, then laughed loudly, "Do you know why he is called Sesame Eye? He is easy to talk about anything else, but when it comes to money, his heart will be as small as Sesame Eye, so we call him Sesame Eye."  Eyes, don¡¯t think that I asked him to do things for free. He is more sinister than anyone else. For such a big deal, he blackmailed me for thirty taels of gold. If I lost one gold, he would fall out with me, and this meal.  , at least five taels of gold, ten times more expensive than outside."

    Liu Min thought about seeing Sesame Eyes for the first time in the afternoon, laughing and dancing while holding Li Fu, and was so excited that she shed tears. It made people feel warm and touching. It turned out to be because the God of Wealth came to her door.

    After a long while, Liu Min smiled bitterly and said, "My eyes are open today."

    At this moment, Sesame Eyes hurried in and said nervously: "I don't know why, the city gate was suddenly closed. It should be closed at the end of the year."

    Liu Min also became a little nervous, "Does Cao Jun know that we are coming?"

    Li Fu shook his head, "It's impossible. It shouldn't have anything to do with us. If I guessed correctly, it should have something to do with the enemy's situation."

    At this time, another waiter came and said to the shopkeeper: "There is news from the county government that tonight the army will search the entire city for Liaodong Gongsun Kang's spies, and all suspicious outsiders will be arrested."

    After saying that, he glanced at Li Fu and Liu Min worriedly, nodded with sesame eyes, "I understand, let's go!"

    He then explained to Li Fu and Liu Min: "I have a brother who works in the county government and is well-informed. Since he has come to report the news, this matter is more serious."

    Li Fu made a decision immediately: "We will live directly in Jia's mansion tonight."

    Li Fu entrusted the goods and mules to Sesame Eye. Sesame Eye frowned and said that the goods could not be sold at a good price and he could only do his best. Don't blame him if he suffered a loss.

    He still wanted to calculate the food money for the mule, but Li Fu was too lazy to pay attention to him. He took a dozen of his men, got on his horse, and went directly to Jia Xu's residence according to the address written by Sesame Eye.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Like Xuchang, Yecheng is also divided into an inner city and an outer city. The inner city is where the royal palace, the Prime Minister's Office, and the imperial offices are concentrated. The residences of some important ministers are also located in the inner city. Soldiers are on duty in the inner city no matter morning or evening.  , the defense is very tight.

    In the northwest corner of the inner city, there is a mansion covering an area of ??about 100 acres.This is the residence of Cao Cao's eldest son, Cao Pi. At this time, Cao Pi was not the heir apparent, but he was highly regarded by Cao Cao and was appointed to stay in Yedu to guard Yecheng for his father.

    Cao Pi is twenty-one years old this year, with a medium build but very strong. He has practiced martial arts since elementary school. Not only is he talented in literature, he is also very good at riding and archery, and has excellent swordsmanship.

    But Cao Pi does not look like his father Cao Cao, but more like his mother. He has a pointed chin and a small nose, which makes him somewhat feminine. However, his brother Cao Zhi is very much like his father, with a wide face and high nose, an eight-foot tall figure, and a dignified appearance.  Because of this, Cao Cao doted on Cao Zhi even more.

    Despite this, Cao Pi, as the heir apparent, still has his irreplaceable status. This time, Cao Cao went north to conquer Wuhuan, so he handed over the remaining power to him.

    In the study, Cao Pi was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, and his eyes were filled with anger. Just an hour ago, he received an urgent report from his attendant Xin Pi that spies from Liaodong Gongsun Kang had sneaked into Ye City. Cao Pi immediately ordered General Xia Houshang to lead his army.  Search the whole city.

    But Cao Pi was angry not because of the Liaodong spies, but because he received a secret letter from Cao Hong in Nanyang in the afternoon, saying that Jia Xu was suspected of secretly communicating with Jiangxia, causing Cao Pi's army to be defeated with heavy casualties. It was found that Jia Xu had left Nanyang and returned to China.  In Yecheng, Cao Pi was asked to secretly investigate Jia Xu's words and deeds.

    Although Cao Hong's words were relatively vague and did not explicitly say that Jia Xu had betrayed Cao, he had pointed out that he was suspected of collaborating with the enemy, which was enough to arouse Cao Pi's overwhelming anger.

    Cao Pi was loved by his aunt, Mrs. Ding, and his eldest brother, Cao Ang, since he was a child. In the second year of Jian'an, Cao Ang was killed in the Battle of Wancheng. His aunt, Mrs. Ding, was heartbroken and left his father.

    This incident was an indelible pain in Cao Pi's life. Although his father forgave Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu with great magnanimity, the hatred of losing his brother and his mother was engraved in Cao Pi's heart, and he has never forgotten it.

    Today, Cao Hong¡¯s letter once again made the fire of his hatred burn brightly.

    At this time, the study door opened, and Cao Pi's wife Zhen came in with a bowl of ginseng tea. Zhen was originally Yuan Xi's wife. After the destruction of Ye City, she was taken in by Cao Pi. She then married Cao Pi and gave birth to a child for Cao Pi that year.  The son was named Cao Rui.

    Mrs. Zhen was very beautiful and beautiful. Although she had been married to Cao Pi for three years, she was still favored by Cao Pi. She heard that her husband was very angry today and even drew a sword and chopped off a corner of the table. She couldn't help but feel worried, so she excused herself  Send ginseng soup to visit him.

    Mrs. Zhen put the ginseng soup on the table, pursed her lips and said with a smile: "My husband seems not very happy today?"

    If it were normal, Cao Pi would have hugged Zhen and joked with her for a few words, but today was extraordinary. His childhood hatred was aroused. Not to mention his wife, even if his mother came, it would be difficult to persuade him.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, and after a while he said in a muffled voice: ¡°If you have nothing else to do, go back to your room first!¡±

    Mrs. Zhen was even more surprised. Just when she was about to persuade her again, the guard reported at the door: "General Yangwu Zhang has arrived and is waiting in the outer hall!"

    Cao Pi snorted coldly, "He actually has the nerve to come!"

    Cao Pi ignored his wife and walked outside. Zhen was even more surprised and confused. She followed her out, but Cao Pi had already gone away.

    At this time, Mrs. Zhen saw her husband¡¯s little book boy Feng¡¯er, so she waved him up and asked, ¡°What happened to make the general so angry?¡±

    Feng'er didn't dare to hide it and whispered: "It seems that General Zilian of Nanyang wrote a letter saying that Jia Wenhe secretly collaborated with the enemy, so the young master was particularly angry."

    Mrs. Zhen had heard her husband talk about the grievances between Zhang Xiu, Jia Xu and the Cao family. She also knew that Cao Hong had unclear business and personal affairs, which made her very worried. Mrs. Zhen hesitated for a moment, but hurriedly walked to the living room.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The outer hall is not a living room for receiving guests, nor is it the main hall where major ceremonies are held. It is just a side hall, where servants in the house are usually handled, or some good and humble people are received.

    Therefore, Cao Pi ordered people to bring Zhang Xiu here to wait, which was a great insult in itself. Zhang Xiu was about fifty years old, eight feet three tall, burly, tall and straight, like a straight tree. His teacher  From Tong Yuan, a famous marksman, he learned the true inheritance of Bai Niao Chao Feng Spear and became known as the Spear King of the North. In terms of seniority, he was still Zhao Yun's junior nephew.

    It has been eight years since he surrendered to Cao Cao in the fourth year of Jian'an. At first, he was highly used. He made great achievements in the Battle of Guandu and was named General Yangwu with generous rewards.

    But since Yecheng was captured the year before last and the overall situation in Hebei was determined, Zhang Xiu has gradually been left out. General Yangwu is just an official title and has no real power, so Zhang Xiu is mostly idle at home. This time Cao Cao went on an expedition to Wuhuan.  Zhang Xiu was obviously quite famous in the North, but Cao Cao didn't take him with him.

    Zhang Xiu knew that his usefulness was gone and he would spend his whole life doing nothing. His ambition was dead and he planned to accept the reality. Unexpectedly, the Cao family did not forget.In the past, both the Cao brothers, Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Dun and others were extremely hostile to him.

    However, although these generals hated him, they did not dare to humiliate him too much because of Cao Cao's face. However, the younger members of the Cao family had no scruples, especially Cao Pi. During an encounter at the city gate at the beginning of the year, Cao Pi publicly insulted him, which even made Zhang Xiu feel chilled.  However, Cao Cao turned a deaf ear to this matter, which invisibly boosted the arrogance of Cao Pi and others.

    For example, now, when Cao Pi wanted to see him, he didn't dare not come, but he actually took him to the outer hall to wait for his servants. What an insult to him!

    You must know that Zhang Xiu is actually related to Cao Cao. His daughter married Cao Cao's son Cao Jun. Cao Jun was later adopted by Cao Cao's younger brother Cao Bin, who is also the father of Cao Anmin. To some extent, it was also for the sake of peace.  This grudge.

    In the outer hall, Cao Pi sat on the couch with his sword pressed. He felt the pressure of Zhang Xiu's burly figure, which made him feel more disgusted. He looked at Zhang Xiu coldly.

    Zhang Xiu's face was swollen to the color of pig liver. He suppressed the huge sense of humiliation in his heart and knelt down to salute Cao Pi, "My lord, Zhang Xiu, pay my respects to the young master!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 261 Death of Zhang Xiu

    It stands to reason that Cao Pi is not the heir apparent now and does not have enough political status for Zhang Xiu to worship him. However, in order to alleviate Cao Pi's hatred and live with dignity for the rest of his life, Zhang Xiu would rather endure the humiliation and bend to Cao Pi.  Bend your knees.

    But Cao Pi didn't appreciate it and sneered: "I didn't expect that a noble prince would be reduced to a pig or a dog."

    "What did you say?" Zhang Xiu couldn't believe his ears.

    "Do you know why you are asked to come to the outer hall instead of the living room?"

    Cao Pi bent down and stared into his eyes, saying word by word: "Because you are not worthy. My father gave you the opportunity to be a human being, but you have to be a lowly pig or dog!"

    Zhang Xiu slowly stood up and asked calmly: "I don't understand what the young master means. If the young master has anything to say, just say it clearly!"

    "Hmph! Didn't Jia Xu tell you before he defected to Jiangxia? Don't you just want to return to Jingzhou and build his hegemony again? What a great opportunity this is, General Zhang, go ahead! I'll let you go."

    Zhang Xiu's mind was in chaos. Wen He had defected to Jiang Xia again. It shouldn't be possible!  But Cao Pi's words were so true that he couldn't help but not believe him. After a while, Zhang Xiu said: "Wen He has nothing to do with me, and his actions have nothing to do with it. I, Zhang Xiu, am fifty years old. I just want to live in peace until my death. I no longer have the heart to rebel."

    Cao Pi narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhang Xiu. He recalled the love his aunt and eldest brother had for him. The man in front of him killed his brother and destroyed his mother. Murderous intent suddenly emerged in his heart. He suddenly pulled out his sword and stared at him with murderous intent.  Zhang Xiu.

    Zhang Xiu was not afraid. He stared at the gleaming sharp sword and felt Cao Pi's endless murderous intent. He pulled open his clothes, exposed his chest and said, "Young Master, you can kill me if you want!"

    Although Cao Pi wanted to kill Zhang Xiu with one sword, he finally endured it, sheathed the sword, sat down again, and said in an extremely vicious tone: "You killed my brother and you will not avenge this. I, Cao Pi, swear  You are not human, but I won¡¯t kill you now. When one day you don¡¯t want to die, I will make you a pig or a dog and die of torture, Zhang Xiu, just wait!¡±

    Zhang Xiu bowed silently, turned around and left. Cao Pi looked at his back, gritted his teeth and sneered. He thought of Jia Xu again and immediately ordered: "Come here!"

    Several guards came in, bowed and saluted, and Cao Pi ordered: "Go and inform General Xiahou to arrest Jia Xu's family. No one will be spared!"

    "Wait a minute and read the full text of Baigu Xiaoyan!"

    His wife Zhen turned out from the side door and stopped the soldiers. She saluted Cao Pi again and said, "Husband, can you listen to me?"

    Cao Pi was a little unhappy, "What do you want to say?"

    Mrs. Zhen knelt down and said: "My father ordered me to guard Yecheng. It was entrusted to me by the rear. The responsibility is not unimportant. Now my husband only has a secret letter from his uncle, and there is no official document from the commander-in-chief and no definite evidence. He has to do it."  Mr. Jia's wife and children are in prison. If this is not the case, how will the husband explain to his father when he comes back? "

    Zhen's words were like a basin of cold water pouring down his head, which suddenly woke Cao Pi out of his hatred. He immediately thought that Cao Hong often used public affairs to enrich himself and was indeed untrustworthy.

    ¡°What if this is not the case and my father comes back, how will I explain?  This will greatly damage your image in your father's mind.

    Thinking of this, Cao Pi suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, and he quickly said to the guard: "Let's put this matter aside for now, retreat!"

    He stepped forward to help his wife up again, and said with shame: "Thanks to my good wife for reminding me, I almost made a big mistake."

    Zhen wanted to persuade him to appease Zhang Xiu again, but she swallowed the words again. She knew her husband very well after they had been together for three years. He did not like women to interfere in politics, so she could not interfere too much in official affairs. Today she only  It can stop here.

    She smiled sweetly and said, "It's late at night, husband, go see Rui'er!"

    Cao Pi nodded, took his wife's hand and walked to the back house, but after walking a few steps, his mind suddenly changed. Although they did not need to be arrested and imprisoned, they should still send someone to monitor Jia's house.

    ?¡­

    Zhang Xiu walked out of the gate of Cao Pi's mansion and looked up at the night sky covered with dark clouds. He thought of Cao Cao's indifference to him, of Cao Pi's hatred and viciousness, and of Cao Pi's succession in the future. He couldn't help but lose all hope in his heart. He raised his arms and shouted to the sky: "  Wen He, why are you trying to persuade me to surrender? You might as well let me die on the battlefield!"

    He felt sad, and tears rolled down his face.

    ?¡­

    Jia's mansion is located in the south of the outer city. It is a mansion covering an area of ??30 acres. Li Fu and others brought the news that Jia Xu was seriously ill, which caused Jia Xu's family to be in chaos. They did not doubt Li Fu's words.  As evidenced by his personal seal, as well as the letters dictated by Jia Xu and written by Ban'er, the Jia family was convinced.

    They simply packed their bags and prepared to go south to see each other one last time.Facing Jia Xu, Jia Ji, the third son of Jia Xu, was a little confused. His father was in good health when he left, so how could he suddenly become seriously ill?

    Jia Xu has a total of three sons and two daughters. Both daughters are married. The eldest son Jia Mu and the second son Jia Wan are serving as officials in other places. Only the third son Jia Ji works as a guard in the palace and takes care of his grandmother and mother. He has a day off today.  I went to my parents' house with my mother and just came back.

    Jia Ji hurriedly came to the inner house to find Li Fu and expressed the doubts in his heart, "My father was in good health when he left. How could he be seriously ill? Is there something hidden in this?"

    Li Fu had just discovered that someone was spying on Jia Xu. He immediately thought that this must be a letter from Cao Hong, which made Cao Pi begin to doubt Jia Xu. The matter was a bit serious, which made him very worried. They must leave the city tonight, otherwise they must leave the city tomorrow.  Something will happen, because his men just killed two monitors sent by Cao Pi.

    Li Fu looked at Jia Ji's confused eyes and sighed, "To be honest, it's because Cao Ren wants to take the opportunity to kill your father. Your father has fled to Jingzhou and has been protected by Liu Jingzhou, so you must leave."

    Jia Ji was a little suspicious because he found that many of the people Li Fu brought had southern accents. At this time, Li Fu's shocking words shocked Jia Ji, "How could Cao Ren kill my father?"

    Li Fu shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "You really can't think of it?"

    Jia Ji was silent. There was no other reason except for the consequences of the Battle of Wancheng. However, his father was safe, which made him let go of the latest chapter of the leader's treasure.

    "How did Cao Ren harm my father?" Jia Ji asked again.

    "Yu Jin was defeated in Fancheng. In order to shirk responsibility, he found Cao Hong. The two of them joined forces to falsely accuse your father of secretly communicating with Liu Jing and made a false witness. Cao Ren followed suit and wanted to kill your father, but he felt that the reason was insufficient, so he  Order your father to take five hundred men and twenty small boats to capture Xiangyang. If he fails, he will kill your father. This is obviously killing with a borrowed knife. Your father had no choice but to surrender to Jingzhou, so your father asked Liu Jingzhou to rescue his family. We will  Here it comes.¡±

    Jia Ji cried and said: "Butwhy did my father suffer injustice? He should report it to the prime minister and let him give his father an explanation."

    Li Fu shook his head, "Don't be stupid, how could Cao Cao perform surgery on his own sons and brothers for your father?"

    He waved his hand, "Bring it in!"

    A tied-up man was pushed in from the outside, and Jia Ji recognized him at once. This man was Yu Ming, Cao Pi's confidant, and it turned out that he was also monitoring the Han Emperor with him.

    "These are the people sent by Cao Pi to monitor your residence. There are three people in total. Two of them were killed by us. This one was captured alive. According to his confession, Cao Pi had received a quick message from Cao Hong, so he sent them to monitor Jia's residence.  "

    With all the witnesses and material evidence in hand, Jia Ji completely believed Li Fu's words, and he became anxious, "Then what should we do?"

    Li Fu waved his hand and asked someone to escort the prisoners away. Then he said to Jia Ji: "The biggest problem now is how to get out of the city? The city gate was closed in the evening. Without Cao Pi's gold medal for getting out of the city, it is impossible to get out of the city. But we are watching.  I found an arrow from Cao Pi."

    "Can I leave the city with the troop deployment order?"

    Li Fu's face showed an expression of embarrassment, "It might be possible if one person goes out of the city to mobilize troops, but with a family carriage, I'm afraid a command arrow is not enough. The soldiers guarding the city will definitely report to Cao Pi, and it will be over by then. I am here for this  worry."

    Jia Ji also lowered his head. He was at his wits' end. At this moment, there were hurried footsteps running outside the door. The housekeeper reported: "Third Young Master, Mr. Quan is here. He said there is something urgent. It seems that something happened to his father."  ¡±

    Jia Ji was shocked, "I'll come right away!"

    He quickly said to Li Fu: "Master Quan is the son of General Yangwu Zhang. I'll go and have a look."

    General Yangwu Zhang was Zhang Xiu. Something happened to him. Li Fu was moved in his heart and said with a smile, "I'll go and have a look with you too."

    In the living room, a young man was walking anxiously back and forth with a very sad expression. This man was Zhang Xiu's son Zhang Quan. He was also a guard in the palace, but he was a military prince and had a higher official position than Jia Ji.

    "Zhengyou, what happened?" Jia Ji walked in quickly and asked, followed by Li Fu.

    When Zhang Quan saw Jia Ji, he immediately fell to the ground crying, "My fatherhehe committed suicide by hanging from a beam!"

    This news was like a bolt from the blue. Jia Ji quickly supported Zhang Quan and cried: "How could Uncle Shi"

    Zhang Quan wiped away his tears and gritted his teeth and said: "I was forced by that thief Cao Pi. When my father came back from him, he wrote eight words on the wall with a pen, 'It is better to die in battle than to be humiliated!' Justjust go  ¡±

    He took out another letter and handed it to Jia Ji, "This is a letter written by my father to Shibo."Xin, please leave quickly!  Even if Cao Pi forces my father to death, he will not let you go.  "

    At this time, Li Fu, who had been silent all the time, suddenly asked: "Master Quan, are you going to go to your sister's place to report your funeral now?"

    ?¡­

    [Zhang Xiu died in the twelfth year of Jian'an. There are two theories in history. One is that he followed Cao Cao in his northern expedition to Wuhuan and died of illness. The other is that he was forced to death by Cao Pi in Yecheng. In view of the death of Zhang Xiu's son Zhang Quan, Lao Gao  More inclined to the latter]

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 262 Extraordinary Courage

    Zhang Quan's eldest sister married Cao Jun, the son of Cao Cao's younger brother Cao Bin. In fact, Cao Jun was Cao Cao's third son, and his mother was Cao Cao's concubine Zhou Ji.

    Because his nephew Cao Anmin died in Wancheng, and Cao Bin died early, the incense in this house was cut off. Cao Cao felt guilty for his brother, so he adopted Cao Jun to his brother to inherit the incense, and ordered him to marry Zhang Xiu's daughter.

    Although it was his father who ordered him to marry, Cao Jun and Zhang got along well with each other. After six years of marriage, the couple was very loving and gave birth to another son, named Cao Kang.

    Cao Jun naturally lived in the inner city. His house was far smaller than Cao Pi's house, covering an area of ??only thirty acres. Although he was only Cao Cao's concubine, because he was now Cao Bin's son, he was also granted the title of Tinghou and was worshiped as Zhonglang.  General, of considerable status.

    Late at night, Cao Jun and his wife were getting ready to sleep when suddenly Zhang Quan came to announce the funeral. Zhang's father, Zhang Xiu, died of a sudden illness. Zhang burst into tears. Cao Jun was anxious and quickly ordered a carriage to go to Zhang's house.

    Cao Jun had just boarded the carriage and was about to set off. Suddenly, a sharp dagger was pressed against his throat in the darkness, and a man in black said coldly: "Tell all your followers to go back!"

    Ms. Zhang was so frightened that she wanted to shout, but the other man in black, with his quick hands and quick eyes, knocked her unconscious with one punch.

    When Cao Jun saw his wife being beaten, he immediately said angrily: "Who are you?"

    At this time, Zhang Quan got on the carriage, cupped his hands and said: "Brother-in-law, I'm sorry, these are my father's old subordinates. In order to survive, I have to wrong my brother-in-law first."

    Cao Jun didn¡¯t dare to move as the knife was held to his neck, so he snorted coldly, ¡°What are you doing, are you trying to kidnap me?¡±

    Zhang Quan was silent for a moment and said: "My father was forced to death by Cao Pi. Cao Pi also wants to kill our whole family and Mr. Jia's family. We must escape from Yecheng tonight. Please help me, brother-in-law."

    Cao Jun couldn't say a word for a long time, and finally asked hesitantly: "Are you telling the truth?"

    Zhang Quan burst into tears, "My father was humiliated and committed suicide. Can I make this up?"

    Cao Jun was silent for a long time, then he nodded, "I can help you get out of the city, but you have to ensure that your eldest sister and I are safe."

    "no problem."

    Li Fu put away the dagger next to him. Although it no longer pressed against his throat, it was pressed against his waist. Cao Jun knew that he did not believe him. He secretly hated him, but he had no choice but to order the guards outside: "You guys  There¡¯s no need to go, pick me up the day after tomorrow.¡±

    The guards returned to the house one after another, the carriage started, and under the escort of several "Zhang family generals", it drove towards the outer city.

    The Jia Mansion has packed up and prepared two carriages for women and children to ride in. Jia Ji, Liu Min, and a dozen of their subordinates are waiting on horseback at the back door of Zhang Xiu Mansion. All of their subordinates have put on Cao Jun's armor.  .

    The two teams merged together and drove toward the south gate in a mighty manner. Li Fu had changed horses and pretended to be Cao Jun's captain of the bodyguard. At this time, several Gongsun Kang's spies had caught them, and the city returned to calm, but  It was late at night, and the city gate was naturally closed.

    The Three Kingdoms era is not the future, and there is no nightlife. After nightfall, almost everyone has to go home, especially at Haishi, that is, at nine o'clock in the evening, most people have gone to bed with lights on, and fall asleep to the sound of eight-hundred-twilight drums.

    At this time, the second watch has passed and it is almost the third watch. Yecheng is dark, with almost no lights visible. The streets are empty and extremely quiet. Occasionally, the cry of a wild cat can be heard, and then disappear into the distance.

    Three carriages rumbled by, with more than twenty people on horseback guarding the left and right, with Li Fu leading the way.  Although his face looked nonchalant, you could see the tension in his eyes.

    Although he got an arrow from Cao Pi to mobilize troops and Cao Jun voluntarily followed him, which seemed to be a bit reliable, Li Fu knew in his heart that he was only 20% sure whether they could get out of the city. This was not like they could during the day.  If you rely on bribes to enter the city, your success will fall short if you are not careful.

    Getting closer and closer to the city gate, you can already see two torches stuck beside the city gate, flashing red in the dark night, like the eyes of a night ghost, looking particularly weird on both sides of the blood-mouthed city gate.

    The sound of carriage wheels spread very far in the silent night, and already alerted the soldiers guarding the city gate. Dozens of soldiers who were sleeping huddled in the corner of the wall stood up and looked at the approaching carriage team with confusion.

    "Who is he?"

    A village chief rushed forward and shouted loudly: "The city gate has been closed, and you are not allowed to leave the city at night!"

    The leader, Li Fu, urged his horse forward and whipped him head-on, "Open your dog eyes and take a look!"

    The village chief hid quickly. The whip did not hit his face, but hit him hard on the shoulder. It hurt to the bone, but it also took away his arrogance. This was the capital of Ye, and there were countless princes and relatives. Just in case.  What a big shot he is, but he can't afford to offend him.

    The village chief quickly clickedHe bowed and said, "Young man, it's just a routine!"

    Li Fu took out the command arrow and held it horizontally in his hand, "According to the order of the young lord, I am sending the seventh son to Xudu urgently. You will open the city gate as soon as possible!"

    The village chief was a little confused, which seventh son?  He quickly stepped forward and looked at the carriage. At this moment, the curtain opened, revealing Cao Jun's face. He felt a pain in his waist, so he had to pretend to draw out his voice and said displeased: "It's me! Even I recognize it."  Don¡¯t you want to stay?¡±

    The greatest awareness of being a gatekeeper is to get to know people, especially the powerful, and you must not leave anything out. Cao Jun is the son of Cao Cao, and he is the first class of people to remember.

    The village chief recognized him immediately and bowed and saluted, "You are really blind, I will open the city gate now."

    He waved his hand and said, "Open the city gate!"

    The soldiers on the city opened the inner city gate creakingly, and beyond was Wengcheng. They had to exit the outer city gate before leaving Yecheng. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They didn't expect the door to be opened so easily.

    But Li Fu felt something was wrong, because this village chief was acting unreasonably. Even if it was Cao Jun, he should come and test the command arrow. He was not afraid of panic. As a city gate official, he had never seen anyone.  He wouldn't be scared to death by a Cao Jun.

    When Li Fu entered the city gate, he took a quick glance and saw the village chief whispering a few instructions to a soldier, and the soldier ran away.

    Li Fu suddenly realized that these gatekeepers were all cunning and cunning. On the surface, they were respectful and did not offend anyone, but in fact they only opened the inner city gate. Everyone still had to wait in Wengcheng, and the effect was the same.

    As he expected, the outer city gate did not open and everyone was blocked in the urn city. Li Fu went to find the village chief again, but the man was nowhere to be seen.

    A soldier explained: "The village chief has gone to find the officer in charge of the outer city gate. Please wait!"

    At this moment, there was a sound of horse hooves in the distance, and a general and a group of soldiers rushed towards him. This made Li Fu's heart pick up in his throat. He recognized the person as Xia Houshang, the general on duty today.

    But now they have entered the urn, that is, they have entered the urn. They will either fail and be captured, or successfully leave the city. There is no third option. Whether they can successfully get out of the urn depends on this, despite the possibility of failure.  At this time, eight points have been accounted for, but after all, there are still two points of luck.

    Li Fu bravely faced him.

    Xia Houshang successfully captured five Liaodong spies and had just been sent to the inner city military camp to be imprisoned. He wanted to rest for a while, but he heard the news that something had happened to Zhang Xiu.

    He didn¡¯t know what had happened to Zhang Xiu, so he hurried over to check. Before he could reach Zhang Xiu¡¯s residence, he received a report from a soldier that Cao Jun was leaving the city and seemed to be bringing his family with him.

    Xiahou Shang was surprised. He didn't have time to think about what Cao Jun was doing out of the city so late. He turned around and ran towards Nancheng, just in time to stop Cao Jun and his party.

    Li Fu stepped forward, bowed on his horse and saluted, "I would like to inform General Xiahou that the Seventh Young Master has urgent matters and needs to rush to Xuchang overnight. He has already obtained the young master's consent. This is the young master's order to mobilize troops."

    Xiahou Shang took the command arrow and looked at it. It was not a forgery. It was indeed Cao Pi's golden feather command arrow. However, Cao Pi's gold medal was needed to open the city gate at night. Don't they know?  Or did Cao Pi forget?

    It is absolutely impossible to forget. Xiahou Shang thought for a while and he probably understood. It was probably that Cao Pi didn't want to make an exception, but he couldn't agree to it because of his face, so he only gave him a golden arrow and let him do what he wanted.

    He glanced at Li Fu again. In the dim light of the fire, he felt that this person seemed familiar. Where had he seen him before?  Xia Houshang did meet Li Fu, but that happened a few years ago and has long been forgotten. He thought Li Fu was Cao Jun's chief of guards, and he must have seen this person in Cao Jun's mansion.

    Xiahou Shang didn't take Li Fu seriously. He got off his horse and walked up quickly. He held his hands in front of Cao Jun and said with a smile, "How could the Seventh Young Master go out at night? It's not safe on the road!"

    He looked at the carriage behind him again, and added with a smile: "He also brought his family with him."

    Cao Jun never dreamed that Jia Xu's mother, wife and children were sitting in the two carriages behind. He thought they were Zhang Xiu's wife and daughter, but Jia Ji was wearing makeup and mingling with the guards, so he couldn't recognize her in the dark.  .

    He just felt guilty that his elder brother had forced Zhang Xiu to death, and wanted to help Zhang Quan and send Zhang Xiu's family to take refuge to avoid being framed by his elder brother for rebellion and imprisoned.

    Cao Jun knew his brother very well. Since he forced Zhang Xiu to death, he would definitely find a way to accuse Zhang Xiuluo to answer to his father, so conspiracy to rebel was the best reason.

    More importantly, he is the younger brother of Cao Pi. How can he face his wife and the Zhang family without letting himself be implicated? Then doing everything possible to help the Zhang family is what he can do. In fact, there is no need to put a dagger in his waist.  He will also do his best.

      Cao Jun said coldly: "I have an urgent matter from my father. I must go to Xuchang immediately. If I delay it until tomorrow, you can't bear it."

    Xiahou Shang would naturally not be fooled by using the prime minister to pressure people, but when he saw Zhang Quan, his thoughts changed and he suddenly understood, could it be about Zhang Xiu?

    He had just heard that something happened to Zhang Xiu. This accident was just a subtle statement. To put it bluntly, Zhang Xiu was dead. He didn't know why Zhang Xiu died, but Cao Jun was Zhang Xiu's son-in-law.  But know.

    So Cao Jun leaving the city at this time must have something to do with Zhang Xiu. He couldn't help but look at the two carriages behind. Although he didn't dare to search, he was sure that the carriages must be Zhang Xiu's wife, daughter and grandson.

    Do you want to report this matter to the young master?  Xia Houshang was a little hesitant. It was already late at night and it was inconvenient to disturb the young master's rest.

    Li Fu saw through Xiahou Shang's hesitation, and he stepped forward and saluted: "Didn't you just give the command arrow to General Xiahou? Is there a problem?"

    One sentence reminded Xiahou Shang that with the command arrow, he had naturally communicated with Cao Pi. Since Cao Pi had given them the command arrow, it was a tacit consent to a certain extent. It should be a hint to himself that he could let them out, but the consequences would be Cao Pi.  in spite of.

    After thinking about this, Xia Houshang made a calculation. In any case, Cao Jun was the son of the lord, and he had to give him this face.

    Xiahou Shang immediately raised his hands to Cao Jun and said with a smile: "Since the young master has urgent matters to leave the city and has the command arrow, how can I not let him go?" He pretended not to see Zhang Quan, turned around and ordered: "Open the city gate!"  "

    The outer city gate finally opened slowly and the suspension bridge creaked. Liu Min, disguised as a guard, was extremely nervous. At the most critical moment, he was afraid of another accident. At this time, he secretly glanced at Li Fu.  But I saw him chatting and laughing with the general of Cao's army, as if they were discussing Cao Cao's battle against Wuhuan.

    This made him break into a cold sweat, and at the same time he secretly admired Li Fu for his courage and carefulness. In this situation tonight, no one except Li Fu could take Jia Xu's family out of the city.

    Li Fu brought Zhang Quan with him, which actually gave Cao Jun the illusion that the carriage behind was Zhang Xiu's wife and daughter, and they actually met at the back door of Zhang Xiu's mansion. Even Li Fu took this into consideration, which made Liu Min's  He was so impressed that he fell into admiration.

    In the last step, there was no accident. The cavalry guards escorted the three carriages out of Yecheng. Xiahou Shang watched the carriages go away, still feeling a little uneasy in his heart. He decided to report the matter to Cao Pi immediately after dawn.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 263 An incredible place

    There are no stars or moonlight tonight, thick dark clouds cover the sky, and it is even darker outside Yecheng. There is not a single pedestrian. There are green wheat on both sides of the official road. Three carriages rush south along the official road, about  After walking two miles, there was a fork in the road.

    There were two carriages parked quietly beside the fork in the road, and there were seven or eight people guarding them. Li Fu asked Sesame Eye to notify the brothers outside the city in advance so that they could be prepared.

    The two carriages carrying Jia Xu's family slowed down at this time. When Cao Jun's carriage passed the fork in the road, the two waiting carriages immediately started and followed the carriage southward.

    The two carriages carrying Jia Xu's family turned around and drove onto the side road. Liu Min did not expect this scene to happen. He was greatly surprised. He rushed forward to catch up with Li Fu and asked: "Second uncle, what's going on?"  How is this going?"

    Li Fu smiled faintly, "Don't think that Cao Junhui will really help us. He is just helping Zhang Xiu's family. If I guess correctly, there will be a large group of cavalry chasing us early tomorrow morning, and Xuchang will also intercept us. If we don't use this  We still can¡¯t escape the golden cicada¡¯s plan.¡±

    Jia Ji beside him couldn't help but asked: "Now we are going west. Does Li Gong want to cross the Taihang Mountains to Bingzhou?"

    Li Fu smiled mysteriously, "You will know soon."

    The carriage walked west for about five miles and entered a hilly area called Wuxi Township, which is a relatively remote place in Yecheng. The carriage turned onto a small road and walked north for several miles. Finally, it stopped at a village surrounded by woods.  Stop in front of Zhuangzi.

    The gate opened, and the carriage drove directly into the village. When the gate slammed shut, Li Fu smiled and said to Liu Min, who was a little stunned: "This is Guo Tu's villa. It is now owned by Sesame Eye. I have rented it at a high price.  We will stay here for the first ten days with peace of mind, wait for the storm to pass, then go to Bingzhou to find a small county to live for half a month, and finally go to Guanzhong, where the Tao family caravan will pick us up, and then go to Hanzhong and enter Jingzhou, it should be  Nothing is lost.¡±

    Liu Min and Jia Ji looked at each other, and both of them had to admire Li Fu. Who could have such courage to hide on the outskirts of Yecheng? Cao Pi probably never dreamed of it.

    Early the next morning, Xia Houshang led a team of 500 cavalrymen to rush out of the south gate of Yecheng like lightning and chased southward. He was scolded by Cao Pi, which made him regret it. The other party had already left all night, and he also  I don¡¯t know if I can catch up.

    Five hundred cavalry were as fierce as wind and fire, and as powerful as thunder, stirring up billowing yellow dust on the official road, and rushed south at high speed.

    In the Meihua Villa in the mountainous area west of Yecheng, the gentle Liu Minzheng and Jia Ji explained the truth to Jia Xu's mother and wife. Jia Xu was not ill, but was forced to surrender to Jingzhou. It is indeed easy for gentle scholars to give people  leave a good impression.

    This is Liu Min's task, responsible for comforting Jia Xu's family. He is kind in speech, handsome in appearance, and has a sincere smile. He is very approachable, and he is knowledgeable, making Jia's mother and Jia Xu's wife fall in love with him immediately.  She also heard that he was Liu Xian's nephew and had not yet married, so Jia Mu secretly considered whether she could give him her youngest granddaughter.

    "More importantly, Jia's mother and Jia's wife were relieved to hear that Jia Xu was fine. They also learned that Zhang Xiu was forced to die. They couldn't help but curse the Cao family's hypocrisy and ruthlessness.

    ?¡­

    The battle in Jingzhou has been in a state of semi-confrontation. Cao Ren finally adopted Jia Xu's second plan, withdrawing his troops back to Nanyang and sending Cao Hong to lead 5,000 troops to station in Xinye County.

    Xinye County has been run by Liu Bei for many years. The city has high walls and thick walls, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. With 5,000 Cao troops stationed in it, it is extremely difficult to conquer. The Jingzhou Allied Forces have not attacked Xinye from the north for the time being, and the two sides are in a state of confrontation.

    At this time, the Jingzhou Allied Forces also experienced some subtle changes. Since the Jiangxia Army was stationed in Fancheng, Guan Yu led 10,000 troops to Deng County. The two cities were less than 20 miles apart and were at the horns of each other.

    Liu Bei led the remaining 10,000 Nanjun troops and more than 200 warships to station at Longzhong Pier. Wenpin immediately led 10,000 troops to cross the river and stationed at Dengsai City on the west bank of the Bishui River mouth. In this way, the Jingzhou Allied Forces were formed.  The power of a master with two wings.

    Eighteen thousand Jiangxia troops were the main force, stationed in Fancheng. Guan Yu of Deng County was on the west wing, and Deng Saiwenpin was on the east wing. A total of nearly 40,000 allied troops faced Cao Jun.

    A month has passed, and neither side has taken any action. It is as if they have returned to before the battle broke out, but in fact, the power structure in Jingzhou has been completely changed by this battle.

    In Wuchang City, Jiangxia, a group of cavalry is galloping westward. It is already early May. Outside Wuchang City are endless wheat fields, green with light yellow. The thick wheat ears are about to mature, and the wilderness is like a windless field.  sea.

    The rapeseed field planted intermittently is still dark green. The heavy rapeseed poles bend the overly tall straw, and green waves rise and fall one after another.

      The cavalry team was led by Liu Jing. Fancheng's army was temporarily led by Gan Ning, who rushed back to Jiangxia due to temporary business.

    The road from Jiangxia City to the academy has been rebuilt. The original curve has been straightened and several bridges have been built, which has shortened the distance by half. The road is wide and flat, and it can be reached in less than half an hour on horseback.

    The team quickly rushed to Jiangxia Academy. Due to the large number of scholars entering the academy, the surrounding area has become prosperous. Compared with three years ago, it has completely changed. Houses have risen from the ground, forming two long streets.  Cross Commercial Street, hundreds of residential houses spread out in all directions around these two commercial streets, forming a large town named Academy Town.

    There are various shops on the commercial street, with a dazzling array of supplies. There are also libraries, more than a dozen taverns, four or five hotels, and even a brothel. It has become a gathering place for Xiangyang¡¯s fleeing gentry.

    Jiangxia Academy has been renamed Lumen Jiangxia Academy. Pang Degong led his disciples to move here from Xiangyang. They received full support from the Jiangxia government. Not only did they have a worry-free life and a stable place to live, but they also built two specially built schools to educate their children.  We also have a place to study.

    However, Liu Jing did not come here today to meet Pang Degong or Kuai Liang. He came here to meet Jia Xu. Jia Xu is now under house arrest in the academy. Except that he cannot leave the academy, he is free to do anything else. Of course, there are also several martial arts experts.  The guards monitored him day and night.

    Liu Jing walked into the backyard. There were several quiet courtyards in the northeast corner of the backyard. Kuai Liang and Pang Degong lived here. Last year, Kuai Liang suffered a serious illness and almost died of it. Although he was rescued in the end, he was unfortunately paralyzed. However, he was in the academy.  Teaching and educating people here makes life fulfilling.

    Liu Jing came to a courtyard. Two guards were sitting at the door. Seeing Liu Jing's arrival, the two guards stood up in fright. Liu Jing smiled and asked, "How is Mr. Jia?"

    ¡°It seems like they are growing vegetables!¡±

    Liu Jing laughed. He was actually planting vegetables. He pushed the door and walked into the yard. The yard was quite large, covering an area of ??three acres, with seven or eight houses. There was a yard at the front and back. There were several big trees in the backyard.  It was lush and green, with tall tree crowns, half covering several houses.

    The front yard is quite large, with an area of ??one-third of an acre. It is full of vegetables, which is quite wild and interesting. There is also a small patch of rapeseed next to it. If I had come here a month earlier, the place would have been golden.

    Liu Jing saw Jia Xu at a glance. He was wearing a semi-old cloth, a scarf wrapped around his head, and cloth shoes. There were two dung buckets beside him. With his dark and thin face, if he hadn't known that he was Jia Xu, he and he would have been together.  There is no difference among the old farmers outside.

    Jia Xu was pouring dung water on the rapeseed roots, paying special attention. Liu Jing coughed lightly. Jia Xu turned around and smiled slightly: "It turns out that Mr. Jing is here, and Jia Xu was neglectful."

    It has been a month since Jia Xu was brought to Jiangxia. He is not like other captured scribes who are unyielding and unyielding. He is content with the situation and is in a good mood. He has no intention of escaping. He is in the academy and  Pang Degong and Kuai Liang were friends, and he even took the initiative to teach his disciples on Kuai Liang's behalf.

    Liu Jing met him twice, and the two of them talked happily, just like a chat between friends. However, when topics such as loyalty and surrender were brought up, Jia Xu became silent.

    Liu Jing did not embarrass him, and ordered his subordinates to give him as much freedom as possible, serve him well, and let him slowly live in the academy.

    Liu Jinggong cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I'm disturbing your gentleman's enjoyment!"

    "Haha! There are two dung buckets on the left and right, how can you be so elegant? Mr. Jing, please sit in the room for a while, I will come later."

    Liu Jing went into the room and sat down. An old servant who served Jia Xu brought a cup of tea. Liu Jing picked up the tea cup and looked around. The room was neatly and neatly tidied, and the breeze was blowing, making it cool and pleasant.

    At this time, Jia Xu had changed his clothes and walked in. He bowed his hand to Liu Jing with a smile and said, "Young Master, please wait."

    Liu Jing stood up and returned the salute. The two sat down across from each other. Jia Xuxiao asked, "What's the situation in Fancheng now?"

    "Cao Ren led the main force to garrison Nanyang, while Cao Hong led 5,000 troops to garrison Xinye. The two armies are currently in a confrontation."

    Jia Xu nodded, "This is the second plan I suggested to Cao Ren. It is relatively stable. Are you planning to continue to confront him?"

    "Of course not. If Cao Ren withdraws all his troops to Nanyang, he can give up. But by occupying the new field, he is obviously using defense as offense and is ready to attack at any time. Since he can maintain deterrence against Jingzhou and protect Nanyang, he can't  It can be said that it kills two birds with one stone, butthere is no such good thing in the world. "

    "Can the young master tell me how to fight back?"

    Liu Jing smiled and changed the subject, "Last time, didn't you say that you wanted to visit the Jiangxia munitions oil refining business? I can agree. You can go to Xiaji County at any time."

    ?Jia Xu saw that Liu Jing was unwilling to discuss the counterattack in depth, so he didn't ask any more questions. However, he was very interested in kerosene. Cao Jun also discovered kerosene in Puyang, but the kerosene there was very viscous and not as thick as the rumors.  Once the fire is started, it cannot be ignited with rockets. Several people must use torches to ignite it.

    But the last time they got the jar of Jiangxia Army's kerosene, it surprised everyone, including Jia Xu. The kerosene turned out to be transparent and light yellow. What's more, it burned as soon as it was ignited, and the fire was raging.  had a strong interest.

    Although he is now Liu Jing's prisoner, it does not prevent his interest from continuing to spread. He made this request the last time Liu Jing talked to him. Liu Jing declined on the grounds of top secret. Unexpectedly, today Liu Jing actually  Agreeing made Jia Xu feel a little strange.

    He said half-jokingly: "Master, aren't you afraid that I will pass it on to Cao Jun in the future?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, the smile on her face disappeared and became a little solemn. Jia Xu's heart sank. He had an unpleasant feeling in his heart and asked cautiously: "What happened?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 264 Jia Xu¡¯s Suggestions

    "Zhang Xiu is dead!"

    "What!"

    Jia Xu stood up and looked at Liu Jing in disbelief, "Is this news reliable?"

    ¡°Sir, take a look for yourself!¡±

    Liu Jing took out a letter from her arms, put it on the table, and pushed it to Jia Xu, "This is a letter Zhang Xiu wrote to you before he died. It was brought out by his son Zhang Quan. By the way, Zhang Quan  Outside now, if you want to see him."

    Jia Xu slowly sat down again. The shock in his heart was gone, and a huge sadness surged in his heart. He nodded, "I want to see him, please invite him in!"

    Liu Jing turned around and winked at a soldier in the yard. The soldier understood and immediately went out.

    Jia Xu has opened the letter. It is Zhang Xiu's personal letter. It should be said to be the last letter. The letter recalls the scenes of those years and his life in the eight years after surrender. The tone of the letter reveals his deep feelings for the Cao family.  The endless resentment, as well as the hatred and fear of Cao Pi.

    ¡®.  £®  £®  £®  £®  My brother will go first. I hope you will take good care of me and take care of my son in the morning and evening. You can rest in peace under the embroidered nine springs. I will thank you in the next life!  ¡¯

    Unconsciously, Jia Xu's tears welled up. He also felt that he had lost his composure. He quickly wiped away his tears and sighed, while Liu Jing sat quietly aside without saying anything.

    At this time, the sound of running footsteps was heard in the yard, and Zhang Quan ran in. Under the protection of Cao Jun, he was able to escape the pursuers and came directly from Runan County to Jiangxia.

    As soon as he entered the room, he knelt down and cried loudly, "Uncle Shi, my father died so miserably!"

    Liu Jing took out another letter, which was a safe letter written by Jia Xu's mother to her son. He quietly put the letter on the table, got up and walked out.

    Liu Jing walked out of the yard and admired the small scene of the pond on the roadside with his hands behind his hands. Of course, he hoped that Jia Xu would surrender to him, but he wanted Jia Xu to surrender with heart-felt surrender, not the surrender that Xu Shu did when he entered Cao Ying.

    He is not in a hurry, he will give Jia Xu enough time to think about it, and he does not need to say it explicitly. Jia Xu is a smart man and naturally knows his own thoughts.

    At this time, a laugh came from behind Liu Jing, "You are very leisurely!"

    Liu Jing turned around and found a fisherman sitting behind a big rock, wearing a bamboo hat and holding a long fishing rod in his hand. It turned out to be Mr. Pang De.

    This surprised Liu Jing. Shouldn¡¯t Pang Degong be teaching and educating people?  Why are you still in the mood to fish here?

    "Why doesn't Mr. Pang go fishing in the lake?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    "I want to go! But I'm afraid that the disciples will see me and say behind my back that I'm lazy and pretending to be sick." Pang Degong said with a smile. It turned out that he had asked for sick leave, but his face was rosy and he didn't look sick at all.

    Liu Jing suddenly discovered that this old scholar also had a childlike innocence in his heart, and he couldn't help but laugh.

    "Are you free? Have a seat!" Pang Degong smiled and patted the stone beside him.

    Liu Jing sat down and asked with a smile: "How was the harvest?"

    "It's not bad. I caught a few carp weighing about a kilogram. The pond looks inconspicuous, but the fish below are very fat, even a foot long."

    Pang Degong glanced at the courtyard where Jia Xu lived from a distance and said with a smile: "The envoy is here to see Wen He!"

    Liu Jing nodded and sighed, "Talent is not easy!"

    "It can be seen that the envoy attaches great importance to talents. This can be seen from the development of Jiangxia Academy. The envoy already has a large number of talent reserves, but I am a little strange. Why is Zhuge Kongming not in the envoy's list of civil servants?"

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, then asked with a smile: "Does Mr. Pang think Zhuge Kongming is a great talent?"

    Pang Degong nodded, "I have always thought that his talent is superior to that of Xu Shu and Pang Tong, and he can be called a genius."

    "How does he compare with Mr. Jia?"

    "It's not easy to compare. Jia Gong has been planning as a military advisor for decades. He has rich experience and is very invincible. Kong Ming has no actual combat experience and is still a scholar for the time being. You can't expect him to make brilliant plans as soon as he comes out. But he is the best of the He family.  As long as you give him a chance to practice, he will shine.¡±

    After a pause, Pang Degong smiled again and said: "Besides, Kong Ming, like Xu Shu, is a talented person in internal affairs. If Jia Gong is compared to Zhang Liang, who attacks and plans wars, then Kong Ming can be compared to Xiao He, who is strategizing. With him, he can make the king's  The rear will be managed in an orderly manner, so that you will have no worries."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Pang Gong is right, Kong Ming is indeed a great talent."

    "Then why don't you invite him out?"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "I have done everything I should do. If Kong Ming is willing to help me, he will naturally come to me. If he is not willing to help me, then he will not be able to ask for it."

    "Haha! Your Majesty is quite open-minded."

    Liu Jing although?In later generations, he read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and believed in the book for a time. However, when he integrated into this era, he discovered that many talents were determined by the author's preferences and were not consistent with reality.

    ??For example, Liao Hua, who was obviously a great talent in both civil and military affairs, was written as an ordinary person in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Another example is Li Fu, who was a genius with extraordinary courage and insight, but was only mentioned briefly in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

    As soon as Zhuge Liang came out of the mountain, he set fire to Xinye and Bowang. During the Battle of Chibi, he was even described as a god. But in fact, a scholar who has never fought in a war, no matter how talented he is, is very useless if he has no actual combat experience.  It¡¯s hard to win a battle.

    This is like recruiting supervisors in large companies in later generations. Diplomas are important, but practical experience is equally important.

    Precisely because of understanding this, Liu Jing no longer had the original desire for Zhuge Liang, and Zhuge Liang has been reluctant to come to Jiangxia. This is actually a kind of euphemistic rejection, which makes Liu Jing unwilling to look for him again.

    On the other hand, Jia Xu, who had decades of experience in planning attacks, valued him very much and even wanted to get him into his own hands at all costs.

    "However, if Zhuge Liang is willing to follow him, Liu Jing will also value him and appoint him as a minister to be in charge of government affairs. He has already intended that the position of military advisor belongs to Jia Xu.

    At this time, Zhang Quan walked out of the yard and saluted Liu Jing: "Jia Shibo has invited the prefect."

    Liu Jing smiled at Pang Degong, got up and walked into the yard. In the room, Jia Xu was reading a letter from his mother. Only then did he know that his mother, wife and children had left Yecheng safely and arrived in Pu County.

    Liu Jing's intention was already very obvious, which made Jia Xu sigh. In fact, Jia Xu was not a foolish and loyal person. He was more happy-go-lucky. He was initially loyal to Dong Zhuo, then to Li Cui, and then to Duan Xuan. Duan Xuan did not dare to accept him.  , and then sent him to Zhang Xiu, and finally followed Cao Cao, serving as five masters successively.

    If he were asked to surrender to Liu Jing again, it was not impossible. Cao Pi forced Zhang Xiu to death, and sooner or later he would not be able to tolerate him. Cao Cao was lukewarm to him, and never allowed him to enter his confidant, Quan, who was still dissatisfied with him in his heart.  trust.

    Judging from the situation of this southern expedition, Liu Jing has gradually shown the temperament of a prince. Both his strength and reputation are higher than those of Zhang Xiu. He can indeed make a difference, and he can be reused under his command, at least as a general.  Chicken head.

    But Jia Xu still hesitated, because Cao Hong falsely accused him of colluding with Liu Jing, and Cao Ren's ambiguous attitude forced him to leave the military camp and return north. If he surrendered to Liu Jing just like that, wouldn't it make Cao Hong's false accusation true?

    But more importantly, Cao Jun¡¯s army is about to move south. Are they standing on a dangerous wall with Liu Jing?

    At this time, Liu Jing walked in, held up his hands and said with a smile: "Mr.'s family has left Yecheng safely and is preparing to come from Hanzhong. They are under the cover of Tao's Trading Company, so everything is safe. Please rest assured."

    Jia Xu secretly smiled bitterly in his heart. He didn¡¯t want his family to leave Yecheng at all. Liu Jing coaxed and tricked his family into leaving, and he had to express his gratitude. What is this?

    But on the surface, he still had to express his gratitude, "Thank you for taking away Xu's worries. This kindness will be engraved in Xu's heart."

    Liu Jing sat down again, pondered for a moment and asked: "I have been thinking about a problem, can I ask sir for advice."

    Jia Xu chuckled, "As long as it doesn't embarrass me too much, I'm happy to discuss it with you."

    From the change in Liu Jing¡¯s attitude, Jia Xu felt keenly that they were about to start talking about business. Of course, when Liu Jing asked for his loyalty, he would not just bow to the ground and say, ¡®Sir, please help me.  ¡¯

    That kind of confession method is too shallow. Liu Jing will definitely have a step-by-step method to let him into the game unknowingly.

    Jia Xu knew it well, but he did not show any rejection. Instead, he smiled and waited for Liu Jing to continue.

    Liu Jing also realized that he was a little too nervous. He also smiled and said: "Actually, it is just an idea, because more than one person advised me not to use Jiangxia as my foundation. Jiangxia is a place of four battles. It is easy to attack but difficult to defend.  It¡¯s suitable to conquer the world, I feel the same way.¡±

    Jia Xu nodded, "Frankly speaking, not only Jiangxia, but the entire Jingzhou is a place of the Four Wars. It can be defended in troubled times. But once the Central Plains are unified, the army going south will inevitably capture Jingzhou first, Bashu will advance eastward, and Jiangxi will expand eastward.  Jingzhou is the first to bear the brunt, and it is almost impossible for the emperor to take over the world based on Jingzhou. "

    "Then sir, where do you think it is more suitable?"

    Jia Xu smiled and said, "This depends on whether it can be realized. For example, Hebei is a vast and densely populated area with rich products. It is backed by grasslands and has a source of war horses. If we can win Hebei, we can aspire to dominate the world, but it is obviously unrealistic for the envoy."

    Liu Jing did not speak. When he continued, Jia Xu said lightly: "Actually, Zhang Xiu also asked me the same question back then. If I use?If you want to hear it, I might as well repeat it again.  "

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and said quickly: "Sir, please speak, I am all ears!"

    Jia Xu looked into Liu Jing¡¯s eyes and said slowly: ¡°Take Hanzhong as the springboard and seek Guanzhong as the foundation.¡±

    "Why Guanzhong and not Shuzhong? Guanzhong means that I may give up Jingzhou, while Shuzhong can be connected with Jingzhou."

    Jia Xu shook his head, "The layout of the middle of Shu is too small. It is a place where dragons are trapped. It is only suitable for being a granary, not the foundation for fighting for the tripartite title. But if you want to go to Bashu with all your heart, I have nothing to say."

    Liu Jing thought for a long time and did not express his opinion on Jia Xu's suggestion. He cupped his hands and smiled and said: "Let's talk about more recent things! Sir, how do you think we can defeat Nanyang Cao Ren?"

    This question was actually asked by Jia Xu at the beginning, but Liu Jing did not answer. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing came back and asked him again. Jia Xu knew that Liu Jing wanted him to express his position, but now, it was still far away.  It¡¯s far from time to take a stand.

    After a long while, Jia Xu smiled bitterly and said, "It's not convenient for me to answer this question."

    Liu Jing nodded, stood up and said with a smile: "Then I won't disturb your husband's rest. If you want to see the kerosene, just go. I have already given the order and no one will stop you."

    "Haha! What you said makes me feel itchy. It seems I have to leave tomorrow."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 265 Zhuge¡¯s Thoughts

    Wolong Villa in Longzhong, Xiangyang, is the name given to Zhuge Liang¡¯s villa by his friends. Zhuge Liang first named his mansion Linshan Xiaozhu, and later renamed it Zhuge Ju, and then renamed it Zhuge Thatched Cottage, but these  Except for him, no one paid attention to the name of the house. Even his wife Huang Yueying felt that the name of the thatched cottage was untrue.

    However, Zhuge Liang has no interest in naming his mansion recently. His father-in-law Huang Chengyan has visited twice recently, hoping that he can become an official as soon as possible.

    The reason why Huang Chengyan went to his son-in-law's house twice was because he had a close relationship with Liu Bei. During this month, Liu Bei visited Huang's house almost every day.

    In fact, Zhuge Liang has already made a decision, but he still needs to wait for the opportunity.

    This morning, a guest came to Wolong Villa. It was Pang Tong, Zhuge Liang's close friend for many years. This made Zhuge Liang overjoyed. They had not seen each other for almost half a year.

    "How is it? The feeling of being an official is different from being in the academy!" Zhuge Liang poured Pang Tong a cup of new tea that he had brewed himself and asked with a smile.

    "Actually, it's nothing. Uncle Liu Huang is a very independent person. He usually doesn't need others to make decisions. I just help him sort out the documents. I think it's the same as when I was in the academy, sorting out the documents for my uncle."

    "How could it be possible? I heard that my wise brother is a military advisor!"

    Pang Tong smiled and waved his hand, "That's just a rumor. I was not appointed as a military advisor by the emperor's uncle. I am still a staff member, but I also hold the post of captain of Wuling County. It is also a false position, similar to that of Jian Yong, Sun Qian and others."

    "But my dear brother has been reused by Uncle Liu Huang. I'm very happy and congratulated!"

    Pang Tongtong smiled, pondered for a while and said: "The talents under the emperor's uncle are withering, especially the lack of counselors like my brother. If my brother is interested, I am willing to recommend it to the emperor's uncle."

    Zhuge Liang laughed and said, "My dear brother, what you said is inappropriate. Uncle Liu Huang has many talented people, such as Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Mi Zhu and others. They are all talented people, and they are loyal and will never give up. Not to mention Guan Yu, Zhang  The world's most powerful generals like Fei and Zhao Yun are now like a fish in water. What does it mean that talents are withering?"

    Pang Tong shook his head, "Although Guan, Zhang, and Zhao Yun are enemies of ten thousand people, Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Mi Zhu and others are just white-faced scholars with no good ideas and no talent in the world. As for the younger brother, he is far behind.  ! If brother is willing to agree, I will definitely recommend him as a military advisor to the emperor, and I will take his place."

    Zhuge Liang smiled but did not answer. He took out a painting and unfolded it on the table. He smiled at Pang Tong and said, "I have been painting a picture of enjoying the snow in a thatched cottage these days. The heavy snowfall last year is still fresh in my memory. I haven't painted it yet."  Finished, dear brother, can you give me some comments?"

    Pang Tong looked at the painting and saw mountains covered with snow, rivers frozen in ice, and the sky and earth covered with snow. There was only a thatched cottage among the snow-covered mountains and rivers, and a scribe raised a glass to admire the snow, full of interest.

    Pang Tong understood this painting, and Zhuge Liang hinted to him that he was passionate about the landscape and had no intention of becoming an official. In this case, Pang Tong didn't persuade him much.

    He commented a few words on the painting, then pondered for a while and said: "I received a letter from my uncle yesterday, asking me to advise you to go to Lumen Jiangxia Academy to escape the war. I think brother, you should go! It is very unsafe here. Cao Jun has a ferry in his hands.  Will come at any time."

    Zhuge Liang smiled and nodded, "Thank you for reminding me, dear brother, I will consider it."

    Pang Tong said goodbye and left. Huang Yueying came in to pack the tea sets and said with a smile: "Even Shi Yuan persuaded you to go to Jiangxia, are you still stubborn and stubborn and won't go?"

    Zhuge Liang was sitting at the table reading, as if he didn't hear his wife's words. After a while, he closed the book and said with a smile, "I want to visit my father-in-law. Why don't I accompany you back to your parents' house to stay for a few days?"

    Huang Yueying was happy in her heart. She had not returned to her parents' home for almost a year. She tried to persuade her husband several times, but he always refused to go. It was rare that he changed his gender today. She quickly said: "Then I will go and pack up, and we will set off later."  ¡±

    Zhuge Liang put his hands behind his hands and smiled calmly.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Wolong Villa is located in the south of Longzhong, while Huangfu is located in the north of Longzhong, more than thirty miles apart. Zhuge and his wife went there by carriage, and arrived at Huangfu an hour later.

    The arrival of his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter made Huang Chengyan very happy, and he immediately ordered people to clean up the yard and arrange accommodation for them.

    "This time, my good husband will have to stay for at least ten and a half months before he can go back!"

    In the inner hall, Huang Chengyan was talking to Zhuge Liang. As the father-in-law, he was naturally most concerned about his son-in-law's career, so as soon as his daughter and son-in-law arrived, he eagerly invited Zhuge Liang to the inner living room.

    Zhuge Liang smiled slightly, "How come my father-in-law isn't worried about Cao's army going south?"

    "It is impossible for Cao's army to cross the river and go south. During this period of time, I chatted with Uncle Liu Huang and learned a thing or two about the situation. Cao's army in Nanyang only had 30,000 people.With five thousand men in the wild, it is impossible to capture Fancheng. What's more, Cao Jun's ferry is in Bishui, and Jiangxia Army's warships have blocked the mouth of Bishui River. There is no need to worry about how Cao Jun can cross the river.  "

    ¡°Does Uncle Liu Huang still come to visit my father-in-law often?¡±

    "I come here almost every day. His camp is less than five miles away from here, which is very convenient."

    As soon as Huang Chengyan finished speaking, a family member came to report, "Uncle Liu Huang is here!"

    "Haha! What a coincidence. Just as I was talking about him, he came."

    Huang Chengyan quickly ordered people to invite Liu Bei to the outer study, and said to Zhuge Liang: "Since we have met, I might as well meet my virtuous son-in-law."

    Zhuge Liang smiled happily and said: "Since my father-in-law has an order, how dare my son-in-law disobey it?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Since Guan Yu was stationed in Deng County, Liu Bei's army was naturally stationed in Longzhong opposite the Deng County Pier. The garrison was less than five miles away from Huang Chengyan's mansion.

    Liu Bei and Huang Chengyan used to have a good relationship, but now they are very close to each other. When Liu Bei is bored, he comes to chat with Huang Chengyan every now and then.

    In the study outside, Liu Bei was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, stopping in front of the window from time to time, as if he was admiring the beautiful scenery of the melancholy courtyard outside the window, but in fact, he was thinking about his own thoughts.

    This time, Cao Jun's southern invasion profoundly changed the power structure of Jingzhou. Liu Bei was also one of the beneficiaries, giving him complete control of Nanjun, Wuling and other five counties, giving him his own foundation for the first time.

    But Liu Bei also knew very well that his foundation was not solid. Nanjun and other places still belonged to Liu Qi in name. If he occupied Nanjun, his reputation would be ruined, and his reputation would be destroyed. This made Liu Bei quite upset.  .

    At this time, there was a sound of footsteps, and Huang Chengyan appeared at the door with a smile on his face, "I kept you waiting for a long time."

    Liu Bei turned around, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I'm disturbing the master again."

    Huang Chengyan walked into the room, followed by a tall young man, which made Liu Bei slightly startled. He had attended Zhuge Liang's engagement and had met Zhuge Liang once.

    "It turns out Mr. Zhuge is here too!"

    Zhuge Liang stepped forward and bowed deeply, "Kong Ming, see you, uncle!"

    The etiquette between the two is quite thought-provoking. Logically speaking, Liu Bei and Huang Chengyan are the same generation, so Zhuge Liang is the junior. First of all, Liu Bei should call him Zhuge Nephew, but Liu Bei calls Zhuge Liang sir.

    Secondly, Zhuge Liang should have paid homage to a junior, but instead he paid homage to an equal, going out and leaving together with Liu Bei's "sir", and there was a tacit understanding between the two of them.

    "It's no wonder. Sima Hui recommended Zhuge Liang, and Huang Chengyan strongly recommended his son-in-law. How could Liu Bei not have any ideas in his mind.

    At this time, Huang Chengyan said apologetically: "I happen to have something to do, so I will ask my son-in-law to sit with the emperor for a while. I will come back later."

    Liu Bei smiled and said, "Master, please help yourself!"

    Huang Chengyan bowed and went out. Only Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang were left in the room. Zhuge Liang waved his hand and said with a smile: "Uncle, please sit down!"

    The two of them took their seats respectively. Zhuge Liang first asked with a smile: "I just met General Yide in the courtyard, why is General Zilong missing?"

    "Recently, Wuling County has recruited a group of new soldiers. Zilong is busy training in Wuling and did not follow them north this time."

    "Oh I got it."

    Zhuge Liang changed the topic again, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I heard that the emperor is happy to have a son, I am very happy and congratulations!"

    Last month, Liu Bei's second wife, Mrs. Gan, gave birth to a son, named Zen, and his nickname was Adou. Liu Bei went back to Nanjun for this purpose. He was overjoyed when he got a son in his middle age. At this time, Zhuge Liang mentioned the matter and asked  Liu Bei felt emotional.

    "I have been running around for half my life. Although I had a wife and children before, unfortunately, they all died in the war. I did not have a son until middle age. This is God's mercy on me, so that I can have a future."

    Zhuge Liang nodded, "You are a person with great ambitions, so naturally you will not die. This is God's will, which means that you will be successful in your career."

    Liu Bei sighed and said: "I have been working hard for half my life and have achieved nothing so far. My heart has become cold and I no longer have any thoughts about the foundation. I just hope that I can spend the rest of my life safely."

    Zhuge Liang laughed and said, "Uncle Huang, how could he say such decadent words? There were so many princes who lived alongside him at that time. Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, Lu Bu, Zhang Xiu, etc. were all defeated one by one. Only Uncle Huang still survived.  Despite setbacks, his perseverance is even more admirable. Even Cao Cao praised the emperor's uncle as a hero in the world. "

    A wry smile appeared on Liu Bei's face, "The world has always judged heroes by success or failure. I have been defeated repeatedly, so how can I be worthy of the word 'hero'?"

    "Perhaps in the near future, the emperor's uncle will be worthy of the title of hero."

    Liu Bei perked up and asked quickly: "What do you mean by this, sir?"???  "

    Zhuge Liang smiled and asked, "Is the emperor worried about Mr. Qi?"

    This sentence touched Liu Bei's heart, and he became even more anxious. He hurriedly asked: "Sir, can you tell Liu Bei clearly?"

    Zhuge Liang gave up and smiled but did not answer. No matter how sincere Liu Bei was, Zhuge Liang just shook his feather fan and smiled slightly.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2, Jiangxia, Chapter 266: Incomprehensible Heart

    At night, Zhuge Liang waited for his wife to coax the child to sleep, and then he smiled at her and said, "I'm not used to living here. Let's go back tomorrow!"

    Huang Yueying was a little unhappy in her heart and remained silent. Seeing that his wife was unhappy, Zhuge Liang stopped mentioning the matter. When he was about to fall asleep at night, Huang Yueying sighed and said, "If you want to go back, we can go back tomorrow."

    Zhuge Liang felt apologetic and comforted his wife: "It's not that I don't like my father-in-law's family, it's just that I have other things to do."

    "I know, you saw Liu Bei today and your wish has come true, so naturally you want to go back."

    Zhuge Liang was exposed by his wife and couldn't say a word. After a while, Huang Yueying said quietly: "I don't understand. Most of the talented people in Longzhong go to Jiangxia. Shanmin, Yuan Zhi, Ma Liang are all there, and even your master  I've gone too, why don't you go? Besides, Mr. Jing also values ??you. He sent people to invite you again and again, and wrote personal letters. He even offered you the position of military advisor. Why don't you accept it? Do you still hold grudges about what happened back then?  ?"

    Zhuge Liang hugged his wife's waist and smiled: "He also had good intentions back then, which made us get married. I am grateful to him before it was too late. How could he hold a grudge!"

    "Then why are you still competing with Pang Shiyuan for position? Don't you understand the real purpose of his coming today?"

    "Of course I understand, but I have thought about it for a long time and observed it for several years. I think Uncle Liu Huang is more suitable for me."

    Huang Yueying turned over, looked into her husband's eyes and said, "You mean that Mr. Jing can't succeed?"

    Huang Yueying is not worried about Liu Jing. Liu Jing's life and death has nothing to do with her. She is worried about Tao Zhan. Tao Zhan should not be implicated by Liu Jing. Zhuge Liang shook his head, "Liu Jing is also a person who does great things and will definitely succeed in the future.  "

    "Then why are you" Huang Yueying stopped talking when she saw that her husband had not finished speaking.

    Zhuge Liang sighed slightly: "Although Liu Jing is good, he is not suitable for me. He is too strong. He is actually very similar to Cao Cao. If I follow him, I will still be the same as Xu Shu. I can only be one of his subordinates.  Maybe it's more important, but he won't have the power in his hands. I've been observing him for several years and Liu Jing will not allow anyone to hold the power alone. This is not what I want."

    "Then will Liu Bei let you take sole power?"

    Zhuge Liang smiled faintly, "He is different from Liu Jing. He will regard me as his teacher, because only I can help him get out of trouble. More importantly, Liu Bei is old and busy with giving birth to children, so he does not have so much physical strength and energy to deal with it."  For government affairs, you can only rely on me. By following him, I can better express my ambitions."

    Huang Yueying sighed, "But Liu Jing facilitated your marriage and valued you so much, but you have to seek refuge with Uncle Liu. Isn't it a bit sorry for me?"

    Zhuge Liang was silent for a moment and said, "Just think that I owe him a favor."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, Liu Bei was restless in the camp. He had been traveling for half his life, experienced the ways of the world, and had a thorough understanding of human nature. After meeting Zhuge Liang today, he could see that Zhuge Liang had a good idea that could help him get out of the situation in front of him.  Dilemma.

    "Moreover, Sima Hui recommended Zhuge Liang to him twice, saying that this person had talents in the world. Even if it was a slight exaggeration, he must have real talents and learning.

    More importantly, after Liu Bei talked to Huang Chengyan about Zhuge Liang several times, he realized that although Zhuge Liang was related to Liu Biao and Cai Mao, they had no contact with each other. In other words, he did not need to be taboo about the relationship between Zhuge Liang and Cai Mao.

    Liu Bei understood in his heart that the fundamental reason why Zhuge Liang refused to reveal his secret plan was that he was not sincere enough. How could he say what he meant so easily when they met in the Huang Mansion by chance? He had to pay a visit in person to show his sincerity.

    At this time, Shuzuo Ma Su quickly walked into the account and handed over a thick stack of documents, "Replying to the emperor's uncle, the transcription has been completed!"

    Ma Su is the younger brother of Ma Liang. He has been known as a child prodigy since he was a child. He is only 18 years old this year. He is not only knowledgeable in five vehicles, but also good at riding and shooting. He can be said to be both civilized and military, and extremely talented.

    Ma Di studied under Sima Hui. Sima Hui recommended him to Liu Bei a month ago. Although he was not very old, Liu Bei was quite satisfied with him after an examination and appointed him as an assistant to organize documents for him.

    Liu Bei took the official document and asked with a smile: "What do you think of Kong Ming?"

    Ma Su replied respectfully: "Brother Kong Ming is known as Wolong. He is the first of the four talented people in Jingzhou. He is a man of extraordinary talent and thinking. He is the person I admire the most."

    Liu Bei nodded and asked curiously: "Who are the four great talents?"

    "The first is Crouching Dragon Zhuge Kongming, the second is Fengxiao Pang Shiyuan, the third is Ren Xia Xu Yuanzhi, and the fourth is my brother Ma Jichang with white eyebrows."

    Liu Bei laughed, "There is such a saying, but I didn't know it."

      Ma Di couldn't help but added: "Uncle Huang may not know that there are actually three prodigies in Jingzhou."

    Liu Bei knew that Ma Su was called a child prodigy, but he was actually talking about himself. He couldn't help but chuckle in his heart, and asked, "Tell me, which three prodigies are they?"

    Ma Su¡¯s biggest weakness is his arrogance. People in Jingzhou say that Ma Su¡¯s Wuchang family is the best with white eyebrows. He has never been convinced because he was still young when he said this, so he always believed that he was versatile in both civil and military affairs and was by no means inferior to his brother.

    Since Liu Bei asked, he said without humility: "One is Liu Biejia's nephew Zhou Buyi, the other is also from Lingling, Jiang Wan, Jiang Gongyan, and the third one is his subordinate, Ma Su and Ma Youchang."

    Liu Bei saw that he seemed to be a newborn calf not afraid of tigers, so he couldn't help but smile. At this time, Pang Tong's figure appeared at the door of the tent. He happened to hear the words of the three prodigies, so he also smiled and said: "Actually, there should be more  One person is named Deng Ai, and Lumen Academy also recognizes him as a child prodigy."

    Ma Su quickly saluted Pang Tong and retreated. Liu Bei asked Pang Tong to sit down and asked with a smile: "I know Zhou Buji is in Jiangxia, but where are Jiang Wan and Deng Ai?"

    "Jiang Wan likes to travel. It is late spring now and he will not be at home. My lord can pay attention to this person. If he is used as an assistant, he will gain a great talent. However, Deng Ai probably will not be loyal to my lord."

    "Why is this?"

    "Deng Ai's father had a life-and-death relationship with Liu Jing, and he regarded Liu Jing as his uncle. In addition, his mother and two sisters received financial support from the Tao family, and even the eldest sister received a generous dowry from the Tao family when she got married.  "

    Liu Bei was puzzled, "Why should the Tao family support them?"

    Pang Tong laughed, "To be precise, it was Liu Jing's wife who funded them. Has my lord forgotten?"

    Liu Bei then suddenly understood. After a moment of silence, Liu Bei asked again: "What does Shi Yuan think about Zhuge Kongming's talent and learning?"

    Pang Tong's heart skipped a beat. This was the second time Liu Bei mentioned Zhuge Liang in three days. Could it be?  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Pang Tong's face became a little unnatural, and he forced a smile and said: "Kong Ming is known as Wolong, and is also known as the first of the four talents in Jingzhou. According to common sense, he should also be extremely talented."

    Liu Bei heard something in Pang Tong's words, and asked strangely: "Why do you call it common sense?"

    "It's very simple, because the person who rated the Four Talents was Cai Mao. It was just a joke made on Liu Jingzhou's birthday the year before last, and it became widely circulated."

    Liu Bei is so old-fashioned. He heard the jealousy in Pang Tong's tone. He was slightly unhappy in his heart and said quietly: "So, does Kong Ming have a false reputation?"

    "It's not just a false name, but my uncle called Kong Ming a genius, especially good at the art of Yin Yang and Five Elements. And I heard that my uncle recommended Kong Ming to Liu Jing several times, but Liu Jing didn't use it in the end. I don't know why? Maybe it was with Liu Jing.  It¡¯s related to the Cai family, haha!¡±

    The human heart is the most delicate. When angry or jealous, it will often lose its usual reason and say some childish words that are not aside. This is the case with Pang Tong. He is known as Feng Chu, so he is naturally talented.

    But the jealousy in his heart went to his head. He was afraid that Zhuge Liang would come and steal his position, so he tried his best to discredit Zhuge Liang, but he didn't know that he himself had fallen behind, and his impression in Liu Bei's mind was greatly reduced.

    Liu Bei was silent and thought to himself, "He and Kong Ming are in the same situation, so Zhuge Liang can't be too hasty."  ¡¯

    After Pang Tong left, Liu Bei ordered people to find Zhang Fei and told him: "You send ten jars of wine and two pigs to Zhuge Mansion. Your attitude must be respectful. Even the butler must bow down."

    Zhang Fei was a little unhappy when he heard that even the housekeeper had to bow and salute, but he didn't dare not listen to his brother's words, so he had to agree. He turned around and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and said quickly: "Brother, Zhuge Liang is not in the Huang Mansion."  ?"

    "I know he is in Huang Mansion now, but you have to send the things to Zhuge Mansion, do you understand?"

    Zhang Fei scratched his head, "I understand!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Before dawn, a fleet of twenty warships was slowly heading north along the west bank of the Han River, less than a hundred miles away from Xiangyang City.

    Liu Jing stood in front of the boat window with his hands behind his hands. The wind on the river was very strong and the boat window was not fully opened. Through the narrow gap in the boat window, he saw a gray wilderness.

    The sky is getting brighter, and the sky is turning white. In the vast wilderness where the scenery is constantly changing, there are a few stars twinkling in the sky. In the distance, there is a faint hint of mountains standing on the gray sky.

    It has been five days since she broke up with Jia Xu, but Liu Jing is still considering Jia Xu's suggestion to take Guanzhong as his foundation and compete in the Central Plains. Wei Yan also proposed a similar plan back then, which is similar to Zhuge Liang's plan of dividing the world into three parts.

    ?However, Zhuge Liang¡¯s plan is for Shuzhong, while Jia Xu¡¯s plan is for Guanzhong. Both plans have their own strengths, but they also have shortcomings.

    It is convenient to seize the middle of Shu, but the territory is narrow and the strategic depth is small. However, Guanzhong is indeed the land of Longxing. The two most prosperous dynasties in the long history of the Han Dynasty, the Han and the Tang, both rose here. However, Guanzhong is far away and difficult to seize. Even if we seize it,  It¡¯s hard to keep in touch with Jingzhou.

    Of course, the best way is to capture Bashu first, then Hanzhong, and finally Guanzhong. This is a step-by-step approach, which is very steady. This is actually similar to Zhuge Liang's plan.

    But why did the Shu Han fail in the end?  Could it be that in response to Jia Xu¡¯s conclusion, Sichuan is a place where dragons are trapped?

    Liu Jing was very confused. He had been worried about this matter for several days. At this moment, a rapid sound of horse hoofs awakened Liu Jing from his meditation. He looked towards the shore and saw only a few riders in the hazy morning light.  Running quickly south.

    Liu Jing's heart moved. Going further south is Jiangxia. Could it be that she is looking for herself?  He quickly ordered his soldiers, "Call the horsemen on the shore!"

 Volume 2 Jiang Xia Chapter 267 People are about to die

    The soldiers shouted loudly, and the horsemen on the shore seemed to hear it and reined in their horses. A knight stepped forward and shouted: "Is the fleet in the river Liu Taishou aboard?"

    "It is Taishou Liu, who are you?"

    "We are Liu Biejia's family. If there is an emergency, please contact the prefect."

    A small boat came up and took the leader on board. Liu Jing didn't know what urgent matter Liu Xian sent to find him. He walked out of the cabin and asked, "What happened?"

    The leader knew Liu Jing, so he quickly took out a letter and knelt down on one knee to read it. Liu Jing took the letter and read it, and was shocked. Liu Biao's condition worsened and he was on his deathbed. He hoped that he could return to Xiangyang quickly.

    "When did this happen?"

    "It was around two o'clock last night that my husband received the news and hurriedly wrote this letter asking us to rush to Jiangxia."

    Liu Jing secretly thought, why didn¡¯t Kuai Yue tell him such an important thing?

    Maybe he had sent people south and missed him. Liu Jing hoped that was the case, but since the last time they discussed the alliance, Liu Jing had a feeling that Kuai Yue seemed to have given up to Cai Mao and began to prefer to be close to Cao Cao.  .

    But it¡¯s no wonder that most of the Kuai family¡¯s farms and assets are concentrated in Nanjun, and now Nanjun has become Liu Bei¡¯s sphere of influence. Not only did Kuai Yue¡¯s years of hard work fail, but he also suffered huge property losses. To recover the losses, the Kuai family had to  Can look for a stronger background.

    Obviously, Kuai Yue believed that Liu Jing was not strong enough, at least not as powerful as Cao Jun. He believed that after Cao Jun went south, he would definitely be defeated. It was in this way that Kuai Yue gradually returned to his former self, and then slowly returned to being a close relative.  Cao faction.

    But Liu Jing was not allowed to think about it at this time. He immediately said to the leader who delivered the letter: "When you go back and report goodbye, just say that I have received the letter."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was still dark, and the room was filled with more than ten long-life lamps, illuminating the ward like day. After months of suffering, Liu Biao finally reached the moment when the lamps ran out. At the fifth watch, his trusted guards sent Cai Mao,  Kuai Yue and Liu Xian invited them to the Prefecture Mufu.

    Although most of the guards had been bribed by Mrs. Cai, when Liu Biao was dying, several close guards followed his orders and invited the three senior officials of Jingzhou to the ward.

    On the steps outside the ward, Cai Hao, Kuai Yue, Liu Xian and Liu Cong stood quietly with their hands folded. Their expressions were very complicated, including sadness, pain, and confusion.

    At this time, the door opened, and doctor Zhang Jin came out and said to everyone in a hoarse voice: "Zhou Mu wants to see everyone, come in!"

    The four of them walked into the room and surrounded Liu Biao's couch. Liu Biao was already haggard and breathless, but his energy unexpectedly improved and his face had a strange luster.

    Everyone knew that this was the moment when the light came back, and they all lowered their heads sadly. Mrs. Cai, who was standing in the corner, couldn't help but cover her mouth and turned away, tears streaming down her face.

    "I havea few words to explain."

    On the hospital bed, Liu Biao slowly turned his head to look at everyone, and asked weakly: "Where are Qi'er and Jing'er?"

    Cai Mao and Kuai Yue looked at each other, neither daring to answer. Liu Xian hesitated and said, "Master Qi is worried about Zhou Mu and fell ill in Nanjun. Master Jing is fighting against Cao's army in Fancheng. I have sent people to find him."

    Cai Mao was shocked, glanced at Liu Xian sharply, then quickly withdrew his gaze, lowered his head and said nothing.

    "Why!"

    Liu Biao sighed softly, "He is always sick He is unreliable!"

    No one in the ward answered. No one knew what Liu Biao meant by this, but they could all hear the disappointment in Liu Biao's tone.

    Kuai Yue moved his lips, as if he wanted to defend Liu Qi, but when he thought of Liu Qi ruthlessly abandoning him and taking refuge with Liu Bei, he felt a burst of hatred in his heart, and he immediately bit his lips and said nothing.

    Liu Biao said laboriously and slowly: "When a person is about to die, his words are also good. There are some things I didn't understand until now"

    He looked at Liu Cong again, and Liu Cong understood. He knelt down and held his father's hand. Tears rolled down his eyes. At this moment, his heart was filled with endless regret.

    "Idiot, peace is a blessing!"

    "Father" Liu Cong burst into tears.

    Several people around him were very surprised. How could Liu Biao say the words "peace is a blessing"? At this time, he should have handed the seal and ribbon of Zhou Mu to Liu Cong.

    Cai Hao couldn't bear it anymore and whispered: "Please rest assured, Zhou Mu, we will do our best to assist the second young master!"

    Liu Biao shook his head and his tone became extremely firm, "Cong'er can't afford it, so I decided to pass Jingzhou Mu to Jing'er."? 

    These words were like a bolt from the blue. Everyone in the room was shocked. No one could have imagined that Liu Biao's final decision was to pass the position of Zhou Mu to his nephew Liu Jing.

    After a while, Liu Xian was the first to kneel down, "I obey the order of the state pastor!"

    Kuai Yue and Cai Mao stood stunned for a long time, and then knelt down helplessly. At this time, Mrs. Cai suddenly reacted and shouted as if she was crazy: "No! He is confused. You can't listen to him. He must be the successor of the second young master."  Bit!"

    Liu Biao was furious and pointed at Mrs. Cai with trembling fingers, "You, you"

    He fainted all of a sudden. Everyone was shocked and hurriedly called for help. Doctor Zhang Jin rushed in. He tried his pulse, which was very weak and was about to die.

    He sighed and said to everyone: "Everyone, go down! I will do my best."

    This means that Liu Biao is dead. Everyone retreated with their own concerns. As soon as they went out, Cai Hao asked Liu Xiandao coldly: "Liu Biao, did you really go to deliver a message to Liu Jing?"

    Cai Mao's condescending question made Liu Xian feel disgusted, and he sneered, "Mr. Jing is the nephew of Zhou Mu, why not let him come to see his uncle for the last time? Besides, Zhou Mu just made it very clear that the title of Jingzhou  To Master Jing, if Military Advisor Cai refuses to summon officials to make an announcement, then I will summon him!"

    Cai Mao suddenly became furious. He pulled out the sword from the guard beside him, pointed the sharp blade at Liu Xian and shouted: "How dare you bully me!"

    Liu Xian was not afraid, glared at Cai Hao, and said tit for tat: "In front of Zhou Mu's ward, do you dare to kill someone?"

    Seeing the sharp conflict between the two, Kuai Yue hurriedly stepped forward to persuade: "We are not discussing the succession issue now. Let's take care of the state pastor's affairs first, and then we can sit down and discuss it slowly."

    At this time, several guards asked them to go down and rest. Liu Xian and Cai Hao snorted at the same time, turned around and left.

    After walking a few steps, Cai Hao turned back and glanced coldly at Liu Xian's back, murderous intent bursting out of his eyes.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In a quiet room, Liu Xian sat cross-legged, his mind quickly thinking about the next strategy. Liu Biao actually appointed Liu Jing as the heir of Jingzhou at the last moment, which surprised him.

    But at the same time, he was also very excited. In this way, there was hope for the revival of Jingzhou. Liu Xian was different from the Cai family and the Kuai family. He was a famous scholar in Lingling, not an aristocratic family, and he did not have deep family interests.

    At first, he was a neutral faction, but later he gradually favored Liu Jing, firmly supported Liu Jing as the lord of Jingzhou, and recommended his nephew Liu Min and nephew Zhou Buji to go to Jiangxia.

    He was most worried that Liu Jing was lacking in title, but now Liu Biao actually appointed Liu Jing to succeed the Lord of Jingzhou, which made Liu Xian feel relieved, indicating that Liu Biao finally saw the situation clearly in his last moments.

    But Liu Xian also knew that Cai Mao would never agree to let Liu Jing be the lord of Jingzhou, and there would definitely be a fierce struggle.

    Just as he was thinking about it, a young guard hurried in. This man's name was Liu Qun. He was one of Liu Biao's closest guards and was also Liu Xian's nephew.

    "Second uncle, the situation is not good!" Liu Qun said nervously.

    Liu Xian was stunned and quickly asked: "What happened?"

    "I just received news that Cai Mao has secretly sent people to mobilize the army. He is probably preparing to surround the Prefecture Mufu. Second uncle, please leave quickly!"

    Liu Xian nodded slowly. This was what he expected. Cai Mao would never let the news that Liu Jing was the Lord of Jingzhou spread.

    Now that the lord has reached the last moment, of course he cannot leave. Liu Xian thought for a moment, then tore off a piece of white silk lining, cut his finger with Liu Qun's dagger, quickly wrote a letter in blood, and took out a personal jade pendant of his.  He whispered a few instructions to Liu Qun.

    Liu Qun was shocked, "Second uncle, won't you leave?"

    "Cai Mao doesn't dare to kill me yet. He will imprison me at most. You leave quickly! Leave Xiangyang quickly and leave quickly!"

    Liu Qun had no choice but to stuff the blood letter and jade pendant into his arms, quickly ran out of the room, climbed over the wall and left the Prefectural Shepherd's Mansion before the army surrounded them.

    Liu Xian watched his figure go away and couldn't help but sneered, "Cai Hao, it's useless even if you kill me."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 268 Death of Liu Biao

    In another quiet room, Kuai Yue sat cross-legged on the couch, lowering his head and saying nothing. Beside him, Cai Mao was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking at Kuai Yue from time to time, and his words were extremely threatening and tempting.

    "Yidu, don't forget about the Huang family. He confiscated nearly ten thousand hectares of Huang family's farmland in Jiangxia and turned it into official property. Most of it was eventually turned into military land. This shows that he is opposed to the family in his heart. He also mentioned to Zhou Mu more than once that the number of farmers is decreasing.  In Jiangxia, he spared no effort to promote self-cultivation. I believe you have seen this. If he takes control of Jingzhou, it will definitely be the end of the Jingzhou family. "

    "Butthe Huang family is really because there is no one left." Kuai Yue said in a low voice.

    "Who said there is no one!"

    Cai Mao said angrily: "Huang She is not dead. It's not that he, Liu Jing, doesn't know, but he did not hesitate to take over the Huang family's property and house. Isn't this because he has been planning for a long time? Until now, you still believe him  !¡±

    Perhaps because he felt that his tone was too strong, Cai Mao softened his tone and said, "Yidu, although we had some disagreements in the past, the Cai and Kuai families have had friends for decades after all, and they are both Jingzhou aristocratic families. It should be said that our interests are the same.  Yes, I, Cai Mao, oppose Liu Jing not for myself, but for the benefit of the entire Jingzhou family.

    In the future, Cao's army will go south. In order to stabilize Jingzhou, they will definitely use the Jingzhou family. At that time, Jingzhou will be the world of your two families. I promise you once again, if I are the pastor of Jingzhou and you are the military advisor of Jingzhou, if Cao Gong no longer sets up the pastor of Jingzhou,  , then I am the governor of Xiangyang, and you are the governor of Nanjun. I, Cai Mao, swear here that the Cai and Kuai families will prosper together. If you violate this oath, you will be punished by heaven and earth!  "

    Cai Mao's final oath finally moved Kuai Yue. He sighed and said, "You also know that I used to have a deep relationship with him. He regarded me as his uncle, but now I have betrayed him. I can't live with it!"

    Cai Mao felt Kuai Yue's relief and was overjoyed. He quickly advised: "I understand that you are a benevolent and righteous person. In fact, I also owe a favor. But this time we are not harming him. We just want to maintain the status quo. He should still be his Jiang Xia."  Governor, we will not offend his interests, but the husbandry of Jingzhou must be inherited by Mr. Cong, which is in the interests of our Cai Kuai family. "

    Kuai Yue finally nodded, "What about Liu Biejia?"

    "I will go and persuade him. If he refuses to agree, I will temporarily imprison him. When the deal is done, I will release him back to Lingling."

    "Let me think about it again!"

    The so-called reconsideration is actually an agreement, but it is just another way of saying it, so as not to embarrass himself too much. Cai Mao understood in his heart, he patted Kuai Yue on the shoulder, turned around and went out.

    Kuai Yue slowly closed his eyes. He suddenly felt that he was Li Si back then. Under Zhao Gao's coercion, he changed the First Emperor's decree. Now he is not the same, "I hope Liu Jing is not Fusu!"  ¡¯ He sighed quietly and said to himself.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In another quiet room, Liu Cong seemed to have lost his soul, sitting in the corner with his knees in his arms. He did not have the grace of a Jingzhou prince, but looked more like a street gangster after being beaten.

    In front of him, Mrs. Cai was dressed in black, staring at him like an eagle. Liu Cong had done a lot of things recently, but Mrs. Cai refrained from arguing with him.

    But just now, Liu Cong actually proposed the idea of ??obeying his father's orders and promoting Liu Jing as the shepherd of Jingzhou, which finally made Mrs. Cai unbearable.

    She took out a letter from her sleeve and threw it hard on Liu Cong, "This is a good thing you did!"

    Liu Cong slowly picked up the letter and was stunned for a moment. This was a secret letter he had ordered the boy to send to Liu Bei, telling Liu Bei that his father was on his deathbed, but it was actually intercepted.

    Liu Cong has had enough of being a puppet in the past two years. He feels that he is not even as good as a dog. A dog can bark twice when it is unhappy, but he is just a puppet, at the mercy of the Cai family. With the documents sent by the state government, he  In the end, he was not even qualified to take a look at it, so he gave it to Mrs. Cai directly.

    He could no longer bear this kind of puppet life. He wanted to fight back. He wanted to use Liu Bei to get rid of the control of the Cai family. Unexpectedly, even his last chance was cut off by Mrs. Cai. He sent out more than a dozen letters.  , there was no news, he thought Liu Bei was thinking about it, but now he realized that those letters were not sent at all.

    A rush of blood suddenly rushed to the top of his head. Liu Cong's eyes were completely red. He jumped up and pointed at Mrs. Cai's nose and shouted: "Bitch! You actually intercepted my letter."

    Mrs. Cai's eyes were as cold as iron. She raised her hand and slapped Liu Cong hard on the face. A snake-like voice sounded in Liu Cong's ears, "Do you think I don't know what you did to your father?"  ?¡±

    A slap in the face had little impact on Liu Cong, but Mrs. Cai's words were like a thunderclap in Liu Cong's ears. He was stunned and stared blankly at Mrs. Cai, his lips trembling, and he stopped for a while.  stammered"I don't understandwhat do you mean?"

    "Hmph! When you asked the book boy to go to the witch doctor to buy medicine, didn't you understand what it meant?"

    Liu Cong's eyes suddenly turned upside down. No wonder he couldn't send a letter. No wonder she knew about buying medicine. It turned out that the book boy had betrayed her.

    Liu Cong was like a deflated plastic man, slowly deflating. His legs softened and he sat down in the corner again. After a while, he asked in a hoarse voice: "Are you going to kill me?"

    Mrs. Cai transformed from a ferocious hawk into a gentle hen. She squatted in front of Liu Cong and said softly with a smile: "Cong'er, I have always regarded you as my own. As long as you are obedient, just like before,  Then I will pretend that I don¡¯t know anything. Don¡¯t you like to drink? I will let you enjoy all the wealth in the world. If you make trouble again.¡±

    Mrs. Cai's face turned cold and she said coldly: "I will make the evidence of your patricide public to the public. You can think about it yourself!"

    Liu Cong suddenly gritted his teeth and said fiercely: "Let Cai Shaoyu get out! She is not allowed to appear in front of me again."

    Mrs. Cai nodded, "Yes, I will let her move back to her parents' home tomorrow."

    She was full of contempt for Liu Cong. With such little ability, that woman came to vent her anger. No wonder his father refused to pass the throne to him in the end.

    Mrs. Cai suddenly remembered that her husband was about to die, and an uncontrollable sadness suddenly surged in her heart.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cai Hao hurriedly walked towards the gate. As soon as he reached the entrance of a courtyard, he met Mrs. Cai head-on.

    Although Mrs. Cai¡¯s eyes were swollen from crying, there was still a kind of anxiety that could not be concealed in her sadness. As soon as she saw Cai Mao, she asked: "How is it? Can it change?"

    The change she was talking about was naturally referring to Liu Biao's will, which actually asked Liu Jing to succeed him. How could she agree to it?

    Cai Hao nodded, "It's not a big problem, we can deal with it."

    After a pause, Cai Hao frowned and asked again: "How is Liu Cong? There seems to be something wrong with him recently."

    "It's nothing. He has a little temper. Don't worry, brother! From today on, he will be obedient. But for Kuai Yue and Liu Xian, you have to find a way to silence them."

    "I know this!"

    Cai Mao was concerned about the deployment of troops and had no intention of talking to Mrs. Cai in detail. After a few words of explanation, he hurried out of the gate.

    As soon as I walked outside the gate, I saw groups of soldiers running towards me, surrounding the Prefectural Mufu. The leader was Cai Zhong. Cai He was released not long after he was captured. Now he is still resting at home. His army is led by Cai Zhong.  Cai Zhong took over.

    Since Cai Zhong's leg was broken by Liu Jing three years ago, he has been undergoing treatment for two years. Although he has basically recovered, he has become lame. He has been nicknamed "Lame General". Cai Mao also hates him for being reckless and stupid.  He was willing to use him again, but this time it was because Cai He was captured that he was temporarily used.

    Although he was lame, he could barely cover himself while riding on the horse. Cai Zhong rarely dismounted, but when he saw Cai Mao, he had to stand up and dismount. He lamely stepped forward to report, "Brother, I sent three thousand troops to surround you."  Once you get to the Prefectural Mufu, no one can even think of escaping."

    Cai Mao nodded. He actually didn't want to hide the news of Liu Biao's death. The key was to hide Liu Biao's last will. Kuai Yue had already solved it, and Liu Xian was left.

    "You lead the army to surround the mansion and no one is allowed to enter or exit, no matter who it is, not even the lady!"

    Cai Zhong quickly raised his fists and saluted, "Follow the order!"

    At this moment, doctor Zhang Jin hurriedly ran out of the house. His face was extremely nervous. He ran to Cai Mao and said in a trembling voice: "Military advisor, the state pastor has gone!"

    Cai Hao's expression changed drastically and he immediately asked, "Does anyone else know?"

    Zhang Jin shook his head, "I don't know yet!"

    Cai Hao lowered his head and thought for a moment, then immediately said to Zhang Jin: "Seal the news first and don't tell anyone, including your men. Anyone who dares to leak the news will be killed immediately!"

    "Yes! I understand."

    Zhang Jin rushed back in panic. Cai Hao was in a state of confusion. Liu Biao was dead and he had no time. At this time, Cai Hao made a sudden decision. Those who follow him will prosper, and those who go against him will perish. At this time, he must make up his mind.  Determined.

    Cai Hao patted Cai Zhong on the shoulder, "Come here, I have something to tell you!"

    Cai Zhong was flattered and bent down to follow Cai Mao to the side. Cai Mao whispered a few instructions to him. Cai Zhong nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, brother, it's absolutely foolproof."

    Cai Zhong turned around and waved, and hundreds of soldiers followed him silently into the gate. Cai Mao watched the soldiers rushing into the house and said coldly: "Mr. Liu, you asked for this!"

    Liu XianSitting in a quiet room to rest, he was at peace, waiting for the last news from Liu Biao. At this time, the door suddenly opened and a dozen soldiers rushed in.

    Liu Xian was taken aback. He recognized that the leader was Cai Zhong, and suddenly felt something bad in his heart. "General Cai, what's the matter with you?" Liu Xian shouted sharply.

    "Liu Biejia, please come with us! Please don't embarrass us."

    "Yes, of course!"

    Liu Xian pretended to agree, walked slowly to the door, and suddenly rushed out. Unexpectedly, there were soldiers blocking the door, and he could not rush out. Cai Zhong was furious and stabbed Liu Xian with his backhand. The sharp blade pierced Liu Xian's heart.  , Liu Xian screamed and fell to the ground, blood gushing from his back.

    A soldier quickly touched his nose and said nervously: "General, he is dead!"

    Cai Zhong was also surprised. The task given to him by Cai Mao was to capture Liu Xian and imprison him, but he accidentally killed him.

    After all, Liu Xian was the third most powerful official in Jingzhou and had great influence. Now that he is dead, Cai Zhong is secretly scared. He still pretends to be nonchalant and says: "If he dies, he will die. Take away his body!"

    Several soldiers shook open a sack, put Mr. Liu's body inside, and put it into a box, as if moving a box. They slowly moved the box away from the side door. The remaining soldiers wiped the blood on the ground clean and left quickly.  Quiet room.

    On the other side of the yard, more than a dozen guards who came after hearing the news watched Cai Zhong commit the murder, but they did not dare to step forward to stop him. They dared to be angry but did not dare to speak.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    An hour later, the news of Liu Biao's death spread throughout Xiangyang City. The people mourned and the three armies mourned. Thousands of people rushed to kneel and worship outside the Prefectural Mufu Mansion, and the cries were heard.

    Cai Mao immediately ordered mourning mourning all over the city and mourning halls built for two months. At the same time, Liu Biao's suicide note was officially promulgated, appointing his second son Liu Cong as the shepherd of Jingzhou and taking over Liu Biao's post.

    At noon, the warship from Jiangxia was quietly moored at the Xiangyang pier. White flags were hung on the top of Xiangyang City. The news of Liu Biao's death had reached the pier. On a large ship, Liu Jing slowly knelt down and said to Xiangyang.  Chengfang kowtowed three times.

    Although he was not Liu Biao¡¯s real nephew, he still called Liu Biao his uncle for six years. Liu Biao also gave him a chance to make it to where he is today. He cannot forget this kindness.

    "Prefect, do we want to go to the city to pay our respects?" Dong Yun asked in a low voice behind him.

    Liu Jing shook her head, "It is essential to pay filial piety, but it does not necessarily have to be in Xiangyang City."

    He turned back to Dong Yun and said: "Immediately send my order to Jiangxia and order Su Juncheng to build a mourning shed in Wuchang for Jiangxia soldiers and civilians to pay their respects. Then I order the whole county of Jiangxia to mourn and express condolences to Zhou Mu."

    Dong Yun agreed and turned around to enter the warehouse to write an order. Liu Jing suddenly remembered something and added to Dong Yun: "And Jiangdong, send someone to report the funeral!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 269 Between gains and losses

    At the same time, Fancheng also held mourning all over the city. The city walls were covered with white flags. Every household also raised bamboo poles with white flags hanging on them to express condolences for Liu Biao's death.

    But for Liu Jing, he still had many things to deal with and had no time to immerse himself in sorrow. Apart from wearing sackcloth and mourning, he was no different from usual times, reviewing official documents and asking about military information.

    He had been away from Fancheng for ten days, and what he was most concerned about was naturally the movements of Cao Jun. In the room, Xu Shu and Gan Ning were reporting to him the latest situation of Cao Jun.

    "Yesterday, Wancheng transferred 5,000 troops to Xinye, including 3,000 cavalry, bringing the strength of Xinye to 10,000. The leader of Xinye is still Cao Hong. In addition, the whereabouts of the 250 ferries have been found, and they are hidden in  In Xinye County, ships can go south along the Jishui River."

    Liu Jing nodded and glanced at Xu Shu again. When he saw that Xu Shu was about to speak but hesitated, he smiled and said, "Xu Changshi can just say whatever he wants. There are no taboo words between us."

    Xu Shu sighed and said: "Actually, I shouldn't have said some things, but I think now is an opportunity. When the lord dies, people will usually hide their flag and stop the army. There will be no war for at least three months, and Cao Jun will definitely not treat us.  Be prepared. If we can take the opportunity to attack Xinye, once Xinye is captured, the entire battle situation will change. "

    Xu Shu had no loyalty to Liu Biao, and was more concerned about the war situation. He could detect opportunities for fighting, but Gan Ning did not take Liu Biao's death to heart. Xu Shu's words spoke to his heart.

    Gan Ning struck fists and palms together and said excitedly: "Xu Changshi is right. Now is indeed an opportunity. With the death of Zhou Mu, Cao Jun thought that we had no intention of fighting again. After being tense for a month, their defense will inevitably relax. If  If we can seize this opportunity, Xinye City can be defeated.¡±

    Xinye City has thick walls and has been run by Liu Bei for many years. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. The Jiangxia Army lacks large-scale siege weapons and has no other option except confrontation. However, if the confrontation continues for a long time, it will be detrimental to the morale of the Jiangxia Army, so  How to capture Xinye has always been Gan Ning's worry.

    At this time, Xu Shu proposed a feasible plan, which made Gan Ning very excited. He looked at Liu Jing expectantly.

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and then asked: "Have you ever thought about why Cao Jun wanted to increase his troops in Xinye?"

    Xu Shu smiled and said: "General Gan and I have discussed this issue. We both believe that Cao Jun wants to increase the military pressure on Jingzhou, especially the increase in cavalry. The purpose is very clear, and he wants to sneak attack when we are not prepared."

    "You mean, Cao Jun also wants to attack us?" Liu Jing looked at Xu Shu and asked.

    "They should have this plan, but it may not be against us. It may be to attack General Wen, or it may be to deal with General Guan, but one thing is certain, the death of Zhou Mu will definitely affect the plan against the other party."

    Liu Jing walked slowly with his hands behind his back. He was not in a hurry to make a surprise attack on the new field. Liu Biao's death had a great impact. He needed to sort out the various relationships and context before considering the next military action.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing glanced at Gan Ning. Seeing Gan Ning's expectant face, he smiled and said: "Only when you know yourself and the enemy can you be victorious in every battle. Now that the enemy's intentions are unclear, there is not much certainty in this battle. Xingba still sends  It would be better for the scouts to find out the information and then think about it.¡±

    Gan Ning thought for a moment, then nodded, "General, I understand, let's make arrangements now!"

    Gan Ning bowed and turned around. Only Liu Jing and Xu Shu were left in the room. Xu Shu pondered for a moment and asked, "Does the prefect have any strategy to deal with the death of Zhou Mu?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "Apart from offering sacrifices and mourning in Jiangxia, I have not considered other countermeasures for the time being. In fact, keeping the same unchanged in response to all changes is a coping strategy."

    "But the officials in Xiangyang and the prefect don't want to fight for it?"

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "I have figured out one thing recently. Everyone has the tendency to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, especially these senior officials in Jingzhou. They know better than anyone else who they should choose.

    Especially in the past two years, a large number of nobles gathered in Jingzhou fled to Jiangxia. The treatment they received was the best publicity. Therefore, I don¡¯t need to deliberately win over anyone. Officials who want to join me will naturally go to Jiangxia.

    In fact, many officials¡¯ families have already gone to Jiangxia. What else do I need to say?  The key is to defeat Cao Jun and let me establish my prestige in Jiangxia, so that more people will come to join me. This is much better than just talking.  "

    Xu Shu nodded silently. He knew Liu Jing's thinking very well. He did not need to actively seek talents. As long as he could defeat Cao Jun again and shock Jingzhou, his prestige would reach an unprecedented height and he could gather all the anti-Cao factions around him.  .

    At this time, Xu Shu remembered something and said: "The other thing is Zhuge Liang's matter. I may be ashamed of the prefect."

    Liu Jing was not surprised, this was within his expectation.He smiled and asked: "Did he still refuse to accept my invitation in the end?"

    "I visited him again yesterday, and he made it clear that he may have to live up to the love of the prefect."

    "Actually, it doesn't matter. Everyone has his own ambitions, so there is no need to force him. Maybe he feels that I am not suitable for him. Following Uncle Liu Huang can give full play to his talents!"

    Xu Shu was startled, "Does the prefect know that he is going to follow Liu Bei?"

    "Of course!"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Apart from Liu Bei, who else can he follow?"

    But Xu Shu was not worried about this. He was worried about whether Liu Jing would let Zhuge Liang go. He knew that Liu Jing spent a lot of energy and time on Zhuge Liang. Even when Zhuge Liang got married, it was Liu Jing who wanted to win over Zhuge Liang.

    In the end, Zhuge Liang followed Liu Bei. Will Liu Jing spare him?  Xu Shu was very worried. He bit his lip and asked hesitantly: "The prefect really doesn't care about Zhuge Liang joining Liu Bei?"

    Liu Jing understood the implication of Xu Shu's words, asking whether he would kill Zhuge Liang. He pondered for a moment and asked: "If Zhuge Liang suddenly dies, who do you or the mountain people, or even Pang Gong, think will do it?"

    Xu Shu did not answer, but responded with silence, but the silence clearly meant, besides you, Liu Jing, who else could there be?

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Killing Zhuge Liang, but ruining my own reputation, in exchange for the world's celebrities no longer dare to seek refuge with me, Liu Jing. I am afraid that even a three-year-old child can tell whether this account is a profit or a loss."

    Xu Shu's heart that had been hanging for a few days finally let go. He couldn't help but sigh, "It's a pity that the sleeping dragon and the phoenix chicks have all returned to Liu Bei. What a pity!"

    Liu Jing laughed, "You have three bad generals, Xu Shu, Dong Yun and Ma Liang, but you can't stand up to Zhuge Liang?"

    Although Xu Shu didn¡¯t understand what the three bad generals meant, he understood what Liu Jing meant. Only when people make the best use of their talents is the way to employ people.

    Xu Shu couldn't help but laugh and said: "What's more, there is Jia Xu. If he can be used by the prefect, he will be even more powerful!"

    Liu Jing shook her head slightly, looked at Xu Shu and said: "Yuan Zhi, I hope you can understand one thing. The reason why I gave up on Zhuge Liang in the end was because of you, because I needed to make a choice between you and Kong Ming.  I didn¡¯t go to visit him, but asked you to deliver the letter, that¡¯s what I meant.¡±

    Xu Shu's nose suddenly became sore and his eyes became a little hazy. He knelt down and bowed, "My lord's kindness to Xu Shu, I can't repay Xu Shu's body and soul!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Xu Shu said goodbye and left. Liu Jing's expression suddenly changed. She snorted coldly and immediately ordered a soldier: "Get Li Qing for me quickly!"

    After a while, Li Qing, the commander of the personal soldiers, quickly walked into the room, knelt down on one knee, and said, "Greetings to the prefect!"

    Liu Jing's eyes burst with murderous intent, and she said slowly to Li Qing: "You can lead fifty brothers to rush to Longzhong and kill Zhuge Liang without leaving anyone alive."

    "Follow the order!" Li Qing stood up and hurried away.

    Liu Jing slowly sat down and fell into deep thought again. He considered killing Zhuge Liang more than once to eliminate future troubles, but his reason told him more than once that killing Zhuge Liang would not be worth the loss. Not only would he ruin his own reputation, but he would also lose more than he gained.  He will also chill the hearts of the entire Longzhong Group and lose their support, including talented people such as Xu Shu, Ma Liang, Pang Shanmin, Dong Yun, Liu Min, Zhou Buyi and even Pang Degong.

    These are his mainstays. Once lost, his foundation will be completely destroyed. Liu Jing finally sighed. He had to compromise on some things. He immediately said to a soldier: "Hurry up and catch up with Li Qing.  Tell him to give up."

    The soldier agreed and rushed away. Liu Jing took his thoughts away from Zhuge Liang, took the official document and started reviewing it. At this time, a soldier reported outside the door: "To report to the prefect, General Wenpin is outside the city asking for an audience!"

    This news cheered up Liu Jing. After Liu Biao died of illness, the people he cared about most were Wenpin and Huang Zhong. Now Wenpin did not go to Xiangyang, but came to see him. There is a lot in this.

    How could Liu Jing let go of this opportunity? He quickly ordered: "Please invite General Wen into the city!"

    Liu Jing suddenly felt that his attitude was not sincere enough, so he stopped the soldiers, "No, I will go out of the city to greet you personally!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 270 Wenpin¡¯s Choice

    Outside the south gate of Fancheng, Wenpin, who was also wearing sackcloth and mourning, was patiently waiting for the announcement with a group of soldiers. His expression was as serious as ever, but his eyes were red, and he had obviously just cried.

    Liu Biao's death was a great blow to Wenpin, but at this time, the major crisis in Jingzhou forced him to temporarily put aside his grief and come to find Liu Jing.

    By his side, he followed his beloved disciple Cai Jin. Although Wenpin and Cai Mao were incompatible with each other, Wenpin knew that his beloved disciple was different from Cai Mao. As a human being, Wenpin always treated things rather than people.

    "Master, will Mr. Jing go to Xiangyang?" Cai Jin asked in a low voice from behind.

    "Won't!"

    Wenpin shook his head and said: "I believe that he, like me, will not go to Xiangyang. He would rather pay homage to Zhou Mu in Jiangxia."

    As soon as he finished speaking, a group of cavalry ran out of the city. The leader was none other than Liu Jing. He dismounted his horse and hurried forward to greet him. He shouted sadly: "General Wen, the state pastor has passed away, where will Jingzhou go?"

    Wenpin's eyes turned red, and tears almost came out. He also turned over and dismounted, suppressing the great sadness in his heart, and said in a choked voice: "That's why I came here, Mr. Jing, I have important things to discuss with you.  "

    Liu Jing nodded, "General Wen, please come into the city!"

    Everyone dismounted and led their horses into Fancheng with Liu Jing. As far as the eye could see in Fancheng, there were overwhelming white flags. All shops were closed. Pedestrians looked sad, soldiers and civilians were wearing sackcloth and wearing mourning. Many people were crying and burning paper money at the door. The whole Fancheng was filled with tears.  In great sorrow.

    Wenpin felt increasingly sad and followed Liu Jing into the military office. He ordered Cai Jin to wait outside, and the two of them went into the meeting hall and sat down.

    "What happened?" Liu Jing saw that Wenpin seemed to have something important.

    Wenpin sighed lowly, "I'm afraid Liu Biejia has been assassinated by Cai Mao."

    This news really shocked Liu Jing. He received an express letter from Mr. Liu in the early morning. How could he be assassinated?

    He quickly took out Liu Xian's letter and handed it to Wenpin, "This is the letter I received when I was about to arrive in Xiangyang early this morning. Liu Biejia said that Zhou Mu might not be able to survive."

    Wenpin did not read the letter and sighed: "I'm afraid Liu Biejia died because of this letter."

    "What happened, General Wen, can you tell me clearly?"

    Wenpin took out a piece of white silk from his arms and put it on the table, "This is the cause of Liu Biejia's death. According to the decree of the state pastor, Mr. Jing will succeed him as the pastor of Jingzhou."

    Liu Jing was stunned. He couldn't believe his ears, and asked again, "The state pastor has ordered me to be the pastor of Jingzhou?"

    Wenpin nodded, "Liu Bie ordered someone to give me a blood letter. Soon he was killed by Cai Zhong. A guard saw Cai Zhong committing the murder with his own eyes."

    Liu Jing took Bai Ling's blood letter and read it silently for a moment, as if she was deep in thought and said nothing. At this time, Wenpin asked tentatively: "Master Jing, I can contact General Wang Wei and some officials loyal to Zhou Mu.  We will ask Xiangyang to faithfully implement the prefect's will and support Mr. Jing to succeed him as the governor of Jingzhou. I wonder if Mr. Jing is willing to shoulder the legacy of the governor? "

    This incident happened so suddenly that Liu Jing was not mentally prepared for the moment. He thought for a long time before sighing slightly, "If I announce my successor as Jingzhou Mu now, a civil war in Jingzhou will inevitably break out. Perhaps this is what Cao Jun wants, General Wen.  I hope you will not mention this matter for the time being and fully cooperate with me to defeat Cao Jun, and then we will consider the matter of Zhou Mu's death."

    Wenpin hesitated and said, "I'm just afraid that if it takes too long, it will be a done deal."

    There are some potential words that Wenpin did not say. Liu Cong has succeeded as Jingzhou Mu with the support of Cai Mao. Although many people do not necessarily support it, they have no choice but to be loyal to Liu Cong.

    Wenpin was worried about this. If the time dragged on too long, the chance to overthrow Cai Mao would be gone. Seeing that Liu Jing didn't seem to take it to heart, he reminded him again: "Master Jing, Liu Cong  He has succeeded to the throne of Jingzhou in the morning, and I have received his summons three times. He ordered me to go to Xiangyang to pay my allegiance. "

    Liu Jing shook her head and said slowly: "I can understand General Wen's worries, but General Wen please understand one thing. My enemy is Cao Cao, not Cai Mao. He is not worthy of being my enemy. If Wenpin wants to do something  If it is such a big deal, then ignore what is happening in Xiangyang and fully cooperate with me to defeat Cao Ren's army, and then reorganize the army and prepare to face the coming Cao Cao army. "

    Liu Jing's words moved Wenpin, and he suddenly understood why Zhou Mu finally decided to let Liu Jing succeed Jingzhou Mu when he was dying, because only Liu Jing could see further in the chaos and see the real overall situation of the world.  .

    This is what a true Jingzhou shepherd should do. At this moment, Wenpin knew his choice. He made up his mind and stood up.? Kneel down on one knee and clasp his fist and say: "Wen Pin is willing to be driven by the young master and advance and retreat together with the young master!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the same moment when Wenpin decided to be loyal to Liu Jing, the news of Liu Biao's death also affected Liu Bei's army. Guan Yu received Liu Bei's emergency order and led his army to evacuate Deng County, and the army began to board ships at the dock.

    Guan Yu stood on a mound and watched with complicated eyes the groups of soldiers boarding the warships. In fact, he understood his brother's intention. Liu Biao's death meant that the division of Jingzhou had begun. At this time, he urgently returned to Nanjun. It was obviously for  Liu Qi.

    But what should Cao Jun do?  This battle is not over yet. Isn't it a little bit to withdraw the troops in such a hasty manner and leave Cao's army to Jiangxia's army?  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Guan Yu couldn't help but sigh. Although he didn't want to withdraw his troops, he had to obey the strict orders given by his elder brother. He originally wanted to send someone to Fancheng to inform Jiang Xia's army, but he didn't know what to say, so he had to give up this idea.

    At this time, the general Zhou Cang shouted: "General, the lord is here!"

    When Guan Yu turned around, he saw Liu Bei walking down from a ship. He was overjoyed and quickly urged his horse to meet him.

    Like the people in Jingzhou, Liu Bei also wore sackcloth and mourning sticks for Liu Biao, as if he had aged ten years suddenly. Logically speaking, Liu Biao regarded him as his younger brother. Now that Liu Biao has passed away, he should go to Xiangyang to pay homage to him as a brotherly brother.

    But Liu Bei knew very well in his heart that Liu Biao's death meant that the secret war in the past would become completely clear. If he went to Xiangyang now, he would definitely not be able to get out.

    On the contrary, at this time, he must return to Xiangyang immediately. He should not recognize Liu Cong as his successor as Jingzhou Mu. He should put the direct elder first and support Liu Qi as Jingzhou Mu. Only in this way will he not be nominally controlled by Xiangyang.

    At the same time, officials loyal to Liu Qi can also be recruited to come to Nanjun to form an alliance, such as Xiangyang County Prime Minister Wang Qi, Hucao Join the Army Chen Zhen, Lingling Prefect Liu Du, Changsha County Prime Minister Liu Pan, etc.

    So Liu Bei was anxious and rushed back to Nanjun, but what Liu Bei really wanted to win over were two people, one was Wenpin and the other was Wang Wei. These two men each commanded 10,000 elite troops in Jingzhou and were the mainstays of Jingzhou.

    Among them, Wang Wei's 10,000 troops were not worried by Liu Bei. Wang Wei had always been a staunch supporter of Liu Qi and had a good relationship with Liu Bei. More importantly, Wang Wei was the brother of Wang Can and Wang Jianhe of the Wang family.  Wang Can is loyal to Nanjun, and Wang Wei is no exception.

    The key is Wenpin. Wenpin's 10,000 troops are the strongest in the Jingzhou Army in terms of equipment and combat effectiveness. The reason why Cai Mao tolerates Wenpin repeatedly is because he takes a fancy to this army. He, Liu Bei, also takes a fancy to this army.  an army.

    Wenpin, on the other hand, was a stern and upright man who had always been aboveboard. When Qi and Cong were fighting for the heir, he had stated more than once that he did not agree with abolishing elders and establishing younger ones. This showed that he supported Liu Qi, which made Liu Bei have great hopes for him.  For this reason, Liu Bei has sent Sun Qian to persuade Wenpin to go south.

    But Liu Bei was extremely anxious at this time. Liu Cong had already succeeded, and it stands to reason that Liu Qi should also succeed at the same time. But now he is still in Jiangbei. If he doesn't go back, he will miss the opportunity.

    "Yun Chang!"

    When Liu Bei saw Guan Yu coming on horseback, he also rode up to meet him. "You and Shi Yuan will immediately lead the army back to Nanjun by water. There can be no delay. The army will get on the boat and set off."

    "What about eldest brother?" Guan Yu also wanted to ask about this.

    "Yide and I are leading five thousand troops back by land. The situation is urgent and I must return to Jiangling immediately."

    Speaking of this, Liu Bei looked far away in the direction of Fancheng and asked, "Has Liu Jing come to see you?"

    Guan Yu shook his head, "I heard that he has returned today, but he did not go to Xiangyang. He should mourn in Fancheng!"

    Liu Bei sneered, "It seems he is not stupid either."

    "Brother, if we leave without saying goodbye, I'm afraid it will be detrimental to the war situation. Why don't we talk to him and let him understand our difficulties."

    Liu Bei shook his head, "There's no need to say too much. He actually knows what's going on, but out of politeness, I should tell him."

    Liu Bei took out a letter and handed it to Guan Yu, "This is my handwritten letter. My second brother, please send someone to deliver it to Liu Jing!"

    Seeing that his brother had considered everything carefully, Guan Yu felt relieved. He thought for a while, called Guan Ping over, and handed the letter to him, "Go to Fancheng and present this letter to Mr. Jing. Go and come back as soon as possible!"

    "My child obeys the order!"

    Guan Ping bowed to Liu Bei and Guan Yu, took the letter, got on his horse and rode away.

    Guan Yu looked at his son's back and asked Liu Bei, "Brother, don't you want to invite Mr. Zhuge? If you leave like this, will he be left out in the cold?"

    Liu Bei smiled and said, "Of course I knew it well. I traveled by land mainly to invite him."

    ?£®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing sent Wenpin away, which really made him happy. Although Wenpin didn't say anything like "I'm willing to do the hard work of dogs and horses," what he meant was that he was willing to be loyal to himself.

    Wenpin has always been one of the most famous generals in Jingzhou. Together with Huang Zhong, he is also known as the two tigers of Jingzhou. His loyalty will greatly enhance his strength, especially Wenpin's commanding ability is extremely high and he is both civil and military. With him, he can replace  He is alone in Anlu County.

    Now that Wenpin surrendered, the next target should be Huang Zhong. Liu Biao's death means the official beginning of the split. In fact, the split has already existed. Liu Qi was granted the title of Nanjun, and Liu Jing controlled Jiangxia. It was not a kind of split.

    Now that Liu Biao has passed away, the last bit of property in Jingzhou will be divided up. In Liu Jing's eyes, the army and generals are the most valuable assets. There are now four armies in Jingzhou, Wenpin's Army, Wang Wei's Army, Zhang Yun's Army and  Huang Zhong's army.

    Zhang Yun's army undoubtedly belongs to Cai Mao, and Wenpin has pledged allegiance to him, leaving Wang Wei's army and Huang Zhong's army.

    I am afraid that these two armies will be the focus of competition. Liu Jing does not have much confidence in Wang Wei. After all, he and Wang Wei do not have a close relationship. Since the Wang family has always supported Liu Qi, the eldest son, it is estimated that Wang Wei is more likely to favor Nanjun.  .

    Huang Zhong and Liu Jing have great confidence. After all, he is his master, and during the Battle of Chaisang, Huang Zhong fought side by side with him. As long as there is a letter from Wenpin, Huang Zhong will be loyal to him.  It's 90%.

    Despite this, Liu Jing still did not dare to be careless. After all, Liu Pan had always favored Liu Qi and Liu Bei. If he persuaded Huang Zhong to go to Nanjun, it would be a serious matter. Huang Zhong was a very affectionate person, so he naturally had affection for himself.  But he may not be ruthless with Liu Pan.

    And in history, Huang Zhong was loyal to Liu Bei in the end. Although the history of Jingzhou has greatly changed its trajectory, Huang Zhong's personal trajectory may not change.

    After pondering for a long time, Liu Jing finally wrote a letter to Huang Zhong. While recalling the past, Liu Jing also hoped that he could help her.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 271 Life Threat

    After writing the letter, Liu Jing ordered a soldier to deliver the letter to Changsha. At this time, a soldier reported outside the house: "To inform the prefect, General Guan Ping is asking for an audience outside the city!"

    This time, Liu Jing did not go out of the city to greet him. He knew what Guan Ping was doing. Guan Yu's army was withdrawing on a large scale. How could he not know?

    Liu Bei wanted to retreat to Nanjun in a hurry. Although he originally wanted to improve his reputation by resisting Cao Cao, now that Liu Biao has passed away and Jingzhou has undergone tremendous changes, improving his reputation is not as important as cultivating a Jingzhou shepherd.

    Liu Jing can completely understand Liu Bei's eagerness, and Liu Bei's withdrawal may not be a bad thing. At least the dividends of resisting Cao will be enjoyed by Liu Jing alone.

    Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "Invite him in!"

    Not long after, Guan Ping hurried in, bowed and saluted, "See Mr. Jing!"

    "General Guan, long time no see, please take a seat!"

    Liu Jing smiled and asked Guan Ping to sit down. Guan Ping took out Liu Bei's autographed letter and put it on the table. Liu Jing glanced at it and was slightly startled. It turned out to be Liu Bei's letter.

    But he did not rush to read the letter, and said to Guan Ping with a smile on his face: "We haven't seen each other for about two years!"

    Liu Jing had a good relationship with Guan Ping when he first arrived in Jingzhou, especially during the Battle of Xinye, when Liu Jing was surrounded by Cao's army, Guan Ping and Zhao Yun risked their lives to save him. This life-saving grace has always been engraved in Liu Jing's heart.  .

    Three years ago, Liu Jing specially ordered someone to send a BMW named "Mo Yu" to Guan Ping to express his gratitude.

    Just as Liu Jing never forgot Guan Ping's life-saving grace, Guan Ping also never forgot Liu Jing's gift of a horse. When he saw Liu Jing's sincere smile, he felt a kind of kindness in his heart like meeting an old friend.

    "Yes! I remember the last time we met was when we passed by Wuchang by boat, and I had to thank you for your hospitality."

    The two chatted for a while, and Liu Jing turned the topic to the thing he was most concerned about. He pondered for a while and asked: "How is General Zilong's situation now? Since the last time he returned to his hometown to visit his grave, I rarely heard about it.  I haven¡¯t heard any news about him, I just heard that he went to train.¡±

    Mentioning Zhao Yun, Guan Ping couldn't help but feel sad. Since Zhao Yun returned from Changshan County three years ago, he has been gradually alienated by his master. He was named a military training school captain. Although his official position is not low, he has no military power.

    He was only responsible for training troops in Wuling County, sending out batches of new soldiers, sending out batches of veterans, and the cycle started again and again. It has been three years now. All the generals are grievances for Zhao Yun, but he himself seems to have never complained.

    In fact, Guan Ping also guessed that Zhao Yun's neglect was related to Liu Jing. Sometimes he couldn't help but ask his father about it, but what he got was an angry scolding.

    Guan Ping let out a long sigh and said: "Sometimes, I also think Zilong and you would be better off!"

    When these words came out, Guan Ping immediately felt that something was wrong. How could he say such things? If his father knew about this, he would have to be beaten to death.

    "Why?" Liu Jing asked reluctantly.

    "It's nothing, I have to go, the boat is not waiting for me, we will meet again later!" Guan Ping knew he had made a mistake, and suddenly felt panicked. He did not dare to say any more, so he quickly stood up and left.

    "See you later!"

    Liu Jing watched him go away with a smile, and then slowly walked to the window with her hands behind her hands, looking at the sunset gradually setting in the distance. The sunset dyed the clouds in the sky red, and also reflected Liu Jing's face red.

    Liu Jing remembered the first meeting with Zhao Yun six years ago in Rangshan, and Zhao Yun's brotherly smile. He had no relatives in Jingzhou at this time, and only Zhao Yun made him feel the existence of a trace of family affection.

    Liu Jing silently looked at the clouds that had gradually turned dark and dim. He thought of Zhao Yun alone in Wuling County. He couldn't help but feel infinitely sad in his heart. When would Zilong be willing to fight alongside him.

    After pondering for a long time, he sat down and wrote a letter to Zhao Yun, sealed it carefully, and asked loudly: "Is Li Qing back?"

    "The humble job is back!"

    Li Qing walked in quickly and knelt down on one knee, "Please give me your orders, Grand Administrator!"

    Liu Jing handed the letter to him, "Take fifty brothers and go to Wuling County. Bring me some local products from Jingzhou to General Zhao Yun. Also give this letter to General Zhao."

    Li Qing quickly agreed, took the letter and hurried out.

    Liu Jing then took Liu Bei's letter from the table, opened it and read it carefully. The content inside made him sneer repeatedly. Liu Bei invited him to respect Liu Qi as the master, promised to make him a partial general, and recommended him to the Han Emperor as Marquis of Wuchang.  , Liu Bei is really good at making wishful thinking, but he is so wishful thinking. Why does he think that he will agree to him?

    But when he saw the end of the letter, Liu Jing was stunned. In the last few words, Liu Bei actually threatened himself. If he did not agree to the merger, his true identity would be announced to the world, ruining his reputation. Liu Bei alsoNow he has the evidence.

    This naked threat immediately made Liu Jing furious. He stood up angrily, grabbed the inkstone on the table and slammed it against the wall, "Big-eared thief, go to hell!"

    'Snapped!  ¡¯ With a crisp sound, the inkstone fell to pieces, and black ink flowed all over the wall.

    Liu Jing looked out the window with a livid face. It turned out that Liu Bei really knew his true identity. He knew clearly that he was a fake, but he had endured it for so many years. There was still evidence in his hand. What evidence was it?

    Liu Jing forced herself to calm down, and couldn't help but feel worried. Although Liu Biao was dead, if he announced himself as a fake in the name of Liu Qi and presented the so-called evidence, many people would still believe him. This would be a very difficult matter.

    Liu Jing slowly closed her eyes, what evidence does Liu Bei have?

    At this moment, Xu Shu came excitedly and said, "Prefect, there is good news!"

    Xu Shu stopped for a moment and looked at the ink flowing down the wall and the fragments of the inkstone on the floor in surprise. What happened?

    He turned to look at Liu Jing's soldiers behind him. The soldiers shook their heads and expressed ignorance. This made Xu Shu confused. Why was Liu Jing angry?

    Liu Jing had calmed down and sighed: "I am angry about Liu Bei's withdrawal. This man is extremely hypocritical. He just sent Guan Ping to me and asked our two armies to merge and obey Liu Qi as the leader.  I'm extremely angry."

    Xu Shu glanced at the ink marks on the wall again, and felt a little strange in his heart. With Liu Jing's calmness, he would not be angry about such a thing. At most, he would just laugh it off. Is there any other hidden secret?

    Xu Shu didn't ask any more questions, shook his head and said with a smile: "Prefect, there is no need to be angry about this kind of thing. We are fighting Cao Jun and we don't count on them in the first place. Liu Bei's proposal to merge the two families is just a wishful thinking."

    Liu Jing didn't want to mention this matter anymore, so she nodded, "Okay! We won't mention this matter. What good news do you have?"

    Xu Shu quickly took out a letter and handed it to Liu Jing and said with a smile: "This is the letter I just received from Zhizhong Deng Yi. He expressed that he does not support Liu Cong as the pastor of Jingzhou and hopes that I can persuade the prefect to succeed him as the pastor of Jingzhou."

    This is good news. Deng Yi is Deng Wu's clan uncle. Liu Jing is not surprised that Deng Yi supports him. However, Deng Yi is the fourth most powerful person in Jingzhou. The Deng family has very deep connections in Nanyang. This good news really makes Liu Jing  His mood improved.

    Liu Jing immediately wrote a reply and gave it to Xu Shu, saying: "You sent someone to keep in contact with Deng Yi. I hope he can stay in Xiangyang as my internal correspondent in Xiangyang officialdom."

    "The prefect is indeed thoughtful, I will arrange the delivery of the letter right now!"

    Xu Shu said goodbye and left. The two soldiers began to clean up the ink and debris on the ground. At this time, Liu Jing had been freed from his anger towards Liu Bei. He had no time to take care of the matter for the time being. He began to consider Xiangyang's response measures.

    In fact, Deng Yi's suggestion is not bad. If he does not recognize Liu Cong's Jingzhou Shepherd, he can establish himself as Jingzhou Shepherd. At least Liu Biao's last will was for him to succeed him. It is not that he, Liu Jing, wants to be the Jingzhou Shepherd, but to get rid of his influence on Xiangyang.  nominal subordinate position.

    On the other hand, Deng Yi's allegiance also illustrates the internal divisions in Xiangyang, and Deng Yi can be fully used to win over Xiangyang officials for himself.

    Considering the internal divisions in Xiangyang, Liu Jing suddenly remembered something and immediately ordered his soldiers: "Go to General Wen's camp and invite General Cai Jin for me!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There are more than a hundred villages of various sizes scattered around Xiangyang. One of the most famous villages is Caili, which is also where the Cai clan lives. It is located in the northwest, about ten miles away from Xiangyang City.

    Caili is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with beautiful scenery. The Tanxi River, which is about ten feet wide, flows through the village like a jade belt, dividing the village into two. The Cai family's old house is located on the west bank of Tanxi River.

    At night, under the gloom of darkness, three small boats of 100 stone slowly parked on the pier of the Cai family's old house.

    After more than a month of confrontation, all the ships near Xiangyang had been requisitioned by the army. Therefore, the arrival of these three ships immediately attracted the attention of the Cai Mansion gatekeeper, and an old man came up with a lantern.

    "Uncle Mi, it's me!"

    Cai Jin jumped off the ship and asked with a smile: "Is my father here?"

    "The second master is here. He just came back from Xiangyang."

    As the old man answered, his eyes fell on the young man behind Cai Jin. He was tall and burly. Although his clothes were ordinary, his movements showed an extraordinary aura.

    The old man felt that this man looked familiar. He picked up the lantern and took a closer look. He was shocked. This young man turned out to be Liu Jing. He suddenly panicked.

    Cai Jin smiled and comforted him, "Uncle Mi, no needI'm afraid, Taishou Liu just came to visit my father, and he didn't mean any harm, but he also asked Uncle Mi not to show off.  "

    The old man calmed down from the shock and quickly nodded in agreement, "Don't worry, sir, I won't talk too much."

    Cai Jin turned around and said to Liu Jing: "Prefect, wait a moment. I'll go see my father first."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Go! I'll wait here."

    Cai Jin hurried into the house, while Liu Jing stood with her hands behind her hands, waiting patiently for news about Cai Jin. It is said that one mother gave birth to nine sons, and the nine sons are all different. Although Cai Hao is his political opponent in the officialdom and has a personal conflict of interest with him,  But that doesn¡¯t mean that everyone in the Cai family is like this.

    Especially in the Cai family, there is an outlier like Cai Jin, and as the head of the family, Cai Mao actually has nothing to do with Cai Jin. This can only show the fact that there is an important person in the Cai family supporting Cai Jin, and this person is most likely Cai Jin's father.  Cai Yan served as the governor of Badong County.

    This is also confirmed from Cai Jin's mouth. If Cai Yan turns to support him, it will play a decisive role in his future to secure Xiangyang County.

    With this in mind, Liu Jing decided to visit Cai Yan in person.

    Cai Jin quickly came to the yard where his father lived. When he saw that the light in the study was still on, he immediately felt relieved. He knocked on the door and said loudly: "Father, the child has something urgent to report."

    "Come in!"

    Cai Jin pushed the door open and entered the room, but was stunned for a moment. The light in the room was bright, and he saw his father and grandfather sitting opposite each other. What were they discussing?

    Cai Yan went to Xiangyang to pay homage to Liu Biao during the day. He had just returned to the mansion. He wanted to go to the backyard to report his father's situation, but Cai Xun was more anxious than him and came to find him first.

    The father and son were talking about the situation in Xiangyang, but Cai Jin came. Cai Yan glanced at his son and saw that he was hesitant, so he smiled and asked, "What's important?"

    Cai Jin glanced at his grandfather. He didn't know whether he should tell his grandfather. At this time, Cai Xun saw his hesitation towards him and said with some displeasure: "Jin'er, do you want to hide something from your grandfather?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 272 Fire in the backyard

    Cai Jin had no choice but to kneel down and report: "I would like to inform my grandfather and father that my son has come to visit with Mr. Jing. He is waiting outside the door of the mansion now."

    Cai Xun and Cai Yan looked at each other, with surprise in their eyes. Why did Liu Jing come to Cai Mansion?  It was Cai Xun who reacted first and said with a smile: "I have known Mr. Jing many years ago, but I have never met him. Today I can get my wish."

    He immediately said to Cai Yan: "Liu Jing is also a prince. You must not be rude. Wen Gui, go and welcome him in!"

    Cai Yan was a little hesitant, "The eldest brother is the head of the family after all. Is it appropriate to bypass him in this matter? Why don't I avoid it by calling it ill?"

    "When people come to your door, why are you avoiding them? You must give your son face no matter what!"

    Cai Yan glanced at Cai Jin, who was looking nervous, and nodded, "I'll go right away!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing only waited outside the door of the mansion for a moment. She saw the door of the mansion opened. Cai Jin walked quickly with a middle-aged man of medium build. Under the light of the lantern, he looked somewhat similar to Cai Jin.  This should be Cai Jin's father.

    Cai Jin stepped forward and introduced Liu Jing: "Master Jing, this is my father!"

    Liu Jing immediately bowed and saluted, "My nephew, see Shibo!"

    Liu Jing's title of uncle has invisibly brought him and Cai Yan closer, but Cai Yan knew full well that Liu Jing's low profile was just a gesture and did not mean that he could truly regard himself as an elder.

    He hurriedly returned the greeting and said with a smile: "Master Jing's visit has made the Cai Mansion shine. Please talk in the room!"

    "Shibo please!"

    They all entered the Cai Mansion together, but did not go to the living room. Instead, they went to Cai Yan's study. As soon as they entered the room, Cai Xun stood up with a smile and said, "Does Mr. Jing know that I am old?"

    Next to him, Cai Jin quickly introduced: "This is the ancestor of the family and the former head of the Cai family."

    Liu Jing had long heard that there was a person behind the scenes in the Cai family. He had always wanted to meet him. Unexpectedly, it was the old man with an unattractive appearance in front of him. Liu Jing stepped forward and bowed, "Liu Jing has admired the old master Cai for a long time."

    Cai Xun looked Liu Jing up and down and saw that he was tall, burly, calm and wise. He couldn't help but secretly praise him. No wonder this son has risen to the top. He is indeed a talented person.

    He stroked his beard and chuckled: "I have heard about Mr. Jing for a long time. I heard about Mr. Jing when he first arrived in Jingzhou."

    "The old master is too praised."

    Everyone sat down separately. Cai Xun sighed and said: "The death of Zhou Mu is really a big event in Jingzhou. I am afraid it will change the future and destiny of Jingzhou from now on. Mr. Jing is a person in the game. I hope Mr. Jing will give more consideration to the people of Jingzhou in the future."  The interests of the country are based on the people, and only those who win the hearts and minds of the people can win the world."

    Although the talk was general and without any nutrition, Liu Jing had to make a gesture of listening attentively. He leaned over and said with a smile: "Liu Jing will bear in mind the words of Jin Yu, the head of the old family."

    At this time, Cai Yan next to him remembered something and smiled at Liu Jing: "I often heard Jin'er say that Mr. Jing is very hungry for talents. There is a good talent among my subordinates. He originally wanted to join Liu Zhang, but I persuaded him to stop him.  Yes, if Young Master Jing is willing to consider it, I can recommend him to Young Master Jing.¡±

    When Cai Yan mentioned talents, Liu Jing immediately became interested and quickly smiled and said: "Liu Jing is very thirsty for talents. If they are talents, how can I not welcome them? I ask Shibo to recommend them!"

    Cai Yan pondered for a moment and said: "This man's name is Li Yan. He is from Nanyang. He has been an official for many years. He is rigorous and pragmatic and extremely talented. He is currently the magistrate of Zigui County. He and I have a very good relationship. Last month, he wanted to abandon his official position and go to Shu, but he was  I stopped him. To be honest, I would rather he follow Mr. Jing than be loyal to Liu Zhang. If that were the case, it would be a pity for this talented man. "

    Of course Liu Jing knew Li Yan. Kuai Liang once told him that Li Yan was a well-known pragmatic official in Jingzhou who was especially good at financial management. Liu Biao also valued him. Liu Jing actually forgot about him for a while, thanks to Cai Cai.  Yan reminded.

    Liu Jing quickly raised her hands and said with a smile: "If I get Li Zhengfang, I would rather not have Xiangyang!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing sat for a while, then said goodbye and left. In fact, his visit to the Cai family had no specific purpose, it was just a gesture. However, Cai Yan promised to recommend Li Yan to him. This was the biggest highlight of his trip.  Gained.

    After seeing off Liu Jing, Cai Yan returned to the study and saw that his father was still there. He sat down and said with some worry: "Father, I'm afraid it will be difficult to hide this from the head of the family."

    "So what if he knows?" Cai Xun was a little dismissive of his son's worries.

    "The child is worried that Liu Jing is trying to provoke the Cai family and cause the Cai family to fall into internal strife. After all, the eldest brother appointed Liu Cong as the leader for the benefit of the family. If he knew that we were secretly dealing with Liu Jing, I am afraid he would have some ideas. This would harm the family.  Unity is not good, what does father think?"

    ?"First of all, let me explain that we are not secretly communicating with Liu Jing. When Liu Jing comes to visit, I can't beat him out with a stick. The Cai family is a famous family, and they should have the minimum etiquette. On this point, you can talk to Cai Hao  Make it clear, but there is one sentence that only you and I can know, not even Jin'er, I found that he is not trustworthy. "

    Cai Yan nodded silently, "My child is willing to listen to his father's teachings!"

    Cai Xun smiled and said seriously: "Don't think that Liu Jing came to visit to split the Cai family. You underestimate him. He is actually planning for the future. If he captures Xiangyang in the future, will he be able to secure Xiangyang?  To rely on the support of the Cai family, this is his true intention of coming to you. "

    Cai Yan pondered for a moment, "Then how does the father think the child should deal with it?"

    Cai Xun laughed, "Actually, you have done a good job. You recommended Li Yan to him. This is a very subtle move. If I am not wrong, Wenpin will definitely join Liu Jing. In that case,  , Jin'er will become a bridge between you and him."

    Speaking of this, Cai Xun couldn't help but let out a long sigh, "Maybe Liu Jing will really be able to defeat Cao Jun in the future. There are three cunning rabbits in the cave, and the Cai family also needs to leave a way out!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, more than 200 warships loaded with Jiangxia troops slowly left Fancheng and headed east. A handsome flag was flying high on the first big ship, which meant that Liu Jing was also on the big ship.  superior.

    The evacuation of Nanjun¡¯s army in Deng County and the large-scale evacuation of Jiangxia¡¯s army in Fancheng, together with the news of Liu Biao¡¯s death, were reported to Xinye County as quickly as possible by Cao Jun¡¯s spies.

    There are already 10,000 Cao troops in Xinye County, including 3,000 cavalry. This large-scale troop deployment is just as Gan Ning and Xu Shu deduced. Cao Jun is waiting for an opportunity to invade south to increase the deterrence against Jingzhou. However, the news of Liu Biao's death broke out.  It disrupted Cao Jun's plan.

    In the early morning of this day, a group of cavalry rushed into Xinye City. The leader was the general Cao Ren. He had received a flying pigeon sent from Xiangyang City to tell him that Liu Biao was dead.

    This news made Cao Ren take it very seriously. He immediately set off for Xinye and rushed all the way to Xinye County.

    Rushed to the county government office, which was also the temporary military government office.  Cao Ren dismounted and asked, "Is General Cao Hong here?"

    Before the soldiers could answer, Cao Hong¡¯s laughter came from the steps, ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time!¡±

    Cao Hong walked down the steps quickly and said with a smile: "Liu Biao is dead, our opportunity has come."

    Cao Ren nodded, "I'm here just for this matter, let's talk inside!"

    Everyone entered the military office and sat down in a circle. Cao Ren said to everyone: "I have learned about the death of Liu Biao. Generally speaking, it may be an opportunity to attack the enemy. I personally prefer to send troops, but how to attack specifically?"  It must be considered carefully, I am just afraid that the Xinye army will send troops hastily, so I rushed here from Wancheng."

    When he said this, he obviously didn't trust Cao Hong and was afraid that he would send troops recklessly. In front of more than a dozen generals, Cao Hong felt a little embarrassed and responded from the side: "But the general must not know that Liu Bei's army has withdrawn south.  , I didn¡¯t know that most of Liu Jing¡¯s army also left by boat.¡±

    This news stunned Cao Ren. He really didn't know that Liu Bei actually withdrew his troops, and Liu Jing also withdrew most of his troops?

    He quickly asked: "Is the news true?"

    "It must be true that Liu Bei withdrew his troops, and it is also clear that most of Liu Jing's troops withdrew, but I don't know if Liu Jing himself followed the ship."

    Cao Ren pondered for a moment, then turned back to look at his lord Bao Maojie. Maojie was in charge of military documents during the southern expedition and did not interfere with military affairs. He stayed in Wancheng. Since Jia Xu returned to the north, Cao Ren had no advisers around him, so he let him  Mao Jie is the mastermind.

    Mao Jie knew that his strategy was not as good as Jia Xu's, so he was very cautious and refused to speak easily. Now that Cao Ren asked for his opinion, he had to express his position.

    "Liu Biao died, and Cai Mao made Liu Cong the shepherd of Jingzhou. Liu Jing and Liu Bei would definitely be dissatisfied, so it would be unfair for them to stay in Jiangbei. Liu Bei hurried back to Nanjun, obviously because he wanted to make Liu Qi the shepherd of Jingzhou.  Liu Cong was not recognized, and Liu Jing rushed back to Jiangxia for the same purpose. Therefore, it can be inferred from common sense that it is indeed possible for Liu Jing to lead some of his troops to leave Fancheng. "

    Cao Ren nodded, and before he could speak, Mao Jie continued: "However, for the sake of stability, we really cannot be careless. I suggest sending more spies to confirm whether Liu Jing has left."

    Mao Jie's cautious words won the approval of Cao Ren. The prime minister put great pressure on him, not only to increase the deterrent against Jingzhou, but also not to be defeated. However, Yu Jin's defeat made him almost lose his courage.

    This time Liu Biao died and Jingzhou began to split, which made Cao Ren see the opportunity, but should he seize this opportunity, what else could he do?Holding it, Cao Ren hesitated again.

    The key now is whether Liu Jing leaves Fancheng to the east. If he leaves, Cao Ren will not hesitate to order a southward attack and reoccupy Fancheng.

    Cao Ren then said to Cao Hongling: "I will leave the spying matter to you!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 273: Soldiers never tire of deceit

    There is a dense forest on the low hills south of Xinye City. The dense forest stretches for dozens of miles. On the edge of the forest is a large area of ??farmland and a straight and wide official road. The water flows southward close to the official road.

    Since a large number of Xinye people had fled eastward with Liu Bei, the official roads of Xinye were deserted and it was rare to see people in the villages.

    At this time, the sound of horse hoofbeats came from the distance of the official road. Soon, three Jiangxia Army cavalry appeared on the official road. They were three scouts who were ordered by Gan Ning to detect the movements of Cao Jun in Xinye.

    "Damn it, after walking for dozens of miles, I can't see a single ghost. Where have all the people died?" a soldier cursed.

    Another soldier looked to both sides and said worriedly: "Captain, let's leave the official road! This place is less than twenty miles away from Xinye City, and it is easy to be discovered by Cao Jun's patrol."

    The leader of the three people was a village chief named Yang, who was from Runan. He was also a veteran and very experienced. He looked around for a long time, pointed to a forest to the east, and said, "It's already noon.  , let¡¯s go have lunch in the woods!¡±

    The three men turned their horses and ran towards the woods. Unexpectedly, as soon as they got close to the woods, a cavalry patrol of Cao Army suddenly rushed out from the woods, with about fifty people, and quickly surrounded the three of them.

    The three Jiangxia cavalry were frightened, turned their horses and fled, but it was too late. More than a dozen Cao Jun cavalry blocked their retreat. The three scouts were surrounded, and fifty military crossbows were aimed at them.

    The head of the camp quickly raised his hands and shouted to his two men: "Don't resist, drop your weapons and surrender!"

    The three men threw down their swords and spears. Cao Jun stepped forward one after another, grabbed the three men off their horses and tied them up. The fifty patrol cavalry immediately turned their horses and escorted the three Jiangxia Army scouts towards Xinye City at lightning speed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the room, Cao Ren, Cao Hong and Mao Jie were discussing the deployment of the army. At this time, a sergeant reported outside the door, "Alert to the general, three Jiangxia Army scouts were captured on patrol."

    Mao Jie chuckled, "It would be troublesome if the scouts were caught by the enemy. The general might as well ask these scouts, maybe there will be something to gain."

    Cao Ren nodded and ordered: "Bring them up!"

    After a while, three scouts were tied behind their backs and brought into the room. Cao Hong shouted loudly: "How dare you come to explore my military situation? Are you impatient?"

    The three scouts quickly knelt down and kowtowed, begging for their lives. The leader of the camp said: "We were just ordered to investigate, and we couldn't help ourselves. Since we were captured, we just begged the general to show mercy and spare our lives!"

    Cao Ren waved his hand, stopped Cao Hong's angry shouting, and said coldly to the three of them: "I will ask you a few questions, answer them honestly, and I will spare your life. If you dare to cheat in the slightest, I will sacrifice your heads to the flag."  !¡±

    "The villain doesn't dare!"

    Cao Ren nodded, looked at the three of them and asked, "Has Wenpin surrendered to your lord Liu Jing?"

    The two soldiers were speechless and couldn't answer. The camp commander hesitated and said: "Report to the general, whether General Wen surrendered or not. This is a matter for the superiors. We really don't know. But on the day Liu Biao died, General Wen did lead his people to Fancheng.  See the prefect, this is what I saw with my own eyes."

    Cao Ren and Mao Jie looked at each other. This man was quite honest and consistent with the information they had. He didn't talk nonsense. Cao Ren pointed at the two soldiers and ordered, "Take them to the other side of the house for questioning, and we will give a confession later!"

    The two soldiers were taken down, and only the commander of the camp was left in the tent. Cao Ren asked him: "You don't look like a soldier. What is your name, where are you from, and what is your official position?"

    "The villain's name is Yang Zheng. He is from Ancheng County, Runan. He was once a commander of the Yellow Turban Army. Later, the Yellow Turban Army was defeated. The villain fled to Jiangxia and signed up to join the army. Because of his experience, he was assigned as a scout. Later, he became a scout.  Slowly work your way up to the Scout Commander."

    Cao Ren looked into his eyes and saw the fear in his eyes, so he asked again: "We found that there are troops leaving Fancheng. Is it true? How many troops are there in Fancheng now, and who will lead them?"

    "It is true that the army has left, probably more than half of it. There are still about five to six thousand people in Fancheng, all obeying General Gan's orders."

    "Is Liu Jing gone?" Cao Hong asked fiercely next to him.

    The scout chief was frightened and said tremblingly: "I heard that he didn't leave, he was in the military office, but a brother saw his horse getting on the boat. I don't know whether he left or not."

    At this time, Mao Jie asked: "Tell me the details and how you withdrew the troops. Tell as much as you know."

    The scout commander lowered his head and thought for a moment and said: "I remember it was the early morning of the second day after Liu Biao's death. At that time, the vicinity of the military office was heavily guarded. The senior officials discussed it all night. All the officers above the military marquis were gone. It was not yet dark.At dawn, our Yajiang suddenly ran back and shouted, asking everyone to get up and get ready to go. He was very excited, patted my shoulder and said, we will not be angry with Xiangyang again in the future. Everyone asked what was going on, but Yajiang refused.  He said, it's just that it's confidential now. There will be big news in Jiangxia in the next few days. The other villains don't know much about it. Our battalion has left 70%, and I am left behind.  "

    All the questions that should be asked were asked. Cao Ren waved his hand and ordered the Jiangxia scouts to be taken down and imprisoned. At this time, the confessions of the other two people were also sent. Cao Ren checked for a while and found that there were no big discrepancies. Then he said to Mao Jie: "Look  Liu Jing deliberately spread the word that he had not left, but in fact he had left. What does the chief bookkeeper think? "

    Mao Jie was thoughtful. He pondered for a moment and smiled: "If I am not wrong, what they call a major event is that Liu Jing wants to establish himself as the shepherd of Jingzhou. No need to look at Xiangyang's face. Liu Jing summoned officers above Yajiang overnight.  The discussion must be for this matter. In fact, it can be seen from Liu Bei that Liu Qi will also be the pastor of Jingzhou, so there will be three Jingzhou pastors in Jingzhou. "

    "What about Wenpin?"

    Next to him, Cao Hong asked anxiously: "Which side does he belong to? Why not evacuate?"

    "Wenpin should be loyal to Liu Jing. I think it was Wenpin's loyalty that made Liu Jing determined to stand on his own. Otherwise, if his name is not right and his words are inconsistent, how can Wenpin, who always attaches great importance to his status, be loyal to him."

    Cao Ren stood up and walked quickly to the wall. There was a huge map hanging on the wall. At this time, Liu Bei's army stationed in Deng County had been wiped out. There was indeed no army stationed there. Only Jiang Xia's army in Fancheng and  The Wenpin Army in Dunsai City.

    Cao Ren focused his attention on Wenpin's army. Dengsai was not like Fancheng. It was just a small castle and could only hold a thousand people at most. The other nine thousand troops were all garrison camps, suitable for cavalry raids. He tapped the map with his fingers.  The city of Dunsay.

    At this time, Mao Jie slowly stepped forward and said with a smile: "The Art of War says that the way to use military force is to use virtuality and reality. Why doesn't the general make a fuss about virtuality and reality?"

    Cao Ren's hand stopped. He savored the profound meaning of Mao Jie's words, and his eyes moved to Fan Cheng again, and he couldn't help but think deeply.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After entering May in Jingzhou, the weather gradually became hotter and the rain increased. After a heavy rain fell for more than half an hour, it finally stopped at dusk.

    The sun has not come out yet, the sky is still gloomy, drizzle is falling, the branches are covered with strings of crystal water droplets, the grass is full of puddles in the east and pools in the west, and the official road is also full of water.  The ground was muddy and the journey was difficult.

    After the rain, the city of Dunsey seemed to become particularly clean and clear. Although it was already dim dusk, the dark city walls were still clearly visible several miles away.

    Dengsai City is a castle that monitors the river. It has a circumference of about four miles and can garrison a thousand troops. It is less than fifty steps from the Han River. Standing at the top of the city, you can have a panoramic view of the river.

    There is a medium-sized pier outside the south city, but there is not a single warship on the pier, and not a single ship can be seen on the entire river.

    To the north of the city wall is a large camp covering an area of ??several hundred acres. It is surrounded by a high camp fence. A trench is dug outside the camp fence, and more than 100,000 spears are inserted into it. There is also a circle of carts inside the camp fence.  This is a neat tent. Viewed from the front, the edges of the tent form a straight line.

    At this time, more than 10,000 soldiers were gathering in the open space to have dinner, chatting and laughing, and noisy. At the top of Dengsai City, Wenpin held the hilt of his sword and stared into the distance warily.

    To the right is the sparkling Bi Shui River, which is about to flow into the Han River. The river is extremely wide. To the left is a large expanse of endless forest. In the drizzle, the long and narrow forest extends to the far north.

    "General!"

    Bo Denglin, the leader on the side, whispered: "I think Cao's army may go south along the Bishui River. After all, they have more than 200 ferries. They may use the ferries to land and attack in the middle of the night."

    Wenpin knew very well in his heart that Cao Jun would definitely come from the water. His eyes turned to Bishui again. At this time, the dusk was even more bleak. It was no longer so clear to see the river going northward.

    "Are you all ready?" Wenpin turned around and asked.

    General Yao Meng responded: "Report to the commander, we are ready!"

    "Okay! According to the original plan, we will leave the camp after dark."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Fancheng, groups of soldiers were lined up in the empty streets. This 5,000-strong army was mainly composed of archers and crossbows, led by Gan Ning.

    Gan Ning was wearing armor and riding on a strong white horse. He looked up at the sky and smiled at Xu Shu, "Does Chang Shi think it will rain in the next few days?"

    Xu Shu also smiled and said: "Knowing the wind and weather is a must for a counselor. I guess it will be difficult to get sunny in the next few days, butThere won't be any heavy rain like that in the afternoon. It should be about the same as now, maybe a little better.  "

    "That's the best!"

    Gan Ning smiled heartily and said, "When I leave, Fancheng will be handed over to Chang Shi."

    ¡°Have a safe journey, General, and may you have good news soon!¡±

    The gates of Fancheng slowly opened, and Gan Ning led an army of five thousand crossbowmen to leave Fancheng under the cover of darkness and rush towards the northwest.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Night covers the Hanshui River. Looking from the north bank, one can only see a hundred steps deep, and further south there is only endless darkness.

    But in the endless darkness, a fleet of more than a hundred thousand-stone ships was approaching from the east and moored quietly in the middle of the Han River.

    On the first large ship, Liu Jing was wearing iron armor, a golden helmet on his head, and holding Wenhou's halberd. He stood on the bow of the ship like a god, staring deeply at the north bank of the Han River.

    He knew that tonight would be a crucial battle. After this battle, Cao Jun would be completely quiet, and he would have time to prepare for the battle calmly and wait for the real war to come.

    "Prefect, there is a fire on Dunse Castle!" A soldier pointed at the castle on the north bank and shouted.

    Liu Jing also saw it, which was the signal to find the enemy. Everything was as they expected. The captured scout became the most important bait, which finally prompted Cao Jun to send troops.

    Liu Jing immediately ordered, "The fleet enters the water!"

    The fleet slowly turned around, and each large ship sailed towards the wide mouth of the Bishui River.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 274: Making an attack in the east and attacking in the west

    Almost all of Xinye City's 10,000 Cao troops marched south, with less than a thousand people guarding the city. There was still a drizzle in the night sky. Even though it was early summer, this drizzle still brought a bit of coolness to the soldiers.

    The guard general of Xinye County is a tooth general named Li Neng. He is a general of Cao Hong. He has followed Cao Hong for many years and is cautious and careful. It is precisely because of this that Cao Hong specially asked him to stay in Xinye City.

    It was already past the fourth watch at night, and it was extremely quiet inside and outside the city gate. Two thick torches inserted into the walls on both sides of the city gate were burning brightly in the drizzle, illuminating the area of ??more than twenty steps around the city gate.

    There are only about two hundred guards on duty at the top of the city, patrolling back and forth at the top of the city, watching the movements outside the city with vigilance from time to time. In addition, there are more than a hundred people in the north city, mainly guarding the two city gates.

    At this moment, there was a sound of horse hooves in the distance, which made the defenders on the top of the city suddenly alert and stared nervously outside the city.

    "For a moment, hundreds of cavalry were seen rushing outside the city. More and more cavalry were coming. It could be vaguely inferred that there were two to three thousand people. In the light of the hunting fire, this cavalry was wearing Cao Jun's armor.

    "The defenders on the city open the door quickly!" the leading officer shouted loudly.

    At this time, Li Neng, the guard who was patrolling at the top of the city, also came after hearing the news. He looked at the cavalry below from the crenel and was very surprised. How could there be so many cavalry? You must know that Nanyang's 3,000 cavalry had been led by General Le  Going south, where did this cavalry come from?

    "Where are you from?" Li Neng asked loudly.

    The leading cavalry general responded loudly, "We are ordered to come from Xudu to support Nanyang and General Cao to reinforce Xinye. Please open the city gate quickly!"

    Li Neng was confused, could Xu Du still have cavalry?  He didn't quite believe it, so he asked again: "Do you have any sealing arrows?"

    "I only have the command arrows and the military talisman is with General Cao."

    Li Neng was startled, how could there be no military talisman?  The general is always cautious in doing things. How can he enter the city without military symbols? The general will never forget this detail. There is something wrong here!

    The more he looked at this cavalry, the more suspicious he became. There were two to three thousand people in this cavalry. Most of them were hidden in the darkness. Only about a hundred of them were exposed to the light of the fire. Could they be wearing the uniforms of the Jiangxia Army?

    Thinking of this, Li Neng broke into a cold sweat. There were only 800 defenders in the city, which was the weakest moment for defense. The enemy's appearance at this time was no accident. They must have grasped the movements of their own army.

    Li Neng immediately turned around and whispered to one of his subordinates: "Go to Wu Junhou quickly and ask him to bring all the brothers. Tell him that there is enemy territory!"

    The soldiers under his command ran towards the military camp in the city. At this time, Li Neng said with a smile: "You can also have the command arrow. Please bring the command arrow up. If it is correct, open the city gate."

    Cao Jun threw a basket tied with a rope far away. A soldier below put a command arrow into the basket, and the basket was pulled back.

    "Please wait a moment. If you need to report to the general, the door will be opened immediately."

    Li Neng was stalling for time. He had discovered that the command arrow was a forgery, which further confirmed the identity of the soldiers under the city. They must have been deceived by the enemy.

    Time passed little by little, and the soldiers in the military camp in the city began to rush up to the city one after another, bows and arrows drawn, waiting for the order to shoot.

    A quarter of an hour had passed, and the cavalry under the city could no longer bear it. One of the cavalry stepped forward and shouted angrily: "Why don't you open the door yet? What do you mean?"

    Li Neng laughed ferociously and shouted: "Arrow!"

    The soldiers of Cao's army who were hiding behind the city wall stood up together, drew their bows and fired arrows. Hundreds of arrows roared at the cavalry under the city. More than a dozen cavalry were unable to dodge and were hit by random arrows. They screamed and fell off their horses.

    The other soldiers raised their shields, resisting the arrows, and quickly retreated back, out of range in a moment.

    This cavalry is the Jiangxia cavalry led by Liao Hua. Not only are there more than 2,000 cavalry, there are also 3,000 infantry waiting behind. They were ordered to take advantage of the emptiness of Xinye to seize Xinye City.

    Although he was seen through by the defenders, Liao Hua was not angry. He calmly ordered: "Bang the drum! Prepare to attack."

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  "The drums were beating loudly, and the shouts of killing resounded. Although the Jiangxia army created a huge momentum, they never launched an attack. Instead, the cavalry galloped past the city wall one after another, and fired dense arrows at them.  City head.

    The defenders on the top of the city were extremely nervous. They kept lowering their heads to avoid the random arrows fired from the city. They seized the opportunity to shoot bows and arrows at the city.

    "Hold on!"

    Li Neng shouted loudly: "Don't be afraid, it is difficult for the enemy to attack the city!"

    He turned back and shouted: "Light the beacon quickly and ask for help!"

    The three-pillar beacon at the head of Xinye City burned brightly, asking for help from Nanyang County in the north.  £®  £®  ???£®

    Different from the fierce battle at the head of the south city, it is extremely quiet outside the west city. There is an extremely long and narrow forest here, about ten miles long, but only about two hundred steps wide. On the other side of the woods, there is a tree that is more than ten feet wide.  water.

    An artificial river channel leads to Wei River, which leads to the moat and then into the city. More than 200 ferries sail into Wei River through this artificial river channel.

    At this time, in the woods, a raiding team composed of more than a hundred elite soldiers was quietly waiting for the opportunity.

    This is a special force from the Three Kingdoms era. It was formed last year and was named 'Eagle Attack'. Liu Jing carefully selected them from tens of thousands of Jiangxia troops. Everyone is strong, strong in martial arts, and has combat experience.  Rich, today is the first time they have put into actual combat.

    The leader of this team is Liu Zheng, who looks like a monkey. He is seventeen years old this year and has been promoted to the rank of military prince. Although he is small and thin, commanding such an army is still no problem for him.

    Liu Zheng pricked up his ears and listened quietly to the movement in the south of the city. At this time, the sound of drums and faint shouts of death came from the south of the city. This was a battle signal.

    "Attack!"

    He turned around and shouted lowly, and immediately twenty soldiers rushed forward carrying five or six wide wooden boards about three feet long, put the boards on a two-foot wide moat, and smashed the two wedges into the soil.  was firmly anchored to the moat.

    Liu Zheng checked the backpack behind him and the hook on his waist. They were sure to be sure. He immediately struck back and a dozen soldiers rushed forward carrying a bamboo pole about five or six feet long. They rushed to the bottom of the city thirty steps away.  Stop.

    Liu Zheng held the other end of the bamboo pole in his arms, took a deep breath, "Let's start!"

    A dozen people started running at the same time, Liu Zheng was at the front of the bamboo pole, and a dozen people were at the back end of the bamboo pole. They had trained countless times, and they cooperated very well. They rushed to the bottom of the city in an instant. Liu Zheng jumped into the air and stepped on the city wall with his feet.  Running, the bamboo pole supports his body behind.

    This is a traditional way of climbing the wall. The climber has a light body and turns the forward thrust of the bamboo pole upward. With quick movements, he can quickly reach the top of the city.

    There were still three feet away from the city head, Liu Zheng threw out a hook and hooked the city head. He threw away the bamboo pole and used the power of the hook to cling to the city head. He slowly looked up towards the city. It was quiet.  Without a single soldier, almost all the soldiers of Cao's army rushed to Nancheng.

    He jumped up to the top of the city, quickly took out five or six rolls of rope from his backpack, tied one end of the rope around the battlement, and threw the rope down.

    More than a hundred soldiers had already rushed to the bottom of the city, clinging to the city wall. They grabbed the rope and climbed up quickly. One by one, the soldiers boarded the city. In less than a quarter of an hour, all the more than a hundred soldiers boarded the city, along with their  The spears were also pulled up to the top of the city.

    "Brothers, be more ruthless, whether you can win Xinye City depends on this!"

    Liu Zheng told everyone, waved his hand, and led more than a hundred people to rush toward the north city along the city head.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the gate of the south city, the "lively" battle continued, with drums rumbling and shouts of killing shaking the sky. However, Jiangxia's army did not make any substantial attack except firing arrows. This made the city guard Li Neng  He also became confused about it.

    "General, could it be that the enemy is attacking in the east and attacking in the west?" A village chief reminded in a low voice from the side.

    Li Neng suddenly came to his senses. There were less than a hundred defenders at the North City Gate. If they were attacked by a surprise attack, the North City would not be safe. He was so anxious that he yelled at the camp chief: "Since you have thought of it, go quickly!"

    The commander agreed and ran towards Beicheng with more than a hundred soldiers. However, within a hundred steps, he saw a soldier covered in blood stumbling over, "General Li, Beicheng was attacked by enemy troops. Brothers.  There are many dead and wounded, and the city gate has been lost!"

    "Ah!" Li Neng was stunned.

    I heard a cry of killing coming from the north city. Three thousand Jiangxia soldiers entered Xinye City from the north city gate. At this time, Liao Hua outside the city also heard the shouting of killing coming from the direction of the north city gate. He knew that "Eagle Strike"  Having succeeded, he immediately turned back and ordered: "Retreat!"

    More than two thousand cavalry galloped westward, but soon disappeared. A battle broke out inside the south city gate. More than two thousand Jiangxia soldiers rushed to the south gate and fought fiercely with hundreds of Cao troops.

    Cao Jun could not resist and retreated steadily. Seeing the extremely critical situation, Li Neng shouted: "Kaicheng breaks out!"

    The suspension bridge was quickly lowered, the city gates opened with a rumble, and more than 800 Cao's troops rushed out of the city and ran towards the wilderness outside. At this moment, a cavalry force came from a diagonal thrust and surrounded Cao's army.

    General Liao Hua jumped on his horse, yelled, and slashed at the enemy general with his sword. Li Neng was caught off guard and was split into two pieces with a single blow.

    Liao Hua shouted: "Anyone who doesn't surrender will be killed!"

      The general was killed. Cao¡¯s soldiers were desperate and knelt down one after another to surrender. Liao Hua turned around and looked towards Xinye City. In the light of the fire, he faintly saw a Jiangxia Army battle flag rising. He couldn¡¯t help but let out a long sigh of relief. He couldn¡¯t help but  He humiliated his mission and completed the task of robbing Xinye City.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 275 Falling into the Trap

    At the same time that a fierce battle broke out in Xinye City, the battle at the mouth of the Bishui River in the south was about to break out. More than 250 ferries loaded with more than 6,000 Cao Jun soldiers slowly came from the north. The leader was General Cao Hong.

    Cao Hong held an iron gun in his hand and crouched on the bow of the first ferry, watching the situation on both sides of the river vigilantly. They were much quieter than the two sides of the river, covered with shrubs and grass. Even the chirping of insects seemed to have disappeared, and he could only hear in his ears.  The rhythmic swishing sound of a wooden paddle in the water.

    Although this kind of quietness is normal, Cao Hong still feels a little uneasy. He doesn't know why he feels this uneasy. But at this time, he has no time to experience it carefully. The ferry has arrived at its destination.

    "General, look, Fort Dunsaer!" a soldier pointed in the distance and shouted in a low voice.

    Cao Hong also saw it. A few hundred steps away, a dark castle stood in the gray night sky. At this time, the ferry slowly docked, and a Cao army spy hiding in the bushes on the shore suddenly came out and took the people on the boat.  The soldiers of Cao's army were startled. They raised their crossbows and pointed them at the black figure on the shore. They shouted: "The password!"

    "Night Owl!"

    This was the action command tonight. Everyone was relieved. Cao Hong asked: "How is the situation in the enemy's camp?"

    "General Qi, it's quiet, everything is normal!"

    Cao Hong looked back and saw that all the ferries had docked. He immediately ordered, "Go ashore and assemble!"

    A soldier next to him lit a torch and stretched it out of the ship's side. Hundreds of ferries behind him saw the fire signal. Cao's soldiers abandoned the ship and landed ashore. Groups of figures swayed rapidly across the narrow open space.  Rally.

    Cao Hong always stared at the castle. The uneasy feeling in his heart became stronger and stronger, but he didn't know what the problem was?

    At this time, Lieutenant General Li Dian rushed to report, "General, the team has been assembled!"

    Cao Hong hesitated and asked Li Dian, "General Li, do you think there is anything wrong?"

    Li Dian muttered: "I just think it's too quiet. It's a bit strange that the patrol didn't notice it. Other than that, I didn't find any other abnormalities."

    Cao Hong has already discovered this, but it is normal to be quiet. Wenpinjun's patrol post should be in the north. He did not expect that the enemy would attack from the waterway.

    "We can't delay any longer, leave five hundred people to watch the ship, and the rest of the army will set off immediately!"

    Cao Hong no longer hesitated and urged his horse forward. Groups of Cao's troops left the river bank and followed him towards the enemy's camp quickly.

    The Wenpin Army camp was about one mile away from the river and needed to pass through a long and narrow forest. Cao Jun passed through the woods. Cao Hong saw the camp not far away at a glance. It was two hundred steps away and was surrounded by a tall camp fence.  , there seemed to be trenches and spear thrusts in front.

    "Take five hundred brothers to open a road!" Cao Hong turned around and ordered Li Diandao.

    "Follow your orders!"

    Li Dian nodded, waved his hand, and led five hundred soldiers to run towards the enemy camp. The task of these five hundred soldiers was to fill in a section of the trench, remove the spear thorns and pull down several rows of camp fences in preparation for the army to enter the enemy camp.

    Li Dian led five hundred soldiers to gallop all the way, and in a moment he rushed to the camp fence. He quickly put planks of wood into the ditch, and soldiers began to pull out the dense spears.

    Cao Hong watched the actions of hundreds of soldiers and was so nervous that his heart almost jumped out of his chest. At this moment, a tooth general rushed to him and whispered: "General, something is wrong! Why is there no movement from the enemy?"

    Cao Hong was startled, something was not right, and he couldn't help but look towards the castle. The dim and pale moonlight shone on the dark castle, which was quite strange.

    Cao Hong suddenly understood. He felt something was wrong just now. It turned out that there were no soul-calling flags on the castle, not even a single white flag. It had only been two or three days since Liu Biao died. How could there be no flags on the city? It was either an empty city or a white flag.  There is an ambush.

    He was suddenly shocked and quickly ordered: "Let them come back and retreat immediately!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, a soldier pointed at the castle and shouted: "General, the beacon fire is lit on the top of the city."

    At the highest point of the castle, three pillars of fire rose into the sky. This was obviously a signal. There were loud shouts of killing from the north and west. Cao Hong was shocked and ignored Li Dian. He stood up and shouted: "Retreat immediately."  Boat!"

    Cao's army was in chaos. They turned around and ran towards the river bank, pushing each other. Many people were pushed down and trampled. Screams and cries were heard everywhere. Cao Hong was furious and shouted: "Don't panic, the enemy is not coming to kill!"

    Cao Jun's team slowed down a little and rushed all the way to the boat. Just as most of the soldiers got on the boat, there was a banging sound from the other side, followed by a volley of arrows. I don't know how many crossbowmen were ambushed on the other side, and the dense arrows roared.  When Cao Jun came, Cao Jun was caught off guard and attacked one after another.?? was shot and fell into the water screaming.

    Even Cao Hong was shot in the left arm by a stray arrow. He shouted anxiously, "Hold the shield, and the ship will go north immediately!"

    At this time, Cao Hong already understood that they were in an ambush and did not know how many enemy troops were around. This fear of ignorance of the truth made Cao Hong panic for a while.

    But after all, Cao Hong has rich experience. In this case, he must assess the situation and find the opponent's weak point. He knows in his heart that it is no longer safe on the shore. The enemy has no boats. The only safe place is in the river. This is the opponent's weak point.  The most urgent task was to leave the river mouth and go north.

    Cao Jun put shields on both sides of the ship, forming a shield wall on the left and right. It was barely safe. The ferry left the shore and entered the river, and began to return to the way it came.

    But after walking less than half a mile, there was a noise ahead, and fires were burning rapidly on the water. The first few ships were engulfed by the fire, and the soldiers jumped into the water to escape. The other ships turned around one after another, forming a chaotic mess.

    Cao Hong could see clearly from behind. He gritted his teeth with hatred. He forgot that the other party had kerosene and blocked the water surface with fire.

    "Turn around! Enter Hanshui!"

    Cao Hong shouted loudly that this place was only one mile away from the Han River. Hiding in Hanzhong was their last way to survive. The rear team of Cao's fleet became the front team and sailed towards the Han River.

    But less than a hundred steps away from the Han River, a huge warship suddenly appeared in front of them. Cao Jun screamed in surprise on the ferry. Cao Hong was also stunned, and his heart went blank. The Jiangxia Army warships had not all withdrawn, why did they appear again?  ?

    The two-thousand-stone ship cut through the waves and hit Cao Hong's ferry. Amidst the screams, the ship crashed into the ferry. The ferry was smashed into pieces. The soldiers fell into the water one after another, and even Cao Hong fell into the water.

    At this time, warships arrived one after another, and hundreds of warships appeared at the mouth of the Bishui River. They divided into two groups and sailed from both sides of more than two hundred ferries. Their tactics were obvious, and soon a huge formation was formed.  An oval-shaped encirclement surrounded more than two hundred ferries in the middle.

    At this time, a large group of soldiers appeared on both sides of the strait, with 5,000 people on each side. This was the army deployed by Wenpin. The warships and the soldiers on the shore were like a dragnet. Cao's army could not escape. They had no choice but to surrender.  .

    In the end, the fierce battle did not break out, and there was no dramatic turn. Three hundred huge warships surrounded the city with iron walls. More than two hundred Cao soldiers on the ferries in the middle were unable to fly. Above their heads, more than 10,000 Jiangxia soldiers stretched their bows and nocked arrows, aiming at  got them.

    Liu Jing stood on the bow of the main ship and shouted sternly to the Cao Jun ships in the river: "I am Liu Jing of Jiangxia. You have no way out. You can survive by surrendering. If you dare to resist again, I will not spare anyone. The Han River is yours."  The place of death!¡±

    Cao Hong fell into the water and his whereabouts were unknown. Only Lieutenant General Li Dian was in the ferry. Hundreds of pairs of eyes looked at him. Li Dian sighed, "Pass my order, brothers, put down your weapons and surrender!"

    More than 5,000 Cao Jun soldiers laid down their weapons and raised their hands in surrender.

    At the mouth of the river, Cao Hong paddled desperately in the water. He wanted to swim into the Han River, but his water quality was not good. He was exhausted after swimming more than three hundred steps. At this time, he was surrounded by dark river water and could not find it.  When he arrived at the shore, Cao Hong was so frightened that he drank a lot of water while shouting at the top of his lungs, "Help! Save my life!"

    It was also his fate that he should not die. At this time, a Jiangxia army patrol boat discovered him and approached slowly. More than ten Jiangxia soldiers were already waiting on the boat. When he approached Cao Hong, more than a dozen spears stabbed him at once, frightening him.  Cao Hong shouted: "I am the general, spare my life!"

    The soldiers were overjoyed, hooked him with hooks, dragged Cao Hong into the boat, and then tied him up with ropes.

    According to Mao Jie's plan, Cao Hong's attack on Wenpin's army camp should be a false attack. The purpose was to lure the Jiangxia garrison in Fancheng to rescue Wenpin.

    It should be said that Mao Jie thought carefully. Wenpin had just surrendered to Liu Jing. If he was in danger and asked for help, Fancheng would definitely send troops to rescue Wenpin. In theory, there is no problem.

    So Cao Ren led 3,000 cavalry to ambush in a dense forest halfway with an open official road in front. Once reinforcements arrived, the 3,000 cavalry rushed out and wiped out the Jiangxia army. Then the cavalry turned around and attacked Wenpin's army. Wenpin's army  No matter how elite it is, it is difficult to defeat enemies from both sides, and it will inevitably be defeated in the end.

    For this reason, Cao Ren has made careful arrangements. If the enemy is not prepared, nine times out of ten, they will fall into a trap. At this time, Cao Ren is full of expectations. If he wins this battle, the entire Jingzhou will be shattered.

    However, as time passed, Cao Ren's confidence also decreased little by little. In the woods, three thousand cavalry had been waiting for nearly an hour. The horses and soldiers were a little impatient. The low sounds of the horses and the soldiers drawing their swords were heard constantly.  Voices.

    "Master Bo, nothing will happen."Get out of here!  "Cao Ren asked Mao Jie beside him in a low voice.

    Mao Jie bit his lip, with an unconcealable anxiety in his eyes. The beacon fire in Dengsai City was lit for half an hour, but there was still no movement in Fancheng. This had exceeded his psychological time limit, and he felt something was wrong in his heart.  .

    "Wait a minute!" Mao Jie whispered, his tone no longer confident, and Cao Ren could clearly feel his wavering.

    Cao Ren frowned and looked eastward. I wonder what the battle situation is like in Dengsai City dozens of miles away?

    At this moment, a Cao Jun scout came galloping on horseback and shouted from afar: "General, something bad is going on!"

    Cao Ren's heart suddenly became anxious. What does it mean that something bad is going on? He immediately went up to him and asked, "How is the situation over there in Bishui?"

    The scout panted and said: "Hundreds of warships from the Jiangxia Army appeared and surrounded General Cao. Our army has been completely wiped out."

    The last sentence was like a thunder. Cao Ren seemed to be stunned. He didn't react for a long time. Mao Jie's face instantly turned pale. Liu Jing didn't leave at all. They got into the trap set by the other party.

    Cao Ren sighed and turned around to ask Mao Jie, "Master Bo, what should we do?"

    Mao Jie said in a trembling voice: "Retreat quickly!"

    Cao Ren calmed down and ordered: "The whole army retreats to the north! Retreat to Xinye quickly."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 276 Loss of troops and generals

    Cao Ren led three thousand cavalry to rush north. By this time, the rain had stopped, and the pale half-moon passed through the gaps in the clouds, giving the earth a dark gray sheen. The official road was extremely muddy, but except for the official road, the grassland  It was covered with puddles several feet deep, making it impossible to march.

    Cao Ren was panic-stricken. He was very worried about Cao Hong and Li Dian. He didn't know whether they were alive or dead.  Especially Cao Hong, if something happens to him, how will he explain it to the prime minister?

    It was already the fifth watch, and the cavalry had rushed to Hekou Town. There was a fork in the road here, one road went to Xinye, and the other road went to Nanyang, but they were far away from Fancheng. Cao Jun's soldiers felt relieved.

    The vanguard general Le Jin slowed down his horse and waited for Cao Ren to come forward. Le Jin whispered: "General, I am wondering if something will happen in Xinye? After all, there are only less than a thousand people. Since Liu Jing has prepared in advance, then  Will he let Xinye go?"

    Cao Ren frowned. He just wanted to leave Fancheng quickly and had not considered it that far. However, Le Jin's reminder did make him hesitate. There was a fork in the road ahead and he had to make a decision.

    "What do you think?" Cao Ren asked Le Jin.

    Mao Jie was right behind Cao Ren, but Cao Ren didn't ask him. This made Mao Jie feel really ashamed. This time he was cautious and cautious, but he was still fooled. He wanted to say something more, but the shame in his heart made him hold back.  .

    Le Jin thought for a while and said: "It is better to send a scout to Xinye. If Xinye is not lost, Li Neng can be ordered to abandon Xinye and go to Wancheng. If Xinye is lost, there is nothing we can do. What I mean is, don't  Take care of Xinye and retreat directly to Wancheng."

    Although the plan was good, Cao Ren was still hesitant. He was worried about Cao Hong and Li Dian. If they broke out and fled to Xinye, but there was no one to respond, and they were ambushed a second time, their lives might not be saved.

    When he was hesitating, there was a small commotion in front of him, "What happened?" Cao Ren shouted angrily.

    A soldier came forward to report, "General, Li Neng sent a messenger. He lost too much blood and is about to die."

    Cao Ren was refreshed and hurriedly urged his horse forward. He saw a soldier lying on the horse, covered in blood, with two arrows stuck in his back, and he had fainted.

    A soldier handed over a military talisman and a blood-stained letter, "This was found in his arms."

    Cao Ren took it and looked at it. The military talisman was exactly the half rooster military talisman he gave to Li Neng. The letter was also written by Li Neng. Cao Ren opened the letter and read it close to the torch. It was Li Neng's letter for help. Two thousand Jiangxia cavalry pretended to be Li Neng's.  Cao Jun's deception was discovered, and he was now in a hurry to attack the city. He begged Cao Ren to rescue him immediately.  "

    At this time, the military doctor had already revived the messenger, and he said in a low voice: "Xinye's troops are insufficient, please help the general quickly!"

    After saying that, he fainted again. Mao Jie next to him finally couldn't help but said: "General, if the Jiangxia army attacks Xinye as a trick to lure troops, but sets an ambush there, our army will be in danger. After all, today  Fancheng's army has not yet appeared in the evening, and my subordinates are very worried. "

    Le Jin also advised: "General, cavalry training is not easy and is extremely valuable. These three thousand cavalry are already half of the entire cavalry. If they are attacked and suffer heavy losses, even a hundred Li Neng cannot buy them. General  Abandon Xinye and return to Wancheng! Let Li Neng break out on his own."

    Cao Ren was in a dilemma. As a general, Le Jin's position was not wrong, but as a commander, he was not. Cao Ren could not give up any of his troops unless he had to. Since Li Neng had sent someone for reinforcements, he could not give up because of fear of being ambushed.  If he abandons his subordinates and does not save them, he will not be able to explain to the Prime Minister.  "

    Cao Ren finally sighed, "We can't leave Xinye behind!"

    Le Jin was silent for a moment, clasping his fists and saying, "In that case, I will lead my cavalry to rescue Xinye, and ask the general to take the main cavalry back to Wancheng."

    Seeing his resolute attitude, Cao Ren felt a little apologetic when he thought of his heavy responsibility to him. He patted Le Jin on the shoulder and said, "Just do your best. I won't blame you. Take care of yourself."

    Le Jin bit his lip, turned the horse's head and waved his hand, "Follow me!"

    Five hundred cavalrymen followed Le Jin and galloped towards Xinye. Cao Ren watched his team go away and sighed softly: "I hope he is safe and sound."

    Cao Ren cheered up, stabbed his horse with his boots, and urged the horse to run north. Two thousand five hundred cavalry rushed from Nanyang Avenue to Wancheng.

    It¡¯s not far from Hekou Town to Xinye City, only thirty miles. Although the official road was muddy and the journey was difficult, Le Jin arrived at Xinye City before dawn.

    There were still five miles away from Xinye City, and the dark city walls of the county could already be seen in the distance. Cao Jun¡¯s cavalry slowly stopped. Le Jin ordered the soldiers to rest on the spot, and ordered several spies to go to find out the news.

    Starting from noon last night, to ambush in the evening, and after a night of running away??Cao's cavalry was already exhausted. Although the grass on both sides was very wet and there was water everywhere, the exhausted soldiers still lay down one after another.

    Some people fell asleep soundly as soon as they lay down, some were eating dry food, and the war horses were also gnawing grass on the grass and drinking water in the puddles.

    Le Jin ate something and felt a little uneasy, so he jumped on a big rock and looked around. It happened to be a gentle depression with low hillsides on both sides and dense woods. The nearest forest was not far away from them.  Seventy steps.

    Although there are no traces of troops walking on the official road, Le Jin is still worried about the enemy troops outflanking the road. He knows very well that there is great danger in the tranquility here.

    Le Jin became anxious and turned around to look in the direction of Xinye City. He just hoped that a few spies would come back quickly. If the city was really being attacked, he could only provide assistance based on the situation. He must ensure the safety of all cavalry. If the county town had fallen,  He will immediately withdraw south.

    At this moment, there was a sudden flight of frightened birds in the woods on the left. Le Jin turned around suddenly and stared at the woods. His spies reported that there was no ambush or human trace in the woods. How could the birds fly in fright?

    It was not yet completely bright, and the woods were shrouded in a gray mist. Le Jin seemed to see a figure flashing in the woods. He was frightened and shouted urgently: "Get up and get out of here!"

    Cao Jun's soldiers jumped up in fright. At this moment, there was a banging sound from the woods on both sides, and dense arrows were shot at them. Cao Jun's soldiers couldn't dodge, and they screamed and were shot down in large pieces. Their horses also fell to the ground after being hit by arrows.  , Cao Jun's cavalry was in chaos.

    Le Jin was lucky enough to escape the first round of arrows. He flew on his horse, not caring about waiting for other soldiers, and shouted, "Follow me!"

    He whipped his horse fiercely and fled south, with more than a hundred soldiers galloping after him. At this moment, thousands of ambush soldiers appeared in the woods, and the shouts of killing were loud. Two thousand soldiers were also killed on the official road ahead.  The cavalry, waving their spears and murderous, cut off Cao's army's escape south.

    Yue Jin was so frightened that he reined in his horse and turned around to run north. At this time, a burly general from the Jiangxia Army had already rushed out of the woods. This general had a silver helmet and iron armor, and he was carrying two halberds across his shoulders. It was Gan Ning. He  Holding a bow and arrow in hand, he found the leading enemy general.

    Gan Ning drew an arrow from behind his shoulder, opened his bow and nocked an arrow, stared at Yue Jin who was running away, and suddenly drew the bow. The bow was like a full moon, the string loosened, and a wolf-fang arrow shot towards Le Jin like lightning.  , Le Jin had just taken twenty steps, when the arrow hit him instantly, and its power was extremely strong.

    At this moment, Le Jin suddenly heard the sound of wind behind him, and he quickly ducked out of the way, but it was already too late, ¡®Poof!  ¡¯ An arrow shot through the back of his neck, and the tip of the arrow came out of his throat. Le Jin let out a muffled scream, stretched out his hand to cover his throat, his vision went dark, and he turned over and fell off his horse.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A few days after Liu Biao died of illness, a war of sneak attacks and counter-sneak attacks broke out north of the Han River. Cao's army of 10,000 troops attacked Dengsa Fort in a surprise attack, and finally fell into the trap of Jiangxia Army and Wenpin Army, encountering the second enemy since the Battle of Fancheng.  A disastrous defeat.

    In this battle, not only were more than 6,000 people captured and Xinye City fell, but more importantly, two heavyweight generals, Cao Hong and Li Dian, were captured, and Cao Cao's confidant and favorite general Le Jin also died under Gan Ning's arrows.

    This was an extremely heavy blow to Cao's army, and an exciting victory to Jiangxia's army and even Jingzhou as a whole.

    At dawn, several messenger cavalry rushed into Xiangyang City, shouting all the way: "Great victory in Jiangbei, Cao's army was defeated, Mr. Jing captured Cao Hong and Li Dian alive!"

    The news of Fancheng¡¯s great victory spread throughout Xiangyang City within half an hour, as if it had wings. Xiangyang City was in a state of excitement.

    Although it was still the mourning period for the death of Zhou Mu, people could not contain their inner ecstasy and took to the streets to beat gongs and drums and burn firecrackers to celebrate victory. Rejoicing people could be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys, even the soldiers guarding the city.  They also cheered, hugged each other tightly, and cried with joy.

    In the state government office, more than a dozen senior officials including Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, Deng Yi, Pang Ji, Li Gui, and Han Song who had just taken over the post were urgently discussing countermeasures.

    Although Liu Cong was the successor to the state pastor, he did not attend this gathering of senior officials, and no one wanted him to appear. Cai Mao and others naturally regarded him as a puppet. Even non-Cai Mao factions such as Deng Yi and Pang Ji hated this useless person.  The eunuch is out of sight.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about what to do!¡±

    Cai Mao asked listlessly. He had just received a document from Liu Jing and Wenpin, requesting to pay homage to Zhou Mu's coffin. According to the Han system, the emperor was buried in seven days, and the princes were buried in five days. Today is the fourth day.  , the other party asked to worship tomorrow.

    Cai Hao was considering whether to let them enter the city. With this great victory in Fancheng, Liu Jing's prestige had been greatly improved, so that Cai Hao did not dare to take the opportunity to harm him. He only thought about how to refuse.Liu Jing entered the city.

    At this time, Kuai Yue said: "After all, Mr. Jing is the nephew of Xianzhou Mu. He is not allowed to worship the coffin, which is harmful to human relations and will cause dissatisfaction among the soldiers and civilians in Xiangyang. It is better to let them worship the coffin. If the military advisor is worried, he can be restricted."  The army entered the city."

    Kuai Yue's proposal was unanimously approved by everyone. In fact, Cai Mao convened this discussion. He also knew that it would be difficult to refuse Liu Jing to pay homage to Liu Biao's coffin under the current circumstances. However, he was considering whether to let Liu Jing and Wenpin work together.  And paid homage to the new Jingzhou Shepherd.

    Thinking of this, Cai Mao said slowly: "Since everyone agrees that he pays homage to the coffin of Xianzhou Mu, I can only agree, but as a minister of Jingzhou, I think he should also pay homage to Xinzhou Mu to fulfill his duties."  I hope everyone can support my proposal.¡±

    Cai Mao glanced at Deng Yi again and asked coldly: "What do Deng Zhizhong think?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 277 People¡¯s Will

    Although Cai Mao didn't know that Deng Yi was secretly loyal to Liu Jing, judging from the factional division, it was obvious that Deng Yi was not loyal to him, nor was he in an alliance like Kuai Yue. Deng Yi's attitude was unclear, so Cai Mao deduced that he was either loyal to Liu Qi or not to Liu Jing.  Or he is biased towards Liu Jing.

    Just like this, Cai Mao naturally felt dissatisfied and even hostile towards Deng Yi. Fortunately, Deng Yi didn't know the secret, otherwise he would end up like Liu Xian. At this time, he asked Deng Yi, which was actually a kind of test.  Cai Mao wanted to know whether Deng Yi was Liu Jing's person.

    Deng Yi had long been accustomed to Cai Mao's indifference. He smiled slightly and said: "As long as everyone agrees with paying homage to the new governor, I will not object. However, I think some details need to be considered, such as how many troops Liu Jing is allowed to bring into the city? When will he enter the city?  ? These details must be finalized before we can make arrangements calmly. ¡±

    Deng Yi¡¯s proposal was approved by everyone, but it made Cai Mao suspicious. He couldn¡¯t figure out Deng Yi¡¯s attitude from the proposal, but some things really needed to be clarified.

    Cai Hao pondered for a moment and said: "We can give Liu Jing and Wenpin a safety guarantee, but no more than five hundred people can enter the city. The time will be set at 10:00 tomorrow morning."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The meeting dispersed. In a small living room not far from the discussion area, Cai Hao and several of his confidants continued to discuss some details, including Li Gui, Cai He, Cai Zhong, and Zhang Yun.

    Li Gui sighed slightly and said: "Actually, I wanted to propose that Liu Jing enter the city tonight, and he would not pay a visit to the state pastor. He could directly pay homage to the late master and then leave. This would not have any impact. Did the military advisor consider the welcome of the people?  ?¡±

    Li Gui was the governor of Xiangyang and considered public opinion more. In fact, he guessed that the real purpose of Liu Jing's coming to the city to pay homage to Liu Biao was for public opinion. However, since it was decided, he did not dare to say more and could only vaguely remind Cai Mao.

    Cai Mao was startled, and then he realized that when Liu Jing entered the city tomorrow morning, he would definitely receive an unprecedented welcome from the people. He couldn't help but glared at Li Gui, meaning why he didn't say anything just now,

    At this time, Cai He said from the side: "In fact, it is dangerous to enter the city at night. We have to guard against Liu Jing taking the opportunity to seize Xiangyang, so entering the city at night is absolutely not possible. The military adviser proposed entering the city during the day, which is a wise move. As for worrying about Li Taishou worrying about the people  Support, it¡¯s actually very simple. We ban people from taking to the streets for safety reasons, so there won¡¯t be any problems.¡±

    Cai Mao nodded. This Cai He is indeed smarter than Cai Zhong. He can at least make effective suggestions. He is not as reckless and cruel as Cai Zhong, who only causes trouble for himself.

    "That's it!"

    Cai Mao said to Cai He: "You can lead 10,000 troops to impose martial law throughout the city and prevent people from going to the streets to welcome him."

    "Don't worry, military advisor, I will go all out!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just as Cai Mao and his party members were discussing the countermeasures for the next day, in Deng's mansion in the north of Xiangyang City, Deng Yi called several close family members to his study and told them: "Tomorrow morning at midnight, Mr. Jing will enter the city to pay his respects.  First Lord, you guys can spread the news throughout the city so that every household knows about Mr. Jing¡¯s arrival in the city tomorrow.¡±

    An old man said: "Sir, there are people in the city who specialize in doing this kind of thing. You can entrust them to publicize it, and the effect will be better."

    Deng Yi nodded, "You guys, let's discuss this matter! Just go to the accounting office to withdraw how much money you need. In addition, you have to do it a little secretly, and don't let the other party know that it was me, Deng Yi, who did it."

    "Don't worry, sir! We will consider everything carefully."

    "Go! Let's start now."

    Several family members bowed and retreated. Deng Yi thought for a moment, then wrote another letter and ordered someone to go out of the city to deliver it to Liu Jing.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Fancheng was also immersed in the joy of victory. The sound of firecrackers exploded from time to time in the city. Many pubs that had been closed due to funerals also opened to sell alcohol, allowing people to drink and celebrate the victory.

    On the pier, people preparing to cross the river lined up in huge crowds. The ferries in the river were like crucian carp crossing the river. More than 200 ferries seized from Cao's army were put into use again, and the ferries were returned to them.  The original owner and the burned ships were also paid by the Jiangxia Army.

    By the river, Liu Jing was inspecting the situation at the ferry. After the war, Fancheng and Xinye were naturally controlled by the Jiangxia Army and would not be returned to Xiangyang, but Xu Shu had other ideas.

    "Prefect, in fact, Fancheng and Xinye have no strategic significance. Cao's army went south, and Fancheng and Xinye were the first to bear the brunt. We are actually acting as gatekeepers for Xiangyang, but they are very important to Xiangyang. I think it is better to keep these two  The city was returned to Xiangyang in exchange for some more useful military supplies."

    Liu Jing glanced at Xu Shu and asked with a smile:"I have quite a lot of military resources now. Yuan Zhi thinks what else is there in Xiangyang?"

    Xu Shu smiled slightly and said: "I heard that there is a batch of shipbuilding wood stored in the warehouse outside Xiangyang. They have been dried for many years. There are hundreds of thousands of thick wood, and thousands of warships can be built with them.  If the land north of the Yangtze River is used to exchange these wood, then Xiangyang will not be able to build a large warship within three years. Even if Cao's army goes south, there will be no ships to cross the river. What does the prefect think? "

    Liu Jing nodded. He knew that new wood could not be used in building big ships. The wood had to be dried for at least three years, otherwise it would be easily deformed. Xu Shu¡¯s reminder was indeed necessary. The wood was left in Xiangyang, and in the end it would fund Cao¡¯s army.

    As for Xu Shu's proposal to return Fancheng and Xinye in Jiangbei to Xiangyang, in fact Liu Jing also considered that Xiangyang only has 30,000 troops. Once they get the land in Jiangbei, they will inevitably divide their troops to garrison. This will reduce the number of defense troops against Jiangxia.  bad thing.

    Liu Jing pondered for a while and smiled: "I will leave this matter to you. You can go to Kuai Yue. Although he no longer supports me, after all, the affection is still there. I believe he will try his best to facilitate this matter. In addition, I can also  Promise not to attack Xiangyang within a year."

    Xu Shu understood what Liu Jing meant. Cao Jun¡¯s cavalry would definitely go south. There was really no point in attacking Xiangyang now, so he nodded and said, "My subordinates will take care of this matter."

    At this moment, Liu Jing suddenly heard someone calling him from behind. When he turned around, he saw Wenpin galloping towards him on horseback. Beside him was a man wearing an Eguan, a large Confucian robe, and fair skin.  About forty years old.

    Xu Shu knew this person and whispered to Liu Jing, "This person is Han Song."

    Liu Jing thought to herself, ¡®So it¡¯s him!  ¡¯

    Han Song first served in Jingzhou as a Zhonglang general. He was one of the powerful officials in Jingzhou. In the fifth year of Jian'an, he went to Cao Cao as an envoy and became pro-Cao. This angered Liu Biao, who dismissed him from office and was imprisoned. A year later, Cai Mao interceded for him.  He was released and has been idle at home. After Liu Biao's death, Han Song came back again on the recommendation of Cai Mao and now takes over Liu Xian's post.

    Han Song belongs to the pro-Cao faction, but he is not a member of Cai Mao's party. Instead, like Kuai Yue, he is allied with Cai Mao. After everyone's discussion today, they unanimously elected him to negotiate with Liu Jing about paying homage to Liu Biao.

    Han Song was not familiar with Liu Jing, but he had a very good personal relationship with Wenpin. He found Wenpin first, but Wenpin told him frankly that the lord's last words were for Liu Jing to succeed. Others did not admit it, but Wenpin did.  He admitted that he had decided to be loyal to Liu Jing, which surprised Han Song, but he was helpless.

    Wenpin made it very clear that he was only accompanying Liu Jing into the city. As for the specific details of entering the city, he had nothing to do with him and could only discuss it with Liu Jing.

    The war horse ran up to him. Han Song got off his horse and saluted with a smile: "I have heard about Mr. Jing for a long time, and today we meet him for the first time. He is really a talented man, and he lives up to his reputation.

    Liu Jing also smiled and bowed his hands in return, "Mr. Han is too modest. I have heard about Mr. Han's reputation for a long time. To meet him today, Liu Jing is very lucky."

    The two exchanged a few words, and Han Song met Xu Shu again. Liu Jing pointed to a large ship not far away and said with a smile, "That's my warship. We might as well talk in detail on board."

    "Then it's better to be respectful than to obey."

    The group of people walked quickly to the ship and got on the ship. They sat down in a spacious cabin and soldiers served them tea. Han Song stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Master Jing won a great victory in Fancheng. Let the Xiangyang fathers win."  The soldiers and civilians of Jingzhou were filled with joy and excitement. When the news came, everyone in the state government was also excited. Han Song expressed his most sincere thanks to Mr. Jing on behalf of the state pastor and military advisor Cai! "

    After saying that, he straightened his body and bowed deeply to Liu Jing.

    "This is my duty, Mr. Han does not need to be polite."

    Liu Jing did not mention the victory, but smiled lightly and said, "Mr. Han, let's talk about tomorrow's affairs! How to arrange it? I want to know the details."

    Han Song sat up straight again and said: "Tomorrow morning at 10:00, Mr. Jing's entourage cannot exceed five hundred people. We will ensure the safety of Mr. Jing and General Wenpin. In addition, the state pastor wants to see Mr. Jing."

    Liu Jing was silent for a moment and said: "Let's talk about meeting Zhou Mu tomorrow! I can't give you a clear answer yet. As for the arrangement of paying homage to your uncle, I can agree!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was getting brighter the next day, and it was almost midnight. More than a hundred Jiangxia warships had already parked on the river outside Xiangyang City. The warships were loaded with more than 10,000 fully armed soldiers. Their swords and spears were sharp and their swords were drawn.  Completely ready to attack at any time.

    There are five hundred elite cavalry standing in line outside the city gate. All cavalry are wearing armor and helmets, holding spears in their hands, and they are murderous. They will accompany Liu Jing into the city to worship.

    Cai He stood on the top of the city and stared at the warships in the Han River from a distance, and then looked at the 500 cavalry in neat formation below the city.He couldn't help but beat the snare drum. Jiang Xiajun's posture made him feel nervous.

    Although he could understand that it was to protect Liu Jing's safety, if Liu Jing was determined to capture Xiangyang City, the combat effectiveness of these five hundred cavalry would be astonishing. The thousand defenders at the city gate were no match for them.  There are tens of thousands of Jiangxia soldiers in the river to support them, and it will be difficult to save Xiangyang City.

    Cai He pondered for a long time, took out his military card, turned around and handed it to a confidant and said: "Go and report to the military advisor quickly, saying that I still need to deploy four thousand crossbowmen to defend Beicheng. The situation is urgent, so go immediately."

    The soldier took the military card, agreed, and immediately ran away. At this moment, an officer shouted in a low voice: "General Cai, the time has come!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 278 Why is the state animal husbandry?

    Cai He quickly looked outside the city and saw three people on horseback getting off the ship. The leader was Liu Jing. Next to him was Han Song, who had rushed to accompany Liu Jing early in the morning. There was another person behind him, but it was Liu Jing.  Wen Ping.

    Everyone slowly stepped forward, and Han Song rushed to the city gate and shouted loudly: "General Cai, the time has come, open the city gate!"

    Cai He waved his hand, "Open the door!"

    Both the inner and outer gates of Xiangyang North City Gate were opened at the same time, the suspension bridge was lowered, and Liu Jing, closely guarded by five hundred cavalry, slowly walked into the city.

    Xiangyang City was under martial law, and soldiers were guarding every street and alley. However, as Liu Jing led the cavalry into Xiangyang City, countless people still ran out of the streets and alleys, crowding on both sides of Xiangyang Avenue.

    "Master Jing is here!"

    Someone pointed at the cavalry coming from a distance and shouted, and the people on both sides suddenly cheered, and the cheers resounded throughout the city.

    Xiangyang Avenue is a main road that runs from north to south. In the middle is the main road, a flat official road three feet wide, with large trees planted on both sides. On both sides are side roads, also called civilian roads, which are the walking roads of ordinary people, and official roads.  The road can only be walked by nobles and officials. Even lower-status officials cannot walk on the official road. The hierarchy is strict.

    Liu Jing, escorted by five hundred cavalry, walked slowly along the official road. He was smiling, and people on both sides waved to him from time to time. Amid cheers, more and more people ran out of the streets and alleys.  more.

    At the end of the Han Dynasty, the people still had a strong spirit, and they did not pay much attention to the official rules, and the law did not punish the public. If someone rushed out, more people would rush through the obstruction of the martial law soldiers behind them, making the martial law order issued by Cai Mao ineffective.  Nothing works.

    As more and more people ran out of their homes and rushed to Xiangyang Avenue to welcome Liu Jing into the city, eventually tens of thousands of soldiers under martial law followed the people and ran onto the civilian roads, cheering together.

    When Liu Jing's cavalry had only reached the official road halfway, the civilian roads on both sides were crowded with people who came to welcome them. They were densely packed and stretched for ten miles, with more than 200,000 people.

    Everyone has expectations and excitement on their faces. Their feelings are the most sincere. Liu Jing defeated Cao Jun, saving them from the disaster of family destruction and death. They will no longer be killed and robbed by Cao Jun like Hekou Town. They are grateful to Liu Jing from the bottom of their hearts.

    Gongs and drums were being beaten everywhere in the city. The drums were loud and the gongs were loud. Groups of children got into the official road and ran with the cavalry. When Liu Jing passed by the crowds, he immediately set off a roar like a mountain and a tsunami.  , "Welcome Mr. Jing home!"

    "We support Mr. Jing as the shepherd of Jingzhou and let the eunuch get out of here!"

    ¡°Master Jing, please stay in Xiangyang!¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Various shouts expressed their inner expectations, excitement and excitement, and many people had tears of gratitude in their eyes. When Liu Jing's team came to the intersection of the two avenues, dozens of white-haired old men knelt on the ground.  Dedicate the land of Jingzhou to.

    Liu Jing was so excited that he got off his horse, stepped forward to help the old man up, and took the earthen jar from their hands.

    He immediately boarded a carriage and shouted to the people around him: "Dear fellow villagers, no matter where and when, I, Liu Jing, will never abandon the elders of Jingzhou, and I am willing to lead my soldiers to keep Jingzhou safe!"

    Liu Jing¡¯s words drew a storm of applause, and the excitement of tens of thousands of people around him reached its peak.

    "Long live Zhou Mu!"

    Several big men jumped on the big stone, leading the people around to raise their arms and shout, "Long live!"

    In the hearts of everyone, their Zhou Mu is Mr. Jing. Everyone shouted, and the roar of tens of thousands of people resounded throughout Xiangyang City, "Long live the Zhou Mu!"

    "Long live Mr. Jing!"

    At this time, everyone has forgotten that Liu Jing is not the pastor of Jingzhou now, and they have also forgotten that this is still the period of mourning for Liu Biao.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Biao¡¯s memorial tent was erected in front of the main hall of the state government for soldiers, civilians and officials from various places to worship. It was surrounded by white flags and umbrella canopies, which was overwhelming and spectacular.

    The coffin was parked in a special tent at the back. It was early summer and the weather was getting hotter. The tent was filled with huge ice cubes taken from the ice cellar.

    Although Buddhism had not been widely popularized in the late Han Dynasty, there were already many Buddhist believers in the upper class society. In Liu Biao's funeral shed, there were twenty monks from Baoling Temple who saved him.

    Liu Jing and Wenpin were welcomed into the coffin to worship. Liu Jing knelt in front of Liu Biao's coffin and memorial tablet and kowtowed. She silently said in her heart: "Although we are not uncles and nephews, we are uncles and nephews. May my uncle go to heaven."  Rest in peace, may my uncle¡¯s spirit protect my nephew and keep him in Jingzhou forever.¡±

    Liu Cong looked at Liu Jing with a complicated expression. In the past, he was enemies with Liu Jing because of Cai Shaoyu, but now Cai Shaoyu was just stained on his clothes.He no longer cared about the grain of rice on his lap. The Cai family's manipulation of him was what he hated in his heart.

    Deep in his heart, he even longed for Liu Jing to return to Xiangyang, drive out the Cai family, and eradicate it. He would rather not be this puppet state pastor, but would rather be a pampered Cong Gongzi.

    At this time, Liu Jing stood up and bowed three times, and said to Liu Cong: "My uncle has passed away. I hope my second brother can inform my eldest brother to come and worship, so as to fulfill the relationship between father and son."

    Liu Cong smiled bitterly. He couldn't help himself. How could he have the right to invite his eldest brother to Xiangyang? Liu Cong's lips moved but he stopped talking. Liu Jing saw his hesitation and asked again: "What does the second brother have to say?"  Do you want to tell me?"

    Liu Cong sighed, "Father did not misjudge you. It is true that only you can save Jingzhou. I have let my father down."

    At this time, Wen Pin, who was next to him, stepped forward and asked: "In front of Zhou Muling, please tell Mr. Cong the truth. Before Zhou Mu died, did he ask Mr. Jing to inherit Jingzhou Mu?"

    Liu Cong looked extremely ashamed and lowered his head. He glanced at his father's tomb and nodded silently. Wenpin's eyes widened and he was about to question Liu Cong when Liu Jing patted Wenpin on the shoulder and whispered:  "Don't say anything more today, let Zhou Mu rest in peace!"

    Wenpin looked sad and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Outside the tomb, a dozen senior officials including Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, and Deng Yi were patiently waiting for Liu Jing to come out to pay his respects.

    According to their prior arrangements, the next ceremony should be for Liu Jing and Wenpin to pay homage to Xinzhou Mu, but this was not agreed upon in advance and they needed to be negotiated with Liu Jing again.

    At this time, Cai Mao's expression was gloomy. He never expected that hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Xiangcheng would come to greet Liu Jing regardless of his martial law order. This undoubtedly gave him a loud slap in the face.

    What annoys him even more is that those shouts of "Long live Zhou Mu" almost make him angry. He has realized the real purpose of Liu Jing's coming to the city. He is not coming to pay homage to some uncle. He is clearly taking advantage of the great victory to enter.  He came to Xiangyang to win the hearts and minds of the people and increase his reputation.

    Thinking of the support of hundreds of thousands of people for Liu Jing, Cai Mao felt an uncontrollable resentment in his heart. At the same time, he also had a subconscious fear. Will Liu Jing really become the lord of Jingzhou one day?

    "Military advisor, he's out!" Li Gui whispered from behind, interrupting Cai Hao's thoughts.

    I saw Liu Jing coming out of the funeral shed accompanied by Liu Cong. Both of them had red eyes and had obviously cried. They were also dressed the same, wearing white coarse linen mourning clothes and a long ribbon-like scarf on their buns.  There is also a knot around the waist. They are not the eldest son, so there is only one knot on the waist. If the eldest son is the eldest son, he must tie a double knot. Unfortunately, Liu Qi did not come.

    Wenpin did not come out, and his crying could still be heard faintly in the mourning shed.

    Cai Hao suppressed the anger in his heart, with a sad look on his face, stepped forward to salute, and advised Liu Jing: "There is no resurrection after death. Please show your condolences, Mr. Jing."

    Liu Jing nodded, sighed, and said to Cai Hao and everyone: "Thank you for your hard work, Commander Cai, and all of you. I have to deploy the army to prevent Cao's army from taking advantage of the opportunity to attack again. I won't be able to attend my uncle's funeral, but  I will set up a mourning shed in Jiangxia to keep vigil for my uncle, and let the soldiers and civilians of Jiangxia pay their respects."

    At this time, Kuai Yue came up and looked at Liu Jing with complex eyes and said: "Young Master has many affairs, so there is no need to worry about Xiangyang. We will arrange the funeral affairs of the late Lord. If you have any military affairs, please go ahead!"

    Cai Mao's expression changed. He hadn't done what he had agreed upon in advance. How could he let Liu Jing go? This Kuai Yue was actually stabbing him in the back. He quickly glanced at Li Gui and winked.

    Li Gui understood, stepped forward and saluted: "A country cannot be without its owner for a day, and the same is true for Jingzhou. Mr. Jing may not know it yet, but we have already supported Mr. Cong as the new shepherd of Jingzhou. As a minister of Jingzhou, why doesn't Mr. Jing take advantage of this opportunity?"  What about the opportunity to pay homage to Xinzhou Mu to determine the title of lord?"

    Liu Jing said calmly: "The new state pastor is elected. As a minister, I will naturally pay homage, but it is not the time yet. Brother Cong and I have agreed that when he officially takes the state pastoral position, I will definitely come to pay homage."

    Cai Mao was stunned and couldn't help but said: "What does it mean to officially become the state pastor? I don't quite understand. We have officially supported Mr. Cong to succeed to the throne. Are there any questions?"

    "No! No! No!"

    Liu Jing waved her hands repeatedly and said seriously: "It's not just right now. We are all Han ministers, and Jingzhou is also a Han country. Naturally, the successor of Zhou Mu should be decided by the emperor, and he should be granted the talisman festival of Muzhou on behalf of the emperor. There is no edict from the emperor yet. We  How do these subordinates have the authority to decide who is the state pastor?"

    After a pause, Liu Jing said again: "Commander Cai and Governor Li, I understand everyone's urgency, but the state has national laws and the court has its own etiquette. We must not overstep it."This incident has caused the late lord to suffer the reputation of disloyalty. I suggest that you immediately write to the court and implore the emperor to make Mr. Cong the state shepherd!  "

    Cai Mao and all the officials were speechless and couldn't say a word for a long time. At this time, Wenpin walked out of the tomb and followed Liu Jing. Liu Jing cupped his hands to everyone and said, "Everyone, I want to pay homage to Liu Bie."  Come on, just take the first step and hope to see you again soon!¡±

    He turned around, got on the carriage, and drove away under the escort of five hundred cavalry. Everyone looked at each other, and then everyone realized that they had forgotten something very important.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Before reaching an armistice agreement with Cao Jun, the Jiangxia army could not evacuate Fancheng for the time being. However, as the lord of Jiangxia, Liu Jing had to return to Jiangxia to handle military and political affairs. Before leaving, he made careful arrangements.

    Liu Jing first entrusted Wenpin to lead 10,000 troops to guard Xinye and defend Cao's army from the front. He also ordered Gan Ning to lead 10,000 Jiangxia navy troops to guard Fancheng, and Liao Hua to lead 6,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry to station in Hekou Town.  The three armies formed a corner, and Liu Jing also left Xu Shu in Fancheng and ordered him to be responsible for negotiating with the Xiangyang government over the ownership of Jiangbei.

    With everything arranged, Liu Jing quietly left Fancheng that night, led 500 soldiers on more than 20 warships, and set sail for Jiangxia.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 279 Zhuge Liang and Jia Xu

    Jiangling, here is the seat of Nanjun County, located on the north bank of the Yangtze River. It is the third largest city in Jingzhou after Xiangyang and Wuchang. The city has a circumference of more than 30 miles and a population of more than 100,000.

    Due to the frequent battles between Jingzhou and Jiaozhou in the past ten years, Jiangling has become a logistics center for the Jingzhou army, where Liu Biao stored a large amount of food and military supplies.

    It was precisely because of Nanjun's important strategic position that Liu Biao asked his eldest son Liu Qi to take charge of Nanjun. However, Liu Biao never imagined that due to the cowardice of his eldest son Liu Qi, Nanjun would eventually become Liu Bei's wedding dress.

    Although Liu Bei actually controlled Nanjun, nominally Nanjun was still Liu Qi's territory. Liu Bei's name was not justified, which was Liu Bei's biggest trouble. However, with the arrival of Zhuge Liang, this trouble was easily solved.

    Zhuge Liang persuaded Liu Bei to support Liu Qi as the shepherd of Jingzhou, and Liu Bei took the post of shepherd of Yuzhou and concurrently served as the governor of Nanjun.

    At the same time, Liu Qi appointed Jian Yong as the prefect of Yidu, Sun Qian as the prefect of Wuling, Mi Zhu as the prefect of Hengyang, and Liu Feng as the prefect of Jianping.

    In this way, all the five southern counties owned by Liu Feng were actually controlled by Liu Bei. Liu Bei was overjoyed by this plan to eliminate falsehoods and replace real ones. He immediately appointed Zhuge Liang as military advisor and Pang Tong as deputy military advisor, and the two were in charge of military affairs.

    In the county government office, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang were discussing the plan for Jingzhou. Zhuge Liang had only been Liu Bei's staff for three days, and many of his plans were not disclosed to Liu Bei one by one.

    But Zhuge Liang¡¯s first strategy of removing the imaginary and making the most of reality solved Liu Bei¡¯s troubles of being nameless and statusless, which made Liu Bei look at him with admiration.

    At this time, Liu Bei was even more anxious. He had been fighting for many years and suffered repeated setbacks, so that he was confused about the overall situation and his own future. He urgently needed a bright light to illuminate his future.

    It is undeniable that Pang Tong is also extremely talented. It was Pang Tong's suggestion that Liu Bei abandon Xinye and go south to Nanjun. Pang Tong also advised Liu Bei to go north to resist Cao Cao, seek fame in Jingzhou, separate Nanjun, and form a tripartite confrontation with Xiangyang and Jiangxia.

    Although these plans are very good, Liu Bei always feels that there is still something missing. To be precise, these suggestions only concern the present, but they have no meaning for the future. Now Liu Bei wants to see his future clearly.

    Zhuge Liang was wearing a fine linen robe, a lotus hat on his head, holding a feather fan in his hand and said with a smile: "My strategy is divided into three strategies: near, medium and far. The near strategy is to establish a name. Although Liu Cong took Xiangyang and established himself as Jingzhou  However, he has not been recognized by the emperor, and his name is not justified. If the emperor's uncle gets the court to recognize Mr. Qi as the pastor of Jingzhou first, then Jiangling will be the prefecture of Jingzhou, and we are the authentic ones of Jingzhou. In this way, Mr. Qi will give up the throne to Mr. Qi in the future.  Uncle Huang, it¡¯s just right to take Jingzhou.¡±

    Zhuge Liang's words made Liu Bei nod repeatedly, but he still had concerns and hesitated: "I'm afraid Cao Cao won't let me get what I want."

    Zhuge Liang smiled again and said: "The Han court is not the court of Cao Cao alone. Anti-Cao forces still exist. I heard that the emperor's uncle has a close relationship with Kong Beihai. I might as well write a letter to ask him to deal with it. At this time, Cao Cao has not returned from the expedition. As long as Kong Beihai  If you are willing to help, you are 70% sure of success, but it is too late to send someone to Xuchang immediately. "

    Liu Bei readily agreed, "I will follow your advice and will send the letter immediately. Can you please give me some advice?"

    Zhuge Liang took out a map, spread it out on the small table, and said to Liu Bei: "My middle strategy is to settle down. If Liang's prediction is correct, Cao Cao will definitely go south in a big way after he is relieved of his worries. I heard that Cao Cao is in  The excavation of the Xuanwu Pond in the north of Yecheng City is required to be completed within three months. This is preparation for the Southern Expedition. At the latest next year, Cao's army will inevitably go south. By then, not only Xiangyang will be difficult to protect, but Nanjun will also be an egg that overthrows the nest. Is there any evidence for the emperor's uncle?  Have you considered a retreat?¡±

    Liu Bei frowned. This was what he was most worried about. Cao Cao's army was going south. How could he let Liu Bei go? What should he do then?

    Liu Bei knew that Zhuge Liang had a good idea, so he quickly bowed and said, "Sir, please teach me!"

    Zhuge Liang pointed out the road to Jiaozhou: "Jiaozhou is full of miasma, with high mountains and dense forests. Cao's army is an army from the north and will not dare to go south. I advise the emperor to choose a strategic location in Jiaozhou and build a city to accumulate food as a retreat. If Cao's army goes south,  , the emperor's uncle divided his troops into two groups, one group retreated to Jiaozhou, the other group retreated to Changsha, and formed an alliance with Liu Jing and Sun Quan to fight against Cao's army. "

    Liu Bei thought for a moment and said: "I have an old relationship with Wu Ju, the prefect of Cangwu. It shouldn't be a big problem to lend him a place to store grain. But I have Wuling County. The south of Wuling County is a barbaric land with a sparse population and miasma everywhere.  We can just build a city in Wuling County, why should we retreat to Jiaozhou?"

    Zhuge Liang shook his fan and smiled: "The cunning rabbit has three holes. If Liu Jing and Sun Quan are destroyed by Cao Cao, we can take advantage of the situation and seize Jiaozhou as the foundation, and there is still a chance of revival."

    "What if Cao Cao is defeated by the Sun-Liu coalition?" Liu Bei asked impatiently.

    Zhuge Liang squinted his eyes and smiled, "That's my long-term strategy. If that's the case, we can do it again."Jingzhou, at the same time, captured Bashu. The emperor's uncle used Bashu as his base, took Hanzhong in the north, and plotted against Guanzhong. At that time, the emperor's uncle and Cao Cao were in a powerful position and could compete for the world.  "

    Zhuge Liang's words made Liu Bei wake up from his dream, "Use Bashu as the foundation and take Hanzhong from the north!"  ¡¯ Liu Bei muttered to himself several times, and his ideas gradually became clearer. For the first time in so many years, he had a clear strategic goal.

    He immediately found Jianping County on the map, which is the Three Gorges route into Bashu. At this time, Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and said: "I suggest that Mr. Feng be stationed in Wu County, hoard food and grass, and deploy heavy troops to prepare for the future westward march to Bashu.  lay the foundation."

    Liu Bei nodded slowly, "It's as you said!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Wuchang, the town near the academy is becoming more and more lively. Businesses and residences are constantly moving in, and the price of land is also rising. It has tripled compared with when the academy was first built.

    In the far west of the town, more than a hundred craftsmen were building a mansion covering an area of ??about ten acres. Next to a crescent-shaped pool that was being excavated, Jia Xu stood by the pool and repeatedly told the craftsmen, "Be careful! Don't damage it."  "The spring."

    This mansion was specially built for Jia Xu in Jiangxia County. His family members have arrived in Jiangxia smoothly. Jia Xu¡¯s family has a large population and the house in the academy can no longer accommodate them. However, Jia Xu does not want to move out of the academy. The county magistrate Su Fei  So they found a piece of land for him close to the academy and built a new house for him.

    For Jia Xu, he also knew that his family had been brought here and it was impossible to go back, so he had to let nature take its course.

    In addition, Jia Xu himself is also a happy-go-lucky person. He felt uncomfortable when a large family was crowded into a small courtyard, so he stopped rejecting the Jiangxia government's good intentions and began to care about his new house.

    It was also a coincidence that when clearing the silt, I accidentally discovered a spring in the northwest corner. The spring water is clear and is the best water for making tea. It gave Jia Xu a big surprise. He came here almost every day to care about his spring.  Ask the craftsmen not to damage the spring.

    "Don't worry, old man!"

    A young craftsman smiled and said: "We have worked on this kind of spring a lot, and we will ensure that it is properly treated. Then we will install a stone faucet and make a blue dragon spitting water."

    Jia Xu was startled, and quickly waved his hands and shouted: "Don't pretend to be a dragon head, just pretend to be a bull's head."

    At this time, a burst of hearty laughter came from behind, "It's a bit shabby for Mr. Jia to pretend to be a cow. I think he should at least pretend to be a tiger or a unicorn."

    When Jia Xu turned around, he saw Liu Jing standing behind him with a few soldiers, looking at him with a smile, but he didn't know when he would arrive?

    Jia Xu quickly stepped forward and saluted, "When will the young master be back?"

    "I just arrived. I got off the boat at Xiakou and then rode over to visit my husband."

    Liu Jing looked at the spring and smiled and said: "Finding a spring in a new house means abundant wealth in my hometown. Mr. Jia will make a fortune in the future."

    Jia Xu smiled and said, "This spring water is good, and the sencha has a special fragrance. I like it very much. I accidentally discovered that it is also a gift from God!"

    Liu Jing certainly did not come to Jia Xu to chat about the spring water. He smiled slightly and said, "I have a surprise for you, sir. Please come with me."

    He turned around and walked towards the north of the town. Only then did Jia Xu notice that there were more than a dozen tents pitched in the wilderness to the north of the town. He was confused, wondering what surprise Liu Jing was talking about?  He followed Liu Jing towards the big tent.

    A dozen tents were temporarily set up and guarded by more than a thousand soldiers. One of the large tents was filled with soldiers and was heavily guarded.

    Liu Jing opened the curtain and said with a smile: "Please, sir!"

    Jia Xu walked into the big tent, but was stunned. He saw that the big tent was empty except for a wooden cage, one foot high and one foot wide. The fence was as thick as an arm. There was a man sitting in the wooden cage with his hair  It was draped loosely on the shoulders, and his eyes were as cold as ice, staring at Jia Xu.

    "It's you!" Jia Xu was stunned. The person in the wooden cage turned out to be Cao Hong.

    Liu Jing walked in from behind and said calmly: "This person almost killed Sir, I will hand you over to Sir and let you do whatever you want!"

    Before Jia Xu could say anything, Cao Hong jumped up like a roaring lion, the iron chains on his hands and feet rattled. He stared with blood-red eyes and yelled, "Jia Xu, you three-surname slave, you bastard."  ! If you betray the Prime Minister, you will be cut into pieces!"

    Jia Xu's face turned red and white for a while. Red was anger. Thinking of Cao Hong's intention to kill her, her heart was filled with anger. But her face turned white again, but she smiled bitterly in her heart. Liu Jing's plan to wipe out the household was really powerful. In this way, he  Don't even think about going back.

    "Shut up!"

    Liu Jing shouted angrily, turned around and ordered his subordinates, "This manShoot me to death with random arrows and give your head to Cao Cao!  "

    More than a dozen soldiers raised their crossbows and aimed them at Cao Hong. Cao Hong was so frightened that he took two steps back. His legs went limp and he sat in the wooden cage. The fear of death made him subdued. He forgot about the ferocity just now and responded to  Jia Xu shouted: "Mr. Jia, save me!"

    Jia Xu sighed in his heart. If he killed Cao Hong, Cao Cao would not spare him. After all, there was no way out. He had to stop him and said: "Wait a minute!"

    Jia Xu saluted Liu Jing, "Master, can you give me a face and spare his life?"

    Liu Jing waved his hand, and the soldiers put down their crossbows. Cao Hong escaped with his life. He was so frightened that his whole body went limp, his lips trembled, and he said to Jia Xu: "Thank you, sir, for saving your life!"

    Jia Xu shook his head. He knew that Cao Hong was grateful and begging for mercy at this time, but when he returned, he would definitely fall out and slander him in front of Cao Cao. He despised Cao Hong in his heart and didn't want to say another word to Cao Hong, so he turned around and left.

    Liu Jing looked at Cao Hong and laughed. Although he also knew that his little method of cutting off Jia Xu's retreat was a bit unfair, the effect was very good. In this way, Jia Xu would no longer have any thoughts of returning to the north and follow him wholeheartedly.  .

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 280 Planning for Changsha

    In another large tent, Jia Xu sat down, bowed his head and said nothing. If he was still lucky and unwilling to face reality before, now he had to face reality.

    His family has been taken to Jiangxia, and now that Cao Hong can prove the fact that he surrendered to Liu Jing, what retreat does he have?

    Unless he escapes into the world and never hears about world affairs, he has made countless enemies in the name of Jia Xu for decades. The world is so big that there is no place for him to hide from the world.

    Jia Xu sighed deeply. He knew that he really had no other choice but to be loyal to Liu Jing and help Liu Jing defeat Cao Jun to survive.

    At this time, Liu Jing walked into the tent and sat down opposite Jia Xu. He looked at Jia Xu quietly for a moment, smiled lightly and said, "Sir and I, let's make a gentleman's appointment!"

    Jia Xu raised his head and looked at Liu Jing in confusion. What does a gentleman's agreement mean? Liu Jing pondered for a moment and continued: "I hired Mr. to be my staff for one year. After one year, if Mr. is willing to stay, I welcome him. If Mr.  If you want to leave, I will never stop you.¡±

    There was a bitter smile on Jia Xu's face. Maybe there was no other way. It was just a step to save his face. Once he got on Liu Jing's boat, would he still want to get off?

    At this time, Jia Xu had no choice but to accept his fate. He thought for a moment and then smiled: "How much salary do you plan to give me?"

    Liu Jing breathed a sigh of relief. Jia Xu actually asked for salary. This was a concession. Liu Jing also smiled and said: "Of course I will give you a generous salary. I just hope that Mr. can help me solve my problems."

    Jia Xu put away his smile, he pondered for a moment and asked: "Young master, can you tell me frankly whether you want to be the pastor of Jingzhou?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "If the name is not correct, the words will not be smooth."

    "It should be like this. Seeking the position of Jingzhou Mu will also be conducive to your cooperation with Jiangdong. The young master can use Cao Hong to exchange Jingzhou Mu with Cao Cao and let the emperor recognize you as Jingzhou Mu. This will put both Xiangyang and Nanjun at a moral disadvantage.  "

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Actually, I still have more than 10,000 prisoners of war from Cao's army. I also captured Li Dian and even Le Jin's head."

    Jia Xu¡¯s eyes were extremely surprised. Was Cao Ren defeated to this extent in this battle?  Even Le Jin was unfortunately killed in battle.

    "If we add another Li Dian, there will be no problem. However, more than 10,000 prisoners of war are of great use. They are the best labor force. They can farm fields, mine, and even exchange them with Jiangdong for food or supplies.  "

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I plan to let all of these more than 10,000 people go home and reunite them with their wives, children, and parents. I don't want to treat them as military slaves."

    Jia Xu is also a far-sighted person. He immediately understood Liu Jing's deep meaning. If he releases more than 10,000 prisoners of war home, Liu Jing's name of benevolence and righteousness will spread throughout the Central Plains. Although there is no immediate benefit, in the long run, it will be beneficial to Liu Jing.  Seeking the Central Plains will have positive significance.

    Jia Xu smiled and said, "In this case, these prisoners of war must understand that Mr. Jing released them out of benevolence and righteousness, but don't let them think that they are being exchanged."

    Liu Jing also laughed, "Sir, you are right. If you become a good person, of course you must leave your name."

    He pondered for a moment and then said: "In addition, there is a matter about Changsha County that I would like to ask, sir. How should I get Changsha County?"

    Jia Xu thought for a while and then asked: "Who is Zhang Ji, the current governor of Changsha County?"

    "He should be loyal to Zhou Mu, but the county magistrate Liu Pan and Liu Qi have a close relationship, and the captain Huang Zhong is my master. However, I am worried that General Huang has a relationship with Liu Pan and he will not easily agree to be loyal to me."

    Jia Xu walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and said to Liu Jing: "If I guessed correctly, both Liu Bei and Liu Cong are plotting against Changsha County. Liu Cong will control Changsha County by replacing the prefect, while Liu Bei wants to break through from Liu Pan.  , As for the young master, I suggest you win over Huang Zhong first. The key is the army. If you can control the army, then simply march to Changsha County without any hassle. "

    "What should we do specifically?" Liu Jing asked quietly.

    Liu Jing had already made plans to take control of Changsha County, but he preferred to let Jia Xu express his opinions. This was a roundabout recruitment strategy.

    Let Jia Xu deal with Cao Cao from the beginning. Jia Xu will find it difficult to accept his feelings and will do it reluctantly. It is better to let Jia Xu take over matters unrelated to Cao Cao first. When he gradually gets used to his role, it is not too late to talk about Cao Cao.  , the key is to involve Jia Xu in decision-making.

    Everything has a process. It is obviously unrealistic to let Jia Xu play a big role as soon as he gets started. It is necessary to give Jia Xu a time to adapt, or to use some small things to warm up, and to solve the ownership problem of Changsha County. There is no doubt that  It's the best opportunity.

    Jia Xu didn¡¯t know much about Changsha County. He just relied on common sense.Jia Xu thought for a moment and said, "I heard that Wenpin was loyal to the young master. I wonder why Wenpin chose the young master instead of Liu Cong?"

    Liu Jing secretly approved and had a vicious eye. As expected, Wenpin and Huang Zhong were the same person. Jia Xu did not talk about Huang Zhong, but talked about Wenpin. If he could find the reason why Wenpin was loyal to him, he would also find the way to crack Huang Zhong.  Method.

    In fact, this was Liu Jing's way of accepting Huang Zhong. Jia Xu thought of going with him. Liu Jing took out a flat box from his arms, opened it, and handed a blood letter written on silk to Jia Xu, "This is  It was the last words left by Liu Xian, saying that Zhou Mu appointed me to succeed Jingzhou Mu before his death, but it was tampered with by Cai Mao and others, and Liu Xian was killed because of it. It was this blood letter that made Wenpin make his decision. "

    Jia Xu laughed, "Now that we have this blood letter, wouldn't things be simple? I suggest asking Wenpin to write a letter to Huang Zhong, and then the young master will ask Liu Min or Zhou Bujie to go see him with this blood letter.  Huang Zhong, with this two-pronged approach, in the face of justice, I think even if Huang Zhong and Liu Pan have a good personal relationship, he will not abandon his principles because of personal feelings. "

    It can be said that heroes have the same idea. The plan proposed by Jia Xu is exactly Liu Jing's idea, but Jia Xu is more clever. Liu Jing is an insider, while Jia Xu relies on inference, but he can actually deduce from Huang Zhonglian to Wenpin.  It's called drawing inferences from one instance, and only a wily person like Jia Xu can think of it.

    At this time, Jia Xu laughed again and said: "If the young master only wants the army of Changsha County, then just transfer Huang Zhong to Jiangxia. If the young master still wants to legitimately bring Changsha County into Jiangxia's power, then it is best to serve as the prefect of Changsha County."  Give it a try, the solution is actually very simple!¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Changsha County borders Nan County to the northwest and Jiangxia County to the northeast. Its geographical location is extremely important. Although Changsha County is separated from Xiangyang and has no direct territorial connection, because Changsha County is located in the south of Lingling, Guiyang, Xiangdong, and Linhe.  It is the only passage for the county, so it also has an extremely important strategic position for Xiangyang.

    At present, except for Xiangyang County and Fangling County, the territory controlled by the Cai Mao Group is only a few counties in the south. In order to effectively control several counties in the south, it is an urgent matter for the Cai Mao Group to establish a strong military and political force in Changsha County.

    After Cai Mao had just stabilized his control over Xiangyang, he immediately began to deploy senior military and political officials in Changsha County. Cai Mao also knew that it was impossible to replace people at the same time. He had to replace Zhang Ji first, and then find a way to transfer Huang Zhong back to Xiangyang. Only then would it be better.  It was safe, so replacing the prefect Zhang Ji became the first thing to do.

    But it was not easy for the new governor to go from Xiangyang to Changsha. He had to take the Nanjun Road or the Jiangxia Road. After repeatedly weighing the pros and cons, Cai Mao finally decided to take the Jiangxia Road. At least on the surface, he still maintained a friendly attitude with Liu Jing, and Xu Shu also  Negotiating in Xiangyang.

    The new governor of Changsha County took the water route, went south along the Han River, turned into the Xiashui River in Mianyang County, entered Yunmengze, and then entered Dongting Lake via the Yangtze River.

    That afternoon, a fleet of three 300-stone passenger ships sailed into the Yangtze River from Yunmengze. This place was already in Nanjun, but it was far away from Jiangling City, the population center of Nanjun, and was surrounded by endless lakes and swamps.  , people are rare, and even fishing boats are rarely seen.

    "Prefect Han, our trip to Changsha this time has a long way to go!" A manager stood on the bow of the ship and sighed.

    The new governor of Changsha appointed by Cai Mao is named Han Xuan. He himself is from a prominent family in Changsha County. He has been an official in Fangling County and is one of Cai Mao's confidants.

    Han Xuan is about forty years old. He is unremarkable in both knowledge and appearance. He is the kind of ordinary person who is overwhelmed when he walks into a crowd.

    But Cai Hao took a fancy to his background. The Han family was a famous family in Changsha County. With the support of the family, it would be much easier for Han Xuan to replace Zhang Ji.

    Han Xuan stood on the bow of the boat, looking at the river with his hands behind his hands, and said with a smile: "Things are not as difficult as you think. As far as I know, Zhang Ji asked the First Lord to resign as governor three times, but the First Lord refused. Now I  He will not refuse to take over his position, and I understand that Zhang Ji is interested in medicine and has no interest in officialdom. This trip to Changsha will not take much effort. "

    Seeing that Han Xuan was so confident, his followers all praised him. Han Xuan became even more complacent and began to imagine the grand occasion when he became the governor of Changsha.

    At this moment, a group of ships, about a hundred or so, came from the east. They all raised their sails and rode the wind and waves. When the group of ships approached, someone suddenly shouted in horror, "It's a black dragon thief!"

    I saw a black dragon printed on the sail of the leading ship, which was particularly dazzling in the sun. Since the Jinfan thieves who dominated the Yangtze River surrendered to the government six years ago, more than a dozen groups of water thieves, large and small, emerged on the Yangtze River.  , the most famous of which is the Black Jiao Thief.

    It is said that the leader of the black dragon bandits is named Zhang and has a tribe of more than a thousand people. His home base is in Junshan, Dongting Lake. He oftenHe is active in the Yangtze River Mountains and makes a living by robbing merchant ships. However, since this year, the black dragon thieves have been mainly active in the Jiangdong area. Han Xuan never expected that he would meet in Nanjun today.

    Han Xuan was extremely nervous, but they had no way to escape, so he shouted loudly: "Don't panic, everyone, just give me money to avoid disaster."

    Han Xuan brought a lot of money and goods with him on this trip, especially 10,000 taels of gold. Cai Mao asked him to use it to bribe Huang Zhong's officers. Now that he is being targeted by water thieves, Han Xuan doesn't care about money anymore, as long as he can save his life.  That¡¯s it.

    In a moment, more than a hundred clippers surrounded Han Xuan's three ships. On the clippers, hundreds of men in black raised their crossbows. Without hesitation, they fired arrows at Han Xuan's ships and screamed.  The sound became one.

    Dozens of followers brought by Han Xuan were hit by arrows one after another, and most of them were killed or injured in a moment. The leader of the man in black waved his hand, and the water thieves jumped on the boat and killed all the survivors.

    The leader of the men in black rushed to Han Xuan's ship and quickly walked into the cabin. Several men dragged Han Xuan up from the cabin. Han Xuan was so frightened that he trembled all over and could not say a word. The leader of the men in black looked at him coldly.  Smiling, "Han Xuan, you really shouldn't come to Changsha to stir up this muddy water!"

    He stabbed Han Xuan's heart with a sharp knife. At the moment before his death, Han Xuan realized that these people were not black dragon thieves.

    The men in black carried their belongings onto the boats and set fire to the three passenger ships. The fire became more and more intense. The three ships gradually sank to the bottom of the river, and the black dragon thieves gradually moved away.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 281 Veteran Huang Zhong

    Since the Battle of Chaisang, Huang Zhong's troops have been stationed in Changsha County in the past few years. The days have passed by indifferently, and he is getting older day by day. Although Huang Zhong has always refused to accept old age, he always said to the soldiers,  The old man is brave and ambitious, and his ambition is thousands of miles.

    But he never got the chance to go to the battlefield again. In this battle between Fancheng and Cao Jun, although he wanted to fight and wrote to Xiangyang specifically for this purpose, he still became a spectator in the end.

    Every day, in addition to training soldiers, he stood on the top of the city and stared at the sunset in a daze. Even the soldiers guarding the city would silently look at the lonely back of the old general in the evening, feeling pity.

    Like other counties in Jingzhou, the death of Liu Biao also had a huge impact on Changsha County. The prefect Zhang Ji and the captain Huang Zhong jointly ordered that the soldiers and civilians of Changsha County mourned the death of Zhou Mu. The county seat of Linxiang was filled with white flags all over the city.  , Huang Zhong cried twice, looking haggard, and suddenly looked much older.

    At noon that day, Huang Zhong led a group of soldiers on horseback to the county government office. He ordered the soldiers to wait outside, and he entered the county government office. Today, the prefect Zhang Ji went to the countryside to inspect and took away most of the county officials.  Only the county magistrate Liu Pan was in charge in the yamen, so he sent someone to invite Huang Zhong, saying that he had important matters to discuss.

    "What do you need from me, nephew?" Huang Zhong asked with a loud smile as he walked into the official room.

    In Changsha County for five or six years, Huang Zhong and Liu Pan got along day and night, and gradually developed feelings for each other.

    Especially Liu Pan followed Huang Zhong to practice martial arts. Although he did not develop a strong martial arts like Liu Jing, Liu Pan is no longer the frail scholar he used to be. He is excellent in swordsmanship and not weak in riding and shooting. He can barely be regarded as both civil and military.

    Although the two of them are not in a master-disciple relationship, they still have a master-disciple relationship. Liu Jing also knows these things, so Liu Jing is worried that Liu Pan will use personal friendship to drag Huang Zhong to Nanjun.

    Seeing Huang Zhong enter the room, Liu Pan quickly stood up and saluted: "I have something important to discuss with Uncle Shi. Uncle Shi, please sit down!"

    The two of them sat down, Liu Pan took out a letter and said, "This is an autographed letter written by Mr. Qi to Uncle Shi. Uncle Shi, please read it first!"

    When Liu Pan came in, he called Huang Zhong Shishu, and Huang Zhong was quite friendly. But when he took out Liu Qi's letter and called Huang Zhong Shishu, the title changed a bit.

    Huang Zhong didn't expect that Liu Pan would come to him for this, and he would come to him specifically when Zhang Ji was not around. Huang Zhong felt a little uncomfortable.

    But he didn't say anything. He took the letter and read it slowly. The content of the letter was naturally that he hoped that Huang Zhong could move closer to Jiangling. The tone of the letter was very sincere, hoping that General Huang could respect the etiquette of the succession of the eldest son and support him.  Liu Qi is the pastor of Jingzhou.

    Huang Zhong suddenly realized that since this letter was for him, there should be another letter specifically for Liu Pan, but he didn't know what that letter said. He pondered for a while and asked: "Master Qi has established himself as the shepherd of Jingzhou."  Yet?"

    Liu Pan nodded slowly, "Master Qi has established himself as the shepherd of Jingzhou!"

    Liu Pan has always been a loyal supporter of Liu Qi. His appointment as Changsha County Magistrate was the result of Liu Qi's repeated persuasion to Liu Biao. However, Liu Pan had not experienced the independent war like Liu Jing, so Liu Pan did not have any military power and could not give Liu Qi more power.  With such substantial support, he could only find a way to persuade Huang Zhong.

    But Liu Pan also knew that Huang Zhong had a clear distinction between public and private affairs. Just as he was unwilling to stay in Jiangxia because of Liu Jing, he might not be willing to seek refuge in Jiangling because of his friendship.

    But now that Zhou Mu has died of illness, Huang Zhong has no one to be loyal to. He must make a choice, either to be loyal to Xiangyang or to Jiangling. In contrast, Liu Pan believes that Huang Zhong is willing to be loyal to Liu Qi.

    Huang Zhong thought for a while, then sighed and said: "Master Qi is certainly a benevolent master, but there is a widespread rumor in Jingzhou that he is Liu Bei's puppet. What is the difference between being loyal to him and being loyal to Liu Bei?"

    Liu Pan further advised: "It is true that Mr. Qi cannot make the decision on many things now, but to say that he is a puppet is a bit exaggerated. I think it is mainly due to the fact that Mr. Qi has no military power in his hands. As long as we are willing to be loyal to Mr. Qi, we can make him a puppet."  With soldiers, the situation will turn around. I believe Mr. Qi will break with Liu Bei one day, and then Jingzhou will surely be rejuvenated."

    Huang Zhong didn't speak for a long time. Although he did not doubt Liu Pan's desire to revive Jingzhou, he did not believe in Liu Qi's courage. If he had the courage, he would not lead the wolf into the house and let Liu Bei take charge of Nanjun.

    "Let me think about this matter again, and I will give my nephew an answer in two days."

    Huang Zhong stood up to leave. Seeing that he refused to give a clear answer, Liu Pan had no choice but to send him out. When he walked to the steps of the government office, Liu Pan bowed his head again and saluted, "I sincerely ask Uncle Shi to put the overall situation first and support Mr. Qi and his nephew."  The plan to rejuvenate Jingzhou.¡±

    "Don't worry, my dear nephew! I will consider it carefully."

    Huang Zhong urged his war horses and, escorted by dozens of soldiers, ran towards the outside of the city.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®The county seat of Changsha County is called Linxiang County, which is today's Changsha. There are 4,000 troops stationed in the military camp outside the city, and there are also 1,000 troops stationed in Xiajun County near Jiangxia.

    The military camp is located about five miles southeast of the county. It is an open land covering hundreds of acres. It is built with wooden walls. The military camp is also a brick building and has a very large training ground. However, the cavalry is relatively small. The entire army only has 300 horses.

    Huang Zhong left the city, ran all the way, and returned to the military camp soon. As soon as he arrived at the military camp, a soldier ran up and whispered to Huang Zhong. Huang Zhong was startled, quickly got off his horse, and walked quickly to his official room.  go.

    He pushed the door open and entered the room, only to see a man standing by the wall with his hands behind his back, looking at the map on the wall. Huang Zhong couldn't hold back his excitement and said with a smile, "When did the young master come here?"

    When the man turned around, it was Liu Jing. Although Jia Xu suggested that Zhou Buyi or Liu Min come to see Huang Zhong, Liu Jing finally decided to come in person to persuade Huang Zhong. Only coming in person could show his sincerity.

    Liu Jing stepped forward and bowed deeply, "See you, old general!"

    Huang Zhong hurriedly replied, "I don't dare to take it seriously. Huang Hansheng has met Mr. Jing."

    Although Huang Zhong was the teacher who taught Liu Jing archery, Huang Zhong did not want Liu Jing to regard him as his teacher. This was because Liu Jing's status was not suitable for him to be his teacher. In that case, it would be difficult for them to get along.

    Huang Zhong complained a little: "Why didn't you say anything before you came so that I could send troops to respond? Otherwise, if you were in danger on the way, I couldn't bear the responsibility."

    Liu Jing understood Huang Zhong's worries, and said with a smile: "I have five hundred soldiers guarding me, but the soldiers are stationed twenty miles away. Please don't worry, old general, I won't be careless."

    "That's good, I'm relieved."

    Huang Zhong asked Liu Jing to sit down and ordered the soldiers to serve tea. Of course Huang Zhong knew why Liu Jing came, but some things were not clear before he could not express his position. Huang Zhong first asked tentatively: "Young Master invites Jiangdong to come.  Have you paid your respects?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "I have sent people to Jiangdong to report the funeral. Jiangdong should come to Jiangxia to pay his respects."

    "Why not go to Xiangyang?"

    Liu Jing shook his head, "Xiangyang will not allow Jiangdong's envoys to enter the city. Besides, Jingzhou's state government will be in Wuchang, so there is no point in going to Xiangyang."

    "The state government of Jingzhou will be in Wuchang." This sentence made Huang Zhong's head explode. The meaning of this sentence could not be clearer. Liu Jing wanted to establish himself as the pastor of Jingzhou.

    After a moment of silence, Huang Zhong finally couldn't help but ask: "Does the Young Master also want to compete with his two brothers for the position of Prefectural Shepherd?"

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "It's not that I want to compete for the position of Jingzhou Shepherd, but that the emperor wants to make me the Jingzhou Shepherd. Besides, these are my uncle's last words before he died. I can be regarded as fulfilling a wish for my uncle!"

    Huang Zhong knew that Liu Jing had a large number of prisoners of war from Cao's army, and it was easy to gain the support of the court and the emperor. However, Liu Biao's last words were that Liu Jing should succeed him, which really surprised Huang Zhong.

    "What do you say, Master? Zhou Mu's last words are for the Master to succeed to the throne?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "Before my uncle died, there were five people in the room. Except for Mrs. Zhou Mu and Mr. Cong, the other three were Cai Mao, Kuai Yue and Liu Xian. At that time, the five people heard clearly, and my uncle changed his mind.  , Only by letting my nephew Liu Jing inherit Jingzhou as the shepherd can we keep Jingzhou. I heard this from Mr. Cong himself when I was paying homage to my uncle¡¯s spirit, and General Wenpin was also present.¡±

    Huang Zhong was in a state of confusion. It turned out that Zhou Mu actually wanted Liu Jing to succeed him as Jingzhou Mu. The succession of the two Liu brothers was illegal. Of course he believed Liu Jing's words. As Liu Jing, he would not make up such absurd statements.  Come and lie to him.

    At this time, Liu Jing took out Liu Xian's blood letter and handed it to Huang Zhong, "This is the blood letter Liu Biejia wrote before he was assassinated by Cai Hao. Old General, please take a look!"

    Huang Zhong took the blood letter and read it silently. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Liu Jing said what should be said and did what was done. The following is Huang Zhong's own choice.

    Liu Jing stood up, took out a letter and put it on the table, "This is a letter from General Wenpin to the old general. Please read it, old general! I will wait for the old general's decision at the temporary station."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing left, and Huang Zhong was the only one left in the room. He put down Wenpin's letter and walked slowly to the window, looking at the setting sun like blood. His heart could not calm down for a long time. Wenpin's words seemed to echo in his ears,  "Since Wen Zhongye is a minister, he should preserve his foundation, be loyal to his legacy, and die. Han Sheng is a veteran general in Jingzhou. How he makes his choice is everyone's attention. I hope Han Sheng will not make it difficult for the late master to rest in peace."  £®  £®  £®  £®  ¡¯

    Huang Zhong let out a long sigh. Wen Pin was willing to be a loyal and righteous minister, so how could Huang Zhong betray his former lord and do unjust things?

    Thinking of this, Huang Zhong immediately ordered: "Ready your horses immediately!"

      Huang Zhong, escorted by more than a dozen soldiers, arrived at Liu Jing's temporary residence. Liu Jing had received the news and went out to greet him personally.

    Huang Zhong turned over and dismounted, stepped forward quickly, took off his armor, exposed his left arm and knelt in front of Liu Jing. He bowed respectfully and said, "I, Huang Zhong, will bear in mind the legacy of the late master and wish to serve you as your master and as your master."  Go through fire and water, and die!"

    Liu Jing hurriedly helped him up and couldn't help crying with joy, "When I was in Wuchang, my biggest wish was to hope that the old general would stay and help me. I didn't expect that I would finally wait for this day. The martyr is in his old age and has great ambitions. I will definitely watch it  The moment when the old general became famous in China."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 282 Trip to Changsha

    At night, Liu Jing paced back and forth in his tent, feeling unable to calm down for a long time. Huang Zhong's loyalty really made him feel extremely excited, and also made him complete the final step of Jingzhou's layout.

    At this time, he no longer cares whether Wang Wei will stay or go. If Wang Wei is willing to join him, he will certainly welcome it. If Wang Wei wants to join Liu Bei, he will have no regrets. The acquisition of Wenpin and Huang Zhong will undoubtedly make him even more powerful, especially Huang Zhong  , can completely stand alone in Changsha County and resist Liu Bei's eastward invasion in Nanjun.

    At this time, a soldier loudly announced outside the tent: "General Tiger is back!"

    Liu Jing perked up and said quickly: "Let him in!"

    After a while, Liu Hu strode into the camp. This time Liu Hu and Liu Jing went south to Changsha together. His main task was to persuade his brother Liu Pan to support Jiangxia.

    "How is it? Has your brother agreed?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Liu Hu shook his head and said with a frustrated face: "I persuaded him to return to Jiangxia, but he persuaded me to go to Nanjun with him. I had a big quarrel with him, and we ended up unhappy."

    "Is your brother planning to go to Nanjun?"

    "That's what he sounded like! He seemed to be in a hurry to leave."

    In fact, Liu Jing didn¡¯t have much hope for Liu Pan. He knew that Liu Pan was a staunch supporter of Liu Qi, so asking Liu Hu to persuade his brother was largely to give Liu Hu an explanation.

    Liu Jing knew in her heart that Huang Zhong should have given Liu Pan a clear answer. Liu Pan knew that he was showing up in Xiang County, and he knew that there was no hope, so he was anxious to leave.

    Liu Hu was very worried about his brother's safety, and said: "How about I lead some brothers to intercept him halfway and take him to Jiangxia by force?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "There's no need for this. It's not sweet to force yourself. Don't force him anymore. He doesn't have much influence on me, so just let him go!"

    Liu Jing saw Liu Hu bowing his head and saying nothing. He knew that this guy was honest on the surface, but in his heart he was like Ming Jing. He was afraid that he had plotted against Liu Pan.

    Liu Jing stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, smiling and saying: "Go! Your brother is actually my brother. I believe he will give up Liu Qi and return to Jiangxia one day. Let us look forward to that day together."

    Liu Hu nodded silently, gave a salute and turned around to go down. Only then did Liu Jing ask the soldier at the door of the tent, "What's the matter?"

    "Reporting to the prefect, Prefect Zhang of Changsha wants to see you!"

    Liu Jing was startled and said quickly: "Please come quickly!"

    He didn¡¯t have time to wait and ran out to greet him in person. Zhang Ji actually came, which was beyond his expectation.

    Zhang Ji is Zhang Zhongjing, who is known as the medical sage in later generations. He went to the countryside to inspect today, but unexpectedly heard that Liu Jing had arrived, and hurried over. Although Zhang Ji and Liu Jing were both prefects, one prefect was not the other, and they could not  In parallel.

    If divided by factions, Zhang Ji is a non-party person. He has nothing to do with any faction. He has no intention of officialdom at all. He just wants to help the world and save the sick, but he has been the governor of Changsha for six years.

    But if we must link him with the current Jingzhou faction, Zhang Ji is slightly biased towards Liu Bei. This is because the Nanyang Huang family has a deep personal relationship with him, and under the influence of Huang Chengyan, Zhang Ji naturally also developed a friendship with Liu Bei.

    However, Zhang Ji has no intention of pursuing an official career, so this factional power struggle naturally has nothing to do with him. Zhang Ji is more concerned about the fate of Changsha County at this time. He does not want a war to break out in the place where he has lived and governed for six years.

    While Zhang Ji and his friends were waiting in confusion, Liu Jing came out with a smile on her face and said, "Mr. Zhang has been waiting for a long time!"

    Zhang Jigong cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Zhong Jing has heard the name of the young master for many years, but today is the first time we meet him."

    "But I have heard of Mr. Zhang for a long time. To be honest, I also want to ask Mr. Zhang to treat his illness!"

    Zhang Ji chuckled, "It is also an honor for me to be able to treat the young master."

    "Mr. Zhang please!"

    Liu Jing invited Zhang Zhongjing into the big tent. The two of them were seated separately. A soldier served tea. Zhang Ji smiled and said, "I went to the countryside today and heard that an army came from Linxiang County. I am in a hurry."  I hurried back, but met Mr. Pan on the way back to the city, and then I realized that Mr. Jing was here. "

    "Why, don't you welcome me, Mr. Zhang?" Liu Jing asked jokingly.

    "Of course not, Mr. Jing is here for Old General Huang!"

    Liu Jing nodded. He didn't want to deny this fact that everyone knew, but Changsha County was also very important to him, otherwise he wouldn't have plotted against Han Xuan halfway.

    "Actually, it's not all for General Huang. I hope Changsha County can make a smooth transition and avoid a battle."

    Zhang Ji agreed in his heart. He least wanted a war to break out in Changsha County. In fact, for him, it didn¡¯t matter who occupied Changsha County, whether it was Liu Jing, Liu Qi or Liu Cong. The key was not?A war breaks out, harming innocent people.

    After pondering for a moment, Zhang Ji asked, "I wonder how you plan to ensure that there will be no war in Changsha County?"

    "I plan to let General Huang continue to garrison Changsha. With General Huang's reputation in Jingzhou, no one dares to attack Changsha easily. Zhang Gong has served as the governor of Changsha for many years and is deeply loved. Liu Jing sincerely asks to continue to serve as the governor."

    Although Zhang Ji doesn't like officialdom, he understands its affairs. Liu Jing invited him to continue to serve as the prefect just to borrow his reputation and make him a nominal prefect. Liu Jing would actually send someone to take charge of Changsha County and serve as the prefect.  The position of Prime Minister.

    Zhang Ji also knew in his heart that if he returned to Xiangyang, he would also be forced to serve by Cai Mao. It would be better to be a nominal governor in Changsha County and have freedom at the same time. But the key is who is the county magistrate. If they get along well, it will be fine.  It doesn't matter, I'm afraid that if you send someone who is difficult to get along with, life will be difficult in the future.

    Zhang Ji did not reply directly to Liu Jing. He asked again: "Master Pan has left. I wonder who he plans to send to take over the post of county magistrate?"

    Liu Jing certainly understood the profound meaning of Zhang Jiwen's words. He thought for a while and said with a smile: "If nothing happens, Pang Shanmin will be appointed as Changsha County Magistrate."

    Zhang Ji suddenly felt relieved. He had a very good relationship with Mr. Pang De. He had known Pang Shanmin since he was a boy. He was a humble and low-key man with good character and talent. He was also quite capable in his work. However, he lacked experience. As long as he was diligent in government affairs, both of them would be successful.  After three years, he will be trained to become a capable minister and good official.

    Thinking of this, Zhang Ji laughed, "Zhong Jing is lucky to be able to work with the mountain people!"

    After settling the ownership and arrangement of Changsha County, Liu Jing felt relieved. He smiled and said: "After talking about official matters, let's talk about private matters. I have been married for three years and still have no children. It has become a big headache.  My wife is also under great pressure, so she wants to seek medical advice from Mr. Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Ji stroked his beard and laughed, "Uncle Liu Huang came to me three years ago to seek medical treatment for his childlessness. I have been studying it with great concentration in the past two years and have gained a lot of experience. Uncle Liu also has a son. If Mr. Jing can stay longer,  Maybe I can find a cure."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed, stood up and bowed deeply, "Everything is done, Mr. Zhang!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Starting from mid-April, Cao Cao's army marched north. After resting in Yixian for nearly half a month, he followed Guo Jia's suggestion, abandoned the heavy baggage vehicles, used tens of thousands of horses to transport grain and grass, and led an army of more than 200,000 lightly armed  Advancing towards Liaodong, moving quickly all the way.

    Soon, the army arrived at Wuzhong County, which is today's Ji County, Hebei Province. It was early summer, and heavy rains poured down for several days, making it impossible for the army to march, so they had to temporarily station in Wuzhong County.

    In the big tent, Cao Cao paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking worried. On the one hand, he was worried about the unfavorable outcome of his expedition. He led his army lightly and only brought more than ten days of dry food. Now he has been delayed for five days in Wuzhong County.  Heaven, the army's food and grass have been exhausted, so even if they reach Liaodong, his army will starve to death.

    At the same time, Cao Cao was also extremely worried about the battle situation in Jingzhou. The latest information he got was that the Jiangxia cavalry only made a symbolic trip around the Central Plains before turning to Nanyang. Although this made him feel relieved, he was also worried about Cao Ren.  He was worried that Cao Ren would not be able to resist Jingzhou's trick to lure troops and attack hastily.

    Fortunately, there is Jia Xu in the army. I hope Cao Ren can follow Jia Xu's advice and focus on stability. He must not only protect Nanyang, but also deter Jingzhou and lay the foundation for his next southern expedition.

    At this time, Cheng Yu hurriedly walked into the main tent and said: "Prime Minister, I have just inspected the rear camp. The food and grass are close, and I am afraid I can only support it for three days."

    Cao Cao was surprised, "Didn't you say you can still hold on for five days?"

    Cheng Yu shook his head, "It's because the grain officer made a mistake in accounting. The grain and grass in the account are inconsistent with the actual situation. I personally took inventory and can only support it for three days at most."

    Cao Cao was furious, "How dare you bully me, you stupid official? Come here!"

    Several soldiers rushed over, and Cao Cao ordered: "Behead all ten grain officials!"

    The soldiers rushed away, and Cao Cao forcibly suppressed his anger, and said worriedly to Cheng Yu: "Zhongde, there is insufficient food and grass, what should we do? Do you want me to withdraw our troops?"

    Cheng Yu sighed, "The only solution now is to kill the horses. This will not only reduce fodder consumption, but also fill up the food supply with horse meat. It may last for a few more days. If the rain doesn't stop, we can only prepare to withdraw."

    Cao Cao slowly walked to the big tent, looking at the continuous heavy rain outside the tent, his brows knitted into a straight line. At this moment, someone hurriedly followed the soldiers in the rain.

    "Prime Minister, Tian Sikong is here!"

    Cao Cao perked up and said quickly: "Invite him in quickly!"

    After a while, a middle-aged man wearing a raincoat and a bamboo hat walked quickly into the tent. This man's name was Tian Chou, who was originally the shepherd of Youzhou, Liu Yu.?, and later became an official under Yuan Shao. After Yuan Shao's defeat, he lived in seclusion.

    Guo Jia knew that he was very familiar with the terrain of Youzhou, so he recommended him to Cao Cao as a guide. Cao Cao also heard that he was outstanding in learning, so he named him Sikonghu Caoyu and used him as a guide.

    Tian Chou went out to check the terrain and just came back. When he entered the tent, he bowed deeply and said, "I'm sorry to see you, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao hurriedly asked: "Is there any news?"

    "There is news, please allow me to report it one by one."

    Cao Cao didn't rush him anymore. He ordered someone to take him to change into dry clothes, drink a bowl of ginger soup to make him feel cold, and then took him to the account.

    Cao Cao sighed and said, "Does it rain like this every year in Wuzhong County? It doesn't stop for several days at a time."

    Tian Chou saluted and said with a slight smile: "In the past, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were trapped here in the rain for more than twenty days. Although this is not the case every year, there will always be a continuous heavy rain every two or three years. This time it happened to be  The Prime Minister encountered it, but white fog has appeared in Yanshan Mountain. There is a saying here that "when the fog rises in the mountains, the heavy rain stops." The heavy rain should stop tomorrow."

    Cao Cao was overjoyed, "This is a blessing for our army!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 283 Northern Attack on Wuhuan

    "Going northeast from Wuzhong County to Liucheng, between Yanshan Mountain and the sea, there is a narrow passage in western Liaoning that is about hundreds of miles long. The narrowest point is only two or three miles. There is only one official road to go north, and there is not even a small road."

    In the big tent, Tian Chou stood in front of a map and introduced the road to the north to Cao Cao and several counselors. He carefully drew a winding official road with charcoal and circled a circle in the narrow part. This official road  It is the Liaoxi Corridor in later generations, and the narrowest circle is Shanhaiguan.

    "This official road has been in disrepair for a long time. Every summer and autumn, there is always water accumulation in many places, making it difficult for vehicles and horses to pass. But this time it has been raining heavily for several days, and the water accumulation will be more serious. It is estimated that the depth can carry boats. More importantly,  , Wuhuan cavalry knew that the Prime Minister's army was approaching, and had already stationed heavy troops in dangerous places. I am afraid that the Prime Minister will no longer be able to go northward by taking the official route. "

    After a period of contact, Cao Cao knew that Tian Chou was a very down-to-earth person who rarely made exaggerated remarks. Since he said this, it must be serious, which left Cao Cao at a loss.

    Next to him, Cheng Yu saw through Tian Chou and said with a smile: "I feel that Tian Sikong is confident, so there must be other ways to go."

    Cao Cao perked up and complained a little: "Since Mr. Tian has a good plan, why didn't he tell me earlier and make me worry for a long time?"

    Tian Chou blushed and quickly apologized. He used charcoal to draw a long black line northward in Xuwu County and said to Cao Cao: "The original Youbeiping County headquarters was located in Pinggang. To communicate with the Central Plains, you have to pass through Yanshan Mountain.  An official road was built to the north of Xuwu County, but now the river has surged and the river valley has been flooded. "

    Even though Cao Cao was calm, he couldn't help but ask: "What should I do if the river valley is flooded?"

    "Prime Minister, don't worry. I went to explore this river valley two days ago. Fortunately, it didn't rain north of Yanshan Mountain, but only south of Yanshan Mountain. Then we can go to Xuwu Mountain from the south and take the hilly mountain road to bypass the swollen river section."

    Tian Chou drew another long line with charcoal and said to everyone: "After walking out of the Xu Wushan hills, you will reach Lulongsai. After passing through the hundred-mile-long Ru River Valley, you will cross Yanshan Mountain, and then continue to the northeast, passing through Pinggang Old County and  The total length of this section of the road, the former home of the Xianbei Royal Court, is about 800 miles.

    But after Guangwu, this road was abandoned. It has been more than two hundred years since then, but traces of the road can be vaguely discerned. Going out from this road is just behind Liucheng. The enemy is unprepared and can be captured in a battle.  "

    Cao Cao nodded slowly, "If it weren't for Mr. Tian, ??I would have returned in vain during this northern expedition!"

    Cheng Yu frowned and walked eight hundred miles over mountains and ridges. This would take at least half a month. How to solve the problem of food? He couldn't help but remind Cao Cao, "We don't have much food and grass. Even if we kill horses, we can only hold on for seven or eight."  day."

    Tian Chou laughed and said, "Seven or eight days are enough. After Yanshan Mountain is the grassland. Over there is the pasture of the Xianbei people. There are many sheep, so there is no need to worry about food and grass."

    Cao Cao was relieved and made a decisive decision: "We will leave as soon as the rain stops!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    That night, the rain began to decrease. Early the next morning, the heavy rain that had been falling for nearly ten days stopped. Cao Cao was overjoyed and pretended to withdraw his troops and took a detour to Xu Wushan.

    He also ordered Zhang Liao to lead an army of 30,000 as the vanguard. Under the leadership of Tian Chou, he cleared the way across the mountains and built bridges when encountering water. The army marched northward along a deserted road that had been abandoned for two hundred years.

    Two days later, a group of Wuhuan cavalry scouts arrived at lightning speed. They found the place where Cao's army was stationed. The army had withdrawn. At the station of the commander's tent, the cavalry found a wooden sign with a line on it: 'It's summer now.  The road was impassable, and in autumn and winter, we resumed our march.  ¡¯ The signature was none other than Cao Cao.

    The Wuhuan cavalry suddenly felt like they had found a treasure, and they pulled out the wooden signs and went back to resume their orders. The Wuhuan people thought that Cao's army had withdrawn, and they all rejoiced, singing and dancing to celebrate, and their defenses became relaxed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Wuhuan are an ancient nomadic people on the grassland. They were originally a branch of the Donghu people. The Donghu people failed when they competed with the Xiongnu for the Mobei grassland. The Donghu people were forced to move to the vicinity of Wuhuan Mountain in the north of Liaodong and changed their name to Wuhuan.

    After hundreds of years of development, Wuhuan has taken root in Liaodong area. By the end of Han Dynasty.  Wuhuan gradually became stronger under the leadership of Yu Tadun.

    At this time, there was great chaos in the late Han Dynasty, warlords were separatist, and the Central Plains was in chaos. The Wuhuan cavalry took the opportunity to invade the Central Plains and plunder property and people.

    Even if Yuan Shao occupied Hebei and had hundreds of thousands of soldiers, he would not dare to fall out with Wuhuan, so he could only win over the various tribes of Wuhuan by means of marriage.

    After the Battle of Guandu, the Yuan family gradually perished. In the tenth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao defeated Yuan's remnant army. Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi led thousands of remnants to flee to Liaodong and defected to the Wuhuan people.

    As soon as Wuhuan Shanyu found a treasure, he prepared to invade Hebei on a large scale under the pretext of restoring the rule of Hebei for the Yuan family.

      Liucheng, this is where Wuhuan's Shanyu Yazhang is located. Like other nomadic peoples, Wuhuan is also composed of dozens of tribes, large and small, and is known as one hundred thousand armored cavalry.

    Near Liucheng, the three largest tribes of Wuhuan lived, with a population of 300,000, including 100,000 Han slaves. With the Great Chanyu as the center, their tents expanded to the surrounding areas, covering hundreds of miles in radius.  There are tens of thousands of domes.

    At this time, a banquet was being held in the banquet tent. With the sound of drums and music, a group of Wuhuan girls wearing gorgeous silk robes danced. Dozens of Wuhuan generals with rosy faces were eating meat and drinking wine, laughing roughly and harshly.  The laughter echoed in the banquet tent, almost overwhelming the sound of the drums.

    On the other side of the banquet, brothers Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang were frowning. The Wuhuan people originally vowed to help them retake Hebei and boasted about how powerful the Wuhuan cavalry was. But when they heard that Cao Cao was leading an army to the north, they immediately became nervous.  extremely.

    At this time, Cao Cao withdrew his troops back to the Central Plains. They were rejoicing again and drinking and celebrating every day. They had been celebrating for almost half a month. This showed that they were afraid of Cao Cao. Ten years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wuhuan was defeated by Cao Cao, and they were afraid of Cao Cao's army.  Now it's just words to be fierce.

    What makes the two brothers even more depressed is that two years have passed and the Wuhuan people have always stood still. Could it be that they just made an empty promise to them?

    "Second brother!"

    Yuan Shang whispered to Yuan Xi: "I think the Wuhuan people are unreliable. They only want to rob women and property. They have no sincerity at all to restore our country. Instead of waiting here to wait for our country, it is better to look for opportunities to vote for Xiangping and Gongsun Kang."

    Yuan Xi took a sip from the large bowl filled with kumiss, pondered for a moment and said, "Do you know what I have in mind? I want to borrow five thousand Wuhuan cavalry to attack Goguryeo and destroy Goguryeo and Silla. We have it."  foundation.¡±

    "Can Tadun be willing to borrow troops?"

    "Give him benefits, give him half of Goguryeo's population and treasury property, and he will agree. This person only cares about benefits, but it is actually easy to handle."

    At this time, a burst of harsh laughter came from the side, "What are you two brothers discussing quietly? Tell it and let everyone listen."

    The person who spoke was none other than Shanyu Tadun. He was about forty years old. He was tall and majestic, with a big beard. His eyes were small and cunning. No matter in spring, summer, autumn or winter, he always wore a hat on his head.  Black bear skin Tuhun hat.

    When he was young, Tadun was known as the first warrior of Wuhuan. He could fight tigers and bears. He was so powerful that he could wield a sixty-pound mace. He succeeded him as the Great Chanyu when he was twenty years old.  More than ten years.

    He led the Wuhuan people to continuously plunder the Han people. With the transfer of population and wealth, the Wuhuan people gradually became stronger.

    He had been paying attention to the Yuan brothers, and when he saw the two of them whispering to each other with serious expressions on their faces, he felt a little unhappy in his heart, "Speak out and let me listen too."

    Yuan Xi stood up, saluted and said with a smile: "We are analyzing Cao Cao's plan. This man has a very deep scheming. He said that retreat may be a delaying strategy to confuse us. Maybe he has secretly used troops."

    Tadun burst out laughing, "How could he use his troops secretly? It rained heavily for several days, and the roads were rotten and filled with water. It took a lot of effort for my cavalry to cross the water pit. They had hundreds of thousands of soldiers."  How to move the army and what to do with the baggage and food? Mr. Xi, you are too worried."

    "What if he comes from another way?" Yuan Shang couldn't help but ask.

    "Did he spread his wings and fly here?"

    Tadun said something joking, and the big tent burst into laughter.

    At this moment, a soldier rushed in and reported: "Reporting to the Great Chanyu, Cao Cao's hundreds of thousands of troops have been discovered a hundred miles away to the west, and they are coming towards us in a mighty manner!"

    The people in the tent were stunned for a moment. Cao Jun really flew over with wings. Suddenly, Tadun slammed the wine bowl and shouted: "Let our army kill them! Pass my order, all men put on armor and mount their horses."  , prepare to face Cao Jun!"

    After nearly half a month of arduous march, Cao Cao's army of 100,000 finally arrived a hundred miles away from Shanyu Yazhang. They had been encountering small tribes of Wuhuan people, killing and looting, and seizing their sheep for military food.

    Cao Cao's army set out from Wuzhong County with an army of 200,000. It encountered three heavy rains along the way and suffered from hunger and cold. Many soldiers fell ill and the attrition was very serious. Even Cheng Yu fell ill. Cao Cao had no choice but to reorganize his army in Pinggang.  Leaving the sick and weak army to rest, he personally led 100,000 elite troops to continue the eastern expedition.

    That afternoon, Cao Cao had already seen the White Wolf Mountain from a distance. It was a small mountain range that stretched for more than a hundred miles. It was high in the south and low in the north. What Cao Cao saw now was the remnants of the White Wolf Mountain, which was almost a round, low and gentle mountain.  The hills are hundreds of feet high and have a gentle slope. The cavalry can ride directly to the top of the mountain.

    At this time, a scout rushed towards Cao CaoCome and report in a loud voice: "Prime Minister, the scouts in front have discovered the main force of Wuhuan, about 50,000 people, all cavalry, running towards this way, about thirty miles away from us."

    Next to him, General Xu Huang was a little surprised and said: "Didn't Wuhuan claim to have 100,000 armored cavalry? Why are there only more than 50,000?"

    Cao Cao sneered, "The Wuhuan tribes are scattered all over the place. Most of them are hundreds of people apart. It will take at least ten days and a half to assemble the troops. How can we make it in time? This should be their tribal cavalry in Yazhang. Tadun will be here  Among them, pass my order and the army will speed up the march and seize Bailang Mountain."

    One hundred thousand Cao's troops were very close to Bailang Mountain. Not long after, Cao's army occupied Bailang Mountain. One hundred thousand troops were densely packed all over the mountain. At this time, they saw the overwhelming cavalry coming from the distance. The yellow dust covered the sky and the sun.  The sound of horse hooves rumbled across the sky like muffled thunder, and the earth shook, as if even the mountains were shaking.

    This kind of momentum shocked Cao Jun, and many people had a look of fear in their eyes. Most of them were infantry, and there were only four thousand cavalry. How could they defeat five thousand cavalry? Even many generals began to feel uneasy.

    Cao Cao stared indifferently at the cavalry who had arrived at the foot of the mountain. He had experienced hundreds of battles and was extremely experienced. He couldn't help but sneered and asked Zhang Liao beside him: "Did Wen Yuan discover Hu Qi's weakness?"

    Zhang Liao nodded and said in a deep voice: "Their team is disorganized and has no structure at all. It is like a mob that has just been put together. It only looks huge because of the large number of people. This kind of army relies solely on one go and cannot bear to fight for a long time and waver even slightly."  It will be a big defeat.¡±

    "You are right, they are just a mob. They were herdsmen in the morning, and now they have formed a temporary army. They are nothing to be afraid of!"

    Cao Cao turned around and shouted: "Where are Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Xu Chu, Zhang He and Xiahou Dun?"

    The five generals stepped forward to receive the order. Cao Cao took off his golden armor and said to the generals: "You can each lead an army of 20,000 and kill down the mountain. Be the first to kill Tadun. Give him this armor, and then send orders to the three armies.  Anyone who kills an enemy will be rewarded with ten acres of land, five thousand coins, and tax exemption for his family for one year, regardless of the upper limit. "

    "Follow the order!"

    Everyone shouted orders, geared up, and each went to lead the army. Half an hour later, Cao Cao divided his troops into five groups and killed them down Bailang Mountain. One hundred thousand Cao Cao soldiers fought bravely to take the lead, slashing at Wuhuan like five sharp swords.  Cavalry group.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 284 Bad News from Nanyang

    As expected by Cao Cao and Zhang Liao, the Wuhuan cavalry only lasted less than half an hour before collapsing under the fierce attack of Cao Cao's five-pronged army.

    For a time, the Wuhuan army was defeated like a mountain. Everyone on the Wuhuan cavalry rushed to escape. They were killed by Cao's army, leaving corpses scattered all over the field and blood flowing into rivers. The great Shanyu Tadun was beheaded by Zhang Liao in the chaos.

    Cao Cao then ordered to continue the pursuit. Cao Cao's army chased for more than fifty miles, and countless people surrendered along the way. Cao Cao fought all the way into Wuhuan Yazhang.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Within two days, Cao's army captured more than 200,000 Wuhuan men and women and Han slaves, and completely destroyed the Wuhuan tribe.

    In front of King Wuhuan¡¯s tent, various trophies piled up like mountains, and millions of cattle and sheep were seized. Nearly 80,000 shi of grain were also found in Liucheng, which completely solved Cao¡¯s army¡¯s food problem.

    Cao Cao stood in front of the king's tent, feeling extremely proud. Defeating Wuhuan this time not only solved his worries, but more importantly, he conquered the Huru in the north and established unparalleled martial arts, which was enough to make him famous for generations.

    "Prime Minister!"

    General Xu Chu came galloping on horseback. Behind him was a beautiful young woman on a horse. Xu Chu got off his horse, pointed at the woman and said with a smile, "This is the daughter of Tadun. She was promised to Yuan Shang as his wife, and she is known as Wuhuan."  The most beautiful woman, I would like to offer it to the Prime Minister to sleep with her.¡±

    Cao Cao chuckled. He was not very interested in Hu Nu, so he smiled at Xu Chu and said, "I will reward you with this girl."

    Xu Chu was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, Prime Minister, for the reward!"

    Cao Cao nodded and asked, "What are the whereabouts of Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang?"

    This was what Cao Cao was most concerned about. Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang were extremely cunning. When Wuhuan's defeat first appeared, they led more than 2,000 men and fled westward, leaving Cao's army unable to pursue them.

    Xu Chu sighed and said: "I tortured the people in their mansion because of my humble position. Some people said that Yuan Xi had contact with Gongsun Kang of Xiangping. They probably fled to Xiangping."

    It is certain to flee to Xiangping. Now the two Yuans have nowhere to go except to go to Gongsun Kang. Guo Jia had expected this before sending out troops. Cao Cao felt a twinge in his heart when he thought that Guo Jia had died of illness in Yi County.

    "What's wrong, Prime Minister?" Xu Chu asked uneasily when he noticed that Cao Cao's face was pale.

    "I'm fine, go ahead! I want to take a rest."

    Cao Cao turned around and walked into the tent. Xu Chu immediately ordered his soldiers to take Tadun's daughter to his tent. Xu Chu stood in front of Cao Cao's tent with a knife to protect Cao Cao while he rested.

    Not long after, a dozen cavalrymen came running from a distance, surrounding a scribe. When the visitor came closer, it turned out to be Cheng Yu. He looked sick and had not yet recovered, but there was anxiety in his eyes.

    Cheng Yu turned over and stepped forward immediately: "Xu Xiaowei, I have something urgent to see the Prime Minister!"

    Cheng Yu saw Xu Chu standing in front of the tent with a knife, and knew that if he wanted to see the prime minister, he had to pass Xu Chu's test. Seeing that Xu Chu was not moving, he urged: "General Xu, please inform the prime minister."

    Xu Chu shook his head, "My lord is feeling unwell and needs to rest. Mr. Cheng, please take a rest as well!"

    "But I have something urgent to do, Lieutenant Xu, don't miss it." When Cheng Yu saw Xu Chu's pushback, anger suddenly rose in his heart.

    Xu Chu tightened his lips and said nothing. At this moment, Cao Cao's voice came from the tent, "Let Mr. Cheng come in!"

    Xu Chu stepped aside, Cheng Yu glared at Xu Chu fiercely, and quickly walked into the tent. Inside the tent, Cao Cao was half lying on a couch made of fine old rattan, with his eyes slightly closed.  Seems quite tired.

    Cheng Yu hesitated for a moment. He realized that Xu Chu's words did make sense. The prime minister was not in good spirits now. Is it appropriate to tell him about Jingzhou?

    Cao Cao felt Cheng Yu's hesitation, and his half-closed eyes suddenly opened, staring at him sharply, "What happened?"

    Cheng Yu had no choice but to take out a letter and hand it to Cao Cao, "The battle report from Nanyang has been sent urgently. Please take a look at it, the prime minister."

    Cao Cao took the battle report, tore open the envelope several times, and took out the letter inside. He was most worried about the battle situation in Jingzhou. Xiahou Dun was defeated miserably back then. Can Cao Ren defeat the enemy now?

    He hurriedly read the letter and was stunned. More than half of the more than 40,000 troops were lost. Cao Hong and Li Dian were captured, and Le Jin was killed. Cao Cao suddenly felt an unbearable cramp in his heart. He screamed and spurted blood.  came out and fainted immediately

    After a full hour, Cao Cao gradually came to his senses. Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Xiahou Dun and other more than a dozen generals rushed to the tent. They whispered anxiously in the outer tent.

    Cheng Yu sat in the corner and secretly blamed himself. Only then did he realize that the Prime Minister was hurting about Guo Jia's death, but he made it worse for him. He really shouldn't have done it.

    You Yue Jin followed the Prime Minister when he raised his army and was loyal to him. Now he is killed in Xinye. The Prime MinisterHow could he not feel sad? Cheng Yu was filled with annoyance.

    At this time, the military doctor opened the curtain, Xu Chu helped Cao Cao sit up, and all the generals gathered around him, asking in all directions: "Is the prime minister feeling better?" His words were full of concern.

    Cao Cao waved his hand, "Zhongde, please come here!"

    The generals retreated one after another. Cheng Yu stepped forward, took Cao Cao's hand and said apologetically: "I shouldn't disturb the Prime Minister."

    "What does this have to do with you? It's Cao Zixiao who failed to live up to expectations and failed to live up to my trust."

    Cao Cao sighed, "If he was unfavorable in the battle and lost the battle, I wouldn't blame him. The key is that he hid other information from me, which makes me sad."

    "Prime Minister, do you think General Cao Ren has something to hide?"

    "Why didn't he mention Wen He in the military report? He said that he defeated Cai Mao's army, and also said that Liu Biao died of illness. Mao Jie misinformed the enemy and fell into Liu Jing's trick of luring troops. Why was it Mao Jie and not Wen He?  Don¡¯t you think there are a lot of things hidden in this?¡±

    Cheng Yu was silent, he also thought that something happened to Jia Xu, and it must be related to the Cao brothers. It was actually unwise for the prime minister to send Jia Xu to assist the Cao brothers.

    ¡°Perhaps the prime minister wanted to take this opportunity to ease the conflict between them, but the hatred of killing his nephew cannot be resolved so easily.

    Cao Cao sighed again and said to the generals: "When Liu Jingsheng dies of illness, internal strife will inevitably break out in Jingzhou. This is a great opportunity, but we are trapped in Liaodong, so you have lost the opportunity to defeat Jingxiang."

    At this time, Zhang Liao stepped forward and bowed: "With Liu Biao's death, internal strife in Jingzhou is inevitable. Even if the prime minister withdraws his troops and returns to the Central Plains, the soldiers will need to rest for several months. In fact, what my subordinates are worried about is that the threat from Nanyang is lifted, and Liu Jing will take the opportunity to go north from Anlu County.  , attacking Runan and Yingchuan, which shocked the Central Plains, my subordinates suggested that we withdraw our troops back to Yixian first, rest and reorganize our troops, and wait and see the situation in the Central Plains. "

    As soon as Zhang Liao said this, everyone objected. Xiahou Dun said: "Wen Yuan was surprised by what he said. To cut off the grass, we must root out the roots. How can we let the two Yuans go? Liu will become the root of the disaster. We should immediately send troops to pursue and force Gongsun Kang to hand over the two Yuans. Otherwise,  , attack and destroy together with Xiangping."

    The generals in the tent all agreed with Xiahou Dun's words, and Cao Cao asked Cheng Yu, "What do Zhongde think?"

    Cheng Yu pondered for a moment and said: "Gongsun Kangliang is outnumbered and has no ambition. With him, he can block Goguryeo's ambitions. It is not necessary to attack him. But Yuan and Yuan really cannot let them go. They can only kill them two. Yuan  Only then will the old Hebei tribe be completely dissipated, and the prime minister can send envoys to Xiangping."

    Cao Cao smiled slightly, "This time I adopted Wen Yuan's strategy and passed on my order. The army rested and reorganized, and the troops were withdrawn back to Yixian in five days."

    Everyone was stunned, but they did not dare to persuade Cao Cao anymore, so they had to leave one after another. Cao Cao stopped Cao Chun and told him: "I see that the Wuhuan cavalry are skilled in riding and shooting, and their personal combat effectiveness is very strong. It is a pity that they have no training. You can start from  Recruit 10,000 soldiers from the surrendered army and train them into tiger and leopard cavalry for my use."

    Cao Chun quickly knelt down on one knee and saluted: "I will never let the Prime Minister down."

    Cao Chun retreated, and Cao Cao smiled at Cheng Yu again: "Does Zhongde think Liu Jing will take advantage of the opportunity to attack the Central Plains?"

    Cheng Yu didn't know what Cao Cao meant by what he said. He thought about it and had to tell the truth, "Cao Cao's army in Nanyang has been defeated and he is no longer a threat. Liu Bei and Liu Cong are hostile to each other, and they dare not easily send troops to Jiangxia, leaving Liu Jing without  No worries, I think he will not miss this opportunity and will at least send troops to Runan."

    Cao Cao smiled and shook his head, "I don't think he will send troops!"

    "Why are the Prime Minister so sure?" Cheng Yu asked puzzledly.

    Cao Cao closed his eyes and said slowly: "I don't know why, but I know this son very well. An intuition tells me that when I conquer Wuhuan, he will never attack me from behind. In fact, the battle of Nanyang,  There is no way to stop him from attacking the Central Plains. He has an absolutely superior naval force and only needs to wipe out all the ships on the Han River. "

    Cheng Yu suddenly came to his senses and said hesitantly: "The Prime Minister is saying that heknows the righteousness?"

    "Even so! And this guy is very smart. He knows that even if he captures Runan, it doesn't make much sense. I think he will actively prepare for war and prepare to resist my army going south."

    Having said this, Cao Cao couldn't help but let out a long sigh, "I should give birth to a son like Liu Yanqing. If I have such a son, I will definitely make him the crown prince. I had this feeling when I was in Rangshan. What happened to Zhongde back then  do you remember?"

    Cheng Yu nodded silently. He remembered clearly that the Prime Minister went around the mountain to search for people, but was played hard by Liu Jing in the end. He originally thought that the Prime Minister would hold a grudge, but he did not expect that the Prime Minister actually wanted Liu Jing to be his son.  , it seems that the Prime Minister has cherished talents again.

    Thinking of this, Cheng Yu said again: "Since the Prime Minister is not worried about Liu Jing attacking the Central Plains, why did he withdraw his troops from Yi County and not kill the two Yuans?"?Kill?  "

    Cao Cao smiled slightly, "This is the message Guo Jia gave me. If I withdraw my troops, Yuan and Yuan will die!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Five days later, Cao's army rested and reorganized, released the Han slaves as civilians, gave them cattle and sheep, and allowed them to settle in Liaodong. Then a hundred thousand troops escorted more than 200,000 captured Wuhuan men and women and millions of cattle and sheep.  Triumphant return.

    The team walked for more than ten days. In the afternoon, the army arrived at Linyukou and was about to enter Hebei Province. Seeing that it was getting late, Cao Cao ordered the camp to be set up. However, before the tent was set up, soldiers came to report to Cao Cao, "Start the camp."  Report to the Prime Minister, Liu Jing sent an envoy to see the Prime Minister, saying that there is an important matter to discuss. "

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 285 Favors

    The envoy who came from Jiangxia to see Cao Cao was Liu Min. As Liu Jing's plenipotentiary representative, he came to negotiate with Cao Cao.

    With the experience of Yecheng and the experience of crossing the border and returning to Jiangxia, Liu Min is no longer the scholar who just debuted. He learned a lot of ways of dealing with people from Li Fu, which he could not learn in books.

    The swords and axes flashed in front of the big tent, and two hundred swordsmen and axemen stood in two rows, staring at Liu Min murderously. Although Liu Min was a little uneasy, he still walked into the big tent calmly.

    In the big tent, Cao Cao was wearing armor and sitting in the middle, holding the Heavenly Sword in his hand. He stared at Liu Min with cold eyes as he walked in. On his left and right stood nine sword-wielding guards. Xu Chu, who was eight feet five, stood like a god in front of Cao Cao.  Behind him, on each side stood four or five counselors and a dozen generals.

    Liu Min stepped forward calmly and bowed deeply to Cao Cao, "Liu Min of Jiangxia meets the Prime Minister!"

    Although Liu Min did not bow, Cao Cao did not want to argue with him about etiquette. He glanced at Liu Min coldly and asked, "Are you a member of the royal family?"

    "I am from Lingling, the nephew of Liu Biejia from Jingzhou, and I am not from the royal family."

    "It turns out you are Liu Shizong's nephew, no wonder!"

    Cao Cao had a deep memory of Liu Xian. In the fifth year of Jian'an, Liu Xian and Han Song went as envoys to Xuchang on Liu Biao's order. Liu Xian denounced Cao Cao's accusations against Liu Biao in public, which left a deep impression on Cao Cao.

    Hearing that he was Liu Xian's nephew, Cao Cao softened his attitude. Seeing that Liu Min had a baby face, he smiled and asked, "How old are you this year? Are you an adult?"

    Liu Min heard the ridicule in Cao Cao's tone and felt unhappy, but still calmly replied: "I have reached the age of weakness."

    "Only twenty years old!"

    Cao Cao burst out laughing, "Liu Jing sent a twenty-year-old boy as an envoy, but there is no one left in Jiangxia?"

    Liu Min was silent for a moment and asked: "When the prime minister was twenty years old, he used a five-color stick to beat the night walk. Can he be called a young boy?"

    Everyone around him was pale. Xu Chu was furious and shouted: "If you dare to be rude again, I will beat you to death!"

    Cao Cao was not angry, and nodded secretly. He was a quick thinker, neither humble nor arrogant, but a talent that could be developed. He smiled slightly and said, "Why did Liu Jing order you to come?"

    "I am here to negotiate with the Prime Minister about the prisoners of war by order of the prefect."

    After finishing speaking, Liu Min looked back. A guard presented a letter on a lacquer plate. Liu Min said again: "This is a personal letter from my eunuch to the prime minister. I believe the prime minister will care about the content."

    Cao Cao accepted the letter. This was the first time he received a letter written by Liu Jing. He couldn't help but be very interested. He opened the letter and read it carefully. It was Liu Jing who proposed to exchange Cao Hong and Li Dian for the imperial court to recognize him as Jingzhou Mu.

    Cao Cao read it several times and asked: "What about the more than 10,000 captured soldiers?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, more than 10,000 captured soldiers have been released by Mr. Jing. They should have returned to their hometown to reunite with their families."

    Cao Cao was immediately stunned, and there were whispers in the big tent. No one could believe that Liu Jing released more than 10,000 prisoners of war without any conditions.

    "Why?" Cao Cao asked.

    Liu Min smiled and said, "Master Jing said that farmers are the foundation of the country. The Prime Minister is a man of great talent and strategy, so he will naturally understand his true intentions. I hope that the Prime Minister can allow them to return to their hometowns to farm and stop recruiting them as soldiers."

    Cao Cao was silent. This was beyond his expectation. He didn't understand the importance of farmers to a country. If Liu Jing really meant this, it would really surprise him.

    At this time, Liu Min said again: "My eunuch asked me to tell the Prime Minister that the Prime Minister's expedition to the north to protect the Han people in Hebei from being harmed by the Hu barbarians earned his respect. Therefore, he will not take advantage of the opportunity to send troops to the Central Plains. Please feel free to worry, Prime Minister.  Make every effort to eradicate the evil in Liaodong.¡±

    Cao Cao felt inexplicably moved. He thought for a moment and his tone became softer. "Sir, please go back and tell Mr. Jing that if he is willing to surrender to me, I can ask the emperor to make him the King of Xiangyang, and his descendants will always be called Jingzhou."  "

    Liu Min was silent for a while and then said: "Master Jing also has something to say to the Prime Minister."

    "Speaking!"

    "Master Jing said that no matter what conditions the Prime Minister offered for him to surrender, he would not agree. Master Jing said that he was looking forward to fighting with the Prime Minister on the Yangtze River."

    Cao Cao is also a heroic man. Liu Jing's statement wiped away all the worries in his heart, and he laughed and said: "In this case, I will not let him down. Please tell Mr. Jing that I agree to his exchange terms. I will  The general will ask the emperor to grant him the title of Mu of Jingzhou, and then grant him the title of Marquis of Fanxiang."

    Liu Min bowed and saluted, "Thank you Prime Minister for your permission. The emperor's edict has been sent to Jiang."In the summer, it was the day when Cao and Li were released. I took my leave.  "

    Liu Min said goodbye and was about to leave, but Cao Cao stopped him and asked lightly: "In addition, I would like to ask one more thing. Is Jia Xu in Jiangxia now?"

    Liu Min did not hide anything and nodded, "Mr. Jia is indeed in Jiangxia and is now an aide to Master Jing. As for the reason, the Prime Minister can ask the eldest son after he returns to Yecheng. He knows better than anyone else."

    Cao Cao couldn't say a word for a long time. When Liu Min said goodbye, he dismissed everyone and then sighed to Cheng Yu: "As expected, Jia Wenhe surrendered to Liu Jing."

    Cheng Yu understood something in his heart, but he couldn't say it directly, so he had to comfort Cao Cao and said: "Wen He is not a person who surrenders easily. There must be a reason for it. Let's ask him about it after he returns to Yecheng!"

    Cao Cao was helpless, shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "But I made a good deal today!"

    Cheng Yu also smiled and said: "I have a feeling that if commoners treat each other well, the Prime Minister and Liu Jing can become close friends."

    Cao Cao sighed: "It's a pity that he can't be used by me. If I don't destroy him, this person will be my strong enemy in the future. After returning to Yecheng, I must immediately prepare to attack Jingzhou."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Two months later, Cao Cao received news in Yixian that Gongsun Kang sent someone to send Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang's heads. This was Guo Jia's plan before his death. He was too hasty. Gongsun Kang and the two Yuans must work together to fight against Cao.  If he slows down a little, Gongsun Kang will not tolerate the two Yuans, and kills them to gain a favor.

    As expected, in Guo Jia's final plan, Cao Cao missed Guo Jia so much that he once again went to pay homage to his tomb in person.

    Cao Cao immediately ordered that Pufulu, the Chanyu of the Daijun tribe of Wuhuan, should be appointed as the Great Chanyu of Wuhuan on the left, and that Chanyu Nalou of the tribe of Shangjun should be appointed as the Great Chanyu of Wuhuan on the right, and they were allowed to lead their tribes to nomadic in Liucheng.

    These two people are pro-Cao sects. They have lived on the border of the Central Plains for nearly a hundred years and are deeply Chinese. Letting them come to Liucheng is actually letting them contain the growth of the other Wuhuan tribes.

    After the arrangements were made, it was already late autumn and September, and Cao Cao ordered the army to return to Yedu and begin preparations to march south to Jingzhou.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    June in Jingzhou has reached the hottest time of the year. The blazing sun throws clouds of hot air onto the land of Jingzhou. The abundant water vapor seems to have just evaporated from a hot pot, making the entire Jingzhou fall into a kind of heat.  In the steamer-like heat and suffocation, there has been a saying since ancient times that the steam steamed Yunmengze.

    This kind of weather will last for nearly a month, until the end of July, when the morning and evening will be slightly cooler. This is also the most difficult month for Jingzhou people in the year. Jingzhou people call it the steaming moon.

    It was quiet at noon. Except for the summer cicadas on the trees, which were screaming with increasing vigor, all other life seemed to have disappeared. Even the old dog that lay listlessly on the doorstep every day also hid in the house to escape the heat.

    However, officials and wealthy families had their own ways to survive the most difficult period of the year. As early as the severe cold, wealthy families would use mountain spring water to freeze into ice, cut it into large pieces and store it in deep wells.

    In the summer, the ice in the well has not yet melted, so it has become the best thing for wealthy families to spend the summer.

    It¡¯s just that this kind of deep well that can store ice is difficult to dig. Even the most experienced well builders can only dig one out of ten. Therefore, digging an ice well not only requires a special environment, but also costs a lot of money, which is not affordable for ordinary people.

    For ordinary families, most of them make a fuss about their diet, eat light food, drink medicinal tea, or bathe in well water. If you are lucky, you can get a piece of ice from a wealthy family to make iced tea, which is also a rare and precious thing that the family can enjoy.  .

    Liu Jing's mansion was equally stuffy and hot, but his mansion was Huang Zu's house in the city, so the conditions were naturally not bad. There were five ice wells in the back garden. Liu Jing didn't know about it in the first year, so he just thought they were there.  It was an ordinary well. Later, an insider told them that it was actually five ice wells.

    Huang Zu was fat and afraid of heat. In summer, Huang Zu put ice cubes in the wall of his study to make the room as cold as spring. Therefore, Huang Zu never left the study during the whole month. The hundreds of thousands of kilograms of water stored in the five ice wells  The ice cubes are Huang Zu¡¯s wall-building ice.

    Liu Jing naturally did not need ice to build walls. In addition to leaving an ice well for his family to enjoy, all the other ice cubes were given to the soldiers, which became a special benefit for the soldiers.

    Tao Zhan walked quickly through a long corridor with a bowl of ice tea and walked towards Liu Jing's study. She walked in a hurry, not as if she was afraid that the ice tea in her hand would melt, but because she felt a little excited and uneasy. She had something big to tell her.  husband.

    Today happens to be the tenth day off. Liu Jing did not go out. He rested in the cool air at home and enjoyed this rare holiday. He was working at his desk to write a letter to Wenpin, who was stationed in Anlu County.

    Xu Shu did not disappoint him, and finally exchanged Fancheng and Xinye for Xiangyang Warehouse Zhong.There are hundreds of thousands of thick dry trees, and Xiangyang will not suffer any loss. At most, it will only take another three years to cut down hundreds of thousands of trees.

    The Jiangxia Army no longer had to garrison Xinye and Fancheng, so Wenpin's 10,000 troops were transferred to Anlu County to garrison the north gate of Jiangxia.

    Liu Jing was concentrating on writing a letter when his wife Tao Zhan's sweet voice came from outside the door, "Husband, can I come in?"

    "Madam, please come in!"

    Tao Zhan walked in with ice tea, a pout smile, and the corners of his eyes were full of charm. Ever since Zhang Ji started treating them, the young couple had been loving each other every night for a month.  Incredible.

    This is mainly because the prescription prescribed by Zhang Ji is very weird. It has a strong aphrodisiac. Although it is a bit strange, the effect is there. Tao Zhan gave the ice tea to his husband, "Drink the tea first, and I will tell you later."  good news."

    Liu Jing smiled and drank the ice tea in one gulp. The cool air emerged from the bottom of his heart, making him feel extremely refreshed. However, he unconsciously put his hand into his wife's skirt. This time, he was slapped away by Tao Zhan, "From now on."  No more!¡±

    "Why?"

    Liu Jing was stunned for a moment, but he immediately reacted and said happily: "Is the lady already here?"

    Tao Zhan nodded shyly, "I don't know if it's there yet, but the Yuehong I was supposed to come four days ago has not yet been seen."

    Having said this, Tao Zhan¡¯s eyes burst with joy.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 286 Lu Su expresses condolences

    Being childless has always been the biggest worry for the couple, which puts even more pressure on Tao Zhan. Childlessness is one of the seven children. Although she has no parents-in-law to drive her out, the dignified Jiangxia prefect has no successor, which makes Tao Zhan  Zhan was under great pressure. In the three years since her marriage, she had visited countless temples and seen many famous doctors, but to no avail.

    "But Zhang Ji, the governor of Changsha, said it was the man's problem, and used a strange prescription to cure her husband's illness. It took just over a month.

    It's just that the effect of this prescription is too unacceptable. It requires the couple to have sex every night. The more often the better. Although Tao Zhan is very reluctant, she has to endure it in order to conceive an heir. Now she is pregnant.  The sign, in a way, also made her breathe a sigh of relief.

    Although Tao Zhan was extremely happy, he still deliberately said with a long face: "Prefect Zhang said at that time that if Yuehong doesn't come, he won't be able to have sex within three months. I want to protect the child, so just bear with it!  "

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly. She didn't know what kind of aphrodisiac drug was put in Zhang Ji's prescription, which actually made her lustful this month. Even if she stopped taking the medicine, it would be difficult to return to normal for a while, but she repeatedly warned her to stop as soon as she saw redness.  Fang, this is a bit deceptive. Is it possible for me to take a concubine?

    But there is one thing that must be told to his wife. Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "I may go to Jiangdong to see Sun Quan. It will take two or three months to return. If my wife is really pregnant, I can use this time to rest.  "

    Tao Zhan was a reasonable person and knew that her husband going to Jiangdong must have something big to do. She nodded silently and said: "My husband wants to go to Jiangdong. Of course I will not object, but I am a little worried that Jiangdong will be detrimental to you. After all, during the Chaisang War, my husband  I have a deep hatred with Jiangdong.¡±

    "This moment is the same as the other moment! And Sun Quan will guarantee my safety. The Jiangdong envoy arrived yesterday and gave me Sun Quan's personal letter."

    "When will your husband prepare to leave?"

    Liu Jing thought for a while and said, "Let's set off in three days!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Jiangdong¡¯s envoy is still Lu Su, and the news of Liu Biao¡¯s death has spread to Jiangdong. Liu Biao¡¯s death is a big news for both Jingzhou and Jiangdong.

    A few years ago, the people of Jiangdong would have celebrated the death of Liu Biao and took to the streets to sing and dance. Today, although the death of Liu Biao still makes the monarchs and ministers of Jiangdong secretly happy, this joy will not be superficial.

    At least the officials pretended to be somewhat sad and sympathetic on the surface. Sun Quan also specially ordered Lu Su to come to Wuchang as an envoy to express condolences.

    Lu Su can no longer remember how many times he has come to Jiangxia. In the past three years, he has come to Jiangxia several times as an envoy to invite Liu Jing to Jiangdong, but Liu Jing declined them all. This is not because he is afraid that Jiangxia will have two  But he didn't want to offend Liu Biao.

    Liu Biao regarded Jiangdong as his lifelong enemy until his death. Although he was unable to conquer the east, he would never reconcile with Jiangdong. He also did not allow anyone to have secret relations with Jiangdong.

    Now that Liu Biao has passed away, not only has Liu Jing lost the most critical restraint, allowing Liu Jing to interact with Jiangdong openly, even Liu Bei is quietly seeking Jiangdong's support.

    In the lobby of the county government office, Lu Su was chatting with Xu Shu and Dong Yun, and intentionally or unintentionally revealed to them the information that Liu Bei had secretly communicated with Jiangdong.

    "What the two of you don't know is that when the Jiangxia envoy arrived at Soochow, Liu Qi also sent someone to Jiangdong to contact him about condolences. He hoped that Jiangdong could send an envoy to Jiangling to express condolences. To be honest, there were also differences of opinion within Jiangdong."

    Xu Shu was secretly surprised. Liu Bei actually contacted Jiangdong secretly. Why?  Xu Shu did not ask about the internal differences in Jiangdong, but asked quietly: "I wonder who Liu Qi sent to Jiangdong?"

    "I heard that Pang Tong was sent to Soochow."

    Lu Su sighed and said: "There are also differences of opinion within Jiangdong. Some people advocate that Jiangdong should recognize Liu Qi as the shepherd of Jingzhou and ask my lord to form an alliance with Liu Qi."

    At this time, a burst of hearty laughter came from the gate, "I wonder who advocates an alliance with Jiangling?"

    Liu Jing was seen walking quickly into the lobby, followed by his staff Jia Xu, who had a wry smile on his face. He didn't want to come to see the Jiangdong envoy, but Liu Jing invited him again and again, so he had no choice but to come with him.

    Jia Xu felt that he was tied up tightly by Liu Jing once he appeared in public. A year later, even if Liu Jing let him go, he would have nowhere to go. However, Liu Jing grasped a principle, that is, he did not let him go when dealing with Cao Cao.  Participating and showing up made Jia Xu secretly happy.

    Although it¡¯s a little embarrassing to have the envoy from Jiangdong today, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    Seeing Liu Jing walking in, Lu Su and Xu Shu quickly stood up and saluted. Liu Jing introduced Jia Xu to Lu Su with a smile and said, "This is Jia Wenhe. He was killed by his enemies and came to Jiangxia to take refuge temporarily."

    Lu Su stood in awe, thisThe dark and thin old man with an unattractive appearance turned out to be the famous Jia Xu. He hurriedly greeted him and said, "I have heard about Mr. Jia for a long time. I am lucky to see you today."

    Jia Xu returned the favor and smiled: "Zijing worked tirelessly for the Sun-Liu Alliance, which is admirable. I hope Zijing can complete his mission and live up to the Marquis of Wu."

    Liu Jing smiled and asked everyone to sit down, and ordered people to serve tea again. Then she asked with a smile: "I wonder if Zijing can get used to the muggy heat in Jiangxia?"

    Lu Su smiled bitterly and said: "It's also sweltering in Jiangdong. I thought I could come to Jingzhou to escape the summer heat, but I didn't expect that I would just run from one steamer to another."

    Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere in the lobby suddenly became relaxed. Liu Jing then turned the topic back and asked with a smile: "I wonder who in Jiangdong advocates contacts with Jiangling?"

    Lu Su was silent. He knew well in his heart that if he spoke out, he would reveal Jiangdong's internal discord to Liu Jing. His lord Sun Quan did not agree that he could speak out. However, Lu Su believed that sooner or later this would not be hidden from Liu Jing, so it would be better to tell Liu Jing.  Jing told the truth, giving him a clear understanding of the situation.

    After a moment of silence, Lu Su said slowly: "There are currently two opinions within Jiangdong. One opinion is to support Liu Qi and Liu Bei, with Zhang Changshi and Zhuge joining the army as the main advocates. They advocate that the legitimate elders should be given priority, and that Mr. Qi is the  The legal successor of Jingzhou Mu also highly appreciates Uncle Liu¡¯s world-famous reputation.¡±

    "What is the attitude of Wu Hou and the military?" Liu Jing asked quietly.

    "The attitude of the Marquis of Wu is ambiguous. The military also agrees with Zhang Changshi's opinion, mainly some veteran generals led by Cheng Pu, while those who support the alliance with Jiangxia are led by the Governor of Zhou Dynasty."

    Speaking of this, Lu Su smiled bitterly and said: "The world is often unpredictable. I thought the military would hate the Battle of Chaisang, but the fact is exactly the opposite. Most of the military supports an alliance with Jiangxia, but the civil servants prefer Jiangling.

    Except for some local governors in Jiangdong who support the alliance with Jiangxia, most of the civil servants in Jiangdong are biased towards Jiangling, probably due to the influence of Zhang Zibu, so I hope that the young master and I can set off as soon as possible to Jiangdong to persuade the Marquis of Wu to support Jiangxia.  "

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Who does Zijing prefer?"

    "Of course I firmly support the alliance with Jiangxia. Before leaving, Zhang Changshi suggested that I go to Jiangling at the same time. I did not agree. Wu Hou had to appoint Bu Zhi to Jiangling to express my condolences. When I set off to Wuchang, Bu Zhi also  We set off for Jiangling. If I guess correctly, Uncle Liu Huang is already on his way to Jiangdong."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Lu Su went down to rest. Liu Jing, Xu Shu, Jia Xu, and Dong Yun continued to discuss Jiangdong affairs. Dong Yun stood up and said angrily: "This is really strange. We are the main force in Jingzhou's fight against Cao's army. In the future, when Cao's army invades south, we will still be the pillars."  Liang, Liu Bei retreated without a fight in Fancheng, and now they are separated from Xiangyang and Jiangxia. How can they resist Cao? Is this the so-called sincerity of Jiangdong? "

    Xu Shu smiled and said: "Xiu Zhao, there is no need to be angry. The current matter has nothing to do with resisting Cao. In fact, the disagreements within Jiangdong are caused by the struggle among their internal factions. As far as I know, there are many factions within Jiangdong, and the interest pattern is very complicated.  The Wu Faction, the Northern Faction, the Kuaiji Faction, the Wan Faction, as well as the Elder Faction and Young Strong Faction, the struggle was extremely fierce, but in terms of major factions, there were actually two major factions: Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao. It was obvious that Zhou Yu advocated resistance.  Cao, and Zhang Zhao advocated plotting, so there will be a dispute between Jiangxia and Nanjun."

    Liu Jing nodded. Although he was extremely dissatisfied with Jiangdong's turbulent behavior like Dong Yun, he also agreed with Xu Shu's analysis. This matter did involve Jiangdong's internal factional struggle.

    Liu Jing glanced at Jia Xu again. He wanted to hear Jia Xu's opinion. Jia Xu smiled slightly and said: "It's normal for Jiangdong to have internal differences. After all, Cao Jun is still far away in Liaodong. He doesn't know when to go south. He has a long-term vision."  If you are short-sighted, you will think about forming an alliance with Jiangxia to deal with future crises. If you are short-sighted, you will consider taking advantage of Jingzhou's three points to gain more benefits. In fact, the key is Sun Quan."

    Liu Jing asked with great interest: "I wonder what Mr. Jia thinks Sun Quan wants?"

    Jia Xu chuckled, "I think alliances are like sales, there is bargaining. If Sun Quan wanted to form an alliance with the young master, it would be normal for him to bring Liu Bei in in order to gain more dominance. The purpose! Just like Xu Chang  As Shi just said, pursue the greatest interests.¡±

    After listening to Xu Shu and Jia Xu¡¯s analysis, Dong Yun felt secretly ashamed. He realized that he was still too immature in his strategy and had not seen through Jiang Dong¡¯s intentions.

    But Dong Yun didn¡¯t want to be a bystander, so he carefully asked Jia Xu: ¡°Does Mr. Jia think Lu Su knows the true intention of Wu Hou?¡±

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes and smiled, "He is Wu Hou's confidant. How could he not know the Lord's intention? Even if heUnexpectedly, Sun Quan would also hint to him, otherwise his mission to Jiangxia would be bad. For Lu Su, inviting the young master to Jiangdong is the biggest task of his trip. The young master might as well take advantage of this and give Lu Su a good beating.  Let Wu Hou understand that he is not the only one in the world who can do business.  "

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 287 Cao Cao¡¯s Envoy

    Lu Su had already made preparations for departure, and the earliest notification was that he would depart in three days. However, on the day of departure, there was no news. No one notified him of departure, and no one arranged for him to board the ship, not even the Yi Cheng who took care of his daily life.  There was also a different person. Lu Su asked him about the situation, and he said that he had just arrived and knew nothing about it.

    Helpless, Lu Su had to go to the county government office to find Xu Shu. Unexpectedly, Xu Shu was not in the county government office. He went to Xiakou to find Dong Yun. Dong Yun also went to Xiakou. He waited until dusk before Lu Su returned to his hotel in exhaustion.  Yi, he got nothing.

    After entering the courtyard, Wang Yicheng, who was taking care of him, came up to him with a worried look on his face, "Where are Mr. Lu? I've been looking for you all afternoon."

    Lu Su's spirit perked up, and a glimmer of hope suddenly rose in his heart, "Is there any news?"

    Wang Yicheng shook his head, "There's no news, but Mr. Lu didn't come back for lunch. I'm worried. How about I go prepare the meal now?"

    Lu Su was immediately discouraged and said listlessly: "Okay! Just do a little bit."

    Wang Yicheng agreed and hurried away. Lu Su put his hands behind his hands and entered the courtyard. In fact, the house he lived in was very nice. The posthouse covering an area of ??20 acres only had five courtyards in total, and each courtyard was independent.

    The rockery pond is filled with all kinds of exotic flowers and plants, and there are more than 20 rooms. They are cared for by three maids and a dedicated postmaster. Only people like Lu Su are qualified to occupy this posthouse.  At present, Lu Su is the only one living in the whole house.

    Although the food and accommodation were very good, Lu Su was not in a good mood. He returned to the house gloomily. He suspected that he had misremembered the day of departure, but after checking carefully, it was indeed today. He should have set out early in the morning, but now it was too late.  It's almost dark, but there's no movement. What's going on?

    In the room, Lu Su lowered his head and paced back and forth. He felt uneasy. Setting off to Soochow was a big event. Officials should have come to him yesterday to arrange things like ship luggage, and even Liu Jing or Xu Shu had to meet him.  Once, the reception matters in Jiangdong were determined.

    Three days ago, he sent his entourage back to Soochow to report the message, and asked Wu Hou to arrange the reception. However, even if the plan was temporarily changed, he should inform himself, and he might as well send someone back to deliver the message, so that he could keep silent.  What kind of?

    Lu Su was filled with uneasiness and dissatisfaction. His intuition told him, what might have happened?  It is most likely related to Bu Zhi's mission to Jiangling, or Liu Jing was dissatisfied with Wu Hou.

    In fact, Lu Su also felt that Wu Hou had mishandled Liu Bei's affairs. Three years ago, Wu Hou vowed to support Liu Jing as the shepherd of Jingzhou, but at this juncture, he changed his mind again. This easily gave people a feeling of insincerity.  Could it be that Liu Jing just thought that Wu Hou was not sincere, so she temporarily canceled her departure today?

    At this time, Wang Yicheng walked in quickly with a food box and said with a smile: "I have kept Mr. Lu waiting for a long time, please have a meal!"

    A maid came forward to help. Wang Yicheng put the food and wine on the table and said with a smile: "I heard a news at noon today. It seems that our prefect rushed to Xiakou early in the morning."

    Lu Su was shocked, Liu Jing went to Xiakou!  He knew that both Xu Shu and Dong Yun had gone to Xiakou, and now Liu Jing had also gone. Something must have happened there. He quickly asked: "What are you, the governor, doing in Xiakou?"

    Wang Yicheng shook his head, "I don't know about this, but I asked a lot of people, but no one knows."

    After saying that, Wang Yichen bowed and retreated. Lu Su sat at the small table and became more and more confused. He suspected that there was a war in Xiakou, but if he thought about it carefully, it was impossible. If there was a war in Xiakou, Wuchang would have been destroyed.  Mobilized.

    Could it be related to Xiangyang, but even if it was related to Xiangyang, Liu Jing did not need to go there in person. Lu Su thought wildly, but could not come to a conclusion.

    At this time, his entourage rushed back and said breathlessly: "Deputy Governor, the largest main courtyard has begun to be tidied up. Many people have come and are cleaning and decorating. They have brought a lot of expensive furniture and a two-foot-long courtyard.  The long white jade screen is said to be the treasure of Huang Zu's house. "

    Lu Su was confused, who wants to move in?  Could it be related to Liu Jing going to Xiakou? He was not allowed to eat, so he put down his bowl and hurried to the main courtyard.

    The house where Lu Su lived was called VIP Inn. Only people with high status could live there. It had five courtyards, one large, four small, and five. The Tingsong Courtyard where Lu Su lived was one of the four small courtyards, and the main courtyard was called Qilin Hall.  Covering an area of ??eight acres, it is said that he only lived in Qilin Hall when Liu Biao inspected Jiangxia.

    No one has lived in it for seven or eight years, but today they started cleaning up. In the square, main hall and back hall of Qilin Hall, more than two hundred soldiers and dozens of craftsmen are busy cleaning and repairing some rotten spots.

    The square is filled with all kinds of valuable furniture and utensils. These were originally from Huang Zu's home. After they were taken back to the government, they have been stored in the warehouse. They were all moved here today.

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?When we arrived at the white jade screen, it was one high and three feet long, with a rosewood bracket underneath. The whole screen was made of three fine and flawless white jade screens, with a picture of Jingzhou thousands of miles away. It was priceless. Legend has it that it was the town of Huang Zu.  The treasure of the house has now been moved to the front of Qilin Hall.

    Although it is getting dark, the lights are still brightly lit in the Qilin Hall. Countless soldiers and craftsmen are busy cleaning and installing the huge hanging curtains on the beams.

    Lu Su was even more surprised. With this posture, the person coming was a big deal. He found a young village chief, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "This little general, who is coming?"

    The young village chief shook his head, "We don't know. Anyway, it is an order from above. The cleaning and arrangement must be completed before noon tomorrow. It is estimated that we will have to work all night tonight."

    Lu Su asked several people in succession, but no one knew who wanted to move in. Even the officials in charge looked at a loss, which showed that the matter was very secretive, so he had to return to his residence in a depressed mood.

    In the next two days, there was still no news or any sign of departure, which made Lu Su more and more worried. He was worried that Liu Jing would give up the alliance with Jiangdong.

    On the evening of the third day, Wang Juncheng rushed over and said urgently: "Gong Lu, hurry to the dock. Something important seems to have happened. Someone saw the governor's boat."

    Lu Su jumped up, ran outside the gate, got on his horse, hit the horse and ran towards the dock. If there was no news, he would be driven crazy.

    Running to the dock, I saw several large ships parked on the dock. Dozens of Jiangxia officials were already waiting in front of the dock. They were surrounded by more than two thousand soldiers, fully armed and heavily guarded.

    Lu Su was not allowed to enter. He could only stand on a high place and look around like ordinary people. At this time, his entourage found him and whispered: "Deputy Governor, I have heard about it. It seems that an envoy from the imperial court is coming."  ¡±

    Lu Su's heart sank. As he expected, it was the envoy from Yedu who came. He thought for two days. Apart from this reason, Jingzhou really didn't need to go to such great lengths to arrange the Qilin Hall.

    But what Lu Su wanted to know was whether it was the emperor's envoy or Cao Cao's envoy. There was a big difference. The emperor's envoy meant that Liu Jing had been recognized by the court, while Cao Cao's envoy meant that Liu Jing might be wanted.  Surrender to Cao Cao.

    At this time, amid the sound of drums, Liu Jing, Xu Shu and others accompanied a middle-aged man in Eguan's toga off the boat, followed by a group of Cao Jun soldiers.

    This middle-aged man was short, gentle, and chatting and laughing. Looking from a distance, Lu Su felt that this man looked familiar. He seemed to have seen him before. When he lowered his head and thought about it, Lu Su was shocked. This man was actually Xun Yu.

    Lu Su suddenly understood why Liu Jing was reluctant to go to Jiangdong with him. It turned out that it was Cao Cao's envoy who came, and it was Xun Yu. The arrival of Cao Cao's envoy was not surprising. After all, Cao Hong and Li Dian were both captured, and they wanted to negotiate for a prisoner exchange.  .

    The key is Liu Jing's attitude. He personally led important officials to Xiakou to welcome him, and even spent money to decorate the Qilin Hall. Various signs indicate that Liu Jing attaches great importance to the arrival of Cao Cao's envoy.

    A terrible thought suddenly popped into Lu Su's mind, 'Could it be that Liu Jing wants to surrender to Cao Cao?'

    In fact, he had this worry the day before yesterday, but he didn't dare to think too much about it, but the scene before him was that Liu Jing greeted Xun Yu so respectfully.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, this worry became more intense in his heart. If Liu Jing surrendered to Cao, his warships and troops would definitely deal a fatal blow to Jiangdong. Lu Su simply did not dare to think about it.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, Lu Su was sitting alone in his room drinking wine. At this time, Wang Yicheng quickly ran to the door and said breathlessly: "Mr. Lu, Xu Changshi is here."

    Lu Su was overjoyed. Xu Shu's arrival was like a drowning man suddenly grabbing a piece of wood. The original dissatisfaction with Liu Jing and Xu Shu in his heart was instantly wiped away, and he quickly got up and went out to greet them.

    Xu Shu had already walked into the courtyard and said with a smile: "I have made Zi Jing wait for a long time in the past two days."

    Lu Su quickly held Xu Shu's arm, as if he would grow wings and suddenly fly away, and complained in a low voice: "Yuan Zhi deceived me so miserably, Mr. Jing didn't have time, so he should tell me and let me worry here.  "

    Xu Shu smiled, "Aren't I here to explain? Can't wait two days later?"

    The two of them entered the room and sat down. Lu Su ordered the maid to take away the wine glasses and replace them with two new cups of tea. Xu Shu then said slowly: "Because I received a temporary message that the imperial court wanted an envoy to come to Jiangxia, because it is related to the ownership of Jingzhou Mu, so  Mr. Jing attaches great importance to it and took us to Xiakou to greet you. When I left, I was in a hurry and forgot about you. Mr. Jing asked me to say sorry to Zijing. In addition, we have also prepared better accommodation for Zijing.  Move over tonight as an apology."

    Xu Shu¡¯s words were obviously not sincere.?How could Jiangdong forget such an important matter, and Lu Su recognized the person as Xun Yu, and actually said he was an envoy from the imperial court. These words were obviously to deal with himself and asked him to move away, just because he was afraid that he would contact Cao Cao's envoy.  .

    Lu Su was silent in his heart. Although he felt depressed in his heart, he could not expose Xu Shu's lies. Now he was begging Liu Jing. If he fell out, Liu Jing really had no way out and surrendered to Cao Cao, and he would be the sinner of Jiangdong.

    Xu Shu is willing to come to him to explain, at least it means that the door to negotiations has not been closed yet, and Jiangdong still has room for recovery. Thinking of this, Lu Su asked nervously: "Does Mr. Jing still plan to go to Jiangdong?"

    Xu Shu smiled slightly, "Of course I want to go, but I just ask Zijing to wait for three more days. We will send the Han envoy away, and then Master Jing will set off with Zijing."

    "Is it a deal this time?"

    Xu Shu nodded, "No joke!"

    Lu Su suddenly had a clear understanding that Liu Jing was really going to Jiangdong, but his real intention of going to Jiangdong was to compare the interests of Sun and Cao.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 288 Jiangdong Civil War

    The land route from Jingzhou to Jiangdong is extremely inconvenient. Most of the areas are inaccessible and blocked by mountains and forests. There is only a section of official road near the city, and most of the southern cities are built near the water and travel by water.

    Countless rivers and lakes gathered together, and finally came together to form a wide and swaying water artery that runs from east to west. This is the Yangtze River.

    Affected by the war in Jingzhou, there were very few ships on the Yangtze River. However, after passing Chaisang, the number of ships on the river increased significantly. Cargo ships lining up could be seen everywhere on the river, and three-masted ships carrying people for long distances could be seen.  There are countless passenger boats and fishing boats near the river.

    It was early August, and a fleet of more than a dozen warships was chopping the waves on the river, heading eastward along the current. This fleet was Liu Bei's ship coming from Jiangling. At the invitation of Sun Quan,  Liu Bei came to attend Mrs. Sun's birthday.

    Mrs. Sun was the sister of Sun Quan's mother, and she was also married to Sun Jian. She was first known as Mrs. Sun in Jiangdong. In the seventh year of Jian'an, Sun Quan's mother unfortunately died of illness. Her last words ordered Sun Quan to treat his aunt as his mother. Sun Quan remembered his late mother's last words.  He respected Mrs. Sun as the mother of the country and was called Mrs. Sun from then on.

    This year is Mrs. Sun¡¯s forty-seventh birthday. According to Jiangdong custom, birthdays are celebrated on the fifth and tenth days for those under sixty.

    Although Sun Quan was extremely filial to his mother, he also practiced frugality, so normally he would not celebrate his mother's forty-seventh birthday. But this time, in order to give Liu Bei an excuse to come to Jiangdong, Sun Quan made an exception for his mother.  Longevity.

    Liu Bei's fleet has already passed Wuhu and is heading towards Dantu. During the Three Kingdoms period, the south of the Yangtze River was not fully developed. Naturally, there was no Grand Canal by water. Therefore, the only way to go to Soochow was to disembark at Dantu and take the land route via Qu'a and Pi.  Ling and Wuxi arrived at Soochow, the capital of Jiangdong.

    In fact, there is also a waterway, which is to enter Lishui at Wuhu, enter Taihu Lake through Liyang and Yangxian, and cross Taihu Lake to reach Soochow. However, Lishui can only travel 500-stone ships in the end, and Liu Bei's thousand-stone warship cannot pass. They  The group had to go overland to Dantu.

    In the cabin on the second floor, Liu Bei sat in front of the window, enjoying the scenery and people along the way. Opposite him sat Pang Tong, while the Jiangdong envoy was on a boat behind.

    During this trip eastward, Liu Bei handed over military and political power to Zhuge Liang instead of Guan Yu, which surprised everyone in the army. Less than a month after Zhuge Liang had been loyal to Liu Bei, Liu Bei handed over military and political power to him.  It made many people dissatisfied, even Guan Yu and Zhang Fei complained.

    Pang Tong was also one of the dissatisfied. Although he was named deputy military advisor, he had no real power. He was far less important than Zhuge Liang and was used by Liu Bei. He was actually just an aide.

    Pang Tong knew very well that the main reason why Liu Bei did not take Zhuge Liang to Jiangdong was to give him an opportunity to take charge of power and establish prestige, but he did not have such an opportunity. This made Pang Tong feel jealous and dissatisfied.

    He kept reminding Liu Bei all the way that Zhuge Liang was inexperienced. If Xiangyang's army launched a large-scale southward attack, Zhuge Liang might not be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of counterattack. He hoped that Liu Bei would change his mind and appoint Guan Yu as his general. Liu Bei just smiled at his constant "goodwill" reminders.  Let it go.

    "This trip to Jiangdong, we called it birthday greetings, is actually to win Jiangdong's support and establish an alliance with Jiangdong. If we advance, we will prosper together, if we fail, we will suffer both. The first step is to get Jiangdong to recognize Mr. Qi.  As a pastor in Jingzhou."

    Liu Bei slowly discussed the purpose of this trip with Pang Tong. This was the second time they had discussed it. Pang Tong had already made up his mind. He pondered for a while and said: "This time Sun Quan invited us to Soochow. It was largely due to the efforts of Zhang Zhao's faction. They  It¡¯s obvious that they want to take advantage of Liu Jingsheng¡¯s death to seek benefits for Jingzhou, which is quite a bit of a distant friendship and a close attack. I feel that Jiangdong wants to deal with Liu Jing together with us, so Changsha County is the first to bear the brunt.¡±

    Liu Bei shook his head and said, "Kong Ming doesn't think so."

    Liu Bei opened his mouth and kept silent about Zhuge, which made Pang Tong deeply jealous. He just made a suggestion today, but Liu Bei rejected it because of Kong Ming's different opinions. This made Pang Tong feel resentful, but he did not dare to show it, so he had to laugh and asked  : "Then what does Kong Ming think?"

    "Kong Ming believes that it's just Zhang Zhao's idea, not necessarily Sun Quan's. We are actually just a pawn of Sun Quan, used by Sun Quan to deal with Liu Jing. Sun Quan still wants to form an alliance with Liu Jing, but he wants to gain greater benefits.  , so we are invited to Soochow. For us, we must use this opportunity to do everything possible to hinder the alliance between Sun Quan and Liu Jing. As long as the negotiation between Liu Jing and Sun Quan breaks down, our opportunity will come, so this trip to Soochow  , being well-informed is the top priority.¡±

    Pang Tong was speechless. After a while, he changed the subject and said with a smile: "I heard that the emperor's uncle and Zhang Zhao have an old relationship. Is this true?"

    Liu Bei nodded and said with a smile: "We have known each other since we were in Xuzhou, and we do have friendship. Taozhou MuAfter the death, I will ask Zhang Zibu to write an epitaph for Tao Zhoumu. This time Zhang Zibu supports Jiangling, maybe because of a little nostalgia, but the key point is interests. Jingzhou is divided into three points, so Jiangdong can see the interests in it.  .  "

    Pang Tong was silent for a moment and said: "My subordinates are a little worried that Jiangdong will be detrimental to the emperor's uncle. Our trip is a bit risky."

    Liu Bei chuckled, "I, Liu Bei, am famous all over the world, how can Sun Quan harm me? Shi Yuan is too worried."

    "Even so, we should bring a general with strong martial arts skills. In fact, I think Zilong is good. Why doesn't the emperor want to bring him?"

    Liu Bei's face immediately darkened when he mentioned Zhao Yun. Not long ago, he heard that Liu Jing sent someone to Wuling to visit Zhao Yun and gave him a letter and some Xiangyang local products. Zhao Yun happily accepted it.

    ¡°And he burned the letter immediately after reading it. What was the content of the letter that was so shameful?  What made Liu Bei even more annoyed was that Zhao Yun actually wrote a reply to Liu Jing, filling two pages of letter paper.

    Does he think he doesn¡¯t know about it since he is in the remote Wuling?  If Zhao Yun had a clear conscience, why didn't he give the letter to him for review?

    Although Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang also repeatedly persuaded themselves to reuse Zhao Yun, talents are rare, but they did not know that Zhao Yun and Liu Jing had an unusual relationship.

    And he, Liu Bei, knew very well that over the years, Zhao Yun had never broken off his friendship with Liu Jing, and Liu Bei had long been extremely disappointed with Zhao Yun.

    Although Pang Tong also knew that Zhao Yun and Liu Jing had a good relationship, he did not know the details. However, when he saw Liu Bei's face darkening, he did not dare to ask more about Zhao Yun.

    At this time, a soldier came to report: "To inform the emperor, there is a large Jiangdong ship coming ahead, and the people on board want to see the emperor!"

    Liu Bei was slightly startled. He stood up and quickly came to the bow of the ship. The fleet had stopped. He saw a tall man in his thirties standing on a large ship opposite. He was wearing a high crown and a white Confucian dress.  He looked elegant in his robe on the bow of the boat. He clasped his fists and smiled and said: "My Excellency, Zhuge Jin, has come to greet the emperor's uncle on orders from the Marquis of Wu!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Soochow, Wu Palace, Zhang Zhao hurriedly walked through a long corridor and walked towards the study of Sun Quan, the Marquis of Wu. Zhang Zhao was about fifty years old, his beard and hair were half white. He was tall, strange-looking, and well-dressed.  Wearing a Confucian robe, he has a sense of immortality.

    Zhang Zhao was a famous scholar in Xuzhou. He escaped from the war and fled to Jiangdong. He was appointed by Sun Ce. He also played a supporting role in Sun Quan's succession and was highly regarded by Sun Quan.

    Zhang Zhao served as Jiangdong's Changshi and was in charge of government affairs. In fact, he performed the duties of prime minister. He was recognized as the second-ranking figure in Jiangdong and the leader of the Northeastern faction in Jiangdong.

    During this civil strife in Jingzhou, Zhang Zhao advocated supporting Liu Qi in Jiangling. On the one hand, he believed that Cao Cao would be unable to go south within a few years and should take the opportunity to unify the south.

    On the other hand, Liu Qi is weak and can be used as a puppet to annex Jingzhou. As for Liu Bei's old friend friendship, in Zhang Zhao's heart, it has long been replaced by Jiangdong's interests.

    In Sun Quan's study, Sun Quan was also discussing military affairs with Zhou Yu and Cheng Jin. Zhou Yu advocated support for Liu Jing among the three families in Jingzhou. Although they were defeated at Chaisang three years ago and formed an alliance with Liu Jing again, as the top figure in the military, Zhou Yu  He also felt quite humiliated, but considering the overall situation, Zhou Yu still strongly advocated an alliance with Liu Jing.

    Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao were both ministers of Tuogu. In terms of reputation and official connections, Zhou Yu was not inferior to Zhang Zhao. However, Zhou Yu was restrained by the military veterans headed by Cheng Jin, so that he could only be ranked as the third person in Jiangdong.  .

    Among the Jiangdong faction, Zhou Yu is the leader of the Young Faction, and he has gathered a large number of young talents from Jiangdong around him.

    This time, Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao had the same starting point in the Jingzhou dispute, and they were all for the benefit of Jiangdong.

    However, the two had differences on the specific plans. Zhang Zhao advocated unifying the south first and then fighting against Cao Cao with all his strength, while Zhou Yu believed that Cao's army was about to move south in a large scale and they had no time to unify the south. Now they could only join forces with Liu Jing to fight against Cao Cao.  , the great cause of unifying the South can only be discussed later.

    Although Zhou Yu's idea was more realistic, it was firmly opposed by veteran generals such as Cheng Pu and Han Dang in the military. They could not forget the shame of Chaisang and were unwilling to ally with Liu Jing.

    As early as when Sun Quan and Liu Jing reconciled, Cheng Pu and others strongly opposed it. Now when it comes to forming an alliance, their attitude is even firmer.

    But within Jiangdong, Zhang Zhao's plan received widespread support, which made Sun Quan, who was biased towards Zhou Yu, also feel very embarrassed.  Today he brought Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu here just to unify their opinions.

    "Please Wuhou, forgive me for speaking frankly!"

    Cheng Pu said very resolutely: "If there is no choice, for the benefit of Jiangdong, I can forget the shame of Chaisang and support the alliance with Liu Jing, but now we have a choice. We can unite with Jiangling and destroy it together."  Jiang XiaheIn Xiangyang, we supported Liu Qi as a puppet of Jingzhou and turned to fight against Cao. When Cao's army is defeated, Jingzhou will also be in our pocket. If we follow the river to conquer Bashu, the Jiangdong Emperor will be established.  "

    "Mr. Cheng thinks things are too simple!"

    Zhou Yu suppressed his resentment towards Cheng Pu and forced a smile: "General Cheng has never seen the fighting strength of Jiangxia Army. I heard that they have trained a powerful cavalry in recent years. Duke Cheng thinks they are so easy to defeat?"

    Cheng Pu did not have the humility of Zhou Yu. He was a veteran of three dynasties, a founding hero, and the most senior person in Jiangdong. Apart from showing a slight attitude of a courtier in front of Sun Quan, he did not take anyone in his eyes. Zhou Yu was his junior, and he had no regard for anyone.  Zhou Yu also spoke in a very arrogant tone.

    "General Zhou, don't forget, we are not what we used to be. We have a hundred thousand elite troops, thousands of warships, and have been working hard for three years. I don't believe Jiangxia will be our opponent, and last time it was because of the kerosene accident.  Also, we underestimated Liu Jing. If we go all out this time, we will never make the same mistake again. General Zhou is too presumptuous. "

    Zhou Yu also sneered: "I'm afraid that if the great cause is not accomplished, both sides will suffer, and Cao Jun will take advantage in vain."

    "Haha! Zhou Hujun thinks too much."

    Zhang Zhao¡¯s laughter came from the door, and Zhang Zhao¡¯s tall figure appeared at the door, ¡°Wu Hou, can I come in?¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 289 Meeting a Talented Person on the Road

    "Of course, please come in, Chang Shi!" Although Sun Quan had a headache, he still invited Zhang Zhao in.

    Zhang Zhao entered the room. Everyone stood up to salute and then sat down. Zhang Zhao got straight to the point and said: "Allying with Liu Jing will only feed tigers. This man has ambitions. Once he defeats Cao's army, his power will increase greatly and he will become a powerful enemy in Jiangdong.  It's better to plan it early, and we don't have to send troops. We can instigate Xiangyang to attack Jiangxia from the west. Cai Mao is short-sighted and has a grudge against Liu Jing. If we promise a huge profit, he will definitely agree. When the three of them are tired, we will sit down again.  Harvest profit."

    Cheng Pu was from Hebei and had always been dissatisfied with Zhang Zhao as the leader of the northern faction, but this time they coincided and came together. As soon as Zhang Zhao finished speaking, Cheng Pu responded: "What Zhang Changshi said is very reasonable.  , Liu Jing is ambitious and is the biggest enemy in Jiangdong. I suggest you take advantage of his coming to Soochow to kill this person to avoid future troubles! "

    Seeing Sun Quan's hesitation, Zhou Yu did not object immediately. He stood up and bowed to Sun Quan and said, "Liu Jing has kept his promise and has not expanded his troops eastward for three years. This time, the lord personally guaranteed it. If the lord breaks his promise, he will be killed."  If you break your trust in the world, why do you plan to build an empire that will last forever?"

    Before Sun Quan could speak, Zhang Zhao laughed and said, "In fact, there is no need to kill him. Let him stay as a guest in Jiangdong for a few years to fulfill his friendship as a landlord. This is a good thing, why not?"

    At this moment, a guard at the door reported, "Your Majesty, Deputy Governor Lu has an urgent message!"

    When Sun Quan was in a dilemma, he suddenly heard that Lu Su had sent an urgent letter. He quickly said: "Send the letter up!"

    A guard walked in quickly and presented Lu Su's urgent letter to Sun Quan. Sun Quan opened the letter and read it hastily, with a look of astonishment on his face.

    Several people nearby were watching Sun Quan's expression. Seeing Sun Quan's surprised expression, Cheng Pu couldn't help but ask: "My lord, what happened?"

    Sun Quan put down the letter, pondered for a moment and said: "Cao Cao sent Xun Yu as an envoy to Jiangxia, but Liu Jing's attitude is ambiguous."

    Cheng Pu was furious, "My lord, since he wants to surrender to Cao Cao, he must be eradicated as soon as possible. The sooner the better!"

    This time Zhang Zhao did not respond to Cheng Pu. He also realized that something was not good. If Cao Cao entered the situation again, the situation would be complicated. He fell into deep thought and remained silent for a long time.

    Zhou Yu smiled slightly and said: "Cao Cao sent an envoy to Jiangxia, it must be about Cao Hong and Li Dian's affairs. There is no big problem."

    "But Cao Cao sent Xun Yu. Don't Gong Jin think the problem is a bit serious?" Sun Quan was a little worried. Cao Cao actually sent Xun Yu. This shows that Cao Cao attaches great importance to Jiang Xia.

    "My lord, don't worry. Although Cao Cao wants Liu Jing to surrender, Liu Jing may not be willing. Is Liu Jing setting off now?"

    Sun Quan nodded, "The letter said that they have arrived in Wuhu."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Unlike Liu Bei, Liu Jing came to Soochow by water. He only brought a dozen small warships with a weight of 500 stone, entered Lishui from Wuhukou, and headed eastward along Lishui.

    Lishui, also called Zhongshui, is a medium-sized river that flows through the hilly area west of Taihu Lake. Before Dongwu dredged the Jiangnan river on a large scale, Lishui was the only channel connecting Taihu Lake and the Yangtze River. It was busy with freight and was an important golden river in the Jiangnan region.  waterways.

    It was not until the 14th year of Jian'an that Sun Quan ordered the capital to be moved to Jingkou and Jianye, and organized a large number of civilians to dredge many rivers in the south of the Yangtze River with dense water networks, creating new waterways from the Yangtze River to Soochow and Kuaiji. The shipping value of Lishui gradually declined.

    That evening, the fleet arrived at Liyang County. Liyang County, as its name suggests, is the county town on the north bank of Lishui River. It rose due to the prosperity of Lishui shipping and at the same time declined due to the decline of Lishui shipping.

    The Lishui river is narrow and there are many ships. The fleet travels very slowly, but the beautiful scenery on both sides of the river is amazing. This time Liu Jing went to Jiangdong without Xu Shu or Jia Xu, but only Li Fu.

    Liu Jing was impressed by Li Fu's outstanding performance in Yecheng. He was an extremely rare talent. He was quick-witted and not particular about details. With him, he could make suggestions when encountering danger in Jiangdong.

    In the cabin, Liu Jing was drinking tea and chatting with Li Fu. Since Li Fu came back from Yecheng, he has already acquiesced in Liu Jing as his lord. He has realized that the Yuan family must die, and staying in Jiangxia may be his best choice.

    With belonging in his heart, he naturally also had concerns about being a minister. He was a little worried about this trip to Soochow, "Young master, I am worried that Sun Quan will put you under house arrest and take the opportunity to attack Jiangxia and take Jiangxia into his pocket. During this trip to Soochow, will you?  It¡¯s a bit risky.¡±

    Uniting Jiangdong to fight against Cao Cao was Liu Jing's grand plan for resurgence. He had this idea a few years ago. Although there was the Chibi War in history, history was deviated by Liu Jing's appearance. He was a little worried that history would not change again.  Follow the original trajectory.

    Although there are some worries, Liu Jing believes that the general trend will not change, and Cao CaoTo secure the north, it is inevitable to go south. In order to protect itself, Jiangdong is also inevitable to unite with Jingzhou to resist Cao Cao.

    But some details may change. For example, the main battlefield is not in Chibi, or Cao Cao goes south ahead of schedule due to Liu Biao's death. Liu Jing cannot grasp the details, but he must grasp the general trend.

    Liu Jing took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "If there is no Wenhe plan, it is indeed possible. But if Wenhe plan comes out, Sun Quan will have concerns. If he dares to put me under house arrest or kill me, Jiangxia will surrender to Cao Cao and will  Inflicting a fatal blow to Jiangdong, Sun Quan is also a man of great talent and strategy, and he will not lose big for small things."

    "Although Sun Quan doesn't know how to do it, there is no guarantee that his subordinates will act recklessly. It's better for you to be careful."

    Liu Jing nodded, "It's really best to be careful."

    At this time, the ship stopped. Liu Jing looked out the window and saw a small boat in front. The boatman was talking to his soldiers. A young scribe, about twenty years old, wearing a uniform, emerged from the small boat.  Wearing a blue Confucian robe and a plain scarf on his head, he has an impressive demeanor and an extraordinary bearing.

    A soldier rushed to report, "Master, there is a young scribe in front of me asking to see you. He said he has been waiting for him for many days."

    Liu Jing became interested, so she walked out of the cabin and slowly came to the bow. When she saw the young master, Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "Does this scholar have anything to do with me?"

    When the young master saw Liu Jing, he quickly stepped forward and bowed to salute, "Jiang Wan, a young man from Lingling, has been waiting here for Mr. Jing for many days."

    Li Fu next to him laughed, "Are you Liu Min's cousin Jiang Gongyan?"

    "That's right, Xiaosheng!"

    Liu Jing didn't expect it to be Jiang Wan, and he was a little surprised. Of course he knew Jiang Wan. Liu Xian, Liu Min and Zhou Buyi all recommended Jiang Wan to him one after another. It is said that this person is one of the three prodigies in Jingzhou, with outstanding talents and knowledge.  clever.

    For this reason, Liu Jing sent people to Lingling to find him, but learned that he had gone out to travel, but did not expect to meet him here.

    Liu Jing quickly smiled and said: "It turns out that you are Jiang Gongyan. Liu Jing has heard about his name for a long time. Can you please upload a description?"

    Jiang Wan is Liu Min's cousin. He studied with Liu Xian together with Zhou Buyi and Liu Min since they were young. The three have a good friendship and are known as the Three Young Masters of Lingling. Jiang Wan, Zhou Buyi and Ma Di are also known as the "Three Young Masters of Lingling".  The three prodigies in Jingzhou have an outstanding reputation.

    Later, Zhou Buyi and Liu Min went to Lumen Academy to continue their studies, but Jiang Wan did not want to be bound by the academy and traveled around to find teachers in various places. He had been studying in Jiangdong for half a year. Not long ago, he heard that Liu Jing was coming, so he  I made a special trip to Liyang County to wait.

    Jiang Wan happily boarded the ship, and he and Liu Jing entered the cabin and sat down. Liu Jing poured him a bowl of herbal tea and asked with a smile: "Why is Brother Gongyan in Liyang?"

    Jiang Wan smiled slightly, "I was actually studying with Duke Yuan Tan in Soochow. A few days ago, I heard from him that the young master had come to Jiangdong, so I came all the way. I arrived in Liyang County the day before yesterday, and I was waiting here."

    Duke Tan of Yuan Dynasty is also known as Gu Yong, Sun Quan's advisor. He is a disciple of Cai Yong. He is outstanding in talent and extremely upright. Jiang Wan studied with him for three months, and he was regarded as half teacher and half friend.

    Liu Jing nodded and said, "Does Gong Yan know about Liu Gong's affairs?"

    Although Liu Xian was only a distant relative of Jiang Wan, Jiang Wan had studied with Liu Xian since childhood. Liu Xian was his de facto master and had a deep relationship with him. Jiang Wan also heard about Liu Xian¡¯s murder by Cai Hao.

    Jiang Wan looked sadly and nodded silently.

    Liu Jing comforted him for a few words and then asked: "Brother Gongyan came to see Liu Jing. Can you give me any advice?"

    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to give you any advice, I just want to tell the young master about the internal situation in Soochow, so that the young master can have an idea.¡±

    Liu Jing and Li Fu looked at each other. He was still talking about this matter just now. Unexpectedly, Jiang Wan came to report the news. The two of them were refreshed. Liu Jing smiled and said: "Gong Yan's words are like sweet rain, Jing is willing to listen attentively!  "

    Jiang Wan said slowly: "Zhou Yu strongly advocated uniting Jiangxia to fight against Cao Cao, but Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu were firmly opposed. They believed that joining forces with the young master would bring trouble to the tiger, and advocated uniting Jiangling and Xiangyang to destroy Jiangxia first. Now the two sides have great differences in opinions, and  Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu¡¯s plan was supported by most civil servants.¡±

    Li Fu next to him asked: "Did Gong Yan get the news from Gu Gong?"

    Jiang Wan shook his head, "Mr. Yuan Tan cherishes words like gold and won't say anything. I have a friendship with Zhang Zhao's second son Zhang Xiu because I heard what he said after drinking."

    Liu Jing had been deep in thought, then he asked: "What is Sun Quan's attitude?"

    "It is said that Sun Quan's attitude was ambiguous and he never expressed his stance."

    Speaking of this, Jiang Wan whispered: "I also heard that Zhang Zhao proposed to put the young master under house arrest and then send troops to attack Jiangxia. I suggest that the young master not go to Soochow. If Jiangdong is sincere, let them come to Wuchang for negotiations."

    Li Fu agreed with Jiang Wan's suggestion, and he also advised: "Why don't you return to Chaisang?"??Negotiating with Pengze and Jiangdong!  "

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and after thinking for a long time, he said: "It is already evening now, and we have ordered the ship to be temporarily stopped for the night, and we will set off again tomorrow morning!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 290 Blocking the Road

    As night fell, the lively Liyang County Pier became quiet. The county town was about two miles away from the wharf. Liu Jing stood in front of the boat window with her back on her back, gazing at the small county town in the distance. It was just dark at this time, and there was still a hint of clarity in the sky.  I could clearly see the dark city walls of the county town.

    But Liu Jing turned a blind eye to the county. He was still thinking about what Jiang Wan said. There was no doubt about the correctness of those words. From the few words Lu Su told him, Liu Jing guessed the internal differences in Jiangdong, but he did not expect it.  Zhang Zhao actually proposed to put himself under house arrest.

    "However, Zhang Zhao's suggestion is also reasonable. The key is Sun Quan's attitude. Why is his attitude ambiguous? Does he also have plans for Jiangxia in his heart?  Does he really want to force himself to return to Jiangxia?

    But Liu Jing didn¡¯t want to do this. Although returning to Jiangxia was pleasant for a while, the result may not be that Sun Quan came to Chai Sang to negotiate.

    Without his participation, Zhou Yu would be alone. Sun Quan would probably be persuaded by Zhang Zhao to unite Jiangling and Xiangyang to besiege him. Then the plan to resist Cao would be completely bankrupt. This is what Liu Jing least wants to see.  result.

    Liu Jing sighed. At this time, Lu Su's voice came from outside the cabin, "Master Jing, can I come in?"

    "Please come in, sir!"

    Although Lu Su was teased in the end, Liu Jing had a very good impression of Lu Su. He was indeed a loyal person and a staunch anti-Cao faction. He spared no effort to promote an alliance between Sun Quan and himself. Unfortunately, his status in Jiangdong was not good.  High, otherwise you can trust him completely.

    Lu Su walked in, bowed and saluted, "I'm disturbing the young master's rest."

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hand, "Please take a seat!"

    Lu Su felt a little uneasy. Liu Jing had been traveling day and night all the way to Jiangdong. He occasionally stopped for supplies. Why did he stop in Liyang County tonight?

    Now that we were getting closer to Soochow, Lu Su became more and more worried. He was afraid of any accident. He sat down and asked uneasily: "Are we leaving early tomorrow morning?"

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly and said, "I'm not hiding anything from Zijing. I got news that Zhang Zibu proposed to Wu Hou to put me under house arrest for a few years. I'm very worried."

    Lu Su was shocked and stuttered, "This where do you start talking about this?"

    Liu Jing¡¯s eyes became sharp and she stared at Lu Su, ¡°Does Vice Governor Lu think this is nonsense?¡±

    Lu Su was at a loss for words. Of course he knew that this was not nonsense. Although he was not in Jiangdong during this period, it would not be surprising at all if Zhang Zhao made such a suggestion.

    Liu Jing's tone softened again, "I know that Zijing was not in Jiangdong during this period, so naturally he would not know about it. I don't blame Zijing for this."

    Lu Su felt ashamed, but didn't know how to persuade Liu Jing, so he bowed his head and remained silent for a while.

    At this moment, there was a sudden rush of horse hooves from the north bank. Near the river, a young woman was heard shouting, "Is this Liu Jing's boat?"

    Liu Jing was startled. He heard the sound of horse hoofbeats. There were at least a hundred knights, and she was actually a young woman. Who could this be?

    The woman on the other side shouted again: "If you don't answer again, I will order an arrow to be fired!"

    More than two hundred elites brought by Liu Jing were alerted by the sound of horse hooves. They squatted on the side of the ship and raised their crossbows to aim at the hundreds of horsemen on the other side. They could faintly see their helmets and armor, much like cavalry.

    However, these cavalry had no actual combat experience. They did not realize that they had been controlled by the opponent's crossbows. As long as Liu Jing gave the order, most of the hundreds of cavalry would be killed or injured.

    At this time, the Guards Hou Xu Zheng rushed into the cabin to report, "Sir, there are about one hundred and twenty people on the north bank, all of them are cavalry, but"

    "Nothing, just say it!"

    ¡°But it¡¯s a bit strange, they all seem to be female soldiers!¡±

    Liu Jing approached the ship window and looked at the cavalry on the shore. They saw figures. Although they were wearing helmets and armor, and they were all slender, they were indeed women. "Strange, how could it be a female cavalry?"

    Liu Jing looked at Lu Su suspiciously. Lu Su suddenly slapped his forehead and said repeatedly: "Don't do anything, this is Wu Hou's sister!"

    Liu Jing suddenly realized that this was the girl who stole his horse back then. Now that she has grown up, Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh. After so many years, does she still hate herself?

    He immediately told Xu Zheng, "Brother, please be careful and ignore me. I will handle it myself."

    Xu Zheng agreed and went down. Lu Su smiled bitterly and said: "This is Wu Hou's sister. She is seventeen years old. She has been good at dancing with guns and sticks since she was a child. She is especially good at bow and arrow. Three years ago, she recruited two hundred female soldiers to practice archery on horseback.  They are extremely fierce and appear in the market all day long, saying they are punishing evil and promoting good, but in fact they are causing trouble. Everyone in Soochow is afraid of them and calls them Gong Ma Ji."

    Without waiting for Lu Su to say?, the woman on the shore shouted again, with anger in her voice, "I'll count three times. If you don't pay attention anymore, I will order the arrow to be released!"

    Liu Jing secretly smiled bitterly in her heart and had no choice but to agree: "I accepted your brother's invitation and went to Jiangdong as a guest. Is this the way Jiangdong treats guests?"

    The woman on the shore is none other than Sun Shangxiang. Although it has been nearly six years, she has not forgotten the humiliation of the past, but has been gradually forgotten by everything in life and no longer takes it to heart.

    But three days ago, she accidentally heard that Liu Jing was coming, which immediately aroused the old hatred hidden in her heart. The anger in her heart was ignited again, so she led a hundred female soldiers to rush along Lishui, asking questions all the way.  , found Liu Jing's fleet in Liyang County.

    In fact, you don¡¯t need to ask Sun Shangxiang to know that this is Liu Jing¡¯s fleet. The dozens of small warships cannot be Jiangdong Navy. Who else could it be besides Liu Jing?

    Although Sun Shangxiang was staunch, she was neither reckless nor stupid. She heard Liu Jing's answer. Six years later, she still recognized Liu Jing's voice and said coldly: "Unless you let me shoot three arrows."  , life or death, the past grudges will be settled."

    Liu Jing¡¯s thoughts were spinning rapidly. What did she mean?  If she shoots three arrows, then if she takes a shield, she can shoot ten arrows, right?  £®  £®  Did she want to shoot her own horse?  Or maybe she just wants to save face.

    Next to him, Lu Su was confused. What grudges do Sun Xiaoniang and Liu Jing have?  Although he was puzzled, he was not allowed to slowly look for permission at this time. He quickly said to Liu Jing: "Master, please let me go ashore, and I will convince her."

    Liu Jing nodded and winked at the soldiers next to him. The soldiers immediately went out to prepare a boat to send Lu Su to the north bank. At this time, Jiang Wan, who was standing at the door of the cabin, smiled and said: "Although this Sun Xiaomei is beautiful,  She is incomparable, but has a strong temper. Marquis Wu is not allowed to choose a husband for her. She has to choose her own husband, so she has not married yet. "

    Liu Jing couldn't help laughing, "There are so many talented people in Jiangdong, but she can't find a suitable husband? No one dares to marry her!"

    "Both! She wants to marry a hero who is famous all over the world, but the heroes in Jiangdong dare not marry her."

    Liu Jing stood in front of the window with her hands behind her hands, watching Lu Su from a distance. Lu Su had already gone to the other side, and was faintly discussing something with the leading woman.

    Liu Jing's eyes turned to the riding woman again. Of course she couldn't see her appearance clearly, but her figure was extremely tall and slender in the dark light. Is that Sun Shangxiang?  When I met her six years ago, she was undersized, but now she has grown so tall.

    Liu Jing has forgotten what Sun Shangxiang looked like six years ago, but her cruelty left a deep impression on Liu Jing. I wonder if she will eventually marry Liu Bei like in history.

    At this time, Lu Su came back again. Without getting on Liu Jing's boat, he said from a distance in the river: "She said that as long as the young master agrees to her conditions, she will no longer harass the young master."

    "What conditions?" Liu Jing asked knowingly.

    "Just now" Lu Su hesitated, "She proposed to shoot the young master with three arrows."

    "Humph!" Liu Jing snorted coldly, "So what if I don't agree?"

    Liu Jing suppressed her displeasure in her heart, and smiled and said loudly to Sun Shangxiang: "Miss Sun, do you only remember grudges but not kindness? If I hadn't confessed to the murder, could Miss Sun have escaped from Wuchang City?"

    "Liu Jing, stop talking nonsense. You know best what happened back then. I have tolerated you enough, otherwise I will definitely kill you!"

    Liu Jing shook her head and asked Lu Su calmly: "What will happen to her if I don't agree?"

    Lu Su was extremely helpless. He really couldn't afford to offend this sister of the Marquis of Wu, but he was also worried that Liu Jing would use this as an excuse not to go to Soochow, which would put him in a dilemma. He had no choice but to sigh and said: "If she gets angry,  I'm afraid I will chase him to the Wuchang Young Master's house.

    Liu Jing was shocked, could this really happen?  No wonder no one dared to marry her. Of course he would not argue with a woman, nor would he use Sun Shangxiang as the reason for not going to Soochow. But since there were so many loopholes in her words, why not agree to her?

    He then smiled at Lu Su and said, "Zijing, go and tell her! I can agree."

    Lu Su was overjoyed. He didn't expect that this troublesome matter could be solved so easily. He hurriedly went to the north bank to reply.

    At this time, Li Fu slowly walked to Liu Jing and whispered: "Sir, I have a plan to test Wu Hou's attitude."

    He whispered a few words to Liu Jing. Liu Jing thought for a moment and couldn't help but nodded. This was a clever idea. He immediately ordered someone to find Xu Zheng and gave him a few instructions. Xu Zheng was shocked, how could this work?  It was obvious that Liu Jing's eyes were stern, so he didn't dare not agree, so he quickly went out to make arrangements.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Lu Su conveyed Liu Jing¡¯s promise to Sun Shangxiang, and Sun Shangxiang felt very happy.Fortunately, as long as Liu Jing agrees, she can take care of him. Does he think there are loopholes in his words, and he can reach his cloud-penetrating arrow with a shield?

    Sun Shangxiang was very proud. She suddenly thought of a loophole. What if Liu Jing came back to fulfill the contract ten years later?  She was so anxious that she shouted to Liu Jing: "Liu Jing, fulfill the contract within three months. A gentleman's words are followed by a whip!"

    In the darkness, only Liu Jing replied lazily: "Although I am not a gentleman, I will not impose temporary conditions, let alone break trust with women. Go ahead! Don't disturb my sleep anymore."

    Sun Shangxiang blushed, spat low, whipped his horse violently, "Let's go!"

    She led more than a hundred female cavalry and ran eastward, but disappeared after a moment. Lu Su watched them go away, and he suddenly realized that since Liu Jing had agreed to her, it meant that Liu Jing was still going to Soochow.

    Lu Su suddenly felt a big stone drop in his heart.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 291 Dangerous situation forces Wu

    Just after the fifth watch, it was the deepest sleep time of the day. Lu Su was sleeping soundly when he was suddenly awakened by a shrill scream. He sat up suddenly and faintly heard the sound of horse hooves coming from the shore. Then someone yelled  Shout: "There's an assassin!"

    Lu Su¡¯s mind went ¡®Buzz!  ' With a sound, he quickly stood up and opened the small window. The sky was already dimming, and he saw a dozen horsemen in black on the opposite bank.

    At the same time that Lu Su saw them, the men in black raised their crossbows together, and the sharp crossbow arrows shot at Liu Jing's ship, sweeping over it like a storm. A dozen people immediately turned their horses and ran eastward.

    The fleet was in chaos. The soldiers jumped into the water and swam across the river. They rushed to the other side with swords and spears, but the man in black had already run away and disappeared.

    Lu Su was worried and surprised at the same time. Why did things happen continuously in one night?  Who are these assassins?  Could it be that Wu Hou¡¯s sister is coming to kill again, no!  Impossible, they were just bluffing, it was impossible to really attack Liu Jing, and Liu Jing had already promised her.

    While I was thinking wildly, a soldier's voice came from outside the cabin, "Is Mr. Lu awake?"

    Lu Su opened the cabin door and saw one of Liu Jing's soldiers standing outside the cabin. "What's the matter?" Lu Su asked.

    "My young master invites Mr. Lu to come."

    Lu Su suddenly felt relieved. Liu Jing invited him, which at least meant that Liu Jing was still alive. He quickly put on his clothes and followed his soldiers to Liu Jing's boat.

    Liu Jing¡¯s boat was surrounded by soldiers, armed with swords, guns, bows and crossbows, closely monitoring the situation in the water. Several soldiers were driving small boats and searching in the grass on both sides of the river with long bamboo poles.

    Lu Su walked into the cabin and was stunned. He saw that the cabin was in a mess, with various documents falling all over the floor. There were marks of slashes with swords and blood everywhere.

    There were several crossbow arrows stuck on the ship's wall, and the ship's windows were broken. Two soldiers fell in a pool of blood. The bright red pool of blood was extremely dazzling. The military doctor took their pulses and shook his head, indicating that there was no hope of saving them.

    Liu Jing stood in the corner with a long sword in his hand, his face ashen. When he saw Lu Su coming in, he asked coldly: "Deputy Governor Lu, is this the way Jiangdong treats guests?"

    Lu Su wiped the sweat from his forehead and explained in a low voice: "Master Jing, this was not done by the sister of Marquis Wu."

    "I didn't say it was her!"

    Liu Jing stared at Lu Su with sharp eyes, "The assassin who sneaked onto the ship is a man. He is extremely skilled in martial arts. The dozen or so people who responded to him on the shore are also men. Deputy Governor Lu, I want to know who did this?  "

    Lu Su was speechless and couldn't say a word for a long time. He sighed, "I also want to know who did this?"

    "snort!"

    Liu Jing snorted coldly and said in a very tough tone: "I don't have to pursue the harassment of Wu Hou's sister, but I need Jiang Dong to give me an explanation for tonight's assassination, otherwise I will return to Jiangxia, and Jiang Dong will bear all the consequences!"

    Lu Su lowered his head. He really couldn't explain it. Jiangdong's internal opinions were not unanimous. There were many people who advocated killing Liu Jing. It was indeed possible that some people did it in private. For some reason, he thought of Ling Tong first.

    Liu Jing glanced at Lu Su and said coldly: "I doubt Wu Hou's sincerity now. If Jiangdong is unwilling to form an alliance to resist Cao Cao, but wants to unite Jiangling and Xiangyang to destroy Jiangxia, then out of self-protection, I will not be able to  If you don¡¯t ask for help from Cao¡¯s army, please tell Deputy Governor Lu immediately to inform the Marquis of Wu.¡±

    Lu Su sighed in his heart and nodded silently, "If the young master arranges a ship for me, I will immediately return to Soochow to report to the Marquis of Wu, and I will definitely give the young master an explanation."

    Liu Jing ordered his soldiers to arrange a ship for Lu Su. Lu Su packed up a little and immediately got up and headed for Soochow. Although Lu Su's subconscious also felt that the assassination was somewhat suspicious. With Liu Jing's strong martial arts, how could the assassin be completely injured?  retreat?

    But Lu Su couldn't think about it carefully. He could never let Liu Jing be forced to surrender to Cao Cao. That would be the end of Jiangdong.

    On the bow of the boat, Liu Jing watched Lu Su's boat go away with his hands behind his hands. An elusive smile gradually appeared on his lips. Through this incident, he really wanted to see Sun Quan's sincerity.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the Wu Palace, Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao hurried to Sun Quan's study one after another. In the study, Sun Quan stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, looking very solemn.

    After a moment, he looked back at Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao, and slowly said to them: "I have just received urgent news from Yecheng. The emperor has issued an edict to officially confer Liu Jing as the shepherd of Jingzhou, and also named him the Marquis of Fanxiang."

    Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao did not show shock. They discussed this result last time. Liu Jing had Cao Hong and Li Dian, as well as more than 10,000 prisoners of war of Cao's army. It was reasonable to finally reach an exchange with Cao Cao.

    Sun Quan seemed to know that they would not be surprised, and he sneered.??, "There is another news. I heard that Cao Cao publicly promised to make Liu Jing the King of Xiangyang and his descendants to be the shepherds of Jingzhou forever, provided that Liu Jing surrenders to Cao Cao."

    This news is indeed shocking. Only direct princes are eligible for the title of King of Xiangyang. Although Liu Jing is a descendant of the royal family, he is far away from the core of the royal family. Cao Cao actually spent such a large amount of money in order to surrender him.  .

    Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao looked at each other, with surprise in their eyes. Zhou Yu quickly asked: "Wu Hou, is this news reliable?"

    Sun Quan nodded, "It should be reliable, but I heard that Liu Jing did not agree. I wonder if Xun Yu went to Jiangxia to continue to persuade Liu Jing?"

    Zhou Yu was silent for a moment and said: "Jiangxia is not only an important town in Jingzhou, but also the core area of ??the entire south. Once Liu Jing surrenders to Cao Cao, not only will Jingzhou be easily destroyed, but Cao Cao's army will gain thousands of warships and hundreds of thousands of warships.  Jiangdong is coming, and at the same time Cao Cao is sending troops from Jiangbei to put pressure, the foundation of Jiangdong III will be destroyed, please consider it carefully."

    Why didn't Sun Quan understand that if he had been under pressure from Zhang Zhao and most other civil servants before, and his position was somewhat wavering, then Cao Cao's entry into the situation made him realize the seriousness of the consequences, and he would never let Liu Jing surrender to Cao Cao.

    Thinking of this, Sun Quan said to Zhang Zhao: "Since the emperor has issued an edict and recognized Liu Jing as the shepherd of Jingzhou, then if we unite with the other two families to attack Jiangxia, we will become unknown. Please ask Zibu to persuade the officials and let them consider the overall situation.  "

    This sentence actually tells Zhang Zhao that he rejects Zhang Zhao's plan.

    Zhang Zhao himself has no selfish motives. He just believes that forming an alliance with Liu Jing is a recipe for danger. Liu Jing's wolf ambition will sooner or later become a serious problem for Jiangdong's confidants. It is better to take advantage of it early. Moreover, it is completely feasible for Jiangdong Army to unite with Jiangling and Xiangyang to destroy Jiangxia.

    But Zhang Zhao did not expect that Liu Jing would surrender to Cao Cao. Of course, he knew that the consequences of Jiangxia's surrender to Cao Cao would be very serious. Now that the lord had made up his mind, he no longer persisted and nodded silently, "Old minister, I understand."

    At this moment, a guard reported at the door, "Report to the Marquis of Wu, Deputy Governor Lu is back. He said there is something urgent to report!"

    In the room, the three of them were puzzled. Lu Su did not come with Liu Jing. What happened?  Sun Quan quickly said: "Summon him in quickly!"

    After a while, Lu Su hurriedly walked in. As soon as he entered the door, he said impatiently: "Wu Hou, something happened!"

    "Zijing, don't be anxious, speak slowly, what happened?" Zhou Yu comforted him from the side.

    Lu Su calmed down his anxiety for a moment and saluted Sun Quan: "Early the morning before yesterday, Mr. Jing was assassinated in Liyang County. His subordinates saw it with their own eyes. More than a dozen men in black assassinated him. Many of Mr. Jing's bodyguards were killed. He escaped by chance.  Live through a calamity.¡±

    Sun Quan was stunned for a moment. This news shocked him greatly. He asked urgently: "How is Liu Jing doing now?"

    Lu Su shook his head and sighed: "He is extremely angry now, saying that Wu Hou has no sincerity in forming an alliance. He wants Wu Hou to give him an explanation, otherwise he will return to Jingzhou, and Jiangdong will bear all the consequences."

    Zhang Zhao next to him said angrily: "How dare he threaten Wu Hou like this!"

    Sun Quan waved his hand, "The assassination in Jiangdong is indeed our responsibility. It is reasonable for him to be angry. We should have sent troops to protect him along the way. We have neglected our distinguished guests. We cannot blame him."

    Sun Quan then said to Zhou Yu: "Arrange the ships immediately. I will personally go to meet Liu Jing and apologize to him!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    An hour later, Sun Quan led dozens of civil and military officials, escorted by two thousand troops, sailed from Xujiang River into Taihu Lake in more than a hundred warships, and marched toward Liyang County in a mighty manner.

    In the cabin, Sun Quan found Lu Su. Although Lu Su was slightly inferior to Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao in terms of intelligence, Lu Su was loyal, knowledgeable, and capable in diplomacy, and was highly valued by Sun Quan.

    "Zijing, I feel like you haven't finished speaking yet. Is there anything else you haven't told me?"

    In front of Zhang Zhao, Lu Su did have some things that he couldn't say. Now that he and Sun Quan were alone, he told everything that happened that night, and finally sighed and said, "I'm sorry, I'm frank.  I feel that Liu Jing is very disappointed with Wu Hou. After all, they have had a good relationship for so many years. But at the critical moment, there are calls in Jiangdong to unite with Jiangling and Xiangyang to destroy Jiangxia. There are also rumors that he will be put under house arrest in Soochow. The anger in his heart can be seen.  As you can imagine, there was an assassination incident this time, so he lost his composure. "

    "What did he say in the end?" Sun Quan continued to ask without revealing his voice.

    Lu Su hesitated and said: "He finally said that out of self-protection, he would have to ask Cao Jun for help."

    Sun Quan¡¯s face became extremely solemn. Although Lu Su said that Liu Jing had lost his temper, Sun Quan knew thatThis was just Lu Su's cover-up because he was afraid of being angry. This should be Liu Jing's threat.

    Sun Quan paced back and forth in the cabin with his hands behind his hands. He finally stopped and asked, "Did you say that Shang Xiang also threatened Liu Jing that night?"

    Lu Su understood what Sun Quan meant and quickly said: "The assassination has nothing to do with her. Liu Jing herself admitted that the assassin was a man, not a woman. Moreover, Liu Jing has agreed to Erniang's conditions, so there is no need for her to assassinate again."

    Sun Quan nodded, walked to the door and asked the guard, "Did Mr. Cheng also follow?"

    The guard replied: "I saw him get on the boat."

    Lu Su was surprised and thought to himself, 'Could it be that Cheng Pu sent someone to do it secretly?  ¡¯ He only thought that Zhang Zhao was suspected, but he didn¡¯t know that Cheng Pu also wanted to kill Liu Jing.

    Sun Quan seemed to understand Lu Su's thoughts, and smiled lightly and said: "We will discuss this matter after we go to Liyang. We should comfort him first, and I will give him an explanation for this matter."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 292 Showing Sincerity

    When Sun Quan's fleet arrived in Liyang County, Liu Jing's dozen warships were still in Liyang County, but Liu Jing himself was not there.

    Li Fu was brought into Sun Quan¡¯s cabin. He bowed and saluted, ¡°Bo Li Fu, the Lord of Jiangxia, comes to see the Marquis of Wu!¡±

    Sun Quan glanced at him and asked with a smile: "If I remember correctly, Mr. Li should be Bo, the leader of Yuan Shangjun! When did he defect to Jiangxia?"

    ¡°Birds choose good trees to roost in, is it strange that I choose to live in Jiangxia?¡±

    "It's not surprising. Mr. Jing is a very good lord. When I first dealt with him, I knew that he would be the lord of Jingzhou sooner or later. Mr. Li's decision to invest in Jiangxia was indeed a wise move."

    Sun Quan smiled and changed the subject, "I want to know where Young Master Jing is?"

    "Reporting to the Marquis of Wu, Mr. Jing has something to do and has returned to Jiangxia first. He left a message for me to tell the Marquis of Wu that the alliance between the two parties can be discussed in Pengze and does not necessarily have to come to Soochow."

    Even though Sun Quan had always been calm, he still couldn't hold back his anger at this time and asked in a deep voice: "I wonder when Mr. Jing left?"

    "What a coincidence. I just left last night. If I had known that Wu Hou was coming, I would have waited another day."

    "Thank you, Mr. Li, I have an idea."

    Sun Quan knew for sure that Liu Jing left after he knew he was coming. He immediately found Zhou Yu and told him: "Liu Jing just left last night and should not be far away. Gong Jin can catch up immediately and be sure to catch him."  Please come back."

    Zhou Yu hesitated and said: "I feel that Liu Jing actually doesn't want to leave. He knows that the lord will come to pick him up in person and should come back."

    Sun Quan shook his head, "Since I have shown my sincerity, I will simply show my sincerity to the end and give him enough face. This can be regarded as my apology for neglecting him."

    "Weichen understands and goes after him immediately."

    Zhou Yu bowed and went out. At this time, the guard reported: "To inform the Marquis of Wu, the Liyang County Magistrate has brought him and is waiting outside."

    "Let him in!"

    Soon, the Liyang County Magistrate in official uniform hurriedly walked in, knelt down and saluted, "My Majesty, Luo Min, the Magistrate of Liyang County, pays homage to Marquis Wu!"

    Sun Quan sat down and asked him: "I want to know about the assassination of Mr. Jing. Have you ever investigated it?"

    Magistrate Luo Min nodded, "I started a detailed investigation the next day. An assassination did indeed occur. Many cargo ship crews can confirm that there were more than a dozen men in black on horseback. They used crossbows to shoot at Mr. Jing's ship. Some people witnessed it with their own eyes.  I saw people in black clothes in the water. The water quality was very good. They climbed ashore and ran away. I went to the east to investigate. The group of people in black clothes escaped into Yangxian and then ran to the northeast. "

    "Are there any other clues? For example, war horses, accents, etc.?"

    Luo Min shook his head, "I don't dare to talk nonsense. I really know nothing. I only know that these people are very disciplined. They shot one arrow and left at the same time. They are obviously very well-trained."

    Sun Quan asked a few more questions in great detail, but Magistrate Luo Min couldn't come up with any more useful clues, so Sun Quan had to order someone to send him away. As soon as Magistrate Luo left, Sun Quan's face immediately darkened.  He ordered the guards: "Go and find Duke Cheng and Zhang Changshi for me."

    Although Sun Quan also thought about the possibility of a bitter plot, the current situation prevented him from thinking too much about it. He was very passive now and did not arrange for anyone to protect him along the way.  Look internally for accountability.

    Not long after, Cheng Pu and Zhang Zhao hurried over, bowed together and saluted, "See you, Marquis Wu!"

    Sun Quan stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, without looking back, and asked coldly: "Tell me! Who arranged the assassination?"

    Cheng Pu and Zhang Zhao looked at each other, shook their heads and said, "To the Marquis of Wu, this matter has nothing to do with us."

    "I still want to make excuses!"

    Sun Quan suddenly turned around, stared at Cheng Pu and said angrily: "You are the one who advocates killing Liu Jing. I don't agree, so you just do it secretly, right?"

    Veins popped up on Sun Quan's forehead. He finally lost his temper. Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu had never seen Sun Quan lose such a temper. They couldn't help but kneel down together. Cheng Pu kowtowed and said, "Although I hate him, I don't know the overall situation."  Man, I would never have made such a reckless and foolish move without the consent of Marquis Wu, never!"

    Zhang Zhao also explained: "Of course I will not assassinate him. This will only harm Jiangdong's interests and force Jiangxia to surrender to Cao."

    Cheng Pu is the oldest person in Jiangdong and has a high status. If he did it, he would definitely admit it, and Zhang Zhao would not do such a stupid thing. Since the two of them denied it, Sun Quan also believed them. He thought  He thought again: "Could it be that your nephews did it secretly, or some military men, who remember the tragic defeat of Chaisang back then, secretly organized this assassination? Can you guarantee that they have nothing to do with it?"

    Cheng Pu and Zhang Zhao were silent.We can't guarantee that this is indeed possible. The young children of Jiangdong are extremely active, including Zhang Zhao's second son Zhang Xiu, who often convenes a group of official children for gatherings. Zhang Zhao considered that he could accumulate connections for his son and never stopped him.

    ??????????????????? More importantly, there are indeed many people in Jiangdong who are still bitter about the tragic defeat of Chaisang, and there are many people who hate Liu Jing, especially Ling Tong and Pan Zhang¡¯s brother Pan Long, who have repeatedly threatened to kill Liu Jing.

    This time Liu Jing comes to Jiangdong, there is indeed a possibility of being assassinated by them, and the possibility is very high.

    Sun Quan glanced at them and said coldly: "It seems that you also understand that this is a possibility. Now I can't find out who did it. How do you think I can give Liu Jing an explanation?"

    Zhang Zhao thought for a moment and said: "My lord, you can tell Liu Jing that this matter is under investigation. It is most likely that Cao Cao wanted to destroy the alliance between the Sun and Liu families and deliberately assassinated Jiangdong. It is also possible that Cai Mao used a borrowed knife to kill people and borrowed Jiangdong's hand.  Kill him, and then they annex Jiangxia. In short, you can shift the responsibility to these two families, and then the lord promises that this matter will not happen again, which should be considered an explanation. "

    After a pause, Zhang Zhao smiled again: "What's more important is that the lord came to greet him in person, showing his sincerity and giving him enough face. If he really wanted to form an alliance with the lord, he wouldn't be too entangled in the assassination. He wasn't last night  Just left?"

    Sun Quan nodded. Although Zhang Zhao had a different stance, his careful consideration of issues and thorough understanding of people's hearts were indeed extraordinary. He was worthy of being the leader of hundreds of officials.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhou Yu chased Liu Jing all the way in the boat. He also knew very well that since Liu Jing left the night before Wu Hou arrived, it meant that he did not really want to return to Jiangxia, but was just making a gesture to stay below.  Gain a psychological advantage in negotiations.

    Zhou Yu had to secretly scold Liu Jing for being cunning. This was actually a bit like buying things from a small stall in later generations. The customer looked at the item and turned around to leave. The small vendor would say soft words to coax the customer back. How good the product is, and the price is negotiable.  such as.

    "This kind of market psychology is used in a small way, like a street vendor, and in a big way, it is like a negotiation between two countries. The principle is the same.

    Zhou Yu knew that Liu Jing still needed supplies, and there was a supply place at the Wuhu County Pier. At dusk the next day, Zhou Yu's Five Hundred History Clippers arrived at the Wuhu County Pier. Before it even approached the wharf, a soldier pointed at the wharf and shouted  : "Captain, look, Jiang Xia's ship!"

    Zhou Yu also saw that seven or eight 500-stone warships were parked at the dock, and soldiers were carrying things from the dock to the ships. As expected, they were supplying here.

    There was a person standing on the bow of a large ship, with his back to them. He was watching the soldiers carrying goods with his hands behind his back. From the back, he was tall, wearing a robe and a golden crown on his head. Judging from his demeanor, he should be Liu Jing.

    At this time, a soldier reminded him of the approaching ship. Liu Jing turned around and happened to be face to face with Zhou Yu. Although the Chaisang War broke out three years ago, they had never seen each other. Zhou Yu cupped his hands and smiled and said: "I'm going to Jiangdong, Zhou Gongjin."  , Your Excellency is Mr. Jing!¡±

    Liu Jing saw Zhou Yu's handsome appearance, tall figure, and elegant temperament, and couldn't help but secretly praise: "As expected of Jiangdong Zhou Lang, he is indeed a romantic and literary person, and he is like a dragon or a phoenix among people."  ¡¯

    Liu Jing also smiled and returned the greeting: "It's Liu Jing who has long heard about the reputation of Jiangdong Zhou Lang."

    Zhou Yu was overjoyed and said quickly: "Gong Jin came from Liyang County, can I have a talk with you?"

    Liu Jing looked at him calmly for a moment, then waved her hand, "Captain Zhou, please come aboard and have a talk!"

    The two entered the cabin and sat down. Zhou Yu said sincerely: "The Marquis of Wu has rushed to Liyang County. He is deeply angry about what happened to Mr. Jing in Liyang County. He has ordered the murderer to be traced. The perpetrators will be caught and the master will be given an explanation."  , But no matter what, please believe me, this is definitely not Wu Hou¡¯s intention.¡±

    "Of course I believe in Wu Hou's sincerity, otherwise I would not have come to Jiangdong. In fact, I have made countless enemies over the years. Whether it was Cao Cao or Cai Mao, they all had the motive to kill me. I did not necessarily think that it was the Jiangdong people who did it.

    The key point is that I hope to see the sincerity of Wu Hou's alliance. I hope that our two families can abandon the unpleasantness of the past and join hands to fight against Cao Cao. This is the purpose of my coming to Jiangdong. I hope that Governor Zhou will tell Wu Hou.  "

    Zhou Yu nodded silently, he pondered for a moment and then asked: "I wonder when you think Cao Cao's army will go south?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "I think Governor Zhou and I have the same view. As long as Cao Cao's army ends the Liaodong War, they will immediately start to invade the south. As early as this winter, as early as next spring and summer, Cao Cao's army will definitely attack Nanyang in a large scale.  What does Governor Zhou think?"

    Zhou Yu sighed, "Heroes all see the same thing, and that's exactly what I think."

    Zhou Yu was anxious in his heart. He stood up and saluted: "Master Jing, please come back with me no matter what, and discuss with Wu Hou the plan to resist Cao Cao.".  "

    Liu Jing nodded, "Since Wu Hou and Governor Zhou are so sincere, of course I will put the overall situation first."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    An assassination incident was finally eliminated by Sun Quan's sincerity. Liu Jing did not ask about the assassin's situation, nor did he mention the internal differences in Jiangdong. In the afternoon of the next day, Liu Jing, accompanied by Zhou Yu, returned to Liyang.  county.

    Sun Quan has been waiting here for nearly four days. Although a series of disturbances occurred, many people were worried that their meeting would be awkward.

    But what actually happened proved that this worry was completely unnecessary. They were like old friends who had not seen each other for many years, laughing and hugging each other as soon as they met.

    Sun Quan looked him up and down and said with a smile: "Many years ago, I was wondering who dared to bully my sister. Later I found out that this bold guy was Mr. Jing."

    Liu Jing quickly explained, "It was a misunderstanding that time!"

    Sun Quan chuckled and patted Liu Jing on the shoulder, "Young master, you don't need to explain. I know it in my heart. If you hadn't been willing to protect me, my sister-in-law would have been caught by Huang Zu. I can't even thank you enough."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "My sister really shouldn't have gone to Jiangxia back then. It was too dangerous."

    Sun Quan nodded, changed the topic, and said with a smile: "To be honest, I was not convinced at the battle of Chaisang back then. Is Mr. Jing willing to fight with me again?"

    Liu Jing smiled happily, "I am very willing to accompany you again and make Wu Hou convinced!"

    The two looked at each other and laughed. Sun Quan held Liu Jing's hand and walked to the side of the ship. The two held their clasped hands high. Sun Quan shouted to everyone: "From today on, Mr. Jing will also  My brother, whoever dares to be rude to him is bullying me, Sun Quan, and I will kill him!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 293 Powerful Killing Move

    Just as Sun Quan and Liu Jing were returning to Soochow from Liyang County, Liu Bei had already arrived one step ahead. Unfortunately, he arrived on the second day after Sun Quan rushed to Liyang County. Most of the high-ranking officials from Jiangdong followed Sun Quan to Liyang.  Liu Bei received a cold reception invisibly.

    It has been five days since he came to Soochow, but no one has received him. Neither the civilian leader Zhang Zhao nor the military leader Zhou Yu are in the city.

    But Liu Bei also already knew that these people had followed Wu Hou to the waterway to meet Liu Jing, which made him extremely uncomfortable. For several days, Liu Bei was depressed and rarely went out.

    However, Jiangdong's hospitality to Liu Bei was very good. He stayed in a VIP hotel close to the East City Gate and was served by dedicated hotel officials and maids. However, no matter how good the service was, Liu Bei could not be in a happy mood.

    In the room, Liu Bei was drinking alone. At this time, there was a sound of footsteps in the yard, and then he heard Pang Tong's laughter, "Uncle Emperor, Mr. Zhuge is here."

    Of course it was not Zhuge Liang, but Zhuge Jin. After he accompanied Liu Bei to Soochow, he went to Kuaiji County again and just returned yesterday.

    Liu Bei was also about to ask him something, so he steeled himself and said with a smile: "Please come in!"

    Pang Tong and Zhuge Jin walked in. Zhuge Jin saluted and said apologetically: "The Lord has been away from Soochow these days, so the emperor has been wronged."

    Liu Bei felt a lot better when he saw him apologizing as soon as he entered the door. He waved his hands and said with a smile: "Tzuyu, please sit down!"

    The three of them sat down respectively. Liu Bei winked at Pang Tong. Pang Tong understood and said, "I have something to ask Mr. Zhuge. I remember that on the way to Soochow, Mr. Zhuge once said that the Marquis of Wu will treat people fairly and will not be biased."  Jiangxia will not favor Jiangling, but why Wu Hou went to Liyang County specifically to welcome Liu Jing's arrival is a bit puzzling. Can you explain it, sir?"

    Although his tone was very polite, his words were aggressive, almost asking Dong Wu for not believing his words. Zhuge Jin knew that they would be angry, but he was not angry either. He smiled apologetically and said: "I came today to explain this matter. Wu  The reason why Hou rushed to Liyang County was because Liu Jing was assassinated in Liyang County.

    Zhuge Jin stopped speaking dramatically, causing Liu Bei's originally casual gaze to freeze. He couldn't believe it, but his eyes were more surprised, "Tzuyu said, Liu Jing was assassinated?"

    Zhuge Jin stroked his beard and nodded, "That's it. Although Liu Jing escaped by chance, the incident shocked Marquis Wu. This was the shame of Jiangdong, so Marquis Wu felt extremely guilty and hurried away.  , by no means favoring one over the other.¡±

    Liu Bei then knew the whole story and felt relieved. If this was the case, he would feel better. After all, the assassination was indeed of great importance, and no one could ignore it.

    He pondered for a moment and asked: "I wonder who sent the assassin?"

    Zhuge Jin shook his head, "I don't know yet. The specific details will only be known when Wu Hou comes back. But today and tomorrow, Wu Hou will be back. I believe Wu Hou will definitely meet with the emperor and express his apology to him.  Please wait patiently for two more days, uncle."

    Liu Bei smiled bitterly in his heart. Of course Sun Quan would meet him. He was not afraid of waiting. He had already waited for five days. It didn't matter if he waited a few more days. The key was what Sun Quan could give him. Can he recognize Liu Qi as the shepherd of Jingzhou?

    Liu Bei has sent people to Xuchang to find Kong Rong, hoping that the emperor would recognize Liu Qi as the shepherd of Jingzhou, but there is no news so far. He can only do the next best thing to get Jiangdong's support.

    In fact, it was Jiangdong who first sent Bu Zhao as an envoy to Jiangling, hinting that Jiangdong was willing to cooperate with Liu Bei, and this prompted his Jiangdong and his party.

    On the way there, Zhuge Jin also clearly told him that most of the civil servants in Jiangdong supported Jiangling, including important ministers such as Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu, and were willing to join forces with Jiangling to destroy Jiangxia first, and then talk about joint resistance against Cao Cao.

    Even Sun Quan was looking forward to meeting him in Soochow to plan major events.

    This gave Liu Bei unlimited hope. If Liu Jing could be destroyed, Liu Cong would be the de facto lord of Jingzhou.

    But as the saying goes, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. When he learned that Sun Quan actually went to greet Liu Jing in person, it was like a blow to the head, and Liu Bei's heart almost fell into the abyss.

    "However, Liu Bei is also a person who has experienced setbacks and has a strong ability to endure. Although he is full of resentment, he is still waiting patiently. He will never give up until the last moment. At this moment, he decides to fight back.

    After pondering for a long time, Liu Bei finally said something astonishing, "There is one thing I want to tell Ziyu. Liu Jing is not actually Liu Jingsheng's nephew. He is an impostor. The real Liu Jingsheng's nephew died in your house six years ago."  South."

    This news was so shocking that not only Zhuge Jin was stunned, but even Pang Tong was stunned. After a long while, Zhuge Jin collapsed.Taking a breath of cold air, "Uncle Emperor, is this serious?"

    Liu Bei nodded slowly, "With my status, would I still lie and frame him? Mr. Qi also knows about this, and he expressed his extreme indignation."

    "But" Zhuge Jin hesitated and said, "I am willing to believe what the emperor said, but does the emperor have any evidence?"

    After all, Liu Bei is not Liu Biao. If Liu Biao announced the news, no one would doubt it, but Liu Bei is different. He is not Liu Jing¡¯s uncle, nor is he the Lord of Jingzhou. Maybe with his reputation, many people will believe it, but if there is no evidence,  It will still be a little bit hotter.

    Liu Bei naturally knew the importance of evidence. He said coldly: "Of course I have evidence. I visited Lingling Prefect Liu Du and asked Liu Pan. Both of them have met the real Liu Jing and said that the real Liu Jing was when he was a child.  He broke his leg and walked with a slight limp, but Liu Jing had no leg problems at all. Liu Du and Liu Pan were a little surprised at first, but Liu Biao didn't pursue it and they didn't take it to heart.

    "Also, the real Liu Jing can speak a fluent Shanyang County accent, but the current Liu Jing can't do it at all. This is because I asked Sun Qian to cover up for him. Don't I know whether he is real or fake?  "

    After a pause, Liu Bei continued: "In addition, Zilong also knows his true identity and who he is?"

    Liu Bei took out two letters from his arms and handed them to Zhuge Jin, "This is the personal testimony of Liu Du and Liu Pan, which proves that Liu Jing is a fake."

    At this time, Pang Tong sighed secretly beside him. Even if Liu Jing was fake, Liu Biao was dead and no one with authority recognized it, so he could not bring down Liu Jing.

    But Pang Tong understood Liu Bei's intention. He wanted to prove Liu Jing's illegality in a broad sense, so that Jiangdong's people would firmly oppose the alliance with Liu Jing, and finally forced Sun Quan to turn to Jiangling.

    From a strategic point of view, this is also a very powerful killing move. The key is whether Jiang Dong believes that Liu Jing is fake. Pang Tong also secretly admires Liu Bei. He usually looks at Liu Bei as a generous elder, but at the critical moment, he is ruthless.  , came up with an unexpected killing move.

    General Zhuge Jin took the letter, nodded silently and said: "I will convey all the evidence of the emperor's uncle to the Marquis of Wu, and let the Marquis of Wu make the final decision."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhuge Jin said goodbye and left. Liu Bei stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, staring at the sky. He was obviously deep in thought. Pang Tong did not dare to disturb his thoughts and stood behind him for a long time. Liu Bei asked lightly: "What does Shi Yuan think of this?"  thing?"

    "Soldiers are deceitful!" Pang Tong responded.

    Liu Bei nodded, "You are right, Liu Jing used to be my junior, and he was very kind to Zilong, so although I knew he was a fake from the beginning, I couldn't bear to expose him, but now he is mine  I must never be forgiving towards my enemies, otherwise I will be harmed by them sooner or later.¡±

    Pang Tong nodded, "As a subordinate, I will firmly support the lord!"

    At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside, and the official rushed in and shouted: "Uncle Liu Huang, Marquis Wu is back, it's so lively!"

    Liu Bei was overjoyed and walked out quickly. He saw that both sides of the street were crowded with Soochow people. They were so densely packed that it was impossible to see the end of the street. They kept cheering and their joy was beyond words.

    In the middle of the crowd, hundreds of soldiers were guarding a horse-drawn carriage. The carriage had no shed and a round cover on top. Sun Quan, wearing a purple gold crown, stood on the carriage. Next to him stood another man.  It was Liu Jing. The two stood side by side, accepting the cheers and support of the Soochow people with smiles on their faces. Liu Jing also raised his hands to wave to the people on both sides from time to time.

    Behind them, dozens of Jiangdong officials followed on horseback, followed by thousands of Jiangdong soldiers, with a huge momentum. This kind of guard of honor made Liu Bei, who was standing in front of the VIP hotel, feel a chill in his heart. Could it be that they have already formed an alliance?

    The carriage slowly stopped in front of the VIP hotel, but Liu Jing saw Liu Bei at a glance. He smiled and cupped his hands and said, "Uncle Emperor, why do we meet here?"

    Sun Quan didn't expect to meet Liu Bei here. This was the first time he saw Liu Bei. Then he suddenly remembered that Liu Bei should have arrived a long time ago. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He forced a smile and explained to Liu Jing: "Uncle Liu Huang came here specially to attend.  My mother¡¯s birthday is also a distinguished guest from Jiangdong.¡±

    He also stepped forward and saluted Liu Bei, "Sun Quan is rude, he kept your uncle waiting for a long time."

    Liu Bei felt sad in his heart, and returned the greeting with a smile: "Wu Hou is so polite. Zhuge joined the army to accompany me to visit the scenic spots in Wuzhong these days. I have gained a lot and enjoyed it."

    Liu Bei asked again with concern: "I heard that my nephew was assassinated. It doesn't matter! I don't know who did it?"

    "Thank you for your concern, uncle. My nephew is not in danger. The matter has passed. However, I didn't know when the uncle passed by Jiangxia. I have lost the friendship of the landlord. I must take good care of him when he returns."Wait, we can't let the emperor's uncle sneak away again.  "

    After speaking, Liu Jing laughed, and Liu Bei's face changed slightly. Liu Jing's words were full of sarcasm and threats. He also said coldly: "Thank you for your kindness, but my nephew should pay more attention to his relatives! Now in the Central Plains,  The situation is chaotic, it¡¯s better to get them to Jiangxia as soon as possible.¡±

    When Sun Quan saw the two of them sarcastic and secretly fighting, he also felt a headache, but he couldn't let them live together to avoid trouble. He winked at Lu Su beside him. Lu Su understood and smiled and said: "This is your place."  The hotel is unfortunately a bit narrow, and Mr. Jing may not be able to accommodate him because of his large entourage. Mr. Jing, please feel sorry for yourself and stay in the Navy Hall outside the city for the time being! "

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "Thank you very much. I will live in Tao Zhai. It is my father-in-law's mansion and it can also be regarded as my own home. Zijing doesn't have to worry about it."

    Since Liu Jing wanted to live in the Tao family, Sun Quan couldn't object. He forced a smile and said, "I will hold a banquet at Wu Palace in the evening to entertain two distinguished guests from afar!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 294 Brother-sister rivalry

    Just as Sun Quan was accompanying Liu Jing on a carriage to praise the streets, a young officer stood in the crowd, holding his hand on the hilt of his sword, staring at Liu Jing fiercely and sharply. The crowd kept cheering, covering up the officer's eyes.  With his murderous intentions and actions, many people regard him as a soldier who maintains order.

    Just as the carriage gradually approached the officer, Liu Jing was only two feet away from him in a straight line. The officer suddenly stood up in the crowd and wanted to rush forward with his sword. At this critical moment, a strong man suddenly appeared behind the officer and struck him from behind.  He hugged the officer and quickly dragged him out.

    "let me go!"

    The officer roared like an angry beast, but the strong man ignored him, dragged him into an alley, and slapped the officer across the face.

    "Are you crazy?" The big man cursed fiercely: "The Marquis of Wu is in the car, do you want to be charged with murdering the Lord?"

    "I will not harm the Marquis of Wu. I will cut Liu Jing's body into thousands of pieces to avenge my father's murder!" the young officer said with tears in his eyes.

    ¡°You come with me first!¡±

    The big man grabbed his wrist and led him hurriedly out of the alley from the other end. After walking about a hundred steps, he pulled him into a house. The plaque above the door of the house read the word "Pan Mansion".

    This was the original residence of Pan Zhang, the Jiangdong general. Pan Zhang died in Chaisang and is now occupied by his brother Pan Long. Pan Long is the black man with great martial arts and great strength. He succeeded his brother as the school captain.  One position.

    And that young officer was Ling Cao¡¯s son Ling Tong, who was only eighteen years old this year. After Ling Cao was killed in Chaisang, Sun Quan took pity on his son and made Ling Tong the Sima of another department, commanding a thousand men from his father¡¯s Qu department.

    Today, Ling commanded his troops to patrol the streets, but unexpectedly he met Liu Jing entering the city. The hatred of killing his father went to his mind. If Pan Long had not appeared in time, he would have almost caused a big disaster.

    Pan Long took Ling Tong into the study, then let go of his wrist and said bitterly: "Calm down first!"

    Ling Tong was brave and wise, and was a rare young general in Jiangdong. However, the death of his father Ling Cao was the nightmare that he couldn't get rid of. He saw his father shot to death by Liu Jing with his own eyes. He often looked at him at night  I was startled by this scene.

    Ling Tong suppressed hatred in his heart and vowed to avenge his father, and the enemy who killed his father was Liu Jing. He had been waiting for this day for three years, but today he unexpectedly arrived.

    At this time, a stick of incense had passed since the assassination attempt. Ling Tong also calmed down. He also realized his recklessness, but he did not admit defeat. He still gritted his teeth and said: "Kill him, and I will apologize to the Marquis of Wu."  , the worst case scenario is death!¡±

    Pan Long stared into his eyes for a long time and sighed, "You think you can kill him yourself. Are you his opponent? Even I am not his opponent, and you are even worse. You want to kill him? Stop dreaming."

    Ling Tong lowered his head and said nothing. Pan Long patted his shoulder again and said, "I just got the news that Liu Jing was assassinated in Liyang County. Wu Hou went to Liyang County specifically for this. For public purposes, don't do it."  How reckless!¡±

    Ling Tongyi was stunned, "Who wants to assassinate him?"

    "I don't know about this, but at least we are reminded that we are not the only ones who want to kill Liu Jing. Liu Jing must be very vigilant now. We must consider this matter in the long run."

    Ling Tong nodded silently. Liu Jing must have been prepared. He was not easy to assassinate. This matter really needs to be considered in the long run.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Finally, Liu Jing was welcomed back to Soochow City. Sun Quan returned to Wu Palace a little tired. As soon as he entered the harem, he met his sister Sun Shangxiang who was hurriedly preparing to go out.

    Sun Shangxiang is extremely beautiful. If she dresses up a little, she will be no less beautiful than her sister-in-law. But Sun Shangxiang seems not interested in dressing up. She has no makeup, powder, or jewelry. The room is filled with various weapons.

    Today she is wearing a white warrior uniform, a phoenix golden crown on her head, a pair of deerskin boots on her feet, a bow and arrow on her back, and a green-edge long sword inlaid with gems on her waist. She is tall and slender, looking heroic.

    Sun Quan had an elder sister and a younger sister. The eldest sister was married to Hongzi, a native of Qu'er. The younger sister was Sun Shangxiang. Although Sun Quan and Sun Shangxiang were of the same father, he loved this younger sister very much. He was obedient to her and doted on her beyond measure. Sometimes,  Even his mother Wu couldn't stand it and warned him not to spoil his sister too much.

    Sun Quan did not listen to the advice and doted on his sister as always. Sun Shangxiang liked to dance with guns and swords since he was a child. He went to Taihu to learn martial arts from his master and became good at martial arts.

    Two years ago, Sun Shangxiang even formed a female cavalry force of more than a hundred people. They were all girls of fifteen or sixteen years old. They were not familiar with the world and spent all day fighting injustices. In name, they punished evil and promoted good, but in fact they caused trouble.  Make trouble.

    For example, if a father is teaching his son a lesson on the street, if they see it, they will rush up and beat him up; another example is that someone elseWhen a girl marries a wife, it is normal for the bride to be reluctant to leave her parents and cry, but in their eyes, it turns into robbing a common girl, and the consequences are self-evident.

    As a result, everyone in Wu County was in a state of unrest, and everyone was furious with them. Officials kept complaining to Sun Quan, hoping that he would control his sister, but Sun Quan ignored them. If he complained again, he would be scolded by Sun Quan.

    Therefore, everyone in Wu County hopes that Princess Sun will get married as soon as possible, but she cannot get married. On the one hand, she has a high vision and looks down on Jiangdong's talents. On the other hand, no one dares to marry her.  .

    However, since this year, the situation has improved slightly, because Princess Sun has expanded the scope of her activities, not only in Wu County, but also often goes to Kuaiji County and Piling County. In this way, the harassment suffered by Wu County has been diluted accordingly.

    But today, Sun Quan finally had some opinions on his sister. He heard Lu Su talk about Shang Xiang harassing Liu Jing at night, which made him slightly unhappy.

    "Shang Xiang, come with me, I have something to say to you."

    Although Sun Shangxiang was not afraid of her brother, Sun Quan was the lord of Jiangdong after all, so she was still a little afraid. She pouted and followed her brother to the study unhappily.

    Sun Quan walked into the study and sat down, but ignored Sun Shangxiang. Instead, he took a few documents for review. Sun Shangxiang stood aside and finally couldn't help it anymore, "Second brother, what are you doing to me?"

    "I heard that you went to see Liu Jing?" Sun Quan asked without raising his head.

    Sun Shangxiang was stunned. She reacted very quickly and immediately guessed that Lu Su had sued her. She couldn't help but secretly scold Lu Su for talking too much, so she had to admit it, "He humiliated me back then, and I will avenge him!  "

    "Are you still worried about what happened six years ago?"

    "I won't forget it for a hundred years!"

    Sun Quan raised his head and glanced at his sister, then pondered and said, "On the night you were looking for Liu Jing, he was assassinated. Now that the assassin can't be found, you have become the biggest suspect."

    ¡°It¡¯s just nonsense!¡±

    Sun Shangxiang's eyes widened and he said angrily: "What does his stabbing have to do with me? Although I wanted to kill him, from beginning to end, I didn't touch a hair on his head."

    Sun Quan knew that although his sister was a bit fierce, she never lied and was very magnanimous in her heart. Since she said it was not her, it must have nothing to do with her.

    In fact, from Lu Su's account, Sun Quan already knew that the assassination had nothing to do with his sister, but he did not want his sister to harass Liu Jing again. Lu Su said that Liu Jing was forced to agree to let Shang Xiang shoot three arrows to satisfy his hatred, which made him  I felt a little unhappy.

    Sun Quan smiled and said: "What happened six years ago was actually just a small matter. Moreover, as Liu Biao's nephew, he let you go even though he knew your identity, and took the responsibility of killing you. This is a kindness to you.  You should repay the favor."

    "Don't even think about it!" Sun Shangxiang muttered.

    Sun Quan also knew that women's thoughts were different from men's. They might not be able to remember some big things, but they would remember some trivial things. He couldn't convince his sister, so he had to smile bitterly and said softly: "That's fine.  Do your brother a favor, Liu Jing is a distinguished guest from Jiangdong, please stop harassing him, okay?"

    "He only needs to do what he promised, and I won't care about anything else."

    "you!"

    Sun Quan finally got a little annoyed and glared at Sun Shangxiang: "Are you really disobeying my brother?"

    Sun Shangxiang's princess also lost her temper and loudly contradicted her: "A manly man, since he dares to agree, why can't he bear it? He wants to use his brother to pressure me. If he has the ability, then don't agree!"

    "Bang!" Sun Quan slammed the table, stood up and roared: "I'll ask you again, will you listen?"

    Sun Shangxiang has never been yelled at by her brother like this since she was a child. Her eyes turned red and tears welled up in her eyes. She turned around and ran away, shouting from a distance: "You are the Lord of Jiangdong, who dares not to listen to what you say!"

    Sun Quan sat down slumped. He finally realized that he had really spoiled his sister. He sighed, feeling extremely helpless. At this time, he saw a guard standing at the door, trembling, as if he had something to report, so he didn't  Gao Xing asked: "What's the matter?"

    "To inform my lord, Zhuge Jun has joined the army and is seeking an audience outside."

    "Let him in!"

    After a while, Zhuge Jin walked in quickly, bowed and saluted, "I'm here to see you, Marquis Wu!"

    "Please sit down if you join the army!" Sun Quan waved his hand.

    Zhuge Jin met Sun Shangxiang at the door who ran out crying. He also saw Sun Quan looking depressed. Knowing that the brother and sister were quarreling, he smiled and persuaded: "Although my second mother is a bit delicate, she is actually a very good person. She is upright and hates evil as much as she hates evil."  , and also helped many poor peopleShe is old and weak. Everyone is just a little bit jealous of her, but no one says that she has done evil. It will be better after she gets married.  "

    Sun Quan sighed, "My head is as big as a bucket now. I just hope to marry her as soon as possible."

    Sun Quan stopped thinking about his sister and asked Zhuge Jin, "How is Liu Bei? Does he have a problem with me?"

    "He was left out for five or six days. Of course he has some opinions, but he is a generous man and will not bear any grudge against the lord. He only feels a little aggrieved."

    "Um!"

    Sun Quan nodded. He was also a bit difficult to deal with Liu Bei now. He originally considered forming an alliance with Liu Bei and supporting Liu Qi as the Mu of Jingzhou. This would be more in line with the interests of Jiangdong. However, the emperor had already canonized Liu Jing as the Mu of Jingzhou, which disrupted him.  Even he didn't know how to deal with Liu Bei's plan.

    "Is there anything else?"

    Zhuge Jin took out two letters and lowered his voice: "From Liu Bei, Wei Chen learned a huge secret. Wei Chen did not dare to hide it from his lord. Liu Jing turned out to be the fake nephew of Liu Biao."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 295 Willing to follow the hard work of dogs and horses

    "What did you say?" Sun Quan did not fully understand the meaning of Zhuge Jin's words. He looked at Zhuge Jin in surprise.

    "Weichen is saying that the real Liu Jing died many years ago. This Liu Jing is a fake. His true identity is unknown. This person has been pretending to be Liu Biao's nephew."

    "Absurd!"

    Sun Quan would not believe such nonsense at all. He shook his head in displeasure, "If he is a fake, can he hide it from Liu Biao? Liu Biao will let his fake nephew become the governor of Jiangxia. Ziyu, where did you hear these nonsense?"

    Zhuge Jin sighed. He knew that it was difficult for people to believe this kind of thing. Even he himself didn't believe it at first, let alone Wu Hou.

    "Reporting to my lord, this is what Liu Bei said to me personally, and Liu Biao has never seen his nephew before. Liu Jing took him to Jingzhou only after his parents died, and the only uncle's family who knew his identity also came to Jingzhou a few years ago.  Death in fire is really suspicious.¡±

    Sun Quan was silent in thought. As Liu Bei, he would not do such childish and stupid things. Is there really a problem?

    He picked up the two letters and read them carefully. They were letters from Liu Du and Liu Pan. The letters said that Liu Jing broke his leg when he was a child and was slightly lame. However, the Liu Jing he saw was walking vigorously and without any signs of lameness.  Lame.

    And now Liu Jing didn¡¯t have a Shanyang accent at that time. It was Liu Bei who helped him cover up the past. Liu Du had long realized that something was wrong, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything nonsense.

    Although these evidences did not completely convince Sun Quan, at least he was a little shaken. He knew that it would not be groundless, and he already believed 40% of Liu Bei's testimony.

    After thinking for a long time, Sun Quan returned the letter to Zhuge Jin and said to him: "Whether Liu Jing is true or false is not important to Jiangdong. We should care about Jiangdong's interests. An alliance with Jiangxia is more in line with Jiangdong's interests. That's it.  Just pretend it never happened, understand?¡±

    "But" Zhuge Jin still has some moral concerns. How can Jiang Dong form an alliance with the liar?

    Sun Quan stared at him coldly, "Zhuge joined the army. I have already said that this matter will not happen. I hope you will not publicize this matter to the outside world and do not harm Jiangdong's interests because of your brother Zhuge Liang."

    Sun Quan's words were very serious. Zhuge Jin's face turned pale. He shook his head, "I will never abandon public service for personal reasons. It's just for moral reasons. If revealing Liu Jing's identity will harm Jiangdong's interests, then I will not do anything to him."  Anyone leaking this."

    Sun Quan also felt that what he said was too strong, so he relaxed his tone and said to Zhuge Jin seriously: "Ziyu, there are some things you don't know yet. The emperor has made Liu Jing the shepherd of Jingzhou, and Cao Cao promised Liu Jing to surrender."  As the king of Xiangyang, his descendants will always be the shepherds of Jingzhou. If Liu Jing surrenders to Cao Cao, it will be a fatal blow to Jiangdong, so I must tightly tie the interests of Liu Jing and Jiangdong. "

    Zhuge Jin suddenly realized that his lord was afraid that Liu Jing would surrender to Cao Cao. He was also a knowledgeable person. He immediately thought of the consequences of Liu Jing surrendering to Cao Cao. He nodded silently and asked after a while: "What should Liu Bei do?"

    After thinking for a moment, Sun Quan said slowly: "I will visit Liu Bei now and have a talk with him."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Tao family has two large houses in Jiangdong, one is in Soochow City, and the other is located in Dantu County on the Yangtze River. The Tao family also has more than 20 large warehouses in Dantu County. Dantu is the economic center of the Tao family.  , and Soochow City is just for the convenience of contacting the government.

    Currently, Tao Lie¡¯s third son, Tao Yuan, is in charge of the Tao family¡¯s trade in Jiangdong. However, he happened to have gone to Xuzhou in the past few days and was not in Jiangdong. Despite this, Liu Jing¡¯s stay in Tao¡¯s house was not affected in any way.

    Taozhai occupies an area of ??about 20 acres and is located in the west of Dongwu City. At its door is a river that can accommodate 500-stone cargo ships, leading directly to the Xu River and finally to the Yangtze River.

    Long before Liu Jing arrived, Soochow Tao Mansion had received instructions from Tao Sheng and began to arrange the arrangements early to prepare for his uncle to move in.

    The housekeeper of the Tao family, whose surname is Han, is a middle-aged man of about forty years old. He is attentive and extremely smart and capable. He even prepared a residence for Liu Jing's soldiers.

    "Please rest assured, uncle. Our house is very big and can accommodate five or six hundred people without any problem. Moreover, Guanyunlou, the largest tavern in Soochow City, is also owned by our Tao family. I have made all the arrangements. Food and accommodation will definitely not be a problem."

    Liu Jing was accompanied by about 200 soldiers and more than 20 war horses, all of which were arranged by Butler Han. The soldiers shared a room with each other, and the food and accommodation conditions were very good. The horses were also taken care of by dedicated grooms, allowing Liu Jing to take care of them.  Jing was very satisfied, he really felt like going home.

    "Thank you, Butler Han, for taking your trouble."

    "You're welcome, uncle. You are our glory. When we walk out, our faces will be glowing. It's not too late for everyone to be happy."

    Butler Han is very good at talking. He arranged Liu Jing toHe entered a private courtyard and was served by a dedicated maid, while Li Fu and Jiang Wan lived in the courtyard next door.

    After lunch, everyone took a nap. After washing away the fatigue from the journey, Liu Jing washed up for a while and then walked into the small courtyard next door with her hands behind her hands. This was where Li Fu and Jiang Wan lived, but only Jiang Wan was seen, and Li Fu was missing.  No trace.

    Liu Jing asked with a smile: "Where has Chief Li gone?"

    Jiang Wan said quickly: "Mr. Li went out at noon. He said he was going shopping and would be back soon."

    Liu Jing heard Liu Min mention one of Li Fu's habits, that he was probably looking for a woman. He asked more questions, then sat down and smiled at Jiang Wan and asked, "I probably wrote two letters to Gong Yan in February."  I wonder if Gongyan has received the letter?¡±

    Jiang Wan shook his head, "I left home after worshiping my ancestors on Zhengdan Day, and I haven't gone back. I'm sorry, but I haven't seen the Master's letter."

    Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "Actually, I want to share Gong Yan's way of governing the country. I heard Liu Biejia say that Gong Yan has unique experience in governing the country. He also recommended it to Jingzhou. Unfortunately, the state pastor thought that  Gong Yan is young and refuses to use it, but I am willing to listen. "

    Jiang Wan was an open-minded person. Knowing that Liu Jing was sincerely asking for advice, he smiled happily and said with a few humble words: "I said that running a big country is like cooking small delicacies. Many people think that only when the people are rich can the country be strong. In fact, it must be divided into  In the short and long term, a country's prosperity lies in the abundance of materials. In the short term, it can trade, mine and make money. In just a few years, the country's warehouses will be sufficient. This is actually buying other countries' materials.  Once other countries react and cut off trade, financial resources will also be cut off, so it can only be done in the short term.¡±

    "What if it lasts for a long time?" Liu Jing asked again.

    ¡°The long-term key lies in the size of the population. There must be enough population. Some people farm, some do manual work, some do business, and some raise livestock. The people live and work in peace and contentment, and wealth gradually accumulates. After ten or twenty years, how can the country not be strong?¡±

    After a pause, Jiang Wan saw that Liu Jing was listening intently, and then continued: "In the late Han Dynasty, the Yellow Turbans were in chaos, and warlords rose up to fight against each other. The people suffered the most. I have traveled abroad for many years, and I am deeply aware of the sharp decline in population in various places, especially in the Central Plains.  , often walking for more than ten miles without seeing a human being, the villages are deserted, the fertile fields grow grass, and it is extremely desolate. On the contrary, Jingzhou, Bashu, and Jiangdong are overpopulated because they are less affected by wars. In addition, a large number of northerners have fled south, and the population has dropped.  More than the Central Plains.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded silently and sighed, "But I feel that Jingzhou's population is still too small."

    "No!"

    Jiang Wan shook his head, "The population of Jingzhou is not large. The key is that the population registered with the government is small, and a large number of people have become vassals of the powerful. The number of vassals controlled by Huangzu alone is nearly 80,000, not to mention the big families such as the Cai family and the Kuai family.  , If the young master can break the separatist regime that controls Jingzhou, Jingzhou¡¯s strength will surely rise to a new level.¡±

    Jiang Wan's words touched Liu Jing's heart. He was worthy of being a famous Shu Han prime minister in history. He saw the problem thoroughly. Liu Jing stood up, bowed deeply to Jiang Wan, and said sincerely: "Liu Jing has the world in his heart, but he suffers from a lack of talents. Please, please  Sir, you can help me.¡±

    Although Jiang Wan did not receive a letter from Liu Jing, he received a letter from his master Liu Xian as early as two years ago, asking him to serve as an official in Jiangxia. Liu Min and Zhou Buyi also wrote letters to invite him.

    It was just that Jiang Wan felt that he was not successful in his studies, so he delayed looking for Liu Jing. This time they met in Jiangdong, it was a matter of course. Seeing that Liu Jing was sincere, he smiled and said: "If you don't think Jiang Wan is stupid, I am willing to serve you."  The work of dogs and horses.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just when Jiang Wan finally decided to pledge allegiance to Liu Jing, Sun Quan was having a pleasant chat with Liu Bei at the Soochow Noble Hotel. Liu Bei was famous all over the world, and was well known to women and children. This gave him a charming personality and made people want to associate with him.

    On the other hand, when Liu Bei put down the Yellow Turban Rebellion and attacked Dong Zhuo, he had a good relationship with Sun Quan's father, Sun Jian. From this point, Sun Quan respected Liu Bei quite a lot.

    However, whether he was respectful or had a pleasant conversation, Sun Quan did not talk about business with Liu Bei. He only talked about friendship, which was also a way to compensate for the neglect of Liu Bei a few days ago.

    Making a special trip to visit was actually a gesture of respect, which gave Liu Bei enough face and wiped away Liu Bei's dissatisfaction at being left out.

    "Haha! I think back to our ancestors Wu Hou, they are really brave and brave. I still remember that my ancestor Lu Gong and I were surrounded by tens of thousands of yellow scarf thieves. We couldn't get out of the siege several times. At the time of crisis, it was your Majesty who led a thousand elites to kill us.  , the overwhelming force defeated tens of thousands of Yellow Turban thieves. Thinking about it now, it seems like it was yesterday, but almost twenty years have passed in a flash. "

    Sun Quan listened very attentively. He had admired his father since he was a child, but he didn't know much about his father's deeds. It was rare to hear something from Liu Bei. He bowed deeply and thanked him: "Thank you, uncle, for telling me about my father's past. I am now  Only then did I know thatThe emperor's uncle and my father actually have such a deep connection. Zhongmou is rude.  "

    Liu Bei quickly said with a smile: "Marquis Wu, you're welcome!"

    In addition to Zhuge Jin, Zhang Zhao was also present beside Sun Quan. He and Liu Bei were also old friends and he specially accompanied Sun Quan to visit him.

    Seeing that it was getting late, Zhang Zhao coughed lightly and reminded Sun Quan that it was time to talk about business. Sun Quan understood, so he changed the topic to business.

    After pondering for a while, Sun Quan said with a smile: "Actually, the main reason for inviting the emperor and Master Jing to come to Jiangdong this time is that I want to be a peacemaker and promote reconciliation between Wuchang and Jiangling, so that you can form an alliance and jointly attack Cai Mao."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 296 Belonging to each other through dance

    Wu Palace is just a popular name for Sun Quan¡¯s official residence by ordinary people in Soochow. At this time, Sun Quan was not a king, let alone an emperor. Of course, he could not act arrogantly. The official name of Wu Palace was Wuhou Mansion, but in fact, it was just a slightly smaller palace.  palace.

    In the evening, a carriage slowly stopped in front of Wu Palace under the protection of more than a hundred costumed guards. Lu Su, who was waiting here, hurriedly greeted it.

    The carriage door opened, and Liu Jing came out of the carriage with a smile on her face. She smiled at Lu Su and said, "Jiang Zijing has been waiting for a long time."

    "The Marquis of Wu has already set up a banquet, please Mr. Jing to come with me."

    Lu Su took Liu Jing to the banquet pavilion. To participate in such a formal state banquet, you need to take a bath and change clothes first. Four maids walked gracefully, and Lu Su took Liu Jing to follow.

    Walking to a place with few people, Lu Su whispered to Liu Jing: "Today's banquet, please don't mention the alliance for the time being, so as not to make Uncle Liu dissatisfied."

    Liu Jing smiled, "He should be able to guess it!"

    "Even so, saying it will make the atmosphere awkward and it will be difficult for Wu Hou to handle it."

    Liu Jing patted Lu Su on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Don't worry, Zijing! I know what I shouldn't say."

    Lu Su hesitated for a moment. He didn't know whether to say something or not. Liu Jing saw his hesitation and smiled and said, "Zijing thinks it's inappropriate, so just don't say it!"

    What Lu Su wanted to say was not confidential, it was just a piece of news he heard. More importantly, he and Liu Jing had a good personal relationship. He wanted to tell Liu Jing privately, but he was worried that something embarrassing would happen at the banquet.

    After hesitating for a moment, Lu Su couldn't help but said: "I heard a piece of news. The emperor has officially conferred the title of Mu of Jingzhou and the title of Marquis of Fanxiang. I guess this news has reached Jiangxia."

    Liu Jing was immediately overjoyed. He had been waiting for this news, but he didn't expect to get it from Lu Su. He also laughed in a low voice: "Liu Jing can't thank you enough!"

    "Haha! I didn't say anything, Mr. Jing, right?"

    Liu Jing smiled knowingly, said no more, and followed the maid team quickly into the Houyan Pavilion

    The banquet was held in the left hall of King Wu's palace. Since this was a formal official banquet, etiquette was very important. The main hall was used to entertain the emperor's envoys. Liu Jing and Liu Bei, as princes, could only have banquets in the left and right halls. In the Han Dynasty, the left side was respected, so they were placed on the left side.  They also respect the temple. Of course, the official name is Zuotang. Calling it the temple is also a name transgression.

    Coincidentally, Liu Jing met Liu Bei at the door of the side hall. Liu Bei, accompanied by Zhuge Jin, was walking quickly. The two made eye contact and laughed together.

    "When does the emperor plan to return to Nanjun?"

    Liu Bei smiled slightly, "ThisI don't know for the time being, at least after I celebrate my birthday!"

    The two of them walked into the left hall together. The left hall is extremely spacious, no less than the palace. The seats have been arranged. Although the hall is huge, the seats are arranged relatively closely. In the middle is Sun Quan's seat, and there is a double sofa.  , which means that Mrs. Wu Hou will also attend.

    There is a couch on the left and right sides, which are the seats for Liu Jing and Liu Bei. Behind each seat stands a maid. A little distance away from the two guest seats is the guest couch, with two long rows of seats.  , Wen on the left and Wu on the right, Zhang Zhao and Zhou Yu each took the first seat.

    The guests were all seated. Seeing Liu Jing and Liu Bei come in, everyone stood up to greet them and exchanged a few words. Liu Jing and Liu Bei took their seats respectively. Among the two guest seats, the left is the most honored and the right is the second. This seat is really difficult to arrange.  , who should sit on the left, Liu Jing or Liu Bei?

    From the perspective of etiquette, Liu Bei should sit on the left. He is the emperor's uncle and Liu Jing's elder, but in terms of actual interests, Liu Jing should sit on the left.

    But Sun Quan used a very clever method to divide the guests into factions, so that Liu Jing and Liu Bei would naturally know where they should sit.

    Liu Jing cupped her hands and smiled at Liu Bei: "Uncle Huang is the elder and should sit on the left, please!"

    Liu Bei quickly glanced at Zhang Zhao and chuckled, "Then I would rather obey your orders than be respectful."

    Liu Bei and Liu Jing sat down respectively. Liu Jing took a look at the guests sitting below. They were both civil and military, and they could be described as distinct.

    But one detail caught Liu Jing's attention, that is, Cheng Pu was sitting next to Zhang Zhao, and Han Dang was sitting a few steps away, while Huang Gai, who was also a veteran, was sitting next to Zhou Yu.  The companions were his and Liu Bei's respective supporters.

    Obviously, the Jiangdong ministers who supported Liu Bei had the upper hand. Perhaps this was a hint from Sun Quan to himself. He was fighting against all odds to form an alliance with himself to show his sincerity.

    At this moment, the guard shouted: "Marquis Wu has arrived! Madam Wu Marquis has arrived!"

    I heard a crisp ringing sound coming from the side door. Sun Quan and his wife Xie came in with smiles on their faces. Everyone stood up and came to Sun Quan.After bowing, Sun Quan asked Liu Bei and Liu Jing to sit down, and he and his wife Xie also sat down. Then he smiled at his subordinates and said, "Although it is a formal banquet, it will not be too formal. I hope everyone can have a pleasant time."  Have a good time tonight, everyone, please take a seat!¡±

    Everyone sat down with a smile, and a group of dancers floated in like fairies. The sound of silk and bamboo was heard, and they danced in the lobby. The maids filed in from both sides with wine and food, and placed plates of delicious food in front of the guests.  On the long table, it can be said that "enjoying a big meal and a large number of delicacies".

    The beautiful maid standing behind Liu Jing poured wine for Liu Jing from the warm wine bottle with a silver spoon. At this time, Sun Quan raised his ear cup and smiled at Liu Jing and Liu Bei: "Thank you two distinguished guests for coming all the way to wish my mother a birthday. Sun Quan."  Drink this glass of wine first as a token of respect!¡±

    He picked up the ear cup and drank it all in one gulp. During the banquets of the Qin and Han Dynasties, it was important to pour the wine to the full and drink it all. According to the current saying, the wine must be poured full and it must be drained in one gulp. There is no excuse. If you don't drink, it is disrespectful to the host.  Discourteous behavior.

    The general Guan Fu of the Han Dynasty had a personal grudge with the Prime Minister Tian Fu. Guan Fu went to Tian Fu's place to drink wine. Tian Fu was already too weak to drink and was not allowed to fill the bottle. Guan Fu was dissatisfied. When he saw that Tian Fu refused to drink all the wine in one gulp, he suddenly became upset.  He was angry, which triggered the incident of "Guan Fu sitting and scolding". As a result, he was impeached by Tian Fu, and Guan Fu was executed by his clan.

    It is precisely because of this rule of filling the cup and drinking that it is common for people to get drunk at banquets in the Han Dynasty. In this case, the cupbearer will appear and if he sees someone who is drunk, he will order someone to help him away to avoid getting drunk.  Make a fool of yourself and cause trouble.

    Everyone followed Sun Quan and drank all the wine. As the banquet progressed, the hall gradually became lively. Everyone toasted to the distinguished guests. Liu Jing and Liu Bei both drank more than ten glasses of wine. Liu Jing had a good drinking capacity and drank more than ten glasses of wine.  , he was still drunk, but Liu Bei was slightly drunk.

    It stands to reason that Liu Bei¡¯s drinking capacity is also good, and he will not drink more than a dozen glasses. The key is to drink too quickly. When more than a dozen Jiangdong officials line up to toast, they must drink until the glasses are dry and the glasses are filled.

    Liu Jing is young and energetic and can still support him, but Liu Bei is nearly fifty and his physical strength is not as good as before, so he can no longer support him.

    At this time, the drums in the hall suddenly became excited, and a young sword-dancing general appeared in the hall. He was wearing a silver armor and a silver helmet. He had bright eyes and white teeth, and his eyebrows were as bright as peach blossoms.  A beautiful female general, holding a green-edged sword.

    The atmosphere in the lobby suddenly became lively, and everyone recognized that she was Princess Shangxiang.

    During banquets in the Han Dynasty, it was extremely normal for the host and guests to sing and dance impromptu, which can be seen in the Han Dynasty tomb paintings. This is called "dance to belong to each other", that is, when the host dances, the guests must also follow.

    At the end of the Han Dynasty, Cai Yong was pardoned and returned to his hometown. Wang Zhi, the prefect of Wuyuan, practiced for him, "When you are drunk, wisdom dances and belongs to Yong, but Yong will not repay you." Wang Zhi felt that he had lost face, so he insulted Cai Yong in public and falsely accused Cai Yong.  Yong complained about his release and slandered the imperial court, so Cai Yong was forced to flee to Wu.

    Sun Shangxiang danced a dazzling string of sword flowers, which was extremely elegant and caused a round of applause in the hall. Sun Shangxiang raised his sword and said to Sun Quan: "Shangxiang is willing to dance with the sword to add to the fun. Please allow me, brother!"

    Of course Sun Quan knew that Sun Shangxiang came here for Liu Jing, and he had bad intentions, but this seemed rude to the guests, and he was worried that if he annoyed his sister, she would do even more ridiculous things.

    ?????????????????????????? More importantly, the sister used a ceremonial sword, which means it has no edge and cannot hurt anyone.

    Next to her, Mrs. Xie pulled her husband's sleeves, pursed her lips and smiled, "It's okay, let her dance!"

    Sun Quan knew that his wife had told her, so he nodded and agreed, "You can dance, but you must not be rude to the distinguished guests!"

    With a stroke of the long sword, bright light flashed, and Sun Shangxiang spun around in the lobby. She saw a flash of cold light and sword energy. She spun more than twenty times in one breath, which once again aroused cheers.

    At this time, Sun Shangxiang turned to Liu Jing, suddenly stopped, smiled brightly at Liu Jing, softly spit out his red lips, "I lead the sword to dance with you, may you belong to me!"

    The meaning of this sentence is, ¡®I am dancing for you, please get up and dance with me!  ¡¯

    Everyone was very surprised. Although it was their first time to see Sun Shangxiang dancing with the sword, they had never heard that Princess Shangxiang asked someone to dance with her, and she actually found Liu Jing.

    There was a sudden commotion in the lobby. Naturally, everyone misunderstood and thought that Sun Shangxiang was attracted to Liu Jing. The title of female dancer inherently implies courtship between men and women.

    Those with shallow thoughts were secretly happy, wishing that Princess Sun would marry Liu Jing tonight, and then go with him to Jiangxia tomorrow, to go to Jiangxia to do chivalry and righteousness, so as not to cause headaches to the people of Wujun anymore.

    Deep-thinking people like Zhang Zhao were worried that if Jiangdong and Jingzhou were to marry, it might affect Jiangdong's plans and not be in Jiangdong's interests. Zhang Zhao couldn't help but make a secret wink to Sun Quan.

    Among the people at the banquet, only Sun Quan and his wife, Liu Jing and Lu Su knew what was going on.Shang Xiang fell in love with Liu Jing and was clearly taking the opportunity to provoke her. Sun Quan knew better than others. This was probably the result of his scolding her in the afternoon.

    Sun Quan was about to stop his sister, but Liu Jing stood up happily and said with a loud smile: "I would like to dance with you!"

    He turned around and asked the guard behind him to borrow a ceremonial sword, pulled out a string of sword flowers, clasped his fists at Sun Shangxiang and said with a smile: "Girl, please!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Princess is just a nickname given to Sun Shangxiang by Jiangdong people. In fact, she is not a princess. According to the normal common name, she should be called Sun Erniang, which is a bit unpleasant and reminds people of the bun seller."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 297 People from Jingzhou

    The sound of drums became more and more urgent. Sun Shangxiang and Liu Jing were about twenty steps apart. They danced swords opposite each other, seemingly unrelated to each other. Sun Shangxiang was a Yue girl who danced with swords. Her posture was light and graceful, like a willow branch flying in the wind.

    Liu Jing was drunk, and danced a set of Overlord Swords, which is said to have been created by Xiang Yu. His movements were steady and vigorous, his momentum was heroic, and he had a heroic spirit, which was completely opposite to Sun Shangxiang's lightness.

    In the lobby, the guests kept cheering and applauded like thunder. Even Liu Bei couldn't help but cheer loudly, "What a hero among women, I have never seen him in his life!"

    He picked up the wine glass and said to himself with a squinted smile: "This is how you should marry a wife!"

    The voice of this sentence was not high. Zhang Zhao, who was a little far away from him, did not hear it, but Sun Quan's wife Xie on the other side heard it. She frowned slightly. This was not what an elder should say.

    Xie pulled her husband's sleeve and whispered something to him. Sun Quan was startled and couldn't help but look back at Liu Bei. He saw that Liu Bei's hands were shaking violently while drinking, and almost half of the wine was spilled on his clothes.  But he didn't realize that he was in a drunken state.

    Sun Quan quickly waved and ordered people to find Zhuge Jin. Soon, Zhuge Jin stepped forward. Sun Quan pointed at Liu Bei and whispered: "He is drunk. Quickly find your bodyguards to help him down."

    At this time, Liu Bei was in great spirits, clapped his hands and laughed, "Okay! He is as graceful as a startled giant, as graceful as a swimming dragon."

    Zhuge Jin stepped forward to support him and said with a smile: "Uncle, do you want to change clothes? I will help him go."

    Liu Bei's consciousness was already in a semi-fuzzy state. He was involuntarily helped up by Zhuge Jin. He staggered and almost fell. At this time, two of Liu Bei's soldiers quickly grabbed him on the left and right and pulled him out of the side door.  Helped him out.

    The sound of drums in the lobby became more and more urgent. Sun Shangxiang's apricot eyes slightly picked at Liu Jing. The light of her sword was like a shadow, and she gradually approached Liu Jing. Suddenly, she let out a scolding sound, and the sword in her hand separated into a dozen rays of light and shadow, and stabbed at Liu Jing.  .

    Her Qingfeng sword is just a ceremonial sword. It has no edge and cannot hurt anyone. But if Liu Jing is stabbed by more than a dozen swords, it will make people a little embarrassed. This is Sun Shangxiang's purpose. Of course, she does not dare to really hurt Liu Jing.  , but if she could stab him a dozen times and embarrass him, she would be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

    Liu Jing was drunk and dancing with a set of Overlord Swords vividly. Suddenly he saw Sun Shangxiang stabbing at him with his sword. He laughed, raised his sword and said, 'Dang!  ' With a sound, he accurately hit the opponent's sword. Sun Shangxiang felt his arm sore and numb, and the sword in his hand almost flew out.

    At this moment, Liu Jing appeared sideways behind her, put her sword on the ground, smiled at her and said, "It's such a beautiful time, why don't you give up your sword and let's dance together?"

    "You let me strike with my sword, and I will abandon my sword and dance with you!"

    The two figures crossed each other and exchanged positions. Sun Shangxiang slashed out two swords again and asked in a low voice: "Do you agree?"

    "Haha! I can't afford to lose this face."

    "Then don't blame me for being rude!"

    Sun Shangxiang took a deep breath, yelled, and stabbed Liu Jing with the sword in his hand like a storm. Even Sun Quan was shocked, with an angry look on his face. How could his sister be so ignorant and rude to the distinguished guest?

    The guests on both sides fell silent and no one cheered anymore. At this time, everyone could see that Princess Sun was not expressing her love for Liu Jing, but venting her anger with the sword dance. The sword in her hand struck at Liu Jing like a violent storm.  I don¡¯t know how much hatred I have.

    Liu Jing calmly dodged her sword moves. Although Sun Shangxiang's sword skills seemed dazzling, in Liu Jing's eyes, most of her sword skills were flashy, without power, no change in speed, and just complicated moves.

    Liu Jing dodged dozens of her swords in a row and retreated to the huge column. There was no way to retreat. Sun Shangxiang was upset. Seeing that Liu Jing always dodged calmly at the last moment, she felt anxious and shouted again.  With a sound, a sword struck head-on.

    She used 100% of her strength with this sword. Even if it was a ceremonial sword, something would happen if it hit her forehead. The hall was filled with exclamations. Sun Quan was so angry that he slapped the table, but at this moment, an accident happened.

    Liu Jing dodged the fierce sword. Sun Shangxiang did not strike the air with his sword, but struck the wooden pillar with a heavy sword. The huge rebound force was all returned. Sun Shangxiang could no longer hold the sword firmly.  'Bang!  ¡¯ There was a sharp sound, and the sword fell to the ground.

    There was silence in the lobby, and countless pairs of eyes were watching them. Liu Jing picked up the sword and handed it back with a smile, "Miss Sun, do you want to dance with the sword again?"

    Sun Shangxiang's face turned white and red. She was defeated by Liu Jing's bare hands. She felt so ashamed that she stomped her feet, turned around and ran out of the palace.

    The lobby became lively again, Zhou Yu said with a smile: "Master Jing's strategy makes Zhou Yu admire him very much!"

    "Gong Jin deserves the prize!"

    ?Liu Jing smiled slightly, turned around and saluted Sun Quan, "Liu Jing handled it improperly and was rude. Please don't take offense, Marquis Wu."

    Sun Quan sighed, "I have to apologize to the young master. I spoiled her too much and she was really ignorant, so she was rude to the distinguished guests. Please forgive me, Mr. Jing."

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "Of course I won't take this little thing to heart."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After the banquet was over, Liu Jing returned to the Tao Mansion under the strict protection of the guards. He was already drunk and a little unsteady on his feet. As soon as he entered the door, the housekeeper came forward and reported: "Uncle, Jiang Xia  Someone¡¯s here, there¡¯s important news!¡±

    Liu Jing's consciousness was still very clear, and she asked with a smile: "Where is he? Let him come to see me."

    The soldiers made way for a passage, and an officer quickly stepped forward. It was Liu Jing's chief of bodyguard Li Qing. He knelt down on one knee and handed over a letter, "This is a letter from Ambassador Xu. Please read it, sir."  ¡±

    Liu Jing received the letter, but was not in a hurry to read it. She asked him again: "How are things going in Wuling County?"

    "Report to the Young Master, it's been done."

    Li Qing took out another letter, "This is General Zhao's personal letter to the young master."

    Liu Jing was anxious to read Zhao Yun's letter. He hurried back to his courtyard. As soon as he entered the courtyard gate, a maid ran up to support him and asked worriedly: "Master, are you drunk?"

    Liu Jing suddenly felt something was wrong. Although there were three maids in his room, they were all too timid to talk to him, let alone take the initiative to help him, and this voice.  .  .  .  Sounds so familiar.

    Liu Jing glanced at her, only to see that she had a fair face and a pair of big eyes flashing, "Little Baozi!" Liu Jing was stunned for a moment. The maid who helped him turned out to be his personal maid Xiao Baozi.  , why is she here?

    "How did you come?"

    The little bun blushed and avoided his eyes with a guilty conscience, "Let's go back to the house first!"

    Little Baozi put his arm around his shoulders and helped him walk towards the house. The two soldiers stopped following and retreated.

    After leaving the study, Xiaobaozi helped Liu Jing sit down and brought him a cup of freshly brewed tea. Liu Jing looked around and found that the three maids were gone.

    "I let them go."

    Little Baozi said angrily: "Everyone is clumsy, can't do anything, and doesn't understand your habits. It would be redundant to stay."

    "oh!"

    Liu Jing had no impression of the three maids, so it didn¡¯t matter if they left. He drank a few sips of hot tea, sobered up, and asked with a smile: "You haven't answered me yet! Why are you here."

    "II'll give you some more tea!"

    Little Baozi picked up the cup and hurried out again. Liu Jing looked at her back and couldn't help laughing.

    "Little Baozi has been following him for five years. She is now sixteen years old. Except for growing taller and plumper, her appearance has almost remained the same as before. Of course, Liu Jing can't remember what she looked like before.

    Little Baozi has always been his personal maid and knows his habits very well. With her around, daily life is indeed much more comfortable.

    Not long after, Xiaobaozi returned to the room with a cup of tea. She had already thought of her words. She put the tea on the table, took two soft mattresses and gave them to Liu Jing to cushion against the wall. She pursed her lips and smiled and said, "Madam, you're worried  The young master had no one to take care of him all the way, and the soldiers were careless, which made her worried. Except for Chang Shi who asked Li Qingtou to deliver the letter, my wife asked me to come with him. To be honest, I don¡¯t want to see your face. If you don¡¯t want to  I¡¯ll come, I¡¯ll leave tomorrow.¡±

    Liu Jing reached out and pinched her cheek, and said with a smile: "You weird elf, how can I not know your thoughts? I am very happy that you are here, and I won't be angry."

    Little Baozi¡¯s face was already used to being pinched by Liu Jing, and she usually didn¡¯t mind it, but now she actually blushed, turned around shyly, and took out a letter.

    "This is a letter home from Madam to you."

    Mentioning letters, Liu Jing immediately remembered that there were also letters from Xu Shu and Zhao Yun. He took out two letters from his arms. Xu Shu's letter said that shortly after he left, the emperor sent an envoy back to Jiangxia with Liu Min, officially  He was conferred the title of Mu of Jingzhou and the title of Marquis of Fanxiang.

    Liu Jing had already heard what Lu Su said about this, and he was not surprised. Instead, Liu Min mentioned that if he was willing to surrender to Cao Cao, Cao Cao would make him the King of Xiangyang, and his descendants would always be the shepherds of Jingzhou.

    Although the conditions were very tempting, Liu Jing just smiled and ignored the matter for the time being. He took out Zhao Yun's letter again, and it actually filled two pieces of paper. He squinted and read slowly under the lamp.

    In his letter to Zhao Yun, he only talked about some doubts and common things in martial arts training, and alsoHe told him the secret that Liu Biao asked him to succeed Liu Jing as the pastor of Jingzhou before his death.

    "Zhao Yun's reply did not mention his situation in Wuling County at all, but was full of his martial arts experience, mainly his understanding of Danfeng Chaoyang Spear and Luofeng Kung Fu.

    For ordinary martial arts practitioners, they cannot see Zhao Yun's martial arts experience, but for Liu Jing, it is very important. Zhao Yun explained in detail some of the problems he encountered during martial arts training, which made him feel enlightened.

    He was so drunk that he suddenly woke up. He sat up straight and looked at each piece. He was so drunk that he forgot everything around him.

    He is almost self-taught. Although he relies on his own understanding and unremitting efforts to learn a strong martial arts, he is self-taught after all, and there are still some puzzles and hidden problems.

    When encountering an enemy with inferior martial arts, it may not have any impact, but when encountering a strong enemy, many problems will be exposed. Of course, with his identity, he often does not need to take action, but his love for martial arts makes him  He was eager to solve these problems, and now, Zhao Yun told him all the answers.

    He suddenly stood up, picked up the halberd from the corner of the room and walked out quickly. When the little bun saw the young master going to practice martial arts, she hurriedly ran to the kitchen. She knew the young master's habit and must eat after practicing martial arts.

    In the yard, he stabbed a halberd in the air with a swift and powerful momentum. He waved the halberd, and a green shadow suddenly flashed across the yard. Many difficult points that were usually difficult to understand were suddenly understood at this moment.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 298 Emergency Information

    In the next two days, Liu Jing spent the next two days in silence. Sun Quan did not come to see him again, nor did he arrange any activities. With this free time, he took a good tour of the beautiful scenery of Soochow.

    In the past two days, the weather has gradually turned white. It was mid-August, and Soochow City began to become lively. However, there was no Mid-Autumn Festival in the late Han Dynasty, only an August Festival.

    The time is the first day after the White Dew, which is also around the middle of each year. This day requires the whole family to reunite, clean up and worship the gods. The later Mid-Autumn Festival may have originated from this.

    However, there is another special day for Jiangdong people this year. August 14th is the birthday of Wu Hou¡¯s mother. Wu Hou celebrated his mother¡¯s birthday for the first time and purchased birthday gifts. Although all kinds of ceremonies are done by the official, some necessary  The festive atmosphere is created by the participation of ordinary people.

    In Soochow City, almost every household has pine and cypress branches hanging on the door, which means pine and cypress longevity. Many houses also have the red character "Longevity" on them. They clean the streets and remove dirt. These are all things to do during the August Festival.  It¡¯s just that August this year is particularly festive and lively.

    In the west of Soochow City, there is a tavern covering an area of ??about five acres, called Guanyun Tower. The tavern is three stories high and can accommodate 500 people dining at the same time. It is the largest tavern in Soochow City. It is packed with customers every day and the business is booming.

    Guanyun Tower is also the property of the Tao family. Although the money it earns every year makes countless people jealous, for the Tao family, the profit of the tavern is really not worth mentioning among all industries.

    At noon, Liu Jing took Xiao Baozi, Li Fu, Jiang Wan and a dozen of his men to the Guanyunlou Tavern. As soon as they arrived at the door of the pub, the smiling shopkeeper and a bartender immediately greeted him.

    "My uncle is here. The seat has been reserved for you. It is in the private room on the third floor. Please follow me."

    ???????????? In all Tao family properties, no matter the manager or the clerk, Liu Jing is always called uncle when meeting him, and other sons-in-law of the Tao family do not get this honor. Therefore, when uncle is mentioned within the Tao family, everyone knows that he refers to Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing smiled, followed him up to the third floor, and walked into an elegantly decorated room. This was a suite, with two rooms inside and outside. Liu Jing gave a wink and asked Baozi to follow the soldiers in first. Liu Jing was the only one in the outer room.  Jing and the shopkeeper, Liu Jing then asked the shopkeeper: "What information do you want to tell me in the past few days?"

    It turns out that this so-called Guanyun Tavern has become the intelligence stronghold of Jiangxia Army in Jiangdong. This is reasonable. The Tao family has a huge business in Jiangdong and Bashu, with countless industries. They have deep local connections and use them to collect intelligence.  It's the most appropriate.

    Moreover, this was proposed by Tao Lie, and Liu Jing also agreed. It was officially implemented two years ago. Only Tao Lie, Tao Sheng, and Tao Li in the entire Tao family knew about this matter. As for the Jiang Xia Army, Dong Dong, who joined the army from the reporter's office,  Yun is responsible.

    The owner of the Guanyun Tavern is named Xie Wen. He was originally a camp commander in the Jiangxia Army. He had a kind face, so he was selected to take over as the owner of the Guanyun Tower. In addition to him, there were eight bartenders working under him.

    Xie Wen was about to kneel down to greet him, but Liu Jing gave him a wink. Xie Wen understood, so he did not kneel down and whispered: "Recently, Jiangdong has begun war preparations. Ten days ago, Marquis Wu issued an order to recruit troops and gather ships.  Recruiting 40,000 soldiers, all the shipbuilding craftsmen gathered at Dantu Shipyard, and collected giant keel trees from the people. Everyone in Jiangdong was talking about the possibility of war in Jiangdong, but everyone was talking about going to war with Jiangxia. "

    Liu Jing nodded. It is normal for ordinary people to think this way. Jiangdong has been peaceful for a long time, and they rarely think that Cao Jun will come. However, the people of Jiangdong know that they have a feud with Jingzhou, and they are even more aware of the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Chaisang three years ago.  It became a shame for Jiangdong people.

    "Thank you for your hard work. If you have any latest news, please report to me at any time."

    ¡°You must do your best for your humble job!¡±

    Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder and walked into the inner room. The inner room was not small. More than a dozen soldiers were crowded at a large table facing north, pouring wine and tea for each other. Li Fu and Jiang Wan were sitting there.  On the other side, they were chatting in low voices, while the little bun stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, looking down.

    Seeing Liu Jing come in, the little bun said with a smile: "Sir, there are actually two teams of female cavalry outside. They are both very brave! I have never seen them before."

    The soldiers were all startled and stood up to draw their swords. Except for the little bun, everyone in the room knew what the female cavalry meant?  Liu Jing waved her hand and motioned for them to sit down, "It's no big deal, don't panic."

    Liu Jing slowly walked forward with her hands behind her back, and saw two teams of female cavalry on the other side of the river in front of the door. Each team had about twenty people, all wearing armor, holding bows and arrows and short spears, coming from east to west.  As they gathered together, a heroic young female general appeared in the middle of the team, it was Sun Shangxiang.

    When she raised her head, she happened to meet Liu Jing on the third floor. Liu Jing smiled at her. Isn¡¯t this girl still giving up?

    Sun Shangxiang glared fiercelyWith a glance, he turned his horse's head and headed towards the west gate. The two teams of cavalry followed him, as if they were just passing by.

    "Sir, who is that woman? She seemed to be glaring at you just now." The little bun beside him asked in a low voice.

    "She is the sister of Marquis Wu. Yesterday at Wu Palace, I had a little misunderstanding with her."

    Liu Jing saw Sun Shangxiang coming out of the west gate and sat down. At this time, more than a dozen bartenders came with food and drinks. Soon, the table was filled with various dishes. The soldiers were not polite and refused to eat. However,  But they were very careful not to drink too much wine, only three glasses per person.

    Li Fu and Jiang Wan also exchanged cups and drank and chatted on the other side. Liu Jing ate for a while. When she turned around and saw the little bun still in front of the window, she smiled and asked, "Little bun, why don't you eat?"

    ¡°Look, young master, she¡¯s back again!¡± Little Baozi pointed at the window and shouted.

    Liu Jing approached the window and saw that Sun Shangxiang had indeed returned on horseback. However, she seemed to have changed her clothes. She was no longer dressed as a knight, but in a long skirt. The female cavalry behind her did not follow, and she was the only one.  Come.

    "Sir, she must be here to find you." Little Baozi said a little nervously.

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "Whatever she wants, just sit down!"

    After a moment, footsteps were heard outside, and Sun Shangxiang was heard saying to the two soldiers guarding the door: "Please tell your young master that the second mother of the Sun family wants to see you!"

    Her voice became softer and more polite. Normally, she would probably have kicked the door in. Liu Jing smiled and said, "Let her in!"

    The door opened, and Sun Shangxiang walked in. She was graceful and graceful, and her steps were full of lotus flowers, which made people's eyes brighten. She was extremely beautiful, and even though she didn't wear makeup, she still had a natural beauty.

    She didn¡¯t even have her long bow or sword by her side. She transformed from a troublesome female Rakshasa into a graceful lady. Even Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help but secretly cheer, ¡°What a beautiful woman.¡±  ¡¯

    "Mr. Jing, can I sit down?" Sun Shangxiang smiled lightly, his beautiful eyes sparkling with gem-like luster, which made Little Baozi stunned.

    "Please sit down!"

    Liu Jing waved her hand and couldn't help but smile: "The girl's demeanor at this time is even more pleasing to the eye."

    Sun Shangxiang smiled sweetly and sat down opposite Liu Jing. She nodded to Li Fu and Jiang Wan, and then said to Liu Jing: "I thought a lot last night. My brother is right. You are indeed kind to me, so  I¡¯m here to express my gratitude to you today!¡±

    She took out another string of white jade Buddha beads and placed it on the table, pushing it to Liu Min, "According to Jiangdong custom, you cannot express your gratitude to others in vain. This string of white jade Buddha beads was given to me by my aunt ten years ago. It is one of my three most beloved items.  One, specially given to the young master as a token of my gratitude.¡±

    Liu Jing accepted the beads and said with a smile: "It is better to reconcile enemies than to make enemies. I am willing to reconcile with the girl and wipe out the past grudges."

    Sun Shangxiang smiled lightly, "Did you accept this string of Buddhist beads, sir?"

    "Since it's a girl who wants to thank you, how could I not accept it?"

    Seeing Liu Jing accept the Buddhist beads, Sun Shangxiang turned his face and said coldly: "I have thanked you for your kindness, but the hatred has not yet been settled. When Liu Jing kidnapped me on the ship and cut my skin with a knife, I will bear this hatred in my heart, as well as last night's revenge."  I will settle the accounts with you one by one!"

    Liu Jing didn¡¯t expect that she would fall out with her immediately, and she felt a little unhappy in her heart, but there was no anger on her face. She asked calmly: ¡°Is that little thing last night considered a feud?¡±

    "It's a small thing to you, but not to me!" Sun Shangxiang bit his lip and said, "Do you know what it means to knock down my sword?"

    "If the girl is willing to tell me, I wouldn't mind listening!"

    Sun Shangxiang moved his lips, but saw Liu Jing's face looking like a smile but not a smile. She couldn't help but froze, "I won't tell you. You just need to know one thing. I, Sun Shangxiang, have a clear distinction between grudges and grudges. I will never let go of anyone who has hurt me."  Pass."

    Liu Jing was too lazy to argue with her about last night, so she let her hold grudges. He smiled and said, "Didn't I promise you to shoot three arrows?"

    "Exactly! Please fulfill your promise and follow me to the school grounds outside Xicheng."

    "Now?"

    Sun Shangxiang nodded affirmatively, "That's it now!"

    Liu Jing laughed, "I remember you said personally that the contract will be fulfilled within three months, right?"

    "Then when do you plan to do it?" Sun Shangxiang looked at Liu Jing with a cold face.

    "I don't know. At least I'm not in the mood today. It's noon. Why don't you, Miss Sun, have dinner with me? How about I treat you?" Liu Jing was not angry and asked with a smile.

    "No need!" Sun Shangxiang glared at him coldly, stood up and left quickly.

    Just listen to her footstepsAfter walking downstairs, the little bun said worriedly: "This woman is really ferocious. How could the young master become enemies with her? It will be troublesome in the future."

    "Haha! I have enemies all over the world, and I don't care if there is one more of her."

    At this moment, the shopkeeper hurried in, handed a letter to Liu Jing, and whispered in his ear: "Jiang Xia just sent it, saying there is an emergency."

    Liu Jing opened the letter and read it hastily, and her expression suddenly changed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 299 Urgent Return to Jiangxia

    This is the intelligence transferred from Jiangxia. Cao Cao led 30,000 troops to Nanyang County. If the news is true, it means that Cao Cao did not return to Ye County and went directly south to Nanyang County.

    Liu Jing immediately realized the seriousness of the problem. If Cai Mao took this opportunity to surrender to Cao Cao, the situation in Jingzhou would immediately change.

    Although there are no ships in Xiangyang and Fancheng, it does not mean that Cao Jun cannot get ships from elsewhere. With only dozens of small boats, Cao Jun can cross the Han River within a few days.

    ???????????????????????????? This news comes just in time, and we can use it to find an escape.

    With this thought, Liu Jing decided to return to Jiangxia immediately, not wanting to delay any more.

    Liu Jing said to Li Fu and Jiang Wan: "You go back to your place of residence to pack your luggage and prepare to leave. I'll go see Wu Hou."

    "Sir, what happened?" Li Fu saw Liu Jing's solemn expression, and he became a little worried.

    "I'll tell you when I get back. You take the little bun back first."

    Liu Jing said to the soldiers again: "Eat when you come back! Come with me to King Wu's Palace first."

    Everyone got up and left Guanyun Tower. Li Fu and Jiang Wan returned to Tao Zhai to clean up, while Liu Jing rushed to Wu Palace with more than a dozen soldiers.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the Wu Palace, Jiangdong has also been handling the Jingzhou matter in a low-key manner these past two days. This is because Jiangdong needs time to reach a consensus. After all, Sun Quan also needs time to carefully weigh the matter.

    Since the emperor has decreed that Liu Jing should be appointed as the shepherd of Jingzhou, it is easy to reach a consensus on this matter. In just two days, Jiangdong has basically unified its opinions.

    It is obviously unrealistic to join forces with Jiangling and Xiangyang to attack Jiangxia, so it has become the mainstream opinion to recognize Liu Jing's Jingzhou orthodoxy and form an alliance with Jiangxia.

    Although Zhang Zhao, Zhuge Jin and other important ministers still have reservations, at least they are no longer opposed to forming an alliance with Jiangxia.

    In the study, Sun Quan is working at his desk to review documents from various places. These days, his mind has been on the affairs of Jingzhou, and he has accumulated a lot of official work. From being busy in the morning to now, he has hardly raised his head, and he has not even bothered to eat lunch.

    "Wuhou!"

    A guard whispered at the door: "Master Jing is asking to see you outside the palace, saying that he has important matters to discuss with Marquis Wu."

    "Invite him in quickly and meet him at the Qingshi Hall!" Although Sun Quan was very busy, compared with Liu Jing's request to meet him, this busyness was nothing.

    Not long after, a guard led Liu Jing into the Bluestone Hall. The Bluestone Hall was where Sun Quan received distinguished guests. It was named after a famous painting in Sun Quan's collection, "The Moon Shines on the Bluestone."

    As soon as Liu Jing walked down the hall, Sun Quan came out to greet him, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "What do you think of Wuzhong's scenic spots in Yanqing?"

    Yanqing is Liu Jing's cousin. Although not many people call him cousin, which sounds a bit unpleasant at first, Sun Quan changed his name to him. This is actually a sign of intimacy. At least Sun Quan publicly announced that he regarded him as his younger brother.  , not just talk.

    "The scenery in Wuzhong is so beautiful, the beauties are like jade, and the water is as clear as ribbons. I just wish I couldn't stay longer. But there is something urgent, so I came here to say goodbye to my brother."

    ¡®Farewell!  ¡¯

    Sun Quan was stunned, "Brother Xian, are you leaving?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "I just received urgent information from Jingzhou. Cao Jun has made some changes. We have to leave."

    "Let's talk about it in the hall!"

    Sun Quan invited Liu Jing into the lobby, and they sat down separately. Sun Quan also ordered people to find Lu Su. Lu Su was a bridge between Jiangdong and Jiangxia. Sun Quan tried his best to involve him in many things.

    Lu Su's official office was also in the Wu Palace. Not long after, Lu Su hurried over and sat down aside. Liu Jing then said to Sun Quan: "I just received news from Jiangxia that Cao Cao has led 30,000 troops to Nanyang."

    This news surprised Sun Quan and said hurriedly: "Isn't Cao Cao going back to Yecheng? Why did he get to Nanyang?"

    "He did not return to Yecheng and came directly to Nanyang. It should be that he got a detailed battle report, which made him angry. I am now very worried that Cai Mao will surrender to Cao Cao and put Jiangxia into crisis."

    Sun Quan certainly knew what it meant for Cao Cao to go south to Wancheng. It meant that the north had been stabilized and he could free up his hands to deal with the south. Then, a confrontation between the north and the south was about to begin.

    Thinking of this, Sun Quan sighed and said to Lu Su: "It seems that next year at the latest, Cao's army will move south in a large scale. There is not much time left for Jiangdong. We must step up preparations for war."

    After a pause, Sun Quan looked at Liu Jing and asked, "Can you stay in Yanqing for a few more days and then go back after signing the covenant between Jiangdong and Jiangxia?"

    Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "I will leave Lord Li in Jiangdong, he can represent me and Jiangdong ManchuWe slowly discussed the details of the alliance. The general direction of the two families to join forces to fight against Cao remained unchanged, but the situation was urgent. I had to rush back to Jiangxia overnight to deal with the joint attack by Cao's army and the Xiangyang army on Jiangxia.  "

    Liu Jing was determined to leave, and Sun Quan had no choice but to do so. He was also worried that Cao Cao's arrival would bring major changes to the situation in Jingzhou, so he agreed to Liu Jing's departure.

    "If Yanqing must leave, of course I will not stop him, but I hope to bring Deputy Governor Lu back to Jiangxia. With him, I can maintain timely communication between Jiangxia and Jiangdong. If necessary, Jiangdong will also provide full support."

    "Thank you very much, Marquis Wu, for your support. Without further ado, I will go back and prepare."

    Sun Quan sent Liu Jing out of Wu Palace. In front of the gate steps, Sun Quan bowed his hands to Liu Jing and said seriously: "Cao's army going south is not only related to the life and death of Jingzhou, but also the danger of Jiangdong. I hope the two of us can fight side by side forever."

    Liu Jing nodded silently and said sincerely: "This is also my hope!"

    Liu Jing walked down the steps quickly, got on his horse, and drove away with his men. Looking at Liu Jing's back in the distance, Lu Su, who had been silent all the time, couldn't help but said: "Wu Hou, are you going to let him go like this?"

    Sun Quan gave him a strange look, "Does Zijing also want to detain him?"

    Lu Su shook his head, "Wei Chen didn't mean that. He just felt that he had only been here a few days, the alliance had not yet been reached, and there were still many negotiations that had not been done. If he just left like this, does it mean that the trip to Jiangdong was meaningless?  "

    Sun Quan shook his head slightly, "Actually, the so-called negotiation and signing does not require his participation. Xu Shu can participate. The key is his attitude. Since he is willing to come to Jiangxia, it shows his sincerity. This is enough. There is no need to detain him anymore.  , that will force Jiangxia to surrender to Cao, which is something I don¡¯t want to see, Zijing, I will leave all the negotiations to you. "

    Only then did Lu Su understand the deep meaning of his lord letting him go to Jiangxia with Liu Jing. It turned out that he was not only letting him monitor Liu Jing, but also giving him full authority to negotiate an alliance with Liu Jing. Lu Su was deeply moved by this trust, and he stepped forward to do it.  Yili: "I will never live up to the love of Marquis Wu!"

    Sun Quan patted Lu Su on the shoulder, turned around and went back to the palace. He then ordered the guards: "Let Governor Zhou come to see me!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    That afternoon, Liu Jing¡¯s fleet left the Dongwu City Pier and sailed along the Xu River toward Taihu Lake. This time, Zhou Yu personally led 5,000 naval troops and hundreds of warships to escort Liu Jing westward.

    A few days later, the fleet sailed out of Lishui and entered the Yangtze River. Everyone suddenly became more open-minded. Liu Jing stood on the bow of the ship with her hands behind her hands, staring at the mighty river. She saw the vast river, the majestic waves, and the endless river water seemed to flow to  The end of the world.

    His mind suddenly became brighter, and he recalled the various tactics and tactics used in this trip to Jiangdong, and couldn't help but laugh. In fact, there was no need to be so narrow-minded, and there was no need to use these shady methods.

    If Jiangdong does not have the sincerity to form an alliance, or if they do not reach a consensus internally, then they can just go back. The critical situation will force Jiangdong to take the initiative to come to him. Isn't this what Sun Quan did in history?

    When Cao's army marched southward, Sun Quan sent Lu Su to Jingzhou to negotiate a joint fight against Cao, put aside the past grievances, and unanimously dealt with the outside world. However, Cao's army was unstoppable. Before Lu Su could arrive, Jingzhou surrendered to Cao's army, forcing Lu Su to turn his attention to Liu Bei.

    In fact, with the strength of Liu Bei and Liu Qi at that time, they were not qualified to form an alliance with Sun Quan to fight against Cao. In the entire Chibi War, Jiangdong Army almost defeated Cao's army independently. It was only the description of Zhuge Liang in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms that made readers think of the alliance between Sun and Liu.  The illusion of resisting Cao.

    What Sun Quan was interested in was more of Liu Bei's reputation, which gave him legitimacy to resist Cao Cao. After all, Liu Bei had the Edict on Clothing and Belts in his hands. In today's terms, it was an intangible asset.

    It is this intangible asset that allowed Liu Bei to take over Jingzhou after Cao Cao's defeat and became the biggest beneficiary after the Chibi War. This was also a matter of luck.

    Although Jiangdong succeeded in protecting himself, to a certain extent, he made Liu Bei's wedding dress in vain, which is why he lost his wife and lost his army.

    However, with the rise of Liu Jing, history may be rewritten here.

    Looking at the majestic river, Liu Jing's heart aroused great ambition. Golden scales are not objects in the pond. They turn into dragons when encountering storms. At this time, the storms and clouds gather together, and the moment for him, Liu Jing, to soar into the sky is coming.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 300 Drinking Mahan Water

    According to the normal plan, Cao Cao would return directly from Yixian to Yedu, but the failure of Cao Cao's army in Nanyang County disrupted his plan.  Ten thousand elite troops marched straight down to Nanyang.

    Wancheng, although Cao Ren has been worried about the defeat of Xiangyang, he hopes that the time to face Cao Cao's anger can be delayed. He imagines that the cold winter is approaching in the Northeast and the war will be extended, at least until next spring.

    At that time, the situation will undergo some changes, such as the outbreak of civil war among the three families in Jingzhou, and he can take the opportunity to make some achievements to make up for his previous defeat.

    It's a pity that the ideal is full, but the reality is very skinny. As soon as autumn arrives, Cao Jun ends the battle of Liucheng. Cao Cao personally leads the army south to Wancheng. Cao Ren has to brave the storm and the heavy rain. The key is that he can't explain to Cao Cao that Jia  A matter of boasting.

    In Wancheng, Cao Ren led dozens of generals to kneel down in front of Cao Cao's horse and said tremblingly: "The last general, Cao Ren, respectfully welcomes the prime minister into the city."

    Cao Cao looked at the generals and saw that the four counselors and generals Jia Xu, Le Jin, Cao Hong, and Li Dian were all missing, which made him feel sad. He did not get angry, but just waved his hand, "Generals, please stand up!"

    Everyone stood up. Cao Ren felt that Cao Cao's tone was calm and there was no storm coming that he was worried about. He felt a little relieved and said quickly: "Please prime minister come into the city!"

    Cao Cao rode into Wancheng. He went directly to the yamen hall and sat down. He screened everyone away. Only four people, Cheng Yu, Cao Ren, Yu Jin and Mao Jie, were left in the hall. Cao Cao then asked Yu Jin: "Wen Ze, I heard that  You were captured and then escaped?"

    Cao Ren¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He didn¡¯t say anything about Yu Jin¡¯s arrest. How did the Prime Minister know about it? He became even more uneasy, feeling that the Prime Minister knew everything.

    Yu Jin¡¯s face was filled with shame, and he stepped forward and bowed: ¡°My subordinate was incompetent and couldn¡¯t defeat Liu Jing, so he captured me alive. But fortunately, I was lucky and got help from a village party member and escaped halfway.¡±

    Yu Jin then recounted the process of his escape, with only slight changes. From two people escorting him to a dozen, one of the soldiers became his fellow countryman, and it was this fellow countryman who cut the rope that bound him.  , so that he grabbed the knife and killed several people, and the others jumped into the river to escape. He then forced the boatman to sail the boat back to the north bank.

    This is the response that he and Cao Ren discussed. The key is that there is no proof. As long as it is reasonable, it can be justified, so that Jia Xu's matter can be covered up.

    Cao Cao did not think deeply about Yu Jin's capture, but just smiled and said, "It seems that you are really destined to Liu Jing. This is the third time you have been defeated by him. If he kills you, life will be boring."  ¡±

    Yu Jin was so ashamed that he couldn't say a word for a long time. Cao Cao's face darkened, and he stared at Cao Ren gloomily and asked: "What's going on with Jia Wenhe? You can recruit me from the truth. If you dare to hide anything, I'll strip you."  The skin!¡±

    Cao Ren felt his legs were weak. He wanted to stand, but in the end he knelt down. He had to explain the conflict between Cao Hong and Jia Xu exactly. Cao Cao sighed in his heart and glanced at Cheng Yu, as if to say, 'Unfortunately, I was killed.  You are right!  ¡¯

    On the way to Nanyang, Cheng Yu implicitly told Cao Cao that it would be inappropriate to let Jia Xu go to Nanyang to supervise the battle. At this time, Cao Cao already knew about Zhang Xiu's suicide, and he realized that he had underestimated the Cao family's children and Zhang Xiu.  , Jia Xu¡¯s hatred.

    This was actually Cao Cao's responsibility. He regarded others as his own, and underestimated the hatred left by the death of Cao Ang and Cao Anmin to his family. Cao Cao sighed secretly, feeling less towards Cao Ren in his heart, and asked Cao Ren again.  : "What happened next? Did Jia Wenhe surrender to Jiangxia?"

    Cao Ren already felt that Cao Cao's tone had softened, and quickly explained: "Because Liu Jing's ambush on General Jin was so accurately timed, we suspected that someone had leaked the plan. At this time, there were rumors in the military camp that Jia Wen and An An were  Through the confrontation between several parties, although Jia Wenhe was proven innocent, Cao Hong and he were already in the same situation.

    At this time, Jia Wenhe also offered to return to Yedu, so I agreed and sent someone to escort him back. Unexpectedly, he was kidnapped by Gan Ning on the way, and Jia Wenhe was taken away to Jiangxia. As for how he surrendered to Liu Jing later,  The subordinates really don¡¯t know.  "

    How sophisticated Cao Cao was. He heard that Cao Ren still had something to say, about Cao Hong and how Cao Hong forced Jia Xu. Cao Ren was very vague, but it was his family matter, and Cao Hong was still in Jiangxia, so Cao Cao stopped asking any more questions.  .

    He thought for a moment and asked Mao Jie: "In this battle of Xiangyang, what does Xiaoxian think is the biggest shortcoming of our army?"

    Mao Jie was also a little worried that Cao Cao would hold him accountable for the failure of his plan, and he was always uneasy. Unexpectedly, after Cao Cao asked Jia Xu about it, he stopped asking about the reason for Xinye's defeat. He felt a little more at ease, and said quickly: "I belong to Jia Xu."  I believe that the shortage of warships is the biggest weakness of our army. In this battle of Xiangyang, the reason why we fought?Passive and defeated twice, it was because Jiangxia's navy was sharp and controlled the river. If we want to continue attacking Jiangxia and Jiangdong, we must have thousands of warships.  "

    Cao Cao nodded, "To pacify the south, warships are necessary, and they are the primary armament. I wonder how many warships we have in hand now?"

    Speaking of warships, Cao Ren couldn't help but feel extremely ashamed. He was the commander-in-chief, and he didn't want to shirk this responsibility, so he said: "Return to the Prime Minister, we were defeated in the water battle. We no longer have a warship in our hands, but only a dozen small fishing boats. My subordinates  It¡¯s really shameless to see the Prime Minister.¡±

    Cao Cao couldn't help but frown. There were only a dozen small boats. How could he go south next year?

    "How many ships are there in Xiangyang?" Cao Cao asked again.

    "The Xiangyang navy was also completely wiped out by Jiang Xia. As far as I know, there were only a dozen ferries at most."

    Cao Cao was silent. Only then did he realize the seriousness of the warship problem. If this problem is not solved, his plan for the southern expedition will be a flower in the mirror.

    At this time, Cheng Yu smiled and said: "I heard that there are hundreds of thousands of giant trees in the Xiangyang government warehouse, which are excellent materials for shipbuilding. If we get them, we can build a thousand warships within a year."  ¡±

    Cao Ren shook his head and said, "It's too late. News came from Xiangyang. Cai Mao and Liu Jing reached an agreement. Xiangyang will exchange these wood for Fancheng, Xinye and other places in the north of the Yangtze River."

    "Then why didn't you stop it?"

    Cao Cao finally became furious and slammed the table and scolded Cao Ren, "Since you know this, why don't you stop Cai Mao and let him go? Don't you know how important warships are to us?"

    Cao Ren was so frightened that he lowered his head and did not dare to speak. Cao Cao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, holding back his anger and asked, "When did this happen?"

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that long ago, less than a month.¡±

    Cheng Yu said: "If this is the case, there should be some huge trees in the warehouse. It is impossible to transport them all within a month. The prime minister must make an immediate decision."

    Cao Cao nodded. In fact, he had already thought about it clearly on the road. Now he just wanted to implement it immediately. Cao Cao immediately wrote a personal letter and gave it to Cao Ren, "Send someone to deliver it to Cai Mao quickly."

    Cao Ren immediately ran out of the hall, handed the letter to his soldiers, gave a few instructions, and returned to the hall. Cao Cao then ordered: "The army will go south immediately, conquer Xinye Fancheng, and drink the Mahan River!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although Cao Cao was far from ready for a large-scale attack on Jingzhou and Jiangdong, this did not hinder his attack on Xiangyang. Cai Mao and Zhang Yun had secretly surrendered to him long ago. Now he is just here to harvest the mature crops and prepare for his army.  The foundation for officially moving south was laid.

    Under the personal leadership of Cao Cao, 50,000 Cao troops marched southward in a mighty manner and arrived at Fancheng three days later. Zhang Yunxian, the governor of Jiangbei, surrendered Fancheng and Xinye to Cao Cao.

    On the bank of the surging Han River, Cao Cao stood on his horse and stared at Xiangyang City on the other side. He turned back and smiled at the generals: "When I was young, I went to Xiangyang City to pay homage to Cai Xi in order to gain the appreciation of this great scholar. In a blink of an eye, I was thirty.  Years have passed, and when I think about the things I did when I was young, it still remains vivid in my mind, as if it happened just last night. Do you feel this way?"

    Zhang Liao said with a smile behind him: "What the Prime Minister said is human nature, and my subordinates often feel this way. If something touches their heart, they will think of the past many years ago."

    Cao Cao nodded, pointed at Xiangyang with his horsewhip, smiled at Zhang Yun and asked: "General Zhang, is there a place for shipbuilding in Xiangyang?"

    Zhang Yun bowed and flattered and said with a smile: "Reporting to the Prime Minister, twenty miles to the east is the Xiangyang Navy Camp. Next to the camp is the shipbuilding yard. It occupies a large area and has more than a thousand officials and craftsmen. During this period, they are working day and night.  It is not only the government that builds ferries, there are actually private shipbuilding companies all over Jingzhou, and recruiting them will be a big undertaking. "

    "Will these officials and craftsmen take advantage of the chaos to escape?"

    "Prime Minister, please rest assured. Military Advisor Cai has considered this and sent two thousand troops to guard the shipyard. They cannot escape."

    Cao Cao remembered something again and asked, "How much shipbuilding material is left in the Xiangyang warehouse?"

    "This I'm not very sure about my position, but a large number of ships came from Jiangxia to carry it some time ago. A lot of it was transported away, and it is estimated that only 30% is left."

    "Only 30% left!"

    Cao Cao's face suddenly darkened, anger flashed in his eyes, only 30% was left, what's the point?

    At this time, Cheng Yu laughed at the side and said: "Actually, Prime Minister, you don't have to worry about this matter. There are more shipbuilders in the world than just Jingzhou. There are many on both sides of the Yellow River. Prime Minister, they recruited more than ten thousand people and there are more than 10,000 shipbuilders."  There are some in Jingzhou, and my subordinates later remembered that there are many in the warehouses of Nanpi and Liyang. If we collect materials from all over the world, they should be able to fully meet the needs of shipbuilding. "

    "Transportable"How to solve it?  "

    Mao Jie also explained beside him: "My grandfather is also good at building ships. I have seen them transporting wood. They use tung oil to brush a few lines on the wood. After drying in the shade, there is no fear of water seepage. They can directly tie it into wooden rafts and float it on the water, which saves money."  Save time and effort!¡±

    "Okay!" Cao Cao nodded happily and said to Mao Jie: "I will leave it to you to coordinate this matter. You can send orders to all counties and counties to transport shipbuilding wood to Nanyang. It must arrive within two months, otherwise only the prefecture will  Ling Shi asked.

    "Subordinates obey orders!"

    Cao Cao said to Cheng Yu again: "I want to leave the shipbuilding matter to Zhongde with full responsibility. This matter is of great importance. I don't trust it if it is left to others. Only Zhongde can let me sleep on the mat."

    Cheng Yu smiled slightly, "Since the Prime Minister trusts you so much, I will naturally not let him down."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 301 Xiangyang Surrenders

    Cao Jun went south again, Zhang Yun surrendered, and Cao Jun's cavalry drank their horses in the Han River. Xiangyang was shocked for a while, and the people's hearts were turbulent. Tens of thousands of people swarmed out of the city and fled towards Jiangxia.

    In order to prevent the situation from getting out of control, Cai Mao ordered the city gates of Xiangyang to be closed and people were not allowed to flee. However, people living outside the city and in various counties still fled on a large scale, setting off the second wave of refugees after Cao Jun went south.

    In the prefectural government meeting hall, Cai Mao urgently summoned Xiangyang's ministers to discuss countermeasures. At this time, Xiangyang County had already experienced a split. Xiangyang County's Prime Minister Wang Jian and Pang Ji, who joined the army, had defected to Nan County. However, to Cai Mao's surprise, Deng Yi was in charge.  He didn¡¯t leave, he still stayed in Xiangyang.

    In the lobby, in addition to Cai Mao, there were also Kuai Yue, Han Song, Deng Yi, Li Gui, Chen Zhen and others. Everyone had a solemn expression. Cai Mao sighed and said to everyone: "Everyone has seen the current situation.  Prime Minister Cao has come with an army. Zhang Yun has surrendered. The people's morale is turbulent and the military's morale is unstable. The situation in Xiangyang is over. Now if we don't surrender to Prime Minister Cao, we will be attacked by Jiangxia and Jiangling sooner or later. In this case, it is better to submit to the imperial court as soon as possible. Everyone can  Find a future.¡±

    Speaking of this, Cai Mao took out a letter, raised it, and said to everyone: "This is a personal letter written by Prime Minister Cao to me. The letter makes it very clear that as long as we surrender, not only will our current status be guaranteed, but our future will also be guaranteed."  I will be further promoted, given a title, and honor my ancestors. I hope you can advance and retreat together with me."

    There was silence in the lobby. Although this decision was expected by everyone, when it actually came, everyone found it difficult to accept it. After all, they could not explain it to Liu Biao, who died not long ago.

    At this time, Kuai Yue pondered for a moment and asked, "I wonder what Zhou Mu's attitude is?"

    Although Kuai Yue asked very implicitly, the old officials in the lobby immediately realized that as long as Liu Cong surrendered, they would follow Liu Cong to surrender, and their reputation would not be affected, and they would also get benefits.

    Cai Mao was a little hesitant. This was Liu Cong's moral responsibility. Although there was no pressure on Kuai Yue to propose this plan, Liu Cong was his nominal son-in-law after all. Not to mention his affection for his son-in-law, at least his support and use over the years had made him  Liu Cong felt somewhat apologetic.

    Everyone saw Cai Mao's hesitation, and Han Song added with a smile: "He is our lord. Of course it is he who decides to surrender to Cao Cao. Degui should go and persuade him!"

    Everyone agreed, and Li Gui also smiled and said: "What's more important is that Prime Minister Cao hopes that Zhou Mu will surrender. I also suggest that the military advisor go and persuade Zhou Mu."

    Li Gui was Cai Mao's confidant, and even he agreed to encourage Liu Cong to surrender. Cai Mao was helpless. In fact, Liu Cong's surrender would not be beneficial to him, Cai Mao?

    Thinking of this, Cai Hao nodded, "Since everyone thinks so, let me go and talk to him! Try to persuade him to see the situation clearly."

    Seeing the excitement on everyone's faces, Cai Hao couldn't help but cursed secretly: "A bunch of cunning guys!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "I won't do it. If you want to surrender, you go and surrender. Don't even think about trying to trick me!"

    In the room, Liu Cong clenched his fists and shouted loudly to Cai Mao, his face flushed. His expression and eyes were like an angry beast, "My father's body is still cold, and you have to surrender. Are you worthy of my father's care?"

    Liu Cong's scolding made Cai Mao a little angry. He narrowed his eyes and said coldly: "I'm not sorry. Your father didn't ask for an orphan before he died. Even if he did, it's not you."

    "you!"

    Liu Cong took a step back. The huge sense of humiliation made him ashamed. He stared at Cai Hao for a long time, and then he said a word between his teeth, "Despicable!"

    Cai Mao looked at him with some pity. He knew that Liu Cong already understood his identity. He was just a puppet and could not have his own thoughts. He was the master who manipulated him. He asked him to surrender, but he still dared to bargain.

    Liu Cong turned around and walked back to his house. Suddenly, a green object was thrown out of the house, 'Bang!  ¡¯ There was a sound, and a corner of it collapsed. The wrapped satin fell apart, and it turned out to be Liu Cong¡¯s seal of state shepherd. Cai Mao was startled, and suddenly looked into the room with eyes full of anger.

    Liu Cong appeared at the door and said coldly: "Don't you want a scapegoat? Just find a beggar on the street and make him a state pastor. Anyway, I won't play with you anymore. I want to kill or cut him into pieces."  what ever."

    "You bastard!"

    Cai Mao jumped up. He clenched his fists and rushed forward to beat Liu Cong. At this moment, Mrs. Cai appeared. She glanced at the treasure seal on the ground, stopped her brother and said with a smile: "It's nothing serious. Brother, go ahead! Let me persuade you."  he."

    Cai Mao glared at Liu Cong fiercely, turned around and walked away angrily. Mrs. Cai winked at the two maids behind her, and the two maids also retreated.

      Mrs. Cai slowly walked into the room, but Liu Cong turned his back to her, and his tone was as cold as ice, "I know what you are going to say? I am not afraid anymore. Just go ahead and say it, or you will die to apologize!"

    "Why are you trying to get into trouble like this?"

    Mrs. Cai walked behind him and sat down, smiling and saying: "Surrendering to Cao Cao is actually an opportunity for you. I don't believe you have been willing to be a puppet. Surrendering to Cao Cao might free you. Don't you think?"

    "What did you say?"

    Liu Cong slowly turned around and stared at Mrs. Cai in surprise, "I don't understand what you mean!"

    "Cong'er, listen to me, calm down first."

    Mrs. Cai's tone was very soft. She rarely spoke to Liu Cong like this, "I know you don't want to surrender to Cao Cao because you feel guilty and have lost your father's inheritance. I can understand it, but in fact you are not Jingzhou Mu, no matter what  Is it your father¡¯s intention, or is it reality? The Jingzhou Mu is Liu Jing, and the court has recognized him, and you are not even the governor of Xiangyang now. "

    Liu Cong lowered his head and remained silent. Mrs. Cai really knew this son very well. Although he was not her biological son, she knew him better than her biological son.

    She knows Liu Cong¡¯s character weaknesses, including low self-esteem, cowardice, timidity, and lack of opinion. His apparent toughness is just a shell. As long as this shell is broken, he will have no choice but to be manipulated.

    What she has to do now is to find the weakest point and break his shell. And Mrs. Cai knows better than anyone else, where is the weakest point of this shell?

    "Cong'er, in fact, the military advisors can completely ignore you. You are not a Jingzhou shepherd. It doesn't matter whether you surrender or not. But if you do this, have you thought about the consequences? You have nothing and nowhere to go. Maybe  Someone will call you the son of the First Lord and give you a bite to eat. Is this the kind of life you want?"

    Liu Cong sighed lowly. The shell in his heart had been cracked. He put his head in his hands, pulled his hair hard, and muttered something. Although he spoke very vaguely, Mrs. Cai understood it.  Now, he's saying 'What should I do?  ¡¯

    "Think about it for yourself! Now the military advisors are pushing you out as their lord to negotiate with Cao Cao in front of Jingzhou. Regardless of whether you are a real herdsman of Jingzhou, Cao Cao will treat you favorably. At least you will be a good official. In that way, you  Aren¡¯t you going to be completely freed from your current position as a puppet?¡±

    Liu Cong suddenly raised his head and stared at Mrs. Cai with wide eyes, "Why do you want to help me? What good will this do to you?"

    Mrs. Cai smiled calmly, "After all, I am still your mother in name. I also have to give your father an explanation. Since you can't take the position of state pastor, at least I will give you a good result, and I can be considered worthy of your father."  ¡±

    Having said this, the shell that enveloped Liu Cong's heart was finally cracked open. Liu Cong nodded silently, "Okay then! I will listen to your arrangements."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the afternoon, Li Gui took a boat across the river and arrived at the Fancheng camp, where he formally submitted the letter of surrender to Cao Cao. Inside the tent, Cao Cao squinted and read the letter of surrender, then smiled at Li Gui and said, "You have done a lot in these years.  Okay, thank you for your hard work."

    Li Gui knelt down and said with tears: "Serving the Prime Minister, I will not give up even if I die!"

    Cao Cao comforted him with a few words of kindness, then asked him to sit down, and then turned the topic to what he was concerned about, "I want to know how much food and how many troops are left in Xiangyang?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, there are about 200,000 shi of grain in Xiangyang's warehouse, 35,000 troops, and more than 1,000 horses. Among them, 10,000 troops are stationed in Jiangbei, 10,000 troops are stationed near Jiangxia, and 10,000 troops are stationed near Nanjun.  There are also 10,000 troops stationed, and then there are 5,000 troops in Xiangyang City, and there are no troops stationed in Fengling County. "

    Cao Cao nodded and asked: "How much wood do you still have to build warships? I know you don't have warships, but you should have the wood to build ships!"

    Li Gui had a look of shame on his face, "We didn't expect the Prime Minister to go south this year, so we made a deal with Jiangxia and exchanged the warehouse wood with Jiangxia for the land north of Jiangxia. Now most of the wood"

    Before he could finish speaking, Cao Cao interrupted him impatiently, "I know these, I just want to know how many are left now?"

    "There are approximately more than 30,000 giant trees, which can build dozens of thousand-stone warships."

    Cao Cao was really dissatisfied. This meant that Jiangxia County had not left any useful resources for himself, so what use would they have?

    But he had no choice but to comfort him: "I understand. My army will officially cross the river tonight. You can prepare the ferry in advance and formally accept the surrender tomorrow morning. Tell Master Cong and Military Advisor Cai that I will not treat them badly."  ¡±

    Li Gui was overjoyed, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and tell you this now.¡±They are preparing for a grand welcome ceremony!  "

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be grand, just keep it low-key!¡±

    Cao Cao suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. After all, Liu Cong was not the real Jingzhou Shepherd. If it was Liu Jing who surrendered tomorrow, a grand welcome ceremony would have to be held. What a pity!

    Li Gui was stunned for a moment. He suddenly understood something and hurriedly said goodbye in a low voice.

    Cao Cao walked to the account with his hands behind his back and looked far to the southeast. Over there was Jiangxia. He remembered what Liu Jing said. Liu Jing said that he was looking forward to a battle with him on the Yangtze River. In fact, he was looking forward to it too, and he was looking forward to it even more.  In the end, Liu Jing surrendered to himself. He had been looking forward to this day for a long time, but he knew that he would have to wait until next year at least.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There were nearly a hundred newly built ferries in Xiangyang, and Cao Cao's army crossed the river overnight. Early the next morning, nearly 20,000 troops crossed the Han River. Cao Cao also crossed the river. He was riding on a war horse, surrounded by thousands of soldiers.  , slowly heading towards Xiangyang City.

    At the gate of Xiangyang, Liu Cong, led by Cai Mao, Kuai Yue and dozens of senior Xiangyang officials, had been waiting for a long time. With a big seal and ribbon hanging around his neck, he was silently waiting for the last moment.

    When Cao Cao's army approached, Liu Cong knelt down and said in a trembling voice: "The guilty minister Liu Cong comes to see your Excellency, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty!"

    ¡°Kowtow to the Prime Minister!¡±

    Dozens of civil and military officials knelt down together. Cao Cao narrowed his eyes with a smile and looked up at Xiangyang City. Is this Liu Biao's home base?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 302 Jiangxia prepares for war

    Liu Jing spent nearly half a month on the road before returning to Jiangxia. The city of Jiangxia had not changed much and remained neat and orderly.

    Perhaps it was because Cao Jun went south again. The soldiers at the top of the city patrolled back and forth, full of vigilance. The soldiers guarding the city gate also stepped up inspections. Everyone who entered the city had to check and send messages.

    It is referred to as the biography, also known as Fu Xin or Pass. It is an identity voucher from the Han Dynasty. It is usually not needed. Only in war will strengthen the inspection.

    This makes Liu Jing very pleased. Even if he is away, Jiangxia can still operate normally, which shows that Jiangxia's system has been established.

    To his surprise, the emperor's envoy from Yedu was still waiting in Wuchang. Liu Jing formally accepted the emperor's gift and became the shepherd of Jingzhou and the title of Marquis of Fanxiang. He rewarded the envoy with a heavy sum of money, and the envoy left happily.  go.

    Returning to the county government office, Liu Jing was busy for a long time before he took care of many urgent matters. Even he himself didn't know what he was busy with, but the extreme fatigue really made him a little bit overwhelmed. As soon as he lay down on the soft chair, Liu Jing  Jing fell asleep soundly, and in his sleep, he seemed to be still floating on the boat.

    After sleeping for a full hour, when he woke up, it was already afternoon, the yard was very quiet, and no one came to disturb his rest.

    Liu Jing walked to the entrance of the courtyard and saw two guards standing at the door. It was their loyal guards who gave her a sweet sleep.

    "While I'm taking a break, is there anyone looking for me?"

    Liu Jing had a smile on his face and a very soft tone. Speaking so softly in his capacity, the two guards immediately felt honored. One of them hurriedly said: "Xu Changshi has been here. He heard that Zhou Mu was resting, so he didn't disturb him.  , and left. He said that if the state pastor wanted to find him, he would flee to a private camp outside the city."

    Liu Jing heard that they all called themselves Zhou Mu, and it was very smooth. They must have been calling him Zhou Mu for a while. Liu Jing nodded. He did have something to discuss with Xu Shu

    The open space outside the West City is full of tents, surrounded by thick fences. Most people don't know it and think it is a military camp. In fact, it is just a temporary camp for refugees.

    Thousands of people who fled from Xiangyang are temporarily resettled here. After registration is completed, they will be transferred to various counties in Jiangxia. Jiangxia has been resettling refugees in recent years, and officials are already familiar with it.

    Liu Jing entered the camp under the escort of soldiers. The camp was extremely lively. Thousands of large tents were filled with refugees who had fled from Xiangyang. There were as many as 20,000 to 30,000 people. There were shouts, curses, and children crying.  The noise seemed noisy and chaotic.

    Liu Jing frowned slightly. He didn't like this chaotic situation. He turned around and asked, "How long have these refugees been living here?"

    The two soldiers behind him were speechless and couldn't answer. At this moment, someone next to him laughed and said: "These refugees are all mobile. Some have just arrived today, and some have been staying for three or four days, but no more than five days at most."  ¡±

    I saw an official coming from the side with a few subordinates. He was from Yi. Since Su Fei had already served as the prefect of Anlu County, he succeeded him as the magistrate of Jiangxia County. He was fully responsible for this refugee camp.  .

    He walked forward with a smile and saluted: "I'm here to see you, Zhou Mu!"

    When Liu Jing saw that he also called himself Zhou Mu, he estimated that his position as Zhou Mu had been confirmed, but he didn't know that before he came back, Jiangxia's military and political leaders had discussed it and officially decided to call Liu Jing Zhou Mu. This was also for the sake of  Compete against Xiangyang and Jiangling.

    In this era, if the name is not correct, the words will not be correct. Liu Jing exchanged Cao Hong, Li Dian and more than 10,000 prisoners of war for the position of Jingzhou Mu, which is also crucial to Jiangxia's subordinates. Only in this way can they correct their names.  Their allegiance is to the real Jingzhou pastoralists, not to the rebels of the separatist regime.

    Liu Jing also knew this very well. Since everyone called him Jingzhou Mu, he accepted it calmly. He looked at the refugees around him and asked, "How many refugees have come in total this time?"

    Yi Ji sighed and said: "There are more than 73,000 people coming this time. Adding in the previous refugees, Jiangxia has already accepted more than 300,000 refugees. If it weren't for the full help of the Tao family, Jiangxia really couldn't afford it."  Such a heavy burden is already a bit overwhelming now.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "If Jiangxia cannot afford it, it can be transferred to Changsha County, but there is one thing that must be accepted."

    "We understand this. It is related to the reputation of Zhou Mu. We will never refuse to take them in. Please rest assured."

    Speaking of this, he saw Liu Jing looking at him with a strange smile. He didn't know what he said wrong for a moment, and he felt a little nervous. But the more nervous he became, the more flustered he felt, and his mind became confused.

    Liu Jing sighed. He knew that this was a matter of realm. If it were Sun Quan or Liu Bei, they would understand immediately, but the Yi nationality was not enough. Liu Jing did not want to embarrass him anymore, so she said to him; "ThisIt's not a matter of my reputation. They are Jingzhou's most precious resource. As long as they are here, the world will be prosperous, so we must protect them no matter what.  "

    Yi Ji was just stunned for a moment, and then he immediately understood. He himself was very knowledgeable, but he had only been doing Liu Biao's job for a long time, so it was difficult for him to understand the realm of a superior. When Liu Jing reminded him, he suddenly understood and immediately cupped his fists and saluted.  "Thank you Zhou Mu for your advice!"

    Liu Jing smiled, turned around and waved, called Jiang Wan forward, and introduced to Yi Ji: "This is Jiang Gongyan of Lingling. From now on, he will do your job. Let him do more things and practice."  !¡±

    Liu Jing knew that Jiang Wan was a talented prime minister, but lacked practical experience, so it was most appropriate for him to follow Yi Ji. It was not that Yi Ji gave him advice, but Yi Ji's position, Jiangxia County Magistrate.

    All government affairs are concentrated here, and there are all kinds of complicated and troublesome things, but it is precisely these complicated and troublesome things that most train people's talents. Liu Jing thought about it for a long time before finally deciding to put Jiang Wan here.  position.

    Jiang Wan understood Liu Jing's good intentions in his heart. He was grateful in his heart but did not show it. He stepped forward and bowed deeply to Yi Ji, "Please take care of me, Lord Yi."

    Of course Yi Ji knew about Jiang Wan, one of the three prodigies in Jingzhou. He also understood Liu Jing's intention, so he smiled and said: "I happen to be short of manpower. Brother Jiang Xian came too timely. If brother Xian has nothing else to do, please follow me."  to resettle refugees.¡±

    Jiang Wan glanced at them, Liu Jing nodded with a smile, Jiang Wan bowed and followed Yi Ji away. Liu Jing watched their backs hurried away. He suddenly slapped his forehead. He was really confused and forgot to ask Yi Ji. Xu Shu  Where?  How can I find such a large refugee camp?

    At this time, an Iraqi attendant hurried over and saluted: "The governor is looking for Xu Changshi, and the county magistrate asked me to lead the way."

    Liu Jing chuckled. This Yiji was quite attentive. He urged his horse to follow him. Not long after, he came to a large tent.

    There were many soldiers standing in front of the big tent, and the curtain was open. There were hundreds of elders sitting inside, all in their fifties and sixties. They were listening intently to what Xu Shu was saying. Liu Jing only vaguely heard about manpower and subsidies.

    As soon as Liu Jing walked to the door, someone rushed in to report. Soon, Xu Shu came out and said with a smile: "Have you rested, Zhou Mu?"

    Liu Jing smiled sheepishly, "I'm a little tired along the way, so I'll feel better after a nap."

    He looked at the old man sitting in a tent again, and asked a little strangely: "Who are they?"

    "They are the heads of each family. Come to discuss matters with them. Please come to the account to discuss things in detail."

    Only then did Liu Jing understand that they were all patriarchs. No wonder they were all old men. For a long time in history, Chinese society was based on blood clans. Often a family lived together. A large family had hundreds of people, and a small family  There are also dozens of people who elect highly respected people as patriarchs to jointly manage the affairs of a family.

    Especially in times of war, the importance of family is even more important. Being in a family means that we can help each other, avoid starving to death, and survive the war. Because of this, the patriarch¡¯s order is  Absolute authority.

    Therefore, the government's management of the people is actually the management of each clan chief. If something happens, the clan chiefs are summoned to a meeting, and the government's will can be conveyed smoothly.

    Therefore, hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled to Jiangxia in the past few months. It seems that the number of refugees is huge, but in fact it is not difficult to manage. As long as the tents and food are enough, the family will distribute them appropriately, and there is no need to worry about each specific person.  body.

    Liu Jing walked into the tent and sat down. Xu Shu brought him another cup of tea and smiled bitterly, "Mr. Jia has been to Xiaji County again in the past few days. He is particularly interested in kerosene and has been there three times."

    But Liu Jing understood Jia Xu's heart. He was not interested in kerosene, but he didn't want to participate in the plan to deal with Cao Cao, so he found an excuse to walk away. Liu Jing didn't explain it clearly, so he changed the subject and smiled: "You  Why are so many clan leaders summoned to discuss?¡±

    Xu Shu said quickly: "My subordinates summoned the clan chiefs mainly to recruit civilian men. I feel that the defense of Wuchang City is insufficient. I plan to heighten and widen the city wall and build Wuchang City into an iron wall. It will require at least 30,000 civilian men. Now we have recruited 23,000."  There are still more than 7,000 people left, and we are going to recruit them from the refugees. I am meeting them today to discuss this matter."

    Liu Jing then realized that he was recruiting civilian husbands. He smiled and asked, "Are they willing?"

    "This is actually not up to them, and they know it well. The key is how much food subsidy to give. I am bargaining with them!"

    Liu Jing just asked about these things. These trivial matters were within the scope of Xu Shu's authority and he no longer had to worry about them. He only needed to sign and approve the final plan. The specific process would be handled by him.?No more interference.

    He hesitated for a moment and asked, "You came to see me this afternoon. What's the matter?"

    "I do have something important to report to Zhou Mu. We have just received news that Cao Jun has begun to recruit a large number of craftsmen in the Central Plains. Thirty thousand craftsmen from Yejun and Xuchang have also rushed to Nanyang. In addition, five more craftsmen have been mobilized from Yecheng.  Ten thousand troops are heading to Nanyang. In other words, Cao Jun has begun large-scale preparations for war. "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 303 Battle at Xiakou

    At night, Liu Jing sat in his study, carefully playing with his Zhoumu seal. The Zhoumu seal was made of gold, slightly larger than a fist, and was a cube with a unicorn carved on it. It was made with exquisite workmanship.

    The other seal is his royal seal. Its appearance is similar to the Jinpingting Marquis seal left by his father in the past. It is made of bronze with a turtle as a button. It is square and flat, only the size of a fist, and has small seal characters engraved on it.  Fanxiang Houyin'.

    This is his title. He is actually a rural marquis, only one level lower than a county marquis. The titles in the Han Dynasty are very complicated. To put it simply, in addition to the royal title, the county marquis is the highest. For example, Yuan Shao is Ye marquis, and Sun Quan is granted the title of Marquis of Ye.  For Wuhou.

    ??Further down are the Xianghou. For example, in history, Zhang Fei was named the Xixiang Hou, Zhuge Liang was named the Wuxiang Hou, etc.

    ? Below the Xianghou are the Tinghou. Famous people such as Guan Yu were named Han Shoutinghou, and Yu Jin was also named Yishou Tinghou.

    Under Tinghou, there are Duxianghou, Dutinghou, Guanneihou, Minghaohou, Guanzhonghou and so on.

    Titles are mainly used to reward military merits, and are mostly obtained by generals who are promoted based on their merits. For example, Zhang Liao was granted the title of Marquis of Guannei when he led Lu Bu's army to surrender to Cao Cao. After defeating Yuan Shao, he was granted the title of Marquis of Duting. Finally, when Cao Pi called him Queen of Wei, he was promoted to the title of Marquis of Guannei.  Duxianghou, Cao Pi became emperor in the same year and was named Jinyanghou.

    The reason why Liu Jing was named the Marquis of Fanxiang in one step was largely because he was a vassal of one side, but his vassal strength was inferior to that of Jiangdong, so he was granted the title of Marquis of Xiangxiang.

    Despite this, Cao Cao also promised him the position of King of Xiangyang. As long as he is willing to surrender, he will be promoted to the title of king. This is a temptation that most people cannot refuse. It is precisely because of this that Sun Quan is particularly nervous.  , for fear that Liu Jing would surrender to Cao Cao.

    At this time, Tao Zhan walked in with a bowl of ginseng tea. She had been diagnosed with pregnancy, so she was extra careful. She even walked slowly and unhurriedly. However, she was less than three months pregnant and her belly had not yet swelled.  .

    Perhaps because she is about to become a mother, Tao Zhan's temperament has changed a little, becoming gentler and speaking more kindly. It is rare for her to be angry, and her eyes always reveal a kind of joy that is difficult to conceal. She is always there every day.  Feel the beat of life.

    Her husband's return made her feel better, and she had a lot to say to Liu Jing.

    When she walked into the room, she saw Liu Jing paying attention to the seals on the table, so she pursed her lips and said with a smile: "The King of Xiangyang doesn't care about you, but he cares about a rural prince. I really don't know what you think?"

    Liu Jing put the seal aside, hugged his wife's waist and said with a smile: "I don't care about them, I'm just a little curious. I heard that you were also named Madam, do you care?"

    Tao Zhan thought for a while and smiled: "To be honest, I still care a little. At least my mother has been looking forward to it all her life, but she never got it, but I got it. It is also a comfort to her soul under the spring. After being canonized as Mrs.  , I also went to offer incense to my mother.¡±

    Tao Zhan put down the ginseng tea, hugged her husband¡¯s neck and smiled sweetly: ¡°Do you miss the baby¡¯s heartbeat?¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded, helped his wife stand up, put his ear on her belly, listened for a long time, shook his head and said, "Why can't you hear me!"

    "You're an enemy, hey! I can't do anything with you."

    Tao Zhan glanced back at the door and saw that it was closed. Then he slowly untied his skirt, revealing his white and greasy skin, "Would you like to listen again?"

    Liu Jing put her belly against her belly and listened carefully. Finally she heard a tiny heartbeat and couldn't help but laugh. "The beating sound was very small. I guess it's a baby girl."

    "It's less than three months now, and of course the heartbeat is not big. If you wait six or seven months and listen again, you won't say that."

    "Actually, I also like girls. As long as they are my children, I like them all."

    As Liu Jing spoke, his hand touched her lower abdomen and slid down. Tao Zhan suddenly understood what he meant and was so frightened that he grabbed his hand and said, "Husband, you can't do this! The midwife has repeatedly warned that you can't do this in the first three months."  "Have sex."

    "Oh! I almost forgot."

    Liu Jing also understood in her heart, so she had no choice but to let go of her wife. Tao Zhan tied up her skirt and sat sideways on her husband's lap. She put her arms around his neck coquettishly and whispered, "Don't you feel the effects of the medicine are over yet?"  ?"

    "This has nothing to do with taking medicine, okay? Do I have to take medicine to be in need?" Liu Jing said a little annoyed.

    "Actually, I understand how you feel, so I asked Little Bao Niang to find you. How can you"

    Liu Jing was stunned for a moment. Only then did he understand his wife's intention. Tao Zhan kissed his cheek and whispered: "Little Bao Niang is already sixteen years old. I have been with you for five years. Have you never thought about it?"  Her destination?"

    Liu Jing understood what his wife meant. She wanted him to take Xiaobaozi as his concubine. In fact, Liu Jing was not a pedantic person. He knew very well.??In this era of extremely high birth mortality, the important reason for keeping concubines is to continue the family line.

    For example, Liu Biao only had one wife and one concubine, but in fact he had far more than two women, only two of whom had status.

    Concubine is a kind of status. In the Han Dynasty, the status of concubine was not low. According to normal customs, the final destination of a personal maid is a concubine, but Liu Jing hopes that Xiaobaozi can marry the person she likes.

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly and shook her head, "That's what you meant when you asked Little Baozi to find me, but is your husband that bad? Do you have to find a woman?"

    "That's possible!"

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and smiled and said, "What if some princess or county lord shows up and pesters you to marry you, you might be in such a bad situation."

    Liu Jing was stunned for a moment, but Tao Zhan turned around and walked away. When he reached the door, he looked back at him with a smile, his eyes were meaningful, and Shi Shiran moved away.

    Liu Jing had a headache. This talkative little bun must teach her a lesson when she gets the chance.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, Liu Jing left Wuchang City under the escort of hundreds of cavalry and rushed towards Xiakou. At this time, Xiakou City was already the military center of Jiangxia, with more than 30,000 troops stationed in it, except for 10,000 infantry.  , also included 20,000 naval troops and more than 2,000 warships. The navy captain Gan Ning and the Jiangxia captain Wei Yan commanded the navy and land forces respectively.

    Although Xiakou City is already the military center of Jiangxia, there are still 10,000 troops each in Wuchang County and Anlu County. In addition, there are 5,000 troops garrisoned in the important town of Chaisang. Together with the 5,000 troops led by Huang Zhong in Changsha, a total of six  Ten thousand troops formed a powerful separatist force in Dongjing Prefecture.

    With Cao Cao's appearance in Fancheng, it means that the war is coming. For more than a month, Xiakou City has been preparing for war. It not only concentrated on training the army, but also stored a large amount of supplies in the city. In addition, it built a  A military castle that can detect any movement on the river.

    At noon the next day, Liu Jing and the cavalry finally arrived at Xiakou City. He did not enter the city, but went directly to the military camp in the east of the city. Liu Jing's arrival immediately caused a sensation in the military camp.

    Wei Yan led dozens of officers above the camp commander out of the camp to greet him. Seeing Liu Jing turn over and dismount, Wei Yan quickly stepped forward, knelt down on one knee, held his fist high and said: "The last general, Wei Yan, is here to see the state pastor!"

    "See Zhou Mu!" Dozens of generals knelt down together.

    Liu Jing quickly stepped forward to help Wei Yan up, "General Wei, please get up!"

    He smiled at the generals again and said: "Generals, please stand up!"

    The generals suddenly became lively and gathered around, asking all kinds of questions: "Zhou Mu, when will the war start? We can't wait!"

    Liu Jing saw that the eyes of the generals were full of expectation. He chuckled and said, "I am here to discuss starting a war. Are you satisfied?"

    The generals were overjoyed and even more excited. They surrounded Liu Jing and walked towards the camp.

    Entering the Chinese army's tent, Zhou Buyi led several civilian officers to come forward to greet him. Zhou Buyi is currently serving as the chief historian and is one of Xu Shu's assistants, but he actually follows Wei Yan and is in charge of daily military affairs.

    Liu Jing waved her hand to tell everyone not to be polite. At this time, Wei Yan stepped forward and whispered: "My lord, we are not really going to fight, are we?"

    He was referring to what Liu Jing said when he entered the military camp just now. He couldn't help but feel worried. Cao Cao was in Xiangyang, which made him feel more or less inexplicable fear in his heart. Liu Jing saw the fear in his eyes and couldn't help but sneered, "What are you afraid of?"  , Cao¡¯s army has not yet arrived, can Jiang Xia¡¯s army not be able to defeat them?¡±

    Wei Yan was shocked, lowered his head and did not dare to speak. Zhou Buji stepped forward and explained: "Qi Zhou Mu, we have also discussed the attack on Xiangyang. The main reason is that Cao Cao is in Xiangyang. If we attack Xiangyang, it will inevitably cause Cao Cao to defend Xiangyang."  We all think that it is better to wait until Cao Cao leaves Xiangyang and go north, then we send troops to Xiangyang and capture Xiangyang County in one fell swoop."

    Liu Jing shook her head, "It's a pity that you don't understand what I mean."

    As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a long laugh coming from the door of the tent, "I understand what Zhou Mu means!"

    Liu Jing turned around and saw Gan Ning and his deputy Li Jun appearing at the gate, their faces full of joy. Liu Jing laughed and stepped forward, "Xingba runs very fast!"

    Although everyone often jokes, the etiquette cannot be discarded. Gan Ning and Li Jun knelt down on one knee and saluted, "General, I will see you at the end of the year!"

    Liu Jing stepped forward to help them up, looked at Gan Ning and said with a smile: "It seems that you have not only mastered clairvoyance, but also practiced the wind-chasing kick. You came running here as soon as I arrived in Xiakou."

    Gan Ning said with some embarrassment: "I came to see Chief Wen to discuss joint land and water training. I happened to walk to the gate of the camp and heard that Zhou Mu had arrived."

    "You guys can comeIt just so happens that we are discussing the matter of sending troops to Xiangyang.  "

    Liu Jing asked Gan Ning to enter the tent. He patted Li Jun on the shoulder again, looked at him and asked meaningfully: "Is your injury healed?"

    Li Jun nodded silently and said with a slightly hoarse voice: "Thank you Zhou Mu for your concern. The injury of the general has been completely healed."

    Li Jun's secret was kept secret by Liu Jing. When he was almost recovering from his injury, he was appointed as the left deputy lieutenant of the navy by Liu Jing. Together with Chen Shuo, the right deputy lieutenant, he became Gan Ning's left and right lieutenants. He did not expect that Liu Jing would still reuse him.  My heart is filled with gratitude.

    "Come in! Everyone sit down."

    Everyone sat down one after another, Liu Jing glanced at everyone, and then smiled lightly and said: "I know very well that now is not the time for a decisive battle with Cao Jun, but it does not mean that we have to shrink from Jiangxia. At least in terms of the navy, we  We still have an absolute advantage, so we might as well go to Xiangyang to show off our power to Cao Cao and let him see the power of the Jiangxia navy. If conditions permit, we can capture Xiangyang together. "

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 304 Show off your power

    Cao Cao returned to Fancheng on the day he surrendered Xiangyang. He knew very well that a gentleman should not stand on a dangerous wall. Neither Cao Cao's army nor Xiangyang had naval power. Once the Jiangxia navy blocked the Han River, he would face great danger.

    Cao Cao immediately appointed Cao Ren as the general of Zhennan and the governor of Xiangyang, recruited 35,000 troops from Xiangyang, and granted Cai Mao the title of Zhonglang and the Marquis of Yangting in Han Dynasty, to assist Cao Ren in guarding Xiangyang. The other surrendered officials were all granted the title of Marquis of Guannei, each with their own appointments.  , and Liu Cong was named General Fuwei and sent to Xudu for retirement.

    At this point, the Xiangyang sect among the three sects in Jingzhou has melted away and ceased to exist.

    But Cao Cao was not in a hurry to return to Yedu, but continued to consolidate his occupation in Fancheng. What he was most concerned about was the construction of warships, which was directly related to his plan for the southern expedition. In order to ensure the success of the construction of warships, Cao Cao did not hesitate to sacrifice the process.  Yu stayed in Fancheng and presided over the construction of warships.

    That morning, Cao Cao, surrounded by dozens of generals, arrived at the Bishui River. After choosing a location, Cheng Yu finally decided to build the main shipyard in the Bishui River bend. This was also where Gan Ning burned Cao Cao's ships a few months ago.  at.

    Cao Cao immediately stood on a hill and looked at the lake below. The lake was nearly a thousand acres in diameter and sparkling. The surrounding fishing villages had long been demolished. Tens of thousands of people and craftsmen were nervously building shipyards and a dozen huge warehouses.  The construction has been completed.

    "Can a big ship be built with the water depth here?" Cao Cao asked, pointing to the bay of the lake with his riding whip.

    Cheng Yu had been preparing for nearly a month, and he had already understood these problems. He smiled slightly and said: "The deepest bay in this lake is twenty feet, and the shallowest is seven or eight feet. It is a natural deep-water lake. It is made of three thousand stones."  There is no problem with the warships at all. I have calculated that hundreds of warships can be started at the same time, and a thousand warships can be built within a year. "

    "Where will the built warships be parked?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, the warships are going to be parked on both sides of Bishui. In order to prevent the Jiangxia army from attacking the shipyard and warships, I am planning to station 10,000 troops on each side of Bishui and lock the river with three iron chains at the mouth of Bishui River.  Set up fishing nets under the water to guard against Jiang Xia's attack."

    Speaking of it, Cheng Yu couldn't help but sigh slightly. Cao Cao was startled and asked, "What else does Zhongde have to worry about?"

    "I'm worried that it's easy to hide from open guns, but hard to defend against hidden arrows. I'm especially worried that the Jiangxia Army will send people to dive into the bay and use kerosene to burn warships. Their kerosene is extremely powerful, and there is no way to deal with it so far."

    Speaking of kerosene, Cao Cao was reminded. He turned back to Cao Ren and said, "Last time you said you got two cans of kerosene from the Jiangxia Army. Are you still here?"

    Cao Cao was referring to the last time the Jiangxia army used fire pots to burn down Fancheng Pier. Two pottery pots were not broken and were obtained by Cao Jun. Cao Ren has kept them to this day and happens to be carrying them with him. When Cao Cao asked, Cao Ren immediately ordered someone to get them.

    Not long after, several soldiers rushed over carefully holding two clay pots. Cao Ren presented one of the clay pots to Cao Cao, "Prime Minister, this is it!"

    Cao Cao took the clay pot and smelled it, then looked at the color. It was light yellow and relatively refreshing. It was completely different from the kerosene that Cao Jun had obtained from Puyang and Qingzhou. He then handed the kerosene to a tooth general and said, "Put it in."  Go burn on the water!¡±

    General Ya took the pottery pot and ran towards the lake. In a moment, a raging fire ignited on the water. After staring for a long time, Cao Cao sighed: "The fire is so fierce and fast, it is really difficult to prevent it!"

    At this time, Zhang Liao said from the side: "I heard from people in Jiangdong that the initial kerosene of the Jiangxia Army was also black and viscous. Later, light kerosene appeared. Weichen estimated that it was modified in some way, and on a large scale.  Transformation will definitely require a large number of manpower. As long as the prime minister pays a lot of money, someone with knowledge will tell Jiang Xiajun how to transform. This kind of thing is really impossible to prevent. "

    Cheng Yu stroked his beard and smiled and said: "Wen Yuan's words are reasonable. Under the heavy reward, there must be brave men. I heard that oil is produced in Xiazhi County. We can use the local natives to implement our strategy. As long as we also have the firepower of the Jiangxia army."  Oil, Wei Chen is not afraid of Jiang Xia army¡¯s attack.¡±

    Cao Cao nodded, "If this plan is feasible, let Zhongde plan it."

    He turned back to Cao Ren and said, "You must fully cooperate with Zhongde and make no mistakes!"

    "Follow your orders!"

    Cao Cao went to inspect the shipyard and warehouse under construction for a while, and then turned around and returned to Fancheng. But as soon as he arrived at the gate of Fancheng, he suddenly heard the harsh ringing of bells coming from the top of the city. This made Cao Cao stunned. At this time, a guard  Pointing behind him, he shouted: "Prime Minister, beacon fire!"

    Cao Cao turned around and saw a beacon burning at the top of Dengsai City, with black smoke billowing. He looked towards the other side of Xiangyang City, and saw that a beacon was also lit at the top of Xiangyang City. He was secretly surprised, as this was a signal of the enemy's incoming attack.

    Cao Ren stepped forward to ask for instructions anxiously: "This is most likely an attack by the Jiangxia army. I have to return to Xiangyang immediately!"

    Cheng Yu said: "This should be the arrival of the Jiangxia Navy. Since the war is ablaze?, it is at least fifty miles away from Fancheng, so the prime minister can make arrangements calmly.  "

    Cao Cao nodded and said to Cao Ren: "Go back immediately and mobilize the army to defend tightly on both sides of the strait. Don't allow Jiang Xia's army to dock in Xiangyang!"

    Cao Ren led his troops and flew away. Cao Cao also entered Fancheng. He immediately mobilized an army of 30,000 to guard the north bank of the Han River

    A fleet consisting of 500 thousand-stone warships and 20,000 naval troops sailed toward Xiangyang and Fancheng in a mighty manner. Liu Jing stood in the fleet of large ships, looking at Fancheng on the north bank with his hands behind his hands. He had received information that Cao Cao and  When I am not in Xiangyang, I always stay in Fancheng.

    But Liu Jing¡¯s trip was not for Cao Cao, but to take the initiative, challenge Cao Jun, attack Cao Jun¡¯s arrogance, and use the strengths of Jiangxia Army to attack Cao Jun¡¯s weaknesses.

    "Look, Zhou Mu, Cao Jun's ferry!" A soldier pointed at the river and shouted.

    Liu Jing had already seen it. There were three ferries on the river ahead. They were sailing towards Xiangyang. There were many Cao soldiers on the ferries. Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Sink them!"

    Three large ships cut through the waves and rushed over side by side. The three ferries were unable to dodge and were slammed into by the large ships. The ferries broke apart. Cao Jun on board screamed and fell into the water, and was immediately picked up by the small boat behind.

    This scene happened on the Han River south of Fancheng, only two miles away from Fancheng. The tens of thousands of troops on the shore and Cao Jun on the city could see it clearly, which sent a chill down the backs of countless Cao Jun soldiers.  .

    On the top of the city, Cao Cao witnessed all this clearly. He looked at the massive fleet on the river, which stretched for dozens of miles. At the front was a five-thousand-stone building ship, with the new battle flag of the Jingzhou Army flying on the mast.  , a red war flag with a black war sword flying in the river wind.

    "Prime Minister, that is the main ship of Jiang Xia Army!"

    Yu Jin whispered beside Cao Cao: "The golden-helmeted general standing on the bow of the boat should be Liu Jing."

    Cao Cao's pupils suddenly shrank, his eyes narrowed, and he stared at the enemy general on the bow. The golden helmet on the general's head shone in the sun, which was particularly dazzling.

    Cao Cao saw Liu Jing for the first time, but at this time he had no pity for the talent. He only had hatred in his heart, which made him gnash his teeth. How dare Liu Jing come to show off his power in front of him?

    At this time, there was another exclamation all around, and I saw a fire on the river. One Jiangxia army boat was approaching the shore. The Jiangxia soldiers held torches and poured kerosene on the ferries. Nearly a hundred boats were parked on both sides of the pier.  All the ferries were set alight by the soldiers, and suddenly thick smoke billowed on the river and the fire was raging into the sky.

    Cao Cao could no longer stand this unbridled provocation. He punched the city wall hard, turned around and strode into the city, followed by the generals.

    Liu Jing stood on the bow and could see clearly. A large group of Cao Jun generals followed one person down. That person must be Cao Cao. Liu Jing couldn't help but laughed coldly. He could imagine Cao Cao's helplessness and anger at this time.  .

    In the hall, Cao Cao walked back and forth with his hands behind his back, obviously angry. Dozens of generals beside him bowed their heads and said nothing. The hall was silent. At this time, Zhang Liao couldn't help but suggested: "Prime Minister, we also have kerosene on our hands. We can  You cannot use kerosene to burn the river to prevent Jiang Xia¡¯s army from provoking.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Yu's voice came from outside the lobby, "It's not appropriate to burn the river with kerosene!"

    I saw Cheng Yu walking in, bowing to Cao Cao, and then said to Zhang Liao: "I actually thought of this method just now, but I asked a few boatmen for advice, and they told me that the flow of water in the heart of the Han River is quite fast, and the water on both sides  The water is slow, and if something is thrown in the middle of the river, it will soon float to both sides. The same goes for kerosene. Not to mention that we don¡¯t have ships to throw kerosene in the center of the river. Even if we throw kerosene on the shore, it will not flow to the center of the river at all, which is meaningless.  "

    Zhang Liao was silent. At this time, Cao Cao sighed and said to the generals: "You all go down!"

    All the generals walked down the hall, and only Cao Cao and Cheng Yu were left in the hall. Cao Cao sighed and said: "Seeing Jiangxia showing off its power in front of me, I can't do anything. It's just a shame and humiliation. I'm worried that morale will be low because of this, and Jingzhou  But the morale of the people has increased. Now think about it, I was a little too hasty to capture Xiangyang. "

    Cheng Yu smiled and said: "Actually, the problem is not to capture Xiangyang, but that the Prime Minister did not expect Liu Jing's determination to resist. Now I have seen Liu Jing's strategy."

    Cao Cao stopped and looked at Cheng Yu, "Zhongde, please speak!"

    "Obviously, Liu Jing wants to use the overwhelming advantage of the navy to control the Han River, cut off the connection between Fancheng and Xiangyang, and then attack Xiangyang in a large scale and confront us across the Han River."

    Cao Cao frowned. Cheng Yu was indeed right. He also believed that Liu Jing did have this intention. After a long silence, Cao Cao asked: "If this is really the case, what should we do?"Is good?  "

    Cheng Yu sighed and said: "Besides taking advantage of the conflict between Liu Bei and Liu Jing, I really have no other way, but Wei Chen has another suggestion."

    "you say!"

    Cheng Yu pondered for a while and said: "I suggest the Prime Minister immediately transfer Cao Ren away from Xiangyang and evacuate north across the Han River from Fanling County before Liu Jing completes the deployment. Only in this way can we avoid the mistake of Cao Hong being captured again."

    Cao Cao felt dizzy for a while. He wanted to find a reason to oppose Cheng Yu, but he couldn't find one. If it continued, Cao Ren would have no way out.

    Cao Cao felt in a dilemma. He glanced at Cheng Yu again and saw that he was about to speak, so he said: "If you have anything else to say, please say it together!"

    Cheng Yu lowered his head and was silent for a long time. Although it was difficult to speak, he still needed to remind Cao Cao.

    "I suggest that the Prime Minister also leaves Fancheng and returns to the north as soon as possible."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 305 Blocking the West Road

    Longzhong is located on the branch of Jingshan Mountain. It has undulating mountains, numerous hills and inconvenient transportation. However, it is also the only way from Xiangyang to Fangling County. A winding official road passes through many mountains and hills in Longzhong.  , along the fault valley between the two mountains, leading to Fangling County in the west.

    Longzhong is located on this important transportation road, which gives it a prominent strategic position. However, before Cao's army went south, Longzhong did not have a garrison, but was a gathering place for northern nobles.

    But at this time, almost all the northern nobles fled to Jiangxia and Nanjun, and Longzhong became very deserted. A month ago, a Cao army of 3,000 people, led by General Zhu Ling, stationed in Longzhong and held back the troops before heading west.  road.

    Zhu Ling was originally a general under Yuan Shao. He surrendered to Cao Cao when he attacked Tao Qian in Xuzhou and has always been highly used. This time Cao Ren was guarding Xiangyang. He and Xu Huang were appointed as Cao Ren's deputy generals.

    Cao Jun's camp was stationed in an open space in the west of Longzhong Town, close to the official road to Fangling in the west. A few hundred steps away to the west was a dense forest, and to the west were two large mountains. The dense forest was  Like a green robe draped over the mountains, it covers all the way from the mountains to the ground. The official road passes through the valley between the two mountains.

    The military camp covers an area of ??about 100 acres. Cao Jun demolished a large number of houses in Longzhong Town and used the demolished materials to build the camp's plank walls, which were very strong. They also built a sentry tower at each of the four corners of the military camp. The sentries could detect what was happening several miles away at any time.  .

    In the camp, Zhu Ling was listening to the spies' report. He had received news that hundreds of Jiangxia warships had arrived in Xiangyang. This made him very worried, because Longzhong was once the garrison of the Jiangxia army.

    It was already dusk, and Zhu Ling became increasingly anxious.  He received the latest news that Jiangxia warships had anchored at Longzhong Pier. More than a hundred soldiers stationed at the pier had fled back. They brought more precise news. A total of nearly a hundred warships were anchored near Longzhong Pier.  .

    This place is only twenty miles away from Longzhong Pier, and Jiang Xia's army will be here soon. Just when Zhu Ling was restless in the tent, a soldier rushed to report, "General Xu Huang is here!"

    Zhu Ling was overjoyed and hurriedly came out of the tent. He saw Xu Huang running towards the camp with an army of about two thousand people. He hurriedly greeted him and saluted, "Why is General Xu so anxious?"

    Xu Huang dismounted and handed him a command arrow. "By order of General Cao, I will take over the defense of Longzhong, and General Zhu will take charge of me."

    Zhu Ling was stunned. Xu Huang was a deputy general and he was also a deputy general. Why did he let himself take orders from Xu Huang?

    But he didn¡¯t dare to disobey the military orders, so he had to hesitate and ask: ¡°What happened?¡±

    "Come into the camp and talk!"

    Seeing Xu Huang's solemn expression, Zhu Ling couldn't help but worry. He led Xu Huang into the tent. Before he could ask, Xu Huang sighed and said, "General Cao received a letter from the prime minister and ordered Cao's army in Xiangyang to evacuate the room immediately.  mausoleum."

    Zhu Ling was surprised, "The army has left, what will happen to Xiangyang?"

    "The defense of Xiangyang is left to Cai Mao, who leads 20,000 Jingzhou troops to garrison. If he doesn't want to become Liu Jing's prisoner, he will naturally defend the city to the death."

    Zhu Ling was still a little confused, "I don't understand, why did the Prime Minister give up on Xiangyang?"

    "The Jiangxia Army has blocked the Han River, cutting off our retreat. Once the Jiangxia Army launches a large-scale attack on Xiangyang, our situation will be in danger."

    Zhu Ling was even more confused, "But we have 30,000 troops in Xiangyang, how can we still not defend Xiangyang?"

    "But the Prime Minister thinks that Xiangyang City cannot be defended."

    Xu Huang sat down tiredly. It was difficult for him to accept Cao Cao's decision. He argued with Cao Ren for a long time, hoping that Cao Ren could persuade the prime minister, but Cao Ren insisted on carrying out the prime minister's order, leaving him helpless.

    Xu Huang is also a veteran, nearly forty years old. When he was young, he was just a petty official. Fifteen years ago, he followed Yang Feng to participate in the crusade against Li Cui and Guo Si's rebellion, protected the emperor, and made great achievements.  After surrendering to Cao Cao, he has followed him to this day and made numerous military exploits.

    Xu Huang has a strong personality and is unwilling to give up Xiangyang, but he is the deputy general after all, and he will eventually accept the decision of the chief general. However, after his efforts, Cao Ren also made some concessions.

    "General Cao and I discussed for a long time and finally decided to adopt a compromise strategy. We would first withdraw our troops to Longzhong and use Longzhong to attack Xiangyang. If the Jiangxia army's offensive is unfavorable, then we will attack from Longzhong. If the Jiangxia army is sharp, Xiangyang  If it is really difficult to defend, then retreat directly to Fangling."

    When Xu Huang said this, he saw that Zhu Ling was a little absent-minded and seemed not to listen to his own strategy. He felt a little unhappy and asked, "What is General Zhu thinking?"

    Zhu Ling was really thinking about something important. He walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. Suddenly he slapped his forehead and suddenly realized: "I understand."??¡±

    "What does General Zhu know? You might as well tell me." Xu Huang asked puzzledly.

    "I have understood Liu Jing's strategic intention. The Jiangxia navy has docked in Longzhong. It is obvious that their intention is to attack Longzhong first and cut off our retreat."

    Xu Huang was shocked by the news that the Jiangxia navy had docked in Longzhong. If this was the case, the problem would be serious, and Cao Ren must be asked to immediately reinforce Longzhong. He immediately asked: "Is there a carrier pigeon in the military camp?"

    Zhu Ling shook his head, "Not yet!"

    Xu Huang immediately called a soldier and gave him a few instructions. The soldier immediately ran out of the camp and rode towards Xiangyang.

    When the soldiers walked away, Xu Huang stood up and said to Zhu Ling: "Let us seize the time to deploy and prepare to face Jiang Xia's army."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Beginning in the evening, Jiangxia troops landed in Longzhong one after another, landing 10,000 troops, personally commanded by Liu Jing.

    As night fell, Liu Jing stood on a hill and looked at Longzhong shrouded in night. However, his thoughts flew to Xiangyang. There is no doubt that the purpose of attacking Longzhong was to close the way for Cao's army to escape westward and cut off all the troops.  Wan Cao's army and 20,000 surrendered Jingzhou army were completely wiped out under Xiangyang City.

    This was actually a strategic mistake by Cao Cao. He led 30,000 troops south, and he should have just inspected the battle situation and appeased the Nanyang army. However, Cao Cao couldn't help but lead his troops south and forced a forced landing in Xiangyang.

    But Cao Jun was not well prepared for war. The troops were not mobilized, the warships were not built, the food was not transported, and the people's support was not won. It can be said that they went to war in a hurry. Although they made an emergency landing in Xiangyang, they created a situation where they could not lose their tail.

    And his navy can divide Fancheng and Xiangyang with the smallest force, making Cao's army unable to support Xiangyang, leaving Xiangyang in an isolated situation. If Liu Jing does not seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he will regret it.

    "Zhou Mu!"

    Someone called him from behind, interrupting Liu Jing's thoughts. Liu Jing turned around and saw deputy general Li Jun galloping over on horseback. "What's the matter?" Liu Jing asked.

    Lieutenant General Li Jun stepped forward and bowed and saluted: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, the army has been reorganized and can set off."

    "Wait a minute!" Liu Jing stared at the dark night in the south.

    "Zhou Mu, your troops are valuable and you are quick. You can take advantage of Cao's army's unpreparedness and attack it."

    Liu Jing shook his head, "Our warship docked and Cao's army guarding the dock retreated. How could Zhu Ling not know that we need to be more cautious?"

    As soon as he finished speaking, a scout cavalry came running from the south. Liu Jing was waiting for news from him. He immediately urged his horse to meet him. The scout cavalry rushed forward and saluted on his horse: "I found a Cao army entering the Longzhong military camp.  , about two thousand people.¡±

    Liu Jing frowned, who could this be?  Could it be that Cao Ren has seen through his strategy and wants to withdraw his troops to Fangling?

    Sima Zhou, who was accompanying the army next to him, smiled and said: "If Cao Ren retreats to the west, there will definitely be more than two thousand troops. This should be a force to strengthen the defense of Longzhong Town. I personally infer that it may be Lieutenant General Xu Huang."

    Liu Jing nodded, Zhou Buyi made sense. There were 10,000 Cao troops in Xiangyang City, of which Zhu Ling led 3,000 troops to guard Longzhong. There were still 7,000 Cao troops in Xiangyang City. If Cao Ren retreated, there would not be only 2,000 troops.

    He asked the scout again: "After these two thousand people arrived in Longzhong, did they continue their journey westward?"

    "Returning to Zhoumu, he did not go west and went directly to the military camp."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, then turned back to Li Jun and said: "If we send more scouts along the way to explore the road, the army can go south and keep marching at a medium speed."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Li Jun turned his horse and ran towards the army. In the dark night, groups of soldiers set off. The 10,000-strong army marched along the valley in the north of Longzhong toward Longzhong, which is twenty miles away.

    Longzhong Town is located in a long and narrow basin, surrounded by mountains and complex terrain. There is a rare open area in the northern part of the basin, covering an area of ??several thousand acres, called Longbei Plain, which is where the grain fields of Longzhong are concentrated.

    Due to the impact of the war, more than half of the rice fields were deserted. After the summer harvest, no more wheat was planted. Only a few hundred acres of rice fields in the northwest corner were filled with rice. The rice had already formed ears, and the wind blew the rice waves. After that,  After more than ten days, it will be ready for harvest.

    But at this time, the fields were full of murderous atmosphere. Xu Huang led 3,000 troops to temporarily station in the south of Longbei Plain, close to a small river about ten feet wide. Xu Huang originally planned to ambush the Jiangxia Army, but was discovered by enemy scouts.  , forcing him to change his strategy and wait for the arrival of Jiang Xia's army.

    Xu Huang sat on a big rock, chewing a grass root in his mouth. Next to him was his mountain axe, which weighed about eighty kilograms, and his BMW 'Wuhen Wuhen', a snow-white war horse.  These are Yuan Shao's five horsesOne of the horses, Cao Cao awarded it to Xu Huang as a reward for military merit.

    Xu Huang has experienced hundreds of battles and has rich combat experience. He knows that night battles are beneficial to those with fewer soldiers. Although the opponent has 10,000 troops, three times as many as his own, at night, as long as we make full use of military morale, morale, terrain and other factors, it is still unclear who will win.  To be known.

    But Xu Huang also knew that he was taking a risk, because he didn¡¯t understand Jiang Xia Army. He didn¡¯t know who the general of Jiang Xia Army was?  Is the army's combat effectiveness strong and has it undergone night fighting training?  He knew nothing of any of this.

    So Xu Huang felt very entangled in his heart. Does he really want to take this risk?  However, Xu Huang also hoped that there would be no night battle, which would buy time for the arrival of Cao Ren's army.

    "General Xu!"

    A spy rushed over. Xu Huang stood up and asked nervously: "What's going on!"

    "General Qi reported that he found Jiangxia's army, about 10,000 people, seven or eight miles away. Instead of continuing southward, he rested on the spot."

    Xu Huang frowned. It seemed that the enemy was also very cautious and refused to fight easily at night. This was beyond his expectation. He asked again: "Who is the enemy general?"

    The spy hesitated and said, "It seems to be Liu Jing."

    "ah!"

    Xu Huang exclaimed lowly, and he was stunned.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 306 Jia Xu Arrives

    The sky gradually turned white, and the sky became hazy. In a valley in the north of Longbei Plain, ten thousand Jiangxia fell on both sides of the road, sleeping soundly. Everyone was wrapped in a thick blanket, with weapons and armor beside them.  Take it off and you can get up and fight at any time.

    Hundreds of patrol posts were deployed around the valley, and nearly a hundred scouts patrolled Longbeiyuan and the northern valley to ensure the safety of the Jiangxia Army.

    Liu Jing was patrolling the valley alone with his hands behind his back. He woke up from his sleep at the fifth watch. In fact, he was a little nervous in his heart, and at the same time there was a trace of expectation.

    He already knew that the enemy he was about to face was Xu Huang, a famous general under Cao Cao. He was extremely looking forward to facing Xu Huang.

    At this time, a soldier rushed to report: "Zhou Mu, Mr. Jia is here!"

    Liu Jing was stunned and overjoyed. It was an unexpected surprise that Jia Xu came. He stood up and looked to the north, only to see dozens of soldiers guarding Jia Xu coming on horseback.

    He hurriedly greeted him, "Why is Mr. Jia here?"

    Jia Xu smiled slightly and said: "I rushed to Xiakou the day after Zhou Mu left, but I didn't catch the boat, so I had to come with General Wei."

    Liu Jing suddenly felt relieved. Jia Xu was willing to take the initiative to come to Xiangyang, which meant that the knot in his heart had been resolved. Even if he helped himself deal with Cao Cao, he would have no psychological barriers.

    "Sir, please rest in the tent!"

    Liu Jing invited Jia Xu to the military tent and asked with a smile: "Have General Wei's troops arrived too?"

    Jia Xu nodded, "I just arrived in the early morning and are now stationed fifteen miles east of Xiangyang City."

    The two entered the military tent. The tent was very small, equivalent to four or five square meters in later generations, and they could not raise their heads. There was only a table, a bamboo box, another blanket on the ground, and the soldiers.  Exactly the same, this military tent is Liu Jing's temporary office.

    The two of them sat on both sides of the table. There was a map of Xiangyang on the table. It was still dark, and an oil lamp illuminated the map.

    At this time, a soldier brought two cups of hot tea. Jia Xu picked up the tea bowl, took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "Prime Minister Cao should return to Nanyang now."

    "How do you know, sir?"

    "I understand him. In such an indecisive battle, he will not just watch defeat. If he is unable to reverse it, leaving is also a kind of avoidance. The responsibility for the failure can only be borne by Cao Ren, so Prime Minister Cao  Cao Ren will inevitably be ordered to evacuate Xiangyang. It is one thing to preserve his strength, but it is another reason to go back and take the blame for him. "

    Liu Jing nodded. Jia Xu had a thorough understanding of human nature. He thought for a while and asked: "Does that mean, sir, do you think I should close the door and beat the dogs, or let them go and seize Xiangyang?"

    "This requires Zhou Mu to weigh the pros and cons. What is Zhou Mu's purpose? Is it to annihilate Cao's army or capture Xiangyang? How sure is it to annihilate Cao's Jiangxia army? How much will it cost to prepare for a comeback? Is it worth paying such a huge effort?  cost?

    In addition, if the army of Nanjun comes to fish in troubled waters, will Liu Cao, the crane and the clam fight, and Liu Bei, the fisherman, will finally benefit?  These issues require careful consideration by the state pastor.  "

    Liu Jing remained silent. Jia Xu was indeed a top strategist, and every sentence was to the point. He sighed and said, "But Liu Bei hasn't returned yet. Do you think the Nanjun Army will wade into this muddy water?"

    Jia Xu smiled and said: "If I were Zhuge Liang and had military power, then I would definitely come. As long as I plan well, I can reap the benefits and take Xiangyang City into my arms. Don't forget Zhou Mu.  Now, the Cai family is in charge of Xiangyang City. If Cao's army withdraws, the Cai family will be in charge of Xiangyang City in the end. Zhou Mu thinks they will surrender to Jiangxia or Nanjun. "

    "If it is the Cai family, there is no doubt that they will not surrender to me, but only to Nanjun."

    The words were made very clear, and Liu Jing also understood. He knew what he should do. He stood up and bowed to Jia Xu, "I have remembered your golden words, sir. Please take a moment to rest."  "

    After saying that, he quickly walked out of the marching tent and inspected the condition of the soldiers. The soldiers were all sleeping deeply. The weather was slightly cooler at this time, but not cold. It was the most conducive season for sleeping.

    When he walked under a tree, he saw a young soldier sleeping in an ugly state. The blanket was kicked aside. He couldn't help but smile, bent down and wrapped the soldier's blanket tightly. Unexpectedly, the young soldier suddenly woke up and saw Liu Jing and him there.  In front of him, he was so scared that he said, "Ah!"  ¡¯ Di Di screamed and sat up.

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hand, indicating that he should continue sleeping and not disturb others. But at this time, many soldiers around him were awakened, sat up, and rubbed their sleepy eyes. It was like dominoes being pushed.  More and more soldiers woke up.

    Liu Jing couldn't help but smile bitterly. His act of caring?It brought such a huge impact that he did not expect.

    At this time, Li Jun quickly stepped forward and reported in a low voice: "I received news from the scouts that Cao Jun has begun to reorganize his army."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Then let the brothers get up too! Get ready for breakfast."

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯

    The sound of drums sounded, and the Jiangxia Army soldiers who were sleeping in the valley woke up from their sleep. They quickly packed their bags and lined up to have breakfast. The Huotou Army had already cooked hot porridge and delivered buckets of hot porridge to the soldiers. The soldiers were all excited.  With biscuits and food, they each sat aside and wolfed down their breakfast.

    Liu Jing stood in a temporary pavilion halfway up the mountain, watching the movements of Cao Jun in the distance. Cao Jun was south of Longbei Plain, about eight miles away. The morning fog was thick, blocking his sight, making it difficult for him to see clearly the situation of Cao Jun on the opposite side.

    But he faintly heard the sound of drums coming from the opposite side. This was the sound of assembly drums, which meant that Cao Jun had finished breakfast and began to assemble in formation.

    Obviously, the wilderness between them would become a battlefield for the two armies to clash. Liu Jing couldn't help but look at the wilderness carefully. He was very familiar with this wilderness and had passed by it more than once, but it was full of trees at that time.  The crops were gone, and there were large undulating waves of wheat on both sides of the official road. But at this time, it was a bare area, like a chessboard, with criss-crossed roads and ditches, which seemed very strange to him.

    Frankly speaking, this place is not suitable for setting up a battlefield, there are too many obstacles, but now, the two armies are completely ignored. This is a key battle to capture and defend Jingzhou, and the geographical environment is no longer important.

    Li Jun walked to Liu Jing and asked in a low voice: "Our army now has 10,000 troops, and the opponent only has 3,000 troops. Do we need to concentrate our superior forces to defeat the opponent in one fell swoop?"

    In fact, the withdrawal of Cao's army is what Liu Jing looks forward to most. If Cao's army withdraws from Xiangyang City, then Jiangxia's army will have no effort to capture Xiangyang City, so he will have to wait all night to give Cao's army time to retreat.

    In order to get Cao's army to evacuate Xiangyang, he did not hesitate to use his troops to suppress Longzhong and put pressure on Cao Ren, just to force him to leave Xiangyang.

    This was also Jia Xu's suggestion. He finally accepted this suggestion and let Cao's army go. He didn't care about annihilating Cao's army temporarily. The key was to capture Xiangyang City.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled and asked, "Is there any movement over there in Xiangyang City?"

    Li Jun shook his head, "I received a quick report from the scouts. Cao's army in Xiangyang City had assembled last night, but they have not yet left the city."

    This news is a bit beyond Liu Jing¡¯s expectation. Cao Ren didn¡¯t leave the city?  This shows that Cao Ren is also hesitant and needs to exert more pressure to force him to leave the city.

    Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Send out troops and form formations!"

    Li Jun was overjoyed and ran down. After a moment, a low horn sound sounded in the valley, "Woo¡ª¡ª" This was the signal to go out for battle. Ten thousand Jiangxia troops rushed towards Longbeiyuan with murderous intent.

    At the same time, Xu Huang led three thousand troops to slowly advance forward, but he did not go deep into the Longbei Plain. Instead, he advanced only one mile and then stopped. Soon, the Jiangxia army was about one mile away from Cao's army.  He also stopped moving forward.

    The flags of both sides were fluttering, and their troops and horses were in order. Both sides were elite troops. However, in comparison, the Jiangxia army was obviously stronger than the other side. Xu Huang was a little worried. If Cao Ren's reinforcements did not arrive, he was worried that he would not be able to defend Longzhong.  .

    Originally Xu Huang was firmly opposed to evacuating Xiangyang, but after thinking about it all night last night, he finally understood why the Prime Minister said that Xiangyang could not be defended. The problem was not with Cao Jun, but with the soldiers and people of Jingzhou. They would follow Cao Jun so resolutely to resist Liu Jing. Obviously  impossible.

    If the Jingzhou army surrendered the city and their westward retreat was cut off, they would really have no way out. It was precisely because of thinking about this that Xu Huang changed his mind and hoped that Cao Ren could evacuate as soon as possible, but Cao Ren began to have doubts again  Unsure, he still refused to evacuate Xiangyang.

    Xu Huang was so anxious that he sent soldiers twice in one night to urge Cao Ren, but until then, there was still no movement. Zhu Ling was now nervously building defenses. He could only do his best as long as he could resist.  .

    Xu Huang knew that he had few soldiers and could not resist the Jiangxia army that was three times his size, but he still insisted on fighting the Jiangxia army. The fundamental reason was that he wanted to delay as much time as possible to get Cao Ren's reinforcements to arrive, and at the same time to fight for Zhu Ling.  Defense time.

    It¡¯s just that Cao Ren disappointed him a little, but Xu Huang didn¡¯t know that the reason why Cao Ren didn¡¯t come was not that he had changed his mind, but that the Nanjun army unexpectedly appeared south of Xiangyang, so he needed to observe changes in the situation.

    "Which general is willing to take the lead?" Xu Huang turned around and shouted sharply.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 307 Confrontation between the two armies

    "The general will go where he wishes!"

    A general with a sword rushed out from the team. This person was Xu Huang's subordinate Jiao Chu. He was originally a general of Yuan Shao. After the battle of Guandu, he surrendered to Cao Jun and became a general of Xu Huang. He used a three-pointed two-edged sword.  The sword was ranked second in martial arts among the generals of Cao's army.

    "However, Jiao Chu has a unique skill. He is good at hitting the meteor hammer, which always makes the enemy generals unable to guard against it. It is precisely because of this unique skill that he is eager to go into battle and win the first prize.

    Especially when he heard that Liu Jing was on the opposite side, and if he could kill Liu Jing, he would achieve unparalleled success, so he rushed to the battlefield impatiently.

    Xu Huang commended his bravery and shouted loudly: "Blow the drum to cheer!"

    The drums beat like thunder, the shouts of killing shook the sky, and the soldiers were all excited. The martial style of the Han Dynasty was prevalent, and individual bravery was highly valued. Therefore, single combat between generals became one of the ways for the two armies to fight, but it was not absolute, such as sneak attacks.  , ambushes and other operations, there will be no duel between generals. Most of the duels between generals occur when the two armies are confronting each other.

    Of course, duel between generals is not the key factor in determining victory or defeat, but it can affect morale and military stability, and thus also affect the final outcome.

    Liu Jing immediately stood under the military flag and saw a general coming out of the enemy army on the opposite side, but it was not Xu Huang, which made him slightly disappointed. Before Liu Jing could speak, a general stepped forward to ask for his order: "Zhou Mu, please give way.  Fight in humble position!"

    This general has leopard eyes, a halberd and a beard, a face like the bottom of a pot, a fierce appearance, an unusually tall body, and wields a mountain-breaking ax weighing seventy kilograms.

    This general's name is Xing Daorong. He was originally a general under Liu Du. He was from Lingling. He was known as the first general in Jingnan. He served as Sima of the Department of Farewell. At the beginning of the year, he was seconded to Liu Pan to help train troops.

    After Liu Pan rode to Nanjun alone, Xing Daorong did not return to Lingling. Instead, he stayed in Changsha and became Huang Zhong's general. He surrendered to Liu Jing with Huang Zhong. He was transferred to Jiangxia not long ago and followed Liu Jing on the expedition this time.

    It was the first time for Xing Daorong to fight for the Jiangxia Army. He was equally eager to make contributions and eager to go to war. Liu Jing knew that he was highly skilled in martial arts, even better than Liu Hu. He was a fierce general, so he nodded and said, "Ready to fight!"

    Xing Daorong roared, urged his horse to rush out, swung his ax and shouted: "I am Lingling Xing Daorong, I will give you my name!"

    "That's right for Youzhou Jiaochu!"

    As soon as the sword was heard, Jiao Chu slashed at Xing Daorong with his head. Xing Daorong waved his ax vigorously to fight. The two generals fought together. The drums of both sides were thundering, and the shouts of killing were loud.

    The two sides fought for more than ten rounds, and Jiao Chu gradually lost his strength. He exploited his weakness and turned his horse to escape.

    Xing Daorong was shocked and instinctively pulled the reins. The war horse screamed violently and raised its front hooves. The hammer hit the horse's head with such force that the horse's skull was shattered and it fell to the side. Xing Daorong was crushed on top of the horse.  Down.

    Jiao Chu was so proud that he turned his horse's head and raised his sword to strike. At this critical moment, an arrow came like lightning. Jiao Chu couldn't dodge and the arrow hit his right shoulder. He yelled and swayed.  Shaking, he almost fell off his horse.

    Xing Daorong seized this opportunity and ran away towards his camp without even caring about his axe. Liu Jing sneered and put away his bow and arrows. He had already seen that Jiao Chu still had some strength left. If he was defeated so easily, there must be a trick.  As expected, he expected it.

    During this battle, soldiers from both sides started making noises at the same time. They cursed each other for being shameless. Jiao Hu returned injured and said angrily to Xu Huang: "Soldiers are not tired of deceit. I used my tactics to win, but the other side used cold arrows. This is extremely despicable. I will apologize in the end!"

    "You are not guilty, go down and heal!"

    Xu Huang saw clearly that this arrow should have been shot by Liu Jing. He heard that Yu Jin said that Liu Jing was very skilled in martial arts, which made him extremely interested. At this time, he did not want to send any more generals to fight, so he took off his ax and gave the order.  : "Bang the drum to cheer me up!"

    The war drums of Cao Jun beat again. Amidst the earth-shattering sound of the war drums, Xu Huang urged his horse out. He ran to the front of the formation and shouted: "I am Xu Gongming of Hanoi. I invite Liu Zhoumu to fight!"

    Li Jun was furious. Liu Jing was a prince, how could he fight against Xu Huang? He raised his gun and was about to rush out, but Liu Jing stopped him, "You are no match for Xu Huang. Don't go and die. Let me teach you."  ¡±

    He stretched out his hand and said, "Bring me the halberd!"

    Two soldiers handed over the halberds. A dozen generals on both sides were shocked and stepped forward to persuade them. However, Liu Jing shouted: "Can Lu Bu go to battle? Can Sun Ce go to battle? If they are not afraid, why should I be afraid?"  Don¡¯t try to persuade me again!¡±

    He clamped his war horse, and the Luma rushed out like an arrow and rushed towards Xu Huang. He waved Fang Tian's painted halberd and laughed: "The battle with Xu Gongming is what Yanqing has been waiting for for a long time!"

    Xu Huang also laughed: "If I get Liu Zhou Mu's head, I, Xu Huang, can achieve unparalleled achievements. Will Zhou Mu help me? Look at the ax!"

    ?He urged his horse forward and swung his ax at Liu Jing. In a flash of cold light, a fierce wind blew in his face. The strength, speed and momentum of this ax were not comparable to that of Xing Daorong, who also used an axe.

    Xu Huang¡¯s military power ranked fifth among the generals of Cao¡¯s army, second only to Xu Chu, Zhang Liao and the two Xiahou. However, he was not only strong in martial arts, but also not weak in strategic leadership. Like Zhang Liao, he was a famous general with both civil and military skills.

    Liu Jing has also been famous for Xu Huang for a long time. Being able to fight Xu Huang is also a deep wish in his heart. Just like a person who has practiced peerless martial arts, he always hopes to find an opponent to compete with and verify his martial arts.

    Especially after he received guidance from Zhao Yun's letter, many of his confusions in martial arts training were cleared away, allowing him to advance his martial arts skills to a higher level. At this time, he was even more eager to fight against a master like Xu Huang, even though this was  In the key battle for Longzhong, Liu Jing will inevitably have a little selfishness.

    He felt the power of Xu Huang's axe, its unparalleled power and suffocating momentum, which ordinary generals could not match. His passion surged in his heart and he shouted, "Well done!"

    He waved his halberd and rushed away, only to hear 'Dang!  ¡¯ There was a piercing sound, and two huge forces collided, and fire burst out. The huge rebound force made the horses under their crotches scream violently, and at the same time they took ten steps back.

    Liu Jing was so shocked that her arms were numb, her chest was boiling with blood, and she was so uncomfortable that she couldn't say a word. Xu Huang was also dizzy, his mouth was opened, and there were faint traces of blood, and he could hardly hold the handle of the axe.  .

    Xu Huang was extremely shocked. No wonder Yu Jin was no longer Liu Jing's opponent. Liu Jing's martial arts skills were evenly matched with his own, and he was young and vigorous, and his endurance was longer than his own. If he continued fighting for a long time, he might suffer a loss.

    But Liu Jing no longer allowed him to think about it any longer. He shouted again, "Xu Gongming, take another hit from me!" He saw the shadow of the halberd coming towards his face from all over the sky. Xu Huang was secretly surprised. This was actually different from Zhang Xiu's marksmanship.  It was somewhat similar, but he had no time to think about it, so he avoided the weakness and took advantage of it. He went to fight with the big axe. The two men came back with their axes and halberds. The horses turned around and fought fiercely in one place.

    This battle was fought in darkness, just like a battle between gods. The soldiers on both sides watched in awe, shouting until their voices became hoarse. The two fought for more than fifty rounds. After all, Xu Huang was middle-aged and his physical strength was gradually exhausted.  The speed of the big ax also started to slow down.

    But Liu Jing became more courageous as he fought. He had practiced hard at the bottom of the river for many years, making endurance his biggest advantage. Especially after thirty or forty rounds, his moves and strength would be fully displayed. Gan Ning was defeated.  On top of his endurance.

    Xu Huang's stamina was gone, his left arm was weak and his right arm was weak, and the signs of defeat gradually appeared. After fighting for another five or six rounds, Xu Huang was obviously exhausted and was in danger. His left arm was almost severed by Liu Jing's halberd.

    Xu Huang was secretly frightened and did not dare to fight anymore. When the two horses crossed each other, he roared with all his strength and flew away with his big ax. This was a plan to encircle Wei and save Zhao. He felt Liu Jing's halberd hit him directly on the back. If the blow was true,  He would be seriously injured, but if Liu Jing was hit by his battle axe, it would hit her halfway. He was betting that Liu Jing would definitely return to defense.

    The move Liu Jing used was the hammer of Danfeng's Chaoyang Spear. He used the halberd as a spear and shot Xu Huang directly on the back. If the shot hit, Xu Huang's spine would be shattered, but at this time Liu Jing  She also felt that Xu Huang's ax was whirling towards her waist. If it hit her, she would definitely die. One would be injured and the other would die. Liu Jing weighed the pros and cons in an instant.

    His halberd passed through the air, he held Xu Huang's axe-nin accurately, and thrust it outward. Xu Huang was waiting for his move. With the force of this move, he clamped the war horse between his legs, and the war horse  He took advantage of the trend and ran for more than ten steps, but did not stop and ran directly towards the main formation.

    Liu Jing did not pursue him, but laughed loudly and asked: "Gong Ming takes a short break, are you willing to fight again?"

    Xu Huang did not answer his words, but rushed to the front of the formation and shouted: "The whole army will withdraw to the camp immediately!"

    Xu Huang knew better than anyone else that his general was defeated, his morale was damaged, and more importantly, his troops were far inferior to his opponent. If he tried to show off his strength and fought fiercely, his three thousand army would be wiped out. If he fled back in time, at least seven of his troops could be saved.  formed military strength.

    Immediately, the piercing sound of bells sounded in Cao Jun¡¯s formation, ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ As the retreating bell rang, three thousand Cao Cao¡¯s troops rushed toward Longzhong Town like an ebbing tide. The general was defeated, which made each of them extremely panicked and wished they could have two more legs.

    When Liu Jing saw that Cao's army was defeated and fled, he pointed his halberd forward. This was the order to attack. The drums of the Jiangxia army's attack suddenly sounded earth-shattering.

    Liu Jing took the lead, waving his halberd and chasing after him quickly. Behind him, 10,000 Jiangxia troops shouted, brandished their swords and spears, and chased them bravely. In a moment, they crossed the river and rushed into Longzhong Town. Cao Jun, who was running slowly, might be killed.  Those killed by the Jiangxia army may have knelt down and surrendered.

    Cao Jun¡¯s camp is located in the middle of Longzhong Town.About two hundred paces from the official road, Zhu Ling spent one night actively preparing for the battle. He razed all the surrounding houses to the ground and cut down a forest, leaving the attacking enemy with no place to rely on. He also dug holes along the camp.  They built a trench about ten feet wide and buried deer antlers and caltrops.

    When Xu Huang's army retreated and arrived, Zhu Ling had already deployed a thousand crossbowmen outside the camp. He shouted to Xu Huang: "Gongming, retreat to the camp quickly, I will cover you!"

    Xu Huang reined in his horse and said, "General Zhu can go back to the camp to rectify the defeated troops. I will deal with it here!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 308 Fierce Battle in Longzhong

    Zhu Ling did not argue and turned his horse around and ran back to the camp. Xu Huang looked to both sides and saw that a thousand crossbowmen had formed a twin-tower-style arrow formation. He was in the middle, with five hundred people on each side holding troops.  Crossbow, half kneeling on the ground in front, but standing in the back, showing that he is very well trained.

    Xu Huang nodded secretly and stared at Jiang Xiajun who was following him. When he saw Liu Jing, he couldn't help but narrowed his eyes and coldly ordered: "Aim at the horse general!"

    A thousand military crossbows were aimed at Liu Jing. At this time, Liu Jing also saw several rows of Cao Jun's crossbowmen blocking the way. There were a thousand people. The cold crossbows were aimed at them. He waved his hand and said, "Stop all."  Down!"

    He stopped the Jiang Xia Army¡¯s pursuit, then turned around and ordered: ¡°The army is in full formation, with the Sword and Shield Army at the forefront!¡±

    As the drums of the entire army sounded, 10,000 Jiangxia troops quickly lined up. Three thousand sword shield troops poured out from the team, holding large shields in their hands and arranged into three semicircular shield walls. Liu Jing shouted again:  "Attack!"

    "Dong-dong-" the slow attack drum sounded, and the three thousand sword shield army began to surround Cao's army two hundred steps away step by step.

    The formation of the Jiangxia Army changed rapidly. Xu Huang could see it clearly. He couldn't help but secretly praise Liu Jing's command and the well-trained Jiangxia Army. Seeing that the Jiangxia Sword and Shield Army was 150 steps away, Xu Huang shouted:  "Shoot the Sword and Shield troops and retreat to the camp immediately!"

    There was a crisp sound of crossbows in Cao Jun's crossbow array, and a thousand arrows shot towards the sword and shield army like a storm. The sword and shield army stopped immediately. The soldiers half-knelt and hid behind the shield, only hearing a crackling sound.  There was a snap sound, and a thousand crossbow arrows shot into the semicircular formation of the Sword and Shield Army.

    Although no casualties were caused, Cao Jun took advantage of the opportunity for the Sword and Shield Army to pause and evade, and quickly gathered into a torrent and rushed towards the camp.

    On top of the camp wall, another thousand Cao troops who were left to guard the camp were also deployed. They held bows and arrows to cover the retreat of the crossbow troops, which looked very organized.

    At this time, Li Jun urged his horse to Liu Jing's side and suggested in a low voice: "Cao Jun seems to be prepared. I humbly suggest sending heavy armored infantry to attack the military camp!"

    Liu Jing shook his head and smiled: "You can bluff and shoot with bows and arrows. You might as well shoot more rockets. As for the heavy armored infantry, there is no need to mobilize them for the time being!"

    Li Jun was surprised and didn¡¯t understand Liu Jing¡¯s intention. If he used heavy armored infantry to attack the camp, he should be able to break it, but Zhou Mu refused to agree. Why?  He was puzzled.

    But he had to carry out Liu Jing's order. Li Jun immediately mobilized 5,000 soldiers to fill the soil with sandbags and quickly built a semicircular protective wall six feet high and two miles long. The protective wall was about 120 meters away from Cao Jun's camp.  Ten steps and only one hour to complete.

    Three thousand crossbowmen immediately hid behind the protective wall and fired at Cao Jun. Arrows were shot into the military camp like a heavy rain, mixed with bright rockets, and the two sides launched a fierce arrow battle.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just when a fierce battle broke out in Longzhong, an army of more than 10,000 people quietly appeared in Ping'an Town, about ten miles south of Xiangyang City.

    Since Cao Jun took control of Xiangyang, Jingzhou with a population of 35,000 has also been divided into two. 20,000 people were stationed in Xiangyang City, and 15,000 people were stationed in Fancheng and Xinye. There was no Jingzhou army outside these two places.  stationed.

    Therefore, the appearance of the Ping'an Town army caused some panic among the local people, especially after discovering that it was the army from Nanjun. The fear of war caused many people to flee to Xiangyang City.

    The ten thousand men were indeed Nanjun's army, led by military counselor Zhuge Liang and general Guan Yu. Although Liu Bei was still on his way back to Jiangling at this time, Zhuge Liang got the news that Jiangxia was sending troops, and he immediately realized that the time to capture Xiangyang had arrived.

    In the early morning, Zhuge Liang stood on a small hill and looked at Xiangyang from a distance. In late autumn, the morning fog was filled with fog. The mist flowed in the sky like a veil, making the vision unclear, but if you look closely, you can still see it vaguely.  A little bit of Xiangyang City.

    Zhuge Liang is of course not looking at Xiangyang City. He is considering how to use the battle between Jiangxia Army and Cao Army to gain the final advantage and occupy Xiangyang City.

    Xiangyang City is the most strategic city in Jingzhou. The ownership of Xiangyang City will be directly related to the changes in Jingzhou's power structure. If the Nanjun army captures Xiangyang City, Jingzhou's power structure will become dominated by them, and Jiangxia will follow it.  situation.

    On the contrary, if the Jiangxia army captures Xiangyang City, then Jiangxia and Xiangyang will be connected as one, and they will lose the opportunity to go north, and will be forced to develop towards Jiaozhou, losing the qualification to compete in the Central Plains.

    But judging from all the signs in front of him, their situation is not optimistic. Zhuge Liang is not optimistic at all whether they can win Xiangyang.

    "Does the military advisor think Cao Jun will withdraw from Xiangyang?"

    I don¡¯t know when, Guan Yu appeared next to Zhuge Liang, for this young manAs a military advisor, Guan Yu still had doubts in his heart. He believed that Zhuge Liang had no combat experience, and even if he was wise, it was just talk on paper. He didn't understand why his elder brother wanted to use Zhuge Liang so highly.

    Moreover, Guan Yu was dissatisfied with Zhuge Liang for sending troops without his eldest brother's consent. Although his eldest brother handed over all the general power to Zhuge Liang before going to Jiangdong, in terms of power, Zhuge Liang could send troops, but after all, Zhuge Liang had just arrived, so he should know how to exercise restraint.  You should know how to use power with caution.

    Therefore, Guan Yu has always been dissatisfied with Zhuge Liang's decision to send troops. It was his and Zhang Fei's joint opposition that forced Zhuge Liang's plan to send 20,000 troops to be cut in half to 10,000 troops.

    Zhuge Liang looked back at Guan Yu and said slowly: "I had anticipated Liu Jing's intention when he sent out troops. Now it is becoming more and more obvious. It is to use the absolute superiority of the Jiangxia navy to cut off the connection between the two sides of the Han River and isolate Xiangyang.  .

    Didn¡¯t he start attacking Longzhong last night?  This was obviously to cut off Cao Jun's westward retreat, but he didn't seem to be in a hurry and actually gave Cao Jun a chance overnight. "Yun Chang, didn't you see Liu Jing's intention?"  "

    Guan Yu shook his head, "I'm not good at planning and I can't understand his intentions."

    Zhuge Liang laughed and said, "His intention is very simple, which is to force Cao Ren to leave Xiangyang. If the westward retreat of Cao's army is cut off too early, Cao's army will have only one way to defend Xiangyang. At that time, Liu Jing will attack Xiangyang again, and he will have to pay the price."  It was a heavy price, and he probably wasn't willing to pay it.

    If I am not wrong, once Cao Ren retreats to the west, the Jiangxia navy will immediately land at Xiangyang Pier, demolish the bridge over Tanxi River, and cut off Cao's army's return to Xiangyang, while another Jiangxia army has already ambushed east of Xiangyang.  "

    Guan Yu was speechless for a long time. Zhuge Liang's analysis was a bit unbelievable, but it was reasonable. After a long time, Guan Yu said: "If this is really the case, what should we do?"

    "It's very simple. Once Cao's army withdraws, Cai Mao will not be able to defend Xiangyang City. He has no way out except surrendering. If we don't give him a choice, he will have no choice but to surrender to Liu Jing."

    Having said this, Zhuge Liang sighed helplessly. If Guan Yu and Zhang Fei did not block his plan and allowed him to lead 20,000 troops to the expedition, then he could deploy it calmly and he would be 70% sure of capturing Xiangyang City.

    But now his troops are insufficient. As the saying goes, a clever woman cannot make a meal without rice. His certainty of capturing Xiangyang City has been greatly reduced. He can only settle for the next best thing and get a share of the Jiangxia Army's battle to capture Xiangyang.

    Of course, that was just his lowest attempt. He still had to take the capture of Xiangyang City as his own mission.

    "General Guan, let's do our best!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The sky is getting brighter, but Xiangyang City is still lifeless. The streets are empty, and there is not a single pedestrian in sight. After several escapes, Xiangyang City has only 30% of the population left in the city.

    Shops were closed, commerce was in decline, every house was closed, and people no longer went out. Even the government stopped functioning due to the large number of officials fleeing, and the entire city was taken over by the army.

    There are currently 25,000 troops garrisoned in the city. In addition to the 5,000 Cao troops, there are another 20,000 Jingzhou troops, distributed in the five military camps stationed in the city. Except for the North Camp, where Cao Jun is stationed, the other four military camps are all Jingzhou troops.  .

    The display of Jiangxia Army's warships in the Han River has seriously affected the stability of the military, especially Cao Jun's helplessness, which exposed the weakness of Cao Jun's navy and gave many Jingzhou Army generals who were originally afraid of Cao Jun and surrendered new ideas.

    In the four military camps stationed by the Jingzhou Army, in addition to Cai Zhong and Cai He, each in charge of 5,000 men, the other two military camps were led by generals Zhang Qu and Huo Jun respectively. Zhang Qu was a younger brother of the Zhang Yun clan and the son-in-law of the Cai family. He was loyal to Cai Mao.  .

    Huo Jun is the younger brother of Jingzhou general Huo Du. After Huo Du unfortunately died of illness six years ago, his tribe was handed over to his younger brother Huo Jun as commander. There were more than 3,000 troops. He was originally appointed as the captain of Nanjun, and later belonged to Wang Wei.  General Pi was stationed in Linju County.

    In the recent split of Jingzhou, Wang Wei led his army to surrender to Nanjun, but Huo Jun was unwilling to surrender to Liu Bei and led his army to withdraw to Xiangyang. Currently, he leads 5,000 people to be stationed in the east camp of Xiangyang City.

    The so-called Dong Daying was originally a school ground and was temporarily turned into a military camp. It covers an area of ??dozens of acres and has 300 large tents set up. In the main tent, General Huo Jun is pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. Huo Jun is about thirty years old this year.  He is tall, has thin cheeks, and has a yellowish and translucent complexion, slightly resembling Wenpin.

    Huo Jun was originally a supporter of Liu Qi and one of Kuai Yue's confidants. His family was inextricably linked to the Kuai family, and his mother was the daughter of the Kuai family.

    Although Huo Jun supported Liu Qi, due to the influence of Kuai Yue, he also gave up his support for Liu Qi. More importantly, Liu Qi has become Liu Qi'sHuo Jun was extremely disappointed by the puppet he prepared.

    He withdrew his troops back to Xiangyang to support Kuai Yue. Because of his existence, Cai Mao was somewhat afraid of Kuai Yue. However, by this time Kuai Yue had gone to Xudu to serve as an official, and Huo Jun had lost the object of his support.

    Cao Cao made him a general of Cai Mao, granted him the title of Sima of another department, and was on the same level as Cai Zhong and Cai Heping. This made Huo Jun a little dissatisfied. Cao Cao obviously meant to discriminate against the Jingzhou Army. He was originally a captain and was the highest ranking officer in Nanjun.  The military commander is one of the important generals in Jingzhou.

    Now he has only been granted the title of Sima of another department, which is half a rank lower than that of a captain, and he does not even have a title. Huo Jun also knows that this is because Cai Mao was granted the title of Zhonglang General. Cai Mao can't get high, so how can he get high?  He was deeply humiliated when he was ranked alongside Cai Zhong and Cai He.

    The appearance of Jiangxia warships also shocked Huo Jun. He suddenly realized that Cao Cao's army was not invincible. Liu Jing had the naval advantage. If he could unite with Jiangdong, he might not lose to Cao Cao. Huo Jun's heart began to waver.  stand up.

    Just when he was hesitating in the tent, a burst of laughter came from the door of the tent, "Zhong Miao, why are you uneasy? Tell me and let me check the details for you!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 309 is confusing

    When Huo Jun turned around, it turned out to be his good friend Xiang Lang. Xiang Lang was about forty years old and came from a wealthy family in Yicheng County. He was a well-known studious and tireless person in Jingzhou. He even worshiped Sima Hui as his teacher when he was over thirty.  It became a good talk in Jingzhou.

    Xiang Lang is also a confidant of Kuai Yue. He was the first to serve as Kuai Yue. He was appointed as the county magistrate of Linju County three years ago. He has a very good relationship with Huo Jun. During the Jingzhou split two months ago, he also resigned as the county magistrate.  position, followed Huo Jun and retreated to Xiangyang.

    Also because of Kuai Yue's departure, he was unable to comply. In addition, he had a bad relationship with Cai Mao, so he refused Cai Mao's appointment and lived in seclusion in Xiangyang City. He often came to sort out the paperwork and military affairs for Xiang Lang.

    Today he came specifically to see Huo Jun, and happened to meet Huo Jun who was worried. Huo Jun was anxious and uneasy when he suddenly saw Xiang Lang. He immediately invited Xiang Lang into the big tent as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

    "Brother Juda, it's such a coincidence that you're here. I'm about to send someone to find you. Please sit down!"

    Xiang Lang sat down and said with a smile: "It's not a coincidence that I came here. With the appearance of Jiangxia warships, who can feel at ease?"

    Huo Jun sighed, "Jiang Xia Army sent 500 warships. I don't think this is as simple as demonstrating to Cao Jun. I'm afraid Jiang Xia Army is going to capture Xiangyang."

    "Don't Zhong Miao know that Liu Jing is already leading his army to attack Longzhong?"

    Huo Jun was stunned, "Is what Brother Juda said true?"

    Xiang Lang nodded, "The news should be accurate. I heard that Xu Huang had sent people to Cao Ren three times to ask for help, but Cao Ren was confused. On the one hand, it was difficult to explain to Cai Mao. On the other hand, I also heard that the Nanjun army appeared in Ping'an Town. The situation  It¡¯s become complicated.¡±

    Huo Jun pondered for a long time, then he suddenly raised his head and said to Lang: "Brother Juda, Jiangxia has become the orthodoxy of Jingzhou. As a minister of Jingzhou, I shall be loyal to the new Jingzhou Mu. I plan to surrender to Mr. Jing. I wonder if Brother Juda thinks it is wise?"  "

    Xiang Lang smiled slightly, "If Zhong Miao has this intention, I might as well contact Mr. Jing on your behalf!"

    Huo Jun was overjoyed and quickly stood up and bowed deeply, "I'll leave everything to Brother Juda."

    At this moment, a soldier panted and ran to the door and said: "General Huo, General Cao has led his army out of the city. General Cai has invited General Huo to come and discuss."

    Huo Jun and Xiang Lang looked at each other. The situation was urgent and there was not much time left for them.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although the arrival of the Nanjun army gave Cao Ren a bit of luck, maybe he could save Xiangyang in the chaos, but Cao Ren finally couldn't bear the pressure from Cao Cao to order him to withdraw his troops and the urging of Xu Huang who sent people to ask for support three times, so he finally withdrew his troops.  .

    In addition to Cao Ren's withdrawal, Cai Hao also led 5,000 Jingzhou troops to follow Cao Ren in withdrawing. After all, the Cai family was the first aristocratic family in Jingzhou, and Cao Cao did not abandon Jingzhou, so Cai Hao could not abandon it. In addition to Cai Hao, Cai He also withdrew his troops.

    Cai Zhong, Zhang Qu and Huo Jun were left in Xiangyang City, as well as 15,000 troops to guard it. Cao Cao immediately named Cai Zhong the Zhongwu School Captain and the Marquis of Yiting, and ordered him to guard Xiangyang with full authority.

    On the top of Xiangyang City, Cai Zhong watched Cao Ren leading five thousand troops to the west. Cao Ren's words were still echoing in his ears, "You can stay in Xiangyang for the time being. After someone comes to Longzhong's aid, the army will return together."

    Cai Zhong¡¯s eyes were full of contempt and sneer. Does Cao Ren really think he is an idiot?  She actually said such words, "Zhongwu Xiaowei" and "Yitinghou" are all the ghosts of her mother. This is obviously the posthumous title given to her.

    "Brother, it's not the younger brother who is unkind, but you who are unjust first!" Cai Zhong gritted his teeth for a while, his eyes full of hatred. He hated his eldest brother Cai Mao more than Cao Ren. Cao Ren was just following orders, but his eldest brother directly betrayed himself.

    At this time, Zhang Qu asked worriedly from the side: "Fourth brother, what should we do?"

    Cai Zhong sneered, "Don't worry, there is always a way out. Find someone to invite Huo Jun, and the three of us will do it together!"

    The two came to Cai Zhong's big tent. Cai Zhong took a booklet from the table, handed it to Zhang Qu and said with a smile: "This is the list of the current big families in Xiangyang City. There are 385 households in total. Since they  If we leave, then the moment for us to make a fortune will come.¡±

    Zhang Qu took the book and flipped through it. Although it was an opportunity to make a fortune, he was more concerned about his retreat. He threw the book on the table and sighed: "Tell me about the retreat! I want to know that there is no way out.  Where is the road?¡±

    Cai Zhong smiled sinisterly, "Isn't Nanjun's army in Ping'an Town? If we sell Xiangyang to them, we will definitely get a good price."

    Zhang Qu's eyes suddenly lit up. He also knew that Cai Zhong would not surrender to Liu Jing. Surrendering to Nanjun would be a good idea. He suddenly remembered something and frowned: "What about Huo Jun? Will he do anything with us?"

    "Hmph! If you give him face and he doesn't want it, then kill him with one knifeGot him!  "Cai Zhong said fiercely.

    At this time, soldiers reported from outside the tent: "General Huo is here!"

    The curtain was raised and Huo Jun walked in quickly, "What happened?"

    Although Cai Zhong was promoted to captain and given a knighthood, he did not dare to be condescending. After all, Huo Jun's army was his own subordinates, and it was not Cai Zhong's turn to give orders.

    Cai Zhong sighed and said: "Tell General Huo some bad news. There are only three of us in Xiangyang City now."

    Huo Jun¡¯s eyes widened and he pretended to be surprised: ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Zhang Qu next to him said: "It's very simple. We have been abandoned. General Huo, let's discuss a retreat together!"

    As he spoke, Zhang Qu covered the list of large households with a piece of paper. He glanced at Cai Zhong. Cai Zhong understood what he meant. Don't tell Huo Jun beforehand. If he disagrees, everyone will fall out.  Won't cooperate anymore.

    Cai Zhong laughed again and said: "To be honest with General Huo, we plan to bargain with Nanjun. I don't know if General Huo is willing."

    Cai Zhong did not finish what he said, but the meaning behind it was self-evident. Huo Jun thought for a long time and sighed: "I am from Zhijiang, Nanjun. It is my dream to return to my hometown."

    Huo Jun saluted Cai Zhongshen again, "Huo Jun is willing to follow Mr. Cai!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Tanxi is about six miles away from Xiangyang City. It is a medium-sized river about five or six feet wide. It originates from the Jingshan Mountains in the south of Xiangyang. It is formed by countless small streams. It winds for hundreds of miles and flows into the Han River in Xiangyang.  .

    From Xiangyang to the west across Tanxi, there are three official roads, corresponding to three bridges, two or three miles apart. When Cao Ren led an army of 10,000 men and drove through Tanxi, these three bridges became deserted.

    However, the three bridges were deserted for less than half an hour. As an army of 3,000 people quickly arrived, the three bridges across the river suddenly became lively.

    The leading general is Su Zhi from Wuchang. Su Zhi is the younger brother of Su Fei. He was a general under Huang Zu at that time. Now he is promoted to Sima of another department and is a general under Gan Ning. He came from Xiangyang Wharf on the orders of Gan Ning.  , demolished the Tanxi Bridge and cut off Cao's army's retreat route back to Xiangyang.

    "Demolish the bridge immediately!" Su Zhi ordered loudly.

    Three thousand soldiers immediately divided into three groups and ran towards the three bridges. Su Zhi immediately raised his gun and watched the soldiers demolish the first bridge, looking up from time to time to look around.

    The surrounding area was very deserted. Originally, this area was Tanxi Township with a large population, which was spread over seven or eight miles. With Cao Jun's two marches south, most of the people in each township fled. Not a single pedestrian was seen for a long time, and there were no boats in the river.

    At this moment, there was a sudden commotion from the south, and countless soldiers were seen running away. Su Zhi was startled and shouted loudly: "What happened?"

    "General Su, an army is coming from the south!"

    Su Zhi was startled. He put up the curtain and looked to the south. He saw dust flying and an army rushing towards him. In a moment, he rushed in front of him. The leader of the general was riding a red rabbit horse and holding a Qinglong Yanyue Sword. It was Guan Yu.  Kuan.

    Guan Yu's horse was very fast and rushed towards Su Zhi like a gust of wind. Su Zhi was unable to parry. Guan Yu raised his sword and slashed the head of the war horse from Su Zhi's crotch. The horse fell to the ground tragically and lifted Su Zhi.  It fell to the ground and rolled more than ten feet away.

    Su Zhi turned pale with shock and stared blankly at Guan Yu. Guan Yu pointed the tip of his sword at him and shouted sternly: "I won't kill you, but you can retreat quickly!"

    Su Zhi suddenly realized that the general in front of him turned out to be the world-famous Guan Yu and Guan Yunchang. Cold sweat broke out on his back and he ran away without saying a word. The other Jiangxia soldiers followed him and fled northward.

    The soldiers of Nanjun shouted to pursue, but Guan Yu raised his hand to stop him. He was ordered by Zhuge Liang to lead 3,000 troops to seize the Tanxi Bridge and prevent the Cao Army and Jiangxia Army in Longzhong from returning to Xiangyang.

    But Guan Yu was not stupid. He knew that he could not form a life-and-death feud with Liu Jing now. He restrained the murderous intention in his heart and spared the life of General Jiangxia Army.

    But on the other hand, Guan Yu also admired the military adviser's ability to predict the enemy. Jiang Xia's army really came to cut off Cao's army's retreat.

    Guan Yu looked at the bridges. Two bridges had been demolished and one was left. He was a little worried. What if Cao Jun or Jiang Xia Jun really retreated from Longzhong again?  Should this bridge be demolished?

    At this time, Guan Yu's general Zhou Cang said: "General, maybe Cao's army will not come back, but Jiangxia's army is very likely to come back, so let's demolish it!"

    Guan Yu nodded. Looking at the overall situation, it was indeed unlikely that Cao Ren would come back. But if Cao Ren retreated, Liu Jing would definitely come back. He waved his sword and ordered: "Destroy the bridge!"

    closeYu then said to Zhou Cang: "You can lead a thousand troops to ambush on both sides of the bridge. If Jiang Xia's army returns, you can ambush them. At the same time, you must notify me immediately."

    "The general will obey your orders!"

    After Guan Yu finished making arrangements, he shouted to the remaining two thousand soldiers: "Line up! March to Xiangyang City."

    Zhuge Liang's strategy is already obvious at this point. Let Liu Jing confront Cao Jun in Longzhong, and he will take Xiangyang to make a fisherman's profit.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 310 Changes in Xiangcheng

    The arrow battle in Longzhong is still going on fiercely. Arrows from both sides are like rain, as if they are intertwined into a cloud of arrows in the air, and they are shooting at each other overwhelmingly.

    It was approaching noon, but the Jiangxia Army never launched a real attack. Thousands of Sword Shield Army stood quietly behind without a single attack.

    As time went by, Jiang Xiajun's intentions were gradually revealed. Zhu Ling ran all the way to Xu Huang and said nervously: "Has General Xu seen Jiang Xiajun's intentions?"

    Xu Huang had already figured it out, and he nodded, "Their intention is obvious. They don't really want to conquer the military camp, they are just bluffing. If I guessed correctly, Liu Jing's purpose is to lure the main force of Xiangyang out of the city.  "

    "General Xu means that Liu Jing does not want us to fight decisively, but only wants to capture Xiangyang City?"

    "This should be!"

    Xu Huang sighed, "Killed three thousand enemies and suffered eight hundred losses. Besides, his military strength was not superior. He didn't want to pay a heavy price, but wanted to capture Xiangyang City at the minimum cost. If I guessed correctly,  , This is Liu Jing¡¯s intention.¡±

    "Thenshould we tell General Cao?"

    Xu Huang raised his head and looked east. After a while, he smiled bitterly and said, "It's too late."

    Zhu Ling turned around and saw dust flying in the east, flags flying, and a large army rushing towards this direction. The distance was less than three miles away. This should be the army from Xiangyang arriving.

    Liu Jing stood on a flat-roofed house 300 steps away, looking at the bow and arrow battle between the two sides. He never ordered a large-scale attack on Cao Cao's barracks. It was far from the time to annihilate Cao Cao's army in large numbers.

    The purpose of his westward march was to build momentum and inspire the determination of Jingzhou soldiers and civilians to resist Cao Jun. The best way was to use the absolute superiority of the Jiangxia navy to force Cao Jun to withdraw and recapture Xiangyang City.

    "Zhou Mu, the main force of Cao's army has arrived!" A soldier shouted from behind.

    Liu Jing looked back. He stood at a high place and could see very clearly. He saw an army in the distance rushing towards him. The battle flags were clearly visible. It was Cao Jun whom he had been waiting for for a long time.  .

    Liu Jing immediately gave the order: "The entire army retreats!"

    Under the cover of a powerful rain of arrows, the Jiangxia Army quickly retreated. The 10,000 Jiangxia Army quickly withdrew from Longzhong Town, crossed the Longbei Plain, and withdrew toward the North Pier of Longzhong.

    Just when the army passed through Longbei Plain, a group of scout cavalry rushed over and found Liu Jing, "I'm reporting to the state pastor, I have something important to report!"

    "What's the matter?" Liu Jing reined in her horse and asked.

    "A Nanjun army appeared at Tanxi Bridge, led by General Guan Yu. General Su Zhi was defeated and was forced to evacuate. The Nanjun army is heading towards the west gate of Xiangyang City."

    This news shocked Liu Jing. Liu Bei has not returned yet, how could the Nanjun army appear?  Could it be.  £®  £®  £®  Zhuge Liang wants to fish in troubled waters?

    Before Liu Jing could think about it, the scout reported again: "There is another person coming from Xiangyang City, saying that he has important matters and wants to see the state pastor. We brought him here."

    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? I saw a man standing up and dismounting from his horse, quickly stepped forward and said with cupped hands: "I am in Xia Yicheng, Xiang Lang. I am contacting the state pastor for General Huo Jun, and I am willing to dedicate Xiangyang City."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. It turned out that he was Xiang Lang. Two months ago, she sent someone to Linju County to find him, but she learned that he had resigned and left. Liu Jing was very sorry. She didn't expect that he suddenly appeared in front of her.

    Liu Jing turned over and dismounted, and said to the soldiers: "Go and invite Mr. Jia here quickly!"

    The soldiers rushed away, and he pointed to the grass beside the road and said: "Let's sit down and talk."

    Several soldiers had already laid out mats, and the two sat down. Xiang Lang briefly described Huo Jun's decision to be loyal to Xinzhou Mu to Liu Jing, and finally sighed: "The situation in the city is not good now, Cai Zhonghe  Zhang Qu was ready to bargain with Nanjun and sell out Xiangyang. General Huo could only pretend to agree with them. The situation was urgent, and Wangzhou Mu immediately sent troops to respond. "

    Liu Jing was secretly angry. As expected by Jia Xu, Zhuge Liang was most likely leading his army to take advantage of the situation. How could she let him succeed?

    At this time, Jia Xu also came on horseback and was resting behind him. Hearing from the soldiers that the state pastor had invited him to discuss the military situation, Jia Xu came in a hurry.

    Xiang Lang worked as a county magistrate in Xinye more than ten years ago and often went to Nanyang, so he knew Jia Xu. He didn't know that Jia Xu had surrendered to Liu Jing. He was shocked and stood up quickly to salute, "Why is Jia Gong here?"

    Jia Xu smiled and returned the greeting, "I haven't seen you for more than ten years. Juda's style remains the same. Are you okay?"

    Liu Jing also smiled and said: "Since you two are acquaintances, there is no need for me to introduce you. Please sit down!"

    The three of them sat down again, Liu JingThen he recounted what Xiang Lang said to Jia Xu, and finally said bitterly: "Guan Yu is only a general, and Liu Bei has not returned yet, so Zhuge Liang can only lead the troops himself. He is really here to fish in troubled waters. I don't know how to deal with this person."  people?"

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled, "You Xiangshijun is here, isn't there a solution?"

    Liu Jing also laughed. Cai Zhong and Zhang Qu were not worried. The key was to plan well. After thinking for a moment, he had a corresponding strategy. He had to deal with Cao Jun in Longzhong and had no time to spare. Now Wei Yan should lead his army to rush.  When we get to Xiangyang, we can let him handle the matter.

    But who will do the internal response?  Liu Jing raised her head and glanced at Jia Xu. Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled without saying a word. Their eyes met and their minds were connected. Who else could be more suitable than Jia Xu?

    Liu Jing immediately wrote a letter to Huo Jun and handed it to Xiang Lang. He then wrote another warrant. He called Li Qing up, handed him the warrant and his own gold medal, and told him: "You  Take a dozen brothers to escort Mr. Jia and Mr. Xiang to Xiangyang City, and then you go find General Wei. He is already here. Give him my warrant and gold medal."

    "I humbly obey my command!" Li Qing took the order and the gold medal, turned around and led the horse.

    Liu Jing bowed to Jia Xu again, "I'll leave everything to you, sir. I hope you will be extremely careful and don't take risks."

    Jia Xu smiled and said, "I won't do anything risky. Now that I do it, I have to be sure of it."

    "Take care, sir!"

    At this time, Xiang Lang also bowed his hands and said goodbye. Liu Jing remembered something again and asked him with a smile: "I wonder where your nephew Xiang Chong is?"

    Xiang Chong is also a general with both civil and military skills, but he can stand alone. Liu Jing has been thinking about him for a long time, but he has no trace of him.

    Xiang Lang smiled, "He has always been elusive, traveling around to study. He should be in the north now, but please rest assured, Zhou Mu, the Xiang family has moved to Xiakou. His parents are both in Xiakou, so I believe he will definitely go back."

    "Thank you, Mr. Xiang, and I hope you two have a safe journey!"

    Jia Xu and Xiang Langgong bowed their hands in return. They got on their horses, followed Li Qing and a dozen soldiers and rushed eastward, returning to Xiangyang City through another path. Liu Jing watched them go away, and he felt a little worried in his heart.  With the addition of Nanjun's army, especially Zhuge Liang's entry into the situation, the situation has become a bit confusing.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Pingan Town, Zhuge Liang and the envoys sent by Cai Zhong reached an agreement. Zhuge Liang promised to protect the lives and property of Cai Zhong, Zhang Qu, and Huo Jun. In addition, in exchange, Zhuge Liang agreed to recommend that Liu Bei make Cai Zhong the prefect of Wuling County, and  Keep his subordinates.

    These are Cai Zhong¡¯s bottom line requirements. If Cai Zhong can accept it, Xiangyang City will be handed over to the Nanjun army at the fourth watch.

    Watching Cai Zhong's envoy leave Ping'an Town on horseback, General Wang Wei asked with some confusion: "Why was it delayed until the fourth watch and couldn't the city be handed over to us earlier?"

    Zhuge Liang shook his head and sighed helplessly, "Obviously, he wants to loot Xiangyang City's money. There is nothing we can do to stop him. We just hope that he will be a little merciful and not leave us a mess."

    Having said this, Zhuge Liang looked at the sky. It was already dusk and it was going to be dark soon. He immediately ordered his opponent: "Quickly inform General Guan and prepare to enter the city on the fourth watch!"

    Zhuge Liang made a series of deployments before leading his army toward Xiangyang City.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was just dark when an old man who looked like a housekeeper found Huo Jun with an anxious face. This old man was the old housekeeper of the Lu family in the south of Xiangyang City. The head of the family, Lu Yuan, was the uncle of Huo Jun's wife and a well-known rich man in Xiangyang City.

    As soon as the old housekeeper entered the tent, he knelt down and cried loudly: "General, will you save the Lu family? The Lu family will be wiped out soon."

    Huo Jun was shocked and asked quickly: "What happened?"

    "General, just now, an army of a hundred people rushed into the Lu family, killing everyone on sight. Da Lang and Er Lang were killed. The old master was caught by them and forced him to hand over all his money. Several young grandmothers and Lu  The third girl was also ruined by them."

    Huo Jun felt like his head was buzzing!  ' There was a sound, blood rushed to his forehead, and his eyes exploded with anger. Lu Sanniang was his brother's unmarried fianc¨¦e, and she was ruined. He was going crazy.

    He drew his knife and strode out of the tent. As soon as he got outside the tent, he saw Xiang Lang and an old man walking towards him. Huo Jun suddenly woke up and hurriedly greeted him: "When did Brother Juda come back?  "

    Xiang Lang smiled and said: "I just entered the city! Thanks to your gold medal, otherwise I wouldn't be able to enter the city."

    Huo Jun wanted to ask about Liu Jing, but his eyes fell on the old man, "This is"

    Xiang Lang paid close attention to HuoHe whispered: "He is Jia Xu, and now he is Mr. Jing's counselor."

    Huo Jun was surprised and quickly saluted, "I have heard about Mr.'s name for a long time, and I admire you very much!"

    Jia Xu also cupped his hands and said with a smile: "General Huo, you don't have to be polite, but this is not the place to talk. Let's talk in detail after entering the tent!"

    Huo Jun suddenly remembered what happened to the Lu family, and his face showed embarrassment. Xiang Lang was stunned, "What's the matter with my dear brother?"

    Although Huo Jun was anxious, Jia Xu's arrival brought a glimmer of hope. Maybe he could make suggestions for him.

    "Let's talk about it after we get the money in!"

    The three of them entered the tent and sat down. Huo Jun told the story of General Lu's looting. Before he could finish speaking, a soldier came to report in a panic, "General, Cai Zhong and Zhang Qu's troops have begun to attack."  Looted the rich people in the city!"

    Huo Jun forced himself to calm down and asked, "Is it a large-scale robbery?"

    The soldier shook his head, "It seems that there are only twenty or thirty big families, and the people who attack are all their members."

    Huo Jun understood that this should be the first wave of looting, targeting the 20 wealthy families in Xiangyang City. After the first wave, they would plunder Xiangyang. The situation was extremely urgent, and he looked at Jia Xu for help.  .

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 311 Head-on attack

    Jia Xu thought for a moment and asked the old housekeeper who reported the news: "Excuse me, father-in-law, whose soldiers are the soldiers who rushed into the Lu Mansion?"

    "It's Zhang Qu. He himself is also in the Lu Mansion. Lady Lu Sanniang was attracted by him"

    The old housekeeper was so angry that he could no longer speak. Jia Xu was secretly proud. He rolled his eyes and said a few words to Huo Jun. Huo Jun nodded, "I understand, I'll go right now!"

    Huo Jun quickly walked out of the tent, got on his horse, and ordered the five hundred soldiers he had assembled: "Follow me!"

    He rushed out of the military camp on horseback. At this time, cries and shouts began to appear in Xiangyang City. Cai Zhong and Zhang Qu each sent a thousand troops, divided into twenty teams, to rob the twenty richest households in Xiangyang City.  After all the money of twenty wealthy families has been moved to the military camp, they will rob other wealthy families with their troops, so as to ensure that the two of them get the maximum benefit.

    The streets were full of patrolling soldiers, and people were strictly prohibited from taking to the streets to flee. Those who dared to resist were shot and killed, making the streets deserted and deserted. No pedestrians could be seen. Twenty wealthy families also closed their doors and looted. Only the cries of women and the screams of men were heard.  Voice.

    Despite this, an atmosphere of extreme panic spread rapidly at the city gate. People who felt something bad were desperately trying to hide money, and even young women were hiding. But they did not know that once large-scale looting began, any of their belongings would be lost.  All efforts are in vain.

    Huo Jun led an army of five hundred confidants and rushed to Lu's house in the south of the city. The door was ajar, and dozens of oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages were parked at the door, preparing to move boxes of treasures away.

    Huo Jun pointed his horse whip, and more than a dozen of his men broke open the door and rushed in. They saw various boxes and cages piled up like a hill in the yard. Soldiers were busy carrying various valuable items, and dozens of corpses were piled in the corner.  , both men and women, old and young.

    Seeing Huo Jun rushing in, a village chief hurriedly stepped forward and said: "General Huo, this place has been decided by General Zhang. Please go to another place, General Huo!"

    "Where is Zhang Qu?" Huo Jun asked while restraining his anger.

    "Haha! Why is Brother Zhongmiao here?"

    I saw Zhang Qu walking out of the inner courtyard, adjusting his military uniform. Behind him, two soldiers were holding a crying and beautiful young woman with disheveled hair and disheveled clothes. Huo Jun probably was his brother's fianc¨¦e Lu Sanniang.

    Huo Jun had already thought about countermeasures on the way here. He had to stop the tragedy tonight, so he said coldly: "General Zhang and General Cai are too unjust!"

    He pointed with his horsewhip at the piles of gold, jewels and treasures piled up like a hill, "The benefits are all yours, but what about my share!"

    Zhang Qu didn¡¯t know about the relationship between the Lu family and Huo Jun. When he saw Huo Jun¡¯s face full of anger, he suddenly realized that he and Cai Zhong had not included him in their plan to get rich, which made him angry.

    In fact, Cai Zhong wanted to add him to the list, but Zhang Qu was worried that Huo Jun would object, so he didn't agree. He was a little embarrassed at this time. He and Cai Zhong had already allocated the 20 wealthy families, so how could they be divided again now?  He can't just let his own interests suffer.

    Seeing that he was hesitant, Huo Jun snorted even more seriously, "I don't care what you agreed on, now I want to join, you must give me a share, otherwise don't blame me for turning against you!"

    Zhang Qu had no choice but to say to a soldier: "Go quickly and invite General Cai!".

    A soldier rushed away, and Zhang Qu immediately waved to Huo Jun and said with a smile: "General Huo, please go to the inner courtyard to rest and wait. General Cai will be here soon!"

    Huo Jun followed him to the backyard with a gloomy face, but many accidents would happen that would make it hard to guard against. Just as Huo Jun walked past Lu Sanniang, Lu Sanniang suddenly burst into tears in despair, "General Huo, I am Sanniang  Help me!"

    Everyone was stunned. Zhang Qu heard the clue and suddenly turned back to look at Huo Jun. He was extremely surprised and made him extremely vigilant. But what he saw was a sharp sword coming towards him.  Huo Jun was prepared and his reaction was one step faster than him.

    Zhang Qu was shocked and wanted to dodge, but it was too late. He instinctively stretched out his hand to block, only to hear 'Crack!  ¡¯ With a sound, Zhang Qu¡¯s right arm was cut off. Zhang Qu screamed in pain. The huge momentum made him stagger and fall to the ground.

    He was so frightened that he tried to get up and run away, but Huo Jun stepped on the back of his neck, unable to move. He was frightened out of his mind and shouted loudly: "Spare my life!"

    Huo Jun said grimly in his ear: "Do you know who I am, Lu Sanniang? She is my brother's fianc¨¦e, can you still live?"

    He waved his hand and cut off Zhang Qu's head with a sharp knife. Blood spurted out a foot away. Lu Sanniang next to him had never seen such a miserable scene before. She screamed in fright and fainted immediately.

    At this time, the courtyard was in chaos, and Zhang Qu¡¯s men were so frightened that they fled in all directions, but Huo Jun¡¯s soldiers were well prepared and blocked all exits.The door was even more tightly closed, and Huo Jun's move was a signal. Hundreds of soldiers drew their swords and attacked. In a moment, they killed more than twenty people in the yard.

    "Search the mansion, don't let anyone go!" Huo Jun ordered sternly, if one person escapes, it will ruin his big event, and Jia Xu's plan will not work.

    Hundreds of soldiers rushed into the Lu Mansion and began to search and massacre. After a while, all Zhang Qu's men in the manor were killed, and no one was left.

    About half an hour later, Cai Zhong hurried to the Lu Mansion with several of his men. He was also in a dilemma. The twenty wealthy families must give Huo Jun a share. The key is how to divide it?

    Cai Zhong entered the gate and saw soldiers busy carrying belongings, but there was no sign of Zhang Qu. At this time, Huo Jun came up to him, pointed to a room and sighed: "General Zhang and I have a little conflict, he is losing his temper."  , please ask Cai Zhong to persuade him!"

    "Why is he losing his temper? Could it be that General Huo's price is too harsh, making him feel that he has suffered a loss?"

    "I don't know, right?"

    Cai Zhong walked into the room with a smile, "Old Zhang, calm down and listen to what I have to say."

    The room was empty, with no one around. Cai Zhong was stunned for a moment. He saw there were two doors on both sides, and was about to ask again when he suddenly heard the sound of a cup being smashed from behind, ¡®Pah!  ¡¯

    When Cai Zhong turned around, he saw the door closed behind him. He was stunned. What did this mean?

    Before he could react, dozens of axe-wielders rushed out from the rooms on both sides. Each one of them was extremely ferocious. They rushed towards him with sharp axes in their hands and chopped off his head.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The night was getting deeper and deeper, and it was gradually reaching the fourth watch. Huo Jun stood on the head of the south city wearing a helmet, pressing the hilt of his knife, looking nervously at the dark night sky outside the city.  The firelight dimly illuminated the outside, and no movement could be seen outside the city.

    Behind Huo Jun stood dozens of generals, most of whom were subordinates of Cai Zhong and Zhang Qu. To Huo Jun's expectation, almost all the generals were willing to be loyal to Liu Jing. Liu Jing had already penetrated into the hearts of Jingzhou people.

    Huo Jun took a deep breath and asked Jia Xu next to him in a low voice: "Sir, do you think Zhuge Liang will be fooled?"

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Even if he feels it is wrong, he will not give up on Xiangyang easily, otherwise he will have wasted all his efforts. How can he be willing to go back without giving it a try? Don't worry! He will definitely come."

    At this time, a soldier rushed from Dongcheng and reported: "General Wei Yan said that he is ready and can cooperate with us at any time."

    Huo Jun nodded and glanced at Jia Xu. Seeing Jia Xu's eyes smiling and confident, he calmed down a little and looked into the darkness outside the city.

    "Coming!" someone shouted softly.

    An army of about two thousand people appeared from the darkness, led by a general holding a spear. Huo Jun knew this person and whispered to Jia Xu: "This person is the former Xiangyang general Wang Wei, who has surrendered to Liu Bei."

    Jia Xu nodded and looked back at Wengcheng. The soldiers ambush on both sides were already ready. He then looked at the darkness behind Wang Wei. He estimated that Zhuge Liang must be hiding not far away.

    At this time, Wang Wei stepped forward and shouted loudly: "I came to take over the city on the order of my military advisor. Is General Cai here?"

    "I am Cai Zhong!"

    An officer responded in a deep voice. His voice was very similar to Cai Zhong's, and he could not be seen clearly in the dark. "Is Mr. Zhuge here?" he continued to ask.

    "My military advisor is leading the army behind and will be arriving soon. Please open the door as promised, General Cai!"

    ¡®Cai Zhong¡¯ waved his hand and said: ¡°Open the city gate!¡±

    The suspension bridge was lowered with a rumble, and the city gate slowly opened. At this time, the horse could rush into Xiangyang City, but Wang Wei was a little hesitant.

    In fact, Wang Wei also felt a little uneasy. This was different from his imagination. He imagined that the city gate should be wide open and a large group of shirtless officers kneeling at the city gate waiting to surrender, instead of reluctantly opening the door like in front of him.

    But Wang Wei hesitated for a while, then waved his hand and said, "Enter the city!"

    The army began to line up and march towards the city. Just two hundred steps away, Zhuge Liang stood on a high place and could clearly see the situation at the city gate. He also felt a little uneasy, but this uneasiness came from Liu Jing. Liu Jing  There was no action at all. Did he just give Xiangyang City to himself for nothing?

    If it was still possible in the morning, maybe Liu Jing would not get the news so quickly, but after a day and a night, how could Liu Jing not know that he was coming? Would he let himself enter the city so smoothly?

    It was the easy access to Xiangyang City that made Zhuge Liang feel something was wrong. Liu JingThere should be preparations, but this preparation could not be seen by himself. Zhuge Liang suddenly thought of something. Liu Jing and Cai Zhong had a deep hatred. This Cai Zhong may not be true anymore.

    He suddenly broke into a cold sweat and immediately ordered: "Order General Wang to stop entering the city!"

    A cavalryman galloped away and shouted: "The military advisor has ordered us to stop entering the city immediately!"

    There was a slight commotion at the gate of the city. At this time, hundreds of people had entered the city. Wang Wei shouted: "Stop!"

    On the top of the city, Huo Jun knew that his ambush had been seen through by the opponent, so he immediately ordered: "Shoot the arrow!"

    With the sound of bang, thousands of soldiers hiding behind the battlements stood up together, opened their bows and fired arrows at the Nanjun soldiers below the city. The Nanjun soldiers were caught off guard, and suddenly a large number of soldiers fell down after being hit by arrows, and screams occurred one after another.

    General Wang Wei was the focus of the attack. Hundreds of arrows were shot at him at the same time. Wang Wei picked dozens of arrows, but the arrows were like locusts, leaving him unable to hide.

    In an instant, he was hit by more than twenty arrows, and the arrows on his body were like hedgehogs. Wang Wei yelled and died on the spot. His body rolled off the horse and fell to the ground. Several soldiers rushed forward and snatched his body back. There was a chaos among the Nanjun soldiers.  , the soldiers entering the city rushed out desperately.

    But the suspension bridge had been raised again, leaving them with no way to escape. Arrows were flying over their heads like locusts. Soldiers screamed and were shot down. Most of the more than 400 soldiers fell, and only a hundred people were blocked in the cave.  , the fear of death made them shout together, "We are willing to surrender, surrender!"

    More than a thousand soldiers outside the city also suffered heavy casualties at the same time. They turned around and ran into the darkness. For a moment, only corpses and wounded soldiers who could not escape were left on the ground below the city.

    Zhuge Liang also received the news that Wang Wei was killed in battle and the army was ambushed. Although he felt something was wrong beforehand, the news still shocked him.

    After a long while, he let out a long sigh. This was because he had fallen into the enemy's trap, but the danger was far from over. Zhuge Liang immediately ordered: "Change the rear team to the front team and evacuate to Ping'an Town immediately!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 312 Suffering a Heavy Setback

    Under the order of emergency retreat, thousands of Nanjun troops retreated rapidly to the south. South of Xiangyang, there are undulating mountains. A low mountain range stretches for more than a hundred miles. On the east side of the mountains is the surging Han River, and on the west side of the mountains are low and gentle mountains.  The hills and flatlands are dotted with large tracts of mountain forests.

    Ping'an Town was about twenty miles away on the west side of the mountains, but the Nanjun army quickly withdrew along the west side of the mountains. However, within five miles of the withdrawal, there was a sudden sound of drums on both sides of a hill, and suddenly flames shot into the sky. Two armies were on the left.  On the right, the Nanjun army attacked from a flank.

    The leading general on the left is Wei Yan. He led an army of 10,000 people to Xiangyang by land, arriving only one day later than the fleet. Wei Yan had already received Liu Jing's order and, under Jia Xu's arrangement, ambushed Pipa Gang five miles away.  Waiting to ambush the Nanjun army.

    The sudden attack of the Jiangxia army caused chaos in the Nanjun army. Zhuge Liang complained endlessly. In the darkness, his army had been cut into two sections by Jiangxia. The team was completely confused, and the two armies were fighting in one place.

    Zhuge Liang was right in the middle of the team, unable to advance or retreat. He was surrounded by Jiangxia legions. The situation was extremely critical. At this moment, an army suddenly came from the northwest. It was Guan Yu who arrived with three thousand troops.

    "Don't panic, military advisor, someone is here to save you!"

    Guan Yu brandished his sword and charged into the enemy army, instantly cutting a bloody path and rescuing Zhuge Liang who was surrounded. The arrival of this new force greatly reduced the pressure on the Nanjun army, and everyone worked together to rush away from the Jiangxia army.  interception.

    Wei Yan was furious and swung his sword to kill him, "Guan Yu, don't leave! Take Wei's sword."

    Guan Yu turned around and saw a burly general appearing in the firelight. He had a face as big as a jujube, broad arms and a round waist. He wielded a broadsword weighing sixty or seventy kilograms. He was majestic. Guan Yu had experienced hundreds of battles and had known countless people. The man in front of him was  He is obviously a fierce general. Since this person calls himself Wei, he must be Liu Jing's general Wei Yan.

    Guan Yu immediately said to Zhou Cang: "Quickly escort the military divisions to retreat south. I will come immediately!"

    He flew his horse as fast as he could, and in an instant he was in front of Wei Yan. He swung his sword to kill Wei Yan's head. The sword was swift and violent. "Well done!" Wei Yan shouted, swung his sword to fight, and the two of them fought together.

    At this time, Nanjun's army had been cut into two. Zhou Cang was guarding Zhuge Liang and thousands of troops, rushing south, while the other half of the rear army was surrounded and intercepted by Jiangxia's army. The shouts of killing were loud and the drums were beating like thunder.  .

    Guan Yu and Wei Yan fought for more than thirty rounds. Guan Yu couldn't help but secretly marveled when he saw that Wei Yan's sword skills were neat and flawless. However, at this time, his army was at a disadvantage and the situation was extremely unfavorable. If he did not retreat, his army would be completely annihilated.

    Guan Yu had no intention of fighting, so he shouted loudly, and struck out with three swords in a row. The huge power and brutal sword force forced Wei Yan to take several steps back. Guan Yu seized this opportunity, turned the horse's head, urged the horse to go, and his  The horse was extremely fast, running dozens of steps in an instant, and the figure disappeared into the darkness.

    When the surrounding Nanjun soldiers saw Guan Yu withdrawing, they all ran southward desperately. The Nanjun army collapsed. Wei Yan did not pursue Guan Yu. Guan Yu's sword was extremely heavy. In fact, he could no longer hold on. If the battle continued, five rounds would  He will be defeated within a short period of time.

    Thanks to the situation at hand, Guan Yu fought again and withdrew his troops. Wei Yan wiped the cold sweat from his head and couldn't help but secretly admired that Guan Yu was worthy of being famous all over the world, but his martial arts skills were not as good as him.

    Wei Yan took his thoughts back. He turned around and saw the Nanjun soldiers crying for their fathers and mothers. They were in a mess. He shouted, "Those who surrender will be spared death!"

    "Those who surrender will avoid death!" Jiangxia soldiers shouted.

    More than 3,000 Nanjun soldiers had no choice but to kneel down and surrender. Under the surrounding firelight, the dark soldiers were kneeling all over the ground, and their weapons were discarded. Wei Yan looked around and found no major general, Zhuge Liang.  There was no trace. He cursed secretly, feeling very angry. If Guan Yu hadn't come to kill him, he would have made great achievements today.

    Zhuge Liang fled all the way under the protection of Zhou Cang, and escaped for more than ten miles in one breath. He was surrounded by open areas before he slowly stopped and kept gathering the defeated troops coming from behind.

    Zhuge Liang looked at the bright starry sky and couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Only today did he have to admit that many times, actual combat experience is indeed needed, which cannot be solved by just reading military books. For example, when he entered Xiangyang City tonight, he clearly knew  He might fall into the trap tonight, but he still held on to a sense of luck. For example, facing the chaos of being ambushed, he was helpless.

    At this time, Guan Yu also led the defeated army back. He saw Zhuge Liang staring at the night sky alone, looking lonely and helpless, with a miserable expression. The trace of dissatisfaction with Zhuge Liang in his heart disappeared immediately. Guan Yu was arrogant and did not bully the weak.  .

    He slowly urged his horse forward and comforted him: "Winning or losing is a common matter for military strategists. There is no need to be discouraged!"

    Zhuge Liang sighed and said: "I have no plans, but I don't know people well. I thought of Cai Zhong and ZhangHe is stupid and greedy, but he has not seen through Huo Jun's character. His brother Huo Du is generous and loyal, and never bullies the weak or robs the people. How can Huo Du's brother be greedy, ignorant and short-sighted? I misjudged him.  , leading to tonight's defeat.  "

    "The military advisor thinks Huo Jun did it tonight?"

    Zhuge Liang nodded, "Of course he did it, but he alone is not enough. With the smoothness of his seizure of power and the clever cooperation of Wei Yan, there must be an expert behind him planning it. Who is this person?"

    "Is it Jia Xu?" Guan Yu pondered for a moment and said. He knew that Jia Xu had surrendered to Liu Jing.

    "It should be him. Xu Yuanzhi is good at internal affairs but not good at strategy. Other young people don't have this kind of planning. Besides the old fox Jia Xu, who else can be so vicious."

    Zhuge Liang was very frustrated. He looked at the surrounding armies. The 10,000-man army lost 4,000 men. Even Wang Wei died under Xiangyang City. How could he explain such a heavy loss to Liu Bei? At this moment, Zhuge Liang was a little confused.  Gray.

    "Military advisor, let's go!" Guan Yu was still a little worried.

    Zhuge Liang sighed, "Let's go!"

    They picked up the defeated army and continued to move south, retreating from the main road to Nanjun.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Longzhong, after Cao Jun and Jiang Xia Jun faced off for an afternoon and night, they finally withdrew westward at dawn. They withdrew to Fangling County, then crossed the Han River from Fangling County to the north, and finally returned to Fancheng.

    In the hazy morning light, groups of Cao Army soldiers lined up and headed west. Cao Ren stood on a hill and stared at Longzhong Town in the distance. He could faintly see Jiangxia Army soldiers walking around the town.

    "General, do you think Jiang Xia's army will pursue him?" Xu Huang appeared next to Cao Ren and asked in a deep voice.

    "probably not!"

    Cao Ren shook his head, "I have had a lot of dealings with Liu Jing. He is actually a very cautious person. He will definitely not pursue us, but we must prevent the Jiangxia navy from intercepting us on the Fangling River."

    Speaking of this, Cao Ren sighed again, "It's as if we have come full circle. We are back when we occupied Fancheng. The only difference is that Xiangyang has changed its owner, and we have made it possible for him!"

    Xu Huang is looking forward to when he can fight Liu Jing again. If he can seize the opportunity, he will not lose.

    "General, I believe that next spring, we will fight Jiangxia again, and then the real contest will be."

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to that day coming!¡± Cao Ren¡¯s eyes showed infinite anticipation.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At noon, 20,000 Jiangxia troops lined up outside Xiangyang City. Huo Jun led dozens of generals out of the city to pay homage to Liu Jing. When Liu Jing appeared in front of him surrounded by hundreds of people, Jiangxia troops suddenly burst into cheers. In the cheers  , Huo Jun led the generals forward, knelt down, and said loudly: "Huo Jun pays homage to Zhou Mu and is willing to serve Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing quickly turned over and dismounted, quickly stepped forward to help Huo Jun, and asked the generals to stand up. Then he smiled and said: "I heard that General Huo killed the civilian thieves Cai Zhong and Zhang Qu. Liu Jing was very happy. Liu Jing got another protection."  The great general of the people!¡±

    Huo Jun was excited and ashamed at the same time. He quickly bowed and said, "It is a long-awaited decision for Zhou Mu to take over Xiangyang. It is a blessing for Huo Jun to serve Zhou Mu."

    He turned around and waved his hand, "Send it up!"

    Two soldiers each brought a copper plate forward. The items on it were covered with black cloth. Huo Jun uncovered the black cloth, and it was the two heads of Cai Zhong and Zhang Qu. Liu Jing sneered, pointed at Cai Zhong's head and said:  "This person has harmed me repeatedly for many years and has a deep hatred for me. I never imagined that he would be here today. God has eyes. But their heads were hung on the city gate for a month to comfort the victims."

    "I humble my duty and obey my orders!"

    Huo Jun quickly ordered his men to do it. He smiled at Liu Jing and said, "Invite the state pastor into the city!"

    Liu Jing nodded, turned around and shouted, "The three armies have entered the city!"

    The victory drum sounded, and 20,000 troops began to file into the city. The streets in the city were already crowded with people. Xiangyang City was almost overwhelmed. Nearly 100,000 people ate pots of soup, sang and danced, and lined the streets to welcome Liu Jing into the city.

    "Long live! Long live Zhou Mu!"

    When Liu Jing's figure appeared at the city gate, the entire Xiangyang City was boiling with cheers and shouts. Xiangyang people and Jingzhou soldiers waved their hands desperately, with tears in their eyes. Many people burst into tears. They came from the heart.  Welcome Liu Jing's arrival.

    Liu Jing's eyes were a little moist. He cupped his fists and thanked the people who came up from both sides. But when he saw pairs of sincere and enthusiastic eyes and heard their shouts, at this moment, he deeply felt the Xiangyang people's support for him.  The support also made him feel a heavy responsibility.£®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The city entry ceremony was still going on, and the 20,000 soldiers continued to enjoy the glory of being supported by the people. Liu Jing came to the state government office, which was the end of the city entry ceremony. Jia Xu had led more than 20 civil servants to wait in front of the gate for a long time.

    Liu Jing turned over and dismounted, stepped forward and said with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, sir!"

    Jia Xu smiled and saluted, turned back and pointed at the dozens of officials and said: "Originally, the government office was empty. But when they heard that Zhou Mu was coming, everyone returned to the government office one after another, and they were all willing to serve Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing happily said to everyone: "Although the Cao thieves destroyed the official system of Xiangyang, I believe that Xiangyang County will be restored in your hands. Please!"

    Dozens of officials were overjoyed and saluted one after another, "I am willing to serve the state pastor!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 313 Disputes among the Cai Clan

    Of course, the rush to enter the city subsided, Cao's army and Nanjun's army had withdrawn, and Xiangyang finally returned to its former peace. Liu Jing began to face his first problem, how should he arrange Xiangyang County?

    From his original intention, he wanted to move Zhouya back to Xiangyang, but emotionally he could not leave Jiangxia behind. After all, that was where he started, which made Liu Jing really hesitant.

    In the room, Liu Jing was pacing back and forth in deep thought with his hands behind his back. Not only did the state affairs need to be resolved, but the governor of Xiangyang and the garrison generals, etc., all needed to be properly considered by him.

    At this time, the soldier reported at the door: "Mr. Jia is here!"

    Liu Jing said quickly: "Please come in quickly!"

    After a while, Jia Xu walked in quickly, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I heard that the young master has been in the room all afternoon, but what are you worried about?"

    Liu Jing sighed, "I do have something on my mind! I hope sir will share my worries."

    Jia Xu and Liu Jing sat down, he said with a smile on his face: "Young master, are you worried about the status of Xiangyang?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "That's true. When I didn't take Xiangyang, I dreamed of taking Xiangyang, but I didn't know what to do. The key is that I want to move the state government back to Xiangyang, but emotionally it's difficult to give up Jiangxia.  , it¡¯s a bit of a dilemma!¡±

    Jia Xu smiled and said: "I can understand the young master's mood, but I still want to persuade the young master to move the state government back to Xiangyang. These are actually two completely different strategic directions."

    "Appreciate further details!"

    Jia Xu pondered for a moment and said: "If the prince still places the state government in Jiangxia, on the one hand, it will weaken the orthodox status of Jingzhou. After all, Jingzhou's state government has been in Xiangyang for hundreds of years. On the other hand, it will be detrimental to the prince's strategy of marching westward to Hanzhong. On the contrary, the prince  Staying in Jiangxia for a long time will make Jiangdong uneasy, and sooner or later he will fall into a war with Jiangxia.

    And even if they go north, they will attack the hinterland of the Central Plains such as Runan. Cao Jun will never tolerate it and will definitely counterattack vigorously. On the contrary, Jiangxia will be surrounded by enemies in front, rear, left and right. This is extremely unwise. Please think again, sir!  "

    Liu Jing walked slowly with his hands behind his hands. He also realized that choosing Xiangyang and Jiangxia were two completely different strategies. Although Jia Xuzhi persuaded him, he needed to discuss this matter with Xu Shu and others.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled again and said: "Forget it, let me think about the matter of state governance. In addition, I plan to let Huo Jun stay in Xiangyang temporarily. Sir, do you think this person is qualified?"

    "Huo Jun is good. He is bold and careful yet cautious. From his decisiveness in killing Cai Zhong and Zhang Qu this time, we can see his courage. We can let him guard Xiangyang temporarily, but I am more concerned about the position of the governor of Xiangyang. Mr.  Are you ready to appoint Xiang Lang?¡±

    Liu Jing hesitated and said: "I want Cai Yan, a younger brother of the Cai Mao clan, to be the governor of Xiangyang and Xiang Lang to be the county magistrate. I wonder what you think, sir?"

    "It is a good decision to continue to reuse the Cai family, which is conducive to stabilizing Jingzhou. Moreover, I know Cai Yan, who is very different from Cai Mao. His son Cai Jin is also a general of Jiangxia and can be trusted. However, if the master wants to appoint him as the prefect,  Then how to solve the problem of homesteaders in Xiangyang?¡±

    Liu Jing said slowly: "I plan to have a good talk with the Cai family again!"

    Cai Mao and Cai He withdrew from Xiangyang in a very hasty manner. It can be said that Cao Ren suddenly notified them and only gave them half an hour to prepare. As a result, Cai Mao had no time to notify his family before leaving, and finally left in a hurry with only his eldest son Cai Yi.

    Although Cai Hao has unspeakable difficulties, his move is tantamount to abandoning the family. As an ordinary tribesman, there may be room for explanation, but Cai Hao is the head of the family after all and shoulders the important responsibilities of the family.

    Cai Mao's departure caused an uproar within the Cai family. The clan members who were originally dissatisfied with Cai Mao used this to attack Cai Mao, demanding that Cai Mao be held accountable for abandoning the family and that the head of the family be replaced.

    The tribesmen who supported Cai Mao felt that they were in the wrong and did not dare to speak out to defend him. As time went by, the opposition to Cai Mao grew louder and louder. In the end, Cai Xun had no choice but to convene a family meeting of elders.

    Like all families, the Cai family also has an elders' council, which is composed of five elders of the Cai family, representing the five branches of the Cai family. Once they gather in the family temple, they form the elders' council with the highest authority in the family.

    The Cai family temple is an independent building located in the middle of Cai. The various branches of the Cai family surround the family temple. At this moment, in the main hall of the family temple, five elderly people are sitting in a circle, discussing family strategies. Except for Cai Xun, the other four people  Three of them are elders of the same generation, and the only elder is named Cai Yuan, Cai Xun's seventh uncle. He is eighty years old and is the oldest among them in terms of seniority and age.

    "Liu Jing captured Xiangyang, and he will definitely take revenge on the Cai family. Now the Cai family is in danger, let's talk about what to do!"

    The speaker is the eldest Cai Yuan. He is the grandfather of Cai Zhong and lives in Zhusongtang of the Cai family. Therefore, his branch is also called the Songzhutang branch, which is the smallest of the five branches of the Cai family., but Cai Yuan relied on his seniority to become the self-proclaimed leader in the Presbyterian Church.

    Cai Xun sat aside without saying a word. His father was Cai Mao's grandfather, and they both belonged to Songzhengtang, a direct branch of the family. For decades, Songzhengtang has always been the head of the Cai family. The last head of the family was Cai Xi, Cai Mao's father. Cai Xun  Because he was an official in the capital and had no time to take care of his family, he passed on the position of head of the family to his brother Cai Xun, who was the Prime Minister of Xiangyang County at that time.

    Ten years ago, Cai Xun passed the position of head of the family to Cai Mao. If Cai Mao was unable to take the position, it should be succeeded by other children of Songzhengtang, and it would not be Songzhutang's turn to speak.

    Cai Xun sneered secretly. He wanted to see the attitudes of other family branches. Of course, he didn't want to quarrel with Cai Yuan. After all, he was his elder.

    At this time, Cai Wen, another elder of Songmeitang, said with a smile: "Seventh Uncle, don't worry too much. Liu Jing is not an unintelligent person. If he wants to secure his position in Xiangyang, he must finally cooperate with the Cai family."

    Cai Yuan's purpose was to replace the head of the family. He wanted his eldest grandson Cai Zan to replace Cai Mao. Cai Zan had served as the Prime Minister of Fangling County and was quite senior in Jingzhou, no less than Cai Yan. Cai Yuan wanted to take this opportunity to break the  Monopoly of Songzhengtang.

    He snorted and said: "Now the clan members are asking for the change of the head of the family. I also think that Degui left without saying goodbye and is irresponsible to the family. It is really not suitable to be the head of the family anymore. I also suggest that the head of the family be changed, and I suggest that this time it does not have to be  It¡¯s up to Matsumoto to take over.¡±

    After saying that, he glanced at Cai Xun again, "Xiannephew, what do you think?"

    There was silence in the hall. Everyone understood what Cai Yuan meant, but it was clearly written in the clan rules that if the current head of the family is removed, if the previous head of the family is still there, then the former head of the family will naturally take over.

    ??In other words, if Cai Hao is dismissed, the former head of the family, Cai Xun, will naturally take over the position of head of the family. If he refuses to take the post, he will then appoint the new head of the family.  "

    Cai Xun smiled and said: "Since Uncle Qi thinks that Degui is no longer suitable to be the head of the family, let's take a vote. If it doesn't work, we will replace him. As for who will take over as the head of the family, I think it should be decided according to the clan rules."

    The other three elders all agreed with Cai Xun's words and demanded that things be done in accordance with the clan rules. No one is stupid. If Matsumoto Tang becomes the head of the family, at least it will not infringe on the interests of other clans. But if Songzhutang is allowed to serve as the head of the family, he will definitely expand himself wildly.  interests, but he does not dare to touch the barriers of this church, otherwise they will infringe on the interests of the other three churches.

    Seeing that no one supported him, Cai Yuan turned pale and couldn't say a word for a long time.

    At this moment, a descendant of the Cai family hurriedly walked into the inner hall and whispered a few words to Cai Xun. Cai Xun was startled and hurriedly said: "Let your second uncle receive you first, I will come right away."

    "Wen Jin, tell me what happened and let everyone hear it." Cai Yuan said extremely dissatisfied.

    Cai Xun stood up and saluted with a smile, "I'm sorry, Zhou Mu is here to visit me. I have to rush there immediately."

    Everyone exclaimed, but Cai Yuan's face turned pale. He knew that something was wrong. If Liu Jing supported him, his Songzhutang would not have any chance.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing has been invited into the guest room by Cai Yan. Cai Yan is also quite worried. Although Liu Jing visited the Cai family two months ago, the Cai family failed to prevent Cai Mao from offering Xiangyang to surrender to Cao Cao. Will Liu Jing be new?  Let¡¯s settle old accounts together?  If that's the case, the Cai family will be in catastrophe.

    But the arrival of Liu Jing made Cai Yan a little relieved. As long as he was willing to visit, it meant that there was room for easing the situation. Cai Yan ordered someone to serve tea. The two exchanged a few words. Cai Yan smiled and asked: "I  Li Yan was recommended to Zhou Mu last time. How does Zhou Mu feel about this person? "

    Liu Jing was stunned, is Li Yan here?  Why didn't he know? He quickly asked: "Where did Li Yan go? When did it happen?"

    Cai Yan couldn't help but be a little surprised when he saw that Liu Jing didn't know, "About half a month ago, Li Yan received my letter and came to Xiangyang. He expressed his willingness to go to Jiangxia to find a job, and then he went to Jiangxia, but Zhou Mu didn't see him  ?"

    Liu Jing was also a little strange in his heart. If it was half a month ago, then he should have known it when he returned to Jiangxia not long ago. Why was there no news at all? He pondered for a while and said: "Half a month ago, I happened to be away from Jiangxia. Didn't Li Yan  Did you find me and go home again?¡±

    Cai Yan thought for a while and then smiled and said: "Maybe he went to seek refuge with General Wenpin. He has a very good personal relationship with General Wenpin. He once served in the army under General Wenpin. If he doesn't find Zhou Mu, he should go to Anlu  County."

    It would be easier to take refuge with Wenpin. Li Yan is a rare talent and we must not let him go. There is also Deng Yi. I heard that he did not accept Cao Cao's appointment and returned to the Deng family in Nanyang. In fact,  It is most suitable for Deng Yi to serve as the governor of Xiangyang.

    But Cai Yan is also good. Let him serve as the governor of Xiangyang.The key to consolidating his long-term control over Xiangyang is to see whether the Cai family gives in.

    At this time, the sound of hurried footsteps was heard outside, and Cai Xun's laughter sounded at the door, "I don't know the state pastor is coming, Cai Xun is neglecting it!"

    Seeing that he was sweating profusely from running, Liu Jing also smiled apologetically: "I must have been rude and didn't send someone to inform him in advance."

    The two of them said a few polite words and then sat down. Cai Xun sighed and said: "Although family scandals should not be made public, there are some things that should not be hidden from Zhou Mu. Recently, the Cai family has been in internal strife and quarreling."

    "Why is this?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    "Isn't it because of Cai Mao?" Cai Xun sighed and said: "He ignored the opposition of his family and repeatedly acted in perverse ways. The family could not tolerate him anymore and decided to remove him from the position of head of the family and choose a new head of the family. The various houses of the Cai family were fighting for the position of the new head of the family.  I don¡¯t know, I just attended the meeting of the elders at the temple.¡±

    "I see! I wonder if the new head of the family has been elected?"

    "Not yet. According to the clan rules, I will be responsible for the family affairs for the time being." Cai Xun squinted and smiled. He was actually hinting to Liu Jing that she could just talk to him about anything.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 314 Liu Bei Returns

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, wondering how to express his position, whether to be polite first and then soldiers, or first soldiers and then polite. After pondering for a long time, he slowly said: "I came to visit my senior this time because I have an important matter that I want to discuss with my senior."

    Cai Xun stroked his beard and smiled without saying a word. He seemed to be indifferent, but he was very nervous in his heart. It was related to the interests of the family, and he would not let go of every word Liu Jing said.

    "Due to the occupation of Cao's army, Xiangyang counties were disbanded and government affairs were suspended. I am considering candidates for the governor of Xiangyang. Can I ask my seniors to recommend a suitable candidate for the governor?"

    Cai Xun¡¯s eyes narrowed with a smile, and he asked himself to recommend it. What does this mean?  With so many people in Jiangxia, is there really a shortage of candidates for the prefect?  He had already understood the implication of Liu Jing's words, which was to give up the prefect to the Cai family.

    But Cai Xun also knew that Liu Jing would never give this opportunity to the Cai family in vain. He came to the Cai family in person to bargain, so what conditions would he ask for?

    Cai Xun was deep in thought, and Cai Yan next to him said with a smile: "I heard that Deng Yi refused Cao Cao's reward during the Zhizhong period and returned to his home in Nanyang. Why didn't the governor of the state let him serve as the governor of Xiangyang?"

    Cai Xun's heart skipped a beat, this is not possible. Since Liu Jing gave this opportunity to the Cai family, he must not let it go. Before Liu Jing could answer, Cai Xun interrupted Cai Yan's recommendation, "I have a relationship with Zhou Mu.  We have a few words to talk about, please step aside first!¡±

    Cai Yan did not dare not listen to his father's words. He stood up and bowed before retreating. At this time, only Cai Xun and Liu Jing were left in the room. Cai Xun looked at Liu Jing and said: "Zhou Mu, we might as well talk openly and honestly!  If I recommend my son Cai Yan to be the governor of Xiangyang, what conditions will be required by the governor?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The conversation didn't last long. After about a quarter of an hour, Liu Jing stood up and left. Cai Yan sent Liu Jing away and then hurried back to the guest room. Unexpectedly, his father was already in the study, so he rushed to his father's study.  When I entered the door, I saw my father standing in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, thinking silently.

    Cai Yan hurriedly asked: "Father, what conditions did Liu Jing offer?"

    Cai Xun sighed, "What other conditions can he impose? He wants the Cai family's land!"

    Cai Yan was stunned. He actually wanted the Cai family's land. Land is the fundamental interest of the Cai family. How can that be done?  After all, Cai Yan had been a prefect for many years, so he could still keep his composure. He asked again: "Can father tell the child, what exactly did he say?"

    Cai Xun slowly turned around, waved his hand and said, "Sit down! Sit down and I'll talk to you."

    Cai Yan and his father sat down, and Cai Xun said worriedly: "He proposed to let you be the governor of Xiangyang. As a condition, the Cai family must hand over half of the land."

    "So many!" Cai Yan was surprised.

    "It's indeed a lot." Cai Xun showed a bitter smile on his face, "But at least you can still get the post of Xiangyang Governor."

    Cai Yan was silent for a moment and then asked: "What will happen if we don't agree?"

    "This is what I want to tell you. If you don't agree, the land will still be handed over, but by then, the Cai family will have nothing."

    Cai Yan understood what his father meant. Liu Jing actually wanted to be polite before fighting. If the land was not handed over, Liu Jing would forcibly confiscate the Cai family's land.

    Cai Yan felt a cry of sadness in his heart. As expected, this day has come. After a moment of silence, he asked again: "Does father plan to agree?"

    "What if I don't agree?"

    Cai Xun let out a long sigh and said: "I have thought about it. Since I can't escape this hurdle, I will simply agree. At least the Cai family still has status in Jingzhou. This is actually very important, but I don't know how to explain it to the family."

    "In fact, Cai Yan didn't want to be the governor of Xiangyang. He was only forty years old this year, which was the golden age of his official career. He didn't want to stay at home and retire. Now that Liu Jing has proposed that he serve as the governor of Xiangyang, he has already been moved.

    Cai Yan carefully advised his father: "Father, just tell the truth. I think that except Songzhu Hall, the other four halls will understand the importance of this matter. When everyone votes, as long as three votes pass, this matter will be passed."  The matter can be explained.¡±

    Cai Xun sighed and finally agreed, "Okay! I'm going to explain to them one by one now. Yan'er, I can't tell Uncle Qi about this yet. I'll tell him when the vote is held. I can't give him a chance to collude with other people."

    "My child understands and will never tell him!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Jiangling City, Nanjun, just three days after Liu Jing captured Xiangyang, Liu Bei's fleet finally returned to Jiangling. In fact, he also left Soochow City and returned to Jiangling not long after Liu Jing left.

    During this trip to Jiangling, due to Liu Jing's pressure, Liu Bei was ultimately unable to reach a strategic intention of forming an alliance with Jiangdong to jointly deal with Jiangxia, causing Liu Bei to return disappointed.

      But on the other hand, he gained something, that is, Jiangdong also recognized Liu Qi as the lord of Southern Jingzhou and was willing to form an alliance with Southern Jingzhou to jointly deal with Cao's army going south.

    In other words, Jiangdong recognized the split of Jingzhou, Liu Jing became the northern Jingzhou, Liu Qi became the southern Jingzhou, and both Jingzhous were recognized by Jiangdong.

    Although Liu Bei was still a little uncomfortable in his heart, he also understood in his heart that this was the limit of what Jiangdong could do. After all, Jiangdong and Jiangxia had reached an alliance to resist Cao's army, and that alliance was Jiangdong's core interest.

    "Uncle, Sun Quan has sinister intentions!" Pang Tong sighed and said to Liu Bei in the cabin.

    Liu Bei sat in front of the boat window and looked out of the window from time to time, seeming a little absent-minded. He was about to arrive at Jiangling. His heart was filled with the joy of returning home, and he did not react to Pang Tong's sigh.

    "What did you say?" Liu Bei suddenly realized something.

    Pang Tong was really annoyed. During this trip to Jiangdong, he tried to persuade Liu Bei twice, but Liu Bei declined both times.

    Including his advice to Liu Bei not to accept the so-called recognition of Southern Jingzhou, which would be equivalent to indirectly recognizing Liu Jing's legitimacy. If he attacks Jiangxia in the future, he will be anonymous. However, Liu Bei still did not accept his suggestion. Obviously, Liu Bei would rather lose both birds.  Also have a stone in your hand.

    Now he reminded Liu Bei again, but he did not listen to what he said. Pang Tong held back his anger and said: "My subordinates are saying that Sun Quan recognized the northern and southern Jingzhou, but he actually wanted to provoke a fight between the two families, and he came to reap the benefits.

    Maybe he won¡¯t do it now, but after defeating Cao Jun, he will definitely do so. His purpose is still to annex Jingzhou, so the emperor¡¯s uncle should not put too much hope in him.  "

    Liu Bei smiled slightly and said: "I also know this. Before leaving, Kong Ming also mentioned that Jiangdong and Jiangxia will not be allies forever. When in trouble, they will fight against Cao together, but once the disaster is over, they will inevitably break out into a fight to divide the spoils."  At that time, we will take advantage of the contradiction between Jiangdong and Jiangxia to seek the greatest benefits. Don¡¯t worry, Shiyuan, I understand Sun Quan¡¯s thoughts very well. "

    "Since Kong Ming has expected it, I'm relieved!"

    When Pang Tong heard Liu Bei use Zhuge Liang to answer him again, he couldn't help but feel extremely frustrated and resentful. He responded lightly, then turned around and stopped talking.

    Liu Bei knew what Pang Tong was thinking at this time. In fact, many of Pang Tong's suggestions were not wrong. For example, he persuaded himself to use Kuai Yue's surrender to Cao as an excuse to seize the Kuai family's land and use the land to reward military merit.

    For another example, he persuaded himself to use his former friendship to invite Wu Ju to Nanjun to discuss the plan to fight against Cao Cao, and then took the opportunity to imprison Wu Ju to seize Jiaozhou; furthermore, he persuaded himself to build a school, select talents from Jingnan, etc.

    These are all golden words, but for some reason, Liu Bei always felt that his ideas were out of sync with his own. It was like trying to trick Wu Ju. Liu Bei felt that it was not benevolent enough and he did not want to adopt it. Although it was feasible to set up a school, Liu Bei wanted to recruit the North even more.  Gentry.

    More importantly, Liu Bei felt Pang Tong's dissatisfaction and jealousy towards Zhuge Liang. He even knew that Pang Tong had advised Zhuge Liang not to surrender to him, which made Liu Bei somewhat unhappy with Pang Tong.

    However, Liu Bei would not show his displeasure. When he saw that Pang Tong seemed a little dissatisfied, he smiled and comforted him and said: "Although Kong Ming has plans, after all, he sometimes does not consider everything comprehensively. With Shi Yuan's assistance,  Then many things will be fulfilled. Shiyuan is my confidant, how can I not listen? I have kept all Shiyuan's words in mind."

    Pang Tong sighed, "Although I have little talent and little knowledge, I am loyal to your uncle and will try my best to serve him!"

    "Haha! Shiyuan's sincere heart will always be borne in mind."

    While the two were talking, a loud shout came from outside the cabin: "Jiangling has arrived, prepare to dock!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the pier, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, as well as Wang Jie, Wang Ji, Pang Ji, Chen Zhen and other civil servants were waiting for the arrival of Liu Bei's ship. Zhuge Liang was the only one not among the crowd. He had been ill for the past two days and was temporarily unable to welcome Liu Bei's return.

    The big ship slowly docked, and the boatmen were busy parking the ship, and a wide plank was placed on the shore.

    "Uncle Emperor is out!" Someone shouted, and Liu Bei came out of the cabin. His face was slightly pale. He smiled and waved to everyone, and everyone came up to greet him.

    "Uncle, you have worked hard all the way!" Wang Jie stepped forward and saluted. He was appointed as the governor of Jing, in charge of the government affairs of each county, and had the highest status.

    Liu Bei chuckled, "I've kept everyone waiting."

    He slowly walked off the boat. Perhaps it was because he had been on the boat for too long. Liu Bei's legs were a little weak, and his body swayed slightly on the board. Zhang Fei, with quick eyes and quick hands, quickly stepped forward and helped Liu Bei, "Brother, be careful!"

    "Thank you, dear brother!" Liu Bei gently patted the back of Zhang Fei's hand.

    ?"Thank you for coming to welcome us!"

    Liu Bei saluted everyone, but did not see Zhuge Liang. He was slightly startled, 'Why didn't Kong Ming come?  ¡¯

    Before Liu Bei could ask, Wang Jian smiled and said: "Kong Ming is feeling ill and cannot come to pick up the emperor for the time being. He asks the emperor to forgive me!"

    "Haha! Of course I won't blame him."

    Although he said this, Liu Bei still felt that something was not right. He felt that Zhuge Liang seemed to be deliberately avoiding him. At this time, Liu Bei saw that Guan Yu had a different look on his face and winked at him, which made him even more confused.

    But there was no expression on his face, and he still smiled and said: "Now that I received it, everyone will go back together."

    The crowd gathered around Liu Bei and got into the carriage. Pang Tong followed closely behind Liu Bei and got into another carriage. Pang Tong opened the curtain and saw Guan Yu in front of him urging his horse to approach the carriage window and whispering something to Liu Bei. His expression was extremely serious.  , an intuition told Pang Tong that something happened in Nanjun.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 315 Deep Crisis

    From Guan Yu's mouth, Liu Bei had learned in detail about the process of the Battle of Xiangyang. He lost thousands of people and retreated in defeat. The loss of soldiers made Liu Bei extremely heartbroken. But on the other hand, he also regretted that he had lost an absolute chance to capture Xiangyang City.  You must know that capturing Xiangyang City from Cao Jun has completely different meanings than capturing Xiangyang City from Liu Cong.

    But what Liu Bei is more worried about is how the situation in Jingzhou will change after the Jiangxia Army captures Xiangyang. Will Liu Jing take advantage of the trend and go south to attack Nanjun?

    Liu Bei got off the carriage, and a porter hurriedly greeted him, "See you, uncle!"

    "Is Mr. Zhuge at home?"

    "Uncle Emperor, sir, I'm at home. I'll tell him right away."

    The concierge went into the house in a panic, but forgot to ask Liu Bei to wait in the mansion first. Zhang Fei, who accompanied Liu Bei, frowned and said, "This concierge is so rude. He left my eldest brother outside the mansion. Why don't we go in first."  "

    "No!"

    Liu Bei glared at Zhang Fei, we are here to visit someone, how can we enter the house without permission?  Besides, we didn¡¯t notify others in advance. How can we blame others?

    Liu Bei paced back and forth on the steps with his hands behind his back, patiently waiting for Zhuge Liang's reply. In the study, Zhuge Liang, who was reading, received a report from the concierge that Uncle Liu Huang came to visit.

    Zhuge Liang is undoubtedly a very calculating person. He did not go to the dock to greet Liu Bei, using the excuse of being ill. He knew very well that Liu Bei would come to visit him, but he wanted to know when Liu Bei would come to visit him?  This is related to his status in Jiangling.

    The result made Zhuge Liang very satisfied. It had only been a little more than half an hour since Liu Bei got off the boat. It is estimated that he had not even had time to go home.

    This is enough to show that Liu Bei's trust in him has not weakened because of a failure. This made Zhuge Liang a little moved, but also a little ashamed.

    Zhuge Liang stood up and walked quickly to the door. As soon as he reached the door, he saw Liu Bei pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. He quickly held his hands in his hands and apologized: "Kong Ming is rude, I kept the emperor waiting outside the door for a long time!"

    When Liu Bei saw that Zhuge Liang was wearing a tall crown and Confucian robes, he looked a bit like an immortal, and there was no sick look on his face, he knew that his judgment was correct and that Zhuge Liang was suffering from heart disease.

    He chuckled and returned the greeting: "I heard that the military advisor was ill, so I came here to visit!"

    "Ashamed!"

    Zhuge Liang smiled bitterly, waved his hand and said, "Uncle, please come into the room to talk!"

    He bowed his hand to Zhang Fei Gong again, "Three generals, please come in!"

    Zhang Fei followed Liu Bei into the gate with an expressionless face and walked into the mansion. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu were different. Guan Yu went on the expedition with Zhuge Liang and understood the situation, so Guan Yu could understand Zhuge Liang's defeat and help him in every possible way.

    But Zhang Fei was very dissatisfied. This time he personally ordered 5,000 subordinates to be handed over to Zhuge Liang, but in the end only 2,000 people came back. More than half of the people lost were his subordinates, which made him extremely annoyed.

    In addition, Zhuge Liang put on airs and refused to greet his eldest brother. Instead, he pretended to be sick at home and waited for his eldest brother, who was tired all the way, to visit.

    This added fuel to the fire in Zhang Fei's heart. If his elder brother hadn't allowed him to run wild, he would have beaten Zhuge Liang severely today to get rid of the bad breath in his heart.

    In the study, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang sat down, but Zhang Fei did not sit down. He stood aside coldly with his arms folded, like a black tower, giving people an invisible pressure.

    Liu Bei glanced at Zhang Fei and saw him staring at Zhuge Liang fiercely. He couldn't help but said angrily: "Third brother, go wait outside!"

    Zhuge Liang smiled and said: "Three generals, you might as well sit down!"

    Zhang Fei walked out expressionlessly, as if he didn't hear Zhuge Liang's words and didn't give him any face. Zhuge Liang was a little embarrassed, smiled and sat down.

    "His bad temper will never change even when he is old. I have no choice, so please don't take it to heart."

    Liu Bei was well aware of Zhang Fei's dissatisfaction, but he had no choice but to comfort Zhuge Liang with a wry smile.

    Zhuge Liang nodded silently, knelt down on his knees again, and bowed to Liu Bei, "Kong Ming's incompetent use of troops led to the tragic defeat of Xiangyang, please punish me!"

    Liu Bei hurriedly helped him up, "Military advisors must not be like this. They have been preparing for war for many years, and they know that victory and defeat are common matters for military officers. If this small defeat will be punished, then if you have suffered a series of defeats, you should have killed yourself to thank the world."

    Liu Bei's comfort made Zhuge Liang feel at ease a little. He sat up straight and shook his head and said: "The key to this failure is that Liang sent his troops too late. He wanted to win by surprise, but he didn't know the people well and missed Huo Jun. Cai Zhong and Zhang Qu were captured by him instead."  The killing made Liang Zhi's plan come to nothing, and I still feel regret when I think about it."

    Liu Bei waved his hand and said: "The matter has passed, so there is no need to mention it again. I came to see the military advisor today. Firstly, I visited the military advisor, and secondly, I wanted to think about it."As the situation in Jingzhou develops, Liu Jing captures Xiangyang. I want to know if Liu Jing will attack Jiangling next?  "

    After saying that, he looked at Zhuge Liang expectantly. He knew that Liu Jing's strength now surpassed his own. If Liu Jing had the intention to attack Jiangling, he would not even have his last place to stay. This was especially important to him.

    Zhuge Liang shook his head, "My lord, don't worry about this. Cao Cao still occupies Fancheng, and Cheng Yu is in charge. With Cheng Yu's intelligence, he will never give Liu Jing a chance. In addition, I infer that Cao Cao will send troops to Anlu County!"  "

    Liu Bei was shocked and sent troops to Anlu County. "Why is this?" he asked hurriedly.

    "The reason is very simple. Cao Cao wants to reduce the pressure on Fancheng. It is said that Cao Jun is preparing to build ships on Bishui. If the Jiangxia army is stationed in Xiangyang, it will be detrimental to shipbuilding. Cao Cao will definitely send generals to attack Anlu County, so Liu Jing will always face the enemy from the north.  Pressure, there is no time to attack Jiangling."

    "But what?"

    Liu Bei asked impatiently. He suddenly realized that he had lost his temper and couldn't help but laugh. "Concern leads to chaos. Military advisor, please speak slowly and be prepared to listen attentively."

    Zhuge Liang smiled slightly, "However we must also prepare for a rainy day. It is not appropriate to disperse our troops to various counties. Except for Jianping County, which must be retained because it is connected to Bashu, the rest must be withdrawn to Jiangling to protect the important areas of Nanjun."

    Liu Bei nodded. Zhuge Liang's words gave him a sense of enlightenment. The worry in his heart disappeared for a moment, but after thinking for a moment, Liu Bei asked again: "If the Jianping army is left and does not withdraw, will Liu Jing discover me?"  The big plan made him know that we wanted to march into Bashu."

    Zhuge Liang smiled bitterly and said: "Given the geographical proximity of Nan County, even if we don't station troops in Jianping, Liu Jing will still see that sooner or later we will plot against Bashu. There is no need to deliberately hide it. At least Liu Jing does not have the energy to take care of Jianping County now. If we are defeated in the future,  Cao Jun, there will be a big battle in Jianping County. It is better to start preparations earlier. I suggest that Jianping County should not only not withdraw its troops, but also speed up the pace of city construction. "

    Liu Bei suddenly understood and secretly admired Zhuge Liang's wisdom. He stood up and said with a smile: "Thank you so much, Military Advisor Jin Yu, for your words. I won't disturb your rest, sir. Prepare to leave!"

    Zhuge Liang sent Liu Bei out of the house, and then returned to the study. Liu Bei got on the carriage, but called Zhang Fei forward. Seeing that his face was still dark, and he was even more dissatisfied, he scolded him: "I asked you to accompany me to see the military advisor."  , If you don¡¯t want to, just say it earlier, am I going to let you show off your face? "

    Zhang Fei turned his face to the side and said angrily for a while: "He is clearly not feeling sick, but he allows his brother to come visit him regardless of his fatigue from the journey. Is this the way to be a minister?"

    "What do you know?"

    Liu Bei stared at him fiercely and said: "This is because he is ashamed and embarrassed to come to see me. What is the way of a minister? Don't talk nonsense!"

    Zhang Fei rarely saw his brother so angry. He trembled in his heart and did not dare to say more. He lowered his head and said nothing. Seeing that he had calmed down, Liu Bei softened his tone and said, "I understand this matter in my heart. Don't mention it again. Three  Brother, do you remember?"

    "Yes! I remember it, little brother."

    Zhang Fei bowed and left first. Liu Bei looked at his lonely figure walking away, feeling an inexplicable anxiety in his heart. Too many things had happened recently that upset him, and he felt like he had no idea what to do.

    Liu Bei¡¯s residence was not far from Zhuge Liang¡¯s residence. Within a few moments, more than a hundred personal guards escorted Liu Bei back to the residence.

    It was almost dark at this time, and it was dusk at night. Liu Bei suddenly saw a person standing in front of the mansion, leading a war horse. The figure of this person was very familiar. After a slight hesitation, Liu Bei recognized him.  Zhao Yun.

    In the dim twilight, Zhao Yun stood alone in front of the mansion with his horse, not even a follower around him. This scene made Liu Bei a little sad. Zhao Yun had been with him for many years, he was in his thirties, and he didn't even have any relatives.

    He immediately ordered, "Stop!"

    The carriage stopped, Liu Bei opened the window and looked quietly at Zhao Yun, who was more than ten steps away. He did not say hello, but only looked at Zhao Yun's performance.

    Zhao Yun had also just arrived in Jiangling. He was returning from sending a group of new soldiers. He happened to hear that his lord was back. He couldn't find Liu Bei anywhere, so he came to wait in front of the mansion.

    Zhao Yun stepped forward quickly, bowed and saluted, "I, Zhao Yun, meet my lord!"

    "Why is Zilong here?" Liu Bei asked with a smile.

    "I sent a thousand soldiers to Jiangling. When I heard that my lord was back, I came here to pay my respects."

    ¡°I see, thank you for your hard work, Zilong!¡±

    Liu Bei smiled and comforted Zhao Yun with a few words, and then ordered people to take Zhao Yun into the mansion to wait.

    In the study, Liu Bei changed into a loose robe and was slowly sipping a cup of hot tea. His heart had calmed down from the turmoil.His thoughts returned to Zhao Yun.

    It is undeniable that Zhao Yun is a fierce general in the world and was once loyal to him. However, since the Battle of Runan six years ago, the relationship between Zhao Yun and Liu Jing has caused cracks in this loyalty. As time goes by, or rather  As Liu Jing's status increased, this rift also gradually widened.

    So much so that Liu Bei expelled Zhao Yun from the center of power three years ago and rushed to the most remote Wuling County to train troops in a manner similar to exile.

    Now that Liu Jing has become the shepherd of Jingzhou, the rift between Liu Bei and Zhao Yun has become deeper. At least in Liu Bei's heart, Zhao Yun's loyalty no longer exists.

    "Uncle, General Zhao is here."

    Liu Bei's thoughts were interrupted by a guard's report, "Let him in!" Liu Bei put the tea cup on the table and waited for Zhao Yun's arrival with an indifferent expression.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 316 The Thoughts of the Superior

    Liu Bei's indifferent expression disappeared the moment Zhao Yun came in, and his face was replaced by a gentle smile, as if he was waiting for a general returning from the battlefield.

    Zhao Yun quickly walked into the room, knelt down and bowed to Liu Bei, "Greetings, my lord!"

    "Zilong doesn't have to pay such a courtesy!" Liu Bei laughed and stopped Zhao Yun from saluting, and ordered someone to serve tea. Then he asked with concern: "You are still used to living in Wuling County!"

    Zhao Yun was stunned for a moment, and suddenly there was an indescribable discomfort in his heart. He had been in Wuling County for three years, and now the Lord asked himself if he was used to his life.

    Zhao Yun was silent for a moment and said: "Thank you for your concern, my lord, Zhao Yun is happy with the situation."

    "Hey! Zilong is right, and I am not the same. I have been fighting in the north for half my life, and I can be considered a leader in the world. Now I am living in the south, which is a kind of peace of mind. Zilong, it is not easy for us!"

    Liu Bei was hinting to Zhao Yun to stop talking about Wuling County. He didn't want to hear it. Zhao Yun also understood what Liu Bei meant, and he felt sad for a while.

    Zhao Yun came to see Liu Bei today, hoping that he could be transferred back. A general's life belongs to the battlefield, and he did not want to become a pile of loess in Wuling County in obscurity.

    "Lord!"

    Although it was difficult for Zhao Yun to speak, he still mustered up the courage to whisper: "I want to return to the battlefield!"

    "Oh! Zilong's intention is to return to the battlefield, I understand!"

    Liu Bei's tone was still as generous and gentle as ever, but there was a trace of unconcealable ridicule in his eyes. He squinted at Zhao Yun's expression changes, and he felt Zhao Yun's depressed mood.

    ????????????????????????? For some reason, he actually felt a very happy feeling, as if he heard that the woman who betrayed him suffered misfortune.

    "Zilong is willing to fight against Cao Jun for his lord!" Zhao Yun added in a low voice.

    It was these words that made the generous smile on Liu Bei's face suddenly disappear, and his face became gloomy. Zhao Yun only talked about Cao Cao and did not mention Liu Jing. It was like a burning match thrown into a gasoline barrel, which made the dissatisfaction accumulated in Liu Bei's heart suddenly disappear.  burst out.

    "I may have disappointed Zilong. Now I don't have Cao's army as my enemy, but Jiangxia's army has caused me to lose troops and generals. I'm considering sending an army to recapture Xiangyang. Doesn't Zilong want to return to the battlefield? How about I help you? Become a vanguard general."

    Of course Liu Bei did not have the courage to attack Xiangyang again, but he was determined to test Zhao Yun. He looked at Zhao Yun with a half-smile, waiting for his answer.

    Zhao Yun did not understand Liu Bei's thoughts. He was silent for a moment and said to Liu Bei very sincerely: "My lord, Cao Cao has pacified the north and eliminated Wuhuan's future troubles. His next strategy must be a large-scale southern expedition. At this time, Wei Wei  I believe that all the factions in the south should abandon their past grudges and unite with the outside world. Now that Cao Jun is stationed in Fancheng and eyeing Jingxiang, there should be no more internal strife in Jingzhou. Zhao Yun said this from the bottom of his heart, I hope my lord will think again!"

    Zhao Yun lowered his head and leaned over, not meeting Liu Bei's eyes. Little did he know that every time he said a word, Liu Bei's eyes became colder. When he finished the last sentence, Liu Bei's eyes were so cold that they could almost kill someone.

    Liu Bei suddenly laughed and said, "What Zilong said is right and very insightful. I wonder if Zilong also advised him like this in his letter to Liu Jing?"

    Zhao Yun's body suddenly froze, and after a while he whispered: "I don't understand what my lord means?"

    "How could Zilong not understand? Two months ago, didn't he send someone to send you a lot of local products? At the same time, he also gave you a letter, and you also replied. It seemed to be four or five pages. The letter  He wrote so much, didn¡¯t you advise him to put the overall situation first?¡±

    Zhao Yun suddenly felt an endless sadness in his heart. The master actually placed spies around him to monitor his every move. He even knew how many pages of letter he had written.

    Zhao Yun slowly straightened up, looked into Liu Bei's eyes, and said calmly: "I have always been loyal to my lord. I regard Liu Jing as my younger brother. He is my only relative. If your lord does not trust me because of this, there is nothing I can do.  "

    Liu Bei also realized that he had made a mistake. He should not have revealed the secret and let Zhao Yun know that he had a spy around him. He changed his mind, waved his hands and said with a smile: "Zilong is too worried. How can I not trust you?"  Will you let me train my troops? I'm just talking casually, don't take it to heart."

    Liu Bei smiled sincerely. He thought for a moment and then said: "Let's do this! Feng'er is building a city in Jianping County alone. He has little experience. I am worried that he will be attacked by the Bashu army. Zilong might as well go and help him for me.  Assist him in guarding Jianping County."

    Zhao Yun stood up without saying a word, bowed deeply to Liu Bei, and said, "I'll take my leave!"

    He turned around and went out. As soon as Zhao Yung left, Liu Bei's face turned extremely livid, and he immediatelyHe wrote a letter and handed it to a guard, "Go to Jianping County quickly and give this letter to the eldest son, and ask him to do what I say in the letter."

    The guard took the letter and hurried away. Liu Bei's face became even more ugly. He suddenly picked up the inkstone on the table and threw it against the wall. He gritted his teeth and said, "You bastard! How dare you threaten me."

    Zhao Yun slowly walked out of the house. He suddenly looked up to the sky and sighed. His heart was filled with despair. Liu Bei also deprived him of the right to train soldiers. At this moment, he felt unprecedented loneliness and loneliness.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The night was getting darker, and Liu Bei forgot about the things that worried him during the day. He sat in the inner hall and entertained his son, who was just half a year old.

    Liu Chan is white and fat. Different from other children, Liu Chan is extremely sleepy. He sleeps for at least ten hours out of twelve hours a day. Instead, he always wakes up in the middle of the night, crying and sucking his breasts.  My mother was exhausted from the torture.

    But also because of this, Liu Bei rarely had time to communicate with his precious son. Although Liu Bei was very tired from the journey today, he still managed to gather his energy to play with his son.

    "Dance once, and dance another one for daddy!"

    Liu Bei sat cross-legged, holding his son's little hand and letting his little feet bounce on his lap. Liu Bei's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile.

    Sitting next to Liu Bei were Liu Bei's two young wives, Mrs. Mi and Mrs. Gan. Mrs. Mi's expression was dull and it was hard to tell what she was thinking, but Mrs. Gan was a little excited. Her husband's love for his son brought her infinite comfort.

    Mrs. Gan tried to persuade her husband to rest early several times, but she couldn't bear to disturb his interest. At this time, Mrs. Mi called in a low voice: "Husband!"

    Liu Bei was immersed in the family happiness with his son and did not hear his wife's soft call. Mrs. Mi hesitated for a moment, stood up and walked to Liu Bei, sat down and touched him gently.

    Liu Bei was startled. He followed his wife's gaze and saw the housekeeper at the door of the lobby hesitating, as if she had something to report.

    "What's the matter?" Liu Bei was a little unhappy. He didn't want to be disturbed at this time.

    "Reply to the master, Mr. Pang wants to see you!"

    Mr. Pang is naturally Pang Tong. Liu Bei frowned. What is he doing here so late?  He said to the housekeeper displeased: "Tell him that I have rested!"

    The housekeeper agreed and turned around to leave when Liu Bei changed his mind again, "Okay! Take him to the study room to wait for a while. I will come right after I change my clothes."

    Although Liu Bei was very unhappy, he did not want to make an exception. He had never refused a visit from an official. A good reputation was accumulated from these little details.

    He handed his son to Mrs. Mi, got up and went to change clothes.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the room, Pang Tong was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking a little nervous.

    But on the other hand, Pang Tong's face was filled with excitement. He already knew about Zhuge Liang's defeat in Xiangyang, which made him very excited. Zhuge Liang's failure not only resulted in the loss of troops, but also sent troops without authorization.

    If he can seize this opportunity, even if he cannot replace Zhuge Liang, he can still keep pace with him. He will no longer be like now, being suppressed by Zhuge Liang and having no chance to get ahead.

    Pang Tong naturally knew that it was a bit rude to come to his lord so late, but the excitement in his heart prevented him from waiting until tomorrow. He hoped to get a satisfactory result tonight.

    ¡°I¡¯ve kept Shi Yuan waiting for a long time!¡± Liu Bei walked into the room with a smile.

    Pang Tong hurriedly bowed deeply and said, "See you, my lord!"

    Liu Bei waved his hand and said with a smile: "Sit down and talk."

    He then ordered the guards to serve tea, and the two of them took their seats respectively. Pang Tong bowed first and said, "My lord, you have worked hard all the way. I am really sorry for disturbing you so late!"

    "Haha! Shiyuan's words are out of context."

    Liu Bei touched his bare chin and said with a smile: "I know that Shi Yuan will have something big coming here, and I am willing to listen attentively."

    Although Pang Tong came for Zhuge Liang, he could not discuss the matter directly. He still needed to make subtle innuendos.

    "I have also heard about the incident in Xiangyang. In fact, I have a plan, and Xiangyang can easily get it."

    "Oh! What's Shi Yuan's strategy going to be?" Liu Bei suddenly became interested, leaning forward slightly and looking at Pang Tong.

    Pang Tong took out a map of Jingzhou from his arms and spread it out on the small table. Liu Bei also took the candlestick with great interest, and the candlelight illuminated the map.

    Pang Tong pointed to Fangling County and said: "We heard that Cao's army withdrew from Longzhong to Fangling County, but I can say with certainty that Cao's army will never cross the river from Fangling to the north, but will continue to withdraw westward to Shang  Yongjun.¡±

    Pang Tong used his fingers toHe knocked hard on Shangyong County to the west of Fengling County. The two counties were separated by a water block. Liu Bei thought for a long time and asked, "Why are you so sure?"

    "the reason is simple!"

    Pang Tong pointed to the Han River and said with a smile: "The Jiangxia army has an absolute advantage on the water. Since they do not allow Cao's army to withdraw from Xiangyang, how can they allow Cao's army to cross the river from Fangling? If Cao's army withdraws to Fangling County, the Jiangxia navy will also inevitably  We will follow, not to mention whether Cao Jun has a ferry in Fangling, even if there is one, they will all be sunk by Jiang Xia Jun. Cao Ren will never risk crossing the river. "

    Liu Bei nodded. Pang Tong did make sense. He asked again: "Then what does this have to do with capturing Xiangyang?"

    "Wei Chen is thinking that after a big battle, Liu Jing will definitely lead his main force back to Jiangxia, leaving an army to guard Xiangyang and a group of warships and naval forces. If a Cao army suddenly attacks Longzhong at this time, Xiangyang will  Will the army support Longzhong? "

    Liu Bei already understood what Pang Tong meant. He pondered for a moment and said, "What does Shi Yuan mean by pretending to be Cao Jun and using a strategy to lure the tiger away from the mountain?"

    "Exactly! And we can send a team of more than 200 scouts to lurk into Xiangyang in advance, and wait for the Xiangyang reinforcements to rush to Longzhong. When there are not enough defenders in the city, we should cooperate with each other inside and outside. I believe we will be able to capture Xiangyang."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 317 Uncle and Nephew Night Talk

    The strategy was good, but it was a pity that Liu Bei no longer had the intention to attack Xiangyang, or in other words, the time to attack Xiangyang had passed. Zhuge Liang's sneak attack on Xiangyang was at the time when the battle between Jiangxia Army and Cao Army was most intense. After all, Xiangyang was still in the hands of Cao Army.

    It was actually a little late for Zhuge Liang to capture Xiangyang, but it was still his last chance. Now Jiangxia Army has occupied Xiangyang. If they fight for Xiangyang again, they will undoubtedly declare war on Jiangxia.

    Liu Bei knew very well that Jiang Xia's army was in great momentum and they might not be their opponents. Cao's army did not have a ferry and could not contain Jiang Xia's army in the north.

    The reason why Liu Jing did not continue to attack Jiangling was because Jiangdong came to mediate this time. Liu Jing urgently needed to join forces with Jiangdong to fight against Cao, so he gave Sun Quan a face and temporarily let Nanjun go.

    "If I capture Xiangyang at this time, I will give Liu Jing an excuse to lead the Jiangxia army to attack Jiangling. Jiangdong will have nothing to say. Jiangling will be in danger at that time!"

    In fact, Liu Bei is also waiting for Cao's army to march south. He hopes to get a share of the future North-South War, and he will definitely not eat rice before the big meal is served.

    Although Pang Tong¡¯s strategy was good, he was still not as clear-eyed as Kong Ming about the overall situation. Liu Bei pondered for a moment and then smiled lightly: "I have discussed this matter with Kong Ming. Kong Ming believes that it is past the time to attack Xiangyang!"

    Speaking of this, Liu Bei glanced at Pang Tong quickly. How could he not know about the conflict between Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang? However, as a superior, he was also happy to see conflicts between his subordinates.

    Pang Tong's face suddenly turned red. He didn't expect Liu Bei to use Zhuge Liang to suppress him again. He finally couldn't bear it anymore and said, "But didn't Kong Ming also lead his troops to attack Xiangyang? In the end, he returned with a disastrous defeat."

    Liu Bei picked up the tea cup, took a sip of tea slowly and said with a smile: "Victory and defeat are common matters for military officers, so there is no need to worry about it too much. Just don't mention it!"

    Pang Tong came to Liu Bei this year just to talk about this matter. This time Zhuge Liang made a serious mistake. How could he not lose his hair? Liu Bei actually came to express his condolences in person. This is simply too resentful, especially unfair to him, Pang Tong.

    Pang Tong hesitated for a long time, but didn't know what to say. At this time, Liu Bei was also a little tired. He didn't want to listen to Pang Tong anymore, so he smiled and said: "Shi Yuan has worked hard all the way. If there is nothing else, please go back and rest early!"

    This is a very subtle hint, which means ¡®I¡¯m tired too, you can leave.¡¯ In this case, anyone who knows a little bit about the world will understand, and then stand up and leave immediately.

    Although Pang Tong was a scholar, he could not understand such words. It was just that he wanted to overthrow Zhuge Liang and did not pay attention to what Liu Bei was saying. His whole mind was focused on the wording.

    He didn't understand Liu Bei's intention to see off the guests, and naturally he had no intention of saying goodbye. Seeing that he didn't respond, Liu Bei became even more unhappy and asked, "Is there anything else that Shi Yuan has to do?"

    At this time, Pang Tong finally summoned up the courage to say: "My lord Kong Ming sent troops without permission without following the lord's order. Will the lord not pursue the case?"

    Liu Bei's face immediately darkened. Although he didn't care about Zhuge Liang's defeat, Zhuge Liang's sending troops without permission did make him extremely uncomfortable.

    Although he handed over the military power to Zhuge Liang before going to Jiangdong, it was more of a gesture. It did not really allow Zhuge Liang to use troops without authorization, but just let him hold the military power for himself.

    Unexpectedly, Zhuge Liang still used troops. The outcome was not important, but this behavior made Liu Bei deeply dissatisfied.

    It¡¯s just that Liu Bei had full authority to engage in war before, so it was hard to mention it again now. He could only be careful next time. However, Pang Tong brought it up again out of curiosity, which made Liu Bei even more irritated and angry.

    This is a big taboo in officialdom or the workplace. Don¡¯t embarrass your leaders. You must know what to say and what not to say.

    Pang Tong¡¯s words are typical of what shouldn¡¯t be said. Didn¡¯t Liu Bei know that Zhuge Liang sent troops without authorization?  Do you still need Pang Tong to remind you?  Originally, this incident caused Liu Bei to suffer a loss. Everyone just knew it well and gave the leaders some face. Don't reveal the matter.

    However, Pang Shusheng, who had been in the academy for a long time, did not understand this kind of officialdom. He would not open and lift any pot, which made Liu Bei very embarrassed. In this way, Liu Bei originally only secretly hated Zhuge Liang, but now he turned his dissatisfaction to the one who embarrassed him.  On Pang Tong.

    But Liu Bei wouldn't get angry. He didn't say a word, drank tea slowly, and said after a while: "I know about this. I'm a little tired. You can go back first!"

    Pang Tong quickly stood up to say goodbye. Liu Bei did not see him off, but just sat quietly thinking. At this time, the guard came in to collect the tea cups, and Liu Bei ordered him: "Let Ma Shuzuo come see me!"

    Ma Shuzuo is Ma Di. He also lives in Liu Bei's house and organizes documents for Liu Bei at any time., Ma Su hurried over, bowed and saluted: "See my lord!"

    Ma Su had a lower status and was not qualified to sit across from Liu Bei. After a while, Liu Bei woke up from his meditation. He glanced at Ma Su and asked, "What do you think of Pang Shiyuan?"

    "Shi Yuan is a talented person."

    "Of course I know he is talented, but I want to know what his talent is?"

    Ma Su thought for a while and said: "My master, Mr. Shui Jing, once evaluated the four talents in Jingzhou, saying that Kong Ming can be the prime minister, Yuan Zhi can be in charge of taxes, my brother Ji Chang can be the servant, and Shi Yuan can be in charge of the prison. This is what he said."  Everyone¡¯s strengths.¡±

    Liu Bei nodded, Pang Tong can be in charge of the prison, this sentence makes sense.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the same moment when Liu Bei asked Ma Su, in another house, Pang Ji was also sitting in the study, squinting and listening to his nephew's story.

    ¡°Second uncle, I must seize this opportunity, and you must help me!¡±

    Although Pang Tong had a certain strategy for governing the country, his official experience was still a little shallow. He didn't realize that he had angered Liu Bei and was about to be demoted.

    He was still struggling with how to seize the opportunity to deal with Fang Geliang, but he had no choice but to turn to his uncle for help.

    Pang Ji took up the post of Jingzhou Biejia. He was second only to Wang Jie in terms of official position and was considered the second-largest person in Jiangling. However, a small Jingzhou Biejia was obviously not his ambition.

    Pang Ji slowly opened his eyes. He was like a Taoist priest who suddenly realized something. Of course, he could see through his nephew's mind.

    "My dear nephew, do you know Uncle Liu Huang?" Pang Ji said with a slight smile.

    Pang Tong followed Liu Bei to Jiangdong, spent time with Liu Bei day and night, and learned a lot about Liu Bei. Especially from some details, he realized Liu Bei's temperament, which other Jingzhou officials could not know.

    "I know that when he handed over the military power to Kong Ming, it was just a pretense. He wanted Kong Ming to hold the military power for him, not to use the military power for him. Obviously Kong Ming did not grasp this."

    "Who said Kong Ming didn't know!"

    Pang Ji laughed and said, "If he doesn't take Guan Yu or Zhang Fei with him, he would be ignorant."

    Pang Tong understood what his uncle meant. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were the people Liu Bei truly trusted. It was precisely because Zhuge Liang knew what he had done that he took Guan Yu with him. After pondering for a while, Pang Tong said: "It is precisely because of this that Kong Ming knowingly committed the crime. I'm afraid this  It makes Uncle Liu more angry than not knowing, but I know that Uncle Liu will never show his dissatisfaction, and he will even favor Kong Ming even more. This is his character, and he does the opposite of others. "

    Pang Ji nodded and said with a smile: "My nephew can understand this, which is still progress. In this case, why are you anxious?"

    Pang Tong sighed, "It feels uncomfortable to be suppressed by others. In terms of talent, I am no less than Zhuge, and in terms of experience, he is not much better than me. It's just that the emperor's uncle takes the lead in everything, and there is no chance for me."  "

    Pang Ji closed his eyes again, and after a while he asked calmly: "Do you know yourself?"

    Pang Tong was stunned, "What do you mean by what your uncle said?"

    Pang Ji laughed, "I mean, first of all, you have to know what you can do? What is your goal in entering the officialdom? Then work around this goal. With this premise, you know what you should do.  What, nephew, do you understand?"

    Pang Tong lowered his head. After all, he was only in his twenties and had been studying at Lumen Academy. He had little life experience and no official experience. His uncle's words made him think for a moment.

    Pang Ji loved and valued his nephew very much. It can be said that Pang Tong's allegiance to Liu Bei was Pang Ji's strong encouragement. However, he never had a good talk with his nephew. He used to think that the time was not right. After Pang Tong took office for several months, he felt that it was necessary.  Confronted with Pang Tong.

    "Who do you think is Cao Cao's most important enemy?"

    Pang Tong pondered for a moment and said: "Cao Cao made wine and talked about heroes. He and the emperor's uncle were the only heroes in the world. I think the enemy that Cao Cao valued most in his life should be Liu Huangshu."

    "What about Liu Jingsheng and his son?" Pang Ji asked with a smile.

    "Liu Jingsheng is a household dog, and Qi Cong has dolphin ears!"

    Pang Ji smiled slightly, "It was also because Cao Cao despised Liu Biao and his son, so Cai Mao presented Jingzhou with the dignity of a military advisor and surrendered. He had to serve as a general of Zhonglang, but he was no more than a marquis of Ting. Zhang Yun, Deng Yi, Li Gui and others even served as  The Duke of Wei Mo has no official position yet. Kuai Yue and Han Song have another relationship, which has nothing to do with Jingzhou. Does the wise nephew think that you and I surrendered to Cao Cao at that time? "

    Pang Tong shook his head, "If my uncle defected to Cao Cao, he might be able to get the title of Marquis of Guannei, but it is unlikely that he would be granted the title of Grand Administrator. As for my nephewSon, I'm afraid I can't even be a county official.  "

    Pang Ji smiled again and said, "Then if I surrender to Cao Cao as an important minister of Liu Bei, and my nephew surrenders to Cao Cao as Liu Bei's deputy military advisor, will he be reused by Duke Cao?"

    Pang Tong suddenly realized that his uncle was also a member of the Cao faction, but he was unwilling to surrender to Cao Cao as a minister of Liu Biao. Instead, he wanted to surrender to Cao Cao as an important minister of Liu Bei. With the importance Cao Cao attached to Liu Bei, his uncle would definitely be reused.

    that is it.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Pang Tong also recognized his uncle's idea of ??being an official. He was too utilitarian and was simply a politician. He smiled bitterly and did not take up the topic from his uncle.

    Pang Ji looked at him for a long time and saw that his nephew did not want to talk in depth. He knew that he was too young to enter the officialdom and was still a little loyal to a young man. He still needed a few more years of training to smooth out the edges.

    He said nothing more, and simply said: "If my nephew wants to replace Kong Ming, he might as well have a close relationship with the Wang family. With Wang Wei's death this time, I don't think the Wang family will let Kong Ming go easily."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 318 The Master of the Tao Family

    Fengling County is located to the west of Xiangyang. It is named after the historical records record that it is "thousands of miles away, surrounded by mountains and forests, with high mausoleums and houses," and the Wudang and other mountains in the county are undulating and high, with criss-crossing valleys and numerous streams and rivers.

    Although Fengling County has a vast terrain, it has a small population. It only governs two counties: Fang County and Wudang County. Further west of Fengling County is Shangyong County. Shangyong County is also located south of the Han River. The two counties are connected to the water blockage.  as a boundary.

    There is a military city built on the other side of the blocked water in Shangyong County, called Yongnan City. The terrain is dangerous and it is a solid and dangerous city. There are 1,000 Cao troops stationed there. From here, you can directly cross the blocked water to go to Shangyong County on the other side.  .

    Cao Ren and Xu Huang crossed the water blockage from Yongnan City and entered Shangyong County. The day after Cao Jun crossed the river, about 15,000 Jiangxia troops rushed to Yongnan City.

    Yongnan City is already an empty city. The red flag of Jiang Xia Army is raised on the city top, while the large flag of Cao Army is still flying on the top of Shangyong City on the opposite bank.

    Liu Jing stood on top of Yongnan City and stared gloomily at Shangyong City on the west bank. Shangyong City was built in a dangerous location. The city was tall and solid, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It also had a lot of grain and could garrison 30,000 troops.  One year.

    Liu Jing misjudged this time. He originally thought that Cao Jun would cross the Han River from the nearby Wudang County and return to Fancheng. He had already sent a hundred warships to go west along the Han River to control the Han River and block Cao Jun's northward march.  road.

    But they didn¡¯t expect that Cao¡¯s army was attacking from the east and west, and sent 3,000 men to pretend to be the main force and rush to Wudang, but the main force quickly withdrew to Shangyong County.

    This made Liu Jing¡¯s plan to besiege Cao Jun in Fangling County come to nothing. When he got the information and rushed to Yongna City, he was ultimately a step too late, allowing Cao Jun to cross the water blockage and succeed. This made Liu Jing secretly angry.

    At this time, Jia Xu stepped forward and said with a smile: "There is no need for Zhou Mu to be angry. This must be Cheng Yu's plan. He suggested that Cao Ren withdraw to the west. How could he not know the benefits of Jiangxia's navy, so Cao's army could only withdraw to Shangyong and not cross."  The Han River is heading north. Besides, Cao's army and our army are of equal strength. If Cao's army is desperate and fights against the enemy, even if we defeat the opponent, it will be a miserable victory. Capturing Fengling County without any blood is a great victory. "

    Liu Jing nodded silently, and Jia Xu pointed at Shangyong City and smiled again: "Shangyong is the only way to march westward to Hanzhong. If Shangyong City can be captured, it can be used as a logistical center for marching westward to Hanzhong. But it is not there yet."  The time to march into Hanzhong is to stabilize Jingzhou before considering marching westward to Hanzhong, but you can consider capturing Shangyong City first and make war preparations first."

    Liu Jing frowned slightly, "Sir, do you mean to attack Shangyong now?"

    "Of course not now!"

    Jia Xu laughed and said, "There are 20,000 Cao's troops in Shangyong City now. How can we attack the city? We must wait until Cao's troops withdraw to the north. Then we can attack Shangyong."

    Liu Jing also meant the same thing. Now is not the time to attack Shangyong. He nodded, "In this case, we can garrison troops in Yongnan City and then withdraw to Xiangyang!"

    "Has the state pastor considered the status of Xiangyang?" This was what Jia Xu was most concerned about, and he wholeheartedly persuaded Liu Jing to move the state government to Xiangyang.

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Ignore it for the time being. After defeating Cao Jun, the state government will be officially moved to Xiangyang."

    Jia Xu felt relieved. He knew that Liu Jing was trying to stabilize the morale of the military and the people, but this was not bad. The layout was more leisurely, but what about Shangyong?

    Liu Jing seemed to know what he was thinking, and immediately added: "Try to win Shangyong next spring."

    The two looked at each other and laughed together. At this moment, a soldier suddenly pointed to the river in the distance and shouted: "Zhou Mu, a fleet is coming!"

    Liu Jing looked across the curtain and saw a group of ships sailing on the blocked river in the distance. There were about a dozen ships, all of which were medium-sized ships of about 500 stone. They were obviously not warships, but cargo ships.

    But this fleet did not have sails, and could actually sail against the current, and the speed was not slow. This stunned Liu Jing. He had been in Jiangxia for many years and had a deep understanding of the performance of ships. In this case, there were only rowing boats.  can be achieved.

    "And a medium-sized cargo ship like this would be impossible to sail against the current without hanging a sail, but this impossible situation appeared in front of him.

    In fact, this situation is not impossible. For example, there is a multi-oared boat in the West, with countless sailors rowing together in the cabin. The long oars can even drive a three thousand stone ship through the sea, but the fleet in front of us  Clearly not a multi-oared boat.

    The fleet was getting closer and closer, and the flag on the bow was clearly visible. It was a double carp flag with a yellow background and black stripes. It turned out to be the Tao family's fleet. Liu Jing never expected that he would encounter the Tao family's fleet here.

    He couldn't help but have a suspicion in his heart. Could it be that the Tao family was secretly transporting supplies to Shangyong Cao's army?

    But soon, Liu Jing¡¯s doubts disappeared. The fleet slowly anchored on the side of Yongnan City, and the leader of the ship stepped off.A middle-aged man in a white robe was explaining something to Jiang Xiajun. Liu Jing recognized him at a glance. It was Tao Li.

    Liu Jing smiled and said to Jia Xu, "This man is my wife's uncle, the second head of the Tao family."

    Jia Xu also stroked his beard and smiled: "You can actually sail against the current. Zhou Mu needs to ask carefully, what is the reason?"

    After a while, the soldiers brought Tao Li to the top of the city. Liu Jing greeted him with a smile, "How did you meet your second uncle here?"

    Tao Li bowed and said: "I came from Hanzhong. I heard that there was a battle in Xiangyang, so I went up to the Yongjiang River section and waited for more than ten days. Yesterday, I passed by the mouth of the blocked river and happened to encounter a Jiangxia warship. I learned that Zhou Mu was in Yongnan City. I  Come and take a look.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded and asked, "I wonder what kind of goods my second uncle is trafficking this time?"

    "It is mainly medicinal materials. Gastrodia elata, Eucommia ulmoides and Angelica sinensis in Hanzhong are all of the best quality. They can't be sold for much in Hanzhong, but if they are shipped to Jiangdong and sold, the profit can be ten times greater."

    At this time, Jia Xu asked with a smile: "We are very curious. The Tao family's fleet can sail against the current without hanging sails. Why is this?"

    Tao Li couldn't help but said with some pride: "The Tao family expanded their business to Guanzhong three years ago when they were selling horses. But the biggest problem is the transportation of goods. Traveling by land with a team of mules and horses is not only time-consuming, but the volume of goods is not large. Although it can be done by Han  Water transportation, but the current from Shangyong to Hanzhong is quite fast. There is no problem going with the current, but it is difficult to go against the current. Even with a sail, it is difficult. This problem has been bothering the Tao family for several years. Until this summer, we encountered  The master finally solved this problem.¡±

    "How was it solved?" Liu Jing asked curiously.

    "It's very simple. Wooden wheel paddles are installed on the bottom of the boat, and the boatman pedals in the cabin. With only six people, the boat can travel against the current on the Han River. This solves the problem of propelling the boat."

    Liu Jing suddenly realized that it turned out to be artificial power, which was an excellent method.

    Jia Xu was even more curious and asked with a smile: "I would like to know which expert solved this big problem for you?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing took Jia Xu and a dozen generals to the dock. In front of them was the Tao family's cargo ship. Almost everyone looked towards the bottom of the ship. They saw two mounted on both sides of the middle and rear of the ship.  The impeller is a bit like an irrigation water wheel, except that people pedal in the cabin.

    Everyone got on the boat again and walked into the cabin to visit. Everyone was extremely curious. They had stayed in Jiangxia for a long time and had a deep understanding of water warfare and ships. If there were really ships that could sail against the current, it would have a huge impact on water navigation.  Promoting effect.

    At the back of the cabin, there is a row of pedals on both sides. There are three pedals in one row. People can sit and pedal. There is a wooden connecting shaft that connects the three pedals' supporting axles. Finally, it is combined into a force, which is formed by the wooden connecting shaft.  The shaft drives the wooden wheel paddles outboard.

    At this time, the three boatmen gave a demonstration to everyone. They saw that the three of them cooperated tacitly and pedaled very lightly and effortlessly. This was due to the long connecting shaft, which saved a lot of effort.

    The exquisite workmanship and ingenious design made everyone full of praise. Liu Jing wanted to know even more, who was the master who designed this continuous pedal?  It actually has a bit of the principle of transmission machinery of later generations.

    At this time, Tao Li walked in with a young man about twenty-five or six years old, and introduced Liu Jing with a smile: "For the record, this young man is the manufacturer of this kind of wooden wheel paddle."  , is from Guanzhong, surnamed Ma, and is quite famous for making instruments in Guanzhong. He happened to be with the ship this time and wanted to further improve the oar blades."

    Liu Jing's heart moved. Could this young famous craftsman be Ma Jun?

    The young man seemed a little nervous. He stepped forward and bowed deeply to Liu Jing, and stammered: "I'm dismounting Ma Jun, courtesy name Deheng, Guanzhong Fu Fufeng people, see Zhou Mu."

    It was quite difficult for him to speak, but Liu Jing heard clearly that this person was the famous inventor Ma Jun. Liu Jing was overjoyed. He never expected to meet Ma Jun here.

    Ma Jun was also a late bloomer. He grew up in a poor family and suffered from a severe stutter. When he was sixteen, he went to Zhongnan Mountain to seek immortality and seek enlightenment. Unexpectedly, he met an old man who had lived in seclusion for decades. He claimed to be a descendant of the Guigu Sect and was proficient in Qimen machinery.  .

    It was under the careful teaching and influence of the old man that Ma Jun, who was devoted to seeking truth, gradually became obsessed with mechanical manufacturing. Eight years later, he returned to his hometown and improved the spinning machine, increasing the efficiency more than ten times, making him famous in one fell swoop.

    Ma Jun focused on various exquisite mechanical designs and gradually became a famous craftsman in Guanzhong. It was his reputation that gave him the opportunity to embark on the path of an eunuch with a strong family background.

    At this time, Ma Jun was already well-known as a craftsman in Guanzhong. Just as Tao Li was worried about sailing on the Han River and was willing to pay a high price for a solution, a big businessman in Guanzhong introduced Ma Jun to Tao Li.? 

    After Ma Jun¡¯s careful design and more than a dozen tests, he finally invented the pedal wooden wheel paddle, which solved the problem of boats sailing against the current in strong river conditions.

    Ma Jun himself also knew that this invention was of great significance. He was worried about new problems and kept observing the ship to improve it. Today he observed the ship again, and unexpectedly met Liu Jing.

    Since Liu Jing met Ma Jun, of course he would not let him go. With him, many of his military machinery problems can be easily solved, such as the improvement of crossbows, trebuchets and stone cannons, etc., all of which require a  Superb craftsman.

    "It turns out that you are Mr. Deheng. Liu Jing has admired your name for a long time. Liu Jing has a lot of confusion and wants to ask Mr. Deheng for advice. I wonder if Mr. Deheng can give me some advice?"

    Ma Jun was silent for a moment and said: "I'mthe journey with the boat is not over yet."

    Tao Li was anxious next to him. He also knew that Ma Jun was not a person who wanted to follow people's influence, but Liu Jing was his niece and son-in-law, and their relationship was extraordinary. How could he let Liu Jing down.

    Tao Li was about to speak to persuade, but Liu Jing waved her hand and said with a smile: "Then I will test the boat with my husband!"

    After a pause, Liu Jing smiled and explained: "It's just me, no soldiers to bother me."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 319 The Irresistible Bait

    Although Ma Jun was quite famous in Guanzhong, he was just a craftsman, and in the officialdom, he was still an unknown petty official.

    But the dignified Jingzhou Mu actually proposed to go with him alone on a boat. This not only shocked Ma Jun, but also surprised the surrounding civil and military officials.

    Even Jia Xu couldn't help but advise: "I'm afraid Zhou Mu is going alone. There may be some safety issues. It would be better to bring a few guards with him. Please Zhou Mu think twice."

    On the surface, he is talking about safety, but in fact it implies that Liu Jing should consider his own identity. After all, Ma Jun is just a good craftsman, so he can be reused, and there is no need to be so condescending.

    Everyone tried to persuade him, but Ma Jun stood aside silently. He couldn't speak, but he knew better than anyone else. He thought Liu Jing was putting on a show, but he didn't want to give in because of it.

    Liu Jing waved her hands and smiled at everyone: "You don't need to persuade me anymore. I'm not powerless. There's no problem. Don't persuade me anymore."

    Seeing that Liu Jing was hard to persuade, Jia Xu stopped trying to persuade him. He pulled Li Jun aside and whispered, "Use military ships to escort the troops on both sides to make the momentum bigger."

    Li Jun understood what Jia Xu meant. Since he couldn't solve the problem of Zhou Mu's low salary, he would simply create a momentum and turn Ma Jun into a high-ranking official. "Sir, don't worry, I will make arrangements."

    Li Jun turned around to make arrangements. At this time, the generals came ashore one after another. Jia Xu and more than a hundred soldiers of Liu Jing boarded several other cargo ships and headed eastward with Liu Jing.

    The fleet slowly turned around and sailed towards the Han River. In the cabin, Liu Jing saw that Ma Jun was still a little restrained, so she smiled and said: "I also have some ideas that I would like to discuss with you sir. I hope you can give me some advice."

    Ma Jun nodded silently. He did not expect that Liu Jing was not just pretending, but sincerely asked him for advice. As Liu Jing's official status as state shepherd, he actually stooped down and sat in the cabin with him. This was something he could not imagine, and he could not imagine it.  This shows that Liu Jing attaches great importance to him, and it is this kindness that makes Ma Jun very moved.

    But he couldn¡¯t express it, he just kept this gratitude in his heart silently. He sat down opposite Liu Jing and said sincerely: "Zhou Muplease say it!"

    "In a big war, a large number of arrows and weapons are often consumed, ranging from a hundred thousand to a million. Therefore, war is also a struggle for national power. I won't say more about this. Let's just talk about weapons."

    Liu Jing took a piece of paper, drew a few arrows and weapon parts on it, and said with a smile: "A problem we often encounter in combat is that weapons vary in quality. Some craftsmen are highly skilled and cannot make them."  Weapons can allow soldiers to maximize their combat effectiveness, but there are also deficiencies in craftsmanship. The weapons made often have accidents during battle, such as swords being cut off by enemy soldiers, etc., causing soldiers to die misfortune. I wonder if you have any solution?  this problem."

    This is no longer as simple as mechanical manufacturing, it involves management issues. Although Ma Jun is not very interested in this aspect, he felt Liu Jing's sincerity and thought about it seriously: "This problem has actually been around since the Qin Dynasty.  To solve the problem, we can engrave the names of the craftsmen on the weapons to clearly identify the responsibilities, so that the craftsmen will not be sloppy. In addition, we can strengthen the inspection of weapons, which can also greatly reduce the number of inferior weapons entering the army. "

    Liu Jing laughed, "Although this is good, it still feels like it is not treating the root cause. As the saying goes, 'It is better to stop the fire than to stop the fire.' What do you think, sir?"

    Although Ma Jun stuttered severely, his thinking and reaction were extremely quick. He immediately realized that Liu Jing also had a plan, and asked with a smile: "President Mu, please continue!"

    "I have two ideas that can be used as supplements to Mr.'s plan. One is to have precise standards when making weapons. For example, when making knives, a unified mold should be used. The width and thickness must be specified. Some blacksmiths are good at it.  If a blacksmith is good at forging, then he will specialize in forging and specializing in his skill.

    In this way, each craftsman is responsible for a link, and making a knife flows like running water. The same goes for bows and arrows. After each bow and arrow pass through the hands of more than a dozen craftsmen, the final weapon will be of the best quality.  "

    Ma Jun nodded repeatedly. He very much agreed with Liu Jing's "specializing in his special skills". His interest was completely aroused. At this time, he was more concerned about Liu Jing's second thought. "What's next?" He was a little impatient.  asked patiently.

    "The second plan is to establish a craftsmanship school and train qualified young master craftsmen in the school so that all apprentices can learn their true skills. In this way, weapons talents will continue to flow out."

    Ma Jun was fascinated by what he heard. If he could think of "specializing in one's own skills", then establishing a craftsman's school would be something he never dared to dream of. It's not that it's impossible, but the status of craftsmen is too low.  Who would run a school for craftsmen if they were servants of the official family?

    Although the princes in various places also attached great importance to finding good craftsmen, they did not really respect the craftsmen, let alone any prince.Hou thought of setting up a craftsman school, but Liu Jing was the only one who heard about it.

    Ma Jun stood up and bowed deeply to Liu Jing. His words were full of gratitude, "It is a craftsman's fortune that you can have such insightand insight and mind!"

    Although Liu Jing had long had the idea of ??establishing a craftsmanship school, he was throwing it out now just to catch the big fish Ma Jun. He had long discovered that Ma Jun had no ambitions and was a straightforward and gentle person.

    So if you want to make him take the bait, you must use his favorite bait. It is probably useless to get promoted and make a fortune, so use the bait of Jiangxue. After all, Ma Jun is a doctor of official studies in Fufeng County.

    Liu Jing smiled like a fox. He looked at Ma Jun with a smile, but said in a very sincere tone: "I had the idea of ??establishing a craftsmanship school three years ago. But there is no one around me, so I haven't been able to establish it yet. I  Mr. Zhi is a doctor of official studies. Can you please help me organize a craftsmanship school and do my part to improve the status of craftsmen? "

    Ma Jun was in a very difficult position. He actually didn¡¯t want to come to Jiangxia to be an official, so he was cold-hearted to Liu Jing at first. But Liu Jing¡¯s words had reached this point. If he, Ma Jun, didn¡¯t agree, he would be the eternal sinner of the craftsmen.

    Liu Jing saw Ma Jun's hesitation. He stood up, bowed, and said sincerely: "The craftsman has been a servant of the government for hundreds of years. Liu Jing intends to break it. If he refuses, Liu Jing's ambition will eventually be hopeless!"

    Ma Jun was finally persuaded by Liu Jing's sincerity. He could no longer refuse, so he had to stammer and agree: "Since you have such great ambitions, Ma Junan I can't help you, but I just ask you to give me permission."  £®Go home and tell your mother. I will come to Jiangxia in a month.¡±

    "Okay! I believe what you said, sir, and it's settled!"

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing smiled again and said: "Zhang Ji, the governor of Changsha, is the first of the three famous doctors in the world. If Mr. comes to Jiangxia, I will ask him to treat Mr. Jian's disease, and there will definitely be improvement."

    Ma Jun was overjoyed. The stuttering problem was a lifelong pain for him. If Zhang Ji could cure this problem for him, he would be free of a serious problem, and he would also have an excuse to resign as a doctor of official studies.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Xiazhi County has always been a small county in Jiangxia. It has been unknown for hundreds of years. However, since the petroleum oil produced here became a strategic military material three years ago, Xiazhi County has become one of the important counties.

    Although more and larger natural oil wells have been discovered in Jingling County, Xiazhi County is still an important source of kerosene for Jiangxia Army. More importantly, Jiangxia Army's large-scale workshop for refining kerosene is located in Xiazhi County.  .

    At the same time, nearly a hundred miles of alfalfa were planted on both sides of the rich water outside Xiazhi County, making Xiazhi County and Yangxin County a high-quality forage base for the Jiangxia Cavalry. All the forage for thousands of Jiangxia Cavalry horses came from here.

    This makes the status of Xiazhi County particularly important. For this reason, Jiangxia has carried out three population migrations, and has successively moved the population of Xiazhi County to Wuchang. At present, the population of Xiazhi County is less than 500 households, and almost all of them are kerosene and kerosene.  Pasture work.

    That morning, a gray-haired old Confucian scholar came to the city gate leading a donkey. The donkey was skinny but had a very big belly. Behind him was a **-year-old child. The old Confucian scholar looked to be nearly six years old.  Ten days later, his back was also a little rickety, and his constitution was weak. He kept coughing as soon as he got close to the city gate.

    The defense of Xiazhi County is very tight. Residents in the city have waist badges to enter, and soldiers will strictly interrogate and search every outsider, even women.

    "Show me your badge!" the guard guard shouted.

    The old Confucian scholar coughed so hard that he could hardly breathe. He squatted on the ground and curled up into a ball. He was still a child and said with an accent from Anlu County: "My grandfather and I took refuge with my uncle. My uncle's surname is Wang and he lives in the county town."  ¡±

    Hearing that they were outsiders, several soldiers immediately surrounded them, but they were not nervous. After all, they were an old Confucian scholar and a child. After a long while, the old Confucian scholar stood up with great difficulty, trembling, and he was even worse than an eighty-year-old man.  If he is weak, it seems that a gust of wind can blow him down.

    He panted and said: "My nephew is a butcher king who sells meat in the east of the county. I am old and have no support, so I came here to seek refuge. I beg the military master to let my grandparents and grandchildren go to the city to visit my relatives."

    When the soldiers saw how pitiful they were, young and old, they couldn't bear to drive them out. The leader said, "Then let's search according to the rules!"

    Several soldiers came forward and searched the two of them thoroughly. There were only a few dry biscuits, a pot of water and dozens of copper coins. Others were a dark bamboo sign with more than a dozen seal characters engraved on it. It was very long.  He didn't know him either, so the old Confucian scholar quickly bowed and said, "The copper coins are given to the military master to sell wine."

    "Who wants your money!"

    Seeing that the copper coins were all bad money, Shi Chang looked down upon him at all. He handed the money back to him, waved his hand and said, "Let me send them to the city to find their families."

    ? ?It was also stipulated that outsiders must have local people as guarantees. One old man and one young man slowly followed a few soldiers into the city.

    Several soldiers in front were laughing and talking about whether they might be spies of Cao Jun. The chief turned back and glanced at them and said: "If these two are spies of Cao Jun, I will cut the bird for you!"

    Everyone burst out laughing, but the old Confucian scholar showed a strange smile in his eyes. He was not panicked at all, and still led the donkey slowly forward. After a while, they finally arrived at the door of Butcher Wang's house.

    ?????????????????? Butcher Wang, who was tall, thick and fat, came out of his home. The chief stopped him, "Butcher Wang, there are outsiders here looking for you."

    Butcher Wang stepped forward in surprise. The old Confucian scholar burst into tears and shouted loudly: "My dear nephew, do you still know my uncle? Ten years ago in Xinye County, you were bitten by a snake, but my uncle sucked it out for you."  Venom! Have you forgotten?"

    With that said, he handed the bamboo sign to him again, "You still recognize this, right?"

    Butcher Wang recognized the bamboo sign and recognized the old man for a long time, and finally shouted, "Uncle Third, why are you so old?"

    Seeing that they were indeed relatives, Shi Chang waved his hand and said, "Let's go!"

    After the soldiers left, the old scholar and the boy followed Butcher Wang into the yard. He closed the door, suddenly straightened his back, and breathed a long sigh of relief, "I am so exhausted!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 320 Gains and losses

    The old Confucian scholar straightened his back and immediately became lean and handsome. He didn't look sick at all, and he was not in his forties. He was dressed up as Mao Jie and came to Xiaji on Cheng Yu's order to do a big thing.

    Butcher Wang looked at him in surprise, "Who are you, and what is your relationship with my third uncle?"

    Butcher Wang didn¡¯t know Mao Jie, but he was indeed bitten by a venomous snake on the mountain ten years ago. His third uncle sucked out the venom for him, and he almost died. This matter was very secret, and only he and his third uncle knew about it.

    Since this Confucian scholar also knew, he must have been sent by Third Uncle. It was this testimony and Third Uncle¡¯s bamboo sign that made Butcher Wang recognize him.

    Mao Jie said with a smile: "Your third uncle is my subordinate and serves as Cang Cao. I am the counselor of Prime Minister Cao. My surname is Mao."

    When Butcher Wang heard that he was Cao Cao's counselor, he was so frightened that his face turned pale. He hurriedly opened the door and peeked out, then closed the door and pulled him into the room quickly.

    Butcher Wang said nervously: "You are so bold. The investigation in Xiajie County is very strict. Once I am reported, neither you nor I will survive. Moreover, outsiders are not allowed to stay in the city for more than twelve hours, so I can't take them in."  you."

    Mao Jie smiled slightly, opened the door and waved to the child in the yard, "Bring the donkey in!"

    The boy brought the donkey in. Mao Jie pointed at the donkey¡¯s big belly and smiled at Butcher Wang: ¡°Untie the donkey¡¯s belly!¡±

    Butcher Wang was surprised. He stepped forward and touched the donkey's belly. Only then did he realize that there was something wrong with the donkey's belly. There was a piece of skin sewn into the donkey's belly. However, the workmanship was very clever. If you don't touch it with your hands, you can't tell at all.

    Butcher Wang knew that this was to avoid the tight security. He was even more curious, what could be inside?

    He immediately found a knife, carefully cut open the outer layer of fake leather, and a red silk bag fell out. Mao Jie picked up the red silk bag and opened it. It turned out to be ten bright pearls as big as thumbs.  It was so eye-catching that Butcher Wang was blinded.

    "These pearls are for you!" Mao Jie said with a smile.

    Butcher Wang swallowed his saliva and said in a trembling voice: "Give it to me?"

    "It's for you, but I have a condition."

    "Say!" Of course Butcher Wang knew that pie would not fall from the sky. These pearls were worth at least a thousand pieces of gold, so there must be something for him to do.

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple!¡±

    Mao Jie smiled and said: "We want to know the secret of kerosene. How it turned out to be clear and yellowish when it was originally a black and sticky substance. You can find this secret for me."

    Butcher Wang was surprised. Of course he knew what this meant?  That is the biggest secret of the Jiang Xia Army. If the army finds out, he will definitely die.

    He scratched his head and said: "I only know that it is refined. No one will tell me how it is refined."

    "That's right. Many people are working in the kerosene workshop. In fact, it is not difficult to get. As long as you can get this secret, these pearls will be yours. I will leave tonight. How about it?"

    Mao Jie gently played with the pearl in his hand, and the pearl shone even more dazzlingly. Butcher Wang stared at the pearl hard, and his eyes became hot. These pearls were something he would never earn in his life.

    With these pearls, I can live like a big family in Xicheng for the rest of my life, drinking and eating meat all day long, marrying five women, having a lot of children, and being served by a large group of maids and slaves.

    He finally got a sudden change of heart and said to Mao Jie: "To be honest, sir, the kerosene oil workshop is very heavily guarded. There are two layers of walls. The inner wall is the center of the oil refining. It is all done by the army. We civilians can only  I went to do odd jobs and carry things inside the outer wall, but I know that one person has been inside, but he is about to die. It depends on the luck of the gentleman. "

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In a dilapidated house, the light was dim, and an old man as thin as a skeleton was lying on the couch. He was dying and on the verge of death, but Mao Jie gave him a bright pearl and gave him a coffin book. He immediately became  When he became energetic, his voice was low but clear.

    ¡°That was last year, when I and five other people were called in to clean the pool.¡±

    "What pool?" Mao Jie interrupted him and asked.

    "I heard the soldiers say it's called a sedimentation tank. There's a sign next to it, but I can't read. It seems that the petroleum oil needs to settle in the pool first. The pool is very big, and a thick layer of oil slurry has settled below. I heard it's poisonous, so the soldiers  We refused to go down to clean up, so we worked for three days and each received 500 yuan. Later, everyone else got sick and died, and I was going to die too.¡±

    "Then what? What else did you see?" Mao Jie asked again.

    ¡°I also saw a lot of iron pipes and large pots, and another large pool. The pipes passed under the pool. It is said that it gets cold, and then the clear kerosene can flow.?Coming.  "

    Mao Jie silently sketched in his mind, iron pipes, cauldrons, sedimentation pools, and cooling pools, but he was still a little confused and asked: "How to do it specifically?"

    "I don't know either. Work was stopped at that time. Pan Silang said that the pipes in the pool were to cool down. As a result, he was immediately dragged out and whipped dozens of times. He was never seen again. Anyway, he was not allowed to speak after entering. No.  If you ask more, we only know that the oil refining soldiers never come out."

    Mao Jie repeatedly interrogated the old man, but the old man knew nothing. He had to return to Butcher Wang's house, thinking about whether he could climb up the mountain to have a look. It was said that the oil refining workshop was at the foot of the mountain.

    Butcher Wang rejected his idea, "You can't see anything. There is a shed cover on top, which covers everything, and you can't go up the mountain. The army has orders, and anyone who goes up the mountain without permission will be killed."

    Butcher Wang suddenly slapped his forehead, "I'm so stupid! Can't I just ask Lu Er, the shed builder? He can see things clearly than anyone else."

    Mao Jie was overjoyed, "Where is this Lu Er? Take me there quickly."

    At this moment, someone knocked on the door, and someone outside shouted: "Butcher Wang, open the door quickly!"

    Butcher Wang¡¯s wife rushed over and said nervously: ¡°There are many soldiers coming outside!¡±

    Butcher Wang¡¯s face turned pale with fright. Why are the troops here? Have they been discovered?  He looked back at Mao Jie, who reacted faster than him. He took out the pearl from his arms and threw it into the well in the courtyard. His back became rickety again and he became extremely old.

    Butcher Wang opened the door and saw only a dozen soldiers coming in. The leader was none other than the chief. He pointed his hand at Mao Jie and said loudly: "I have received an order from above. From today on, no outsiders are allowed to enter the city, so you  My third uncle must leave immediately, without any delay, he must leave now!¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Ten days later, Mao Jie returned to Fancheng after traveling to Anlu County. Cheng Yu learned that Mao Jie was back and went out of the city to greet him personally. Obtaining the secret of Jiangxia's military oil was what Cheng Yu was most concerned about.

    Before Cao Cao left, he gave Cheng Yu a two-month deadline and ordered him to get the same kerosene as Jiang Xia's army within two months. This put great pressure on Cheng Yu, and he even wanted to go to Xiaji himself.  County, but was blocked by the generals, and finally the shrewd and capable Mao Jie went.

    "Xian Xiao, how's the harvest?" Cheng Yu asked impatiently as soon as he saw Mao Jie.

    Mao Jie smiled bitterly, "It's not good, but it's not bad either. Let's go to the city and talk about it!"

    Everyone gathered around Mao Jie as he entered Fancheng and came to the government office lobby. Under the expectant gazes of more than a dozen senior officials and Cheng Yu, Mao Jie recounted his trip to Xiazhi County in detail, and finally gave a wry smile.  He said: "I was lucky. I arrived two hours early and found someone who had some knowledge. If I had gone later, I would have found nothing."

    Everyone looked at each other, no one expected that Xiaji was so tightly guarded. Mao Jie tried every means, but could only get a few pieces of information. Cheng Yu was silently meditating, 'iron pipes, cauldrons, sedimentation pools, cooling pools', these  How to use it?

    At this time, Yu Jin said with a smile: "From Mr. Mao's description, the sedimentation tank is easy to understand. It is to let the kerosene settle first, and some things in the kerosene will precipitate into slurry, so that the kerosene will not be so sticky.  It¡¯s thicker.¡±

    Man Chong also added: "Iron pots are probably used for refining oil. This is how tung oil is boiled in my hometown. If you repeatedly simmer it in a large iron pot, some dregs will sink to the bottom of the pot, and the water will evaporate, and the tung oil will become  More pure."

    Cheng Yu nodded and said: "Actually, we don't understand this kind of thing, but old craftsmen should understand it. Ask more old craftsmen to ask, and through repeated trials, we should be able to solve the problem."

    He immediately said to Mao Jie: "Mao joins the army, I will continue to leave this matter to you. I will give you half a month. If you can complete it, I will remember your great achievements. If you cannot complete it, you can explain it to the prime minister yourself."  ¡±

    Mao Jie nodded silently. In fact, he thought about it repeatedly on the way.  After repeatedly drawing pictures, he probably has some knowledge. With the help of craftsmen, he should be able to do it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try, maybe it won¡¯t take half a month, and I¡¯ll have the results in ten days.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Ten days passed in a flash. In the morning, Cheng Yu led dozens of generals to the shore of Bishui, where they would test the kerosene refined by Mao Jie today.

    Everyone has seen the real thing. It is exactly the same as Jiangxia munitions oil. It is light yellow and clear and transparent, but everyone is more concerned about its power.

    At this time, an ox cart slowly drove up. There were more than a dozen earthen jars on the ox cart, all of which were sealed with soil. Several soldiers came forward, opened the seals of the earthen jars, and poured the kerosene in the jars into the river.  Going down, a patch of water suddenly appeared on the water.??Ȭ.

    A soldier came forward with a torch, and everyone became nervous. Only Mao Jie stroked his beard and smiled. He had done many experiments and it was foolproof. He would succeed if he finished.

    I saw the soldiers put their firelight close to the kerosene floating on the water, and heard 'Boom!  ' With a sound, the water surface burned, the blue flames spread quickly, and the raging fire immediately blocked the water surface.

    The officers and soldiers of Cao's army on both sides of the strait were suddenly jubilant, and the cheers resounded throughout Bishui. Cheng Yu was also very excited. Their original kerosene was too viscous and could not burn on the water. Now they finally had the same kerosene as Jiang Xia's army.

    The key to a military battle is balance. The Jiangxia army's kerosene has always been a serious concern for Cao's army. It was the Jiangxia army's ferocious kerosene and sharp warships that made Cao Cao lose all confidence. Now that he has the kerosene, he can only wait for the battle.  With all the ships ready, the time is ripe to destroy Jingzhou and Jiangdong and unify the world.

    This made Cheng Yu full of expectations.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 321 Xuchang War Preparations

    Winter turned to spring, and in the blink of an eye it was the early spring of the thirteenth year of Jian'an. In the past few months, the entire situation in Jingzhou was calm. There was neither an attack by Jiangxia Army on Jiangling nor a fierce battle between Jiangxia Army and Cao Army.

    However, under the calm situation, the undercurrent is still turbulent, and all forces are actively preparing for war. Cao Jun has successively increased troops to Nanyang and Fancheng since November, bringing the total strength of Cao Jun from Nanyang to Fancheng to 80,000.

    Materials from all over the world gathered in Nanyang. Also starting from November, Cao Cao ordered millions of civilians from the Central Plains and twelve counties in Hebei to transport a large amount of food, tents, ordnance, kerosene, wood and other military supplies to Nanyang.  The next major shipment lasted until January of the following year, causing the Xuchang warehouse that was originally well stocked to be almost empty.

    At the same time, Jiangxia is also actively preparing for war. Starting from November last year, Xiangyang City, Xiakou City and Wuchang City were simultaneously raised and reinforced, and an auxiliary city was built on both sides of Xiakou City to strengthen the control of Xiakou City.  city ??defense.

    In order to support the Jiangxia army, the Tao family transported nearly 300,000 shi of grain from nine warehouses in Jiangdong to Jiangxia as military rations, and used half of their family property as military expenses to support the Jiangxia army in resisting Cao Cao.

    On the east side of the Yangtze River, Sun Quan appointed Zhou Yu as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Cheng Jin as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, and Lu Su as the Chief Commander. He sent a total of 50,000 troops and 1,000 warships. Starting in November, Zhou Yu led his army to train in Poyang Lake.  .

    At the same time as the army was sent westward, Jiangdong also began to transport various military supplies and large amounts of food to the west, so that it was less than a hundred miles away from Wuchang County. Qichun County on the east bank of the Yangtze River was a logistics center for Jiangdong's army. Jiangdong built thirty  There are more warehouses and 10,000 troops stationed under the command of Cheng Jin.

    As the wheels of war continue to roll forward, almost everyone realizes that a North-South war related to the fate of China is about to begin in the thirteenth year of Jian'an.

    Xudu, since Cao Cao moved the capital to Yecheng a few years ago, Xuchang City has been serving as the companion capital. Just two months ago, in the middle of the first lunar month, in order to conquer Jingzhou, Cao Cao moved the emperor and hundreds of civil and military officials to Xuchang, and in  Xuchang gathered soldiers from all over the world, and hundreds of thousands of troops gathered in Xuchang.

    The city of Xuchang in early March should be the season when warblers are flying, grass is growing, and flowers are blooming. However, a major event happened in Xuchang at this time. Kong Rong, the 20th grandson of Confucius and the leader of the northern gentry, was used by Cao Cao to recruit his disciples.  , and were executed for the crime of "intention of evil". This case shocked the government and the public and caused an uproar in the world.

    Xuchang City is full of soldiers patrolling and standing guard. Three people are not allowed to walk together, and people are not allowed to gather to discuss matters. All pubs, hotels, gambling houses, brothels and other public places are closed. Even the old farmers selling vegetables at the city gate must be kept ten steps apart.

    The city of Xuchang is shrouded in terror, everyone is in danger, every house is closed, and after dark, the streets become deathly silent.

    The front of the Prime Minister's Mansion is even more heavily guarded. There is a post every three steps and a sentry every five steps. Anyone who tries to get close to the Prime Minister's Mansion will be killed.

    In the study room, Cao Cao was changing his court uniform. Beside him, Sima Yi was reporting on the situation of the Taixue scholars. Sima Yi was thirty years old this year. He took up the post of literary director last month and was responsible for managing the official schools. Taixue was also within his scope of authority.  Inside.

    "I would like to report to the Prime Minister that the troubles caused by the Imperial College scholars have basically subsided, but it is not that they have stopped, but that they have all returned to their hometowns. In the past few days, 70% of them have left, and the Imperial College dormitory is empty  ¡±

    "enough!"

    Cao Cao interrupted Sima Yi's report unhappily. Sima Yi immediately fell silent. Cao Cao glanced at him again and asked coldly: "Zhongda, listening to your tone, it seems that you are a little dissatisfied!"

    "I don't dare, but I can't stop the students from returning home. I feel ashamed!"

    "Let them go if they want to leave. There is no pity. The gentry students have left, just to make way for the Han students. Zhongda, I hope you can use this opportunity to change the rules of Taixue's recruitment of apprentices and give more space to the Han students.  If you have the opportunity, you might as well learn from Liu Jing of Jiangxia. No matter whether he is a scholar or a commoner, only his talents can be respected. Only in this way can we cultivate truly talented scholars."

    Sima Yi lowered his head and remained silent for a long time. Cao Cao felt a little strange and asked again: "Don't you agree with what I said?"

    "No! No!"

    Sima Yi hurriedly shook his head, "It's just I don't really want to"

    He hesitated in speaking, which made Cao Cao even more doubtful, "What exactly do you want to say?"

    "Wei Chen no longer wants to take care of the affairs of the Imperial Academy, but is willing to handle military affairs for the Prime Minister." Sima Yi finally expressed his thoughts.

    Cao Cao laughed, "I see, then why don't you go when Zi Lian asks you to be his staff?"

    Zi Lian is Cao Hong. Cao Hong asked Sima Yi several times to be his mastermind, but Sima Yi refused to agree. Now he wanted to go to the army again. Of course Cao Cao understood what Sima Yi was thinking. Sima Yi didn't want toAt this time, he offended the nobles and went to the army to avoid disaster.

    However, because of Guo Jia's death and Jia Xu's surrender, Cao Cao was short of counselors. Sima Yi was a capable man. He refused to serve in the army several times when he asked him to join the army. It was rare that he took the initiative to propose it today. This is not a bad thing. Cao Cao thought for a moment and said  : "Let's do this! I'm going to hold a meeting for the Southern Expedition soon. You should also participate!"

    ?¡­

    Cao Cao¡¯s decision to kill Kong Rong was not a whim, but a well-thought-out decision, and it was also the inevitable result after killing Yuan Shao.

    Cao Cao¡¯s political ambition was to promote Legalism from poor families. He wanted to take advantage of the troubled times at the end of the Han Dynasty to break the trend of control by famous families that had gradually formed since the middle of the Han Dynasty.

    At the same time, it is also necessary to break the Confucian dominance situation caused by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's exclusive respect for Confucianism and rebuild the Legalist thought of governing the country.

    So in the third year of Chuping, Cao Cao's killing of the great Confucian was just a test. Today, after killing his powerful enemy Yuan Shao, he would truly declare war on Confucianism by killing the 20th grandson of Confucius. In fact, when he later killed Yang Xiu, it was not a sign of revenge for his father, Yang Biao.  A blow.

    Coercing the emperor to command the princes was just a means for him to realize his political ambitions. In fact, the people who opposed coercing the emperor to command the princes were mainly royal aristocrats. Therefore, with the "clothes edict incident", the chariot generals Dong Cheng,  The partial generals Wang Fu, etc., including Yuan Shao, Liu Bei, Ma Teng, are Cao Cao's political enemies.

    ??As for Kong Rong, Bian Rang, Mi Heng, Yang Biao and other famous Confucian scholars, they are not opposed to using the emperor to control the princes. If Yuan Shao used the emperor to control the princes, they might still support it strongly.

    They are firmly opposed to the thoughts of Cao Cao's humble Legalists. They want to maintain the orthodox status of the Confucian gentry and spare no effort to undermine the legitimacy of Cao Cao's power. They are Cao Cao's ideological enemies.

    When Cao Cao defeated Lu Bu, destroyed Yuan Shao, expelled Liu Bei, and eradicated many political enemies through the Yidaizhao incident, he no longer tolerated ideological enemies, and it became a matter of course to kill Kong Rong, the leader of the Seven Sons of Jian'an.

    This also prepares for the legality of the upcoming Southern Expedition. The so-called legality means that anyone who dares to accuse him of being illegal will be killed. If no one objects, he will naturally be legal.

    Dozens of important counselors and generals have gathered in the lobby. This is a typical example of the power of the prime minister being greater than the power of the king. The court is just a decoration, the emperor and the civil and military officials are also just vases, but the real military and national plans come from the prime minister's palace.

    "The Prime Minister is here!"

    With the guards shouting, Cao Cao, who was dressed in court uniform and surrounded by sixteen guards with swords, walked quickly into the lobby from the side. Everyone stood up and bowed together, "See the Prime Minister!"

    Sima Yi also quietly came in from the side door and stood in the last seat, next to Mao Jie. Mao Jie smiled at him, but he was a little strange in his heart, why Sima Yi was here too.

    "Excuse me, gentlemen!"

    Cao Cao sat down in his seat, but quickly glanced at Xun Yu, wondering if Xun Yu would come after he killed Kong Rong?

    As expected by Cao Cao, Xun Yu was indeed in office with a calm expression, seemingly not affected by the Kong Rong case at all.

    This shows that Xun Yu was just a royalist, not the same as Kong Rong, Yang Biao and others.

    Cao Cao's eyes turned to Cheng Yu again, and he nodded to him, meaning that Cheng Yu should speak first. Cheng Yu had been in charge of war preparations in Fancheng and Nanyang, and only arrived in Xuchang three days ago.

    He understood what Cao Cao meant, so he stood up and said to everyone: "Dear envoys and generals, let me first briefly talk about the war preparations in Wancheng and Fancheng. Starting from September last year, the prime minister used the whole country to build warships.  , now there are more than 2,000 large and small warships anchored on the water, guarded by 50,000 troops, and they have repelled more than ten attacks by the Jiangxia army. "

    Whispers suddenly rang out in the lobby. No one thought that in just half a year, Cheng Yu had built more than 2,000 ships. This was not impossible, but how much manpower and material resources would it require?

    And many people don¡¯t know that most of the ships in Fancheng came from the Yellow River and other rivers. The ships were just dismantled and transported to Fancheng for reassembly, so it was possible to build more than 2,000 large and small warships in half a year.

    But the generals did not care about the process. The results of the shipbuilding made them all look happy. They knew very well the embarrassment of being suppressed by the Jiangxia navy in Fancheng last year. Cao Ren was forced to withdraw from Xiangyang because they had no navy or warships.

    Cheng Yu waited for the discussion to calm down a little, and then continued: "More than a hundred large warehouses have been built in Wancheng, and they have been stocked with food, ordnance and other materials, which are enough to deal with a major battle involving hundreds of thousands of people. In addition, from Wancheng,  The official road from the city to Fancheng was also widened and leveled to make the transportation of supplies smoother."

    Cheng Yu introduced the combat readiness of Fancheng and Wancheng in detail. Cao CaoThen he smiled and said: "Tell me about the shortcomings! What other aspects do you have difficulties with?"

    Cheng Yu nodded and said: "The biggest problem now is the shortage of boatmen. Northerners are not good at sailing, so it is extremely difficult to recruit boatmen. We need 30,000 boatmen, but in fact only more than 3,000 were recruited."

    Cao Cao thought for a while and said: "Let's discuss this problem later! Anyway, there will be a way to solve it."

    He took another look at the generals sitting there, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang and others. In fact, the purpose of letting them participate in the discussion was to let them understand the combat readiness situation, and when discussing the combat strategy, it was still up to the counselors to decide.

    Cao Cao then smiled at the generals and said: "All you brave men, please leave first! I will call you separately to discuss the specific battles."

    All the generals stood up and retreated, and there were only seven or eight people left in the hall. Cao Cao then slowly said to the counselors: "It concerns the overall situation, and I hope you can speak freely."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 322 Sima Yi¡¯s Suggestions

    The discussion of the Southern Expedition plan in the lobby lasted for a full day, until nightfall, when everyone dispersed exhausted. Major issues such as logistics support and the scope of the Southern Expedition had been finalized, but there were different opinions and opinions on the number of troops and strategies.  Difficult to unify.

    In the study, Cao Cao paced back and forth with his hands behind his hands, thinking about several plans.  He was really undecided. Standing next to him was his second son Cao Zhi. Cao Zhi was only seventeen years old. He was talented and extremely intelligent. Cao Cao liked him very much. He ordered his eldest son Cao Pi to guard Yedu, and his second son Cao Zhi stayed with him.

    At this time, a guard reported at the door, "Mr. Cheng and Xun Lingjun are here."

    This is Cheng Yu and Xun Yu. Cao Cao secretly asked someone to keep them. This is also Cao Cao's habit of discussing military and state affairs. He first expands the discussion and then discusses it with the core advisers in detail.

    "Invite them in!"

    After a while, Cheng Yu and Xun Yu walked in one after another. They bowed and saluted. Cao Cao smiled and waved his hand, "No need to be more polite. Sit down quickly!"

    Cheng Yu and Xun Yu sat down with smiles. Cheng Yu said first: "I saw Sima Zhongda at the door. He refused to leave. He seemed to have some insights to report to the prime minister."

    Cao Cao was startled, then laughed, and immediately ordered Cao Zhi, "Go and invite Sima Zhongda as well!"

    Cao Zhi turned around and left. Xun Yu asked in confusion, "I saw that he also participated in military and political affairs today. Could it be that the prime minister no longer uses him as a literary consultant?"

    Cao Cao nodded, "This man has a great military talent. Using him as a literary assistant is a waste of talent. He himself is willing to join the army. I am going to appoint him as the chief secretary for this southern expedition."

    Cheng Yu also smiled and said: "All Sima Bada are talented people, so there is a saying that Ma Wuchang is in the south, Baimei is the most virtuous, Ma Bada is in the north, and Zhongda is the most talented."

    Just as he was talking, Sima Yi was brought in by Cao Zhi. Sima Yi stepped forward, knelt down, and bowed, "Greetings to the prime minister, and hello to the two seniors!"

    Cao Cao smiled faintly, "I am discussing the war in Jingzhou with two counselors. Zhongda might as well sit down!"

    "yes!"

    Sima Yi did not dare to sit side by side with Cheng Yu and Xun Yu, but sat behind them. Cao Zhi also sat down behind his father and listened carefully to their discussion of the war in Jingzhou.

    The room became quiet, and Cao Cao first said to Xun Yu: "Mr. Tian Tian suggested that I use less troops and rest with the people. I can also understand your love for the people. However, we fought with Liu Jing several times and were defeated. I  I have a deep understanding that Liu Jing has advantages in naval forces, geographical advantages, and popular support. Even in a small fight, I can't defeat the opponent with the same force.

    This time the Jiangdong Army will also participate in the war. The two sides have a hundred thousand troops. I must be several times larger than the other side to have any chance of victory, so I decided to send 300,000 troops to fight in a decisive battle on the Yangtze River.  "

    Xun Yu was taken aback and said quickly: "Prime Minister, please send 300,000 troops. If you add twice as many civilians, there will be millions of people. With the current national strength, I am afraid that we cannot support this war."

    Next to him, Cheng Yu smiled and said: "Wen Ruo is overly worried. In fact, there is no need for twice as many civilians as the war preparations have been completed. We can recruit up to 100,000 civilians and 30,000 boatmen. The civilians are mainly used for transportation between Wancheng and Fancheng, and there are 300,000 troops."  I think it is indeed necessary, otherwise it will be difficult to win this North-South war.¡±

    Cheng Yu stayed in Fancheng for more than half a year. With his intelligence and status, his words were implicitly very convincing. Xun Yu was silent for a moment and said: "The three hundred thousand troops are almost an overwhelming force. If they all go south,  Did Zhongde consider whether Ma Teng's Xiliang army would take advantage of the situation? "

    When Xun Yu mentioned the Xiliang Army, the room fell silent. Ma Teng of Xiliang was indeed a big threat. Although Ma Teng also sent troops to help Cao Jun attack Bingzhou in the Battle of Guandu, it did not mean that Ma Teng would be close to Cao Jun from now on.  , once the Central Plains is empty, Ma Teng is likely to lead his army eastward, which is also a pet peeve of Cao Cao.

    At this time, Sima Yi, who had been silent, said: "I have a plan to relieve Xiliang's future troubles."

    Cao Cao was overjoyed, "Zhongda, please speak!"

    Sima Yi thought for a moment and said: "I heard that the Qiang people rebelled and occupied Jiuquan County, cutting off the connection between Zhangye County and Dunhuang County. The Prime Minister can use the emperor's edict to Ma Teng and Han Sui. Whoever recovers Jiuquan County between them will win."  Who should be made Liangzhou Shepherd?"

    Before Sima Yi could finish speaking, Cao Cao clapped his hands and laughed, "Wonderful, this is a plan to kill three men with two peaches!"

    At this time, Cao Zhi saw that Xun Yu was dejected and knew that he was opposed to the campaign against Jingzhou. Cao Zhi said: "Although the strategy is good, it is too obvious. Ma Teng and Han Sui may not be fooled."

    Sima Yi smiled slightly, "So what if they know? They are neither nephews nor brothers. How can they be of the same heart in the face of interests? Ma Teng is a brave man but little wise and suspicious. If the prime minister sends another message to Han Sui,  , horseIf you can't believe it, you will definitely suspect that Han Sui is hiding something from him. There is a gap between the two. Even if Xuchang is an empty city, they will not attack. I dare to conclude that Ma Teng will eventually go to conquer the Jiuquan Qiang people.  "

    Sima Yi¡¯s strategy was impeccable, which greatly impressed Cao Cao. He smiled and asked, ¡°I wonder what Zhongda thinks about the southern expedition to Jingzhou?¡±

    Sima Yi had a good plan in mind, but he didn't have a chance to speak. He wandered outside the prime minister's house at night, also looking for opportunities to offer advice. Now Cao Cao finally gave him a chance. He immediately said: "Wei Chen thought that we could weaken it from the inside first."  The alliance between Sun and Liu will concentrate its forces to attack Jiangxia."

    "Keep talking!" Cao Cao suddenly became interested, and even Cheng and Xun listened attentively.

    Sima Yi smiled again and continued: "I heard that Liu Jing was almost assassinated when he went to Soochow last year, and the civil servant group within Jiangdong opposed an alliance with Liu Jing. In this case, the Prime Minister might as well build momentum and send an army to station troops in Hefei and march into  Wuhu will inevitably trigger a shock in Soochow. At this time, the Chinese ministers will be sent to Soochow to deal with it. As long as Soochow is willing to withdraw its troops, Sun Quan can be allowed to be the Duke of Wu. In addition, the opposition within Soochow has gained momentum. After they exert pressure,  If this happens, Sun Quan will definitely be shaken and the Sun-Liu alliance will be weakened."

    Sima Yi had a clear vision and a sharp strategy, and he could always get to the core. The Hua Shizhong he proposed was Hua Xin, a person Sun Quan trusted, which made Cao Cao feel like he was just waking up from a dream. He couldn't help but sigh: "I am here today."  It¡¯s a pity that I won Zhongda¡¯s talent!¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sima Yi and Xun Yu both said goodbye and left. Cao Zhi also left. Cao Cao and Cheng Yu were the only two people left in the room. Cao Cao smiled and asked, "Does Zhongde think Sima Yi can make up for the lack of filial piety?"

    Cheng Yu pondered for a moment and said: "The Sima family is a famous family in Hanoi and a resolute promoter of Confucianism. They may not support the Prime Minister's ambition of the Legalist common people. If his family is allowed to become powerful, I am afraid it will affect the Prime Minister's descendants in the future. I  I suggest the Prime Minister use his talents instead of his people.¡±

    Cao Cao laughed and said, "Zhongde's words are serious. I don't believe that a small Sima family can do anything to my descendants."

    Cheng Yu secretly smiled bitterly in his heart. He found that Sima Yi was very utilitarian. If he used this kind of person well, it would be a blessing; if he didn't use it well, it would be a disaster. But Cao Cao valued him very much now, and Cheng Yu couldn't stop Cao Cao's success.  , had no choice but to advise tactfully: "Although Sima Yi proposed a good plan today, we cannot judge that he can replace Fengxiao. The minister advises the prime minister to observe more. It will not be too late to use him after he has made more achievements. He can also be used by others."  Convinced."

    Cao Cao nodded, he could accept this plan, let Sima Yi continue to be the chief clerk!

    Cao Cao suddenly remembered something again and quickly asked Cheng Yu: "What excuse do I have for my large-scale southern expedition this time?"

    Cheng Yu stroked his beard and smiled and said: "It's easy. The emperor made Liu Jing the shepherd of Jingzhou. He didn't come to the capital to express his gratitude. He is really contemptuous of the emperor. The prime minister can punish Liu Jing for the crime of deceiving the emperor."

    Cao Cao laughed, "What a crime, I'm afraid Liu Yanqing didn't expect it!"

    At this time, a guard reported outside the door: "Let me tell you, Prime Minister, General Zhang Liao has asked to see you, saying that he has a strategy to defeat the enemy!"

    "Hurry and order him to come in!"

    Cao Cao couldn't help but smile and said to Cheng Yu: "Does Zhang Wenyuan also have a strategy to defeat the enemy?"

    Cheng Yu also smiled slightly, "Wen Yuan is a famous general, and the prime minister can listen to his general strategies."

    Not long after, Zhang Liao was brought in, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "I'm humble enough to see you, Prime Minister!"

    "Wen Yuan, there is no need to be polite, please sit down!"

    Zhang Liao sat down and said: "I have a plan to get Xiangyang from my humble position. I wonder if Prime Minister is willing to listen to it?"

    "Say it!"

    Zhang Liao then said in a deep voice: "Although Liu Jing won Xiangyang, he refused to move the refugees from Xiangyang back. This shows that he was ready to abandon Xiangyang at any time. Therefore, I suggested that the prime minister divide his troops into two groups, one to station troops in Fancheng and the other to attack Anlu County.  , the army approaches Jiangxia, Liu Jing has insufficient troops, and will inevitably withdraw from Xiangyang and protect Jiangxia.

    If Xiangyang is captured, the prime minister can drive south to Jiangling, seize the money and food for the battle of Jiangling, and recruit local boatmen. As Mr. Cheng said, the shortage of boatmen will be easily solved.  "

    Cao Cao glanced at Cheng Yu and asked him if this plan was feasible?

    Cheng Yu strongly agreed with the strategy of obtaining boatmen from the south. He stroked his beard and said with a smile: "If we want to recapture Xiangyang, I'm afraid it's not enough to attack Anlu County alone. We also have to go to Yongru Fangling, threaten Xiangyang from the land, and force Liu Jing to  Withdraw troops from Xiangyang."

    Cao Cao thought for a moment and then readily agreed, "Then I will appoint Wen Yuan as the chief general, Yu Jin and Zang Ba as deputy generals, Mao Jie and Sima Yi as counselors, and Runan Prefect Li Tong as the coordinator. I will send 60,000 troops to attack Anlu County. Anlu  The guard is the famous general Wen Pin, I hope Wen Yuan will not disappoint me."

    "A humble position will not disappoint the Prime Minister!"

    £®  £®  £®  ??.  £®  £®  £®

    In March of the 13th year of Jian'an, Cao Cao accused Liu Jing of deceiving the emperor on the grounds that Liu Jing paid homage to the governor of the state and did not go to the capital to express his gratitude. The emperor issued an edict and named Cao Cao the General of the Conquest of the South, in order to conquer Liu Jing, the governor of Jingzhou.  Jing.

    Cao Cao then ordered an army of 300,000 troops, and ordered Man Chong to lead 10,000 troops to Hefei and march into Wuhu. He also ordered Cao Ren to lead 30,000 troops to cross the river from Shangyong and march to Fangling. He then sent Zhang Liao as general to lead an army of 50,000 troops.  Runan, prepare to attack Anlu County from Runan.

    Cao Cao personally led an army of more than 100,000 people and marched toward Nanyang in a mighty manner. This kicked off the Cao army's large-scale southern expedition in the 13th year of Jian'an.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 323 The Cost of War

    Liu Jing got up quietly before dawn. Although he was very careful, he still woke up his wife beside him.

    ¡°Husband, what time is it?¡±

    Tao Zhan was pregnant for more than seven months. Her body was heavy and it was difficult to get up. Liu Jing quickly held her hand and smiled: "It's past the fifth watch, but it's still early and it's not yet dawn. You can continue to sleep!"

    ¡°You¡¯re up so early, do you want to go to the military camp?¡±

    "No, I'm going to Xiakou today, I think I told you."

    "Look at my memory!"

    Tao Zhan said apologetically: "I prepared your luggage last night, but I forgot about it now."

    She quickly shouted: "Bao Niang!"

    Bao Niang is Little Baozi. She officially became Liu Jing¡¯s concubine at the beginning of the year. This was also because Tao Zhan was pregnant and could not have sex. In order to meet her husband¡¯s physiological needs, she asked Liu Jing to take Little Baozi as his concubine.

    As Tao Zhan's wife, one of her most important duties was to continue the heirs for her husband. Since the rate of premature death of children in the Han Dynasty was extremely high, even someone as wealthy as Cao Cao could not die. In this case, the only way to have more children was to be effective.  countermeasures.

    Especially for Liu Jing, who has no brothers or sisters and whose status is extraordinary, the continuation of his heirs is even more important.

    Therefore, Tao Zhan considered taking a concubine for her husband very early. Xiao Baozi was a concubine that she had long admired. Not only because Xiao Baozi had served Liu Jing for six years, but of course, this was also the main reason.

    But the more important reason is Xiaobaozi¡¯s strong appearance. Her waist is very thin, but her buttocks are big and round, and her breasts are also very large, which ensures that she has enough milk.

    This is the typical appearance of a prosperous son, and she is the daughter-in-law that many people dream of. Tao Zhan also made her his husband's concubine long ago, and prohibited her husband from marrying her to a personal guard officer.

    The little bun lived in the side room, so the concubine was sometimes called the side room or the side room. She immediately put on her clothes and came over, "Madam, are you going to leave?"

    "Well! You go and clean up! Help the young master wash up, and take good care of the young master on the way."

    "I see!"

    Little Baozi didn't dare to look at Liu Jing, turned around and ran out. Liu Jing was a little helpless and smiled at Tao Zhan: "I don't have to take her there. Let her stay and take care of you. I'll feel more at ease."

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and smiled, "I know you, let her go! There are so many servants in the house, it doesn't matter if she is missing one, and I can rest assured that she will take care of your daily life."

    At this time, Tao Zhan's two personal maids also came in and helped Tao Zhan stand up. Liu Jing turned around and went out to wash up.

    As soon as Liu Jing entered the living room, Little Baozi's plump and warm body got into his arms, hugged his neck and asked with a pout: "Don't you want to take me there?"

    With a deeper relationship, the two of them became more intimate. Liu Jing kissed her red lips. Seeing that there was no one around, he put his hands into her skirt from behind, squeezed her round buttocks hard, and smiled.  Whispered in her ear: "Unless you agree to what happened last time, I will take you there."

    The little bun blushed and nodded coyly, "Okay then!"

    Liu Jing sat down, and Little Baozi combed his hair behind him, and asked: "Master, I heard that there is going to be a big war, is it true?"

    "Who did you listen to?"

    "Everyone in the city is saying this. Everyone is panicked. Every household is stocking up on grain. The price of rice has risen to 80 yuan per dou."

    Liu Jing frowned. He had just asked a few days ago, why did the price of 40 yuan for a bucket of rice double in just a few days?

    "Is it true that a bucket of rice costs eighty cents?"

    "What did I lie to you for? My mother told me yesterday afternoon."

    Liu Jing couldn't sit still. The war hadn't started yet, so he had messed up his position first. This wouldn't work. He had to talk to Xu Shu and the others. Originally, Liu Jing was planning to leave early in the morning, but now he changed his mind.  .

    "Little Baozi, let's leave at noon. Then I will send soldiers to pick you up and get on the boat."

    ¡°Then you have to agree, don¡¯t renege on what you promised!¡±

    Little Baozi took the comb and wanted to knock it off. She often saw her mistress laughing and knocking Liu Jing on the head, but after some hesitation, she still didn't dare. Her mother told her yesterday that there are some things that wives can do, but concubines can't.  Can not do.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The sky is getting brighter, and Luoqiaokou in Wuchang City is already very busy. Luoqiaoqiao is the first bridge from Caohe River to the city. This area is named after this bridge for several miles, and it is called Luoqiaokou.

    Luoqiaokou is the cargo distribution center of Wuchang City, and even Jiangxia and even Jingzhou. There is a two-mile long wharf, thousands of shops of various sizes, and countless warehouses. A large number of goods come in and out from here.Tens of thousands of people are begging for life in Luoqiaokou every day.

    Due to the influence of war rumors these days, many people came to line up before dawn. There were long queues in front of more than a dozen rice shops, and everyone held various bags in their hands.

    At this time, a group of cavalry arrived with several carriages, and five or six senior officials got out of the carriage. Many people recognized the young man at the head as their Jingzhou Shepherd.

    The other high-ranking official next to him, whom most people knew, was Chang Shi Xu Shu, and everyone made way for them.

    In addition to Liu Jing and Xu Shu, there were also Jiangxia County Cheng Yiji, Wuchang County Magistrate Dong Yun, and Chang Shijiang Jiang Wan, who accompanied Liu Jing to the market to deal with the food price issue.

    ¡°In fact, officials know exactly what the problem is?  But there are some things that are hard to talk about. Liu Jing must understand them personally, and then he will know where the crux of the problem lies.

    Everyone walked to a rice shop. The shop sign said "Wang Ji Rice Shop". A bluestone was hung above the door of the shop. On it was written in charcoal the price of food today. Rice was eighty-five cents per dou. Wheat  Seventy cents per dou, Bi Xiaobaozi told him, eighty cents per dou, an increase of five cents. In normal times, a dou of rice was only twenty cents, but now it has increased four times.

    The proprietor of the rice store is a middle-aged man, dark and fat. He came out early and knelt down to greet him, "Young man Wang Shi pays homage to Mr. Zhou Mu!"

    "I have a few questions to ask you."

    Liu Jing glanced at the rice buyer behind him and said, "Let's go inside and talk!"

    Boss Wang hurriedly invited Liu Jing and several senior officials into the inner hall, and ordered the waiters to serve tea. After working for a long time, he stood in front of Liu Jing with his hands lowered. Liu Jing asked lightly: "I want to know why the price of rice is only half a dollar."  It has increased four times in a month? Tell me why.¡±

    Wang Dongzhu¡¯s lips moved and he didn¡¯t know what to say. After a while, he carefully answered: ¡°It was because there were rumors that there was going to be a war, so I started to panic, and the price of rice naturally rose.¡±

    "Really?" Liu Jing asked with a sneer: "Is it because the grain reserves in your store are insufficient? Or do you think that everyone sells at high prices, and if you sell at low prices, you will become a heretic, or do you think that you can't make money if you want to?"  Fool?"

    Liu Jing¡¯s tone was so stern that Wang Dongzhu was so frightened that he knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, ¡°I reported to Lord Zhou Mu that this is not the case.¡±

    "That is how the matter?"

    "It's because our purchase price is too high. The purchase price of a bushel of rice was originally fifteen yuan, so it was sold for twenty yuan. Now the purchase price is sixty or seventy yuan, so we can only sell it at a high price. If Mr. Zhou Mu doesn't believe it,  , you can check my account book.¡±

    Liu Jing then realized that it turned out that the price at the source had increased. He nodded and softened his tone slightly: "Then who controls the price of rice? I'm asking, who sells rice to you."

    "I don't dare to say that," Wang Dongzhu lowered his head and whispered timidly.

    "Say!" Liu Jing slammed the table and shouted sternly.

    Boss Wang trembled with fright, and finally lowered his head and said, "It's Tao's Trading Company."

    Liu Jing was stunned, and thousands of clues came together, and then he finally realized, "It turns out to be the Tao family!"

    He suddenly turned around and looked sternly at Xu Shu and others. They already knew what was going on, but they refused to tell him directly.

    Facing Liu Jing¡¯s stern gaze, Xu Shu shook his head helplessly.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Xu Changshi, you clearly knew what was going on, why didn't you stop it, why did you let the Tao family increase the price!"

    In the carriage, Liu Jing was extremely dissatisfied and asked Xu Shu bluntly: "Is it because the Tao family is my wife's natal family?"

    Xu Shu seemed to know that Liu Jing would ask this question, so he was not panicked and replied calmly: "We do know that the rise in food prices is the result of the Tao family's manipulation. In fact, the Tao family has also asked us for permission in advance. This is our responsibility."  The collective decision to allow the Tao family to increase prices has nothing to do with the Tao family¡¯s status.¡±

    "Why?" Liu Jing also gradually calmed down. Since it was the government's decision, he wanted to know the reason.

    "War requires military expenditures. Everyone needs to bear the military expenditures of the war, instead of all the money being paid by the Tao family. That would be unfair to the Tao family. In fact, a large part of the money everyone spends to buy rice at high prices becomes war military expenditures.  , I think this is not a bad thing.¡±

    At first, Liu Jing thought that the Tao family was using his connections to drive up food prices and collect money, which made him very angry. However, the feedback now revealed that the government was deliberately conniving in order to raise military funds in disguise, which made Liu Jing less angry.  Most of it.

    "Is the military expenditure insufficient now?" Liu Jing asked after a long while.

    Xu Shu gave a wry smile. For more than half a year, Liu Jing has only focused on the strength of the army.Soldier training only focuses on combat readiness, but rarely cares about Jiangxia's money and food expenses. Originally, it was already very difficult to support an army of 60,000 from the three counties of Jiangxia, Changsha, and Anlu. Although Xiangyang was acquired again, it did not help.  .

    After more than half a year of war preparations, Jiangxia's official warehouses have long been empty. If Jiangxia had not been unable to bear the military expenditures of this war, he would not have made such a desperate move to raise military expenditures by raising food prices. As long as they controlled  The upper limit on food prices will not have much impact.

    Xu Shu nodded silently and sighed: "The military rations can last for half a year, but the money is gone."

    Of course Liu Jing knew that during normal training, soldiers only need to ensure food and do not need to spend military pay. But once a war breaks out, there will be military pay, pensions for casualties, and rewards for meritorious service. All of these require money. After all,  War is about logistics and financial resources.

    Liu Jing had no choice but to say: "Then make your own money! Although Jingzhou does not have large copper mines like Dexing County in Jiangdong, there are also ancient green copper mines in Xisai, which can smelt copper and make money. Originally, these mines were Jiangxia's backup  I don¡¯t want to use my wealth easily, and I can¡¯t care about it now.¡±

    Xu Shu had a troubled expression on his face, "For the record, Zhou Mu, we have also thought of mining and smelting copper, but we are suffering from a lack of labor. It would be good if the more than 10,000 prisoners of war of Cao's army were used to mine, but it is a pity"

    "This matter is in the past, there is no point in talking about it!"

    Liu Jing interrupted Xu Shu's words a little unhappily, and said: "Since there is insufficient labor for mining, we should mobilize large families to donate copper utensils. Among Huang Zu's treasures, I remember there is a batch of copper utensils, all of which are used to make money."  , and all the rest of Huang Zu¡¯s belongings were sold. It¡¯s time for these rich things to come into play.¡±

    "When my subordinates understand, they will do their best!"

    At this time, Liu Jing whispered again: "There are also many aristocratic families in Jingzhou. We might as well find a way to make them bleed. For example, a new wave of yellow scarf bandits appears in Jiangxia. We just need to make it as secretive as possible and not leak it."

    Xu Shu was a little embarrassed, "Qizhou Mu, it's difficult to hide this kind of thing. If you can't use it, try not to use it! I still think of ways to persuade them."

    "Hmph!" Liu Jing sneered, "Most of these aristocratic families are just outsiders. It's too late to flatter Cao Cao at this time, so how can they help us?"

    But Xu Shu still refused to accept Liu Jing's plan. He further advised: "But if Zhou Mu wants to secure Jingzhou, he must rely on their support. It is best to let them be willing to pay. I think as long as he visits every family, he will definitely  Take some of the money."

    Liu Jing felt Xu Shu's stubbornness, and had no choice but to let him go, "In this case, you can make your own decision, and I won't care. In addition, I want to explain that the upper limit of grain prices is eighty yuan per bucket of rice. If it goes up,  Not even a penny."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 324 Additional Conditions

    Qichun County is located to the east of Jiangxia County, and the county government is Qichun County. Qichun County and Jiangxia County are bounded by the Yangtze River. At that time, the Sun and Liu families were at odds, and Sun Jian crossed the river to attack Liu Biao, so he attacked Jiangxia from Qichun County.

    Qichun County has stationed heavy troops in Jiangdong all year round. However, after the Battle of Chaisang a few years ago, Liu Jing and Sun Quan concluded a reconciliation agreement. The two sides ceased hostility and the number of troops stationed in Qichun County was reduced to a thousand.

    However, as Cao's army continued to move south, Sun Quan and Liu Jing signed a joint anti-Cao alliance last year, and Qichun County became the front line of Jiangdong's army to resist Cao. With Qichun County as the center, there were 60,000 troops and 1,200 warships.  The ships were deployed along the Yangtze River.

    Qichun County is close to the east bank of the Yangtze River and is located south of Wuchang County, about a hundred miles away. The river outside the county town is densely covered with thousands of Jiangdong warships, and on the shore, military camps stretch as far as the eye can see.  Dozens of miles.

    Zhou Yu ended his winter training in Poyang Lake and led his army to Qichun County. In the Chinese army's tent, dozens of large boxes were piled up like a hill, and more than a dozen workers were busy sorting dozens of documents.

    At this time, a soldier rushed over. He couldn't find the governor Zhou Yu in the tent, so he hurriedly asked: "Where is the governor?"

    "The governor has gone to inspect the military camp. You go west and have a look." An official replied.

    The soldiers immediately ran away to the west.

    Next to a military camp, what were Zhou Yu and Lu Suzheng whispering?  Zhou Yu looked a little angry, and what Lu Su reported clearly angered him.

    "How could he do this!"

    Although Zhou Yu lowered his voice, you could still hear the resentment in his tone, "At present, the enemy is most afraid of civil strife. If he is not convinced by me, I can give him the position of Grand Governor. Since I am the leader, he is the deputy."  , then he must obey my orders."

    The 'him' Zhou Yu was talking about was Cheng Pu, the deputy governor. This time, Sun Quan appointed Zhou Yu as the navy commander. However, due to pressure from the elders, he appointed Cheng Pu as the deputy governor. However, Sun Quan also knew about the contradiction between them.  , so Zhou Yu was ordered to be in charge of 50,000 naval troops, while Cheng Pu was in charge of 10,000 land troops, but Cheng Pu was controlled by Zhou Yu.

    Before Zhou Yu's army arrived in Qichun County, Cheng Pu had been stationed in Qichun County with 10,000 troops. However, it had been two days since Zhou Yu came to Qichun County, but Cheng Pu still did not come to see him.

    Today Lu Su was ordered to discuss repairing the city with Cheng Pu. Cheng Pu did not see Lu Su at all. This finally aroused Zhou Yu's anger. You must know that Qichun County is the retreat route for the navy. Once Cao Cao's army attacks Qichun County, Jiangdong Water  The army could only retreat to the county temporarily.

    Now that the county town is dilapidated and the city walls are unable to withstand enemy attacks, Zhou Yu only thinks of renovating the city. Cheng Pu's lack of cooperation will seriously affect his plan.

    Lu Su was also helpless. Seeing Zhou Yu's anger, he had to persuade him: "Captain, this matter can only be reported to the Marquis of Wu. Even if Cheng Pu cannot be removed from his post, he cannot be stationed in Qichun County.  It forms a battle between two tigers.¡±

    Zhou Yu shook his head and sighed helplessly: "Zijing, things won't be as you think. Marquis Wu will not transfer him. He will definitely want Cheng Demou and I to resolve the conflict on our own. It's difficult!"

    At this moment, a soldier rushed over, "Grand Governor!" The soldier shouted from a distance, "Jingzhou Liuzhou Mu is here!"

    Zhou Yu was shocked that Liu Jing was actually here, and he quickly stepped forward and asked, "Where is Liu Zhoumu now?"

    The soldier turned back and pointed to the river, "It's just above the river. He sent his envoy to come first."

    "Let the messenger come to see me!"

    The soldiers rushed away, but Zhou Yu frowned and asked Lu Su: "Zijing, what do you think Liu Jing's purpose is for coming to see me?"

    Lu Su chuckled and said, "The Governor is overly worried. The Governor has just arrived in Qichun. Of course he will come to meet the Governor. This is a normal visit and there should be no hidden agenda."

    "no!"

    Zhou Yu shook his head, "He came very suddenly, I think he still has an agenda."

    After a pause, Zhou Yu smiled again and said: "Maybe it's not a bad thing to have an agenda. It's okay to meet him first."

    Liu Jing did not go ashore to meet with Zhou Yu. When the Jiangdong Army stationed 60,000 troops on the east bank of Jiangxia, without a clear safety guarantee, meeting on a large ship would undoubtedly reduce pressure on both sides.

    Liu Jing made a temporary decision to meet with Zhou Yu. He was originally going to Xiakou to attend the inauguration ceremony of two defensive castles, but when he received news that Zhou Yu had led his army to Qichun County, he felt that it was necessary to meet each other.

    Liu Jing stood on the side of the ship with his hands behind his hands, watching Zhou Yu's ship approaching slowly. When the two ships crossed each other, he saw Zhou Yu and Lu Su on the big ship, and they were saluting him.

    Liu Jing returned the salute with a smile. He suddenly had a historical illusion. Standing in his position and greeting Zhou Yu at this time, it should be Zhuge Liang who was shaking his feather fan. How did he change?Killed yourself?

    At this time, the two boats came close and boarded the planks. Zhou Yu and Lu Su walked quickly, surrounded by more than a dozen guards. Zhou Yu smiled and said, "It's so cordial to see Zhou Mu here! We have such kind of country neighbors.  The feeling of visiting. ¡±

    "Haha! Gong Jin's wonderful words touched my heart."

    Liu Jing laughed, stepped forward and took Zhou Yu's arm. The two looked intimate, chatting and laughing as they walked towards the cabin. After entering the cabin, Liu Jing asked Zhou Yu and Lu Su to sit down, and said with a smile: "I wanted to go to the big city."  I was in a hurry to go to Xiakou to participate in the completion of the defensive castle, so I had no choice but to ask Brother Gong Jin to come to see me on the boat. Liu Jing was rude. "

    Zhou Yu smiled and didn't care about the rudeness. What he cared about was what Liu Jing's intention was to find him, but it was hard to ask. He thought of the shabby Qichun County again and couldn't help but sigh: "Zhou Mu attaches great importance to  Defending and building a military fortress is a blessing for Jiangxia, but it is a pity that Jiangdong does not have such good luck. "

    "What the governor means is that Wu Hou doesn't pay much attention to defense?" Liu Jing asked tentatively.

    Zhou Yu shook his head, "It's not Wu Hou's problem, it is." He smiled bitterly and couldn't say anything else.

    Next to him, Lu Su knew that Liu Jing was an insider. He said: "To be honest with Zhou Mu, the key is that Deputy Governor Cheng leads an army of 10,000 men and is stationed in Qichun County. He does not obey the orders of my Governor, which is worrying."

    It turns out that this is the case. Liu Jing was very aware of the internal conflicts of Jiangdong Army. He pondered for a while and said, "Has Gong Jin considered talking to Wu Hou?"

    Zhou Yu sighed, "How can I mention this to Marquis Wu? I can only try to avoid conflicts."

    "Do you want me to write a letter to Wu Hou?"

    Zhou Yu shook his head, "Thank you Zhou Mu for your kindness, but this is Jiangdong's internal matter, and it would be better if Zhou Mu does not participate."

    Although it is an internal matter, if the conflict between Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu breaks out sharply, it will be extremely detrimental to Sun and Liu's joint resistance against Cao. Liu Jing is even more worried that Sun Quan will transfer Zhou Yu in order to calm the conflict. This matter involves Jiangxia's interests, and he cannot ignore it.  .

    Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "Perhaps Gong Jin can temporarily leave Qichun and relocate elsewhere. I think if both sides are stationed together, conflicts will break out sooner or later, which is not good for the overall situation. If each side is stationed on one side, then we can live in peace.  "

    "Zijing also suggested this to me, but I couldn't find a suitable place to station troops at the moment."

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "If Gong Jin doesn't mind, I can lend Zhukou to Jiang Dongjun for a temporary stay."

    Zhukou is located about forty miles east of Xiakou and belongs to Jiangxia County. There is a long sand island in the Yangtze River in Zhukou. The island is four miles long and divides the Yangtze River into two. The water surface is wide in the north and narrow in the south. Huang Zu  A city was once built at Zhukou to defend the east of the Yangtze River. Currently, there is a military city with a circumference of ten miles on the shore, which is very suitable for naval garrison.

    Of course Zhou Yu knew Zhukou. Together with Sanjiangkou to the west, it was known as the left and right fortresses of Xiakou. It had always been a strategic location for Jiangxia. Liu Jing actually gave it to him to be stationed. Zhou Yu and Lu Su looked at each other.  Lu Su also looked a little stunned. He did not expect that Liu Jing would give Zhukou to Jiangdong Army for garrison. This shows that Liu Jing is sincere!

    Zhou Yu thought for a moment and said: "Thank you Zhou Mu for your kindness, but I have to ask Wu Hou for instructions on this matter. I will get a reply in half a month at the latest. If Wu Hou agrees, I am looking forward to stationing side by side with Jiangxia Navy."

    "There is one more thing I would like to ask Gong Jin to tell Wu Hou as well."

    "Zhou Mu, please speak!"

    "That's right. Due to this war preparation, Jiangxia has spent a lot of money and food, and its military expenditure is insufficient. I would like to borrow a military expenditure from Jiangdong, and I hope Gong Jin will tell Wu Hou for me."

    This is the real purpose of Liu Jing to find Zhou Yu. Since the two parties have formed an alliance, it is logical to borrow money from Jiangdong, and then return it to Jiangdong after mining and making money.

    ¡®Sure enough, I came here with a purpose!  ¡¯

    Zhou Yu secretly thought: 'I guessed that it was to borrow money.  ¡¯

    At this time, Zhou Yu suddenly remembered something Wu Hou told him, and Zhou Yu smiled and said: "Actually, there is no need to borrow money. Wu Hou has always wanted to buy Jingzhou's kerosene. If Zhou Mu is willing to sell it, we are willing to pay a high price to buy it. In this way  Wouldn¡¯t it also solve Jiangxia¡¯s military spending problem?¡±

    In the past few years, the Jiangdong Army sent dozens of oil exploration teams to various places in Jiangdong to search for kerosene, but found nothing. Later, they heard that Cao Cao had found kerosene in Puyang, which made Sun Quan even more anxious. Since Jiangdong could not find it, he  He could only buy it from Jingzhou, so he gave this task to Zhou Yu, hoping that he could persuade Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing was silent in silence. Jingling County has a large production of kerosene. There is plenty of kerosene. The key is that kerosene is an important strategic material and will never be sold to the enemy.

    But Liu Jing also knew that Cao Cao already had kerosene, and Sun Quan would get it sooner or later, so it would be better to do it nowIf you sell it to Jiangdong, you can also put forward additional conditions. As long as the purification technology is not given to Jiangdong, the same kerosene will have a very different combat effect.

    At this time, Lu Su was also advising from the side: "The two sides are allies. Jiangdong is willing to do its best to help Jiangxia. I only hope that Jiangxia can also help Jiangdong. We are mainly used to resist Cao's army going south from Yangzhou."

    Liu Jing finally nodded, "I can sell the kerosene to Jiangdong, but I have an additional condition. If Jiangdong can agree, the transaction can begin immediately."

    Zhou Yu perked up and said quickly: "Zhou Mu, please tell me!"

    "My additional conditions are very simple. I hope Jiangdong can also assist Jiangxia with 200,000 shi of grain. This has nothing to do with the kerosene trade, but Jiangdong's assistance to us."

    The conditions themselves were not harsh, and Jiangdong should provide appropriate assistance to Jiangxia. However, the amount of 200,000 shi of grain was too large, and Zhou Yu did not dare to agree. He had to smile bitterly and said: "I will report it to the Marquis of Wu immediately with a pigeon letter. In half a month,  There should be a reply, please wait patiently."

    Liu Jing laughed meaningfully, "Let's look forward to it together!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 325 New Weapons

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯

    In Xiakou, drums were beating loudly on the river. More than 600 warships were divided into two armies, red and green, fighting on the river. The wind and waves on the river were extremely strong. The densely packed warships were rising and falling in the wind and waves, but the two naval forces were not affected at all.  Affected, fierce battles were fierce, with arrows raining down. Groups of soldiers jumped into enemy ships, wielding swords and spears to kill the enemy.

    A three-thousand-stone ship with a red flag ran rampant among the small boats, knocking them over and causing soldiers on board to fall into the water one after another.

    But if you look closely, you will find that under the big ship, dozens of water ghosts wearing black fish skins have clung to the wall of the big ship, like dozens of leeches. The water ghosts took off the skin bags from their backs and put them  Fire oil sprayed on the ship's wall

    This is a large-scale military exercise for Jiangxia's navy. Twenty thousand navy troops and 600 warships participated in the battle. This kind of military exercise has been going on for two months, with a total of nearly 30 exercises. On average, there is a battle every two days.  One game.

    This is actually a practical training method, no different from real war. The training is very dangerous and cruel. Nearly a hundred people have been killed or injured during the training, and dozens of warships have been sunk.

    After meeting with Zhou Yu, Liu Jing immediately turned northward. At this time, his ship also appeared on the edge of the warship, quietly watching this massive military exercise.

    "Qi Zhou Mu, that is the target ship!"

    On the bow, Gan Ning pointed to an old ship of about two thousand stones in the distance. There was a big blue flag on the ship and three sails spread out. It was sailing rapidly westward. On the left and right sides of the ship, two  A thousand-stone warship with a red flag was chasing closely, and the two sides were about three hundred steps apart.

    Liu Jing suddenly became interested and watched the two red flag warships closely. This was a typical tactic of chasing the opponent's logistics ships. When the logistics transport ship fell alone, two warships would pursue it.

    Today, due to the arrival of Liu Jing, this old ship worth two thousand stones will be sunk.

    At this time, the warship on the left suddenly shot out a ball of fire, which hit the sail heavily. This was fire sludge, which stuck to the sail. The sail suddenly burned rapidly, and the two warships shot out a fireball at the same time.  A fireball hit the escaping logistics ship. The fire quickly spread on the ship and soon engulfed the ship.

    Liu Jing's expression became extremely serious. He was not surprised by the tactics and the fireballs, but by the range. He knew very well that the fireballs behind were shot with stone cannons, and the range of the stone cannons on the river was only fifty steps.  But he could see clearly today that it was clearly within a hundred-step range. How could this be possible?

    He looked back at Gan Ning doubtfully. Gan Ning seemed to know his doubts and explained with a smile: "This is the highlight of today's military exercise. Testing a new type of stone cannon. After Mr. Ma's improvement, the range has been doubled, but the size  It¡¯s still the same as before.¡±

    "I see!"

    Liu Jing laughed. It wouldn't be surprising if it was Ma Jun. Since Ma Jun returned to Jiangxia half a year ago, Liu Jing has fulfilled his promise and built a craftsmanship school in Xiakou, specializing in training senior craftsmen. There are about two hundred  Most of the people are young people around the age of twenty, and most of them are fortification soldiers in the army.

    Ma Jun served as a craftsman and studied various mechanical technologies with his apprentices every day. He created many major achievements, such as the improved keel waterwheel, which is convenient for pedaling and can draw a larger amount of water, which can greatly improve the efficiency of water collection.  It is especially suitable for the Jianghan Plain and Jiangdong areas where water networks are densely covered. In just half a year, the new keel waterwheel has spread to Soochow.

    Another example is that they invented the wheeled trebuchet. The same twist can launch nine boulders at the same time, and the range is increased by fifty steps, and the war efficiency is increased by nine times. This is extremely effective in city defense battles.

    "Where is Mr. Ma now?"

    Gan Ning pointed at the pursuing warship, "He is now on the right warship."

    Liu Jing¡¯s heart was filled with endless expectations, and he immediately ordered: ¡°Go and have a look!¡±

    The big ship raised its sails and sailed toward the distant river.

    The target ship hit by the fireball was still burning. The huge hull tilted and was half submerged in the water. Even for a military exercise, this scene was particularly tragic. It was like the end of life, which had a strong psychological impact on all the soldiers participating in the exercise.  Shock, which is also one of the purposes of the exercise, is to prevent morale from collapsing.

    Dozens of small boats searched around for the thirty soldiers who had jumped into the water to escape. "Found it!" With a shout of surprise, the last soldier was found and rescued on the small boat. The small boat quickly left. The sinking of the big ship would bring serious consequences.  The huge suction force is devastating to the surrounding boats and people.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing got on the warship, and Ma Jun, who was full of excitement, stepped forward and saluted, and said slowly: "See Zhou Mu!"

    Although he still stutters a little, it is much better than before. He has received Zhang Ji¡¯s careful treatment and has found a way to treat his stuttering.??, that is, deliberately slowing down his speaking speed. After nearly half a year of correction, he has made great progress. More importantly, this improvement has given Ma Jun confidence in himself.

    "I heard that Mr. made a new stone cannon. Can you let me have a look?"

    "It's just improvements, please ask the state pastor!"

    Ma Jun invited Liu Jing into the cabin. On the left side of the bulkhead, Liu Jing saw the new stone cannon. In fact, the appearance was still the same as before, but the previous pull rod was gone, and instead became a winch and a two-foot-long cannon.  Copper rod, this slender copper rod suddenly made Liu Jing realize something. He thought of the crowbar and immediately understood the principle of winding.

    Next to him, a student of Ma Jun was overhauling the stone cannon. He introduced to Liu Jing: "In the past, the stone cannon was stringed with hemp rope, which had little elasticity. But this time we used five strands of beef tendon to twist it into a string with strong elasticity."  great.

    But in this way, winding requires a lot of effort. If the previous pull rod is used, the string can no longer be pulled open, so a winch is used, but the winch is not enough, and a very long bronze rod is added, so that the winding is easy.  Effortless.  "

    After saying that, the disciple personally gave Liu Jing a demonstration. He picked up the copper rod from the ground, passed it through the winch, slowly pushed it forward, and used the principle of leverage to turn the winch creakingly. The extremely elastic bow string  He also slowly pulled it open, and with a 'click' sound, the bowstring was hung with a hanging knife.

    The student pulled out the copper rod and smiled at Liu Jing: "It used to be a pull rod, which required two people to pull back at the same time. But now the elastic force has doubled, and the pulling distance is further, but only one person is enough.  This small improvement has increased the range of the stone cannon by more than fifty steps. Please ask Zhou Mu to shoot."

    He placed a round stone weighing more than ten kilograms in the stone trough. Of course Liu Jing knew how to operate it. He walked to the stone cannon, stepped on the blade teeth with his foot, and heard 'Bang!  ¡¯ There was a loud sound, and the boulders were ejected upwards at an angle. The cabin was buzzing, and the remaining energy was not exhausted.

    Liu Jing was amazed by this powerful force, "Yes, it is much more powerful than before."

    Ma Jun stepped forward and said with a smile: "There are still some shortcomings!"

    "If there are any deficiencies, please tell me sir."

    "Didn't Zhou Mu realize that using stone cannons to defend the city is actually meaningless?"

    Ma Jun's words touched Liu Jing's heart. He had participated in many city defense battles in the past. The stone cannon had a range of only fifty steps. Except for being used against Chao Che in the end, it actually had no effect.  It's not big, and it's far less practical than a trebuchet. It's really useless.

    "Sir, you are right, but how can we improve it?"

    Ma Jun smiled and said: "It's a bit complicated, let my apprentice explain."

    The disciple bowed, stepped forward and patted the stone trough, "Change this place into an iron bag with thirty iron arrows in one bag, or change it into a large crossbow arrow. The range can reach three hundred steps, and it can penetrate all shields and arrows within two hundred steps."  Armor is a powerful weapon against intensive attacks and against cavalry.¡±

    Liu Jing heard the content in his words and asked with a smile: "Have you tried it?"

    The apprentice looked back at Ma Jun. Ma Jun smiled and nodded. The apprentice bowed and said, "There is a test stone cannon in the craftsmanship school, and it has been tested many times!"

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and immediately said to the generals: "Let's go to the craftsman school now!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The so-called craftsmanship, as the name suggests, is a school for cultivating craftsmen. This is not Liu Jing¡¯s original creation. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Mozi and Gongshu Pan both established such schools to cultivate outstanding craftsmen.

    Jiangxia¡¯s craftsmanship is by no means a closed door, and there are no theoretical courses. It has actually become a gathering place for inventors and creators, and has also become a military research center in Jingzhou.

    The Craftsman School, also called Gongshu Academy, commemorates the great craftsman ancestor Gongshu Ban during the Warring States Period. It is located in the northwest corner of Xiakou City and covers an area of ??50 acres, of which the test site alone is 40 acres wide.

    Ma Jun took Liu Jing and dozens of generals into the Bow and Crossbow Hall. This place specializes in the study of crossbows. There are more than fifty apprentices, and two veteran craftsmen who have made bows and crossbows for nearly 40 years serve as masters.  , Ma Jun also participated in the development of crossbows.

    There was a stone cannon placed on the stone pier in the backyard of the Crossbow Hall. It was exactly the same as the improved stone cannon on the ship, but everyone discovered that the stone trough had been changed into an iron bag, and the iron bag was divided into thirty grids.  An iron arrow is inserted into each grid. Each iron arrow is about one foot long and extremely sharp.

    The disciple continued to introduce: "We call this iron ballista, and the arrows are called jackdaw arrows, with a pocket of thirty arrows."

    At this time, Wei Yan next to him asked curiously: "Is it really possible to penetrate everything two hundred steps away?"

    Ma Jun smiled, "You can test it!"

    He waved and gave an order, and several apprentices immediately ran to arrange it. Liu Jing looked at the iron ballistae, and for some reason, he suddenly thought of Zhuge Liang?Yuanrong's crossbow.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 326 Anlu Crisis

    More than a dozen disciples have already tied their armor and shields on the wooden figures. The wooden figures are two hundred steps apart. Twenty wooden figures are lined up in a row, holding swords and shields. They have bright armor. They are all eight feet tall and are raising their swords to attack.  , made lifelike, looking from a distance, it has a bit of a mighty momentum.

    The other two disciples skillfully operated the iron ballista. Thirty jackdaw arrows were aimed at the distance. The bowstring was slowly tightened and the long bronze rod was drawn out. Ma Jun looked at Liu Jing for instructions.

    Liu Jing nodded. He was also very much looking forward to the power of this iron crossbow. Judging from the appearance, it was no less than Zhuge Liang's repeating crossbow. The key was the power. As they said, it could attack two hundred steps away.  Armor penetrates shield.

    Ma Jun was a little nervous. He personally checked the iron ballista again to make sure it was all right, and then whispered: "Fire!"

    A student struck the blade teeth with a hammer, and there was a muffled "click" sound. Thirty iron arrows came out of the forest like jackdaws, whistling towards the wooden man two hundred steps away. Only a "pop!" was heard!  Snapped!  ' With the sound, several wooden figures were knocked to the ground by the powerful arrows, and their shields were also knocked away.

    Everyone stepped forward to see the effect of the iron arrows. Everyone was secretly surprised. Although not all wooden figures were hit, eight wooden figures were hit by arrows, their shields were cracked, their leather armor was pierced, and ten more were hit by arrows.  Several arrows were fired into the wall behind.

    "Zhou Mu!"

    Gan Ning couldn't hold back the excitement in his heart and said, "This is a powerful weapon against Cao's cavalry!"

    Liu Jing also nodded, with excitement in his eyes. He imagined facing the impact of Cao Cao's cavalry, a hundred iron ballistae firing at the same time, and three thousand iron arrows shooting out. That kind of spectacular momentum will definitely give Cao Cao's army  To hit hard.

    He turned around and walked back to the iron ballista, studying the giant crossbow carefully. At this time, Ma Jun stepped forward and said slowly: "In the wild battlefield, we can fix the iron ballista on the ox cart, or disassemble it and transport it temporarily.  There are many ways to assemble, anyway.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded. When he saw a student putting iron arrows into his iron bag one by one, he couldn't help but frowned and said, "Do you have to put arrows in this way every time?"

    "Yes, this is a problem and very time-consuming. We are trying to figure it out."

    Liu Jing laughed, "Actually, the solution is very simple. An iron ballista has dozens of iron pouches, and the iron pouches are filled with arrows. After each shot, the iron pouches are replaced together. As long as the replacement is simple, it will be fine."

    Ma Jun nodded, "We also thought of this method, but the dozens of iron bags are very heavy and inconvenient to transport."

    "Dozens are too many, so use five rotations. In a field battle, this iron ballistae can fire up to five rounds. In addition, the device must be simple, strong, and easy to operate, so that it can exert its effect.  power."

    Liu Jing is someone who has experienced war. He is very aware of the weaknesses of these defensive weapons. If you focus too much on accuracy, they will become complicated and easily damaged. In fierce battles, soldiers will not be as cautious as testers. They must  The structure is simple, strong and durable, that is a qualified weapon.

    Ma Jun nodded silently. He understood what Liu Jing meant, "We will continue to improve and ask the state pastor to come back for inspection in half a month."

    Liu Jing was in a good mood, patted Ma Jun on the shoulder and said with a smile: "The war is coming, we must develop more practical weapons as soon as possible, not only weapons, but also armor, such as shield improvements, armor improvements, etc., try our best to win the battle in this war  play a role.¡±

    "I understand, I will try my best!"

    Liu Jing said a few more words, then turned and walked out. At this time, Jia Xu hurriedly walked over and whispered a few words in Liu Jing's ear. Liu Jing was startled, with a look of surprise in his eyes, but he returned to normal immediately.  He smiled at everyone as if nothing had happened and said, "Let's not disturb this place. Let's all go back on our own! The military exercise continues."

    Everyone quit the craftsmanship school one after another, got on their horses and ran towards the river. Liu Jing ordered people to leave Gan Ning and Wei Yan secretly, and then followed Jia Xu to the military office.

    Walking into the military office, Liu Jing immediately asked: "Is the news accurate?"

    Jia Xu nodded, "The news should be very accurate. Zhang Liao did not go to Nanyang County, but led his army into Runan County. It is obvious that Cao Jun is going to attack Anlu County."

    Liu Jing walked quickly to the wall and looked at the map on the wall. As early as seven days ago, they received news that Cao Jun would send 300,000 troops to conquer Jingzhou south, with Zhang Liao leading 50,000 troops first.

    I originally thought that Zhang Liao's army would enter Nanyang directly, but I didn't expect that after Zhang Liao's army rested for a few days in Ye County, they suddenly turned east and drove quickly towards Runan County.

    Now, about 10,000 Cao Cao's troops appeared in Anyang County, Runan County, less than ten miles away from the border of Anlu County. The marching speed was shocking. Cao Cao's strategy was too obvious. He wanted to break through Anlu County and march to the river  summer.

    Anlu County is located to the north of the Yangtze River and Han River, and is the jurisdiction of Jiangxia County.The outer barrier was garrisoned by General Wenpin with 10,000 troops. What worries Liu Jing now is that if Zhang Liao's 50,000 troops attack Anlu County with all their strength, how long can Wenpin sustain it?

    At this time, Jia Xu stepped forward and said: "The governor must abandon Anlu County and withdraw Wenpin's army south to Jiangxia."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "I can now concentrate Xiakou's troops to support Anlu County, and use the time difference to defeat Zhang Liao's army before Cao Cao's army arrives. Sir, don't you think it's feasible?"

    Jia Xu shook his head, "If Zhou Mu sends troops to Anlu County, which is what Cao Jun wants, Zhang Liao will not fight fiercely with Zhou Mu, but will drag the main force of Jiangxia Army to Anlu County, so that Cao Jun can easily capture Xiangyang County  , this is actually a plan to encircle Wei and save Zhao.

    When I suggested Prime Minister Cao to send troops to Nanyang, it was also to prevent Jiangxia's army from taking advantage of Cao's main force's northern expedition to invade the Central Plains. This time it is the same. Zhou Mu should not underestimate Cheng Yu's determination. As long as Jiangxia's army goes north, he will immediately lead Cao's army in Fancheng.  Crossed the river to attack Xiangyang.  "

    "We can allow Cao's army to occupy Anlu County and march to Jiangxia, but we will also be unable to take care of Xiangyang."

    Jia Xu was silent for a moment and said: "Actually, I have always wanted to tell Zhou Mu that temporarily giving up Xiangyang may not be a wise decision."

    "Why?"

    "If we abandon Xiangyang, Cao Jun will definitely attack Jiangling. If we can use Cao Cao's help to kill Liu Bei and Zhou Mu, this is not a bad thing!"

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back: "What if Liu Bei withdraws eastward and takes the opportunity to pass through Changsha County?"

    "Won't!"

    Jia Xu smiled confidently and said: "If I am not wrong, Liu Bei should have been prepared. He will definitely withdraw to Wuling County or Hengyang County southward, but no matter what, he will definitely not be able to save Jiangling City.

    And if we capture Jiangling from Cao Jun, then Liu Bei will have nothing to say, both morally and in terms of status. If we capture Jiangling, then Xiangyang's southern troubles will be solved.  "

    Liu Jing thought for a moment. Although Jia Xu's strategy was brilliant, it was still hard for him to accept that he should just give up Xiangyang City.

    "If I give up Xiangyang, I am worried that I will lose the support of the people in Jingzhou. Sir, do you have any solution?"

    Jia Xu laughed and said, "If Zhou Mu is worried about losing the trust of the people, he can move the people of Xiangyang to Jiangxia, but he will need to rely on rumors from Cao Jun. Cao Jun will have a million troops to attack Xiangyang, so that the people of Xiangyang will not have any complaints."

    Liu Jing nodded silently. Although the method was good, he still considered it carefully, "It's a very important matter, let me think about it again!"

    At this moment, a soldier hurried to the door and reported: "Reporting to the state pastor, emergency information from Anlu County!"

    "Bring it in!"

    The messenger walked in, knelt down on one knee, and presented an express letter. Liu Jing took the letter. It was Wenpin's handwritten letter. He opened it and read it quickly. His expression suddenly changed. Zhang Liao led an army of 50,000 people and had already launched.  launched an attack on Anlu County.

    He handed the letter to Jia Xu. Jia Xu read it over and said immediately: "The situation is urgent. The state pastor can immediately order Wenpin to withdraw southward and not to fight Cao's army head-on."

    Liu Jing immediately wrote an order, handed over his gold medal to the soldiers, and said: "You can ask General Wen to withdraw south immediately. Don't be reluctant to fight. I have warships on the riverside to meet him."

    The soldiers left in a hurry, and Liu Jing walked to the map again and stared at Anlu County. Cao's army was advancing rapidly, and he was worried about whether Wenpin could escape unscathed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the bank of the Jianshui River north of Anlu County, Wenpin led 10,000 Jiangxia elites to fight against the 5,000 Cao army vanguard led by Zang Ba. This was an open land with a radius of more than ten miles. The two sides set up a battlefield, with flags fluttering and war drums.  Like thunder.

    Under the banner, Wenpin stared at Cao Jun two miles away with a sneer on his face. Although Cao Jun had bright helmets and high morale, he was indeed an elite army.

    But after a long period of running, they were physically exhausted, and their strength was only half of theirs. Did they think that like Zhang Yun's army, they would surrender without a fight, or be defeated in a single battle?

    At this moment, more than a dozen officials rushed behind them. The leader was Su Fei, the governor of Anlu County. He was accompanied by soldiers sent by Liu Jing to deliver the message.

    "General Wen!"

    Su Fei rode up and said, "Zhou Mu has sent an urgent order!"

    He handed Liu Jing's gold medal and the warrant to Wenpin. Wenpin took the warrant and read it again, and said to Su Fei: "Zhou Mu ordered us to abandon Anlu County and withdraw southward from Jiangxia."

    Su Fei already knew Liu Jing's order. He looked at Cao Jun in the distance and asked, "Since the governor has given the order, does the general still want to fight?"

    Wenpin did not answer directly. He asked the soldier who delivered the letter: "Where is the state pastor now?"??  "

    "Zhou Mu is in Xiakou. He said he would send warships to the river to meet the general. He asked his humble position to tell the general not to be reluctant to fight and to retreat immediately!"

    "I see!"

    Wenpin nodded, and then said to Su Fei: "The arrow is already on the string, we must fire it. The opponent is tired from the long journey and has only five thousand troops. I can defeat them in one battle. Please wait a moment, eunuch, and we will retreat after defeating the enemy."  !¡±

    As soon as Wenpin finished speaking, the opponent's drum beat suddenly became louder. It was the enemy's intention to go to war. Su Fei was also a leader. He knew that if he retreated at this time, he would be chased by Cao's army. He stopped talking and watched with concentration.  With Cao Jun.

    A general rushed out from Cao's army. He was eight feet tall, wore a silver helmet and iron armor, and held a deadly iron spear in his hand. He looked majestic and shouted, "I am Zang Ba of Mount Tai! Who dares to fight with me?"  ?¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 327 Fierce Battle in Anlu

    Zang Ba was about forty years old and was famous in the Central Plains. He was one of Cao Cao's famous generals. Although he was the vanguard to capture Anlu County this time, he actually shouldered a more important task.

    Zang Ba Bin's Iron Death Spear weighs 60 kilograms and was once one of the ten famous guns collected by Yuan Shao. After defeating Yuan Shao, Cao Cao gave this spear to him. This spear coupled with Zang Ba's brave martial arts  , making Zang Ba's attack power stronger.

    In the Jiangxia Army, Cai Jin was eager to try, and asked Wen to fight: "Master, let me go!"

    Wenpin knew Zang Ba and knew that this person was very skilled in martial arts and that Cai Jin was not as good as him. He shook his head and said, "You are no match for this person. If you lose, it will definitely affect my military morale. You are not allowed to fight. I will do it myself."

    Without waiting for the generals under his command to object, Wenpin rushed out on horseback, holding a wild goose feather sword and heading straight towards Zang Ba, "Enemy generals, don't be so arrogant, I, Wenpin, am here to meet you!"

    Jiang Xia's army suddenly started to beat drums loudly. Cai Jin grabbed the drumsticks and beat the drums to encourage his master.

    The two horses were close to each other. Although they had met each other ten years ago, neither of them responded at this time. They rushed their horses and started fighting. They fought with swords and guns with murderous intent. The two were close in martial arts and had equal strength. They soon fought fiercely together.

    After more than 20 rounds of fierce fighting, Zang Ba feinted a shot, turned his horse and ran away. Wenpin shouted loudly and pursued him. Cai Jin, who was in the Jiangxia Army, saw that the enemy general had been defeated. He immediately shouted,  "The enemy general has been defeated. Follow me and kill him!"

    He galloped on his horse and waved his sword. The drums of the Jiangxia army's attack were thunderous. Ten thousand Jiangxia soldiers shouted and waved their swords and guns to cover up the killing.

    Cao's army was tired from marching and could not resist the Jiangxia army with high morale. In addition, the general's defeat made Cao's army unwilling to fight. He turned around and fled, and was defeated for a while.

    Li Yan, the county magistrate who was watching the battle from behind, discovered something was wrong. Cao's army was in order and its position was stable. Although the general was defeated, it would at most affect morale and prevent them from collapsing without a fight.

    He saw clearly that many Cao Jun soldiers simply turned around and fled for no reason, and their retreat was orderly and not chaotic.

    Li Yan said to Su Fei anxiously: "Prefect Su, something is wrong! Cao's army is not fleeing in defeat, they are deliberately defeated."

    Su Fei also realized something was wrong. He immediately realized the danger and hurriedly galloped to catch up with Wenpin and shouted: "General Wen, the enemy is cheating!"

    Wenpin was about to give the order to pursue, when he suddenly heard Su Fei's cry. He immediately reined in his horse and looked back in surprise. Su Fei galloped towards him and said anxiously: "Cao's army retreated for no reason. There must be fraud in it."  , General Wen cannot be pursued!"

    Wenpin suddenly woke up and quickly ordered: "No pursuit is allowed, please withdraw your troops."

    'when!  when!  when!  'The piercing bell rang, and the Jiangxia soldiers who were chasing the enemy retreated one after another. At this moment, a scout cavalry came from behind and reported nervously: "Report to Commander Wen, a Cao army has appeared in the south, with about ten thousand people."  !¡±

    Wenpin was shocked. Cao Jun appeared in the south, which was his retreat. This cut off his retreat. At this time, scouts kept coming from all directions.

    "Report to Commander Wen that Cao's army has appeared in the west, numbering tens of thousands!"

    "I report to Commander Wen that Cao's army has appeared on the east bank of Jianshui River, with about six thousand people."

    Cao¡¯s troops appeared from all directions and surrounded them.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, Zang Ba¡¯s army also stopped running. Zang Ba reined in his horse and shouted: ¡°Stop running and form your team immediately!¡±

    The well-trained Cao army stopped escaping. They fled in an orderly manner without chaos. Under the command of officers at all levels, the entire team was quickly assembled.

    Zang Ba raised his head and stared at Jiang Xia who was no longer pursuing him in the distance. He could not help but reveal a sneer at the corner of his mouth and said to himself: "Do you understand now? It's a pity it's too late!"

    The task Zang Ba accepted was to hold off Wenpin. This was Sima Yi's plan. Wenpin was a proud man and would never give in easily. So in order for him to have a glorious withdrawal, it was necessary to send a force that was not very strong, but  The army, which is not weak at all, serves as the vanguard, which arouses Wenpin's appetite to devour it.

    In this way, Wenpin's army will not withdraw southward hastily. At least, it will defeat this army and slowly withdraw southward after gaining glory. Facts have proved that Sima Yi understood Wenpin's psychology and his strategy was successful.  .

    When Wenpin realized that Zang Ba was defeated on purpose, he was already trapped in a tight siege.

    "General Zang, the general is here!" a soldier shouted pointing to the north.

    Zang Ba turned around and saw an army of nearly 20,000 people slowly coming towards this side, flags fluttering, and the black army could not be seen at a glance.

    Zang Ba urged his horse to meet him. The leader of the team was Zhang Liao, the commander of the central army.

    Cao Cao actually divided his troops into four groups, and the Eastern Route Army was favored by Manchu, led 10,000 troops to Hefei and put pressure on Jiangdong.

    ??The middle route army is Zhang Liao, with Zhang Liao as the general, Zhao Yan as the guard, and Sima Yi as the chief. They led an army of 50,000 to march into Anlu County, overwhelming Jiangxia and drinking in the Yangtze River.

    Cao Cao was the main force, leading more than 200,000 troops to march from Nanyang to Xiangyang. Cao Ren, the West Route Army, led 30,000 troops to cross the Han River into Shangyong and march from Fangling to Xiangyang.

    Among the Fourth Route Army, Zhang Liao has a heavy task. He wants to contain the main force of the Jiangxia Army on the north bank of the Yangtze River, so annihilating the Jiangxia Army in Anlu County is Zhang Liao's first step.

    Zang Ba urged his horse forward, cupped his fists and saluted: "See you, general!"

    Zhang Liao smiled, "How is the battle going?"

    "Reporting to the general, we have successfully held back Jiangxia's army. The last general has a battle with Wenpin. He is now in the army."

    "Very good, thank you for your hard work, General Zang."

    Zhang Liao then turned around and smiled at Sima Yi beside him: "Sima Lord Bo really has insight into people's hearts and successfully trapped Wenpin. I will ask the Prime Minister for credit!"

    Sima Yi stroked his beard and smiled, "Thank you, General Zhang, but Wenpin will definitely break out to the south. Our army must immediately shrink the encirclement to prevent Jiangxia's army from coming to rescue from the waterway."

    Zhang Liao looked at Jianshui, which was not very wide, and couldn't help but laugh, "Actually, I really hope that the Jiangxia army warships will come by water."

    Even so, Zhang Liao immediately issued an order, "The three armies were sent and began to surround and strangle the Jiangxia Army!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    When he found himself trapped in a tight siege, Wenpin did not panic. He immediately led his army to retreat to Anlu County. Although the city wall in Anlu County was not tall and strong, if he could defend it for two days, he would definitely wait for reinforcements from Jiangxia.

    But things went against their expectations. Just when they were still one mile away from the county seat, they received news that the county magistrate Wang Qi had surrendered to Cao Jun's city, and Anlu County fell into the hands of Cao Jun.

    With no choice, Wenpin had no choice but to bypass the county seat and continue to evacuate south. Anlu County was about fifty miles away from the Yangtze River. If he rushed all the way, he would not be able to reach the riverside until at least midnight.

    Although Wenpin wanted to speed up his retreat to the south, he had no chance. Ten thousand Cao troops, led by General Jun, cut off their return from the south. A breakout battle broke out at dusk.

    In the wilderness about ten miles southwest of Anlu City, a fierce battle broke out between the two armies. The drums were beating like thunder, and the shouts of killing were loud. The 10,000 Jiangxia troops were divided into five teams to break through desperately. Yu Jin was well prepared and commanded the troops to change their formations.  , divided Cao's army of 10,000 into two armies, and attacked Jiangxia's army from the south and west.

    "Come out and meet at the river!" Wenpin shouted sternly and ordered his men to break out. He led two thousand troops to fight against Cao's army to the south where Yu Jin was, trying to create opportunities for the other four armies.

    But the general Lu Zhao from the west also led 10,000 Cao troops to kill. He suppressed the Jiangxia army from the north and attacked from the north and south, making the Jiangxia army's breakout extremely difficult.

    In the wilderness, swords and guns clashed, flesh and blood flew, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of blood. Groups of soldiers fought in a melee, and their eyes were red. A Jiangxia soldier was stabbed by two Cao soldiers. The commander of the Cao army stepped on the Jiangxia soldier's body.  neck, amidst desperate screams, he stabbed the spear into the chest of the Jiangxia soldier.

    But before he could pull out his spear, a fierce horse galloped past. Immediately, the general's sword was drawn out. The heads of Cao's army leaped into the air, blood gushing out from their necks. Cai Jin slashed left and right with his sword, killing more than a dozen people.  Cao Jun's soldiers were hacked to death one by one, and the Cao Jun soldiers beside him scattered in fear.

    At this time, he saw from a distance that dozens of Jiangxia soldiers failed to break out and were surrounded by more than a hundred Cao soldiers, and were killed one by one. His eyes turned red, he roared, and charged into the siege with a sword.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "General Cai, Commander Wen has ordered you to lead your troops to evacuate immediately to ensure the safety of the soldiers."

    One of Wenpin's soldiers shouted: "Military orders are like mountains. If General Cai doesn't obey, military law will be enforced!"

    There were always military orders in Wenpin's army. Although Cai Jin knew that his master was trying to cover his breakout, and his heart was as sharp as a knife, he did not dare to disobey the military order and shouted to his soldiers: "My sons, follow me to break out of the encirclement!"  "

    He rushed out like crazy, and more than a thousand Jiangxia soldiers followed him to fight to the death. Everyone worked together to open a bloody path from the weak point. Cai Jin led more than a thousand people to flee south.

    But after only running two miles, Cai Jin reined in his horse and looked back towards the battlefield. He saw that the army led by his master was heavily surrounded by Cao's army. The shouts of killing were loud. Cai Jin gritted his teeth and said to his subordinate Wang Hu: "  You can lead your brothers to retreat southward to the river, and I will rescue the general."

    Cai Jin turned his horse and headed towards the battlefield. Dozens of soldiers also shouted: "We are willing to fight with General Cai in a bloody battle!"

    They followed the Cai family and went to the densest place of Cao's army.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  ??.  £®

    It was almost dark at this time, and Jiang Xia's army had broken out of more than 6,000 soldiers. Only 2,000 soldiers led by Wenpin were left and were surrounded by 20,000 Cao soldiers. Wenpin was exhausted, but he was still unable to break through the encirclement.

    At this moment, shouts erupted from the left, and Cai Jin came back with dozens of people to kill. Wenpin was furious, urged his horse forward and whipped him away, "You bastard! What are you doing back here?"

    Cai Jin lowered his head and said with tears in his eyes: "The soldiers have left, but my disciple will never abandon his master and escape!"

    Wenpin choked on his nose. Although his disciple was not very skilled in martial arts, he was a loyal person and refused to abandon him. His eyes turned red and he nodded, "Okay! Both of us, master and disciple, will fight."  It¡¯s fate to die together.¡±

    At this time, Yu Jin shouted not far away: "If General Zhongye is willing to surrender, I will let your soldiers go back!"

    Wenpin looked back at the soldiers. He could die in battle, but he hoped that the soldiers could live, but hundreds of soldiers shouted almost at the same time: "I am willing to fight to the death with the commander!"

    Wen Pin suddenly felt heroic in his chest and said coldly to everyone: "How lucky it is that a man died on the battlefield!"

    He cheered up, raised his sword and shouted loudly to the soldiers: "My sons, let the rebels have a taste of the bravery of our Jiangxia army!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 328 Crisis Moment

    It was finally dark, but the number of Cao's troops was increasing, like countless huge circles, surrounding each other, with four layers of encirclement, tightly suppressing Wenpin and his soldiers in the encirclement, no matter how they tried.  Even if they attack suddenly, they can't break out of the encirclement.

    The encirclement of Cao Jun was getting narrower and narrower. Countless Cao Jun soldiers held torches and illuminated the battlefield like daylight. The area of ????Jiangxia Army in the middle was less than three acres, and Jiangxia soldiers continued to die in battle. There were less than a thousand soldiers around Wenpin.

    At this time, Wenpin was tired and exhausted from the battle. He was shot several times, and his blood stained his robes. Wenpin saw that there were fewer and fewer soldiers around him, and the ground was covered with the corpses of fallen soldiers. He couldn't help but shed tears and said to Cai Jin: "  I am afraid that I will die in battle. If you come back alive, tell the governor that I, Wenpin, will be loyal to Jingzhou until death. If there is an afterlife, I am willing to follow him again!"

    Cai Jin's face was filled with tears. He wiped away the tears on his face and said resolutely: "Until the last moment, Master will not express any words of despair. I am willing to fight for Master again and carve out a bloody path!"

    Wenpin was startled, then he suddenly laughed, "Well said, you are worthy of being my disciple. How can I give up until the last moment!"

    He stood up, endured the severe pain, climbed onto his horse, raised his sword and shouted loudly to the soldiers: "Everyone, cheer up and fight with me for the last time. You would rather die than surrender!"

    "I would rather die fighting than surrender!"

    The soldiers raised their swords and roared loudly, and Wenpin shouted, "Fight with me!"

    He suddenly urged the war horses, and the horses galloped. Like a sword that never looked back, they rushed towards Cao Jun in the south. At this time, when Zhang Liao saw that Wenpin refused to surrender, he was furious and coldly ordered:  : "Since you won't surrender, take someone else's head to repay the favor!"

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The war drums of Cao¡¯s army suddenly sounded. Following the orders of the war drums, Cao¡¯s troops from all directions were like huge waves, killing Jiang Xia¡¯s army, which had less than a thousand men left.

    At this time, there was the last tragic battle. Arrows were raining down on the battlefield. Jiangxia soldiers were shot down one by one. The remaining hundreds of Jiangxia soldiers holding shields quickly gathered into a circle and surrounded Wenpin in the middle.

    At this time, Wenpin's horse was shot to death. Cai Jin was hit by three arrows and passed out. Wenpin was half kneeling on the ground, holding a sword in his right hand. He had lost too much blood and had no physical strength. He would either kill himself to death or be captured without mercy.

    Wenpin looked at Cao Jun, who was surrounded by darkness, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Is this where I, Wenpin, will die?  He suddenly gritted his teeth, drew his sword and wiped it towards his neck. Several soldiers had been paying attention to his movements. They grabbed his arms and cried loudly: "Even if we are exhausted and captured, Zhou Mu will rescue us. Wen Shuairuo  Death, all hope is gone.¡±

    Wenpin sighed: "I would rather die than be captured and humiliated!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, a horn sound suddenly came from the distance, "Woo¡ª¡ª" In an instant, the horn sound sounded from all directions, like a storm in the wilderness, thunder in the mountains, and the cooling blood of Jiangxia soldiers was ignited by the horn sound.  , the fighting spirit was rekindled, and they all looked back to the south, their eyes full of hope of life.

    "It's the cavalry!"

    Cao Jun shouted, and in the darkness, there was a thunderous sound on the field, and a black cavalry team suddenly appeared in the south, like elves born under the moonlight, and they were overwhelmingly attacking Cao Jun.

    The south suddenly became gray and dusty, covering the moonlight, and the moon was also swallowed up by the dust.

    ¡°Commander, it¡¯s the cavalry, our cavalry is here!¡±

    The soldiers were so excited that their faces were filled with tears. They helped Wenpin up. Tears welled up from Wenpin's eyes. Zhou Mu actually sent cavalry to rescue him. At this moment, the strength returned to Wenpin's body. He held it high  He picked up the Yanling Saber and shouted in a hoarse voice: "My sons, our reinforcements have arrived, we must survive!"

    "Stay alive!"

    Hundreds of soldiers screamed and thrust out spears. They seemed to have become angry hedgehogs.

    The two thousand cavalry led by Liao Hua were urgently sent by Liu Jing to rescue Wenpin. They could be said to be a sneak attack. They blew the attack horn 250 steps away and swept towards Cao Jun like a storm.

    At this time, it was too late for Yu Jin to mobilize the archers, so he had to urgently send hundreds of spears to fight, "Don't mess up the position, don't let the enemy troops enter the siege!"

    Yu Jin raised his sword and shouted loudly, but the monstrous momentum of the two thousand cavalry charges had already frightened Cao Jun. The soldiers retreated one after another. The moment the Jiangxia cavalry came, many people screamed in despair.

    The Jiangxia cavalry rushed into Cao Jun's encirclement like a storm. The cavalry was like a tiger and a leopard. Wherever it passed, heads were flying, limbs were torn apart, and blood mist filled the air. The Cao Jun soldiers who could not escape were caught under the iron hoofs, wailing all over the field, and the horses were trampled.  mud.

    Jiangxia cavalry swept across Cao Cao??, as if they were destroyed, Cao's soldiers were frightened and fled north one after another. The tight encirclement was finally broken by the Jiangxia cavalry.

    The soldiers of Cao's army fled north, and the horns of Cao's army in the north also sounded one after another, which was asking Cao's army to regroup.

    Jiangxia cavalry suddenly separated to both sides, bypassing Wenpin and his hundreds of soldiers in the middle. They quickly formed a square formation to separate Wenpin and Cao's army.

    At this time, Liao Hua rushed to Wenpin's side, clasped his fists and said, "We are here to rescue Wen Shuai on the order of Zhou Mu, please Wen Shuai evacuate with us immediately!"

    Wenpin smiled miserably, "General Liao arrived in time, so Wenpin could be reborn. I will remember this great kindness in my heart."

    "Wen Shuai does not need to thank you. The general is just carrying out the order of the state pastor. Please get Wen Shuai on your horse."

    Liao Hua turned around and waved his hand. Dozens of cavalrymen brought the horses and helped Wenpin and the soldiers onto the horses. The other soldiers rode with them, and the horses turned around and galloped away to the south.

    By this time, Cao¡¯s army had assembled and began to use bows and arrows to attack the Jiangxia cavalry. The Jiangxia cavalry held shields in hand and kept retreating. Dozens of injured cavalry who fell off their horses were also rescued one by one.

    Seeing that Wenpin had gone away, Liao Hua ordered: "Retreat!"

    "Woo¡ª¡ª" the horn sounded again, and the Jiangxia cavalry retreated like a tide, farther and farther away, and after a while, disappeared at the end of the field.

    Zhang Liao watched the Jiangxia cavalry go away from a distance. He did not lead the cavalry. Facing the high-speed maneuvers of the cavalry, he had no choice but to sigh deeply and said to Sima Yi and Zhao Yan: "I didn't expect that there are such powerful cavalry in the southern water country.  Liu Jing is really our strong enemy!¡±

    Sima Yi's eyes were filled with worry, his brows were furrowed, and he was thinking about something. At this time, he said to himself: "Liu Jing trains such a powerful cavalry, I'm afraid he is not interested in the south. If this southern expedition fails to destroy Liu Jing,  , we will have endless troubles.¡±

    Thinking of this, he immediately turned back to Zhang Liao and said: "Wen Yuan can write a military report immediately. I am willing to go to Nanyang and report this matter to the prime minister in person."

    Zhang Liao nodded. He wanted to write a military report immediately to report the battle situation to the prime minister. He immediately ordered: "Pass my order, clean up the battlefield, and station the army in Anlu County."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the bank of the river, the tide rose and fell, and the dark mountains and rivers shone silvery in the moonlight. Nearly a hundred large ships were parked densely on the river, and ships were constantly heading towards the south bank carrying the retreating Wenpin troops.

    On a large ship of three thousand stones, Liu Jing stood on the bow with his hands behind his hands, looking worriedly at the north. He was waiting for news from Liao Hua, whether he could successfully rescue Wenpin.

    This time Zhang Liao led his army to attack to some extent, which was a wake-up call for Liu Jing. In the past few years, Jiangxia Army has repeatedly won against Cao Army, and even forced Cao Cao into a state of embarrassment.

    This invisibly made Liu Jing look down on Cao Jun, so Zhang Liao led his army to attack Anlu County. Liu Jing didn't take it too seriously, thinking that Wenpin could escape unscathed. Unexpectedly, Zhang Liao's advance was so fast that he unexpectedly  Wen Pinjun surrounded him.

    If Wenpin surrenders or is killed as a result, Liu Jing will regret it for the rest of his life, and he once again looks to the north with worry.

    At this time, Jia Xu slowly walked up to him and said with a smile: "Don't worry, Zhou Mu. There are no cavalry in Zhang Liao's army. It will be difficult for him to deal with General Liao's high-speed running. Unless General Liao fights him head-on, just to save people."  , there won¡¯t be any surprises.¡±

    Liu Jing sighed, "I feel that I have underestimated the enemy a little. If my husband hadn't stopped me, I would have sent a warship into the Jianshui River for rescue, which almost led to a big mistake."

    Jia Xu smiled and said, "I know Zhang Liao. He is very decisive. If he only wanted to deal with General Wen, it would not take too long. General Wen would have been completely wiped out by a few rounds of arrows. But he  If he has been encircling for a long time without making a decision, and he is on the Jianshui River, he is most likely trying to lure the Jiangxia navy to the north. In Jianshui, it is easy for Cao's army to deal with the warships. "

    This reminded Liu Jing of something. He got information that Cao Jun tested kerosene in Bishui and ignited the entire river surface, and there was no black and sticky crude oil.

    Liu Jing immediately realized that Cao Jun must also have purified kerosene, which meant that his purification technology was leaked. This made Liu Jing extremely angry. He inspected Xiaji County several times and repeatedly told the defenders to keep the secret strictly, but they still  Careless.

    This leak caused him to lose the advantage of kerosene, so Zhang Liao thought of leading the Jiangxia rescue navy to the north. Once they blocked the river with kerosene, the warships would be wiped out.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing couldn't help but feel scared. If Jia Xu hadn't stopped him, at least fifty warships would have gone north along the Jianshui River.

    "I hope Liao Hua can save General Wen!"

    At this moment, the thunderous sound of horse hooves suddenly came from the distant shore, and there were soldiers shouting??: "The cavalry is back!"

    Liu Jing perked up and quickly ordered: "Get the cavalry on board!"

    Large ships sailed to the shore one after another, and Liu Jing's boat also sailed to the river bank. People on the river bank yelled, and more than two thousand cavalrymen all returned. After a while, Liao Hua quickly got on Liu Jing's big boat, kneeling on one knee.  He knelt down and reported: "The last general has fulfilled his mission and successfully rescued General Wen!"

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and asked quickly: "Where is General Wen now?"

    Liao Hua turned around and waved, and several soldiers carried up a stretcher. On the stretcher was Wenpin. He was injured and could no longer ride a horse, but he was conscious. When he saw Liu Jing, he said ashamedly: "You are underestimating your position and underestimating the enemy. You fell into a trap."  The enemy's delaying strategy led to an ambush, and I am willing to accept the punishment of the state pastor!"

    Liu Jing patted his hand and comforted him: "General, don't blame yourself, rest in peace and recover from your injuries. Moreover, most of the soldiers have returned, and the losses are not big. We will talk about this later."

    Liu Jing immediately ordered around, "Send General Wen into the cabin to heal his wounds!"

    The soldiers carried Wenpin into the cabin. At this time, a soldier ran up and whispered: "I'm afraid something is wrong with General Cai Jin!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 329 Zhang Ji¡¯s Suggestions

    Liu Jing was surprised. He only paid attention to Wenpin but forgot about Cai Jin. He quickly asked: "Where is General Cai now?"

    "Already in the cabin."

    Liu Jing turned around and walked towards the cabin. Cai Jin was the only person close to him in the Cai family and an important chess piece in his hand. In Liu Jing's plan, Cai Jin would be the future head of the Cai family.

    The key reason why Cai Yan can now become the head of the Cai family and the governor of Xiangyang is because of his son Cai Jin.

    After Liu Jing occupied Xiangyang, many generals, including Liu Hu, believed that there was no need to be so tolerant of the Cai family. They could just use Cai Mao as an excuse to directly confiscate the Cai family's land. Why make any deal with them?

    Of course, it would be easy for him to destroy the Cai family, but the problem is, if he, Liu Jing, just wants to hang out in Jingzhou, that's fine.  But if he wants to go to Bashu, Hanzhong, the Central Plains and Guanzhong, who among the famous families who control local resources and power will support Liu Jing?  Destroying the Cai family would be equivalent to destroying Liu Jing's credibility.

    Furthermore, Cai Mao was only loyal to the orthodox court, so what excuse did he have to accuse him of rebellion?

    It is precisely because of long-term considerations that Liu Jing can only use power seeking tactics to bring the Cai family to his side, so nothing can happen to Cai Jin at this time.

    Liu Jing quickly walked into a cabin. The lights were on in the cabin. He saw Cai Jin lying on a bed, his eyes closed, his upper body naked, his body covered with scars, his face unusually pale, and his breath weak. A military doctor  He was busy treating his wounds.

    "How is he?" Liu Jing stepped forward and asked.

    The military doctor turned around and saw Liu Jing. He was startled and said quickly: "The bleeding has stopped. Now clean his wound and give him medicine. Buthe is bleeding too much and is very dangerous."

    "How sure are you of rescuing her?" Liu Jing also asked a little nervously.

    The military doctor sighed and said: "It was only because he was strong that he could hold on. If he were an ordinary soldier, he would have died a long time ago. To be honest, it depends on whether he can hold on. I am not sure at all."

    Liu Jing nodded. He understood what the military doctor meant. He had lost too much blood. Whether he could survive or not depended on Cai Jin's own potential. But his breathing was so weak, as if he was going to die at any time, which made Liu Jing's heart ache.  stand up.

    Liu Jing left the cabin. At this time, the ship had set sail and headed towards Xiakou on the other side. Liu Jing slowly walked to the bow of the ship and stared at the sparkling river with her hands behind her hands.

    The night wind blew against his face, making his mind extra clear. If he was confident in defeating Cao Cao because of his previous victories, then Zhang Liao's thunderbolt attack this time made Liu Jing calm down.

    Although there was a great victory at Chibi in history, history changed with the arrival of Liu Jing. Cao Cao came with all his troops. Will there be another victory from Chibi?

    Not long after, the ship slowly docked at Xiakou Pier. The pier was already crowded with people, including cavalry and soldiers retreating from Anlu County south. At this time, a soldier boarded the ship and reported to Liu Jing: "  Report to the Prefecture Mu, Governor Zhang of Changsha is here, asking to see the Prefecture Mu."

    Liu Jing was immediately overjoyed. This was Zhang Ji, the governor of Changsha County. He had invited him to Jiangxia to prevent the plague a few days ago. He did not expect that he would come in such a timely manner and Cai Jin would be saved.

    "Invite him on board quickly!" Liu Jing ordered repeatedly.

    After a while, Zhang Ji followed a soldier onto the ship and smiled from afar: "I thought Zhou Mu was in Wuchang, but I didn't expect that he would also come to Xiakou."

    Liu Jing had no time to chat with him, so she pulled him towards the cabin and said, "General Cai Jin is dying. The prefect came just in time to help me save him."

    "I was arrested as soon as I came here!"

    Zhang Ji was just joking. Of course he could treat illnesses and save people. He quickly followed Liu Jing into the cabin. In the cabin, Cai Jin had already applied the wound medicine and covered him with a thin quilt.

    "How is he now?" Liu Jing asked the military doctor.

    The military doctor shook his head, "My breathing is getting weaker"

    He wanted to say that he might not survive tonight, but now that Zhang Zhongjing was here, he did not dare to say this. He also had a glimmer of hope in his heart to see if Zhang Zhongjing could save Cai Jin.

    Zhang Ji sat aside and took Cai Jin's pulse for a while. He frowned slightly and said, "Looking at his face, he lost a lot of blood. He should have died long ago, but he still has a pulse. It shows that God will not kill him."

    A glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in Liu Jing's eyes, "What do you mean, the prefect, can he still be saved?"

    Zhang Ji smiled slightly, "I'm only 50% sure. If he can survive tonight, there will be no problem."

    Zhang Ji immediately prescribed a prescription and gave it to the military doctor, "Prepare the medicine and boil it according to this prescription. One medicine will only make one soup, and give it to him to drink every hour."

    Military doctorAfter making the prescription, he saw that it was filled with ordinary blood-tonifying and body-strengthening medicines, but the combination was extremely clever, which impressed him. He secretly memorized the prescription and walked out quickly.

    Zhang Ji took out another pair of gold needles and carefully acupuncture Cai Jin's body. He smiled at Liu Jing and said, "Just one prescription is not enough. You have to stimulate his inner vitality. A two-pronged approach will be effective."

    Liu Jing agrees with this. The human body has great potential. If it can be stimulated, it is indeed unimaginable. He understands it deeply.

    At this time, Zhang Ji pondered for a moment and then said: "Before Zhou Mu came back, I treated more than thirty wounded people on the dock, and fifteen of them died, all from excessive blood loss. In fact, if the treatment was timely,  They will not die at all. After a few months of rest, they will be able to fight again. Has Zhou Mu considered how to save the lives of these wounded soldiers? "

    Liu Jing thought for a while and said: "I am considering setting up field rescue troops. Their mission is to rescue the wounded and not participate in combat. In this way, they can rescue injured soldiers in time and save their lives to the greatest extent."

    "Zhou Mu has a good idea, but I also have a suggestion, or a way to effectively reduce the number of injured and dead soldiers."

    Liu Jing was immediately interested and said quickly: "Prefect, please tell me!"

    "It's actually very simple. Zhou Mu can provide each soldier with a simple medical kit. It doesn't need to be too big and can be carried on the back. It contains gauze and a few hemostatic ointments. When the soldiers are injured, they can help themselves, or  Ask your companions to help, so that you won¡¯t die from massive blood loss.¡±

    The method proposed by Zhang Ji is actually not difficult, but it will increase the cost of war and the cost of raising troops, and the cost will be even greater when failure and replacement are taken into account, so those in charge are generally unwilling to consider it.

    This is actually a matter of concept. If a superior regards soldiers as the most precious wealth, he will adopt this method. Unfortunately, most superiors in history regard soldiers as useless and only consider their war effectiveness.  He will never consider the cost of recuperation for wounded soldiers, because Zhang Ji himself is a doctor, so he has such compassionate thoughts.

    Zhang Ji was a little nervous. He had proposed this plan to Liu Biao before, but it was unanimously rejected by his ministers during the discussion.

    Because it costs too much, a medical kit costs at least one hundred yuan. For one hundred thousand Jingzhou soldiers, it costs ten million yuan, and it needs to be replaced every year. Jingzhou cannot afford it. At this time, Zhang Ji saw that Liu Jing attached so much importance to treatment.  The wounded soldier couldn't help but have a glimmer of hope in his heart.

    Seeing that Liu Jing was silent, he thought he was reluctant, so he took out a small porcelain bottle from his arms, poured out two pills of walnut-sized pills, which turned red all over, and smiled at Liu Jing: "  This elixir is called Bao Ming Wan. It is a hemostatic and anti-inflammatory medicine that I have prepared in the past two years. It is composed of thirteen common herbs. When using it, chew one pill and swallow it. Chew the other pill and apply it on the wound to stop bleeding.  It is very effective in treating injuries, and it is very cheap. The two pills and the bottle only cost 20 yuan, and they will be effective within two years.¡±

    Liu Jing picked up the two pills and smelled them. There was a faint fragrance. He nodded and said: "You can do a test first. If it is really effective, I will immediately distribute it on a large scale. Just like the prefect's suggestion, give it to everyone."  Each soldier is equipped with a medical kit to minimize the death of injured soldiers. "

    Zhang Ji did not expect Liu Jing to agree so readily. He was moved and stood up to give a deep salute, "It is a blessing for Jingzhou soldiers that the state pastor can consider the soldiers!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In another cabin, Liu Jing summoned a dozen generals to discuss the situation in Anlu County. Although Zhang Liao led his army to occupy Anlu County, Liu Jing decided not to counterattack for the time being. After all, Cao's army, which was about to arrive in Fancheng, was their real enemy.  .

    "My generals, tomorrow I will go to Xiangyang to inspect the transfer of people. The two armies on the waterway are still commanded by General Gan Ning and General Wei Yan. In addition, General Wenpin's troops are also temporarily under the control of General Wei."

    Gan Ning and Wei Yan stood up at the same time and saluted, "General, I will obey your orders!"

    Liu Jing added: "While I am away, you must completely follow Mr. Jia's advice. You must not act without Mr. Jia's permission."

    Gan Ning and Wei Yan agreed at the same time, while Jia Xu smiled and said nothing while stroking his beard. Although he did not have a position in the army, everyone knew that Jia Xu was the de facto military advisor.

    At this time, Liu Jing took out the pills given by Zhang Ji and told Zhang Ji's suggestions again. There were whispers in the lobby. If Xu Shu and other civil servants were there, they would definitely calculate the costs first and then consider the expenses. But most of the people sitting there were  He is a general, and he will consider the interests of the soldiers. Everyone agreed and couldn't wait to implement it tomorrow.

    Liu Jing smiled again and said: "Actually, I also thought of a plan. For example, each corps is equipped with a medical box to store more medicines. Is this better than having a small doctor for each soldier?Are medicine packs better?  "

    Wei Yan shook his head and said: "Zhou Mu doesn't know much about the situation of the soldiers at the bottom. I know it very well. When we win the battle, maybe we will still be together. If we lose the battle, or we are ambushed at night, everyone will save their own lives at that time.  , it¡¯s such a mess, where can the injured soldiers find their medical kits? They have to rely on themselves to save their lives!¡±

    Gan Ning also added: "General Wei is right. It's not safe to hand your life to others. You still have to rely on yourself at critical times. I also support the use of medical kits. In addition, I suggest that every soldier learn how to save himself."  Skills and know some common herbs.¡±

    At this time, Liu Jing looked at Jia Xu again, "What do you think, sir?"

    Jia Xu chuckled, "I don't have any objections. If financial resources permit, this is not a bad thing."

    Liu Jing has certainly considered financial resources. A medical kit costs about fifty yuan, and sixty thousand soldiers, which is only three million yuan, can be spent from the money from selling kerosene.

    "Then it's decided!" Liu Jing finally made up his mind.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 330 Yizhou Envoy

    Yecheng was once one of the important material transit places for Cao Jun. The huge Cangcheng to the west of the county was attacked by Jiangxia cavalry a year ago and burned into ruins. However, Cao Jun quickly rebuilt Cangcheng and built it.  The garrison was increased from 1,000 to 5,000, and Yecheng was tightly defended.

    During Cao¡¯s army¡¯s southern expedition, Yecheng once again showed its importance. The warehouses were filled with a large amount of food and ordnance. A large amount of food and materials were transported from here to Nanyang County or Runan County every day.

    In the early morning of this morning, when the people of Yecheng woke up, many people were shocked by the scene outside the city. They saw that the wilderness to the north of the county was covered with densely packed tents, like mushrooms growing after a night of spring rain.  As far as the eye can see, a large flag several feet high is fluttering in the wind.

    In addition to the magnificent tents, there were also a large number of Cao soldiers. Groups of cavalry galloped outside the camp, driving out the overwhelmed merchants and pedestrians from the official road.

    This is when Cao Cao personally led a main force of 170,000 to Yecheng. If the troops from Anlu County, Wancheng, Fancheng, Shangyong and other places are added, the number would have exceeded 300,000. This is almost the total number of Cao Cao's troops.  Come out, Cao Cao is bound to win this southern campaign.

    At this time, a team of military horses came from the west, with about twenty people, each riding a horse. The leader was a man in his thirties, with a medium build and a thin face, who looked quite smart and capable.

    Hundreds of steps away from Cao Jun's camp, the group was intercepted by Cao Jun's patrol. Seeing that the leader of the patrol looked elegant and unlike ordinary people, he did not reprimand him, but warned: "Ahead is  This is an important military area. You are not allowed to move forward. Please take a detour elsewhere!¡±

    The man stepped forward, clasped his fists in salute, and said with a smile: "I am the envoy from Bashu. I have come to pay homage to the Prime Minister on the order of Zhou Mu. Please take us to the camp."

    When the patrol chief heard that they were envoys from Bashu, he was not embarrassed. He nodded and said, "Since they are envoys from Bashu, please come with me!"

    The patrol cavalry escorted the envoy team towards the camp gate.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the Chinese army's tent, Cao Cao was listening to Sima Yi's report on the battle of Anlu County. Zhang Liao's capture of Anlu County was not a surprise to Cao Cao. On the contrary, he was a little regretful that he could not forcefully surrender Wenpin.

    "Wenpin is a famous general I have thought about for a long time. It's a pity that you missed this best opportunity. I feel very sorry."

    Cao Cao's tone was very gentle, but there was a hint of dissatisfaction with Zhang Liao in his regret. He had told Zhang Liao before he left that he must capture Wenpin alive, but in the end he still let Wenpin be rescued at the last moment.  After being rescued by Jiang Xia's army, if Cao Cao had not taken his identity into consideration, he would have dropped the report to the ground.

    Sima Yi was a little stunned. He didn't expect Cao Cao to value Wenpin so much. Zhang Liao didn't tell him in advance. He came to see Cao Cao to report back to the Jiangxia cavalry.

    At this time, Cao Cao didn't care about the cavalry at all, but he focused on the matter of Wenpin, so Sima Yi had to answer according to Cao Cao's thinking.

    "At that time, General Zhang really wanted to capture Wenpin alive and hoped that Wenpin would surrender, but Wenpin would never surrender."

    Cao Cao seemed to have no patience to listen to him anymore. He opened the battle report and asked: "The battle report said that Wenpin had less than 500 soldiers left in the end. Is that true?"

    "That's true!"

    "But you have an army of 50,000. One hundred people are enough to deal with one person. The army swarmed up and captured them all in an instant. But in the end they were rescued. How do you explain it?"

    Cao Cao was very careful and found some unreasonable things in the military reports, but Zhang Liao did not explain them. This made Cao Cao very dissatisfied. He would never allow his subordinates to fool him.

    Sima Yi broke out in a cold sweat. He didn't expect Cao Cao to be so smart. Of course he knew the reason?  Now, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and tell the truth.

    "The key is that we didn't use all our strength to besiege Wenpin. We only used 20,000 troops."

    "Why don't you attack with all your troops?" Cao Cao asked coldly with his hands behind his back.

    "This is because we wanted to use Wenpin as bait to lure the Jiangxia naval warships to rescue, and then we could trap the Jiangxia warships in the Jianshui River. But we didn't expect that Liu Jing would actually send cavalry to rescue. The cavalry could come  Suddenly and very sharply, they broke through the siege in just a moment and rescued Wenpin. Prime Minister, this cavalry is very powerful, really no less powerful than Gao Shun's trapped cavalry."

    Cao Cao's thoughts were not taken away by Sima Yi. He looked up at the roof and said slowly after a long while: "In the Battle of Xinye, Jia Xu also wanted to use Liu Jing to lure Wenpin's army, but he instead used all his troops.  He was determined to catch Liu Jing. Later I asked him, since it was to lure the enemy, why did he try so hard to catch the bait?  That¡¯s it.  "

    Having said this, Cao Cao glanced at Sima Yi sharply.  He said calmly: "Zhongda, soldiers never tire of deceit, you still have to learn more! It's a pity that Cao Ren was stupid and gave my adviser to Liu Jing in vain. It still hurts my heart to this day. As long as Jia Xu doesn't lose it, even if it's five thousand  The cavalry are all killed, so what¡¯s the problem?¡±

    Sima Yi was ashamed. He understood what Cao Cao said. The Jiangxia cavalry was nothing, and the Jiangxia warships were nothing. Not capturing Wenpin alive was the biggest mistake.

    He lowered his head, "He is humble and stupid, and he has failed the prime minister's trust."

    "This matter has nothing to do with you, you don't have to blame yourself, the responsibility lies with General Zhang Liao!"

    Cao Cao said coldly: "Zhang Liao was unable to fight effectively, so he sent away the enemy's general Wen Pin and removed him from his position as the general of the middle route army. He was replaced by Zhao Yan. Zhang Liao returned to the camp to obey orders."

    Sima Yi sighed deeply. Wenpin was rescued. Even he felt sorry for Zhang Liao. Only now did he deeply understand how much Cao Cao valued talents.

    At this time, a guard came from outside the big tent and reported: "Reporting to the Prime Minister, Yizhou Shepherd Liu Zhang has sent an envoy, and he is now seeking an audience."

    Cao Cao nodded, "Let the envoy come in!"

    He said to Sima Yi: "You should go back first! I believe you know what to say to Zhang Liao."

    "Yes! I resign from my humble position."

    Sima Yi bowed and retreated. Cao Cao looked at his back and walked away, and the anger in his heart gradually subsided. In fact, the literary appointment was not that important. Cao Cao was just dissatisfied with Zhang Liao for not following through on his orders. More importantly,  , he wanted to leave an impression in Sima Yi's mind that he was thirsty for talents.

    Not long after, several guards led Liu Zhang¡¯s envoy to come in a hurry. The envoy knelt down and bowed and said: "Envoy from Yizhou, Fa Zheng, pays homage to the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao thought for a while and said with a smile: "It turns out that you are Fufeng Fa Xiaozhi. I have admired your name for a long time."

    Fazheng has been praised as a magical power and talented person since he was a child. He is very famous in Fufeng County. In the early years of Jian'an, he went to Shu with his friend Meng Da to avoid famine. However, he was squeezed out by the bureaucratic faction in Shu and could not be reused, which made him quite popular.  Feeling depressed.

    This time, Cao Cao's army was supposed to come without Zhang Song, but Zhang Song was temporarily ill, so he recommended himself to come on his behalf. Unexpectedly, Cao Cao was able to tell his cousin, which surprised him, and he quickly said:  : "Fazheng doesn't dare to be praised by the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao had only heard of Fazheng's talents more than ten years ago. Since Fazheng had no chance to display his talents, Cao Cao didn't know his true talents, so he just laughed it off and didn't take him seriously.

    Fazheng quickly took out Liu Zhang's autographed letter and presented it to Cao Cao with both hands, "This is the autographed letter from my family's state pastor, please prime minister to read it!"

    Cao Cao took the letter and read it over. Liu Zhang expressed in the letter that he was willing to send his son to Xudu as a hostage, and at the same time, he was willing to provide military supplies for Cao Cao's expedition to the south. If Cao Cao was willing, he could write to the emperor to respect Cao Cao as the Duke of Wei. The words in the letter  Quite flattering.

    Cao Cao couldn't help but sneered, could it be that if he gave his son as a pledge and provided military rations, his army would not destroy Bashu?

    It is despicable that a dignified shepherd of a state is so short-sighted, but Liu Jing and Sun Quan trained their troops together and fought against the enemy with one heart. In contrast, Liu Zhang did not want to unite with Jingzhou and Jiangdong, but only wanted to protect himself.  Mediocre people are nothing to worry about.

    Cao Cao closed the letter and asked Fa Zhengdao with a smile: "Does Fa Xiaozhi hold any official position in Yizhou?"

    "The lower official will be appointed as the military council captain."

    "With Xiaozhi's talent, it took more than ten years to become a military council captain. It shows that Liu Zhang is a mediocre person and has no knowledge of people. If Xiaozhi is willing to serve me, I will recommend you to be the governor of Fufeng County. How about it?"

    Fazheng leaned back and said: "Thank you Prime Minister for your kindness, but as a messenger, Fazheng should be loyal to his mission and not talk about private matters."

    "If Xiaozhi doesn't want to be loyal to me, you can actually choose Liu Jing. This man is talented and resourceful, not inferior to me. He is a proud phoenix of heaven and my lifelong rival, Cao Mengde. Liu Jiyu is a mediocre person, but he is just a hen who inherited his father's shadow.  That¡¯s all.¡±

    Fazheng was silent for a moment and replied: "You are the prime minister, so why are you so harsh in your words?"

    Cao Cao was not angry, but still smiled slightly, "Do you know what Liu Zhang wrote in the letter?"

    Fazheng shook his head, "My lord's letter is not something that I can read at will."

    "You are the messenger, of course you can watch it!"

    Cao Cao handed the letter to him. Fazheng hesitated. Cao Cao was right. He was an envoy, not a messenger. He should know the purpose of the mission. He took the letter and read it hastily.

    Fazheng's face suddenly turned red. He didn't expect Liu Zhang to be so servile. No wonder Zhang Song said it was a great shame that he couldn't get sick.

    "How about it?"

      Cao Cao looked at his expression and said with a smile: "Such a lord, it's okay not to be loyal!"

    Fazheng sighed deeply in his heart, stood up and gave a deep salute, "I'm on an official mission for official business, and I'd like to hear the Prime Minister's public opinion!"

    Cao Cao looked at him for a moment and said calmly: "I don't have any written reply, only a verbal message. You can convey it to Liu Zhang for me."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    [Historically, it was Zhang Song who sent Cao Ying as envoy, but because of the plot, it was changed to Fa Zheng. In fact, Fa Zheng was squeezed out by the Yizhou Group and was not reused by Liu Zhang. He was not Liu Zhang's confidant, and his status was not high. This kind of  Liu Zhang would definitely not send him on an important envoy, so it was a bit illogical for Fa Zheng to send him as an envoy to Cao Ying.  ¡¿

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 331 Strategic Retreat

    On the north bank of the Han River, Fazheng looked at the ships coming and going on the other side of the river with concern. He had completed his mission as an envoy to Cao Jun and was heading south, but at this time he didn't know how to report to Liu Zhang when he returned?

    Cao Cao's sarcasm and disdain made him feel even more humiliated. He didn't even reply to a letter. He only left one sentence, "Let Liu Zhang come to see him in person." In other words, he asked Liu Zhang to surrender.

    "In the final analysis, Cao Cao's arrogance and rudeness were entirely Liu Zhang's fault. His servility would certainly make people look down upon him even more. Even Fazheng was filled with contempt.

    At this time, a follower asked in a low voice: "Fa Xiaowei, should we go to Shangyong or cross the river?"

    They came out of Hanzhong and arrived at Fancheng via Shangyong. Fazheng was silent in thought. Since Cao Cao rejected his lord's request for peace, could Bashu also form an alliance with Jingzhou to resist Cao's army going south?  At least I can give an explanation to my lord when I go back.

    Thinking of this, Fazheng immediately said to his entourage: "Go to Xiangyang and have a look! Understand the situation."

    Everyone turned their horses and headed west. It was impossible to cross the river from Fancheng to the south. The Jiangxia navy blocked the river, and there were no ferries in Fancheng. However, Fazheng and the others knew that in the Dengxian dock area to the west, there were boatmen secretly crossing the river at a high price.  Jiang, they found such a ferry when they came to Fancheng.

    At night, Fazheng and his party found two small boats offering high-priced customers at Wuhuaipo, about three miles west of Deng County Pier. They crossed the Han River in batches and rushed towards Xiangyang City.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The city of Xiangyang was already buzzing with cranes. Cao Cao led an army of 500,000 people to the south. The news that he would crush Xiangyang had already spread throughout the city, causing a panic inside and outside Xiangyang City. The Xiangyang garrison and Xiangyang officials began to go door-to-door to mobilize Xiangyang people to evacuate eastward to Jiangxia.  .

    This time, thirteen large families in Xiangyang, including the Cai family, the Kuai family, and the Pang family, also began to evacuate. The entire city of Xiangyang was evacuated. Although there was a sea of ??people on the Xiangyang pier, the evacuation was not chaotic. The government and the army had made arrangements in advance.  , every household has a ship license plate with its own ship number.

    Therefore, tens of thousands of people lined up in dozens of teams on the pier, and each team had its own designated boat. It was crowded, noisy, and orderly.

    At this time, Liu Jing also appeared on the dock to inspect the evacuation of people in Xiangyang. Huo Jun, the captain of Xiangyang, accompanied Liu Jing during the inspection, "This time, not only people in Xiangyang City, but also people in Zhonglu, Linju and other counties were also evacuated at the same time.  "

    "Have they also gotten the news?"

    "Yes! Governor Cai personally went to various counties to mobilize. Different from the past, this time almost everyone in the county fled."

    Huo Jun pointed to the thousands of people who had just arrived not far away and said: "Those people came from Zhonglu County."

    When Liu Jing saw the arrival of thousands of people, the originally orderly dock suddenly became chaotic. Thousands of people carried large and small bags, helped the old and the young, cried for their fathers and mothers, some made a lot of noise, and some even jumped in the queue at will and caused a scene.  A fight broke out, causing chaos on the dock.

    Liu Jing frowned and asked, "Didn't they evacuate by land?"

    ¡°Only a small part was evacuated by land, while most of the rest rushed to Xiangyang Pier and asked to be evacuated with the ships.¡±

    Huo Jun smiled bitterly and said: "The benefits of evacuating with the boat are obvious. It can save you the pain of long journeys, you can also bring more belongings, and there is food on the way, so basically everyone comes here."

    Liu Jing saw that the pier was getting more and more chaotic. He was worried that something might happen, so he said to Huo Jun: "Go and sort out the order! Separate Xiangyang and other counties to avoid conflicts."

    Huo Jun was already worried. He bowed and hurried away. At this time, a two thousand stone ship docked, with a huge "No. 58" written in charcoal on the ship. Hundreds of people around him rushed up together.  The queue that had been lined up was also in chaos. Everyone was rushing to get on the boat, and there was a lot of crying.

    Liu Jing couldn't help but shook her head. At this time, a soldier came forward with a man, "Zhou Mu, this man is a descendant of the Cai family. He said he wants to see you if he has something to do."

    Liu Jing glanced at him. He was vaguely Cai Jin's younger brother. He had met him once before, "What do you want from me?"

    "The villain Cai Yuan is Cai Jin's younger brother. There is something my grandfather ordered me to tell Zhou Mu."

    He stepped forward and whispered a few words. Liu Jing was startled and asked quickly: "Where is she now?"

    Cai Yuan pointed to the southwest corner, "I saw her in that corner just now, and I don't know if she is still there now."

    "I know, I'll go take a look!"

    Liu Jing turned around and led dozens of soldiers to ride towards the southwest corner. In a deserted corner of the southwest corner, there stood two lonely young women, holding a small bundle in their hands and looking at the ship with confusion.  It was Cai Shaoyu and her maid.

    Cai Mao evacuated hastily to the north. Except for his eldest son Cai Yi, the rest of the familyNone of them were taken away. Cai Mao had three sons and one daughter. One of them died young, and the other followed Zhang Yun and surrendered to Cao Cao. His first wife died of illness the year before last, and his current wife was married later.

    In fact, he only had one daughter in Xiangyang, Cai Shaoyu. A few months ago, Cai Shaoyu was the wife of Liu Cong, the shepherd of Jingzhou, and the daughter of military advisor Cai Mao. She had a high status. However, when Cai Mao defected to Cao Cao, Liu Cong and Mrs. Cai were sent away.  When he went to Yecheng to retire, Cai Shaoyu's status also underwent earth-shaking changes.

    Cai Shaoyu lived in the Cai family, but no one in the Cai family paid attention to her. They avoided her like the plague for fear of being implicated by her. Although Cai Xun ordered the housekeeper to send money and food on time so that she had enough food and clothing, she had actually been taken over by the Cai family.  isolated.

    The drastic change in the attitude of the Cai family made Cai Shaoyu suffer from the harshness of the world. She became silent and refused to say a word to the Cai family. This time they retreated eastward to Jiangxia, and the Cai family also followed suit. Liu Jing ordered three separate thousand-stone ships for the Cai family.  , loaded with property and hundreds of Cai clan members, entered Tanxi directly from Caili, and then entered the Han River, avoiding the hustle and bustle at Xiangyang Pier.

    But Cai Shaoyu was extremely stubborn and refused to go with the Cai family. She packed a bag and took her maid to Xiangyang to catch a boat. At this time, facing the chaos on the Xiangyang pier, she was extremely confused and she didn't know it.  Where to go?

    She did not want to go to Xuchang to seek refuge with her father. She hated her father from the bottom of her heart. Her father ruined her life by marrying her to Liu Cong. She would not go to Yecheng to seek refuge with Liu Cong. Although that man was her nominal husband,  But they have long since broken up.

    Where will she go?  She herself didn't know that the reason why she hesitated on the dock was because she had another place in mind, which was to go to Jiangxia to join her cousin Cai Jin. He was the only brother in the Cai family who cared about her and loved her even more.  She was her brother-in-law and the only one who firmly opposed her marrying Liu Cong.

    "Girl, let's go queue up! You'll never get on the boat here." The maid next to me whispered.

    Cai Shaoyu looked at the chaotic and crowded crowd, and she shook her head, "Wait a little longer!" She didn't want to get mixed in with the crowd and get on the boat.

    At this moment, dozens of cavalrymen rushed over from a distance and reined in their horses in front of Cai Shaoyu. The leader was none other than Liu Jing.

    "Miss Cai, long time no see!" Liu Jing said with a smile on her face.

    They haven't seen each other for three or four years. The last time they met was in Liu Biao's study. Cai Shaoyu was chased by Liu Cong. Liu Cong grabbed her hair, but she was saved by Liu Jing. In a blink of an eye, Cai Shaoyu was also a twenty-year-old young woman.  .

    Cai Shaoyu didn't expect to see Liu Jing here. She felt sad and bowed, "A civilian girl meets the state pastor!"

    When Liu Jing heard that she called herself a folk girl, and saw that she wore simple clothes without makeup, and only carried a small cloth bag in her hand, she looked very lonely and helpless.  Going to Jiangxia?¡±

    Cai Shaoyu bit her lip and nodded silently. Liu Jing looked back at the crowded and chaotic crowd and smiled: "Why don't you take my boat!"

    Cai Shaoyu hesitated, lowered his head and said, "I can go by myself."

    Liu Jing saw the contradiction in her heart. She wanted to go with him, but the reserve in the woman's heart made her unable to lose face. Liu Jing said softly: "There is my concubine on the boat, the little Bao Niang, who is the little Baozi from before.  You have met her, you can live with her and she will take good care of you."

    Cai Shaoyu suddenly became extremely weak in her heart. She no longer had the courage to refuse, so she nodded and agreed, "Thank you, Mr. Jing!"

    Liu Jing immediately ordered two soldiers to take Cai Shaoyu to his boat. Liu Jing looked at her back and sighed secretly. No matter how turbulent the situation is, women are always the last victims.

    At this time, one of Huo Jun's subordinates galloped over on horseback. He clasped his fists on the horse and said, "Reporting to Zhou Mu, our patrol caught a group of suspicious people. They claimed to be envoys from Bashu and were passing by Xiangyang."

    Liu Jing was immediately interested. He turned out to be an envoy from Bashu. He immediately asked: "Where are these people?"

    "They have been taken to Xiangyang City and are in the county government office!"

    Liu Jing immediately turned his horse and ran towards Xiangyang City. Dozens of cavalry followed him and ran all the way into Xiangyang City.

    At this time, Xiangyang City was already deserted, with empty houses and streets everywhere. The evacuation of Xiangyang City had lasted for three days. Except for a very small number of elderly people who were unwilling to leave their homes, the last batch of relocated people had also arrived.  pier.

    There are still 10,000 troops stationed in Xiangyang City, and there are more than a hundred officials in the county and county offices. They will evacuate at the end.

    When Liu Jing came to the county government office, he saw more than twenty war horses tied to the horse posts outside the county government office. A group of people were sitting on the steps, guarded by soldiers. Liu Jing got off his horse and a military prince stepped forward to report: "Report  State Shepherd, MessengerIn the hall, these are his followers.  "

    Liu Jing nodded and quickly entered the lobby. In the inner hall, under the surveillance of several soldiers, Fa Zheng was pacing back and forth anxiously with his hands behind his back. He just wanted to take a look at the current situation in Xiangyang, but he did not expect that he was still far away from Xiangyang City.  Within ten miles, they were intercepted by a Jiangxia military patrol and escorted directly into the city.

    Fazheng felt a little regretful. In this way, he would probably reveal the secret contact between Liu Zhang and Cao Cao.

    At this moment, a burst of rapid footsteps came from outside the hall, and Liu Jing appeared at the door of the lobby. He glanced at Fazheng and asked lightly: "What is the name of this envoy?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 332 Fa Zheng¡¯s Thoughts

    Fazheng turned around and saw a young officer. He was tall and brave in appearance. There was an indescribable aura in his words. He couldn't help but be startled. Could this be the commander-in-chief of Xiangyang?

    He quickly bowed and saluted, "I am in Yizhou, Fazheng. I am passing through your country. I hope we can take the road."

    "Are you Fazheng?" Liu Jing looked at him with bright eyes and asked.

    Fazheng felt guilty for a while when he was stared at by Liu Jing's sharp gaze, and then asked: "Does this general know about me?"

    Liu Jing laughed, causing the tense atmosphere in the lobby to melt away. He waved his hand and said: "Sir, please sit down!"

    Liu Jing's smile made Fazheng feel a little relieved. He sat down and asked, "Is this general General Huo?"

    "I am not Huo Jun, I am Jiangxia Liu Jing."

    "You are"

    Fazheng was shocked. It turned out that the person in front of him was Liu Jing. He stood up as if he was electrocuted and bowed deeply, "I don't know if the state pastor has arrived. Fazheng is rude."

    Liu Jing laughed, "Sir, don't be nervous, I won't detain you, I just want to have a chat with Mr. Fa."

    Fazheng breathed a sigh of relief and sat down again. At this time, the soldiers brought two cups of tea. Liu Jing took a sip of tea and asked: "If I guessed correctly, Mr. Fa should have been ordered by Liu Zhang to see Cao Cao."  Bar!"

    Fazheng could not deny that Liu Jing would know this kind of thing just by casually questioning one of his subordinates. He nodded, "It is true. I met Cao Cao in Ye County and presented him with a letter from my lord.  "

    Fa Zheng thought to himself, ¡®If he asks about the purpose of the mission, I will say that I don¡¯t know anything about it. It¡¯s just a message anyway. What does it have to do with me?  ¡¯

    Unexpectedly, Liu Jing didn't ask him the inside story of his mission. In fact, there was no need to ask. The purpose of sending an envoy was to seek peace. If it was for resistance, Liu Zhang would have sent someone to see him.

    "Sir, what do you think of the strength of Cao's army? How sure are the Jingzhou and Jiangdong coalition forces of victory?"

    As long as he did not ask about the inside story of the mission, Fazheng would not feel embarrassed. He pondered for a while and said: "This time, Cao Cao's army almost poured down. Cao Cao is bound to win. His army has experienced hundreds of battles, and has many famous generals and counselors."  Jiji, in terms of strength comparison, the Sun-Liu coalition is no match for Cao's army. The key is the Yangtze River. Most of the northern soldiers are not used to water warfare. As long as the Sun-Liu coalition makes full use of the advantages of the Yangtze River natural moat, I think the Sun-Liu coalition should have a 30% chance of victory. "

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Is it only a 30% chance of winning? I think it should be 50-50. Sir seems to be a little overestimating Cao Jun."

    Fazheng leaned back and said, "That's just my family's opinion. I would like to hear the details of Zhou Mu."

    "Sir, you should also know that a large-scale war is ultimately about national strength. Over the years, the Central Plains has been in the middle of a war, with thousands of miles of bare wilderness, a sharp decline in population, and people's livelihood in all states and counties. Cao Cao had no choice but to use military garrison tactics.  In order to solve the army's food problem, Cao Cao prepared for this southern expedition for half a year, using more than one million people, wiping out the people's wealth, causing public resentment and low morale. This is just one of them.

    Secondly, Cao Cao killed Kong Rong, which aroused the overwhelming anger of the Confucian scholars. All the scholars fled overnight. When this happened before the army marched south, he did not first appease the hearts of the scholars, but was eager to go south.  Since he himself is not in Xuchang, his political situation will inevitably be unstable;

    Thirdly, although Cao Cao defeated Hebei, it did not last long, and the people of Hebei did not support him. He sent his troops southward, leaving Hebei empty. Yuan Shao's old troops would surely take the opportunity to make a move. In addition, Ma Teng and Han Sui threatened Guanzhong, which would inevitably push him to the rear.  unstable.

    From this point of view, if Cao Cao did not possess the right time, location, and people, how could he conquer the south?  I said the outcome was 50-50, but I still thought highly of him.  "

    Fazheng sighed for a while and said: "We are both members of the same clan, so you are far more knowledgeable than Liu Yizhou."

    Liu Jing smiled proudly, "Mr. Fa might as well go back and persuade you Zhou Mu, a phoenix is ??nirvana, and can only be reborn from the fire. Hiding in Yizhou, he can only be a housekeeper dog forever. If he is willing, we can join forces with the three families.  Let¡¯s destroy Cao Cao together and revive the Han Dynasty!¡±

    Fazheng was impressed by Liu Jing's momentum. He thought of Cao Cao's praise of Liu Jing. Even enemies like Cao Cao praised him endlessly. Fazheng couldn't help but sigh secretly in his heart. This is the leader of talents, but he himself served Liu Zhang and knew  People don¡¯t understand!

    Fazheng stood up, bowed and saluted, "I will definitely convey your envoy's words to Liu Yizhou."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just when Fazheng was interviewing Liu Jing, Cao Cao's army had arrived in Fancheng. Cheng Yu led Mao Jie, Xu Huang and other civil and military generals to greet the arrival of Cao Cao's army.

    Cao Cao¡¯s camp was located north of Fancheng, covering an area of ??1,000 acres. The sergeants began to set up tents busily. In the newly built Chinese army tent, Cao Cao sat upright and listened intently to Cheng Yu¡¯s report.

      "There are more than 300 warships of more than a thousand stones, about 500 warships of more than 500 stones, and the rest are all less than 500 warships. Currently, three patrol teams have been formed, with a total of 120 fast ships.  , but we can¡¯t enter Hanshui yet.¡±

    "Why can't you enter?" Cao Cao asked with some displeasure.

    A look of shame appeared on Cheng Yu's face, "Ten days ago, Wei Chen tried to send a patrol team into the Han River, but was met with a patrol by the Jiangxia navy. In less than half an hour of fierce fighting, twelve patrol boats sank and ten  Of the two ships, only two escaped, while the opponent only sank two. Our army suffered a disastrous defeat. "

    Cao Cao sneered and said: "You mean that from now on our ships will stay in the water, and building two thousand war ships is just for show, is that right?"

    "No! Wei Chen doesn't mean that, because the Jiangxia Army is evacuating the people of Xiangyang on a large scale. Wei Chen thinks Liu Jing is about to retreat, so he is not in a hurry."

    Cao Cao's expression changed and he said anxiously: "Xiangyang is retreating on a large scale, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

    "The first thing I should do is to report the matter. The prime minister may not take it to heart."

    Cao Cao thought for a while, but fortunately he was a little distracted at the time and didn't notice what Cheng Yu was saying?  His expression softened again, he stood up and said to everyone: "Let's take a look!"

    He walked quickly outside the tent, and dozens of generals followed him out of the tent and headed towards Fancheng.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the top of Fancheng City, Cao Cao stared at the other side of the Han River for a long time. The weather was clear and the sight was far away. He could clearly see that the other side was full of ships. Ships full of people were constantly leaving the dock and sailing to the southeast.

    On the outer river, there are dozens of three-thousand-stone warships moored. Their huge bodies are like hills. There are also hundreds of patrol boats cruising back and forth on the river, especially at the mouth of the Bishui River.

    "Are our spies in Xiangyang City still there?" Cao Cao suddenly asked.

    Cheng Yu replied, "Reporting to the Prime Minister, the spies in Xiangyang City are divided into three branches. One went to Jiangxia, one went to Jiangdong, and the other went to Nanjun. There are no spies left in Xiangyang City, but Wei Chen is preparing to surrender from Jingzhou."  Ten soldiers with excellent water skills were selected and asked to swim to the other side to collect information.  "

    Cao Cao nodded, "This method is good and can be implemented immediately. In addition, send a patrol team into the Han River. I want to see with my own eyes the strength gap between the two sides."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cao Jun's warships were all anchored on both sides of the Bishui River, stretching for dozens of miles. Four thick iron chains were pulled to block the Bishui River mouth, and a sluice was built. Heavy troops were stationed on both sides. Under Cheng Yu's careful construction, the Bishui River was blocked by four thick iron chains.  The water defense is like a copper wall and an iron wall, which has repeatedly thwarted sneak attacks by small units of the Jiangxia Army.

    But just as the warships of the Jiangxia Army cannot enter the Bi River, the warships of the Cao Army in the Bi River cannot enter the Han River. The Jiangxia Navy has completely controlled the Han River.

    Following Cao Cao's order, twenty hundred-stone warships slowly approached the lock. This was a patrol fleet of Cao's army. There were ten people on each warship, all of whom were former Jingzhou troops. A total of two hundred people were ordered to  Enter the Han River.

    They are like twenty white mice, who will use a tragic experiment to show the strength gap between the Northern Navy and the Jiangxia Navy.

    The leader is a military lord in his thirties, named Zheng Ze, who is Zhang Yun¡¯s general. He has spent eight years in the Jingzhou navy and has rich naval experience.

    But Zheng Ze knew in his heart that his personal navy experience was far from being able to compete with the strength of the overall navy. He knew his fate in going to war. His only hope was that his personal performance would be favored by Prime Minister Cao and help him achieve his official career.  road.

    "Everyone cheer up!"

    Zheng Ze turned around and shouted: "Prime Minister Cao is watching us from the top of the city. Even if we lose, we must lose like a human being!"

    The lock opened, four iron chains clattered ashore, twenty warships lined up in two rows, sailed into the wide Han River, and saw a large ship full of immigrants.

    But the Jiangxia army deployed more than a dozen sentinel ships at the mouth of the Bishui River to monitor. When Cao Jun's warship came out, more than a dozen Jiangxia sentinel ships were surrounded from all sides like a pack of wolves.

    "Get out!" Zheng Ze shouted.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    From the top of Fancheng City, one could vaguely see a battle at the mouth of the Bishui River. Cao Cao and dozens of generals were all looking at the sentinel ship attentively. At this time, Zhang Yun hurried over and knelt down on one knee behind Cao Cao to salute.  "I humble myself to pay homage to the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao turned around and saw Zhang Yun, with a smile on his face, "It turns out to be General Zhang, please wake up quickly!"

    Cao Cao really dislikes a flattering villain like Zhang Yun, but Zhang Yun was once a captain of the Jingzhou navy and a lieutenant in Cao's army.The most lacking navy general, Cao Cao still reluctantly reused him, making him a Han Yong captain, a Marquis of Guannei, and in charge of the Fancheng navy.

    Zhang Yun stood up and said with a flattering smile: "Prime Minister, you have worked hard all the way. The soldiers look forward to the arrival of the Prime Minister, just like a baby looks forward to its parents"

    Before he could continue, Cheng Yu coughed heavily and said coldly: "General Zhang, the Prime Minister has a few questions to ask you. Just answer them truthfully."

    The last time the water battle was unfavorable, Zhang Yun was almost beheaded by Cheng Yu, which made him very afraid of Cheng Yu. He was so frightened that his heart trembled, and he quickly lowered his head and stood with his hands down.

    Seeing that he was so afraid of Cheng Yu, Cao Cao couldn't help but smile and asked him, "I want to know why there is such a huge difference between our navy and Jiangxia's navy?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, the main reason is insufficient training."

    "Then how did Jiang Xia's army train and how did you train? How come there is such a big gap?" Cao Cao asked in confusion.

    Zhang Yun sighed and said: "Actually, the Jingzhou navy was completely wiped out in the Battle of Yicheng and has become the main force of the Jiangxia navy now. Our navy used to be deployed on land. As for training, it must be done in the big lake."  Or training in the Yangtze River, even the Han River is not possible, the wind and waves are too small, and it is even impossible to sail in the Bi River, so how to talk about training? "

    Cao Cao's face suddenly turned livid, which meant that his navy had not had any training in the past six months.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 333 Please meet me

    The battle on the Han River has broken out. Twenty Cao's warships lined up in two rows, close together like a water snake. The soldiers on the ship opened their bows and fired arrows, and dense arrows shot at the Jiangxia Navy sentry ship.

    There are a total of sixteen sentry ships in Jiangxia, only four less than Cao's warships. They are also hundreds of stone sentry ships, but they do not have any formation. They are scattered on the river and attack enemy ships in their own formations. They seem to be scattered.  But Zheng Ze, the Marquis of Cao's army, complained secretly.

    He has rich experience in water warfare. He saw that although the Jiangxia warships were relatively scattered and without formation, they cooperated very well. They attacked from all angles. When one side was attacked by bows and arrows, the other side would inevitably attack with all its strength, making his  The soldiers were in a hurry, thinking about the head rather than the tail.

    "The ship is flooded!"

    A soldier of Cao's army suddenly shouted, and the two ships in front poured into the river. Then the river water came from all directions. The soldiers on the ship suddenly became a mess, and the two ships soon sank in half.

    The river was surging faster and faster, and it could no longer be blocked. The twenty soldiers on board rushed to the ship behind.

    However, they encountered bows and arrows from two other Jiangxia warships. Amidst the screams, Cao Jun continued to fall into the water, and the river was dyed red with blood. Zheng Ze shouted anxiously: "There are enemy water ghosts in the river, use arrows."  Shoot, don't let them get close to the warship."

    At this moment, there was a sound of war drums not far away, and two thousand-stone Jiangxia warships came quickly and joined the battle. There was a collision in front of the warships, and they cut through the waves and came, only to hear 'Bang!  ¡¯ With a loud noise, Cao Jun¡¯s fleet was cut into two, one sentry ship was knocked to pieces, and the other sentry ship was overturned by huge waves.

    On the top of the city, Cao Cao sighed and could no longer watch. Even he, who did not understand water warfare, could see the Jiangxia army's combat strategy. With the big ship at the center, small boats cooperated on all sides, and the attack was extremely orderly.

    But their warships were in a mess. They were just in formation, but they didn't know the changes. They were passively beaten everywhere. No need to look any further. The gap between the two armies was really too big.

    Cao Cao sighed and walked towards the city with great disappointment. When he reached the city, he stopped again, turned around and asked Cheng Yu: "Zhongde, do you think Liu Jing will be on the other side?"

    Cheng Yu smiled bitterly, "Since the Prime Minister is in Fancheng, I think he will definitely be in Xiangyang."

    "You are right, I think he is on the other side."

    After pondering for a while, Cao Cao said again: "I want to meet him. Zhongde should send someone across the river to contact him!"

    Cheng Yu immediately smiled and said: "Wei Chen understands and will make arrangements immediately?"

    Cao Cao asked strangely: "Why didn't you stop me?"

    "We admire the prime minister's foresight. How can Sun Quan feel at ease when meeting Liu Jing?"

    A cunning look flashed in Cao Cao's eyes. He laughed and pointed at Cheng Yu, "Zhongde, you think quickly, which is admirable. But this time you guessed wrong. In fact, I just want to see him."  , I have been paying attention to him for so many years, but I still don¡¯t know what he looks like? I am quite curious, and there is no other meaning.¡±

    Cheng Yu was stunned, and Cao Cao laughed and left with his hands behind his hands.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A fierce battle broke out on the river, and Liu Jing was naturally watching the battle on the boat. He was also very interested and wanted to know how powerful Cao Cao's navy was.

    But the battle situation was beyond his expectation. In less than an hour, all twenty Cao Jun sentry ships were annihilated, ten were sunk, and the remaining ten sentry ships became prisoners of war.

    Liu Jing couldn't help but shook her head. Cao's army was far from the Jiangxia navy in terms of tactics, coordination, and soldiers' skills in controlling warships.

    At this time, Li Jun, the deputy lieutenant of the navy who was responsible for blocking the Han River, smiled at Liu Jing and said: "What Zhou Mu doesn't know is that most of Cao Cao's navy are actually surrendered Jingzhou soldiers, and these Jingzhou soldiers used to be stationed in  On land, there is no naval experience.¡±

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "I'm worried that today's water battle is just a cover-up trick by Cao Cao. It is a deliberate attempt to confuse me and make me misjudge, or it is a arrogant strategy. Once there is a real battle, his navy will suddenly  To become vigorous and lively is not worth the gain. ¡±

    "This is easy to handle! Just interrogate the prisoners of war and you will know."

    Li Jun waved his hand, "Bring it up!"

    After a while, several soldiers brought up a prisoner of war. It was Zheng Ze, the captured military lord of Cao's army. He was forced to kneel in front of Liu Jing, with his head lowered and his face full of shame.

    "You should have been in the Jingzhou Army before, right?" Liu Jing glanced at him and asked coldly.

    Zheng Ze nodded and said in a low voice: "I am Zheng Ze, a military lord under Zhang Yun and a native of Yicheng County."

    "You're from Yicheng County? Then your family should be in Xiakou, but you are willing to work for Cao Cao and massacre your own family. Don't you feel guilty?"

    Zheng Ze¡¯s heartache was revealed by LiuJing's words struck a chord, and his wife, children, and parents were all in Xiakou. He was shaking violently and suddenly burst into tears. Liu Jing's cold eyes finally softened a little. Instead of kowtowing to beg for mercy, he burst into tears, which showed that this man was really heartbroken.  There is a sense of guilt.

    "You surrendered with Zhang Yun, maybe you couldn't help it, but now you have a choice. If you want to return to the Jingzhou Army, I will pardon you, but you can only become a soldier again. If you still want Cao's army, I can also let you go.  I won¡¯t embarrass your family when I go back. I, Liu Jing, will never break my promise. You choose!¡±

    Zheng Ze lowered his head and was silent for a long time. Finally, he wiped away his tears and sighed: "I surrendered to Cao's army with Zhang Yun and became a second-class soldier. I regret it extremely. If I make another mistake now, I will definitely be in danger. I will report back to Zhou Mu.  I am willing to return to Jingzhou and serve as a small soldier."

    Liu Jing laughed, turned around and said to Li Jun: "Let him continue to serve as a military lord, treat everyone equally, and there must be no slightest contempt!"

    "The general will obey your orders!"

    Zheng Ze¡¯s nose suddenly sore, and tears burst out again. He kowtowed three times and said in a trembling voice: "Zheng Ze is willing to die for Zhou Mu, no matter what!"

    Liu Jing smiled, helped him up, and asked him again: "I want to know the strength of Cao Jun's navy. Can you tell me something? If you don't want to tell me, that's okay."

    "I don't dare to hide my humble position. Cao's army currently has 30,000 naval troops. From its establishment to today, there has never been water warfare training. Mainly because there is no water training. Although the northern navy boasts of training in Xuanwu Pond, I think  In fact, it¡¯s very common, and he doesn¡¯t even know the basic formation.¡±

    "What is the Northern Navy?" Liu Jing asked curiously.

    "Reporting to Zhoumu, among the 30,000 navy troops, 20,000 were the surrendered troops of Jingzhou, commanded by Zhang Yun. The other 10,000 Cao soldiers were mostly from the banks of the Yellow River and were basically water-based. They were led by Xiahou Shang. They were called the North.  The navy trained on the Xuanwu Pond outside Yecheng."

    After a pause, Zheng Zuo continued: "Nominally, Zhang Yun is the commander-in-chief of the navy, and Xiahou Shang is the deputy, but in fact, all military orders are issued by Xiahou Shang."

    Liu Jing frowned, "I heard that Fancheng is commanded by Cheng Yu. Can he allow such a situation of using a deputy to suppress the leader?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Zhang Yun actually volunteered to be his deputy. I heard that Cheng Yu also suggested to Cao Cao that Zhang Yun should be changed to deputy general, but Cao Cao refused and sent people to beat Xiahou Shang, which made Xiahou Shang hate Zhang Yun deeply.  , thinking that he was suing him behind his back.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "Just now you said that Jingzhou's surrendered troops were only second-class soldiers in Cao's camp. What did you mean?"

    Zheng Zuo sighed and said: "Cao's army is divided into four ranks. The first-class soldiers are Chen Liu and Xuchang veterans who have followed Cao Cao for many years. They have a high status and generous salary. The second-class soldiers are Lu Bu or Qingzhou surrender soldiers, whose treatment is slightly inferior. The third-class soldiers are  Hebei lowered his troops, and then the fourth-class soldiers are our Jingzhou Army. They have the lowest status and must rush to the front in battle. Although this is just the rank classification of the soldiers, it is true. "

    Liu Jing had a general understanding of Cao Jun's situation, and he ordered Li Jun: "Take him down! Remember what I just said, there must be no discrimination at all."

    Li Jun agreed and took Zheng Ze to change his military uniform and register for military status. Zheng Ze followed him with great gratitude.

    Liu Min, the lieutenant next to him, watched him go away and whispered: "In fact, we can put him back and let him instigate a rebellion against the Jingzhou surrender army. I think it will be more useful."

    Liu Jing narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Don't worry, some things can be done slowly."

    At this time, a soldier rushed over and reported with courtesy: "To report to the state pastor, Cao Cao sent an envoy to see the state pastor. He has something to ask for."

    Liu Jing was startled and quickly walked to the side of the ship. He saw a small boat coming not far away. A young scribe in his thirties and two attendants stood at the bow of the boat with their hands behind their backs.

    "Take him to the second hall to meet me!"

    He turned around and entered the secondary hall on the first floor, sat down and waited for Cao Cao's envoy. After a while, several generals brought the young scribe in. He bowed deeply and said: "Bo Yangxiu, the master of Prime Minister Cao's tent, is here to see the state pastor!"

    "It turns out that your Excellency is the son of Taiwei Yang. I have heard about his talent for a long time, so I am disrespectful!"

    Liu Jing returned the gift slightly, waved her hand and said with a smile: "Master Yang, please sit down!"

    Yang Xiu sat down on the side and said with a smile on his face: "Prime Minister Cao has heard the name of Zhou Mu for a long time, but has never seen him. He feels sorry for it. Today Xiu is here on the Prime Minister's order to convey the Prime Minister's wishes. The Prime Minister is willing to meet you.  After a while, I wonder if Zhou Mu will respond?"

    Cao Cao actually wants to meet with him. Does he still want to personally persuade him to surrender?  Liu Jing smiled coldly, "Prime Minister Cao's army came to the border just to meet me?"

    "No!"

    Yang Xiu said calmly: "The state pastor was favored by the emperor, but he did not fulfill his duties as a minister, which aroused the emperor's anger. The prime minister just followed the imperial edict and came out.Bing, this is a public matter, but the Prime Minister has praised Zhou Mu for a long time and wants to meet Zhou Mu in his spare time. However, this is a private matter. Public affairs do not abolish private affairs, and private affairs do not waste public service. Please do not worry about Zhou Mu too much.  .  "

    "What a man to send troops according to the imperial edict!"

    Liu Jing said coldly: "Is Mr. Yang willing to be Cao Cao's chief staff just to draft this edict?"

    Yang Xiu's face changed drastically, and he stood up angrily and said, "The two armies are facing each other, and envoys are coming and going. If the envoy doesn't want to see the prime minister, just refuse him directly. Why should he insult his envoy?"

    "No! I am marching to Jingzhou to defeat the national traitors and revitalize the Han Dynasty. This is a public matter. If Cao Cao sees me just for personal reasons, it is okay for me to see him. This is also my, Liu Jing's, distinction between public and private affairs. As for Yang  Zhu Bo has a strong character and gets angry when he is insulted, which is beyond my expectation. I wonder if Yang Zhubo was as strong and angry when Kong Beihai was killed? "

    Liu Jing's last sentence struck a chord with Yang Xiu. His father also reprimanded him angrily for not stopping Cao Cao from killing Kong Rong. Yang Xiu sighed in his heart, and after a moment of silence, he handed over his hands and said, "Since Zhou Mu is willing to meet me, I  Go back to the Prime Minister. As for the details of the meeting, we will discuss it separately. Yang Xiu took his leave. "

    He turned to leave. When he reached the door, Liu Jing smiled again and said, "Master Yang, if we meet you by chance, I will send you four more words."

    Yang Xiu stopped but did not look back, "President Mu, please speak!"

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "Silence is golden!"

    Yang Xiu was shocked. These four words seemed to make him realize something, but before he could think about it carefully, he left in a hurry.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 334 Liu Bei¡¯s Worry

    Liu Jing stood on the bow and watched Yang Xiu's boat go away. Then she turned back and asked Liu Min with a smile, "Why do you think Cao Cao wants to see me?"

    Liu Min sat with Yang Xiu when he met with him. He had been thinking about this question. Since Liu Jing asked himself, he said frankly: "If I guess correctly, Cao Cao's move is to provoke the alliance between Jingzhou and Jiangdong, so that Jun  What will Sun Quan think about meeting Cao Cao? This may be detrimental to the alliance between the two armies. "

    Liu Jing smiled and asked: "This is the disadvantage, what about the advantage?"

    Liu Min pondered for a long time, shook his head and said: "Forgive me for being humble and stupid, but I just feel that this matter will do a lot of harm and no good."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Everything has its pros and cons. How can there be any harm but no benefit? If I can spend time with Cao Cao, it can greatly improve my reputation and status in the world. Why not? Besides, Cao Cao has a big heart.  Seeing me, why do I have to be so petty, so what does it matter to him?"

    Liu Min originally wanted to say, ¡®Why should Zhou Mu learn from those who are just trying to gain fame?  ¡¯ But his lips moved, but he couldn¡¯t say the words. He was still a little worried and said: ¡°But how do you explain it to Jiangdong?¡±

    Liu Jing stared at the other side of the river and said calmly after a long while: "I hope you can understand one thing. The alliance between Sun Quan and me is not because he has given me any favors, nor is it because I have taken advantage of him. I only formed an alliance with him because we  The relationship between the lips is dead and the teeth are cold.

    When I met with Cao Cao, he might be angry, but the end result was that he had to win over me twice as much and give me real benefits. Back then, the fake Xun Yu asked him to come to Lishui to greet me in person, let alone the real Cao Cao today.  ?

    ¡°Besides, when I met with Cao Cao, I just hoped to persuade Cao¡¯s army to retreat. This would also be beneficial to Jiangdong, so why shouldn¡¯t I understand?  "

    Liu Min finally understood that Liu Jing was looking at the general trend of the world from a high place, but he was looking forward and backward. He only saw a tree in front of him, but not a big mountain behind the tree. He felt ashamed in his heart and bowed: "  I¡¯ve learned a lesson from my humble job!¡±

    Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "If you are not in your position, you do not seek political affairs. In fact, you can see the impact on Jiangdong, which is already very good. I guess Cao Cao did it for this purpose. Can you go on a mission for me?"  Go to Fancheng and discuss the details of the meeting with Cao Cao? "

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to go to my humble position!¡±¡­

    In the Fancheng camp, Yang Xiu reported to Cao Cao his meeting with Liu Jing in detail, but concealed the matter about Kong Rong. Finally, he said: "Although Liu Jing's words were rude, he still expressed his willingness to meet the prime minister."

    Cao Cao chuckled, "If he was really rude, he wouldn't have agreed to meet me. He called me a thief, but he was just showing off to his subordinates. He used tricks to get Liu Biao's position, so how could he be any better?  ?¡±

    At this time, a soldier reported, "Mr. Xiao Xun is here!"

    Mr. Xiao Xun is the counselor Xun You. Although he is Xun Yu's nephew, he is six years older than Xun Yu. Xun You is also one of Cao Cao's core counselors and is highly trusted by Cao Cao. He followed the army to Fancheng.

    When Cao Cao heard that Xun You had arrived, he was overjoyed and said quickly: "Please invite him in quickly!"

    After a while, Xun You walked into the room with a smile, "Did Zhongde say that the Prime Minister wants to meet Liu Jing?"

    Cao Cao also smiled and said: "Is Gongda coming to oppose me?"

    "This is a good thing, why should we oppose it?"

    Although Xun You was highly trusted by Cao Cao, the courtesy of respect and humiliation could not be broken. He bowed, then sat down and continued: "Wei Chen means that while meeting with Liu Jing, he should also send someone to the people of Jingzhou.  In particular, the Jingzhou aristocratic families have made it clear that the prime minister is solving the problem in Jingzhou with the greatest sincerity and does not want a war to occur in Jingzhou. The reason why we have reached this point is entirely because of Liu Jing's rebellion against the emperor. "

    Cao Cao pondered for a moment and said, "Does Gongda think that Jingzhou aristocratic families will believe this?"

    Xun You said slowly: "It doesn't matter whether they believe it or not. What matters is the Prime Minister's attitude. The Prime Minister's explanation to them is actually to let them feel that the Prime Minister attaches great importance to them. Frankly speaking, the Prime Minister did not do enough in this regard.  As a result, the Jingzhou aristocratic families followed Liu Jing and retreated eastward. If they could have been appeased earlier, they would not have faced an empty city in Xiangyang. "

    Only then did Cao Cao realize that he had not thought carefully about politics. He wanted to destroy Liu Jing, but did not consider the will of the people of Jingzhou. He thought for a while and said: "What Gongda said is of great interest, so this meeting might as well  If it is changed to negotiation, it can be postponed for two days, and the Jingzhou spies can visit the major families in Jingzhou as soon as possible. "

    Xun You said again: "I heard that Liu Jing showed signs of abandoning Xiangyang. If I guessed correctly, this must be a plan to kill someone with a borrowed knife. I wonder if the prime minister plans to take Nanjun?"

    Cao Cao sneered, "The big-eared thief is the person I hate the most in my life. If I get Xiangyang, how can I not take Jiangling? Even LiuJing borrows the sword, and I am willing to fulfill his wish.  "

    Speaking of this, Cao Cao hesitated, "Did Gongda tell me not to take Jiangling?"

    "No! If Duke Cao wants to capture Jiangling, I have a plan to make Liu Bei capture him without hesitation."

    Xun You whispered a few words to Cao Cao. Cao Cao put his hands on his hands and laughed, "Xun Gongda won't let Jia Xu do it!"

    Everyone continued to discuss the details of the meeting with Liu Jing. At this time, a guard reported outside the hall, "For the record, Prime Minister, Liu Jing has sent an envoy to ask for an audience."

    Cao Cao was refreshed. What a coincidence. He asked again: "Who is the messenger?"

    ¡°It¡¯s the young man the Prime Minister met last time in Yi County, his name is Liu Min.¡±

    ¡°It turns out it¡¯s him!¡±

    Cao Cao had a good impression of Liu Min, so he smiled and said, "Invite him to come to the court to see me."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just when Cao Cao and Liu Jing were actively arranging their first meeting, Jiangling Liu Bei was worried. He had received intelligence that Liu Jing was moving all the people of Xiangyang to Jiangxia, which meant that Liu Jing had to abandon Xiangyang.

    Once Xiangyang is occupied by Cao¡¯s army and the gates of Nanjun are wide open, Cao¡¯s army will inevitably move south in a large scale. How can he protect Jiangling?

    Although Cao Cao¡¯s army occupied Xiangyang last time, their troops were not large enough to threaten Jiangling. This time, Cao Cao¡¯s army went south in a large scale. With Cao Cao¡¯s character, how could he not take Jiangling?

    For two days in a row, Liu Bei was restless. Early in the morning, a soldier came to report, "Advisor Zhuge is back!"

    Liu Bei was overjoyed. Zhuge Liang went to Jianping County. He had sent someone to urge him yesterday, but he didn't expect to come back today.  "Hurry up and ask the military advisor to come in!"

    Not long after, Zhuge Liang walked in quickly. He was dusty and had just come back. "See you, my lord!" Zhuge Liang bowed deeply.

    "There is no need to be polite, military advisor, please sit down!"

    Zhuge Liang sat down and before Liu Bei could speak, he smiled and said, "My lord, do you want to hear about the situation in Jianping County?"

    Although Liu Bei was anxious to talk about Xiangyang, he still restrained his inner eagerness and said, "Military advisor, please tell me!"

    "Wicheng City has been built 70%, and it will be completed in two months. Mr. Feng is indeed very dedicated. The city is solid and solid, with a circumference of fifteen miles. It can garrison 10,000 troops and 400,000 shi of grain. It fully meets our requirements.  , and Zilong"

    Before Zhuge Liang could continue, Liu Bei waved his hand, "Don't mention him, let's talk about other things."

    Zhuge Liang knew that Liu Bei was too prejudiced against Zhao Yun. He originally wanted to persuade Liu Bei, but now Liu Bei was preoccupied and it seemed that it was not the right time. Zhuge Liang had to sigh secretly and changed the subject.

    "One more thing. When my subordinates came back, they met Liu Zhang's envoy Fa Zheng on the road."

    Liu Bei was very interested in this news. It was related to Bashu. He temporarily put aside his worries and asked, "Who is Fa Xiaozhi going to see?"

    "Of course, I went to see Cao Cao. He refused to say the specific content, but from the tone, my subordinates can judge that they should seek peace with Liu Zhang and Cao Cao."

    Liu Bei sighed, "When the war comes, there are those who resist, those who seek peace, and there are also those who are at a loss like me. I am not surprised that Liu Zhang just wants to surrender."

    Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "Fazheng not only went to see Cao Cao, but also went to see Liu Jing when he came back."

    Liu Bei's eyes suddenly widened. This news shocked him, "Is this what Liu Zhang meant?"

    "No, Fazheng refused to admit it, but his men revealed that they were caught by Liu Jing's patrol when they came back."

    Liu Bei breathed a sigh of relief. He thought for a while and asked, "Is Liu Jing also interested in Bashu?"

    "It is very possible that Yizhou is thousands of miles fertile and wild, but its lord is stupid and incompetent. With the ambitions of Cao Cao, Liu Jing, Sun Quan and others, how could they not want to plot Bashu? However, in comparison, the lord has the first-mover advantage, and  If used wisely, Liu Zhang can hand over Yizhou to the lord."

    Liu Bei was overjoyed. At this time, he could no longer care about the danger in Xiangyang and said quickly: "I would like to hear the details!"

    Zhuge Liang smiled slightly, "The delicate situation now is that Liu Zhang has not noticed Liu Jing's ambition. Before that, the lord must find a way to get rid of Liu Zhang's wariness and make Liu Zhang convinced that the lord will not plot his Yizhou. Once Yizhou is in danger,  Liu Zhang will naturally come to ask for help from the lord, isn¡¯t Yizhou within easy reach?¡±

    Liu Bei nodded repeatedly, and then he understood the importance of Zhuge Liang's insistence on building Witch City. It was actually his important logistical base for taking Bashu.

    Liu Bei secretly praised in his heart, he pondered for a moment and then said: "Liu Zhang's father Liu Yan once recognized me as his nephew. I can use this relationship to interact with Liu Zhang, establish an alliance, support each other, and slowly gain Liu Zhang's trust."

    Zhuge Liang smiled??: "This is a yang plan, and it must be supplemented by conspiracy. Yin and yang complement each other, and great achievements can be made."

    Speaking of this, Zhuge Liang whispered: "I heard that there is a witch god at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain. She calls herself the Golden Witch. She can predict the future and has countless believers. Liu Zhang obeys her words. I also heard that this witch is extremely greedy for gold and silk. My lord can buy this witch with a lot of money.  With her as the internal coordinator, why worry about Liu Zhang not taking the bait?"

    Liu Bei was overjoyed, stood up and bowed deeply, "I have Kongming, just like a fish in dry water."

    Zhuge Liang then changed the subject, "It is a foregone conclusion that Liu Jing will withdraw his troops from Xiangyang, and it is inevitable for Cao Cao to attack Jiangling. This is Liu Jing's plan to kill people with a borrowed knife. It is extremely vicious. Jiangling cannot be defended. The Lord must evacuate the people to Wuling County immediately."

    Liu Bei nodded silently, with a sad expression. Zhuge Liang comforted him and said: "Jiangling is just giving up temporarily. If Cao Cao is defeated, we can still take it back. In addition, I plan to go to Jiangdong."

    Liu Bei was surprised, "What is the military advisor going to Jiangdong for?"

    "Last time, Sun Quan told my lord that if my lord was in trouble, he would give his full support. Now is the time when we need his support. My lord can't go anymore, so let me go to see Sun Quan."

    Liu Bei was in great confusion and said hurriedly: "If the military advisor is not in Jiangling, how should I respond?"

    Zhuge Liang smiled and said: "As long as my lord follows my plan, nothing will go wrong. Jiangdong's actions are of great importance and are related to the division of interests in Jingzhou after the war. If there is no long-term concern, there will be immediate worries, and my subordinates must go."

    Liu Bei had no choice but to compromise and said: "Okay then! The military advisor will tell me first, how to arrange Jiangdong's strategy?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 335 First sight of the Han River

    The night is getting darker and there is silence in Jiangling City. Although the Xiangyang War is about to start, for most ordinary people in Jiangling, it seems that the war is still too far away from them. However, there are also a few far-sighted people who are worried. They know that the war is imminent.

    Pang Ji is also one of the few people with foresight. He is very clear about the situation at hand. Cao Cao's 300,000 troops attack the south. Once Cao Cao's army crosses the river, it will inevitably sweep away fallen leaves like the autumn wind.

    Liu Jing still evacuated people from Xiangyang, which was a precursor to giving up Xiangyang. Once Cao Cao captured Xiangyang, he would kill Jiangling within two days, and the loss of Jiangling was inevitable.

    Pang Ji also knew Liu Bei's strategy very well. He would retreat south, to Wuling County or Hengyang County. What about himself?  Are you willing to retreat with Liu Bei to the sparsely populated Wuling County?

    The answer is no, he will never bet his future on a fallen lord who has no chance of comeback.

    Pang Ji never really surrendered to Liu Bei from the beginning. Now it was time for him to make a decision. Pang Ji sighed deeply. What should he do?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, a carriage stopped in front of Pang Ji's house, and two people stepped out of the carriage. The leader stepped forward and knocked on the door. The door creaked open a crack, "Who are you looking for?" The concierge inside  asked.

    "We are looking for Mr. Pang. There is a greeting card here. Please forward it to him." The leading man handed a greeting card to the concierge. The greeting card was put in an envelope and the letter was sealed.

    "Please wait a moment." The concierge closed the door and hurried away.

    Two men were waiting on the steps outside the door. The man behind them looked at the gray sky with his hands behind his hands and said calmly: "I'm afraid it's going to rain in the middle of the night."

    "Is it raining over there in Fancheng too?"

    "No, there hasn't been a drop of rain in Fancheng since April. I'm afraid there won't be any good harvest in Jingzhou today."

    "Actually, when a war breaks out, even if the weather is good, there won't be any good harvest."

    "This is a good statement, so the Prime Minister doesn't want to fight, but Liu Jing doesn't know what to do!"

    While the two were talking, there were hurried footsteps in the yard, the door opened, and Pang Ji appeared at the door. Seeing two people standing at the door, he hesitated and asked, "Who is Mr. Mao?"

    The middle-aged man behind smiled and said: "I am!"

    "excuse me!"

    Pang Jigong cupped his hands and said, "You two, please come in."

    This middle-aged man called Mr. Mao is naturally Cao Cao's adviser Mao Jie. He came to visit Pang Ji on Cao Cao's order, hoping to open a breakthrough from Pang Ji.

    In the study, Pang Ji asked Mao Jie to sit down, and then ran out to ask the servants to serve tea. He did these things that he shouldn't worry about personally, which also reflected his inner nervousness from one angle.

    Pang Ji was really nervous at this time. He did not expect that Cao Cao would send someone to see him, and he would send a heavyweight counselor like Mao Jie, which showed that Cao Cao valued him.

    But while Pang Ji was excited, he also felt inexplicably nervous. He knew very well that getting a feast from Cao Cao would require him to pay a heavy price, especially at this extremely sensitive moment.

    When Pang Ji walked into the study again, his heart had calmed down. He explained with a somewhat embarrassed smile, "There has been a bit of chaos in the house recently, which made Mr. Mao laugh."

    Mao Jie felt Pang Ji's nervousness. He smiled slightly and said, "I will first convey the Prime Minister's greetings to Mr. Pang. The Prime Minister said that he missed the friendship when he was a boy. He hopes to rekindle the old friendship with Mr. Pang in Xuchang."

    Of course Pang Ji understood what Mao Jie meant, which was that he wanted him to serve Xuchang, and this was what Cao Cao said personally. At this time, Pang Ji became calmer. He wanted to know what he could get. The key was benefits. He was willing to do things for Cao Cao.  , but what can Cao Cao give him?

    "Has Prime Minister Cao given me a letter?" Pang Ji asked slowly.

    He asked very frankly. He wanted to get Cao Cao's personal promise instead of Mao Jie's report. Mao Jie smiled, took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Pang Ji, "This is the Prime Minister's personal letter to Pang Gong."  , everything he wants to say is in the letter.¡±

    Pang Ji signed the letter, suppressed the nervousness in his heart, opened the letter and read it again, his heart jumped suddenly, the governor of Nanyang County, this is exactly what he wanted. After Han Song surrendered, he was named Dahonglu, but  That was just a false position, meaningless, and far less important than the local governor.

    And he is still the governor of Nanyang County. Pang Ji knows the value of this promise and the price he needs to pay. He took a deep breath and asked slowly: "I wonder what Prime Minister Cao needs me to do?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The first meeting between Liu Jing and Cao Cao was finally held in Hanshui after three days of negotiation and preparation. For this reason, the Jiangxia navy battleThe ship must be twenty miles away, and Cao's warship must be twenty miles away from the mouth of the Bishui River.

    There were only three large ships on the entire river. One was a thousand-stone ship that served as a temporary meeting place. It was provided by the Jiangxia Navy. Cao Jun sent people to thoroughly inspect the ship twice to ensure that everything was safe.

    The remaining two ships are Cao Cao and Liu Jing's ships, which can only cost 500 shi. The entourage of both sides must not exceed 20 people. There can only be one personal general, and there must be an official from the other side on the ship. This is also very important.  Make it clear that both parties try to be thoughtful and meticulous.

    It was three quarters in the morning. Under the gaze of tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides of the strait, two ships of 500 stone slowly sailed towards the center of the river. In the center of the river was quietly moored a ship of 1,000 stones, with only a dozen civilian officials on board.  .

    Cao Cao and Liu Jing boarded the ship almost at the same time. Since their first contact in Runan Mountain seven years ago, Liu Jing left a deep impression on Cao Cao. He has been paying attention to Liu Jing, but he did not expect that  , in just seven years, Liu Jing went from a desperate young man to become the new master of Jingzhou, and became his most powerful rival second only to Yuan Shao in his life.

    "If he had known today, he would not have let Liu Jing go no matter what. Even if he flattened Mount Rang, he would have killed Liu Jing in Runan.

    Of course, now that Cao Cao is the prime minister, he must maintain the prime minister's style. In fact, from the bottom of his heart, he also wants to take a look at this young man who he hates and admires at the same time.

    "Is that Mr. Jing across the street?"

    Cao Cao finally saw Liu Jing, a tall, heroic and handsome young general. He smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed, "I wanted to meet you seven years ago. I didn't expect that I would have to wait for seven years. Yanqing, you are indeed  I was not disappointed.¡±

    Liu Jing took two steps forward and bowed deeply to Cao Cao, "Liu Jing has made the prime minister worry so much in the past seven years!"

    Cao Cao chuckled, stepped forward to grab Liu Jing's hand, and said with a smile: "I have said that business matters must be business affairs, and personal relationships must be personal relationships. I hope that when we meet today, we can form a friendship."

    Liu Jing suddenly had a ridiculous feeling. The two of them had deployed troops on both sides of the Han River, and they both wanted to cut each other into pieces. But now they were talking happily and talking about their friendship together. I wonder what they would feel like if the soldiers on both sides of the strait saw it.  Mood.

    "Liu Jing is a junior. It is a blessing to meet the Prime Minister. I dare not talk about friendship with the Prime Minister."

    "Haha! Mr. Jing is too humble. My friendship with Cao Mengde does not depend on friends and foes, but on strength. Mr. Jing does have the strength to be friends with me."

    They both laughed tacitly and walked into the meeting room together.

    The large cabin was covered with carpets and there was nothing extra except a table. Cao Cao faced west and Liu Jing faced east. They sat down respectively. Three steps behind Cao Cao, Xu Chu, who was like half a black tower, held his arms.  Standing with his chest raised, he stared at Liu Jing coldly.

    Liu Jing smiled and asked, "Is this general the world-famous Tiger Marquis?"

    Cao Cao looked back at Xu Chu, his face sank and said: "Don't be so nervous, retreat!"

    Xu Chu saluted, took a few steps back, and fought side by side with several civil servants. Liu Jing looked at the civil servants again, and said with some regret: "I have heard for a long time that Cheng Zhongde and Xun Gong are famous in the world, but I couldn't meet them. It's a pity!  "

    Cao Cao chuckled, "Isn't this easy? Zhongde and Gongda are both on the boat. If Mr. Jing wants to see them, I'll just let them in."

    Cao Cao then ordered Xu Chu, "Please come in, gentlemen!"

    After a while, Cheng Yu and Xun You walked into the cabin together. Liu Jing quickly stood up to greet him. Cao Cao introduced the two of them to Liu Jing one by one. Cheng Yu sighed: "You are really a terrible young man. Only when I saw Mr. Jing did I realize that I am old."  That¡¯s it!¡±

    "You two gentlemen are too modest, please sit down!"

    Cheng Yu and Xun You knew in their hearts that this was a meeting between Liu Jing and Cao Cao, and they were not allowed to participate. They sat far away and watched the meeting between Cao and Liu with smiles on their faces.

    Although both of them said that this meeting was just a personal interaction and only discussed personal relationships and did not involve business matters, in fact, they both knew in their hearts that it was impossible not to discuss business matters. The essence of this meeting was a negotiation.

    After pondering for a while, he asked: "I heard that Mr. Jing took over half of the fertile land from the Cai family. There was quite a discussion in Xuchang. Mr. Jing first took over the land of the Huang family and then the land of the Cai family. Many people thought that Mr. Jing would not tolerate the Jingzhou family. Is there any such thing?  This matter?"

    Liu Jing smiled, "Three people become a tiger. Most of the rumors are exaggerated and cannot be believed."

    "Is it nothing?"

    "It's not entirely true. It's true. The Huang family is because there are no heirs and there is no successor. The government will naturally take it back. As for the Cai family, it's because the powerful and powerful people in the family are too strong. This is the source of the Yellow Turban disaster, so the profits should be given away appropriately.  For the people, this is also a guarantee of long-term peace and stability.I think the Prime Minister should have a deeper understanding than me.  "

    Cao Cao nodded silently. Of course he knew that the root cause of the Yellow Turban disaster was land annexation. The hungry people had no food to eat, so he rose up. He sighed and said: "Master Jing has a sharp insight and has seen the root of the current troubled times. I wonder if Master Jing thinks that a hundred years from now there will be another disaster."  how?"

    Liu Jing pondered for a while and said with a smile: "Actually, from ancient times to the present, it has been a process of one round of powerful people replacing another round of powerful people. At the beginning of a dynasty, they often experienced great chaos, a sharp decline in population, and abundant resources. At that time, the new powerful people took Qianda for convenience.  It can be nourished and does not compete with the people for profit.

    A hundred years later, the descendants of the rich and powerful will proliferate, and a thousand fields will not be enough to support them. Ten thousand fields or millions of fields will be needed. The population of the people is also increasing, and the demand for land is also increasing.

    At this time, resources are insufficient, and the powerful begin to compete with the people for profit, taking advantage of each other. Conflicts begin to accumulate. When enough conflicts accumulate, they will break out, and dynasties will change again. This cycle has been repeated for thousands of years.  "

    "Then how to solve it?" Cao Cao thought for a long time and asked again.

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "Actually, there is a solution, that is to go out, with the vastness of the world, the rich resources, the land is no longer scarce, the people can survive, the dynasty can be extended, as for how long it can be extended, that is not you  All I know."

    Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh: "I once heard from the Hu people that the road to the west is a hundred thousand miles away. Now Mr. Jing has given me renewed ambition. I will definitely conquer the west in my lifetime to see what is going on in the world."  How vast is it?¡±

    "If the Prime Minister's western expedition is not completed, Liu Jing is willing to inherit the Prime Minister's ambition and lead the Han family to the western expedition to complete the great unfinished business of the Prime Minister!"

    The two looked at each other and laughed together.

    The atmosphere in the room became lively, and Cao Cao continued: "There is still a saying that I, Cao Mengde, values ????law and suppresses Confucianism, and is the enemy of the gentry in the world. However, Mr. Jing built an academy in Jiangxia to support the gentry, emphasize Confucianism and encourage learning.  The nobles of the world have returned home, so that my southern expedition has attracted criticism from the Manchu nobles, saying that my southern expedition has cut off the last hope of Confucianism. I want to know, does Mr. Jing really value Confucianism and neglect the law? "

    Liu Jing smiled lightly, "Prime Minister, just do things that are worthy of your heart. Why should you care what others say?"

    Cao Cao shook his head, stared at Liu Jing and said, "I just want to know, are you really the Confucian person they say?"

    This question is difficult to answer. Liu Jing pondered for a long time before saying: "If Confucianism can rule for a long time, why did the Qin Dynasty die? If Confucianism can govern the country, why did the Han Dynasty fall into today's situation? I think we should use Confucianism to rule the country.  To govern the mind, use the law to govern power, and use Tao to govern the country. Use both Confucianism, Law, and Taoism, and use each's strengths to achieve the long-term way."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 336 Putting pressure on Jiangdong

    The meeting only lasted for more than half an hour, and both parties said goodbye and boarded the boat to return. In front of the boat window, Cao Cao stood with his hands behind his hands, staring at the river without saying a word for a long time.

    Originally, during this meeting, Cao Cao made another effort to persuade Liu Jing to surrender with the king's salary and generous salary, but he did not say it in the end because he knew Liu Jing's ambition, which was to aspire to the world and use Confucianism, Legalism and Taoism to coordinate the governance of the country.

    'Confucianism is used to govern the mind, law is used to govern power, and Tao is used to govern the country.' Cao Cao chewed these three sentences repeatedly, which made him endlessly confused. He also had ambitions in his heart, but he was already fifty-four years old this year, and he still had  Time to realize your ambitions?

    He let out a long sigh and turned around to ask Cheng Yu: "When I saw Liu Jing today, what did Zhongde think of this person?"

    "The insights are insightful and refreshing to all the ministers. There are rumors that Liu Jing is not Liu Jingsheng's nephew. I believe it now. How could Liu Jingsheng have such a nephew!"

    "What did Gongda see?" Cao Cao turned his eyes to Xun You again.

    Xun You also sighed softly, "This man has great talents and strategies, and he is quite similar to the Prime Minister. Yuan Shao is not as good as him! If he doesn't take action early, he will become a serious problem for the Prime Minister in the future."

    Cao Cao nodded, "Gongda's words are deeply in my heart. In this southern expedition, I will definitely get rid of Liu Jing and never let him become powerful."

    At this time, Cheng Yu said: "If the prime minister is determined to get rid of Liu Jing, I have a suggestion."

    "Zhongde, please speak!"

    "The Prime Minister can promise Sun Quan not to attack Jiangdong within three years and marry him. If Sun Quan agrees, then the Sun-Liu alliance will collapse. Without Sun Quan's army, the Prime Minister's 300,000-strong army will be 90% sure to attack Jiangxia.  ¡±

    ¡®Three years?  ¡¯ Cao Cao frowned slightly. There was no problem with the marriage, but three years seemed a little too long.

    Cheng Yu smiled slightly, "The Prime Minister can use these three years to kill Ma Teng, Zhang Lu and Liu Zhang first, and finally turn around to deal with Jiangdong. Isn't it just right?"

    Cao Cao suddenly woke up and nodded slowly, "What the public said is gold and jade!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just when Cao Cao was about to change his strategy in Jiangdong, more than 10,000 Cao Cao's East Route Army, led by General Man Chong, set out from Hefei, crossed the Yangtze River, and arrived at Wuhu City. At the same time, they cut off the Lishui Channel and cut off Soochow and the Yangtze River.  waterway transportation.

    At this time, nearly half of the army in Jiangdong went to Jiangxia, while most of the rest of the army was scattered in various counties. There were only 20,000 troops stationed in the capital Soochow.  The sudden arrival of Cao's army plunged the Jiangdong government and the public into panic.

    In the Palace of Wu, Sun Quan paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, feeling extremely worried. It had been three days since the news of Cao's army's attack on Wuhu came out. The civil officials headed by Zhang Zhao and Zhuge Jin strongly demanded that the army be withdrawn to Jiangdong to protect the safety of the homeland.  This put great pressure on Sun Quan.

    In fact, Sun Quan was also very aware of Cao Jun's strategy. This was a blackmail attack with the purpose of forcing him to withdraw from Jingzhou. Sun Quan was not actually worried about Cao Jun's attack, but the attitude of his officials, especially the civil servants.

    They always tried every means to prevent themselves from joining forces with Jingzhou to fight against Cao Cao, fearing that Cao Cao's army would reach Jiangdong, or that they were fundamentally afraid of offending Cao Cao. This fear made Sun Quan angry and helpless.

    At this time, a soldier reported at the door, "Zhang Changshi is asking for an audience outside the palace!"

    Zhang Changshi is Zhang Hong. He and Zhang Zhao are called "Er Zhang". He is one of Sun Quan's most respected ministers. Sun Quan perked up and said quickly: "Invite him in!"

    Zhang Hong has a very strategic vision, and his opinions always hit the point. Sun Quan wanted to hear his advice. After a while, Zhang Hong walked in under the leadership of his guards. Zhang Hong was nearly sixty years old, with a medium build and good looks.  Qingqi gives people a sense of self-cultivation and attainment.

    He behaved calmly and saluted calmly, "See Wu Hou!"

    "Chang Shi came at the right time, please help me solve the problem." Sun Quan sighed.

    Zhang Hong smiled slightly and said, "I would like to hear about Wu Hou's concerns!"

    "My worry lies in the internal disagreements. Although it seemed calm some time ago, if there is a slight disturbance, the civil servants will oppose the alliance with Jingzhou. I know the root cause is that they are afraid of Cao Cao and are unwilling to confront Cao Cao, but I  Don¡¯t know how to deal with this?¡±

    Zhang Hong felt like a mirror in his heart. He knew that the root cause was not the officials, but Sun Quan himself. He was afraid of Cao Jun, so he hesitated when the officials objected a little.

    He sorted out his thoughts and said: "Man Chong is neither a core strategist nor even an important strategist. At the same time, he is not the core generals such as Cao Ren and the Xiahou brothers, nor the important generals such as Zhang Liao and Yu Jin. He is a second-level general.

    It can be seen from Cao Cao's deployment of troops that he appointed Cao Ren as the commander-in-chief of the West Route Army and ZhangLiao was the commander-in-chief of the middle route army, but let a second-level general be the commander-in-chief of the east route army. This shows that Cao Cao did not attach importance to attacking Soochow. It could only be regarded as a harassment, and Wu Hou did not need to take it to heart.  "

    Sun Quan nodded, "More than 10,000 people attacked Jiangdong. I also know that Cao Jun is just exerting pressure, but the question is how to deal with internal differences now?"

    "Weichen is here just for this matter."

    Sun Quan was overjoyed and said quickly: "Chang Shi, please tell me!"

    "Wei Chen suggested that Wu Hou should not sit in Soochow, but go out and personally lead the army to fight against Cao Jun. Cao Jun is not used to naval warfare and will inevitably retreat to Hefei. This person is nothing to worry about. Wu Hou can go west to Qichun County to take charge of Jiangdong.  The army resists Cao Cao, allowing civilian officials to experience the atmosphere of the war for themselves. I believe many people will change their views on joining forces with Jing to resist Cao Cao."

    Zhang Hong¡¯s real purpose was to encourage Sun Quan to go to the front line. He believed that this would ultimately strengthen Sun Quan¡¯s determination to resist Cao Cao.

    Sun Quan pondered for a long time. Zhang Hong was right. How could he stay in Soochow for such a major battle? Sun Quan finally made up his mind, "Chang Shi is right, I should go and fight in person!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the afternoon of the same day, Huang Gai, who was stationed in Kuaiji County, led 10,000 troops to Dongwu. Sun Quan immediately ordered his uncle Sun Jing to guard Dongwu City. He also ordered General Han Dang to lead 10,000 naval troops and set off from Moling in 200 warships.  , rushed to Wuhu.

    He personally led 15,000 Jiangdong navy troops, divided into 300 warships, and nearly 100 civil and military officials.  Starting from Soochow, we marched along the Lishui River towards Wuhu.

    Three days later, Sun Quan's army arrived at Wuhu. At this time, Han Dang had led 200 large ships to the Yangtze River outside Wuhu. Cao's army had withdrawn from Wuhu and returned to the north bank of the Yangtze River.

    In front of the window, Sun Quan looked at the majestic Yangtze River with his hands behind his hands. His heart suddenly became brighter and he couldn't help but sigh: "Only when you see the rolling river water can you know the heart of a hero!"

    "In that case, why didn't Marquis Wu move his empire to the south bank of the Yangtze River?" Zhang Hong asked with a smile.

    "My brother had the idea of ??establishing a capital on the south bank at the beginning. However, the Jiangdong Army was weak at that time and it was not suitable for publicity, so it was established in Soochow in a low-key manner for more than ten years."

    Speaking of this, Sun Quan looked at the surging river and said with emotion: "Frankly speaking, I have always planned to move the capital to the south bank of the Yangtze River. In the past few years, I have gone north to the river bank several times just to find a place to build a capital. In comparison,  Next, I personally prefer Jingkou.¡±

    Zhang Hong was stunned, "It turns out that Wu Hou ordered people to build an iron urn city at Jingkou."

    Sun Quan laughed proudly and said, "Chang Shi's guess is correct. I am planning to move the capital to Jingkou. As long as the war against Cao Cao is won, I will immediately start moving the capital."

    Zhang Hong sighed and said: "Actually, I want to advise Wu Hou to build the capital in Moling. The situation there is like a tiger dominating the dragon, so it is more suitable for building a capital."

    Sun Quan pondered for a while and said: "It is rumored that an alchemist discovered that the dragon energy in the southeast was strong, so he reported it to the First Emperor. Yingzheng ordered that Fangshan be chiseled, and the long ridges cut off to create a ravine, which flowed into the river to form the Qinhuai River. An alchemist once said to me,  The dragon vein of Moling has been cut off, and the dynasty that established its capital there will not last long."

    Zhang Hong said with a smile: "These are just rumors, how can you believe them? I believe that moving the capital to Moling can build Soochow's 500-year foundation."

    Sun Quan smiled and said: "Move the capital to Jingkou first, and then consider whether to move the capital to Moling later."

    Zhang Hong had no choice but to smile bitterly and say no more. At this time, a soldier reported outside the cabin: "Master Zhang wants to see Wu Hou!"

    This is Zhang Zhao¡¯s arrival. At this time, Sun Quan is in an open mind and no longer has any worries about shrinking, so he happily smiles and says: ¡°Invite him in!¡±

    Soon, Zhang Zhao walked in. On the matter of resisting Cao, Zhang Zhao was a representative of the peace faction. He always believed that Cao's army was attacking Jingzhou, not Jiangdong. Jiangdong's army only needed to stick to the border and there was no need to participate in Jingzhou's attack.  If Cao Cao is offended by the war, Jiangdong will suffer disaster.

    So he always opposed the alliance between Sun Quan and Liu Jing, but in the end Sun Quan did not accept his objection and formed an alliance with Jingzhou. At the same time, he sent troops to Jiangxia to prepare to fight against Cao's army, which left Zhang Zhao helpless.

    However, just then Cao Jun attacked Wuhu, causing great panic among the officials in Jiangdong. Zhang Zhao took advantage of this panic and once again asked Sun Quan to abolish the alliance with Jingzhou, which received unanimous support from the civil servants.

    When Sun Quan saw Zhang Zhao coming in, he smiled and said: "The military advisor was worried that Cao's army would be like tigers and wolves and devour Soochow. But when my army arrived, Cao's army immediately fled north. It can be seen that Cao's army was bluffing and trying to disrupt Jiangdong's strategy. Now there is nothing to worry about!"

    Sun Quan got straight to the point and blocked Zhang Zhao's words. Zhang Zhao could only smile bitterly and said: "The minister is not looking for this matter, but to report something important to Wu Hou."

    "Haha! Please sit down and tell me, Chang Shi, please sit down too!"

    ? ?They sat down and Zhang Zhao took out a tube of pigeon mail, "This is the urgent information sent by Governor Zhou from Qichun County. There are two things to report to the Marquis of Wu. One is that Jiangxia has insufficient military spending, and Liu Jing has agreed to sell it."  The initial quotation for kerosene to Jiangdong is a thousand dollars per barrel.¡±

    Sun Quan was overjoyed. He had been looking for kerosene in the territory, but he found nothing for more than three years. Hearing that Cao Jun had kerosene, Sun Quan was a little panicked, so he hoped that Jiangxia could sell kerosene to Jiangdong. He didn't have much hope at first.  Hope, but unexpectedly Liu Jing actually agreed.

    Sun Quan was immediately overjoyed and said: "It must be implemented immediately!"

    Zhang Zhao hesitated and said: "My lord, this price is too expensive. This kind of worthless product actually costs a thousand dollars per barrel. Ten thousand barrels is ten million dollars. We only have thirty million dollars left in our official treasury."  Now, do you want to bargain with Jiang Xia again?¡±

    Sun Quan shook his head, "No need to bargain, just buy 10,000 barrels, which is half of the support for Jiangxia. I think Liu Jing should understand in his heart and order Lu Su to sign the contract immediately!"

    Zhang Zhao had no choice but to agree. At this time, he said the second thing, "The Governor of Zhou has one more thing to report to the Marquis of Wu, which is Liu Jing's invitation to the Jiangdong navy to station at Zhukou east of Xiakou. He can't decide, so he wants to report to the Marquis of Wu.  Marquis Wu asked for instructions."

    This is not as surprising as buying kerosene. Sun Quan would agree without hesitation. After all, Zhukou is already in the Jiangxia area of ??Jingzhou. Sun Quan took out a map, spread it on the table, and found Zhukou. He looked at it carefully for a long time.  He also asked Zhang Hong, "What does Chang Shi think Liu Jing meant by this move?"

    Seeing that Sun Quan had no problem, Zhang Zhao's face changed slightly and he was a little embarrassed. Of course he knew that Wu Hou was afraid that he would object, but he really wanted to object because he understood Liu Jing's intention.

    Zhang Hong thought for a moment and said, "This is probably Liu Jing's way of bringing the two armies closer together."

    "Zigang is right. This is because Liu Jing wants to completely pull Jiangdong Army into the water and tie Jiangdong Army to his profit warship. Wei Chen believes that Jiangdong Army still needs to be independent on its own and take the initiative in the war. Once it moves to Zhu  If we are passive, we will inevitably become the servants of the Jiangxia Army and lose our autonomy. "

    Zhang Zhao's thinking is very clear. Once Jiangdong's army goes to Zhukou, the command will be controlled by Liu Jing, and Jiangdong's army will become a vassal of Jiangxia's army. Once Cao's army is really defeated, the world's reputation will completely belong to Liu Jing.  Instead, Jiang Dongjun became a foil, which must not be allowed.

    Zhang Zhao stood up and saluted. Even if Sun Quan agreed, he would firmly oppose it. "If the lord must form an alliance with Jingzhou, the ministers can only obey the lord, but it is related to the status of Jiangdong. The lord cannot agree to move to Zhukou."

    Sun Quan thought for a long time and said: "This matter is of great importance. Let's go to Qichun County to have a look before talking about it."

    Sun Quan immediately ordered Han Dang to lead 200 warships to blockade the Yangtze River and prevent Cao's army from crossing the river again. He personally led 300 warships and sailed toward Jiangxia in a mighty manner.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 337 The Crisis of Jiangling

    The time to withdraw troops from Xiangyang finally came, and all the people in Xiangyang evacuated. At this time, Xiangyang was already an empty city, and the last warships of Jiangxia Army were slowly leaving Xiangyang Pier.

    On the last big ship, Liu Jing and a dozen officials looked at the north bank of the Han River from a distance. Many people had mixed emotions and felt lost in their hearts. Some people could be heard whispering to themselves, "I will definitely come back again!"

    Cai Yan, the prefect of Xiangyang, was also extremely sad. Xiangyang was not only the place where he served as an official, but also his hometown. He didn¡¯t know when he would be able to return.

    Xiang Lang, the county magistrate next to him, comforted him in a low voice: "Don't worry, sir. Once Cao Jun is defeated, Xiangyang City will definitely return. The state pastor has designated Xiangyang as the capital of Jingzhou, and he will never give up!"

    "I also know that Zhou Mu will not give up, but with Cao's army of 300,000 troops, how can anyone feel at ease?" Cai Yan said with a long sigh.

    At this time, Liu Jing slowly stepped forward and said with a smile: "The governor is too worried. Although Cao's army has an army of 300,000, we have the Yangtze River. With the combined forces of Sun and Liu, the total strength is already more than 100,000. If necessary, we can  I can also urgently recruit another 100,000 troops. In fact, the difference in strength is not big. The key is the army's combat capability. Considering the storms on the Yangtze River, does the prefect think Cao Cao's northern navy can compete with Sun Liu's navy? "

    Cai Yan pondered for a moment and asked: "Is the purpose of Zhou Mu abandoning Xiangyang to lead Cao Jun to the Yangtze River for a decisive battle?"

    "It can be considered one of the goals!"

    Liu Jing explained: "The key to our battle with Cao Jun is the battle of the main force. Once Cao Cao's main force is defeated, no matter how many cities he occupied before, he must spit them out one by one. Xiangyang is just an empty city. To Cao Cao's army,  It has no strategic significance. It is better to protect Fancheng than to protect Xiangyang."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing pointed to a large group of warehouses under construction in the east of Fancheng on the other side, and said to everyone: "Have you seen it? There is the newly built warehouse group in Fancheng, covering an area of ??400 acres, with hundreds of huge warehouses.  The warehouse only started construction half a month ago. Cao Cao knew that he would capture Xiangyang, but he still built a warehouse in Fancheng. What does this mean? It means that Fancheng is the logistics center of Cao's army and they do not value Xiangyang. "

    Everyone was talking about it, and Cai Yan sighed and said: "You can see at a glance. From a small warehouse group, Zhou Mu can see Cao Jun's strategic intention. So, what else do you have to worry about?"

    Liu Jing saw that everyone's depressed mood was gradually cheered up. He raised his voice and said to the officials: "Please rest assured, we will definitely return to Xiangyang within this year. At that time, Xiangyang will return to Jingzhou Prefecture."

    Liu Jing's promise swept away the depressed mood of the officials, and hope returned to everyone's hearts. Their faces began to glow, and laughter echoed on the deck again. Liu Jing took a deep breath and stared at the other side of the river.  In Fancheng, his confidence also began to rise.

    ¡°Must come back!¡±¡­

    In Jiangling, the news that Cao Jun was about to kill also panicked the whole city. It had not experienced a war for so long that people had an inexplicable fear of war. It was the cruelty of killing people in the wild and massacring the city in the city.

    Various rumors spread in Jiangling City, saying that Xiangyang City was massacred and no one survived, and that Cao's army had run out of food and was eating human flesh. However, Jiangling's military and government officials did not refute the rumors and allowed all kinds of rumors to hit the people.  mentality, allowing fear to permeate Jiangling City.

    Almost the entire city of Jiangling collapsed. Households packed up their belongings and rushed to the pier with their children and the elderly. The Jiangling pier was already crowded with people, but it rained again. In the rain, people stumbled and ran, their cries shook the sky, and the tragic scene made people sad.  The Yangtze River was also moved.

    Liu Bei stood in the welcoming pavilion with his hands behind his hands, watching the large ships loaded with people from Jiangling sailing towards the other side. The tragic scene on the dock made him sigh, but when he thought of the sparsely populated Wuling County, he couldn't help but feel sad.  Don't become tough.

    Liu Bei has experienced the world and knows the importance of population. Without population, there will be no army. If he does not move a large number of people to Wuling County, how can he gain a foothold in the future?

    At this time, Pang Ji whispered to Liu Bei: "There are only 160,000 people. It seems too small to fill Wuling County."

    Liu Bei nodded, he also felt that the population was too small, "Then what should I do according to the public's words?"

    "I think it is necessary to move all the population of Nanjun away. How can I give away the foundation of my lord?"

    Of course, Liu Bei also hoped to relocate all the people in Nanjun, but he paused and said, "I wonder what the situation is like in Xiangyang now?"

    As soon as he finished speaking, a soldier reported, "Wang Canjun and Chen Zhubo are here!"

    I saw Wang Jie and Chen Zhen walking quickly holding umbrellas. Wang Jie stepped forward and said with a smile: "My lord, I just got the news from Xiangyang. It's really a blessing from heaven!"

    "Come in and sit down!"

    Wang Jie and Chen ???Handed the umbrella to the guard, walked into the pavilion and sat down. Wang Jie said: "Information came from Xiangyang that the Jiangxia Army had withdrawn eastward. But to everyone's surprise, Cao's army did not cross the river on a large scale and only sent a thousand men to station in Xiangyang.  , we got the news that the main force of Cao¡¯s army is moving towards Anlu County.¡±

    Liu Bei was stunned. This information was beyond his expectation. Is Cao Jun going to give up attacking Nanjun?

    "Is the information true?" Liu Bei asked, this news really confused him.

    Wang Jie handed a volume of intelligence to Liu Bei. Liu Bei opened it and read it. It was sent urgently from Fancheng. The intelligence said that only more than a thousand people crossed the Han River and occupied Xiangyang City, while Cao Cao had more than a hundred thousand troops.  It seemed very urgent to march towards Anlu County overnight.

    "Could it be that Jiang Xia's army broke out in a war with Cao's army in Anlu County?" Liu Bei said to himself.

    At this time, Pang Ji's eyes flashed with an imperceptible cunning, and he said to Liu Bei: "The last time 50,000 Cao's troops occupied Anlu County, I believed that it was the main force of the Jiangxia Army that wanted to recapture Anlu County, and a fierce battle broke out in the Anlu County area.  , it should be that Cao Cao rushed to Anlu County in order to completely wipe out the Jiangxia Army. "

    Liu Bei lowered his head and thought. He felt that Liu Jing should not rush to regain Anlu County, but there was no other explanation. However, Cao Cao's change of plan seemed to be another opportunity for Nan County.

    "What should we do now?" Liu Bei asked the three people present.

    Chen Zhen said: "Lord, can we take the opportunity to seize Xiangyang?"

    "No!"

    Pang Ji immediately objected: "Cao Ren's army will soon come from Fangling County. Not only does it make no sense for us to occupy Xiangyang, but the gain will outweigh the loss."

    Wang Jie also agreed with Pang Ji's opinion, "Now we should take advantage of the temporary change in Cao Jun's plan to transport the population of Nanjun to Wuling as much as possible. Once the war in Anlu County subsides, Cao Cao's main force will still fight back to Xiangyang. Lord, this is  We must seize the opportunity God gives us.¡±

    Pang Ji was surprised. Wang Jie's thoughts were exactly the same as his own. Could it be that he too?  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    He quickly glanced at Wang Jie and felt that there was a hint of hypocrisy in Wang Jie's smile, which made him even more confused.

    Liu Bei was tempted. He thought for a long time and asked Pang Ji, "What does Pang Gong think?"

    Pang Ji nodded, "Without a population of more than 300,000, how will my lord feed the army in the future?"

    This sentence stung Liu Bei's weakness. He nodded resolutely, "Everyone is right. This time Cao Jun changed his plan temporarily. God is helping me. How could I not seize this opportunity!"

    Liu Bei immediately issued an order to immediately mobilize 20,000 troops, divided into ten teams, and rush to various places in Nanjun. The entire population of Nanjun must be moved to the south bank of the Yangtze River. He also ordered Pang Ji and Wang Jie to guard Jiangling City, and he personally led an army to the place.  Yang County.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On a dark night, the rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the sky and the earth were shrouded in gray rain and fog. On a muddy official road, a cavalry consisting of 5,000 people was marching rapidly southward.

    This is Cao Cao's most powerful 5,000 tiger and leopard cavalry, led by General Xia Houyuan. The original commander of the tiger and leopard cavalry was Cao Chun. However, because Cao Chun was training 10,000 Wuhuan cavalry in Hebei, he handed over the command of the tiger and leopard cavalry.  Gave it to Xia Houyuan.

    Xia Houyuan led five thousand cavalry across the river from Shangyong, passed through Fangling County, and marched along the Zhangshui River Valley toward Nan County. They had to reach Jiangling in three days.

    The path in the river valley was muddy and narrow, making it difficult for the cavalry to march. Xia Houyuan kept urging, "Quick! Speed ??up and don't stop."

    He was also under great pressure. He was still three hundred miles away from Jiangling, but he only had one day left.

    "General!"

    ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????A military prince rushed towards us and reported: "The water has risen ten miles ahead and has submerged the river valley. It is impossible to move forward. There is an intersection in front of us, so we can only turn to the main road."

    Without saying a word, Xia Houyuan whipped his horse and led a dozen people to rush forward quickly. After running for about ten miles, dozens of soldiers in front were stationed beside the trail. When they saw Xia Houyuan's arrival, they all moved out of the way.  .

    In the valley ahead, a small river rushed in from the other side. The water surged and flooded the entire valley. More than a dozen cavalrymen were swallowed up by the flood and were missing. The army could no longer move forward.

    "Damn it!"

    Xia Houyuan cursed in a low voice and looked up at the sky. It was full of rain and fog. It was estimated that the first watch had passed. If he took the official road, he would most likely be discovered by Liu Bei's army, which would make him very embarrassed.

    "General, the rain will become lighter after dawn and the water will go down." An officer suggested.

    Xia Houyuan still had time to wait for dawn. Now he had no choice and asked again: "Where is this place?"boundary?  "

    "Reporting to Jiangxia, this is the boundary of Dangyang County, and the county seat is about thirty miles away from here."

    Xia Houyuan immediately ordered: "Pass my order and the army will turn to the official road."

    Five thousand cavalrymen immediately turned around and ran toward the southeast from another path. Half an hour later, five thousand cavalrymen from Cao Cao's army stepped onto the flat official road. The army sped up and swooped towards Jiangling.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the same time, the main force of Cao's army that originally went to Anlu County suddenly returned to Fancheng. The army did not return to Fancheng. Hundreds of thousands of troops gathered on the banks of the Bishui River and began to board large ships. Large ships were loaded with Cao's soldiers and headed towards Xiangyang City.  direction.

    Cao Cao was riding on his war horse, staring at the south. He couldn't help but laughed triumphantly, "Big-eared thief, don't you want fame? This time you will be doomed!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 338 The Fall of Jiangling

    The sky was getting brighter, and the heavy rain that had been falling for several days showed no signs of stopping. Instead, it was raining harder and harder, and there was a vast expanse of white rain and mist a hundred steps away.

    Today is the third day of large-scale relocation of people from Nan County to Wuling County. Groups of people supporting the elderly and children came from all directions, from Bian County in the north to Dangyang County, as well as Huarong County in the east and Zhijiang County in the west.  More than 200,000 people in five counties including Yaoyang County and Zhaoyang County left their homes to escape the war.

    But not all people evacuated to Jiangling. Most people in Bian County in the north evacuated to Jiangxia, while most people in Huarong County in the east also fled to Jiangxia.

    In fact, only more than 100,000 people in Zhijiang, Zhaoyang and Dangyang counties followed Liu Bei to evacuate to Jiangling. On the official road, nearly 100,000 people moved to the south.

    There were ox carts and donkey carts in the team, and the vast crowd stretched for more than ten miles. They supported the elderly, held children in their arms, wore coir raincoats and cloaks, and trudged on the muddy official road in the heavy rain, slowly heading south.

    There are three official roads in Nanjun, one is the west road, which connects Zhijiang County and Zhaoyang County from Dangyang County, and the other is the east road, which connects Dangyang County to Huarong County. The road where people are fleeing now is called the middle road.  The smoothest and widest of the three official roads.

    Although the official road was flat and wide, it still could not increase the marching speed of the fleeing army. One hundred thousand refugees were unable to move at a crawl on the official road. Many elderly people could not bear the torture. Coupled with the rain all night, some people continued to die of illness on the road.

    Liu Bei was riding on a majestic war horse. He was also wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat. He led five thousand soldiers to guard the people on both sides.

    At this time, Liu Bei felt a little regretful. He did not expect that the marching speed of these people was so slow. They could only walk twenty or thirty miles a day. It was still nearly three hundred miles away from Jiangling. Wouldn't it be ten miles?  sky?  We also need to solve the problem of food and accommodation for refugees.

    "If it had been three or four days, maybe he would still have room for maneuver, but now that he has to spend ten days, something will happen.

    Liu Bei wanted to leave these people and go south, but he couldn't afford the loss of reputation. He had to endure his temper and kept ordering his soldiers to help the frail old people and speed up the march as much as possible.

    "Lord!"

    A scout cavalry galloped over from a distance and reported urgently: "Your Majesty, we have discovered the enemy's situation!"

    Liu Bei was shocked. He simply suspected that he had heard wrongly. Is there going to be an enemy situation here?

    "What's going on?" he asked nervously.

    "At dawn today, a brother discovered a cavalry force, about five thousand people, heading south along the west road. The cavalry was so fast that the scouts could not keep up."

    Liu Bei's face turned pale. He suddenly understood that Cao Jun's so-called aid to Anlu County was a delaying tactic, just to confuse himself and delay his southward retreat, and then send cavalry to seize Jiangling and cut off his retreat.

    He suddenly became panicked. Because of the rain and the strong waves on the river, he had stopped sending people across the river in the past few days. Nearly half of the people were still on the north bank, including his family members. If Cao's cavalry arrived, their warships would be destroyed.  and the population are finished.

    Liu Bei was anxious and regretful, and quickly said to his soldiers: "Go and find the three generals quickly!"

    The soldiers galloped away on horseback. Liu Bei urged his horse forward and shouted loudly to the thousands of refugees around him: "Fellow folks, Cao's army is approaching. Everyone, please return home! Don't suffer unreasonable disasters."

    Thousands of people shouted together: "We are willing to follow the emperor's uncle!"

    "We are willing to serve the Emperor's uncle!"

    Everyone shouted loudly, and the shouts became louder and louder, and soon it formed a torrent of public opinion, "Follow the emperor to the death!"

    Liu Bei felt anxious and embarrassed at the same time. The population and wealth that he originally had great hopes for have now become his burden, and he still has to follow him to the death.

    At this time, Zhang Fei rushed over with more than a dozen soldiers and shouted: "Brother, what happened?"

    Liu Bei was already worried and said to Zhang Fei quickly: "The scouts have discovered Cao's cavalry and are heading towards Jiangling. I must rush back to Jiangling immediately to see if I can get ahead of Cao's cavalry."

    Zhang Fei was stunned. He immediately realized the seriousness of the problem and said hurriedly: "Brother, please go back quickly and leave this place to me."

    "This is exactly what I mean. I will go back with two thousand soldiers first, and you will stay with three thousand troops."

    After hesitating, Liu Bei whispered again: "I suspect that Cao Cao's army is coming down from Xiangyang. Send more spies. If Cao Cao's army really comes to kill you, you can withdraw south immediately. Just give up on these refugees for the time being! You can't take care of them.  They did.¡±

    "Don't worry, brother, I won't force you."

    Liu Bei patted Zhang Fei on the shoulder, then turned his horse and walked away. After a moment, he led two thousand soldiers to rush towards the river.?Hurry, he must save the warship and his family

    For three consecutive days, it rained heavily in Jingzhou. The wind and waves on the Yangtze River were high. A ferry full of refugees capsized in the middle of the river. More than two hundred people were swallowed by the waves. The tragedy of the capsized boat forced Jiangling to stop transportation and wait for the heavy rain to stop.  .

    The tens of thousands of people who had not yet crossed the river could not withstand the heavy rain, so they all returned to the city and returned to their homes to take shelter from the rain. The soldiers were also transferred back to the city to garrison, making the dock deserted and deserted. Hundreds of thousand-stone warships were moored.  Along the river, follow the waves.

    About a hundred steps away from the dock, there is a warehouse group covering an area of ??more than 30 acres. The supplies in more than a dozen warehouses have long been emptied. At this time, the warehouses were crowded with boatmen. Most of the local boatmen had sneaked back into the city. Although  Even so, thousands of people gathered in the warehouse.

    They were lying or lying down, bored, and the anxiety in their hearts had been smoothed away by the heavy rain for several days. Many people gathered together to gamble. Many gamblers had not slept for three days and three nights, their eyes were blood-red, and their voices sounded like they wanted to kill someone.

    At this time, someone in the westernmost warehouse shouted. The warehouse suddenly became quiet. Hundreds of people raised their ears. What did they seem to hear?

    I heard a thunderous sound in the heavy rain outside, and then the ground began to tremble. Many people were unable to stand still and sat down on the ground. At this moment, someone suddenly shouted: "This is the cavalry, the cavalry is coming!"  "

    The warehouse suddenly became a mess, and hundreds of people rushed out. But as soon as they ran out of the warehouse, Cao Jun's cavalry came fiercely. The few people who had just rushed out of the warehouse were unable to dodge, and were knocked over by the horses in an instant. They screamed in agony.  It was too late, and he was caught under the iron hooves of the war horse, and was soon trampled to pieces.

    There were still many people rushing out of the other dozen warehouses and running desperately towards the dock. Their only idea of ??escape was to escape by boat.

    But Cao Cao¡¯s cavalry had already rushed in. Xia Houyuan¡¯s strategy was very clear: seize the warship first. They didn¡¯t even bother to take Jiangling from the city and went straight to the dock.

    Xia Houyuan took the lead. He saw two boatmen running onto the board dozens of steps away and were about to rush onto the ship. He was furious, grabbed two spears and threw them away with all his strength. The two spears cut through the rain and fog, like two  A black lightning instantly pierced the bodies of the two boatmen, and they fell into the river screaming.

    The other boatmen who ran to the pier were so frightened that they knelt down and held their heads, begging for their lives.

    The cavalry had driven out all the people hiding in more than a dozen warehouses. Thousands of people crowded the pier. Xia Houyuan shouted, "Everyone who doesn't want to die, kneel down!"

    His voice was like thunder, which made everyone tremble and fall to their knees. For a moment, everyone knelt down in the heavy rain.

    ??

    "The general will obey your orders!"

    Ya Jiang waved his hand and said, "Follow me!"

    He led five hundred cavalry to drive the boatmen back to the warehouse. Xia Houyuan knew very well that it was raining now and no ships were coming from the other side. Once the rain stopped and the ships were coming from the other side, I am afraid that the warships would not be saved. The top priority was to capture Jiangling City.

    He immediately turned the dock and led 4,500 cavalry to kill Jiangling City.

    Jiangling City is close to the dock. When the cavalry galloped past the city and rushed to the dock, the defenders on the city had already discovered it and immediately reported it to Pang Ji. There were no generals in the city at present, only five thousand troops, so Liu Bei  Pang Ji and Wang Jie were ordered to sit in Jiangling.

    Pang Ji stared at the dock with complicated eyes. Although the rain and fog blocked his sight, he knew that Cao Cao's army was coming. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. Surrendering to Cao Cao at the critical moment would allow him to obtain the greatest political benefits.

    Cao Cao had promised him the post of Nanyang Governor, and it was up to him to see if he could seize this opportunity. However, surrendering like this would damage his reputation. He immediately ordered people to go to Wang Jie to discuss it. Unexpectedly, the soldiers came back soon and reported: "Wang joins the army."  If you get caught in the rain, fall ill, and feel so ill that you can't get up, please don't make your own decision without considering his opinion."

    "This old fox!"

    Pang Ji cursed in a low voice. He thought for a moment, then immediately went back to the city tower to write a letter and gave it to his trusted soldier. He whispered: "Give this letter to General Luo Jin!"

    Luo Jin was Pang Ji's confidant, and he took up the post of Yajiang and was stationed at the west gate of Jiangling City. Now Pang Ji could only build the plank road openly and secretly went to Chencang. The confidant soldiers quickly went away with the letter.

    Pang Ji returned to the top of the city and shouted loudly: "All soldiers must go to the city and fight Cao's army to the end. The city is still alive but the people are alive."

    Groups of soldiers rushed to the top of the city and were ready. Pang Ji changed into a suit of armor.Pressing the hilt of the sword with his hand, he spoke impassionedly to cheer up the soldiers and boost their morale, "Cao's army is cavalry and cannot attack the city. As long as everyone holds on to the city, the lord will come back soon!"

    At this moment, a soldier rushed over and shouted in horror: "Don't drive, Xicheng has surrendered, Cao's army has entered the city!"

    Pang Ji shouted and fainted. The generals hurriedly rescued him. Pang Ji burst into tears: "I'm sorry, lord, for not being able to defend Jiangling City. Generals, in order to save the people in the city, surrender! All guilt will be borne by me."  I, Pang Ji, will take care of it.¡±

    The generals looked at each other, and for a moment, they all silently put down their swords. Seeing that all the generals wanted to surrender, Pang Ji sighed and said to the generals: "We must protect the lord's family. We cannot be loyal to the lord at the cost of death.  I can only give my lord an explanation."

    Liu Bei's only hope is that Pang Ji can lead his army to resist Cao Jun. After all, Cao Jun has only 5,000 cavalry, no siege weapons, and a small number. As long as the defenders hold on, it is absolutely impossible for Cao Jun to capture Jiangling due to the tallness and solidity of Jiangling City.

    But Liu Bei never dreamed that when Xia Houyuan's cavalry arrived at Jiangling City, the west gate of Jiangling was opened, and General Luo Jin presented the city. Immediately, Pang Ji led 5,000 troops out of the city and surrendered to Cao's army, and Jiangling City fell.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 339 The situation is unclear

    Jingling County is a large county in the west of Jiangxia. It is close to the Han River and is located in the river network. It has fertile land and dense forests. It is the rich land of fish and rice in Jiangxia.

    The county has a population of more than 3,000 households, and most of them make a living by farming and fishing. However, after several years of population relocation and the influx of people fleeing the war, the population of Jingling County has increased rapidly and has reached more than 9,000 households.  The population is more than 80,000.

    Jingling County is also the center of kerosene production in Jiangxia County. There are more natural oil wells here than in Xiajie County, and the output is greater. A large number of ships transport kerosene to Xiajie County every day for further refining.

    There are three thousand permanent troops stationed in Jingling County, led by Sima Xiangchong of another department. Xiangchong is the nephew of Xianglang, the Prime Minister of Xiangyang County. He is about 25 or 26 years old. He has both civil and military skills and outstanding ability. He once served as Zhijiang  The county magistrate later resigned and studied abroad. At the beginning of the year, his uncle Xiang Lang recommended him to Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing boldly reused him and appointed him as Sima of the other departments, in charge of the Jingling Army, and responsible for guarding the west gate of Jiangxia County.

    The Jingling County military camp is not in the county seat, but to the west of the county seat. It covers an area of ??nearly a hundred acres and is full of tents. Inside the Chinese army's tent, Cao Lin, the magistrate of Jingling County, found Xiang Chong worriedly.

    In the past two days, a large number of refugees have arrived from Nan County to seek refuge with relatives and friends, making Jingling County overcrowded, and many people have fled from Huarong County.

    Although Huarong County is the county seat of Nanjun, it is only forty miles away from Jingling County. If something happened in Huarong County, it would be difficult for Jingling County to stay out of it. This made the county magistrate Cao Lin extremely worried and came to discuss countermeasures with Xiang Chong.

    "Xiang Sima, it is most likely that Cao Jun went south, otherwise there would not be so many refugees."

    In fact, Cao Lin didn't care about Cao Cao's army going south to Nanjun. What he cared about was whether Cao Cao's army would take advantage of the situation to attack Jingling County in a large scale. After all, this is the most important kerosene production area in Jiangxia. How could Cao Jun let it go?

    "Does Sima think Cao Jun will attack Jingling County?" Cao Lin looked at Xiang Chong with worry.

    Xiang Chong also got some information. He pondered for a moment and said: "It is very possible for Cao's army to attack Jingling County, but Magistrate Cao does not need to worry. Cao's army will not massacre the city, let alone burn, kill and loot. After all, Cao Cao wants to  Jingzhou was incorporated into his rule."

    "But what should we do?" Cao Lin asked in a low voice. In fact, he wanted to ask Xiang Chong if he wanted to resist Cao Jun.

    Without waiting for Xiang Chong to answer, a soldier rushed over to report, "Report to Sima, Zhou Mu has led a fleet and is anchored by the Han River!"

    "ah!"

    Xiang Chong and Cao Lin were so surprised that they stood up at the same time. Without having time to talk in detail, they hurriedly left the camp to meet Liu Jing.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After three days of heavy rain, it finally stopped. The water level of the Han River surged and flooded the docks. More than 300 warships were moored on the river, and 10,000 troops were disembarking one after another and gathering on the south bank of the Han River.

    Liu Jing did not return directly to Jiangxia. Although he withdrew his troops from Xiangyang, it did not mean that Cao Cao's warships could drive straight down the Han River and threaten Xiakou, let alone give Cao Cao's troops in Anlu County a chance to cross the river.

    Therefore, the Jiangxia navy will form a water blockade near Jingling County to block Cao's warships from going south. This is an important part of Liu Jing's strategic deployment.

    Liu Jing had already disembarked from the boat. He was riding on his horse and looking at Jingling County not far away. Although the Jingling County city wall had been heightened and reinforced, it could resist the siege of 10,000 troops, but if it was 50,000 or even 100,000  If the army attacks the city, the county will definitely not be able to sustain it.

    However, to the east of Jingling County is the vast Yunmengze. Cao's army is destined to be unable to attack Xiakou by land. It can only reach the other side of the Yangtze River in Xiakou by detouring from the north bank of Han River to Anlu County.

    Yunmeng Zeguo, this is the most favorable geographical environment in Jiangxia County, which is destined that Cao Jun can only advance eastward along the Yangtze River.

    Historically, the last war broke out in Chibi, which was caused by the special geographical environment of Jiangxia. It was no accident. Chibi was the first and best crossing port after the fleet left Yunmengze.

    While he was deep in thought, Xiang Chong and Cao Lin hurried over. They stepped forward and saluted, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing turned over and dismounted, looked at the expectant expressions of the two people and smiled: "Did my arrival make your hearts go up?"

    Xiang Chong smiled bitterly and said: "The situation in Nan County is now chaotic and has spread to Jingling County. My subordinates have not received the order from the state pastor, so they can only stand still and feel quite uncertain."

    Next to him, Cao Lin also said: "A large number of refugees have poured in from Nanjun in the past few days. The official has opened a warehouse to provide porridge and distribute tents. It is okay to support them for a month or two, but if it takes too long, I am afraid the government will not be able to support them.  "

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Don't worry too much. At least half of the people in Jingling County will have to move to Chaisang. The fleet will arrive in two days, but Magistrate Cao can start making preparations now."

    Cao Lin was overjoyed. He didn¡¯t want to surrender to Cao Lin.He was in a dilemma, but he didn't want to leave the people of Jingling and escape alone. He was extremely entangled in his heart. If he could evacuate the people, he would be relieved.

    ¡°Which people can be evacuated?¡± he asked again.

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "It depends on personal wishes. If you want to evacuate, just go with the ship. If you don't want to evacuate, just stay. Don't force it."

    Cao Lin lowered his head and thought about it. It was indeed the case. The fishermen who accounted for at least 30% of the population would not leave. Every household of them had a fishing boat. If Cao's army was brutal, they could take the boat to Yunmeng Zezhong to take refuge. There were many small islands in the Zezhong.  You can live in a tent for several months. There are a lot of fish, shrimps, water chestnuts and the like in the lake, so you don't have to worry about food.

    "Wei Chen understands. Let's go back to the city to prepare. We invite Zhou Mu and Wei Chen to go into the city together. Wei Chen can arrange food and accommodation for Zhou Mu."

    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll live in the military camp!¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Maybe I will go to the county to inspect, but I don't have time today, let's talk about it tomorrow!"

    Cao Lin saluted and left in a hurry. The Jiangxia navy began to build additional military camps at the dock, while Liu Jing followed Xiang Chong to the military camp in the west of the city.

    Liu Jing sat down in the Chinese army tent and immediately said to Xiang Chong: "I want to know the current situation in Nanjun. I hope you have sent scouts."

    Of course Xiang Chong knew the situation in Nanjun, but he did not tell the county magistrate Cao Lin because he was afraid of causing unnecessary panic. Xiang Chong quickly bowed and said: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Jiangling City was attacked by Xia Houyuan's cavalry the day before yesterday and has fallen.  "

    Liu Jing was a little stunned. Did it fall so quickly?  Only three days after he left Xiangyang, Jiangling fell, which he really couldn't understand.

    "Where is Liu Bei? Where is he now?" Liu Jing asked anxiously.

    Xiang Chong sighed, "He is now in the Dangyang area. He wanted to move all the people in Nanjun across the river. However, Cao Cao's cavalry unexpectedly attacked Jiangling and cut off his retreat. I don't know his current situation either.  I only know that Cao Cao¡¯s army has moved south from Xiangyang, which may be very detrimental to him!¡±

    Liu Jing paced back and forth in the camp with his hands behind his back. He did not expect that Liu Bei would make such a stupid mistake. In the face of a powerful enemy, he did not want to retreat in a hurry, but actually wanted to move all the population of Nanjun.

    This is certainly caused by greed, but Liu Bei has experienced the migration of people from the new field. He should have learned a lesson. He should know that the people are moving slowly and cannot march hundreds of miles smoothly, let alone move to the south of the Yangtze River. Liu Bei  He actually made two mistakes on the same thing, why didn't Zhuge Liang stop him?

    Liu Jing walked slowly to the map, mentally estimating the marching speed of Cao Jun. If he had started from the night before yesterday and marched for two days and two nights, Cao Jun should have been in Dangyang County by now.

    If Liu Bei is desperate, he will most likely flee towards Jingling County. Liu Jing frowned. If this happens, how should he deal with it?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Nan County after the rain, the roads are extremely muddy, and the low-lying areas have turned into puddles. In the Wufuyi Town area, the water has been submerged up to the thighs, forming a shallow puddle more than ten miles long and four miles wide, completely submerging the official road.  .

    Liu Bei's army had no choice but to take a detour and march south quickly in the water-logged grassland. Soldiers kept falling into the water and falling into the pond. In just one day and one night of march, more than 200 people from the 3,000-strong army were missing.

    Escape is unlikely. This army has followed Liu Bei for many years and they are all loyal veterans. There is only one explanation. They were swallowed by a deep pond on the road while marching at night.

    At noon, the exhausted soldiers rested in a pine forest. The terrain here was higher, and there was a dry land in the lush pine forest. Three thousand soldiers crowded in the pine forest, eating dry food and drinking water, and were freezing.  tremble.

    Liu Bei sat on a big rock and stared at the map silently. In fact, he also knew in his heart that the sky was not good for him. Even if he did not go to various places in Nanjun to mobilize people to evacuate south, he would still be unable to cross the river because of heavy rain, leaving him to stay.  Jiangbei, this is God¡¯s will.

    Now Liu Bei places his hopes on Pang Ji and Wang Jie, hoping that they can defend Jiangling for him so that Cao's cavalry cannot break the city. As long as the city is still there, he has hope.

    At this moment, the soldier standing guard on the top of the tree suddenly shouted: "Lord, there are troops appearing three miles away to the south, they seem to be cavalry!"

    Liu Bei was shocked. He had no cavalry. If he had cavalry, it could only be Cao Cao's cavalry. Liu Bei stood up and shouted: "The army must assemble immediately!"

    Three thousand soldiers rushed out of the pine forest and quickly gathered on the grass. At this time, the ground began to shake. Muffled thunder exploded on the horizon, and a black line appeared several miles away in the south.

    The black line is getting closer and closer, turning into a galloping horse, and the black cavalry group is like a storm.The attack swept towards this side, and Liu Bei's soldiers were so shocked that their faces turned pale and they kept retreating.

    Although the officers shouted anxiously: "The spearmen hold their ground, don't retreat!" But they still couldn't stop the soldiers from retreating timidly.

    "It's a tiger and leopard riding!" Some soldiers shouted in shock. The tigers and leopards on Cao's army's banner were ferocious, hunting and flying.

    Liu Bei's scalp was numb. Of course he knew the sharpness of Cao's tiger and leopard cavalry. With one blocking ten, his army could not withstand the violent impact. He would definitely lose this battle.

    Although he knew he would be defeated, Liu Bei still shouted: "Archers, prepare!"

    A thousand archers raised their big bows and pointed their long arrows upward at an angle, aiming at the cavalry group of Cao's army rushing towards them like a stormy sea.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 340 Besieged on all sides

    "shoot!"

    With the sound of clappers, a thousand arrows rose into the air, whistling and shooting at the oncoming cavalry. Hundreds of vanguard cavalry were less than a hundred steps away from Liu Bei's army, and they all raised their shields to meet him.

    The arrows that came like locusts roared into the cavalry group, crackling and hitting shields and armors. Cavalrymen continued to have arrows falling from their horses while running, but this could not stop the cavalry from killing. In an instant, Cao Jun's cavalry  He fought his way into Liu Bei's army.

    They were no longer cavalry, but groups of monsters, killing and devouring everything. They killed Liu Bei's soldiers until they fell on their backs, their limbs were split, and their flesh and blood flew everywhere. The powerful impact penetrated the Nanjun army and even cut Nanjun in two.

    But more and more cavalry came, and the Nanjun army began to be unable to support it. Liu Bei knew that the army could not withstand the cavalry attack, but he did not expect that it would not be able to support it for even a quarter of an hour.

    "Catch the big-eared thief and make ten thousand households a marquis!"

    Xia Houyuan saw Liu Bei from a distance, pointed a big iron gun at him and shouted, his voice was like the roar of a wild animal, low and penetrating, Liu Bei was so frightened that he almost fell off his horse.

    At this time, Liu Bei saw that his army was about to collapse. He immediately turned his horse and galloped away to the north. Only dozens of soldiers followed him on horseback. They only ran less than 500 steps before Liu Bei's army was attacked by Cao Jun's tiger and leopard cavalry.  Disintegration collapsed.

    Thousands of people shouted and ran northward desperately, but they could not outrun the iron hooves of the horses. Groups of tiger and leopard cavalry caught up with them, slashing and stabbing them left and right, killing wantonly. Their heads were chopped off, their chests were pierced, and four people were killed.  Splashing, rolling in the run, struggling in death, screams, pleas, and cries resounded throughout the wilderness grassland.

    Liu Bei's horse was extremely fast. He whipped the horse as hard as he could and fled for more than fifty miles in one breath. Cao Cao's cavalry had long disappeared, so he slowed down his horse to let the horse that was about to die from exhaustion take a breather.

    The war horse was foaming at the mouth, snorting heavily, and was walking forward slowly with difficulty. Liu Bei looked back and saw more than twenty soldiers running towards him from afar, but not a single person was seen in his army.  He had experienced it countless times, but the pain of this kind of annihilation still made him burst into tears.

    More than two dozen soldiers caught up with the lord and comforted him: "This battle is just a small defeat. Don't be too sad, lord. We need to join General Zhang immediately and assemble the troops from all over the country. We still have a chance."

    Liu Bei sighed, he also knew there was still a chance, but how much time did he have?  Liu Bei was in a mess, and he didn't know what to do, but one thing was certain, he had to have an army in his hands to feel safe.

    "Let's go!" Liu Bei urged his horse to run north.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At noon the next day, Liu Bei and his party arrived south of Maicheng. This area belongs to the remaining mountains of Jingshan Mountain, with undulating mountains and crisscrossing river valleys, but the official road was built in an open area.

    Arriving here, Liu Bei unexpectedly encountered groups of fleeing people. All of them looked frightened and had lost all their belongings. Like frightened birds, they fled southward along the official road.

    Liu Bei was surprised and quickly stepped forward to stop an old man. He held up his hands and asked, "Excuse me, father, what happened? Why are everyone so panicked?"

    The old man did not know Liu Bei. He sighed and said: "This merchant, I advise you not to go north and turn around quickly! Cao Jun has already come to kill us. We are running fast, and the people behind have been caught up.  , were plundered and tortured by Cao¡¯s army!¡±

    Liu Bei seemed to have missed the mark, and his heart suddenly fell into the abyss. Cao Jun was coming to kill him. Did he come so soon?  He was confused and asked in a panic: "What about the Nanjun army? Where are they?"

    "Who knows!"

    The old man stopped paying attention to Liu Bei. When he saw the crowd walking away, he hurriedly shouted and followed the fleeing team southward. Liu Bei stood blankly on the roadside. The news of Cao Jun's large-scale march south made him despair, as if he had reached the end of the road.

    At this time, a soldier inquired about the news and came over to report, "Lord, they said they only saw a few hundred Cao troops and did not see the army moving south."

    This news shocked Liu Bei again. He felt that it was unlikely. How could the main force of Cao's army arrive so quickly? It should be just a small group of vanguards Cao Cao was harassing. Moreover, if the third brother was defeated, the soldiers would run faster than anyone else. Now there is no  Seeing a soldier means that there is no problem with the army for the time being.

    Liu Bei's heart began to get excited again. He cheered up his spirits again and continued to move north.

    The further north you go, the more refugees there are. They support the old and the young, and flee south in panic with their meager wealth. From time to time, you can see old people dying on the roadside. The situation is very miserable.

    After about thirty miles of walking, the scene Liu Bei least expected to see finally happened. A group of about a hundred defeated soldiers were trapped among the refugees.? Everyone was carrying large and small bags in their hands, which were obviously civilian property snatched in the chaos. Some soldiers even carried young women on their backs.

    Liu Bei flew into a rage and shouted: "How dare you rob the people's wealth and rob the people's daughters!"

    His soldiers rushed forward with whips. The deserters were so frightened that they left their belongings and women and fled. Several deserters were unable to escape and were caught by Liu Bei's soldiers and dragged over.

    "Uncle, spare your life!" Several deserters knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

    "You bastards, ruin my reputation!" Liu Bei pointed at them and yelled.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t rob people¡¯s property, we picked it up from the pile of corpses. Those women also had their family members killed, so they were willing to follow us without forcing them.¡±

    Liu Bei was stunned, how could this happen? He then looked at several young women. The women were frightened and at a loss, standing there in a daze. Liu Bei became nervous and quickly asked the soldiers, "How many Cao troops are there?"

    "Reporting to Uncle Emperor, Cao Cao has many troops. There are many armies. Each army has tens of thousands of people. We are the subordinates of the three generals. The army has been dispersed."

    Liu Bei's vision went dark, and he almost fell off his horse. He staggered, and the guards beside him quickly supported him. After a while, he regained consciousness and let out a long sigh, "Heaven is going to kill me, Liu Bei!"  "

    At this moment, someone suddenly pointed to the north and shouted: "Uncle, look, the three generals are coming!"

    Liu Bei also saw an army of more than a thousand people heading south from the north. The leader was a general holding a snake spear and a black-maned horse. It was Zhang Yide, his third brother. Liu Bei was overjoyed and urged his horse to meet him.  "Third brother!" he shouted loudly.

    Zhang Fei was covered in blood. He also saw Liu Bei. He turned over and dismounted, knelt on the ground and said: "I failed my brother's trust and was ultimately defeated by Cao's army. Please punish me!"

    Liu Bei quickly helped Zhang Fei up, "This is God's will and has nothing to do with third brother. Don't blame yourself."

    He looked at the army led by Zhang Fei again. There were more than a thousand people, which immediately made him feel at ease. At this time, he suddenly saw Guan Ping and couldn't help but be startled. Guan Ping and his father Guan Yu should be in Zhijiang.  Why is he here?

    "My dear nephew, what happened?"

    Guan Ping hurriedly stepped forward and saluted: "My father heard that Cao's cavalry was attacking Jiangling, and he has already led his troops there. I came here to report the news to my uncle and my third uncle. I heard from my third uncle that my uncle has gone south."

    Zhang Fei next to him was also surprised and asked: "Brother, why do you only have a dozen soldiers, where are the other soldiers?"

    Liu Bei briefly told the situation when he met Xiahouyuan's cavalry, and finally sighed: "Now I don't know if Jiangling is still in our hands? I want to retreat to Jiangling, but there are cavalry behind me to intercept, and there is no way to retreat.  !¡±

    As soon as Liu Bei finished speaking, he heard that there was chaos in the north, refugees were fleeing in all directions, and a Cao army of tens of thousands came to kill. The general at the head was Xiahou Dun. Hundreds of steps away, Xiahou Dun saw Liu Bei alone and shouted with great joy: "  The big-eared thief is here!¡±

    Zhang Fei was furious, got on his horse, turned around and said to Liu Bei with a snake spear that was eight feet long in hand: "Brother, let's go first, I will deal with this thief!"

    Zhang Fei swung his spear to kill Xiahou Dun. Liu Bei originally wanted to flee west to Jianping County, but two more armies appeared in the west, each with tens of thousands of people, blocking the way to the west. What made him even more frightened was that they were from the northwest.  An army actually has the flag of Cao Jun, indicating that Cao Cao is in the army.

    Liu Bei was frightened, turned his horse and fled eastward. Guan Ping led more than a hundred people to follow him closely.

    At this time, Cao Cao's army of 100,000 troops was coming from all directions. Groups of refugees were desperate and kowtowed to beg for mercy. Dozens of seventy-year-old men came together and knelt down in front of Cao Cao's war horse to beg for mercy.

    Cao Cao said coldly: "If you don't live your life at home, you have to run out and seek death, and the army will fight in chaos. I can't control your life or death!"

    Dozens of old men begged for mercy. One of the oldest old men said: "We believed the rumors and now we know our mistake. We beg the Prime Minister to give us a chance to return to our hometown."

    Cao Cao snorted, "I'll spare you a moment. If you dare to rebel against the imperial court again, everyone in your family will be killed!"

    Dozens of old men kowtowed to express gratitude. Cao Cao ordered people to gather the refugees and send them to Dangyang County for temporary resettlement. He also ordered: "Robbery and adultery are not allowed, and those who disobey the order will be killed!"

    The generals bowed to receive the order. At this time, a messenger rushed to report, "Liu Bei was found several miles away to the east, fleeing eastward, with less than a hundred followers."

    Cao Cao was overjoyed and immediately ordered: "Whoever captures Liu Bei alive will receive a reward of ten thousand taels and be promoted to the third level!"

    After the military order was passed, a hundred thousand troops immediately became excited and rushed to chase eastward. At this time, Zhang Fei was outnumbered and led his army to retreat eastward. In the vast wilderness, a hundred thousand troops intercepted and pursued Liu Bei from all directions.

      At this moment, an army of more than 500 people came from Xianzhan, led by the general Chima Yinqian. He was majestic and tall, with a majestic appearance. It was Zhao Yun who came from Jianping County.

    Zhao Yun was assisting Liu Feng in Jianping County. Not long ago, Zhuge Liang inspected Jianping County and wanted to transfer Zhao Yun back, so he arranged for Zhao Yun to return to Jiangling to report on his duties.

    Zhao Yun returned to Jiangling with only a few followers. When he heard in Zhaoyang County that Cao Jun was coming to kill him, he led 500 Zhaoyang defenders to help in the battle. He happened to meet the main force of Cao Jun. He heard that his lord and Zhang Fei were surrounded by Cao Jun.  Suddenly I was very anxious.

    Zhao Yun saw that Cao Cao's momentum was huge and his troops were very small and could not make any difference at all. When he was hesitating, he suddenly saw the commander's flag of Cao's army and thought to himself, "Cao's thief must be under the commander's flag. If he kills Cao's thief, he will win."  Thousands of horses and thousands of troops!  ¡¯

    He shouted, "My sons, follow me to get the head from Cao Cao's neck!"

    He waved his spear and flew towards Cao Cao's army.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 341 Bloody Battle in Dangyang

    There were only more than 6,000 men around Cao Cao at this time. He never dreamed that an army suddenly came out from behind. Cao Cao was taken aback and hurriedly gave orders to fight.

    Dozens of generals rushed away and surrounded Zhao Yun. At this time, Zhao Yun had already seen Cao Cao. He was less than two hundred steps away from him. Zhao Yun shouted and stabbed with a spear. In an instant, he picked up four generals and opened a gap. He  The horse rushed out of the encirclement.

    "Thief Cao, take your life!"

    He raised his horse and leapt over dozens of soldiers. Before the horse landed, he fired a backhand shot and pierced General Gao Lan's throat. His body fell under the horse. In Runan, Gao Lan was seriously injured and died.  He escaped, but he didn't expect that seven years later, Gao Lan would still be killed by Zhao Yun's gun.

    At this time, arrows were like locusts, shooting from all directions. Zhao Yun's spears were flying like pear blossoms. He fired the arrows and ran as fast as lightning. He rushed into the camp of Cao Cao's personal guards. More than a thousand Cao Cao's iron guards and more than 20 tooth generals  Zhao Yun was surrounded.

    However, Zhao Yun became more and more courageous as he fought. A spear was like a storm, killing Cao Cao's iron guards and causing them to fall on their backs. Corpses were scattered on the ground. At this time, General Lu Kuang attacked from behind with a pair of short-handled axes. The fierce wind was harsh. Zhao Yun held the spear in his left hand and his right hand.  He grabbed the handle of the ax and turned it with all his strength. The battle ax backfired and split Lu Kuang's head in two.

    Zhao Yun swung the sharp battle ax spinning and flying in the air at an extremely fast speed, slashing towards Cao Cao. He was in front of him in an instant. The surrounding iron guards could not rescue him. There was a sudden cry of exclamation. Cao Cao was so frightened that he lowered his head suddenly, 'Crack!  ¡¯ With a sound, half of the helmet was split off.

    Cao Cao turned pale with shock, dropped his horse and fled. Hundreds of iron guards protected Cao Cao and fled eastward. Zhao Yun laughed loudly, urged his horse to fight a bloody path, and pursued him closely.

    The soldiers behind did not dare to fire arrows for fear of accidentally shooting their lord. A general nearby led the troops and rushed over, holding a mountain-breaking ax. It was General Xu Huang. Xu Huang shouted angrily, "Arrogant thief, think that our army has no one."  Huh?¡±

    He swung his ax to kill, and Zhao Yunting fought with his spear. The two fought for more than ten rounds. General Zhang He came from the left with three pointed and two blades, while Cao Hong came from the right. Zhao Yun was able to defeat the three generals without fear.  People were killed like a revolving lantern, and the other soldiers and generals could not get close.

    At this time, Cao Cao had rushed to a hillock. He saw that Zhao Yun was extremely brave and was unstoppable in everything he passed. He was even more powerful than his three generals, but he did not fall behind at all. He couldn't help but let out a low sigh, "This is Lu Bu's reincarnation."  also!"

    But someone next to him was annoyed, Xu Chu shouted: "Prime Minister, don't be as ambitious as others, let's see if I capture this general alive!"

    Cao Cao scolded angrily, "If you go again, won't you make me even more embarrassed!"

    Xu Chu gritted his teeth with hatred, but did not dare to resist. At this time, Cheng Yu whispered beside Cao Cao: "This person is Zhao Yun and Zhao Zilong. Liu Jing saved him from Rangshan when he broke out. The two of them are like brothers. I heard that this person is Zhao Yun and Zhao Zilong."  Because of this, Liu Bei hated Zhao Yun so much that he demoted him several times. He was extremely important to Liu Jing, so the prime minister might as well capture him alive to use him as leverage against Liu Jing. "

    But Cao Cao shook his head, "This general is extremely brave and can be called the first person after Lu Bu. I love him deeply. It would be a pity to hand Liu Jing back."

    Cheng Yu smiled and said, "No matter how brave a general is, he is only an enemy of ten thousand people. How can he compare with Liu Jing? But the intention of the humble minister is not to return him to Liu Jing. If Liu Jing is defeated, the prime minister can let him persuade Liu Jing."  Surrender, you will succeed!"

    Cao Cao suddenly woke up and immediately ordered: "Don't shoot cold arrows, you must capture them alive!"

    At this time, drums were beating loudly on the battlefield, and thousands of Cao's troops were coming from all directions. Zhao Yun saw that there was no soldier behind him, and the three generals in front of him were all extremely brave, and he could not defeat them.

    He found a flaw, swung the gun head, and hit Cao Hong directly in front of the door. He had already discovered that Cao Hong was the weakest among the three generals. Cao Hong saw the fierceness of the oncoming attack and dodged the shot. Zhao Yun seized this moment.  At this fleeting opportunity, he galloped his horse forward with both legs and rushed out of the gap.

    Xu Huang and Zhang He were furious and both chased on horseback. At this time, one of Cao Cao's guards rushed over and shouted: "The Prime Minister has an order. If the two generals cannot win alone, there is no need to chase!"

    Xu Huang and Zhang He were ashamed. Three generals were fighting against one man, but he actually ran away. The prime minister did not allow them to fight Zhao Yun in groups. This made the two of them really embarrassed. They both reined in their horses and stopped chasing.

    Without the pressure from Xu Huang and Zhang He, Zhao Yun fought more and more fiercely. He showed great bravery in the encirclement of Cao's army. He was invincible wherever he went. He killed hundreds of Cao's soldiers and bravely fought his way to the east where there were few troops.  Running away everywhere.

    Since he could not assassinate Cao Cao, he had no intention of fighting. He had just seen Zhang Fei's banner heading east, so he rushed east to pursue him.

    When Cao Cao saw that Zhao Yun was surrounded by thousands of people, he actually fought his way out, which was unheard of. He suddenly became furious and shouted: "Whoever sends my order to capture Zhao Yun alive will also receive a reward of ten thousand taels and be promoted to the third level."  ¡±

      Zhao Yun immediately shouted "kill Zhentian" behind him, and dozens of generals and thousands of Cao's soldiers pursued him.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The terrain of Nanjun is high in the west and low in the east. To the west is the Jingshan Mountains. The mountains are high and steep, and there are deep canyons everywhere. In the middle, although the mountains are undulating, there are large low and gentle valleys. Zhao Yun assassinated Cao Cao in a wide valley.  , and further to the east are low hills, no more than a few dozen feet high, and densely forested.

    In the large hilly area southeast of Dangyang County, one hundred thousand Cao's troops were chasing the remnants of Liu Bei. Liu Bei desperately fled eastward. Behind him, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun were trapped in Cao's army. They were several miles apart, one in front and one behind.  Rushing eastward, they were constantly surrounded by Cao's army, and they kept breaking out.

    Although the momentum was extremely spectacular, Liu Bei was at the end of his rope at this time. His situation was extremely dangerous. As the pursuers got closer and closer, only Guan Ping was left by Liu Bei's side. What's more terrible is that his horses galloped for days and nights.  , finally reached the end of the war.

    After passing through a low valley, the war horse let out a scream, stumbled and fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth and twitching his limbs. Liu Bei was also knocked to the ground. Guan Ping hurriedly dismounted and helped Liu Bei up, "Uncle, you can change my horse.  I¡¯ll follow on foot!¡±

    Liu Bei turned around and saw that Cao Jun had chased him 200 steps away. More than a thousand Cao Jun cavalry were like a stormy sea, with a terrifying momentum.  I couldn't help but sigh, "This is my fate from God!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, there was suddenly a scream and the neighing of a war horse from behind. The two of them looked back at the same time, and saw arrows raining down in the woods on both sides. Cao Jun's cavalry fell on their backs, and hundreds of people in the front were shot down.

    Liu Bei was stunned. He only heard the earth-shattering sound of war drums and shouts of killing from all around. Ambushes ambush on both sides, attacking Cao Jun from the north and south. The sudden attack caused Cao Jun to become a mess and scramble to the west.

    Hundreds of soldiers surrounded a general who came out of the forest. He saw this man with iron armor and a golden helmet. He had a white horse like a dragon under his crotch, and he was holding a Fangtian painted halberd. He was filled with murderous intent. It was Liu Jing, the shepherd of Jingzhou, who was leading an army of 10,000 people.  Ambushed Cao Jun, but saved Liu Bei's life at the last moment.

    "Uncle Emperor, you're welcome!"

    Liu Jing laughed and stepped forward. He borrowed the knife to kill people. He just wanted to remove Liu Bei's power, not Liu Bei's life. At least for the great cause of resisting Cao Cao, he still needed Liu Bei. Liu Bei had the imperial edict and was the uncle of the Han Dynasty.  With Liu Bei here, it was justifiable for them to fight against the imperial army.

    "Otherwise, if the local army fights against the imperial army, their reputation will not be justified. Even if they defeat Cao's army, they will be labeled as traitors.

    Liu Jing knows this very well. Historically, Liu Bei has reached the end of his rope. Why would Sun Quan form an alliance with him?  Isn¡¯t it just for a reputation and to gain great righteousness?

    Liu Bei never dreamed that Liu Jing would save him. He felt grateful and ashamed at the same time. He quickly bowed deeply and said, "Bei escaped with his life today. It is a great favor from the master!"

    When Liu Jing saw Guan Ping going to fetch his horse in the distance, he asked with concern: "Is the emperor going somewhere?"

    Liu Bei sighed, "Now that I have escaped the catastrophe today, my heart has lost all hope. I am planning to go to Wuling County to retire and end my remaining days."

    "Why should my uncle not mean what he said?" Liu Jing looked at Liu Bei with a half-smile.

    Liu Bei blushed, shook his head and said, "I don't understand what my nephew means by this?"

    "A real man has been defeated and fought repeatedly, and he is perseverant. How can he be discouraged by small battles? The emperor has suffered many setbacks in the past ten years, but has he ever given up on his ambition? Although he suffered a small defeat today, is there really no chance of turning around?  ?¡±

    Liu Bei lowered his head and was silent for a moment. Then he raised his head and looked into Liu Jing's eyes. "My dear nephew, if you have anything to say, just say it! There is no need for testing between us."

    "Uncle Huang is indeed a sensible person."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "Uncle Huang doesn't like my brother Zhao Yun, so why not let him follow me. We will clear up our grudges. In return, I can help Uncle Emperor capture Yizhou. How about that?"

    Liu Bei was stunned for a moment, and then he couldn't hold back the ecstasy in his heart, "Dear nephew, do you really mean what you said? Don't you want Yizhou?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "Of course I want Yizhou too. I just let the emperor give it to him first. If he can't get it, I will get it later, but brother, give it back to me first!"

    Liu Bei felt hot in his heart. If he could win Yizhou, not to mention Zhao Yun, even Zhuge Liang, he could give it up. He raised his palms and said, "I promise you, but we must high-five as an oath!"

    Liu Jing also raised her palms and said with a smile: "I have something to say first. If the emperor cannot take Yizhou, I will take it!"

    "Okay, we've made an agreement!"

    The two high-fived each other, which was regarded as an oath. Liu Jing got on her horse and asked loudly: "Where is General Zilong?"

    At this time, Zhang Fei broke out of the siege and was picked up by Guan Ping. He was armed with three arrows and covered in blood. He stumbled and ran over, panting.Liu Bei said: "Brother, Zilong is still behind. It seems that he is surrounded by Cao's army!"

    Liu Jing was taken aback and galloped towards Cao Jun. At this time, Cao Jun's front army was defeated, but the rear army came overwhelmingly to kill him. Liu Jing led his army to pursue and kill them for several miles.

    Liu Jing saw from a distance that Zhao Yun was surrounded by thousands of Cao's troops, killing him from left to right. He was obviously out of men and horses and could no longer break through the encirclement.

    Zhao Yun was exhausted, with three wounds on his back bursting open, bleeding excessively, and his vision turning black. If Cao Cao hadn't ordered him to be captured alive, he would have been shot to death by random arrows.

    At this time, more than a dozen generals surrounded Zhao Yun. All the generals were trembling with fear after being killed by Zhao Yun. No one dared to step forward. General Ma Yan shouted sternly: "Zhao Yun, Prime Minister, you have exhausted your kindness and righteousness, and you still refuse to dismount."  Surrender?"

    Zhao Yun smiled miserably, "I didn't expect that I, Zhao Yun, who controls the world, would die here today!"

    He turned the gun head and stabbed his own throat. At this moment, he heard a long roar coming from the distance, like a hidden dragon emerging from the abyss, and a general on a white horse rushed towards him like a storm, as fast as lightning, and rushed forward in an instant.  Entering the siege of Cao Jun, Zhao Yun suddenly turned back, and gradually, his eyes became moist.

    When Liu Jing saw that Zhao Yun was about to commit suicide, he was so anxious that his eyes were split open, and he shouted, "Anyone who stands in my way will die!" Fang Tian's halberd swept away like a mountain falling apart, and more than a dozen heads were smashed to pieces, and the horses galloped.  , swung his halberd to kill, only to see limbs flying across the sky, and internal organs all over the sky. In just a moment, Cao Jun's soldiers were killed like straw by him, nearly a hundred of them, their bodies were everywhere, their limbs were broken, and their death was extremely tragic.

    The snow-white horse was dyed crimson by its flesh. Liu Jing looked like the reincarnation of a slaying demon, frightening Cao's soldiers to death. They rolled and crawled to both sides desperately, cutting a path like chopping waves.

    Ma Yan was shocked when he saw Liu Jing being killed in front of him in an instant. He raised his sword and struck. As soon as he raised the sword, his head flew up ten feet, and the gunshots from his neck spewed out, scaring more than a dozen generals around him to retreat.  , Liu Jing picked up the tip of his halberd and flew Ma Yan's body away.

    "Brother, change horses!"

    Zhao Yunqiang braced himself and tried his best to change his horse. Seeing that he was seriously injured, Liu Jing no longer wanted to fight, so he turned around and rushed outside the siege. Cao Jun's soldiers were so frightened that they dodged to both sides again, fearing that they would get close to the killer. A line appeared in front of him.  A two-foot-wide passage.

    Liu Jing looked up to the sky and laughed, leading Zhao Yun one after another to break out of the encirclement and run towards the responding Jiang Xia army.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 342 The Surprising Jiangdong Envoy

    Encountering a blockade by the Jiangxia Army, Cao Cao's forwards were forced to retreat several miles back, and the Jiangxia Army also quickly evacuated. At this time, Cao Cao was surrounded by a large army. A tooth general stepped forward to report: "To the Prime Minister, we are ambushed by the Jiangxia Army ahead."  , I wonder how many troops Liu Bei and Zhao Yun have been rescued by Jiang Xia's army."

    Cao Cao was surprised and suspicious that Jiang Xia's army actually appeared. After thinking about it for a while, he understood that this must be the army from Jingling County.

    At this time, Xu Huang galloped over on horseback and reported loudly on the horse: "Prime Minister, Liu Jing personally led the army to intercept them. It is estimated that there are tens of thousands of people. Now they have retreated eastward. May I ask, Prime Minister, do we want to pursue them?"

    Cao Cao looked back at Cheng Yu, "What does Zhongde mean?"

    Cheng Yu pondered for a while and said: "Jingling County is close to the Han River, Liu Bei must have been put on the big ship. We are not familiar with the terrain in this area and there are many swamps. If we pursue rashly, we will be ambushed, and we will lose more than we gain."

    Cao Cao was quite afraid of Liu Jing, and he did not dare to pursue him rashly, so he nodded, "Zhongde is right, taking Jiangling Fang is a strategic priority."

    He immediately ordered Xu Huang: "Since the Jiangxia army has retreated, we can leave it alone for the time being and order the vanguard to turn around and go south to occupy Jiangling!"

    Only a quarter of an hour later, Cao Cao's army of 100,000 men turned around and charged towards Jiangling City in a mighty manner.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the Jingling County military camp, the Jiangxia Army has withdrawn. Liu Jing was pacing back and forth uneasily in front of a large tent with his hands behind his back. Zhao Yun was seriously injured and bleeding profusely. Although Liu Jing also knew that Zhao Yun was strong and had not hurt any vital parts, he would not  Die easily.

    But concern leads to chaos, and there is no definite news. Liu Jing¡¯s heart is always hanging in her throat.

    At this time, the military doctor came out and smiled at Liu Jing: "The life-saving pill prepared by Prefect Zhang is indeed miraculous. General Zhao is already asleep, his complexion has begun to change, and his breathing is smooth. He should be fine."

    Liu Jing breathed a long sigh of relief and asked, "Will his injury have any impact?"

    Zhao Yun was hit by two knives and one shot. Both were slashed on the back and one was stabbed in the leg. Liu Jing was a little worried whether his martial arts would be affected. The military doctor shook his head, "They are all minor injuries. No muscles or bones were injured. At most  It will take two months to recover, Zhou Mu, don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Liu Jing opened the curtain and looked inside the tent. She saw Zhao Yun with his back facing in and sleeping deeply. His low snoring could be heard faintly. Liu Jing finally felt relieved and ordered the military doctor: "Be ready at any time."  Observe the changes in his injury and report to me immediately."

    "Don't worry, Zhou Mu, I will do my best."

    Liu Jing left Zhao Yun's sleeping tent and returned to his own tent. At this time, a soldier came to report, "To report to the state pastor, Sun Quan sent an envoy to ask for an audience outside the tent."

    Liu Jing was startled. Sun Quan actually sent an envoy. He quickly walked out of the camp with dozens of soldiers. He saw a scribe standing at the gate of the camp. It was Lu Ji whom he had seen back then, followed by ten more.  Several Jiangdong soldiers.

    Liu Jing laughed, "It turns out to be Brother Gongji, we haven't seen each other for many years."

    Lu Ji was captured by Cai Mao and tortured. Although he was later released to Jiangdong, one leg was left disabled and he walked lamely, which became his lifelong hatred.

    Lu Ji quickly stepped forward and bowed: "I came to see Zhou Mu on orders from the Marquis of Wu."

    "Brother Gongji, please come into the camp and talk again!"

    Liu Jing invited Lu Ji into his tent, and ordered his soldiers to serve tea. The two sat down separately, and then Liu Jing asked, "I wonder where Wu Hou is now?"

    "When I got off the boat, Wu Hou's boat had already arrived at Chaisang, and it is estimated that it has arrived at Qichun County by now."

    At this point, Lu Ji lowered his voice and said: "It is rumored that Governor Zhou and General Cheng Pu are at odds. Wu Hou was worried that the internal conflicts would intensify and affect the plan to resist Cao Cao, so he came to Qichun County to deal with the matter."

    Liu Jing also knew that Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu were at odds, but this kind of matter could be solved with just one order. Is it necessary to make a special trip?  Perhaps Sun Quan stopped by to boost morale, which is also very possible.

    "Does Marquis Wu have a letter for me?"

    Lu Ji smiled and said, "Marquis Wu just asked me to deliver a message, asking the state pastor to meet in Qichun to discuss the plan to resist Cao Cao."

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "Since Wu Hou sincerely invites you, I will naturally go."

    At this time, Lu Ji asked cautiously: "I heard on the road that the main force of Cao's army went to Jiangling. I wonder how Uncle Liu Huang is doing now?"

    At this time, Liu Jing suddenly realized that the reason why Lu Ji appeared in Jingling County was not to find him. He was actually going to Jiangling, but he happened to meet him in Jingling County. No wonder he didn't have a letter from Sun Quan to him.

    This is not because Sun Quan ignored him, but because Lu Ji's mission was to go to Jiangling, and someone else should have gone to Wuchang to deliver a message to him.

    ? ?Jing smiled faintly, "Uncle Liu Huang is here with me. If Brother Gongji wants to see him, I can invite him!"

    He immediately ordered the soldiers at the tent door, "Go and invite Uncle Liu Huang here!"

    Lu Ji was shocked. It turned out that Liu Bei was here. He secretly regretted it. He had Sun Quan's autograph letter to Liu Bei on him. How could he give it to Liu Bei?  Lu Ji was at his wits' end.

    After a while, Liu Bei was invited into the tent. He was in a very low mood. He had just received news from the fleeing soldiers that Pang Ji and Wang Jie had surrendered to Cao's army, and his wife and children had fallen into the hands of Cao's army.

    This dealt a heavy blow to Liu Bei. He had only had a son when he was over fifty years old. Now that his son fell into the hands of Cao Jun, he felt that all his thoughts were lost.

    Liu Bei entered the tent, and Lu Ji quickly stood up to greet him. Liu Jing introduced him: "This is the envoy sent by Wu Hou. He came from Chaisang and was going to Jiangling to visit the emperor's uncle. Unexpectedly, something unexpected happened, so he suspended Jingling County.  ¡±

    Liu Jing did not embarrass Lu Ji and told Liu Bei frankly that Sun Quan's envoy was looking for him, not himself.

    Lu Ji immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't help but secretly thank Liu Jing and blushed. It turned out that Liu Jing had seen through him, so he had to pretend to be stupid and quickly stepped forward to salute, "I'm Mr. Lu of Wu County, please see your uncle!"

    Liu Bei managed to cheer up and smiled: "I have met your father before. Your father's character and literary talent are both respectable. My nephew is a talented person and is quite charming."

    Lu Ji¡¯s father, Lu Kang, was originally the governor of Lujiang. He had a wide network of contacts and had contacts with Liu Bei. Lu Ji said humbly: "The emperor's uncle is too praised. My nephew is far from his father and he knows himself."

    The two exchanged a few words and then sat down. Liu Bei first asked Liu Jing, "I wonder if there is any news about Yun Chang, the governor of Zhou?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I don't know yet. I have sent scouts to find out the news. If there is any news, I will tell the emperor immediately."

    "Thank you, my dear nephew."

    Liu Bei thought that because of his confusion, he had believed the words of Pang Ji and Wang Jie, and he couldn't help but feel annoyed. Pang Ji and Wang Jie only supported Liu Qi, not Liu Bei, but he regarded them as his confidants. It was really unfair.  wisdom.

    Liu Bei sighed in his heart and asked Lu Ji again: "My good nephew came from the east, can he meet my military advisor?"

    Lu Ji glanced at Liu Jing secretly again and saw him drinking tea aside, with a calm expression, as if his own affairs had nothing to do with him. Although it was difficult to speak, there were some things he had to say.

    He took out Sun Quan's letter and presented it to Liu Bei, and said: "Mr. Zhuge is on Wuhou's ship now. Wuhou ordered me to see the emperor's uncle. I hope that the emperor's uncle can go to Qichun County to meet and discuss the plan to resist Cao Cao."

    Liu Bei read the letter. Sun Quan's meaning in the letter was already clear. He wanted to become the leader of the three anti-Cao alliances, so he invited Liu Bei to Qichun County.

    Liu Bei is well versed in the ways of the world, how could he not understand what Sun Quan means? Of course he also supports Sun Quan as the leader, but he is now in Liu Jing's territory, and he has to give Liu Jing this face.

    Liu Bei sighed and said, "Thank you Marquis Wu for your kind invitation. However, Jiangling has undergone a major change and Bei's men are torn apart. The top priority is to integrate the team. The Qichun side will be temporarily represented by Mr. Kong Ming."

    Liu Bei was telling the truth. Guan Yu's whereabouts were unknown. Jiangling had already crossed 15,000 troops across the river, led by Sun Qian and Mi Fang. He was worried that these two people could not control the army, so he was in a hurry to cross the river now. That was his fault.  final capital.

    Lu Ji understood Liu Bei's difficulties and the great changes in Jiangling. He was eager to go back and report to his lord. After saying a few words, he stood up and left.

    Liu Jing and Liu Bei sent Lu Ji out of the military camp, and Liu Jing ordered someone to arrange a ship to take Lu Ji directly from the Han River back to Qichun County.

    But just as Lu Ji left, news about Guan Yu finally came.

    Guan Yu failed to rescue Jiangling and led his troops to retreat to Yidu County to join Jian Yong. This news made Liu Bei overjoyed. Without further delay, he immediately took Zhang Fei and Guan Ping to set off overnight and rushed to Yidu County to join Guan Yu. They  You can cross the river from Yidu and transfer to Wuling County.

    In the night, Liu Jing came to Zhao Yun's tent. Zhao Yun had woken up and was sitting alone on a stone in front of the tent, staring blankly at the northern sky.

    Liu Jing did not dare to disturb him. She stood not far behind him and looked at Zhao Yun's lonely back quietly. Zhao Yun was already thirty-eight years old and still had no wife or children. He was alone. It was sad to think about it.

    "Has he left already?" Zhao Yun asked in a low voice without looking back.

    Liu Jing nodded silently, "They left half an hour ago."

    "Didn't you leave anything for me?" Zhao Yun asked again.

    Liu Jing felt a little intolerable, so she slowly walked forward and said: "Uncle Huang, please let me tell you that you can rest in peace and recover, and don't have to worry about him.".  "

    "Yeah?"

    Zhao Yun shook his head, "You don't need to comfort me, I know in my heart that even Yide and Mr. Guan can't come to see me, how could he let you tell me."

    Liu Jing was speechless. Although Liu Bei agreed to give up Zhao Yun, he should at least show a little gratitude on the surface and let Zhang Fei or Guan Ping do it for him. After all, Zhao Yun was rescuing him from an army of ten thousand horses.

    But Liu Bei flatly ignored him. From this, we can see Liu Bei's hatred for Zhao Yun. This cannot be explained by reaching an agreement with himself.

    Zhao Yun smiled miserably, "I rushed to save him at the risk of my own life. I narrowly escaped death, but he was so cold and indifferent. It was so chilling. I might as well have died on the battlefield."

    Liu Jing patted Zhao Yun's shoulder gently and said softly: "A man only wants to have a clear conscience. You have done your best to be benevolent and righteous. Don't worry about anything else. Just rest in peace and recuperate."

    "you're right!"

    Zhao Yun forced a smile and said: "A man only wants to have a clear conscience. I have a clear conscience towards him, so why should I care about what he does to me?"

    Although he said this, tears welled up from Zhao Yun's eyes again.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 343 Night Visit to Zhuge

    Outside Jiangling City, more than 10,000 Jiangling soldiers put down their weapons, took off their armor, and stood in formation in civilian clothes. Everyone was downcast and anxiously waiting for the official recruitment of Cao Jun.

    Behind them were teams of tiger and leopard cavalry, guarding the surrendered soldiers with murderous intent. In front of the team, Pang Ji and Wang Jie had been waiting for a long time with dozens of generals.

    Opposite the surrender, one hundred thousand Cao Cao's troops had been arranged into several huge square formations, with flags fluttering and overwhelming the sky. When thousands of cavalry surrounded Cao Cao appeared in front of the team, one hundred thousand Cao Cao's troops thundered and shouted, "The Prime Minister is a thousand years old."  !¡± The sound resounded throughout the earth like a mountain falling apart.

    Cao Cao was wearing a golden helmet and golden armor, and he stood out in the team. He waved his hand slightly, and the team fell into silence. Pang Ji and Wang Jie quickly walked forward with dozens of generals, and knelt in front of Cao Cao, "Don't drive Pang, Nanjun."  Ji and Wang Jie, who joined the army, paid homage to the prime minister."

    Cao Cao turned over and dismounted, and helped the two of them up with a smile, "The two envoys are devoted to the imperial court, and they help the imperial court solve its problems. They are worthy of being loyal ministers. The two envoys have lived up to me, and I will never let you down."

    Pang Ji and Wang Jie bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao then smiled at the dozens of generals and said: "All generals are the mainstay of my great army. None of them are willing to be loyal to the traitors. I will definitely report to the emperor of tomorrow and give all generals promotions and titles!"

    The generals were overjoyed and said one after another: "I am willing to serve the Prime Minister!"

    Seeing that they were sensible people, Cao Cao couldn't help but smile, and his eyes fell on a woman behind them. To be precise, it was a baby held in the woman's hands. The baby was only half a year old, and it was Liu Bei's son Liu Chan.

    Pang Ji understood what Cao Cao meant, and quickly stepped forward to take the swaddling clothes from the woman's hand and handed it to Cao Cao, "This is the child!" he whispered.

    When Cao Cao saw Liu Chan, who was white, plump and cute, and sleeping soundly, he couldn't help but smiled proudly and said: "Your father has failed me, and you must not imitate him!"

    The woman was Liu Chan's wet nurse. She suddenly came forward and knelt down and begged: "My master only has this bloodline. I beg the Prime Minister to spare his life!"

    Cao Cao handed Liu Chan to her and said with a smile: "His father and I are brothers. The emperor's uncle's son is my son. How could I harm him? I will take care of him from now on."

    The wet nurse held Liu Chan tightly in her arms, kowtowed repeatedly to express her gratitude, "Thank you, Prime Minister, for your great kindness!"

    Cao Cao asked again: "Where are the two ladies of the emperor's uncle?"

    Pang Ji quickly said: "They are all in the city, and they are all safe and sound!"

    Cao Cao nodded and ordered his surroundings: "Send the mother and son to Yedu, where they will be raised with the royal uncle's salary. Anyone who dares to come and harass us will be beheaded immediately!"

    Although Liu Bei's wife and children were captured, the families of his men such as Guan Yu, Zhuge Liang and others had already crossed the river. This must be said to be a pity. Cao Cao immediately ordered the army to enter the city, and a hundred thousand troops lined up to march towards Jiangling City.  Drive away.

    But Cao Cao was most concerned about the warships. He did not enter the city, but went directly to the dock. There were countless warships moored on the river.  There are more than a thousand warships, including more than 700 warships of more than a thousand stones."

    Cheng Yu next to him smiled and said: "It rained heavily for several days, making it impossible for the warship to cross south. This is God's will. God wants the Prime Minister to succeed!"

    "It is indeed God's will!"

    Cao Cao stroked his beard and sighed: "This kind of heavy rain has not happened in Nanjun for several years, but it happened when our army went south. This is God's arrangement."

    He asked Xia Houyuan again, "How are the boatmen and naval forces doing?"

    "The soldiers surrendered in Jiangling are all sailors, and there are more than 5,000 boatmen. There are not enough people to control the boats."

    Cao Cao immediately turned back to Cao Hong and said: "Send people to recruit boatmen everywhere. Everyone, old and young, must get on the boat. We must recruit 30,000 boatmen within ten days."

    "I humble my position and obey my orders!" Cao Hong hurried away.

    At this time, Cao Cao stared at the other side and asked Xia Houyuan: How is the situation on the other side?  "

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, the troops and civilians on the other side have evacuated to Wuling County in panic, but more than two hundred warships could not be taken away, and they were all captured by our army." After a pause, Xia Houyuan asked for instructions again: "But they brought the old and the weak, and the speed of the withdrawal was  Extremely slow, do you want to lead the cavalry to catch up?"

    Cao Cao shook his head and said, "Liu Bei is nothing to worry about. Liu Jing is the key to our success or failure. We ordered the soldiers to rest for ten days. After ten days, we will board a ship for the eastward expedition."

    "Prime Minister, I have an idea." Cheng Yu said cautiously.

    "what idea?"

    "Weichen thinks it is better to train troops in Jiangling for two months. The river here is wide and is very suitable for training. It will not be too late for the soldiers to adapt to the Yangtze River waterway before marching eastward. Moreover, Weichen knows that there is very little food in Jiangling, and we also need to transport food from Fancheng.  ¡±

      After all, Cheng Yu had been guarding Fancheng Town for more than half a year, and he knew the southern water war better than Cao Cao. He took a boat from Jiangling to Jiangxia. Not to mention the water war, I am afraid that the soldiers would not be able to bear the long-distance boat ride.

    What¡¯s more important is that Liu Bei has already transported most of Jiangling¡¯s grain reserves, and the current grain reserves cannot support the consumption of a hundred thousand troops. This obviously did not occur to Cao Cao.

    After all, Cao Cao had been fighting for many years. Although Cheng Yu spoke very reservedly, he immediately realized that his eagerness almost ruined the event. He nodded immediately, "If it weren't for Zhongde's reminder, I almost made the wrong decision, so I'll just follow your instructions."  I suggest you train in Jiangling for two months.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Qichun County, Sun Quan's fleet had arrived for three days, but Sun Quan never mentioned moving the army to Zhukou, nor did he mention transferring Cheng Pu away. Apart from agreeing to conclude a kerosene trade with Jingzhou, there was almost no other deployment of the army.  Any change, an uneasy atmosphere enveloped Jiang Dongjun.

    At nightfall, Lu Su and several of his followers came out of the county on horseback and ran towards the dock where the warships were docked. As they gradually approached the dock, they were immediately spotted by patrolling soldiers. They all raised their crossbows and aimed at the approaching horsemen. There were soldiers  Shouted loudly: "Stop, otherwise the arrow will be released!"

    The knight stopped his horse, and Lu Su responded in the darkness: "It's me, Deputy Governor Lu."

    It turned out that he was one of his own. The soldier put away his crossbow, and a village commander came forward to salute, "I don't know if Deputy Governor Lu has arrived. I have offended him because of his humble position."

    Lu Su nodded, "This is your responsibility, don't blame yourself."

    "Thank you very much, Deputy Governor Lu, and I will take my leave!"

    After the patrol left, Lu Su quickly came to the riverside, where a row of small boats were moored. He happened to see a boy fetching water from the river. Lu Su smiled and asked, "Is Mr. Kong Ming here?"

    The words just fell.  A tall man came out of the boat, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I just got a jug of good wine today, did Zijing smell it?"

    This person was none other than Zhuge Liang. The reason why he came to see Sun Quan was because many officials and generals in Jiangling were unwilling to participate in the resistance against Cao Cao, including even Liu Bei. He also had the idea of ??reaping the benefits.

    But Zhuge Liang knew very well that if they did not participate in the coalition's resistance against Cao Cao, they would have no say in the distribution of interests after the war.

    So he strongly advocated joining the alliance and persuaded Liu Bei. He came to see Sun Quan and discussed with Sun Quan the specific details of Liu Bei's army participating in the fight against Cao Cao.

    Zhuge Liang invited Lu Su into the cabin. The cabin was not big and he could not even straighten his waist, but it was very clean. The lights were soft and bright, and there were soft mats on it. There were dozens of bamboo slips in the corner.

    The two sat across the table. The boy took a pot of wine and two wine glasses, served two plates of side dishes, and poured them each a glass of wine. Lu Su asked with concern: "Kong Ming is still preparing for the Battle of Jiangling."  Are you worried?"

    At this time, Zhuge Liang already knew what happened in Jiangling, which made him feel depressed. For two days in a row, he did not want to see anyone, except of course, personal friends.

    Lu Su is one of his good friends. When he was twenty years old, he came to Jiangdong to study and met Lu Su, Zhou Yu and other Jiangdong heroes.

    Zhuge Liang sighed, "In this matter, Liu Jing was the first to release the enemy, Cao Cao was behind the plan, and Pang Ji and others betrayed the third. It's a pity that I am not in Jiangling, otherwise Cao Cao's plan would have succeeded."

    "However, although Jiangling was lost, the emperor's uncle and the main generals are still there, and some of their strength has been retained. It can be considered a blessing among misfortunes."

    Zhuge Liang drank the wine in one gulp, shook his head and said, "We won't talk about this anymore. It's just causing trouble. Let's talk about your business! Why has it suddenly become quiet these days? The atmosphere is a bit weird!"

    "That's why I came to you."

    Lu Su lowered his voice and said, "Cao Cao secretly sent an envoy to deliver a letter to Marquis Wu. I only learned the content of this letter today."

    "What's in the letter?" Zhuge Liang also asked curiously.

    "Cao Cao promised in the letter not to attack Jiangdong within three to five years, and named the Marquis of Wu as Duke of Wu. The condition is that Jiangdong withdraws his troops and returns to Soochow."

    This also surprised Zhuge Liang. The reason why Jiangdong actively resisted Cao Cao was because he was worried about losing his temper. Once Cao Cao's army conquered Jingzhou, they would go down the river and attack Jiangdong. Now Cao Cao has promised not to attack Jiangdong for three to five years. This is the bottom line.  , so that Jiangdong would not be in danger of being attacked. In this way, would Jiangdong still have the heart to resist Cao Cao?

    "Does Zhang Zhao know about this?"

    "He should know about sending the letter, but he definitely doesn't know the content of the letter, otherwise these civil servants would have made trouble long ago"

    Speaking of this, Lu Su suddenly thought of Zhuge Liang's brother Zhuge Jin, and couldn't help showing a hint of embarrassment on his face, "I am the only one who knows the content of this letter now. Marquis Wu called me in the afternoon to discuss this matter with me."

      "Then what is Wu Hou's attitude?"

    "Wu Hou is undecided. I can see that Wu Hou is a little shaken."

    Lu Su's eyes showed worry. Now Wu Hou is a little shaken. If Zhang Zhao leads the civil servants to collectively oppose, the anti-Cao alliance will collapse in ten cases. How can Jiangxia resist the attack of Cao Cao's 300,000 troops?

    What worries Lu Su even more is that once Cao Jun annexes Jingzhou, the strength of the navy will inevitably increase greatly. At that time, Cao Jun will attack Jiangdong from the east and north, and Jiangdong will be destroyed.

    Thinking of this, Lu Su said anxiously and angrily: "How can Marquis Wu be so short-sighted? Cao Cao promised to delay the attack for three years. He obviously wanted to use these three years to pacify Zhang Lu, Ma Teng and Liu Zhang. Without allies, he would  Turn around and attack Jiangdong in a big way."

    "Did Zijing tell Marquis Wu about this?"

    "I told him, but he didn't respond at all." Lu Su let out a long sigh.

    At this time, Zhuge Liang sneered, "I'm afraid Wu Hou is thinking about annexing Jingzhou while Cao Cao is attacking Ma Teng or Zhang Lu. His long-cherished wish that he failed to fulfill with Liu Jing will be fulfilled with Cao Cao instead."

    Lu Su's expression changed drastically. This was what Marquis Wu meant, but he didn't tell Zhuge Liang, but he guessed it.

    Zhuge Liang observed the words and expressions. When he saw Lu Su's expression changed drastically, he knew that he had guessed the truth. Sun Quan really had this idea.

    Zhuge Liang continued to sneer: "If Wu Hou really thinks about it this way, I'm afraid he underestimates Liu Jing too much."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 344 Temptation and Concerns

    "Kong Ming, what do you mean by this?" Lu Su asked in confusion.

    "It's very simple. What I can guess can also be guessed by Jiangxia. If Jiangdong wants to withdraw its troops, then Liu Jing will definitely surrender to Cao Cao, and he will in turn attack Jiangdong. Cao Cao can not attack Jiangdong for three years, but  I believe that Cao Cao did not include Liu Jing in his letter."

    Zhuge Liang's words made Lu Su's face turn red and white for a while. He let out a long sigh and said, "I personally firmly support the fight against Cao Cao, but the situation is extremely serious now, so I came to you to discuss this matter. What should I do?  "

    Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment and said: "I was wondering why Wu Hou told you the content of the letter. He didn't even tell Zhang Zhao and Zhou Yu. Zijing, do you really not understand what Wu Hou meant?"

    Lu Su lowered his head and thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head and said, "I really don't understand Wu Hou's intention."

    Zhuge Liang looked at Lu Su and said, "I think Wu Hou wants to leak this matter to Liu Jing through you. He wants to test Liu Jing's reaction."

    "Then he can tell Liu Jing directly."

    "No! It's completely different. If Wu Hou tells Liu Jing, he will not be able to stand morally. If you leak it, he will have room to turn around. Is Wu Hou a smart man?"

    "Of course Wu Hou is a smart man, but it's a pity that he couldn't understand it when he met a fool like me." Lu Su said with a self-deprecating smile.

    Zhuge Liang smiled slightly, "Because Wu Hou knew that you would come to me, someone should have seen you coming to my place!"

    Lu Su was stunned with shock. Someone had indeed seen it. He suddenly understood what Zhuge Liang meant and felt uncomfortable in his heart. How could Wu Hou plot against him like this?

    "The reason why I discussed with Zhuge Liang was for Jiang Dong. Could it be that I would betray Jiang Dong?"

    Lu Su held back the unhappiness in his heart and asked, "According to your opinion, should I tell Liu Jing about this?"

    Zhuge Liang nodded, "Whether Wu Hou wants to test Liu Jing or not, but I think that the only way to solve the alliance crisis is Liu Jing. Only he can truly persuade Wu Hou."

    Lu Su resolutely made up his mind, "Okay! I will send someone to Wuchang right away."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sun Quan¡¯s temporary residence was located in Qichun County. It was a large house covering an area of ??20 acres. It was originally the house of a big businessman. Because of Sun Quan¡¯s arrival, the businessman temporarily moved out and gave the house to Sun Quan.

    A small building in the garden is brightly lit. This is Sun Quan's study. He has been on the boat for more than ten days and really doesn't want to take the boat again. At this time, Sun Quan is sitting behind a small table, closing his eyes and listening to a patrolman.  Long report.

    "I did meet Deputy Governor Lu half an hour ago beside Zhuge Liang's boat. He was in a hurry with a few followers. It seemed that he had not made an appointment with Zhuge Liang in advance."

    This village commander is the patrol commander Lu Su met before. His task is to monitor Zhuge Liang. He was just summoned by Sun Quan to ask about Lu Su's situation.

    "I understand, please step back! Continue to monitor Zhuge Liang and don't slack off."

    "I don't dare to be in a humble position!"

    The commander of the village bowed and retreated. Sun Quan's eyes slowly opened at this moment, with a hint of pride on his face that looked like a smile but not a smile. Lu Su had indeed gone to find Zhuge Liang, as he expected.

    So will Zhuge Liang suggest Lu Su tell Liu Jing about this?  It should be, and it definitely will be.

    Sun Quan is very aware of the current situation. Liu Bei has been crippled by Cao Cao. Zhuge Liang will not look for Liu Bei again. Liu Bei can no longer solve the problem. Only by telling Liu Jing about this can the current crisis be solved.

    Sun Quan wanted to use Lu Su to leak this matter to Liu Jing. Of course, he could tell Lu Su directly what he thought, but as a superior, he always likes to peek into the minds of his subordinates, and Sun Quan is no exception.  I believe that Lu Su just accidentally tests the minds of his subordinates, which is also a kind of fun for the Machiavellian.

    Sun Quan stood up and paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. Sun Quan was tempted by Cao Cao's promise not to attack Jiangdong for three to five years. This was obviously to concentrate on defeating Ma Teng, then turn around and destroy Zhang Lu, and finally move south from Hanzhong.  Bashu.

    Wouldn¡¯t it take three to five years to eliminate these three major forces in sequence?

    Sun Quan knew Cao Cao's intentions very well, but this reminded him of a bigger plan. He was sure that Cao Cao would kill Ma Teng first. After all, Zhang Lu and Liu Zhang were both housekeepers, and he could take advantage of Cao Cao's opportunity to kill Ma Teng.  , annexed Jingzhou and Bashu, and then used the power of the south to compete with Cao Cao, forming a situation of dividing the north and the south.

    This is actually the dream of three generations of people in Jiangdong. In the hands of Sun Quan, he was very close to success, but unfortunately he fell short. He was defeated by Liu Jing in Chaisang, which even made Sun Quan feel a little embarrassed.Due to the famous fear, Shanyue rebelled at that time. If Liu Jing received Liu Biao's full support and led the Jingzhou army to continue the eastward expedition, it is very likely that even Jiangdong would be destroyed.

    Fortunately, Liu Biao did not trust Liu Jing, and Liu Jing was exhausted at the time, so Jiangdong escaped. It was out of fear of Liu Jing that Sun Quan tried his best to reconcile with Liu Jing after the war, but many people in the court failed.  No one understands.

    Now that Liu Jing is more powerful, with an army of 60,000 to 70,000 people, and war weapons such as kerosene, he is completely able to compete with Jiangdong. This makes Sun Quan even more afraid of Liu Jing, and the idea of ??unifying the south also disappears.

    But if Liu Jing is destroyed by Cao Cao and only one general is sent to guard Jingzhou, Cao Ren or Cao Hong, once the war against Xiliang Ma Teng breaks out, Cao Cao will definitely focus on protecting the Central Plains and Hebei. Jingzhou is not his core interest, and Cao Cao will not  After investing heavily in defense, has your chance come?

    To seize Jingzhou, destroy Bashu, and unify the south, the long-cherished wish of three generations will most likely be fulfilled by his own hands.

    It was this great temptation that shook Sun Quan's alliance. He really had the idea of ??withdrawing his troops and returning to Jiangdong. However, Sun Quan still had great concerns. First, his reputation would be greatly damaged and he would betray him.  Covenant, if he escapes in the face of battle, not only the people of Jingzhou will hate him deeply, but I am afraid that even the people of Jiangdong will despise him for this.

    Second is Liu Jing. If Liu Jing is forced to surrender to Cao Cao, will Cao Cao use Liu Jing to deal with him? Then the third concern arises, which is whether Cao Cao will keep his promise. After all, this is a secret agreement. Although there is a letter,  That was just a private message from Cao Cao, not an official commitment stamped with a big seal.

    If Cao Cao did not acknowledge this promise and would attack Jiangdong with all his strength after destroying Jingzhou, it would be too late for Sun Quan to regret it.

    It was this huge temptation and equally huge concerns that put Sun Quan in a dilemma. He thought for three days and finally decided to test Liu Jing's idea. Sun Quan stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, staring in the direction of Wuchang. Liu Jing was only a hundred miles away from him.  , he very much hoped that Lu Su would send a letter to Liu Jing tonight.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing has returned to Wuchang from Jingling County. He has received information from Jiangling. Cao Cao will train the navy in Jiangling and tentatively plans to march eastward in two months. Liu Jing knows that this is not a smoke bomb and it will take at least two months to adapt.  , Cao Cao's northern army could travel long distances by boat.

    This gave Liu Jing a chance to breathe. He could continue to calmly prepare for war and adjust his combat readiness and morale to their peak state.

    " Moreover, in two months, Jiangxia Army and Jiangdong Army can also practice and fight together. This is very important. Only the tacit cooperation between the two armies is the basis for final victory.

    At night, Liu Jing sat at his desk in his study and wrote a letter to Sun Quan. He hoped to meet Sun Quan in Xiakou. He still considered placing the battlefield in Chibi, not Xiakou, as in history, and there must be room for maneuver.  Moreover, Xiakou can also be used as a logistics center for the coalition forces.

    At this time, there was a knock in the study, and Tao Zhan's voice came from outside the door, "Is your husband here?"

    Liu Jing quickly put down her pen and stepped forward to open the door. Outside the door, a maid was supporting Tao Zhan. Tao Zhan was more than nine months pregnant. Her body was heavy and it was a little difficult to walk.

    Liu Jing stepped forward to support his wife and complained in a low voice: "Why don't you rest in the room and run around?"

    Tao Zhan smiled sweetly and said, "The midwife told me that I must move around a lot for the delivery to go smoothly, so I walked around the garden and passed by you, so I wanted you to walk around with me again."

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "Madam, you have an order, how dare you disobey it?"

    He said to the maid: "Go ahead! I will take care of you, madam."

    Tao Zhan smiled and waved his hand, "I don't trust you to take care of me, Ayao, you are following far behind."

    "Yes! Madam." The maid agreed obediently, but she glanced at Liu Jing secretly, and the young master had to agree.

    Liu Jing had no choice but to agree to his wife's arrangement and said to the maid: "Then you can follow me from a distance!"

    Liu Jing helped Tao Zhan go out from the side door of the corridor and went directly into the garden. He carefully helped Tao Zhan walk slowly, but Tao Zhan rolled his eyes at him, "This is how maids and midwives help. Don't you have any?"  Are you aware of being a husband?"

    Liu Jing was stunned for a moment. He really didn¡¯t realize this. He scratched his head and said with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand!¡±

    Tao Zhan took his hand, held her armpit on the other side, half-hugging her, and said coquettishly: "You used to go for a walk with me, and I wasn't allowed to hug me like this, so you insisted on hugging me.  Now that I¡¯m hugging you, you don¡¯t understand. Could it be that you think I¡¯m ugly?¡±

    "How dare I dislike you!"

    Liu Jing gave a bitter smile and had to half-hug her and walked forward slowly. Tao Zhan glanced at him and suddenly smiled, "Do you think I have become a bit delicate?"

      "No, it's because I spend too little time with you." Liu Jing said apologetically.

    Tao Zhan stared at her husband blankly, her eyes showing tenderness like water. She gently put her head on her husband's thick shoulders and said softly: "Several experienced midwives said that I am pregnant with a son. I know  You are busy with the war, but I still hope you can spend some time with me to give me courage. I am really scared."

    "I will definitely be by your side, butwhat are you afraid of?"

    Tao Zhan lowered his head and whispered: "I secretly went to see Furong give birth last month"

    Furong is Liu Hu¡¯s wife Shi Furong. Liu Jing was stunned and asked, ¡°Liu Hu¡¯s wife gave birth?¡±

    "Don't you know, I gave birth to a daughter."

    Liu Jing sighed, "I really don't know anything."

    "You! You should still be concerned about this kind of thing. After all, I am your subordinate, but I have ordered someone to send a congratulatory gift in your name. Don't let it be exposed next time you see Brother Tiger."

    Liu Jing felt grateful, lowered her head and kissed his wife on the face, smiling and saying: "A good wife is a treasure in the family!"

    Tao Zhan smiled and pushed him away, "Don't let the maid see you!"

    Suddenly, Tao Zhan frowned, ¡®Oh!  ¡¯ She held her stomach and screamed in a low voice.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 345 Becoming a father for the first time

    In the yard of the delivery room, Liu Jing was pacing anxiously back and forth with her hands behind her back. It had been almost an hour since her wife entered the delivery room. Before the child was born, five midwives had already arrived. She kept hearing her heartbreaking voice coming from the delivery room.  The cry made Liu Jing's heart burn.

    He knows that giving birth to a child in this era is a great disaster for women, and it is full of dangers. His wife is obviously in trouble. Whether she can get through this difficulty depends on tonight.

    Just when Liu Jing was almost desperate, a loud cry suddenly came from the delivery room. Liu Jing suddenly raised his head and looked at the bright starry sky. An inexplicable emotion strongly impacted his heart, making him  Tears welled up in his eyes.

    "Congratulations, sir, you are a young master!" A midwife rushed out to announce the good news.

    Liu Jing quickly wiped away her tears and asked, "How is Madam?"

    "Madam is fine, but she is very weak and needs a good rest!"

    "Can I go see her?" Liu Jing asked after hesitation.

    The midwife was a little embarrassed and said, "Just wait a moment and pack it up."

    In fact, Liu Jing also knows that there are many things that a mother needs to pay attention to after giving birth. In fact, in the final analysis, it is a hygiene issue. At this time, he really cannot rush into the delivery room.

    He smiled and said, "Go and do your work! I'll wait here."

    The midwife bowed, turned around and went in, "Here comes the hot water!" Little Baozi and a few maids came hurriedly carrying several large buckets of hot water. They handed the buckets to the midwife, but did not dare to go in. They all backed away and stood in the yard.  Waiting inside.

    Little Baozi was a little nervous and held Liu Jing's hand. Liu Jing felt her nervousness, so he gently put his arm around her shoulders and said with a smile, "It's okay. Her most dangerous stage has passed."

    Little Baozi felt a little ashamed and said, "It's a pity that I couldn't make a difference."

    "There are five midwives inside! It's not your turn to help."

    At this time, a midwife came out and said: "Madam, please ask Mother Bao to come in."

    Little Baozi looked back at Liu Jing, who nodded, "Go!"

    She walked quickly into the delivery room, and not long after, she appeared at the door holding a swaddle, her face as happy as a peach blossom blooming, "Master, come and see!"

    Liu Jing walked forward quickly, paying full attention to the baby in front of her, with her wrinkled little face, unusually pink skin, her eyes closed tightly, and her little mouth yawning lightly.

    This is his son. Liu Jing¡¯s heart was about to burst with joy, ¡°Let me hug him!¡±

    He carefully took the swaddling clothes, and the little bun helped him hold it. Liu Jing looked at the sleeping child in his arms. A stream of heat surged in his heart, making his heart tremble. This was a kind of spiritual collision, a unique spiritual relationship between father and son.  induction.

    "Husband, come in!" Tao Zhan's weak voice came from the room.

    Liu Jing walked into the room with her child in her arms. Tao Zhan had been transferred to another room, covered with a quilt. Under the light, her hair was messy on her forehead and her face was extremely pale.

    When she saw her husband walking in with the baby in his arms, she couldn't help crying with joy, "Show me the baby!"

    Liu Jing carefully placed the swaddling clothes on the side of his wife's head. Tao Zhan turned to look at his son, tears of joy welling up in his eyes.

    "Husband, what is the name of the child?"

    Liu Jing quickly took out a folded piece of paper from his arms and slowly opened it. Inside was the word 'Zhi'. This was the name he had prepared long ago. Both boys and girls could be called this name.  He smiled and said, "My name is Liu Zhi!"

    Tao Zhan kissed the tip of the child's nose lovingly and said with a smile, "From today on, I will call you Zhi'er."

    At this time, the little bun called in a low voice at the door: "Master!"

    "What's the matter?" Liu Jing stepped forward and asked.

    "Li Qing said there is an important situation to report."

    Although Little Baozi's voice was soft, Tao Zhan still heard it. She said quickly: "Husband, if he comes to you now, there must be something important. Go quickly! Bao Niang can just accompany me."

    Liu Jing nodded. He also had a hunch that something big must have happened. He kissed his wife's pretty face and then the child, then turned and hurried away.

    When he walked out of the inner courtyard, he saw Li Qing. Li Qing quickly stepped forward and whispered a few words. Liu Jing frowned, "Where is he?"

    "Waiting in the living room!"

    Liu Jing immediately walked quickly to the living room. In the living room, a man was drinking tea and waiting. He looked a little anxious and looked up outside the hall from time to time. At this time, there were footsteps in the yard and the man suddenly stood up.

    "The Zhou Mu is here!"

    Following the reminder from the soldiers at the door, Liu Jing, surrounded by several soldiers,Walked in quickly.

    The man hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "I am here to deliver a message to Zhou Mu on the order of Deputy Governor Lu!"

    "You're welcome, please get up!"

    Liu Jing took the letter and sat down to read it carefully. Slowly, his brows furrowed. The news in the letter surprised him. Cao Cao promised Sun Quan not to attack Jiangdong within three to five years.

    Liu Jing read the letter again. The letter did not mention Sun Quan's attitude, but only said that the matter was still top secret.

    "When did Cao Cao send someone to deliver a message to Marquis Wu?"

    "About four days ago."

    The man stood aside and reported: "Many people know about sending the letter, but no one knows the content of the letter. Deputy Governor Lu said that this matter is urgent and I hope Zhou Mu can make a decision soon."

    "I understand, you should go back and recover first!"

    Liu Jing immediately ordered his soldiers, "Reward him with ten taels of gold and send him back."

    The man left with great gratitude. Liu Jing thought for a moment and then asked Li Qingdao: "What time is it now?"

    "Back to Zhou Mu, it's time for the fourth watch."

    Liu Jing wanted to see his child, but Sun Quan's matter was of great importance and weighed on his heart like a mountain. He immediately ordered Li Qing, "Go to Mr. Jia's house quickly and tell him that I have an emergency."  Invite him to see you!"

    Jia Xu¡¯s residence is in Xuyuan Town, and it takes at least half an hour to get back and forth. Liu Jing returned to the inner house again. By this time, everyone had rested. Tao Zhan was also exhausted and fell asleep with the newborn child.

    Liu Jing also felt a little tired and returned to her inner study to take a nap.

    I don¡¯t know how long it took, but he was awakened by a knock on the door. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked in a daze.

    It was the voice of Little Baozi, "Sir, the soldiers outside came to report that Mr. Jia is here."

    Liu Jing stood up, stepped forward and opened the door. She saw Little Baozi standing outside the door, holding a lantern in his armpit and a cup of hot tea in his hand. The tired look on his face could not be concealed. Liu Jing drank the hot tea in one gulp.  Jin then smiled and pinched her round face, "Go to sleep!"

    The little bun agreed, and then said: "The madam and the baby are fine. The madam said she has time to discuss the wet nurse's affairs with the young master."

    "Let her decide this by herself! No need to ask me."

    Liu Jing walked a few steps, then stopped and turned around to tell Little Baozi: "I may be very busy these days. Little Baozi, please take care of my wife."

    Little Baozi has never seen the young master tell her such a serious matter. Her heart warmed up and she coyly agreed: "Don't worry, young master! I will definitely do it well."

    Liu Jing smiled and then hurriedly walked out to the study. Little Baozi watched him go away. She suddenly lost all fatigue. She turned around and went back to her room, but she was thinking about what big things she had to do tomorrow.

    It was past the fifth watch and it was still very dark. As soon as Liu Jing walked in, she saw Jia Xu pacing back and forth in the study room with her hands behind her back. Liu Jing couldn't help but apologize: "I'm really sorry that I asked you to come here overnight!"

    Jia Xu smiled slightly, cupped his hands and said, "I heard that Zhou Mu is happy to have a son. This is Jingzhou's blessing. Congratulations to Zhou Mu!"

    "Yes! Two major events happened in succession tonight, making it difficult to sleep."

    "Oh? What's the other big thing?" Jia Xu asked puzzledly.

    "Sir, please sit down!"

    The two sat down. Liu Jing took out Lu Su's letter and handed it to Jia Xu, "This is an urgent letter from Lu Su in Jiangdong. The situation is not good!"

    Jia Xu took the letter and read it over, and couldn't help but laugh, "This should be Cheng Yu's plan. He has always suggested considering Jingzhou and Jiangdong separately, but Prime Minister Cao is eager to unify the south and refuses to accept his suggestion. Now it is estimated that  After encountering setbacks, Prime Minister Cao finally accepted his plan. "

    Liu Jing sighed, "I have to say, this plan is very vicious."

    "It is very vicious. It has captured the key point of Jiangdong. Jiangdong's internal will to resist Cao is not firm, and Sun Quan must want to get the maximum benefit. Maybe there is something Sun Quan wants in Prime Minister Cao's plan."

    Liu Jing certainly knew that Sun Quan was not a short-sighted monarch and would not consider a buffer period of three to five years. If he accepted Cao Cao's plan, he must have a bigger plot. After Liu Jing pondered for a while, he understood what Jia Xu meant.

    "Sir, what you are saying is that Sun Quan wants to seize Jingzhou from Cao Cao?"

    Jia Xu nodded, "Other than that, I can't think of any other reasons?"

    Liu Jing stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, looking at the hazy morning light outside the window. He felt very complicated. At this moment, he finally realized the cruelty of politics. In the face of interests, Sun Quan would not hesitate to abandon him, even if they signedThe alliance agreement is of no use.

    "What should we do? Sir, do you have any suggestions?" Liu Jing asked in a deep voice after a long time.

    Jia Xu thought for a moment and said: "The best way is to persuade Sun Quan to stick to the alliance, but it is very difficult. The reason why Lu Su turned to Zhou Mu for help shows that he has nothing to do."

    ¡°What¡¯s the worst option?¡±

    "There is no worst-case scenario. If he wants to withdraw his troops, let him go. After we defeat Cao Jun independently, we can turn around and deal with him."

    "How likely is it, sir, that we can defeat Cao Jun alone?"

    Jia Xu shook his head, "Frankly speaking, I don't know either, but I think the possibility is very low. After all, the strength of the two sides is very different. With Prime Minister Cao's rich experience and the sophistication of his advisers, even if he surprises the enemy, the chance of winning is not high. Maybe  We have the water advantage, but if Sun Quan turns to help Cao's army, we will definitely lose."

    "Will Sun Quan help Cao's army?"

    Jia Xu smiled bitterly, "If he dares to do such a thing as breaking the covenant, I think nothing is impossible?"

    Liu Jing was silent. If Sun Quan was afraid of his revenge in the future, then he would definitely help Cao Cao completely destroy him to eliminate future troubles. There is no doubt about this.

    "It seems we have the only way to go, try our best to persuade Sun Quan."

    Jia Xu smiled slightly, "Actually, it's not difficult to convince Sun Quan. The key is to make Sun Quan see hope. I have a plan to help Zhou Mu persuade Sun Quan."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 346 Raid on Anlu

    [I have a bit of a cold today, and the coding is very slow, making everyone wait for a long time]¡ª¡ª

    Before daybreak, Liu Jing hurriedly bid farewell to his wife and children, and hurried to Xiakou with Jia Xu. Jia Xu proposed to him a plan to raid Anlu County. Taking advantage of Cao Cao's army in Jiangling, he concentrated his forces to defeat Anlu County.  Cao Jun.

    Only by letting Sun Quan see the strength of the Jiangxia Army can he bring strong persuasion when persuading Sun Quan. Liu Jing accepted this plan, but at the same time he also realized that he did not have much time and must deal with it in the shortest possible time.  Finish this matter.

    In the afternoon, Liu Jing and Jia Xu rushed to Xiakou, escorted by five hundred soldiers.

    At this time, Xiakou City has become the main battlefield between Jiangxia Army and Cao Army. Whether Cao Army comes from Jiangling, goes south from Han River, or even comes from Anlu County, it must face Xiakou.

    In the Xiakou military camp, dozens of generals above the intermediate level, including Wenpin, Gan Ning, Wei Yan, Liu Hu, Liao Hua, Chen Shuo, etc. gathered in the Chinese army tent, waiting for Liu Jing's military deployment.

    Two soldiers carried a wooden frame into which was a map of Anlu County. On the way, Liu Jing and Jia Xu discussed the detailed plan for the raid in the carriage.

    The key to this war lies in the word "raid", which is to surprise the enemy at the most unexpected moment.

    It should be said that they seized this opportunity very cleverly. It happened to be when Cao Cao's main force was not yet stable in Jiangling, and Cao Cao's army in Fancheng needed to transport a large amount of food southward, and could not spare any troops to assist Cao's army in Anlu County.

    The 50,000 Cao troops in Anlu County were stationed in various cities. The troops were relatively scattered, which was a good opportunity for a surprise attack.

    Liu Jing walked to the map, picked up a wooden pole, and smiled at everyone: "This battle came very suddenly. I'm afraid everyone is not prepared!"

    Wei Yan said with a smile: "It should be said that this battle came at a good time. Long-term exercises will no longer be effective to a certain extent. At this time, actual combat is needed to test the effect of military exercises, find shortcomings, and continue to improve in the future.  , it can be said that this battle is actually a timely help.¡±

    Everyone agreed with Wei Yan's statement.  Looking at the high morale of the generals, Liu Jing smiled and said: "It seems that if I don't let anyone go into battle, I'm afraid I won't even be able to eat my dinner."

    Liu Jing's humor aroused a knowing smile. At this time, Jia Xu also smiled and said: "I will give you good news again. Just last night, my wife gave birth to a little Zhou Mu. There is a successor to Zhou Mu."  ¡±

    This news caused joy in the big tent. Wenpin, Gan Ning and other generals came forward to congratulate him. Liu Jing did not expect that this would cause such a big response, which was even more exciting than the decision to go to war.

    Liu Jing suddenly had a clear understanding that the birth of his son meant the continuation of his power, the continuation of the loyalty of all generals, and the long-term guarantee of their interests.

    Looking at the happy faces, Liu Jing smiled and waved her hands, "No need to quarrel, I guarantee that everyone will have new wine and red eggs."

    Everyone burst into laughter and everyone became quiet again. Liu Jing then turned the topic back to the raid on Anlu County. He pointed at the map with a wooden pole and said: "This raid must make full use of Yunmengze and Jianshui.  We have the advantage of warships. The key battle is in Anlu County. There are 30,000 troops stationed there. If we defeat Cao¡¯s army in Anlu County, we will be sure to win this war. "

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The surprise battle was finally decided to start after nightfall. It was still in the afternoon. In order to strictly maintain confidentiality, Jiangxia Army still announced that it would hold a large-scale nighttime actual combat exercise and concealed the news that Liu Jing had arrived. Starting from the afternoon,  Both the navy and the army are actively preparing for war.

    Liu Jing was still deducing the details of the night attack with Jia Xu in the tent. At this time, a soldier reported at the tent door, "State Shepherd, General Wen wants to see you!"

    "Invite him in!"

    Soon, Wenpin walked in. Although he was injured in the previous battle in Anlu County, his injury was relatively minor and he had basically recovered. Except that he was still unable to mount his horse and challenge the enemy general in a duel, the rest of the troops marched to fight.  There is no problem with the class anymore.

    The reason why he came to Liu Jing was because he was omitted from the military deployment in the afternoon. Although Wenpin also knew that it was because of his injury, he was unwilling to accept it. The previous defeat of Anlu County always made him feel uncomfortable.  He was grudged.

    "Zhou Mu, I have something to say!" Wenpin said gloomily as soon as he entered the tent.

    Liu Jing smiled slightly. He knew what Wenpin was thinking. In the Jingzhou Army, Wenpin's seniority was second only to the veteran Huang Zhong. Huang Zhong could not come over in Changsha. Wenpin was naturally the number one veteran, but he did not send him.  Of course he would be dissatisfied.

    Liu Jing ordered the soldiers to give him a seat, "General Wen, please sit down!"

    ?? Wenpin is a very principled person at heart, and will never rely on his old age to sell himself off. He also meansRealizing that his attitude was inappropriate, his tone softened, "Because I had a battle with Cao Jun of Anlu County, I sent someone to investigate afterwards, so I have some information to tell you."

    Liu Jing was very interested. This was exactly what he wanted to know, and he quickly said: "General, please tell me!"

    Wenpin thought for a while and said: "In the last battle of Anlu County, Zhang Liao was the main general. But for some reason, Cao Cao quickly dismissed Zhang Liao as the general and replaced him with Zhao Yan. I know Zhao Yan. He is a very good man.  He is cautious and good at training, but he is far inferior to Zhang Liao in combat."

    Jia Xu next to him smiled and said: "General Wen's analysis is good. Zhao Yan is not only cautious, but also very conservative. He is known as the turtle general in Cao's army. This is why Cao Cao made him the chief general. He only needs to hold Anlu County.  He needs to attack Jiangxia. As for Zhang Liao, he should be punished for not catching General Wen. "

    "Sir, what you said is absolutely correct. I wonder if you know Sima Yi?"

    Liu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡®Did Sima Yi show up?  ¡¯

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled, "I know this man. He is the best among Sima Bada. He is very strategic and good at seizing opportunities. Cao Hong asked him to be his staff in the past, but he pretended to be ill and refused to go. Later, Prime Minister Cao sent someone  Ask him, he throws away his crutch and runs over. This person's assessment of the situation is extraordinary. Is this person also in Anlu County? "

    Wenpin nodded, "He is now Cao Cao's counselor and is currently in Anlu County!"

    Liu Jing was silent. He was still quite afraid of Sima Yi. Zhao Yan's conservatism allowed him to march boldly, but if Sima Yi was there, he would have to consider the risks.

    At this time, Jia Xu sneered, "Although Sima Yi has strategies, he has not been tempered by war. He is just a scholar, far from being a counselor. At least now, he is not even qualified to carry Cheng Yu's shoes."  No, General Wen doesn¡¯t have to think too highly of him, I will teach him a lesson in this battle.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Wenpin was finally able to go to war, but instead of standing alone, he became Liu Jing's staff officer and sailed with Liu Jing.

    At night, 40,000 Jiangxia troops sailed into the Han River in 300 large ships. After traveling fifty miles, they entered the Yunmeng River. This is the northern part of the Yunmeng River. The amount of water is small, so a large half-dry and half-water wetland is formed.  , like islands surrounded by shallow water.

    There is also a small county hidden in the swamp, called Yunyang County, which means Yunmengzhiyang. The city wall of Yunyang County is only six miles in circumference. There are hundreds of families living in it. They usually make fishing and on the island.  Farming for a living.

    Yunyang County is also the southernmost county of Anlu County, close to Jianshui River. Huang Zu built a beacon here to warn enemies from the north. However, at this time, Yunyang County was occupied by Cao's army, and the beacon was also  Used to monitor the Jiangxia Army in the south.

    The fleet entered Jinshui from Jinkou. Although Jinshui is not wide, it is very deep and can carry a thousand-stone ship. At this time, Wenpin looked at Yunyang County in the distance and said to Liu Jing with some worry: "Although it is night,  But we will still be discovered by the defenders, and they will light the beacon to call the police. It is better to send scouts to seize the beacon first. I know that the walls of Yunyang County are dilapidated and it is easy to enter the city. "

    Before Liu Jing could say anything, Jia Xu laughed and said, "I just want the Yunyang County defenders to find out, and they will call the police. I can't help but ask for it!"

    Wenpin was stunned, this was not called a raid. He was about to refute, but Liu Jing smiled and said: "Since Mr. Jia is confident, we might as well listen to his arrangements this time."

    Since Liu Jing said this, Wenpin stopped talking. He sneered in his heart and said to himself: "I want to see what clever tricks you, Jia Poison Master, have?"

    The fleet continued to move forward, and as expected by Wenpin, when the fleet passed the east side of the county, the defenders discovered the Jiangxia Army warships, and immediately sounded the alarm. Hundreds of Cao Army soldiers rushed to the city wall and looked in horror.  Looking at the mountainous Jiangxia fleet, the military lord shouted loudly: "Hurry up and beacon!"

    One pillar of beacon reported peace every day, two pillars of beacon signaled the attack of troops with less than a thousand men, and three pillars of beacon signaled the attack of large groups of enemy troops. Soon, the three pillars of beacon fire were lit, and the bright red flames were particularly dazzling in the night sky.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, the general of Cao's army in Anlu County was Zhao Yan, and Zhang Liao had been transferred back to Fancheng. The garrison was also reduced from 50,000 to 35,000, of which 5,000 were stationed in Suixian County to the west, and the remaining 30,000  All are stationed in Anlu County.

    Zhao Yan was not good at leading troops in battle, but he trained his troops well and was good at defense. Since Anlu County was too small to garrison 30,000 people, Zhao Yan ordered a camp to be built in the wilderness to the west of the county.

    Not only did he build a board wall with a height of one foot and five feet, but he also diverted water from the Anlu County moat to the camp 250 steps away to form a camp river.

    "And the distance between camp and the county seat is 250 steps. This distance is neither close nor far. If it is far away, the water diversion project will be too large.Being too close would threaten the safety of the camp. Even if the county town was lost, the enemy's bows and arrows would not be able to shoot into the camp. Even Cao Cao praised him for diverting water to protect the camp, which was very innovative.

    It was already two o'clock at this time. Jiang Xia's army had just entered Jianshui from Han River and was still some distance away from Yunyang County. The beacon fire alarm had not reached Cao's army camp in Anlu County.

    The sky was covered with dark clouds, there was no starlight or moonlight, and the land of Anlu County was extremely dark. In the dead of night, most of the soldiers had fallen asleep, and only sentries were patrolling back and forth in the county seat and the camp.

    There are not many soldiers stationed in Anlu County, only more than 2,000. At this time, there are more than 300 soldiers patrolling back and forth on the city wall.

    At this moment, dozens of black figures rushed towards the city wall from a distance. They quickly crossed the moat using long wooden boards and disappeared into the darkness against the root of the east city wall.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 347 Jia Xu¡¯s Plot

    There are a hundred people in this group of shadows. They are the "Eagle Strikers" in the Jiangxia Army, the most elite special soldiers in the Jiangxia Army. The leader of this team is the monkey-like military lord Liu Zheng.

    This army has experienced hundreds of battles, and all of them are highly skilled in martial arts and have rich experience. They are especially good at sneak attacks on cities. They have different methods of dealing with different cities.

    About ten steps away from the moat, three soldiers opened the yellow shoulder crossbow. This is the king of crossbows. The crossbow is seven feet long and the bow arm is ten feet long. It requires ten stones of strength to pull it open. The killing range can reach six  A hundred steps.

    On the crossbow was a large iron arrow one foot long. The three of them aimed at the city wall, pulled the crossbow knife, 'Click!  ¡¯ With a soft sound, the iron arrow shot out like black lightning, and its powerful force made it firmly nailed to the city wall.

    The three soldiers followed the same example, and within a quarter of an hour, all fifteen iron arrows were nailed to the city wall. Although they were not in a neat row, they were within a few feet of each other. Looking from a distance, it looked like an irregular climb.  stand.

    Liu Zheng put a roll of rope on his back, took a deep breath, jumped up slightly, and grabbed an iron arrow. He was as light and agile as an ape, and with the support of more than a dozen iron arrows on the outer wall,  Quickly climbed up to the top of the city.

    This is the northeast corner, where there are the fewest defensive soldiers at the top of the city. It is already late at night, and most of the soldiers are huddled under the parapet to sleep. Although Zhao Yan is a cautious and conservative person with high vigilance, he does not  It means everyone is like him.

    At this time, Cao Jun's soldiers had occupied Anlu County for more than a month, and the main battlefield moved to Jiangling. Anlu County was no longer important. Cao Jun was still quite wary at first, but after more than a month, Jiangxia Army did not attack Anlu County.  The intention and vigilance gradually faded away, and finally became a little numb.

    In addition to the formal appearance, Cao Jun still insisted on patrolling, but in his heart, not many soldiers took this kind of patrol to heart. Liu Zheng looked to both sides for a long time. There was no patrolling soldier. He was secretly happy, so he tied the rope around the wall stack and threw it away.  Go down.

    The soldiers under the city climbed up the city one after another, bent over the city wall, jumped into the city, and soon disappeared into the darkness behind the houses. As more than a hundred Eagle Strikers disappeared into the city, Liu Zheng confirmed that they had not been discovered.  They were the last ones to jump into the city. They were not in a hurry to capture the city, but sneaked into the city to hide and wait for the signal

    Another half an hour passed, and a dazzling beacon light finally lit up in Yunyang County. It was immediately discovered by the patrol soldiers in the camp. Cao Jun¡¯s camp suddenly became nervous, ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The alarm bell rang, and the harsh sound spread throughout the camp.

    The sleeping soldiers of Cao Jun woke up one after another and began to put on their military armor in a hurry. There was a lot of chaos, and the camp began to become noisy.

    General Zhao Yan was awakened by the sound of bells in his sleep. He put on his clothes, walked out of the tent quickly, and asked sharply: "What happened?"

    A patrol soldier rushed over, knelt down on one knee and reported: "General, there are three beacons burning in front. It should be a warning from Yunyang County!"

    Zhao Yan was taken aback and trotted to the camp wall. He stepped on the wall and looked to the south. He saw three beacons 20 miles away. This should have come from Yunyang County, 50 miles away.  The alarm was sounded, and the two beacon towers behind also sounded the alarm.

    Zhao Yan was very surprised. Why would Jiangxia Army attack Anlu County at this time?  At this time, Sima Yi also appeared on the wall. Although Zhang Liao was transferred back to Fancheng, Sima Yi was ultimately left to assist Zhao Yan. This is why Cao Cao considered that Zhao Yan had more than enough defense but lacked offensive strategy, so he asked Sima Yi to supplement it.

    Sima Yi stared at the south for a moment and said: "Obviously, since the beacon fire came from the direction of Yunyang County, Jiang Xia's army should have arrived by boat. Commander Zhao, we can't just sit back and wait for death, we must deal with it!"

    "Sima Lord Bo is a little too hasty!"

    Zhao Yan was nearly forty years old, and together with Yangzhai Xinpi, Xu Xia Chen Qun, and Dingling Du Xi, he was known as the Four Great Scholars of Yingchuan. He also sought refuge with Liu Biao, but soon abandoned Liu Biao and took refuge in the first year of Jian'an.  Cao Cao was highly regarded by Cao Cao, and he served as the county magistrate, the chief minister, and the commander-in-chief and protector of the army.

    He showed great talent in military training in the field, and finally won Cao Cao's trust. Although he was a civilian official, he also allowed him to lead troops on expeditions.

    Although Zhao Yan was talented, he was a scholar who looked down upon him. He didn't take Sima Yi seriously, who was ten years younger than him. The prime minister asked Sima Yi to assist him, but he felt that Sima Yi was just a scholar. He could talk on paper, but in actual combat,  I'm afraid that won't work.

    He specially emphasized the word "Master Bo" and reminded Sima Yi to pay attention to his identity, "Master Bo, now that the enemy's information is unclear, how can we easily send troops? Even if we adopt countermeasures, we must first understand the enemy's situation!"

    After saying that, he ignored Sima Yi and immediately ordered Zang Ba, the deputy general behind him: "Send a team to scold Sima Yi."I¡¯ll go check out the news soon, and report back anytime if there¡¯s any news!  "

    "Follow your orders!"

    Zang Ba immediately arranged for a team of scouts to go out to patrol the camp. Zhao Yan glanced at Sima Yi with a half-smile, turned around and left.

    Sima Yi's face was gloomy. Zhao Yan's arrogance also made him extremely disgusted. In contrast, Zhang Liao did not have the civil service airs of Zhao Yan and was much more sincere in his treatment of others.

    At this time, Yu Jin slowly walked to Sima Yi and whispered: "Actually, I also think that we should send out troops as soon as possible, lie in ambush by Jianshui River, and when the enemy ship approaches, immediately pour oil and burn the ship. This opportunity is fleeting.  It¡¯s a pity that General Zhao is too conservative.¡±

    Sima Yi said coldly after a long while: "Either do it early or don't do it. I always want to be foolproof. How can such a good thing happen?"

    He turned around and walked towards his tent. About half an hour later, a soldier came over and saluted: "Master, Commander Zhao has invited you!"

    Sima Yi didn¡¯t want to go at first, but after thinking about it, he got up and walked to the Chinese army¡¯s tent. The tent was brightly lit, and Zhao Yan was meditating in front of the map. Sima Yi stepped forward and saluted, ¡°See you, commander!¡±

    "Master Sima Bo has come at the right time!"

    Zhao Yan accepted the map and said with a smile: "I have received accurate information. The main enemy force composed of hundreds of large ships is approaching us. It is still about twenty miles away from us. Sima Lord Bo thinks whether to send troops  ?¡±

    Sima Yi thought for a while, Yunyang County was about fifty miles away from here. In just over half an hour, the enemy fleet had traveled thirty miles. This was very fast. And they were about five miles away from Jianshui, and they had to transport kerosene there.  , I'm afraid it's too late.

    Sima Yi shook his head, "I think it's too late!"

    The smile on Zhao Yan's face disappeared, and he said with a serious face: "You are the one who asked me to send troops, and now you are the one who opposes sending troops. What do you mean?"

    Sima Yi sneered, "Can I ask for a sword in Kezhou?"

    Zhao Yan was furious, turned around and walked away, only to hear his order outside the tent: "Pass my order, order General Zang to lead 3,000 soldiers to carry kerosene to burn the boats at the Jing River. There must be no mistake!"

    Sima Yi secretly sighed. The prime minister was right. This Zhao Yan was more than capable of defending but not enough of an offensive. The kerosene was made by the Jiangxia Army. How could they not be prepared to burn the ships? That¡¯s it!  Let him learn a lesson.

    Sima Yi didn¡¯t say anything more and just watched coldly, waiting for the news of Zang Ba to come.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Jianshui River narrows slightly in the Anlu County area. It is only more than 20 feet wide, which is only enough for large ships to turn around. On both sides of the river, there is an endless black wilderness.

    In the dark night, a fleet of hundreds of large ships was moving rapidly northward along the Jianshui River. The fleet stretched for dozens of miles and was magnificent. At this time, on the first large ship, Jia Xu was nervous.  Gazing at both sides of Jianshui River.

    "Have you noticed, sir?" Liu Jing said with a faint smile.

    Jia Xu shook his head, "I can't see anything, but Cao Jun will definitely come to burn the ship. This is what I expect."

    Having said this, Jia Xu glanced at Wenpin again and said with a smile: "General Wen must find it strange, why do I want Cao Jun to come and burn the ship?"

    Wenpin nodded, "I really don't understand. I think Mr. Jia may have an ambush on the shore and use the big boat as bait, but this seems a bit too simple."

    Jia Xu laughed and said, "I did use the fleet as bait. I believe Cao Jun will definitely come and burn the ships, but my intention is Zhao Yan. This person is too cautious in doing things and sometimes acts blindly. Once he encounters a setback, he will  He will immediately shrink and not dare to take any more risks. He has been like this for so many years, and I believe he will not change this time. "

    Wenpin nodded silently. Only then did he understand Jia Xu's profound meaning. Or was he looking at the problem too superficially? Only by knowing oneself and the enemy can one be victorious in every battle. Jia Xu did exactly this.

    "What about Sima Yi?" Liu Jing asked with a smile. He always cared about Sima Yi.

    "Sima Yi's biggest problem is his lack of qualifications. He is a civilian official, and Zhao Yan is also a civilian official. Civilian officials look down on each other. Does General Wen think Zhao Yan will listen to Sima Yi's plan?"

    Wenpin hesitated and said, "ThisI don't know."

    Jia Xu smiled faintly and said, "Celebrities have a bad habit, that is, they take their own reputation too seriously. In fact, I am the same. Once I do something wrong, it is difficult to admit that it is my own responsibility and try to shirk it to others. Zhao Yan  Of course, the same is true. Once the army is defeated, he will definitely pass the responsibility to Sima Yi. This is almost an iron rule in officialdom, and the person with the lowest position will bear the responsibility. "

    At this moment, a rocket suddenly rose into the sky from the shore, and the bright red fire lit up the sky.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 348 Night Battle with Anlu

    In the wilderness on the west bank of the Jianshui River, three thousand soldiers of Cao's army were rushing toward the Jianshui River pushing a deer cart. The so-called deer cart was a wheelbarrow, which was driven by manpower. A deer cart could transport up to three stones of grain.

    But at this time, what was transported on the deer cart was not grain, but barrels of kerosene. Cao Jun transported tens of thousands of barrels of kerosene to Anlu County in order to deal with the Jiangxia army's warships heading north.

    "Boost!"

    Zang Ba was riding on his horse, constantly urging the soldiers to rush to the Jianshui River. He was also a little anxious in his heart. If he didn't hurry up, he might not be able to pour the kerosene into the river before Jiang Xia's army arrived.

    Then these five thousand barrels of kerosene will become the spoils of war for the Jiangxia Army. Now he is competing with the Jiangxia Army's warships for time. It depends on who can seize the opportunity first. Now they are only two miles away from the river. At most, they will have a quarter of an hour.  Will rush to the river.

    Zang Ba silently prayed for God's protection, but many things would not be protected by God. At this moment, a soldier pointed at the southern sky and shouted: "General, look! It's a rocket."

    "Zang Ba stared at the southern sky. Not only him, but all the soldiers saw a bright rocket streaking across the night sky, lighting up the sky.

    This caused a chill to rise in everyone's heart. The soldiers stopped their deer carts one after another. They were overwhelmed by the great uneasiness.

    Zang Ba also felt at a loss. He knew that the rocket rising must have a deep meaning, so what did it mean?

    There was silence in the wilderness, and the night was vast all around. You could only see dozens of steps away at most, and everyone was listening to what was happening in the distance.

    Suddenly, many people heard a thunderous sound, and then the ground began to shake. The shaking became stronger, and many kerosene barrels rolled down from the deer cart.

    "It's the cavalry!"

    Dozens of people shouted almost at the same time, their voices full of fear. Many people still remember the sharp and ferocious Jiangxia cavalry.

    "Don't panic!"

    When Zang Ba discovered that a soldier was about to run away, he roared in panic, swung his gun and stabbed an escapee. The escapee screamed, was stabbed through the chest, and fell to the ground dead.

    The screams silenced all the soldiers, and Zang Ba waved his gun and shouted: "Gather the deer carts together!"

    This is a good idea. The gathering of more than 2,000 deer carts can withstand the impact of the cavalry. After all, Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers are well-trained and quickly gather the deer carts to form a deer cart wall about several miles long.

    At this time, two thousand Jiangxia cavalry were already two hundred steps away. The sky was covered with dust and the sun was covered with thunder. The cavalry trained by Gao Shun back then were indeed brave and good at fighting, but their greatest advantage was that they could fight at night.  The "trapped camp" is famous all over the world.

    Jiangxia cavalry also spent several years practicing night fighting, and finally achieved some success. Even in the dark night without stars and moonlight, the cavalry still ran in an orderly manner without a trace of chaos.

    Liao Hua took the lead. He saw the deer cart blocking the road in the distance. He immediately raised his horn and blew it. Dozens of cavalry followed him and blew the horn together.

    ¡®Woo¡ª¡ª¡¯

    Amidst the low sound of the horn, the Jiangxia cavalry troops divided into two groups, bypassed the deer chariots from the left and right, attacked from the left and right, and entered the crowd of Cao's army.

    Cao Jun's soldiers were suddenly in chaos. There were only three thousand of them. How could they fight close to one-on-one with the Jiangxia cavalry?

    In just a moment, Cao Jun was divided and surrounded by Jiangxia cavalry. Their positions were smashed into pieces. Countless soldiers turned and fled. Soon, the morale of Cao Jun's resistance was exhausted and completely collapsed.

    Cao¡¯s army fled in all directions in the wilderness, with countless people kneeling down begging for mercy. Seeing that the situation was not good, Zang Ba fled towards the camp under the cover of night

    In fact, even if there were no cavalry to attack Cao Jun, Cao Jun would have no chance to pour kerosene in the river and burn the boats. Almost at the same time when Jiangxia cavalry raided Cao Jun, Jiangxia army fleet had arrived at the Anlu County dock.

    Dozens of large ships docked first, and groups of Jiangxia troops came ashore and quickly gathered on the shore. In less than half an hour, a hundred thousand troops and various baggage appeared on the west bank of Jianshui River.

    Jiangxia¡¯s army had already made careful arrangements. According to Jia Xu¡¯s plan, using cavalry to defeat Cao¡¯s army who burned the ships was only the first step, or even just an introduction to the war. It was only used to influence the enemy¡¯s commander¡¯s decision-making.

    Jia Xu's real goal is to seize Anlu County. This is the prelude to tonight's war. Jia Xu turned around and whispered a few words to Liu Jing. Liu Jing nodded and looked at Anlu County a few miles away.  .

    Although the night was dark, he could still vaguely see the outline of Anlu County. So far, Liu Zheng had not received any news, which meant that they had successfully sneaked into Anlu County and were waiting for the second rocket to take off.

    "Where is General Wei Yan?" Liu JingThe voice shouted coldly.

    Wei Yan stepped forward, cupped his fists and saluted, "The general is here!"

    "Liu Zheng has already entered the city. I will give you 10,000 troops to capture Anlu County within half an hour. I will remember your great contribution, otherwise I will come to see you!"

    Wei Yan's heart trembled. He only gave himself half an hour. He began to feel nervous and quickly responded: "I obey my orders!"

    He turned around to summon the army. Not long after, Wei Yan led 10,000 troops and rushed toward the county seat several miles away.

    Liu Jing watched him go away and immediately ordered around, "Order to shoot the second rocket!"

    A soldier rushed away, and a moment later, a rocket soared into the sky outside the county town. It was even brighter and could be clearly seen ten miles away.

    In a house near the south gate of the county town, Liu Zheng stood in the yard and stared at the rocket rising into the sky. His fists slowly clenched. This was the signal for him to take action.

    "Everyone, prepare to attack!" Liu Zheng turned around and ordered.

    Behind him, a hundred Eagle Strike soldiers were ready. Each of them was wearing special armor, made of fine iron scales and attached to the leather armor. They were impenetrable to crossbows thirty steps away.  This fine iron fish scale armor.

    "Everyone holds an iron spear in his hand, a bow and arrow on his back, and a sharp blade on his waist. Regardless of the protection or weapons and equipment, they are far inferior to ordinary soldiers.

    In addition, each of them is highly skilled in martial arts, tall and strong, and one is as good as ten. Therefore, although this Eagle Striker only has a hundred people, it is enough to defeat a thousand elite enemy troops.

    In the night, hundreds of soldiers lined up out of the yard and trotted towards the south city, just like a patrol of Cao's army. At this time, the fighting outside the city and the rockets flying into the sky had alerted the troops defending the city. Groups of Cao's soldiers were trotting.  Run towards the city gates everywhere.

    After a moment, Jiang Xia's army appeared in front of the south gate. The darkness of the night concealed the abnormality of their armor. Hundreds of Cao's troops had gathered at the south gate. They stretched their bows and arrows on the top of the city as if facing a formidable enemy. Everyone's eyes were on them.  They all looked outside the city, but no one noticed the arrival of Jiangxia's Eagle Strikers behind them.

    Jiang Xia's army rushed to the south gate and immediately split into two. One part went up the corridor to the city and snatched the suspension bridge mechanism, while the other part rushed towards the city gate.

    "Who are you?" An officer finally noticed their anomaly and asked sharply.

    "Do it!"

    Liu Zheng shouted loudly, and hundreds of Jiangxia soldiers started to attack at the city gate. They were like fierce cheetahs, wielding iron spears and charged into Cao's army. In an instant, dozens of Cao's soldiers were killed at the city gate.  , there were screams inside and outside the South City Gate.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In a forest more than a few hundred steps away from the south city gate, Wei Yanzheng led 10,000 soldiers anxiously waiting for the movement of the city gate. At this time, it was less than a quarter of an hour before Liu Jing left him the deadline, but inside the city gate  There was no movement yet, which made Wei Yan very anxious.

    Suddenly, a soldier whispered: "General, did you hear it? There was a cry of killing!"

    In fact, Wei Yan had already heard it. The cry of killing was very clear in the quiet night. He looked serious and stared at the South City Gate. Although there was not much time left for him, he was still extremely careful for fear of falling into a trap.

    At this time, the suspension bridge began to slowly lower, and the city tower also caught fire. The fire was very fast, and the blazing fire light illuminated the night sky. Wei Yan no longer had any doubts, and turned around and shouted, "Follow me and fight up there!"

    He took the lead and rushed toward the county seat with his sword brandished. Behind him, the dark soldiers rushed out of the woods and followed closely.

    "Kill!"

    The shouts resounded through the sky, and the 10,000 Jiangxia troops were overwhelming, rushing toward Anlu County like an overwhelming mountain.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the military tent of Cao Jun¡¯s camp, Zhao Yanzheng asked Zang Ba in detail about the defeat. He was secretly surprised that it was the cavalry that attacked the team transporting kerosene.

    This is night. Thousands of cavalry can rush and raid at high speeds at night without chaotic collisions. This requires long-term and rigorous training. Currently, only their Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and Xiliang's Sudden Cavalry can do it.

    Zhao Yan, who was good at training troops, found it incredible that Jiangxia in the south had such powerful cavalry.

    At the same time, Zhao Yan also felt very frustrated. He sent troops a step too late, so his plan to burn the warships failed. Once the main force of the Jiangxia army came ashore, he would be very passive.

    "Zhao Hujun!"

    Sima Yi rushed into the tent anxiously and said urgently: "There is something happening in the county. I am afraid that the Jiangxia Army is going to attack the county. Please send troops to support the county immediately."

    Zhao Yan did not respond. After a while, he said coldly: "Secretary Sima, you suggested that I use kerosene to burn the boat. I followed your suggestion, but I was killed by the Jiangxia cavalry.During the attack, six thousand barrels of kerosene were lost, and only a few hundred of the three thousand troops escaped. How should this account be calculated?  "

    Sima Yi took a step back in shock, "Zhao Hujun was surprised by what he said. I suggested that you send troops, but you delayed it for half an hour and delayed the fight. Now you actually put the responsibility on me, Zhao Hujun, I  But I warned you."

    "Hmph! Being ambushed by the Jiangxia cavalry has nothing to do with whether they send troops sooner or later. They have been prepared for a long time. They should not have burned the ships at all. Now that the army is defeated, Chief Sima wants to abdicate responsibility. What is his intention?"

    Sima Yi was so angry that he laughed back, "How can one abdicate responsibility? With a coach like you, who can abdicate responsibility? Zhao Hujun, don't blame me for not reminding you. The Jiangxia Army is attacking the county now. Once the county is captured, you will  It will be too late to regret it!¡±

    After saying that, Sima Yi walked away with a flick of his sleeves. Zhao Yan stared at Sima Yi's back coldly. He was just a small chief secretary, but he actually regarded him as a military advisor. He didn't know how high the sky was.

    At this moment, a soldier rushed over and said, "Commander, the Jiangxia Army has entered the county town and the county town has been lost!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 349 Condescending

    Before the fourth watch, Cao Jun had all been mobilized. Nearly 25,000 Cao Jun soldiers were standing on a board wall nearly ten miles long. Everyone held a bow and a crossbow, nervously looking at the wilderness around the camp. The defense arranged by Zhao Yan was like a copper wall and an iron wall.  Generally, no matter which direction Jiang Xia's army attacks, they will encounter a fierce counterattack by Cao's soldiers.

    In fact, it was not easy for the Jiangxia Army to capture the military camp. Not to mention the large number of Cao Army soldiers, the military camp itself was also very ordinary. The board walls were 1.5 feet high and 800 crossbows were deployed with a range of 300 meters.  step.

    The military camp is surrounded by a ten-foot-wide river guarding the camp. There are a large number of horse pits in the wilderness outside the guarding river. Sharp bamboo sticks are inserted upside down in the pits. Whether it is a man or a horse, he will be seriously injured if he steps into the air.

    Zhao Yan's defensive skills were fully demonstrated in this military camp. Even Cao Cao praised the military camp for its tight defense structure and its iron walls. The food could last for a month and the well water was sufficient. This is exactly what happened to Zhao Yan.  Very confident, he was not worried about Jiang Xia's attack, but calmly deployed.

    On the wooden wall, Sima Yi stared at the raging fire hundreds of steps away at the top of the city with a complicated expression. For a long time, he sighed lowly.

    "Why is the chief secretary so melancholy?" someone behind him asked with a smile.

    Sima Yi turned around and saw that it was Yu Jin. He shook his head and smiled bitterly: "If I come to attack this military camp, I can take it without dawn."

    "The chief secretary said this, how embarrassing is Zhao Hujun's situation? He is planning to hold on for a month. Isn't this place known as an iron wall?" Yu Jin laughed in a teasing tone.

    "It is certainly not a pity to die for Zhao Yan, but doesn't General Yu consider his subordinates?"

    Yu Jin's face was solemn, with no smile at all. He bowed and said, "I would like to hear the chief's honest words."

    "General Yu has also experienced hundreds of battles. He should know that this kind of iron wall is actually full of loopholes, especially when kerosene is used in warfare, but Zhao Hujun is still using old habits to defend."

    Speaking of this, Sima Yi pointed to the county town more than 200 steps away and said: "The military camp is 250 steps away from the county town. It can certainly defend against bow and arrow fire, but if the Jiangxia army uses a large trebuchet with a range of 400 steps, it will be launched from the county town."  Why should we stop the attack from a high position? The Jiangxia army only attacked the county town but not the main camp. It was obvious that they discovered this defense loophole."

    Yu Jin's expression changed drastically. Sima Yi's reminder reminded him of kerosene. He said nervously: "If Jiang Xia's army pours back all the more than 6,000 barrels of kerosene they captured, the entire camp will be burned to the ground!"

    "General Yu is right. Zhao Yan obviously didn't consider the kerosene. He only thought about how to shift the responsibility to me." Sima Yi sighed, feeling infinitely melancholy in his heart.

    Yu Jin had no time to consider Sima Yi's delicate thoughts. He only cared about the safety of himself and his subordinates, and asked quickly: "Then how does the chief think we can avoid this disaster?"

    "Actually, when the alarm came from Yunyang County, we should have taken the initiative to attack. With 30,000 people abandoning the camp and taking the initiative, we might still have a 30% chance of victory. However, Zhao Yan's conservatism caused us to miss the opportunity repeatedly. Now there is only one word,  We may still have a chance.¡±

    Yu Jin hesitated and asked, "Is the chief secretary talking about escape?"

    "Whether we run away or withdraw, as long as we leave the barracks in time, even if we are intercepted by the Jiangxia Army, we can retain 70% of our troops. If we persist in defending the barracks, we may not even have a chance to escape."

    "I'm going to find Zhao Hujun!"

    Yu Jin turned around to leave, but Sima Yi stared at the distant city wall and said, "I'm afraid it's a bit late!"

    Yu Jin turned around suddenly and stared at the city wall more than 200 steps away. At this time, a little moonlight was revealed from the clouds, which made his field of vision slightly farther. He could faintly see many huge figures appearing on the top of the city, which were more than two feet tall.  It's as tall as giant beasts standing on top of the city.

    Yu Jin changed his color in shock, turned around and ran towards the camp.

    Sima Yi's guess was not wrong. At this time, craftsmen were quickly installing a huge trebuchet on the top of the city. This winch-type heavy trebuchet was designed and developed by Ma Jun. It was one foot and eight feet high and its arm was three feet and six feet long.  , and there is also a winch weighing a thousand kilograms to drop iron.

    First hang the chain hook on the winch drop iron on the arm, then push the winch and tighten the belt. A huge potential energy is formed on the arm. As long as the mechanism is pulled, the chain hook will separate from the arm and the arm will swing violently.  go out.

    A heavy trebuchet can be operated by only twelve people, which is 80% less than the original fifty people. It also effectively avoids the damage caused by desynchronization during manual pulling. The range can reach more than 400 steps, which will  The power of the heavy trebuchet was brought to its extreme.

    Liu Jing looked down at the camp not far away from the top of the city with a smile on his face. Jia Xu¡¯s analysis was correct. Zhao Yan¡¯s conservative style made himHe will pay a heavy price for missing the opportunity to evacuate the camp.

    Can Sima Yi change Zhao Yan¡¯s decision?  Liu Jing also felt that it was impossible. Even if Zhao Yan was aware of the danger, he would never follow Sima Yi's suggestion to withdraw his troops. This was also Cao Cao's improper use of personnel. He should not have used civilian officials to lead the troops.

    At this time, a soldier rushed to report: "Qi Zhoumu, we are ready to launch at any time."

    Liu Jing nodded and resolutely issued the attack order, "You can launch!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There is chaos in Cao's camp. Thousands of Cao soldiers are urgently retracting their tents. Once Jiangxia's army attacks the camp, these tents will turn the camp into a sea of ??fire. As the tents disappear, open spaces are exposed.

    In the Chinese army's tent, Zhao Yan paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. The situation in front of him made him extremely worried, but he was told to retreat immediately, but he still could not make up his mind.

    On the other side of the tent, Yu Jin and Zang Ba were anxiously waiting for Zhao Yan's decision. Both of them were experienced generals. Like Sima Yi, they were aware of the dangers facing the camp and strongly advocated evacuation.

    But Zhao Yan is the commander-in-chief. Without Zhao Yan's consent, their troops cannot leave the camp, otherwise they will seriously violate military regulations and may even be executed by Cao Cao.

    "Commander, we can no longer hesitate. We must retreat immediately, otherwise we will all suffer disaster. Commander, retreat!" Yu Jin urged anxiously.

    ¡°Coach, withdraw!¡± Zang Ba also said anxiously: ¡°If we don¡¯t withdraw, it will be too late.¡±

    Zhao Yan sighed, "Do you think it will be safe if you evacuate? The Jiangxia Army came with hundreds of warships, at least tens of thousands of troops, and more than two thousand cavalry. Where are the troops? Aren't they waiting for us outside?  We don¡¯t have the ability to fight at night. Even if we evacuate, we will still be annihilated. If we stay here, at least we won¡¯t be disintegrated and we will still be an army.¡±

    Yu Jin became anxious and shouted: "But if we don't evacuate, we will all be burned to death!"

    Zhao Yan glared and said angrily, "General Yu, are you talking to the general?"  If you dare to be rude again, I will kill you immediately with military regulations!  "

    Yu Jin did not dare to say any more and lowered his head with hatred. Zang Ba next to him said: "Commander, staying here is not an option. We don't have a trebuchet and can't counterattack the opponent. We are being attacked by more than 6,000 barrels of kerosene. Stay here."  It¡¯s really dangerous, coach, please think again.¡±

    "I know!"

    Zhao Yan replied coldly. He walked to the big tent, stared at the night sky, and said for a long time: "The fifth watch has passed, and it will be dawn in another hour. You can retreat after dawn! This is the safe way.  ¡±

    Yu Jin and Zang Ba wanted to persuade them again, but Zhao Yan interrupted them with a wave of his hand, "I have weighed the pros and cons and decided like this. You go ahead!"

    Yu Jin and Zang Ba walked out of the tent, Yu Jin said fiercely, "Bah!"  ¡¯ and said, ¡°A nerd, how could the Prime Minister allow such a person to be a general?

    "Shh!"

    Zang Ba quickly glanced behind him and said in a low voice: "Be prepared for a rainy day. Let's consider our own retreat. If the situation goes bad, we can leave. We don't have to die with him."

    Yu Jin was overjoyed. He had this idea, but he was afraid of being severely punished by the Prime Minister. Now that there was one more Zang Ba, it was not his problem. He was about to agree. At this moment, a shout came from the east. Yu Jin and Zang  Ba turned his head and looked around, and was shocked. In the sky of Dong Daying, four or five huge fireballs were roaring towards their heads, like meteors streaking across the night sky.

    In addition to the fireballs in the air, there were also seven or eight barrels of kerosene thrown at the camp at the same time. The kerosene hit the ground, and the barrels immediately shattered. The kerosene overflowed and covered the ground. A roaring  The kerosene rolled and ignited the kerosene on the ground, and the raging fire immediately burst into flames.

    Cao Jun¡¯s camp was in chaos. The huge fireball made everyone feel extremely shocked, and there was a kind of doomsday panic.

    The fireball is made of rice straw and soaked in kerosene. This kind of fireball is a sharp weapon for rushing into the camp. After it lands, it will roll with huge inertia and can rush out for more than a thousand steps. If it lands in the camp,  Wherever it passes there will be a sea of ??fire.

    Zhao Yan rushed out of the tent and shouted: "Hurry and cover it with sand!"

    Zhao Yan was highly regarded by Cao Cao. He was indeed somewhat capable. He was just worried about being attacked on the road and refused to evacuate at night.

    But he also thought about the danger of Jiangxia's military attack, so he also arranged countermeasures. In addition to withdrawing all the camps, he also ordered the soldiers to prepare a large amount of sand and soil. Once kerosene hit the camp, they would immediately  Bury with sand.

    It was just the fireball that caused panic among the soldiers. There was chaos in the military camp. No one thought of using sand toBurying kerosene, there were already more than a dozen fires in the camp, and fireworks filled Cao's camp.

    But at this time, soldiers from Cao's army began to respond urgently. He waited in the camp with sandbags. Once the kerosene fell, he immediately used sand to cover the spilled kerosene, and the effect gradually appeared.

    Although the fireballs and oil barrels in the sky were still roaring one after another, the ignition points in the camp were reduced everywhere, and Cao Jun had already controlled the kerosene attack by Jiang Xia Army.

    However, another bigger crisis for Cao Jun happened soon. Zhao Yan never dreamed that he would dig a well and get trapped.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 350 Capturing Sima

    Generally, when the army is stationed in a camp, few people will use river water to protect the camp. On the one hand, the camp is mainly located in a high place, which is condescending and easy to defend. Secondly, the amount of work required to dig the river channel is relatively large. If it is a temporary camp, this is not necessary.

    Zhao Yan was stationed in the camp for a long time and built solid walls, so in order to resemble a city, he specially led the moat from Anlu County to surround the camp, forming a river protection river more than ten feet wide.  Coupled with the strong and tall board walls, the camp is easy to defend and difficult to attack, just like a city.

    Before the emergence of kerosene, such a garrison would have been very distinctive, but after the Jiangxia Army took the lead in using kerosene, such a moat actually posed a great hidden danger.

    Just as Jiang Xia's heavy trebuchets shot huge fireballs into Cao's camp, Jiang Xia's army dumped thousands of barrels of kerosene in the waterway outside the river guarding the camp. The kerosene quickly spread throughout the camp.  , in just half an hour, the river guard outside the camp was gradually covered with a layer of pungent kerosene.

    At this moment, a huge fireball hit the board wall and was bounced back into the river. Half of the fireball was still burning in the water. It instantly ignited the kerosene in the water channel, and a fire burned rapidly on the water.

    The fire spread rapidly, burning from the water channel into the camp guarding river, like dominoes being toppled, and like two fire dragons swimming in the water, and finally met in the northwest of the camp, forming a spectacular ring of fire that swept the entire camp.  The camp was surrounded.

    Fire was raging on the water and smoke was billowing. Cao Jun's soldiers in the camp began to panic. It was the first time for many soldiers to see the water burning. This spectacle of water and fire mingling was even more shocking than a fireball, and it even shattered morale.

    Soon, the burning of the water surface began to bring about a series of serious consequences. First, the wooden wall on the east side was ignited. Many oil barrels thrown from the city head hit the wooden wall, and the kerosene flowed all over the wood.  The camp wall made of clay and earth caused a section of board wall about several miles long in the east to burst into flames.

    Secondly, the thick smoke filled the camp. The choking smoke made it impossible to breathe. At this time, the soldiers could no longer take care of the fireballs and oil barrels roaring from the top of the city. The fireballs were running wantonly in the camp, killing a group of people.  A group of soldiers knocked over, the oil barrels shattered, and kerosene flowed all over the floor, and then ignited by sparks, forming a sea of ????fire.

    The fire began to spread rapidly in the military camp. The soldiers cried, cursed, and screamed in despair. More than 25,000 Cao Jun soldiers fled desperately in the camp, instinctively trying to find a safe place.

    At this moment, the war drums outside the camp began to beat, and five thousand Jiangxia troops began to attack Cao Jun's camp. Internal and external troubles, morale collapsed, and Cao Jun fell into despair.

    Zhao Yan was sweating profusely. The severe situation had made him exhausted. He had never experienced a war involving kerosene. The fact that fire could burn in water was beyond his common sense.

    "Don't panic, gather together and prepare to break out!"

    He yelled at the top of his lungs, but the surroundings were in chaos. Except for hundreds of soldiers, no one listened to his orders. At this time, a soldier rushed forward and shouted: "Commander, Ximen  The camp gate has been opened, and General Yu Jin and General Zang Ba have led their troops to break out. "

    Zhao Yan was shocked and couldn't help but yelled: "These two bastards dare to run away without authorization. I have to behead them!"

    Although he cursed like this, he felt that he had no confidence. He sighed and asked again, "How many soldiers escaped?"

    "More than half of it!"

    The Guards Hou said anxiously: "Jiang Xia's army has broken down the south camp wall. If we don't leave, it will be too late."

    With no choice but to do so, Zhao Yan could only say bitterly: "Send the order for all soldiers to break out!"

    He got on his horse and ran towards the west. But after just a few steps, he reined in the reins and asked, "Has anyone seen Sima Yi?"

    "He has been with General Yu Jin at night. I don't know if he escaped." A soldier answered in the darkness.

    "As expected, he was the one instigating me from behind!"

    Zhao Yan cursed and urged his horse to run towards the west camp. The soldiers followed him, and his figure was soon obscured by the thick smoke.

    In the camp, Cao Jun's army had completely collapsed, and they were all looking for ways to escape. As Yu Jin and Zang Ba led their soldiers to escape from the west camp, the entire Cao army's soldiers seemed to have found an escape exit, and tens of thousands of people rushed towards the gate of the west camp.

    In fact, Zhao Yan's worries are not unreasonable. The tens of thousands of Jiangxia troops cannot allow Cao Jun to escape. They have already set up a dragnet outside the military camp, waiting to capture the fleeing Cao Jun.

    Just two miles outside the west camp, Liu Jing personally led 10,000 Jiangxia troops in a crescent moon formation, waiting for Cao Jun to surrender. Liu Jing was riding on his horse, holding Fang Tian's painted halberd, and stared coldly at the two miles.  Outside, the camp was burned with fire.

    This battle heThe original purpose was to defeat Cao's army, recapture Anlu County, and enhance the message of Sun Quan's victory over Cao's army. It also made Sun Quan realize that breaking an alliance with him would be a foolish decision.

    But at this time, he had a new idea, and Liu Jing immediately ordered to his left and right: "Pass on my order, and whoever captures Sima Yi will receive a reward of five thousand taels!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sima Yi realized that the situation was over when the fireball first appeared, and he immediately fled the camp. However, Li Yan had issued a death order and no one was allowed to leave the camp without authorization.

    Sima Yi knew that leaving the camp would inevitably become an excuse for Li Yan to criticize him in front of Cao Cao. To this end, he disguised himself as a soldier of Cao Cao's army, wore ordinary armor, and hid near the Beida camp with a dozen of his followers.  .

    Sima Yi is very clear about the situation at hand. There will definitely be a heavy Jiangxia army ambushing outside the Western Camp. Only by escaping from the north towards Runan can he escape from the predicament.

    The fire was raging in the river guarding the camp, and the camp was filled with thick smoke. The constantly roaring fireballs and kerosene barrels caused chaos in Cao Jun's camp. Panic spread rapidly, fighting spirit had completely collapsed, and everyone was looking for opportunities to escape.  .

    Thousands of soldiers have gathered in front of the north camp gate, shouting loudly to open the camp gate. Three hundred Cao soldiers guard the north gate. They hold swords in their hands and line up in three rows, staring murderously at the large group of soldiers who are trying to attack the camp gate.  .

    The leader, a burly tooth general, brandished a long sword and shouted loudly: "The commander has an order, and anyone who dares to attack the camp gate will be beheaded. I will be the first to behead him!"

    Although thousands of soldiers were excited, no one dared to take the lead in the attack. At this time, Sima Yi, who was hiding in the crowd, pointed to the leader Ya Jiang and whispered to an attendant: "Shoot him with a crossbow!"

    His followers immediately raised their crossbows and aimed at the leading officer, only to hear 'Click!  There was a light sound from the crossbow machine, and a crossbow arrow came out of the string, and shot at the leader Ya Jiang like lightning. Ya Jiang was yelling and cursing loudly. He never dreamed that someone would sneak attack. In the blink of an eye, the arrow hit the Ya Jiang in front of him, and he dodged.  Before he could make it, he was hit by an arrow in the face and fell to the ground with a scream.

    The defenders suddenly fell into chaos. Sima Yi took the opportunity to shout, "If you don't get out, you will be burned to death. Get out!"

    The crowd was so excited that the scene suddenly got out of control. Thousands of soldiers rushed towards the camp gate. Several soldiers who tried to stop them were cut into pieces with random swords. The gate was knocked open, the suspension bridge was lowered, the north camp gate opened wide, and thousands of Cao's troops surged out.  Running lifelessly into the black.

    General Gan Ning was the leader of the Jiangxia Army who besieged Beiying Gate. He led 5,000 soldiers and laid a bag two miles away from Beiying Gate. At this time, a soldier pointed in the direction of the camp gate and shouted: "General Gan, the enemy is here."  Out!"

    Under the half-dark moonlight, I saw densely packed soldiers of Cao's army running for their lives in the wilderness. Many of them screamed and fell heavily to the ground. This was because they had stepped into a horse trap and were hiding in the pit.  The bamboo stick pierced the sole of the foot.

    At this time, many soldiers of Cao's army discovered that they were surrounded by enemy troops and shouted in fear. Gan Ning waved his short halberd and ordered: "Those who surrender will be spared death, and those who dare to resist will be killed!"

    Five thousand Jiangxia soldiers pulled out a three-mile-long fan-shaped net and surrounded the running Cao soldiers. "Those who surrender will be spared death!"

    "Throw down your weapons and kneel down!"

    In the black, the constant shouts of Jiangxia soldiers were heard, and the screams of the killed soldiers were heard. Countless Cao Jun soldiers were desperate and knelt down to surrender. Sima Yi was also among the crowd, but he was riding a horse. In the chaos,  , he has become separated from his entourage.

    At this time, he heard many Jiangxia soldiers shouting loudly asking the surrendering troops: "Is Sima Yi here?" He was shocked, whipped his horses desperately and fled northeast.

    "Stop!" A Jiangxia soldier discovered him. Several arrows whizzed towards him and passed over his head. Suddenly, more than twenty Jiangxia soldiers appeared in front of him, holding spears and pointing them at him. If they rushed up,  His horse will be pierced with spears.

    Sima Yi hurriedly turned his horse's head and tried to escape due east. Unexpectedly, his horse neighed and fell forward heavily. It stepped into a pit, the bamboo stick pierced the horse's hoof, and the horse's front leg was fractured. Sima Yi  He was also thrown to the ground, one leg was pinned down by the war horse. He cursed in a low voice and struggled to get up, but several sharp spear points stabbed at his chest and throat with a sound of wind.

    Sima was so surprised that he shouted, "I am Sima Yi!"

    The tip of the spear stopped in front of his chest and throat, and a chief asked in a trembling voice: "Are you really Sima Yi?"

    Sima Yi sighed, threw away his helmet, and said to several Jiangxia soldiers: "What's so fake about this? I am Sima Yi, the chief secretary!"

    Several Jiangxia soldiers cheered and rushed up at the same time, pressing him to the ground and shouting urgently: "Yes"??Caught!  "

    "Nonsense, I was the one who held him down first."

    At this time, the commander rushed forward, grabbed several soldiers, gave each of them a hard punch, and cursed: "His grandma, what's the point of fighting? Everyone has a share of the bounty, let me ask first  !¡±

    Shi Chang put on a smile again, helped Sima Yi up and said with a smile: "These are rough people, sir. They frightened you. As long as you don't mess around, I will treat you well."

    Sima Yi had already heard some clues and asked: "How much is the reward for catching me?"

    A soldier blurted out, "Five thousand taels of gold!"

    Shi Chang turned around and slapped him down, scolding him fiercely: "If you talk nonsense again, I will beat you to death!"

    He patted the dust off Sima Yi and said with a smile on his face: "Actually, it's just a small reward!"

    Sima Yi already understood and was surprised that he was actually worth five thousand taels of gold. That being the case.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    He arranged his clothes and hat, pointed to the baggage on the horse, and said to Shi Chang: "Carry the bag for me, I will go with you to see Liu Zhoumu!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 351 A great victory

    Under the dim moonlight, a tragic breakout battle had just ended in the wilderness outside Xiying. Yu Jin and Zang Ba led four thousand troops to break through desperately. Under the intensive interception of rounds of arrows, four thousand Cao's troops were killed.  More than halfway through, Yu Jin and Zang Ba still led hundreds of people to break out and fled westward.

    Without the leadership of the general, the remaining Cao soldiers no longer had the will to resist. They would die if they broke out, and would be burned to death if they returned to the barracks. They had no choice but to surrender. Tens of thousands of Cao soldiers knelt in the wilderness.  , all put their hands on their heads.

    "We surrender! Surrender!"

    The sound of surrender resounded through the wilderness, and large swaths of soldiers knelt on the ground. Groups of Jiangxia Army soldiers walked among the prisoners of war, confiscating weapons and suppressing the enemy troops who tried to resist. At this time, more than a dozen Jiangxia soldiers general Zhao Yan, the commander of Cao Army,  Pushed in front of Liu Jing.

    It is unbelievable to say that Cao Jun had internal strife when they were escaping. There was a conflict outside the gate of Xiying over the road. Zhao Yan and his more than a hundred soldiers were surrounded by thousands of angry Cao Jun soldiers.  Most of the soldiers were killed. At the critical moment, Zhao Yan was rescued by Jiangxia soldiers and became a prisoner of war of the Jiangxia army.

    Zhao Yan was pushed in front of Liu Jing and stood proudly. The soldiers around him shouted loudly: "Kneel down!"

    Zhao Yan snorted but ignored it. At this time, Liu Jing waved his hand and said to the left and right: "Untie him!"

    The soldiers untied Zhao Yan, and Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "Zhao Hujun, I will give you a choice. If you want to go back, I will let you go. If you are willing to serve me, I will appoint you as the governor of Jingzhou.  I will exchange your family, wife and children with Prime Minister Cao, how about it?"

    Zhao Yan lowered his head and thought for a long time. All 30,000 Cao Cao's troops in Anlu County were wiped out in his hands. He was too embarrassed to go to see Cao Cao. He also knew that he was deeply hated by Cao Cao's troops. He sighed, knelt down on one knee and clasped his fists, saying: "I am willing to serve Zhou Mu."  !¡±

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and hurriedly stepped forward to help him up and said with a smile: "Liu Jing has heard of the Duke's name for a long time. Liu Jing is lucky to have the Duke today!"

    Zhao Yan thought that he had once taken refuge with Liu Biao and then abandoned him. Thirteen years later, he returned to Jingzhou. This was fate. He smiled bitterly and said, "Zhao Yan is willing to do his best to serve Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing ordered his soldiers to take Zhao Yan back to the ship to change clothes and rest. At this time, he asked the people around him: "Has anyone caught Sima Yi?"

    Compared to Zhao Yan, Liu Jing values ??Sima Yi more. If he gets Sima Yi, it will be no less than getting Zhuge Liang. He can confront Zhuge Liang. This is a great opportunity to seize Sima Yi. If he loses it, he will regret it too late.

    The soldiers went around to ask around and reported back: "Report to Zhou Mu, no one has seen Sima Yi!"

    Liu Jing was secretly surprised. Could it be that Sima Yi followed Yu Jin and Zang Ba to break out of the encirclement?

    At this moment, someone laughed loudly in the distance: "Zhou Mu, I'm here to receive the reward!"

    This was Gan Ning's voice. Liu Jing's mind changed. Could it be that Sima Yi did not break out from the west camp, but from the north? He immediately asked: "Did Xingba capture Sima Yi?"

    "Exactly!"

    Gan Ning dismounted from his horse and walked forward quickly. Behind him were a few soldiers, and one person walked towards him, it was Sima Yi.

    Liu Jing was overjoyed, patted Gan Ning on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Xingba did not disappoint me!"

    Gan Ning pointed at the commander and several soldiers behind him and smiled: "It was these brothers who caught Sima Yi."

    Liu Jing chuckled and said to the commander and soldiers who captured Sima Yi: "I will keep my promise and give you a heavy reward, but the reward should be divided between you by General Gan. Go down first!"

    Shi Chang couldn't help but grin and thought to himself, if it passed through Gan Ning's hands, he would definitely give half of the reward to other soldiers and the remaining small part to himself.

    But it would be nice to get a reward, and maybe he could be promoted to a higher level. He took a few soldiers and knelt down to thank the reward and retreated.

    At this time, Liu Jing walked up to Sima Yi, personally untied him, looked at him and said with a smile: "I don't care if I capture 20,000 prisoners of war, but if I capture Zhongda, my wish will come true!"

    Sima Yi silently moved his numb wrist and sneered: "Sima Yi is a mediocre person, how dare he be so valued by Liu Zhoumu?"

    Liu Jing asked again: "Now that the matter has come to this, is Zhongda willing to serve Jiangxia?"

    Sima Yi turned to the north and said nothing with his hands behind his hands. The soldiers around him were furious and were about to scold him. Liu Jing waved his hand to stop the soldiers and said with a smile: "I asked an abrupt question. Zhongda should think about it again!"

    Of course Liu Jing would not let him go. Didn't Jia Xu also refuse to surrender?  Moreover, Sima Yi had not served Cao Cao for a long time. He was far from being as loyal to Cao Cao as Cheng Yu and Xun Yu. At this time, he refused to surrender. MoreIt's for dignity.

    As long as you give him time to think about it slowly, I believe he will change his mind. Liu Jing turned around and ordered, "Take Mr. Sima down to rest, don't be lazy!"

    Without saying a word, Sima Yi turned around and hurried away with his soldiers. Liu Jing looked back at the more than 20,000 prisoners of war. He had enough money to go and talk to Sun Quan. He immediately ordered: "Escort the prisoners of war to the ship and pack them up."  Battlefield, move all the food supplies!¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although Yu Jin and Zang Ba led hundreds of people to break through the siege and escape, most of the Cao soldiers were not as lucky. In the hazy morning light, groups of captured Cao soldiers were dejected and driven onto the ship by the Jiangxia army.  In one night's fighting, more than 25,000 people became prisoners of war of the Jiangxia Army.

    Mountains of food and supplies were loaded onto the big ship. Liu Jing stood on the bow of the main ship and watched coldly as a large group of Cao Jun prisoners of war passed by him. Next to him, Wenpin laughed and said: "With so much labor, I'm afraid Xu Changshi  I¡¯ll be laughing so hard I can¡¯t sleep.¡±

    "Zhong Ye is right, these prisoners of war are most suitable for mining copper mines."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing looked back at Jia Xu and saw him standing on the other side of the ship's side, staring blankly at the prisoners of war walking below, looking very worried. Liu Jing understood his mood, so he slowly stepped forward and said with a smile:  "Do you feel guilty, sir?"

    Jia Xu shook his head, "If I felt guilty, I wouldn't have come. I just looked at these captured soldiers and felt an indescribable sense of loss."

    Liu Jing smiled lightly and said: "Being captured on the battlefield is actually a blessing."

    "That's right, maybe it's because I'm getting older. I feel a little unbearable when I think of their family leaning on the door and looking at them." Jia Xu said with a wry smile.

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "Before this, the prisoners of war we captured were usually used for exchange. In the future, the exchanges will become less and less. According to convention, prisoners of war are generally slaves. However, it is really too much to make prisoners of war slaves for life.  Cruel, let¡¯s establish a system! After three years of hard labor, you will be free.¡±

    Jia Xu sighed, "The young master's mind is always admirable!"

    Speaking of this, Jia Xu's mood improved. He smiled and asked, "I heard that Zhao Yan has surrendered to Zhou Mu. I heard that Sima Yi was also caught. What are Zhou Mu going to do with him?"

    "They are all talented people. Although Zhao Yan was defeated, his talent did not lie in leading troops to fight, but in farming and training. So I appointed him Zhizhong, in charge of farming and training. As for Sima Yi"

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing laughed and said, "I spent five thousand taels of gold for him. He should naturally be reused. If he is willing to surrender to me, I will use him as a counselor."

    Jia Xu smiled slightly, "It's not that easy to get him to surrender! I have a good relationship with his father. Do you want me to persuade him on behalf of Zhou Mu?"

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and bowed to Jia Xu, saying, "I'll leave everything to you, sir."

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled, "Give me time and I will slowly persuade him."

    At this time, a soldier rushed over and saluted Liu Jing and reported: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, there are more than a dozen local elderly people asking to see Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing nodded and said to Jia Xu: "I will leave the matter of Sima Yi to your husband. I will handle the affairs first."

    "Please rest assured, Zhou Mu, I will do my best."

    Liu Jing then hurriedly followed the soldiers to the bottom of the boat. Jia Xu watched Liu Jing go away and couldn't help but fell into deep thought. He didn't know how to persuade Sima Yi or where to start?  ¡­

    On the river bank, a dozen old men came to Liu Jing under the leadership of Su Fei, the governor of Anlu County. Su Fei stepped forward and whispered: "These are the three elders from several villages under Anlu County. They are in Anlu County."  Highly respected.¡±

    "What's the matter with them?" Liu Jing asked quietly.

    "They want our troops to stay."

    Su Fei turned around and introduced to everyone: "This is Mr. Liu Shijun, the Mu of Jingzhou."

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????¡­

    Liu Jing quickly asked his soldiers to help them up, and smiled and said to everyone: "Elders, just ask if you have any requests. As long as Liu Jing can do it, he will definitely help everyone."

    An old man cried and said: "Please don't abandon us. If Cao's army comes, they will kill us to vent their anger."

    Liu Jing was in a dilemma for a while. He did not want to take back Anlu County at this time. It was not that he was worried that Cao Cao would lead an army to retaliate, but if there were few troops stationed in Anlu County, it would be meaningless. If there were more troops stationed, they would be overrun by Cao's army.  Sending a large army to annihilate them will cause unnecessary losses, and leaving Anlu County alone can disperse Cao's army.

    At this time, he saw Wenpin winking at him and walked over to Wenpin.Beside him, he asked in a low voice: "What do you want to say?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, I have a plan that may be able to solve this problem."

    "Tell me, what's the plan?"

    "I think we can station troops in Yunyang County as a wedge in the north of the Yangtze River, which will definitely play a role in defeating Cao's army in the future."

    This plan made Liu Jing very excited. Yunyang County is located in the Yunmeng Ze, surrounded by wetlands and marshes, and the Jingshui River flows through it. To attack Yunyang County, you must take the waterway. If it is Jiangdong Army, there may be no problem, but if it is  It was not easy for Cao's army, who was not good at water warfare, to capture Yunyang County.

    Wenpin continued: "We can move the residents of Yunyang County and build some fortifications. As long as two thousand troops are stationed, we can completely resist the attack of ten thousand people."

    Liu Jing saw the look of expectation in Wenpin's eyes, so she smiled slightly and said, "I will leave Yunyang County to you."

    Wenpin was overjoyed and immediately bowed and said: "My subordinate is willing to be stationed in Yunyang County!"

    Liu Jing came back and said to Su Fei and a dozen old men: "Let's do it! The residents of Anlu County will temporarily move to Xiakou, and this matter will be left to Su Taishou. A fleet will come to assist the day after tomorrow at the latest."  If you need military help for relocation, you can discuss it with General Wen. "

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 352 Jia Xu meets Sima

    Sima Yi was put under house arrest on the second large ship. The Jiangxia army gave him good treatment. He had three cabins inside and outside, books, pens, ink, paper and inkstones. He also found a captured subordinate to serve him, except that he could not leave the cabin.  Outside, everything is free in the cabin, and there is a small window for him to explore the outside scenery.

    At this time, Sima Yi was working at his desk and writing a letter to his wife Zhang. When he went out with the army, his wife Zhang had been pregnant for more than seven months. Now counting the days, his wife should be in labor. This made him extremely looking forward to whether his wife would give birth.  Will give birth to his first son.

    Sima Yi is thirty years old this year. He has been married for nearly ten years and has given birth to two daughters, but he has no children. His wife is pregnant this time, which he has been looking forward to for a long time. If he can give birth to a son, it will fulfill his greatest wish.

    Sima Yi finished the letter in one breath. He put down his pen and couldn't help but sigh. Now he is a prisoner of war. If the letter can't be delivered, what's the point?

    Sima Yi stood up and walked to the small window with his hands behind his hands, silently watching the scenery outside the window. The big ship sailed southward in the Jing River. The rising sun had risen from the clouds, and the rays of light shot towards the earth, dyeing it purple. His face  Also dyed red.

    He was thinking about his future and destiny. Liu Jing obviously hoped that he could surrender, and he also valued himself very much. He would not hesitate to offer a reward of 5,000 taels of gold to capture him. Although I don¡¯t know why Liu Jing valued him so much, Sima Yi, but at least it showed that he would never  Will not be let go easily.

    In fact, Sima Yi was not willing to serve Cao Cao because he did not agree with Cao Cao's legalist political thoughts. He valued famous families and Confucianism, and was extremely disgusted with Cao Cao's destruction of famous scholars. When the famous Confucian Bian Rang was killed  , Sima Yi joined the anti-Cao camp and fiercely criticized Cao Cao for his cruelty to Confucian scholars.

    When the Confucian leader Kong Rong was killed a few months ago, Sima Yi was even more disheartened, so much so that he allowed the imperial eunuchs to return to his hometown to express his protest against Cao Cao. If Cao Cao was willing to let him go, he would rather return to his hometown to farm.  , farming and studying till old age.

    "The way is different, don't conspire with him." His political thoughts are completely different from Cao Cao's. Either he will work hard and wait for the opportunity to overthrow the Cao family's rule, or he will return to his hometown to avoid officialdom and not be conspired by Cao Cao until the end of his life. There is no third option.  .

    Now that Cao Cao makes him the chief secretary and counselor, it is actually a kind of painful torture for Sima Yi. Planning for Cao Cao for a day, he feels as if he has participated in the harm to Confucianism.

    Now, Liu Jing asked him to surrender to Jiangxia. He had no strong ideological resistance, but he needed to consider his own interests and the safety of himself and his family. Frankly speaking, he was worried about whether Jiangxia could withstand Cao Cao's all-out conquest.  Can Cao Cao's southern expedition be defeated?

    If Liu Jing is destroyed by Cao Cao, what is the point of his surrender?  On the contrary, it will bring disaster to oneself, and even remaining in the mountains and forests forever will become a luxury.

    At this time, the laughter of his followers came from behind, "Sir, I found "Zhuangzi"!"

    Sima Yi's follower named Yang Shun, who has been a slave of Sima Yi for generations. He grew up with Sima Yi and was very skilled in martial arts, especially good at shooting crossbows. He always followed and protected Sima Yi, but he got separated from Sima Yi during the breakout. At the same time, he also  He was captured by Jiang Xia Jun. After Jiang Xia Jun learned his identity, he was sent to continue serving Sima Yi.

    Sima Yi turned around and saw him bringing dozens of bamboo slips, and asked with a smile: "Where did you get them?"

    "It's their trophies. They are piled in boxes at the bottom of the warehouse. Jiang Xiajun treats them as rubbish. I can pick them as I please."

    "Rubbish!"

    Sima Yi shook his head and sneered: "How can such a precious asset be treated as rubbish? It seems that Jiang Xiajun is nothing more than that."

    Yang Shun put down the bamboo slips and said with a smile: "I also got a stove and a teapot. Let me make tea for you!"

    "No, you go and have a rest! I'll read for a while."

    Yang Shun agreed and slowly stepped back. Sima Yi picked up a bamboo slip and it turned out to be "Autumn Waters". He unfolded the slip on the small table and read it slowly and carefully.

    At this time, there was a knock on the door outside. Sima Yi listened carefully. Yang Shun opened the door and heard him ask: "Who is this gentleman looking for?"

    The answer was the voice of a middle-aged man, "Go and report your young master that Jia Xu is visiting!"

    Sima Yi ¡®Ah!  ¡¯ exclaimed, and quickly stood up and went out to greet him. Jia Xu had a very good relationship with his father, and he had known him since he was a child.

    ¡°It turns out that uncle Shi is here, forgive my nephew for being rude!¡± Sima Yi bowed and gave a deep salute.

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and said with a smile: "I heard that my nephew was unfortunately captured, so I came here to take a look."

    Sima Yi suddenly realized that Jia Xu was Liu Jing¡¯s military advisor and he must have come to persuade him to surrender. Sima Yi suddenly felt embarrassed and forced a smile and said: "Uncle Shi, please sit in the room!"

    &nbspJia Xu did not refuse and followed Sima Yi into the inner cabin. The two sat down. Jia Xu smiled and asked, "How are you doing, sir?"

    "My father is now retiring in his old house in Wen County and is in good health,"

    Jia Xu sighed.  "My father and I have not seen each other for six years. He is two years younger than me. Now he can spend his old age at home peacefully, but I am still thinking about world affairs in Jiangxia. There is no comparison!"

    Sima Yi also smiled and said: "Uncle Shi is a famous and intelligent man in the world. It would be a pity if he retired too early. My father still envies me!"

    Jia Xu laughed, "If he really said that, he didn't mean what he said."

    The two reminisced about old times for a while, and Sima Yi suddenly remembered something and asked a little strangely: "Uncle Shi also lives on this boat?"

    "No! I was on the previous boat and just came over."

    "But the boat is moving." Sima Yi was puzzled, how could he survive this?

    Jia Xu laughed and said, "My nephew is just like me when I first came to Jiangxia. I wonder how ships can go back and forth while they are sailing. Northerners can't believe it. In fact, as long as they are operated properly, the two ships can be connected at any time.  The trestle is just over, very safe.¡±

    "I see!"

    Sima Yi said thoughtfully: "If a water war breaks out, ships can come and go for support at any time, right?"

    "This is the advantage of the Southern Navy. In fact, no matter how hard Prime Minister Cao trained the Navy in Jiangling, the Northern Navy still cannot compare with the Southern Navy. There is a huge difference. So this time, Prime Minister Cao's southern expedition will be mostly disadvantageous!"

    Sima Yi was silent. Jia Xu glanced at him and asked tentatively: "What do you think of Liu Zhoumu, my wise nephew?"

    "Although he is young, he is extremely ambitious. He even rejected the offer from the King of Xiangyang. It is said that the Prime Minister was full of praise for him and only regretted that he was not his son, but I personally don't know him well."

    Jia Xu sighed and said, "You really don't understand him. I didn't understand him either at first, and then I got to know him gradually. Frankly speaking, I deeply agree with his great ambition to revive the Han Dynasty, and therefore follow him."  he."

    Sima Yi had a sarcastic smile on his lips. Jia Xu actually wanted to revive the Han Dynasty. So how can he explain why he assisted Dong Zhuo back then?

    Jia Xu seemed to understand what he was thinking, shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "People will change. I have experienced the world, and I didn't realize it until my later years. Although Prime Minister Cao has the ambition to help the world, he respected the law and despised Confucianism, and valued Han people and devalued the Han people.  The gentry went against the trend of history and laid the root of their downfall.

    Even if he conquers the world, he can only maintain it by force. Once the force that maintains the Cao family's rule declines, the famous Confucian families who oppose him will form a force. When this force joins the ruling and opposition parties, that is when the Cao family will perish.  Therefore, I dare to say that the prosperity of the Cao family will not last more than three generations.  "

    Jia Xu¡¯s words made Sima Yi think deeply. He was also an anti-Cao faction at heart. Jia Xu analyzed it deeply and spoke to his heart.

    Jia Xu did not expect to be able to persuade Sima Yi to surrender in one go. He would gradually change Sima Yi's mind. Seeing that Sima Yi was deep in thought and silent, Jia Xu stood up with a smile and said: "I'm going back. My nephew must not have slept last night. Have a good rest."  Come on! After we get to Jiangxia, I¡¯ll take you around to learn about the cultural landscape of Jiangxia.¡±

    Sima Yi also stood up to see him out. When he walked to the door, Sima Yi suddenly remembered something and said quickly: "My wife may be about to give birth. I wrote a letter home, and I hope Uncle Shi will send it back to Xuchang for me to assure my family that she is safe."  ¡±

    "Okay, this is just a simple task. Please give me the letter, my dear nephew!"

    Sima Yi went back to his room to get the letter and gave it to Jia Xu, "Please leave it to Uncle Shi!"

    Jia Xu smiled and said, "When we arrive in Xiakou tomorrow, I will immediately send someone to Yecheng."

    He cupped his hands, turned around and walked away. Looking at Jia Xu walking away, Yang Shun beside him whispered: "Will he really deliver a message for the young master?"

    "It's just a letter from home. It's a piece of cake for him. I don't think Liu Jing will embarrass me on such a trivial matter."

    Sima Yi sent the letter away and with a relieved heart, he stretched out and said with a smile: "I'm going to have a good sleep. Wake me up when you get to Xiakou."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the cabin, Liu Jing listened quietly to Jia Xu's report. He looked calm and did not interrupt Jia Xu's narration from beginning to end.

    "My subordinates are very familiar with his father. His father, Sima Fang, once served as the magistrate of Jingzhaoyin and Luoyang. He has always taken it as his responsibility to protect the people in Anbang. He has told people more than once that one day, he will die of old age on the way to his post, but it will take three years.  When he was only fifty-seven years old, he resigned and returned to his hometown to retire, which shows his dissatisfaction with Cao Cao. "

    Seeing that Liu Jing listened carefully and did not interrupt his words, Jia Xu smiled and continued: "Like father, like son,"In fact, I know that Sima Yi didn¡¯t want to be Prime Minister Cao¡¯s official, but he had to do it in order to protect his family. I just tested him and said that Prime Minister Cao valued the law but ignored Confucianism, and valued the Han people over the aristocratic family, which was against the trend of history.  Since he didn't refute me, it means that he felt deeply about it, and when I slowly enlighten him, he will definitely let him work for Zhou Mu.  "

    Having said this, Jia Xu took out a letter and presented it to Liu Jing, "This is the letter home that Sima Yi asked me to send to his wife. I agreed and asked the state pastor to read it."

    Seeing that the envelope was not sealed, Liu Jing took out the letter and read it again. She couldn't help but smile and said: "It turns out that Sima Yi is also going to have a son, and he will be named Sima Shi."

    He handed the letter to Jia Xu, "You can send it to Yecheng."

    Jia Xu smiled sinisterly and lowered his voice: "When the letter reaches Yecheng, Cao Pi will definitely send someone to ask for it. I know that Cao Pi is more suspicious than his father. Doesn't Zhou Mu want to add a sentence after the letter?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 353 Qichun Storm (1)

    The content of Cao Cao's secret letter to Sun Quan was finally made public two days ago, which immediately caused an uproar on both the military and political sides in Jiangdong. The military anti-Cao faction headed by Zhou Yu and Lu Su firmly opposed compromise with Cao's army.  The crisis in Jiangdong was also imminent. Zhou Yu wrote to Sun Quan, believing that betraying the alliance between Jing and Wu would seriously damage the credibility of Jiangdong and the Marquis of Wu, and urged Sun Quan to proceed with caution.

    However, the Jiangdong civil servant group headed by Zhang Zhao and Zhuge Jin strongly supported Cao Cao's plan. They believed that the situation should be assessed and the Cao army should be avoided. Zhang Zhao even believed that Jingzhou was the world's enemy in Jiangdong and that Cao Cao's army should be used to destroy Jingzhou and create a better future for the country.  Jiangdong created conditions to seize Jingzhou.

    Zhang Zhao's plan was supported by military veterans such as Cheng Pu and Han Dang. They also believed that Jingzhou was the biggest enemy in Jiangdong. Once Jingzhou succeeded in uniting Wu to fight Cao Cao and Liu Jing became powerful, it would inevitably seriously threaten the security of Jiangdong.  The best strategy is to use Cao's army to get rid of Liu Jing.

    Whether you support or oppose it, in the past two days, the small county of Qichun has become a battlefield for the Jiangdong War and the struggle between the two factions. However, Sun Quan stayed in his mansion, closed the door of his house, and saw no one.

    At night, a light rain fell in Qichun County, and the slightest drizzle fell like a needle, shrouding Qichun, a city on the Yangtze River, in drizzle and mist. Because Wu Hou and a large number of Jiangdong officials moved in, Qichun County implemented a night ban  , after nightfall, the streets were deserted, except for groups of soldiers patrolling back and forth in this small county town.

    As night fell, a group of Jiangdong soldiers surrounded Zhou Yu, the navy commander, and entered the county. On horseback, Zhou Yu looked worried. He lived on a warship by the river, but this was his fourth time entering the city in two days.  , but still got nothing.

    He had just received urgent information. Liu Jing personally led the Jiangxia army to defeat Cao's army in Anlu County. Cao's army of 30,000 men stationed in Anlu County was wiped out. This news made Zhou Yu extremely excited. He knew in his heart that this was Liu Jing's attack on Wu.  Hou sent a clear signal.

    At this time, Zhou Yu hurriedly entered the city to tell Wu Hou the news. After a while, Zhou Yu came to Jichun Garden where Wu Hou lived, which is the largest mansion in Qichun County. He saw people gathering in front of the gate.  There were several officials holding umbrellas, including Gu Yong, Yu Fan, Zhang Wen and Bu Zhi. It seemed that they also wanted to see Wu Hou but were not allowed to enter the mansion.

    "Captain Zhou is here!" Someone shouted, and everyone immediately came to greet him.

    Everyone bowed their hands in greeting, and Gu Yong asked first, "Is Gong Jin here to persuade the Marquis of Wu?"

    "No, I'm here to report military information to Marquis Wu." Zhou Yu smiled. He didn't want to fall out with these civil servants directly, so he tried to maintain restraint.

    "Marquis Wu said he was sick. No one has been seen. We have been here for half an hour and are not allowed in. The governor is so confident, but there is important information to report to Marquis Wu?" Yu Fan asked tentatively.

    "There is no major information. It's just that the rising water in the Yangtze River is detrimental to the navy. I want to discuss changing the location with Wu Hou."

    "Could it be that Gong Jin wanted to change his station in Zhu City at Liu Jing's invitation?"

    Faced with various probing questions from these officials, Zhou Yu finally couldn't bear it anymore. He smiled and said: "The water situation is urgent. Let me report to the Marquis of Wu first. I will discuss topics of interest to you when I have time."

    He cupped his hands and urged the horse to go towards the gate of the mansion. Everyone had to get out of the way and watched helplessly as Zhou Yu dismounted and walked up the steps. He handed a document to the guard at the gate. Everyone whispered, if it is such a small thing as the Yangtze River rising, Wu  Hou was certain that no one would see him, but Zhou Yu was so confident that something big must have happened.

    Sure enough, a guard came out of the mansion, saluted Zhou Yu and said, "Marquis Wu, please invite Governor Zhou in!"

    More than a dozen civil servants were suddenly in an uproar. Gu Yong, Yu Fan and others looked at each other with suspicion. Zhang Wen said anxiously: "Things must have changed. Gentlemen, let's go see the military advisor!"

    Everyone agreed that at this time, only Zhang Zhao could see Wu Hou. Everyone made a quick decision and turned around and headed towards Zhang Zhao's residence.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In front of the small window, Sun Quan silently watched the drizzle in the dark night. He had been in a very upset mood these past few days. On the one hand, he could not make up his mind, so he leaked the contents of the secret letter. The leakage of the contents of the secret letter caused an uproar.  He was troubled by the persuasion from various forces.

    On the other hand, there has been no news from Jiangxia on the other side of the Yangtze River, which made him feel a little disappointed. He knew that Lu Su had informed Liu Jing, but except for the news that Liu Jing rushed to Xiakou, no other information came.

    However, just now Zhou Yu sent a piece of information that cheered him up. There was a war in Anlu County. He immediately understood that this was the result of Liu Jing rushing to Xiakou. He was now eager to know the situation in Anlu County.

    At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Captain Zhou is here!"

    "Invite him in""Although Sun Quan also knew that meeting Zhou Yu would make the civil servants dissatisfied, he couldn't care less at this time.

    Soon, Zhou Yu walked into the attic, bowed and said: "See Wu Hou!"

    Seeing that Zhou Yu's robe was already wet, Sun Quan smiled and said, "It seems to be raining heavily outside! Gong Jin, please change into dry clothes first! Don't feel sick."

    He waved his hand and ordered the guards to take Zhou Yu to change clothes. After a while, Zhou Yu changed his clothes and came out. The two of them sat down. At this time, Sun Quan and Zhou Yu had adjusted their mentality by changing clothes, and both of them calmed down.

    Sun Quan picked up the cup and took a slow sip of hot tea, waiting for the news from Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu pondered and said: "My subordinates have received accurate information. Liu Jing led tens of thousands of troops to defeat Cao's army in Anlu County. Cao's army of 30,000 was completely defeated."  The army was destroyed, and even the commander Zhao Yan surrendered to the Jiangxia Army."

    Sun Quan couldn't help shaking his hand, and a little tea spilled out. He stared at Zhou Yu with sharp eyes, "Is your information reliable? Zhao Yan actually surrendered to Jiang Xia."

    "Absolutely reliable! According to the news received by my subordinates, Zhao Yan has been appointed as the governor of Jingzhou."

    Sun Quan didn¡¯t say a word for a long time. This news shocked him. Zhao Yan actually surrendered to Jiang Xia. Could it be that he was so optimistic about Jiang Xia?

    Moreover, the strength shown by Jiang Xia's army in Anlu County should not be underestimated. They actually wiped out all 30,000 Cao Cao's troops overnight. This made Sun Quan's confidence in Cao Cao's side begin to waver again.

    Zhou Yu had already noticed the subtle change in his lord's mentality. He was secretly happy and said: "Cao's army came from afar and is not used to water warfare. Although it was temporarily trained in Jiangling, it actually has no meaning at all. At most, he will no longer get seasick when taking a boat. As for the  They are still far away from fighting on the water. As long as Jingzhou and Jiangdong unite closely, they will definitely defeat Cao's army, Lord! "

    Sun Quan was pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He was already in a state of confusion. The few thoughts he had just sorted out were disrupted by the sudden news from Anlu County, making him fall into confusion again.

    "Gong Jin, go ahead! Let me think about it again." Sun Quan sighed.

    "My subordinates resign!"

    Zhou Yu knew that he needed to give Sun Quan time to think about it, so he bowed and left in a hurry.

    After walking out of the house, Zhou Yu saw Lu Su hurriedly holding an umbrella through the hazy rainy night. "Zijing, what's going on?" Zhou Yu asked with a smile.

    "It turns out that Gong Jin is also here. I came to report to the Marquis of Wu that Liu Jing sent an envoy."

    Zhou Yu was startled, why was it just an envoy? Didn't Liu Jing himself intend to come to see Wu Hou?

    Lu Su seemed to know his doubts and said with a smile: "Of course Liu Jing is coming. The envoy is here to contact us about the specific meeting."

    Zhou Yu nodded, "Go ahead! Wu Hou should meet you."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhou Yu left, leaving Sun Quan alone in the room. He tried his best to calm down. Now he needed to sort out all the clues before he could weigh the pros and cons.

    He was already inclined to accept Cao Cao's conditions, but the Jiangxia Army's battle in Anlu County suddenly made him realize that the strength of the Jiangxia Army was no less than that of the Jiangdong Army. This made Sun Quan hesitate. If he betrayed the covenant,  , but Cao Cao is sitting on the mountain in Jiangling watching the tiger fight. When Jingzhou and Jiangdong are both defeated, he will come to take advantage. Is this possible?

    While I was thinking about it, there was a guard at the door reporting, "To the Marquis of Wu, Deputy Governor Lu has something urgent to see you!"

    Sun Quan wanted to see Lu Su now, so he smiled and said, "Invite him in!"

    Not long after, the guards led Lu Su into the room. Lu Su bowed and saluted, "I see you, Marquis Wu."

    "Zijing came just in time, please take a seat!"

    Lu Su sat down. He wanted to report that Liu Jing had sent an envoy, but when he saw that Sun Quan seemed to have something to say, he held back for the moment. Sun Quan glanced at him and said lightly: "Gong Jin just told me a piece of news.  , said Liu Jing defeated Cao Jun in Anlu County, and even Cao Jun Zhao Yan surrendered to Jiangxia. Do you know this? "

    Lu Su was stunned, shook his head and said, "No one knows about this."

    Sun Quan was deep in thought, and Lu Su didn't dare to disturb him. He just sat quietly aside. After an unknown amount of time, Sun Quan woke up from his deep thoughts and said with an apologetic smile: "I ignored you. Is there anything important when Zijing comes?"

    "I want to report to the Marquis of Wu. Liu Jing sent Liu Min as an envoy. He has just arrived at the dock."

    Sun Quan smiled and asked, "Has Liu Jing returned to Wuchang?"

    "She should still be in Xiakou. I will return to Wuchang tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Liu Min is here to arrange the details of the meeting between Zhou Mu and Wu Hou."

    "I see, then I won't meet him. You will have full authority to discuss the details of the meeting with him. I will leave this matter to you."

      ¡°I obey my orders!¡±

    The room fell silent, but Sun Quan did not let Lu Su leave. He thought for a moment and sighed: "Zijing, I am upset!"

    Lu Su said respectfully: "The trouble of Marquis Wu lies in the entanglement of various interests. Everyone wants to influence Marquis Wu to realize their own interests, but few people consider the interests of Marquis Wu."

    "Does Zijing also have interests?"

    "Wei Chen also has interests. Wei Chen hopes that the country will be established in Jiangdong. Wu Hou will be the founding king, and Wei Chen will be the founding minister. His name will go down in history. My descendants will be able to speak of it after a thousand years. I am the queen of the founding Lu Gong!"

    Sun Quan laughed and said, "Zijing is a man of his duty!"

    After pondering for a while, Sun Quan asked again: "What are the interests of Zibu, Demou and others?"

    Lu Su sighed for a while and said: "If Cao Cao takes the east of the Yangtze River, Lu Su and all the villagers will not lose their official positions in the provinces and counties, and they can also be promoted to nobility and marquis. Of course they don't want to risk a battle with Cao's army. But if the Marquis of Wu surrenders, how can they be settled?"  ? The car is only one ride, and there are never more than a few people. I am entrusted with the title of Xianhou to live in my old age. Liu Cong of Jingzhou is in front. Can Wu Hou see it? "

    Sun Quan sighed with emotion and said: "What Zijing said is gold and jade!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 354 Qichun Wind and Cloud (2)

    Although the peace-making faction headed by Zhang Zhao and a group of civil servants temporarily died down due to Sun Quan's personal visit to Qichun County, with the release of the contents of Cao Cao's secret message, they seemed to have been given a shot in the arm and were inspired again, strongly  Ask Sun Quan to abandon the alliance with Jingzhou and withdraw his troops back to Jiangdong.

    They persuaded Sun Quan again and again, round after round, to the point that Sun Quan was so disturbed that he closed the door of his house and refused to see anyone. Despite this, they refused to give up persuading Sun Quan.

    Zhang Zhao has realized that this is the best opportunity for Sun Quan to give up the Sun-Liu alliance. Under his planning, dozens of civil officials were divided into several groups, taking turns to go to Sun Quan's residence every day to seek an audience and persuade him to accept Cao Jun's proposition.

    In fact, Zhang Zhao's strategy of persuasion was relatively successful. It was under their repeated persuasion that Sun Quan gradually favored disbanding the Sun-Liu alliance. However, Zhang Zhao did not know that the Anlu commander had already favored Sun Quan in disbanding the alliance.  Shaken again.

    Zhang Zhao's residence is located next to the county government office. It is a small house covering an area of ??three acres. Only military advisor Zhang Zhao and a few of his servants live there. At this time, the lights in the lobby are brightly lit, and Gu Yong, Yu Fan, Zhang Wen and others are walking.  Zhi and the other four were discussing the next step with Zhang Zhao.

    Yu Fan said worriedly: "Military Advisor, I don't think things are that simple. Rising water levels is a very common thing for the navy. Marquis Wu will not meet Zhou Yu for such a trivial matter. I thought Zhou Yu must have something big to report to Marquis Wu.  We must not take it lightly and let Zhou Yu convince Wu Hou. "

    Next to him, Zhang Wen also said: "What Zhong Xiang said is absolutely true. I think we have ignored the most important person, that is Liu Jing. From the beginning to the end, as the other party to the alliance, Jiangxia seems to have no news. This is unavoidable.  It's a bit strange. This matter has become a big deal. How could Jiang Xia not take action in Qichun? Liu Jing must have known about it. I suspect that Zhou Yu's meeting with Wu Hou must have something to do with Jiang Xia. "

    "Everyone, be quiet and listen to me!"

    Zhang Zhao smiled and waved his hands and said: "I know everyone is in an urgent mood. In fact, we have already reached this point. It is difficult to impress the Marquis of Wu with just words. Not only us, but Governor Zhou and others are also the same. Unless they can  After receiving the news that Jiang Xia Army has changed the situation, otherwise, even if Wu Hou meets with Governor Zhou ten times, it will be meaningless. The question is, can Jiang Xia Army change the situation in such a short two days? "

    Everyone laughed heartily. At this time, an employee hurriedly walked into the lobby and whispered a few words in Zhang Zhao's ear. Zhang Zhao laughed, "Everyone, as expected, Jiangxia sent an envoy to negotiate.  Regarding the meeting between Liu Jing and Wu Hou, Jiang Xiajun has no choice but to negotiate face to face. "

    "But what if Liu Jing agrees to make concessions and Wu Hou finally decides to ally with Jingzhou?" Gu Yong asked seriously.

    Zhang Zhao smiled and said, "If Jingzhou really decides to make concessions, and the concessions are considerable, I will support the Sun-Liu Alliance. After all, we have to consider the best interests of Jiangdong. If Liu Jing agrees to bring Changsha, Wuling, Lingling, Guiyang, and Hengyang  The five counties and the south part of the Yangtze River in Nanjun are allocated to Jiangdong, so I think this deal can be done. "

    At this time, Bu Zhao, who had been silent, said: "But military advisor, don't forget, except for Changsha County, the other four and a half counties are in Liu Bei's hands. It would be meaningless even if Liu Jing agreed."

    Zhang Zhao smiled slightly, "Zishan only knows one thing, but not the other. As long as Liu Jing agrees to the conditions, he can't stop us from marching to Jingzhou. Frankly speaking, I not only want to march into Jingzhou, but also capture Yizhou."  , In this way, the entire south of the Yangtze River is our territory of Soochow. "

    "What if Liu Jing doesn't agree?" Bu Zha continued to ask.

    "Good question!"

    Zhang Zhao sneered and said, "If he doesn't agree, what's the point of Jiangdong's alliance with him? Then we might as well negotiate with Cao Cao and destroy Jingzhou together. We can still get the land south of the Yangtze River. I think Cao Cao will definitely consider it.  This suggestion."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After coming out of Sun Quan's house, Lu Su came to find Zhuge Liang again. At this time, Zhuge Liang had received Liu Bei's express message. His heart fell to the ground, and his mood also came out of the depression of the fall of Jiangling, and regained his usual confidence and wisdom.

    There was a drizzle in the sky, making the night very cool. Zhuge Liang put on a large cloak embroidered with cranes, a lotus hat on his head, and shook a feather fan. He looked at Lu Su opposite with a smile and said: "Zijing, don't worry, Liu Jing and these  What did Tian Yitian do to redeem Wu Hou¡¯s wrong decision?¡±

    Lu Su smiled bitterly, "I also hope he will do something. I heard that the day after I sent someone to deliver a letter to him, he rushed to Xiakou. I don't know what medicine he sold in his gourd?"

    Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment and suddenly laughed. He took out a map from the bookcase next to him, spread it on the table, and said to Lu Su: "You said Liu Jing went to Xiakou, and I understood. So?If I guessed correctly, he must have captured Anlu County and wiped out Cao Cao's army in Anlu County. Only in this way could he have the confidence to negotiate with Wu Hou, and only in this way could Wu Hou dare not easily form an alliance with Cao Cao.  "

    Lu Su stared at the map for a while, and he also felt that Zhuge Liang was right. The main force of Cao's army was far away in Jiangling. It was impossible for Liu Jing to expedition to Jiangling, and it was also unlikely to kill Fancheng. If there was not enough time, then only those on the other side of Xiakou  Anlu County, there are only 30,000 Cao's troops in Anlu County, led by Zhao Yan. They are a medium-sized piece of fat, just enough for Jiang Xia's army to swallow them up.

    Thinking of this, Lu Su couldn't help but take a breath of air, "But even so, annihilating Cao's army in two days is a little too fast."

    "It would be different if we used a surprise attack."

    Zhuge Liang smiled and said: "Zhao Yan is a scholar after all. He is not like other generals who hone his weaknesses through actual combat. His weaknesses will be very obvious. Once caught by Jiang Xia's army, not to mention two days or one night."  The whole army will be wiped out. War is so cruel. I don¡¯t think Liu Jing will give him a chance to adjust. The war should be over by now, so Liu Jing will send an envoy to contact Jiangdong about the meeting. "

    "According to Brother Xian's wishes, Liu Jing and Wu Hou should have reached a consensus during this meeting!"

    Zhuge Liang shook his head, "Things can't be that simple. There will definitely be twists and turns, but we have to think in a good direction."

    After pondering for a while, Zhuge Liang said again: "I want to talk to Wu Hou again, can Zijing make arrangements for me?"

    Lu Su nodded silently, "I'll try my best! But I'm afraid it will be two days late."

    "It doesn't matter, as long as it's before Liu Jing and Sun Quan meet."

    In fact, Zhuge Liang was worried that the meeting between Liu Jing and Sun Quan would eventually lead to a consensus on betraying his lord's interests. He had to persuade Sun Quan to give up this idea.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the fourth watch, a 500-stone passenger ship docked at the Chibi Pier. Chibi Town has been an important supply station on the Yangtze River between Jiangling and Jiangxia for many years. Every day, merchant ships and passenger ships dock at Chibi Town to rest.  Eat and replenish food.

    ¡°But with the construction of Xiakou three years ago, most of the business in Chibi Town was taken away. Fewer and fewer Yangtze River ships docked in Chibi, and the town began to become desolate.

    But just last year, Tao Trading Company took advantage of the low price to buy half of the town's land and converted it into a warehouse. Chibi Town became Tao's transit trading station, and a large supply store was built near the dock.  It is to replenish the ships of Dow Trading Co., Ltd., and also to replenish the merchant ships and passenger ships passing by.

    The five-hundred-stone passenger ship was moored at the pier. Immediately, a ship boss jumped off the ship and headed for the supply store. After taking a few steps, a burly man in attire walked out of the cabin and stopped him, "  Boss Qin, where are you going?"

    "Go buy some food and old wine."

    The boss of the ship explained: "Don't you want to dock at Xiakou and Wuchang? Then we can only resupply here. If we miss this place, our food will not be able to support it."

    The people on the boat obviously didn't want to go to Xiakou and Wuchang for supplies, so the man waved his hand and said, "Go ahead! But don't talk nonsense about us."

    "I know, I won't talk too much!"

    The captain laughed and walked quickly to the supply store a hundred steps away. At this time, the store was closed. The captain knocked hard on the door, "Old Song, it's me, Boss Qin!"

    At this time, the lights in the store came on, the door opened a crack, and the boat owner immediately squeezed in. The store manager was a short, fat, middle-aged man named Song Fu.

    He has been working as a clerk at Tao's Trading Company for nearly twenty years. He has a wide network of contacts. He knows people from all walks of life in the Yangtze River. Last year, he was promoted and transferred to be the manager of the supply store. He has five clerks under him.

    Song Fu held an oil lamp in his hand, yawned sleepily, clapped his mouth and said: "Boss Qin, the rule on the Yangtze River is not to make up after the first watch. It's already the fourth watch now. What are you doing?"

    The boss of the boat laughed and said, "Old Song, I'm in a hurry to go to Qichun, so just do it! I won't do it again."

    "Why don't you go to Xiakou to replenish supplies? It's just dawn there, and the price of rice there is much cheaper than here. Don't you know, when did you, an oil-skinned guy like you, become so rich?"

    Scratching is a local dialect in Jingzhou, which means miser. The boss of the boat smiled bitterly and said: "The guests on the boat don't allow me to dock in Xiakou or Wuchang. They pay for it anyway, so I don't care. Don't say anything."  "No nonsense, I'll buy two stones of rice and five jars of wine, and carry them to the boat for me."

    The rule of the supply store is that you are not allowed to inquire about the customer's situation. Song Fu didn't ask much, so he asked two waiters to get up and move rice and wine jars. One waiter walked quickly with a bag of rice.Run to the dock.

    When he came back after a while, the waiter looked a little surprised. He quietly pulled Song Fu aside and whispered: "The people on the boat actually carry crossbows and spears!"

    Crossbows are prohibited items among the people, and private possession of them is strictly prohibited in Jingzhou. Although these prohibitions existed in name only during the war years, they were strictly controlled in Jiangxia County.

    When traders traveling to and from the Yangtze River passed through Jiangxia County, they would deliberately hide the prohibited weapons, but the merchants actually saw crossbows and spears on the boats.

    This was a violation of the rules. Song Fu was a little confused. He walked back and asked with a smile, "Who are your guests? Why don't you stop at Xiakou and Wuchang?"

    "Old Song, according to the rules, it seems you can't ask this!" the ship boss said with some dissatisfaction.

    Song Fu's face sank and he said coldly: "Since you want to follow the rules, I will immediately report to the Xiakou garrison that your guest brought a crossbow and spear privately. You are the boss of the ship and you should know the consequences!"

    The boat boss was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. Of course he knew the consequences. If people from this county hadn't brought banned weapons to cross the border by boat, the boat boss would have been severely punished. He quickly clasped his hands and begged: "Old Song, we have known each other for more than ten years, let him go."  Me!"

    Song Fu snorted and said, "Then tell me! What I asked just now."

    The boss of the boat had no choice but to whisper: "They boarded the boat from Jiangling. I suspect they are Cao Jun!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 355 Qichun Storm (3)

    Song Fu's eyes suddenly widened and he shouted out loud, "Cao Jun!"

    The boss of the boat immediately covered his mouth and said, "Keep your voice down, those guys eat people without spitting out their bones. Are you going to kill me?"

    Song Fu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with lingering fear: "Boss Qin, you are too bold. You dare to transport Cao's army. If Jiang Xia's army finds out, your life will not be saved."

    "I don't want to either! But there's nothing I can do if I'm found."

    The boss of the ship did not tell the truth. The guest gave him twenty taels of gold, and he had already thrown away all risks. At this time, the clerk came forward and reported: "Shopkeeper Fu, they have all been loaded onto the ship."

    Song Fu nodded, sighed and said, "Boss Qin, I'll just pretend I don't know anything. Just take care of yourself!"

    The boat boss was anxious to leave, so he paid the money and hurried away. Looking at his disappearing figure in the dark night, a sneer appeared on Song Fu's fat face, "Qin, have you forgotten who I am?"  ?¡±

    He immediately called two men up and whispered to them: "Keep an eye on this ship. There is Cao Jun on the ship. I will report to Wuchang."

    The two guys nodded, turned around and ran towards the dock. There was a small sloop carrying urgent cargo on the dock. It was very fast and could be used for tracking.

    Song Fu wrote a note, hurried to the backyard, took out a pigeon from the pigeon cage in the backyard, carefully stuffed the note into the small tube on its leg, and threw the pigeon into the sky.  Spread your wings and fly to the east.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing's boat, escorted by ten warships, set off from Xiakou and sailed southward to Wuchang County. In fact, he was going to Qichun County to meet with Sun Quan.

    At noon, the fleet slowly docked at the Wuchang County pier. They only stopped temporarily at the pier and then continued south to Qichun County.

    Liu Jing stood on the bow of the ship, looking at Wuchang County several miles away. He wanted to go back to his hometown to see his newborn son, but he had to deal with the Jiangdong Army's alliance crisis as soon as possible, and he had no time for the time being.  Take care of your own family.

    Liu Jing was also very angry about Sun Quan's betrayal. If there was no threat of Cao Jun's southward pressure, he simply wanted to throw off his arms and fight with Jiangdong's army.

    It¡¯s just that he has to endure some things. Politics is an art of compromise. If he doesn¡¯t learn to compromise, he will achieve nothing.

    If he stood on Jiangdong's side, Sun Quan's behavior would be understandable. If it were Liu Jing, he might also waver in his stance. If one day, Cao Jun attacks Jiangdong from Hefei, will he save Jiangdong?

    "In the final analysis, it is still a sentence. Today he begs Sun Quan, and one day Sun Quan will come to beg him Liu Jing. No one in this world will always be a grandson.

    "Zhou Mu, Xu Changshi and the others are here!"

    There were only a dozen people on horseback rushing from the direction of Wuchang City. The leader was none other than Chang Shi Xu Shu, followed by a group of civil servants, including Jiang Wan, Dong Yun, Zhou Buyi, Ma Liang and other young senior officials. Liu Jing was surprised  I saw Tao Zheng, who was Tao Zhan's brother. He had given up business and entered politics, and became the captain of Wuchang County.

    After a while, Xu Shu led everyone on to the boat, bowed and saluted: "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hands: "Thank you for your hard work, everyone, please come into the cabin and sit down!"

    He ordered his soldiers to invite everyone into the cabin and sit down. At this time, Xu Shu pulled Liu Jing aside and whispered: "We found traces of Cao Cao's envoy."

    Liu Jing was startled, "What is Cao Cao's envoy? Is it the envoy to Qichun County?"

    "Exactly!"

    Xu Shu called Tao Zheng forward and told him: "You can tell the governor yourself!"

    Although Tao Zheng was Liu Jing's brother-in-law, he was Liu Jing's subordinate at this time and could not talk about personal affairs. He saluted and said: "Early this morning, my father received the Flying Pigeon Express letter from the supply store in Chibi Town, saying that he had discovered  There were about a dozen people on the passenger ship carrying Cao Jun, heading to Qichun County, and the leader was a scribe. "

    Liu Jing was surprised and happy that Cao Cao's envoy was discovered. He immediately asked: "Where is this passenger ship now?"

    "They refused to dock at Xiakou. According to the normal speed, they should have already passed Xiakou by now and are heading towards Wuchang County."

    This news made Liu Jing feel extremely lucky. It was like a great gift from God. He immediately turned around and ordered: "Let Shen Mi come to see me!"

    After a moment, General Shen Mi stepped forward, bowed and saluted, "Please give me the instructions from the state pastor!"

    Shen Mi is Gan Ning's general. He was originally the number one water expert among the Jinfan bandits in the Yangtze River. He was also the number one water expert in the Jiangxia Army. He has been promoted to Yajiang through hard work. This time he will lead a thousand elite water troops.  Follow Liu Jing to Qichun County.

    Liu Jing turned around and asked Tao Zheng again:"Can anyone from the Tao family help?"

    Tao Zheng nodded, "The Tao family has sent people to wait at the dock and is willing to assist the army in arresting him."

    Liu Jing then ordered Shen Mi: "You can take five hundred brothers and follow the Tao family to arrest Cao Jun's envoy. Do not hurt anyone. You must capture him alive to see me."

    "I humble my duty and obey my orders!"

    Shen Mi bowed and followed Tao Zheng off the boat.

    Liu Jing then walked into the cabin and saw everyone whispering and discussing something, so she smiled and asked: "What are you looking forward to?"

    Everyone almost said in unison: "Prisoners of war!"

    There was a sudden burst of laughter in the cabin. The more than 25,000 prisoners of war captured in this Anlu battle were definitely an extremely valuable asset to Jiang Xia.

    Due to war preparations, more than 70% of the young labor force has been organized into militia reserves. They drill day and night, and a large number of boatmen have been requisitioned. This has caused an extreme shortage of young labor force in Jiangxia. Seeing that during the summer harvest season, large wheat fields are unharvested, so they can only mobilize  Women and the elderly participate in field work.

    Liu Jing was very aware of the labor shortage. He could understand the local government's thirst for labor. Liu Jing waved his hand and the cabin immediately became quiet. Then he asked Xu Shu: "How many kerosene transactions have been carried out with Jiangdong now?"

    Xu Shu leaned forward and replied: "Two thousand barrels of kerosene have been shipped out, and another three thousand barrels are being loaded onto the ship and have not been shipped out yet."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "Now that our relationship with Jiangdong is slightly at odds, the kerosene trading will be stopped immediately and will be resumed upon my notification."

    Xu Shu also knew the current situation. He nodded silently, "I understand!"

    At this time, Jiang Wan suggested: "Report to Zhou Mu, if the kerosene trade is resumed, I suggest exchanging grain. After all, we also have copper mines that can be used to mint money. In comparison, grain is more precious."

    Liu Bei understood what he meant, and smiled at everyone: "This time I want to talk to everyone about the labor issue. Cao Cao is training the navy in Jiangling. It is impossible to march eastward within two months, so the training of the militia reserve army is not that good.  If there is an emergency, they will focus on harvesting wheat and participating in planting rice. With the help of women and the elderly, the labor on the farmland can be solved.¡±

    Xu Shu understood what Liu Jing meant and smiled: "Does Zhou Mu mean that the more than 20,000 prisoners of war of Cao's army are not going to be given to us?"

    ¡°Everyone, take a look!¡±

    Liu Jing pointed at Xu Shu and smiled at everyone: "Look at how shrewd your shopkeeper Xu is. Before I even finished speaking, he blocked my way out."

    Everyone also laughed, and Xu Shu said a little embarrassedly: "I was just joking. I know Zhou Mu wants them to go mine."

    "That's right. I do plan to use the 25,000 Cao Army prisoners of war to mine and make money. The prisoners of war have been escorted to Green Copper Mountain and are under the custody of General Xing Daorong, led by 3,000 troops. As for the civilian officials, Li Zhengfang will serve as the Mining and Metallurgical Envoy.  As for the food for prisoners of war"

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing glanced at the slightly worried Xu Shu and said with a smile: "Xu Changshi doesn't have to worry about the food problem of the prisoners of war. In this battle of Anlu County, we seized nearly 200,000 shi of military food, and all of it will be used for the prisoners of war.  In addition, I hope to establish a rule that prisoners of war will be freed after three years of hard labor.¡±

    Xu Shu nodded, "The Zhou Mu is kind-hearted, which is a blessing to everyone in the world!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Shen Mi led ten sentry ships and three thousand-stone warships to search for ships on the river like a net. The news they received was a three-masted passenger ship with a weight of 500 stones, and it was followed by a small boat from the Tao family. At this time, the war  The outbreak has not yet officially broke out, and Jiangxia has not issued a river ban, so there are many passenger ships and merchant ships on the river.

    "The five-hundred-stone three-masted passenger ship is the most common long-distance passenger ship and can be seen everywhere on the river. In order to prevent it from slipping through the net, all five-hundred-stone passenger ships sailing south were intercepted, and Jiangxia soldiers boarded the ship one by one for questioning.

    The steward of the Tao family who accompanied Shen Mi in searching the passenger ship was named Wang. He was very experienced and knew the boss of the passenger ship that transported Cao Jun's envoys. With him there, the possibility of the target slipping through the net was very small.

    At this time, three 500-stone passenger ships came in succession on the river. Manager Wang suddenly pointed to a single-masted boat following the passenger ships and said: "That is the ship of our trading company, that ship!"

    Shen Mi's eyes immediately focused on the three passenger ships, and their target should be one of them. At this time, the second passenger ship suddenly turned around and tried to sail to the other side. Shen Mi immediately shouted loudly: "Stop that ship!  "

    In fact, without his order, the Jiangxia navy had already begun to take action, with seven or eight sentinel ships attacking from the north and south. At this time, a thousand-stone warship rushed from the north, blocked the passenger ship in front, and finally stopped the passenger ship.

    This ship is the supply ship in Chibi.The big man was so frightened that he trembled all over and hid on the side of the boat with his head in his hands. He knew that he was in danger.

    Seven or eight sentry ships quickly approached the passenger ship, and Jiangxia soldiers climbed onto the side of the ship. At this moment, two men holding crossbows rushed out of the cabin and fired arrows at the Jiangxia soldiers who climbed on board. One Jiangxia soldier dodged.  Unable to make it, he was hit by an arrow and fell into the river with a scream.

    Several soldiers jumped into the river to rescue them, and dozens of other soldiers fired arrows like a hail of arrows, killing two men. At this time, more than 20 soldiers rushed into the cabin and escorted several young men out of the cabin.  Strong man.

    The last person who came out was a scribe of about thirty years old, with a medium-to-short stature and a thin appearance. He was so frightened that his face turned pale. He saw several Jiangxia soldiers rushing toward him with swords, and he was so frightened that he shouted loudly.  : "I am the envoy of Prime Minister Cao, please don't hurt me!"

    The soldiers pushed him to the deck, and he found a jade letter box from his body. This was Cao Cao's second letter to Sun Quan. Shen Mi stepped forward, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him to his feet.  , stared at him and asked: "Who are you, and how come you have Jiang Xia's accent?"

    Shen Mi was eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and round-waisted. His face was full of flesh and scars, and he looked very ferocious. The scribe grabbed him by the collar and stammered in fright: "I Chai Sang  Jiang Gan!¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 356 Qichun Storm (4)

    "You are Jiang Gan!"

    In the cabin, Liu Jing looked at the slightly thin man in front of him with great interest. Is this Jiang Gan who fell into the trap twice and lost Cao Cao's 830,000 troops in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?  He is actually from Chaisang.

    Jiang Gan knew Liu Jing. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and whispered: "That's right."

    Liu Jing remembered that he had met two people named Jiang, and asked: "Who are you, Jiang Zhong, who was at the police station in Fancheng, and Jiang Qi, Huang Zu's staff?"

    "They are all from my tribe."

    Jiang Gan replied helplessly. He stood in front of Liu Jing with his hands down, looking a little embarrassed. Jiang Gan even felt a little ashamed. His father is still in Chaisang, living with his eldest brother, and his nephew Jiang Li is still Jiang Xiajun's.  A village chief.

    This was his secret. He told Cao Cao that his parents were both dead and he hid the fact that his father was still alive. He was also afraid that Liu Jing would find out his background, but his accent revealed the secret.

    "In what year did you join Cao Cao?" Liu Jing asked again.

    "Eight years of Jian'an!"

    Jiang Gan immediately explained: "But I left Chaisang in the fifth year of Jian'an to study in the north. When the state pastor was in charge of Chaisang, I was not in Chaisang."

    At this time, Liu Jing¡¯s tone became softer, and she waved her hand and said, ¡°Sir, please sit down!¡±

    Jiang Qian sat down uneasily and glanced at the letter box on the table. Inside was the official letter from Prime Minister Cao to Sun Quan. Liu Jing picked up the letter box. The letter box was made of white jade and tied with a gold belt.

    Liu Jing opened the jade box and took out the letter inside. Liu Jing was startled. This was not a private letter from Cao Cao, but a written commitment stamped with the seal of the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty.  Attacked Jiangdong and made Sun Quan the Duke of Wu.

    At the same time, he also proposed that if Jiangdong's army is willing to attack Jingzhou together with Cao's army, after the war, Jiangdong will get the four counties of Changsha, Guiyang, Lingling, and Wuling. There is also a third article that he is willing to marry the sister of Wu Hou for his second son Zhangqiu.  The two families formed a good relationship between Qin and Jin.

    This made Liu Jing take a breath. This was a condition that Sun Quan could not refuse. Not only was the prime minister's promise, but it also gave Sun Quan the four counties of Jingnan. It seemed that Cao Cao had spent a lot of money and must win over Sun Quan. Fortunately,  This letter of guarantee was intercepted by me, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable. The Chibi steward must reward him generously.

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, thinking about the next step. Of course, he could detain the letter and the envoy and pretend that the incident had not happened, but what if Cao Cao sent another envoy?  Or Sun Quan sends an envoy to Jiangling, which will cause a crisis.

    The best way is to let the envoy go to Qichun County. Liu Jing glanced at Jiang Gan again, with a faint smile in his eyes. It seemed that the key to solving the crisis still fell on this person.

    Liu Jing sat down, looked at Jiang Gan and smiled slightly: "I saw the household register of Chaisang last year. Brother Ziyi's father should still be in Chaisang!"

    These words were like a heavy blow, hitting Jiang Qian's heart hard, causing a huge crack to appear in his already not very strong heart. He slowly lowered his head, his heart filled with despair

    At Sun Quan¡¯s temporary residence, Zhuge Liang, accompanied by Lu Su, waited patiently in front of the gate for Sun Quan¡¯s summons. Lu Su did not break his promise and finally persuaded Sun Quan to meet Zhuge Liang and listen to Liu Bei¡¯s opinions.

    Politics has always been extremely realistic, relying entirely on strength. Ever since Cao Cao captured Jiangling and Liu Bei was defeated in crossing the river, his status has plummeted. Sun Quan is no longer interested in him, and Zhuge Liang has also been ignored by Sun Quan.

    However, Zhuge Liang did not want to leave Qichun. He wanted to find ways to get Liu Bei to join the anti-Cao camp, otherwise Liu Bei would lose the opportunity to share the spoils. In the end, with the help of Lu Su, Zhuge Liang got a chance to meet Sun Quan, and became a  Failure is achieved in one fell swoop.

    At this time, the side door opened, and a guard ran out, saluted and said: "Wu Hou invites you!"

    Zhuge Liang and Lu Su looked at each other and walked toward the gate together. Soon, the two of them walked to the study. The guards came into the room and reported: "Deputy Governor Lu and Mr. Zhuge are here!"

    "Please come in!" Sun Quan's voice came from the room. He seemed to be in a good mood and answered easily.

    Zhuge Liang walked into the room and saw Sun Quan sitting at the desk reviewing official documents sent by Jiangdong. Zhang Hong was currently in charge of the internal affairs of Soochow, and everything was safe for the time being. The Shanyue people did not take the opportunity to cause trouble. The agricultural climate was good, and a good summer grain harvest was expected, which made Sun Quan feel good.  Very pleasant.

    Zhuge Liang stepped forward and saluted: "Kong Ming meets the Marquis of Wu!"

    Sun Quan smiled, waved his hand and said, "Mr. Kong Ming, please sit down!"

    Zhuge Liang sat down, and Lu Su sat on the other side with him. Sun Quan then said apologetically: "I have been busy these days and have no time to see you. I really neglected you. Please ask me, sir."Forgive me!  "

    Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "Liang also heard about it. He knew that Wu Hou was upset, so he didn't dare to disturb him."

    Sun Quan knew that he was talking about Cao Cao's secret information. He didn't want to talk to Liu Bei about it, so he smiled and asked, "I wonder how the emperor's uncle is doing now?"

    "I received an express message from the emperor the day before yesterday. The emperor is already in Wuling County. Wuling County currently has sufficient food and an army of 25,000 people. The strength is still there."

    "That's the blessing among misfortunes. Last time I went to Soochow, I was really in a hurry. Whenever I invite the emperor's uncle to come to Jiangdong again, I will definitely entertain him well."

    Sun Quan just said it casually and did not take it seriously, but Zhuge Liang seized the opportunity and said with a smile: "In this case, Kong Ming will accept the invitation of Wu Hou on behalf of the emperor. The emperor will definitely come to visit Wu Hou after the war."

    Sun Quan was startled. He didn't expect Zhuge Liang to take it seriously. He had to smile bitterly and changed the subject, "It's a pity that the emperor's uncle can't participate in this battle against Cao Cao."

    This was exactly what Zhuge Liang wanted to talk about. His expression became serious and he said slowly: "Wu Hou was surprised by what he said. The joint resistance against Cao Cao was the last trip to Soochow. Wu Hou and the emperor's uncle personally decided on the plan. The army of Nanjun  Although he suffered a small setback, his strength was still there, and his desire to resist Cao became even stronger.

    Now we still have five counties including Hengyang, Wuling, and half of Nanjun, with an elite army of 25,000 people. More importantly, the emperor's uncle has a belt edict in his hand, and he is ordered to punish thieves. Otherwise, Cao Cao will be the prime minister.  The emperor's decree was to conquer Jiangdong personally. Liu Zhoumu and Wu Hou were both Han officials, so why did they resist and disobey the decree?  "

    Zhuge Liang's words hit Sun Quan's heart. Zhuge Liang was right. The biggest problem with their alliance to fight against Cao Cao was that they were not justified. Cao Cao was ordered to conquer, but they resisted the imperial army. To put it more seriously, they were rebelling.  Rebellion, if there was Liu Bei's belt edict, they would be on the side of the Qing emperor and save the Han emperor, which would have a completely different meaning.

    Seeing that Sun Quan had been persuaded, Zhuge Liang continued: "There must be one of the three parties resisting Cao. Uncle Liu is willing to serve as the leader of Wu Hou and assist Wu Hou in attacking the Han traitors!"

    This was also Zhuge Liang¡¯s trump card. He knew that Sun Quan and Liu Jing were secretly vying for the position of leader of the resistance against Cao Cao, which was of great significance to the distribution of interests after the war, so he first expressed his support for Sun Quan as the leader of the three-party resistance against Cao Cao.

    Sun Quan was finally convinced. He nodded and asked, "I wonder how your uncle will participate in the fight against Cao Cao?"

    Zhuge Liang was overjoyed, and Sun Quan finally relented. He quickly said: "We have two plans. One is to send troops to follow the Jiangdong Army. The second is to fight on the western front, attack Jiangling, and cut off Cao Cao's retreat to Jiangling. The two plans are led by Wu Hou.  Decide."

    Sun Quan thought for a while and then smiled and said: "Let me think about it again, don't make a decision in a hurry. In short, I support the emperor's stance against Cao Cao."

    Since Zhuge Liang had achieved his goal, he stayed soon and stood up to leave. Sun Quan personally escorted Zhuge Liang out and gave Lu Su a wink. Lu Su understood that Wu Hou wanted to stay by himself.

    Lu Su sent Zhuge Liang out of the gate and hurried back. He saw Sun Quan standing in front of the window, deep in thought and silent. Lu Su did not dare to disturb his master's thoughts, so he stood aside quietly.

    After a long time, Sun Quan asked: "Does Zijing know why Liu Bei must participate in the plan to resist Cao Cao?"

    "He is the emperor's uncle, and he is subject to the imperial edict. At this time, if he hides in Wuling, he will be criticized by the world. He cannot bear such a heavy responsibility."

    "You really think so?" Sun Quan turned around and looked at Lu Su with a half-smile.

    Lu Su nodded, "Weichen indeed thinks so, and Zhuge Liang also admitted that Weichen's idea is correct."

    Sun Quan shook his head, "That's because Zijing is too loyal and cannot understand Zhuge Liang's scheme."

    Lu Su quickly bowed and said: "I don't know, please let Wu Hou make it clear."

    Sun Quan sighed, "Sit down and talk!"

    The two sat down, and Sun Quan smiled bitterly and said: "I just realized it. Yesterday Zibu came to me and advised me that even if we finally join forces with Liu Jing to fight against Cao Cao, we must negotiate conditions and ask Liu Jing to give up Changsha and Wuling."  , Lingling, Guiyang, and Hengyang five counties, but except for Changsha County, the other four counties are in the hands of Liu Bei. Just now Zhuge Liang insisted that Liu Bei's army participate in the fight against Cao Cao. He was obviously aware of this, but I forgot for a moment. Only now  react to."

    Lu Su was silent for a moment and asked, "Does Marquis Wu want to go back on his word and overturn the promise he just made?"

    "I won't be so dishonest, but if I can make Kong Ming disappear without knowing it, then"

    What Sun Quan meant was that if Zhuge Liang was killed, no one would know about his promise, and it would be voided. However, this idea was a bit too cruel, and he hoped to get Lu Su's support.

    But Lu Su immediately stood up and said: "Wu Hou, please allow me to say something, Liu Bei's participation in the war will help the lord resist Cao Cao. This is actually a righteous thing, but willing to risk the name of a rebel for the sake of the four counties is actually a small loss. If Wu Hou wants the four counties, he can do it after the war.  Looking for other reasons, but in the face of a powerful enemy, Wei Chen believes that the right way is to unite and fight against Cao Cao!  "

    Sun Quan was silent. Lu Su's words made him feel extremely ashamed. After a long while, he sighed and said: "Zijing is right. I almost did something stupid. Thanks to Zijing's advice, I'll just adopt Zijing's words."  , Once you have promised it, you will not go back on it, and the four counties will find other reasons to seize it after the war."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 357 Qichun Storm (5)

    In the afternoon of the next day, Sun Quan led hundreds of civil and military officials to gather in front of Qichun Pier to welcome Liu Jing. At this time, a soldier shouted from the observation deck: "The Jiangxia fleet has appeared on the river ten miles away!"

    After a while, a fleet of more than a dozen large ships was seen heading towards Qichun County. On the leading ship was a huge gold-rimmed red flag. The red flag was the military flag of the Han Dynasty and the military flag of the Jingzhou Army.  The golden edge represents the commanding flag of Jingzhou Mu.

    Sun Quan turned around to signal, and Lu Su immediately shouted loudly: "Play music!"

    Drums and drums suddenly sounded on the pier, and eight dragon and lion dance teams were flying up and down. It was extremely lively. After a while, Liu Jing's boat slowly docked at the pier. Liu Jing stood on the bow of the boat, with a smile on his face and saluted everyone, and bowed his head  Wearing a golden crown, purple robe, and jade belt around his waist, he showed his military and literary talents and heroic appearance.

    Behind him were twenty personal guards and two officers, Liu Min and Jiang Wan.

    Sun Quan slightly admired and said: "You are indeed a dragon and a phoenix among men, extraordinary!"

    The big ship docked at the shore, and a boatman quickly climbed onto the ship's plank. Liu Jing walked ashore and said with a smile, "I don't dare bother my brother to come and greet him personally!"

    "How can I not welcome my good brother when he arrives?"

    Sun Quan laughed and stepped forward, and the two hugged tightly. Sun Quan looked him up and down, then smiled and said: "I haven't seen you for a year, my dear brother has lost a lot of weight!"

    "In these troubled years, how can I gain weight?"

    The two understood and laughed. At this time, Liu Jing waved, and a soldier came forward with a copper plate. In the plate was a short sword. Liu Jing said with a smile: "This sword is called Qingyue.  I got it from Chaisang and have kept it till now, now I give it to my brother.¡±

    This sword was actually made by Chaisang craftsmen when they were smelting the horse-cutting sword. It was extremely sharp and unique. Collecting famous swords was Sun Quan's biggest hobby. He suddenly became interested, picked up the sword and pulled it out, only to see the sword body.  It is light blue in color, the sword shines like the moon, is cold and extremely sharp.

    "What a sword!"

    Sun Quan praised him repeatedly, handed the sword to his entourage, and smiled at Liu Jing: "I heard that my dear brother is happy to have a son, and I want to express my feelings. Gold and jewelry are not rare. I will give my dear son a big one."

    He turned around and shouted: "Bring me up!"

    I saw the crowd moving away, and a dark-skinned young man slowly walked forward holding a baby elephant. Liu Jing was surprised. He walked up and patted the baby elephant, and suddenly remembered that Sun Quan gave Cao Cao an elephant in history.  , and finally it was Cao Chong who called the elephant. Could it be this elephant?

    Sun Quan stepped forward and introduced with a smile: "This elephant's name is Mira. It was given to me by a Lingnan businessman. There is also an elephant slave. The baby elephant is very docile. When your son grows up, you can ride it.  "

    ¡°Then thank you very much, brother!¡±

    Liu Jing ordered people to take the baby elephant and the elephant slave to the big ship, then followed Sun Quan into the carriage and slowly headed towards the city surrounded by people.

    Qichun County is a small county, and there are no hundreds of thousands of people like Dongwu City who came to the streets to welcome them. Only thousands of people from the whole county came to the streets to welcome them. Although the number was small, everyone cheered, and they all had excited smiles on their faces.  I sincerely welcome Liu Jing¡¯s arrival.

    More than ten years ago, Sun Jian crossed the river to attack Liu Biao, crossing the river from Qichun County. In that battle, almost all of Qichun County was destroyed. No one looked forward to a reconciliation between Sun and Liu more than the people of Qichun County who had suffered the pain of the war.

    Liu Jing looked at the excited smiling faces, and he thought of the people in Xiangyang, who also welcomed him from the bottom of their hearts. He couldn't help but sigh: "Their requirements are actually very low. They just want to live in peace. Speaking of which,  It¡¯s shameful that it¡¯s hard to meet them even with such low requirements.¡±

    Sun Quan also sighed slightly and said, "What my wise brother said is also what I think!"

    The carriage stopped. There is no palace as spacious and spectacular as Wu Palace in Qichun County. Only the mansion where Sun Quan lives is slightly more decent. Sun Quan smiled and asked: "I remember that in Soochow, you lived in Tao Mansion, so where is this place?"  ? Should I arrange it, or should I go back and take the boat? "

    Liu Jing said apologetically: "Let's stay here during the day! We'd better go back to the ship at night and let my brother worry about it."

    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided, my dear brother, I¡¯ll rest first, and I¡¯ll take care of you tonight.¡± Sun Quan smiled, patted Liu Jing on the shoulder, and led him into the house.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sun Quan had the habit of napping for half an hour every day at noon. For many years, he couldn't do it. He returned to his room, tidied up a little and then lay down to take a nap. But today he was a little tired, overslept, and fell into a trance.  He was pushed awake by the guards.

    "Wu Hou, wake up!"

    Sun Quan woke up with a start. He was helped to sit up. He felt pain in his head, as if it was about to explode. He frowned and asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

    "It's been more than half an hour, Marquis Wu, the military advisor has something urgent to report."??¡±

    Sun Quan rubbed his temples, his headache subsided slightly, and then he said: "Invite him in!"

    After a moment, Zhang Zhao hurriedly walked in, bowed and said: "I disturbed the Marquis Wu from his nap, but I have something urgent to report."

    "Tell me! What's the matter?"

    Zhang Zhao took a step forward and whispered: "Prime Minister Cao has sent an envoy!"

    "ah!"

    Sun Quan was shocked, and his headache suddenly disappeared. He quickly asked: "Where is he now?"

    "At the small pier in the north, the envoys did not dare to get off the boat for fear of being seen by Jiang Xia's army, so they only sent people to inform the ministers."

    Sun Quan was a little surprised. It was such a coincidence that the two families arrived at the same time. He didn't dare to think that if Cao Cao sent an envoy again, it would arrive in these two days. In fact, it would not be strange, it was just a coincidence.

    He pondered for a moment and said: "Send a carriage to pick him up, but don't come to my place. He will be taken to your house first. I will go to see him in the afternoon. Only you and I know about this matter."  Tell anyone."

    "Weichen understands!"

    Zhang Zhao bowed and left in a hurry. Sun Quan felt a pain coming to his head again. Cao Cao actually sent an envoy again. He had just decided to unite with Jingzhou to fight against Cao, but he didn't expect another disturbance.

    In fact, Sun Quan was not completely determined. He still left a little bit of luck. If Cao Cao's envoy did not come, then he would cooperate with Liu Jing and extract greater benefits from Liu Jing. But when Cao Cao's envoy arrived, he  His unstable mind began to become confused again. What conditions would Cao Cao give himself?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cao Cao's envoy was naturally Jiang Gan. After being secretly interrogated by Liu Jing, he was finally forced to compromise and agreed to Liu Jing's conditions. Except for his entourage being disguised as Jiangxia soldiers, everything was the same as when he arrived.

    In the room, Jiang Qian was talking to Zhang Zhao about Cao's army's war preparations. This was also a task given to him by Cao Cao. He told Jiangdong's ministers about the strength of the northern army. However, when Jiang Qian set off from Jiangling, they did not know the news of the defeat of Anlu County.

    At this time, a family member came to the door to report, "Master, Wu Hou is here!"

    Zhang Zhao hurriedly went out to meet Sun Quan. In the room, Jiang Gan was very nervous. Liu Jing gave him a fake letter. He didn't know the content and was worried that the shrewd Sun Quan would see through it.

    At this time, the door curtain was raised, and Zhang Zhao led Sun Quan into the room, "Mr. Jiang, this is my master."

    Jiang Gan felt that Sun Quan's eyes were extremely sharp, as if he had seen through his pretense. He felt guilty for a while, and stepped forward to salute, "Jiang Gan, Jiujiang County, see Wu Hou!"

    Jiujiang County was also Yuzhang County at this time. Chaisang originally belonged to Jiujiang County. After it was occupied by Liu Biao, it was included in Jiangxia County. In fact, in the imperial court territory, Chaisang still belonged to Jiujiang County, but Jiang Gan did not dare  Mentioning that I am from Chaisang is too sensitive.

    "Mr. Jiang, you have worked hard all the way. Please sit down!"

    Jiang Gan felt relieved when he saw that Sun Quan did not ask where he was from in Jiujiang County. Unexpectedly, as soon as he sat down, Sun Quan asked with a smile: "It turns out that Mr. Jiang is also from Jiangdong, where is he from Jiujiang County?"

    Jiang Gan's heart almost stopped beating in shock. Fortunately, he had already thought about his words on the way, so he bit the bullet and said: "My ancestral home is Chaisang people. Ten years ago, in order to escape the war, I moved to Peng with my parents."  Ze, Gong Jin and I were schoolmates when we were young.¡±

    This is why Jiang Gan dare not deny that he is from Jiujiang County. He and Zhou Yu are classmates and friends. Zhou Yu knows him. He can only say that he moved to Pengze before Liu Jing guarded Chaisang.

    "It turns out that he is Gong Jin's classmate and friend, so he is not an outsider."

    Fortunately, Sun Quan was more concerned about Cao Cao's letter and did not continue to ask where Jiang Qian's parents were now.  He pondered for a moment and asked, "I wonder if Prime Minister Cao has anything to say to me?"

    Jiang Gan took out the jade box and presented it to Sun Quan, "This is the Prime Minister's autograph letter. Please read it to the Marquis of Wu!"

    Sun Quan immediately took the jade box, slowly opened it, and took out the letter. Cao Cao's letter was still a formal letter of commitment, but the content was very different.

    Cao Cao promised not to attack Jiangdong for three years, but there were conditions. The condition was that Wuhu would be used as the boundary, and the Jiangdong army would not be allowed to cross Wuhu within three years. In addition, the two counties of Yuzhang and Qichun would be temporarily under the trusteeship of the imperial court within three years, and the imperial army would be stationed there for three years.  Later returned to Jiangdong.

    As for the joint attack on Jingzhou and the transfer of Changsha, Guiyang and other four counties to Jiangdong after the war, there was no mention at all. However, at the end of the letter, Cao Cao was willing to marry the sister of Wu Hou for his second son Cao Zhang, which was retained.

    At the end of the guarantee letter, there is a bright red seal of the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty. This is a seal imitated by Jiangxia craftsmen. Even the handwriting is exactly the same without any flaws.

    Sun Quan¡¯s Briefs?I can't believe my eyes. Jiangdong's army is not allowed to cross Wuhu for three years. Yuzhang and Qichun counties are temporarily under the trusteeship of the imperial court for three years, and the imperial army is stationed there. After three years, it will be returned to Jiangdong. What kind of imperial army?  , isn¡¯t that Cao Jun?

    An uncontrollable anger surged from Sun Quan's heart, and he was so angry that his lungs were about to explode. This was what Cao Cao called a letter of guarantee. He didn't mention a word when writing the private letter, coaxing himself to retreat first, but once he had to seal the guarantee, the conditions  Just came out. It seems that Cao Cao had planned this for a long time.

    "Wuhou, what's the content?" Zhang Zhao asked in a low voice next to him. When he saw that Sun Quan's expression was wrong, he felt something was wrong.

    Sun Quan handed him the letter of guarantee with a livid face, "Read it yourself!"

    Zhang Zhao glanced over it hurriedly, and his heart skipped a beat. Those two conditions were obviously to prevent Jiangdong Army from engulfing Jingzhou within three years. Cao Cao knew very well that Jiangdong Army would definitely take action during his expedition to Xiliang Ma Teng, so he set up a plan first.  Conditions were set.

    Zhang Zhao also sighed secretly in his heart. In this case, there is really no hope of joining forces with Cao Cao to attack Jingzhou. Cao Cao is too shrewd, too shrewd. If he doesn't give Jiangdong any benefits, what's the point of marrying Wu Hou's sister?

    He glanced at Sun Quan and saw that his lord's anger was about to explode, so he immediately ordered his family to take Jiang Gan to rest first. Jiang Gan also felt Sun Quan's anger and was afraid, so he quickly got up and left.

    As soon as Jiang Qian left, Zhang Zhao stood up and gave a long salute: "Please calm down, my lord!"

    Sun Quan took a long while and sighed, "People say that Cao Mengde 'would rather betray the world than let the world betray himself'. This is true. If I had agreed in the first place, I would have regretted it too late!"

    Zhang Zhao felt ashamed and asked again: "My lord, do you want me to send Jiang Qian away quietly?"

    "No!"

    Sun Quan shook his head and sneered: "He is still valuable. I will use Cao Cao's envoys to suppress Liu Jing and make him make maximum concessions."

    Half an hour later, the news that Cao Cao's envoy arrived in Qichun County spread throughout the county.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 358 Qichun Storm (6)

    In the room, Liu Jing was writing a letter to veteran Huang Zhong. The war was approaching. Huang Zhong had written three times in a row, requesting to be transferred to the Jiangxia front line. Although Liu Jing still hoped that Huang Zhong could guard Changsha, he had promised Huang Zhong after all that he would let him be transferred to the Jiangxia front line.  He joined the fight against Cao Cao, but Liu Jing had no choice but to rearrange Changsha's defense.

    ¡®I have appointed General Huo Jun as the temporary governor of Changsha County, and he will temporarily guard Changsha on behalf of the old general. We will set off today. I hope that the old general and General Huo will complete the handover matters.¡¯

    Liu Jing put down his pen. Although Huang Zhong was his master, he hesitated for a moment and still did not call him master. He did not want anyone to be special in his army. Maybe Huang Zhong would not have the idea of ????privileges, but as the supreme commander of the army  , his attitude must be clear, and the same is true for Liu Hu.

    At this time, a report from the personal guard came from outside, "Report to the Zhou Mu, Mr. Kong Ming asks for an audience!"

    Liu Jing was startled, Zhuge Liang came. Although Liu Jing's dissatisfaction with Zhuge Liang had faded over time, his appearance reminded Liu Jing of the unpleasantness in the past. After hesitation, he agreed to meet Zhuge Liang.

    "Invite him in!"

    After a while, Zhuge Liang walked quickly into Liu Jing's room. He was smiling all over his face. He bowed deeply as he entered the door, "Kong Ming, see Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing also stood up and saluted back, "Sir, there is no need to be polite, please sit down!"

    He then ordered the soldiers at the door, "Serve tea, sir."

    The two of them sat down separately. Zhuge Liang took out another letter and handed it to Liu Jing, "This is a letter written by my wife to my wife. Please pass it on to the state pastor."

    Liu Jing smiled, took the letter and put it away. Zhuge Liang raised his hand and said with a smile: "I heard that Zhou Mu is happy to have a son. Kong Ming congratulated Zhou Mu."

    "Thank you sir for your kindness!"

    The two chatted for a while, and the awkward atmosphere of the first meeting gradually disappeared. At this time, the soldiers came in with two cups of hot tea. Zhuge Liang took the tea cups and thanked him. Then he asked in a low voice: "Cao Cao's envoy has arrived, Zhou Mu."  Do you know this?"

    Liu Jing nodded calmly, "I heard just now that you and I are in front and behind."

    The news of the arrival of Cao Cao's envoy has spread. Liu Jing knew that it was not surprising. Zhuge Liang continued: "But does Zhou Mu know that Wu Hou has secretly received Cao Cao's envoy?"

    Liu Jing was surprised. It wasn¡¯t that Sun Quan secretly met with Jiang Qian, but how could Zhuge Liang know that Sun Quan secretly met with Cao Cao¡¯s envoy?  Liu Jing then asked with a smile: "Since it is a secret interview, how do you know about it?"

    Zhuge Liang pondered for a while and said: "This is just a coincidence. One of my followers went into the city to buy wine for me. He saw a carriage entering the city and stopped in front of the gate of Military Advisor Zhang's mansion. A mysterious man came down and was protected by guards and entered the mansion.  The cover was very tight and the appearance could not be seen clearly, but soon Wu Hou came in a hurry, and soon the news of Cao Envoy's arrival spread throughout the city, so I concluded that Wu Hou met Cao Envoy secretly. "

    "Is it really such a coincidence?" Liu Jing asked again with a smile.

    "Of course, otherwise how would Kong Ming know?"

    In fact, the place where Jiang Gan parked his boat was right next to Zhuge Liang's boat. He saw the carriage coming to pick him up, and asked his entourage to follow him to check. He saw the carriage parked in front of Zhang Zhao's mansion. As for Sun Quan's secret meeting with Cao Envoy, it was only Zhuge Liang.  It is common sense that if Sun Quan had not met Cao Cao's envoy, the news would never have been announced.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and asked: "Sir, what news do you think there will be when Cao Cao's envoy arrives?"

    "I think Cao Cao must make major concessions this time. Although Cao Cao's troops are heavy, they are mainly from the north and are not used to water warfare. Sun and Liu's coalition forces also have 100,000 troops and thousands of warships. Cao Cao's army may not be able to gain the upper hand. Cao Cao  He must also understand, so he will do everything possible to destroy the alliance, and even join forces with Jiangdong to attack Jingzhou, so I think Cao Cao must have made a heavy bet, and with the support of Zhang Zhao and other civil servants, once Wu Hou is tempted, the situation will be critical! "

    Liu Jing nodded secretly. As expected of Zhuge Liang, he saw the situation very clearly. Unfortunately, Zhuge Liang didn't know that he had intercepted Jiang Gan. Liu Jing asked again: "In your opinion, sir, how should I respond?"

    Zhuge Liang pondered for a while and said: "It should be said that Zhou Mu's decision to fight Anlu County was a very wise decision, which made Sun Quan wary. But if Sun Cao joins forces, I'm afraid the Anlu County battle will be useless. If Zhou Mu is brave, he can use Cao's army  Not yet able to adapt to the time difference in taking the boat, he gathered the Thunder Army and defeated Jiangdong's army in one fell swoop, forcing Jiangdong's army to retreat eastward and unable to intervene in the battle of Jingzhou. At that time, the emperor's uncle was willing to lead his army to cooperate with Zhou Mu to defeat Cao's army. "

    Liu Jing paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. Zhuge Liang was really clever. He had to admit that although Zhuge Liang's plan was bold, it was a good way to solve the dilemma. If he had not intercepted Cao Cao's envoy, he might have adopted this method.  strategy, but now that he is almost certain to win, this strategy can basically be dispensed with.

    Liu JingGlancing at Zhuge Liang and seeing that he was about to speak, he smiled and asked, "Sir, do you have any other suggestions?"

    Zhuge Liang said slowly: "The strategy I just mentioned is an emergency strategy, but the matter may not have reached that serious stage yet."

    "Sir, please continue."

    Zhuge Liang hesitated a little and said slowly: "Now I don't know what tempting conditions Cao Cao offered, but I think the conditions are not too good."

    "How can I see it?"

    Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "If the conditions offered by Cao Cao are tempting enough, Wu Hou will never announce the arrival of Cao Cao's envoy, will never give Zhou Mu any chance to prepare, and will even detain Zhou Mu in Qichun County.  Now he announced the news of the arrival of Cao Cao's envoy, obviously to test Zhou Mu, or to use Cao Cao's envoy as a pawn, and his purpose is to obtain greater benefits from Zhou Mu. "

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "What you said is absolutely true. Maybe there is no Cao Cao envoy at all. Sun Zhongmou is making a fuss."

    "This is also possible!"

    Zhuge Liang couldn't help but laugh. He had already said what he should say, so he stood up to leave. When he walked to the door, Liu Jing stopped him, "Sir, please stay!"

    Zhuge Liang stopped and looked at Liu Jing with a smile, "Does anything else happen, Zhou Mu?"

    "Let me leave a message to you! As long as your husband is willing to come to Liu Jing's place, I will welcome you no matter when."

    Zhuge Liang was silent for a moment. He suddenly smiled and said: "If one day Kong Ming is at the end of his rope, I will definitely bring my wife and children to seek refuge with the envoy. Kong Ming does not ask for much, just a thatched hut is enough!"

    After saying that, Zhuge Liang cupped his hands, turned around and walked away.

    Liu Jing watched Zhuge Liang walk away. His mind returned to Sun Quan's affairs. He silently thought about Zhuge Liang's words. He suddenly shouted: "Come here!"

    Several soldiers rushed in, "Please give me orders from the state pastor!"

    ¡°Pack your bags and return to the ship immediately!¡±

    Since Sun Quan announced the arrival of Cao Cao's envoy, wouldn't it be a joke if he continued to live in the city? When he returned to the ship, Liu Jing took the initiative.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just when Liu Jing was packing her belongings and about to leave, Sun Quan had received a report from the guards that Liu Zhoumu was leaving. This surprised Sun Quan and hurried to the east courtyard, "Brother Xian, are you leaving?"  Sun Quan asked anxiously.

    "I'm not used to living here. I wanted to take a nap at noon, but I couldn't fall asleep, so I had to go back to the ship to rest. It seems that I prefer my own bed." Liu Jing explained with a smile.

    Sun Quan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Liu Jing did not leave Qichun, the matter would be easy to discuss. He also understood in his heart that Liu Jing was leaving because of Cao Cao's envoy. He asked tentatively: "Brother Xian  Aren¡¯t you dissatisfied with me because of the arrival of Cao Cao¡¯s envoy?¡±

    "how come!"

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "It's not like my brother can control the arrival of Cao Cao's envoy. How can I be dissatisfied with my brother? My brother is too worried. It seems that I can't move away yet."

    He immediately ordered his guards to say: "No need to move anymore, just restore it to its original state!"

    "No! No! No!" Sun Quan quickly stopped, "My dear brother, you are not used to this place. Just move it back to the big ship, but I won't worry about it, otherwise I will have someone move it for you."

    In the yard, the soldiers were stunned as to whether they should move or not. Liu Jing smiled and waved her hand, "Since brother really doesn't mind, then I'll move!"

    As soon as Liu Jing waved his hand, the soldiers immediately picked up their luggage and left the yard. Sun Quan sighed and said: "My dear brother is really considerate. Although I don't want to see Cao Cao's envoy, since he is here, I can't be rude.  The messenger will be turned away, but to show my sincerity, I made this matter public, and I hope my dear brother will not take it to heart."

    Having said this, Sun Quan patted Liu Jing on the shoulder, looked into his eyes and said: "I will hold a grand banquet in the evening to greet my dear brother. I hope my dear brother will not leave without saying goodbye!"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Are you the kind of person who doesn't care about the overall situation? I will definitely attend. If my brother is willing, you might as well invite Cao Cao's envoy. The etiquette cannot be discarded!"

    Sun Quan felt relieved and said, "Okay, I'll buy wine for my good brother tonight to make up for my poor hospitality!"

    Liu Jing left, but Sun Quan stood in the yard with his hands behind his hands and was silent for a long time. He originally wanted to use Cao Cao's envoy to suppress Liu Jing, but he did not expect that Liu Jing did not show weakness and moved back to the ship to confront him. The negotiation had not yet begun.  , the two sides began to compete secretly in order to gain power. It seemed that Liu Jing would not give in easily.

    At this time, a soldier said at the door: "Report to the Marquis of Wu, the Governor of Zhou has arrived!"

    "Bring him here to see me."A moment later, Zhou Yu hurriedly walked into the courtyard, bowed and saluted, "See Wu Hou!"

    "Gong Jin is exempt from the courtesy!"

    Zhou Yu was stunned when he saw that the yard was empty, "Liu Zhoumu is gone?"

    "He said he was not used to living here, so he decided to go back to the ship."

    Zhou Yu sighed secretly in his heart. It couldn't be that simple. It is estimated that the problem still lies with Cao Cao's envoys. The Lord is always worried and undecided. This is a taboo for military strategists!

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????mbmbgs out?

    "I know!"

    Sun Quan agreed casually and asked, "Do you know Jiang Qian?"

    Zhou Yu nodded, "This person is a classmate and friend of mine when I was young. I heard that he is now Cao Cao's staff and is responsible for sorting out official documents and books."

    "My lord, you think there is something wrong with him?" Zhou Yu asked a little strangely.

    Sun Quan shook his head, "There is no problem, but Zibu is a little suspicious that he is sent by Liu Jing to pretend to be Cao Cao's envoy to deceive us, so I want to confirm it with you."

    "No way. Jiang Ziyi must be Cao Cao's staff. I can guarantee his true identity. Moreover, Wei Chen thinks that if Liu Jing wants to use tricks to deceive the Marquis of Wu, then there is no need for him to mobilize troops to attack Anlu. It may be the military adviser's attack on Cao Cao.  Sincerity is quite disappointing, which leads to doubts.¡±

    Sun Quan sighed, "What you said does make sense. If Liu Jing wants to use a fake envoy, there is no need to attack Anlu County. Forget it, let's apologize for him at the banquet tonight!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 359 Qichun Storm (7)

    Sun Quan's banquet was not held in Qichun County, but on Sun Quan's boat in the Yangtze River. Sun Quan's boat was a huge six-thousand-stone ship named "Tiger Zun", which was built only last year.  It is currently the largest warship in Jiangdong. It cannot sail into Taihu Lake and is usually moored on the Yangtze River outside Wuhu County.

    The entire ship is more than twenty feet long from bow to stern and nearly eight feet high. Looking from a distance, it looks like a moving hill on the river. There is a huge wooden carving of a tiger's head on the bow of the ship, with a fierce and ferocious face. If you look at it head on,  It's like a huge tiger lying on the river surface, which is frightening.

    The banquet was held in the lobby on the first floor of the big ship. The lobby was extremely wide, five feet wide and ten feet long. It was like a small palace. It was magnificently decorated, with carpets on the ship's deck and craftsmen hanging on the walls all around.  The embroidered Wu brocades are either colorful or fresh and elegant. There are bronze animal-head incense burners placed in the corners of the surrounding walls. Green smoke curls up, and a faint fragrance fills the cabin.

    In the upper left corner, there are more than a dozen musicians sitting, playing the piano and sheng, making the hall filled with music and extremely lively. In the melodious music, a group of dancers danced their long sleeves lightly, with graceful postures, as if gods had descended.

    There are more than twenty small tables placed around the lobby, with golden bowls and jade dishes placed on the tables. High-ranking civil and military officials from Jiangdong are sitting on the soft seats behind the small tables. To the north are two large tables with two large tables sitting on the left.  The host Sun Quan, on the right is the host and guest Jingzhou Shepherd Liu Jing. On the other two sides, the first on the left is Cao Cao's envoy Jiang Qian, the first on the right is Liu Bei's representative Zhuge Liang, and the second on the left and right are Zhang Zhao, Zhou Yu and other high-ranking civil and military officials.

    At this time, there was a clear sound of clouds in the hall, the drums stopped, the dancers retreated one after another, Sun Quan picked up his ear cup and stood up with a smile: "It's great to have friends from far away. Today, distinguished guests from all over the world are gathering together."  , let¡¯s discuss world affairs together. As the host, I offer you a toast to apologize for my poor hospitality!¡±

    After saying that, he picked up the ear cup and drank it all in one gulp. Everyone drank with him. Sun Quan smiled again and said: "We won't talk about business today, we will only talk about romance. Eat and drink to your heart's content, and we will stop after getting drunk!"

    Everyone laughed, "Very good, just talk about romance!"

    Sun Quan clapped twice, the cloud board struck again, drums and music suddenly sounded, and the dancers entered gracefully again. Everyone in the hall toasted, and it was very lively. At this time, Jiang Gan picked up a glass of wine and came to Liu Jing and said with a smile: "Every time  At military banquets, when Prime Minister Cao talks about the heroes of the world, he always talks about Master Jing and wishes we could have a drink together. Jiang Qian has heard about the Master for a long time and we are just meeting him today. I¡¯d like to give him a drink!¡±

    Liu Jing stood up, held the cup and said, "Sir, you are too polite. Liu Jing, a junior, doesn't dare to be a hero, so I'd better give you a toast."

    He raised his ear cup and drank it all in one gulp, looking at Jiang Qian with a smile. Jiang Qian felt a little guilty, so he laughed twice and drank the cup in one gulp. At this time, Zhou Yu said with a smile: "Brother Ziyi, I heard that Cao Cao was  The prime minister only allowed Meng De and Xuande to discuss heroes over wine. Could it be that there are new heroes in the world? Ziyi might as well come and listen."

    Zhang Zhao also smiled and said: "Such interesting things are just right to go with wine. Mr. Jiang will tell you."

    Jiang Gan had no choice but to smile at everyone and said: "Prime Minister Cao used to cook wine and discuss heroes. It's a past thing. When he returned from the Wuhuan expedition last year, the Prime Minister held a banquet for all the civil and military officials. When he was in a mood, he said that all the heroes in the world were old.  , the next generation is to be feared, the only heroes in the world are Liu Yanqing from Jingzhou and Sun Zhongmouer from Jiangdong!¡±

    ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??

    Zhou Yu's expression changed, and just when he was about to stop him, Sun Quan nodded happily and said, "Since General Ling has this intention, I agree!"

    Ling Tong drew his sword in his hand and strode into the hall. With a wave of the sword, cold light spread everywhere, and Ling Tong sang loudly: "The hero has faded, the dust of conquest has not faded, the wind rises in Jingzhou, Jiangdong is unsheathed, and we are looking for heroes again.  Only the winners are invited¡±

    His singing voice was desolate, and his sword force became stronger. Gradually, he got closer to Liu Jing. He thrust the sword suddenly and withdrew it about a foot away from Liu Jing's throat. Liu Jing felt the murderous intent in the sword and slowly narrowed his eyes.  He stood up and held the hilt of the sword. At this moment, Zhou Yu couldn't bear it anymore, stood up and shouted: "Captain Ling, have you drunk too much? Get out of here!"

    There was a sudden silence in the lobby. Sun Quan suddenly came back to his senses and stared at Ling Tong sharply. Ling Tong suddenly burst into tears and slashed at Liu Jing with his sword. Shen Mi jumped out from behind Liu Jing. His movements were as fast as an ape, and he immediately attacked Liu Jing.  Ling Tong fell to the ground.

    Sun Quan was furious, slammed the table, pointed at Ling Tong and shouted: "Come here, capture this beast!"

    A dozen guards rushed up, held Ling Tong down, and tied him up with ropes. Ling Tong shouted loudly: "Liu Jing, I, Ling Tong, will not be a human being unless I avenge the murder of my father!"

    It suddenly dawned on everyone that Ling Tong wanted to avenge his father's murder. Many people breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, otherwise Wu HouUnable to explain clearly, the guards pushed Ling Tong to his knees on the ground. Sun Quan was so angry that he picked up the gold-encrusted wine bottle and threw it at him. The wine bottle could hold a bucket of wine and was extremely heavy. The wine bottle hit Ling Tong on the forehead.  , blood suddenly flowed out.

    Sun Quan knew in his heart that if he didn't act cruelly today, he would not be able to explain to Liu Jing. He said angrily: "Push him down and behead him!"

    Several guards dragged Ling Tong away, but Liu Jing waved her hand and shouted: "Wait a minute!"

    When Liu Jing saw the eyes of countless people pleading with him, including Zhou Yu, he smiled at Sun Quan and said, "Marquis Wu, please allow me to have a few words with General Ling."

    Sun Quan nodded, "This person's life or death will be decided by Zhou Mu!"

    The guards pushed Ling Tong back. Ling Tong lowered his head in hatred and said nothing. Liu Jing then slowly said: "In the past battle at Chaisang, I was the one who killed your father. But when the two armies fought, it was only about life and death.  If I don¡¯t kill him, he will kill me. If he dies, there will be a son who can avenge me. If I die, who will avenge me?¡±

    "If you die in a fight, I have nothing to say, but my father has retreated from the city and you shot him to death with an arrow. This is different!" Ling Tong said bitterly.

    "What's the difference? Didn't he die on the battlefield?"

    Liu Jing stared at Ling Tong and her tone became stern, "If I burst into your home and killed your father, you can indeed take revenge, but I killed him in the battle for Chaisang City, why not? Just like you  My father killed so many Jiangxia soldiers and killed Jiangxia general Wang Tai. If you want to avenge me, who should they seek revenge from? "

    Ling Tong was speechless and bowed his head in silence. At this time, Liu Jing said to Sun Quan: "I am asking for a favor from the Marquis of Wu. For the sake of his youth and ignorance, please spare his life!"

    Sun Quan was grateful. He didn't want to kill Ling Tong unless he had to, so he pointed at Ling Tong and scolded him: "For the sake of Zhou Mu's intercession for you, I will spare your life, but you will inevitably suffer the consequences of living. Someone will push him away."  Go down, beat him with two hundred army sticks, and demote him to a soldier!"

    This is how Sun Quan knows how to behave. Of course, the executioner will not really hit him with two hundred army sticks. He can be promoted after being demoted to a soldier. However, he gave Liu Jing enough face and made Liu Jing feel comfortable. This matter will be over.  .

    Ling Tong gritted his teeth and remained silent. He was pushed down by the soldiers. Sun Quan took off the dagger from his waist and handed it to Shen Mi. He said: "A strong man saves the savior in danger. Sun Quan is grateful in his heart and cannot show respect. This sword is just a token of gratitude."  Mind."

    "Thank you, Marquis Wu, for the sword!" Shen Mi took the sword with both hands, bowed and stepped back.

    Liu Jing cupped her hands to Sun Quan and said with a smile: "Wu Hou's handling of affairs is very convincing!"

    Sun Quan waved his hand and said with a smile: "I won't mention this matter anymore. Let's continue drinking. Where did we just talk?"

    Zhang Zhao next to him smiled and said: "We won't talk about state affairs, just talk about romance!"

    "Yes! Yes! Just say Fengyue."

    Sun Quan laughed, the drums sounded immediately, and a group of dancers flew in gracefully. Jiang Qian drank several drinks in a row. He seemed a little too drunk, but he was no longer as timid when speaking. He laughed loudly and said, "Speaking of Fengyue."  , Prime Minister Cao proposed to marry Wu Hou¡¯s sister for his second son, I wonder what Wu Hou thought?¡±

    Sun Quan smiled faintly, "Although this is a good thing, my sister only marries heroes in the world, and Cao Zhang seems not to be a hero."

    Having said this, he looked back at Liu Jing and said with a smile: "I think Liu Zhoumu is a hero in the world and can be my sister-in-law!"

    Liu Jing secretly smiled bitterly. Although Sun Quan¡¯s attitude is admirable, this way of refusing is a bit annoying.

    Zhou Yu added with a smile: "We, the soldiers and civilians in Jiangdong, sincerely hope that Princess Shangxiang can get married one day early. If she can marry to Jingzhou, that would be the best."

    Everyone understood what Zhou Yu was referring to and burst into laughter.

    At this time, Liu Jing looked at Jiang Gan, who immediately lowered his head. After a moment, Jiang Gan stood up and said a little drunkenly: "Actually, my prime minister also said in private that the sister of Marquis Wu is too strong-willed, and he hopes to marry his second son.  Big Joe."

    As soon as these words came out, there was silence in the hall again. All the generals were furious. Da Qiao was the wife of the former lord. Cao Cao dared to humiliate his lord like this. Many people pressed on the hilt of their swords, half-drawn their swords, and glared at Jiang.  Damn it, even Sun Quan suddenly changed his color and snorted heavily.

    Seeing that the situation was not going well, Zhang Zhao quickly smoothed things over and said, "Da Qiao is Bo Fu's wife. How could Prime Minister Cao say such things? Mr. Jiang must have drunk too much and is talking nonsense. Help him down quickly."

    At this time, Zhuge Liang sneered and said: "Prime Minister Cao does have this intention, but he is not asking for marriage for his son, but for himself. Not only Da Qiao, but also Xiao Qiao is also looking forward to it."

    Everyone in the lobby looked at Zhuge Liang, and Zhou Yu, who was sitting next to Zhuge Liang, changed his expression. He said coldly: "Sir, what evidence do you have for saying this?"

    Zhuge Liang said calmly:"I know that Cao Cao once built the Bronze Bird Tower and vowed to collect beauties from all over the world. His son Cao Zhi wrote an ode to the Bronze Bird Tower, which can prove Cao Cao's idea."

    Liu Jing asked: "Do you remember this Bronze Que Terrace Ode?"

    "The writing is gorgeous and beautiful, I will try and remember it!"

    Zhuge Liang smiled slightly, stood up and recited slowly: "Next to the long flowing water in Zhangzhang, look at the blooming fruits of the garden; set up double platforms on the left and right, with jade dragons and golden phoenixes, and embrace the two Qiao in the southeast, and enjoy them day and night.  common"

    Before Zhuge Liang could finish his words, there was a loud bang. It was Tai Shici who kicked the table over. He was so angry that he drew his sword and rushed towards Jiang Gan. Lu Meng hugged him hurriedly and said, "Wu Hou is on top, Ziyi can't draw his sword."  "

    Taishi Ci suddenly woke up, sheathed his sword, pointed at Jiang Gan and cursed: "I wish I could eat your flesh and sleep on your skin to vent the hatred in my heart!"

    Jiang Gan was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and bowed to Sun Quan: "I made a mistake after drinking. I hope Marquis Wu will spare my life!"

    Sun Quan was so angry that he couldn't say a word for a long time. Before Sun Quan could speak, Liu Jing next to him interceded on behalf of Jiang Gan: "The two countries are fighting. If we don't kill the envoy, Mr. Jiang is just the envoy. This matter has nothing to do with him.  I hope you don¡¯t take your anger out on him and try to keep him safe!¡±

    Sun Quan suppressed the anger in his heart and waved his sleeves, "He drank too much, help him down!"

    Some guards quickly helped Jiang Gan go down. Zhang Zhao looked at Jiang Gan's back as he staggered away. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Even if Marquis Wu was interested in Cao Cao's agreement, I'm afraid the generals below wouldn't tolerate it. They're all damn Kong Ming. Thinking of this, Zhang  Zhao glared at Zhuge Liang fiercely.

    Liu Jing also looked at Zhuge Liang, thinking secretly, ¡®Did he see any clues?  ¡¯

    Zhuge Liang, however, seemed unaware. He picked up the Tremella yellow cup on the table and tasted the wine in the cup.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 360 Qichun Storm (End)

    Sun Quan held a banquet sincerely, but Jiang Qian made a gaffe after drinking and finally broke up unhappy. Liu Jing returned to his boat and stood in front of him with his hands behind his hands, looking at the dark river. He was quite proud of Jiang Gan.  This person is really capable, and I hope he can still be used by me in the future.  most

    But Zhuge Liang is also a great talent, and he helped himself at critical moments. Although he did it for Liu Bei, based on his performance today, he can be spared once in the future.

    At this time, Shen Mi's voice came from outside the door, "Zhou Mu, your humble position is back!"

    "Come in!"

    Shen Mi walked into the room, bowed and saluted and said, "I have found out that Jiang Qian has asked Marquis Wu to resign and is leaving Qichun County overnight."

    Liu Jing nodded. It seemed that Jiang Gan was quite obedient. "Did Marquis Wu allow him to leave?" Liu Jing asked again.

    This is the key. If Sun Quan allows Jiang Qian to leave, it means that Sun Quan has completely given up on Cao Cao. However, according to common sense, Sun Quan should not stop Jiang Qian again. After what happened tonight, even if Sun Quan still wants to take it  There is no point in using Jiang Gan as a chess piece.

    "Wu Hou allowed him to leave and sent a ship to escort him!"

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. He was still a little worried that General Jiangxia would intercept and kill Jiang Gan in the river, so he said to Shen Mi: "Immediately, two hundred of your brothers will follow you in a big boat from a distance. You must protect Cao Cao's envoy."  Safety."

    "Humble your duties and obey orders!"

    Shen Mi left in a hurry, and Liu Jing sat down. He spread out the paper, picked up a pen and wrote the words "no sailing order"

    At night, Lu Su and an entourage found Zhuge Liang's boat carrying a food box. His entourage stepped forward and called: "Mr. Zhuge, have you rested?"

    The lights in the boat turned on, and Zhuge Liang coughed. Zhuge Liang asked, "Is it Zijing who came to see me?"

    Lu Su was greatly surprised and stepped forward and asked, "How did Kong Ming know it was me?"

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk after you come in!¡±

    Lu Su got on the boat, handed the food box to the child, and said with a smile: "Bring the wine warm and bring it in!"

    He lifted the curtain and entered the cabin. In the cabin, Zhuge Liang was sitting next to him. He was wearing a fine linen Zen suit and a plain scarf on his head. He shook his feather fan lightly and said with a smile on his face: "No one will come to me except Zijing at this time."  ¡±

    Lu Su immediately shook his head, "This is not a sufficient reason. It is very possible if Wu Hou or Liu Zhoumu sent someone to look for him."

    Zhuge Liang pointed his finger at the feather fan and said with a smile: "I saw you through the crack. Is this a good reason?"

    The two of them laughed together. Lu Su then sat down, asked the boy to serve the food and wine, and said to Zhuge Liang: "Drinking at a banquet is not pleasant, let's have another drink."

    Zhuge Liang was surprised and said: "I feel very happy tonight! Could it be that Zijing hopes that Wu Hou and Cao Cao will form an alliance?"

    "You are deliberately taunting me!"

    Lu Su smiled bitterly, "If I felt unhappy, would I come to you for a drink? It's just that something unpleasant happened, but the result was overjoyed."

    Zhuge Liang took a sip of wine, leaned against the ship wall and said with a smile: "What do the Jiangdong generals say about me? Do you want to eat my flesh and sleep on my skin?"

    "This is Cao Cao's rudeness. What does it have to do with you? But Gong Jin said that you have an exquisite mind and can add insult to injury to others."

    Zhuge Liang laughed loudly, "Your governor thinks too highly of me."

    He stopped laughing and said calmly: "Who am I? You haven't seen the real master of maneuvering yet!"

    Lu Su hesitated and asked, "You meanLiu Jing?"

    Zhuge Liang looked at Lu Su, "Did you see anything?"

    "I don't see anything, but I know something."

    Zhuge Liang perked up and asked quickly: "What's the matter?"

    Zhuge Liang is indeed a smart person. Although he does not know the relationship between Liu Jing and Jiang Qian, the development of the situation is both beneficial and harmful to Liu Jing.

    And Jiang Gan finally cut off Sun Quan's hope of forming an alliance with Cao Cao. He couldn't help but have doubts. Liu Jing and Jiang Gan cooperated so well. Could it be that they really had no relationship?

    Although Zhuge Liang had no evidence, he always felt that Jiang Gan should not tell the truth about Da Qiao. Even if he drank too much, he could not insult Jiang Dong like this.

    "And Zhuge Liang and Jiang Qian were sitting across from each other. He could see clearly that Jiang Qian only drank three glasses of wine before and after. Three glasses of wine would never have this effect.

    Now there seemed to be something in Lu Su's words, and Zhuge Liang was immediately interested. He stared at Lu Su unblinkingly.

    Lu Su hesitated for a long time before sighing: "Actually, it can be guessed that Jiang Qian had to pass through Jiangxia to come to Qichun. It is very likely that he was intercepted by Jiangxia and Liu Jing manipulated him.

      ¡°That¡¯s not right!¡±

    Zhuge Liang shook his head, "Zijing, you don't mean what you say. If you really don't want to say it, I won't force you."

    Lu Su bit his lip and took a look outside. Zhuge Liang understood and quickly asked the child to get off the boat to play. Then he said: "There are only you and me on this boat now. Just tell me!"

    Lu Su was forced to give up, and then he lowered his voice and said: "My mother's tomb is in Lujiang County. At the beginning of the year, I went to visit my mother's grave and met Jiang Ji, the Prime Minister of Lujiang County.

    This person turned out to be an aide to Huang Zu, and he was also Jiang Gan¡¯s clan uncle. When we talked about Jiang Gan, we found out that Jiang Gan was from Chaisang. His father is still in Chaisang, and he did not tell the truth to Wu Hou.  .  "

    Zhuge Liang narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly. He understood that Jiang Gan must have been intercepted by Liu Jing, and then used his father as a handle. In the end, Jiang Gan gave in and betrayed Cao Cao. After contacting what happened today, Zhuge Liang  Take a breath of air, Liu Jing is so terrifying.

    "Zijing, have you told anyone else about this?"

    Lu Su shook his head, "Only you and I know about this matter. The third person knows about it, not even Gong Jin."

    Zhuge Liang warned him again: "This matter is of great importance. Once leaked, I am afraid Liu Jing will immediately attack Jiangdong Army."

    Lu Su was startled, "No way!"

    "Don't you believe it?"

    Zhuge Liang sneered and said: "If I guessed correctly, the conditions given by Cao Cao must be very generous, including allocating southern Jingzhou to Jiangdong. There is absolutely no saying that Jiangdong's army is not allowed to pass Wuhu. What do you think of such conditions, Wu Hou  Who will you fall to?"

    Lu Su felt cold in his heart. He knew Wu Hou. If this was the case, Wu Hou would definitely join forces with Cao Cao to attack Jingzhou. Zhuge Liang continued: "If that is the case, Liu Jing's only solution is to use Cao Cao to attack Jingzhou."  Taking the opportunity to train troops, he attacked Jiangdong's army with thunderous force and used kerosene to completely defeat Jiangdong.

    "Stop talking!"

    Lu Su completely understood. He was very worried. He shook his head and said, "I don't think I will tell anyone about this matter. I also ask Kong Ming to swear not to leak it!"

    Zhuge Liang smiled and said: "If it is leaked, Nanjing Province will be finished. Do you think I will say it?"

    "No! It's a very important matter, so I'd better ask Kong Ming to take an oath."

    "You! You are such a stubborn person."

    Zhuge Liang had no choice but to raise his hand and swear an oath. Lu Su was overjoyed, picked up the ear cup and said with a smile: "I wish tomorrow's negotiations will be successful. Let's drink this cup."

    Jiang Gan¡¯s departure overnight left no suspense in the alliance between Jiangdong and Jiangxia, and both parties sat together again with the utmost sincerity.

    Early the next morning, in a brightly lit cabin on Sun Quan¡¯s six thousand stone boat, the two sides started formal negotiations.

    Generally speaking, this kind of negotiation does not require the participation of the lords of both parties, and is represented by their respective plenipotentiary representatives. On the Jiangdong side, military counselor Zhang Zhao is the plenipotentiary representative, and Lu Su is the deputy. On the Jiangxia side, the chief secretary Ma Liang is the plenipotentiary representative.  Liu Min was the deputy.

    It can be said that the positions of the two parties are not very equal. Zhang Zhao is the military advisor of Jiangdong and the head of the civil servants. Jiangxia can only sit opposite Zhang Zhao if he sends Xu Shu or Jia Xu. Therefore, Zhang Zhao is obviously not happy and cold.  He said coldly: "I don't quite understand. This is a major matter of the alliance between the two military and political parties. Why did you only send a small chief secretary here? It seems that your sincerity is insufficient!"

    Ma Liangzhong was furious, which made him feel extremely humiliated. He took out Liu Jing's gold medal and put it on the table. He said with some excitement: "I need to remind the master, the person you are sitting here is not the Ma Master, but the Jingzhou Mu."  Plenipotentiary, I can decide all terms on behalf of Jingzhou Mu. If the chief minister must be equal, then fine, you can also negotiate with another chief registrar. "

    Lu Su quickly smoothed things over and said: "Ji Chang misunderstood. My military advisor does not look down on the position of chief secretary, but is worried that Ma Shijun will not be able to make the decision, which will affect the negotiation process."

    "I have already said that I can decide all terms on behalf of Jingzhou Mu. If you still don't believe it, please go and confirm with my lord first."

    "Haha! That's good, there's no need to confirm."

    Lu Su smiled at Zhang Zhao again and said, "What do you think, military advisor?"

    Zhang Zhao said coldly: "I don't doubt that he can't make the decision, I just think it's not polite. Of course, I don't care. Anyway, this is your arrangement, and being disrespectful is also your own business. Since you don't want to change, then  Let¡¯s get started!¡±

    Lu Su's face was flushed with swelling, and Zhang Zhao also refused to give him face. He was so angry that he had no choice but to endure it and sit aside without saying a word.

    Ma Liang said solemnly: "Considering that the battlefield is in the Xiakou area and that the two armies need to conduct joint exercises first, weI just hope that the Jiangdong navy can be stationed in Zhucheng. I hope this will be obvious first.  "

    Zhang Zhao laughed and said proudly: "It is not impossible to station in Zhucheng, but there is a principle that must be determined in advance. Who is the master and who is the slave, Jiangxia or Jiangdong?"

    "Jiangxia has fought many times with Cao's army and won many battles. Recently, he has wiped out the enemies of Anlu County. He is rich in experience. Moreover, my lord will personally lead the army to fight. The battlefield is in Jiangxia County. Naturally, we are the main force. Jiangdong Army  It's human nature to be a guest, should Jiang Dongjun still be a guest?"

    Ma Liang's words were reasonable and reasonable. Zhang Zhao spoke for a long time. He was about to show his strength to refute. At this time, an employee hurriedly came in and handed a piece of paper to Zhang Zhao. Zhang Zhao opened it under the table and read it.  At a glance, it was given to him by Wu Hou, and there was only one sentence on it, "Everyone is the master, no master or slave."

    It seems that Wu Hou also realized that the situation was passive. Zhang Zhao crumpled the note into a ball and said calmly: "Although we are not commanded by Wu Hou, the army is the army of Jiangdong and Wu Hou. We don't want outsiders to command it.  Our army¡¯s plan is to work independently and coordinate operations.¡±

    Ma Liang and Liu Min looked at each other. This was Jiang Dong's concession. Ma Liang immediately nodded and said: "Actually, this is the most fair. We completely agree."

    On the third floor of the negotiation cabin, Liu Jing and Sun Quan sat opposite each other in front of the low boat, drinking tea and chatting. As the superiors, they did not need to participate in the specific negotiations.

    Their attitudes and opinions have been clearly communicated to their subordinates. As long as they maintain a close and good relationship at this time, it will be the most important atmosphere for negotiations.  "My dear brother, I plan to move the capital to Jingkou after this battle. I ordered the construction of Iron Urn City in Jingkou a few months ago. What do you think of Jingkou?"

    Liu Jing smiled, "Wherever you look at Shenzhou, you can see the beautiful Beigu Tower. Although the scenery of Beigu Mountain is good, it is not imperial. Why didn't Marquis Wu consider Moling Purple Mountain?"

    Sun Quan chuckled, "It seems that you and Zhang Hong have the same opinion."

    He pondered for a while and then said: "To be honest, my dear brother, although Purple Mountain has a great atmosphere, I am just worried that Longzangpu will not be a long-term place because the dragon's veins have been cut off."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, smiled slightly and said: "Purple Mountain in Moling is the place where dragons thrive. Brother, you can consider establishing the empire here first, and then move the capital to the Central Plains in the future. Doesn't this avoid the taboos of Feng Shui?"

    "This is a way, let me think about it again!"

    Speaking of considering, Sun Quan thought of something again and said with a smile: "My dear brother, are you really not willing to be my sister-in-law? My sister has never forgotten you."

    Liu Jing shook her head and said with a bitter smile: "Brother, I was joking. I promised my sister that I would receive three arrows from her in a month, but I just walked away. Of course she will never forget me. Besides, my family already has a bad wife, Wu  It¡¯s not realistic for Hou Zhimei to be my Mrs. Ping, just treat this as a joke!¡±

    Sun Quan is not thinking about Mrs. Ping, but if he marries Liu Jing, it will inevitably involve various interests of both parties. It is really not the time to consider this matter now. For him, status is not important.  Profit comes first, and he laughed it off.

    "After this battle is over, brother Xian, will you still decide to place the state government in Wuchang?" Sun Quan asked tentatively.

    Liu Jing shook his head, "I can tell my brother clearly that after this battle is over, I will transfer the state's governance back to Xiangyang, and then concentrate my forces to attack Nanyang. During several Xiangyang battles, Wancheng was the logistics center of Cao's army, putting great pressure on Xiangyang.  Only by capturing Nanyang will Xiangyang gain strategic depth.¡±

    Sun Quan was secretly happy. He also hoped that Liu Jing would return to Xiangyang and develop to the northwest. If he stayed in Jiangxia, he would have the intention to expand eastward. This was definitely not something he wanted to see.

    After pondering for a while, Sun Quan tried again: "But if my virtuous brother intends to visit the north, it will not work if the south is unstable!"

    He was alluding to Jingnan Liu Bei and wanted to understand Liu Jing's attitude towards southern Jingzhou. Of course Liu Jing also understood what Sun Quan meant. He smiled lightly and said: "I will use the Yangtze River as the boundary. I don't want to think too much about the area south of the Yangtze River."  ¡±

    He was hinting to Sun Quan that Jiangdong Army could take Jingnan and he would not interfere.

    In fact, although Liu Jing used counterintuitive tactics to destroy the alliance between Sun Quan and Cao Cao, he also knew in his heart that although he deceived Sun Quan for a while, he could not keep it secret forever. Sun Quan was not stupid and would know the truth sooner or later.

    So when it comes to forming an alliance, you can't deny any benefits to others. You have to make concessions when you have to. Anyway, Jingnan is in Liu Bei's hands. If Sun Quan intends to seize it, he might as well be a favor.

    So he drew the Yangtze River as a line, telling Sun Quan that he could do whatever he wanted south of the Yangtze River, but he was not allowed to move north of the Yangtze River.

    Sun Quan understood Liu Jing¡¯s profound meaning and felt great in his heart., but pretended to say: "Like my good brother, I am considering going north. I plan to seize Hefei and capture the key areas of Hefei to protect the city of Jiangxi. As for the southern region, I have no idea yet."

    At this time, the negotiation downstairs has reached a critical point. Zhang Zhao has made it clear that he hopes Jiangxia can give up the four counties of Hengyang, Guiyang, Lingling, and Wuling to Jiangdong. Although these four counties are all in the hands of Liu Bei, he hopes that Jiangxia can give up the four counties of Hengyang, Guiyang, Lingling, and Wuling to Jiangdong.  The army should not participate in the battle with Jiangdong Army.

    But Ma Liang only promised that the Jiangxia army could give up the fight for Hengyang County, and the other counties were the ancestral property of Jingzhou. Liu Qi still refused to give up, so how could Jiangxia give up? The two sides reached a stalemate on this point.

    "Please understand, Master, although we do not want to go south to capture the four counties of Jingnan for the time being, we will never promise to give up. After all, it is the family property left by the former Zhou Mu."

    "But they're not in your hands, right?"

    "indeed so!"

    "In this case, if Jiangdong Army attacks Guiyang, will Jiangxia Army assist Liu Bei in resisting?"

    "That's not true, but we will not admit Jiangdong Army's occupation of Guiyang County. Maybe one day we will recapture it, so we will never promise to give up the four counties in Jingnan. Except for Hengyang County, this is our  The biggest give in."

    Both sides were silent for more than half an hour. Zhang Zhao got up and took off his clothes. As soon as he walked out of the cabin door, someone handed Zhang Zhao a note from Sun Quan.

    Zhang Zhao quickly glanced at the note. There were only four words on it, "Don't talk about Jingnan." Zhang Zhao immediately understood that his lord and Liu Jing must have reached some kind of tacit understanding.

    Zhang Zhao turned around and came back, breaking the deadlock between the two sides. He smiled helplessly and said: "Since we can make up for the differences in this way, let's not discuss the ownership of the four counties in Jingnan for the time being. Let's clarify a principle first. Both of us use the Yangtze River as our basis.  Jiangdong Army will never attack the three counties of Changsha, Anlu and Jiangxia, but it is also hoped that Jiangxia Army will never enter Qichun County and Yuzhang County. As for the four counties of Jingnan, it is still too early to say. "

    This is also the bottom line Liu Jing gave Ma Liang. He will never give up the four counties of Jingzhou to Jiangdong in writing. Ma Liang nodded slowly, "It's as you said!"

    The two sides finally reached a consensus, which meant that Jiangxia and Jiangdong had reached a formal alliance, but the formal alliance also laid the foundation for the four counties of Jingnan.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 361 Unstable Factors

    Yedu, since Cao Cao shifted his strategic focus to the south, and Baiguan and the Han Emperor returned to Xudu, Yedu has obviously been neglected a lot. First of all, the defense force has been reduced from 50,000 to 20,000, and a large amount of money, food and materials have been reduced.  Also transferred from Yedu to Xudu, more than 70% of the hundreds of large warehouses outside Yedu city have become empty warehouses.

    Secondly, as the families of dignitaries and officials moved south, the business of Yedu was also greatly affected. The originally prosperous business also plummeted and became very deserted. Shops closed down and merchants also moved away from Yedu.

    Against this background, Ye no longer has its former prosperity and tight defenses. Various security problems have become increasingly prominent. Thieves are rampant and large-scale gang conflicts occur from time to time. At night, the streets and alleys are deserted.  , no one dared to take to the streets, and the entire city was shrouded in an inexplicable fear.

    That afternoon, outside the city of Yedu, a caravan consisting of more than a hundred mules and donkeys was slowly approaching the city gate. There were more than 20 men in total, all of them strong, and the leader of the caravan was more than 30 years old.  , the vicissitudes of time have left too many marks on his face, he is like a traveling busker, but he also has a bookish air that cannot be concealed. He always squints with a thoughtful expression.

    This person is Liu Jing's staff member and Jiangxia Army intelligence chief Li Fu. This is his second visit to the northern capital after rescuing Jia Xu's family from Yedu last year. This time, he shoulders a more important mission.  task.

    "Proprietor, will the investigation be stricter than last year?" A subordinate asked worriedly.

    They brought a large amount of gold with them to the north this time, and they have annihilated two groups of thieves along the way. However, the army is different from the thieves. Once discovered by the army, the consequences will be disastrous. Li Fu looked at the city two miles away and smiled lightly: "Don't worry, wait a minute.  information."

    At this time, a clerk who went to inquire about the situation rushed over and whispered to Li Fu: "The interrogation was very strict. Some people who gave money to the soldiers were knocked to the ground. It is said that a big shot is coming."

    Li Fu frowned. This was a bit difficult to handle, but it still couldn't trouble him. At worst, he would rent a private house outside the city. When he was thinking about it, the people around him suddenly shouted and shouted to the people on both sides of the official road.  Run into the wild.

    Li Fu turned around and saw yellow dust billowing in the distance. It seemed that a team was coming from here. He quickly ordered the mules to lead the team down the official road. After a while, the team approached. It was a team of more than a thousand cavalry.  The team was guarding several carriages, flags fluttering, and rumbling along.

    People nearby were talking, ¡®This is the stay-at-home inspection team coming back!  ¡¯

    Li Fu immediately understood that this was the convoy left behind by Cao Pi in Yedu. No wonder the city gates were so closely inspected. Li Fu had experienced the world for a long time, and he knew that although the gate defenders were greedy by nature, they would still pretend to be strict when big shots arrived.  Oh my god, it seems they arrived by chance and happened to meet Cao Pi coming back.

    "Let's rent a house outside the city first!"

    Li Fu ordered his men to turn around the mule team and walk onto another trail. There was a village a few miles ahead where you could rent private houses.

    It was not until dusk that the mule team finally completed the strict inspection at the city gate and entered the city. The team quickly arrived at the last 'Wang Ji' hotel, which was opened by Li Fu's close friend Sesame. Last year, Li Fu led Liu Min to Ye.  All, just stay here.

    As soon as he entered the yard, the waiter came up to him. He immediately recognized Li Fu, shouted in surprise, and rushed in to report, "Proprietor, that wealthy man from last year is here again!"

    No wonder he was excited. Last year when he delivered the news, Li Fu generously rewarded him with five taels of gold, which made him a small fortune. He still remembers it.

    After a while, the proprietor came out with sesame eyes, ¡®Ha!  ¡¯ He yelled, and he was so excited that he stepped forward and hugged Li Fu, ¡°Old brother, you¡¯re here again!¡± His eyes were full of the desire to get rich.

    The business in all walks of life in Yedu was very bleak, and he could hardly survive. The arrival of Li Fu gave him a glimmer of hope.

    "Lao Guo, don't be like this! You are too fat, I really can't bear it."

    Li Fu struggled to pull away the sesame-eyed Guo Song, looked him up and down, and said with a smile: "I have gained at least thirty kilograms more than last year."

    "I'm fat somewhere. Is that because I'm bloated? I can't even eat, so I'm looking forward to your coming!"

    Guo Song beamed with joy and looked behind Li Fu again, "Why isn't Brother Liu here?"

    "He didn't come this time, Lao Guo, I have something to do with you."

    "I know! I know! Let's talk in the back room."

    Guo Song then told the man to take the mules and horses to the backyard, and repeated the instructions several times to feed them well. Obviously, he regarded these mules and horses as his own property.

    Guo Song took Li Fu and walked toward the backyard. As he walked, he complained endlessly. He suddenly thought of something and smiled ambiguously:The price of famous prostitutes in Yedu Baihua Building is only half of last year. Would you like to help you find one tonight?  "

    Li Fu patted him hard on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "Old brother, I know you, no problem, just find the best one."

    The two of them entered the inner hall and sat down. Guo Song stopped joking and his expression became serious. He already knew that Li Fu was Liu Jing's son in Jiangxia last time. Now the prime minister is on an expedition to the south. At this juncture,  When Li Fu arrived, even idiots knew that he had some agenda.

    "Tell me! What are you going to do this time?" Guo Song stared at Li Fu with his small eyes.

    Li Fu also knew that this fat man had a wide network of contacts. Although he ran a hotel, he was secretly doing business that could not be seen in the light. Although he was Guo Tu's younger brother, he didn't seem to have Guo Tu's lofty ambitions. He only recognized money and wanted him to  To do things, only use money to trade.

    But this person is absolutely trustworthy. Li Fu has been dealing with him for many years and knows his energy and principles.

    "This time I want to do something big, to launch a rebellion, under the banner of the Yuan family." Li Fu said slowly.

    Guo Song was not frightened by Li Fu's idea. He was also in charge of Cang Cao in Yuan Shao's army. He was a man who had seen the world. He immediately understood Li Fu's intentions and set off the Yuan clan's revival uprising in Hebei, leaving Cao Cao's backyard.  Fires were started in response to the war in the south.

    "Don't be stupid, Yuan Benchu's nephews are all dead, and the senior officials are also dead. Who will carry the banner of the Yuan family?"

    "You think I don't know?"

    Li Fu sneered, "Where is Yuan Mai? He is not dead. He disappeared for no reason. Where did you hide him?"

    Yuan Mai is the youngest son of Yuan Shao. At first, Yuan Shao was worried about his youngest son's condition and refused to go south to attack Cao Cao, thus losing a big opportunity. Later, Yuan Shao was destroyed and Yuan Mai disappeared. However, Li Fu knew that Yuan Mai was a subordinate who was loyal to Yuan Shao.  Hidden, and this Guo Song is also one of the insiders.

    Guo Song's expression changed drastically, and he said after a while: "He is only twelve years old, I'm afraid he is not yet able to bear such an important responsibility."

    Li Fu shook his head and said: "Lao Guo, don't talk too much. You cannot decide this matter alone. The eight of you should discuss it! Now Cao Cao's army is dragged to the south and is very likely to be defeated. This is your only chance.  Chance, once Cao Cao recovers, you will not have any chance again."

    Guo Song remained silent. Li Fu patted him on the shoulder again and said earnestly: "I know why you are trying so hard to collect money? You also have great ambitions for rejuvenation. Now Cao Cao is attacking Jingzhou and plundering Hebei's grain supplies. Hebei is full of complaints.  , people's hearts are floating. I heard that the Liyang boatmen on the other side of the Yellow River rioted because the ferry was forced. This is really your best opportunity to help the young master, and I will also participate. "

    "you?"

    Guo Song looked at him in disbelief, "Didn't you take refuge in Liu Jing? Do you want to betray Liu Jing again?"

    Li Fu laughed, "I went to Jiangxia to find Liu Jing, hoping to get his support and encourage him to use Cao Cao's opportunity to conquer Wuhuan to conquer the Central Plains. However, he supported Cao Cao's expedition to Wuhuan, but I did join him.  , I regard him as the new master. This time I go north to help you under his order. I bring five thousand taels of gold. Lao Guo, I am here to join you on behalf of Liu Jing. Jiangxia will fully support the revival of the Yuan family. "

    Only then did Guo Song understand what Li Fu meant, but he was a little tempted. If he could get Jiang Xia's full support, there would be a glimmer of hope for the Yuan family's revival. He nodded, "Let's do it! You can follow me in a few days  Go somewhere."

    Li Fu knew that they wanted to discuss internally, so he smiled and said: "I have no problem, but don't forget to find the best courtesan for me."

    Cao Pi was still in charge of staying in Yedu. After the last Zhang Xiu incident, he was severely scolded by his father and threatened that if he dared to make similar mistakes again, he would not consider making him the heir apparent again.

    It was precisely because he was worried that his position would not be guaranteed that Cao Pi had worked hard over the past six months and did not dare to slack off. He also knew that this time his father mobilized the whole country to conquer Jingzhou southward, and the impact on Hebei was particularly huge. There were widespread complaints and people in Hebei missed Yuan Benchu.  , Liyang boatmen even broke out in rebellion.

    Cao Pi personally led the army to quell the Liyang boatmen's rebellion, and at the same time spent most of his time patrolling and appeasing the counties in Hebei. Today he just returned from inspecting Liyang and hurried back to the left-behind government office.

    Cao Pi held the military and political power in Hebei. He not only controlled 20,000 troops, but was also responsible for Hebei's government affairs. Documents from all counties in Hebei were gathered to him first. After his approval, they were transferred to the Prime Minister's Office in Xuchang. Cao Cao allowed him to do some urgent matters.  Taking matters into his own hands made his government affairs extremely heavy.

    As soon as Cao Pi entered the official room, his assistant minister Hua Xin followed him in with a thick stack of documents. Hua Xin was an official and had no real power in the neglected court, but Cao Cao ordered him to serve in Yedu.By assisting Cao Pi, Hua Xin virtually had great power in Hebei's government affairs.

    "Thank you for your hard work, eldest son!" Hua Xin stepped forward and saluted with a smile.

    Cao Pi sat down, took a sip of tea, and asked, "Is there anything important?"

    Hua Xin took out a disc and said: "This is an urgent report from Hejian County. A locust plague broke out in the northern part of Hejian County, causing heavy losses in summer grain. Governor Li begged for grain relief."

    Cao Pi frowned and asked again: "How many counties were affected by the disaster?"

    ¡°Mainly the three counties of Gaoyang, Yixian and Moxian suffered the heaviest losses.¡±

    "I understand, what else is urgent?"

    A cunning look flashed in Hua Xin's eyes. He took out a letter and handed it to Cao Pi, "This is a letter from Sima Yi. Do you want to read it, eldest son?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 362 Xing Yuan Bajun

    Cao Pi received the news of Anlu County's defeat as soon as possible, including Zhao Yan's surrender to Jiangxia and Sima Yi's capture. The first thing he received from the military report was to send troops to surround the homes of Zhao Yan and Sima Yi. This was something he learned  Jia Xu's lesson last time prohibited Jiang Xia's army from transferring the family members of these two families away again.

    However, Cao Pi did not dare to deal with them without permission. He just put them under house arrest and waited for his father to come back. When he heard that there was a letter from Sima Yi, he immediately took it and read it. The letter was mainly to report to his family that they were safe.

    But at the end of the letter, he wrote: "Thanks to Uncle Jia Shishu's care, my daily life is good and I can move freely. Yesterday I went to Jiangxia Academy with Jia Shishu, and I was deeply impressed by the prosperity of Confucianism. In the past, Kong Beihai often said that Confucianism flourished in Jingzhou. What I saw today is that it is true.  ! '

    Cao Pi snorted heavily, "Does he want to overturn Kong Rong's case?"

    Hua Xin was deeply jealous of Sima Yi's talent, and added to his jealousy: "After Kong Rong died, most of the imperial scholars returned to their hometowns. This was actually Sima Yi's indulgence. Everyone knew that Sima Fang and Kong Rong had a good relationship. After Kong Rong was executed, the Sima family  But he didn¡¯t say a word. Are you supportive or dissatisfied? You can see the Sima family¡¯s attitude from this letter.¡±

    Cao Pi nodded, "Let's not mention this matter for now. We will deal with it when my father comes back. I heard that Sima Yi's wife is going to give birth. Has she given birth?"

    "A baby boy has been given birth, but both mother and baby are very weak. Do you want her to take the baby home with her to recuperate?"

    "no!"

    Cao Pi flatly refused, "She must be closely monitored. She will be given anything she needs, and she is not allowed to return home. We must resolutely prevent Jiang Xia from sending people to rescue them again. In addition, Sima Yi's father must also send people to monitor her. In short,  I don¡¯t want the Jia Xu incident to happen again.¡±

    "I understand, I will definitely do it!"

    Hua Xin was about to leave, but Cao Pi ordered again: "Reply to Governor Li, you can release food to the disaster area, but the victims must be strictly prohibited from causing trouble!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    About sixty miles south of Yedu is Anyang County. From Yedu to Anyang County, this area is also the most developed agricultural area in Hebei. There are endless wheat fields everywhere. The wheat has matured and the thick ears of wheat are bent.  The wheat stalks and the waves of wheat are blown by the wind, and at a glance, they look like a golden ocean.

    A place with developed agriculture must also be a county with a concentrated population. Between Anyang County and Yedu, there are many villages of various sizes. At the junction of northwest Anyang County and Yedu, there is a not very high mountain called  In Qishan Mountain, the Huan River flows from the north of the foothills, and is surrounded by mountains and rivers, making the scenery in this area particularly beautiful.

    At the foot of Beilu Mountain, there is a small village called Qibili. There are no more than forty or fifty families who make a living by collecting herbs and farming. One of the families has quite a lot of land and has built a compound covering an area of ??five acres. There are two grandparents and two grandchildren living there.  people, and a dozen sturdy long-term workers.

    Normally, villagers rarely see these two grandsons coming out. Most of the time, the sound of reading can be heard in the high courtyard. However, in the past two days, people have been coming on horseback. After entering the courtyard, they never came out again.  The people in Qibili are simple and simple, and generally no one would ask about such things.

    At night, a tall and burly man came on horseback with two followers. They turned over and dismounted at the gate of the mansion. A servant quickly came forward with a lantern to hold the horse, "Master Jiang is finally here!"

    Under the dim light, this man was about forty years old, with a square face, a high nose, and deep eyes. At first glance, he was a martial arts practitioner. He nodded and asked, "Has everyone else arrived?"

    ¡°We¡¯re all here, we¡¯re just waiting for Master Jiang.¡±

    The man opened the door and walked quickly into the yard, heading towards the backyard.

    This mansion is where Yuan Mai, the youngest son of Yuan Shao, is hidden, and it is also the stronghold of the Xing Yuan Hui. The so-called Xing Yuan Hui is a group of old tribes loyal to Yuan Shao.

    Including Yuan Shao's personal soldiers and former generals, there are nearly two thousand people in total, distributed throughout Hebei. Eight of them were elected as leaders, called Xing Yuan Bajun. They regarded Yuan Mai as their future lord, waiting for the opportunity to make a comeback.

    Guo Song is also one of the eight heroes. He is responsible for inquiring about information in Yedu and raising funds for the uprising. This time it was Guo Song who issued the order to promote Yuan Dynasty, and the eight heroes came from all over Hebei.

    This tall Lord Jiang is named Jiang Qi, also known as Yiqu. He is Yuan Shao's confidant and has a strong commanding ability. After Yuan Shao was defeated at Guandu, he gathered the defeated troops from all over the country and restored Yuan Shao's army to strength.  Yuan Shao can entrust people with heads.

    Before Yuan Shao died, he entrusted his youngest son to Jiang Qi. Jiang Qi did not participate in the power struggle between Yuan Shao's nephew and his nephew, but took Yuan Mai and his mother into hiding. He entrusted Yuan Mai to Yuan Shao's counselor Xun Chen, and he  Then he secretly trained warriors in Qinghe County.

    Jiang Qi walked quickly to the backyard, met Guo Song head-on, and asked, "What happened?"

    Guo Song whispered a few words in his ear, and Jiang Qi's eyes lit up.??¡°Seriously?¡±

    Guo Song nodded, "He's already here, let's listen to his explanation later!"

    The two walked into a closed room without windows. The room was already full of people. In the open space in the middle was a pile of gold ingots, fifty liang ingots, a full hundred ingots, which glowed golden under the light.  Sparkling and dazzling, these five thousand taels of gold were brought by Li Fu from Jiangxia to support the revival of the Yuan family.

    Directly north of the room sits the owner of this house, Xun Chen, who is over fifty years old. Xun Chen is Xun Yu's brother and the mastermind of Yuan Shao. Before Yuan Shao died, he was also one of the orphans. He took Yuan Mai with him.  She lived in seclusion here and taught him how to read and write. Six or seven years passed in a flash.

    Xun Chen is tall, wearing simple cloth, with a confident and calm smile on his face, and his eyes are full of wisdom. He is the elder in this room and the leader of everyone.

    Li Fu was sitting next to him. He was very familiar with everyone. They met again after a long separation and everyone chatted happily. At this time, he was whispering to Xun Chen and asking about Yuan Mai.

    Sitting around were the other five people among the eight heroes, Qian Zhao, Wang Men, Han Meng, Xia Zhao, and Deng Sheng.

    Han Meng is the nephew of Han Qiong, one of Yuan Shao's Five Court Pillars. He is skilled in martial arts, but also reckless and unwise. His face has rough lines, like an unfinished granite statue, full of strength and wildness, but his heart is extremely loyal.  He is willing to sacrifice everything, even his life, for the revival of the Yuan family.

    Qianzhao and Wangmen are like two bards in the wasteland. They sit in a corner far away, as if what is about to happen in the room has nothing to do with them, but the expectation and enthusiasm in their eyes reveal that they are also the same.  A fiery heart.

    At this time, Guo Song quickly walked into the room with Jiang Qi and said with a smile: "Everyone is here, much faster than I thought."

    Jiang Qi is undoubtedly an important figure among the eight people. He is majestic, solemn and meticulous. When he sat down with his tall figure, his shadow enveloped Xia Zhao and Deng Sheng behind him.

    Xia Zhao and Deng Sheng were originally Gao Gan's generals. After Gao Gan's defeat, they fled to Hebei with their remnants and were recruited by Jiang Qi. They also hid in Qinghe County to participate in military training and became Jiang Qi's right-hand assistants.

    Xun Chen took over Guo Song's words, gently stroked his long beard, and said with a concluding smile: "The main reason is that everyone has been looking forward to it for a long time. When Lao Guo gives the order, everyone can't wait to grow wings and fly."

    There was a burst of laughter in the room. There were two leaders among the eight heroes. Wen was Xun Chen and Wu was Jiang Qi. However, Xun Chen had the highest status and was very resourceful. Everyone voluntarily obeyed his command.

    Xun Chen waved his hand, and the room immediately became quiet. Xun Chen pointed to the gold ingots in the middle of the room and said, "Everyone knows a little about the situation. These golds are Jiangxia and Liu Jingzhou's military expenses to support us. It can be said to be a help in times of need. Everyone can't tolerate this."  For many years, I have been looking forward to reviving the Yuan family and comforting my lord¡¯s spirit in heaven. I can tell you that this day is coming soon!¡±

    There were low exclamations in the room, and there was an uncontrollable excitement in everyone's eyes. They had been patiently waiting for this moment for many years.

    Xun Chen smiled at everyone again and said: "Let Chief Li tell you about the situation in Jingzhou first, and then we will judge the situation together."

    Li Fu cupped his hands in front of everyone and said: "The Jingzhou War is about to break out. In fact, a series of wars have already occurred, including two battles at Fancheng, the Battle of Nanjun, and the Battle of Anlu County. I can tell you that the Jiangxia Army has won consecutive battles. The key is  It is the naval force that has the absolute advantage. Although Cao¡¯s army has 300,000 troops, it is not used to fighting on the water, and even riding in a boat is unbearable. How can such an army conquer the equally powerful southern army? "

    Li Fu glanced at everyone. He saw that everyone was listening very attentively, as if they themselves were members of the Jiangxia Army. At this time, Jiang Qi asked: "How many southern troops are there?"

    Li Fu smiled slightly, "The southern army consists of three armies. One is the Jiangxia Army, with a total strength of 80,000, followed by the Jiangdong Army, with a total strength of 120,000, and Uncle Liu's army, with a total strength of about 30,000. The total strength is  There are 230,000 troops, which is not much worse than Cao's army. Moreover, there are thousands of warships. With the right time, location, and people, the outcome of this battle can be imagined. "

    The room was quiet, and everyone was thinking about their thoughts. At this time, Xun Chen slowly said: "Everyone has understood the situation we are thinking about. The main force of Cao's army is in the south, followed by 70,000 troops in the Central Plains, 40,000 in Guanzhong, and 40,000 in Hebei.  Also thirty thousand.

    It can be said that this is the moment when Cao Cao has the smallest number of troops since the Battle of Guandu. This is the opportunity we have been waiting for for a long time, how about it?  Are you willing to take advantage of Cao Cao's troops moving south to start an uprising?  "

    Xun Chen felt like a mirror in his heart. Jingzhou Shepherd Liu Jing's purpose of supporting them was simple, which was to destabilize Cao Cao's rear, shake Cao Cao's military morale, and force Cao Cao's army to withdraw north.

    If they want to get Liu Jing¡¯s continued support, they must cooperate with Jiang Xia¡¯s army.Soldier, it can be said that this is the condition.

    "We are willing to raise troops!" Han Meng shouted in a low voice: "We have been looking forward to this day for a long time."

    "Support!" Wang Men also whispered.

    "You can consider raising troops!" Qianzhao expressed his attitude.

    At this time Jiang Qi said: "Everyone, please raise your hands. If you agree to raise troops, please raise your hands!"

    Everyone raised their hands one by one. In the end, Guo Song hesitated for a moment, and then he also raised his hand. All eight people raised their hands in agreement, and it was considered unanimously passed.

    Guo Song couldn't help but said: "There is no problem in raising troops. Where do we rise from? The total number of troops we have is only 2,000. It is simply difficult to resist the suppression of Cao Jun."

    Jiang Qi said: "Not long ago, an uprising broke out among the Liyang boatmen. Although it was suppressed, the anger has not subsided. As long as we raise our arms, there will be at least three or four thousand people. As for weapons, we have five thousand taels of gold, which can be obtained from the people."  Buy it, Lao Guo, no problem!¡±

    Guo Song chuckled, "Five thousand taels of gold is enough to equip an army of five thousand. Weapons and armor are very cheap on the black market. You can leave this matter to me."

    At this time, Xun Chen smiled and said: "Actually, there is still an opportunity to recruit a large number of soldiers."

    Everyone looked at him, and Xun Chen said calmly: "I know that a locust plague broke out in the northern part of Hejian County. The disaster is very serious, but the prefect Li Ji still refuses to release grain. It has caused civil unrest, and I know  , even if the grain is released, it will only enrich a group of officials, which will only cause greater riots.

    What¡¯s more important is that there is an armament warehouse in Yi County, which was left behind by Cao Cao when he conquered Wuhuan last year. We can definitely use this opportunity to raise troops from Hejian County!  "

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    [Lao Gao looked through some information. Historically, when Cao Cao led his army on the southern expedition, the old Yuan family in Hebei did take the opportunity to raise troops to revive Yuan, but the scale was very small and was wiped out immediately. But if the old Yuan family gets Liu  Jing¡¯s support may have a different meaning]

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 363 Exploring the Road

    Jiangling built a water viewing platform on the north bank of the Yangtze River close to the dock. It was six feet high and about three acres in size. It had an unobstructed view of the river. Every morning, Cao Cao would come to the viewing platform regardless of rain or shine to watch Cao Jun's training in the river.  .

    The training has been going on for a month. With the full cooperation of Zhang Yun, Cai He, Deng Ji and other Jingzhou navy generals, Cao Jun's water warfare capabilities have gradually improved, and he can start to arrange some simple water formations, but the training progress is still  Very slowly, the navy was still dominated by the surrendered Jingzhou Army.

    The more than 200,000 soldiers of Cao Cao's army in the north were unable to fight on the water at all. Less than half of them took the boat and no longer vomited violently. This made Cao Cao very anxious. His plan was to train for two months, but at this pace, half a year would not be enough.  .

    This morning, as usual, Cao Cao was training on the water observation platform overlooking the river. There were nearly fifty large ships in the Yangtze River. Today there were strong winds and waves on the river, causing the ships to bump violently. This was to train the northern soldiers to adapt to riding on the river.  A total of 20,000 people participated in the training.

    The training was very simple, just taking a boat back and forth to cross the river four times, training 5,000 soldiers each time. As the ships began to dock one by one, the training of the first batch of 5,000 soldiers was completed, and groups of soldiers with pale faces were holding on to the ropes from the ship.  He got off the ground with difficulty and immediately collapsed on the shore. He was in so much pain that he almost felt like he was about to die.

    Cao Cao was so angry that his face was livid, and he said angrily: "After training for a month, why are you still looking like this damn ghost? No progress at all?"

    He turned around and ordered: "Go and find Zhang Yun for me!"

    Not long after, Zhang Yun, wearing armor, hurried up to the water viewing platform, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See you, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao snorted heavily and pointed his riding whip at the miserable soldiers on the shore. "Let me ask you, is this the first time for these soldiers to train?"

    Zhang Yun was so frightened that he whispered: "Report to the Prime Minister, this is the fourth time they have boarded the ship."

    "It's been four times, why do you still look like this? How did you train?" Cao Cao scolded Zhang Yun with a stern voice.

    Zhang Yun was so scared that he trembled all over and did not dare to stand up. He said tremblingly: "They have made some progress. The first trip across the river was fine. Some people vomited first when they came back. The prime minister also knows that as long as one person vomits first, everyone will endure it."  I couldn¡¯t live there, and the sour smell filled the cabin, so¡±

    "Hmph! Are you saying that no matter how many times you train, it's useless?"

    "That's not the case. The key is an adaptation process. I think after two or three more months of training, it should be much better."

    At this time, Cheng Yu next to him said: "Captain Zhang, I'm afraid you didn't understand what the Prime Minister meant. The Prime Minister didn't just allow them to ride on the boat, but wanted them to participate in water battles and run and fight on the big boat. Can this be done?  ?¡±

    Zhang Yun's face turned pale. How could this be possible? Jiangdong Navy and Jiangxia Navy, those soldiers grew up by the river and were finally selected as Navy. Not all soldiers are qualified to be Navy.  This is true even for Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army, not to mention the soldiers of Cao Army who grew up on the northern plains.

    In desperation, he had no choice but to answer: "To reach the point that Mr. Cheng said, it will take two or three years of training at the earliest. Both the Jiangdong Navy and Jiangxia Navy have been training for more than five years. Two months of humiliation is really hard."  Can't do it."

    Cao Cao had no choice but to scold: "Go! Let the soldiers adapt to riding on the boat as soon as possible. I don't care what method you use. I will give you another month. All soldiers must be able to travel long distances by boat, otherwise I will use your head as a sacrifice."  flag!"

    Zhang Yun was so frightened that he ran away. Looking at Zhang Yun running away, Cao Cao finally couldn't help but sighed and said: "Zhongde, could it be that my decision to attack Jingzhou was wrong?"

    Cheng Yu shook his head and smiled: "Actually, I think the prime minister takes the navy too seriously. In fact, it is not necessary."

    "How do you say this?" Cao Cao asked doubtfully.

    "Our southern expedition does not necessarily require a water battle. We are just trying to cross the Yangtze River. The soldiers can march eastward from land. I asked the local natives that as long as the ships arrive in the Puqi area, the army can march directly to Jiangxia  Once we move forward, we can move forward by water."

    Cao Cao shook his head and said with a wry smile: "Although I say this, I still have to travel thousands of miles on a boat."

    At this time, Liu Ye, the counselor next to him, said: "Wei Chen also has a plan, I wonder if it is feasible?"

    "you say!"

    "Weichen believes that it is not necessary to start from Jiangling. The army can march from Fancheng to Anlu County and go north around Yunmengze. In this way, it can reach the north bank of the Yangtze River in Anlu County. The other side is Xiakou. As long as our warships  If we can concentrate on the north bank, we only need to cross the river once to attack Jiangxia from the land."

    Cao Cao pondered for a moment, shook his head and sighed: "I'm afraid the warship can't pass Xia.??, although the plan is feasible, it is not realistic, and it is too taxing for the army.  "

    Not only did Cao Cao not agree with Liu Ye's plan, in fact, if Zhang Yun or any general who was good at water warfare were here, they would definitely oppose Liu Ye's plan. It would not be so easy to forcefully cross the Yangtze River.

    ??Besides, how could the Jiangxia navy allow thousands of empty ships to sail smoothly through Jiangxia and wait on the north bank of the Yangtze River? Liu Ye's plan was obviously unrealistic.

    Cao Cao still didn¡¯t realize that even if his army occupied the entire territory of Jiangxia, it would be useless. The Jiangxia army would still transport all the food for the soldiers and civilians to Qichun County. Cao Cao¡¯s army only occupied one empty county, and it would be difficult to even supply food.

    The reason why the Chibi War broke out in history was because Cao Jun had to completely annihilate the Jiangdong Army, not just to cross the river.

    At this time, Yu Jin came out and said: "When I came from Anlu County, I heard that many people fled from Jingling County to Jiangxia and did not take the waterway. I think there must be a feasible road on land. I would like to  Lead the troops to capture Jingling County, and explore the way for the Prime Minister to save his merits! "

    At this time, Zang Ba also came out and said: "I am willing to go with General Yu!"

    A glimmer of hope ignited in Cao Cao's heart, and he nodded happily: "I will give you five thousand troops. If we can successfully explore the road, I will absolve you of all guilt!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, Cheng Yu hurriedly came outside Cao Cao's study. The door of the study was open and soft light shone from the room. Cao Cao could be seen pacing in the room with his hands behind his hands, worried.

    The guards were about to report loudly, but Cheng Yu hissed and told them not to disturb the prime minister's meditation. He did not interrupt Cao Cao's meditation, but stood at the door and smiled without saying a word.

    At this time, if Cao Cao felt something, he looked up and saw Cheng Yu at the door. He couldn't help but smile and said: "I was wondering if Zhongde would come to help me solve my doubts. I didn't expect that he actually came. Please come in quickly!"

    Cheng Yu walked into the room and said with a smile: "The worries in the Prime Minister's mind are actually completely unnecessary. I am here to clear up my confusion."

    Cao Cao laughed and said, "In that case, Zhongde is my honored guest. Please take a seat!"

    The two sat down across from each other and Cheng Yu said: "Actually, although Liu Ziyang's plan this morning is not feasible, he has already got to the root of it. Why doesn't the Prime Minister want to go into it further?"

    Cao Cao was silent for a moment and said: "I also have some understanding, but it is not thorough. Zhongde might as well enlighten me."

    Cheng Yu smiled and said, "What the Prime Minister is worried about is not that the navy is not up to par and cannot fight the Jiangxia navy. What the Prime Minister is really worried about is that the warships will not be able to enter Jiangxia. But is this the case?"

    Cao Cao sighed, "It's exactly what Zhongde said! Of course I know that the northern soldiers will not be able to match the Jiangxia navy after another year of training. I am worried that the warships will not be able to go eastward. I will have no ships to cross the river and finally return north in embarrassment. I am willing to  He plans to win over Jiangdong with heavy profits, but Sun Quan refuses to accept it. How can I destroy Jiangxia? "

    Cheng Yu added: "Liu Ziyang also saw this problem, so he proposed to go back to Fancheng by land and stationed on the north bank of Xiakou. Returning to Fancheng would definitely not work, but his idea was correct."

    "Go on!" Cao Cao already understood a little bit, and he looked at Cheng Yu solemnly.

    "Last time Wei Chen accompanied the Prime Minister and Liu Jing for a while, Wei Chen discovered that Liu Jing is ambitious for the world, and is definitely not like Liu Biao who is hiding in Jingzhou. It is because he has such ambitions that he can obviously send an elite naval force.  He came to sweep Jiangling warships, just like he did in Fancheng, but he didn't do it. Did the prime minister understand his intention? "

    Cao Cao nodded, "He wants to annihilate all my hundreds of thousands of troops."

    "That's right, so I think that as long as the main force of our army is not on the warship, then our warship will definitely be able to sail into Jiangxia, and he will definitely not intercept it."

    Cao Cao finally understood the Jiangxia army's intentions revealed by Cheng Yu. If the warships were destroyed prematurely, Liu Jing would have no chance to annihilate his southward army.

    Thinking of this, Cao Cao stood up and walked to the map. He stared at Yun Mengze for a long time. For a long time, he said slowly: "Whether Jiang Xia can be defeated depends on Yu Jin and Zang Ba's exploration. I hope they won't let me down."  ¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 364 The Road to Yunmeng

    Chapter 364 The Road to Yunmeng

    The terrain of Jiangxia is indeed very complex. It is bounded by the Han River to the north and the Yangtze River to the south. The Han River flows from northwest to southeast and meets the Yangtze River at Xiakou.

    Between the Han River and the Yangtze River is the Yunmengze, which is thousands of miles in radius. Together with the Yangtze River and the Han River, it forms a very irregular partition zone. The core of Jiangxia County is located on the other side of this partition, including Xiakou.  There are three large cities, Wuchang and Chaisang, as well as several small counties.

    Some people may suggest that we can head east along the south bank of the Yangtze River. In fact, the south bank of the Yangtze River is a hilly area in the south, dotted with vast primeval forests and crisscrossed by mountains. There is no way to go. There are only cities along the river, and we must  Travel by water from the Yangtze River.

    The only hope is Qianli Yunmengze. It has begun to shrink and dry up during the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is no longer a continuous swamp. There are hills and mountains in the middle, as well as dense forests, and there are also some fishing villages that rely on Yunmengze for their livelihood.

    Yu Jin¡¯s news is not wrong. There are indeed a large number of refugees crossing Yunmengze and fleeing to Jiangxia by land. Of course, in the end they still have to cross the Yangtze River and go south.

    Two days later, Yu Jin and Zang Ba led 5,000 troops to Huarong County. At this time, Huarong County was almost an empty city, with only a few hundred old and weak people left in the city.

    Cao Jun marched all the way and was already exhausted. He entered the city to bury pots to make food and rob people's houses to rest. Yu Jinze and Zang Ba stood on the top of the city to discuss exploring the road and capturing Jingling County.

    "According to the Prime Minister, there are Jiangxia troops intercepting warships on the Han River near Jingling County. I suspect there are Jiangxia troops stationed in Jingling County, otherwise the Prime Minister would not give us five thousand troops."

    Yu Jin looked a little worried. He had been defeated repeatedly by the Jiangxia Army, and he already had an instinctive fear of the Jiangxia Army. His original intention was not to go to Jingling County. He added: "It is said that Jingling County is the biggest fire oil of the Jiangxia Army."  Of course they will send heavy troops to guard the production area of ??such important military supplies. I am worried that if we try our best to seize Jingling County, it will affect the road exploration plan, Xuan Gao, what do you think? "

    Zang Ba had not fought many battles with the Jiangxia Army, and was attacked by cavalry at night. To a large extent, he was not convinced. He even looked forward to another battle with the Jiangxia Army.

    But Zang Ba also understood Yu Jin's meaning at this time. He thought for a moment and said: "It is better to send scouts to explore the situation in Jingling County first. If there are not many troops stationed, we can capture Jingling County first. If it is really heavily guarded,  Then take it easy, but if the road to Jiangxia must pass through Jingling County, that¡¯s a different story.¡±

    "Of course!" Yu Jin couldn't help but feel overjoyed when he heard that Zang Ba agreed with him.

    At this time, a dozen soldiers came with two old men, "Qi Yu, General Zang, these two old men know the way to Jiangxia."

    The two old men were so frightened that they knelt down, "Common people, please see these two generals!"

    Yu Jin and Zang Ba looked at each other and were immediately overjoyed. Yu Jin quickly said: "You don't have to be afraid. Get up and speak slowly. Not only will I not embarrass you, I will also reward you heavily!"

    "Thank you, General!"

    Two old men stood up, and one of them said: "There are two main roads to Jiangxia through Yunmengze. One is Jingling Road. Walking along the south bank of Han River, you need to make a circle. The road is relatively flat, but the distance is long.  Finally, you can reach Luokou Town, on the other side is Sanjiangkou, close to the west of Xiakou. "

    "What about the other way?" Zang Ba asked impatiently.

    "The other road is called Huarong Road, which is a straight line from our Huarong County. This road has to pass through a hilly area. The road is slightly narrow and not easy to walk. Finally, it reaches Wulin Town on the Yangtze River. On the other side is  Chibi Town.¡±

    Yu Jin pondered for a moment and asked, "Which way is closer?"

    "Of course it's the Huarong Road, which is at least two hundred miles away. However, most businessmen are willing to take the Jingling Road because if they are lucky, they can go to Xiakou by boat. Moreover, there are many ferocious beasts on the Huarong Road, so they have to hire hunters to go with them, which is a bit uneconomical.  ¡±

    Yu Jin pulled Zang Ba aside and whispered: "Do you think it is still necessary to go to Jingling County?"

    Zang Ba was a little embarrassed, "I'm afraid the Prime Minister won't be able to explain."

    Yu Jin was also a little embarrassed. He thought for a while and said, "Let's clear the way first! Open a wide road, and then ask the Prime Minister for instructions whether to attack Jingling County. If we can't escape, let's fight."

    Zang Ba sighed, that was all he could do.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The appearance of Yunmengze is like a huge antler, consisting of two long strips of water. One is located south of Huarong County and east of Jiangling. It is connected to the Yangtze River, making it impossible for Jiangling to travel eastward by land along the Yangtze River; the other  The water is in the east, extending from the Yangtze River to the north across the Han River to Yunyang County.

    Going east from Huarong County, you will find the land between two swamps, this is a low and gentle hilly area, spanning more than a hundred miles. The mountains are not high, only tens of feet, but they are continuous and covered by vast primeval forests. From this, it can be seen that the south in the Three Kingdoms era was far from mature.  development.

    Yu Jin and Zang Ba led an army of 5,000 people, clearing wasteland and heading east. Two days later, the army arrived at a large river. The river was twenty feet wide, clear and green, and the water was calm. Occasionally, a small fishing boat loaded with ospreys could be seen heading north.  Go, a hundred steps away to the south is a dilapidated small bridge.

    Looking across the river bank, I saw that half of the river was water and half was land. At this time, Yu Jin seemed to have thought of something. He urged his horse to go towards the small bridge. He ran across the bridge in a moment and slowly came to the water.

    It was midsummer at this time, and the weather often rained, making the water in the swamp particularly abundant and boundless as far as the eye could see.

    At this time, Zang Ba came galloping with dozens of people on horseback, and asked loudly from a distance: "Wen Ze, what did you find?"

    Yu Quan pointed his riding whip at the swamp and responded loudly: "I'm wondering, does this swamp lead to the Yangtze River?"

    Zang Ba didn¡¯t know either. He turned back and looked at the old man who was leading the way. The old man shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t walked there, so I don¡¯t know!¡±

    At this time, Yu Jin shouted to the cavalry on the left and right: "Catch the fishing boat just now!"

    The cavalry urged their horses to gallop north. At this time, Yu Jin pointed to the river in front and asked the old man: "What river is this? You should know!"

    "General Qi, this is the Xia River, also called the Mian River. It comes from the Han River and flows to Jiangling in the southwest."

    Yu Jin was overjoyed, "Does this river lead to Jiangling?"

    "Yes! But the journey is a bit far, and I don't know the details. I have to ask the fishermen. I'm a hunter and I'm only familiar with land routes."

    At this time, under the threat of Cao Jun's soldiers with crossbows, the fisherman came back in his boat and was forced to go ashore.

    This is an old fisherman about fifty years old. He was frightened by Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers. He knelt down and kowtowed and begged for mercy, "I beg you military men to spare this little man's life!"

    Yu Jin raised his head from his horse and asked, "I don't know how to kill people. If I ask you some questions, you must answer them honestly."

    "The villain dare not hide it!"

    Yu Jin first asked Xia Shui, "Does this river lead to Jiangling? How big of a ship can it carry?"

    "Report to the general, this river leads to Jiangjin, a small town next to Jiangling, but it has to go in a big circle, but the river is relatively wide and can carry a thousand-stone ship."

    Yu Jin was secretly happy. He pointed his horsewhip at the swamp and asked, "Does the swamp lead to Wulin?"

    The fisherman asked timidly: "Excuse me, General, which Wulin is it?"

    "Nonsense! Are there two more Ulins?"

    The old man leading the way said: "There are indeed two Wulins. One is on the north bank of the Yangtze River in the south. On the other side of the river is Puqi County, Changsha County, so it is called Puqi Wulin. The other one is in the east, also on the north bank of the river. On the other side of the river is Chibi Town.  , also called Chibi Wulin."

    "Of course it's Chibi Wulin!" Yu Jin glared at the fisherman impatiently.

    "You can take a boat to reach the shore of Wulin, which is only ten miles away from the shore of the Yangtze River."

    Yu Jin couldn't hold back his excitement anymore, and asked again: "Can I sail a thousand-stone ship?"

    The fisherman quickly shook his head, "Impossible. In winter, the water is very shallow, so only small fishing boats can be used. However, in spring and autumn, it is slightly better, and hundreds of stone passenger ships can travel on the water. There are often Hanshui passenger ships taking a shortcut to Changsha County through the swamp."

    In summer, when the water volume is the largest, you can take a five-hundred-stone boat across the swamp to reach Chibi Wulin on the bank of the Yangtze River, but a thousand-stone ship will never do that and will run aground in the swamp.  "

    Yu Jin looked at the water for a moment, and then continued to ask: "How far is it from Chibi Wulin?"

    The fisherman said tremblingly: "There are still about two hundred and sixty miles."

    At this time, Yu Jin had a bold plan in his mind. He could dig out the Xia River and Shuizhen and transport food and baggage through the waterway. A five-hundred-stone ship would be enough.

    Next to him, Zang Ba also asked immediately: "How far is this place from Han River?"

    "There are still more than twenty miles away. There is a small town at the mouth of the Han River, called Mianyang Town. The residents in the town make a living by fishing, and small families are there."

    Yu Jin urged his horse to approach Zang Ba and discussed with him: "I want to dig through Xia Shui and Yunmengze here so that Jiangling ships can directly reach Wulin Chibi. What do you think?"

    "I also have this intention, but it's best to test it out in person on a boat before returning home."

    Speaking of this, Zang Ba shouted loudly and asked: "Do you have a five-hundred-stone ship in your town?"

    "There are three boats, all of which belong to wealthy families in the town."

    Zang Ba looked at the sky and saw that it was almost dusk, so he said to Jin: "I will take my brothersTo seize the ship, Wen then arranged for soldiers to dig a channel and strive to complete it tomorrow morning.  "

    Yu Jin nodded, "That's what I mean too, but it's best to collect all the boats, we can use them to build pontoons, and then let some brothers take the boats to explore the way back to Jiangling."

    Both Yu Jin and Zang Ba had experienced hundreds of battles in the Central Plains and had no sympathy for the people. Zang Ba immediately said: "I will lead a thousand troops to seize the ships. If they don't give them back, I will destroy their entire town!"

    Zang Ba immediately led a thousand soldiers and rushed towards Mianyang Town in the north.

    Yu Jin pondered for a moment, then waved to a military lord and ordered him: "You take five hundred brothers and continue to travel by land. You have to go all the way to the Yangtze River in Wulin Town. You also have to consider the garrison of 200,000 troops.  , Explore the route carefully and draw me a detailed map, including the terrain along the way."

    "I humble my duty and obey my orders!"

    The military marquis led five hundred Cao Jun soldiers and the old man who led the way, and ran eastward, gradually disappearing into the path. Yu Jin no longer wanted to go eastward. He immediately ordered his three armies, "Start immediately and dig the rivers and swamps for me."  Pass!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    [Where the historical Chibi War took place is still controversial, but this book is planned to be placed in Chibi, Huangzhou]

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 365 Green Copper Mine

    Just when Yu Jin and Zang Ba were opening up roads in Yunmeng Ze, Liu Jing also came to inspect the largest copper mine in Jiangxia. This copper mine is called Green Copper Mountain and is located in the south of Wuchang County and across from Qichun County.  It is today¡¯s Hubei Daye.

    Green Copper Mountain is not an isolated mountain, but a general name for a hilly mountainous area. As early as the Warring States Period, the State of Chu mined and refined gold here. During the Han Dynasty, it was an important copper ore producing area.

    Green Copper Mountain is not close to the Yangtze River. It is still nearly fifty miles away from the Yangtze River. However, there is a long and narrow lake in the east called Xisai Lake. The lake is connected to the Yangtze River. It took more than 20,000 prisoners of war a month to dig a 30-meter-long lake.  A long small canal connects the mine to Lake Xisai and leads to the Yangtze River.

    This canal is extremely important, as it can ensure that copper ore is transported from the mine directly to Xiakou. This is because the smelting center of Jiangxia is located in Xiakou, and coal transported from Bashu and iron ore transported from Jiangnan are concentrated.  Pig iron is smelted in Xiakou, and more than a thousand craftsmen continuously smelt high-quality steel for Jiangxia Army.

    When Liu Jing arrived, the canal had been built, and 25,000 prisoners of war were mining ore in huge mines, transporting it to Lake Xisai in small boats, and then transferring it to large ships for transport to Xiakou.

    More than 25,000 prisoners of war are under the custody of 3,000 Jiangxia troops. There are also more than 100 civilian officials responsible for the management of the prisoners' food, camps and ore transportation. The 3,000 Jiangxia troops are commanded by General Xing Daorong, and the civilian officials are managed by Li Zhengfang, the smelting envoy.

    Li Zhengfang is also known as Li Yan, with the courtesy name Zhengfang. After he fled from Xiangyang to Jiangxia, he became Wenpin's staff. He was soon promoted by Liu Jing to Jiangxia Military Warehouse Cao to join the army, in charge of logistics and food. Li Yan was extremely capable and had a broad mind.  , is a pioneering official, especially suitable for opening up new businesses. It is for this reason that Liu Jing appointed him as the smelting envoy, responsible for the mining of copper mines.

    In the morning, Liu Jing, accompanied by Li Yan, came to the mine. The reason why it is called Green Copper Mountain is that the entire mountain is indeed green bronze. There are no trees on the mountain, and the rocks are exposed and only covered with dense bushes.  There are hundreds of huge mine caves scattered on the mountain that is more than ten miles long, and the ore veins are hidden in the mountain.

    The miners first burned the hole with a strong fire, then poured cold water on it, and the ore exploded, making it easier to mine. The miners used iron drills to pry off the huge ore, and after transporting it out of the hole, they dumped it directly down the mountain. The ore rolled down the mountain.  After breaking into rubble, dense groups of prisoner-of-war miners collected the ore on the mountain more than ten miles long, carried baskets of broken ore down the mountain in baskets, and transported them to the warehouse.

    "I remember that the mine was not here!" Liu Jing asked Li Yandao in confusion, looking at the mine above his head.

    Li Yan was about thirty years old, with a medium build, dark skin and thin skin, and very energetic. He leaned slightly and said with a smile: "The original mine is more than twenty miles to the west, and there is a huge mine over there.  , but after five or six hundred years of mining, it is no longer easy to mine, and the canal is far away, making it inconvenient to transport.

    So we decided to mine the mines here. The mines here have been mined for nearly fifty years. The conditions are relatively good and the ore grade is also high. It contains not only copper but also gold. The key is convenient transportation.  "

    As he spoke, he pointed at the ore storage warehouse not far away. They were three large warehouses built with giant logs. They were a bit crude and leaky from all sides. Hundreds of thousands of kilograms of ore were piled inside. The three warehouses were all built on the river bank.  About one foot above the river bed, a smooth discharge port is made of iron. Miners only need to shovel the ore onto the iron hopper in the warehouse, and the ore can slide along the smooth iron hopper into the canal in the river, which is very convenient.  .

    Liu Jing nodded and asked: "How are the prisoners of war arranged? It seems that there are only seven or eight people working here!"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, in order to ensure the physical strength of the prisoners of war, my subordinates divided the more than 25,000 prisoners of war into two parts: mining and transportation. Among them, 21,000 were mined, divided into three teams, with 7,000 people working in each team.  Four hours, and rest for the other two shifts, so that mining can be done day and night without overworking the prisoners, allowing them to mine with peace of mind, so that after three years, most of them can go home safely. "

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "That's right! It's very thoughtful. In addition, you might as well consider giving them some wages so that they can have something to look forward to so that they won't rebel and make trouble."

    Li Yan nodded, "Zhou Mu is absolutely right!"

    At this time, a group of tankers were loaded with ore and ready to set off. Liu Jing smiled and said, "I'll go to Xise Lake with the boat! Take a look at the situation there."

    Li Yan quickly said: "I will make arrangements now!"

    He rushed away, stopped the fleet, and gave a few instructions. Liu Jing took a dozen soldiers and Li Yan to board the ship. The fleet sailed down the river and slowly sailed eastward.

    ??If you don¡¯t consider the mines, the scenery in this area is simply beautiful, with green mountains and green valleys, turquoise water, and beautiful rocks on both sides. In the distance, a huge rock is like an axe. The mountain wall is a hundred feet high.It is covered with strange grass and vines, the top of the mountain is shrouded in clouds and mist, and a group of cranes can be seen faintly flying to the top of the mountain, just like the residence of gods.

    Liu Jing felt relaxed and happy when she saw it. She couldn't help but put her hands behind her hands and smiled and said: "How beautiful! In front of Xisai Mountain, egrets fly, peach blossoms flow, mandarin fish fat, green coir raincoat, green bamboo hat, slanting wind and drizzle don't need to return."

    Li Yan next to him couldn't help but praise: "Zhou Mu is very talented in literature, but Xisai Mountain is still on the east side of the river. There is Zhaoyue Mountain. The stone walls are like mirrors, and the full moon reflects the shadow. It is also a place with extremely beautiful scenery."

    Liu Jing chuckled, "In the future, we can build a palace on the top of the mountain. Come here to escape the heat in the summer, or come here to fish for mandarin fish in the spring and feel the artistic conception of the slanting wind and drizzle."

    Li Yan quickly raised his hands and said: "If the Zhou Mu allows it, my subordinates will arrange for people to go up the mountain tomorrow to find a place to build the palace. The construction of the palace will be completed before winter. Next spring, the Zhou Mu can come."

    Liu Jing glanced at him and saw that he was serious, so she shook her head and said with a smile: "I'm just talking. The world is not at peace yet, and it's far from the time to have fun."

    "I understand!" Li Yan smiled shamefully.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    An hour later, the fleet entered Lake Xisai. The lake is about ten miles long from east to west and two miles wide from north to south. It is actually an inlet of the Yangtze River and is very suitable for a port. More than a dozen huge buildings have been built on the south bank of Lake Xisai.  In the ore warehouse, there are seven or eight large ships of 3,000 dan moored on the shore, loading ore.

    The hanging tower is used to load ore. This is also an invention of Ma Jun Craftsman. It has been popularized at various docks such as Xiakou and Wuchang. A hanging tower several feet high is erected and the principle of fixed pulley is used to hoist the goods onto the ship.  , while the other used animal power, pulled by five oxen.

    Li Yan accompanied Liu Jing to the Xisai Lake Pier, but he had another suggestion, "Zhou Mu, I have an idea that may get twice the result with half the effort, which is more conducive to copper mining and smelting."

    "What do you suggest?" Liu Jing asked with great interest.

    "I want to build a rough smelting workshop here to smelt blister copper ingots, and then the fleet will directly transport the blister copper ingots to Xiakou for refining. Wouldn't this save more transportation capacity than transporting ore?"

    Liu Jing saw that the scenery on both sides of the Taiwan Strait was picturesque, with beautiful mountains and clear waters, just like a paradise. It was a pity that so few warehouses and some high wooden frames were built.

    He shook his head and said with a smile: "Building a smelter here would be a disgrace to the scenery. I would suggest that it would be better to build a rough smelting workshop directly in the mine. What do you think?"

    Li Yan was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed and said: "My subordinates didn't think it through well. Since Zhou Mu agrees, I will immediately build a roughing workshop in the mine."

    Liu Jing saw that Li Yan acted resolutely and did what he said. She couldn't help but admire his pragmatic style. She nodded slowly and said: "Li Canjun is indeed a great talent. Please kindly sort out the mining system as soon as possible. I will make another appointment.  "

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After leaving the mine, Liu Jing returned directly to Wuchang. At this time, Sun Quan had already returned to Wuhu. Now that he had finally decided to join forces with Jingzhou to fight against Cao Cao, Sun Quan had a new idea. Once Cao Cao was defeated in Jiangxia, he would lead his army to attack from the east front.  , attacking Hefei and expanding Jiangdong's power northward is also a rare opportunity.

    At the same time, the 50,000-strong Jiangdong army was also stationed at Lukou, Jiangxia. It was dozens of miles away from the Jiangxia navy. The two armies echoed each other and formed horns with each other. At the same time, it was also conducive to joint exercises on water surface operations.

    Xisai Mountain is very close to Wuchang. It only took half a day for Liu Jing's boat to arrive at Wuchang Wharf. The bay on one side of the wharf was full of civilian ships. The Jiangxia Army had issued a no-navigation order, starting from Puqi in the west and arriving in the east.  Chaisang, no civilian ships or fishing boats are allowed to sail on the thousands-mile river. The Jiangxia navy patrols the river. Once a civilian ship violates the order, it will be severely punished. Therefore, only official cargo ships and military ships are on the river.

    Non-governmental trade activities have also stopped on the pier. Only military or official cargo ships are loading and unloading goods. Compared with the liveliness and prosperity of the past, it has become much deserted.

    Liu Jing went ashore and saw a dozen official Qianshi cargo ships loading grain. Like Xisai Lake, a dozen hanging towers several feet high were erected on the Wuchang pier. There was a pulley on the top of the tower.  Just put the grain into the leather bag on one end and pull the iron chain on the other end, and the bags of grain can be sent to the ship.

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

    Ma Jun¡¯s invention was unanimously praised by the officials and people of Jiangxia. Even Jiangdong sent officials to learn from it. It is conceivable that in the near future, countless hanging towers will appear on major docks in Jiangdong.

    At this time, Liu Jing unexpectedly saw Ma Jun. He and a dozen of his disciples were standing in front of a hanging tower to discuss something. This was Ma Jun's usual style.??'s invention is constantly improved to make it more effective.

    Liu Jing walked up with a smile. Ma Jun also saw Liu Jing coming, and quickly brought his disciples forward to salute, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Although it is still a little difficult for him to speak long sentences, he no longer stutters when speaking short sentences. Compared with before, he seems more confident. Liu Jing smiled and asked: "What are you discussing? Do you want to improve the hanging tower?"

    "Exactly, we are thinking about how to save more effort?"

    Liu Jing suddenly became interested and said with a smile: "How about explaining it in detail?"

    Ma Jun winked at his eldest disciple, who stepped forward and clasped his fists and explained: "We are considering installing an iron slide on the hanging tower. It is about two or three feet long. We can just put the other end on the boat and use the sack of grain.  It is more labor-saving to slide directly from the slide into the cargo hold of the ship, but this is also inconvenient. It is necessary to modify the leather pocket on the pendant so that the grain can slide down in an orderly manner. We do not have a solution yet. "

    Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "Actually, it is already very convenient to have a hanging tower. As long as there is another hook installed on the ship, the leather bag can be hooked directly to the entrance of the cargo warehouse. There is no need to install an iron slide."

    Liu Jing¡¯s mind changed, and she suddenly thought of the slide in the mine, and smiled: ¡°But the iron slide can be installed on the ship and send the goods directly into the cargo hold.¡±

    Ma Jun laughed and said: "Zhou Mu can go to the Craftsman School to become a teacher!"

    In fact, Liu Jing was thinking of belt transportation, but it still makes little sense without solving the power problem.

    At this time, he suddenly saw a dozen people pulling the iron chain on the other side of the hanging tower. He couldn't help but frown, and called the dock official and asked: "What I saw at the mining dock were five cows pulling the iron chain."  Chain, why are people pulling it here, why not use animal power? "

    The dock official smiled bitterly and said: "Reporting to Zhoumu, in order to prepare for the war, most of the animal power was sent to Xiakou, so we can only use manpower temporarily."

    Liu Jing nodded, I see. At this time, the official cautiously said: "I have a suggestion, I wonder if I can tell it?"

    "Whatever suggestions you have, you can just say it."

    The official said cautiously: "Last time Zhou Mu went to Qichun, he brought back a baby elephant. I know that there are many such elephants in Jiaozhou and Nanman. Can you think of a way to buy some back so that you can use them?"  On the dock, more animal power is saved.¡±

    Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh. The wisdom of the people is infinite. This sentence is indeed true.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 366 War is coming quietly

    It has been more than two months since Cao Cao's army marched south, but a long confrontation often gives people the illusion that the war situation will remain like this forever, but the facts prove that it is absolutely impossible. After fifty days of training, Cao Cao ordered the Eastern Expedition  The command.

    In the lobby of the Temporary Prime Minister's Mansion in Jiangling, Cao Cao, wearing armor, a golden crown on his head, and a Heavenly War Sword on his waist, was arranging the Eastern Expedition plan to dozens of generals and more than a dozen counselors.

    In the middle of the hall was a ten-foot-tall wooden frame, with a detailed map of Jingzhou hanging on it. Cao Cao had already drawn the marching route on the map with red and blue pens. He slowly said to everyone: "Before talking about the plan,  , I want to reward General Yu Jin and General Zang Ba first!"

    Yu Jin and Zang Ba immediately stood up and saluted. Cao Cao smiled and said: "The two generals have discovered the way and made the first contribution to this eastern expedition. Each of them will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins!"

    "Thank you, Prime Minister, for the reward!"

    Cao Cao waved his hand and asked the two men to sit down, and then continued to the generals: "What I am most worried about is that more than 200,000 troops will march eastward by boat, but if the water battle fails, they are afraid of being intercepted by the main force of the Jiangxia navy. In the end,  With no way to escape, all of our two hundred thousand troops died at the bottom of the river, so I dared not send troops. "

    Having said this, Cao Cao pointed at the blue arrow in Yunmengze on the map with a wooden stick and said: "But the two generals Yu and Zang solved this problem for me.

    Our army can pass through Yunmengze by land and reach Chibi Wulin. At the same time, we can transport food and supplies from the Xiashui and Yunmengze waterways to ensure the supply of the army.  "

    ¡°Then there¡¯s the waterway!¡±

    Cao Cao pointed at the red arrow on the Yangtze River with a wooden pole, "The remaining 30,000 naval troops took 800 warships to march eastward along the Yangtze River, and finally gathered in Chibi Wulin."

    At this time, Cao Cao saw that Xiahou Dun was hesitant to speak, so he asked: "Yuan Rang, what's your problem?"

    Xiahou Dun bowed and said: "Just now, the Prime Minister said that he was worried about the Jiangxia Navy intercepting our warships. Now our warships are also heading east. Why is the Prime Minister not worried now?"

    Cao Cao smiled slightly and said, "At this moment, at the same time, just as I never worried that the Jiangxia Navy would come to Jiangling, I would not worry about Liu Jing intercepting the empty ship. As long as there is no main force of ours on the ship, Liu Jing will never intercept it."  , I know very well, Yuan Rang doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Xiahou Dun did not dare to say any more and retreated. Cao Cao said to Xu Huang: "Gongming, I will give you 10,000 troops. You must capture Jingling County for me, wipe out all the Jiangxia troops behind me, and do not give way to the enemy."  The army has cut off our army¡¯s retreat.¡±

    "Yes!" Xu Huang stood up and saluted.

    "Where is General Cai He?" Cao Cao asked loudly again.

    Cai He stood in the corner of the lobby. He did not expect that at this important moment, the Prime Minister would find him first. He was excited and nervous at the same time. He quickly stood up and saluted: "I am here!"

    Cao Cao smiled slightly and said, "General Cai He, you can lead 15,000 naval troops to Xiangyang, and lead 500 thousand-stone warships from Fancheng south along the Han River. In Jingling County, there are only a dozen Jiangxia naval forces to block the river.  General Xu Huang will cooperate with you to defeat this Jiangxia navy."

    Having said this, Cao Cao pointed to the map again, "Then you can lead the fleet from Mianyang Town into Yunmengze and join the main force at Chibi Wulin."

    There are more than two thousand large and small warships parked in Fancheng. It would be a pity if they were not used. Fortunately, they can come through Yunmengze instead of detouring to Xiakou. This is also Yu Jin's major discovery and solves Cao Cao's biggest headache.

    "If you can sail the warship to Chibi Wulin, I will remember your great achievements and make you the Marquis of Han Dongting."

    Cai He was extremely excited and bowed: "I will never disappoint the prime minister in my humble position!"

    After explaining everything, Cao Cao turned his last gaze to Cao Ren, "Zixiao, I leave the task of guarding Jiangling to you. Liu Zhang's Bashu army does not need to worry. The key is Liu Bei hiding in Wuling. He is likely to take advantage of the opportunity to attack Jiangling."  , you must not be careless in the slightest, do you hear me?¡±

    Cao Cao¡¯s tone was very harsh, which scared Cao Ren¡¯s heart, and he quickly said: ¡°I don¡¯t dare!¡±

    At this time, Cao Cao slowly glanced at the crowd. His gaze became extremely firm and he said to everyone: "My greatest wish in my life is to eliminate the local separatist forces and unify China. I have been waiting for this day for more than twenty years. Today  We will take the most important step to defeat Jingzhou and point our troops to the east of the Yangtze River. We will win this battle and hope you will support us together!"

    ¡°Let¡¯s encourage each other!¡± everyone shouted, and the excited voice echoed in the lobby.

    Three days later, Cao Cao's army of 250,000 troops set off from Jiangling in three groups.

    One group consisted of 40,000 navy troops marching eastward along the Yangtze River in 800 warships, while the other group consisted of 200,000 main troops marching eastward on land via Huarong Road, and there were thousands of newly built small boats of various types fully loaded with them.  AssassinationThe food and baggage entered the Xia River.

    There was another army composed of 10,000 troops, led by General Xu Huang, heading towards Jingling County. From this, the war to conquer Jiangxia finally slowly began.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Lingtian Tavern in Wuchang is extremely busy. This tavern that can accommodate 300 people is full of seats. The tavern has been booked by Liu Jing. Today is the full moon wine for his son Liu Zhi. All the high-ranking civil and military officials from Jiangxia came to celebrate.

    The full moon was extremely important in the Han Dynasty. It was the first time a baby saw an outsider, and an elder would greet him. It also meant that the baby had survived the most dangerous month and had begun to take the first step in life, which is worthy of celebration.  So parents and elders have to drink wine to celebrate.

    For Jiangxia and even Jingzhou, the full moon of the eldest son of Zhou Mu is extraordinary. This is also the first time for all subordinates to see their future lord, which has a special political significance. Even several generals from Xiakou rushed back to see them.  Liu Zhi's first meeting.

    The tavern was full of people, laughing and chatting, everyone was changing glasses, laughing and chatting. Everyone knew that the war was about to begin, and this might be the last banquet before the war.

    Liu Jing carried a yellow-mouthed silver ear cup and walked past tables one after another. When the wine was dry, she thanked everyone for coming to support her.

    "Why hasn't Xiaozhou Mu been brought out yet?" Xu Shu drank until his face turned red, and he, who was always cautious in speaking, also started joking.

    Jia Xu, who was standing next to him, patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "What? Do you want to run away after seeing the children? Your penalty of six drinks is still four drinks away! Everyone, will you let Xu Changshi go?"

    Everyone at the table burst into laughter, Zhou Buyi said with a smile: "If Chang Shi says to leave, we will punish him with three more drinks."

    Xu Shu was so angry that he banged his fingers on the table and said bitterly: "I'll deal with you tomorrow!"

    Seeing that they were getting along happily, Liu Jing patted them on the shoulders and said, "Everyone, just drink. The baby will be out soon."

    At this time, Liu Jing saw Zhao Yun at a glance. He was sitting alone in a corner, drinking silently. Currently, Zhao Yun is temporarily living in the guest room of Liu Jing's house. His injury has healed, but he has never left the house.  I lock myself in my room every day and feel very depressed.

    Today is his first appearance since coming to Jiangxia. It is also to see Liu Jing's children and to give Liu Jing face.

    Liu Jing sighed secretly. He could understand the anguish in Zhao Yun's heart. The pain of being abandoned by his lord was hard to accept for Zhao Yun, who had always been loyal. However, it was not that he could not recover. He just needed time to heal.  His inner trauma.

    "Brother, why are you sitting here alone?"

    Liu Jing sat down opposite him and said with concern: "If you feel uncomfortable, brother, please go back first!"

    Zhao Yun shook his head, "The child's full moon is a major event in life. Of course I want to see the child. I'm fine. You can go greet the guests!"

    At this moment, there was a slight commotion in the inner room. Tao Zhan came out of the inner room surrounded by more than a dozen ladies. Tao Zhan held Liu Zhi, who was sleeping soundly, in his hands. Tao Zhan's face was full of joy and he was looking around.  husband.

    Liu Jing pulled Zhao Yun's arm, and Zhao Yun also stood up, and followed Liu Jing to greet him quickly, "Husband!" Tao Zhan saw her husband and said with a smile: "Let's show the child to everyone!"

    Liu Jing carefully took over his son and gently lifted the gauze covering his face. The generals beside him who had already been unable to bear it all rushed up and surrounded him three floors inside and three floors outside. Zhao Yun stood beside him, silently.  Staring at this cute child, he hesitated and gently squeezed the child's pink little hand. At this time, Zhao Yun's face that had not smiled for an unknown period of time finally slowly showed a warm smile.

    There was endless laughter all around, and everyone was expressing their opinions, "Is this Xiaozhou Mu? He looks really tiger-headed and tiger-headed!"

    "He is completely the miniature of Zhou Mu!"

    Everyone laughed. At this time, Liu Jing suddenly saw a soldier at the door waving to him desperately, with a very nervous expression. He was surprised, so he handed his son to the wet nurse, and smiled at everyone: "Just watch."  , don¡¯t touch it! If you make me cry, there¡¯s no point in watching it.¡±

    The wet nurse held the children in her arms and showed them to everyone one by one. Liu Jing squeezed out of the crowd, quickly came to the door, and asked the soldier: "What happened, you are so nervous?"

    The soldier whispered in Liu Jing's ear: "I just received a message from Fei Ge from Jiangling. Cao Cao officially sent out troops yesterday morning!"

    Although Cao Jun¡¯s dispatch of troops was expected, Liu Jing was secretly surprised when the news came.

    He looked back at the generals and civil servants who were happily meeting Xiaozhou Mu, thought for a moment, and whispered to the soldiers: "Go and find General Wei and General Gan!"

    For a moment, Wei Yan and Gan Ning walked quicklyAfter walking out, the two of them laughed and said, "We are talking about the young master being a martial arts training material, and we are all vying to be his master."

    Wei Yan was as attentive as his hair. He found that the smile on Liu Jing's face was not natural, so he couldn't help but shrink his smile and asked: "Zhou Mu, what happened?"

    "You guys come with me!"

    Liu Jing led the two of them to the corridor, and then lowered his voice and said: "I just got the news that Cao Cao has sent troops!"

    "What!"

    Both of them were startled and couldn't help but look at each other. Gan Ning asked in a deep voice: "When did the troops send out?"

    "yesterday morning."

    Wei Yan also responded: "It takes ten days to get here from Jiangling with smooth sailing. If there is still time, I will rush back to Xiakou immediately."

    "I will go back immediately overnight!" Gan Ning couldn't stay any longer. He was the commander-in-chief of the Jiangxia Navy. He had heavy responsibilities and had to go back immediately.

    "You keep it a secret first and don't let the generals know about it, so as not to disturb the morale of the army."

    "I understand my humble position!"

    The two of them each bowed and hurried away. At this time, a voice suddenly came from behind Liu Jing, "What secret do you want to keep?"

    Liu Jing turned around and saw Huang Zhong standing behind him at some point. He smiled bitterly and said, "Has Master seen Zhi'er?"

    "I've seen it. It's the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix. It's extraordinary. However, don't change the subject. What secret were you talking about just now?"

    Huang Zhong was a little dissatisfied with Liu Jing's concealment from him, and said displeasedly: "I can guess it even if you don't tell me. The two of them went back in such a hurry. Cao Cao must have sent troops, right?"

    Liu Jing was helpless. Jiang was really old and hot. Huang Zhong saw through it at a glance. He could only nodded and said: "It is true. Cao Cao sent troops yesterday. More than 200,000 troops divided into two groups to kill Jiangxia."

    Huang Zhong's eyes were filled with excitement. He had been looking forward to this day for many years. He looked at Liu Jing and said, "The first battle is mine, you promised."

    Liu Jing has not yet discussed the specific countermeasures. He could not reply. He pondered for a moment and smiled and said: "Let's do it! Master, go to the mansion first. I will be back with Mr. Jia and Xu Changshi soon. Then we will discuss the countermeasures together. The first fighter  , I will definitely leave it to Master.¡±

    "Then we will make an agreement!"

    Huang Zhong chuckled, turned around and took a step first. Liu Jing calmed down his chaotic heart, straightened out his thoughts, and immediately ordered his soldiers: "Go and invite Mr. Jia and Xu Changshi!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 367 Emergency Response

    The full moon banquet in the tavern is still going on, but the lights are on in Liu Jing's study room. In the room, Jia Xu and Xu Shu have arrived one after another. Even the veteran Huang Zhong is sitting aside. Everyone is silently waiting for Liu Jing to return.  .

    At this time, rapid footsteps sounded in the yard, and Liu Jing quickly walked into the study, "I just got the latest information!" He held several tubes of pigeon letters in his hand, and he didn't have time to copy them.

    Liu Jing handed several tubes of pigeon messages to the three of them and asked them to pass them around. He added: "Xu Huang led an army of 10,000 to attack Jingling County. The defenders of Jingling County have retreated. In addition, Cao Cao has 200,000 soldiers."  The main force entered Yunmengze from Huarong County, and they should have opened a road inside Yunmengze. "

    At this time, Xu Shu asked: "Is this Yunmengze road the Huarong Road where refugees fled to Jiangxia?"

    "It should be this way!"

    Liu Jing walked to the map on the wall and lit a candle. The map on the wall suddenly became clear. Huarong Road and Jingling Road were clearly marked on the map. For more than a month, Cao Jun continued to attack Yunmeng.  Zenei opened a road, and Jiang Xia had already received the news.

    Liu Jing picked up a wooden pole, pointed at Jingling Road and said to everyone: "Judging from the current situation, it is unlikely that Cao Jun will take Jingling Road. First, they did not capture Jingling County in advance, and secondly,  Jingling Road is far away and requires the construction of a bridge along the way, but Cao Jun has not taken any action yet, so we can rule out Jingling Road. "

    Liu Jing pointed the wooden pole at Huarong Road and said: "Even if we take the Huarong Road, there are still two branches. One is to take the Chibi Ulin, and the other is to take the Puqi Ulin. What we need to make clear is here. What happened to Cao Jun?"  Which Wulin are you planning to cross the river at?¡±

    At this time, Huang Zhong said: "If they cross the river via Puqi Wulin, they will go directly eastward from the Puqi County official road. I walked this road back then. They can go directly to Yangxin County in three days and five days later."  When it comes to Chaisang, I think Cao Cao should be very clear about this."

    Liu Jing nodded and looked at Jia Xu, who had been deep in thought, "What's Mr. Jia's opinion?"

    Jia Xu smiled and said: "Perhaps I know Prime Minister Cao better. He never only takes one path in doing things. He is false and true, true and false, and true and false. People can't figure out his true intentions. I think he not only wants to  Walking in Chibi Wulin, he also walks in Puqi Wulin, this is his style, but where is his real goal? "I'm afraid even he himself doesn't know."

    Jia Xu¡¯s last words made the other three people stunned. Even Cao Cao didn¡¯t know his own goal?  After a moment of silence, Xu Shu reacted first, "Wen He means the warships in the Yangtze River?"

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled, "That's exactly what I mean!"

    Liu Jing also realized that Puqi is the border between Changsha County and Jiangxia County. After passing Puqi, he entered Jiangxia County and entered the core area of ??Jiangxia Navy. If Cao Cao's warships can enter Jiangxia, of course he will  If you choose Chibi Wulin and cannot enter Jiangxia, you can only do the next best thing and cross the river from Puqi.

    Huang Zhong was the last one to react. He smiled and said: "If I were Cao Cao, I would not choose Puqi. Entering Jiangxia from the east of Puqi requires climbing over mountains and ridges. It is difficult to carry heavy luggage. We cannot let Cao Cao's main force carry dry food on their backs."  Let¡¯s go to Jiangxia!¡±

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. This involved an issue. Whether Cao Cao crossed the river at Puqi Wulin or Chibi Wulin seemed to be decided by the Jiangxia army. Cao Cao's warships were intercepted at  Outside of Jiangxia, even using the advantage of the navy to annihilate all Cao Cao's warships will prevent Cao Cao's army from crossing the river in the end, and then sadly withdraw his troops and return north.

    But is this what Liu Jing wants?  He has been planning for nearly a year, even including the layout in Hebei, including the alliance with Jiangdong, all in order to annihilate Cao's army in Jiangxia, repeat a historical scene, and finally give him a chance to rise.

    But if Cao Jun is allowed to retreat, it will prevent him from developing to the north, and he will eventually compete with Jiangdong for the southern land. This is not in line with his overall situation.

    "What do you think?" Liu Jing turned around and asked everyone: "Do we need to annihilate all Cao's warships in the Yangtze River?"

    Jia Xu was silent. On this matter, he could only talk to Liu Jing privately, and it was not suitable to express his position in front of everyone.

    Huang Zhong did not say anything. Although he originally wanted to wipe out all Cao's warships, he had rich life experience after all. Liu Jing still asked questions about such a natural thing, which meant that he did not want to do this.

    "Perhaps Liu Jing has deeper thoughts, which are not known to him, who has just been transferred to Jiangxia. It is best for him not to express his opinions.

    At this time, Xu Shu smiled and said: "It seems that I have to express my position. I have never understood that in Xiangyang, Zhou Mu sent a navy to sweep across Cao Jun's warships in the Han River and did not give Cao Jun any chance. Then why in the Yangtze River,  The Jiangxia navy never went to Jiangling? Was it because Cao Cao's navy had made progress, or because Zhou Mu had other ideas??  "

    Xu Shu¡¯s meaning was already very clear. Since he did not go to Jiangling to sweep Cao¡¯s warships, why did he intercept Cao¡¯s warships outside Jiangxia? Liu Jing¡¯s goal was to annihilate the main force of Cao¡¯s army, not just a few hundred warships.

    "My subordinates only understood Zhou Mu's thoughts today." Jia Xu looked stunned, with a hidden bitter smile on his face. He shook his head and said: "This is a bit too unexpected."

    As a lord, it is necessary to maintain a sense of mystery in front of subordinates. You cannot let subordinates see through your own thoughts. This is a taboo for those in power. For example, Yang Xiu in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms did not understand this kind of power rules.  .

    The same goes for Liu Jing. He doesn¡¯t want to reveal any of his thoughts in front of his subordinates, and will only let them out little by little when necessary.

    He had some ideas today, and Xu Shu guessed it immediately, while Jia Xu, who was extremely smart, looked suddenly enlightened, as if he had never thought of it at all.

    "Obviously, Jia Xu is well versed in the rules of power. Even if he has guessed things that he should not know, he will still show a certain degree of surprise. This can be regarded as a kind of respect for the lord.

    He who is good at being a scholar does not use force; he who is good at fighting does not get angry; he who is good at defeating the enemy does not fight against him; he who is good at using people is subordinate. This is Jia Xu's political wisdom.

    Liu Jing was very happy that Jia Xu could keep up with his thoughts. He smiled and said: "It is easy for me to sweep Cao Jun's warships, but destroying Cao Jun's warships will not solve the problem. Next year, Cao Jun's army will go south in a large scale, even if it is not possible for a while.  If we don¡¯t go south in the next year, he will deploy his army to prevent us from expanding northward. Only by greatly weakening his strength will we have a chance to expand northward.¡±

    Xu Shu pondered for a while and then said: "If my subordinate's guess is correct, I'm afraid Prime Minister Cao also saw Zhou Mu's true intention of not sending a naval force to sweep across Jiangling, so he dared to let the warships continue to advance eastward and let the main force go overland.  Willing to go with the ship.¡±

    "This should be!"

    Liu Jing sighed slightly and said to everyone: "The question now is, how should we respond?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yunmengze is a wetland of tens of thousands of hectares gradually formed in the hinterland of the low-lying Jianghan Plain after millions of years of evolution. There are lakes, dry land, and islands in the middle.

    For thousands of years, no one has lived in the wetland. In addition, there are countless calamus ponds, ranging from hundreds of acres to tens of thousands of acres. If you break in rashly, you will get lost and die in the middle. Only experienced fishermen can survive in the wetland.  Move forward and retreat freely.

    In the early morning, a vast white mist enveloped Yunmeng Shuizhuang. Although the mist was not thick, it was still unclear what was happening dozens of steps away. At this time, a small boat sailed out of a patch of calamus water. There were five people on the small boat.  , except for an old fisherman who was holding the boat, the other four were Jiangxia army scouts. They were one of the fifty scout teams in Yunmeng Ze.

    The area they patrolled was in the south-central part of Yunmengze, only thirty miles away from Puqi Ulin. The early morning fog prevented them from seeing far. A young scout couldn't help but complained in a low voice: "Even fifty steps are not enough."  If you can¡¯t see it, why should you come out early?¡±

    They only rested at midnight last night and came out before dawn in the morning. They were very tired. The leader scolded the complaining subordinates in a low voice and said: "The food and reward rewards for scouts are several times that of ordinary soldiers. Do you think it is so easy to earn?"  If you let the enemy go by mistake, you will lose your head, do you understand?

    Another veteran scout advised: "Wu Lang is still a new soldier and doesn't know the rules very well. Didn't we complain the same way when we first became scouts?"

    ¡°It¡¯s just because he is a new recruit that we have to set rules for him, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t even know how he died!¡±

    Shi Chang glared at the young scout fiercely, "If you complain again, get out of here!"

    The young scout was too frightened to say anything, but he was not convinced in his heart. At this time, the old boatman laughed and said: "I mean Wu Lang! In fact, Li Shichang is right. Why should we take advantage of the fog to come out? Because it is easier to cover with fog. Although  You can't see Cao Cao's army, and Cao Cao's army can't see you either. Otherwise, there are only a few of you, and it will be difficult to escape once Cao Cao's forwards find you."

    The old fisherman smiled at Shichang again and said, "Li Shichang, am I right?"

    The chief minister nodded, "My father-in-law is absolutely right, that's what it is. If you don't know how to protect yourself as a scout, you would have died several times."

    The young scout was finally convinced and lowered his head in shame. Suddenly, the osprey on the bow of the ship screamed, and everyone suddenly became nervous. The osprey's strength and hearing surpassed humans. What must it have discovered?

    The old fisherman made a prompt decision. With a push of his pen, the boat slid into a dense swamp of calamus. Through the dense iris, everyone watched the situation on the water outside with vigilance.

    Not long after, a dark fleet appeared in the fog,They are small cargo ships ranging from 200 to 500 stones each, fully loaded with military provisions. There are three or four Cao soldiers on each ship, holding spears and crossbows. Most of them gather at the stern to chat or rest.

    The scouting team wanted to think it was just Cao Jun's patrol, but they didn't expect to encounter Cao Jun's transport fleet. The fleet passed by them more than 20 steps away, and they could clearly hear the chatter and laughter of Cao Jun's soldiers.

    They were so nervous that they didn¡¯t dare to take a breath. The old fisherman even stuffed his osprey into the bottom of the cabin to prevent it from screaming and exposing their hiding place.

    The transport fleet was endless. After waiting for more than an hour, the fleet finally finished. "How long is it? How many cargo ships are there?" asked a scout.

    The chief scout shook his head, "I lost count after reaching two hundred ships. I estimate there are about three hundred and fifty ships."

    The young scout scratched his head and said in confusion: "It's strange. I heard that the main force of Cao's army is not going to Chibi Wulin? This is the waterway to Puqi Wulin. What are they doing here?"

    The chief scout quickly calculated in his mind that these cargo ships transported about five or six thousand shi of grain, which could at least feed more than 10,000 troops. This means that there are about 10,000 to 20,000 Cao troops on the Puqi Wulin side.

    He immediately said in a deep voice to his subordinates: "It means that tens of thousands of Cao's troops went to Puqi Wulin by land. This fleet is to supply them. This is important information. We must report it back to Puqi immediately!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 368 The Epidemic Appears

    Puqi is the northernmost county in Changsha County. It is close to the Yangtze River and comes from the west along the south bank of the Yangtze River. Most of them are hilly and mountainous areas that are inaccessible, making it extremely difficult for the army to carry out operations.

    But after passing Puqi, the terrain becomes flat. Although there are also low hills, they do not affect the march very much. There is an official road heading east from Puqi, which can lead directly to Chaisang.

    It is precisely for this reason that Cao Cao's main force may go to Puqi Wulin, cross the river from Puqi to the south bank, and the Jiangxia Army is also strictly guarding Puqi County.

    At present, Jiangxia Army has deployed 5,000 troops in Puqi, which is the Changsha garrison originally led by Huang Zhong. Because of the importance of Puqi, they were transferred from Changsha County to Puqi, led by General Huo Jun.

    Most of the people in Puqi County were evacuated to Xiajun County, a hundred miles away in the south, and five thousand troops were stationed in the county.

    This army has been led by Huang Zhong, and was made very elite and powerful by Huang Zhong. It is one of the four powerful forces of the Jiangxia Army. Although it was commanded by Huo Jun, who was not familiar with it, the soldiers did not reject it and still strictly abide by Huo Jun's orders.  military orders.

    In the afternoon, Huo Jun patrolled the city as usual. He had sent more than a dozen scouts into Yunmengze on the other side of the Yangtze River to investigate the military situation. Although he had received news that most of Cao's army had gone to Chibi Wulin, he still  Don't dare to take it lightly.

    At this time, a small boat came on the Yangtze River. It was a scout he sent back. Huo Jun suddenly became energetic and ordered to the left and right: "Bring the scout to see me!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After a while, the scout chief was brought to Huo Jun. He knelt down on one knee and saluted: "See you, general!"

    "What's the gain?"

    "Beizhi found more than 350 cargo ships loaded with grain heading to Wulin. When Beizhi came back, he found Cao's army of troops and horses, about 20,000 people, stationed on the other side."

    This news surprised Huo Jun. Cao Jun really wanted to cross the river from Puqi. He only had five thousand troops and no warships. How could he intercept Cao Jun?  While I was thinking, a soldier came to report, "General Huang has arrived with his army!"

    Huo Jun was immediately overjoyed. He received an urgent order from Liu Jing at the latest. The Puqi front line would be led by Huang Zhong, with him as the deputy general. With Huang Zhong's lofty status in the Jingzhou military, Huo Jun would certainly not be jealous of Huang Zhong as his  The boss, and Huang Zhong will definitely come with troops, will greatly reduce his pressure.

    He quickly told the scout chief, "I'll ask you for details later!"

    Huo Jun hurried out of the city to greet Huang Zhong's arrival.

    In the emergency discussion a few days ago, Jia Xu and Xu Shu both agreed that Cao's army would most likely advance by land and water. The main force was more likely to be at Chibi, but the land route would most likely be in Puqi and attack Chaisang with light equipment, leaving Jiangxia at the head and tail.  Difficult to take care of.

    Liu Jing immediately ordered Huang Zhong to lead 5,000 troops to Puqi. Together with the 5,000 troops stationed in Puqi, a total of 10,000 people were responsible for the security of Puqi.

    Not long after, five thousand troops led by Huang Zhong appeared on the official road not far from the south of the city. Flags were fluttering and the troops were in bright armor. Huang Zhong took the lead, holding a big sword. Although his beard was half a hundred years old, he was still majestic. He saw at a glance what was coming towards him.  Huo Jun came and waved his hand, causing the team to stop advancing.

    Huo Jun urged his horse forward, bowed his hands and said with a smile: "The arrival of the old general is really timely!"

    Huang Zhong was startled and immediately asked in surprise: "Is there an enemy situation?"

    Huo Jun nodded, "I just got the information. Please ask the old general to come to the city to discuss it in detail."

    "General Huo please!"

    Huang Zhong led the army into Puqi City. He ordered his generals to set up camp, and he followed Huo Jun to the military office. The two briefly handled the handover of military power and began to discuss the enemy's situation. The chief of the scouts once again reported to Huang Zhong what they were doing.  Yun Mengze discovered Cao's army's grain transport fleet and nearly 20,000 soldiers.

    As expected by Jia Xu, Cao's army's action in Puqi was not the main force. It should be to raid Chaisang. Huang Zhong had already understood Liu Jing's combat intention before setting off. It was not to resist Cao's invasion, but to generalize.  Cao Cao's army was completely wiped out in Jiangxia.

    Huang Zhong pondered for a moment and said, "General Huo, how do you think Cao Jun will cross the river?"

    Huo Jun thought for a while and said: "My humble position ordered the scouts to explore the waterway on the other side in advance. Although Yunmeng Shuizhe is still ten miles away from the Yangtze River, there is a long and narrow pond between the Yangtze River and Yunmengze. The closest point of the pond is to the Yangtze River."  There are only a few hundred steps. If Cao Jun digs through the pond and Yunmengze, their ships can reach the Yangtze River a few hundred steps away. I believe that this distance of several hundred steps is easy for an army of 20,000 to solve.  Therefore, I believe that they will not wait for the Jiangling navy to cross the river, but will probably cross the river tonight."

    "So, I came at the right time?" Huang Zhong laughed."So I said, old general, it's timely rain. Now we have 10,000 troops, we can deploy by the river and annihilate Cao's army when they cross the river."

    Huang Zhong shook his head, "If we deploy by the river, we can only annihilate a few thousand soldiers at most. But my goal is to completely annihilate Cao's army, so I am preparing to withdraw."

    Huo Jun was stunned, "What the old general means is that you won't fight in Puqi?"

    Huang Zhong walked to the map and punched the large open space between Puqi County and Yangxin County with his fist. "Although there are official roads in this area, the terrain is complex and the forests are dense. We can lure the enemy to go deeper and use people who are familiar with the terrain."  Ambush Cao's army with advantage."

    Huang Zhong saw that Huo Jun was still a little hesitant, so he smiled and said: "The terrain is the help of soldiers. Anticipating the enemy's victory, planning the dangers, distance and distance is the way of a general. I know every grass and stone west of Yangxin County well. I  If we know it but the enemy doesn¡¯t know it, how can we not win?¡±

    Huo Jun finally nodded, stood up, clasped his fists and said, "I understand my humble position, and I am willing to obey the old general's instructions!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, thousands of Cao's troops finally dug a passage between Yunmengze and a pond, allowing ships to reach the Yangtze River. It was only more than 300 steps away from the Yangtze River. From a high place, Zhu Ling, the commander of Cao's army, watched the large ships sailing into the pond.  , heading towards the Yangtze River, he turned back and asked: "Are the wooden rails ready?"

    "Report to the general, preparations are complete!"

    Zhu Ling nodded, "The ship can be transported!"

    A slope has been dug on the shore of the pond. Thousands of Cao soldiers pulled hard and shouted slogans, slowly pulling a 500-stone cargo ship onto the shore. On the shore, every few steps there was a two-foot-long  The log, the big boat was pulled by everyone, and moved forward slowly with the rolling of the log. Three hundred steps away was the Yangtze River.

    At this time, a large ship has arrived at the riverside. Amid the shouts of the crowd, the large ship gradually slid down the slope into the river, splashing a splash of water and immediately arousing cheers. The first large ship was put into the Yangtze River.

    At this time, a small boat came from the other side. Zhu Ling went up to meet it and asked: "What is the situation of Jiangxia Army on the other side?"

    "Reporting to the general, Puqi City on the other side is an empty city with only about a hundred old and weak people. I heard from them that the enemy general Huo Jun has evacuated in the afternoon."

    At this time, the deputy general Ma Yan said in a low voice: "Maybe this is a trick of the Jiangxia Army to lure troops!"

    Zhu Ling glanced at him and said coldly: "Even the trick of luring troops can't change the Prime Minister's plan."

    He asked the spies again, "Are there any Jiang Xia troops on the shore?"

    "There are no enemy troops within a few miles of the shore."

    Zhu Ling immediately ordered: "Pass my order and prepare to cross the river!"

    At the first watch, 20,000 Cao Jun, led by General Zhu Ling, began to cross the Yangtze River under the cover of night. Dozens of cargo ships loaded with Cao Jun soldiers cut through the waves and sailed to the other side. On the big ships, the river wind blew on their faces, and Cao Jun soldiers silently  Staring at the dark opposite shore, they didn't know how God would arrange their fate.

    However, what made Cao's soldiers breathe a long sigh of relief was that they did not encounter enemy resistance on the south bank and successfully boarded the Puqi County Pier. Three thousand leading Cao soldiers occupied Puqi County and began to build fortifications to cover the rear.  The army crossed the river.

    It was not until noon the next day that all 20,000 Cao Cao troops finally completed crossing the river and began to assemble on the south bank. The mission accepted by this Cao army was to enter the hinterland of Jiangxia and attack the rear of Jiangxia army.

    Since they could not carry food and grass, each soldier of Cao's army had to carry food on his back. They were fully armed, and each soldier carried three buckets of rice, plus armor, weapons, kettles and blankets. Each person carried a load of more than fifty kilograms. Although they were exhausted, they did not  No one dares to complain. Half an hour later, 20,000 Cao Jun lined up and set off to the southeast.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The reason why Cao Cao was stationed in Jiangling for two months was that in addition to training his navy, another very important reason was to avoid midsummer. Although the summer in the north is equally hot, the climate is dry and exposed to the scorching sun, so it is not easy to get sick.  .

    But the summer in the south is hot and humid, and mosquitoes breed. It is very different from the north. Especially for hundreds of thousands of troops, it is very easy for one person to get sick and be infected. So Cao Cao waited for two months in Jiangling and waited until autumn.  , the army just started to set off.

    At this time, there is no longer the heat of midsummer, but the temperature difference between morning and evening is huge, especially in Yunmengze. It is still sweltering at noon, but at night, it becomes very chilly. If you are weak, it will be difficult to withstand this temperature difference.  double suffering.

    Entering Yunmengze from Huarong County, it took six days of marching to reach Chibi Wulin. There were no problems in the first four days. Although the soldiers were tired from marching, the journey was smooth. However, on the night of the fifth day, Cao Cao's most serious incident happened.  Things to worry about.

    Night, Cao CaoWhile he was studying the map alone in the Chinese army's tent, the skilled craftsmen in his army carved a lifelike map of Jiangxia for him on a wooden board, and then used different colors to mark the lakes, Yangtze River, cities, forests, fields, mountains, etc., look.  It's clear at a glance. Although it's not that precise, it's roughly not bad.

    His eyes fell on Chibi Town. His spies sent information that large military camps began to appear in Chibi Town. In other words, Jiang Xiajun had realized that he would cross the river in Chibi.

    This did not surprise Cao Cao. After all, hundreds of thousands of troops were marching. If Liu Jing could not guess his combat intentions, then he really was not worthy of being his opponent, not to mention that there was Jia Xu beside Liu Jing.  .

    Cao Cao has experienced hundreds of battles and encountered numerous disadvantages. Although the Jiangxia and Jiangdong naval forces are far stronger than him, it does not mean that he has no chance.

    He knew that in more than twenty days, after the white dew, the wind direction would turn to the northwest, which would be very beneficial for him to cross the river at that time. As long as his army could set foot on the land of Jiangxia, he would have a chance in this battle.  60% sure of winning.

    Maybe he will pay a heavy price, but as long as he can annihilate Liu Jing's Jiangxia army, no matter how high the price is, he thinks it is worth it. Cao Cao has regarded Liu Jing as his biggest enemy, replacing Liu Bei.

    While Cao Cao was deep in thought, a guard hurried to the tent and reported in a low voice: "Prime Minister, General Zhang Liao has something urgent to report!"

    Zhang Liao is the general on duty tonight. What important matters will he have? Has he discovered the enemy's situation?  Cao Cao immediately ordered: "Let him come in!"

    After a moment, Zhang Liao hurriedly walked into the tent, knelt down on one knee and reported, "To inform the Prime Minister, more than a dozen soldiers in the Western Camp have fallen ill. They are soldiers from the same camp."

    It is normal for soldiers to get sick, but Zhang Liao's last words shocked Cao Cao. When a soldier in the same camp fell ill, the problem became serious. Cao Cao said urgently: "Where is it? Take me there quickly!"

    Zhang Liao led Cao Cao to the West Camp quickly. Near a tent on the edge, hundreds of soldiers were already under martial law, and soldiers from more than a dozen surrounding camps were all concentrated and isolated.

    When Cao Cao approached a tent where soldiers lived, he smelled a pungent smell of lime. Inside the tent, several military doctors were busy disinfecting it with lime water.

    "What's going on?" Cao Cao asked, covering his nose.

    A military doctor came forward and said: "Reporting to the Prime Minister, drinking unclean water in the swamp may have caused the disease and spread it to each other. All fifteen soldiers in one camp fell ill. Three have died, and the others are probably still alive."  Not long."

    Cao Cao's most worried thing finally happened. Once an epidemic breaks out, he once had a similar experience. Sixty-seven out of ten soldiers in a military camp will die. There is no cure for this kind of epidemic, and the only way is to isolate and burn it.

    He immediately said: "No more treatment, burn them all, even the surviving ones, don't leave anything behind!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 369 Speculating on Shang¡¯s intentions

    In the large tent of the Chinese army, there were seven or eight counselors including Cheng Yu, Chen Qun, Liu Ye, Mao Jie, Jia Kui, Xin Pi, and Yang Xiu, as well as the Xia Hou brothers, Zhang Liao, Xu Chu, Cao Hong, Zhang He, Li Dian, Yu Jin, etc.  More than a dozen important generals gathered together.

    The lights in the big tent were bright, but there was silence. There was an epidemic in the military camp. This was a major event anyway, and it was this event that led to the proposal to withdraw the troops.

    The person who suggested withdrawing the troops was Cao Cao's important adviser Chen Qun. Chen Qun's reasons for withdrawing the troops were also very good. The boats were invincible and the epidemic was beginning. A long and protracted expedition to the south was not the way to win. He suggested returning to the army to recuperate and let Jingzhou and Jiangdong  The two tigers fought against each other, and three years later they conquered Jingzhou again.

    "Everyone, Chen Shenjun believes that we are in a disadvantageous situation and it is difficult to break through the natural dangers of the Yangtze River. Now there is an epidemic. He suggests that we temporarily withdraw our troops and return to the north. After a few years of rest, we can go south to conquer Liu Jing. I want to know how many of you are here.  Do you agree with the withdrawal?¡±

    Cao Cao¡¯s voice was not loud, but it could be heard clearly in the entire tent. Although he was asking for everyone¡¯s opinions, his tone was very stern. Everyone could hear that the prime minister was condemning Chen Qun.

    Chen Qun said nothing, looking at the ground coldly, as if Cao Cao's condemning tone had nothing to do with him.

    At this time, Cheng Yu stood up and said: "Prime Minister, I have something to say, please allow me to state it."

    "Zhongde, please speak!"

    Cheng Yu said slowly: "In the Battle of Guandu in the fifth year of Jian'an, Yuan Shao's army was well-prepared, with thousands of generals and advisors, and he pressed southward with thunderous force. However, our army was in civil strife in the court, and the people's hearts were unstable, and the generals lacked armor.  Food was cut off, but even in this difficult situation, we turned defeat into victory and defeated the strong with the weak. What did we rely on? Also last year, when the army attacked Wuhuan from the north, we also encountered heavy rains and lacked food and grass. We were forced to  We killed horses for food, marched thousands of miles and lost more than half of our troops, but we still defeated Wuhuan in one battle and relieved our worries. What do we rely on? "

    It was quiet in the big tent, and only Cheng Yu could be heard speaking generously, "Today we have sufficient food and grass, high morale, more soldiers and generals, twice the enemy's army, and we haven't fought yet, so how can we talk about withdrawing our troops?"

    Chen Qun finally couldn't help but retort: ??"Liu Jing and Sun Quan are not Yuan Shao, and they will not make Yuan Shao's mistakes again. Zhongde knows that it is difficult for our army to cross the danger of the Yangtze River, and that the navy is far inferior to Jiangxia and Jiangdong, but he wants to fight forcefully.  If this battle is defeated, it will destroy all the achievements of the Prime Minister in the past twenty years, and it will also change the world situation. Why can't we prepare for the war calmly, defeat the enemy's troops without fighting, or win with absolute power, instead of trying to force the enemy to win?  Risking a fight now?

    Now that the epidemic has emerged, once it breaks out, how many soldiers in the camp will be able to return to their hometowns, and how many will be able to see their wives and children again. Does Zhongde treat 200,000 soldiers regardless of life or death?  "

    Chen Qun's words made everyone in the tent look angry. Cao Cao was also furious. He pointed at Chen Qun and shouted: "Get out of the tent with sticks!"

    Chen Qun knelt on the ground and cried: "I hope the prime minister will think twice about your loyal words!"

    Several guards lifted Chen Qun up and dragged him out. Cao Cao gave a heavy grunt and turned away with his hands behind his back. After a moment, Chen Qun was carried out. Cao Cao then sternly said to everyone: "Anyone who dares to talk about withdrawing the troops again will be punished."  Immediate execution without mercy!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The camp finally became quiet. The bones and belongings of the soldiers infected with the epidemic were burned in a fire. The epidemic incident also disappeared. The counselor Liu Ye had a good relationship with Chen Qun. When the night was quiet, he came out of his camp.  He quickly arrived in front of Chen Qun's tent, but unexpectedly several soldiers stopped him, "Master Liu, the Prime Minister has ordered that no one is allowed to see Chen Canjun!"

    Liu Ye was startled, and then he realized that Chen Qun was under house arrest. Helpless, he sighed, turned around and walked slowly along the road of the military camp. In fact, he also felt that the current situation was not optimistic.

    The Prime Minister was bent on annihilating the Jiangxia army, regardless of the actual difficulties, and crossing the river with a hint of luck was definitely not the way to win. In fact, Cao's army was blocked by the Jiangxia navy in Fancheng and was disgraced. Liu Ye then realized that this battle was not possible.  Optimistic.

    The reason why he suggested that Cao Jun return to Fancheng and take a detour to Anlu County to attack Jiangxia in the south was because he hoped that Cao Jun would have a way out and that even if he failed, he could withdraw directly from Runan and avoid annihilation.

    But the Prime Minister was obviously possessed and did not consider the risks at all. Even Chen Changwen, who dared to speak out, was placed under house arrest. This made Liu Ye so worried that he couldn't help but sigh to the sky.

    "Brother Ziyang, why are you sighing?" A low laugh came from the side.

    When Liu Ye turned around, he saw that it was Yang Xiu. Yang Xiu was also the chief clerk and handled government affairs with Liu Ye. The two had a very good relationship. Liu Ye smiled bitterly and shook his head, "I just sighed because I felt something in my heart."

    Yang Xiu smiled meaningfully and walked to the tent next to him, "Brother Ziyang, why don't you come and sit in my tent and let's talk."

    Liu Ye was depressed and wanted to find someone to talk to. He nodded happily.?Following Yang Xiu to the big tent, the two of them entered the tent and sat down. Yang Xiu poured him a cup of hot tea and said with a smile: "Brother Ziyang, are you sighing about Chen joining the army?"

    ¡°I just went to see Chang Wen and found out that he was actually under house arrest, which was disappointing.¡±

    "House arrest is not a big deal, the Prime Minister just doesn't want other people to come into contact with him. Once this matter is over, everything will be fine. Brother Ziyang, don't worry."

    Liu Ye was just angry, so he took the problem seriously. After Yang Xiu's reminder, he gradually calmed down.

    He also realized that he was a bit extreme, but he was just expressing a different opinion. The Prime Minister would not put Chen Qun under house arrest. That was Yuan Shao, and the Prime Minister was not that narrow-minded.

    However, Liu Ye was also a little strange. Since the Prime Minister was not a narrow-minded person, why did he not allow other people to have contact with Chen Qun?

    Yang Xiu glanced at Liu Ye and said with a smile: "Brother Ziyang is wondering, why does the Prime Minister not allow others to see Chen Changwen?"

    "exactly!"

    "Actually, the reason is very simple, because the Prime Minister also wants to withdraw his troops."

    Liu Ye was shocked, "How could this happen? How could Dezu see it?"

    Yang Xiu gently stroked his long beard under his chin and said with a smile: "If the Prime Minister really doesn't want to withdraw the troops, he can just reject Chen Changwen. Is it necessary to call everyone here for discussion? The Prime Minister wants to withdraw the troops, but due to his status he cannot do so, so he  Gather everyone together, and if everyone unanimously demands withdrawal, then he can reluctantly withdraw.

    But except for Chen Changwen, no one else was willing to withdraw their troops, so the prime minister pretended to be imprisoned and refused to allow anyone to see him, to show how angry he was and how determined he was to fight. In fact, this was not the case.  "

    Liu Ye sighed softly, "People say that Yang Dezu knows the Prime Minister well, and it's true!"

    But Liu Ye frowned again, "Actually, I don't understand why the Prime Minister wants to withdraw his troops. Does he also feel that there is no guarantee of victory in this battle?"

    Yang Xiu smiled slightly, "Actually, what Chen Changwen said was the Prime Minister's innermost thoughts. That's why the Prime Minister became furious!"

    Speaking of this, Yang Xiu also sighed: "It's a pity that the Prime Minister can't afford to lose this face. He will still fight hard. But what will be the final result of this battle? It is really unpredictable."

    Liu Ye turned around and looked outside the tent. Only then did he realize that it was drizzling outside the tent.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The early autumn in the south is not as refreshing as the autumn in the north. There will always be a slight drizzle inadvertently, sweeping away the last heat of the summer. In the south, this is a very popular autumn rain, but this kind of autumn rain will also  What worries housewives is that their clothes will become moldy, and even furniture and some unused items will be covered with a layer of green velvet.

    For business travelers, the autumn rainy season will make the roads muddy and difficult to navigate, which will always make people complain.

    On the official road east of Chibi Town, an army of more than 20,000 people was marching on the muddy road. The soles of everyone's boots were covered with thick mud, and their military uniforms became damp in the drizzle.  Many soldiers were complaining in low voices about this autumn rain, which was neither big nor small, but refused to give up easily.

    At this time, there was a rapid sound of horse hooves in the distance, and someone shouted: "It's the Zhou Mu who is coming!"

    The soldiers moved out of the way, only to see a cavalry of several hundred people coming from a distance. The horses were not very fast at all, and their legs and bodies were covered with mud. The leader was none other than Liu Jing, the shepherd of Jingzhou.  He did not travel by boat, but by land.

    At this time, Liu Jing had received definite news that the main force of Cao's army of 200,000 had arrived in Chibi Wulin and set up camp in an open space more than ten miles along the river. Therefore, he also transferred the main force of 50,000 Jiangxia troops to Chibi, including 30,000.  The navy and 20,000 land troops, and Zhou Yu, the commander-in-chief of the Jiangdong navy, will also lead 30,000 navy troops to rush to Chibi by boat, and the 80,000 Jing-Wu coalition forces will face the 200,000 Cao army.

    It is not far from Xiakou to Chibi, only more than a hundred miles, and it can be reached in one day's march. When he was still about five miles away from Chibi Town, Liu Jing slowed down his horse, and several soldiers on horseback came to meet him.  The person in question is General Cai Jin, who has been promoted to Sima of another department. He has recovered from his injuries and is currently leading three thousand troops stationed in Chibi Town. Just now, he heard that Zhou Mu was coming and came to greet him.

    "This is a humble position, please see Zhou Mu!" Cai Jin bowed deeply on his horse.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Cai Sima!¡±

    Liu Jing replied with a smile and asked: "How is the tent setup going?"

    Six days ago, Cai Jin received the task of building the camp. He has been busy until now and said quickly: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, the camp has been built. It is built according to the scale of an army of 100,000. The soldiers can move in immediately to rest and recover."  physical strength."

    Liu Jing nodded and walked side by side with Cai Jin, "Finally,Is there any news from the other side of Red Cliff?  Liu Jing asked.

    Cai Jin smiled bitterly and said: "I only know that the main force of Cao's army of 200,000 was stationed on the other side, and then there was no news again. Cao's army patrols are very powerful. Many of our scouts have been arrested, and the ships hidden on the shore have been seized by Cao's army's patrols.  The brothers can¡¯t come back either.¡±

    "Have Cao Jun's small ships appeared on the other side of the river?"

    Liu Jing had already heard that Cao Jun in Puqi Wulin transported Yunmeng Zezhong's ships to the Yangtze River, and he was very concerned about whether Cao Jun in Chibi did the same thing.

    "This I didn't find it!"

    The two of them walked some distance again, and Liu Jing's topic turned to housework. He asked with concern: "How is your sister doing now?"

    The sister Liu Jing refers to is Cai Shaoyu. When Liu Jing brought her to Jiangxia, Cai Shaoyu took refuge in Cai Jin and lived in Cai Jin's home. Liu Jing also heard about it and heard that she was not very good.

    Cai Jin sighed, "She broke up with her father."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 370 The defecting soldiers

    "Why is this?" Liu Jing asked puzzledly.

    "Her father sent someone to pick her up last month, and at the same time he sent a 'letter of departure' from Liu Cong. Shaoyu fell out with her father because of this."

    "Qu Shu" is a divorce document, indicating that the couple has dissolved their marriage. This was very common in the Han Dynasty. A man could divorce a woman, or a woman could divorce a man. For example, Zhu Maichen's wife disliked her husband's uselessness, so she took the initiative to divorce her husband.  However, Cai Shaoyu actually fell out with her father over the divorce, which really puzzled Liu Jing.

    "This is a bit strange. Could it be that Shaoyu still has feelings for Liu Cong?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Cai Jin shook his head, "That's not the case. Shaoyu first received a letter from her aunt. The letter said that her father sent people to Yecheng to force Liu Cong to terminate the engagement. Later, his father sent people to pick him up.  She also gave her a letter, saying that she was going to remarry Xiahou Ba. Shaoyu burst into tears over this, saying that her father had hurt her once and would hurt her a second time, so she planned to take her to Xuchang.  The people drove her away, twisted her hair and gave it to her father."

    Only then did Liu Jing understand that Cai Mao wanted to use his daughter to curry favor with Xia Houyuan again. Cai Shaoyu's reaction seemed a bit too fierce. After all, he was her father, so why did he want to wring out his hair? However, Liu Jing could also imagine what Cai Shaoyu had suffered over the years.  torment.

    "What about the Cai family's attitude?" Liu Jing asked again.

    ¡®The Cai family?  ¡¯ Cai Jin couldn¡¯t help but sneered, ¡°The Cai family has ignored her for a long time. I told my father about this, but it was as if nothing happened.¡±

    Liu Jing thought of the last incident at Xiangyang Wharf. It was Cai Xun who sent someone to remind her that the Cai family probably didn't ignore her. Maybe it was just to draw a clear line with Cai Mao. Thinking of this, Liu Jing glanced at Cai Jin.  , seeing the look of dissatisfaction on his face, he smiled and never mentioned the matter again.

    Not long after, they arrived at the Chibi Camp. In the wilderness south of the Red Cliff Cliff, a majestic camp covering an area of ??1,000 acres appeared in front of Liu Jing. Even Chibi Town was included in the camp.  The camp has a plank wall structure. The camp wall is one to five feet high, solid and thick. There are twelve observation decks built around it, and the red flag of the Jingzhou Army hangs on the five-foot flagpole.

    At this time, 30,000 naval troops and more than 700 warships led by Gan Ning had arrived in Chibi. The West Camp was extremely lively, with items being transported and tents distributed. There was a lively and orderly atmosphere in front of each tent. That was for Jiang Xia.  The Dongdaying is the garrison of the Jiangdong Navy, and the South Camp is the garrison of the Jiangxia Army.

    Liu Jing did not enter the camp, but asked Cai to go in and arrange for Wei Yan's army to enter the camp. He urged his horse to come to the river. As expected, a water fort was also being built on the river near Chibi Pier, and the water fort was even wider.  , covering more than 5,000 acres of water surface and stretching for nearly ten miles.

    Building a water fortress is more complicated. It requires driving wooden piles around the perimeter and driving a wooden pile about every five steps deep into the river bottom. At the same time, thousands of hundreds of stone ships need to be connected end to end and anchored close to the wooden piles to form a ship enclosure.  , and laid wooden planks so that the crossbowmen could defend the ship's perimeter.

    At this time, Gan Ning had already heard the news and came over. He stepped forward and saluted and said with a smile: "I wonder if the Jiangdong navy is willing to enter the water stronghold we prepared?"

    Liu Jing smiled lightly and said: "This is very simple. Pull a partition wooden stake from the middle, and then build a water gate on the east and west sides, and they will settle in."

    "What Zhou Mu said makes sense, I will obey it!"

    Gan Ning immediately gave a few instructions to his men, and they rushed away. Liu Jing stared at the river in the distance and said: "I want to see the situation over there with Cao Jun. Please arrange the ships!"

    "Follow your orders!"

    Gan Ning ordered people to arrange the ships. Not long after, Liu Jing sailed out of the water village in a small boat with a hundred stones, followed by twenty escort warships with the same hundred stones, sailing toward the other shore.

    On the bow of the ship, Gan Ning reported the wind direction to Liu Jing, "The wind direction has been unstable in the past few days, sometimes blowing from the south, sometimes from the north. After winter comes in another month, the south wind will no longer exist."

    "Is there still a south wind now?" Liu Jing asked.

    "Yesterday there was a south wind, and we came with the wind. Unfortunately today, there was a north wind. The thousand-stone warship couldn't cross the other side, so we just took a hundred-stone boat and rowed across."

    At this time, several Jiangxia military sentry ships appeared on the river. Gan Ning pointed to the sentry ships and said: "Those are the sentry ships sent by humble officials. They are responsible for monitoring Cao Jun on the north bank. If there is any change in Cao Jun's warships, we will know immediately."

    "Have you ever discovered Cao Jun's ships?"

    "So far, no Cao Jun sentry ship has been found."

    As soon as Gan Ning finished speaking, he heard the watchman on the mast shout: "A suspicious ship was found ahead!"

    Liu Jing quickly walked to the side of the ship and looked into the distance. He saw a small boat in the distance. It was very light and flexible. It didn't look like Jiang Xia.The sentry ship is speeding towards this side.

    "Come forward!"

    Liu Jing gave an order, the fleet speeded up, and soon stopped the small boat. There were three Cao soldiers on the boat, which surprised Liu Jing, "Bring them to see me!"

    Liu Jing turned around and returned to the cabin. After a while, the soldiers escorted three Cao soldiers in. The three soldiers were uneasy. When they saw that the general in the cabin was actually Liu Jing, they were so excited that they knelt down and kowtowed, "We are all Jingzhou soldiers.  I don¡¯t want to serve Cao¡¯s army, so I took advantage of the opportunity to try out the ship and beg Mr. Jing to take him in!¡±

    Liu Jing glanced at the soldiers, who all shook their heads. They did not reveal their identities. Liu Jing was a little strange and asked the three of them: "Do you know me?"

    An older soldier cried and said: "Master Jing, have you forgotten? Master Jing broke Cai Zhong's leg back then because Cai Zhong scolded us for no reason. We were all soldiers who guarded the gate of Xiangyang City and were led by Cai Hao."  Went to Fancheng.¡±

    It turned out to be them. Liu Jing nodded and his eyes softened a bit, but he felt that something was still wrong. Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and suddenly stared at them sharply and said: "Actually, you guys  There are many opportunities to escape. Even when Cai Mao withdrew his troops and fled to Fangling, many soldiers took the opportunity to escape. Why didn't you escape then? "

    The three of them looked at each other and lowered their heads in shame. Liu Jing sneered, "What, you have nothing to say?"

    The older soldier sighed and said: "To be honest with you, sir, the main reason is that our military prince is quite loyal and we cannot bear to betray him. If we are not forced to do so this time, we will not flee."

    "Why are you so forced?" Liu Jing asked coldly.

    "Because someone in the army died of the epidemic and had to carry the body to be burned. The superiors asked us Jingzhou soldiers to carry it. Some of our brothers were also infected, so we were afraid and we all discussed running away. Today happened to be a trial of the ship. We  Just take the opportunity"

    "Wait a minute!"

    Before they could finish speaking, Liu Jing interrupted them, "Are you saying that there is an epidemic in Cao's army?"

    "That's it. In fact, someone got sick when we were marching in Yunmengze. But I heard that it was burned, so I thought it was okay. Unexpectedly, not long after we stationed in the camp, someone fell ill again. The person who carried the body last time was also a Jingzhou soldier.  ¡±

    This news made Liu Jing both surprised and worried. The surprise was that there was an epidemic among Cao's soldiers, which would seriously weaken Cao's combat effectiveness. But he knew that the epidemic had no boundaries. Once a large-scale outbreak broke out, it would have serious consequences for the entire Jiangxia and even Jingzhou.  It would be a devastating blow, and there were 200,000 soldiers in Cao's army, which worried Liu Jing.

    He stood on the bow of the boat with his hands behind his back and thought for a long time. He turned around and said to his soldiers: "Go to Wuchang immediately and invite Zhang Biejia!"

    Zhang Biejia is the new Jingzhou Biejia Zhang Ji. He is no longer the governor of Changsha County. In fact, Jingzhou Biejia is a sinecure. This is also Zhang Ji's request. He wants to concentrate on medicine and has no time to be an official, but Liu Jing  I don't want him to resign, so I want Zhang Ji to be a special agent in Jingzhou. He has a high status but doesn't have to take care of anything. It can be said that he has the best of both worlds.

    The two soldiers transferred to another boat and rushed to Wuchang. At this time, Liu Jing asked the three deserters: "I want to know where the boat you are on comes from?"

    "Young master, this is the boat that was moved from Yunmeng Zezhong to the Yangtze River. Hundreds of boats have been moved in the past two days, and this is one of them."

    What worried Liu Jing did indeed happen. Cao Jun of Chibi followed Cao Jun of Puqi and dug an artificial canal to directly drag the boat from Yunmengze into the Yangtze River. Although this was not a big deal, it meant that Cao Jun's warships could  Entering the Yangtze River from Yunmengze, Fancheng's warships can also come through Yunmengze

    Two hundred thousand Cao troops have set up camp on the other side of Red Cliff. The scale and momentum of the camp are even greater, stretching for more than 30 miles along the Yangtze River. Flags are like clouds. In the thin autumn rain, there is no end to the tents.

    In the middle of the camp, a river ten feet wide and two feet deep was gradually revealed. Tens of thousands of soldiers were working hard to dig on this three-mile-long river. Cao Cao stood under the high Luo Gai with his hands behind his back, his eyes dark.  Gazing gloomily at the appearance of the canal.

    Liu Jing's guess was basically correct. This canal was dug for the warships coming from Fancheng. The water surface was wide and deep enough for a three thousand stone ship to sail. Once the warships arrived, they could slide through the pre-arranged rolling rails.  Enter the Yangtze River.

    But Liu Jing was not right about one thing. This was not because Cao Cao was learning the experience of Cao Cao's army in Puqi. In fact, when Cao Cao's scouts sent by Yu Jin discovered that Yunmengze was only three miles away from the nearest point of the Yangtze River, Cao Cao finalized the plan.  Fancheng's warships can be transferred to the Yangtze River.

    Cao Cao¡¯s army has been stationed in Wulin for three days. During these three days, Cao Cao¡¯s army has been in a state of panic.It gradually settled down, but another epidemic death occurred.

    This incident made Cao Cao extremely angry, because it took at least three days from the time the soldier fell ill to the time he died, but no one reported it to the superiors for three days. It was not until the soldier died of illness that he could no longer hide it, and the general was forced to report it to the superiors.

    In anger, Cao Cao killed three generals involved and five military doctors who were involved in the cover-up. He also ordered a thorough investigation of the sick soldiers, and found more than 200 soldiers who had fallen ill with diarrhea, most of whom had surrendered.  Jingzhou Army.

    This incident made Cao Cao extremely depressed. While he ordered the isolation of sick soldiers, he also issued three urgent orders, ordering Hua Tuo, who was returning to his hometown to visit relatives, to rush to the Jingzhou camp.

    Fortunately, he received another express message from Cai He. Cai He had led more than 700 Fancheng warships to Yunmengze and was heading towards Wulin at full speed. This made his mood slightly better and he had something in his heart.  expect.

    At this time, a guard rushed over and bowed to report: "Prime Minister, there is news from the water stronghold that a Jiangxia Army warship is approaching the water stronghold, and the person on board seems to be Liu Jing."

    Pure site "57 Novels Network" "ww w.57 xs.c om" is worth collecting

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 371 Do you want to be emperor?

    Cao Cao suddenly became interested and turned to go downstairs. He suddenly stopped again, turned around and told Yu Jin who was accompanying him to inspect the canal: "This canal must be completed before dawn tomorrow, no further delay!"

    Yu Jin felt extremely bitter in his heart. It would take at least three days to complete the excavation. Now he was asked to finish it before dawn tomorrow. How could he possibly do it? But he did not dare to say 'no', so he had to bow and say: "I obey my command!"

    Cao Cao hurried towards the water stronghold. Zang Ba next to him whispered to Jin: "The prime minister wants it to be completed before dawn. How can we do this?"

    Yu Jin sighed, "Since the Prime Minister requested this, then please ask for an additional 30,000 men! Otherwise, we will not be able to complete the task even if we are killed."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Wulin Wharf is a very small wharf. It usually only docks ordinary civilian ferries. However, after Cao Jun arrived, they cut down the trees on the ten-mile-long shore, paved it with bluestones, and built an embankment wharf about ten miles long to prepare for the upcoming waterfront construction.  Lay the foundation for the stronghold.

    In fact, Cao Jun's water stronghold has already begun construction. Cao Jun cut down tens of thousands of long logs and sharpened one of them to facilitate insertion into the bottom of the river. The water stronghold is ten miles long and two miles wide, and can accommodate two thousand warships.

    Dozens of small boats were busy on the river. Cao Jun's soldiers drove long logs into the water. Cao Jun's soldiers worked nervously for three days. As sparse wooden piles appeared on the water, the outline of the water village gradually formed.  .

    However, before Cao Jun¡¯s warships arrived, the water stronghold was empty and without any obstruction, Liu Jing¡¯s fleet sailed into the water stronghold unimpeded and gradually approached the shore.

    On the shore, Zhang Liao had mobilized 10,000 crossbowmen. They stood densely on the shore, bows and arrows, and watched vigilantly as the twenty Jiangxia small warships approached.

    But Liu Jing's ship did not enter the range of the bow and arrow, and stopped one hundred and fifty steps away. Dozens of soldiers shouted in unison: "Liu Jingzhou invites Prime Minister Cao to see you!"

    Not long after, a large group of cavalry appeared on the shore surrounded by a green umbrella. The cavalry stepped aside to reveal Cao Cao in purple robes. Liu Jing clasped his fists and laughed loudly: "Prime Minister Cao, you are well here!"

    Cao Cao turned back to Xia Houyuan and said, "Please come forward and speak."

    Xia Houyuan shouted loudly: "Liu Zhoumu, Prime Minister, please come forward and speak!"

    Liu Jing heard this and ordered to the left and right: "Go forward twenty steps on the boat."

    The soldiers on the left and right were all frightened, and even Gan Ning could not help but persuade him: "Zhou Mu, Cao Cao is a cunning man. This is too dangerous."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "It doesn't matter, if he shoots me with an arrow, he will no longer be Cao Cao."

    With no choice but to move forward, Liu Jing clasped her fists again and said with a smile, "Is the Prime Minister okay when we say goodbye to the Han River?"

    At this time, all the officers and soldiers of Cao's army on the shore deeply admired Liu Jing's courage. Under the threat of tens of thousands of crossbowmen, Liu Jing dared to approach twenty steps. This kind of courage was not possessed by ordinary people. No wonder the Prime Minister looked down upon him.  Wanting to see, all the soldiers looked at their prime minister.

    Cao Cao gently stroked his long beard, squinted his eyes and nodded, with secret admiration in his heart. He also laughed loudly and said: "Master Jing, I really don't want to be your enemy. You can make some conditions! As long as you are willing to submit to the imperial court, any  I can agree to all your conditions.¡±

    Liu Jing laughed, "Does Prime Minister take this seriously? Will you agree to any conditions I offer?"

    The soldiers were all shocked. How could the prime minister speak so fully? Last time, he proposed to be the king of Xiangyang. If he went up, he could only ascend to the throne and become the emperor. What if Liu Jing really proposed to ascend the throne as the emperor?

    Unexpectedly, Cao Cao said calmly: "As long as it is about your conditions, I can agree to it. If you are dissatisfied with the position of King Xiangyang, then there is nothing wrong with letting you ascend to Jiuding. You are a direct descendant of the royal family. If you have this intention,  I am willing to persuade the emperor to abdicate and support you as the new emperor. Let us work together to revive the Han Dynasty! "

    There was total silence on the shore, and all the soldiers did not even dare to speak out. This unprecedented condition shocked everyone beyond belief.

    Liu Jing sneered in his heart. His roots were in Jingzhou. If he gave up his roots and went to Xuchang, he would be just another Liu Xie.

    Liu Jing just bowed slightly and said: "The Prime Minister is joking, I am just a junior, how can I deserve to be so valued by the Prime Minister."

    Cao Cao looked at him and said slowly: "You deserve it!"

    Liu Jing felt a little moved in his heart. He knew that with Cao Cao's status, being able to say this was no joke. To actually recruit him as an emperor could only show that Cao Cao really valued him.

    Liu Jing was silent for a moment and then laughed, "The Prime Minister has been surrounded by countless loyal ministers and close friends for half his life, but there is no strong enemy. Isn't it very lonely? Liu Jing is not talented, but he is willing to be the Prime Minister's number one rival in his life. Ten years from now, I, Liu Jing, will  Jing died, please the Prime Minister to erect a monument for me. If the Prime Minister dies, I, Liu Jing, am willing to build a shrine for the Prime Minister.  "

    Cao Cao stared at him for a long time and suddenly laughed, "That's right! In a hundred years of life, having a strong enemy is enough to satisfy you. Go ahead! Ten years later, I will personally erect a monument for Mr. Jing."

    "The Prime Minister is wrong!"

    Liu Jing shook her head, smiled slightly at Cao Cao and said, "I should be the one who built the temple for the Prime Minister myself."

    He waved his hand, "Let's go!"

    The fleet turned around, sailed out of Cao Jun's water stronghold, and headed towards the south bank. Cao Cao looked at Liu Jing's retreating back and couldn't help but shudder. He had never felt as scared as he did today.

    "Return the account!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At noon the next day, a bell suddenly sounded from the East Observation Tower in the distance. The bell sounded dull and long. It rang three times in total. Liu Jing was reviewing the military report sent by Jia Xu in his account. He heard the bell and got up.  Walk out of the tent.

    At this time, a soldier rushed to report, "Report to Zhou Mu, Jiangdong's fleet is coming."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. At midnight last night, the wind direction turned to the east, and he knew that the Jiangdong warship was about to arrive.

    Sure enough, a quarter of an hour later, the mighty Jiangdong fleet appeared on the river not far to the east. The edge could not be seen at a glance. Jiangxia boats had already greeted them, guiding the Jiangdong warships towards the water village.

    Liu Jing also boarded a thousand-stone warship and greeted him out. When his warship and the Jiangdong warship slowly crossed each other, Zhou Yu stood on the opposite ship and saluted him with clasped fists.

    The two ships finally got closer. Zhou Yu walked onto Liu Jing's ship with a smile, bowed and bowed deeply to Liu Jing, and said sincerely: "Jiangdong Army has been preparing for this battle for a year. I know Jiangxia Army has also been preparing for a long time. I hope God will not  Lose us!¡±

    Liu Jing patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "I have been waiting for Gong Jin for a long time. Please follow me to the big tent and let's talk about the military situation."

    ¡°This is what I¡¯m looking forward to. I have a lot of questions in my mind, and I hope I can get answers from Zhou Mu.¡±

    The two looked at each other and laughed. Zhou Yu then ordered the Jiangdong warships to enter the water stronghold, and he took Liu Jing's ship and headed for the camp on the shore.

    The two entered the Chinese army's tent. The soldiers were ready, carrying a wooden frame and hanging an extremely detailed map of Jiangxia. Wenpin, Gan Ning, Wei Yan and Liu Hu were standing in front of the map and whispering.

    Seeing that Jia Xu was not there, Liu Jing immediately ordered a soldier, "Go and invite Mr. Jia!"

    Not long after, Jia Xu hurried into the tent, raised his hands and said with a smile, "I'm late!"

    Jia Xu came from Wuchang early this morning. After running all night, his saddle and horse were tired. He was resting in the tent when he heard that Jiangdong's army had arrived, so he hurried over.

    At this time, Lu Su, the deputy governor of the Jiangdong Army, generals Huang Gai, Taishi Ci, Lu Meng, and chief secretary Kan Ze also entered the tent one after another. Everyone saw the ceremony, and then they all sat down humbly.

    "I wonder what the situation is like with Cao's army now? Can Zhou Mu introduce it to you?" Zhou Yu spoke first, opening up today's topic.

    Liu Jing walked to the map and pointed at Chibi Wulin, "Cao's army took the Huarong Road and passed through Yunmengze. Currently, the main force of 200,000 has arrived to camp on the other side. In addition, hundreds of warships came from Fancheng.  Passing the Han River and Xia River, it enters Yunmengze and heads towards Chibi Wulin."

    Liu Jing pointed to Puqi County again and said to everyone: "In addition, 20,000 Cao's troops have crossed the river from Puqi and entered the hinterland of Jiangxia. It is obvious that they want to attack our rear."

    "Zhou Mu knows so well, he should have some countermeasures, right?" Lu Su couldn't help but ask.

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Don't worry, Zijing. I have ordered Huang Zhong to lead 10,000 troops to fight against Cao Jun. In my territory, Cao Jun will not have any good results."

    At this time, Zhou Yu asked again: "Then, isn't Zhou Mu prepared to intercept Cao Jun's warship coming from Jiangling?"

    This is a question that Jiang Dongjun is very concerned about, and everyone is looking at Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "Why intercept? After intercepting the enemy warships, can Cao Cao's 200,000 troops be annihilated? Without a sophisticated navy, what's the use of having 10,000 warships?"

    Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Huang Gai and others looked at each other in shock. Only then did they realize that Liu Jing did not just want to defeat Cao Jun, but wanted to annihilate more than 200,000 Cao Jun.

    "good!"

    Tai Shici applauded, "If a man has such courage, he will let the battle of Chibi become the tomb of Cao Jun."

    Zhou Yu also understood Liu Jing's deep intention. If Cao Cao's army could be completely wiped out, Cao Cao's strength would be greatly weakened, which would be conducive to Liu Jing's development of power to the north. Wu Hou was also preparing to expand northward to Hefei and Guangling, which would also be beneficial to Jiangdong.  .

    Thinking of this, Zhou Yu also smiled slightly and said: "I fully support Zhou Mu's decision."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 372 Encounter on a narrow road

    From Puqi to the east is a low hilly area, covered with endless forests and sparsely populated. However, this is the only way from Changsha County to Jiangxia County, so there is another official road in the vast mountain forest, which is winding.  It winds into the distance, leading to Yangxin County in Jiangxia County.

    At dusk, a drizzle enveloped the land south of the Yangtze River, and it was bone-chilling. After two days of rain, the road became muddy and muddy, making walking difficult. On this sparsely traveled official road, 20,000 Cao troops were marching eastward with difficulty.  .

    The general, Zhu Ling, was riding on his horse, urging his horse to high ground from time to time, looking around to observe the terrain. At this time, Cao Jun had arrived at Yangxin County, Jiangxia County, about eighty miles away from the county seat. The terrain in this area was complex and the surrounding mountains were dangerous.  There are many deep ravines, and in the middle is a long and narrow basin with a radius of more than ten miles. From the map, after passing this area, there is a wide and flat plain ahead.

    Although he had been marching for three days, Zhu Ling remained vigilant for fear of encountering an ambush by Jiangxia's army. He knew that Puqi's defenders had retreated, but he kept finding traces of the army's march on the muddy official road.

    In other words, the Jiangxia Army did not withdraw in front of them, which means that the Jiangxia Army either withdrew to the south, or there was another road leading to the east, and the Jiangxia Army was heading towards them.

    But at this time, Zhu Ling was even more anxious to find a place to camp. His soldiers had been marching for a day and night and were already exhausted. However, they could never find a dry place suitable for camping. They did not bring tents and had to find a dry place.  Only in this place can you rest on the spot.

    "General!"

    A cavalryman rushed from the front and reported loudly: "General, General Ma found a pine forest next to the official road ahead. It covers an area of ??several hundred acres. The forest is very dry and is suitable for camping."

    Zhu Ling was overjoyed and quickly ordered: "Speed ??up the march and rest and camp in the pine forest ahead!"

    The pine forest that Mayan found was located five miles ahead. It was a black pine forest covering an area of ??several hundred acres. The pine forest was covered with a thick layer of pine needles. It was dry and warm, and filled with a strong rosin. This was the feeling in the cold autumn rain.  The most precious place to camp.

    When 20,000 Cao soldiers entered the pine forest, they cheered immediately. The soldiers ran around like a horse race. Everyone found a dry pine needle field of their own. They were already exhausted. They took off their rice bags and weapons and gathered together to drink water.  Chatting and waiting to eat, many soldiers were so exhausted that they didn't even think about eating. They took off their wet armor, wrapped themselves in blankets and fell asleep.

    But as a general, Zhu Ling was well aware of the responsibilities he shouldered, and he was extremely cautious. In fact, when he came down from cold menstruation, he was not satisfied with this black pine forest. It was surrounded by forests and it was difficult to find the enemy. Moreover, they were neither there nor  There was no river protection at a high place, so it was easy to be attacked by fire. Thinking of the unknown whereabouts of the enemy troops, he became extremely worried.

    Zhu Ling looked at the dark sky and the cold autumn rain, and could only sigh helplessly. Although this pine forest was not an ideal camp, it was impossible for him to find a new camp. He could only rely on patrols by scouts to ensure safety.  .

    Zhu Ling walked around and saw soldiers gathered in small groups. They did not rest together according to their respective camps. It was very confusing. He was extremely dissatisfied. It was the duty of the deputy general to station in the camp. This was the responsibility of deputy general Ma.  Yan failed in his duty, he shouted loudly: "Let Ma Yan come to see me!"

    A moment later, deputy general Ma Yan came flying over. Contrary to his chief general Zhu Ling, Ma Yan was very worried about being attacked by the Jiangxia army at the beginning, so he was extremely careful whether he was marching or stationed.

    But after three days of marching, his vigilance began to lower. They had marched hundreds of miles. If Jiang Xia's army had intended to ambush them, they would have taken action long ago. They would never have waited hundreds of miles without moving.

    He believed that Jiang Xia's army must have rushed to Yangxin County through another path. It was impossible to set up an ambush in the wilderness hundreds of miles away. It was enough to hold on to the city and wait for work. Zhu Ling was so cautious. It was not so much caution as it was  He was afraid of Jiang Xiajun in his heart.

    Ma Yan was having dinner when Zhu Ling sent someone to find him. He was holding a kettle in his hand and chewing pancakes and mutton. He ran up to Zhu Ling and then drank two gulps of water and took the last piece of pancake.  After swallowing, he let out a long burp, then farted uncontrollably, and said with a vague salute, "See General Zhu!"

    There is a saying among Cao Jun that "the first-class Xiahou Cao, the second-class Chu Huangliao, the third-class Yue Li, and the fourth-class Yuan Shao."  ¡¯ In other words, the status of Yuan Shaojun¡¯s surrendered generals in Cao Jun was only the fourth level.

    Ma Yan was a general who was surrendered by Yuan Shao. Although he was named a Marquis of Guannei, his status in Cao's army was not high. He was only a general of Xia Houyuan. Although Zhu Ling was also a general of Yuan Shao, he surrendered early but his status was far away.  Much higher than Ma Yan, he is as famous as Xu Huang, Zhang Liao and other generals under Cao Cao, and is a second-class general.

    When Zhu Ling saw Ma Yan, he justHe ate and drank by himself, but ignored the chaos of the soldiers. Anger burned in his heart. If it was because Ma Yan was Xia Houyuan's general before, he could endure his dissatisfaction, but now he saw that Ma Yan actually  He burped and farted in front of him. He couldn't bear it any longer and shouted, "Get it!"

    More than a dozen soldiers rushed forward and pushed Ma Yan to the ground. Ma Yan shouted, "Aren't you even going to give me a dinner?"

    "As a lieutenant general, you did not care about the soldiers' camps. Is this your crime?"

    "I found the place to camp, and I have done my duty, but the general came with his troops after dark. It was dark, the road was slippery, and it was in the forest. The soldiers rushed in, but the general was aside and didn't care. Could it be that this was me?  Responsibility?"

    Zhu Ling was furious. Ma Yan meant that he was responsible. He ordered: "If you commit the following crimes, give me thirty military sticks!"

    The soldiers beat him with sticks, but Ma Yan gritted his teeth and said nothing. After a while, after beating him with thirty sticks, the soldiers picked him up again.

    Zhu Ling asked coldly: "Let me ask you again, have all the scouts been dispatched?"

    Ma Yan lowered his head and said bitterly for a while: "Six scout teams have been sent out to explore a five-mile radius."

    "Too little!"

    Zhu Ling's voice became more severe and he scolded: "At least ten scouts must be sent, and the range of five miles is too small, expand it to ten miles."

    "I humble my duty and obey my orders!"

    Ma Yan endured the pain and turned to leave, but Zhu Ling stopped him again, "Stop! There are other things."

    Ma Yan stopped and said coldly without looking back: "Is there anything else you can do, General Zhu?"

    Zhu Ling pointed at the soldiers around him and scolded Ma Yan angrily: "Look at the chaos around you. There are no generals and no soldiers. What if there is an enemy attack? Reorganize it immediately. If you dare to disobey orders again,  I'll kill you immediately!"

    "Follow your orders!"

    Ma Yan reluctantly agreed and limped away with the help of a soldier. He was full of resentment and reorganized the army. How could this be possible? It was already dark. Assembling the entire team would only make it more chaotic.

    What's more, it's still raining outside and there's no way to call the soldiers. This is obviously Zhu Ling looking for an excuse to kill himself, which makes him feel extremely hateful.

    Looking at Ma Yan's retreating figure, Zhu Ling snorted coldly. If he dared to treat him perfunctorily again, he would have to kill him.

    Ma Yan was very angry in his heart, but he did not dare to disobey the military order, fearing that Zhu Ling would find an excuse to kill him, so he had to endure the pain and came to the scout camp, where hundreds of scouts gathered to rest. He ordered the scout Yajiang: "Above  There is an order to send five more scouts, and the range will be expanded to ten miles. I have given you the order. If you are unwilling to carry out it, go and explain it to the superiors yourself!"

    General Ya felt that he was very angry and did not dare to resist the order, so he hurriedly went to install the evacuees. It was easy to install the evacuees, but it was very difficult to reorganize the team. But thinking that Zhu Ling would kill him as an excuse made Ma Yan angry and hateful.

    He had no choice but to bite the bullet and prepare to regroup. At this moment, a soldier rushed to report: "The general asked General Ma to come over."

    Ma Yan returned to Zhu Ling's dormitory and saw several scouts bringing an old man carrying a medicine basket. Zhu Ling was questioning him. The chief scout next to him whispered to Ma Yan: "A few miles away in the south.  We found another trail and found this herb collector. He had information about the enemy. "

    Ma Yan snorted coldly, pricked up his ears and listened carefully, only to hear the old herb collector say: "This morning, I saw an army of thousands of people running eastward along the path, and saw them disappearing into the distance.  Dare to lie even a little bit.¡±

    "What carriage baggage do they bring?" Zhu Ling asked.

    "Bringing more than a hundred bullock carts loaded with various things, it was a little later than the army, but it also passed in the morning. I guess I was going to Yangxin County, which is sixty or seventy miles ahead. I often go there to sell  medicine."

    Zhu Ling nodded and asked the soldiers to take the old man who collected medicine down. At this time, he was relieved and said coldly to Ma Yan: "There is no need to regroup. Let everyone have a good night's rest! The fourth update is done  Let¡¯s set out at five o¡¯clock. We must arrive at Yangxin County before dark tomorrow.¡±

    Ma Yan cursed secretly in his heart, but he also breathed a sigh of relief, "I remember my humble position!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The night was getting deeper and deeper, and it was gradually approaching two o'clock. At this time, dozens of black shadows suddenly appeared in the southernmost part of the black pine forest. They moved quickly and swiftly, like ghosts, and kept moving forward, gradually getting closer for a few seconds.  At each sentry point, there are two or three sentries sleeping huddled together.

    A thin figure appeared above the sentry's head, just like an ape. He held an extremely sharp dagger in his hand and slowly climbed down from the tree. Like a gecko, he swung the dagger and struck out like lightning, instantly cutting off the pieces.  Throat of two sentries.

    he oneWaving his hands, dozens of shadows were divided into five groups, and they pounced on every sleeping sentry like tigers. These shadows were the most elite 'Eagle Strike' troops in Jiangxia's army. They took action decisively, and more than a dozen sentinels were all killed in an instant.  After solving the problem, no one was left alive. The thin leader on the tree grinned, showing a row of white teeth, and gave everyone a thumbs up.

    With a wave of his hand, he led the Yingjiang men and ran towards the east again. The mission of the Yingjiang Army was to deal with the sentries on the east, west and south sides and create opportunities for the troops behind them. Not long after the Yingjiang Army left, hundreds of Jiangxia soldiers flew into the air.  They rushed into the black pine forest and began to spray fire oil on the ground and trees.

    It was very quiet in the black pine forest. All 20,000 Cao's troops were sleeping soundly. In a small tent, Zhu Ling was sitting alone in front of a wooden stake, looking at the map on the wooden stake. At this time, he believed that Jiang Xia's army had withdrawn.  Yangxin County, prepare to stop yourself in Yangxin County.

    There is some information about Yangxin County marked on the map. The city has a circumference of fifteen miles, a city height of two feet, a moat, and only 500 troops stationed there. However, Xiazhi County is the kerosene refining center of the Jiangxia Army, with 2,000 troops.  People, in comparison, Yangxin County is a little more relaxed.

    But Zhu Ling had two important tasks in Yangxin County and Xiazhi County, which were to destroy the kerosene refinery of the Jiangxia Army and to destroy the pastures along the river. It is said that both sides of the rich water are covered with high-quality pasture for more than a hundred miles.  Destroying this pasture, the most important forage supply area for the army and horses, will severely damage the Jiangxia cavalry.

    Zhu Ling picked up his pen and marked Yangxin County and Xiaji County twice. At this moment, a scream suddenly came from outside, and the army suddenly became commotion. A soldier rushed over and reported loudly.  : "General Qi, something bad has happened, the black pine forest is on fire!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 373 Zhang Ji goes to Cao Ying

    The east, south and west sides of the black pine forest caught fire almost at the same time. The fire burned quickly and violently. The raging flames were swept to the middle of the black pine forest by the wind. The red flames flew up and spit out terrifying tongues of fire into the sky. There was a transparent red all around.  , Devouring everything in the pine forest, the rosin fueled the fire, making crackling sounds. The trees continued to fall, and there were bursts of piercing thunderclaps.

    The 20,000 Cao troops in the black pine forest were already in chaos, scrambling to the north where there was no fire.

    "It's kerosene! Jiang Xiajun's kerosene!"

    The pungent oil smoke drifted down the wind, and Cao Jun's soldiers were frightened to death. Some people shouted miserably: "We are going to be burned to death!"

    Screams of fear, curses as they ran for their lives, screams and cries of being trampled, Cao Jun's soldiers were in a mess, trampling on each other, and the ground was covered with weapons, armor and rice bags. At this time, there was no one  Then carry more than fifty kilograms of weight.

    "Calm down! No chaos!"

    Zhu Ling swung his sword and roared loudly, cutting down several people in succession, but it had no effect. At this time of life and death, no soldiers listened to his orders. At this time, several soldiers rushed over and shouted: "  General, there are Jiang Xia troops outside the woods, they can¡¯t go out!¡±

    Zhu Ling turned around and looked around. He saw that the south, west and east sides were surrounded by fire. The fire was getting bigger and bigger. He suddenly found a gap in the southwest. The fire had not closed yet. Zhu Ling did not hesitate, got on his horse and headed southwest.  Rush away.

    The fire was burning around him, and even the war horses became crazy. Braving the heat wave, they rushed towards the only gap in the southwest. Many soldiers behind him were also running towards this gap, but the fire spread too fast. When Zhu  Just as Ling's horse rushed out of the gap, several large trees burning with fire crashed down, and screams sounded from behind.

    Zhu Ling stopped his horse and looked back, only to see that the gap had been sealed by fire. Dozens of soldiers were struggling in the fire, and there were several of his own soldiers in the middle. He couldn't help but feel sad.

    At this moment, a black shadow suddenly shot out from behind Zhu Ling, and a spear stabbed his back silently like a poisonous snake. Zhu Ling was turning his head to check the fire, but he didn't know there was a sneak attack from behind. He suddenly reacted,  Turning around suddenly, he saw Ma Yan's ferocious and hateful eyes.

    ¡®Poof!  ¡¯ The spear pierced his body, and the spear point emerged from his chest.

    "Go to hell!" Ma Yan roared and threw Zhu Ling off his horse. Zhu Ling screamed and died tragically under the spear on the spot.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just as the fire was raging and burning, Huang Zhong led 10,000 troops and had been waiting on the official road and in the woods to the north for a long time. Huang Zhong immediately stood in the woods with a broadsword in his hand, looking coldly at the fleeing Cao soldiers, with a hint of astonishment at the corner of his mouth.  The expected sneer.

    Huang Zhong has decades of military experience. He knows that in this bone-chilling late autumn, after the soldiers are soaked by the rain, no one will sleep with their armor. They will definitely take off their armor and throw away their cold weapons.  On the other hand, in this case, as long as serious chaos is created and the soldiers escape in the chaos, there will be no time to put on armor and helmets. They escape from the pine forest and can only be captured without mercy.

    The best way to create chaos is to set fire and use the power of kerosene to make the fire burn as fast as possible. However, Huang Zhong did not expect that the fire would spread so violently that more than a thousand people in the southernmost area had no time to run out and were destroyed by the fire.  Swallowed.

    At this time, Huang Zhong saw a large number of Cao Jun soldiers escaping from the pine forest. The time was ripe. Huang Zhong shouted sternly: "Surround Cao Jun. Those who surrender will be spared, and those who resist will be killed without mercy!"

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The war drums sounded, and 10,000 Jiangxia troops surrounded them from three directions. In the dark night, swords and guns were like a forest, and soldiers in armor formed a human wall, surrounded from three sides, blocking Cao Jun's soldiers.  The only way to escape was to kneel down and surrender, to break out desperately, or to return to the fiery hell-like pine forest.

    Most of Cao's troops were wearing only single clothes and bare feet, without armor or weapons. Under the murderous intimidation of Jiang Xia's army, they had no choice but to kneel down and surrender. The black soldiers of Cao's army knelt all over the ground.

    But Huang Zhong did not find the enemy general, which made him a little strange. At this moment, dozens of soldiers brought a general of Cao's army. The general of Cao's army was limping and holding a bloody human head in his hand.  .

    The general of the Cao Army knelt down in front of Huang Zhong's horse and said: "The last general, Ma Yan, was originally the deputy general of Cao's army, but Zhu Linggong avenged himself and severely wounded the last general. Now that I have killed this man, I am willing to surrender to the Jiangxia Army!"

    Huang Zhong recognized at a glance that the head was the head of Zhu Ling, the commander of Cao's army. He was overjoyed and got off his horse to help Ma Yan up. "General Ma abandons the dark and surrenders to the light. This is what a man does. Welcome General Ma to join the Jiangxia Army!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At three o'clock, there was silence in Cao Cao's camp, and all 200,000 Cao Cao soldiers were sleeping soundly.?, there were more than a dozen thousand-stone warships moored quietly in the artificial river in the middle of the camp, and their huge figures seemed to stand on an undulating mountain range in the military camp.

    However, Cao Cao's Chinese army tent was still brightly lit, and several military doctors were nervously reporting the development of the epidemic to Cao Cao. In just five days, the number of sick soldiers increased from a dozen to more than 4,000. Even General Zhang Liao fell ill.  Nearly 400 people died, and the epidemic spread across camps, which meant that the epidemic began to get out of control.

    Cao Cao paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, looking furious. He suddenly turned around and scolded: "I raised you bunch of wastes. You were the ones who told me that the epidemic could be controlled. But it only took five days for it to become so serious. Can you tell me?"  How many people will I become tomorrow, eight thousand or nine thousand?¡±

    The military doctors were all trembling and didn't know how to answer. The leading doctor was biting the bullet and said: "Prime Minister, please calm down. The main reason is that the autumn rain is continuous and the cold evil invades the body, making many soldiers weak and susceptible to infection. Once the autumn rain stops, the sun will  Come out and the epidemic will get better.¡±

    "Nonsense!"

    Cao Cao was furious, "You are incompetent, why should you rely on the weather? What use do you need? I will push them all out and kill them!"

    The soldiers swarmed forward and pushed a dozen military doctors away. The military doctors were so frightened that they begged for mercy, "Prime Minister, spare our lives!"

    At this time, Cheng Yu couldn't bear it and stepped forward and said: "Prime Minister, please calm down. We really cannot blame them for this. If we kill them, the epidemic will be more serious."

    Cao Cao suppressed the anger in his heart and waved his hand, "Spare their lives and drive them out!"

    The military doctors escaped the catastrophe and fled away. Watching them run away, Cheng Yu shook his head and said: "Prime Minister, in fact, they know the reason why the epidemic is getting worse, but they dare not say anything."

    "What's the reason?" Cao Cao looked at Cheng Yu and asked.

    Cheng Yu sighed and said: "The reason for the worsening of the epidemic is related to an order from the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister ordered that the sick people be burned together. As a result, the soldiers panicked. Many soldiers were obviously unwell, but they refused to say anything until they became seriously ill.  He was discovered, but by then he had infected many people, so the Prime Minister must cancel the order to die with the injured. "

    Cao Cao walked a few steps behind his back and said coldly to Yang Xiu, the chief clerk next to him: "Pass my order, the death order can be announced and cancelled!"

    But Cao Cao said to Cheng Yu: "But in fact, the patient must die together. While isolating the patient, the news must also be isolated, and anyone who dares to leak the news will be executed!"

    Cheng Yu smiled bitterly in his heart, but he did not dare to persuade him any more. Cao Cao sighed and said: "Even Wenyuan fell ill, Zhongde, my heart is burning with anxiety!"

    Zhang Liao loved his soldiers as much as his son, and went to comfort and care for the sick soldiers in person. Unfortunately, he was also infected. It had been two days, and his condition became increasingly serious. Cao Cao was extremely anxious, and he was afraid of losing this beloved general.

    At this moment, a guard held up a roll of pigeons and said: "Prime Minister, news from Xuchang!"

    "Send it over!"

    The guard presented the dove letter to Cao Cao. Cao Cao opened it and read it. The letter said that Hua Tuo refused to come to Jingzhou because his wife was sick. Cao Cao suddenly became furious and ordered: "Immediately send an order to Xuchang to put Hua Tuo in jail."  Ask about the death penalty!¡±

    Next to them, Xia Houdun and Xia Houyuan had both been treated by Hua Tuo. They wanted to plead for Hua Tuo, but they didn't dare to say anything. They knew that the prime minister was going crazy now, and whoever dared to dissuade him would be in bad luck, although they sympathized with Hua Tuo.  , but there is no way, who makes Hua Tuo ignorant and unwilling to come and try his best at the critical moment.

    At this time, Xu Chu appeared at the gate, bowed and saluted and said: "To inform the Prime Minister, Liu Jing sent an envoy to ask for an audience outside the camp!"

    Cao Cao was upset at this time and did not want to see anyone, so he ordered: "It is already midnight, take him to another tent to rest, and meet him again tomorrow."

    Xu Chu hesitated and said, "Let me tell you, Prime Minister, the envoy sent by Liu Jing is Zhang Zhongjing."

    Cao Cao turned around suddenly. He couldn't believe his ears, "Who is it?"

    "It's Zhang Ji, Zhang Zhongjing!"

    Cao Cao was so happy that he didn't even bother to put on his coat. He turned around and ran out of the tent and rushed out of the camp. Everyone looked at each other and felt incredible that Liu Jing would send Zhang Zhongjing. This was obviously to rescue Cao's army, but  They didn't bother to think about it and followed Cao Cao towards the gate of the camp.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Outside the camp, Zhang Ji stood in front of the gate with his hands behind his hands, followed by two medicine boys, waiting patiently. Zhang Zhongjing's medical skills were famous all over the world, and even the soldiers guarding the gate treated him respectfully. The dental officer on duty even personally  Holding the umbrella for him, everyone knew in their hearts that Zhang Zhongjing was their life-saver.

    Zhang Ji arrived at Chibi from Wuchang more than an hour ago, but Liu Jing toldHe, there was an epidemic in Cao's camp, and he was asked to go for treatment. This surprised Zhang Ji. This was the first time he had heard of treating enemy troops.

    However, Zhang Ji immediately understood that if the disease broke out in Cao's army, not only would Cao's army suffer heavy losses, but it would also be a disaster for the entire Jingzhou. Saving others would be equivalent to saving oneself.

    He did not delay, and expressed his willingness to go, but the few words Liu Jing told him immediately surprised him. He couldn't believe his ears, Liu Jing actually had another deep meaning.

    Zhang Ji was a little nervous. He didn't know if he could play the role assigned to him by Liu Jing in addition to playing the role of a miracle doctor.

    At this moment, the gate of Cao Ying opened, and someone shouted: "The Prime Minister is here!"

    I saw Cao Cao being the first to run out of the camp, bowing deeply in front of Zhang Ji, and said with great gratitude: "Sir, you can come and save the lives of my soldiers, Cao Cao is grateful!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 374 The role of the miracle doctor

    Zhang Ji smiled slightly and said: "I came here to treat the patient just on the order of the state pastor. After the treatment is completed, I will go back to restore life. Does the Prime Minister have any objection?"

    Cao Cao understood what he meant. He was afraid that he would be detained in the camp. He couldn't help but sigh: "Am I an ungrateful person? Sir, I can come and go freely without any obstruction. I only hope that you can save my soldiers' lives."

    "In that case, let's go see the patient!"

    "Sir, please!"

    Cao Cao invited Zhang Ji into the camp, and everyone gathered around Zhang Ji like stars holding the moon to the east camp. An area was separated by a fence in the northeast corner. This is the isolation ward, which covers an area of ??more than 30 acres. There are soldiers at the door.  They were on guard duty and were heavily guarded. Patients were only allowed in but not allowed out. Only military doctors could come in and out freely.

    Zhang Ji did not go directly to the sick camp, but came to a nearby military camp. Tens of thousands of soldiers were stationed here. It was almost dawn. The soldiers had gotten up and were busy washing up. Many soldiers went directly to the camp.  Convenient behind the account.

    Zhang Ji frowned and said to Cao Cao: "You must not urinate or defecate at will near the camp. This is the source of disease infection. An independent defecation area must be set up. The bottom and sides of the pit must be covered with lime to prevent the water source from being infected.  This is very important."

    Before Zhang Ji could finish speaking, Cao Cao immediately ordered the general behind him: "Hurry up and do it!"

    Zhang Ji smiled and said, "Actually, the epidemic is not possible. It is only some bad living habits that can cause the epidemic to spread, such as not washing hands before meals and after using the toilet, drinking water that is not boiled, or drinking raw water directly.  Timely prevention is necessary. If these things are done well, the epidemic will not spread on a large scale. "

    Cao Cao sighed and said, "Sir, it's timely rain!"

    Zhang Ji said to Cao Cao: "I need a big tent, and I want to explain something to the military doctors."

    Cao Cao quickly ordered people to set up a big tent outside the hospital camp, and ordered all the military doctors to come and gather together. It was not yet dawn, and the lights in the big tent were brightly lit. There were hundreds of military doctors gathered together, and Cao Cao led dozens of counselors.  and the general were listening on the other side.

    There was a table in front of the big tent. Zhang Ji had already opened his medicine box, took out a few items, and smiled at everyone: "There are a few things I would like to introduce to you, they may be helpful to you, they are very practical.  "

    He held up a mask and said: "This is called a mask. It is sewn with twenty layers of gauze and has a string that can be hung on the ears. You can wear it when you treat soldiers to prevent diseases from entering the mouth."

    Zhang Ji raised another handbag and said with a smile: "This is a handbag that is often found in winter in the north. It is also called a glove, but this pair is a little different. Let's see what's different?"

    Everyone passed around the masks and gloves, whispering that masks were very simple and practical, but the military doctors sighed that they had never thought of them.

    But the gloves are very different. The gloves in the north are made of animal skin or thick linen. They are thick and warm. But this pair of gloves is very thin and translucent. It covers all five fingers. I don¡¯t know what they are made of.  become?

    An old military doctor seemed to understand and asked hesitantly: "Excuse me, Mr. Zhang, this seems to be made of pig scrotum skin!"

    Zhang Ji smiled and said: "It is made of what we in Jingzhou commonly call 'pig urine bubbles'. It is light and waterproof, so that it can isolate the patient's filth. In fact, the same goes for masks. They are used to protect you from being infected by the disease. In fact, this  Our Zhou Mu first thought of these two things and then promoted them in the Jiangxia Military Camp. Every military doctor in the Jiangxia Army has these two protective gears. "

    There was a sudden murmur in the camp. The military doctors understood this deeply. They were also in a dangerous situation. During this epidemic outbreak, more than 30 of them were infected and more than a dozen died. These two things really provided help in times of need.  Some military doctors who were not convinced by Zhang Ji were filled with gratitude at this time.

    "Everyone, please be quiet!"

    The tent suddenly became quiet, and Zhang Ji said to everyone: "Most of the soldiers in the military camp are from the north. They are not accustomed to the climate and climate when they come to the south. In addition, they drank unclean water in Yunmengze, which caused the epidemic. In fact, this  Diseases are not terrible, as long as we deal with them properly, they can be prevented and controlled.¡±

    The military doctors quickly said: "Mr. Zhongjing, please tell me what needs to be done, and we will just do it."

    Zhang Ji smiled slightly and said: "In addition to what I just said, establishing a special defecation area, you must also wash your hands frequently and drink boiling water. In addition, I will introduce to you a herbal medicine that is very effective in preventing epidemics."

    He took out a plant from the medicine box and asked the military doctors: "Do you know this?"

    "Mugwort!" All the military doctors recognized it.

    Zhang Ji smiled and said, "This is wormwood, but it's not the wormwood from the north. It's a type of wormwood that's special to Qichun County. It's called Qi mugwort. I've been studying it for many years and found that it has an effect on diseases that occur in humid areas.It has a good preventive effect. Although northern mugwort can barely do it, its effect is much worse. This is called one herb to treat one disease.  "

    Cao Cao was overjoyed and asked, "Is this Qiacai only found in Qichun County?"

    "No, there are many in Jiangxia County. They are everywhere in Yunmengze. After washing, they are used to boil water and drink. If you drink it three times a day, you should not be infected with the disease."

    Cao Cao quickly responded to the ban and said, "Quickly bring five thousand soldiers to dig for mugwort. The more, the better!"

    "Yes!" Yu Jin bowed and hurried away.

    At this time, Cao Cao said to Zhang Ji sincerely: "Can you please go and see one of my generals? He is also infected with the disease. Please save him."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Under Zhang Ji's instruction, actions have already begun in Cao's camp. The soldiers built a defecation area far away from the residential area. They sprinkled the feces all over the camp with lime and buried it deeply. Teams of soldiers stood there  Accept the officer's instructions in front of the big tent.

    "This is the order of the miracle doctor Zhang Zhongjing, and it is also the order of the Prime Minister. If you don't want to get sick and die, just listen carefully. You are not allowed to urinate anywhere. You must go to the toilet area and urinate. Anyone who disobeys the order will be executed!" "You are not allowed to drink raw water!"  , water must be boiled, food must be cooked thoroughly, no food is allowed to be hidden privately, all food must be handed over for storage, and anyone who disobeys the order will be executed!¡±

    "If you feel unwell, you must report it immediately. Doctor Zhang is here and can save everyone's lives. The sooner you report it, the better the treatment. The Prime Minister has issued an order to abolish the death of the sick together!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The arrival of Zhang Zhongjing washed away the panic in Cao's camp, and the soldiers began to gain confidence. A large amount of wormwood began to be used to boil water, and even wormwood was used to make soup in meals. The dull atmosphere in the camp became one of the  new.

    Although no one mentioned it, everyone knew in their hearts that Jingzhou Shepherd Liu Jing saved their lives. Although they were still enemies, they could at least die with dignity instead of being killed by illness.  This heartfelt gratitude quietly sowed seeds deep in the hearts of the soldiers.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the big tent, Zhang Liao's eyes were tightly closed and his face was pale. He lay weakly on the bed with all his clothes taken off. Zhang Ji used gold needles to prick acupuncture points and used mugwort as moxibustion to straighten Zhang Liao's qi. Next to him, Cao Cao looked nervous.  He was afraid that Zhang Ji would shake his head and say there was no cure.

    Zhang Ji wrote a prescription, handed it to the military doctor next to him and said, "Follow this prescription to prepare the medicine, and let my medicine boy boil the medicine."

    The military doctor hurried away, and Cao Cao asked in a low voice: "Sir, how is he? Can he be cured?"

    Zhang Ji smiled and said: "Don't worry, Prime Minister, we thought it was typhoid fever, but it turned out not to be the case. This disease is a unique acute dysentery in Jingzhou. I have cured no less than a thousand cases. General Zhang is physically strong and stronger than ordinary people."  too much."

    "But if he is not treated in time, he will die, right?"

    "Yes! This kind of dysentery comes fiercely. Every year in early spring and late autumn, some people will get sick and die. If not treated in time, the patient will not survive more than ten days. Ten years ago, this kind of dysentery swept across Jingzhou, killing 23 out of 10 people.  Even Liu Zhoumu¡¯s mother-in-law died of this disease. Although I can cure it, the medicine is difficult to prepare. It was only last year that I discovered that Qi moxa can prevent this type of dysentery. What a pity!¡±

    At this time, Zhang Liao said in a low voice: "Thank you to the miracle doctor for saving my life! And thank you to Liu Jingzhou for his benevolence and righteousness."

    "You're welcome, my state pastor also admires General Zhang very much and hopes to be an enemy for public affairs and a friend for private purposes."

    Having said this, Zhang Ji turned around and smiled at Cao Cao, "Prime Minister, that's it!"

    Cao Cao looked a little embarrassed and laughed twice. Cheng Yu next to him gave Cao Cao a wink. Cao Cao understood and followed him out of the camp. Cheng Yu worriedly said to Cao Cao: "I just went to the military camp and found the soldiers.  Everyone is talking about Liu Jing, praising him as a benevolent and merciful master. The soldiers are actually full of gratitude to the enemy. The Prime Minister and Wei Chen feel that something is wrong. "

    Cao Cao nodded silently and asked: "What does Zhongde think Liu Jing means by sending Zhang Ji to treat him?"

    "At first, Wei Chen thought that Liu Jing was just worried about the outbreak of the epidemic and its impact on Jingzhou, so he sent Zhang Ji to treat the disease. But now it seems that this is not entirely the case. Liu Jing is trying to win people's hearts. In the future, the soldiers will return home. This matter  The news will definitely spread throughout the Central Plains, and it will be of far-reaching significance. Prime Minister, Liu Jing¡¯s ambition is extraordinary!¡± Cao Cao stroked his beard and smiled lightly, ¡°Zhongde, you can see through some things, but you can¡¯t understand some things.  "Why do I praise him as a hero? I am afraid that only I, a chess player, can understand Liu Jing's skill."

    Cheng Yu's face turned slightly red, "The Prime Minister means that he had a deeper meaning when he asked Zhang Ji to come."

    Cao Cao nodded and smiled: "Of course!"

    At this time, General CaoHe rushed over and reported urgently: "To the Prime Minister, there is news of deserters in Puqi. Puqi's 20,000 troops were ambushed by the Jiangxia army in Yangxin County. The entire army was wiped out. Ma Yan surrendered to the enemy. Zhu  General Ling was unfortunately killed in action."

    "Ah!" This news stunned Cao Cao.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 375 Zhou Yu¡¯s embarrassment

    The news of Jiangxia Army's great victory in Yangxin County reached Chibi, which immediately caused Jiangxia Army to rejoice. Although Jiangxia Army had defeated Cao Army many times, this time it had special significance. It greatly encouraged Jiangxia Army and Jiangdong Army.  The morale of the Civil War began to tilt towards the Southern Allied Forces.

    At noon that day, Huang Zhong arrived at Chibi Camp with 6,000 Cao Jun prisoners of war who were willing to surrender to Jiangxia Army. The camp gate was opened wide, and Liu Jing personally came out of the camp to welcome Huang Zhong's arrival.

    Outside the camp, Huang Zhong led 6,000 people to line up in order. When Liu Jing walked out of the camp gate, Huang Zhong immediately took a few steps forward, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "Huang Zhong, a humble official, pays homage to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing quickly helped him up and said with a smile: "The old general's sword is still young. He has won the battle and won the greatest victory at the lowest cost. He is worthy of being the number one general in Jingzhou."

    "The prefecture has been overly praised. How can Han be promoted to the Han Dynasty? He dares to be called the first general in Jingzhou."

    Huang Zhong said a few humble words, pulled Ma Yan up and introduced him: "This is General Ma Yan, and he is willing to serve the state pastor!"

    Ma Yan quickly knelt down on one knee and saluted, "Ma Yan, a humble official, is here to see Zhou Mu."

    Wei Yan's eyes suddenly filled with anger. He also read Huang Zhong's military report. Ma Yan killed Zhu Ling because of personal vendetta. He didn't understand why Huang Zhong didn't kill the man on the spot and actually accepted his surrender.  , this kind of person kills the general for his own selfishness, no matter whether he is an enemy or not, he will never be tolerated.

    Wei Yan looked at Liu Jing and winked at Liu Jing several times. He hoped that Liu Jing's face would calm down. Not only would he kill Ma Yan, but he should at least give Ma Yan a hard scolding. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing seemed not to have any intention.  Seeing his abnormal expression, he stepped forward and helped Ma Yan up with a smile, "I have heard about General Ma's reputation for a long time. General Ma is willing to serve Jiang Xia, and Liu Jing will never let General Ma down."

    Ma Yan was overjoyed and clasped his fists again: "It is an honor for Ma Yan to serve Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder, comforted him a few words, and then walked to thousands of soldiers. Huang Zhong smiled and said: "A total of more than 17,000 people have been captured. These 6,000 people are willing to join the Jiangxia Army and serve Zhou Mu."  , the remaining prisoners of war were taken to Chaisang by General Huo Jun."

    Huang Zhong raised his hand high, and six thousand soldiers knelt down to worship together. Their movements were uniform, and their voices resounded through the sky, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing walked up to a high platform with a smile, waved her hands, "Brothers, please stand up!"

    Six thousand soldiers stood up again and lined up neatly, silently and solemnly. Liu Jing loudly said to the soldiers: "Brothers, welcome to join the Jiangxia Army. The Jiangxia Army is a disciplined army with strict military discipline and clear rewards and punishments. If you are afraid of death,  , If you cower, you will not receive any rewards or promotions. If you shrink from the battle, or even become a deserter, you will be killed according to military discipline!"

    At this point, Liu Jing's stern voice softened, "But if you fight and work hard, you will be rewarded, promoted, have land, and have sufficient military rations. If you die in battle, your family will receive generous compensation."  The compensation is enough to let the fallen brothers rest in peace under the Nine Springs."

    The six thousand soldiers were silent, and everyone's eyes were full of excitement and expectation. Liu Jing laughed at this time, "Brothers, you can enter the camp now. Welcome to your new home."

    The team began to line up to enter the camp. Liu Jing and Huang Zhong also walked into the camp gate. Wei Yan was a little disappointed. Zhou Mu actually accepted Ma Yan. He couldn't help but glare at Ma Yan's back hatefully, feeling unhappy in his heart.

    At this time, Jia Xu walked up to him and asked with a smile: "General Wei seems to be in a bad mood. Why is that?"

    Wei Yan sighed, "A person who commits crimes, avenges himself, is disloyal and unjust, yet the state pastor happily accepts him, which makes people dissatisfied!"

    "Is Zhou Mu happy?"

    Jia Xu smiled slightly and said, "I didn't see him happy in his heart, I only saw a smile on his face."

    Wei Yan was stunned for a moment, then he suddenly came to his senses, "Sir, are you saying that Zhou Mu is just pretending to give General Huang a face?"

    "Didn't General Wei realize that Zhou Mu did one less thing to that man?" Jia Xu laughed and walked away quickly.

    Wei Yan frowned and thought to himself, "What have you done less?"

    After walking a few steps, Wei Yan suddenly realized that Zhou Mu should have introduced Ma Yan to other generals, but he did not introduce him. This meant that Zhou Mu was also dissatisfied with Ma Yan, but it was just a hindrance to Huang Zhong's face, or because the war was imminent, so  There was no falling out on the spot.

    Wei Yan sighed secretly in his heart. He could not understand Zhou Mu more and more. At this time, a soldier of Liu Jing rushed over and saluted: "General Wei, Zhou Mu invites you to come over."

    Wei Yan didn't understand why Liu Jing was looking for him. He hurriedly walked towards the Chinese army's tent. Immediately, a soldier reported to the tent: "Report to the state pastor, General Wei is here."

      "Invite him in!"

    Wei Yan walked into the big tent, and Liu Jing was standing in front of the map, looking at what?  Wei Yan quickly stepped forward and bowed, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing glanced at him and smiled: "I came to you because I want to tell you something. I plan to give Ma Yan to you to be your general."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although Jiangxia Army's great victory in Yangxin County greatly boosted the morale of the coalition forces, it did not bring much joy to Zhou Yu. He felt a little sour in his heart. Jiangxia Army had won many battles, but Jiangdong Army had not won one.  Cao Jun was not defeated, let alone defeated, and achieved a great victory.

    Zhou Yu felt very sour and secretly anxious. Before returning to Jiangdong, Marquis Wu specifically told him that although they were a coalition force, Jiangdong Army could not fall behind Jiangxia Army and could not become a vassal or foil of Jiangxia Army. It was related to the division of interests in the future. Jiangdong  The army must also make achievements.

    Wu Hou¡¯s words were still echoing in his ears, but Jiang Xia¡¯s army won another battle in the blink of an eye, which made Zhou Yu¡¯s face dull and made him feel guilty about Wu Hou. He could no longer do nothing.

    Zhou Yu was pacing back and forth in the big tent with his hands behind his back. At this time, Lu Su appeared at the entrance of the tent and said with a smile: "The governor seems to be in a bad mood!"

    "Hey! Do you think I can feel better?"

    Zhou Yu sighed dejectedly and said: "Marquis Wu hopes that we will not lose to Jiangxia's army, but I am passive now. Zijing, what do you think I should do?"

    Lu Su walked into the tent and said with a smile: "Actually, the war has not started yet. There are only some sporadic operations now. When the war begins, we will make good arrangements for the battle. It will be too late by then. The governor does not need to be so anxious now."

    Zhou Yu sighed. It was useless for him to be anxious. He had to have an opportunity. At this time, Zhou Yu suddenly remembered something and asked: "Last time I asked you to inquire about Jiang Xia Army's secret weapons, did you get any news?"

    A few days ago, when Zhou Yu was talking to Liu Jing about the war against Cao Jun, he mentioned that the northwest wind blowing in winter was not conducive to the coalition fleet crossing the Yangtze River north. However, Liu Jing smiled and said that Jiang Xia Army had a secret weapon, which made Zhou Yu feel quite sad.  Puzzled, he wanted to know, what is Jiang Xiajun's secret weapon?

    Lu Su shook his head, "I asked Gan Ning privately, and he said he didn't know."

    "How can it be!"

    Zhou Yu sneered, "Gan Ning is the naval commander of the Jiangxia Army. How could he not know? He just doesn't want to tell you."

    Lu Su smiled bitterly, "Maybe! Since it's called a secret weapon, it won't be easily known to outsiders."

    Zhou Yu sighed and said angrily: "Since Liu Jing reused Ma Jun, various new weapons have emerged one after another. I also persuaded the lord to use more Yue craftsmen and follow Jiang Xia's example in establishing a craftsmanship school in Soochow City. However, Zhang Zhao's group of literati opposed it.  To say that valuing merchants and craftsmen over Confucianism is putting the cart before the horse is simply misleading the country. However, Wu Hou has an ambiguous attitude and is afraid of offending those civil servants. This is really annoying. After this battle is over, I must persuade Wu Hou not to  The country was ruined by corrupt scholars.¡±

    Lu Su smiled bitterly and was speechless. At this time, Huang Gai's voice came from outside the tent, "Captain, I have something to report for my humble duty!"

    Zhou Yu nodded, "Please come in!"

    Huang Gai quickly walked into the tent, bowed and said: "To the Commander-in-Chief, there is a south wind today. I would like to lead five hundred elite soldiers of my headquarters to drive a small boat into Cao Jun's water stronghold, seize the flag, and cheer for the Jiangdong Army!"

    Zhou Yu was overjoyed, "Gongfu is indeed the backbone of Jiangdong. You are allowed to fight!"

    Lu Su felt that something was wrong. It was the first time he went into battle. How could Jiangdong's army act alone? This was not in line with the agreement between the two armies to fight together. He was about to advise Zhou Yu to be cautious, but Zhou Yu waved his hand and said, "Zijing, don't advise me. Public prosecution is  Fighting for the honor of the Jiangdong Army, hesitating in doing things, is not what a man would do, go to war immediately!"

    "What the Governor said is absolutely true. A humble position will never bring shame to Jiangdong Army."

    Huang Gai saluted and hurried out. Zhou Yu was full of expectations. He immediately ordered: "Prepare the ship and wait until I go to watch the battle!"

    Huang Gai was still nervously preparing his troops for battle. A flying pigeon had already flown out of the Jiangxia Army camp and flew towards Wulin on the other side. Liu Jing stood in front of the camp with his hands behind his hands and silently watched the flying pigeon go away. He was looking forward to Zhang  machine success.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Please inform Dr. Zhongjing for me. I am his medicine boy and I am here to deliver medicine to him!"

    Outside the north gate of Cao Jun¡¯s barracks, a young man who looked about fourteen or fifteen years old and wore a double bun was shouting loudly to the defenders on the camp. He was leading a small donkey behind him.

    Although Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers were a little surprised as to why this boy came from the direction of Wulin, because Zhang Ji¡¯s status in Cao Jun¡¯s camp was like a god, Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers did not dare to neglect and rushed towards the camp.

    After a while, the camp gate opened, and Zhang Ji came out accompanied by a general from Cao Army  These are the rules. Zhang Ji can see his medicine boy directly, and his boy can also come from the direction of Wulin for no reason. These are all tolerated, but at least he must be accompanied by a general of Cao Jun. This is the maximum that Cao Cao can give.  Freedom, of course, must be given.

    The medicine boy stepped forward and handed a medicine bag to Zhang Ji, "All the medicine I want is in it."

    "I know, let's go!"

    The medicine boy got on the donkey and said, ¡®Drive! Drive!  ¡¯ After shouting twice, the donkey clattered away to the north, which was the direction of Huarong Road.

    Zhang Ji watched the Taoist boy walk away, and he couldn't help but sigh softly.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 376 The First Battle in Jiangdong

    Returning to his tent, Zhang Ji took out a paper roll from his medicine bag. He looked at it for a moment, then tore the roll into pieces and left the tent again.

    As Cao Jun¡¯s hope of controlling the epidemic, Zhang Ji got the greatest freedom in Cao Cao¡¯s camp. He could go anywhere, even if he came to Cao Cao¡¯s tent, no one would stop him.

    After a while, Zhang Ji came to Cao Cao's tent and smiled at the guards: "Please report to the Prime Minister, I have something to ask for!"

    The guard immediately ran in. After a while, the guard came out and said: "Prime Minister, sir, please come in."

    In the past few days, Cao Cao's mood can be described as mixed. Fortunately, the epidemic has been controlled. The number of new infected people in the past few days has been less than a hundred. Moreover, the main fleet from Jiangling has also arrived and sailed into the water village smoothly.

    The worry is that Zhu Ling's army was completely wiped out, and even the general Zhu Ling was unfortunately killed in battle. This disrupted his plan and forced him to prepare to pay a heavy price to capture Jiangxia.

    But how to fight?  Where to start?  Cao Cao still doesn't have a clear idea. This is also one of his worries. He needs to find the enemy's weakness.

    Cao Cao was pacing back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands. At this time, Zhang Ji walked into the tent, bowed and saluted, "See you, Prime Minister!"

    "Mr. Zhang, please sit down!

    Cao Cao smiled and asked Zhang Ji to sit down. Although Cao Cao felt that Zhang Ji's motives for coming to Cao Ying were not pure, in any case, Zhang Ji helped him control the outbreak of the epidemic. Cao Cao was still very grateful to Zhang Ji.

    "What's the current epidemic situation?"

    "80% is under control now." Zhang Ji leaned over and smiled.

    "Oh?" Cao Cao was slightly startled, "Sir, you mean that there is still a 20% danger?"

    Zhang Ji nodded, "Unless the last patient is cured and there are no new patients within a month, then it will be considered completely under control. It is still early to say a cure."

    Cao Cao was silent, it is indeed true. Although hundreds of thousands of patients have been cured, more than a thousand people have died of the disease, and more than 3,000 people are still between life and death. It is indeed too early to say that it is under complete control. As long as you are not careful,  The disease will bite back and the epidemic will break out again.

    "Where are you going to start next, sir?"

    Zhang Ji smiled and said, "I am going to start to prevent and treat the people who have not experienced the epidemic, that is, the high-level officials, including the prime minister, the counselors and the main generals. We cannot take it lightly!"

    Cao Cao deeply agreed. These counselors and generals are his most precious assets, and none of them can go wrong. He nodded, "I fully support your plan. From now on, you can go anywhere in Cao's camp, including mine."  Sleeping tent."

    "Thank you, Prime Minister, for your trust."

    At this moment, a guard rushed over and reported nervously at the door of the tent: "Prime Minister, dozens of enemy warships have been found on the river."

    "What kind of warship is it?" Cao Cao asked nervously. Today happened to be south wind, and he was worried that the coalition forces would start a large-scale attack.

    "It's a small warship, it seems to be a black two-masted warship."

    Cao Cao was relieved and immediately ordered: "Quickly order Yu Jin to lead ten thousand crossbowmen to support the water stronghold!"

    He stood up and said to Zhang Ji: "I have to go take a look. I can't accompany you sir anymore."

    At this time, Zhang Ji smiled lightly and said: "This black two-masted warship should be Jiangdong's stern warship. Does the Prime Minister know the weakness of Jiangdong's army in water warfare?"

    Cao Cao was stunned for a moment, and turned around to stare at Zhang Ji with a sharp gaze. Zhang Ji, however, acted as if nothing had happened, smiled and asked, "Prime Minister, are you willing to listen?"

    Cao Cao suddenly laughed, "Very good, I'm all ears!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It has now entered the early winter season, and the cold air from the north has invaded Jingzhou, ending the cold and rainy season for nearly ten days. The sky has become clearer, but correspondingly, the north wind is basically the main force on the Yangtze River.  , east wind or south wind rarely appears, but today there was a south wind unexpectedly. Huang Gai took advantage of this opportunity to lead his army towards Cao Jun's water stronghold.

    Huang Gai led 500 elite naval troops and thirty 200-stone two-masted clippers. This type of clipper is also called a warship. It is wrapped in rawhide and has two floors, with crossbow holes. It is mainly used for patrols.  You can use the wind to move forward, and you can also use manual rowing to travel on the river like flying.

    This is the advantage of small boats. For large ships with a thousand stone, it is impossible to use human power to row, and must use wind power. Therefore, in winter, large warships cannot cross the river to go north, and large ships of more than 500 stone are basically invisible on the river heading westward.

    This type of warship also has a special advantage, that is, it is fireproof. The hull is covered with rawhide and will not be easily ignited by fire. After the Jiangdong Army was burned by the Jiangxia Army, the warship developed rapidly in Jiangdong

    Behind Huang Gai's fleet, Zhou Yu also led three thousand-stone warships to watch and cheer from a distance. The drums on the river were thundering, and thirty double-masted ships lined up in three rows, with their sails full, and they rushed toward Cao Jun's water like arrows.  Village.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cao Jun¡¯s main fleet of 800 ships has arrived at the water stronghold on the north bank. Together with the more than 900 warships sailing from the Han River, there are more than 1,800 warships in Cao Jun¡¯s water stronghold.

    Since the epidemic has been effectively controlled, the morale of Cao's army has gradually begun to recover. Tens of thousands of Cao's northern soldiers train in the water village to fight on the river every day, preparing to cross the river and fight the southern coalition forces.

    At this time, Cao Cao had received an urgent report that enemy troops were attacking the water stronghold. He hurried to the water stronghold with several of his confidants and stood on a large boat. Cao Cao looked at the river from a distance and saw dozens of small boats.  He is rushing towards his water village.

    Zhang Yun stepped forward and bowed to report: "Prime Minister, this is the warship of the Jiangdong Army. The Jiangxia Army does not have this kind of two-masted two-masted sailboat. Each of these small boats can carry up to twenty people, so the enemy  There won¡¯t be more than six hundred people.¡±

    Next to him, Cheng Yu also reminded: "It happens to be south wind today, so we need to prevent the enemy from using fire ships to attack the water stronghold."

    Cao Cao stroked his beard and laughed. At this time, he was confident, nodded and said: "Who is willing to lead the army to fight to intercept!"

    Yuan Shaojun¡¯s surrendered generals Zhang Nan and Jiao Lu came forward and said, ¡°We can also fight on the Yellow River, and we are willing to share the worries of the Prime Minister!¡±

    "good!"

    Cao Cao appreciated the courage of the two men and said: "I will give you fifty fast ships and a thousand naval troops to stop the enemy ships."

    Zhang Nan and Jiao Chu turned around and were about to leave, but Cao Cao stopped them and gave them a few instructions in a low voice. The two nodded, "Don't worry, Prime Minister, we know what to do."

    The two of them jumped on the clipper. Zhang Nan pointed his spear and said, "Fight on the orders of the Prime Minister!"

    The gate of Shuizhai opened, and fifty fast boats headed toward Jiangdong's army in the wind. At this time, Yu Jin led 10,000 crossbowmen to rush to the wall of Shuizhai, with their bows and arrows ready, and they were ready.

    At this time, Cheng Yu stared into the distance for a long time and whispered: "Prime Minister, something is a little strange!"

    "What strange thing did Zhongde discover?"

    Cheng Yu pointed to the distance, "There are three thousand-stone ships behind them. Judging from the flag, it should be the Jiangdong Army. This is the first attack by their coalition forces. It is of great significance. Why don't we see the Jiangxia Army cooperating to fight?"

    At this time, Cao Cao felt like a mirror in his heart, and smiled slightly: "Maybe there is some gap between them or they are suspicious of each other?"

    Cheng Yu was a little confused. He felt that the Prime Minister seemed a little different today and was confident. Did he know any news?

    "I also feel this way even in humble positions. There must be some problem between Jiangdong Army and Jiang Xia Army, big or small."

    Cao Cao thought deeply, and he already understood in his heart that Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army were competing for the dominance of the war. From the fact that Jiangdong Army attacked alone, it can be seen that Zhou Yu was not convinced by Liu Jing.

    There are already problems in the relationship between the two armies. This can be used to create a wedge between the two armies so that the two armies cannot fight together and find a way to defeat the enemy.

    Thinking of this, Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and smiled. He had found the enemy's weakness.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhang Ji received Cao Cao's order to further relax the traffic. He led more than a dozen military doctors and hundreds of collaborative soldiers to the northwest camp. This is where the counselors are stationed. During the cleaning of the military camp in the past few days, this place has not been cleared.  Spread, ranked last.

    On the one hand, the living conditions of the counselors are very good, with few people and cleanliness. Each person has an independent tent and pays attention to personal cleanliness, so the epidemic has not spread here.

    ??????????????????????????????? However, the eggs were still intact after the nest was overturned. Once the disease broke out in Cao Jun¡¯s camp, the place would not be able to escape disaster. Therefore, Zhang Ji led the military doctors and soldiers to clean and disinfect, and received great cooperation from the counselors.

    The counselors all stood outside and allowed the soldiers to fumigate and disinfect the big tents with mugwort. After finishing one big tent, they immediately went to the other big tent.

    Jiang Gan also stood outside his tent and waited patiently. Since his last mission to Qichun had no effect, he had nothing to do and had nothing to do all day long.

    When he came back from his mission to report, Sun Quan refused to accept the conditions, and Cao Cao did not doubt him. However, Jiang Gan was always a little uneasy. He felt that Liu Jing would not let him go so easily.

    At this time, Zhang Ji came out of his tent, smiled and cupped his hands and said: "It's ready, please go back to your account!"

    When no one was paying attention, Zhang Ji whispered as he walked past Jiang Gan, "Pay attention to the table!"

    After saying that, he walked away and called to the soldiers, "The next one is Mr. Cheng's big tent!"

    Jiang Qian was surprised and looked atAfter the machine had gone away, he hurried into his tent, searched for a moment on the table, and finally found a note under the inkstone. He opened the note and took a look, and his heart immediately jumped with fright. Finally,  coming.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 377 Foresight

    The drums were beating loudly on the river, and the two armies were fighting together on the river. This was the first appearance of the Jiangdong Navy. The soldiers fought fiercely, sometimes gathering to annihilate enemy ships on the river, and sometimes fighting separately, showing flexibility and order.  Strong self-confidence and superb combat skills.

    On the other hand, looking at Cao's warships, although they are not too bad and can be arranged in formations, they are far inferior to Jiangdong's navy in terms of flexibility and coordinated operations.

    In less than half an hour, Cao Jun's warships gradually fell into a disadvantage. They could only parry but not fight back. One ship was sunk, leaving more than 30 warships out of fifty, while Jiangdong Navy  Only one warship was hit and sunk, and the strength of the two armies was very different.

    At this time, Zhang Yun saw that the situation was not good. If the entire army was wiped out, it would affect the morale of the army. He immediately ran to Cao Cao and said urgently: "Prime Minister, I suggest you pay the money and withdraw the troops!"

    "Nonsense!" Cao Cao glared at him, "Who dares to withdraw his troops at the expense of gold?"

    Zhang Yun was so frightened that he didn't dare to say anything anymore. Cao Cao shouted: "Bang the drum to cheer me up!"

    The drums were beating loudly in the water stronghold, encouraging the warships to continue fighting. At this time, the west gate of Cao Jun's water stronghold quietly opened, and more than twenty thousand-stone ships, led by the navy deputy general Cai He, filed out of the camp.  They bypassed the battlefield and pounced towards Zhou Yu's warship, which was watching the battle in the distance.

    Although Zhang Nan and Jiao Chu had led Yuan Shaojun's ships on the Yellow River, they had no experience in fighting Jiangdong Navy or Jiangxia Navy. They were obviously weak and were defeated by Jiangdong Army.

    However, the two men strictly followed Cao Cao's orders. Although they were defeated, they did not retreat towards the main camp. Instead, they retreated eastward along the river. Jiangdong Army was pursuing them. Huang Gai had discovered that Cao Cao's army had deployed heavy crossbows and stone cannons on the water stronghold.  , it is impossible for him to invade the water stronghold.

    So as long as the war fleet of Cao's army can be wiped out, the power of Jiangdong's army can be boosted. Huang Gai ordered the ships to pursue and must wipe out all Cao's war ships.

    This is what Zhang Ji said was the weakness of the Jiangdong Navy. They came to challenge for honor, and their desire to compete for merit was extremely strong. Under such circumstances, the Jiangdong Army would often lose their rational judgment and be eager to win.  Willing to retreat easily.

    Zhang Nan and Jiao Huo's continuous retreat was certainly due to their defeat by Jiangdong's army, but on the other hand, it was also a ploy to lure troops.

    At this time, Cao Jun's warships felt more and more strenuous. The strength gap between the two sides was too great. They could no longer support it, but they did not dare to retreat without authorization.

    At the critical moment, Jiao Chu suddenly heard the sound of drums coming from the stronghold. He looked back and saw dozens of warships outflanking them to the south. He was relieved, waved his hands and shouted loudly:  "Hold the enemy! Hold it!"

    At this moment, a warship appeared beside him. Huang Gai held a bow and arrow on the bow and stared at Jiao Hu coldly. He had been staring at the enemy general for a long time. At this time, he saw the enemy general waving with all his strength.  Shout, forgetting to defend.

    Huang Gai immediately seized this opportunity, raised his bow and nocked an arrow, and shot an arrow at the enemy general. Jiao Chu was caught off guard and was shot through the neck by an arrow. He screamed and fell into the Yangtze River.

    " Two water ghosts from the Jiangdong Army jumped into the river, cut off the burnt heads, and threw them onto the boat. Huang Gai grabbed a handful of hair and looked at the face. He couldn't help laughing.

    But at this moment, the soldiers behind him shouted: "General Huang, the warship of the Commander-in-Chief is in danger!"

    When Huang Gai turned around, he saw more than twenty large warships of Cao Cao chasing the governor's boat. He looked around again and was shocked. Nearly a hundred fast ships came out from Cao Cao's water stronghold and surrounded them from the north and east.  On the front, there were more than thirty defeated ships. To the west was Cao Jun's water stronghold, with tens of thousands of bowmen and crossbowmen waiting in formation, and to the south were more than twenty large ships of Cao Jun.

    Huang Gai suddenly realized that he had gone deep alone and had violated a military taboo. At this time, he no longer cared about defeating the enemy and making meritorious deeds, and shouted: "Retreat immediately!"

    But it was too late. Cai He led more than 20 warships, unable to catch up with Zhou Yu's ship, and turned around to surround Huang Gai's warships.

    This is the wolf pack tactic, using the absolute advantage in numbers to fight for the Jiangdong Army's water advantage. This is also a weakness of the Jiangdong Army. It likes to show off its personal heroes and is good at fighting more with less.

    Of course, as a civil servant and a famous doctor, Zhang Ji did not understand these things, but as a commander and with experience in hundreds of battles with the Jiangdong Army, Liu Jing knew the weaknesses of the Jiangdong Army better than anyone else, and used Cao Cao to teach the Jiangdong Army a lesson, thereby mastering the strength of the coalition forces.  Dominance, why not?

    Huang Gai's fleet was surrounded by Cao Jun's warships from all sides. Cao Jun's large ships were condescending and arrows rained down. The soldiers from Jiangdong were hit by arrows and fell into the river, while the remaining soldiers were pressed into the cabin.

    At this time, large jars filled with kerosene were thrown from the big ship and hit the Jiangdong warship. The pottery pieces were shattered and the kerosene flowed all over the ship. A rocket hit the Jiangdong warship, and it was instantly red.  The flames soared into the sky, and the fire burned blazingly.

    ?Huang Gai's eyes turned red. His warships had already broken through to the edge, but none of the five warships following behind him came out. Huang Gai was so anxious that he shouted: "Fight back!"

    His soldiers all hugged him and cried, "General, you can't go back. If you go back, you will definitely die."

    Huang Gai saw from a distance that the surrounded warships were on fire one by one, and the Jiangdong soldiers were on fire, screaming and falling into the water, or being shot to death by random arrows on the bow of the ship. He closed his eyes in pain and punched the deck hard.

    At this moment, a large ship rushed from the diagonal and slammed into Huang Gai's warship. Only the sound of the hull breaking was heard. More than a dozen soldiers all fell into the water, and Huang Gai was also thrown into the river.

    A classic wolf pack tactic, together with Huang Gai's ships, all thirty Jiangdong warships were wiped out. Cao's army suddenly cheered, and the cheers resounded through the clouds. This was their first victory in a long time.

    But Cao Cao couldn't stop laughing. He defeated the Jiangdong Army so simply, breaking the northern army's fear of being invincible against the Jiangdong Navy.

    But even with such a simple strategy, Jiang Xiajun told him that Cao Cao felt like a kite, which was a very bad feeling.

    At this time, dozens of Cao soldiers pushed up the captured Huang Gai. Huang Gai was naked from the waist up and tied up with ropes.

    "Kneel down!" Several soldiers forced him to kneel down, but Huang Gai broke free from the soldiers' push, stood up straight and looked up at the sky, not looking at Cao Cao.

    If it were in the past, Cao Cao would definitely order to untie the rope and step forward to put on the clothes himself, but there must be a prerequisite, that is, the opponent's power is over, and the captured generals have no way out. If Cao Cao condescends to put on the clothes again, it will be a step to save face.  The opponent will definitely surrender along the steps, such as Yuan Shao or Lu Bu.

    But not everyone can do this, otherwise he will be spit in the face, or punched or kicked, then he will lose face. Cao Cao knew this very well.

    He knew that Huang Gai would never surrender, so he would not condescend to persuade him to surrender. He only glanced at Huang Gai coldly and ordered: "Lock him up! Deal with him later."

    Although Cao Cao didn't want to persuade Huang Gai to surrender, he didn't want to kill him either. He had already thought of a brilliant strategy to defeat the enemy, and Huang Gai was the introduction to this brilliant strategy.

    Returning to the big tent, Cao Cao sat alone in the tent and pondered for a long time. Since Liu Jing used himself to attack Jiangdong's army, it meant that there was no tacit cooperation between Jiangdong and Jiangxia as imagined. On the contrary, there was an indescribable kind of cooperation between them.  In fact, Cao Cao also knew what this contradiction was. To put it more clearly, it was interests.

    If he can make full use of this contradiction and trigger internal strife or discord between Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army, perhaps this will be the key to his final victory.

    He needed to send someone to the other side to implement his counterinsurgency plan. Thinking of this, Cao Cao immediately ordered: "Let Jiang Qian come to see me!"

    Not long after, Jiang Gan was brought into the tent. He was very shocked. Zhang Ji left him a note, which already meant that Zhang Ji knew in advance that the prime minister was going to summon him. The question is, how did Zhang Ji know?

    He didn¡¯t dare to look into Cao Cao¡¯s eyes, so he saluted and said, ¡°See you, Prime Minister!¡±

    Cao Cao smiled slightly and said: "I remember Ziyi said that you and Zhou Yu were classmates back then and had a good personal relationship. Isn't that right?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, this is indeed the case."

    "That's good. I want you to go to the other side again and meet Zhou Yu. What do you think, Ziyi?"

    Jiang Gan looked troubled and was speechless for a while. Cao Cao was a little unhappy, but he smiled and said: "What, don't you want to go?"

    "It's not that Wei Chen doesn't want to go, it's just that the last time Wei Chen failed on his mission, he still feels guilty. Wei Chen's abilities are limited and he's afraid of failing the prime minister's trust again."

    Cao Cao laughed and said, "I am very pleased that Ziyi can think this way, but this kind of thing is decided by people and accomplished by God. As long as you do what I say, even if it doesn't work, it has nothing to do with you."

    Jiang Qian was overjoyed and bowed: "I am willing to share your worries for the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao nodded, "I captured Huang Gai today. You go and tell Zhou Yu that I plan to exchange Huang Gai for Ma Yan. If he refuses to send Ma Yan within three days, I will use Huang Gai to sacrifice the flag!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 378 Jiang Gan is on an envoy again

    Compared with the triumphal cheers of the Jiangxia military camp, the Jiangdong military camp seemed particularly quiet. A depressive atmosphere spread in the military camp. Huang Gai led his army to raid Cao Jun's water stronghold. Not only was he unsuccessful, but the entire army was annihilated. Even Huang Gai was killed by Cao Jun.  Being captured was a great humiliation for Jiangdong's army.

    It is precisely because of this that Jiangdong Army has a complaint from top to bottom, which is dissatisfaction with the governor Zhou Yu. They lost the first battle. However, Jiangxia Army and Cao Army have never been defeated in many battles. They have always been in the army.  A hero is judged on success or failure. If he loses, he loses, but he doesn't care about why he failed.

    At night, Lu Su walked through the tents and walked quickly towards Zhou Yu's central tent. He suddenly slowed down and heard someone talking about the war during the day. It turned out to be Tai Shici's voice.  The other dozen or so people in the tent seemed to be ordinary generals in the army.

    "Winning or losing is a common thing for military officers. Failure is not terrible. The key is whether the defeat is necessary. Huang Gongfu underestimated Cao Cao's navy and thought that with just a few hundred of his men, he could rush into Cao Cao's water stronghold and seize the flag. He could  It¡¯s so impulsive, but I don¡¯t think the governor should be so careless. This failure is completely unnecessary!¡±

    Taishi Ci had always been famous for his straightforwardness. He would say whatever was in his heart, and he could be said to speak freely. When Lu Su heard him criticizing the governor like this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart. Just as he was about to leave, he heard another officer say: "This failure has failed."  What will be the consequences?"

    Lu Su couldn't help but slowed down again, only to hear Taishi Ci snort coldly, "The consequences are of course very serious. Today the Jiangxia army won a great victory, but our army was defeated. Moreover, this was the first time to fight, and it had a great impact on the morale of the army. Commander-in-Chief  I don¡¯t know how many people¡¯s hearts will be chilled by such impulsive actions, at least we can¡¯t hold our heads high in front of Jiang Xiajun.¡±

    Lu Su couldn't help but sigh secretly. Tai Shici's words touched his heart. Not only was he unable to raise his head, but Jiangdong Army's attempt to gain dominance would also be affected. It is estimated that he would have to listen to Jiang Xia Army's arrangements in the future.

    Lu Su didn't want to hear any more and left quickly. Every time he walked through several large tents, he always heard the sergeants discussing the matter, either in anger or frustration.

    "It's so embarrassing. We lost our general before the war started!"

    "Hey! The governor is still too young and energetic. If General Cheng was in charge of the army, he wouldn't be so careless."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Lu Su felt heavy and walked quickly, and soon arrived in front of Zhou Yu's Chinese army tent. From a distance, he saw Zhou Yu pacing in front of the tent with his hands behind his back, his head lowered, as if he was deep in thought. Just when the soldier was about to report, Lu Su  But he waved his hand to indicate not to disturb the governor, and he stood aside and waited patiently.

    Zhou Yuruo felt something, raised his head, saw Lu Su, and said with a smile, "Why is Zijing here?"

    "Come and see the Governor, it's very cold outside, why isn't the Governor in the tent?"

    ¡°I¡¯m a person who gets hot-headed easily and I need to calm down outside.¡±

    Lu Su smiled bitterly, "The governor is just telling a joke."

    "Let's talk inside the tent! Standing outside is not the way to treat guests."

    Zhou Yu invited Lu Su into his tent, ordered his soldiers to pour two cups of hot tea, and asked with a smile: "I guess everyone in the camp is scolding me! Isn't that right?"

    Lu Su said after a long while: "Victory or defeat is a common matter for military officers, so don't take it seriously, Commander."

    "Of course I won't be upset about a military defeat, but when trouble arises, we have to find a way to solve it."

    "The governor is saying"

    Lu Su asked tentatively: "What about General Huang?"

    "Yes! I have to find a way to fight a battle and capture a few generals of Cao's army in order to get the Duke back. I'm afraid that Cao Cao won't fight with me again."

    Lu Su hesitated for a moment and asked, "How much impact does the governor think today's battle will have?"

    The smile on Zhou Yu's face disappeared, and his expression became serious. After a while, he said: "There will definitely be an impact. At least when discussing the battle plan with Jiang Xia Army, we will have no say in it, and it will have a certain impact on the future division of interests.  Zijing, I know in my heart that I will go to Wuhou to plead guilty, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±

    At this moment, a sergeant reported at the door: "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, a person came from outside the camp. He said he was an old friend of the Commander-in-Chief, but someone recognized him as the envoy from Cao's army last time."

    "Jiang Gan is here!"

    Lu Su was the first to react. His heart skipped a beat. He couldn't help but think of Liu Jing, but he didn't say it out loud. He just said, "Commander, I'm afraid Jiang Qian's visit is related to General Huang."

    "I think so, Cao Cao came to ask me for a price!"

    Zhou Yu smiled and said: "But Jiang Ziyi is indeed an old friend of mine. I am going to greet him personally."

    Zhou Yu immediately left the camp. Lu Su hesitated and followed. Outside the camp, Jiang Gan was worried.Seriously, he really doesn't like his identity. On the surface, he represents Prime Minister Cao, but in fact, he is controlled by Liu Jing.

    On the surface, Cao Cao wanted to drive a wedge between Jiangdong and Jiangxia, but in fact, he made Prime Minister Cao fall into Liu Jing's trap.

    Prime Minister Cao had a personal letter to give to Zhou Yu, but Jiang Gan knew that he could not give this letter, at least before Liu Jing agreed, he could not give it to Zhou Yu, and he had to reserve it.

    At this time, the camp gate opened, and Zhou Yu hurried out to welcome him, laughing and saying: "Ziyi, why did you leave without saying goodbye in Qichun County? This time, I will punish you with ten glasses of wine to relieve the resentment in my heart."  "

    Jiang Gan bowed and said in salute: "Gong Jin, I am here on the orders of the Prime Minister. Let's talk business first and then rekindle old friendships. How about that?"

    "That's right, we should talk about business first. Come on! Let's go to my Chinese army tent and talk in detail."

    Zhou Yu invited Jiang Gan into the main tent of the Chinese army. At this time, Taishi Ci, Zhou Tai, Lu Meng, Chen Wu and the chief secretary Kan Ze came to the big tent after hearing the news. When everyone saw that it was Jiang Gan, their faces suddenly darkened.  After coming down, at the last banquet, Jiang Gan insulted the late master Sun Ce, which made them resentful.

    In the big tent, Zhou Yu and Jiang Gan sat across from each other, and everyone stood below. They all knew that Jiang Gan must have come because of Huang Gai's matter, and everyone was filled with worry.

    Jiang Qian first cupped his hands and said, "I am here to talk about General Huang Gai on the order of Prime Minister Cao. Let me explain first that General Huang Gai was captured alive and is now being held in the camp. Everything is fine."

    Cao Cao asked Jiang Qian to come this time with the intention of driving a wedge between Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army. He first asked Jiang Gan to reveal that Huang Gai's arrest was betrayed by Liu Jing behind the scenes, thus arousing the anger of Jiangdong Army, and then exchanged Huang Gai for horses.  Yan and Liu Jing would definitely refuse. As long as Huang Gai was killed because of this, the two of them would definitely turn against each other.

    But Cao Cao never dreamed that Jiang Gan had become a double-faced man. He deliberately concealed the fact that Liu Jing used Zhang Ji's opportunity in Cao's camp to betray Huang Gai behind the scenes, and only discussed the deal.

    Zhou Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly relieved when he heard that Huang Gai was well, and asked, ¡°I wonder what conditions you need to bring General Huang back?¡±

    "Prime Minister Cao's condition is very simple. He deeply hates Ma Yan for killing Zhu Ling and surrendering. He must cut his body into pieces, so he must exchange Ma Yan for Huang Gai."

    Zhou Yu and the generals had a look of embarrassment on their faces. They looked at each other. Ma Yan had surrendered to Liu Jing. How could he be exchanged for Huang Gai? Zhou Yu asked coldly: "What if I can't get Ma Yan?"  ?¡±

    Jiang Gan shook his head, "None of us want to get to that point, but Prime Minister Cao asked me to tell the governor that if Ma Yan cannot be handed over within three days, Cao Jun will use a yellow cover to sacrifice the flag."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Lu Su settled Jiang Qian, and then hurried back to the Chinese army's tent. At this time, only Zhou Yu was left in the tent, sitting at the table in a daze.

    Lu Su had never seen Zhou Yu in such a state of despair, and he could feel the tremendous pressure he was under. He couldn't help but sigh secretly and advised: "Now that the matter has come to this, we should find a way to rescue General Huang as soon as possible."

    Zhou Yu sighed after a long while, "If there are any shortcomings in the public prosecution, how can I explain it to the Marquis of Wu?"

    Huang Gai is one of the three elders of Jiangdong and has a high status in Jiangdong. Because he was hot-headed, he allowed him to challenge Cao Jun, but he was captured by mistake. Once Cao Cao used it to sacrifice the flag, Zhou Yu could not explain to Sun Quan no matter what, nor could he explain it to Sun Quan.  Jiangdong's elders confessed that this made Zhou Yu extremely depressed.

    Lu Su could only comfort him and said: "Now that things have come to a point, we can only go to Liu Jing and see if he can hand over Ma Yan to us."

    Zhou Yu smiled bitterly and said, "Zijing, do you think it's possible? Ma Yan just surrendered to Liu Jing, and now he's handed him over to Cao Cao. Is it possible for Liu Jing to agree to such ridiculous conditions?"

    "But you have to give it a try. The bustling world is all for profit, and the world is hustle and bustle, all for profit. As long as Liu Jing is given enough benefits, he may not agree."

    Zhou Yu hesitated for a long time. Although he didn't want to go to Liu Jing, he really had no choice. Moreover, what Lu Su said was somewhat reasonable. Let's exchange benefits!  It's just such a big favor, and I don't know what kind of benefits it will take for Liu Jing to agree?

    "Okay! Tomorrow morning, Zijing will accompany me to Liu Jing's camp." Zhou Yu said helplessly.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The camp where Jiang Qian lived was not far from Zhou Yu's sleeping tent. Although he had met with Zhou Yu and explained the matter, and to a certain extent, his mission had been completed, Jiang Qian was still uneasy, as if he had done something huge.  His bad intentions will be exposed at any time.

    It was really difficult to calm down in his heart. After all, he concealed what Cao Cao had repeatedly told him and did not reveal the truth about Huang Gai's defeat to Zhou Yu. This made him feel very guilty, but more of a fear. Once Zhou Yu and Cao CaoIf he confronts him, his life will be over.

    Jiang Gan stood in front of the big tent with his hands behind his hands and sighed. He felt like he was stuck in a huge quagmire. He struggled to get out, but he ended up sinking deeper and deeper. From now on.  £®  £®  £®  What should he do next?

    At this moment, a sergeant came over with a mattress and some daily necessities, and said with a smile: "Mr. Jiang, on the order of Deputy Governor Lu, I sent you some daily necessities. Where should I put the things?"

    "Just put it in the big tent."

    Jiang Gan quickly led the soldiers into the tent, pointed to the bed and said: "Put it on the bed, I will tidy it up myself."

    The sergeant put the things on the couch. When he saw no one around him, he took out a letter from his arms, stuffed it into the quilt in front of Jiang Gan, smiled at Jiang Gan, turned around and walked away.

    Jiang Gan was dumbfounded. An unknown soldier actually sent him a letter. This must be Liu Jing. He was so pervasive.

    Jiang Gan hurriedly found the letter from the quilt and opened it with trembling hands. As he thought, it was Liu Jing's personal letter.

    The letter made it very clear that if he was unwilling to do it, he would return the original letter of guarantee given to Sun Quan to Cao Cao.

    Jiang Gan only felt dizzy for a while, and sat down heavily on the bed again, dripping with cold sweat, and he felt a deep sense of fear.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 379 It¡¯s so difficult!

    Early the next morning, Zhou Yu and Lu Su appeared outside the large tent of the Jiangxia Army. As soon as they approached the tent, Liu Jing greeted them with a smile on their face, "We have a distinguished guest. Why is Governor Zhou free today?"

    I don¡¯t know why, but Zhou Yu¡¯s smile on Liu Jing¡¯s face looked sarcastic. Doesn¡¯t he know what happened yesterday?  Although he felt uncomfortable, Zhou Yu still managed to smile and said, "I came here to discuss military affairs with Zhou Mu."

    ¡°Captain please!¡±

    Liu Jing waved her hand, "Let's go into the tent and talk in detail."

    He smiled and nodded at Lu Su again, "Deputy Governor Lu, please come in too!"

    "Zhou Mu is too polite."

    The three people entered the big tent, and the guests and hosts took their seats. Liu Jing ordered his soldiers to serve hot tea, and then said to the two of them: "It has entered the early winter season, and the decisive battle is getting closer and closer. Jiangdong Army should be ready!"  "

    ¡°I¡¯m ready, but something unexpected happened recently.¡±

    "What accident?"

    Zhou Yu found it difficult to speak. He glanced at Lu Su, who could only smile bitterly and said: "Yesterday General Huang Gai went to test Cao Jun's strength, but unfortunately he was captured. Zhou Mu should know about it!"

    Liu Jing nodded, "I've heard about it too, but victory or defeat is a common matter for military officers, so the governor shouldn't take it to heart."

    "But General Huang"

    Zhou Yu finally couldn't help but speak. He sighed, "I am responsible for this matter. I underestimated the enemy. Now that General Huang has been captured, it is difficult for me to explain to Marquis Wu."

    "I can understand. After all, Huang Gongfu is one of the three elders in Jiangdong and has a great influence in Jiangdong. But we just need to wait until we defeat Cao Jun and rescue him."

    ¡°Maybe we can¡¯t wait until then.¡±

    Zhou Yu¡¯s face was full of embarrassment and he couldn¡¯t say any more. Lu Su said: ¡°Yesterday, Cao Cao sent an envoy and gave us three days to replace one person. Otherwise, General Huang will be used to sacrifice the flag!¡±

    "I wonder who Old Thief Cao wants to replace?" Liu Jing asked quietly.

    Zhou Yu and Lu Su looked at each other. Zhou Yu hesitated and said, "Cao Cao proposed to trade General Huang for Ma Yan."

    "What!"

    Liu Jing was taken aback and suddenly became furious. He stood up and said: "No! It's impossible!"

    Zhou Yu¡¯s face was so swollen that he couldn¡¯t say a word. Lu Su quickly said: ¡°We also know that it is difficult to talk about this matter, so we just ask Zhou Mu to help us with this.¡±

    "This is not a matter of helping. Ma Yan has surrendered to me. He is now my general and has entrusted his life and property to me. If I return him to Cao Cao, who will I become? Who in the world would dare to  Surrender to me? Governor Zhou, you should know better than anyone that this is impossible and there is no room for negotiation!"

    Liu Jing had a straight face and a cold look on his face. He looked out of the tent with his hands behind his hands and ignored the two of them. Zhou Yu gritted his teeth and said: "If Zhou Mu is willing to agree, Jiangdong Army is willing to obey Zhou Mu's command. In this battle, Jiangxia Army will  The main force is supplemented by Jiangdong Army.¡±

    Liu Jing sighed, "I can understand the difficulties of the Governor, but I can easily betray my subordinates for a little profit. Please invite me, Governor!"

    Zhou Yu bit her lip and said, "What does Zhou Mu want? Just ask."

    Liu Jing turned back and took a deep look at him, and finally shook her head, "It will hurt your temper to talk too much about this matter. If the governor thinks of other ways, it will be difficult for me to explain to my subordinates. Please do it!"

    Zhou Yu had no choice but to stand up, cupped his hands and said, "Then I'm disturbing Zhou Mu, so take my leave!"

    He quickly left the tent, and Lu Su hurriedly followed. Liu Jing walked out of the tent with her hands behind her hands, watching the two of them walk away, with a cold smile in her eyes.

    Returning to his tent, Zhou Yu was furious and kicked the table over, "What a Liu Jing, you don't give me face like this!"

    Lu Su also followed and quickly advised: "Captain, please calm down. This matter has not reached the level of despair. I feel that Liu Jing was resolute at first, but then he became more relaxed. Didn't the Commander notice?"

    Zhou Yu said with a livid face: "Of course I know that he thinks there is only a little benefit and refuses to camp, but how can I make concessions? I have already agreed to obey his orders, what else does he want?"

    Lu Su thought for a moment and said, "Why didn't the governor ask him what conditions he wanted?"

    "I don't want to ask him. If I give him a chance, he will open his mouth like a lion. I'm afraid I won't be able to do it if I don't agree."

    "Actually, the Governor should ask and understand his bottom line. If the Governor really can't agree, he can pass it on to Wu Hou."

    Zhou Yu sighed, "Let's talk about it later! I'll discuss the terms with Cao Cao."

    Zhou Yu immediately ordered his soldiers, "Go and fetch Mr. Jiang."

    After a while, Jiang Qian hurried into the tent, bowed and saluted, "??¡°See the Governor!¡±

    Zhou Yu took his hand and said, "Ziyi, for the sake of our classmates for many years, you must help me this time."

    Jiang Qianqian laughed twice and said, "No matter what Gong Jin says, as long as I can do it, I will try my best to help."

    "You go back and talk to Cao Cao again, and ask Cao Cao to change the conditions."

    Jiang Gan scratched his head, "Okay! I'll go back and tell the Prime Minister, try to be as realistic as possible, then I'll take my leave."

    Next to him, Lu Su smiled and said, "I'll give you a ride, sir."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A small boat has docked by the river. Lu Su accompanied Jiang Gan towards the boat. Jiang Gan stopped, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Thank you, Deputy Governor Lu, please stay! I will be back as soon as possible."

    Lu Su glanced at him, smiled faintly and said, "Although I can understand Mr. Jiang's worries about his father, I also hope that Mr. Jiang will consider Jiangdong's interests and not go too far."

    Jiang Gan was stunned, "I don't understand what Deputy Governor Lu said."

    "Why don't you understand? You know it better than anyone else."

    Lu Su sneered, waved his hand and said, "Please get on the boat! I look forward to your husband bringing back good news."

    Talking about me, Lu Su turned around and walked away. Jiang Gan looked at Lu Su¡¯s back, his head almost exploded, why is there another insider, but

    Jiang Gan suddenly realized that Lu Su did not tell Zhou Yu what he knew, and it seemed that he was also afraid. Jiang Gan's mind changed, and he suddenly understood that Lu Su must be worried about the collapse of the alliance, so he kept silent.

    Thinking of this, Jiang Qian felt a little relieved.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, Jiang Gan was not only the hope of Zhou Yu, but also the great hope of Cao Cao. In the big tent, Cao Cao listened to Jiang Gan's report with squinted eyes and asked with a smile: "You mean, for Ma Yan, Liu  Jing and Zhou Yu almost fell out? "

    "I don't know whether Liu Jing had a falling out, but I heard that several Jiangxia Army generals drew their swords against each other, and Zhou Yu left the Jiangxia Army camp in a very embarrassed state. I could see that he became angry and cursed Liu Jing for not being sincere at all."

    Cao Cao smiled proudly. Of course he knew what handing over Ma Yan meant to Liu Jing. It meant that the general would turn away from him and that no one would dare to surrender to him again. How could Liu Jing pay such a heavy price for Ma Yan?  Yan was given to Zhou Yu in exchange for Huang Gai.

    Cao Cao thought about it and asked: "What is Zhou Yu's attitude toward Huang Gai's arrest? Doesn't he deeply hate Liu Jing for betraying him behind his back?"

    "This Lu Su insisted that the prime minister was framing the situation and instigating an alliance between the two armies. He firmly believed that Liu Jing would not do such a thing. Taishi Ci, Zhou Tai and others also thought it was impossible."

    "What about Zhou Yu?"

    Cao Cao smiled and asked, "Does he also think it's impossible?"

    Jiang Gan was a little panicked. This was what Liu Jing taught him in the letter. He was worried that the prime minister would find out if there were any loopholes, but at this time he had to say it, so he had to bite the bullet and said: "Zhou Yu didn't say anything.  His face was gloomy, and Wei Chen couldn't tell what he was thinking. "

    Cao Cao laughed. With Zhou Yu's intelligence, he must know that he was not lying. Very good, it completely achieved his expected effect. Cao Cao just hoped that Jiangdong Army and Jiang Xia Army would turn against each other because of Ma Yan and Huang Gai. Then  His alienation plan was successful.

    Since the effect was so good, how could he give in again? Cao Cao immediately said coldly: "Go back and tell Zhou Yu that I can give in without Ma Yan alive. Just give me Ma Yan's head, and I will let Huang Gai go."  , Otherwise, at three o'clock tomorrow, I will use the yellow cover to sacrifice the flag!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Jiang Gan had no choice but to take a boat back to the Jiangdong Army camp. The soldiers took him to the tent. At this time, Zhou Yu was convening the generals in the tent to discuss military affairs. When he heard that Jiang Gan was back, he immediately ordered: "  Ask him to wait in the side tent!"

    Zhou Yu had no intention of continuing the meeting. He immediately came to the side tent and asked after entering the tent: "Ziyi, what's the news?"

    "I'm afraid I don't have good news to tell the governor. The prime minister still wants to use Ma Yan in exchange for the yellow cover. However, Ma Yan's head can also be used. It must be done before three quarters to noon tomorrow. If it is too late, it will be too late."

    Zhou Yu couldn¡¯t say a word, so what¡¯s the difference between using a horse to extend a person¡¯s head and himself?  After a while, he ordered the people around him: "Go and invite Deputy Governor Lu!"

    Not long after, Lu Su hurried over, "Captain, what's the news?" Lu Su asked anxiously.

    Zhou Yu shook his head, "Cao Cao refuses to give in!"

    Lu Su looked at Jiang Gan warily again, and Jiang Gan smiled bitterly and said, "Report to Deputy Governor Lu, I have indeed tried my best, don't blame me again."

    "Zijing, others speak lightly, this matter has nothing to do with him, don'tBlame him.  "

    Lu Su lowered his head. He knew there must be something fishy about this matter, but what was the problem?  He couldn't see clearly, 'Could it really have nothing to do with Liu Jing this time?  ¡¯ Lu Su thought secretly.

    Zhou Yu asked Jiang Gan to step aside, and then asked Lu Su, "Zijing, what do you think we should do about this matter?"

    "I still say the same thing. The governor might as well ask Liu Jing about his conditions. I feel that his tone has become a little looser later. Let the governor give it a try!"

    Zhou Yu had no choice but to sigh. He really didn't want to beg Liu Jing. For Huang Gai, he really paid a heavy price this time.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing was like an old fisherman, very patient and well-organized. He knew that Zhou Yu would come to him sooner or later. When the soldiers reported outside the tent, "Captain Zhou asked to see him," Liu Jing acted like a fox.  laughed.

    "Please invite Governor Zhou to come in!"

    Zhou Yu quickly walked into the tent with a very embarrassed expression. Although he was arrogant by nature, he had to lower his noble head in order to save his life. "Zhou Yu came to disturb Zhou Mu again."

    Liu Jing quickly smiled and said: "What are you talking about, Governor? Our two families are in alliance, so we should have more contacts. Please sit down!"

    He smiled at Lu Su again and said, "Mr. Lu, please sit down too!"

    The three of them sat down again. Zhou Yu sighed and said: "Although it is difficult to speak, I still ask Zhou Mu. General Huang is extremely important to Jiangdong. He has three strengths and two weaknesses. I can't explain it to Wu Hou. Please help Zhou Mu.  As for the conditions, please feel free to put them forward.¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 380 Reaching a Compromise

    Liu Jing walked a few steps inside the big tent with her hands behind her back, looked back at Zhou Yu and said: "After you left in the morning, I calmed down. We are allies after all. I should think about it for you. Frankly speaking, Ma Yan  Giving it to you means taking his life. This will have a great impact on my reputation and will even chill the Jiangxia army. It is very likely that no one will come to seek refuge with me in the future. Does the Commander know the consequences of this? "

    Zhou Yu nodded silently, "I know!"

    "Since the Governor knows, the conditions I propose may be a bit high, and I ask the Governor to understand."

    At this time, Zhou Yu had no choice but to nod his head and said, "Please ask the state pastor to  Just say it!¡±

    Of course, if Liu Jing's conditions were too excessive, such as ceding Qichun County or Jiujiang County, then he could only watch Huang Gai being killed, and then he would go to Wuhou to plead guilty.

    In fact, Zhou Yu also knew in his heart that Liu Jing would definitely not put forward conditions that he could not accept. Not only would he destroy the agreement between the two parties and get nothing in the end, but he would also become enemies with Jiang Dong. The conditions Liu Jing put forward must be within the range that he could accept.  .

    It was precisely because of this understanding that Zhou Yu came to Liu Jing again and begged him to give in.

    "I have two conditions!"

    Liu Jing spoke very slowly, trying to let Zhou Yu hear his words clearly, "The first condition is what the governor himself said in the morning, with Jiangxia as the main force, the Jiangdong Army must obey my deployment. Without my order, the Jiangdong Army must not send troops without authorization!  "

    "Yes! I promise Zhou Mu."

    Zhou Yu agreed without hesitation. This was within the scope of his authority. In fact, he also understood that this condition did not mean much. It was just a matter of face. It was just that yesterday he sent troops without authorization and angered Liu Jing. He needed to return this face.  For the sake of Huang Gai's life, Zhou Yu had to temporarily give up his dignity.

    "Please ask the state pastor to come up with the second condition."

    "The second condition is that after defeating Cao Cao, all prisoners of war and trophies must be disposed of by the Jiangxia army."

    This condition is based on naked interests. Cao Cao sent nearly 300,000 troops, which was almost the entire country. All kinds of food, weapons, and materials were overwhelming. The so-called Jiangxia Army was responsible for disposal. It was just a euphemism. In fact, it was returned  Jiangxia Army, that means that after the battle, Jiangdong Army will go home with nothing.

    Although Wu Hou sent troops for the safety of Jiangdong, which is a long-term benefit, as an ordinary soldier, no one can accept if nothing is gained after the battle. This makes Zhou Yu a little embarrassed. Although rescuing Huang Gai can explain to Wu Hou,  But how could he explain it to the soldiers?

    In fact, Liu Jing is not so stingy that he doesn't give anything to Jiangdong. He just wants to concentrate all the spoils and prisoners of war in his own hands first, and let him distribute them. What can and cannot be given to Jiangdong, such as ships?  He can give some to Jiangdong, but he can never give kerosene and food.

    Seeing that Zhou Yu was in a bit of a dilemma, he smiled and said, "Let's do this! I'll give in and give you a share, but all the prisoners of war belong to the Jiangxia Army, and I will distribute the spoils. Is there any problem with this?"

    In fact, it is still the same thing, but Zhou Yu can only accept it. At least it is not nothing. He nodded, "If this is the case, I can agree."

    Liu Jing took an agreement from the table, handed it to Zhou Yu and said, "In this case, we will make a written agreement, and please ask Zijing to be the mediator."

    Zhou Yu and Lu Su looked at each other, and then they realized that Liu Jing was already ready.

    But there was nothing to say. Zhou Yu took out a pen and signed his name on the two contracts and stamped his seal. Lu Su also took the pen and signed the certificate in the middle.

    Zhou Yu was relieved in his heart. Although it was a bit humiliating, Huang Gai was able to save him. He handed the contract to Liu Jing, "Zhou Mu, when will you give him to me?"

    Liu Jing looked at the contract and then smiled slightly and said: "Didn't Gong Jin think that this was Cao Cao trying to drive a wedge between our two families? He thought that I would not give Ma Yan to you, and then Huang Gai was killed.  Our two families have turned against each other, has Gong Jin considered this? "

    With Zhou Yu's intelligence, of course he had thought of this, but in order to save Huang Gai, he could not care about such a deep issue for the time being. When Liu Jing mentioned this, he nodded, "I know in my heart that Cao Cao does not  What a rare thing Ma Yan is, but if our two families fall out over this, he will be happy to see it happen. "

    Liu Jing lowered her voice, "Then why don't we use the trick to make Cao Cao think that we have really fallen out with each other? What does the governor think?"

    Next to him, Lu Su couldn't help but exclaimed, "What a great plan, Zhou Mu is really good!"

    Zhou Yu pondered for a moment and said: "Since I haveIf I promise to obey Zhou Mu's orders, I will fully comply with Zhou Mu's arrangements. As long as General Huang can come back, Zhou Yu will obey Zhou Yu's orders.  "

    "good!"

    Liu Jing nodded and said slowly: "Please listen to my arrangements, Commander-in-Chief!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhou Yu and Lu Su left in a hurry. Liu Jing looked at the sky and saw that it was almost dusk. He ordered his soldiers: "Go and invite General Ma Yan!"

    Not long after, Ma Yan hurriedly walked into the tent, bowed and saluted: "See you, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing smiled and asked: "How is it? Has General Ma adapted to the Jiangxia Army?"

    Even if Liu Jing didn't find Ma Yan, Ma Yan still wanted to find Liu Jing. He never expected that Liu Jing would actually regard him as Wei Yan's general, which made him extremely dissatisfied.

    He was also an important general under Yuan Shao. He was worshiped as a captain and was named General Shengwei. He surrendered to Cao Cao. Although he was demoted one level and was appointed as Xiahou Yuan's general, the qualifications of all the generals in Cao Cao's army are very old.  , he had nothing to say, and Cao Cao also made him a Marquis of Guannei, at least he still had a title.

    But when he arrived in Jiangxia, he didn't dare to compete with veterans like Huang Zhong for status. At least he could keep pace with the newcomers such as Gan Ning and Wei Yan. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing actually asked him to be Wei Yan's general. Ma Yan just knew  , Wei Yan's other generals are all just tooth generals, is it possible that he should be made a tooth general?

    In front of Liu Jing, Ma Yan did not dare to be presumptuous. He held back the resentment in his heart and said, "I would like to ask the state pastor what kind of humble position are you planning to appoint?"

    "Haha! I originally wanted to appoint you as General Ya, but I feel that I have wronged the general and it is unfair, so I am going to appoint you as Sima of another department to guard Changsha."

    Ma Yan was overjoyed. Although he was too small for other commanders, guarding Changsha, how much oil, water and women there would be, immediately made his heart elated. He quickly clasped his fists and said: "Thank you to Zhou Mu for trusting me. I will never let down Zhou Mu in my humble position."  expect."

    Liu Jing nodded, "General Huo Jun is now in Yangxin County. You first go to Yangxin County to handle the handover, and then rush to Changsha. Time is tight. You go back and pack up and set off immediately."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Ma Yan clasped his fists in salute and hurried away. Liu Jing looked at him walking away happily and couldn't help but shook his head, as if he was on the edge of a cliff with no way to go. Then someone in this world is destined to fill the ravine into a bridge. It happened that Ma Yan  That's the kind of person.

    At this time, Liu Jing ordered his soldiers again, "Go and find Wei Yan and Liu Hu!"

    Soon, Wei Yan and Liu Hu hurried over, and they saluted together, "See Zhou Mu!"

    ¡°No need to be too polite!¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hands: "I asked you to come because there is something that you two need to do."

    "Just follow the state pastor's orders!"

    Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "That's it. General Jiangdong Army killed my general Ma Yan. You can't swallow this breath, and of course I can't swallow it. You two need to lead more than a hundred soldiers to attack Jiangdong Camp and find them.  If you want a murderer, you might as well be cruel, burn their tents, and injure dozens of them, do you understand?"

    Wei Yan and Liu Hu were confused and looked at each other. Wei Yan couldn't help but said: "But my subordinate met Ma Yan just now. He said that Zhou Mu has been granted the title of Sima of another department and is stationed in Changsha. He is not dead."  ah!"

    "I know, he will die soon."

    Seeing that they still didn't understand, Liu Jing smiled faintly and said, "Okay! I'll tell you the cause and effect, but this matter is of great importance and must not be leaked to anyone."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Ma Yan was so anxious that he wished he could fly to Changsha. After a little tidying up, he left Chibi Camp with a few of his subordinates and one of Liu Jing's soldiers, and rode towards Yangxin County.

    Exiting from the South Camp Gate of Chibi is a flat official road that leads to Wuchang and Yangxin County. According to the normal riding speed, we will arrive in Yangxin County probably tomorrow afternoon. After handing over power to Huo Jun, we will ride for another three days.  Then you can arrive in Changsha County.

    Although there are still four or five days before he takes charge of the troops in Changsha County, Ma Yan is already eager to dream of getting rich and beautiful.

    He seemed to see countless wealthy local gentry kneeling and offering plates of gold to him, and he seemed to see seven or eight delicate beauties wrapped in gauze, cuddling around him charmingly, drinking with him, letting him play with them, and thinking.  As he spoke, Ma Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

    It was already dark at this time, but the moonlight was clear and shining all over the ground. The official road could be seen clearly. They had run for more than ten miles, and there were dense woods on both sides. The official road was extremely quiet and there was no pedestrian.

    At this time, they came to a fork, going to Wuchang County on the left and Yangxin County on the right. At this time, Liu Jing's soldiers shouted:??¡°I hurt alone!¡±

    He shouted to Ma Yan: "General Ma, wait for me a moment, I'll go to the woods to have diarrhea!"

    ¡°There¡¯s so much shit going on, go away!¡±

    Although Ma Yan was anxious, he still didn't dare to offend the soldier too much. The soldier had Liu Jing's gold medal and amulet on him, and he had to announce Liu Jing's defense change order to Huo Jun.

    Ma Yan had no choice but to order a few of his men to wait for a while. The soldiers covered their stomachs and ran into the woods. Ma Yan also got off his horse and peed on the roadside.

    At this moment, Ma Yan suddenly heard the sound of a bowstring. He was stunned, but saw an arrow shot in front of his eyes. He had no time to dodge, and the arrow hit his chest. Ma Yan yelled and turned over.  He fell to the ground, and at this moment hundreds of people rushed out from the woods. They were all soldiers of the Jiangdong Army. The leading general, with his white horse and silver spear, was none other than Tai Shici.

    Several of Ma Yan's men fled in fear. Ma Yan was not dead yet. He recognized Tai Shi Ci and shouted: "Tai Shi Ci, I have no enmity with you, why do you want to kill me?"

    "Because you have to die!"

    Taishi Ci pierced Ma Yan's chest with a gun, stabbing him to death on the spot. He drew his sword and chopped off Ma Yan's head, and waved his hand, "Let's go!"

    He turned his horse's head and galloped eastward, and all the Jiangdong soldiers followed him and gradually ran away.

    I don't know how long it took, Liu Jing's soldiers came out of the woods tremblingly, and several of Ma Yan's men also gathered around. They only saw Ma Yan's headless body, and everyone was at a loss. Someone said: "I heard the general shouting, it seems to be Tai Shi."  Kindness!¡±

    "I saw it too, it was him!"

    Liu Jing's soldier's voice trembled with nervousness: "Hurry back and report to Zhou Mu that the Jiangdong Army will kill our general."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 381 The Split of the Two Rivers

    At the Jiangdong Army Water Village, Jiang Gan carried a wooden box and boarded the boat. Zhou Yu kept sending Jiang Gan to the boat before he handed over his hand and said, "Please Ziyi tell Prime Minister Cao that I have fulfilled my promise and I hope he will keep his word."  Keep your word.¡±

    "Don't worry, Gong Jin! As the Prime Minister, I won't break my word."

    With a push of the long pole, the boat slid and headed towards the gate of the water village. Jiang Gan's figure gradually disappeared into the darkness. Zhou Yu couldn't help but sigh lowly. It was a matter of time to decide whether he could change the yellow cover back.  .

    "Captain, Cao Cao is known for his cunning, will he keep his word and let him go?" Tai Shici asked worriedly.

    Lu Su chuckled, "General Huang is very important to us, but he is not important to Cao Cao. Letting General Huang back will disrupt the situation even more. I think Cao Cao will definitely let him go."

    "Zijing is right!"

    Zhou Yu then told Taishi Ci: "Everyone should work harder tonight and make the matter bigger, so that Cao Cao will be more able to let people go."

    "Don't worry, Commander, I will take care of it!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Jiangxia Army and Jiangdong Army are actually in a large camp. There is only a simple camp fence separating the two armies. The two armies usually do not interact with each other. Only some soldiers occasionally trade some things through the fence.

    At one watch, there was a sudden commotion on the Jiangxia Army side of the Yingzha. An army of hundreds of people, holding torches, led by generals Wei Yan and Liu Hu, came toward the Yingzha in an aggressive manner.

    "Overturn the camp fence for me!" Liu Hu ordered loudly.

    Although the soldiers all felt that something was wrong, they still faithfully carried out his order and used all their strength to overthrow the camp fence. At this time, Jiangdong Army's patrol sentry came after hearing the news and stopped the Jiangxia soldiers who were about to rush to Jiangdong Army Camp.

    "Don't mess around!"

    The patrol commander shouted to the soldiers of the Jiangxia Army, while more than a hundred patrol guards formed a human wall. Seeing that the situation was not good, he secretly sent someone to report to the governor.

    At this time, Liu Hu gave an order: "Hit me!"

    Hundreds of Jiangxia soldiers swarmed up and struggled with more than a hundred patrol posts. In the chaos, someone threw a torch onto a large tent, which immediately ignited the tent. The flames shot into the sky, making the scene even more chaotic.

    At this time, the Jiangdong patrol began to use the knife. Many Jiangxia soldiers were slashed and screams came one after another. Liu Hu was so angry that he rushed into the crowd with an iron bar and beat the patrol soldiers head and face.

    Several more large tents were set on fire. Countless Jiangdong soldiers and Jiangxia soldiers heard the news and rushed in. Seeing the fierce and bloody fight between the two sides, people continued to join the battle group, making the situation continue to expand. The fire spread quickly with the wind, and more than a dozen large tents were  The tent was set on fire, and the fire spread into a blaze. Thousands of soldiers shouted and put out the fire.

    At this moment, Jiangdong general Lu Meng rushed towards him and shouted: "Stop it all!"

    Seeing that the commotion was almost over, Wei Yan also shouted: "Stop!"

    Under the stern scoldings of the generals on both sides, the fierce battle finally ended. Hundreds of injured soldiers lay on the ground, groaning in pain. A dozen soldiers were seriously injured and were in fear of their lives.

    Seeing that Jiangdong soldiers were seriously injured, Lu Meng couldn't help but became furious. He pointed his riding whip at Wei Yan and shouted: "Wei, you have to give me an explanation!"

    Wei Yan snorted coldly, stepped forward and said loudly: "Of course I have to give you an explanation. Taishi Ci killed Jiangxia General Ma Yan. He committed a heinous crime. Hand over the murderer to me!"

    Lu Meng didn't know about this. When he heard that General Jiang Xia had been killed, he was shocked, but he still did not show weakness and said: "General Wei, this is not a trivial matter. Regardless of whether it is true or false, you should report it to Zhou Mu, and both parties sit down.  Let¡¯s discuss solutions instead of adding fuel to the fire and making the matter even bigger.¡±

    Liu Hu suddenly shouted loudly, "Old Wei, what nonsense are you talking to him? If they don't hand over Tai Shici today, we will rush into the camp and burn their camp."

    As soon as Liu Hu finished speaking, someone sneered, "Jiang Xiajun is very powerful! If you have the guts, just show off."

    I saw a large group of soldiers coming up, surrounded by Jiangdong Navy Commander Zhou Yu. At this time, the fire had been put out, nearly thirty tents were burned, and more than seventy people were killed or injured. Zhou Yu saw the mess on the ground and couldn't help but glare at Jiang Xia's army, "  You are going too far!"

    Wei Yan said in a deep voice: "Governor Zhou, you killed someone first. Taishi Ci killed my general Ma Yan. You must give an explanation to the Jiangxia Army. Otherwise, I'm afraid it will be difficult for our two armies to continue to cooperate."

    "Who are you? How dare you say such things." Zhou Yu sneered.

    "General Wei's words are my words!" Liu Jing's voice came from the distance, and Liu Jing was seen walking quickly surrounded by hundreds of soldiers.

    Liu Jing stepped forward and said coldly: "ZhouGovernor, you and I know very well what happened?  I advise you to consider the overall situation and hand over Taishi Ci, otherwise Jiangdong Army will bear all the consequences!  "

    Zhou Yu and Liu Jing's eyes met, and they had a tacit understanding in their hearts. The time was ripe for acting. Zhou Yu's face changed greatly, "Liu Zhoumu, what do you mean?"

    "Captain Zhou, do you really want me to tell you the truth?"

    Liu Jing¡¯s voice became stern and she stared at Zhou Yu with piercing eyes, ¡°Do you want me to tell you that you killed my general in exchange for Huang Gai?¡±

    There was an uproar all around, and Jiangxia soldiers became angry, "Hand over the murderer!" Countless soldiers shouted angrily.

    "Did you hear that?"

    Liu Jing continued to press Zhou Yu, "This is the cry of my soldiers, the voice of Jiang Xia's army. I will give you one day, and you must hand over Tai Shici, otherwise don't blame me for being ruthless."

    Zhou Yu snorted loudly, turned around and left. The Jiangdong soldiers retreated one after another, fearing that Liu Jing would attack and kill people. At this time, Liu Jing shouted to the surrounding Jiangxia soldiers: "I will continue to force the Jiangdong Army to hand over the murderer, but no more attacks are allowed."  Jiangdong Military Camp, anyone who disobeys orders will be killed!¡±

    Liu Jing also turned around and returned to the tent. Wei Yan waved his hand and shouted to the soldiers: "The state shepherd has an order. We must not disobey it and put up the camp fence again."

    It was a destined sleepless night. The military camps of both sides were in a sensation. The news spread throughout the Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army. During the dissemination process, things were inevitably exaggerated, saying that there was a bloody conflict between the two armies, thousands of people participated in the battle, and hundreds of people died.  people

    In Cao Jun's water stronghold on the other side of the Yangtze River, Cao Cao stood on the big ship with his hands behind his hands. Looking at the other shore more than ten miles away, he faintly saw a light of fire, and a proud smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. If he guessed correctly, it should be Jiangdong Jun and  There was a bloody conflict between Jiangxia's army.

    Jiang Qian had already reported to him that Liu Jing wanted to secretly transfer Ma Yan to Wuchang, but Zhou Yu guessed it in advance and sent Taishi Ci to intercept him halfway and kill Ma Yan. How could Liu Jing give up? Otherwise, he would have difficulty telling the story.  His subordinates told him that it was inevitable to attack Jiangdong Army. Even if the situation did not escalate, they would still ask Jiangdong Army to hand over the murderer.

    Cao Cao could imagine the attitudes of both parties. He sneered, turned around and ordered: "Let Cai He come to see me!"

    Since Cai He captured Huang Gai, he has been highly regarded by Cao Cao. He has been promoted to the rank of captain of the navy and the title of marquis in the pass. His real power exceeds that of the nominal navy general Zhang Yun.

    Cai He hurried over, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See you, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao smiled and said gently: "I really want to know the situation of Jiangdong Army. He will capture a few patrol posts of Jiangdong Army for me and return tomorrow morning."

    "I humble my duty and obey my orders!"

    Cai He left in a hurry, and Cao Cao turned around and told Yu Jin, "Let Huang Gai go, let him go now."

    Next to him, Cheng Yu hurriedly said: "Does the Prime Minister really want to put the yellow cover on?"

    "Huang Gai is not Sun Quan, what use is he to me? Besides, since I have already promised him, there is no need to regret it. Letting Huang Gai go will only deepen their conflict, so why not do it?"

    "Congratulations, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao smiled slightly and said, "Zhongde, if you have anything to say, just say it. There is no need for such insincere praise."

    Cheng Yu secretly smiled bitterly in his heart. The Prime Minister really knew him. He pondered for a moment and said, "We are just a little worried about Liu Jing. This man is both wise and brave. He is actually our strong enemy. Prime Minister, you'd better be careful."

    "Haha! I admit that this son has great qualities, but there are some things that he can't help himself. Even if he wants to take care of the overall situation, he must give an explanation to the soldiers. Moreover, Zhou Yu killed his generals, which also made him lose face.  However, since the last time he used me to teach Jiangdong Army a lesson, I know this person's weakness. His desire to dominate is too strong and he wants to control Jiangdong Army. This will definitely become the root of the split between the two armies. "

    After saying that, Cao Cao walked briskly towards the camp. It was already three o'clock in the morning. He hadn't had a good rest in the past few days, so he could finally have a good sleep.

    The next morning, another explosive news quickly spread in the Jiangdong Army camp. Jiangxia Army patrol posts detained fifty Jiangdong Army grain transport ships coming from Zhucheng, and the ships sailed into the Jiangxia Army water stronghold.

    Not long after, Lu Su, the deputy governor who went to negotiate, came back and reported, "Jiangxia Army requested to hand over Tai Shici in exchange for grain ships."

    For this reason, Zhou Yu urgently summoned the generals in the Chinese army's tent to discuss countermeasures. At this time, Huang Gai had been replaced. He sat silently under the commander's seat without saying a word. His presence in the tent was a sign.  , announced to everyone that he had returned, and Jiang Dongjun was no longer bound.

    In fact, this is a hint from Zhou Yu to everyone that Jiangdong Army will never give in to Huang Gai's matter.

    "What do you think we should do?"

      Zhou Yu looked around at everyone calmly, "Jiangdong Army is forcing us to surrender, and even threatens to cut off military rations. I would like to ask everyone to make a decision for me. What should we do?"

    Zhou Yu is the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, and all major decisions of the Jiangdong Army are made by him. Now that he is asking everyone to help him make the decision, he must be embarrassed by this decision. What will happen?

    There was only one decision that would embarrass him, and that was to withdraw his troops. He couldn't explain it to Marquis Wu, but if everyone asked for it together, that would be another matter.

    All the generals knew this, and Lu Meng was the first to stand up and salute: "Captain, Confucius said, people with different principles cannot work together. Since we cannot come together with the Jiangxia army, then we will act on our own. I suggest that we retreat and return."  Zhucheng."

    "Why retreat to Zhucheng!"

    Zhou Tai was very dissatisfied and said: "Wouldn't it be better for us to withdraw to Jiangdong? Let his Jiangxia army go with force. Isn't Liu Jing very powerful? Then let them deal with Cao Jun by themselves. What does it have to do with us!"

    Everyone in the big tent was whispering, and most of them agreed with Zhou Tai's idea. At this time, Huang Gai, who had been silent all the time, said: "Everyone, let's listen to the governor's opinion!"

    The tent became quiet again, and Zhou Yu slowly said: "We want dignity, so we must leave, but we must also give an explanation to Marquis Wu. Although we are dissatisfied with the arrogance of the Jiangxia army and are unwilling to cooperate with them, if we withdraw rashly  Returning to Jiangdong will make Wu Hou bear the name of dishonesty, so I agree with General Lu Meng¡¯s suggestion to withdraw our troops to Zhu City, so that the Jiangxia army will not be able to catch us. "

    All the generals bowed and saluted, "I am willing to listen to the governor's arrangements!"

    "Very good, let's go back and pack our belongings. In two hours, we will set off to leave Chibi!"

    In the end, the Jiangxia Army failed to retain the Jiangdong Army. In the afternoon, hundreds of warships from the Jiangdong Army sailed out of the water village, sailed down the river, and sailed toward Zhu City in a mighty manner.

    On a large ship, Liu Jing stood on the bow and silently watched Jiang Dongjun sail away. If there was any loophole in his chain plan, or if there was anything else that was difficult for him to grasp, it was Jiang Dongjun.

    Although Jiangdong¡¯s army was retreating in order to advance, if Zhou Yu had the courage to sit back and watch the two strong men fight, and finally come to collect the profits, then Liu Jing would have no choice at all. The question is, does Zhou Yu have such courage?

    At this time, Liu Jing deeply felt the danger of taking chestnuts from the fire.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 382 Comeback

    Yixian County of Hejian County is the northernmost county of Hejian County, close to Fanyang County of Youzhou. During Cao Cao's attack on Wuhuan last year, Yixian County was the rear area of ??Cao Cao's army and accumulated a large amount of weapons and food.  .

    Although Cao Jun prepared for the war in Jingzhou and transported most of the grain, grass, ordnance and other materials to Nanyang County, there are still a large number of grain, grass, ordnance and armor stored in hundreds of warehouses in Yixian County. It is precisely because of this that Yixian County is very important.  , among the counties in Hebei where troops are generally stationed, only Yi County has 3,000 troops stationed.

    At this time, Yixian County has entered a troubled period. In the past two months, Yixian County, together with nearby Gaoyang County and Moxian County, has suffered a severe locust plague.

    The overwhelming locust plague swept across everything. Wherever they passed, the crops that were about to mature were eaten away. The crops such as beans and corn grown in Yixian County almost failed to be harvested. The people of Yixian County fell into extreme panic.

    As time went by, the famine became more serious, the food reserves were gradually used up, and most families began to run out of food.

    At this time, the approval from Yedu finally came, allowing Hejian County to open warehouses for disaster relief, and the Yixian county government also began to smash porridge in the county. When the news came out, the people of Yixian gathered like ants and poured into the county from all directions.  go.

    In the small county town of Yixian, more than 30,000 people from all over the country gathered, and 30,000 people were crying for food. However, a few county officials colluded with the powerful to resell the grain from the official warehouses to make huge profits, which could flow into the hands of the people.  The amount of relief food provided was less than 30%.

    Hunger gradually intensified various contradictions, which manifested itself in a very chaotic order in the county, with robbery, murder, and forced prostitution. Bandits were rampant outside the city, merchants disappeared, and tens of thousands of people in the city were struggling with hunger. The final resistance was about to break out.

    At noon that day, three government officials quickly came to a narrow alley in the south of the city. The reason why there were three government officials was because no one dared to go out alone on the street.

    Whenever they walk on the street, there will be countless pairs of hungry and hateful eyes staring at them. Five government officials have been killed, and people in the county government are panicking.

    Three government officials walked into the alley, and at the end was a small courtyard. The dark door was closed tightly. One of the tall government officials stepped forward and tapped the door knocker three times rhythmically. After a moment, the door opened a crack.  , three government officials ducked into the courtyard.

    ¡°Sir, are you here?¡± asked the leading Yamen servant.

    "I'm waiting for you in the inner hall."

    The three yamen servants walked quickly to the inner hall. The gentleman mentioned by the yamen servants was Xun Chen, the leader of Xingyuan Bajunzhong. The locust plague in the northern part of Hejian County made Xun Chen see an opportunity. He discussed with everyone and decided to start an uprising.  Place it in Yixian County.

    On the one hand, Yixian County was the hardest hit. On the other hand, Yixian County had extremely important supplies such as food and ammunition. Once successfully captured, it would have an extremely important role in promoting their uprising.

    In the room, Xun Chen and Li Fu were discussing the next step. Capturing Yixian was only the first step. The key was that if they wanted to gain a foothold in Hebei, they must defeat Cao Jun's strangulation of them in the future.

    Xun Chen trusted Li Fu extremely. Not only was Li Fu resourceful and knowledgeable, but more importantly, he was Liu Jing's representative. If they wanted to succeed, they must get Liu Jing's full support, so Xun Chen must put himself  Tell Li Fu your idea and get his support.

    ¡°The reason why I advocate the capture of Yixian County as the first step is not just for the grain and grass supplies in Yixian County, but more importantly, I plan to seize Youzhou as our foundation for rejuvenation.¡±

    Li Fu did not immediately respond to Xun Chen's words. He looked at Jicheng. Youzhou was indeed a good place for separatist rule. It had Yanshan Mountain at its back and Hebei Province to the south.

    Even if the army is defeated, they can retreat to Liaodong. With the good relationship between the Yuan family and Wuhuan, it is easy to gain a foothold in Liaodong. It can be said that you can advance and attack, and retreat and defend.

    Li Fu thought for a long time and asked: "There are 10,000 Cao troops stationed in Youzhou. Does Mr. Xun have any plan to deal with it?"

    Xun Chen smiled slightly, "Have you forgotten? The general who holds the military power in Youzhou is Yan Rou. Although he was reused by Cao Cao and served as the captain of Wuhuan, the lord was also very kind to him back then. I hope I can convince him.  Does he support the new lord?"

    "Is it possible?" Li Fu asked doubtfully.

    "It should be possible. In fact, he knew that we were provoking the Yuan Hui and knew where the young master lived? But he kept silent. I once visited him, hoping that he could support our uprising."

    "How is the result?"

    Xun Chen couldn't hide his excitement and said: "He didn't express his position, but he said that we are alone and cannot succeed. But if it is now, with Jiangxia supporting us, and Cao Cao suffering a heavy setback in the south, I am afraid we will not succeed."  Same."

    Li Fu nodded. If this is the case, and more than 10,000 regular troops can surrender, then there is a greater chance of success.

    At this time, the entourage came up with three government servants,?Sir, they are coming!  "

    The three yamen servants were all subordinates of Guo Song. Guo Song had a wide network of contacts. He spent money to buy a thief in Yixian County and was in charge of some of the yamen servants. He conveniently used his authority to appoint more than a dozen capable subordinates.  Yamen.

    Three government officials stepped forward and saluted: "See Mr. Xun!"

    Xun Chen immediately asked: "How is the situation at the county government?"

    "Replying to Sir, tens of thousands of hungry people have gathered outside the county government office, pleading for food relief. They are very excited, but the granary is empty, and all official grain has been resold by the county magistrate. Now the county government is very anxious, and the county magistrate is preparing to garrison troops at the warehouse.  Please help."

    Xun Chen and Li Fu looked at each other. The time was ripe. Xun Chen immediately ordered the three government officials: "Go back quickly and tell Mr. Guo that we will take action in an hour!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The square in front of the Yixian County Government was packed with people, with tens of thousands of hungry people kneeling on their knees. Since the morning, elders of hundreds of families came to beg the county government to release food for disaster relief, but the county government never responded, and no one  Pay attention to them.

    In the afternoon, more and more hungry people came after hearing the news, carrying empty rice bags and old clay pots, kneeling and begging the county government for food and porridge. The square was full of people, and the pleas became louder and louder.  wave.

    "Please ask the county master to release grain!"

    "We have no food and have been hungry for two days."

    At this time, several big men stood out from the crowd, and they shouted loudly: "We grew all this food, why don't you give it to us? We want our own food!"

    Someone took the lead in agitating, and the emotions of the hungry people were gradually aroused. They stopped begging and started shouting, "Give us back the food! Open the warehouses and release the food!"

    Someone in the crowd kept shouting: "That's our food, we ask the government to open warehouses to release it!"

    ¡°Put out the grain!¡± More than 10,000 people roared loudly, and the roar shook the sky. The granary was located on the east side of the county government office. Tens of thousands of hungry eyes stared at the tall spire of the granary next to the county government office.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the lobby of the county government office, several officials were exhausted and looked at the county magistrate helplessly. The county magistrate's surname was Zhou. He was a county magistrate in his fifties and a native of Yi County. He started as a petty official and rose to prominence in the officialdom.  After working hard for thirty years, he is very good at observing people's words and is also good at adapting to the situation. Last year, Cao Cao was stationed in Yi County, and he served as the chief secretary at that time.

    But he seized the opportunity to show shrewdness in front of Cao Cao and took good care of Guo Jia. After Guo Jia died of illness, he buried Guo Jia in a beautiful place with beautiful scenery. The tomb was also well built, which made Cao Cao grieved.  He was deeply comforted and promoted him to county magistrate.

    County Magistrate Zhou was already fifty-six years old, and his career path had been cut off. Therefore, he was focused on his own pension. This time, Yedu did not send supervisory officials down due to the locust plague, so he seized the opportunity.

    He colluded with the powerful people in Yixian County, embezzled 7,000 shi from the 8,000 shi of grain in the official warehouse, shipped it to other places and sold it at a high price, making huge profits. However, the people of Yixian County only used 1,000 shi to provide disaster relief, but left 8,000 shi in their accounts.  Shi, in this way made him rich overnight and solved his pension problem.

    But now he encountered a problem. The official warehouse was empty, but the hungry people refused to leave, which made him a little panicked. On the one hand, he urgently requested the county government to allocate food, and on the other hand, he asked the Cangcheng garrison for help.

    At this time, the newly appointed thief Cao Guosong rushed over and said loudly: "County Magistrate Zhou, the hungry people are making trouble outside. Go and comfort them!"

    "The granary is out of food, how do you want me to comfort it?"

    Magistrate Zhou paced back and forth anxiously with his hands behind his back. The magistrate persuaded him in a low voice, "Magistrate, there are still 50 million yuan in the warehouse. Why don't you put some money in to appease the victims? I'm worried that they will attack soon."  It¡¯s the county government.¡±

    "Are you crazy?"

    County Magistrate Zhou gritted his teeth and said, "That's the tax money from the imperial court. The account has been reported. If the tax money is released, how can we explain it to the Prime Minister?"

    The county captain couldn't help but persuade: "The imperial court doesn't know our current situation. Once the hungry people break out, not only will all the tax money be robbed, but none of us will survive. Rather than being killed by the hungry people, it is better to use less.  Three million or five million will do, just calm their emotions first and buy time to wait for the Cangcheng army to arrive."

    Magistrate Zhou was also very conflicted. The only thing he was counting on now was the army in Cangcheng, but he was also afraid that it would be too late. His wife, children, and parents were all in the back house. Once the hungry people rushed in, his family would not be able to save it.

    He finally made up his mind and whispered to several officials: "We are just releasing three million tax dollars to save our lives. Once the prime minister sends someone to ask questions, you have to prove it for me!"

    Several officials nodded together, "Don't worry, magistrate, everyone is trying to save their lives."

      Magistrate Zhou¡¯s thoughts suddenly changed, and he said to the county magistrate again: ¡°The account should be written with a relief allocation of 30 million.¡±

    The county magistrate immediately understood and said with a meaningful smile: "The county magistrate is smart. Anyway, there are countless hungry people, and there is nowhere to check if we provide relief."

    The county captain next to him suggested: "In this case, we can simply find some people to pretend to be robbers and set fire to the warehouse. Even if we come to check, we can deduce that it was the hungry people and the robbers who robbed it."

    Magistrate Zhou narrowed his eyes. He understood what the county magistrate and the county captain meant. There were tens of millions in the treasury. This was a good opportunity to make a fortune.

    "Then we will make an account of 30 million, and give 3 million to the hungry people. The rest of the money will be just us"

    Guo Song stood behind and cursed secretly, "These corrupt officials really should have no descendants!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 379 It¡¯s so difficult!

    Early the next morning, Zhou Yu and Lu Su appeared outside the large tent of the Jiangxia Army. As soon as they approached the tent, Liu Jing greeted them with a smile on their face, "We have a distinguished guest. Why is Governor Zhou free today?"

    I don¡¯t know why, but Zhou Yu¡¯s smile on Liu Jing¡¯s face looked sarcastic. Doesn¡¯t he know what happened yesterday?  Although he felt uncomfortable, Zhou Yu still managed to smile and said, "I came here to discuss military affairs with Zhou Mu."

    ¡°Captain please!¡±

    Liu Jing waved her hand, "Let's go into the tent and talk in detail."

    He smiled and nodded at Lu Su again, "Deputy Governor Lu, please come in too!"

    "Zhou Mu is too polite."

    The three people entered the big tent, and the guests and hosts took their seats. Liu Jing ordered his soldiers to serve hot tea, and then said to the two of them: "It has entered the early winter season, and the decisive battle is getting closer and closer. Jiangdong Army should be ready!"  "

    ¡°I¡¯m ready, but something unexpected happened recently.¡±

    "What accident?"

    Zhou Yu found it difficult to speak. He glanced at Lu Su, who could only smile bitterly and said: "Yesterday General Huang Gai went to test Cao Jun's strength, but unfortunately he was captured. Zhou Mu should know about it!"

    Liu Jing nodded, "I've heard about it too, but victory or defeat is a common matter for military officers, so the governor shouldn't take it to heart."

    "But General Huang"

    Zhou Yu finally couldn't help but speak. He sighed, "I am responsible for this matter. I underestimated the enemy. Now that General Huang has been captured, it is difficult for me to explain to Marquis Wu."

    "I can understand. After all, Huang Gongfu is one of the three elders in Jiangdong and has a great influence in Jiangdong. But we just need to wait until we defeat Cao Jun and rescue him."

    ¡°Maybe we can¡¯t wait until then.¡±

    Zhou Yu¡¯s face was full of embarrassment and he couldn¡¯t say any more. Lu Su said: ¡°Yesterday, Cao Cao sent an envoy and gave us three days to replace one person. Otherwise, General Huang will be used to sacrifice the flag!¡±

    "I wonder who Old Thief Cao wants to replace?" Liu Jing asked quietly.

    Zhou Yu and Lu Su looked at each other. Zhou Yu hesitated and said, "Cao Cao proposed to trade General Huang for Ma Yan."

    "What!"

    Liu Jing was taken aback and suddenly became furious. He stood up and said: "No! It's impossible!"

    Zhou Yu¡¯s face was so swollen that he couldn¡¯t say a word. Lu Su quickly said: ¡°We also know that it is difficult to talk about this matter, so we just ask Zhou Mu to help us with this.¡±

    "This is not a matter of helping. Ma Yan has surrendered to me. He is now my general and has entrusted his life and property to me. If I return him to Cao Cao, who will I become? Who in the world would dare to  Surrender to me? Governor Zhou, you should know better than anyone that this is impossible and there is no room for negotiation!"

    Liu Jing had a straight face and a cold look on his face. He looked out of the tent with his hands behind his hands and ignored the two of them. Zhou Yu gritted his teeth and said: "If Zhou Mu is willing to agree, Jiangdong Army is willing to obey Zhou Mu's command. In this battle, Jiangxia Army will  The main force is supplemented by Jiangdong Army.¡±

    Liu Jing sighed, "I can understand the difficulties of the Governor, but I can easily betray my subordinates for a little profit. Please invite me, Governor!"

    Zhou Yu bit her lip and said, "What does Zhou Mu want? Just ask."

    Liu Jing turned back and took a deep look at him, and finally shook her head, "It will hurt your temper to talk too much about this matter. If the governor thinks of other ways, it will be difficult for me to explain to my subordinates. Please do it!"

    Zhou Yu had no choice but to stand up, cupped his hands and said, "Then I'm disturbing Zhou Mu, so take my leave!"

    He quickly left the tent, and Lu Su hurriedly followed. Liu Jing walked out of the tent with her hands behind her hands, watching the two of them walk away, with a cold smile in her eyes.

    Returning to his tent, Zhou Yu was furious and kicked the table over, "What a Liu Jing, you don't give me face like this!"

    Lu Su also followed and quickly advised: "Captain, please calm down. This matter has not reached the level of despair. I feel that Liu Jing was resolute at first, but then he became more relaxed. Didn't the Commander notice?"

    Zhou Yu said with a livid face: "Of course I know that he thinks there is only a little benefit and refuses to camp, but how can I make concessions? I have already agreed to obey his orders, what else does he want?"

    Lu Su thought for a moment and said, "Why didn't the governor ask him what conditions he wanted?"

    "I don't want to ask him. If I give him a chance, he will open his mouth like a lion. I'm afraid I won't be able to do it if I don't agree."

    "Actually, the Governor should ask and understand his bottom line. If the Governor really can't agree, he can pass it on to Wu Hou."

    Zhou Yu sighed, "Let's talk about it later! I'll discuss the terms with Cao Cao."

    Zhou Yu immediately ordered his soldiers, "Go and fetch Mr. Jiang."

    After a while, Jiang Qian hurried into the tent, bowed and saluted, "??¡°See the Governor!¡±

    Zhou Yu took his hand and said, "Ziyi, for the sake of our classmates for many years, you must help me this time."

    Jiang Qianqian laughed twice and said, "No matter what Gong Jin says, as long as I can do it, I will try my best to help."

    "You go back and talk to Cao Cao again, and ask Cao Cao to change the conditions."

    Jiang Gan scratched his head, "Okay! I'll go back and tell the Prime Minister, try to be as realistic as possible, then I'll take my leave."

    Next to him, Lu Su smiled and said, "I'll give you a ride, sir."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A small boat has docked by the river. Lu Su accompanied Jiang Gan towards the boat. Jiang Gan stopped, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Thank you, Deputy Governor Lu, please stay! I will be back as soon as possible."

    Lu Su glanced at him, smiled faintly and said, "Although I can understand Mr. Jiang's worries about his father, I also hope that Mr. Jiang will consider Jiangdong's interests and not go too far."

    Jiang Gan was stunned, "I don't understand what Deputy Governor Lu said."

    "Why don't you understand? You know it better than anyone else."

    Lu Su sneered, waved his hand and said, "Please get on the boat! I look forward to your husband bringing back good news."

    Talking about me, Lu Su turned around and walked away. Jiang Gan looked at Lu Su¡¯s back, his head almost exploded, why is there another insider, but

    Jiang Gan suddenly realized that Lu Su did not tell Zhou Yu what he knew, and it seemed that he was also afraid. Jiang Gan's mind changed, and he suddenly understood that Lu Su must be worried about the collapse of the alliance, so he kept silent.

    Thinking of this, Jiang Qian felt a little relieved.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, Jiang Gan was not only the hope of Zhou Yu, but also the great hope of Cao Cao. In the big tent, Cao Cao listened to Jiang Gan's report with squinted eyes and asked with a smile: "You mean, for Ma Yan, Liu  Jing and Zhou Yu almost fell out? "

    "I don't know whether Liu Jing had a falling out, but I heard that several Jiangxia Army generals drew their swords against each other, and Zhou Yu left the Jiangxia Army camp in a very embarrassed state. I could see that he became angry and cursed Liu Jing for not being sincere at all."

    Cao Cao smiled proudly. Of course he knew what handing over Ma Yan meant to Liu Jing. It meant that the general would turn away from him and that no one would dare to surrender to him again. How could Liu Jing pay such a heavy price for Ma Yan?  Yan was given to Zhou Yu in exchange for Huang Gai.

    Cao Cao thought about it and asked: "What is Zhou Yu's attitude toward Huang Gai's arrest? Doesn't he deeply hate Liu Jing for betraying him behind his back?"

    "This Lu Su insisted that the prime minister was framing the situation and instigating an alliance between the two armies. He firmly believed that Liu Jing would not do such a thing. Taishi Ci, Zhou Tai and others also thought it was impossible."

    "What about Zhou Yu?"

    Cao Cao smiled and asked, "Does he also think it's impossible?"

    Jiang Gan was a little panicked. This was what Liu Jing taught him in the letter. He was worried that the prime minister would find out if there were any loopholes, but at this time he had to say it, so he had to bite the bullet and said: "Zhou Yu didn't say anything.  His face was gloomy, and Wei Chen couldn't tell what he was thinking. "

    Cao Cao laughed. With Zhou Yu's intelligence, he must know that he was not lying. Very good, it completely achieved his expected effect. Cao Cao just hoped that Jiangdong Army and Jiang Xia Army would turn against each other because of Ma Yan and Huang Gai. Then  His alienation plan was successful.

    Since the effect was so good, how could he give in again? Cao Cao immediately said coldly: "Go back and tell Zhou Yu that I can give in without Ma Yan alive. Just give me Ma Yan's head, and I will let Huang Gai go."  , Otherwise, at three o'clock tomorrow, I will use the yellow cover to sacrifice the flag!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Jiang Gan had no choice but to take a boat back to the Jiangdong Army camp. The soldiers took him to the tent. At this time, Zhou Yu was convening the generals in the tent to discuss military affairs. When he heard that Jiang Gan was back, he immediately ordered: "  Ask him to wait in the side tent!"

    Zhou Yu had no intention of continuing the meeting. He immediately came to the side tent and asked after entering the tent: "Ziyi, what's the news?"

    "I'm afraid I don't have good news to tell the governor. The prime minister still wants to use Ma Yan in exchange for the yellow cover. However, Ma Yan's head can also be used. It must be done before three quarters to noon tomorrow. If it is too late, it will be too late."

    Zhou Yu couldn¡¯t say a word, so what¡¯s the difference between using a horse to extend a person¡¯s head and himself?  After a while, he ordered the people around him: "Go and invite Deputy Governor Lu!"

    Not long after, Lu Su hurried over, "Captain, what's the news?" Lu Su asked anxiously.

    Zhou Yu shook his head, "Cao Cao refuses to give in!"

    Lu Su looked at Jiang Gan warily again, and Jiang Gan smiled bitterly and said, "Report to Deputy Governor Lu, I have indeed tried my best, don't blame me again."

    "Zijing, others speak lightly, this matter has nothing to do with him, don'tBlame him.  "

    Lu Su lowered his head. He knew there must be something fishy about this matter, but what was the problem?  He couldn't see clearly, 'Could it really have nothing to do with Liu Jing this time?  ¡¯ Lu Su thought secretly.

    Zhou Yu asked Jiang Gan to step aside, and then asked Lu Su, "Zijing, what do you think we should do about this matter?"

    "I still say the same thing. The governor might as well ask Liu Jing about his conditions. I feel that his tone has become a little looser later. Let the governor give it a try!"

    Zhou Yu had no choice but to sigh. He really didn't want to beg Liu Jing. For Huang Gai, he really paid a heavy price this time.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing was like an old fisherman, very patient and well-organized. He knew that Zhou Yu would come to him sooner or later. When the soldiers reported outside the tent, "Captain Zhou asked to see him," Liu Jing acted like a fox.  laughed.

    "Please invite Governor Zhou to come in!"

    Zhou Yu quickly walked into the tent with a very embarrassed expression. Although he was arrogant by nature, he had to lower his noble head in order to save his life. "Zhou Yu came to disturb Zhou Mu again."

    Liu Jing quickly smiled and said: "What are you talking about, Governor? Our two families are in alliance, so we should have more contacts. Please sit down!"

    He smiled at Lu Su again and said, "Mr. Lu, please sit down too!"

    The three of them sat down again. Zhou Yu sighed and said: "Although it is difficult to speak, I still ask Zhou Mu. General Huang is extremely important to Jiangdong. He has three strengths and two weaknesses. I can't explain it to Wu Hou. Please help Zhou Mu.  As for the conditions, please feel free to put them forward.¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 380 Reaching a Compromise

    Liu Jing walked a few steps inside the big tent with her hands behind her back, looked back at Zhou Yu and said: "After you left in the morning, I calmed down. We are allies after all. I should think about it for you. Frankly speaking, Ma Yan  Giving it to you means taking his life. This will have a great impact on my reputation and will even chill the Jiangxia army. It is very likely that no one will come to seek refuge with me in the future. Does the Commander know the consequences of this? "

    Zhou Yu nodded silently, "I know!"

    "Since the Governor knows, the conditions I propose may be a bit high, and I ask the Governor to understand."

    At this time, Zhou Yu had no choice but to nod his head and said, "Please ask the state pastor to  Just say it!¡±

    Of course, if Liu Jing's conditions were too excessive, such as ceding Qichun County or Jiujiang County, then he could only watch Huang Gai being killed, and then he would go to Wuhou to plead guilty.

    In fact, Zhou Yu also knew in his heart that Liu Jing would definitely not put forward conditions that he could not accept. Not only would he destroy the agreement between the two parties and get nothing in the end, but he would also become enemies with Jiang Dong. The conditions Liu Jing put forward must be within the range that he could accept.  .

    It was precisely because of this understanding that Zhou Yu came to Liu Jing again and begged him to give in.

    "I have two conditions!"

    Liu Jing spoke very slowly, trying to let Zhou Yu hear his words clearly, "The first condition is what the governor himself said in the morning, with Jiangxia as the main force, the Jiangdong Army must obey my deployment. Without my order, the Jiangdong Army must not send troops without authorization!  "

    "Yes! I promise Zhou Mu."

    Zhou Yu agreed without hesitation. This was within the scope of his authority. In fact, he also understood that this condition did not mean much. It was just a matter of face. It was just that yesterday he sent troops without authorization and angered Liu Jing. He needed to return this face.  For the sake of Huang Gai's life, Zhou Yu had to temporarily give up his dignity.

    "Please ask the state pastor to come up with the second condition."

    "The second condition is that after defeating Cao Cao, all prisoners of war and trophies must be disposed of by the Jiangxia army."

    This condition is a naked benefit. Cao Cao sent nearly 300,000 troops, which was almost the strength of the entire country. All kinds of food, weapons, and materials were overwhelming. The so-called Jiangxia army would handle it was just a euphemism. In fact,  Returning to the Jiangxia Army means that after the war, the Jiangdong Army will go home with nothing.

    Although Wu Hou sent troops for the safety of Jiangdong, which is a long-term benefit, as an ordinary soldier, no one can accept if nothing is gained after the battle. This makes Zhou Yu a little embarrassed. Although rescuing Huang Gai can explain to Wu Hou,  But how could he explain it to the soldiers?

    In fact, Liu Jing is not so stingy that he doesn't give anything to Jiangdong. He just wants to concentrate all the spoils and prisoners of war in his own hands first, and let him distribute them. What can and cannot be given to Jiangdong, such as ships?  He can give some to Jiangdong, but he can never give kerosene and food.

    Seeing that Zhou Yu was in a bit of a dilemma, he smiled and said, "Let's do this! I'll give in and give you a share, but all the prisoners of war belong to the Jiangxia Army, and I will distribute the spoils. Is there any problem with this?"

    In fact, it is still the same thing, but Zhou Yu can only accept it. At least it is not nothing. He nodded, "If this is the case, I can agree."

    Liu Jing took an agreement from the table, handed it to Zhou Yu and said, "In this case, we will make a written agreement, and please ask Zijing to be the mediator."

    Zhou Yu and Lu Su looked at each other, and then they realized that Liu Jing was already ready.

    But there was nothing to say. Zhou Yu took out a pen and signed his name on the two contracts and stamped his seal. Lu Su also took the pen and signed the certificate in the middle.

    Zhou Yu was relieved in his heart. Although it was a bit humiliating, Huang Gai was able to save him. He handed the contract to Liu Jing, "Zhou Mu, when will you give him to me?"

    Liu Jing looked at the contract and then smiled slightly and said: "Didn't Gong Jin think that this was Cao Cao trying to drive a wedge between our two families? He thought that I would not give Ma Yan to you, and then Huang Gai was killed.  Our two families have turned against each other, has Gong Jin considered this? "

    With Zhou Yu's intelligence, of course he had thought of this, but in order to save Huang Gai, he could not care about such a deep issue for the time being. When Liu Jing mentioned this, he nodded, "I know in my heart that Cao Cao does not  What a rare thing Ma Yan is, but if our two families fall out over this, he will be happy to see it happen. "

    Liu Jing lowered her voice, "Then why don't we use the trick to make Cao Cao think that we have really fallen out with each other? What does the governor think?"

    Next to him, Lu Su couldn't help but exclaimed, "What a great plan, Zhou Mu is really good!"

    Zhou Yu pondered for a moment and said: "Since I haveIf I should obey the orders of the State Mu in everything, then I will fully comply with the arrangements of the State Mu. As long as General Huang can be brought back, Zhou Yu will obey the orders of the State Mu.  "

    "good!"

    Liu Jing nodded and said slowly: "Please listen to my arrangements, Commander-in-Chief!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhou Yu and Lu Su left in a hurry. Liu Jing looked at the sky and saw that it was almost dusk. He ordered his soldiers: "Go and invite General Ma Yan!"

    Not long after, Ma Yan hurriedly walked into the tent, bowed and saluted: "See you, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing smiled and asked: "How is it? Has General Ma adapted to the Jiangxia Army?"

    Even if Liu Jing didn't find Ma Yan, Ma Yan still wanted to find Liu Jing. He never expected that Liu Jing would actually regard him as Wei Yan's general, which made him extremely dissatisfied.

    He was also an important general under Yuan Shao. He was worshiped as a captain and was named General Shengwei. He surrendered to Cao Cao. Although he was demoted one level and was appointed as Xiahou Yuan's general, the qualifications of all the generals in Cao Cao's army are very old.  , he had nothing to say, and Cao Cao also made him a Marquis of Guannei, at least he still had a title.

    But when he arrived in Jiangxia, he didn't dare to compete with veterans like Huang Zhong for status. At least he could keep pace with the newcomers such as Gan Ning and Wei Yan. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing actually asked him to be Wei Yan's general. Ma Yan just knew  , Wei Yan's other generals are all just tooth generals, is it possible that he should be made a tooth general?

    In front of Liu Jing, Ma Yan did not dare to be presumptuous. He held back the resentment in his heart and said, "I would like to ask the state pastor what kind of humble position are you planning to appoint?"

    "Haha! I originally wanted to appoint you as General Ya, but I feel that I have wronged the general and it is unfair, so I am going to appoint you as Sima of another department to guard Changsha."

    Ma Yan was overjoyed. Although he was too small for other commanders, guarding Changsha, how much oil, water and women there would be, immediately made his heart elated. He quickly clasped his fists and said: "Thank you to Zhou Mu for trusting me. I will never let down Zhou Mu in my humble position."  expect."

    Liu Jing nodded, "General Huo Jun is now in Yangxin County. You first go to Yangxin County to handle the handover, and then rush to Changsha. Time is tight. You go back and pack up and set off immediately."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Ma Yan clasped his fists in salute and hurried away. Liu Jing looked at him walking away happily and couldn't help but shook his head, as if he was on the edge of a cliff with no way to go. Then someone in this world is destined to fill the ravine into a bridge. It happened that Ma Yan  That's the kind of person.

    At this time, Liu Jing ordered his soldiers again, "Go and find Wei Yan and Liu Hu!"

    Soon, Wei Yan and Liu Hu hurried over, and they saluted together, "See Zhou Mu!"

    ¡°No need to be too polite!¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hands: "I asked you to come because there is something that you two need to do."

    "Just follow the state pastor's orders!"

    Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "That's it. General Jiangdong Army killed my general Ma Yan. You can't swallow this breath, and of course I can't swallow it. You two need to lead more than a hundred soldiers to attack Jiangdong Camp and find them.  If you want a murderer, you might as well be cruel, burn their tents, and injure dozens of them, do you understand?"

    Wei Yan and Liu Hu were confused and looked at each other. Wei Yan couldn't help but said: "But my subordinate met Ma Yan just now. He said that Zhou Mu has been granted the title of Sima of another department and is stationed in Changsha. He is not dead."  ah!"

    "I know, he will die soon."

    Seeing that they still didn't understand, Liu Jing smiled faintly and said, "Okay! I'll tell you the cause and effect, but this matter is of great importance and must not be leaked to anyone."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Ma Yan was so anxious that he wished he could fly to Changsha. After a little tidying up, he left Chibi Camp with a few of his subordinates and one of Liu Jing's soldiers, and rode towards Yangxin County.

    Exiting from the South Camp Gate of Chibi is a flat official road that leads to Wuchang and Yangxin County. According to the normal riding speed, we will arrive in Yangxin County probably tomorrow afternoon. After handing over power to Huo Jun, we will ride for another three days.  Then you can arrive in Changsha County.

    Although there are still four or five days before he takes charge of the troops in Changsha County, Ma Yan is already eager to dream of getting rich and beautiful.

    He seemed to see countless wealthy local gentry kneeling and offering plates of gold to him, and he seemed to see seven or eight delicate beauties wrapped in gauze, cuddling around him charmingly, drinking with him, letting him play with them, and thinking.  As he spoke, Ma Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

    It was already dark at this time, but the moonlight was clear and shining all over the ground. The official road could be seen clearly. They had run for more than ten miles, and there were dense woods on both sides. The official road was extremely quiet and there was no pedestrian.

    At this time, they came to a fork, going to Wuchang County on the left and Yangxin County on the right. At this time, Liu Jing's soldiers shouted, "?I hurt alone!  "

    He shouted to Ma Yan: "General Ma, wait for me a moment, I'll go to the woods to have diarrhea!"

    ¡°There¡¯s so much shit going on, go away!¡±

    Although Ma Yan was anxious, he still didn't dare to offend the soldier too much. The soldier had Liu Jing's gold medal and amulet on him, and he had to announce Liu Jing's defense change order to Huo Jun.

    Ma Yan had no choice but to order a few of his men to wait for a while. The soldiers covered their stomachs and ran into the woods. Ma Yan also got off his horse and peed on the roadside.

    At this moment, Ma Yan suddenly heard the sound of a bowstring. He was stunned, but saw an arrow shot in front of his eyes. He had no time to dodge, and the arrow hit his chest. Ma Yan yelled and turned over.  He fell to the ground, and at this moment hundreds of people rushed out from the woods. They were all soldiers of the Jiangdong Army. The leading general, with his white horse and silver spear, was none other than Tai Shici.

    Several of Ma Yan's men fled in fear. Ma Yan was not dead yet. He recognized Tai Shi Ci and shouted: "Tai Shi Ci, I have no enmity with you, why do you want to kill me?"

    "Because you have to die!"

    Taishi Ci pierced Ma Yan's chest with a gun, stabbing him to death on the spot. He drew his sword and chopped off Ma Yan's head, and waved his hand, "Let's go!"

    He turned his horse's head and galloped eastward, and all the Jiangdong soldiers followed him and gradually ran away.

    I don't know how long it took, Liu Jing's soldiers came out of the woods tremblingly, and several of Ma Yan's men also gathered around. They only saw Ma Yan's headless body, and everyone was at a loss. Someone said: "I heard the general shouting, it seems to be Tai Shi."  Kindness!¡±

    "I saw it too, it was him!"

    Liu Jing's soldier's voice trembled with nervousness: "Hurry back and report to Zhou Mu that the Jiangdong Army will kill our general."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 381 The Split of the Two Rivers

    At the Jiangdong Army Water Village, Jiang Gan carried a wooden box and boarded the boat. Zhou Yu kept sending Jiang Gan to the boat before he handed over his hand and said, "Please Ziyi tell Prime Minister Cao that I have fulfilled my promise and I hope he will keep his word."  Keep your word.¡±

    "Don't worry, Gong Jin! As the Prime Minister, I won't break my word."

    With a push of the long pole, the boat slid and headed towards the gate of the water village. Jiang Gan's figure gradually disappeared into the darkness. Zhou Yu couldn't help but sigh lowly. It was a matter of time to decide whether he could change the yellow cover back.  .

    "Captain, Cao Cao is known for his cunning, will he keep his word and let him go?" Tai Shici asked worriedly.

    Lu Su chuckled, "General Huang is very important to us, but he is not important to Cao Cao. Letting General Huang back will disrupt the situation even more. I think Cao Cao will definitely let him go."

    "Zijing is right!"

    Zhou Yu then told Taishi Ci: "Everyone should work harder tonight and make the matter bigger, so that Cao Cao will be more able to let people go."

    "Don't worry, Commander, I will take care of it!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Jiangxia Army and Jiangdong Army are actually in a large camp. There is only a simple camp fence separating the two armies. The two armies usually do not interact with each other. Only some soldiers occasionally trade some things through the fence.

    At one watch, there was a sudden commotion on the Jiangxia Army side of the Yingzha. An army of hundreds of people, holding torches, led by generals Wei Yan and Liu Hu, came toward the Yingzha in an aggressive manner.

    "Overturn the camp fence for me!" Liu Hu ordered loudly.

    Although the soldiers all felt that something was wrong, they still faithfully carried out his order and used all their strength to overthrow the camp fence. At this time, Jiangdong Army's patrol sentry came after hearing the news and stopped the Jiangxia soldiers who were about to rush to Jiangdong Army Camp.

    "Don't mess around!"

    The patrol commander shouted to the soldiers of the Jiangxia Army, while more than a hundred patrol guards formed a human wall. Seeing that the situation was not good, he secretly sent someone to report to the governor.

    At this time, Liu Hu gave an order: "Hit me!"

    Hundreds of Jiangxia soldiers swarmed up and struggled with more than a hundred patrol posts. In the chaos, someone threw a torch onto a large tent, which immediately ignited the tent. The flames shot into the sky, making the scene even more chaotic.

    At this time, the Jiangdong patrol began to use the knife. Many Jiangxia soldiers were slashed and screams came one after another. Liu Hu was so angry that he rushed into the crowd with an iron bar and beat the patrol soldiers head and face.

    Several more large tents were set on fire. Countless Jiangdong soldiers and Jiangxia soldiers heard the news and rushed in. Seeing the fierce and bloody fight between the two sides, people continued to join the battle group, making the situation continue to expand. The fire spread quickly with the wind, and more than a dozen large tents were  The tent was set on fire, and the fire spread into a blaze. Thousands of soldiers shouted and put out the fire.

    At this moment, Jiangdong general Lu Meng rushed towards him and shouted: "Stop it all!"

    Seeing that the commotion was almost over, Wei Yan also shouted: "Stop!"

    Under the stern scoldings of the generals on both sides, the fierce battle finally ended. Hundreds of injured soldiers were lying on the ground, lying in pain. A dozen soldiers were seriously injured and were in fear of their lives.

    Seeing that Jiangdong soldiers were seriously injured, Lu Meng couldn't help but became furious. He pointed his riding whip at Wei Yan and shouted: "Wei, you have to give me an explanation!"

    Wei Yan snorted coldly, stepped forward and said loudly: "Of course I have to give you an explanation. Taishi Ci killed Jiangxia General Ma Yan. He committed a heinous crime. Hand over the murderer to me!"

    Lu Meng didn't know about this. When he heard that General Jiang Xia had been killed, he was shocked, but he still did not show weakness and said: "General Wei, this is not a trivial matter. Regardless of whether it is true or false, you should report it to Zhou Mu, and both parties sit down.  Let¡¯s discuss solutions instead of adding fuel to the fire and making the matter even bigger.¡±

    Liu Hu suddenly shouted loudly, "Old Wei, what nonsense are you talking to him? If they don't hand over Tai Shici today, we will rush into the camp and burn their camp."

    As soon as Liu Hu finished speaking, someone sneered, "Jiang Xiajun is very powerful! If you have the guts, just show off."

    I saw a large group of soldiers coming up, surrounded by Jiangdong Navy Commander Zhou Yu. At this time, the fire had been put out, nearly thirty tents were burned, and more than seventy people were killed or injured. Zhou Yu saw the mess on the ground and couldn't help but glare at Jiang Xia's army, "  You are going too far!"

    Wei Yan said in a deep voice: "Governor Zhou, you killed someone first. Taishi Ci killed my general Ma Yan. You must give an explanation to the Jiangxia Army. Otherwise, I'm afraid it will be difficult for our two armies to continue to cooperate."

    "Who are you? How dare you say such things." Zhou Yu sneered.

    "General Wei's words are my words!" Liu Jing's voice came from the distance, and Liu Jing was seen walking quickly surrounded by hundreds of soldiers.

    Liu Jing stepped forward and said coldly: "Zhou Du??, you and I know very well what happened?  I advise you to consider the overall situation and hand over Taishi Ci, otherwise Jiangdong Army will bear all the consequences!  "

    Zhou Yu and Liu Jing's eyes met, and they had a tacit understanding in their hearts. The time was ripe for acting. Zhou Yu's face changed greatly, "Liu Zhoumu, what do you mean?"

    "Captain Zhou, do you really want me to tell you the truth?"

    Liu Jing¡¯s voice became stern and she stared at Zhou Yu with piercing eyes, ¡°Do you want me to tell you that you killed my general in exchange for Huang Gai?¡±

    There was an uproar all around, and Jiangxia soldiers became angry, "Hand over the murderer!" Countless soldiers shouted angrily.

    "Did you hear that?"

    Liu Jing continued to press Zhou Yu, "This is the cry of my soldiers, the voice of Jiang Xia's army. I will give you one day, and you must hand over Tai Shici, otherwise don't blame me for being ruthless."

    Zhou Yu snorted loudly, turned around and left. The Jiangdong soldiers retreated one after another, fearing that Liu Jing would attack and kill people. At this time, Liu Jing shouted to the surrounding Jiangxia soldiers: "I will continue to force the Jiangdong Army to hand over the murderer, but no more attacks are allowed."  Jiangdong Military Camp, anyone who disobeys orders will be killed!¡±

    Liu Jing also turned around and returned to the tent. Wei Yan waved his hand and shouted to the soldiers: "The state shepherd has an order. We must not disobey it and put up the camp fence again."

    It was a destined sleepless night. The military camps of both sides were in a sensation. The news spread throughout the Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army. During the dissemination process, things were inevitably exaggerated, saying that there was a bloody conflict between the two armies, thousands of people participated in the battle, and hundreds of people died.  people

    In Cao Jun's water stronghold on the other side of the Yangtze River, Cao Cao stood on the big ship with his hands behind his hands. Looking at the other shore more than ten miles away, he faintly saw a light of fire, and a proud smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. If he guessed correctly, it should be Jiangdong Jun and  There was a bloody conflict between Jiangxia's army.

    Jiang Qian had already reported to him that Liu Jing wanted to secretly transfer Ma Yan to Wuchang, but Zhou Yu guessed it in advance and sent Taishi Ci to intercept him halfway and kill Ma Yan. How could Liu Jing give up? Otherwise, he would have difficulty telling the story.  His subordinates told him that it was inevitable to attack Jiangdong Army. Even if the situation did not escalate, they would still ask Jiangdong Army to hand over the murderer.

    Cao Cao could imagine the attitudes of both parties. He sneered, turned around and ordered: "Let Cai He come to see me!"

    Since Cai He captured Huang Gai, he has been highly regarded by Cao Cao. He has been promoted to the rank of captain of the navy and the title of marquis in the pass. His real power exceeds that of the nominal navy general Zhang Yun.

    Cai He hurried over, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See you, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao smiled and said gently: "I really want to know the situation of Jiangdong Army. He will capture a few patrol posts of Jiangdong Army for me and return tomorrow morning."

    "I humble my duty and obey my orders!"

    Cai He left in a hurry, and Cao Cao turned around and told Yu Jin, "Let Huang Gai go, let him go now."

    Next to him, Cheng Yu hurriedly said: "Does the Prime Minister really want to put the yellow cover on?"

    "Huang Gai is not Sun Quan, what use is he to me? Besides, since I have already promised him, there is no need to regret it. Letting Huang Gai go will only deepen their conflict, so why not do it?"

    "Congratulations, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao smiled slightly and said, "Zhongde, if you have anything to say, just say it. There is no need for such insincere praise."

    Cheng Yu secretly smiled bitterly in his heart. The Prime Minister really knew him. He pondered for a moment and said, "We are just a little worried about Liu Jing. This man is both wise and brave. He is actually our strong enemy. Prime Minister, you'd better be careful."

    "Haha! I admit that this son has great qualities, but there are some things that he can't help himself. Even if he wants to take care of the overall situation, he must give an explanation to the soldiers. Moreover, Zhou Yu killed his generals, which also made him lose face.  However, since the last time he used me to teach Jiangdong Army a lesson, I know this person's weakness. His desire to dominate is too strong and he wants to control Jiangdong Army. This will definitely become the root of the split between the two armies. "

    After saying that, Cao Cao walked briskly towards the camp. It was already three o'clock in the morning. He hadn't had a good rest in the past few days, so he could finally have a good sleep.

    The next morning, another explosive news quickly spread in the Jiangdong Army camp. Jiangxia Army patrol posts detained fifty Jiangdong Army grain transport ships coming from Zhucheng, and the ships sailed into the Jiangxia Army water stronghold.

    Not long after, Lu Su, the deputy governor who went to negotiate, came back and reported, "Jiangxia Army requested to hand over Tai Shici in exchange for grain ships."

    For this reason, Zhou Yu urgently summoned the generals in the Chinese army's tent to discuss countermeasures. At this time, Huang Gai had been replaced. He sat silently under the commander's seat without saying a word. His presence in the tent was a sign.  , announced to everyone that he had returned, and Jiang Dongjun was no longer bound.

    In fact, this is a hint from Zhou Yu to everyone that Jiangdong Army will never give in to Huang Gai's matter.

    "What do you think we should do?"

      Zhou Yu looked around at everyone calmly, "Jiangdong Army is forcing us to surrender, and even threatens to cut off military rations. I would like to ask everyone to make a decision for me. What should we do?"

    Zhou Yu is the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, and all major decisions of the Jiangdong Army are made by him. Now that he is asking everyone to help him make the decision, he must be embarrassed by this decision. What will happen?

    There was only one decision that would embarrass him, and that was to withdraw his troops. He couldn't explain it to Marquis Wu, but if everyone asked for it together, that would be another matter.

    All the generals knew this, and Lu Meng was the first to stand up and salute: "Captain, Confucius said, people with different principles cannot work together. Since we cannot come together with the Jiangxia army, then we will act on our own. I suggest that we retreat and return."  Zhucheng."

    "Why retreat to Zhucheng!"

    Zhou Tai was very dissatisfied and said: "Wouldn't it be better for us to withdraw to Jiangdong? Let his Jiangxia army go with force. Isn't Liu Jing very powerful? Then let them deal with Cao Jun by themselves. What does it have to do with us!"

    Everyone in the big tent was whispering, and most of them agreed with Zhou Tai's idea. At this time, Huang Gai, who had been silent all the time, said: "Everyone, let's listen to the governor's opinion!"

    The tent became quiet again, and Zhou Yu slowly said: "We want dignity, so we must leave, but we must also give an explanation to Marquis Wu. Although we are dissatisfied with the arrogance of the Jiangxia army and are unwilling to cooperate with them, if we withdraw rashly  Returning to Jiangdong will make Wu Hou bear the name of dishonesty, so I agree with General Lu Meng¡¯s suggestion to withdraw our troops to Zhu City, so that the Jiangxia army will not be able to catch us. "

    All the generals bowed and saluted, "I am willing to listen to the governor's arrangements!"

    "Very good, let's go back and pack our belongings. In two hours, we will set off to leave Chibi!"

    In the end, the Jiangxia Army failed to retain the Jiangdong Army. In the afternoon, hundreds of warships from the Jiangdong Army sailed out of the water village, sailed down the river, and sailed toward Zhu City in a mighty manner.

    On a large ship, Liu Jing stood on the bow and silently watched Jiang Dongjun sail away. If there was any loophole in his chain plan, or if there was anything else that was difficult for him to grasp, it was Jiang Dongjun.

    Although Jiangdong¡¯s army was retreating in order to advance, if Zhou Yu had the courage to sit back and watch the two strong men fight, and finally come to collect the profits, then Liu Jing would have no choice at all. The question is, does Zhou Yu have such courage?

    At this time, Liu Jing deeply felt the danger of taking chestnuts from the fire.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 382 Comeback

    Yixian County of Hejian County is the northernmost county of Hejian County, close to Fanyang County of Youzhou. During Cao Cao's attack on Wuhuan last year, Yixian County was the rear area of ??Cao Cao's army and accumulated a large amount of weapons and food.  .

    Although Cao Jun prepared for the war in Jingzhou and transported most of the grain, grass, ordnance and other materials to Nanyang County, there are still a large number of grain, grass, ordnance and armor stored in hundreds of warehouses in Yixian County. It is precisely because of this that Yixian County is very important.  , among the counties in Hebei where troops are generally stationed, only Yi County has 3,000 troops stationed.

    At this time, Yixian County has entered a troubled period. In the past two months, Yixian County, together with nearby Gaoyang County and Moxian County, has suffered a severe locust plague.

    The overwhelming locust plague swept across everything. Wherever they passed, the crops that were about to mature were eaten away. The crops such as beans and corn grown in Yixian County almost failed to be harvested. The people of Yixian County fell into extreme panic.

    As time went by, the famine became more serious, the food reserves were gradually used up, and most families began to run out of food.

    At this time, the approval from Yedu finally came, allowing Hejian County to open warehouses for disaster relief, and the Yixian county government also began to smash porridge in the county. When the news came out, the people of Yixian gathered like ants and poured into the county from all directions.  go.

    In the small county town of Yixian, more than 30,000 people from all over the country gathered, and 30,000 people were crying for food. However, a few county officials colluded with the powerful to resell the grain from the official warehouses to make huge profits, which could flow into the hands of the people.  The amount of relief food provided was less than 30%.

    Hunger gradually intensified various contradictions, which manifested itself in a very chaotic order in the county, with robbery, murder, and forced prostitution. Bandits were rampant outside the city, merchants disappeared, and tens of thousands of people in the city were struggling with hunger. The final resistance was about to break out.

    At noon that day, three government officials quickly came to a narrow alley in the south of the city. The reason why there were three government officials was because no one dared to go out alone on the street.

    Whenever they walk on the street, there will be countless pairs of hungry and hateful eyes staring at them. Five government officials have been killed, and people in the county government are panicking.

    Three government officials walked into the alley, and at the end was a small courtyard. The dark door was closed tightly. One of the tall government officials stepped forward and tapped the door knocker three times rhythmically. After a moment, the door opened a crack.  , three government officials ducked into the courtyard.

    ¡°Sir, are you here?¡± asked the leading Yamen servant.

    "I'm waiting for you in the inner hall."

    The three yamen servants walked quickly to the inner hall. The gentleman mentioned by the yamen servants was Xun Chen, the leader of Xingyuan Bajunzhong. The locust plague in the northern part of Hejian County made Xun Chen see an opportunity. He discussed with everyone and decided to start an uprising.  Place it in Yixian County.

    On the one hand, Yixian County was the hardest hit. On the other hand, Yixian County had extremely important supplies such as food and ammunition. Once successfully captured, it would have an extremely important role in promoting their uprising.

    In the room, Xun Chen and Li Fu were discussing the next step. Capturing Yixian was only the first step. The key was that if they wanted to gain a foothold in Hebei, they must defeat Cao Jun's strangulation of them in the future.

    Xun Chen trusted Li Fu extremely. Not only was Li Fu resourceful and knowledgeable, but more importantly, he was Liu Jing's representative. If they wanted to succeed, they must get Liu Jing's full support, so Xun Chen must put himself  Tell Li Fu your idea and get his support.

    ¡°The reason why I advocate the capture of Yixian County as the first step is not just for the grain and grass supplies in Yixian County, but more importantly, I plan to seize Youzhou as our foundation for rejuvenation.¡±

    Li Fu did not immediately respond to Xun Chen's words. He looked at Jicheng. Youzhou was indeed a good place for separatist rule. It had Yanshan Mountain at its back and Hebei Province to the south.

    Even if the army is defeated, they can retreat to Liaodong. With the good relationship between the Yuan family and Wuhuan, it is easy to gain a foothold in Liaodong. It can be said that you can advance and attack, and retreat and defend.

    Li Fu thought for a long time and asked: "There are 10,000 Cao troops stationed in Youzhou. Does Mr. Xun have any plan to deal with it?"

    Xun Chen smiled slightly, "Have you forgotten? The general who holds the military power in Youzhou is Yan Rou. Although he was reused by Cao Cao and served as the captain of Wuhuan, the lord was also very kind to him back then. I hope I can convince him.  Does he support the new lord?"

    "Is it possible?" Li Fu asked doubtfully.

    "It should be possible. In fact, he knew that we were provoking the Yuan Hui and knew where the young master lived? But he kept silent. I once visited him, hoping that he could support our uprising."

    "How is the result?"

    Xun Chen couldn't hide his excitement and said: "He didn't express his position, but he said that we are alone and cannot succeed. But if it is now, with Jiangxia supporting us, and Cao Cao suffering a heavy setback in the south, I am afraid we will not succeed."  Same."

    Li Fu nodded. If this is the case, and more than 10,000 regular troops can surrender, then there is a greater chance of success.

    At this time, the entourage came up with three government servants,?Sir, they are coming!  "

    The three yamen servants were all subordinates of Guo Song. Guo Song had a wide network of contacts. He spent money to buy a thief in Yixian County and was in charge of some of the yamen servants. He conveniently used his authority to appoint more than a dozen capable subordinates.  Yamen.

    Three government officials stepped forward and saluted: "See Mr. Xun!"

    Xun Chen immediately asked: "How is the situation at the county government?"

    "Replying to Sir, tens of thousands of hungry people have gathered outside the county government office, pleading for food relief. They are very excited, but the granary is empty, and all official grain has been resold by the county magistrate. Now the county government is very anxious, and the county magistrate is preparing to garrison troops at the warehouse.  Please help."

    Xun Chen and Li Fu looked at each other. The time was ripe. Xun Chen immediately ordered the three government officials: "Go back quickly and tell Mr. Guo that we will take action in an hour!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The square in front of the Yixian County Government was packed with people, with tens of thousands of hungry people kneeling on their knees. Since the morning, elders of hundreds of families came to beg the county government to release food for disaster relief, but the county government never responded, and no one  Pay attention to them.

    In the afternoon, more and more hungry people came after hearing the news, carrying empty rice bags and old clay pots, kneeling and begging the county government for food and porridge. The square was full of people, and the pleas became louder and louder.  wave.

    "Please ask the county master to release grain!"

    "We have no food and have been hungry for two days."

    At this time, several big men stood out from the crowd, and they shouted loudly: "We grew all this food, why don't you give it to us? We want our own food!"

    Someone took the lead in agitating, and the emotions of the hungry people were gradually aroused. They stopped begging and started shouting, "Give us back the food! Open the warehouses and release the food!"

    Someone in the crowd kept shouting: "That's our food, we ask the government to open warehouses to release it!"

    ¡°Put out the grain!¡± More than 10,000 people roared loudly, and the roar shook the sky. The granary was located on the east side of the county government office. Tens of thousands of hungry eyes stared at the tall spire of the granary next to the county government office.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the lobby of the county government office, several officials were exhausted and looked at the county magistrate helplessly. The county magistrate's surname was Zhou. He was a county magistrate in his fifties and a native of Yi County. He started as a petty official and rose to prominence in the officialdom.  After working hard for thirty years, he is very good at observing people's words and is also good at adapting to the situation. Last year, Cao Cao was stationed in Yi County, and he served as the chief secretary at that time.

    But he seized the opportunity to show shrewdness in front of Cao Cao and took good care of Guo Jia. After Guo Jia died of illness, he buried Guo Jia in a beautiful place with beautiful scenery. The tomb was also well built, which made Cao Cao grieved.  He was deeply comforted and promoted him to county magistrate.

    County Magistrate Zhou was already fifty-six years old, and his career path had been cut off. Therefore, he was focused on his own pension. This time, Yedu did not send supervisory officials down due to the locust plague, so he seized the opportunity.

    He colluded with the powerful people in Yixian County, embezzled 7,000 shi from the 8,000 shi of grain in the official warehouse, shipped it to other places and sold it at a high price, making huge profits. However, the people of Yixian County only used 1,000 shi to provide disaster relief, but left 8,000 shi in their accounts.  Shi, in this way made him rich overnight and solved his pension problem.

    But now he encountered a problem. The official warehouse was empty, but the hungry people refused to leave, which made him a little panicked. On the one hand, he urgently requested the county government to allocate food, and on the other hand, he asked the Cangcheng garrison for help.

    At this time, the newly appointed thief Cao Guosong rushed over and said loudly: "County Magistrate Zhou, the hungry people are making trouble outside. Go and comfort them!"

    "The granary is out of food, how do you want me to comfort it?"

    Magistrate Zhou paced back and forth anxiously with his hands behind his back. The magistrate persuaded him in a low voice, "Magistrate, there are still 50 million yuan in the warehouse. Why don't you put some money in to appease the victims? I'm worried that they will attack soon."  It¡¯s the county government.¡±

    "Are you crazy?"

    County Magistrate Zhou gritted his teeth and said, "That's the tax money from the imperial court. The account has been reported. If the tax money is released, how can we explain it to the Prime Minister?"

    The county captain couldn't help but persuade: "The imperial court doesn't know our current situation. Once the hungry people break out, not only will all the tax money be robbed, but none of us will survive. Rather than being killed by the hungry people, it is better to use less.  Three million or five million will do, just calm their emotions first and buy time to wait for the Cangcheng army to arrive."

    Magistrate Zhou was also very conflicted. The only thing he was counting on now was the army in Cangcheng, but he was also afraid that it would be too late. His wife, children, and parents were all in the back house. Once the hungry people rushed in, his family would not be able to save it.

    He finally made up his mind and whispered to several officials: "We are just releasing three million tax dollars to save our lives. Once the prime minister sends someone to ask questions, you have to prove it for me!"

    Several officials nodded together, "Don't worry, magistrate, everyone is trying to save their lives."

      Magistrate Zhou¡¯s thoughts suddenly changed, and he said to the county magistrate again: ¡°The account should be written with a relief allocation of 30 million.¡±

    The county magistrate immediately understood and said with a meaningful smile: "The county magistrate is smart. Anyway, there are countless hungry people, and there is nowhere to check if we provide relief."

    The county captain next to him suggested: "In this case, we can simply find some people to pretend to be robbers and set fire to the warehouse. Even if we come to check, we can deduce that it was the hungry people and the robbers who robbed it."

    Magistrate Zhou narrowed his eyes. He understood what the county magistrate and the county captain meant. There were tens of millions in the treasury. This was a good opportunity to make a fortune.

    "Then we will make an account of 30 million, and give 3 million to the hungry people. The rest of the money will be just us"

    Guo Song stood behind and cursed secretly, "These corrupt officials really should have no descendants!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 383 Fire in the Backyard

    Guo Song said quickly: "County Magistrate Zhou, I will take a few brothers to block the side entrance. I am afraid that the victims will rush into the county government office through the side entrance."

    Magistrate Zhou glanced at him, then remembered that this fat man should not be present, and said: "Go ahead! Guard the side door."

    Guo Song turned around and ran towards the side door. As soon as he ran out of the lobby, his men surrounded him, "Boss, what should we do?"

    "What should I do? Run the hell away! If you don't run away, it will be too late."

    Guo Song didn't go to guard the side door. He led everyone to open the side door and ran away.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ¡°Countrymen, wait a moment, I will distribute the money and food immediately, everyone will have a share!¡±

    Although Magistrate Zhou stood on the steps and told the people over and over again to prepare for grain distribution and ask the people to wait, more than 10,000 hungry people had lost their reason and patience under the dual torment of hunger and anger.

    The people who encouraged Yuanhui shouted among the hungry people: "The dog officer is cheating and delaying time. We go to the warehouse to get food ourselves!"

    More than 10,000 people roared angrily. Led by dozens of people who supported the Yuan Hui, the crowd finally broke out. Like a flood, it rushed into the county government office, knocking down more than a dozen officials and servants, including Magistrate Zhou.  On the ground, amidst screams, more than a dozen officials and yamen servants, including Magistrate Zhou, were beaten to death by the angry crowd.

    The hungry people broke open the gate of the county government office, and rushed into the granaries and warehouses. While the hungry people rushed into the county government office, tens of thousands of victims in the county also came from all directions after hearing the news, participating in the robbery of money and food, scrambling for the first, and trampling on each other.  , screams and cries, the whole county went crazy.

    But the result surprised everyone. The huge granary was empty and there was no food. The angry people broke into the warehouse again and robbed the tax money. At this time, thousands of heavily armed Xingyuanhui soldiers  The county government office and the square were surrounded from all directions, and more than 20,000 people who did not escape were controlled.

    Li Fu stood on the roof and shouted: "Fellow folks, we are not Cao's traitor officers and soldiers, we are Yuan Gong's subordinates, and we are here to save everyone!"

    Tens of thousands of people stared blankly at Li Fu on the roof. Yuan Shao treated the people generously and was very popular among the people in the counties of Hebei. When they heard that it was Yuan Gong's army, everyone's fear was slowly eliminated.

    "I want to tell you again that the army from Cangcheng is coming to kill you. They will take revenge on you and kill everyone, including our wives, children, and parents. All young and strong men will stand up and protect their families with us!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yi County played an extremely important role in Cao Jun's expedition to Wuhuan, Liaodong. It was the logistics center of Cao Jun. For this reason, Cao Jun hoarded a large amount of grain, grass and weapons in Yi County. Although most of the grain and grass supplies had been transferred to Nanyang, Yi County  There is still a large amount of food supplies in the county warehouse.

    Cangcheng of Yixian County is located on a gentle hill about five miles east of the county seat. The perimeter of the city wall is twelve miles. There are hundreds of huge warehouses in Cangcheng. There are currently 3,000 troops stationed in Cangcheng, led by a Sima from the other departments.  commander in chief.

    Cangcheng in Yi County is directly under the military and is under the direct jurisdiction of Yedu. It has nothing to do with the local government. If the local government wants to use the Cangcheng army, it must also ask Yedu for instructions, and Yedu will issue troop deployment orders to the Cangcheng army.

    However, things are not so absolute. If the situation is urgent, such as fire fighting and disaster relief, and the scope of troop deployment is not large, the military can also handle it first and then complete the procedures afterwards. In this case, it depends on the personal relationship between the two parties.  .

    The general who commanded the Cangcheng army was named Kong Yuan, who was from Yingchuan. However, he had a concubine in Yixian County. He often drank with the county magistrate and other officials.  When Sima received a request for help from the county, he did not hesitate to lead two thousand soldiers to Yixian to suppress the rebellion.

    In fact, Kong Yuan was not only giving face to County Magistrate Zhou, but he was also worried about the situation of his concubine in the county. He doted on this concubine very much. She was seven months pregnant and would most likely give birth to a child for him.  Son, this is of extraordinary significance to Kong Yuan, who is over forty but still childless.

    The situation has been unstable recently. Kong Yuan had long wanted to take his concubine to live in Cangcheng, but Cao Jun's military regulations were strict. Once someone was reported, he would lose his official position. He did not dare to take this risk, so he just sent a dozen of his confidants.  Soldiers were stationed in the county town to protect their houses in the county town.

    Kong Yuan heard that hungry people were rioting in the county town. He was worried about his concubine and became even more anxious. He urged the army to speed up. The team of two thousand people ran all the way until they were still two miles away from the county town. Suddenly, someone shouted in the woods on the roadside.  : "Kong Sima!"

    When Kong Yuan turned around, he saw a dozen people running out of the woods not far away, guarding a carriage. The leader was an extremely fat and tall official. Kong Yuan recognized it at a glance. He was the thief Cao Guosong, who was the same as himself.  A fellow countryman who just took office not long ago often comes here.In the city, he invited me to drink and gamble, and he spent a lot of money. He had already lost hundreds of gold to him, and Kong Yuan had a very good impression of him.

    The dozen or so people behind were all government officials, but Kong Yuan recognized the carriage at a glance. Wasn¡¯t that his own carriage in the county?  He was surprised and doubtful, and quickly ordered: "Stop!"

    The army stopped running. Kong Yuan urged his horse forward and asked, "Why is Brother Guo here?"

    Guo Song patted his chest with lingering fear and said: "The hungry people were rioting. Magistrate Zhou was beaten to death by the mob. Robbery was happening everywhere in the county. I ran to General Kong's mansion to take refuge. Unexpectedly, there were hundreds of mobs besieging me. The general's soldiers were there.  After resisting, I protected the general's wife and escaped from the back door. I wanted to take refuge in Cangcheng, and I happened to meet the general. "

    Kong Yuan was shocked. He pointed at the carriage and asked, "Is my wife in the carriage?"

    "I was in the car, but I was frightened. It seemed that the situation was not good."

    At this time, Kong Yuan¡¯s concubine¡¯s low-breathing voice came from the carriage, ¡°General, I¡¯m in the carriage.¡±

    "Ah Huan, how are you now?" Kong Yuan asked anxiously. His concubine was seven months pregnant, so nothing happened!

    "I'm afraid I can't do it."

    At this time, Guo Song whispered from the side: "General, go and take a look! Madam is bleeding, it is inconvenient for us."

    Kong Yuan was shocked. All his hopes were in his concubine's belly, but he must not have a miscarriage. He got off his horse, opened the door and got into the carriage. Unexpectedly, as soon as he got on the carriage, his eyes went dark and a black cloth bag was wrapped around him.  An arm like an iron rod strangled his neck and dragged him into the carriage.

    For a moment, his hood was removed, his hands were tied behind his back, and his mouth was gagged with rags. Slowly, he got used to the darkness in the carriage. In front of him was a tall and tall man in black. When he turned around, there was also a man behind him.  A man in black, staring at him coldly like a wolf in the darkness.

    His concubine was lying on the other side, and another middle-aged man was sitting next to her. A sharp dagger was placed on her belly. The concubine looked at him with frightened eyes and pleading.

    At this time, the middle-aged man sitting next to the concubine slowly said: "We are not bandits, let alone mobs. We are the people of Lieutenant Yan of Youzhou. I assure you that your wife is intact now. So far,  , no harm was done, but I can¡¯t guarantee the future.¡±

    After saying that, the man reached out and picked up the dagger from the concubine's belly, turned it in a direction, pointed the sharp tip at Kong Yuan, and glanced at Kong Yuan coldly. There was no need to say anything, I believe Kong Yuan understood it himself.

    Kong Yuan's mind was in chaos. These people turned out to be Yan Rou's people. Is Yan Rou going to rebel?  When he saw the dagger in his concubine's belly again, the sharp dagger tip made him shiver. He immediately thought of the child in his concubine's belly. That was his only hope and his greatest weakness.

    Kong Yuan was immediately discouraged, and the resentment and rage in his heart disappeared without a trace. He nodded feebly, and the middle-aged man laughed. He winked, and the strong man next to him immediately took out the rag from Kong Yuan's mouth.  When he came out, Kong Yuan immediately stared at the middle-aged man and asked, "Who are you?"

    The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Jiang Yiqu, does General Kong know?"

    Kong Yuan was stunned for a moment and asked hesitantly: "Aren't you a general under Yuan Shao?"

    "I am now serving under Lieutenant Yan, so General Kong, please rest assured that I am not a bandit and I will definitely keep my word."

    "Then what do you want to do?"

    Jiang Qi smiled slightly, "Kong Sima, don't think too much, we just want to make a deal with you."

    "What deal?"

    "It's very simple. We want your army and Yixian Cangcheng. After the success, we will reward Kong Sima with a thousand taels of gold. You can leave with your wife."

    "Humph!" Kong Yuan snorted coldly, "What if I don't agree?"

    Jiang Qi still said calmly: "If you don't agree, it's very simple. I'm afraid General Kong will have no future."

    After saying that, he picked up the dagger, lightly scratched Kong Yuan's concubine's belly twice, and stared at Kong Yuan coldly. Kong Yuan thought of his unborn son, and his last bit of resistance disappeared.  , after a long while, he sighed and said, "What do you want me to do?"

    Jiang Qi laughed, "It's very simple, order all officers above the village commander to go to the woods to discuss military affairs!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was getting dark, and Kong Yuan led two thousand soldiers back to Cangcheng. At this time, there were still one thousand soldiers guarding Cangcheng, commanded by a general named Yang.

    Kong Yuan ordered his officers to go to the woods to discuss the military situation, but he was captured by the army ambushing in the woods. All two thousand soldiers were forced to surrender. Now the two thousand soldiers behind himIt is no longer the original army.

    At this time, Kong Yuan had understood the truth. It was not Yan Rou's army, but Yuan Shao's old army who was about to revolt. This made him very scared, but at the same time, he had fallen into a quagmire and could not deal with the aftermath.

    Of course he will not participate in the uprising. For him, the best option is to accept the conditions, run away with a thousand taels of gold and the money collected in the past few years, find a safe place to hide his name, and become a rich man for the rest of his life.  Weng.

    Behind Kong Yuan, Jiang Qi coldly ordered: "Call the city!"

    Kong Yuan had no choice but to bite the bullet and shout outside the city: "Open the city gate quickly!"

    Seeing that the general was coming back, the defenders on the city quickly opened the city gate. The deputy general came out to greet him and said with a smile: "Sima went to the county seat and gained a lot!"

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a share later.¡±

    Kong Yuan waved his hand, and the army marched toward the city in a mighty manner. Seeing that most of the soldiers had entered the city, Kong Yuan said to the deputy general: "General Yang, I couldn't help myself. I'm sorry!"

    The deputy general was stunned for a moment. Before he could react, the soldiers nearby swarmed him, pushed him to the ground, and tied him up. The deputy general shouted anxiously: "Kong Sima, what happened?"

    Kong Yuan ignored him, turned around and clasped his fists at Jiang Qi: "I have done what I promised, will the general break his promise?"

    "Of course I will not break my promise, but I would like to ask General Kong to do a small thing, and then let General Kong go."

    "What's up?"

    "General Kong can write an urgent letter to Cao Pi, the capital of Ye, saying that Yuan Gong's old troops supported Yuan Mai as the new leader and started an uprising in Yixian County. More than 50,000 troops swept across the north of Hejian, and the people of Hebei responded one after another.  ¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In late October of the 13th year of Jian'an, Yuan Shao's old troops took advantage of Cao Cao's expedition to the south to support Yuan Shao's youngest son Yuan Mai Fuxing in Yixian and established a new Yuan army. They captured the Yixian warehouse and seized a large amount of grain and weapons, and then opened the warehouse to release grain.  , people suffering from the locust plague in the northern part of Hejian County rushed to Yixian County.

    The new Yuan army planted a large flag at the head of Yi County and wrote the word "Xing Yuan", which attracted righteous men from all over to come and join forces. They gathered like rain and gathered more than 30,000 troops in five days, with a huge momentum.

    The revival of the Yuan family in Yixian County attracted responses from all over Hebei Province. Zhang Yi, a strong man from Hejian, rose up in Chengping County, recruited five thousand soldiers and captured Lecheng County, the county government. Xia Zhi, the magistrate of Nanpi County, announced that he would change his banner and be loyal to the Yuan family.

    In addition, Qinghe powerful Luo Jun, Anping powerful Li Xing, Bohai powerful Gao Yi and other local powerful forces close to Yuan raised troops to respond.

    For a time, the Yuan Dynasty movement surged across Hebei, and letters of help from officials from various places were sent to Yedu like snowflakes. Seeing the critical situation, Cao Pi sent twelve pigeon letters to the front line of Jingzhou, urging his father to withdraw his troops.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 384 The Real Rival

    Cao Cao has been very agitated by the epidemic in the past few days. The epidemic in the Chibi Camp has just been brought under control. An urgent report from Cao Ren came from Jiangling. The epidemic also broke out among Cao's army in Jiangling, and more than 30 people have died of the disease.

    The reason is that the soldiers transporting grain and grass brought the epidemic from Chibi to Jiangling. Coincidentally, Xun You, who was guarding Xiangyang and Fancheng, also sent letters. Soldiers also fell ill in the Fancheng military camp. This made Cao Cao upset and immediately asked Zhang Ji.  Go to Jiangling and Fancheng to prevent the epidemic.

    At night, Cao Cao was sitting in the tent reading the letter written to him by Xun You. Xun You reminded Cao Cao in the letter that the split between Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army was most likely due to Liu Jing's plan.

    ??

    ????????????????????????? And with Liu Jing's personality, would he really appoint a traitor general who killed the general for personal revenge to guard the important town of Changsha?

    As the so-called bystander knows, Xun You's analysis hit the nail on the head and made Cao Cao finally wake up. Liu Jing asked Ma Yan to guard Changsha just to create an opportunity for Zhou Yu to kill and to sell Zhou Yu a favor. Then Liu Jing and Zhou Yu must have reached an agreement.  Some kind of tacit understanding.

    Cao Cao slowly came to his senses. Liu Jing used Zhang Ji to send him information. His purpose was to use his own hands to deal with Zhou Yu, and he proposed Huang Gai for Ma Yan. He originally wanted to drive a wedge between Jiang Xia and Jiang Dong. Unexpectedly,  But gave Liu Jing a chance to blackmail Zhou Yu.

    The strategies here are intertwined, bold, vicious, and far-sighted, and they actually manipulated themselves and Jiangdong Army into the palm of their hands.

    Cao Cao paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. He was wondering what Liu Jing's purpose was in using this trick?  Although it is true that Liu Jing benefited from Zhou Yu, what did she lose?

    Of course, it is very likely that during the Yangtze River War, the Jiangdong Army will suddenly attack and catch you off guard, but other than that?  Cao Cao couldn't think of any losses he had.

    He also knew very well that if Jiangdong Army wanted to sneak attack on him, there was no need to use counterintuitive tactics. They could directly go to Xiakou to station. Liu Jing did not need to make things so complicated.

    At this time, Cao Cao suddenly thought of something. He deliberately delayed for nearly a month in order to wait for the internal strife between Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army.

    ¡°Is Liu Jing just deliberately delaying her time?  What's the point of him doing this?  What's the loss to yourself?

    Cao Cao was puzzled. His army had sufficient food and grass, and the epidemic was under control. Even if the confrontation lasted until next spring, he would have no worries. On the contrary, there was a rift between Jiangxia Army and Jiangdong Army, which would inevitably change over time.

    At this time, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the tent, followed by Cheng Yu's voice, "I have something urgent and I want to see the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao was startled, walked to the tent door and asked, "Zhongde, what's the matter?"

    Cheng Yu stepped forward and whispered: "Prime Minister, please take a step to speak."

    Cao Cao nodded and walked into the tent. He sat down and asked, "Tell me? What's the matter?"

    "Prime Minister, I heard a rumor when I was inspecting the camp."

    "What rumors?" Cao Cao had a bad feeling in his heart. Rumors in the army are often a precursor to a wavering military morale.

    "It is rumored that Yuan Shao's old troops have revolted in Hebei. The momentum is very strong and has swept many counties in Hebei."

    "impossible!"

    Cao Cao said flatly: "Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang are dead. Even if Yuan Shao's old tribe rebels, who can they be loyal to?"

    Cheng Yu hesitated and whispered: "Actually, the Prime Minister still missed one person."

    Cao Cao frowned and said after a while: "Are you talking about Yuan Shao's youngest son Yuan Mai? He should be still young now!"

    "Prime Minister, eight years have passed since the Battle of Guandu. Yuan Mai was four years old at the time and should be twelve years old now. If someone makes him the leader, he can start an uprising."

    After a pause, Cheng Yu continued: "Furthermore, there are rumors in the army that the old troops of the Yuan family raised troops in Yixian County to support Yuan Mai as the new leader. It was planned by Xun Chen, Jiang Qi and others. Now that these details have come out, shouldn't the Prime Minister not  Understand?"

    Cao Cao's back suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. The more detailed the details, the more people believe it. Liu Jing must have ordered someone to spread the news, most likely Zhang Ji. He only left the camp at noon and went to Jiangling. Zhang Ji had  The privilege of entering and exiting each camp makes it very convenient to spread these rumors.

    But that¡¯s not the key. The key is that Liu Jing spread the news. Did he send someone to Hebei?  Cao Cao then remembered that Liu Jing was deliberately delaying his attack. This was clearly waiting for something to happen in Hebei.

    Thinking of this, Cao Cao suddenly became anxious and hurriedly asked Xu Chu: "HebeiIs there any message available from here?  "

    "There is no reply to the Prime Minister for the time being."

    Although there was no news, Cao Cao did not let go of his worries. If Liu Jing sent people to Hebei to instigate Yuan's old tribe to rebel, Liu Jing would definitely get the news earlier than himself, and within a day or two.

    Thinking of this, Cao Cao couldn't help but shouted anxiously: "Send someone to the letter tower immediately to wait, and report any news immediately."

    Cheng Yu felt that Cao Cao had lost his composure and quickly advised: "Prime Minister, calm down first. It's just a rumor. Maybe nothing happened."

    Cao Cao tried to calm down. He sighed and said, "Zhongde, do you really think nothing will happen?"

    Cheng Yu was speechless. In fact, when he came to Cao Cao to report the situation, he already realized the seriousness of the matter. It was most likely true.

    Cheng Yu was silent for a moment and said, "Whether this is true or not, we should refute the rumors immediately. We must know that half of the soldiers in the army are from Hebei, which will cause instability in the morale of the army."

    "you are right!"

    Cao Cao immediately ordered Xu Chu: "Send the order, and the commanders of each camp will immediately come to the Chinese army's tent to discuss the military situation."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "There is a news spreading in the military camp. I think everyone has heard it. I want to tell you that there is no such thing! This is Liu Jing's deception, using false news to shake our military morale, so I must handle this with an iron fist.  thing!"

    Cao Cao's attitude was very tough, and his stern words echoed in the big tent. Inside the Chinese army tent, there were nearly a hundred generals and counselors standing. Everyone was silently listening to the Prime Minister's reprimand. Many people had heard about Yuan's family.  The rumors that were revived in Hebei unexpectedly aroused such great anger from the Prime Minister.

    "I'm going to make a scandal now. I will send my guards with my gold medal to make secret visits to each camp. If anyone is found talking about this matter, he will be beheaded. The general will be demoted one level. If more than ten people are beheaded in the camp, the general will be dismissed from office, seize the title, and be demoted to  Soldiers who have more than a hundred killed will be guilty of the same crime!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the end of the training, the generals all ran towards their camps in panic. Everyone could see that the Prime Minister was really angry. They all knew that the soldiers were talking about this matter now. If they did not strictly prohibit it, they might not be able to save their lives.

    There was no pressure on the counselors and civil servants. As long as they kept their mouths shut, nothing would happen. Yang Xiu and Liu Ye slowly walked towards their tent. Yang Xiu asked with a smile: "Brother Ziyang, what do you think about Hebei?"  Is it true or false?"

    "Shh!"

    Liu Ye hurriedly hissed, looked left and right, and lowered his voice: "It's not good to talk about this anymore."

    "It doesn't matter, just the two of us, we don't need to mention names. What do you think of Brother Ziyang?"

    Liu Ye shook his head, "It's hard to say, but it is indeed possible that Liu Jing is shaking our military morale."

    Liu Ye glanced at Yang Xiu again, "Do you think it's true?"

    "You can tell by looking at the Prime Minister's attitude. The more he denies something, the more likely it is to be true. Didn't you find that the Prime Minister is already anxious?"

    Liu Ye sighed, "If he had listened to Chang Wen earlier, why would he be so passive today?"

    Yang Xiu smiled. Chen Qun just made a correct opinion at the wrong time. When the topic changed, Yang Xiu said again: "I found that Liu Jing is indeed very powerful. In a battle in Chibi, his thoughts  It¡¯s so generous in the world!¡±

    "Yes! He is the prime minister's real rival."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the fourth watch, Cao Cao had just fallen asleep when he was woken up by Xu Chu's low call, "Prime Minister, something big happened!"

    Cao Cao woke up and immediately asked: "What's the matter?"

    "Yedu is reporting urgently. Three urgent pigeon letters have arrived in a row."

    Cao Cao sat up and said in a trembling voice: "Show it to me quickly!"

    Several guards lit the candles in the sleeping tent, and the lights in the sleeping tent suddenly became bright. Xu Chu quickly walked into the sleeping tent, knelt down on one knee, and presented three red pigeon letters. Red represents an urgent situation.

    Cao Cao's heart was already in his throat. He hurriedly opened three letters, which were written by his eldest son Cao Pi. He read them in a hurry, and it was as if five thunders struck him. The letters fell to the ground in his hand. The three letters all had the same content, "The Yuan family has risen again."  Hebei is in emergency!  ¡¯

    Cao Cao suddenly felt a sweetness in his throat and vomited out a mouthful of blood.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 385 Final Decision

    Just when Cao Cao was shocked to hear the bad news in Hebei, Liu Jing was playing chess with Jia Xu in the big tent, looking focused and calm.

    "Sir, what do you think of this move?" Although the chess was being played in front of him, Liu Jing was referring to the Hebei chess.

    Jia Xu narrowed his eyes and smiled, stroking his beard and praising: "It's a wonderful chess move, it can be called a stroke of genius."

    Liu Jing smiled faintly and asked: "How does it compare with Zhang Ji's one-step move?"

    "Zhang Ji's chess move is a rare and long game, with ingenious conception and step-by-step strategy. Although it is rare, it is a little less grand. However, Yuan's move is a vertical and horizontal game, with a big move and a big fall, which freezes the country. This chess move changes the world situation suddenly.  Zhou Mu may have another chance to make a change.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "I have already laid out the chess game, but how should I make the plan? I would like to ask sir."

    If Jia Xu was worried that Liu Jing would not last long before, so he still had some reservations, then now he was full of confidence in Liu Jing, and any worries in his heart disappeared.

    He thought for a moment and then asked with a smile: "Does Zhou Mu think that if our army wins in Chibi, who among the princes in the world will be the strongest?"

    "Cao Cao is still the only one in the family."

    "Does Zhou Mu want to compete with him?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "The gap in strength is too big, and the time is far from coming."

    "So, between the Yuan family in Hebei and the Liu family in Jingzhou, who does Zhou Mu think is more important to Prime Minister Cao?"

    "Of course it's me." Liu Jing laughed.

    Jia Xu lightly stroked his long beard and said, "But I think the Yuan family is more important to Prime Minister Cao."

    Liu Jing was startled. He thought for a moment and then understood, "Sir, he said that Hebei is important."

    Jia Xu nodded, "Indeed, Hebei is not a trivial matter to Prime Minister Cao. Although Zhou Mu is his strong enemy, and although he wishes to destroy Jingzhou with the whole country's troops, he still has to attack Hebei first, so at this time,  Zhou Mu needs to restrain himself and give Prime Minister Cao a step forward.¡±

    "Sir, you mean to tell me not to attack Nanyang?"

    "I just suggest that it is up to Zhou Mu to decide whether to attack Nanyang or not."

    Liu Jing understood what Jia Xu meant. He hoped that he could leave some room for Cao Cao. Of course, it was understandable for Jia Xu to have such an idea. After all, Cao Cao was his old master.

    But seizing Nanyang is his established strategy, and he cannot give up his principles. Moreover, if he does not put pressure on Cao Cao in the south, Li Fu and others may not be able to persist.

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and smiled slightly: "Actually, I just want to find food and supplies in Wancheng. Nanyang is not urgent for me."

    He just gave Jia Xu a face. Capturing Nanyang and establishing a peripheral defense line was his established strategy. The strategy will not change, but the tactics can be changed. It doesn't matter one day earlier or one day later.

    Of course Jia Xu understood what he meant. In the final analysis, Liu Jing still wanted to take Nanyang.

    "However, Jia Xu can also understand that Nanyang is Xiangyang's strategic barrier and originally belongs to Jingzhou. It is reasonable that Liu Jing must seize it.

    "Haha! If Zhou Mu only wants supplies, he can just take Fancheng. Cao Jun's front line has reached Chibi, so Wancheng's grain and grass supplies should have been transferred to Fancheng."

    Liu Jing smiled, then changed the subject and asked: "Sir, do you still suggest that I use Hanzhong as a springboard to go north to Guanzhong?"

    Jia Xu knew that Liu Jing had already made up his mind, and the chess game had been laid out when negotiating with Sun Quan. Now that Liu Jing asked him again, he felt a little bitter in his heart.

    "Does Zhou Mu still need to ask me about this matter?"

    Liu Jing also smiled and said: "Although I don't need to ask anymore, hearing your answer from your husband also makes me feel more confident."

    "It actually doesn't matter where you go."

    Jia Xu sighed slightly and said: "The way of heaven has its own laws. 'Inaction' means following the way of nature. I think Zhou Mu does not need to be too worried about this matter. After this battle is over, God will naturally make arrangements. As the saying goes, when the water comes,  It comes naturally.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, the rumble of war drums was heard on the river. Hundreds of 500-stone warships appeared on the river in the distance. The sentry tower on Chibi Mountain immediately sounded the alarm, 'Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The harsh sound of the bell spread throughout the Jiangxia Army camp and water village.

    Naval Colonel Gan Ning immediately sent thirty thousand-stone warships out of the water village to intercept them. The warships lined up on the water. Behind the warships, there were hundreds of small boats waiting for the opportunity.

    At this time, Liu Jing and dozens of generals also rushed to the water village and watched the battle on the river from the bow. Many generals were surprised. How could Cao Jun, who had been silent for several months, suddenly launch an active attack?

    Liu Jing knew very well that this must be the news that Cao Cao got from Hebei.He couldn't hold back the anxiety in his heart and was eager to end the battle in Jingzhou. Now he wanted to fight, but he refused to fight with him.

    "Let General Gan come to see me!"

    A moment later, Gan Ning hurried over and bowed, "See you, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing pointed to Cao Jun¡¯s warship in the distance, ¡°I want to know the situation of Cao Jun.¡±

    "Back to Zhoumu, Cao Jun dispatched about a hundred warships. This should be just a tentative attack, not a formal attack."

    Liu Jing turned back and asked Jia Xu, "Sir, how do you think this battle should be fought?"

    Jia Xu thought for a while and said: "If I am not wrong, Prime Minister Cao is very conflicted in his heart right now, swinging between retreating and attacking, so he sent a navy to test the attack. If the battle situation is okay, then prepare for a decisive battle.  , If this navy army fails miserably, then he should consider retreating. "

    The generals all nodded. Jia Xu's analysis gave them a sense of turning away the clouds and seeing the sun. Gan Ning asked again: "Mr. Jia, do you mean to let us lose this battle?"

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and shook his head, "If the opponent is Cao Ren, there is no problem in pretending to be defeated, but what we are facing is Prime Minister Cao, who has experienced hundreds of battles, and there are also resourceful staff such as Cheng Yu, Chen Qun, and Liu Ye, so we  If you lose, you will be seen through by the opponent, but a big victory is not enough. The key is to grasp this degree. "

    Liu Jing also added: "Mr. Jia is right, we cannot lose this battle, but we cannot win a big victory, and we can end with a miserable victory."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Gan Ning already understood Liu Jing's intention. He bowed, turned around and walked away quickly.

    The war drums of the Jiangxia Army also beat loudly, and the drums were loud on the river. Hundreds of warships surrounded Cao's warships from all directions. At this time, the northwest wind on the river was strong and the waves rolled. It was difficult for the thousand-stone ship to sail against the wind, so it had to stop in line.  Outside the water stronghold, the main force of the real battle was hundreds of human-rowed boats.

    On the river outside Jiangxia Water Village, more than two hundred warships were fighting in groups. The scene was tragic. Ships were constantly being hit and sunk. Dead bodies were floating on the river, and flames were shooting into the sky.

    On the north bank of the Yangtze River, Cao Cao led hundreds of generals and counselors who were also anxiously waiting for news from the south bank. Cao Cao's eyes were gloomy and he stared at the river without saying a word. He was under tremendous pressure at this time. Not only was Hebei in danger, but also his military camp  Deserters appeared.

    Desertion is a big taboo for the army, which means that the morale of the army is beginning to turmoil, especially since there are 100,000 soldiers in his army from Hebei. The impact of the crisis in Hebei is even more serious. Cao Cao can no longer delay it, or fight decisively,  Either withdraw the troops and return north.

    It¡¯s just that Cao Cao was never willing to withdraw his troops. He spent nearly half of his national strength on this southern expedition. If he gained nothing, how could he explain it to the world?

    He can only find a way to defeat the enemy through the results of this trial battle.

    More than an hour has passed, but the dispatched warships still have not returned. Everyone is a little worried. Could it be that all the hundreds of warships were wiped out by the Jiangxia army?

    Just then, someone pointed at the river and shouted: "Back!"

    Everyone was in high spirits and walked towards the bow of the ship. They saw dozens of small black spots appearing on the river in the distance, getting closer and closer. It was indeed their warship, but it was by no means returning in triumph.

    "Damn it, are you defeated again?" Xu Chu cursed in a low voice behind him.

    Many generals were disappointed. It seemed that they had never won a battle against the Jiangxia Army. Although they were a little numb, this failure still deeply stimulated their hearts, and many people cursed in a low voice.

    At this time, Cheng Yu slowly walked up to Cao Cao and said with a smile: "More than forty warships have come back, it seems not too bad."

    Cao Cao said coldly: "I care more about their results!"

    After a while, Zhang Nan, the leader of the expedition, was brought to Cao Cao. He knelt down and apologized: "I was unfavorable in the battle due to my humble position. I lost fifty-five warships and more than a thousand soldiers. I was defeated and defeated. Please punish me, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao said calmly: "I want to know how much the Jiangxia army lost?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, our soldiers fought bravely, and the Jiangxia Army also suffered heavy losses. They also dispatched the same hundred warships, and probably lost about thirty."

    "What kind of warships did the Jiangxia Army dispatch? Did the Thousand Stone Ship dispatch?" Cheng Yu asked next to him.

    "Reporting to Duke Cheng, the Jiangxia Army dispatched thirty thousand-stone warships, but they did not fight. They were just lined up in front of the water village. They were unable to participate in the battle because of the headwind. We also fought with hundreds of five-hundred-stone warships.  Although they won in the end, it was a tragic victory. I am not boasting. They also suffered five to six hundred casualties. "

    "Although this battle is defeated, I will not remember your fault. Go to the Chinese army's tent and tell me the story of this battle in detail."

      "Thank you, Prime Minister!"

    Zhang Nan bowed and retreated. Cao Cao thought for a moment and said to Cheng Yu and the counselors, "Let's discuss it in the tent!"

    In the large tent of the Chinese army, the soldiers carried out a red cliff war plate made of clay. The war plate was three feet long and two feet wide. In the middle was the Yangtze River. On both sides were their own water forts and military camps on the banks. The water forts were filled with wooden objects.  The model is a large and small ship. Although the production is relatively rough, it looks very intuitive.

    This is the predecessor of the sand table, which has been used in military affairs during the Qin and Han Dynasties. Everyone gathered around the sand table. Zhang Nan told Cao Cao and the counselors and generals on the sand table about the battle that took place outside the water stronghold of Jiangxia Army in the morning.

    Cao Cao listened very attentively. After Zhang Nan finished speaking, Cao Cao slowly said: "We lost fifty-five warships and more than a thousand men, while the Jiangxia army lost thirty warships and five or six hundred men. This is  A very good result. We have more than 200,000 troops. Even if we lose 50,000 people when crossing the river, we still have 178,000 people, which is enough to wipe out Jiangxia. Time is running out. I hope to end this war within three days.  The war dragged on for months."

    There was silence in the big tent, everyone was chewing on Cao Cao's decision. As the supreme commander of the military, since he has spoken about the attack, the general direction has been decided, and the rest is for the counselors to perfect the details.

    In fact, this is also true. The person with the highest authority decides the general direction. This is his power. No one dares to compete with him for this power.

    Even core advisers like Xun Yu, Cheng Yu and even Guo Jia cannot decide. They can only analyze interests and let the highest authority decide the direction. But once the direction is decided, the role of the advisers is to perfect the details of the general direction.  .

    Cao Cao was wavering between withdrawing his troops and crossing the river, and Zhang Nan's tentative battle gave him a glimmer of hope. He was not afraid of losses. What he wanted was to successfully cross the river and completely wipe out Liu Jing of Jiangxia, so that he could turn around and head north.  , and tried their best to wipe out the remnants of the Yuan family in Hebei.

    Cao Cao looked at the counselors. He had finished speaking. Now it was time for the counselors to complete the details. His eyes finally fell on Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu was very quiet today, which meant that he already had a plan.

    "Zhongde, tell me!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 386 The Eve of the War

    Cheng Yu hadn't said a word since entering the account. He listened very carefully and didn't miss every detail. He already had a plan in mind.

    At this time, Cao Cao asked him, Cheng Yu took out more than a dozen large ship models from the Jiangxia military water stronghold, placed them one by one in front of the water stronghold, and said to Cao Cao and everyone: "Have you ever considered why the Thousand Stone Ship is clearly unable to fight?"  , Jiang Xiajun still wants to put them out, is it just for show?"

    Next to him, Chen Qun blurted out, "This is to prevent us from attacking the water village with fire!"

    Cao Cao thought thoughtfully, "Zhongde's plan is to attack with fire?"

    Cheng Yu nodded, "That's right, the key to this battle is not the battle of two hundred small ships, but the thirty thousand stone warships. Their function is to guard against our fire attack, but they also remind us  "The key to our victory in this battle is fire attack."

    Liu Ye frowned and said, "But Jiangxia is already preparing for our fire attack. Will they give us a chance?"

    Cheng Yu smiled slightly, "This is what people plan, and what happens is God! Now the northwest wind on the river is strong. This is the opportunity God gives us. If we don't take advantage of the favorable wind direction, then we really have no chance.  "

    Cao Cao walked to the side of Jiangxia Army in the battle, bent down and carefully inspected the structure of Jiangxia Army's water stronghold. He suddenly tapped the gate of the water stronghold with his finger, "The key is here!"

    "The Prime Minister is indeed very pleased!"

    Cheng Yu smiled at everyone and said: "We don't need to enter the Jiangdong Army water stronghold. As long as we can set fire at the gate and block the gate with fire, then the Jiangxia warships in the water stronghold will not be able to come out, and they will not be able to stop us from crossing the river."  , once the vanguard seals the Jiangxia military water stronghold, it will be the moment when we have thousands of ships racing to cross the river, and a hundred thousand troops."

    "But has Zhongde considered Jiangdong Army?"

    Liu Ye added: "Since the split between Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army is not real, then Jiangdong Army's sudden attack will pose a serious threat to our river-crossing ship. Has Zhongde considered it?"

    "Of course I have considered it. Jiangdong's army is currently stationed in Zhucheng. It will take a day to get there from Zhucheng. This is a human-powered small boat. The big ship cannot go up the river and will not be able to come at all."

    In fact, Cheng Yu also knew in his heart that his plan was very hasty and there would be loopholes that he could not take into account. However, Cheng Yu understood the anxiety in the prime minister's heart better. Hebei was in danger and the prime minister couldn't wait any longer.

    As a qualified counselor, he must take advantage of the situation and put forward a reasonable and effective plan as much as possible without changing the overall situation. His fire attack plan is the best plan. Even if he only has a 50% chance of winning, he will only  I can gamble.

    There was silence in the big tent. Cheng Yu's meaning was already very clear. As long as he launched an attack tonight, Jiangdong Army's warships would have no time to support him. Everyone's eyes were turned to Cao Cao.

    Cao Cao was still watching the Jiangxia navy water camp. He knew very well that in fact it was impossible for him to retreat. The northwest wind was strong and the ship could not return north. Even if he wanted to retreat, the Jiangxia navy would not allow him to cross the Han River.  This is called the situation being stronger than the person.

    But Cao Cao never wanted his men to know that he was fighting only when he had no way out, as this would shake his morale.

    After a long time, Cao Cao stood up straight and slowly said to everyone: "It is noon now. All soldiers go back to their tents to sleep and rest. At two o'clock tonight, we will launch the battle across the river!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cheng Yu's plan was indeed hasty, and there were loopholes that he did not take into account. He calculated that Jiangdong Army's warships could not move westward against the current and would not have enough time, but he ignored the land. Although Jiangdong Army was a naval force, it was not a naval force.  The army can also fight on land.

    From Chibi Wulin to the east is still the vast Yunmeng Ze. There are large mire swamps scattered in the water swamp, and murderous intentions are hidden in the water. However, there is a natural channel about one mile wide close to the Yangtze River. Although it is covered by lush forests, you can pass through it.  We walked through the forest until we reached Sanjiangkou, a hundred miles away.

    At night, an army of nearly 30,000 people marched rapidly in the forest. The 30,000-strong army stretched for ten miles. Although it was huge, the march was silent. The flag was rolled up, and only the rustling of footsteps and the snorting of the horses could be heard.  .

    This army was the Jiangdong Army that abandoned its ship and went ashore. According to Liu Jing's deployment, they did not attack by water, but switched to land, marched westward along the Yangtze River, and finally launched an offensive against Cao Jun's camp in Wulin.

    After receiving the news of the uprising in Hebei, Liu Jing knew that the decisive battle with Cao Jun was imminent, and he immediately notified Jiangdong Army to implement the landing plan.

    Jiangdong Army landed on the north bank last night, then marched along the north bank, camping and resting during the day, and continued marching after dark. The distance of a hundred miles was not far, and Jiangdong Army was less than ten miles away from Cao Jun's camp.

    A scout rides from the frontHe rushed over and found the coach Zhou Yu. He bowed on his horse and reported: "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the three sentry towers in front have been pulled out. General Taishi said that there are signs of large-scale mobilization in Cao's army."

    The vanguard was General Tai Shici. He led five hundred of the most elite soldiers to clear the way forward and pulled down the sentry towers of Cao's army to ensure the safety of the army.

    Zhou Yu raised his head and looked at the sky. It was probably the first watch. Cao Jun's large-scale mobilization at this time must be a major military operation today. In this case, they cannot get too close to Cao Jun's camp. Once they are discovered, all their previous efforts will be wasted.  Wait until war breaks out before launching an attack, so as to ensure final victory.

    Thinking of this, Zhou Yu immediately ordered: "The whole army will rest on the spot and order the troops behind to follow quickly."

    The soldiers sat down to rest one after another. Several of them leaned against a big tree, took out their water bottles and drank water, or closed their eyes and took a nap.

    Zhou Yu seemed a little worried. He stood on a high place with his hands behind his hands and looked at Cao Jun's camp. He could not see anything. The dark night and dense woods blocked his sight.

    He was preoccupied and had the bitterness of being a wedding dress. He didn¡¯t understand until he realized why Liu Jing must compete for the right to distribute the spoils, because Liu Jing had already arranged this battle, and his Jiangdong Army would attack the camp.

    The loot gained from attacking the camp was the most abundant. Of course, Liu Jing would not give up this benefit to himself, so he used the redemption of Huang Gai to force himself to agree to the right to distribute the spoils.

    It was only then that he understood Liu Jing's profound meaning, which made him very frustrated, but at the same time he also felt a sense of inferiority. He was conceited and intelligent, but compared with Liu Jing, he was too far behind.

    Thinking of this, Zhou Yu couldn't help but let out a long sigh. At this time, Lu Meng slowly walked to Zhou Yu and whispered: "The governor seems to be a little worried, maybe it's because of General Huang!"

    Although Zhou Yu did not reveal to the generals that he signed a treaty with Liu Jing, everyone knew very well that the governor must have agreed to some conditions to Liu Jing before he got Ma Yan's head. Liu Jing was not that easy to talk to.  people.

    Zhou Yu smiled bitterly and did not answer Lu Meng's question, but Lu Meng understood Zhou Yu's difficulties very well. He also knew where Zhou Yu was worried?

    He smiled and consoled him: "Don't think too much, Governor. Keeping General Huang is the biggest explanation to the Marquis of Wu. We all believe that replacing General Huang with General Huang is a wise move for the Governor."

    "It's useless to talk more about this matter. It's better to concentrate on fighting the battle tonight."

    Zhou Yu didn't want to mention this matter anymore, so he changed the subject. He smiled and said: "To be honest, I also admire Liu Jing's ability to control the war. He told me a piece of information. The Yuan family in Hebei has been revived.  The situation is very critical for Cao Cao, and Cao Cao is eager to end this southern expedition, so he will definitely rush to attack, so that we will have a chance. "

    Lu Meng frowned and said, "Does the Governor think the revival of the Yuan family in Hebei has something to do with Liu Jing?"

    Zhou Yu nodded, "I believe that the revival of the Yuan family must be brought about by him, because all his arrangements for us are just waiting for this opportunity to come. At least he was involved in this matter."

    This conclusion surprised Lu Meng secretly, and he was speechless for a long time. Zhou Yu sighed slightly and said: "Liu Jing is not only Cao Cao's strong enemy, but also our strong enemy in the future!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was night, the moonlight was dim, and the cold moonlight shone on the vast river. On the top of the semicircular mountain in Chibijitou, Liu Jing stared at the roaring river with her hands behind her hands, "The Yangtze River is rolling eastward, and the waves are sweeping away the heroes."  '

    He chanted in a low voice, and his chest felt like the water of a river flowing eastward, with a magnificent and magnificent feeling. He suddenly laughed and asked: "Sir, do you believe in fate?"

    Behind him, Jia Xu shook his head, "I don't believe in fate, but I believe in the way of heaven."

    ¡°What¡¯s the way of heaven, what¡¯s destiny?¡±

    "The way of heaven is to make up for the deficiency when there is more damage, but the way of man is not the same. If the loss is not enough, there will be more than enough, so I will not try my best in anything, just to leave a little room for myself. Zhou Mu follows the way of humanity, and the loss is not enough.  There is more than enough, maybe this is the fate that Zhou Mu said."

    Liu Jing turned back and stared at Jia Xu. He did not understand what Jia Xu meant. Jia Xu said again: "Zhou Mu has already taken advantage of Chibi, why can't he leave some room for Prime Minister Cao?"

    Liu Jing said calmly: "I do not believe in humanity, I believe in the king's way. The so-called king's way is to seek the greatest benefit. Those who are good at defending will hide under the nine earths, and those who are good at attacking will attack above the nine heavens."

    "But things in the world are like chess, and I'm afraid things in the world will not go according to Zhou Mu's expectations."

    Liu Jing smiled lightly, "I only care about the overall situation, who can plan every specific step?"So far, my royal approach to Cao Cao is, either don¡¯t do it or do it absolutely!  "

    Jia Xu smiled bitterly and shook his head. In fact, he wanted to persuade Liu Jing not to drive Cao Cao out in the Battle of Chibi and leave some room. However, Liu Jing was determined to use the Battle of Chibi to weaken Cao Cao's army as much as possible. He had nothing to say.  It can be said.

    At this time, the soldiers on the sentry tower nearby shouted: "Zhou Mu, an enemy ship has been found on the river!"

    Liu Jing walked forward quickly and stared at the sparkling river. Sure enough, he saw dense black spots appearing on the river. A cold smile finally appeared on the corner of Liu Jing's mouth, finally here!

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 385 Final Decision

    Just when Cao Cao was shocked to hear the bad news in Hebei, Liu Jing was playing chess with Jia Xu in the big tent, looking focused and calm.

    "Sir, what do you think of this move?" Although the chess was being played in front of him, Liu Jing was referring to the Hebei chess.

    Jia Xu narrowed his eyes and smiled, stroking his beard and praising: "It's a wonderful chess move, it can be called a stroke of genius."

    Liu Jing smiled faintly and asked: "How does it compare with Zhang Ji's one-step move?"

    "Zhang Ji's chess move is a rare and long game, with ingenious conception and step-by-step strategy. Although it is rare, it is a little less grand. However, Yuan's move is a vertical and horizontal game, with a big move and a big fall, which freezes the country. This chess move changes the world situation suddenly.  Zhou Mu may have another chance to make a change.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "I have already laid out the chess game, but how should I make the plan? I would like to ask sir."

    If Jia Xu was worried that Liu Jing would not last long before, so he still had some reservations, then now he was full of confidence in Liu Jing, and any worries in his heart disappeared.

    He thought for a moment and then asked with a smile: "Does Zhou Mu think that if our army wins in Chibi, who among the princes in the world will be the strongest?"

    "Cao Cao is still the only one in the family."

    "Does Zhou Mu want to compete with him?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "The gap in strength is too big, and the time is far from coming."

    "So, between the Yuan family in Hebei and the Liu family in Jingzhou, who does Zhou Mu think is more important to Prime Minister Cao?"

    "Of course it's me." Liu Jing laughed.

    Jia Xu lightly stroked his long beard and said, "But I think the Yuan family is more important to Prime Minister Cao."

    Liu Jing was startled. He thought for a moment and then understood, "Sir, he said that Hebei is important."

    Jia Xu nodded, "Indeed, Hebei is not a trivial matter to Prime Minister Cao. Although Zhou Mu is his strong enemy, and although he wishes to destroy Jingzhou with the whole country's troops, he still has to attack Hebei first, so at this time,  Zhou Mu needs to restrain himself and give Prime Minister Cao a step forward.¡±

    "Sir, you mean to tell me not to attack Nanyang?"

    "I just suggest that it is up to Zhou Mu to decide whether to attack Nanyang or not."

    Liu Jing understood what Jia Xu meant. He hoped that he could leave some room for Cao Cao. Of course, it was understandable for Jia Xu to have such an idea. After all, Cao Cao was his old master.

    But seizing Nanyang is his established strategy, and he cannot give up his principles. Moreover, if he does not put pressure on Cao Cao in the south, Li Fu and others may not be able to persist.

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and smiled slightly: "Actually, I just want to find food and supplies in Wancheng. Nanyang is not urgent for me."

    He just gave Jia Xu a face. Capturing Nanyang and establishing a peripheral defense line was his established strategy. The strategy will not change, but the tactics can be changed. It doesn't matter one day earlier or one day later.

    Of course Jia Xu understood what he meant. In the final analysis, Liu Jing still wanted to take Nanyang.

    "However, Jia Xu can also understand that Nanyang is Xiangyang's strategic barrier and originally belongs to Jingzhou. It is reasonable that Liu Jing must seize it.

    "Haha! If Zhou Mu only wants supplies, he can just take Fancheng. Cao Jun's front line has reached Chibi, so Wancheng's grain and grass supplies should have been transferred to Fancheng."

    Liu Jing smiled, then changed the subject and asked: "Sir, do you still suggest that I use Hanzhong as a springboard to go north to Guanzhong?"

    Jia Xu knew that Liu Jing had already made up his mind, and the chess game had been laid out when negotiating with Sun Quan. Now that Liu Jing asked him again, he felt a little bitter in his heart.

    "Does Zhou Mu still need to ask me about this matter?"

    Liu Jing also smiled and said: "Although I don't need to ask anymore, hearing your answer from your husband also makes me feel more confident."

    "It actually doesn't matter where you go."

    Jia Xu sighed slightly and said: "The way of heaven has its own laws. 'Inaction' means following the way of nature. I think Zhou Mu does not need to be too worried about this matter. After this battle is over, God will naturally make arrangements. As the saying goes, when the water comes,  It comes naturally.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, the rumble of war drums was heard on the river. Hundreds of 500-stone warships appeared on the river in the distance. The sentry tower on Chibi Mountain immediately sounded the alarm, 'Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The harsh sound of the bell spread throughout the Jiangxia Army camp and water village.

    Naval Colonel Gan Ning immediately sent thirty thousand-stone warships out of the water village to intercept them. The warships lined up on the water. Behind the warships, there were hundreds of small boats waiting for the opportunity.

    At this time, Liu Jing and dozens of generals also rushed to the water village and watched the battle on the river from the bow. Many generals were surprised. How could Cao Jun, who had been silent for several months, suddenly launch an active attack?

    Liu Jing knew very well that this must be the news that Cao Cao got from Hebei.He couldn't hold back the anxiety in his heart and was eager to end the battle in Jingzhou. Now he wanted to fight, but he refused to fight with him.

    "Let General Gan come to see me!"

    A moment later, Gan Ning hurried over and bowed, "See you, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing pointed to Cao Jun¡¯s warship in the distance, ¡°I want to know the situation of Cao Jun.¡±

    "Back to Zhoumu, Cao Jun dispatched about a hundred warships. This should be just a tentative attack, not a formal attack."

    Liu Jing turned back and asked Jia Xu, "Sir, how do you think this battle should be fought?"

    Jia Xu thought for a while and said: "If I am not wrong, Prime Minister Cao is very conflicted in his heart right now, swinging between retreating and attacking, so he sent a navy to test the attack. If the battle situation is okay, then prepare for a decisive battle.  , If this navy army fails miserably, then he should consider retreating. "

    The generals all nodded. Jia Xu's analysis gave them a sense of turning away the clouds and seeing the sun. Gan Ning asked again: "Mr. Jia, do you mean to let us lose this battle?"

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and shook his head, "If the opponent is Cao Ren, there is no problem in pretending to be defeated, but what we are facing is Prime Minister Cao, who has experienced hundreds of battles, and there are also resourceful staff such as Cheng Yu, Chen Qun, and Liu Ye, so we  If you lose, you will be seen through by the opponent, but a big victory is not enough. The key is to grasp this degree. "

    Liu Jing also added: "Mr. Jia is right, we cannot lose this battle, but we cannot win a big victory, and we can end with a miserable victory."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Gan Ning already understood Liu Jing's intention. He bowed, turned around and walked away quickly.

    The war drums of the Jiangxia Army also beat loudly, and the drums were loud on the river. Hundreds of warships surrounded Cao's warships from all directions. At this time, the northwest wind on the river was strong and the waves rolled. It was difficult for the thousand-stone ship to sail against the wind, so it had to stop in line.  Outside the water stronghold, the main force of the real battle was hundreds of human-rowed boats.

    On the river outside Jiangxia Water Village, more than two hundred warships were fighting in groups. The scene was tragic. Ships were constantly being hit and sunk. Dead bodies were floating on the river, and flames were shooting into the sky.

    On the north bank of the Yangtze River, Cao Cao led hundreds of generals and counselors who were also anxiously waiting for news from the south bank. Cao Cao's eyes were gloomy and he stared at the river without saying a word. He was under tremendous pressure at this time. Not only was Hebei in danger, but also his military camp  Deserters appeared.

    Desertion is a big taboo for the army, which means that the morale of the army is beginning to turmoil, especially since there are 100,000 soldiers in his army from Hebei. The impact of the crisis in Hebei is even more serious. Cao Cao can no longer delay it, or fight decisively,  Either withdraw the troops and return north.

    It¡¯s just that Cao Cao was never willing to withdraw his troops. He spent nearly half of his national strength on this southern expedition. If he gained nothing, how could he explain it to the world?

    He can only find a way to defeat the enemy through the results of this trial battle.

    More than an hour has passed, but the dispatched warships still have not returned. Everyone is a little worried. Could it be that all the hundreds of warships were wiped out by the Jiangxia army?

    Just then, someone pointed at the river and shouted: "Back!"

    Everyone was in high spirits and walked towards the bow of the ship. They saw dozens of small black spots appearing on the river in the distance, getting closer and closer. It was indeed their warship, but it was by no means returning in triumph.

    "Damn it, are you defeated again?" Xu Chu cursed in a low voice behind him.

    Many generals were disappointed. It seemed that they had never won a battle against the Jiangxia Army. Although they were a little numb, this failure still deeply stimulated their hearts, and many people cursed in a low voice.

    At this time, Cheng Yu slowly walked up to Cao Cao and said with a smile: "More than forty warships have come back, it seems not too bad."

    Cao Cao said coldly: "I care more about their results!"

    After a while, Zhang Nan, the leader of the expedition, was brought to Cao Cao. He knelt down and apologized: "I was unfavorable in the battle due to my humble position. I lost fifty-five warships and more than a thousand soldiers. I was defeated and defeated. Please punish me, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao said calmly: "I want to know how much the Jiangxia army lost?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, our soldiers fought bravely, and the Jiangxia Army also suffered heavy losses. They also dispatched the same hundred warships, and probably lost about thirty."

    "What kind of warships did the Jiangxia Army dispatch? Did the Thousand Stone Ship dispatch?" Cheng Yu asked next to him.

    "Reporting to Duke Cheng, the Jiangxia Army dispatched thirty thousand-stone warships, but they did not fight. They were just lined up in front of the water village. They were unable to participate in the battle because of the headwind. We also fought with hundreds of five-hundred-stone warships.  Although they won in the end, it was a tragic victory. I am not boasting. They also suffered five to six hundred casualties. "

    "Although this battle is defeated, I will not remember your fault. Go to the Chinese army's tent and tell me the story of this battle in detail."

      "Thank you, Prime Minister!"

    Zhang Nan bowed and retreated. Cao Cao thought for a moment and said to Cheng Yu and the counselors, "Let's discuss it in the tent!"

    In the large tent of the Chinese army, the soldiers carried out a red cliff war plate made of clay. The war plate was three feet long and two feet wide. In the middle was the Yangtze River. On both sides were their own water forts and military camps on the banks. The water forts were filled with wooden objects.  The model is a large and small ship. Although the production is relatively rough, it looks very intuitive.

    This is the predecessor of the sand table, which has been used in military affairs during the Qin and Han Dynasties. Everyone gathered around the sand table. Zhang Nan told Cao Cao and the counselors and generals on the sand table about the battle that took place outside the water stronghold of Jiangxia Army in the morning.

    Cao Cao listened very attentively. After Zhang Nan finished speaking, Cao Cao slowly said: "We lost fifty-five warships and more than a thousand men, while the Jiangxia army lost thirty warships and five or six hundred men. This is  A very good result. We have more than 200,000 troops. Even if we lose 50,000 people when crossing the river, we still have 178,000 people, which is enough to wipe out Jiangxia. Time is running out. I hope to end this war within three days.  The war dragged on for months."

    There was silence in the big tent, everyone was chewing on Cao Cao's decision. As the supreme commander of the military, since he has spoken about the attack, the general direction has been decided, and the rest is for the counselors to perfect the details.

    In fact, this is also true. The person with the highest authority decides the general direction. This is his power. No one dares to compete with him for this power.

    Even core advisers like Xun Yu, Cheng Yu and even Guo Jia cannot decide. They can only analyze interests and let the highest authority decide the direction. But once the direction is decided, the role of the advisers is to perfect the details of the general direction.  .

    Cao Cao was wavering between withdrawing his troops and crossing the river, and Zhang Nan's tentative battle gave him a glimmer of hope. He was not afraid of losses. What he wanted was to successfully cross the river and completely wipe out Liu Jing of Jiangxia, so that he could turn around and head north.  , and tried their best to wipe out the remnants of the Yuan family in Hebei.

    Cao Cao looked at the counselors. He had finished speaking. Now it was time for the counselors to complete the details. His eyes finally fell on Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu was very quiet today, which meant that he already had a plan.

    "Zhongde, tell me!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 386 The Eve of the War

    Cheng Yu hadn't said a word since entering the account. He listened very carefully and didn't miss every detail. He already had a plan in mind.

    At this time, Cao Cao asked him, Cheng Yu took out more than a dozen large ship models from the Jiangxia military water stronghold, placed them one by one in front of the water stronghold, and said to Cao Cao and everyone: "Have you ever considered why the Thousand Stone Ship is clearly unable to fight?"  , Jiang Xiajun still wants to put them out, is it just for show?"

    Next to him, Chen Qun blurted out, "This is to prevent us from attacking the water village with fire!"

    Cao Cao thought thoughtfully, "Zhongde's plan is to attack with fire?"

    Cheng Yu nodded, "That's right, the key to this battle is not the battle of two hundred small ships, but the thirty thousand stone warships. Their function is to guard against our fire attack, but they also remind us  "The key to our victory in this battle is fire attack."

    Liu Ye frowned and said, "But Jiangxia is already preparing for our fire attack. Will they give us a chance?"

    Cheng Yu smiled slightly, "This is what people plan, and what happens is God! Now the northwest wind on the river is strong. This is the opportunity God gives us. If we don't take advantage of the favorable wind direction, then we really have no chance.  "

    Cao Cao walked to the side of Jiangxia Army in the battle, bent down and carefully inspected the structure of Jiangxia Army's water stronghold. He suddenly tapped the gate of the water stronghold with his finger, "The key is here!"

    "The Prime Minister is indeed very pleased!"

    Cheng Yu smiled at everyone and said: "We don't need to enter the Jiangdong Army water stronghold. As long as we can set fire at the gate and block the gate with fire, then the Jiangxia warships in the water stronghold will not be able to come out, and they will not be able to stop us from crossing the river."  , once the vanguard seals the Jiangxia military water stronghold, it will be the moment when we have thousands of ships racing to cross the river, and a hundred thousand troops."

    "But has Zhongde considered Jiangdong Army?"

    Liu Ye added: "Since the split between Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army is not real, then Jiangdong Army's sudden attack will pose a serious threat to our river-crossing ship. Has Zhongde considered it?"

    "Of course I have considered it. Jiangdong's army is currently stationed in Zhucheng. It will take a day to get there from Zhucheng. This is a human-powered small boat. The big ship cannot go up the river and will not be able to come at all."

    In fact, Cheng Yu also knew in his heart that his plan was very hasty and there would be loopholes that he could not take into account. However, Cheng Yu understood the anxiety in the prime minister's heart better. Hebei was in danger and the prime minister couldn't wait any longer.

    As a qualified counselor, he must take advantage of the situation and put forward a reasonable and effective plan as much as possible without changing the overall situation. His fire attack plan is the best plan. Even if he only has a 50% chance of winning, he will only  I can gamble.

    There was silence in the big tent. Cheng Yu's meaning was already very clear. As long as he launched an attack tonight, Jiangdong Army's warships would have no time to support him. Everyone's eyes were turned to Cao Cao.

    Cao Cao was still watching the Jiangxia navy water camp. He knew very well that in fact it was impossible for him to retreat. The northwest wind was strong and the ship could not return north. Even if he wanted to retreat, the Jiangxia navy would not allow him to cross the Han River.  This is called the situation being stronger than the person.

    But Cao Cao never wanted his men to know that he was fighting only when he had no way out, as this would shake his morale.

    After a long time, Cao Cao stood up straight and slowly said to everyone: "It is noon now. All soldiers go back to their tents to sleep and rest. At two o'clock tonight, we will launch the battle across the river!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cheng Yu's plan was indeed hasty, and there were loopholes that he did not take into account. He calculated that Jiangdong Army's warships could not move westward against the current and would not have enough time, but he ignored the land. Although Jiangdong Army was a naval force, it was not a naval force.  The army can also fight on land.

    From Chibi Wulin to the east is still the vast Yunmeng Ze. There are large mire swamps scattered in the water swamp, and murderous intentions are hidden in the water. However, there is a natural channel about one mile wide close to the Yangtze River. Although it is covered by lush forests, you can pass through it.  We walked through the forest until we reached Sanjiangkou, a hundred miles away.

    At night, an army of nearly 30,000 people marched rapidly in the forest. The 30,000-strong army stretched for ten miles. Although it was huge, the march was silent. The flag was rolled up, and only the rustling of footsteps and the snorting of the horses could be heard.  .

    This army was the Jiangdong Army that abandoned its ship and went ashore. According to Liu Jing's deployment, they did not attack by water, but switched to land, marched westward along the Yangtze River, and finally launched an offensive against Cao Jun's camp in Wulin.

    After receiving the news of the uprising in Hebei, Liu Jing knew that the decisive battle with Cao Jun was imminent, and he immediately notified Jiangdong Army to implement the landing plan.

    Jiangdong Army landed on the north bank last night, then marched along the north bank, camping and resting during the day, and continued marching after dark. The distance of a hundred miles was not far, and Jiangdong Army was less than ten miles away from Cao Jun's camp.

    A scout rides from the frontHe rushed over and found the coach Zhou Yu. He bowed on his horse and reported: "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the three sentry towers in front have been pulled out. General Taishi said that there are signs of large-scale mobilization in Cao's army."

    The vanguard was General Tai Shici. He led five hundred of the most elite soldiers to clear the way forward and pulled down the sentry towers of Cao's army to ensure the safety of the army.

    Zhou Yu raised his head and looked at the sky. It was probably the first watch. Cao Jun's large-scale mobilization at this time must be a major military operation today. In this case, they cannot get too close to Cao Jun's camp. Once they are discovered, all their previous efforts will be wasted.  Wait until war breaks out before launching an attack, so as to ensure final victory.

    Thinking of this, Zhou Yu immediately ordered: "The whole army will rest on the spot and order the troops behind to follow quickly."

    The soldiers sat down to rest one after another. Several of them leaned against a big tree, took out their water bottles and drank water, or closed their eyes and took a nap.

    Zhou Yu seemed a little worried. He stood on a high place with his hands behind his hands and looked at Cao Jun's camp. He could not see anything. The dark night and dense woods blocked his sight.

    He was preoccupied and had the bitterness of being a wedding dress. He didn¡¯t understand until he realized why Liu Jing must compete for the right to distribute the spoils, because Liu Jing had already arranged this battle, and his Jiangdong Army would attack the camp.

    The loot gained from attacking the camp was the most abundant. Of course, Liu Jing would not give up this benefit to himself, so he used the redemption of Huang Gai to force himself to agree to the right to distribute the spoils.

    It was only then that he understood Liu Jing's profound meaning, which made him very frustrated, but at the same time he also felt a sense of inferiority. He was conceited and intelligent, but compared with Liu Jing, he was too far behind.

    Thinking of this, Zhou Yu couldn't help but let out a long sigh. At this time, Lu Meng slowly walked to Zhou Yu and whispered: "The governor seems to be a little worried, maybe it's because of General Huang!"

    Although Zhou Yu did not reveal to the generals that he signed a treaty with Liu Jing, everyone knew very well that the governor must have agreed to some conditions to Liu Jing before he got Ma Yan's head. Liu Jing was not that easy to talk to.  people.

    Zhou Yu smiled bitterly and did not answer Lu Meng's question, but Lu Meng understood Zhou Yu's difficulties very well. He also knew where Zhou Yu was worried?

    He smiled and consoled him: "Don't think too much, Governor. Keeping General Huang is the biggest explanation to the Marquis of Wu. We all believe that replacing General Huang with General Huang is a wise move for the Governor."

    "It's useless to talk more about this matter. It's better to concentrate on fighting the battle tonight."

    Zhou Yu didn't want to mention this matter anymore, so he changed the subject. He smiled and said: "To be honest, I also admire Liu Jing's ability to control the war. He told me a piece of information. The Yuan family in Hebei has been revived.  The situation is very critical for Cao Cao, and Cao Cao is eager to end this southern expedition, so he will definitely rush to attack, so that we will have a chance. "

    Lu Meng frowned and said, "Does the Governor think the revival of the Yuan family in Hebei has something to do with Liu Jing?"

    Zhou Yu nodded, "I believe that the revival of the Yuan family must be brought about by him, because all his arrangements for us are just waiting for this opportunity to come. At least he was involved in this matter."

    This conclusion surprised Lu Meng secretly, and he was speechless for a long time. Zhou Yu sighed slightly and said: "Liu Jing is not only Cao Cao's strong enemy, but also our strong enemy in the future!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was night, the moonlight was dim, and the cold moonlight shone on the vast river. On the top of the semicircular mountain in Chibijitou, Liu Jing stared at the roaring river with her hands behind her hands, "The Yangtze River is rolling eastward, and the waves are sweeping away the heroes."  '

    He chanted in a low voice, and his chest felt like the water of a river flowing eastward, with a magnificent and magnificent feeling. He suddenly laughed and asked: "Sir, do you believe in fate?"

    Behind him, Jia Xu shook his head, "I don't believe in fate, but I believe in the way of heaven."

    ¡°What¡¯s the way of heaven, what¡¯s destiny?¡±

    "The way of heaven is to make up for the deficiency when there is more damage, but the way of man is not the same. If the loss is not enough, there will be more than enough, so I will not try my best in anything, just to leave a little room for myself. Zhou Mu follows the way of humanity, and the loss is not enough.  There is more than enough, maybe this is the fate that Zhou Mu said."

    Liu Jing turned back and stared at Jia Xu. He did not understand what Jia Xu meant. Jia Xu said again: "Zhou Mu has already taken advantage of Chibi, why can't he leave some room for Prime Minister Cao?"

    Liu Jing said calmly: "I do not believe in humanity, I believe in the king's way. The so-called king's way is to seek the greatest benefit. Those who are good at defending will hide under the nine earths, and those who are good at attacking will attack above the nine heavens."

    "But things in the world are like chess, and I'm afraid things in the world will not go according to Zhou Mu's expectations."

    Liu Jing smiled lightly, "I only care about the overall situation, who can plan every specific step?"So far, my royal approach to Cao Cao is, either don¡¯t do it or do it absolutely!  "

    Jia Xu smiled bitterly and shook his head. In fact, he wanted to persuade Liu Jing not to drive Cao Cao out in the Battle of Chibi and leave some room. However, Liu Jing was determined to use the Battle of Chibi to weaken Cao Cao's army as much as possible. He had nothing to say.  It can be said.

    At this time, the soldiers on the sentry tower nearby shouted: "Zhou Mu, an enemy ship has been found on the river!"

    Liu Jing walked forward quickly and stared at the sparkling river. Sure enough, he saw dense black spots appearing on the river. A cold smile finally appeared on the corner of Liu Jing's mouth, finally here!

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 387 Battle of Chibi (Part 1)

    Hundreds of small and medium-sized warships on the river rode the wind and waves and rushed toward the Jiangxia Army's water stronghold. Behind the small boats, nearly a hundred warships lined up, commanded by navy generals Zhang Yun and Cai He.

    At this time, bursts of urgent alarm bells came from Chibiji, ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The sound of the bell sounded alarmed and urgent. This was the Jiangxia sentry¡¯s discovery of the military situation.

    On the bow of the boat, Zhang Yun had a sneer on his face. He had finally waited for this day. The hatred in his heart had been hidden for many years. Finally, when the time came for him to take revenge, he would cut Liu Jing into pieces to relieve the hatred in his heart.

    "General, do you think Liu Jing will fall into the trap?" Cai He asked worriedly.

    Zhang Yun glanced at him and said coldly and disdainfully: "This is not a strategy, it's just to catch Liu Jing off guard."

    He pointed at the water stronghold of the Jiangxia Army, "Didn't you see it? All the warships are in the water stronghold. How can they fight as long as the gate is sealed?"

    Having said this, Zhang Yun ignored Cai He, turned around and shouted loudly: "Beat the drum!"

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The drums sounded loudly on the warships. This was an order to raise the fire. There were three Cao Jun navy soldiers on each of the hundreds of fast boats rushing towards Jiangxia Jun's water stronghold. He raised the torch to ignite the kerosene in the boat.  , hundreds of fire boats suddenly appeared on the river, sailing towards the three gates of Jiangxia Junshui Village.

    Hundreds of fire boats instantly crowded in front of the three water stronghold gates. The fire gathered and the flames shot into the sky, also igniting the gates on both sides of the water stronghold. Hundreds of Jiangxia sentries jumped into the water and swam into the water stronghold.

    But strangely, the water stronghold was still very quiet. Jiangxia soldiers did not rush onto the warships in chaos. This made Zhang Yun feel a little bad. He suddenly found that there were not many warships in the water stronghold. It seemed that there were only  Two to three hundred ships, where did the rest of the warships go?

    Zhang Yun suddenly became a little panicked

    On the north bank, Cao Cao, with his helmet on his head and his Heavenly Sword in his hand, was watching the movements on the south bank of the Yangtze River from the viewing platform. He suddenly saw countless fire spots appearing on the river. He was overjoyed. He waved his sword and shouted: "The first batch of troops set off!"

    The gate of the water village opened wide, and hundreds of large ships loaded with the first batch of nearly 50,000 Cao Jun soldiers left the water village. The sails were swollen, and with the strong northwest wind, they sailed diagonally towards the south bank of the Yangtze River. They did not directly  Instead of heading towards Chibi, they headed towards a wilderness a few miles east of Chibi, where 200,000 Cao troops would be forcibly landed in four batches.

    Cao Cao also knew that there were risks. He didn't know how long the fire could block the Jiangxia warships, but he insisted on a principle. The Jiangxia army's ships of more than a thousand stones could not fight against the wind. Even if a small boat was sent, he was not afraid. The small boat could not shake his  Troopship.

    Hundreds of large ships were like mountains moving on the river, sailing up and down on the river. There were hundreds of small warships escorting them all around. The water surface was very choppy and wavey. Cao's soldiers in the cabin couldn't bear it, and some people began to cover their mouths.  Running towards the corner, causing more pain.

    Not long after the troop transport left the water village, a soldier suddenly pointed to the southwest and shouted: "Look, what is that?"

    Everyone turned their heads and looked to the southwest, and were stunned. They saw densely packed sampans and boats on the river in the southwest. There were thousands of them, and they were heading towards Cao Jun's water village at a rapid speed, like a school of flying fish.  .

    Cao Cao was shocked. He suddenly remembered that most of the small warships in the water stronghold had been dispatched, but there was no ship to intercept the opponent's small ships and kill them. At this time, Zhang Nan cupped his fists and said: "There are still eighty hundred-stone warships in the water stronghold."  Warship, I am willing to come out of the stronghold to intercept it."

    Cao Cao ordered urgently: "Go quickly!"

    Zhang Nan quickly jumped off a warship, pointed his hand, "Attack!"

    Eighty hundred-stone warships filed out of the gate of the water stronghold. Cao Cao ordered thousands of archers and crossbowmen to rush to the head of the stronghold, with their bows and arrows ready, and they were ready. At this time, Cao Cao was extremely worried. Obviously, Jiang Xia's army was not unprepared. They had already prepared it.  Prepare, so what will happen in tonight's battle?

    Cao Cao simply didn¡¯t dare to think about it anymore. He turned around and looked at Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu also looked pale. What he was worried about finally happened. He was confused and didn¡¯t know what to do.

    But he had to give the prime minister an answer. Cheng Yu gritted his teeth and said: "As long as the large warships of the Jiangxia Army cannot participate in the battle, this is a kind of harassment."

    Cao Cao calmed down and realized that Cheng Yu was right. As long as the wind direction remained unchanged, he didn't have to be afraid. He looked back and saw that nearly a thousand large ships carrying the second and third batches of 100,000 soldiers were ready to set off.  Waiting to cut off the harassment of Jiang Xia's army.

    Cao Cao shouted, "Close the gate of the village!"

    The gate of Cao Jun¡¯s water stronghold was creaking shut to prevent enemy ships from breaking into the water stronghold through the gate.

    This kind of sampan sent by the Jiangxia Army is called a shuttle boat. As the name suggests, it is a slender fishing boat, only four feet wide and two feet long. It can be seen everywhere in the rivers south of the Yangtze River.??Mostly stood a row of ospreys.

    The advantage of this kind of small boat is that it is fast and extremely flexible, and can pass through the gaps between large ships. It has a special feature specifically for water villages, that is, it can easily pass through the wooden piles spaced seven feet apart in ordinary water villages, so  This kind of shuttle boat was nicknamed the "water village killer" by the soldiers.

    " However, the disadvantages of this kind of shuttle boat are also obvious, that is, it is difficult to control. When traveling on the river, a wave can overturn it. Unless you have extremely strong control skills, sailing on the Yangtze River is extremely risky.

    But for the Jiangxia Navy, it must have such a quick-response army. As early as the Chaisang Dynasty, the Jiangxia Army began to train the Navy to control such shuttle boats, and has now trained 5,000 outstanding sailors.

    This time the Jiangxia Army dispatched two thousand shuttle boats. There were two soldiers on each boat. One person rowed the sculls at the stern to control the boat, and the other stood at the bow to steer the ship and control the sailing direction. Between them were ten barrels.  kerosene and cover with tarpaulin.

    At this time, Cao Jun¡¯s general Zhang Nan led eighty small boats with a hundred stone to attack them head-on. However, the shuttle boats were like a school of frightened fish, evading to both sides. They were so flexible that Cao Jun¡¯s warships did not hit any of them.

    But soon, General Shen Mi of the Jiangxia Army began to organize shuttle boats to counterattack. Ten shuttle boats surrounded a Cao army warship and attacked from all directions. Shen Mi was bare-chested, holding a shield in his left hand and a sharp short halberd in his right hand.  .

    He had already set his sights on the boat where the leader of Cao's army was. When the shuttle boat approached the boat, Shen Mi jumped onto the bow of the boat. He swung his halberd and blood burst out. A soldier of Cao's army screamed and fell into the river.

    Zhang Nan turned around and stared fiercely at the uninvited guest on the bow with a big knife in his hand. He suddenly roared and struck with the knife with a fierce force. Shen Mi smiled coldly and put a thousand pounds of force into his legs. He used both sides in turn to exert force. Cao Jun  The boat suddenly rocked violently.

    Several Cao Jun soldiers screamed and fell into the water. Zhang Nan could not stand still. He staggered and swayed to the left. He slashed the air with his sword. Shen Mi was waiting for this opportunity. His short halberd struck out like lightning, and he heard a tragic sound.  Yelling, Zhang Nan's head flew up and his body fell into the water.

    Shen Mi¡¯s victory inspired Jiangxia soldiers. They followed the same example and rocked Cao¡¯s boats. After a while, most of the eighty boats capsized and all the soldiers on board were killed. Shen Mi raised a horn, raised his head and blew hard, ¡®Woo¡ª¡ª¡¯

    Dozens of horns sounded at the same time, and the deep sound of horns echoed on the river, inspiring the soldiers of Jiangxia Army. Two thousand shuttle boats regrouped and rushed towards Cao Jun's water stronghold.

    Cao Jun's water village is exactly the same as Jiangxia's water village. They are both Jingzhou-style water villages of the same origin. Wooden piles are driven into the bottom of the river, and the wooden piles are spaced seven feet apart. Warships are parked behind the wooden piles to serve as ship walls.

    In Jiangxia Water Village, five hundred stone boats of medium size are used. The boats are connected with iron chains and covered with wooden planks as ship walls.

    The biggest advantage of this kind of ship wall is that it is convenient for archers to defend in front of the water stronghold. At the same time, because the gaps between the ships are very small, even if the enemy boats attack with fire, they can only burn the ship wall and cannot penetrate deep into the water.  Inside the village.

    But the situation of Cao Jun is slightly special. They have an army of 200,000 and consume a huge amount of food every day. Warships with 500 shi need to be used to transport food, and warships with less than 500 shi are too small, so Cao Jun uses 2,000 shi warships.  The ships are arrayed into ship walls, which are also connected with iron chains and covered with ship planks.

    But a loophole appeared in this way, that is, there was a six or seven-foot wide gap between the boats. The shuttle boat could pass through the gap and go straight to the depths of Cao Jun's water stronghold. When Jiang Xia Jun's shuttle boat appeared,  Apparently this fatal loophole was caught.

    The densely packed shuttle boats rushed a hundred steps in front of the water stronghold, and an overwhelming barrage of arrows roared towards them. The soldiers at the helm in the front squatted down and raised their giant shields to greet them, while the rowing soldiers in the back hid behind the kerosene barrels.

    Despite this, many soldiers were still shot by arrows, or the ships lost direction, spun on the water, or lost power. The ships slowly slowed down, but this was only a small number. The vast majority of the ships rushed in quickly through the gap.  Water village.

    The soldiers smashed the oil drums with axes and pushed them down the river. Soon a fire broke out, igniting the boat and the surface of the river. The soldiers on board jumped into the water one after another and swam out of the water village.

    This is an extremely spectacular picture. There are raging fires burning in the two water villages in the north and south. The difference is that Jiangxia Jun's water village is an empty village with only more than 200 old ships, while Cao Jun's water village is an empty one.  In the actual stronghold, there were not only more than a thousand warships, but also 100,000 soldiers preparing to cross the river.

    The wind took advantage of the fire, and the flames soared into the sky. The soldiers screamed and howled, scrambling for their lives. Cao Jun's water stronghold was in chaos. At this moment, another scene that Cao Jun could not imagine appeared.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 388 Battle of Chibi (Part 2)

    Another fleet appeared on the river, with a total of five hundred thousand-stone warships, heading towards the north bank overwhelmingly. This is what Zhou Yu has always wanted to know, the secret weapon of the Jiangxia Army, a thousand-stone warship that can go against the wind.  The boat is driven by wooden wheel blades and is powered by human power pedaling in the cabin.

    This is the pedal-powered warship invented by Ma Jun. Its biggest advantage is that it solves the power problem of the warship traveling against the wind, and becomes the trump card of the Jiangxia Army at critical moments. This is also when Liu Jing discovered this pedal boat.  When it appeared, it was immediately hidden and not allowed to develop, so that it could exert its miraculous effect in the Chibi Battle.

    This really made Cao Jun never dream of it. The fundamental reason why Cao Cao decided to risk crossing the river to fight was that he and his advisers believed that under the strong northwest wind, the large warships of Jiangxia Army would not be able to exert their power. This was all Cao Cao's plan.  Premise and foundation.

    Now that this foundation was broken by the Jiangxia Army, Cao Cao's army was destined to be defeated in this battle. At this time, Cao Cao had just escaped to the shore under the protection of the generals. He only heard someone shouting: "Jiangxia Army warships, Jiangxia Army warships kill."  coming!"

    Cao Cao looked back and saw huge warships sailing towards the north bank on the river shrouded in the cold moonlight. Countless warships had already landed on the north bank. What made Cao Cao even more incredible was that all the warships were sailing towards the north bank.  There was no sail, so how did they sail against the wind?

    Cao Cao was stunned with shock. He turned around and looked at Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu was also stunned and murmured: "Impossible! How is it possible?"

    Thirty thousand Jiangxia troops landed in an open space to the west of Shuizhai, but the landing did not go smoothly. Zhang Liao led 5,000 Cao troops to the landing place and saw more than a dozen large ships docking. On the two-mile-long shore, groups of Jiangxia troops  The soldiers lined up from the ship.

    ¡°Bows and arrows ready!¡±

    Zhang Liao shouted, and the three thousand crossbowmen of Cao's army immediately drew their bows and arrows and aimed at the soldiers of Jiangxia army.

    "shoot!"

    Zhang Liao gave an order, and arrows were fired at the Jiangxia warship intensively. The hundreds of soldiers who had just landed were caught off guard, and most of them were knocked down by the overwhelming arrows. The remaining more than a hundred soldiers rushed back to the ship.

    Seeing that he had the upper hand, Zhang Liao was overjoyed. He waved his sword and shouted: "Suppress the enemy with bows and arrows, and do not allow the enemy to land!"

    Three thousand Cao's troops fired arrows in turn, blocking the two-mile-long landing port and suppressing the Jiangxia soldiers on the ship, unable to get ashore. The warships behind had to slow down, causing the Jiangxia Army's landing to suffer a heavy setback.

    At this time, Liu Jing had been informed that the landing was frustrated. He stood on the bow of the ship and looked at the situation on the shore. He could vaguely see Cao Jun's crossbowmen lining up to shoot. Liu Jing couldn't help but become anxious. If the landing here failed, once Cao Jun was in  The army in the west is reorganizing and counterattacking, and Jiangdong's army may not be able to support it alone.

    Only when the Jiangxia Army and Jiangdong Army attack from the east and west can Cao Jun be completely defeated, otherwise he will fall short. Liu Jing became anxious and immediately ordered: "Heavy armored infantry landing!"

    This is his trump card. He didn't want to use it easily, but at this critical moment, he couldn't care less.

    As Liu Jing¡¯s order was issued, a dozen large ships in front sailed away from the shore, and ten two thousand stone ships loaded with a thousand heavily armored soldiers slowly docked.

    The sides of the ship were lined up with special infantrymen wearing heavy armor. They held a shield in one hand and a two-foot-long saber in the other. They were the trapping soldiers of the Jiangxia Army. Together with the cavalry, they were called the two heavy fists of the Jiangxia Army.

    The ship's planks were set up on the shore, and groups of mighty heavy armored infantry lined up ashore. The ranks were neat and orderly. The sabers shining coldly under the moonlight were full of murderous intent. Under the leadership of Liu Hu, they quickly lined up into a formation.  Ten rows marched towards Cao Cao's five thousand soldiers step by step.

    Zhang Liao's expression was unusually solemn. He recognized that these were heavy armored infantry. There were also heavy armored infantry in Lu Bu's army, but the number was very small, only three hundred. However, the heavy armored infantry of the Jiangxia Army in front of him had as many as a thousand, and they were even sharper.  .

    "shoot!"

    He ordered again, and three thousand crossbowmen fired arrows at the heavy armored infantry together. The arrows were like a rain of arrows, overwhelmingly shooting at the heavy armored infantry. However, in front of the dense wall of heavy armored infantry, the bows and arrows did not play any role.  A heavy infantryman fell.

    The heavy armored infantry still moved forward step by step, as dignified as a mountain. The oppression made Cao's soldiers breathless. At the same time, they also felt a great fear. The opponent was not afraid of bows and arrows. Even Zhang Liao pulled his horse back and kept retreating. There was an uneasy feeling in his heart.  Wonderful feeling.

    "Cum again!"

    Zhang Liao shouted sharply, and arrows once again shot at the heavy armored infantry like a storm, so densely that it was suffocating, but still had no effect. At this moment, Liu Hu shouted, "Kill!"

    The heavy armored infantry threw away their shields one after another, holding their sabers tightly with both hands, and rushed into Cao's army, slashing and killing them with their swords.The head was chopped off, the limbs were flying around, and the chopping was like chopping melons and vegetables, and the screams resounded across the shore.

    These heavy armored infantry were like demons from Shura Hell. The brutal massacre made Cao's soldiers tremble with fear, and Cao's soldiers were forced to retreat continuously.

    At this time, the Jiangxia Army once again began to mass disembark on a large scale and continued to surge towards Cao Jun. At this time, the Jiangxia Army had gathered nearly 10,000 people. When Liu Jing disembarked, the Jiangxia Army suddenly cheered like thunder and their morale was high.

    Five thousand Cao's troops were finally unable to resist and collapsed in an instant. The soldiers scrambled and fled backwards. No one could resist Jiang Xia's army anymore. The soldiers cried and shouted, and they were defeated like a mountain.

    Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhang Liao led hundreds of his guards to turn around and flee toward the camp.

    The water village is about one mile away from the military camp. Cao Cao led his generals and counselors and had just reached the halfway point. At this time, Zang Ba, who was stationed in the camp, led more than a thousand soldiers to escape from the camp and shouted: "Prime Minister, tens of thousands of people from Jiangdong  The army has broken through the military camp and is attacking from the east. The military camp has been captured! "

    This news made Cao Cao feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave. His only hope was to hold on to the camp and rely on superior forces to fight the Jiangxia Army. But now the Jiangdong Army has destroyed his last hope.

    Cao Cao felt that all his thoughts were despairing and his heart was about to die. What should he do?  The water stronghold was destroyed and the camp fell. Where should he go?

    At this time, Chen Qun hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Jiangxia's army landed from the west bank, and Jiangdong's army came from the east. Wulin Road must have been cut off. We can only escape from the battlefield through Yunmeng Waterway now!"

    Cao Cao saw that the water stronghold was devoured by fire. The soldiers screamed and ran away. Unknown how many people were burned to death in the warships. There were also 50,000 troops heading to the south bank. They would also become the turtles in the urn of the Jiangxia army. From this, 200,000 troops  The destruction made his heart extremely painful.

    "Prime Minister!"

    Zhang Liao led hundreds of people to rush from the west, panting and saying: "Liu Jing personally leads an army of 10,000 to attack this way. We can't resist it. If we don't leave, it will be too late!"

    Cao Cao sighed, "It's my fault!" He burst into tears, urged his horse and ran towards the swamp in the northwest.

    The fire in the water stronghold lasted for more than ten miles, like a raging flame burning the river. The military camp was also captured by Jiangdong's army. The morale of nearly 200,000 Cao's troops collapsed. Everyone scrambled to escape. It was no longer possible to organize resistance. Cao's army was completely defeated.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    While the war on the shore was raging, the battle on the river was equally exciting. In the middle of the Yangtze River, hundreds of warships full of Cao Jun soldiers were forced to stop by the Jiangxia Navy.

    These troop transports are not combat ships. Although they are full of soldiers, they are not naval forces. They are northern soldiers who can't even hold on by boat.

    "Hundreds of troop transport ships are like huge chickens. Although they are large, they are destined to be slaughtered. Facing the threat of Jiangxia Navy, no big ship dares to disobey orders and sail.

    The Jiangxia naval forces came out with more than 300 thousand-stone warships, all of which relied on manual pedaling to move forward. All warships did not have sails, which eliminated the danger of their sails being burned by rockets.

    On the river, Gan Ning led 300 Jiangxia army warships, more than 100 Cao army Qianshi warships, and hundreds of small boats in a fierce battle.

    Whether it is the number of warships or the combat capability of a single ship, Cao Jun's warships are obviously inferior. It is only because of the assistance of hundreds of small boats that Cao Jun can barely support himself.

    The warship collided and the hull shattered. The soldiers jumped on the enemy warship and fought fiercely. On the river, stone bullets hit the enemy ship one after another. Rockets and kerosene tanks kept flying towards the enemy ship. For a while, arrows rained down.  The fire is like a cloud.

    "Hold on, don't retreat!"

    Zhang Yun shouted at the top of his lungs. At this moment, a Jiangxia Army ship rushed from the diagonal stab, 'Bang!  ' With a loud noise, the two ships collided heavily. The huge impact caused a large hole in the port side of Cao's warship. Zhang Yun also lost his footing and stepped back more than ten steps in a row before falling to the deck.

    At this time, dozens of Jiangxia soldiers rushed onto the warship. Gan Ning appeared on the bow of the ship with a bow and arrow in his hand. He looked closely at Zhang Yun. He took out an arrow from the quiver behind his shoulder, stretched his bow and nocked the arrow, and the string was like a full moon.  , targeting Zhang Yun, the enemy from many years ago.

    As soon as the string was loosened, a wolf fang shot towards Zhang Yun's face like lightning. Zhang Yun just sat up when he suddenly saw an arrow coming from twenty steps away. He was so frightened that he instinctively opened his mouth and prepared to scream.

    ¡®Poof!  ¡¯ A powerful arrow shot into Zhang Yun¡¯s mouth, and the tip of the arrow came out from the back of his head, nailing Zhang Yun to the mast alive.

    Gan Ning stepped forward and sneered: "Zhang Yun, you have today too!"

    At this time, a dozen soldiers came forward with Cai He who was captured alive, "General Gan, seize the enemy's deputy general."

    Gan Ning nodded approvingly, "Well done, I will give you a big reward!"

      His eyes turned to Cai He again. They had also been dealing with each other for many years. He looked at Cai He sharply and slowly pressed his hand on the handle of the knife.

    Cai He saw Zhang Yun's tragic death with his own eyes. He was so frightened that he knelt on his knees and begged: "I ordered the army to surrender. General Gan spares my life!"

    "Bah! Useless coward."

    Gan Ning ordered the people around him, "Take him and order him to surrender!"

    Zhang Yun was killed, and Cai He ordered the navy to surrender. Cao's warships lost their will to resist and stopped their ships one after another to surrender. At this time, hundreds of troop transport ships parked on the river became Jiangxia without the protection of the navy's warships.  The turtle in the urn of the army.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    About ten miles northwest of Cao Jun¡¯s camp, there is the endless Yunmengze. Cao Jun dug a canal from here to lead directly to the camp, but there were nearly a hundred 500-stone cargo ships moored beside the Yunmengze River.

    At this time, tens of thousands of soldiers of Cao's army gathered by the river, crying and begging to get on the boat. However, the boat was guarded by Yu Jin and two thousand soldiers, and anyone who dared to steal the boat would be killed.

    The shore was covered with hundreds of corpses, and the land was dyed red with blood. At this time, there was chaos behind the rebel army. An army rushed into the crowd like a sharp spear. The crowd was so frightened that they stumbled and ran to both sides, leaving a main road.  .

    Hundreds of guards came to protect Cao Cao and his advisers. They boarded the boat one after another and occupied most of the boat in a moment. At this time, tens of thousands of deserters on the shore gathered around and knelt on the shore, crying loudly.

    Zhang Liao couldn't bear it and said to Cao Cao: "I beg the Prime Minister to allow me to take them to the Wulin land route!"

    Cao Cao glared at him fiercely and cursed: "Jiangdong's army has cut off the land route, how can you leave? Life or death is your destiny, don't let anything get in trouble!"

    Zhang Liao was too frightened to say a word. Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "Sail the ship!"

    A ship left the shore and sailed towards the Yunmeng swamp. At this time, Yu Jin led the soldiers to board the last twenty or so ships. The soldiers on the shore were desperate and stood up one after another, crying and rushing towards the ship.  They scrambled to get on board.

    At this time, Yu Jin had already seen an army coming hundreds of steps away. He was furious. He drew his sword and slashed wildly, with his fingers flying and screaming. Yu Jin killed more than 20 people in a row, and ordered his men to sail the ship.  Amidst the fighting among each other, the last twenty or so ships gradually sailed away from the shore.

    The tens of thousands of Cao soldiers on the shore were crying loudly. Many of them stumbled and tried to find another way to escape. At this moment, thousands of Jiangxia troops came from all directions. The leader was none other than Zhou Mu Liu Jing. He raised his halberd and shouted:  : "Those who surrender will be spared death, and those who resist will be killed!"

    Cao¡¯s army was cornered and had no intention of resisting, so they all knelt down and surrendered, begging for their lives.

    Liu Jing urged his horse to the shore and stared at Cao Cao's fleet gradually disappearing in the swamp. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. Cao Cao escaped, which meant that he had achieved a complete victory in the Battle of Chibi.

    But the war was not over. The two important towns of Jiangling and Xiangyang were still in the hands of Cao Jun.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the south bank of the Yangtze River, Cao Jun¡¯s ships docked one after another, and groups of Cao Jun soldiers stepped off the ships. Many of them were severely seasick and pale, and they helped each other get off the ship.

    All weapons were not allowed to be taken off the ship. They were all placed on the ship. On the shore, thousands of Jiangxia soldiers were closely guarding the prisoners of war. Cao's prisoners of war gathered into a thousand people and were escorted away.

    The officers of Cao's army were gathered separately and sent to other camps for detention.

    Surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, Huang Zhong stood on a high place and watched with cold eyes as groups of Cao soldiers disembarked.

    At this time, Huang Zhong suddenly saw an extremely tall soldier, eight feet three tall, with broad shoulders and a round waist. He looked extremely powerful. He had a broad face, a big beard, and eyes like copper bells, which made him look majestic.

    But for such an outstanding talent, he was actually wearing the leather armor of an ordinary soldier. He was not even that long, and he was still covering up for fear of others seeing his face, which immediately made Huang Zhong suspicious.

    He pointed at the burly soldier and shouted: "Arrest that man!"

    Dozens of Jiangxia soldiers immediately rushed forward, but this man was extremely vicious, punching and kicking him. Dozens of soldiers were unable to catch him. Instead, he knocked down a large section of them, and they were about to grab a spear.

    Huang Zhong was immediately furious. He drew his bow and nocked an arrow, and shot an arrow. The precise and powerful arrow penetrated the man's left calf. The man's legs went weak and he suddenly became unsteady and fell to his knees on his left leg.

    This momentary opportunity was seized by Jiangxia soldiers. More than a dozen people swarmed up, pushed the man to the ground, and tied him up with beef tendons.

    Huang Zhong walked up and asked coldly: "Who are you?"

    The man snorted loudly, raised his head and said proudly: "A man will never change his surname. I am Xia Houyuan!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 389 Battle of Chibi (Part 2)

    The sky is getting brighter, and the Battle of Chibi is coming to an end. Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army are busy cleaning up the battlefield. Hundreds of thousands of Cao's troops have been captured. Tent baggage, food and weapons and other materials are piled up. The corpses of the dead soldiers are burned and the ashes are scattered.  to the Yangtze River.

    Liu Jing, accompanied by Zhou Yu, inspected Cao Jun's camp. Cao Jun's camp was relatively well preserved. It was not burned down by a fire like the water camp. The tents were all dismantled and stacked neatly one on top. Looking from a distance,  Like a dozen gray-white mounds.

    There are still hundreds of huge tents in the southeast corner that have not been dismantled. There is Cao Jun's grain storehouse, which is full of grain and hay. The grain alone contains more than 200,000 stones. In addition, there are hundreds of thousands more.  Cows, horses and other livestock.

    The copper coins were even more uncountable, and the gold alone weighed several thousand kilograms. Zhou Yu's face turned a little pale. He finally realized why Liu Jing had to fight for the right to dispose of the spoils. These rich spoils made him feel dizzy.  Giving up these mountains of strategic materials because of Huang Gai seems to be a bit more loss than gain.

    But he had nothing to do. After all, he had established evidence with Liu Jing as evidence. Now his only hope was that Liu Jing would not go too far and give him a little bit. Otherwise, he really didn't know how to explain to Wu Hou when he went back.

    Liu Jing glanced at Zhou Yu quickly. From the moment he entered the camp, he felt that Zhou Yu was a little depressed. Of course, he could understand Zhou Yu's mood.

    Liu Jing was not a prophet on some matters. He could only judge based on some common sense. How many days of supplies were needed to maintain an army of more than 200,000 in Jingzhou for several months? This consumed nearly half of Cao Cao's national power.

    After the historical Chibi War, Cao Cao switched from strategic offense to strategic defense. To a large extent, the national strength was difficult to support such a large-scale southern expedition.

    In fact, this is only part of the supplies, and some are in Jiangling and Fancheng.

    At this time, Zhou Yu took out a sword and said to Liu Jing: "This is one of Cao Cao's swords, named 'Qingzhi'. It was obtained by Taishi Ci when he killed the sword general Xia Houen. I will give this sword to Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing was immediately interested when he heard that it was a green sword. He took the sword and slowly pulled it out. The sword was as icy as jade, and a cold air hit his face. "What a sword!" Liu Jing praised it.

    "Why are you so embarrassed to accept such a valuable sword from Gong Jin? Why doesn't Gong Jin offer it to Marquis Wu?"

    Although Liu Jing said this, he had already put the sword in his hand. He could not give it back to Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu smiled faintly and said, "If Zhou Mu feels embarrassed, you might as well give me a sword."

    Liu Jing saw the look of infinite expectation in Zhou Yu's eyes, and thought to herself, 'What sword makes him look forward to it so much?  ¡¯

    With a change of thought, Liu Jing suddenly understood, "Does Gong Jin want the ancient ingot sword?"

    The ancient ingot sword was Sun Jian's sword. When Sun Jian was killed in the battle against Jiangxia, the sword fell into the hands of Liu Biao, who then rewarded it to Huang Zhong, who loved collecting weapons.

    Although in the eyes of Jingzhou people, the ancient ingot sword is just a rare sharp blade, in the eyes of Jiangdong people, it is a sacred object.

    Although the Qingzhi Sword is a famous sword in the world, for Jiangdong, it can never be compared with the ancient ingot sword. If he can get the ancient ingot sword, Zhou Yu can also give an explanation to Wu Hou. After all, the contract was signed without the consent of Wu Hou, and Zhou Yu felt somewhat guilty.  disturbed.

    Zhou Yu nodded, "I hope Zhou Mu can understand the significance of the ancient ingot sword to Jiangdong and Wuhou."

    Liu Jing suddenly remembered the disappointment in Sun Quan¡¯s eyes when he and Sun Quan met last time and gave the Blue Moon Sword to Sun Quan. Only now did he understand, what did Sun Quan want?

    After pondering for a moment, Liu Jing smiled and said: "I understand Gong Jin's mood. No matter how precious the treasure is, it cannot compare with the friendship between our two coalition forces to fight against Cao Cao. I will find a way to persuade Huang Zhong. Within a month, there will be an envoy to bring Gu  The ingot knife was sent to Jiangdong."

    Zhou Yu was overjoyed and bowed and saluted: "Thank you, Zhou Mu, for your support!"

    Reaching this agreement, Zhou Yu¡¯s worry about gains and losses disappeared. He pointed to the tent in the southeast corner and said with a smile: ¡°That¡¯s the grain depot over there!¡±

    "Let's take a look." Liu Jing walked towards the grain depot with great interest.

    Walking into the huge grain tent, this big tent covered an area of ??two acres. The ground was covered with dry straw mats. Bags of grain were neatly stacked up to the top of the tent. Liu Jing patted the thick grain tent hard.  Bags, he immediately judged that a bag of grain was at least one stone, so how many bags of grain were in this big tent?

    At this time, Cao Juncang, who had surrendered, stepped forward and introduced carefully: "Qi Zhoumu, there are three thousand shi of grain in this big tent, which is three thousand bales, one hundred bales per layer, a total of thirty layers. The food is from last year."  The wheat harvested by the Yingchuan army can be stored in a dry place for three years. The humble post has an account and can be introduced in detail. "

    "good!"

    Liu Jing smiled approvingly: "You are a qualified Cang Cao, continue."?Go down.  "

    Cang Cao was overjoyed and quickly bowed and saluted, "Thank you, Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing's eyes turned to Zhou Yu again. Zhou Yu sighed with a frustrated look and said: "Since I signed a contract with Zhou Mu, I will naturally not break my promise. I will not take any prisoners of war and trophies, and Zhou Yu will handle them."

    Liu Jing shook his head secretly in his heart, so Zhou Yu could only be the younger brother, but could not become the master. The fundamental reason was that he was not thick enough and too scholarly. If it were him, he would transport the supplies away first. If it is not enough to make the agreement, then take it out.  If you keep your promise little by little, who knows how much loot you will get?

    When it comes to war interests, there is no such thing as benevolence. Although she thought so, Liu Jing still smiled and said: "Don't worry, Gongjin, when I finish sorting out all the supplies, I will distribute them fairly, at least half to Jiangdong Army.  This is a victory for both of us, how can I only enjoy it?¡±

    Zhou Yu smiled bitterly in his heart. Although he was true to his word, he was not stupid. How could Liu Jing share the right to dispose of the spoils in exchange for Ma Yan's head with him fairly? At most, he gave a little to Jiangdong Army for the sake of face. Although  He understood, but there was nothing he could do about it.

    "Is Zhou Mu preparing to march westward immediately to seize Jiangling and Xiangyang?" Zhou Yu asked again with concern.

    Liu Jing smiled and shook her head, "The soldiers are too tired and need to rest for a while. I also want to see my son. It has been a few months since he was born and I have only seen him a few times. I am not up to standard as a father!"  "

    Reply to 2nd floor 2013-11-1510:04 report |

    The great China

    Small bar owner 12

    Zhou Yu didn't say anything else. He knew that Liu Jing actually didn't trust Jiangdong's army, but it really didn't make sense for Jiangdong's army to stay in Jiangxia. Zhou Yu pondered for a moment and said: "I have an agreement with Marquis Wu. After the Battle of Chibi, I  I immediately returned to assist Wu Hou in attacking Hefei. The military situation is urgent. I plan to return directly to Qichun at noon. After a short rest, I will return to Wuhu, Jiangling and Xiangyang. I will no longer assist Zhou Mu. "

    Liu Jing was overjoyed, and Zhou Yu seemed to be quite sensible. It was best this way. He patted Zhou Yu on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Don't worry, Gong Jin! You can go back on the captured Cao Jun warship. As for the captured supplies, I  We will let the Tao family caravan transport it to Jiangdong, and we will never let Jiangdong suffer. "

    Zhou Yu nodded, with a rare smile on his face, "Being able to fight side by side with Zhou Mu against the Cao thieves, Zhou Yu's life is not in vain. I hope we can meet again as soon as possible."

    "Yes, we will definitely meet again soon."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As soon as he came out of the military camp, a soldier came over to report: "Let me report to Zhou Mu, General Huang has sent someone to report something urgent."

    ¡°Bring to see me!¡±

    After a moment, a sergeant hurried forward, knelt down on one knee and reported: "Report to Zhou Mu, General Huang captured Xia Houyuan while checking for prisoners of war crossing the river."

    This news made Liu Jing very happy. He got the news that the general who led Cao's army of 50,000 people across the river was actually Xia Houyuan. Liu Jing expected Huang Zhong to catch this person. Now he finally got the news.

    Liu Jing quickly asked: "How did you find out?"

    "Xia Houyuan disguised himself as a soldier and mingled with the team, but was recognized by General Huang."

    Liu Jing nodded happily, "Immediately go back and tell Old General Huang that Xia Houyuan must be under strict supervision. In addition, please ask the old General to come over in the afternoon and say that there are important military discussions."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At noon, Zhou Yu led 30,000 Jiangdong troops to leave Chibi on hundreds of captured Cao Jun ships and headed east along the river. Liu Jing kept watching the departure of Jiangdong troops, and finally put aside the Jiangdong affairs in his heart, and returned.  Arrive at Cao Jun's camp.

    As soon as he arrived at the gate of the camp, he met Wei Yan head-on. In this Chibi Battle, Wei Yan led the second batch of 20,000 troops to land. In fact, he undertook the task of cleaning up the battlefield, capturing prisoners of war, and collecting various trophies. From yesterday,  Wan has been busy until now, and he also wanted to find Liu Jing, but he happened to meet her at the gate of the camp.

    "See Zhou Mu!" Wei Yan saluted on his horse.

    Liu Jing nodded and urged his horse to walk side by side with him, "There are a lot of supplies after the war. We still need Zhang Wen to work hard for a few more days."

    Wei Yan came to Liu Jing just for this matter. He moved his lips and had a helpless expression on his face. Liu Jing saw it and asked with a smile: "Do you have anything to say?"

    Wei Yan sighed, "It's nothing, I just obey the orders!"

    "If you have anything to say, just say it. I've been with you for so many years and I still don't know you. You were so thorny back then!"

    Wei Yan smiled bitterly and said: "Actually, I want to ask for orders to attack Jiangling."

    "Are you so eager to attack Jiangling?" Liu Jing asked.

    "Yes! Brothers are all very anxious.They all hope to advance westward immediately and capture Jiangling.  "

    "But it's winter now, the wind is in the wrong direction, and the fleet can't move westward."

    Wei Yan said hurriedly: "You don't have to go by water. You can go straight to Jiangling by taking Huarong Road. You can also hunt down Cao Cao. Brothers are waiting impatiently. Please give the order as soon as possible to the state pastor."

    Liu Jing glanced at Gan Ning next to him and asked, "Is Xingba also so worried?"

    Gan Ning quickly bowed and said: "I also hope to advance westward as soon as possible. Not only I, General Huang Lao and General Wen also want to restore Jingzhou as soon as possible and eradicate Cao Cao's influence in Jingzhou. As soon as Jiangdong Army has withdrawn eastward, we will have no choice."  No worries.¡±

    "Zhou Mu, give the order!"

    Wei Yan urged again: "If the state pastor doesn't agree, I'm afraid I won't be able to explain it to the brothers!"

    Liu Jing glanced at Wei Yan, feeling slightly unhappy, and said calmly: "Since everyone is so anxious, I will arrange this matter as soon as possible, let's do this! When General Huang comes over in the afternoon, we will discuss it together."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing said to Wei Yan again: "I will find another person to deal with the aftermath, so you don't have to worry about it."

    Wei Yan was overjoyed, clasped his fists and said, "Thank you, Zhou Mu, for being considerate of your humble position."

    At this time, a soldier rushed up from behind and reported loudly: "Report to Zhou Mu, Xu Changshi is here, and the ship has arrived at the shore."

    Liu Jing laughed. Xu Shu arrived just in time to clean up the aftermath for him.

    He immediately turned the horse's head and ran towards the shore again. Just halfway, he saw Xu Shu leading a large group of civil servants on horseback, and Jia Xu was among them.

    When the officials saw Liu Jing, they all stepped forward to greet him. Liu Jing returned the greetings one by one and smiled at Xu Shu: "I was just wondering whether Butler Xu would arrive in time to confiscate the loot, but I didn't expect that he would come in such a timely manner."

    Everyone laughed, and Xu Shu also laughed and said: "You have ruined our whole Jiangxia by fighting this battle. Of course, we have to take back the capital with profits, so we will take over the spoils for the time being."

    "Then go to General Wei to hand over the matter! He will be in charge for the time being. I just promised him to find someone to take over, so you guys arrived in time."

    Xu Shu was not polite. He bowed his hand to Liu Jing and rode off, but Jia Xu stayed behind. When everyone left, Jia Xu smiled and said, "I think Zhou Mu must feel embarrassed now, so I also crossed the river."  ¡±

    Liu Jing was startled for a moment. Jia Xu was really old-fashioned and could see through his own thoughts. He nodded, "Let's go back to the tent first."

    Liu Jing¡¯s temporary tent is located in the southwest corner of Cao Ying. It is a relatively open highland with hundreds of tall and tall spruce trees. His tent is set up in the spruce forest.

    After entering the tent, Liu Jing ordered his soldiers to serve hot tea. Liu Jing took a sip of hot tea and asked first, "How is Sima Yi doing now?"

    "He is currently studying at Jiangxia Academy, but Zhou Mu, please rest assured, this person is by no means pedantic, and is very good at observing the situation. He may have been a little hesitant before, but now that Zhou Mu has defeated Cao Jun in Chibi, he knows what choice he should make.  There is no need for me to persuade him, as long as Zhou Mu gives him a step, it will fall into place naturally. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "It's mainly because I have some annoying things. I'll go see him after I've dealt with them."

    Jia Xu seemed to understand what Liu Jing was worried about. He took a sip of tea and then said with a calm smile: "I think Zhou Mu must be in trouble about the attack on Jiangling."

    Liu Jing sighed, "The soldiers are all eager to attack Jiangling, which is really difficult."

    "Then I don't understand why Zhou Mu is not eager to attack Jiangling?" Jia Xu asked with a half-smile. In fact, he knew very well, but he asked deliberately.

    "If I am not wrong, Liu Bei is also watching the south bank of Jiangling. I am afraid that I will push Cao Cao too much. He will simply return Jiangling to Liu Bei and use Liu Bei to contain me. We will lose more than the gain, so I want to be a little more cautious.  Wait a moment, give Cao Cao a chance to breathe, let him think he can defend Jiangling and Xiangyang, and then wait until he returns north before taking action."

    Jia Xu smiled slightly, "Zhou Mu is worried that it will be difficult to capture Jiangling from Liu Bei, right?"

    "That's it. I am justified in capturing Jiangling from Cao Jun. But Liu Bei has Liu Qi in his hands. Once he recaptures Jiangling, if I go to attack the city, he will sacrifice Liu Qi on the wall. How can I attack? After all, Liu Qi is the only one.  He is the righteous Lord of Jiangling, and he did not surrender to Cao Cao, so he is morally lacking!"

    ¡°In this case, it¡¯s enough for the state pastor to explain this clearly to the generals, so why bother?¡±

    Liu Jing shook his head, "They won't understand, let alone ordinary soldiers. This will affect morale, and there are some things I don't want the generals to know too much about."

    "Actually, this matter is very?solve.  "

    Jia Xu smiled sinisterly and whispered: "Zhou Mu can find someone to strongly oppose the attack on Jiangling. In this way, the generals will not blame Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing understood what Jia Xu meant. Let other people do things that offend others. However, if you think about it, a leader must have the consciousness of a leader. He cannot just let the leader say everything himself.

    "Who do you think is suitable, sir?"

    At this time, Jia Xu looked outside the tent and saw Xu Shu hurriedly walking towards the tent. Jia Xu laughed meaningfully.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 390 Huang Zhong¡¯s Advice

    Xu Shu hurriedly walked into the tent, bowed and saluted, "I have something I want to report to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing glanced at Jia Xu, who understood, smiled at Xu Shu, and walked out of the tent with his hands behind his hands. Liu Jing then waved to Xu Shu and said with a smile: "Yuan Zhi, please sit down and talk!"

    Xu Shu sat down, cupped his hands and said, "I want to talk to Zhou Mu about the prisoners of war."

    "Chang Shi must be very surprised that there are hundreds of thousands of laborers. This is a huge wealth from heaven."

    "no!"

    Xu Shu shook his head and said: "On the contrary, I feel very distressed because we can't feed so many people, and Jiangxia doesn't have so much land for them to cultivate."

    Liu Jing couldn't help but feel dumbfounded. He remembered that the last time Xu Shu complained to him in Wuchang about the serious lack of manpower, and now he complained about too many prisoners of war.

    Xu Shu seemed to understand Liu Jing's thoughts and sighed: "I said the more labor, the better, but Zhou Mu actually captured 160,000 prisoners of war this time, which is far beyond Jiangxia's ability to bear. In fact, we only  It only requires 20,000 to 30,000 laborers.¡±

    After a pause, Xu Shu continued: "Actually, most of these prisoners of war are northern farmers. Zhou Mu should consider releasing them. People are grateful. This will lay the foundation for us to gain support from the grassroots when we march into the Central Plains in the future. I hope  The state pastor can have a longer-term vision.¡±

    Liu Jing laughed, "It turns out that Yuan Zhi is also a benevolent and righteous person."

    Xu Shu blushed, "Although I didn't agree with Zhou Mu's release of 10,000 prisoners of war from Cao's army, it was really because Jiangxia was short of labor at that time. But now and then, since Chibi has won a great victory, we need to make long-term plans and release the prisoners of war."  Returning them to the north and allowing them to return home to reunite with their families will not only win the hearts of the people, but also win the support of the major noble families in the north. This is a long-term deal. "

    "But I plan to select 30,000 elite soldiers from the surrendered soldiers to supplement my troops."

    "Thirty thousand troops are fine, but I think it would be better to send the rest of the surrendered troops back."

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with her hands behind her back, then turned back and asked: "Why did Yuan Zhi say that he would be able to win the support of the northern gentry?"

    Xu Shu hesitated and said: "Before I came, I happened to have a chat with Sima Yi. Talking about the current situation in the north, he said that most of the farmers in the north are attached to the gentry, and the small gentry are attached to the big gentry. These prisoners of war are actually the foundation of the gentry.  .

    Cao Cao's southern expedition used the strength of the whole country and was generally opposed by the nobles. Kong Rong was killed. Cao Cao killed one and banned a hundred, and the nobles were not allowed to oppose the southern expedition. Although no one dared to oppose it anymore, dissatisfaction remained.  heart.

    And this time Cao Cao's defeat will definitely shake his foundation in the north, and Zhou Mu's return of prisoners of war will also give hope to the northern gentry. I believe Zhou Mu will gain politically.  "

    Liu Jing nodded and said very profoundly. He really wanted to have a good talk with Sima Yi.

    "Let me think about the prisoner of war matter again, and I am not in a hurry. In addition, there is one more thing I want Yuan Zhi to help me with, which is about the capture of Jiangling."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing put on a smile all over her face, but for some reason, Xu Shu always felt that there was nothing good in this smile.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the afternoon, Liu Jing summoned generals above General Ya and more than a dozen civil servants to discuss the plan to attack Jiangling. Although the generals, including Huang Zhong, unanimously requested to march to Jiangling immediately, they were unanimously opposed by the civil servants headed by Xu Shu.

    In the big tent, Xu Shu and Wei Yan were confronting each other. Xu Shu said sternly: "General Wei only considers fighting, but does not consider the feelings of the people of Jiangxia, or whether Jiangxia can withstand such a large-scale war? I might as well tell General Wei the truth, Wuchang  Ninety-nine of the one hundred and ten granaries are already empty. The food supply in the refugee camps is extremely tight and they can only provide rice porridge every day. Why am I rushing to Chibi? It¡¯s because Jiang Xia can¡¯t support it anymore!¡±

    Liu Jing, who was sitting in the upper position, remained silent. He originally wanted to ask Xu Shu to share his worries, but he did not expect Xu Shu to agree immediately. Xu Shu himself did not agree to continue fighting.

    Now Liu Jing knows the seriousness of the problem. The main reason is that there are too many refugees. Jiangxia has gathered a population of more than 500,000. Almost one Jiangxia can bear the burden of most of the people in Jingzhou.

    At the same time, it also has to bear the military food of 60,000 troops and 100,000 militia. If it weren¡¯t for some food savings in the past and this year¡¯s good harvest, Jiangxia would not be able to win this war.

    Of course, Liu Jing also knew that there were some loopholes in Xu Shu's words. For example, the one hundred and ten granaries actually only had 60% inventory. It was only because Xu Shu wanted to help him that he confused the concept.

    Wei Yan's face was red with anger, and his eyes were blazing with anger. He stared at Xu Shu fiercely and said, "In this great victory at Chibi, we captured 200,000 shi of grain. Isn't that enough?"

    ?"But you have also captured hundreds of thousands of troops. Feeding them will also cost a lot of food. Hasn't General Wei thought about it?" Xu Shu retorted unceremoniously.

    "this"

    Wei Yan was speechless and his mind was in confusion. He couldn't think of refuting Xu Shu's words for a moment, so he could only glare at Xu Shu fiercely. At this time, Gan Ning was about to stand up to answer, when Huang Zhong next to him pulled him. Gan Ning was startled and looked at him in confusion.  Huang Zhong, Huang Zhong winked at him. Although Gan Ning didn't quite understand, he stopped standing up.

    There was silence in the big tent for a moment. Li Jun stood up and saluted: "I want to say that although there is a shortage of food, it is not impossible to solve it. We have seized a large amount of money and materials, especially hundreds of thousands of livestock, which are the most precious in the south."  With the wealth, we can entrust merchants to exchange food with Qichun County and Jiujiang County, so that we can have the military food guarantee to continue fighting. What does Xu Changshi think? "

    "But even going to Qichun County and Jiujiang County to exchange food will take time, at least more than a month. How can it be such a simple thing?"

    "Okay, let's stop fighting!"

    Seeing that the time was ripe, Liu Jing finally spoke. The tent suddenly became quiet. Xu Shu bowed and slowly sat down. Liu Jing said to Wei Yan: "General Wei, please sit down first!"

    Wei Yan glared at Xu Shu fiercely and had to sit down. Liu Jing then slowly said to everyone: "Jiangling must be attacked, but we must also consider the local bearing capacity, so I decided to adopt General Li's plan and use livestock to go there."  Neighboring counties exchange grain. Of course, this will take some time. Let¡¯s do this! The 100,000 militia group disbands and goes home to save grain, and the army rests for half a month.¡±

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing asked Xu Shu again, "I can only delay it for half a month at most, is that okay?"

    Xu Shu nodded helplessly, "Okay! Just half a month."

    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided.¡±

    Liu Jing stood up and said to the generals: "In half a month, the army will march towards Jiangling!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Huang Zhong was responsible for guarding the Chibi Camp. He was ordered to come to Jiangbei to attend a military meeting in the afternoon. Just as he was about to return to his tent, Gan Ning chased him from behind, "Old General, please stay!"

    "General Gan, what's the matter?" Huang Zhong said with a slight smile.

    "When we were arguing just now, why did the old general stop me?"

    "This" Huang Zhong hesitated for a moment, shook his head and said, "Actually, it's nothing?"

    Gan Ning saw Huang Zhong's hesitation and said seriously: "Old General Huang, is there anything else that you can't say to me?"

    Huang Zhong had no choice but to point to his tent and said, "Go and talk in the tent!"

    The two of them entered the tent and sat down. Huang Zhong then said slowly: "I have something to say first. General Gan must not spread what I say now."

    "Don't worry, old general, I am a sensible person."

    Huang Zhong then asked with a smile: "General Wei was so angry today that he didn't hear the flaw in Xu Shu's words. Did General Gan hear it?"

    Gan Ning nodded, "We have seized 200,000 shi of grain. It is impossible to use all of it to feed prisoners of war. It would be good to give them 50,000 shi of grain. Why are our people starving but the prisoners of war can be fed? So Xu Changshi  There¡¯s something wrong with that.¡±

    "That's right. Not only does this sentence have loopholes, but other sentences also have loopholes. For example, the government does not have food, but local farmers in Jiangxia have food in their hands. There are also many wealthy families, as well as wealthy households in Changsha County, who have food in their hands.  If you don¡¯t have enough food, why go to neighboring counties to exchange for it? Can¡¯t you just exchange it with your own people?¡±

    "The old general is right!"

    Gan Ning sighed. He realized that there were many loopholes hidden in it. He didn't even catch it. However, he was still a little confused and said, "In that case, why didn't the old general let me tell you?"

    "That's the problem. You can hear it. With Zhou Mu's shrewdness, wouldn't he understand?"

    Gan Ning was stunned. After a while, he finally came to his senses, "The old general is saying that delaying the attack on Jiangling is actually the intention of Zhou Mu?"

    "That must be the case. He just used Xu Changshi to oppose it."

    Although Huang Zhong was a military general, after all, he had been in Jingzhou officialdom for decades, and he understood the world better than rising stars such as Wei Yan and Gan Ning. He saw the tacit understanding between Liu Jing and Xu Shu, and realized that he should not say too much.  .

    "ButWhy didn't Zhou Mu tell everyone without knowing it?" Gan Ning was still a little puzzled.

    Huang Zhong said calmly: "Zhou Mu must have had a last resort, and he didn't want his subordinates to know, so he asked Xu Changshi to object."

    Speaking of this, Huang Zhong said seriously again: "General Gan, there is something??We must remember that he is the lord. It is best not to know too much about the lord's thoughts. The general only needs to execute the orders and not try to change the lord's decision.  "

    "The old general is right!" Gan Ning said with a bitter smile.

    "I found that we did a very poor job in this regard. The generals all wanted to express their thoughts in front of Zhou Mu and try to influence Zhou Mu's decision. Therefore, I think Zhou Mu was actually using this incident to remind us that it is time to  It¡¯s time for a change.¡±

    Gan Ning nodded silently, he finally understood.

    In fact, there is one thing that Huang Zhong has not said, and that is Wei Yan. I am afraid that his life will not be easy, at least not as expected. Huang Zhong knows it in his heart, but he must not say this.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the big tent, Liu Jing stood on the map with his hands behind his hands, thinking about his next plan alone. He had already decided on the general direction for the future, but he still had to consider the details.

    Especially now, he has a thousand things to do, including capturing Jiangling, restoring Xiangyang and Fancheng, and retaking Anlu County. These are all urgent matters.

    More importantly, he has to deal with the relationship between Jiangxia and Jingnan. The victory in the Chibi War also means that the previous balance has been broken.

    So if a new balance is established, Sun Quan will seize the four counties in Jingnan, but he hopes that Liu Bei can contain the Jiangdong Army for him so that he can concentrate on seizing Nanyang and Hanzhong.

    But Liu Jing had to consider the possibility of an alliance between Liu Bei and Sun Quan. The relationship here was complicated and it was difficult to make a decision at the moment.

    But at this time, Liu Jing was a little worried about the Yuan family in Hebei. When Cao Cao returned to the Central Plains, he would definitely concentrate on destroying the Yuan family and reviving it.

    The revival of the Yuan family is extremely important to Liu Jing's westward expansion strategy. He hopes that the Yuan family can contain Cao Cao in the Central Plains for him so that he can fully expand westward. To this end, he needs to help the Yuan family again.

    Just when he was meditating for a long time, Liu Min appeared at the door, bowed to Liu Jing and said, "Is Zhou Mu looking for me?"

    Liu Jing quickly smiled and said: "Come in and sit down, I really have something to see you for."

    Liu Min came here with Xu Shu. He sat down with some restraint. Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "I heard that you are engaged, congratulations!"

    Liu Min's fianc¨¦e is Jia Xu's youngest daughter Jia Yingxue. When Liu Min and Li Fu went to Yecheng to rescue Jia Xu's family, Jia Xu's mother and wife fell in love with this learned and shrewd young man.  He is Liu Xian's nephew, and he is considered a good match, so not long ago, Kuai Liang acted as matchmaker and the marriage was arranged.

    Liu Min blushed, "Thank you Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then said: "I came to you because I have a major task for you."

    Liu Min quickly stood up, cupped his hands and said, "Please give me the instructions from the state pastor!"

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous!¡±

    Liu Jing chuckled and waved her hand for him to sit down. Looking at Liu Min's calm eyes, Liu Jing said slowly: "I want you to go on my mission to Xiliang for me."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 391 Falling short of success

    When Cao Jun and the Allied Forces of the two rivers were confronting each other in Chibi, Jiangling was not at peace. Liu Bei personally led 20,000 troops to station on the Yangtze River, eyeing Jiangling City on the north bank. On the one hand, he raised the banner of uniting Wu to fight against Cao, and on the other hand, he  They are also eager to take back Jiangling City.

    But the bleak reality lies in front of Liu Bei. Although he has great ambitions, there is no possibility of realizing them. Liu Bei's army has no ships to cross the river and can only look at the river and sigh.

    It is precisely for this reason that Cao Cao did not take Liu Bei's army to heart from the beginning. The ships within a few hundred miles of the south bank of the Yangtze River had already been captured by Cao's army, and all the craftsmen and boatmen who could build ships were also captured by Cao's army.

    Faced with the dilemma of being unable to cross the river, Liu Bei was angry and sighing, but he was always helpless. Although he temporarily built dozens of small boats, he was unable to meet the needs of the large army to cross the river.

    But just when Liu Bei was almost desperate, an opportunity quietly came.

    At five o'clock in the morning, a small boat rowed from the Yangtze River and gradually approached the south bank. This was one of the fifty new boats built by Liu Bei's army. This kind of boat is very similar to the most common fishing boat in the southern rivers. It can be used in ordinary rivers.  It can sail in China, but relying on it to cross the turbulent Yangtze River is a narrow escape.

    Liu Bei used it as a scout boat and launched twenty boats into the Yangtze River. However, after just ten days, only three boats were left. At this time, the boat rowed from the Yangtze River was one of the three remaining boats.

    There were two Liu Beijun spies on the boat, both of whom were extremely skilled in rowing. They relied on their superb water skills to cross the Yangtze River many times.

    "Password!"

    When the boat gradually approached the shore, there were sharp shouts from the shore, and a patrol soldier discovered the boat.

    "Expel the traitor Cao!" the spies on the ship responded immediately.

    The command was correct, and the patrol soldiers on the shore changed their attitude and stepped forward to help them reach the shore. "Are you coming from the other side? It's not easy for these two brothers!"

    "We were lucky today. There was not much wind and waves on the river. The crossing went smoothly. We also got important information. We need to report it to the emperor immediately."

    The two spies came ashore, and the patrol lent them two horses. They got on their horses and galloped towards the military camp.

    At this time, Liu Bei had already laid down to rest, but he was woken up by the low voice of his own soldiers, "Uncle Emperor, the scouts from the north bank are back and said they have obtained important information."

    Liu Bei was refreshed, sat up, and said repeatedly: "Let them in quickly!"

    The lights in the sleeping tent were lit, and several soldiers led two scouts into the tent. The two scouts knelt down and saluted, "Meet the emperor!"

    "Speak quickly! How is the situation on the other side?"

    A tall scout reported: "Reporting to the emperor, there is an epidemic in Cao's army on the other side. We have received news that hundreds of people have died. People in Cao's camp are panicking. Cao Ren has ordered the city gates and camp gates to be closed.  No one is allowed in or out.¡±

    ¡°God is really helping me!¡±

    Liu Bei was so surprised that he slapped his forehead, and then he felt sad again. Without a boat to cross the river, there was nothing he could do even if Cao's army died.

    "What else is there?" Liu Bei asked again, not wanting to show his frustration in front of his soldiers.

    Another scout replied: "Also, we found that there were hundreds of 500-ton cargo ships on the Jiangling Pier, with only a few Cao soldiers guarding them. It happened that the river was calm these days. We wanted to seize one, but we couldn't.  I was afraid of disturbing the situation and ruining the emperor's affairs, so I didn't dare to take action."

    ¡°You guys did a great job!¡±

    Liu Bei applauded, and then ordered his soldiers on the left and right: "Give them each ten taels of gold, and go down and have a good rest."

    "Thank you, uncle, for the generous reward!"

    The two scouts were overjoyed, kowtowed to express gratitude, and followed the soldiers down. At this time, Liu Bei was no longer sleepy, so he put on a thick robe and came to his military tent.

    The sky in the east has turned blue, and the sky is a little bright. The river wind is strong, blowing the camp flags. The weather is very cold, but the fire-headed soldiers who have gotten up early have begun to prepare for the morning meal.

    The cold river wind blew away the last trace of Liu Bei's sleepiness. He walked into the tent. The lamps were already lit in the military tent. Several soldiers came in carrying a brazier, and the charcoal fire was burning brightly.  It immediately brought a sense of warmth to the cold tent.

    Ma Di, the bookkeeper who was sleeping next door, also got up after hearing the news, put a few letters on Liu Bei's record, and whispered: "I sent these copies last night."

    Liu Bei couldn't help but sigh. When he was in Nanjun, he had to review more than twenty documents sent from various places every morning. Now there are only two or three copies left. This shows that his power has shrunk sharply.  The gap made Liu Bei really depressed.

    Liu Bei took the documents and saw that the first one was actually a letter from Zhuge Liang., he couldn't help but asked in surprise: "When was the military advisor's letter sent?"

    "It was probably delivered at the third watch. Since there was no emergency sign, it did not disturb the emperor's uncle's rest."

    Zhuge Liang did not follow Liu Bei to the south bank of Jiangling. He did not agree with Liu Bei's move to capture Jiangling. Zhuge Liang believed that capturing Jiangling now was unrealistic. Even if they crossed the river, they might not be able to capture Jiangling City, not to mention that they could not cross the river yet.

    But the cold water thrown by Zhuge Liang could not stop Liu Bei's eagerness to regain Jiangling. Instead, it aroused Liu Bei's overwhelming anger. He accused Zhuge Liang of not understanding the pain of his wife and children being captured, and angrily led his troops to Jiangling.

    But at this time Liu Bei had gradually calmed down, and he also realized that Zhuge Liang's words were not wrong. More than a month later, he still could not cross the river.

    Liu Bei sighed in his heart and opened Zhuge Liang's letter. Zhuge Liang told him good news in the letter. Jian Yong went to Chengdu to bribe the Golden Witch and succeeded. Under the inducement of the Golden Witch, Liu Zhang was willing to form an alliance with Liu Bei to fight against Cao's army.  Send envoys to Jingnan to negotiate.

    This news made Liu Bei feel unbearable joy. It can be said that this is his greatest hope to seize Bashu and achieve his foundation. He has given Zhuge Liang full authority to handle this matter, and now there is progress.

    Liu Bei continued to read. In the letter, Zhuge Liang advised him to give up attacking Jiangling and increase his troops to Jianping County to prepare for entering Shu.

    Liu Bei was hesitant at this time. Did he really give up on capturing Jiangling?  If it were yesterday, maybe he would consider giving up, but he just got information about Cao Jun and an opportunity has appeared. Wouldn't it be a pity to give up?

    Liu Bei thought for a long time and immediately ordered his soldiers, "Go and invite Mr. Pang!"

    Not long after, Pang Tong arrived in a hurry. Although Liu Bei once hated Pang Tong, Pang Ji wrote several times asking Pang Tong to surrender to Cao Cao, but Pang Tong resolutely refused and angrily accused his uncle of betraying the emperor. This moved Liu Bei very much and appointed him again.  In order to join the army and provide military advice, Liu Bei wanted to cross the river to seize Jiangling, so he brought Pang Tong with him.

    Pang Tong entered the tent, bowed and saluted and said, "I am here to see you, my lord!"

    "No need to be polite, Shi Yuan, please sit down!"

    Liu Bei casually put Zhuge Liang's letter beside the table and said with a smile: "I just got information from the scouts that Cao Jun has been infected with an epidemic and hundreds of people have died. Cao Jun is in panic, and the scouts also found hundreds of ships on the dock.  Five hundred stone cargo ship, I think this is an opportunity, and I want to discuss with Shiyuan, how can we take advantage of this opportunity? "

    Pang Tong valued this opportunity to go on an expedition with Liu Bei very much. Although he was not very in favor of capturing Jiangling, he could not find a better plan and could only try his best to help Liu Bei.

    However, since a large-scale epidemic has occurred in Cao's army, the morale of the army will inevitably be weakened. This is indeed a good opportunity.

    Pang Tong pondered for a moment and said: "The key is to seize a hundred cargo ships first. I have a plan to see if the lord can adopt it."

    Liu Bei was overjoyed, "Please tell me!"

    "Weichen was also investigating in the army during this period and found about four hundred soldiers who were good at swimming and could swim across the Yangtze River. The main reason is that the river is now cold, which is the biggest test for them. But some soldiers said that if  Smearing ginger juice all over the body can effectively resist the coldness of the river. My subordinates suggested that they swim across the river at night, so that they can directly seize hundreds of cargo ships and sail them back. Then we can cross the river overnight and try to get them before dawn.  Send all the troops to the other side"

    "good!"

    Before Pang Tong could finish his words, Liu Bei praised loudly, "Shi Yuan is indeed a thoughtful person. It is indeed a brilliant plan for us to cross the river with an unexpected force."

    Pang Tong smiled again and said: "Now the Yangtze River is mainly occupied by Cao Jun's supply fleet. Cao Jun's supply fleet just set off three days ago, so there will not be any ships in the river within two days. To be on the safe side, I suggest taking action tonight."

    Liu Bei nodded. No matter what, he didn¡¯t want to give up this opportunity.

    At night, the river is slightly turbulent and the waves are not big, but after entering the water, you can feel the huge surge of the river. If you are weak, you will be swept away by the undercurrent. More than 400 Jingnan soldiers, naked to the waist, struggled to swim in the cold and biting river.  water, swimming towards the north bank of the Yangtze River.

    But more than half an hour later, less than 300 soldiers finally arrived on the north bank of the Yangtze River, and the rest were swallowed up by the ruthless Yangtze River water.

    The scouts' intelligence was correct. Hundreds of five-hundred-stone cargo ships were densely docked at the pier. The ships rose and fell with the fluctuations of the river. The surroundings were silent. Only Cao Jun sentries were seen patrolling back and forth on the shore from a distance. Perhaps Cao Jun soldiers never dreamed of the enemy.  The army actually swam over and stole the boat.

    Jingnan soldiers climbed onto the ship one after another, each carrying a sharp dagger. They quickly controlled the boatman who was sleeping on the ship, cut the cable with a dagger, and the cargo ships left the dock one after another. With the help of the wind, they??Sailed to the south bank.

    Perhaps it was God¡¯s arrangement that Liu Bei was destined to fail. At this moment, a fleet appeared on the river, consisting of more than 500 cargo ships of 300 to 500 stone. The ships were fully loaded with Cao Jun soldiers and sailed to Jiangling Pier.

    This fleet was originally transporting supplies to Chibi Wulin, but happened to encounter Cao's army retreating from Chibi on the way. Cao Cao was on the ship at this time.

    "There are ships ahead!" Cao Jun's soldiers discovered the ships on the water and shouted immediately.

    Seeing that they were about to reach Jiangling, Cao Cao did not fall asleep. He was standing on the bow of the ship waiting for the ship to sail to the dock. A soldier urgently reported: "Reporting to the Prime Minister, many empty ships were found on the river, and they are sailing to the south bank."

    Cao Cao was stunned. He suddenly realized that someone was stealing the ship. He immediately ordered: "Intercept all ships, and no ship is allowed to cross the river!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 393 Deploying a retreat

    On the south bank of the Yangtze River, 20,000 Jingnan troops were lined up, waiting for ships from the other side to arrive. More than an hour had passed, and there was no movement on the dark river. Liu Bei became a little anxious. He kept pacing back and forth on the shore with his hands behind his back.  step.

    Next to him, Zhang Fei couldn't help but ask: "Brother, will you encounter any accidents or be unable to cross the river?"

    Liu Bei sighed, "I don't know either, but if we can't cross the river, someone will swim back. It seems that they should have crossed the river."

    At this moment, there was a slight commotion from the shore, and someone shouted: "There is a boat coming on the river!"

    Liu Bei cheered up and walked forward quickly. He saw the shadows of two ships appearing on the dark river. Zhang Fei shouted in surprise: "What's going on? There are only two ships?"

    Liu Bei was very confused. How could there be only two ships? "Third brother, have you seen clearly? There are indeed only two ships?"

    "I can see clearly. There are only two ships. It seems that there is no one on board. The river brought the ships here. What's going on?" Zhang Fei's voice was very nervous, as if he had seen a ghost ship.

    Two ships ran aground on the water's edge, and dozens of soldiers rushed up. After a moment, the soldiers turned their backs on the two men. A sergeant nervously reported to Liu Bei: "Several brothers on the ship were killed by arrows. Only these two brothers seemed to be alive."  Have a breath."

    Liu Bei's heart seemed to sink into an abyss. No matter what the reason was, tonight's plan to cross the river would probably not succeed. Pang Tong's face was also very pale, and he also realized that his plan had failed.

    "Wake up!"

    The soldiers shouted, and Liu Bei hurriedly stepped forward. He saw a soldier with an arrow in his abdomen slowly regaining consciousness. Liu Bei quickly asked: "What happened?"

    "Reporting to the emperor, I encountered Cao Jun's fleet when I came back, there were hundreds of ships."

    Before he finished speaking, the soldier fainted again. Liu Bei quickly ordered: "Hurry up and get the military doctor to treat him!"

    He sighed, put his hands behind his hands and walked slowly to the water's edge, staring at the dark river. There was no boat to cross the river. It seemed that he really had no chance. This was God's will!

    Pang Tong also slowly stepped forward and said with shame: "Uncle Emperor, this is my responsibility."

    Liu Bei shook his head, "This matter has nothing to do with you. You didn't expect Cao's army to come. This is God's will. But I'm a little strange. What should be coming back is an empty ship. How could it be Cao's army?"

    Liu Bei looked back at Pang Tong, "What do you think of this?"

    Pang Tong hesitated and said, "Can I let the minister speak his mind?"

    "Of course, of course I want to hear your true words?"

    "I think the result should be on the Chibi side."

    Liu Bei was surprised, "You mean, the Battle of Chibi is over?"

    Pang Tong nodded lightly, "It should be over. Only when the war is over will Cao's army return. But I don't know who wins and who loses. Cao's army will return regardless of victory or defeat. We cannot tell this."

    At this moment, Ma Su, the chief secretary, rushed over and shouted from afar: "Uncle Emperor, the military advisor has sent an urgent report!"

    Liu Bei stepped forward to take the letter. Under the light of the soldiers' torches, it turned out to be an urgent red-brown envelope. Liu Bei opened the letter and read it again. He was a little stunned, with an expression of surprise and joy on his face.

    "My lord, is there any news about Chibi?" Pang Tong asked.

    Liu Bei nodded, "There are flying pigeons on the other side of Chibi carrying a message. The war is over. Cao Cao was defeated miserably, and his entire army of more than 200,000 people was wiped out."

    Pang Tong was also stunned. He didn't know whether he was happy or sad. Jiang Xia's army defeated 200,000 Cao's troops. What does this mean?  It means that the world's power structure is about to change drastically.

    Liu Bei was also flustered. Of course he knew what it meant for Jiang Xia's army to defeat Cao's army?  First of all, he was lucky to have saved his last bit of power. Then, what should he do?

    Next to him, Zhang Fei seemed to understand his brother's panic and reminded him: "Brother, look at the military advisor's letter again. What else did he say after that?"

    This sentence reminded Liu Bei, and he continued to read. At the end of the letter, Zhuge Liang indeed made a suggestion, sending 5,000 troops to reinforce Jianping County, and another 15,000 troops deployed at the mouth of the Youjiang River to watch the Jiangling incident.  Finally, Zhuge Liang said that he was about to set off and come to join Liu Bei.

    Liu Bei suddenly felt relieved and smiled at everyone: "The military advisor will be here soon. Don't worry too much."

    Pang Tong felt a little unhappy. At this critical moment, the lord still listened to Zhuge Liang's arrangements and did not ask what he thought at all. This showed that the lord still did not take him to heart.

    Pang Tong suddenly felt an indescribable feeling of loss in his heart, and thought to himself, ¡®It¡¯s better to leave first, so as not to see Kong Ming¡¯s face.Color.  ¡¯

    Thinking of this, Pang Tong bowed to Liu Bei and said, "I would like to lead five thousand troops to Jianping County to assist the eldest son. Please give me your permission."

    Liu Bei understood what Pang Tong meant. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty in his heart, so he took out a command arrow and handed it to Pang Tong and said: "I will hand over the five thousand troops to Shi Yuan. I hope Shi Yuan can assist Feng'er well. If he is unable to do anything,  You can report it to me secretly."

    "Wei Chen understands, thank you so much for your love, Lord!"

    That night, Pang Tong led 5,000 troops to leave the camp and headed west along the south bank of the Yangtze River.

    It wasn't until he returned to Jiangling City that Cao Cao finally let go of his heart. At this time, he thought about the demise of more than 200,000 troops, and couldn't help but feel sad. He beat his chest and cried, "Alas, Chibi was defeated miserably, and it was all my fault!  "

    In the lobby, everyone was silent, and Cheng Yu was even more ashamed. After all, he was the one who finally prompted the Prime Minister to send troops. Although he thought he was only 50% sure at the time, in that case, even if he was only 40% sure, he still advocated the implementation.  .

    The key is that he was too catered to the prime minister's idea of ??sending troops and did not disclose all the dangers. At least he had thought that Jiangdong Army was likely to attack from land.

    But just this thought caused him to regret his whole life, causing him to feel the pain of not being able to protect his life at the end of his life. He stood aside silently without saying a word.

    At this time, Cao Cao returned to normal slightly. He looked at Chen Qun and said apologetically: "Chang Wen, I am ashamed of you this time, and I apologize to you!"

    Chen Qun quickly walked out of the queue, bowed and saluted: "The situation is like this, and sometimes the Prime Minister can't help himself."

    Cao Cao nodded, "You are right. I exhausted half of the country's strength, but in the end I withdrew my troops in a hurry without fighting. Needless to say, my own reputation is not worthy of mention. I can hardly explain to the world just this huge waste."

    Everyone was silent. Although the prime minister was right, no one had the intention to respond. At this time, Cao Cao looked at the generals and saw that there was an empty seat next to Xiahou Dun. He felt sad, even though he knew that there would be an empty seat.  A general fell, but he never wanted it to be Xia Houyuan.

    It seems that in the future, we can only negotiate with Liu Jing and find a way to exchange Xia Houyuan back. At this time, there was a sound of footsteps outside, and a guard reported, "General Zhang is back."

    This is Zhang Liao¡¯s return. Zhang Liao disembarked from the ship halfway to collect Yun Mengze¡¯s defeated troops. This is also something that Cao Cao is extremely concerned about. Cao Cao suddenly became energetic and hurriedly said: ¡°Send him in!¡±

    After a moment, Zhang Liao hurriedly walked in, bowed and saluted: "See you, Prime Minister!"

    "Tell me, how many defeated soldiers have you recruited?" Cao Cao asked impatiently.

    "Reporting back to the Prime Minister, I have recruited more than 15,000 people for my humble position. I heard that Gongming has also recruited thousands of people, about 20,000 people. The Prime Minister is disappointed."

    "I'm not disappointed. It's very good. Wenyuan worked hard this time."

    Although he comforted Zhang Liao like this, Cao Cao sighed in his heart. There were only more than 20,000 soldiers. Although it was already very good, only 10% were recruited, so the number of captured soldiers was at least hundreds of thousands.

    At this time, Cao Cao felt lost and felt bored, so he said to everyone: "Everyone has worked hard all the way, let's go and rest!"

    Everyone bowed and retreated, but Cao Cao secretly ordered the guards to leave Cao Ren, Cheng Yu and Chen Jiao behind, and he got up and went back to the back hall.

    After changing his clothes, Cao Cao walked back to the back hall, where Cao Ren, Cheng Yu and Chen Jiao were already waiting.

    "You three, please take a seat!"

    Cao Cao asked the three of them to sit down. He stopped mentioning the defeat and said to the three of them: "I want to discuss the future arrangements with the three of you. I plan to set off north tomorrow and return to Yedu, so I have to finalize some things tonight.  Come down."

    Cao Ren said with concern: "The Prime Minister just arrived tonight and will leave tomorrow. Isn't he a little too eager?"

    Cao Cao sighed, "I also want to rest for a few days, but there is no other way. The situation is pressing!"

    Cao Cao had just received news that Yan Rou, the commander-in-chief of Youzhou, led 10,000 elite troops to surrender to Yuan Mai, which greatly increased the strength of the remnants of the Yuan family, which made him even more urgent to go back.

    Cao Ren was speechless. He knew that the prime minister clearly wanted to entrust Jingzhou to him, which made him feel an invisible pressure.

    Cao Cao said to Cheng Yu again: "Zhongde, tell me! I want to hear your opinion."

    Cheng Yu didn't want to say anything, but Cao Cao insisted, so he had to say: "Actually, I am worried that the Jiangxia army will seize Xiangyang first and cut off the Jiangling army's retreat. I suggest that it is better to give Jiangling to Liu Bei and let Liu Bei contain Liu Jing.  "

    As soon as he said this, Cao Ren immediately objected, "That's inappropriate! Nanjun is one of the three main counties in Jingzhou. If Nanjun is lost, Xiangyang will also be lost."Guaranteed, in short, I will never give up to Liu Bei in Jiangling.  "

    In the past, Cheng Yu would definitely argue with Cao Ren, but now he has no intention of arguing. Since Cao Ren firmly opposed it, he said calmly: "General Zixiao is right, so let's keep it!"

    Cao Cao was slightly dissatisfied, but he couldn't say anything. He estimated that Cheng Yu's depression was related to the defeat of Chibi, so he stopped asking Cheng Yu and turned to Chen Jiao, "What is Ji Bi's opinion?"

    Chen Jiao is Cao Cao's long history of staying to assist Cao Ren. If Cao Ren is asked to guard Jingzhou, Chen Jiao will naturally stay, and he knows this well.

    Chen Jiao leaned forward and said: "Wei Chen means to observe first. If Liu Jing launches a large-scale attack on Jiangling, then there is no harm in giving up Jiangling to Liu Bei and we defend Xiangyang with all our strength. If Liu Jing has no intention of rushing westward, then we can simply take it easy."  Deployment, Weichen means, don¡¯t make a decision in a hurry, consider the actual situation.¡±

    Chen Jiao's plan touched Cao Cao's heart. He nodded and said: "Ji Bi said it very well. We really cannot make a hasty decision. After the war is over, Jiangxia, Jiangdong and Jingnan will inevitably compete for interests. We must make full use of this opportunity."  Try to get the best out of the conflicts between the three families.¡±

    Cao Cao said to Cao Ren again: "At least Liu Bei must be destroyed for me."

    Cao Ren immediately stood up and knelt down, "I will never let down the prime minister's trust in my humble position!"

    "good!"

    Cao Cao said happily: "I will make you the general of Zhennan, commanding the 30,000 troops in Jiangling and Xiangyang, and Chen Jiao as the long history, in charge of the government affairs of the two counties, and I will hand over Jingzhou to you."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 394 The final knot

    In the south of Wuchang City, there is a long alley called Qingping Alley. There are seven or eight families of nobles from the north living in the alley. Most of them are engaged in teaching. Every day, more than a hundred children come here to study. The sound of books is loud and quiet.  With vitality in it.

    There are five lush old locust trees planted in the alley, about several feet high, with a canopy like a canopy and connected branches and leaves. They are particularly lush in the summer. Looking from a distance from the city wall, it looks like a green cloud covering the alley, so this  The alley is also called Wuhuai Lane or Green Cloud Lane.

    This morning, Liu Jing came to the alley with more than a dozen personal soldiers. He waved his hand and asked the followers to wait outside the alley. He then walked leisurely into the alley with his hands behind his back and walked to the innermost house.  There is a sign hanging next to the gate of the house, which has peeled off paint and turned white, and it reads "Poverty Home".

    Liu Jing couldn't help laughing. This was because he was willing to be poor. There lived a famous northern scholar named Li Xun, who was from Zhending County, Changshan County. He had come to Jingzhou to escape the war for seven or eight years. He originally lived in Xiangyang Longlong County.  Zhong, moved to Jiangxia three years ago, rented this small house, made teaching a career, and stayed in poverty.

    But Liu Jing came here today not to find this Confucian scholar, but to find one of his tenants.

    Liu Jing knocked on the door, and the door opened. The person who opened the door was a child about six or seven years old. He tilted his head and looked at Liu Jing for a long time, and said: "Our family only accepts children as disciples. You are too big."

    Liu Jing was wearing a white Confucian robe and an Eguan on her head. She looked like a scholar who was studying. It turned out that the child thought he was a student who came to study. Liu Jing shook her head and said with a smile: "I'm not here to study?"

    "Then who are you looking for? My grandfather?" The boy asked again.

    "No!"

    At this time, a young woman¡¯s soft voice came from the yard, ¡°Xiaoyi, who is it?¡±

    ¡°Agu, I don¡¯t know this person.¡±

    "Xiaoyi, you are so rude."

    Footsteps approached, and a young woman appeared at the door. She was about 20 years old. She was not beautiful, but she was very delicate. She had a scholarly temperament in her movements. Although she wore a hairpin skirt, her figure was beautiful.  Graceful, makes people feel good.

    She glanced at Liu Jing and saw that although he was dressed as a Confucian scholar, he had the majesty of a warrior in his movements. The woman suddenly realized, "This gentleman is here to see Brother Zhao!"

    The eldest brother Zhao in her mouth was none other than Zhao Yun. Because they were old acquaintances from the same hometown, Zhao Yun temporarily stayed here. Liu Jing originally wanted Zhao Yun to live in her house, but Zhao Yun refused, saying that he liked the elegance here. At this time, Liu Jing  Jing suddenly realized that the elegance Zhao Yun said may not refer to the environment, but to the people.

    Liu Jing cupped her hands and smiled: "Zilong is my brother. I came here to visit him. Is he there?"

    "He's here, please come in!"

    The woman quickly let Liu Jing into the yard. Liu Jing looked around the yard. The house was simple and old, but it was very clean. There were a group of chickens in the yard, looking for food everywhere. A small vegetable patch was opened in the corner of the yard.  Going up the fence, in the atrium behind the house is an old locust tree, which is three feet high, with spreading branches and leaves, covering the entire house.

    Liu Jing's eyes fell on the little boy's face again, and seeing his pair of dark eyes looking at her curiously, Liu Jing smiled and patted the back of his head, "Your name is Li Yi?"

    "Yeah!" The child nodded heavily, and then asked curiously: "What's your name?"

    "Xiaoyi, don't be rude."

    The young woman scolded the boy and said to him: "Why don't you take the guests to see your uncle?"

    "Uncle, follow me."

    The child led Liu Jing towards the backyard. Liu Jing asked with a smile: "That was your aunt just now?"

    "She is my sister-in-law."

    The child suddenly glanced at Liu Jing warily, "My sister-in-law is going to marry Uncle Zhao, don't you think about her?"

    Liu Jing couldn't help but burst out laughing. Tong Yan Wuji revealed Zhao Yun's secret in one sentence, but this incident made Liu Jing very happy, even happier than winning the battle. As long as Zhao Yun became the  home, then he would no longer be so lonely.

    In the backyard, Zhao Yun was sitting alone under a tree with a simple book in his hand. He was so absorbed in reading that he didn't notice Liu Jing's arrival. At this time, Liu Jing coughed slightly, and Zhao Yun discovered Liu Jing.  He quickly stood up and asked, "When did my dear brother arrive?"

    "just arrived."

    Liu Jing stepped forward and picked up a scroll of bamboo slips, and found that it was "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals". She couldn't help but smile slightly and said, "Brother, do you want to give up martial arts and join politics?"

    "No, it's just boring entertainment!"

    Zhao Yun put away the bamboo slips and invited Liu Jing into the room. As soon as the two sat down, a figure flashed at the door. The young woman just now was holding her hand.He came in with two cups of hot tea, put the tea on the table, smiled at Zhao Yun, turned around and left.

    Liu Jing watched her walk away, then looked at Zhao Yun with a half-smile. Zhao Yun's face turned slightly red, "Don't think too much, I just regard her as my sister."

    "I didn't think too much about it. My brother should think about his life-long affairs, including heirs, unless he doesn't like her."

    " This sentence hits Zhao Yun's key point. It doesn't matter whether he has a wife or not, but he has no descendants, which makes him embarrassed to face his parents, and he also likes her very much.

    Zhao Yun sighed and said: "I am just a martial artist, and her father is a great scholar in Changshan. Even Gongsun Bogui asked him for advice. More importantly, I am more than ten years older than her, so I should be the right one."  Don¡¯t fuck her.¡±

    Liu Jing heard that Zhao Yun had relented, so she smiled and said: "Brother is a hero who dominates the world, and everyone is worthy of it. If brother is willing, I will be the matchmaker for him."

    Zhao Yun hesitated for a moment, shook his head, "Let's talk about this matter later!"

    He changed the subject again and said with a smile: "I heard that Jiang Xia's army defeated Cao's army in Chibi. Congratulations, good brother!"

    Liu Jing also smiled and said: "It's a pity that I couldn't fight side by side with my brother. This is my biggest regret."

    Zhao Yun knew what Liu Jing wanted to say, so he bowed his head and remained silent. In fact, after seven years of suspicion and injustice, Zhao Yun's loyalty to Liu Bei had been completely worn away. If there was anything left, it was just a favor.

    Zhao Yun feels that he still owes Liu Bei a favor. If he returns this favor, he will owe Liu Bei nothing. This is also his final knot.

    Before returning this favor, he will not consider his future for the time being, including Liu Jing's repeated invitations. After a while, Zhao Yun smiled bitterly and said: "After I get rid of the last knot in my heart, maybe I will fight side by side with you."

    Liu Jing knew in his heart that he would not mention the matter again, and took out a sword from his waist, put it on the desk, and pushed it to Zhao Yun, "This sword is called Qingzhi. I got it in Chibi and gave it to my brother.  "

    "Could this be Cao Cao's Qingzhi Sword!"

    Zhao Yun suddenly became interested. He picked up the sword and gently pulled it out of its sheath. The flashing cold light suddenly made his pupils shrink to a thin line. He spit out a sword move and waved several swords in the air. The room was suddenly filled with cold light and murderous intent. Zhao Yun suddenly stopped.  Holding the sword, his eyes showed a hint of surprise, and then became solemn.

    He put the sword back into its sheath and gave it back to Liu Jing. Liu Jing was stunned, "Brother, you don't like this sword?"

    Zhao Yun shook his head, "This has nothing to do with preference. This is the sword of the king. I can't control it. If I take it, I will suffer the consequences."

    Liu Jing took out the sword, stared at the jade-like sword body and said, "But I think it is very peaceful and kind."

    "That's it. The sword also has spirituality, and it will choose its master. When I was dancing with the sword just now, I had an uncontrollable feeling, unable to restrain its murderous intent."

    Liu Jing nodded silently. He knew that everything in the world has its own spirituality, but this spirituality cannot be seen with the naked eye. It must be closed and experienced with the eyes of the mind. For example, a big tree can only see the lushness and lushness with the naked eye.

    But if you look at it with your inner eye, you will see fertile land and abundant water. You will see the strong meridians in the trunk transporting nutrients. You will see the leaves falling in autumn and growing in spring. You will see countless creatures coexisting with the tree. This is  tree life.

    The spirituality of the sword lies not only in its sharpness, but also in its spirit. Just like the God of Zhanlu, the best sword in the world, it is the essence of hardware and the essence of the sun.  ¡¯

    It seems a bit mysterious, but it is not. Liu Jing feels peaceful and friendly with the same green sword. The essence of the sword lies in martial arts, but Liu Jing knows that when the word "Îä" is separated, it becomes the word "Zhige".  This is the connotation of the sword.

    But Zhao Yun does not have this kind of king's heart. He has the heart of a general. He only sees the appearance of the sword, sharp and indestructible, and even feels that he cannot control it.

    This is actually a state of mind, just like a diamond. In the eyes of billionaires, it is just an ordinary ornament with an indifferent state of mind. However, in the eyes of poor people, it is a wealth that changes their destiny, so that they are obsessed with it.  Bewitched by the light.

    When Liu Jing saw that Zhao Yun refused to take the sword, he no longer forced him, put away the sword, and said: "But I always want to give you something to change my brother's fate."

    Zhao Yun smiled and said nothing. A sword could not change his destiny. Liu Jing smiled slightly, "I am not talking about a sword, but another thing. To be precise, it is a person. I believe this person can definitely solve the problem."  Brother¡¯s final knot.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After coming out of Qingping Alley, Liu Jing returned to the state government office. When he walked into the inner hall, he immediately ordered his soldiers: "Bring Cao Cao's envoy up."

      Not long after, several soldiers brought a scribe up. This time it was no longer Jiang Gan, but Yang Xiu. Yang Xiu had followed Cao Cao back to Xudu, and was sent by Cao Cao as an envoy to Wuchang.

    Cao Cao hopes to negotiate to return Liu Jing to Xia Houyuan, as well as the counselor Mao Jie and a dozen other generals who followed Xia Houyuan across the river.

    Yang Xiu stepped forward and bowed deeply, "See Zhou Mu!"

    ¡°It turns out to be Chief Yang, long time no see, please sit down!¡±

    Liu Jing asked Yang Xiu to sit down and ordered the soldiers to serve tea. Then he smiled and asked, "How is Prime Minister Cao's health now?"

    "The prime minister is not in good health. Unfortunately, he fell ill after several months of hard work. Now Xu is recuperating."

    "The Prime Minister is over fifty, so he should be careful. If he wants to conquer the south again in the future, he can ask his nephew to serve him. Cao Pi and Cao Zhang are both good! He doesn't have to work so hard."

    These words made Yang Xiu feel weird and he couldn't answer. He had to smile bitterly and turned the topic to business. He took out a letter and presented it to Liu Jing, "This is a letter written by the Prime Minister. Please ask the state pastor to read it.  "

    Liu Jing took the letter and read it. Cao Cao wrote very simply, hoping that he could release Xia Houyuan and Mao Jie, but the condition was still to make Liu Jing the King of Xiangyang. Liu Jing laughed, "I am so virtuous and capable that I dare to do anything without permission."  King, Prime Minister Cao is putting me on the fire! Please tell Prime Minister Cao that I thank him for his kindness, but I cannot obey his orders."

    Yang Xiu also received Cao Cao's instructions in advance. If Liu Jing refused, let Liu Jing set the conditions himself. He then said: "Then what will Zhou Mu do to be willing to let him go?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Actually, Xia Houyuan and Mao Jie are of no use to me, and they are unwilling to surrender. It's okay to let them go back, but I want to exchange three people with the Prime Minister."

    Yang Xiu perked up and said quickly: "Please tell me, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing said lightly: "I want Liu Bei's wife and children."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    [There is actually nothing wrong with the chapters. Because I was considering adding another chapter to the Red Cliff War, I specially left one chapter out. I forgot to tell everyone yesterday]

 Volume 2 Jiang Xia Chapter 395 Insinuation

    On the pier, Yang Xiu got on the boat and said to Liu Jing on the bow: "I will reply to the Prime Minister as soon as possible. I believe I will return to Wuchang soon."

    Liu Jing responded with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Master Yang. I hope to meet again."

    As the ship set sail, Yang Xiu's figure gradually disappeared. Liu Jing waved to the guard leader Li Qing, took out a letter and handed it to him, and ordered: "Send this letter to Xudu immediately using pigeon letter!"

    "Follow your orders!"

    Li Qing took the letter and arranged for it to be delivered. Liu Jing then got on his horse and headed towards the city with his entourage. But just a few steps away, there was a noise not far away, and someone faintly heard shouting: "No."  Stop it, we want to see Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing reined in his horse and looked into the distance. He saw a group of people running towards this side, but they were stopped by soldiers. They shouted loudly, waved their arms, and looked extremely angry.

    Liu Jing felt strange in her heart. She urged her horse forward and asked, "What happened?"

    "Report to Zhou Mu, these people want to file a complaint!"

    Liu Jing saw this group of people dressed like businessmen, so she asked from a distance: "Who are you, and what are you complaining about?"

    A group of people were about to rush over, but were stopped by the soldiers. Only an old man was allowed to come forward as a representative. The old man stepped forward and knelt down and said: "Qi Zhou Mu, we are all boatmen in Wuchang, and we make a living by transporting goods, but  In the past few months, everyone has been driven to death.¡±

    After the old man finished speaking, people behind him were shouting, "We have had no business for March and April. Everyone is going to starve to death. Please ask the state pastoral minister to take charge!"

    Liu Jing was a little surprised, "How could it be possible? Not long ago, civilian ships were also involved in transporting goods from Chibi to Wuchang?"

    The old man kowtowed and said with tears: "Such good things are not our turn. They are all taken care of by the Tao family. We don't dare to hope for official business. We only ask that the Tao family can give us a bite of food every day. We don't need anything."  All exclusive.¡±

    Liu Jing understood a little, then his face darkened and he asked: "How does the Tao family have a monopoly?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, this pier along the river is an official pier. It is either an official ship or a Tao family ship. We cannot get there. But the other side of the Cao River is a commercial cargo wharf. In the past, everyone could go in to transport goods, but starting from this year  , only the Tao family's boats can enter the Cao River during the day, and our turn is not available. We can only go in at night to transport some goods and pick up some of the residue left by the Tao family.

    But in the past few months, the government has issued an order strictly prohibiting shipping goods at night, and our business has been cut off. A few days ago, we were finally allowed to ship goods in and out at night. However, the Tao family recently bought hundreds of ships, even occupying the night channel.  If it doesn't happen, we're totally screwed, and we ask the state pastor to make the decision for us!  "

    Everyone kowtows desperately, "Please give us a bite of food from the Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing¡¯s face looked a little ugly. This was not the news he wanted to hear, nor was it the Tao family he wanted to see. He urged his horse to run towards Caohe.

    The Caohe River in Wuchang County is located in the south of the city. It is about two miles long and runs directly from the Yangtze River to Shuimen. The Caohe River is usually filled with private merchant ships, transporting various goods into the city and transporting various goods out of the city. It is busy and lively every day.  .

    In recent months, due to the closure of the river due to the war, Caohanei has been deserted for a while, but in the past few days, with the end of the war and the recovery of business, Caohanei has become lively again.

    Liu Jing still remembers that there were not many Tao family merchant ships in Wuchang in the past, mainly in Chaisang and Fancheng. However, since he took charge of Wuchang, the Tao family's business began to expand to Wuchang County.

    At this time, the Caohe River was full of cargo ships, large and small, and almost all of them were marked with the Tao family's double carp logo. Liu Jing walked slowly for a mile, but never found a ship that was not from the Tao family.

    Liu Jing¡¯s face became very ugly. The Tao family originally supported him greatly, and in return, he was willing to let the Tao family get more business benefits. This was no problem.

    But he didn't want to see the Tao family's monopoly, just like anyone in power didn't want to see the courtiers and their families dominate, the same was true for business. Once the Tao family completely monopolized Jingzhou's business, Liu Jing would have to look at the Tao family for many important decisions.  His face changed.

    Zhiwei sees that from a small freight monopoly, one can imagine the future situation. This kind of thing cannot be allowed to grow. The Tao family must be beaten, and as soon as possible.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing turned his horse and headed towards the county town.

    Although the size of Wuchang City is similar to that of Xiangyang City, Xiangyang's commerce is in Fancheng. Xiangyang City is mainly responsible for government affairs, culture and education, and there is enough space to build a state government office, while Wuchang City is a mixture of commerce, military and government, which makes it appear more cramped.

    It is also for this reason that Jingzhou Prefectural Government and Jiangxia County Government are actually one government office with two brands. Of course, this is also related to the fact that Liu Jing only actually controls Jiangxia, Changsha and Anlu counties, so there is no need to set up a special state team.

    Liu Jing needs it nowThe power relationship here is a bit complicated when looking for the Yi Ji of Jiangxia County. Since Liu Jing also serves as the prefect of Jiangxia, it stands to reason that the County Cheng should have the real power of Jiangxia County.

    But in fact this is not the case. The political power of Jiangxia County is actually in the hands of Liu Jing's chief aide Xu Shu. Only when Liu Jing moves the prefecture back to Xiangyang will Yiji get real power and be promoted to the governor of Jiangxia.  .

    Yiji himself is well aware of this, so he does not complain. He spends his days leisurely and patiently waits for the moment of handing over power. This is also his cleverness.

    Not long after, Yi Ji hurriedly walked into Liu Jing's official room, bowed and saluted: "See you Zhou Mu!"

    "Jun Cheng, please take a seat!"

    Liu Jing looked at Yi Ji and saw that he had gained a lot of weight after not seeing him for several months. She couldn't help but smile and said, "Yi Juncheng seems to be in good health."

    Yi Ji smiled bitterly, "I would rather become dark and thin."

    Liu Jing laughed, "This day will come soon. I just hope that when the time comes, Jun Cheng won't complain too much."

    "I only have expectations and no complaints."

    Liu Jing nodded, pondered for a moment and said, "I'm here to find the county magistrate. I want to know about Lieutenant Tao's situation."

    "Tao Xianwei is Tao Zheng, Liu Jing's brother-in-law. Yi Ji was startled. He didn't quite understand what Liu Jing meant, so he could only say vaguely: "Tao Xianwei has been very busy recently, and we don't see each other much."

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "I'm asking Tao County Lieutenant if there is anything wrong with him or if he is incompetent. Uncle Ji, feel free to speak out."

    "I'm afraid I'm not sure about that."

    Seeing that Yi Ji was worried, Liu Jing comforted him and said, "Uncle Ji, don't worry, let alone have any worries. I just hope that you can be frank and tell the truth. I just want to know what inappropriate behavior the Tao County Lieutenant has, or what he has done."  , what aspects does he have that are not suitable for being a county captain?"

    Yi Ji came to his senses. He was afraid that Liu Jing was going to attack Tao Zheng and get information from him. Yi Ji lowered his head and thought for a moment and said, "Tao County Lieutenant was a little too biased towards the interests of the Tao family in some business dispute cases.  Many businessmen reported that he used his power to benefit his family.¡±

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. The charge of "abusing power for personal gain" was a bit too serious. After all, the Tao family's support contributed to the final victory of the Chibi War. He just wanted to beat the Tao family, not deliberately attack the Tao family.  .

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing shook her head, "Is there anything else wrong?"

    After all, Yiji had been an official for many years. He suddenly understood Liu Jing's intention to find a harmless problem. Yiji rolled his eyes and said, "I heard that Tao County Lieutenant and a man named Liu Yan  Prostitutes are too close."

    Now, Liu Jing was very interested and asked with a smile: "Are many people aware of this matter?"

    "I'm afraid not many people in Wuchang City don't know about this."

    The matter of Tao Zheng is relatively vague. Since ancient times, the relationship between officials and prostitutes has been a romantic affair. As long as they do not have sex with brothels during official business hours, there is no violation. However, two years ago, Liu Biao issued a legal order because of the incident of his eldest son Liu Qi's prostitution.  , prohibiting Jingzhou officials from associating with prostitutes, but in fact, this order was never implemented.

    Even so, the law is there after all and has not been abolished. Making a fuss about it is a kind of making a fuss out of a molehill, or making use of the topic. Once Yiji understood Liu Jing's intention, he immediately found a countermeasure.

    " This kind of association with famous prostitutes is a small mistake in personal life. It is harmless. Because there are no specific punishment provisions, it can be big or small. As long as you correct it, you can still re-enter the official position. It is completely incomparable with crimes such as "abusing power for personal gain".

    Moreover, this charge is very consistent with Liu Jing's standards. It is neither light nor serious. It is a kind of warning range. Liu Jing nodded, "That's it! Please arrange for Yijun Cheng to submit a letter of impeachment as soon as possible."  "

    "Wei Chen obeys the order!"

    Liu Jing always pays attention to making decisions before taking action, but once he takes action, he must act vigorously and resolutely. Yi Ji knows this very well. In the afternoon of that day, Han Ying, the chief administrator of Wuchang County, wrote a letter to impeach Wuchang County Wei Tao Zheng for drunkenness, prostitution, and misconduct in officialdom.  decent.

    Prefectural Shepherd Liu Jing immediately made a decision to suspend Tao Zheng from his post as Wuchang County Lieutenant and ordered the Jiangxia County Government to thoroughly investigate the matter. Once it is determined that he violated the law, he will be severely punished.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 396 Tao Family Self-examination

    At night, Liu Jing was playing with her son in the back hall. The little boy was almost four months old and was very sleepy. But tonight he was very excited, naughty and lively, and Liu Jing made him giggle. At this time,  Tao Zhan walked in with a bowl of ginseng tea. She was extremely happy to see her son and her husband having fun.

    However, there was a trace of worry in her heart at this moment. Just now, her sister-in-law came to her and told her that her brother Tao Zheng had been suspended, and implicitly begged her to help intercede. This made Tao Zhan a little surprised. It was not the matter of her brother's suspension.  But the charge against his brother was that he was unbecoming of a prostitute. If this could be considered a charge, then most of the officials in Jingzhou should be suspended from their posts.

    But it was because of something strange that Tao Zhan felt that there must be something fishy. She decided to find an opportunity to ask her husband privately.

    Tao Zhan put down the tea bowl, patted his son's little butt, and picked him up, "It's time for little tiger to sleep!"

    Liu Zhi immediately cried and fussed, wanting to continue playing with his father, but Tao Zhan ignored him and handed him directly to the nanny. Maybe he was really tired. Liu Zhi only cried twice and then fell into the nanny's arms.  When he fell asleep, the nanny took him out.

    Liu Jing leaned on the couch and played with her son for most of an hour. He was a little tired. Tao Zhan touched his forehead and said softly: "It's time for the big tiger to sleep!"

    Liu Jing held his wife's white and delicate hand and said with a smile: "It's time to go to bed. Let's sleep with my wife."

    Tao Zhan blushed slightly, broke away from his hand, and brought the ginseng tea to him, "Drink first!"

    Liu Jing drank the ginseng tea in one gulp, and Tao Zhan felt happy, holding her husband's hand and walking out of the study quickly.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the bedroom, the two of them were lying hugging each other. Tao Zhan curled up in his husband's arms like a cat, breathing quietly. Liu Jing gently stroked his wife's hair. He also wanted to use this opportunity to tell his wife about Tao Zhan.  It¡¯s a family matter, but I don¡¯t know how to talk about it.

    "What does your husband want to say?" Tao Zhan felt that her husband had something to say, and she couldn't help but raise her head and look into his eyes.

    Liu Jing kissed his wife¡¯s smooth forehead and said with a smile, ¡°Did anyone from the Tao family look for you today?¡±

    "That's right, I still want to ask you!"

    Tao Zhan pushed Liu Jing, smiled, and said coquettishly: "Why did you dismiss my brother from office? What does it mean to be a prostitute? It's inappropriate. Don't you officials go to brothels to drink?"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "It's just a temporary suspension, not removal. Madam, don't worry."

    "I'm not blowing the whistle, I just feel a little strange. My father said that Jingzhou has never dismissed officials due to this issue. Why did it happen to my brother?"

    "My father-in-law is here today?"

    "No, it was my sister-in-law who came to see me. She said the family was in chaos and my father was very worried."

    "What about grandfather? What's his attitude?" Liu Jing asked again with a smile.

    Tao Zhan thought for a while and said, "I guess he doesn't know about this at all."

    "When you have time, go back and talk to your grandfather. Now the people in Wuchang have great opinions on the Tao family, and they must give others a way to survive."

    Tao Zhan didn¡¯t expect the problem to be so serious, his eyes were full of surprise, ¡°Have the Tao family reached the point where they don¡¯t give others a way to survive?¡±

    "I don't know the specific situation. Someone has already complained to me directly today."

    Liu Jing told Tao Zhan about the complaint from the boat owner. Tao Zhan felt a little heavy in her heart. She did not expect that the Tao family would be so short-sighted. She was going to talk to the Tao family.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, Liu Jing went out early to the military camp outside the city. Tao Zhan tidied up a little and went back to her parents' home.

    Tao¡¯s old residence is located in Chaisang, and Wuchang originally transferred only part of the business. However, as Chaisang¡¯s status has gradually become marginalized in recent years, the focus of the Tao family has gradually moved to Wuchang.

    A mansion covering an area of ??30 acres was built in the northeast corner of Wuchang County. There is also a manor covering an area of ??more than 200 acres outside Wuchang East City. Where Tao Zhan is going today is the manor outside the city.

    Half an hour later, dozens of personal guards guarding Tao Zhan's carriage slowly stopped at the gate of the manor. Someone had already come to report the news beforehand. Dozens of Tao family members came to greet the carriage outside the gate. The carriage stopped, and the maids took Tao Zhan out of the gate.  He was helped out from the car, followed by the wet nurse, holding Liu Zhi in her arms.

    The female relatives rushed up together, and they gathered around Tao Zhan to greet him. Tao Zhan's aunt had already carried the child over, and the female relatives' attention turned to the child again, and they gathered around the child to amuse themselves.

    At this time, Tao Zheng's wife Yu Shi stepped forward and pulled Tao Zhan aside and whispered: "It's a bad time for me to come. My father-in-law went to the city early in the morning, but your eldest brother is here. Do you want to see him?"

    Tao Zhan pondered for a moment and said, "I want to go see my grandfather first."??Don't bother asking my sister-in-law to invite my eldest brother to come with me to meet my grandfather!  "

    Mrs. Yu nodded and hurried back to the manor. Tao Zhan joked with everyone for a few more words, then took the child into the manor.

    Tao Lie's health has been deteriorating in the past two years, and he has basically stopped being involved in Tao family affairs. He spends most of his time in his yard every day. He likes to sit quietly alone, recalling his life, and quietly waiting for the last moment to come.  .

    Although his body was weak and his eyesight was not good, Tao Lie could still think clearly and could hear the footsteps outside the house. At this time, there were running footsteps outside his room. A maid panted at the door and reported: "Old Master, Zhou  Mrs. Mu is here."

    Tao Lie was startled at first, then immediately laughed. It was his most precious granddaughter Zhan'er who came. He quickly said: "Please sit down for a moment, I will come out right away."

    He struggled to stand up, and the maid hurriedly stepped forward to help him up. Then Tao Lie slowly walked toward the outer hall on crutches.

    In the outer hall, Tao Zhan had already met his brother Tao Zheng. Tao Zheng was quite depressed. He lowered his head and said nothing. He was really unconvinced. During the Chibi War, a large amount of supplies were transported to Chibi, and there were also requisitions by militia groups.  , public security maintenance, he is busy from morning to night every day, even dreaming at night is busy with official duties.

    Even though he had no merit, he still had hard work, but he never expected that he would be suspended from office with a letter of impeachment, and he would be charged with prostitution and indecency, which was simply baffling to him.

    Tao Zhan sat opposite and looked at her brother quietly. She hadn't seen her brother in almost a year. She saw that he had become dark and thin, which showed his usual hard work. In fact, her husband was also the same. A big battle was brought to everyone.  All brought great pressure.

    But she doesn¡¯t want her brother to become so depressed. Even if she encounters setbacks, she hopes that her brother can face them positively.

    "This is actually just a small matter. Why is my brother so sad?"

    "Little things!"

    Tao Zheng sneered and said: "Of course it seems like a small matter to you, but to me, this is a big deal. Which official in Jingzhou has not been to a brothel to drink in the past decades, but it became a crime for him to come here? I am  Not convinced!¡±

    Tao Zhan sighed, "My brother is almost thirty years old, so why are he still as angry as a child? Doesn't it mean that my brother really doesn't have anything to do with it, such as using power for personal gain for the family? Is it true?"

    Tao Zheng lowered his head and said nothing. He also understood in his heart, how could it not be possible? Could it be?  £®  £®  His real crime is to use power for personal gain?

    Tao Zhan looked at him and said: "You can't deny it, right! You don't even think about it, why don't you use other charges, but this one is so irrelevant? Why don't you just be dismissed from office, but just temporarily suspended?  ?¡±

    Tao Zheng was so angry that he didn't think about it because he was obsessed with the authorities. Now that his sister reminded him, he finally came to his senses.

    More importantly, his sister is Mrs. Zhou Mu. Since she said this, she must have some inside information. Coupled with the fact that her sister came to Tao's house today, Tao Zheng felt a sudden enlightenment in his heart, and his originally depressed mood gradually began to feel a little better.  Getting better.

    Tao Zheng was about to ask again, when two little maids helped the old man Tao Lie into the inner hall, "Is it my precious granddaughter here?" Tao Lie asked with a smile.

    Tao Zhan stood up quickly, took the child from the aunt next to him, and said with a smile, "Not only is your granddaughter here, but your little great-grandson is also here."

    Tao Lie¡¯s eyes narrowed with a smile, and he stepped forward and squeezed Liu Zheng¡¯s pink hand, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen this little guy, haha! He still ignored me.¡±

    Liu Zhi lowered his head and concentrated on playing with his little feet, not caring about the oldest elder. Tao Lie touched his head lovingly, wiped a string of bracelets from his wrist, and put it on for the child.

    Tao Zhan was startled and hurriedly refused, "Grandpa, no! No!"

    Next to him, Tao Zheng was also a little stunned. He knew that his grandfather's bracelet was extremely valuable. It was once the favorite of Emperor Guangwu and had been hidden deep in the palace. It was composed of nine diamonds of four colors, each like a dove egg, called  In the first year of Chuping, the Tao family spent 30,000 taels of gold to buy the diamond chain from Dong Zhuo.

    This bracelet can be said to be an heirloom of the Tao family. It can only be worn by the head of the family. However, he did not expect that his grandfather would give this bracelet to his great-grandson. Even though he was the son of Liu Jing, Tao Zheng still felt a sense of disapproval in his heart.  Out of shock.

    Tao Lie¡¯s face sank, and he forced it on Tao Zhan, ¡°This is my great-grandson¡¯s meeting gift, what¡¯s wrong with it?¡±

    Of course Tao Zhan would not ask for the Tao family's heirloom, but she could not refuse, so she had to secretly think that she would return it to her father if she had the chance in the future.

    She had no choice but to accept it first, "Thank you, grandpa!"

    "That's right!"

      Tao Lie waved his hand and asked his granddaughter to sit down, but Tao Zheng did not dare to sit down. Standing next to him, Tao Lie smiled and said to Tao Zhan in a gentle tone: "I know you are not here just to see me, what's the matter?  Let¡¯s talk about it first while I¡¯m still clear-headed.¡±

    Tao Zhan also smiled and said: "Of course my granddaughter is here to visit my grandfather. There is also a little thing that I want my grandfather to know."

    Tao Lie didn't speak. He listened to his granddaughter's words attentively. Although he was old, his thoughts were very clear. He knew that there must be a reason why Tao Zhan came at this time.

    Tao Zhan glanced at Tao Zheng again and said, "Brother, let's talk first! What happened yesterday?"

    Tao Lie was stunned, does this matter have anything to do with Zheng'er?  Although Tao Zheng is Tao Sheng's second son, because the eldest son died of illness when he was a child, Tao Zheng is actually the eldest grandson, and he is the only person in the Tao family who is currently engaged in politics. Tao Lie values ????him very much.

    Tao Zheng had no choice but to tell the story of his suspension yesterday. He was about to explain that his relationship with the famous prostitute was over, but Tao Lie interrupted him with a wave of his hand and asked, "Has the Tao family been in trouble recently?"  Did you do something inappropriate?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 397 The Benefits of the Top Grade

    Tao Zhan also had to admire his grandfather. Jiang was indeed very old, and his grandfather suddenly saw that the problem was not with his brother.

    She didn¡¯t say anything, waiting for her brother¡¯s answer. Naturally, Tao Zheng didn¡¯t know what the problem was.  He couldn't answer for a long time, so he blushed and bowed, "I don't even know, kid."

    Tao Lie looked at him for a long time, but the gaze from his old and turbid eyes became extremely sharp. Tao Zheng made him a little disappointed. Tao Zheng's regretful look made him feel disappointed ever since he gave the bracelet to Liu Zhi just now.

    This is his eldest grandson, the third generation on whom he has placed great hopes, the only official in the Tao family, but he is so mediocre, even worse than his sister. Tao Zhan still knows that he is coming to find him at this time.

    Tao Lie sighed softly and asked Tao Zhan, "Can Zhan'er tell me?"

    Tao Zhan smiled and said softly: "I heard from my husband that many people complained at the dock yesterday morning, saying that the Tao family monopolized Wuchang's shipping."

    Tao Lie suddenly realized that the word "exclusive" was too sensitive, which must have made Liu Jing dissatisfied, so Tao Zheng was impeached and suspended. This was a warning!

    Tao Lie secretly sighed in his heart. His sons were short-sighted and couldn't escape the nature of businessmen. He said to Tao Zhan: "I know about this matter. Go and see the sisters! I will handle this matter well."

    Tao Zhan knew that her grandfather was a sensible person, so she didn't say anything more. The key was that she couldn't get too involved in the affairs of the Tao family, otherwise her husband would be dissatisfied. She got up and followed her aunt.

    Watching his granddaughter walk away, Tao Lie's face darkened, and he turned around and said coldly to Tao Zheng: "Go and find your father quickly."

    Tao Zheng understood something in his heart, and he was so frightened that he quickly got up and went to find his father.

    Since his granddaughter Tao Zhan got married, Tao Lie has stopped interfering in the affairs of the Tao family. On the one hand, it is because of his old age, and more importantly, he hopes that his children and grandchildren can be independent and no longer need to worry about him, so that the Tao family can continue to prosper.  .

    But judging from today¡¯s situation, the situation is not as expected. The Tao family seems to have not kept up with the situation and is still treading water. This is what worries Tao Lie the most.

    At the beginning, he was not willing to marry Tao Zhan to Liu Jing, largely because he did not want the Tao family to get involved in the officialdom. But now that Jingzhou Zhou Mu has become the son-in-law of the Tao family, the Tao family is still chasing petty profits. This is  Tao Lie felt a deep crisis.

    At this time, footsteps were heard down the hall, and Tao Sheng and Tao Li walked quickly into the hall. They hurried over because they heard that Tao Zhan had returned to his parents' home, and happened to meet Tao Zheng at the door.

    Tao Lie glanced at his two sons coldly, "Let's talk in the back hall!"

    He turned around and walked toward the back door with his stick. Tao Sheng and Tao Li hurriedly stepped forward to help their father, but Tao Lie threw him away and slowly walked into the back door. The two brothers looked at each other, feeling surprised in their hearts. What happened to their father?  ?

    In the back hall, Tao Lie sat on his seat, looked at his eldest son, then at his second son, and asked with a sneer: "How is the business of the two proprietors lately?"

    Tao Sheng felt the thorn in his father's words. He felt a little flustered and quickly bowed and said, "Father, what's wrong with you?"

    Seeing that he didn't answer his question, Tao Lie turned to his second son and asked, "Second proprietor, tell me! How is the business lately?"

    Tao Li also felt that something was not good. He bit the bullet and said: "Reporting to my father, the business is going very smoothly. Recently, I received a big deal. Jiang Xiajun is going to sell us 30% of the loot. As long as it changes hands, there will be 30% of the loot."  Double the profit.¡±

    "But yesterday you made a loss-making business."

    Tao Lie glanced at his grandson who was standing far away, "Zheng'er has been suspended. What do you think?"

    Tao Sheng already knew why his father was angry. It was probably the suspension of Zheng'er. Tao Sheng also felt that this incident was very sudden and he was very confused.

    Yesterday, he and his son discussed it and decided to ask his daughter-in-law to go to the state pastoral office to check out the situation and see if he could get any news from his daughter. So when he heard that his daughter was returning to her parents' home today, he hurried back.

    Tao Sheng¡¯s lips moved a little, and he murmured: ¡°Reporting to father, the child is also very confused, please give me some advice.¡±

    Tao Lie waved his hand and called his eldest grandson up, "I think you should understand a little bit. You can speak for yourself!"

    After all, Tao Zheng had been in the officialdom for a year and knew a little about the rules of the officialdom. When he went to find his father just now, he had already thought of the problem. He bowed and said cautiously: "Return to my grandfather, the child has been suspended. It should be the state pastor's fault for Tao."  Home warning."

    Tao Lie nodded and glanced at Tao Sheng, "Do you understand?"

    Tao Sheng had sweat on his forehead. He finally understood the reason why his son was suspended. But why was this happening? Tao Sheng still feltHe was a bit confused. In fact, this is not to blame Tao Sheng. He was a businessman after all. He did not have a deep understanding of the rules of officialdom, and he did not understand the political context. For thousands of years, there was only one businessman who was proficient in officialdom, Lu Buwei.

    Tao Lie once served as the Cheng of Nanyang County and has been in the officialdom for many years. In addition, he has deep experience, so he can see through many problems.

    In fact, Tao Lie is also responsible. He did not train his son properly. He just blazed a path between Jingzhou and Jiangdong, and then let his son follow his own path. This is called "knowing what is happening but not knowing why."  ¡¯

    Tao Lie was helpless. He saw that his son really didn't understand politics. He must teach his son and eldest grandson a lesson before he died, so that they would not get lost in the tide.

    Tao Lie then said slowly: "There are three types of profit for a businessman. The lowest level is huge profits. Swindling, cheating, or getting rich overnight are all huge profits. This kind of huge profits cannot last long. The profit comes in the morning and disappears in the evening. The most serious thing is to fight with a bamboo basket."  water;

    ??The middle grade is business profit. Doing business in all directions and having access to rivers and seas. After ten years of accumulation, the business profits gained can last for three generations. For example, the Tao family, although they are rich and can rival the country, they still have to look at the faces of the powerful;

    Shangpin is the right. The transfer of merchants is an official.  "

    Tao Sheng nodded silently, "I understand, kid."

    "What about you, do you understand?" Tao Lie asked Changsun Dao again.

    Tao Zheng bowed and said, "My grandson understands!"

    "Now that we all understand, let's talk about what happened today. Zheng'er was suspended because the Tao family monopolized the freight in Wuchang County, making it impossible for other ship owners to make a living. They filed a collective complaint, so Zhou Mu warned the Tao family."

    Tao Sheng was surprised, so what happened?  He looked at his brother Taoli again, he was responsible for this matter.

    Tao Li's face turned red and he knelt down quickly to apologize: "Father, this is the child's responsibility. The child is too greedy for profit and has never thought about the interests of others."

    Tao Lie nodded, "Actually, officialdom and shopping malls are connected. You have ten top stewards. If there is only one top steward left, and this top steward controls all the Tao family's business, I don't think you will agree. Officialdom  The same is true. No one in power will allow his subordinates to dominate, especially the Tao family, who have a special status. If you force the weak, you will think of bullying others, but it will damage the reputation of Zhou Mu. "

    Speaking of this, Tao Lie asked again: "Now you know what to do!"

    Tao Sheng nodded, "I understand. I will give the business in the south to the Su family and solve all monopoly issues immediately."

    "now it's right!"

    Tao Lie smiled happily and said to his son and grandson: "We, the Tao family, will seek high-ranking rights from now on. Liu Jing's victory in Chibi means that he can participate in the fight for the world. Then the Tao family will fight for the world."  The role it plays is not just as simple as food and material support, it must follow the rhythm of the army.

    For example, assisting the army with logistics and transportation, and helping the government resettle refugees, etc. Wherever the army goes, we will follow. Don¡¯t just think about making money, we must learn to do loss-making business, lose something, gain something, lose business interests, and gain officialdom.  Benefit.

    As long as our Tao family plays a huge role in Liu Jing's struggle for the world, then Zhan'er's status will not be reduced. As long as Zhan'er's status is maintained, then Liu Zhi is the fundamental guarantee for our Tao family to obtain top-class rights.  "

    At this time, Tao Zheng beside him suddenly realized, "Is this what my grandfather meant when he gave the diamond chain to Liu Zhi?"

    Tao Lie smiled and said: "You finally understand a little bit, but it's not comprehensive. You must know that the bracelet is the beloved thing of Emperor Guangwu. Who is Emperor Guangwu? How can our Tao family own his bracelet? I think Liu Jing will understand.  My profound meaning.¡±

    Tao Sheng sighed, "I've been living in a muddle these past two years. If it weren't for my father's enlightening teachings today, my child would have continued to be muddleheaded. I understand, my child, Liu Jing has already hinted to us that as long as our Tao family does well, then  The benefits will fall on Zheng'er."

    Tao Lie was very happy. His son was not stupid. As long as he pierced this piece of paper, they would understand everything. However, Tao Lie was still uneasy. He felt that he must arrange the path of the Tao family before he died.  , let the children and grandchildren not lose their way.

    Thinking of this, Tao Lie said to his two sons: "Tao can no longer be careless in running a family school. He must pay a high price to hire truly knowledgeable scholars to teach his children. The family school should not only accept Tao's children, but also cultivate more."  Qualified poor young people will donate another amount of money to Jiangxia Academy, so that Jiangxia Academy can use it to improve the food and accommodation of the scholars. "

    Speaking of this, Tao Lie asked Tao Zheng with a smile, "Zheng'er understands that his grandfather funded Jiangxia AcademyWhat's the intention?  "

    Tao Zheng thought for a moment, "My grandson was wondering, does his grandfather want the children of the Tao family to have the opportunity to study in Jiangxia Academy?"

    Tao Lie stroked his beard and laughed, "My grandson can teach you!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    That afternoon, Tao's Trading Company summoned hundreds of merchants and more than 20 shipowners in Wuchang and announced that the Tao family would no longer be involved in short-distance business and would give up 40% of its freight volume. This news made merchants in Wuchang City rejoiced.

    The next day, the investigation report on Tao Zheng also came out. Tao Zheng was not involved in prostitution. He only drank too much twice and was not unbecoming. Liu Jing immediately ordered the reinstatement of Tao Zheng's official position.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 398 Goodbye Sima Yi

    At night, Liu Jing was in the study room looking at the diamond necklace given to his son by Tao Lie. His wife said it was an heirloom of the Tao family, which intrigued Liu Jing.

    The bracelet is made of pure gold and is inlaid with nine diamonds the size of pigeon eggs. They are divided into four colors: pink, light yellow, azure, and colorless. It is dazzling and extremely bright. In terms of wealth, this diamond chain is indeed valuable.  Liancheng is unique in the world.

    But what Liu Jing is interested in is the unique identity of the bracelet. It is actually the beloved object of Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, and it is the treasure of the emperor. However.  £®  £®  £®  £®  How do you know this is Liu Xiu's thing?

    At this time, Tao Zhan came forward with a cup of tea and said with a smile: "I remember playing with this treasure chain when I was a child. It seems that there is a mystery in the lid."

    ¡®Lid?  ¡¯ Liu Jing rummaged around again and discovered that there was a small flip cover at the entrance of the bracelet. It was difficult to find without paying attention. He carefully opened the cover and saw that the word ¡®imperial¡¯ was indeed engraved on the inner wall.

    "Husband, do you really want to accept this treasure chain for Zhi'er?"

    Tao Zhan originally wanted to return the treasure chain to her father, but his father refused to accept it, so she had to take it back to the house. However, she did not want her son to have such a valuable thing, so it was best to return it to the Tao family.

    Liu Jing shook her head and said: "Since this is the property of Emperor Guangwu, the Tao family cannot have it, but I can't have it for the time being."

    "Then what do you plan to do with it?" Tao Zhan asked puzzledly.

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "I plan to donate it to today's emperor to show my ambition."

    Tao Zhan was reluctant. After all, this was an heirloom of the Tao family, but her husband wanted to donate it to the puppet emperor. But she also knew that her husband's move must have deep meaning, so Tao Zhan whispered: "  It¡¯s up to you, husband! I have no objection.¡±

    Liu Jing understood his wife's thoughts, gently held her in his arms, smiled and comforted her: "Don't worry! This bracelet is not food. It will be gone after you eat it. It is there and will not disappear."

    Tao Zhan put his face against her husband's chest and nodded lightly. At this time, the housekeeper's voice came from outside the door, "Sir, the housekeeper said that there is a guest visiting outside the house. It is Jin Yuancheng from the academy."

    ¡°Take him to the guest room to wait for me, I¡¯ll be right away.¡±

    Liu Jing stood up and put on a coat. Tao Zhan arranged the collar for him before leaving the study and heading to the living room.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the living room, a scribe in his thirties was uneasily drinking tea and waiting. Compared with ordinary scholars, he was not only bookish, but also a bit more shrewd. This man's name was Jin Jiong, and he was the principal of Jiangxia Academy.  He is responsible for managing daily chores, and he is responsible for the entire operation of the academy.

    Pang Degong only cares about teaching and educating people, and does not care about the affairs of the academy. Although Kuai Liang is called the academy master, he actually does not do anything. He is just in the name of the academy master. The food, clothing, housing, and transportation of the scholars and the financial transactions of the academy are all handled by Jin Yuancheng.  .

    At this time, Liu Jing walked into the living room, and Jin Jiong hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, "In this humble position, I am the state pastor!"

    "You're welcome, Yuan Cheng. Please sit down."

    Jiangxia Yuan Cheng is only a minor official. He is not qualified to visit Zhou Mu. His arrival was ordered by Liu Jing. About seven days ago, Liu Jing got a letter from Sima Yi's family. It was written by Sima Yi's father, Sima Fang, and Sima Yi's wife.  Unfortunately, he died of puerperal fever caused by being imprisoned. Although his son was saved, his body was extremely thin and he was temporarily taken care of by his grandfather.

    Jin Jong sat down and said, "I have already sent the letter to Sima Yi seven days ago according to the instructions of the state pastor."

    "How is he doing now?" Liu Jing asked.

    "He locked himself in the room for five days and finally showed up yesterday. It can be seen that his mental state is not bad. Yesterday he also visited Pang Gong and Master Kuai. I heard from Master Kuai that they had a very happy conversation.  "

    Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh. This Sima Yi was really powerful. He took this opportunity to express his feelings to himself. In fact, Liu Jing knew that Sima Yi had been paying attention to the Battle of Chibi. When the overall situation of the Battle of Chibi was determined, Sima Yi expressed his feelings through Xu Shu's mouth.  received his concession.

    Jia Xu is indeed right. No one can convince Sima Yi. He must rely on strength to fight for it. As long as he has enough strength, he will naturally join him. This time the Jiangxia army defeated Cao Jun, and Sima Yi saw the hope of Jiangxia. However, they  There is still a missing point of agreement.

    To put it more directly, both parties need a step, and at this time, the death of Sima Yi's wife is the best step. Sima Yi wants to avenge Cao Pi for killing his wife. At the same time, Liu Jing does not have to worry about Sima Zhao being born.

    Liu Jing nodded and smiled approvingly: "You did a good job, I will remember you this time."

    Jin Jiong was a little flattered and said quickly: "There is one more thing. I have to report to the state pastor for my humble position."

    "You say it!" Liu Jing took a sip of tea and smiled.

      "This morning the Tao family donated a large amount of money to Jiangxia Academy, as much as 20 million yuan!"

    Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said: ¡°The Tao family is very generous!¡±

    "It's a large amount of money, and it came very, very timely. It happened that many scholars wanted to bring their families over, but they had no money. This money can be used as travel expenses and settling-in expenses. The remaining money can be used  Improve the food and accommodation for the scholars.¡±

    Liu Jing, of course, knew that the Tao family would not give money for no reason. It probably had something to do with Tao Lie. This old man was indeed very discerning and knew how to do long-term business. Liu Jing nodded and asked, "Did the Tao family make any request?"

    ¡°I haven¡¯t put forward any specific requirements. I just hope that Jiangxia Academy will give businessmen the opportunity to study.¡±

    This meaning is very clear. The Tao family wants to send their children to study in Jiangxia Academy. Liu Jing asked again: "What are the opinions of Pang Gong and Kuai Academy Master?"

    ¡°They all expressed respect for the opinions of the state pastor.¡±

    Obviously, both Pang Degong and Kuai Liang expressed their acquiescence. Now they want Liu Jing to express his position. Liu Jing thought for a while and said: "There can be no more than three people at most, but they can't enter now. They have to follow the rules. We will do it again next spring when we recruit new students."  Enter them together."

    "I understand, I understand. After I return, I will explain the state pastor's attitude to Mr. Pang and Master Kuai."

    Liu Jing was more concerned about Sima Yi at this time. He secretly thought that the time should be ripe.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sima Yi has been under house arrest in Jiangxia Academy since he was captured. Although he is under house arrest, he actually has relative freedom. Except that he cannot leave Jiangxia Academy, he is completely free in the academy. In fact, his life is no different from that of ordinary scholars.  .

    During the day, I went to the academy to listen to the class and study at night. In addition to missing his wife and children, his life was full and full. Moreover, Jiangxia Academy is a must -have from Chibi to Wuchang. Every day, there will be news that a messenger comes from the front line of Chibi.

    Including the Puqi ambush battle, the Chibi confrontation, etc. From these scattered news, Sima Yi relied on his extraordinary intelligence to deduce that the Cao army was in danger in this battle. It was not until the news of the revival of the Yuan family in Hebei came that Sima Yi finally came to the conclusion,  In the Battle of Chibi, Cao's army will be defeated.

    If Cao Jun is completely wiped out in Chibi, then the world situation will inevitably change drastically. Sima Yi has vaguely seen Liu Jing's path to becoming a king, and he began to reconsider his future and destiny.

    At this time, he received a letter from his father and learned that his wife was imprisoned by Cao Pi and unfortunately died of puerperal fever after giving birth to a son. This made Sima Yi extremely sad and also made him hate him deeply.  It was the unfortunate death of his wife that finally made Sima Yi make up his mind.

    Early in the morning, as usual, Sima Yi started to pack up his books and pens, preparing to go to the academy to attend lectures. At this time, the Chancellor of the Academy, Jin Jiong, ran into the small courtyard in a panic and shouted in a hurry: "Mr. Sima, the state pastor is here, and he is here on a special trip.  Visit sir."

    Sima Yi was startled and hurriedly went out to welcome Liu Jing. He saw Liu Jing approaching from a distance. He quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply, "Sima Yi, see Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing didn't expect Sima Yi to be so respectful. At first, Jia Xu was putting on airs, but Sima Yi was very realistic. No wonder Jia Xu said everything would fall into place. Liu Jing immediately smiled and said: "I have been busy with military affairs during this period and have not been able to visit you. I am neglecting you."  "

    "Don't dare, Zhou Mu, please come in!"

    "please!"

    Liu Jing and Sima Yi entered the room and saw the room filled with letters. She couldn't help but smile and said, "Mr. Sima is indeed a learned man."

    "The state pastor has given me a reward, so I have nothing to do to entertain my ears!"

    The two of them sat down, and Yuan Cheng Jinjiong served them tea. Liu Jing smiled at him and said, "Yuan Cheng, go and do something if you have something to do!"

    "yes!"

    Jin Jong retreated, leaving only Liu Jing and Sima Yi in the room. Liu Jing said apologetically: "I already know Madam Ling's misfortune. I originally sent someone to pick Madam Ling back to Jiangxia, but she arrived a step late. Cao Pi learned  I learned the lesson from the previous time and moved my wife ahead of time. I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t help you!¡±

    Sima Yi cast an angry look in his eyes and said bitterly: "From my father's letter, I also guessed something. Hua Xin and I have always been at odds. What happened to my wife and children this time must be related to this person. If I don't kill this person,  I, Sima Yi, swear not to be a human being!"

    "I can understand Brother Sima's mood, but this requires time and patience. The fight for the world is actually a fight for talents. I very much hope that Brother Sima can help me to unify the world, not only to realize my ambition, but also to avenge my wife. I don't know.  Brother Sima, have you thought it through?"

    Sima Yi had already thought about it clearly. He had been waiting for this moment. He immediately got up and knelt down on one knee, holding his fist high and said: "Sima Yi is willing to do the hard work of dogs and horses for Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and quickly helped him up, "Liu Jing will never treat Zhongda badly."?Please get up quickly.  "

    Sima Yi asked Liu Jing to sit down again. Since Sima Yi had surrendered, his words were no longer ambiguous. He smiled and said: "This battle in Chibi can be said to be a battle that changed the world. I really want to know what Zhou Mu is doing."  How to make a move?"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "The next step is to regain the lost territory, Jiangling, Xiangyang and Fancheng, and then Nanyang County."

    Sima Yi thought for a while and said: "Actually, the recovery of lost territory can be implemented after the beginning of spring. It is less than a month before the New Year. I suggest that Zhou Mu use this time to establish the system as soon as possible."

    "Establish a system?" Liu Jing glanced at him doubtfully.  "Yes, the top priority is to establish a system."

    Sima Yi stroked his beard and said: "As the saying goes, 'Make your position clear and establish your virtuous career'. After the Battle of Chibi, the world's structure changed drastically. Zhou Mu was no longer a small local vassal, but a force that could compete with the Central Plains. At this time, Zhou Mu  A pastor must clarify his status and then establish a corresponding system, so that he can know what he should do and draw a circle with rules. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "Zhongda is right. I wonder if Zhongda has any suggestions for my future strategy?"

    "I heard from Mr. Jia that Zhou Mu is planning to move the state government back to Xiangyang, but is it true?"

    "I have already decided on this. My strategic goal is to go west, so moving back to Xiangyang is the general trend. Does Zhongda have any suggestions?"

    Sima Yi thought for a moment and said: "I have also thought about Zhou Mu for a long time. Jingzhou is the place of the Four Wars and is not suitable to be established as a foundation. Next, I suggest taking Bashu and connecting Jingzhou and Bashu into one, and then annexing Sun Quan in the east and resisting in the north.  Cao Cao formed the power of the Three Kingdoms.

    After that, Hanzhong is taken. Hanzhong is the intersection of north and south. From the north, you can enter Guanzhong and from the south, you can defend Shujing. If Cao Cao attacks from the west, the Jiangdong Army can go north for reinforcements. If Cao Cao goes east, Zhou Mu can take Guanzhong, making it difficult for Cao Cao to start or end.  Gu.

    However, Cao Cao used the emperor to control the princes. Although he gained temporary benefits, he lost his moral foundation. As time went by, the dissatisfaction of the nobles became deeper and deeper. However, Zhou Mu only needed to strengthen his troops and horses. When the time was right, Zhou Mu could promote the Han Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty.  The banner of ' swept across the Central Plains and repeated the Han Dynasty.  "

    Liu Jing was deeply convinced and sighed: "Zhongda is far-sighted and far-sighted, but Liu Jing is not as good as him!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 399 The Emperor¡¯s Ennoblement

    The New Year, also known as Dan's Day, is the beginning of the year. According to the rules, a large-scale court meeting must be held on this day. The emperor goes to court and accepts the congratulations of hundreds of officials. At the same time, prefects from various places and envoys from border states present gifts to the emperor.

    It was still dark, and hundreds of lanterns were lit around the square in front of the Deyang Hall of Xuchang Palace, illuminating the square like daylight. The court officials gathered in small groups, each gathering and whispering, and the topics were all about what happened more than a month ago.  Chibi Battle.

    Although Cao Cao has issued an order from the Prime Minister not to allow the government and the public to discuss this war, in fact, his order cannot stop the people of the world from talking, especially most of the officials in the court are extremely dissatisfied with Cao Cao for monopolizing power and killing Kong Rong in vain, so Cao Cao  The defeat of Chibi became an excuse for officials to vent their anger.

    In a corner of the square, Taichang Qing Yang Biaozheng and Taiwei Fuwan whispered about recent events. Yang Biao is also the father of Yang Xiu, the chief secretary. He is sixty years old this year. He is highly respected in the court and was imprisoned by Cao Cao a few years ago.  , after being released from prison, he used the excuse of foot illness to stay at home. Today was the day of the imperial court, so he had to go to court to congratulate the emperor.

    And Fu Wan is the father of Empress Fu. He is about fifty years old. He is a Taiwei. Su and Yang Biao are close friends. The two have not seen each other for several months. When they get together today, the topic of the two naturally comes to the Battle of Chibi.

    "Master Zhang, I watched the sky last night and found that the Ziwei Palace, which had been withered for a long time, had signs of restoration. Could it be a metaphor for Jiangxia?" Yang Biao said excitedly.

    Fu Wan said disapprovingly: "A battle at Chibi is not enough to explain anything. It is just that the Northern Army does not know how to fight on water. Mr. Yang's hopes are too high, and I am afraid he will be even more disappointed."

    "otherwise!"

    Yang Biao shook his head and said, "I heard from Xiu'er that he had met Liu Jing several times and said that he had a beautiful mind and the ambition to help the world. Even Cao Cao praised him as a hero and a powerful enemy in his life.  I heard that he released more than 100,000 prisoners of war to return home to reunite with their families, which shows that he has a kind heart and is our hope for the revival of the Han Dynasty. "

    "I hope so too, but I hope he can understand the ways of being a minister and not have any wrong thoughts."

    Yang Biao knew that Fu Wan was worried about Liu Jing. The reason was that Liu Jing was a direct descendant of the royal family. This time he defeated Cao Cao and released prisoners of war to return to the countryside, which aroused praise from the nobles. There were already voices among the people hoping that Liu Jing could revive the Han Dynasty.  room, but this would also affect Fu Wan's interests.

    Seeing the declining prestige of the emperor, many people in the Han Dynasty were a little desperate, but the strong rise of Liu Jing gave these desperate people a glimmer of hope, including Yang Biao, who also ignited the hope of the revival of the Han Dynasty.

    Yang Biao could understand Fu Wan's worry about gains and losses. He stopped mentioning the matter, looked at the sky, and said strangely: "It seems that the time has passed, why hasn't the court started yet?"

    Fu Wan sneered, "Who dares to start a court before the traitor Cao comes!"

    At this moment, there was a slight commotion in the distance, and the officials stepped out of the way, and saw hundreds of Royal Guards cavalry escorting a carriage slowly approaching. The carriage was tall and gorgeous, and was pulled by eight white horses. This was Cao Cao  When they arrived, the carriage stopped in front of the officialdom. Two guards came forward to open the door and helped Cao Cao down.

    After Cao Cao returned to Xudu, he fell seriously ill and was unable to attack the remnants of the Yuan family. It was not until these two days that he recovered slightly. Cao Cao got off the carriage and many ministers came forward to express their condolences. Cao Cao waved his hands and said with a smile: "The time has passed.  It¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s start the morning!¡±

    ¡°Dong¡ª¡ªdong¡ª¡ª¡±

    The bell for the opening of the dynasty rang melodiously, and thousands of officials lined up in front of the main hall, including public officials, ministers, generals, hundreds of officials, and envoys.  According to the etiquette, more than 400 officials worth more than 2,000 shi will enter the main hall to pay homage, while the rest of the officials will stay on the steps to pay homage. At this time, the guards shouted, "The emperor has taken his seat and summoned all officials to pay homage!"

    The officials lined up in two rows, and Cao Cao was the leader. He straightened his clothes and led the officials toward the main hall.

    On the high jade steps in the main hall, Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty sat alone on the dragon couch, wearing a golden crown with twelve white beads hanging down.  Zhang, eight palace maids stood behind him, holding long fans, luogai and other objects. Mu Shun, the confidant eunuch, stood aside to receive and deliver the gifts for the emperor.

    Liu Xie is nearly 30 years old. He is dressed in medium clothes, has fair skin, and looks a little frail. It has been twenty years since he ascended the throne in the sixth year of Zhongping. In the past twenty years, he has been controlled by Dong Zhuo, Li Ji, Cao Cao and others.  He has not been able to be independent for a day. After being a puppet emperor for twenty years, his edges have long been smoothed and he is well versed in self-preservation. After the changes in the belt edict, Liu Xie showed weakness for a few years and everything was done according to Cao Cao's wishes.  Come and do it.

    However, he also understood that although Cao Cao did not have tampering intentions, there was no guarantee that Cao Cao's son would not. He now has no soldiers and power, and the ministers who support him are all weak scholars. He will never be able to turn over again. Now for him  He said that how to end well is the most important thing.

    Liu Xie also heard about ChiThe Battle of the Wall, and the person who defeated Cao Cao turned out to be a member of the clan, Liu Biao's nephew, and the direct royal family. This gave Liu Xie a glimmer of hope in his already desperate heart. If he could defeat Cao Cao's army of more than 200,000 people, could he?  How about sweeping across the Central Plains, killing national traitors, and restoring the Han Dynasty?

    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????¡­

    Hundreds of officials quickly walked into the main hall, lined up in nine rows in the main hall, and all bowed and saluted, "I have come to see your majesty, and I wish your majesty long live long live!"

    Liu Xie waved his hand and said: "My dear friends, please go free of charge!"

    "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

    Hundreds of ministers walked to both sides and stood in their own positions. The morning meeting mainly consisted of four items: greetings, gifts, music and banquets. However, starting from a few years ago, Cao Cao advocated frugality and removed the meeting.  After a great feast, only congratulations and gifts are left.

    Liu Xie then said slowly: "Last year, there was a drought in Xuzhou, a locust plague in Jizhou, and floods in four counties of Yuzhou. People's lives are in hardship. On the occasion of the New Year, do you have any good suggestions to take care of the people in the world?"

    "I have something to say!"

    Cao Cao came out of the queue, pressed the hilt of his sword and bowed slightly: "Your Majesty, natural disasters are not as good as man-made disasters. Most of the people's hardships are due to the rampant bandits in various places. I have sent troops to fight against them. They will be pacified soon. Your Majesty, don't worry. On this New Year's Day,  , I would like to present a pair of white jade unicorns to Your Majesty to celebrate the New Year."

    Liu Xie couldn't help but be secretly annoyed. The Danri Dynasty was one of the few public appearances he had every year. He always hoped to use these opportunities to express something, but Cao Cao didn't give him any chance to talk about state affairs. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to use these opportunities to express something.  He forced a smile and said, "Thank you, Prime Minister, for your gift!"

    At this time, Honglu Qing Han Song came out and said: "Your Majesty, envoys from more than 20 countries including the Xiongnu, Wuhuan, Xianbei, Xiliang, Linyi, Goguryeo and other countries have also sent congratulatory gifts. Are they allowed to go to the palace?"

    "Invite the envoys from various countries to come to the palace!"

    This is also one of the processes every year. After presenting the gifts, shouting three long live greetings, the court meeting is over, and the next appearance will be at the Summer Solstice in a few months.

    After a while, more than twenty envoys came to the pilgrimage one after another, presenting valuables such as horses, white foxes, jade, ginseng, etc. Liu Xie ordered people to reward wine and food, and the hall became quiet again. At this time, Cao Cao asked loudly: "Are there still people in various places?"  Is there a gift? If there is no gift, the officials will send His Majesty back to the palace!"

    At this moment, Xun Yue, the attendant, came forward to report: "Jingzhou Shepherd Liu Jing sent an envoy to offer a gift to the emperor!"

    There was a burst of exclamation in the hall, and then there were loud whispers. Cao Cao turned pale. He did not expect that Liu Jing would send someone to present a gift. This was undoubtedly to clarify his rebellious identity. He was not informed of this matter in advance, which made Cao Cao angry.  Extremely angry, he glared at Xun Yue fiercely.

    Liu Xie is well versed in self-protection. He knows that there are some boundaries that he cannot cross. For example, he cannot ask more questions about matters related to Liu Jing. Liu Xie also remained silent, waiting for Cao Cao's decision.

    Cao Cao glanced at the ministers in the palace. If he was not allowed to see them at this time, it would appear that he was narrow-minded, and he knew that there were some things that he could not stop. What's more, Xia Houyuan was still in Liu Jing's hands, and Cao Cao still relied on Liu Jing.

    "Your Majesty, since the envoy from Jingzhou has a gift to offer, you might as well order him to pay an audience."

    Liu Xie nodded and immediately ordered: "The envoy from Xuan Jingzhou is here to see you!"

    "Your Majesty has a decree to send the envoy from Jingzhou to visit you!"

    Amidst the loud shouts of the guards, Su Fei, the envoy from Jingzhou, walked into the hall, followed by a eunuch, holding a sandalwood box inlaid with gold, which was Liu Jing's gift.

    The people in the main hall immediately came down. Countless pairs of eyes stared at Su Fei. Su Fei knelt down and kowtowed heavily: "Jingzhou joins the army. Su Fei comes to see His Majesty the Emperor and wishes His Majesty the Emperor long live!"

    "Su Aiqing is exempt from the courtesy!"

    "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

    Su Fei stood up and said: "I have been appointed as the Mu of Liuzhou in Jingzhou, and on the occasion of the New Year, I will present a gift to Your Majesty to fulfill my duty as a minister."

    The eunuch stepped forward and presented the sandalwood box inlaid with gold. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were fixed on the box. What gift did Liu Jing offer?  Cao Cao looked back at the guard, who nodded, indicating that he had checked and found nothing suspicious.

    Cao Cao was relieved. At this time, even he was a little curious. What would Liu Jing give him?

    Liu Xie opened the box and took out a string of dazzling bracelets. The nine diamonds shone with dazzling splendor under the light. There was a low exclamation in the hall. Su Fei reported: "Your Majesty, this is  Emperor Guangwu's favorite thing was originally hidden in the palace. It was lost to Jingzhou during Dong Zhuo's rebellion. It was found by Liu Zhoumu and dedicated to His Majesty! "

    Liu Xie smiled slightly and said, "I saw this thing when I was a child."It was called the Diamond Subduing Demon Circle. Later, when the capital was moved, it disappeared. It turned out that it was living in Jingzhou. Liu Jingzhou¡¯s thoughts were taken into consideration by me.  "

    Cao Cao suddenly understood what Liu Jing meant. Liu Jing presented the things belonging to Emperor Guangwu to the emperor, which showed that he had no intention of arrogance. After all, he defeated the imperial army and must have an explanation.

    From a small detail, Cao Cao felt that Liu Jing was becoming more and more powerful. Not only did he win militarily, he also made a clever move in politics.

    "However, since Liu Jing is willing to surrender to the imperial court, it is also convenient for him to control him. There are gains and losses, and Liu Jing cannot have both.

    Of course, Cao Cao wanted to declare Liu Jing a traitor to the country and punish the world, but he also knew in his heart that he had to face reality, admit failure, be pragmatic and not be emotional, and not be swayed by emotions.

    Thinking of this, Cao Cao stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, since Liu Zhoumu is willing to be loyal to the imperial court, I suggest that he be granted the title of Marquis of Chu to rectify his status as a monarch and a minister!"

    Liu Xie nodded and said happily: "The Prime Minister is right. According to my decree, Liu Jing, the shepherd of Jingzhou, is granted the title of Marquis of Chu and a pair of white jade."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 400 Xun You¡¯s Four Strategies

    Cao Cao's carriage drove out of Xuchang Palace, and headed towards the Prime Minister's Mansion under the tight protection of hundreds of cavalry. Inside the carriage, Cao Cao closed his eyes and leaned on the soft mattress, but he was thinking about what happened today.

    Obviously, today's gift is just a test for Liu Jing. He was ordered to go to Jingzhou to rebel. Although Liu Jing won, he could not get rid of his reputation as a traitor, so today's gift was made to try to make up for his rebellion.  identity and re-establish a balance with the imperial court.

    Cao Cao has no objection to this. If he is the winner, he will drive Liu Jing to death and will not give him any chance.

    But he failed in the Battle of Chibi. As a loser, he needed to restore balance and stabilize the south, so that he could go all out to wipe out Hebei and Ma Teng in Xiliang. These northern princes all needed him to wipe out within three years.

    It is also for this reason that Cao Cao asked the emperor to make Liu Jing the Marquis of Chu. On the one hand, it was to stabilize him, and on the other hand, it was to put him on an equal footing with Sun Quan and create conditions for provoking internal strife in the south.

    However, he did not know about the sudden appearance of messenger Liu Jing. It seemed that someone in the court had ulterior motives!  Cao Cao's eyes narrowed, flashing with a fierce light. Attendant Xun Yue, and Hebei Xun Chen, are the Xun family really going to compete with him?

    At this time, the carriage suddenly stopped, and Xiahou Dun's voice was heard outside the carriage, "I want to see the Prime Minister, please inform me!"

    Cao Cao opened the curtain and saw Xiahou Dun talking to the leader of the guards. Behind him was his nephew Xiahou Ba. Cao Cao thought about it and guessed that they were looking for him because they must have something to do with Xia Houyuan.

    Cao Cao asked: "What's wrong with Yuan Rang?"

    Xiahou Dun quickly walked forward with his nephew, bowed and saluted: "I am here for my younger brother Miaocai. I heard that Liu Jing has issued conditions for release. I am extremely anxious. I beg the Prime Minister to clear up my confusion!"

    Cao Cao couldn't help but be startled. How could Xiahou Dun know Liu Jing's release conditions?  This matter was very secret. I repeatedly told Yang Xiu not to tell him. Who told Xiahou Dun?

    "Yuan Rang, what do you know?"

    "Returning to the Prime Minister, it has been spread in the streets of Xudu that Liu Jing wants to exchange my brother for Liu Bei's wife and children. It is also rumored that the Prime Minister has rejected this condition, and I am very worried."

    Xiahou Ba also knelt down and kowtowed, crying: "I beg the Prime Minister to save my father!"

    Cao Cao suddenly understood that Liu Jing must have sent people to publicize the matter in Xudu, making it known throughout the city and embarrassing himself.

    Cao Cao is indeed in a dilemma. He does not want to exchange Liu Bei's wife and children for Xia Houyuan. Although Liu Bei's power is declining day by day, if he holds his wife and children, he can make him obedient and contain Liu Jing from the south.

    But now Xiahou Dun also knows about this, which makes Cao Cao feel a little embarrassed. He can't say that Liu Bei's wife and children are more important than Xia Houyuan!

    "Don't worry Yuan Rang, I will definitely replace Miao Cai. He is also my brother. I am as anxious as you are."

    Cao Cao said to Xiahou again: "Get up too! I will give you an explanation about your father's affairs."

    "Thank you, Prime Minister!"

    Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Ba bowed, and then the uncle and nephew took their leave.

    Although he agreed to Xia Houdun, Cao Cao was at his wits' end. It seemed that he had no other choice but to exchange Liu Bei's wife and children. The key was that Xia Houyuan didn't care about Liu Jing, but he was also very important to Cao Cao. He was in a very passive position.  middle.

    After thinking for a long time, Cao Cao ordered his guards: "Go and ask Mr. Xun to come to my house!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Half an hour later, Xun You hurried to the Prime Minister's Mansion. He did not attend the court meeting today, but he also heard that his clan brother Xun Yue secretly assisted Liu Jing at the court meeting, which made him a little worried. He had followed Cao Cao for nearly twenty years.  , knows Cao Cao very well.

    Xun Chen of Hebei Province helped the Yuan family revive, but Cao Cao said nothing. Now Xun Yue is secretly helping Liu Jing. If Cao Cao still doesn't say a word, then the Xun family will be in danger. Cao Cao's silence is more terrifying than his strong voice.

    Xun You got off the carriage. Cao Zhi had been waiting for him at the door for a long time. Cao Zhi walked forward quickly, bowed and saluted: "Uncle Shi, please come with me. Father is waiting for Uncle Xun Shi in the study."

    "Will the Prime Minister receive me in the study?" Xun You asked with a smile without revealing anything.

    "Yes! Father invites Uncle Shi to meet in the inner study."

    Xun You secretly breathed a sigh of relief and invited him to the inner study, which meant that he had not lost Cao Cao's trust. Cao Cao still came to discuss important matters with him.

    In fact, Xun You also knew that Cao Cao was facing a big dilemma now. There was the revival of the Yuan family in the north, strong enemies Sun and Liu in the south, Ma Teng in the northwest, and Zhang Lu and Liu Zhang in the southwest. It could be said that he was surrounded by enemies on all sides.

    Especially this time in Red CliffThe defeat dealt a heavy blow to Cao Cao both militarily and politically. More importantly, it caused a huge loss in national power. Cao Cao would not be able to recover within five years.

    To get out of the current predicament, Cao Cao needs great wisdom, and he also needs to give him his own advice, and Cao Cao's pragmatism can be seen from Cao Cao's initiative to propose Liu Jing as the Marquis of Chu.

    Soon, Xun You followed Cao Zhi to the study. Cao Zhi reported outside the door: "Father, Mr. Xun has arrived!"

    "Please come in!"

    Cao Cao's voice came from the room, and he seemed to be in a good mood. Xun You straightened his clothes and quickly walked into the study.

    Cao Cao has changed into a wide-body fine linen Zen robe and is sitting in front of the brazier reading a book, looking quite leisurely.

    Of course he did not invite Xun You here to warn the Xun family. Although Xun Chen and Xun Yue brought him a lot of trouble, considering the importance of Xun You and Xun Yu to him, he could only hold back for the time being.  I won¡¯t cause any trouble to the Xun family for the time being.

    In the Battle of Chibi, Xun You was defending Fan City and failed to play a big role. This was something that Cao Cao regretted. If Xun You was by his side, Cheng Yu would not be the one to decide many things.  Maybe we can avoid the Chibi fiasco.

    At this time, Xun You quickly walked into the study, bowed and saluted, "See you, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao put down his book, smiled and waved his hands: "Mr. Xun, please sit down!"

    "Thank you, Prime Minister!"

    Xun You sat down, and Cao Cao asked: "Today is the first day of the lunar month. Didn't Duke Xun worship his ancestors?"

    Xun You quickly leaned forward and said, "The ancestor worship is scheduled for the fifth day of the lunar month. I plan to leave for my hometown tomorrow."

    "Haha! I also arranged it on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. There are too many things on the first day of the Lunar New Year, and I have to attend the court meeting, so it's too late."

    The two chatted for a while, and then Cao Cao turned the topic to business. Cao Cao pondered for a while and said: "Liu Jing proposed to exchange Xia Houyuan for Liu Bei's wife and children. What does Mr. Xun think of this deal?"

    Xun You smiled slightly, "It's a business! The seller must have interests. If the buyer thinks it's worth the money, then the deal will be done. If the prime minister thinks the offer is too high, just refuse."

    Cao Cao sighed, "But Xia Houyuan is my right-hand man, I must not lose him, but I also want to use Liu Bei's wife and children to control Liu Bei and make him use me, so I am a little conflicted."

    "The Prime Minister has been dealing with Liu Bei for so many years, but you still don't know this person? So far, has Liu Bei cared about his wife and children? Has he sent someone to negotiate the terms of redemption?"

    Cao Cao was startled and suddenly realized that it had been several months since he captured Liu Bei's wife and children. Liu Bei had indeed never expressed concern. Could it be that this man was so cold-hearted?

    Xun You smiled and said: "It's not that Liu Bei doesn't care about his wife and children. They are his only sons after all. He just doesn't want to be used by the prime minister. In the past, when Emperor Gaozu was chased by Xiang Yu, he even pushed his own children out of the car in order to escape.  Go, what is a hero? This is a hero!"

    "Sir, do you mean to agree that I will give Liu Bei's wife and children to Liu Jing in exchange for Xia Houyuan?"

    Xun You nodded, "In the Battle of Chibi, all the soldiers suffered heavy losses and the morale of the army was frustrated. At this time, the prime minister should put people first and appease the morale of the army at all costs. In fact, Liu Bei is no longer a concern, and his wife and children are not rare. I suggest that the prime minister exchange.  "

    Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh, "If I had listened to Sir, I probably wouldn't have been defeated in Chibi."

    Xun You smiled and said: "But the Prime Minister still has to take this step towards Jingzhou, right?"

    "Sir, you are right. Liu Jing is indeed my strong enemy. Looking back now, the only strategy that could defeat the Jiangxia Army was to fight for national strength. If it can be delayed for half a year, the Jiangxia Army will not be able to support it. Unfortunately, Liu Jing also realizes that  At this point, he provoked the Yuan family¡¯s rebellion, which was God¡¯s will!¡±

    Speaking of this, Cao Cao was a little depressed. Until now, he could not think of a strategy to defeat the Jiangxia army. After much thought, it was because he did not have a strong navy. But for the north, establishing a strong navy was simply not possible.  There is no foundation, so when can he destroy the south and unify the world?

    "Mr. Xun, what should I do now?" Cao Cao was at a loss and was eager to get good advice from Xun You.

    Xun You laughed and said, "The Prime Minister suggested that the Emperor make Liu Jing the Marquis of Chu. Isn't this the right direction?"

    "Does Mr. Xun mean for me to make peace with Liu Jing?"

    Xun You nodded slowly, "If the Prime Minister is not sure of killing Liu Jing within three years, then he should try his best to stabilize him, then wipe out the remnants of the Yuan family, kill Ma Teng and Zhang Lu at the same time, eliminate the trouble in the north, and then practice hard  Internal affairs, while waiting for opportunities in the south. I believe that in ten years, when the north becomes stronger, unification of the world will be the general trend. "Cao Cao sighed, "Xun Gong's words made me wake up like a dream. The defeat of Chibi was not a fault of strategy, nor was it my fault of underestimating the enemy, nor was it God's will. The fundamental reason was that the north was not strong enough to unify the south.  The time is far from ripe.¡±

    Xun You laughed and said, "The general trend must be matched by the details. I have four strategies to help the prime minister survive the current crisis."

    Cao Cao was overjoyed and said, "Mr. Xun, please tell me!"

    "The first is Jiangxia policy, which should focus on stability. The Prime Minister suggested that Liu Jing be granted the title of Marquis of Chu, which is a wise move, but it is not enough. I suggest that the Prime Minister marry him and give his daughter to him as his wife. I wonder if the Prime Minister is willing?"

    Privately, Cao Cao admired Liu Jing very much and wished that he was his son. If he was willing to surrender to him, he would take the initiative to marry his daughter to Liu Jing without Xun You's advice. But now Cao Cao is a little hesitant. He must consider the feelings of his soldiers.

    He pondered for a moment and said, "Let me think about this matter again. Mr. Xun, please continue."

    "The minister's second policy is the Jiangdong policy. The prime minister can appoint Cheng Pu as the prefect of Nanjun, hand over Nanjun to Soochow, and lay the foundation for internal strife between Jiangdong and Jiangxia."

    "Go on!" Cao Cao's eyes flashed, Xun You had already spoken to his heart.

    "The third strategy is the Hebei strategy. The prime minister can send people to negotiate with the Yuan family and recognize their existence, but the condition is that they go to Liaodong to develop, and Yuan Mai can be made the Marquis of Liao and the governor of Liaodong."

    Cao Cao was stunned, "Did Mr. Xun ask me to cede Liaodong to the Yuan family?"

    Xun You smiled faintly, "Hebei is the water of Yuan's family. If a fish leaves the water, can he survive?"

    "Butthe Yuan family wants Youzhou but refuses to give up Hebei, what should we do?"

    Xun You laughed, and Cao Cao suddenly realized that with Liaodong, the Yuan family would not be able to defend Hebei.

    Cao Cao bowed deeply to Xun You and said, "Mr. Xun, please tell me the fourth strategy!"

    "The fourth policy is the Xiliang policy. The prime minister can ask the emperor to issue an edict to confer the title of Han general Ma Yuan as a new marquis of Xixi.  Ma Teng must go to the capital to thank him, and then the prime minister can appoint Ma Teng as a court official and stay in the capital as a hostage. At the same time, the prime minister will send a secret envoy to see Han Sui. I believe there will be internal strife between Ma Teng and Han Sui. "

    Cao Cao thought for a long time and said, "I'm afraid Han Sui won't be willing to use him."

    Xun You smiled slightly, "Ma Teng's wife was killed by Han Sui. Even if Ma Teng doesn't care about the hatred of killing his wife, will Ma Chao forget the hatred of killing his mother?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 401 Sun Xiaomei chooses a sword

    [The third volume of "Red Cliff" starts from Chapter 229 and ends at Chapter 399, and starts from Chapter 400 and enters the fourth volume of "Breaking the Game"]

    At the same time that the Battle of Chibi broke out, Sun Quan personally led 30,000 troops across the river to attack Hefei. However, he encountered strong resistance from the defender of Hefei, Man Chong.  The army supports Hefei.

    At the same time, Jiang Qu sent a false message to Yangzhou that General Zhang Liao was about to arrive with 50,000 elite troops. He also sent someone pretending to be Zhang Liao's envoy and rushed to Hefei. He secretly ordered Man Chong to hold off Jiangdong's army, but he was deliberately caught by Jiangdong's army.

    Sun Quan fell into the trap, so he abandoned Hefei, withdrew his troops and returned to Jiangdong.

    The New Year of the 14th year of Jian'an was also an extremely important day for Jiangdong. On the fifth day of the first lunar month, Jiangdong officially moved its capital to Jingkou. This meant that the Jiangdong regime changed from hiding its capabilities and biding its time in the Soochow era to aggressive expansion in the Yangtze River era.

    ??Tieweng City is also called Jingkou City. It was just the transitional capital of Sun Quan, so it was not built very large. It has a circumference of about 20 miles, with two gates in the south and west. The city is tall and solid.

    Although the city is not large, its strategic location is extremely important. It is backed by the middle and main peaks of Beigu Mountain. It is surrounded by the vast Yangtze River to the east, west and north. Looking southward, it overlooks the vast hills and plains of the south of the Yangtze River. It can be said that  Occupy all the beautiful places.

    Sun Quan got up early before dawn. This was a habit he had developed over the years. He had to get up before dawn every day to deal with government affairs. At this time, his wife Xie also woke up. Sun Quan said apologetically: "Mrs.  woke up."

    "I didn't sleep well either. I was thinking about that all night long."

    The incident that Xie was talking about was a lifelong event for Sun Quan¡¯s sister, Sun Shangxiang. Sun Shangxiang was already eighteen years old, and no one had come to propose marriage.  Sun Quan didn't take it to heart, but Mrs. Sun was a little anxious. She called Sun Quan last month and scolded him severely. Only then did Sun Quan realize that his sister really should get married, and he handed over the matter to her.  Gave it to his wife Xie.

    Ms. Xie had already had an idea. She wanted to betroth Sun Shangxiang to Gu Yong's son Gu Ji. Gu Ji was a talented young man with both civil and military skills. He once served as a guard in Dongwu Palace. Ms. Xie liked this young man very much, and his father held a high official position. At the same time,  He was also a famous scholar in Soochow, from a famous family, and his family status matched him.

    Ten days ago, she and Gu Yong's wife mentioned this matter half jokingly and half seriously. Gu Yong's wife did not refuse like others, so Xie took the matter to heart. Since her husband finally decided to find an in-law for Shang Xiang  , Mr. Xie thought of the Gu family first.

    The key is that Mrs. Sun does not object to the Gu family, so Mrs. Xie will go to discuss the matter with Mrs. Gu today. If the negotiation is successful, then the marriage will begin to follow the six rites process.

    Sun Quan also thought the Gu family was good, so he nodded, "Let Madam worry about this matter!"

    After cleaning up and having breakfast, Sun Quan came to his study. Instead of rushing into the study, he pulled out a sword and practiced swordplay in the yard. The sword was shining and the wind was rustling.

    Sun Quan learned swordsmanship from his father since he was a child. His swordsmanship was exquisite and he was also very good at martial arts. He dreamed of becoming a strong general like his father and leading the army across the battlefield. However, his father insisted that he study literature, which prevented him from becoming a warrior like his elder brother Sun Ce.  Unparalleled martial arts, this became Sun Quan's lifelong regret.

    At this time, there was a slight scolding in his ears, and a sword was stabbed from behind. Sun Quan stepped aside and swung his sword horizontally, 'Dang!  ' With a sound, he blocked the incoming sword.

    Sun Quan jumped away from the fighting circle, and when he turned around, he saw his sister Sun Shangxiang standing behind him holding a sword, with a smile on his face.

    She was dressed in a white warrior uniform, with a bow and arrow on her back, a long sword on her waist, and a pair of long leather boots. Her face was rosy, and her eyes were shining with gem-like brilliance. She looked particularly heroic, and even more beautiful.

    Sun Quan sighed in his heart, his sister is so beautiful, why is no one willing to marry her?

    Sun Shangxiang has undergone some changes since last year. The biggest change is that Sun Quan accepted his wife's advice and took advantage of the opportunity of moving the capital to order Sun Shangxiang to disband her women's army, which relieved the people of Soochow from a big headache and also slightly changed Sun Shangxiang's life.  image.

    Of course, the fundamental purpose of doing this is to let Sun Shangxiang get married, which is also the wish of all Jiangdong people. She is already eighteen years old, but no one from the aristocratic family is willing to marry her, which has become Mrs. Sun's biggest concern.

    But at this time, Sun Quan was a little strange. Wasn't his sister angry with him because of the disbandment of the Detachment of Women?  Why was he smiling so much today? He thought about it and guessed that his sister must be asking for something from him.

    She has been like this since she was a child. She has an unrestrained and outgoing personality. When she is angry, she ignores people for a few days. But when she is happy, she turns around and forgets why she is angry. She is just a straightforward and careless girl.

    "Shang Xiang, why are you here so early in the morning?"

    "In the Manna PalaceFeeling bored, I went down the mountain for a walk.  "

    The Manlu Palace mentioned by Sun Shangxiang is located on Beigu Mountain. It is the resting place of Mrs. Sun, the mother of the Jiangdong Kingdom. Because the old lady converted to Buddhism, Sun Quan specially built the Ganlu Temple not far away to cultivate Buddhism for his mother.

    Sun Quan smiled slightly, "Then you go and have fun! I have to deal with official business."

    He turned around and walked towards the study, but Sun Shangxiang followed him in, "Second brother, I want to discuss something with you."

    "Haha! Have you fallen in love with a young man and want your brother to lead him?"

    Sun Shangxiang pouted, "Forget it! The person I like hasn't shown up yet."

    "Really? Not one?" Sun Quan sat on his seat and looked at his sister with a half-smile.

    Sun Shangxiang's face suddenly turned red, and then he said coquettishly: "Don't keep talking about this matter, is it good or not? My mother reads about it every day, and I can hear calluses in my ears. When I come here, you are still talking about this matter. Brother, if you talk about it again, I will  Leaving Jingkou."

    "Okay! I won't say anything anymore."

    Sun Quan smiled and said, "Then tell me! Why are you coming to me?"

    Sun Shangxiang couldn't hold back his excitement and said, "I heard that my brother has got the ancient ingot sword back. Can you show it to me?"

    Liu Jing sent someone to deliver his father¡¯s ancient ingot sword the day before yesterday. He didn¡¯t expect this little girl to know about it so quickly. Sun Quan couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    He carefully took out the ancient ingot knife from the box next to him. The shape of this knife is very simple, quite like the Yue knife from the Spring and Autumn Period. It was made by Gan Long, the first craftsman in Kuaiji County, who spent three years of hard work.  The name of Sun Quan's father is engraved on it.

    Although the sword is not an ordinary thing, it is a sacred object to Sun Quan and even the entire Jiangdong. It is precisely because of this sword that Sun Quan did not hold Zhou Yu responsible for signing the agreement with Liu Jing without authorization.

    Sun Shangxiang picked up the knife and slowly pulled it out. The green blade shone with cold light. Her eyes gradually lit up. Sun Quan suddenly understood what she meant. Before she could speak, he immediately said: "This knife is a sacred object from Jiangdong. Only Jiangdong can  Only the monarch can own it, you can¡¯t take it away!¡±

    Sun Shangxiang¡¯s intention was revealed by her brother. She was a little embarrassed and said: ¡°I don¡¯t want it. I want to put it with my mother and keep it under her care.¡±

    "Nonsense!"

    Sun Quan was angry and funny and said: "When did mother want this sword? It's obviously you who wanted this sword, so you used mother as an excuse. I tell you, this will be the power sword of Jiangdong, and it will be owned by the monarch of Jiangdong for generations.  A symbol of the transfer of power.¡±

    Sun Shangxiang had no choice but to return the knife to his brother, and said: "Then you must give me a weapon! On my twelfth birthday, you promised me, but you have never fulfilled it."

    Sun Quan smiled bitterly in his heart. How could he have promised? He said it seriously, as if he really owed her. Sun Quan doted on this sister very much and would never go against her will. He put away the ancient ingot sword and walked to the sword room.  Pushing open the door, "You can pick one for yourself!"

    Sun Quan loves collecting famous swords. This is his biggest hobby. Over the past ten years, he has collected more than a hundred famous swords, all of which are displayed in the sword room.

    In fact, this is also a hobby passed down from generation to generation of the Sun family. Starting from Sun Jian, to Sun Ce, Sun Quan, and even Sun Shangxiang, they also like to collect various weapons. After Sun Ce passed away, his wife Da Qiao gave the collected swords to Sun Quan in accordance with her husband's will, and the rest of the weapons were  Gave it to Sun Shangxiang, so that Sun Shangxiang had hundreds of high-quality weapons, filling three rooms.

    Sun Shangxiang came today because she wanted the ancient ingot sword, but she also knew that her brother would not give it to her, so her backup plan was to get another sword, so she couldn't leave empty-handed.

    Sun Shangxiang immediately beamed. This was the third time she asked her brother for a sword. She walked into the sword room with a joyful smile. Sun Quan warned again: "It's still the same old rule, no touching, only looking. Whichever sword you like will be decided."  Come down and don¡¯t regret it.¡±

    "I know!"

    Sun Shangxiang smiled so much that peach blossoms seemed to bloom on her face. She looked at them one by one with her hands behind her back. She was dazzled by them. She liked every sword and wished she could take all the swords on the wall away.

    After walking around for two times, she still couldn't make up her mind. She said a little coquettishly: "Second brother, I want them all, what do you think I should do?"

    "no!"

    Sun Quan said angrily: "I can only give you one handle. How about you close your eyes and point at it? If you hit it, it will be yours."

    Sun Shangxiang really closed her eyes. She turned around and pointed casually, "This is it!"

    She pointed at a dagger, and Sun Quan was stunned. The sword her sister pointed at was actually the Qingyue Sword given to him by Liu Jing. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Shang Xiang, please change your sword!  "

    "Why do you want to change it? This is the sword God gave me. I like this sword."

    Sun Shangxiang stepped forward and took it off??, the sword was one foot three long, light and comfortable in the hand. She pulled out the sword again, and saw that the sword was light green, the sword was as bright as the moon, it was cold and extremely sharp, and the word 'Qingyue' was engraved on the sword with a small seal.  .

    "Qingyue Sword, what a good name!"

    Sun Shangxiang immediately fell in love with the sword. She waved it twice and couldn't put it down, "Second brother, I want it!"

    Sun Quan thought to himself, ¡®Could this be God¡¯s will?  ¡¯

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 402 Refusing Marriage with Force

    Sun Shangxiang took the sword and walked away, but Sun Quan did not come back to his senses for a long time. During this period, his mother was concerned about his sister's life-long affairs, and he was also worried about it, but in his heart he was always thinking about which general was suitable, or which minister's son.

    It wasn¡¯t until his sister closed her eyes and picked the Qingyue Sword given by Liu Jing that he suddenly had an idea, how about marrying Jiang Xia?

    Zhou Yu once mentioned this matter, and they also joked about it at the cocktail party, but Sun Quan did not take it seriously. After all, Liu Jing had already married, so he asked his sister to be his second wife?  Obviously it's not realistic, and my mother wouldn't agree.

    But if it is for political considerations, then marrying Liu Jing will undoubtedly be conducive to Jiangdong's expansion in the south and eliminate mutual suspicion.

    Sun Quan was pacing in the room with his hands behind his back. He was weighing the matter. In fact, Sun Quan didn't care whether his sister would be the eldest lady or the second lady. With Jiangdong as his backer, status was not important.

    The key is that this idea came too suddenly, and it was difficult for Sun Quan to accept it for a while. And would Liu Jing agree?  Is Shang Xiang willing?  And how do you explain it to your mother?

    Sun Quan also felt that there were many difficulties. This matter was not easy to decide, and the possibility was not high.

    At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Reporting to the Marquis of Wu, Lieutenant Lu has something urgent to see you!"

    Lu Xiaowei is Lu Su. After the Chibi War, Lu Su was promoted to Zanjun Xiaowei for his contribution to the alliance between Sun and Liu. He was also responsible for Sun Quan's external liaison. Sun Quan received the news three days ago that the imperial court sent an envoy to Jiangdong. Sun Quan  He ordered Lu Su to cross the river to meet him.

    Now that Lu Su is asking for an audience, the imperial envoy must have arrived. Sun Quan perked up and said quickly: "Order him to come in!"

    Not long after, Lu Su hurriedly walked in, bowed and saluted, "See you, Marquis Wu!"

    Sun Quan waved his hand, "No need to be too polite. Let's talk about the imperial envoy. What is his purpose?"

    "The imperial court is Yang You, the Prime Minister of Honglu, who came here under the emperor's order. He came to Jiangdong for two things. One is to thank Wu Hou for his gift on behalf of the emperor, and the other is to canonize Gong Jin and De Mou?"

    "Canonize Cheng Pu?" Sun Quan was stunned for a moment, and he asked after a while: "What can you do to canonize Cheng Pu?"

    Lu Su sighed and said: "Female Gong Jin as the Marquis of Xia Shuiting, and at the same time, make Cheng Demou the Grand Administrator of Nanjun."

    Sun Quan became even more confused and asked: "But Nanjun is now in the hands of Cao Cao. What's the point of making Gong Jin the governor of Nanjun?"

    Although Lu Su disapproved in his heart, as a minister, he could not hide his lord, "Yang You also brought a personal letter from Cao Cao!"

    Lu Su took out a letter and presented it to Sun Quan, "Yang You said that if Cheng Pu accepts the post of governor of Nanjun, Cao Jun will cede Jiangling and even the entire Nanjun to Jiangdong."

    Sun Quan took the letter and read it. Sure enough, it was a letter written by Cao Cao himself, and it also had the seal of the Prime Minister. The letter made it very clear that Cao Jun was willing to surrender Jiangling to Jiangdong. Cao Cao promised in the letter that as long as Jiangdong's troops arrived, Cao Cao's army would immediately  withdraw troops.

    Sun Quan couldn't help but feel excited. Although he knew very well that this was Cao Cao's plan to alienate Cao Cao, this opportunity was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the benefits were too tempting.

    Sun Quan immediately ordered his surroundings: "Go quickly and invite Military Advisor Zhang and General Cheng!"

    Next to him, Lu Su sighed in his heart. He knew that Sun Quan was moved by Cao Cao's inducement. Unfortunately, Gong Jin was not in Jingkou. He hoped that Gong Jin could come back as soon as possible.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the side door of the harem, Sun Shangxiang walked out angrily. During this period, her mother had been thinking about her life-long events every day, which made her ears almost feel calloused, so she sneaked out to relax, met her brother, and went to the harem to visit her sister-in-law.  Unexpectedly, the second sister-in-law told her that she would be betrothed to Gu Yong's son Gu Ji and would soon ask a matchmaker to propose marriage.

    This made Sun Shangxiang shocked and angry. How could she be so careless about her marriage? Moreover, she knew Gu Ji and had served as a guard in the palace. Although he was good-looking and well-spoken, she didn't like him at all.

    She fell out on the spot, had a quarrel with her second sister-in-law, and left angrily. Sun Shangxiang got on his horse, whipped the horse hard, and galloped away.

    Sun Shangxiang rushed out of the city gate and ran all the way. Soon she came to the Yangtze River. She got off her horse and knelt down by the river. The second sister-in-law's words kept echoing in her ears.

    "Don't blame me for this. This is mother's wish. It was your second brother who decided on the marriage, and mother agreed. I just went to discuss it with the Gu family, and Mrs. Gu also expressed her approval. Little sister, you are ready to be a bride.  Bar!"

    At this moment, Sun Shangxiang wanted to cry. Why couldn't she make the decision on her own marriage? She must be forced to marry someone she didn't like and ruin her life's happiness.

    Sun Shangxiang¡¯s lips gradually tightened, no!  ?She will never accept her fate, she must fight for her marriage.

    Sun Shangxiang stood up suddenly, got on his horse again, "Drive!" He kicked the horse's belly with both feet, and the horse galloped towards the city.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Tieweng City is divided into an inner city and an outer city. The inner city houses Dongwu Palace and various government offices, while the outer city contains ordinary residences. However, the capital has just been moved there. There are still large areas of open space in the outer city, with only sparse houses.  Most of them are official residences of officials and some foresighted businessmen.

    There is an official residence covering an area of ??about ten acres in the northwest corner of the outer city. This is the residence of Zuo Sima Gu Yong. Sun Shangxiang urged the horse to gallop all the way, and after a while she rushed to the door of the Gu family's house. She held a bow and arrow in her hand and shouted sweetly.  He shouted: "Gu Ji, come out!"

    A housekeeper saw Sun Shangxiang through the crack of the door. He couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart. Why did he offend this aunt? He had to open the door and said loudly: "Princess Shangxiang, my third son said he doesn't want to see you. You can go back!"

    Sun Shangxiang was furious. He drew his bow full of arrows and pointed the sharp arrows at him. The housekeeper instinctively shrank his neck in fright, turned around and ran away, closing the door with a bang.

    ¡®Whoosh!  ¡¯

    An arrow shot out and was nailed to the door. Sun Shangxiang took out another arrow and shot out, nailed it to the door again, and shot three arrows in a row. This is a custom in Wu. When a matchmaker comes to discuss marriage, the betrothed party usually returns a seal.  Only a box, if you agree to the marriage, put a pair of chopsticks in the box.

    If you reject the marriage or do not accept the marriage proposal, you will return three chopsticks to the suitor to express that it is difficult to get married.

    This is a very euphemistic way of expression. It will not make things difficult for the matchmaker, and the other party will know it well, so the marriage proposal will be settled.

    But when she arrived at Sun Shangxiang's place, she sent three arrows. This was called 'rejecting marriage with force'. The people watching suddenly burst into laughter. At this time, Gu Ji, who was hiding behind the door, finally couldn't bear it anymore and opened the door and rushed out.  .

    "Princess Shangxiang, what do you want?" Gu Ji shouted angrily.

    Sun Shangxiang drew his bow like a full moon, pointed it at him, and said coldly: "Go and tell your parents that it is best not to do some things, otherwise you will bring shame on yourself!"

    As soon as she loosened the string, the wolf-fang arrow shot out like lightning. When Gu Ji saw the sharp arrow coming towards him, he was so frightened that he screamed, his legs trembled and became weak, 'Pfft!  ¡¯ There was a crisp sound, and the arrow pierced the hat on his head. He was so shocked that he sat down on the ground. After a while, he got up and rolled towards the house.

    Sun Shangxiang sneered repeatedly. It was a dream that such a coward dared to marry her. She turned her horse and ran towards Beigu Mountain.

    Not long after, Gu Yong came out in a hurry after hearing the news. Sun Shangxiang had disappeared. He looked at the arrow stuck in his son's head, then at the crowd of people watching in the distance and the three arrows nailed on the door. He was so angry.  His face turned blue and he turned around to yell at his wife.

    "You are simply crazy. You actually want to marry the sister of Marquis Wu. Who from Jiangdong dares to marry her? Take a look for yourself. She has shown her intention in this way. Do you still want to humiliate yourself?"

    Mrs. Gu lowered her head in fright. She wanted to marry Marquis Wu, so she agreed to Mrs. Wu Marquis. She didn't expect Princess Shangxiang to be so strong-willed and refused the marriage with force. She secretly regretted it in her heart and said quickly: "Master,  I didn¡¯t agree to anything.¡±

    "Hmph! You can figure it out on your own!" Gu Yong snorted heavily and entered the mansion with a puff of sleeves.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the study, Sun Quan was pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. On the other side, Zhang Zhao and Cheng Jin both had serious faces. They both understood that Cao Cao was trying to sow discord between Jiangdong and Jiangxia, but the real interests were in front of them.  They couldn't help but feel excited.

    Zhang Zhao has always been dissatisfied with this Chibi alliance. Although Jiangxia sent a lot of military spoils, including ships, tents, and money, Jiangdong did not get any of the food and people it really needed. It is said that this was because of Zhou Yu and Liu Jing  A secret agreement was signed, which made Zhang Zhao extremely angry. He wrote to Sun Quan several times to put pressure on him and impeach Zhou Yu for being a master.

    Although the impeachment of Zhou Yu was dropped because of Sun Quan's unwillingness to pursue the case, Sun Quan also knew that he must appease Zhang Zhao appropriately, otherwise the internal power imbalance in Jiangdong would have serious consequences.

    Strictly speaking, Zhang Zhao is not a pro-Cao faction. He should be a Southern Unification faction. He strongly advocates Jiangdong to unify the South and form a confrontation between the North and the South. However, due to the strong southward movement of Cao's army, Zhang Zhao's Southern Unification proposal was not adopted by Sun Quan. Sun Quan finally  Adopted Zhou Yu's idea of ????Nanhe, which was to unite Jiangxia and fight against Cao's army.

    Now that Chibi has been victorious, Cao Cao's forces suffered heavy losses and had to retreat to the north. As a result, the idea of ??unifying the south represented by Zhang Zhao has risen again, and has the support of the military's second-in-command, Cheng Pu.

    "If we can capture Nanjun and connect it with the four counties in Jingnan, we will form a force to encircle Jingzhou. At the same time?We laid the foundation for marching westward to Bashu.  "

    Zhang Zhao tried his best to persuade Sun Quan to seize this opportunity, and said: "Marquis Wu, the city of Jiangling is very dangerous and backed by the Yangtze River. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Forgive me, this is our only chance to seize Jiangling and even Nanjun, and it is  Cao Jun surrendered. If we don't seize this opportunity, we will have to pay a heavy price if we try to capture Jiangling in the future."

    As the lord of Jiangdong, Sun Quan needs to balance between Zhou Yu's Nanhe faction and Zhang Zhao's Nantong faction, destroy Jingzhou and unify the south. This is of course the dream of generations of Jiangdong regime. As the lord of Jiangdong,  Sun Quan must first consider Jiangdong's interests and will not care about his personal relationship with Liu Jing.

    Sun Quan¡¯s only concern was the covenant he had signed with Jiangxia. It was clearly stated in it that the five counties of Jiangxia, Nanjun, Xiangyang, Changsha, and Anlu were within Liu Jing¡¯s sphere of influence. The Jiangdong Army was not allowed to interfere, nor could it cross the Yangtze River.

    If he breaks the contract and takes Jiangling, he will undoubtedly turn against Liu Jing and completely destroy Jiangdong's credibility. Although Cao Cao is currently weak and unable to conquer the south, what will happen in the future?  Once Cao Cao launches a large-scale attack on Jiangdong in the future, how can he ask Liu Jing for help?

    This is on the one hand, and on the other hand, the strong combat effectiveness shown by Jiang Xia Army in the Battle of Chibi made him a little scared.

    If a war does break out, how sure is Jiangdong's army of winning?  Sun Quan had to consider this carefully.

    On the one hand, there was the temptation of benefits that was difficult to refuse, and on the other hand, there was the risk of obtaining benefits, which made Sun Quan feel like pulling chestnuts from the fire, making it difficult for him to make a decision for a while.

    Zhang Zhao saw Sun Quan's hesitation and winked at Cheng Pu again. Cheng Pu understood and smiled and said: "My lord, how about this? We can use the excuse of attacking Jiangling Cao's army to send a small army of thousands of people."  The fleet is heading towards Jiangling. If Liu Jing has captured Jiangling first, we will stop here.

    If Jiangling is still in the hands of Cao Jun, we can use the excuse of defeating Cao Jun to capture Jiangling and garrison troops in Jiangling. Then the lord will negotiate with Liu Jing to strive for the greatest benefits.  "

    Sun Quan nodded, this is indeed a better compromise plan.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 403 News leaked

    From ancient times to the present, for ordinary people, national affairs are far less interesting than marriage between men and women. Ordinary people do not care about the arrival of the emperor's envoys, but the story of Princess Shangxiang's "rejection of marriage with force" has spread widely  Jingkou City has become a topic of discussion in every household.

    There are not many ordinary people in Jingkou yet, there are only a thousand households, and there are only a few taverns and hotels. So far, there are only five taverns open, and the largest of them, Xi's Tavern, is located on Jiangnan Street, the main road of Jingkou City.  .

    The tavern covers an area of ??four acres and is four stories high. There is also a hotel behind it. There are more than 30 bartenders in the front and back. Every day, business is booming and there are many customers, especially civil and military officials from Jiangdong, who come here to gather and drink.

    In the evening, Xi's Tavern was as lively and noisy as ever. The three floors of the restaurant were full of guests. The bartenders were rushing back and forth, serving dishes and tea. They were so busy that they didn't touch the floor. There were ten people sitting in a private room on the third floor.  Several middle and low-level officials took turns treating guests, and came here every now and then to gather and drink.

    "It's so spectacular. Princess Shangxiang actually gave the Gu family three arrows. I wonder what Gu Sima's face was like at that time?"

    Everyone laughed, and an official picked up his cup and said, "It can only be blamed on the Gu family for not knowing themselves. They actually wanted to marry Princess Shangxiang. I heard that Princess Shangxiang even gave Gu Ji an arrow.  After wearing the hat, Gu Ji was so frightened that he fell to the ground. He thought he could subdue Princess Shangxiang. He was so arrogant. "

    Another official also laughed and said: "It is estimated that Princess Shangxiang will not be able to marry after such a commotion. Who dares to marry her?"

    "That's not necessarily the case. Girls should get married. As long as Princess Shangxiang likes it, she can marry her. After all, she is our princess from Jiangdong."

    "But she said that she would not marry anyone who is not a hero in the world. Should she be allowed to marry Liu Jing? Aren't there rumors that everyone hopes that Princess Shangxiang will marry to Jiangxia?"

    "Haha! The alliance between Sun and Liu has turned into a marriage between Sun and Liu. It's wonderful! It's simply wonderful!"

    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? That out That person next to him sneered: "What is the marriage between Sun and Liu? The Sun and Liu families are about to go to war. You are all still dreaming!"

    The name of the person who said this was Lu Xin. He was a younger brother of the Lu Xun clan. He was an official in Jiangdong household. The news was very widespread. The room suddenly became quiet. Someone quickly asked: "Ziyi, what happened?"

    Someone else said: "But it has something to do with the emperor's envoy?"

    Lu Xin nodded, "It's either an envoy from the emperor or an envoy from Cao Cao. I heard a piece of news."

    Speaking of this, Lu Xin lowered his voice and said: "I heard that Cao Cao made Duke Cheng the governor of Nanjun and planned to give Jiangling City to us Jiangdong."

    The room suddenly exclaimed, "Is this news true?" Everyone asked one after another.

    "Of course it is true, but I don't know how Wu Hou decided, but the news is absolutely reliable. This matter has not been made public yet, so please don't spread it."

    The atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy. No one spoke. Everyone knew that once Jiangdong Army occupied Jiangling City, the Sun and Liu families would inevitably go to war.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The head shopkeeper of Xi's Tavern is a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties, named Guan Xi. She is a widow. She is extremely beautiful, energetic and capable. She entertains guests with great care. All the old guests of Xi's Tavern like her very much.  .

    Everyone knows that she was the concubine of Hu Shun, the largest merchant in Jiangdong. After Ni Shun died three years ago, Guan Xi was kicked out of the Hu family by Hu Shun's wife. She used her savings to open a Xi's Tavern in Soochow City.  , business was very good, especially Jiangdong officials, most of whom sympathized with her, and she became the most important customer of Xi's Tavern.

    This time when the capital of Soochow was moved, she sold the tavern in Soochow City, followed her to Jingkou, and reopened the Xishi Tavern, which was always crowded with customers.

    Of course, this is just an appearance. Guan Xi is actually a pawn in the competition between Tao's Trading Company and Jiangdong Hu's Trading Company. She was originally an orphan adopted by the Tao family. She was ordered to marry Hu Shun as a concubine ten years ago and work for Tao's Trading Company.  Providing inside information, it was her information that enabled Tao's Trading Company to defeat Hu's Trading Company in the iron ore competition in Liyang.

    Now Guan Xi's identity has changed again. She has become Liu Jing's secret intelligence leader in Jiangdong. Her Xishi Tavern is also the intelligence gathering point of Jiang Xiajun in Jiangdong.

    Guan Xi was petite and plump, with a face as gorgeous as a peach blossom, and a pair of charming eyes that could talk better than her mouth. Many high-ranking officials in Jiangdong wanted to take her as their concubine, but she was able to move among them easily and had no intention of getting married.  Didn't offend anyone.

    At this time, she was settling accounts in a room in the hotel, when a bartender appeared at the door and whispered: "Xiniang, there is news."

    "Well! What news."

    The bartender closed the door and reported: "Just now Lu Xin and the others saidThere was news that the emperor's envoy had arrived, and Cheng Pu was made the governor of Nanjun, and promised to hand over Jiangling City to the Jiangdong Army.  "

    Guan Xi received an order from Wuchang a few days ago, ordering her to pay attention to the purpose of the emperor's envoy coming to Jiangdong. At this time, Guan Xi realized that this information was of great importance and must be sent away immediately.

    She wrote a pigeon letter, handed it to the bartender and said, "Go to Beigu Village and send this pigeon letter away immediately."

    As a woman, she was extremely careful and would never send a pigeon message in a tavern, as it would be easy to be discovered. She cooked a famous dish of roasted pigeon in the tavern, and raised meat pigeons in Beigu Village in the north of the city. The pigeons were mixed with  In it, any messages were sent outside the city to ensure safety.

    The bartender took the letter and was about to leave in a hurry, but Guan Xi stopped him again, "I'll confirm the news again, and I'll let you know when I know the news clearly!"

    "Yes!" The bartender backed away.

    Guan Xi lowered her head and thought for a moment. This matter was of great importance and she couldn't be careless. It was necessary to inquire more deeply, so she took a bottle of wine and went to the tavern in the front yard.

    An hour later, a pigeon flew up from the foot of Beigu Mountain, circled twice, then flapped its wings and flew towards Jiangxia.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Time is gradually approaching early spring in February. The first day of February is the traditional Society Day. Society Day is held twice a year, on February 1st and August 1st. February is for praying for good weather and a good harvest, while August Society Day is for repaying God.  Just like making a wish, you must fulfill it. They are two festivals that echo each other.

    But She Day is also a festival celebrated by the whole people. Just like the later temple fairs, every household goes out with wine and food, and gathers in open spaces from one village to another, sitting on the ground to celebrate She Day.

    Although it is still cold in early spring, it cannot stop people's enthusiasm for gathering. Early in the morning, in the wilderness outside Wuchang, people from all over the country came from all over to drink and dance, get together to sing, or take out  Extra things at home are exchanged at stalls, laughter and singing spread throughout the fields, and the crowds of people are extremely lively.

    But for the people of Wuchang, today is another day to worship the God of Wind and Water, because starting from today, the wind direction has officially changed to southeasterly, and sails can be hung to go westward.

    Early in the morning, the pier outside Wuchang was already crowded with people. More than 10,000 porters, boatmen, and fishermen who ate at the pier, and fishermen who relied on the water, gathered on the pier, and a building with a radius of several square meters was built on the Yangtze River.  The long wooden platform, three stories high, is called the wind-waiting platform. There are three large flags. The strong river wind blows the corners of the flags to the northwest, making the flags snap.

    There is a young witch in a white dress standing at each corner, dancing in the wind, with long sleeves fluttering. In the middle is a sacrificial table. On the large copper plate on the table, three animals, a red horse, an ox and a black sheep, are enshrined.

    Dozens of senior civil and military officials from Jiangxia stood under the altar. In front of the altar, Liu Jing from Jingzhou wore a black sacrificial robe and a flat-topped crown. He held three incense sticks high and burned incense to pray. Beside him, stood a boy and a boy each.  Boys are wind envoys and girls are wind ministers.

    As the clock rang, a sacrificial celebrant shouted: "The auspicious time has come, worship the wind god!"

    Liu Jing inserted three sticks of incense into the incense burner and knelt down respectfully. More than 10,000 people on the pier followed suit and Liu Jing silently prayed for good weather.

    He bowed three times in a row, stood up and threw up a white gauze scarf with chants written on it to worship the wind. The strong wind picked up the gauze scarf and flew towards the center of the river, gradually disappearing. With another bell ringing, more than 10,000 people  The people immediately cheered.

    Three big men ran up to the altar, held up the three animal sacrifices, and ran towards the Wind Temple in the south of the city. Thousands of people cheered, sang and danced, running behind the three men. The official sacrifices were over, and below were the people.  Sacrifice to the Wind Temple was held, and there were also singing and dancing gatherings on the social day.

    Liu Jing walked off the altar and smiled at several senior officials: "Can you guess what I am thinking?"

    Jia Xu chuckled, "Of course I hope the wind will be stronger and our warship will be blown to Jiangling as soon as possible."

    "Jia Gong guessed wrong this time. I was thinking that today is a rare social day. Let's find an open place to lay out a banquet and drink together."

    Everyone laughed together, "As long as Zhou Mu is willing to treat us, we are all willing to accompany him."

    At this time, Liu Jing saw Dong Yun standing behind and waving to him, as if he had something to report. He smiled at everyone and said, "It's all a joke, but we have to be friendly. Although today is not a holiday, if you want to  You can also take time off to attend the company day, but you have to make up for the backlog tomorrow and the day after.¡±

    Senior officials are no longer interested in this kind of civil society, but young officials are more playful. When they heard that they could ask for leave, their faces showed joy.

    Liu Jing walked up to Dong Yun, "What's the matter?"

    Dong Yun was Liu Jing's secretary and joined the army. At the same time, he was temporarily in charge of various affairs on Li Fu's behalf.He took out a roll of pigeon letter and handed it to Liu Jing, "This is urgent information from Jiangdong!"

    Liu Jing took out the pigeon letter and read it. It was an urgent express letter from Jiangdong Guanxi. The content of the letter shocked him. Cao Cao was actually planning to give Jiangling to Sun Quan. He immediately realized that the situation was serious.

    After pondering for a moment, Liu Jing whispered to Dong Yun: "Ask Military Advisor Jia and Sima Canjun to come to my official room later and tell me that I have important matters to discuss."

    Liu Jing got on his horse and rushed towards Jiangling City with hundreds of cavalry. He returned to the official room first and walked quickly to the sand table.

    This is a clay sculpture sand table he just made last month. It is three feet long and two feet wide. It is made up of four sand tables, including the entire Jingzhou area and the Nanyang area in the north. In the near future, Hanzhong and Bashu areas will also be completed.

    Liu Jing's eyes are fixed on Jiangling City. So far, Jiangling City is still in the hands of Cao Cao. Liu Bei has not got what he wanted. However, Liu Bei has built a city at the mouth of Youjiang River and renamed it Gong'an County, preparing to turn Gong'an County into his military center.

    At this time, Jia Xu and Sima Yi walked in one after another. They felt that something big was happening. When they approached, Liu Jing said in a deep voice: "The purpose of the imperial court sending envoys to Jiangdong last time has been figured out. Cao Cao plans to  Jiangling City was given to Jiangdong."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 404 Plot to seize Jiangling

    After the New Year, Liu Jing also made a series of appointments, appointing Huang Zhong and Wenpin as partial generals, and Gan Ning, Wei Yan, and Liu Hu as Zhonglang generals.

    Eight other generals, including Liao Hua, Huo Jun, Wang Jun and Chen Shuo, were promoted to school captains. The other generals were all granted rewards. There were also slight changes in the civil service, mainly Zhang Ji was appointed as Jingzhou's farewell commander. Zhao Yan took over as the governor of Changsha and was granted the title of Jia.  He is said to be a military advisor, and Sima Yi is said to be a military advisor.

    But what Liu Jing is most looking forward to is Zhao Yun. He has reached an agreement with Cao Cao to replace Liu Bei's wife and children with Xia Houyuan and Mao Jie. This is the last favor for Zhao Yun. Now Liu Bei's wife and children have set off from Yedu and are coming.  On the way to Jiangxia, it is said that they have arrived at Anlu County, and Liu Jing has sent someone to greet him.

    For Jia Xu, he finally accepted Liu Jing's appointment as military advisor. This was also the result of his repeated weighing. It was a battle in Chibi that changed his will, or in other words, removed the last feeling deep in his heart.  A trace of worry made him aware of Liu Jing's future.

    Liu Jing will not be the likes of Dong Zhuo, Li Ji, and Zhang Xiu whom he has assisted. He will be the only hero who can compete with Cao Cao for hegemony. If he can successfully assist him step by step, his life will not be in vain. Jia Xu is already over six years old.  Ten, he knew very well that he had no choice, and assisting Liu Jing would be his last chance in life.

    It was precisely based on this consideration that Jia Xu finally accepted Liu Jing's appointment as the military adviser. Including Sima Yi, he also happily accepted the appointment to join the military. He was the second-ranking military adviser after the military adviser.

    Jia Xu frowned slightly and said, "Sun Quan just reached an agreement with us a few months ago. Is he going to tear it up now?"

    "I don't think Sun Quan will go back on his word so soon, but he won't give up this opportunity either. I think he will adopt a compromise, and Zhang Zhao and others will also add fuel to the flames and encourage Sun Quan to accept Cao Cao's plan."

    Jia Xu nodded, "If Sun Quan has the ambition to unify the south, then he will definitely seize this rare opportunity. He will probably send naval troops to Jiangling in the name of attacking Cao's army, and then easily occupy Jiangling."

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. He was a little troubled. Cao Cao's strategy of driving away tigers and devouring wolves was very successful and aroused Sun Quan's ambitions. Of course, he could stop Jiangdong's navy from advancing westward, but what he was worried about was  Sun Quan's ambition box was opened prematurely.

    From the first negotiation with Sun Quan, Liu Jing knew that a large number of senior officials represented by Zhang Zhao strongly demanded the unification of the south. In fact, they also represented another side of Sun Quan. However, due to Cao Cao's strong move south, Sun Quan had to form an alliance with Jingzhou.  Resist Cao.

    Now that Cao Cao is weak, will Sun Quan really be willing to be bound by a contract and give up Jiangdong's generational goal?  Liu Jing is judged by his heart. If it were him, he would never be bound by the contract. So what about Sun Quan?  He will certainly not be bound by a contract.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing slowly said to the two of them: "I think a battle with Jiangdong is inevitable. Only by beating him severely will he truly become honest. However, he must first ease his relationship with Liu Bei."

    "If Zhou Mu wants to ease the relationship with Liu Bei, he might as well use Liu Bei's wife and children."

    Liu Jing nodded, "That's what I meant!"

    At this time, Sima Yi, who had been silent next to him, smiled and said: "I suggest that before starting a war with Jiangdong, Jiangling should be taken first. I think there is an opportunity hidden in it."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Jiangling City is the second largest city in Jingzhou and the economic center of southern Jingzhou. It not only plays a decisive role in the economy, but also has an even more important strategic position.

    The troops coming from the east were unable to pose a land threat because of Yunmengze's obstruction, and could only attack by water. The wide and mighty Yangtze River undoubtedly added another insurmountable natural danger to Jiangling City.

    Historically, Jiangdong finally relied on Lu Meng's white clothes to cross the river and used a strategy to capture Jiangling, which was guarded by Guan Yu. At this time, Jiangling City was still under the control of Cao Jun.

    More than two months have passed since Cao Cao led his army back to the north. At the beginning of Cao Cao's departure, Cao Ren prepared for war every day. The soldiers strengthened training from morning to night. At the same time, they arrested civilians everywhere to repair the city. Even Cao Ren was in the city every day.  While patrolling, I was worried that Jiang Xia's army would suddenly attack one day.

    But more than two months later, they and Jiangxia's army were in peace, which gradually relaxed the tight strings of Cao's army. The original daily defensive drill on the city and the anti-landing drill on the riverside were changed to once every three days, and then gradually became  Once every ten days, half a month has passed since the latest drill.

    Regarding the general Cao Ren, he did not slack off, but his focus shifted to Liu Bei's army on the other side. This was the task given to him by Cao Cao before he left. He must destroy Liu Bei's army in Jingnan. If he could complete this task, he would be sealed  For the county marquis.

    Although the title of County Marquis is very desirable, it is almost impossible to complete it, mainly??Cao's army was short of troops. He only had 10,000 troops stationed in Jiangling, while Liu Bei had more than 20,000 troops. It was obviously unrealistic to annihilate Liu Bei.

    On the other hand, more than 70% of the people in Nanjun followed Liu Bei southward or fled eastward to Jiangxia. The population of Nanjun dropped sharply and there were no soldiers to recruit. Even the civilian men captured to repair the city walls mostly used women and old people to make up the numbers.

    This made Cao Ren very troubled. He knew that Liu Bei built a city at the mouth of the Youjiang River and changed the name of the county to Gong'an, but he was unable to go to clean it up. On the one hand, there were insufficient troops, and on the other hand, there were too few ships. They were all small boats with more than a thousand stones.  He had almost no warships, so how could he fight across the river?

    Early in the morning, Cao Ren led dozens of people to the shipyard on the west side of the dock. This was a shipyard he built a month ago. He had recruited more than a hundred craftsmen. He planned to build several thousand-stone warships in half a year.

    In fact, this is also the naughty point of Cao Ren. He did not dare to disobey orders and refused to attack Liu Bei, but on the surface he wanted to actively prepare for war, so he built a shipyard to show Cao Cao that he was seriously preparing. But in fact, he  The cargo ships in hand are enough to carry them across the river, so there is no need to build a thousand-stone warship.

    Two warehouses have been repaired in the shipyard. More than two thousand soldiers are building the wharf, carrying earth and moving rocks. The construction site is busy. Cao Ren reined in his horse and shouted: "Find all the generals!"

    Not long after, three tooth generals stepped forward and saluted, "See you, General!"

    Cao Ren pointed at the dock with his riding whip and ordered: "Stop the construction immediately and take the soldiers back to camp!"

    The three tooth generals looked at each other, not knowing what was going on, but they did not dare to disobey. They immediately ran back to greet the soldiers to gather and prepare to return to the camp. Seeing that most of the docks had been repaired, Cao Ren couldn't help but sigh, it was a pity.

    He received the order from the Prime Minister in the early morning, ordering him to hand over Jiangling City to Jiangdong Army. Although Cao Ren was a little reluctant to give up, he was more grateful, which meant that the Prime Minister gave up his plan to annihilate Liu Bei.

    Cao Ren came to the shipyard again. Two warehouses for storing shipbuilding materials have been built. Hundreds of craftsmen are busy dismantling more than a dozen 500-stone cargo ships and preparing to use the materials from the cargo ships to build ships.

    The manager of the shipyard immediately came up to him, bowed and saluted: "General Qi, we have obtained the materials for making the keel and are ready to start construction tomorrow."

    Cao Ren nodded, smiled bitterly and said, "I'm here to tell you to stop shipbuilding temporarily."

    The steward was stunned for a moment, then asked cautiously: "Does the general mean to stop temporarily, or to give up shipbuilding?"

    Cao Ren sighed, "We should give up on shipbuilding!"

    ¡°Are all these shipwrights going to be disbanded?¡± The steward looked back at the hundreds of shipwrights who were busy and asked.

    "That's not necessary. Shipwrights like this are very scarce in the north. Please comfort them and take them to the north in the future."

    As soon as Cao Ren finished speaking, a commotion broke out outside. Someone shouted: "Jiang Xia Army, Jiang Xia Army is coming to kill!"

    Cao Ren was shocked and rushed out of the shipyard. He saw a fleet of ships approaching rapidly on the river. They were all medium-sized warships of about 500 stone. The sails were bulging and they were flying on the river. There were about fifty ships.  On the left and right sides of the warship, the battle flag of Jiangxia Army was hung on the mast.

    Cao Ren immediately breathed a sigh of relief. There were only more than fifty small warships, which were not enough to threaten the safety of Jiangling City. However, Cao Ren was worried that the Jiangxia army was behind him. He immediately galloped towards the city and gave orders repeatedly:  "Quickly mobilize three thousand crossbowmen to defend the shore!"

    Not long after, General Niu Jin led three thousand crossbowmen to the dock and quickly formed an arrow formation, ready to go.

    Cao Ren rushed into the city in one breath and then ran up the city. At this time, Chen Jiao, the chief official, and more than a dozen generals had rushed to the top of the city to look at the Jiangxia warships on the river.

    Chen Jiao is about forty years old. He has followed Cao Cao for many years. He is pragmatic and capable and deeply trusted by Cao Cao. He is also a resourceful person. Because of this, Cao Cao kept him to assist Cao Ren.

    When Chen Jiao saw Cao Ren walking in a hurry, he smiled and said: "General Zhennan, don't worry too much, Jiangling is fine!"

    Cao Ren was worried that the Jiangxia army was behind him. When he heard what he said, he quickly asked, "How do you know, sir?"

    "Because the wind direction changed to southeasterly just three days ago, even if the Jingzhou army came to attack, they did not come so quickly. Seeing that these more than fifty warships are all 500-stone oars, we can know that these are just Jiangxia troops.  The outpost is just to control the river."

    Cao Ren frowned slightly, "Sir, did you say they were trying to control the river?"

    Chen Jiao nodded, "Liu Jing's real purpose is to prevent us from handing over Jiangling City to Liu Bei, so they want to control the river and not allow Liu Bei's army to cross the river."

    Speaking of this, Chen Jiao also sighed slightly: "I'm afraid our ship??Can't be saved either.  "

    Cao Ren's heart sank. He raised his eyes and looked in the direction of the dock. He saw that the Jiangxia warship had indeed launched an attack on the ships moored at the dock.

    On the pier, Cao Jun's three thousand crossbowmen fired arrows at the fleet in the river, but it had no effect. The Jiangxia Army's warships were slightly far apart, making it impossible for Cao Jun's arrows to reach them.

    The Jiangxia fleet on the river did not dock, but parked outside the range of Cao's crossbowmen. They used stone cannons and rockets to attack hundreds of ferries moored at the dock.

    I saw rocks flying everywhere, and clay pots filled with kerosene were shot from the sky, shattering on the ship. The kerosene filled the ship and was quickly ignited by rockets. Flames soared into the sky on the dock, and hundreds of ships were covered in thick smoke.  Wrapped in smoke and fire, a raging fire broke out on the river.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 405 Zhao Yun Returns

    On the vast and sparkling river, a Western Expedition navy consisting of hundreds of warships was sailing toward Jiangling.

    Sails were hung on the warships, and the strong southeast wind blew up the white sails, like white clouds flying across the river, stretching for dozens of miles and making a huge noise.

    The ship has passed Dongting Lake and is heading northwest. A hundred miles ahead is the mouth of the Youjiang River. On the first three thousand stone ship, Liu Jing walked through the cabin corridor and came to the innermost cabin.

    There were two soldiers standing at the door of the cabin. They saluted Liu Jing together, "See you, Zhou Mu!"

    "Get up!"

    Liu Jing glanced at the cabin and asked, "How is the situation inside?"

    "Returning to Zhou Mu, it was very quiet. The two ladies were talking just now, but now there is no sound."

    At this time, the door suddenly opened, revealing a pretty and pale face with a sick look. She was Liu Bei's Mrs. Gan. When she was captured by Cao Jun, she had just had a miscarriage for two days, and then she traveled a long way to Ye.  The fatigue of the journey caused great harm to her body, and she never recovered.

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "I'm here to tell my wife that the Public Security County is almost here. You can pack your things."

    Mrs. Gan forced a smile and said, "Zhou Mu, please come in and sit down! We have a few words to say."

    Liu Jing hesitated for a moment, then he pushed the door and entered the cabin. The cabin was very spacious. It used to be the place where the generals discussed military affairs, but now it was temporarily converted into the sleeping cabin for Liu Bei's wife and children.

    The cabin was filled with various items and more than a dozen boxes. Mrs. Mi and two maids were slowly packing their things. Next to her was a large rattan cradle. Liu Chan was sleeping soundly in the cradle.

    When Mrs. Mi saw Liu Jing coming in, she nodded and said with a smile: "Please sit down, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing sat down and leaned forward and said, "I haven't been able to take good care of my wife all the way here. I hope you will forgive me."

    "What did Zhou Mu say? We had a good time on the boat. It was the happiest time for us. We would also like to thank Zhou Mu for exchanging us so that the father and son could be reunited. This is simply a gift of renewal. We are grateful to Chan'er  Kudos to Zhou Mu!¡±

    After saying that, Mrs. Mi and Mrs. Gan both knelt down and kowtowed deeply to Liu Jing. Liu Jing quickly asked in vain, "Two madams, please don't do such a big gift. Liu Jing is a junior, and it is natural for him to do his best for the emperor's uncle.  Moreover, General Zhao Yun repeatedly asked me to exchange for the young master. I hope that when the young master grows up, he will remember the kindness of General Zhao Yun. "

    After a while, Mrs. Mi sighed, "We know in our hearts that we will always remember General Zhao's kindness."

    Liu Jing stood up and said, "When we get to Gong'an County, the emperor's uncle will pick him up by boat. You two ladies, please pack your things first! We'll probably arrive in the afternoon."

    Liu Jing bowed, said goodbye, and left the cabin. Liu Jing slowly walked to the bow of the ship. Zhao Yun stood on the bow of the ship, staring blankly at the river, looking very preoccupied, and did not notice that Liu Jing had walked to him.

    "Brother, why don't you go and say a few words to them?" Liu Jing said with a slight smile.

    Only then did Zhao Yun realize that Liu Jing was beside him. He shook his head, "Everyone knows in their hearts that meeting each other would be embarrassing. As long as mother and son can arrive in Gong'an County safely, I will feel guilty."

    "I met them just now. They are looking forward to the reunion of father and son."

    A smile appeared on Zhao Yun's face, "This is the magnanimity of a wise brother. Being able to exchange Cao Cao's most important generals for them, and then return their mother and son back to their husband and father, ordinary people really can't do it."

    Liu Jing said calmly: "I don't have such a big heart. Even if I am redeemed, I will not hand it over to Liu Bei easily. After all, Liu Bei is stationed in Jiangnan and is eyeing Jiangling. I just want my brother to untie the last knot and be able to have a family and raise children."  , can live an ordinary life, can let my parents rest in peace, as for whether my brother is willing to fight with me, to be honest, I don't really care. "

    Zhao Yun looked back at Liu Jing's eyes. He read the sincere care in Liu Jing's eyes, which moved him. He patted Liu Jing's shoulder gently and said with a smile: "You are my brother, how can I  If I don¡¯t help you, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not a pedantic person. I can tell the difference between good and bad. I have done my best to Uncle Liu Huang. After today, I won¡¯t owe him anything anymore.¡±

    Speaking of this, Zhao Yun smiled again and said: "Besides, if I have a son, I have to leave something for him! So I have to fight for my children and grandchildren, otherwise, I will have the nerve to ask you for a good land and a beautiful house in the future."

    Liu Jing couldn't help but smile slightly, "I didn't expect that my brother also has a utilitarian heart."

    Zhao Yun chuckled, "Of course I do, but from now on, call me General Zilong, so that I will feel less pressure."

    The two of them looked at each other and couldn't help laughing together.Laughing, Zhao Yun¡¯s years of suppressed sadness were swept away.

    The Yangtze River flows south from Jiangling in an arc-shaped trajectory. The Youjiang Estuary is located in the middle of the arc. At the intersection of the south bank of the Youjiang Estuary and the Yangtze River, a new city began to be built. This is the Gong'an City, where Liu Bei will establish his military and political center.

    The establishment of a military and political center on the other side of the Yangtze River was also out of helplessness. After the Chibi War, hundreds of thousands of people who fled to Wuling from Nanjun began to return home one after another. They did not want to stay in Wuling.

    At the same time, most of the soldiers were unwilling to stay in the remote and desolate mountainous areas and strongly demanded to return to Nanjun. Liu Bei had no choice but to recruit civilians and start building a new city at the mouth of the Youjiang River.

    The reason why we chose to build a new city at the mouth of Youjiang River was mainly to build ships in Youjiang River. This was also Liu Bei's biggest wish, to build hundreds of warships, cross the river northward, and retake Jiangling City.

    At this time, Liu Bei was standing on the head of the unfinished public security city, staring at the vast and sparkling river in the distance. He was very excited. Just in the morning, he received a message sent by Liu Jing. His wife and children were about to be delivered.  To the Public Security City.

    Although he did not send anyone to negotiate with Cao Cao to redeem his son, it did not mean that he did not care about his only son. It was just that he knew that redeeming his son would inevitably pay a price that he could not bear, so he has been hesitating.

    Liu Bei did not expect that Liu Jing would exchange Xia Houyuan and Mao Jie for his son, and was willing to return it to him without any conditions. Of course, Liu Jing wrote very clearly in the letter to him that this was Zhao Yun's son.  Face was Zhao Yun's last favor to return to him.

    This made Liu Bei's mood quite complicated. It was like knocking over the five-flavor bottle. It didn't feel good at all. He was not grateful to Zhao Yun. On the contrary, what he felt was a kind of humiliation. Zhao Yun treated him by letting his wife and children go.  To humiliate.

    But no matter what, he still owed Liu Jing this favor, and he would have to pay it back sooner or later.

    At this time, a soldier pointed to the river in the distance and shouted: "A fleet is coming!"

    Liu Bei also saw it. A small black spot appeared on the river in the distance. This must be the Jiangxia Army's fleet. When the fleet slowly approached, Liu Bei couldn't help but take a breath of air. It turned out to be an extremely huge fleet, so vast.  The mighty force came from the horizon, and he felt as if he had stepped on empty space, and his heart fell into an endless abyss.

    It was not a big ship as he thought, but the main force of Jiangxia. This was obviously coming to attack Jiangling. If the Jiangxia army captured Jiangling, would Liu Bei still have a chance?

    At this time, Zhuge Liang also walked quickly to his side, sighed slightly and said: "This day has come!"

    "Military advisor, what should we do?" Liu Bei asked uneasily.

    Zhuge Liang shook his head, "I didn't agree with my lord attacking Jiangling at the beginning, because Liu Jing would come sooner or later. Jiangxia's army and navy were sharp, and we couldn't fight them on the river. Once he blocked the Yangtze River, Jiangling would be an isolated city without food and grass backup."  If we can't deliver it, how long can Jiangling City hold on? Once our main force is annihilated by Jiang Xia's army in Jiangling City, even our lord will become a prisoner of war, which will be a devastating blow to us. Now it seems that my original worry was not wrong.  "

    Liu Bei stood there for a moment, then sighed and said, "The military adviser still has the foresight. If I seize the city by force, I will have nothing in the end."

    Zhuge Liang smiled again and said: "Our destiny lies in Bashu. Once Bashu is captured, the lord will completely turn over."

    "Yes! I can only look forward to that day."

    At this time, a soldier shouted again: "Reporting to the emperor, the warships of the Jiangxia Army have stopped on the river."

    Liu Bei nodded, "Inform Duke Mi to go out!"

    The red flag was waving on the guard tower, and two 500-stone warships sailed out from the mouth of the Youjiang River and headed for the Jiangxia main ship anchored in the center of the river. Mi Zhu, Liu Bei's main aide, stood on the bow. He went to greet him on behalf of Liu Bei.  Arrival of wife and children.

    At this time, Liu Jing was also standing in the fleet, looking at the half-built Public Security City on the east bank of the Youjiang Estuary. There were also large military camps next to the city, but only the warships could not be seen. At this time, two ships sailed out from the Youjiang Estuary.  Warship, Liu Jing laughed, it seems that Liu Bei's warship is hidden in the mouth of Youjiang River.

    The ship slowly approached, and Zhao Yun's face beside him became a little unnatural. He recognized Mi Zhu. For some reason, he suddenly didn't want to see any of Liu Bei's subordinates, not even Liu Bei himself. He didn't want to see each other again. He turned around and walked towards the ship.  Go the other way.

    At this time, Mi Zhu's ship approached the big ship. Mi Zhu held up his hands and smiled at Liu Jing: "Uncle Huang was so excited when he heard that his wife and children were arriving that he felt a little unwell. He specially ordered me to express his extreme gratitude to Zhou Mu. For this kindness, Uncle Emperor."  Will keep it in mind.¡±

    "Haha! Mr. Mi is so polite. You should thank General Zhao for this."

    Liu Jing turned around, but Zhao Yun was missing.Zhao Yun couldn't help but secretly smile bitterly. In the end, Zhao Yun still didn't want to see Liu Bei's people, so he had to say to the soldiers: "Please bring the two ladies out!"

    Not long after, Mrs. Mi and Mrs. Gan came out of the cabin with Adou in their arms, followed by dozens of soldiers carrying boxes for them. The two ladies were very excited, especially Mrs. Mi who shed tears when she saw her brother coming to pick her up.  .

    "It's good that everyone is safe!"

    Mi Zhu was also very excited and said repeatedly: "Madams, please come on board!"

    The soldiers set up a ladder, and two maids carefully helped them get on to their boat one after another. At this time, Mi Zhu suddenly saw Zhao Yun standing at the stern of the boat. He slowly clasped his fists and bowed deeply to Zhao Yun, and Zhao Yun returned the favor.  A gift.

    Mi Zhu sighed in his heart. His lord didn't cherish such a good general. He really didn't know what to say. Mi Zhu thanked Liu Jing again, then got on the boat and ordered the boat to sail.

    Zhao Yun stood at the stern of the ship and silently watched the ship sail away. The knot in his heart was suddenly untied. From now on, he no longer owed Liu Bei any favors.

    Liu Jing was also watching Liu Bei's ships go away, but he paid more attention to Liu Bei's warships. At this time, his eyes turned to the mouth of the Youjiang River.

    With a wave of his hand, Liu Jing called a soldier forward and whispered: "Go tell General Li Jun and ask him to lead a navy to stay. I must destroy all the warships and shipbuilding stations of Liu Bei's army."  !¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 406 Taking Jiangling

    At noon, the bell rang rapidly over Jiangling City. Groups of Cao Jun soldiers rushed to the city. Another fleet appeared on the river. This time it was huge, consisting of hundreds of warships.

    Not long after, Cao Ren also received the report and quickly came to the city. A soldier had already reported to him: "General, it seems to be a warship from Jiangdong!"

    Cao Ren was shocked, had the Jiangdong warship finally arrived?  He walked quickly to the battlements and looked far into the distance. On the river not far away, a fleet of ships stretching for more than ten miles appeared in front of him in a spectacular manner.

    At the head was a large ship of three thousand stones, with a black and red triangular flag flying on the ship, which was the battle flag of the Jiangdong Army. The soldiers on the side of the ship could faintly see them wearing black and red Jiangdong Army uniforms.

    The fleet slowly stopped on the river. Dozens of Jiangxia Army's vanguard sentry boats came from the west, lined up on the river with eager eyes, and confronted the Jiangdong ships.

    Judging from the situation in front of him, there is no doubt that Jiangdong's fleet has arrived, but it cannot conceal the doubts in Cao Ren's heart.

    If it was really the Jiangdong fleet, how did they pass through Jiangxia? Did the Jiangxia army really allow them to pass through?

    At this time, Chen Jiao also hurried to the city. He stared at the river for a moment, frowned and said, "Is it possible that Jiangxia's army cannot defeat Jiangdong's army?"

    Cao Ren shook his head, "Chang Shi, I'm a little worried!"

    "What are you worried about, general?" Chen Jiao glanced at him and asked.

    "I'm worried that this is not a Jiangdong Army warship, but a Jiangxia Army disguised to defraud me of Jiangling City, because I have a gut feeling that Liu Jing will not allow the Jiangdong Army fleet to pass Jiangxia."

    "This is not necessarily true. Maybe the Jiangdong Army came to attack Wuling as an excuse, and Liu Jing would be very willing to use their hands to destroy Liu Bei."

    Cao Ren nodded. He once heard Cheng Yu analyze that the final alliance between Liu Jing and Sun Quan was to give up the four counties of Jingnan to Jiangdong. If this was the case, it would be reasonable for Jiangdong's army to attack Wuling.

    "But no matter what, we should still be cautious."

    Chen Jiao stroked his beard and smiled slightly, "If Jiangdong Army really came for Jiangling, I think there will definitely be an envoy from Jiangdong Army tonight."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As expected by Chen Jiao, as soon as it got dark, a small boat quietly left the Jiangdong naval fleet and docked on the north bank. On board was a young officer with thick eyebrows and big eyes, a burly figure, and a somewhat aristocratic figure.  style.

    As soon as the young general landed ashore, he was immediately surrounded by dozens of Cao soldiers. Dozens of bows and crossbows were pointed at him. A camp leader shouted sternly: "Who are you!"

    The young general raised his hands and said, "I am Jiangdong Army Yajiang General Cheng Yi. On the order of the general, I have come to see General Cao Ren!"

    The village chief waved his hand and said, "Take him into the city!"

    Soon, the young Jiangdong general Cheng Yi was brought into the city by Cao Jun and arrived at the military office hall. Cao Ren had been waiting here for a long time. Cheng Yi stepped forward and bowed in a calm manner and said: "I am Jiangdong Ya general Cheng Yi.  , see General Zhennan!¡±

    Cao Ren looked him up and down and asked, "Who are you Cheng Pu?"

    "He is the last general's father."

    Cao Ren knew that Cheng Pu had two sons, the eldest son Cheng Zi and the second son Cheng Yi. It turned out to be this person. He also received an express letter from Cao Cao. The court had appointed Cheng Pu as the prefect of Nanjun, so Cheng Pu was most likely to come to take over Jiangling.  .

    Cao Ren nodded and asked, "Who is the commander-in-chief of the Jiangdong Army?"

    "Reporting to General Zhennan, it is my father!"

    Cheng Yi took out a letter and presented it to Cao Ren with both hands, "This is an autographed letter from my father. Please take a look at it, general."

    Cao Ren took the letter and read it. Sure enough, it was signed by Jiangdong Cheng Demou. However, no one had seen Cheng Pu's letter. It was impossible to judge whether it was true or false. Cao Ren handed the letter to Chen Jiao again. Chen Jiao read it again. The letter contained the same information as the Prime Minister.  The content of the letter was consistent. Cheng Pu was the governor of Nanjun, and he led his army to accept it.  Judging from the letter itself, there is no falsehood, so let's take it as true. Chen Jiao smiled and asked, "How did you explain to Liu Jing? The army actually passed through Jiangxia."

    Cheng Yi said calmly: "Last year in Qichun County, Wu Hou and Liu Jing reached an alliance. The most important one was that the Jiangxia Army acquiesced to our taking the four counties of Jingnan. This time we used the excuse of sending troops to attack Wuling.  , passed Jiangxia smoothly, and in this Battle of Chibi, Liu Jing took the spoils alone, which made Jiangdong generally dissatisfied. Liu Jing also felt ashamed of Wu Hou for this, so Liu Jing gave in on the Jingnan matter.  "

    Cheng Yi's words were reasonable and convincing. Cao Ren and Chen Jiao looked at each other, and Cao Ren asked again: "I wonder how many troops your Majesty has brought, and how are you going to take over Jiangling City?"

    "We brought 12,000 troops with us, which is enough?Guard Jiangling. In addition, Governor Zhou is planning to attack Lingling by land first, and then attack Wuling from the north. We will meet on the south bank of the Yangtze River. Even if the Jiangxia Army sends a large army, we are not afraid. As for how to take over Jiangling City, we hope to follow Prime Minister Cao¡¯s promise.  , your army will withdraw from Jiangling City as soon as possible, and we will naturally accept it.  "

    Cao Ren thought for a moment and said: "Of course we will keep our promise. Please tell your father, General Cheng, that we will definitely give you a clear answer tomorrow at the latest!"

    Cheng Yi said goodbye and left. Cao Ren thought for a moment and then asked Chen Jiao: "Does Chang Shi think we really should give up Jiangling City?"

    Chen Jiao smiled slightly, "General, why do you think the Prime Minister wanted to give Jiangling to Jiangdong?"

    "Of course I understand this. If you provoke internal strife in the south and let the Jiangxia Army and Jiangdong Army fight each other, both sides will lose in the end. I heard that there are also anti-Jiangxia forces within Jiangdong. If Jiangling is used as a bait, Jiangdong will definitely take the bait, and Jiangxia will never tolerate it.  In this way, the conflict between the two families will intensify, and this is actually a battle over uneven distribution of spoils between them.¡±

    Chen Jiao nodded, "The general is right, but this is only one of them. The more important reason is that the prime minister knows that we cannot defend Jiangling."

    "Wait!" Cao Ren interrupted Chen Jiao, "I don't agree with this. If the Prime Minister thinks we can't defend Jiangling, why do you still need me to destroy Liu Bei?"

    Chen Jiao couldn't help but smile bitterly. Cao Ren had an overall view of the situation, a strong commanding ability, and could lead troops to fight, but he was still a little lacking in tactics, especially in some subtle details, which he still couldn't understand.

    The prime minister asked him to destroy Liu Bei. This was just a morale boost. In fact, with the 10,000 garrison in Jiangling, they had to guard the city and defend the Jiangxia army, and they also had to cross the river to attack Liu Bei's nearly 30,000 army. How could he do that?  Come, doesn¡¯t the Prime Minister know?

    However, Cao Ren did not react, so Chen Jiao had to explain: "At the beginning, the prime minister had the intention to give up Jiangling and give it to Liu Bei. Does the general still remember?"

    Cao Ren nodded, "I remember!"

    "It was because the Prime Minister knew that it was difficult for us to defend Jiangling that he planned to give up. However, using Liu Bei was too weak and using him to suppress the Jiangxia army was not the best choice. Therefore, the Prime Minister finally decided to support Jiangdong to deal with Jiangxia and give Jiangling to Jiangdong.  The Jiangdong Army has undoubtedly violated Liu Jing's vital interests. Unless the Jiangdong Army honestly gives up Jiangling, a war will inevitably break out between them. "

    Speaking of this, there was a hint of worry in Chen Jiao's eyes, and he continued: "Actually, what I am most worried about is Xiangyang. If General Xu Huang cannot defend Xiangyang and is occupied by the Jiangxia army, then we will have no way out, and even Jiangxia  The navy blocked the Han River, and we had no choice but to defeat Shangyong in the end. General, learn from the past!"

    Chen Jiao's words of "lessons from the past" hit Cao Ren's heart hard. It was his most embarrassing defeat, and he fled over the mountains and ridges to Shangyong. He vowed not to experience it again in this life, but now, if he doesn't retreat in time,  , even retreating to mediocrity after defeat is a luxury.

    Cao Ren was finally persuaded, "Since it is the prime minister's arrangement, I will naturally obey the order and hand over Jiangling City to Jiangdong."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    That night, 10,000 Cao troops withdrew from Jiangling City and headed north to Xiangyang. At the same time that Cao Jun withdrew, a small boat carrying an envoy from Cao Ren sailed towards the main ship of the Jiangdong Army anchored in the center of the river.  The boat intercepted the envoy, and the messenger quickly said: "I am here to see Duke Cheng on the orders of General Cao!"

    The patrol envoy took the big ship and walked into a cabin. The cabin was brightly lit. Cheng Yi, who had just returned from Jiangling City an hour ago, was sitting behind a small table. He said coldly: "If you have anything to do, please contact me directly."  tell me!"

    The envoy quickly handed over his hand and said, "Report to General Cheng that General Cao has withdrawn his troops. Now the city is empty. Jiangdong Army can enter the city at any time."

    At this time, a burst of hearty laughter suddenly came from the cabin, "Is Cao Cao so willing to give Jiangling to Jiangdong?"

    I saw a person walking out of the inner cabin. He was tall and tall, wearing a golden helmet, iron armor, and a green sword at his waist. This person was none other than Liu Jing, the shepherd of Jingzhou.

    When the envoy met Liu Jing, he was astonished and fell down on the deck. The young general Cheng Yi also stood up and saluted: "See you at Zhou Mu!"

    This young general is of course not Cheng Yi, and Deng Ai is only sixteen years old this year. Deng Ai is still studying at Jiangxia Academy, but Liu Jing hopes that he can become a general with both civil and military skills, so he was removed from the army at the end of last year.  He was brought out from the academy, trained with himself for a year, and took up the post of village chief.

    Deng Ai was young and mature, smart and capable. He pretended to be Cheng Yi and went to Jiangling as an envoy, and successfully deceived Cao Ren. This made Liu Jing very satisfied. He patted Deng Ai on the shoulder and praised: "Well done!"

    Deng Ai cupped his fists and saluted, and then slowly retreated. Liu Jing faced the trembling man again.The reporter said: "Don't worry, I won't kill you. You can send a message to Cao Ren for me. If he recognizes the situation, he will evacuate Xiangyang immediately. Otherwise, his 20,000 troops will become slaves of Jingzhou!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the dark of night, the gates of Jiangling City were wide open, and groups of Jiangxia troops entered Jiangling City. Liu Jing rode on a war horse and entered the city slowly, but he raised his head to look at the second largest city in Jingzhou. This was his first time to Jiangling.  city.  It's a pity that although the city is large, most of the population followed Liu Bei across the river south.

    Liu Jing secretly thought that he had to find a way to bring back the population of Jiangling. At this moment, a soldier rushed to report: "I have reported to Zhou Mu that there is a person asking to see him. He said that Zhou Mu must be very willing to meet him."  he."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 407 News from Bashu

    Liu Jing couldn't help but be startled. Someone actually wanted to see him in Jiangling City. He couldn't think of who it could be.

    "Bring him up!"

    Not long after, several soldiers brought up a scribe in his thirties. Under the firelight, Liu Jing recognized this man at a glance. He turned out to be Fazheng, whom he had met in Xiangyang last year. Liu Jing was a little surprised.  Why is Fazheng in Jiangling?

    Fazheng stepped forward with a smile and bowed, "I just thought, how could the warship on the river be the Jiangdong Army? It should be the navy of Jiangxia, and I guessed it right."

    Liu Jing's mind changed, and he suddenly guessed why Fazheng appeared in Jiangling. This must be Liu Zhang sending him to investigate the situation in Jingzhou. The Battle of Chibi changed the interest structure of all parties, and it would be strange for Liu Zhang to turn a blind eye.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing asked quietly: "Brother Xiaozhi, how could you think that it was not Jiangdong Army, but Jiangxia Army?"

    "If Jiangdong warships appear on the river west of Chaisang, there is only one possibility, and that is that the Chibi War is not over yet. Now that the Chibi War has ended for several months, how can Jiangdong's warships still appear on the river in Jiangling?  I don¡¯t think Liu Zhoumu would let a wolf break into his house just for the sake of a so-called covenant.¡±

    Liu Jing secretly admired his high opinion. Fazheng had a very accurate view of the current situation, but Liu Jing wanted to know whether this judgment of the situation in Jingzhou was Fazheng's personal opinion or the official interpretation of Yizhou as a whole.

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "This is not the place to talk. Can Xiaozhi come with me to the city to talk?"

    Fazheng bowed slightly and saluted, "I would like to speak to the state pastor."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing did not enter the city again. He ordered the newly appointed Nanjun Prefect Li Yan and the captain Chen Shuo to control Jiangling, and asked Sima Yi to assist them. He returned to his ship with Fazheng.

    In the cabin, Liu Jing invited Fazheng to sit down and ordered the sergeant to serve tea. Liu Jing smiled and said, "Why did Xiaozhi come to Jiangling?"

    Fazheng smiled faintly, "I didn't come to Jiangling specifically, but I went to Wuling to find Uncle Liu Huang on the order of my lord. I was preparing to return to Yizhou, and happened to encounter the Jiangling incident."

    Liu Jing was even more confused. Liu Zhang actually had a relationship with Liu Bei, which surprised him. Of course Liu Jing knew that Liu Bei wanted to seek Yizhou, but he didn't expect Liu Bei to act so quickly. Liu Zhang had already responded.

    But what Liu Jing didn¡¯t expect was that Fazheng told him this matter calmly. Does this mean that Fazheng wanted to take refuge in him?

    But this matter should not be abrupt. Liu Jing took a sip of tea and asked again: "Uncle Liu Huang is in a difficult situation now. He was originally the weakest, but he was attacked by Cao Cao, losing nearly half of his troops, and only a few remote troops were left."  The land is even weaker, so for him, Yizhou is the last chance. Does your lord intend to give up Yizhou? "

    Fazheng sighed, shook his head and said: "My lord's thoughts are elusive. On the one hand, he seems to understand the stakes and advocates uniting the weak to resist the strong, because he believes that Uncle Liu Huang is not strong enough to annex Yizhou.  On the one hand, he also believed in the witch¡¯s astrology and believed that Uncle Liu Huang was his lucky star in Baoyi Province.¡±

    Having said this, Fa Zheng was filled with frustration. Liu Zhang had let him down so much, not to mention that he went so far as to listen to the words of the witch on military and state affairs.

    More importantly, Liu Zhang decided to unite with Liu Bei and wanted to ask Liu Bei to guard the gate of Bashu for him. This was simply inviting a wolf into the house. This stupid idea received strong support from Zhang Song, which made Fazheng suspect that Zhang Song had been bribed by Liu Bei.

    Liu Jing laughed. Historically, Liu Zhang considered letting Liu Bei serve as a barrier to Yizhou because he was afraid of Cao Cao's threat. The result was that he led the wolf into the house. Now that Cao Cao has been defeated, could it be that Liu Zhang thought of cooperating with Liu Bei because he was afraid of himself?

    After thinking for a moment, Liu Jing asked: "I wonder where the cooperation between Liu Bei and Liu Zhang has reached now?"

    "It's just preliminary contact now. It is estimated that Liu Bei will send people to Yizhou for further negotiations soon. However, this matter is very confidential and not many people in Yizhou know about it."

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. He suddenly turned around and asked with a smile: "Why did Xiaozhi tell me such a confidential matter?"

    "Liu Zhang is not the master of the land, and Yizhou will be someone else's dish sooner or later." Fazheng said calmly.

    "Then why doesn't Xiaozhi consider Liu Bei? He is from the royal family of the Han Dynasty, and his benevolence and righteousness are spread all over the world. Even a three-year-old child knows his reputation. It seems that Xiaozhi is not interested in him. Why?"

    Fazheng shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Perhaps I am a more practical person and don't pay much attention to these false names. Frankly speaking, Uncle Liu cannot bear the important task of unifying the world, let alone revitalizing the Han Dynasty. At most, he will be hiding in Bashu, which  What¡¯s the point?¡±

    Speaking of which, the law?Looking at Liu Jing, "I have seen countless people with my filial piety. I believe in my own vision. The only one who can revive the Han Dynasty is the emperor's ear!"

    Fazheng said goodbye and left. Liu Jing stood in front of the ship window and fell into deep thought. Of course he wanted to take Bashu, connect Jingchu into one, and then take Hanzhong and Guanzhong, so that he could become a powerful force with Cao Cao, but he also knew that if  If he doesn't solve the threat from Jiangdong, he will have worries about his future, and it will be difficult to capture Bashu. He might actually make a wedding dress for Liu Bei. He must consider this matter comprehensively.

    At this time, Sima Yi¡¯s voice came from outside the door, ¡°Is Zhou Mu looking for me?¡±

    "Please come in!"

    Sima Yi walked in, bowed and saluted: "See Zhou Mu!"

    "No need to be polite, join the army and please take a seat!"

    Sima Yi sat down, and Liu Jing asked first: "How is the situation in Jiangling City?"

    "There is a lot of food. Cao's army couldn't transport it for a while, and it didn't burn down. There are about 50,000 shi of food in stock, and a lot of ordnance, tents and other materials. But the population is too small, and only about 40% of the original is left. Now only  military function.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "The population of Jiangling has followed Liu Bei, but I believe they will come back slowly. The key now is to control Jiangling and not give the south bank army any chance to go north, including Liu Bei and the future Jiangdong Army."

    "My subordinates also mean the same thing. Taking Jiangling City back is the first step to victory. We will take our time in the future."

    Liu Jing invited Sima Yi here not to talk to him about Jiangling. Li Yan and Huo Jun in Jiangling were enough. Liu Jing wanted to talk to Sima Yi about Yizhou. Liu Jing pondered for a moment and smiled and said: "You know I  Who did you meet today?"

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Sima Yi shook his head.

    "Today I met Fa Zheng, the envoy from Yizhou. Do you know this person if you join the army?"

    "I know, his courtesy name is Xiaozhi. He is very famous in Guanzhong. I heard that he is not doing well in Bashu."

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "It is this person, but he is not here as an envoy to me, but to Liu Bei."

    Sima Yi was shocked, why did Liu Bei's envoy come to Jingzhou to seek pastoral care?  Could it be

    Liu Jing smiled and told Sima Yi about his conversation with Fazheng. Sima Yi couldn't help laughing, "Congratulations to Zhou Mu for getting another talented person!"

    "We can't talk about it now. He didn't express his allegiance to me. He just said that he is willing to try his best to help me win Yizhou. I want to hear the idea of ??joining the army."

    Sima Yi had also considered a strategy to capture Yizhou, and combined with Fazheng's words, he probably had a plan.

    "I think we can make breakthroughs based on Liu Zhang's weaknesses. What he wants most and what he fears most. As long as we get to the point, we can hold Liu Zhang's nose."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Sima Canjun and I thought of going together. I would like to ask Canjun to be an envoy and go to Bashu for me."

    Sima Yi immediately stood up and saluted: "I am willing to serve the state pastor!"

    Liu Jing didn't finish his words. He stared at the dark river outside the cabin and said slowly: "You regard yourself as Zhang Yi's envoy Chu. You have only one purpose, buy me time."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the same time that Jiangxia Army disguised itself as Jiangdong Army to defraud Jiangling City, Jiangdong General Cheng Pu also led more than 200 warships to Qichun County.

    The section of the Yangtze River from Chaisang to Xiakou is a water area jointly managed by Jiangxia County and Qichun County. Jiangdong Army's warships can sail freely on the Qichun side, but after passing Xiakou, it is Anlu County and Jiangxia County.  The waters are the exclusive waters of Jiangxia Army.

    The warships of the Jiangdong Army could no longer go west unless they could get permission from the Jiangxia Army. But what Cheng Pu waited for was a flat refusal from the Jiangxia Army.

    In the cabin, Cheng Pu listened gloomily to the report from his eldest son Cheng Zi. He had sent his eldest son to negotiate twice, but was rejected twice.

    Especially Gan Ning¡¯s response was categorical, Jiangdong Army¡¯s warships could sail on the side of Qichun County and could not enter Jingzhou waters, otherwise the safety of the warships would not be guaranteed.

    "Replying to my father, my son did not go to Gan Ning this time, but to the chief official Xu Shu. Although Xu Shu's tone was very polite, his meaning was very clear. If we want to cross the border and go west, we must get permission from Liuzhou Mu."

    Cheng Pu suppressed the anger in his heart and asked coldly: "Have you asked about Liu Jing's whereabouts?"

    Cheng Zi lowered his head and said with some fear: "This is exactly what the child wants to report to his father. From what Xu Shu means, it seems that Liu Jing led the navy to the west."

    "What!"

    Cheng Peng was immediately worried. If Liu Jing led his army to the west, it would be either Xiangyang or Nanjun. Did Liu Jing also hear some news and rush to occupy Jiangling?

    Cheng Pu paced back and forth in the cabin anxiously. He could not remain passive like this.?Some action must be taken, otherwise he will not be able to explain to Wu Hou.

    Thinking of this, Cheng Pu made up his mind. No matter what, his fleet must pass by, but  £®  £®  £®  You can try it out first.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 408 Decisive Attack

    At night, three Jiangdong thousand-stone warships left Qichun County and sailed north along the Yangtze River. This was Cheng Jin's test move. He wanted to test the bottom line of the Jiangxia Army and see if the Jiangxia Army dared to risk falling out with the Jiangdong Army.  Risk, attack Jiangdong Army warships.

    On the main ship of Jiangdong, Cheng Pu watched the three warships heading north, with very complicated eyes. Marquis Wu thought about this westward expedition to Jiangling for two days before finally making up his mind. Cheng Pu also knew very well in his heart that Jiangdong and Jingzhou had a lot to do with each other.  How can a ten-year feud be easily eliminated?

    It can be said that capturing Jingzhou and unifying the south has always been Jiangdong's national policy. Although the alliance was formed during the Battle of Chibi, this does not mean that Jiangdong gave up its fundamental interests.

    Just before he led his army to the expedition, Zhou Yu insisted on persuading Wu Hou not to violate the alliance. As a result, Wu Hou was angered and took away half of Zhou Yu's military power. A sneer appeared on Cheng Pu's face. He could only say that Zhou Yu didn't understand Wu Hou.  Ambition.

    Now that Cao Cao's strategy has shrunk and the north is uneven, he will not be able to conquer the south for at least ten years. If Wu Hou does not take advantage of this opportunity to unify the south, I am afraid that it will be difficult for Jiangdong to make any progress.

    At this point, Cheng Pu saw through Sun Quan better than Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu was still too bookish and focused on promises and credibility. However, when two countries compete, what matters is interests, and contracts are just a tool to realize interests.

    ¡°Father, isn¡¯t this too risky?¡± Cheng Zi asked in a low voice next to him. Gan Ning¡¯s stern warning was still fresh in his memory.

    Cheng Pu glanced at his son coldly, "Then what do you think we should do? Are you going to retreat when you face difficulties? Then how do you explain it to Wu Hou?"

    Three consecutive questions left Cheng Zi speechless. Cheng Pu then said to his son: "Don't underestimate Wu Hou. Of course he knew that the Jiangxia Army would not allow us to cross the border, but he still ordered me to come. It can be seen that Wu Hou has already  I have made up my mind not to hesitate to fight against the Jiang Xia Army. Now the imperial court has appointed me as the Governor of Nanjun, but the Jiang Xia Army has blocked me from taking up the post. They have lost moral ground. "

    Cheng Zi moved his lips. In fact, he wanted to say that if his father went alone, Jiang Xia's army would not necessarily stop him. Now he is leading an army of 5,000 people. This is not what he looks like when he takes office as a governor!

    Although he thought so, Cheng Zi did not dare to say it. Cheng Pu patted his son on the shoulder and smiled: "Don't worry about anything. We are just the vanguard. If the Jiangxia army forcibly stops them or even uses swords, then Wu Hou will personally lead the army to the west."  levy!¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As soon as the three Jiangdong warships left Qichun County, the Jiangxia military sentry ship monitoring the river immediately returned to Wuchang to report.

    There are currently 30,000 troops stationed in Wuchang County. In addition to the 20,000 naval troops led by Gan Ning, there are also 3,000 heavy armored soldiers led by Liu Hu and 5,000 cavalry led by Liao Hua.

    In addition, veteran Huang Zhong also led 3,000 troops to train 30,000 soldiers in the militia camp west of Wuchang County. These were 30,000 elite soldiers selected from Cao's prisoners of war. After only half a year of intensive training, they would be loyal to Jingzhou.  , loyal to Liu Jing.

    In this way, the total strength of the Jiangxia Army will reach 100,000, but it will be difficult to support such a large army with only the five counties of Jiangxia, Changsha, Anlu, Nanjun and Xiangyang, so external expansion will become inevitable.

    Gan Ning led a dozen cavalrymen to rush all the way, and soon arrived at the military office. Gan Ning got off his horse and walked towards the military office. "Is the military advisor here?" he asked urgently.

    Gan Ning wanted to find military advisor Jia Xu. Liu Jing had ordered before the westward expedition to Jiangling. In his absence, all major military affairs would be decided by Jia Xu. Now that the Jiangdong Army warships are heading north, Gan Ning cannot make the decision. He needs to discuss countermeasures with Jia Xu.

    The soldier on duty responded quickly: "The military advisor is in the back hall, discussing matters with Xu Changshi."

    Gan Ning immediately walked quickly to the back hall. At this time, Jia Xuzheng and Xu Shu were discussing the institutional arrangements of the militia. In the history of Jingzhou, due to its long-term vast land and sparse population, it has always adopted the backward planting method of fire farming and water tillage. The yield per mu  Extremely low.

    However, with the continuous war in the north, a large number of northern people migrated to Jingzhou, causing a rapid increase in the population of Jingzhou. In addition, the two generations of state pastoralists Liu Biao and Liu Jing attached great importance to agricultural development, causing Jingzhou's agriculture to develop rapidly. The land cultivated continued to increase, and the output also increased.  greatly improved.

    At present, Jingzhou implements wheat-rice rotation, and winter wheat is the main type of wheat. As a result, the spring season is actually relatively free.

    Therefore, Liu Jing considered establishing a local militia system and implementing national military training. This would require coordination with local governments and assistance from local governments.

    "What Zhou Mu means is that since the militia recruitment was temporarily implemented during the Chibi War, we should simply use this opportunity to comprehensively promote the militia system. When we are busy, we will work on farming, and when we are free, we will train intensively. We will use the village as our camp and never leave our hometown. It will be a long history.  Do you think it¡¯s feasible?¡±

    Xu Shu thought for a moment and said: "The problem of not leaving home is not big. Cao Jun's southern invasion has made the people aware of the importance of defending their homeland. It is easier to persuade them to participate in military training. GuanDuring the off-season, everyone has to be busy with other activities, such as fishing, growing vegetables, etc. Once they participate in training, they will no longer be able to earn money to support their families. For them, this loss is huge. Has the military counselor ever considered it?  "

    Jia Xu laughed and said calmly: "This problem can actually be solved. When participating in training, they can be given a certain amount of money and food subsidies to make up for their losses. More importantly, there is no need to train every day, such as training one day every five days. In fact, the impact  It¡¯s not big, the key is to have a system that can recruit additional troops at any time.¡±

    "In this case, I will discuss it in detail when I go back and come up with a specific plan, and then discuss it again."

    While the two were discussing, the soldier reported at the door: "This is to inform the military advisor, Lieutenant Colonel Gan has something urgent to see you!"

    Jia Xu chuckled and said, "Invite him in."

    He then said to Xu Shu: "It is estimated that Jiangdong Army has made some moves. Chang Shi might as well listen together."

    After a moment, Gan Ning walked in quickly, bowed and saluted, "Gan Ning sees the military advisor and the chief historian."

    "General Gan, please take a seat!"

    Gan Ning sat down and said: "At the fourth watch last night, three ships of the Jiangdong Army left Qichun County and headed north. They are expected to reach the Wuchang River soon. Should we fight or not?"

    "It seems that Jiang Dongjun is really going to drink wine as a fine if he doesn't drink the toast!"

    Jia Xu sneered and was about to make a decision when he remembered Xu Shu was there and asked Xu Shu, "What do you think, Chang Shi?"

    Xu Shu was very cautious. He thought for a while and said: "Cheng Zi also came to me yesterday afternoon and said that his father had been appointed as the governor of Nanjun and was going to Jiangling to take up the post. He wanted to borrow a passage from us. At that time, I replied that a passenger ship  Why do we need hundreds of warships? If we must get hundreds of warships to cross the border, we need permission from Zhou Mu, which is actually a polite rejection of them. I feel that Jiangdong has gained nothing in this Chibi War, and they are going to take the opportunity to cause trouble.  "

    Jia Xu nodded, "What Chang Shi said is absolutely right. Cao's army retreated north and was unable to go south for a long time. The Sun family has wanted to plot Jingzhou and unify the south for generations. Now that there is no trouble from the north, it is their opportunity. This  Yidian Zhoumu also has a profound understanding. He said more than once that if we do not solve the worries of Jiangdong, we will not be able to move westward. "

    At this time, Gan Ning next to him said: "I have been thinking about it, since Jiangdong wants to unify the south, why can't we unify the south? If we wipe out Jiangdong and unify the south, then we will have the ability to compete with Cao Cao."

    Speaking of this, Gan Ning felt a little embarrassed and said, "This is just my humble opinion."

    Jia Xu smiled slightly and said: "General Gan's idea is good, but it is a bit difficult to implement! The Sun family has been entrenched in Jiangdong for three generations. It has a big tree with deep roots, and the military strength is better than ours. Perhaps we can defeat them, but  We cannot completely destroy the Jiangdong regime, and this is exactly what Cao Cao wants. He will also take advantage of the conflict between the crane and the clam, so the plan made by Zhou Mu still focuses on peace with Jiangdong. "

    Seeing that Gan Ning was about to speak, Jia Xu waved his hands and smiled: "Our goal is peace, but there are many ways to achieve peace, and war is one of them. After the Battle of Chaisang, didn't we have six years of peace?  "

    Xu Shu also sighed: "The military advisor is right. Conquer Sun Quan in the east, resist Cao Cao in the north, and expand our territory in the west. This is our national policy. War is just a means to achieve this fundamental policy."

    Gan Ning nodded silently, "I understand, there are two factions in Jiangdong. We want to attack the Southern Unification faction and win over the Southern Peace faction, so we must not be soft on Cheng Pu!"

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled, "General Gan is absolutely right. Zhou Mu had an order before he left. If Cheng Pu arrives with his troops, General Gan can do whatever he wants!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Yangtze River east of Chaisang belongs to Jiangdong's sphere of influence, while the west of Xiakou to Yiling belongs to Jingzhou's sphere of influence. The section from Chaisang to Xiakou is Qichun County in the east and Jiangxia County in the west.  A section of the river spanning hundreds of miles should theoretically be shared by both families.

    However, since Wuchang, which is governed by Jingzhou Prefecture, is located in this sensitive river area, in order to ensure the safety of Wuchang, the Jingwu Covenant reached by Sun Quan and Liu Jing clearly stipulated that the warships of the Jiangdong Army could not sail through Qichun without the consent of the Jiangxia Army.  county.

    In other words, Cheng Pu violated the Jing-Wu Treaty by sending three warships to leave Qichun County and go north without authorization.

    Three thousand-stone warships sailed northward in the southeast wind. At noon, they had passed Wuchang County, but just as they were about to sail toward Xiakou, a group of thirty warships suddenly appeared in front of them.  The army formed a double-wing formation and drove towards them.

    Thirty Jiangxia warships moved quickly and quickly surrounded the Jiangdong warships. The three Jiangdong warships immediately hoisted the war-free flag.And began to slowly turn around and furl the sails, which meant that they had no intention of going north again and were willing to return to Qichun.

    But Gan Ning sneered and gave the order, "Sink them!"

    The Jiangxia Navy, which was surrounded by the Jiangdong Army's warships, launched an attack. Pieces of talc were powerfully shot out from the stone cannons, violently hitting the Jiangdong Army's warships. Arrows were fired at the enemy ships from all sides like rain.

    Soon, the front warship was penetrated, a large amount of river water poured in, and began to sink slowly. The other two warships also burst into flames. The soldiers were so frightened that they shouted in panic and jumped into the river one after another.  Escape.

    Just more than half an hour later, all three Jiangdong warships heading north sank into the Yangtze River, and nearly half of Jiangdong's soldiers were killed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 409 Cutting off the return journey

    Cheng Pu had been nervously waiting for news about the three warships. In the afternoon, he finally got the news. Two Jiangdong Army soldiers who had been released told him the worst intelligence. The three probing warships were intercepted by the Jiangxia navy.  It was sunk, more than half of the two hundred soldiers were killed or wounded, and all the rest were captured.

    This news left Cheng Pu speechless for a long time. Although he knew that Jiang Xia Army was unlikely to let three warships pass, he never imagined that Jiang Xia Army would actually sink three warships, and in three warships.  As he was preparing to return, Cheng Pu was angry but also felt a little uneasy. What did Jiang Xiajun's tough attitude make him realize?

    "Father, the situation is not good!" Cheng Zi was a little nervous. Jiang Xia's army actually took action. This was the beginning of the war. What should they do?

    After all, Cheng Pu was the second-ranking figure in the Jiangdong Army. After Zhou Yu was reprimanded by Sun Quan, his military status was improved and he was already on par with Zhou Yu. At this time, Cheng Pu had begun to regain his sense and calmness. He sneered.  He said: "My fleet has not crossed Qichun County, why don't Jiangxia Army dare to do anything to me? Wait and see what they have to say!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, a soldier rushed to the cabin door and reported: "Reporting to General Cheng, we found more than 20 Jiangxia Army warships heading towards us!"

    Sure enough, it came. Cheng Pu quickly walked out of the cabin and looked towards the river. He saw a row of warships appearing in the distance. They were not far away from them and were slowly slowing down. It seemed that they would not get close. At this time, in the middle  A small boat came out and headed here quickly.

    There was a sergeant delivering a message on the ship. Jiang Dong quickly took him aboard the ship. The sergeant bowed and took out a letter and handed it to Cheng Pu, "This is a letter from General Gan to General Cheng. There is no oral message. All you need to say is in the letter."  !¡±

    Cheng Pu took the letter with a gloomy face and opened it. The beginning read: "Jiangxia Navy Colonel Gan Ning to His Excellency Cheng Gong, Deputy Commander of Jiangdong Army."  ¡¯ Cheng Pu couldn¡¯t help but snorted loudly. A small captain dared to sit on an equal footing with him. He really didn¡¯t know how high the world was.

    Cheng Pu patiently read the letter. In fact, the content was very simple. There was only one sentence. Since they were provocative first, he ordered the Jiangdong Army warships to sail east of Chaisang within two days, otherwise the Jiangxia Army would sink all warships.  Boat.

    This is an extremely tough threat. Even if they are anchored at their own dock, it will not work. To put it bluntly, Jiangdong Army is not allowed to enter the waters west of Chaisang.

    Cheng Pu's face was gloomy to the extreme, and he almost couldn't hold it back. But he knew that there were 20,000 naval troops and thousands of warships in the water village of Wuchang County. Their more than 100 warships were no match at all.  He suppressed his anger and said coldly to the messenger sergeant: "Go back and tell Gan Ning that I know what to do?"

    After the sergeant left, Cheng Pu handed the letter to the deputy general Ding Feng and said bitterly: "Look! How arrogant Jiang Xia's army is."

    After reading the letter, Ding Feng was a little surprised and said: "This Gan Ning actually wants to drive us out of the Qichun waters. This is simply unreasonable."

    Cheng Pu finally calmed down and thought for a long time: "Gan Ning has never been a reckless person. He is very smart. I guess this is not only Gan Ning's intention, but also the attitude of the entire Jiangxia Army, and even Liu Jing's."  Instructions, if my guess is correct, Liu Jing should have known about the imperial court appointing me as the governor of Nanjun, so he led his army to march west to Jiangling and drove us back to Jiangdong. "

    "Then what should we do?"

    Cheng Pu smiled coldly and said: "I believe that Gan Ning will definitely attack our warships. We might as well endure this and return to Jiangdong. Let Wu Hou decide this matter. It happened that they destroyed three of our warships, so Wu Hou decided  Ask Liu Jing for an explanation."

    Having said this, Cheng Pu immediately ordered: "Pass my order and the whole army sets sail and returns to Jiangdong!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Under the cover of night, a fleet of two hundred warships was cruising rapidly on the Han River. The warships were lined up in three rows and stretched for more than ten miles. They looked spectacular on the wide river.  .

    This fleet set out from Xiakou, carrying 10,000 elite Jiangxia troops, commanded by General Wenpin. Their final destination was Xiangyang City, cutting off Xiangyang Cao's army's return north.

    At this time, the fleet had already passed Yicheng County and was less than fifty miles away from Xiangyang City. The sails were blown into a hemisphere by the strong southeast wind, making the ship as fast as flying. At this speed, the fleet would be gone before dawn.  You can reach Xiangyang.

    Wenpin stood on the bow of the boat and silently stared at the dark river. He felt quite emotional in his heart. When they implemented a strategic retreat and left Xiangyang, many people lamented that they would never have the chance to return to Xiangyang in this life. At that time, the army generally believed that Cao Jun  unbeatable.

    Even Wenpin didn¡¯t have much confidence that he could defeat Cao Jun, but the facts proved his pessimism at the time. Just over half a year later, they fought back to Xiangyang.

      If it was because of Liu Biao's last words that he decided to be loyal to Liu Jing in the past, it was more loyal to Liu Biao than to Liu Jing. But now, the victory of the Chibi Battle has changed his mentality.  The subtle change is that the basis of his loyalty to Liu Jing has changed. Liu Biao has gradually faded in his heart, but his confidence in the future is strengthening day by day. Although there will be bumps in the road ahead, he believes that Liu Jing will eventually succeed.  Can unify the world.

    "Is Master considering fighting?"

    At some point, his disciple Cai Jin appeared next to him. Cai Jin followed Huang Zhong to guard the military camp and guard the prisoners of war during the Battle of Chibi. He did not get the chance to cross the river to fight. However, he was promoted to Sima of another department based on his merits.

    Wenpin shook his head, "I'm not thinking about fighting, I'm thinking about Zhou Mu. Compared with old Zhou Mu, he is far behind in terms of experience, literary talent, reputation, connections, etc., and he is only twenty-four.  Years old, why did he do what Lao Zhou Mu has never done in his life? "

    Cai Jin also said with a smile: "I think I have more say. When I competed with him for the first time in martial arts, he was able to defeat me after only a few months of martial arts training. Although I underestimated the enemy, I think the fundamental reason is that he is good at grasping.  I used my weaknesses to maximize my strengths and made decisions before taking action, so he won.¡±

    "You are right!"

    Wenpin nodded and said: "Old Zhou Mu is involved in everything, just like a big tree with leafy branches, but he has forgotten the root, which is the navy. Zhou Mu has maximized the advantages of Jingzhou's navy.  The weakest part of Cao's army is the navy. Using its own strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses, Cao's army has no power to fight back no matter how strong it is on land."

    Cai Jin was silent for a moment, and then asked: "Master, what do you think our Cai family will do in the future? Will we be implicated by the previous head of the family?"

    This is what Cai Jin is most worried about. After all, Cai Mao single-handedly destroyed Jingzhou and surrendered to Cao Cao, making the Cai family unable to raise its head in Jingzhou. He is full of worries about the future of the family.

    Wenpin patted his shoulder lightly and said with a smile: "Don't think too much. He is a person who does big things and will not be brooded over small grudges in the past. Besides, he still needs the Cai family to stabilize him."  Jingzhou, so as long as you are loyal and upright, the Cai family's future will be good."

    Cai Jin nodded silently. He held onto the side of the boat and looked at the dark river water, his heart rising and falling. Xiangyang, he is back again!

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There are currently 10,000 Cao troops stationed on the front line between Xiangyang City and Fancheng, commanded by General Xu Huang. Although Xiangyang City is the center of the entire Jingzhou, the main force of Cao's army is stationed on the front line of Fancheng. Even Xu Huang himself is in Fancheng most of the time.

    On the one hand, it is of course because all kinds of grain and baggage of Cao's army are piled up in Fancheng, which must be guarded by heavy troops. On the other hand, Xu Huang has also suffered enough from the Jiangxia navy. If he is stationed in Xiangyang, once the Jiangxia navy blocks the Han River, then they  We will repeat the mistake of running away from Shangyong last year.

    During this time, Xu Huang was particularly worried. Since the wind direction turned to the southeast, it meant that the day when the Jiangxia army attacked was getting closer. However, Cao Jun's troops in Jingzhou only had 20,000 troops, but they were divided into two places. This made  Xu Huang felt it was extremely inappropriate. Although it was a pity to abandon Jiangling, the dispersion of troops would make it impossible to save Jiangling and Xiangyang in the end.

    Just yesterday, Xu Huang got the news that Cao Ren gave up Jiangling and retreated north, and gave Jiangling to Jiangdong Army. This finally made Xu Huang relax a little. This was a wise strategy. No matter whether Jiangling was given to Liu Bei or Sun Quan, it would be the same.  It was a powerful check on the Jiangxia Army and was conducive to Cao's army's control of the strategic location of Xiangfan.

    But at the same time, Xu Huang also became worried. If such a big change happened in Jiangling, would the Jiangxia Army turn a blind eye?

    As soon as day broke, the alarm bell on Dunsey City rang violently, ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The sound of the alarm bell reached Fancheng, and groups of Cao soldiers rushed to the top of the city. Xu Huang also strode up to the city, held on to the battlements and looked east. The moment he was most worried about finally came.

    I saw a fleet of ships sailing on the river in the distance. Driven by the strong east wind, the fleet cut through the waves and gradually approached Fancheng.

    Xu Huang looked at the nearly a hundred ferries moored at Fancheng Pier. He knew very well that as long as the Jiangxia navy arrived, it meant that all Cao Jun's ships could not be saved.

    Sure enough, the Jiangxia Army warships immediately cleared all the ships on the Han River. Whether they were civilian ships or Cao Army cargo ships, they were all driven to the side of Fancheng Pier and set on fire. For a while, the river was in flames and smoke billowing.

    Tens of thousands of Cao's troops stood at the top of the city and below the city silently watching the fire on the river. They had been accustomed to the strength of Jiangxia's army on the water for more than a year, and the myth that Jiangxia's navy was invincible had been deeply ingrained in their hearts.

    Even the general Xu Huang was secretly glad that he returned from Xiangyang yesterday, otherwise he would have been trapped and died in Xiangyang.

      Thinking of this, Xu Huang raised his head and looked at Xiangyang City on the other side. There were still 5,000 troops stationed in the city, but Xu Huang was more worried about Cao Ren's army. He was on his way to retreat north. Now that the Jiangxia Army has blocked the Han River, Cao Ren's army  How come back?

    Xu Huang was extremely worried. At this moment, a soldier from the east shouted: "General, look at Bishui, something happened!"

    Xu Huang turned his head and looked at Bishui. His heart suddenly sank into the ice cave. He saw thick smoke filling the sky over Bishui and flames rising more than ten feet into the sky. Fancheng, who was ten miles away, could also see clearly.

    Hundreds of Cao Jun's warships were moored on the water. At this time, Xu Huang's last glimmer of hope was cut off.

 Volume 2, Jiangxia Chapter 410: Follow-up pursuit

    Bianxian County is the northernmost county of Nanjun. It is only a middle county with a population of more than 3,000 households. Since Bianxian County is close to Xiangyang County, it is greatly influenced by Xiangyang County. Since Cao Jun invaded the south, Bianxian County has also been separated from other Xiangyang counties.  Similarly, two waves of fleeing broke out in succession, and most of the people fled to Jiangxia, making the entire county almost an empty city.

    That evening, an army from the south arrived in Bianxian County. This army of more than 10,000 people was Cao Ren's army that had withdrawn from Jiangling. After three days of rapid march, Cao Ren's army was about to leave Nanjun.

    But Cao Ren was not happy. In the past three days, Cao Ren got angry twice, beating more than a dozen soldiers who violated the rules to half death, and dismissed three officers in a row. The reason why Cao Ren was so angry was simple. He was tricked by the Jiangxia army and pretended to be Jiangdong.  The plan was to give up Jiangling in vain.

    Although Chen Jiao repeatedly warned that Jiangling's troops were too small, it would be difficult for them to defend the city once Jiangxia's army came, and it would be wise to abandon the city. Even so, Cao Ren felt extremely useless when he thought that he had been tricked into withdrawing his troops.  It¡¯s hard to get rid of the bad energy in your heart.

    For three days in a row, Cao Ren's face was very gloomy, without a trace of smile, which made the soldiers around him tremble with fear for fear of offending him. At this time, the deputy general Niu Jin rushed forward and asked: "General Qi, it is getting late.  , should we travel all night or camp on the spot? "

    Cao Ren raised his head and looked at the sky. The sun had set, and the sky was filled with purple-red sunset. He pointed with his horsewhip to the county seat in the distance, "Go to the county seat to camp and rest. We will set off on time at five o'clock!"

    "Follow the order!"

    Niu Jin immediately ordered people to notify the chief officers of each camp, and he himself led 500 soldiers to rush towards the camp.

    There was a certain reason why Cao Ren decided to rest in Bianxian County for a night. He did not know the situation in Xiangyang yet. He was worried that the Jiangxia navy had entered the Han River and blocked the road to the north. If that was the case, he would need to consider directly  Retreat to Shangyong.

    ? And Bian County happens to be at the intersection of Shangyong in the west and Xiangyang in the north, so he needs to get clear information from Bian County.

    Soon, the army arrived in the county seat in a mighty manner. The county seat was already an empty city. Most of the houses had their doors locked. There were only more than 300 households left in the entire county seat, and the county clerk was left to manage them.

    When the army entered the city, Niu Jin brought up the county administrator. The administrator's name was Xin Zhi, a native of Nanyang County, about forty years old. He stepped forward and bowed to Cao Ren, "Xia Guan Bian County Administrator"  Book Xinzhi meets the general!"

    Xin Zhi did not surrender to Cao Jun. He was still the chief secretary appointed by Jingzhou Mu, but his official position was small. Whether he surrendered or not was of little significance to Cao Jun. The important thing was that he must restrain the local people and not cause chaos to Cao Jun.

    Cao Ren snorted coldly and said: "We are just passing through Bianxian County and will leave after a night's rest. You must restrain the people of Bianxian County. If you dare to come and cause trouble, be careful of military law."

    "I don't dare to be humble, I have moved all the residents in the county to the southeast corner, and the rest of the places can be used by soldiers to stay."

    Cao Ren asked again: "Is there any news from Xiangyang in the past two days?"

    Xin Zhi shook his head, "No one has been here in the past two days, and I haven't heard any news. If there is any news, I will report it to the general immediately."

    Cao Ren was quite satisfied with his attitude, so he ordered his surroundings: "Reward him with ten taels of gold!"

    "Thank you, General!"

    Xin Zhi thanked him repeatedly and was taken down by the soldiers. Cao Ren immediately said to Niu Jin: "Soldiers, don't live too spread out. Concentrate in the Beicheng area. In addition, search the whole city. Nothing flammable and igniting is allowed. Do you understand what I mean?"  "

    "I understand my humble position!"

    Cao Ren urged his horse into the county seat. When he entered the county seat, he looked back to the north again. He had an ominous premonition in his heart that something might have happened to Xiangyang.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The purple clouds in the sky turned black, and night finally fell. In a forest more than ten miles away from Bianxian County, an army of thousands of people also quietly entered. This army was the Jiangxia Army that had followed Cao Jun all the way north.  , they were far away from Cao Jun, and they were not walking on the same road, so they were not discovered by Cao Jun.

    There are about 3,000 troops in the army, led by general Zhao Yun. This is Zhao Yun's initiative to ask Liu Jing for orders to pursue Cao Jun. Naturally, the 3,000 pursuing troops cannot compete with the 10,000 elite Cao Jun. Therefore, for Zhao Yun, the most important thing is to wait.  Chance.

    Although Liu Jing believed that Cao Ren would most likely retreat to Shangyong after learning that the Han River was blocked, Zhao Yun analyzed the situation observed along the way and concluded that the rations carried by Cao Ren could only last for six or seven days.

    The journey from Jiangling to Shangyong would take about ten days at the fastest. In addition, the route was mostly mountainous and sparsely populated, making it difficult to replenish military supplies. Therefore, Zhao Yun judged that Cao Ren's army would definitely return to Xiangyang first, and after receiving food supplies in Xiangyang, then  Transfer to Shangyong?? 

    Going north with Zhao Yun was the young officer Deng Ai. Zhao Yun especially liked this energetic young man. He was wise, humble, and eager to learn. Not only did he have outstanding literary and strategic skills, but he also had a solid foundation in martial arts. It was obvious that he would be a great person in the future.  A handsome man with both civil and military skills.

    In fact, Deng Ai followed Zhao Yun all the way. He admired Zhao Yun's martial arts very much and hoped to become Zhao Yun's teacher. For this reason, Zhao Yun also taught him carefully along the way, but refused to accept him as his disciple.

    In the woods, Deng Ai was practicing the Danfeng Chaoyang Spear in an open space. He danced a 30-kilogram green shadow spear so loudly that the sound of the wind was heard. The shadow of the spear was elusive and as smooth as flowing clouds and flowing water. Zhao Yun was standing on the other side.  , watching Deng Ai practice his spear with indifference.

    Zhao Yun also had to admire Deng Ai's talent. He only taught him three times, and he completely mastered the 108-style marksmanship and became extremely proficient in it. However, he still had some shortcomings in his understanding of Luo Feng Kung Fu.  , far behind Liu Jing.

    Zhao Yun also knows that marksmanship depends on talent, but martial arts depends on talent. Liu Jing has both talent and talent to practice martial arts today, and Deng Ai can easily understand profound skills because he is so smart.  However, it cannot be used in actual martial arts training. This is due to the lack of a kind of talent.

    Precisely because Deng Ai was unable to make breakthroughs in martial arts, he could not practice the Thirteen-Style Danfeng Chaoyang Spear. He could only maximize his skills in the moves, but in the end he could not become a fierce general like Zhao Yun and Liu Jing. For this reason, Zhao Yun  It's also a pity.

    At this time, Deng Ai's marksmanship was reduced, and the shadows of spears all over the sky disappeared. Deng Ai saw Zhao Yun, stepped forward, saluted and said with a smile, "Uncle Shi, do you think your nephew has made any progress in his recent martial arts training?"

    Zhao Yun smiled and nodded, "I can see that you have worked hard. You are already very proficient with the 30-pound iron spear. From tomorrow on, you will start practicing seven moves one at a time. You must find a way to turn seven moves into one move, such as  so"

    Zhao Yun took the gun and stabbed it out with a single shot. Although the shooting method was very simple and the speed was neither fast nor slow, it still made people feel a strong control, making them unable to hide.

    Deng Ai also felt the power of this move and couldn't help but sigh, "Reducing the complex into simplicity, such as writing an article, the skill can only be seen in a few words. When will I have such martial arts?"

    Zhao Yun returned the gun to him, patted his shoulder and smiled: "This requires perseverance and perseverance. I practiced for seven years before I achieved anything."

    Deng Ai couldn't help but ask: "How many years has Zhou Mu been practicing?"

    "Five years!"

    Zhao Yun smiled slightly and said, "My master said that he is a once-in-a-century genius who will surpass me, so he only practiced for five years, and he did it underwater. This perseverance is admirable."

    Deng Ai's eyes felt sad, "I wonder if my nephew has this opportunity?"

    Zhao Yun smiled and said, "Not everyone in the world has this talent. Just having the opportunity is not enough. With a talent like Zhou Mu's, there are only ten people in the world. You don't have to be too inferior, although you may not be able to become a fierce general against ten thousand enemies."  , but it¡¯s more important to become a battlefield general.¡±

    Zhao Yun pointed his finger, "In the midst of strategizing, winning a decisive victory thousands of miles away is your goal. Pursuing to become a general is a bit of a sacrifice to the last."

    Deng Ai bowed deeply and said, "My nephew will bear in mind Uncle Shi's teachings!"

    Zhao Yun liked his modesty very much, so he smiled and said: "I guess there is news about Cao Jun. Let's go and take a look."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The two came to the edge of the woods, and the spies heard news that Zhao Yun was following Cao Ren's army this time. Liu Jing specially handed over Jiangxia's most elite "Eagle Attack Army" to Zhao Yun. There were fifty people in total, and the leader was  It's Liu Zheng.

    Liu Zheng was promoted to Sima of another department after the Battle of Chibi. He is only nineteen years old and can be said to be the youngest senior general in the Jiangxia Army, but his reputation is well known to the entire army.

    And he has another resounding nickname: "Eagle Monkey", as sharp as an eagle and as agile as a monkey. He himself is very satisfied with this new nickname.

    Liu Zheng clasped his fists and reported to Zhao Yun: "Cao's army has all settled in the county town. The county is heavily defended and cannot be entered from above. The brothers are making plans below and have found a dark cave that can be dug before the next update."

    Although Liu Zheng was thin and small, only as tall as Zhao Yun's chest, he was very famous among the Jiangxia army and had repeatedly performed extraordinary feats. Zhao Yun did not dare to look down upon him. He cupped his fists and returned the greeting: "Thank you for your hard work, General Liu. If we defeat him this time,  Cao Jun, I will definitely pay tribute to General Liu to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Zheng grinned, "We only do secret things, and we have to rely on General Zhao for frontal combat. General Zhao thinks too highly of himself."

    He smiled at Deng Ai again and said, "Little general, do you want to go and see with me?"

    After all, Deng Ai has a young heart.??, he also wanted to know what Liu Zheng did. With a burning look in his eyes, he looked back at Zhao Yun.

    Zhao Yun smiled and nodded. Deng Ai was so happy that he immediately changed into black clothes and followed Liu Zheng into the night.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 411 Burning the City on Fire

    Bian County is located in the hinterland of Jingzhou and has no defensive function. The city wall is simple, only two feet high, and the circumference is less than 20 miles. There is no moat, and the city head is narrow and cannot accommodate large defensive weapons.

    However, Cao Ren was extremely careful and specially arranged a thousand people to patrol the city to prevent Jiangxia Army spies from climbing over the wall. However, the road is one foot high and the devil is ten feet high. Although the Jiangxia Army spies could not climb over the wall from above, they could enter from the bottom of the city.  Dig a hole and go in.

    "over there!"

    Liu Zheng pointed to the northwest corner of the city and whispered to Deng Ai: "We found a burglary hole under the wall. Although it has been backfilled, it can be used with a little dredging."

    Speaking of this, Liu Zheng smiled and asked: "Do you know what robbing holes is?"

    Deng Ai scratched his head and said, "But is it related to thieves?"

    "That's right. It's a place where people steal things at night and leave the city. There are them in almost every city. Only experienced people can find them."

    At this time, Liu Zheng saw the patrol sentry at the top of the city walking past, and waved his hand, "Follow me!"

    He jumped into the darkness, and Deng Ai followed him closely. The two of them ran quickly towards the base of the city wall. After a while, they ran to the city wall, and Liu Zheng jumped down a tunnel and crawled deep into the ground.

    Deng Ai was tall, and it was very difficult to climb up. He finally climbed to a spacious place. He suddenly sat down on a large piece of wood, panting from exhaustion.

    At this time, Liu Zheng had lit half a candle. Deng Ai couldn't help but look around. He saw that it was about one foot in diameter and five feet high. The dome was in the shape of a round arch, and the surrounding walls were paved with green bricks. Deng Ai couldn't help but feel a little strange.  Where are these?

    At this time, he turned around and was shocked. He was leaning on a coffin. Liu Zheng grinned, "This is a tomb, and it is also the tomb of a noble person. Look at this coffin, it is actually made of fine nanmu.  How sturdy!¡±

    He patted the coffin, and there was a banging sound. Liu Zheng sighed a little regretfully: "It is estimated that it has been buried for a hundred years, but unfortunately it has been stolen. All the valuable funerary objects have been looted, leaving only some broken jars.  "

    At this time, two people crawled out from the hole in front, each holding a shovel in their hands. They were both short and fat, like two moles. They saluted Liu Zheng at the same time, "Chief Qi, we have dug it out.  Above is a dilapidated vegetable garden.¡±

    Liu Zheng was overjoyed, "It's so fast, doesn't it mean that it will take an extra hour?"

    One of them laughed and said: "The main reason is that there is a ready-made tomb here, which saves a lot of effort."

    Liu Zheng nodded, introduced Deng Ai to them, and then introduced to Deng Ai: "These two are new brothers who joined us after the Battle of Chibi. One is named Yan San and the other is named Yan Si. They turned out to be famous men in Cao's army.  The Captain Touching the Gold, his skill in digging holes through the city is unparalleled in the world."

    The two of them saluted quickly, "See General Deng!"

    Deng Ai smiled and said, "Can you two talented men take me up there to have a look?"

    "General Deng, please!"

    Several people slowly crawled into the city through the dug tunnel. The city was indeed a dilapidated vegetable garden. Judging from the condition of the soil, it should not have been abandoned. It was just that the owner had fled. Two thatched huts were built close to the city wall. The exit  Right inside the hut.

    A few people rested in the hut for a while, but Liu Zheng went out. About a quarter of an hour later, Liu Zheng actually brought someone in and introduced Deng Ai with a smile: "This is the county clerk Xin, an official of our Jingzhou.  Willing to help us.¡±

    He then said to Xin Zhi: "This is General Deng, a new savage. He is a student of Jiangxia Academy and has joined the army."

    Xin Zhi was stunned, looked at Deng Ai carefully in the faint moonlight, and asked: "Who are you, Xinye Deng Zhi and Deng Wu?"

    Deng Ai hurriedly said: "Deng Zhi is my brother. As for Deng Long, he is my father. I really don't dare to call him by his name."

    "I was rude!"

    Xin Zhi laughed, "Then we are no longer outsiders. Deng Zhi is my brother-in-law."

    Deng Ai was overjoyed and saw the ceremony again. Xin Zhi then said to everyone: "Cao's army is stationed in the Beicheng area. The defense is very tight. People in the city are not allowed to enter their quarters. According to their wishes, we will be here at the fifth watch."  Set off."

    Deng Ai pondered for a moment and asked Liu Zhengdao: "I wonder what their patrol command is tonight?"

    Liu Zheng shook his head, "We only know the patrol code for the outer city, but not the code for the inner city, but we can arrest someone and ask."

    Xin Zhi smiled and said: "I know that the password is 'Return to the North'. Cao Jun's patrol sentry told me specifically, otherwise I would be accidentally injured."

    Deng Ai laughed and said, "In this case, there will be a solution."

    He whispered a few words to Liu Zheng, who was suddenly surprised and happy, "How did General Deng know that I like to do this kind of thing?"

      Deng Ai touched his nose, "Because I like it too!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the first watch, a team of ten-man Cao Army patrols patrolled the open streets neatly. At this time, a group of soldiers came towards them. The patrol team shouted: "Password!"

    "Return to the north!"

    The password was correct, and the leaders of both sides chatted for a while. The topic was nothing more than the lack of attractive women in the city. The two laughed a few times, and the two groups of soldiers went to patrol their posts.

    Not long after, the ten-man patrol entered an alley. A hole was dug in the wall at the end of the alley. Bags of kerosene were passed in from the outside of the hole. Each member of the patrol team took a bag of kerosene and left separately. After a while,  Come back again, and then split up to spray fire oil.

    Seeing that time was almost up, Liu Zheng waved and ordered everyone to evacuate quickly. He stayed alone in Cao Jun's camping area. He was as agile as an ape, climbing over walls and houses as if walking on the ground. He kept lighting fires and splashing them everywhere in the house.  Kerosene in the front and back rooms.

    Not long after, dozens of fire points ignited simultaneously in the northern area of ??the city. The fires took advantage of the wind and burned rapidly. In a moment, the entire northern area of ??the city was shrouded in thick smoke.

    The sleeping Cao Jun was awakened by the fire. He was so frightened that he had no armor, no shoes and socks. They fled through the door barefoot. The streets were crowded with Cao Jun soldiers who had escaped, all of them were terrified and shouting.

    Cao Ren rushed out on horseback, looking for a way to escape. At this time, General Niu Jin came and said: "General, there is also a fire over there in the south. We can escape from the north gate!"

    At this time, the fire was engulfing the sky, and the soldiers surrounded by the fire were crying loudly, which also made Cao Ren panic. He ignored Chen Jiao, hit his horse and fled towards the north gate. The soldiers rushed to escape, trampling on each other, and countless people died.

    Cao Ren rushed out of the county seat in one breath, followed by thousands of soldiers, who fled north in panic. He had just run less than a mile when suddenly drums sounded loudly in front of him, and fire broke out. Jiangxia ambush troops came from all directions, led by a general with a spear.  Pointing his finger, he shouted to Cao Ren: "I am Zhao Zilong of Changshan, and the enemy general is here to accept your orders!"

    When Cao Ren heard that the opponent turned out to be Zhao Yun, he was so frightened that he dropped the sword in his hand to the ground. He turned his horse's head and fled west. At this time, Niu Jin came from behind and shouted, "Zhao Yun, kill me!"

    He urged his horse to rush towards Zhao Yun and slashed with his sword. Zhao Yun sneered, turned around and stabbed Niu Jin with a spear. The spear was as fast as lightning. The tip of the spear instantly pierced Niu Jin's throat. Zhao Yun swung his spear and picked Niu Jin up.  When he got off his horse, he turned around and saw that Cao Ren had already taken dozens of steps.

    Zhao Yun was furious and urged his horse to pursue him. His original war horse was lost among Cao Ren's army, and the war horse under his crotch was a thousand-mile horse selected by Liu Jing from thousands of horses. The horse was so fast that he caught up with Cao Ren in a moment.  .

    "The thief will take his life!"

    Zhao Yun shouted loudly, like a thunderbolt exploding in Cao Ren's ears. Cao Ren was frightened and panicked. He drew out the sword from his waist, turned around and struck Zhao Yun with the sword.

    Zhao Yun waved his gun away from his sword, relaxed his left arm, grabbed Cao Ren, threw him to the ground, and ordered: "Tie him up!"

    Several Jiangxia soldiers nearby swarmed up and tied Cao Ren tightly.

    At this time, Zhao Yun saw Cao's soldiers running desperately in the wilderness, and a large number of Cao's soldiers escaping from the city, crying and begging, with fear on everyone's face. Zhao Yun couldn't help but feel pity in his heart, and ordered: "Those who surrender will be spared."  If you die, stop chasing the fleeing soldiers.¡±

    Jiangxia soldiers surrounded them from all sides, and Cao Jun had already lost all fighting spirit. They were just trying to survive. No one who escaped from the raging fire in the city had any intention of resisting anymore, and they all knelt down and surrendered.

    A fire destroyed all 10,000 of Cao's elite troops, and most of them surrendered. Chief Chen Jiao was also captured alive by Liu Zheng, general Cao Ren was captured, and deputy general Niu Jin was killed. Zhao Yun made his first battle and achieved a brilliant record.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Two days later, Liu Jing led 10,000 troops to Bian County. The army set up camp outside Bian County. Liu Jing immediately inspected the prisoner of war camp accompanied by Zhao Yun.

    "This time when the county was burned down, a total of 7,924 people were captured and more than a thousand were killed. The rest of Cao's army either perished in the flames or escaped through the encirclement. The biggest gain was the capture of Cao Ren."

    Having said this, Zhao Yun showed a look of relief on his face. Although Cao Ren escaped for several miles, he still could not escape his pursuit, which made him feel quite proud.

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "Cao Ren has been fighting for many years and has become a spirit. It is not easy to catch him. However, the matter of catching Cao Ren must be concealed for the time being, and the soldiers are warned not to spread the news. Keeping him will be of great use in the future.  ¡±

    Zhao Yun clasped his fists and said, "I obey!"

    Liu Jing also praised: "I have captured nearly 8,000 prisoners of war, but I have less than 100 casualties. This is a good fighter. Without great achievements, this battle was wonderful."? 

    Zhao Yun shook his head, "This battle is actually the credit of the Eagle Attack Army. I only gained the final reward and I dare not take credit."

    Liu Jing laughed, "You are the commander-in-chief, and the Eagle Attack Army is just your subordinates. There is no reason why the commander-in-chief has no merit, but the subordinates have outstanding achievements."

    Zhao Yun was still a little hesitant, because Liu Zheng was obviously not his subordinate, but an independent army, and he wanted to return the credit to Liu Zheng.

    But Liu Jing didn't want him to be humble anymore. He needed to let Zhao Yun perform meritorious service as soon as possible so that he could have an excuse to reward him. This was the rule he set. No merit would be awarded without merit, and no reward would be rewarded without merit. Because of this rule, Zhao Yun is still  White body.

    Liu Jing then said: "You don't need to say anything anymore, I know what's going on."

    Zhao Yun was silent and stopped arguing with Liu Jing. Since he had decided to follow Liu Jing, he first needed to change his identity and mentality. He could no longer regard himself as Liu Jing's brother, could no longer be special, and could not be in Jiangxia.  The military officers and soldiers left an impression of being pampered and proud.

    Liu Hu did this very well. Although he was Liu Jing's cousin, he never acted like an older brother and got along with the soldiers.

    Zhao Yun also believes that the reason why Liu Jing got to where he is today is not by chance, but because he has extraordinary intelligence. He doesn't have to fight anymore. Liu Jing will naturally have his own reasons for how to deal with it.

    At this time, Deng Ai brought Xin Zhi over again and introduced to Liu Jing: "This is the editor of the county registrar. He has helped us a lot."

    Xin Zhi knelt down and paid homage to Liu Jing, "Xin Zhi, the county administrator, pays homage to the state pastor!"

    Liu Jing hurriedly helped him up and said with a smile: "Master Xin, there is no need to pay any more courtesy. Please get up quickly."

    Liu Jing asked again: "Besides the chief registrar, are there any other officials in the county?"

    "There is only one person with a humble job."

    Liu Jing nodded, "How many people are there in the county? Will there be any casualties when the county is burned down?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, there are now more than 300 households in Bian County. They farm outside the city during the day and return to the city at night. During the fire the day before yesterday, everyone hid in the east of the city and was not affected by the fire. Only two old people were frightened.  Except for the death, there were no more casualties.¡±

    "Not bad! This is a good result."

    Liu Jing highly praised the official in front of him for his ability to not abandon his own people and share weal and woe. Such an official deserves praise.

    "From now on, you will be the county magistrate. The refugees will return home soon, and you will have to work hard again."

    Xin Zhi was overjoyed and quickly bowed and said: "Thank you for the reward from Zhou Mu!"

    At this time, Deng Ai next to him said: "Last time, the state pastor asked about my brother Deng Zhi. Deng Zhi is the brother-in-law of Xin County Magistrate."

    Liu Jing was startled, and then asked Xin Zhi: "I wonder if County Magistrate Xin still has contact with Deng Zhi?"

    Xin Zhi knew that Liu Jing wanted to win over Deng Zhi, so he quickly bowed and said: "We often exchange letters. Not long ago, he wrote to me asking about the situation in Jingzhou. If the Zhou Mu wants Deng Zhi to surrender to Jingzhou, I am willing to do so."  Write a letter to persuade, or I will go to Badong County in person. "

    Of course, Deng Zhi was a talented person, but at this time, Deng Zhi was a confidant of Pang Xi, the governor of Badong, and his significance was extraordinary.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, then whispered a few instructions to Xin Zhi, and finally said with a smile: "If you can accomplish this, I will remember your great achievements and promote you to Nanjun County Cheng."

    Xin Zhi was extremely excited. He had just been promoted to the county magistrate, and now he had the opportunity to be promoted to another level. This was a stroke of luck for him. He quickly clasped his fists and said, "I will never let down the great trust of Zhou Mu!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 412 Unfavorable Attack

    Liu Jing ordered the prisoners of Cao's army in Bian County and Cao Ren to be taken to Jiangling, and he himself led the army to Xiangyang. At this time, Wenpin led the Jiangxia Navy to control the Han River, cutting off the connection between Xiangyang and Fancheng. Currently, there are about 5,000 people in Xiangyang City.  Cao's soldiers, commanded by Xiangyang deputy general Lu Zhao, defended Xiangyang to the death.

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯

    With the sound of war drums beating intensively, 6,000 Jiangxia Army soldiers launched the fourth attack on the east city of Xiangyang. The first three attacks all ended in failure. Xiangyang Cao's army relied on the strong and tall Xiangyang City to hold on to the city.

    The dark Jiangxia Army soldiers carried siege ladders and launched an attack on the east city from three directions at the same time. On top of the city, four thousand Cao Army soldiers stood ready with their bows and arrows ready. Deputy General Lu Zhao looked coldly at the advancing enemy troops and suddenly shouted  A cry: "Fire the arrow!"

    Suddenly, arrows were fired from the top of the city, and the overwhelming arrows were shot from the sky. Jiangxia Army soldiers raised their shields to meet them. Despite this, many soldiers were hit by arrows and fell to the ground screaming.

    Jiangxia soldiers continued to run with their shields raised, using wooden planks to build a moat. Huge siege ladders were erected, and they were erected on the nearly four-foot-high city wall. Groups of soldiers climbed up the ladders, holding sabers and shields in hand and climbed to the top of the city.

    On the top of the city, Cao Jun smashed down the wooden boulders that he had prepared. A boulder weighing several hundred kilograms rolled down the ladder and immediately knocked all the dozens of siege soldiers down the city. Screams came one after another, and the soldiers below the city were bloody and bloody.  It was blurry, and there were lots of dead bodies, but there were soldiers who continued to climb the ladder without fear of death.

    On the other side, more than a dozen soldiers of Cao's army used steel forks more than two feet long to hold the ladder and push it outward. The siege ladder lost its center of gravity and tipped outwards. A series of soldiers on the siege ladder jumped from the ladder one after another  Falling, screams were heard.

    In the far south, a huge iron hook on the siege hook caught the city wall, making it difficult for Cao's troops on the city to push the ladder away. A dozen Jiangxia soldiers rushed to the top of the city, but were blocked by dozens of Cao's troops. Both sides stood at the battlements.  A brutal life-and-death struggle began.

    The Jiangxia army attacked again and again. Rolling logs and stones fell down like hail from the top of the city. Arrows rained down from the horse walls on both sides. They attacked the Jiangxia soldiers from both sides.

    This Jiangxia Army of more than 10,000 people was once the elite of the Jingzhou Army. It has been stationed in Fancheng and Xinye for a long time. It has been commanded by Wenpin for nearly ten years. It has strong combat effectiveness and is well-trained.

    Although they encountered a tenacious counterattack by Cao Jun and suffered heavy casualties, they did not retreat and continued to attack the city in waves. Unfortunately, they lacked siege weapons and gradually seemed to be a little helpless.

    Wenpin stood on a mound two miles away, watching his army attack the city from a distance, while Cai Jin led a thousand naval troops to continue to block the river. At this time, Wenpin felt tremendous pressure and he had lost his troops.  With nearly two thousand people, Xiangyang City still stands tall.

    If he continued to fight, his army would become smaller and smaller, and it would become more and more difficult to siege the city. In the end, all his troops were exhausted, and Xiangyang still could not be taken. The siege soldiers suffered heavy casualties in front of him, and only the last five siege ladders were left.  Wenpin felt helpless and couldn't help but sigh and ordered: "Ming Jin withdraws the troops!"

    "Dang! Dang! Dang!"

    The bell rang to withdraw troops, and the Jiangxia army withdrew like an ebbing tide. This battle lasted for nearly two hours, with more than a thousand casualties and casualties. Cao's army cheered on the top of the city.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At dusk, Liu Jing led 10,000 troops to Xiangyang. At the gate of the Jiangxia Army camp in the east of Xiangyang City, Wenpin led a dozen generals to greet him. He stepped forward and saluted Liu Jing: "See you, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing quickly helped him up and said with a smile: "General Wen, there is no need to be polite, please get up quickly!"

    Wenpin stood up and sighed: "You are humble and incompetent. I have not been able to capture Xiangyang so far."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "If Xiangyang City is so easy to capture, it will not be the number one city in Jingzhou. I understand in my heart, let's go into the tent and talk!"

    Wenpin met Zhao Yun again and took Liu Jing to the big tent. In the middle of the Chinese army tent was a sand table one foot long and wide, including Xiangyang and Fancheng, and the Xinye area in the north. Liu Jing walked directly to  In front of the sand table, he was very familiar with this area, and he knew Xiangyang's offensive and defensive weaknesses very well.

    He pointed at the South City Gate with a wooden pole and asked, "Is the South City Gate still the same as last year?"

    The South City Gate is the weak point of the entire Xiangyang City defense. It collapsed the year before last. Although it was repaired later, the quality of the repair was very poor. It can easily collapse again when it suffers heavy external attacks. Therefore, as long as heavy trebuchets are used to attack the South City, it will be destroyed more than a dozen times.  After the impact of the boulder, the wall on the south city gate will inevitably collapse again.

    Almost all the main generals in Jingzhou know about this weakness, but Cao Jun may not know it, so Liu Jing is most concerned about this. Wenpin shook his head and said: "I heard that Cao Jun repaired it last winter. The south gate is now very strong and difficult to attack."  ¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "It seems that Cao Jun has done it."If you are fully prepared, there should be a lot of food in the city.  "

    "Yes! I heard that there are more than 100,000 shi of grain stored in the city. Cao Jun's soldiers are still cultivating vegetables in the open space in the city. With five thousand elite defenders, it is really not easy to capture Xiangyang!" Wenpin was a little frustrated.  Three thousand soldiers were lost, but no advantage was taken.

    "Of course we can defeat it, but we have to pay a heavy price. This is not a price I want to bear. We must use other methods to capture Xiangyang City."

    At this time, Zhao Yun next to him said: "Cao's army has accumulated hundreds of thousands of stones of food in the city, but only has 5,000 troops to defend it. This is a bit unreasonable. I guess the general of Cao's army already knew that Cao Ren was going to withdraw north, so he defended the city and waited for Cao Ren to return north.  , If we let the enemy forces in the city know that Cao Ren's army has been completely wiped out, then they don't have to defend Xiangyang."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "Zilong is right, the best strategy is to defeat the enemy without fighting. Tomorrow morning, we might as well let Cao's army in the city see our military appearance."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Lu Zhao is about forty years old this year. He has followed Cao Cao for many years and made great contributions in the campaign against Yuan Shu. Although he is not as famous as Xu Huang and Zhang Liao, he is also an important general in Cao Cao's account and is especially good at defense. Cao Cao went north.  After that, he and Xu Huang were left to guard Xiangfan, with Xu Huang as the chief general and him as deputy.

    Before leaving, Cao Cao repeatedly told him and Xu Huang that Xiangyang must not be lost. Once Xiangyang was lost, Cao Ren's retreat in Jiangling would be cut off. Therefore, Lu Zhao led an army of 5,000 to defend Xiangyang.

    At this time, Lu Zhao already knew that Cao Ren had given up on retreating north from Jiangling. Under such circumstances, he did not dare to give up on Xiangyang easily.

    In fact, he had nowhere to retreat. If he retreated to Shangyong, he would inevitably be pursued by the Jiangxia army. Now he could only wait for Cao Ren to withdraw to Xiangyang, and then Cao Ren would decide whether to hold on or withdraw.

    At night, Lu Zhao was patrolling the city as usual. At this time, a soldier rushed to report: "General Lu, there is someone in the east city who wants to enter the city!"

    "Who is he?"

    "It seems to be a general under General Zhennan."

    Lu Zhao was shocked and quickly ordered: "Bring him to me quickly!"

    After a while, the soldiers brought a man, who came forward and saluted, "I'm sorry to see you, General Lu!"

    Lu Zhao knew this man. He was a general under Cao Ren named Zhu Huan. He hurriedly asked: "Where is General Zhennan now?"

    Zhu Huan heard some news, and it seemed that Cao Ren had also been caught, but Liu Jing did not allow him to mention Cao Ren's matter, and he did not dare to reveal any secrets. With a sigh, Zhu Huan reported: "We encountered Jiang Xia in Bian County  The army was ambushed and the entire army was wiped out. General Zhennan's whereabouts were unknown. Unfortunately, he was captured by the Jiangxia army. I was actually released to deliver a message. "

    Lu Zhao was stunned. Cao Ren's army had been completely wiped out. After a while, he hesitated and asked, "What message do you want to spread?"

    Zhu Huan smiled bitterly and said: "Now Liu Jing has led the main reinforcements to Xiangyang. He asked me to tell General Lu that if General Lu is willing to give up Xiangyang, he can promise General Lu to withdraw westward and never pursue him, or he can also send a ship.  It is General Lu¡¯s choice to cross the river with his troops.¡±

    "this"

    Lu Zhao¡¯s heart was in a mess. How did he choose?  What's more important is that he can't make the decision, at least Xu Huang needs to make the decision. After thinking for a long time, Lu Zhao asked again: "How many troops did Liu Jing come?"

    "Bizhi has been kept in a prison car. I really don't know how many troops there are, but according to Liu Jing, it seems that there are 30,000 to 40,000 troops."

    "I understand, you go down and rest first! Let me think about this matter before I decide."

    Lu Zhao hurried down the city to the military office. He needed to report the matter to Xu Huang as soon as possible. Although he and Xu Huang were blocked by the river, they could communicate through pigeon letters. This matter was of great importance and he did not dare to have any doubts about it.  main idea.

    Early the next morning, Cao Jun at the top of Xiangyang City discovered that Jiangxia reinforcements were arriving outside the city. They quickly sounded the alarm. Soldiers rushed to report to the guard Lu Zhao. Not long after, Lu Zhao also rushed to the top of the city.

    I saw that the Jiangxia army outside the city was completely different from the previous days. It was obvious that the Jiangxia army had arrived. The Jiangxia army formed a formation a mile away, with flags fluttering and a huge momentum. It stretched for more than ten miles to the south. From this formation  It looked like there were at least 40,000 to 50,000 people.

    Lu Zhao didn't know that this was the bluff of the Jiangxia Army. There might be only one or two soldiers resisting the banner more than ten miles away, but Liu Jing was the Jingzhou Mu and the lord of the entire Jiangxia Army. He led an army of thirty to forty thousand people.  Arrival is completely normal.

    Lu Zhao took a breath of air. There were only five thousand defenders in his city. If Jiang Xia's army attacked from all sides at the same time, how could he possibly defend the city?

    At this time, a Jiangxia Army cavalry rushed over and shot a letter on the top of the city. A soldier picked up the letter and ran to give it to Lu Zhao.A number of middle and low-level generals also gathered around him. "General Lu, what's in the letter?" everyone asked.

    After reading the letter, Lu Zhao sighed and said, "It's still the same as last night. He wants me to withdraw my troops. Liu Jing said he didn't want to destroy Xiangyang City, so he gave us a chance."

    ¡°General, let¡¯s withdraw!¡±

    The generals advised one after another: "Since General Zhennan's army has been wiped out, there is no need for us to hold on to Xiangyang City. Moreover, he is a state shepherd and will not break his promise easily. There must be no deceit. General, withdraw!"

    Lu Zhao shook his head and said to everyone: "It is not up to me to decide whether to withdraw our troops or not. General Xu must decide."

    He then ordered people to find Zhu Huan and said to him: "Go and tell Liu Jing that as long as General Xu Huang agrees, I will withdraw my troops immediately!"

    ¡°I understand my humble position!¡±

    Although Zhu Huan didn't want to go back, he had no choice but to disobey military orders. However, he was secretly glad that he didn't say too much, otherwise his life would have been in danger. He had to leave Xiangyang City and ran towards Jiangxia Army.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 413 Xu Huang¡¯s Choice

    "Lu Zhao wants me to find Xu Huang?" Liu Jing asked coldly while riding on his horse.

    Zhu Huan lowered his head and said respectfully: "That's what General Lu means. He himself is willing to withdraw north, but he is only a deputy general. He dare not evacuate Xiangyang City without General Xu's consent."

    After a pause, Zhu Huan said again: "The key is that the other generals want to withdraw north. It can be seen that the general can no longer bear the pressure."

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "In that case, you go to Fancheng again and deliver a letter to Xu Huang for me. You also tell him that if he wants to save the five thousand troops in Lu Zhao and Xiangyang City, he only has this chance.  , If there is no movement in Xiangyang before dawn tomorrow, I will think that he rejected the peace talks!"

    He immediately wrote a letter and gave it to Zhu Huan to take away. At this time, Wenpin slowly stepped forward and asked, "Does Zhou Mu think Xu Huang will agree?"

    Liu Jing was confident. He smiled and said: "If Cao Ren's army had not been wiped out, he might not have agreed, or he would have asked Cao Cao for instructions. But Cao Ren's army was wiped out. I think he should understand what is more important."

    At the same moment when Jiang Xia's army showed off its military power to Xiangyang City, Xu Huang was also anxiously paying attention to the situation on the other side of the Han River from the top of Fan City. He could faintly see the flags on the other side waving, but there was no sign of an attack on the city.

    Xu Huang had already received the flying pigeon message from Lu Zhao. Liu Jing actually proposed the terms of exchanging Lu Zhao's five thousand troops for Xiangyang City. But what surprised Xu Huang even more was that Cao Ren's army was completely wiped out in Bian County. Cao Ren  My life and death are also unknown.

    At this time, Xu Huang felt great pressure. If Cao Ren had something wrong with him, how could he explain it to the prime minister?  Moreover, Cao Ren wanted him to come to respond, but he was worried about being ambushed by the Jiangxia army, so he stood still. If Cao Ren was fine, he had no responsibility, but now that Cao Ren's entire army was wiped out, he was inadvertently responsible for the ineffective rescue.

    If Xiangyang is abandoned, the prime minister will definitely blame him for taking the decision without authorization, but if Lu Zhao and the five thousand army are annihilated again, the consequences will be more serious. For a while, Xu Huang was in a dilemma. He didn't sleep last night, thinking exhaustively  Countermeasures.

    At this time, a soldier shouted: "General, there is a small boat coming from the river!"

    Xu Huang also saw it, and he immediately ordered: "Bring him to me!" He had a hunch that this must be the envoy sent by Liu Jing.

    Not long after, the boat docked, and the soldiers took Zhu Huan to Fancheng. Xu Huang also knew him and immediately asked: "Where is General Zhennan now?"

    ¡°Reporting to General Xu, I really don¡¯t know whether Beizi is there, but he must not have been caught. In addition, Beiji heard that he fought his way out and escaped, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not?¡±

    Xu Huang could only think about the good news. Cao Ren escaped. He asked again: "What about Chen Changshi?"

    "Chen Changshi was captured, and I saw it with my own eyes."

    When Zhu Huan said this, he took out Liu Jing's letter and presented it, "This is Liu Jing's personal letter to General Xu. Please take a look at it!"

    Xu Huang took the letter and read it again. The content of the letter was as he expected. He handed over Xiangyang City in exchange for Cao Jun crossing the river. Xu Huang did not doubt that Liu Jing would break his promise. As Liu Jing, he would not do this.  Small things can damage your reputation.

    Xu Huang actually agreed to do this. After all, Xiangyang could not be saved sooner or later. It was also a big gain to be able to safely withdraw Lu Zhao's army. The key was how he explained to the Prime Minister. Without the Prime Minister's consent, could he make the decision without authorization?

    Xu Huang read the letter carefully again, but it did not have a deadline. At this time, Zhu Huan said again: "Liu Jing also asked me to leave a message. His deadline is before dawn tomorrow morning. If there is no movement in Xiangyang before dawn tomorrow, then  It was deemed that the general had rejected his settlement offer.¡±

    ¡®Before dawn tomorrow!  ¡¯ Xu Huang felt a sharp pain in his forehead. How could he do it?

    "Let me think about it!" Xu Huang sighed, turned around and went down to the city.

    In the evening, Zhu Huan was taken to Xu Huang's military office by two soldiers. After waiting for a while in the yard, Xu Huang walked out of the room. He had not slept all night and had been thinking hard for another day. He seemed a little tired. He slowly  He said to Zhu Huan: "You go back and tell Liu Jing that I will add another condition. As long as he agrees to put Chen Jiao back together, then I can give up Xiangyang."

    Xu Huang¡¯s difficulty is that he cannot explain to Cao Cao. So as long as there is one more Chen Jiao, his guilt for abandoning Xiangyang without permission will be at least half lighter. He added: "If Liu Jing refuses, then I have no choice."

    In the big tent, Liu Jing stood in front of the sand table with her hands behind her hands, listening quietly to Zhu Huan's account. He finally nodded, "You go down first!"

    Zhu Huan retreated. At this time, Wenpin cautiously advised: "Why is Zhou Mu so eager to capture Xiangyang? In fact, as long as there are 10,000 more troops, Xiangyang will be captured. Could it be that Zhou Mu is worried that Cao Jun will destroy Xiangyang?"  ?¡±

    Liu Jing shook his head."I'm not worried about destroying Xiangyang, I'm worried about Jiangdong. I'm afraid that there won't be enough time. I must deal with Cao's army in Xiangyang before Jiangdong's army marches west, forcing them to retreat to the north of the Han River, and blockade the river to prevent them from attacking.  The opportunity for them to go south can relieve my worries. "

    Wenpin was stunned, "Does Zhou Mu mean that Jiangdong will fall out with us?"

    "How can Sun Wentai's son be someone who lives in Jiangdong?"

    Liu Jing sighed slightly and said: "This is obviously Cao Cao's plan to alienate people, but it succeeded. We know that God's will is like this. Once Cao Cao knows that Cheng Pu has been expelled from Jiangxia, he will definitely order to defend Xiangyang to create a pincer attack with Jiangdong. I must  We must seize this time difference in delivering the news and capture Xiangyang as quickly as possible.¡±

    Wenpin finally understood why Liu Jing was eager to capture Xiangyang. He nodded, "My subordinates understand and firmly support Zhou Mu to capture Xiangyang as soon as possible."

    Liu Jing smiled again and said: "To me, Chen Jiao is nothing. Although he is talented, I don't lack talented people now. What I need now is time to regain Jiangling and Xiangyang and stabilize Liu Zhang.  I will have no worries and can go to war with Jiangdong with all my strength. I must cripple Jiangdong so that I can calmly implement my westward strategy. All the links are intertwined and no accidents can occur. "

    That night, Liu Jing formally agreed to Xu Huang's request and put Chen Jiao back as an additional condition. After both parties reached a consensus, Liu Jing allocated fifty ferries and began to transport Cao's army across the river. Until the fourth watch, five thousand Cao's troops  Only then did they all cross the Han River.

    At dawn, some people who stayed in Xiangyang got up early and went out as usual, but they were surprised to find that the defenders in the city had changed. They were no longer Cao's army, but Jingzhou's army. Some people heard that the soldiers said that Mr. Jing had returned.

    The news that Mr. Jing had returned to Xiangyang suddenly spread, and the city of Xiangyang was filled with joy. Nearly 10,000 people who stayed in Xiangyang rushed to the streets, beating gongs and drums, and cheering loudly.

    Before dawn, Liu Jing led 10,000 troops and began to line up into the city to hold a ceremony to return to Xiangyang. On both sides of the street, tens of thousands of people lined the streets to warmly welcome the return of the Jingzhou army. The cheers were louder than the waves, and many elderly people were even more excited.  Weeping with joy, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the sky.

    "Long live the Jingzhou Army! Long live Mr. Jing!"

    People were so excited that they raised their arms and shouted. At this moment, the whole Xiangyang City was boiling.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Jiangdong, the news that Cheng Pu was blocked and threatened in Jiangxia has reached Jingkou. Sun Quan was furious and summoned senior military and political officials overnight to discuss countermeasures.

    In the inner hall, dozens of civilian officials and military generals were sitting on both sides. Zhang Zhao urged to use this opportunity to unify Jingzhou. His impassioned voice echoed in the hall.

    "Everyone, since General Polu crossed the river to attack Liu Biao in the second year of Chuping, taking Jingzhou from the west has been Jiangdong's established national policy. It has lasted for three generations, totaling twenty-five years, and many of Jiangdong's sons have sacrificed their lives to serve the country.  One hundred thousand people. Although Liu Biao died today, his nephew Liu Jing still occupied Jingzhou. Although the two countries had a brief alliance to fight against Cao's army, it was not enough to change Jiangdong's national policy. Now Cao Cao is weak and Hebei Guanzhong is unstable. No matter how powerless it is, it will be difficult.  "Gu, this is our opportunity to unify the south. If we don't seize this opportunity to move westward, we will be shameless towards our children and grandchildren."

    After Zhang Zhao finished speaking, Yilang Zhang Wen also stood up and bowed to Sun Quan and said: "To inform the Marquis of Wu, I believe that what the military advisor said is true. Although we signed an alliance with Jiangxia, the Jiangxia army violently destroyed the ship first. In this case  , we don¡¯t have to worry about any contracts, we should seize this opportunity, attack Jiangxia with all our strength, and ask Wu Hou to make a decision. "

    The civil servants present all expressed their agreement. At this time, Sun Quan looked at Zhou Yu again. Although Sun Quan had made up his mind, as the lord, he still needed to balance the interests of various factions, especially for someone like Zhou Yu who held great power in the army.

    "Gong Jin, you seem to be very silent tonight?" Sun Quan asked lightly.

    Zhou Yu has indeed been silent. He knows very well what Wu Hou is thinking. After the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao's forces retreated north, and Wu Hou's long-hidden ambitions began to expand rapidly. The Jiangling Prefecture incident was just a key to unlock Wu Hou's ambitions.

    It's just that Cao Cao handed the key to Wu Hou, which made Zhou Yu feel very unhappy. It should be said that Cao Cao successfully provoked a conflict between Jiangdong and Jiangxia. Jiangdong's biggest weakness has been caught by Cao Cao, and that is Wu.  Hou's ambition.

    Zhou Yu sighed and said: "I have nothing to say. If Wu Hou wants to hear it, I just want to say that we were defeated by Jiang Xia's army many years ago, and it will be the same this time."

    "What did you say?"

    Sun Quan was furious and slammed the table, "How dare you disturb the morale of our army!"

    Zhou Yu also stood up, saluted and said: "I am not trying to disturb the morale of the army. What I said is the truth. The strength of the Jiangxia Army has been greatly reduced."?With us, a battle in Chibi has made him stronger. If we must attack him, we will only bring humiliation to ourselves."

    "That's enough!" Sun Quan shouted angrily, interrupting Zhou Yu's words.

    The hall suddenly became quiet, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Sun Quan snorted coldly, stood up, flicked his sleeves, and walked quickly to the back hall.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 414 Decisiveness and Ambiguity

    Zhang Hong walked quickly through a long corridor and arrived in front of Sun Quan's study. A guard quickly went in to report, and came out after a while: "Wu Hou, please go in, Chief Shi!"

    Zhang Hong walked into the study. The lights in the study were dim. Sun Quan stood in front of the wall with his hands behind his hands, staring at a huge map on the wall. It was the entire map of the south drawn by Sun Ce when he was still alive. It was the dream of three generations of the Sun family to unify the south.  Then march to the north, and finally aspire to dominate the world.

    Zhang Hong sighed secretly in his heart. He knew that Wu Hou was determined to prevent him from fighting this battle. I'm afraid he would never look back.

    Sun Quan seemed to know Zhang Hong's arrival, and he said in a low voice: "To capture Jingzhou, destroy Liu Bei, and conquer Bashu, I will accomplish an unparalleled feat. Does Chang Shi think I can do it?"

    He slowly turned around and looked at Zhang Hong, "I want to hear Chang Shi's heartfelt words."

    Zhang Hong smiled bitterly and said: "If we fight hard, we have a four-point chance of victory, but if the strategy is right, we will have a five-point chance of victory. It depends on the performance of both sides."

    Sun Quan returned to his seat and sat down. He asked Zhang Hong to sit down and looked at Zhang Hong calmly. "Chang Shi, please continue speaking. I am all ears!"

    Zhang Hong smiled slightly and said, "I am neither the Nanhe faction of Gongjin nor the Nantong faction of military advisors. I am a pragmatist without bias. I analyze the facts and then let the Marquis of Wu decide whether to fight or make peace."

    Sun Quan nodded, "Although Chang Shi speaks freely, I just want to hear what is said without prejudice."

    "I think the reason why Governor Zhou and Military Advisor Zhang have different opinions is actually because of their judgment of Cao Cao's strength. Governor Zhou believes that Cao Cao is powerful and the Jiangdong family is not strong enough to resist, so they must unite with Liu Jing to fight against Cao Cao. This is in the overall situation  There is no problem, and it is a wise move in the long run. However, as Liu Jing becomes increasingly powerful, it may be difficult for Wu Hou to realize his dream of unifying the south. "

    Sun Quan did not speak and listened quietly to Zhang Hong's analysis. He was very calm at this time. Sun Quan hoped to make a decision based on rational analysis.

    Zhang Hong turned the topic to Zhang Zhao, "The military advisor's view is opposite to that of Governor Zhou. He believes that Cao Cao is weak and will not be able to go south within five to ten years. This is our opportunity to unify the south. I know that the military advisor has been committed to unifying the south.  It was Bo Fu who impressed him with the unification of the south. It should be said that the military advisor's views were in line with Jiangdong's national policy and the only way to achieve Wuhou's imperial dream. However, the military advisor has always looked down on Jiangxia's army, and his plan was somewhat bookish. "

    Sun Quan nodded, "Does Chang Shi think we can fight this battle?"

    "Whether we can fight or not does not depend on me, nor on Gong Jin, nor on the military advisors. The key lies in the determination of Marquis Wu. If Marquis Wu is strong-willed and can bear the outcome of failure, then it is okay to fight. If Marquis Wu is concerned about gains and losses, but also wants to  If you want to unify the south and are unwilling to face failure, then I advise Wu Hou not to fight and maintain the status quo."

    Sun Quan stood up and paced back and forth with his hands behind his hands. Finally, he stood in front of the map and stared at the entire south for a long time. At this time, Sun Quan was so eager to realize his father and brother's grand ambitions. He also remembered his father's teachings when he was a child, and Sun Quan's  My eyes are a little moist.

    "Chang Shi, I decided to fight and I will never regret it!" Sun Quan turned around and stared at Zhang Hong. At this moment, he finally made up his mind.

    Zhang Hong nodded slowly. This was what he expected. How could Sun Wentai's son be a quiet person?

    "If the Marquis of Wu decides to fight, then we must pay attention to strategy. We cannot fight a tough battle. We can unite with Liu Bei and secretly communicate with Cao Cao. Let Liu Bei contain Liu Jing from the south. Cao Jun will contain Liu Jing from the north. Our main force will attack Jiangxia. In this way, at least  There is a 50% chance of winning.¡±

    Sun Quan thought silently for a moment and then said: "But Liu Jing and I signed an alliance. Now that the Battle of Chibi has just ended, I will break the alliance. Will this make the world laugh at me?"

    This was Sun Quan's only worry. He was worried that his reputation would be damaged, but Zhang Hong smiled and said: "Actually, the Jiangxia army's destruction of the ship in Qichun had already given Wu Hou an excuse. Wu Hou could use a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, he asked Liu  Jing handed over the murderer of the shipwreck, and on the other hand asked Liu Jing to carry out the imperial decree and give up Jiangling. If Liu Jing refused, then Wu Hou could legitimately no longer abide by the covenant. "

    Sun Quan¡¯s eyes flashed brightly, and Zhang Hong¡¯s plan finally touched his heart.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Three days later, Jiangdong mobilized an army of 80,000 people and marched westward in two directions. One way, Cheng Pu was appointed as the main general and Xu Sheng was the deputy general. He led an army of 30,000 people by land to Qichun County. The other way was led by Sun Quan himself as the commander, Huang Gai, and Huang Gai.  Han Dang was the deputy general and led an army of 50,000 people on 800 warships to rush to Pengze.

    At the same time, Sun Quan appointed Bu Zhi and Zhang Wen as envoys to Jingnan and Xuchang respectively to seek the support of Liu Bei and Cao Cao. At the same time, Sun Quan ordered Yu Fan to be envoys to Wuchang, ordering Liu Jing to hand over the murderer of the shipwreck and follow the imperial decree.  ???Leave Jiangling.

    Storms are rising in Jingzhou, and the clouds of war once again hang over Jiangxia

    Most of the new public security city in Jingnan has been built. Zhuge Liang personally presided over the construction. The county town has made full use of the natural defenses of the Youjiang River and the Yangtze River, forming a situation that is easy to defend but difficult to attack.

    The circumference of the county town is nearly twenty miles, and the city wall is three feet high. It is made of square bluestones and is strong and tall. Zhuge Liang also personally designed a heavy stone cannon platform. The stone cannons and heavy trebuchets on the fort can even be driven directly into the river.

    Zhuge Liang was very satisfied with the city he presided over and put a lot of effort into. Although he also wanted to conquer Bashu, he had to leave a way out. If Bashu failed, at least their foundation would still be there.

    This morning, Zhuge Liang was inspecting the newly built city as usual. At this time, a cavalry galloped over and shouted at the bottom of the city: "Is the military advisor here?"

    Zhuge Liang leaned over the city and asked, "What's the matter?"

    "The emperor said that there is an emergency and asked the military advisor to go to the camp to discuss it."

    Zhuge Liang nodded, "Please tell your uncle, I will come right away!"

    Liu Bei's camp is located about five miles east of the new city, covering an area of ??nearly a thousand acres. It is composed of hundreds of tents and has 20,000 troops stationed there. Not long ago, Liu Jing returned Liu Bei's wife and children and moved them there.  It was a big stone that was weighing on Liu Bei's heart.

    However, Liu Jing immediately sent a navy to destroy the nearly a hundred ships that Liu Bei had collected with great effort, which made Liu Bei extremely angry. As the Jiangxia army occupied Jiangling, Liu Bei knew that he had no hope of returning to Jiangling, and he felt depressed again.  Feeling disappointed again, he has been in a bad mood these days.

    At this time, in the big tent, besides Liu Bei, there was another person, Bu Zhi, the envoy from Jiangdong. This was Bu Zhi's third mission to Jingnan, and he was already very familiar with Liu Bei.

    Bu Zhi brought an autographed letter from Sun Quan, proposing that the two armies jointly attack Jiangxia. As compensation, Sun Quan proposed to transfer Nanjun and Changsha counties to Liu Bei. The conditions were so generous that Liu Bei couldn't help but feel excited.

    However, Liu Bei also knew that he could not morally justify attacking Liu Jing. After all, Liu Jing had just exchanged his wife and children. If he turned his back and attacked Jingzhou, it would not only damage his reputation, but also chill the hearts of the soldiers.  .

    But Liu Bei did not refuse Bu Zhi. He needed to discuss with Zhuge Liang before making a decision. Bu Zhi went to rest in another tent, while Liu Bei paced the room with his hands behind his hands, patiently waiting for Zhuge Liang's arrival.

    Not long after, Zhuge Liang walked over quickly, entered the tent and said with a smile: "But there is an east wind coming?"

    Liu Bei hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Bu Zhao is here and brings Sun Quan's autograph letter."

    He handed Sun Quan's letter to Zhuge Liang and looked at Zhuge Liang expectantly. Zhuge Liang read the letter calmly and said with a smile: "No wonder Sun Quan is angry. It turns out that the imperial court appointed Cheng Pu as the prefect of Nanjun. Cao Cao's plan to alienate people is very serious."  How brilliant! It ignited Sun Quan¡¯s ambition.¡±

    Liu Bei was concerned about his own interests. He asked: "Sun Quan promised in his letter that as long as I am willing to assist him, once Jiangxia is conquered, he will assign Nanjun and Changsha to me. Does the military advisor think it is credible?"

    Zhuge Liang sneered slightly, "I believe he will allocate Nanjun and Changsha County to the lord, but he did not say how long to give it to the lord. Giving the lord fifty years is keeping his promise, but giving the lord only three days is also keeping his promise. This key issue,  Why didn't he say it?"

    "The military advisor is saying that he has no such sincerity at all?"

    Zhuge Liang shook his head, "Let's not mention Liu Jing's return to the young master. Let's just talk about Sun Quan. Now there are the Nantong faction and the Nanhe faction in Jiangdong. As the names suggest, they mean the unification of the south and the peace of the south. There is no such thing in the letter.  When it comes to Zhou Yu, it means that the Nantong faction has the advantage. What is Nantong is to unify the south, including Yangzhou, Jingzhou, Jiaozhou and Yizhou.

    ¡°If we follow Sun Quan¡¯s promise and hand over Nanjun to us, how will Jiangdong¡¯s army attack Yizhou?  It is obvious that Nanjun cannot give it to us, but he still promised it, which only shows that his promise is not sincere at all.

    In addition, I heard that when Liu Jing and Sun Quan were negotiating for an alliance, the issue of the ownership of the four counties in Jingnan was involved. Sun Quan explicitly requested that the four counties in Jingnan return to Jiangdong. This shows that Sun Quan¡¯s original intention was to take Jingnan first, but Cao Cao was  His alienation plan disturbed his mind. Once he really eliminated Liu Jing, his next step would definitely be to deal with us, and finally it was Yizhou's turn.  "

    Zhuge Liang's words hit Liu Bei's heart, and he suddenly realized that he had been confused by Sun Quan's ecstasy soup. He couldn't help but smile bitterly and said: "If there was no military advisor to remind me, I would definitely agree to Sun Quan's conditions. Military advisor's  You mean to persuade me not to agree, right?"

    Zhuge Liang laughed and said, "My lord, it's okay to agree to him. It's just a show, like starting to build a ship. As for whether to fight or not, it's up to us to decide."?If Liu Jing really fails, we can take advantage of the situation to capture Jiangling. Once Sun Quan fails, we can consolidate the four counties of Jingnan.  "

    Speaking of this, Zhuge Liang reminded Liu Bei: "In addition, I also want to remind my lord that our goal is Bashu. The dispute between Jiangdong and Jiangxia has nothing to do with us. We must seize the time to capture Yizhou. Since Liu Zhang intends to invite us to help defend  Badong County, we must seize this opportunity to enter Yizhou, occupy Badong and Ba County first, and use this as a basis to advance to Chengdu. Once Chengdu is captured, the general trend of Yizhou will be determined. "

    Liu Bei nodded, "If this is the case, we will concentrate our forces to capture Badong, but we can also secretly communicate with Liu Jing to make him aware of this matter."

    Zhuge Liang thought for a while and said happily: "I agree to inform Liu Jing. I can even give Sun Quan's letter to Liu Jing to read, as a return of the young master's favor."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 415 North Road Envoy

    In Prime Minister Xu Du's Mansion, Cao Cao has been in a very happy mood these days. Since he adopted and implemented Xun You's four strategies to determine the outcome, the situation has indeed developed in a direction that is beneficial to him.

    Internal strife broke out in the old Yuan clan in the north due to a leadership dispute. The governor Yan Rou and the military advisor Xun Chen were incompatible with each other, which put the old Yuan clan in crisis. Just a few days ago, Cao Jun generals Cao Chun and Zhang Liao were in Qinghe County, Hebei and Bohai respectively.  The county attacked Yuan's new army, but Yan Rou held back his troops and refused to save them. Yuan's army was defeated miserably, and more than 20,000 people were killed by Cao's army.

    Forced by the dual pressure of defeat and internal strife, Xun Chen had to accept Cao Cao's resettlement plan, abandon Hebei, and move more than 30,000 troops to Liucheng County, Liaodong.

    Cao Chun and Zhang Liao took the opportunity to attack Youzhou. Yan Rou surrendered again, but Cao Cao ordered him to be beheaded outside Jixian City. The head ordered Hebei. Although they failed to completely wipe out the remnants of the Yuan family, Hebei was peaceful all the way and the remnants of the Yuan family left.  Without the water of Hebei, it will be difficult for them to develop further.

    Under pressure from the imperial court, Ma Teng of Xiliang agreed to go to Beijing to participate in the sacrifice of his ancestor Ma Yuan. He is currently on his way to Beijing. Although Cao Cao promised Ma Teng safety, in fact he opened a large net to kill him.  , waiting for Ma Teng to come to the door.

    But what pleased Cao Cao the most was Jiangdong in the south. He had received news that Sun Quan had accepted the appointment as the governor of Nanjun and ordered Cheng Pu to lead his army to Jiangling. Cao Cao certainly knew that Liu Jing would not give up Jiangling. In this way, both Sun and Liu  The family conflict caused by Gangling will inevitably worsen.

    However, not everything went well for Cao Cao. Among the four strategies, Liu Jing's strategy was obviously not successful. He had received unfortunate news one after another. Liu Jing pretended to be Cheng Pu's army and defrauded Jiangling and annihilated Cao Ren in Bian County.  Cao Ren's whereabouts were unknown, and Liu Jing immediately forced Xu Huang to withdraw from Xiangyang, and the Jiangxia army occupied Xiangyang City.

    This incident made Cao Cao's originally good mood turn bad again, especially Xu Huang's decision to withdraw from Xiangyang without authorization, which made Cao Cao furious. Even if he replaced Chen Jiao, it would be difficult to quell Cao Cao's anger.

    In the study, Xun You was patiently persuading Cao Cao, "Prime Minister, General Xu cannot be entirely blamed for this matter. The main reason is that Liu Jing only gave him one day. He was under great pressure. He knew that it would be difficult to save Xiangyang City. In order to preserve his strength,  It was a wise move for him to withdraw Lu Zhao's army."

    "Hmph!" Cao Cao snorted heavily, "He abandoned Xiangyang City and ruined my plan. Otherwise, Jiangdong attacked Jiangxia and I attacked from behind. Liu Jing was attacked from both sides. This battle will be defeated. Now that Xiangyang City is lost, our army is blocked by  The Han River has relieved Liu Jing of his worries. Xu Gongming made arbitrary decisions and ruined my major affairs. "

    "Prime Minister, General Xu is only a general. He cannot be the opponent of Liu Jing, a powerful hero. Unprepared versus prepared, how can General Xu not fall into the trap? It can only be said that Liu Jing is in charge of the overall situation, while General Xu only cares about one side.  In General Xu's opinion, he took advantage of the fact that Chen Jiao and the Five Thousand Army were safe. How could he know about Liu Jing's crisis? Prime Minister, don't blame him."

    Xun You's patient persuasion calmed down Cao Cao's anger. Cao Cao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and said: "I just received news that the Jiangxia Navy destroyed three warships on the east side of the river in Qichun County, and captured Cheng Pu's  The warship was forced to retreat to the east of Chaisang. What does Gongda think of this matter? "

    Xun You smiled slightly and said, "Prime Minister, this matter was actually within my expectation."

    Cao Cao glanced at him quickly. Although he had understood something, he also wanted to hear Xun You's opinion, "Keep talking!"

    Xun You said with a smile: "This incident shows Liu Jing's long-term plan. He wanted to deliberately provoke trouble and trigger a war. This can explain why Liu Jing was eager to capture Jiangling and Xiangyang. In order to deal with the crisis he provoked,  War must be relieved as soon as possible.¡±

    Cao Cao nodded. Xun You had the same opinion as him. He also laughed, "Let me tell you, Gongda, why did Liu Jing start a war?"

    Xun You also sighed, "He also wanted to relieve his worries once and for all. If I guessed correctly, his next target should be Bashu. Liu Zhang is a weak leader and cannot defend his land. This is God's will!"

    Cao Cao raised his head, stared at the roof for a long time, and finally shook his head, "Liu Jing is a fierce dragon. He has aspirations for the world. Once he is allowed to enter Bashu, it will be like a dragon entering the sea. He will become a serious problem for me in the future. I will never let him  Got Bashu.¡±

    Xun You sighed in his heart. Unless Bashu changed its master, it would be difficult to stop Liu Jing. Cao Cao saw Xun You's lack of confidence. He sneered and said: "It depends on man-made things. I don't believe this is God's will."

    At this moment, there were rapid footsteps outside, and a guard reported outside the door: "For the record, Prime Minister, the Jiangdong envoy has arrived!"

    Cao Cao stood up suddenly, with a very serious look on his face, and ordered: "Bring him to me quickly!"

    Zhang Wen was escorted by more than a dozen soldiers to the Prime Minister's Mansion. He was a little nervous and wondered whether he could complete Wu's mission.But on the other hand, Zhang Wen also knew that for Cao Cao, it was in his interest to attack Liu Jing together. It can be said that this was a very funny cooperation. Before the Chibi War, the cooperation between the two companies broke down, and now they took the initiative to propose  And cooperation, I wonder if Cao Cao has this ambition?

    Arriving at the Prime Minister's Mansion, Zhang Wen waited for a while and was taken into the inner hall by the guards. Cao Cao was already waiting in the inner hall. He looked solemn and had a sneer on his lips, while Xun You sat aside, smiling and saying nothing.

    The guard bowed and reported: "To the Prime Minister, the Jiangdong envoy has arrived!"

    Zhang Wen hurriedly stepped forward, bowed and saluted, "Jiangdong Zhang Wen meets the Prime Minister!"

    A faint smile appeared on Cao Cao's face, "It turns out to be Zhang Huishu of Wu County. I've heard about his name for a long time. Please take a seat!"

    Zhang Wen did not receive a warm reception from Cao Cao. He felt a little uncomfortable, so he bowed to Xun You again and sat down. Cao Cao glanced at him and said: "Our two families are still enemies, but they are at war with each other.  Come on, I won¡¯t kill you, don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Zhang Wen smiled bitterly, cupped his hands and said: "The Prime Minister was surprised by what he said. The reason why Jiangdong resisted Cao Cao was because the Prime Minister led his army south and threatened Jiangdong's survival first. Marquis Wu had no ill intentions towards the Prime Minister himself and wanted to cooperate with him. If  The Prime Minister remembers the past, so I have nothing to say."

    Cao Cao laughed and said, "The prime minister's heart can hold a boat. Of course I am not a person who remembers old evils, but Sun Quan's sincerity cannot be shown by just a few words. The key is what I want to see him do?"

    "I'm here just for the big thing of cooperation!"

    Zhang Wen took out Sun Quan's autographed letter and presented it with both hands, "This is the letter from Marquis Wu to the Prime Minister. Please read it first!"

    Cao Cao took the letter and read it briefly. The content of the letter was what he thought. He first gave a polite greeting, and then explained the difficulties of the Chibi War in order to ease the relationship between the two families. Finally, the topic changed and talked about the affairs of the Nanjun Prefect. Naturally,  The long-standing conflict between the Jing and Wu families was mentioned.

    "My father's hatred is irreconcilable. He wants to attack Jiangxia, but he is unable to do so. I hope the prime minister will help him from the west and attack Jiangxia together."

    Cao Cao suddenly burst out laughing, "Marquis Wu is such a shrewd man. Last time, I had strong troops and strong horses, but he did not help me and instead helped Liu Jing. Now that I have insufficient troops and am just about to recuperate, Marquis Wu is proposing cooperation again.  It¡¯s so puzzling!¡±

    Zhang Wen laughed awkwardly, "If the Prime Minister had led fewer troops and had a shorter view, perhaps Jiangdong would not have formed an alliance with the Jiangxia Army. Things have changed over time. Why didn't the Prime Minister look forward and dwell on the past?"  What's going on?"

    "Past experience guide for the future."

    Cao Cao said calmly: "How can I forget the past if Marquis Wu doesn't show some sincerity?"

    Only then did Zhang Wen realize that Cao Cao wanted to make conditions. Even before leaving, Marquis Wu had told him that he would not give in to any conditions regarding territory, nor money and food. He could make the final decision on the rest.  If you don¡¯t allow it, you will have blocked a lot of room for negotiation.

    Zhang Wen had no choice but to bite the bullet and asked, "I wonder what kind of sincerity the Prime Minister needs?"

    "I want to know, if Jingzhou is conquered, how will the land be distributed?"

    Cao Cao expressed his request very frankly, "My opinion is that Xiangyang County belongs to me, and I can give up the other counties to Jiangdong. This is the first, and the second is Hefei. I hope to make a three-year city contract with Jiangdong."  , Jiangdong is not allowed to attack Hefei within three years. If Jiangdong can agree to these two conditions, I will cooperate with Jiangdong's army from the north. "

    Zhang Wen thought for a moment and said, "I would like to ask Marquis Wu for instructions on these two conditions. Can you wait a few days?"

    Cao Cao smiled slightly and said, "Sir, you might as well write a letter and I will send it to you by horse to Jiangdong. It will arrive at Jingkou in two days at the latest."

    ¡°Then there¡¯s Prime Minister Lao!¡±

    Zhang Wen said goodbye and went to rest. Cao Cao smiled and asked Xun You, who had been silent, "What do you think of Gongda?"

    Xun You shook his head, "Don't Jiangdong know that our army has retreated to the north of the Han River? The Jiangxia Army has blocked the river, and it seems a bit unrealistic to expect us to help."

    Cao Cao smiled lightly, "Of course I am sincere in helping Jiangdong, but how to cross the river is another matter. If Jiangdong's army helps me cross the Han River, I am willing to fight Xiangyang again. If they can't break through the Han River, then  I can only support Jiang Dong morally, but no matter what, Liu Jing suffers a serious setback, but it is what I am most happy to see. "

    Xun You smiled and said: "There is no kerosene in Jiangdong, and water warfare is very unfavorable. If the prime minister can send a batch of high-quality kerosene to the Jiangdong Army, I think this is also a kind of support, and at least it can show our sincerity."

    Xun You paused for a moment and then said: "If the Prime Minister wants to increase the strength of Jiangdong Army, he can also use the oil refining method.??They balance the military power of Jiangdong and Jiangxia.  "

    Cao Cao thought for a moment and shook his head, "Jiangdong is also my enemy. I can't give him the oil refining method. I can only teach him how to fish, but not how to fish."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 416 Strategic Location

    After Liu Jing captured Xiangyang, he ordered Wenpin to lead 8,000 troops to guard Xiangyang. However, he did not return to Jiangxia immediately. Instead, he transferred to Yidu County, which was located to the west of Nanjun, which was later known as Yichang and  Near it is the first open area after the Yangtze River leaves the Three Gorges.

    Yidu County was originally a fiefdom of Liu Qi and has always been commanded by the Nanjun Army. After Cao Cao went south, the 5,000 garrison in Yidu County also withdrew southward. However, Cao Jun did not deploy a large-scale army in Yidu County. There were only more than a thousand symbolic troops.  Sexual occupation.

    Yidu County has a small population. The entire county has a population of only more than 5,000 households. It is mainly concentrated in two counties, one is Yidao County and the other is Xiling County. Among them, Yidao County, located on the south bank of the Yangtze River, is the county seat of Yidu County and is also the county seat of Yidu County.  The most densely populated area in the capital has nearly 3,000 households. It has a very important strategic position and is known as the "Throat of Chu and Shu". It is now occupied by Liu Bei, and General Zhou Cang is stationed here with 3,000 people.

    The area north of the Yangtze River surrendered to Liu Jing, with Xiling County as the center. Xiling County is also Yiling County, guarding the mouth of Xiling Gorge. Its strategic position is equally important. The famous Battle of Yiling in history is here.  break out.

    The more than a thousand troops deployed by Cao Jun in Yidu County were also stationed in Xiling County. They entered the Xiakou from Xiling County to the west. If they walked more than a hundred miles west, they entered Jianping County, which was Liu Bei's territory. Liu Feng  and deputy military advisor Pang Tong led 8,000 men to garrison Jianping County, laying an excellent foundation for Liu Bei's army to march westward to Bashu.

    At this time, Liu Jing's plan to capture Bashu was still in the early budding stage, and Xiling County was the first seed planted at this stage. Therefore, after Liu Jing captured Xiangyang, despite the critical situation in Jiangxia, he made a special trip to Yiyang.  Dujun came to inspect Xiling County.

    Xiling County was temporarily under the jurisdiction of Nan County. When Liu Jing led his army to Xiling County, he happened to encounter Li Yan, the governor of Nan County, who was also inspecting Xiling County. Li Yan once served as the county magistrate of Xiling County, and the current county magistrate Feng Yi was the original county magistrate.  , and has a very good relationship with Li Yan.

    Hearing that Liu Jing had arrived, Li Yan and the county magistrate Feng Yi welcomed him out of the county. In the distance, an army of about 5,000 people was approaching the county along the winding official road. The army, with flags waving, gradually approached.  , the leading general in gold helmet and iron armor, riding on a majestic white horse, is Liu Jing, the Mu of Jingzhou and the Marquis of Chu.

    Li Yan hurriedly brought Feng Yi forward and bowed deeply, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing turned over and dismounted, and asked with a smile: "Why is Li Shijun in Xiling County?"

    "My subordinates are here to inspect the public sentiment."

    Liu Jing nodded and looked at County Magistrate Feng Yi, "You are County Magistrate Feng. I heard Duke Kuai mention you more than once."

    Feng Yi's wife is also the daughter of the Kuai family. He is also a student of Kuai Liang. He is about thirty years old and looks very smart and capable. Feng Yi hurriedly saluted and said: "I have always been loyal to Zhou Mu and devoted myself to my duties. I don't dare to do anything."  A little slack.¡±

    Liu Jing saw that he was quite nervous and worried about being implicated by Kuai Yue's surrender to Cao Cao, so he smiled and reassured him, and ordered the army to station outside the city before entering the county. Xiling County is not big, with a circumference of only ten miles.  However, the city walls are tall and strong, all made of bluestone. This is also a common feature of the counties in the Three Gorges. They focus on defense.

    In the county government office, Liu Jing slowly took a sip of tea and asked with a smile: "Is there anything happening in Jianping County recently?"

    Feng Yi hurriedly leaned forward and said: "Back to Zhou Mu, I heard that just after the Battle of Chibi, there was an army of Liu Bei's army to reinforce Wucheng. They went from the other side and crossed the river at Zigui. The number of people is said to be about five thousand."

    Liu Jing also heard about this information. It is said that Pang Tong led his army to support Wu City. It was obvious that he wanted to capture Bashu and also to prevent his army from advancing westward. But that was two months ago, and Liu Jing was more concerned about the recent situation.  What happened in a few days.

    Li Yan knew Liu Jing's thoughts very well. He smiled and said: "We have also placed many spies on the south bank to open hotels or mule and horse shops. Judging from the recent intelligence, Liu Bei's envoys have not been found to go west. They only frequently  There were messengers going to Wucheng, but it is also possible that Liu Bei's envoy went directly from Wucheng to Chengdu. In addition, Sun Qian from Yidao County went to Chengdu a few months ago and never came back. It is estimated that he is Liu Bei's special envoy."

    Only then did Feng Yi understand what Zhou Mu meant. He thought for a while and added: "I also know that Sima joined the army and went to Chengdu. In addition, a few days ago, the county magistrate Xin went to Badong County. News should come soon."  ¡±

    Liu Jing nodded. He came to the map on the wall again and looked at the map of the Three Gorges area. From Yidu County, Jianping County to Badong County, it mainly covered the terrain distribution on both sides of the Yangtze River. However, the map was very rough and looked blurry.  Unclear.

    At this time, Feng Yi picked up the wooden pole and pointed at a county town at the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River in the north of Jianping County and said: "This is Wucheng. Liu Bei built a city here a few years ago. I have been to that city. It is very strong and tall, easy to defend and difficult to attack."  , is a strong city.¡±

    Liu Jing couldn't help but frown, "Where?"?Is it Wu County?  "

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Wucheng is Wu County. More than 20 years ago, the city wall of Wu County collapsed and the population was lost, making it almost an abandoned county. Liu Bei's army rebuilt the city wall there and renamed it Wucheng. It is located away from Yong'an in Badong County.  The county is only thirty miles away.¡±

    ¡®Thirty miles!  ¡¯

    Liu Jing couldn't help but was secretly surprised. If this was the case, then Liu Bei's army could use Wucheng as a logistical center to march towards Bashu. Even if there was no Liu Zhang in history who led the wolf into the house, relying on Zhuge Liang's intelligence and the bravery of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, they could  Bashu could also be captured, which made Liu Jing feel a little worried.

    He then said to Li Yan: "There are two things that need to be resolved urgently. First, I need a sand table map. I will give you two months to complete it. Second, I will add another five thousand troops to Nanjun. I hope you can get it."  "Xiaxinling and Zigui counties, especially Zigui, will cut off Liu Bei's army's route to reinforce Wucheng."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing glanced at the county magistrate Feng Yi, who quickly said: "That's right, Zigui is the last ferry in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River."

    Li Yan understood Liu Jing's strategic intention. Taking Zigui and blocking Liu Bei's army from sending more troops to Wucheng was an extremely important step. He felt deeply that he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, but he still bowed without hesitation:  "My subordinates will definitely live up to Zhou Mu's expectations."

    Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder with approval and returned to his seat. At this time, a guard walked into the lobby quickly and whispered a few words in Liu Jing's ear. Liu Jing perked up and immediately said to the county magistrate Feng Yi: "I want to  Let¡¯s go back to the military camp first. I hope Magistrate Feng will do his best in everything in Xiling County, and I will give him a reward in the future.¡±

    ¡°I will definitely do my best for my humble job!¡±

    Liu Jing winked at Li Yan and quickly returned to the military camp outside the city. Li Yan understood and followed him to the military camp.

    Returning to the military camp, Liu Jing immediately asked: "Where is the person?"

    The guard pointed at the deputy tent and said, "Rest in the tent!"

    Liu Jing stepped forward quickly, opened the curtain and walked in. He saw two people sitting in the big tent, wearing octagonal hats and gray long coats. They were all dressed as businessmen. One of them was an older man.  It was Xin Zhi, the county magistrate who was ordered to enter Shu. When he saw Liu Jing coming in, he quickly stood up and saluted, "See the state pastor!"

    The other man was about thirty years old, tall, with sharp eyebrows and deep eyes, and a majestic weapon. However, he knelt down and saluted, "Xinye Dengzhi, pay your respects to Liu Zhoumu!"

    It turns out that this person is Deng Zhi. Liu Jing quickly smiled and helped him up, "I have heard about Deng Bomiao for a long time, and when I saw him today, he is really extraordinary."

    Deng Zhi is a member of the Zhongxinye branch of the Deng family in Nanyang. He is the brother of Deng Ai. He is now a confidant of Pang Xi, the governor of Badong. His brother-in-law Xin Zhi came to him a few days ago and expressed to him Liu Jing's feelings for him.  In order to respect him, Deng Zhi made an excuse to go back to his hometown to visit relatives, and returned to Xiangyang with Xin Zhi. Unexpectedly, he met Liu Jing's army in Xiling County.

    Deng Zhi secretly took a look at Liu Jing. He had heard about Liu Jing's fame. When he saw her today, he couldn't help but admire in his heart. Fengyi Longzi is indeed a dragon among men. No wonder he can become a strong enemy of Cao Cao. Compared with Liu Zhang, he is really inferior.  Too far.

    Neither Fazheng nor Deng Zhi were natives of Bashu. They were rejected by the local nobles of Bashu and had no sense of belonging to Bashu. At the same time, they were not optimistic about Liu Zhang. It was for this reason that the rise of Liu Jing became their hope.  .

    At this time, Li Yan and Deng Ai also entered the tent respectively. Everyone saw the ceremony, and the guests and hosts took their seats. Liu Jing asked about the affairs of Bashu. Deng Zhi's expression became solemn and he said slowly: "The closed area of ??Bashu made the local nobles very difficult.  Anti-foreigners, Sanfu and tens of thousands of households from Nanyang and Jingzhou fled to Shu to escape the chaos. Among them, the outstanding ones formed the Dongzhou scholar lineage. However, they had always had a bad relationship with the wealthy families in Shu. When Zhao Wei came to power more than ten years ago, it was even more so.  They were deeply oppressed, and later Zhao Wei was destroyed. The situation of the Dongzhou scholar clan improved slightly, but it was still in a difficult situation. It was mainly led by Pang Xi, the governor of Badong, and Dong He, the governor of Shu County. If Zhou Mu wanted to take Yizhou, he would definitely  Will get the support of Dongzhou Scholars."

    Liu Jing nodded and asked again: "Bo Miao, let's talk about the Bashu noble family."

    Deng Zhi snorted coldly, his tone full of dissatisfaction with the Bashu nobles, and continued: "The Bashu nobles are relatively scattered and have not formed factions. The civil officials are represented by Zhang Song and Wang Lei, and the military commanders are mainly represented by Zhonglang Jun Wu.  Headed by Yi, he is related to Liu Zhang and is Liu Zhang's confidant, followed by Yan Yan from Bajun, Huang Quan from Brazil, etc., who are all famous wealthy families in Shu. However, the wealthy families in Shu have not formed interest factions, such as Huang Quan and Yan Yan.  They have always been at odds, so the officialdom in Bashu is relatively chaotic, and everyone has their own thoughts. They are far less loyal than Jiangdong and Cao Cao. This is largely due to Liu Zhang's weakness and incompetence. "

    After Deng Zhi¡¯s detailed introduction, Liu Jing actually felt as if the clouds were turning and the sun was shining, and she thought to herself, ¡®I wonder if Sima Yi can make it to Bashu?  ¡¯

    He couldn't help but feel worried, and asked: "What is Pang Xi like?"??  "

    Deng Zhi smiled and said: "Pang Xi is the main leader of the Dongzhou scholar clan. His daughter married Liu Zhang's eldest son Liu Xun. Although they are in-laws, Liu Zhang was extremely suspicious of Pang Xi and almost forced Pang Xi to rebel a few years ago. I  I took heavy coins to Chengdu to recruit Liu Zhang's confidants, so Liu Zhang temporarily let Pang Xi go. If Zhou Mu enters Bashu, I would like to persuade Pang Xi to help. "

    Liu Jing thanked Deng Zhi for his enthusiasm. He smiled and said: "Can you please ask Bo Miao to go to Chengdu again to help the Sima I sent to join the army and use heavy coins to manage Liu Zhang's left and right people."

    Deng Zhi immediately stood up and said: "I am willing to serve the state pastor!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 417 Sneak Attack on Chai Sang

    After Cheng Pu's fleet evacuated Jiangxia, it did not return to Jiangdong. Instead, it anchored at Pengze Water Village. Pengze has always been the westernmost naval base of the Jiangxia Army. It is only a hundred miles away from Chaisang. Between Chaisang a few years ago,  During the battle, Gan Ning led the navy to successfully attack Pengze Water Village and almost burned Pengze Water Village to the ground.

    Two years later, Jiangdong rebuilt the Pengze Water Village with tighter defenses, especially against sneak attacks and other defenses. There would no longer be any loopholes. The current leader of the Pengze Water Village is Xu Sheng. Xu Sheng has been promoted to Zhonglang General and serves as Pengze Water Village.  Governor Ze.

    Since Cheng Pu had been appointed as the army general, he handed over the fleet to Xu Sheng and Ding Feng and went to Qichun County to prepare to accept the army. This greatly increased the number of warships in Pengze Water Village to 500.  There are more than 10,000 naval vessels and more than 10,000 naval troops.

    Early in the morning, Ding Feng rushed to the camp. Although Ding Feng was Cheng Pu's general, due to his young age, his qualifications and official position were inferior to Xu Sheng. Even with Cheng Pu's support, he could not replace Xu Sheng.  As the commander-in-chief of Peng Ze, he still bowed to the position of deputy general.

    ??????????????? However, Xu Sheng was kind to others, and for Cheng Pu¡¯s sake, he still let Ding Feng take charge of the warships and navy left by Cheng Pu. Ding Feng walked into the tent, bowed and saluted: "See Governor Xu!"

    Xu Sheng was standing in front of the map, deep in thought. When he saw Ding Feng coming in, he smiled and said, "General Ding came just in time. I got some important information. We might as well go over it together."

    Ding Feng walked forward quickly, "I am willing to listen attentively!"

    Xu Sheng pointed at Chai Sang and said: "A spy got information about Chai Sang. Chai Sang has been clearing the country recently. No one is allowed to stay overnight outside the city. The deputy camp outside the west city has also been dismantled. I found that there is an opportunity here.  You can seize Chaisang in one fell swoop and make the first contribution to Wu Hou's western expedition."

    Ding Feng immediately clasped his fists and said: "The governor only gives orders, I am willing to be a pioneer in this humble position!"

    Xu Sheng also likes Ding Feng. He is low-key, courageous in doing things, and brave in battle. He is a rare warrior. Xu Sheng patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "You don't have to fight hard in this battle, I will win with a plan!"

    The intelligence detected by Jiangdong Army was not wrong. Chai Sang strengthened the defenses, implemented strong walls and cleared the country, and no one was allowed to spend the night outside the city.  At the same time, the garrison outside the city was withdrawn.

    This order was issued by Chaisang General Wei Yan. Although it seemed cautious, everything could not be perfect. While the defense was strengthened, it also hid another hidden danger.

    During this period, Chaisang Commander Wei Yan was in a really bad mood. Although he was promoted to captain based on his merits after the Battle of Chibi, Wei Yan was not convinced.

    He was mainly dissatisfied with Wenpin. Wenpin was just a general in Jingzhou. Although he was highly qualified, his contribution to Jiangxia was far inferior to his own. However, he was promoted to general of the rank of Zhonglang, while he, Wei Yan, had to be promoted to the rank of lieutenant half a level lower.

    On the other hand, Wei Yan was appointed as the commander-in-chief of Chaisang, which also made him unhappy. Although Chaisang was once the ruling center of the Jiangxia Army, with the transfer of the military and political center, Chaisang has gradually been marginalized over the years, and  Wei Yan received the exact news that the governor of Jingzhou was preparing to transfer back to Xiangyang. In this way, his appointment as the commander-in-chief of Chaisang was actually a kind of demotion.

    Wei Yan's official career was not going well, which made him in a very bad mood. He drank to drink to drown his sorrows all day long. He ignored military and political affairs and left them all to his deputy general Wang Jian.

    In the evening, Wei Yan was drinking alone in his room, feeling groggy. At this time, a soldier came to report, "I am reporting to General Wei that the Jiang thief Dong Da led hundreds of people to surrender. General Wang asked for instructions on what to do."

    If Wei Yan had followed his previous temper, he would definitely go and interrogate him in detail, but now he had no intention of doing so. He waved his hand and said, "Since you are sincerely surrendering, you can select the strongest among them according to the rules and recruit them into the army, and dismiss the old and the weak!  "

    This is also a normal practice. In the past two years, the Jiangxia Army has severely attacked the water thieves. The water thieves had no way to make a living, so they had to surrender one after another. Even the largest water thieves on the Yangtze River, the Black Dragon Thieves, were forced to abandon their nest in Dongting Lake and escape to the east of the Yangtze River. Today there is a  It is not surprising that the water thieves came to surrender.

    The pier is particularly lively, with dozens of dragon boats moored. This kind of dragon boat is four feet long and only one foot wide. It rows very fast on the river. It is a unique boat for river pirates, so it is also called a pirate boat.  .

    The group of water thieves who surrendered were originally a branch of the Black Flood Dragon Thieves. After the Black Flood Dragon Thieves were forced to flee to the east of the Yangtze River last year, they split into five branches of river thieves. This river bandit is active in Qichun County and Jiujiang County. The leader is called  Dong Da made a living by robbing merchants in the river.

    They originally numbered five or six hundred people, but they were recently wiped out by the Jiangdong Army. Most of them were killed or injured, and their old nest was destroyed. There were only about two hundred people left. They had no choice but to come to Chaisang to surrender to the Jiangxia Army.

    The leader of the thieves, Dong Da, was only in his twenties. He was very young, but he was strong, majestic, and highly skilled in martial arts. He knelt down on one knee, cupped his fists towards Wang Jian and said: "Dong is determined to change his past, and is willing to make contributions to the Jiangxia army.  I hope the general will include it!¡±

    Wang Jian saw these two hundred Jiang thieves??The body is strong, and many of them have rough faces. They look like desperadoes at first glance. He doesn't want to accept them, but he has no right to make a decision. He can only wait for news from Wei Yan. At this time, the soldiers who reported the news rushed to him.  Fu'er said to Wang Jianda: "General Wei said that we should follow the rules. The strong will stay and the old and weak will be sent away!"

    Wang Jian had no choice but to say to Dong Da: "Since it is a sincere surrender, I can accept it. However, according to the rules of the Jiangxia Army, new soldiers must train for half a year before being incorporated into the army. It is already late now. I will send someone early tomorrow morning."  I will send you to Wuchang for training and you will be incorporated into the army in half a year.¡±

    Dong Da clasped his fists and said, "Everything must be obeyed by the general!"

    Wang Jian waved to a village chief and ordered him: "Let them rest in the deputy camp for one night, let Chief Liu compile a roster, and send them away early tomorrow morning!"

    The commander of the village saluted and said to Dong Da: "Bring your men and follow me!"

    Dong Da showed a hint of imperceptible pride in his eyes, and led two hundred of his men into the city with the village chief.

    Chaisang has a total of three thousand troops stationed in the city. The two original military camps in the west and north outside the city have been removed. So as long as they pretend to be surrendering water thieves, they can definitely sneak into the city.

    Although there are many ways to sneak into the city, such as disguising as a caravan, etc., Chai Sang's interrogation is very strict. The caravan composed of two hundred strong men is too eye-catching and can easily be suspected by the defenders, so he surrendered as a Jiang bandit.  , is the most suitable.

    The so-called Jiang thief Dong Da was Ding Feng in disguise. Xu Sheng had already figured out all the rules of the Jiangxia Army during his two years in Pengze. This loophole did not exist in the first place. The deputy battalion used to be placed outside the West City, but recently the Jiangxia Army implemented a strong wall to clear the country.  , no one is allowed to spend the night outside the city, and this loophole appears invisibly.

    Although they have to be sent to Wuchang for training, they will not be sent away immediately. They have to make a roster and so on. Especially if they surrender at dusk, they will have the opportunity to spend the night in Chaisang City and the city will be broken tonight.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The night is getting darker, the lights in the military camp located in the east of Chaisang City have been extinguished, and the auxiliary camp is also quiet, as if they have fallen asleep.

    The auxiliary camp is also called the new camp, which is mainly used for the training of newly recruited soldiers and militia groups. It is close to the main camp, covers an area of ??100 acres, and is composed of hundreds of large tents. To the west of the auxiliary camp is the Caohe River. From the auxiliary camp  You can directly get off the Caohe River and take a boat to Wuchang.

    At this time, five 300-stone cargo ships docked silently at the auxiliary camp pier. Black figures quickly ran out of the auxiliary camp and boarded the cargo ships. Ding Feng entered the cabin and immediately asked: "  Where are the weapons?"

    The boatman disguised as Jiangdong Army opened the bottom cabin and took out various weapons such as swords, spears, bows and crossbows, as well as two hundred pairs of Jiangxia Army armors. Two hundred of the most elite Jiangdong Army soldiers quickly armed themselves, and Ding Feng wrapped his arms around his left arm.  A circle of white cloth is a sign of distinction from Jiang Xia's army.

    The cargo ship left the auxiliary camp and staggered towards the water gate. At this time, Ding Feng asked again: "What time is it now?"

    "Reporting to the general, there is still a quarter of an hour until the second watch!"

    The cargo ship approached the water gate not long after. There were cargo ships parked on both sides of the water gate, but there were no ships in the urn city. The two iron gates in front and back of the urn city were tightly closed. More than a hundred defenders on duty were patrolling the city head and the urn city.  .

    Ding Feng silently calculated the time. They agreed to start at three o'clock. Everyone hid in the five cargo ships. Ding Feng looked through the ship's curtain and looked sharply through the gap between the two iron gates. He could see  The situation in the distance outside the city. At this time, it was pitch black outside the city, without any abnormality or movement.

    ¡°Bang¡ªbang bang!¡±

    There was a knocking sound in the distance. It was already the third watch. Ding Feng's eyes widened and he stared outside the city. At this moment, a ball of light suddenly appeared in the distance. This was the signal Xu Sheng gave them.

    Ding Feng waved his hand, "Attack!"

    Two hundred Jiangdong Army elites quickly went ashore and lined up towards the city. As soon as they entered the corridor, they were discovered by the soldiers guarding the city, who shouted loudly: "Password!"

    Without saying a word, Ding Feng suddenly increased his speed, like a cheetah swooping up. With a flick of his spear, he shot through the chest of the defender. He put away his gun and stabbed another defender to death with a backhand shot.  Before he died, he let out a long scream. Several defenders on the other side heard it and immediately shouted, "Something's happening!"

    Ding Feng shouted sternly: "Kill up and open the water gate!"

    Two hundred elite Jiangdong soldiers were selected from more than 10,000 people. They were all brave and good at fighting. They cooperated tacitly and were divided into two groups. One group went to rob the Watergate Agency in the outer city, and the other group occupied the Watergate Agency in the inner city.

    At this time, the alarm bell blared on the city wall, ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ echoed over Chaisang.

    But after all, it was the third watch at this time, and the only troops on duty on the city wereThere were hundreds of people. Even if they killed them all, they would still be no match for the two hundred most elite Jiangdong troops. The only hope was for reinforcements from the military camp to arrive.

    But it would take at least a cup of tea before the reinforcements arrived. What Ding Feng wanted to fight for was this cup of tea. He led a hundred people to kill back dozens of Jiangxia Army soldiers who were guarding the front gate of Wengcheng, pushed the mechanism, and opened the water city iron gate.  The door began to creak open, and a Jiangdong soldier raised a torch and gave a signal.

    At this time, Xu Sheng, who was lying in ambush outside the city, saw the light of the fire. He was overjoyed and shouted, "My sons, fight into the city!"

    Eight thousand Jiangdong soldiers screamed and killed, and they drove hundreds of small boats to rush into the city. Xu Sheng took the lead in driving the boat into Wengcheng. He did not stop, but learned the lesson of not conquering Wengcheng and led his troops directly.  Rushed into the city.

    Hundreds of Jiangxia soldiers who came from the military camp arrived in formation. They discovered the Jiangdong soldiers who had entered from Shuimen. They opened their bows and fired arrows. For a moment, the Jiangdong soldiers were hit by arrows and fell into the water. Xu Sheng held a shield and a spear in his hand.  Seeing that the situation was critical, he shouted loudly, jumped ashore and attacked the Jiangxia soldiers, charging into the enemy group like a tiger. Behind him, a large group of Jiangdong soldiers rushed in, came ashore to support, and fought with the Jiangxia soldiers.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, Wei Yan was already drunk and was asleep. A soldier ran over and shouted: "Wake up General Wei quickly, the Jiangdong Army has entered the city!"

    The soldiers hurriedly pushed Wei Yan awake and reported urgently: "General, Jiangdong Army has entered the city!"

    Wei Yan suddenly broke into a cold sweat and suddenly woke up from the alcohol. He picked up the knife from the bedside and ran out, shouting: "Come with me to kill the enemy!"

    He led hundreds of soldiers to fight towards the north gate. At this moment, a military prince came running with an arrow wound and reported with a cry: "Jiangdong Army has entered the city, there are about more than 10,000 people."  , the brothers can¡¯t stand it anymore and are retreating towards the west gate. General Wang asks General Wei to retreat from the west gate quickly!¡±

    Wei Yan was dumbfounded. He could not figure out why the defense was lost, but he did understand that he had caused a big disaster by throwing away Chai Sang in a daze. He felt regretful and regretful in his heart. He really shouldn't have done such bad drinking and bad things. With no choice but to do so, he had to  He turned his horse's head and fled towards the west gate.

    At just this time, a tooth general arrived with more than a thousand troops defeated. He said anxiously: "General, General Wang was defeated by Xu Sheng and captured alive. Chai Sang can no longer hold on. Let's go quickly!"

    Wei Yan's heart was in chaos, Wang Jian was actually captured, but there was still a glimmer of clarity in his heart, that is, Xiazhi County must be preserved. If Xiazhi County is lost, the consequences will be more serious.

    If the Jiangdong Army occupied the important kerosene production area again, he would only die. Wei Yan bit his lip, whipped his horse and ran out of the city.

    In the darkness, Jiangxia soldiers who had withdrawn from the north city followed him and fled from the west gate. The shouts of killing were loud in the city. As eight thousand Jiangdong Army soldiers entered the city from the north gate, Chaisang City fell.

    On the south city, three beacons burned blazingly in the night sky. The flames soared into the sky and were particularly dazzling, sending the news of Chaisang's attack far away.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 418 Pheasant Crisis

    Liu Jing had just returned to Wuchang when he received news of the fall of Chaisang. At this time, Wei Yan had already found out the cause. Jiangdong Army pretended to be Jiang bandits and surrendered. Due to the implementation of strong wall clearing, Jiangdong Army took advantage of the loophole and mistakenly introduced the fake Jiang bandits into the city.  Jiangdong's army cooperated internally and externally, leading to the fall of Shuimen.

    In addition, Wei Yan also admitted that he had caused drunkenness and asked for a heavy punishment. In anger, Liu Jing dismissed Wei Yan from his post as a lieutenant, demoted him to the rank of Sima of another department, and ordered him to defend Xiazhi County with meritorious service. If Xiazhi County failed, he would be punished.  He will be beheaded for questioning.

    Even so, Liu Jing was still extremely worried about the safety of Xiazhi County. He was especially worried about the leakage of oil refining secrets. He immediately ordered Li Jun to lead 2,000 naval troops to Xiazhi County to support Wei Yan, and sent a flying pigeon to inform the general of Xiazhi County.  If Jiangdong's army intends to attack Xiazhi County, it can first set fire to the oil refinery.

    In the lobby, Liu Jing was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking angry and worried. Less than half an hour before he returned to Wuchang, he heard such serious news.  On the other hand, Wei Yan's drunkenness and accident made him extremely annoyed.

    Before and after the Battle of Chibi, Liu Jing was very dissatisfied with Wei Yan's arrogance in claiming credit, so he demoted him to guard Chaisang. However, he did not expect that Wei Yan's mood was hit, and he drank to drown his sorrows, causing Chaisang to fall.

    But at this time, Liu Jing was more worried about Xiazhi County. Once the Jiangdong Army discovered a way to purify kerosene and obtained kerosene, the consequences would be disastrous. Cao Cao was not very worried about getting kerosene. After all, Cao Cao himself had a weak naval force, but he could also use kerosene.  If the powerful Jiangdong Army obtains kerosene, it will undoubtedly become even more powerful and will cause irreparable consequences.

    At this time, Jia Xu¡¯s voice came from outside the hall, ¡°Is Zhou Mu still angry about Chaisang¡¯s fall?¡±

    Liu Jing did not look back. He looked at the roof with his hands and sighed: "I made a mistake in employing people and put Wei Yan in Chaisang. This is actually my responsibility."

    Jia Xu walked into the hall and said with a smile: "When Wei Yan was sent to Chaisang, there were no signs of Jiangdong's falling out. It was the time when the relationship between the two parties was at its best. This can't be blamed on Zhou Mu. It can only be said that there are unforeseen circumstances.  ¡±

    Liu Jing still shook her head, "There are actually many lessons in Chaisang's fall this time. If I can't learn from it and keep making excuses for myself, then something will happen again in the future, like a bandit taking over. This is a profound lesson! Not only  Bandits, so-called villagers who came to reward the army, and large groups of merchants, etc., may be sneaked into the city by the enemy. To implement internal and external cooperation, we must establish a preventive system. "

    Jia Xu also agreed with Liu Jing's idea, "Speaking of the system, I have been thinking about it in the past two days. In fact, we cannot cut off business contacts, but we can set up levels. For example, level A means war, level B means preparation for war, and level C  To express peace, we implement different warning measures at different times. If we occupy more cities in the future, we may not be able to take care of them, but as long as we implement the hierarchical system, then the cities on the front line will naturally know what to do. "

    "The military advisor said it very well. I would like to ask you, sir, to formulate this hierarchical system."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing sighed again: "Let's talk about the matter at hand! Chaisang has fallen, how should the military advisor think we should deal with it?"

    Jia Xu smiled slightly, "Actually, Xu Sheng committed a taboo among military strategists. Before the main force arrived, the forwards acted rashly. So the countermeasure is very simple. Since Jiangdong Army has occupied Chaisang, we will occupy Qichun County in turn and take Qichun County  All the population moved to Jiangxia, and Pengze must also be empty. Send a naval force directly into Pengze, destroy their water stronghold, and let Xu Sheng reap the consequences. "

    Liu Jing nodded slowly, "The military advisor is really brilliant!"

    Just as Liu Jing feared, after Xu Sheng occupied Chaisang, he immediately ordered Ding Feng to lead 3,000 troops to Xiazhi County by fast ship, striving to seize this extremely important strategic county. This was also an important task given to him by Sun Quan.  The mission is to decipher Jiang Xiajun's method of refining kerosene.

    Xu Sheng also knew that the kerosene sold to them by Jiang Xia Army was a very viscous black liquid with very weak burning power, far inferior to the kerosene used by Jiang Xia Army. The secret was hidden in Xiaji County,  Xu Sheng sent people to Xiaji County several times to explore the secrets of kerosene, but all failed. He could not let go of this opportunity.

    Three thousand Jiangdong troops took more than two hundred fast boats and headed west overnight under the leadership of Ding Feng. At the same time, Wei Yan also led two thousand defeated troops and rushed overland to Xiangzhi County.

    The disastrous defeat of Chaisang's fall completely awakened Wei Yan. The dissatisfaction and pride he had accumulated in his heart had disappeared, leaving only endless shame and self-blame. There was only one thought in his mind, no matter what, he must keep it.  Xia Pheasant County.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    ??Xiazhi County is the origin of Jiangxia kerosene. It can be said to be the most important strategic city in Jingzhou, with a thousand garrison.

    Since the oil refining secrets were discovered by Cao Jun last year, Xiazhi County¡¯s defense has made great adjustments.All residents in the city were moved to Yangxin County, and no civilians were allowed to enter the refinery.

    The second step is to increase the number of troops from 500 to 1,000 to build Xiazhi County into a military city.

    The chief general guarding Xiazhi County is a tooth general named Lu Jin. He is also the first veteran to follow Liu Jing. He has been promoted from a commander to a tooth general step by step.

    At this time, the beacons at the mouth of the Fushui River had been lit, and warnings of a large-scale enemy invasion were heard. At the same time, Lu Jin also obtained the pigeon message sent by the Jiangxia army from Chaisang when Chaisang fell, which made him extremely nervous.  He knew very well that after the Jiangdong Army captured Chaisang, it would inevitably attack Xiaji County.

    He immediately sent out more than thirty scouts to inquire about the enemy's situation by water and land.

    As night fell, Lu Jin stood on the top of the city, anxiously waiting for news from the scouts. According to the normal marching speed, both Chaisang's defeated army and Jiangdong's army should have arrived in Xiazhi County by now.

    Just now, Lu Jin received an urgent pigeon message from Zhou Mu, ordering him to burn down the refinery as soon as he discovered the enemy's situation, and all soldiers with secrets were sent to Yangxin County.

    Lu Jin was ready to burn down the oil refinery. Now he needed to know the situation of the enemy. Suddenly, the sound of rapid horse hooves was heard in the distance. Soon, a scout was seen galloping towards him on horseback under the moonlight.

    Lu Jin suddenly became nervous. He knew that the scout must have brought news. After a while, the scout rushed to the city. He also saw the general and loudly said: "Report to General Lu that an enemy speedboat was discovered at the mouth of the Fushui River.  There are hundreds of ships that have entered Fushui and are heading to Xiangji County."

    Lu Jin suddenly felt suspense in his heart. The Jiangdong Army was indeed coming. It seemed that he had to burn down the oil refinery immediately. He turned around and was about to leave when the soldiers next to him suddenly shouted, "General, an army is coming!"

    Lu Jin's heart skipped a beat. He turned around and looked outside the city. Under the silver moonlight, he saw an army marching quickly along the opposite bank of Fushui toward the county town. However, the distance was slightly far and the flag of this army could not be clearly seen.  .

    Lu Jin hurriedly said to the scouts below the city: "Go and investigate quickly!"

    The scout turned his horse and ran towards the distance. After a while, he came back and reported: "General Qi, this is our army. It has withdrawn from Chaisang. The leader is General Wei Yan!"

    Lu Jin was relieved. Wei Yan's arrival undoubtedly gave him reassurance. He quickly ordered: "Open the city and build a pontoon bridge!"

    The gates of Xiazhi County were opened, and the soldiers quickly built a pontoon bridge on the river to guide Jiangxia's army across the river. Although Jiangxia's army looked very tired after running all day and night, dozens of war horses kept snoring and snorting heavily.  .

    But the faces of these Jiangxia soldiers were more cowardly and resentful. They threw away Chai Sang so easily without putting up any resistance, which made all the soldiers feel unwilling.

    Wei Yan was extremely anxious. When he saw Lu Jin running towards him, he immediately asked, "General Lu, is there any news about the Jiangdong Army?"

    Lu Jin quickly bowed and said: "We have just received the scout information. Hundreds of warships from the Jiangdong Army have entered the mouth of the Fushui River and are heading this way. They will reach the county seat in two hours at most."

    Wei Yan was about to ask again, but saw that Lu Jin was hesitant to speak, as if he had something to say, so he suppressed his thoughts and asked, "Do you have anything else to say?"

    "Reporting to the general, I have just received the order from Zhou Mu. If I find an enemy situation, I want to burn down the refinery immediately. Now that the enemy situation has appeared, I will ask General Wei for instructions whether I will implement the order from Zhou Mu."

    Wei Yan hesitated for a moment. If it was in the past, he would have had his own ideas, but now that Chaisang was defeated, he did not dare to have too many distracting thoughts. What's more, Xiazhi County is directly under Wuchang and is not under his jurisdiction. If he exceeds his authority and resists  Ling was bound to anger Liu Jing and be severely punished.

    Wei Yan could only sigh and said: "Although I think we should wait until the last moment to burn down the refinery, but the military order is like a mountain. We cannot violate the order of Zhou Mu, let's carry it out!"

    "Humble your duties and obey orders!"

    Lu Jin immediately ordered his men, "Set fire to the refinery!"

    Several men rushed away, but Wei Yan had no time to rest. Jiangdong Army was still two hours away from Xiazhi County. He had to defeat Jiangdong Army and alleviate his own sins. He thought about it and had a plan in mind.

    Wei Yan asked again: "How much kerosene is there in the city?"

    "Report to the general. There are still more than 1,300 barrels of refined kerosene that have not been transported away."

    Wei Yan then whispered something to him, and Lu Jin looked embarrassed, "I'm afraid this humble position has no right to use so much fire oil."

    Wei Yan's eyes widened, "Why can't you use it? If you don't use it, more brothers will die, and eventually the kerosene will fall into the hands of Jiangdong Army. Now you must obey my orders!"

    Jiangxia¡¯s military regulations are highly hierarchical.Although Wei Yan might be punished for overstepping his authority, Lu Jin, as a subordinate, had to obey Wei Yan's orders. Lu Jin had no choice but to bow and say: "Yes!"

    Lu Jin immediately ordered the defenders to dump all the more than a thousand barrels of kerosene in the warehouse into the rich water. A thick layer of oil formed on the rich water and floated downstream along the river. At this time, the oil refinery in the city was also destroyed.  Ignite, the fire rises into the sky, the flames rise into the sky, and the black smoke billows, which can be seen dozens of miles away.

    It is about fifty miles from the mouth of the Fushui River to Xiazhi County. It takes about two hours for an ordinary ship. However, the Jiangdong Army rowed a 16-oar fast boat, which was very fast, and the time from the time the scout discovered the enemy's situation and came back to report it had already passed.  For more than half an hour.

    At this time, Ding Feng had led his army to march nearly 30 miles, and was only about 20 miles away from Xiajie County. Ding Feng had also heard about what happened that year. Han Dang encountered the enemy on the way to attack Xiajie and Yangxin County.  He was ambushed by the Jiangxia army and almost the entire army was wiped out.

    Therefore, Ding Feng was extra cautious and sent scouts all the way to the front to investigate. He knew very well that Xiazhi County was the most important kerosene producing area for Jiangxia Army, and there must be heavy troops stationed there.

    There were hundreds of soldiers on both sides of the river exploring the way ahead, and the boat was rowing in the rich water, carrying more than 2,000 Jiangdong soldiers. Ding Feng sat on the bow of the boat with an iron gun in his hand, nervously watching the situation on both sides of the bank ahead.  It was extremely quiet at night, and soldiers kept sending messages, "There is no ambush!"

    At this moment, a soldier suddenly pointed to the sky in the distance and shouted: "General Ding, look!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 419 Strong Counterattack (Part 1)

    Ding Feng looked up into the sky and saw billowing black smoke appearing above the woods in the distance. Firelight flashed from time to time in the thick smoke. The fireworks shot straight into the bright and clear night sky. Ding Feng was stunned for a moment. He had already guessed this.  It was probably the Jiangxia garrison in Xiazhi County who discovered them and set fire to the city.

    "If Xiazhi County is burned down and all the secrets are burned, what's the point of them rushing to occupy the county?"  Ding Feng suddenly became anxious and shouted: "Speed ??up!"

    The ship suddenly accelerated, and sixteen long wooden oars paddled, causing the clipper to fly forward on the water. The soldiers on both sides of the strait also accelerated and ran. However, Ding Feng was not careless. He kept ordering the soldiers on both sides to pay attention to the exploration.  enemy situation.

    After walking about ten miles, a scream came from the ship ahead. Ding Feng stood up and shouted: "What happened?"

    Some soldiers shouted in horror: "General, there is something abnormal in the water!"

    Ding Feng also smelled the pungent smell. He was surprised and looked at the water surface carefully. He saw a thick layer of oil floating on the water. He stretched out his hand to fish out a handful, and his hands were covered with sticky oil.  , a thought suddenly came to his mind, 'Is this fire oil?  ¡¯

    Ding Feng had never seen the kerosene of Jiang Xia¡¯s army, but someone under his command had seen it. Someone immediately shouted: ¡°This is kerosene, Jiang Xia¡¯s army is going to burn us!¡±

    Ding Feng was shocked. He immediately ordered: "Retreat to the Yangtze River immediately!"

    The fleet on the river was in some confusion. The ships in front began to turn around, but many ships behind were still moving forward. At this moment, a raging fire suddenly appeared on the river in front, like a fast-moving fire dragon, heading towards Jiangdong Army.  The ships spread rapidly.

    Jiangdong's fleet was suddenly in chaos, and there were shouts of exclamation. All the ships desperately turned around and rowed northward. The first dozen ships capsized one after another, and the soldiers jumped into the river and swam desperately to the shore.

    ¡®Boom!  With a sound, the fire engulfed the two dozen ships in front. Dozens of soldiers were unable to escape and were instantly swallowed up by the fire. The screams resounded across the river. Fortunately, Jiangdong discovered the kerosene in time and did not go deep into the kerosene.  , except for the two dozen ships in front that were engulfed, the rest of the ships escaped from the sea of ????fire and rowed desperately toward the Yangtze River.

    The soldiers on the shore also turned around and ran.

    At this time, shouts of killing came from not far behind, and drums beat like thunder. Two thousand Jiangxia soldiers, led by General Wei Yan, chased the Jiangdong soldiers one after another. The resentment in their hearts broke out at this moment, and everyone  They all forgot the fatigue of marching and pursued them with all their strength.

    Jiangdong Army soldiers were constantly being overtaken, and many soldiers were so frightened that they knelt down and surrendered, but Wei Yan did not accept the surrender. He shouted: "Kill me, no one will be spared!"

    Spears stabbed, sabers chopped, and arrows rained down on the boats in the river, killing Jiangdong soldiers until they cried and screamed. Many people just climbed out of the water, and were chopped up by Jiangxia soldiers and kicked down the river.  Jiang Xia's army chased him for more than 20 miles in one breath and killed more than a thousand enemies before stopping the pursuit.

    But the fire in the river had a greater impact on the soldiers of the Jiangdong Army. They had already been frightened and frightened. They kept speeding up their rowing boats and fled like flying. They rowed into the Yangtze River in one breath. Ding Fengcai finally breathed a sigh of relief. He counted the warships and the number of people, and the damage was  The ship was nearly 40% full, and there were only a little over 2,000 soldiers left.

    Ding Feng let out a long sigh. Xu Sheng asked him to rush to Xiazhi County before Chaisang's defeated army and take advantage of his military strength to occupy Xiazhi County. But now he was obviously a step too late. Chaisang's defeated army had already arrived at Xiazhi County.  Pheasant County.

    Ding Feng knew that with this small army, he would not be able to conquer Xiazhi County, and his morale was low. The soldiers were frightened by the fire and had no intention of fighting anymore. More importantly, Jiangxia's army had already set fire to the city. They probably wanted what they wanted.  No more.

    After much thought, Ding Feng had no intention of fighting anymore, so he immediately ordered: "Let's set off back to Chaisang!"

    The remaining one hundred or so ships quickly sailed down the river towards Chaisang.

    At noon the next day, Li Jun led the reinforcements to Xiazhi County. He brought Liu Jing's order and ordered Wei Yan to be responsible for the defense of Xiazhi County and Yangxin County. Wuchang would soon add 10,000 troops to Xiazhi County.

    Liu Jing also ordered Wei Yan to send troops to escort the people of Yangxin County to retreat to Changsha, while the 150 soldiers who mastered oil refining technology were transferred back to Wuchang County

    At the same moment when Ding Feng failed in attacking Xiaxian County, a fleet of fifty heavy warships sailed past Chaisang under the cover of darkness and headed towards Pengze.

    This fleet is led by General Shen Mi, and has 5,000 Jiangxia navy troops. The fifty warships are all large warships of the Jiangxia army, each with more than 2,000 dan, and are equipped with large stone cannons and trebuchets, with an attack power of  Very powerful.

    This was Jia Xu¡¯s strategy. Although Xu Sheng captured Chaisang in a sneak attack, he also made the mistake of leaving the rear empty. He led most of the army to Chaisang, so Peng?There must only be a small number of soldiers guarding it, so the Jiangxia army took advantage of this loophole to counterattack Pengze. This had actually happened once before in the Battle of Chaisang, and history is often so similar.

    The distance from Chaisang to Pengze is about a hundred miles. If you travel along the river, you can reach it in just one night. At dawn, the Jiangxia fleet sailed into Pengze Lake and sailed quickly towards the Jiangdong water village twenty miles away.

    The leading warship is the third warship of the Jiangxia Army. It is four thousand stones in size and is huge. Shen Mi's burly body like a cedar tree stands on the bow, holding a single halberd and a shield. He is Gan Ning's sworn brother.  He also learned martial arts from Gan Ning.

    Although his martial arts skills on land can only be considered average, on the water, he is known as the best water warrior in Jiangxia. Even the Jinfan thief Gan Ning admitted that he is no match for him on the water.

    Shen Mi gained Liu Jing's trust and respect. When Liu Jing went to Qichun to form an alliance with Sun Quan, he was Liu Jing's personal guard. Liu Jing's respect for him was not just to let him be his personal guard, but also to cultivate him with all his strength.  Him, allowing him to stand alone and transform from a warrior to a handsome man.

    However, Shen Mi was still lacking in strategy, and Liu Jing was also worried that he would make mistakes in the battle, so he asked his counselor Liao Li to assist him. Liao Li was about thirty years old, slender and fair-skinned. He was from Wuling County and had outstanding talents and skills.  He has a good relationship with Jiang Wan.

    After the Battle of Chibi, Liu Jing became famous all over the world. Liao Li declined Liu Bei's solicitation and came to Liu Jing because of his fame. Jiang Wan recommended him to Liu Jing and became Yilang to join the military and participate in planning military affairs. This time Shen Mi  When Peng Ze went to fight alone, Liu Jing was worried that he lacked strategy, so he asked Liao Li to go with him to assist him.

    At this time, Liao Li slowly stepped forward, gently shook his feather fan and said with a smile: "There are warships on the water and camps on the shore in Pengze Water Village. How do you plan to destroy them, general?"

    Although Shen Mi was from a wealthy family, he respected knowledgeable counselors very much. He also respected Liao Li very much. He clasped his fists and saluted, saying: "The state pastor asked me to act according to the situation. I am also worried about this matter. Please give me some advice."  I."

    Liao Li smiled slightly and said, "Knowing yourself and the enemy means you will be victorious in every battle. To break the water stronghold, you must first understand the enemy's situation. If my prediction is correct, there must be a patrol boat on Pengze Lake. Why doesn't the general put on the battle flag of Jiangdong Army and lure him out?"  Come and ask them, and if you catch them, you can learn about the enemy's situation."

    Shen Mi was reminded by one word, and he slapped his forehead and said, "Mr. is still awesome!"

    He immediately ordered all the warships to be replaced with the Jiangdong Army's Dongwu battle flag, and a huge Jiangdong battle flag was hung on his mast. It was fluttering in the river wind, and the big word "Wu" was particularly conspicuous.

    Not long after, a hundred-stone patrol ship appeared in front and slowly approached the fleet. It was the sentry ship of Peng Ze's navy. Shen Mi was overjoyed. He immediately ordered a small boat to be lowered and led several navy troops to face the sentry from the slope.  The ship rushed away.

    There were five Jiangdong troops on the sentinel ship. They were deceived by Jiangdong's battle flag and came forward to inquire, but they were surrounded by Jiangxia boats.

    At this time, the sentry boat also realized that something was wrong, and turned around to run away. Shen Mi jumped onto the sentinel boat, swung his short halberd, and slashed left and right, killing three people in an instant. The remaining two soldiers were frightened out of their wits by his ferocity.  He quickly knelt down and surrendered.

    Shen Mi pointed his short halberd at the two of them and shouted: "Take these two to the big ship!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The scout patrol is like a double-edged sword. It can detect intelligence about the enemy and become a sharp blade to kill the enemy. However, if used carelessly, it can also cut one's own hands.

    Peng Ze¡¯s patrol is such a double-edged sword. From the mouths of the two patrols, Jiang Xia¡¯s army got almost all the information they wanted.

    Ten thousand troops were stationed at Chaisang and eight thousand were stationed there. There were only two thousand troops stationed in Pengze Water Village. Nearly 500 warships were moored in the water village. The military camps on the shore were almost empty.

    But what interested Shen Mi was that there was a large amount of supplies stored in the warehouse camp, including food, ordnance, tents, etc. Most of these supplies were trophies distributed by the Jiangxia Army to the Jiangdong Army during the Battle of Chibi.

    Jiang Xiajun was naturally delivered in Pengze, and Jiangdong was not transported back to Jingkou, but was stored directly in Pengzecang camp.

    ¡°Only now do I understand Zhou Mu¡¯s vision!¡±

    Shen Mi sighed and said: "Zhou Mu must get the right to distribute the spoils at the beginning. I didn't understand it at first, but now I understand how passive our actions today will be if Jiangdong Army is allowed to get Cao Army's kerosene.  ¡±

    Liao Li nodded, "Zhou Mu should have seen through Sun Quan's ambitions long ago and knew that this battle was inevitable, so he took precautions and never allowed the Jiangdong Army to obtain important supplies such as kerosene."

    Speaking of this, Liao Li smiled again and said: "Let's talk about Peng Ze! General Shen has obtained the detailed situation, how are you going to fight this battle?"

    Shen Mi bowed humbly and said: "I know exactly how to fight. The key is that Zhou Mu wants me to think more about strategy. I am really lacking in this aspect. I hope sir can teach me."I!  "

    After saying that, he looked at Liao Li expectantly

    Liao Li liked this humble and frank young general very much, and even more liked his respect for him. Liao Li stroked his beard and smiled and said: "In fact, the so-called strategy is to consider the overall situation. Don't focus on one battle, and don't just think about Peng Ze.  Consider the overall situation, consider the impact of this battle on the entire Jiangdong Army, and at the same time, let us obtain the greatest benefits. From this point of view, what should General Shen do?

    Shen Mi pondered for a while and said: "I estimate that it will be at least two or three days before the main force of Jiangdong Army arrives, but we should fight quickly. The opponent only has 2,000 people and can be defeated in one battle. The key is supplies. With so many warships and supplies,  It would be a pity to burn them all. It is better to uproot them and transport them all back to Wuchang. As for the water village that cannot be taken away, I want to burn it completely. "

    Liao Li nodded, "General Shen is absolutely right. I don't need to add anything else."

    Shen Mi was encouraged and excited, "Let Jiangdong Army have a taste of the power of my heavy ship!"

    Liao Li chuckled, "I'm looking forward to the general's methods."

    Shen Mi turned around and walked out of the cabin, striding towards the bow of the ship. He heard his order coming from a distance, "Straight into the water village!"

    The Jiangxia military fleet gradually approached the water stronghold, but the Jiangxia military warships did not stop. Instead, they hoisted giant sails and accelerated towards Pengze water stronghold driven by the strong east wind.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 420 Strong Counterattack (Part 2)

    A wise man must make a mistake after thinking a lot, not to mention that Xu Sheng is far from being a wise man. He did not even think about using the cover of darkness to cross Chaisang and sneak attack Xia Pheasant County to obtain the intelligence they dreamed of.

    He was actually just a brave general with a little bit of strategy. His eagerness for meritorious service blinded his eyes, making him focus on obtaining Chai Sang, but he forgot about the safety of his homeland.

    Of the 10,000 Jiangdong troops stationed in Pengze, Xu Sheng took away 8,000, leaving only 2,000 to guard the Pengze water village. Two thousand might be able to deal with the Japanese, but they would have to deal with the 5,000 Jiangxia troops attacking from afar.  Elite, but too far behind.

    "Boom!"

    The four-thousand-stone heavy ship used its huge hull to break the iron chain across the water village gate and rushed into Pengze Water Village. The Jiangxia archers on both sides of the ship fired arrows together, and dense arrows hit the Jiangdong soldiers on the sentry towers on both sides.  .

    Pengze Water Village uses deep-water pile driving to enclose a water area of ??tens of thousands of acres on the west bank of Pengze Lake. The dense wooden piles make it difficult for small boats to enter. The gate is about 20 feet wide and can accommodate three thousand-stone warships in parallel. Normally, they use iron chains.  Blocking the water gate, there is a huge sentry tower on each side, with fifty soldiers on each sentry tower.

    At this time, the alarm bell rang on the sentry tower, and the rapid sound of the alarm bell spread throughout the water village. The soldiers on the sentry tower struggled to block the dense arrows with their shields. People continued to be killed by arrows, and the sound of the alarm bell gradually stopped.

    At this time, another 3,000-stone Jiangxia warship came quickly. The bow was equipped with a pig iron head, and it violently rammed into the sentry tower. Amidst the screams, the sentry tower was smashed into pieces and fell down.

    Large ships sailed into Pengze Water Village. Hundreds of Jiangdong Army warships were moored on the wide water, but there were no soldiers on the warships. Obviously, the Soochow war flags hoisted by the fleet also confused the defenders in the water village.  It was too late for them to board the ship to defend themselves.

    The Jiangxia navy did not encounter any resistance. Dozens of heavy warships sailed towards the dock one after another. The sound of alarms finally woke up the Jiangxia army. 1,500 Jiangxia troops were led by Sima Huang Bing from another department.  Down, he rushed to the dock, opened his bow and fired arrows, and used dense arrows to prevent Jiang Xia's army from landing at the dock.

    Huang Bing is the son of veteran Huang Gai. He is about 30 years old and is Xu Sheng's deputy general. He was entrusted by Xu Sheng with the important task of guarding Pengze Water Village. He originally thought that the fleet of Wu Hou was arriving, but he never expected that it was the Jiangxia Army's fleet.  Raid.

    At this time, Huang Bing was extremely anxious. Although he knew that Jiangxia was likely to land from elsewhere, he did not have enough troops to disperse and deploy. He could only concentrate his forces to prevent Jiangxia's army from landing at the dock, and the other part of the army was used to protect the warehouse camp.

    The Jiangdong Army built fortifications on the dock, filled sacks with soil, and built an earthen wall about two miles long dozens of steps away from the dock. One thousand and five hundred Jiangdong soldiers hid behind the earthen wall and fired arrows.  The dense rain of arrows suppressed the Jiangxia Army's landing, making it impossible for the Jiangxia Army on board to disembark.

    At this moment, dozens of blazing fireballs flew out from the ship and roared towards the earth wall. This was Jiang Xia's army's counterattack. The fireballs rolled on the ground and crashed into the earth wall. Thick smoke billowed. Although the momentum was alarming,  , but the lethality is not strong. It cannot hurt the Jiangdong soldiers hiding behind the earth wall, nor can it stop the Jiangdong soldiers from firing arrows.

    The two sides seemed to be at a stalemate. One side could not disembark and land, and the other side could not leave the battlefield. They could only use bows and arrows to block the Jiangxia army's attack. At this time, the general Huang Bing had some doubts. He felt that the real purpose of the Jiangxia army was not to land.  But it's holding them back.

    "Could it be"

    Huang Bing looked back uneasily in the direction of Cangying. He already sensed that the Jiangxia army must have another intention. They had most likely landed from elsewhere and attacked the most important Cangying. At this time, shouts of killing were heard in the distance.  Huang Bing was shocked. He heard that it was coming from the direction of Cangying. He was immediately anxious and ordered: "The first battalion, follow me!"

    He led five hundred soldiers to leave the dock and ran towards the warehouse camp in the distance.

    Pengzecang Camp is located southwest of the military camp on the shore. It covers an area of ??several hundred acres and consists of more than 600 large tents. It is filled with food and ordnance supplies stored by Jiangdong Army in Pengze Water Village.

    Among them, four hundred large tents stored the spoils Liu Jing distributed to the Jiangdong Army after the Chibi War, including money, food, tents, ordnance, flags, war drums and other materials. Considering the need to attack Jingnan, Sun Quan did not use these materials  Transported back to Jiangdong.

    At this time, Huang Bing's guess was not wrong. Chen Mi used the strategy of making noises from the east and attacking the west, using dozens of warships and a small number of troops to attract Jiangdong soldiers at the dock. He led four thousand troops to land elsewhere and went straight to Cangying. They  The troops were so powerful that they rushed directly into the Jiangdong Army camp, quickly surrounded hundreds of soldiers from the Shougang camp, and concentrated their forces to annihilate them.

    There were only 500 Jiangdong soldiers in the Shoucang camp. They were far from able to compete with the 4,000 elite troops. In just a moment, nearly half of them were killed or injured. The remaining soldiers knelt down and surrendered.

    Shen Mi took the warehouse??, just at this moment, Huang Bing led five hundred soldiers as reinforcements. Shen Mi couldn't help but sneered and shouted: "Brothers, come up to fight!"

    Thousands of Jiangxia soldiers shouted loudly, waving swords and spears, like a rushing tide, and rushed towards Huang Bian and the 500 soldiers he led.

    This was a battle with almost no suspense. The two thousand Jiangdong defenders were far from the opponent of the five thousand Jiangxia elite troops. They were divided and annihilated one by one. More than 600 people were killed and injured, more than 1,300 people were captured, and only dozens of people were captured.  The patrol outside was able to escape, and even deputy general Huang Bing became a prisoner of Jiang Xia's army.

    Shen Mi did not waste time. He took over more than 500 warships of the Jiangdong Army and ordered the soldiers to carry all the supplies and tents on board. He was busy until night before he moved all the money, food and materials in the Pengze military camp.  , leaving only an empty camp surrounded by wooden fences.

    Shen Mi immediately ordered the camp to be set on fire, and all the water villages were burned down. Amidst the fire and thick smoke, hundreds of warships formed a huge fleet, left Pengze Lake, and returned to Jiangxia in a mighty way.

    In the confrontation between Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army, Jiangdong Army did not have a strategic advantage. On the contrary, Jiangdong was still at a strategic disadvantage. Its forces were mainly concentrated east of Wuhu, while the vast land to the west had always lacked troops to guard.

    Especially Qichun County and Jiujiang County, which are close to Jiangxia, can only rely on the troops of Pengze Water Village to garrison. This makes the defense strength of the two counties very weak, but they directly face the powerful Jiangxia County.

    Many years ago, after the Jiangdong Army was defeated in the Battle of Chaisang, Sun Quan immediately sent Lu Su to sue for peace. In fact, he was worried that Liu Jing would directly occupy Qichun County and Jiujiang County, but Liu Jing considered the long term and did not continue the attack.  Qichun County and Jiujiang County reached a reconciliation agreement with Sun Quan, which also laid the foundation for the final Chibi Alliance.

    But at this time, the Battle of Chibi has ended, and the powerful northern enemy Cao Cao retreated back to the Central Plains. This brought an unresolved case many years ago to the surface again. After six years, Liu Jing once again set his sights on Qichun.  county.

    But this time, he no longer hesitated and directly ordered the army to attack Qichun County in a large scale, pushing the land battlefield to the east side of the Yangtze River. Twenty thousand Jiangxia troops landed in Qichun County. These 20,000 people were Liu Jing's 100 soldiers from the Battle of Chibi.  A total of 30,000 elite soldiers were selected from the remaining 10,000 prisoners of war of Cao's army, and were given to the veteran Huang Zhong for training and command.

    With his excellent commanding ability, Huang Zhong successfully turned this army into an elite force of the Jiangxia Army in less than half a year. Of course, all the officers above the rank of commander of this army were from the Jiangxia Army.  Serving as a general is a necessary condition for firmly controlling this army.

    Outside Qichun County, groups of soldiers stepped off the ships and quickly assembled on the dock. Twenty thousand troops then marched eastward, while another three thousand Jiangxia troops rushed to all directions to occupy various counties in Qichun County.

    Liu Jing did not fully adopt Jia Xu's plan. Jia Xu suggested that all the people of Qichun County be driven to Jiangxia and make Qichun County an empty county. However, considering the burden on Jiangxia, Liu Jing gave up this plan and switched to Jiangxia.  Instead, he occupied Qichun, and Xiang Lang was appointed as the captain of Qichun County and also in charge of government affairs.

    In the afternoon, Liu Jing's boat slowly docked at the Qichun County pier. Liu Jing stood on the bow of the boat, staring coldly at the county town in the distance. Just last year, he and Sun Quan had their final meeting in this county town.  It has been less than a year since the alliance negotiations began, and their alliance seems so feeble in the face of interests. It has been torn to pieces in the struggle for interests.

    This made Liu Jing deeply understand what politics is, there is no friendship, there are always only mutual interests.

    At this time, Jia Xu laughed and said: "I guess Sun Quan never expected Zhou Mu's determination. He lost Qichun before the war started."

    "But he didn't suffer a loss either!"

    Liu Jing sneered and said: "Isn't it? He occupied my Chaisang, and he needs to pay the price for it. Qichun is just the first step, and then Jiujiang County. If Sun Quan is not completely defeated this time, I will  I will never let him go.¡±

    Jia Xu thought for a moment and then asked: "Why didn't Zhou Mu take back Chaisang first?"

    Liu Jing sighed slightly and said: "Chaisang is the place where I raised my troops. I have put a lot of effort into the defense of Chaisang. It only takes 5,000 men to defend against the attack of 40,000 people. Although I can recapture Chaisang,  But there is an extremely heavy price to pay, and I don¡¯t want to pay such a high price for Wei Yan¡¯s stupidity. As long as the main force of Jiangdong Army can be defeated, Jiangdong Army will have to give up Chai Sang. "

    Jia Xu nodded and said, "Has Zhou Mu considered the threat from Cao Jun?"

    ¡°Of course I¡¯ve considered it!¡±

    Liu Jing laughed, "Xiangyang is guarded by Wenpin. I'm not worried about what Cao Jun will do. Cao Jun will probably put pressure on Anlu, but they don't have warships and can't pose a real threat to me. The biggest danger is  ?The only possibility is that the warships of Jiangdong Army go north to help Cao Jun cross the river. This will be my key precaution.  "

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and thought for a moment and said: "Zhou Mu has thought carefully, but I guess Prime Minister Cao will not really send troops to help Sun Quan, but he will help Jiangdong Army from another aspect. For example, he will give Jiangdong Army a batch of kerosene."  , we can¡¯t be careless.¡±

    This sentence reminded Liu Jing that Cao Cao was indeed very likely to provide kerosene to Jiangdong's army, and he really needed to consider this.

    At this moment, a soldier on the mast looked out and shouted: "Zhou Mu, there is a fleet coming on the river!"

    Liu Jing walked quickly to the stern of the boat, and as expected, a small black spot appeared in the distance. Liu Jing stared at it for a moment, and he laughed, "I think this should be Shen Mi returning home with a full load!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 421 Secretly assassinating Chen Cang

    [I have no time to check the previous chapters, there are many mistakes, and the morning before yesterday, Lao Gao went for a physical examination and delayed the publication of the book. I would like to say sorry to everyone. To express my apology, I will publish a chapter of 5,000 words today.  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    There is an alley in the south of Wuchang County, close to the Cao River, called Xunyang Lane. There are five or six households in the alley, most of which are businessmen who rent here. The alley is quite wide, and carriages can be used. Cars usually come and go.  Make this alley very lively.

    As night fell, a man who looked like a businessman hurried into the alley on a donkey. He came to the innermost gate, jumped off the donkey's back, stepped forward and patted the door.

    An inspection hole was opened in the door, revealing a pale face. He looked at the man knocking on the door, immediately opened the door halfway, and said hurriedly: "Come in quickly, the boss is waiting for you!"

    The man led the donkey through the gate, threw the reins to the person who opened the door, walked directly to the backyard, came to a house in the backyard and knocked on the door, "Chief, I have something to report for my humble duty!"

    "Come in!" An expectant voice came from the room.

    The man pushed the door and entered the room. The lights in the room were bright. A middle-aged man was busy sitting in front of the case and writing something. He looked back at the messenger and smiled: "You must bring important information!"

    This small courtyard is Jiangdong's intelligence base in Wuchang. For more than ten years, Jingzhou has always been Jiangdong's old enemy. Since the time of Sun Jian, Jiangdong has set up a point in Jingzhou to collect intelligence. There are two intelligence points in total, one is  One is located in Xiangyang, that is, the Wangjiang Tavern outside Xiangyang City, and the other is located in Wuchang County.

    The intelligence leader in charge of Jiangxia County is this short, fat middle-aged man named Jiang Yi. He is from Soochow. He used business as a cover and has been in Jiangxia for nearly twenty years. He first inquired about Liu Biao's information.  Now it is to inquire about Liu Jing's information.

    During this period, many things happened in Jingzhou, which made Jiang Yi very busy. He sent all his men out to find out the news. After getting the news, they sent it to Jiangdong via pigeon letter.

    "However, Wuchang County strictly prohibits private pigeon raising. Their pigeons are raised in Fankou Town, and they have to go to Fankou every two days to release the pigeons.

    The man stepped forward and saluted Jiang Yi and said: "I just got the news that Pengze Water Village was destroyed by Liu Jing's five thousand troops. Today the warship came back from Pengze. I heard that Huang Bing was also captured."

    This news surprised Jiang Yi. He knew that the Jiangxia Army had sent troops to Qichun County this morning, but he didn't know that something big had happened on Peng Ze's side. He hurriedly asked: "Is the news accurate?"

    "It must be accurate. I have seen the captured Jiangdong soldiers disembarking, and there are also a large number of Jiangdong warships, all with the logo of Pengze Water Village."

    Jiang Yi thought for a moment, and immediately wrote a few more lines with a thin pen under the thin silk gauze. Then he carefully dried it, rolled it into the mailbox, handed it to his subordinate and said: "Go to Fankou immediately to deliver the letter. Go now."  !¡±

    After five days of sailing, the Jiangdong fleet arrived at Wankou. Wankou is where the Wanshui River enters the river, which is today's Anqing. There is a small town east of the Wanshui River, which is an important supply place on the Yangtze River. Jiangdong Ship  A fleet of 800 warships anchored in Wankou for three days.

    The soldiers don¡¯t know what happened?  Only core senior officials knew that Cao Jun provided 5,000 barrels of kerosene to Jiangdong's army, which was shipped from Hefei, and the fleet anchored at Wankou to wait for this batch of kerosene.

    In addition, Wankou Town is also a transfer station for pigeon messages for Jiangdong Army, and Sun Quan can also get the latest news from Jiangxia here.

    It was not far from Wankou to Pengze, and there were still two days of sailing. But in the afternoon, Sun Quan unexpectedly received a pigeon letter from Wuchang intelligence chief Jiang Yi, which reported three major events in Jiangxia.

    In the cabin, Sun Quan was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking very agitated. There was a broken cup on the ground, and the guards did not dare to go and clean it up for fear of offending Sun Quan.

    At this time, Sun Quan shouted angrily: "Why haven't the military advisors come yet?"

    "I've already gone to invite you!" the two guards said tremblingly.

    "Please go and invite me again!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Zhao's laughter came from the door, "It seems that Wu Hou is in a bad mood!"

    Zhang Zhao walked in. Sun Quan finally looked forward to seeing him. He couldn't help but sigh and said, "Some unpleasant things happened."

    Zhang Zhao glanced at the fragments of the water glass on the ground and thought to himself, 'It seems that the matter is serious!  ¡¯

    He immediately ordered the guards, "Clean up the debris on the ground."

    The two guards quickly picked up the pieces and retreated. Sun Quan finally calmed down, waved his hand and said, "Commander, please take a seat!"

    Zhang Zhao sat down and asked with a smile: "I wonder what unpleasant things happened?"

    Sun Quan took out the re-copied information and handed it to Zhang Zhao, "The military advisor himself??Look!  "

    Zhang Zhao took the letter and read it, frowning slightly. The letter mentioned three major events. First, the Jiangxia army had recaptured Xiangyang and drove Cao's army across the Han River. Secondly, the Jiangxia army sent tens of thousands of troops to Qichun County.  Having already occupied Qichun County, the third major event was that Jiang Xia's army raided Pengze Water Village, and Huang Bing was unfortunately captured.

    Seeing this, Zhang Zhao sighed in his heart. When he heard that Xu Sheng's surprise attack on Chaisang was successful a few days ago, he was worried that Pengze's water stronghold was empty and would be attacked by Jiangxia's army. However, Wu Hou was ecstatic and praised Xu Sheng's ability. He  He didn't dare to mention Peng Ze's matter, so as not to dampen Wu Hou's interest, but now it seems that his worries are not unnecessary.

    Zhang Zhao can understand that Wu Hou is in a bad mood, especially the last two news, which can be said to have dealt a heavy blow to Wu Hou's confidence.

    But Zhang Zhao also knew that now he needed to boost Wu Hou's confidence and not let his bad mood affect his morale. Zhang Zhao smiled slightly and said: "Actually, we didn't have much loss. Peng Ze was swept away, and it was nothing more than money, food and materials."  We were taken away by the Jiangxia Army, but if we defeat the Jiangxia Army and capture Wuchang, the supplies hoarded in the Wuchang warehouse will be ten times that of Peng Ze.

    Secondly, Qichun has a sparse population and has little impact on Jiangdong. Although the Jiangxia Army has occupied it, we can just take it back. The Jiangxia Army is easy to obtain, but it is equally easy to lose it.  "

    Sun Quan sighed, "But without Qichun County, our navy will not be able to join General Cheng's army and form a superior force."

    Zhang Zhao thought for a while and said: "This is easy, so we will change the plan and build a water stronghold in Chaisang. We will use Chaisang as a garrison base to compete with the Jiangxia army, and then use ships to bring General Cheng's army to Chaisang."  , plus we also have kerosene, our chance of winning is at least 50%.¡±

    Fortunately, Xu Sheng captured Chaisang, which comforted Sun Quan's depressed mood a little. The merits and demerits were balanced, and he was not prepared to punish Xu Sheng.

    But when talking about kerosene, Sun Quan thought of Cao Cao's treachery, and couldn't help but said bitterly: "Cao Cao's army was clearly driven across the Han River, and he also promised to attack Jiangxia's army from behind. This is obviously a trap for me. If you believe what he said, I can count on it."  If he comes to attack Jiangxia's army from behind, I must die in his hands."

    Zhang Zhao knew in his heart that this was Cao Cao's poisonous plan. He hoped that both Jiangdong Army and Jiangxia Army would suffer losses, and making Cheng Pu the governor of Nanjun was Cao Cao's plan to sow discord, but he couldn't say this now.

    Zhang Zhao said slowly: "This time Cao Cao defeated Jingzhou. He had a deep hatred for Liu Jing in his heart, but he was unable to march south again, so he wanted to use our hands to eradicate Liu Jing. Although he was using us,  However, we have a common interest in annihilating Liu Jing.

    This is also the reason why Cao Cao gave us kerosene, but we did not lose anything. On the contrary, the kerosene provided by Cao Cao was of great help to us, allowing us to compete with the Jiangxia army on the river, so Wu Hou did not need to care about Cao Cao's  Attitude, from a pragmatic point of view, cooperation with Cao Cao still brings more benefits than disadvantages to us.  "

    Zhang Zhao¡¯s hard advice made Sun Quan¡¯s angry mood gradually improve. He forced a smile and said, ¡°Thank you, military advisor, for your guidance. I feel much better now.¡±

    Zhang Zhao chuckled, "That's how it should be. Before the war even started, Wu Hou's confidence was shattered by Liu Jing. This is not okay."

    Sun Quan nodded, "I understand."

    At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and the joyful voice of my sister Sun Shangxiang was heard outside the door, "Brother, there is a ship coming from behind. The kerosene sent by Cao Jun should have arrived."

    The reason why Sun Shangxiang went out with the army this time was naturally due to Sun Quan's foresight. In fact, he was already thinking about his future. As the lord of Jiangdong, he could not go all the way. He could depose Zhou Yu and alienate Lu Su. This was just a matter of course.  This gesture, but he must also leave something behind.

    After all, Zhou Yu¡¯s words were still echoing in Sun Quan¡¯s ears. Their strength was already weaker than Jiang Xia¡¯s army. After all, they were defeated by Jiang Xia¡¯s army seven years ago. The painful experience seemed like it happened yesterday. How could he forget it.

    Sun Quan quickly glanced at Zhang Zhao and saw a strange look in his eyes. He smiled bitterly and explained: "With such a fierce sister, no brother can worry."

    Sun Quan was referring to the affairs of the Gu family in Soochow. Of course Zhang Zhao knew about the Gu family's affairs. Sun Shangxiang rejected the Gu family's marriage with three arrows, which had caused a sensation in the city.

    Not only that, Sun Shangxiang wore armor and held weapons every day, demonstrating in front of the Gu family, forcing Gu Yong to publicly announce that the Gu family would not consider marrying Wu Hou for the time being, which finally calmed down the marriage turmoil.

    Zhang Zhao also knew that Sun Quan was very angry with his sister, but if he was afraid that his sister would get into trouble again, he could just ground her, so why bring her along with him on the expedition?

    Zhang Zhao also laughed and went straight out of the cabin without saying anything else.

    Sun Shangxiang is no longer outside the cabin,?Quickly walked to the bow of the ship and watched the transport fleet coming from Hefei from a distance. She was wearing gold-inlaid thin scale armor, a silk ribbon around her waist, a silver helmet on her head, leather boots on her feet, and a green moon sword on her waist.  The eagle bow and golden feather arrows shot from her back make her even more slender and heroic, just like a thorny rose blooming on the river.

    This was her second expedition with the army. When she was very young, her eldest brother Sun Ce took her on an expedition to Lujiang. That expedition left an unforgettable impression on her.

    It is precisely because of this that she admires her powerful eldest brother deep in her heart, and it also makes her have extremely harsh conditions for her future husband.

    She takes her eldest brother Sun Ce as the criterion for choosing a son-in-law, and cannot tolerate that the person she will sleep with in the future is a weak and powerless scholar. She wants to marry a world hero like her eldest brother Sun Ce.

    This expedition made Sun Shangxiang full of excitement. She could finally conquer the battlefield and fight for the country like a man.

    At this time, the fleet approaching from a distance slowly stopped, and a patrol ship came over to report that it was the fleet carrying 5,000 barrels of kerosene. The arrival of 5,000 barrels of kerosene undoubtedly greatly boosted the morale of the Jiangdong Army.  , an hour later, the fleet set sail again, heading toward Chaisang.

    Although Chaisang experienced a sudden change overnight, there was not much commotion among the people in Chaisang. There was only a slight panic among the people.

    The key is that Xu Sheng did not order a massacre of the city, nor did he go from house to house to plunder money, which stabilized the situation in Chaisang.

    However, Xu Sheng still ordered the entire city to be under martial law and not allow ordinary people to go to the streets. He only gave an hour at noon to allow people to go to the streets to buy vegetables and rice.

    Five days have passed since the fall of Chaisang, and Chaisang City has calmed down from the initial panic. At the same time, the Jiangxia Army has not launched a large-scale counterattack to seize the city. Except for the occasional appearance of some Jiangxia patrol ships on the river, the Jiangxia Army has no more  Any movement.

    This allowed Jiangdong Army to gradually stabilize and completely control Chaisang City. The martial law began to loosen and the daytime martial law was cancelled. However, the night curfew continued. At the same time, the city gates that had been closed were also opened during the day, allowing the city to  Farmers from outside the city come to the city to sell rice and vegetables.

    In the early morning of this morning, hundreds of vegetable farmers were crowded outside Chaisangxi City who were anxiously waiting for the opening of the city. They were carrying fish, shrimps, fresh meat, various vegetables, poultry and eggs. For them, it was rare to have good business these days, and the prices were very low.  The price has increased by 50%, and it is extremely popular. It is always sold out within an hour. Some farmers run two or three times a day and have a good harvest.

    Behind the crowd followed a dozen oxcarts, which were also loaded with various agricultural products. A triangular flag was placed on the shed of the leading oxcart with the word "Zhu" written on it. This is the estate of the Zhu family, the largest family of Chaisang.  Delivery into town.

    The most prominent family in Chaisang was originally the Tao family, but as the Tao family business slowly moved to Wuchang, less than 30% of the Tao family members in Chaisang's Tao Mansion were left. Tao Qun was in charge, and another big family, the Zhou family, was  In the 1980s, they gradually moved to Jiangdong, leaving only the Zhu family in Chaisang.

    At this time, the city gate finally opened slowly, and the farmers waiting anxiously outside swarmed in. The soldiers guarding the city hurriedly stopped them, "Don't panic, come one by one, and you can only enter the city after checking the cards!"

    Although Xu Sheng lifted the daytime martial law and opened the city gates, the defenses were quite tight. Generally, they were only allowed in but not allowed out. Even farmers who came to sell vegetables in the city had to verify their temporarily issued waist badges. Only farmers selling vegetables outside the city and  Only the farms of wealthy families delivering goods can enter and exit the city gate.

    ?????????? Those who come from out of town to study and visit relatives, as well as soldiers and merchants are not allowed to enter the city, and commercial ships are not allowed to dock. For the Jiangdong Army, now is a war period, and they must follow the rules during the war.

    In fact, any rules must be enforced by people. If the enforcement is not strict, there will be loopholes. For example, some farmers do not have to go to the city, but they can also apply for a badge and sell it to outsiders who are eager to enter the city.  , which is an income.

    There are also loopholes in the delivery people of the farm. If they have a large number of people traveling with them, they can collect money and bring people from outside the city into the city. It is impossible to interrogate them one by one.

    Therefore, if a densely populated city like Chaisang wants to maintain stability, it cannot be too repressive. It is inevitable that there will be loopholes. However, if the prevention is strengthened, it is better than nothing. At least hundreds of river thieves will not sneak into the city again.

    The farmers selling vegetables all had waist badges. After searching and verifying them one by one, they carried their loads into the city. At this time, more than twenty ox carts approached the city gate and were immediately stopped by soldiers. The leader of the steward quickly took out a waist badge and said  : "We are Magistrate Zhu's farm outside the city, and we are here to deliver goods to the master's house!"

    Magistrate Zhu is also Zhu Xun. He was the county magistrate appointed by Liu Jing. However, since the Zhu family was the largest family of Chaisang, Xu Sheng still ordered Zhu Xun to continue to serve as the county magistrate in order to control Chaisang and stabilize the situation in Chaisang.  .

    Hearing that it was a delivery to the county magistrate¡¯s house, the soldiers guarding the city quickly went to report it.Officer, after a moment, a military lord walked out of the city quickly. The other party had a badge allowing him to enter the city. It was not a big problem, but there seemed to be too many people.

    The Marquis looked at the oxcarts and saw that each oxcart had a driver, a total of thirty people. He frowned and said: "General Xu has an order that no more than ten people can enter the city together at one time. How many of you are there?"  Too much."

    The steward quickly and quietly handed the Marquis an ingot of five taels of gold, bowed and said, "We have twenty-five bullock carts, and we need at least twenty-five people to drive them. General, can you be accommodating?"

    The Marquis pinched the gold, which was quite solid. Seeing the gold, he didn't want to embarrass them too much, so he ordered his men, "Give them two more cards!"

    He said to the steward with a straight face: "There are strict orders from above. I can't violate them. Only ten people can enter at a time. You can do it yourself!"

    This is called policy from above and countermeasures from below. Xu Sheng was not allowed to enter the city with ten people at a time. The defenders below got the advantage and divided the thirty people into three, which was not considered a violation of the order.

    The steward knew this well and immediately divided the ox carts into three teams. Everyone entered the city separately, each holding a waist card. The soldiers searched and found no problems, so they were released into the county town.

    Three teams of ox carts entered the city and headed south of the city. They passed by Tao Mansion and saw soldiers guarding the gate of Tao Mansion. They were tightly guarded and no one was allowed to enter. The steward couldn't help but shook his head. This time Jiangdong Army occupied Chaisang.  The Tao family was obviously the first to suffer.

    Not long after, the ox cart arrived in front of the Zhu Mansion. The housekeeper of Zhu Mansion had already been waiting at the door with his servants. Seeing that the delivery ox cart finally arrived, everyone was overjoyed and hurriedly led the ox cart into the house. At this time  , the manager of the oxcart whispered to the housekeeper: "I have something very important to see the master, please inform me!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 422 Zhuge is on an envoy

    The head of the Zhu family is still Zhu Liang, the father of Zhu Xun. At that time, Zhu Liang donated half of the family's land under his son's persuasion, which was highly praised by Liu Jing. His son Zhu Xun was also promoted to the magistrate of Chaisang County. Over the years,  Zhu Xun also worked really hard to manage Chaisang in an orderly manner, business was prosperous, people lived and worked in peace and contentment, the society was very stable, and a large amount of money, grain, and taxes were paid every year.

    There are also rumors within Jiangxia that Zhu Xun will be promoted to Changsha County Magistrate this year, which makes Zhu Liang very happy. He looks forward to the arrival of April every day. Unexpectedly, something unexpected happens, and the Jiangdong Army's sneak attack shatters Zhu Liang's dream.

    The fall of Chaisang made it difficult for Zhu Liang to sleep for several days. It was not the fall of Chaisang itself, which had nothing to do with him. The key was that his son accepted Xu Sheng's order and continued to serve as the magistrate of Chaisang County.

    This is when Zhu Liang fell into a kind of uneasiness and panic. Is his son the county magistrate of Jingzhou or the county magistrate of Jiangdong?  If he were the county magistrate of Jiangdong, wouldn't he surrender and betray Jingzhou?

    Zhu Liang was sitting on pins and needles in the study. At this time, the housekeeper came to report that Manager Li of the manor wanted to see something. Zhu Liang thought that something had happened to the manor, and his heart became knotted again. He immediately said: "Let him in!"

    After a while, Manager Li of the manor walked into the room, knelt down and bowed, took out a letter and said: "Last night, someone from Wuchang came to me and asked me to give this letter to the master!"

    Zhu Liang was stunned. He slowly took the letter. Suddenly, he stood up in shock. This letter turned out to be an autographed letter from Zhou Mu. He was trembling all over. He opened the letter after a long while and started to read it tremblingly.  .

    Liu Jing's tone in the letter was very gentle. First of all, he appreciated Zhu Xun's efforts for the prosperity of Chaisang over the years. He could understand that Zhu Xun did not abandon the city and flee, but stayed to protect the people of Chaisang at the expense of his own reputation.  .

    Zhu Liang suddenly breathed a long sigh of relief. He was grateful for Liu Jing's tolerance. He continued to read. In the second half of the letter, Liu Jing asked the Zhu family to adhere to their principled position and contribute to the Jiangxia Army's recovery of Chaisang.

    Zhu Liang sighed, Chaisang fell, the Tao family was closely monitored, and Liu Jing found him. Of course he understood the danger, but he had no choice. After thinking about it, Zhu Liang asked the steward again: "Wuchang still has  Is there anything I can tell you?"

    Manager Li hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice: "The thirty guys I brought this time are actually soldiers of the Jiangxia Army. They asked to be hidden in our house."

    Zhu Liang's legs trembled with fear. It was coming so soon. But now that the matter was over, he could not report the matter. Their family's land was all in Chaisang. Unless they didn't want to live anymore, he lowered his head and thought for a while and said: "  I remember there are rules when entering the city: as many people come in as many people go out, and you are not allowed to spend the night in the city, right?"

    Manager Li nodded, "That's the rule."

    Zhu Liang sighed and said: "Then I will find thirty more people from the house and let you take them out! In addition, please invite their leader to come over. I want to talk to him."

    Manager Li went out, and after a while he brought a thin man. Zhu Liang was surprised, "It turns out to be General Liu!"

    The person who came was none other than Liu Zheng. Not only him, but the thirty people he brought were all elites of the Eagle Attack Army. Although Liu Jing would not attack Chai Sang for the time being, it did not mean that he would give up Chai Sang.

    Liu Zheng grinned, "So the old man knows me?"

    Zhu Liang smiled bitterly, "I'm afraid there are not many people in Jiangxia who don't know General Liu."

    Liu Zheng touched his face and said with a smile: "It seems that I really can't go out on the street, otherwise it will cause a sensation in the whole city."

    Zhu Liang had no intention of joking with him and said quickly: "This is exactly what I want to say to General Liu. Please feel free to stay in the mansion and I will make arrangements."

    The smile on Liu Zheng's face disappeared, he shook his head and said: "Thank you very much, Mr. Zhu, for your kindness, but I have a mission, and I will arrange what I have to do myself. In addition, I want to see Magistrate Zhu, and ask Mr. Zhu to help make arrangements.  "

    Zhu Liang had no choice but to nod his head, "I will send someone to find him right now."

    Just when the situation in Jiangxia was on the verge of breaking out, Liu Bei's special envoy finally arrived belatedly. Zhuge Liang took his wife and daughter to Jiangxia unexpectedly.

    Liu Bei originally planned to send Jian Yong as an envoy to Jiangxia, but just as Jian Yong was preparing to leave, Liu Bei unexpectedly received news that Jiangxia troops had occupied Xiling County.

    This made Liu Bei suspicious and anxious. He suspected that Liu Jing also wanted to capture Bashu. However, Liu Jing had promised him not to capture Bashu because of Zhao Yun's affairs.

    After careful consideration, Liu Bei decided to send Zhuge Liang as envoy to Jiangxia to test Liu Jing's attitude.

    Of course, the test can only be an insinuation, but Zhuge Liang's excuse for coming was to conquer Jiangxi. He came to express his position on Liu Bei's behalf.

    Liu Bei is grateful to Liu Jing in exchange for Liu Chan. The Jingnan army will never cooperate with Jiangdong to attack Nanjun.It doesn't matter whether Jingnan's army has the ability to cross the river.

    At the same time, Zhuge Liang also brought his wife Huang Yueying and daughter Aguo to Jiangxia. Huang Yueying and Tao Zhan had not seen each other for many years.

    Jiangxia Horse Farm is located about sixty miles northeast of Wuchang County, close to Wuchang Lake. It is a wilderness grassland full of alfalfa.

    The original horse farm was only 2,000 acres, but after several years of development, it has expanded to 5,000 acres, with a forest covering an area of ??100 acres and a lake of the same size in the middle.

    This is a vast southern pasture with warmth and humidity that is not found in the north. The lakes and waters are beautiful, and the trees are beautiful, which makes people forget to leave.

    Thousands of war horses are raised in the pasture, mostly ponies and stallions. Once the war horses reach adulthood, they will be equipped with the army, either as independent cavalry or assigned to army scouts. Over the past few years, this horse farm has provided Jiangxia Army with nearly five horses.  Thousands of war horses.

    On a gentle slope with green grass, Tao Zhan and Huang Yueying each rode a white horse slowly, followed by several female guards, who followed carefully on horseback to protect them.

    Huang Yueying only knows how to ride a horse. She heard that these are real war horses that run like flying on the battlefield. She seemed very nervous. However, after following Tao Zhan for two miles, she found that this war horse was not fierce. On the contrary, it was very  She was docile, as if she knew she couldn't ride a horse, so she walked slowly and slowly.

    Huang Yueying couldn't help but smile and asked Tao Zhan: "Jiuniang, is this really a war horse? So docile!"

    Tao Zhan wore a light green dress and looked as gorgeous as a peach blossom. Although she and Huang Yueying hadn't seen each other for several years, their relationship was not estranged. They had kept in touch with each other through letters. Huang Yueying came to Wuchang this time to make Tao Zhan happy.  Extraordinarily, the reception was extremely attentive, as if they wanted to make up for the shortcomings of several years.

    She pursed her lips and smiled: "This is a horse specially chosen for you. How can a real war horse be so docile?"

    At this moment, nearly a hundred war horses came galloping in the wilderness from afar, their hooves hitting the ground like thunder, roaring past them not far away.

    Huang Yueying had never seen such a fast and powerful galloping horse. She couldn't help being startled, and she couldn't control the horse. A female guard quickly held the reins and stabilized the horse.

    Tao Zhan had seen Jiangxia Army cavalry training. She was not surprised. She smiled and said, "Have you seen it? Those are real war horses. They run like thunder. Only real warriors can tame them."

    However, women are not interested in war horses by nature, so the two of them quickly turned their attention to the lake in the distance. It was a bay with steep mountains and lush trees on both sides. There was a small island in the middle of the bend of the lake, and the lake and mountains reflected each other.  , very quiet, picturesque, like a fairyland on earth.

    Huang Yueying couldn't help but praise: "The lake is as blue as a gem. I didn't expect there to be such beautiful scenery here."

    Tao Zhan was also intoxicated by the scenery of the lake and mountains in the distance. Her eyes were blurred, and she turned to look at Liu Jing in the distance. She wanted to talk to her husband about buying the island in the lake, but she saw him and Zhuge Liang riding slowly side by side.  Okay, the two of them are talking about something, so I won¡¯t interrupt.

    Tao Zhan saw the little girl playing with her two children on a piece of grass by the lake again, and he smiled and said, "Let's go see the children!"

    Huang Yueying nodded happily, the two dismounted and walked quickly towards the lake.

    Liu Jingzheng and Zhuge Liang were riding slowly on horseback. Zhuge Liang looked around and said with a smile: "This area has a broad view, beautiful scenery, and is refreshing. It is also a horse farm. I can't believe that this is actually the south."

    Zhuge Liang used to admire the scenery to cover up his shock. He finally understood why Jiang Xia Army had cavalry, and also saw the price Jiang Xia Army had paid for raising horses for many years. This was something Jing Nan Army could not bear no matter what.

    He felt sad. From a horse farm, he saw the huge difference between the Jingnan Army and the Jiangxia Army, not to mention the water army, kerosene and the unique heavy armored infantry of the Jiangxia Army.

    Liu Jing quickly glanced at Zhuge Liang, smiled slightly and asked: "Isn't there such a flat place in Wuling?"

    Zhuge Liang sighed and said: "The mountains around Wuling are undulating, and there are few such vast wilderness. Even if there is, it is used for farming, and it cannot be used to raise horses. More importantly, there are no good horses for breeding, and there is no national strength to raise horses."  ¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "That's true!"

    Zhuge Liang arrived in Wuchang yesterday, and today was the second time he met with Liu Jing. Although Liu Bei's promise not to cooperate with the Jiangdong Army's march north won Liu Jing and Jiangxia's senior officials polite thanks, that was not the real purpose of Zhuge Liang's mission to Jiangxia.

    Zhuge Liang thought for a moment and asked slowly: "I wonder what Zhou Mu will plan after finishing this battle?"

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly and said, "I never have any long-term plans. In fact,??I haven't stopped since the year before last. War after war has dragged me down to exhaustion and I have no time for long-term thinking.  "

    Zhuge Liang, of course, knew that Liu Jing was not sincere. He smiled and said: "How come Zhou Mu doesn't have lofty ambitions? I feel that the morale of the Jiangxia army is strong. How can an army that can defeat Cao Cao be content with Jiangxia?"

    "Mr. Kong Ming doesn't know what Jiangxia is. Jiangxia has a small territory and a small population. It is really unbearable for several consecutive wars. After the Chibi War, Jiangxia's national power was on the verge of collapse. We had to watch Cao Cao calmly retreat.  I had to march into Nanjun and Xiangyang after a few months. This time Chaisang was attacked by surprise. I could only swallow my anger and use my limited resources to deal with the Jiangdong Army. If I were lucky enough to win, Jiangxia would rest for three or four years, and the Jiangxia Army would also  I will recharge my batteries, I won¡¯t be able to expand outside for at least three years.¡±

    This time, it was Zhuge Liang's turn to smile bitterly. No matter how he insinuated things, Liu Jing was still leaking. However, this just showed that Liu Jing's plan could not be known to him.

    After contacting Liu Jing and leading his army to Xiling County, Zhuge Liang keenly deduced that even if Liu Jing didn't say it, his strategic goal was already self-evident.

    Thinking of this, Zhuge Liang asked calmly: "When I came, the emperor wanted to know about Zilong's situation. I wonder how he is doing?"

    Zhuge Liang just reminded Liu Jing, 'At the beginning, you promised Uncle Liu not to take Bashu first and use Zhao Yun in exchange.  ¡¯

    Unexpectedly, Liu Jing shook his head, "The emperor's uncle promised Zilong to be loyal to me, but in fact, the emperor's uncle did not fulfill his promise. I have tried to confer a title on Zilong three times, but he declined. Frankly speaking, I  Very disappointed with Uncle Liu Huang¡¯s promise.¡±

    Zhuge Liang was stunned and asked quickly: "I wonder where General Zilong is now?"

    "I don't know either. I heard that he went back to his hometown to visit his parents' graves. Mr. Kong Ming, please tell Uncle Liu when he goes back. I hope he can fulfill his promise as soon as possible."

    Zhuge Liang was silent, he was a smart man, he knew that there was no point in asking about Bashu anymore.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 423 Night plot in Bashu

    Despite Liu Jing's repeated pleas to stay, Zhuge Liang decided to return to Gong'an County that night. In fact, Zhuge Liang knew that Liu Bei's permission to bring his wife and daughter to Wuchang was actually a kind of trust in him.

    But if you think deeply, this is also Liu Bei's worry and tactic. He is also afraid that Zhuge Liang will defect to Jiangxia, so he lets him take his wife and daughter with him. If Zhuge Liang does not come back, then he has a moral problem.  .

    Not only that, but a more important reason is that Zhuge Liang is basically certain that Liu Jing's next goal is Bashu, and he must go back as soon as possible to discuss countermeasures with Liu Bei.

    It is necessary to seize the strategic initiative in Bashu before the end of the Jiangdong Army's Western Expedition. Either Liu Zhang invites the Jingnan Army to enter Shu, or launches a surprise attack to occupy Badong County.

    " However, Zhuge Liang's daughter Zhuge Guo seemed to be a little sick and could not travel long distances. Coupled with Tao Zhan's diligent efforts to stay, Zhuge Liang decided to go back first and let his wife and daughter stay in Jiangxia for a while.

    On the pier, Zhuge Liang said goodbye to Military Advisor Jia Xu and Changshi Xu Shu who came to see him off. "Please ask Military Advisor Jia and Xu Changshi to convey my gratitude to Liu Zhoumu for me and thank him for his hospitality. Kong Ming will remember it in his heart."

    Jia Xu also returned the gift with a hand and said with a smile: "I also wish Mr. Zhuge a safe journey and take care!"

    "Take care!" Xu Shu said, cupping his hands.

    The boat left the dock, raised the sail and sailed towards the north. Xu Shu watched Zhuge Liang go away and sighed softly. Zhuge Liang came to Jiangxia yesterday and left again today. He only said one sentence to himself, "  Xu Changshi, long time no see!  ¡¯

    It was this short sentence that made him feel quite a bit. He and Zhuge Liang were close friends back then. Since the two embarked on different official careers, their friendship seemed to have died.

    On the contrary, it is women. The friendship between Huang Yueying and Tao Zhan has not been affected. They still have such a deep friendship after not seeing each other for several years. It has to be lamented that the struggle for interests has made the friendship so pale.

    Thinking of this, Xu Shu couldn't help but sigh again and said to Jia Xu: "Has the military advisor felt that Kong Ming's mood seems not to be optimistic?"

    Jia Xu also felt that Zhuge Liang was preoccupied and said with a smile: "Maybe Zhuge Liang got information that they didn't want to face."

    "The military advisor refers to Bashu?" Xu Shu asked cautiously.

    Jia Xu nodded, "I think it's because he came yesterday and left today. He probably got some unfavorable information at the racecourse. I wonder what Zhou Mu said to him?"

    At this time, a guard came out of the darkness and saluted Xu Shu and Jia Xu, "The governor of the state asked Chang Shi and the military advisor to go to the mansion to discuss important matters."

    Xu Shu and Jia Xu looked at each other, and they understood each other. Jia Xu smiled and said, "Since Zhou Mu invites you, let's go!"

    The two happily got on the carriage and drove towards the city under the escort of more than a dozen cavalry.

    In the darkness, two maids carried lanterns and led Jia Xu and Xu Shu through a long corridor and walked quickly to Liu Jing's outer study.

    Jia Xu has been thinking about Zhuge Liang's affairs. Zhuge Liang was in a sad mood before leaving, which filled his heart with curiosity. He wanted to know what Liu Jing and Zhuge Liang talked about at the ranch?  Although he guessed that it was about Bashu, he couldn't figure out Liu Jing's attitude. Was Liu Jing planning to fight on both sides?

    Arriving at the door of the study, a guard immediately reported: "Reporting to the state pastor, the chief historian and military advisor are here!"

    "Please come in!" Liu Jing's voice came from the room, and her voice was quite pleasant.

    Jia Xu felt a little relieved, and a smile appeared on his face. At this moment of the war, the lord's willpower was extremely important, and even related to the final success or failure of the war.

    Liu Jing's cheerful tone made Jia Xu and Xu Shu feel more confident.

    The two pushed the door and entered the room. The room was brightly lit. Liu Jing was standing in front of the wall, looking at the map on the wall. He turned around and saw the two people coming in. With thoughts in his eyes, he smiled and said, "It seems that Kong Ming can walk easily."  Not happy."

    The two of them did not answer Liu Jing's curiosity, but stepped forward and saluted, "See Zhou Mu!"

    "You two, please take a seat!"

    Liu Jing asked them to sit down and ordered the maid to serve tea. Then she smiled at Xu Shu and said, "I think Yuan Zhi must have the deepest feelings, right?"

    Xu Shu smiled bitterly and said, "Zhou Mu is right. It's an uncomfortable feeling for former friends to become strangers."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Actually, there is no need to overestimate Yuan Zhi. This time Zhuge Liang came with a heavy responsibility. The pressure he was under made him not in the mood to reminisce with Yuan Zhi. When he relaxes one day, I think he will remember the past.  Longzhong friendship.¡±

    At this time, Jia Xu next to him asked: "Does Zhou Mu plan to start a war on both fronts at the same time?"

    LiuJing looked at him and couldn't help laughing: "It's not the style of a military advisor to ask such a frank question!"

    Jia Xu's face turned slightly red, he leaned over and said with a smile: "I have been thinking about this in my heart, please forgive Zhou Mu."

    ¡°First of all, it¡¯s wrong for you to say ¡®plan¡¯!¡±

    Liu Jing smiled faintly and said: "The decision to start a war on the two fronts is such an important one. How could I make it without discussing it with you? But the situation in Bashu is indeed urgent. If we wait until we finish fighting the east before looking at Bashu, I'm afraid it will be too late."  It¡¯s too late, so we may not start a war, but Bashu must take action first.¡±

    "Why is the first one to move?" Jia Xu can always grasp the core point.

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "We don't have that much strength to fight on two fronts, but the battle with Jiangdong cannot be completed in a day or two. If we focus too much on Jiangdong, we will miss Xiyu and let Liu Bei succeed in conquering Bashu, so we are also in the west."  Something must be done, a county must be captured.¡±

    Xu Shu pondered for a moment and asked: "The action Zhou Mu mentioned refers to Wucheng County?"

    ¡°It¡¯s not Wucheng County!¡±

    Liu Jing slowly shook his head, "To be precise, it is Zigui County. Occupying Zigui County will block Liu Bei's army from advancing westward, and Wucheng will become an isolated city. I have handed over this matter to Li Yan and hope that he will  Do not disappoint me."

    When Jia Xu heard this, he frowned slightly, "But if this happens, will Liu Zhang suspect that we have an intention to take over Bashu, and instead collude with Liu Bei?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "It is indeed possible, and Liu Bei has successfully persuaded Liu Zhang to cooperate with him to fight against Cao's army going south. Now that Cao Cao has retreated north, their cooperation has been temporarily stopped, but Liu Bei will definitely replace Cao Cao with me.  "

    "But why did Liu Zhang believe Liu Bei's words?" Xu Shu asked puzzledly.

    "Maybe Liu Bei is weak!"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "It's like a fight between several people. People who are short and thin are the easiest to be ignored. Liu Bei is such a short and thin person. Liu Zhang thinks that he is unable to conquer Bashu, so he believes in him and adds  It¡¯s because of the special relationship between Liu Zhang¡¯s father Liu Yan and Liu Bei.¡±

    Jia Xu pondered for a moment and said, "Even if Liu Zhang is stupid and unintelligent, what about the people around Liu Zhang? Zhang Song and Wu Yi, these are wise people, do they also believe it?"

    Liu Jing took out a letter and handed it to Jia Xu: "This is a letter written by Sima Yi. It tells the current situation inside Bashu. You should read it first!"

    Liu Jing has read the letter written by Sima Yi several times. Only then did he realize that the internal relationship between Bashu and Shu was very complicated, involving decades of struggle between local forces in Bashu and Dongzhou scholars.

    Most of the Dongzhou scholars are Jingzhou nobles and Sanfu nobles. In the eyes of the Bashu scholars, Liu Jing is the backer of the Dongzhou scholars, so Liu Jing's enemies naturally become the targets of the Bashu nobles. For this reason,  Talents such as Zhang Song and Wu Yi would support the alliance between Liu Zhang and Liu Bei.

    Jia Xu handed the letter to Xu Shu again. He sighed and said, "It seems that capturing Bashu is more complicated than we thought."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Although Liu Zhang is not blindly mediocre and cowardly, he is indeed an incompetent person. With the wealth of Bashu, he has not been able to win a Hanzhong for decades. He wants to maintain the conflict between the Bashu gentry and the Dongzhou gentry.  His rule never allowed the two to truly surrender to him, and in the end he faced the fate of being abandoned by the Bashu gentry and the Dongzhou gentry. "

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing sighed slightly, "Now the situation in the south has changed greatly. Both the Dongzhou scholars and the Bashu gentry have the idea of ??abandoning him. It's just that the Dongzhou gentry prefers me, while the Bashu gentry prefers Liu Bei. This is  The biggest challenge we will face.¡±

    There was silence in the room, and for a moment Xu Shu asked: "So Zhou Mu wants to start from Zigui."

    "Exactly!"

    Having said this, Liu Jing straightened his back and said to the two of them: "The most urgent task is to capture Zigui before Zhuge Liang returns."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 424 Western Front Layout (Part 1)

    In Liu Jing's strategic plan for Bashu, Xiling County is undoubtedly the first fulcrum, but it is only a starting point, not the strategic key point that affects the overall situation, and this strategic key point is not far from Xiling County.  A hundred miles away, it is Zigui County.

    Zigui County is an extremely important county in the Three Gorges. It was once the place where Qu Yuan was exiled. It is the choke point of the entire Three Gorges and the first Yangtze River crossing after leaving the Three Gorges. If Liu Bei's army wants to support Wucheng, they may even march into Bashu.  They could only cross the river and go north from Zigui County, so taking Zigui County would also cut off Liu Bei's army's westward passage.

    Due to the terrain, Zigui County is not wide, with a circumference of about fifteen miles. Although Zigui County is not large, it is built on the mountain. It is very tall and strong, easy to defend and difficult to attack.  The husband has no power to open up.

    Zigui County is currently under the control of Liu Bei's army. General Mi Fang leads 2,000 people to garrison Zigui County. The county has a population of about 10,000 people. In addition to farming, it mainly relies on transit commerce as its economic pillar.

    Since Zigui County is located at an important transportation hub, its transit trade is very prosperous. A large amount of goods from Jingnan and Nanjun are collected in Zigui and then transported to Bashu.

    At the same time, the materials shipped from Bashu were also diverted in Zigui, either crossing the river to Jingnan, or continuing eastward to Jiangling and Xiangyang, or even boarding ships in Xiling County for transportation to the more distant Jiangdong.

    Every day, dozens of caravans with nearly a thousand people enter and leave Zigui County, making the inns, taverns and even brothels in Zigui County prosperous.

    In addition, there are dozens of trading firms resident in the county, such as Yan's Trading Company in Bajun, Chang's Trading Company in Badong, Luo's Trading Company in Chengdu, etc. The top ten trading firms in Bashu have established branches in Zigui County. At the same time, Jiangling's  Wu's Trading Company, Tian's Trading Company in Xiangyang, and Tao's Trading Company in Chaisang also have warehouses and stores in Zigui County.

    For example, the largest warehouse in Zigui County is the coal warehouse built by Tao's Trading Company, which covers an area of ??nearly 20 acres. It transports a large amount of high-quality coal produced in Bajun to Jiangxia, ensuring the iron foundry in Jiangxia County.

    The prosperity of commerce gave the people at the bottom of Zigui County the opportunity to support their families. They were either hired by various merchants as clerks or sold their energy as porters on the docks.

    Although Liu Bei's army occupied Zigui County, the army did not block Bashu's trade with the outside world. Liu Bei was still playing a friendly role at this time, to help Bashu, not to seek for Bashu. Therefore, although Zigui's trade was affected by Cao's large-scale southward expansion,  It was temporarily deserted during the war, but soon became lively again with the retreat of Cao's army to the north.

    At noon that day, a caravan came from the east. Generally, the animal power of a caravan is mainly green mules. However, in addition to the green mules loaded with goods, this caravan also drove hundreds of healthy cattle.  There are also goods on the back, but anyone with a discerning eye can see that the healthy cattle are actually the goods of this caravan.

    There was a pennant on the mule cart headed by this caravan. The pennant had the word "Wu" written on it, which meant that they came from Wu's Trading Company in Jiangling. Wu's Trading Company was the largest trading company in Jiangling, but in the whole of Jingzhou.  It can only be ranked third, behind Xiangyang's Tian's Trading Company, and far behind Chaisang's Tao's Trading Company.

    However, on the Jing-Shu trade route, Wu's Trading Company had the widest network of contacts. Unlike Tao's Trading Company, which only dealt with coal and grain, they dealt with hundreds of goods, including tea, salt, pig iron, silk, tools, livestock, etc.  , even slaves will participate in trafficking, and almost any business will be done to make money.

    There are not many people in the caravan in front of us. There are only a dozen people in total. The leader of the caravan is named Huo Ping. Everyone calls him Father Huo. He is an old businessman about sixty years old. He has deep wrinkles on his face.  The painting is full of vicissitudes of life.

    He has been traveling on the Jing-Shu business road for forty years. Every tree and plant on the business road knows him, and he has rich experience in and out of the Shu road.

    Most of the dozen or so waiters behind him had been with him for many years, but three of them were new faces, with serious expressions and solemn expressions. Seeing that they were approaching Zigui County, Father Huo turned around from time to time to secretly look at the three waiters, and he was full of anxiety.

    The true identity of these three men is of course the Jiangxia Army, but they are not ordinary soldiers. The first man is Sima Xiangchong of another department. He is the deputy general of Huo Jun, the governor of Jiangling. This time, he was ordered by the prefect Li Yan to capture Zigui.  The county's internal response carries heavy responsibilities.

    Xiang Chong was originally only twenty-six years old, but he had put on makeup, a long beard had been glued under his chin, his eyebrows had become thicker, and his complexion was scorched, making him look more than ten years older. Even acquaintances would find it difficult to recognize him.  Chong Meiyan looks quite like a Nanjun swordsman, and with the addition of his long beard and yellow skin, the resemblance becomes even more striking.

    Since Zigui County is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and there are 2,000 troops stationed there, it would take at least 10,000 troops to storm Zigui County. However, Zigui County cannot open a battlefield of 10,000 people, so we can only rely on outsmarting them.

    It¡¯s almost a replica of Jiangdong¡¯s army¡¯s capture of Chaisang. Li Yan also discovered it.The flaw in Gui County's defense is that Liu Bei did not ban business.

    Maybe Liu Bei is not ready yet, or maybe Liu Bei is not aware that the Jiangxia Army will take action, or maybe Liu Bei is worried that the ban on trade will arouse Liu Zhang's suspicion, but one of the consequences of not banning trade is that there will be loopholes in defense.

    The Wu caravan finally arrived in front of the city gate and was immediately greeted by dozens of soldiers. A village chief laughed from a distance, "Dad Huo, are you driving so many cows here to reward the army?"

    Huo Ping, the leader of the caravan, laughed and said, "General Ma is really good at joking. There is not enough livestock for spring plowing this year, and the price has risen sharply. One cow can be sold for five taels of gold. How could my master let it go? These twenty cows are just the first  Yes, hundreds of cattle will arrive in two days."

    ¡°Since we are making so much money, then the brothers can¡¯t spend less on tea and wine, right?¡± the village chief asked with a smile.

    "That's natural. I'll ask my buddy to deliver it to General Ma later."

    Liu Bei took control of Jianping County, so he naturally had the power to tax. However, the dispute between Zigui and Wucheng over taxation rights has never subsided. Considering the importance of Wucheng, Liu Bei finally handed over the taxation rights to Wucheng.

    This was obviously unfair to Zigui County, where business was more prosperous. In order to calm the unbalanced mentality of the soldiers, the general Mi Fang acquiesced to the soldiers' gray income-tea and wine money, which was actually money to buy the road. This was an open secret, and the soldiers did not care.  It is not taboo to ask merchants for money according to the value of the goods.

    However, it is one thing to ask for money, but it is another thing to conduct a strict investigation. After Ma Tuenzhang got the promise, he put a straight face on his face and waved the order: "Search!"

    Dozens of soldiers swarmed up and conducted a thorough search of the caravan. Except for self-defense swords, the caravan was not allowed to possess any other long or short weapons.

    Chief Ma slowly walked up to Xiang Chong and looked him up and down. He felt that he looked familiar. He also saw that he was tall and tall, with long and powerful arms, so he said, "This brother should be a martial arts practitioner!"

    Huo Ping hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over, "This is the guard I hired. Please forgive me, Commander Ma!"

    "Yeah?"

    Suddenly, Captain Ma realized that Xiang Chong's sword was of extraordinary quality. It was a famous sword that could not be worn by an ordinary guard. He suddenly drew the sword and pressed it against Xiang Chong's throat, and asked fiercely: "Who the hell are you?"  people?"

    Xiang Chong's hands were as fast as lightning, he held the back of the knife with his left hand, and lightly tapped the commander's wrist with his right hand. Commander Ma felt a bone pain that was about to break, and the knife came out of his hand. He yelled, took a few steps back, and was startled again.  He looked at Xiang Chong angrily again, his lips were trembling and he couldn't say a word.

    Xiang Chong handed the knife to him, "Let's try again!"

    Commander Ma took the knife and stared at Xiang Chong with lingering fear, "Who are you?"

    Xiang Chong smiled lightly and said, "I am Huarong Yang Jin. Have you heard of this general?"

    Yang Jin is a famous swordsman in Huarong County. Liu Bei's army is stationed in Nan County. He is known to almost everyone. Because of his chivalrous nature, his complexion is as yellow as gold, and his maid is extremely filial, he is also nicknamed "Sick Zhuanzhu", Ma Tun.  I heard that he was Yang Jin, the famous swordsman in Nanjun, and immediately remembered it. No wonder he looked familiar. I had met this person the year before last.

    Commander Ma thought of his brilliant method just now, and couldn't help but feel both respect and fear. He put away his sword and said, "It turns out to be Swordsman Yang, I'm disrespectful!"

    Next to him, Huo Ping promptly stuffed a heavy money bag into the arms of Chief Ma, laughed dryly and said, "Yang Swordsman is a good friend of my proprietor. He doesn't want to reveal his true identity. Please forgive me, Chief Ma!"

    At this time, Xiang Chong asked coldly: "Do I have any questions?"

    Xiang Chong¡¯s cold and arrogant temperament made the camp commander dare not underestimate him, and there seemed to be only two or three people on the other side, so there was no big problem. At this time, a soldier came forward and reported: ¡°Report to the camp commander, the search has been completed, there is no problem!¡±

    Chief Ma felt the weight of the purse again. It was just a lot more. He took a deep look at Xiang Chong and ignored the loss of face just now. He waved his hand and said, "Let it go!"

    A smile finally appeared on Huo Ping's face, and he quickly ordered his men to drive the cattle and mules loaded with goods into Zigui City.

    At the same moment when Xiang Chong entered the city, on the Yangtze River, a ferry was slowly sailing towards Zigui Pier carrying a messenger soldier.

    The cavalryman who delivered the message crossed the Yangtze River, got on his horse, and galloped all the way. He quickly rushed into Zigui County. He stopped his horse in front of the Zigui County government office. He asked loudly: "Uncle Huang has an urgent message, can General Mi do it?"  exist?"

    "I'm here!"

    Mi Fang's voice came from behind. When the messenger turned around, he found Mi Fang with a dozen soldiers behind him. He hurriedly dismounted, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See General Mi!"

    "Get up! What do you want, uncle?"?Write it to me?  "

    The messenger stood up, took out a letter and presented it to Mi Fang. Mi Fang took the letter and glanced at it. It was Liu Bei's personal letter.  He quickly opened the letter and read it carefully.

    The letter stated that the Jiangxia army had occupied Xiling County, and Liu Jing went to inspect it personally, most likely preparing to seize Bashu. The letter ordered Mi Fang to strengthen vigilance to prevent the Jiangxia army from raiding Zigui.

    Mi Fang was a little stunned. He had known about the Jiangxia Army's occupation of Xiling County for a long time, but he was not worried that the Jiangxia Army would sneak attack Zigui.

    This is because there is Xinling County between Zigui County and Xiling County. If the Jiangxia Army wants to take Zigui, there will be movement in Xinling County and the beacon will be lit, but so far there has been no movement in Xinling County.

    Mi Fang thought about it carefully, and it seemed that she had not received a safety letter from Xinling County for several days. Usually every three days, the Xinling County defenders would send a safety letter, but it was already the fourth day.  , but there was no news from Xinling County, which made Mi Fang feel a little uneasy.

    "Take a few brothers to Xinling County to find out the news!" Mi Fang immediately turned around and ordered an officer. The officer took the order and ran quickly.

    The more Mi Fang thought about it, the more worried he became. He also realized that the warning in the emperor's letter was not unnecessary. Mi Fang ordered a soldier: "Let the officer on duty at the city gate come to see me quickly today!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 425 Western Front Layout (Part 2)

    Not long after, the generals on duty at the two city gates in the east and west were brought into the Yamen by soldiers. They stepped forward and bowed, and anxiously waited for Mi Fang's questions. They had gained a lot in the past two days. I don't know if it was.  This incident made Mi Fang dissatisfied.

    "Let me ask you, have any suspicious persons entered the city in the past two days?"

    The officer on duty in charge of the west city gate was also a camp commander. He first replied: "Reporting to General Mi, we have not found anything suspicious for the time being. Everything is as usual."

    Mi Fang nodded, then turned to the officer on duty at the east gate, "Captain Ma, what's the situation over there?"

    ¡°It¡¯s normal over there at the humble job, and the flow of businessmen has not decreased at all.¡±

    Mi Fang was more concerned about the situation in Dongmen. He asked again: "Has anyone mentioned the situation in Xinling County?"

    Chief Ma thought for a while and said: "There have been relatively few merchants coming from Xinling County in the past two days. Today there is only one merchant, the Wu family caravan from Jiangling, driving a group of cattle to Bashu. The famous swordsman Yang is also in the team.  ¡±

    "who?"

    Mi Fang frowned and asked, "Which Yang swordsman?"

    "That's Yang Jin, the medical specialist in Huarong County."

    "Nonsense!" Mi Fang shouted angrily: "Yang Jin took his mother to Jiangdong to escape the war long before Cao Jun went south. How could he appear in Zigui again?"

    The head of Ma Tuan was so frightened that he said tremblingly: "I have seen this person before, and it seems that it is really him."

    "What do you mean, where are the others?" Mi Fang asked angrily, slapping the table.

    "It should be at Wu's Trading Company."

    If it was normal, Mi Fang would not care. Now that Liu Bei's warning letter has appeared, he felt uneasy. He would investigate any suspicious situation. Mi Fang immediately stood up and ordered: "Follow me to Wu's Trading Company!"

    Although Wu¡¯s Trading Company is only the third largest trading bank in Jingzhou, it has the largest number of stores and the largest warehouse in Zigui County. It has a large warehouse covering an area of ??more than ten acres in the north of the city, which is also the location of the trading bank.

    Before noon, hundreds of soldiers appeared outside the warehouse and surrounded it. The manager of the trading house was named Wu Song, who was the nephew of the Wu family. He was about 30 years old and was very smart and capable. When he heard that hundreds of soldiers were coming outside, he hurriedly  When they came out, they met Mi Fang and his men arriving with murderous intent.

    Wu Song hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "What can I do, General Mi?"

    Mi Fang's family has been in business for generations. He has no prejudice against businessmen and is usually very polite, but today he has a different attitude. He pointed his horse whip at Wu Song and asked sternly: "Is Yang Jin, the Nanjun swordsman, in the business?"

    Wu Song was stunned for a long time and said: "Reporting to Jiangxia, this person was here in the morning, but he has gone to Bashu with the caravan."

    How could Mi Fang believe what he said? She snorted coldly and ordered: "Search thoroughly for me!"

    Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers rushed into the trading house and began a ground-breaking search. At this time, Mi Fang thought of Tao's Trading Company again. If it was not here, it must be in Tao's Trading Company. At the same time, he ordered a military commander: "Bring a hundred brothers to the store."  I'm going to search Tao's Trading Company, search carefully!"

    Tao's Trading Company is located in the south of the city. It is also a large warehouse, but the warehouse looks very dirty and dark. This is because Tao's Trading Company's main business in Bashu is coal, followed by grain. Behind the warehouse is a house covering an area of ??two acres.  It is also the property of Dow Trading Company.

    At this time, in a room in the inner house, Xiang Chongzheng and an officer who came earlier were discussing the response operations inside the city. Li Yan used multiple batches of small numbers to send internal response soldiers to Zigui City one after another. One group had already been sent  There were more than 150 people, basically all pretending to be clerks from the three major trading houses in Jingzhou.

    Today, when Xiang Chong entered the city, he finally led these 150 people as internal responders. In fact, the Jiangxia Army had already captured Xinling County silently and was preparing to launch an attack on Zigui County. This time they could not afford any failure.

    The officer who arrived early was named Li Zong, a younger brother of the Li Yan clan. He was a tooth general who was brave in combat and suitable for assault, but lacked flexibility and strategy, so Xiang Chong was given command of the internal response.

    Li Zong reported: "The brothers have made good arrangements in the three trading houses. The weapons are hidden in Tao's Trading Company and can be acted upon at any time."

    Xiang Chong nodded and said: "The action time is at the second watch tonight. We must concentrate during the first watch and seize the East City Gate during the second watch. This operation is of great importance and can only succeed, not fail!"

    "I understand my humble position!"

    Suddenly, the manager of Tao's Trading Company hurried in and said urgently: "More than a hundred soldiers are coming from outside to search the trading company. They seem to be trying to arrest Nanjun swordsman Yang Jin. General Xiang, hurry up and hide in the cellar!"

    Xiang Chong was a little surprised. Did Liu Bei's defenders get any news?  He immediately said to the steward: "No need"? Just get me a set of boy's clothes!  "

    Xiang Chong pulled off his long beard, washed off his scorched complexion and thick eyebrows, and put on the short clothes of a coolie porter. He looked very different from when he entered the city, but he was worried about weapons, and asked the steward again: "  General Li said that the weapons are hidden in the trading house, is it secret? "

    "Please rest assured, General, the weapons are hidden in the mud holes under the pond in the backyard. They are hard to find even if you dive. They are foolproof."

    Xiang Chong felt reassured and hurried to the front yard, where he mingled with the crowd of more than fifty waiters. From the outside, he was exactly the same as these waiters, and there was nothing unusual about him.

    At this time, hundreds of soldiers had already rushed into the business. They were not interested in the shabbily dressed clerks. They rushed into the accounting room and the inner room separately, rummaging through boxes and cabinets to search for suspects. The soldiers all knew very well, how could they let go of such an opportunity to make a fortune?  Pass

    The search of Wu's Trading Company ended, and nothing was found. Not long after, the military prince who went to search Tao's Trading Company came back and reported, "No suspects were found!"

    Mi Fang had already received news from the west gate guard at this time. The people from Wu's Trading Company had indeed driven their cattle out of the city gate in the morning and went to Bajun. The soldiers guarding the city did not pay attention to the people leaving the city.

    Mi Fang thought to herself, ¡®Am I really suspicious?  ¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t find any evidence or clues, and he didn¡¯t want to offend several big business houses too much, so he ordered: ¡°I am ordering the east and west gates to strengthen their defenses, especially at night. Don¡¯t be careless!¡±

    The night gradually deepened, and thick dark clouds obscured the moonlight and stars. Zigui County was dark and very quiet. As the last household's oil lamp was blown out, the entire county fell into a deep sleep. Only occasionally there were wild cats and wild cats.  Dogs walked through the streets, and in the entire city there were only two torches lit in front of the military camp, just like the two eyes of the county town.

    In the charcoal warehouse of Tao Trading Company, one hundred and fifty elite soldiers lined up neatly. They all put on the armor of the Jingnan Army and were distinguished only by white feathers on their helmets. They held spears, swords and crossbows.  Listening quietly to the leader Xiang Chong's arrangements.

    "There are about 200 defenders in the East City. We are surprised and can be dealt with by a hundred people. But the key is that the military camp is only 300 steps away from the East City Gate. The rescue will be very fast, so we must block the military camp's rescue."

    Xiang Chong said to Li Zong again: "General Li can lead fifty crossbowmen to block the rescue of the soldiers in the military camp. We must try our best to delay the attack!"

    Li Zong quickly bowed and saluted, "I humbly obey my orders!"

    He waved to the fifty crossbowmen on the left, "Follow me!"

    Fifty people followed Li Zong in a hurry. When Xiang Chong saw that it was almost two o'clock, he said to the hundred soldiers: "Let's go!"

    He got on his horse and led a hundred soldiers to the west city in formation.

    Xicheng usually only has a hundred soldiers on duty at night, but today Mi Fang ordered to strengthen the defense, so an additional two hundred soldiers were added, and the city was tightly defended.

    The city's defense was still maintained by the commander of the horse camp during the day. After being scolded by Mi Fang, he did not dare to be lazy anymore and steeled himself to patrol back and forth in front of the city gate. At this time, a soldier beside him shouted: "Captain, there is someone coming from ahead.  Sergeant, are you here to change the guard?"

    Commander Ma was a little strange. He hadn't heard that there would be a changing of the guard tonight. Could it be that General Mi wanted to increase his defense again?  He felt that the latter possibility was more likely. Two hundred people were not enough, so he added a team of soldiers to ensure nothing went wrong.

    Thinking of this, Chief Ma quickly came up to meet him and asked loudly: "But are the brothers coming for reinforcements?"

    "Exactly!" Xiang Chong replied casually.

    When he got close to the enemy, he fired a shot at Chong. The gun was as fast as lightning and pierced the enemy's throat. Captain Ma just realized that something was wrong. He didn't even recognize the enemy. But before he could react, he felt a chill on his neck.  It was dark before his eyes, the spear had pierced his throat, and the commander was killed immediately.

    Xiang Chong raised his spear, threw away the enemy general's body, and shouted, "Kill!"

    One hundred soldiers swarmed up and attacked the defenders like a pack of wolves. There was a chaos under the city gate. The defenders hurriedly fought and were defeated by the Jiangxia army. The garrison commander died and the hundreds of soldiers below the city were leaderless.  , and soon lost all interest in fighting and fled in all directions.

    At this time, the alarm bell on the top of the city rang, ¡®Dang!  when!  ' The sound resounded throughout the city, and the defenders on top of the city shouted: "The enemy has entered the city!"

    Xiang Chong grabbed a shield and held a gun with one hand. "Follow me!" he shouted, clamped his horse between his legs, and led more than 30 people to rush towards the corridor. Dozens of defenders above his head also released their weapons.  Arrows came like rain, and the soldiers of Jiangxia Army were caught off guard. They were hit by arrows one after another and rolled down the city screaming.

    Xiang Chong was furious. He jumped up on his horse and rushed to the top of the city. He threw down his shield, brandished his spear and attacked the defenders at the top of the city. He assassinated five people in a row. The defenders retreated one after another. The Jiangxia soldiers behind himSeizing this moment of opportunity for arrows to relax, they rushed to the top of the city one after another.

    The sound of alarm bells on the top of the city woke up Mi Fang. He jumped up from the bed and hurriedly put on his armor. He knew that his guess during the day was actually correct, but in the end he was careless. Thinking that the city was about to be lost, Mi Fang felt anxious and shouted repeatedly.  Shout: "No need to gather, go immediately to support the East Gate!"

    Hundreds of Jingnan soldiers rushed to the camp gate before they could form a team. However, as soon as they arrived at the camp gate, they were hit by dense arrows like a violent storm. Dozens of soldiers fell to the ground screaming. The Jingnan soldiers were unprepared and were frightened.  Return to camp.

    In the darkness, in a forest dozens of steps across from the military camp, Li Zong led fifty crossbowmen. After the first round of arrows was fired, they quickly opened their bows and drew their crossbows, aiming at the entrance of the military camp.

    Li Zong also knew in his heart that he just caught the enemy by surprise. Once the enemy found that there were not many arrows, they would rush out with their shields raised.

    He looked back at the head of the east city. The promised fire still did not appear on the top of the city. Li Zong couldn't help but become anxious. Why hasn't General Xiang taken the city yet? Isn't it okay?

    At this moment, the soldiers around him shouted: "General, fight out again!"

    In the darkness, I saw a large group of black figures rushing out from the camp gate, including war horses supervising the battle behind. This was the enemy's preparedness. Li Zong shouted, "Shoot!"

    Fifty arrows roared and shot at the enemy group again. This time, the sword and shield soldiers were in front of them, holding their shields high. The dense arrows crackled on the shields. Only a few soldiers fell to the ground after being hit by arrows. The crossbows had already  Losing its deterrent effect, large groups of enemy soldiers surged forward.

    Li Zong held the iron rod in his hand and shouted, "Brothers, follow me and fight!"

    Fifty soldiers threw away their bows and crossbows, picked up their spears and followed Li Zongzhong to kill the enemy group.

    The battle for the gate hinge at the top of the city has become intense. Two hundred Liu Bei soldiers were guarding the east city. Facing the fierce attack by the enemy general and more than 60 Jiangxia soldiers, they resisted desperately and held on to the winch of the city gate. They also  They are also very anxious, why haven't the reinforcements from the military camp come yet? They are about to be unable to withstand it.

    At this time, the shouts of killing outside the city were loud. Li Yan led 5,000 Jiangxia troops to kill more than a hundred steps away. Xiang Chong's eyes were almost red with anxiety. Once the 2,000 reinforcements from the enemy camp arrived and took control of the city wall,  There is no hope for the Jiangxia Army to seize Zigui. If Zigui cannot be captured, the Jiangxia Army will be trapped by the Jiangdong Army in Wuchang, which will damage the entire war situation.

    At this time, Xiang Chong finally discovered that the general who was commanding the Jingnan Army to resist desperately, who must also be a tooth general, was standing in front of the winch at the city gate and shouting for command. Xiang Chong took off his bow and drew an arrow from the quiver on his back.  He suddenly opened his bow and nocked an arrow, and shot an arrow from the gap in the crowd at the enemy general.

    This arrow hit the enemy general's neck, and the general Ya screamed and fell on his back. The Jingnan Army suddenly became confused. At the same time, the reinforcements of the Jingnan Army had already rushed out of the barracks and were heading towards the east city gate under the leadership of Mi Fang.

    Seeing that the situation was extremely critical, Xiang Chong gave a loud shout, urged his horse to charge forward, and brandished his guns to beat them randomly. Jiang Xia's army used their strength to kill the enemy back more than ten steps, and finally grabbed the winch of the city gate.

    "Open the city gate quickly!"

    Xiang Chong shouted, and the five soldiers pushed the winch together. The heavy city gate finally creaked open, and thousands of Jiangxia troops waiting outside the city swarmed up and entered Zigui City.

    Mi Fang was only twenty steps away from the city gate. In these last twenty steps, Liu Bei's defenders fell short and Zigui missed the battle, which would change the entire situation.

    Looking at countless Jiangxia soldiers rushing into the county town, Mi Fang knew that the situation was over. He was heartbroken and could only look up to the sky and sigh, "How can I tell the Lord!"

    He turned his horses and ran towards the west gate, leading only a few hundred people to flee Zigui in a hurry, towards Wucheng County. Zigui County finally fell, and one of Liu Jing's chess pieces was officially lost.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 426 The advent of the bee crossbow

    At the same moment when Jiang Xia's army captured Zigui, Liu Jing was on the ship heading to Xiakou. He received news that Xiakou Craftsman School had developed a new type of crossbow arrow, which was extremely beneficial to water warfare.

    This is undoubtedly good news for the upcoming war with Jiangdong. Although there is still a time problem for mass production, Liu Jing rushed to Xiakou overnight.

    ??Xiakou Craftsman School, although on the surface it is a school for cultivating high-level craftsmen, in fact it has become a weapons development hall for the Jiangxia Army. It has received full support from the military and the number of students has expanded to 500.

    Here are the best sword forgers invited from Kuaiji, the best crossbow makers from Hebei, and the best carpenters, blacksmiths, masons, cobblers, etc. They gather together to teach their disciples  A lifetime of craftsman experience.

    It was their disdain to work hard that made Jiangxia's weapons and equipment continue to improve. The quality of Jiangxia's swords and spears has surpassed that of Cao's army. Shields, armor and other armors have also been continuously improved. Wooden-wheeled warships have been improved, large-scale defensive weapons have been refined, and irrigation agricultural tools have been improved.  improvement.

    These military and civilian contributions are obvious to all Jiangxia people. Even Jiangxia Academy, which has always looked down on craftsmanship, sometimes invites Ma Jun to Jiangxia Academy to teach mathematics among the six arts.

    On the afternoon of the next day, Liu Jing arrived at Xiakou. At this time, the number of troops in Xiakou was slightly reduced, from 30,000 to 10,000. They were mainly naval forces, with hundreds of warships patrolling thousands of miles of river.

    Liu Jing did not go to the military camp. After getting off the ship at the dock, she rushed directly to Jiangxi Academy. Xuezheng Ma Jun and others who had received the news in advance were already waiting in front of the gate of Jiangxi Academy.

    "This is a humble position, please see Zhou Mu!" Ma Jun stepped forward and bowed deeply.

    Ma Jun¡¯s stuttering has been corrected by 80%. If he is not speaking for a long time, he no longer stutters when speaking, but his speaking speed is slower. It can be heard that he is deliberately controlling his speaking speed.

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "I heard that the bee crossbow was built, so I came here impatiently. There is no need for etiquette. Let me see the real thing first."

    Ma Jun also knew that Liu Jing actually came secretly and had to rush back immediately. He also smiled and said: "Zhou Mu is facing Jiangdong's army, but he took time out of his busy schedule to come here. Of course we can't waste time. Please Zhou Mu follow me  Come!"

    Ma Jun and a dozen disciples surrounded Liu Jing and walked towards Gongnuyuan. When they came to the testing ground of Gongnuyuan, some disciples had already set up the testing ground.

    There is a wide table in the middle of the square. On the table is Ma Jun's newly invented bee crossbow. As the name suggests, the bee crossbow is a crossbow with multiple arrows, similar to Zhuge Liang's repeating crossbow.

    ??At first glance, it looks like a rectangular pig iron box is installed on the front end of the big yellow crossbow, covered with a layer of cowhide. The box is sealed with three layers of nine holes, and an arrow is placed in each hole, which is a crossbow with nine arrows.

    It seems simple, but in fact it is not easy to force all nine arrows to fire. Ma Jun failed hundreds of times before finally succeeding in the experiment.

    Ma Jun's apprentice Luo Sheng introduced it to Liu Jing: "We use jujube arrows, which are heavy and hard. The arrows are seven inches long and can shoot nine at a time. I can demonstrate it once."

    The Dahuang Crossbow is a ten-stone crossbow. One person cannot unstring the string. Two strong men must step on the string together. The string has been strung up. Luo Sheng put the nine crossbow arrows into the holes and handed the crossbow to Liu Jing.

    "Please ask Zhou Mu to shoot the crossbow!"

    In the distance, three wooden figures stood side by side thirty steps away. In other words, the effective lethality of this bee crossbow was actually only thirty steps away.

    Although the big yellow crossbow was very heavy, it was nothing to Liu Jing. He raised the crossbow, put it on his shoulder, and aimed at a wooden figure in the middle thirty steps away. He pressed the hanging knife with his index finger and heard 'Click!  ¡¯ With a sound, nine black crossbow arrows roared out and were nailed to the wooden figure.

    What surprised Liu Jing was that although he only aimed at one of the wooden figures, the nine crossbow bolts finally nailed three wooden figures. This turned out to be a scattering bee crossbow.

    But scattering is not the most important thing. The important thing is that its shooting range is too short and its lethality is only thirty steps. You know, this is a big yellow crossbow with a range of up to 350 steps and a killing range of 250 steps!

    Liu Jing was puzzled and looked back at Ma Jun. Ma Jun understood Liu Jing's doubts. He explained with a somewhat apologetic smile: "In fact, we are planning to develop water combat bee crossbows and land combat bee crossbows. This  It is a water war bee crossbow created to deal with the Jiangdong Army."

    Ma Jun's apprentice used his arm strength to string up the string on the side, and also explained: "Qizhou Mu, this bee crossbow uses the crossbow frame of the big yellow crossbow. It is actually only a two-stone crossbow, and the arrow box cannot bear the weight of ten stones."  It will be installed on a small boat for close combat and can be cocked by a soldier. The real Hornet crossbow will have a killing range of a hundred steps and we will develop it in two months. "

    Liu Jing nodded, it turned out that it was just a semi-finished product, but he can understand the difficulty of developing weapons, and the thirty-step range can be used in water warfare. He has already imagined the situation when two small boats are in close combat.

    Thinking of this, he asked again: "Is there a bee crossbow installed on the ship?"

    Ma Jun smiled slightly and said, "Zhou Mu, please come with me!"

    A group of people walked out of the testing site and went to the backyard. There was a small river that ran across Jiangxue, and several small boats were parked along the river.

    Liu Jing approached the boat and saw at a glance those unique bumblebee crossbows, installed on the bow of the boat, like an elongated head, but the appearance is not important, what is important is the combat effect.

    "Does Zhou Mu need to practice?" Ma Jun asked with a smile.

    Liu Jing nodded. He was looking forward to seeing its effect. Ma Jun turned around and gave his apprentice a wink. His apprentice immediately walked to the drum, raised the drumstick and started beating.

    In ¡®Boom!  Amidst the sound of drums, several apprentices drove a small boat slowly forward. There was a straw man boat in the middle of the river, slowly flowing along the river.

    When the boat gradually approached the straw man's boat and was twenty steps away, one of the disciples pulled the bee crossbow knife and said, "Click!"  ¡¯ With a sound, nine crossbow arrows were shot, and at least five straw men on the straw man boat were hit by the arrows.

    "good!"

    Liu Jing applauded and laughed, and praised sincerely: "It is indeed a good idea, it is surprisingly difficult, and you can attack when you are unprepared."

    He asked Ma Jun again: "I wonder how many bee crossbows there are now?"

    Ma Jun bowed and said: "I have asked the blacksmith to make a crossbow machine out of bronze one month in advance, and it has been transformed into fifty bee crossbows."

    "Give me all fifty, and I'll take them away right away!" Liu Jing said immediately.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Jiangdong Army's water village has begun to take shape in Chaisang City, covering an area of ??nearly 10,000 acres. The large area of ????water in front of Chaisang City has been included in the water village. The water village is also surrounded by piling methods. In the water village,  Nearly a thousand warships were moored, and nearly 60,000 troops were stationed in the water village based on Chaisang City.

    In addition, there are 30,000 troops in Lujiang County, led by Cheng Pu. This time Jiangdong's elite will come out. It is necessary to completely annihilate the Jiangxia army, occupy Jingzhou, and realize the dream of three generations of Jiangdong.

    Sun Quan's temporary Wuhou Mansion was set up in Tao Mansion, and Tao Mansion's family members had all been moved to other houses. Sun Quan once stayed in this castle-like mansion for one night, which left a deep impression on him. When he arrived  The first thing Chai Sang did was to order the Tao Mansion to be taken over by the government and turned into the temporary Wuhou Mansion.

    It has been ten days since the main force of Jiangdong Army arrived at Chaisang. In addition to building a water fortress during these ten days, Sun Quan was most concerned about the situation of Cheng Pu's army. Sun Quan had learned that Jiangxia had sent tens of thousands of troops to occupy Qichun County and was heading toward Lujiang County.  If we advance, a war will inevitably break out between Cheng Pu and Jiang Xia's army in Lujiang County.

    If a decisive battle can be fought as soon as possible, Sun Quan will not worry. After all, the 30,000 troops led by Cheng Pu are the elite of the Jiangxia army. They have fought against the Shanyue people for many years and have rich practical experience. Sun Quan is worried that the Jiangxia army will delay the fight. In that case,  There will be problems with the logistical supplies of Cheng Pu's army.

    Now ten days have passed, and there is still no news of fighting. This makes Sun Quan begin to worry. If Cheng Pu's army encounters something unexpected, it will be a heavy blow to the entire Western Expedition plan and will seriously weaken the military strength of the Jiangdong Army.  , putting Jiangdong Army at a disadvantage in the confrontation with Jiangxia Army.

    Sun Quan paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He had sent General Lu Meng to lead a fleet to Xunkou Town on the other side of Chaisang City, hoping to bring Cheng Pu's army back to Chaisang.

    At this time, hurried footsteps sounded outside the house, and a guard reported urgently at the door: "Report to the Marquis of Wu, a Jiangxia military fleet is approaching the water stronghold, and there are signs of attacking the water stronghold!"

    Sun Quan was startled and hurriedly walked outside the house, asking at the same time: "How big is the fleet?"

    "It seems that the size of the fleet is not large, and General Ling Tong has already gone up to fight."

    Sun Quan knew Ling Tong's bravery. He relaxed a little and walked quickly towards the city wall. From the Chaisang City Wall, he could clearly see the broad Yangtze River. The view was extremely wide. The city wall was already filled with soldiers watching the battle. Everyone  Seeing Wu Hou arriving, they all moved out of the way.

    At this time, Sun Quan unexpectedly discovered that his sister Sun Shangxiang was also on top of the city. She was wearing a golden armor and a silver helmet with fiery red tassels on the top of the helmet. In addition, her face was like a peach blossom, which made her particularly gorgeous and conspicuous. She was surrounded by more than a dozen young generals.  , every general showed admiration in his eyes.

    Although Sun Shangxiang's reputation in Jiangdong is very strong and no one dares to marry her, her gorgeous face and slender figure are so eye-catching that they will also make young officers fall in love with her. It is said that even the bravest young generals  Ling Tong also had some feelings for her.

    However, Sun Quan was not optimistic about Ling Tong's bravery, and his sister Shang Xiang was also a Shang.If you are a daughter of ?, there will be problems if two people with strong personalities live together. It is best to marry a scribe. The harmony of yin and yang is the long-term solution.

    At this time, Sun Shangxiang also saw her brother. She ran over excitedly, took her brother's arm and begged: "Brother, give me a chance to fight!"

    Sun Quan glanced at the Green Moon Sword on his sister's waist, snorted and said: "I already regret letting you go with the army. If I let you go to the battlefield again, unless my brain is broken, don't have any delusions!"

    Sun Shangxiang's full hopes were extinguished by her brother's cold water. She was extremely unhappy and ignored her brother. She stared coldly at the river. After a while, she gritted her teeth and said, "I will never be reincarnated as a woman in my next life!"

    Sun Quan smiled and ignored her, staring at the river. He saw three thousand-stone warships in the distance, and dozens of small warships densely packed in front, sailing quickly towards the water village. At the same time, Ling Tong also  Lead dozens of small boats to fight.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 427 New Threat

    Although Ling Tong was once punished as a pawn for being rude to Liu Jing, it was just to give Liu Jing an explanation and to show off. In fact, after the Battle of Chibi, Ling Tong was named Captain Chenglie again.  During Sun Quan's Western Expedition, he, together with Lu Meng and Ding Feng, were named the three vanguards to defeat the enemy.

    Today, the Jiangxia Army unexpectedly attacked, and he happened to be on duty to patrol the water village. He immediately led dozens of sentinel boats to fight.

    The boat cut through the waves in the river and advanced rapidly. Ling Tong stood on the bow of the first warship, holding a steel sword and shield in his hand, staring at the enemy ship sharply, as if a leopard was about to pounce on a fierce leopard.

    The reason why he is so fierce is that there is a secret hidden deep in his heart, that is, he knows that Princess Shangxiang is watching him from the top of the city. Having a beautiful woman paying attention further arouses the male courage in his body.

    The oncoming Jiangxia warships were all hundred-stone fast ships, fifty in total, led by Shen Mi, the most powerful general on the water of the Jiangxia army. He also held a shield and a halberd, looking coldly at the approaching ships.  Jiangdong Army warship.

    What no one expected was that Liu Jing stood on the bow of a thousand-stone warship in the middle a few hundred steps away and watched the battle. This was a battle to test the bee crossbow. He wanted to know the effectiveness of the bee crossbow in a water battle.  Effect.

    At this time, Liu Jing saw Ling Tong from a distance and couldn't help but sneered, "What a sincerity from Sun Quan!"  ¡¯

    His eyes turned to the top of the city again. Seven or eight miles away, he could only vaguely see that the top of the city was full of spectators. Although he could not see their faces clearly, he could imagine that Sun Quan was among them.

    Liu Jing couldn't help but reveal a sarcastic smile on her face. What would Sun Quan's expression be like if he tasted the taste of the bee crossbow.

    "Bang the drum to help the battle!"

    Liu Jing gave an order, and the war drums on the three thousand-stone ships rang loudly. The drums resounded across the river, further stimulating the fighting spirit of the Jiangxia navy. They were getting closer and closer to the Jiangdong warships.

    Shen Mi saw the enemy ship approaching and immediately ordered: "Prepare the bee crossbow!"

    A soldier sits on the bow of the ship and controls the bee crossbow. These are fifty bee crossbows that Liu Jing brought back from Xiakou. They are installed on the bow of the ship and can be controlled by one soldier.

    Liu Jing later learned that the reason why Ma Jun temporarily chose the frame of the big yellow crossbow was actually a deceptive strategy, which was to make the enemy mistakenly think that it was a ten-stone heavy crossbow.

    But in fact, it is only a two-stone crossbow. The ten-stone Hornet crossbow has not been developed yet because the arrow box cannot withstand the impact of the ten-stone gravity.

    The two-stone crossbow has a thirty-step killing range. This is actually of little significance in actual combat. The opponent can defend it with a shield. Once the ten-stone crossbow is developed, the crossbow arrows can penetrate the shield and its lethality is amazing. Therefore,  Today's battle is largely a psychological one.

    The Jiangxia Army's warship rushed towards the enemy ship from the side, and the soldiers aimed at the dozen soldiers on the enemy ship. The two ships were getting closer and closer, fifty steps, thirty steps, ten steps, only ten steps apart. At this time, Ling Tong also  Seeing the monster on the bow of the Jiangxia Army, he suddenly recognized that it was a big yellow crossbow. He was so shocked that he turned around and shouted: "Use your shield quickly!"

    But it was too late, ¡®Click!  There was a sound of a crossbow machine, and nine crossbow bolts roared out, instantly shooting at the soldiers on the boat. Only screams were heard. Five people were hit by the crossbow bolts and rolled down the river. Ling Tong was also hit by a arrow in the leg.  Blood gushes out.

    "Ling Tong suffers death!" Shen Mi shouted and struck Ling Tong in the throat with a halberd.

    At this time, nearly a hundred small boats were fighting fiercely on the river, and bee crossbows were fired one after another. Jiangdong soldiers suffered heavy casualties.

    The standard configuration of the Jiangdong navy is a spear, a sword and a buckler. Generally, a spear is used with a buckler on the back. The sword and shield are only used when facing enemy bow and arrow attacks or close combat.

    On the small boat, people were shot into the water one after another. Even Sun Quan on the top of the city realized something was wrong. He looked solemn and turned around to ask Huang Gai: "What did the old general find?"

    Huang Gai also had a look of surprise in his eyes, "It seems that our soldiers were hit by arrows, but the enemy did not use bows and arrows, and I don't know what my position is!"

    Sun Quan realized that something was wrong. If all his sentinel ships were wiped out, morale would be seriously affected. He immediately ordered: "Make the gold and withdraw the troops!"

    "Dang! Dang! Dang!" The bell rang quickly, urging the sentinels ahead to retreat.

    The battle on the river was fierce, but the winner was decided. The huge lethality of the bee crossbows reduced the Jiangdong Navy's strength by 40% before the battle. The Jiangdong Navy was at a disadvantage. More than a dozen ships were empty, and the soldiers on the remaining ships were struggling.  support.

    Ling Tong's martial arts skills were superior to Shen Mi's, and his water quality was not weaker than Shen Mi's. Shen Mi's overall strength was not as good as Ling Tong's, but because Ling Tong's leg was injured, his strength and martial arts performance were compromised, and he was defeated by Shen Mi.  Mi was defeated steadily, his hair was disheveled, he was blocking from left to right, and he looked embarrassed.

    At this time Ling TongHe heard the sound of Ming Jin retreating his troops, but he couldn't escape from the opponent's fierce offensive. He felt anxious and shouted angrily. He took out his sword and struck at Shen Mi. Shen Mi turned sideways to avoid the sword.

    Ling Tong seized this momentary opportunity, turned over and jumped into the river, disappearing like a fish.

    Shen Mi was furious and was about to dive into the water to pursue him. At this time, the sound of bells and drums also sounded from the Jiangxia Army ship. This was an order not to pursue the poor enemy. Shen Mi restrained the urge to dive and shouted loudly: "Stop chasing.  !¡±

    Jiangdong soldiers went out to fight with more than 50 warships, but in the end less than 20 ships came back. One thousand soldiers suffered casualties of nearly 700 people, while the Jiangxia army lost less than 10 warships and more than 100 casualties.

    For decades, the Jingzhou navy has always lost more than it has won against the Jiangdong navy, and the few victories it has had have been tragic victories. Today, water battles with such a huge disparity in victory and defeat are extremely rare between the Jiangdong and Jiangxia armies.  It was the bee crossbow that played a decisive role in the process.

    Liu Jing's face showed a look of relief. Although today's Bee Crossbow only killed one by surprise, once the real Hornet Crossbow is successfully developed, Jiangdong Army's nightmare will come.

    At this time, Shen Mi led the warships to return one after another. Shen Mi got on the big ship and knelt down on one knee to salute, "I reported back to the Zhou Mu that I did not fight well due to my humble duty, which resulted in the casualties of 120 brothers."

    Liu Jing helped him up and said with a smile: "It's already very good. If the bee crossbow hadn't shown its power, at least 40% of our brothers would have been killed or injured. We don't know the outcome yet."

    Speaking of the bee crossbow, Shen Mi suddenly became excited, "Qi Zhou Mu, this bee crossbow is really very lethal, especially in close combat on water. It is extremely powerful. If it is a real big yellow crossbow, it can shoot through the enemy's shield.  Then we are truly invincible on the water.¡±

    Liu Jing just smiled. The bee crossbow is not kerosene. Once the Jiangdong Army gets a bee crossbow, they can also imitate it. In up to a year, they can produce it in large quantities and use it to deal with the Jiangxia Army. In fact, the surface of the water is  The trump card on it should be kerosene, and the bee crossbow should be used to deal with Cao's cavalry.

    He asked again: "Is there anything else to gain from this battle?"

    "There is one more thing I need to report to the state pastor."

    Shen Mi walked back to the side of the ship, leaned down and shouted: "Bring the things up!"

    Soon, a soldier carried a wooden barrel onto the big ship. The barrel leaked, and kerosene flowed out of the gap. Liu Jing's expression suddenly became serious. He quickly stepped forward and wiped kerosene from the leaking gap.  I took some kerosene and put it to my nose and smelled it. It was the same kerosene as them.

    Shen Mi said from the side: "The barrel of kerosene found on their main ship was not found on other ships. There are words underneath. It should be the kerosene provided by Cao Jun to Jiangdong Army."

    Liu Jing turned over the oil barrel and found a black word "Cao" on the edge of the bottom. Liu Jing's face was as dark as water. He had already gotten the rumor that Cao Cao gave the kerosene to Jiang Dongjun. Now the rumor has become a fact, which is good.  !

    After thinking for a moment, Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Return to Wuchang!"

    Jiang Xia¡¯s army reorganized their fleet and sailed back to Wuchang in a mighty way

    Ling Tong was finally carried into Chaisang City by sergeants and received emergency treatment from military doctors. Sun Quan had already received the exact news from the soldiers. A large yellow crossbow appeared on the bow of the Jiangxia military ship that could shoot more than a dozen arrows at the same time.  The force is astonishing and affects morale to a great extent.

    This made Sun Quan feel extremely heavy. He paced back and forth in the room alone with his hands behind his back. He originally thought that they also had kerosene and could compete with Jiang Xia's army on the river.

    But the emergence of the Duoya Dahuang Crossbow made the Jiangdong Army fall behind again. If it fell behind, it would be beaten and it would fail. Sun Quan was full of worries about the prospects of this battle.

    Of course, Sun Quan knew where the gap was. The fundamental reason was that the craftsmanship appeared in Jiangxia and schools were set up for craftsmen, which led to the continuous emergence of outstanding talents and the great development of weapons, warships, irrigation, docks and other equipment in Jiangxia.  The appearance of the multi-yadhuang crossbow today is no accident.

    In particular, the warships that relied on wooden impellers to sail against the wind and current on the water greatly shocked Sun Quan, and prompted him to consider following Jiang Xia in establishing a craftsmanship school. However, this idea was strongly opposed by a large number of literati such as Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong.  , and finally let it go.

    The emergence of the multi-yad yellow crossbow today has made Sun Quan's willingness to establish a craftsmanship school stronger again.

    At this time, the guard at the door reported: "Zhou Hujun is here!"

    Zhou Hujun is also Zhou Yu. He was removed from the post of governor because he strongly opposed Sun Quan's Western Expedition and resumed his previous role as the protector. This time Sun Quan marched westward to Jiangxia and ordered Zhou Yu to accompany him, but Zhou Yu happened to return to Lujiang to visit his mother.  , he came directly from Lujiang to Chaisang.

    Zhou Yu's arrival gave Sun Quan a glimmer of hope, and he immediately ordered: "Invite him in!"

    Although Zhou Yu opposed Jiang Dong,??Western Expedition, but after all, he was a minister from Jiangdong, and he did not dare to disobey Sun Quan's order. He finally came to Chai Sang from Lujiang, walked into the room, Zhou Yu bowed and saluted: "I am here to see the Marquis of Wu!"

    "Um!"

    Sun Quan nodded and asked, "Zijing is also coming to Chaisang. Didn't you meet him?"

    "I haven't met Weichen."

    "Maybe he is still on the way!"

    Having said this, Sun Quan changed the subject and said, "There was a war today. Does Gong Jin know about it?"

    "Weichen just went to visit General Ling and learned a little bit about the situation."

    Sun Quan felt a little unhappy, so he urged him to come. He went to visit Ling Tong first, but as soon as he thought about it, Sun Quan understood that Zhou Yu was actually going to inquire about the situation of the war. His dissatisfaction disappeared, and he asked with concern:  "Then what do you think of today's war?"

    "Today's war is Liu Jing's conspiracy. If Wei Chen guessed correctly, Liu Jing must be on the big ship today."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 428 Zhou Yu Arrives

    "What do you mean?"

    Sun Quan looked at Zhou Yu in surprise, "Why is it Liu Jing's conspiracy?"

    "It's very simple. Weichen looked at General Ling's injuries. If it was really a big yellow crossbow shot, his bones would be shattered within twenty steps. But in fact, he was only injured in the flesh, and the crossbow power of one stone is at most  , the range is only thirty or forty steps, so Liu Jing's use of the big yellow crossbow is actually just a bluff to deceive others. "

    Sun Quan felt like he was waking up from a dream. After a while, he sighed, "But the appearance of a crossbow with multiple arrows, if you think about it carefully, it is still scary!"

    Zhou Yu pondered for a while and said: "The appearance of a crossbow with multiple arrows is indeed surprising, but judging from today's situation, the range and power are not strong, and the threat is not great. As long as we change the navy's spears into swords and shields in time,  Basically, a lot of casualties can be avoided.

    The key is kerosene. I heard that Cao Cao gave us 5,000 barrels of kerosene. Wei Chen thinks it is still too little. When Liu Jing burned Cao's army's water stronghold in Chibi, he consumed a full 20,000 barrels of kerosene. Once the real fight broke out,  , five thousand barrels of kerosene is far from enough.  "

    Unconsciously, Sun Quan's thoughts had completely caught up with Zhou Yu's. Some of the unhappiness he had with Zhou Yu before disappeared. Sun Quan thought for a while and then asked: "Gong Jin means that I ask Cao Cao for fire again."  Oil, right?¡±

    Zhou Yu nodded, "Actually, I have two ideas. One is to seize Xiazhi County as soon as possible. Although it is not the kind of kerosene we want, it can burn after all and can block the Jiangxia army warships on the water.  "Secondly, I hope to get the method of purifying kerosene from Cao Cao. Even if we can't find kerosene in Jiangdong in the future, we can use trade to get kerosene from the Central Plains."

    Sun Quan nodded slowly, "Gong Jin said it very well. I want to give you the task of capturing Xia Pheasant County. Can you accept it?"

    After saying that, Sun Quan looked back at Zhou Yu. He actually wanted Zhou Yu to be the commander of the battle against Jiangxia, but Zhang Zhao and a group of civil servants would definitely object, as well as Cheng Pu. It would be difficult for him to cooperate with Zhou Yu, so he would first  Let Zhou Yu fight for Xiazhi County. If he succeeds, it will not be too late to use him again.

    Zhou Yu immediately bowed and said: "I am willing to share the worries of Wu Hou!"

    "Okay! I will give you eight thousand troops, with Xu Sheng as deputy general. I hope you can capture Xia Pheasant County for me within ten days."

    "Follow the order!"

    Zhou Yu took the military talisman and retreated. Sun Quan thought for a while and ordered the guard: "Let Zhang Wen come to see me!"

    Not long after, Zhang Wen hurried over, bowed and said: "See Wu Hou!"

    Sun Quan smiled gently and said: "Huishu will go to Xuchang for me again and tell Cao Cao that five thousand barrels of kerosene are not enough to defeat Jiang Xia's army. I hope he can add another 10,000 barrels of kerosene. If the transportation is inconvenient, the kerosene will be sent to Cao Cao."  It¡¯s okay to tell me the refining method. I hope he can help me defeat Liu Jing with sincerity.¡±

    Zhang Wen nodded silently, "Wei Chen understands. Let's set off for Xuchang now."

    The terrain of Qichun County is high in the east and low in the west. To the north and northeast is the vast Dabie Mountains, which separates Qichun County from the Central Plains. To the southeast, it borders Lujiang County, and to the west and south it faces Jiangxia County across the river.

    Affected by the Dabie Mountains, most of the land in Qichun County is hills and mountains. Only the west and south along the river are rich plains. The only three counties in Qichun County: Zhu County, Qichun County, Xunyang County and the whole  Seventy percent of the county's population is located along the river.

    This time the Jiangxia Army sent troops to occupy Juchun County, which actually occupied its three county towns along the river. In addition, Huang Zhong led 20,000 troops to the east of Xunyang, preparing to meet the 30,000 army troops led by Cheng Pu.

    In a long and narrow plain, Huang Zhong led 20,000 troops and was marching rapidly eastward. To the north were hills and mountains, and to the south was an endless lake. This lake was actually connected to Pengze Lake through the Yangtze River.  It is the northern part of Pengze Lake, located between Qichun County and Lujiang County. The part in Qichun County is called Xunze Lake, while the other half of the lake in Lujiang County is renamed Songze Lake.

    At this time, Huang Zhong's army had entered Lujiang County. Huang Zhong received information that Cheng Pu's army had arrived in Wan County in the northeast and was stationed there. It had been stationed for four days. It seemed that it was waiting for something?

    Huang Zhong has received news that 30,000 Jiangdong troops are stationed in Wan County. At this time, Jiangxia troops are still nearly two hundred miles away from Wan County. Huang Zhong is in no hurry to go north for a decisive battle.

    Huang Zhong¡¯s top priority is to find military supplies. Most of the inland Qichun County is in uninhabited mountainous and hilly areas. He cannot find supplies on the road and has to rely on Jiangxia to send military supplies.

    Therefore, before setting off, Huang Zhong and Liu Jing formulated a supply plan and used ships to transport supplies to the vicinity of Songze Town, north of Songze Lake.

    Huang Zhong raised his head and looked at the sky, it was gradually arriving.It was late in the evening, but Songze Town had not yet arrived. He was already two days later than originally planned. If it was one more night later, he was worried that the supply fleet would leave Songze Lake and return. He now only has enough food for one day.  , without supplies, they will face the misfortune of running out of food, and the consequences will be disastrous.

    Huang Zhong became a little anxious, and immediately ordered someone to find the guide. The guide was an old man in his fifties, who was from Xunyang County. He made a living by collecting herbs and knew the terrain of Qichun County and Lujiang County well. Huang Zhong asked him  Said: "How far is Songze Town?"

    The guide saluted and said: "Reporting to the old general, our current place is called Yuzui Bay, which is still more than twenty miles away from Songze Town."

    Huang Zhong frowned. There were still more than twenty miles, which meant that they could not reach Songze Town before dark. Seeing that the soldiers were exhausted, he felt a little embarrassed. At this moment, there were soldiers beside him.  Said: "General Zhao is here!"

    General Zhao was naturally Zhao Yun. He was not good at water warfare, so he volunteered to be Huang Zhong's deputy general and went with Huang Zhong to fight against the Jiangdong Army led by Cheng Pu. Originally, Liu Jing wanted Zhao Yun to lead a new army of 10,000 trained prisoners of war.  Go north to Anlu County to defend Cao Jun's invasion of Anlu County, but Zhao Yun cooperates with Huang Zhong, so he is more certain to defeat Jiangdong Army.

    Liu Jing changed his mind and appointed Zhao Yun as Huang Zhong's deputy general, and headed east to fight against Cheng Pu's army. At this time, Zhao Yun urged his horse forward and asked with a smile: "Excuse me, old general, how far is Songze Town?"

    For Huang Zhong, with Zhao Yun here, he would be even more powerful in this battle. Although Zhao Yun was his lieutenant, Huang Zhong also knew that Zhao Yun had a deep military qualifications, experienced hundreds of battles, and had a deep relationship with Zhou Mu, so he did not dare  He looked down upon others and discussed everything with Zhao Yun.

    Huang Zhong smiled bitterly and said: "We are still more than twenty miles away from Songze Town, but it is getting dark. I am worried that the supply ship will not be able to wait for us."

    Before Huang Zhong could finish speaking, Zhao Yun smiled and said: "The army is very tired. The old general will take them to rest on the spot. I will lead an army to Songze Town first to look for supply ships!"

    Huang Zhong was overjoyed and quickly raised his hands and said: "Then there is General Lao Zilong!"

    Zhao Yun waved to his five hundred subordinates and said, "Everyone, follow me!"

    He led five hundred troops and continued eastward under the guidance of his guide. Seeing them gradually walking away, Huang Zhong immediately ordered: "Stay camp and rest on the spot!"

    Night falls and the moon rises. The clear moonlight shines on the mountains in the distance, coating the mountains with a light silver. The moonlight is also clear on the lake. Looking from a distance, it looks like a huge luminous jasper shining brightly.

    Although the moonlight was breathtakingly beautiful, Zhao Yun had no time to appreciate the beautiful light of the mountains, moon and lake. He kept urging the soldiers to speed up. As a general who had experienced hundreds of battles, he could fully understand Huang Zhong's worries. If he missed the  Supplies, food is cut off, what does that mean for the army?

    The distance of more than twenty miles was not far. Half an hour later, Zhao Yun saw Songze Town from a distance, a place where hundreds of fishermen lived.

    But at this moment, Zhao Yun suddenly reined in his horse, pointed his spear at a forest dozens of steps away, and shouted, "Who is he!"

    The soldiers suddenly became nervous and crouched on the ground, holding shields to cover their bodies. Their eyes were fixed on the dark woods. At this time, several people ran out of the woods. The leader shouted: "General Zhao, we are here."  It¡¯s a Jiang Xia army scout!¡±

    When the people came closer, they were indeed wearing Jiangxia Army armor. Although they knew Zhao Yun, Zhao Yun did not recognize them. He still remained vigilant, pointed his spear at the people, turned around and ordered: "Search them!"

    Soldiers rushed up early, searched several scouts carefully, and came back to report to Zhao Yun, "General Qi, they all have military badges and are our people."

    "Bring them up!"

    The soldiers brought several scouts up. The leader of the group, a commander, knelt down on one knee and said, "General Zhao, we are subordinates of General Lou Fa. General Lou Fa sent supplies to General Zhao on the order of Zhou Mu. We are looking for troops everywhere."  ¡±

    Finally hearing the news about the supply ship, Zhao Yun showed a smile on his face and asked: "Where is the fleet now?"

    "Reporting to the general, the fleet is in an inlet east of Songze Town."

    Zhao Yun immediately ordered: "Take me to see General Lou Fa!"

    The team continued to move forward, but the speed slowed down. Zhao Yun glanced at the scout commander and saw that he was quite tall and strong, so he asked: "How do you know me?"

    Shi Chang scratched his head and said: "I was once a Yellow Turban Army soldier. I followed General Zhao in Runan. Later, I was captured by Cao Army and sold as a slave. I finally fled to Jiangxia and joined the army. It has been four years now."

    Zhao Yun was touched when he heard that he actually followed him, and asked him again: "What's your name?"

    "My humble name is Chen Zhong!"

    ? ???Yun nodded, "Since you were once my subordinate, I will tell Lou Fa that you will still follow me in the future."

    "I am very happy, "I am willing to follow the general despite my humble position!"

    Speaking of this, the commander suddenly remembered something and said quickly: "I have something to report to the general. We were originally on the lake, but yesterday we captured a Jiangdong sentinel ship. It seemed that there was something going on. General Lou was a little nervous. His fate  The fleet sailed into a relatively secluded bay, and I don¡¯t know what happened.¡±

    Zhao Yun frowned, why?  Is Jiang Dongjun going to come over the water?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 429 Looking for Opportunities in Chaos

    [Write a little bit every day and publish one chapter after finishing it. I estimate that I can only have one chapter a week. I¡¯m sorry!  I¡¯ll make up for it later!  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    Jiangxia Army's supply fleet has a total of 120 ships, mainly five-hundred-stone cargo ships, but also dozens of thousand-stone warships. The supplies and food transported can support Huang Zhong's army for a month, and there are also a large number of weapons and arrows.  Arrows and tents and other supplies.

    This is because Huang Zhong¡¯s army marched with light troops, and the food and supplies needed by the army were transported by warships. This was a method of marching in separate lanes and then converging.

    The risk involved is very high. Once the fleet is intercepted by Jiangdong's army, not only will the logistics supply fail, but the survival of Huang Zhong's army will also be threatened.

    "However, Jiang Xia's army relied on their familiarity with the hydrology and geography of the Yangtze River to travel at night along the north bank of the Yangtze River, successfully avoiding the Jiangdong Army's patrol posts, and finally arrived at Songze Lake.

    In addition to transporting a large amount of food and other materials, this supply fleet has only a thousand escort troops. It will be led by General Lou Fa. Lou Fa was also one of Gan Ning's right-hand men at the time. He was second only to Shen Mi in the Jiangxia Army in water warfare.  General, currently Sima of the Navy Department.

    He led his fleet to Songze Town yesterday. According to the plan, it should be anchored on the lake in Songze Town so that Huang Zhong's army could find it. However, they unexpectedly captured a Jiangdong Army sentry ship and got some news, which made Lou Fa  He became nervous and ordered the fleet to hide in a bay in the east of the town. At this time, Zhao Yun finally led the army to find the supply fleet.

    It was getting daylight, and Huang Zhong's army rushed to Zhendong to join Zhao Yun. Lou Fa had been waiting on the shore for a long time. When he saw Huang Zhong leading the army, he immediately stepped forward and knelt down on one knee to salute: "The last general Lou Fa has seen Huang Zhong.  "Old General!"

    Huang Zhong turned over and dismounted, helped Lou up and said with a smile: "General Lou, there is no need to be polite. General Lou's timely arrival is a great contribution to the victory over Jiangdong Army."

    After a pause, Huang Zhong asked again: "I heard from Zilong that General Lou discovered the situation. I am very interested. Can you elaborate on it?"

    "General Huang, please come aboard, I will give you a detailed report!"

    Huang Zhong followed Lou Fa towards the big ship. He saw hundreds of cargo ships moored on the water, loaded with food, weapons and other supplies. He couldn't help but feel that if these ships had not arrived, he really didn't know what the consequences would be.

    Huang Zhong sighed and quickly walked into the cabin. At this time, Zhao Yun also walked in. Everyone sat down in the cabin. Lou Fa then said to the two of them: "This incident is indeed a bit strange. It happened at noon two days ago.  We accidentally captured a Jiangdong Army sentry ship on the river entering Songze Lake. At first, we thought it was following our ship, but after interrogation, we found out that they had a special mission. "

    Having said this, Lou Fa took out a letter and handed it to Huang Zhong, "This is a letter found from the enemy. It is actually a letter written by Sun Quan to Cheng Pu. Please ask General Huang to read it."

    Huang Zhong quickly took the letter and read it hastily. The content was very clear in his mind. Sun Quan ordered Cheng Pu to abandon Qichun County and prepare to take a boat south to meet at Chaisang. A fleet will soon be sent to meet Cheng Pu's army.

    Huang Zhong was very excited. This was extremely important information. He handed the letter to Zhao Yun and asked, "I want to know about the situation of the receiving fleet. Can General Lou tell me?"

    Lou Fa said apologetically: "I don't know much about this information, and the captured patrols don't know either. However, I have sent several sentry ships to the Yangtze River to explore the news. Once I discover the situation, I will immediately report it to the old general."

    As soon as he finished speaking, there was a burst of hurried footsteps outside, and a soldier reported urgently: "Report to General Lou, the sentry ship has returned and discovered the enemy's situation."

    It was simply God¡¯s will. As soon as they mentioned this matter, the news came. The three of them stood up and walked quickly outside the cabin.

    A hundred-stone sentinel boat has slowly approached the big ship. On board are three scouts sent to find out the news. They climbed on the big ship and the leading soldier reported: "Report to General Lou that a Jiangdong fleet was found in the Yangtze River.  More than two hundred thousand-stone warships have sailed into Songze Lake and are heading towards us. "

    Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun looked at each other. They realized almost at the same time that this must be the Jiangdong fleet that came to pick up Cheng Pujun. Zhao Yun asked: "Can you roughly estimate how far away the fleet is from us and how long it will take to get here?"

    The scout leader thought for a while and said: "It is estimated that there is still sixty miles, and we can reach Songze Town before noon at the latest."

    Zhao Yun looked at Huang Zhong again. The meaning in his eyes was already clear. This is an opportunity. Why not seize this opportunity?  "

    Huang Zhong thought for a long time and said to Lou Fa: "I need a map!"

    "There is a map in the cabin, General Huang, please come with me."

    Everyone walked back to the cabin. Lou Fa took out a map and spread it on the table. This was a map of Lujiang County and Qichun County. Of course Huang Zhong also had it, and he was very familiar with it.Get to know this map.

    He tapped a river to the west of Songze Town with his finger, "This is the river. We passed by it in the morning. This river leads directly to Wan County. The ships from Jiangdong should go along this river to Wan County to meet Cheng Pu's army.  "

    "But I heard that the upper reaches of the river are very narrow, and even boats with five hundred stone cannot pass. Only small boats can be used, and large ships with one thousand stone can only go up to ten miles along the river, and they will not be able to turn around any further."

    Huang Zhong was startled. If this was the case, the Jiangdong naval fleet would probably dock at Songze Town, which would be a bit difficult to handle. At this time, Zhao Yun smiled and said: "Old General, don't you think this fleet can't go to Wanxian County, which will be a problem for us."  Is it more of an opportunity?¡±

    Huang Zhong understood what Zhao Yun meant, and he also laughed, "Zilong is right, our goal is not this fleet, but to use the arrival of this fleet to annihilate Cheng Pu's army."

    Zhao Yun thought for a while and then said: "But I guess our whereabouts cannot be concealed from the Jiangdong fleet."

    Huang Zhong knew that Zhao Yun was referring to the people of Songze Town, and he couldn't help but laugh, "It doesn't matter if you can't hide it from the fleet, as long as you hide it from Cheng Pu. It's at least 150 miles from here to Wan County. I think there is absolutely no news about them."  Not so fast."

    At this time, Lou Fa was even more worried about time. They unloaded a batch of grain and had to evacuate before the Jiangdong warship arrived. Time was very tight. He said anxiously: "The old general is right, but time is urgent. We have to hurry up."  ¡±

    Huang Zhong thought for a moment and then resolutely knocked on the table, "That's it!"

    The Jiangdong fleet coming from Chaisang was sent by Sun Quan to meet Cheng Pu's army, led by General Lu Meng. Lu Meng himself did not bring many troops, only 2,000 men, and most of them were empty ships.

    After three days of sailing, the fleet gradually arrived at its final destination-Songze Town in the afternoon. This is the northernmost part of Songze Lake. The water is deep and the shore is gentle, which is very suitable for soldiers to board the ship in large numbers.

    On the bow of a large ship at the front, Lu Meng was staring at the lake, his brows furrowed, and his eyes were a little confused. At this time, Lieutenant General Zhang Ji stepped forward and asked: "General Lu, did you find anything wrong?"

    ¡°I¡¯m just a little weird!¡±

    Lu Meng said slowly: "Why can't I see a fishing boat on the lake? Logically speaking, Songze Town is a fishing town. During this fishing season, there should be many fishing boats on the lake, but I can't see any."

    "The birds that fly at night frighten the sleeping birds, is this what General Lu means?"

    Lu Meng nodded, "I am indeed a little worried. Liu Jing has sent troops to Qichun. He will never let our troops withdraw so easily. We should be extremely cautious."

    "Why don't you humble yourself and go to the town to check it out? If there is any trace of enemy troops, there must be news in the town."

    "Go! Be careful."

    Zhang Ji waved and took dozens of his men in several small boats to sail towards Songze. Not long after, a boat hurried back, and the soldiers shouted under the big boat: "General Lu!"

    Lu Meng leaned forward and asked, "What's going on?"

    "General Zhang has received news that a fleet has been anchored in the west bay for the past two days. Not long after it left, an army also passed by the town early this morning."

    Lu Meng was shocked. This was what he was most worried about. The more he worried, the more he encountered it. Lu Meng was also familiar with the art of war. He knew that he should not act rashly before he understood the enemy's situation. Cheng Pu's army was stationed  It may be okay in Wan County, but once you move blindly, it is likely to create opportunities for the enemy.

    Lu Meng then remembered that Marquis Wu had sent someone to deliver a message to Cheng Pu, and he became even more worried. He immediately turned back to a soldier and said, "Take a few people and rush to Wan County. Tell General Cheng that the enemy has arrived. Don't act rashly."

    The soldiers followed the order and left. Lu Meng watched several soldiers riding away. He was full of worries. Wu Hou's strategy of ordering the army to withdraw to Chaisang was not wrong. Qichun County had lost its strategic significance. It should indeed concentrate its troops on  Chaisang.

    But Lu Meng always believed that Wu Hou's western expedition was unwise. If he did not have an absolute advantage, he would lose more than he gained by going on an expedition without an absolute advantage. The biggest disadvantage of the Jiangdong Army was that it could not afford to delay it.

    Thinking of this, Lu Meng couldn't help but sigh lowly.

    There is only a narrow trail from Songze Town to Wanxian County, close to the river, with very few pedestrians. The trail is covered with grass, and on the other side are endless woods.

    Several cavalrymen rushed along the trail. An hour later, they had left Songze Town for dozens of miles. Suddenly, a cavalryman pointed ahead and shouted. He saw several big trees in front of him lying on the road side by side, blocking the way.  .

    The three cavalrymen quickly pulled on the reins and looked around in horror. Several big trees had clearly been cut down just now. Who did this?

    At this moment, more than a dozen arrows were shot out from the woods.He took the horses of the three men straight away. The two horses neighed and fell to the ground. The other cavalryman luckily escaped an arrow and turned his horse's head to escape. However, within five steps of running, several arrows whizzed towards him.  , shot the cavalryman in the back, the cavalryman screamed and fell from his horse.

    At this time, a group of cavalrymen, more than a hundred of them, rushed out from the woods. They rushed forward and knocked down the two cavalrymen who had missed the arrow.

    This is a group of Jiangxia patrol troops at the rear. The main force of the Jiangxia army is twenty miles ahead on the other side of the river. The patrol troops have long discovered these three cavalrymen and set up an ambush to intercept them.

    A soldier found Lu Meng¡¯s command arrow and handed it to the chief of the village, ¡°I found this on him!¡±

    The commander of the village looked at the command arrow, and it turned out to be Lu Meng's command arrow. He immediately realized that these people were very important, and immediately said to everyone: "Let's go and report to the old general!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 430 Each uses his own strategy

    [I went for a follow-up consultation. I have inflammation in my fingers and wrists. The doctor still doesn¡¯t allow me to use the computer. For the time being, I can only write a few hundred words a day and make up a chapter to publish. I will make up for it one by one later!  I'm sorry for now.  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    Wan County is the county seat of Lujiang County and is also the largest county in Lujiang County. The city has a circumference of more than 20 miles and the city walls are tall and strong. It has a population of about 30,000. However, at this time, 30,000 Jiangdong troops were stationed in Wan County.  The county seat became crowded.

    Cheng Pu led the 30,000 Jiangdong Army troops stationed in Wan County for nearly half a month. He originally led his troops to Qichun County to cooperate with the Jiangdong Navy to attack Jiangxia across the river, but he did not expect that the Jiangxia Army occupied Qichun County first and blocked it.  The Jiangdong navy lost Qichun County, an important strategic location.

    Cheng Pu knew very well that if he entered Qichun County under such circumstances, his logistics would have a big problem.

    Since the situation has changed, Cheng Pu is no longer in a hurry to march to Qichun. He garrisoned in Wan County and patiently waited for Wu Hou's order.

    Cheng Pu stood at the top of the city and looked to the south. Lieutenant General He Qi slowly stepped forward and said, "I guess Wu Hou wants us to go to Chaisang. Marching into Qichun is too risky and Wu Hou can't bear it."

    Cheng Pu nodded, "General He is right. I think so too. Marquis Wu will not let us return to Jiangdong. The best plan is to cross the river south and join forces with the navy. We were originally planning to attack Qichun  It is also good to join forces in Chaisang. You can attack Changsha to the south and Wuchang directly to the north, and cooperate with Wu Hou's main waterway. "

    He Qi smiled and said: "To put it this way, facing Jiangxia Army in Chaisang is actually more threatening than in Qichun County."

    "Chaisang is the gate of Jingzhou and the first strategic location. General Xu Sheng has indeed made a great contribution by capturing Chaisang for us. Taking Chaisang will at least increase our chance of victory by 10%."

    The two were talking when several cavalrymen rushed towards them from a distance, and a soldier shouted, "It's our cavalry!"

    Three cavalrymen rushed to the city. Sure enough, they were Jiangdong cavalrymen. The leading cavalryman shouted: "The situation is urgent. I want to see Governor Cheng!"

    Cheng Pu immediately ordered: "Bring them up to see me!"

    After a moment, three cavalrymen were brought to the city wall. The leading cavalryman knelt down on one knee, holding up a command arrow and a letter, "Urgent letter from Marquis Wu!"

    Cheng Pu took the letter and the command arrow and looked at it. It turned out to be Lu Meng's command arrow, but the letter was an autographed letter from Wu Hou. He quickly opened the letter and read it. As they expected, Wu Hou ordered them to meet at Chaisang immediately and sent  L¨¹ Meng led a ship to meet them.

    Cheng Pu was relieved and asked again: "Where is General Lu now?"

    "Reporting to the Governor, General Lu led his fleet to Wankou and waited for the Governor's army at Wankou."

    Cheng Jin and He Qi looked at each other. They were both a little surprised. How to get to Wankou? It is four hundred miles farther than Songze Lake. He Qi asked: "Why not at Songze Lake?"

    "We originally planned to go to Songze Lake, but we found Jiangxia Army warships in Songze Lake, and we were all empty ships. We were unable to fight against the Jiangxia Navy, so we had to divert to Wankou."

    Cheng Pu nodded, "Jiangxia Army's warships should be supply fleets. Judging from the time, Jiangxia Army should have entered Lujiang County at this time, and they will supply at Songze Lake."

    Having said this, Cheng Pu said to the soldiers around him: "Take them down to rest and reward each of them with ten taels of gold!"

    "Thank you, Governor, for the reward!"

    The three messengers went down, but Cheng Pu returned to his office without saying a word. As soon as he entered the room, He Qi followed him in. He Qi was about thirty-five or six years old, and he was also a powerful general in Jiangdong.  , he was an important general in Jiangdong during Sun Ce's era.

    It's just that He Qi mainly dealt with the Shanyue people in Kuaiji County and rarely went to the outside world. This time Sun Quan mobilized 20,000 Kuaiji garrison troops to attack Qichun by land. He Qi naturally followed the army. Although he was only a deputy general, Cheng Pu had no regard for him.  There is no hint of contempt. The person who can really control this army is He Qi, not Cheng Pu. Cheng Pu knows this well.

    "The situation is urgent, why is the governor so hesitant?" He Qi asked anxiously.

    Cheng Pu paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, still without saying a word. He was very clear about the Jiangxia Army's strategy to occupy Qichun County and prevent the Jiangdong Army from using Qichun as a logistics center. However, despite the apparent strategy, Jiangxia Army's true strategy  The purpose is to completely annihilate themselves and gain a numerical advantage in the army.

    Therefore, Cheng Pu was extremely cautious and refused to move a step while staying in Wan County. At the same time, he also blocked the city gate and did not allow anyone from outside to enter the city. This eliminated the hope of Jiangxia's army to cooperate with the outside world to seize the city.

    Of course, if the Jiangxia Army from Qichun County can be annihilated, it will add more hope for the Jiangdong Army's final victory. But to annihilate the Jiangxia Army, you must first know yourself and the enemy. If you act blindly, you will  Was eaten by Jiangxia army.Thinking of this, Cheng Pu sighed, "It's not that I don't want to retreat, it's just that I don't know the situation of the Jiangxia Army, so I don't dare to act rashly! Now we are in the light, and they are in the dark. If we retreat in a hurry and are ambushed by the Jiangxia Army, we may lose more than we gain."  ¡±

    He Qi was also a famous general in Jiangdong. Although he was eager to evacuate Wan County, Cheng Pu's caution made him think deeply. Indeed, it was unwise to leave Wan County rashly without knowing the situation of Jiangxia Army, but staying in Wan County was not an option.  .

    "Then what does the general plan to do?"

    Cheng Pu walked a few steps with his hands behind his back: "I was thinking that there must be spies of the Jiangxia Army outside the city, always spying on our movements. If we can use this trick to lure the Jiangxia Army to take the bait and annihilate them in one fell swoop, this is what we have set out to do.  great merit."

    He Qi thought for a long time and then said: "How about this? I will lead the five thousand troops pretending to be the main force and march along the west bank of the Wan River. The general will lead the main force on the east bank of the Wan River to accompany him. I will send a messenger every hour. If I am ambushed, I will  , the general can flank the enemy."

    Cheng Pu thought for a moment and realized that He Qi's plan could indeed be adopted, so he asked him to pretend to be the main force and go first, with himself behind. Thinking of this, Cheng Pu said happily: "That's it, we decided to set off immediately after dark."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, an army left Wan County and marched southward along the west bank of the Wan River. Each soldier held two or three torches in his hands. It looked quite spectacular. From a distance, it looked like an army of about 10,000 soldiers.  The army of more than 20,000 people, with flags fluttering, was huge.

    General He Qi was at the front of the team, watching the situation around him vigilantly. He constantly sent spies to inquire about what was going on ahead. Although He Qi took the initiative to lure the enemy as bait, the danger of being ambushed still made him very nervous.

    Just an hour after He Qi led his army to leave Wan County, Cheng Pu also led 25,000 main troops to leave the east gate of Wan County. However, they walked quietly along the east bank of Wan River as low-key as possible. At the same time, in the river,  There was also a fleet of about fifty small boats following the team southward.

    Although Wanshui is the largest river in Lujiang County, it is actually not wide in the upper or middle reaches, and the widest point is less than ten feet. It is only in the last few dozen miles before it flows into the Yangtze River. Due to the confluence of several tributaries, it becomes  The Wanshui River suddenly widened to a hundred feet and turned into a big river.

    It takes about one hundred and fifty miles to walk along the Wan River from Wan County to reach Wankou. The road is mostly intertwined with hills and plains, with low terrain, open terrain on both sides, sparse forests, dense population, and large areas of  farmland, this area is the most important population gathering area in Lujiang County.

    After about sixty miles, it was past five o'clock, and it was almost dawn. Jiangdong's army slowed down, and the broad plain area gradually ended. A few miles ahead was a hilly area with undulating mountains and ravines.  , it is extremely easy to hide the army.

    He Qi suddenly ordered: "Stop moving forward!"

    The Jiangdong Army stopped. To the west of them was a low hill. It was no different from an ordinary hill. However, the wide valleys on both sides of the hill were excellent ambush places to hide the army. Those who had fought against the Shanyue people for many years  He Qi could see the murderous intention hidden in it at a glance.

    He immediately ordered: "Scouts, go and investigate on both sides!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of drums in the valleys on both sides and the flames soaring into the sky. Two armies rushed out from the left and right sides of the valley and rushed towards Jiangdong Army. The general who came face to face was none other than veteran general Huang Zhong. He led an army of 10,000 and divided it into two groups.  , has been lying in ambush in the valley for a long time, waiting for Jiang Dongjun to appear.

    Huang Zhong waved his sword and shouted, "Kill me!"

    Amidst the rumbling of war drums, the ten thousand Jiangxia ambush troops were divided into two groups, like a mountain torrent rushing out of the valley, sweeping across the wilderness and heading towards the head and tail of the Jiangdong Army.

    Generally speaking, it is extremely dangerous for the army to be ambushed during the march. It is not entirely because the army is caught off guard. Many times, spies have discovered an ambush, but the marching team still has no time to adjust.

    The key is that the marching team is long, ranging from three or four miles to more than ten miles. It takes at least half an hour to get into combat formation, but an ambush army will never give them time to form a team. An army that lacks formation and has a long distance cannot  How much fighting power.

    The night attack by Jiang Xia Army immediately caused chaos among Jiang Dong Army. He Qi shouted anxiously: "Shoot the rockets quickly!"

    The soldiers around him immediately fired more than a dozen rockets into the night sky to notify the main force of Jiangdong Army on the east bank. At this time, Jiangxia Army was like two sharp knives, instantly splitting the long team of Jiangdong Army into more than a dozen sections, especially  At night, it was difficult to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy, and the situation was extremely chaotic. He Qi loudly shouted orders to the left and right, "Gather your troops to fight!"

    The more than 2,000 people around him were all elite troops who had been fighting against the Shanyue people all year round. They had extremely strong combat effectiveness. They quickly formed a spear formation and made a sneak attack.The Jiangxia Army launched a counterattack, and the two sides launched a fierce and fierce battle on the west bank of the Wanshui River.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 431 Battle of Wanshui

    Chapter 431 Battle of Wanshui

    [I¡¯m writing slowly these days, and I¡¯ll send it to everyone once I save a chapter. I originally wanted to try the audio, but it didn¡¯t work, and I couldn¡¯t write it, so I can only wait until the problem at hand gets better before I write again. I apologize to everyone again]¡ª¡ª

    Cheng Pu led the main force to follow He Qi's vanguard march more than 20 miles away on the east bank of the Wan River. In fact, there was no need for rocket warning. Soon after the Jiangxia army launched an ambush, Cheng Pu got the news and immediately ordered the army to move forward quickly.  OK, and ordered the fifty accompanying boats to quickly build pontoons, and the army quickly supported the forward.

    More than a dozen rockets soared into the sky in the distance, and the night sky was extremely bright and dazzling. A large group of Jiangdong troops ran quickly in the darkness. The dark crowd rushed along the river bank to the south. A dozen or so meters away in the south, fifty small boats were waiting.  Use iron chains to tie the ropes together, and quickly build a pontoon bridge.

    The ambush battle on the west bank of the Wanshui River has been going on for a quarter of an hour. The Jiangdong Army was in chaos. More than half of the soldiers were killed or fled. Arrows were flying, blood mist filled the air, and screams and cries resounded throughout the west bank of the Wanshui River.  The ground was filled with corpses that had been brutally killed.

    Only the two thousand spear troops led by He Qi were desperately resisting the waves of attacks by the Jiangxia Army. They could no longer hold on. Veteran Huang Zhongshen took the lead and opened a bloody path with his sword, breaking through the tight formation of the spear soldiers.  , the spear army was split into two, and was surrounded and annihilated by the Jiangxia army that was twice its size.

    After Huang Zhong led his army into the enemy's army, he discovered something strange. The enemy's army pretended to be the main force, but in fact there were only 5,000 people. This was obviously a bait. He knew that the main force of the enemy's army had either left from another way or was about to leave.  Kill to arrive, and the possibility of the latter is extremely high.

    For this reason, Huang Zhong only led 4,000 spearmen to encircle and annihilate the spearmen, while the remaining 6,000 men gathered in formation in the rear, preparing to meet the main enemy force that was about to kill.

    Huang Zhong tried to break through He Qi's core formation several times to kill the enemy general, but five hundred of He Qi's soldiers resisted desperately, causing Huang Zhong to fail several times. At this time, Huang Zhong became a little anxious.

    Suddenly, an earth-shattering cry of killing came from the north. Huang Zhong reined in his horse and looked north in surprise. A soldier stumbled over to report, "For the record, old general, the main force of the enemy army is coming from the north with great momentum. Brother."  They resisted with great difficulty, General Mo asked the old general to take command quickly. "

    Huang Zhong expected the main force of the enemy army to come from the north, but the stubborn resistance of the enemy vanguard was unexpected. The two thousand spearmen were like an extremely hard stone that could not be smashed no matter what.  Huang Zhong was worried that his army might be in danger of being attacked from both sides. At this time, Huang Zhong had no time to think about it and turned his horse and ran towards the north.

    To the north is an open wilderness about two miles wide. Tens of thousands of people are fighting fiercely in this wilderness. At this time, the sky has turned white, darkness and dawn are intertwined, there are dots of fire, the shadows of swords and spears are shaking, and the sharp impact of weapons is  The sound, the clicking sound of broken bones, the scream before death, the bloody and pungent battlefield, especially tragic.

    Cheng Pu led the main force of the Jiangdong Army to press forward. The Jiangxia Army was outnumbered and was defeated steadily. At this time, more than 1,000 spear troops and 2,000 defeated troops in the south began to counterattack under the gathering of deputy general He Qi, attacking from behind.  The Jiangxia Army formed a pincer attack, and the situation of the Jiangxia Army became critical.

    At this extremely critical moment, drums sounded loudly in the north again. Zhao Yun led 10,000 troops to fight from the north. There was a chaos behind Cheng Pu's army. Zhao Yun's white horses and silver helmets, and bright silver spears gleamed with cold light, like the god of death reappearing. He took the lead.  He jumped on his horse over the heads of dozens of enemy soldiers and rushed into the dense enemy group. The silver spear in his hand stabbed the Jiangdong soldiers like a rain of pear blossoms, killing Jiangdong soldiers' corpses and wailing all over the ground.

    Where Zhao Yun's gun pointed, Jiangdong's soldiers all fled away. The 10,000 soldiers behind him were divided into twenty teams, following him closely, breaking through the defensive positions of the rear army. Thousands of Jiangdong's troops ran back like an ebbing tide, causing Jiangdong to  The army's formation began to become chaotic.

    Cheng Pu was furious and swung his sword towards the retreating soldiers. He killed dozens of them and shouted: "Anyone who dares to take a step back again will be killed!"

    Jiangdong Army stabilized its position under the command of Cheng Pu. Cheng Pu mobilized another 3,000 archers and fired a burst of fire at Zhao Yun who was charging towards him. Zhao Yun's spear danced like falling flowers in colorful colors, knocking out the dense arrows, but  The enemy's arrows were too fierce, and hundreds of sword and shield soldiers rushed forward and raised their shields to form a shield wall.

    At this time, Zhao Yun realized that his charge was too fierce and there was some disjoint among the troops. However, the enemy's position had been stabilized, so he stopped charging. He turned around and ordered: "Stabilize the position and form a formation to fight!"

    ¡®Woo¡ª¡ª¡¯ A deep horn sound sounded on the battlefield, and the 10,000 Jiangxia troops began to regroup and were divided into three wings: east, middle and west to attack the enemy.

    Huang Zhong, who was several miles away, also heard the sound of the horn. The first ray of sunlight had burst out from the east, illuminating the earth. In the bloody morning light, Huang Zhong saw Zhao Yun's banner from a distance, and he felt great in his heart.He was overjoyed and shouted to the soldiers: "Brothers, our reinforcements have arrived, we will win this battle!"

    He raised his sword again and shouted, "We will win!"

    ¡°We must win!¡±

    Thousands of soldiers of the Jiangxia Army cheered, their morale was high, and they launched a massive counterattack against the Jiangdong Army. In the wilderness on the west bank of the Wanshui River, horns were wailing and horses were fighting. Tens of thousands of people on both sides fought for victory in a life-and-death battle.

    What the two armies compete for in a melee is the number of troops, the command of the general, the bravery of the general, the training of the army, the combat experience, the strength of the soldiers, the high morale, as well as the right time, place and people, and other factors. A weak link will lead to defeat.  will be the cause of failure.

    Although the Jiangdong Army has more troops than the Jiangxia Army, the 20,000 Jiangxia Army are actually elites selected from the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who surrendered from Chibi. They have extremely strong combat effectiveness. Under the front and rear attacks of Huang Zhong's army and Zhao Yun's army,  Jiangdong Army was gradually at a disadvantage. As time went by, this disadvantage in combat effectiveness became more and more obvious. An hour later, Jiangdong Army began to show signs of failure.

    But at the same time, Huang Gai's army also faced the attack from behind by He Qi's army, and they gradually became a little unable to hold on. It was already dark, and both armies were in a terrifying balance. It depends on who can't hold on first.  , breaking this balance.

    The fuse that broke this balance appeared on the right wing of the Jiangdong Army. Since this Jiangdong Army was composed of 20,000 Kuaiji Army and 10,000 Soochow Army, and there were 3,000 Shanyue people in the Kuaiji Army, in peacetime, they were different from the ordinary Jiangdong Army.  There is no difference between soldiers, but when it comes to life and death, the interests of the Shanyue tribe exceed Jiangdong's interests, and the Shanyue people are no longer willing to die for Jiangdong.

    More than a thousand of the three thousand Shanyue soldiers were killed. A dozen Shanyue tribe generals saw that the situation was unfavorable. They lost their fighting spirit and led the rest of the Shanyue tribe to leave the battlefield first. Thousands of people rushed onto the pontoon bridge and retreated to the other side of the river.

    The retreat of the Shanyue people unbalanced the right wing of the Jiangdong Army, which eventually triggered the complete defeat of the Jiangdong Army. Like an avalanche, more and more Jiangdong Army soldiers joined the fleeing ranks. Morale finally collapsed. Thousands of Jiangdong soldiers shouted  Shouting, scrambling to escape to the pontoon,

    The pontoon bridge was narrow and could only accommodate a hundred people passing through at the same time. In the chaos, countless people were squeezed into the Wanshui River, but more people took off their armor, threw away their weapons, and jumped into the water to escape.

    Cheng Pu repeatedly shouted to the soldiers to hold their ground, but his voice was drowned out by the soldiers' shouts of fear. Seeing that the situation was over, Cheng Pu couldn't help but sigh, "It's not my fault!"

    At this moment, Zhao Yun led more than a thousand soldiers to attack like a storm, only a few dozen steps away from Cheng Pu. Hundreds of Cheng Pu's soldiers saw that the enemy was coming fiercely and could not resist it. They surrounded Cheng Pu and fled eastward.

    The pontoon bridge was jammed with hundreds of defeated soldiers. Everyone was vying for the first place, crowding and stampeding hard, making the crossing extremely slow. Seeing the critical situation, Cheng Pu's soldiers shouted and rushed forward, slashing and stabbing countless Jiangdong soldiers to death.  River, fighting a bloody path on the pontoon bridge, escorting Cheng Pu across the pontoon bridge, and fled towards Wanxian County.

    At the same time, He Qi, who was fighting in the south, also saw that the situation was not good, turned his horse and fled south.

    The Jiangxia Army pursued them all the way, killing Jiangdong Army's corpses all over the ground, and countless people surrendered. In this battle, the Jiangdong Army killed more than 8,000 enemies and captured 15,000 enemies. Although the Jiangxia Army also lost nearly 2,000 people,  In the end, he won the battle of Wanshui

    Cheng Pu fled for dozens of miles. When he saw that no pursuers were coming, he calmed down a little. After a while, groups of defeated soldiers began to flee one after another. Cheng Pu ordered his men to gather the defeated soldiers. At this time, General Jiang Qin led hundreds of  When the defeated soldiers fled, he said bitterly: "Captain, today's defeat was caused by the Shanyue people evacuating the battlefield without authorization. We must report to the Marquis of Wu for severe punishment!"

    Cheng Pu was in confusion. Although the Shanyue people's unauthorized escape from the battlefield could be used as an excuse to absolve him from guilt, he was more worried about the consequences of the failure of this battle. After a while, he sighed and said, "Let's talk about this later! General Jiang will lead his troops back to Anhui first."  County, try to protect Anhui County¡¯s food.¡±

    Half an hour later, fewer and fewer defeated soldiers escaped. Cheng Pu ordered his troops to count, and finally found only more than 2,800 soldiers, which was much lower than what he expected. Cheng Pu felt helpless and had to lead his army to continue marching towards Wan County.  Defeated.

    Unexpectedly, Jiang Qin was still several miles away from Wan County and escaped with wounds from an arrow. He took more than 300 people with him but only less than 200 were left. Cheng Pu was surprised and asked quickly: "What's going on?  "

    "Commander, the Jiangxia Army has occupied Wan County, but they pretended to open the city gate to lure us into the city. I discovered it in time, but we were attacked with bows and arrows."

    Cheng Pu was at a loss. Wan County was lost. How could they retreat to Jiangdong without food? Should they be allowed to loot villages along the way?

    At this moment, a soldier pointed in the distance and shouted: "Captain, the pursuers are coming!"

    Cheng Pu turned around and saw a few miles away on the other side of the river.Jiang Xia's army of 1,000 men was rushing towards this side. From a distance, they heard shouting: "Don't leave Cheng Pu!"

    " Two miles ahead was a bridge. Cheng Pu was anxious and panicked. He couldn't care less about the food problem and urged his horse to flee eastward. Three thousand Jiangdong troops followed him and fled eastward.

    Five days later, Liu Jing's order of commendation was passed to Wan County, and Huang Zhong was named General Pi. At the same time, Zhao Yun was named Zhonglang General, and Lou Fa was named Captain Jiang Yong. The other generals who participated in the war were all rewarded. Zhao Yun and Lou Fa were also ordered  He led his army to continue the eastern expedition.

    Zhao Yun then led an army of five thousand to continue marching eastward. From Lujiang County, you can enter Danyang County three hundred miles east. Danyang County is already the core area of ????Jiangdong, and Jingkou, the capital of Jiangdong, is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River in Danyang County.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 432 Private Interview on Weibo

    Liu Jing was in a very good mood these days. First, Li Yan lived up to his expectations and successfully occupied Zigui County. Second, Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun wiped out Cheng Pu's 30,000 army in Lujiang County.

    These two victories are of great significance. The former enabled him to successfully block Liu Bei's army's advance towards Bashu, while the victory of the latter would lay a solid foundation for him to stabilize the east. It can be said that these are two victories at the strategic level.

    Early in the morning, Liu Jing changed into the attire of an ordinary person, wearing a study crown, a blue fine linen robe, and black leather boots. In fact, his outfit still belonged to the middle and upper class. In the Han Dynasty, the length of his clothes  The social status of a person can be seen. The Eguan Bo robe is a symbol of the upper class, while the lower class people wear short brown clothes, that is, short clothes and coarse turbans and scarves.

    Liu Jing took several of his men all the way to Wuchang East City. The Han Dynasty inherited the characteristics of pre-Qin urban commerce and designated a special area as a commercial area, called a city, which is often the most convenient place for urban transportation.

    Wuchang's commercial market is located near the Cao River in Shuimen, covering an area of ??more than 2,000 acres. Dense shops are distributed on both sides of the Cao River. Goods from the north and south of the Yangtze River gather here, whether they are copper oil lamps, incense burners, drop bottles, furniture, or iron.  Agricultural tools such as plows, picks, shovels, hoes, and sickles, or grains such as grains, millet, rice, wheat, and beans, poultry and livestock such as chickens, ducks, geese, cattle, pigs, and horses, and silk, rhinoceros horns, turtle shells, and pearls  , ivory and other luxury goods, all kinds of commodities are available here.

    Jingzhou¡¯s commerce mainly relies on water transportation. Even goods from the north are transported by water after arriving at Fancheng or Anlu, and are transported from the Yangtze River to Wuchang. Since this year, Wuchang¡¯s commerce has been particularly prosperous, with various commodities and materials piled up in warehouses.

    On the one hand, it is certainly because the Chibi War made Jiangxia famous, greatly improving Jingzhou's status in the country, and businessmen from all over the country flocked to it, but more importantly, the five-baht coins made in Jiangxia were released in large quantities last year, and the coins contain a high copper content.  , was undoubtedly a bright spot in the late Han Dynasty when bad money was rampant, and was called 'Chu money'.

    This has led to merchants from all over the country transporting materials to Jiangxia in exchange for such high-quality Chu money. This is undoubtedly a kind of monetary exploitation, using hard currency to exchange for materials from various places.

    Of course, Wuchang's commercial market is mainly wholesale. The customers who come here to buy goods are not ordinary people, but mainly small traders from counties and counties in Jingzhou. They hire a small boat to sail from hundreds or even thousands of miles away, loaded with goods.  go back.

    As a result, doing business in the East Market requires large capital, which is mainly commercial banks. There are more than thirty commercial banks in total. Each commercial bank operates its own special products, but among them there are four major commercial banks that operate a variety of commodities.  The largest is Tao's Trading Company, which moved from Chaisang, followed by Wu's Trading Company in Jiangling, Tian's Trading Company in Xiangyang, and Su's Trading Company from Wuchang.

    The Tao Trading Company is the largest merchant in the entire south. It has monopolized Jingzhou's grain, salt and iron. It has been operating for decades and has made huge profits. It is as rich as the country. It has also become the most powerful supporter of Liu Jing's power.

    Liu Jing put on a little makeup, added a long beard, and thickened his eyebrows. Except for those who were very familiar with him, most people could no longer recognize him as Jingzhou Mu. He walked leisurely and came to a jewelry store.

    This store covers an area of ??three acres, with the front store and the back square. It occupies a large area. It is also the largest jewelry store in Jingzhou. It is called "Baibao Square", but it is just a jewelry store for ordinary people. The real dignitaries are all in "Cui Zhai".  'Buy jewelry at top jewelry stores.

    Liu Jing immediately walked in. From the outside, there seemed to be no one, but when he entered the store, he found that it was crowded. There were more than 20 tables filled with customers, and there was a waiter sweating profusely at each table.  Introduce jewelry and bargain with customers.

    Liu Jing just exited, but a young waiter greeted him enthusiastically, "This distinguished guest, our shop has all kinds of jewelry, high quality and low price, Zhang Shun is willing to introduce it to our distinguished guest."

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "There are too many people. I'll come back another day!"

    Although this clerk was young, he had been in the industry for many years and had a pair of vicious eyes. He saw that although Liu Jing was dressed simply, an ancient jade pendant around his waist was worth a thousand gold, and there were several of his entourages. Their imposing manner and burly figure were all  Not ordinary people can afford to raise a person with extremely high martial arts skills.

    The clerk immediately judged that Liu Jing was a noble person. How could such a noble customer let him leave so easily.

    The waiter immediately pointed to the inner room and said, "Please come and sit in the inner room. There is no one inside."

    Liu Jing knew the people's sentiments, so he didn't back down. He followed the waiter into the back room. The back room was elegantly decorated, with five or six tables, but only one table was occupied by guests, and the rest were empty.

    Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help but asked curiously: ¡°It¡¯s so crowded outside, why aren¡¯t they allowed to sit inside?¡±

    The waiter scratched his head and said: "This is a guest room, and they are all"Common people are not qualified to come in.  "

    "There are so many ordinary people coming to buy jewelry?" Liu Jing asked in confusion.

    At this time, the person at the table next to him laughed and said: "There are so many wealthy families in Jiangxia. This jewelry store is so prosperous every day."

    Liu Jing stepped forward and said with a smile: "My surname is Yang. I am from Runan. I come to Jiangxia to do business. What is your surname, sir?"

    The waiter answered on behalf of the guest: "This is proprietor Wang of Wang Shengji Tavern."

    Wang Shengji Tavern is located in Dongshi, covering an area of ??eight acres. It is a very famous tavern in Wuchang. Liu Jing cupped her hands and said with a smile: "It turns out to be the owner Wang. I have admired Wang Shengji Tavern for a long time in Runan."

    This proprietor Wang is quite fat and very talkative. He narrowed his eyes with a smile and waved his hands: "I don't dare to accept it. Shopkeeper Yang, please take a seat!"

    Liu Jing sat down opposite him and said with a casual smile, "Does Boss Wang think the people of Jiangxia are very rich?"

    "There are poor and rich people everywhere, but Jingzhou has always been a prosperous land of fish and rice. It has been stable for hundreds of years. As long as you work hard, you can get poorer. For example, last year, the price of a bucket of rice was up to 200 yuan. Do you think who made trouble? There are a lot of  People from Xiangyang and Nanjun fled to Jiangxia, and only half of them are in the refugee camp! Who is willing to queue up to receive porridge from a slightly better-off family?"

    Liu Jing nodded. He also knew what this person said. For example, the Cai family directly bought a farm in Jiangxia. Many wealthy families rented houses and would not live in disaster camps. It is for this reason.  The pressure on the Jiangxia government is much less than imagined.

    At this time, Boss Wang took out a handful of money from his arms and slapped it on the table, "This money is the Chu money that has appeared in large quantities this year. It is very well made, at least 90% copper. But as soon as it came out, everyone in Jingzhou was  Stomping your feet and scolding your mother, do you know why?¡±

    Liu Jinggong cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I don't know, please ask the proprietor."

    "Because as soon as it came out, the old money in the hands of Jingzhou people was worthless. It used to be five yuan to buy a big fish, and now it is still five yuan, but it has to be bought with Xinchu money. If you use old money to buy it, it will cost ten yuan. Rice  The price is the same. The new price is still 40 yuan per dou, but the old price is 100 yuan per dou. The price of rice has doubled out of thin air. Do you think everyone is scolding it? "

    Liu Jing picked up a new coin and looked at it carefully. The new coin was made very round, with full flesh and a yellow copper color. On the front was written the word "Made by Chu" and on the back was the seal character "Îå²Ý". It was indeed a coin.  A fine coin.

    The reason why a large amount of new money was circulated was mainly because of the generous rewards given to the three armies during the Chibi War. Liu Jing really did not expect that the new money would be so popular.  ¡®This should be a monetary robbery!  ¡¯ Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help but think secretly.

    "What a damn good money! All the money in my cellar is damn gone. I've worked for at least ten years in vain. What do you think so many people are doing here to buy jewelry?"

    The more Boss Wang talked, the more annoyed he became, and he said bitterly: "Such good money should not be left in Jingzhou and Jiangxia. It is unfair to us. We should go to Jiangdong and Bashu and buy all their things. Damn it, really  I wonder what the people above think, do they all have pig brains?¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At nightfall, Liu Jing changed into a loose robe and sat in the study reading leisurely. From time to time, her eyes glanced at her son who was climbing up and down on the sofa. He was so naughty that he could not rest for a moment. When the child climbed to the edge of the sofa,  He would reach out to help him, fearing that he would fall off the couch.

    In the blink of an eye, my son was able to crawl and was full of energy. Apart from sleeping, he crawled around all day long. He was as naughty as a monkey and babbling without knowing what he was talking about.

    Liu Jing said he was reading, but actually he didn't read a word. He was afraid that his son would roll off the couch accidentally, so he fell down yesterday and cried for half an hour.

    Although children are tiring to worry about, watching your children change day by day is also a wonderful feeling of being a father.

    At this time, Tao Zhan walked in with a cup of hot water. She saw her husband reaching out to help his son from time to time. She couldn't help but feel a sense of sweetness in her heart. After all, children are the lifeblood of a mother. Seeing a father loving his children,  No mother would be unhappy.

    Tao Zhan put down the tea bowl, pursed his lips and asked with a smile: "Yueying and her daughter are going back tomorrow, don't you go and say hello?"

    Liu Jing put down the book and said with a smile: "I won't go if you take my place. I have arranged the ships and guards to escort them back. You can just go directly to Li Qing tomorrow morning."

    Just as he said this, Liu Jing saw his son crawling over and about to fall off the couch. He was so frightened that he quickly held his son in his arms, touched his little head and said with a smile: "Little guy, don't fall again.  "

    Liu Zhi babbled and reached out to his mother. Tao Zhan lovingly held his son in his arms.He pinched his son's little face and said with a smile: "Zhier and mother are going to see sister Aguo. Don't disturb daddy from reading."

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "Go! Xu Changshi will come to me later. He may have a letter for Mrs. Huang to bring to Kong Ming."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing hesitated a little. Tao Zhan saw that her husband had something to say, so he smiled and said, "If you have anything to say, just say it."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "What I want to say is that our government needs to be frugal and eliminate all unnecessary expenses. In addition, we must save as much as possible in terms of food, clothing, and daily life, and we must not be extravagant and wasteful."

    Tao Zhan was a little surprised, "Husband, what happened?"

    Liu Jing laughed, "Don't worry, nothing happened. I just want to set an example and call on the officials and people of Jingzhou to be frugal and reinforce the army."

    Tao Zhan nodded silently, "I understand, I will make arrangements for frugality."

    At this moment, a maid reported outside the door: "Master Qi, Xu Changshi is here."

    "Take him to the outer study and wait for a while. I'll be right back."

    "Husband, go and do your work! Let's leave first." Tao Zhan smiled sweetly, hugged his son and walked away quickly.

    Liu Jing took two sips of tea, then stood up and walked out to the study in a hurry.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 433 Order to Gather Wealth

    Liu Jing quickly came to the outer study room. The door of the study room was open, and a large amount of light shot out from the room, illuminating the courtyard. From a distance, she saw Xu Shu pacing back and forth in the room, looking worried.

    Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh. As a big housekeeper, it was really difficult for him to resettle the refugees, repatriate the people after the war, and plan money and food for hundreds of thousands of troops.

    "Is Yuan Zhi worried about Chai Mi again?" Liu Jing walked into the room with a smile.

    Xu Shu quickly saluted and said: "See Zhou Mu!"

    "Sit down and talk!" Liu Jing waved her hand and asked Xu Shu to sit down with a smile.

    Xu Shu sat down, smiled with a grimace, and said: "I just finished the battle of Chibi and got 200,000 shi of grain. I got another 150,000 shi of grain from the two cities of Jiangling and Xiangyang. I got 50,000 shi of grain from Pengze Water Village."  , Logically speaking, this much food is enough to support the battle against Jiangdong, I shouldn¡¯t have anything to worry about, but I always feel heavy when I think about the future.¡±

    "What are you worried about in the future?"

    Liu Jing smiled and asked: "Is it because our taxes are not enough to support the army?"

    "Frankly, it is!"

    Xu Shu sighed softly, "Actually, we have been far from making ends meet from the beginning. The tax revenue of one Jiangxia county can only support an army of 20,000 to 30,000 people at most. The Tao family pays for the remaining tens of thousands of troops to pay for food and expenses for us."  Support, Tao Sheng came to visit me today and told me the unfortunate news that Bashu and Jiangdong have banned trade with Jingzhou, which means that we can¡¯t buy food even if we have money.¡±

    Jiangdong¡¯s decision was understandable, but Bashu also banned trade with Jingzhou. This was beyond Liu Jing¡¯s expectation. He thought to himself: ¡®Is there really something wrong with the new money?  ¡¯

    Xu Shu continued: "The main reason is that a large amount of materials have flowed into Jingzhou in the past six months, which has aroused the vigilance of Bashu and Jiangdong. At the beginning of the year, Bashu and Jiangdong banned grain trade. Now all trade is banned. We mint new money.  But I didn¡¯t expect it would cause such a big trouble.¡±

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and asked: "Are we so dependent on trade?"

    Xu Shu sighed, "The coal from Bashu and the iron ore from Jiangdong are indispensable to us, but I'm more worried about food problems!"

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with her hands behind her back, then suddenly turned around and said, "But didn't the grain produced in Jingzhou ten years ago feed an army of 130,000 people?"

    Xu Shu understood Liu Jing¡¯s question. In the past, we could be self-sufficient in food. Why can¡¯t we do it now?

    He thought for a while and said: "In the past, it was indeed self-sufficient. Xiangyang County alone could support 50,000 troops, and Nan County could also support 30,000 troops. But the problem is that Cao Cao's southern invasion caused great damage to Jingzhou. Although the population did not decrease much,  Taking into account factors such as land being left idle and rebuilding homes, it will take at least three years to restore Jingzhou¡¯s previous grain production, and I¡¯m worried that we won¡¯t be able to hold on for that long.¡±

    Liu Jing was a little confused. He knew Xu Shu very well. Xu Shu would never bother him about what happened three years later. There must be urgent practical problems. Liu Jing glanced at him and asked with a smile: "You  Just tell me the truth! What is happening now?"

    Xu Shu had no choice but to sigh and said: "To tell you the truth, the official warehouse has run out of food. I didn't think it was a big problem at first, because we have minted enough money and still have a lot of gold on hand, and we have enough money."  It has a high copper content and is extremely popular everywhere, so I plan to buy a lot of grain.

    Unexpectedly, the Tao family told me that Bashu and Jiangdong have banned trade with us, which made my plan come to nothing. Now the refugees are beginning to return to Xiangyang and Nanjun, and they need a lot of food. At least until this autumn, the government must provide relief to them.  But now the total grain stocks in official warehouses in various places are less than 20,000 shi, and there is no rice left to cook.  "

    Liu Jing then understood what Xu Shu meant. It turned out that he came to ask for food from the army warehouse.

    Whether it is the spoils of the Chibi War or the spoils of Jiangling and Xiangyang, they all belong to the military and are stored in the military warehouses in Xiakou and Wuchang. The food alone is as much as 380,000 shi, but these materials and food belong to the army.  All have nothing to do with local governments.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and asked: "How much more food do you need before the autumn harvest in September?"

    Xu Shu had already calculated the food gap. Seeing that Liu Jing was willing to agree, he quickly said: "It will cost at least 300,000 shi, but we can use livestock to exchange for 100,000 shi of grain from farmers in Jiangxia County and Changsha County, but still  There is a gap of two hundred thousand stones.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "I still say the same old saying, if you don't have enough food, you can transfer it from the military warehouse, but you can't transfer it all at once. You need to transfer as much as you need. I think the problem of food shortage will change a lot within two months."  ¡±

    Xu Shu thought thoughtfully, "Zhoumu refers to Jiangdong?"

    Liu JingSmiling slightly, "It doesn't have to be Jiang Dong."

    Xu Shu¡¯s carriage left Liu Jing¡¯s mansion and drove on the wide avenue. The moonlight shot in through the gap in the window and illuminated Xu Shu¡¯s complicated expression.

    He was still thinking about the last few words Liu Jing said to him, "You did a good job raising food prices last year. Now we need to develop and accumulate strength. We must not only plunder the outside world, but also make the people tighten appropriately."  belt."

    "In the past, the Qin State was extremely weak among the seven kingdoms, but it was able to unify the world in the end. It relied on plundering people's wealth. We must also collect wealth from the people. We do not use it for enjoyment and squandering, but for support.  The army is used to make weapons and buy pig iron. Jingzhou has been stable for decades and the people are prosperous. Xu Changshi, we have to find a way to collect wealth. Now is not the time to enjoy happiness. When the world is unified, we will reduce the amount of money to Jingzhou.  Tax!"

    Xu Shu could not help but sigh lowly. Although it was difficult for him to accept the idea of ??plundering people's wealth, in fact, this was the only way for a country to become strong. In many cases, it was really difficult to have both.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It¡¯s not far from Chaisang to Xiazhi County, about 150 miles. The road is hilly and covered with large forests. If you march day and night, it will only take a day and a half. However, the eight thousand troops led by Zhou Yu made it a full day.  For three days, they rested in the dense forest during the day, marched at night, and secretly marched to Xiangji County.

    Zhou Yu participated in the Battle of Chibi. He was well aware of the power of kerosene, especially for water battles. It was simply the nemesis of warships. Unfortunately, Jiangdong had been searching for many years in the territory but could not find kerosene. This made Zhou Yu extremely disappointed.

    Zhou Yu had always been firmly opposed to the Jiangdong Army's westward expedition. It wasn't until he heard that Xu Sheng had captured Chaisang that his position finally relaxed. He opposed the western expedition, but he never opposed the capture of Xiazhi County.  , which is the kerosene production area of ??Jiangxia Army. If it can be captured, it will be of great strategic significance to Jiangdong Army.

    But Zhou Yu also knew that Xiazhi County was equally important to Jiangxia. Liu Jing would never leave an empty county for himself. Liu Jing would definitely station heavy troops in Xiazhi County.

    In the evening, the setting sun has set, the red clouds on the horizon have faded into pale pink mist, and the sky has gradually changed from light blue to light green. In a mountain valley thirty miles away from Xiaji County, eight thousand Jiangdong Army soldiers  They were gathering in twos and threes to have a meal, preparing to set off after dark.

    In a forest composed of dozens of large trees, a temporary marching tent was set up. In the tent, Zhou Yu stood in front of the map and meditated for a long time. Xu Sheng and Ding Feng stood beside him.  He was the deputy general of Xia Pheasant County, while Ding Feng was the vanguard.

    Zhou Yu is thinking about how to capture Xiajie County. Now they are only thirty miles away from Xiajie County. The war is right in front of them, but how to fight it?  How to capture the pheasant?  Zhou Yu doesn't have a clear plan yet. If he can't outwit him, he can only attack by force.

    At this time, Ding Feng next to him said: "For the protection of the army, the last time I was forced to retreat by the Jiangxia army, it was because the clipper was burned by kerosene in the water. We have indeed learned the power of kerosene. This time we must avoid being burned in the water."  march."

    "We don't even have a boat, what does it have to do with marching in the water?" Zhou Yu glared at him with some dissatisfaction.

    Ding Feng was so frightened that he didn't dare to say another word. Zhou Yu also realized that he was speaking too forcefully, so he slowed down and said, "I also know that Jiang Xiajun's fire oil is very powerful. Naturally, we have to take more precautions. The key now is that I am thinking about it."  We used the minimum cost to seize Xiazhi County, but suffered from insufficient intelligence."

    At this time, a soldier outside the tent reported: "Alert to the guard, the scout has returned and brought a herb gatherer. It is said that he knows the situation in Xiaji County."

    Zhou Yu was overjoyed and quickly ordered: "Bring him in quickly!"

    After a while, several scouts brought an old man in. He was an old man about sixty years old, thin in stature, but very energetic. When he entered the tent, he knelt down and kowtowed: "Hong Yun, a humble citizen, bows down to the general!  "

    ¡°My father-in-law, please get up!¡±

    Zhou Yu signaled his soldiers to help the old man up, and then asked him with a smile: "Where is my husband from? How do you know the situation in Xiazhi County?"

    "Xiaomin is from Xiajie County and makes a living by collecting herbs. He was moved to Yangxin County last year. Because he often collects herbs nearby, he knows the situation in Xiajie County better."

    Zhou Yu nodded and asked, "Do you know how many troops are stationed in Xiaji County now and who the general is?"

    The old man smiled bitterly and said: "I'm not sure, but about ten days ago a lot of Jiangxia troops came, estimated to be tens of thousands of people. As for who the leader is, I really don't know."

    Zhou Yu asked some more questions, and then ordered someone to take the old man down. He walked to the map, pondered for a moment, and said to Xu Sheng and Ding Feng: "If I guessed correctly, the leader of the Jiangxia Army should still be Wei Yan.  Lost peopleAfter Chai Sang, I will definitely be extremely cautious now to redeem myself with my merits. In addition, the Pheasant City wall is tall and strong. With our eight thousand troops, if we want to forcefully capture Pheasant County, I am afraid that our army will suffer too many casualties, so I decided to use force.  , forcing Jiangxia's army to leave the city to fight.  "

    Speaking of this, Zhou Yu said to Xu Sheng next to him: "Wen Xiang will go back to Chaisang first and tell Wu Hou that I need fifty cargo ships and ask him to send a ship immediately to drop the pheasants."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 434 Pheasant Crisis

    The circumference of the city in Xiazhi County is fifteen miles, and the city is two feet and eight feet high. It is made of bluestone and is very tall and strong. Since there are no civilians in the city, Xiazhi County is actually a military city. Since Chaisang was captured by Jiangdong Army  After the sneak attack and occupation, in order to ensure the safety of Xiazhi County, Liu Jing successively added troops to Xiazhi County, bringing the number of troops in Xiazhi County to more than 9,000.  .

    The leader of Xiazhi County is still Wei Yan. Although Wei Yan lost Chaisang, Liu Jing decided to give him another chance. He believed that Wei Yan would not let him down again.

    Night was gradually falling, and Wei Yan still stood on the top of the city with a sword, looking at the direction of the river mouth. Wei Yan built a new beacon at the mouth of the Fushui River, bringing the number of beacons to two to ensure that they were foolproof. In addition, he built a beacon on the official road leading to Chaisang.  A beacon was also built to monitor the Jiangdong Army coming overland.

    "General, it's getting late, go back!" Lu Jin, the tooth general next to him, whispered.

    Wei Yan shook his head, his voice was unusually low, "I have a very strong premonition that Jiangdong Army will definitely come to Xiazhi County in the next two days. I must not be careless at all."

    "General, go and rest! Even in a humble position, you won't be careless at all."

    Wei Yan stared into the distance for a moment, then turned and walked towards the city. As soon as he reached the entrance of the corridor, a soldier suddenly shouted, "Look, the three beacons are lit!"

    Wei Yan suddenly turned around and walked quickly to the city wall. He also saw it. It was the land beacon to the east. The three pillars of fire were particularly dazzling in the dark night, which meant that they had discovered an army of more than a thousand people.

    Wei Yan immediately ordered: "Ring the bell and call the police!"

    The alarm bell on the top of the city rang immediately, and the urgent bell rang throughout the city. Groups of Jiangxia soldiers rushed to the top of the city with murderous intent. All of them were brightly armored, holding spears and crossbows, and their eyes were alert.  He stared outside the city.

    Lu Jin slowly walked up to Wei Yan and said a little nervously: "The general said it was right, how many people from Jiangdong Army will come?"

    Wei Yan also showed a trace of worry in his eyes, "I don't know how many people they will come, but I am very worried that they are not coming to attack the city, but to go to Xiaji Lake!"

    The natural oil well of Keyou is located in Xiaji Lake and is guarded by 500 soldiers. Since the Jiangdong Army came by land, they would not carry heavy siege equipment. This shows that the Jiangdong Army is heading for the oil well.  If they come, they will definitely not attack Xia Pheasant City. Wei Yan suddenly figured this out.

    He immediately turned around and ordered: "Light the beacon!"

    Soon, the beacon on the top of Xiazhinan City was also lit. This was a notification to the oil well garrison that emergency measures must be taken immediately for the oil well.

    But at this moment, a cavalry galloped from the south. Wei Yan's heart suddenly sank. Something must have happened at the oil well. He quickly ordered the soldiers around him: "Go quickly and bring the people to the city.  Don't let him shout!"

    Several soldiers rushed down to the city and took the cavalry into the city in a moment. The cavalry knelt down in front of Wei Yan and said: "General Wei, the fire oil well was attacked by enemy troops. Nearly half of the soldiers were killed or injured. They have already evacuated to the west.  ¡±

    Sure enough, Wei Yan guessed that the Jiangdong Army's target was the oil well, not the city. Jiangdong Army was afraid that it would send heavy troops to defend it, so it sent a vanguard to sneak attack the oil well before being discovered by Feng Sui. This made Wei Yan nervous. The key to Xiaji County was  It's the oil wells, not the county.

    At this time, Lu Jin also said anxiously: "Didn't the state animal husbandry have an order, ordering us to directly fill in the oil wells in times of crisis? What should we do now?"

    Wei Yan received an order from Liu Jing a few days ago. The order said that if the situation was critical, the oil well could be filled directly with soil. But now that the situation was critical, the oil well had been attacked. Wei Yan couldn't help but cursed secretly, "Damn it."  !  ¡¯

    He asked the cavalry again: "I want to know how many troops there are in the sneak attack?"

    The cavalryman said tremblingly: "There are about five hundred enemy troops, but the brothers were having dinner and were unprepared for a moment, so they succeeded in a sneak attack."

    Wei Yan was not in the mood to scold him for the time being. He was thinking of a countermeasure. At this time, a soldier reported, "Zhou Junjun is here!"

    Only then did Wei Yan remember that he still had a military staff, and almost forgot about him. Zhou Buji was the one who joined the army. He originally followed Xu Shu's long history and was Xu Shu's right-hand man. However, Liu Jing was worried that Wei Yan had no plans around him, so he  General Zhou Buyi was also sent to assist.

    Zhou Buyi is twenty years old, very young, and he is also a weak scholar. Although he is young and weak, this is not surprising in Jingzhou where counselors are generally young.

    The key is that Zhou Buyi is a noble person, and he always speaks without mercy, which makes people dislike him. It is for this reason that neither Wei Yan nor other soldiers take him to heart, and they never ask him anything.  , in fact, they treated Zhou Buyi as a decoration.

    Wei Yan also disliked this person who joined the army very much. On the first day, he asked himself why he lost Chaisang, which made Wei Yan a little angry

    However, after all, Zhou Buyi was sent by Zhou Mu to join the army, and to some extent he represented Zhou Mu¡¯s will. Wei Yan couldn¡¯t offend him yet, so he couldn¡¯t help but said displeased in his heart: ¡°Invite him to come over!¡±

    After a while, Zhou Buyi hurried over and asked urgently: "Is Jiangdong's army going by water or by land?"

    Wei Yan said calmly: "Did they come overland? Their vanguard has already occupied the oil well?"

    Zhou Buji turned around and looked at Wei Yan and said: "Why did this happen? Why didn't General Wei send more troops to garrison the oil wells? I reminded the general the day before yesterday that the oil wells had too few troops. Why didn't General Wei listen to my advice?  "

    A series of questions left Wei Yan speechless. His face turned the color of pig liver and he said angrily: "The order of Zhou Mu is to fill up the oil wells in times of crisis. Now that the enemy situation has been discovered, I will immediately notify the oil well garrison to take action. What's the matter?"  wrong?"

    "But what's the result?"

    Zhou Bujie asked mercilessly: "I'm just asking about the result. Wasn't it just the same as Jiangdong's surprise attack? What's the point of lighting a hundred beacons?"

    Wei Yan was so angry that his eyes were on fire and his lungs were about to explode. At this time, Lu Jin quickly said: "The beacon has just been lit. This shows that the main force of the enemy is still twenty miles away. Now only 500 forwards have captured the oil well. I am willing to lead the  One thousand soldiers recaptured the oil wells and filled them up before the main enemy force arrived."

    In fact, Wei Yan also meant the same thing, "It's not too late to mend the situation after a lost cause." They must recapture the oil wells and fill them up so that they can stick to Xia Zhi County and no longer be constrained by the oil wells.

    But before Wei Yan could speak, Zhou Buji immediately denied Lu Jin¡¯s request, ¡°You can¡¯t go! You will definitely die if you go.¡±

    At this time, Wei Yan was already extremely angry with him. If he hadn't said anything, Wei Yan might have thought about it again, but Zhou Buyi made him firmer in his thoughts.

    Wei Yan glanced at Zhou Buji coldly and agreed to Lu Jin's request without hesitation, "General Lu can lead his troops there immediately!"

    This time it was Zhou Buyi¡¯s turn to turn pale with anger, his chest heaving violently, and his eyes staring straight at the beacon in the distance.

    ?¡­

    Xia Zhi Lake is located more than ten miles south of Xia Zhi County. Since the discovery of the spilled petroleum oil, it has become a strategic place for the Jiangxia Army. At this time, the oil well has been captured by Ding Feng and his 500 elite troops. On the other side of the lake,  On one side, on both sides of the official road leading to the oil well in Xiaji County, Zhou Yu had led 6,000 men to lie in wait for a long time.

    This was naturally Zhou Yu's plan. With his secret march, Feng Sui would never find out. However, he took advantage of the plan and sent more than a thousand people to pass in front of Feng Sui, causing Feng Sui to alert the police. This gave the defenders of Xiaji County a warning.  The illusion was that the main force of Jiangdong's army was still twenty miles away, but Zhou Yu had already laid a big net, waiting for his prey to come.

    At this time, a scout rushed to report: "Report to the army, the Jiangxia army is coming, there are only more than a thousand people."

    Zhou Yu frowned. There were only a thousand people. This seemed to be too few, not enough for him to fill the gap between his teeth!  But Zhou Yu rolled his eyes and hit the younger one, not afraid that the older one wouldn't come.

    He immediately shouted in a low voice: "Give me my order and prepare to fight!"

    In the woods, thousands of Jiangdong troops strung their crossbows, aiming at the thousands of Jiangxia troops running far away on the official road.

    It was already dark at this time, and the road and the forests on both sides were shrouded in pitch-black night. From time to time, shrill owl calls could be heard from the woods, which was unsettling.

    But Lu Jin was afraid that the main force of Jiangdong Army would arrive and his efforts to recapture the oil well would fail. He was anxious and kept urging the soldiers to speed up.

    When the team passed through a forest, there was suddenly a burst of drum sound, and suddenly there were flames shooting into the sky, and there were loud shouts of killing. Ambushes came from all directions, and an army rushed out from the woods. The leader was Zhou Yu.

    ?¡­

    Wei Yan had been watching the movements in the direction of Xiaji Lake from the top of the south city. He looked back to the east at the beacon fire from time to time. He also felt a little uneasy in his heart. How could Jiangdong's army be discovered by the beacon fire? Are all his scouts just showing off?  ?

    At this moment, the sound of war drums and shouts of death were faintly heard in the distance, and a fire was lit more than ten miles away. Wei Yan held on to the battlements and stared at the fire in the distance. His expression changed drastically, and he suddenly understood.  Jiangdong's army's attack on the oil well was a bait to lure him into taking the bait. He didn't see this and really took the bait.

    Cold sweat flowed from Wei Yan's forehead, what should he do now?  To save or not to save?  If he fails again this time, he really won't have the face to see Liu Jing.

    Although Wei Yan really hated Zhou Buji, he didn't care about his face at this time and hurriedly ordered: "Go and invite Zhou Canjun!"

    After a while, Zhou Buyi hurried to the top of the city. He stared at the fire in the distance for a long time, and suddenly turned back to Wei Yan and said, "We can't send troops now."??¡±

    Wei Yan was relieved that Zhou Bujie was not sarcastic. He was no longer hostile and asked, "Why can't we send troops?"

    Zhou Buyi's character is that he is aloof and not good at getting along with others. Sometimes he doesn't mean to ridicule or target others, and even he himself doesn't realize that he is annoying. Although he is also extremely dissatisfied with Wei Yan's attitude, this time  At this critical moment, Zhou Buyi also let go of the hatred in his heart.

    He explained to Wei Yan: "Now we know the opponent's situation. How many troops do they have and where are they deployed? How many troops are there to ambush General Lu? Is there an ambush in the woods opposite us? We don't know these. If we send troops in a hurry,  If we are ambushed again, we might even lose Xia Pheasant County."

    Zhou Bujie¡¯s explanation was reasonable and made Wei Yan gradually calm down, but what should Lu Jin do?  Wei Yan looked back at the fire in the distance, feeling extremely anxious.

    "General Wei, it's better to pretend to save him!" Zhou Buyi thought for a moment and said.

    Wei Yan turned around and stared at him, "Fake rescue! What kind of fake rescue method?"

    Zhou Busu smiled bitterly, "I estimate that the Jiangdong Army will use General Lu as bait and will not attack with all its strength for a while. We can instead use their strategy to attract the Jiangdong Army's troops, reduce the pressure on Lu Jin, and let him himself  Breakout!"

    Wei Yan lowered his head and thought hard again. It seemed that there was really no other way. He could only sigh and said, "Just follow what I said about joining the army."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 435 The Prelude to the Decisive Battle

    Drums were beating loudly outside Xiaji City, and five thousand troops marched out of the city. Countless torches illuminated the city like daylight, and the shouts of killing shook the sky. Wei Yan took the lead and led the army to rush out of the city gate. Jiangdong spies had already rushed to report to Zhou Yu.  .  .

    At this time, Jiangdong's army had surrounded Lu Jin's army from all directions. The drums were beating like thunder, and countless arrows were fired at the Jiangxia soldiers in the encirclement. The Jiangxia army gathered in a square formation and raised their shields to resist the arrows shot from all directions.  , in just a quarter of an hour, nearly 400 of the 1,000 Jiangxia soldiers were killed, and even the commander-in-chief Lu Jin was injured by an arrow.

    Jiangdong's army was not in a hurry to destroy the opponent, but to create momentum and attract reinforcements from the city. This was a typical strategy of siege and reinforcements. Zhou Yu was not interested in the thousands of Jiangxia troops. He was waiting for reinforcements from the city to come.

    At this time, a cavalry spy rushed to report: "Reporting to the army, Jiangxia reinforcements have come out, about four to five thousand people, and the leader is Wei Yan."

    Zhou Yu was overjoyed, and he immediately said to Ding Feng: "I will leave a thousand troops for you, together with your 500 subordinates, to annihilate the Jiangxia army in front of me on the spot!"

    Ding Feng bowed on his horse to receive the order, "Obey the order!"

    Zhou Yu immediately assigned one thousand troops to Ding Feng, and he led more than four thousand men to turn around and run toward the county seat. He would attack Wei Yan's army head-on.

    The arrows gradually disappeared, and Jiangdong Army launched an attack like wolves and tigers. Although Jiangdong Army's offensive suddenly tightened, Lu Jin still felt that the pressure was relieved. There were no attacks from Jiangdong Army to his west, north and south, leaving Lu Jin  Jin saw the opportunity and immediately shouted: "Brothers, retreat southward!"

    The remaining 600 soldiers turned around and fled southward. Ding Feng was so anxious that he shouted: "Catch up and annihilate all the enemy troops!"

    Jiangdong's army was chasing after them for seven or eight miles at a stretch. At this moment, dense arrows suddenly shot out from the woods to the east. Jiangdong's army was caught off guard and dozens of people were shot down. There was a drum in the woods.  There was a loud noise, and there were shouts of killing, and figures were seen shaking in the woods. I don't know how many troops came out to fight in chaos.

    Jiangdong's army was in chaos. Ding Feng was so frightened that he turned his horse and fled. Jiangdong's excited pursuit turned into a panic retreat. It wasn't until Jiangdong's army fled far away that more than a hundred people ran out of the woods.

    They were the oil well garrison that was attacked by the Jiangdong Army. The leader of the army was named Sun Zhi. He gathered more than a hundred brothers and prepared to withdraw to Xiaji. However, Lu Jin was defeated. In desperation, Sun Zhi pretended to be an ambush and rescued Lu Jin.  Waiting for hundreds of people.

    Sun Zhi stepped forward, knelt down on one knee and said to Lu Jin: "I am guilty of neglecting my duty and losing control of the oil well!"

    Lu Jin was hit by an arrow in the shoulder, and the soldiers were bandaging him. He nodded and said, "You saved us at a critical moment. I will report it to General Wei and allow you to redeem your merits."

    Sun Zhi was overjoyed and said quickly: "Thank you, General Lu. In addition, I suggested taking advantage of the chaos to recapture the oil well."

    Lu Jin shook his head, "We have fallen into Jiangdong's plan. Don't act rashly anymore and wait for General Wei's order."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Lu Jin ordered another soldier to deliver a message to Wei Yan. He immediately rectified the soldiers and led them off the official road and up the mountain to another military fortress

    Zhou Yu led his army and ran for five or six miles before realizing something was wrong. The Jiangxia defenders only shouted and beat drums a few miles away from the city with great force, but did not continue marching. Zhou Yu immediately realized that he had fallen into the enemy's plan to encircle Wei and save Zhao.  He was furious and ordered a tooth general beside him, "Speed ??up our headquarters to reinforce General Ding. We must annihilate all the enemy troops and don't let them escape!"

    General Ya led a thousand Jiangdong troops to turn around and support Ding Feng. Zhou Yu gritted his teeth and ordered: "Speed ??up and don't allow Jiang Xia's army to escape back to the city!"

    ?¡­

    Wei Yan only led his army for three miles and then stopped advancing. While he ordered his soldiers to create momentum, he also closely observed the movements of Jiangdong Army. Not long after, a scout rushed over and reported urgently: "The main force of Jiangdong Army is heading toward us."  Come, we are only four miles away."

    "How many people are there?" Wei Yan asked again,

    "About three to four thousand people."

    Wei Yan was a little tempted. He brought out five thousand troops. If the opponent only had three or four thousand men, could he fight Jiangdong's army?  But this thought only flashed through Wei Yan's mind for a moment. He sighed. Fenghuo had clearly discovered the enemy's brigade. Once the fierce battle became stalemate and the enemy attacked him from behind, it would probably be over.

    He no longer had any luck and immediately ordered: "Retreat to the city!"

    The rear army of 5,000 people became the front army and quickly evacuated into the city. By the time Zhou Yu's army arrived at the city, Jiangxia Army had already withdrawn completely. Thousands of crossbows were aimed at them at the top of the city. Jiangdong Army did not attack the city.  However, Zhou Yu had no choice but to lead his army to station on the other side of Fushui, waiting for the fleet from Chaisang City.

    ?¡­

    At noon the next day, on the river outside Fushui River mouthA fleet of five hundred stone cargo ships appeared. There were about fifty ships. The first ship had the Dongwu flag of Jiangdong Army on its bow. This was the fleet sent by Sun Quan to support Zhou Yu. Except for the fifty ships,  Outside the cargo ship, there were a thousand Jiangdong naval forces.

    Sun Quan understands Zhou Yu's strategy. Even if he cannot capture Xia Pheasant City for the time being, he can still transport the kerosene produced by Xia Pheasant back to Chaisang. This is just the first attempt to transport oil. If it goes well, he will send ships to transport kerosene on a large scale.  .

    Xu Sheng stood on the bow of the boat, watching the river warily. He was a little worried about the appearance of the Jiangxia Navy. At this time, they were not far from the mouth of the Fushui River. Xu Sheng could see the mouth of the river several miles away. At this moment,  Some soldiers pointed into the distance and shouted, "General Xu, the enemy fleet!"

    Xu Sheng also saw it. He saw countless black spots on the water in the north, densely packed with hundreds of warships. Xu Sheng was shocked and immediately waved his hands and said: "Stop!"

    The Jiangdong fleet stopped, and Xu Sheng watched the fleet in the distance nervously. The fleet was getting closer and closer, and the momentum became more and more massive. There were not just hundreds of ships, but thousands of ships. The sound of horns sounded on the river, low and low.  The sound of the trumpet soared into the sky, making people tremble with fear.

    Xu Sheng realized that this was the emergence of the main force of Jiangxia Army, and the final decisive battle was coming.

    He immediately ordered his subordinates: "Quickly report to the guards that the main force of Jiangxia Army has been dispatched."

    The soldiers jumped on a boat and quickly sailed to the mouth of the Fushui River. Xu Sheng thought for a moment and immediately ordered: "Turn around and return home immediately!"

    The fleet quickly turned around, lowered the sails, and everyone paddled towards Chaisang City.

    This arriving army was the main force of the 80,000 Jiangxia Army led by Liu Jing personally, as well as 1,200 large and small warships. Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun led the main force of the army to annihilate Cheng Pu's army in Wan County, turning the entire battle situation around.  The time is gradually ripe for a decisive battle.

    At this time, Liu Jing had made sufficient war preparations. The army had been mobilized, food and grass were fully prepared, and various weapons and materials were prepared. With high morale and public support, Liu Jing personally led the army to conquer the Jiangdong Army.

    On the big ship, Liu Jing stood on the bow and stared at the river from a distance. He also saw the fleet in the distance. This was obviously not a merchant fleet. This was Jiangdong's fleet. They were going to sail into Fushui. Could it be that they were sailing into the river?  Did something happen in the county?

    Liu Jing was confused. He had not received news from Wei Yan at this time. At this time, the observer on the mast shouted: "The fleet in front turned around and ran away!"

    Sure enough, the fleet turned around and sailed south. Liu Jing became a little worried about the situation in Xiazhi County. Jia Xu next to him smiled and said: "If something happens in Xiazhi County, General Wei will definitely send a dove letter to inform us, and we did it yesterday."  "If we set off at noon, there would be nothing unusual. If there was something unusual, it must have happened last night, so we didn't get any news."

    Liu Jing nodded. Jia Xu¡¯s analysis was correct. Something happened in Xiazhi County last night. Suddenly, beacon smoke lit up at the mouth of the river in the distance. It turned out to be three pillars of beacon smoke. This meant that something happened in Xiajie County.

    The ship was suddenly filled with whispers. Jia Xu frowned and said, "Perhaps the beacon wanted to tell us that the beacon fire on the land was lit."

    Without Jiangdong's army attacking from the waterway, something must have happened on the land route. Liu Jing immediately became worried, and turned around and ordered Li Jun to say: "You rush to Xiazhi County with 3,000 troops and 100 warships. Be careful and don't get caught."  The enemy used kerosene to burn the ship."

    "Humble your duties and obey orders!"

    Li Jun got off the ship and led a hundred medium-sized clippers to leave the fleet and sail towards Xiangji County. Liu Jing immediately ordered, "Don't worry about Xiajian County anymore. The fleet is heading towards Chaisang at full speed!"

    ?¡­

    Sun Quan finally got the news about Cheng Pu. Lu Meng's fleet returned and told him a shocking bad news. Cheng Pu's army was ambushed by Jiangxia in Wanshui. The 30,000 troops were routed and the whole army was annihilated. Cheng Pu only led a few  Thousands of remnants of the army were defeated and fled eastward.

    This news kept Sun Quan from saying a word for a full quarter of an hour. He then locked himself in the room and saw no one. The news spread like wildfire and quickly spread throughout Chaisang City. The whole Chaisang City was talking about it.  All kinds of news are spreading like crazy about this matter.

    There is news that the Jiangxia Army continues to march eastward and is facing the empty Jingkou City across the river; there is also news that the Jiangxia Army has crossed the river in Wuhu and is heading towards Soochow City along the Lishui River;

    There is also news that Cao Cao raised 300,000 troops and went south from Hefei to attack Jiangdong.

    Various news spread in Chaisang City, making people panic and the military morale began to waver.

    Dozens of civil and military officials gathered outside the gate of the courtyard where Sun Quan lived. Everyone looked very anxious. Wu Hou had locked himself in the room for a whole day, but at this critical moment, he escaped, making everyone very anxious.  anxious.

    At this time, Zhang Zhao came out of the yard.??Everyone rushed forward and asked, "What did Marquis Wu say?"

    Zhang Zhao sighed and said in frustration: "Wu Hou still refuses to see me. No matter what I say, he makes no sound at all."

    Everyone looked at each other and made a masterpiece. Huang Gai quickly pulled Zhang Zhao aside and whispered: "The news in the city was very violent, and the army's heart was a bit shaken.

    Zhang Zhao frowned and said: "Lu Ziming has repeatedly assured me that he has strictly ordered his subordinates who know the information not to leak any information. How could the news get out? Is there a spy from Jiang Xia in the city?"

    Huang Gai was not concerned about this, but that Marquis Wu had to show up, and he had to appease the morale of the army. If there were deserters in the army, it would be troublesome. He said anxiously: "If there are any spies, let them go first, and the military advisor will go and persuade them."  Marquis Wu, there is going to be trouble in the army."

    Zhang Zhao was also in a dilemma. He knew that Sun Quan must be deeply resentful of him, so he ignored him. If he wanted to persuade him, he had to let others persuade him. Finally, he had to let Zhou Yu persuade him, and then there was news. At this time, the guard shouted: "Xu  The general is here!"

    I saw Xu Sheng walking from outside. He said anxiously: "Where is Wu Hou? I have urgent news to report."

 Volume 2, Jiangxia, Chapter 436: Inspiring Military Morale

    Xu Sheng's anxious voice attracted astonished looks from everyone. Zhang Zhao quickly stepped forward and asked, "General Xu, what happened?"

    Xu Sheng quickly saluted and said: "Reporting to the military advisor, I encountered the main force of Jiangxia Army heading south halfway. There are thousands of warships and they are about to arrive at Chaisang!"

    Everyone was in an uproar. The main force of Jiangxia came to kill. Huang Gai asked anxiously: "Then did you go and inform Zhou Hujun?"

    "I have sent someone to report the situation."

    Zhang Zhao's face was extremely ugly. Jiangdong's army suffered a series of blows and was really too passive. He didn't know how to face Wu Hou, but the situation was here and he could not avoid it. He sighed in his heart and said to Xu Sheng: "General Xu  plz follow me!"

    He took Xu Sheng into the courtyard again. The courtyard was very quiet. There were only four guards like clay sculptures standing at the door. Zhang Zhao walked to the door and said loudly: "To the Marquis of Wu, General Xu has something important to do."  Report!¡±

    There was no sound in the room. Zhang Zhao had no choice but to wink at Xu Sheng. Xu Sheng stepped forward and said, "I would like to report to the Marquis of Wu that I encountered the main force of the Jiangxia army on the way to Xiazhi County, with more than a thousand warships."  , with great momentum, I hurried back to Chaisang, they should not be far away. "

    A low voice came from the room, ¡®Ah!  ¡¯ and then Sun Quan¡¯s hoarse voice was heard: ¡°General Xu, please come in!¡±

    Xu Sheng pushed the door open and entered the room. Zhang Zhao also wanted to follow, but he hesitated and did not move. Wu Hou made it very clear that General Xu did not include him when he entered.

    Zhang Zhao paced helplessly in the yard with his hands behind his back. He was a little confused in his heart, but his reason told him that Cheng Pu was only defeated once, and it was far from a total defeat. On the contrary, Wu Hou closed the door in anger, which made him a little confused.

    After a while, Xu Sheng walked out of the room, and Zhang Zhao immediately asked in a low voice: "How is Wu Hou?"

    Xu Sheng said in a low voice: "I just don't look very good. I don't have anything else. I am very calm and not panicked at all. I have been ordered to immediately notify Zhou Hujun to withdraw. In addition, I have been ordered to be temporarily responsible for the defense of the water stronghold. I have to go to the water stronghold immediately."

    Zhang Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Wu Hou had understood. He nodded, "Go!"

    Xu Sheng walked away quickly. At this time, Sun Quan's voice came from the room again, "Order General Huang Gai and Zijing to come to see me!"

    The guards went out, and Zhang Zhao could no longer bear it and said: "Marquis Wu, I have something to say."

    After calming down for a moment, Sun Quan's faint voice came, "I'm fine, military advisor, go rest! Everyone outside, go rest and return to normal."

    Zhang Zhao was stunned for a moment. This meant excluding himself from the decision-making circle. He suddenly understood that Wu Hou had chosen Zhou Yu's idea and gave up his main battle. He felt bitter in his heart, so he had to bow and silently walked out of the courtyard.  go.

    Sun Quan in the room did not panic, nor did he get angry. He seemed very calm. In fact, he was not shocked by Cheng Pu's defeat, but he wanted to calm down and think about something.

    Sun Quan stood in front of the window with his hands folded, looking at the peach trees in the backyard. The peach blossoms had long since faded, and the branches were covered with small peaches as big as a thumb. He had been the lord of Jiangdong for several years. Over the past few years, he had been carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders.  His father laid the foundation for Jiangdong, and his elder brother unified Jiangdong and established a political power.

    He stood on the shoulders of his father and brother and became the lord of Jiangdong. He was not willing to stay in the shadow of his father and brother forever, and also longed to surpass his father and brother. Unifying the South became his biggest wish, and it also became the problem that has been weighing on his shoulders for so many years.  heavy burden.

    Although the first Western Expedition in the ninth year of Jian'an ended in a disastrous defeat, he was not resigned to it. He had been preparing his troops and waiting for a second chance. In this Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao was defeated and returned. Jiang Xia's army once again showed its powerful strength.  Water prowess.

    In fact, Sun Quan was a little hesitant. It was not the best time to send troops at this time, but the strength of Jiangxia's army scared him. He knew very well that if he did not fight at this time, he would never have a chance.  In this state of mind, he made the decision to send troops.

    And Cao Cao's surrender of Nanjun to him was just an introduction, not the root.

    Sun Quan sighed softly. His reason was very clear. The annihilation of Cheng Pu's entire army had heralded the failure of his Western Expedition. However, how should he face this failure? His ambition to unify the south would eventually come to nothing.  .

    "Huang Gai, a humble official, asks for an audience!" Huang Gai's voice came from outside the room, interrupting Sun Quan's train of thought.

    Sun Quan walked back to his seat, sat down, and said in a deep voice: "Come in!"

    Huang Gai walked into the room and bowed and saluted, "See Wu Hou."

    "General Huang, how is the morale of the army?" Sun Quan asked calmly.

    Huang Gai shook his head and said quickly: "I am reporting to the Marquis of Wu that too many rumors have caused the morale of the army to be unstable. I implore the Marquis of Wu to go and appease the morale of the army."

      Sun Quan smiled faintly and said, "You don't need me to comfort you. Just gather the generals and say a few words and let them convey it to the soldiers."

    Huang Gai gritted his teeth and asked, "What should I say about my humble position?"

    "You admit that we were defeated, but we only killed 3,000 enemies and suffered 800 losses for ourselves. The Jiangxia army also suffered a tragic victory. We lost 10,000 people and they lost 8,000 people. We are unable to advance eastward. Let's put it that way!"

    "I humble my duty and obey my orders!"

    Huang Gai turned to leave, but Sun Quan stopped him again, "In addition, I have decided to re-appoint Gong Jin as the Commander-in-Chief and remove Cheng Pu from the post of Commander-in-Chief. Please assist Gong Jin!"

    Huang Gai was stunned for a moment, "Yes!" He agreed and hurried out.

    Sun Quan sighed, he still has to rely on Zhou Yu!

    At this time, Lu Su appeared at the door, bowed and said: "Wu Hou is looking for a minister?"

    Lu Su met Lu Meng's fleet on the way and returned to Chaisang with Lu Meng. He probably already knew that the current war situation was very unfavorable to Jiangdong. Just now, he also heard the news that the Jiangxia army was coming, which made him even more worried.  Worried.

    Sun Quan looked at him and said with a smile, "Come in and sit down!"

    Lu Su walked into the room and sat down on the side, not daring to say anything. Sun Quan smiled bitterly, "Zijing must be laughing at me in his heart!"

    Lu Su was so frightened that he knelt down quickly, "I don't dare to laugh at you at all."

    "I was just joking with you."

    Sun Quan pondered for a moment, then sighed and said, "Zijing, what do you think we should do now?"

    Lu Su bit his lip and said, "Weichen feels that the defeat on land will have no impact on our navy. The victory of Jiangxia Army will not support Liu Jing. It is just a matter of military morale."

    "you are wrong!"

    Sun Quan shook his head, "The Jiangxia Army suffered little loss. If I were Liu Jing, I would order Zhao Yun or Huang Zhong to continue marching eastward and attack Jingkou. This would have immeasurable consequences for the morale of the soldiers and civilians in Jiangdong. In addition,  Without Cheng Pu¡¯s army overwhelming Wuchang, I would have definitely lost this battle, and the impact would actually be huge.¡±

    Lu Su was speechless. He just wanted to comfort Sun Quan, but Sun Quan knew it very well and could see more clearly than him. After a while, Lu Su smiled bitterly and said: "Then what are Wu Hou going to do?"

    Sun Quan was silent for a moment and said slowly: "I want you to go to Liu Jing and talk about a strike between the two families."

    Lu Su was stunned, "Wu Hou wants a humble minister to seek peace?"

    Sun Quan nodded, "As long as the Jiangdong Army can be prevented from successfully withdrawing to Jiangdong, I am willing to ask him for peace."

    Lu Su nodded slowly, "Wei Chen understands, let's go now!"

    Sun Quan suddenly lowered his voice, "Only you and I can know about this matter. We must not tell any third person, not even Gong Jin!"

    Of course, Lu Su knew that this would greatly damage the lord's prestige, and he must not tell it. He nodded quickly, "Don't worry, Marquis Wu, I am like a mirror in my heart."

    Sun Quan stood up and walked a few steps, then turned back and said, "Tell Liu Jing that if he is willing, I will betroth Shang Xiang to him as his wife. The Sun and Liu families will always be friends with Qin and Jin."

    The warships of the Jiangxia Army finally arrived at Chaisang in a mighty manner. More than a thousand warships formed a huge square array on the river outside Chaisang, ten miles wide and more than thirty miles long. The momentum was extremely majestic and spectacular.  It is a formation in a water battle, using momentum to overwhelm the opponent. This is even more shocking than the formation of an army.

    On the top of the city, thousands of Jiangdong troops stared blankly at the powerful Jiangxia army on the river. Everyone's face was extremely pale and their hearts were full of fear. At this time, a young soldier was so frightened that he squatted down and huddled up beside the city wall.  , covering his face and crying loudly, "I'm going to die here, and I will never see my parents again!"

    "Coward!"

    Sun Shangxiang rushed up, kicked the soldier hard, and scolded: "You are greedy for life and afraid of death, are you still a soldier?"

    The young soldier was too frightened to say anything. Sun Shangxiang kicked him again, "Stand up!"

    The soldier stood up tremblingly. Sun Shangxiang drew his sword and pointed it at his throat, "Even if you die, you have to die standing. Do you hear me?"

    "I heard you, humble servant."

    Sun Shangxiang retracted her sword and looked at the hundreds of soldiers who were looking at her. She shouted loudly: "We are all good men from Jiangdong and soldiers! Even if we die, we must die on the battlefield. We must not be cowardly and let your father be blinded."  Shame on you, let your son feel ashamed, cheer up, they are just warships, we in Jiangdong also have them, they are no worse than the Jiangxia Army!"

    Her clear voice echoed on the top of the city. Thousands of soldiers stared at her blankly. Everyone was infected by her words. A kind of courage to die on the battlefield slowly ignited in everyone. The eyes of the young soldiers surged.  With tears streaming down his face, he suddenly raised his arms and shouted: "NingEven if you die in battle, you will never surrender!  "

    ¡°A man is not afraid of death in battle!¡±

    "Long live the princess!"

    The morale of Jiangdong's army was high, and cheers resounded throughout the sky. Even the more than 10,000 troops in Shuizhai also cheered. Huang Gai stood at the edge of the city and watched Sun Shangxiang from a distance. His eyes were a little moist. Who said that the princess was Jiangdong's trouble?  She is Jiangdong's treasure

    The cheers of the Jiangdong Army at the head of the city and the water village reached the river. Liu Jing listened attentively, suddenly laughed, and said to Jia Xu, "Did the military advisor hear anything?"

    Jia Xu looked a little strange and said, "Wei Chen seems to have heard someone shouting "Long live the princess."

    "I also heard this cry. Could it be that Princess Shangxiang is also in the army?"

    "It should be, and she should be boosting the morale of the army. Zhou Mu is very morale when he hears this shout!"

    Liu Jing sneered, "What's the use of having more morale, sooner or later you will be buried at the bottom of the river!"

    Seeing that the formation had little effect, he ordered: "Pass my order and the fleet will stop on the north bank!"

    With the flag fluttering on the mast, the Jiangxia military warships began to slowly turn around and sailed towards the north bank one after another.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 437 Lu Su seeks peace

    At night, Lu Su left Chaisang City in a small boat from Shuimen and sailed slowly towards the north bank of the river. The boat gradually approached the temporary water stronghold of Jiang Xia Army. The so-called temporary water stronghold was a large ship connected end to end, forming a perimeter.  defense.

    Lu Su¡¯s boat was still two miles away from the Jiangxia Army¡¯s temporary water stronghold. Several patrol boats spotted him, and the soldiers shouted: ¡°Who is he?¡±

    Lu Su quickly said loudly: "I am the envoy of Wu Hou, and I have been ordered to see Liu Zhoumu."

    A sentinel ship approached, and the captain on the ship recognized Lu Su, "It turns out to be Lu Gong!"

    "Exactly!" Lu Su smiled and cupped his hands and said, "I came here to see your state pastor, and please take me into the stronghold."

    "Gong Lu, please come with us!" Lu Su came to Jiangxia many times, and all the soldiers knew him.

    The sentry boat led Lu Su's ship into the water stronghold, and after waiting for a moment at the gate of the camp, Dong Yun, a member of the army in the recording office, came out quickly.

    "Gong Lu, the state pastor invites you!"

    "A labor director has joined the army!"

    Lu Su chuckled, followed Dong Yun into the camp, and headed towards the Chinese army's tent. The Jiangxia army's garrison had not yet been completed. Roads were planned, tents were set up, soldiers were coming and going, and the camp was very busy.

    "Excuse me, joining the army, how is Zhou Mu's mood today?" Lu Su asked with a smile on his face, but cautiously.

    Lu Su was well aware of the heavy responsibility he had to bear this time, and he was very nervous. He even felt that Liu Jing's mood would affect the outcome of his peace petition.

    Dong Yun felt Lu Su's nervousness and smiled slightly: "Does Lu Gong think Zhou Mu's mood will affect the overall situation?"

    Lu Su also laughed and breathed a sigh of relief. He was a little worried.

    In the big tent, Liu Jing paced back and forth with her hands behind her back, patiently waiting for news from Lu Su. Frankly speaking, Liu Jing did not expect Lu Su to come, but Lu Su's arrival did not surprise him.

    Of course he knew why Lu Su came. The destruction of Cheng Pu's army and the opening of the northern gate of Jiangdong had already heralded the failure of Sun Quan's western expedition.

    As a rational leader of Jiangdong, Sun Quan will never sit still and wait for death. He will definitely retreat with the minimum cost, and Lu Su's arrival is just a test to see what price Jiangdong needs to pay.

    As for Liu Jing, he is also eager to end the war with Jiangdong and concentrate on westward expansion. However, he must have a long-term strategic vision and must take this opportunity to cripple Jiangdong, otherwise Jiangdong will take advantage of his lack of time to take care of Jingzhou.  In this battle, he will at least ensure that Jiangdong will not be able to conquer the west within ten years.

    At the same time, he couldn't hit him too hard, which would give Cao Cao an opportunity. He had to seize this opportunity to prevent Sun Quan from daring to go west again, but still retain a certain amount of strength. The best way was to psychologically defeat the opponent.  Let Jiangdong fear Jingzhou from the bottom of his heart.

    At this time, the soldiers came to report, "Report to Zhou Mu, Lu Su has entered the account."

    Liu Jing nodded, sat down, and entered a meditative state like an old monk.

    Lu Su followed Dong Yun into a large tent. To his surprise, the person waiting for him in the tent was not Liu Jing, but Jia Xu. Lu Su was stunned for a while, and looked back at Dong Yun, meaning  Said, 'Why isn't it Liu Zhoumu?  ¡¯

    Jia Xu chuckled and said, "Zhou Mu is feeling a little unwell, so he asked me to receive Mr. Lu for him. Mr. Lu, please take a seat!"

    Lu Su suddenly understood that Liu Jing must have seen through that he was just here for testing. Of course he would not show off his cards prematurely. Instead, after hiding in the account, he pushed Jia Xu to the front desk and tested himself as well. Thinking of this, Lu Su  Su smiled helplessly, stepped forward and bowed and sat down.

    Dong Yun ordered the soldiers to serve tea, and he also sat aside. His participation in the interview with Lu Su as a military reporter was enough to show that Liu Jing attached great importance to this meeting. Dong Yun's presence was a gesture of sincerity.

    Lu Su pondered for a moment and said: "We captured nearly two thousand Jiangxia Army prisoners of war during the Battle of Chaisang, and we would like to discuss the exchange of prisoners of war with you."

    Jia Xu narrowed his eyes and smiled, "It turns out that Mr. Lu is only here to discuss the issue of prisoners of war, so there is no need for me to participate. I will invite General Gan here. He will be responsible for the issue of prisoners of war. Please sit down, Mr. Lu."

    After saying that, he stood up to leave. Lu Su suddenly became anxious and said quickly: "The prisoners of war are just one aspect. I have other important matters to discuss with your army. Please stay here, Military Advisor Jia."

    Jia Xu sat down again, smiling and saying nothing, waiting for Lu Su to continue speaking. Lu Su already knew that he had been seen through by Jia Xu, so he could no longer go around in circles and simply went straight to the point.

    Lu Su pondered for a moment and said: "Because Shanyue is causing trouble in Kuaiji and Jiangdong is unstable internally, Marquis Wu wants to end this battle and specially ordered me to come and discuss with your army."

    As soon as he finished speaking, Dong Yun next to him said angrily: "Tear up the agreement without authorization and capture Chaisang, and treat our Jingzhou as"Garden, you can come when you want and leave when you want. Is there such a good thing?  "

    Jia Xu waved his hand and stopped Dong Yun's anger. He still smiled and said: "Of course everything can be discussed. As long as Wu Hou can show enough sincerity, I think my lord will definitely remember the brotherhood with Wu Hou."  , respectfully send Wu Hou back to Jiangdong."

    Lu Su blushed, and after a while he said: "I wonder what the sincerity the military advisor is referring to? Can you make it clear to Su?"

    "Haha! Just a few small requests."

    "Military advisor, please speak!"

    Jia Xu smiled as treacherously as a fox, and said unhurriedly: "The first request is that I hope that the eldest son of Wu Hou will come to Jiangxia to study."

    Lu Su couldn't accept the first request. To put it nicely, why did he come to Jiangxia to study? He clearly came to Jiangxia to be a hostage. Moreover, the eldest son was still young, less than one year old. How could he come to Jingzhou?

    He hurriedly said: "The Marquis of Wu intends to betroth his sister Princess Shangxiang to the Marquis of Chu as his wife. The Jing and Wu families will marry Qin and Jin. I think this is enough to show the sincerity of the Marquis of Wu. The eldest son of the Marquis of Wu is still young.  I think the matter of studying in Jiangxia will be spared!"

    Jia Xu laughed loudly, "This is a good thing! But we still need to ask the Zhou Mu himself if he is willing. In addition, doesn't the Marquis of Wu also need to ask Mrs. Wu for instructions? This matter will be discussed later. Of course, we also know  The eldest son of Marquis Wu is young, so we can discuss it further!"

    Lu Su understood what Jia Xu meant, and neither said yes nor no. In other words, Jingzhou refused to cancel Sun Deng's pledge, but there was room for negotiation, that is, it could be exchanged for other conditions.  .

    He nodded, "Commander Jia, please continue."

    ¡°There are three more things to come, so I¡¯ll just mention them all!¡±

    Jia Xu's attitude became serious and his tone became very firm. He used the change in attitude to express that the next three items were not negotiable, "The second item is compensation. We require Jiangdong to compensate one million dan in grain and allow the compensation to be paid within five years."  ; The third article is that Jiangdong is not allowed to have warships with more than 500 shi, and all warships with more than 500 shi must be destroyed; the fourth article is to open trade, Jiangdong is not allowed to prohibit trade with Jingzhou, including iron ore and grain trade must be liberalized  ¡±

    Lu Su seemed to be stepping into the abyss step by step. His heart was extremely bitter, and cold sweat broke out on his back. Except for the fourth item that was acceptable, Wu Hou would not accept any of the other three items. It was too harsh and would almost kill Jiangdong.

    Lu Su sighed, "Except for the fourth item that I can agree to, I have no right to agree to the other three items. I can only go back and report to the Marquis of Wu, and also ask Military Advisor Jia to tell Liu Zhoumu, hoping that he can be rational and calm and propose some terms that Jiangdong can accept.  With that said, I bid you farewell!"

    Jia Xu winked at Dong Yun. Dong Yun stood up and said, "I'll send Duke Lu out!"

    Lu Su was dissatisfied, turned around and left angrily, but Jia Xu smiled and watched him go away, and then went out of the tent to see Liu Jing.

    He walked to the main tent of the Chinese army and said to the guards: "Please report to the state pastor for me."

    "No need to report, please invite a military advisor!"

    Jia Xu walked into the tent and saw Liu Jing standing in front of the map with her hands behind her hands. He smiled and asked, "Is Zhou Mu really so calm?"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "The meeting will end so soon. Of course I know what the outcome will be, so there is no need to look forward to it."

    ¡°But there are also unexpected gains.¡±

    "Oh? What is it?" Liu Jing asked with a curious smile.

    "The Marquis of Wu wants to betroth Princess Shangxiang to Zhou Mu as his wife, in order to imitate the Qin and Jin Dynasties. Isn't this an unexpected gain?"

    Liu Jing said with a bitter face: "I don't dare to marry that brave princess. She will stab me to death on the couch in the middle of the night."

    Jia Xu laughed so hard that even the guards beside him couldn't help but say, "Pfft!"  ¡¯ After laughing out loud, Liu Jing turned around and glared at the guards, then asked, ¡°What else can I gain?¡±

    "There is nothing else. I guess Zhou Mu is not interested in exchanging prisoners of war. It can be seen that Sun Quan wants to escape at the minimum price, so they can agree to the four conditions proposed by Zhou Mu except the fourth one.  unacceptable."

    Speaking of this, Jia Xu laughed in a low voice and asked: "One million stones of grain, isn't it a bit too harsh?"

    Liu Jing chuckled, "Since Sun Quan wants to do business, I will naturally raise the price to the sky. If he doesn't agree, then I will beat him. I'll beat him to a limp, and he will naturally agree. Isn't that what war is all about?"

    Jia Xu nodded and praised sincerely: "My lord is getting better and better."

    Liu Jing glanced at Jia Xu. Jia Xu actually called himself his lord. It seemed that he was really going to admit his lord.

    Jia Xu was not aware of the change in his mentality. He pondered for a while and then added: "Since Sun Quan is asking for peace, it means that he has intention to retreat. In order to prevent Jiangdong's army from evacuating by land, it is recommendedWe have strengthened land surveillance.  "

    Liu Jing nodded, "It is indeed necessary!"

    Lu Su returned to Chaisang with a heavy heart. The boat followed the Cao River and entered the first water gate. Inside was the Wengcheng. He had to pass through another water gate before entering the inner city. As soon as he entered the Wengcheng, a young woman came from the bank next to her coldly.  The voice said, "Lu Canjun, you left the city without permission. Where did you go?"

    When Lu Su turned around, it turned out to be Princess Shangxiang, holding a sharp spear in her hand, staring at him coldly. Lu Su quickly cupped his hands and said: "Back to the princess, Lu Su went out of the city on the order of Marquis Wu, and he did not do so without authorization.  Out of town."

    After saying that, he took out Sun Quan's gold medal and showed it to Sun Shangxiang, but Sun Shangxiang ignored him. He waved his spear in his hand, and the sharp tip of the spear touched Lu Su's chest, and he snorted, "Lu Canjun, tell the truth.  Have you gone to see Liu Jing? "

    The reason why Sun Shangxiang was so intimidating to Lu Su was because she met Bu Zhi just now, and Bu Zhi congratulated her with a strange smile, which made her confused.

    Although Sun Shangxiang is a brave and staunch daughter, she also has a smart side. She understands what it means to say congratulations to an unmarried woman, which must be related to her life events. She heard that Lu Su was out of the city, and she knew it in her heart.  Doubtful, he stood in the barbican and waited for him to come back.

    Lu Su felt a stinging pain in his chest, and the tip of the spear pierced his skin. He could only sigh and said: "This is a major military matter, why should the princess interfere?"

    "Hmph! I don't care about any military or national affairs. I just want you to swear that your going out has nothing to do with me."

    Lu Su looked troubled. He was not a liar. How could he swear?

    His hesitation was immediately noticed by Sun Shangxiang. She grabbed the lapel of Lu Su's clothes and pulled him to the shore. She drew out the Qingyue Sword and put it against his neck. She gritted her teeth and asked in a low voice: "Tell me! Does my brother want to marry me?"  To Liu Jing?¡±

    Lu Su smiled bitterly and said: "Liu Jing is a hero in the world. He is extraordinary in martial arts and is about the same age as the princess. Doesn't the princess still look down on him?"

    "Bah!"

    Sun Shangxiang's face was full of anger, "Who wants to marry him? He is an enemy of Jiangdong. I want to kill him but I can't. Don't say you'll marry him. Just dream!"

    Lu Su shook his head and said sadly: "Even if the princess wants to marry him, it will be difficult. Jiangxia's conditions are too harsh and we cannot accept it. Princess, don't think too much."

    Sun Shangxiang wanted to ask about the conditions, but then she thought, this was not what she should ask. She let go of Lu Su and said bitterly: "Since you dare to conquer the west, you should have the courage to bear failure. A man will die in battle, and  There is nothing to talk about if a son can inherit the business. If the elder brother insists on humiliating himself, it will only bring shame to the world if he loses his father's reputation."

    Lu Su couldn't help but be in awe, and he also felt a little ashamed in his heart. His knowledge and courage were not as good as that of a woman. He nodded silently, "The princess scolded you well, but this matter is of great importance and must not be leaked. Marquis Wu repeatedly warned  Pass."

    "I don't know anything!" Sun Shangxiang said coldly, turned around and walked towards the city.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 438 Sun Quan¡¯s Choice

    In the room, Sun Quan listened to Lu Su¡¯s report with a dark face, and he said, ¡®Bang!  ¡¯ He slapped the table and said angrily: ¡°This is simply too much!¡±

    Sun Quan hurriedly walked back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He couldn't believe that Liu Jing would put forward such harsh conditions, letting his young son be a hostage, paying millions of dan in food, and not being able to own a warship of more than 500 dan.  Opening up trade would simply destroy Jiangdong.

    "I won't accept any of them!" Sun Quan gritted his teeth.

    Lu Su sighed. He felt that Wu Hou had lost his composure and lost his composure. This was not the behavior of a king. He reminded in a low voice: "Wu Hou is so angry that he may have played into Liu Jing's plan."

    Sun Quan was startled, and Lu Su's words were like a basin of cold water poured on his head. He slowly walked to the window with his hands behind his back, forcing himself to calm down. After a long time, he slowly said: "Zijing feels that such conditions are good for me."  Is that acceptable?"

    "Of course not acceptable!"

    Lu Su said without hesitation: "I expressed my position on the spot. It is impossible for Marquis Wu to accept such conditions, but"

    Lu Su hesitated and then said: "These conditions were proposed to me today by Jia Xu, not by Liu Jing himself, so Wei Chen thought that these were not real conditions and could still be negotiated."

    Sun Quan shook his head and sighed, "How can you bargain with such a high price? Eight hundred thousand stones, or six hundred thousand stones, destroy the two thousand stone warships, return the thousand stone warships, send my son, or let it go  Brother, we can't afford it, Zijing, do you understand? Liu Jing has no sincerity in negotiating!"

    Having said this, he turned back to the guard at the door and said, "Go and invite Governor Zhou here!"

    ¡®Captain Zhou?  ¡¯ Lu Su was stunned for a moment.

    Sun Quan smiled faintly and said, "Gong Jin has returned. I am revoking Cheng Pu's post as governor and re-appointing Gong Jin as the chief governor. I believe he will not let me down."

    Lu Su was a little disappointed in his heart. It should be said that Wu Hou did not have the sincerity to negotiate for peace. He just let himself test it out. When he encountered a slight setback, he refused to continue the negotiation. Both Liu Jing and Wu Hou were testing it, but neither of them agreed.  To give in, it seems that a fight to the death is in order.

    In fact, Lu Su didn't understand Sun Quan's heart. Sun Quan was very conflicted in his heart. War and peace each accounted for 50%. On the one hand, he was far from exhausted. He still had 60,000 elite navy troops and Chaisang City.  Reliance, he thinks he still has a chance to win.

    On the other hand, Cheng Pu's entire army was wiped out, which made him feel tremendous pressure. He was afraid that the navy would also be wiped out, so he wanted to escape to the east at the minimum cost.

    But Liu Jing saw through his intentions and blocked his attempt to get out of trouble at the lowest cost with a sky-high price, forcing Sun Quan to fight.

    At this time, Zhou Yu walked into the study. Zhou Yu had just rushed back, and his army was still halfway back. He received a message from Xu Sheng, and of course he knew that the situation was serious. The main force of Jiangxia went south along the river, and their kerosene naturally also  It's out of luck.

    Without kerosene, Xia Pheasant City was no longer important, so Zhou Yu gave up on capturing Xia Pheasant City and hurried back to Chaisang. He stepped forward and bowed deeply, "See Wu Hou!"

    "Sit down first!"

    Sun Quan still did not look back, but said calmly: "Zijing, tell Gong Jin about the situation when you met him!"

    Lu Su then told Zhou Yu in detail about his visit to Jiangxia Army for peace talks. Zhou Yu also felt a little angry in his heart, "Wu Hou, Liu Jing has no sincerity at all, there is no need to talk anymore."

    Sun Quan nodded, "Zijing, please go down and rest first! Everyone else should go down."

    Lu Su stood up and left, and several guards also retreated. Only Sun Quan and Zhou Yu were left in the room. Sun Quan then turned around and looked at Zhou Yu, "I want to know how little chance we have of winning. Tell me the truth.  ¡±

    Zhou Yu thought for a long time and said: "Frankly speaking, we only have a three-point chance of victory. This is not because of General Cheng's defeat in Lujiang, but because of our lack of strength."

    Sun Quan sat down and asked: "Do you think we are inferior to Jiang Xia's army in any way? Fire oil?"

    Zhou Yu smiled and explained: "Fire oil is only one aspect. Now we also have kerosene. Although the amount is small, it can play a role after all. The key is timing. This western expedition happened to be after Jiangxia Army defeated Cao Army, morale was strong, and  We are fighting on our own territory, and we have the psychological advantage of sharing the same hatred with the enemy. However, we traveled thousands of miles to the west, and the soldiers left their hometown for the expedition. This in itself is a disadvantage, which will increase and decrease, so we only have a 30% chance of victory. "

    "Only 30%?" Sun Quan sighed lowly, looking a little disappointed.

    Zhou Yu thought for a moment and said: "If Wu Hou just wants to withdraw his troops, maybe Wei Chen has a risky plan."

    Sun Quan was overjoyed and said quickly: "Gong Jin, please tell me!"

    Zhou Yu smiled and said: "?We used the plan of using the golden cicada to escape, retreating covertly and using water warfare to attract Liu Jing, but we actually withdrew our troops by land, so that we could preserve the main force and withdraw to Jiangdong at the minimum cost.  "

    Sun Quan was stunned for a moment, "Does Gong Jin mean that we give up our warships? But here are nearly 70% of our warships in Jiangdong. If we throw them away, we will not be able to turn around for at least three to five years. This is inconsistent with Liu Jing's request that we give up.  What¡¯s the difference between warships of more than 500 stone?¡±

    Zhou Yu nodded, "Nothing is lost, nothing is gained. Not only the warships, but also at least 10,000 troops must be given up to ensure that the main force can retreat eastward safely, and"

    Speaking of this, Zhou Yu stopped. He found that Wu Hou was a little absent-minded and seemed to be thinking about something. He waited patiently for Wu Hou to think.

    Sun Quan was shocked and said quickly: "I'm listening, Gong Jin, please continue talking."

    Zhou Yu then continued: "And we must evacuate tonight. Send warships to attack the Jiangxia Army's water stronghold at night. At the same time, the main army withdraws eastward. We must march for three consecutive days to escape the Jiangxia Army's pursuit."

    "Why are we evacuating tonight?" Sun Quan asked puzzledly.

    "It's very simple, because Wu Hou has sent Zijing to have peace talks with Liu Jing, which exposed the lord's intention to show weakness. How can Liu Jing prevent us from evacuating by land, so time is very tight and we must evacuate tonight."

    Sun Quan was speechless for a long time. He lowered his head and said, "Let me think about it for a while and then think about it again."

    Zhou Yu sat alone outside and drank tea silently. He knew Wu Hou very well. The hesitation shown by Wu Hou made Zhou Yu understand that Wu Hou would not adopt his plan. Wu Hou did not want to pay a high price and abandon all the warships.  and ten thousand troops, but Wu Hou refused to accept it.

    What¡¯s more important is that Wu Hou is still holding on to a bit of luck at this time and has at least three points of hope of defeating Jiang Xia¡¯s army, which leaves Zhou Yu speechless.

    At this time the door opened, Sun Quan came out from the inner room, walked slowly to Zhou Yu and asked: "Gong Jin just said that if the two armies fight decisively, we have at least a 30% chance of victory. Is there any way to increase it to 50%?"

    Zhou Yu was silent for a moment and said: "If we inspire the soldiers and focus on their performance in battle, we may have a 40 to 50 percent chance of victory, but I really can't guarantee it."

    A smile appeared on Sun Quan's face, but it was very forced. The smile only flashed past, and his expression immediately became serious. He clenched his fists and seemed to have made a lot of determination, "I decided to talk to Jiang Xia first tomorrow.  A battle!¡±

    Early the next morning, eight thousand troops stood neatly at Chaisang City under the city, with bright armor and high morale. A ten-foot-high wooden platform had been built in front of the city gate. Sun Quan was wearing a golden helmet and golden armor, holding an ancient ingot.  Knife, looking sharply at the soldiers.

    Behind him, Zhou Yu and Huang Gai stood on both sides respectively. Zhou Yu was expressionless and said nothing, while Huang Gai was a little excited. He held a spear in his hand and wore an iron helmet and armor, looking majestic.

    At this time, Sun Quan raised the ancient ingot sword high and shouted loudly: "This is the ancient ingot sword of Marquis Wucheng. It is the sword of the Jiangdong Army. I have never been defeated by this sword. Today, I have never been defeated by this sword."  This sword general will protect you on your expedition, show off the power of our Jiangdong army, and defeat the Jingzhou army!"

    Eight thousand soldiers raised their arms and shouted: "Defeat the Jingzhou Army!"

    The shouts resounded across the sky, and Sun Quan turned back to look at Huang Gai, "General Huang, listen to the order!"

    Huang Gai strode out, knelt down on one knee and said, "The general is here!"

    Sun Quan took the tiger talisman and the golden arrow and handed them to Huang Gai, "I will leave this battle to you, don't let me down."

    "A humble position will never disappoint Marquis Wu!"

    Sun Quan nodded and shouted loudly to the eight thousand soldiers: "If you kill one enemy, you will be rewarded with five taels of gold and ten acres of fertile land. If you kill or capture the enemy's general alive, you will be rewarded with one thousand taels of gold. My dear men, fight to the death."  !¡±

    Jiangdong's army suddenly had high morale and murderous intent. Sun Quan drew his sword and pointed at the water stronghold, "Go to battle!"

    Eight thousand Jiangdong troops, led by Huang Gai, lined up and walked towards the water stronghold. They boarded a hundred thousand-stone warships respectively. At this time, the trumpet on the city head sounded long, "Woo¡ª¡ª" the horn sounded throughout the firewood.  In Sang City, warships slowly sailed out of the water village and headed towards the river.

    At the same time, Jiangxia Navy scouts on the river had already discovered the situation and drove a speedboat back to the Jiangxia Army Water Village

    After negotiating with Lu Su, Liu Jing knew that Jiangdong Army intended to retreat. He mobilized troops overnight to intercept Jiangdong Army's eastward retreat by land.

    After receiving the report, Liu Jing and dozens of soldiers rushed to the big ship and looked across the Yangtze River from a distance. The Chaisang River was extremely wide, more than ten miles long. Everyone had already seen small black spots on the river, about a hundred.  A warship, and they are all thousand-stone warships.

    Before Liu Jing could speak, Gan Ning stepped forward and clasped his fists, saying: "I am willing to lead the army into battle and give Jiangdong Army a head-on blow."

    Liu Jing?He nodded appreciatively. This battle must be fought between Gan and Xi. He then said to Shen Mi and Lou Fa: "General Shen and General Lou can be the left and right lieutenants. I will give you ten thousand naval troops and a hundred warships. Give them to me."  Beat Jiang Dongjun!"

    "Follow the order!" The two of them left quickly.

    At this time, Jia Xu next to him laughed softly: "I think it would be better to lose."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and shook his head, "Although it can confuse Sun Quan, it will also affect morale. It is better to work step by step to defeat him completely."

    Jia Xu nodded and said with a smile: "You can win with clever tactics, but I still like to do a little trickery."

    Speaking of this, Jia Xu whispered a few words to Liu Jing. Liu Jing understood and said with a smile: "Okay, just follow your advice, sir."

    At this time, the horns of the Jiangxia Army also sounded in the water stronghold. The low sound of the horns echoed on the river. One after another, huge warships cut through the waves and sailed out of the water stronghold, heading towards the river in a mighty manner. Gan Ning stood three  On Qianshi's main ship, he stared at the river with sharp eyes.

    He knew very well that as long as Jiangdong Army was defeated in this battle, they would be the masters of the water in the south. Gan Ning saw that the fleet had already spread out on the water, and shouted loudly: "Beat the drums and set up the formation!"

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The drums were beating like thunder, and warships gathered one after another. The soldiers¡¯ morale was high and they were looking forward to a battle with the Ha Giang Dong Army to compete for supremacy on the water.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 439 Battle for supremacy on the water

    The two fleets slowly approached each other on the river, several miles apart. The two armies of Jiangxia and Jiangdong were both elite water armies and were very good at water warfare.

    ??Almost all of them are forming formations on the water. Jiangdong Army uses twenty warships as the vanguard, preparing to rush into the heart of the enemy's position and besiege the enemy's main ship.

    The Jiangxia army set up a two-wing formation. The southern navy also vividly called this formation the water scorpion formation. Shen Mi and Lou Fa each led twenty warships as the left and right scorpion pincers, leaving ten warships as the scorpion tail.  Ning Ze led fifty warships as scorpions.

    This is a classic tactic in water warfare, which requires extremely high coordination and command. If you are slow at all, the enemy will cut off the pincers and tail, but once you cooperate tacitly, it is very powerful.

    Although Huang Gai was captured for underestimating the enemy in the battle with Cao Jun, he was still a water warfare veteran of the Jiangdong Army, with a high reputation and rich experience. He saw at a glance that the Jiangxia Army had set up a water scorpion formation, which made him secretly  be surprised.

    The water scorpion formation is either easy to break through, or extremely powerful. If the river bandits and water thieves put up this formation, it belongs to the former. It can be broken through with one blow, but the Jiangxia Army will obviously not be easily broken through. They have strong water warfare capabilities.  , you must be confident when placing the water scorpion formation.

    Xu Sheng, the deputy general next to him, said in a low voice: "I'm afraid it's not good for us to use the rhombus formation. I suggest we change it to the flying goose formation."

    Huang Gai shook his head, "The formation is not about good or bad, but about proficiency. We are not familiar with the flying goose formation, but it will be broken by the enemy. Use the rhombus formation to focus on the scorpion body. Once the scorpion body is broken, the pincers and tail will be destroyed."  ¡±

    "I understand, I understand."

    Huang Gai then said to Xu Sheng: "General Ding can be the vanguard to defeat the enemy, but he is young and brave. I am worried that he will take credit for his success. You can lead twenty ships to meet him, and I will lead the main force to hold up the scorpions on both sides for you."  ¡±

    "Follow your orders!"

    Xu Sheng got off the main ship and boarded his own warship. He waved the green battle flag and led twenty warships to closely follow the forward Ding Feng's warship.

    Huang Gai shouted: "Beat the drum and attack!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A fierce water battle broke out on the river. Two hundred warships were fighting each other, team by team. Arrows on the river were like locusts. Stone cannons attacked and hit the enemy's hull, making a huge impact. More than a dozen warships were  The ship's sail was hit by burning pyre and sludge, and burned rapidly on the river. The terrified soldiers jumped into the river to survive.

    In this battle, Jiangdong's army also brought a thousand barrels of kerosene supported by Cao's army. They also used rockets and trebuchets to throw kerosene barrels. The kerosene from both sides turned the entire river into a sea of ??fire, and the water battle turned into fire.  war.

    The tactics of the Jiangdong Army are very obvious. To capture the thief first, capture the king, and then rush into the enemy's hinterland in an attempt to destroy the three thousand stone main ship of the Jiangxia Army. As long as the main ship is destroyed, the Jiangxia navy will be defeated.

    This has also been the main tactic of the Jiangdong Army for more than ten years. It has become the fist of the Jiangdong Army as early as the Sun Ce era. The Jiangdong Army internally calls it the "Heart-Digging Battle". The general who is responsible for the heart-digging task today is Ding Feng. He and Ling  The same is true for Jiangdong Army's desperate Saburo.

    Ding Feng led twenty warships into the hinterland of the Jiangxia navy. He kept releasing the warships to resist the Jiangxia warships coming from both sides, while he led five core warships to attack the largest ship.  Jiangxia main ship.

    Ding Feng saw clearly that on the mast of the three-thousand-stone ship, there were flag soldiers raising flags and giving orders. This must be the enemy's main ship. If they mainly occupy this main ship, they will win a great victory.

    "Hang the tail sail, speed up the boat, and charge forward!"

    Ding Feng, like a leopard hunting prey, calmly shouted orders. His warship was a thousand-stone warship. Together with two auxiliary ships, the three warships formed a row and broke through the first blockade.  Take a boat to Gan Ning, which is several miles away.

    Gan Ning stood on the bow of the ship, looking coldly at the three Jiangdong warships rushing towards him. He seemed to smell the enemy's impatience and wanted to destroy him. Gan Ning sneered and immediately ordered: "Surround these ships."  Three warships!"

    The flag soldiers on the mast waved the flag and issued the encirclement order. More than twenty warships surrounded Ding Feng's three warships from three directions. Ding Feng's eyes were about to spurt fire. He still had a chance.  , rushed out from a gap before the enemy's encirclement was completed.

    A dozen large ships were like a slowly closing gate, and Ding Feng's warship was trying to rush out before the gate closed. Seeing that Ding Feng's warship was about to seize the opportunity.

    At this moment, a thousand-stone ship suddenly came from the diagonal thorn and crossed in front of Ding Feng's warship. Amid shouts of exclamation, the two ships collided with each other, sawdust scattered, water sprayed out, and the two ships  Violent shaking.

    Jiangxia's warship was smashed, and a large amount of river water poured into the cabin. The ship began to sink rapidly. Dozens of soldiers jumped into the water to escape in panic. At the same time, Ding Feng's warship also suffered heavy damage and was forced to stop.

      This unexpected incident caused the three warships led by Ding Feng to lose the chance to break out of the encirclement. Nearly twenty Jiangxia warships surrounded the three warships. Intense rockets were shot from all directions, each filled with fire.  The clay pots of oil were thrown by trebuchets and hit three Jiangdong Army warships. The clay pots shattered, kerosene burst out and was ignited by rockets. The three warships were quickly engulfed in fire.

    "General, abandon the ship and escape!"

    A soldier shouted in panic. Ding Feng looked at the fire burning the ship on all sides. The demonic fire opened its bloody mouth towards him, which also aroused the wild nature in Ding Feng's bones. He stabbed him to death with a backhand shot and persuaded him to jump.  The soldiers on the ship yelled at the hundreds of soldiers: "Whoever dares to jump into the water and abandon the ship will be killed without mercy!"

    Hundreds of Jiangdong soldiers were restrained. Ding Feng looked around. He saw a Jiangxia warship on the left, less than fifty steps away from them. He pointed at the Jiangxia warship and ordered the boatman: "Turn around.  Get close to that warship!"

    The Jiangdong warship that was burned by the fire slowly turned around, rowed to the left and forward along the current, and slowly approached the Jiangxia warship. Ding Feng held a gun in his right hand and a shield in his left hand. He led his soldiers to lie on the side of the ship, and dense rockets shot from them.  Overhead, the mast was burning and creaking, and it was about to fall.

    Just when the enemy ship was about to collide, Ding Feng jumped up, jumped onto the Jiangxia warship, swept with his spear, and knocked several Jiangxia soldiers to the ground. "Fight with me!" Ding Feng shouted, and hundreds of soldiers  Jiangdong soldiers followed him and rushed onto the Jiangxia warship, and the two sides launched a bloody life-and-death battle on the deck.

    Chaisang City is very quiet. Jiangdong Army has implemented martial law in the city and no one is allowed to go to the streets. Groups of soldiers patrol the streets. In addition to the patrolling soldiers, there are also government officials with swords. They are all locals of Chaisang. They  His duty is to monitor the possible civil uprising in Chaisang and use the advantages of the local people to control Chaisang for Jiangdong Army.

    The yamen servants were dressed in black and red soap clothes, carrying long knives on their waists, and holding five-color sticks in their hands. There were 180 people in total, divided into six teams, all under the command of the county magistrate Zhu Xun.

    At this time, the war was raging on the river. Teams of government officials were also patrolling extra hard. A team of government officials were returning to the county government. The leader, Cao Cao, was thin and his back looked like a young man. This person was the one being captured.  Zhu Xun appointed Liu Zheng, the leader of the Eagle Attack Army, as a government official.

    Not only Liu Zheng, but also this team of 30 government officials, all of whom were Liu Zheng¡¯s subordinates. Jiangdong Army never expected that the government officials patrolling the streets with them turned out to be Jiangxia¡¯s most elite Eagle Strike Force.

    Liu Zheng had put on disguise and his face had changed drastically. No one recognized him as the famous "Eagle Monkey" in the Jiangxia Army. As soon as Liu Zheng led his men to the steps of the county government office, the county magistrate Zhu Xun hurriedly came out of the county government office.  Waved to him, "Hou Cao, please come here!"

    Zhu Xun led Liu Zheng to a secluded place, took out a roll of information and gave it to him, and whispered: "The pigeon letter my father just sent seems to be very urgent."

    Liu Zheng opened the pigeon letter and read it. It was an order from military advisor Jia Xu. He immediately nodded, "Thank you, county magistrate. I understand!"

    He returned to the team and ordered to everyone: "Change to the West City!"

    This government patrol team set out again and headed towards the West City

    Southwest of Chaisang City is the location of Cangcheng, which is where the army stores food and military supplies. It covers an area of ??more than 500 acres and contains hundreds of warehouses. A circle of warehouse walls was built around it.  The city wall is slightly shorter and thinner, and you cannot walk on it like the city head. However, there are five sentry towers built around it, and dozens of sentries closely monitor the movements in Cangcheng.

    In addition, there is a circle of Cangcheng River outside Cangcheng. You can get close to the gate of Cangcheng through a suspension bridge. The Cangcang River is also a Cao River. You can enter Cangcheng by boat from the water gate to transport materials. This is also a characteristic of southern cities. Most freight  All via waterways.

    It was noon at this time, and Jiangdong Army's attention was focused on the river outside the city. Cangcheng was very deserted, and there were no soldiers patrolling around. The government team passed by the river outside Cangcheng, and did not stop.  South, through a small street, and then east, but at this moment, one person was missing from the team.

    Leader Liu Zheng disappeared. The sentry posts in Cangcheng naturally did not notice this subtle change. No one paid attention here. Their eyes were all directed to the north of the city, concerned about the battle on the river north of the city.

    The bank of the river was covered with fallen thorn branches. At this time, Liu Zheng secretly revealed a pair of eyes from the thorn bushes. He was about to take action. This was also his mission to sneak into Chaisang City and burn down the Cang City.  , severely damaging Jiangdong Army¡¯s material supply.

    He has been waiting for orders, and just now, he finally received an order from Jia Xu, which was naturally Liu Jing's order. However, Jia Xu's order was to immediately burn the kerosene stored in Cangcheng. It is now noon  , it was not convenient for thirty people to move at the same time, so he had to think of a way to do it alone.

     Liu Zheng has passed by Cangcheng countless times in the past ten days. He has already made a careful plan. He has set his sights on Shuimen, which will be the key to his entry into Cangcheng. Liu Zheng is not in a hurry and is patiently waiting.  Wait for the opportunity.

    About half an hour later, a fleet of twenty ships sailed from the Cao River into the Hucang River and headed towards Shuimen. The opportunity Liu Zheng was waiting for finally came.

    This is a group of 100-stone flat-bottomed cargo ships with Jiangdong soldiers on board. They approached the water gate along the narrow waterway. The leader of the village shouted to the water gate: "We are here to get kerosene on the order of the Governor of Zhou. Open the door quickly!"

    The defenders inside the water gate verified his military order, the water gate was opened, and the fleet slowly sailed into Cangcheng. Just as the fleet was moored at the door of a warehouse not far from the water gate, Liu Zheng quietly sneaked out from the bottom of the ship.  Staring intently at the warehouse door.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 440 Helpless Withdrawal

    There are hundreds of warehouses in Cangcheng, which store grain, ordnance, tents and other military supplies. It is undoubtedly extremely difficult to find out which of these warehouses is the fuel oil depot, but the warehouse distribution map of Cangcheng has been firmly established.  It was engraved in Liu Zheng's mind, and the appearance of this oil tanker at this time made it easier for him to find the kerosene warehouse.

    The oil tanker moved 500 barrels of kerosene and left Cangcheng, and the kerosene warehouse was slowly closed. This kerosene warehouse is the important place of the Jiangdong Army. It currently stores the most important strategic materials of the Jiangdong Army. There are fifty people in the large  Guard at the door.

    Liu Zheng easily climbed into this huge kerosene warehouse through the skylight at the back. Although the front door of the warehouse was tightly defended, there was no one in the warehouse. There were about 3,000 barrels of kerosene stored there. These were the five items that Cao's army used to support Jiangdong's army.  Of the thousand barrels of kerosene, two thousand barrels have been taken away, and the rest are piled here. The barrels are stacked neatly, filling the warehouse with a pungent smell of oil.

    Liu Zheng hid behind a row of kerosene barrels under the skylight and pierced a wooden oil barrel with the dagger he carried. The light yellow kerosene spurted out and covered the floor.

    He quickly climbed up to the skylight and took out a leather bag tightly wrapped in oil paper from his waist. The leather bag contained a fire sickle and flint, ¡®Click!  Click!  ¡¯ Two sounds, and a ball of fire ignited in his hand. He threw it to the ground and immediately ignited the fire oil all over the ground.

    With a bang, blue flames rose into the sky and quickly burned towards the oil drum. Liu Zheng jumped up like a monkey and rushed towards a big tree ten feet away. He lightly grabbed the trunk. Just before the Jiangdong soldiers discovered  Abnormal. The moment he opened the warehouse to check, Liu Zheng jumped into the Cao River and disappeared without a trace like a fish.

    The fierce battle on the river has been going on for nearly two hours, and both sides have suffered heavy losses. More than thirty warships of the Jiangxia Army were burned and sunk, while nearly half of the Jiangdong Army's warships were lost. The initial formations of both sides have gradually become scattered.  It turned into a melee on the river, and the entire river became a sea of ??fire, with broken ship planks and broken masts floating everywhere.

    The large ship approached, and the soldiers rushed onto the enemy ship and fought bloody battles. A large hole was opened in the hull of the ship by powerful stone cannons, and the river water poured in, causing the ship to sink quickly. However, the most used thing in the warship fight was kerosene. Jiangdong Army invested  More than 1,500 barrels of kerosene, and Jiang Xia's army invested thousands of barrels of kerosene, filling the river with smoke, flames soaring into the sky, drums beating like thunder, and killing cries shaking the sky.

    Countless small boats shuttled among the large ships, searching for and rescuing soldiers who fell into the water. These small boats had white flags flying on them, and ordinary warships would not attack them.

    A search and rescue boat left the battlefield and quickly sailed to Chaisang. On the boat lay Ding Feng, covered in blood. Although he captured the Jiangxia Army's warship, he failed to break through the encirclement in the end. The warship was still destroyed by fire.  All the soldiers were burned to death on the boat. Ding Feng's hair was also burned off and he was hit by two arrows in his back. He finally jumped into the water to survive and was rescued by a rescue ship.

    Ding Feng was already in a coma and was severely burned. If it were a moment later, he would definitely die.

    During the melee, Xu Sheng's warship finally slowly approached the main ship of the Jiangxia Army, the three thousand stone giant ship. Xu Sheng had already seen the unfavorable situation of the battle. The defeat of the Jiangdong Army had appeared. If they could not be defeated by the unexpected troops,  Jiangxia army, then they will definitely annihilate the whole army.

    And this strange force is to destroy the main ship of the Jiangxia Army. As long as the main ship is defeated, the entire Jiangxia Army will also be defeated. Of course, this is the consistent combat philosophy of the Jiangdong Army, from Sun Ce and Sun Quan to Huang Gai and Ding Feng.  , so it is not surprising that Xu Sheng has such an idea.

    Xu Sheng's warship gradually approached the Jiangxia Army's main ship from the side. At this time, the Jiangxia Army's main ship was engaged in a fierce battle with another Jiangdong two thousand stone warship. This warship was also one of the five main warships of the Jiangdong Army. On board  There are more than 200 troops, commanded by a tooth general.

    Arrows rained down on the river, and boulders flew. Soldiers from both sides fought fiercely on the river dozens of steps apart, mainly using bows and crossbows. At this time, both sides seemed to have run out of fuel and could only rely on traditional water warfare to fight.  .

    Xu Sheng also saw that the opponent's main ship was out of fuel, and was secretly happy. He ordered his warships to quickly move closer to the other side of the opponent's main ship in a sneak attack. As long as his troops hit the enemy ship, then  A pincer attack between the two warships will definitely defeat the main ship of the Jiangxia Army.

    "General Gan, the enemy ship is attacking from the other side!" A soldier rushed to Gan Ning to report.

    Gan Ning had already seen the enemy ship that was trying to attack him. It was less than a hundred steps away. He sneered and said, "Get ready to shoot!"

    The racket stick is a unique water warfare weapon of the Jiangxia Navy. When Liu Jing led the Jiangxia Navy to defeat the Jingzhou Navy led by Zhang Yun, the secret weapons used were the racket stick and kerosene.

    It¡¯s just that the ships that went into battle this time were mainly the former Jingzhou warships, which were not equipped with rackets. Only Gan Ning¡¯s main ship was equipped with this secret weapon.

    A dozen soldiers pulled up the racket pole placed on the side of the ship. The racket pole was eight feet high.Strong and tough, when Xu Sheng's warship was still ten feet away from the main ship, more than a dozen soldiers shouted, and the racket slapped down violently, only to hear 'Bang!  'With a loud noise, the racket whipped hard on the deck like a giant whip. The hull shook violently. Several Jiangdong soldiers were smashed into meat patties. Sawdust flew across the deck, opening a long crack, including the mast.  Also shaky.

    In the violent shaking, Xu Sheng lost his footing and was thrown more than ten feet away. He grabbed the cable to avoid falling into the water. Xu Sheng looked at the wooden pole that looked like a 'whip' and was filled with fear.  It was the first time he saw this kind of weapon. It was so powerful that it made him forget the crisis in front of him.

    At this moment, a soldier shouted in horror: "General Xu, it's coming again!"

    Xu Sheng suddenly woke up and repeatedly ordered: "Turn around and leave quickly!"

    But it was too late. The racket slammed down violently for the second time. This time the force was stronger than the previous one. Although the soldiers all dodged, the deck could not avoid it. Only a violent thump was heard, and many soldiers were  He covered his ears in pain and closed his eyes.

    This time the crack on the deck became one foot wide, and the crack quickly spread to the hull. A terrifying cracking sound was heard throughout the hull. Even the mast could not support it. After shaking twice, it collapsed, and the hull  It broke in half, and the soldiers on the deck cried and jumped into the water to escape.

    Xu Sheng also jumped into the river and swam desperately to the south bank. In just a moment, the broken ship sank into the river, and the vortex rolled up sucked dozens of soldiers who could not swim to the bottom of the river.

    Sun Quan and dozens of generals stood on the top of the city and watched the water battle. Sun Quan looked solemn and pale. He didn't need anyone to explain. He clearly realized that Jiangdong's army was going to be defeated.

    This was a real water battle. He dispatched Jiangdong's elite navy, the best generals, and the strongest warships, but they were still defeated by the Jiangxia navy of the same size. This confirmed Jiangdong's victory from one side.  The military strength is no longer as good as that of Jiangxia Army.

    Sun Quan sighed, and couldn't help but look at Zhou Yu. Last night, he rejected Zhou Yu's plan to evacuate Chaisang overnight, and fought against Jiang Xia's army with a sense of luck.

    But now he knows that he was wrong. They are indeed no match for Jiangxia Army and cannot defeat Jiangxia Army. So if they evacuate Chaisang now, do they still have hope?

    At this moment, the guard behind him shouted, "Marquis Wu, Cangcheng is on fire!"

    Everyone looked back, and they saw a scene that horrified them. They saw thick smoke billowing over Cang City, and the thick smoke was mixed with red flames. Sun Quan was stunned for a moment.

    At this time, a soldier rushed over, knelt down and reported: "Report to the Marquis of Wu, there is a fire in the kerosene depot, which has spread to more than a dozen warehouses around it. The soldiers are unable to put out the fire!"

    When Sun Quan heard that there was a fire in the oil depot, he was furious and asked, "What's going on? Did someone set the fire?"

    If someone sets the fire, then all the guards will not survive. More importantly, they have no idea why the fire broke out. The soldier hesitated and said: "Let me report to the Marquis of Wu. The guards are tight. It is impossible for someone to go in and set the fire. Maybe it is because of the heat."  ¡±

    The scorching sun hung in the sky. Many people believed this reason, but for Sun Quan, no reason was important. What was important was that his kerosene was destroyed, and it also affected other supplies. If the food was burned, what should they do?  ?

    Thinking of this, Sun Quan immediately said to Zhou Yu: "Leave the war here to the governor. I'll go inspect Cangcheng!"

    Sun Quan hurried down to the city. Zhou Yu kept watching Sun Quan go away, and then resolutely ordered: "Pass my order, and withdraw the troops with gold!"

    In Zhou Yu¡¯s view, there is no need to continue this water battle.

    In the room, Sun Quan stood alone in front of the map and was stunned. He was confused. Although the fire in Cangcheng was extinguished, most of the food was lost. The remaining food could only last for five days at most, and all the kerosene was naturally burned.

    Not only that, Sun Quan had just received news that thousands of Jiangxia cavalry were discovered on the official road east of Chaisang, and Jiangxia troops were rapidly gathering. In other words, Liu Jing also blocked his eastward retreat overland.

    Today's water battle disappointed him even more. Only 20 out of 100 warships returned, and less than 3,000 soldiers survived. Although they also sank nearly 40 Jiangxia warships, they still returned with a disastrous defeat.  , all the disadvantages came together, making Sun Quan a little desperate.

    Years ago, he suffered a disastrous defeat in Chaisang and could not recover for several years. Is that scene going to happen again today?

    He thought of suing for peace again, but Liu Jing's harsh conditions were too much for him to bear. This put a lot of pressure on Sun Quan, and he felt a little exhausted.

    At this time, the guard reported at the door: "Marquis Wu, Governor Zhou is here!"

    Sun Quan's heart suddenly lit up, he didn't?Zhou Yu came over. Zhou Yu came to him on his own initiative. Is there any hope?

    "Invite him in quickly!" Sun Quan said quickly.

    After a while, Zhou Yu walked in quickly, bowed and saluted: "I'm sorry to see you, Marquis Wu!"

    "The Governor is exempt from the courtesy."

    Sun Quan sighed, "I regret that I didn't listen to the governor's advice and ended up in such a passive position."

    Zhou Yu smiled and tried to use a tolerant tone and said: "Actually, even if we left last night, it was extremely risky. I didn't consider that Huang Zhong's army would cross the river to intercept. Now it seems that it may not be safe to go by land.  ¡±

    Of course, this was just to comfort Sun Quan. Zhou Yu knew in his heart that if they withdrew their troops in time last night, Liu Jing might not have time to deploy, and Jiangdong Army would definitely be able to leave the battlefield. But now that the matter has come to this, it is useless to complain anymore. They can only give Sun Quan a step up.

    Sun Quan wanted to say that the Western Expedition itself was a mistake, but he hesitated and held back. He was silent for a moment and asked: "Then what should we do now? Our food can only last five days."

    Zhou Yu pondered for a while and said: "There are three ways now, one is peace talks, the second is to break through by land, and the third is by water."

    Sun Quan closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He didn't want to accept Liu Jing's conditions during the peace talks, and breaking through by land was unrealistic. He asked, "How sure is it that we can break through by water?"

    Zhou Yu also advocated withdrawing eastward by water route. He was not sure about retreating by land. As for the peace talks, he just talked about it. He knew that Sun Quan would not consider it. Sun Quan's choice of withdrawing eastward by water route was also expected by him.

    "If we break through from the waterway, if we manage it well, we can escape 60% of the army. If the breakthrough is not successful, I am afraid we can only escape 30 to 40%. What Wei Chen said is the truth."

    The highest was only 60%. Sun Quan sighed in his heart and asked, "What if we go by land?"

    "If we go by land, we can't guarantee a humble position, but the worst result is that the entire army will be annihilated. The main reason is that we have no food supplies."

    Sun Quan did not dare to risk taking the land route. He nodded, "In that case, we will break through the water route and retreat eastward tonight. What do you think, Governor?"

    "I have no objection, I can send an army to attack Jiangxia Army at night and cover the retreat of the main force."

    "That's it!"

    Sun Quan stood up and ordered the guards outside the door: "Pass my order to all civil and military officials to discuss important matters!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 441 Chai Sang breaks out (Part 1)

    Inside the Chaisang County government office, Liu Zheng and thirty government officials were sitting in silence. They had just received the news that the curfew would be tightened at night. Not only were ordinary people not allowed to go to the streets, but they, the local government officials, were not allowed to leave the county government office.  All stayed in the county government office.

    This news made Liu Zheng and his brothers feel strange. They originally thought that Jiangdong's army was going to investigate the arson and destruction of Cangcheng, but the situation did not seem to be like it. Jiangdong's army did not search from house to house. The streets were eerily quiet, even  There are even fewer soldiers on patrol.

    "Since there are no patrolling soldiers, let's go out and see if we can find any news if we stay here?" One of his subordinates finally couldn't help shouting.

    Everyone looked at him sharply. This subordinate was too frightened to say a word. They were the Eagle Attack Army. The first rule of the Eagle Attack Army was to be silent, follow orders and act without any questions.

    Liu Zheng said coldly: "I will give you a warning today, and then a second time, get out of the Eagle Attack Army!"

    The room was quiet again. Liu was waiting for news from Zhu Xun. Zhu Xun had been called into the military camp for more than an hour. It was time for news to come.

    At this moment, footsteps were heard outside, and Zhu Xun hurriedly came to the door. He winked at Liu Zheng and returned to his official room.

    Liu Zheng followed in immediately, "Magistrate Zhu, what happened?"

    Zhu Xun was a little uneasy. He sat down and sighed softly, "I met Zhang Zhao. He asked me if I wanted to go to Jiangdong to develop. I said that my family was in Chaisang and I didn't want to go to Jiangdong. Then they locked me up."  In a small tent, two soldiers later sent me back, a bit confused. "

    Liu Zheng thought for a moment and said to himself: "Does the Jiangdong Army want to withdraw?"

    Zhu Xun nodded, "I feel the same way. When I met Lu Su when I came back, he told me to take care of myself. Isn't this just saying goodbye to me?"

    Liu Zheng suddenly became nervous. If the Jiangdong Army wanted to withdraw, this would be important information. But without definite evidence, he could not report it to the Jiangxia Army. At this moment, a government official said at the door: "Report to the county magistrate.  The Jiangdong garrison at the gate of the county government retreated."

    Liu Zheng and Zhu Xun looked at each other in shock. It seemed that Jiangdong Army was really about to retreat. Liu Zheng made a decisive decision and said: "I will send someone across the river to deliver the message immediately!"

    Outside Chaisang North City, groups of Jiangdong Army soldiers were lining up to board ships from the pier. A large area of ??water, including the pier, has become a Jiangdong Army water village, with nearly 800 warships parked.

    On the city wall, Sun Quan silently watched the troops board the ship. At this time, his heart was full of anxiety. Tonight would be the most difficult night for him in so many years, and it might even affect the fate of Jiangdong.

    At this time, Xu Sheng walked quickly to Sun Quan, saluted and said: "The Governor of Zhou invites Marquis Wu to come on board!"

    Sun Quan felt an inexplicable sadness in his heart. It was finally time to leave. He looked at Xu Sheng and asked, "General Xu, how is your injury?"

    "There is no problem with Bizong's injuries. It's just that his back was scratched by a piece of wood, so the impact is not big."

    Sun Quan forced a smile, but the smile disappeared immediately. He sighed and said to Xu Sheng: "General Xu, you have to give up the Chaisang you worked so hard to capture again. I'm sorry."

    A trace of sadness flashed in Xu Sheng's eyes, and he lowered his head, "I don't have any thoughts in my humble position, I only know how to execute orders."

    Sun Quan had nothing to say. He patted Xu Sheng on the shoulder and went down to the city. As soon as he walked down the city, Sun Quan saw Tai Shi Ci and Zhou Tai and asked, "Why don't you get on the boat? What are you doing?"  Something?"

    Taishi Ci and Zhou Tai hesitated for a while, and finally Zhou Tai stepped forward and said: "I would like to inform the Marquis of Wu that the soldiers are unwilling to withdraw like this. We still have 50,000 troops and more than 700 warships, and we can definitely compete with the Jiangxia Army."  War, please Wu Hou think twice!¡±

    Tai Shi Ci also stepped forward and said: "We can send an army to attack Wuchang by land, surround Wei and rescue Zhao. I am willing to lead the order and go north to share the worries of Wu Hou!"

    Sun Quan transferred Cheng Pu's army to Chaisang just to send him to attack Wuchang by land. Now all plans have disappeared. Sun Quan just wanted to evacuate Jingzhou. He looked at Zhou Tai and Tai Shi Ci coldly, and said with great dissatisfaction: "You are  Do you want to overthrow me and establish a new leader?¡±

    These words were so serious that Zhou Tai and Tai Shici were so frightened that they knelt down and said, "I don't dare to do this because of my humble position!"

    "In that case, why don't you follow my orders and come to bargain with me?"

    Zhou Tai and Tai Shici sighed in their hearts. Who dared to persuade them after their talk had reached this point? They had no choice but to stand up, salute, and quickly retreat. Sun Quan watched them go away, and couldn't help but snorted heavily, and strode out of the city.  Go, as soon as you walked into the city cave, you heard the fierce sound of horse hooves coming from behind.

    When Sun Quan turned around, he saw his sister Sun Shangxiang galloping towards him on horseback.?Sun Quan couldn't help but have a headache. First it was Zhou Tai and Tai Shici, and now his sister has also arrived. Does she also want to dissuade him?

    Some soldiers informed Sun Shangxiang that they were preparing to evacuate Chaisang, which made her very surprised and angry. Evacuation was just a good word for escape. She believed that the Jiangdong Army was only temporarily at a disadvantage and fled in the face of the battle when the forces were equal. This was a shame for the Jiangdong Army.  It's a cowardly act.

    "Brother, why do you want to withdraw?" Sun Shangxiang reined in his horse and asked angrily.

    Sun Quan¡¯s face sank, ¡°This is not something you should ask!¡±

    "No soldier can accept such an evacuation. They came all the way from Jiangdong, how much food was spent, and the enemy troops were so frightened that they wanted to evacuate as soon as they took up their positions. Is this still the Jiangdong Army? Why should we explain to the Jiangdong elders when we go back like this?  ?¡±

    Sun Quan suppressed his annoyance and said, "This is a strategic arrangement. Don't think too much."

    "I don't understand the strategy, but I know that we are going to be defeated and retreat to Jiangdong. Could it be that my brother led the army to Jingzhou just to withdraw the army? In that case, why did he make this decision in the first place?"

    Sun Quan was deeply hurt. He became furious and ordered the guards on his left and right, "Take it down for me!"

    The guards rushed forward, and Sun Shangxiang was extremely angry. She drew out the Qingyue Sword and shouted: "Whoever dares to touch me, I will kill him!"

    The guards all stopped again, and no one dared to step forward. Sun Quan became even more angry, "Take it down!"

    Before the guards could rush forward, Sun Shangxiang stabbed the war horse with his backhand. The horse was in pain, screamed violently, jumped up with its front hooves, and rushed out of the city like an arrow, looking at his sister's back.  As they drifted away, Sun Quan couldn't help but feel angry and resentful. He hated himself for spoiling her rotten.

    But she was his sister after all, and he had to take care of her. Sun Quan immediately ordered the guards behind him: "Keep an eye on Princess Shangxiang and don't allow her to return to Chaisang City."

    Although the water battle during the day ended with the retreat of Jiangdong Army, in fact it was the defeat of Jiangdong Army. After the war, Jiangxia Army was also very busy, arranging prisoners of war and taking care of wounded soldiers. In the water stronghold, several large ships slowly  The damaged warships were towed to the northeast corner for repairs.

    On a large boat at the outermost edge of the water village, Liu Jing stared at the southern river with his hands behind his hands. Today was the second day after he arrived at Chaisang. A water battle had just ended, but he felt that the battle was about to end.  .

    Sun Quan¡¯s biggest mistake was not to send Lu Su to negotiate peace. This exposed his lack of confidence from one aspect. The battle in Anhui County seemed to have played a decisive role.

    "Has Zhou Mu finally decided to give up the annihilation of Jiangdong and negotiate peace with Sun Quan?" Jia Xu walked to Liu Jing's side and asked with a smile.

    Liu Jing nodded. He looked at the dark river and said in a low voice: "If I decide to march eastward, I will have to give up Bashu and Guanzhong. But if I want to conquer Jiangdong, it will take at least ten years. Even so, Cao Cao will  It¡¯s easy to interrupt our plans and weigh the pros and cons. It¡¯s not the time to go eastward but it¡¯s not worth the consequences. We should still go west.¡±

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing looked back at Jia Xu and asked with a smile: "Did the military advisor change his mind and let me march eastward?"

    "of course not!"

    Jia Xu smiled and said: "On the contrary, I hope that Zhou Mu will end the affairs in Jiangdong as soon as possible and start turning to the west."

    Liu Jing sighed and said: "I also want to end it as soon as possible! But there are many things that cannot be ended if I want to end them. I have to consolidate the situation in Jiangdong before turning around and marching westward."

    "Seeing that Zhou Mu is very confident, Wei Chen is also very pleased."

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "Maybe this is called the situation! What is form? Strength and foundation are forms; what is momentum, opportunity is momentum. If Jiangdong does not conquer the west, I really can't find a reason to attack Jiangdong. This is Sun Quan himself  He created an opportunity for me. If I don't seize it, how can I build momentum? Speaking of which, I have to thank Cao Cao, who appointed Cheng Pu as the governor of Nanjun and finally created this opportunity for me."

    Jia Xu was startled, "Did Zhou Mu always want to attack Jiangdong?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "If I don't destroy Jiangdong, how can I rest assured about the westward expedition?"

    At this time, a sentry ship came quickly from the river. After a while, the soldiers on the sentry ship were brought up to report: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, we found signs of Jiangdong Army sending troops. About a hundred small warships sailed out.  The water fortress, loaded with firewood, is very likely to attack our army at night.¡±

    Liu Jing frowned slightly, Jiangdong Army actually wanted to attack at night?  Is it a replica of Chibi Battle?  He immediately turned around and said to Gan Ning behind him: "Pay attention to strengthening defenses to prevent night attacks by Jiangdong's arms attack!"

    Gan Ning agreed and quickly went to arrange the enemy's army. Jia Xu was a little confused and said to himself: "Jiangdong Army's night attack seems a little too hasty. Could it be?"

    At this moment?Another sentry ship came, and the soldiers on the sentry ship shouted: "Report to Zhou Mu, there is urgent information from Chai Sang!"

    Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Bring the people up!"

    After a while, several soldiers brought one person out. Liu Jing recognized him as Liu Zheng's deputy, General Cheng Shou of the Eagle Strike Army, who was the most agile person in the Eagle Strike Army.

    "What happened?" Liu Jing asked.

    Cheng Shou knelt down on one knee and clasped his fists and said: "We found that Jiangdong's army was showing signs of retreat. I came out of Xicheng through the city, but found that there were only a dozen or so of the Xicheng defenders left, and the rest had evacuated."

    Jia Xu on the side suddenly realized, "Sure enough, I guessed it. Jiangdong Army's night attack was fake, but the retreat was real. Sun Quan was going to flee back to Jiangdong."

    Liu Jing took a few steps forward, stood on the side of the ship and stared at the other side. After staring for a moment, he suddenly turned back and ordered: "Order the entire army to dispatch to intercept the eastward retreat of Jiangdong Army!"

    More than a hundred sentry ships sailed out from the Jiangdong water stronghold and headed into the river. Their mission was to attack the Jiangxia military water stronghold at night, reenact the scene of the Battle of Chibi, and burn the Jiangxia military warships. The small boats were loaded with dry firewood and sulfur.  As well as being sprinkled with the 500 barrels of kerosene that Zhou Yu had moved out in advance, the boat took advantage of the strong southeast wind and sailed towards Jiangxia Junshui Village.

    At the same time, large ships full of soldiers also filed out of the water village and sailed eastward along the river. The large ship at the head was Sun Quan's six thousand stone main ship, like a small mountain sailing on the water.

    Sun Quan looked at the dark river surface and let out a long sigh, feeling infinitely melancholy in his heart. As his sister Shang Xiang said, knowing this defeat, why did he decide to go to the west in the first place?

    Sun Quan suddenly remembered something and quickly turned around and asked the guard: "Has Princess Shangxiang boarded the ship?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 442 Chai Sang breaks out (Part 2)

    Several guards looked at each other, and one guard said: "Chief Luo Shi and ten brothers are following Princess Shangxiang. They should get on the boat behind."

    "Go and check to see if they have boarded the ship?" Sun Quan suddenly became worried. If something happened to his sister, he would not be able to go back and explain to his mother.

    A guard rushed to confirm, and came back after a while to report: "Inform Marquis Wu, Chief Luo Shi sent someone to deliver the message. He followed Princess Shangxiang to the warship behind."

    Sun Quan felt helpless. His sister was too strong-tempered and refused to be in the same boat with him, so just let her go!  Just get on board.

    All the wooden piles outside the water village in Jiangdong have been removed, allowing the warships to quickly sail away from the water village. Hundreds of large ships followed Sun Quan's main ship out of the water village one after another. At the same time, a sudden sound occurred on the river near the north bank.  There were flashes of fire, and hundreds of burning warships appeared on the water. The wind took advantage of the fire to make the ships move faster, and they were only one mile away from Jiangxia Jun's water stronghold.

    At this time, dozens of Jiangxia ships came forward and rammed into the flaming boat. The big ship crashed into the small boat, sparks exploded, the ship capsized, and the fire was immediately extinguished in the river. Perhaps Sun Quan did not realize his feint attack.  Will be so weak and invincible.

    At the same moment when the Jiangxia Army intercepted the fire ship, more than 600 Jiangxia Army warships also rushed out of the water stronghold, carrying tens of thousands of Jiangxia troops and sailing toward the southeast at full speed, rushing to intercept the escape of Jiangdong's warship.

    It was already the first watch of the night, and the wind and waves on the river were strong. The waves were beating against the ship, making it unable to reach its maximum speed. The fleet was flowing down the river. Although Jiang Xiajun had a large impeller ship driven by manpower, at this time  Liu Jing was not in a hurry to use it. He knew that Jiangdong's army could not run far.

    On the bow of the big ship, Liu Jing was fully armored, holding a green sword in his hand, staring sharply at the dark front. He had already faintly seen the firelight shining on the river, which was the firelight of the Jiangdong warships communicating with each other.

    At this time, Gan Ning stepped forward and reported: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, about fifty warships have passed by Jiangdong, and the time is ripe."

    "Let's start!" Liu Jing gave the order coldly.

    A rocket soared into the sky with flames. This was the signal for the attack. Suddenly the drums on the river thundered, echoing on the river, with a sound like a mountain collapsing and the earth cracking. Then there was a big fire, and tens of thousands of Jiangxia soldiers raised their torches and used them.  The river surface that was more than ten miles long suddenly turned into a sky filled with stars.

    Amidst the deafening sound of war drums, hundreds of warships worked together and rushed toward the Jiangdong warships. This was a night battle on the water that neither Jiangdong Army nor Jiangxia Army had ever encountered. It was also a taboo in water warfare.  , it is difficult to distinguish between enemy and friendly warships in the dark.

    "However, the Jiangxia Army's warships have been marked in advance. On the deck behind each warship there will be a blazing copper tripod filled with kerosene, so that the Jiangxia Army can distinguish between ourselves and the enemy.

    Jiangxia's army was divided into three groups. One group led by Gan Ning led a hundred warships to pursue Sun Quan's 50-ship main fleet to the east. The other group led by Shen Mi led 200 warships to attack more than a hundred Jiangdong ships that had sailed out of the water village.  warships, while the remaining hundreds of warships were personally led by Liu Jing to intercept the remaining Jiangdong ships that had not sailed out of the water village.

    The Jiangdong warships were in chaos. Their mission at this time was to retreat. When the Jiangxia army suddenly attacked, they had no command from the supreme commander and no clear tactical arrangements. They could only counterattack instinctively and rushed to the ship's bow.  Bows and arrows were fired aimlessly.

    When several large ships that resisted the most were hit by fire oil tanks and ignited raging fires, the Jiangdong soldiers were stunned by the fire on the river. Only then did they realize that the Jiangdong Army was doomed to fail. One warship after another gave up.  He stopped resisting and parked quietly on the river, waiting for Jiang Xia's army to deal with him.

    But in the water village, the fleet led by Liu Jing encountered fierce resistance from more than a dozen warships. Arrows rained down on the river, and rocks flew into the air, roaring and smashing into the enemy ships. Fires shot into the sky and shouts of killing were heard everywhere.  , the sound of war drums resounded across the sky.

    Liu Jing stood on the main ship and observed the fierce battle in front of the water village. He discovered that these dozen warships were actually commanded by one of the large ships.

    It was a two-thousand-stone building ship, with an iron horn on the front and head, and it was extremely strong. It had already crashed into a Jiangxia warship, but was forced to stop by two other Jiangxia warships. There were many fires on the deck, and even  Even the masts were ablaze, but the arrows and stone cannon fired from the ship were extremely violent.

    At this time, a Jiangxia warship approached the enemy ship. Hundreds of Jiangxia soldiers rushed onto the enemy ship. The Jiangdong Army shouted and rushed towards them. The two sides fought hand to hand and fought fiercely.

    And the Jiangdong warships behind were encouraged by this warship and also joined the battle. Not a single warship had any intention of surrendering.

    Liu Jing couldn't help but feel a little strange. Who commanded this warship?  At this moment, a soldier pointed to the second floor of the building boat and shouted: "Zhou Mu, look up!"Under the flickering light of the fire, Liu Jing also saw a tall and slender Jiangdong Army general holding a bow and arrow and shooting rapidly. Her helmet had fallen off and her long hair was flying. She turned out to be a woman.

    She was a skilled archer, and she shot arrows from her hand like a string of arrows. Every time an arrow was shot, a Jiangxia soldier must be hit by an arrow. It was under her encouragement that the Jiangdong Army's morale was high and they fought back desperately.

    "The big ship comes ashore!"

    Liu Jing shouted loudly, he recognized the woman, it was Jiangdong Princess Sun Shangxiang, she did not go with her brother on the boat.

    The main ship slowly approached the two-thousand-stone building ship. Liu Jing held a shield in his left hand and a halberd in his right hand. Amidst the exclamations of his own soldiers, he jumped onto the enemy warship.

    At this time, Sun Shangxiang also saw Liu Jing, and she was immediately ecstatic. If she could shoot Liu Jing, the Jiangxia army would be defeated without a fight. Sun Shangxiang drew an arrow and shot at Liu Jing without hesitation.  The arrow roared out and went straight to Liu Jing's throat.

    Liu Jing raised his shield to meet the arrow and blocked the arrow. He jumped up the gangway and slashed with his halberd to kill. In a moment, seven or eight Jiangdong soldiers were killed by him. Their bodies were carried down the river. Liu Jing ran up to the second floor, and again  It was an arrow that was shot hard at his face.

    "Well done!" Liu Jing shouted in a low voice, tilted his head, and the arrow passed by his face. Liu Jing threw off his shield, rushed forward, stabbed with his halberd, and killed five guards in a row.

    At this time, Sun Shangxiang was only ten steps away from Liu Jing, and it was too late to draw her bow and nock an arrow. The fierceness of Liu Jing's charge made her a little panicked, and she had no time to get the Fengxiu knife standing beside her. With a squeak, she pulled out the Qingyue Sword and rushed towards Liu Jing.  .

    Although she is good at archery, her sword skills can only be drawn and danced during the banquet, which is beautiful but impractical. She can't stop Liu Jing's heavy halberd. This halberd is enough to pierce her body, but after all, she is  Liu Jing's original intention was to capture the daughter of Marquis Wu and the rich daughter of Jiangdong.

    At this time, Liu Jing suddenly recognized the sword in Sun Shangxiang's hand. It turned out to be the Qingyue Sword, which made him slightly startled. Sun Shangxiang caught Liu Jing's hesitation. She dodged the halberd and stabbed Liu Jing in the chest with the sword.  .

    Liu Jing saw that she was merciless and wanted to kill him. He was slightly angry and grabbed Sun Shangxiang's wrist. With a flick, Sun Shangxiang was unable to hold the sword with a huge force. The Qingyue Sword came out of his hand and nailed it.  on deck.

    Sun Shangxiang was also unsteady on her feet. She took several steps back and hit the bulkhead. Before she could stand still, Liu Jing's hands had already pinched her white neck.

    "let me go!"

    Sun Shangxiang punched Liu Jing with her fist and kicked her feet wildly, but Liu Jing remained motionless. She gradually applied force with her hands, and Sun Shangxiang could no longer kick. She felt as if all her strength had been drained, and she couldn't even breathe.

    Liu Jing's hand became tighter and tighter like an iron hoop. She couldn't breathe anymore and began to suffocate painfully. Sun Shangxiang felt the approach of death for the first time. She began to remember that she was a woman, and her heart became weak.  For the first time, Chu also felt the weakness of a woman.

    Tears slowly welled up in Sun Shangxiang's eyes. At this time, Liu Jing saw a small knife mark on her neck, which was a souvenir he left for her many years ago. Liu Jing's heart suddenly softened and he let go of his hand.  , Sun Shangxiang sat weakly on the deck, stroking his neck and gasping for air.

    Liu Jing glanced at her coldly and said to the soldiers who were following behind her: "Take her to the main ship. If she dares to resist, kill her immediately!"

    After saying that, Liu Jing jumped directly off the first deck and swung his halberd. The last Jiangdong Army fang general was pierced through the chest by his halberd.

    At this time, the Jiangxia Army had completely occupied the building, and the soldiers cheered. As Sun Shangxiang was captured, the Jiangdong Army gradually lost their fighting spirit and began to hang up white flags one after another to surrender. The fierce fighting in the water village gradually subsided.  come down

    Sun Quan's main ship had sailed thirty miles away from Chaisang. They finally got rid of the Jiangxia army's pursuit. On the big ship, Sun Quan stared blankly at the west. Except for the fifty warships following him, no other warships appeared.  The shadow appeared, and an unbearable sting hit his heart. He suddenly screamed and fell on his back. The guards shouted in shock: "Wu Hou, wake up!"

    "Send to the military doctor quickly!"

    Sun Quan was in chaos on the boat

    If we move forward in time, at the same moment when the Jiangxia army launched their offensive, Liu Zheng led 30 of his men to open the south gate of Chaisang. Huang Zhong took the lead and led 10,000 Jiangxia troops into the city.  The banner of Jiangdong was thrown down and replaced by the battle flag of Jiangxia, and a blazing fire was lit on the beacon tower, symbolizing that Chaisang City once again returned to Jingzhou.

    In early May of the 14th year of Jian'an, Sun Quan failed to break through at Chaisang. Only less than 20,000 of the 50,000 Jiangxia troops escaped. More than 30,000 soldiers, including Jiangdong Princess Sun Shangxiang and generals such as Taishi Ci, Lu Meng, and Xu Sheng, all escaped.  Jiangxia?? prisoners of war, this was the most tragic defeat since the Sun family dominated Jiangdong.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 443 Ma Teng¡¯s Thoughts

    Yecheng was the second capital city established by Cao Cao. After Chibi was defeated and returned to the Central Plains, Cao Cao stayed in Xuchang in order to provoke a fight between Sun and Liu.

    With the remnants of the Yuan family retreating to Liaodong, Zhang Liao and Cao Chun pacified Youzhou, and Hebei regained peace. In March, Cao Cao returned to Yedu again, generously rewarded the three armies that pacified Hebei, and awarded Zhang Liao and Cao Chun for their contributions.

    Also in March, former general Huaili Hou Ma Teng led his nephew and five thousand cavalry to the court to participate in the sacrifice of their ancestor Ma Yuan, but was detained by Cao Cao in Yecheng.

    Cao Cao appointed Ma Teng as a guard, and his son Ma Chao as a partial general. He led the army in Ma Teng's place and stayed in the same place. He also made his second son Ma Xiu the captain of Fengche, his third son Ma Tie the captain of cavalry, and the rest.  All the family members moved to Yecheng.

    So far, among the four strategies proposed by Xun You, except for the Jiangxia strategy, which Cao Cao did not adopt, the other Hebei strategy, Xiliang strategy and Jiangdong strategy have all achieved success, and the once chaotic situation has gradually calmed down.

    It is late April, and the confrontation between Jiangxia and Jiangdong in Chaisang has come to an end, and Yecheng has also entered the late spring season. The trees have turned from tender green to green, and the green apricots on the branches have grown to the size of a thumb. There is still enough sunshine, but  It's not as bright and warm as it was in March, but a bit hotter and hotter. The air is no longer cool and has a hint of early summer.

    For Yecheng, the defeat of Chibi is no longer talked about. Although it has only been less than half a year, it seems to have happened many years ago. Not many people care about it anymore. Everyone seems tired of wars and hegemony. In taverns and brothels,  They are all talking about various official scandals and marriages between officials involving women. This is an eternal topic.

    In a tavern at the entrance of Dongwangwu Alley in Yecheng, there were not many guests, and half of the seats were empty. In a corner by the window, Li Fuzheng was drinking alone.

    He did not follow him to Liaodong. Due to internal strife in Yuan's army, Yan Rou of Youzhou seized power and the pro-Jingzhou faction lost power. Yan Rou wanted to execute Li Fu. With the secret help of Guo Song, Li Fu escaped from Jixian and returned to  Yecheng.

    He received an order from Liu Jing to stay in Yecheng temporarily and prepare to join Liu Min. Although Liu Jing did not blame Li Fu for his ineffectiveness in Liaodong, Li Fu was in an extremely bad mood and kept blaming himself.

    When everyone was discussing whether to accept Yan Rou from Youzhou, he expressed his approval. It was his approval that led the Yuan Army to finally decide to use Youzhou as its foundation, and also led to the final internal strife.

    If he had opposed going to Youzhou at that time, then Yuan's army would have taken Hejian County as its base and swept across Hebei. It was his mistake that caused the Yuan family's revival to fail. Li Fu felt sorry for himself and spent more than a month in the tavern every day.  He drank wine to drown his sorrows in the brothel and indulged in sexual activities.

    When Li Fu was about to pick up the jug and pour wine, a hand held down his wine jug, "You drank too much!"

    The voice was very familiar. Li Fu raised his head. In front of him stood a man of medium height, wearing a white coarse cloth robe, a leather belt around his waist, a long sword, and a dust-proof hat on his head. This was a typical ranger.  Despite his attire, he had dark skin and bright and sharp eyes. When Li Fu took a closer look, he was so shocked that he cried out, "Why is it you?"

    The person in front of him was his old partner Liu Min. The former white-faced scholar had turned into a dusty knight-errant, which made him a little unbelievable. Liu Min smiled slightly and sat down opposite Li Fu. He gave Li Fu and himself their respective views.  He poured a glass of wine and asked with a smile: "Brother Zixian, how long have you been staying in Yecheng?"

    "It's been a month and a half!"

    Li Fu sighed. He was suddenly startled. He looked at Liu Min again and asked in surprise: "Why are you so evil?"

    Liu Min said with a wry smile: "You have stayed in the north for four or five months. Is it normal to have darker skin?"

    Li Fu laughed. For some reason, when he saw Liu Min, he felt as if he was seeing a relative. The sadness in his heart was swept away. He quickly pointed inside and said, "Go inside and talk!"

    Li Fu ordered the bartender to bring the wine and food into the back room, and ordered a few more dishes. The two sat down. Li Fu then told the story about Yuan Jun's internal strife. Liu Min frowned slightly and said, "I heard that Yan Rou was raped by Zhang Liao."  Yuan Jun has retreated to Liaodong, why doesn't brother Zixian follow him? "

    Li Fu shook his head, "I received an order from Zhou Mu not to go to Liaodong for the time being. In fact, I can understand what Zhou Mu means. Yuan Jun intends to cross the river and demolish the bridge. Cao Cao will not let Yuan Jun go. Sooner or later, he will take action. Then Yuan Jun will come.  Please ask us, so don¡¯t worry for now.¡±

    Li Fu sat up straight again and asked curiously: "Tell me about your story! How about going on a mission to the Xiliang Army?"

    Liu Min sighed, "Forget it, I went to see Ma Teng with full confidence, but he didn't even let me in. Just two words: no see! After several months in Xiliang, I only saw his eldest son Ma Chao, and I only learned a little about him.  A little inside information."

    Liu Min drank the wine in the cup and then said bitterly: "??Cao Cao has been plotting against Ma Teng for many years. He secretly supported Han Sui and Ma Teng to become enemies. The two armies were at war for many years. Cao Cao also ordered Zhong Yao, who was guarding Chang'an, to be a good person and persuade him to make peace. It was also his fault that Ma Teng agreed to Cao Cao's plan because he had no idea.  He was recruited and became an official in Beijing, leaving his eldest son Ma Chao to guard Liangzhou. He himself became a hostage, and Zhou Mu's plan to use the Xiliang army to contain Cao's army came to nothing.  "

    No wonder Liu Min was aggrieved. The territory controlled by Ma Teng was actually very large. In addition to Xiliang, his power had expanded eastward to Dashanguan. Even Anding County and Guangwei County were Ma Teng's territory.  The warlords are all dominated by Ma Teng and have tens of thousands of armored cavalry.

    Ma Teng's conditions were much better than those in Jingzhou, but Ma Teng did not have the courage of his lord and did not dare to openly challenge Cao Cao. Even when Cao Cao led his army to conquer Jingzhou south, the Central Plains was empty, and civil strife broke out in Hebei, such a good opportunity, Ma Teng  He did not dare to take the opportunity to raise troops, march into Guanzhong and attack Yecheng.

    Li Fu felt Liu Min's dissatisfaction, and asked with a smile: "Then why did I come to Yecheng again?"

    Liu Min finally had a smile on his face. He picked up his wine glass and said, "Although I failed to contact Ma Teng, I succeeded in contacting Ma Chao. Ma Teng refused to have anything to do with Jingzhou, but Ma Chao was very interested.  There must be something to gain. Now that I think about it, Ma Teng¡¯s move to Beijing may not be a bad thing.¡±

    Speaking of this, Liu Min lowered his voice and said: "My visit to Beijing this time was actually entrusted by Ma Chao to see his father. Ma Chao hopes that Ma Teng can officially hand over the army to him."

    "Did Ma Teng not really hand over the army to his son?" Li Fu asked puzzledly.

    Liu Min nodded, "Now Ma Chao is only leading the army on behalf of his father. Ma Teng has never officially announced the transfer of general power to his son, so some Longyou warlords are not too convinced. There are still a few old military leaders who do not obey Ma Chao's orders.  Ma Chao's military power was constrained. Every time he mobilized the army, he had to discuss it with these veteran military leaders, which was very passive. "

    Li Fu sneered, "Find an opportunity to discuss military affairs and kill these thorns with one knife. Wouldn't the problem be solved?"

    "I also suggest the same, but the Xiliang army is more aware of their status. These generals used their allegiance to Ma Teng as an excuse to stand on their own and kill them without any name. Therefore, Ma Chao needs his father to formally hand over military power, and then he can kill people with righteousness.  , the soldiers below have nothing to say."

    Li Fu nodded silently, which made sense. He then asked, "When will I go to Ma Teng's house?"

    "I'll go now and we'll talk in detail in the evening."

    Li Fu rolled his eyes and said with a smile: "You can't go like this. Cao Cao sent people to closely monitor Ma Teng. I'm here to help you enter the house this time."

    Although Cao Cao used tricks to trick Ma Teng into Yedu, he took good care of Ma Teng in terms of materials. Not only did he give Ma Teng the third most famous house in Yecheng, he also gave many servants, women and maids, generous rewards, and  Ma Teng was given a large manor covering an area of ????50 hectares outside the city, so that Ma Teng could enjoy all kinds of fine clothes and fine food without thinking about Xiliang.

    Ma Teng's beautiful house is located in the east of the city. It is a mansion covering an area of ??100 acres. It once belonged to the royal family of the Han Dynasty. It has hundreds of pavilions, various exquisite buildings, and even a clear spring, forming an area of ??20 square meters.  An acre of small lake, the scenery is quiet and beautiful.

    It is this lake that makes this house recognized as the third most famous house in Yedu, second only to the Prime Minister's House and Xun Yu's house. However, although the house is beautiful, it is not free to live in. There is an open space outside the west gate of the house.  A community was formed inexplicably, and people came and went every day, making it extremely lively. Of course Ma Teng knew that someone among them was monitoring his mansion.

    Not only external surveillance, but also more than a hundred maids and servants in the mansion were assigned to him by Cao Cao. Who knows how many monitors there are, and even Ma Teng is not at ease with his newly married three-bedroom concubine. He is suspicious all day long.  There is a kind of psychological obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    Of course, Ma Teng also has people whom he absolutely trusts, namely his two sons, Ma Xiu and Ma Tie, and his nephew Ma Dai. These three are his only trusted confidants.

    At noon, a group of knights, about twenty in number, rushed over at lightning speed. The momentum was so fast that it stirred up billowing yellow dust. It was obvious that they were all extremely capable knights.

    These knights are all wearing soap-colored short coats. They are Ma Teng's farm servants. In fact, they are all Ma Teng's personal guards. This is the condition that Cao Cao agreed to. The five thousand cavalry returned to Liangzhou and only 300 personal soldiers were retained. They are stationed in peacetime.  In the manor outside the city, he acted as a soldier protecting the village, commanded by Ma Dai.

    Although there are only three hundred people, they are the elite of the Xiliang Army's cavalry. Their combat effectiveness is extremely strong, and they can fight one against ten. Therefore, Cao Cao also ordered that these three hundred cavalry should not exceed twenty people each time they enter the city.

    The leading knight is about thirty years old, with a serious expression, eight feet tall, and extremely long arms. He wields a fifty-pound wild goose feather sword. This man is Ma Dai, Ma Teng's nephew. Behind him is a person wearing an octagonal hat.  He is wearing a hat and is dressed like a clerk. He is of medium build, has dark skin and bright eyes, but it is Liu.Sensitive.

    This is Li Fu¡¯s arrangement. If Liu Min comes to Ma Teng directly, he will be targeted by surveillance people. If he comes to Ma Teng through the manor Ma Dai, it will be much more hidden.

    Everyone got off their horses outside the main gate. A family member came forward to take the horse. A steward greeted him with a smile and asked, "Why are Mr. Dai free to come today?"

    Ma Dai knew that this person was Cao Cao's spy, so he asked coldly: "Is my uncle here?"

    "Of course the master is here. He is drinking in the backyard. Does Mr. Dai have anything to do with him?" the housekeeper asked with a half-smile.

    Ma Dai glanced at him with disgust, and could only hold back the unhappiness in his heart and said: "I have already found out the discrepancy in the manor's accounts last time, and I came to uncle to report the accounts."

    "So that's it. Master Dai, please wait a moment, I'll report it to you!" The housekeeper turned to Liu Min, looked at him deeply, and turned around.

    Ma Dai turned around and whispered to Liu Min: "Follow me closely!"

    Ma Teng is about fifty years old this year. He is eight feet three tall, with big shoulders and a round waist. He is as tall as a mountain. He has a wide face, a high nose, and deep eyes. His big beard makes him even more powerful. When he was young, he traveled across Xiliang and laid a foundation.  But as he grew older, he no longer had the ambition he had when he was young, and began to be greedy for beauty and enjoyment.

    This time he actually knew that Cao Cao was tempting him to come to the capital, but he wavered and refused Liu Jing's offer from Jingzhou. Under the persuasion of Zhang Ji, the envoy sent by Zhong Yao, he finally decided to accept Cao Cao's offer and come to the capital as an official.  .

    Ma Teng was very satisfied with the life of being in a high position, living in a beautiful house, and enjoying beautiful food and maids. However, Cao Cao's constant supervision of him made him dissatisfied. His mood was so contradictory.

    At this time, Ma Teng was sitting in the pavilion by the lake drinking and having fun as usual. Three beautiful concubines were surrounding him, and more than a dozen maids were waiting on him. The beauty was like jade, the wine was mellow, the scenery was like a painting, and the cool breeze  Practice makes him feel relaxed and happy.

    At this time, a maid reported at the door: "Master Qi, Mr. Dai is here and wants to report the account to the master!"

    Mr. Dai is Ma Dai, Ma Teng¡¯s nephew. He came to Beijing with Ma Teng. He was not granted an official title, so Ma Teng put him in charge of managing the farm outside the city. In fact, he was Ma Teng¡¯s external spy.

    Of course Ma Teng knew that the so-called reimbursement was just an agreement between them. In fact, he was reporting something urgent to himself. He immediately ordered: "Take him to my study!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 444: Coping with Westward Expansion

    In the study, Liu Min put a dozen bamboo slips on the table and said to Ma Teng: "All the problematic accounts of the manor are here."

    Ma Teng recognized Liu Min at once and was extremely shocked. He immediately glanced at the maids standing at the door and ordered them: "You all should step aside!"

    The reason why Ma Teng allowed the maid to enter the study was because he knew that if he did not do so, he would be monitored more closely. In short, Cao Cao would not do anything until people knew what he was doing at all times.  Be suspicious.

    But today was different. Ma Teng knew that Ma Dai had something important to do. Several maids retreated, leaving only the three of them in the room. Liu Min then took out Ma Chao's letter from his arms and presented it to Ma Teng: "This is  This is a letter from the eldest son to the general, please read it."

    Ma Teng glanced at Liu Min warily. He was more concerned about Liu Min's identity than his son's letter. Liu Jing's staff in Jingzhou joined the army, and the eldest son actually asked him to deliver the letter. He actually trusted him to this extent. What is this?  mean?  Does the eldest son want to tell himself that he has reached some kind of tacit agreement with Jingzhou?

    Although he was very confused, Ma Teng did not ask more questions. Instead, he opened a letter from his eldest son Ma Chao. The letter said that it was difficult for him to command several captains in the army and asked his father to officially hand over the army to him instead of just taking charge of it.  .

    Ma Teng couldn't help but sneered, if he handed over the general power, would he still be alive?

    In fact, the conflict between Ma Teng and his son was huge, mainly due to the competition for military power. The military power of the Xiliang Army was always firmly in Ma Teng's hands, which made Ma Chao, who had gradually longed for power, begun to be dissatisfied.

    The conflict between father and son gradually increased. Although it did not reach the point of falling out, the senior officials of the Xiliang Army knew that the father and son were at odds with each other.

    The reason why Ma Teng refused to completely give up his army when he arrived in Yedu was because he was afraid that Ma Chao would rebel and he would not be able to survive in Yedu.

    In fact, this is also the brilliance of Cao Cao. He saw the contradiction between Ma and his son, and let Ma Teng continue to control the army, while he controlled Ma Teng, thus indirectly controlling the Xiliang army. As for giving Ma Dai freedom, that was  In order to facilitate Ma Teng to control the Xiliang army.

    Ma Teng paced back and forth in the study room with his hands behind his back. He wanted to find out the true intention of his eldest son. Ma Dai next to him was a little strange. If the eldest brother wanted to gain military power, why did he let Jingzhou's staff come forward for him? Isn't this more complicated?  If your uncle is alerted, will he lose military power?

    Ma Dai didn't understand, but Ma Teng did. This was actually a kind of openness and honesty from the eldest son to himself. He, Ma Chao, wanted military power and an alliance with Jingzhou. He laid everything out on the table, told himself clearly, and finally let himself  choose.

    If he did not choose or agreed, then his eldest son Ma Chao would have no moral responsibility. At this time, Ma Teng was already sure that Ma Chao was going to take action, or that he had already taken action. He must have the confidence to control the military.  Only then will he make it clear to himself directly.

    Ma Teng felt a pain in his heart. Is his son really going to abandon him?

    At this time, Ma Teng suddenly stared at Liu Min with sharp eyes. His anger was transferred to Liu Min, "You are so bold to instigate the relationship between our father and son. Aren't you afraid of being cut to pieces? Come on!"

    Ma Teng gave a sharp shout, and several personal guards immediately appeared at the door. Ma Dai was shocked and quickly advised: "This matter has nothing to do with Mr. Liu. He is just the messenger. Uncle, don't vent your anger on him."

    Liu Min seemed to know that Ma Teng was here to take out his anger. He said calmly: "I am the special envoy of Jingzhou. If Ma Gong kills me, do you know the consequences?"

    "Kill you, and my son will never collude with Jingzhou again!" Ma Teng said fiercely.

    "Mr. Ma is wrong!"

    Liu Min remained calm and calm, "Kill me, and Meng Qi will completely break off the relationship between father and son and start an army to rebel against Cao Cao. Will Ma Gong still be able to stay in Yedu?"

    Ma Teng was stunned for a moment. He stared at Liu Min for a long time and waved to several guards. The guards retreated. Ma Teng then asked coldly: "What do you say?"

    Liu Min smiled and said, "Let me tell you frankly! Meng Qi promised my lord my safety. If I am killed, he will immediately join forces with Han Sui to attack Guanzhong. My lord will set out from Xiangyang to attack  In Nanyang, the army invaded the Central Plains, and Cao Cao was attacked from both sides. In this case, would Cao Cao use Ma Gong's head to apologize to my lord? "

    Ma Teng is a suspicious person. He heard that Liu Min's words made some sense, and saw that Liu Min was calm and unhurried, without any fear at all. He couldn't help but secretly thought, 'This person must have a backup plan, so he shouldn't be careless.  ¡¯

    Thinking of this, Ma Teng suppressed the anger in his heart and said slowly: "I won't write any letters. You go back and tell Meng Qi, let him think about how to be a son and a brother!"

    Speaking of this, he asked Ma Dai againSaid: "You and Mr. Liu go back together and help Meng Qi manage the troops."

    Ma Dai sighed in his heart, is his uncle going to put himself on the fire?

    At the same moment when Ma Teng was facing his son Ma Chao's attempt to force him into the palace, in the study room of the Prime Minister's Mansion, Cao Cao was urgently discussing the next strategic plan with Xun You and Cheng Yu.

    Just half an hour ago, Cao Cao met with Jiangdong¡¯s envoy Zhang Wen. Zhang Wen made new demands for increasing kerosene aid or teaching kerosene technology to Jiangdong. Cao Cao just laughed off these two requests.

    But Cao Cao then received another major piece of information. The Jiangxia army actually wiped out Cheng Pu's 30,000 army in Lujiang County, which made Cao Cao very nervous.

    In the room, Cheng Yu sighed slightly and said: "Since Cheng Pu was defeated in Lujiang, Jiangdong has lost this battle. In this way, Liu Jing will no longer be restrained by the east. He will definitely go west to Bashu with all his strength. In fact, in a certain  To a certain extent, we helped him.¡±

    Xun You's face next to him was very ugly. What Cheng Yu meant by this was to imply that his Jiangdong policy was a huge mistake, which led Liu Jing to defeat Jiangdong and stabilize the eastern front. However, this was a fact, and Xun You could not defend himself for the moment.

    Cao Cao saw Xun You's embarrassment and quickly smoothed things over: "The battlefield is always elusive. No one knows beforehand whether he will win or lose. The key is that Jiangdong Army is so disappointing. I thought it and Jingzhou had been rivals for decades.  , also has a strong naval force, which can at least defeat both sides. I didn¡¯t expect that this was also a mistake in my prediction.¡±

    Although Cao Cao explained for Xun You, Xun You did not deny that he made an error in judgment. He was silent for a moment and said: "Prime Minister, this matter is indeed a matter of poor consideration. I did not think about the impact of fire oil on the water war, and more importantly, the current situation in Jingzhou."  The Lord is no longer Liu Biao who just sweeps away the snow in front of the door, but Liu Jing who cares about the world. I underestimated him and am willing to take all responsibilities. "

    Although Cheng Yu looked down on Xun You's four strategies and uttered sarcastic words, he immediately realized that he not only slapped Xun You, but also hurt the prime minister's face. Provoking the prime minister's displeasure would only be detrimental to himself.

    Cheng Yu immediately said apologetically: "The Prime Minister is right. This is indeed not Gongda's responsibility. The strategy itself is not wrong and is very clever. I can only say that Sun Quan is disappointing. In fact, Gongda's strategy has also achieved great results."

    "What's the gain?" Cao Cao asked quickly.

    Cheng Yu smiled and said: "At least it destroyed the Sun-Liu Alliance. It was not easy to achieve the Sun-Liu Alliance at first, but now it has been destroyed by Sun Quan. It will be difficult to form an anti-Northern Alliance again, so this is Sun Quan's biggest mistake!  "

    "well said!"

    Cao Cao smiled happily and said: "Zhongde saw it very accurately. It is indeed the case. Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's talk about the next step! I invited you two here just to discuss what we should do."  Coping with Liu Jing¡¯s westward expansion.¡±

    A soldier walked to the wall and pulled up the bamboo curtain on the wall. A large wooden map appeared on the wall. This was a map of the world, which had just been made by craftsmen.

    The map identifies the current distribution of major forces, including the imperial court in the north, the Yuan family in Liaodong, Ma Chao and Han Sui in Xiliang, Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, Liu Jing in Jingzhou in the south, Sun Quan in Jiangdong, and Jingnan.  Liu Bei's forces, and Liu Zhang's forces in Bashu.

    It can be clearly seen from this map that although the imperial court was very powerful and occupied the most populous Central Plains, Hebei, Bingzhou and Guanzhong, the separatism in the world was far from subdued. Cao Cao specially planted a red pennant on Jingzhou.

    Cao Cao picked up the wooden pole and pointed it at Liaodong, "I have ordered Cao Chun to lead 10,000 troops to garrison Linyu Pass. This can block the Yuan family in Liaodong, so that I don't have to worry about Hebei for the time being."

    Cao Cao's wooden pole slid towards Bashu again, drew a circle on Bashu, and said: "What I am most worried about now is here. Once Liu Jing no longer has Jiangdong to worry about, his next step will definitely be to take Bashu. I don't know what will happen.  When will it be, this year or next year, but no matter when, once Liu Jing captures Bashu, he will become even more powerful and will truly become my formidable enemy, so no matter what, we must prevent the Jiangxia army from expanding westward. "

    Speaking of this, Cao Cao sighed slightly, "But last night I saw Wen Ruo's food report. Now that the military food stocks in various places have reached their limit, they are no longer able to use troops. They have to wait for the autumn harvest at the latest. Do I just watch Liu Jing helplessly?"  March into Xichuan and take over the foundation?"

    Cheng Yu next to him smiled and said: "I might as well make a bet with the Prime Minister. Liu Jing will not attack Bashu from the west this year, at least until the spring of next year."

    Cao Cao was overjoyed, "How do you say this?"

    Cheng Yu smiled slightly and said: "There are five ropes holding Liu Jing back, preventing him from conquering Bashu in the west this year. Firstly, if Jiangdong is defeated, he will need at least several months to deal with Jiangdong's funeral affairs; secondly, he  It is necessary to move the state to Xiangyang, settle Jiangxia, and restore Xiangyang.??This will take at least several months; thirdly, he wants to compete with Liu Bei for the Yiling Road. If the road cannot be opened, how can he fight for Bashu?  This will take several months; fourth, his army has been fighting continuously for more than a year, and the people of Jingzhou are poor and out of soldiers. He also needs to recuperate, which will take at least a year; fifth, and the most critical point, he must recapture Fancheng  Xinye, resettling the people who fled eastward, with such five ropes involved, it would be great if he could go to Bashu next spring.  "

    Cao Cao nodded repeatedly. He deeply agreed with Cheng Yu's analysis. He pondered for a moment and said, "What Zhongde means is that after the war with Jiangdong ends, Liu Jing will turn around and attack Xinye in Fancheng. Is that true?"

    "I think that must be the case, otherwise he would not be able to move the state government to Xiangyang, and"

    Speaking of what¡¯s more, Cheng Yu hesitated and said: ¡°I kind of doubt that Liu Jing will continue to attack Nanyang to increase the depth of Xiangyang¡¯s defense.¡±

    Cao Cao was silent in thought. He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, looked up at the roof for a moment, and said slowly: "Xu Gongming only has 10,000 troops, and he has no advantage of a naval force, while Nanyang only has 5,000 defenders. More importantly, Xia Houyuan and  Cao Ren is still in Liu Jing's hands, I have to find a way to redeem them both."

    Speaking of this, he glanced at Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu understood what Cao Cao meant and smiled: "If the Prime Minister wants to sign a contract with Liu Jing, exchange Fancheng and Xinye for General Miaocai, and at the same time keep Nanyang, I think it is feasible."

    Cao Cao nodded. He glanced at Xun You again and found that Xun You was surprisingly quiet.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 445 Cao Cao¡¯s Special Envoy

    Cheng Yu saw that Xun You was unwilling to give advice in front of him. He was still brooding over his sarcasm just now. Cheng Yu could only smile bitterly in his heart, find an excuse and leave first.

    Only Cao Cao and Xun You were left in the room. At this time, Xun You said slowly: "Cheng Zhongde's five rope theory is good, but it cannot solve the problem of Liu Jing's westward expansion for the prime minister. Even next year, Liu Jing will still expand westward.  , I think the Prime Minister should consider this issue.¡±

    Cao Cao nodded, "I want to hear Gongda's advice."

    Xun You smiled faintly, "I'm afraid my suggestion will disappoint the Prime Minister."

    "It doesn't matter, Gongda just say it."

    "Actually, I want to say that with the power of our army, we can no longer stop Liu Jing from advancing westward to Bashu. At most, we can only make it more difficult for him to take over Bashu, or prevent Liu Jing's army from continuing to expand northward after capturing Bashu."

    Cao Cao was speechless for a long time. He understood what Xun You meant. Liu Jing's entry into Bashu was beyond the reach of Cao's army. They could not send troops to stop it. After thinking for a moment, Cao Cao asked again: "Then how can we increase the difficulty?"

    "In fact, last time the Prime Minister said that he would lobby Liu Zhang to resist Liu Jing's westward expansion. This is a good way to let the Bashu army resist on its own. If the resistance is strong, Liu Jing will not be able to occupy Bashu within a few years. Secondly, we must rely on Liu Bei's power  ¡±

    "Liu Bei?" Cao Cao was stunned.

    Xun You nodded, "Liu Bei is no longer a threat to us. Although he is ambitious, he has no southern roots. The people of Jingzhou do not support him. Although Liu Bei has Liu Qi, after a battle in Chibi, the people of Jingzhou have already promoted Liu Jingsheng."  They have left their two sons behind, and they only have Liu Jing in their eyes, so please rest assured, Prime Minister, Liu Bei's threatening era is over."

    Cao Cao nodded silently, "Gongda, please continue talking!"

    Xun You continued: "But Liu Bei has been planning to conquer Shu for a long time. From his construction of Wu City, we can see his desire to enter Shu. Liu Jing's expansion to the west will undoubtedly infringe on Liu Bei's fundamental interests. Liu Bei will never be willing to accept it.  , I believe that I will do everything possible to hinder Liu Jing, so the prime minister might as well give Liu Bei a helping hand."

    "Then how should I help him? I can't seem to help him."

    "it's actually really easy!"

    Xun You smiled and said: "Just make Liu Bei the pastor of Jiaozhou. It will give Liu Bei a foundation and let him contain Liu Jing in the south. Even if Liu Bei fails in the battle for Yizhou, he will wait for an opportunity in the future and become a trouble for Liu Jing."

    Cao Cao thought for a long time and finally nodded. Although Liu Bei was once his strong enemy, but now Liu Jing has become his strong enemy, then he really needs to turn Liu Bei into his own help.

    At this time, Cao Cao asked again: "Just now Gongda said that Liu Jing will continue to go north?"

    Xun You smiled faintly, "I think with Jia Xu here, he will definitely urge Liu Jing to take Hanzhong, and then use Hanzhong as a springboard to seize the three assistants in Guanzhong. Therefore, the minister wants to persuade the prime minister that if Liu Jing takes Bashu, the prime minister will destroy him in advance.  Ma Chao and Zhang Lu took the first step to block Liu Jing's way north. "

    Cao Cao was deeply convinced, nodded and said: "With Zhongde and Gongda's strategies, I know what to do."

    Xun You pondered again and said: "Actually, Cheng Yu is right. The biggest mistake of the Jiangdong Army's western expedition was to destroy the Sun-Liu alliance. At this time, Prime Minister Ruo took advantage of Liu Jing's eagerness to expand westward and took the lead in reaching a settlement with Liu Jing.  , the two sides do not invade each other, which eliminates the possibility of Sun and Liu forming an alliance again, what does the Prime Minister say? "

    Cao Cao sighed slowly, "When it comes to the general strategy of the world, no one can surpass Gongda."

    "Prime Minister, thank you. In fact, Liu Jing's strategy is very powerful. With Jia Xu as his complement, he is our strong enemy. No matter what, we must eradicate Ma Chao and Zhang Lu before he goes north to Hanzhong. Once Ma Chao and Liu Jing send troops to Ye,  The city and Xuchang are in danger!"

    Cao Cao was silent. He thought of Ma Chao's attack on Yedu and Liu Jing's attack on Xudu. The consequences were very serious and made his heart heavy.

    At this time, Xun You suggested again: "If the Prime Minister is ready to reach a peace treaty with Liu Jing first, the minister suggests that Kuai Yidu be sent to Xiangyang as an envoy."

    In Xiangyang, the Jiangxia Army did not stop for rest and recuperation after defeating the Jiangdong Army. Liu Jing ordered Huang Zhong and Gan Ning to deal with Chai Sang's funeral. He led 20,000 naval troops divided into 400 warships to attack Xiangyang. He wanted to defeat the  The high morale of Jiangdong's army once again defeated Cao's army entrenched in Fancheng and regained Fancheng and Xinye.

    The army marched northward along the Han River. That night, the fleet arrived at Yicheng County and berthed in Yicheng County. After a short rest, Liu Jing's ship was moored in the middle of the pier. At this time, in the cabin  The lights were bright, and Liu Jingzheng and Jia Xu were discussing the plan to capture Fancheng and Xinye.

    There are only 10,000 defenders in Fancheng and Xinye. Even though they are commanded by the famous general Xu Huang, it is difficult to overcome the disadvantage of insufficient troops. For this battle,There is almost no suspense about the victory of the Battle of Fancheng, but Liu Jing is concerned about whether Fancheng can successfully obtain a large amount of food supplies, which will play a vital role in solving the current food dilemma in Jingzhou.

    It is not only the food problem in Fancheng, but also the next step to seize Nanyang County and expand the strategic depth of Xiangyang is of great significance.

    In front of the sand table, Liu Jing seemed a little absent-minded. Although he was talking about Fancheng, his eyes couldn't help but turn to Shangyong County. Shangyong City is located south of the Han River and is the only way from Xiangyang to Hanzhong. Currently, Cao Hong leads five thousand soldiers.  Cao Jun guarded it.

    Shangyong City is tall and solid, built on the mountain, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It will cost a lot to capture it. However, it is also a key city connecting Jingzhou and Hanzhong. It has great strategic significance. But if we don¡¯t capture it,  Without it, Liu Jing's strategy of integrating Jing, Shu and Han would not be implemented.

    Jia Xu saw Liu Jing's uneasiness and that he was paying attention to Shangyong, so he smiled and said: "Zhou Mu doesn't have to worry too much. It's not difficult to capture Shangyong City. Use warships to block the Han River and cut off the Han River."  With his supplies, the Shangyong garrison will surrender within half a year."

    Speaking of this, Jia Xu saw that Liu Jing's eyes were dull and showed no surprise, so he knew that he thought the time was too long, so he pointed at Ye County and said: "Maybe our army will continue to go north to capture Ye County, as long as we can  The door to Xuchang is now open in Xia Ye County. At this time, we exchange Ye County and Cao Jun for Shangyong."

    Liu Jing finally showed a smile. This plan was good. At this moment, a soldier reported at the door: "Report to Zhou Mu, General Wen sent a ship to escort a person, saying he was Cao Cao's envoy, but this person is the original  Please don¡¯t drive me.¡±

    ¡®Kuai Yue?  ¡¯

    Liu Jing was slightly startled. At this juncture, Cao Cao actually sent Kuai Yue. What was he trying to do?

    Jia Xu laughed, "If my prediction is correct, Kuai Yidu should be here for Xia Houyuan and Cao Ren."

    Liu Jing nodded. Anyway, Kuai Yue had been kind to him, and Kuai Liang was still in Jiangxia. He had to give this favor. Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Please come in, Mr. Kuai!"

    After a while, a soldier led Kuai Yue into the cabin. Compared with a year ago, Kuai Yue seemed to be ten years older. His hair was mostly white and his face was full of wrinkles. In comparison, Kuai Yue, who was originally sick, looked like he was ten years older.  Liang is in much better spirits than him.

    Kuai Yue was granted the title of Marquis of Guannei and served as the Censor Zhongcheng in the court. He had no real power and was only a false position. Kuai Yue also had a hard time this year, especially when he heard that Liu Jing won a great victory in Chibi and stabilized Jingzhou.  This made Kuai Yue regret even more. If he had not left Jingzhou, he would now be the second most powerful person in Jingzhou.

    But there is no use regretting. He can't return to Jingzhou, which will make everyone in the world laugh. Fortunately, Cao Cao promised him that as long as he can complete this mission, he will be made the prefect of Lu County. Although he is just a prefect,  Much better than his current empty position.

    Although he was a little shy to see Liu Jing, Kuai Yue still bravely walked into the cabin. He stepped forward and bowed, "Censor Kuai Yue, please see Liu Zhoumu!"

    Liu Jing didn¡¯t expect that Kuai Yue would become so old. He couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. He felt an inexplicable sadness in his heart. Was this the second most powerful person in Jingzhou back then?  Having become so old and desolate, he secretly sighed in his heart and quickly returned the greeting: "Uncle Kuai Shi, there is no need to be polite!"

    The more Kuai heard that Liu Jing still called him his uncle, he became even more ashamed and sighed, "My dear nephew, now and then, I have no shame in being your uncle anymore."

    Liu Jing smiled and took his arm, pulling him to sit down, "Uncle Shi, please sit down!"

    He ordered the soldiers to serve tea again, and then smiled and said: "Uncle Shi is a minister of the imperial court, there is nothing to be ashamed of. In any case, without the help of Uncle Shi, I, Liu Jing, would not be where I am today."

    Liu Jing was very good at talking, and his words "minister of the imperial court" made Kuai Yue stand up. Indeed, he was a Han official, and Liu Jing was also a Han official. Although everyone knew it, at least on the surface he did not betray Jingzhou.  It was like being transferred back to the capital from Jingzhou by the imperial court.

    Kuai Yue gained a little dignity and nodded to Jia Xu, "Wen He, I haven't seen him for many years."

    Jia Xu also sighed slightly, "Time flies like an arrow, we are all old."

    At this time, Liu Jing asked with concern: "Uncle Shi seems to be in poor health. Have you been sick recently?"

    Kuai Yue nodded, "I had a serious illness last year and gradually recovered at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, my old wife also passed away."

    Liu Jing felt sad, and Kuai Yue forced a smile and said: "But I received a letter from my brother and learned about your situation. I feel very relieved. I was indeed right. You not only inherited your uncle's legacy, but you are also better than your uncle."  Do better, I really hope Jingsheng¡¯s greatest wish can come true in you.¡±

    "What is my uncle's greatest wish?""" Liu Jing asked with some confusion.

    "His biggest wish is to revive the Han Dynasty. Unfortunately, he does not have the courage and ability, but I see hope in you."

    The room was quiet for a moment, and the three of them were silent. For a moment, Kuai Yue smiled bitterly and said: "There is no point in talking about this. Let me talk about the business again!"

    "Uncle Shi, even if you speak out, Liu Jing will listen attentively!"

    Kuai Yue thought for a while and said: "Prime Minister Cao asked me to go to Jingzhou as an envoy to talk to you about reconciliation. He can promise not to go south to Jingzhou within three years, but he also hopes that his nephew will also make some gestures."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said, "Is there an autograph letter from Cao Cao?"

    "Yes! I have the autographed letter on me, but Prime Minister Cao made it clear that he will only allow me to give the letter to you if you are willing to negotiate peace."

    Liu Jing laughed, "If Cao Cao is really sincere, I can put Xia Houyuan and Cao Ren back."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 446 Liu Cao Peace Talks

    Kuai Yue gave a thumbs up and said, "My nephew is really amazing. He guessed what Prime Minister Cao was thinking."

    He immediately took out Cao Cao's autograph letter and handed it to Liu Jing, "This is Prime Minister Cao's autograph letter. Everything he wants to say is on it. If my nephew has any additional conditions, you can tell me directly. I have the pigeon letter.  There will be news in Fancheng within three days, and I will definitely give my nephew a reply."

    Liu Jing opened the letter and read it. It was indeed a letter written by Cao Cao. In the letter, Cao Cao clearly proposed that Cao Jun withdraw from Fancheng and Xinye in exchange for Xiahou Yuan and Cao Ren.

    In addition, Cao Cao hoped to reach a reconciliation with him. The two parties signed a contract to restore the state boundaries before the 12th year of Jian'an. Cao Cao promised not to attack Jingzhou within three years, and also required his army not to attack Nanyang and Runan within three years.

    Liu Jing nodded. He could see Cao Cao's confidence from between the lines. This meant that Cao Cao knew that he wanted to expand westward, so he restrained him by not invading each other. Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said to Kuai Yue: "Uncle Shi, please sit down for a moment."  , I want to discuss it."

    Kuai Yue smiled and nodded, "How about I avoid it first."

    "No, please sit down, Uncle Shi!"

    Liu Jing winked at Jia Xu. Jia Xu smiled at Kuai Yue, got up and followed Liu Jing to the next room. "What did Prime Minister Cao say?" Jia Xu asked with a smile.

    Liu Jing gave him the letter, "Military advisor, read it yourself!"

    Jia Xu took the letter and read it over. He knew Cao Cao very well, and he could tell some clues from the tone of Cao Cao's writing. Jia Xu couldn't help laughing, "Prime Minister Cao wants to destroy Ma Chao and Zhang while we expand westward."  Lu, that¡¯s why he proposed three years of non-aggression, one year of cultivation this year, and two years next year and the year after that.¡±

    "Does the military advisor think it is credible?"

    "Whether Prime Minister Cao is trustworthy actually depends on the person. He is not trustworthy to Lu Bu, but he will be trustworthy to Yuan Shao, but he will not be trustworthy to Yuan Tan Gaogan. The key lies in the strength of the other party. If he breaks his trust to Zhou Mu, he will not be trustworthy in the future.  Are you afraid that Zhou Mu will also lose faith in him? So you can trust his three-year term, and he is limited to Jingzhou, doesn't Zhou Mu see that? "

    Of course Liu Jing saw it. Cao Cao only mentioned Nanyang and Runan, but not elsewhere. In other words, if he occupied Hanzhong in the future, Cao Cao would not be breaking his promise by attacking Hanzhong. Thinking of this, Liu Jing said again: "But in this case  , our plan to attack Nanyang will be cancelled."

    Jia Xu thought for a while and said: "Actually, I think Nanyang can be ignored, because once we capture Nanyang County, it will directly threaten the security of Xuchang. Xuchang is the foundation of Prime Minister Cao. He will definitely not give in and will definitely send troops.  Counterattacking Nanyang and this back and forth may affect Zhou Mu's westward expansion plan. "

    Liu Jing is also a very rational person. He feels that what Jia Xu said is reasonable. More importantly, his army can rely on the Yangtze River and Hanshui to defeat Cao Jun. But when it reaches the north, it may not be Cao Jun's opponent. He can capture Nanyang, but it may not be possible.  Can defend Nanyang.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled happily and said: "In that case, I can agree to him, but I have to increase the conditions, so he can't take advantage of me."

    Liu Jing walked back to the room, sat down and smiled at Kuai Yue: "Uncle Shi, please tell Cao Cao that I agree to reconciliation in principle, but I cannot accept this condition in exchange for the withdrawal of troops from Fancheng and Xinye in exchange for Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren and Mao Jie.  Three more conditions must be added.¡±

    Kuai Yue smiled bitterly in his heart. Cao Cao also knew that Liu Jing would not agree so easily. It would be easy for Jiang Xia's army to defeat Cao's army in Fancheng at this time. He said: "Please tell me what other conditions my nephew needs!"

    "I will add three additional conditions. First, I don't need Fancheng's ordnance and supplies, but the food must be kept for me; second, Cao Jun gives up Shangyong City, and third, the 30,000 people left in Jiangxia  The prisoners of war have become my new army. I hope the Prime Minister will move their families to Anlu County. I will give you the list afterwards. "

    Kuai Yue was slightly startled. Fancheng has 300,000 shi of food. Will the Prime Minister agree?  However, a change of heart occurred. If Liu Jing attacked Fancheng in a large scale, these food supplies would not be able to be defended. In fact, Liu Jing's only real condition was to give up Shangyong and the families of the prisoners of war.

    Thinking of this, Kuai Yue immediately wrote a pigeon letter and went out to ask his entourage to release the pigeon letter back to Yecheng. Watching the pigeon disappear in the night, Kuai Yue turned around and said, "I will return to Fancheng first. As long as I get a reply from the Prime Minister, I will immediately  Come back again.¡±

    Liu Jing also bowed his hands and said, "Uncle Shi, please take care!"

    After Kuai Yue left, Liu Jing and Jia Xu returned to the cabin. Liu Jing smiled and said, "I feel like I'm still at a bit of a disadvantage. I should have kept the supplies and weapons."

    Jia Xu smiled slightly: "Actually, these materials and weapons cannot be too sufficient. If they are too sufficient, they will not be enterprising, which is not conducive to improving the ordnance forging technology and giving the craftsmen something to do, which is more in line with Jingzhou's interests."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Military?That's quite right.  "

    Liu Jing paused and smiled again: "Then what should we do next?"

    Jia Xu thought for a moment and said: "The next step should be to move the state government back to Xiangyang."

    On the afternoon of the next day, the mighty Jiangxia fleet arrived on the Hanshui River outside Xiangyang City. At this time, Xiangyang City was guarded by General Wenpin and his army of 10,000, while Fancheng on the other side also stationed 10,000 Cao troops, led by General Xu Huang  Commander-in-Chief, the two armies have been in confrontation for several months, but Jiangxia's army has firmly controlled the river, leaving Cao's army exhausted on defense and at a passive disadvantage.

    When Liu Jing got off the ship, Wenpin and dozens of generals had been waiting for a long time. They all stepped forward and saluted, "See you, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing looked at these loyal generals and clearly saw the expectation in each of their eyes. He knew that these generals were eager to fight and gain their own value in the war. However, war is always just a continuation of politics. When political negotiations  When the door is open, war seems inconsequential.

    But the necessary comfort still had to be done. Liu Jing smiled and said to everyone: "Thank you generals for guarding the North Gate, so that the battle of Chaisang can go all out without worries. It can be said that the victory of the battle of Chaisang is  The victory of all Jingzhou soldiers, I would like to express my most sincere respect to all generals!"

    After speaking, Liu Jing bowed deeply to everyone, and everyone burst into applause. At this time, the soldiers began to disembark one after another, and lined up to the military camp in the east of the city. Liu Jing got on his horse, surrounded by Wenpin and other generals, and headed towards Xiangyang City.  And go.

    The city of Xiangyang is obviously a lot more lively. A large number of people have returned. People are coming and going on the streets. It is extremely lively. Xiangyang City has gradually returned to its former prosperity. Dozens of pubs and shops on both sides of the city's north gate have reopened, and the long-heard words are heard again.  The sound of hawking and the smell of wine wafted in the air.

    This vibrant scene makes Liu Jing particularly gratified. As long as Fancheng returns, business will be revitalized. This is the key to Jingzhou's restoration of vitality. Fortunately, Xiangyang County's population loss is not large and it will only take two or three years to recover.  As before, Nan County has lost too many people, and it will be difficult to restore its former prosperity within ten years.

    At this time, Wen Pincai asked in a low voice: "I wonder how the discussion between Zhou Mu and Kuai Gong went?"

    "I have put forward all the conditions that I should put forward. Kuai Yue will ask Cao Cao for instructions, and there will be a result soon. I don't think there will be any surprises. Cao Cao's army is about to retreat. Then I will reach a reconciliation agreement with Cao Cao and the two sides will cease war.  Three years.¡±

    Wenpin said with some emotion: "Xiangyang County has been abandoned in the past two years. Once Cao's army withdraws, I am afraid that many benefits will have to be redistributed, especially land. Kuai and Cai alone handed over tens of thousands of hectares of land.  There are still many people in Xinye who are unwilling to go back and want to stay south of the Han River. If these things are not handled well, civil strife over land may occur just like a decade ago. "

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "I plan to use the land north of Fancheng as a military camp, and use the method of land replacement to transfer all the farmers in Xinye, Deng County, and Fancheng to the south of the Han River. In this way, as long as  By guarding the Han River defense line, we can ensure the stability of Jingzhou. As for the reconciliation of interests, it is actually not a big problem. As long as there is enough land and restrictions on powerful people, we can achieve land for the tiller. "

    The two walked and talked, and soon they arrived at the state government office. From a distance, they saw two tall towers. The state government office square was still as wide and grand as before, clean and tidy, and was guarded by soldiers. No idlers were allowed to enter.  .

    Hundreds of craftsmen are renovating the Zhuque Hall, the main hall of the state government that was destroyed by Cao Jun. This main hall was ordered to be demolished by Cao Cao because it exceeded the main hall of Xuchang Palace. However, for some unknown reason, Cao Cao did not order the burning of this imposing building.  Magnificent building complex.

    Completely different from the small Jiangxia government office, the Wuchang government office only covers an area of ??fifty acres, while the Xiangyang government office covers an area of ??two thousand acres, just like a vast palace complex.

    Many years ago, Liu Jing didn't know that some seemingly ordinary things were actually extraordinary. In fact, Liu Biao had been doing tyrannical things. His food, clothing and travel were comparable to those of an emperor, including this state covering an area of ??2,000 acres.  The Yamen was built in imitation of the Weiyang Palace in Chang'an, occupying one-third of the entire Xiangyang City.

    The Zhuque Hall, the main hall of the state government, which has never been used, is a replica of the Xuanzheng Hall of the Weiyang Palace. The Yinfeng Pavilion built behind the state government covers an area of ??500 acres and is modeled after the Phoenix Pavilion of the Weiyang Palace. Liu Biao originally lived here.  He was impeached for being too explicit, and Liu Biao had to rebuild a slightly low-key state pastoral palace, which was the state pastoral palace where Liu Jing later lived for a period of time.

    It wasn¡¯t until Liu Jing truly entered the upper echelons of power that he finally realized that people¡¯s inner desire for power is often expressed in buildings, such as Cao Cao building the Bronze Bird Tower, and Sun Quan building the Wu Palace and the Iron Urn City.

    What about Liu Jing?  Will Jingzhou Prefecture, which resembles Weiyang Palace, be fully used?Yamen, this is a problem Liu Jing has been struggling with for a long time.

    It wasn't until he defeated Jiangdong Army this time that he finally made up his mind. If he didn't make this gesture, how could he keep the civilian and military generals who had been following him hopeful? Since Cao Cao could build the Bronze Bird Tower and Sun Quan could build the Iron Urn City, he Liu  Why can't Jing activate the old Yamen of Zhoumu?

    Thinking of this, he turned back to Dong Yun, the reporter who had been following him, and said: "Dong Canjun, I will trouble you to do some hard work in the past few days to readjust the state government and make a plan. As soon as next month, Xiangyang County will be stationed first.  ¡±

    "Does Zhou Mu mean that the county government should also move in?" Dong Yun asked.

    Liu Jing nodded, "The county government, county government, state government and military government have all moved in together. From now on, this place will be called the Jingzhou Military and Political Administration, and will no longer be called the state government."

    Next to him, Wen Pin also understood. For a long time, Jingzhou has been in a semi-divided state, and the military has been doing its own thing. This was a characteristic of Liu Biao's era. The entire Jingzhou was controlled by a few wealthy noble families, making Jingzhou's military and political power scattered and weak.  , which is also the main reason why Jingzhou has been unable to expand externally.

    When it comes to Liu Jing, the era of wealthy noble families controlling Jingzhou is over. In the future, Jingzhou will have a high degree of military and political unification, making it easier to form aggregation of forces and more capable of external expansion. This makes Wenpin secretly happy, and he knows in his heart  , a new era in Jingzhou is coming.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 447 Tao Zhan Visits the Camp

    Three days later, Kuai Yue brought news that Cao Cao agreed to Liu Jing's three additional conditions and left Fancheng's 300,000 shi of food to Jingzhou. At the same time, he ordered Cao Hong to abandon Shangyong City, withdraw his troops to the north bank of the Han River, and capture his family members.  All will also be moved to Anlu County.

    Liu Jing immediately ordered General Cai Jin to lead 3,000 troops to Shangyong and took over Shangyong City. He appointed Wenpin as the governor of northern Han Dynasty and guarded the line from Fancheng to Xinye. He also sent people to Yedu and appointed Li Fu as his plenipotentiary representative.  , signed a reconciliation contract with Cao Cao.

    At this point, Cao Cao and Liu Jing reached a reconciliation agreement on the eastern front. Counting from the end of the Battle of Chibi in the 13th year of Jian'an, within three years, the Jingzhou army could not attack Nanyang, and Cao Jun could not attack Xinye and Anlu.

    After arranging the affairs in Fancheng, Liu Jing began to move the state government from Wuchang back to Xiangyang. This was a major and arduous project that would take at least half a year to complete.

    Just when Cao Cao and Liu Jing reached a reconciliation agreement, Sun Quan had to ask Liu Jing for peace. At this time, the situation in Jiangdong was very serious. Zhao Yun led 5,000 Jiangxia troops to Danyang County and occupied Liyang County and the core of Jiangdong.  The areas face each other across the river.

    Not only that, Huang Zhong in the south of the Yangtze River ordered General Wei Yan to march eastward with 5,000 troops and occupy the entire Jiujiang County. A battle to the west not only caused the Jiangxia army to lose troops and generals, but also lost nearly half of its land. Jiangdong's savings over the past few years  Money and food were exhausted, Jiangdong was weak, and it was at the point of life and death.

    On the river outside Wuhu County, fifty warships that had retreated from the defeat of Chaisang were moored quietly by the river. In the main hall where Sun Quan was sitting on the ship, Sun Quan was discussing important decisions with his ministers. On either side of the lower head were sitting Zhang  Zhao, Cheng Pu, Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Yu Fan, and Zhang Hong, who had just arrived from Jingkou, all looked serious and listened to Sun Quan's speech quietly.

    In just a few days, Sun Quan lost a lot of weight, his eye sockets were sunken, and his face was thin. His voice was hoarse and low, echoing in the lobby, "The failure of this Western Expedition is entirely my responsibility, and Demou  It has nothing to do with Zibu, and it has nothing to do with Gongjin. This battle is not due to poor command or lack of strength, it is completely a strategic decision-making error. I want to apologize to Gongjin first, and also to the people of Jiangdong. I will try my best to apologize to Gongjin.  Make every effort to redeem the captured soldiers."

    Sun Quan glanced at the crowd and saw both Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu lowering their heads in shame. He slowly said: "But fortunately, Liu Jing's strategy is to expand westward, so Jiangdong can still survive the disastrous defeat. I decided to ask Liu Jing for help."  and, after ten years of hard work, I hope you will work with me to revitalize Jiangdong.¡±

    At this time, Zhang Zhao sighed and said: "Wei ministers also have great responsibilities. Wei ministers please resign from the post of military advisor and be demoted to county officials."

    Sun Quan shook his head, "I will bear all the responsibilities and have nothing to do with the military advisors or you. I just hope that you can do your best to help me overcome this biggest difficulty in Jiangdong."

    Everyone stood up and saluted together, "I am willing to serve the Lord!"

    Sun Quan waved his hand and asked everyone to sit down. At this time, Zhang Hong said: "It is estimated that during the peace talks with Liu Jing at this time, he will offer a very high price. Jiangdong cannot afford it. We have to find a way to lower Liu Jing's asking price."

    Sun Quan secretly smiled bitterly. He couldn't tell everyone yet that he had contacted Liu Jing privately. Of course he knew that Liu Jing's asking price was extremely high, but how to lower the asking price was the key. Sun Quan couldn't say for the moment, so he  He winked at Zhou Yu.

    Zhou Yu understood, stood up and said: "The only thing that is beneficial to us now is that Liu Jing's strategy is to expand westward. In this way, he must hope that the east will be stable. We can make a fuss about this and use the greatest sincerity in exchange for being defeated."  "For the captured soldiers, I have previously advised Wu Hou to betroth Princess Shangxiang to Liu Jing as his wife, so that the two families will be friends with Qin and Jin and will never be enemies."

    There was a lot of discussion in the lobby. Zhang Zhao said: "But Liu Jing already has a wife, so it seems a bit inappropriate to ask Princess Jiangdong to be his secondary wife."

    Zhou Yu also sighed, "There is nothing we can do about it, but after Liu Jing takes Bashu, we can go to the court and ask Liu Jing to make him the king. In this way, Princess Shangxiang can be the partial princess, which is a little better."

    Zhang Zhao wanted to say more, but Sun Quan waved his hand and said: "Princess Shangxiang was also captured by Liu Jing. Letting her marry Liu Jing can also ensure her safety and innocence. I have decided on this matter. I will report it to my mother. Everyone  Stop objecting."

    Seeing that Sun Quan had made up his mind, everyone no longer opposed the matter. At this time, Zhang Hong continued: "Actually, it is not a bad thing for the two families to get married. At least Jiangdong does not have to worry about Jiangxia's army marching east again, and the Sun and Liu families can live in peace.  It is helpful for us to restore our national strength. The key is how to negotiate peace with Jiangxia. We demand the release of captured soldiers and Jiangxia to return the occupied land. How much price do we have to pay? "

    Everyone was silent. They all realized that they really had to pay a heavy price this time. Sun Quan sighed and said: "Since the mistake has been made, we can't"?No matter how much it costs, we must redeem the captured soldiers. Only when the soldiers are safe can I explain to Jiangdong's fathers.  "

    At this time, Lu Su stood up and said: "To inform the Marquis of Wu, after the Battle of Chibi, Liu Jing released the prisoners of war of Cao's army. This shows that he is actually a benevolent and righteous man and will not make things too difficult for us with the prisoners of war. I am willing to be an envoy.  Go to Wuchang to negotiate with Liu Jing, please ask Wu Hou¡¯s permission!¡±

    No one objected. Everyone understood that Lu Su could only go to Wuchang. Apart from him, no one else was qualified. Sun Quan nodded, "Then I'll bother Zijing!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Not far from Liu Jing's residence is the VIP Inn, the largest post station in Jiangxia. This is where foreign envoys and officials from various places stay. There are a total of five courtyards, one large, four small and five. This is where Lu Su lived when he first came to Jiangdong.  Tingsongyuan is one of the four primary schools, and the main courtyard is called Qilin Hall, covering an area of ??eight acres. It is said that Liu Biao only lived in Qilin Hall when he inspected Jiangxia.

    At night, eight female guards on horseback guarded a carriage that slowly stopped in front of the VIP Inn. The door opened, and a maid helped Tao Zhan out of the carriage. Wang Yicheng from the VIP Inn quickly came up and bowed.  Saluting, "See Madam!"

    Tao Zhan asked calmly: "I want to see Princess Jiangdong, please lead the way for me!"

    "Yes! She lives in Bieheyuan. Madam, please come with me."

    Wang Yicheng and Tao Zhan walked quickly to the VIP Post House, followed closely by eight female guards, guarding on both sides vigilantly.

    "Madam, the Jiangdong princess is in very bad condition. She has been on a hunger strike for three days and is very stubborn. No one can persuade her. I don't know what to do." Wang Yicheng said worriedly.

    The Jiangdong princess that Tao Zhan wanted to meet was naturally Sun Shangxiang. Although the princess' identity was only a nickname for the people in Jiangdong, she was the sister of Wu Hou after all and enjoyed a high status in Jiangdong. Liu Jing did not imprison her in a prisoner of war camp like other prisoners of war.  Instead, she was placed under house arrest in the VIP Inn.

    The reason why Tao Zhan wanted to see Sun Shangxiang was because Mrs. Jia Xu told her that Jiangdong was planning to make peace with Jingzhou and wanted to marry Princess Shangxiang to Zhou Mu.

    This is of course a big deal for Tao Zhan, and she is also very nervous. She knows that she is just a businessman's daughter and cannot be compared with Princess Jiangdong. She is worried that Sun Shangxiang will take away her status if she marries over.

    But when Tao Zhan heard that Sun Shangxiang had been on a hunger strike for three days, she couldn't help but be stunned. How could Princess Shangxiang be so stubborn?  She pondered for a moment and asked, "But there were soldiers who abused her?"

    Wang Yicheng was so frightened that he quickly said: "Whoever dares to abuse her, the state shepherd has specially ordered us to treat her preferentially. She has better conditions than a real VIP."

    "Then why is she on hunger strike?" Tao Zhan asked puzzledly.

    Wang Yicheng smiled bitterly and said: "She doesn't want to live here. She said that either kill her or send her to prison and hold her like other prisoners of war. She will never accept such treatment. This is the first time for this villain to see her like this."  A strong-tempered woman.¡±

    Hearing that Sun Shangxiang was so stubborn, Tao Zhan's dislike for her subsided a little, and he nodded, "Take me to see her."

    Sun Shangxiang was placed under house arrest in Biehe Courtyard, which is usually the residence of female VIPs. She was placed under house arrest in the courtyard and was taken care of by an old servant woman. Outside the courtyard, there were thirty personal guards of Liu Jing guarding her.

    Although the guard was not tight, Sun Shangxiang had no intention of escaping. She knew she could not escape. The only thing she did was to remain silent and then stubbornly went on a hunger strike. She also longed for freedom, but the thought of freedom only lingered in her mind.  In a flash, she never wanted to be free without showing weakness to Liu Jing.

    Although Liu Jing spared her life at the last moment, the hatred for Liu Jing in her heart has not weakened at all. She can never forget the tragic war scenes, the tragic scenes of the bloody Jiangdong soldiers being killed by black charcoal in the fire  , from her point of view, the culprit of all this tragedy is Liu Jing.

    Sun Shangxiang did not want to live alone in such a comfortable Guanyi, while her soldiers were suffering in prison. She had to at least stay with her soldiers, so that she would feel fair in her heart.

    For this reason, Sun Shangxiang protested again and again, but no one paid attention to her, so she chose to go on a hunger strike to protest. It has been three days. For three days, except for drinking a little water, she did not eat anything and lay quietly on the couch.  , the body is very weak.

    At this moment, the door opened, and she felt a few people walking in. She instinctively pulled the quilt gently to cover her body, and slowly turned her head to look. She was stunned. In front of her, there was an extremely beautiful lady.  people, followed by several female soldiers.

    "Who are you?" she asked in a weak voice.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 448 Untying the knot

    In fact, Sun Shangxiang also met Tao Zhan. Many years ago, when she was still young, Tao Zhan lived in the Lu family and was just a girl. On a spring afternoon, Tao Zhan followed his aunt into the palace to meet Mrs. Wu.  , that year Tao Zhan was fourteen years old, while Sun Shangxiang was only nine years old.

    Tao Zhan saw that her face was pale, and her originally beautiful face had lost its luster and looked pitiful. Tao Zhan thought of the martial and lively little girl he had seen back then, and she couldn't help but feel a pity in her heart.

    Tao Zhan stepped forward and held her hand, lamenting: "Why are you like this?"

    "Who are you?" Sun Shangxiang asked in a low voice. Tao Zhan's beauty also made her feel good about him.

    Tao Zhan said softly: "Don't you know me? Ten years ago, I followed my aunt into the Wu Palace to see your aunt. At that time, you held a sword and forced me to go to a martial arts competition. As a result, your mother  Scold, have you forgotten?"

    Sun Shangxiang had some doubts in her eyes, and she whispered: "I seem to have some impression, but I can't remember clearly."

    As soon as she said this, her eyes lit up and she suddenly remembered, "You are Tao."

    Sun Shangxiang¡¯s eyes became cold again. Isn¡¯t the woman in front of him Liu Jing¡¯s wife?

    "What are you doing here?" Sun Shangxiang gently pushed her hand away.

    "I came here specially to see you. After all, my aunt is also from Jiangdong. It has nothing to do with whose wife I am."

    Tao Zhan sighed and added: "If you have any requests, tell me and I will help you, but you can no longer go on a hunger strike."

    Sun Shangxiang struggled and said: "I don't want to live here. I want to be with the Jiangdong soldiers and share the hardships with them. Otherwise, I would rather die."

    Tao Zhan was silent for a moment and said: "I promise you, but only if you regain your strength. In two days, I will arrange for you to go to the prisoner of war camp."

    Sun Shangxiang¡¯s eyes lit up and he grabbed Tao Zhan¡¯s hand, ¡°We have an agreement!¡±

    Tao Zhan sighed in his heart and said helplessly: "Okay! We have an agreement."

    After coming out of the yard, Tao Zhan immediately said to the warden: "When she recovers for two days, send her to a prisoner of war camp!"

    The village chief was also Liu Jing¡¯s personal guard. He was startled and hurriedly said: ¡°The governor is not allowed to send her anywhere else.¡±

    Tao Zhan¡¯s face sank, ¡°I will explain to Zhou Mu myself. Do you dare not listen to what I say?¡±

    The village chief had no choice but to bow and salute, "I humbly obey my command!"

    Tao Zhan thought for a while and asked: "Who is the leader of the prisoner of war camp?"

    "It seems to be General Li Jun."

    Tao Zhan nodded and ordered: "You can tell General Li Jun that it is my order to place Princess Shangxiang alone. No prisoners of war or any men are allowed to come into contact with her. I will naturally send female guards to guard her.  do you understand?"

    The commander of the village felt relieved. In fact, he was also worried about this. He quickly said: "Please rest assured, Madam, I will definitely tell General Li about my humble position."

    Tao Zhan left the VIP Inn. Although Sun Shangxiang's strong uncooperative attitude allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief, this incident aroused some kind of worry deep in her heart, just like a cat's cry waking up a sleeping person.

    This is also her worry about marrying Liu Jing. Her grandfather once rejected Liu Jing's proposal on the grounds that the gap between their family backgrounds was too great, making their marriage inappropriate.

    It was only now that she finally realized the profound meaning of her grandfather's words. As Liu Jing's status increased day by day, it would be difficult for a businessman's daughter to take on such an important responsibility as Mrs. Zhou Mu, and he would even have a higher status.

    "Go to the Tao Mansion outside the city!" Tao Zhan sighed. Her heart was extremely confused. At this time, she urgently needed to ask her grandfather for advice.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Tao Zhan entered the Tao Mansion through the side door in a very low-key manner. No one in the mansion knew about her arrival. The housekeeper led her quickly towards the backyard.

    "The master and the second master have rushed to Fancheng. It is said that it is the request of Zhou Mu."

    "Zhou Mu's request?" Tao Zhan stopped, a little surprised, how could she not know about this.

    The housekeeper smiled quickly and said, "I just heard about it, I don't know the specific situation."

    The more Tao Zhan thought about it, the stranger she became. She knew that her husband went to Xiangyang to regain Fancheng, but why did she call her father and second uncle to Fancheng?

    ¡°And usually her husband would tell her something like this, or at least say hello, so why didn¡¯t she know anything about it this time?  Tao Zhan was puzzled.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The sunshine in early summer is more warm than hot. Tao Lie, who is in his dying years, especially likes this kind of sunshine. He doesn't like cold rooms, which remind him of equally cold tombs. This kind of warm sunshine makes him feel alive.  and vitality, most of the day, heThey will stay in the back garden and quietly savor the last sunshine in their lives.

    Tao Zhan walked to the Yangting Pavilion and couldn't help but slow down. She saw her grandfather on crutches sitting alone on a bamboo couch with a backrest. The warm sunshine shone on his sparse white hair, making the white hair on his face fade.  The wrinkles are extremely clear, just like the traces of time.

    For some reason, Tao Zhan has a deep dependence on his grandfather. His profound insight into the world makes Tao Zhan feel an invisible force that supports her and gives her confidence, always when she is most worried and in pain.  , she thought of her grandfather.

    Tao Zhan knelt down gently in front of his grandfather and held his rough and old hand. "Grandpa, my granddaughter is here to visit you." She called softly.

    Tao Lie slowly opened his eyes, with a pure childlike smile on his face, reached out to touch her head, and smiled lovingly: "Did you quarrel with your husband and get angry at your mother?"

    "No, I just came to see my grandfather!"

    ¡°Come and see me, I like it very much!¡±

    Tao Lie struggled to sit up. Tao Zhan quickly helped him up. Tao Lie looked at her again and asked with concern: "How is the child? Why don't you bring it to me to see?"

    "I didn't make it today. My granddaughter will definitely bring him next time."

    Tao Lie nodded. He looked at his granddaughter lovingly, his eyes full of wisdom, and he slowly said: "While my mind is still clear, just tell me! What happened."

    He knew in his heart that something must have happened. His decades of career as an official and businessman had given him insight into the world, and he could not hide his granddaughter's thoughts from him.

    Tao Zhan also knew that she couldn't hide it from her grandfather. She bit her lip and said, "Grandpa, Jiangdong may want to make peace with Jingzhou."

    "Oh? This is a good thing!" Tao Lie said with a slight smile: "The two families are on good terms with Qin and Jin, so they can stop fighting. After decades of fighting, they can finally calm down."

    "But Princess Jiangdong wants to enter the Prefecture Mufu, what will her granddaughter do?" Tao Zhan finally couldn't help but express his worries.

    Tao Lie laughed, like a child who had made a prank, "Why, Liu Jing kicked you out of the house?"

    Tao Zhan¡¯s voice became lower and lower as he said, ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m just worried.¡±

    Tao Lie spread his palms and said, "Child, give me your hands."

    Tao Zhan slowly put his hand in his grandfather's hand and looked at him in confusion. Tao Lie patted the back of her hand gently and said with a smile: "I didn't want you to marry him at the beginning, remember!"

    Tao Zhan nodded, "My granddaughter remembers it. Now she finally understands her grandfather's painstaking efforts."

    "You actually don't understand. If I thought family status was an insurmountable obstacle between you, I would have never agreed at first, but later I figured it out."

    Tao Zhan said in a low voice with a pleading tone: "Please grandpa teach my granddaughter what I should do. Princess Jiangdong puts a lot of pressure on me."

    Tao Lie smiled lovingly and said: "Don't worry, Liu Jing is not an ordinary person. He is a hero like Emperor Guangwu, a man with the world in mind. He knows very well the importance of businessmen in developing national power, and he will not do anything for the so-called  When it comes to family status, whether you can keep your status does not depend on who your natal family is, but on your heart and your own efforts. "

    Tao Zhan seemed to understand. She looked at her grandfather in confusion. Tao Lie seemed to understand her confusion and said calmly: "For him, marriage is about family on the one hand, and political needs on the other. The so-called  The marriage between Jiangdong and Jingzhou is a political necessity. For a hero like him, he will never stop at one woman. Many times, he marries for profit. If you can't stop him, then simply let him go. Don't  Obsessing over any relationship or marital betrayal will only trap you in a trap and eventually bury yourself.¡±

    Tao Zhan was silent, and after a long time she sighed: "Actually, I am not selfish. I know that he has no relatives and has few heirs, so I let him marry Xiao Bao Niang as his concubine. Now Xiao Bao Niang is also pregnant, and I am still very happy.  Now it seems that I was too naive and thought of the problem too simply.¡±

    "No! No!" Tao Lie shook his head like a rattle, "You have completely misunderstood and did not understand what I meant."

    Tao Zhan bit his lip tightly, waiting for his grandfather's explanation. Tao Lie said seriously: "You are his wife. It is not a political marriage, it is his choice when he was young. Then you should be like an ordinary wife."  , take care of your husband and raise your son, consider his heirs, and care about his warmth and well-being. The so-called wife of wretched men should not go to court. Children, remember the words of your grandfather. No matter what status he has, even if he rules the world, deep down in his heart, he is still  As an ordinary person, that's your place. As long as you hold on to that place and don't go beyond it, then he will always be your husband."

    In the carriage,Zhan closed her eyes and lay half on the cushion. Her grandfather's teachings were still echoing in her mind, "No matter what status he has, even if he rules the world, deep down in his heart, he is still an ordinary person."  It's your position. As long as you keep that position and don't go beyond it, then he will always be your husband.  ¡¯

    Her heart finally brightened up. No matter whether Liu Jing became a state shepherd or a Marquis of Chu, in her heart, he would always be the optimistic and smiling young man, the man with great ambitions and a man who wanted to make great achievements.

    What's more, she also has a son. She gave birth to his eldest son, his eldest son. A mother regards her son as the most precious. Even if he rules the world, he cannot abandon the mother of his eldest son.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 449 Lu Su envoys to Chu (Part 1)

    The news that Jingzhou's prefectural government was to be moved back to Xiangyang spread like wildfire, and the news spread in Wuchang City. The most obvious manifestation was the change in land prices in Wuchang.

    As many dignitaries began to sell their houses, the land price in Wuchang City that was originally unavailable even with money fell by half in just two days. It originally cost a hundred taels of gold to buy a two-acre house.  In a slightly poorer location, you can buy it with thirty taels of gold.

    What's more important is that there is a price but no market. There are only a few people who want to buy a house, but there are thousands of families who want to sell their houses. How can they sell it?  As housing prices plummeted, the entire city of Wuchang was in turmoil and people were in panic.

    However, the market did not slump immediately. A large number of shops were withered and the clerks were unemployed. Although the merchants who had moved from Fancheng returned to Fancheng one after another, many merchants were still waiting to see whether to abandon Wuchang City. This is the key  , is the Tao family¡¯s attitude.

    In recent years, under the encouragement and guidance of the government, Jiangxia's business has developed greatly. Compared with five years ago, the scale, quantity and capital have increased several times.

    Although the number of trading firms composed of large capital has grown from two to more than a dozen, the capital and scale of the Tao family are still unmatched by anyone. Especially the special relationship between the Tao family and Zhou Mu Liu Jing makes the Tao family the entire  A bellwether for Jingzhou¡¯s business community.

    It can be said that as long as the Tao family starts selling shops in Wuchang, Wuchang's business will face a catastrophe, which will trigger a commercial collapse and bring Wuchang into a complete depression. Wuchang is the heart of Jiangxia, and the depression in Wuchang will plunge the entire Jiangxia into decline.  .

    This is a situation where one move affects the whole body.

    At noon, the Xingchun Tavern in Wuchang East City was bustling with activity, and business was still as hot as usual. The tavern is located in the area with the largest concentration of shops. It is one of the largest in Wuchang City in terms of scale. It is the property of the Su family, and it is also the news of Dongshi.  center.

    In the past few days, the tavern has been crowded with businessmen who come to drink and eat, and most of them come to inquire about information.

    There are hundreds of tables in the wine hall on the upper and lower floors, and each table is crowded with drinkers. The number of people has doubled than before. Dozens of bartenders are serving wine and food, and they are so busy that their feet do not touch the floor.  .

    The busiest person was the shopkeeper. He walked from the first floor to the third floor. Guests at almost every wine table stopped him to ask questions and get information. He laughed so hard that his cheeks hurt.

    At this time, a middle-aged man went up to the second floor with several followers. The middle-aged man's face was slightly yellow, and he had a foot-long beard under his chin. He behaved calmly and had an elegant temperament, which made him appear to be extraordinary. He was a serious person.  It was Lu Su, the envoy from Jiangdong who had just arrived in Wuchang.

    Lu Su did not alert the Jiangxia government. He wanted to get to know the situation first, so he first found Jiangdong's spies in Wuchang and learned some information.

    Liu Jing went to Xiangyang and has not returned yet, and he heard that Liu Jing and Cao Cao had reached a reconciliation agreement and were preparing to move to Xiangyang and return to Xiangyang.

    This news made Lu Su worried and happy. The worry was that Cao Cao had reconciled with Jingzhou but had not negotiated with Jiangdong. Will he concentrate his forces to attack Jiangdong next year?

    What¡¯s more terrible is that after reaching the reconciliation, Liu Jing no longer went north to Nanyang. Cao Cao no longer had any worries and the threat to Jiangdong became greater. This made Lu Su extremely worried. Will Jiang Xia¡¯s army still help Jiangdong at the critical moment?

    But on the other hand, the move of Jingzhou Prefecture to the west means that Jingzhou's strategy will turn westward and will no longer threaten Jiangdong. This greatly alleviates Lu Su's worries.

    At this time, a bartender came forward and greeted: "It's a coincidence that this distinguished guest has come. There happens to be a vacant table. Please come with me."

    Lu Su nodded and followed him to an empty table. He asked his entourage to sit down and ordered more than a dozen dishes and three bottles of wine. The bartender quickly went back to prepare wine and food for him.

    While Lu Su was drinking tea, he was thinking about how he should negotiate this time. Will Liu Jing still stick to his original tough stance?

    Thinking of the four harsh conditions proposed by Jiang Xia last time, Lu Su couldn't help but let out a long sigh. A mistake in decision-making led to such serious consequences, and Wu Hou did not expect it!

    At this time, several bartenders served them food and drinks, and everyone started using their chopsticks. Lu Su drank a few glasses of wine and turned his mind away from the negotiations. He looked around the tavern again and found that many of the drinkers were already there.  After eating, he refused to leave, which made Lu Su a little confused. Why?

    At this moment, the sound of the stairs sounded, and the fat shopkeeper of the tavern quickly went up to the second floor, followed by a large group of drinkers. The drinkers on the third floor also ran down one after another, and there was a round of applause in the lobby on the second floor.

    Only then did Lu Su realize that everyone was waiting for the shopkeeper. He probably had some important news. Even Lu Su pricked up his ears curiously.

    Today, the fat shopkeeper is quite confident. He has important news to announce. The fat shopkeeper clapped his hands and smiled at everyone: "Everyone, be quiet."?Listen to what I have to say.  "

    ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????¡­

    There was a sudden silence in the lobby. Drinkers running from upstairs to downstairs had blocked the stairs. Someone shouted: "Shopkeeper, make your voice louder, we can't hear you!"

    The fat shopkeeper raised his voice and laughed: "Yesterday I went to the Su Mansion to report the accounts, and I met the eldest master, and he told me some news."

    The eldest master the fat shopkeeper is talking about is Su Fei, who is about to become the governor of Jiangxia. Everyone knows that hundreds of pairs of eyes are staring at the shopkeeper, and many people dare not take a breath for fear that they will miss important news if they take a breath.

    The fat shopkeeper smiled and continued: "The elder told me that Jingzhou is about to reach an agreement with Jiangdong. Jiangdong will liberalize all trade, including canceling the ban on Hanoi and the sea. Everyone can go to Wu County and Kuaiji County to do business, and even travel by sea.  If the ship goes to the north, our Wuchang County will still be the largest city in trade with Jiangdong. "

    There was an explosion in the tavern. For more than ten years, the trade between Jingzhou and Jiangdong could only be along the Yangtze River. Even if the Tao family had a house in Soochow, the warehouses still had to be built along the Yangtze River.

    Jiangdong has never allowed Jingzhou ships to enter the inland rivers, and at the same time, ships are not allowed to go out to sea from Jiangdong. This is called the inland river ban and the sea ban.

    Every businessman knows what this news means. It means that they no longer need to be exploited twice by Jiangdong merchants. They can go directly to Jiangdong counties and counties to buy and sell goods and earn greater profits. The merchants in the lobby were extremely excited and noisy.

    Lu Su frowned. He was very shocked. He didn't expect to hear the news in the tavern. Letting go of trade was originally one of Liu Jing's four conditions, but he didn't mention the details at the time. Now that he knows the details, he actually  It is to let Jiangdong relax the inland river and sea ban.

    What does this mean?  This shows that Jiangxia is already preparing to negotiate with Jiangdong. This is good news, but the conditions for lifting the inland river ban are too harsh. Jiangxia money is very popular. If the inland river ban is lifted, wouldn't it completely crush Jiangdong's economy?  ?

    Is this news true?  Lu Su couldn't sit still. He wanted to find out more. Lu Su immediately whispered a few words to one of his subordinates and asked the shopkeeper to come see him. The subordinate nodded and left the table.

    At this time, the fat shopkeeper said again: "There is also news about the Tao family!"

    The lobby suddenly became quiet again. The Tao family is the weather vane of Jingzhou's business community. Its every move concerns the hearts of thousands of businessmen. At this sensitive moment, the Tao family's attitude directly determines whether Wuchang will continue to prosper.

    "Speak up, shopkeeper! Don't make people's appetites exciting." Someone shouted impatiently.

    The fat shopkeeper then said proudly: "The latest news is that the Tao family bought all the vacant land at Caohekou yesterday. I heard that they are planning to build a warehouse for rent. This news is absolutely true. I guarantee it with my twenty-year reputation."

    This news caused joy in the tavern, and cheers resounded throughout the tavern. Instead of leaving, the Tao family would continue to buy land. Everyone believed what the shopkeeper said was true.

    Many savvy businessmen immediately rushed downstairs. They wanted to snap up some land in Haoshikou that was sold at a low price before the news got out.

    The businessmen left one after another. Everyone felt that they should do something and not hang around here. At this time, Lu Su's men invited the shopkeeper over and said, "My master has something to ask the shopkeeper."

    The shopkeeper¡¯s eyes were very poisonous. He also saw that Lu Su was not an ordinary person. He should be a high-ranking official. He quickly saluted and said: "If you have any questions, please ask me. I will answer everything I know."

    Lu Su nodded and asked: "I want to ask first, who is the eldest son of your family?"

    "This is the Grand Administrator of Anlu County, Su, who will soon serve as the Grand Administrator of Jiangxia."

    Only then did Lu Su realize that it was Su Fei, whom he had known for a long time. Lu Su smiled and asked: "There is also the issue of Jiangdong's release of the inland river ban. As far as I know, the negotiations between Jiangdong and Jiangxia have not yet begun.  , so you can conclude that Jiangdong will agree to lift the inland river ban? "

    The shopkeeper smiled bitterly and said: "I don't know the details, but I did listen to what my elder said. He said that this is one of our three conditions in Jiangxia. Jiangdong has to agree even if he doesn't agree."

    Lu Su's heart moved and he quickly asked: "What three conditions?"

    The shopkeeper shook his head hurriedly, "I don't know!"

    Lu Su thought for a moment. With Su Fei's status, he must be an insider. Liu Jing originally proposed four conditions, but now it has become three. One of them must have been cancelled. If it is not trade, it is food compensation.  Which one of the three items is hostage, hostage, and warship restriction?  It is estimated that the possibility of hostages is relatively high.

    At this moment, someone shouted: "Zhou Mu is back!"

    PublicEveryone got up and gathered around the window. Lu Su also looked over. The tavern was close to the Cao River, and he saw a fleet of more than thirty ships slowly approaching from the water gate in front.

    The small boat was full of soldiers, and in the middle was a five-hundred-stone passenger ship. On the bow was a military flag with a gold border, and a big word "Chu" was written on it. Liu Jing was named the Marquis of Chu, and this was his  Marked,

    Both sides of the Cao River were lined with merchants and ordinary residents, which stretched for several miles. When they saw Zhou Mu approaching in a boat, they cheered together. A man walked out of the boat barn, and it was Jingzhou Mu Liu Jing.

    He clasped his fists and laughed loudly at the merchants: "Please feel free to operate in Wuchang. Wuchang will still be the commercial center of Jingzhou in the future. Wuchang is to Jiangdong, Fancheng is to the Central Plains, and Jiangling is to Bashu. I wish you all to make a lot of money and pay more taxes!"  "

    News of Zhou Mu¡¯s face-to-face promise spread quickly, and thousands of businessmen on both sides of the Cao River burst into cheers. Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    He heard from Tao Sheng that the people in Wuchang were unstable, especially the businessmen, who were all panic-stricken, so he specially entered the city from Caohe to reassure the businessmen that as long as Wuchang's business prosperity remained, Jiangxia would not decline.

    At this moment, Liu Jing accidentally saw the second floor of a tavern. He was startled and suspected that his eyes were deceived.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 450 Lu Su envoys to Chu (Part 2)

    Liu Jing saw Lu Su in front of the second-floor window, which surprised him. Why was Lu Su here?  He immediately ordered his guards to go to the tavern to invite Lu Su.

    Not long after, Lu Su came to the bank of the Cao River with a few followers. Lu Su cupped his hands and smiled and said: "What a coincidence. I just arrived in Wuchang, but I didn't notify the government in advance. Please forgive me!"

    Liu Jing laughed out loud, "It's Zijing's fault. We can't fulfill our friendship as landlords. For the sake of our old friendship, we won't be fined with alcohol. Zijing might as well get on the boat and have a talk."

    "I'm disturbing Zhou Mu!"

    Lu Su did not delay and happily boarded the ship. Although the war between the two families had just ended, it did not affect the personal relationship between Lu Su and Liu Jing. The two sat down in the cabin. Liu Jing smiled and said: "I think this time Wu  Hou Xizheng, Zijing should be the opposition!"

    Lu Su smiled bitterly and said with regret on his face: "Not only am I opposed, but Gong Jin is also firmly opposed to it. Unfortunately, Marquis Wu insisted on going his own way and ended up making a big mistake. I don't know what to say."

    The smile on Liu Jing's face disappeared and she said calmly: "It's nothing. If I hadn't wanted to go to the west, maybe I would have taken the initiative to attack Jiangdong, each for his own country, for the sake of his own interests. Of course I won't blame Wu Hou, but I'm afraid this matter is very serious.  It¡¯s hard to deal with the aftermath.¡±

    Lu Su felt bitter in his heart. Now that he had something to ask for, he had to bow his head. After a while, he said: "Can you please ask Zhou Mu, for the sake of our two families to fight against Cao Cao, to negotiate and resolve the aftermath? Wu Hou promises not to do it again."  Invasion of Jingzhou."

    Liu Jing smiled coldly, "But your reputation as Marquis Wu makes people really speechless!"

    Lu Su was silent. He didn't know what to say. This atmosphere made him feel embarrassed. Liu Jing was not a mean person, and he didn't want to deliberately embarrass Lu Su. There was no need.

    Liu Jing smiled again and said, "But because of my friendship with Zijing, I can return Princess Shangxiang to you without any conditions."

    Lu Su was overjoyed. Liu Jing was willing to let go, which meant that the negotiation could continue. He would not mention the negotiation anymore and had to do it step by step.

    Liu Jing brought Lu Su to the VIP Post. Wang Yicheng came out to welcome him, bowed and saluted: "See Zhou Mu!"

    "How is Princess Shangxiang doing now?"

    Wang Yicheng showed a timid look on his face and explained: "The princess insisted on going to the prisoner of war camp and went on a hunger strike for three days. Mrs. Zhou Mu happened to visit her, so she agreed to her request. The princess is now in the prisoner of war camp."

    Wang Yicheng said while secretly looking at Liu Jing's face. Seeing that he was a little unhappy, he quickly added: "I heard that she was placed alone, and the lady even sent a female guard to protect her. It seems that the lady and the princess have known each other before."

    Liu Jing generally did not allow his wife to interfere with government affairs. His wife moved Sun Shangxiang to a prisoner-of-war camp without authorization, which of course made him unhappy. However, when he heard that his wife and Sun Shangxiang knew each other, his face softened slightly and he turned around and said to Lu Su: "I'm sorry, we  Let¡¯s go to the prison camp again!¡±

    Lu Su was worried, how could the princess live in a place like a prisoner-of-war camp with her daughter of gold, but when he heard that there were female guards to protect her, he felt relieved and said quickly: "It doesn't matter, it's important to go to the prisoner-of-war camp to visit the princess first."

    The two of them got on their horses and ran towards the prisoner of war camp outside the North City, escorted by a large group of cavalry.

    The prisoner of war camp is actually a military camp, covering an area of ??thousands of acres. It currently holds tens of thousands of prisoners of war in Jiangdong. It is guarded by General Li Jun and 5,000 soldiers, and is heavily guarded.

    However, in order to prevent the prisoners of war from causing trouble, all officers above Yajiang and above were detained separately, including Taishi Ci, Lu Meng, and Xu Sheng, who were also under house arrest in the city.

    Liu Jing rushed all the way to the prisoner of war camp. Li Jun came out after hearing the news. Liu Jing immediately asked him: "Is Princess Jiangdong being held here?"

    Li Jun knew that Liu Jing would ask about this sooner or later, so he nodded, "She is in the military camp, please ask the governor to follow me."

    Liu Jing took Lu Su into the prisoner of war camp and walked to the northwest corner. There was an area surrounded by a camp fence, covering an area of ??about three acres. There were several white tents set up. There were special soldiers guarding the outside of the camp fence.  When outsiders enter, there are eight female guards inside to protect Sun Shangxiang, which is of course also a kind of custody.

    Liu Jing led Lu Su into the camp gate. Several female guards quickly stepped forward to salute. Liu Jing glanced at the tent and asked, "How is she? Is she still on hunger strike?"

    The female leader of the guards shook her head, "Report to Zhou Mu, she is a little better now, but her constitution is very weak. The military doctor came to see her yesterday and said that she will need to lie still for at least half a month to recover."

    Liu Jing walked to the big tent and took a look inside the tent through the gap. Seeing that Sun Shangxiang seemed to be lying on the couch and not asleep, Liu Jing smiled and asked, "Can I come in?"

    After a while, a hateful voice came from the tent: "I am your prisoner of war. You can do whatever you want. Do you still need to ask me?"

    Liu Jing raised the curtain and walked in, but Lu Su hesitated and did not follow.In the future, these two people will be husband and wife in the future, and I can't get involved.

    As long as the princess was safe, he was relieved. He quickly withdrew and waited outside the camp fence. Several personal guards also retreated. There were female guards around the tent, so they were not worried.

    Liu Jing walked into the tent and saw that Sun Shangxiang had turned his back. The quilt was tightly covered, even his head was covered, leaving only a strand of green silk outside the quilt.

    Liu Jing sat down next to her couch and said gently: "I'm here to tell you that when you get better, I will let you return to Jiangdong."

    "Humph! I never believe what you say." Sun Shangxiang snorted coldly.

    "Why don't you believe it?" Liu Jing said with a smile: "Will my majestic Jingzhou Shepherd still deceive you into a little girl?"

    ¡°Whether what you say counts, you know it in your heart!¡±

    Sun Shangxiang was actually alluding to Liu Jing's promise to let her shoot three arrows, but in the end Liu Jing broke the appointment, but Liu Jing had long forgotten about it, and he really didn't quite understand.

    "Okay! Early tomorrow morning, I will arrange a ship to take you back to Jiangdong. Believe it or not."

    Sun Shangxiang lifted the quilt, sat up Huo Di, and glared at Liu Jing, "Stop being hypocritical, I will never go back!"

    Liu Jing was not angry. He smiled and said, "Why don't you go back? Isn't it very comfortable to live here?"

    "This has nothing to do with you."

    "It has nothing to do with me. If I don't like some prisoners of war, I will expel them. The same goes for you. I will expel you from Jingzhou. Where do you want to go? Whatever you want, leave early tomorrow morning!"

    After saying that, Liu Jing stood up and left. Sun Shangxiang bit her lips. Just when Liu Jing was about to leave the tent, she said loudly: "I am also a member of Jiangdong. If I want to leave, I will go with the soldiers. I will never abandon  They will go back to Jiangdong alone. If you want to force me back, I will jump into the river and commit suicide!"

    Liu Jing stopped and looked back at her. After a while, he nodded, "In that case, I will let you go back with the Jiangdong soldiers. You will set off together tomorrow morning."

    "Wait a minute!"

    Sun Shangxiang stopped Liu Jing and looked at him in surprise, "What did you just say?"

    Liu Jing said calmly: "I just said that for your sake, all the soldiers from Jiangdong will be released. Together with the soldiers captured in Lujiang County, a total of more than 50,000 people, they will all be released back to Jiangdong."

    "Have you reached any terms with my brother?" Sun Shangxiang couldn't believe it and asked with doubt on his face.

    "Miss Shangxiang, you underestimate my big heart, Liu Jing. When I released hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war from Cao's army, did I ever put forward any conditions? This war is not the fault of the soldiers, including you.  , we shouldn¡¯t be enemies.¡±

    After saying that, Liu Jing smiled faintly, opened the tent and walked out. Sun Shangxiang watched his back disappear, biting her lips until they turned white. She felt as if she had overturned the five-flavor bottle, and she felt complicated. She didn't know what it was like.

    Liu Jing walked out of the tent and saw Lu Su standing far outside the fence, so she stepped forward and said with a smile, "Why did Zijing run out?"

    Lu Su laughed awkwardly, "Since Zhou Mu intends to let her go, I think it's better not to see her for the time being."

    "Not just her, but all Jiangdong soldiers, I will let them go back to their hometowns."

    Lu Su was stunned. He was deeply moved. Liu Jing let him go before there was any negotiation. Who could match this kind of heart? Who said he had no sincerity in negotiating? Lu Su suddenly bowed and bowed deeply, "Zhou Mu  Lu Su is so grateful that he is willing to let my Jiangdong soldiers return home. On behalf of Wu Hou and Jiangdong elders, I also thank Zhou Mu for his kindness!"

    Liu Jing patted his shoulder lightly and said with a slight smile: "Zijing said one more word. I only said to let the soldiers go back, but I didn't say to let the generals go. Zijing must not think too much of me.  "

    After saying that, Liu Jing walked away. Lu Su shook his head after a while. He was very satisfied to be able to release the soldiers. Li Jun and others beside him couldn't help laughing. They also felt that something was wrong. How could Zhou Mu put the soldiers back?  If all the prisoners of war are released, how can there be such a good thing in the world?

    At night, Liu Jing put her hands under her head, lying on the couch and looking thoughtfully at the dark roof. Tao Zhan stretched out her smooth arms from the quilt, gently touched his face, and asked in a low voice:  "Why aren't you sleeping yet?"

    "I'm so tired from the whole journey that I can't sleep!"

    "Who asked you to ask for Well, can't you just take two days' rest?" Tao Zhan complained a little.

    Liu Jing smiled and did not answer her words. After a while, Tao Zhan asked quietly: "Are you really determined to marry her?"

    "who?"

    "What do you think?"

    Liu Jing was silent and said for a long time: "I don't eitherKnow.  "

    Tao Zhan sighed and said: "Actually, I'm not jealous. I just want to say that no matter why you marry her, since she has married you, you must treat her well and let her get a real husband. Don't let it become an exchange of benefits."  victim."

    Liu Jing was surprised. He did not expect his wife to say these words. After a while, Tao Zhan whispered again: "I just hope you don't forget the old when you have the new."

    Liu Jing was moved. He turned around, hugged his wife tightly into his arms, and whispered in her ear: "You are my wife, and no one can replace you."

    Tao Zhan pressed her face against her husband's chest and sighed deeply in her heart. Who can understand the helplessness and pain in her heart?

    The dock outside Wuchang was crowded with people. More than 50,000 Jiangdong prisoners of war lined up waiting to board the ship. Everyone was extremely excited to finally be able to go home and reunite with their relatives. Many people were so excited that they cried bitterly. They originally thought they would serve hard labor in Jingzhou for the rest of their lives.  , I didn¡¯t expect that they would be released just a few months later.

    Large ships docked one after another, and Jiangdong soldiers began to line up to board the ship. On another Qianshilou ship, Sun Shangxiang stood on the bow, silently watching the sea of ??people on the dock, and looking at the extremely excited faces of the soldiers.  It was gratitude for rebirth and a desire to go home. Their cheers were clearly an indictment of the war.

    The soldiers no longer wear armor, but wear the clothes of ordinary people. The shadow of war can no longer be seen on them. They have transformed from soldiers into ordinary farmers, fishermen, and businessmen. These are vivid  Life, no longer having to face death, Sun Shangxiang sighed softly. At this moment, she suddenly became extremely disgusted with war.

    She lowered her head and looked at the helmet in her hand. It was a silver helmet given to her by her brother before she left for the battle. She had loved it very much. But at this time, Sun Shangxiang felt that it was heavy, and the helmet was full of killing.  .

    She was once so enthusiastic about war, but at this time, she seemed to be reborn in the war. In front of her, tens of thousands of soldiers who were burned, killed, and drowned in the river appeared. Their whining and crying  Shouting and begging for mercy, the vivid scenes deeply hurt Sun Shangxiang.

    Soldiers can still die, but how should their parents, wives and children grieve, and who can they rely on in their long lives?

    War!  Satisfying a few people's desire for power turned countless soldiers into bones and plunged their families into endless pain.

    Sun Shangxiang sighed deeply, raised his hand, threw the helmet into the Yangtze River, turned around and returned to the cabin.

    One by one, large ships began to set sail, forming long queues and sailing along the mighty Yangtze River to the distant east of the Yangtze River.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 451 Lu Su envoys to Chu (Part 2)

    The Wuchang Prefectural Government Office has become a mess. Nearly a hundred civil servants are busy packing up various materials and documents. Boxes are piled up like a mountain in the yard. In ten days, the Prefectural Government Office will officially move back to Xiangyang. Although many people are a little worried.  Reluctant to leave, but everyone knew that the move of Zhou Yamen back to Xiangyang was the beginning of Jingzhou's revival, which filled everyone's hearts with hope.

    In the state government meeting hall, Lu Suzheng held the first negotiation with Changshi Xu Shu. Although more than 50,000 soldiers were returned to Jiangdong, hundreds of officers above Yajiang were not included in the release, especially Taishi Ci, Lu Meng and Xu Shengsan.  The main generals are still under house arrest in Wuchang City, which leaves Jiangdong without any negotiating advantage.

    What's more, four counties, including Qichun County, Lujiang County, Yuzhang County and Jiujiang County, are currently occupied by the Jiangxia Army. If Jingzhou goes all out to march eastward, Jiangdong will even be in danger of annihilating the country. The situation is extremely serious for Jiangdong, so that  Lu Su didn't dare to relax at all.

    Xu Shu is an honest and frank person, unlike Jia Xu, who has hidden traps in his words that are hard to guard against, so the pressure in Lu Su's heart is slightly less, which also makes him secretly grateful to Liu Jing for his arrangement of negotiating opponents, so that both parties can negotiate with each other.  See you sincerely.

    "I heard a rumor in the city that Zhou Mu will ask Jiangdong to lift the ban on inland rivers and seas. Is this true?" Lu Su asked cautiously.

    Xu Shu smiled and said, "This is a way to liberalize trade. There is indeed this requirement. Of course, as a reciprocal, Jiangdong merchants can also come to Jingzhou to conduct various trades. I think this is beneficial to both parties. This is a good thing.  Why is Zijing worried?"

    Lu Su smiled bitterly, "That being said, Jiangxia money is far better than Jiangdong money. Once Jiangxia money pours into Jiangdong in large quantities, I am afraid Jiangdong will suffer a disaster, so"

    Before Lu Su could finish speaking, Xu Shu waved his hands and said, "Zijing, you can't say this. When it comes to copper mines, the copper mines in Liyang, Jiangdong are far larger than those in Jiangxia. As far as I know, the copper mines in Jiangdong are far larger than those in Jiangxia."  The amount is twice that of Jiangxia. The key is the ingredients for making money. Jiangxia uses 90% copper, while Jiangdong only has 60%. This is the reason why Jiangdong¡¯s money cannot compete with Jiangxia¡¯s money. Jiangdong should self-examine and improve the formula for making money in time.  Otherwise, even if trade is not liberalized, Jiangdong will still be occupied by Jiangxia money sooner or later. "

    At this time, Jiang Wan, who was working next to him, also added: "Actually, liberalizing trade is just an additional condition. It should be said that it is beneficial to both parties. Why should Lu Gong care about this issue?"

    Lu Su sighed in his heart and stopped mentioning the matter. After all, it would still have to be approved by Marquis Wu in the end. Lu Su thought for a moment and then said: "Please Xu Changshi, please continue talking!"

    Xu Shu nodded and continued: "What I mentioned just now is the trade issue, and then there is the war compensation, which is about food compensation. My military advisor also mentioned it to Zijing last time, Zijing should not have forgotten it!"

    Lu Su¡¯s heart was pounding!  ' Of course he would not forget that it was one million stones of grain. How could Jiangdong be able to afford it? Lu Su quickly said: "Jia Junshi did mention it last time, but it was only one million stones of grain. Jiangdong could not afford it."  I hope the burden can be reduced.¡±

    "this"

    Xu Shu thought for a while and said: "I might as well tell Zijing frankly that we have five formal conditions, plus the additional condition of open trade. Food compensation is only the first condition. If we can't reach an agreement on this issue, the next four issues,  I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s even harder to talk about.¡±

    Lu Su felt very passive and negotiated one condition after another. In the end, it might become a sky-high price that Jiangdong could not bear. He had to smile bitterly and said: "Can you please Xu Changshi list all the conditions so that I can feel satisfied?"  Let¡¯s talk about it one by one.¡±

    "Can!"

    Xu Shu said frankly: "The first is food compensation, the second is hostage arrangements, the third is land negotiations, the fourth is the retention of warships, and the fifth is a written guarantee that Jiangdong will not conquer the west, and then add an additional clause to liberalize trade.  , there are five adults and one child in total, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to finish the conversation in a day or two.¡±

    At noon, Jiang Wan accompanied Lu Su to have dinner, while Xu Shu hurried to Liu Jing's official room. Liu Jing's official room was also chaotic and busy. Dong Yun was leading five or six people working outside to pack documents and various books and drawings.

    But the room was very quiet. Liu Jing was sitting at the table reviewing various military and political documents. The documents accumulated from the battle with Jiangdong Army were almost finished. He only had a few difficult matters left at hand. At this time, Xu Shu left.  He came in and said with a smile: "Does Zhou Mu have time to listen to Wei Chen's report on the negotiations?"

    Liu Jing chuckled, put down the pen, took out two ultimatums from the wooden box next to him and said, "Yuan Zhi came just in time. I just want to discuss with you what your solution is in these two ultimatums. Let's talk about my business first. Let's talk about it first.  Let¡¯s talk about negotiation.¡±

    Xu Shu nodded. He knew that this was just a euphemistic way of saying Zhou Mu. In fact, he did not agree with their solution, so he smiled and said:??"We are all ears!"

    "Sit down!"

    Liu Jing asked Xu Shu to sit down and opened two documents. He felt that these two documents needed to be considered again. He handed the documents to Xu Shu, "The first is the placement of the mining slaves in Lvtong Mountain. Yuan Zhi proposed to give 20,000 mining slaves  I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to be free, because the original decision was to serve three years of hard labor, and it¡¯s only been one year. This is a negation of last year¡¯s decision. I think the three-year period must be adhered to, what does Yuan Zhi think?¡±

    Xu Shu smiled bitterly and said: "Actually, I am thinking in the long term, because many of these miners have gradually become skilled coppersmiths. I have done a survey and found that if we let them go free, at least 50% of them would be willing to stay. If we can free them,  If their families take them in, 70% of them will be willing to stay, so that they can transform from mining slaves into miners and become a profession, which is conducive to the stability of Jiangxia. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "I agree with your statement, but from the perspective of maintaining authority, it is best not to change the decision. You can give certain relaxations in other aspects, such as improving food and accommodation conditions, and receiving certain rewards.  Change their name to miners, shorten their working hours, allow them to communicate with their families, etc., and even sign a contract with them to allow them to mine with peace of mind, but the three-year period cannot be changed. After all, they are prisoners of war. In addition, the prisoners in prisons everywhere  The prisoners also went to mine and replenish manpower."

    Xu Shu had no choice but to agree, "Okay! Wei Chen drafts a new plan."

    Liu Jing added: "There is also Huang Zhong's 30,000 new troops. I have reached an agreement with Cao Cao. As a condition for releasing Cao Ren and Xia Houyuan, he promised to transfer the families of these 30,000 new troops to us. I have given the list.  Huang Zhong completed the work and gave it to Cao Cao. It is estimated that large-scale immigrants will arrive soon. The land in Anlu County can be allocated to these new army family members. They will be treated as military households and each household will be allocated 120 acres.  , the tax has been halved. This matter is quite urgent. I hope you will immediately arrange for personnel to go to Anlu County to make preliminary preparations. "

    Xu Shu nodded silently. He knew that there were a lot of trivial things to do here. Fortunately, they already had experience in resettling immigrants, so they could let Pang Shanmin and Kuai Qi take charge of this matter.

    "Weichen will remember it and will arrange manpower immediately."

    Liu Jing explained these two things, and she felt much lighter. She smiled and said: "After talking about these two things, let's talk about Jiangdong! What's Lu Su's attitude?"

    This is today's topic. Xu Shu said quickly: "Today's talks with Lu Su did not go smoothly. Except for agreeing to sign a written guarantee never to go to the west, the other conditions were very different. In terms of opening up trade, he needed to ban the inland rivers.  Please ask Wu Hou for instructions, and the river ban and sea ban can be completely relaxed."

    "What about the Jingzhou navy taking advantage of the road to enter the sea?" Liu Jing asked, "What's his attitude?"

    "For this one, he said that there needs to be a limit on the number of fleets, and they cannot dock."

    Liu Jing sneered, "It seems that Lu Su is not confused, so how did the other discussions go?"

    "As for the food compensation, they can't bear the weight of millions of stones. They hope to reduce it by half and send the hostages to Jingzhou to study. Lu Su means that now Wu Hou only has one son, and he is only half a year old. He hopes to use Wu Hou's sister  Marry Zhou Mu to replace the proton."

    "Only half a year old!"

    Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh. He didn't expect this. He knew that Sun Quan's son was young, but he didn't expect that he was only half a year old.

    Sun Quan is already twenty-seven or seventy-eight years old, and he only has a son now. A half-year-old son is indeed meaningless. Liu Jing thought for a while and said: "It is okay to cancel the proton, and it is okay to halve the food compensation, but the inland river ban must be relaxed."

    Xu Shu hesitated for a moment. Liu Jing had just given him a negotiation condition last night. He was not very clear about many other aspects, especially the compensation of millions of stones of grain, which he felt was unrealistic. In addition, he also felt that it was unrealistic to assign four counties to Jingzhou.  It's very possible. The key is that he doesn't know Liu Jing's bottom line and principles, which makes it difficult for him to handle.

    "This is to inform Zhou Mu, Wei Chen is a little unsure about what can and cannot be compromised during this negotiation. Wei Chen has no idea, and hopes Zhou Mu will make it clear."

    Liu Jing laughed, "Of course I will tell you this. I wanted to touch their bottom today, but if you want to know now, I will tell you."

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with her hands behind her back: "First of all, we must control a certain degree so that Jiangdong cannot attack us again. At the same time, we must be able to resist Cao's army from going south, so we cannot suppress Jiangdong too hard. The bottom line for food compensation is 300,000 yuan."  stone, which can be delivered in three years;

    Warships cannot build more than a thousand stones within five years. The most important thing is land. Qichun County directly threatens Jiangxia and must be assigned to Jingzhou. The border of Jiujiang County is too close to Chaisang, so Pengze Lake must be assigned to Jingzhou. There are also  Yuzhang County is close to Changsha County and Jiangxia County, which poses a great threat to us, so Yuzhang County must also be transferred to Jingzhou, that is, Lujiang County and Jiujiang County are returned to Jiangdong, and Qi?? County and Yuzhang County were returned to Jingzhou.  "

    Xu Shu thought about it in his mind and found that except for the immediate agreement with Lu Su on food compensation, the other terms were far from Lu Su's requirements.

    Especially the land, Jiangdong demanded that all four counties be returned, but Liu Jing was only willing to return two counties. However, Xu Shu could only nod and agree, "Wei Chen understands, Wei Chen will continue the discussion in the afternoon."

    At this time, Xu Shu remembered something again and asked: "As for the marriage between the two families, is Zhou Mu willing to marry the sister of Marquis Wu?"

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "The good relationship between the Qin and Jin families will help maintain the peaceful coexistence between Jingzhou and Jiangdong. I can agree."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 452 Undecided

    Outside Wuchang City, Xu Shu put Lu Su on the boat. Xu Shu cupped his hands and smiled and said: "I hope Zijing will come back soon after asking Wu Hou for instructions. We look forward to meeting Zijing again. I look forward to the time when we can drink wine together."  hour."

    Lu Su only smiled reluctantly, "I will do my best!"

    "Zijing, take care!"

    The ship set sail and gradually left the Wuchang pier. Lu Su stood on the bow of the ship, staring blankly at the surging Yangtze River. His heart was ups and downs. He didn't know how to go back and report to Wu Hou. Jiangdong could bear the loss of Qichun County and Yuzhang County.  Does it hurt?

    But they have been de facto occupied by the Jingzhou Army. Apart from acknowledging the reality, is it possible for Jiangdong to win them back?

    Lu Su couldn't bear the blowing of the river wind. He couldn't help but want to shout to vent his inner anger.

    At the same moment when Lu Su left Wuchang and returned to Jiangdong, the situation in Bashu also underwent some subtle changes. Both Dongzhoushi and Bashu local factions felt the threat from the outside. This threat began when Cao Jun went south.

    Liu Zhang panicked and sent Fa Zheng as an envoy to Cao Cao's army to test Cao Cao's purpose. Although Cao Cao was defeated in Chibi, it could not eliminate Liu Zhang's uneasiness. Liu Jing's strong rise made him feel very uneasy. He urgently needed to build a road to the east.  Fence.

    At this time, Liu Bei expressed to him the wish of the two families to unite to deal with Liu Jing. Liu Bei's proposal was supported by the Bashu native faction. Liu Zhang was encouraged by the witch and finally decided to join forces with Liu Bei to deal with Liu Jing's westward march.

    "However, Liu Zhang was not a very independent person. He was not strong-willed, weak in character, and easily influenced by others. These flaws should not be the character of a monarch in any case. This is also related to Liu Zhang's own experience.

    In the fifth year of Zhongping, Liu Yan suggested to Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty that he should establish a prefecture to oversee military and political power in various places. He served as Yizhou Mu. Later, his third son Liu Zhang, who was appointed Fengche Commandery, was sent by the imperial court to issue an edict to Liu Yan, and Liu Yan took him.  Stay and never return to court.

    In the Li Jie Rebellion a few years later, Liu Yan's eldest son and second son were killed, and Liu Yan also died of illness in anger. Liu Zhang took over his father's position as Yizhou Shepherd for fifteen years.

    Liu Zhang was nearly fifty years old, with a medium build. Years of well-dressed and well-fed people had made him slightly fatter. His slender eyes always flashed with suspicion. Liu Zhang had no ambitions. His greatest wish was to let him live another life.  Twenty years of wealthy life, in this way, he would be satisfied with his life.

    In the yamen of Chengdu, Liu Zhang sat on a large white jade couch inlaid with gold, squinting and listening to the report of Zhang Song.

    Zhang Song is a native of Chengdu and the leader of the northern Shu faction among the three major local factions of Bashu. He knows very well that Liu Zhang is not the leader of the defense. When the south is stable, Liu Zhang can still keep his position. However, as Cao's army goes south, the south's power is broken.  The balance of power, seeing the era of hegemony in the south coming, Bashu has gradually lost its hold.

    At this time, everyone has to choose their own position. As the leader of the Bashu faction, Zhang Song naturally rejects Liu Jing, the leader of Jingzhou. He has a good impression of Liu Bei and strongly supports Liu Bei's entry into Shu.

    "Wei Chen received news that Liu Jing's army successfully attacked Zigui County. It is obvious that Liu Jing is preparing to attack Bashu. I am very worried that Governor Pang of Badong will secretly assist the Jingzhou army. I suggest that Pang Xi be transferred away and the defense of Badong County strengthened.  ¡±

    After a long while, Liu Zhang asked slowly: "You mean, Pang Xi and Liu Jing are colluding?"

    "I dare not say this, but Liu Jing is more in line with the interests of Dongzhou people. If Zhou Mu does not control the power of Dongzhou people as soon as possible, Yizhou will be in chaos."

    Although Liu Zhang was not a man of great talent and strategy, he was considered to have normal intelligence. For more than ten years, Dongzhou scholars told him how they were oppressed by Bashu natives. Bashu also accused Dongzhou scholars of infringing on the interests of Shu people. Liu Zhang's ears  I can already hear the calluses.

    At this time, Zhang Song reminded him to pay attention to defending Liu Jing, but Zhang Song's sword was pointed at Pang Xi, which really annoyed Liu Zhang.

    He held back his displeasure and said: "I know Liu Jing's ambition, and I will naturally consider how to defend him, but at this critical juncture, I still hope that there will be no chaos within Bashu, and that everyone can unanimously speak to the outside world. This is the advice I want to hear.  ¡±

    Zhang Song saw that Liu Zhang had misunderstood what he meant. He quickly wanted to explain, but Liu Zhang yawned greatly and said impatiently: "It's already noon. I'm a little tired. If you have anything to do, let's talk about it tomorrow!"

    Zhang Song had no choice but to get up and say goodbye. Seeing him walking away, he couldn't help but snorted coldly, stood up and said, "Go back to the back house!"

    Several confidants surrounded Liu Zhang and headed to the back house, until they came to Wenxiang Courtyard. The so-called 'courtyard' is actually equivalent to a palace, a complex of buildings composed of dozens of towers and pavilions. Here lived Liu Zhang's favorite  The concubine Yunshi, whose nickname is Yuzhu, is tall and slender, with skin as white as jade. Everyone also calls her Yuzhuji, Zhang's wife and concubine.More recently, Yuzhu Ji had been married to Liu Zhang for two years. Although she had not yet had a divorce, Liu Zhang's love for her had not diminished at all.

    Yun was about 20 years old, and was the youngest daughter of Yun Shao, a businessman in Sichuan. She was extremely charming and good at Fangzhongshu. She was so fascinated by Liu Jing that he not only gave her the best inner house, but also granted her father and brother titles.  The high-ranking official Houjue also awarded her father 500 hectares of the fattest land on the outskirts of Chengdu.

    Therefore, there is a popular slang in Chengdu in the past two years, "It is better to have a daughter like Yuzhu than to read tens of thousands of books."  ¡¯

    Mrs. Yun had already heard about Liu Zhang¡¯s arrival. She was dressed in emerald makeup and led a group of maids to wait at the door. When Liu Zhang appeared, she immediately went up to him and knelt down. She lightly opened her red lips and said, ¡°My concubine, Yu Ji¡¯er, welcomes the general!¡±

    Liu Zhang quickly helped her up and narrowed his eyes with a smile, "I was upset at first, but once I saw Aiji, I was no longer upset at all."

    Yun stood up weakly, half-leaned on Liu Zhang, and whispered in his ear: "I have prepared a banquet, and I would like to have a drink with the general."

    "Okay! Just what I want."

    Liu Zhang put his arm around her waist, and the two of them entered the inner hall. A banquet table had been set up in the inner hall. Yun took off her outer robe for Liu Zhang, took his arm and sat down at the table. She pursed her lips and smiled, extending her jade hand.  He poured Liu Zhang a glass of wine and said, "The general is late. I want to punish the general with a drink first."

    "Yuzhu'er punishes me, of course I will drink it!"

    Liu Zhang picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. Yun raised the silver pot and filled it with wine for him. Then he asked as if nothing had happened, "The general said just now that he was upset and encountered something unpleasant. Why don't you tell Yuzhu about it?"  I would like to relieve the general¡¯s worries.¡±

    "Hey! Actually, it's nothing. The ministers are using Jingzhou's threat to attack each other, which is annoying."

    "General, are you talking about Liu Jing?"

    Liu Zhang was startled, "Ai Ji also knows about Liu Jing?"

    Yun's eyes turned into crescents when she smiled, and she said softly: "General, has he forgotten what my father does? He often goes to Jingzhou to do business and is well-informed. In fact, the general can ask my father, which is better than asking those who don't know.  And a minister with selfish motives is much stronger, doesn¡¯t he, General?¡±

    Liu Zhang was a very soft-spoken man. Hearing what his concubine said, he was tempted. He could ask Yun Shao. He smiled and said, "When I take a nap, I will ask my father-in-law in the afternoon."

    "The general is dead, come on! I'll give you a toast to the general."

    In the afternoon, a middle-aged man in his fifties hurriedly walked into Liu Zhang's official room under the guidance of the guards. This man was Yun's father Yun Shao. He was originally a small businessman in Badong County and had been in business for many years.  In Jingzhou and Bashu, selling cheap and selling expensive, gradually I got a little savings in my hands.

    Yun Shao began to consider developing in the officialdom. Through various efforts, his relationship with Pang Xi, the governor of Bashu, became very close. With Pang Xi's help, Liu Zhang finally met his daughter Yuzhu. The result was a great success.  Won the favor of Liu Zhang, Yun Shao himself became the most noble relative of Bashu.

    Yun Shao walked into the official room, knelt down and saluted, "Wei minister pays homage to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Zhang quickly helped him up and said, "Don't be like this, Aweng. We are relatives, so we can treat each other with common courtesy."

    "Thank you Zhou Mu. I wonder if Zhou Mu came to see me. What's the matter?"

    "We're just chatting. Please sit down, Aweng!"

    Yun Shao sat down. In fact, he knew why Liu Zhang was looking for him. He had already greeted his daughter.

    Liu Zhang pondered for a moment and asked: "I often go to Jingzhou, what do you think of Liu Jing?"

    Yun Shao chuckled, "In the past, Jingzhou was controlled by the four great families of Cai, Kuai, Huang, and Pang. But since Liu Jing came to power, he suppressed these four great families very hard. Huang Zu died directly, and Cai and Kuai lost their land.  With only a little old foundation left, the Pang family also handed over the land and concentrated on teaching. Now there are basically no wealthy families in Jingzhou, and the power of the government has been correspondingly increased. It should be said that Liu Jing is still a very capable and courageous person.  ¡±

    Liu Zhang nodded, "I also heard that Cao Cao praised him very much, but do you think he really wants to plot against me, Bashu?"

    "It's hard for me to say this."

    "Aweng is a knowledgeable person, but it doesn't matter."

    Yun Shao thought for a while and said: "I also know some people from the government in Jiangling. I heard from them that Liu Jing classified his enemies into three levels. The first is Cao Cao, followed by Sun Quan and Liu Bei, and the third is Zhou Mu and Zhang Lu.  If he wants to seek Bashu, I think sooner or later he will consider it, but probably not now."

    "How do you say this?" Liu Zhang asked quickly.

    "From the perspective of his enemies, he should deal with Liu Bei first to eliminate his worries, and then consider Bashu. Before Liu Bei is wiped out, I don't think he will consider Bashu for the time being, otherwise Liu Bei will take advantage of Jing."??Empty, attacking his lair would be more gain than loss.  "

    Liu Zhang nodded slowly, feeling as if he could see the sun through the clouds, "I'm still wise!"

    After pondering for a while, Liu Zhang asked again: "But why did he want to occupy Zigui?"

    Yun Shao chuckled, "I know Zigui's position very well. Liu Jing's occupation of Zigui should be aimed at Liu Bei, not against Zhou Mu. He is afraid that Liu Bei will occupy Bashu and become his strong enemy. Once Liu Bei attacks from the west, Sun Quan will attack from the east.  Attacking, being attacked from both sides, Jingzhou is doomed. To put it bluntly, Liu Jing has not taken Zhou Mu seriously yet, and his strong enemy is actually Liu Bei. "

    Although it made Liu Zhang feel a little uncomfortable, he was relieved. Compared with Liu Jing's attention, Bashu was more important to him. At this time, Yun Shao said again: "Actually, I think Liu Bei is our biggest enemy.  , far more than Liu Jing.¡±

    "How do you say this?" Liu Zhang was a little confused.

    "It's actually very simple. Liu Jing has a rich and prosperous Jingzhou. He has no shortage of foundations, but Liu Bei does not. He occupies Jingnan, with a sparse population and barren land. It is difficult to save money and raise troops, just like I do business.  With no capital, what he desires most at this time is to occupy a wealthy land. He can't defeat Liu Jing in Jingzhou, and he is not strong enough to deal with Jiangdong, so he will definitely attack Bashu. Didn't Zhou Mu think of it?  Are you building Wucheng County and stationing heavy troops there?"

    Liu Zhang suddenly realized, he said bitterly: "Zhang Song mistook me. If Aweng hadn't reminded me, I almost ruined the big thing."

    Yun Shao narrowed his eyes and smiled and said: "Actually, what Zhang Biejia has to deal with is not Liu Jing, but Dongzhou Shi. Just like doing business, Liu Jing is just a merchant who receives the goods, and has little impact on Zhang Biejia. He is just a pot.  People who eat together are enemies.¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 453 Businessman¡¯s Choice

    The Yun family's residence in Chengdu is located in the south of the city. It is a mansion covering an area of ??30 acres. Liu Zhang gave it to Yun Shao last year to express Liu Zhang's love for the Yun family and his favor for the Yun family. Yun Shao lived in the mansion.  and his two sons.

    The Yun family was originally just a businessman, but since their daughter became Liu Zhang¡¯s concubine, the Yun family¡¯s life has undergone earth-shaking changes.

    They are no longer in business, and the rent from the five hundred hectares of fertile land outside the city alone is enough for their family to live a life of fine clothing and food, not to mention the large amount of money Liu Zhang rewarded.

    But Yun Shao also has worries. He knows very well that Liu Zhang may not last long. How to protect the interests of the family for a long time is a big problem that keeps Yun Shao awake. It was not until recently that he finally found hope to solve this problem.

    Yun Shao came out of the government office and hurried back home. He seemed very worried. He came to a courtyard in the back house. A man in his thirties was cleaning the courtyard. Yun Shao quickly asked: "Excuse me, Sima  Are you here, sir?"

    "I'm waiting for Mr. Yun!"

    Sima Yi turned out from behind a big tree, holding a book in his hand, and said with a smile on his face: "Is Mr. Yun back?"

    Sima Yi has been active in Shu for several months. He mainly relies on the relationship between Dong He and Fazheng. Dong He is also the father of Dong Yun. He is the governor of Shu County and is also a leader of Dongzhou scholars. Under his introduction, Sima Yi  He met frequently with officials from the Dongzhou faction and successfully obtained their support.

    However, Sima Yi encountered setbacks with the local faction of Bashu. The local faction of Bashu was very wary of Liu Jing and was unwilling to cooperate with Jingzhou. He sent people to pretend to be messengers to deliver Liu Jing's letter to them, including Wu Yi and Zhang Song.  None of the local leaders wanted to accept Liu Jing's letter and turned the messenger away.

    But through Deng Zhi's introduction, Sima Yi met Yun Shao, the most favored relative of a powerful man in Bashu. Similarly, Sima Yi's arrival also brought a glimmer of hope to Yun Shao. Yun Shao did not belong to the native Bashu family, nor did he belong to the Dongzhou family.  , he is a businessman at heart, and he cares about his own interests.

    Obviously, Liu Jing's capital was much greater than that of Liu Bei. For safety and profit considerations, Yun Shao resolutely chose to cooperate with Liu Jing. He not only hid Sima Yi in his own house, but also followed Sima Yi's deployment to influence him step by step.  Liu Zhang.

    Yun Shao cupped his hands and said, "I have something important to discuss with Mr. Sima."

    "Please talk in the room!"

    The two of them went into the back room and sat down. Not long after, Deng Zhi also hurried over. The three of them sat down separately as guest and host. Sima Yi's personal attendant Yang Shun brought three cups of tea and offered them to him before retreating.

    Yun Shao took a sip of tea and smiled at Sima Yi and Deng Zhi: "As expected, Zhang Song once again persuaded Liu Yizhou today and pointed his sword at Badong Prefect Pang, which aroused Liu Yizhou's disgust. Liu Yizhou summoned me in the afternoon."

    "What's Liu Zhang's attitude now?" Sima Yi asked quietly.

    Yun Shao sighed helplessly and said: "Although I followed my husband's wishes and pointed out that Liu Bei was the mastermind who wanted to seize Yizhou, and Liu Zhang seemed to believe it, he has never had any independent opinions. Today I persuaded him to come over.  If Wu Yi tries to persuade him tomorrow, he will probably doubt Liu Jingzhou again, so I think the final result will be that he will doubt both of them and refuse to trust them."

    After a pause, he continued: "If you want him to believe that Liu Bei is plotting against Bashu, the key is to have conclusive evidence."

    Sima Yi nodded. This is what Dong He told him. Liu Zhang was suspicious and indecisive by nature. He would not make any move until many things came to an end.

    Yun Shao added: "Over the years, Liu Zhang has sometimes favored the Dongzhou scholars and sometimes the Bashu native tribe, which has made people on both sides dissatisfied with him. I think Zhang Song also wants to secretly communicate with Liu Bei. If Mr. Sima does not object, I will  You can send people to keep an eye on Zhang Song's residence. I believe he will secretly communicate with Liu Bei."

    This sentence reminded Sima Yi that what he needs to do now is to delay Liu Bei from infiltrating Bashu and buy time for Jingzhou. If the correspondence between Zhang Song and Liu Bei can be intercepted, it will be a good way to stop Zhang Song.

    Thinking of this, Sima Yi immediately said: "It's all thanks to Duke Yun. I will definitely report to my lord the merits of Duke Yun, and I will never treat him badly in the future."

    Yun Shao smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed, "Don't worry, Mr. Sima, I will arrange for manpower to monitor Zhang Song's residence immediately. If anything is discovered, I will inform you immediately."

    Deng Zhi next to him also said: "To be sure, I will rush back to Badong County immediately and arrange interception personnel with Prefect Pang. If the interception here fails, please inform me immediately and we will intercept it in Badong County."

    Sima Yi nodded, "If there is any news, I will have my followers rush to Badong County!"

    Zhang Song encountered a problem with Liu Zhang early in the morning, and he was really annoyed. When he returned to his house in the evening, he immediatelyHe ordered people to invite Wu Yi, the general of the army.

    Not long after, Wu Yi hurried to Zhang Song's residence. Wu Yi was about forty years old, eight feet two tall, with a powerful appearance and strong martial arts. He, along with Zhang Ren of Mianzhu and Yan Yan of Bajun, were known as the three pillars of Shu.  In fact, they are three important ministers who hold military power.

    Strictly speaking, Wu Yi is not a native Bashu faction. He is from Chenliu. His sister married Liu Zhang's brother Liu Mao, and he himself married a daughter of the Fei family.

    The Fei family is known as the most eldest relative in Bashu and is the natal family of Liu Zhang's mother. Liu Zhang married his only daughter to Fei Guan, making the Fei family very powerful in Bashu. However, the upstart Yun family is far behind the Fei family.  Far.

    It is this marriage relationship that makes Wu Yi's relationship with Liu Zhang extraordinary, and Liu Zhang trusts him deeply. He regards him as a military advisor and allows him to take charge of Chengdu's 30,000 garrison. He is one of the most powerful ministers in Bashu.

    In order to establish a firm foothold in Bashu, Wu Yi also classified himself as a native faction of Bashu. He had a close relationship with Zhang Song. He did not support Liu Bei's entry into Shu, let alone Liu Jing's entry into Shu. For his own interests, he was more inclined to protect  Liu Zhang's status in Bashu.

    ¡°Don¡¯t come to me in such a hurry, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Wu Yi asked as soon as he entered the study door.

    Zhang Song said bitterly: "This morning, I advised the lord to transfer Pang Xi away and not let Pang Xi collude with Liu Jing. Unexpectedly, the lord suspected that I had selfish motives. It is really annoying."

    Zhang Song is short and thin. Viewed from the back, he looks like a child. Standing next to the tall Wu Yi, the difference in height is even more comical. Therefore, Zhang Song usually sits to meet guests. He vents his anger and  He waved his hands and said: "General, please take a seat!"

    Wu Yi knew what was wrong with him, so he was not polite to him. He smiled and sat down. He didn't take Zhang Song's anger too seriously. He understood Zhang Song as a person, the kind of person whose mistakes belong to others and belong to him.  A man who will always be glorious and majestic, Wu Yi pondered and asked: "Do you mean that your lord doesn't really believe that Liu Jing is going to attack Bashu?"

    "My lord's mind changes every day. Who can figure it out clearly, but you and I should know that after Liu Jing solves Jiangdong's worries, he will definitely turn around and head west. I just got news that Liu Jing is ready to move the state capital back to  Xiangyang, this proves that he will definitely march westward to Bashu. I would like to ask the general to work with me to prevent Liu Jing from marching westward. "

    "But Jiang Xia's army is not on a westward expedition and can't produce evidence. How can I persuade my lord? You also know that my lord is the kind of person who won't shed tears until he sees the coffin. It's hard for me to persuade him!"

    "But you can persuade the lord to transfer Pang Xi away from Badong County to prevent Pang Xi and Liu Jing from colluding."

    Only then did Wu Yi understand what Zhang Song meant. He actually wanted to deal with Pang Xi. He couldn't convince Liu Zhang, so he asked himself to help him out. Isn't this difficult?  Although Wu Yi claimed to be a native of Bashu, he was not a local after all, and he did not have deep personal grudges against Dongzhou scholars. He knew that impeaching Pang Xi would be tantamount to offending Dongzhou scholars, and he did not want to do such a thing.

    Thinking of this, Wu Yi smiled and said: "The key is that there is no evidence. It is difficult to convince people to say that Pang Xi colluded with Liu Jing out of thin air. It is better to wait a little longer. I will send people to collect evidence that Pang Xi colluded with Liu Jing. There are  With the evidence in hand, I will be the first to impeach him.¡±

    Seeing that Wu Yi was not enthusiastic, Zhang Song felt a little bitter in his heart, so he laughed dryly and said: "In that case, please ask the general to send someone to collect evidence about Pang Xi."

    Wu Yi said goodbye and left, but Zhang Song was in an even worse mood, pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. In fact, he wanted to kill Pang Xi so that Liu Bei's army in Wucheng could enter Badong County. Now Zigui was cut off by Jiang Xia's army.  , making it impossible for the main force of Liu Bei's army to assemble in Wucheng, and could only rely on Wucheng's 7,000 troops.

    There are 4,000 local troops in Badong County. If he can replace Badong County with his own people, Liu Bei's army can be increased to 11,000 people.

    This force can compete with Yan Yan's 10,000 troops in Ba County, capture Ba County, and march to Brazil County. If the three counties of Badi can be captured, the possibility of capturing Bashu will be much greater.

    The fundamental reason why Zhang Song was eager to let Liu Bei enter Sichuan was that he was no longer optimistic about Liu Zhang, who had been inactive for decades. At the same time, he was even more afraid that Liu Jing from Jingzhou, who represented the interests of Dongzhou scholars, would enter Sichuan, which would seriously damage the interests of the local Bashu clan.

    Zhang Song took out a letter from the drawer. This was a letter Liu Bei sent to him five days ago. He hoped that he could persuade Liu Zhang to replace Pang Xi in Badong County and open up the road to Shu. Zhang Song thought for a long time and wrote a pen.  Reply letter.

    Putting down his pen, he took out another atlas from the drawer. This was a map of the march to Xichuan that he had carefully prepared. It included the strength of the troops at various passes in Shu, food and grass, who led the troops, and dozens of official roads. It could be said that,  With this atlas, it will be easy to conquer Bashu.

    Zhang Song also found a confidant of his family, named Zhang Yi. This person was Zhang Song's stable boy. He had followed Zhang Song since he was a child and was loyal to Zhang Song.? 

    Zhang Song handed him the oil-paper bag containing the letter and the atlas, and warned him repeatedly: "Be careful when you pass through Badong County. When you get to Wu City, give this to General Liu Feng or Military Advisor Pang. Don't lose it."

    "Don't worry, sir, I won't make any mistakes!"

    Zhang Song gave him a few more instructions, gave him money, and then let him go on the road overnight.

    Zhang Yi took out a horse from the stable, got on it, and urged the horse to run towards Nancheng. Just as Zhang Yi left, in the alley opposite the stable, several dark figures urged the horse to gallop away, chasing towards the south.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 454 Jingzhou Envoy

    Zhang Yi left the south gate of Chengdu and did not take the remote path. Instead, he ran eastward along the official road. In the hinterland of Bashu, Zhang Song was extremely powerful. He had Zhang Song's token on him, so no one dared to embarrass him.

    Only when he goes to remote places, Zhang Yi will be more vigilant, especially when he goes to Badong County. He even considers dressing up as a small businessman to cross the county, but at least now he doesn't have to worry about anything.

    Zhang Yi galloped all the way to the southeast. At dawn, he arrived at a small town, Songlin Town. It was named after a pine forest that stretched for more than ten miles behind the town. It was already under the jurisdiction of Qixian County in Dongguanghan County.  , but the customs and customs in this area are no different from those in Chengdu.

    Zhang Yi bought dry food in a small store, filled a pot of water and continued on his way. The owner told him that he must reach Wucheng within three days. Time was very tight and he had to travel day and night. He got on his horse and continued to Ba.  Run towards the county.

    After passing through the town, we entered the pine forest area. A wide official road traversed the entire pine forest. It was early in the morning and the pine forest was very quiet. There were almost no pedestrians on the official road.

    After walking for about two miles, Zhang Yi saw a pavilion for resting on the side of the road. He got off his horse and led his horse towards the pavilion. He needed to let the horse rest and eat something by himself before he could continue on his way.

    But just a few steps away, he suddenly felt a gust of wind above his head. Before he could react, a black shadow jumped down from the pine tree, knocking him off his horse and falling to the ground. Zhang Yi was shocked, turned over to get up, and rushed to the side.  Several men in black came forward and pinned him to the ground. A big man knocked him unconscious with the handle of a knife, tied his hands and feet, blocked his mouth with a rag, and put him in a cloth bag.

    At this time, a man in black handed the oil paper bag found from Zhang Yi to the man who jumped down from the tree. This man was Sima Yi's personal bodyguard Yang Shun. On Sima Yi's order, he led a dozen  Famous men followed Zhang Yi, and they took a small road to get ahead of Zhang Yi.

    Yang Shun saw that Zhang Yi did not rest for meals along the way, so he guessed that he would rest in this pavilion. Sure enough, Yang Shun guessed it. Yang Shun took the oil paper bag and opened it and looked at it. It was exactly what the owner told him to take. He nodded.  Head, "Take him away!"

    The crowd threw Zhang Yi on horseback, quickly left the pine forest through another path, and ran towards Chengdu

    As soon as night fell, Sima Yi got Zhang Song's autographed letter and album. He couldn't help but feel overjoyed. Especially this album made him overjoyed. Even Pang Xi and Dong He couldn't get such important military secrets. This was simply a godsend.  Good opportunity.

    Sima Yi copied two copies of this album overnight, found Yang Shun, and handed it to him along with a letter from himself, and warned: "Wucheng is heavily patrolled, and it may be difficult to pass alone. You can go with the Yun family to do business."  Let¡¯s go together with the team, so we can cover up. Remember! You must hand this album and letter to Zhou Mu, and tell Zhou Mu that my activities in Shu are very safe, please don¡¯t worry.¡±

    "My subordinates have remembered it!"

    Yang Shun took the album and the letter and hid them close to him. At this time, the Yun family's caravan, with dozens of people and more than 300 mules and horses, loaded with Shu brocade and other valuables, was ready to set off. Yang Shun disguised himself as a clerk and followed the merchant.  The team left Chengdu and headed south in a mighty way.

    After arrangements were made for Yang Shun to deliver the letter, Sima Yi immediately went to Dong He¡¯s residence.

    Dong He is the father of Dong Yun. He was originally the magistrate of Chengdu. Liu Zhang was displeased because his son Dong Yun served in Jingzhou. However, Dong He was the leader of Dongzhou scholars and was very popular. Liu Zhang could not find an excuse for a while.  After deposing him, he was appointed as the governor of Shu County.

    The most important city in Shu County is Chengdu. Chengdu is governed by the Chengdu Order. Its jurisdiction includes several nearby counties. It basically overlaps with the northern part of Shu County. Therefore, the actual jurisdiction of Shu County is only a small area in the south. Although its status is  High, but the authority is very small.

    Early in the morning, Dong He hurriedly walked to the state government office. Although there were some things he didn't want to do, he knew in his heart that for the sake of the overall situation, he had to break the boat. Moreover, the Dongzhou clan had been persecuted by the Bashu native clan for a long time, and today he just let out a bad breath.  .

    Dong He quickly came to Liu Zhang's official room and reported to the guards. After a while, the guards led him in and saw Liu Zhang sitting at the table reviewing documents. Dong He stepped forward and saluted, "I am here to see you, Zhou Mu!"

    "What's wrong, Governor Dong?" Liu Zhang asked with a smile.

    Dong He took out the oil paper bag and handed it to the guard. He bowed and said: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, the thief in Shu County found a suspicious person when he was arresting the thief. He captured this person and found this from him. What happened?  It's so important that I dare not hide it."

    "What is it?"

    Liu Zhang was a little strange. He opened the oil paper bag and took out the album and Zhang Song's letter to Liu Bei. He flipped through the album and was shocked. How could such an important military secret be spread out?

    He read the letter again, suddenly became furious and gave a heavy blow??Table, "What a Zhang Song. He dared to betray me and colluded with Liu Bei to betray Bashu. He really deserves death!"

    Dong He said again: "The messenger has given all instructions, does the state pastor want to see him?"

    "Where is this person?"

    "Just outside, imprisoned in a carriage."

    Liu Zhang ordered with a dark face: "Take him to the torture chamber to see me!"

    Not long after, several government officials escorted Zhang Yi into the execution room and tied him to an iron pillar. At this time, Liu Zhang slowly walked over and saw that Zhang Yi had bruises on one side of his body and was badly beaten. He turned around and asked the person next to him.  Confidant guard: "Do you know this person?"

    The guard nodded, "It seems to be Zhang Bie's stable boy."

    Liu Zhang snorted coldly and asked, "Where did Zhang Song order you to go?"

    Zhang Yi was beaten to the point of collapse. He had already confessed everything. At this time, he did not dare to hide it in front of Liu Zhang. He weakly said: "The master ordered me to go to Wu City and asked me to deliver some things."

    Liu Zhang waved the oil paper package in front of him, "Is this it?"

    "This is it. Inside is a letter and a brochure."

    Liu Zhang's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he gritted his teeth and said: "Zhang Song, I treat you badly, how dare you betray me!"

    He turned around and shouted: "Arrest Zhang Song's whole family, leaving no one behind!"

    Half an hour later, thousands of soldiers surrounded Zhang Song's mansion and captured Zhang Song and his family of more than 300 people, old and young. Liu Zhang ordered Zhang Song and his family to be beheaded in the city, and appointed Yan Yan, the governor of Bajun, as his commander.  General, led 15,000 troops to garrison Badong County to prevent Liu Bei from marching into Badong from Wucheng.

    At this time, Liu Ba reported that Liu Jing¡¯s envoy had arrived in Chengdu and asked to see the governor of Yizhou.

    Liu Jing¡¯s envoy was naturally Sima Yi. When he learned that Liu Zhang had ordered Zhang Song to be killed and Zhang Song¡¯s head fell to the ground, Sima Yi knew that the time had come for him to appear.

    When Sima Yi was ordered by Liu Jing to dispatch Bashu, they knew nothing about the internal situation in Bashu, so Liu Jing only gave him an order to destroy the alliance between Liu Zhang and Liu Bei.

    After arriving in Bashu, Sima Yi gradually learned the inside story of Bashu's officialdom. After several months of hard work, he finally persuaded the Dongzhou scholars to support Liu Jing. This was Sima Yi's greatest contribution.

    At the same time, he exposed the collusion between Zhang Song and Liu Bei, exposed Liu Bei's ambition to Xichuan to the world, and successfully aroused Liu Zhang's hatred of Liu Bei and suspicion of the local factions in Bashu. This was Sima Yi's second contribution.

    With these two achievements, Sima Yi can be said to have successfully completed the important task assigned to him by Liu Jing, but Sima Yi knew that Liu Jing actually handed over the disposal power of Bashu to him, allowing him to implement Bashu strategy according to his own wishes.

    Therefore, Sima Yi cherished this opportunity to gain great power. He wanted Liu Jing to complete his plan to capture Bashu according to his own ideas.

    This is also a great opportunity to establish his position in Jingzhou. Jia Xu's achievement is to assist Liu Jing to win the Battle of Chibi and reunify Jingzhou. Then his achievement is to capture Bashu. In Sima Yi's plan, he persuaded Liu Zhang to cooperate with Liu Jing to eliminate them together.  Liu Bei can be said to be the highlight.

    Sima Yi waited for a while in the square outside the main hall of the state government, and a guard led him into the main hall. Sima Yi knew that the main hall was usually the place to host New Year's ceremonies or receive court envoys. Liu Zhang actually received him in the main hall, which shows that  Liu Zhang attached great importance to Jingzhou.

    It¡¯s no wonder that last year Liu Zhang was afraid of Cao Cao¡¯s western expedition and sent Fa Zheng to Nanyang to meet Cao Cao with a cowardly attitude. Now Jingzhou has defeated Cao Jun and Jiangdong and has become the strongest in the south. Under such circumstances, Liu Zhang is also afraid of Jingzhou.  It makes sense.

    Sima Yi walked into the main hall with his head high and his chest high. Liu Zhang greeted him and said with a deep salute: "I heard that Sima's military advisor has arrived in Chengdu. Liu Zhang did not entertain you well and neglected you. I hope you will forgive me."

    Sima Yi chuckled and said, "The scenery in Shu is the best in the world. I just have time to enjoy the beautiful scenery in Shu. I am very happy in my heart. There is no need for Zhou Mu to blame himself. Sima Yi has no intention of blaming Zhou Mu."

    Liu Zhang was delighted when he saw that he was a good talker. He quickly introduced him to all the officials from Bashu, including Wu Yi, Zhang Ren, Dong He, Huang Quan, Wang Lei, Li Hui, Liu Ba, Fazheng and other ordinary military officers and civilian officials.  He has two sons, the eldest son Liu Xun and the second son Liu Wei.

    Sima Yi smiled and greeted everyone one by one. Everyone exchanged a few words and then surrounded Liu Zhang and Sima Yi into the hall.

    The ministers sat down on both sides, but Sima Yi and Liu Zhang were sitting on the chairman's seat. At this time, a group of maids came in to offer wine. After everyone drank two glasses of wine, Liu Zhang laughed and said: "I heard that my brother defeated Cao's army in Chibi. I was there all night  I can't sleep, I'm so happy, I just want to meet my brother immediately and talk about brotherly love."

    Actually speaking,Zhang and Liu Jing are indeed very close by blood. They are both descendants of King Gong of Hanlu, and both of them are of the same generation, so Liu Zhang followed suit and called Liu Jing his younger brother.

    But in fact, the relationship between Liu Zhang and Liu Biao was very bad. Jianping County and Yidu County originally belonged to Yizhou. They were occupied by Liu Biao during the Zhao Wei Rebellion in Yizhou and have refused to return them to this day.

    But at this time, Liu Biao had passed away and Liu Jing had risen. Liu Zhang didn't want to mention the past anymore. Sima Yi also knew it well. He smiled and said: "My master often said that his greatest wish is to reunite with his brother Yizhou.  It¡¯s a pity that we never had the opportunity to talk about the family ties of the Han Dynasty.¡±

    At this time, someone next to him suddenly said coldly: "There are rumors that Liu Jingzhou is not Liu Biao's nephew. May I ask Mr. Sima, is this rumor true or false?"

    Everyone was shocked and looked back together, who is so bold?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 455 Internal and external difficulties

    Sima Yi also looked angrily, and saw that the person who said this was Zhang Ren, the second-ranking figure in the Yizhou military. Sima Yi couldn't help but snorted and asked, "What does General Zhang mean by this?"

    Zhang Ren was a younger brother of Zhang Song. He was deeply resentful of Zhang Song's death. Although he was said to have been killed by Liu Zhang, Zhang Ren intuitively felt that the matter must be related to Sima Yi. However, he could not find any evidence, and the resentment in his heart finally became unbearable, so he spoke out.  ridicule.

    Zhang Ren sneered, "I just heard about it. There are widespread rumors about this. It's not Zhang Ren's random guess. I think it's not groundless."

    Sima Yi stood up and said coldly: "Since this is the way of hospitality in Bashu, I will take my leave!"

    He turned around and left. Liu Zhang was so frightened that he quickly stepped forward to stop him, "Sir, please calm down! Sir, please calm down!"

    He pointed at Zhang Ren and scolded: "Ignorant person, Liu Jingzhou was personally granted the title of Prefectural Shepherd by the Holy Emperor, and was given the title of Marquis of Chu. How can this be false? If you dare to sow discord between me and my brother again, I will definitely kill you. Come here."  ! Drive him out."

    Dozens of guards came forward and pushed Zhang Ren out. Liu Zhang apologized again: "There are people who can't speak everywhere. Please don't be offended, sir."

    Sima Yi then calmed down his anger, turned around and sat down again. Zhang Ren was driven out of the main hall. He couldn't help but look at the sky and sighed, "How can an incompetent person deserve to occupy the land of Yihan Longxing? This is God's will!"

    He felt sad in his heart and left in dismay.

    In the lobby, everyone drank two more glasses of wine. Liu Zhang then tried to say: "Mr. Sima just said that my brother also wants to talk to me. In fact, I also have the same idea. Unfortunately, I am blocked by Wu City. I am powerless.  !¡±

    Sima Yi chuckled, "This is easy, let's capture Wu City for Bashu and then give it to Zhou Mu, okay?"

    Liu Zhang was overjoyed. If he could capture the fortress of Wucheng, he would be able to sit back and relax. He quickly asked: "Is this true?"

    "Of course it's true. In fact, my lord has no intention of conquering Bashu at all. Our strategic goal is Hanzhong. Taking advantage of Cao's army's weakness to seize Guanzhong, to put it bluntly, we haven't seen Bashu yet."

    Liu Zhang was skeptical. Although what Sima Yi said made sense, he had to see Liu Jing's sincerity before he would believe Sima Yi's words.

    At this time, Sima Yi said again: "My lord ordered me to go to Bashu as an envoy. In fact, he wanted to join forces with Yizhou to destroy Liu Bei. In return, we will return the two counties of Jianping and Yidu to Yizhou. In addition, if the state Mu Ruo  If you are interested in Jiaozhi County, we will also send it to you.¡±

    Liu Zhang was greatly surprised when he heard this. He didn't believe that such a good thing could happen. However, Sima Yi said it very sincerely, not like casual words. He couldn't help but not believe it, which made him secretly surprised.

    Taking back Jianping County and Yidu County is what he dreams of. Taking back these two counties will greatly increase the security of Bashu.

    But Liu Zhang was the leader of a state after all. He knew that such words had to be said by Liu Jing to be meaningful. After all, Sima Yi was only the deputy military advisor.

    After pondering for a long time, Liu Zhang said slowly: "Let's do this! I will also send an envoy to Jingzhou to deliver a personal letter to my brother for me. I will also ask Mr. Sima to give you kind words."

    Sima Yi smiled and nodded, "Definitely! Definitely!"

    Liu Zhang turned around and looked at the crowd and asked, "Who is willing to go on a mission to Jingzhou for me?"

    At this time, Fazheng stood up and cupped his hands and said: "I am willing to share the worries of the state shepherd!"

    At the entrance of Jiangdong, there is a mansion covering an area of ??50 acres to the east of Tieweng outer city. This is the house of Sun Quan¡¯s cousin Sun Ben. Sun Ben¡¯s father, Sun Qiang, is the brother of Sun Jian, the first generation of Jiangdong heroes, but  Sun Qiang died early, leaving Sun Ben to raise his younger brother.

    In Sun Ce¡¯s series of battles to pacify Jiangdong, Sun Ben also actively fought and made great contributions to Sun Ce¡¯s pacification of Jiangdong. Just three years ago, Sun and Cao¡¯s family got married, and Sun Ben¡¯s daughter married Cao Cao¡¯s second son, Cao Zhang.

    Sun Ben is nearly fifty years old. In his early years, he followed Sun Ce in the northern and southern wars and made great contributions to the Sun family's control of Jiangdong. Since Sun Jing was old and stayed in his hometown in Fuchun and did not care about political affairs, Sun Ben became the oldest member of the Sun family.  , is also the patriarch of the Sun family. Even Sun Quan has to obey his arrangements in the family ancestral hall.

    Sun Ben served as the prefect of Yuzhang County, but in the recent Jiangdong Army's Western Expedition, the Jiangxia Army occupied Nanchang, the county seat, and Sun Ben was forced to abandon Yuzhang County and return to Jingkou.

    At this time in the study, Sun Ben closed his eyes and said nothing, as if he was an old monk in meditation. His cousin Sun Lang next to him said angrily: "Apart from his ruthless tactics in quelling civil strife, what other achievements does he have? Both Western Expeditions were defeated.  Returning, it cost a lot of money and suffered heavy losses, making the officials and people in Jiangdong increasingly miserable.

    As for the war against Cao's army, the Battle of Chibi was a waste of money and food. Although it was a nominal victory, it achieved nothing. The attack on Hefei failed but failed. Speaking of it in detail, in addition to wasting people and money and being defeated in repeated battles, he also failed to control Jiangdong.??What contributions and merits are there? He spent all the money that my eldest brother had worked so hard to save.¡±

    Sun Lang is the youngest brother of Sun Quan, but because his mother Ding was Sun Jian's concubine, Sun Lang's status in the family is not high. He is only in his early twenties and is appointed as a general of Dingwu Zhonglang.

    Sun Lang has not liked his second brother Sun Quan since he was a child. He thinks that his second brother is insidious and too scheming. On the contrary, he likes his third brother Sun Yi, with whom he has a deep relationship.

    Sun Lang always believed that Sun Yi should inherit his eldest brother's legacy so that Jiangdong could open up territory and eventually become a hegemonic power. However, in the end, it was his second brother Sun Quan who became the master of Jiangdong.

    In recent years, the third brother died in Danyang, and the second brother took the Jiangdong throne again. Sun Lang was helpless. However, he claimed to be both civil and military, but he was not reused by his brother. Instead, he was guarded and suppressed by his brother, which made him always resentful. This time  Sun Quan was defeated at Chaisang, and Sun Lang finally couldn't bear it anymore.

    Sun Lang was unable to oppose Sun Quan, but if he could persuade Sun Bi, the head of the Sun family, the situation would be very different. Sun Lang continued: "Now Wujun, Kuaiji and other county officials are quite critical of Jiangdong's defeat.  , This defeat will definitely increase the burden on the local government, and everyone is generally dissatisfied. They all believe that Wu Hou should bear the responsibility and abdicate. "

    Speaking of this, Sun Lang sighed again, "If Brother Fu is here, there will be hope for Jiangdong."

    The auxiliary brother Sun Lang refers to is Sun Ben's younger brother Sun Fu. The two brothers are nearly twenty years apart. Sun Fu was still a baby when his father died, so Sun Ben raised him single-handedly. The two are called brothers. In fact,  Love the same as father and son.

    Soon after Sun Quan came to the throne, Sun Fu was demoted by Sun Quan because he opposed Sun Quan's accession to the throne and secretly dated Cao Cao. He died in depression soon after, which was also the pain in Sun Ben's heart.

    Sun Lang deliberately mentioned Sun Fu, and Sun Ben's eyes suddenly opened, revealing deep emotions, including regret, nostalgia, and a trace of hatred.

    But soon, his eyes returned to calmness, and he said calmly: "Zhongmou is the lord of Jiangdong. Whether he is suitable to continue to be the Marquis of Wu is not our Sun family's final decision. Only the officials and soldiers of Jiangdong can decide, so you can  Don¡¯t ask me again, I have no opinion.¡±

    Sun Lang was overjoyed. He understood what his cousin meant. As long as the minister of civil and military affairs supported the removal of Sun Quan, his cousin had no objection. He quickly took out a booklet and handed it to Sun Bi, "These are the signatures of eighteen officials. Support  Jiangdong changed owners, please take a look at it."

    Sun Ben took the roster and flipped through it, and finally shook his head, "Eighteen people are too few, and these people's positions are not high. The number must be more than a hundred. If you add some high-ranking ministers, you will have a much greater certainty. Understand  What do I mean?"

    "I understand, I will continue to contact you and I will report it to my brother in time."

    ¡°Go! Be a little secretive and low-key, take your time, don¡¯t be too impatient, you can¡¯t eat hot tofu if you are impatient.¡±

    "Brother, don't worry, I will definitely make arrangements calmly."

    Sun Lang bowed and said goodbye. Sun Ben then sneered, "Very good, let this Sun Lang make his wedding dress!"

    He took out a letter from the box, which was a secret letter from his in-law Cao Cao. The letter promised that as long as he could overthrow Sun Quan in Jiangdong, Cao Cao would ensure that the court recognized him as the lord of Jiangdong and made him a duke.

    This letter gave Sun Ben unlimited expectations in his heart

    On the riverside, the return of more than 50,000 soldiers caused joy in Jiangdong. Hundreds of thousands of family members and ordinary people gathered in Jingkou ran to the riverside to welcome the return of their relatives. As the soldiers disembarked, the riverside began to cheer and tens of thousands of people  Breaking through the obstruction of the soldiers, he rushed towards the dock.

    The riverside was full of joy and cries of reunion. Parents hugged their sons tightly, wives hugged their husbands, and children hugged their fathers.

    But there is also the loss and crying of not being able to wait for the return of a son or a husband. This is a sad picture. After a tragic war, nothing is more precious than returning safely.

    Sun Quan stood on a small hill and looked at the scene of the reunion of hundreds of thousands of people by the river with complex eyes. He didn't know whether he was happy or annoyed. He knew very well what kind of news these soldiers would bring, and they would be grateful to Liu  Jing's kindness, but would never be grateful for Sun Quan's compromise.

    Liu Jing¡¯s kindness will sow seeds in Jiangdong from now on. When one day, Liu Jing leads his army to Jiangdong, he will no longer encounter fierce resistance from the people of Jiangdong. Will there be such a result?

    Sun Quan didn¡¯t know either, but one thing he knew very well was that at least these soldiers and their families would be grateful to Liu Jing.

    What makes Sun Quan even more annoyed is that among the returned prisoners of war, there are no prisoners of war above Yajiang, let alone Taishi Ci, Lu Meng and Xu Sheng. Without the return of generals, Sun Quan is still passive in negotiations.

    But the return of these soldiers?, which gave him a little understanding of Jiangdong's internal affairs, which made him feel a little relieved.

    At this time, a guard pointed forward and shouted: "Wu Hou, the princess is back!"

    Sun Quan also saw it. Dozens of soldiers surrounded his sister Sun Shangxiang and walked quickly. Sun Quan felt happy and guilty at the same time. It was his incompetence that left his sister behind and was captured by the Jiangxia army. He quickly greeted her.  Going up, "Shang Xiang!" Sun Quan shouted.

    Sun Shangxiang's mood was complicated. She looked at her brother's concerned eyes. The long-suppressed grievances in her heart could no longer be suppressed. Finally, tears burst out. She threw herself into her brother's arms and cried loudly. Sun Quan patted her gently.  She shouldered her shoulder and asked softly: "You haven't suffered any grievances, have you?"

    Sun Shangxiang understood what her brother was referring to. She wiped away her tears, shook her head and whispered: "I'm okay, they are very polite to me."

    At this time, Sun Quan saw Lu Su from a distance, and he suddenly became nervous. Lu Su was the person he wanted to see the most. He said to his sister: "Go back to the palace and have a good rest for a few days to see your mother. She is the one who wants to see you most."  I worry about you and send people to question me every day.¡±

    Speaking of this, Sun Quan smiled bitterly and said, "Please beg my mother for me."

    Sun Shangxiang nodded lightly, "I know, brother, don't worry! I will explain the situation to my mother. This time has nothing to do with brother, it is my own willfulness."

    Sun Quan was a little surprised. He suddenly felt that his sister had changed a little. "It's me who is willful." This was the first time he heard self-blame from his sister. He had never heard it before. He couldn't help but secretly thinking, "What happened?"  Something happened that made her temperament change?  ¡¯

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 456 Eager to seek peace

    But at this time, Sun Quan had no time to think too much. He was eager to talk to Lu Su, so he ordered his guards to escort Sun Shangxiang back to the city. Watching the large group of guards escorting the carriage away, Lu Su slowly stepped forward, bowed and saluted: "See Wu Hou  !¡±

    Sun Quan patted him on the shoulder and praised: "Bringing the soldiers back is your greatest achievement!"

    Lu Su shook his head and said with shame: "This is not the merit of the humble minister, but the face Liu Jing gave Princess Shangxiang."

    "Shang Xiang's face?"

    Sun Quan was a little stunned, how could it be because of his sister?  But then he realized that as Liu Jing, he would never release so many prisoners of war for one woman. This was actually Liu Jing's attitude. The two families stopped fighting and peace was the most important thing.

    Thinking of this, Sun Quan no longer dwelled on the matter, and changed the topic and asked: "Tell me about the negotiations with Jingzhou. What conditions did they put forward?"

    This is what Sun Quan is most concerned about. The situation in Jiangdong is now very serious. Zhao Yun's army is still stationed in Liyang County, Jiangbei, maintaining the southward pressure on Jiangdong, frightening the government and the public in Jiangdong. The two western expeditions have further increased his prestige.  It plummeted, and voices of dissatisfaction filled both the government and the public.

    The people of Shanyue have publicly stated that they no longer recognize him as the lord of Jiangdong. Some counties and counties in Jiangdong have even called for him to abdicate. The internal and external difficulties have put Sun Quan under great pressure.

    If the aftermath of the Western Expedition could not be properly resolved, he might not be able to keep his position as the master of Jiangdong. However, although Liu Jing was suspected of trying to win over the people of Jiangdong by releasing more than 50,000 prisoners of war, it also helped him at a critical moment, allowing him to challenge the government and the opposition.  There was some explanation.

    Just when Lu Sugu was about to answer, Sun Quan waved his hand and said, "I said on the way back that this is not the place to talk."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the carriage back to the city, Lu Su carefully proposed Liu Jing's conditions to Sun Quan. Sun Quan was silent. After a long while, he sighed slightly, and the sigh was full of helplessness. How could he accept it?  Opening the inland river ban, ceding Qichun County and Yuzhang County, destroying warships of more than a thousand stone, and compensating 300,000 stone of food. If these conditions are spread, Jiangdong will really boil.

    But the crisis is just around the corner. If he doesn't agree, the four counties of Qichun, Yuzhang, Lujiang and Jiujiang will be completely lost. What's more important is that they are now weak in national power and simply cannot afford another war. If the Jiangxia army marches eastward  Conquer, Jiangdong will be unable to fight anymore.

    At this time, the Jiangdong Army did not even have the strength to expel Zhao Yun's army in Liyang County. What qualifications did Sun Quan have to challenge Liu Jing again?

    At this moment, Sun Quan felt deeply humiliated and powerless. He could not find any way to solve the predicament, unless he asked Liu Jing to give in. But would he give in?

    At this moment, the carriage suddenly stopped, and a guard whispered outside the carriage: "Marquis Wu, there is urgent information to report."

    "What's going on?" Sun Quan asked calmly.

    "General Dingwu Zhonglang paid a secret visit to the Yuzhang Prefect this morning."

    Sun Quan's eyes suddenly shot out a murderous intent, and then the murderous intent disappeared, and he calmly replied: "I know!"

    Next to him, Lu Su was a little nervous. He knew that General Dingwu Zhonglang was Sun Lang, the younger brother of Marquis Wu. What did he mean by visiting Sun Bi?

    Judging from the murderous intent in Wu Hou's eyes, there must be something sensitive involved. Could it be that Lu Su suddenly thought of a possibility and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

    Sun Quan glanced at him and smiled slightly: "Don't worry, Zijing! Everything is under my control, and there will be no civil strife in Jiangdong."

    Sun Quan was not worried that Sun Lang would rebel. What he was worried about was Sun Bi. This cousin was related to Cao Cao. His relationship with Cao Cao was very unusual. When Cao Cao led his army to conquer Jingzhou in the south last year, Sun Bi secretly exchanged letters with Cao Cao.  He also knew this.

    Sun Fu¡¯s collusion with Cao Cao was actually related to Sun Ben, but he had to let him go in order to stabilize Jiangdong.

    And Sun Ben is a Jiangdong veteran, with deep connections in the Jiangdong army and official circles. If he really uses the failure of the Western Expedition to overthrow himself, it will indeed be a great threat.

    Sun Quan closed his eyes. He felt that he was in a dangerous moment of internal and external distress. If he was just a little late, he would fall off a cliff.

    In the study, Zhou Yu, Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong hurried over one after another. Everyone sat down, and Sun Quan asked Lu Su to explain the situation of Jiang Xia's envoy. The room was silent, and everyone was not angry. They all knew that Jiangdong was at this time.  There is no choice between fish and meat on the table.

    "Let's talk about it! How should we deal with it now?"

    Sun Quan slowly said to everyone: "I can't afford such conditions, but I seem to have to accept it. But once I accept it, how can I explain it to Jiangdong?"

    At this time, Zhou Yu spoke first: "In fact, destroying the Thousand Stone WarshipThe conditions are not a big problem. At present, we have only one hundred and twenty warships exceeding a thousand stones. These one hundred and twenty warships can be sold to Liu Jing as part of the food compensation, and only one of Wuhou's will be retained.  Taking a boat, I think Liu Jing would agree.  "

    Zhang Zhao next to him frowned, "But without warships of more than a thousand stones, wouldn't our Jiangdong navy be finished? How can I resist Cao Cao's invasion of Wu in the future?"

    Zhou Yu smiled slightly, "I have led the navy for a long time, and I know that the naval battle mainly relies on thousand-stone warships. The two-thousand-stone and three-thousand-stone warships are actually only used for logistics transportation. Although we do not have a thousand-stone warship, we  In the future, we can build a nine-hundred-stone warship, which is actually no different from a thousand-stone warship. As for transportation logistics, a five-hundred-stone cargo ship can also be used for great purposes. It has less manpower and is flexible and can travel against the current and wind.  Navigating on inland rivers just requires a little more quantity.¡±

    Sun Quan felt a little more enlightened, and nodded, "Gong Jin is right. What's more important is that our national strength is poor now and we cannot build big ships. If Cao Cao attacks south, a 900-stone warship can still stop Cao Cao's army from crossing the river, and it will be ten times more powerful."  We won¡¯t be able to continue our western expedition within this year, and it¡¯s useless to build big ships. I can agree to this.¡±

    Everyone was silent again. Sun Quan looked at Zhang Hong. He found that Zhang Hong seemed to have something to say, so he said, "If Zhang Changshi has anything to say, just say it. Now that things have happened, we should have no worries."

    Zhang Hong smiled bitterly, "It's not that Wei Chen has any worries, it's just that his ideas are not mature yet."

    ¡°You might as well talk about it!¡±

    Zhang Hong pondered for a while and said: "Weichen is trying to figure out Liu Jing's mentality. Since he released more than 50,000 prisoners of war regardless of conditions, Weichen feels that he actually does not want to completely weaken Jiangdong. He still hopes that Jiangdong can form an alliance with him and deal with it together.  Cao Cao, but he was not at ease with us, and at the same time he was worried that it would not be easy to explain internally, so he only released the soldiers but not the generals. "

    "Chang Shi is right!"

    Zhang Zhao also nodded in agreement: "It is true, otherwise it would be impossible to explain why Liu Jing released the prisoners of war. He is actually hinting to us that everything can be discussed, then we can grasp Liu Jing's deep meaning and protect Jiangdong to the maximum extent.  Interests."

    Sun Quan was stunned for a moment. He didn't think so deeply. He thought Liu Jing sent back the soldiers to win people's hearts. Now he understood Liu Jing's deep meaning, which made him feel a little ashamed. He asked Zhou Yu again, "What do you think Gong Jin?"

    Zhou Yu pondered for a long time and said: "I also agree with Chang Shi's opinion, and I heard that Cao Cao has withdrawn his troops from Fancheng and Xinye and left hundreds of thousands of stones of grain to Jingzhou. Coupled with the gains from Chibi and Jiangling, Jingzhou should have no shortage now."  Food is the right thing. We can actually use other things to compensate for the food. This will solve our own food shortage problem. "

    Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong looked at each other and said in unison: "Pig iron!"

    Sun Quan suddenly realized, why Zhao Yun stationed troops in Liyang, isn't it just for the iron mines in Liyang?  He slapped his forehead and sighed: "I'm really stupid. Jingzhou's iron ore has always relied on us. We have enough pig iron. Using crude iron billets instead of grain will alleviate our immediate difficulties. This dilemma will be solved."  ¡±

    "But pig iron is a strategic material, and giving it to Jingzhou is an enemy!" Zhang Zhao was still a little worried.

    Zhou Yu shook his head and said: "The military advisor is overly worried. As far as I know, Jingzhou has found a large iron ore in the Green Copper Mountain area, but the ore is not as good as ours. Even if we block the export of iron ore, it will have little impact on Jingzhou."  , Moreover, since we have agreed to open trade, the iron mines cannot be blocked, and giving them pig iron will not have any strategic impact. "

    "Gong Jin is right. In fact, compared to pig iron, food is our lifeblood. I think it is feasible to exchange pig iron for food!"

    Sun Quan affirmed Zhou Yu¡¯s plan. Although Zhang Zhao still felt it was a bit inappropriate, he couldn¡¯t find a better plan for a while, so he remained silent.

    At this time, Lu Su said from the side: "I had a special talk with Liu Jing about lifting the inland river ban. He believed that this was a matter of mutual benefit to both parties. Jingzhou would also lift the inland river ban to Jiangdong. He said that this was not  What harsh conditions.¡±

    "But has Zijing thought about the consequences of opening the inland river ban?"

    Zhang Zhao said with some dissatisfaction: "As soon as Jiangxia money comes out, it sweeps across Jiangdong. One hundred Jiangxia money can be exchanged for one hundred and fifty Jiangdong money. If the inland river ban is lifted, our civilian supplies will be plundered by Jiangxia. How can Jiangdong protect itself?"  "

    Lu Su said quickly: "I have also raised this issue with Liu Jing. He suggested that we adjust the coin casting formula and use the same copper material as Jiangxia coins. This problem can be gradually solved. The key is that opening the inland river ban can promote trade and handicrafts."  The development of the workshop is beneficial to both parties.¡±

    Zhang Hong also agreed with Lu Su's suggestion, "Actually, Zijing is right. If the river ban and sea ban are lifted, even if Jingzhou merchants are not familiar with it,Inland rivers and Jiangdong merchants will also go into the countryside to purchase various items in exchange for Jiangxia money. The inland river ban does not make much sense. The key is to unify the money so that we will not be controlled by Jiangxia money. Zijing is right.  .  "

    Sun Quan knew in his heart that if the inland river ban was lifted and Jiangxia merchants could directly enter the hinterland counties to trade, this would inevitably hit the interests of Jiangdong's big merchants. This was the key, and he needed to coordinate further.

    Sun Quan pondered for a moment and said: "The inland river ban can be relaxed first to allow more ministers to participate in the discussion. The key is the land issue. This is the big issue that is difficult for me to explain. Now Jingzhou wants to secede Qichun County and Yuzhang County.  And Pengze Lake, these are the inheritance left by my father and brother, but they are lost in my hands. How can I explain to my father and brother?"

    Speaking of this, Sun Quan let out a long sigh. In fact, he was more worried about internal divisions. If the consequences of splitting the land and dividing the territory occurred, he would encounter unprecedented opposition and doubts within Jiangdong. Sun Ben complied with the will of the people and the military, and held the ceremony in the ancestral hall.  Abolish his right to inherit Jiangdong and establish a new master. Even if he will not be captured without restraint, Jiangdong will be in chaos and cause division. This is a scene that Sun Quan absolutely does not want to see.

    Therefore, resolving the land issues in Qichun and Yuzhang is the top priority of this negotiation. He looked at everyone expectantly.

    Zhang Zhao thought the most about the land issue. He was also very realistic and knew how to choose. He said to Sun Quan: "Now all four counties are in the hands of Jingzhou. If Liu Jinruo refuses to return even one county, there is nothing we can do.  What I mean is to take back Lujiang County and Jiujiang County first. As for Qichun County, it is across the river from Jiangxia. It poses a great threat to Jiangxia. I guess there is no room for bargaining. This county is barren, but the loss to us is not big.  , just give it to Jiangxia, Pengze Lake can also be given to Jiangxia, the key is Yuzhang County, Weichen has thought about it for a long time, maybe there is a plan. "

    Sun Quan was overjoyed and said quickly: "Zi Bu, please speak!"

    Zhang Zhao said slowly while sorting out his thoughts: "We can promise Jingzhou and give them Qichun County and Yuzhang County, but ask them to wait for one year and then hand it over to Jingzhou one year later."

    "Why do you have to wait a year?" Several people asked at the same time.

    Zhang Zhao sighed and said: "The key is that we protect the reputation of the Marquis of Wu. Delivering it to Jingzhou now will have a huge impact on the reputation of the Marquis of Wu. Delaying the delivery for one year will dilute the shadow of defeat, and we can use this year to expand southward."  , the three counties of Luling County, Linchuan County and Jian'an County will be officially included in Jiangdong's possession. In this way, Jiangdong's territory will more than double. At that time, the loss of Qichun and Yuzhang County will have a very small impact. I think Liu  Jing is also a visionary person, will he agree to our plan? "

    Sun Quan nodded. This plan was considered a blessing in misfortune and could be adopted. He thought for a while and asked: "Then what arrangements will be made for Qichun and Yuzhang during this year? Does Zibu have a plan?"

    "We can discuss with Jingzhou. The army will be stationed by them, but the prefect will be appointed by us. In this way, on the surface, we will take back the two counties of Yuzhang and Qichun."

    Sun Quan also knew that this was just their plan, and the key was whether Liu Jing could accept it. He glanced at Lu Su. Although Lu Su was a good envoy, his position was slightly lower, and after all, he could not make decisions on major matters.

    Sun Quan thought for a long time and then said to Zhang Hong: "This time, I would like to trouble Chang Shi and Zijing to go to Jingzhou together. We must finalize the contract and then discuss the details of the marriage."

    Zhang Hong immediately stood up and saluted and said: "I am willing to share the worries of Wu Hou!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 457 Enlightenment in the Rain

    After more than two years of various hardships, Xiangyang City finally regained its dignity and status. Xiangyang City officially became the state government of Jingzhou ten days ago. Liu Jing appointed Su Fei as the prefect of Jiangxia, ending the governorship of Jiangxia.  After seven years as a political center, it began to turn into the largest commercial center in Jingzhou.

    At night, a fine drizzle began to fall from the sky, making the hot summer night a little cooler. In front of Jia Xu's house, Wei Yan was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back.

    The concierge wanted to report to the owner several times on his behalf, but he stopped him. He was very confused and didn't know whether he should come to visit Jia Xu.

    Because of Wei Yan's meritorious service in strictly guarding Xiazhi County, he was promoted to the position of deputy captain. This was a kind of kindness and power exerted by Liu Jing. He was first demoted for crimes, then promoted for merit, and was reused, and finally made him  Wei Yan obeyed and did not dare to bargain with Liu Jing like he did in Chibi.

    At this time, Wei Yan already knew that Jingzhou's next strategy would be the Western Expedition. How to get a place in the Western Expedition was a top priority for him.

    He longed to be awarded a title for meritorious service, like Zhao Yun, to be named Zhonglang General, or even to be promoted to General Pi, like Huang Zhong.

    But now he no longer dares to directly approach Liu Jing and ask to participate in the Western Expedition. Wei Yan has also learned to express his wishes tactfully. He wants to find someone to help him intercede in front of Liu Jing.

    Wei Yan couldn't help but look at Jia Xu's door. He knew who he should look for. Jia Xu was Liu Jing's most trusted planner. If Jia Xu was willing to recommend him in front of Liu Jing, then he would definitely have the opportunity to participate in the West.  levy.

    In the past, Wei Yan looked down on these civil servants and counselors, but after experiencing Zhou Buyi's plan in Xiazhi County last time, Wei Yan had completely changed his prejudice against counselors, and he gradually understood the close relationship between generals, commanders, and counselors.

    At this time, the porter shouted in a low voice: "General Wei, the master's carriage is out!"

    Wei Yan was startled, is Jia Xu going out?  The gate of Jia's Mansion opened, and a carriage drove out. Wei Yan could no longer resist the desire for merit in his heart, and hurriedly stepped forward to salute the carriage, "For your humble position, please see the military advisor!"

    The carriage stopped next to Wei Yan, and the curtain opened, revealing Jia Xu's smiling face, "Why is General Wei here?"

    Wei Yan was a little embarrassed and said: "I wanted to pay a visit to the military advisor. If something happens to the military advisor, Wei Yan can come and visit another day!"

    "I'm sorry. I just received a notice from Zhou Mu asking me to go to the official residence to discuss the military situation. I'm rude to General Wei."

    "I don't dare! It's just a humble job that comes uninvited. I'll come to visit the military advisor another day."

    Wei Yan saluted and was about to leave, but Jia Xu looked at him for a moment and smiled faintly, "Congratulations to General Wei for your meritorious service and promotion!"

    Wei Yan understood that Jia Xu wanted to talk to him. He stopped and said with a face full of shame: "In this battle against Jiangdong, Wei Yan finally understood the way of being a minister. Thinking about his past willful behavior, Wei Yan felt deeply ashamed.  ¡±

    Jia Xu was very aware of the changes in Wei Yan's mind. He smiled slightly and said: "The ancients often talked about benevolence, virtue, justice and etiquette, which has a deep meaning. Simply put, benevolence is what a monarch does. He controls his subordinates with benevolence and treats the people with benevolence.  It is the foundation of governing a country; virtue is what civilians do with good intentions and people live in harmony with virtue, which is the source of a country's stability; righteousness is what officials and generals do, be grateful for the kindness, serve the country, forge ahead with determination, and work hard to become stronger.  The source of a country¡¯s vitality; etiquette is the rules and order. The superiors and inferiors are well-ordered and behave according to the etiquette. In this way, the people will not be in trouble and bandits, the officials will not have rebellious ministers, and the world will be peaceful. "

    Speaking of this, Jia Xu said to Wei Yan with sincerity: "General Wei is a strong general in Jingzhou. He is highly regarded by the state pastor. In Jingzhou, generals are famous for their righteousness. But I feel that righteousness alone is not enough. He must also know etiquette and understand the superiors and subordinates."  Honor and inferiority, understand the difference between high and low, and understand the way of a monarch and his ministers. Only in this way can General Wei know what he should do and what he shouldn't do, and he can move up step by step. "

    Seeing that Wei Yan had some understanding, Jia Xu continued with a smile: "Actually, being a deputy captain is not scary. The scary thing is to be a deputy captain forever. Zhou Mu ordered General to guard Chaisang. It has a profound meaning. If General Wei could  Defend Chaisang and force Sun Quan to fight inside Jingzhou. When Sun Quan is defeated, Chaisang will keep his mouth shut. General Wei will be able to capture Sun Quan alive and make an immortal contribution. Maybe he will no longer be the deputy captain. "

    A word made Wei Yan feel a lot in his heart. If he knew that he had made mistakes before, but now Jia Yi's words make him know where he is wrong?  It made him feel suddenly enlightened.

    He has been regarded as a thorn in the army since he joined the army, and he never felt that he was at fault. He believed that it was his superiors who made things difficult for him and that his talents were not recognized. Liu Jing's important use of him made him feel grateful, but he did not change his attitude.  My outlook on life is still my own way.

    It wasn¡¯t until today that Jia Xu¡¯s sincere persuasion finally made Wei Yan understand the root cause of his repeated setbacks over the past ten years. In his life, he has only been loyal and disrespectful. He has always offended his superiors and committed the following crimes:Go up and even bargain with Liu Jing.

    Thinking of this, Wei Yan couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. His heart was filled with fear and gratitude. He knew very well that if he didn't get rid of this character flaw, he would become a rebel in the future and die without a burial place.

    He respectfully knelt down in the muddy water, leaned over and bowed to Jia Xu, saying: "The Duke's words have made Wei Yansheng study for ten years. If Wei Yan has a good death in the future, it is all due to the Duke's gift today. It is a great favor from the Duke."  , Wei Yan keeps it in mind.¡±

    "General, there is no need to pay such a big courtesy, please get up quickly!"

    Jia Xu quickly asked Wei Yan to stand up, then stroked his beard and said with a smile: "This is actually a matter of course. I just reminded General Wei at the right time. Don't deliberately strive for everything. If you don't fight, you will fight. If you don't fight, you will fight."  Youwei, you must believe in Zhou Mu¡¯s decision-making. There is a deep meaning in placing General Wei in any position. As long as you do your best to do your job, the glory and dignity that belongs to you will never leave you. "

    Wei Yan nodded silently. He really understood this time. Tonight he was still thinking of currying favor with Jia Xu and fighting for the opportunity to go to the Western Expedition. Now he no longer has this idea, just like when he complained about Liu Jing's arrangement for him to go there.  Chai Sang didn't know that a war with Jiangdong would break out half a year later, causing him to miss the opportunity.

    He sighed deeply in his heart, "Wei Yan understands!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing's residence in Jingzhou is still the former Liu Biao Zhou Mu's official residence. He has no taboos. Almost all the buildings remain the same. Even the Little Red Building where Mrs. Cai originally lived has not been demolished, but it is temporarily unoccupied.  The door is closed and sealed as is.

    At this time, Jia Xu's carriage came rapidly from the east and slowly stopped in front of the gate of the Prefecture Mufu. An attendant helped Jia Xu out of the carriage. Dong Yun, who was waiting at the door, quickly held an umbrella to welcome him.

    Jia Xu looked at both sides of the gate and saw several carriages parked, then he smiled and said, "Am I late?"

    "Everyone has arrived and is waiting for the military advisor."

    Jia Xu nodded and followed Dong Yun to the outer study in the east courtyard of the mansion.

    This outer study was also the study room where Liu Biao used to receive important ministers. It is now Liu Jing's office in the mansion. The layout of the study is no different from before, except that there are a few more calligraphy and paintings on the wall, and several sand tables are placed in the next room.  .

    The room was brightly lit. Xu Shu, Kuai Liang, Jiang Wan, Liao Li, Zhou Buyi and other counselors and staff had already arrived, waiting for Jia Xu to arrive.

    Xu Shuzheng and Kuai Liang were sitting and chatting. Kuai Liang still serves as the president of Jiangxia Academy. Due to the westward movement of the military and political center, Jiangxia Academy will also move back to Xiangyang and will be renamed Jingzhou Academy. It will become the largest government-run academy in Jingzhou.

    Kuai Liang first came to Xiangyang to confirm the relocation of the academy. He came to see Liu Jing tonight and happened to meet Liu Jing convening an important military and political discussion. He was also invited to participate in this discussion.

    At this time, Dong Yun came in with Jia Xu, and everyone stood up and saluted. Jia Xu smiled apologetically: "I'm late, so I kept everyone waiting!"

    But he didn¡¯t see Liu Jing, so he asked, ¡°Hasn¡¯t the Lord arrived yet?¡±

    "I'm here!"

    Liu Jing walked in from the outside and smiled at Jia Xu: "The military advisor is not the last one, I am the last one to arrive."

    Jia Xu smiled bitterly and said, "My Lord, saying this makes Jia Xu even more ashamed."

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hand, "I've invited you all here tonight because I have something important to discuss with you. Please sit down, everyone!"

    Everyone sat down one after another, and Liu Jing also returned to his seat and sat down. Then he said to everyone: "There are two things. One is about Jiangdong, and the second is about Bashu. Two important news came at the same time. Let's talk about Jiangdong first.  , Jiangdong is unstable, and the Bashu strategy cannot be implemented. "

    Liu Jing took out a piece of information and handed it to Jia Xu, asking him to circulate it to everyone, and said: "This is urgent information sent from Jingkou. The situation in Jiangdong is not good. Sun Ben held a clan meeting in Sun's ancestral hall to accuse Sun Quan face to face.  The Western Expedition failed. Jiangdong veteran Zhu Zhi publicly expressed his support for Sun Ben's doubts. Sun Lang went to Kuaiji and obtained He Qi's 10,000 troops. Lu Fan, the prefect of Kuaiji, abandoned his official position and fled back to Jingkou. Now Kuaiji County is under the control of Sun Lang.  Jiangdong is about to see civil strife."

    There was silence in the room. At this time, Xu Shu pondered and said: "If there is civil strife or division in Jiangdong, it may be an opportunity for us. Maybe we can take Jiangdong first."

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I'm afraid it's not that simple. Sun Ben's brother Sun Fu was forced to death by Sun Quan for having an affair with Cao Cao. I always thought that the real person who had an affair with Cao Cao was Sun Ben. He and Cao Cao are relatives. This time Sun Ben condemned it in his family temple.  At the same time as Sun Quan, Zhang Liao led 80,000 troops to Hefei and directed his troops to Jiangdong. This is definitely not a coincidence. It is obvious that Cao Cao is secretly supporting Sun Bi. If there is civil strife in Jiangdong, it will not be us, but Cao Cao."

      At this time Jiang Wan said: "Can we consider using Ma Chao to contain Cao Cao so that he is unable to interfere in Jiangdong?"

    "Inappropriate!"

    Jia Xu disagreed with Jiang Wan's suggestion, "Ma Chao is an important chess piece for us and the key to our western expedition to Bashu and Hanzhong. It cannot be used prematurely. More importantly, Cao Cao holds the emperor hostage to order the princes. He can use the emperor's power to  We can't easily send troops to Jiangdong to suppress the chaos in Jiangdong. Moreover, the people of Jiangdong will not accept us because of the feud between Jing and Wu. Instead, it will lead to more chaos and plunge us into the quagmire of Jiangdong. I must not act rashly against Jiangdong. "

    Jia Xu's suggestion touched Liu Jing's heart. Liu Jing nodded and said to everyone: "I also have the same attitude. Supporting Sun Quan and stabilizing Jiangdong is our current interest."

    Having said this, Liu Jing took out another letter, "This is an express letter from Deputy Military Advisor Sima. He and Liu Zhang's envoy are about to arrive in Xiangyang. Stabilizing Jiangdong is a top priority for us."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 458 Who is the drumstick?

    After deliberation for half an hour, everyone stood up to leave. Liu Jing winked at Jia Xu. Jia Xu understood and deliberately left a step later and stayed.

    At this time, Liu Jingzheng and Kuai Liang were talking about Jingzhou Academy. Liu Jing smiled and said: "Jingzhou Academy is related to our future talents and is very important. I have discussed this matter with Xu Changshi and we will fully support the academy."  Move back to Xiangyang, but I want to hear your own thoughts."

    Kuai Liang said quickly: "There are currently two plans within the academy. The first is to move back to Longzhong, and the second is to build the academy in Xiangyang City. The support for these two plans is about the same."

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and asked, "What is Mr. Pang De's attitude?"

    Pang Degong is an academic leader in Jingzhou and even in the world. His opinions are crucial. Even if Liu Jing has ideas, he must respect his opinions first.

    "Pang Degong did not support moving to Longzhong. He said that the Lumen Academy in Longzhong was enough, but Jingzhou Academy could not be accommodated."

    Liu Jing laughed. It seemed that Pang Degong was smarter than he thought and knew the difference between Lumen Academy and Jingzhou Academy.

    Liu Jing took out the map of Xiangyang City, spread it on the table, pointed to the southwest corner and said: "This is the old Xiangyang Academy, covering an area of ??40 acres. Next to it is the former Cai Zhong's mansion, which is now vacant and covers an area of ??30 acres. It is close to  The Cai Family Sword Hall in Baihuai Lane covers an area of ??20 acres, and there are also some scattered buildings. The total area is about 100 acres. Xiangyang Academy can be rebuilt with the old academy as the center. "

    Kuai Liang was overjoyed. He saw real support. Liu Jing even chose a place for them. This was not just lip service. He sighed and said, "Everyone is eager to return home. I hope to move back to Xiangyang within the year."

    "There will definitely be no problem in moving back within the year. Xu Changshi will make arrangements for it. I generally won't interfere, but I have a principle for the academy. I hope Kuai Gong can remember it."

    "Zhou Mu, please speak!"

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "Although it is called Jingzhou Academy, I hope it recruits talents from all over the world. Does Mr. Kuai understand?"

    Kuai Liang nodded, "I understand what Zhou Mu means."

    At this time, Jia Xu returned to the study. Kuai Liang saw that they still had important matters to discuss, so he stood up and left. Liu Jing sent Kuai Liang off, came back and smiled at Jia Xu: "There is still some unfinished business about Bashu.  I want to discuss it with the military advisor."

    Jia Xu chuckled and said, "I am willing to listen to my lord."

    The two of them sat down, Liu Jing took out another letter and said: "This is a secret letter written by Sima Yi to me. Regarding his plan to take Bashu, you should read it first!"

    Jia Xu was a little surprised. Liu Jing didn't show this letter just now. In other words, Liu Jing actually had another plan to seize Bashu, which was even more top-secret.

    Jia Xu took the letter and read it hastily, his brows gradually furrowed. In the letter, Sima Yi had already confirmed that Liu Zhang would meet with Liu Jing. He suggested that he should follow the Qin State's strategy of imprisoning King Huai of Chu and use the opportunity of the meeting to imprison Liu Zhang directly.  Capture Bashu.

    Jia Xu thought for a long time and said: "The Qin State did not imprison King Huai of Chu for the purpose of annexing the Chu State. It would be inappropriate to simply follow suit. I am worried that if Liu Zhang is imprisoned, the Shu people will make Liu Zhang's son the new king. If they are united, they will not be able to capture Bashu."  , it would be more beneficial to take advantage of Liu Zhang's cowardice and encroach on Bashu step by step."

    Liu Jing nodded and praised: "The military advisor is right. In fact, Sima Yi's other plan is good. If you want to take it, give it to him first. On the surface, Jianping County and Yidu County will be returned to Bashu, and then befriend Liu Zhang to confuse him.  In my heart, I was thinking about whether we could take advantage of the civil strife in Jiangdong to make Liu Zhang feel that we intend to march eastward and continue to confuse him. "

    Jia Xu laughed, "This method is good. If used well, it can really confuse Bashu. I suggest that we expand the Chaisang Water Village and deploy heavy troops in Chaisang, especially warships. We should gather Chaisang to form an east  I believe there will be spies who will report these details to Liu Zhang in time."

    Liu Jing walked a few steps in the room with her hands behind her back, and then said to Jia Xu: "Actually, I am more concerned about the impact of external forces on the situation in Bashu."

    ¡®External forces!  ¡¯

    Jia Xu continued to be slightly startled, isn¡¯t it just Liu Bei?  His thoughts changed and he immediately understood, "Master, do you mean Liu Bei, Cao Cao and Zhang Lu?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "Actually, Cao Cao's problem is not that big. He has no direct influence on Bashu. The key is Zhang Lu, one in the south and one in the north. They have a huge influence on Bashu and will be directly related to our capture of Bashu. We cannot forget these two  Power!"

    After a pause, Liu Jing continued: "Actually, Liu Bei's side is easy to deal with. Liu Zhang intercepted Zhang Song's letter of colluding with Liu Bei. He was extremely angry and hoped to join us in attacking Wu City and pull out Liu Bei's nail in the westward march. That way  First, Liu Bei will not have another chance to advance westward to Bashu. In fact, I am more concerned about Zhang Lu in Hanzhong.I thought he would definitely not be watching the excitement.  "

    At this time, Jia Xu smiled and said: "Speaking of Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, Wei Chen has a plan to create conditions for us to win Bashu and Hanzhong."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and said quickly: "I would like to hear the details!"

    Jia Xu smiled and whispered a few words, and Liu Jing immediately fell into deep thought. After a long time, Liu Jing asked: "If this is the case, Cai Jin's role as the commander-in-chief of Shangyong is a bit weak."

    Jia Xu nodded, "Cai Jin can't take on this important task. Wei Yan is recommended by Wei Yan as the commander-in-chief of Shangyong."

    "Wei Yan?"

    Liu Jing was slightly stunned, and asked with some confusion: "Does the military advisor think Wei Yan is feasible? I think Liu Hu is good."

    "Weichen will have a deep talk with Wei Yan today. I believe he will be able to complete this task."

    If Liu Jing realized something, he nodded and said with a smile: "Since the military advisor recommended him, let's use him! But Wei Yan is just a drumhead. Who does the military advisor think is suitable for the drumsticks?"

    Jia Xu said casually: "My lord, doesn't he have a ready-made person?"

    Liu Jing laughed, and then ordered the guards outside the door: "Go and summon Meng Da to see me quickly!"

    Not long after, a burly man in his thirties walked in quickly, knelt down on one knee, clasped his fists and said, "Meng Da pays homage to Zhou Mu!"

    Meng Da was originally the captain of Guanghan in Yizhou and had a very good relationship with Fa Zheng. When they entered Shu together, they gained the respect of Zhang Song together with Fa Zheng. Zhang Song regarded him as a confidant. As Zhang Song was promoted to Yizhou Biejia,  , Meng Da was also recommended by Zhang Song as the captain of Guanghan.

    Not long ago, Zhang Song was killed for colluding with Liu Bei. Although Fazheng was not implicated, Meng Da became the first person Liu Zhang wanted to purge. Meng Da was so frightened that he abandoned his official position and fled. Fazheng recommended him to Liu Zhang.  Jing, just two days ago, Meng Da arrived in Xiangyang secretly.

    Liu Jing quickly helped him up and said with a smile: "I have an extremely important task. Can General Meng help me?"

    Meng Da is an extremely astute person. He immediately bowed and said: "I am willing to serve the state pastor to the death!"

    Liu Jing nodded with satisfaction. This person is quite aware of current affairs.

    Early the next morning, Liu Jing slowly entered Fancheng under the escort of hundreds of cavalry. Many years ago, Liu Jing used to be the defender of the south gate of Fancheng. He always had a special feeling for this city.

    Fancheng is very different from the past. This city that was once the most prosperous commercial city in Jingzhou gradually lost its former commercial status because it fell into the hands of Cao Jun for more than a year, and a large number of merchants moved to Jiangxia.

    Although the state government returned to Xiangyang, Fancheng inevitably began to decline and became a vassal city of Xiangyang.

    This is also based on strategic considerations. If Fancheng is too prosperous, once Cao Jun goes south again and captures Fancheng, the blow to Jingzhou will be extremely serious. Downplaying the status of Fancheng is also based on this consideration.

    The biggest change is the decrease in population. Fancheng once had a population of 160,000 at its peak, but now the population is less than 70,000, which has been reduced by more than half.

    The crowds of people on the street are no longer visible. The street is deserted. Although the pubs and shops are still open, there are obviously few customers. The former enthusiastic bartender is sitting in front of the door chatting boredly.

    The new Fancheng County Magistrate is Liu Jing¡¯s old acquaintance Lu Sheng, who was the chief bookkeeper of the Youxiao Office. He once served as the Yangxin County Magistrate and has just been appointed as the Fancheng County Magistrate.

    He followed Liu Jing and introduced to Liu Jing: "The current population in Fancheng is about 55,000, and some will return. I estimate it will be around 70,000. And as Xiangyang gets on the right track,  Fancheng will slowly prosper again. After all, Xiangyang's business still depends on Fancheng.

    Liu Jing nodded, "Although Fancheng's business cannot be compared with the past, it is still needed, mainly to develop trade with the Central Plains. I hope that in two years, Fancheng's population will return to 100,000. In addition, I plan to  Build a large-scale Xiangfan pontoon on the Han River so that people no longer need ferries and can cross the river directly. I have asked Carpenter to consider the plan. It should be able to accommodate pedestrians without affecting boating. It is expected that construction will start before the end of the year! "

    Lu Sheng was overjoyed, "If there is a floating bridge, then Fancheng will be revitalized quickly."

    Liu Jing smiled and said nothing. It is impossible for Fancheng to develop much. It is almost enough to become a residential area in Xiangyang.

    At this time, everyone came to a small courtyard. The far door was locked and covered with dust. Liu Jing looked at this small courtyard. This was his first home and later Uncle Meng's residence. Since then, three years ago,  After Uncle Meng died of illness, this small courtyard became vacant.

    Liu Jing stared at the courtyard gate for a long time. He sighed in his heart, did not enter the small courtyard, and urged his horse to continue inspecting Fancheng.

    At this moment, a soldier rushed over from behind and shouted from afar:"Zhou Mu, I have something important to report."

    "What's the matter?" Liu Jing stopped his horse.

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, the envoy from Jiangdong has arrived. Now they have arrived at the dock. Xu Changshi asks Zhou Mu to return as soon as possible."

    Although Zhang Hong has been dealing with Jingzhou for more than ten years, this is his first time in Xiangyang. This time he and Lu Su received a grand reception. Military advisor Jia Xu and Chief Shi Xu Shu came in person with more than a dozen officials.  Greeted at the pier.

    Lu Su was the middleman. He introduced Jia Xu and Xu Shu to Zhang Hong one by one. Zhang Hong cupped his hands and smiled and said: "I have admired these two famous names for a long time, and today I can meet them. Zhang Hong is very happy for his whole life."

    In fact, Jia Xu's reputation is much greater than that of Xu Shu, but Zhang Hong is very smart. He must not favor one over the other at this time. He must respect Xu Shu as much as he does. Moreover, he talks and laughs, and is very approachable. Compared with Lu Su's seriousness,  , and makes people feel more relaxed and happy.

    This is one of the reasons why Sun Quan sent him here. Not only was his status higher than that of Lu Su, Lu Su was just here to get the bottom of things, but at the most critical moment of the negotiation, Zhang Hong still needed to take action.

    The crowd welcomed Zhang Hong and Lu Su into Xiangyang City. The broad and gorgeous carriages were walking on the flat VIP road, with military guards behind them. The momentum was quite spectacular. On the civilian roads on both sides, ordinary people kept bowing to salute the convoy with attitude.  Very respectful.

    Zhang Hong nodded and praised: "I think the city is spacious, which is the second best. The people of Xiangyang are well-educated and understand the importance of respecting the elders and the younger. Only when the people are prosperous can the country prosper. This is the foundation for the prosperity of Jingzhou. In comparison, Jiangdong is slightly lacking and needs to be  Keep up the good work!¡±

    Xu Shu smiled and said: "Zhang Changshi is too humble."

    The convoy soon arrived at the Jingzhou Military and Government Office, which was the original state government office. A group of magnificent buildings suddenly appeared in front of everyone. Even Lu Su was shocked when it was his first time in Jingzhou.

    In the past, people often said that Wuhou Mansion was called Wuwang Palace among the people, which was an arrogant name. But in fact, there was not much problem with the building of Wuwang Palace. It was specially designed to be smaller than the palace when it was built. However, today he saw Jingzhou  Only the state government knows what trespassing is, and I'm afraid even the imperial palace is no more like this.

    Zhang Hong next to him smiled and said nothing, his expression was not abnormal at all. He had long heard that Liu Biao behaved like an emperor. Today, it seems that he is well-deserved. However, this is Liu Biao's masterpiece and has nothing to do with Liu Jing. Besides, even if it is Liu Jing  To build, he must also turn a blind eye.

    At this moment, the sound of horse hooves came from behind, and a guard shouted: "The Zhou Mu is here!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 459 Jing-Wu Negotiations

    The troops moved out of the way, and Zhang Hong saw Liu Jing galloping towards this side, escorted by hundreds of cavalry. He and Lu Su quickly got off the carriage. After a moment, Liu Jing's horse galloped towards him. He turned over and dismounted, and quickly  Stepping forward, he smiled and said, "I am in Fancheng. I came late and neglected two distinguished guests."

    Zhang Hong and Lu Su quickly stepped forward to salute, "See Liu Zhoumu!"

    Liu Jing nodded to Jia Xu and Xu Shu, and winked at Xu Shu. Xu Shu understood and went back to prepare the negotiation materials and negotiation location.

    Liu Jing and Zhang Hong exchanged a few words of greetings, and then walked to the main hall with Zhang Hong in person. Jia Xu accompanied Lu Su from behind. When they reached the steps, Liu Jing pointed to the magnificent main hall and said, "This is the main hall built by my uncle."  , Frankly speaking, I think it is very inappropriate, and I am ready to demolish it, but when I think that Cao Cao is also building the Tongque Tower, I am a little hesitant. I wonder what Zhang Changshi suggests? "

    Zhang Hong smiled slightly and said, "You can judge by people's minds. How about Prime Minister Cao building the Bronze Bird Tower? The world naturally knows that in the past, Jing Sheng acted arrogantly and was found an excuse by the imperial court for the southern expedition. Although Zhou Mu was a prince of Chu, after all,  I am a minister, how can I be praised by everyone because of Cao Cao's construction of the Bronze Bird Tower? I think it would be more admirable if Dezhou Mu corrected all the things that were wrong in Jingsheng in the past."

    Zhang Hong said it very implicitly, but his meaning was very clear. Liu Biao committed a foul and you should correct it. This is a wise move. Liu Jing nodded. Jia Xu and Xu Shu also advised him in this way, but he was still a little hesitant. Now  Zhang Hong's advice from an outsider's perspective has a different meaning.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing turned back to Dong Yun and said, "Let's make arrangements to demolish the main hall starting tomorrow!"

    "I obey my orders!" Dong Yun immediately wrote down the matter.

    At this time, Zhang Hong smiled again and said: "Now that it has been demolished, it should be reported. The state pastor should report the matter to the court in a timely manner, and then ask the court to send someone to verify. This is a complete matter."

    Zhang Hong has been an official in the court for many years, and he is very clear about the rules of the court. When Liu Biao violated the law, there were a lot of calls for impeachment. The court had already put it on record. Liu Jing could not just break it. He had to go to the court to clear the case in order to get the reward.  good reputation.

    In this matter, Zhang Hong also went along with the flow and persuaded Liu Jing frankly in order to gain Liu Jing's favor and lay an emotional foundation for the subsequent negotiations. In this regard, he was more sophisticated and smooth than Lu Su. He knew how to get what he wanted before giving it to him.  reason.

    Liu Jing nodded happily. He suddenly realized that he really needed someone who had a deep understanding of the court to remind him from time to time or to pave the way for him in the court. Kuai Yue was a good candidate.

    Everyone came to the back hall, where Jingzhou's senior officials discussed important military and political matters. Zhang Hong and Lu Su sat down. This time Liu Jing interviewed them in person. Jia Xu and Xu Shu sat on either side of him, and there were others behind him.  More than a dozen officials.

    Zhang Hong smiled bitterly and said: "Let me make a digression first. Wu Hou's status in Jiangdong has encountered challenges. The Sun family including Sun Bi and Sun Lang, as well as some civil and military officials headed by Zhu Zhi, have questioned  Wu Hou's ability, they believed that he could not lead Jiangdong to prosperity. Their doubts were supported by Kuaiji County, Poyang County and other places. This was the second crisis Wu Hou had encountered since he ascended the throne. The situation in Jiangdong was very serious. "

    Liu Jing and Jia Xu looked at each other. They had already obtained this information. Sun Quan had encountered internal opposition. Not only that, Zhang Liao led an army of 80,000 to Hefei, waiting for Jiangdong to split. Just last night, they internally discussed Jiangdong overnight.  situation, they already have countermeasures.

    Of course Liu Jing knew why Zhang Hong made this digression. He hoped that Jingzhou could consider long-term interests instead of seeking temporary gains and help Sun Quan tide over the difficulties. However, if he didn't give Zhang Hong a beating, he would think that he was too talkative.  Liu Jing smiled and said: "I have always paid attention to the internal affairs of Jiangdong and will not easily interfere. I deeply sympathize with Wu Hou's situation, but there is nothing I can do."

    Zhang Hong quickly said cautiously: "But this negotiation is directly related to Wu Hou's survival. Zhou Mu's willingness to release the prisoners of war early is a great support to Wu Hou. We also hope that Zhou Mu can further support Wu Hou."

    "Zhang Changshi misunderstood!"

    Liu Jing laughed and said: "The prisoners were released only because I owed Princess Shangxiang an explanation back then, so I gave her a compensation. This is just a personal relationship and has nothing to do with the overall situation of Jingzhou and Jiangdong. Zhang Changshi, don't think too much. I always  I only care about Jingzhou¡¯s interests, and the chaos in Jiangdong has nothing to do with me.¡±

    Zhang Hong and Lu Su looked at each other, with disappointment in their eyes. Lu Su couldn't help but said: "If Wu Hou unfortunately fails, I'm afraid Zhou Mu will have to deal with Sun Ben. Can he guarantee Jingzhou's interests?"

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "If he can keep his word, it won't hurt to deal with him."

    Zhang Hong's face suddenly became very ugly. Liu Jing's meaning was too clear, that isRidiculing Sun Quan for not keeping his word, I'm afraid this is the key to Liu Jing's refusal to give in

    The first meeting between Liu Jing and Zhang Hong ended hastily, and the atmosphere was not very friendly. Liu Jing bluntly expressed his dissatisfaction with Sun Quan, which made Zhang Hong unable to continue the conversation. However, Liu Jing provided them with accommodation and food arrangements.  But it was very good. It was arranged in Xiangyang Guiguan Hotel, which is the most luxurious post house in Jingzhou. It covers an area of ??20 acres and has a total of five small courtyards, including pavilions, pavilions and lakeside Champs. They are all exquisitely built. Each courtyard has three  A maid and a steward serve, and everything is considered extremely thoughtful.

    Although they live well, Zhang Hong and Lu Su cannot enjoy such VIP treatment with peace of mind. They are worried and don't know how to fulfill Sun Quan's trust?

    In the room, Zhang Hong was discussing the next step with Lu Su. Zhang Hong sighed and said: "On the surface, Liu Jing is relatively easy to talk to. I advised him to demolish the main hall, and he accepted it readily, but he didn't expect to talk about business.  At that time, he was unmoved and insisted on Jingzhou's interests. In this way, it would be difficult to continue the conversation. Zijing, this trip is not good! "

    Lu Su fell into deep thought. He had been dealing with Liu Jing for many years. He felt that Liu Jing was not so stingy and only focused on the interests in front of him. After pondering for a long time, Lu Su slowly said: "I think this might be the case."  It was a way to vent his emotions. He was very dissatisfied with Wu Hou for tearing up the agreement and marching westward. The key is how we make him believe in his future promises. "

    Zhang Hong shook his head and said: "Do you believe it or not? Even if we want to go to the west, we may not have the strength. I think he knows in his heart that I will not have the strength to go to the west within five years, so I think he mentioned Wu  Hou's so-called breach of contract and breach of trust actually had other intentions. "

    "Is Liu Jing waiting for the outcome of the civil strife in Jiangdong before starting negotiations?" Lu Su pondered for a while.

    "It's very possible, that's why he said that if Sun Ben keeps his word, it won't hurt to deal with him."

    Zhang Hong took a few steps with his hands behind his back, then suddenly shook his head and denied his thoughts, "Impossible! Liu Jing must know the relationship between Sun Bi and Cao Cao. He would never want Sun Bi to take power in Jiangdong. He should support Wu Hou.  "

    Both of them are a little confused, so what is Liu Jing¡¯s intention?

    At this moment, the steward rushed to the door and reported: "Our military advisor is here, asking to see Zhang Changshi!"

    Zhang Hong was startled, and immediately said with great joy: "Please come in quickly!"

    At this moment, he suddenly understood what was the key to the unfavorable outcome of today¡¯s negotiation?  The key is that they did not communicate in advance, so Liu Jing was unwilling to enter into negotiations. Jia Xu's arrival must have come for the purpose of communicating in advance.

    Zhang Hong personally welcomed him out and met Jia Xu at the gate of the courtyard. Jia Xu smiled slightly and said, "I'm here to clear up Zhang Gong's confusion!"

    Zhang Hong was even more happy. Sure enough, he guessed it. He quickly gave a deep salute and said, "Commander Jia is here, it will be a life-saving grace for Zhang Hong!"

    "Haha, Zhang Changshi said something serious, let's go inside and talk!"

    "please!"

    The two walked into the room and sat down separately. Lu Su also sat beside him. Two maids served them tea. Jia Xu then got straight to the point: "We are very aware of the relationship between Sun Bi and Cao Cao, so we hope that Wu Hou can stabilize the situation in Jiangdong."  , Don¡¯t let Cao Cao take advantage of it, this is also the wish of my family.¡±

    Zhang Hong sighed, "Only after hearing the Duke's words can we know Liu Zhoumu's sincerity."

    Jia Xu smiled and said: "Liu Zhoumu also has his difficulties. Please forgive me Zhang Changshi. I came today just to hear Jiangdong's reply to the previous conditions. We will try our best to communicate in private to help the table.  lay a good foundation for successful negotiations.¡±

    Zhang Hong nodded and said: "I completely understand Zhou Mu's difficulties and agree with such private communication. Frankly speaking, we promised not to build large ships of more than a thousand stones within five years. Now the remaining more than 150 large ships can be  Leave it to Jingzhou, and then open up the inland river ban. We hope to restrict the sale of food from both sides. "

    "This can be considered, and another one is added: Jiangdong is not allowed to buy kerosene from Jingzhou."

    Zhang Hong agreed without hesitation. This was Sun Quan's bottom line. As long as the trade in grain was restricted, the inland river ban could be lifted. As for kerosene, they could buy it from the north. It was not a big problem. At this time, Lu Su added: "About the three  The compensation is 100,000 shi of grain. Jiangdong is also experiencing a grain shortage. We hope to use pig iron to replace grain. Is this feasible? "

    Jia Xu pondered for a moment and said: "The earliest Liu Zhoumu proposed was one million shi of grain compensation. Taking into account Jiangdong's bearing capacity and the livelihood of the people in Jiangdong, it was gradually reduced to 300,000 shi of grain, which would be given to Jingzhou in three years.  If we want to change it to pig iron, then it will be more than 300,000 shi, and there is no installment plan. We want pig iron compensation equivalent to 600,000 shi of grain, which should be paid within one year. Can Zhang Changshi agree? "Zhang Hong thought about it briefly and realized that this condition was not harsh. They could afford it and it would not even have any impact on them. There were enough rough iron billets in the Liyang warehouse and they could be handed over to Jingzhou.

    "I can promise. There is enough pig iron in the Liyang warehouse, and Jingzhou can pick it up at any time."

    At this point, Zhang Hong and Lu Su looked at each other, with excitement in their eyes. They did not expect to reach a consensus so smoothly, but the most critical point is the ownership of Yuzhang and Qichun counties. Jingzhou  Whether you can agree to it or not depends on this.

    Zhang Hong's expression became serious, "I would like to discuss in detail with Military Advisor Jia the ownership of Yuzhang and Qichun counties. We have put forward a plan."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 460 Reaching Consensus

    In the official room of the state government office, Jia Xu was reporting back to Liu Jing about today's communication with Zhang Hong. Liu Jing couldn't help laughing, "I want to use pig iron to compensate for grain. How do I calculate the price? There is a big cost in the middle. It's not a good calculation.  We can only get pig iron at the price of 400,000 shi, which is good, which is equivalent to 800,000 shi of grain, so how to set this price? "

    Jia Xu also smiled and said: "I also raised this question. Zhang Hong said that the price of grain and pig iron are determined by us. Wei Chen feels that they are willing to suffer big losses on this, but they hope that we will cede land.  Accept their plan.¡±

    "Sun Quan is not stupid at all to take advantage of a small loss! What land plan did he propose?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    "Zhang Hong first agreed to cede Pengze Lake to us. They have no dispute on this point, but they have different opinions on the cession of Qichun County and Yuzhang County."

    "What? Are they unwilling to agree?" Liu Jing's tone turned cold.

    "No, they hope to cede the two counties to us a year later. After they take over Luling County, Linchuan County and Jian'an County, they will then cede Qichun and Yuzhang counties. That way they will not encounter too big a disaster.  Objection, Zhang Hong said, hoping we can understand the pressure Wu Hou faces."

    Liu Jing nodded. Of course he knew the predicament Sun Quan was facing now. If there was news of land cession again, people in Jiangdong would be resentful, and Sun Quan would no longer be able to hold the position of Marquis of Wu. Sun Ben would come to power and become Cao Cao's dog. This would never happen.  It is in Jingzhou¡¯s interests.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing asked: "Then how can Jiangdong guarantee that Qichun and Yuzhang counties will be given to us?"

    Jia Xu smiled and said: "Zhang Hong means that we can station troops in these two counties. They will not station troops, but only appoint prefects. After a year, they will transfer the prefects and we will take over."

    Liu Jing thought for a moment, and it actually didn't matter whether they stationed troops in these two counties. He could take them back at any time. The key was the safety of the Yangtze River waterway. He had to drive the Jiangdong Army's forces on the Yangtze River to the west of Wuhu in Wan County to ensure that  His control of the Yangtze waterway.

    Liu Jing then smiled and said: "I'll just do another favor. I will station troops at Qichun County Pier, and then Qichun and Yuzhang will not station troops. A year later, I will take over the two counties, so that Sun Quan will be less stressed."  A little, but¡±

    Speaking of the word 'but', Liu Jing said with a meaningful smile: "I also need Jiangdong to agree that Jiangdong's military ships are not allowed to appear on the river west of Wuhu. In addition, Zhang Hong will cooperate with us to create a puzzle. We  The two sides could reach an agreement privately, but the negotiations on the table failed."

    Jia Xu thought for a moment and immediately understood, "Has the envoy from Bashu arrived?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "I just got the news that the Bashu envoy has arrived in Fangling County. In addition to the chief envoy Fazheng, there is also the deputy envoy Wang Lei. Fazheng is a scholar from Dongzhou, but Wang Lei is a native of Bashu.  We have always advocated seclusion and opposed Liu Zhang's reconciliation with Jingzhou. We must convince this person that the reason why the Jing-Wu negotiations failed is that we are watching the civil strife in Jiangdong and trying to take advantage of the chaos to gain control of Jiangdong. "

    Jia Xu smiled happily and said, "I think Zhang Hong will definitely be willing to cooperate with us in setting up this puzzle."

    Zhang Hong has never been so happy in his life. When he signed his name on the Jing-Wu contract on behalf of Sun Quan, he couldn't help but burst into tears of excitement.

    The signing of this contract means that Wu Hou¡¯s biggest weakness no longer exists. Sun Ben will be unable to blame Wu Hou for his fiasco. It also means that Jiangdong has stopped at the most dangerous edge of division.

    Although Jiangdong¡¯s military vessels cannot appear on the Yangtze River waterway west of Wuhu, Jingzhou agrees that Jiangdong¡¯s military vessels can patrol normally. Of course, Jingzhou¡¯s military vessels cannot cross the border.

    The person who signed the contract on behalf of Liu Jing in Jingzhou was Shi Xushu, the governor of Jingzhou. However, what they signed was not the final contract, but just a letter of intent, or a memorandum of negotiation, which marked that the two parties had reached an agreement on several major issues.  consensus.

    The formal contract will be signed a year later. When Jiangdong delivers Yuzhang County and Qichun County to Jingzhou, this is also a request of Sun Quan. If he signs the formal agreement prematurely, he will also be attacked by Sun Bi and others.  .

    There were two copies of the letter of intent, with each party holding one copy. Zhang Hong put away the agreement, raised his hands to Xu Shu and Jia Xu and said with a smile: "The official business is over, let's talk about private matters, which is about the marriage between the Jing and Wu families. This is also related to  Wu Hou hopes to handle the important matters in the future of the two families as soon as possible. "

    Xu Shu and Jia Xu looked at each other, and they both laughed. Xu Shu said: "Although my lord has not officially responded to the marriage, we in Jingzhou all agree that the marriage between Sun and Liu is not a private matter for Zhou Mu, just like Zhang  As it is said, it is a major matter for the future of Jing and Wu, so we agree to the marriage. In addition, we will discuss the details, who will be the matchmaker, where will the marriage be arranged, etc. I hope we can be as detailed as possible.?Be thoughtful so that unnecessary misunderstandings don't arise.  "

    Zhang Hong and Lu Su discussed it. Although Wu Hou advocated marrying his sister Sun Shangxiang to Liu Jing, this was just an intention. Whether the marriage would be successful in the end would still have to go through Mrs. Wu, and even the consent of Princess Shangxiang herself.  It¡¯s hard to decide on all the details right now.

    Zhang Hong smiled apologetically and said: "I can only finalize the intention of marriage now. I still need to go back to discuss the specific arrangements. I suggest that Jingzhou send a marriage envoy to go to Jiangdong with me. We will discuss the marriage in Jingkou. Xu Chang  What do you think?"

    Xu Shu smiled and said: "There is no problem with this. I will go back and discuss it with Zhou Mu."

    At this time, Jia Xu next to him reminded him: "Tomorrow we will continue to negotiate in the state government office. In the end, the negotiation will break down and both parties will break up unhappy. This is our prior agreement. Don't forget it, Mr. Zhang."

    Zhang Hong nodded silently. Although the contract had been signed, he still had to cooperate with Jingzhou to create a puzzle. He thought for a while and then said: "Since we broke up on bad terms, we plan to leave Xiangyang and return to Jiangdong tomorrow night."

    At dusk, several 500-stone passenger ships slowly docked at the Xiangyang pier. On the bow of the first large ship stood Sima Yi, who was full of spring breeze. He went north from Chengdu, passed Hanzhong via Shangyong, and then took a boat to Xiangyang.  Although climbing mountains and wading in rivers is quite hard, this hard work is nothing compared to what he gained from his trip to Bashu.

    There are two scribes standing on the second ship. On the left is a man in his thirties, with a medium build and a thin face. This man is Fazheng, the envoy to Xiangyang this time. The tall and thin man next to him is Fazheng.  It's Wang Lei, the deputy envoy.

    Wang Lei was appointed as an official in Yizhou. He was about forty years old. He was tall and thin, with a stern expression and a serious expression. He was a difficult person to deal with. He was also known for his uprightness in Bashu.

    Although Liu Zhang agreed with Fazheng as an envoy to go to Xiangyang, Fazheng belonged to Dongzhou Shi after all. Liu Zhang was not reassured. From the perspective of balancing interests, he appointed Wang Lei, who belonged to the native Bashu clan, as deputy envoy, and the two went together.  Negotiate peace in Xiangyang.

    Although the purpose was to negotiate peace, Wang Lei's mission was exactly the opposite. He wanted to find evidence that Liu Jing was trying to march westward to Bashu, so as to persuade Liu Zhang to sever ties with Jingzhou.

    When the ship slowly docked at the Xiangyang Pier, Liu Jing, who had been waiting for a long time, led Jingzhou's senior civil and military officials to greet him. Sima Yi quickly disembarked from the ship and bowed deeply, "Sima Yi, a humble minister, meets my lord!"

    Liu Jing patted his arm and said with a smile: "Zhongda has made great contributions to this trip to Bashu. I know it in my heart. We will discuss it in detail later. First introduce to me the two envoys from Bashu."

    Sima Yi understood and quickly introduced two envoys who had just disembarked from the ship to Liu Jing, "This is Fa Xiaozhi who joined the army in Yizhou, and this one is engaged in the king's constitution in Yizhou. They are both knowledgeable and respected seniors."

    Although Liu Jing and Fazheng had met twice and had a tacit understanding with each other, in front of Wang Lei, they still acted as if they had met each other for the first time. Fazheng hurriedly stepped forward, bowed deeply and said, "Fazheng has heard of Zhou for a long time.  Mu is a hero in the world, I am lucky to see him today!"

    "It's very polite to join the army. Liu Jing just got the support of his father and governed Jingzhou for the emperor. He is really a mediocre person. How dare you claim to be the hero of the world? Ashamed! Ashamed!"

    With that said, Liu Jing turned her eyes to Wang Lei and asked with a smile: "Is this Wang Gongxian, who is famous for his integrity and integrity in Bashu?"

    Wang Lei despised Fazheng's flattery in his heart. He gave a slight salute and said lukewarmly: "I am Wang Lei, who is on a mission to Jingzhou on the order of Liu Zhoumu. I hope that the Marquis of Chu can help me and complete my official duties as soon as possible."

    Liu Jing introduced the high-ranking civil and military officials of Jingzhou to the two of them, and everyone greeted them one by one. Seeing that it was getting dark, Liu Jing laughed and said: "We are all officials of the Han Dynasty, working for the emperor. There is nothing that is difficult to discuss. Two noble envoys."  It¡¯s been a hard journey, please go to the post house to rest, and we¡¯ll talk about business tomorrow.¡±

    Liu Jing asked Jiang Wan to lead the two of them to the VIP hotel to rest. Then he gave Sima Yi a wink, and everyone returned to the state office.

    In the official room, everyone sat down one by one. Jia Xu first introduced the negotiation situation with Jiang Dong to Sima Yi. At this time, Liu Jing smiled and said: "I am very interested in this Wang Lei. Zhongda might as well tell me about this person."  ¡±

    Sima Yi leaned over and smiled: "If you want to talk about Wang Lei, you must first talk about the factional relations of the Bashu native clan."

    "I'm all ears!"

    Sima Yi sorted out his thoughts for a while and said: "The Dongzhou scholar clan is very simple, that is, the Jingzhou faction and the Sanfu faction. The Jingzhou faction is headed by Dong He, and the Sanfu faction is headed by Pang Xi. Relatively speaking, the Bashu native faction is much more complicated.  , to put it simply, it is divided into Chengdu School, Shubei School, Bajun School and Mianzhu School.¡±

    Sima Yi took a sip of tea and continued: "The Chengdu faction is headed by Zhang Song and Zhang Ren, the Shubei faction is headed by Wu Yi, the Bajun faction is represented by Yan Yan, and the Mianzhu faction was originally headed by Wang Shang.??, after Wang Shang died the year before last, Huang Quan became the leader of the Mianzhu sect. Wang Lei was Wang Lei's nephew, and he also belonged to the Mianzhu sect. However, because Huang Quan was actually from Langzhong, Brazil, Wang Lei did not recognize him as a leader.  The Mianzhu sect has a deep conflict, so the Mianzhu sect is divided into the Mianzhu Wang sect and the Mianzhu Huang sect.  "

    When Sima Yi said this, everyone laughed. This relationship is indeed very complicated, but Sima Yi shook his head and continued: "The complexity of the Bashu native faction is not limited to this. Just now it was just a faction formed by the geographical environment, but recently because of Liu Bei and the Lord  Because of this, the local factions in Bashu joined forces one after another, and soon formed the pro-Liu faction, such as Zhang Song; there were also the conservatives Huang Quan, Zhang Ren, and the centrist Wu Yi, but these were divided based on interests. "

    Liu Jing somewhat understood that this was the division of factions related to them. He pondered for a while and asked: "Is Yun Shao, whom Zhongda mentioned in his letter, also among these three factions?"

    Sima Yi smiled and said: "He is a special case. He is just an upstart in Yizhou. He is not qualified to become a nobleman in Yizhou, and he has no part in the factional disputes."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Zhongda, please continue!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 461 Intrigue

    Both Fazheng and Wang Lei were arranged in a distinguished hotel. However, unlike the Jiangdong envoy, Fazheng and Wang Lei each lived in a courtyard. They were far apart. This arrangement was mainly to facilitate private communication between Fazheng and Jingzhou.

    Wang Lei was an old-fashioned and reserved person. After he moved in, the first thing he did was to send away the three maids. Even the stewards were not allowed to enter the courtyard. He only used his two followers. Perhaps it can be said that he was cautious.  , he was worried that both the steward and the maid were undercover agents arranged by Jingzhou.

    In fact, Wang Lei doesn¡¯t know what his mission is?  The mission Liu Zhang gave them was to make amends with Jingzhou, jointly eradicate Liu Bei's stronghold in Badong, Wucheng, and at the same time lay the foundation for the first meeting of the two state shepherds in Jingshu.

    Wang Lei also knew Liu Zhang's thoughts very well. He wanted to provoke a fight between Liu Jing and Liu Bei, and then Bashu would benefit from it, but things were not that simple. If Liu Jing and Liu Bei were equally powerful, they might both lose in the fight.  , but in fact, the difference in strength between the two is too big. Liu Jing can easily destroy Liu Bei, but he refuses to be destroyed. This is obviously to use Liu Bei as a chess piece.

    Secondly, Liu Zhang also wanted to trick relatives. The two met to form an alliance, and then thought that Liu Jing would let Bashu go for the sake of brotherly affection. If Liu Jing was so easy to talk to, he would have accepted Cao Cao's suggestion and become the King of Xiangyang.

    Wang Lei couldn't help but sigh lowly. He was very frustrated that Liu Zhang, as a dignified state shepherd, still had such childish ideas. Sometimes he also hoped that Bashu could change its master.

    But although Liu Zhang was a bit fatuous and cowardly, he was generally very good. At least the people of Bashu could still live and work in peace and contentment under his inaction governance, and officials and subordinates did not have to worry that he would severely and brutally deprive them of their property and lives.

    If Bashu changes to a strong and ambitious monarch, I am afraid that Bashu will become the cornerstone of his struggle for the world, taxes will increase, food will be plundered, young men will be drafted, and the peaceful and comfortable life of the people of Bashu will be gone forever.

    And Liu Jing is just such a strong and ambitious person. If he takes control of Bashu, Bashu will inevitably become his important land for food and taxation, and the people of Bashu will definitely suffer pain and exploitation. This is something Wang Lei never wants to see.  When it comes to matters, he would rather choose Liu Zhang as his lord.

    But Liu Jing¡¯s hand has already reached into Bashu. Sima Yi¡¯s appearance in Chengdu itself shows Liu Jing¡¯s concern for Bashu. Unfortunately, Liu Zhang could not see the danger in front of him and wanted to take advantage of Jingzhou.

    Wang Lei was upset and buried his face deeply in his hands. At this time, one of his followers came in with a pot of freshly fried tea. He poured the tea and said with a smile: "What a coincidence. I just met in the yard next door."  I chatted with the steward for a few words, sir, guess who lives next door?¡±

    Wang Lei was startled. He knew that there were guests staying in the courtyard next door, but he didn't know what. But people who could stay in a distinguished hotel must not be ordinary people. Wang Lei suddenly became curious and asked, "Who is that person next door?"

    "I heard it was Zhang Hong, the long history of Jiangdong."

    ¡®Zhang Hong!  Wang Lei was pleasantly surprised to find that it was Zhang Hong who was famous all over the world. He was a famous scholar who he had admired since his youth. He actually lived next door to him. Wang Lei's thoughts changed and he suddenly understood that this must be the representative of Zhang Hong.  When Jiang Dong came to Jingzhou for negotiations, he became even more interested and asked, "Did you say when Zhang Changshi will leave?"

    "It seems he's leaving tonight. The steward has already arranged a boat for him."

    Wang Lei thought for a while and then stood up and said, "I'll go take a look!"

    He slowly walked to the door of the next courtyard with his hands behind his back. He saw bright lights in the courtyard and several servants were carrying boxes and cages. It seemed that they were ready to leave. Wang Lei walked into the courtyard and smiled and said, "Is Zhang Changshi here?  "

    An old man stood up from behind a big box. He looked at Wang Lei and asked with a smile: "I am Zhang Hong. Who is this sir?"

    Wang Lei quickly raised his hands and saluted, "I am a student of Shuzhong, Wang Lei. I have heard about Zhang Gong's name for a long time, so I came here to pay my respects!"

    ¡®Wang tired?  ¡¯ Zhang Hong raised his head and thought for a while, then suddenly smiled and said: ¡°Are you engaged in the royal constitution in Yizhou?¡±

    "Exactly the students!"

    "Since it is done in Yizhou, why is it in Xiangyang?"

    "The student was sent to Jingzhou as an envoy on the order of Liu Zhoumu, and he lives next door."

    Zhang Hong laughed and said, "It turns out to be the envoy from Yizhou. What a coincidence. Fortunately I was about to leave, but I have some time, so why not sit in the room!"

    At this time, Lu Su quickly walked into the yard, bowed and said: "Chang Shi, the ship is ready, please get on board!"

    "Wait a minute, I just met a kid and want to talk to him!" Zhang Hong looked at Wang Lei meaningfully and said with a smile.

    "Excuse me, Mr. Zhang, who is this?" Wang Lei couldn't help but asked with interest when he saw that Lu Su didn't look like a servant. He wore a crown and a wide robe. He was obviously a Confucian high official.

      "Come! Let me introduce you."

    Zhang Hong pulled Lu Su over and said with a smile: "This is Lu Zijing, the deputy commander of the Jiangdong Navy, and he is appointed as the captain of the Zan Army."

    Wang Lei was in awe and saluted quickly: "It turns out to be Lu Zijing, a famous official from Jiangdong. Wang Lei is disrespectful."

    Zhang Hong winked at Lu Su and said with a smile: "This talented man in Shu is the king of Yizhou and is sent to Jingzhou on the order of Liu Yizhou. I want to talk to him. Zijing, come with me!"

    Lu Su quickly saluted Wang Lei and said with a smile: "I would like to talk to the king."

    The three of them returned to the room and sat down. Zhang Hong ordered his entourage to serve tea again. He asked with concern: "Isn't Liu Yizhou always disgusted with Liu Jing and kissing Uncle Liu? Why did he send Gongxian as an envoy to Jingzhou?"

    Wang Lei was very thoughtful. He heard Zhang Hong call Liu Jing by his first name. This was a very rude attitude. He would usually pay attention to it, either calling Liu Jingzhou or Chu Hou. Calling him by his first name only showed his dissatisfaction.  Lei Lei couldn't help but be startled. Did the negotiation between Jiangdong and Jingzhou break down?

    He suppressed the curiosity in his heart and leaned forward to answer: "The main reason is that my lord discovered Liu Bei's ambition to plot in Bashu, so he specially ordered me and the French army to come to Xiangyang to contact the Marquis of Chu, hoping that the two families could cooperate to deal with Liu Bei."

    Zhang Hong sighed slightly, "To cooperate with Liu Jing, isn't it like seeking the skin of a tiger?"

    Zhang Hong¡¯s words about seeking skin from a tiger touched Wang Lei¡¯s heart, and he suddenly felt good about Zhang Hong. He pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°Does Mr. Zhang think Liu Jing will take the opportunity to attack Bashu?¡±

    Zhang Hong sneered, "He thought, but it's a pity."

    Speaking of this, Zhang Hong stopped what he was saying dramatically, which suddenly whetted Wang Lei's appetite. He quickly stood up and bowed deeply, "Can Mr. Zhang make it clear?"

    Zhang Hong just smiled but refused to say anything more. Helpless, Wang Lei had no choice but to ask: "I wonder how the negotiations between Jiangdong and Jingzhou are progressing?"

    Zhang Hong shook his head, and Lu Su said bitterly next to him: "The interests of the two sides are too different to allow further negotiation. The key is that Liu Jing has no sincerity in negotiating at all. He is sitting on the mountain watching the tigers fight, waiting for the opportunity to seize Jiangdong!"

    "Zijing, stop talking nonsense!" Zhang Hong shouted sternly.

    Lu Su was so frightened that he didn't dare to say anything anymore. He lowered his head and said nothing. Zhang Hong smiled apologetically, "I can't say more about Jiangdong's secrets, but I can say one thing responsibly. Although Liu Jing wants to win the heart of Bashu, but  He will not take action against Bashu within two or three years. He will only pretend to be reconciled with Bashu and give Liu Yizhou some small favors to dispel his wariness. Once he solves Jiangdong's worries, he will definitely raid Bashu. "

    Zhang Hong spoke very sincerely and seriously. Wang Lei nodded silently. He had already felt that Lu Su had just reached the key point when he arrived. Liu Jing had no sincerity in negotiating and was sitting on the mountain watching the fight between tigers and tigers, preparing to seize Jiangdong.

    That means there is an internal problem in Jiangdong, so Zhang Hong said that although Liu Jing wanted to take Bashu, he couldn't take it into consideration at the moment, and Jingzhou would have no time to go west in two or three years.

    At this time, Zhang Hong sighed, stood up and said: "We have to rush back to Jiangdong overnight, so we won't talk more. I wish Gongxian can complete his mission."

    Wang Lei also quickly stood up and cupped his hands: "I also wish Mr. Zhang and Zijing a safe journey!"

    Zhang Hong and Lu Su left. Wang Lei was pacing back and forth in the yard alone. It should be said that he gained a lot tonight. Zhang Hong proved Liu Jing's ambition towards Bashu from the side. Even the people in Jiangdong could see it. What's more,  Is it one of our own?

    But he still felt a little confused about Zhang Hong's assertion that "Liu Jing will not march westward to Bashu in two or three years." Why is it impossible for Liu Jing to march westward in two or three years? What is holding him back?  Is it true that as Lu Su said, Liu Jing wants to plot Jiangdong?

    If this is the case, this is good news. It can give Bashu two or three years to prepare. As long as they are fully prepared, Liu Jing's army may not be able to invade Bashu. The key is that his lord must be prepared for war!  If he continues to pursue appeasement and peace like this, even if he is given ten years, he will still hand over his foundation to others.

    Thinking of this, Wang Lei couldn't help but feel burning in his heart. He wanted to rush back to Chengdu immediately, persuade Liu Zhang to sever the relationship with Liu Jing, and prepare for war with the whole country. This was the only way for Bashu to protect itself.

    At this time, his entourage hurriedly walked in with someone, who saluted and said: "I am a subordinate of Zhang Changshi, and Changshi has a letter for the envoy!"

    He presented a letter to Wang Lei. Wang Lei took the letter and asked, "Where is your family history?"

    "Reporting to the envoy, Chang Shi has boarded the ship and returned to Jiangdong to prepare for the marriage between the Sun and Liu families."

    "Oh? Are the Sun and Liu families going to get married?" Wang Lei asked in surprise.

    "Exactly, this is an alternative method adopted because my Wuhou refused to use his eldest son as a pledge. Alas! On the surface, the marriage and reconciliation are being reconciled, but secretly he is preparing?, what is this called?  "

    The envoy refused to say more and left. Wang Lei opened the letter. Zhang Hong suggested in the letter that Yizhou should seize the time to prepare for war. Although Jiangxia and Jiangdong could not reach an agreement over the ownership of Qichun and Yuzhang counties, once it was resolved,  With this problem solved, Liu Jing would have no worries and would inevitably go on an expedition to the west. Bashu would only have two years at most to prepare for war.

    Wang Lei nodded silently. He made a decision to return to Chengdu tomorrow and report this important news to Zhou Mu.

    While Wang Lei was thinking hard about how to persuade Liu Zhang to prepare for war, in another courtyard, Fazheng was having a secret meeting with Dong Yun. Dong Yun was the son of Dong He and grew up in Bashu. He had a very good personal relationship with Fazheng, and Zheng  Because of this relationship, the two of them were honest with each other.

    "My lord's intention is to take over Yizhou at the minimum cost. He does not want to cause too much damage to Bashu."

    Fazheng also smiled and said: "This is also our expectation. It will cause too much damage to Bashu and it will not be conducive to the Chuhou's control of Bashu. But we want to know when Jingzhou is going to send troops?"

    Dong Yun sighed, "It won't be until next year at least. Last year's Battle of Chibi and this year's battle with Jiangdong, the army and the people are exhausted and unable to fight anymore. It is planned to implement the Western Expedition plan next spring, so this year's task is to stabilize Liu Zhang and  and the Lord.¡±

    Fazheng thought for a while and asked: "What about the plan to attack Wu City? Will it also be postponed to next year?"

    "No! Attacking Wucheng is this year's plan. We will capture Wucheng for Bashu in accordance with the promise made by Sima Military Advisor to Liu Zhang, and return Jianping County and Yidu County to Bashu. The two parties will conclude an agreement of friendship and mutual assistance."

    Fazheng frowned. This was what he wanted to remind Jingzhou. Although he knew that Jingzhou's generosity was to confuse Liu Zhang, being too generous and unreasonable would make Liu Zhang doubt Jingzhou's motives.

    Thinking of this, Fazheng reminded Dong Yun: "If something abnormal happens, it will make Liu Zhang suspicious. I suggest that we use grain exchange to give up Jianping County and Yidu County. This is only reasonable and reasonable."

    Dong Yun laughed and said, "I will discuss it with my lord again. I personally think this suggestion is good."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 462 Sun Shangxiang¡¯s Choice (Part 1)

    It has been nearly half a month since Sun Shangxiang returned to Jiangdong. She has changed from her previous fierce style and has become very low-key. She can no longer be seen galloping in Jingkou City, so that the people in Jingkou City are a little uncomfortable.  got used to.

    There were rumors everywhere in the city that she was about to marry Jingzhou. The news spread quickly. In just a few days, the entire Jiangdong knew about the marriage between Sun and Liu.

    Although many people in Jiangdong have a headache for her, this headache is just the worry of parents facing naughty children. Once Princess Shangxiang really wants to marry to Jingzhou, and is forced to marry Jingzhou because of defeat, the people of Jiangdong will feel bad about themselves.  The princess was full of sympathy, and there were voices from all over Jiangdong against her marrying Jingzhou.

    Sun Shangxiang rode slowly out of the city from the north gate on horseback and returned to Ganlu Palace in Beigu Mountain. She originally wanted to go to her brother to ask about the marriage, but her brother left for Wu County early in the morning, so she had to return disappointed.

    Sun Shangxiang wore a long green dress and a bamboo hat on her head. There was a circle of gauze curtains on the four sides, covering her face. This was the reason why no one could see her. She often went out, but her face was covered.

    Of course, Sun Shangxiang also heard the rumors that she was going to marry Jingzhou, which made her very conflicted. She had reached the age of marriage. Her mother and brother-in-law repeatedly urged her to get married, but there were no young talents in Jiangdong that she liked, so Ling Tong reluctantly  She could consider it, but she felt that there was still something missing in Ling Tong?  Couldn't impress her.

    Occasionally, in the dead of night, Liu Jing would unconsciously appear in her heart, but it would be immediately expelled from her heart. How could she like Liu Jing?

    He was Jiangdong¡¯s enemy, and it was too late for her to hate him. During the Battle of Chaisang, she hated Liu Jing deeply. If given the chance, she would not hesitate to pierce his heart with a sword and chop off his head.

    But since she was captured and released by Liu Jing, there has been a subtle change in her heart. She no longer hates Liu Jing as much as before. The hatred seems to disappear overnight. Once the hatred disappears, there is another feeling in her heart.  A feeling arises quietly again.

    Liu Jing is not only a hero in the world, but also young, brave, and high-spirited. He is very much like her eldest brother Sun Ce. He is indeed the most ideal lifelong partner in her heart.

    But it happened that he was Liu Biao's nephew, and her father died at the hands of Liu Biao. The feud between Jing and Wu stood like a mountain between her and Liu Jing, making her constantly remind herself that she could never marry the enemy's nephew.

    Until the news of the marriage between Jing and Wu came out, she began to feel confused. She didn't know what to choose, which made her feel at a loss.

    Sun Shangxiang left the North City Gate with a heavy heart. At this time, a noise attracted her, and she discovered that there was a large group of young scholars standing in an open space outside the city, about hundreds of them. Everyone was excited and shouting loudly.

    A dozen or so scholars led by them carried the memorial tablet of Confucius and confronted the soldiers. Thousands of soldiers were extremely nervous and formed a human wall to stop them and not allow them to enter the city.

    "We want to see Wu Hou! Let us enter the city!"

    The soldiers raised their arms angrily and shouted: "We will never allow the signing of a treaty that betrays Jiangdong!"

    ¡°Oppose to ceding territory to Jingzhou and seeking peace!¡±

    Sun Shangxiang was a little surprised. Jingkou has not yet moved to the academy. Where did these scholars come from?  And how did they know that Jiangdong and Jingzhou were secretly negotiating, and they actually knew that Jiangdong wanted to cede territory for peace.

    At this time, dozens of cavalry guards were escorting a person rushing out of the city. The leader was actually her cousin Sun Ben. Sun Shangxiang instinctively turned his back to prevent Sun Ben from discovering her.

    She disliked this cousin very much. The second sister-in-law told her two days ago that it was this cousin who forced her brother to abdicate in Sun's ancestral hall in an attempt to replace him. These days, he has been jumping up and down, trying his best to win over senior military and political officials to support him. Even the elder Zhu  Both Ran and Han Dang expressed their support for him, which made Sun Shangxiang feel extremely chilled.

    It was only later that she gradually understood that Jiangdong's defeat at Chaisang was not due to her brother's incompetent command, but because the Jingzhou army was too strong. In that case, it was a wise move to break out and retreat, which could save Jiangdong's fresh army, but Liu Jing discovered  Their attempt to retreat failed.

    Sun Shangxiang snorted coldly in his heart and watched Sun Ben's performance with cold eyes.

    Perhaps Sun Ben was so focused on the hundreds of scholars that he did not notice Sun Shangxiang on the roadside. He galloped to the front of the army and shouted: "Don't stop them, let them enter the city, they are scholars."  , have the right to see Wu Hou!"

    The soldiers were in a dilemma and turned to look at their leader, General Ya. The general guarding the north gate stepped forward and saluted and said: "Your Majesty, these soldiers are too excited. I am afraid that they will cause trouble when they enter the city, so I stopped them."  ¡±

    "They are excited because of your obstruction. Let them enter the city immediately. I will bear all the consequences, do you hear me?" Sun Ben ordered loudly.

      Sun Ben had deep connections in the military and political circles, and General Ya was quite afraid of him, so he had to order: "Get out of the way!"

    The soldiers moved away to both sides, and hundreds of scholars cheered suddenly, carrying the memorial tablet of Confucius and running towards the city. Sun Bi gently stroked his long beard and watched the scholars enter the city. He felt extremely proud and had a cold smile in his eyes.  meaning.

    His expression was precisely seen by Sun Shangxiang. Sun Shangxiang suddenly realized that these scholars who came to Jingkou to cause trouble were deliberately arranged by her cousin. She was furious in her heart. This was so despicable and shameless, using these simple-minded scholars to oppose her brother.

    She was about to rush her horse forward to question, but she only heard Sun Ben order: "Go to Manlu Palace!"

    Sun Shangxiang was startled. His brother was not in Jingkou today, but Sun Ben was going to Ganlu Palace. Why?  She restrained her angry impulse and followed Sun Ben and his party from a distance towards Beigu Mountain.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Ganlu Palace is located at the foothills of Beigu Mountain. There is also Ganlu Temple built not far away. At this time, Buddhism was already popular in the upper class of Jiangdong. Sun Quan¡¯s mother, Mrs. Wu, was a devout Buddhist believer.

    Mrs. Wu never asked about political affairs or went out. She had no idea what was going on outside. Apart from caring about her daughter's marriage, she had no interest in other complicated and trivial matters.

    Although she never asks about foreign affairs, it does not affect her status in Jiangdong. She is the wife of Sun Jian. It can also be said that she is the most noble person in Jiangdong. Whether they are civil servants, military generals, or ordinary people, her words will change  their position.

    Even Sun Quan, the Marquis of Wu, regarded her as his biological mother and was extremely filial and respectful to her. Her words were more authoritative than the imperial edict in Sun Quan's heart. Mrs. Wu also knew this, so she never interfered in government decisions.

    In the past two years, Mrs. Wu¡¯s only concern was her daughter Shang Xiang¡¯s lifelong affairs. Seeing that her daughter was nineteen years old and still alone, she became anxious and urged her son to choose a husband for her sister several times.

    However, although Mrs. Wu was anxious about her daughter's marriage, she was also very picky about her future son-in-law. Initially, Sun Quan proposed Ling Tong as his sister-in-law, but Mrs. Wu rejected it. The reason is very simple. Ling Tong is a desperate type, so marrying such  Men can easily become widows.

    Mrs. Wu made it clear that she did not want a military general as her son-in-law. Soon Sun Quan proposed Lu Xun's uncle Lu Sheng. Although he was older, he was the same age as Lu Xun. He was also highly talented in literature and was very famous in Jiangdong.

    Because Lu Xun himself was engaged to Sun Ce's eldest daughter, it was natural for his brother-in-law to marry his aunt. More importantly, the Lu family was the first aristocratic family in Soochow and was fully worthy of his daughter. Madam Wu had also read Lu Sheng's articles.  , which impressed her so much that she agreed.

    Unexpectedly, her daughter Shang Xiang firmly opposed it. The reason was that this man was too frail and had the figure of a child. Mrs. Wu met Lu Sheng in person and felt that he was too short, half a head shorter than her daughter. He was also very thin and obviously not a person with a long life.  Therefore, she acquiesced to her daughter's objection.

    A few months ago, the daughter-in-law proposed a son from the Gu family. Mrs. Wu had met this man. He was originally a palace guard. He was tall, handsome, and very good at music. He was a famous handsome man in Jiangdong, nicknamed "Little Zhou Lang"  .

    Although Mrs. Wu felt that this man was only superficial. As the son of Gu Yong, his literary talent was mediocre, which was a pity. However, he was the son of a famous family and his appearance was good. More importantly, his daughter was nineteen years old, and her life-long events were no longer important.  Unable to afford the delay, Mrs. Wu reluctantly agreed to the marriage.

    Unexpectedly, her daughter Shangxiang was very strong-willed and rejected the marriage with three arrows, causing an uproar in Jiangdong. Mrs. Wu was so angry and annoyed that she suddenly fell ill. It was not until recently that her body slowly recovered.

    At this time, in the lobby of Ganlu Palace, Mrs. Wu, surrounded by a group of maids, sat on a sandalwood couch and listened quietly to Sun Ben's story. Sun Bi was Sun Jian's nephew, but he was almost the same age as Mrs. Wu. In addition,  He was the head of the Sun clan, so Mrs. Wu made an exception to receive him.

    Although Sun Bi wanted to seize the position of Marquis of Wu, he knew very well that he could not tell the old lady such things. Of course, this was because Sun Quan was her son, and more importantly, the old lady did not care about political affairs, so it would be in vain if he told her.  She is angry.

    But the incident of Sun Shangxiang can be used to make an issue. Sun Ben learned that Sun Quan planned to use his sister to marry Jingzhou, but he had not informed the old lady about it, so Sun Ben discovered the opportunity.

    ¡°My nephew wants to report something big, it¡¯s about Shang Xiang¡¯s marriage!¡±

    Although Mrs. Wu met Sun Ben, it was only out of courtesy. She was really not in the mood to listen to Sun Ben's story. However, when Sun Ben mentioned her daughter's marriage, the old lady immediately became interested.

    She laughed and said, "Tell me, what's the big deal?"

    "My nephew learned that because Wu Hou failed in his westward expedition to Jingzhou, he decided to kill Shang Xiang.He asked Liu Jing for peace. This incident made his nephew very dissatisfied. The army was defeated in the battle, but the innocent Princess Shangxiang was left to bear the consequences. This was unfair to Shangxiang. The nephew specially asked his aunt to seek justice.  "

    "What!"

    Mrs. Wu was shocked that she actually asked her daughter to marry Liu Biao's nephew. Knowing that Liu Biao was the culprit who killed her husband, she was furious and asked coldly: "Are you serious about what you said?"

    Sun Ben observed the words and expressions. He felt the old lady's anger, and couldn't help but feel secretly happy. He added a more crucial sentence, "This matter is indeed true, and as far as my nephew knows, Liu Jing already has a wife!"

    The last words were like a burning stick being thrown into an oil barrel. Mrs. Wu finally became furious. She hit the ground hard with her faucet-headed cane and shouted angrily to her left and right: "Go and call that evildoer!"

    At this moment, Sun Shangxiang's cold voice came from the side, "Eldest brother, why are you sowing discord?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 463 Sun Shangxiang¡¯s Choice (Part 2)

    Sun Shangxiang slowly walked out from behind a pillar, with anger in his eyes. She never thought that this cousin who she once respected so much would be such a despicable villain.

    In order to seize the position of his brother, he did not hesitate to use all kinds of despicable means, spread various rumors to discredit his brother, and instigated the scholars to make trouble. Now he is using his marriage to encourage his mother to attack his brother.

    Sun Shangxiang finally couldn't bear it any longer and stepped forward. She looked at Sun Ben coldly and said, "Why didn't you tell your mother without knowing that you wanted to seize the position of Marquis of Wu?"

    "Shang Xiang, don't talk nonsense!" Mrs. Wu said very displeasedly from the side.

    Sun Shangxiang turned around and said to his mother: "I'm not talking nonsense. My mother doesn't know what's going on outside. But who in Jiangdong doesn't know that Sun Jingan wants to replace Wu Hou? He publicly accused his brother in his family temple of not being worthy of being the leader of Jiangdong, and tried his best to win over all civil and military officials.  Support yourself, even Zhu Ran and Han Dang said they would reconsider Master Wu, and now he wants to use my marriage to encourage my mother to come forward, which is very cruel! "

    Mrs. Wu knew that although her daughter was willful and had a strong personality, she never lied or exaggerated. The old lady was also a little confused and looked at Sun Ben in confusion. She hoped that Sun Ben could give her an explanation.

    "You, you, you are so slanderous!"

    Sun Ben's face was flushed with swelling. He pointed at Sun Shangxiang and said with shame and annoyance: "I have good intentions, but I am afraid of wronging you, and I don't want Princess Jiangdong to marry the enemy's nephew and have to be a wife. This is Jiangdong's shame."  , it is even more of a disgrace to the Sun family. As the head of the Sun family, of course I have to take care of it!"

    "Hmph! You have a good intention?"

    Sun Shangxiang snorted coldly and asked, "Then why don't you object publicly? Why don't you object to this in the temple? Why don't you go to your brother to reason? You came to your mother to complain. Are you kind-hearted?"

    ¡°I just found out about this too!¡±

    "No way! This matter spread throughout Jiangdong ten days ago. How could you just find out about it? It was because my brother went to Wu County today that you took this opportunity to complain to your mother, trying to take advantage of her not knowing the truth.  To coax my mother into taking a stand.¡±

    Although Sun Shangxiang has a strong personality, she is actually a very smart woman. On the way back to Ganlu Palace, she understood Sun Ben's intention of provoking the scholars to cause trouble today.

    Because my brother is not at the entrance of Jing today, and the city gate guard has no way to report, he will naturally be afraid of his power and let the scholars enter the city. He allows the scholars to make a big fuss in the city and belittle his reputation. When the brother comes back, these scholars  It has had a very bad impact.

    In fact, there is another deeper reason that Sun Shangxiang did not expect, that is, Sun Bi has penetrated into Wu County. Zhu Ran and Han Dang successively went to visit Cheng Pu, who was in charge of Wu County's military power.

    At the same time, Sun Quan also urgently sent Zhang Zhao to stabilize Cheng Pu, but he was very worried that Zhang Zhao could not suppress Cheng Pu. Once Cheng Pu was incited to rebel, the consequences would be disastrous, so Sun Quan rushed to Wu Commandery overnight.

    At this time, Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong were not in Jingkou, and Zhou Yu was confronting Zhao Yun in Jiangbei. Only one veteran, Huang Gai, was left in Jingkou. Sun Ben took advantage of this opportunity to ask Mrs. Wu to come forward for her daughter.

    Mrs. Wu has a high status. If she expresses her disapproval of Sun Quan, the morale of the military will inevitably be unstable. More importantly, she can authorize herself to temporarily take charge of the situation in Jingkou. This is Sun Ben's real purpose of transferring Sun Quan away from Jingkou.

    Once the scholars caused serious trouble in Jingkou City, Sun Ben could step forward with the authorization of Mrs. Wu, take charge of the situation in Jingkou on behalf of Marquis Wu, calm the scholars' troubles, and thus cleverly seize the power of Jingkou.

    Sun Shangxiang's angry revelation made Mrs. Wu vaguely feel something. Although she believed in Buddhism, she was not stupid. Once someone told her the truth, she would naturally not be reckless anymore. She waved to the person next to her, "Since Wu Hou is not in Beijing  Well, don¡¯t go looking for him, wait until he comes back.¡±

    Sun Ben was about to succeed, but was disturbed by Sun Shangxiang. He was anxious and said repeatedly: "Shangxiang, why are you so confused? This is related to your life. This kind of marriage will ruin your life's happiness. I am  I care about you and help you, but you blame Brother Yu. This is so embarrassing!"

    "Thank you very much for your 'concern'."

    Sun Shangxiang emphasized the word "care" very strongly. She smiled proudly and said: "I will make the decision on my marriage, and marrying Liu Jing is also my own wish. I don't think it will ruin the happiness of my life. I will do this."  I will explain it to my mother, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±

    After a pause, Sun Shangxiang sneered again: "In addition, I have suggested that General Huang put those scholars under house arrest and not allow them to cause trouble in the capital. At the same time, he closed the city gates to prevent some people with ulterior motives from entering the city. Brother, maybe  I let you down."

    Sun Ben's face changed drastically. He took a step back suddenly and pressed the hilt of the sword involuntarily. Sun Shangxiang suddenly pulled out the sword, put it against his throat, and said coldly: "You"If you dare to be rude in front of my mother, I will kill you with one sword!"  "

    Mrs. Wu also saw the subtle movement of Sun Ben's hand pressing the hilt of the sword. She was really surprised and her face darkened, "Shang Xiang, please don't be rude. Let Brother Jing'an leave."

    Sun Shangxiang shouted to the guard next to him: "Who asked you to allow him to bring a sword into the palace? Send him out quickly!"

    Several guards quickly stepped forward and took off Sun Ben's sword, waved to him and said, "Prefect Sun, please come!"

    Sun Bi was so angry that Sun Shangxiang had ruined something big. He was filled with hatred, but he didn't dare to show his anger. He snorted loudly, turned around and left quickly.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Until Sun Ben left, Sun Shangxiang put down his sword and knelt in front of his mother. Madam Wu stared at her for a long time and asked: "Is it true that Sun Ben wants to take away your brother's position?"

    "That's true. My daughter doesn't dare to lie."

    Mrs. Wu pondered for a long time, took out a jade pendant, handed it to a guard and said: "With this jade pendant, you quickly go and tell Old General Huang that when Marquis Wu is not in Jingkou, no one is allowed to cause trouble. Is that right?"  Zhi, let¡¯s wait until Marquis Wu comes back to discuss everything.¡±

    "Follow the order!" The guard took the jade pendant, turned around and hurried away.

    Mrs. Wu then asked her daughter coldly: "You actually want to marry the nephew of the enemy who killed your father?"

    Sun Shangxiang bit her lip and said: "My daughter only knew how terrible the war was after she participated in the war. The Sun and Liu families have been fighting for decades over this grudge. Countless soldiers died in foreign lands, but their parents, wives and children were left alone and helpless. My daughter is willing to  Use this marriage to resolve the feud between the two families."

    As he spoke, Sun Shangxiang's tears flowed down, and his voice was choked, "The Sun and Liu families will stop fighting from now on, and join forces with the Qin and Jin Dynasties to fight against Cao Cao. Thousands of soldiers will not die fighting in other countries for the sake of the Sun family's personal enmity.  I, Jiangdong, will not be devastated by the tigers and wolves in the north. If I exchange Shang Xiang for the peace of Jiangdong, I will be willing to do so."

    Mrs. Wu was also a little sad in her heart, and sighed: "A man is incompetent, but he allows a woman to get married. If your father finds out in hell, how can he feel at ease? Shang Xiang, as a mother, I really don't want you to marry someone who is not good."  The man I like.¡±

    Sun Shangxiang's face suddenly turned red and he whispered: "My daughter actually doesn't dislike him."

    Mrs. Wu was a little surprised. This was the first time she heard her daughter say that she didn't dislike someone. She was also a little curious about Liu Jing. What kind of person was he?

    The old lady thought for a while and then said: "Let's talk about this matter later! I want to think about it carefully, and I also want to ask your brother carefully. No matter what, I will never agree easily."

    Early the next morning, Sun Quan rushed back to Jingkou. He received Cheng Pu's assurance and put aside his worries about Wu Commandery. However, he was worried about the loss of Jingkou and hurried back.

    In the official room, Sun Quan listened to Huang Gai's report. Only then did he realize that when he left Jingkou, something big happened in Jingkou. Sun Ben actually wanted to use his mother's ignorance to defraud her support and seize power. Fortunately, his sister discovered him.  The conspiracy was stopped in time.

    This made Sun Quan furious. He slammed the table, "I tolerate everything, but he presses hard. Does he have to force me to kill someone?"

    Huang Gai quickly advised: "Marquis Wu, calm down, now is not the time to fall out."

    Sun Quan paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, feeling furious in his heart. Of course he knew that if he fell out with Sun Bi at this time, Jiangdong would immediately split. Now he still had to endure it. He could only fight secretly, not openly, until the situation was resolved.  It is gradually advantageous for him to neutralize those who support Sun Ben, and he can only take action after the hidden danger of division is eliminated.

    However, he was also extremely grateful to his sister for helping him in times of danger, resolving Sun Ben's most vicious move, and preserving his position as Marquis of Wu.

    Sun Quan thought for a while and then ordered: "Let those scholars go, but warn them that if they dare to cause trouble again, they will use evil words to deceive everyone and ask for punishment. Go!"

    "Subordinates obey orders!"

    Huang Gai bowed and slowly retreated. At this time, Sun Quan's wife Xie came in from the side door with a bowl of ginseng tea and said with a smile: "General, do you have anything to do with me?"

    Sun Quan nodded, "I heard that mother has been looking for you?"

    "Well! I was about to tell the general that my mother sent Lu Zhu to send a message for Shang Xiang's marriage. She blamed the general for why he decided to marry Shang Xiang to Jingzhou without consulting her in advance. She wanted the general to explain to her.  "

    Sun Quan just felt a headache. He just couldn't explain the matter to his mother. He knew that her mother would never agree. Xie saw her husband's difficulty and smiled and said: "Listening to Lu Zhu's tone, it seems that my mother is not determined either."  Objection, still hesitant.¡±

    Sun Quan was startled and asked quickly: "What's going on?"

    "I also asked Luzhu, but Luzhu didn't dare to say more. It seemed that Shangxiang wanted to do it himself.She wanted to marry Liu Jing, so her mother refused to agree from the beginning, but later became a little wavering.  "

    Sun Quan was secretly happy. If this was the case, there would be hope. Sun Quan knew very well that the key was that his sister was willing. As long as she was willing to persist, her mother would eventually agree.

    "But I still have to find a way to persuade my mother first. When she agrees, I can go to see her and things will fall into place."

    As the saying goes, "It's better to know your husband than your wife." Mrs. Xie knew her husband's thoughts very well. She smiled slightly and said, "If the general feels unsure of convincing his mother, he can ask Lu Ziheng and Qiao Guolao to persuade her first."

    Lu Ziheng is Lu Fan. When Sun Ce raised troops in Jiangdong, his two mothers were in Jiangdu and were about to be taken hostage by Yuan Shu. It was Lu Fan who risked his life to rescue the Wu sisters from Jiangdu and brought Qu'a back to Qu'a, so Mr. Wu  People have never forgotten Lu Fan¡¯s life-saving grace.

    Lu Fan was originally the prefect of Kuaiji, but he fled back to Jingkou because Sun Lang seized the military power in Kuaiji. He happened to be in the city, but Qiao Guolao was currently in Qu'a, so he had to send someone to invite him.

    Qiao Guo's name was Qiao Xuan. He was a famous scholar in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and was also the father-in-law of Sun Ce. After Sun Ce was assassinated, his wife Qiao was determined to keep his husband's integrity and worked hard to raise Sun Ce's children. She was deeply loved by Mrs. Wu and also won the favor of Jiangdong soldiers.  He respects her and calls her Mrs. Jiangdong.

    Precisely because of his daughter, Qiao Xuan is also deeply respected by Mrs. Wu. Mrs. Wu will listen to most of his suggestions. If these two people work together to persuade their mother, the hope of success will be much greater.

    Sun Quan was overjoyed and gave a thumbs up and praised: "The good wife is indeed my good wife!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 464 Sun Shangxiang¡¯s Choice (Part 2)

    Two days later, Lu Fan and Qiao Guolao visited Mrs. Wu together. Both of them were the most respected people by Mrs. Wu. They received a grand reception and were invited into the guest hall of Ganlu Palace.

    Madam Wu seldom saw outsiders, and the guest room had never been used before. Today was the first time that it was opened. In the guest room, Lu Fan and Qiao Guolao were sitting on both sides, chatting and laughing with the old lady.  Things of the past.

    Sun Shangxiang unexpectedly also attended the meeting. She sat quietly aside without saying a word.

    In fact, Mrs. Wu also knew that these two people came for her daughter's marriage, but she was not disgusted. She also wanted to hear Lu Fan and Qiao Xuan's views on the marriage.

    "Has Mr. Lu seen Liu Jing?" Mrs. Wu glanced at her daughter and asked Lu Fandao with a smile.

    Sun Shangxiang's body trembled slightly. She pretended to drink tea, but her ears perked up.

    Lu Fan chuckled, "Of course I have seen it. Last year he came to Jiangdong to discuss an alliance with Wu Hou. We all saw it. At that time, Princess Shixiang even danced a sword for him. We were all thinking, could this be God's will?"

    Sun Shangxiang¡¯s face suddenly turned red, ¡®Why did you mention that matter?  ¡¯ She felt a little embarrassed, but she still refused to leave. In fact, she asked Liu Jing to dance with her just to teach him a lesson. Unexpectedly, the sword was taken away by Liu Jing, and she became a phoenix in the eyes of everyone.

    Mrs. Wu had never known these things. She was even more surprised and asked: "I mean, what is his character like?"

    ¡°It can be called a dragon among men!¡±

    Lu Fan made no secret of his admiration, "Although he is the enemy of Jiangdong, to be fair, I still have to praise him. This man is the best man Lu Fan has ever seen in his life. From a military prince, he gradually became the lord of Jingzhou."  Everyone in Jingzhou is convinced of him. Only Bo Fu can compare with him. Even Cao Cao praised him as a hero in the world. What's more important is that he is only twenty-four years old. He is a brave young man and is the perfect match for Shang Xiang. "

    Sun Shangxiang finally couldn't sit down anymore. She stood up and said, "Mother, my daughter will leave first."

    She turned around and ran away in a panic. Everyone laughed together. Mrs. Wu sighed and said: "I believe in Lu Gong's knowledge. It sounds like he is indeed worthy of Shang Xiang. It is also Shang Xiang's choice to have this person as his son-in-law."  Xiang's blessing is that he already has a wife, so Shang Xiang can only marry him as a wife. I am unwilling to do so!"

    At this time, Qiao Guolao said with a smile: "Actually, this is not a big problem. Liu Jing is a direct descendant of the royal family. Cao Cao wanted to make him King of Xiangyang, but he refused. I also heard a rumor that Cao Cao was even willing to honor him.  He became the emperor, but he declined. From this, it can be seen that it was only a matter of time for him to be crowned king. Although Shang Xiang could not be his wife, once Liu Jing was crowned king, she could be called princess in terms of etiquette. In addition, there were  With Jiang Dong as his backing, no one dares to look down on Shang Xiang. Shang Xiang has her own status, and since Liu Jing has no elders and in-laws, Shang Xiang will not suffer any injustice. "

    "Are his parents gone?" the old lady asked again.

    "They are all gone. Uncle Liu Biao also passed away. He has almost no direct elders."

    Mrs. Wu nodded silently. It would be best if she didn't have the control of her parents-in-law. She also knew that a woman's status in her husband's family depends on her family's backstage. The Tao family is just a businessman. How can it be compared with Jiangdong Wu Hou and be regarded as a slave wife?  , the status will not be low.

    She herself is the best example. She and her sister married Sun Jian at the same time. The elder sister was the righteous one and she was the subordinate. But in fact, both of them were Sun Jian's wives. She did not feel that her status was low. It was precisely because of her  For example, Mrs. Wu finally nodded in agreement.

    "Okay! You can tell Wu Hou that I have only one condition. Let me see this Liu Jing with my own eyes. If I like him, I will marry my daughter to him. If I don't like him, this marriage will be over."

    After listening to Lu Fan¡¯s report, Sun Quan felt happy and worried at the same time. He was happy because his mother relented, but he was worried because why would Liu Jing be willing to come to Jingkou?  How could his mother see him?

    "I'm afraid he won't come." Sun Quan frowned.

    Lu Fan smiled and said: "I also told the old lady about this difficulty. The old lady said that she can guarantee Liu Jing's safety. In fact, Wei Chen feels that it is not impossible to let Liu Jing come. The key is that we have to tolerate the troops he brings."

    Sun Quan nodded, it was indeed true. If Liu Jing came to Jingkou, this would only be possible if he agreed to let him lead troops. Sun Quan was a little embarrassed. He didn't want to see the overwhelming scene of Jingzhou warships on the river again.

    After thinking for a long time, he sighed and said, "Let's wait until Chang Shi and the others come back to discuss this matter!"

    Sun Ben has been silent for the past two days. He tried to take advantage of Sun Quan's absence in Jingkou to create an opportunity to seize power, but was destroyed by Sun Shangxiang. This made Sun Ben very angry. At the same time, he was also a little uneasy and stayed behind closed doors for several days.

    But at the same time, he paid close attention to the subtle movements in Jiangdong's officialdom and observed Sun Quan's every move.As soon as he moved, it was as if Sun Quan didn't notice what he was doing. Sun Quan had not taken any action in the past few days, which made Sun Ben a little confused.

    In this secret battle for the position of Wu Hou, Sun Ben tried his best to overthrow Sun Quan, although he also had some advantages, such as his deep connections in Jiangdong's military and official circles, and his access to  He had the support of Jiangdong elders Zhu Ran and Han Dang, but the biggest advantage was that he controlled Kuaiji County.

    But Sun Bi also admitted in frustration that he was still at an obvious disadvantage. Most of the officials he visited made it clear that they supported Sun Quan, which showed that everyone was not optimistic about him. This was an extremely unfavorable trend. If  More and more people are not optimistic about him, and those who originally supported him will turn against him and betray him. At that time, he will desert his relatives and the situation is over.

    Therefore, Sun Ben eagerly hopes to break the situation. He expects the situation to be chaotic and does not like the situation to be calm. However, he can't find a way to break the situation for a while. Perhaps the negotiation between Sun Quan and Liu Jing will be a good opportunity. Signing a treaty of humiliating and humiliating the country is the best choice for a person in power.  A quick way to step down. For this reason, Sun Ben was full of expectations for the negotiations between the Sun and Liu families.

    Just when Sun Ben was pacing back and forth uneasily in the room, a report from the housekeeper came from the door: "I am reporting to the envoy, there is a person coming from outside the house, saying he is from the north, and there is a name card."

    ¡®Coming from the north?  ¡¯ Sun Ben¡¯s heart moved and he immediately asked: ¡°Where is the famous post?¡±

    The butler stepped forward and presented a name card. The name card was sealed and he obviously didn't want outsiders to see it. Sun Ben tore open the envelope and quickly opened the name card. 'Chen Jiao' appeared in front of him, and he suddenly became nervous.  , it turned out to be someone sent by Cao Cao.

    He thought for a moment and whispered to the housekeeper: "Bring this person into the house through the side door and bring him to the study to see me!"

    The housekeeper hurried away, and Sun Bi wiped a handful of sweat from his forehead. He and Cao Cao were related, and his daughter married Cao Zhang. He and Cao Cao had always had secret contacts. This time he and Sun Quan were fighting for power. Of course he also wanted to  Cao Cao can support himself.

    He originally thought that Cao Cao sent Zhang Liao to garrison Hefei to support him, but he didn't expect that Cao Cao would go one step further and directly intervene in the battle for the master of Jiangdong. Who knows what Cao Cao would let Chen Jiao bring to him?

    Not long after, the housekeeper brought in a middle-aged scribe. This man was Chen Jiao, Cao Cao's staff who was captured by Zhao Yun in Huoshaobian County. He was later released to Fancheng as a condition of giving up Xiangyang.

    Today, Chen Jiao came to Jiangdong on Cao Cao's order. It is indeed to allow Sun Ben to take over. If Sun Ben takes over, Jiangdong will be occupied by Cao's army sooner or later. For this reason, Cao Cao attaches great importance to the internal fighting in Jiangdong. Not only did he order Zhang Liao to lead an army of 80,000  After stationing in Hefei, he ordered Chen Jiao to secretly come to Jingkou to assist Sun Bi.

    Chen Jiao entered the room and bowed deeply, "See you, envoy!"

    In the early years of Jian'an, Chen Jiao had avoided trouble in Jiangdong and knew the people in Jiangdong well. When Sun Ben's daughter married Cao Zhang, Chen Jiao was the messenger to receive her. He and Sun Ben were very familiar with each other. This was the main reason why Cao Cao sent him to Jiangdong.

    Sun Ben smiled and said: "I remember that I married my daughter in the fourth year of Jian'an. I said goodbye to you and haven't seen you for ten years. Time flies so fast!"

    Chen Jiao also smiled and said: "Ten years is indeed not a short time, but when I look back and think about it, many things seem like yesterday. The Prime Minister often laments that time cannot wait for us."

    Sun Ben smiled knowingly and asked Chen Jiao to sit down. The maid brought in two glasses. Sun Ben ordered the door to be closed and then asked, "Is Ji Bi coming from Hefei or Yedu?"

    Sun Ben asked very implicitly. If he came from Yedu, then Chen Jiao should have Cao Cao's letter on him. Chen Jiao smiled and said, "I came from Yedu, but the Prime Minister didn't believe me, only the oral message."

    Sun Ben was a little disappointed. Cao Cao didn't have a written letter. Could it be that he didn't take him seriously?  Chen Jiao seemed to understand Sun Ben's disappointment and explained with a smile: "The prime minister was worried that there are many people in Jiangdong who know me. If I were arrested and the letters were found, it might be detrimental to the envoy, so I didn't bring a written letter. However,  The Prime Minister gave the envoy something."

    He took out a jade object from the brocade bag at his waist and handed it to Sun Bi. Sun Bi was careful and found out that it was a small jade tripod, as big as a pear. The jade was warm and delicate, and the workmanship was exquisite. It was a rare treasure.  After looking through it for a moment, Sun Ben suddenly understood that this was what Cao Cao wanted him to do to conquer Jiangdong.

    He was overjoyed, put the jade tripod on the table, bowed respectfully three times, and said in his mouth: "Thank you, Prime Minister, for your support!"

    Chen Jiao did not expect that Sun Bi would act so flatteringly. He felt a little disdain in his heart, but did not show it on his face. He only smiled lightly and said: "The prime minister hopes that you can aspire to conquer Jiangdong and become the new master of Jiangdong. I don't know what happened recently."  What's the progress?"

    Sun Ben smiled bitterly and shook his head, "We have been in a stalemate recently.At this stage, I hope to break the situation as soon as possible. Looking at the contract signed by Jiangdong and Jingzhou, I may be able to seize Sun Quan's leverage.  "

    Chen Jiao pondered for a moment and said: "I heard that Jiangdong and Jingzhou are going to marry Qin and Jin. The Prime Minister is very interested in this. He wants to ask how it is going?"

    Sun Ben was a little stunned. With so many complicated things, why was the Prime Minister only interested in this one?  But he didn't dare to ask more questions, and said quickly: "The old lady has already agreed to this marriage, and the marriage is probably set. The only change is that the old lady wants to meet Liu Jing, and hopes that Liu Jing can come to Jingkou."

    Chen Jiao put his hands on his hands and laughed, "It's just as the Prime Minister expected!"

    Sun Bi was confused, and he quickly asked: "What does Ji Bi mean by this?"

    Chen Jiao smiled slightly and said: "The Prime Minister guessed that Mrs. Wu's last condition must be to meet her future son-in-law. This is also human nature. If Liu Jing really comes to Jiangdong, our opportunity will come."

    Sun Ben was stunned, "The Prime Minister means"

    Chen Jiao narrowed his eyes and smiled, "The Prime Minister said that he and Liu Jing had a bet to see who would die first. He was very worried that Liu Jing would win the bet, so he very much hoped that Liu Jing's soul would remain in Jiangdong."

    Amid Sun Quan's eager anticipation, Zhang Hong and Lu Su finally returned from Jingzhou. The results of the negotiations they brought made Sun Quan overjoyed. In the meeting hall, bursts of laughter came from Sun Quan, "I knew Liu Jing was not short-sighted."  Man, he can be my sister-in-law.¡±

    Sun Quan was most concerned about food and land. Liu Jing agreed to use crude iron to pay for food, which was extremely beneficial to Sun Quan because the crude iron billets in Liyang warehouse were piled up like mountains, estimated to be several million kilograms, and there was no clear book.  Even if you transport a million pounds, you won't see any difference.

    In particular, Liu Jing promised not to station troops in Yuzhang County, which made Sun Ben unable to grasp his own leverage. You must know that Sun Ben has been in Yuzhang as the prefect for a long time and has many eyes and ears. As long as there is no Jingzhou army in Yuzhang, he will not be able to control the territory.  It would arouse public outrage, so the impact of defeat would actually be small.

    He survived this disaster safely, but Sun Quan also knew that although he could escape this disaster, if he wanted to conquer Jingzhou again, he would really have no chance.

    Thinking of this, Sun Quan said happily: "I can give Liu Jing a written formal commitment that within ten years, Jiangdong will never conquer the West again."

    Zhang Hong nodded and said, "Then, regarding the marriage between the Jing and Wu families, Jingzhou needs specific details."

    Sun Quan thought for a while, and the two parties needed a matchmaker first for their marriage. After pondering for a moment, Sun Quan smiled and said, "In that case, I will send Mr. Qiao to Jingzhou to be a matchmaker."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 465 Jiaozhou Interlude

    Early in the morning, tens of thousands of people crowded outside Xiangyang City. They carried their children on their shoulders. Everyone looked forward to it and stared at the river.

    Today is not an important holiday, nor is it a fixed special day, but as news spread, tens of thousands of people in Xiangyang rushed out of the city and crowded on the pier to wait for the arrival of a group of important guests.

    Even their state shepherd, Liu Jing, also appeared on the pier. Thousands of soldiers maintained order. Liu Jing talked and laughed with the officials in low voices while looking towards the river from time to time. His eyes were also full of strong interest. What they were waiting for today was nothing.  The important guests are a group of animals, a group of animals that most people in Xiangyang have never seen before.

    At this moment, cheers suddenly erupted on the pier. Liu Jing also stood up and smiled at Xu Shu: "They are here!"

    I saw a mighty fleet approaching from the river, consisting of about twenty Qianshi cargo ships. The huge sail of the leading ship was printed with a ring logo, which was the logo of Wu's Trading Company in Jiangling. They were responsible for this batch of cargo ships.  Transportation of important cargo.

    The crowd began to get excited and rushed towards the pier. Thousands of soldiers tried their best to stop the crowd from flooding onto the pier.

    At this time, the first large ship docked. Tens of thousands of people fell silent for an instant. Tens of thousands of pairs of eyes stared at the cargo ship. A dark-skinned man slowly walked out of the ship and led an elephant.  Ship planks.

    There was a burst of cheers on the dock, mixed with the excited screams of children. This was an elephant transported from Xiang County in the south. The suggestion made by a steward at the Wuchang dock finally became a reality today. This time a total of  Hundreds of elephants were obtained through Jiangling Wu's Trading Company in exchange for pig iron and the officials of Jiuzhen County, Jiaozhi County and other places.

    In fact, there were only more than 20 elephants transported to Xiangyang, and the remaining 90 elephants were placed in Jiangling and Wuchang. They were not used for people to watch, but as draft animals on the docks.  Greatly improve the loading and unloading efficiency of the terminal.

    As the elephants disembarked one after another, they were quickly surrounded by the enthusiastic people in Xiangyang. They talked a lot and curiously watched this group of strange beasts that they had never seen before. The children in particular were extremely excited and rushed to use them.  The young leaves and rock salt prepared in advance are fed to these guests from afar.

    In fact, Liu Jing also has a baby elephant, which was given to him by Sun Quan. It is still in Wuchang and has not yet been shipped back to Xiangyang. However, Liu Jing had another purpose in purchasing these elephants, which was to contact the Jiaozhou government.

    Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty destroyed the Nanyue Kingdom, Jiaozhou has officially become the territory of the Han Dynasty. However, the current situation is more complicated. The entire Jiaozhou is controlled by three major forces.

    One is Lai Gong, the governor of Jiaozhou appointed by Liu Biao, who currently controls Yulin County; the other is Wu Ju, the prefect of Cangwu also appointed by Liu Biao, who currently controls Cangwu County.

    Another force is Shi Xie, who was appointed by the imperial court as the prefect of Jiaozhi. His sphere of influence is mainly in Nanhai County, Gaoliang County, Zhuya County, Hepu County, Jiaozhi County, Jiuzhen County and Rinan County. He is currently the largest force in Jiaozhou.  .

    Although Lai Gong and Wu Ju were appointed by Liu Biao, they were actually independent warlords. Only Wu Ju nominally recognized himself as a minister of Jingzhou, but he respected Liu Qi as the lord of Jingzhou and did not recognize Liu Jing's status.

    As for Jiaozhi Prefect Shi Xie, he also became a separatist force, but he was very willing to establish some kind of contact with Liu Jing. This elephant purchase was a business relationship that Shi Xie and Liu Jing tried to establish, and Liu Jing also made an exception and agreed to use  Shi Xie exchanged the pig iron he urgently needed for elephants.

    At this time, a young man about twenty-five or six years old, accompanied by Wu Qing, the head of the Wu family merchants, walked up quickly. He bowed deeply to Liu Jing and said, "Shilin, see Liu Zhoumu!"

    Liu Jing had received an express message from Wu Qing in advance. He knew that this Shilin was Shi Xie's grandson, and he was appointed Jiuzhen County Magistrate. This time he came with the elephant team.

    Liu Jing clasped her fists and said with a smile: "It turns out it's Shi Jun Cheng. Jingzhou has neglected the Jun Cheng."

    "Don't dare!"

    Shilin's attitude was very respectful. He took out a letter from his arms and presented it to Liu Jing with both hands, "This is an autographed letter from my grandfather to Zhou Mu. Please ask Zhou Mu to read it!"

    Liu Jing received the letter and was not in a hurry to read it. Instead, she turned around and told Xu Shu, "Please Yuan Zhi, please take Shijun Cheng down to have a rest and get to know the officials of Jingzhou."

    Xu Shu nodded, waved his hand and said with a smile, "Master Shijun, please!"

    Xu Shu took Shilin down, and Liu Jing opened Shi Xie's letter and read it hastily. He just wanted to reconcile the two families and vigorously develop trade. However, at the end of the letter, Shi Xie actually mentioned that Liu Bei was named Jiaozhou Mu.  One thing.

    Liu Jing was a little surprised at this time. He had only learned three days ago that Liu Bei had been granted the title of Jiaozhou Shepherd by the imperial court. This Shi Xie was far away in a remote place in the south. How could he know about this so quickly?

    Liu Jing suddenly had a premonition that this scholar was?Coming here is probably related to Liu Bei being named Jiaozhou Mu. The three major warlords in Jiaozhou are all prefects, but there is no Jiaozhou Mu. And Liu Bei was named Jiaozhou Mu, which means that the water in Jiaozhou has begun to be muddied.

    The crowd of elephants on the pier continued, but Liu Jing returned to the official room. He was not very interested in these elephants. His interest was in the news brought to him by General Xu Shu.

    At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Xu Changshi is here."

    "Invite him in!"

    After a moment, Xu Shu walked in quickly and said with a solemn expression: "As expected, Shi Xie wants to form an alliance with us."

    Liu Jing then ordered the guards, "Please come over with Military Advisor Jia, and Military Advisor Sima."

    As soon as the words were spoken, Jia Xu appeared at the door with a smile, followed by Sima Yi. Jia Xu said: "I have a very good nose. I knew that a dinner party was coming when I smelled it, so I pulled Sima over."

    Everyone laughed, and the laughter diluted the tense atmosphere in the room. The four of them sat down in the room. Xu Shu said slowly: "I talked to Shilin for a while just now. He was very frank and told me bluntly that he was here.  Jingzhou has two tasks. The first task is to form an alliance with us to deal with Liu Bei."

    Liu Jing asked again without revealing her voice: "Where is the other mission?"

    "Another task is to establish trade relations with Jingzhou. They want to buy Jingzhou's kerosene and pig iron."

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "You can reply to him. There is no problem in forming an alliance. Now we cannot establish a direct trade line with Jiaozhi. We must pass through Liu Bei's sphere of influence. Transporting kerosene and pig iron will only waste Liu Bei's money. Let's make some ordinary goods first.  At least Liu Bei didn¡¯t dare to intercept the trade.¡±

    Jia Xu chuckled, "This is a good excuse, Shi Xie has nothing to say."

    Next to him, Sima Yi pondered and said, "Then what does Zhou Mu mean by agreeing to form an alliance with Shi Xie?"

    Of course, the alliance was not just an excuse. Sima Yi would not think that simply. He just wanted to know what Liu Jing was thinking about Liu Bei and Jiaozhou. After all, Liu Biao had captured part of Jiaozhou back then, but they only considered moving westward.

    Liu Jing sighed slightly and said: "Sometimes I have to admire Cao Cao's resources and methods. He can always find them at his fingertips and put me at a disadvantage, but I have to face it."

    Jia Xu's expression also became serious. He looked at Liu Jing silently and asked in a deep voice: "Master, are you talking about Liu Bei being named Jiaozhou Shepherd?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "He granted Liu Bei the title of Jiaozhou, which inadvertently disrupted the balance of Jiaozhou. Shi Xie hopes that I can contain Liu Bei from behind and prevent Liu Bei from going south. I estimate that Lai Gong and Wu Ju will also send envoys to Jingzhou one after another.  Or go to Soochow to find support. In this way, my plan to advance westward will be disrupted and I will have to reconsider the plan. "

    "Zhou Mu wants to change his plan?" Sima Yi was surprised. Once Jingzhou's Bashu plan was suspended or terminated, it would cause a serious blow to the people of Dongzhou, and he suddenly became a little nervous.

    Liu Jing saw Sima Yi's nervousness and couldn't help but smile, "I just said that Cao Cao's methods disrupted my westward expansion plan, not stopped it. Does Zhongda understand?"

    Sima Yi breathed a sigh of relief, and he laughed awkwardly, "Concern leads to chaos, I'm a little lost."

    "This is not a gaffe, but the strategy of Bashu is related to our future life and death. My uncle has no ambition to go west and north, so he is very concerned about Jiaozhou, but I am not the former Liuzhou Mu. I know very well what is more important. I'm afraid  It will disappoint Cao Cao."

    Jia Xu smiled, "Maybe Prime Minister Cao also gave us a big gift."

    "Jingnan!" Xu Shu blurted out.

    Everyone looked at each other and laughed again. Liu Bei's troops were insufficient. Once they went south to Jiaozhou, Jingnan would be empty. They only needed a small number of troops to occupy Jingnan. This was indeed a great gift from Cao Cao.

    Liu Jing thought for a while and then said: "But then again, we want to capture Jiaozhou, but not now. Even if Liu Bei captures Jiaozhou, I am not optimistic about it. The population is too small, and it will not be a big deal after all. It will be the second at most.  We are only in South Vietnam. Our combat readiness resources are limited and we must focus on heading north. We hope that in ten years, our troops will begin to enter Jiaozhou. "

    Everyone nodded silently, and Liu Jing smiled again: "This Shi Xie is just a small episode. We should return to the original plan and stabilize Jiangdong first. I received a pigeon letter from Chai Sang last night, Jiangdong's matchmaker.  We have already passed Chaisang, and it seems that Princess Jiangdong will not be able to marry her anymore.¡±

    Two days later, Jiangdong's ship slowly docked at the pier. Qiao Xuan stood on the bow and saw Jia Xu on the shore. He couldn't help but laugh. The two of them had known each other more than 20 years ago and had a good relationship.  Dong Zhuo sent Jia Xu to persuadeQiao Xuan wanted to serve as an official, but Qiao Xuan refused to agree and fled to Jiangdong overnight.

    The last time they met was in Wancheng. Qiao Xuan traveled all over the world and passed through Wancheng to visit Jia Xu, who was working for Zhang Xiu at the time. It has been more than ten years since.

    "Brother Wenhe, are you okay?" Qiao Xuan laughed.

    Jia Xu did not expect that it would be Qiao Xuan who arrived. He was suddenly surprised and happy. He stepped forward and bowed his hands and said, "Old Guo, how could it be you?"

    Qiao Xuan got off the boat, the two hugged tightly, looked at each other and smiled: "We haven't seen each other for more than ten years, I didn't expect to meet again in Jingzhou."

    At this time, Jia Xu saw a child following Qiao Xuan. The child was holding a lacquer plate with a wooden box on it. Jia Xu asked strangely: "What is this box?"

    Qiao Xuan chuckled: "Inside the box is our Princess Shangxiang's posthumous certificate. I am naturally the matchmaker."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 466 Unable to put on airs

    The arrival of Qiao Xuan as Jiangdong's matchmaker officially kicked off the marriage between Jingzhou and Jiangdong. This was a typical political marriage. The various procedures and detailed arrangements for the marriage were negotiated and finalized by the officials of both parties, but there were no parties involved.  idea.

    The most critical part of this is the personal welcome. Jiangdong made it clear that he hoped that Liu Jing could go to Jiangdong to marry Sun Shangxiang in person. This was Mrs. Wu¡¯s only wish. Mrs. Wu and Sun Quan, the monarch of Jiangdong, gave a written safety guarantee. Despite this, Jingzhou  Liu Jing still asked for eight thousand troops to escort him.

    After repeated consultations, the two sides finally reached an agreement. The army was reduced from 8,000 to 6,000. There were no more than 100 warships. The entourage that came ashore was no more than 500. After landing, they would not enter Jingkou City and only go to Beigu.  The mountain met Mrs. Wu and told her that no more than two hours later, the Jiangdong Army could not have more than 3,000 people within three miles of Beigu Mountain, and the Jingzhou Army was allowed to send out fifty scouts and so on.

    Once these details are finalized, the date of the wedding is determined, and the Jingzhou wedding fleet will set off on the fifth day of August.

    Qiao Xuan stayed in Jiangxia for three days and finally arranged all the details one by one. At dusk, dozens of female guards escorted a carriage to slowly stop in front of the gate of the VIP hotel. A female guard walked in quickly.  Library building.

    At this time, Qiao Xuan was reading in the room. The steward ran into the yard and said, "Elder Guo, there is something urgent!"

    Qiao Xuan was startled. He put down his book and walked to the door. He saw a female guard wearing soft armor and carrying a knife walking into the yard. The female guard bowed her hand to him and saluted, "But Jiangdong Qiao Guo?"

    Qiao Xuan was a little confused. Who is this?  There are actually female soldiers, which looks a bit like Princess Shangxiang's two hundred pink cavalry in the past. He nodded with a smile: "I am Qiao Xuan, who is the girl?"

    "I am the Marquis of the Guards of the Prefecture. As ordered by my wife, I would like to ask the elder to come to the Prefecture to speak with me!"

    Qiao Xuan suddenly realized that he was the escort of Liu Jing's wife, Mrs. Tao. Thinking about it, although Mrs. Tao didn't have much to do in this marriage, once Princess Shangxiang entered the Prefectural Mufu, Mrs. Tao immediately became the key  Regardless of whether he is a public figure or a private figure, he should pay a visit to Mrs. Tao. This is the minimum respect Jiang Dong has for Mrs. Zhou Mu.

    Thinking of this, Qiao Xuan felt ashamed and annoyed that he had neglected such an important matter, which would affect Princess Shangxiang's life for decades to come. He quickly said: "Please allow me to change, and I'll go right away.  "

    Qiao Xuan changed into official court clothes, wore an Eguan on his head, got into the carriage, and drove to the state capital not far away.

    In fact, Tao Zhan is not idle. She has passed the psychological barrier at this time, and is also seriously preparing for Liu Jing's marriage to Sun Shangxiang. Her main task is to arrange Sun Shangxiang's future residence, and also to review the wedding gift. She  He was very thoughtful and didn't want the people of Jiangdong to laugh at him.

    The Zhou Mufu covers an area of ??300 acres, including 200 acres of the back house. The core of the back house is a lake of about 50 acres, surrounded by lush forests and covered with various exquisite pavilions, seven of which  The courtyard around the lake, which is inlaid like seven gems, is completely modeled after the Jiaofang Palace of Weiyang Palace, only much smaller.

    Tao Zhan decided to arrange Sun Shangxiang¡¯s courtyard in Hewuyuan. This is the second largest courtyard in the back house, covering an area of ??ten acres, second only to Lumingyuan where Tao Zhan lives. It also represents Sun Shangxiang¡¯s status in the mansion.

    Although it is called a courtyard, it is actually composed of a group of buildings with forty or fifty rooms and pavilions. Standing on the highest crane tower, you can lean on the railing and look at the lake. The scenery is extremely beautiful.

    Tao Zhan was directing dozens of maids and women to decorate the house. At this time, the female guard Junhou walked quickly and saluted Tao Zhan: "Mrs. Qi, Mr. Qiao has arrived and is waiting in the guest hall."

    Tao Zhan nodded and smiled: "Thank you for your hard work."

    She and a dozen maids got into the carriage and headed to the guest room in the front house.

    In the guest hall, Qiao Xuan was sitting in the hall, drinking tea and waiting calmly. It was already dark, and the lights in the hall were bright. There were eight maids standing around. The halls in Qin and Han Dynasties were completely different from those in later generations. They were built on a base, like a  The small hall has a structure of arches, beams and columns, with a high ceiling and a wide hall. It looks particularly empty when people sit in it.

    At this time, there was a crisp ringing sound outside the lobby, and a dozen maids were seen walking into the lobby surrounded by a beautiful young woman with a pony top and a purple dress. Qiao Xuan knew that this was the wife of the state capital.  He quickly stepped forward and saluted: "Jiangdong Qiao Xuan, please see Mrs. Tao."

    Tao Zhan smiled slightly, "It turns out to be Mr. Qiao Guolao, we should have met him before."

    Qiao Xuan was thinking about Princess Shangxiang all the way and did not think about the past in detail. Tao Zhan reminded him that Mrs. Tao was Tao Lie's granddaughter. Tao Lie brought her to Jiangdong to visit him. At that time, she  She was seven or eight years old. Later, when my eldest daughter married Sun Bofu, I also saw her at the wedding.

    He smiled awkwardly."I'm really confused. I did meet Madam when I was with Ling Zu, but she was still young. Many years have passed in a flash."

    "Yes! It has been more than ten years, how is Sister Qiao now?" Tao Zhan asked again with a faint smile.

    "She is okay. She is raising children and living deep in the palace. I don't see her much."

    Tao Zhan waved his hand, "Elder Guo, please take a seat!"

    The two were seated separately, and Tao Zhan ordered tea to be served. Qiao Xuan noticed at this moment that although Mrs. Tao was wearing a purple dress, the fabric was fine linen, not silk, and she had a hairpin and a ring in her hair.  The armbands and other ornaments are all made of ordinary red gold, which is the jewelry of ordinary housewives.

    He was slightly startled, and then suddenly remembered what he had seen and heard in the past few days. Most of the men and women on the streets of Xiangyang were simply dressed, without any luxury. Even the carriage he was riding in was decorated very ordinary, but the horses were very majestic.

    Only then did Qiao Xuan slowly understand that Jingzhou's admiration for simplicity turned out to be a deed. As a dignified wife of a state shepherd, the daughter of the Tao family who was extremely wealthy, she was also so simply dressed. She was obviously not dressing up deliberately to show off to herself, she should be.  Just her usual attire.

    This small detail made Qiao Xuan quite emotional. No wonder Jingzhou was able to fight several wars in a row. This was closely related to Jingzhou's accumulation of national power.

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and took a sip of tea, then asked with a smile: "My general is going to marry Princess Jiangdong. This is not only a major event in Jingzhou, but also a major event in our family. I will do my best and arrange the residence according to etiquette. Is the elder willing?  Come with me to see the future Princess Shangxiang¡¯s residence?¡±

    Although Qiao Xuan really wanted to go and take a look, he knew that this was just a courtesy from Mrs. Tao, not something that had to be done. If he really went, it would seem a bit distrustful and Jiangdong was condescending. He quickly smiled and said:  "With Madam's arrangements, I'm completely at ease, so there's no need to go."

    Tao Zhan smiled calmly. The other party didn't want to go, so she didn't force it. She smiled again and said: "In addition, I also ask the elder to tell Mrs. Wu that although Jingzhou is noble and simple, it does not insist on uniformity, and the governor's office is not very strict.  Everything can be done as you please, and General Liu is also very open-minded and does not restrict his family members from entering and exiting the house. Although there are some regulations, they are mainly for safety reasons. "

    This is very important. Qiao Xuan knows that Princess Shangxiang is not a person who cares about luxury, but she cares about freedom. He is afraid that she will not be able to control her temper after getting married and cause big conflicts. This is not good.  .

    Although Mrs. Tao seems to be very tolerant, if Princess Shangxiang goes too far and is as free and willful as when she was unmarried, no one will be able to bear it. Otherwise, why would no family in Jiangdong dare to marry her?  He must explain this matter to Mrs. Wu when he goes back.

    At this time, Qiao Xuan looked outside again and saw that the sky was completely dark. He put his hands in his hands and said with a smile: "Thank you, madam, for meeting me and solving a lot of confusion for me. I will go back to express my respect to Mrs. Wu. The time has passed."  It¡¯s not too late, so I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    Tao Zhan nodded, turned around and told the maid, "Bring it up!"

    A maid came forward with a lacquer tray. On the tray was a flat bamboo box. When she opened the box, she found a brand new, neatly folded light red fine linen dress. Tao Zhan smiled and said  : "This is a long dress that I spun and sewed with my own hands. I made two pieces in total. The one I am wearing is one of them. I gave the other one to Princess Shangxiang. I hope she likes it."

    Qiao Xuan is a man of good taste. He did not look down upon it in the slightest. He respectfully picked up the box from the plate and bowed: "I will convey Madam's kindness to Princess Shangxiang!"

    After seeing off Qiao Xuan, Tao Zhan came to Songfeng Pavilion, which was the residence of Liu Jing's concubine and Bao Niang. It was close to Tao Zhan's Luming Courtyard, covering an area of ??about three acres and consisting of more than twenty exquisitely designed rooms.  In terms of architectural composition, it is not as grand as Luming Courtyard, nor as luxurious as Crane Dance Courtyard, but it has a Xiaojiabiyu-like style, and Little Bao Niang likes it very much.

    The reason why Little Bao Niang got a yard by herself was because she was pregnant. She had been pregnant for five months. She looked much plumper and had a very good appetite. When Tao Zhan walked into her little yard, he happened to see her in the yard.  Barbecuing venison with two maids in the yard.

    "What are you doing?" Tao Zhan approached and smiled.

    "Sister, you're here just in time. Let's try the fresh venison that Aunt Wang just sent us!" Although Little Bao Niang is five months pregnant and is about to become a mother, the smile on her face and her attitude are still as straightforward as before.

    Tao Zhan could not help but frown slightly when he saw the green smoke filling the courtyard: "It's such a hot day and you have to barbecue meat. Don't you think it's greasy?"

    The little girl said with a smile: "The old man often talks about meaty men and plain women. During this time, I really want to eat meat. I guess I must be a stinky boy in my belly."

    Tao Zhan saw that she was in very good spirits, her skin was white and rosy, and her body was in good condition.?Excellent, she recalled that when she was five years pregnant, she felt extremely uncomfortable all day long. She couldn't help but believe in the witch's physiognomy. The little girl really had a prosperous physiognomy, and it would be absolutely effortless to give birth to a child. It seemed that she had asked her husband to accept her as his wife.  Concubine, it was a wise decision.

    Originally, Tao Zhan wanted to talk to Little Bao Niang to relieve his worries, but when he saw Little Bao Niang enjoying the barbecue so much, he didn't want to spoil her mood. Tao Zhan smiled and said, "Then you can eat slowly! I'll go back first."  "

    She turned to leave, but the little lady felt that she was worried, so she handed the barbecue to the maid and said with a smile: "It's nothing, sister, come in and sit down?"

    Tao Zhan nodded and followed her into the room. She really wanted to talk to someone now. After all, Xiaobao Niang had served her husband for many years. Maybe she could know something about her husband's true thoughts.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 467 Tao Zheng gets promoted

    "Eldest sister is worried about Princess Jiangdong, right?"

    Little Bao Niang was very aware of Tao Zhan's worries at this time, but the Jiangdong Princess matter had little to do with her, so she didn't ask much, but the maids always told her about it from time to time, and she also knew that this day was coming.

    Tao Zhan shook his head, "Now that things have happened, there is nothing to worry about. I just don't know what the general thinks. He has been busy with the war in the past two years, fighting in the north and south. I don't have much time with him."

    The little girl laughed and said, "Actually, sister, you can rest assured. He is not the kind of playboy who talks about love all day long. When he sees a new love, he leaves the old love behind. His mind is focused on fighting for the world.  I still remember one night in the middle of the night, he suddenly got up and paced back and forth in the room. I asked him why he wasn't sleeping. He said he was thinking about military rations. Look, he couldn't even sleep. How could he have much thought about chasing women?  ?¡±

    Tao Zhan was silent. She had thought about these things, but she was not confident in most of the things she thought of. It was better to say them out of other people's mouths. She smiled bitterly and said: "I have figured out many things. With his status,  It¡¯s normal to have a dozen women around you, but¡±

    Tao Zhan didn't want to say the following words, but she always felt inexplicable worries in her heart. The fundamental reason was that her mother's family's status was not high, which made her always worry about her own status and her son's future. The little girl couldn't understand these thoughts, and Tao Zhan couldn't understand them either.  Not wanting others to know, Tao Zhan stood up and said with a smile, "Let's go! I'll have a barbecue with you."

    The little girl happily followed her out of the room and asked, "Does eldest sister also like to eat barbecue?"

    "I don't like eating very much."

    Tao Zhan smiled and said, "But I like grilling. I used to hide in the yard with my brother and secretly grill fish."

    Looking at the green smoke rising in the yard and the stars in the sky, Tao Zhan recalled the happy years when she was a girl, and the worries accumulated in her heart gradually disappeared.

    Early the next morning, Tao Zheng followed a guard and walked quickly to Liu Jing's official room in a long corridor in the state government office. He had previously received a letter from the state government office asking him to come to Xiangyang, so he followed Yun.  The elephant boat came to Xiangyang together.

    Although Tao Zheng was Tao Zhan's brother and the only person in the Tao family who entered the official career, he did not rise to fame because of his sister. On the contrary, Liu Jing had very strict requirements on him, and everyone who joined the official career with him was very strict.  Once promoted, he was still just a small county captain.

    A few days ago, businessmen in Wuchang made trouble. He was so busy that he didn't even have time to go home. He slept in the county office with his clothes on at night. As soon as the situation was calmed down, the decree from Xiangyang arrived.

    Tao Zheng thought he was being asked to report the merchants causing trouble, but it was wrong to think about it. Even if he had to report, the county magistrate and the prefect should come to report, and it was not his turn to come to Xiangyang. Tao Zheng was confused and couldn't understand it.  .

    At this time, they arrived in front of Liu Jing's official chamber, and the guard reported: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Captain Tao County has arrived!"

    "Invite him in!" Liu Jing's voice came from the room.

    Tao Zheng walked into the room quickly and saw Liu Jingzheng and Xu Shu sitting at the table talking about something. Tao Zheng quickly stepped forward and knelt down, bowed and said, "Meet the Zhou Mu and the Changshi!"

    Generally speaking, the following etiquette is very particular. It is not necessary to kneel down all the time. The occasion must be distinguished. There is a very important principle here, called posture reciprocity. For example, Liu Jing and Xu Shu are standing in front of a map.  When discussing matters, in this case, Tao Zheng does not need to kneel down to salute, he can just bow and salute.

    At this time, Liu Jing and Xu Shu were sitting at the banquet, and in the Han and Tang dynasties, they all sat on their knees without any chairs. Under such circumstances, if Tao Zheng stood and bowed, he would feel a condescending pressure, obviously towards his superiors.  There is no respect, so Tao Zheng must also kneel down and make an equal gesture with the other person, and then bow down and salute. This is the origin of the kneeling ceremony, which is actually a gesture of equality.

    This is not the same as the kneeling ceremony in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were chairs. The superiors were superior, while the subordinates knelt down and saluted. This was not equal.

    Liu Jing waved her hand, smiled slightly and said: "No courtesy!"

    Tao Zheng straightened up. He took out the report he had written from his arms and presented it with both hands. "This is a detailed report on the Wuchang businessman's trouble. Please ask the state pastor to read it."

    In fact, Liu Jing has already received the report about the trouble caused by the Wuchang businessmen. There is no need for Tao Zheng to send another report. He took the report and smiled and said: "I won't read it. You can briefly talk about the situation."

    Tao Zheng sorted out his thoughts and said: "The reason was that a dozen or so Xiangyang merchants had sold their shops at low prices. Later, they found out that Wuchang was more prosperous, so they regretted it and wanted to take back the shops, but the buyers refused. These dozen merchants  They encouraged fellow villagers from Xiangyang to rob shops, which resulted in a conflict between merchants from Jiangxia and Xiangyang. Now the situation has calmed down. "

    "Those dozen households of Xiangyang-registered businessmen, youHow to deal with it?  Liu Jing asked.

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, first of all, the shop sale is established and there must be no regrets. Secondly, all losses will be borne by the dozen Xiangyang businessmen who caused the trouble. In addition, the Xiangyang businessman who led the trouble will be punished for one year."

    Xu Shu laughed next to him, "Is it reasonable for Tao County Lieutenant to only punish Xiangyang merchants but not touch Jiangxia merchants?"

    Tao Zheng stood up and said solemnly: "This case is one thing and one thing. I am not biased in the slightest. From beginning to end, the Jiangxia businessman did nothing illegal. Both parties signed a letter to transfer the store, and there was a middleman as a guarantee.  Although the price is low, it is completely voluntary. As for shops being smashed, looted, and even merchants being chased, it is Xiangyang merchants who are committing violence. Perhaps Jiangxia merchants deliberately show weakness, but it can only be a strategy, and whether it violates  The law has nothing to do with it. I only look at their behavior. Xu Changshi can say that I am incompetent, but he cannot accuse me of being partial to one side."

    Liu Jing waved her hands and said with a smile: "Don't be so excited. Xu Changshi knows the details and is just joking with you."

    Tao Zheng sat down again. Liu Jing looked at his report and returned it to him. He smiled lightly and said, "Remember in the future, the report given to me must be signed by the county magistrate and the prefect."

    Tao Zheng's face suddenly turned red. Only then did he realize that he had committed a taboo in officialdom. He took the report sheepishly and put it away quickly.

    Liu Jing smiled and said to him: "I'll bring you to Xiangyang because there is a new position for you. Let Xu Changshi tell you!"

    Tao Zheng was surprised and happy. It turned out that he was going to be transferred away. Unlimited expectations suddenly arose in his heart. He looked at Xu Shu anxiously. Xu Shu thought for a while and said, "Let me tell you a secret first. It must not be told outside."

    "I don't dare to be in a humble position!"

    Xu Shu continued: "We signed a secret agreement with Jiangdong. Yuzhang County and Qichun County will belong to Jingzhou one year later. During this year, they will be temporarily controlled by Jiangdong, but neither side is allowed to station troops, while Qichun County and Qichun County will be temporarily controlled by Jiangdong.  Yuzhang County is different again. It is co-managed by both parties. In other words, the prefect is appointed by Jiangdong, but the county magistrate is appointed by us. The prefect is only in name, and the real power is in the hands of the county magistrate. The state pastor suggested that you be the governor of Qichun.  I hope you will be able to stabilize Qichun in one year, Lieutenant Tao County, you have a heavy responsibility!"

    Tao Zheng was so excited that he actually made him the county magistrate, especially the last sentence, which said that he would stabilize Qichun County in one year. This actually hinted to him that he would become the prefect in one year. He once again acted  He bowed and said, "Wei Chen will never let down the great trust of Zhou Mu and Chang Shi and will do his best to stabilize Qichun County."

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "Go! After completing the formalities, you can go directly to Qichun County to take up the post. Xu Changshi will explain the detailed arrangements for you as the county magistrate."

    "I'm sorry to say goodbye!"

    Tao Zheng was eager to report the great news to his grandfather. He bowed and said goodbye. He waited until he was gone before Liu Jing smiled at Xu Shu and said, "What does Chang Shi think of this person?"

    A bitter smile appeared on Xu Shu's face. Generally, when an official enters an official position, he must first start as a chief registrar. He will be a chief registrar for two years, a county lieutenant for two years, a county magistrate for two years, and finally he will be promoted to a county magistrate. At least he must serve as an official within the county.  It would be ten years before promotion to the county was considered. If the political performance was mediocre, there would be no chance of promotion at all.

    Tao Zheng, on the other hand, was directly appointed as a county lieutenant without going through the registration process. He served as a county lieutenant for only three years and was directly promoted to a county magistrate. This completely surpassed the official promotion path. It can only be said that this was due to Tao Zheng's status.

    In fact, Xu Shu fully understood that even if Liu Jing did not marry a daughter of the Tao family, the Tao family should be repaid for their great contribution to the development of Jiangxia.

    What's more, Liu Jing also married a daughter of the Tao family and gave birth to his eldest son. Out of a need to maintain and improve Tao Zhan's status, Liu Jing should also reuse the Tao family, and on the eve of marrying Princess Jiangdong,  In order to appease the Tao family, this exceptional promotion seemed very necessary.

    Although Xu Shu knew it well, he did not want to mention this special relationship. He knew that Liu Jing was not asking him this, but whether Tao Zheng was capable of holding the important position of Qichun County Magistrate.

    Xu Shu thought for a while and said, "It can be seen that Tao Zheng is a clean and down-to-earth person with integrity. He has done a lot of practical things in the past few years, especially this time he solved the Wuchang business turmoil. It can be seen that he also has the courage to make decisive decisions and be able to  By enforcing the law impartially and impartially, I believe he can live up to the trust of the state pastor in Qichun County and successfully incorporate Qichun County into Jingzhou's territory. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "I also hope he won't disappoint me."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 468 Let¡¯s go west together

    The Tao family established a principle many years ago, which is to follow the center of power. When the center of power of the Jiangxia Army was transferred from Chaisang to Wuchang, the Tao family also moved to Wuchang. This time, Jingzhou was restored and the center of power moved back.  Xiangyang, the Tao family also began to move to Xiangyang.

    In fact, not only the Tao family, but also Jingzhou civil and military officials have sold their houses in Wuchang and moved back to Xiangyang. Everyone knows that only by following the center of power can they gain the greatest benefits.

    However, the Tao family did not move to Xiangyang, but chose Fancheng. On the one hand, Fancheng had the Tao family's house and business, so there was no need to buy new property.

    But for the Tao family, a house is just a drop in the bucket, so this is not the main reason. The fundamental reason is Tao Lie's intention not to be too close to the center of power. Being too close will make Tao Zhan feel embarrassed.

    At present, Tao Lie has stayed in Wuchang due to health reasons and has not moved again. The brothers Tao Sheng and Tao Li are in charge of the Fancheng side. In fact, Tao Sheng is in charge, and Tao Li is here because of special reasons.  Came to Fancheng.

    In the room, the Tao brothers were discussing a major matter, that is, Tao Family Capital was preparing to enter Bashu. After his father told Tao Sheng about the three realms of businessmen, Tao Sheng seemed to be awakened by a stick. He finally understood  After understanding what the Tao family should and should not do, his mind began to broaden and he would no longer disappoint his father.

    In the room, Tao Sheng asked his brother: "Zhou Mu asked you to come to Xiangyang, but is it to transport iron billets to Liyang?"

    Tao Li shook his head, "I didn't see Zhou Mu. It was Military Advisor Jia who met me. It's strange that he actually asked me about transporting war horses to Jingzhou. How did I get through the checkpoints in Hanzhong?"

    "This is a bit strange. Why does Military Advisor Jia care about this matter?"

    "I don't know either. I just told the truth. At that time, I bribed Yang Song and got Yang Song's special pass, so that the whole journey was smooth. Then Military Advisor Jia asked how to bribe Yang Song? The question was very detailed. I felt,  Military Advisor Jia is actually interested in Yang Song."

    Tao Sheng thought for a moment, and he understood a little bit. He estimated that the Jingzhou Army was preparing to attack Hanzhong. For businessmen, there were great business opportunities hidden here.

    But at this time, Tao Sheng was no longer just doing business to make money. He remembered his father's words and wanted to advance and retreat with the Jingzhou Army and become a military businessman. Although there were huge benefits in this, the real purpose was to gain  Connections among the upper echelons of the military and government.

    "Hanzhong is not the key, nor is Bashu. The key is Chang'an. Is there any new news from Li Zhong?"

    Li Tong is one of the top managers of the Tao family. He was ordered by Tao Li to set up a stronghold in Chang'an half a year ago. Tao Li quickly said: "Li Zhong has bought the largest Sanqin Tavern in Chang'an. The guys have gone to more than twenty  , has stabilized.¡±

    This is the consistent style of the Tao family. Whenever they expand to a place, they always start with a hotel or tavern to collect information, and then expand to shops, warehouses, boat shops, etc.

    Tao Sheng nodded and said: "I estimate that after Jingzhou captures Bashu, the next step will be Hanzhong, and then Guanzhong. We must make arrangements in advance. Second brother, I will leave this matter to you."

    "Don't worry, brother! I will make arrangements."

    While the two brothers were discussing, a report from a steward came from the door: "Master Zheng is here."

    Tao Sheng was startled, isn¡¯t Tao Zheng in Wuchang?  Why did he come to Xiangyang? He quickly ordered: "Let him come in!"

    Tao Zheng walked into the room, knelt down and saluted his father, "My son, pay homage to your father, and pay homage to your second uncle!"

    "Get up!"

    Fathers are usually very strict with their sons, and Tao Sheng is no exception. Although his son has become a county captain, he still has no future in his eyes. He said with a serious face: "Why don't you work hard in Wuchang and go to Wuchang?"  What are you doing in Xiangyang?¡±

    Tao Zheng lowered his hands and said, "My child came to Xiangyang on the orders of the state pastor and said that he has something important to do."

    "What's up?"

    "The child is to be appointed as the Prime Minister of Qichun County." Although it was not yet time to announce the matter, Tao Zheng did not dare to hide his father or lie, so he still told the truth.

    "What?"

    Brother Tao Sheng looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock. It was not that Qichun County had been assigned to Jingzhou, but that Tao Zheng had been promoted from county lieutenant to county magistrate. This was something that no one dared to imagine.  .

    "Why?"

    Tao Sheng was filled with surprises and his mind went blank. He simply didn¡¯t know what to say. Why was his son promoted?

    After all, Tao Zheng had been in the officialdom for three years. Although he was confused at the time, he figured it out on the way. This must have something to do with his sister. He whispered: "My child thought, maybe Hezhou Mu is going to marry Jiang Dong."  Princess related."

      Tao Li reacted first and said with a smile: "I understand, this is Zhou Mu's compensation to the Tao family. Because he married Princess Shangxiang, Zhou Mu felt guilty towards the Tao family, so he promoted Zheng'er in an unusual way."

    Tao Sheng closed his eyes and thought for a while, then shook his head, "I also think it has something to do with Princess Jiangdong, but it's not compensation, it should be a kind of appeasement to give us reassurance. Zhou Mu means that he will not change Zhan  son¡¯s status.¡±

    Tao Sheng actually didn't have much objection to Liu Jing marrying Princess Jiangdong. It was normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. As long as his daughter's status remained unchanged, even if Liu Jing married a hundred women, it would not affect Tao Sheng.  After being awakened by my father, my thinking has gradually broadened, and I can see the essence of many things.

    But no matter what, it was indeed a great joy for the Tao family that their son was promoted to a county magistrate. Tao Sheng was extremely excited and said to his son: "I will rush back to Wuchang immediately and report this matter to your grandfather."

    Tao Zheng came to his father with other ideas, because Xu Shu hinted to him that if he could stabilize Qichun this year, he would consider being promoted to prefect, and he only had one year, how to get things done  Okay, it makes people's hearts turn. After thinking about it, I can only ask the family for help.

    Tao Zheng said: "I wonder if I can ask the Tao family to help me make Qichun prosperous as soon as possible. If I can make political achievements within a year, I may be promoted to the prefect."

    Tao Sheng was even more excited. If his son was promoted to prefect in a year, then the Tao family would really stand out. Originally, Qichun had a small population and few business opportunities. The Tao family had never been interested in it. However, for the sake of his son's future, Tao Sheng  Sheng decided to pay a price.

    He nodded, "Don't worry, my son, the Tao family will fully support you in managing Qichun County. Even if it is a loss-making transaction, we will do it."

    Tao Li laughed, "Brother, this is not a loss-making business. The capital is on Zheng'er. If he can be promoted, that will be the biggest profit for our Tao family."

    Time has gradually arrived in early August, and the southern region has entered the final summer season, commonly known as the "Autumn Tiger". It is still hot during the day, but there is a hint of coolness in the morning and evening. In the Jiangbei region, this coolness in the morning and evening is even more obvious.

    Liyang County in Jiangbei also belongs to Danyang County, but it is located in the northwest corner of Danyang County, not far from Lujiang County. Liyang County has extremely important strategic significance for Jiangdong, equivalent to Xiaji County in Jingzhou  , the reason is that here is the largest iron ore and copper mine in Jiangdong.

    There are tens of thousands of mining slaves serving here. Some of them are criminals, some are captured Shanyue people, and some are poor people who come here to sell coolies for meager wages.

    Millions of kilograms of ore are mined in the mines every year, and after preliminary smelting of rough iron and copper, they are transported to the other side of the river for further refining, casting of weapons and armor, tools and agricultural tools, money and copperware, from which the government obtains a large amount of profits.  .

    It can also be said that Liyang County is an extremely important economic center in Jiangdong, but just over a month ago, a Jingzhou army from Lujiang County occupied Liyang County. This army was five thousand men led by Zhao Yun.  Elite army.

    They captured hundreds of flat-bottomed ore ships in the north of the Yangtze River and used these ore ships to cross the river south. Zhao Yun led his army to successfully attack Wuhu, and then attacked Liyang County along the Lishui River, shaking the city of Soochow and causing chaos in the hinterland of Jiangdong. However, Zhao Yun did not continue the attack.  Withdrawn from Liyang County, Jiangbei.

    Currently, Zhao Yun's army is facing off against the 10,000 troops led by Zhou Yu in Liyang County. There is no fighting between the two sides. Zhou Yu also knows that Zhao Yun's army will leave sooner or later, but he cannot allow Zhao Yun's army to shake Jiangdong again.

    Zhao Yun's army controlled Liyang County and the riverside wharf, while Zhou Yu's army was in a mine thirty miles away. There was a river connecting the two places. On top of the city, Zhao Yun was overlooking a fleet of more than thirty ships.  A fleet of flat-bottomed ore boats slowly sailed towards the mine.

    There are hundreds of Qianshi cargo ships moored at the dock. These are Tao's cargo ships coming from Jingzhou. According to the agreement between the two parties, Jiangdong will compensate Jiangxia for one million kilograms of crude iron billet. The Tao family's cargo ships are here to replace the Jingzhou government.  Pick up and transport these crude irons.

    Because the river is narrow and large cargo ships of thousands of stones cannot be driven, it is necessary to rely on ore ships to transport the crude iron billets from the mine smelting warehouse to the dock, and then transfer them to large ships for transportation to Jingzhou.

    At this time, Zhao Yun has received an order from Jingzhou. After transporting the pig iron, his army will follow the cargo ship transporting pig iron back to Jingzhou.

    Zhao Yun had some regrets in his heart. When he captured Wuhu, the hinterland of Jiangdong was empty. In fact, he could have captured Soochow City and even attacked Jingkou, which would cause greater shock to Jiangdong. However, Zhao Yun also knew that military victory may not be possible.  It is in line with Jingzhou¡¯s strategic interests.

    When he was about to go on an expedition, Liu Jing's order made it very clear that the main purpose of the army was to deter Jiangdong and not to lead.

    At first he didn¡¯t quite understand, but then?Zhang Liao led his army to Hefei. Zhao Yun finally understood the meaning of Liu Jing's order. Once Jiangdong was in chaos, it was not Jingzhou that would benefit, but Cao's army.

    "General, the brothers are all lined up, can we set off?" Lieutenant General Li Qun saluted behind Zhao Yun.

    Zhao Yun withdrew his thoughts and smiled at Li Qun: "Take the brothers to the dock and prepare to board the ship! You will have to work hard along the way."

    "But it would be unsafe for the general to stay in Liyang County with only two hundred brothers!" Li Qun said worriedly.

    "It's okay, Zhou Mu's fleet is about to arrive. I'm going to accompany Zhou Mu to Jingkou this time. Besides, the contract has been signed. Jiangdong Army doesn't dare to touch me anymore, so you don't have to worry and go with peace of mind!"

    "I humble my duty and obey my orders!"

    At this moment, a soldier on the observation tower at the top of the city shouted: "General Zhao, a large number of military ships are coming from the west!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 469 Return to Jiangdong

    On the vast and sparkling river, a fleet of ships was sailing down the river. The fleet did not raise its giant sails, but it was flying large red flags, which were particularly dazzling under the blue sky and white clouds. This was probably the largest fleet in history.  The huge wedding fleet, more than a hundred warships and six thousand troops, stretched for dozens of miles and was spectacular.

    On the 4,000-stone main building ship headed by him, Liu Jing stood on the third floor with his hands behind his hands, looking out at the river in the distance. After more than a year, he came to Jiangdong again. Although both times were for some kind of alliance and friendship between Jing and Wu, but  The mood of the two times was completely different.

    The first time he was trying to win over the Jiangdong Alliance to fight against Cao Cao. With a humble attitude, he did not hesitate to endure the humiliation of Sun Quan recognizing Liu Qi as the lord of Jingzhou at the same time. He also did not hesitate to plot and deliberately create Xun Yu just for a good treatment.  The illusion of visiting Jingzhou.

    But this time, he accepted the defeat of the loser with the attitude of a winner. Of course, he also needed to reconcile with Jiangdong so that he would have no worries and go all out westward to seize the greatest geostrategic advantage. Therefore, his east  Come, also with the utmost sincerity.

    Although he was about to become a groom, he was not very excited. At this time, his thoughts flew to Bashu, thousands of miles away, thinking about how to capture Bashu, Hanzhong and Guanzhong, and lay the solid foundation for his eventual domination of the world.

    "Zhou Mu, Liyang County is ahead!" A soldier shouted from the deck.

    Liu Jing also saw it. A dark city appeared on the north bank in the distance. A smile suddenly appeared in his eyes. Zhao Yun should have been waiting for him on the dock.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhao Yun has been waiting on the dock for a long time. Behind him, five thousand elite soldiers are lining up, preparing to board the ship and return to Jingzhou.

    At this time, Liu Jing's big ship slowly stopped at the dock. When Liu Jing appeared on the side of the ship, five thousand elites knelt down on one knee, and everyone shouted in unison, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help but laugh with her uniform movements and loud shouts. When did Zhao Yun learn this kind of ¡®collective etiquette¡¯?

    Looking at Zhao Yun again, he saw him glaring fiercely at Lieutenant General Li Qun. Li Qun showed a trace of uneasiness on his face. Only then did Liu Jing realize that this matter had nothing to do with Zhao Yun, but it was harmless.

    He smiled and waved to the soldiers, "Brothers, thank you for your hard work, please get up!"

    The soldiers stood up, and their movements were still very neat. Liu Jing stepped off the ship, and Zhao Yun quickly came up to greet him, bowed and saluted, "In this humble position, I see you as Zhou Mu!"

    There were more than a dozen generals following Zhao Yun. In this case, Liu Jing changed her address to Zhao Yun, "General Zhao, no courtesy!"

    He also praised the generals behind Zhao Yun and said: "In this Eastern Expedition, everyone did a perfect job and successfully completed the task. I will give everyone heavy rewards to commend everyone for their achievements."

    Everyone was overjoyed and saluted and thanked them together. The generals went to arrange for the soldiers to board the ship. Zhao Yun then smiled at Liu Jing and said, "Congratulations, brother!"

    Liu Jing gave a bitter smile, "I came all the way to Jiangdong to raise troops and mobilize people, just because my mother-in-law wants to see her son-in-law. Just thinking about it gives me a headache."

    "This is human nature!"

    Zhao Yun also smiled slightly and said: "When people marry their only daughter to you, they naturally want to see their son-in-law. I heard that Princess Shangxiang of Jiangdong is beautiful and virtuous. It is also a blessing for my virtuous brother to marry her."

    It was rare for Zhao Yun to joke like this. Liu Jing was in a good mood, patted his arm and said with a smile: "Since brother said so, then accompany me to Jingkou."

    "That's exactly what I wanted to do, to be a guard for my brother!"

    The two looked at each other and laughed together. At this time, a soldier rushed over and bowed to report: "Reporting to the Zhou Mu, the Governor of Jiangdong Zhou is here."

    Unexpectedly, she would meet Zhou Yu here. Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Please come, Governor Zhou!"

    Zhou Yu also heard the report of the arrival of a massive fleet from Jingzhou, and he immediately realized that this was Liu Jing.

    In fact, the reconciliation agreement between the two parties has been signed, and Taishi Ci, Lu Meng and others were released ten days ago. For Jiangdong, it is imminent for the Jingzhou Army to withdraw from Liyang.

    Zhou Yu had no choice. He sent people to see Zhao Yun several times, hoping that he could withdraw his troops as soon as possible in accordance with the agreement between the two parties, but Zhao Yun only replied to him with one sentence, "I have not received an order to withdraw!"  ¡¯

    Now that Liu Jing arrived, Zhou Yu finally saw a glimmer of hope, and he hurriedly came from the mine.

    "Liu Zhoumu, you're fine!" Zhou Yu, surrounded by more than a dozen guards, walked quickly and laughed loudly from afar.

    Liu Jing smiled, stepped forward and cupped his hands: "I didn't expect to see Gong Jin here, what an unexpected surprise!"

    "I hope to see you in Jingkou"Mu, I'm congratulating Zhou Mu on his wedding, but there's nothing I can do. If General Zhao doesn't leave, I have to stay here.  "

    When Zhou Yu said this, he glanced at Zhao Yun meaningfully. The implication was to remind Liu Jing that the Jingzhou Army in Liyang should withdraw.

    Liu Jing naturally understood his reminder, and he smiled and said: "Don't worry, Gong Jin, because we can't dispatch so many warships at the same time, so we are two days late. Now we are lining up to board the ship, and Gong Jin can go back to Jingkou."  ¡±

    Only then did Zhou Yu notice that the Jingzhou army was lining up to board the ship. He couldn't help but feel pleasantly surprised. The little resentment in his heart suddenly disappeared. He was overjoyed and quickly apologized, "Please forgive me for my blindness. I didn't see the army evacuating. I made such nonsense for a moment. Please ask the state pastor."  Don¡¯t be offended!¡±

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, looked back at Zhao Yun, and said to Zhou Yu: "General Zhao wants to go to Jingkou with me. Can Gong Jin give me a favor and take my boat, and we will go to Jingkou together."

    Since Liu Jing has spoken, Zhou Yu has to give him this face no matter what, but he has to arrange for Liyang to receive him. He thought for a while and said: "Of course I am willing to go with Zhou Mu, but please give me some time and I will make arrangements."

    ¡°Gongjin, just go back and make arrangements, I¡¯ll set off early tomorrow morning!¡±

    Early the next morning, Jingzhou¡¯s wedding fleet left Liyang and continued towards Jingkou. On Liu Jing¡¯s boat, there were two more guests, one was Zhao Yun and the other was Zhou Yu.

    Zhao Yun was worried that Liu Jing would go deep into the tiger's den alone. He insisted on following Liu Jing, while Zhou Yu and Liu Jing were traveling in the same boat. On the surface, it was Liu Jing's invitation, but Zhou Yu readily agreed. I'm afraid there was a deeper intention behind it.  .

    After the disastrous defeat of Jiangdong's army in the Western Expedition, the balance of the entire south was broken, Jiangdong fell into a trough, and Liu Bei was appointed Jiaozhou Mu, Liu Jing signed a reconciliation agreement with Cao Cao, and had frequent contacts with Bashu.

    Jiangdong has been sensitively aware that a new wave of competition is about to start in the entire south. What kind of strategy Liu Jing will adopt is especially important to Jiangdong.

    But given the lack of mutual trust between Jingzhou and Jiangdong officials, it became particularly necessary for Zhou Yu to develop a personal relationship with Liu Jing.

    In the observation cabin, the soldiers gathered a table of food and wine, and Liu Jingzheng and Zhou Yu sat across from each other to drink and talk about the friendship of the Battle of Chibi.

    "What does Zhou Mu think Cao Cao's real intention is in stationing troops in Hefei?" Zhou Yu asked.

    In fact, Zhou Yu certainly knew that Cao Cao's garrison in Hefei was related to the internal instability in Jiangdong, but he wanted to know Cao Cao's true strategic arrangements. He believed that Liu Jing's vision would be able to see through Cao Cao's appearance.

    Liu Jing raised his cup and smiled and said: "Cao Cao stationed troops in Hefei. He could pass through Chaohu Lake and enter the Yangtze River via Ruxushui. But according to my information, Cao Cao did not build large-scale ships in Hefei. This is obviously not a gesture to attack Jiangdong. Of course, if Jiangdong  If someone is willing to send a boat to Jiangbei, Cao Cao will of course also be willing to visit Jiangdong. It depends on his luck. "

    Liu Jing meant that Cao Cao did not intend to attack Jiangdong, but at the same time he was reminding Zhou Yu to beware of Sun Ben colluding with Cao Jun and sending ships to Cao Cao.

    Zhou Yu nodded silently. Liu Jing's reminder was very necessary. Luo Lin, the magistrate of Wuhu County, was Sun Bi's confidant. If Sun Bi was greedy for profit and ordered Luo Lin to collect civilian ships and send them to Cao Cao, the consequences would be disastrous. He really wanted to remind Wu Hou to control the riverside as soon as possible.  of local government.

    "Then Zhou Mu thinks why Cao Cao didn't build ships on a large scale in Hefei? Is it because the country is weak?" Zhou Yu asked again.

    "It has something to do with the lack of national strength, but I think the more important reason is that Cao Cao's attention is on the west, and he actually can't take care of Jiangdong for a while."

    "In the west?"

    Zhou Yu thought for a moment and immediately understood, "Zhou Mu is talking about Ma Chao?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "Ma Chao and Han Sui have 100,000 armored soldiers, and the cavalry and spearmen are especially sharp. However, Cao Cao's troops in Guanzhong are weak, with only Zhong Yao's 30,000 troops. The dangerous pass in the western part of Guanzhong has been occupied by Ma Chao. Once Ma Chao rebels  , will definitely annex Guanzhong. If the Yellow River freezes, they will even cross the river with iron horses, march into Bingzhou, and point their troops at Yedu. For Cao Cao, Ma Chao is like a thorn in his back, how can he be in the mood to go south to the east of the Yangtze River? "

    Zhou Yu knew that Liu Jing must be secretly connected with Ma Chao, otherwise he would not easily say that Ma Chao was rebelling. After all, if there was no civil strife in Jiangdong, Cao Cao would have no chance to take advantage of it. Zhou Yu sighed lowly, feeling a little sad.

    At this time, Liu Jing asked with a smile: "I heard that Wu Hou has the intention to expand southward. Are you planning to take Jian'an County?"

    Zhou Yu didn't want to hide this. In fact, Zhang Hong had revealed his secret during the negotiation. He nodded and said: "The main consideration is to take over the three counties of Jian'an, Luling and Linchuan, and at the same time consolidate Linhai County. I wonder what Zhou Mu has to suggest?  "

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "After taking Jian'an County, naturally I want to continue to seize it.Nanhai County, but for Jiangdong Wenyan, transportation to the south is the biggest problem. I suggest that we can take the sea route, develop settlements along the coast, and expand inland from point to area. This way, it will be much easier to take Jian'an County or Nanhai County.  .  "

    Zhou Yu's mind changed and he thought about the problem of the ship, so he tried out: "But if you take the sea route, you will break through the limit of thousands of stones. Does Zhou Mu think it's okay?"

    Liu Jing laughed, "I remember that the limit in the contract was a thousand-stone warship. What's the harm in building a large merchant ship?"

    Zhou Yu was overjoyed. It seemed as if a big window opened in front of his eyes, allowing him to see the infinite beauty outside the window, yes!  Taking the sea route and building large merchant ships, Jiangdong will naturally move towards Jiaozhou.

    Thinking of Jiaozhou, Zhou Yu immediately thought of Liu Bei. He was shocked in his heart. He looked towards Liu Jing and saw a cunning smile in Liu Jing's eyes. Zhou Yu suddenly realized that he and Liu Jing looked at each other and they laughed together.  .

    There is no need to talk anymore. Liu Jing gave up Jiaozhou to Jiangdong, which means that Jingzhou¡¯s next target must be Bashu, and then Hanzhong and Guanzhong. Zhou Yu¡¯s heart has completely enlightened. In this way, at least within ten years, Jiangdong  There will be no conflict of interest with Jingzhou.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 470 Meeting at Ganlu Temple (Part 1)

    As the auspicious day approaches, the Ganlu Palace has been decorated with joy and auspiciousness. There are lanterns and colorful decorations inside and outside the palace, and the word "‡Ö" is pasted on the door. The maids have all changed into new clothes, and they are all beaming with joy, busy around, tidying up their clothes.  Princess Xiang¡¯s dowry.

    Not only Ganlu Palace, but also the entire Jiangdong was talking about Princess Shangxiang's marriage. The shadow of Chaisang's fiasco and internal division was diluted by the joy of marriage. At this time, Liu Jing became the most popular figure in Jiangdong, and every household was talking about it.  Jiangdong's son-in-law.

    Most people are kind in nature and have good wishes. Many people have personally seen Liu Jing, the lord of Jingzhou, a wealthy family, young, brave, and tall. These advantages are the best foil for marriage, making Jiangdong people feel that,  This marriage is a marriage between a talented man and a beautiful woman, a beauty made in heaven.

    Moreover, thinking that Princess Shangxiang was about to leave Jiangdong, many people felt reluctant to leave. They completely forgot that they wanted Princess Shangxiang to get married as soon as possible and as far away as possible. But when she really left, people would  I discovered how cute the unruly princess in the past actually was.

    This morning, a big news came from outside Jingkou City. The Jingzhou wedding fleet had arrived on the river outside Jingkou.

    This news completely ignited the enthusiasm of the people in Jingkou. Nearly 100,000 people rushed out of the city and rushed to the riverside, all wanting to witness this unprecedented wedding ceremony.

    On the river, a hundred warships were lined up in a row, with a magnificent momentum. No one could have imagined that these warships contained 6,000 of the most elite Jingzhou soldiers and even 500 cavalry. However, the masts were all covered in red and green, and they looked cheerful.  , completely covering up the murderous intention on the warship.

    At this time, a dozen small boats sailed out from the big ship. The small boats were filled with soldiers. They were all tall, but they wore long robes and high crowns. Each of them held a large lacquer plate in his hand, and in the plate was a betrothal gift.  There are more than 30 kinds of gold, bamboo, jade, brocade, sheep, wild geese, wine, rice, etc. Several soldiers also lead five horses. The betrothal gift is affixed with red silk, and the six rituals are written on the silk.

    This is actually just an auspicious gift. Before that, Jingzhou had sent a ship to bring a formal betrothal gift, including a thousand taels of gold, five thousand pieces of silk and two hundred fine horses. This was a betrothal gift for the wife of a prince, although Sun Shangxiang was not the official wife.  , but Jingzhou still treated her with the courtesy of a real wife and gave Jiangdong enough face.

    On the first boat, Zhao Yun was wearing a silver crown and soft armor, watching the situation on the shore with vigilant eyes. He was cautious and had to contact Li Qing, the captain of the personal guard who had arrived a few days before he could let Liu Jing sit down.  The ship docked.

    At the pier on the shore, the counselor Qiao Xuan and the wedding messenger Lu Fan had been waiting for a long time. When Zhao Yun's boat docked, the two of them went to greet him. Zhao Yun smiled and said, "Keep the two envoys waiting for a long time. My family is the governor of the state."  I was bathing and changing my clothes. I was afraid of waiting on the shore, so I ordered Zhao Yun to come first and deliver the betrothal gift."

    After saying that, he turned back and waved his hand, "Bring it up!"

    The drums and drums were blaring, and two groups of soldiers filed forward, carrying large lacquer trays filled with various betrothal gifts. Qiao Xuan stroked his beard and said with a smile: "On the big day, the betrothal gifts show the sincerity of Jingzhou, but my old lady  I¡¯m anxious to see my new son-in-law. I wonder when Liu Zhoumu will be well?¡±

    Zhao Yun smiled slightly and said: "Etiquette is required for important events in life. If you rush to see the old lady, it will appear insincere and rude. On the contrary, it will make the old lady unhappy, so please wait a moment.  ¡±

    Lu Fan chuckled, "General Zhao makes sense. Let's just wait a little longer."

    At this time, Li Qing appeared at the side. He walked forward quickly and said a few words to Zhao Yun. There was nothing unusual around him. Zhao Yun understood and smiled at Qiao Xuan and Lu Fan: "I'll go and urge Zhou Mu."

    Qiao Xuan and Lu Fan also knew that Zhao Yun was doing it for safety, but there was nothing they could do. They had to laugh and ordered the drums to prepare. Zhao Yun returned. Not long after, Liu Jing's boat slowly sailed forward and anchored at the pier.  Liu Jing's figure appeared on the side of the ship, drums and music were playing at the pier, tens of thousands of people in the distance were jubilant, and the cheers resounded through the sky.

    Liu Jing stepped off the ship under the escort of two hundred soldiers. Qiao Xuan and Lu Fan quickly stepped forward to salute. At this moment, a soldier behind him shouted: "The Marquis of Wu is here!"

    The people around them all moved out of the way, and saw Sun Quan walking quickly with dozens of Jiangdong civil and military officials. Sun Quan had already seen Liu Jing. His eyes were very complicated, with a kind of hatred, but also a trace of gratitude, and more.  It was helpless. He knew that Liu Jing would be his biggest enemy in unifying the south, but he had to reconcile with him and accept him as his brother-in-law.

    Liu Jing also greeted him with a smile. The two did not exchange greetings. They just looked at each other and exchanged glances. Both parties knew it well. Liu Jing and Sun Quan hugged tightly. Sun Quan stared at him for a moment and said with some emotion: "  I didn¡¯t expect that we would really become close relatives and you would really become my brother.¡±

    Liu Jing also smiled lightly and said: "This is the arrangement of fate. I hope that Jingzhou and Jiangdong will become a brotherly state from now on and jointly fight against the great troubles in the north."Sun Quan laughed. He was worthy of being the Lord of Jingzhou. He could see beyond the surface and see the essence. This was the most important purpose of the marriage between the two families, to form a kingdom of brothers and jointly fight against Cao Cao's troubles in the north.

    "My mother is waiting at the Manna Palace on the mountain. I ask my dear brother to follow me up the mountain."

    "Thank you, brother!"

    Both of them laughed, and the awkward atmosphere when they first met was instantly swept away. The trace of hatred in their hearts also disappeared without a trace with this smile. Sun Quan patted Liu Jing on the shoulder and said, "Follow me!"

    The two got on their horses, urged them on, and drove side by side along the mountain road.

    In the Qifeng Pavilion of Ganlu Palace, Sun Shangxiang was dressed in a bright red dress. Her black hair was tied into her temples and covered with all kinds of pearls and jewels. She also had a thin layer of powder on her face, her lips were bright red, and her skin was crystal white, which made her even more attractive.  Beautiful as spring flowers.

    Although Mrs. Wu kept saying that she would decide whether to marry her daughter after meeting Liu Jing, everyone knew that it was just an excuse for her to meet her son-in-law. The marriage certificate had been exchanged and the betrothal gift had been paid, so there was no room for ruining the marriage.  .

    There were only her and her sister-in-law Qiao in the room. Qiao was Sun Ce's wife, also known as Da Qiao. She had the closest relationship with Sun Shangxiang. She had no involvement in foreign affairs, but when her sister-in-law got married, she still stepped forward to show her affection as a sister-in-law.

    Da Qiao had already opened a meeting for Sun Shangxiang. She was telling Shang Xiang in a low voice about the men and women in the bridal chamber. Sun Shangxiang's face turned red with embarrassment, and even her ears turned red. She lowered her head. Her usual strong spirit was gone.  Time was no longer visible on her body, only a beautiful and timid bride.

    Da Qiao also sighed a little in her heart. No matter how willful and coquettish her sister-in-law was in normal times, she was still shy and coquettish when she got married. Moreover, she had never noticed that her sister-in-law was so beautiful when dressed up, no less beautiful than her husband.  Sister Xiao Qiao.

    "Shang Xiang, my sister-in-law wants to tell you the truth. Tell me, do you really like Liu Jing?"

    Sun Shangxiang lowered his head and shook his head for a while, "I don't know!"

    She was also very confused. She used to hate him because Liu Jing had taken her hostage back then, and she could never forget it. Even when she saw him later, she thought about avenging her past, but she never thought of it.  The past revenge has not been avenged, but she wants to marry him. Is this the way of revenge arranged by God?

    Sun Shangxiang sighed lowly, "Sister-in-law, I really don't know what my future fate will be? I'm a little scared."

    Da Qiao's heart was full of love and affection. She hugged her sister-in-law's shoulders and smiled: "I heard that he is not a cruel and cruel person. From the time he released the soldiers, I know that he has a kind heart. Then he should be a kind-hearted person, and more importantly, he  He is young and heroic, not much different from you in age, which makes it easy for your minds to connect and create true feelings between men and women. Shang Xiang, I believe my sister-in-law, you will definitely like him. "

    Sun Shangxiang nodded silently. Since she was going to marry Liu Jing, she had to find a way to forget the hatred in the past and try her best to live a happy life. She thought of something and suddenly 'chi!  ¡¯ laughed.

    "What are you laughing at?" Da Qiao asked in confusion.

    Sun Shangxiang smiled slyly, "I was thinking, not long ago I was fighting with him on the warship to the death, but now I want to marry him, isn't he afraid that I will stab him to death with a sword at night?"

    Da Qiao was so frightened that he waved his hands quickly, "My sister-in-law, you can't say this nonsense. He is your husband, how could you?"

    Sun Shangxiang's voice sounded like a silver bell when she laughed. Her mood immediately improved, and all the melancholy in her heart was swept away. The dimples at the corners of her mouth swirled, filled with a proud smile. She wanted to test whether that guy had the guts to fight with him.  Did she share the same bed?

    Liu Jing, accompanied by Sun Quan, walked to the front of Ganlu Palace. A captain of the guard stepped forward and cupped his hands and said: "The old lady hopes that Liu Shijun will go in alone!"

    "Can't I go in too?" Sun Quan asked somewhat unhappily.

    The captain of the guard said apologetically: "This is the old lady's order. I dare not tolerate it due to my humble position."

    Sun Quan had no choice but to say to Liu Jing: "In that case, I will wait for my virtuous brother outside."

    Liu Jing nodded, and then said to Zhao Yun and a dozen personal guards: "You all wait for me outside!"

    Zhao Yun hesitated for a moment. He also knew that Liu Jing was highly skilled in martial arts and there were only a few people in the world who could hurt Liu Jing. He nodded, "Zhou Mu, be careful!"

    Liu Jing took off the green sword and handed it to Zhao Yun. The captain of the guard next to him quickly said: "Mr. Liu, the old lady allows you to bring the sword."

    ¡°Then it¡¯s better to be respectful than to obey!¡±

    Liu Jing smiled indifferently and walked quickly into the palace gate. As soon as he entered the palace gate, the door creaked and slowly closed. The guards outside were shocked and were about to rush forward, but Zhao Yun stopped them with a wave of his hand.  Sun Quan is hereJiang Dong would never dare to mess around with him.

    The light in the palace suddenly became a little dim. There was no one in the corridor in front. Liu Jing smiled slightly. Does Mrs. Wu still want to give herself a question?

    He walked quickly into the palace without caring, until he reached the empty main hall. There was still no one around the main hall. At this moment, someone next to him shouted loudly, "Liu Jing, die!"

    He saw a halberd stabbing towards him like lightning, and the sharp cold light came to his eyes instantly.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 471 Meeting at Ganlu Temple (Part 2)

    This was a guard wearing fish scale armor. He was tall and tall, with a fierce appearance, and his arms seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. He swung his halberd and stabbed Liu Jing directly. The sharp halberd tip pierced his chest in an instant. Liu Jing pressed his hand on the sword.  On the handle, he looked at the halberd coldly, but his body remained motionless, like an iron statue, with no change on his face.

    Just when the tip of the halberd was still one foot away from Liu Jing's chest, the halberd stopped. The guard put away his halberd, bowed to Liu Jing, and stepped back quickly. At this time, there was a burst of applause from the top of the hall, and the hall suddenly  The lights are bright.

    I saw Mrs. Wu walking out from behind the curtain surrounded by more than a dozen maids. A beautiful young woman supported her. The old lady gave a thumbs up and said with a smile: "The mountain collapsed in front of me but stood still, her face did not change.  The sword does not come out of its sheath, so you are indeed a man!"

    This was naturally Mrs. Wu's test of Liu Jing. Mrs. Wu married a hero like Sun Jian, and she also hoped that her son-in-law could have the same heroic spirit. She wanted Liu Jing to enter the palace alone, which could create an atmosphere of murderous intent.  , the assassin kills suddenly at the critical moment, these are enough to test a person's courage.

    Liu Jing's unwavering calmness and expression were beyond her expectation. Even her husband might not have been so calm back then. Mrs. Wu greatly appreciated her. However, this was the first level, and the second level was to see Liu Jing.  mind.

    She smiled slightly and said: "I am Shang Xiang's mother. I arranged all this. Frankly speaking, I want to take the opportunity to assassinate the general and eliminate my troubles in Jiangdong."

    Liu Jing did not seem to be annoyed. He took a step forward, knelt down on one knee and said, "Junior Liu Jing, pay my respects to Mrs. Wu."

    "Aren't you angry?" Mrs. Wu looked at him in surprise.

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "There are many people in the world who want to kill Liu Jing. If they heard about it, they would get angry. Wouldn't life be boring?"

    "well said!"

    Mrs. Wu¡¯s eyes turned into slits when she smiled. She was very satisfied. She nodded, ¡°I just like to joke, kid, get up!¡±

    Liu Jing stood up and bowed again. At this time, Mrs. Wu looked at Liu Jing carefully up and down. She saw that he was more than eight feet tall, but he did not appear to be thick. He had a very well-proportioned figure and double eyebrows.  Like an arrow, his gaze is deep, bright and sharp, but also has a kind of aura, revealing a strong self-confidence.

    His nose was high and straight, slender and powerful, and his lips had clear lines, which showed his strong personality. His whole body exuded a strong spiritual power. Mrs. Wu had the ability to recognize people. She secretly cheered in her heart, "This man has a king."  Your appearance is my son-in-law!  ¡¯

    However, she found that Liu Jing looked very much like the same person in both temperament and appearance. She turned back to her daughter-in-law and smiled: "Does he look like Bo Fu?"

    Da Qiao felt sad and lowered her head. Liu Jing's appearance reminded her of her late husband. Mrs. Wu suddenly realized her mistake and patted her hand apologetically. Then she smiled at Liu Jing and said, "Please sit down, Zhou Mu!  "

    Liu Jing waited for the old lady to sit down before he sat down on one side. The old lady smiled slightly and said, "How old is Zhou Mu this year?"

    Liu Jing leaned forward and said, "My junior name is Yanqing. I am twenty-four this year."

    "At only twenty-four years old, he unified Jingzhou and defeated Cao Cao. A hero emerges from his youth!"

    Mrs. Wu liked Liu Jing in her heart. She had long forgotten that Liu Jing was the nephew of her enemy. She smiled and asked, "Are there any elders in the Yanqing family?"

    Liu Jing¡¯s parents are dead and he is dependent on his uncle Liu Biao. It is known to everyone in the world. In fact, Mrs. Wu asked him if he had any other direct elders?

    There were many clansmen who were attached to Liu Biao at first. After Cao Cao went south, some of them followed Liu Cong to the north, while others went to Lingling County and attached themselves to Liu Du, the prefect of Lingling. None of the Liu clan believed that Liu Jing could resist Cao Cao, except Liu Hu.  Except for Liu Hu's widowed sister, no one stayed in Jingzhou.

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly, "There are quite a few people in my clan, but they were afraid of Cao Cao's power and went to Jingnan to avoid trouble. They haven't returned to Jingzhou yet. I am ashamed that there is no elder around me."

    Mrs. Wu felt pity in her heart, "This poor child has been able to make it to this day independently. It's really hard for you."

    After a few words of greeting, Mrs. Wu came to the key point, "Shangxiang is her father's youngest daughter. She has many brothers and everyone loves her very much. Moreover, she has never liked female celebrities since she was a child. She dances with swords and sticks all day long, and is crazy.  , makes my head hurt, but she is kind-hearted, upright, and has good character. I just hope that Yanqing can be more tolerant of her and look at her advantages for my sake. I am very grateful!"

    This is what Mrs. Wu is most worried about. Her daughter has a strong temperament and lacks a gentle temperament. She can still take care of her daughter if she is married nearby. However, she is married in Jingzhou and has no relatives. If she does not get along well with her husband, or if she believes in  If you act recklessly and cause trouble, what should you do?

    Mrs. Wu was extremely worried. At the end of her speech, there was a hint of pleading in her tone, begging Liu Jing to take care of her.Her daughter, Da Qiao, who was standing next to her, sensed her mother-in-law's mood and quickly said softly: "Don't worry, mother. Liu Zhoumu's heart can accommodate the world, so how can he not tolerate one woman?"

    Liu Jing glanced at her in surprise. He remembered that the old lady mentioned Sun Ce just now, and couldn't help but secretly wonder, "Could this be Da Qiao?"

    But he was just curious, and looking at her for a long time seemed rude. He quickly looked away and said with a smile: "I know Princess Shangxiang's personality very well. She is a temperamental person with a clear distinction between love and hate. I believe I can get along well with her."

    Liu Jing's words made Mrs. Wu extremely happy. She was also surprised that Liu Jing knew her daughter so well. She nodded and smiled and said: "If you think so, I feel relieved. Yanqing, I will give my daughter to you."  give it to you."

    This sentence officially recognized Liu Jing as her son-in-law. Liu Jing knelt down and kowtowed three times respectfully, "My mother-in-law's advice, my son-in-law will take it to heart!"

    Zhao Yun has been outside the palace for nearly half an hour. He is very patient. He knows that Liu Jing must pass this test, and Mrs. Wu will not let her daughter become an outcast, so there will be no problem.

    Sun Quan did not leave either. He was in a pavilion not far away, looking at the river in the distance with his hands behind his hands. Just now, Zhou Yu had a brief chat with him for a while and talked about Liu Jing's suggestion. Naturally, this was Liu Jing borrowing Zhou Yu's advice.  An explanation he gave himself was to go west to north from Jingzhou and south from Jiangdong to take Jiaozhou. Liu Jing did not mention the four counties of Jingnan at all. Did Liu Jing decide to take Jingnan?

    However, Sun Quan still hopes that Liu Jing can return Yuzhang County to him. He can give up Qichun, but Yuzhang County is very important to Jiangdong. It may not be possible now, but if Liu Jing gets Jingnan, maybe his position will loosen.  Sun Quan thought silently, at what price can he exchange for Yuzhang County again?

    At this time, the palace door slowly opened, and Liu Jing walked out quickly accompanied by the steward of Ganlu Palace. Sun Quan immediately greeted him with a smile, "I believe my mother must like my virtuous brother!"

    Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "She is very kind and kind, making me feel like a spring breeze."

    At this time, the steward saluted Sun Quan and said: "The old lady has an order. She will hold a family banquet in the palace to entertain the new uncle. Wu Hou is invited to attend. In addition, Qiao Guolao and Lu Gong are also invited to the banquet."

    He glanced at Zhao Yun again, bowed and smiled: "There is also General Zhao. Madam, please give me a favor!"

    Zhao Yun turned back and looked at Liu Jing, who nodded, "This is my suggestion, brother, please participate!"

    Liu Jing stood in front of the Beigu Pavilion and stared at the river for a long time. Looking at the Yangtze River from here, the mighty Yangtze River can be seen in front of the eyes, which makes people infinitely broad-minded. "Wherever you look at China, your eyes are full of scenery. Beigu Tower, how many things have happened in the rise and fall of the ages, so long,  The Yangtze River never stops flowing!¡±

    Liu Jing recited in a low voice. At this time, there was a burst of applause from behind, "What a gift!" Liu Jing turned around and saw Sun Quan appearing behind him at some unknown time. Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "I feel this!"

    Sun Quan stepped forward and said with a smile: "How many things have happened in the rise and fall of the ages, the Yangtze River is endless, my dear brother has a beautiful heart!"

    "Looking at the majestic mountains and rivers thousands of miles away from Beigu Mountain always makes people feel emotional. Doesn't Marquis Wu have this kind of emotion?"

    Sun Quan shook his head, "I'm ashamed to say it! I don't have such feelings, maybe because I don't live by the Yangtze River for many years like my good brother."

    Sun Quan smiled again and asked, "What do you think of this great river, dear brother?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "During the Battle of Chibi, I once said to my soldiers that the Yangtze River is a knife that splits China in two and blocks Cao's army from going south. But now I feel that the Yangtze River is a knife.  The bond connects Jingzhou and Jiangdong, and that¡¯s why today we stand on the riverside and talk about the world.¡±

    Sun Quan praised Liu Jing's metaphor very much. He looked at Liu Jing and said meaningfully: "My dear brother, you said it very well! The Yangtze River is indeed a link, closely connecting Jingzhou and Jiangdong, but I hope that the marriage between our two families will be  A new bond.¡±

    "I hope so too."

    Liu Jing also looked at Sun Quan, her smile filled with sincerity, "We are already relatives, just forget about the unpleasantness of the past!"

    He stretched out his palm. Sun Quan pondered for a moment, then raised his right palm and struck Liu Jing hard. The two looked at each other and laughed together.

    At this time, Sun Quan saw Liu Jing's sword and said with a smile: "My wise brother's sword must be Cao Cao's Qingzhi sword!"

    Liu Jing took off the sword and handed it to Sun Quan, "If brother likes it, I will give it to you."

    "Are you really giving it to me?" Sun Quan took the sword with some surprise.

    "Actually, the sword itself was captured by Jiangdong's army, and Governor Zhou exchanged it for the ancient ingot sword."

    Sun Quan slowly pulled out the sword from the sheath, and a sharp cold light flashed out, which was breathtaking. "What a sword!" Sun Quan's pupils suddenly narrowed into slits.

      Sun Quan collected hundreds of famous swords, but none of them were as sharp as the Qingzhi Sword. He took out his sword, held two sword flowers, and slashed it with one sword, 'Ka!  With a sound, a small tree with a thick wrist broke unexpectedly, which shocked Sun Quan. The powerful murderous intention in the sword made him almost unable to control the sword. He felt that if he was a little careless, he would be killed.  Wounded by this sword.

    He carefully sheathed the sword and returned it to Liu Jing, "To me, this sword is just a collection and decoration in the end. I feel so wronged about it. It should belong to the battlefield and be returned to my virtuous brother."

    Liu Jing did not force himself, he retracted his sword and said with a smile: "I heard that Zhang Changshi and Gong Jin both mentioned that Jiangdong planned to go south to take Jian'an County, but why not go north to take Xuzhou?"

    Sun Quan shook his head, "Back then, my brother Bo Fu originally wanted to go to the north, but unfortunately he died early. Later Jiangdong canceled the plan and didn't mention it again for ten years. Maybe it was because the time had not come! At least it is unrealistic now.  "

    Sun Quan smiled bitterly. The key is that Jiangdong can't afford another failure. It is wise to go south to take Jian'an County and Luling County.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "I heard that there is a large island across the strait in Jian'an County called Yizhou. Why doesn't my brother send troops to get it?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 472 Meeting at Ganlu Temple (Part 2)

    "I have also heard that there are Yizhou and Danzhou overseas. In the past, the First Emperor sent Xu Fu to lead 500 boys and girls to Danzhou, but there was no news again."

    Sun Quan shook his head and smiled: "A few years ago, overseas people who called themselves Danzhou came to Kuaiji County to buy goods. It is said that Danzhou has a population of tens of thousands, and it is thousands of miles away. I guess Danzhou should be Emperor Guangwu who came to pay tribute.  The Japanese slave country.

    As for Yizhou, fishermen often mention that there is a large island hundreds of miles east of Jian'an County, where many natives live. However, Jian'an County has not taken it, and there are no plans to capture this big island for the time being.  "

    Speaking of this, Sun Quan glanced at Liu Jing and said with a smile: "My dear brother, are you interested?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "To be honest with my brother, I am indeed somewhat interested."

    Sun Quan narrowed his eyes and smiled, "If my dear brother is interested, I will give Yizhou to you, and I will also send someone to help my dear brother take Yizhou. How about it?"

    "Why is this so embarrassing?"

    Liu Jing casually made a haha, but he was thinking quickly in his heart. He didn't quite understand why Sun Quan became so generous. To take Yizhou, he had to start from Jian'an County, and he needed Jian'an County's logistics supplies. Sun Quan was not afraid of being in the southeast.  Gain a foothold?

    Sun Quan certainly knew the consequences of giving Yizhou to Liu Jing, but that was a long-term matter. He had to deal with his immediate needs now. He smiled and said, "If my dear brother feels embarrassed, how about we talk about Yuzhang County?"

    Liu Jing then understood what Sun Quan meant. It turned out that Sun Quan was still interested in Yuzhang County. He smiled quietly and said: "Brother, please tell me!"

    "What I mean is that Yuzhang County is actually not important to Xiandi, but it is very important to Jiangdong. I suggest giving it to Jiangdong, but I don't want Xiandi to suffer. We can exchange it with two conditions. I wonder if we can  Let¡¯s talk again?¡±

    "Brother, please continue speaking, I am all ears."

    When Sun Quan saw that Liu Jing did not refuse, a glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in his heart, and he quickly said: "One condition is Yizhou, which I have agreed to just now. The other condition, I think my brother is also very interested in, is the Yangtze River waterway. I can bring it to you."  The Yangtze River waterway west of Wankou is assigned to Jingzhou, that is, we use Wankou as the boundary on the Yangtze River, and Yuzhang County belongs to the east of the river. "

    In fact, Liu Jing was not considering Yizhou, but the Xiying Islands between Yizhou and Jian'an County, about three hundred miles away from the mainland and a hundred miles away from Yizhou, which would later become the Penghu Islands. If he could be there  Establishing a logistical supply point will be a crucial move for him to seize the southeastern coast in the future.

    Although Yuzhang County is a large county in the south with a large population and a relatively developed economy, if Liu Jingzhi is not in the south, then Yuzhang County is only an important strategic buffer zone for him, but Liu Jing also knows that for Liu Jingzhi who wants to be in the south, Yuzhang County is only an important strategic buffer zone for him.  In Jiangdong, which is developing in the south, Yuzhang County is indeed very important.

    If Yuzhang County is exchanged for a foundation on the southeast coast, it seems a bit uneconomical. The third and more important thing is that he can incorporate Yizhou into the central map. This is another great achievement. In comparison, Yuzhang  The county becomes insignificant.

    What's more, Sun Quan promised to cede the Yangtze River waterway about 500 miles west of Wankou to Jingzhou, which further deepened Jiangxia's security. Of course, the strategic position of Yuzhang County is also very important. If Jiangdong takes it away, it must not threaten it.  Security in Changsha County.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled happily and said: "The reason why I want Yuzhang County is to ensure the safety of Changsha. If Jiangdong agrees not to garrison troops in Yuzhang County and only conducts government administration, we can talk again."

    Sun Quan was overjoyed. The importance of Yuzhang County to Jiangdong was not due to its military status. In terms of military status, Yuzhang County was far inferior to Qichun County, but Yuzhang County was the fourth county in Jiangdong after Danyang, Wu County and Kuaiji County.  As a large county, its economic and political status was extremely important, and Sun Ben was therefore appointed as the prefect of Yuzhang County.

    It can be said that the gains and losses of Yuzhang County are related to Sun Quan's prestige and status. Although the two parties have agreed to deliver it one year later, there is no airtight wall in the world. Sooner or later, the news of Yuzhang ceding to Jingzhou will still get out, which will affect his reputation.  It will be a heavy blow.

    As for Liu Jing¡¯s condition that he cannot garrison troops, there is no problem at all. Jiangdong¡¯s garrison in Yuzhang County has never exceeded a thousand people.

    "Then we'll make an agreement!" Sun Quan looked at Liu Jing eagerly.

    "In principle, it's settled. As for some details, such as how Jiangdong supports Jingzhou to seize Yizhou, etc., let our men discuss it!"

    The big stone that had been weighing on Sun Quan's heart finally disappeared. He felt extremely comfortable in his heart. He patted Liu Jing's shoulder heavily and said with a smile: "You are really my sister-in-law!"

    The banquet held in Ganlu Palace was simple but grand. It was simple because there was no meat mountain and sea of ??wine at the banquet. Mrs. Wu was a Buddhist, so all the dishes were mainly light, with a lot of vegetables and fruits, and the most wereSome fresh fish and shrimp are placed in front of everyone, and the wine is also fruit wine.

    But the banquet was also very grand, with the finest carved red sandalwood tables, golden clasps, mutton-fat white jade pots, silver plates inlaid with gold wire, cups with yellow tremella and yellow mouths, and gilt copper bottles. These were all the splendor of Shangguan's family banquet, not only  In this way, there are also musicians, dancers, and maids, and there are hundreds of maids serving meals alone.

    Most of the people attending the banquet were from the Sun family. Mrs. Wu sat at the head of the table, and her eldest daughter-in-law Qiao sat next to her. On the other side was the heroine Sun Shangxiang who was about to get married. Although she should not show up anymore, if it was a family banquet, she could still do it.  Attend.

    The chief on the left is Wu Hou Sun Quan and his wife Xie. Below them are Sun Quan's other two wives, Xu and Bu. The chief on the right is Liu Jing. Below are the in-laws and matchmaker Qiao Guo and his wife, and the witness Lu Fan.  He and his wife Liu, together with Zhao Yun, the marriage envoy, were also considered members of the groom's family and attended the family banquet.

    Mrs. Wu glanced at the banquet and found that Sun Ben had not arrived, so she turned back and asked the steward: "Why isn't the patriarch here?"

    The steward hurriedly said: "Replying to the old lady, Grandmaster Sun said that he is not feeling well and cannot come."

    The old lady was a little unhappy. She glanced at Sun Quan. She knew the reason very well. She originally wanted to take this opportunity to ease the conflicts within the Sun family, but since Sun Ben didn't appreciate it, let him do whatever he wanted!

    "Today is a wedding banquet for Yanqing, and it is also a family banquet. I hope everyone can be more casual and don't be too restrained!"

    Mrs. Wu made her opening remarks with a smile, and then said to her daughter Shang Xiang: "Go and pour a glass of wine for your husband!"

    There was a knowing laugh at the banquet, which was indeed surprising. Although Sun Shangxiang was nominally Liu Jing's wife, they had not gone through the process of marriage, and there was still a step away from them in actual marriage.

    According to the etiquette, they really shouldn't meet. Just like getting married in a small family, Liu Jing wanted to take Sun Shangxiang to Jingzhou in a big boat and then go to the church to get married. But this was impossible. As Jiangdong's face, they had to get married in Jiangdong.  , and then return to Jingzhou together.

    This was destined to make their marriage different from that of a small family. Mrs. Wu knew this very well. She hoped that her daughter could see her future husband more before marriage, so she uncharacteristically asked her daughter to pour wine for Liu Jing.  In fact, it is also a way to win over the future son-in-law.

    Sun Shangxiang stood up shyly, and slowly walked up to Liu Jing with the mutton-fat white jade wine flask. Liu Jing's face was also a little red, and he felt a little embarrassed, but he unexpectedly discovered that the long skirt Sun Shangxiang was wearing turned out to be a thin red dress.  Hemp long skirt, he felt a little weird, what's going on?  Is Koto also advocating simplicity?

    At this time, Sun Shangxiang knelt down in front of him and carefully filled a glass of wine for him. Although her face was blushing and her expression was shy, when she stood up, her long eyelashes were raised, and her eyes were as bright as stars.  He stared at Liu Jing with a challenging smile in his eyes.

    Liu Jing's heart suddenly warmed up. Sun Shangxiang's every move, appearance and smile were no different from those of other ladies, but the smile in her eyes was a bit wild and challenging. He liked it.  Such a unique and challenging woman.

    Sun Shangxiang walked back to her seat and sat down. Mrs. Wu patted her hand approvingly. At this time, Liu Jing stood up with an ear cup and said with a smile: "Thank you mother-in-law for holding a special reception banquet for my son-in-law. I also thank all relatives for joining me."  This big family is an honor for Liu Jing, and it is also the favor of my mother-in-law. I would like to express my deep gratitude to you by taking this glass of wine, and drink it as a tribute!"

    He raised his glass and drank the wine in one gulp, which attracted applause from the whole hall. With the sound of a cloud board, a group of dancers entered the pool gracefully, with long sleeves and good dancing. The maids were also busy pouring wine and serving dishes.  Everyone toasted to Liu Jing one by one, and Liu Jing did not delay. He drank five or six glasses in a row without changing his expression.

    Mrs. Wu liked Liu Jing even more when she saw Liu Jing's boldness. She smiled and asked, "I heard that there are many talented people in Jingzhou including civil servants and military generals. I wonder who is the most powerful martial artist in Jingzhou?"

    Liu Jing chuckled: "It is said that there are five tiger generals in Jingzhou. The first general is my sworn brother Zhao Yun and Zhao Zilong, the second general is veteran Huang Zhong and Huang Hansheng, the third general is Gan Ning Gan Xingba, and the fourth general is Jingzhou famous general Wen."  Wen Zhongye was hired, and the fifth general was Wei Yan Wei Wenchang."

    Mrs. Wu did not realize that the general sitting below was Zhao Yun. Only then did she realize and said to Zhao Yun: "Could it be that this general is General Zhao Zilong who defeated hundreds of thousands of Cao's troops in Changbanpo."

    Zhao Yun stood up, cupped his hands and said, "Don't dare to be the last general!"

    Mrs. Wu sighed again: "7 I heard from my late husband that the most powerful general in the world is Lu Bu and Lu Fengxian. But there is another powerful general in Gongsun Zan of Youzhou who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Lu Bu. This man is Zhao Yun and Zhao Zilong. Today.  See, he is indeed a strong man!"

    She poured a full cup of wine on her tableAfter drinking the wine, he said to the maid: "Bring this wine to General Zilong for me. I will offer a glass to General Zilong on behalf of my late husband."

    The maid brought the wine to Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun bowed to thank him, drank the wine in one gulp, bowed with fists in his hands, and sat down.

    At this time, Lu Fan laughed at the side and said: "The old lady may not know that Liu Zhoumu is actually a fierce general who can defeat ten thousand people. If the Five Tigers of Jingzhou are ranked by force, he is only behind General Zhao Yun. But in terms of strategy and literary talent, I am afraid that there is no general in the world."  Can be compared to him.¡±

    Mrs. Wu was greatly surprised and laughed: "So my son-in-law is so humble?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "Lv Gong praised me too much. I have only practiced martial arts for a few days and read a few books. How can I dare to compare with the world's famous generals and talents?"

    Sun Quan said a few words to his wife Xie. Xie understood and said with a smile: "I have heard for a long time that Uncle Zhoumu is known as the leader of the eight heroes of Jingzhou. He has great literary talent. Zhoumu's family knowledge must be profound. Can you take this opportunity to let us see it?"  "

    Liu Jing quickly declined, but Sun Shangxiang said: "Liu Jun is the lord of Jingzhou, why do you want to bow your head in Jiangdong?"

    After saying that, she looked at Liu Jing with a pair of beautiful eyes and smiled. Everyone tried to persuade her, but it was difficult to refuse the hospitality. Liu Jing had no choice but to nod, "In this case, Liu Jing has shown his shame."

    Mrs. Wu was overjoyed and quickly ordered the people around her: "Bring in paper and pen to write the copy!"

    Several maids brought the table and covered it with paper. Sun Shangxiang stood up and said, "I am willing to grind ink for you!"

    She knelt aside and studied ink for Liu Jing. Liu Jing took up his pen and pondered for a moment and said: "I like Yuefu poetry, especially long and short sentences, so I took the heroes of Jingzhou and Jiangdong as the title and dedicated a long and short Yuefu poem to express my gratitude to my mother-in-law for her love!"

    He wrote with a brush: "The great river goes eastward, and the waves are washed away, and there are romantic figures of the ages. To the west of the fortress, the way of humanity is, the hero of Jingzhou is Red Cliff. The rocks penetrate the sky, the waves crash on the shore, and thousands of piles of snow are rolled up. The country is picturesque, and for a while  What a hero."

    He completed it with one stroke, and the whole hall immediately cheered. Qiao Guolao stroked his beard and praised: "What a picturesque country, and how many heroes there are at one time. If you don't have the mind of the world, it will be difficult to write this Yuefu poem. Wonderful! Wonderful!"

    Sun Quan was also impressed in his heart, and he asked with a smile: "What a hero of Jingzhou, Chibi, but you don't know where I, the hero of Jiangdong, am?"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, and continued to write: "I think back to the time in Jiangdong, when two Qiao married for the first time. They were handsome and handsome, wearing feather fans and turbans. While talking and laughing, the oars and oars were turned into ashes.  My motherland wanders in my mind, I should laugh at my passion, and I will be born early.  Life is like a dream, a statue returns to the moon.  ¡¯

    Sun Shangxiang muttered in a low voice on the side, "Life is like a dream, and a statue is like a moon in the river."  ¡¯ Her eyes were a little crazy. At this time, Liu Jing put down her pen and bowed to Mrs. Wu. However, she accidentally saw Da Qiao and found that her eyes were filled with tears.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 473 An accident occurs

    After the banquet ended, Liu Jing said goodbye and left the Manlu Palace, and went down the mountain to return to the boat. Sun Quan was too drunk and took his wives away first. Only a few guards from the Manlu Palace led Liu Jing and his party slowly down the mountain.  And go.

    Beigu Mountain is not high, but the mountain road is complicated and it takes at least half an hour to walk around twists and turns. Especially since they are holding horses, they must be more careful when going down the mountain.

    By this time, it was completely dark. There were rugged rocks on both sides of the mountain road, and the big trees gloomily covered the top of the head like a huge umbrella canopy, blocking out the sun, moon and stars, making the mountain road extremely dark.

    More than two hundred soldiers guarded Liu Jing. They were especially careful about threats above their heads. It was easy to hide in these dense trees. Many soldiers even raised their shields to form a shield wall.

    Several guards from the Manna Palace who led the way laughed. The Jingzhou soldiers were simply too nervous. This is the Manna Palace, how could it be dangerous?

    The head guard laughed and said: "Everyone can't help but worry, no one dares to come here to act wild!"

    Zhao Yun ignored him. He held down the hilt of his sword and looked around cautiously. Decades of war career had given him an extraordinary sensitivity. He felt that there seemed to be some kind of danger around him. If someone wanted to do harm to them,  , this area is the best opportunity.

    "Don't be careless!" he ordered in a low voice.

    Seeing the fuss he made, several guards from Ganlu Palace shook their heads and walked quickly down the mountain along the path.

    By this time they had walked out of the tree-shaded mountain road, and a half-dark full moon was passing through the thin clouds. The moonlight was pale and cast a light gray on the earth.

    The figures of Liu Jing and his guards also began to become clearer, and Liu Jing and his horses could be distinguished clearly.

    Suddenly, there was a flapping sound from a rock on the opposite side. This was a group of birds being frightened away. Almost everyone was startled. At this moment, ¡®Click!  ¡¯ A series of crossbows sounded, and more than a dozen crossbow arrows roared towards Liu Jing, who was in front of the team.

    The leader of the guards of Ganlu Palace was walking in front of Liu Jing. He couldn't dodge and was shot through the chest by two crossbow arrows. He screamed and rolled down the hillside. Another soldier was also shot by a cold arrow and groaned.  Fell to the ground.

    About seven or eight crossbow arrows were fired at Liu Jing's eyes like lightning. Liu Jing was well prepared. Like Zhao Yun, he was already sensitively aware of the dangers lurking around him, and kept his right hand on the hilt of the sword.

    I saw a flash of cold light, and the green sword came out of its sheath and struck. The cold light instantly formed a sword net, crushing seven or eight arrows.

    "There are assassins!" the soldiers shouted.

    Zhao Yun was furious. He grabbed two spears from the soldiers, jumped on a big stone and threw them with all his strength. A scream was heard. Zhao Yun held the spear in his hand and ran towards the place where the arrow was shot. Two hundred soldiers also  In the commotion, Li Qing shouted: "The first battalion protects Zhou Mu, the second battalion is following me!"

    The soldiers were well-trained, fast and not chaotic. A hundred soldiers instantly formed a square formation and surrounded Liu Jing with shields, while another hundred people followed Li Qing. They divided into two teams and marched dozens of steps away.  surrounded by rocks.

    Liu Jing shouted sternly: "Catch the assassin alive!"

    At this time, one of the sixteen crossbowmen hiding behind the rock had been stabbed to death by a spear, and the remaining fifteen were hurriedly evacuating from the path behind the rock. They only had one chance. Regardless of whether they succeeded or not, they had to leave quickly.  .

    Just when they had taken less than fifty steps, Zhao Yun was already chasing them from behind. He shouted loudly and waved his spear. The last two crossbowmen were pierced in the back and knocked to the ground.

    "General Zhao, the state pastor has an order to arrest the dead alive!" Li Qing shouted in the distance.

    Zhao Yun came to his senses. He changed from stabbing to thrusting, and the spear flew. In a moment, he knocked the remaining dozen assassins to the ground. The soldiers who surrounded him from both sides swarmed up and pinned these assassins to the ground.

    At this time, Liu Jing came over with a gloomy face. The arrows were coated with poison. All three people who were shot were killed. Although two of the people shot to death were guards of Ganlu Palace, their nature was extremely bad. If it hadn't been for him  He had been vigilant in advance, or if it weren't for his strong martial arts skills, he would not have escaped death today.

    He glanced coldly at the thirteen captured assassins, and then said to Li Qingling: "Go and inform Marquis Wu quickly and ask him to come and check on this matter."

    Sun Quan drank a few more drinks today and had just fallen asleep, but the sound of running quickly woke him up. "Marquis Wu, something big has happened!" the guard reported nervously.

    "What's the matter?" Sun Quan asked very unhappy.

    "Jingzhou Shepherd Liu Jing was assassinated!"

    "What!" Sun Quan sat up, his drunkenness and sleepiness suddenly disappeared. Liu Jing was assassinated, which was a big deal.

    He didn¡¯t even have time to put on his shoes. He ran to the curtain with bare feet and opened it.Zhang asked anxiously: "When did it happen? How is the situation now?"

    The guard quickly bowed and said: "What happened just now, Liu Zhoumu escaped by chance, but Luo Shun, the chief guard of Ganlu Palace, unfortunately died. I heard that three people died in total."

    Sun Quan immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't care if others died. As long as nothing happened to Liu Jing, he would be lucky. He quickly put on his shoes and asked while getting dressed: "What else happens?"

    "There is also the fact that General Huang has led his army to rush there. At the foot of Beigu Mountain, Liu Jing's soldiers who heard the news said that all the assassins have been caught and are waiting to be dealt with by Marquis Wu."

    Sun Quan was so anxious that he hurriedly put on his outer robe and walked quickly outside the Wuhou Mansion. When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, called a guard leader up, and whispered to him: "Bring more brothers.  Keep a close eye on Sun Ben's residence and don't allow him to escape. "

    "Follow the order!"

    The leader of the guards saluted and hurried away with dozens of guards. Sun Quan watched them go away. He had a strong premonition in his heart that Liu Jing's assassination was most likely related to Sun Bi.

    It is not far from the north gate of Jingkou to Beigu Mountain. It is only a few miles away. The road is wide and flat. Sun Quan rushed all the way under the strict protection of hundreds of guards. At this time, the front of Beigu Mountain was tightly blocked by Jiangdong Army.  No unrelated personnel were allowed to approach, including the Manna Palace, and two thousand soldiers went up the mountain to protect it.

    When Sun Quan rushed to the foot of the mountain, Huang Gai came up to him and said, "See you, Marquis Wu!"

    "How is the situation?" Sun Quan turned over and dismounted and asked.

    "Liu Zhoumu has been escorted aboard by his army, and the leader of his soldiers has stayed to assist us in investigating the situation."

    Sun Quan nodded. It seemed that Liu Jing also knew that this matter had nothing to do with him. He pulled Huang Gai aside and whispered: "I heard that the assassins were caught. Where are they now?"

    Huang Gai understood what Sun Quan meant, and he shook his head, "The assassins were all taken away by Liu Jing, but judging from the crossbows discarded at the scene, they are all soldiers of the Jiangdong Army. The numbers on the crossbows are weapons of our army. Behind the scenes  The planners obviously wanted to kill two birds with one stone, assassinating Jingzhou Mu and framing us. "

    Sun Quan sneered, "I'm afraid this person is self-defeating!"

    At this time, Li Qing hurried over, bowed and bowed, took out a folded note and handed it to Sun Quan, "This is a note from my state pastor to Marquis Wu."

    Sun Quan took the note and looked at it close to the torch. He nodded and said to Huang Gai: "I will go to the dock and leave this place to the general. In addition, the news will be temporarily blocked and the Manna Palace should not be disturbed."

    "I understand my humble position!"

    Sun Quan got on his horse, pulled the reins, turned the horse's head away and ran towards the river.

    The big ship parked quietly at the dock. At this time, Liu Jing had returned, changed his clothes, and waited patiently for Sun Quan's arrival. Of course, he knew that Sun Quan would not do this, so he came with six thousand elite troops.  , Sun Quan is not so weak-minded as to assassinate himself. In that case, Jiangdong will also be destroyed.

    Liu Jing also suspected that it was Sun Bi who assassinated him. He was the biggest beneficiary. Of course, the premise was that he had a close relationship with Cao Cao and he could get Cao Cao's support.

    The person who provoked the devastating war between Jiangdong and Jingzhou could only have the last laugh. Cao Cao hardly needs to think about it. This assassination must be related to Cao Cao.

    While he was thinking about it, a guard hurriedly walked to the door of the cabin, bowed and reported: "To the state pastor, those assassins have confessed."

    "What do you say?" Liu Jing turned around and asked.

    "They don't know who is behind the scenes? They are all private swordsmen, they only know how to work for others for money."

    This confession was expected by Liu Jing. Sun Ben was not so stupid as to send one of his own people to assassinate him. Liu Jing thought for a moment and asked, "Isn't Wu Hou arrived yet?"

    As soon as he finished speaking, a guard at the door reported, "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Marquis Wu has arrived!"

    Liu Jing nodded, "Invite him in!"

    Not long after, Sun Quan quickly walked into the cabin and asked nervously and concernedly: "I heard that my good brother was assassinated, does it have anything to do with it?"

    Liu Jing smiled, "It's not that easy to stab me, but this thing is too bad."

    Sun Quan felt guilty and sighed: "This is my improper arrangement. I apologize to my virtuous brother."

    "No need!"

    Liu Jing shook his head and said: "I invited my brother here because I want to discuss countermeasures with him. Who do you think is responsible for this?"

    Sun Quan gritted his teeth and said, "I know who it is without even thinking about it. Except for the one who competes with me, I understand that no one else has the guts."

    "Brother, do you think this matter has something to do with Cao Cao?"

    Sun Quan was startled and thought for a whileSaid: "Although it may be Cao Cao, it is unlikely that Cao Cao can obtain the crossbows in our army, and I have arranged two thousand patrol posts near Beigu Mountain. They obviously understand the deployment of patrol posts. This must be an insider.  I leaked information to them, I don¡¯t think Cao Cao is that capable.¡±

    "There is another possibility."

    Liu Jing smiled lightly and said: "For example, if Cao Cao and Sun Ben collude and kill me, which will cause the conflict between the Sun and Liu families, Cao Cao will gain the advantage of the fishermen. When we both lose, Zhang Liao can easily capture Jingzhou and Jiangdong, and Jingzhou will help Liu Cong ascend to power."  , Jiangdong helps Sun Bi ascend, the benefits are too great, I believe Cao Cao will never let go of this opportunity. "

    Sun Quan nodded, "It is indeed very possible!"

    At this time, Liu Jing looked at Sun Quan and said: "Brother, do you dare to bet once and search Sun Ben's house? I suspect that there are Cao Cao's envoys hidden in his house."

    Sun Quan took a few steps with his hands behind his back. If he hadn't been worried about the rebellion in Kuaiji County, he would have taken action long ago. He was worried that arresting Sun Ben would lead to a series of serious consequences. However, if he could catch evidence that Sun Ben colluded with Cao Cao, he believed that the righteous  Next, not many people dared to respond to him.

    Sun Quan also realized that this was indeed an opportunity.  The assassination of Liu Jing could be used to bring down Sun Bi. After thinking for a long time, he asked: "Then what excuse can I use to search his house?"

    Liu Jing laughed, "I have the assassin in my hands. They will say whatever I want them to say. Is this enough?"

    Sun Quan nodded, and he finally made up his mind, "Just do what my wise brother wants!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 474 Counterattack

    In the study, Sun Ben was pacing back and forth anxiously. He had just received news that there was an abnormal movement of the army. Huang Gai led his army to Beigu Mountain. What seemed to have happened?

    Of course Sun Ben knew what was going on. He planned carefully and arranged the assassination of Liu Jing. There were a total of sixteen folk masters who were good at shooting crossbows. The arrows were coated with blood-sealing poison. As long as Liu Jing was hit by the arrow,  If shot, even if it misses the vital point, he will definitely die.

    Sun Ben was not worried that these sixteen assassins would betray him. They had no idea whose money they had taken. At this moment, Sun Ben only cared about the result. Did he shoot Liu Jing?

    He was very nervous and restless. At this time, the butler's voice came from the door, "Master, I have something to report."

    Sun Ben quickly stepped forward to open the door and asked, "What's the matter?"

    "Reporting to the master, I heard from my servants that there seem to be many people watching us outside the house."

    Sun Ben was taken aback. His thoughts changed quickly and he immediately realized that Sun Quan must have suspected him. His heart suddenly tightened and he said calmly: "I know, let's go!"

    He watched the butler walk away, then immediately turned to his two henchmen and said, "Follow me!"

    They walked quickly to the backyard, and soon came to a small courtyard. Sun Bi knocked on the door, "Brother Ji Bi, it's me!"

    The door opened, revealing Chen Jiao's slightly pale face. Chen Jiao smiled and said, "But you have good news for me?"

    Sun Ben stepped forward and whispered a few words. Chen Jiao frowned and asked, "Without evidence, does Sun Quan dare to touch you?"

    "Although the possibility is unlikely, I think it is better to be on the safe side. Brother Ji Bi should hide for a while! When I get the exact news, I will find a way to send brother Ji Bi across the river."

    Chen Jiao thought for a while and agreed, "Okay! I will obey the envoy's arrangements."

    Sun Ben immediately ordered to his two confidants: "Take Mr. Chen to my underground secret room and make arrangements for him."

    The two confidants agreed and hurried towards the garden with Chen Jiao. The entrance to Sun Ben's secret room was located in the garden. There was actually an underground warehouse below, where a large amount of weapons and money were stored. There was also a very comfortable hiding room in it.

    Sun Ben felt relieved and hurried back to the study. When he arrived at the small courtyard of the study, he saw the housekeeper stumbling over and said in horror: "Master! An army has broken in."

    Sun Ben was shocked. He quickly walked to the front yard without asking any more questions. He saw a fire in the front yard. Hundreds of soldiers holding torches crowded the front yard and corridors. Dozens of his servants held swords and soldiers.  The confrontation prevented them from entering the backyard.

    Sun Ben was furious. He pushed his servant aside and stepped forward, shouting sternly: "Bold!"

    There was silence in the yard, and the soldiers were silent. After all, Sun Ben had a high status in Jiangdong, and the soldiers were somewhat taboo about him. Sun Ben shouted angrily: "Who is the leader? Come out and see me!"

    A general came out. He was tall and burly, wearing armor and helmet. He was General Zhou Tai. He bowed his hands and said, "I have been ordered by Marquis Wu to ask you to come."

    "Huh!" Sun Ben snorted coldly, "Let's talk about it tomorrow if you have anything to do! I'm not feeling well and don't want to go out."

    Zhou Tai bowed again and said: "Liu Zhoumu in Jingzhou was assassinated, and the assassin confessed that he was instigated by the envoy."

    Before Zhou Tai could finish speaking, Sun Ben became furious, his eyes widened, he stared at Zhou Tai and shouted fiercely: "That's nonsense. What does Liu Jing's assassination have to do with me? What evidence is there to prove that I did it? It was framed.  , spitting blood!"

    Although Sun Ben yelled fiercely, he secretly screamed that something was wrong. It was obvious that Sun Quan used this matter to deal with himself. The so-called confession must have been forced out. He realized that the situation was not good for him.

    Zhou Tai said coldly: "Wu Hou means the same thing. It must have nothing to do with Shijun, but he wants to prove it to Liu Zhoumu, so I ask Shijun to confront the assassin face to face. You can't let Liu Zhoumu accuse you at will. If Shijun refuses,  If you go, Wu Hou will not be able to prove your innocence, but will be caught by Liu Jing, which may be detrimental to your innocence. In order to prove your innocence, please invite me!"

    Sun Ben could not find a reason to refuse for a while, so he had to say forcefully: "Why should I go? This matter has nothing to do with me. I just don't want to go. What are you going to do to me?"

    Seeing that he refused to leave, Zhou Tai turned around and winked at the soldiers. Dozens of soldiers swarmed up from both sides and grabbed Sun Bi tightly. The servants were shocked and wanted to rush to save their master, but they were blocked by the soldiers with spears.  Surround them and don't allow them to move rashly.

    Sun Ben shouted angrily: "Zhou Tai, do you want to kill me and silence me?

    "You don't dare to humble your position. You humble your position for the sake of Jiangdong's interests. The assassination of Jingzhou Mu is a big deal, and no one can afford the consequences."

    Zhou Tai waved his hand, "Take it away!"

    DozensThe soldiers pushed and dragged Sun Bi away, gagged him, and pushed him into a carriage. The carriage quickly drove away from the mansion. Only then did Zhou Tai order: "I will search thoroughly. Every inch of the place cannot be found."  Let it go.¡±

    ,

    In the official residence of Marquis Wu, Sun Quan was sitting on his seat with his eyes closed, as if he was an old monk in meditation. Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Zhou Yu and others had arrived beside him. The assassination of Liu Jing was undoubtedly a big event, although fortunately Liu Jing was not stabbed.  But the impact was extremely bad.

    Jiangdong issued a written safety guarantee, and senior officials such as Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong all signed the guarantee. Now that Liu Jing was assassinated, it was a heavy blow to Jiangdong and their own reputation.

    However, Zhang Zhao and others had already guessed that it must be Sun Ben's fault. Liu Jing's assassination triggered a melee between Jiangdong and Jingzhou, and Sun Ben was able to seize the throne in the chaos. Obviously he was the biggest beneficiary.

    "Wuhou wants to use this matter against Sun Taishou. I'm worried that without evidence, it will be difficult to convince the public, and it will affect Wuhou's reputation."

    Zhang Zhao considered that Sun Quan and Sun Ben were brothers of the same clan after all. Taking advantage of his elder brother would make Sun Quan appear unkind. Moreover, Sun Ben was also a Jiangdong elder. Without sufficient evidence, those who supported Sun Ben would take the opportunity to attack and support Sun.  Lang, causing the division of Jiangdong.

    But Zhou Yu said coldly: "Sun Ben has a disobedient heart. No one in Jiangdong knows that. If everything must be compromised, then Kuaiji County will be divided sooner or later. We must simply make a decision, provoke the conflict, and use force to regain Kuaiji County."  If Sun Lang wants to rebel, then if he offends the superior, he is a traitor, and everyone can punish him."

    Zhang Zhao glanced at Zhou Yu with some dissatisfaction, "Captain Zhou, the matter has not reached the final stage, how can you talk about using weapons and weapons? They are all our own people, killing each other. It is the people who suffer, and it is the foundation of Jiangdong that is destroyed. Governor, please be careful.  say!"

    Zhang Hong said next to him: "Judging from the current situation, Sun Ben will definitely not compromise, and the situation will continue to be stalemate. Of course, the longer it drags on, the more people on the other side will gradually lose heart, which is indeed beneficial to us. Sun Ben also knows this.  "Ming, I'm worried that he is actively preparing for war in Kuaiji County, and the time delay is too long, which will give them the opportunity to prepare. I am especially worried that Sun Lang will collude with the Shanyue people and use the power of the Shanyue people to expand their power. That would be bad."

    Although Zhang Hong spoke implicitly, his meaning was consistent with Zhou Yu's, suggesting that Sun Quan deal with it decisively.

    Sun Quan opened his eyes, nodded and said: "The governor and the chief historian are right. Wen is good for us, but Wu is not good. This assassination incident is the best excuse. Even if it was not Sun Ben's fault, we still have to do it."  Push it to Sun Bi and try to find evidence of his collusion with Cao Cao, making it difficult for him to tell. "

    Zhang Zhao understood what Sun Quan meant. Even if it was not Sun Bi's fault, he would still create false evidence. He sighed and said, "But it's not that easy to hide it from Zhu Ran!"

    At this moment, a guard came from outside the door and reported: "General Zhou has an emergency and wants to see Wu Hou."

    Sun Quan immediately said: "Order him to come in!"

    After a moment, Zhou Tai quickly walked into the room, knelt down on one knee and saluted: "Reporting to Marquis Wu, we found Cao Cao's counselor Chen Jiao in Sun Ben's basement, and also found a large number of weapons and armor."

    He held up another roster, "I found this in Sun Ben's study. It's a roster of his party members."

    Sun Quan stood up in a hurry. He took the roster and flipped through it. His heart was filled with ecstasy. He couldn't help but look up to the sky and laugh: "God is really helping me!"

    That night, Jingkou City began to arrest overnight. Huang Gai and Zhou Tai led 5,000 soldiers to arrest one by one according to Sun Ben's list of party members. In less than two hours, all eighteen important party members, including Zhu Ran and Han Dang, were arrested.  Got caught.

    Every household in Jingkou City was alarmed, and people speculated that something had happened. The entire Jingkou City almost had no sleep all night.

    Early the next morning, notices were posted at city gates, government offices, market entrances and other important places. Sun Ben colluded with Cao Cao to assassinate Jingzhou Mu in an attempt to overthrow Jiangdong. The evidence was conclusive. This news shocked the Jiangdong government and the public, and various speculations began in the city.  The door spread quickly.

    But for Jiangdong civil and military officials, Jingzhou Mu Liu Jing was assassinated, Chen Jiao was captured at Sun Ben's house, and a large number of weapons and armor were found. This is an iron fact that leaves people speechless.

    Many officials who were originally neutral also expressed their opinions, strongly condemning Sun Ben for betraying Jiangdong's interests, trapping Jiangdong in unbelief and unrighteousness, and triggering a devastating war. Morality has completely sided with Sun Quan.

    Sun Quan immediately ordered Zhou Yu to lead 10,000 troops and rush to Wu County to prepare for Sun Lang's rebellion.

    Although Liu Jing's assassination cast a shadow on the marriage between Jingzhou and Soochow, Sun Quan still hoped that the wedding could be held as planned. Mrs. Wu was especially worried that her daughter's marriage would be affected by this incident. She specially asked Qiao Guolai to represent her.  Apologize to Liu Jing.

    In the cabin, Mr. Qiao Guolao raised his hands and said apologetically to Liu Jing: "Mrs. Wu, too."?? was furious and ordered Sun Bi to be severely punished. She asked me to express her sincere apology to Zhou Mu and hoped that this incident would not affect Zhou Mu and Princess Shangxiang's wedding.  "

    After a pause, he continued: "The old lady said that if necessary, she could come in person to apologize to Zhou Mu, and she is absolutely unwilling to have this happen."

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "This incident is just an accident. I believe in Jiang Dong's sincerity. Furthermore, I have already addressed my mother-in-law, so how can I change my name again? Please tell my mother-in-law, Qiao Guolao, that the wedding will be held as scheduled."  "

    Boss Qiao Guo was overjoyed, "Then it's a deal. Three days later, we will marry Zhou Mu and Princess Shangxiang in a grand ceremony."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 475 The Gift of Unity

    According to Zhou etiquette, the bride is welcomed out of the bride's home and returned to the groom's home to get married. This is called marrying a wife, which is also called marrying a daughter. If the wedding is held at the bride's home, she can only call her son-in-law, and Liu Jing obviously will not do it for Jiangdong.  son in law.

    But it seemed unrealistic to bring the bride to Jingzhou to get married, so according to the wedding details agreed upon by both parties, the two parties finally decided that the wedding would be held on a ship in Jingzhou.

    The boat where the wedding was held was not Liu Jing's boat, but a specially prepared 5,000-stone building boat. This building boat could accommodate 500 people dining at the same time. Jingzhou had simply arranged it in advance and cleaned it thoroughly.  Clean.

    The large ship was quietly moored at the Jingkou Pier. Jiangdong equipped it with a wide and sturdy ladder to facilitate the guests to board the ship. Although the wedding occasion was prepared by Jingzhou, the specific wedding scene layout and various ingredients, tableware and  The chef, maids, etc. are all done by Jiangdong.

    Early in the morning, more than a hundred oxcarts carrying various supplies and ingredients arrived at the dock. Nearly a hundred maids and eunuchs were busy decorating the wedding scene in the cabin. The lobby on the first floor, which can accommodate hundreds of people to watch the ceremony, was filled with colorful silk curtains.  , a huge "‡Ö" character was hung on the ship wall directly in front, eight pairs of red candles illuminated both sides, and a place for newlyweds to get married was also specially set aside.

    The second and third floors are where banquets are held. Five hundred small tables have been placed, and all kinds of high-quality tableware are placed neatly one by one. The bottom floor is the warehouse and kitchen, and dozens of people have been borrowed from major pubs.  The chef who arrived had started preparing it two days ago.

    All the pomp and ceremony are carried out according to the standards of marrying a first wife. If we strictly follow the customs and etiquette, Sun Shangxiang is only a wife, and the ritual standards of the wife must be lower than that of a first wife. This is also a kind of respect for the first wife.

    If it is a concubine, there is not even a ceremony. The wife directly decides whether to accept it and then moves into the house. This is what was said in the pre-Qin Dynasty.  How to get in, of course, whether to marry or run away, has been decided in advance.

    But the etiquette system often has to obey reality. Especially in the late Han Dynasty, when many heroes came together, etiquette collapsed. As long as the man was strong, etiquette could be completely surpassed.

    For example, Dong Zhuo heard that Huangfu Gui¡¯s widow was young and beautiful and wanted to take her as his concubine. According to the etiquette of the pre-Qin Dynasty, he could take the woman into his house in an ox cart at night. This is called running.

    "But in order to please Huangfugui's widow, Dong Zhuo used hundreds of chariots and twenty horses to fill the road with countless slaves, money and silk. This was just concubinage, and it was obviously a violation of rank.

    It is precisely because the etiquette is subject to reality that Jiang Dong's marriage to the princess is held entirely in accordance with the standards of the head wife. This is also for the dignity of Jiang Dong. The two parties have negotiated in advance and obtained the consent of Liu Jing's wife Tao Zhan. This is also very important.  Importantly, if the head wife does not agree and forcibly oversteps the bounds, it will sow conflicts in future family life.

    Of course, Sun Shangxiang was still not as good as Tao Zhan in one thing, and that was the dowry. The Tao family was as rich as the country. The dowry given to Tao Zhan was 200,000 stones of grain, thousands of war horses, 50,000 pieces of silk and silk, and countless jewels and gold.

    Sun Shangxiang's dowry only consisted of tens of thousands of bundles of silk and thousands of kilograms of gold. In addition to the various jewelry and dresses her mother gave her, there were ten boxes in total. In addition, Sun Shangxiang's own collection of more than 300 weapons of all kinds was indeed greater than that of Sun Shangxiang's.  Tao Zhan was inferior.

    Little did they know that the Tao family was originally a famous family in Jingzhou, but it became famous all over the world thanks to the astonishing dowry when they married off their daughter. Some good people calculated that when the Tao family married off their daughter, they gave out nearly 30% of their family property as dowry.  However, everyone knew in their hearts that the property provided by the Tao family was more of a support for Liu Jing's army than a dowry.

    As night gradually fell, horse-drawn carriages drove out of the city and slowly parked on the pier. These were the guests attending the wedding. The neatly dressed officials and their beautifully dressed wives and daughters got out of the carriages and walked along the ship ladder to the pier.  Go on the big boat.

    In addition to the high-ranking officials from Jiangdong, more than a hundred Jingzhou officers also attended the wedding as male guests. They were all dressed in soft military uniforms, crimson robes and big crowns, looking quite majestic.

    At this time, the sound of drum music came from far away, and a large and gorgeous carriage was escorted by more than a hundred flag-bearing cavalry. This was the wedding procession. The guests stepped out of the way, headed by a square crown,  The knight in green clothes was the groom Liu Jing, and he followed closely beside the carriage.

    The carriage slowly stopped in front of the ship's ladder. Beside the ship's ladder, nearly a hundred maids immediately raised the barriers. This is a custom in Jiangdong. When a wealthy family marries a daughter, when the wedding carriage arrives at her husband's house, the husband's family must prepare a barrier in advance.  , mainly to cover the bride and prevent some gentry from teasing and teasing, gradually became a custom. For small families, it doesn't matter, just use two fans to cover their faces.

    The brocade barrier was raised with a bamboo pole, one foot high, forming a long unmanned passage from the carriage door to the waiting room. Even the groom was evacuated. In addition, a cloth was spread on the ground.Blanket, the bride¡¯s feet cannot touch the ground.

    At this time, the carriage door opened, and four maids helped the bride slowly get out of the carriage. Sun Shangxiang was dressed in a bright red dress, with her head covered with pearls. She lowered her head and covered her face with a brocade fan in her hand.  .

    Two maids carried lanterns in front to lead the way, and two more maids followed behind. Da Qiao supported the bride, and Sun Shangxiang took delicate steps and walked towards the ship along the brocade passage and cloth carpet. Behind her, there were more than a dozen people in front of her.  A maid was busy laying out a blanket for her.

    "Little sister, marriage is a major event in a woman's life. Once you get on this ship, you will enter the Liu family. Although there is an eldest sister in the family, luckily you don't have in-laws. As long as you treat the eldest sister with courtesy, I believe  You will get along well."

    "Don't worry, sister-in-law! I know how to get along with her." Sun Shangxiang whispered. Her eyes were a little red and she cried before going out.

    Da Qiao secretly smiled bitterly in her heart. In fact, she was most worried about this sister-in-law's strong temper, and she didn't know how to be gentle. If she didn't change her temper, she would suffer in the future. She could only hope that her husband would be broad-minded and have a generous heart.  Love and protect her.

    Thinking of this, Da Qiao whispered in her ear and smiled: "Try to get pregnant tonight, and your life will be fun."

    Sun Shangxiang's ears suddenly turned red, and she punched her shoulder shyly, "Sister-in-law, don't talk nonsense, they heard you."

    In the lobby on the first floor of the building, the lights were brightly lit. Dozens of guests were divided on both sides. They were whispering and waiting for the marriage to begin. The officiant was Lu Fan, the woman¡¯s witness was her brother Sun Quan, and the man¡¯s proposer was Zhao Yun. However, the elders of both parties  But there was only Mrs. Wu.

    At this time, the steward whispered to Lu Fan: "Mr. Lu, we have arrived immediately!"

    Lu Fan laughed and shouted loudly: "It's an auspicious time for the bride and groom to enter!"

    The hall suddenly became lively. On the left, a boy led the groom Liu Jing with a green silk. On the right, a girl led the bride Sun Shangxiang with a red satin. On both sides of the bride, there was a maid holding a fan to cover the bride's face.

    A wedding lady quickly formed two sections of red and green silk brocade into a concentric shape. The two held the concentric piece and slowly moved closer to each other, standing side by side. Lu Fan shouted again: "Bow down!"

    The two of them bowed to heaven and earth and bowed to the high hall. The couple bowed to each other. After the ceremony was completed, according to the Jingzhou wedding, they were officially married. However, according to the customs of Jiangdong, there was still one last step left. Lu Fan shouted again: "Xianhe!"

    The two maids brought out a double phoenix cup made of jade with a squatting beast. The cup was a jade gourd, cut in two, with a phoenix carved on one side and a phoenix carved on the other. This was the famous combined united cup. Mrs. Wu would combine the united united unit 1 cup with the phoenix cup.  The cup separated into two jade ladles, and the maid slowly filled the ladles with wine.

    Mrs. Wu smiled and said to the two of them, "Let's drink together. From now on, husband and wife will share joys and sorrows. You drink it!"

    The two slowly picked up the jade ladle, looked at each other deeply, and drank the wine in one gulp. Suddenly, the whole hall was cheering, drums were playing, and colorful ribbons were thrown at the newlyweds, pushing the wedding to a climax.

    After the wedding, there was a banquet. All the guests went to the second and third floors to drink, but the newlyweds had to go to the bridal chamber. The bridal chamber was not on this boat, but on Liu Jing's boat.

    At this moment, it is parked quietly next to the wedding boat. A passage has been set up between the two boats. It is a closed passage made of wooden boards. It has been decorated with brocade, just like a colorful canopy bridge.

    Perhaps due to the shyness and nervousness of newlyweds, the two slowly walked through the aisle surrounded by more than a dozen maids and maids. Sun Shangxiang kept his head lowered. They did not say a word or look at each other, just like a pair of strangers.  Walking on the deck, we met by chance, but there was a tacit understanding.

    "You guys, please step back!"

    Going up to the second floor, Liu Jing ordered the maids behind him to step back. He had realized that to break the silence, the maids must leave.

    The maids were all Sun Shangxiang's dowry maids. They were stunned for a moment, then slowly retreated and stayed on the first floor of the ship.

    The second floor was very quiet, there was no one, only the two of them were walking slowly. They had reached the door of the bridal chamber, but Sun Shangxiang hesitated in his steps. Liu Jing glanced at her and gently held her hand.

    Sun Shangxiang's body trembled slightly. She instinctively wanted to pull out her hand, but her strength disappeared the moment she pulled out her hand. She turned her head away, her heart pounding with nervousness, and she did not dare to look at Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing turned her body over, facing him, and laughed softly: "You toasted to me two days ago, why are you afraid now?"

    "Who is scared?" Sun Shangxiang lowered his head and whispered.

    Liu Jing held her chin with his fingers, slowly raised her face, and asked with a smile: "Do you also want to give me three arrows?"

    Sun Shangxiang bit his lip lightly and said angrily: "If you want it, I'll??Give it to you!  "

    ¡°I only received ten arrows two days ago, and I don¡¯t want any more.¡± Liu Jing said with a smile.

    "Are you OK!"

    Sun Shangxiang then remembered the assassination of Liu Jing. She had been worried for a day, but when she said it, she felt that she cared too much about this guy, so she immediately changed her words and said: "It's best to shoot your heart with an arrow, then I won't have so many worries."  ¡±

    As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Jing suddenly lowered her head, sealed her bright red lips with his fiery lips, and held her tightly in his arms.

    Sun Shangxiang had never been kissed before. She was so ashamed and wanted to struggle to get away, but Liu Jing hugged her tightly, making her unable to move. Gradually, Sun Shangxiang's body softened, and she was lost in Liu Jing's strong man.  In the breath.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 476 Collection Tool

    On the vast and sparkling river, a mighty fleet was hung with sails. The sails swelled with the east wind. The fleet cut through the waves and sailed westward with great momentum.

    On the big ship headed by it, Sun Shangxiang stood on the bow, staring blankly at the undulating waves on the river, his eyes confused and filled with the sadness of leaving his hometown.

    The river breeze blew the train of her skirt, and the hair on her forehead fluttered with the wind. She was a new wife. Although the joy of the wedding made her very intoxicated, the nostalgia of parting still made her feel depressed.

    "Madam, go back to the cabin! It's very windy on the deck." Xiao Cui, the personal maid, walked behind her and whispered to persuade her.

    "I've already told you, why do you still call me madam?"

    Sun Shangxiang turned around and glanced at the maid dissatisfied. Xiaocui lowered her head, bowed, and said reluctantly: "Second Madam, I will remember this."

    Sun Shangxiang sighed, "I know you don't want to call me Second Madam, and I don't want to either, but some things have to be done according to the rules. The rules are like this, so we can only accept the reality."

    Xiaocui nodded silently, "I understand."

    "There are other maids. You have to tell them their correct names. Don't let the people in Jingzhou think that we in Jiangdong are bullies. I don't want to cause trouble, you know?"

    "This slave knows."

    Sun Shangxiang turned around and walked towards the ship's ladder. Halfway there, she turned back and asked, "Where is the general?"

    "The general seems to be on the third floor."

    Sun Shangxiang was startled. The third floor was where her dowry items were kept. What was he going to do on the third floor?  She also held on to the boat ladder and walked quickly to the third floor.

    Sun Shangxiang's various dowry items are piled on the third floor of the building, but only a small part is here. Most of the items, such as thousands of bundles of silk, fine furniture, tableware, various daily necessities, etc., are on another ship.  on board.

    In a large cabin, there are ten large nanmu boxes stacked in the east corner. Inside are the jewelry Mrs. Wu gave her daughter and various clothes from Sun Shangxiang. The cabin is filled with wooden boxes of various sizes.  , there are more than three hundred pieces, these are Sun Shangxiang's treasures. She has collected various weapons in the past ten years.

    Liu Jing stood in front of a table and was carefully pulling out a sword from its scabbard. This was a high-quality sword made by a famous Wuyue craftsman. It had a simple shape, fine steel, and was extremely sharp. Liu Jing couldn't help but secretly admired it. It was indeed a sword.  Since ancient times swordsmiths came out of Wuyue.

    "Do you like this sword very much?"

    Sun Shangxiang slowly walked up from behind, with a proud smile on her face. She was very happy that Liu Jing could appreciate her collection.

    Liu Jing nodded, turned around and smiled: "It's amazing that a woman like you has collected so many high-quality weapons."

    "You mean I shouldn't collect these weapons because I'm a woman?" Sun Shangxiang looked at Liu Jing with a half-smile.

    "I didn't mean that." Liu Jing looked at her with a smile, "I just want to say that this is the first time I have seen a woman collecting weapons, but it is very interesting and I like it very much."

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much it!¡±

    A smile appeared on Sun Shangxiang's face. Although her body was given to Liu Jing, her heart was not like other women. From then on, she became a vassal of her husband. She still maintained a sense of herself.

    She looked at the various weapons in the cabin, then smiled and said: "You are the second man to see my collection. I didn't want you to see it, but thinking about it, you seem to be my husband, so I have this right."  I gave it to you, but you are only allowed to look at it, and you are not allowed to steal it. I will settle the account with you for anything less!"

    "Oh! So who is the first man?" Liu Jing also asked with interest.

    Sun Shangxiang blushed. This guy obviously had something in his words and was deliberately teasing her. She pretended to be angry, her face sank, and she turned around and left. Liu Jing grabbed her arm, pulled her in front of him, and asked in a low voice.  : "I was kidding you, are you angry?"

    Sun Shangxiang pushed him away, turned his back, and said calmly: "Don't talk nonsense in the future. The first man I talked about was my eldest brother. In fact, half of the weapons here were given to me by him, and I  He has never seen the other half of the collection, so you are the first man to see my collection."

    Liu Jing nodded, "I also have some weapons in my collection. If you like them, I will give them to you."

    Sun Shangxiang's eyes lit up, she turned around suddenly, stretched out her arms and put her arms around Liu Jing's neck, and said with a smile like a flower: "Is what you said true? Don't lie to me!"

    Liu Jing blinked, "What did I say? Why can't I remember."

    "You are such a disgusting person!"

    Sun Shangxiang smiled and hit his chest with her pink fist, "Since you said it, you can't lie."

    Liu Jing laughed loudly, hugged her waist tightly,He kissed her red lips and said with a smile: "You are my little wife, how could I lie to you? But you have to agree to one condition."

    Sun Shangxiang suddenly felt the changes in his body, and his face suddenly turned red, "It's daytime now, no! I promise you at night."

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll spare you first!¡±

    Liu Jing let go of her, picked up a sword from the table, and asked with a smile: "Why is this sword in your hand?"

    "This is the Qingyue Sword. It is my favorite sword. I got it from my second brother. Is there anything wrong with this sword?" Sun Shangxiang took the sword from his hand and looked at it carefully, feeling a little strange.  asked.

    "This sword was actually given to your second brother by me as a gift for the alliance between the two parties. I am very surprised. Why is it in your hand?"

    Sun Shangxiang was stunned. She remembered that she closed her eyes and picked up this sword with her finger. It turned out to be the sword Liu Jing gave to her second brother. "Is this the will of God?"  ¡¯ She secretly thought to herself, ¡®I am destined to marry him!  ¡¯

    Sun Shangxiang glanced at Liu Jing with her beautiful eyes, and a naughty thought came into her mind. She suddenly pulled out her sword, pressed it against Liu Jing's chest, gritted her teeth and said: "You didn't tell me that I forgot about this sword. When you captured me,  You almost strangled me to death. Today, I want to take revenge and pierce your chest with a sword."

    Liu Jing touched her neck gently and said softly: "Many years ago, I put a dagger on a little girl's neck and took her hostage. I have always been sorry for this.  Worried that she would lose her appearance and that her heart would be hurt, Shangxiang, did you ever think at that time that one day I would become your husband? "

    Sun Shangxiang looked at Liu Jing, her eyes gradually turned red, her hand loosened, and the Qingyue Sword clanged!  ¡¯ When she landed, she threw herself into his arms, hugged his waist and cried softly.

    "Silly girl, why are you crying?" Liu Jing gently stroked her hair and smiled.

    "I am happy!"

    Sun Shangxiang whispered with red eyes: "Although I don't want to admit it, I know in my heart that I finally married the person I really like."

    The fleet returning from Jiangdong finally slowly arrived at Xiangyang City. At the Xiangyang pier, Tao Zhan had been waiting for a long time, surrounded by more than a dozen female guards and a group of maids.

    Although according to etiquette, it was Sun Shangxiang who should go to the house to meet her, and she should not take the initiative to meet her, Tao Zhan knew in his heart that in addition to solving some things with rules, some things could also be solved with friendship.

    She lowered her attitude and came to the pier to greet him. This was her friendship. If Sun Shangxiang could appreciate it, then they would be very happy together in the future.

    Of course, if Sun Shangxiang acted condescendingly and thought it was appropriate for her to come to the dock to greet her, then she, Tao Zhan, would also protect her dignity when necessary.

    So Tao Zhan felt a little nervous. She really hoped that Sun Shangxiang could accept her friendship, but she also heard many people say that Princess Shangxiang had always been willful and unruly, did whatever she wanted, and was difficult to deal with. Tao Zhan remembered Princess Shangxiang's last hunger strike.  Tao Zhan's stubbornness cast a shadow over Tao Zhan's heart.

    "Madam, that's the boat!" A maid pointed at a huge building and shouted.

    Tao Zhan nodded. She had already seen it. The newlyweds should be on the big ship. Watching the big ship slowly docking, Tao Zhan smiled at the servants and said: "Let's go meet the second lady!"

    She rushed up with a group of servants. At this time, Liu Jing's boat docked. Liu Jing and Sun Shangxiang appeared on the side of the boat. He glanced at Tao Zhan and was slightly startled. Why was his wife here?  ?

    Although he sent someone to notify the government in advance, he did not expect Tao Zhan to come to the pier to greet him in person. This made him very happy and moved. For him, family harmony is the most important thing.

    Liu Jing immediately smiled at Sun Shangxiang and said, "Did you see that lady in the purple dress is your Sister Tao?"

    Sun Shangxiang nodded silently. She also saw it. This was not the first time she saw Tao Zhan. The last time she was captured, Tao Zhan came to visit her and left a deep impression on her. In her heart, Tao Zhan  She was a considerate and lady-like lady who left her with a very good memory.

    But could that be just her superficial disguise? Could the real Tao Zhan be a very mean, strict Mrs. Zhou Mu who pays attention to rules in everything?

    Sun Shangxiang was also very worried, but Tao Zhan was willing to come to the dock to greet her in person, which made Sun Shangxiang feel a little warm. At least she didn't reject her so coldly thousands of miles away.

    After the boat ladder was set up, Liu Jing smiled and said: "Let's go!"

    Sun Shangxiang pulled up her long skirt slightly and stepped onto the boat ladder. At this moment, she mustered up her courage and walked towards Tao Zhan under the boat.

    Tao Zhan smiled. She discovered that the long dress Sun Shangxiang was wearing was the fine linen dress he had given her.?¡®What a thoughtful woman!  ¡¯ Tao Zhan praised secretly in his heart.

    From this detail, she discovered that Sun Shangxiang also had a delicate side, and was not like the legendary wild girl who was always violent and prone to killing people with a sword.

    Tao Zhan came forward and the two women met in front of the boat ladder. Sun Shangxiang was a little nervous, her face was red, and she saluted, "Aren, meet the eldest sister!"

    Sun Shangxiang's official name was Sun Ren, but her family called her Shangxiang. Out of respect, she called herself by her official name. Tao Zhan saw that her face was red and her eyes were a little shy and nervous, so he didn't worry at all.  The arrogance or arrogance in her heart immediately dissipated, and she immediately fell in love with Sun Shangxiang.

    Tao Zhan took her hand and smiled: "I'd better call you Shangxiang! I've been waiting for you to come, how about it? Is the journey going well?"

    Sun Shangxiang nodded, "It went very smoothly. I kept my eldest sister waiting for a long time."

    "Actually, I only waited for a while. Originally, Bao Niang wanted to come, but she was already seven months pregnant, so I didn't let her move. The house was all packed. I'll buy you wine tonight to welcome you. Welcome you to be ours  A member of the family.¡±

    Sun Shangxiang was very moved. She bit her lip to control her emotions and said with a smile, "Sister, I brought you a gift. I'll get it for you!"

    Tao Zhan laughed and said, "We'll talk about the gifts later. Let's go home first and then we can talk more slowly."

    Having said this, Tao Zhan looked back at Liu Jing and asked with a smile: "Will the general come with me, or will he take official duties first and go to the government office first?"

    Liu Jing saw Dong Yun from a distance. He seemed to have something urgent to ask of her, so he smiled and said, "I'll go to the military office first, and then I'll come back to visit you."

    He glanced at Sun Shangxiang, telling her to follow Tao Zhan with peace of mind. Sun Shangxiang understood, nodded with a smile, then took Tao Zhan's hand and walked towards the carriage with her.

    Liu Jing kept watching the carriage go away, then slowly walked up to Dong Yun and asked, "What happened?"

    Dong Yun said nervously: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, something big happened in Yiling."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 477 Something happened in Zigui

    "What happened?" Liu Jing felt Dong Yun's nervousness.

    "That's the news we got this morning. Liu Bei's army succeeded in a sneak attack on Zigui, and Xin Zhi, the governor of Yiling County, was unfortunately killed in battle."

    This news immediately made Liu Jing furious and asked sharply: "Who is guarding Zigui?"

    "It's not clear who will be guarding Zigui's post. Deputy Military Advisor Sima has already rushed to Nanjun."

    Liu Jing took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. This matter was very serious. Zigui was the key to blocking Liu Bei's army from entering Bashu. Once Zigui fell, it meant that Liu Bei would launch an attack on Bashu, with disastrous consequences.

    He asked again: "Where is Military Advisor Jia?"

    "The military advisor is at the state government office. He said that if the state pastor is free, please come over."

    As soon as Dong Yun finished speaking, Liu Jing immediately ordered the people around him: "Bring the war horses quickly!"

    The soldiers brought up his horse. Liu Jing got on the horse, clamped his legs, and the horse leaped out and ran towards the city.

    Not long after, Liu Jing rushed to the Jingzhou Military and Administrative Office with a hundred soldiers. He got off his horse and walked quickly to his official room, and met Jia Xu head-on.

    Jia Xu stepped forward, saluted and said with a smile: "Congratulations, my lord, on marrying Princess Jiangdong."

    Liu Jing nodded slightly and said: "I have no intention to talk about this now, let's talk about Zigui County!"

    Jia Xu nodded, "My lord, please follow me to the official room to speak!"

    The two of them walked into the official room and came to a sand table. This was a panoramic sand table of Jingzhou and Bashu. It was three feet long and two feet wide. It took a year to make, plus the Bashu Pass that Dong He secretly sent.  The defensive map made this sand table an important basis for the Jingzhou Army to deploy troops to capture Bashu.

    Jia Xu pointed at the Zigui County road with a wooden pole: "The incident should have happened the night before yesterday. Li Yan's pigeon letter said that Liu Bei's soldiers mixed with a group of more than a thousand refugees, crossed the river and entered Zigui County, and then took advantage of the absence of the defenders.  We prepared to capture Zigui County in exactly the same way we captured Zigui County."

    "etc!"

    Liu Jing heard the clue and quickly said: "Show me the pigeon letter!"

    He took the pigeon letter handed over by Dong Yun and read it carefully, frowning, "How could Ping'an Fort allow refugees to cross the river? Why didn't it say so in the letter?"

    Ping'an Fort is a castle that controls Zigui Ferry. There are 300 garrison troops. Liu Jing's order strictly prohibits anyone from crossing the river. So why did the guards of Ping'an Fort allow refugees to cross the river? Was it because of their indiscriminate compassion or because of themselves?  Has been attacked by Liu Bei's army?

    Jia Xu nodded, "This is suspicious. Since we are crossing the river at night, even if they are really refugees, the defenders cannot be sure. Of course they will not be allowed to cross the river. I suspect there are two cases. One is the negligence of the defenders.  , was successfully attacked by Liu Bei's army, and secondly, Liu Bei's army did not cross the river from Zigui County at all. Don't you think it's strange that Xin Zhi died? "

    Liu Jing felt that there was a big problem here. Either Li Yan was hiding something from him, or Li Yan himself didn't know the reason for the fall. Thinking of this, Liu Jing became a little anxious and said to Jia Xu: "I want to go immediately  Go to Yiling and find out the situation."

    Jia Xu advised him: "It's a little inappropriate for my lord to go to Yiling as soon as he returns to Xiangyang. Zhongda has already rushed there, so lord, it's better to listen to his news!"

    Liu Jing shook his head, "This matter is related to our Bashu strategy. If Liu Bei seizes Bashu, the consequences will be disastrous. Without my gold medal, Sima Military Advisor may not be able to suppress the Nanjun army. I must rush to Nanjun immediately to recapture Zigui at all costs."  county."

    In the Liu Jing Mansion, Tao Zhan was introducing Sun Shangxiang to the Crane Dance House, which would be her future residence. Sun Shangxiang was very surprised. She used to live in Ganlu Palace. Although the name was called Palace, it only occupied an area of ??five acres.

    The Crane Dance Hall covers an area of ??ten acres, with nearly a hundred exquisite pavilions and pavilions. A four-foot-tall crane tower stands near the water. The Moon Lake, which covers an area of ??fifty acres, is actually the center of the mansion.  private lake.

    Sun Shangxiang feels that this is simply the aura of a royal palace. Even his brother would not dare to live in such a mansion. However, although it feels a bit arrogant, Sun Shangxiang still likes it very much. Who doesn't want to live more comfortably?

    Especially this lake, the water is sweet and crystal clear, which makes her have the urge to jump into the lake and play in the water. She fell in love with her new home at the first sight.

    Tao Zhan could feel Sun Shangxiang's shock and love, which made her feel quite proud. Jingzhou was no worse than Jiangdong. Tao Zhan pursed his lips and said with a smile: "To be honest, when I first came in, this mansion also felt very inappropriate.  , I heard that it was built by the former Zhou Mu after the Jiao Fang Hall of Weiyang Palace. I thought it was too extravagant, but the general said that the real Zhou Mu¡¯s palace was even more luxurious than this. This one was already very low-key, and I had no choice.  Have to liveCome.  "

    Sun Shangxiang hesitated and said, "But it's too deserted for me to live in such a big courtyard alone."

    Tao Zhan smiled and said: "You can let your maid live in the house, and there will also be some female guards. Anyway, you can come to my place if you have nothing to do during the day, and we can talk."

    "Where does eldest sister live?"

    Tao Zhan pointed to the opposite side of the lake, "It's just across from Luming Courtyard. We can go there by boat. Otherwise, it's so big that it would take half a day to walk."

    Sun Shangxiang also saw it. There was a white jade pavilion in the middle of the lake. There were several boats parked next to the pavilion. There were large lotus flowers around. The lotus flowers had faded and the leaves were half-broken. Several old women were tidying up the lotus pond.  She thought of something and asked softly: "Are there any men in the back house? For example, guards or something like that."

    "How could there be other men?"

    Tao Zhan laughed, "There are many male servants in the front house, but there are only two men, one big and one small, in the back house. If my little guy can also be called a man."

    She pointed at a group of patrolling female guards in the distance and said: "But there are more than fifty servants in the back house, and there are another two hundred female guards. There are also hidden sentries hidden in many places. I will tell you slowly in the future. Now I  I¡¯ll take you to see my little guy, it¡¯s time for him to wake up.¡±

    Sun Shangxiang nodded and smiled: "I also like children the most."

    They walked slowly around the lake along the spacious stone road to the opposite side. Tao Zhan introduced her to the scenery on both sides. There were green trees everywhere, and even a century-old camphor tree, with a huge canopy like a canopy.  Seeing this made Sun Shangxiang feel relaxed and happy.

    At this time, a housekeeper hurriedly ran over, "Madam!"

    Tao Zhan introduced Sun Shangxiang: "This is Po A Wu, the second housekeeper of the back house. If you need anything in the future, just ask her."

    Tao Zhan said to the housekeeper again: "This will be the second lady in the future!"

    Of course the housekeeper knew who the second lady was. She quickly knelt down and saluted, "Old slave, please greet the second lady."

    Sun Shangxiang smiled and helped her up, "Please forgive me in the future, A Wu Po."

    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to be an old slave!¡±

    Tao Zhan asked again: "What do you want from me?"

    "The master is back. He is now in the study room. He said he would go to Nanjun immediately and asked his wife to go there."

    Tao Zhan thought to himself, ¡®Why did you leave as soon as you came back and leave your newlywed wife behind?  ¡¯

    She glanced at Sun Shangxiang and said apologetically: "The general is often away from home. We are used to it, but there must be something important this time, otherwise he would not leave in such a hurry. You and I will go and take a look."

    Sun Shangxiang nodded, feeling a little sad in her heart. She had just arrived at her new home and hoped that her husband would coax her at night. However, she turned around and was about to leave. This made her feel really uncomfortable, but she also knew that something big must have happened.  .

    "I will listen to my eldest sister's arrangements!"

    The two of them walked quickly to the outer study, which was located in the outer house. Two soldiers were helping Liu Jing pack things. Tao Zhan entered the room and smiled and said: "Why did the general leave just after returning home and leave Shang Xiang aside? This  This is not the way to be a husband!"

    Liu Jing said apologetically: "I just received news that a major military situation has occurred in the south. Although Sima Military Advisor has already gone, I am still worried and have to rush there. Madam will take good care of Shang Xiang for me."

    Sun Shangxiang's face turned red, and she suddenly asked, "Can I go with my husband?"

    The atmosphere in the room was a little awkward. In fact, Sun Shangxiang really wanted to follow Liu Jing on the expedition, but when she said it now, it was as if she was unwilling to accept Tao Zhan's care. Sun Shangxiang suddenly realized that her words would be misunderstood, and she quickly  Explained to Tao Zhan: "It's not that I don't want to be with my eldest sister, it's just me."

    She lowered her head, "I don't know what to say?"

    Tao Zhan took her hand and smiled softly: "Of course I can understand. The first time I met you, you are a female general. In fact, I am relieved that you are with the general to take care of him, but this  It¡¯s not me who has the final say, it has to be done with his consent.¡±

    Liu Jing was also in a dilemma. He thought for a while and said to Sun Shangxiang: "Let's talk about it next time! This time the situation is urgent, and you have just arrived in Xiangyang. I will take you out for a walk after you are familiar with the situation at home."

    Sun Shangxiang nodded, "I understand. I wish you a safe journey."

    Liu Jing took Tao Zhan and Sun Shangxiang into her arms, hugged them tightly, and whispered to them: "When I leave, the family will be left to you."

    He let go of the two of them, turned around and walked out of the gate. Tao Zhan and Sun Shangxiang kept sending him out of the gate. Seeing Liu Jing go away, Sun Shangxiang suddenly felt an indescribable loss, as if he was no longer helpless, her eyes  A little red.

    Tao Zhan sighed softly in his heart,He held her hand and said softly: "I don't have a sister, from now on just be my sister!"

    Sun Shangxiang¡¯s nose felt sour, she quickly lowered her head, tears welled up unexpectedly, and she shouted in a trembling voice: "Sister!"

    "Let's go! Come with me to see the child." Tao Zhan smiled and took her hand, walking quickly to the back house.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 478 The Prelude Begins

    Ever since Zhuge Liang went to Jingzhou as an envoy, seizing Bashu has become Liu Bei's dream goal. He could not bear the remoteness and sparse population of Jingnan, let alone accept the reality that he was gradually marginalized.

    He used to be Uncle Liu, who was as famous as Cao Cao, and everyone in the world knew it. However, his reputation gradually faded over the years, and he never had the chance to become the protagonist in the Central Plains.

    On the contrary, Liu Jing rose to prominence. After the Battle of Chibi, his reputation spread all over the world. From the white-haired old man to the three-year-old boy, no one knew about Master Jing of Jingzhou.

    Many Central Plains nobles regard Liu Jing as the hope for the revival of the Han Dynasty, while Liu Bei is like an old rooster, who can only squat in the chicken coop and recall the scenery of the past.

    What made Liu Bei even more intolerable was that he knew that Liu Jing was a fake royal family and that Liu Jing was not Liu Biao's nephew, but when he told people about it, no one believed him, and even expressed sympathy.  Looking at him with eyes, as if he was slandering Liu Jing out of jealousy.

    Liu Bei finally understood a truth. The authenticity of Liu Jing's identity is not important anymore. What is important is his strength. Even if he is fake, everyone in the world would rather regard him as real. Even Cao Cao does not want to use Liu Jing's identity anymore.  It¡¯s time to make a fuss.

    Although Liu Bei admitted that Liu Jing had far surpassed him, he was not reconciled. He wanted to regain his own glory and fame, and he wanted to rise again, and he only had one chance, to seize Bashu and establish the Shu Han regime.

    Long before the Battle of Chibi, Liu Bei had adopted Zhuge Liang's strategy, seizing Jianping County, building Wu City, befriending Liu Zhang, and preparing to seize Bashu. However, Liu Bei never expected that the promise Liu Jing kept giving him in exchange for Bashu and Zhao Yun was actually  A scam.

    Just when he was about to meet and form an alliance with Liu Zhang, Liu Jing unexpectedly captured Zigui, cutting off his connection with Wucheng. Not only that, Sima Yi's activities in Chengdu caused Zhang Song to be killed, and Liu Zhang canceled his trust in him.  , causing Liu Bei's strategy of seizing Bashu to suffer a serious setback.

    Just when Liu Bei was desperate and prepared to accept the post of Jiaozhou Shepherd awarded by Cao Cao and move to the south of Lingnan, Zhuge Liang, who was even more unwilling to do so, planned a plan of "building a plank road in the open and crossing Chencang secretly", and actually recaptured Zigui City in one fell swoop, making Liu Bei desperate.  Another glimmer of hope.

    At this time, Liu Bei was mobilizing troops on a large scale in Gong'an County, preparing to move the army to Wucheng to launch an attack on Bashu.

    On the city wall, Liu Bei was wearing armor and a helmet, with his hand on the hilt of his sword, looking particularly high-spirited. Looking at the neatly lined up troops, he actually felt an ambition that had disappeared for many years.

    "Uncle Emperor!" A guard ran to report: "The military advisor invites Uncle Emperor to come and discuss the situation."

    Liu Bei nodded and walked quickly towards the city.

    In the room, Zhuge Liang was standing in front of a map, contemplating. They did not have a sand table like the one in Jingzhou. Making such a sand table required a lot of money. A clever woman could not make a meal without rice. Although Zhuge Liang was wise enough, they did not have such a sand table.  Strength, at least in the short term, cannot be produced.

    However, Zhuge Liang made a brilliant move. He took advantage of Liu Jing's trip to Jiangdong to get married. On the surface, he sent troops to station on the other side of Zigui.  Hundreds of elite troops crossed the Yangtze River at night in Yidu County and took a detour to Zigui County. They successfully attacked Ping'an Fort and deceived Zigui City by driving men and women disguised as refugees.

    This series of victories was due to Zhuge Liang seizing the loophole in Jingzhou's army's defense against the outside world and not against the inside, and taking risks. Although he recaptured Zigui County and opened up the connection with Wucheng, Zhuge Liang was still very worried. They did not have enough troops. If they could not capture it in time,  Bashu, then they will all lose.

    Zhuge Liang paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, thinking about the strategy to capture Bashu. In his initial plan, he used Liu Zhang's fear of Liu Jing to form an alliance in Badong County. Liu Zhang had agreed to come to Badong County to meet with Liu Bei to form an alliance.  , then they can capture Liu Zhang, and with Zhang Song's internal response, they can capture Bashu without bloodshed.

    But the plan did not change. Liu Jing sent Sima Yi into Shu. With the assistance of the Dongzhou Clique, Liu Zhang turned against him and Zhang Song was killed, which completely destroyed his plan. Zhuge Liang knew that his plan to capture Bashu without bloodshed had failed. If  If we want to capture Bashu again, it will definitely be a bloody battle.

    "What do you want from me, military advisor?" Liu Bei quickly walked into the room, interrupting Zhuge Liang's train of thought.

    Zhuge Liang nodded, "I just got the information about Wu City. Liu Zhang ordered Yan Yan, the governor of Ba County, to lead 10,000 troops to Badong County to assist Pang Xi in defending Wu City. In this way, Badong County's military strength increased to 20,000 people.  , the situation is worrying.¡±

    Liu Bei's face suddenly became solemn. This news was beyond his expectation. Originally, they knew that Badong County's military strength was 10,000, and they had troops in Wu City.? Thousand, if we add another 10,000 troops, we can capture Badong County with 16,000 troops and then march into Ba County. But if Badong County has 20,000 troops, the situation suddenly becomes serious.

    "Then what should we do?" Liu Bei asked worriedly.

    "Actually, I'm not worried about Badong County's military strength. We can take advantage of the contradiction between the Dongzhou faction and the Bashu native faction to defeat Pang Xi and Yan Yan one by one. What I'm really worried about is Jingzhou. Even if Liu Jing is not here, Jia Xu and Xu Shu  Others can also make collective decisions. If I am not wrong, Jingzhou already has a countermeasure. "

    Liu Bei quickly asked: "What strategy does the military advisor think they will use to deal with this."

    Zhuge Liang knocked Zigui County on the map hard, "They will definitely take back Zigui County at all costs."

    "That's true!"

    Liu Bei nodded, "Then I will immediately lead my army to support Zigui."

    Seeing that Zhuge Liang did not express his position, he couldn't help but asked strangely: "Isn't it appropriate?"

    Zhuge Liang thought for a long time and said: "It will take at least four days to get from Gong'an County to Zigui County. I'm afraid I won't be able to make up the time. And it only takes two days to get from Wucheng to Zigui. It's better to have a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, we support Zigui from the public security, and on the other hand,  Order Wucheng to increase its troops to Zigui. As long as Zigui's troops increase to 6,000, it will be difficult for Jingzhou to recapture Zigui."

    Liu Bei immediately made a decision and said: "Then I will immediately send a dove letter and order Feng'er to increase his troops and return to Ziji."

    In fact, Zhuge Liang is still a little worried, because it will take two days for Ge Xin to reach Wucheng. Even if Liu Feng immediately sends more troops to Zigui, it will still take four days. Whether Zigui County can hold on for three days depends on success or failure.  .

    Thinking of this, Zhuge Liang said again: "In order to reduce the pressure on the Zigui garrison, I suggest that we use the strategy of encircling Wei to save Zhao, attack Jiangling, and hold back Jingzhou's troops."

    Liu Bei was a little hesitant about this plan. They secretly built fifty ferries. If they failed to cross the river to attack Jiangling, the fifty ferries would not be saved, and the army going north would not be able to come back. The loss would be huge. He  He pondered for a while and said nothing.

    Zhuge Liang understood Liu Bei's worries and advised him: "We can only make a bet once. Bet that all the troops in Nanjun will be transferred to attack Zigui. There are not many troops in Jiangling. If we can capture Jiangling and take the opportunity to recover Nanjun, we can also control the entire Nanjun."  With the capture of Wan Jingzhou Army, our unfavorable situation will completely change, and since Liu Jing is not in Jingzhou, Jia Xu and others cannot mobilize troops on a large scale. This is a golden opportunity for us. "

    Although Liu Bei also understood that this was their opportunity, he was really afraid of Liu Jing. So what if he captured Nanjun?  Once Liu Jing returns and leads a large army to attack, they will all be wiped out. There is no point in taking Nanjun, because they are afraid that their chance of withdrawing from Nanjun will be gone.

    No matter what, Liu Bei will no longer compete with Liu Jing for Jingzhou. He thought for a long time and finally sighed and said: "Military advisor, it's better to give up attacking Jiangling!"

    Zhuge Liang was about to persuade again, but Liu Bei shook his head firmly, "I have made up my mind, military advisor, don't say any more."

    Zhuge Liang secretly sighed. At the critical moment, Liu Bei lost the courage and did not dare to take back Nanjun. In the final analysis, Liu Bei lost the confidence to compete with Liu Jing for Jingzhou. With his mentality, how could he compete with Liu Jing for Bashu?

    Zhuge Liang was also very disappointed in his heart, but he did not show it on his face. He pondered for a while and said: "If the emperor is unwilling to attack Jiangling, the next best thing is to cross the river from Yidu County and attack Xiling County. I think we only need to  Two thousand troops are enough to capture Xiling County and cut off the Jingzhou Army's retreat. The Jingzhou Army attacking Zigui will definitely be in chaos, which buys us time. "

    Liu Bei could accept this plan, and he happily said: "Just follow the military advisor's words!"

    In fact, Liu Bei's failure to adopt Zhuge Liang's strategy of capturing Jiangling would be his biggest strategic mistake. In order to win Liu Zhang's trust, Jingzhou only stationed 10,000 troops in Nanjun.

    In order to recapture Zigui County and atone for his sins, Li Yan had already transferred most of his troops to join the battle. At this time, the Jingzhou Army guarding Jiangling City only had a thousand people. If Liu Bei adopted Zhuge Liang's strategy, he captured Jiangling, swept through Nanjun, and attacked from both sides.  , Li Yan's army will inevitably be wiped out, and the entire situation will change drastically.

    But Liu Bei was afraid of Liu Jing's counterattack and did not dare to take Nanjun again. He only wanted to enter Bashu, so he lost a golden opportunity.

    Just in Bianxian County, north of Nanjun, Sima Yi was leading two thousand troops to march south quickly. At this time, it started to rain lightly. In late autumn, it was extremely cold and the roads were muddy, making the march very difficult.

    But Sima Yi was very worried about the situation in Nanjun. Although they had already seen the county wall, he did not want to let the soldiers rest. Instead, he ordered to continue speeding south. At this time, a cavalry galloped over and reported loudly: "Qi Lieutenant  Military Advisor, there are three forked roads ahead, one is to Yidu County, and the other isOne way is to Jiangling, and the other is to Jiangxia. General Wu asked the military adviser which way to take.  "

    Sima Yi said without hesitation: "Go to Jiangling!"

    He knew very well that Jiangling's safety was more critical than Zigui at this time.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 479 Sima Yi¡¯s first battle

    Two days later, Sima Yi arrived at Jiangling City. The guard of Jiangling City was Xiang Chong. Nanjun had Li Yan as the prefect, Huo Jun as the captain, Xin Zhi as the county magistrate, and Xiang Chong as a soldier. The four of them were in charge of the military and political power of Nanjun.  Among them, Li Yan was the highest military and political leader.

    This time, a serious incident occurred in Nanjun. Zigui County was lost and the county magistrate Xinzhi was unfortunately killed in battle. Li Yan knew that the consequences were very serious. He and Huo Jun led 7,000 troops to Zigui, leaving only Xiang Chong and 1,000 troops to guard Jiangling. At this time, Xiling  Something happened in the county, and Xiang Chong was even more worried about Jiangling's safety. When he heard that reinforcements from Xiangyang had arrived, he was extremely excited and went out of the city to meet Sima Yi.

    "If you despise your position and seek favor, please see Sima Military Advisor!"

    Sima Yi turned over and dismounted, returned the salute and asked, "No need to be polite to join the army. How is the situation in Jiangling?"

    Xiang Chong sighed, "Jiangling is fine, but I just got the news that Xiling County has been captured by Liu Bei's army."

    Sima Yi frowned. Xiling County is the choke point leading to Jianping County. He asked with some displeasure: "How many troops are there in Xiling County?"

    "About five hundred people."

    "Hmph! You only have 300 troops stationed in such an important strategic location. I don't understand how you arranged the defense?" Sima Yi finally couldn't help but get angry.

    Xiang Chong said with a face full of shame: "Zigui is lost, everyone is confused. They only want to get Zigui back, and they don't care about many things."

    Sima Yi also knew that it was useless to blame them at this time. He thought for a while and asked: "Where are Governor Li and Captain Huo now?"

    "They should be in Xinling County now, and the food and grass are also in Xinling County. I have sent people to go around the small road to Xinling County to report the news, so that they should not be careless."

    Sima Yi nodded. As long as the food and grass were not in Xiling County, Li Yan's army would not be in chaos for the time being. He thought for a moment and then asked: "Is there any news from Xiangyang?"

    "Yes! Yes!"

    Xiang Chong said quickly: "I received a pigeon letter from Xiangyang yesterday, saying that Zhou Mu has returned from Jiangdong and is leading 30,000 reinforcements to rush to Nanjun overnight. It is estimated that they will arrive in Nanjun tomorrow."

    This news made Sima Yi very happy. As long as Liu Jing comes back, everything will go smoothly for army mobilization and so on. He felt better again and said to Xiang Chong: "Let the side of Xiling County go for now, and we can discuss it after we return to the city."

    Sima Yi's army entered Jiangling City, increasing the number of Jiangling defenders to 4,000, and the defense was greatly strengthened. Xiang Chong finally let go of his hanging heart. He took Sima Yi to inspect the city defense, and said with a smile: "I have never figured it out. Xiling  There are only 300 troops stationed there, and the Jiangling garrison is only a thousand people, so the defense is empty, but Liu Bei went to attack Xiling, and Zhuge Liang's plan was nothing more than this. "

    Sima Yi sneered coldly: "How could Zhuge Liang not think of the significance of capturing Jiangling? This should be because Liu Bei felt guilty and did not dare to fight against Jingzhou anymore. He only wanted to capture Bashu, but he was just pulling chestnuts from the fire and would only burn his own hands."

    Xiang Chong nodded and said, "Should we first send someone north to report to Zhou Mu about the fall of Xiling County?"

    Sima Yi pondered for a moment and said: "You can send someone to inform the governor, but I'm worried that Liu Bei will continue to increase his troops in Xiling County and attack Governor Li from behind, so we must cut off Liu Bei's army's way to cross the river."

    Speaking of this, Sima Yi suddenly remembered something and asked hurriedly: "How many warships are there in Jiangling, and where are they anchored now?"

    "Reporting to the military advisor, there are more than 200 warships moored in the water stronghold, guarded by 300 brothers. Before leaving, Grand Administrator Li told us that if the situation is critical, the warships can be set on fire."

    Sima Yi agreed. The reason why Liu Bei did not attack Jiangling was that he did not know the details of Jiangling City, so he did not dare to act rashly. However, once he captured Xiling County, he would know that Jiangling City's defense was empty. Even if he did not attack the city,  He will definitely come to seize Jiangling's warships. Liu Bei will not let go of this advantage.

    Thinking of this, Sima Yi immediately said: "I will take two thousand troops to the water village to protect the ship. You must guard the city strictly. No one is allowed to enter the city except the state herdsman."

    Xiang Chong immediately bowed and said: "I understand my humble position!"

    Jiangling Water Village is about two miles away from the city. To the east of the dock, it is a medium-sized water village covering an area of ??1,000 acres. It can berth 300 large and small ships. It was only built a month ago. Tens of thousands of wooden piles were laid and another 200 wooden piles were used.  The remaining ordinary civilian boats were connected from end to end, forming a circle of boats close to the wooden piles.

    Usually there are two thousand troops guarding the water stronghold, but due to the emergency situation in Zigui, all the troops were transferred, leaving the water stronghold with only 300 soldiers to defend it. It was commanded by a military lord.  Thousands of people are in general defense.

    Sima Yi rushed to the water village. The military lord's name was Zhou Xin, who was from Xinye County. When he heard that Sima Yi was coming, he rushed out to welcome him and saluted, "I'm humble, Zhou Xin is here to be the military advisor!"

    Sima Yi? nodded and asked: "Is there anything going on in the water village?"

    "Just half an hour ago, several small sentry boats approached the water village and fired arrows. We ignored them. They circled twice and then went back."

    Sima Yi sneered: "They are actually here to test the strength of the water stronghold. Since you did not attack, then they know that the water stronghold's defense is empty, and they will definitely attack the water stronghold to seize the ships."

    "Please give instructions from the military advisor!"

    Sima Yi thought for a moment and smiled: "It's better to follow the plan!"

    At this time, a soldier rushed to report: "Reporting to the army, the few sentinel boats just now are here again, getting closer to the water village."

    "It seems they are still very cautious! Let me go and have a look."

    Sima Yi ordered his men not to enter the water village for the time being. He quickly walked into the water village and came to the gate of the water village. He stood on a boat and looked out of the water village. He saw four hundred-stone sentry boats on the river.  Ten soldiers kept approaching the water stronghold, and then drove away, repeatedly testing the water stronghold.

    At this time, two sentry boats sailed towards the gate of the water stronghold, with the intention of breaking into the water stronghold. Sima Yi rolled his eyes and immediately gave a few instructions to the military lord Zhou Xin, and Zhou Xin took the order and left.

    These four sentry ships were all led by General Guan Ping. He was on the first sentry ship. After two trials, he gradually saw that the Jingzhou army was bluffing. There were not that many defensive troops at all. It seemed that the defense was very empty.  .

    But Guan Ping decided to test it one last time. He ordered in a low voice: "Charge into the water village!"

    The two sentry ships rushed towards the water village gate one after the other. Guan Ping held a shield and a sword in his hands and stared at both sides of the water village gate. He already sensed an ambush on both sides. He bit his lip and ordered: "Come in."  !¡±

    The sentinel boat sped up and rushed towards the gate. Just as the two boats were about to enter the water stronghold, drums suddenly sounded loudly on both sides of the water stronghold. Three hundred soldiers who were ambushing on both sides of the water stronghold appeared together, raising their crossbows and shooting arrows.

    A dense barrage of arrows shot at the two sentry ships, knocking down seven or eight people immediately. Guan Ping waved his sword and shield to resist the arrows, and at the same time shouted: "Back off!"

    The two sentinel boats quickly retreated and followed the other two sentinel boats towards the center of the river. Guan Ping looked at the three hundred soldiers who appeared in the water village and sneered. It was indeed a bluff.

    Sima Yi's guess was not wrong. Although Liu Bei refused to adopt Zhuge Liang's plan to capture Jiangling City, he still accepted another suggestion from Zhuge Liang, which was to capture or burn Jiangling's warships. This was a defensive strategy that could prevent Jingzhou from  The army crossed the river to attack Jingnan.

    At this moment, at the dock of the small town on the other side of Jiangling, Guan Yu led three thousand troops in formation, preparing for an opportunity to attack Jiangling Water Village. They had thirty 500-stone cargo ships, each of which could transport fifty people. As long as two  Three thousand people can be sent across the Yangtze River in one trip.

    But Guan Yu needs to know the defense situation in the water stronghold. He has sent Guan Ping to lead four sentry ships to test the situation in the water stronghold. It has been nearly an hour and a half, but no news has been sent back. Guan Yu can't help but feel worried.

    At this moment, a soldier pointed at the river and shouted: "General Guan, they are back."

    Guan Yu was refreshed, and he also saw four sentinel ships sailing back from afar. For a moment, the sentinel ships docked at the pier. Guan Ping rushed to the pier and reported to his father with some excitement: "My child repeatedly tested and found something in the water village.  There are only about 300 defenders."

    Guan Yu was secretly happy and asked again: "Are you sure?"

    "My child is willing to guarantee it with his head!"

    Guan Yu was overjoyed. If there were few defensive troops in the water stronghold, then they could seize the ship. He immediately ordered: "The troops get on the ship and seize the Jiangling water stronghold!"

    At this time, Zhou Cang stepped forward and cupped his hands: "General, let me go!"

    Guan Yu said proudly: "Charging into the battle, when will I, Guan Yunchang, retreat? No need to say more, you only need to be in charge of the army."

    Zhou Cang did not dare to say anything and retreated, but Guan Ping said with some worry: "Father, the military advisor's strategy is for us to land under cover of night and concentrate our forces to seize the dock in one fell swoop. Isn't it too risky for us to kill in the daytime?  ¡±

    Guan Yu glared at his son fiercely, "Don't listen to Zhuge's words. He is just a scholar. He only makes suggestions. The specific battle plan is decided by the general before the battle. There is no point in talking about war on paper? Listen to him in everything.  Didn¡¯t I become a puppet?¡±

    Guan Ping did not dare to argue, so he could only clasp his fists and say: "My child is willing to be a pioneer and take the lead!"

    Guan Yu patted his son on the shoulder, "Go!"

    Groups of soldiers rushed aboard, and soon, thirty cargo ships loaded with 1,500 soldiers sailed to the other side.

    Guan Ping is still the vanguard. He holds a broadsword in his hand and stands on the leading cargo ship. Although there is a trace of worry in his eyes, he is also full of the desire to make a contribution. The cargo ship cuts through the waves and heads towardsThe shore sped away.

    At this time, the defense in the water stronghold had changed. The two thousand troops brought by Sima Yi all ambush on both sides of the water stronghold gate. "Coming!" someone shouted in a low voice.

    Sima Yi also saw it. Dozens of small black spots appeared on the river, and they were heading towards the water village quickly. He secretly called out luck, if he had not thought of the danger of the warship, Liu Bei's army would have succeeded this time.

    "Don't be anxious! Wait for the order."

    Sima Yi gave the order in a low voice. He had always been a counselor. This was his first time commanding an army in combat. He was also very nervous, fearing that he might not think carefully.

    Thirty cargo ships were getting closer and closer, only a hundred steps away from the gate of the water village. Sima Yi's heart was beating wildly and he was extremely nervous. He bit his lips tightly for fear that he would not be able to bear the order in advance.

    Guan Yu's warship was behind. He stood on the bow and looked at the water stronghold. He saw more than two hundred soldiers standing on both sides of the water stronghold's gate, holding bows and arrows in their hands. They were shouting, and the beacon fire behind them had been lit. This was  Asking for help from Jiangling City.

    Guan Yu sneered and ordered: "Beat the drum! Rush in."

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The drums were beating loudly, and the soldiers were rowing bravely. The cargo ship rushed towards the gate of the water village like an arrow. Some soldiers on the water village began to lose their composure and let go of arrows.

    Guan Ping's boat rushed at the front and was already less than twenty steps closer to the gate of the water village. His eyes were red with excitement, and he kept waving his sword to hit the arrows that were being shot intensively, and shouted: "Come in!"

    At this moment, a soldier shouted: "General Guan, there is a big ship ahead!"

    Guan Ping was shocked. He saw a thousand-stone warship hitting him head-on. The huge bow was right in front of him. He instinctively took a few steps back. At this moment, drums sounded loudly in the water village, and two thousand ambush soldiers appeared at the same time.  body, dense arrows were fired at Liu Beijun's ships.

    Immediately afterwards, I just heard ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ With a loud noise, Guan Ping¡¯s boat was smashed into pieces by the huge bow, and the soldiers fell into the water one after another.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 480 Guan Yu¡¯s fall

    Dense arrows flew across the river, and the soldiers on the first dozen ships suffered heavy casualties. They screamed and fell into the water. The momentum of the attack was suddenly severely dampened. More importantly, two large ships blocked the gate of the water village.  They couldn't get in at all.

    The cargo ships slowed down and began to turn around. Guan Yu, who was behind him, watched helplessly as his son's ship was smashed into pieces and everyone on board fell into the river. He was so shocked that his liver and gallbladder split apart and he shouted: "Save me quickly.  Son!"

    But there was chaos on the river. Drums and shouts of death resounded across the river. Arrows were raining down, making the soldiers unable to breathe. Many ships lost control and were spinning on the river. At this moment, a soldier pointed to the west.  Shouted: "General Guan, an enemy ship is coming!"

    They saw two three-thousand-stone warships coming from the west, ramming towards their ship like giant giants. Several cargo ships were unable to dodge and were scuttled and overturned. Guan Yu seemed to turn a deaf ear to all this and turned a blind eye.  Staring at the gate of the water village, he was looking for his son's whereabouts. At this time, he saw several soldiers hiding under the wooden stakes, holding the wooden stakes, but he didn't know if they were his sons.

    "General, we're coming!"

    There was an exclamation on the ship, and Guan Yu discovered that a large ship appeared beside them, only a few steps away. Before he could react, "Boom!"  'There was a loud noise, and the ship was hit. The huge impact caused Guan Yu to fall heavily to the side of the ship. More than a dozen soldiers were knocked off the ship. The ship's hull shook violently, creaking and cracking, and the river surged through the cracks.  Pour in.

    "General, jump off the ship quickly, the ship is broken!"

    Someone shouted, ¡®Crack!  ¡¯ With a sound, the hull broke into two pieces, and a wave came, and Guan Yu¡¯s ship was immediately swallowed by the river water.

    The river was in chaos. Thirty cargo ships were overturned and nearly half of them sank. Soldiers were everywhere calling for help. Guan Yu's leg was stuck on a broken board and he could not move. The water had reached his chin and he was about to die.  About to follow the ship and sink to the bottom of the river, Guan Yu couldn't help but sigh, "I didn't expect that I, Guan Yunchang, died in the river."

    At this moment, Guan Yu felt his whole body tighten, and a rope was tied up. He saw a small boat sailing in front of him. There were five or six people on the boat. The leader was Zhou Xin, the military lord of Shuizhai.  He had been staring at Guan Yu's boat. He knew Guan Yu and knew that if he could capture Guan Yu alive, he would make a great contribution.

    At this time, he saw that Guan Yu's boat was broken off. Guan Yu seemed to be stuck. Zhou Xin was overjoyed and drove the boat over quickly. He threw a noose to tie up Guan Yu, then jumped into the water and freed Guan Yu from the broken boat.  , pushed him into the boat.

    Several cold knives were placed on Guan Yu's neck, and Zhou Xin said coldly: "General Guan, I don't want to kill you, but if you resist, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

    Guan Yu didn't seem to hear what he said, he was still staring at the gate of the water village. Suddenly, he saw his son Guan Ping, holding a wooden stake. Guan Yu laughed, "Okay! Okay! My son is fine, even if I die,  You can rest in peace."

    Liu Bei's army that captured Xiling County consisted of approximately 1,500 men, led by Liu Lian, the Prime Minister of Wuling County. Liu Lian was also a member of Liu Biao's clan, and his father, Liu Shi, was Liu Biao's younger brother.

    During Cao Cao's southern expedition, most of the Liu clan went to Lingling County to join the prefect Liu Du, and Liu Shi was no exception. His eldest son Liu Lian then went to Nan County to follow Liu Qi. Liu Bei admired him and named him Wuling County.  Cheng.

    This time Liu Lian led 5,000 soldiers from Wuling County to follow Liu Bei in the westward expedition to Bashu. Liu Bei left his 3,500 troops in Gong'an County and handed them over to Zhuge Liang for training. He then ordered Liu Lian to lead 1,500 soldiers to cross the river to the north bank.  Capture Xiling County.

    Liu Lian did not expect that it would be so easy to capture Xiling County. When he led his army to Xiling County, the defenders withdrew without fighting, and he easily captured the county seat.

    However, although the task was completed properly, Liu Lian was not happy because he did not know what he should do next, or even how to withdraw to the south bank.

    Although Liu Bei told him that after wiping out Li Yan's army, they would meet up in Zigui County, but this was just a way to satisfy their hunger. When could Li Yan's army be wiped out?  What if it cannot be eliminated?  This made Liu Lian very troubled. He was restless day and night, waiting for news from Zigui all the time.

    At dusk, the sun has set. The purple color dyed by the setting sun in the sky has gradually faded, and the clouds have turned gray and black. The night is about to fall, and the chill of late autumn is coming quietly. The soldiers on the city top feel the cold.  The young soldier put on the blanket he had brought with him.

    Just like during the day, Liu Lian was looking towards Zigui from the top of the west city. He was anxiously waiting for news from Liu Bei. Three days had passed and there was no news. He became more and more uneasy. Although he admired Liu Bei's benevolence and righteousness very much, he now began to  A little suspicious, Liu Bei sent him to capture Xiling County, and the real purpose was to capture his army.

    He was very reluctant to speculate on Liu Bei's heart like this, but all his generals were like this.After whispering, he was a little shaken in his heart.

    "Jun Cheng, it's getting dark, go back to the county office!" His soldiers advised him from the side.

    Liu Lian sighed. He also felt a little cold, so he turned around and walked towards the city. As soon as he reached the corridor, he suddenly stopped and seemed to hear something. All the soldiers stood up. Apparently they heard it too.  , yes, it was a low horn sound, coming from the east.

    Liu Lian was stunned, this is

    At this time, a soldier rushed over, pointed at Dongcheng and reported urgently: "Jun Cheng, the army! A large army is coming."

    Liu Lian's heart sank, and he ran towards the east city without thinking. At this time, all the soldiers on the top of the city ran towards the east wall. Liu Lian ran to the top of the east city, and when he looked down, he was stunned.  All the soldiers were stunned, looking motionless like stone sculptures at the bottom of the city.

    Under the half-light and half-dark sky, the wilderness was filled with endless troops, with banners overwhelming the sky, and there were tens of thousands of them. Liu Lian's first reaction was that Cao Jun was coming, but he immediately understood  , not Cao Jun, this is the arrival of Liu Jing¡¯s Jingzhou Army

    Liu Jing personally led 30,000 Jingzhou troops to Xiling County. He got the news from Xiang Chong in Bian County. Sima Yi had rushed to support Jiangling, but Xiling County was lost. Li Yan's army had no way back, so Liu Jing turned around.  March towards Xiling County.

    On a small hill, Liu Jing, surrounded by dozens of generals such as Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun, was looking at the county seat in the distance. Just at the beginning of the year, he had visited Xiling County once. The county seat is five miles long from north to south and three miles wide from east to west.  , one side is close to the Yangtze River, the other side is close to the mountains, blocking the official road to the west, and its strategic position is very important.

    "However, Liu Jing also heard from the herb collectors that there was a mountain road that could be crossed over the mountain, but it was impossible to carry livestock and heavy equipment. Liu Bei's hundreds of elites went over the mountain and bypassed Xiling County, and successfully attacked Zigui County.

    The city wall of Xiling County is not high, only about two feet and seventy feet. You can climb the wall with an ordinary siege ladder.

    It can be seen that there are not many defenders on the city, less than 2,000 people, and it can be captured within an hour. Liu Jing sneered, turned around and ordered: "Pass my order, the army will be stationed!"

    At this time, Liao Hua stepped forward, cupped his fists and said, "Please give me 5,000 troops. Within an hour, I can capture Xiling County."

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "I understand General Liao's mood, but the army has been marching hard all the way. Let's rest first and fight again tomorrow!"

    Liao Hua hit a soft nail, so he had to bow and turned around to go down. Liu Jing ordered another soldier: "Go and call Guan, ask who the general is, and tell the defenders that surrendering will avoid death, otherwise they will be killed."  Absolutely!¡±

    The soldier took the order, got on his horse and ran towards Xiling County. After a while, he rushed to the city. He raised his head and shouted loudly: "My lord is asking, who is the lord of the city?"

    Liu Lian hesitated and agreed: "I am Liu Lian, the Prime Minister of Wuling County. Who is your lord?"

    "That's right, the Marquis of Chu, Liu Zhoumu!"

    There was an uproar on the city. Sure enough, Liu Jing was here. Fear showed on the faces of the soldiers. Liu Jing was here. What should they do?  Everyone looked at Liu Lian.

    Liu Lian's heart was in chaos. Didn't he say that Liu Jing went to Jiangdong?  Why did he come back? He is a brother of the Liu Jing clan. He should be a family member, but he followed Liu Qi, and Uncle Liu Huang said more than once that this Liu Jing is a fake and the real Liu Jing is dead.

    Liu Qi did not express his position, but his clan uncle Liu Du hinted that he agreed with Liu Bei's statement. This made Liu Lian a little confused about what to do. Wouldn't surrendering to Liu Jing be a betrayal of the family?

    At this time, the soldiers shouted sternly: "Commanders on the city, listen, you only have one night's chance. If you surrender, you will avoid death, otherwise you will be killed!"

    The four words ¡®kill them all¡¯ sent a shiver down the backs of everyone on the city wall

    Night had completely fallen. The Jingzhou army did not attack the city. Instead, they set up a camp two miles away from the county seat. The defenders in the city also breathed a sigh of relief, but thinking that the Jingzhou army would attack the city tomorrow morning, the people in the city  The soldiers were all heavy-hearted and anxious.

    In a private house close to the east city, more than a dozen generals were gathering together to drink. Two tooth generals, two military princes, and seven or eight village commanders. Everyone was drinking in silence, and no one was drinking.  While talking, a military prince couldn't help but said: "Old Wu, what's the matter with you calling us here? Just say something!"

    This officer named Lao Wu is a tooth general who is about forty years old and the eldest among their group. He sighed and said: "I miss General Zhao a little!"

    General Zhao is Zhao Yun. When Zhao Yun was training troops in Wuling County, these officers were all his subordinates. Zhao Yun treated his subordinates very well. Although he had surrendered to Liu Jing, these Wuling officers still missed him.Don't forget.

    At this time, another military lord said angrily: "In this case, let's go find General Zhao to avoid being exhausted all day long and suffering defeat."

    "Don't talk nonsense, our family members are all in Wuling, be careful."

    Everyone was silent again. In fact, everyone knew that the purpose of gathering together was to discuss surrender, but no one could dare to talk about it, and they were also worried that their family members would be implicated.

    At this time, the tooth general surnamed Wu said in a deep voice: "I have brought everyone here just to discuss what we should do. We have no way out. We must either surrender or the whole army will be annihilated. Everyone will die fighting for the sake of Uncle Liu Huang."  Be loyal."

    "Shit!"

    A young village chief next to him cursed: "He devoured most of our five thousand Wuling disciples, and sent the rest here to die. Uncle Liu Huang, a big-eared thief who pretends to be benevolent and righteous!"

    This time no one scolded him, everyone agreed with his words in their hearts. Another tooth general said: "Old Wu, just say it clearly! We are all fellow countrymen and brothers, and we listen to you."

    Everyone responded together, "Old Wu, just say it!"

    General Wu Ya finally gritted his teeth and said: "Everyone has seen it. Liu Jing's tens of thousands of troops came to kill us. We only have a thousand people. We don't even have a place to escape. We are originally the Jingzhou army. It is only natural that we take refuge with Liu Jing. Let's go and persuade him."  Liu Lian surrenders! It¡¯s important to save your life.¡±

    Everyone had this intention for a long time and stood up one after another and said: "If he refuses to surrender, just kill him with one knife!"

    General Wu Ya quickly stopped him, "Don't kill him. He is also a member of the Liuzhou Mu clan, but you can kidnap him to see Liu Zhou Mu."

    "Everyone drank all the wine in the bowl, threw it to the ground, poured out, and walked quickly to the county government office. Many soldiers on duty also followed them, and everyone arrived at the county government office in a mighty manner.

    Liu Lian was sitting alone in the county office drinking wine. At this time, some soldiers ran in in a panic and reported: "Jun Cheng, the generals are all in the yard, everyone wants to see you."

    Liu Lian was startled. He got up and walked to the courtyard. He saw hundreds of people crowded in the courtyard. He asked the leader General Ya displeasedly: "Wu Zheng, what are you doing?"

    General Wu Ya stepped forward and cupped his hands and said: "This is to the Commander-in-Chief, none of our brothers want to die. I hope the Commander-in-Chief can lead us to surrender."

    Liu Lian was furious and scolded: "Did Liu Jing scare you to death with just a few words? You are all weak."

    Everyone looked at each other and suddenly swarmed up, took Liu Lian to the ground, and tied him up with a rope. Liu Lian was so angry that he yelled: "You bastards, you cowards! Woo hoo~"

    Someone blocked his mouth with a rag, and Liu Lian suddenly felt extremely frightened. He struggled desperately but to no avail.

    Everyone turned to look at General Wu Ya, who nodded, "Open the city gate and go to the Jingzhou camp to surrender!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 481 Brother Liu Lian

    The night was getting darker, and the lights were still on in Liu Jing's tent. More than a hundred personal guards patrolled back and forth around the tent, watching the surrounding movements vigilantly from time to time.

    In the big tent, Liu Jing stood in front of the sand table with his hands behind his hands and meditated for a long time. He did not pay attention to the small Xixia County. He was considering the entire Bashu strategy. Capturing Bashu was his goal, but the first step was  It is to force Liu Bei's forces to completely drive out Bashu.

    In fact, Liu Bei's power is not worth mentioning in Liu Jing's eyes. No matter how smart Zhuge Liang is, in the face of strong strength, no amount of wisdom is useless. Liu Jing is more concerned about the local system of Bashu. In the future  When he captured Bashu, he inevitably had to deal with the local faction of Bashu.

    However, the opposition between the Bashu native faction and the Dongzhou scholars made it extremely difficult for him to win the support of the Bashu native faction. This problem cannot be solved with fists, including Zhang Song, Zhang Ren, Wu Yi, Wang Lei, and Huang Quan.  Most of the powerful figures in Bashu, including Xi Jinping and others, were hostile to him.

    Although Zhang Song's death greatly dealt a blow to Bashu's internal conspiracy to collude with Liu Bei, on the other hand it also promoted the unity of Bashu's local faction. These are the pros and cons of a sword. When the advantageous side is gradually consumed, Liu Jing will  You have to start facing the downside.

    While Liu Jing was deep in thought, a guard rushed to the tent door and reported: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, a group of officers came outside, claiming to be the Xiling County defenders, and captured Liu Lian. They are willing to surrender.  "

    Liu Jing was startled, then realized what he was doing, and he couldn't help but laugh. He originally thought that Liu Lian would take the initiative to ask for surrender, but he didn't expect that a group of his men could no longer hold their breath. Liu Jing walked out quickly and asked the kisser  The guards laughed and said, "Let's take a look!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Outside the camp, thousands of torches lit up the open space like day. The general on duty tonight was none other than Huang Zhong. He led more than a thousand soldiers to surround a group of Xiling County defenders who came to ask for surrender. Liu Lian  He was tied up and thrown to the ground, and his mouth was blocked with rags. He no longer had the anger when he was caught, but became dejected, like a rooster waiting to be slaughtered.

    The Yajiang surnamed Wu was saying something to Huang Zhong. At this time, a soldier shouted: "The Zhou Mu is here!"

    The soldiers stepped out of the way. Dozens of soldiers escorted Liu Jing and walked forward quickly. Huang Zhong clasped his fists and said, "I am reporting to the Zhou Mu that the defenders of Xiling County are asking for surrender."

    Liu Jing glanced at Liu Lian lying on the ground. Of course he knew Liu Lian. His father Liu Shi had a high status in the family and they had participated in sacrifices together. He had met Liu Lian several times and had a very good relationship with Liu Qi.  , he is relatively cold towards himself and doesn¡¯t talk much.

    Liu Jing ignored Liu Lian for the time being and turned to the more than a dozen surrendering generals with a smile on his face. More than a dozen generals came forward and knelt down one after another. The leader, General Ya, cupped his fists and said: "The humble post is Wu Ling Ya General Wu Zheng. We are all from Wuling.  At the beginning, we were generals under General Zhao Yun, but we were unwilling to sacrifice our lives for Liu Bei and were willing to follow Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing chuckled and said: "So you are all generals of General Zhao!"

    "Yes! We followed him for several years."

    Liu Jing nodded, "In that case, I will arrange for you to follow General Zhao again, but now you need to help me retake Zigui County."

    Everyone was overjoyed and expressed their opinions one after another, "I am willing to serve the state pastor to the death!"

    Liu Jing then said to Huang Zhong: "The old general can take them to take over Xiling County, be safe!"

    "The general will finally understand!"

    Huang Zhong immediately arranged for soldiers to go to Xiling County to investigate. At this time, he glanced at Liu Lian and ordered his soldiers: "Take him to my tent."

    In the big tent, Liu Lian had been untied. He lowered his head and stood by the tent, gently moving his wrists that were tied and numb. There was no third person in the big tent except him and Liu Jing. The atmosphere seemed a bit awkward. For a long time,  , Liu Jingcai asked calmly: "How is your father now?"

    According to the seniority and the title he had given since he was a child, Liu Jing should call Liu Lian's father, Liu Shi, as his second father. However, Liu Jing did not want to call him this way at this time. At first, he wrote to Liu Shi, hoping that Liu Shi could bring his tribe to Jiangxia, but  However, Liu Shi ran away to Lingling with dozens of tribesmen. This incident has always made Liu Jing unhappy.

    Liu Lian said coldly: "Thank you, Prefect Liu, for your concern. My father is fine now."

    Liu Jing glanced at Liu Lian, who was quite tough and refused to give in at all. Liu Jing smiled and asked him again: "You call me Liu Taishou, do you think I should not be the shepherd of Jingzhou?"

    "yes!"

    Liu Lian made no secret of his dissatisfaction, "The direct descendant of the family is the eldest son, and all of us believe that Mr. Qi should inherit the position of Jingzhou Mu."

    "Not all of them! The sixth uncle, the seventh uncle and the ninth uncle all followed Liu Cong to Yedu. They thought that Mr. Cong should inherit the position of Jingzhou Mu." There was a hint of ridicule in Liu Jing's smile.

    Liu Lian was speechless. After a while, he stiffened his neck and said, "Whether it's QiSon or Young Master Cong, they are both the legitimate sons of the family head. It is natural for them to inherit their father's business, and no matter what, it will not be their nephew's turn to inherit.  "

    Liu Jing took out a well-mounted blood letter from a jade box and handed it to Liu Lian, "This is the suicide note written by Jingzhou Biejia before he died. It is clearly written on it. Before his death, my uncle decided to give up the position of Jingzhou Mu."  It was passed to me, but it was tampered with by Cai Mao and others, and Liu Xian was killed and silenced. It was also this blood letter that made Wenpin, Huang Zhong and other Jingzhou veteran generals willing to be loyal to me. I think with your wisdom, you will not think that it is a forgery.  ¡±

    Liu Lian stared at the blood letter, and he was shocked. They had never known about this. Of course, they also believed that Cai Mao's support for Liu Cong's rise to power was a lie, but they believed that Liu Biao passed the throne to his eldest son Liu Qi before his death, but Liu Lian  I never expected that Liu Biao would pass the throne to Liu Jing.

    Liu Lian was in a mess. Of course he knew that Liu Jing would not lie about this matter. Wenpin, Huang Zhong and others were not so easy to deceive. This matter must be true, but how to explain that matter?

    He thought of Liu Jing's fake identity. He suddenly raised his head and stared at Liu Jing. He saw a faint murderous intent flashing in Liu Jing's deep eyes. He felt terrified in his heart, as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. The person in front of him was not the real Liu Jing.  , the real Liu Jing is dead.

    Liu Lian was so frightened that he took two steps back. His legs became weak. His arms trembled. He pointed at Liu Jing and asked, "Who are you?"

    Liu Jing took a few steps with his hands behind his back. He knew what the problem was. It should be his identity. Liu Bei must have told them repeatedly that he was a fake, so that they felt resentful, these paranoid guys!  Liu Jing cursed secretly.

    "You mean, I am fake Liu Jing?"

    Liu Jing sneered, "Liu Bei told Sun Quan the same thing at first, but Sun Quan ignored him at all. Later, Liu Bei also sent people to tell Cao Cao secretly, and it is said that he even produced so-called evidence. Do you know what the result was?"

    Liu Lian was speechless, and Liu Jing said coldly: "Cao Cao immediately asked the emperor to officially make me the Mu of Jingzhou and the Marquis of Chu. At the same time, he included me in the list of chief priests of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Do you know what this means?"

    Liu Lian wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was not stupid. He understood what Liu Jing meant. Sun Quan, Cao Cao, and even the emperor only recognized strength. He suddenly thought of Liu Qi. Although he was the eldest son, he could  how?  It's not like becoming Liu Bei's puppet.

    On the contrary, if Liu Jing had not been powerful and defeated Cao Cao and Sun Quan, Jingzhou would have been slaughtered and divided up long ago. Liu Lian was somewhat moved, and he bowed his head and remained silent for a long time.

    Liu Jing glanced at Liu Lian again, and he felt the subtle changes in Liu Lian's heart. In fact, a family is very important to him. He does not need any family affection, but the existence of a family, which inherits his power and status.  Trust is extremely important.

    Liu Jing's tone became softer, "Brother Lian, people will change. Don't always compare me now with me when I was a child, because I robbed Liu Bei of his vital interests and made his attempt to seize Jingzhou from Liu Qi fail."  , he will slander me in every possible way, Brother Lian, you have to believe that only I can safeguard the interests of the family. If everyone has a broad vision, you should look further and not just limit yourself to Jingzhou. "

    Liu Lian's body shook violently. He understood what Liu Jing meant. Their eyes should be on the world. It was as if a window suddenly opened in front of him, allowing Liu Lian to see the magnificent scenery outside. He was completely shaken in his heart for a while.  , he whispered: "Let me think about it again."

    Liu Jing nodded, "I'll let you go back. You can discuss it with your second uncle. You can even discuss it with your third uncle. I might as well tell you the truth first. Liu Bei has been named Jiaozhou Shepherd. This winter and next spring, Jingnan  I will return to Jingzhou.¡±

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing ordered the soldiers at the tent door: "Let Li Qing come to see me."

    After a moment, Li Qing walked in quickly, and Liu Jing ordered him: "Find a ship and send Liu Juncheng and his soldiers back to the south bank."

    Liu Lian left, and Liu Jing walked slowly in the tent alone. In the past two years, he had been thinking about family issues. The importance of the family to him was not in Jingzhou, but in the entire royal family. Although Cao Cao had said it more than once  He was named King of Xiangyang, but he believed that even if Cao Cao had this intention, he might not be willing to do so today.

    Liu Xie just hopes to save him from fire and water, but never wants to replace him. Once Liu Jing really reaches the point of replacing Liu Xie one day, he will inevitably encounter strong opposition from the Liu family. At this time, the family  The importance becomes apparent.

    The Liu family can accuse themselves of being a fake royal family, but they cannot accuse the Liu Biao family of being fake. This is actually a factional struggle. Many things require more than just strength. Strength is important, but morality is equally important, just like he cannot be unscrupulous.  Seize Liu Zhang's throneIndustry is the same.

    Liu Jing was thinking about it, when the bodyguard reported at the door: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Sima Military Advisor has arrived!"

    Liu Jing sent someone to Jiangling yesterday to notify Sima Yi to join him in Xiling County. He originally thought it would take two days to arrive, but he didn't expect that he would arrive today.

    Liu Jing chuckled and said, "Invite him in!"

    After a moment, Sima Yi walked in quickly. He smiled and cupped his hands and said, "I have a gift for Zhou Mu!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 482 Sima Yi offers a plan

    "But Liu Bei wanted to attack Jiangling, but Zhongda was thwarted?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Sima Yi nodded, but then shook his head, "Liu Bei did want to attack the water village and failed miserably, but the gift I'm talking about is not this, but that we captured Guan Yu."

    "Captured Guan Yu!" Liu Jing was immediately surprised and delighted. Guan Yu was Liu Bei's number one general and very powerful. Capturing him was even more important than Liu Chan. Liu Bei could do without his son, but he could not do without his brother.

    "How was it done?" Liu Jing asked again.

    "The key is that Guan Ping was the vanguard, but his ship was broken and fell into the water. Guan Yu refused to leave his son and retreat. In the end, his ship was also broken and he was captured by a military prince named Zhou Xin."

    Liu Jing nodded, "This person has made great contributions and deserves a reward. Where are Guan Yu and his son now?"

    "They are now being detained in Jiangling, and they are being treated with courtesy to both father and son."

    Guan Yu¡¯s arrest was indeed good news for Liu Jing. Of course, Liu Jing did not expect Guan Yu to surrender, but it would have a big effect. This news came in time and made Liu Jing¡¯s thinking suddenly clear.

    Putting aside Guan Yu's affairs for the time being, Liu Jing smiled at Sima Yi and said, "Please sit down! I'm just planning to send someone to invite you, and I want to talk about the issue of Bashu."

    Sima Yi's biggest wish was to dominate Yizhou's strategy, but he never had a good discussion with Liu Jing, so Jia Xu used Meng Da, a key chess piece, to gain an advantage in the overall strategy, allowing him to dominate Yizhou's strategy.  His wish failed, which made Sima Yi feel a little depressed and anxious.

    Fortunately, Jia Xu used the Hanzhong strategy, which gave Sima Yi another glimmer of hope. He was eager to convince Liu Jing that if he took the lead in the subsequent Yizhou strategy, he would be able to establish his position in Jingzhou.

    Sima Yi sat down, but Liu Jing was not in a hurry to talk about the affairs of Bashu, and asked with concern: "How is the situation at home?"

    Sima Yi's wife died of puerperal fever due to postpartum weakness last year, leaving behind a son who was just one month old. So far, Sima Yi has not had a chance to see her. Calculating that his son should be one year old, he said sadly: "  The child is with my father and is fine now. My father will bring the child to Xiangyang next year.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "Your Majesty is a great scholar in Hanoi and has a long-standing reputation. If he is willing to come to Xiangyang, I will definitely recruit him to Jingzhou Academy."

    "Thank you for your concern, Zhou Mu. I will also persuade my father to work for Zhou Mu."

    The two chatted for a few words, and then the topic turned to Bashu. Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "The so-called reputation is not justified, even if Cao Cao attacks Jingzhou, he still has to find an excuse to rebel. After receiving the emperor's edict, if I rashly attack Yizhou  , I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not legal, so I¡¯ve been thinking about how to get Yizhou. I want to hear your thoughts.¡±

    Sima Yi thought for a while and said: "The way Liu Bei originally thought of was to keep Liu Zhang's household and assign Badong County to him. In return, he promised to return Jianping County and Yidu County to Yizhou, and put his son Liu Chan in Chengdu.  As a pledge, Liu Zhang was moved by Zhang Song's repeated persuasion. As long as Liu Bei entered Bashu, he could provoke civil strife in Bashu and annex Bashu under the pretext of quelling the rebellion. "

    Liu Jing frowned, "Zhongda wouldn't suggest that I put my son in Chengdu!"

    "No! No!" Sima Yi quickly shook his head and smiled: "Liu Bei dared to agree like this at first because his son Liu Chan was in the hands of Cao Cao. Now that his son is back, of course he will not agree. Even if he gives it away, he will be a real wife and a fake son.  Therefore, it is not advisable to give a son as a pledge. What I am talking about is the latter one. We can also make this idea. "

    "You mean there is civil strife in Bashu?"

    Sima Yi nodded slowly, "The key is Liu Zhang. If this person dies, Bashu will be a land without one. At this time, if we provoke a rebellion in Shu, we can enter Bashu under the pretext of suppressing the rebellion, and then make Liu Zhang's youngest son the governor of Yizhou.  Lord, when we secure Bashu, the state pastor will be able to stand on his own."

    "Is it that easy for Liu Zhang to die?"

    "It would be easy for him to die."

    Liu Jing knew that Sima Yi must have something to back him up if he dared to say this. He took a few steps behind his back and asked, "Who is Liu Zhang's youngest son?"

    "He is the son of one of his concubines. He is only six years old this year. He is appointed as the Mu of Yizhou. The Mu of Yizhou can establish himself as a general and take over the power. He will be abolished in a few years."

    "Inappropriate!"

    Liu Jing shook his head and rejected the suggestion, "Establishing Liu Zhang's son will cause trouble in the future. If I become Cao Cao's second best, I will be suspected of bullying the young master. I will never admit Liu Zhang's son to be the shepherd of Yizhou again."

    "This is also possible, but I'm afraid the court will appoint a new state pastor."

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "Zhongda, although you were once a soldier of Cao Cao, I know Cao Cao better than you. He will do everything possible to prevent me from taking Bashu, but once I take itIn Bashu, he faced reality because he knew that if he dared to appoint a new Yizhou Mu, he would pay a heavy price.  "

    Sima Yi nodded silently. He had to admit that Liu Jing was right. If Liu Zhang's son was appointed as the shepherd of Yizhou, it would cause future troubles. Although the problem could be solved in the immediate future, it would be detrimental to the long term.

    He pondered for a moment and said: "In this way, the timing must be very precise. If we do not enter Bashu, once we do, we must conquer Bashu with a devastating force. We cannot delay it too long and cannot give the courtiers enough time to make a decision.  "

    "You are right. This is the key. First, let Liu Zhang fall into injustice, and then Liu Zhang's death will lead to chaos in Bashu. I will find excuses to put an end to the chaos. Everything is linked together, so I must seize the opportunity."

    At this time, Sima Yi felt a little excited. Although Liu Jing had different ideas from him on details, in general, Liu Jing was obviously inclined to his suggestions. This encouraged Sima Yi, and he continued: "With our  In terms of strength, it is not difficult to conquer Bashu. The key is to control Bashu. This involves the struggle between Dongzhoushi and the local Bashu clan. This is the focus of our consideration. "

    Sima Yi's words touched Liu Jing's heart. What he was most worried about was the struggle between the two factions. For him, Bashu was his most important source of money, food and soldiers in the future. Without the support of the local Bashu faction, Bashu would  It will lead to long-term chaos and completely go against his intentions. This is an important factor that Liu Jing must consider. He needs to balance the two major factions within Bashu.

    Liu Jing was in high spirits, sat up straight, and listened to Sima Yi's suggestion. Sima Yi collected his thoughts for a while, and then said slowly: "There has been a long-standing conflict between Dongzhou scholars and Bashu. During the Zhao Wei Rebellion, the two factions forged a blood feud.  It is almost impossible to reconcile him, and it is precisely because the Dongzhoushi faction supports us in taking Bashu that the local Bashu faction is suspicious and opposed to us. My plan is to let the Dongzhoushi faction withdraw from Bashu. "

    Liu Jing understood what Sima Yi meant. He frowned slightly and said, "You mean to ask Dong He to return to Jingzhou and Pang Xi to Guanzhong. Is that what you mean?"

    Sima Yi nodded, "Dongzhou Shi is an alliance between the Jingzhou and Guanzhong factions. If the Jingzhou faction is transferred back to Jingzhou and the Guanzhong faction is transferred back to Guanzhong, the internal conflicts in Bashu will naturally disappear. In this way, the Bashu native faction will also  You can support Zhou Mu to take over Bashu."

    Liu Jing looked at the tent roof with his hands behind his hands for a long time and said: "I originally planned to use the contradiction between the Bashu and Dongzhou cliques to control Bashu. If the Dongzhou clan disappears in Bashu, will the local Bashu clique become stronger?"

    Sima Yi smiled and said: "In fact, the internal conflicts in the local faction of Bashu are also very big. Wu Yi and Zhang Ren, Wang Lei and Huang Quan have their own factions. They are only temporarily united to deal with Dongzhou scholars. Once Dongzhou  If the power of the Zhoushi disappears in Bashu, then there will inevitably be conflicts within the Bashu native clan, and the Zhoumu can then use their internal contradictions to achieve a balance of power. "

    After a pause, Sima Yi continued: "If the Zhou Mu feels that the factional struggle within Yizhou is difficult to control, he can actually use the opportunity of Liu Zhang's two sons to compete for the position of the Zhou Mu. Perhaps this will be easier."

    "You mean Liu Xun and Liu Wei?"

    Sima Yi nodded, "It is these two brothers. Liu Zhang has not established a son yet. The reason is that these two brothers are at odds with each other and secretly fight for the throne."

    "It seems that Yuan Shao is second again!"

    Liu Jing laughed, nodded and said: "Zhongda said a lot today, my mind is a little confused, let me think about it again, this matter can be discussed in the long term."

    Sima Yi felt happy and stopped talking about Bashu. He smiled easily and said, "If I guess correctly, Zhou Mu plans to use this opportunity to drive Liu Bei's forces out of Bashu at once."

    "Zhongda's guess is correct. Otherwise, wouldn't it be too redundant if I brought 30,000 troops for reinforcements?"

    The two looked at each other and laughed together

    Although Zigui County is close to the Yangtze River, its main wharf is still two miles away from the county seat. Coming out of Bashu, Zigui is the first stop for crossing the Yangtze River, so the wharf is extremely important.

    Zigui Wharf is not only a military center, but also a place where commerce and trade are concentrated. Due to the prosperity of commerce, a small town called Ping'an Town was formed, and the wharf was also called Ping'an Wharf.

    Ping'an Town is a small town with a hundred steps. Both sides of a main street are lined with various shops and warehouses. The shops are densely packed and the business is booming. However, due to the battle for Zigui between the Jingzhou Army and Liu Bei's Army, Ping'an Town suffered a disaster.

    In the south of Pingan Town, a strong castle was built on a high ground close to the dock. The castle was made of large stones, with a circumference of about three miles, and could garrison up to 500 people.

    The castle itself is three feet high, and it is built on a high place. When viewed from the low-lying areas of Pingan Town, it looks like a castle.??The castle stands in mid-air, overlooking the ships and boatmen on the dock.

    And this castle became the focus of competition between the two sides.

    The war has been going on for three days. More than a hundred houses and shops in Ping'an Town have been burned to the ground by fire. Bodies are piled up in random places under the castle. Blood has formed pools in the low-lying areas. On the broken walls of Ping'an Town  Burnt corpses can be seen everywhere among the ruins.

    Although Liu Bei's army only had 3,000 troops in Zigui Town, they relied on their advantageous and strong forts to repulse the Jingzhou Army's attacks one after another.  Zigui City and Ping'an Fort were still not captured.

    The Jingzhou Army used Xinling County as its base and invested more than 7,000 troops to counterattack Zigui. After the failure of the first attack, Li Yan immediately adjusted his offensive strategy and temporarily stopped the attack on Zigui County, but concentrated his forces to attack Ping'an Fort.  , taking Ping'an Fort can cut off Liu Bei's army's aid route from the south bank of the Yangtze River.

    Li Yan divided his troops into two groups. Captain Huo Jun led 3,000 men to pretend to attack Zigui County, while Li Yan personally led more than 4,000 troops to storm Ping'an Fort.

    Li Yan has not slept for two days, his eyes are bloodshot, and the guilt of dereliction of duty weighs in his heart like a mountain.

    It was indeed his negligence that caused such a passive situation today. The natural dangers of the Yangtze River and the consistent weakness of Liu Bei's army blinded him, so that he never dreamed that Liu Bei's army had built fifty ferries in Gong'an County.  It is these fifty ferries that have caused today's serious situation.

    Li Yan knew very well that if he could not capture Zigui City or Ping'an Fort before Liu Bei's reinforcements arrived, the entire Bashu strategy would be ruined.

    At this time, a soldier rushed over and reported loudly: "Reporting to the prefect, Zhou Mu has led 30,000 reinforcements through Xiling County and is heading towards us. They will arrive in Zigui County tomorrow at the latest.  "

    This news made Li Yan both happy and worried. He was happy that his reinforcements had finally arrived, but he was worried about how he would explain to Zhou Mu?

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????? Anyway?  He had to capture Ping'an Fort before the arrival of Zhou Mu. Thinking of this, Li Yan became even more worried. He shouted loudly: "Pass my order. The first person to break into Ping'an Fort will be rewarded a thousand taels."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 483: Outsmarting Ping'an Fort

    Due to terrain restrictions, Jingzhou could only invest a maximum of 2,000 men at a time to attack Ping'an Fort, which was divided into three directions: east, middle, and west. The 500 defenders on the castle were also divided into three lines of defense. They were condescending and occupied all the areas.  Due to the favorable geographical location, the Jingzhou army suffered heavy casualties, but it was still difficult to capture this stronghold.

    The general of the Jingzhou Army in charge of the offensive on the western front was a military prince named Zhao Qian. They were the third batch of Jingzhou Army. Most of the two thousand soldiers before them had been killed. This time Li Yan issued a death order and took  If you take down the castle, you will be rewarded heavily, but if you can't take the castle, you will be killed. This puts great pressure on the military lord Zhao Qian.

    Behind the ruins of a burned-down shop, Zhao Qian summoned five village chiefs to discuss countermeasures. One of the village chiefs said angrily: "The easiest place to capture the castle is the east side. Our side is the most difficult to attack. Even the east side  If we can¡¯t capture it, how can we fight on the western front?¡±

    "fart!"

    Zhao Qian scolded angrily: "If you have the guts to tell the prefect, don't talk such useless nonsense in front of me. If we can't take the castle before dawn tomorrow, I will be killed and you will never survive!"

    Everyone was silent. At this time, a thin and thin village chief said: "I was wondering if we could try it from the south."

    "But the south side is backed by a cliff, and there is no place to stand. How can we try?" Another village chief immediately objected.

    "Just because it is almost impossible to attack, there are no defenders in the south. In fact, the fact that the castle is tall and strong is not a problem. The key is that the defenders are too fierce."

    "Stop talking about it. It's impossible to go to the south. How to climb up? If they are discovered, they will all be killed with just one stone."

    Everyone objected one after another, and Zhao Qian also thought it was impossible, but other than that, he had nothing to do, so he asked the village chief who proposed the plan: "Do you think you can climb up?"

    "I grew up in the mountains. I followed my father to collect herbs since I was a child. I have climbed steeper cliffs than this one. I only need to take five brothers and sneak into the fort to wait for opportunities."

    Zhao Qian thought for a while, and it didn¡¯t matter even if a few of them died. He finally agreed, "If it succeeds, I will give you half of the bounty. In addition, I will attack from the front and cooperate with your actions."

    Ping'an Fort is backed by a cliff more than ten feet high, and under the cliff is the surging Yangtze River. Although there is a gap of about a foot long between the castle and the cliff, it is almost impossible to go around the back of the castle from the front.  You can take a boat to the bottom of the cliff and then climb up the cliff.

    The village chief who performed this task was named Ren Ping. He was from Zhi County, Nanjun County. He grew up in the mountains. His ancestors had made a living by collecting herbs for generations. Ren Ping also followed his father to the mountains to collect herbs at the age of 18.  It has been seven years since he joined the Nanjun Army, and he has been promoted to the rank of commander.

    Ren Ping has always belonged to Liu Bei's army. He was captured by the Jiangxia Army when he followed Wang Wei to attack Xiangyang last year, and officially joined Liu Jing's Jiangxia Army with the army.

    Ren Ping is thin and has few opportunities to make meritorious deeds. But this time he knew that his opportunity had come. Although he also knew that the risk of this matter was extremely high, his desire to get promoted and make a fortune prompted him to be willing to take risks.

    He selected five warriors from five hundred soldiers to follow him. These five were as agile as he was and were good at climbing.

    They were lucky tonight. The sky was covered with thick clouds, the stars and the moon were obscured, and the sky and the earth were pitch black. No one could be seen a few steps away. This was a great opportunity for a sneak attack at night. Under the cover of night, Ren Ping led five of his men to arrive by boat.  At the foot of the cliff, climb up the mountain with bare hands.

    Although the cliff was steep, it was covered with thick vines, which made their climb very smooth. In less than half an hour, they climbed up the cliff, pressed their backs tightly against the castle, stood on the one-foot-wide gap, and then climbed up  Climbing is no longer easy.

    The castle is made of huge rocks, and the huge rocks are tightly connected. There is no point in climbing up. But for Ren Qun and the others, it is not difficult to climb up. What is difficult is not to be discovered by the enemy. They did not rush to do it, but  Is patiently waiting for the opportunity

    Li Yan also arrived at Ping'an Fort in person. He had just received news from Xinling County that scouts on the other side had discovered more than 10,000 Liu Bei's troops, gathering at the dock on the other side, preparing to cross the river at dawn.

    This made Li Yan very nervous. He was no longer worried about how to explain to Liu Jing, but that once Liu Bei's army successfully crossed the river, their Bashu strategy would suffer a heavy blow. Even as long as Liu Bei held Zigui City,  They can enter Shu calmly, but there is nothing they can do.

    Only by taking the Ping'an Fort could they attack Liu Bei's army as they crossed the river. At this time, Li Yan also knew the information about the six warriors climbing the city from behind. He calculated the time and could attack. He immediately ordered: "Pass my order."  , attack the castle on all fronts!¡±

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Jingzhou's military drums beat loudly, and more than two thousand soldiers launched an attack on Ping'an Fort from three sides. The shouts of killing were loud, and the running crowd seemed like a huge tide, and arrows were like rain.The sky and the earth covered the city and shot towards the city.

    All the five hundred defenders on the city came up to defend the city. Large rocks and logs were thrown at the city. The boulders rolled and smashed into the crowd, knocking over seven or eight people in an instant. A siege ladder was set up on the city.  Being pushed out of the city with a fork, the long ladder flipped backwards, and the dozens of soldiers on the ladder let out long screams.

    Liu Bei's army was condescending, shooting with arrows, hitting them with stones and rolling logs, and counterattacked sharply, causing heavy casualties to the attacking Jingzhou army. However, Li Yan did not allow the soldiers to retreat. He kept ordering more troops to continue to attack the city at all costs.

    The six warriors in the south of the castle were waiting for this opportunity. The Jingzhou army attacked the city so fiercely that there were no defenders in the south and only two sentries were left. Moreover, their attention was focused on the battle ahead and did not notice those behind them.  abnormal.

    Ren Ping had rich experience. He had been making tools for climbing cliffs since he was a child. They slowly erected three bamboo poles several feet long. There were large iron hooks on the front of the bamboo poles, which hooked the city head above. The six people were divided into three groups.  , quickly climb up along the bamboo pole.

    Ren Ping was the first to climb to the top of the city. He held on to the battlements with one hand and slowly revealed his eyes. Sure enough, there were no patrol soldiers in the south. There were only two sentries standing at the corners on both sides. They were concentrating on the battle ahead.  He was completely unaware of the danger behind him.

    Another subordinate also climbed up to the top of the city. The two nodded, took off the crossbow from their backs, held the crossbow with one arm, and aimed crossly at the two sentries. The tips of their arrows were coated with poison, and their throats were sealed with blood.  The two of them pulled the hanging knife almost at the same time, only to hear "Click!"  Click!  'Twice, two crossbow arrows shot towards the sentry like lightning.

    The two sentries let out a muffled scream and fell to the ground. Ren Ping was overjoyed and jumped up to the top of the city. Another soldier also jumped up to the city with him. The two separated and threw the two corpses into the Yangtze River.  The remaining four people climbed up to the top of the city along the pole. The six of them were all dressed in Liu Beijun's military uniforms and quickly ran towards the top of the city.

    At this time, the battle ahead was extremely fierce. Although hundreds of people in Jingzhou were killed or injured, they also broke through the enemy's huge stone rolling log formation and put dozens of siege ladders on the top of the city. Jingzhou soldiers climbed up with shields and knives.  They went up to the city and fought fiercely with the defenders on top of the city.

    Ren Ping led five of his men and blended into the defenders. In the chaos, no one would notice whether they were different. Before going to the city, Ren Ping discussed a countermeasure with his superiors.

    He led five of his men to rush to the northwest corner, which was a blind corner. The angle for the attacker to enter the city was very small, and only a few men could hold this corner.

    There was no offensive ladder here at this time. The six of them guarded this corner. Ren Ping pulled out a torch from the top of the city and threw it at the bottom of the city.

    The torch drew an arc in the air and fell into the Jingzhou soldiers below the city. This was a signal. Zhao Qian, who had been waiting below the city, saw the torch thrown down. He was overjoyed and immediately reported to Li Yan, "Report to the prefect, we  Brother succeeded."

    Li Yan also had a glimmer of hope in his heart. He nodded, "It's up to you!"

    Zhao Qian waved his hand, "Follow me!"

    He led more than a hundred people carrying ladders and rushed to the northwest corner. The ladder was set up on the top of the city. Zhao Qian took the lead in climbing towards the top of the city with a huge shield and spear. At this time, a tooth general saw this siege aircraft.  Ladder, shouted: "Guard the northwest corner!"

    Ren Ping shouted in response: "Brothers, hold on and never let the enemy troops enter the city!"

    The six of them blocked all angles and blocked the dozens of people who came to help. They blocked the entrance to the city with six spears. They did not use rolling logs and boulders to throw them down, nor did they use steel forks to push them away.  Ladders, just pointless leveraging of ladders with spears.

    This extremely passive defensive posture made the city leader furious and cursed: "Those idiots in the northwest corner, tell them to get out of here!"

    More than a dozen military discipline soldiers came running towards them with sticks and beat them all over their faces. Seeing that they were weak in defense, the soldiers behind them also pushed and tried to push them away. At this time, two soldiers carried a piece of wood weighing a hundred kilograms and squeezed forward.  In front, prepare to smash the wood downwards.

    The situation was very critical, and Ren Ping suddenly shouted, "Do it!"

    Six people turned against each other at the same time and attacked the defenders with spears and knives. The spears pierced the backs of the wood-carrying soldiers and knocked the two men to the ground. Four or five of the remaining defenders were killed, and everyone was frightened.  After retreating, a sudden change caused chaos in the city.

    The leader Yajiang was shocked. He immediately realized what was happening and yelled: "Kill them quickly!"

    Dozens of soldiers charged at the six men with spears, and the six men resisted desperately with huge shields. At this critical moment, the military lord Zhao Qian jumped up to the city, stabbed the enemy with his spear, and stabbed a commander face to face.

    The soldiers behind rushed to the city head one after another, and the solid castle was finally torn apart. A line of defense was torn apart. The number of people increased from dozens to hundreds. From a siege ladder,The city increased to more than a dozen siege ladders ascending to the top of the city, and more and more soldiers stormed the top of the city.

    Half an hour later, the castle door made of pig iron opened with a bang, and a flood of Jingzhou soldiers rushed into the castle. The flag of the Jingzhou Army was flying high on the top of the city. Ping'an Fort fell, and the Jingzhou Army finally took control of the dock.

    Although the Jingzhou Army did not capture Zigui County, they captured Ping'an Fort and occupied the dock. They built fortifications with mud bags and deployed 3,000 soldiers with crossbows to defend Liu Bei's landing.

    In particular, the Ping'an Fort is close to the pier and is condescending. It can easily attack the ships docking. This once again cuts off the connection between Liu Beijun and Yiling Road, preventing Liu Beijun from launching a large-scale attack on Badong. The critical situation  Slightly redeemed.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 484 Planning

    On the afternoon of the next day, Liu Jing led 30,000 troops to Zigui County and set up camp in a wilderness outside the county. At the same time, Liu Feng, the lord of Wu City, also led 4,000 people to Zigui County, making Zigui  The county's garrison numbered 6,000.

    Liu Bei, who came from Gong'an County, also personally led 12,000 troops to the other side of the Yangtze River. However, he arrived only half a day late, and the situation changed dramatically. The Jingzhou army conquered Ping'an Fort and occupied the dock, making Liu Bei's army no longer able to retreat.  Unable to cross the river.

    In the camp, Li Yan and Huo Jun walked into the Chinese army tent anxiously. So far, Li Yan still couldn't find a good excuse. He could only tell the truth and wait for the consequences.

    The two of them walked into the tent, bowed and saluted together, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing was standing in front of the sand table. He looked back at the two of them and asked, "Did anyone bring it?"

    Li Yan quickly said: "Bring it!"

    Several soldiers, General Hou Zhao Qian and Tun Chief Ren Ping, came in. They knelt down on one knee and saluted, saying: "I am humble enough to see you as a state pastor!"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly: "Two generals, please rise!"

    The two of them were quite nervous and excited. They also knew that this battle had made a great contribution. They captured Ping'an Fort at a critical moment and blocked Liu Bei's main army on the river. They didn't know what kind of rewards they would get.

    Liu Jing asked with a smile: "Where are the two generals from? When did they join the army?"

    "A new savage with a humble position, joined the army in the third year of Jian'an."

    "A native of Zhi County, Nanjun County, with a humble position, he joined the army in the sixth year of Jian'an."

    Liu Jing nodded, "This time we captured Ping'an Fort, captured the dock, and successfully intercepted the main force of Liu Bei's army. You two have made great contributions. I want to reward you well. Each of you will be promoted to one level, and all the soldiers who participated in the battle will be rewarded."  Three thousand taels of gold, you can discuss it yourself how to divide the reward!"

    The two of them were overjoyed to find out that it was three thousand taels of gold. They bowed together and said, "Thank you, Zhou Mu, for the reward!"

    Liu Jing ordered his soldiers to take the two of them down, and then said calmly to Li Yan and Huo Jun: "I probably already know the reason why Zigui County was lost, but I want to see a detailed report in writing, including how Liu Bei's army crossed the river.  Please write me down in detail who acted as an internal agent and how Xin Zhi died in battle, and then we will talk about your merits and demerits, so please stand down first!"

    "Wei Chen, please leave!" The two of them bowed and left.

    At this time, Sima Yi smiled and asked: "Is Zhou Mu prepared to punish these two severely?"

    Liu Jing snorted and said: "Although it is not necessary to severely punish them, due to their negligence, I lost more than 3,000 people. They must bear the responsibility, otherwise, how can I convince the public."

    Sima Yi originally wanted to plead for the two of them, but it was obvious that Liu Jing had already made up his mind and backed away from the plea. In fact, Sima Yi also knew that because the development in the past few years had been so smooth, many people had lost their vigilance.  He had the idea of ??underestimating the enemy, especially Liu Bei.

    But Liu Bei was able to seize a loophole in a desperate situation and retake Zigui County, making them very passive. This in itself is a force that cannot be underestimated.

    Sima Yi's thoughts returned to Zigui County. At this time, Liu Jing stared at the Zigui County city on the sand table and said: "Now the Wucheng reinforcements have arrived in Zigui, and more than 6,000 people are defending the city. If I attack Zigui City by force, I will suffer at least four to five thousand casualties."  In addition to the more than 3,000 people before, seven or eight thousand people will be lost this time. The price is too high. What plan does Zhongda have? "

    Sima Yi pondered for a moment and said: "Wei Chen is thinking that Liu Bei's army passed by the mountains next to Xiling County and successfully attacked Zigui County. Will there be a small road next to Zigui County?"

    Sima Yi pointed to a river next to Zigui County and continued: "This is Xingshui. Along the northern mountain of the Xingshui River Valley, you can reach Xingshan County. Continue north and bypass Jingshan Mountain to reach Xiangyang. I heard that Xingshan County's  The water is very narrow and the water flow is not large. But when we get to Zigui, the water surface is three feet wide and the water flow is very large. This means that there are tributaries flowing in along the way. Where there is water, there is a road. There must be a path around Zigui. "

    Liu Jing's eyes seemed to have enlightenment, "Zhongda means to take Wu City first?"

    Sima Yi smiled and said: "Didn't Zhou Mu say that Zigui and Wucheng are a game of chess? Take Wucheng and see how long Zigui can sustain it?"

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and immediately ordered his soldiers: "Go and find Liu Zheng for me!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    A few miles east of Zigui County, there is a small river called Xingshui, named after it passes through Xingshan County. The river flows in a north-south direction, winding from north to south among the high mountains, and finally merges into the Yangtze River.

    At noon, an elite group of more than 500 soldiers rested in a valley about thirty miles away from Zigui County. The woods in this area are lush and the river is clear. Although it is the season of autumn and winter, the valley is not cold, but very mild.  Various plants grow lushly.

      This elite army of more than 500 people is the Eagle Attack Army of the Jingzhou Army. Each of them has superior physical fitness, brave fighting and excellent archery skills. Many soldiers can block ten with one, and in the past Jiangxia Army's southern expedition  During the Northern War, they made numerous military exploits.

    Next to a flat boulder by the river, Liu Zheng, the leader of the Eagle Attack Army, briefly introduced various military regulations to several new officers who joined the Eagle Attack Army. The Eagle Attack Army is actually the same as ordinary military regulations, but more stringent, such as absolute obedience,  Even if you know you are risking your life, you must carry it out without hesitation, etc.

    "In our Eagle Attack Army, the most important thing is to be clean. There is absolutely no backing up or asking for bribes. Everything is based on merit. That's why the Eagle Attack Army can be called the No. 1 Army in Jingzhou. I hope you will remember this."  Come on, what I, Liu Zheng, hate the most is unfairness, so I will never allow those ugly things to happen in our army."

    There are thirty new recruits joining the Eagle Attack Army this time. They are the thirty bravest men selected from the battle of attacking Ping'an Fort, including Ren Ping and six other soldiers who successfully infiltrated Ping'an Fort. This is also a reward for them.  Everyone knows that the soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army have the best treatment and the fastest promotion. In the Jingzhou Army, it is usually five years to advance to the next level, but the Eagle Attack Army takes three years to advance to the next level. This is not special about the Eagle Attack Army.  But they have more opportunities to make meritorious deeds.

    The new military commander Ren Ping raised his hands and said with a smile: "We are all from poor backgrounds. We have no backing. We all long for fairness. Please rest assured, Captain!"

    Liu Zheng admired Ren Ping very much for his ability to climb up Ping'an Fort and sneak into the enemy's army to look for fighters. This bold and careful style suited him very well. He chuckled and said, "We will all be brothers from now on. We will get to know each other as time goes by."  I won¡¯t introduce it further, just let it take its course!¡±

    At this time, two soldiers came quickly with a man in his thirties and reported to Liu Zheng: "Reporting to the captain, we have found a herb collector. There is indeed a mountain road that can cross Zigui County."

    Liu Zheng was overjoyed and saluted the herb collector: "What's your surname, brother?"

    "I don't dare. My surname is Gu. I am from Zigui. I make a living by collecting herbs."

    "I want to know, how many mountain roads are there, which one is the closest?"

    The herb picker thought about it and said: "Strictly speaking, there are seven or eight mountain trails, but most of them require climbing on the cliff with the help of vines. For ordinary people, it is very dangerous. The only mountain trails that are really easy to walk are  There are two, one long road is the flattest, but it goes around Xingping County, and there is a short road, which is a bit steep. The entrance is just three miles ahead, and you have to climb two sections of cliffs in the middle. "

    Liu Zheng pondered for a moment. His army had no problem climbing the cliff, but he was worried about these thirty recruits. Can they do it?  Thinking of this, he looked at Ren Ping. Ren Ping understood and immediately expressed his stance: "Please rest assured, Captain, the thirty brothers are all elite soldiers and will not be a drag on everyone."

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s take a shortcut!¡±

    Liu Zheng bowed his hand to the herb gatherer and said, "Brother Gu, please lead the way for us. I will definitely reward you generously afterwards."

    The herb collector readily agreed, and he led the army northward along the river bed.

    Zigui County is a flat area where the Yangtze River rushes out of the Three Gorges. It is surrounded by rolling and steep mountains. The peaks are surrounded by clouds and mist all year round. Many places are inaccessible, as if they are the residence of gods from another world.

    The most elite eagle strike force of the Jingzhou Army followed the herb gatherers all the way over the mountains. Although the absolute distance was only fifty miles, they walked for three full days, but in the end they walked out of the mountains without missing a single person.  Bypassing Zigui County, we arrived at the back of Zigui County.

    Liu Zhengzhong thanked the herb collector, who was very kind. He was embarrassed to accept the reward of twenty taels of gold, so he volunteered again and continued to lead the army. He led the army to march westward along the same difficult and dangerous Shu Road.

    One hundred and fifty miles ahead is Wucheng. How to capture Wucheng, which Liu Bei's army has worked so hard to manage, is the major task of their trip.

    The army had marched for more than twenty miles, and it was getting dark. Seeing that most of the soldiers were exhausted, Liu Zheng smiled at the herb collector and said, "Brother Gu, is there a resting place nearby?"

    "There is a cave just a mile ahead. We call it Laojun Cave. It is very spacious and dry and can accommodate thousands of people. It is a natural stop for merchants along the way."

    Liu Zheng was overjoyed and turned back to the soldiers: "Go to the cave ahead to rest!"

    The crowd accelerated their march, and after a while, they came to a cave. The entrance was one foot high and wide. Perhaps because of the war, there were no merchants on the road or at the entrance of the cave. Several soldiers went into the cave to inspect and came back to report:  "The cave is indeed very spacious, and there is no one there!"

    Liu Zhengheng immediately ordered: "Everyone, please go into the cave and rest! Be careful not to mess up the team."

    The soldiers were exhausted and went into the cave to find a place to rest and eat dry food. At this time, Ren Ping asked LiuHe raised his hands and asked for orders: "Captain, please let those in humble positions be on guard!"

    "Then it will be hard work for you to be a military lord."

    The thirty people led by Ren Ping are new recruits. Although they are also very tired, Ren Ping understands the ways of the world. In this case, the new recruits have to work harder so that they can quickly integrate into the Eagle Attack Army.

    He deployed sentries within five miles in front and back. At this time, they were within the sphere of influence of Liu Bei's army. Although they did not encounter enemy troops and were not afraid of encountering them on a narrow road, Liu Zheng was worried about destroying his lord.  plan, so he was very careful and tried not to let enemy sentries discover their whereabouts.

 Volume 2, Jiangxia, Chapter 485: Military danger creates suspicion

    The time gradually reached midnight, and Liu Zheng slept for a while. He felt uneasy, so he walked to the entrance of the cave and sat down side by side with Ren Ping. He pulled half of his blanket and covered himself with it, and said with a smile: "You can take a nap."  ! I'll take over."

    Ren Ping shook his head, "I'm not sleepy yet."

    Liu Zheng smiled and said, "It seems that you are more capable than I thought, and you are not left behind at all."

    "We all come from poor backgrounds and have gone through a lot of hardships. For example, I followed my father to the mountains to collect herbs since I was a child. I have climbed all kinds of cliffs. Marching is nothing to me."

    Speaking of this, Ren Ping asked curiously: "Where is Xiaowei Liu from and what did he do before?"

    Liu Zheng sighed a little: "I am an orphan. I have been wandering since I was a child. I joined the Yellow Turban Army when I was eight years old. I have been following Boss Liao all the time. I don't even have a name. Everyone calls me Monkey Five. That year I robbed the market and met my lord.  He was caught, and later he joined Boss Liao. Zhou Mu named me Liu Zheng, hoping that I could become an upright person. He was my eldest brother and my reborn parent. After so many years, I also married  My wife has become a father and has been promoted to captain. Every time I think about this, my nose feels sore. "

    Ren Ping nodded silently, and then whispered: "Do you think Zhou Mu can conquer the world?"

    "Of course!"

    Liu Zheng gave him a serious look, "All our brothers believe that he is the destined emperor and the revitalizer of the Han Dynasty. Only by following him to conquer the world will we have a future and glory. You will also be called him in the future."  He is the Lord."

    "I remember my humble position."

    At this time, a soldier quickly walked into the cave and reported to Ren Ping and Liu Zheng in a low voice: "Allow the military lord and the captain, we have discovered the situation."

    Liu Zheng quickly sat up and asked, "What happened?"

    "We found a food delivery team, with about 400 deer carts and more than 100 soldiers escorting them. It was about three miles away from us."

    Ren Ping next to him made an excuse: "It's the first watch now, they are still on their way, and they probably want to go into the cave to rest."

    Liu Zheng sneered, "Then let them enter the hole!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the narrow and rugged mountain road, a convoy of four hundred deer carts is driving eastward. The so-called deer carts are human-powered unicycles. They are the most common type of rickshaws on the Yiling Road. One cart can transport more than two stones.  A total of one thousand dan of grain was transported this time, escorted by more than a hundred soldiers.

    They were ordered to deliver grain and grass to Zigui County. This was not an isolated team. It was also part of the entire Liu Bei order. Liu Bei ordered to move the defense from Wucheng County to Zigui County, so the grain must be transported in time, otherwise  Unable to support Liu Bei's army in Zigui County.

    The team was very long, stretching for about five or six miles. Not long after, the ox carts began to arrive in front of Laojun Cave. The soldiers were extremely exhausted and ordered the deer carts to rest where they were and set out early tomorrow morning. However, they themselves ran towards the cave.  .

    The coachmen cursed in low voices, but there was nothing they could do. These coachmen were all forcibly recruited from Zigui County and Wucheng. Their status was low and it was not their turn to go to the cave to rest. The coachmen held the deer cart close to the mountain wall while they themselves  Leaning on the wheel, drinking water and eating dry food, three people in a group, five people in a group, chatting together, and spent the long night.

    At the third watch of the night, many cart drivers had fallen asleep. At this time, a large group of black shadows suddenly appeared on the mountain road to the east. They acted quickly and blocked Laojun Cave, and hundreds of soldiers rushed in.

    The rest of the soldiers rushed towards the sleeping coachmen. Several coachmen suddenly woke up from their sleep, only to find a sharp saber on their necks. The coachmen were frightened to death.

    Screams continued to be heard in the cave, but a quarter of an hour later, Laojun's cave became deathly quiet again. The Eagle Attack Army was very ruthless. Except for two people who were left alive, they slaughtered all the other soldiers. They stripped off the soldiers' clothes.  A, threw the body into the Yangtze River, and threw all the grain into the river, and then ordered all the deer carts to turn around and return to Wucheng.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the other side of Zigui County, Liu Bei's 12,000 troops also set up camp on a flat land. Although he encountered a strong blockade by the Jingzhou Army when crossing the river and failed, Zigui County was still in his hands after all. Of course he would not  Will be easily removed.

    Furthermore, Wushan¡¯s reinforcements arrived at Zigui. With Zigui County¡¯s tallness and solidity, as well as the favorable terrain for defense and disadvantage for attack, and the thousands of people defending it, no matter how large the Jingzhou army was, it would be difficult to capture it.

    However, Liu Bei also had a big worry, and that was the food problem in Zigui County. Since Liu Biao captured Yidu and Jianye counties many years ago, the relationship between Bashu and Jingzhou was sour. Liu Zhang once ordered a halt to trade between Jingzhou and Shu, although the relationship later became less  There has been some relaxation, but strategic materials such as pig iron and grain haveHowever, they are not allowed to be transported out of Bashu.

    As a result, almost no grain was stored in each county. Except for the 50,000 shi of grain specially hoarded in Wucheng in order to obtain Bashu, the grain in each county could not feed many armies at all.

    If Wucheng¡¯s food cannot be transported to Zigui County in time, how long can Zigui County last?  What made Liu Bei even more upset was that he could not get in touch with Zigui County on the other side. His carrier pigeon could only be sent to Wucheng, and then transferred from Wucheng to Zigui County.

    But the problem was that he could only deliver the letter, but the letter could not be returned. He had no idea what was happening on the other side. He only knew that Wucheng reinforcements had arrived in Zigui County when he saw the reinforcement flag raised at the top of Zigui County.  .

    But how many reinforcements have come, and is the leader Liu Feng?  But he knew nothing. He was even more worried about whether Wucheng had delivered food to Zigui County in time as he requested?

    In the big tent, Liu Bei was dictating orders. Ma Su, a member of the army in the recording office, was writing down Liu Bei's order, "Wucheng must transport grain to Zigui at all costs. Within ten days, 10,000 shi of grain must be on the road, and  Liu Feng was ordered to strengthen the defense of Badong County to prevent the Shu army from sneaking into Wucheng from the west. The battle to defend Zigui will not be resolved in the near future. The two cities need to be prepared for a protracted war. In addition, they must pay attention to internal security.  Especially Pang."

    Speaking of this, Liu Bei changed his words and said: "All suspicious people, no matter what position they hold, must be closely monitored and beware of betrayal."

    After Liu Bei finished dictating, Ma Di also wrote. He handed the letter to Liu Bei. Liu Bei looked at it and ordered: "That's it! Send the letter out immediately."

    Ma Su hurried away. Liu Bei walked a few steps behind his back and asked his bodyguard, "How many carrier pigeons are there?"

    The soldier clasped his fists and said, "I would like to report to your uncle, apart from today, there are still two pairs of carrier pigeons left."

    Liu Bei couldn't help but feel annoyed. He could only send two more letters. If he had known better, he would have brought more carrier pigeons from Yidu. Thinking of Yidu, Liu Bei suddenly remembered something, that is, what happened to Guan Yu seizing the ship in Jiangling? If he could  By seizing all the warships in Jiangling, in addition to not having to worry about Liu Jing's army crossing the river south, they also had the capital to seize Nanjun at any time.

    But seven days have passed, and there is no news from the second brother, which makes Liu Bei a little worried. Seeing that Jingzhou reinforcements have arrived, Jiangling's defense will inevitably be strengthened. Will there be any problems with the second brother?

    Liu Bei felt an inexplicable worry in his heart. All kinds of uneasiness and worries were intertwined, making him worried. He paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He really had the idea that he didn't want to fight anymore, as long as Liu Jing returned all the troops to him.  , he simply gave up Bashu.

    At this moment, a guard reported at the door of the tent: "Uncle Emperor, urgent report from Public Security County!"

    Liu Bei quickly walked out of the tent. A messenger rushed over and knelt down on one knee to report: "Reporting to the emperor's uncle, General Guan failed to seize the Jiangling warship. Unfortunately, General Guan and the young general were captured!"

    "ah!"

    The sudden news was like a thunderclap above Liu Bei's head. He took two steps back and stared at the messenger dumbfounded, as if he had said the wrong name. The messenger lowered his head and repeated: "Unfortunately, the Second General and General Xiaoguan are  Captured."

    Liu Bei felt a twinge in his heart, his vision went dark, and he fell to the ground on his back. He was so frightened that his soldiers rushed up, "Uncle! Uncle! Wake up."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    According to Liu Bei's deployment, 6,000 troops were stationed in Wucheng, with his adopted son Liu Feng as the commander-in-chief and deputy military adviser Pang Tong as assistant. The military power was shared by Liu Feng and Pang Tong. Since Liu Feng personally led 4,000 troops to Zigui County, that  Pang Tong should be in charge of Wu City.

    But in fact, Liu Feng did not hand over military power to Pang Tong, but to his deputy general Fu Shiren.

    Of course, Liu Feng¡¯s excuse was very good. Pang Gong was a counselor and strategist, and he was not familiar with marching and fighting, so he could assist with strategies. This actually excluded Pang Tong from his scope of power.

    As Liu Bei's adopted son, Liu Feng understood his father's thoughts very well. Pang Tong was suspected by his father because of his uncle Pang Ji's betrayal of Nanjun, but there was no evidence that Pang Tong was also involved in the conspiracy, so he put Pang Tong in Wucheng. In fact,  Let yourself monitor him.

    Since he understood his father's thoughts, how could Liu Feng hand over the military power to Pang Tong? Even the various strategies he proposed were superficially perfunctory, but in fact he did not adopt them at all. Pang Tong suffered repeated setbacks, which made him a little discouraged.

    In the room, Pang Tong was writing a long letter to Liu Bei. He believed that there was a deep conflict between the Bashu clan and the Dongzhou scholars, and that Pang Xi and Yan Yan were at odds with each other. They could take advantage of their conflicts to bring down Wucheng County.  Handing it over to Yan Yan will definitely trigger internal strife between Yan Yan and Pang Xi.

    Pang Tong couldn¡¯t remember how many suggestions he had written to Liu Bei, including his suggestion that Liu Bei encourage trade.There are a series of strategies to enrich the people and strengthen the army, such as making money from mines, developing military camps, and rewarding military achievements.

    But Liu Bei didn't give him any reply, which made him feel extremely disappointed. If Liu Bei ignored him again with this letter of proposal, he decided to return to Longzhong to live in seclusion and never bother about the affairs of the world again.

    At this time, his little book boy opened the door and walked in with a cup of tea. Pang Tong pointed at the table with the end of his pen, "Just put it next to it!"

    The little book boy put the tea cup on the table, but stood aside without moving away. Pang Tong glanced at him and asked strangely: "Is there anything else?"

    The little book boy hesitated and said: "Just now I went to the kitchen to make tea and found that Uncle Zhang was missing and turned into a stranger. I asked him who he was and he said he was the new person to serve the young master. I also found a few people hiding outside the yard.  There is a man with a knife, they say he is here to protect the young master, there are them in the front and back yards.¡±

    Pang Tongtong was startled, and then he flew into a rage. Who in the world would come to harm him? They were obviously here to spy on him. He slammed the pen on the table, opened the door and walked out, shouting: "The people hiding in the dark  , come out to me!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 486 Outsmarting the Witch City

    After a while, a man jumped down from the wall and bowed to Pang Tong, "My humble position is Zhao Zhi, the former camp army lord, and I have been ordered to protect the military advisor."

    Pang Tong knew that this person was one of Fu Shiren's confidants. He asked coldly: "How many people are there in total?"

    "About twenty brothers."

    "Huh! I don't need your protection. Let's all leave the house. No one is allowed to stay. Get out of here!" Pang Tong was so angry that he couldn't help but roar at the end.

    Zhao Zhi was silent for a long time and said: "I have a humble military order, please forgive me, military advisor."

    He ignored Pang Tong and walked out of the yard. Pang Tong was so angry that he almost fainted. He managed to calm down and immediately turned around and ordered: "Ready my horse!"

    Pang Tong rode horseback all the way and arrived at the military office in a moment. He got off his horse, walked quickly up the steps, and rushed inside. The guard quickly tried to stop him, "Military advisor, please allow us to report."

    "Get out of my way!"

    Pang Tongtong pushed the guard away and rushed in. He knew very well that Fu Shiren was afraid that he would compete with him for power, so he sent people to monitor him. Liu Bei bullied him, Liu Feng bullied him, and now even Fu Shiren bullied him.  , Pang Tong finally couldn't bear it anymore, and this time he must ask for an explanation.

    He threw away a few soldiers and walked quickly to Fu Shiren's official room, but he faintly heard a woman's laughter coming from the room. He was even more angry. In the face of a powerful enemy, this Fu Shiren actually dared to find a woman?

    ¡®Bang!  ¡¯ With a loud noise, Pang Tong kicked the door open. In the room, General Fu Shiren was holding two naked women drinking. Pang Tong rushed in. The two women screamed in fright, jumped up and hid behind the window curtain.

    Fu Shiren slowly stood up and stared at Pang Tong angrily, "Mr. Pang, what do you mean by breaking into my room without permission?"

    Pang Tong was so angry that his chest heaved violently, and he shouted loudly: "The enemy is in front of you. You don't think about defense. Instead, you drink flower wine here. How do you explain to the emperor's uncle?"

    "Hmph! How to explain it is my business and has nothing to do with you. Pull him out!"

    Several soldiers grabbed Pang Tong, but Pang Tong struggled to break away from them and shouted: "I don't care whether you drink flower wine or not, but why do you send people to monitor me? You are so bold. I must let the emperor see justice!"

    Fu Shiren raised his head and laughed. He picked up a pigeon letter from the table and threw it to Pang Tong, "This is the order just sent by the emperor's uncle. You can read it yourself!"

    Pang Tong picked up the pigeon letter and opened it. He read it hastily and was stunned. ¡®All suspicious people inside will be monitored, no matter what position they hold?  ¡¯

    ¡®Are you talking about yourself?  ¡¯ Pang Tong couldn¡¯t believe the letter he saw.

    Fu Shiren said coldly: "Mr. Pang, I might as well tell you the truth. Your uncle surrendered to Cao Cao, causing the loss of his wife and the young master. The emperor's uncle had long suspected you, so he sent you to Wu City and secretly ordered Mr. Feng to monitor you.  , I saw the letter from the emperor, do you still think you are the deputy military advisor? Pang Shiyuan, you are so naive! "

    Pang Tong stood there without saying a word, feeling extremely sad in his heart. He finally understood why Zhao Yun, who was so loyal to counterattack, was forced to surrender to Liu Jing.

    He finally understood why Liu Bei always ignored his suggestions. He felt that all his thoughts were in despair and said slowly: "In this case, I will leave! General Fu, please let me leave the city."

    Fu Shiren shook his head, "You know too much, I won't allow you to leave the city, come here!"

    He shouted loudly, pointed at Pang Tong and said: "Lock this man up for me."

    The soldiers took action together and dragged Pang Tong down. From a distance, they heard Pang Tong scolding himself: "Pang Shiyuan, you are really blind. You deserve to die!"

    Fu Shiren laughed loudly, "These slanderous scholars are really interesting!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, an army of more than 200 people escorted hundreds of deer carts and finally arrived at Wucheng. Wucheng was the original Wuxian County. The original city wall was dilapidated and short, and even collapsed at one point.

    Liu Bei began to rebuild the city two years ago. He built it tall and strong. He also dug a deep trench in front of the east and west gates and installed a suspension bridge to make Wu City more difficult to attack.

    Precisely because it is not easy to attack the city, outsmarting it has become the first choice of the Jingzhou army. This team returning from delivering food is naturally the Eagle Attack Army led by Liu Zheng. They disguised themselves as a food convoy and returned to Wucheng to fake the opening of the city gate.

    The two soldiers pushed the captured food guard commander forward, put a dagger against his back, and whispered: "Call the city to open the door. If you dare to play tricks, I will stab you to death!"

    The village chief had no choice but to shout loudly: "Which brother is on duty at the top of the city?"

    The soldiers on the city had already seen them and immediately went to report them. They were at the top of the city.Fu Shiren was on patrol. Although Fu Shiren imprisoned Pang Tong, he was also worried that the Bashu army would attack Wucheng, so he patrolled the west city. When he heard that the food convoy was returning, he hurried over.

    Fu Shiren looked down and saw that there were more troops, so he asked, "Is it Commander Zhu?"

    "It's just a humble job. I came back from a humble job to send food!"

    "Have you met the eldest son?" Fu Shiren asked again.

    "I saw it. The eldest son was very dissatisfied. He said that the food was far from enough. He was going to run out of food there. He urged the general to increase his efforts to deliver food."

    Fu Shiren gave a wry smile. It was Liu Feng's decision not to send more food. Now he thinks the food is not enough. What should he do?

    He had no choice but to smile bitterly and ordered the soldiers: "Open the city!"

    Fu Shiren has no doubt that the Jingzhou army cannot come from the east unless they fly over with wings.

    The city gate slowly opened, the suspension bridge was lowered, and the peasants began to push the deer cart into the city. For the soldiers guarding the city, this was an extremely ordinary scene. No one was interested in these peasants, and many soldiers impatiently urged the peasants, "  hurry up!"

    Fu Shiren walked down the corridor and asked, "Captain Zhu, what did Master Feng say specifically?" He was not interested in these civilian men. He was more concerned about Liu Feng's attitude. It can be said that Liu Feng's attitude is related to his future. Fu Shiren is a little bit more concerned about it.  Don't dare to take it lightly.

    At this moment, a soldier on the corridor suddenly noticed something strange about these civilians. Several civilians had armor exposed under their clothes. The soldier was shocked and shouted, "General, they are not civilians!"

    This shout caused the situation at the city gate to change suddenly. I originally waited for everyone to enter the city before taking action, but it was already too late. A burly civilian husband shouted: "Do it!"

    Hundreds of civilians pulled out their weapons from under the deer cart and rushed towards the defenders around them. They were all the most elite soldiers of the Jingzhou Army. Like tigers descending from the mountain, they rushed into the crowd of defenders, and instantly there was a scene of tragedy.  With a cry, dozens of soldiers suddenly lost their heads.

    Liu Zheng, who was entering the city, heard the shouts of killing coming from the city. He knew something had changed and immediately shouted: "Brothers, fight into the city!"

    Nearly two hundred soldiers drew their swords and rushed into the city with shouts. Chaos fell into chaos inside and outside the city gate.

    Fu Shiren also reacted at the same moment. He ran towards the city and shouted: "Close the city gate, close the city gate quickly!"

    A dozen soldiers pushed the winch in an attempt to close the city gate, but the gate was blocked by hundreds of deer carts and could not move. The gate made a harsh creaking sound, but it could not be closed.

    A soldier shouted anxiously to Fu Shiren: "General, the city gate can no longer be closed."

    Fu Shiren held the city head with both hands and stared at the terrifying scene below. He saw with his own eyes that these enemy troops were as ferocious as leopards. Only five or six of them killed nearly thirty of his own soldiers, leaving a hole in his back.  Breaks of cold sweat.

    "General, the city gate can't be closed!"

    The soldiers shouted again, and Fu Shiren woke up from a dream. He hesitated, and then suddenly thought of another more serious problem, that is, the army. It was exactly midnight, and there were only more than 200 defenders at the East City Gate, and the rest of the army was gone.  Resting in the military camp without support, how long can they last?

    He also urgently ordered the soldiers: "Sound the alarm quickly!"

    "Dang! Dang! Dang!" The rapid alarm bell rang, and the sound of the bell spread throughout the city and also reached the military camp in the city.

    But even if the army rushed to the East City Gate at this time, it was already too late. The more than 500 eagle strike troops swept away the 200 defenders at the East City Gate like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. Fu Shiren saw that the situation was over and fled towards the West City Gate.

    He understood in his heart that even if all the two thousand defenders in his city were dispatched, they would not be a match for the five hundred enemy troops. The Witch City was already finished.

    Just a quarter of an hour ago, Fu Shiren was still thinking about how to please Liu Feng and gain his own future, but now, he just wants to escape from Wu City as far as he can.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The chaos at the East City Gate finally attracted the main force of the defenders. One thousand and five hundred people were quickly rushing towards the East City Gate. It was already two o'clock in the morning, and the streets were deserted. Only bursts of rapid footsteps could be heard.  From far to near.

    Groups of soldiers in full armor were running with murderous intent with swords and guns in hand. At this time, the battle at the east city gate had ended. The ground was covered with blood and corpses. The city gate was tightly closed. The corridors to the city on both sides were blocked by large trees and boulders, but the bloody  It was unusually quiet, and there was no one in sight.

    The supporting troops looked at the mess on the ground in surprise. Everyone had an ominous premonition in their hearts. Where did the enemy troops who sneaked in the attack go?

    At this moment, a scream came from the soldiers behind, and dense arrows came like a burst from behind.Fire came like a shower, and a large number of defenders fell under the dense arrows, causing chaos among the reinforcements.

    I saw a large group of Jingzhou troops rushing out from behind the houses on both sides, charging into the reinforcements from behind, dividing the reinforcements into two, and started a bloody battle that would determine the fate of Wu City.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 487 Pressing forward step by step

    Under the powerful impact of the 500-strong Eagle Attack Army, the 1,500 defenders only lasted for a quarter of an hour before the entire line collapsed. They had no way to escape and had no choice but to surrender. As more than 1,000 defenders advanced,  Surrendered, the bridgehead to Bashu that Liu Bei had worked hard to build for more than two years finally fell.

    There are not many ordinary households in Wu City, less than 2,000. Since the sneak attack took place in the middle of the night, although many households were awakened, no one dared to go out. They closed the doors tightly, blocked the windows, and waited for their fate in fear.  arrange.

    As the sky gradually dawned, Wucheng finally became quiet. A middle-aged official in his forties, led by a soldier, hurriedly walked up to Liu Zheng, bowed and saluted: "I am Xie Zhi, the magistrate of Wucheng County.  Wucheng County is willing to serve Jingzhou.¡±

    Liu Zheng nodded and smiled: "Don't worry, Magistrate Xie, we won't harm the people. I just want to discuss the temporary defense issue with you. I need a thousand people to help us defend the city. In fact, I only need 600 people. Yun  The farmer will arrive soon, I hope you can make some arrangements."

    "My lord understands, I will immediately organize the people."

    Although it was difficult to mobilize civilians, Magistrate Xie did not dare to disobey and hurriedly went down to find a way. Liu Zheng then ordered his men: "Disperse the prisoners of war and reorganize them into our army as soon as possible."

    At this time, a soldier rushed over and reported: "Captain, we found Pang Tong, the enemy's deputy military adviser, who was imprisoned in the backyard of the military office."

    This news surprised Liu Zheng. He had no idea that Pang Tong was in Wu City beforehand, but at the same time he was also surprised that the dignified deputy military advisor was actually imprisoned. What happened?  Liu Zheng didn't have time to think, he immediately rushed to the military office.

    Pang Tong was imprisoned in a dilapidated courtyard behind the military office. The soldiers guarding him had run away and were replaced by the Jingzhou Army. At this time, Pang Tong had been released from the small room with iron bars and sat in a living room.  , drinking hot tea silently.

    He did not expect that the Jingzhou Army would fall from the sky, which was beyond his expectation, but he knew one thing very well. The fall of Wucheng not only meant that Liu Bei's Bashu dream was completely shattered, but it would also be a fatal blow to Zigui County.

    Liu Bei had no choice. It would be lucky for him to even withdraw south to Jiaozhou. At this time, the anger in Pang Tong's heart had disappeared, and there was only an indescribable loss and confusion, and even a kind of fatigue after recovering from a serious illness.  , he doesn¡¯t know where to go?

    At this time, Liu Zheng walked in quickly, cupped his hands and said, "Liu Zheng, I have wronged Mr. Pang."

    "Are you the Eagle Monkey?" Pang Tong looked at the thin young man. He couldn't believe that this unattractive man was the famous Eagle Monkey in the Jingzhou Army.

    Liu Zheng grinned, "That's what I am, making Mr. Pang laugh."

    Pang Tong nodded, and felt a sense of sadness in his heart. He also became a prisoner of war. He lowered his head and said nothing. Liu Zheng asked again: "Because I want to report to the state pastor, why is Mr. Pang being imprisoned?"

    "Nothing? I just have a little personal grudge against Fu Shiren." Pang Tong sighed.

    Liu Zheng thought for a while and then said: "I have no right to decide your husband's fate. I want to report to my lord and ask him to stay in the city for a few days. If you need anything, just ask."

    "Is Liu Zhoumu here too?" Pang Tong asked in surprise.

    "He is just outside Zigui County, arriving with tens of thousands of troops."

    Pang Tong was silent. Liu Jing arrived in person, highlighting his strategy of capturing Yizhou. Thinking of Liu Jing's step-by-step plan to capture Bashu, and thinking of Liu Bei's failures everywhere, Pang Tong felt an indescribable bitterness in his heart. He sighed lowly, "  Thank you Captain Liu for your tolerance, I won¡¯t do anything to embarrass you.¡±

    "Sir, please stay here!"

    Liu Zheng then ordered to his left and right: "Send Mr. Pang back to the mansion, and he will be settled well."

    Pang Tong stood up and walked tiredly out of the yard. Liu Zheng looked at his back. He hurried back to his temporary residence. He needed to report the battle situation to his lord immediately.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The confrontation in Zigui County is still continuing. The Jingzhou Army did not attack the county on a large scale. However, they built a huge wooden platform on the north and south sides of the county. The wooden platform was six feet high. From the top, you can overlook the Zigui city. The Jingzhou Army was on the wooden platform.  Six thunderbolt stone cannons were installed on each platform, and twelve stone cannons fired large rocks at the city head day and night, suppressing the defenders in the city.

    For ten days in a row, overwhelming stones hit the city, which put great pressure on the defenders. The soldiers in the city had to hold their shields high even when walking. But for the general Liu Feng, he was worried about the food problem. Six thousand  Food for the soldiers and tens of thousands of residents is about to run out and can only last for another four or five days at most.

    The food that was supposed to be sent from Wucheng never arrived.??He would send people to Wucheng every day to collect food, but the sent people never came back, and no news came. This made Liu Feng increasingly suspicious that Wucheng had fallen, and that it had been captured by the Bashu army.  , or was occupied by the Jingzhou Army, he didn't know.

    The pressure and suspicion of this lack of food made Liu Feng restless day and night. He wanted to get instructions from his father, but his father's army was on the other side of the Yangtze River, and they could not deliver the news. The river in Zigui County was very fast, and Liu Feng sent people to swim across the river more than once.  Letters were sent, but without success.

    At noon, thousands of people in Zigui County gathered in front of the county government office to receive a day's rations. Every household was forced to hand over all their food, and could only receive one hen of rice per person per day, and children even received only half a hen of rice.

    This little rice was only enough to make a pot of porridge. Despite this, the vast majority of people endured it. No one dared to resist in the face of the sharp swords of the army.

    But today, the time for putting out food has passed long ago. Many people have been waiting for nearly an hour, but there is still no movement in the county government office. More and more people are gathering in front of the county government office, and people are a little panicked.

    At this time, an officer walked out of the county government office and shouted loudly: "General Liu has an order. From today on, the grain distribution will be changed to once every two days, and the quantity will remain unchanged!"

    The crowd immediately exploded, and countless people gathered around and asked loudly: "What should we do today?"

    "There is no rice today. Come back tomorrow. Let's go! Let's go!"

    The officer impatiently urged the people to leave. The square was in chaos. No one was willing to leave, and they all asked: "Are you going to give out two grains of rice tomorrow?"

    The officer sneered, "I'm just dreaming! I still have two hectares of rice. It would be nice to have one harami. Let's go!"

    There were shouts and curses in the square, and people were angry. Thousands of people shouted at the same time: "Give us back our food, give us back our rations!"

    Many young people began to throw bricks and stones at the county government office, and the crowd became angry. At this moment, a large group of soldiers suddenly rushed out from both sides and beat the people with wooden sticks to drive them away.

    There was chaos in the square. People were crying and running away. Many young men stood up to fight, but they were unarmed and were knocked to the ground by the soldiers, with their heads bruised and bloody.

    Not far away, the county magistrate¡¯s house was set on fire by torches thrown by angry people. Soon the county government office was also set on fire. Thick smoke billowed and the fire shot straight into the sky. The county town became a mess.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the top of the city, Liu Feng stared blankly at the Jingzhou Army camp two miles away. The thunderbolt chariots overhead were still pounding towards him, making a suffocating 'Bang!  boom!  ¡¯ sound, but the boulder could not attack the middle section where he was standing. Hundreds of soldiers were crowded at the top of this small section of the city.

    Just this morning, Liu Feng finally received the exact news that Wu City had been captured by the Jingzhou Army. How the Jingzhou Army passed by and captured the tall and strong Wu City was beyond Liu Feng's imagination.

    But he is very clear about the desperate situation he is facing now. There will be no more food to support him. In two days, his army will run out of food. There will be no need to fight at that time, and his men will surrender one after another.

    At this time, an officer rushed to report: "General, the unruly people in front of the county government office refused to give up and set fire to the county government office and warehouse. The city is in great chaos."

    Liu Feng was speechless, as he expected. After a long time, he sighed, turned back to Jian Yong, who joined the army and said, "Mr. Jian, I want to negotiate with Liu Jing. What do you think, sir?"

    Jian Yong nodded, "Negotiation is a wise move, and I am willing to accompany you."

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble you, Mr. Lao.¡±

    Liu Feng waved his hand, "Sir, please! Let's discuss a negotiation strategy."

    Although the confrontation between the two armies has lasted for ten days, the Jingzhou army has not relaxed at all. The military camp maintains high alert every day and patiently waits for the moment of victory. In the Chinese army's tent, Liu Jing sat behind the table and was concentrating on reviewing the documents sent by Xiangyang.  military and political documents.

    Under him, Dong Yun, a member of the army in the recording office, was busy sorting out documents. In fact, including Dong Yun, there were five civil servants under Liu Jing. Dong Yun was the chief officer of the army, and the other four were responsible for copying.  For clerical work, one person is in charge of the clerical files, and the division of labor is very clear.

    In the side account, two clerks are responsible for copying copies of documents in advance. When Xiangyang sends documents, they will first copy the copies, classify and number the documents, and compile a catalog of documents.

    Then the original copy was handed over to Liu Jing, and the copy was left with Dong Yun. After Liu Jing made comments on the original copy, another clerk was responsible for transcribing the instructions on the copy, and the final copy was kept for archiving.

    Dong Yun is responsible for handling some important documents and arranging Liu Jing's itinerary. At the same time, Liu Jing can also consult him on some important matters.

    Of course, it is far from enough for Liu Jing to have only five civil servants. Senior officials in Jingzhou have pointed out more than once that Liu Jing?It is time to open the government as soon as possible, establish a secretarial supervisor, and create a complete staff team.

    It¡¯s just that Liu Jing was focused on capturing Bashu and had no time to consider expanding his direct staff.

    At this time, Liu Jing stopped writing and frowned slightly. In the document in front of him, Xu Shu proposed to significantly increase the financial and food subsidies for those who completed their studies in Jingzhou Academy, and to establish the qualification of academic officials.

    Liu Jing turned back and asked Dong Yun: "Do you still remember what the subsidy standards for northern bachelors from Jiangxia Academy were in the past?"

    The so-called bachelor's degree refers to those who passed the Jiangxia Academy entrance examination in the past and could receive a full government subsidy. If they failed to pass the examination, they were called students and their subsidy was reduced by half. There was a very complete set of financial and food subsidy standards. Dong Yun could not remember all of them at the moment. He was slightly  He leaned forward and said, "Please Rong Weichen go check it out."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 488 Desperate

    Dong Yun quickly walked out of the tent and went to the back tent to look for records. After a while, he came back with a document, turned to a specific page, and presented it to Liu Jing. Liu Jing read it over and asked Dong Yun: "Xu Changshi suggested that in  Does Xiu Zhao have any ideas about establishing the position of academician on the basis of bachelor¡¯s degree and increasing financial and food subsidies?¡±

    Dong Yun read this document and said with a smile: "Xu Changshi's real intention is to establish an official candidate system. After bachelors pass the exam, they will be qualified to serve as officials. But if there are no vacancies for a while, they will first  They study knowledge in the academy and wait until there is a real gap before filling it up. During the waiting period, their financial and food subsidies cannot be the same as those for bachelors. "

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with her hands behind her hands and said slowly: "Actually, I don't care about increasing the subsidy. I just think this examination and selection system is not suitable."

    "Is Zhou Mu saying that it is not appropriate to select officials through Jiangxia Academy examination?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "Since it is a candidate qualification, it should be uniformly tested by the Military and Political Administration and handed over to Jiangxia Academy to do this kind of thing. It is a bit overstepping."

    Dong Yun smiled and said: "I have discussed this issue with Xu Changshi. We both believe that it is not the time to implement a unified examination. After all, officials now mainly recommend filial piety and integrity. The recommendation system for filial piety and integrity is suddenly cancelled.  It is easy to encounter opposition and resistance from the northern gentry, which is detrimental to our introduction of talents.

    So Xu Changshi wanted to use a euphemistic method to establish academic officials. In name, it was to increase financial and food subsidies, but in fact it was to select officials for Jingzhou. From now on, ordinary officials in Jingzhou would choose from academic officials, so it gradually became a system.  This agreement can also be accepted by the nobles, and it will be much easier to implement unified examinations in the future.  "

    Liu Jing pondered for a long time, and Xu Shu¡¯s plan could not be said to be wrong. Let the exam be deeply rooted in people¡¯s hearts first, and then formulate the system. This step-by-step approach is indeed a safe way.

    But Xu Shu considered it from the perspective of selecting talents, and he, Liu Jing, did not. He wanted to win over the northern gentry, and wanted to use an opportunity to take an exam for the world's gentry to introduce the children of the great northern families to Jingzhou as officials.

    Xu Shu obviously did not understand his true intention. He did not lack talents, but what he lacked was the support of the northern gentry.

    Liu Jing took the document from the desk and handed it to Dong Yun, saying: "I approve this matter and send it back to let Xu Changshi and the others consider it again. In addition, I told Xu Changshi that I request to hold a public recruitment for scholars from all over the world this autumn.  !¡±

    After a pause, he said to Dong Yun: "Also I need a list of prominent families in the northern counties. Please prepare it."

    Dong Yun nodded, "Wei Chen will prepare as soon as possible and will also convey the Lord's request to Xu Changshi."

    At this time, Liu Jing looked back at the soldiers at the door, "What's the matter?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, there is an envoy arriving in Zigui City!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Jian Yong followed the soldiers to the depths of the military camp in an uneasy mood. Although they blocked the news to prevent Jingzhou from knowing that Zigui City was running out of food, Jian Yong felt that it was just a cover-up. Wu City was captured by the Jingzhou army, and Liu  How could Jing not know the food situation in Zigui City, otherwise she wouldn't be so sleepy and not fight.

    There is also the chaotic situation in the city, which can be seen clearly from the large wooden platform of the Jingzhou Army. So what is the meaning of his sue for peace? Liu Jing cannot make any concessions unless he surrenders. Liu Feng refuses to surrender, so he must let him  He bargained with Liu Jing, and Jian Yong sighed helplessly.

    Not long after, they arrived in front of the Chinese army's tent, and a soldier reported loudly: "Reporting to the Zhou Mu, the envoy from Zigui has arrived!"

    "Come in!"

    Jian Yong was brought into the big tent by the soldiers. Liu Jing was sitting in front of the big tent, and next to him was a scribe wearing a high crown, who was military advisor Sima Yi. Jian Yong knew Liu Jing, but not Sima Yi. Jian Yong knew Liu Jing, but not Sima Yi.  He took two quick steps, bowed and saluted: "Jian Yong meets Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "It turns out to be Mr. Jian, we haven't seen you for a long time."

    Jian Yong smiled bitterly and said, "About five years."

    "But Mr. Jian's style remains the same. It can be seen that he is highly valued by the emperor's uncle. This time, Mr. Jian was entrusted by the emperor's uncle. Why are you here?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Jian Yong was stunned and quickly explained: "Xiaguan came from Zigui City, not from the other side of the river."

    "I see, it seems that I misunderstood. Is that gentleman here to declare a challenge?"

    Jian Yong could hear the teasing tone in Liu Jing's tone. He bit his lip and said, "I'm not here to declare a challenge."

    "Then you're here to surrender!" Liu Jing didn't give him a chance and intercepted his words.

    Jian Yong suddenly realized from Liu Jing's aggressive momentum that Liu Jing fully knew that he was here to seek peace, so he suppressed himself forcefully. He sighed and said nothing. He really didn't know.How to speak.

    At this time, Sima Yi next to him smiled and said: "Maybe Mr. Jian is here to negotiate peace, I am right!"

    Jian Yong nodded, "Who is your Excellency?"

    "I'm Sima Yi."

    "It turns out to be Military Advisor Sima, disrespectful!"

    Jian Yong stopped talking to Liu Jing and said to Sima Yi: "Mr. Sima is right. I am indeed here to negotiate peace. My son hopes to reach a compromise with the Jingzhou Army and the two families will stop fighting."

    Liu Jing said coldly: "How Liu Feng wants to negotiate peace, sir, just tell me!"

    "My young master is willing to hand over Zigui County on the condition that our troops are allowed to withdraw to the other side and we abandon Zigui and Wucheng."

    Liu Jing shook her head, "You can only give up Zigui. Wu City no longer belongs to you. In addition, I will allow no more than ten people to evacuate to the other side. No more than one person will be allowed."

    Jian Yong's face changed drastically. This is equivalent to the surrender of all the troops. How is it possible?  His lips moved, "Then take away half the army."

    "no!"

    Before Jian Yong could finish speaking, Liu Jing flatly refused, "I said, at most ten people can leave, not one more!"

    Jian Yong had no choice but to salute and said: "Then I will go back and discuss it with the young master."

    Liu Jing immediately ordered his men, "Send Mr. Jian out of the camp."

    Jian Yong said goodbye and left. Liu Jing and Sima Yi looked at each other. Sima Yi smiled lightly and said, "Liu Feng will definitely break through tonight!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Feng listened to Jian Yong's report with a livid face. Liu Jing's harsh conditions made him furious. He clenched his fists and roared: "I would rather die in battle than be humiliated!"

    "Master, calm down. Now is not the time to get angry. We need to calm down and think about countermeasures."

    Liu Feng let out a long breath and said bitterly: "What other countermeasures can there be? Do you still want me to turn around and attack Witch City? That will only make me die faster."

    Jian Yong thought for a long time, but he had nothing to do. Apart from breaking out, they could only accept Liu Jing's harsh conditions, which was actually equivalent to surrender. But if they stayed in the city without food, the entire army would collapse in three days. Jian Yong thought left and right.  Thinking about it, I couldn't come up with a suitable plan for a while.

    At this time, Liu Feng sneered and said: "Perhaps I can drive the people as vanguards, so that the possibility of a successful breakout will be greater."

    Jian Yong was shocked and turned pale, waving his hands repeatedly, "No! That will completely destroy the reputation of the emperor's uncle and cause a big disaster."

    Liu Feng just said it temporarily. He also knew that his father valued his reputation very much. He drove the people to fight. Even if he succeeded for a while, his father would never forgive him. He might even kill himself to apologize to the people of Zigui. Liu Feng left with his hands behind his back.  A few steps later, he was thinking about how to explain to his father that if he didn't fight, the six thousand troops would be lost, Wucheng and Zigui would be destroyed, and his father would not spare him either.

    Thinking of this, he stopped and gritted his teeth and said: "Everyone is going to die. If I don't fight, how can I be willing to do it!"

    As night falls, the Jingzhou Army¡¯s stone cannon offensive continues on the high wooden platform. The entire city is filled with choking dust. Near the east city gate, all six thousand troops have been assembled.

    Liu Feng distributed part of the food to the soldiers, and each of them only received two tons of rice. This made all the soldiers worried. Even if they broke out of the siege, how long could this little rice last them.

    "Don't worry, brothers, there is Xinling County ahead. There are no defenders there and there is enough food. As long as we break out of the siege, there is hope."

    Liu Feng was wearing a helmet and armor, holding a bright silver gun in his hand, and a majestic white horse under his crotch. He kept comforting the soldiers.

    Maybe the soldiers were confused by him, but the officers were not stupid. How could there be no defenders in Xinling County? Even if Xinling County was killed, what about Xiling County?  How can they cross the river after killing Xiling County?  There was no hope at all.

    At this time, Liu Feng called aside his confidant General Zhao Wei and whispered to him: "You lead 500 troops to guard Zigui. When I return, you can immediately close the city gate and prevent the Jingzhou army from entering."

    Zhao Wei clasped his fists and responded: "Please rest assured, Sir, there will be no mistakes in your humble position."

    "Open the city gate!"

    Liu Feng gave a low order, and the city gate slowly opened. The soldiers began to line up and rush out of the city. Liu Feng waved his spear and said, "Kill me out!"

    Six thousand soldiers rushed out of the city gate and went straight to the Jingzhou camp. In the night, Liu Feng gradually slowed down. He had no intention of breaking out. He just wanted to fight once and give his father an explanation before he agreed.  Liu Jing's condition was to abandon the army and return to the other side. He would not care about the life and death of these soldiers.

    The soldiers had just rushed out a mile when the earth-shattering sound of war drums suddenly erupted from the opposite side., "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The shouts of killing shook the sky. Thirty thousand Jingzhou troops came from the north and south to kill with great momentum. They collided head-on with Liu Bei's army in an instant, and killed Liu Bei's army in an instant.  , turned around and fled.

    Liu Bei's army's morale had already been low to the freezing point, and the opponent's preparations made them even more frightened. The army collapsed at the first touch. Under the leadership of the officers, the soldiers knelt down and surrendered. The army behind them had no intention of fighting and turned around and fled into the city.  When Liu Feng saw that the other party had an ambush, he was the first to turn his horse around and return to the city.

    Unexpectedly, the city gate was closed tightly, and the soldiers rushed back but could not enter the city. Liu Feng shouted anxiously: "Open the city quickly!"

    A general appeared on the top of the city. It was Zhao Wei, the guard he left behind. He led 500 troops to guard the city. As soon as the army left the city, he immediately closed the city gate. Zhao Wei said coldly at the top of the city: "  My eldest son, I have decided to surrender to the Jingzhou Army. If you want to break out, you can go alone!"

    Liu Feng was so angry that he almost fainted, and he begged again: "General Zhao, I have always treated you well, why do you have to cut off my escape?"

    "Bah!"

    Zhao Wei on the city cursed: "You betrayed the soldiers for your own gain, and you still have the nerve to come back? Go to hell!"

    He secretly prepared his bow and arrow, and shot an arrow at Liu Feng. Liu Feng hurriedly ducked, but he was a step too late and was hit by an arrow in his shoulder. He screamed and fell from his horse.

    At this moment, Liao Hua led three thousand troops to cover up the enemy. Seeing that the situation was over and there was no way to escape, the soldiers knelt down and surrendered. Zhao Wei also ordered the city gates to be opened and led his troops to surrender.

    Zigui city was broken, and the overwhelming Jingzhou army entered the city. At this time, Liu Jing galloped over on horseback, escorted by hundreds of cavalry. He suddenly saw the captured Jian Yong, reined in his horse, and slowly came to Jian Yong.  In front of Yong, Jian Yong's hands were tied, his head was downcast, and he did not dare to raise his head to look at Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "Mr. Jian, don't be afraid. We are old acquaintances. I won't embarrass you. Could you please cross the river and deliver a letter to Liu Bei for me?"

    Jian Yong can¡¯t believe his ears, just let him go like this?  Liu Jing smiled slightly, "If the gentleman were Zhuge Liang, maybe I wouldn't let him go."

    Jian Yong's face turned red with shame. Liu Jing was implying that he was worthless and not worth using. He sighed longly, "Jian Yong is indeed an incompetent person. He has been fighting in the north and south for twenty years, but he can't replace the master."  Just share the worries, Jian Yong is willing to send a letter to the state pastor."

    Liu Jing glanced at him and then ordered: "Let him go and give him a boat to send him across the river!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 489 The dream of Bashu is broken

    Just as the drums were beating loudly on the north bank, Liu Bei on the south bank also heard the sound. He quickly walked up to the observation deck and looked towards the north bank. However, in the thick river fog, he could only see dots of fire, and in his ears he could hear the sound of shouts of killing.  A piece, but nothing is known about the specific situation.

    What¡¯s going on? Is Feng¡¯er trying to break out?  But where could they go if they broke through? Various unknown speculations made Liu Bei extremely worried.

    The situation on the other side was unknown, so Liu Bei returned to the tent worriedly. He couldn't fall asleep no matter what. He sat at the table, held his face in his hands tiredly, and remained motionless for a long time.

    The series of blows made him feel extremely tired. This was something he had never felt in more than 20 years of fighting. The deep frustration made him unable to fight for world hegemony. At this moment, Liu Bei just wanted to be a rich man.  , spend the rest of your life peacefully.

    At this time, a soldier rushed over. He rushed to the tent door and suddenly stopped. The soldier looked at his lord uneasily, wondering if he should report it. Liu Bei slowly raised his head and said, "What's the matter?"  ?" he asked hoarsely.

    "Reporting to the Emperor's uncle, Jian Junjun is here!"

    "Who?" Liu Bei couldn't believe his ears.

    "Jian joins the army!"

    Liu Bei stood up, his fatigue suddenly gone, and he said urgently: "Bring him in quickly!"

    It turned out to be Jian Yong. Liu Bei was walking back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his back. He was so anxious. What was the situation on the other side? Zigui couldn't be saved. What about Wucheng?  Until the last moment, he was still unwilling to give up.

    After a while, Jian Yong was led into the tent. As soon as he entered the tent, he knelt down and cried loudly: "Master, we are finished, totally finished!"

    "do not Cry!"

    Liu Bei stamped his feet anxiously, "Tell me quickly, what happened?"

    Jian Yong wiped away his tears and said: "The Jingzhou Army bypassed Zigui from the mountain road and successfully attacked Wucheng. Our food supply was cut off. Young Master Feng had no choice but to break out. He was ambushed by the Jingzhou Army. The Young Master was injured and captured."

    Before Jian Yong could finish speaking, Liu Bei felt that the world was spinning, his legs went weak, and he sat on the ground. Just as Zhang Fei entered the tent, he quickly rushed forward and held Liu Bei up, "Brother, what's going on?"

    Liu Bei felt sad in his heart and burst into tears. Wucheng was lost, Zigui was lost, and all six thousand troops were wiped out. This meant that his Bashu dream was completely shattered. Zhang Fei looked at Jian Yong and asked again:  "Xianhe, what happened? Why are you here?"

    Jian Yong sighed and said what he just said again. He took out a letter and presented it to Liu Bei with both hands, "Actually, Wei Chen was also captured, but Liu Jing asked me to deliver the letter and let me come back. My lord, this is Liu Jing  ¡¯s personal letter.¡±

    Liu Bei helped Zhang Fei stand up. He took the letter and returned to his seat. He saw on the cover of the letter: 'Jingzhou Mu Jing to His Highness Jiaozhou Mu Jing Liu Huanghuang!  ¡¯

    This made Liu Bei's heart move. Liu Jing actually called himself Jiaozhou Mu. He opened the letter and read it hastily. He didn't know whether he was happy or sad. All kinds of feelings came to his heart. Zhang Fei stepped forward and asked in a low voice: "Brother, what is in the letter?"  say what?"

    Liu Bei sighed and said, "Liu Jing said, as long as I give up the Jingnan counties and don't take away the people of Jingnan, he can return your second brother and his son to us and send us out of the country as gifts. In addition, he wants to be ordered to wear clothes and belts."  "Exchange Feng'er."

    The Clothes Edict that Liu Bei is talking about here is the original blood edict of Han Emperor Liu Xie. Dong Cheng recorded five copies, but because it was not safe in Xu, the originals were placed with Liu Bei. Cao Cao wanted to kill Liu Bei in Runan.  , to a certain extent, it was also to regain the Bloody Book of the Clothes and Belt Edict.

    Zhang Fei frowned, "Where can we go after we leave Jingnan?"

    Liu Bei pointed to the envelope, "He asked us to go to Jiaozhou!"

    Liu Bei sighed and said: "He also asked Liu Qi to publicly announce that Jingnan will be merged with Jingzhou."

    Jian Yong also stood up and said uneasily: "With his strength now, it is easy to capture Jingnan, why would he use Yun Chang in exchange?"

    Liu Bei shook his head and said, "Xianhe, you don't understand. The reason why he has not attacked Jingnan is because Liu Qi is in my hands. Liu Qi controls Nanjun and Jingnan by the former lord Liu Biao. Now Liu Qi is still in charge.  Now, he is the nominal lord of Jingnan and the eldest son of the former lord. If he attacks Jingnan, it will be morally untenable. The people of Jingzhou will think that he is going too far, so he wanted Sun Quan to attack in the first place.  Jingnan, and then he took it back from Sun Quan and legitimately took possession of it. This has always been his intention. How could I not understand? "

    "But now?" Zhang Fei was even more worried about Guan Yu's safety, "The second brother and nephew are both in his hands!"

    Liu Bei pondered for a moment, then took out a jade box from the box and handed it to Jian Yong, "This is the blood letter of the Belt Order that he wants. Since he wants to deal with Cao Cao, I will grant it to him. Mr. trouble, go to the north bank again and get it."  Feng'er comes back?¡±

    At this time, Liu Bei thought about it, took out another package from the box, handed it to Jian Yong, and told him: "In the package is a sword named Lengdian, and a thin collar of armor named Silver Silk Armor."  , these are all famous weapons given to me by Yuan Shao, please pass them on to Liu Jing for me to thank him for saving my wife and children. "

    "I obey my orders!" Jian Yong took the jade box and package, bowed and hurried away.

    Liu Bei read Liu Jing's letter again. After all, he was also a hero. Although he suffered heavy losses, he soon faced the reality.

    In fact, when Zhang Song was killed and Liu Zhang turned against him, he no longer had much hope for Bashu. It was only because he was unwilling to abandon the long-established Wu City that he once again wanted to capture Bashu.

    Now that Wucheng has fallen and Zigui has been lost again, his hope has been cut off, and he can only face reality. Liu Jing in the letter hinted that he should go to Jiaozhou, which made Liu Bei have some doubts.

    He has been dealing with Liu Jing for many years and has gradually gotten to know him. Liu Jing has a very far-sighted vision. Some things may seem like a loss at the moment, but they are actually a long-term fishing. His suggestion that he go to Jiaozhou is definitely not a good intention.

    Liu Bei clasped his hands and meditated in the room for a long time. He gradually understood Liu Jing's intention. He asked him to deal with Shi Xie, the prefect of Jiaozhi, to unify Jiaozhou, and then run Jiaozhou for him, and wait until the Chinese development of Jiaozhou in his own hands had some effect.  Later, he took over again and asked me to make his wedding dress. This must be the case.

    Liu Bei couldn't help gritting his teeth, feeling extremely regretful. He had known that he should have revealed this son to Liu Biao as a fake, but instead he allowed him to become a big boss, and finally became his own personal nuisance. He has dominated the world for many years, is he really going to fall into this trap?  In the boy's hands?

    "If brother doesn't want to go to Jiaozhou, let's discuss countermeasures!" Zhang Fei felt the change in Liu Bei's mood and said cautiously.

    Liu Bei waved his hand, "Let's discuss this matter with the military advisor when we go back. Yide, you go pack up the army, we are preparing to withdraw!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the large tent of the Chinese army on the north bank, Liu Jing took over the jade box from Jian Yong. He opened the jade cover and found a piece of white brocade on a velvet cushion. On it was an edict written in blood and covered with a jade seal. The blood stains were old.  It looks very old, this is the famous clothing belt edict.

    When Dong Cheng brought out the Edict on Clothing and Belts from the palace, the original copy was given to Liu Bei. It was obvious that he wanted Liu Bei to take the lead. Unfortunately, Liu Bei was unwilling to take the lead and found an excuse to leave Xudu. In the end, Dong Cheng, Wu Zilan and others  People were killed, which made people lament the cruelty of political struggle.

    Next to him, Sima Yi saw that Liu Jing was actually going to issue a clothing order, and he couldn't help but worry. He knew that Liu Jing wanted to take over the anti-Cao banner from Liu Bei. This would undoubtedly push him to the main battlefield against Cao Cao, although it would happen sooner or later.  day, but is it a little early now.

    Sima Yi was worried, but didn¡¯t say anything. Liu Jing smiled and asked, ¡°Do you have anything to tell me about Yunchang?¡±

    Jian Yong bowed and said: "The emperor wants to go back to discuss with the military advisor. Please worry about the state pastor and wait for news."

    "Haha! I'm not in a hurry. If General Guan is willing to surrender to me, then I won't refuse."

    Liu Jing then ordered: "Leave Liu Feng to Mr. Jian and take him away."

    Jian Yong bowed, took another package and put it on the table, "This is a famous sword and a piece of fine armor collected by my lord. The sword is called 'Lengdian', and the fine armor is called 'Silver Thread'. General swords cannot  "Penetrating, the emperor thanked Zhou Mu for rescuing his wife and children, and specially gave these two things to him."

    Liu Jing laughed. This Liu Bei is really good at winning people's hearts. He smiled slightly and said, "Thank you very much!"

    Jian Yong slowly retreated, and Liu Jing glanced at Sima Yi, "Does the military advisor disapprove of me accepting the clothing and belt edict?"

    Sima Yi smiled bitterly and said: "It is not impossible to accept the clothing and belt edict. The key is whether the state pastor is ready?"

    "so what?"

    Liu Jing sneered and asked, "Will Cao Cao launch a massive attack on me because of this?"

    "That's not possible, but Cao Cao's strategic goal will be aimed at us from now on. What I mean is that if it can be delayed for another three years, Cao Cao will have nothing to do with us. The time is not yet ripe."

    "Perhaps! But the reason why I came to wear the clothes edict is actually to exchange Bashu with Cao Cao."

    Sima Yi was stunned, "Didn't Zhou Mu want to use the clothes and belt edict to oppose Cao Cao?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "The Yidaizhao is the righteousness of people and ministers. If I take over the banner of the Yidaizhao, I have to bear the righteousness of people and ministers. What will happen in the future? Do you want me to hand over the country I have worked so hard to build to Liu Xie?  ?"

    Sima Yi was silent. Although he also felt that Liu Jing's words were a bit harsh, on the other hand, Liu Jing's trust in him moved him. After a long time, he sighed.Said: "But if Liu Bei announces to the world that the clothing edict has been transferred to the Zhou Mu, then how can we explain it?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "I think although Liu Bei has this intention, he will not do this unless he wants to break his promise to the world. You know, the emperor calling him Uncle Liu has a deep meaning."

    Sima Yi sighed, "Although I say this, I still try not to give the belt order to Cao Cao. It will also have an impact on Zhou Mu's reputation. Once the matter spreads, many people will be disappointed. This is a big issue of right and wrong.  Zhou Mu must be careful."

    Liu Jing nodded, "The military advisor was right to remind you, I almost lost my mind."

    Seeing that Liu Jing followed his advice, Sima Yi became happy again and said with a smile: "Actually, it is a wise move to lead but not to issue. Zhou Mu can let Cao Cao know that the clothes and belt edict is in our hands, but not take it out. In this way, Cao Cao will be in a certain situation."  There will be concerns.¡±

    "well said!"

    Liu Jing praised: "Just do what the military advisor said."

    Sima Yi was praised by Liu Jing, and his thinking became sharper. He smiled and said: "In fact, it's okay for Zhou Mu to support the emperor. After Zhou Mu conquers the country, won't it be easy to deal with the emperor? For example, asking him to announce his abdication due to illness, etc., I  I feel that the Yi Dai Zhao should be put to good use. One day in the future, Zhou Mu can use the magic weapon of the Yi Dai Zhao and declare to the world that he is punishing thieves, so that the Northern Expedition will be famous. "

    Liu Jing squinted her eyes and laughed. As expected of Sima Yi, he is indeed very scheming!

    At this time, Liu Jing opened the package again. Inside was a short sword and a pair of thin armor. He took out the sword and saw a cold light, extremely sharp and exquisite workmanship. It was a famous sword.

    He picked up the fine armor again and saw that the fine armor was made of silver wire. It was very fine and tough. It could be seen that it had excellent toughness and was relatively thin and could be worn inside for self-defense.

    Liu Jing handed the dagger and fine armor to Sima Yi and said with a smile: "These two things are good, so I gave them to the military advisor."

    Sima Yi quickly declined, "Wei Chen doesn't need this kind of thing, Zhou Mu should keep it for himself!"

    "There's no need to be polite, military advisor."

    Sima Yi repeatedly refused, and finally had no choice but to accept the fine armor, but he did not want the Lengdian Sword. He did not like collecting swords, and this short sword was useless to him. He knew that Zhou Mu¡¯s newlywed wife loved collecting weapons.  This famous sword is just for her.

    Liu Jing saw that he refused to put down his sword, so she had no choice but to give up.

    At this time, Sima Yi remembered something again and asked: "There is also Pang Tong, does the state pastor want to use him? If he wants to use him, I am willing to persuade him to be loyal to Jingzhou."

    Liu Jing sighed softly and said: "Pang Tong is actually talented, but Liu Bei has no use for him. Zhuge Liang is good at strategy, and Pang Tong is good at tactics. Unfortunately, Liu Bei didn't realize it. So be it! I can hire him as the vice president of Jingzhou Academy.  Master, ask him to assist his uncle Pang Degong in managing the academy. This will give him a step up. When he gets my salary, he will gradually change his mind."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 490 Pang Tong¡¯s Strategy

    Three days later, Pang Tong arrived at Zigui City with his boy and two servants. Liu Jing had ordered his release. This made Pang Tong feel ashamed and lucky. He was ashamed that Liu Jing ignored the previous suspicion and did not detain him as a prisoner of war.  , but let him go and allowed him to return to his hometown. This favor made Pang Tong uneasy.

    Fortunately, he broke away from Liu Bei in a decent way and did not have to go to Jiaozhou with him. Deep in his heart, he did not want to go to the wild places in the south. At this time, Pang Tong was eager to return home and only wanted to return to his hometown as soon as possible.

    It was already noon when they entered Zigui City, and the previous calm had returned to Zigui City. For Zigui, food is the best stabilizer. When the food is obtained, the people will be grateful, and naturally there will be no more trouble.

    However, many shops are open, but none of the dozens of pubs and hotels are open. It will take time for them to recover, but this is not a good thing for the hungry Pang Tong and others. They hope to come to Zigui County for a good meal.  Suddenly, no one was open.

    At the corner of the street, Pang Tong craned his neck to wait for news from his servant. One of his servants was negotiating in the tavern opposite. Not long after, the servant came back angrily and said: "Sir, they said the main reason was that there was no food. All the inventory in the store had been taken away by Liu Bei's army.  It¡¯s too late to prepare now, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be open until ten days.¡±

    Pang Tong was extremely disappointed. He had known that he should have accepted the bag of rice from Liu Zheng before leaving. At that time, he wanted to be noble, but now he was hungry. He was at a loss and didn't know what to do.

    At this moment, a government servant walked up quickly, cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Are you Mr. Pang?"

    "This is Pang Shiyuan."

    Pang Tong was a little strange, how could a government servant know him? He had suffered many setbacks, and his aloof temper had changed a lot in the past. Although the other party was just a government servant, this was his territory, and more importantly, he was hungry and had nothing to do.  At that time, Pang Tong was also very polite and asked with a smile: "Excuse me, what can I do?"

    "My county magistrate has invited me, sir, please come with me."

    Pang Tong hesitated for a moment, then led his entourage and followed the government servants towards the county government office. The back house and warehouse of the county government office had been burned down, but the main body in front was still intact, and many people were spontaneously cleaning up the burned ruins.

    Pang Tong walked into the county government office, and a scribe in his thirties walked towards him. He cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Pang."

    ¡°This is our county magistrate.¡± The officer next to him introduced with a smile.

    Pang Tong had never seen this person before and asked with a smile: "May I ask your surname, the county magistrate?"

    "I'm Sima Yi!"

    Pang Tongyi was stunned. Isn¡¯t Sima Yi military advisor Liu Jing?  How did he become the magistrate of Zigui County? What happened?

    Sima Yi smiled slightly and said: "The magistrate and prime minister of Zigui County are in Nanjun. Before they come here, I will take care of them for a few days to satisfy the county master."

    Only then did Pang Tong realize. He quickly saluted again and said, "It turns out to be Sima Military Advisor. Pang Tong has been disrespectful."

    Sima Yi chuckled and said, "Mr. Pang, let's go have dinner first. Let's have a chat after dinner. I've admired the name Feng Chu for a long time."

    Pang Tong blushed and went into the city to inquire about the taverns. I guess Sima Yi knew about it. Although he was a little embarrassed, he was so hungry that he couldn't care less about his face. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Military Advisor Sima."

    Sima Yi ordered the yamen to take them to the back for dinner. He put his hands behind his hands and looked at Pang Tong¡¯s back. Although it was their first meeting, he could already feel Pang Tong¡¯s aura of desolation. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh meaningfully.

    After lunch, Pang Tong felt much better. He sat in the meeting hall and slowly drank a cup of hot tea. At this time, Sima Yi walked in quickly and said apologetically: "There are too many things to do. I have neglected Mr. Pang."

    "Where! Thank you, Military Advisor Sima, for your hospitality."

    Sima Yi also sat down and said with a smile: "Mr. Pang, don't know where you are going? If you want to go to Gong'an County, we can provide a boat for you to go by boat."

    Pang Tong shook his head, "I have nothing to do with Jingnan anymore. I plan to return to my hometown, to Longzhong, Xiangyang."

    "Oh! So that's it. What plans does Mr. Pang have in the future?" Sima Yi asked tentatively.

    "I wanted to go back to my hometown to farm, but I guess my health is not good, so I plan to recruit a few apprentices and make teaching a career."

    Sima Yi nodded, "With Mr. Pang's great talent, it would be a pity to accept a few apprentices. A few days ago, my uncle hoped that Jingzhou Academy would add a deputy director. Let's see if Mr. Pang is willing to give in?"

    Pang Tong was stunned. It turned out that he wanted him to go to Jingzhou Academy, but Pang Tong thought that Sima Yi wanted to persuade him to surrender, so that he would be suspected of betraying his master. But if he went to Jingzhou Academy, that would be another matter. Jingzhou Academy  It was originally a merger with the Pang family's Lumen Academy.It is only natural that he should go to the academy to assist his uncle.

    Although he was very willing in his heart, he couldn't speak too directly. He pondered for a while and said, "How about you let me discuss it with my uncle and listen to my uncle's opinion?"

    Sima Yi was secretly happy. This was his agreement. He smiled and said, "No problem. I will send someone to take Mr. Pang back to Xiangyang. He won't have to work so hard along the way."

    This time, Pang Tong did not refuse again. He stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Thank you to Sima Military Advisor for the arrangement."

    After thinking about it, Pang Tong asked the boy to take out a letter from the book box. This was originally his plan for Bashu to be given to Liu Bei, but now he didn't want to give it to Liu Bei, so he handed it to Sima Yi and said: "This is my plan for capturing Bashu."  Some ideas, I hope they will be useful to Sima Military Advisor."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After sending Pang Tong away, Sima Yi rushed to the camp outside the city. As soon as he walked to the Chinese army's tent, a soldier laughed and said: "The state pastor said that he would ask the military adviser to enter the tent directly without reporting."

    "You lazy guys, why don't you just shout? What if there is any inconvenience to Zhou Mu?" Sima Yi criticized several soldiers with a smile.

    Several soldiers stuck out their tongues and reported loudly: "Report to Zhou Mu, Sima Military Advisor is here!"

    "Please come in!" Liu Jing's voice came from the big tent.

    Sima Yi nodded a few soldiers with his hand, and then quickly walked into the big tent. Inside the big tent, Liu Jing was eating alone, flipping through a book. When he saw Sima Yi coming in, he smiled and said, "The military counselor hasn't had lunch, right?"  ! Let¡¯s dine together.¡±

    "Thank you very much, Zhou Mu. I have already had lunch at the county government office. Please use it for yourself, Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing nodded, ate the meat naan in his hand, drank another bowl of soup, and ordered his soldiers: "Take care of it!"

    Several soldiers came in, cleared the table, and served them two cups of hot tea. Liu Jing then smiled and asked, "How are you? Have you seen Pang Tong?"

    ¡°When I saw him, I felt he was a little down and out!¡±

    Sima Yi smiled and said: "They have been out of food for a day. When they entered the city, they looked for taverns, but none of them opened."

    Liu Jing couldn't help laughing, "Why are they so embarrassed? Didn't Liu Zheng give them food?"

    "I must have given it to him. I guess he is aloof and unwilling to accept it. In addition, Pang Tong has agreed to be the vice president of Jingzhou Academy, but he expressed it more euphemistically and needs to discuss it with his uncle."

    "It's best this way. Slowly make him loyal to me, and I will still reuse him in the future."

    At this time, Sima Yi took out Pang Tong's letter from his arms, handed it to Liu Jing and said with a smile: "This is the policy he wrote for Shu. He said it was for my reference, but in fact he asked me to forward it to Zhou Mu. From this we can see  Come on, his desire to become an official has not cooled down!"

    Liu Jing was very interested in Pang Tong's strategy to pursue Shu. He took the letter and opened it, read it quickly, and said with a faint smile: "He suggested taking advantage of Liu Zhang's suspicion of Pang Xi and the conflict between the Dongzhou scholars and the Bashu native clan.  The strategy of killing three soldiers with two peaches, provoking them to fight each other, and then profiting from it, is probably Pang Tong's advice to Liu Bei, but it also has merit. "

    Sima Yi whispered: "The so-called two peaches, one peach is Wucheng, one peach is Zigui, and three scholars, one is Pang Xi, the second is Yan Yan, and the third is Liu Zhang. This plan is feasible."

    Liu Jing nodded, "It should be said that one peach is Jianping County, one peach is Shangyong County, one scholar is Liu Zhang, one scholar is Zhang Lu, and one scholar is Liu Bei."

    The two looked at each other and laughed together

    After Liu Bei captured Zigui County, Pang Xi, the governor of Badong County, also became nervous. He realized that Liu Bei was preparing to attack Badong County, and immediately asked Chengdu for help. Liu Zhang was unable to mobilize troops from Chengdu, so he ordered Yan Yan, the governor of Ba County, to lead the army.  Ten thousand troops rushed to Badong County for reinforcements.

    But Pang Xi didn't want Yan Yan to come to his aid. He and Yan Yan had always been at odds with each other. Although they were neighbors across the county, their relationship was on the same level. Although there was a conflict between the Dongzhou scholars and the Bashu clique, the main reason was that  When Zhao Wei rebelled, Pang Xi and Yan Yan fought in a battle. Pang Xi was defeated and Yan Yan killed many of his tribesmen. The two formed a grudge at that time.

    During the confrontation with Liu Bei's army, the two men each led 10,000 troops and were about 20 miles away from Wucheng. However, the two military camps were ten miles apart and had no contact with each other.

    Yan Yan is about sixty years old this year. He has half a hundred hair and is eight feet two tall. He wields a five-inch mountain knife weighing sixty kilograms. He is brave enough to be worthy of ten thousand men. In Bashu, he has a northern spear and a southern knife. The northern spear is Zhang Zhang from Chengdu.  Ren, and Nandao is Yan Yan of Bajun.

    Yan Yan was stern and unsmiling. His Yan family was also the first gentry in Bajun. He himself served as the prefect of Bajun, which made Yan Yan the leader of the gentry in Nanyizhou.

    In the big tent, Yan Yanzheng discussed countermeasures with his staff Peng Yi. Peng Yi was from Guanghan and was originally Zhang Song's secretary.??, was implicated in Zhang Song's case and was shaved as a slave. He had a good relationship with Yan Yan, so he hid in Yan Yan's house and became his staff.

    Just this morning, Yan Yan received a secret letter from Liu Zhang, ordering him to take over Jianping County and seize Pang Xi's military power at the same time. This made Yan Yan feel very embarrassed. If he was in Ba County, he could do it.

    But this is in Badong County, which is Pang Xi¡¯s territory. Pang Xi has been an official in Badong County for a few years and has deep roots. How can he seize Pang Xi¡¯s military power?  Liu Zhang took it for granted.

    Peng Yi was also eight feet tall and had a majestic appearance. However, his head was shaved and he had to wear a soft hat. He whispered: "Liu Zhang has always been suspicious of Pang Xi, but he has not said that he will touch him for so many years, and now he wants to seize him."  This must be the instigation of Zhang Ren and Wu Yi."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 491 Conflict Emerges

    Yan Yan snorted coldly, "You are right, I think so too, but how can I do it? Why not let Zhang Ren and Wu Yi do it, but let me, Yan Yan, be the villain?"

    There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Yan Yan's tone. In fact, he was dissatisfied with Liu Zhang. He was a lord who just followed what he said and had no independent opinions of his own. It was clear that Liu Jing wanted to plot against Bashu, but he naively thought that Liu Jing had no intention of going westward.  He still wants to meet Liu Jing and have a good time with his hands. If he continues to be confused like this, the day will not be far when Bashu will be captured by the Jingzhou army.

    At this time, Peng Yi pondered for a moment and said: "Actually, this is also an opportunity. The prefect took the opportunity to eradicate Pang Xi and merge Badong County and Ba County. The prefect's power has greatly increased. If he seizes Basi County again, the three and Ba will merge into one, and Bashu will become one."  Got half of it.¡±

    Yan Yan shook his head and said calmly: "I don't have such ambitions. I just want to do my job well. Zhou Mu asked me to do two things. One is to take over Jianping County before Pang Xi, and the other is to seize Pang.  Xi Junquan, Yongnian, let¡¯s think about these two things!¡±

    Peng Yi thought for a while and said: "You can't have your cake and eat it too. If you want to seize military power, it's impossible to seize Jianping County. If you want to seize Jianping County, you can't seize military power. The prefect can only choose one of them."

    "What if I choose Jianping County?" Yan Yan asked, "What's the best way?"

    "I think it is more certain to seize military power."

    "Why?" Yan Yan asked puzzledly.

    "It's very simple. If Liu Jing takes Jianping County, he will never hand it over to the prefect. He must hand it over to Pang Xi, so that it will be easier for him to take it back in the future. Once Pang Xi goes to take over Wucheng and  Zigui and other counties, Badong County was empty, so the prefect took the opportunity to occupy Badong and uproot Pang Xi's lair, so that he could give an explanation to the state pastor. "

    "But Zhou Mu only asked me to seize Pang Xi's military power, but he didn't ask me to seize Badong County. What does it mean if I seize Badong County?"

    "Does the governor think we can seize Pang Xi's military power?"

    Yan Yan shook his head, "In Badong territory, this is impossible!"

    "Since this thing can't be done, why did Zhang Ren, Wu Yi and others encourage Liu Zhang to let the prefect seize Pang Xi's military power? It's just that Liu Zhang couldn't react. Could it be that Zhang Ren and Wu Yi couldn't react either?  "

    Yan Yan was stopped by one sentence. He hesitated and asked, "Do they want me and Pang Xi to suffer both losses?"

    Peng Yi nodded slowly, "I think that must be the case. We will definitely not be able to seize Pang Xi's military power, so we should patiently wait for the opportunity and seize Badong County when the troops are empty. At least we can give the state pastor an explanation."

    While the two were discussing, a soldier reported in front of the tent: "Reporting to General Yan, there is a man outside the camp who came to surrender. He said he is Fu Shiren, the guard of Wucheng."

    Yan Yan and Peng Yi looked at each other. Fu Shiren from Wucheng came to surrender. What does this mean?

    Peng Yi immediately reacted, "There must be something changing in Wu City."

    Yan Yan nodded and immediately ordered: "Bring him to see me!"

    Not long after, Fu Shiren was brought in by several soldiers. He had escaped from Wu City. He had known Yan Yan when he was young and came to surrender. He knelt down and sobbed: "Fu Shiren has no way out. Please plead with the old general.  Collected for the sake of past friendship!¡±

    Yan Yan quickly helped him up and asked, "Why is General Fu here? What happened to Wu City?"

    "For the record, Old General, Wucheng has been attacked by Liu Jingying's army and has fallen. Zigui's food supply has been depleted and it cannot last for a few more days. I have no choice but to come and seek refuge with Old General."

    Next to him, Peng Yi asked in surprise: "Is the food supply in Zigui running out?"

    Fu Shiren nodded, "Zigui has no food to begin with, and there are so many troops, so they rely on us to transport food. Now that Wucheng has fallen, Zigui can only support it for three or four days at most."

    Peng Yi rolled his eyes and said to Yan Yan: "If this is the case, Liu Jing will soon hand over Wucheng, Zigui, Xinling, and Xingshan counties to Pang Xi. We suggest that we temporarily withdraw our troops and return to Bajun.  Let Pang Xi accept these four counties without any worries, and then we"

    Yan Yan nodded slowly, "This plan is feasible!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    During the confrontation with Wucheng, Pang Xi's army was stationed in the north of Yufu County. Yufu County is the seat of Badong County and the largest city after entering Bashu. It is the starting point of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. The famous Baidi City is located  Within Yufu County.

    Pang Xi has been operating in Badong County for many years, and his influence has become entangled in Badong County. Liu Zhang tried to transfer Pang Xi from Badong County several times but failed. The fundamental reason was that Pang Xi already had a military force in Badong County.  The army under his control, the 10,000 troops stationed in Badong, was nominally the Bashu Army, but in fact it had become Pang Xi's personal tribe.

    At that time, the people of Dongzhou actively joined the army and participated in the attack on Zhao Wei.After the war, this army composed of Dongzhou people as the main body has been in Pang Xi's hands.

    Pang Xi is about fifty years old. He is tall and thin, with dark skin and bright eyes. He looks very smart and capable.

    Many people call Pang Xi the first elder of Bashu. This sentence is not false. Pang Xi was originally an important minister of Liu Yan. He made great contributions to Liu Zhang's entry into Shu. At the same time, he became an in-law with Liu Zhang. After Liu Yan's death,  Pang Xi and Zhao Wei became Tuogu and important ministers. One of them was the leader of Dongzhou scholars and the other was the leader of Bashu native clan.

    Veteran ministers and young masters will inevitably have fierce struggles during the transfer of power. Liu Zhang used the power of Dongzhou Shi to eradicate Zhao Wei, but it was also in this internal fight that Dongzhou Shi and Bashu natives forged a deep relationship.  Hatred.

    After eradicating Zhao Wei, Liu Zhang turned his attention to Pang Xi, but he was afraid of causing a rebellion among the Dongzhou scholars and held back. At the same time, it was also because he and Pang Xi were married and their relationship was difficult to break up.  Shameless, Pang Xi was finally expelled from the center of power and finally came to an end.

    However, Pang Xi knew very well that Liu Zhang would not let him go and would attack him sooner or later, and the Bashu native clan would not forget their old hatred. As a result, Pang Xi urgently needed to find a new support. At this moment,  When the news came that Liu Jing had defeated Cao Cao in Chibi, Pang Xi was sensitively aware that once Liu Jing unified Jingzhou, his next target would definitely be Bashu.

    For Pang Xi, who is in an increasingly difficult situation, Jingzhou's westward expansion will bring him new hope.

    In the big tent, Pang Xi was pacing back and forth anxiously. He was waiting for news from Deng Zhi. Pang Xi made a big mistake more than ten days ago. When Liu Bei retook Zigui County and opened up the way to increase troops, Pang Xi  Feeling great pressure, it was precisely because he could not withstand the pressure that he asked Liu Zhang for help.

    But the result of asking for help was that Yan Yan led 10,000 troops to Badong County. This undoubtedly gave Pang Xi a loud slap in the face, and he finally understood that his enemy was not only Liu Bei in the front, but also Liu Zhang and the Bashu native faction behind him.  , Yan Yan's army entered Badong, and he undoubtedly led the wolf into the house.

    Pang Xi regretted and was afraid at the same time. He was worried that his army would not be a match for Yan Yan. Pang Xi sent Deng Zhi to Chengdu overnight, hoping that through Dong He's relationship, Liu Zhang could order Yan Yan's army to withdraw from Ba.  East.

    Judging from the time, Deng Zhi should have returned yesterday, but now there is no news at all. Pang Xi was very agitated. He kept beating the sergeant and scolding the maid all day long. At this time, there was a burst of rapid footsteps.  Pang Xi, who was in deep thought, raised his head.

    "Report to the prefect, Mr. Deng is back!" the soldiers reported urgently.

    Pang Xi stood up vigorously, "Let him in quickly!"

    After a while, Deng Zhi walked in, bowed and saluted: "I am humble enough to see you as your envoy!"

    Pang Xi waved his hand to the soldiers and asked them to retreat. He asked Deng Zhi again, "What news did you bring?"

    "There are two pieces of news, I will tell you the first one first."

    "you say!"

    Deng Zhi thought for a while and said: "I heard from Governor Dong that it was not Liu Zhang's intention to let Yan Yan march to Badong County, but Wu Yi's repeated request. Zhang Ren persuaded Liu Zhang to seize the military power of Dongzhou soldiers to prevent Dongzhou soldiers from  Introduce Liu Bei to Shu."

    "Wait!" Pang Xi interrupted Deng Zhi, "You mean Liu Bei?"

    "Exactly! Neither Wu Yi nor Zhang Ren mentioned Liu Jing's threat, but said that the Dongzhou Scholars Association colluded with Liu Bei."

    Pang Xi took two steps with his hands behind his back. He understood a little. Liu Zhang had just sent an envoy to Xiangyang. He was still skeptical about Liu Jing's westward march to Bashu. However, it was obvious that Liu Bei wanted to plot against Bashu, so Wu Yi and Zhang  Ren used Liu Bei to make a fuss and was more able to convince Liu Zhang. Although the excuses were different, the final effect was the same.

    "Then did Dong He persuade Liu Zhang to let Yan Yan withdraw his troops?" This was Pang Xi's most urgent matter.

    "Prefect Dong has already agreed. He said he will do his best."

    "Do your best?"

    Pang Xi was a little dissatisfied with these four words, and asked again: "What is Mr. Xun's attitude?"

    Mr. Xun was Liu Xun, the eldest son of Liu Zhang, and he was also the son-in-law of Pang Xi. Therefore, when Deng Zhi went to Chengdu, he also asked Liu Xun for help.

    "Replying to the envoy, Mr. Xun happened to be on a tour to the north. I didn't find him, but I left him a message."

    This answer made Pang Xi snort coldly.

    Deng Zhi quickly explained: "In fact, as long as Liu Bei is defeated, Liu Zhang will not station heavy troops in Badong County because he takes Liu Jing's face into consideration. Yan Yan's withdrawal is inevitable."

    This sentence was just a kind of comfort. Pang Xi felt helpless and had to ask again: "What is the second news?"

    "The second news is that I went to the office yesterday.to Wu City.  "

    "What?"

    Pang Xi was stunned for a moment. His thoughts were so quick that he finally came to his senses, "Could it be that Wu City has been occupied by the Jingzhou Army?"

    Deng Zhi smiled and said: "The Jingzhou army successfully attacked Wucheng, and Zigui will soon be here."

    Pang Xi was overjoyed. Without the threat from Liu Bei's army, it seemed as if a big stone had been removed from under his feet. Moreover, Yan Yan had no reason to garrison troops in Badong, unless Liu Zhang also believed that Liu Jing also threatened Bashu.

    Pang Xi pondered for a moment and said, "Do you think Liu Jing will take the opportunity to attack Bashu?"

    Deng Zhi shook his head, "Liu Jing's attack on Bashu now is unjust and unjust. Cao Cao's southern expedition was based on the emperor's edict to attack Liu Biao, who was not a minister. Even Sun Quan's western expedition was an excuse to perform his duties as the governor of Nanjun. Liu Jing was a Han minister and there was no emperor.  He will not easily cross the border to conquer another state, unless Liu Zhang himself is guilty of treason, then he can find an excuse."

    Pang Xi sighed, "I finally understand Cao Cao's powerful advantage in using the emperor to control the princes. He can do whatever he wants. If Liu Jing marches into the Central Plains, I'm afraid he can only use the slogan of Qing Jun."

    "That's true. Without a suitable reason, he can't take action easily. If I guessed correctly, what Liu Jing is doing now is to find an excuse to move westward.

    "Then what should I do now?" Pang Xi asked again.

    "I'm thinking from my humble position that if Liu Jing drives Liu Bei's forces out of Jianping, it will inevitably cause many reactions, including Chengdu Liu Zhang's response. But one thing I am sure of is that if Liu Jing really gives up Jianping County, he will definitely let the envoy  The army is stationed, so you must be prepared."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 492 Return to Bashu

    Since Fazheng and Wang Lei returned from their mission to Jingzhou, Liu Zhang further believed that Liu Jing would not easily march into Bashu, at least until he had dealt with Jiangdong's worries, he would not have time to move westward for the time being.

    Although Liu Zhang believed that the Jingzhou Army had no time to advance westward, the government and the public did not agree with him. Recently, discussions about the Jingzhou Army's westward expansion have become increasingly loud, and various news spread throughout Chengdu.

    The strength of the Jingzhou Army lies here. As long as the time is right, the Jingzhou Army will definitely expand westward. On this point, both the Bashu native faction and the Dongzhou scholars have reached a consensus.

    The only debate is when the westward expansion of the Jingzhou Army will begin. So far, the Bashu government and the public have two views. One is that after three years, when Jingzhou recovers its vitality, Liu Jing will unify Jingnan and be able to completely eliminate Cao Cao.  With Sun Quan's pressure, this will take at least three years.

    Another radical view is that one year later, the reason is that Liu Jing cannot wait until Cao Cao regains his strength before expanding westward. As long as the internal situation in Jingzhou is slightly stable, the Jingzhou army will immediately advance westward.

    But for Liu Zhang, whether it was one year or three years would not affect his thoughts. He had only one idea, that is, the Jingzhou Army should never conquer Bashu westward, and let Bashu become the kingdom of him and his descendants forever.

    For this purpose, Liu Zhang did not hesitate to go to please Cao Cao when Cao Cao went south, and also offered to recognize Liu Jing as his younger brother when Jingzhou became stronger again. All the purposes were to preserve his possession of Bashu.

    Liu Zhang is like a man living in a bottle. He only looks at the mouth of the bottle above his head and does not ask whether the bottle is surrounded by powerful enemies. This bottle mouth that brings him a glimmer of hope is Liu Jing.  A plan was proposed, requiring Liu Zhang to support Jingzhou in taking Guanzhong from the north.

    Liu Zhang had a glimmer of luck. Liu Jing's goal was Guanzhong, and his opponent was Cao Cao, and he would not capture Bashu. At the same time, Liu Zhang also got the news that Liu Jing and Ma Chao had secretly formed an alliance, which made him even more excited.  I felt a long sigh of relief.

    In the corridor of the back house of the Prefectural Mufu, Liu Zhang's eldest son Liu Xun was interceding with his father for Pang Xi. Liu Xun was Pang Xi's son-in-law. He went to inspect Zitong County a few days ago and happened to miss Deng Zhi, but he saw Deng Zhi.  Only after receiving Zhi's message did he know that his father-in-law was in a bad situation.

    "Father, the existence of Dongzhoushi allows us to balance the Bashu native faction. Once the power of Dongzhoushi weakens and the Bashu native faction has the upper hand, I am afraid that the Zhao Wei Rebellion will happen again."

    Liu Zhang was standing in front of the parrot stand feeding his beloved parrot. After a while, he asked calmly: "Did Pang Xi ask you to come?"

    "It's not that the father-in-law asked the child to come. The child just heard some rumors, so he was a little worried."

    "What rumors have you heard?" Liu Zhang asked calmly.

    Liu Xun hesitated and said, "I heard that someone was dissatisfied with Zhang Song's case and wanted to use the Jingzhou army to expand westward to attack the Dongzhou soldiers."

    "Has the Jingzhou Army already attacked Bashu?" Liu Zhang turned back and glanced at his son coldly.

    Liu Xun lowered his head. He was very conflicted. On the one hand, he wanted to keep his father-in-law Pang Xi, but on the other hand, he also believed that Jingzhou would expand westward. He wanted to persuade his father to give up his luck and fully mobilize for war.

    "My child is just worried that the Jingzhou Army will do this."

    "Hmph!" Liu Zhang snorted heavily and said with great dissatisfaction: "Why did Liu Jing attack Bashu? Did he receive the emperor's order, or was he appointed as the shepherd of Yizhou? You are still the eldest son, and you don't even understand this.  Everyone is talking about what they say all day long, do you have any brains?"

    Liu Xun was so frightened that he lowered his head and did not dare to speak. He said after a while: "But we should also actively prepare for war and be prepared to deal with the Jingzhou Army's westward advance."

    "fart!"

    Liu Zhang was furious, pointed at his son and cursed: "You idiot, get out of here! Get out of here!"

    Liu Xun was so frightened that he quickly backed away. After taking a few steps, Liu Zhang restrained his anger and shouted: "Come back!"

    Liu Xun came to his father again, his head bowed deeply, not daring to say a word. Liu Zhang said after a while: "Even Cao Cao's hundreds of thousands of troops were defeated by Liu Jing. Even if I recruit more troops, will I be Liu Jing's opponent? If I  Preparing for war vigorously, deploying troops and generals, Liu Jing just happened to say that I would attack Jingzhou, and then sent heavy troops to confront me. What if he made some conspiracy and said that my army would attack Jingzhou, kill his people, and burn his houses?  How can I explain?"

    Only then did Liu Xun understand his father's intentions. His father was not worried about the westward expansion of the Jingzhou Army, but he was betting that Liu Jing could not find an excuse to expand westward, and then he would shrink back and act like a turtle, leaving Liu Jing with no way to start. Although there is some truth to this, this is not true.  Too passive, Liu Xun moved his lips, but still did not dare to refute his father.

    Liu Zhang continued: "Liu Jing and Ma Chao have colluded. He obviously wants to go north to Guanzhong. If he can't find an excuse to march into Bashu, will he keep waiting? Can Cao CaoThere is not much time for him to wait, so he will definitely let Bashu go for the time being and continue heading north. But once he captures Guanzhong, do you think he will still have the chance and energy to attack Bashu?  "

    Liu Xun sighed secretly. His father took it for granted. The truth couldn't be that simple. But he didn't dare to object anymore and had to lower his head and said, "I understand, kid!"

    Seeing that his son had woken up, Liu Zhang turned his anger into joy, patted him on the shoulder and said: "If you are not strong enough, you have to learn to show weakness. There is no problem in lowering your posture. You should learn from my father."

    Liu Zhang's tone slowed down, and after a pause he continued: "I have my own sense of proportion regarding Pang Xi's matter. Although I won't treat him like Zhang Song, he has stayed in Badong County for too long. I will let him  Change your seat."

    "Yes! My child, please leave."

    Just as Liu Xun was about to leave, Liu Zhang suddenly remembered something and ordered him: "I heard that Sima Yi is here again and will arrive in Chengdu soon. You go to greet him for me. Remember, your attitude should be lowered."

    "My child remembers it."

    In the afternoon, Sima Yi arrived in Chengdu again under the escort of a hundred sergeants. He came as Liu Jing's envoy to negotiate with Liu Zhang about the meeting. This was the consensus reached by both parties last time, including that Jingzhou officially transferred Jianping County to Yi.  Dujun returned to Yizhou. Of course, these things cannot be done by hand. They require negotiation between both parties and many details need to be implemented.

    Sima Yi entered Chengdu with a warm welcome from Liu Xun, and Liu Xun had a preliminary conversation with Sima Yi on behalf of his father.

    "My father is very grateful to the Jingzhou Army for expelling Liu Bei, so that we no longer have to worry about the danger of being invaded by Liu Bei's army. Please allow me to express my most sincere thanks to the Jingzhou Army once again."

    Although Liu Xun did not agree with his father's turtle strategy, he did not need his father to worry about diplomatic etiquette and beautiful words. He very skillfully showed the accomplishments that a state pastoral heir should have.

    Sima Yi chuckled, "Mr. Xun, you are too polite. Expelling Liu Bei's army is not only related to the interests of Yizhou, but also the vital interests of Jingzhou. This is the plan we negotiated last time, and it is also my lord's promise to Yizhou."

    The smile on Sima Yi's face gradually disappeared. He pondered for a moment and then said: "I came here this time mainly because there are three things that need to be discussed with Yizhou. This is related to whether Jingzhou's northward strategy can be realized, and it is also related to Yizhou's long-term peace and stability.  I hope Yizhou can cooperate with Jingzhou¡¯s actions.¡±

    Liu Xun nodded, "I'd like to hear the details!"

    In another room, Liu Zhang was listening to his eldest son Liu Xun's report about the three things Sima Yi proposed.

    "Sima Yi said that the Jingzhou army was preparing to formally use troops against Hanzhong in the spring of the following year. He hoped that the Yizhou army could cooperate on the other side. In return, Jingzhou will return Jianping County and Yidu County to Yizhou."

    "Wait a minute!"

    Liu Zhang heard the problem in the words, and he asked urgently: "Does it mean that Jingzhou will return Jianping County and Yidu County to us only after we send troops to Hanzhong?"

    Liu Xun nodded, "My child also asked Sima Yi specifically, and he answered me very clearly. This is Liu Jing's intention. It is impossible for Jingzhou to return Jianping County and Yidu County to Yizhou without any reason. Sima Yi also said that once  If the Jingzhou army captures Hanzhong, Liu Jing will make a written promise that within five years, Jingzhou will never attack Bashu."

    Liu Zhang was a little stunned. It turned out that things were not as simple as he thought. Liu Jing returned the two counties to himself with conditions, and actually asked him to send troops to help capture Hanzhong. Although this was more reasonable and reasonable, Liu Zhang felt a little confused.  , completely different from what he imagined.

    At this time, Liu Xun continued: "There is also the arrangement for the meeting between father and Liu Jing. Jingzhou suggested that it be held in Wucheng."

    Liu Zhang waved his hands and sighed: "I'm very confused now, let me think about it again!"

    Liu Xun retreated, and Liu Zhang paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. He was confused. The reason why he was more confident about the Jingzhou Army was because Wucheng, Zigui and other strong cities would be in his hands. In this way, the Jingzhou Army  It would be difficult to invade Bashu, but it is different now. Jingzhou has put forward the condition of returning Jianping County and Yidu County, that is, to help them capture Hanzhong.

    "Does Liu Jing really have any ulterior motives?" Liu Zhang said to himself.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, Liu Zhang met with Sima Yi again at the government office. His eldest son Liu Xun, as well as Zhang Ren, Wu Yi, Dong He, Huang Quan, Wang Lei and other important ministers were also sitting with him.

    Liu Zhang had not slept well all night, his expression was a little haggard, and his voice was not loud. He forced a smile and asked Sima Yi: "I wonder if the Marquis of Chu has any plans for the first half of next year? I am considering meeting him next spring."

    Sima Yi leaned over and said: "Next year, Jingzhou will mainly restore its vitality.After two years of war, the people are suffering and the soldiers are very tired. Next year we will prepare to recuperate for a year. In addition, in the second half of next year, Jingzhou will prepare to take back Jingnan. If it is just a meeting, I think there will be no problem next spring.  "

    At this time, Wu Yi next to him asked: "What does Sima Military Advisor mean, Jingzhou will prepare to attack Liu Bei next autumn?"

    Sima Yi nodded, "This is inevitable. If Liu Bei's worries are not resolved, we will not be able to go north. Moreover, Jingnan itself is also part of Jingzhou, and we will have to take it back sooner or later."

    "It's incredible that Sima Military Advisor would leak such an important matter as attacking Liu Bei, and also tell us the Jingzhou Northern Expedition plan without reservation!" Zhang Ren said with a sarcastic tone.

    Sima Yi sneered slightly, "The conflict between the two armies is based on strategy, and the conflict between the two countries is based on power. As the saying goes, nature has its own course, not for Yao to survive and not for Jie to perish. Cao Cao wants to destroy Yuan Shao. Everyone knows it, but Yuan Shao has  Can you resist it? The Marquis of Chu wants to regain Jingnan and unify Jingzhou. What can Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang do to stop him?"

    After a pause, Sima Liao glanced at Zhang Ren coldly, and then said: "Today I told Yizhou about Jingzhou's deployment. It was because my lord wanted to treat him with sincerity. If Yizhou feels there is an opportunity to take advantage of it, he wants to inform Zhang Lu."  , Liu Bei, just think that my lord has misjudged the person."

    Liu Zhang quickly explained: "Military advisor, please rest assured that Yizhou will never reveal Jingzhou's strategic plan."

    He said to everyone with a straight face: "I have something to say today. Anyone who dares to leak the secrets Sima Military Advisor told us will be killed by me."

    Everyone was silent. At this time, Liu Zhang smiled at Sima Yi and said, "If I clearly agree to send troops to help Jingzhou capture Hanzhong, can Jingzhou return Jianping County and Yidu County to Bashu first?"

    Sima Yi thought for a while and said: "If that's the case, you can consider handing over Jianping County to Bashu first, but the Bashu garrison must be designated by us."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 493 Zhuge Ping Nan Ce

    After Liu Bei reluctantly accepted the reality that there was no hope of capturing Bashu, he led his army back to Gong'an County. But for Liu Bei, not only was it hopeless to capture Bashu, but he could no longer stay in Jingnan.

    Liu Jing has clearly proposed to him the conditions for exchanging Jingnan for Guan Yu. The problem is not with Guan Yu, but with Liu Jing's attitude.

    Liu Jing has made a clear request to take back Jingnan. Even without Guan Yu, he will use force to take back the six counties of Jingnan, Hengyang, Wuling, Lingling, Guiyang, and the two small counties of Xiangdong and Linhe. This is  If Liu Jing wants to take back Liu Bei's last legacy, what should he do?  Is it true that we can only go to Jiaozhou?

    Liu Bei was worried all the way. At noon that day, he led his army to finally arrive at Gong'an County. At the gate of the city, Zhuge Liang led the officials to greet him. At this time, Zhuge Liang already knew that Guan Yu failed to seize the ship and was captured.

    Although Guan Yu did not follow his plan to seize the ship after making a surprise landing at night, but instead used land battles to test repeatedly, which gave the opponent a chance to prepare and led to his failure and capture, Zhuge Liang did not want to shirk his responsibility.  .

    But what made Zhuge Liang even more dejected was the complete failure of the Bashu plan, which made his plan to seize Bashu and divide the world into a failure.

    ¡°In the final analysis, it was their lack of strength. After they withdrew south of the Yangtze River, they no longer had the opportunity to participate in strategic competition, and they could not get a share of the pie after the Chibi War.

    It was the result of the Battle of Chibi that made Liu Jing quickly become stronger, thereby once again defeating Jiangdong's ambitions. Zhuge Liang was well aware of the crisis at hand, and he also knew that he needed to have a good talk with Liu Bei.

    "The humble minister Zhuge Liang is here to see your lord!" Zhuge Liang stepped forward and bowed deeply to Liu Bei.

    Liu Bei waved his hand tiredly, "Sir, there is no need to be polite. I have many things that I want to discuss with you in detail. Let's go to the city first!"

    "My lord, please get in the car!"

    Liu Bei handed over the army to Zhang Fei. He took a carriage and took Zhuge Liang with him into the city.

    In the carriage, Liu Bei looked quietly at the Public Security City through the window. This new capital city he had just built. Many houses had not yet been completed. Most of the residents in the new capital city were from Jiangling on the other side. They were full of hope for the construction.  My new home.

    Groups of children happily ran past his carriage. Smoke was rising from the chimneys on the roofs of residential houses. A dozen women were gathering next to a well to wash clothes and wash rice. Laughter kept coming. Everything was so lively.  It's a pity that Liu Bei will have to give up.

    Liu Bei let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with nostalgia for this city.

    Returning to his official room, Liu Bei ordered all the guards to retreat. Only he and Zhuge Liang were left in the room. After thinking for a moment, Liu Bei broke the silence in the room.

    "This is Liu Jing's personal letter to me in Zigui. The military advisor should read it first!"

    Liu Bei handed Liu Jing's autographed letter to Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang took the letter and read it silently. He closed the letter and said: "Liang's first request is that the lord removes Liang from the post of military advisor and punishes Liang for being in Jiangling."  He is responsible for the defeat, and Liang is willing to continue to assist the lord as an aide."

    Liu Bei shook his head and sighed: "The defeat of Jiangling has nothing to do with you, sir. It was caused by the timely arrival of Sima Yi's reinforcements and the failure of the second brother to implement the military advisor's strategy of seizing the water village at night. If I must say responsibility, it is my responsibility.  I didn¡¯t give Mr. enough military authority.¡±

    Zhuge Liang was about to speak, but Liu Bei interrupted him with a wave of his hand, and said with some displeasure: "Now is our time of crisis. I hope that the military advisor will work with me to overcome the crisis together, and stop putting pressure on me."

    Zhuge Liang sighed secretly in his heart, so he had no choice but to extend his body and salute, "Liang is willing to dedicate himself to sharing the Lord's worries and solving his difficulties."

    "Okay! Sir, tell me about Liu Jing's letter. How should I respond to it?"

    Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment and said: "Liu Jing's intention to take Bashu is already obvious, but he doesn't want to be too impatient. I estimate that he will rest and recuperate for a while before taking action against Bashu. If I am not wrong, he will definitely use Dong  The conflict between the state officials and the Bashu native faction caused civil strife in Yizhou, which gave him an excuse to march into Bashu, but before entering Bashu, he would definitely take Jingnan first. "

    Liu Bei sat down slumped. Before, he had only guessed that Liu Jing would take Jingnan, but he still had a glimmer of hope.

    But now that it was coming from Zhuge Liang, the meaning was different. Liu Bei seemed to be sentenced to death, his face was gloomy, and he looked extremely depressed. After a while, he asked hoarsely: "Is there no hope at all?"

    Zhuge Liang shook his head, "Liu Jing originally wanted Jiangdong to capture Jingnan, and then he would seize it from Jiangdong. After all, it is Liu Qi's fiefdom, but I guess he would ask the court to clarify the scope of Jingzhou, or make him the governor of Guiyang.  In this way, the name can be correctedYanshun marched into the army.  "

    These words were like a ray of spring breeze in the cold winter, giving Liu Bei a glimmer of life in his withered heart. He hurriedly asked: "Do you think Cao Cao will agree?"

    Zhuge Liang was speechless for a long time. He also felt Liu Bei's despair and expectation. He couldn't bear to hurt Liu Bei by speaking out loud anymore, so he had to deal with it silently. Liu Bei was stunned for a moment and said with a wry smile: "If you have anything to say, military advisor, just say it. I will also  Not that fragile."

    "Actually, Cao Cao has tacitly approved Liu Jing's possession of the six counties in Jingnan by making his lord the pastor of Jiaozhou. It's just that Liu Jing took Liu Qi's influence into account and delayed taking action. However, this does not mean that he does not want Jingnan and uses General Guan.  Coming in exchange for Jingnan is also a gesture of his, and it can be seen that he does not want to use force in Jingnan. "

    "Then how much time do I have?" Liu Bei asked in a deep voice.

    "We need to talk to Liu Jing about this. If we talk well, we should be able to get it in half a year. After all, he also needs time to prepare."

    Liu Bei did not speak. He slowly walked to the map on the wall with his hands behind his back and stared at Jiaozhou for a long time. In his previous impression, Jiaozhou had always been a barbaric land. He never thought that he would go there one day.

    But now he has to go, but even the barbaric land is now occupied by three major forces. Can Liu Bei still squeeze in?

    Zhuge Liang also walked to the map and sighed slightly: "I sometimes admire Liu Jing's long-term vision. He could clearly destroy us, but he didn't do it. Instead, he drove us to Jiaozhou. He wanted to take advantage of the Lord.  By unifying Jiaozhou with strength and running it, he will be able to directly take over Jiaozhou from his lord's hands in a prosperous and no longer barbaric state."

    Liu Bei sneered, "He thinks very well, but can he do it?"

    Zhuge Liang also laughed, "Actually, although Lingnan is located in a corner, with the foundation laid by Zhao Tuo, the king of South Vietnam, and his descendants, my lord can completely rule the roost and establish an empire. It does not necessarily have to go to Bashu. We can build warships."  , train soldiers, and wait for the opportunity. When the Central Plains is weak and exhausted, we can ride the wind and waves, march northward to the Central Plains, and have the opportunity to make further achievements. "

    The ambition in Liu Bei's heart gradually burned again. Maybe he had no chance to return to the Central Plains, but his descendants could inherit his career and realize their ideals.

    Thinking of this, Liu Bei said with confidence: "Among the three major forces in Jiaozhou, we can start with Wu Ju. Wu Ju and I have an old relationship, and Wu Ju supports Mr. Qi. As long as we open a gap from Wu Ju, we can  I can live in Jiaozhou.¡±

    Unknowingly, they no longer talked about Jingnan, but turned the topic to Jiaozhou. Zhuge Liang was not very optimistic about Liu Bei's optimism. No matter how close Liu Bei and Wu Ju were to each other, no matter how much Wu Ju supported Liu Qi, he still  Without harming his own vital interests, he could not give up Cangwu County.

    Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment and said: "My lord is the Jiaozhou Shepherd appointed by the imperial court. Regardless of Wu Ju, Lai Gong or Shi Xie, they all have to admit this. Morally, my lord has the upper hand first, and secondly we still have one."  If the army of 15,000 is stronger than Wu Ju and Lai Gong, but weaker than Shi Xie, we can divide it and attack them one by one."

    Liu Bei cupped his hands and smiled: "I'd like to hear the details!"

    Zhuge Liang pointed at the Yulin County Road on the map with a wooden pole: "Going down from Lingling, the first place to be attacked is Lai Gong's Yulin County. Lai Gong is ambitious and hostile to Wu Ju, so we will be the first to swallow him."  If I want to get rid of him, and I know that this person is brave and foolhardy, I can use a little trick to keep his 6,000-strong army as my own."

    Liu Bei was very interested and said quickly: "Military advisor, please continue!"

    Zhuge Liang pointed at Cangwu County and said with a smile: "Wu Ju has an army of 5,000 people, so our army has exceeded 20,000. At this time, the lord is negotiating with him on the surface to appease him, and our army only needs to rush before Shi Xie can rescue him.  With his troops approaching the city at a lightning speed, I think Wu Ju has no choice but to surrender to his lord."

    Liu Bei nodded slowly, "The military advisor is indeed brilliant, so how should Shi Xie deal with it?"

    Zhuge Liang said calmly: "Shi Xie has 20,000 troops. His family has deep roots in Jiaozhou. It is a little troublesome, but we can destroy him in just one year. The key lies in Shi Xie's sphere of influence, which is his biggest  weakness."

    Zhuge Liang pointed at Nanhai County with a wooden pole, then pointed at Jiaozhi County, and said with a smile: "Didn't your lord notice? Shi Xie's army and base are all in Jiaozhi County in the west, but the most populous and most developed farming area is in Jiaozhi County in the west.  The area around Panyu in Nanhai County to the east was the former capital of Zhao Tuo.

    Jiaozhi and Panyu are only connected through the narrow Gaoliang County and Hepu County. As long as we cut off Gaoliang and Hepu, Panyu will be at our fingertips. Shixie can only retreat to the south of Jiaozhi. Without Panyu's food supply, Shixie  How to feed his 20,000 troops?, As long as Shi Xie persists for one year, he will not be able to hold on.  "

    Liu Bei sighed, "The military advisor came up with a plan to pacify the South without leaving home, which comforts my heart. I decided to send an envoy to Jingzhou tomorrow to have a good talk with Liu Jing and get half a year to prepare. In addition, I hope  He can release his second brother as soon as possible."

    Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment and said: "Let the minister go! I think as long as I give one person to Liu Jing, I can persuade him to return General Guan."

    "Who?" Liu Bei turned around and asked.

    Zhuge Liang sighed slightly, "Wei Chen is talking about Liu Qi."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 494 Zhuge¡¯s envoy

    At this time, Liu Jing did not return to Xiangyang, but was waiting for news from Liu Bei and Sima Yi in Jiangling. Although he had previously promised to hand over Jianping County and Yidu County to Liu Zhang, that was only a verbal promise and not unconditional.

    The difficulty of attacking Zigui County made it impossible for Liu Jing to tie himself up and hand Zigui and Wucheng, which were difficult to attack, into Liu Zhang's hands. Therefore, his conditions were relatively harsh and he needed Liu Zhang to help him capture Hanzhong.

    Of course, once Liu Zhang promised to send troops to Hanzhong, he could also give Bashu a little sweetener and return Jianping County, also known as Wucheng, to Bashu first, but the premise is that only Pang Xi's army can be stationed.

    It is not difficult for the powerful Jingzhou to capture Bashu. What is rare is that he needs to find a sufficient excuse. Historically, Liu Bei got the excuse because Liu Zhang took the initiative to invite his troops to Shu.

    Now it is impossible for Liu Zhang to invite the Jingzhou army to Shu, so finding a suitable excuse is crucial for Liu Jing.

    Although this is an era that advocates strength, the imperial court is still alive, and political morality is equally important. Otherwise, Cao Cao would not have the need to coerce the emperor to order the princes.

    Early in the morning, Liu Jing, escorted by dozens of soldiers, came to a residence in the north of Jiangling City. The residence was closely guarded by the army, and Guan Yu and his son were under house arrest here.

    "How are they doing?" Liu Jing asked an officer in charge of guarding them.

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, they are in good condition and their mood is very stable. General Guan spends most of his time reading."

    Liu Jing nodded, walked into the house, and saw Guan Ping practicing swordsmanship in the yard. Liu Jing stopped and stood aside with his hands behind his hands to watch Guan Ping practice his swordsmanship.

    After looking at it for a moment, Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "The sword is strong enough, but not flexible enough. This is not a long-lasting way!"

    Guan Ping put away his sword and turned around to see Liu Jing. His expression immediately became cold, he snorted coldly, turned around and left.

    Although their relationship was once very good, at this time, Guan Ping could not renew his old relationship with Liu Jing anyway. After all, they were enemies and he was a prisoner of war after all.

    Liu Jing did not call Guan Ping, but watched him walk away quickly. Liu Jing shook her head and walked into the inner courtyard. When she walked into the courtyard, she saw that the door was open and Guan Yu was sitting on the brazier with a book in his hand.  I was engrossed in reading before.

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Are you disturbing General Guan?"

    Guan Yu looked up and saw Liu Jing walking into the yard. He stood up and laughed, "It turns out Liu Zhoumu is here, sorry!"

    Compared to Guan Ping's indifference, Guan Yu understood things better. He knew that Liu Jing treated his father and son so kindly, so he did not regard them as enemies. He invited Liu Jing into the room, waved his hand and said with a smile: "Please sit down, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing was not polite and sat down directly by the brazier. He said to Guan Yu with concern: "If General Guan has any difficulties or needs, just tell the guards and they will try their best to meet the general's requirements."

    Guan Yu said calmly: "As a prisoner of war, I am very satisfied to receive such good treatment. If possible, can you give me some more books?"

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "This is easy. I will go back and ask my men to send some books to General Guan. In addition, if General Guan has any family letters, I can send them to the police for the general."

    As soon as Liu Jing finished speaking, she heard Guan Ping's cold voice coming from the yard, "I don't dare to bother Liu Zhoumu, so I'd better skip the family letters! In case my family doesn't see the real news."

    Guan Yu was furious and shouted: "Nie Zhan, how dare you be so rude, why don't you come over and apologize!"

    Liu Jing waved her hand to stop Guan Yu's anger and said with a smile: "Brother Yiwu has always been a gentle man. I will not be angry with him, and General Guan does not need to criticize him harshly."

    Guan Yu glared at his son fiercely, "Since you don't want to apologize, don't embarrass me here and get out!"

    Guan Ping originally wanted to remind his father not to be fooled by Liu Jing's words and fall into his trap, but unexpectedly he was scolded severely by his father. He retreated with shame on his face.

    Guan Yu sighed and said: "Speaking of which, I am a rebellious son who is also thirty years old, but he is not sensible at all and acts willfully. Compared with Zhou Mu, he is far behind. Sometimes I also find it strange that people are different from each other.  How come there is such a big gap?¡±

    "General Guan is wrong in what he said. General Yiwu is honest in nature and treats people sincerely. He is prejudiced against me just because of his different stance. Furthermore, when we were in Xinye, General Yiwu saved me from a difficult situation. I won't  Forget the kindness of the past, please don¡¯t worry, General Guan.¡±

    Since Liu Jing said this, Guan Yu felt relieved. He pondered for a moment and then asked: "I wonder what Zhou Mu plans to do with our father and son?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "General Guan's words are serious. Please stay here with peace of mind, General Guan. I think it won't take long for Uncle Liu to be here."Will take General Guan and Brother Yiwu back.  "

    Guan Yu¡¯s expression changed and his tone became colder, ¡°Could it be that Zhou Mu wants to exchange our father and son for something with my eldest brother?¡±

    Liu Jing raised his head and laughed. He stopped laughing immediately and said coldly: "General Guan underestimated me, Liu Jing. I can assemble an army of 100,000 and a thousand warships at any time. Could you please tell me about Uncle Liu's more than 10,000?"  How long can the army resist? Do I need to exchange General Guan and Uncle Liu for anything?"

    Guan Yu was silent. He knew that Liu Jing was telling the truth. With Jingzhou's current strength, killing them was just a matter of raising a hand. He didn't know why Liu Jing didn't take action.

    At this time, Liu Jing said again: "The reason why I did not use troops against Jingnan is to no longer let the people in Jingnan suffer from the war. I can tell General Guan frankly that I will go south to Jingnan. Since Uncle Liu is the shepherd of Jiaozhou,  , he can go to Jiaozhou, I will not stop him. As for General Guan, I will not persuade General Guan to surrender. I will fulfill Liu Guan and Zhang¡¯s loyalty. However, since he was captured in the war, he must follow the rules. General Guan can go back.  , but Uncle Liu Huang must pay the price."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After visiting Guan Yu, Liu Jing returned to the county government office. Not long after leaving, a soldier rushed up from behind and said, "Prefecture Mu, please stop!"

    Liu Jing reined in the reins, turned around and asked, "What's the matter?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, there is an envoy from the public security at the pier. It is Liu Bei's military advisor Zhuge Liang."

    The soldier approached Liu Jing again and whispered: "Zhuge Liang also brought someone with him, it seems to be Mr. Qi."

    This news made Liu Jing slightly startled. He knew that Liu Bei would send an envoy. He was in Jiangling largely to wait for Liu Bei's envoy. It was not surprising that Zhuge Liang came, but he did not expect that Liu Qi would come back.

    Liu Jing's thoughts changed very quickly. He immediately realized that Liu Bei had decided to withdraw from Jingnan, so Liu Qi had no meaning to him. Zhuge Liang wanted to exchange Liu Qi for Guan Yu.

    But Zhuge Liang dared to bring Liu Qi directly. Without any agreement, Zhuge Liang was too confident, and Liu Jing couldn't help but sneered.

    At this time, Li Yan happened to be coming from the opposite side. Because Li Yan lost Zigui, he was demoted to the county magistrate of Nanjun by Liu Jing, and Huo Jun was demoted to the rank of Sima of another department. However, Li Yan recaptured Zigui Pier at the critical moment and blocked Liu Bei on the other side of the river.  , made great contributions to the Jingzhou Army's final capture of Zigui and Wucheng, so although Liu Jing demoted him to the rank of county magistrate, he was still prepared to promote him after capturing Yizhou.

    "The humble minister meets Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "It just so happened that Liu Bei's envoy arrived at the dock. Could you please Li Juncheng to greet him on my behalf?"

    Li Yan quickly raised his hands and said, "I am humble enough to share my worries with the state pastor."

    Li Yan got on his horse and ran out of the city with a few followers. When Liu Jing saw him walking away, he ordered his soldiers: "Go back to the county office first and wait for the guests to visit!"

    A group of people urged their horses to rush towards the county government office

    Gong'an County is not far from Jiangling, it only takes more than an hour by water. Although Zhuge Liang's ship docked at a civilian dock, Jiangling is still heavily guarded at this time, and even merchants cannot easily enter the city.

    Zhuge Liang waited patiently on the dock. Not long after, Li Yan came galloping up on horseback with several followers. He galloped forward, turned over and dismounted, and said with a smile, "Mr. Zhuge, please wait."

    Zhuge Liang chuckled, "It turns out to be Governor Li. I'm sorry. I wonder if Zhou Mu is in Jiangling City?"

    "Now that I am no longer the governor, I am temporarily serving as the county magistrate."

    Li Yan explained one sentence and then said: "The state pastor is in the city, and he specially ordered me to come to greet you, sir. Please come with me, sir."

    "Haha! It's too troublesome for the county magistrate."

    Zhuge Liang also rode on a horse and followed Li Yan slowly towards the city. As he walked, Zhuge Liang asked nonchalantly: "I heard that Military Advisor Sima went to Chengdu, have you come back?"

    "I'm not sure about this. Maybe he's in Jianping County. There are a lot of things going on there recently, and they need to be sorted out by capable people."

    "That's true!"

    Not long after, the two arrived at the county government office. There was Liu Jing's temporary official room inside the government office. When two guards at the door saw Li Yan arriving with Zhuge Liang, they quickly reported: "Notice to the governor, Mr. Zhuge has arrived."

    "Please come in!"

    Liu Jing was standing in front of the sand table to inspect the terrain of Bashu. When she turned around and saw Zhuge Liang walking in, she smiled cheerfully and said, "Mr. Zhuge, are you okay here? He seems to be healthier than when he was in Jiangxia."

    Zhuge Liang bowed deeply and said, "Kong Ming thanks Zhou Mu for his concern."

    At this time, Zhuge Liang saw the Bashu sand table, and his eyes lit up. He had also considered making a Bashu sand table, but gave it up because it was too difficult. He knew well how difficult it was to make a Bashu sand table, but he saw it before his eyes.The things also made him understand more about Liu Jing's determination to capture Bashu.

    He slowly walked to the sand table and stared at it silently for a long time. He found that all the passes marked the number of defenders and the names of the generals. The information was extremely detailed, which made him even more frightened. Finally, Zhuge Liang sighed and said: "With this  On the sand table, it is easy for Zhou Mu to capture Bashu."

    Liu Jing smiled: "I know that the emperor also wanted to take Bashu, but unfortunately he didn't have the chance. I wonder if Mr. Zhuge can teach me how to take Bashu?"

    Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment and said: "It is better to capture Bashu sooner rather than later. Cao Cao's troops are exhausted and unable to march into Hanzhong. This is a good opportunity to capture Bashu. It is best to do it next year. If you miss the opportunity next year, once Cao Cao captures Hanzhong, he will not be able to capture Bashu again."  Difficult."

    Liu Jing nodded. The timing mentioned by Zhuge Liang suited him well. He asked again: "But Liu Zhang also has a hundred thousand Shu soldiers and has a geographical advantage. What tactics do you think I should use to be most effective?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 495 Goodbye Liu Qi

    Zhuge Liang couldn't help but smile bitterly and said: "Liu Zhoumu has experienced hundreds of battles and has excellent strategies. He also has Jia Xu and Sima Yi as military advisors. Do you need to consult a mountain villager like Kong Ming for such a small matter?"

    "Sir, you are very polite. I, Liu Jing, know your great talent best. I hope you will give me some advice." After saying that, Liu Jing bowed deeply to him.

    Zhuge Liang had no choice but to pick up the wooden pole, pointed at the sand table and said: "The plan I made for the emperor's uncle was to concentrate our forces to conquer Badi, use the conflicts between Yan Yan and Pang Xi to defeat each other, and seize the three counties of Badong, Bajun and Brazil.  In this way, the emperor's army can reach 50,000 troops. With 50,000 troops, he can go north along the Minjiang River and take Chengdu directly. It will take up to three months to end the Yizhou Campaign. However, the Jingzhou Army is powerful, especially the navy.  If you are sharp, you don¡¯t need to use my strategy, you can just divide your troops into two groups.¡±

    Zhuge Liang pointed the wooden pole at the Yangtze River again, "The army can set off from Jiangling by boat and march westward along the Yangtze River. It will reach Yufu in ten days. Using Yufuxing City as a logistics center, it will go northward by land and seize Chengdu from Guanghan County.  It is still a waterway. From the Yangtze River to the Minjiang River and go north, the hinterland of Bashu is crisscrossed by water networks and shipping is extremely prosperous. It is very suitable for naval operations. This is the advantage of the Jingzhou Army. It must be fully utilized. This two-way attack on Chengdu can take up to two months.  The war between Bashu and Bashu will be over."

    Although Liu Jing asked Zhuge Liang for advice half-jokingly, Zhuge Liang proposed to march to Bashu by water. This was a plan that Liu Jing had not thought of. This suggestion suddenly made him realize that if he marched by water, the food transportation problem that troubled him would be solved.  It can be solved.

    At this time, Zhuge Liang laughed again and said: "Actually, with the strength of Jingzhou, it is not difficult to capture Bashu. What is difficult is to secure Bashu. To secure Bashu, we must solve the problem of Dongzhou scholars. In fact, Zhoumu has the land of Jingzhou.  That would be easy to solve. We can implement the "Return Homeward Movement" and exchange Jingzhou land for Dongzhou Shi's Bashu land, and then waive taxes. This problem will be half solved. In the future, Zhou Mu will take over the Guanzhong Sanfu, and then Dongzhou  The other half of the soldiers fill the three auxiliaries, which can not only solve the problem of population shortage in the three auxiliaries, but also remove the root of instability in Bashu. It can be said to kill two birds with one stone. "

    Zhuge Liang¡¯s plan coincided with Sima Yi¡¯s. Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help laughing, ¡°Thank you very much, Mr. Liu Jing, for your kind words!¡±

    Zhuge Liang smiled slightly again, "Now that we've talked about Bashu, can we talk about Jingnan?"

    "Sir, please sit down!"

    Liu Jing asked Zhuge Liang to sit down and ordered the soldiers to serve tea. At this time, Zhuge Liang took out a letter and handed it to Liu Jing, "This is a personal letter from my lord to the Zhou Mu. Please read it."

    Liu Jing took the letter and opened it and read it. Liu Bei promised in the letter that he would withdraw from Jingnan, and was willing to send Liu Qi as hostage in exchange for Guan Yu and his son. In addition, he hoped to give him another six months to prepare. Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "Uncle Liu Huang  Are you planning to enter Jiaozhou next summer? The summer is very hot and miasma is likely to occur in Jiaozhou. It would be unwise to go south at that time!"

    "We plan to go south next spring and capture Yulin County first. It will take some time to prepare, so the emperor's uncle proposed a six-month deadline. That is only the latest deadline. It may not take half a year."

    Liu Jing nodded, "I hope Uncle Liu will not take away the people of Jingnan when he goes south this time."

    "Don't worry, Zhou Mu. When we immigrated to Wuling, many people died. We have learned a lesson and will never take people south again. It will become a burden for us in the march."

    After finishing speaking, Zhuge Liang looked at Liu Jing expectantly. He hoped that Liu Jing could agree to the conditions they proposed. It was very important for them to exchange Guan Yu and his son. Not only did it take into account Liu Bei's friendship, but more importantly, they were seriously short of generals. Only Zhang Fei and Zhang Fei were left.  Chen arrived at the two men and urgently needed Guan Yu and his son to fight.

    Liu Jing thought for a while and said with a smile: "Logically, I should believe Uncle Huang's promise and accept his sincerity in sending Mr. Qi back first, but I still have a small request, and I hope Uncle Liu can do it for me."

    "Zhou Mu, please speak!"

    Liu Jing said slowly: "It's about my fake identity, which makes me very troubled. I hope Uncle Liu can officially admit to me that it is inconsistent with the facts, and clarify my reputation, especially that of my family. I hope Uncle Liu can  Do this, otherwise, even if I agree to his conditions, my subordinates will not agree. "

    Zhuge Liang immediately nodded in agreement, "There is no problem with this. I ask the emperor to clarify immediately, apologize to Zhou Mu, and ask Zhou Mu to believe in our sincerity."

    "Of course I believe what Mr. Zhuge said. In addition, if the emperor wins Jiaozhou, I will fully support the trade between the two states and fully support the emperor's management of Jiaozhou. I think this will be beneficial to both of us."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing laughed meaningfully. Although Zhuge Liang knew Liu Jing's true intention, he had to express his heartfelt thanks. They really needed Jingzhou's support to occupy and operate Jiaozhou.

    Zhuge Liang did notHow long did he stay in Jingzhou? He returned to Gong'an County overnight. The two parties agreed to release Guan Yu and his son within a month, and before April next year, Liu Bei must take actual actions to send troops to deliver the state in return for Liu Bei's initiative to give up Jingnan.  , Liu Jing gave Liu Bei half a year.

    At night, Liu Jing walked to a small courtyard behind the county government office with her hands behind her hands. The courtyard was surrounded by soldiers. As soon as she walked to the door of the courtyard, she heard Liu Qi's perverted roar: "Where's the wine! Where is my wine? Come on!  Bring me the wine!"

    Liu Jing couldn't help but frown. The roar was very rude, like a drunkard going crazy. Liu Jing walked into the yard and saw several maids standing at the door holding wine bottles. No one dared to go in. He asked strangely:  "How is this going?"

    A maid came forward, bowed, and said with tears: "Report to Zhou Mu, just now we went in to deliver wine, but he was drinking and causing chaos, so we didn't dare to go in."

    Liu Jing turned around and said to the warden: "In the future, you are not allowed to use maids to deliver wine. Let the soldiers deliver wine to him. In addition, you must deliver less wine. You are not allowed to indulge him anymore."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Liu Jing sighed in her heart and walked into the room. The room smelled of wine and the floor was in a mess. Broken wine bottles were everywhere. The small table was overturned and various dishes were scattered on the floor. Liu Qi was seen sitting there.  On the ground in the corner, he was holding a wine bottle and pouring wine into his mouth.

    Liu Jing walked up to Liu Qi. He couldn't believe his eyes. Liu Qi used to look like a bamboo pole, but now he was even more scrawny, like a skeleton. His eyes protruded outward like goldfish, and his eyes and face were extremely swollen.  His face was as pale as a dead person, and his body was filled with the aura of death. This was a typical look of a body that had been drained of alcohol and sex. It could be seen that he was not long gone.

    No wonder Liu Bei wanted to send him back. If he died in Jingnan, it would be difficult for Liu Bei to communicate with others, but he actually showed sincerity. He was worthy of being a scheming uncle!

    At this time, Liu Qi roared hysterically again, "Why haven't I got my wine yet? There is also a woman. Where is my woman?"

    He didn¡¯t see Liu Jing in front of him at all. Seeing that he was unconscious, Liu Jing sighed slightly in his heart, squatted in front of him and asked in a deep voice: "Do you still know me?"

    Liu Qi slowly raised his head and stared directly at Liu Jing, his eyes were empty and there was no sparkle at all.

    "Who are you?" Liu Qi suddenly asked fiercely: "I seem to know you!"

    "I'm Liu Jing, do you remember?"

    "Liu Jing Liu Jing!"

    Liu Qi's eyes suddenly widened, looking even more ferocious and terrifying, "It turns out it was you. You took away my position as state pastor, and you killed my father. You bastard, I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill you!"

    Liu Qi yelled and screamed, but he couldn't stand up, and his voice became weaker and weaker. Finally, he lay on the ground, as if mumbling in his sleep, "I'm going to kill you, kill you."

    Liu Jing shook her head, and even a trace of sympathy for him disappeared. For this end, who else could he blame besides himself for being blind? Liu Jing turned around and walked out of the house, ordering his soldiers: "Send someone to send him away immediately."  Go to Xiangyang and block the news of his arrival."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It¡¯s late December, and the New Year atmosphere in various places in Jingzhou is getting stronger and stronger. Especially since this is the first New Year after the refugees return to their hometown, it is even more special.

    Lanterns are hung everywhere in Xiangyang City. Every household is cleaning their houses and preparing sacrifices. Many children can¡¯t wait to put on new clothes and run and play in the streets in groups.

    Today is also of special significance to Liu Jing¡¯s house. There is an extra wife in the family. Tao Zhan specially told his family to prepare well to celebrate this new year.

    According to custom, Sun Shangxiang should spend the first New Year after getting married at her parents' home, but this custom was obviously unrealistic for her. She could only write a long letter to her mother and asked a painter to draw a portrait of life in her new home.  , sending someone to deliver it to my mother can be regarded as a kind of comfort to relatives.

    Sun Shangxiang has gradually become accustomed to life in her new home. Although Tao Zhan takes good care of her and arranges her life in every possible way, Sun Shangxiang is still not happy. This is no wonder. After all, on the first day when she returned to her new home with her newlywed husband, her husband  Then she led her army to go on an expedition. It took her more than a month to leave, which made her feel very disappointed.

    Sun Shangxiang was sitting in her study, looking at a dagger in boredom. This was a sword that Liu Jing asked his soldiers to bring back. The hilt was engraved with the word "Lengdian". It was said to be a famous sword collected by Yuan Shao.

    Sun Shangxiang is good at appreciating famous swords. This is indeed an excellent sword and can be ranked among the top three famous swords in her collection.

    Although this should be something that made her extremely happy, Sun Shangxiang was not very happy. After a moment of tasting the sword, sheIt was thrown aside.

    Then she casually picked up a bag of small daggers. The sharp daggers were like toys in her hands. They were thrown out and accurately nailed to a wooden board three feet away.

    At this time, she suddenly threw all the daggers out in annoyance. Just as her maid came into the room, she almost stabbed her, scaring her face so much that her face turned pale.

    Sun Shangxiang stood up immediately and asked repeatedly: "Is there any news about the return of the army?"

    The maid shook her head, "There is no news yet!"

    Sun Shangxiang was stunned for a moment, then sat down weakly. She held her chin and sighed, muttering to herself bitterly: "When will this bastard come back?"

    ¡®Tsk!  ' With a sound, the maid next to her couldn't help covering her mouth and burst out laughing. Sun Shangxiang glared at her, "What are you laughing at?"

    "This is the first time I have seen a girl miss someone so much in all the years I have been with her."

    "Nonsense!"

    Sun Shangxiang's face suddenly turned red, "I don't miss him. I'm just bored and want him to take me out for a walk, but I don't miss him."

    She was suddenly shocked to realize that her explanation was redundant and that she was trying to hide it. She felt even more annoyed. She slapped the table and scolded the maid: "If you dare to talk nonsense again, let's see how I teach you a lesson!"

    The maid was so frightened that she stuck out her tongue, lowered her head and smiled to herself.

    At this time, the maid¡¯s report came from outside the door, ¡°Second Madam, the eldest lady is here!¡±

 Volume 2, Jiangxia, Chapter 496: Farewell is like a wedding

    The eldest lady was naturally Tao Zhan. Hearing the sound of earrings, Tao Zhan walked in quickly and said with a smile, "Second sister, are you free?"

    In the past two months, they have gotten along really harmoniously. This is certainly related to the fact that Liu Jing is not in the house, but more importantly, it is related to Sun Shangxiang's character. She is timid by nature and has no interest in the chores in the house.  They didn't care about her, and she was simple-minded and ignorant. Tao Zhan also liked her very much and regarded her as his sister.

    "I also felt that she was married far away in Jingzhou and had no relatives, so I couldn't help but pity her even more. I would chat with her when I had nothing to do. The two of them gradually became familiar with each other and their conversations became unrestrained.

    Sun Shangxiang said lazily: "Eldest sister comes in like this, what's the matter?"

    "The family is too busy today. I can't do it alone. Please help me."

    Tao Zhan said, pulled her up and walked outside, smiling as he walked: "Don't be so listless. Someone will send lanterns to you later. You arrange to hang the lanterns, and I will ask Yang Erniang to help you."

    "Sister, you can just leave this little thing to Yang Erniang. If you do a good job, you will be rewarded. If you do a bad job, your wages will be deducted. She promises that you won't have to worry about it, so I won't have to worry about it."

    Tao Zhan smiled and said: "Actually, I just want to find something for you to do. I just got the news that the general will be back at noon. We have to hang up the lanterns first."

    Sun Shangxiang was pleasantly surprised. Did her husband come back today?  Why didn't that stupid maid find out? She suddenly became energetic and said with a bright smile: "I'll get a stick later. If anyone is lazy about hanging a lantern, I'll give them a good beating and I'll make sure they are kept in good order."

    Tao Zhan gave a helpless smile and said, "My aunt, this is for hanging lanterns, not for training soldiers. If you don't hang them well, just ask them to hang them again. There is no need to hit them with a stick."

    Sun Shangxiang also blinked and smiled: "I was just joking, I won't hit them with a stick, but what? I really want to knock that guy."

    "If you want to knock him out, I fully support you."

    The two of them joked and walked quickly towards the door.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Time is gradually approaching noon. At the gate, several servants are nervously hanging eight large lanterns. Although the lanterns at the gate are very particular, the servants have been hanging them for several years and are already familiar with them.

    But today they got off to a bad start. This was the fourth time they had to re-attend. They thought it was good the first three times, but the second lady was just not satisfied. She asked them to re-attend every time, which had tormented them for almost half an hour.

    Although they complained in their hearts, no one dared to say it out loud. They all knew that the second lady was Princess Jiangdong. She was famously powerful in Jiangdong and could not be messed with. The three servants were sweating profusely from exhaustion and were hanging up the last lantern.  .

    Next to the stone lion next to the gate, Sun Shangxiang was holding a jujube wood whistle stick and beating the stone lion boredly. The corner of her eye kept glancing towards the street, wondering why she hadn't come back yet. She had been waiting for almost an hour, thinking in her heart  Already a little impatient.

    ¡°Madam, we¡¯ve hung it up, can you see if it¡¯s okay?¡± The three servants asked cautiously.

    Sun Shangxiang didn¡¯t even look at the lantern, and was about to say casually, ¡®No, hang it up again!  ¡¯ But at this moment, a group of cavalry appeared in the distance, heading towards the gate. The words were on her lips, so she changed her words, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡±

    The three servants were immediately relieved and ran towards the house in a panic, one by one running faster than the other. At this time, Sun Shangxiang had already seen clearly that the leader was Liu Jing. She bit her lip lightly and raised her eyebrows.  Overflowing with the beauty of spring, she ducked behind the door.

    Liu Jing finally returned to his home. Thinking of being reunited with his family, he was extremely happy. He got off his horse and walked quickly up the steps. The soldiers also dismounted one after another, and the gate suddenly became lively.

    At this time, Liu Jing looked up at the lanterns and smiled: "Today's lanterns seem to be very neat!"

    "Hey!" A scolding voice suddenly came from behind, "Where are you beggars? There is no rice here, go somewhere else!"

    When the words were heard, a whistle stick struck him on the shoulder, just like chasing a beggar. Liu Jing turned around and held the whistle stick. He saw Sun Shangxiang looking at him with a half-smile but not a smile. Liu Jing felt hot in his heart and thought about it.  Not that the soldiers were behind him, he pulled his sentry stick forward, grabbed her white wrist, put his other hand around her waist, hugged her into his arms, and said with a smile: "I don't want rice today.  I just want someone, girl, come to me!"

    Sun Shangxiang didn't expect that he would actually tease her in front of so many people. Her face suddenly turned red and she was so ashamed that she broke away from Liu Jing and ran towards the house in a panic.

    But after running for more than ten steps, she stopped again. From the corner of her eye, she felt that Liu Jing had entered the door, but the soldiers had not come in yet. SheSeizing this opportunity, she turned around and glanced at him coquettishly, her eyes full of hints. As soon as she twisted her waist, she quickly walked towards the back house.

    The hint of her looking back made Liu Jing feel hot in his heart. He turned back to the soldiers and said, "Everyone, please go back to your room and rest! Get ready to eat."

    Everyone happily walked towards the side courtyard, but Liu Jing sped up and chased after Sun Shangxiang.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the room, Sun Shangxiang hugged her husband's neck tightly, their lips and tongues intertwined, and they kissed for who knows how long before they gradually recovered from their passion.

    Liu Jing's heart almost melted. He put his hand into her skirt and caressed her smooth and elastic skin. Sun Shangxiang's whole body was hot and soft, and her eyes were immersed in ecstasy. She gasped and kissed Liu Jing.  He whispered in his ear: "Husband, you must accompany me well tonight!"

    At this moment, there was a sound of footsteps on the stairs outside the door. Sun Shangxiang was so frightened that he pushed Liu Jing away and quickly straightened his messy clothes. Liu Jing felt a little annoyed and asked in a low voice: "Who is it?"

    I only heard the timid voice of a maid, "Master, Madam invites you to have lunch."

    "I understand, go ahead!"

    The maid left, Liu Jing hugged Sun Shangxiang into her arms again, and was about to kiss her red lips. At this time, Sun Shangxiang had already woken up. She stretched out her hand, blocked Liu Jing's wolf kiss, and said with a smile: "What's the matter?  Let¡¯s chat slowly in the evening. Now let¡¯s go to dinner and meet your other two ladies and your son.¡±

    She then shook off Liu Jing¡¯s hand reaching behind her and said coquettishly: ¡°If you dare to bully me again, I will cut you with a knife.¡±

    Liu Jing laughed, "Okay! I'll practice wrestling with you tonight."

    Sun Shangxiang rolled her eyes at him, but her heart was so happy that she was about to explode. She held her long skirt with one hand and Liu Jing's hand with the other and ran downstairs. A string of laughter sounded like silver bells, "Hurry! I have breakfast."  I haven¡¯t eaten either, I¡¯m about to starve to death.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The New Year came as expected, and Liu Jing got up early before dawn. Today was Dan's day, and it was also the day for sacrifices. Although Liu Jing did not attach great importance to family sacrifices, and did not participate in clan sacrifices for two consecutive years in Jiangxia,  At that time, he could use preparation for war as an excuse, but that was no longer the case. As the shepherd of a state and the leader of a clan, he had to pay attention to clan sacrifices.

    The family ancestral temple is located outside the east courtyard. When Liu Biao was the clan leader, Liu Jing also participated in clan sacrifices several times. However, the family had many members and the scale was grand, but today it is very deserted. There are only two clan members, Liu Jing and Liu Hu.  Including their family members, there are only six or seven people.

    The family temple has already been tidied up by stewards, and the sacrifices and incense candles have been prepared. In fact, Liu Jing just came to hold a simple ceremony.

    Before the fifth watch, Liu Jing, his wife Tao Zhan and Sun Shangxiang took a carriage and slowly arrived in front of the temple. It was the first time for Sun Shangxiang to participate in the sacrifice of the Liu family. She seemed a little nervous. She had been afraid of participating in the family sacrifice since she was a child.  Escape if you can, but it seems impossible to escape today.

    She fidgeted in the carriage and looked out the window. She wanted to ask Liu Jing several times, but in the end she bit her lip.

    Tao Zhan felt her nervousness, so he held her hand and laughed softly: "Actually, this is my first time here. In the past, offering sacrifices in Jiangxia was very simple. Just set up a table and bow. It's not so complicated.  ceremony."

    "Then why are you going through so much trouble today?" Sun Shangxiang finally couldn't help asking. She glanced at Liu Jing, "Can't we just be like before?"

    Liu Jing ignored her. Tao Zhan pushed Liu Jing angrily, "This deaf old man, Shang Xiang is talking to you!"

    Liu Jing then turned around and said helplessly: "To be honest, I used to not participate if I could, otherwise I wouldn't have set up a table to deal with it, but it doesn't work now. What goes before takes effect. There are so many eyes watching, and Xu Du's royal family also sent  I am a eunuch, but fortunately there are not many people, so I will try to keep it simple."

    At this time, the carriage arrived at the gate of the temple and stopped in front of the steps. Liu Jing got off the carriage first, and then helped Tao Zhan and Sun Shangxiang down.

    Liu Hu's family had arrived first. Liu Hu's wife Su and Liu Hu's sister Liu Ju came forward to greet Tao Zhan. Liu Ju is Liu Hu's eldest sister. She is about twenty-six or seven years old and is very beautiful.  She was originally the wife of Huo Jun's brother Huo Du. Less than a year after their marriage, Huo Du died of illness, leaving Liu Ju a widow for seven or eight years.

    Although the Han Dynasty did not encourage women to be widowed, Liu Ju never remarried because she did not find the right person. She only wanted to marry a world hero with strong martial arts. Zhao Yun was originally the most suitable one, and Liu Jing also wanted to match them up. However, Zhao Yun  If he doesn't like her, the marriage will not be negotiated, and Liu Ju can only find another husband.

    Liu Ju and Su Shi have already met Sun ShangSoon, the women were talking and laughing among themselves. They entered the family room together, where they changed and waited.

    Liu Hu came forward with a eunuch and introduced Liu Jing: "This is Mi Neishi from Xudu."

    This eunuch Mi was about thirty years old, slightly fat, handsome, and looked very much like a woman. He stepped forward and knelt down to salute Liu Jing, "Old slave Mi should pay homage to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing hurriedly helped him up and said with a smile: "Shi Minei, you have worked hard all the way. How is your situation now?"

    Eunuch Mi stood up and sighed: "The Holy Emperor was oppressed by Cao Cao, and his life was like a year. He hopes that Zhou Mu can lead his army to the north as soon as possible, wipe out the traitors, and restore the great Han Dynasty."

    Liu Jing nodded, "The Cao thieves are so powerful that they cannot be eliminated in one day. Let's take our time and ask Minai to tell the Holy One to take care of the dragon body. One day the clouds will clear and the sun will shine."

    ¡°This old slave must convey Zhou Mu¡¯s words to His Majesty.¡±

    Liu Jing gave Liu Hu a wink. Liu Hu understood and quickly said to Eunuch Mi: "The time is coming soon. Let's go change clothes first and prepare for the sacrifice. If we have anything to say, we can discuss it later."

    "See I'm confused, time must not be wasted, please ask the state pastor!"

    Liu Jing smiled and walked quickly to the dressing room.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2, Jiangxia, Chapter 497, The Internal Attendant in the Capital City

    The clan sacrifice ceremony can be long or short, mainly depending on the scale and level of the sacrifice. For example, the royal family sacrifices in the ancestral temple are grand and will take at least more than two hours. However, the sacrifices for only Liu Jing and Liu Hu must be brief.  It was a formality and it was over in less than a quarter of an hour.

    After the sacrifice, Tao Zhan, Sun Shangxiang, Liu Hu's wife Su Shi and Liu Ju returned to the mansion first, while Liu Jing received Mi Ying, the eunuch envoy from Yedu, in the side room of the ancestral temple. Mi Ying was sent by the royal family this time.  One of the ten eunuch envoys, their public mission is to urge the royal families in various places to prepare New Year's family sacrifices.

    But Mi Ying was also a little bookboy who grew up with Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty. He was Liu Xie's closest and trusted person. His arrival had a deeper meaning, which Liu Jing certainly understood.

    The brazier had been lit in the room, and the charcoal fire was burning brightly, making the room warm as spring. Liu Jing asked Mi Ying to sit down, and Liu Hu sat next to him. In fact, Liu Hu did not want to participate in such a meeting, but Liu Jing definitely  Liu Hu had no choice but to ask him to stay.

    Mi Ying glanced at Liu Hu and asked with a sharp smile: "Is General Hu okay today?"

    The implication was that he wanted Liu Hu to leave, but Liu Jing smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mi Neishi. This is my brother. If you have something to say, it's okay to say it."

    Mi Ying had no choice but to take out a note from her bun and hand it to Liu Jing, "This is a personal letter from the Holy Emperor to Zhou Mu. The Cao thieves are heavily guarded in the palace. It is difficult to bring out ordinary letters, so I can only write a note."  , Please don¡¯t think it¡¯s crude.¡±

    "I can understand this!"

    Liu Jing took the note, opened it and looked at it. It was filled with dense small characters. Liu Jing had read the belt edict and knew that this was indeed a letter written by Liu Xie himself. However, the content was quite sad, begging him to send troops north to eradicate the disease as soon as possible.  Cao Cao, the thief, restored the Han Dynasty, but the last line surprised Liu Jing. Liu Xie actually proposed that he would give up the throne to Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing shook his head and sighed: "Liu Jing is so virtuous and capable that he dares to peek at the treasure tripod of the Han Dynasty. Please tell the eunuch that as a descendant of the Liu family, it is Liu Jing's own responsibility to recover the Han Dynasty. But I, Liu Jing, have no wrong intentions. As long as I  If I can eradicate Cao Cao's traitor, I will definitely restore the monarch's power, let the Holy Emperor rule the world again, and let the world return to the mighty Emperor's grace. I am willing to lead an army of Western Expedition to open up new territories for the Holy Emperor."

    Mi Ying waved his hands hurriedly, "Liu The Holy One said that who will be the emperor is a matter of the future. He just begged the state pastor to make an early expedition to the north to eradicate the Cao thieves and not to let the Han Dynasty and the country be destroyed."

    "I know!"

    Liu Jing calmly said in a deep voice: "Please tell Your Majesty that Liu Jing will do his best and will never let down His Majesty's trust."

    Liu Jing asked Liu Hu to arrange for Mi Ying to rest first. He had something to worry about. He stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands and looked at the snow on the branches. It was already dawn, and a ray of morning sun shone through the branches into the window. The golden sunlight reflected on Liu Jing's eyes.  on his face, making his chiseled face appear particularly strong.

    At this time, Liu Hu walked into the room, bowed and said: "I have already arranged for Minai Shi."

    Liu Jing turned around and said with a smile: "This is the family temple. We only talk about family ties. Don't worry about your position. Let's sit down and talk."

    Liu Hu is Liu Jing's most trusted confidant. He was promoted to captain through hard work. After years of training on the battlefield and in life, Liu Hu is no longer the stupid guy he used to be. He nodded silently and sat down opposite Liu Jing.  Jingxiao asked: "Is there any news about your brother?"

    Liu Hu¡¯s elder brother is Liu Pan. When Changsha was recaptured, Liu Pan refused to surrender to Liu Jing and abandoned his official position and went to Jiangling. He was later appointed as the prefect of Hengyang by Liu Bei. Liu Hu shook his head and said, "We haven't communicated for a year."

    "It won't be long before he will face a new choice. I hope he can return to Jingzhou."

    After a long while, Liu Hu said angrily, "I hope so too."

    The two were silent. Liu Jing glanced at Liu Hu again and asked with a smile: "You seem to have something on your mind?"

    Liu Hu sighed, "I have watched you step by step until today. I know the hardships better than anyone else. Do you really want to hand over power to that puppet in the future?"

    What Liu Hu was talking about was Liu Jing's statement just now, that he would hand over power to Liu Xie in the future, which made him always worried. Liu Jing laughed, "So you are unhappy about this matter."

    "Of course, why should we give the country we paid for with our lives to that useless puppet?" Liu Hu said angrily.

    Liu Jing smiled faintly: "Liu Xie just said in the letter that he was willing to give up the throne to me. If this is not his temptation, then Cao Cao should have added the last sentence."

    Liu Hu was surprised, "You mean, this rice should be fake?"

    "It's true, he is indeed Liu Xie's favorite chamberlain. His relationship with Liu Xie is extraordinary. Can't you tell?"

    Liu Jing said with a sarcastic smile, "He almostCalling Liu Xie's name, this person is even more beautiful than ordinary women if she puts on makeup. She cannot be a fake.  "

    "nausea!"

    Liu Hu sighed loudly, and he wondered again: "Could he be Cao Cao's man? But he pulled the note out of his bun."

    "you are too naive!"

    Liu Jing said coldly: "It will take at least half a month to come from Yedu. Why does he have to keep the letter hidden in his bun? He did it deliberately. If he takes out Liu Xie's letter from his arms, I will  There is no doubt, this is called concealing the truth. One thing you have to remember is that if Liu Xie sends such a confidant to Jingzhou, Cao Cao will never turn a blind eye. "

    "I kind of understand!"

    Liu Hu sighed, "But why doesn't Liu Xie understand such a simple truth?"

    "It's not that Liu Xie doesn't understand Cao Cao, it's that he doesn't understand this eunuch. People who stay in the palace for a long time are often blinded by something."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Liu Biao¡¯s time, a meeting of hundreds of officials was to be held on the following day. Officials from all over Jingzhou gathered in Xiangyang to pay homage to the state pastor in the magnificent main hall of the state government.

    This is actually a New Year's ceremony that imitates the imperial court. It is obviously suspected of arrogance. When Liu Jing came here, this ceremony was officially abolished.

    Liu Jing¡¯s reason is very simple. Every family has to pay homage to their ancestors during the New Year. County and county officials from all over the country are unable to participate in the clan sacrifices because they rush to Xiangyang, which is against human ethics.

    Therefore, Liu Jing canceled the New Year's Official Meeting that Liu Biao had held for nearly ten years. Of course, debriefing was necessary. Between February and March, chief officials from various counties and counties would arrive in Xiangyang one after another to debrief on their work.

    Although the official meeting has been cancelled, it does not mean that Liu Jing can have a day off, rest at home and reunite with her family.

    In fact, he was even busier on this day. He had to visit some important figures, such as Kuai Liang, Cai Xun, Pang Degong and other Jingzhou families with deep roots, as well as Jingzhou officials such as Jia Xu and Xu Shu, and also go to the military camp to reward soldiers.  Go to the homes of fallen soldiers to express condolences to their wives, children, and parents.

    Not only that, if he encounters some special things, it will often take him half a day. Just like this, Liu Jing went back to his house to change clothes, take a short rest, and prepare to go to the military camp to reward the soldiers, but just as he walked into the outer study room,  At that moment, a soldier ran in and reported at the door: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, someone is coming from Hanzhong!"

    This news made Liu Jing forget to rest and immediately ordered: "Bring him to see me!"

    Someone is coming from Hanzhong, so naturally there is news about Meng Da. This is the news that Liu Jing has been waiting for. Meng Da is the most important chess piece deployed in Hanzhong, which is related to the success or failure of his entire Bashu strategy.

    Not long after, the soldiers brought in a young man. This man was Meng Da's younger brother, named Meng You. He was also a very intelligent man. He served as Zhang Song's assistant in Bashu and followed his brother to surrender to Liu Jing.  , was named the chief registrar, and went to Hanzhong with his brother. He entered the house and knelt down to salute, "See the state pastor!"

    Liu Jing waved her hand and said with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, Master Meng. Please sit down and talk!"

    Meng You sat down and a soldier served him tea. He took a sip of hot tea and then smiled and said: "Brother went to Chang'an for Yang Song not long ago. On the way, he encountered Ma Chao's men disguised as bandits and robbed him. As a result, my brother  He led more than a dozen guards to defeat more than a hundred robbers, sold the goods at a high price, and brought back a lot of gold. What's more interesting is that the accountant in the team was installed by Yang Song, and he suggested to his brother to divide it privately.  Gold was severely rejected by his brother, so he reported it to Yang Song, who praised his brother as a loyal person and regarded him as a confidant. "

    Liu Jing nodded and praised: "Your brother really did not disappoint me. I know he is a talent and can accomplish great things wherever he is. In the future, if the Hanzhong strategy is successful, I will definitely use your brothers again."

    Meng You was overjoyed, and he bowed down and said, "I am willing to die for the state pastor!"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "Tell me about Hanzhong."

    Meng You thought for a while and said: "Speaking of which, Zhang Lu managed Hanzhong very well. The people were honest and honest, people did not pick up lost things on the road, and the people were generally relatively wealthy. This was actually mainly due to Yang Song."

    Liu Jing was a little curious. He remembered that Tao Li told him that when the Xiliang horses were transported to Jiangxia, they took the Hanzhong Road. The key was to bribe Yang Song with a thousand gold coins, so Yang Song left a gift for Liu Jing.  The impression of being extremely corrupt and bribery, "How could you benefit from Yang Song?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    "Yang Song values ????money very seriously. On the one hand, he is relatively greedy, but on the other hand, he is very good at trade and has a good way of making money. He does business between Bashu and Guanzhong, selling cheap and selling expensive, and he has accumulated wealth for Hanzhong.  He has a lot of wealth, so Zhang Lu attaches great importance to him and obeys his advice. "

    Liu Jing understood a little bit. If Yang Song was just a stupid person who was greedy for money, Zhang Lu would not listen to him like that. He was greedy for money.Although it is a matter of character, Yang Song must be outstanding, and people who are greedy for money will never allow others to greedy their own money. It was Meng Da's refusal to take bribes that gained Yang Song's trust.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then said: "Now that you have gained Yang Song's trust, don't be too anxious. Take your time, work hard first, and then act as planned after you gain Yang Song's complete trust."

    "But things have changed!"

    Meng You bowed and said anxiously: "Zhang Lu's younger brother Zhang Wei put forward the suggestion of seizing Shangyong, and Zhang Lu was very tempted."

    Liu Jing was surprised by this sudden news. How could Zhang Lu think of seizing Shangyong?  He took two steps with his hands behind his back and immediately ordered his soldiers to say: "Go quickly and invite Military Advisor Jia and Military Advisor Sima. We said we have something important to discuss."

    "There is also Xu Changshi, please come with him." Liu Jing added.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 498 Changes in Hanzhong

    Jia Xu had just finished worshiping his ancestors when he received news from Liu Jing that there was an urgent military situation. He didn't even have time to change clothes, so he hurried to the Prefecture Mufu.

    Although Jia Xu couldn't guess what was going on for the moment, he knew that Liu Jing was busiest today, so he actually wanted to discuss the military situation, which only meant that the situation was very urgent. Jia Xu vaguely guessed that it might be related to Hanzhong or Bashu.

    Jia Xu was led to the outer study room by his own soldiers. A soldier immediately reported: "Jia Xu is here!"

    "Please come in!" Liu Jing's voice came from the room.

    Jia Xu walked into the room and saw that Sima Yi and Xu Shu had already arrived. They were whispering something, "I'm late!" Jia Xu quickly smiled apologetically.

    "The military advisor has arrived just in time, please take a seat!"

    Jia Xu sat down, and Liu Jing said to them: "I invited the three of you here today because something happened in Hanzhong. I just got news from Hanzhong. Zhang Wei strongly suggested that Zhang Lu should choose Shangyong."

    This news made the three of them look at each other, and Xu Shu was especially nervous. Jingzhou had just begun to recuperate, and it was supposed to last for a year, but if war starts again now, it will greatly affect Jingzhou's recuperation.

    He hesitated and said: "Although Zhang Wei is Zhang Lu's younger brother, he is rude and unintelligent. He may have just seen that the mediocre soldiers are few, and then he was interested. Zhang Lu may not agree."

    Jia Xu shook his head: "There is no smoke without fire. No matter how stupid Zhang Wei is, he should know that Shangyong is the territory of Jingzhou. What's more important is that Shangyong has never had anything to do with Hanzhong. If there is no special reason, he will not say such a thing."

    At this time, Liu Jing looked at Sima Yi and saw that he was thoughtful, so she asked, "What do you think, Military Advisor Sima?"

    A tacit understanding has been reached among the top leaders of Jingzhou, and the capture of Bashu has been handed over to Sima Yi. Hanzhong is a key part of Bashu. If there are changes in Hanzhong, it will affect Bashu's plan. Obviously, this news has a great impact on them.  The plan had an impact, so Sima Yi's opinions became particularly important.

    Sima Yi thought for a long time and said: "I don't think this is strange. It should be a normal reaction for Hanzhong to want to be superior."

    "Why?" Liu Jing asked puzzledly.

    "I think someone inside Bashu leaked our plan to capture Hanzhong first and then move north to Guanzhong to Zhang Lu, causing panic within Hanzhong.

    Seizing Shangyong to strike first is of course a strategy, but as Xu Changshi said, this is just a strategy and Zhang Lu may not adopt it.  "

    Liu Jing fell into deep thought. Sima Yi was right. This should be a side effect of telling Bashu about the Northern Expedition plan.

    In fact, it is their purpose to encourage Hanzhong to capture Shangyong. Only when Hanzhong captures Shangyong can they allow Liu Zhang to send troops to Hanzhong and create conditions for them to capture Bashu and Hanzhong in one fell swoop.

    It¡¯s just that Liu Jing didn¡¯t expect that Hanzhong would be so eager. There were calls for troops to be sent out so quickly. Liu Jing paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands.

    This is actually an opportunity. If Hanzhong really decides to capture Shangyong, it will save them from having to find a way for Yang Song to encourage Zhang Lu to capture Shangyong. However, Liu Jing is a little worried about whether Jingzhou has the financial resources to support the army to fight again.  A big battle.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing looked at Xu Shu, and Xu Shu immediately reacted. He smiled bitterly and said: "If you want me to give you money and food, how should you compensate me?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "How about I give you the treasury of Yizhou and Hanzhong?"

    Xu Shu couldn't help but laugh, and said to Jia Xu and Sima Yi: "Two military advisors bear witness for me. Today Liu Zhoumu of Jingzhou promised to give me the treasury of Bashu and Hanzhong. If he cheats then, you will have to host it for me."  justice!"

    Jia Xu also smiled and said: "Don't worry, Xu Changshi, we will never let Liu Zhou Mu break his promise."

    But Sima Yi had no time to joke. He was very nervous. He had already understood Liu Jing's intention, and was most likely preparing to follow the trend and launch a war to annex Bashu a year in advance.

    But there are still many things that are not ready. How should we fight this battle?

    Liu Jing glanced at him and said calmly: "Zhongda, don't worry too much. Many things may not go according to the route we planned. There is no problem with making temporary decisions. Besides, our original intention is to guide Hanzhong to attack."  Yong.¡±

    "What about Jianping County? Should we give it to Yizhou first, or should we wait until the battle of Shangyong begins?" Sima Yi asked again.

    ¡°Let me think about this again!¡±

    Liu Jing said, but glanced at Jia Xu. Jia Xu understood. Liu Jing wanted to ask for his opinion, but he couldn't say it now. It would make Sima Yi uncomfortable. Jia Xu smiled and said nothing.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sima Yi and Xu Shu left one after another, and Jia Xu also, but he went around in a circle and returned to Liu Jing's study.

    "Master, are you looking for me?" Jia Xu asked with a smile.

    Liu Jing nodded, "Military advisor, please take a seat!"

    Jia Xu sat down, and Liu Jing asked Jia Xu: "What do the military advisors think about mobilizing troops in advance?"

    Jia Xu smiled slightly, "The two countries compete with each other because they are well prepared and know themselves and the enemy. But I think the more important thing is the opportunity to fight."

    "Does the military advisor mean that there are fighter planes now?"

    Jia Xu nodded, "Sometimes unexpected things are more convincing. My lord's purpose is to make Liu Zhang believe in our Northern Expedition. So Hanzhong's sudden attack on Shangyong caused the situation to get out of control. At this time, Liu Zhang would never  Even the counselors and generals of Bashu could not imagine that we were using this to plot against Bashu, because they knew very well that it was they who revealed the secret that led Zhang Lu to attack Shangyong, and that led us to rush to the battle, so as to be prepared for the attack but not prepared for the attack.  , this is the fighter I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    Liu Jing sighed in her heart. In comparison, Jia Xu was more experienced, while Sima Yi was still slightly less experienced.

    "The military advisor is right. If this is the case, I can ask Liu Zhang to send troops and give him Jianping County first, and the matter will be complete."

    "That's not right!" Jia Xu shook his head and said with a smile: "Actually, the matter is only 70% complete, and it is far from perfect."

    Liu Jing was a little confused, "What did the military advisor say?"

    "It's very simple. Since the Hanzhong Army is launching a massive attack on Shangyong, of course we have to send troops north. Then how can my lord explain to Liu Zhang why we have stationed so many troops in Nanjun?"

    Liu Jing nodded. This is a big problem. If we want to capture Bashu, we must station heavy troops in Nanjun, but we can't explain this reason to Liu Zhang and Bashu.

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled slyly: "You might as well take advantage of Liu Bei."

    Liu Jing suddenly realized, yes!  They can use the excuse of recovering Jingnan, station troops in Jiangling in large numbers, prepare to attack Jingnan, and even cross the river to attack Liu Bei in Jingnan. Then at this time, when Zhang Luhan's Chinese army uses the Jingzhou army to attack Jingnan, they succeed in the surprise attack on Shangyong, and then everything will be over.  It's logical, Jia Xu is really sophisticated!

    "What's the reason for attacking Liu Bei?" Liu Jing asked again.

    Jia Xu narrowed her eyes, "How about if the news of Liu Qi's death suddenly came?"

    Liu Jing nodded. He understood what Jia Xu meant. At this time, he finally made a decision, "That's it! Prepare for Jiangling and prepare for a large-scale attack on Jingnan."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The next day, an extremely shocking news came from Jiangling. The eldest son Liu Qi died suddenly in Jingnan, most likely due to poisoning. The government and the public in Jingzhou were shocked. Liu Jing, the shepherd of Jingzhou, was furious and sent Jiang Wan as an envoy to Jingzhou.  Nan, asked about the cause of Liu Qi's death, and held mourning all over the city in memory of the eldest son Liu Qi.

    At the same time, Liu Jing ordered the mobilization of 80,000 troops from Xiangyang and Jiangxia, as well as 300,000 shi of grain, countless military supplies, and 2,000 warships to gather in Jiangling, preparing to attack Liu Bei southward and seek justice for his son Liu Qi.

    The fifteenth year of Jian'an has just begun, and war has once again stirred up the land of Jingzhou.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Gong'an County, a carriage sped towards Zhuge Mansion in the south of the city. It was the fifth day of the first lunar month. People in the public security were still immersed in the New Year's celebrations. The streets were empty, with few pedestrians, and most of the shops were closed. Every household was preparing for the New Year.  There was enough food to last them until after fifteen.

    There were only groups of children in bright clothes running and playing in the newly melted snow, and bursts of innocent laughter came from a distance.

    Liu Bei in the carriage was in a state of extreme worry. He had just received the news that Liu Jing had ordered 80,000 troops and 2,000 warships to gather in Jiangling and prepare for a large-scale attack on Jingnan. This news made Liu Bei extremely panicked.  He didn't even have time to change his clothes, so he hurried to Zhuge Liang's mansion in his home woolen clothes.

    While panicking, Liu Bei was also extremely annoyed. They had just reached an agreement a month ago to send Liu Qi away, and Liu Jing also agreed to give them half a year to prepare. But in the blink of an eye, Liu Jing turned her back and said Liu Qi was dead.  We are in Jingnan, and it would be extremely shameless to come here to take revenge.

    Of course Liu Bei also knew that the so-called revenge for Liu Qi was just an excuse. The key was that without Liu Qi as a hostage, they could attack Jingnan openly and put themselves to death. Thinking of Liu Jing's ruthless betrayal, Liu Bei felt desperate.

    The carriage stopped in front of Zhuge Liang's mansion. Liu Bei got off the carriage and hurried towards the gate of the mansion. The porter was so frightened that he rushed into the mansion to report.

    As soon as Liu Bei walked to the middle gate, he met Zhuge Liang and rushed out to greet him. Zhuge Liang was wearing a thick robe, a gourd hat on his head, and a feather fan in his hand. He saw Liu Bei looking flustered and wearing home clothes.He couldn't help but smile and salute: "Master, why are you so anxious!"

    "Military advisor, something big has happened!"

    Liu Bei was so anxious that his voice changed, "I have just received news that Liu Jing used the excuse of Liu Qi's sudden death in Jingnan to avenge Liu Qi and mobilized 80,000 troops to gather in Jiangling to prepare for a large-scale attack on Jingnan."

    "Is there such a thing?"

    Zhuge Liang was also a little strange, "Didn't he reach an agreement with us?"

    "That's the problem. I don't know why Liu Jing turned against him, so I came here to discuss the countermeasures with the military advisor."

    Zhuge Liang nodded, "My lord, don't worry. Liu Jing is a person who does great things. Anyway, Jingnan will be his in half a year at the latest. There is no need for him to ruin his credibility. There must be a reason for it. Please come to my study to talk about it, lord."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 499 A Difference in Thoughts

    In the study, Liu Bei took a sip of hot tea and finally restrained his anxiety. Zhuge Liang's calmness gave him another glimmer of hope.

    Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment and said: "The biggest doubt about this matter is that Liu Jing actually assembled 80,000 troops and 2,000 warships, and mobilized such a large-scale army at the moment when Jingzhou was most in need of recuperation, just to deal with Jingnan. My lord feels  is it possible?"

    Liu Bei was uneasy because of Liu Qi's incident. He knew that Liu Qi's life was not long, so he thought Liu Qi was really dead. In order to shift the responsibility, Liu Jing accused Jing Nan of killing Liu Qi.

    It was precisely because of this concern that Liu Bei fully believed that Liu Jing was going to attack Jingnan. However, Zhuge Liang's reminder immediately made Liu Bei realize that it was indeed the case. He actually used 80,000 troops to attack Jingnan. Isn't this killing a chicken with a butcher?  Bullshit?

    In fact, with the strong combat power of the Jingzhou Army, it only takes 10,000 troops to recapture Jingnan, so why call an 80,000-strong army.

    Thinking of this, Liu Bei asked hesitantly: "Does Liu Jing have other plans?"

    Zhuge Liang nodded and said with a smile: "I think this may be Liu Jing's plan to build the plank road and secretly plan for Chencang. It is obviously to attack Jingnan, but actually it is to capture Bashu. Apart from this, I can't think of anything else. Liu Jing  Is there any reason to gather 80,000 troops in Jiangling?¡±

    "What if he destroys us by the way? Will the false way of destroying Guo happen?" Liu Bei still asked with some worry.

    Zhuge Liang walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and finally said slowly: "It is indeed possible for the Jingzhou Army to cross the river, but Liu Jing will never really trap himself in Jingnan. He will definitely send someone to communicate with us in advance."

    Liu Bei suddenly realized, "It seems that Liu Jing has sent Jiang Wan to question the truth about Liu Qi's death."

    Zhuge Liang laughed and said, "That's it. Liu Jing still does things in a very orderly manner. Master, if you just relax, the matter will not be that serious."

    Zhuge Liang's comfort made Liu Bei's extremely nervous heart finally relax.

    At this moment, a guard of Liu Bei reported outside the gate: "Uncle Qi, we have just received news from the defenders at the city gate, and an envoy from Xiangyang has arrived."

    Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang looked at each other, and they both understood at the same time that this must be Jiang Wan.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Outside the city gate, Jiang Wan and several followers looked at the newly built city with their hands up and down. Jiang Wan is now the official in charge of Jingzhou Zhizhong, in charge of Caigu Boshu, and is already the second most powerful figure in Jingzhou's civil service.

    The first civil servant position in Jingzhou should be Biejia. Now Jingzhou Biejia is held by Zhang Ji. However, Zhang Ji is obsessed with medicine and only has the name Biejia. He has no interest in government affairs and has resigned from the position of Biejia several times not long ago.  The position is currently vacant in Jingzhou Biejia.

    Therefore, Xu Shu, the chief official, became the highest civil official in power, equivalent to the prime minister of Jingzhou, and Jiang Wan became Xu Shu's most effective assistant, in charge of Jingzhou's money and food.

    At this time, the city gate opened, and several carriages sped out like a gust of wind, stopping in front of Jiang Wan. Sun Qian got out of the carriage, raised his hands to Jiang Wan and said with a smile: "Jiang Zhizhong has been waiting for a long time!"

    Jiang Wan also smiled slightly, "It turns out to be Brother Gongyou, I haven't seen you for a long time!"

    Liu Bei had also heard about Jiang Wan's talent for a long time, and wanted to invite Jiang Wan as his vassal. He sent Sun Qian to Lingling to persuade Jiang Wan. Sun Qian tried to persuade Jiang Wan for three days, but Jiang Wan did not agree, so he went to study in Soochow. Finally, Jiang Wan  Liu Jing was chosen.

    At this time, the two wanted to meet again, which was a little embarrassing about the past. At the beginning, Sun Qian had vowed that Liu Bei would be the lord of Jingzhou, but now.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sun Qian could not help but show a trace of shame in his eyes.

    However, the shame in Sun Qian's eyes only flashed by, and he immediately put on a smile, "On behalf of the emperor, I welcome Zhizhong. The emperor is waiting for you. Please follow me, Zhizhong!"

    Jiang Wan cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Then please ask Brother Gongyou to lead the way."

    The two entered the city by carriage, and soon arrived at Liu Bei's military office. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang had been waiting in front of the steps of the military office for a long time. After a few words of greeting, Jiang Wan was welcomed into the military office like a star holding the moon.

    In the inner hall of the military yamen, everyone was seated as guests and hosts. Liu Bei glanced at the guards on both sides and ordered: "Everyone, stand down!"

    The guards retreated one after another, leaving only Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang and Jiang Wan in the inner hall. Jiang Wan then handed over his hands and said: "I will convey Liu Zhoumu's words first. The previous consensus reached between Jingzhou and the emperor's uncle is still valid!"

    This sentence made Liu Bei's tense heart relax. He was silent for a moment and said: "Then I don't understand why the Jingzhou army gathered in Jiangling in large numbers and kept saying that they wanted to avenge Master Qi, making everyone in Jingnan panic. This is  What¡¯s the point?¡±

    Jiang Wan smiled, took out a letter and handed it to Liu Bei, "This is an autographed letter from my family's governor."Uncle Huang will understand after seeing it.  "

    Liu Bei took the letter and read it hastily. Sure enough, it was exactly the same as Zhuge Liang's analysis, and Liu Jing told them clearly that they could withdraw their troops and supplies to Hengyang County. Liu Bei frowned and clearly promised to give them half a year.  Prepare, and now they are asked to withdraw their troops to Hengyang County. How can this be called a consensus that is still valid?

    Liu Bei felt a little annoyed. He handed the letter to Zhuge Liang and said with a stern face: "Didn't we agree that we would withdraw our troops in six months? It's only been two months now. Why don't you keep your promises from the governor?"

    Jiang Wan was not angry and explained calmly: "Maybe the emperor's uncle did not understand the key to the consensus reached by both parties. I can explain that the Jingzhou Army promised not to attack the Jingnan Army and supported the transfer of the Jingnan Army to Jiaozhou. Now  Although our army is gathered in Jiangling, we still promise not to attack the Jingnan army. It is perfectly fine to move to Hengyang County and attack Jiaozhou in half a year."

    At this point, Jiang Wan's expression became serious, and he looked at Liu Bei and said: "All our promises are based on the sincerity of both parties. If your army destroys the vital interests of the Jingzhou Army, then all promises will be invalid.  These are also the exact words of my Zhou Mu. Although they don¡¯t sound good, we must speak up first.¡±

    Liu Bei understood what Jiang Wan meant. He was actually warning them not to leak secrets to Bashu, otherwise they would directly destroy Jingnan. Although his words were good, this naked threat made Liu Bei lose face. He said nothing with a dark face.  hair.

    At this time, Zhuge Liang laughed and said: "I wonder when Liu Zhoumu is going to let us withdraw south to Hengyang County?"

    Jiang Wan secretly praised that this is a smart person. Face the reality, go with the flow, and do not make unnecessary resistance. Jiang Wan said sincerely: "We will complete the army assembly in twenty days, and it will be official in five days."  Cross the river, please be sure to evacuate before this happens.¡±

    Zhuge Liang nodded, "Please convey our gratitude to Zhou Mu for keeping his promise, and at the same time, please rest assured that we will not let a third party know what we said today."

    "In that case, I'll take my leave!"

    Jiang Wan stood up to say goodbye. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang sent him out of the military office and ordered Sun Qian to send him to the river. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang then returned to the inner hall.

    "Do we really have to do what Liu Jing asks?" Liu Bei said unable to hold back his annoyance.

    Zhuge Liang sighed, "Of course I don't want to, I don't think anyone would, but the strength is here, we can't make a choice, and Liu Jing sent Jiang Wan to inform him in advance, which can be regarded as a face to the emperor's uncle, besides, he is pretty good  Keep your word, otherwise he will directly send troops to destroy us, which is actually his chance. "

    "Hmph! He's not keeping his word. He expects me to run Jiaozhou for him." Liu Bei said bitterly. He knew Liu Jing's thoughts very well. He put himself in Jiaozhou and asked himself to manage the strategy for him. He would come back to harvest in the future.

    Although he was extremely dissatisfied, Liu Bei really had no choice. He had no choice. Apart from retreating to Hengyang County as soon as possible, he had no other way to go. He sighed deeply, "Okay! Please ask the military advisor to make a withdrawal plan.  We will implement it as soon as possible.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Hanzhong refers to a narrow mountain corridor between the Qinling Mountains and the Daba Mountains. Within this mountain corridor, there are three basins distributed from west to east. These three basins have become the place where humans thrive. It is warm and humid, and the land is  Fertile and rich in products, Hanzhong became the place of prosperity in the Han Dynasty.

    The three basins are administratively divided into Wudu County, Hanzhong County and Weixing County. The three counties are connected by the Han River and are called the Hanzhong Three Counties. Among them, the Hanzhong County Basin is the largest and has the largest population.

    Hanzhong is also the birthplace of the Five Dou Rice Sect, a branch of Taoism. It was founded by Zhang Xiu, but was soon usurped by Zhang Lu. The Five Dou Rice Sect became an important tool for Zhang Lu to carry out warlord separatism.

    Zhang Lu was originally a general under Liu Yan. He and Zhang Xiu were ordered to attack Su Gu, the prefect of Hanzhong. After Zhang Lu killed Zhang Xiu, he immediately separated Hanzhong and established himself. It has been more than 20 years. Due to the geographical closure of Hanzhong, a large number of Guanzhong people have  They fled to Hanzhong to avoid the war, causing the population of Hanzhong to increase rapidly.

    Due to a large amount of land development and Zhang Lu's good management, Hanzhong gradually began to become stronger, with an army of 50,000 and sufficient food and grass. It became a separatist warlord that could compete with Bashu and became Bashu's number one enemy.

    But since the New Year, Hanzhong has been shrouded in an uneasy atmosphere. As early as early December last year, Bashu revealed news that Liu Jing of Jingzhou was about to attack Hanzhong and expand northward. This made Zhang Lu start to worry.

    At this time, Zhang Lu's younger brother Zhang Wei also proposed to seize Shangyong first and use Shangyong's favorable terrain to block the Jingzhou army's northward march.

    But Zhang Lu had concerns, so he was reluctant to accept this suggestion.? No statement was made, and nearly a month passed. No one mentioned the matter again. Even Zhang Wei, who strongly advocated seizing Shangyong, was lost in the crowd of women. This suggestion was like a sand vessel in the rising tide. After the tide passed,  , there is no trace anymore.

    But in late January, major news came from Jingzhou. The Jingzhou army began to cross the Yangtze River and advance southward into Jingnan. This news made Zhang Lu feel a little confused.

    Yang Song came out of Zhang Lu's Tianshi Mansion and got on the carriage with worry. Yang Song was about fifty years old. He was tall and had a long face. He had an eagle-hook nose, which made him look very treacherous.  A very unreliable feeling.

    He was originally a famous scholar in Guanzhong and came from the famous Hongnong Yang family. He came to Hanzhong to avoid the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty and was used by Zhang Lu as an aide. Yang Song was very good at managing money. Under his diligent management for more than 20 years, Hanzhong became  After entering a prosperous land, he also gained Zhang Lu's great trust and became the second most powerful figure in Hanzhong.

    Although Yang Song has outstanding abilities, his shortcomings are also obvious. He is extremely greedy for bribes. While Hanzhong became powerful, he himself also became the richest man in Hanzhong. Fortunately, Zhang Lu took money lightly and did not care about him.  Yang Song was almost greedy for everything under Zhang Lu's connivance.

    But today, Yang Song's worry was not about money, but Zhang Lu actually suggested that the defense of Hanzhong should be expanded eastward. Yang Song immediately understood what Zhang Lu meant. To expand the defense eastward was to capture the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.  After arriving in Yongcheng, Yang Song realized that Zhang Lu had always been concerned about Shangyong.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 500 Hanzhong Sends Troops

    Of course, Yang Song also knew that establishing a defensive line in Shangyong would have a significant impact on Hanzhong's defense. Capturing Shangyong would not only eliminate a sharp knife in Jingzhou that threatened Hanzhong, but also build a strong defensive wall so that Hanzhong no longer had to worry.  Threat to the east.

    What are the consequences of simply seizing Shangyong?  Although Liu Jing is currently recovering Jingnan and has no time to visit the north, once he recovers Jingnan, will he give up?

    Yang Song leaned against the car wall, his slender eyes narrowed to a slit. He was still thinking about Zhang Lu's last words.

    ¡®The news coming from Bashu that Jingzhou wants to take Hanzhong is absolutely reliable, so don¡¯t ask who it is, I just want to know now, how can we keep Hanzhong?  "

    "Capturing Shangyong has always been my wish. It was in the hands of Cao Cao before, and I didn't dare to think too much about it. But now it is in the hands of Liu Jing, and it is only his border town. It is separated from Xiangyang by Fangling County.  Yong is insignificant to Jingzhou, but to us in Hanzhong, it is like having a row of steel teeth, which can bite people when advancing, and hold on when retreating. Sir, I have been thinking about Yong for a long time!  ¡¯

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In fact, Zhang Lu¡¯s meaning was very clear. He was hinting to himself that the Hanzhong Army should capture Shangyong. Only then did Yang Song realize something. A month ago, Zhang Wei suddenly proposed to capture Shangyong.

    This suggestion came out of nowhere at the time. Although they had also heard rumors that Jingzhou was going to capture Hanzhong, how could Zhang Wei, a rude person like him, think of taking Shangyong preemptively?

    Now it seems that that was what Zhang Lu meant. He used Zhang Wei's mouth to test everyone. Seeing that no one responded, he stopped mentioning it, but Zhang Lu kept thinking about it.

    How should you respond?

    The carriage arrived at Yang Song's residence. Yang Song got out of the carriage and immediately ordered to the left and right: "Ask Meng Da to come to the study to see me immediately!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Meng Da¡¯s current identity is the commander of Yang Song¡¯s tribe, commanding Yang Song¡¯s two thousand private soldiers. He came to Hanzhong to seek refuge with Yang Song as Zhang Song¡¯s confidant. Because Zhang Song was killed, he was implicated and had to flee Bashu.

    Yang Song firmly believed this, and it was a fact. However, Meng Da concealed the fact that he had taken refuge with Liu Jing. He only said that during that time, he was hiding in the house of a relative in Shangyong to avoid the limelight.

    Meng Da went through a test while escorting the goods to Guanzhong, and gained Yang Song's trust. He regarded him as a confidant and would discuss many matters with him.

    Meng Da got the news that Yang Song wanted to see him. He walked quickly and came to Yang Song's study. He bowed and reported: "The last general Meng Da wants to see him!"

    "General Meng, please come in!"

    Meng Da walked into the study. Yang Song was sitting behind the table reading. When he saw him coming in, he smiled and waved his hand: "General Meng, please sit down!"

    Although Meng Da served as the commander of Yang Song's tribe, Yang Song's tribe was also part of the Hanzhong Army, so Zhang Lu also recognized his military status and named him Yajiang.

    Meng Da was a rare commander-in-chief with both civil and military skills. Zhang Lu also valued him very highly, but because of Yang Song's face, he could not directly draw him under his command.

    "Thank you, sir!"

    Meng Da sat down, and Yang Song sighed and said, "Do you still remember what I told you a month ago? About Shangyong."

    Meng Da's heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, he was here. In fact, before Yang Song came to him, he would find an opportunity to mention this matter to Yang Song in the next two days. Jingzhou had already sent an order, and he had to facilitate Hanzhong's attack on Shangyong as soon as possible.  .

    Meng Da nodded, "I will remember that it was Captain Zhang who proposed a preemptive strike to seize Shangyong, but there was no news later."

    ¡°There¡¯s another news today.¡±

    Yang Song smiled bitterly and said: "Today the prefect came to talk to me in detail, and I discovered that Zhang Wei's so-called suggestion to seize Shangyong was actually the prefect's own idea, and he wanted to seize Shangyong."

    Speaking of this, Yang Song glanced at Meng Da and found that he was deep in thought. He couldn't help but asked curiously: "What is General Meng thinking about?"

    "The general is thinking, if the governor mentions Shangyong again at this time, will it have something to do with Jingzhou's use of troops in Jingnan?"

    "You are right!"

    Yang Song smiled approvingly and said: "The governor really feels that this is an opportunity to seize Shangyong. General Meng, what do you think of this matter?"

    Meng Da leaned forward and said: "To be honest, sir, my brother happened to go to Shangyong during the New Year. On the one hand, he was visiting his uncle. On the other hand, I asked him to go and find out the information about Shangyong."

    "Oh! What information do you have?" Yang Song asked with great interest.

    "Military secrets cannot be discovered, but one thing we know is that because Jingzhou is going to conquer Jingnan, troops were mobilized from various places in Jingzhou. Shangyong's original garrison of 5,000 troops was transferredMost of them, there are only more than a thousand people left now. If the prefect is really determined to seize Shangyong, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  "

    Yang Song became a little excited. He knew Zhang Lu very well. Since Zhang Lu had mentioned capturing Shangyong for the second time, it meant that he had made up his mind. The key was that he had to play a leading role in this matter in order to maintain his position.  Your position will not be weakened.

    Originally, Yang Song was only worried about Jingzhou's revenge, but Meng Da told him the secret, which doubled Yang Song's confidence and forgot about Jingzhou's power. He pondered for a moment and then asked: "Does General Meng support the prefect to seize Shangyong?  "

    Meng Da sighed and said: "The last time I went to Guanzhong, I heard that Ma Chao has been in close contact with Liu Jing. Cao Cao will never let Ma Chao get Guanzhong. It should be this year. Cao Cao will definitely attack Ma Chao. In order to support Ma Chao,  Capturing Hanzhong has become Liu Jing's inevitable choice, so I'm sure that after Liu Jing conquers Jingnan and eliminates Liu Bei's worries, the next step is to attack Hanzhong. It is likely that he will launch a war against Hanzhong in the autumn. Therefore, the prefect  Only then would I think of taking a pre-emptive strike and establishing a solid defense. I think this is a wise move.¡±

    Yang Song looked up at the roof, not knowing what he was thinking. After a while he asked: "If General Meng is allowed to lead the army to attack Shangyong, how confident does General Meng feel?"

    Meng Da smiled slightly: "If I lead the army to attack Shangyong, I only need five thousand troops, and I will not attack by force. I will capture Shangyong within three days."

    Yang Song was overjoyed and said, "That's it. General, please come with me to see the prefect."

    "Now?" Meng Da asked in shock.

    Yang Song nodded, "Now!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the lobby of the Tianshi Mansion, Zhang Luzheng and a group of important civil and military ministers discussed the attack on Shangyong. He had been planning this for more than a month. Since the main force of the Jingzhou Army attacked Jingnan in a large scale, this gave Zhang Lu a good opportunity to capture Shangyong.  , finally made him make up his mind.

    There were seven or eight people sitting on both sides of the hall, including Zhang Lu's counselor Yan Pu, the chief minister in charge of government affairs Yang Song, Zhang Lu's brothers Zhang Wei and Zhang Wei who held military power, as well as generals Yang Ang and Yang Ren, and Yang Song's brother Yang Song who joined the army.  Cypress.

    Zhang Lu glanced at the crowd and said slowly: "The ancients said that Yongguo is troubled by mediocre people. Yongguo has been a prosperous land east of Hanzhong since ancient times. It has a dangerous terrain and a large population. It is also the east gate of Hanzhong. I have been thinking about it for a long time.  , but due to our national policy of defense and self-defense, I will not capture it even if I have the intention. But now Liu Jing wants to capture Hanzhong, and he wants to seize Guanzhong, which threatens our survival, so we must not sit still and wait for death! "

    Zhang Lu's voice was very stern. His voice was like a loud bell, echoing in the hall. There was silence in the hall. He looked at everyone one by one with a solemn expression, "If you want to keep Guanzhong, you must strike first, seize Shangyong, and establish Shangyong."  With a strong defensive line, I have decided to attack Shangyong, but I want to discuss with you how to do it.¡±

    As soon as Zhang Lu finished speaking, Zhang Wei stood up and said proudly: "This battle belongs to me. I am willing to lead an army of 20,000 people and capture Shangyong within ten days. Please grant me permission from the prefect!"

    Zhang Lu did not respond. He looked at the crowd again. Seeing the contempt in Yang Song's eyes, he asked, "Yang Changshi, do you have any plans?"

    Yang Song stood up and saluted slightly: "Reporting to the prefect, my tribe leader Meng Da told me today that he only needs 5,000 troops at most and can take Hanzhong within three days."

    There was an uproar in the lobby. Zhang Wei's face turned red and he said angrily: "Nonsense, Shangyong City is tall and easy to defend and difficult to attack. Why can five thousand people take it? Let Meng Da explain it himself!"

    Zhang Lu knew that Meng Da was a capable man. Since he said this, there must be a reason. Zhang Lu stroked his beard and smiled and said: "Yang Changshi, let General Meng talk about it! I also want to know his plan."  ¡±

    Yang Song wanted to insert his power into the military. This was a good opportunity, and of course he would not let it pass easily. He immediately turned back and ordered the guards, "Please let General Meng come to court."

    After a while, Meng Da walked quickly into the hall. He knelt down on one knee and saluted: "The last general Meng Da meets the prefect!"

    Zhang Wei was about to scold him angrily, but Zhang Lu waved his hand and blocked Zhang Wei's words. He smiled and asked Meng Da: "I heard Yang Changshi said that you only need 5,000 men to capture the enemy in three days."  Shangyong, can you take this seriously?"

    Meng Da said proudly: "You can fight a hundred battles only if you know yourself and the enemy. At the beginning of the month, I heard Yang Changshi say that the prefect wanted to take Shangyong, so he gave my brother the opportunity to go to Shangyong to visit relatives and inquire about Shangyong's military situation, because the Jingzhou army was attacking Jingnan in a large scale.  , troops and generals were mobilized from various places, and most of Shangyong¡¯s five thousand defenders were also transferred, leaving only more than a thousand people.¡±

    When these words were said, there was a burst of exclamation in the lobby. Even Zhang Wei looked at Meng Da in disbelief. Zhang Lu narrowed his eyes and said slowly: "General Meng, please continue!"

      Meng Da nodded and continued: "Currently Shangyong is commanded by General Wei Yan. Wei Yan is a proud man and is unwilling to be inferior to others. He lost Chaisang City because of his dissatisfaction. This man  He is good at attacking but not good at defending. As long as we take advantage of his defensive loopholes, we can easily capture Shangyong."

    "well said!"

    Zhang Lu sighed in admiration and immediately ordered: "Bring me the map!"

    After a while, several guards took the map of Shangyong and hung it on the wooden frame. Meng Da pointed to a small city opposite Shangyong and said: "On the other side of Shangyong is Yongnan City. It was originally the city where the Jingzhou Army and Cao Army faced off. Later, the Jingzhou Army got  After ascending to Yong, Yongnan City was basically abandoned, but it is the only way for Jingzhou defenders to retreat to Xiangyang. We can overcome the water blockage and use a small number of troops disguised as bandits to seize Yongnan City first, leaving Wei Yan with a sense of retreat.  If he is defeated, he will definitely send troops to recapture Yongnan City, and then Shangyong will be empty."

    "It's really brilliant!"

    Zhang Lu was full of praise, "He is indeed a good fighter, but he has no outstanding achievements!"

    Next to him, Zhang Wei was furious and shouted: "I can also use this trick to capture Shangyong. I will capture Shangyong in just two days. I am willing to issue a military order!"

    Zhang Lu glanced at counselor Yan Pu and asked for his opinion. Yan Pu said calmly: "General Meng is a talented general. He should be given a chance to serve the prefect."

    Zhang Lu immediately understood what Yan Pu meant. It was a pity to let Meng Da serve as Yang Song's military commander. Taking this opportunity to make him his direct general, Zhang Lu angrily scolded Zhang Wei, "This is the behavior of General Meng."  What does it have to do with you!"

    Zhang Wei was so frightened that he did not dare to speak anymore. Zhang Lu immediately said to Meng Da: "General Meng, I will make you a commander of another department and give you an army of 5,000 to conquer Shangyong. I hope you will not let me down."

    "The general will obey your orders!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 501 Shangyong is Lost

    Shangyong City is located at the confluence of three mountain ranges: Qinling Mountains, Daba Mountain and Wudang Mountain. The terrain in this area is complex, with numerous mountains and rivers rushing through the mountain streams. It is easy for dangerous passes to appear. Shangyong City is located on the most important Hanyong Road.  It has become the choke point from Xiangfan to Hanzhong.

    For Jingzhou, Shangyong belongs to the northwest border, and it is connected to Hanzhong. The status of Hanzhong is far from compared with Shuzhong and Guanzhong.

    When merchants go to Guanzhong, they usually take the Nanxiang Pass Road, that is, they go from Nanyang to Neixiang, pass through Wuguan and take Shangluo to Chang'an, instead of taking the difficult and dangerous Hanzhong Road, so Shangyong is not of great strategic significance to Jingzhou.

    But Shangyong City is unusual for Hanzhong. Qinling Mountains and Daba Mountain tightly surround Hanzhong from the south to the north, and Wudang Mountain blocks the way to the east. In this way, the Han River flowing through the northern foot of Wudang Mountain,  The Hanyong Road and the Hanyong Road running along the southern foot of Wudang Mountain have become the two key roads to the east of Hanzhong. It can be said that Shangyong is the east gate of Hanzhong.

    But such an extremely important east gate is not in the hands of Zhang Lu. It was occupied by Cao Jun before. Zhang Lu did not dare to offend Cao Cao, but he longed for Shangyong but could not get it. Now Shangyong City has been handed over to Liu Jing by Cao Cao.  , relatively speaking, Liu Jing seems to be a little easier to mess with than Cao Cao.

    On the winding mountain road, an army of 5,000 people is marching rapidly to the southeast. This army is the Han Dynasty Expedition led by Meng Da. They have bypassed Wuling County and Wuling County, which have almost no garrison.  Jianshi County, the target is directly at Shangyong City, which is thirty miles away.

    At this time, they had entered Shangyong County. There was a beacon a few miles ahead, called Wuling Sui. It was the westernmost beacon in Jingzhou and the outpost of Shangyong City. There were only a dozen garrison troops, but it was very useful.  important.

    The Hanzhong Army came to a relatively wide mountain col, and a small stream gurgled down from the mountain stream. Seeing that it was suitable for camping here, Meng Da waved his hand and ordered: "Stop advancing, the army will camp on the spot."

    The soldiers sat down to rest, waiting for the arrival of the baggage team from behind, and then began to camp and rest. At this time, two lieutenants, Meng You and Li Fang, gathered around Meng Da.

    Meng You is Meng Da's younger brother, but Li Fang is Zhang Lu's confidant. He was once one of Zhang Lu's personal guards. Zhang Lu asked him to follow Meng Da on the expedition to Shangyong. It was obviously for surveillance purposes, but this was also  It is human nature. Meng Da led 5,000 troops to march eastward without any confidants around him. How could Zhang Lu rest assured?

    "General Meng, do you want to remove the beacons ahead?" Li Fang asked.

    Mengda looked at the map and saw that there were two roads going east from here, the north and the south, which converged at Shangyong City. The beacon tower was located just on the north road, at the height of the northern foothills. He knew the situation on the north road very well, but he knew nothing about the south road.  Tao has little impact.

    Meng Da pondered for a moment and then shook his head and said to Meng You and Li Fang: "Don't scare the snake. There is no need to remove this beacon. Just take the south road."

    He looked up at the clock and immediately ordered: "No rest allowed, continue marching!"

    The soldiers had to get up and continue marching while cursing, and quickly headed towards Shangyong City along the south road.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Shangyong City Wall is tall and strong, and it is located at a high place. There are dangerous mountains on both sides, and there is a water blockage in front. It can be said that one man is in charge of the barrier, and ten thousand people can't break it. It is extremely difficult to capture this city, but Jingzhou got this  But without any effort, he obtained this key city to Hanzhong from Cao Cao in exchange.

    Shangyong's general is none other than Wei Yan. With Wei Yan's status, he should be stationed in Jiangxia or Nanjun to block one side, but he was asked to guard this border city. In the eyes of the Jingzhou soldiers, this was Wei Yan's punishment for losing Chaisang City.  .

    But Wei Yan knew it well. On the night he accepted the post of guard general, Jia Xu told him the Hanzhong strategy in detail. He was actually implementing the major decision of Jingzhou's westward expansion.

    On top of the city, Wei Yan was patrolling around with more than a dozen personal guards. Wei Yan had received the secret information sent by Meng Da last night. In the past two days, the Hanzhong Army would launch an attack on Shangyong City.  , Wei Yan also knew the specific offensive plan. The opponent wanted to occupy Yongnan City on the other side first. He needed to cooperate with Meng Da to let the Hanzhong Army occupy Shangyong.

    Although he knew that this was the grand strategy of Hanzhong and Bashu, which was related to the success or failure of the entire westward expansion, Wei Yan still felt a little uncomfortable. After all, this was another loss of a city that allowed defeat but not victory, and it had a great impact on his reputation.

    If the matter is clarified afterwards, it may be possible to save it, but if not, he will be blamed for it, and Wei Yan is very suspicious that the truth will most likely not be revealed in the future.

    Thinking of this, Wei Yan felt very depressed, but the military orders were overwhelming and he had to carry them out, and this was related to the strategy of westward expansion. One wrong step would lead to the loss of everything. Thinking of this, Wei Yan had to swallow the depression in his heart.

    At this time,The alarm bell in Dongtou suddenly rang, ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  ' Wei Yan was startled by the rapid ringing of the bell, which meant that something had happened to the east of the city. As soon as he took a few steps, he immediately realized that it should be Yongnan City. Isn't this Meng Da's plan?

    He quickly came to the east of the city, and it turned out to be Yongnan City. The beacon fire at the top of the city was lit, which indicated that there was an enemy situation. The soldiers talked a lot. Yongnan City is located in the hinterland, how could there be enemies, and it was abandoned. There were only a dozen soldiers in the city.  How long can this last?

    Soon, a soldier rushed to the top of the city to report, "Reporting to General Wei, a group of nearly two hundred bandits attacked Yongna City. Our brothers were unable to resist and were forced to retreat!"

    Wei Yan took a deep breath and shouted: "Pass my order, all the troops will assemble immediately and follow me to take back Yongnan City!"

    Several generals rushed away. At this time, deputy general Lu Jin hurriedly came over and advised Wei Yan: "General, our defenders only have more than a thousand people. If they all go to capture Yongnan City, Shangyong will be empty. What if this happens?"  It¡¯s a bandit¡¯s plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain, and the consequences will be serious.¡±

    Lu Jin and Wei Yan shared life and death in Xiazhi County, and the two formed a deep friendship. He also became Wei Yan's deputy general. Wei Yan pulled him aside and whispered: "Things are not that simple. Just listen to my arrangements."  , I will lead a thousand troops to recapture Xiazhi County, and you will lead the remaining brothers to guard Shangyong. If the Guanzhong Army comes to attack in large numbers, you do not need to defend the city, but abandon the city immediately. I will arrange a boat for you to cross the river downstream.  , remember, don¡¯t resist, don¡¯t make unnecessary sacrifices, abandon the city immediately!¡±

    Lu Jin was very shocked, but he also understood a little bit, "I understand, I understand."

    Wei Yan warned him again: "This matter is very confidential. Only you and I know about it here, and no third person should know about it."

    Lu Jin nodded, "I know what I'm doing. I'll pretend to be more serious and evacuate in a hurry."

    "Go! Order my troops for me."

    A quarter of an hour later, Wei Yan led a thousand defenders across the river to cross the blockage and attack Yongnan City on the other side. However, there were only more than 300 defenders left in Shangyong City.

    At this time, in a forest about three miles away from Shangyong City, Meng Da led thousands of soldiers and were nervously waiting for changes in Shangyong City. Meng You led 200 men disguised as bandits to sneak attack Yongnan City. How could Wei Yan give up?  This is the opportunity they have been waiting for.

    Next to him, Li Fang saw that Meng Da was very nervous and sweat was running down his forehead, so he smiled and persuaded him: "General Meng, don't worry too much. If it doesn't work, we will ask for more troops to attack the city. Anyway, there are only a thousand soldiers in the city."  The rest of the defenders can definitely be captured."

    Meng Da sighed, "If I ask for additional troops, I'm afraid someone won't let me go."

    Li Fang knew that he was referring to Zhang Wei, so he smiled again and comforted him: "With my lord supporting you, I don't think anyone would dare to do anything against you."

    Meng Da nodded, "Thank you, General Li!"

    At this moment, a spy came quickly to report, "Report to General Meng that Wei Yan led a thousand troops to cross the river and kill Yongnan City."

    Meng Da was overjoyed and said to Li Fang, "This is God's will!"

    "Haha! This is not God's will, it is the general's plan that succeeded."

    Meng Da immediately ordered: "General Li can lead five hundred crossbowmen to the water blocking dock to prevent Wei Yan's army from returning. I will be responsible for attacking the city."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Li Fang waved his hand, "Crossbowman, follow me!"

    He led five hundred crossbowmen around Shangyong and ran towards the dock one mile away from Shangyong City. Seeing that they had passed the city, Meng Da gave the order, "Attack the city!"

    "Woo¡ª¡ª"

    The horn sounded in the woods, and more than 4,000 Han Chinese troops rushed out from the woods, rushing towards Shangyong City against dozens of siege ladders.

    The bells on the top of Shangyong City rang loudly, the defenders shouted, and the beacon fire at the highest point of the city was lit. There were three pillars of green smoke, indicating that an army was coming to attack. More than 300 defenders on the top of the city stretched their bows and fired arrows.  Facing the Hanzhong army that was rushing like a tide, Lu Jin looked sternly at the overwhelming enemy troops. They only had three hundred people. Even if they were really defending, they would not be able to defend the city.

    At this time, a garrison commander rushed to report urgently: "General Lu, our brothers do not have enough troops to defend the city!"

    Lu Jin sighed for a while and ordered: "Abandon the city and evacuate the army to the north!"

    Three hundred soldiers opened the east gate and rushed out of the city under the leadership of Lu Jin. Instead of going to the dock, they fled north along the water block. Wei Yan arranged a boat for them ten miles away to the north.

    The result of this sneak attack made the Hanzhong army overjoyed. They successfully captured Shangyong City without losing a single soldier, and took the city that Zhang Lu dreamed of into their arms.

    Mengda immediately sent people to Hanzhong to report the good news to Zhang Lu, and also reminded Zhang Lu to preventJingzhou's counterattack should not only strengthen Shangyong's defense, but also prevent the Jingzhou army from attacking Hanzhong from the Han River.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The news of the fall of Shangyong County shocked Xiangyang and Jingzhou. Military advisor Jia Xu immediately sent someone to rush to Jiangling for 800 miles to report this urgent information to Liu Jing.

    At this time, the Jingzhou Army had occupied Gong'an County and was moving in three directions towards Wuling County, Lingling County and Guiyang County. Liu Bei's Army was forced to retreat south to Hengyang County, where it set up a battle formation and prepared for a decisive battle with the Jingzhou Army.  .

    At this critical moment, Liu Jing received the news that the Hanzhong Army had taken advantage of the opportunity of the Jingzhou Army to recapture Jingnan to seize Shangyong. Liu Jing was extremely angry and immediately ordered Gan Ning to lead 20,000 naval troops and march to Hanzhong in 500 warships.  , and ordered Zhao Yun to lead an army of 15,000 people to attack Shangyong from the land. At the same time, he ordered Wei Yan to perform meritorious service and atone for his sins, and became Zhao Yun's deputy general.

    At the same time, Liu Jing sent Sima Yi to Shuzhong again to urge Liu Zhang to fulfill his promise and send troops to Hanzhong. The situation in Jingzhou, Bashu and Hanzhong were all mobilized by the small Shangyong City.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 502 Liu Zhang changes his mind

    At night, at the head of Jiangling City, Liu Jing held his hands on the battlements and silently stared at the west. The curtain on the westward expansion finally opened, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He felt like he was on a huge warship. Once the warship set sail, he could only  I can follow the warship forward and cut through the waves.

    Once his strategy is completed in Shuzhong, Hanzhong and Guanzhong, a semi-encirclement state will be formed in the Central Plains, and he will take the strategic initiative against Cao Cao. When Cao Cao's army goes south, he will advance from the east of Guanzhong, and when Cao's army moves west, he will move from  Jingzhou went north, leaving Cao's army to focus on one thing and lose another.

    The key is the Ma Chao power. If Cao Cao is used to eliminate this Guanlong cancer for himself, he will need to think a lot more.

    At this time, Jiang Wan slowly walked up to him, cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Is Zhou Mu worried about Sima Yi?"

    "You should be a little worried! After all, there are many talents in Bashu. Zhuge Liang can see through our strategy. I think there are people in Bashu who can also see through it."

    "But what can we do if we see through it? The strength of both sides is here. Can Liu Zhang stop us from advancing westward?"

    Jiang Wan paused for a moment and then said: "Actually, I think internal stability is more important than the westward expansion strategy. I hope Zhou Mu can't patronize the outside and forget about the inside."

    Liu Jing looked back at him and smiled: "I'd like to hear the details!"

    No matter for heavyweight counselors and staff such as Jia Xu, Xu Shu, and Sima Yi, or for mid-level staff such as Jiang Wan, Dong Yun, Zhou Buyi, Liu Min, and Liao Li, how can they realize their ambitions and how can they turn their thoughts into  To become the protagonist Liu Jing's thoughts is something that each of them desires extremely.

    Jiang Wan also has his own thoughts, but he does not have the status of Jia Xu and Sima Yi, and does not have the opportunity to instill it into Liu Jing all the time. But today, Jiang Wan unexpectedly got an opportunity.

    He pondered for a moment and said: "I think the key to internal stability lies in the establishment of a power group that is not limited to regions. Now we have the Jingzhou power. When Zhoumu takes Bashu to the west, he will encounter the Bashu power, and then goes north to Hanzhong,  In Guanzhong, you will encounter Guanzhong forces again. These forces have their own interests and demands, and these interests and demands must be related to their own region. Therefore, to control the overall situation, there must be a power group that does not pay attention to region. They have the world in mind.  , we will advance and retreat together with Zhou Mu.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "I agree with your statement about local forces. In fact, I have already encountered it. When I moved from Jiangxia to Xiangyang, I encountered a lot of resistance. So how to balance these forces is very laborious.  Think about it."

    Jiang Wan smiled and said: "Actually, as long as you grasp the principles, you will have a solution."

    "What principle?" Liu Jing asked with great interest.

    "Can you please tell me a story, Zhou Mu?"

    Liu Jing chuckled and said, "Gong Yan, please speak, I am all ears."

    Jiang Wan pondered for a moment and then said slowly: "During the Spring and Autumn Period, the Lu State had a law: if the Lu people saw their compatriots being sold as slaves in foreign countries, as long as they were willing to pay to redeem the people, then after returning to the Lu State,  , the country will give them compensation and rewards. This law has been implemented for many years, and many Lu people who have been living in other places have been saved and returned to their homeland.

    Zigong's family was wealthy and wealthy. Once, when he went abroad to do business, he redeemed many people from the state of Lu, but he refused the compensation from the state of Lu because he was not short of money and was willing to share the burden of redeeming people for his country.  financial burden.

    After Confucius learned about it, he not only did not appreciate Zigong, but criticized Zigong. Confucius said: Everything in the world is just two words, righteousness and benefit. The original law of Lu State wanted to establish the word "righteousness" in people's hearts.  As long as everyone can feel compassion when they see their compatriots in distress, and as long as he is willing to redeem his compatriots and bring them back home, then he has completed a good deed.

    Afterwards, the state will make up for it and reward him, so that the person who does good deeds will not suffer losses and will be appreciated by everyone. In the long run, more and more people will be willing to do good deeds, so this law is a good law.

    "And what you Zigong did seems to be a noble moral character, but it actually raised everyone's requirements for 'righteousness'.  In the future, those who redeem people and then ask for money from the country may not only never receive praise from everyone, but may even be criticized by the countrymen, asking them why they can't share the country's worries like Zigong did. These people will give up on redemption and are in trouble.  People from the state of Lu.

    What happened later was indeed as Confucius expected, many people of Lu who were in trouble could never return to their homeland.

    From this story, we can see that Confucius was wise and understanding. He was able to see into the common sense and common feelings of people's hearts. He was by no means rigid, paranoid, extreme, unreasonable, and false like Confucianism.  "

    Liu Jing nodded, "This story is very good, but what does it have to do with solving the demands of local forces?"

    "The relationship is very important, that is, the importance of common sense, common sense, and common sense. People have compassion."This is common sense. He will sympathize with his compatriots, and if he does good deeds, the country should reward and compensate him. This is common sense, and he cannot blindly ask them to pursue high morals. Similarly, people who do good deeds will accept them with peace of mind.  Compensation is normal. As long as the state pastor remembers this principle, he can reasonably and appropriately resolve the demands of various local forces.  "

    "But how to grasp this speed?" Liu Jing asked again with a smile.

    Jiang Wan thought for a while and said: "The so-called degree actually means 'not high' or 'low'. For example, it is not advisable to pursue morality too high like Zigong. Similarly, it is not good to set morality too low."  If Lu's reward for saving people is too heavy, some greedy businessmen will find it profitable to deliberately sell people to neighboring countries in order to obtain heavy rewards. This will also lead to moral decay, so the key to salvation is 'moderate'  , neither leaning to the left nor to the right, and being good at compromise, this is the correct way to govern the country. "

    Liu Jing agreed with Jiang Wan's reasoning. In the position of Zhou Mu, Liu Jing had a deep understanding of this balance of interests. The conflict between Jiangxia and Xiangyang, the conflict between aristocratic families and official power, the conflict between military generals and  There are conflicts of interests among civil servants, between local factions like Wenpin and Huang Zhong and foreign factions like Wei Yan and Gan Ning. In the future, there will also be conflicts between the interests of Jingzhou and Bashu, etc.

    Jiang Wan's suggestion was undoubtedly a train of thought, 'not high' or 'low'. As long as he grasped this golden mean principle, he could handle the interests of various factions. Thinking of this, Liu Jing handed over to Jiang Wan.  He said sincerely: "Liu Jing will take Gong Yan's advice to heart!"

    Just when Jingzhou was marching towards Shangyong County, Sima Yi also arrived in Chengdu. This was his third visit to Chengdu. He negotiated with Liu Zhang on Liu Jing's order and explicitly asked Liu Zhang to send troops to Hanzhong.

    In the inner hall of the Prefectural Mufu Mansion, Liu Zhang's expression was a little unnatural. Sima Yi's request came so suddenly that he was unprepared. After listening to Sima Yi's request, he said after a while: "Since I promised to do my part for Jingzhou's northern expedition to Hanzhong, I  Of course we keep our word, but our agreement clearly states that we should attack Hanzhong next spring, why is it one year ahead of schedule?¡±

    Huang Quan, the new Yizhou Biejia who accompanied the audience, also said: "And it was agreed that the state pastors of both sides would meet first in the spring, and Jingzhou would attack Jingnan in the second half of the year. But at the beginning of the year, Jingzhou launched a campaign against Jingnan. Then  How to arrange the meeting between the two state pastors? "

    Sima Yi said with a solemn expression: "The reason why we decided to attack Liu Bei on the second day of the first lunar month is because we received news of the death of Master Liu Qi. Master Qi was the eldest son of Qianzhou Mu and the master of Jingnan. He died mysteriously. We need to give Jingzhou soldiers and people a  Explain, at the same time, we do not allow Liu Bei to take the opportunity to steal Jingnan, so my lord made a decisive decision and launched a military attack, as for Hanzhong."

    Speaking of this, Sima Yi's tone became cold, "About Hanzhong, the news we got is that Zhang Lu knew about the Jingzhou Army's plan, and preemptively attacked the strategically important town of Yong. My lord wants Zhou Mu to give an explanation.  Who leaked the Jingzhou Army¡¯s plan to go north to Zhang Lu? You promised me never to reveal the secret, so what do you say now?¡±

    Sima Yi's stern tone made Liu Zhang a little embarrassed. In fact, he knew in his heart that it must be Wu Yi, Zhang Ren and others who secretly leaked the secret to Zhang Lu, which led to Zhang Lu's preemptive strike. But how could he explain it?

    Liu Zhang pretended to be surprised and asked Huang Quan: "Is there such a thing again? Huang Shijun, who did this?"

    Huang Quan immediately stood up and said: "Wei Chen doesn't know. There were a lot of people at that time, including ministers and many guards. Wei Chen needs time to check it out!"

    Liu Zhang immediately understood what Huang Quan meant. If it didn't work, he could find a guard to take the blame. This was a solution, but his attitude still needed to be shown. Liu Jing shouted sternly: "Check it out immediately, we must find out this matter."  Those who leak the secret must be severely punished.¡±

    Liu Zhang smiled at Sima Yi again and said, "Commander Sima, please calm down. We will definitely investigate this matter to the end and give Jingzhou an explanation."

    Sima Yi calmed down a little and said: "As for the meeting between the two state shepherds, we can put it in the second half of the year. After our two families defeat Zhang Lu, we can celebrate the brotherhood. In addition, my master also agreed that as long as Yizhou  If we send troops, then according to the agreement between the two parties, we will immediately return Jianping County to Yizhou, and when Hanzhong is conquered, we will return Yidu County. We will never breach the contract. "

    Liu Zhang smiled and nodded, "No problem at all, but I need to discuss the specific details with the minister. Please take a good rest for two days, and I will reply soon."

    After seeing Sima Yi off, Liu Zhang asked Huang Quan: "Do you think one of us really leaked the secret?"

    Huang Quan nodded, "Zhang Ren and Zhang Lu have an old relationship, and Wei Chen thought he was the most likely."

    Liu Zhang snorted coldly. At this time, the eldest son Liu Xun cautiously?: "Father, I feel like this is an opportunity for us to seize Hanzhong. Among the three counties of Hanzhong, we can give up Weixing County to Liu Jing and let him go north to Guanzhong from there, while we occupy Hanzhong and Wudu."

    "Dream! Will Liu Jing give Hanzhong to us?"

    After angrily reprimanding his son for his ridiculous idea, Liu Zhang asked Huang Quan, "What do you mean by not driving?"

    Huang Quan smiled sinisterly and said: "Actually, Wei Chen's idea is the same as Mr. Xun's. We can use this opportunity to seize Hanzhong, and at the same time get back Jianping County and Yidu County, leaving Liu Jing to lose everything."

    "But like this, we are careless and will be caught by Liu Jing!" Liu Zhang said anxiously,

    Huang Quan shook his head, "Righteousness is actually not important. When the two countries compete, interests come first!"

    "Father, Huang Biejia is right. We cannot believe Liu Jing's promise. We must rely on ourselves to strive for the greatest interests for Bashu."

    Liu Zhang was really tempted. Capturing Hanzhong and regaining Jianping and Yidu would be such a great benefit. It was indeed an excellent opportunity in front of him. He thought for a long time and waved to the two of them, "You all go down and let me  People should think again!¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 503 Brothers are fighting against each other

    Huang Quan is a native of Langzhong, Brazil. He belongs to the Bashu native tribe and is also one of the powerful figures in Yizhou. After Zhang Song was killed for having an affair with Liu Bei, Huang Quan took over Zhang Song's post and was appointed as Yizhou Biejia, although it was named Yizhou.  The number one high-ranking official, but in terms of strength, Huang Quan is still weaker than Wu Yi and Zhang Ren.

    After returning to the mansion, Huang Quan locked himself in the study. He hurriedly wrote a secret letter, summoned one of his confidants, handed the letter to him, and said carefully: "You can go to Yedu quickly and get this letter."  Give it to Prime Minister Cao and tell him that I will try my best to prevent Liu Jing from taking Bashu from the west. "

    "Don't worry, sir, I will remember my humble position!"

    Huang Quan was still a little worried. Zhang Song's fate was just ahead of him. He repeatedly warned his confidants, "Be careful on the road. If you find anything unusual, destroy the letter immediately. Don't let the letter fall into anyone's hands."

    The close family members left in a hurry, and Huang Quan paced back and forth in the room uneasily. He was naturally one of Cao Cao's forces in Yizhou. Huang Quan himself had nothing to do with Cao Cao, but just belonged to the pro-Cao faction in Yizhou.

    After a series of changes occurred in Jingzhou, Huang Quan realized that Yizhou was unsafe, and he began to consider his own future. At this time, Cao Cao secretly sent someone to find him, and promised him a generous title, allowing Huang Quan to  He tried his best to prevent Liu Jing from entering Shu.

    Of course, Huang Quan also knew that Liu Jing's real goal was Bashu. Although Liu Jing kept saying that he wanted to plot Hanzhong and seize Guanzhong, it would be really strange if Liu Jing didn't take such a fertile land like Bashu.

    So how to keep Liu Jing out of Bashu and fulfill the important trust entrusted to him by Cao Cao is something Huang Quan has been thinking about repeatedly.

    Huang Quan thought about it over and over again. He was still a little weak on his own and had to find an ally. Thinking of this, Huang Quan immediately ordered: "Prepare the car and go to Mr. Wei's Mansion!"

    Mr. Wei is Liu Wei, the second son of Liu Zhang, and he has a very good relationship with Huang Quan. Mr. Wei is about 25 or 26 years old. He is only one year younger than his brother Liu Xun, but it is this age gap that makes him lose the inheritance rights.  The opportunity of Zhou Mu has become a pain in Liu Wei's heart.

    Liu Wei looks very similar to his brother Liu Xun, but their personalities are very different. Liu Xun is good at winning over officials, is steady, and can also listen to other people's opinions.

    Liu Wei, on the other hand, tolerates cruelty. He keeps a low profile and never expresses his opinions on major issues. However, this does not mean that he does not participate in major events in Yizhou. He likes to shoot cold arrows from behind.

    It was Liu Wei who leaked the secret to Zhang Lu of Hanzhong this time. Like his brother Liu Xun, he was also doing everything possible to sabotage the cooperation between his father Liu Zhang and Liu Jing. When Huang Quan told him the news that Liu Jing wanted to seize Hanzhong, he  He leaked the news to Zhang Lu without hesitation, which eventually led to Zhang Lu's sneak attack on Shangyong.

    But for Liu Wei, preventing Liu Jing from advancing westward is not his main purpose. His biggest dream is to replace his brother and become the lord of Yizhou in the future. For this reason, he also secretly established his own power.

    Liu Wei's wife, Yong, was the daughter of Yong Kai, the prefect of Jianning County. It was precisely because of this in-law relationship that he got Yong Kai, the prefect of Jianning; Gaoding, the prefect of Yuexi, the king of Yi;  support.

    This is also Liu Wei's biggest reliance. He is already prepared. If his father's situation is not good, he will immediately ask Yong Kai's army to go north to help him seize the power of Yizhou.

    Liu Wei is not surprised by Huang Quan's visit tonight. Liu Jing's envoy Sima Yi is coming again today, and Huang Quan will definitely come to see him.

    In the room, Liu Wei listened to Huang Quan's persuasion without saying a word, "I have persuaded Zhou Mu to send troops to Hanzhong. As a result, there will be a situation of empty troops in Shuzhong. I am very worried that Liu Jing will take the opportunity to invade Badong. I  I was wondering if I could ask your father-in-law to send troops to Ba County to join the attack on the Jingzhou Army."

    Liu Wei sneered after a long while, "If there is no benefit, don't get up early. Don't let my father-in-law deal with Liu Jing's army. What's the benefit? How can they be willing to send troops if they have no benefit."

    "Of course there are benefits!"

    Huang Quan smiled lightly and said, "I will convince the imperial court to support you as the shepherd of Yizhou, how about that?"

    Liu Wei's eyes lit up and he stared at Huang Quan closely, "Huang Biejia, could it be that you have some relationship with Cao Cao?"

    "Haha! I have nothing to do with him. He is the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty. I am Yizhou Biejia. I am his vassal. That's all. Don't think too much, Mr. Wei."

    How could Liu Wei believe it? He shook his head, "There is a saying in Shu, don't talk about killing pigs if you don't have money. If you want me to help you persuade your father-in-law to send troops, you can do it, but how can you guarantee your promise? Mr. Huang, it's not  I don¡¯t believe you. You promised me three years ago that you would support me in becoming a pastoralist in Yizhou, but you have done nothing in the past three years. On the contrary, my brother is getting more and more attention from my father. To be honest, I am very fond of you.  disappointment!"

    Huang Quan also knew that Liu Wei would not believe his words if he didn't show anything. He pondered for a moment, then lowered his voice and said: "Cao?He attaches great importance to the affairs of Yizhou. He specially sent someone to find me and asked me to do everything possible to prevent Liu Jing from entering Shu. However, the power of Bashu is weaker than that of Jingzhou. If your father-in-law is willing to send troops to stop Liu Jing, I can persuade Prime Minister Cao to support you.  As an heir, there is absolutely no joke.  "

    Liu Wei's eyes narrowed with a smile. Huang Quan had indeed colluded with Cao Cao, but it would be extremely beneficial to him if Cao Cao supported him.

    "I can give this a try, but I have one condition."

    "Sir, please tell me!"

    "If my father wants to conquer Hanzhong, I hope Huang Gong can convince him to let me lead the army."

    Huang Quan laughed proudly, "Today I persuaded Zhou Mu to agree to Jingzhou's request and let Pang Xi lead the army to Jianping County. In fact, I am giving the young master a chance to win Hanzhong. I am planning this step by step."

    Liu Wei was overjoyed. If his father agreed to Pang Xi's march to establish peace, he would no longer agree to his brother leading the army to Hanzhong. In this way, his opportunity would come. He stood up and bowed deeply, "Everything will be done for you, Mr. Huang!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Xun did not live with his father Liu Zhang. He opened his own house a few years ago and married Pang Xi's daughter. The couple had a deep relationship and had two sons and one daughter. Although Liu Xun tried his best to replace his father-in-law Pang Xi last time.  Begging for mercy, but it does not mean that he supports the Dongzhou scholar line.

    As Liu Zhang's eldest son, he was thinking about the long-term development of Yizhou. Especially his father's appeasement attitude towards Liu Jing made him sad. His father was too cowardly and always had some illusions about Liu Jing. He built his own business on the kindness of others.  superior.

    In the study, Liu Xunzheng and his staff Yin Kuai discussed how to deal with Liu Jing. Yin Kuai was about thirty years old. He was tall, thin and had a foot of green beard under his chin. He had a certain air of immortality.

    He was a famous scholar in Shu. He once worshiped Duke Pang De of Jingzhou as his teacher. He was superior in knowledge and intelligence. He was praised by Duke Pang as the first famous scholar in Shu. He was hired by Liu Xun as an aide to advise him behind the scenes.

    "Do you really think Liu Jing is going to attack Jingnan?"

    Yin Mo sneered and said: "Liu Bei has a small army. Jingzhou can send up to 30,000 troops to annihilate it in one fell swoop. However, Liu Jing has stationed 80,000 troops. This is obviously aimed at Bashu. This is Xiangzhuang's sword dance, aiming at Peigong."  ah!"

    Liu Xun said worriedly: "I also know that Liu Jing is ambitious and bent on seizing Bashu, but my father was coaxed by Liu Jing's sweet words. I really believed that he would let Bashu go and attack Hanzhong. I tried to persuade my father, but he even attacked me.  Angry, what should I do now?¡±

    Yin Mo thought for a moment and said: "It's not necessarily true that Liu Jing wants to take Hanzhong. Judging from the agreement he signed with Yizhou to take Hanzhong together, Zhang Lu's capture of Shangyong this time is most likely a trap set by Liu Jing, who deliberately let  Zhang Lu was fooled, so Liu Jing would be famous for seizing Hanzhong, but Zhang Lu would definitely send heavy troops to fight the Jingzhou army in the Shangyong area, and Hanzhong would be empty at this time, which is really an opportunity to capture Hanzhong. "

    Speaking of this, Yin Mao suggested: "I think the young master can lead the army to conquer Hanzhong and turn Hanzhong into the young master's own sphere of influence. In this way, the young master will have the right to speak in Yizhou. What do you think?"

    Liu Xun walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and sighed in a low voice: "A strange thing happened today, which makes me a little worried."

    "What happened?"

    Liu Xun bit his lip and said: "Today Huang Quan tried his best to persuade my father to agree to Jingzhou's request and hand over Jianping County to my father-in-law. This makes me very strange, because last time Huang Quan made it clear that he did not approve of Dongzhou Shishi guarding Jianping County.  , but his attitude has completely changed today. I¡¯m a little worried that he has ulterior motives!¡±

    "Then what do you think he means?" Yin Mo asked again.

    "Because if my father-in-law leads the army to Jianping County, then my father will not let me lead the army to Hanzhong. My father is very suspicious. He will not let me have too much military power. I am worried that my second brother will lead the army in the end.  Go to Hanzhong.¡±

    Yin Mo was silent for a moment and asked: "It is rumored that the second young master raised three thousand dead men in Mianzhu Manor. Is this true or false?"

    "This thing should be true, but there is no evidence."

    There was silence in the room. Both of them knew in their hearts that Liu Wei wanted to seize the throne. Once he got the military power, the consequences would be very serious. And in the context of Liu Jing's westward expansion, he could do anything.

    At this time, Liu Xun suddenly realized that the Jingzhou army was not his biggest threat, but his brothers. Yizhou was suffering from internal and external troubles, and the crisis was imminent.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 504 Coercion and inducement

    Different from the first time he came to Fuzhong and stayed in Yunshao Fuzhong, this time Sima Yi stayed in a VIP hotel in Chengdu. The conditions were excellent. But Sima Yi also knew that there were people watching him from outside. He couldn't do many things at will, and he couldn't do many things at will.  He couldn't just go and meet them, but this time there were some people he had to meet.

    At night, it started to rain lightly in Chengdu. Thin and dense rain shrouded the whole city. The night was dark. In a corner of the back door of the VIP hotel, two black figures squatted. They were crowded under a small eaves, unable to take shelter from the rain.  , had already been soaked by the rain, and their whole bodies were shivering, and both of them cursed secretly in their hearts.

    At this time, a man wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat, who looked like a follower, walked out of the back door carrying a lantern and walked quickly into the rain. A man watching was about to get up, but was grabbed by another person.

    "Idiot, it's just a servant going out, can you take care of it?"

    The man who was watching just thought about it and continued squatting under the eaves. The two of them took out a bottle of wine, drank it slowly, and cursed the damn rainy day together.

    After the man who came out of the VIP hotel walked half a mile, a carriage drove out from the side road. The man quickly got on the carriage. He took off his bamboo hat. Under the dim light, it was revealed that this man was Sima Yi.

    And this carriage belongs to Jingzhou¡¯s spy base in Yizhou, a well-known tavern. Sima Yi got on the carriage, and a person in the carriage quickly saluted: "See the military advisor!"

    The man in the carriage was named Yu Xin. He was originally a military lord in the Jiangxia army. He was very smart and capable. He was sent to establish an intelligence point in central Shu. In just three years, he provided a large amount of intelligence to Jingzhou and won Liu's favor.  Jing praised him. He was promoted from a military lord to a general, and this year he became a Sima of another department. It was his contribution that Sima Yi was able to establish a relationship with Yun Shao.

    Sima Yi is in charge of intelligence agencies in various places, so he is also Yu Xin¡¯s top boss. Sima Yi also appreciates this capable subordinate very much.

    He nodded and asked, "Have you contacted the Yun family?"

    "Reporting to the military advisor, we have contacted the military advisor. Yun Shao is waiting for the advisor."

    Sima Yi closed his eyes. There were many things and he needed to sort out his thoughts first.

    Not long after, the carriage stopped in front of the gate of Yun Mansion. Yun Shao was already waiting on the steps. He directly welcomed Sima Yi into the inner palace. During this time, Yun Shao felt quite uneasy. When he knew that Jingzhou Army General Liu Bei  After the forces were completely driven out of Jianping County, he understood that the day when the Jingzhou Army attacked Bashu was coming soon.

    But what worries him is, what can he, Yun Shao, gain from Bashu under the control of Liu Jing?  There is no clear answer so far. As a businessman in his heart, clearly marking the price is very important.

    And the arrival of Sima Yi today undoubtedly made Yun Shao feel infinite expectations in his heart.

    Sima Yi went into Yun Shao's inner study and sat down. He took a sip of hot tea and said with a smile, "The outside of your hotel is under strict surveillance by Liu Zhang's men. It's not easy to come out!"

    "The military advisor misunderstood. Those people were not sent by Liu Zhang, but were arranged by the young master."

    "Oh?" Sima Yi asked curiously, "How did Mr. Yun know?"

    "I heard Dr. Fei talk about this today." Yun Shao smiled.

    Fei Langzhong refers to Fei Guan. He is Liu Zhang¡¯s son-in-law and the Fei clan of Liu Zhang¡¯s mother. He is the most famous family in Chengdu and is a native of Jingzhou. Dongzhou scholars received the protection of the Fei family and were able to settle down in Bashu.

    But that¡¯s not the problem. It¡¯s not easy for Yun Shao, a nouveau riche, to be able to establish a relationship with the Fei family. Sima Yi knew that just last year, the Yun family¡¯s status as a nouveau riche was looked down upon by Yizhou¡¯s famous families.

    Sima Yi took a deep look at him and said with a smile: "It seems that Mr. Yun has been very diligent these past few months!"

    In fact, Yun Shao himself didn¡¯t know why. Fei Guan took the initiative to visit him a few days ago and established a friendship with him. He couldn¡¯t explain it and quickly leaned forward and said: ¡°I will try my best to do something for the Marquis of Chu.¡±

    Sima Yi nodded, "You also know that our Mrs. Zhou Mu is the daughter of the Tao family, so the Marquis of Chu does not discriminate against merchants, and even encourages merchants to develop trade. When I told the Marquis of Chu about Yungong's contribution, he  He appreciated it very much and said, 'It's not about one's birth, but about one's military merit.' Mr. Yun, do you understand?"

    Yun Shao suddenly became excited. Of course he understood what Liu Jing meant. Even if he was a businessman, he could still be a high-ranking official. At this time, Sima Yi took out another letter from his arms, handed it to him and said with a smile: "  This is Chuhou¡¯s personal letter to you, please read it!¡±

    Yun Shao was stunned for a moment. He never dreamed that Liu Jing would write a handwritten letter to him. He couldn't help but feel extremely excited. He slowly took the letter and read it carefully. His heart was filled with gratitude.

    In the letter, Liu Jing praised him without hesitation.At the end of the letter, Liu Jing gave him what he had dreamed of. Liu Jing made a clear promise to make him a marquis in the future and protect his property in Bashu.

    Sima Yi has been watching Yun Shao's expression. Yun Shao will also be a key piece to realize their Bashu plan. To make Yun Shao work for them wholeheartedly, he must use threats, inducements and other means. To this end, Liu Jing did not hesitate to write  A handwritten letter.

    "Yun Gong, I don't want to hide some things from you. The attack on Jingnan is just a pretense. Eighty thousand elite troops are stationed in Jiangling to prepare for the attack on Bashu. But now we encounter a problem. We are unknown, so on this issue we  It needs to be solved urgently, which is also the main purpose of coming to see Mr. Yun tonight.¡±

    Yun Shao nodded silently. Of course he understood what Sima Yi meant, which was to entrust this matter to himself. What could he do if he entrusted such an important task to himself?

    "Please tell me, military advisor! As long as Yun Shao can do it, I will do my best."

    "Actually, only Mr. Yun can do this."

    Sima Yi lowered his voice and said a few words. Yun Shao's face suddenly changed, with a look of panic in his eyes, "I'm afraid I can't do this!"

    Sima Yi's face sank, "You can do it. Only your daughter can do this. Zhou Mu wrote to you personally, promising you a noble title. I even leaked Jingzhou's biggest secret to you, but you said you can't do it.  , Mr. Yun, what you said is regrettable!¡±

    Yun Shao lowered his head and didn't say a word for a long time. Sima Yi said coldly: "You should have seen the situation in front of you. Cao Cao was defeated in Chibi, and Jiangdong was also crippled by us. Now no one can stop Jingzhou from expanding westward.  But Jingzhou has taken Bashu and Hanzhong into its hands, and Yun Gong will also become a subject of Chu Hou. Does Yun Gong want to share the wealth, or become a victim of Jingzhou's westward expansion?"

    "What do you mean by the military advisor's words?" Yun Shao raised his head and stared at Sima Yi uneasily.

    "It's very simple. Once Liu Zhang knows about the cooperation between Yun Gong and Jingzhou, what will be the consequences? Zhang Song's lessons are not far away. Does Yun Gong also want to follow Zhang Song's old path?"

    Yun Shao suddenly turned pale with fright and trembled all over. After a while, he whispered: "But what about my daughter?"

    "Yunniang is still young and can remarry. As long as Mr. Yun becomes a great hero in Jingzhou, gets a title and a promotion, his family owns thousands of acres of fertile land, and the house is full of money, are you still afraid that no one will marry your daughter?"

    Sima Yi¡¯s words had been very clear. The inducements and threats made Yun Shao finally give in. After a while, he asked: ¡°I¡¯m just worried about whether Yun Niang will be implicated.¡±

    Sima Yi took out a small porcelain bottle and put it on the table, and laughed in a low voice: "This thing is colorless and odorless. It will take effect three days later. It's just that Yun Niang was not there at the time. No one would think that she was responsible for it. Maybe they would think that it was her fault."  It¡¯s Zhang Lu, or Mr. Wei or Mr. Xun, what does Mr. Yun have to worry about?¡±

    Yun Shao stared at the small porcelain bottle, and finally gritted his teeth, "Okay! I won't let Chu Hou down."

    Sima Yi was overjoyed and gave a thumbs up and praised: "We, the Marquis of Chu, are not people who burn bridges when crossing rivers. Please rest assured that we will never treat the Yun family badly in the future."

    It was raining heavily, the sky was dark, and the street was quiet with no pedestrians. Only occasionally for a few days would wild dogs chase each other and fight, making shrill screams and rushing around the corner like a gust of wind.

    But there was a man kneeling on the steps in front of the Zhou Mu Mansion, already soaked to the skin. It was Wang Lei who had joined the army. He raised his neck from time to time and shouted loudly: "Zhou Mu, please give up Hanzhong, don't fall into Jingzhou's trick!"

    His voice was very desolate, echoing in the sound of rain, but there was no response. At this time, a porter couldn't bear it and came out with a hat and raincoat to put on him, but he pushed him away.

    "Go away! If Zhou Mu doesn't agree with me, I will kneel here all night."

    "Zhou Mu, please wake up! Jingzhou wants to plot Bashu, not Hanzhong. They want Zhou Mu to lead him astray." Wang Lei shouted again.

    In the courtyard inside the gate, several maids held umbrellas for Liu Zhang. Liu Zhang stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes solemn. Wang Lei's persuasion moved him a little. Liu Zhang seemed to want to go out to comfort Wang Lei, but he seemed a little hesitant.  , he didn¡¯t want to indulge in this extreme persuasion too much.

    "If Zhou Mu doesn't agree, I would rather die!" Wang Lei's shout came again.

    The corner of Liu Zhang's mouth twitched violently, and Wang Lei actually threatened him with death. The slightest emotion in Liu Zhang's heart suddenly disappeared.

    He snorted heavily, feeling extremely annoyed, and turned around and walked towards the inner courtyard. He had his own ideas and difficulties. Did Wang Lei really think that he, Liu Zhang, was that stupid?  A minister who does not understand his lord's difficulties will also not receive his lord's understanding.

    The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and Wang Lei, who had been kneeling on the steps for two hours, finallyUnable to hold on any longer, his body went limp and he rolled down the steps, fainting in the rain.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sima Yi returned to the VIP hotel. He changed his clothes and sat at the table to write a letter. His figure was long and dragged on the wall under the light. At this time, Sima Yi suddenly heard something, and he was startled.  He put down his pen, picked up the oil lamp and walked towards the window.

    Just when he took a step forward, suddenly ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, the window was smashed open, and a black figure jumped into the room from outside. The long sword in his hand flashed with cold light. At the moment when the rabbit was up and the falcon was about to fall, the man in black stabbed Sima Yi in the throat with his sword.

    Sima Yi was shocked by the sudden change. He instinctively blocked it with the oil lamp in his hand, only to hear 'Dang!  ¡¯ With a sound, the long sword was swung half a foot away and stabbed into the air. The oil lamp couldn¡¯t be held firmly and fell out of hand. The room suddenly became pitch black.

    Sima Yi seized this fleeting opportunity, turned around and ran away, shouting: "Come quickly, there are assassins!"

    But the swordsman was extremely skilled. Although it was suddenly difficult to see in the darkness, he knew Sima Yi's position and felt that Sima Yi was about to run out of the room.

    The assassin jumped up and rushed toward Sima Yi like a fish jumping out of the water. His long sword pierced Sima Yi's back of the heart. He only heard "Poof!"  ¡¯ With a sound, a sword hit Sima Yi right in the back of the heart, but the sword bent a bit and did not penetrate.

    Just when the blow was not hurt, Sima Yi rushed out of the room, and five guards also rushed over after hearing the sound. They drew their swords, one person protected Sima Yi, and the other four rushed into the room.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sima Yi¡¯s face was pale and he was in shock. Seeing that his clothes had been pierced through the back of his heart, the soldier who was protecting him couldn¡¯t help but be surprised and said: ¡°Military advisor, are you injured?¡±

    Sima Yi waved his hand, and he slowly untied his clothes, revealing a suit of fine armor. It was Liu Jing who gave him the silver silk armor, and he wore it this time when he entered Shu.

    Sima Yi sighed slightly: "When Zhou Mu gave it to me, I didn't take it seriously, but I didn't expect it really saved my life."

    At this time, Sima Yi suddenly remembered something and hurriedly shouted to the room: "Don't kill him, capture him alive!"

    These guards were all selected from the Eagle Attack Army. They were all highly skilled in martial arts and experienced in actual combat. In just a moment, the assassin who broke into the room was stabbed and fell to the ground. Another assassin who was hiding in the tree outside the yard was stabbed and fell to the ground.  Seeing that the situation was not good, a responding assassin quickly escaped.

    At this time, a guard came out, shook his head and said: "Military advisor, I'm sorry, the assassin has committed suicide by taking poison."

    Sima Yi was stunned. He slowly approached his study room and saw that the lights were on, the table was overturned, boxes and cages were broken, there was blood everywhere, and the floor was in a mess.

    Lying against the wall was an assassin in black. He had been stabbed three times, but it was not fatal. The mask on his face had been torn off. He was a man in his thirties, with a dark face and distorted facial features.  , looked very hideous, and had obviously committed suicide by taking poison.

    When Guan Cheng heard about the assassin, he was so frightened that he ran over. If something happened to Sima Yi, he would lose his head. "Sima Military Advisor, are you okay?" Guan Cheng asked in a tearful voice.

    Sima Yi turned to look at him and said coldly: "Go and report Liu Zhoumu immediately, I want you to go now!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 505 Sima Yi is assassinated

    The news of Sima Yi's assassination shocked Liu Zhang. He rushed to the VIP hotel as quickly as possible. At this time, the VIP hotel was tightly protected by two thousand soldiers. No one was allowed to enter or exit. Even the people who were monitoring the outside had left.  .  .

    In the yard, nearly a hundred guards were checking the surroundings. The soil under the big tree where the assassin was hiding had also been turned upside down, as if the assassin would hide some important clues under the big tree. Even the thick branches had been turned over.  It was cut down cleanly, but the guards found nothing.

    In the room, Liu Zhang, surrounded by more than a dozen guards, stared at the dead assassin with a gloomy face. At this time, a guard who was checking on the assassin came forward and whispered a few words in Liu Zhang's ear. Liu Zhang's eyes suddenly burst out with anger.  With a look of shame, the assassin's identity was obviously recognized.

    At this time, Sima Yi walked into the room and said coldly: "Can Zhou Mu give me an explanation as to who wants to put me to death? In addition, who sent someone to monitor me outside the building? I hope Zhou Mu can be fair."  deal with."

    Liu Zhang looked a little embarrassed, and after a while he said: "Please rest assured, Military Advisor Sima, Chengdu is not a place where you can mess around. I will definitely give an explanation to the Military Advisor."

    His eyes fell on Guan Cheng and he shouted angrily, "You damn guy, what's the point of keeping you? Push him out and kill him."

    Several guards rushed forward like wolves and tigers, grabbed the Guan Cheng and left. The Guan Cheng was frightened out of his wits and begged loudly: "You know your crime, please spare my life! Zhou Mu, spare my life!"

    Sima Yi said coldly: "Can I give an account to Jingzhou by killing a Guan Cheng?"

    Liu Zhang's face turned red and white, and after a while he ordered again: "Spare his life and give me fifty sticks!"

    The guards arrested Guan Cheng, and Liu Zhang said sincerely to Sima Yi: "Please rest assured, military advisor, I guarantee that this will not happen again."

    Sima Yi shook his head, "This is not a question of whether there will be a next time. I want to report this assassination to my lord. I have decided to return to Jingzhou tomorrow, so I ask the state pastor to give me a clear answer before noon tomorrow. Will he send troops to Hanzhong?"  "

    Liu Zhang had no choice but to nod and agree, "Okay! I will definitely give Sima Military Advisor an answer before noon tomorrow."

    The two maids carried lanterns and led Liu Xun through the corridor thoughtfully, all the way to Liu Zhang's outer study. The maid stopped and said to Liu Xun: "The master is waiting in the room, please come in, sir!"

    Liu Xun walked into the room and saw his father standing in front of the map with his hands behind his hands, looking at the map on the wall with a livid face. Liu Xun felt uneasy and quickly knelt down and said: "My son, see your father!"

    "Looking at the good things you have done, you are really capable!" Liu Zhang said coldly without looking back.

    Liu Xun broke out in cold sweat on his forehead and whispered: "My child just wanted to know who was secretly dealing with Sima Yi, so I sent someone to monitor him."

    "Surveillance?"

    Liu Zhang sneered, "Is rushing into his room with a sword also called surveillance?"

    "My child doesn't understand what his father is talking about?" Liu Xun lowered his head guiltily.

    Liu Zhang suddenly became furious, turned around and gave him a slap in the face, kicked Liu Xun to the ground, pointed at him and cursed: "You are so brave, you still dare to quibble! That assassin is not  Did you assign him? "You think I can't recognize him?"

    Liu Xun was so frightened that he was trembling all over. He no longer dared to deny it. He kowtowed and said in a tearful tone: "My child realizes his mistake! Father, please calm down and my child will plead guilty!"

    Liu Zhang was furious and his chest heaved violently. He stared at his son for a long time, and finally held back his anger and asked: "Who asked you to do this, Yin Mao?"

    Liu Xun shook his head repeatedly, "He even objected to spying on Sima Yi. How could he send Wang Yi to assassinate him? In fact, the child didn't understand. I clearly only ordered Wang Yi to go to the inner courtyard to monitor Sima Yi and didn't let him be an assassin. How could he do it without permission?  Rush in, father, I really don¡¯t want to kill Sima Yi, that will give Liu Jing the leverage to attack Bashu, and I¡¯m really confused.¡±

    "Hmph! You still dare to lie? Then Wang Yi has been with you for ten years and was once your personal bodyguard. Do you think I am a stupid pig?"

    Liu Zhang didn¡¯t believe his son¡¯s excuse at all. Wang Yi was dead anyway, so it would be the easiest thing to shift the responsibility to a dead person. Liu Zhang knew that his eldest son was generous on the surface, but secretly liked to play a little clever. He had already identified Liu Xun as the perpetrator.

    "Why didn't you tell me what you did? Tell me! What else did you do without telling me?"

    The more Liu Zhang thought about it, the angrier he became and couldn't help roaring. This was the thing he was most taboo about. His son actually did such a thing without permission. Just like he also admitted that once Sima Yi had a problem in Bashu, Liu Jing would seize the opportunity and take advantage of it.  If you send troops to Yizhou to investigate, what can you do to resist?

    Liu Zhang was so angry that he raised his arms again and slapped his son twice. Blood flowed from Liu Xun's face.With tears streaming down his face, he didn't dare to move. Liu Zhang roared: "Get out! Get out!"

    Liu Xun wiped away his tears, stood up slowly and retreated.

    Liu Zhang paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. He was very agitated. This unexpected assassination incident gave Sima Yi an excuse to leave Chengdu and return to Jingzhou tomorrow, which made him very passive. He had to give a reply before noon tomorrow. This  How should he reply?  He hasn't made up his mind yet.

    At the same time, he also wanted to give Jingzhou an explanation, who sent the assassin?  This is not just Sima Yi's own matter. Sima Yi represents Jingzhou. His assassination is a major event between Yizhou and Jingzhou. Due to emotional and rational reasons, he must give an explanation to Jingzhou. Even if Sima Yi is not dead, Jingzhou can still take it.  They made a fuss about this matter and sent troops to Yizhou to force them to hand over the murderer.

    In fact, Liu Jing has already caught the handle, and Sima Yi's intention is already very clear. If there is no reply to Hanzhong at noon tomorrow, the Jingzhou Army will send troops to investigate.

    Liu Zhang sighed deeply, how could his eldest son be so stupid? Can he really hand over Yizhou to him?

    At this time, a guard reported outside the door: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Huang Biejia is asking for an urgent meeting!"

    Huang Quan arrived just in time, and Liu Zhang was also looking for him. Liu Zhang nodded, "Invite him in!"

    After a moment, Huang Quan hurriedly walked in. He bowed and saluted, "I'm here to see you, Zhou Mu!"

    "Do you know about Sima Yi's assassination?" Liu Zhang asked with a sigh.

    "Wei Chen just heard, who did this? This is a serious matter of bad state animal husbandry!" Huang Quan pretended to be angry.

    "Hmph! It was my unlucky idiot who did it, and he still doesn't admit it."

    Huang Quan was stunned and didn't say a word for a long time. Liu Zhang glanced at him and smiled bitterly: "You didn't expect it! The person who will succeed Yizhou Mu in the future can be so short-sighted, so bold, and so disappointing to me!"

    Liu Zhang used three "such"s in a row, which showed that he was really disappointed with his son. Huang Quan was secretly happy. Liu Zhang really believed that it was Liu Xungian's good deeds, but Huang Quan did not dare to express his position and remained silent.

    "Why don't you speak?" Liu Zhang gave him a strange look.

    "I don't know what to say. After all, this is Zhou Mu's family matter, and it is not the minister's responsibility to judge."

    Liu Zhang nodded, this answer satisfied him, and he suddenly asked: "What urgent matter do you need to see me?"

    Huang Quan quickly bowed and said: "We have just received the news from Hanzhong. Zhang Lu once again sent 30,000 troops to Shangyong and Hanshui to prepare to resist the Jingzhou army's attack. If we remove the scattered soldiers from all over Hanzhong, then Nan  There are only a few thousand soldiers left in Zhengcheng, Zhou Mu, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

    Liu Zhang's eyes lit up. This was indeed an opportunity, but then his eyes dimmed and he sighed: "I have already decided to send troops to Hanzhong. Now I am in a dilemma. Should I take Hanzhong as my own or give it to Liu Zhang?"  Jing?¡±

    Huang Quan smiled sinisterly and said: "Zhou Mu, this matter is actually very simple. After we occupy Hanzhong, we will ask the imperial court for instructions. If the imperial court orders Zhou Mu to lead Hanzhong, then Zhou Mu can give an explanation to Liu Jing.  Let him go to the imperial court. As long as the imperial court agrees to give Hanzhong to him, we will withdraw our troops immediately. "

    Liu Zhang nodded. This was actually just an excuse. He was even more worried that Liu Jing would become angry because of this and attack Bashu on a large scale. He lowered his head in thought and didn't say a word for a long time.

    Huang Quan understood his worries and advised again: "Zhou Mu, please think about it. Cao Cao will never let Liu Jing seize Bashu. We might as well ask Cao Cao for help. I think Cao Cao will never sit idly by and do nothing as long as Liu Jing  If we dare to send troops to Bashu, Cao's army will definitely press south, and we have occupied Hanzhong. If Liu Jing sends troops to establish peace, we will send troops to Xiangyang from Shangyong to cooperate with Cao's army to put pressure, so that we will be safe."

    Liu Zhang's eyes slowly lit up. He had not thought of this. It was as if the knot in his heart was suddenly untied. The worries in his heart suddenly disappeared without a trace. More importantly, he wanted Hanzhong, and he didn't even think about it.  I don¡¯t want to give Hanzhong to Liu Jing.

    Liu Zhang lifted his head and laughed, "I understand!"

    Liu Zhang was very appreciative in his heart. He patted Huang Quan on the shoulder and said, "You are worthy of being my boss. He can hold up the falling sky for me at the critical moment. Okay! That's very well said."

    Huang Quan cupped his hands again and said, "Wei Chen has another suggestion."

    At this time, Liu Zhang had already obeyed Huang Quan's advice. He smiled happily and said, "Go ahead! I'll listen."

    Huang Quan whispered: "Liu Jing proposed to let Pang Xi take over Jianping County. Although we can only agree, we must also be prepared."

    This sentence touched Liu Zhang¡¯s heart. He also suspected that Pang Xi and Liu Jing were colluding, otherwiseWhy did Liu Jing appoint Pang Xi to take over Jianping County?  This is not for no reason!

    "Tell me, how can we defend ourselves?" Liu Zhang asked hurriedly.

    "Wei Chen thinks that we should make two preparations. First, as long as Pang Xi sends troops to establish peace, Yan Yan can be ordered to take over Badong County and establish a defense line in Badong County. Secondly, we must be careful to follow the young master."

    "Why?"

    Liu Zhang was a little stunned. Although he was furious with his son, he just thought he was stupid and not to the point of being defensive about his son, so Huang Quan's suggestion puzzled him.

    Huang Quan sighed and said: "Wei Chen is worried that Pang Xi will counterattack Yan Yan. If the Dongzhou scholars make trouble and conflict with the Bashu clan, Pang Xi will probably ask Mr. Xun for help at this time. After all, they are Weng's son-in-law, Wei Chen  What I mean is that it is best not to let Mr. Xun take over the military power."

    Liu Zhang looked at the roof with his hands behind his hands. He originally planned to let Liu Xun lead the troops to Hanzhong. Huang Quan's words made him hesitate. Thinking that Liu Xun had interceded for Pang Xi more than once, Liu Zhang also felt that Huang Quan was right.  The truth is, if Pang Xi really rebels, Xun'er cannot be allowed to take charge of the army.

    "Then who do you think I should send to lead the army to Hanzhong? Wu Yi or Zhang Ren?"

    "No! No! Zhang Lu's lesson comes first. Zhou Mu must never send outsiders to lead the army to Hanzhong again. Wei Chen suggested that Mr. Wei lead the army to Hanzhong."

    Liu Zhang thought for a moment about letting his second son lead the army to Hanzhong. This was a good way to balance the power of his eldest son. If the eldest son dared to send people to assassinate Sima Yi today, he would not know what shocking things he would do tomorrow.

    "Okay! Just follow what others say."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 506 Turbulence

    Huang Quan left the Prefectural Shepherd's Mansion, but did not go back to his own mansion. Instead, he went to Liu Wei's mansion. It was already one o'clock, the street was quiet, and most of the lights were turned off.  When the carriage stopped in front of Liu Wei's house, the concierge who was supposed to be sleeping unexpectedly opened the side door, stuck his head out and asked, "Who is it?"

    Huang Quan couldn't help but sneered. Liu Wei asked the concierge to keep an eye on what was going on outside at such a late hour. Didn't he have a guilty conscience?

    "It's me!" Huang Quan said to the concierge: "I know your master is not sleeping. Tell him that I want to see him immediately."

    The concierge rushed away, and Huang Quan also walked into the side door to wait. After a while, Liu Wei hurried over. He was neatly dressed and had indeed not rested. Liu Wei asked nervously: "Don't drive, what happened?"

    Huang Quan glanced at the servants around him and said coldly: "This is not the place to talk."

    "Please come to my study to talk."

    Liu Wei quickly invited Huang Quan to the study, served him a cup of tea, and asked uneasily: "Don't drive, what happened?"

    "Hmph! What have you done yourself, do you still want to ask me?"

    Liu Wei's expression was a bit unnatural, and he avoided Huang Quan's sharp scrutiny with a guilty conscience, and said, "I don't understand what you mean by don't drive?"

    Huang Quan looked at him for a moment, then suddenly stood up and said, "In that case, I won't disturb the young master's rest. I'll take my leave!"

    He turned around and left. Liu Wei was so frightened that he stopped him quickly and bowed repeatedly, "Please stay if you don't drive. I'll tell you the truth!"

    Huang Quan sat down again and looked at him, "Tell me! What did you do?"

    Liu Wei had no choice but to sigh and said: "I bought Wang Yi with a thousand taels of gold and ordered him to assassinate Sima Yi and frame it for his brother. I just got news from another subordinate that Wang Yi missed and the assassination was not successful."

    "It was indeed you who did it!"

    Huang Quan snorted coldly and said, "I think Liu Xun may send someone to monitor him, but he will never be stupid enough to assassinate Jingzhou's military advisor. It can only be done by you."

    Huang Quan's questioning attitude made Liu Wei feel uncomfortable, and he asked coldly: "Do you want to accuse me?"

    Huang Quan sighed for a while, "You are just lucky. Your father actually believed that it was Mr. Xun who did it. He was furious with him, beating and scolding him, and finally deprived him of the qualification to lead troops to Hanzhong. Of course, this was in my  Under reminder.¡±

    This news made Liu Wei surprised and happy. He suddenly realized that his attitude towards Huang Quan was wrong. He quickly apologized to him again, "I was rude to you just now, so I apologize to you again!"

    Huang Quan waved his hand, "I don't care about your attitude, but I want you to tell me the truth. If you don't tell the truth, I will lose many opportunities to help you. I might as well tell the young master that I have convinced your father.  Let you lead the troops to conquer Hanzhong."

    Speaking of this, a proud smile appeared on Huang Quan's face. Liu Wei was overjoyed. He knelt down and bowed his head to the ground to salute. He said gratefully: "I will keep your kindness in mind."

    "You don't need to thank me. Just remember one thing. As long as you follow Prime Minister Cao's instructions and deal with Liu Jing with all your strength, then Prime Minister Cao will definitely support you as a shepherd in Yizhou. Prime Minister Cao is the court. With the support of the court, you are still worried.  what?"

    Liu Wei nodded silently, "If you don't drive, I will remember it!"

    On the morning of the next day, Liu Zhang formally replied to Sima Yi. He decided to implement the agreement between the two parties and send troops to conquer Hanzhong. Sima Yi left Chengdu and returned to Jingzhou that day.

    Liu Zhang immediately appointed his second son Liu Wei as the General of the Northern Campaign, and Wu Yi as his deputy general. The two led an army of 40,000 men to march northward to Hanzhong, and the war began in Bashu.

    In Badong County, an army of about 5,000 people is also marching eastward along the rugged official road. This army is the Badong Army led by Pang Xi. The Badong Army has about 10,000 people.  It was not Liu Zhang's army, but the army formed by Dongzhou scholars when they resisted Zhao Wei's rebellion in the fifth year of Jian'an. They killed Zhao Wei in Bajun. That year Liu Zhang officially took control of Bashu. It was also that year that the young  Gan Ning escaped from Bashu to resist Zhao Wei and became a Jinfan thief.

    This army composed of Dongzhou people survived and was gradually controlled by Pang Xi. It became the basis for Dongzhou people to survive in Bashu. In the eighth year of Jian'an, Pang Xi was forced out of Chengdu and became the governor of Badong. This army  Also became the Badong Army.

    It was the spring of the fifteenth year of Jian'an, when the fate of Bashu was once again swept by the wheel of history. The Badong Army also left Badong County and headed for Jianping County. According to the Jing-Shu Agreement, Yizhou had already sent troops to Hanzhong, so Yizhou  The army will also take over Jianping County.

    When Hanzhong officially belongs to Jingzhou, Liu Jing will return Yidu County to Bashu. This will also be the return of the two counties that Liu Biao occupied during the civil strife in Bashu in the fifth year of Jian'an.?Bashu.

    Pang Xi was riding on a war horse, and the moonlight shone on his pale and slender face. There was no expression on his face, and his eyes were coldly staring at the official road ahead. According to the order given to him by Liu Jing, he should put a  All Wan Badong's army was brought to Jianping County, but Pang Xi did not do so. He did not fully obey Liu Jing's order, but only led five thousand troops to Jianping County.

    He had been running Badong County for seven years. He had too many interests there and he could not give up. So he left Deng Zhi and his confidant General Li Yao to guard Badong County, while he himself went to take over Jianping County. Compared with  While Badong County is rich and prosperous, Jianping County is just a barren Three Gorges region with only four county towns. More than 90% of the entire county's terrain is made up of endless mountains, which he doesn't like very much.

    Pang Xi also didn't like the orders given to him by Liu Jing. Who was he? The first senator in Yizhou, he was once the councilor of the imperial court. He even supported Liu Zhang as the leader of Yizhou. When he went to Jingzhou, Liu Biao  He also regarded him as his younger brother, and Liu Jing was just a junior who rose up later. When Pang Xi went to Jingzhou in the sixth year of Jian'an, Liu Biao had just had the idea to bring his nephew from his hometown to Jingzhou.

    Now Liu Jing is actually giving orders to him, without consulting him, giving orders directly, completely forgetting that Pang Xi is not yet a subject of Jingzhou, Liu Jing is just a junior who has just become the shepherd of Jingzhou, why should she listen to him?  Order.

    Although Pang Xi was somewhat dissatisfied with Liu Jing's order, he did not refuse to march eastward to Jianping in the end. He also knew that this was the overall situation of the Jingzhou Army. If he harmed the interests of the Jingzhou Army, the end would not be good. In addition, the  Jianping County gave it to him, and he was happy to accept this unexpected gift.

    Driven by this ambivalence of worrying about gains and losses, Pang Xi led an army of 5,000 people to march eastward in accordance with Liu Jing's order.

    It is not far from Yufu County to Wucheng. The distance is only forty miles. Walking along the rugged official road along the river, more than two hours later, the army led by Pang Xi arrived under Wucheng. Wucheng is located  The terrain is high and condescending to Bashu. The terrain is dangerous and blocks the official road to the east. Pedestrians and caravans going east must pass through the city.

    At this time, the guard general of Wucheng is still Colonel Liu Zheng. He leads the 500 Eagle Attack Army and 2,000 reorganized Jingnan surrender troops to guard this most dangerous mountain city on the Jingshu Road. Just three days ago,  Sima Yi returned to Jingzhou from Wucheng and handed over Liu Jing's order to him. The order was very clear. Jianping County would be handed over to Pang Xi, and Liu Zhengze would lead his army to retreat eastward to Yidu County.

    At this time, the west city gate opened, and Liu Zheng came out. Lao Yuan cupped his hands and said with a smile, "May I ask if Prefect Pang is here?"

    Pang Xi glanced at this thin and famous Jingzhou general. He did not dismount, but sat on the horse and said calmly: "I am Pang Xi!"

    Pang Xi's cold attitude made Liu Zheng a little uncomfortable. He suppressed his displeasure and said: "I follow the order of the lord to hand over Wu City to Prefect Pang. Please ask the prefect to come into the city and go through the handover procedures with me!"

    Pang Xi frowned and asked, "Isn't Sima Military Advisor in the city?"

    "He left three days ago, and I am fully responsible for the entire Jianping County."

    "I thought he would hand over Jianping County to me!"

    Pang Xi snorted dissatisfied and urged his horse to go into the city. At this time, Liu Zheng's subordinate Sun Yan was angered by Pang Xi's rudeness and almost drew his sword. Liu Zheng held him down and whispered an order.  Said: "Don't be impulsive, we will leave as soon as we pay the mission."

    Liu Zheng also rode into the city, riding alongside Pang Xi, and introduced him to the situation in the city, "There are a total of 1,400 households in the city, and my army is 2,560 people, as well as Zigui and Xin.  I will take away all the 1,500 garrison troops in Ling County, leaving no one behind. In addition, there are 47,000 dan of grain, 30,000 dans of fodder, and more than 400 mules and horses in the official warehouse in the city.  I will leave these to Governor Pang.¡±

    When Pang Xi heard that he had left all the grain, grass, mules and horses for him, his face looked better. He forced a smile and said, "Thank you so much, General Liu. Let's go through the formalities!"

    "Prefect Pang, please follow me!"

    Bajun is also known as Chongqing in later generations. As the prefect of Bajun, Yan Yan has been stationed in Bajun for eight years. He not only controls Bajun with the post of prefect, but also serves as the captain of Bajun and Brazil.  Ten thousand troops, and the Yan family is also a Bajun family, with a sphere of influence all over Badi.

    Originally, Badong County was also the Yan family's sphere of influence, controlling the trade and shipping of Yufu County. However, since Pang Xi became the governor of Badong, he took away all the Yan family's interests in Badong County, and the Yan family's power was also eliminated.  Excluded from Badong County, from a personal point of view, Yan Yan and Pang Xi have always had a grudge. From the eighth year of Jian'an to the present, the two have never had any contact.

    On the other hand, when Zhao Wei rebelled, Yan Yan was Zhao Wei's general at first. He led his troops in a fierce battle with the Dongzhou Army led by Pang Xi, defeated the Dongzhou Army, and killed thousands of Dongzhou's disciples.  Although Yan Yan later surrendered to Liu Zhang, the hatred between the two also began at that time.It's down.

    Liu Zhang was secretly jealous of Pang Xi, fearing that he would collude with Liu Biao and betray Yizhou's interests, so he took advantage of Yan Yan and Pang Xi's hatred and secretly ordered Yan Yan to monitor Pang Xi. Pang Xi also knew that it was for this reason that they  There is no room for reconciliation between the two.

    In the military office, Yan Yan got the news that Pang Xi led his army to Jianping County, and immediately ordered his staff Peng Yi to come. As soon as Peng Yi entered the door, he smiled and said: "If I guessed correctly, there should be someone from Badong County."  News.¡±

    Yan Yan nodded, "I just got the news that Pang Xi led 5,000 troops to Wucheng. There are only 5,000 troops stationed in Yufu County. Sir, do you think I can send troops to Badong immediately?"

    According to the strategy they discussed last time, as long as Pang Xi's army leaves Badong, they will immediately march in to occupy Badong. Now the opportunity has come.

    Peng Yi pondered for a moment and said: "It is morally untenable to send troops to Badong now. After all, Pang Xi was ordered by Liu Zhang to take over Jianping County. I suggest the general wait a little longer. Once Liu Jing's army advances westward, Pang Xi  As long as Xinling County is sacrificed, we can use Pang Xi's collusion with Jingzhou to send troops to Badong, and the reason is very sufficient."

    Yan Yan stroked his beard and smiled and said: "Sir, what I said is exactly what I meant. I think the state pastor will definitely send an order. We might as well wait patiently."

 Volume 2, Jiangxia, Chapter 507: Advancing the troops to attack

    Jiangling, a month has passed since the Jingzhou army attacked Jingnan. Although from a comparison of strength, this battle with a disparity in strength should be acceptable in half a month, but in fact, the Jingzhou army began to gather in early January, and it has been three months since  It's mid-month, and the war still shows no sign of ending.

    Judging from the various battle reports from the Jingzhou Army, it was because the Jingzhou Army encountered stubborn resistance from Liu Bei's army in Hengyang County. The war was very fierce and the Jingzhou Army's offensive was unfavorable.

    Of course, Liu Jing was patiently waiting for news from Bashu. In fact, only 10,000 of his 80,000 troops went to Jingnan counties to take over the cities, while 70,000 troops were stationed on both sides of the Yangtze River, waiting for orders to march westward to Bashu.

    In the morning, a ferry came from the other side of the Yangtze River. Liu Jing was standing on the pier, waiting for the ferry to dock. The person coming from the other side was Liu Xian, the son of Liu Du, the prefect of Lingling. For Liu Jing, he saw  Liu Xian came to contact him not because Liu Du was the governor of Lingling, but because Liu Xian came to contact him on behalf of the Liu family.

    The Liu family was divided into two after Cao Jun went south. A small part followed Liu Cong to Yedu, while most of them went south to Jingnan to join Liu Qi, but no one went to Jiangxia to join Liu Jing. The main reason for this is  On the body of Liu Du, the prefect of Lingling.

    Liu Du has a high prestige in the Liu clan, second only to Liu Biao, and he treats his clan members very well. As early as when Liu Biao was critically ill, he began to help the clan members buy houses and land in Lingling, help them transfer their property, and arrange their retreat.  .

    It is precisely because most of the clan members' property has been transferred to Lingling that when Cao's army went south, most of the Liu clan in Jingzhou crossed the river to Lingling to escape the war. Even Liu Hu's parents went to Lingling.  .

    Another reason is that Liu Bei reused the Liu Biao clan. In addition to Liu Du as the prefect of Lingling, Liu Pan also served as the prefect of Hengyang, and Liu Lian served as the magistrate of Wuling County. Not to mention that Liu Qi was also the nominal master of Jingnan.

    However, the situation in Jingnan is over. Seeing that Liu Bei is about to go south to Jiaozhou, Liu Jing will unify Jingzhou, and the Liu clan must make a choice.

    Should you continue to follow Liu Bei to Jiaozhou, or return to Xiangyang?  Everyone had their own ideas, but Liu Lian was accidentally captured in Xiling County and brought back Liu Jing's message.

    The call to return to Xiangyang gradually gained the upper hand among the Liu clan. As the Jingzhou army began to move south, Liu Du sent his son Liu Xian to Jiangling to discuss the return of the family with Liu Jing.

    Although Liu Jing is extremely disgusted with these grassroots tribesmen, no one came to vote for him when he was in Jiangxia. Now that he has unified Jingzhou and is shameless, it seems that it is still a favor to him. Liu Jing can't wait to drive all these powerful tribesmen to Jiaozhou.

    But Liu Jing also knew that when he aspired to the world, he still needed these tribesmen to shout for him in the royal family. These tribesmen were still useful to him, so he suppressed his dissatisfaction and came to greet Liu Xian.

    The ferry slowly docked, and Liu Xian stepped off the bow. He was about thirty years old, with a medium build and handsome appearance. He was a very typical scholar. However, he had also assisted his father in handling government affairs for many years and served as a prefect. He also gradually  He was trained to become a shrewd and capable county official.

    Liu Xian saw Liu Jing on the pier at a glance. Although he had only met Liu Jing a few times, Liu Jing left a deep impression on him. He had already told his father that if the patriarch passed on the position of state pastor to his nephew, he would not pass it on to his nephew.  Son, maybe that¡¯s the wise move.

    Facts have proved that his prediction was completely correct. Liu Jing not only saved Jingzhou, but also built Jingzhou into a powerful Han prince within a few years, which was far behind the patriarch of the year.

    Liu Jing came up to him with a smile, cupped his hands and said, "Brother, you have worked hard all the way."

    Liu Xian did not expect that Liu Jing would come to the dock to greet him in person. He was a little moved and quickly returned the courtesy: "Zhou Mu came to pick up Xiaguan despite his busy schedule. Xiaguan is very grateful."

    "That's what you said!"

    Liu Jing stepped forward, took his arm and said with a smile: "I'm not here to greet the prefect, but to pick up my brother, shouldn't I?"

    Liu Jing's sincere smile made Liu Xian feel a little warm in his heart, and at the same time he felt more face-saving. He also smiled and said: "Since we are talking about family ties, then I won't see anyone outside. How is Brother Jing always?"

    Liu Jing laughed, "That's right. Brother, please come with me to the city to discuss it in detail."

    The two got on the carriage and the carriage sped towards Jiangling City. At this time, Liu Xian asked with some worry: "Did the eldest son really die of illness?"

    Liu Jing sighed, "He is still in Xiangyang. I gave him some wine and he still has some energy. Without wine, he won't be able to survive for three days. However, Zhang Zhongjing said that his life is at an end and he will not survive this summer."

    Liu Xian nodded silently. They all knew how Liu Qi had come over the past few years. Liu Bei had obviously slowly destroyed Liu Qi with wine and sex. Liu Bei wanted to monopolize Jingnan. At this point, the tribesmen were extremely dissatisfied with Liu Bei.

    Liu Xian also sighedHe took a breath and said: "So everyone is not surprised when they heard that the eldest son died of illness. He can survive to this day because he was lucky."

    "If you don't talk about this, how is your uncle's health?"

    "He is not in good health, but he is not as weak as the eldest son. As long as he takes good care of himself, he can spend his old age peacefully."

    Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "I heard that my uncle handed over all county affairs to my brother last year. There are many affairs in Jingzhou, and I can't cope with them alone. My brother must help me."

    This was Liu Jing's statement that he would not seize the power of his people. This was also something Liu Xian came to Jiangling to discuss with Liu Jing. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing took the initiative to express his position on the carriage, which made Liu Xian sigh in relief and made Liu Xian sigh.  He saw Liu Jing's sincerity.

    Liu Xian was silent for a moment and said: "Last time Brother Lian brought Brother Jing's sincerity, we discussed this many times, and finally agreed that we are all one family, and we are willing to do our part for the rise of the Liu family in Jingzhou in the Han Dynasty  force."

    This sentence was exactly what Liu Jing wanted to hear. He smiled and said calmly: "It should be like this. Brothers are united as one, and their strength is as powerful as gold. There is no shortage of talents in our family. Brother Xiangpan and Brother Xian are both from the state and county.  Talents, and even some highly respected elders, they can go to Yedu to participate in the activities of the royal family, and we cannot let the Liu family forget our Jingzhou branch. "

    This is Liu Jing¡¯s real purpose, to move some prestigious clan members to Yedu to participate in royal family activities and gradually occupy a place for himself in the royal family.

    Liu Xian understood what Liu Jing meant and sighed: "My father also said the same thing. Our Jingzhou clan has been too low-key since our ancestors. We never interacted with the royal family in the capital, and were gradually forgotten by the capital. It is said that Brother Cong brought  The clan members are living a very difficult life in Ye. They are being discriminated against and even the properties they bought have been confiscated. My father also hopes to reverse this situation. The key is to have Jingzhou¡¯s support behind him.¡±

    Speaking of this, Liu Xian looked at Liu Jing with expectation. This was also the ambition of his father Liu Du. He no longer preferred to settle in the south. He was also willing to enter Yedu, establish a position among the royal family of the capital, and become a pivotal figure in the royal family.

    But this must be fully supported by Liu Jing. Only with strong backstage support, Liu Du will be able to do well in the capital, otherwise he will be as miserable as the Liu Cong tribe. After all, Liu Du wants to be Liu Jing's successor in Yedu  represent.

    Liu Jing thought for a moment. Since both parties had this intention, it was not a bad idea. He nodded slowly and said: "If uncle is willing to go to the capital, I will give my full support!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The carriage arrived at the city gate and slowed down. At this time, the city guard officer was waiting at the city gate. He walked forward quickly and said, "Report to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing opened the car curtain and asked: "What's the matter?"

    "Sima Military Advisor has come back. He just entered the city. He said that he wanted to see Zhou Mu for something urgent."

    "I see!"

    Liu Jing turned around and smiled at Liu Xian: "I may have to deal with some military affairs first. Brother, take a rest for a while. We will talk in the afternoon."

    Liu Xian quickly raised his hands and said, "I'm not in a hurry. Brother Xian, just go ahead and get busy!"

    Liu Jing got off the carriage, switched to a war horse and rushed towards the military office. Liu Xian's carriage calmly turned around and headed towards the post office.

    After a moment, Liu Jing ran back to the military office. He got off his horse and ran up the steps quickly. He was extremely concerned about the affairs of Chengdu. After all, the Bashu strategy was his top priority right now. Sima Yi's return would definitely bring him  obtained important information.

    At this time, Sima Yi came out to welcome him. He had just returned to Jiangling and was eager to report to Liu Jing, "See the Zhou Mu!"

    "Thank you, military advisor!"

    Liu Jing smiled and reassured him, "There should be a lot of news from Bashu!"

    ¡°There are indeed many new situations, many of which we have not thought of before.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "Let's go to the room and talk!"

    The two of them walked into the official room and sat down. Liu Jing ordered his guards to serve tea, and then asked Sima Yi, "I received a pigeon message from Chengdu early in the morning, saying that the Yizhou Army had signs of sending troops to Hanzhong, but the military advisor convinced Liu Zhang?"

    "Things are not that simple!"

    Sima Yi sighed and told Liu Jing one by one what happened in Chengdu. Liu Jing's face suddenly darkened and he said angrily: "They dare to assassinate my military advisor. They are so brave. An apology will be enough."  ?"

    Sima Yi added: "Before leaving, Liu Zhang repeatedly promised that he would give us an explanation, but I got a message that the assassin is most likely sent by Liu Xun, Liu Zhang's son."

    "Hmph! I don't care who did it, this matter can never be let go, even if he sends troops to Hanzhong. If he can't think of letting it go, this matter will be my excuse to send troops."

    SimaYi smiled and said, "Even if Liu Zhang gives an explanation, he is just looking for a scapegoat, such as Zhang Song's disciples to avenge the master. Anyway, Zhang Song was killed, and then he gave us a few heads to say he was the mastermind."  Apologize, so this incident should be treated as an accident, and there is no need for Zhou Mu to be angry. It will not affect the overall situation. The key is that our Bashu plan is proceeding as planned, but there will be several changes. "

    "What will happen?" Liu Jing asked in a deep voice.

    "The first change was Liu Zhang's motive for sending troops to Hanzhong. He most likely wanted to devour Hanzhong himself and would not hand it over to us again. In other words, he planned to tear up the agreement."

    Liu Jing sneered: "But this is what we expected, isn't it?"

    Sima Yi nodded, "This is indeed what we expected, but it is not important to us. However, Liu Zhang actually asked his second son Liu Wei to lead the army to conquer Hanzhong. This is intriguing."

    Liu Jing was a little puzzled. He didn't understand the difference between his second son leading the army. Sima Yi understood Liu Jing's confusion. He sighed softly and said: "It is said that knowing yourself and the enemy means you will never be in danger in a hundred battles, but we do not fully understand Bashu. This is my responsibility."  , I also learned from Yun Shao that Liu Zhang¡¯s two sons, Liu Xun and Liu Wei, fought fiercely secretly to compete for the throne. Especially Liu Wei was Yong Kai¡¯s son-in-law, and Yong Kai was the prefect of Yongchang. He and the prefect Zangke  Zhu Bao and Yue Yi King Gaoding formed a tripartite alliance, holding tens of thousands of armored soldiers.

    This time Liu Wei led an army of 40,000 to the northern expedition. In fact, his control over Bashu exceeded that of his eldest son Liu Xun. Once something happens to Liu Zhang, Liu Wei will never recognize Liu Xun as taking over the position of Yizhou Mu. Civil war in Bashu will break out. I doubt it.  Yong Kai will also lead his army northward.  "

    This news really surprised Liu Jing. He remembered that Sima Yi mentioned it last time, but they didn't take it too seriously. They didn't expect it to really happen.

    Liu Jing paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. He originally wanted to provoke internal strife between Dongzhoushi and the Bashu native clique, so that they would commit suicide and fight, so that they would have an excuse to send troops.

    But the cost of this is very high, at least tens of thousands of people will be killed or injured, almost half of Bashu will be destroyed, and Bashu will be completely divided internally, which will be detrimental to his future tax revenue from Bashu. Therefore, Liu Jing is not too willing to adopt this plan.  Chi hesitated.

    Now the infighting between Liu Zhang's sons has brought new opportunities. Liu Jing thought for a long time and said: "Although we did not think of this in advance, the fight between Liu Zhang's two sons will only be more beneficial to us, so it is not necessarily a bad thing.  "

    "Butif we had known this, there would be no need for us to trigger civil strife among the Dongzhou scholars and the Bashu native faction."

    Sima Yi was a little annoyed. He still lacked experience and did not consider the problem thoroughly, which led to this major omission, which made them make a wrong decision and go in the wrong direction. This made Sima Yi feel very guilty.

    Liu Jing smiled and comforted him: "Military advisor, don't blame yourself too much. A strong Dongzhou scholar is not what I expect. Even if I don't use them to kill each other, I will gradually weaken the power of Dongzhou scholar in the future."  ¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 508 Delay Strategy

    In Nanzheng City, Hanzhong, Zhang Lu was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, pacing back and forth in the lobby with his hands behind his hands. He had just received the news that 40,000 Yizhou troops were marching north from Jianmen Pass, and their troops were targeting Hanzhong. This news was enough to make Zhang Lu anxious.  Lu Danhan.

    He never expected that Liu Zhang, who had always been cowardly, would actually send troops to Hanzhong, which completely disrupted his plan. More importantly, in order to resist the Jingzhou army's counterattack on Shangyong, he sent most of his troops to Shangyong, leaving Hanzhong County empty.  , his Nanzheng City only had 4,000 defenders. How could it withstand the attack of 40,000 Yizhou troops?

    At this time, Zhang Lu felt regretful. He should not have sought temporary gain to capture Shangyong in Jingzhou. He originally thought that Liu Jing's main force was trapped in Jingnan and could not escape for a while, but he did not expect that Liu Jing would immediately mobilize 30,000 naval and army troops to attack.  Yong, this result surprised Zhang Lu.

    Zhang Lu never expected that Liu Zhang would add insult to injury and suddenly send troops northward when Hanzhong was empty. Although he might have a geographical advantage over the Jingzhou Army, he had no advantage over the Yizhou Army unless he had enough troops.  They were distributed in various dangerous passes, but in order to deal with the Jingzhou Army, he almost drained all the troops from each pass.

    What should we do now?  Zhang Lu was anxious, but had no idea what to do. At this time, a guard reported in the hall: "Let me report to the prefect, Master Yan is here!"

    "Please come in quickly!" Zhang Lu quickly ordered. At this time, counselor Yan Pu became his life-saving straw.

    After a while, Yan Pu walked quickly into the lobby. He bowed his hands and said, "Why are you so anxious?"

    Zhang Lu quickly stepped forward, bowed and said: "The situation is not good, please save me, Mr. Yan!"

    "What on earth happened?"

    Zhang Lu sighed and said: "I just received an urgent military message. About 40,000 Yizhou troops broke through Mingyue Pass, entered the hinterland of Hanzhong, and were heading towards Nanzheng. They would arrive at the city in a day or two at most, but there were only 4,000 troops in the city.  It¡¯s too late to mobilize troops back from Shangyong, what should I do?¡±

    This news also shocked Yan Pu. Why did the Yizhou army suddenly move north without any warning? Zhang Lu was annoyed and said: "When Yizhou leaked the news to me that the Jingzhou army was going north, I should have thought that Yizhou would take advantage of the situation. I  I just thought Liu Zhang was cowardly and didn't have such courage, but I didn't expect that he would actually send troops. "

    Yan Pu thought for a while and then asked: "Where should the Yizhou Army be now?"

    Zhang Lu took out a topographic map of Hanzhong and pointed to a pass: "Mingyue Pass is the northern starting point of the Jianmen Shu Road. At least it was captured by the Yizhou Army yesterday afternoon. Then there will be no resistance for them to go north.  It's Dingjun Mountain. They should be there now. There are two thousand troops stationed in Dingjun Mountain. If the Yizhou Army captures the Dingjun Mountain Bingzhai again, they will be able to reach Nanzheng City within half a day. "

    Speaking of this, Zhang Lu pointed to Ankang County in Weixing County, "The nearest 10,000 troops are two hundred miles away, and there are 30,000 defenders from Shangyong. If they are transferred back, Weixing County will have to walk for two days, and Shangyong will be the fastest.  It will take three days. The problem is that I will send people to urgently mobilize troops, and it will take time on the way. I¡¯m afraid it will be too late!¡±

    Yan Pu did not panic. He pondered for a moment and said: "The top priority now is to block the news and not to cause confusion among the people. The prefect can make two preparations. One is to buy time, first mobilize the 10,000 troops from Wei Xing County, and at the same time make preparations to evacuate Nanzheng.  Be prepared. Once the Yizhou army reaches Nanzheng, they can evacuate eastward in time. It doesn't matter if Nanzheng City is lost. As long as the army is there, it can be recaptured. "

    Zhang Lu sighed again, "This is the only way!"

    At this time, Yan Pu asked again: "I wonder who the commander-in-chief of the Yizhou Army is?"

    ¡°I heard it¡¯s Liu Wei, and his deputy will be Wu Yi.¡±

    Yan Pu thought about it and laughed, "I heard that Liu Wei is mean, greedy, cruel and stupid. I can bring more gold beads to sue for peace and try to delay their advance. The prefect should prepare to evacuate as soon as possible. First,  The families of the generals are sent to Weixing County. The city can be lost, but the people cannot be captured. If you are lucky, you may be able to wait until our reinforcements arrive. "

    "Although Liu Wei is stupid, Wu Yi is a powerful character. He may not be fooled!"

    Yan Pu thought for a while and then said: "You might as well send your eldest son to the opponent's army as a hostage, so that you will be more confident."

    Zhang Lu looked troubled. How could he let his eldest son die?

    Yan Pu said in a low voice: "The rich young master's appearance is not distinctive. We can find a soldier who looks like him, promise him a lot of money, and let him pretend to be the young master as a hostage. The other party may not recognize him. As long as we get a few days, we can  That can turn the situation around.¡±

    One sentence reminded Zhang Lu that he did have a personal guard who looked very much like his son. More importantly, he had to buy time. Even if the reinforcements could not arrive, he had to send away the family members of some important ministers and generals first and return his own.  Wives, concubines, and children must be sent away immediately, otherwise it will be too late.

      Thinking of this, he bowed his hands to Yan Pu gratefully and said, "I'll leave everything to you, sir!"

    Liu Wei and Wu Yi led 40,000 Yizhou troops from Chengdu. Liu Wei adopted Wu Yi's suggestion. The army marched day and night, walked through the Jinniu Road in an extremely concealed manner, and successfully raided the Mingyue Pass, a key pass in Hanzhong.

    The defenses in Hanzhong were far laxer than they imagined. They broke through more than a dozen dangerous passes without encountering any resistance. The poor defenders all fled.

    What Zhang Lu didn't expect was that Qin Jian, the leader of the Dingjun Shanbing Village, the only one he had pinned his hope on, was also afraid of the strength of the Yizhou Army and surrendered.

    At two o'clock, the night was getting dark, and 40,000 Yizhou troops were stationed at Dingjun Shanbingzhai to rest. Liu Wei was so excited that he couldn't sleep. He ordered someone to set up a table of wine and food, and he drank by himself.

    Now they are north of Dingjun Mountain, close to the Mianshui River Valley. They can walk another eighty miles southeast along the Mianshui River Valley to reach Nanzheng City, which is the largest city in Hanzhong and the capital of Zhang Lu.  Nanzheng City means that they captured Hanzhong.

    At this time, Liu Wei had regarded Hanzhong as his own fiefdom. Even if he could not seize the position of Yizhou Mu, he could proclaim himself the Marquis of Hanzhong and rule Hanzhong as his king. At this time, soldiers outside the tent reported urgently: "Young Master Qi  , Zhang Lu sent his mastermind Yan Pu to the camp, saying that he came to seek peace with the young master."

    Liu Wei was startled, and then he sneered. Zhang Lu actually sent Yan Pu to sue for peace. Wasn't this clearly telling him that they were unable to resist?

    He immediately ordered: "Bring him in!"

    Not long after, several soldiers brought Yan Pu into the tent. A soldier stepped forward and whispered to Liu Wei: "He brought hundreds of large boxes."

    Liu Wei nodded and looked at Yan Pu with a half-smile. Yan Pu stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "Yan Pu pays homage to Young Master Wei and disturbs Young Master Wei in the middle of the night. It is really out of necessity."

    "Mr. Yan, are you here to seek peace?" Liu Wei asked with a hint of joking.

    Yan Pu nodded sincerely, "Exactly! Please give us a chance, Master."

    "Of course I can give you a chance, but where is your sincerity? Is it enough to just say it?"

    Liu Wei is not stupid at all. The other party brought hundreds of large boxes. At this time, he didn't want to alarm Wu Yi. He wanted to take a look, what did the other party bring?

    Yan Pu said quickly: "My eunuch has prepared some small gifts and is waiting outside the camp."

    "Move things to my side tent!"

    Not long after, the soldiers moved nearly a hundred large nanmu boxes to the side tents, and the two side tents were almost full. At this time, Liu Wei followed Yan Pu into one of the side tents. Most of the box lids had been opened, and the entire  The large tent was filled with jewels and treasures, and the light was dazzling. The boxes were filled with large pieces of gold, and the two boxes were filled with jewels and jade. The light made Liu Wei squint his eyes.

    Yan Pu stepped forward and said with a smile: "Here are 50,000 taels of gold and 3,000 pieces of jewelry. They are all small gifts given by my eunuch to the young master. I hope that the young master will allow us to negotiate a peace."

    Liu Wei was extremely happy to find that there were fifty thousand taels of gold and so many gems and jade. He became greedy and asked with a smile: "How do you want to negotiate a peace?"

    Yan Pu felt Liu Wei's greed, and he was secretly happy, so he cupped his hands and said, "I would like to go to the big tent with you to talk."

    Liu Wei nodded, "Sir, please!"

    The two of them walked back to the tent and sat down. Yan Pu smiled respectfully and said, "Prefect Zhang is willing to dedicate Nanzheng to the Young Master, but he begs the Young Master to allow us to retreat to Shangyong and give us a foothold."

    Liu Wei thought to himself, 'It's not bad, let Zhang Lu guard Shangyong for him and prevent the Jingzhou army from marching north to Hanzhong.  ¡¯

    Thinking of this, Liu Wei asked again: "What should we do specifically?"

    Yan Pu begged: "Master, please give us three days to evacuate, mainly the family members. We promise not to evacuate the people and seal the treasury. Master, you can even send someone to supervise us. After three days, Nanzheng City will be ceded."  To the young master.¡±

    Liu Wei only cares about population and property. He can accept it when they close the treasury and not evacuate the people, but how to explain it to Wu Yi?

    He was silent for a while, and Yan Pu took the opportunity to say again: "If Mr. Wei still doesn't believe in our sincerity, I would like to persuade Prefect Zhang to send his eldest son Zhang Fu as a hostage. This should be fine!"

    Perhaps those brilliant golden lights blinded Liu Wei's heart, and he didn't realize that the other party was stalling for time. With Zhang Lu's eldest son as a hostage, Liu Wei felt relieved. He thought about it and finally agreed, "Look  For the sake of Governor Zhang¡¯s sincerity, I promise you that in three days starting from tomorrow, I will send troops into Nanzheng City.¡±

    Yan Pu was overjoyed, but he didn¡¯t expect the other party to be soHe agreed easily, and complimented Liu Wei's benevolence and righteousness, saying that if Liu Wei became the lord of Hanzhong, Zhang Lu would be his housekeeper dog. Liu Wei was so flattered that Yan Pu took his leave and left.

    Liu Wei came to the two side tents again and tasted the gold nuggets and pearls again. He was the son of Liu Zhang. He was not the kind of poor boy who had never seen money. But because he raised thousands of people in the manor, he made him  He was always troubled by the lack of money and food. Now that he got 50,000 taels of gold all of a sudden, how could he not be elated?

    At this moment, a soldier reported outside the tent: "General Wu is here and wants to see the young master!"

    Liu Wei was startled and quickly ordered: "Let him wait for me in the big tent."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 509 Failure in Hanzhong

    Although Wu Yi was Liu Wei's deputy general, he supported the eldest son Liu Xun, and his sister was married to Liu Zhang's brother, so he was the elder of Liu Xun's brothers.

    So Liu Zhang appointed him as his deputy general. On the one hand, he was worried that his second son would lead an army of 40,000 men alone, and on the other hand, he was afraid that other generals would seize power and become independent. Wu Yi was the most suitable candidate.

    Although Wu Yi supported his eldest son Liu Xun, when his brothers were not competing for the throne, Wu Yi would still assist Liu Wei wholeheartedly, and he and Liu Wei fought all the way to seize the pass and go north, and were about to reach Nanzheng City.

    But just now, Wu Yi received a report from the soldiers that Zhang Lu sent counselor Yan Pu to come to Liu Wei to negotiate peace. He was really worried, lest Liu Wei would do something stupid in a moment, so he rushed over.

    At this time, Liu Wei walked into the tent and asked coldly: "General Wu came to see me so late, what's the matter?"

    Although Wu Yi did not care about their brotherly dispute and devoted himself to assisting Liu Wei, it did not mean that Liu Wei would trust him. Liu Wei knew very well that Wu Yi supported his brother. He was extremely afraid of Wu Yi in his heart, but he was more scheming.  I usually don't show this fear.

    But Liu Wei would show a trace of hatred and indifference towards Wu Yi inadvertently. For example, now, he felt that Wu Yi was here to ruin his good deeds, and he had an uncontrollable disgust in his heart.

    Wu Yi felt the coldness in Liu Wei's tone. He didn't take it to heart. He bowed and bowed, and asked directly: "I just heard that Zhang Lu sent counselor Yan Pu to negotiate peace. Is this relevant?"

    ¡°If Wu Yi pretends not to know tonight and waits for an opportunity tomorrow to make some insinuations to give Liu Wei face, maybe Liu Wei will tell the truth.

    But as soon as Yan Pu left, Wu Yi rushed over and looked like he was going to attack the enemy. This immediately made Liu Wei feel extremely disgusted. He was the commander-in-chief. Is it necessary to report to the deputy general what he did?

    "What's the matter, General Wu?"

    Liu Wei asked back, obviously telling him that this matter had nothing to do with him. Wu Yi was also a little annoyed. He held back his anger and said: "I am a deputy general, so naturally I have to ask. I am afraid that Mr. Wei will be confused for a moment and commit a crime."  Big mistake!¡±

    "A moment of confusion?"

    Liu Wei snorted coldly, "Why does General Wu say that I will be confused for a while? I naturally have my own considerations in whatever I do. Is my decision just confused?"

    Wu Yi was taken aback and asked anxiously: "Master have you agreed to negotiate peace?"

    "That's right! I agreed, so what?" Liu Wei's tone was filled with dissatisfaction, and he turned back to glare at Wu Yi.

    "What did the young master promise?" Wu Yi took a deep breath and asked, controlling the anger in his heart.

    After a slight hesitation, Liu Wei pretended to be relaxed and said, "It's no big deal. I agree to Zhang Lunan's withdrawal from Shangyong to serve as my defense barrier against the Jingzhou Army. For this reason, I will give him three days to retreat."

    "You stupid bastard!"

    Wu Yi was furious in his heart, pointed at Liu Wei and cursed: "This is obviously Zhang Lu's plan to delay the war, but you actually agreed, you idiot, idiot!"

    Liu Wei suddenly became furious and murderous intent burst out in his heart. He drew out the sword from his waist and struck Wu Yi with one strike. Wu Yi never dreamed that Liu Wei would kill him. He was so frightened that he took a step back. However, he was still a step too slow and was struck on the left shoulder by the sword.  On top, the armor was split open and blood flowed profusely. Wu Yi screamed, turned around and ran away.

    Liu Wei shouted: "Catch him!"

    More than a dozen soldiers in front of the tent swarmed up and pushed Wu Yi to the ground. Wu Yi was so angry that he cursed: "You bastard, how dare you kill me? I'll ask your father to skin you!"

    Liu Wei gritted his teeth in hatred and raised his sword to chop at him. At this time, the soldiers hugged his arms and shouted: "Young master, I can't kill General Wu, and I can't explain it to the Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Wei finally calmed down. He also knew that Wu Yi's identity was not trivial. He was a military advisor in Yizhou. To kill him, his father would have to skin him. He said bitterly: "I'll lock him up and don't allow anyone to see him."  he!"

    "You bitch, kill me if you dare! Bastard"

    Wu Yi refused to give up and cursed, so frightened that the soldiers blocked his mouth and dragged Wu Yi out of the tent. Liu Wei sat down angrily, and his extremely happy mood was completely destroyed by Wu Yi.  After a long while, he muttered to himself viciously: "When I seize the throne, let's see how I deal with you, an old bastard!"

    Liu Wei's thought gave Zhang Lu a chance. Zhang Lu immediately changed his plan and no longer abandoned the city. Instead, he mobilized the people of the city to help defend the city and recruited 30,000 young men to help defend the city.

    At the same time, Zhang Lu selected 20 young and beautiful women from the city to give to Liu Wei, and sent a large amount of fine wine and silk silks to reward the Yizhou army every day.

    In Beauty and WineUnder the influence of Liu Wei, Liu Wei did not suspect that Zhang Lu had any different intentions. Instead, he canceled the soldiers he was going to send to supervise Zhang Lu's withdrawal. He stationed the troops thirty miles away and waited for three days to take over Nanzheng.

    On the night of the third day, Zhang Lu¡¯s eager reinforcements finally arrived. Zhang Wei led 10,000 elite troops from Weixing County and rushed back to Nanzheng City in time.

    Above the city, Zhang Lu watched the murderous army quickly enter the east city. In the dark night, the armor reflected the cold moonlight, and the sharp spear points and blades sparkled in the moonlight. He couldn't help laughing proudly, "This is really incredible.  Kill me!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, the morning light had just broken through the clouds, and a thin layer of white fog covered the ground. The water vapor at the intersection of Han River and Mian River was extremely abundant, so that most of the morning in Nanzheng was shrouded in fog. In the thin fog  Among them, tens of thousands of Yizhou Army soldiers appeared.

    From time to time in the team, ¡®Boom!  Boom!  'The sound of marching drums, the troops were neatly organized, and the momentum was huge, and soon filled the field in front of Nanzheng City. Liu Wei was riding on his horse, and he was in high spirits. Just last night, Zhang Lu sent someone to deliver a letter  , officially handed over Nanzheng City to him this morning.

    Moreover, in the past few days, the spies sent by Liu Wei indeed discovered that many family members left Nanzheng City in ox carts and mule carts. This convinced Liu Wei that the opponent only had 4,000 defenders. How could they fight with him?  An army of 40,000 people to contend with?

    The Yizhou army stopped two miles away from the city, but Liu Wei unexpectedly found that the gate of Nanzheng City was closed and the entire city was quiet, as if it was an empty city. At this time, someone pointed at the city head and shouted: "Sir, hurry up.  Look at the city!"

    I saw a certain Qingluo umbrella cover appeared on the top of the city. There was a person standing under the umbrella cover, and there were more than a dozen followers behind him. Judging from this posture, it should be Zhang Lu. Liu Wei felt a little strange in his heart. He didn't know what Zhang Lu was selling in the gourd.  What kind of medicine did he want? He turned around and ordered: "Let them open the city!"

    A soldier galloped up on horseback and shouted at the bottom of the city: "Listen above the city, the Yizhou army has arrived. Open the city quickly and surrender!"

    On the top of the city was Zhang Lu. He laughed and said, "Let Liu Wei's son die!"

    He opened his bow and nocked an arrow, and shot an arrow at the cavalry under the city. The arrow hit the war horse. The war horse neighed miserably, raised its front hooves high, and knocked the cavalry to the ground. The cavalry was so frightened that they rolled and crawled back.  .

    "Master!"

    The soldiers rushed back and shouted in a tearful voice: "We have fallen into a trap, they won't open the city gate at all!"

    Liu Wei was furious and turned around and ordered: "Take Zhang Fu up and kill him without opening the city."

    Five or six soldiers pushed Zhang Lu's eldest son Zhang Fu out of the army. Liu Wei had seen Zhang Fu many years ago, and many soldiers had also seen Zhang Fu. This man wore a golden crown on his head, a brocade robe, a jade belt around his waist, and a face  The vermilion powder applied on his face gave him the image of a handsome, jade-faced young man. In addition, his appearance was 80% similar to the real Zhang Fu. As long as he kept silent, everyone would naturally believe him.

    At this time, Zhang Fu suddenly burst out laughing, and Liu Wei said angrily: "You are about to die, and you still dare to laugh!"

    Zhang Fu sneered and said: "I am not Zhang Fu, I am Qin Wu from Hanzhong. Liu Wei, I blinded you!"

    As soon as he opened his mouth, many people who had met Zhang Fu knew that he was no longer the same person. Zhang Fu's voice was definitely not that rude. Liu Wei was so angry that his face turned blue. He pulled out his sword, urged his horse to charge forward, and struck him with a fierce blow.  Fake Zhang Fu's neck and kill him in front of his eyes.

    At this time, Liu Wei was so angry that he pointed his saber towards Zheng City and shouted, "Siege the city, capture Nanzheng City, and massacre the whole city!"

    Suddenly the drums in the Yizhou army thundered, ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  The fierce attack drums resounded through the sky. Wu Yi had made preparations for the siege in advance and built more than a hundred siege ladders. Each siege ladder was about four feet high and could reach the top of the three-foot-high Nanzheng city.

    At the same time, thousands of soldiers rushed to the front carrying wooden planks. There was a two-foot-wide moat surrounding Nanzheng City. To attack the city, a simple wooden bridge must first be built on the moat.

    Thousands of Yizhou soldiers came like a tidal wave, but it was still unusually quiet on the top of the city. Zhang Lu stood on the top of the city and looked coldly at the enemy troops rushing towards the city. His heart was full of contempt.

    He has worked hard to manage Nanzheng City for more than ten years and built the city like a copper wall. Now he has 15,000 defenders and 30,000 civilians. The morale is high and the food and grass can last for two years. Not to mention the 40,000 Yizhou Army.  Even an army of 100,000 people would never be able to break through Nanzheng City.

    The Yizhou soldiers were getting closer and closer, and had already rushed into the range of the crossbows. Zhang Lu gave an order, "Shoot with my bows and arrows!"

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The drums on the city top suddenly sounded, and a dense ambush suddenly appeared on the originally empty city top. Flags were fluttering, and thousands of arrows were fired from the top of the city. The Yizhou Army attacked the city.  The soldier was caught off guard and was shot immediatelyIn a large area, the other soldiers dropped the planks one after another, turned around and fled, then retreated like a tide.

    The sudden change on the top of the city shocked all the Yizhou Army soldiers. There were only a few thousand people here, but there were clearly tens of thousands. They were obviously fooled. Liu Wei's face turned red and white, and he suddenly turned around and shouted.  , "Get me Ma Jing!"

    A moment later, the scout Yajiang came flying towards me, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "I will see Mr. Wei at the end of the day."

    ¡°You did a good job!¡±

    Liu Wei pointed his riding whip at him and cursed: "There are clearly more than 10,000 defenders on the city, but you said that there are only three or four thousand people in the city. You lied about the military situation. You will not regret your death. Come on!"

    A dozen soldiers came up from all around, and Liu Wei shouted sternly: "Drag him down and kill him!"

    The soldiers dragged Ma Jing down, and Ma Jing was in a panic. This was clearly Liu Wei trying to cover up his fault and put the responsibility on himself. He shouted: "This is the arrival of reinforcements. If you don't attack the city for three days,  "What does it have to do with giving others a chance?"

    Liu Wei was furious and shouted: "Behead! Behead! Behead me!"

    After a while, the soldiers chopped off Ma Jing¡¯s head and brought it to him on a plate. Liu Wei said fiercely: ¡°The head was shown to the entire army and Ma Jing lied about the military situation. This crime cannot be pardoned!¡±

    At this time, a confidant general stepped forward and asked in a low voice: "Master Wei, what should we do now?"

    Liu Wei thought for a while and said: "The enemy's situation is unknown now. Don't act rashly for the time being. Give me an order to retreat ten miles and set up camp!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 510 Death of Liu Zhang

    In Xindu County, Guanghan County, a team of more than a thousand people was walking slowly southeast along the official road. This team was the inspection convoy of Yizhou Mu Liu Zhang.

    As the shepherd of a state, Liu Zhang went on patrols in spring and autumn every year. He would go to Badong in the east, Jiangyang in the south, Zitong in the north, or Hanjia in the west. Each patrol lasted about a month.

    This time, because Jianping County had returned to Yizhou, Liu Zhang enthusiastically set the destination of his eastward inspection tour as Zigui County. His team walked slowly, starting from Chengdu. After walking for two days, the team arrived at Xindu County.

    It was noon at this time, still ten miles away from Xindu County. Liu Zhang felt a little unwell, so he ordered a temporary rest at Xindu Post. The team slowly stopped in front of the post, and the Yi Cheng rushed out and saluted: "  Xindu Yicheng Wang Wei visited Zhou Mu!"

    Two concubines helped the pale Liu Zhang out of the carriage. Liu Zhang felt waves of angina pain. The pain was so painful that cold sweat flowed from his forehead. He couldn't even speak. He just waved his hands.  The guard quickly said to Yi Chengling: "Go and prepare the room quickly, Zhou Mu needs to rest!"

    Yi Cheng was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly turned around and ran towards the post station. At this time, two medical craftsmen accompanying the team rushed over after hearing the news. One of the medical craftsmen touched Liu Zhang's forehead and asked in a low voice: "Zhou Mu, where are you?"  Comfortable?"

    Liu Zhang pointed to his chest with difficulty and said in a low voice: "Hereit hurts so much!"

    This was angina pectoris. The two doctors quickly ordered the guards to send Liu Zhang into the room and lie down. At this time, Liu Zhang was in pain like a prawn. His body curled up into a ball and rolled on the bed in pain. His pale face turned purple.  , having difficulty breathing and sweating profusely on his forehead.

    The two doctors and craftsmen felt that the problem was serious, and anxiously ordered the guards: "Quickly bring a bowl of wine!"

    A guard rushed out and quickly brought in a bowl of rice wine. The doctor crushed two pills of elixirs and dissolved them in the wine. He helped Liu Zhang up and tried to force-feed him the medicine. Liu Zhang foamed at the mouth.  The man had passed out. The two doctors were stunned for a moment and quickly felt his pulse. It was so weak that it was almost impossible to feel it.

    "not good!"

    The doctor became frightened and stammered to the guards around him: "Zhou Mu I can't do it anymore!"

    The guards were all shocked. They were fine in the morning, but why were they not doing well at noon? The leader of the guards grabbed a young eunuch serving Liu Zhang and asked angrily: "What on earth is going on?"

    The young eunuch was so frightened that his face turned pale and his whole body was like chaff. He couldn't say a word. A stream of water dripped from his trousers, and the smell came. He was so frightened that he became incontinent. The leader of the guards threw him away and turned to one of the guards.  The order said: "Go quickly and invite Wang Canjun!"

    The king who joined the army was Wang Lei. He followed Liu Zhang to Zigui for inspection. At this time, he was packing his things in the carriage and had not yet entered the inn. When he heard that something happened to Zhou Mu, he was so frightened that he ran over in panic. All the guards moved out of the way.  , Wang Lei squeezed to the bed and asked the doctor anxiously: "How is Zhou Mu?"

    A doctor shook his head in despair, "The pulse is coming and going, and I am already exhausted."

    "How could this happen?" Wang Lei shouted anxiously.

    "I don't know what's going on now? Butbut we have to prepare for the funeral."

    Wang Lei's vision went dark and he almost fainted. He managed to calm down and suddenly remembered a more fatal thing. If there were any shortcomings in the state pastor, who would inherit the position of Yizhou pastor?

    Logically, it should be the eldest son Liu Xun, but these days Liu Zhang scolded the eldest son every day and imprisoned him, while the second son Liu Wei was extremely favored and commanded a heavy army. Liu Zhang also said that he would pass on the position of state pastor to the second son, even if  They were angry words, but many people heard them.

    Wang Lei was so distraught that he immediately turned back to the leader of the guards and said, "Immediately send someone back to Chengdu to report, and have all the officials come to Xindu to discuss the funeral arrangements!"

    The leader of the guards quickly sent someone to Chengdu to report. Wang Lei walked out of the room feebly and sat down on a big stone in the yard. Now is the most critical moment for Yizhou. Something happened to Zhou Mu. This is simply God's intention to destroy Yizhou!

    "Join the army!"

    Wang Lei heard someone calling him in a low voice. When he turned around, he saw a doctor waving to him in the corner of the yard. He walked up quickly and asked, "What's the matter?"

    The doctor pulled him to a deserted place and whispered: "I dare not say it in the room, but Zhou Mu is poisoned!"

    "Ah!" Wang Lei was shocked, grabbed the doctor's wrist, and asked in a trembling voice: "What kind of poison is it? Who did it?"

    "I don't know what kind of poison it was, but it must have been done by someone around me. I've asked the young eunuch, and he swore he didn't do it."

    "Could it be"

    Wang Lei thought of the concubines Liu Zhang had brought with him. The doctor nodded."Generally, poisoning occurs as early as early morning to morning. I asked the eunuch carefully and found that in addition to the three concubines, there were five other guards who had also come into contact with Zhou Mu. It must have been done by someone among them.  Even Commander Li is suspected."

    Wang Lei's mind raced. This was most likely the two young masters competing for the position of state shepherd, or it might be the work of a foreign enemy. He suddenly felt confused. At this moment, there was a burst of crying in the room, and someone was shouting hoarsely.  Shouted: "Zhou Mu¡ª¡ª"

    Wang Lei felt that his legs were weak and he knelt on the ground.

    Liu Zhang died suddenly and unexpectedly on the East Patrol Road. Although the official tightly blocked the news, various gossips spread quickly, causing an uproar in the city.

    Everyone in Chengdu was talking about Liu Zhang's death. Some said he died of excessive sexual indulgence, some said he was bitten to death by the famous golden krait in Xindu County, and some said he launched a northern expedition to Hanzhong and was killed by Zhang.  Lu sent people to poison him.

    There are many absurd and far-fetched rumors, but the most widely circulated and most reliable news is that of two sons seizing the throne. This is the most circulated story since ancient times. In order to compete for power, various conflicts between father and son, and between brothers  All cruel methods are used.

    It was this rumor that made everyone in the government and the public pay attention to the successor of Zhou Mu. It had been three days since Liu Zhang died suddenly, but there was still no news about the new Zhou Mu.

    At this time, many people got the news that the senior officials in Chengdu were quarreling over the position of Xinzhou Mu. Some senior officials from Bashu, including Huang Quan, Liu Ba, Yang Huai, and Gao Pei, supported the second son Liu Wei's accession to the throne.  Zhang Ren, Wang Lei, and Dongzhou scholar leaders Dong He and Fazheng all supported the eldest son Liu Xun, while the important Fei family held a neutral attitude.

    The two sides argued endlessly in the state government office, and the situation was extremely tense. On the fourth day, the argument was still inconclusive, and Liu Zhang could not be buried. The atmosphere in Chengdu gradually became tense. Zhang Ren, who held military power, began to order the army to fight at night.  A curfew is imposed.

    Huang Quan's mansion was surrounded by secret sentries. They were soldiers sent by Zhang Ren to monitor Huang Quan. In the night, the east door of Huang Quan's mansion suddenly opened. A carriage was protected by dozens of horseback servants.  , rushed out of the gate and rushed towards the north gate of Chengdu.

    The secret sentries deployed around the mansion noticed the movement, and someone immediately rushed to report to Zhang Ren. In the carriage, Huang Quan's face was gloomy. He did not expect that Liu Zhang would die suddenly and unexpectedly.

    Of course this was not what they did. He suspected that this was Liu Xun's attack on his father. It was obvious that Liu Wei had taken over the military power, which made Liu Xun feel extremely uneasy. Once Liu Wei triumphed and returned, it would be the end of Liu Xun, so he took advantage of Liu Wei's  Liu Xun took advantage of the opportunity in Hanzhong.

    Liu Zhang's death made Huang Quan feel very passive. He urgently sent someone to notify Liu Wei to return to Chengdu four days ago. On the one hand, it was certainly because of the brothers' fight for the throne that troubled Huang Quan. On the other hand, Huang Quan did not know.  How to explain to Cao Cao.

    Cao Cao requested that Yizhou be stabilized and that Liu Jing not be allowed to enter Shu. This was Cao Cao's only request. Huang Quan knew very well that Cao Cao was absolutely unwilling to see Liu Zhang die suddenly and cause turmoil in Yizhou at this time.

    But Huang Quan didn't want to compromise. Supporting Liu Wei was related to his vital interests, and Cao Cao also promised that Liu Wei would take the throne in the future. But now, once Liu Xun takes the position of Yizhou Mu first, Huang Quan will face disaster.

    Since Zhang Ren had already mobilized the army to impose a curfew, this was a signal to take action. Huang Quan knew that if he did not leave, he would die in Chengdu. "Speed ??up!" Huang Quan ordered again, and the carriage sped up and sped towards the north city.  go

    There are 30,000 troops stationed near Chengdu. Among them, the 20,000 troops defending Chengdu are controlled by Wu Yi and Zhang Ren. When Wu Yi marched north to Hanzhong, he was temporarily led by Zhang Ren, while the other 10,000 troops were commanded by Gao Pei and stationed in Guanghan.

    After four consecutive days of fruitless debate, Zhang Ren finally couldn't stand it anymore and prepared to use the army to solve the problem of Yizhou Mu's successor.

    But Zhang Ren also knew that once the army was used, a civil war would most likely break out. Liu Wei was not weak either. Gao Pei, who supported him, had 10,000 troops stationed in Guanghan, and there were also Yong Kai, Zhu Bao and others in the south.  Ten thousand barbarian troops, Liu Wei himself has 40,000 troops in his hands.

    What worries Zhang Ren even more is that once a civil war breaks out, Liu Jing will seize the opportunity to march westward to Bashu, and Yizhou will be in danger.

    In Liu Xun's mansion, Zhang Ren was trying to persuade his eldest son Liu Xun, "Young master, don't hesitate any longer. The rule in Shu is to bury him within three days. Now it has been four days, but the old master cannot be buried. This is unfilial, and it is our fault."  The ministers are disloyal. If the prince does not ascend the throne, there will be civil strife in Yizhou! "

    Liu Xun paced back and forth in the lobby with his hands behind his hands. He was very anxious. It was not that he did not want to ascend the throne, but that he did not want his brothers to turn against each other and trigger a civil war in Yizhou. He hoped to have a good talk with his second brother and reach an understanding between the brothers.  , let the second brother support him to succeed his father, so that Yizhou will?To avoid the worry of civil war.

    But he also knew that it was a bit unrealistic to obtain this kind of understanding, so he was very conflicted and found it difficult to make a decision.

    Next to him, Wang Lei also advised: "It can be said that Yizhou is ownerless now, which gives Liu Jing an excuse to enter Bashu. I think Liu Jing will never let go of this opportunity. Young Master, please don't hesitate any longer and do not take the throne."  There was civil strife, and there was civil war when he ascended the throne, but at least Liu Jing¡¯s excuses were blocked and there was less foreign aggression.¡±

    Liu Xun sighed, "The cause of my father's death is unknown. If I succeed to the throne in a hurry, everyone will think that I killed my father. How can I explain this to the world?"

    ¡°Young Master is pedantic!¡±

    Zhang Ren asked anxiously: "What does the death of Laozhou Mu have to do with the son's succession? Everyone knows that the world cannot be without a master for a day, and Yizhou cannot be without a state Mu for a day. Huang Quan is a special master of Yizhou, and he has obtained Cao Cao  The appointment shows that the imperial court supports the second young master. Once the delay is too long and the imperial decree to appoint the second young master as the state pastor comes, it will be too late to overturn the situation. It is better to secure the position of Yizhou pastor and force the court to recognize it. "

    "This" Liu Xun was a little tempted.

    At this moment, a personal guard of Zhang Wei rushed to the lobby in a panic and reported, "Report to General Zhang, news came from the north gate. Huang Quan has rushed out of the north gate and left Chengdu."

    Zhang Ren was furious, "Who is on duty at the North Gate and is so bold as to let people go?"

    The guard replied: "It seems to be Zheng Qian, the tooth general. He led hundreds of soldiers and followed Huang Quan."

    Zhang Ren was stunned for a moment. Zheng Qian was Wu Yi's general, and he actually betrayed him. At this time, Zhang Ren said anxiously: "If you don't succeed to the throne, I won't care about you!"

    Liu Xun knew that the situation was critical, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and nodded, "Okay! I agree to succeed."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 511 Civil strife in Yizhou

    In Nanzheng City, the confrontation between the Yizhou Army and the Hanzhong Army has entered the fifth day. During this period, Liu Wei launched two siege battles, both of which were met with tenacious resistance by the defenders and failed, resulting in the loss of nearly 7,000 people.

    With desperation, Liu Wei had no choice but to order the army to withdraw westward to the Dingjunshan Barracks to defend this strategic fortress. He also knew in his heart that once the Hanzhong Army sneaked into the Dingjunshan Barracks, his food and grass would be cut off and the entire army would be annihilated.

    Now he has no shortage of food and grass. With the food and grass brought from Yizhou, plus the large amount of food stored in Dingjun Mountain, his military food is enough to support the Yizhou Army for four months. However, what makes Liu Wei upset is that before he  During the attack on Yizhou City, Wu Yi, who was imprisoned in the Dingjunshan camp, was actually rescued by his men.

    This made Liu Wei furious and killed more than a dozen guards in a row. His hatred was still lingering, and he sent hundreds of people to chase Wu Yi all the way to various passes.

    But Liu Wei never dreamed that Wu Yi never left the Dingjunshan camp. He disguised himself as a soldier and hid in the logistics army. Wu Yi had a high prestige in the Yizhou army, so naturally someone would hide him secretly.  .

    In a large tent filled with food, Wu Yizhen, disguised as a soldier, was listening solemnly to an officer's urgent report, "General Wu, there is news in the military camp that Zhou Mu died suddenly on the way out on patrol. Now people in Chengdu are panicking.  I don¡¯t know if the news is true or false?¡±

    This news shocked Wu Yi. Liu Zhang actually passed away. Although this was just a rumor, Wu Yi also knew that this kind of thing would not come out of nowhere. Something must have happened in Chengdu. Thinking of the nearly twenty years of friendship between him and Liu Zhang, Wu Yi  I couldn't help but feel a little sad.

    But this was not the time to be sad. Wu Yi knew very well that if Liu Zhang really died, Liu Wei would definitely rush back to fight for the position of Yizhou Mu. He whispered a few words to the officer, who nodded, "Understand this humble position!"

    He saluted and hurried away. Watching the officer go away, Wu Yi thought of all the stupid behaviors of Liu Wei, and finally fell short. Seeing that Hanzhong in his hand was overturned by Zhang Lu, he couldn't help but grit his teeth with hatred.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the big tent, Liu Wei finally received an urgent message from Huang Quan. His father died suddenly in Xindu County. The cause of death was unknown. Liu Wei was shocked and stunned. It took him a long time to recover. He couldn't help but burst into tears. The soldiers around him  They all looked at each other, and they all understood that the rumors in the military camp about the death of their lord were indeed true.

    The envoy sent by Huang Quan quickly advised: "Young Master, now is not the time to be sad. We must rush back to Chengdu immediately. Don't make sure that the court will support the Young Master in inheriting the position of Yizhou Mu. The eldest Young Master cannot take the throne without permission."

    Liu Wei wiped away his tears, nodded and said, "How many troops does Huang Biejia have?"

    "We only have General Gao Pei's 10,000 troops, while Zhang Ren has 20,000 troops to support the eldest son. The situation is not good for us. Don't hope that the eldest son can bring the army back."

    Liu Wei thought for a while, he still had 35,000 troops and countless supplies of food and grass. If he brought the army back, it would take at least ten days. I'm afraid it would be too late by then, so he could only leave in batches. Thinking of this  , he immediately ordered his soldiers: "Go and find General Wang quickly!"

    After a moment, Wang Hong, the captain of the school, hurriedly walked into the big tent. Wang Hong was also a veteran. He had followed Liu Zhang for many years and was a supporter of Liu Wei. This time Liu Wei deposed Wu Yi, and the military affairs were handed over to Wang Hong. He quickly  Walking away from the tent, he bowed and clasped his fists, saying, "See Mr. Wei!"

    Liu Wei sighed and said: "General Wang, I'm afraid my father has encountered something unfortunate. The situation in Chengdu is unclear now. I need to rush back to Chengdu immediately."

    Wang Hong felt sad in his heart and nodded silently, "In this humble position, I will obey the Young Master's arrangements!"

    Liu Wei pondered for a moment and said: "I will lead five thousand troops to rush back to Chengdu first. You can lead the remaining thirty thousand troops to retreat slowly. Be careful of being ambushed by Zhang Lu. Don't be careless."

    "Humble your duties and obey orders!"

    Liu Wei stood up and ordered to the soldiers: "Pack your belongings immediately, we will set off immediately!"

    Half an hour later, Liu Wei led 5,000 elite troops and rushed back to Chengdu to fight for the throne. At this time, the 30,000 Yizhou troops were under the command of Colonel Wang Hong. Wang Hong immediately ordered the three armies to pack their bags and prepare to withdraw south.

    At the beginning of night, Wang Hong was packing up documents in the big tent. He would have another night's rest today and leave early tomorrow morning to return to Yizhou. At this moment, a scream from a soldier suddenly came from outside the tent, which made Wang Hong couldn't help but  I was startled, what happened?

    Before he could get up, a dark figure rushed into the tent. It was an officer, eight feet tall, wearing armor, holding a shield and a spear. He stared at him coldly. When he saw the appearance of the person clearly, Wang Hong couldn't help but  He was so frightened that the officer in front of him turned out to be Wu Yi who had been rescued. He was trembling with fear, "General Wu, why are you here?"

    As he spoke, he reached for the long sword behind him. He grabbed the sword and shouted, "Someone is coming!  "

    Several soldiers who were sorting documents nearby drew their swords and rushed towards Wu Yi. At this time, more than a dozen soldiers rushed in outside the tent and knocked over several soldiers with their swords. Wu Yi, holding a spear in hand, approached Wang Hong step by step.  Seeing that the situation was not good, Wang Hong turned around and slashed a hole in the tent with his sword. He was about to escape. Just when he was about to get up, he felt a sharp pain in his back, and the tip of the spear had pierced his body.  , came out from the chest, Wang Hong screamed and died on the spot.

    Wu Yi drew out his spear, snorted coldly, and ordered the dozens of soldiers behind him: "Beat the drum, gather the generals!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Yufu County, Badong County, an army of about 10,000 people was marching rapidly towards the county seat. This army was Yan Yan's army from Ba County. When the news that Liu Zhang was dying came from Chengdu, Yan Yan made a prompt decision  , immediately led the army to Badong County.

    He divided his troops into two groups. He led 10,000 troops by land, and ordered general Zhang Yi to lead 5,000 troops by water first to prepare for a sneak attack on Badong County.

    At this time, Yan Yan did not attack Badong County for any personal grudge, but he felt that something was not good. Liu Zhang's death undoubtedly gave Liu Jing an excuse to march into Yizhou. Yizhou had no owner, and Liu Jing could use it as an excuse to replace him.  The imperial court maintained the stability of Bashu.

    As a backbone of the local Bashu clan, Yan Yan does not want Jingzhou forces to enter Bashu. Since ancient times, there has been a seemingly natural conflict between Chu and Shu, which also makes the Shu people have an inexplicable rejection of the Chu people.

    In particular, a large number of Dongzhou scholars entered Bashu and competed with the Shu people for their interests, which caused a deep conflict of interests between Shu and Dongzhou. Over the past twenty years, this gap has become deeper and deeper, almost to the point of being irreconcilable.  The conflict between Yan Yan and Pang Xi is a typical conflict between Shu people and Dongzhou people.

    The army marched in the rolling hills. The rolling hills were a natural cover for the army, bringing them closer and closer to the Badong military camp.

    Yufu County is the entrance to the Three Gorges. The mountains here are steep and high, and the peaks are abrupt. The county seat is located in a basin with gentle terrain, and a low city wall is built around it. A dozen miles away from the county seat, there is a white wall built on the mountain.  The Imperial City, adjacent to Kuimen in the east and surrounded by water on three sides, is a fortress with steep terrain.

    Baidi City was originally the residence of Pang Xi, with a thousand troops stationed there. However, since Pang Xi had moved to Wucheng, Baidi City was vacant, with only a hundred troops stationed there. The garrison that stayed in Yufu County was stationed in the northeast of the county.  In a wilderness, close to the Yangtze River pier.

    There are currently about 4,000 troops stationed in Badong, led by Pang Xi's brother Pang Jun and his staff Deng Zhi. At this time, Deng Zhi also received the news of Liu Zhang's sudden death. This seemed to be a signal that made him immediately realize that Jingzhou  The army's westward advance was imminent, so he was extra vigilant and suggested that Pang Jun send a large number of spies to explore the surrounding areas.

    In the big tent, Deng Zhi was discussing countermeasures with Pang Jun. He had just received an ultimatum from Chengdu. Liu Xun had inherited the position of Yizhou Mu and asked the governors from various places to go to Chengdu to express their allegiance. As the first elder of Yizhou, Pang Xi also  He was Liu Xun's father-in-law, so he was naturally highly regarded. Liu Xun personally wrote to Pang Xi, asking him to go to Chengdu to take charge of him no matter what.

    If Pang Xi received this letter, he would most likely want to go to Chengdu. Perhaps he would give up the idea of ??leading the Jingzhou army into Shu and fully support his son-in-law as the lord of Yizhou. However, Pang Xi was not in Badong, and  It was to Jianping that the letter was obtained by Deng Zhi and Pang Jun.

    Needless to say, Deng Zhi had secretly surrendered to Liu Jing, and Pang Jun also fully supported the Jingzhou army's entry into Shu. He had never liked Liu Zhang and his son. When Pang Xi married his youngest daughter to Liu Xun, he strongly opposed it, and now he is even less interested.  Be optimistic about the future of Bashu.

    "This time Liu Xun succeeded to the throne, his name was not correct, and his words were not smooth. He was neither a crown prince recognized by the court, nor did he have any title. I estimate that not many counties would recognize him."

    Deng Zhi pondered for a moment and said: "The general is right. Except for Wenchuan County and Shu County who will support it, the rest should wait and see and not easily take sides. The key is that the second young master will definitely compete with Liu Xun for the throne. It is not yet clear who will win."  You know, it is indeed stupid to express your position too actively, not to mention that Liu Jingzhou is watching eagerly from the side, silence is the best way to deal with it. "

    Pang Jun frowned slightly, "I'm very worried about eldest brother. Even if we don't give him the letter, he will definitely learn about Liu Xun's succession from other channels. I'm afraid that he will change his mind and refuse the Jingzhou army to enter Shu. Then  Trouble."

    Deng Zhi also sighed, and there was nothing they could do now. At this moment, a soldier outside the tent reported urgently: "Report to General Pang, a spy has discovered that an army of more than 10,000 people is rushing towards us.  "It seems that Yan Yan's army is less than twenty miles away from the county seat."

    This news shocked both Deng Zhi and Pang Jun. They immediately realized that Yan Yan had come to seize Badong. "What should we do now?" Pang Jun asked anxiously.

    "We only have 4,500 people,"If he is not a match for Yan Yan's army, he must either give up Dongzhe of Yufu County.  "

    "But isn't this just giving up Badong County to Yan Yan?" Pang Jun said hesitantly.

    "There is no way to do this. Our strength is not as good as others, and the county wall is too short to be defended. The only important thing now is to keep the army."

    Pang Jun nodded, "Then just follow what Mr.

    He stood up and shouted: "Pass my order, the troops will assemble immediately and evacuate eastward!"

    The order was passed on, and more than 4,000 troops quickly assembled. At this time, the spies came back with news that Yan Yan's forward was less than ten miles away from the camp. Pang Jun and Deng Zhi immediately led the troops to leave the camp and retreat eastward.

    But just as they were retreating from the camp, there were suddenly loud shouts of killing. Zhang Yi's five thousand troops, who had arrived from the waterway first, had been lying in wait for this opportunity for a long time.

    Zhang Yi took the lead and led his army to charge. In the darkness, his horse rushed in front of Pang Jun. He swung his spear and stabbed Pang Jun in the throat. Pang Jun was unable to dodge and was pierced through the throat by a spear. He died instantly.

    Zhang Yi turned over Pang Jun¡¯s body and shouted: ¡°Kill me!¡±

    Five thousand troops came from both sides to cover up and kill, causing the Badong Army to retreat steadily. At this moment, Yan Yan's main force of 10,000 troops arrived and the Badong Army could no longer support it. They were defeated like a mountain and were defeated by Yan Yan's army.  They were chased and killed all the way, and countless people surrendered.

    Under the desperate protection of dozens of soldiers, Deng Zhi escaped from the enemy's pursuit and fled towards Wucheng Luohuang.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 512 Drawing the sword and preparing to attack

    On the river outside Yidu County, 1,500 warships were densely packed on the river, just like crucian carp crossing the river, with a huge scale.

    This is the 70,000 Jingzhou army that is about to conquer Bashu westward. They have been gathering on the river outside Yidu City for two days, waiting for the final departure order.

    The so-called Battle of Jingnan was just an excuse for them to gather a large army. Jingzhou made full preparations for several months, including 300,000 shi of grain, countless ordnance supplies, more than 10,000 mules, horses and livestock, and mobilized 20,000 boatmen and  Thirty thousand logisticians.

    Jingzhou invested almost all the spoils of the Chibi War into this war.

    The 70,000-strong army is divided into two groups. One group is led by veteran Huang Zhong as the main general, with Liao Hua as deputy general, leading an army of 20,000 people by land. The other group is led by Liu Jing himself and an army of 50,000 people by water. They will use both land and water to seize Bashu in one fell swoop.

    On the pier, Liu Jing was conducting the final mobilization before going out to hundreds of generals above the military level.

    "Dear generals, Yizhou Liu Zhang passed away not long ago, and a civil war broke out between his two sons fighting for the succession. In Badong County, a war also broke out between the Dongzhou Shi army and the Bashu native army. This is what we  The flag of Jingzhou Army will fly over Bashu from now on."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing slowly glanced at everyone and saw that everyone looked solemn and their eyes were full of tension, as if they were going to participate in a battle of blood and fire. He smiled and said: "Generals, don't be too nervous.  , to seize Bashu, we have an absolute advantage in strength. Liu Zhang is dead, people are in chaos, and tens of thousands of troops are trapped in Hanzhong. As long as we don¡¯t take risks or make stupid moves, we will definitely be able to win this battle within two months at most.  Bashu, all soldiers participating in the battle will receive generous rewards!"

    The last sentence made the officers jubilate, and the atmosphere on the dock suddenly became heated. Liu Jing waved his hand again, and the officers on the dock became quiet again. Liu Jing then ordered: "We will set off in an hour. Now go back and prepare."  !¡±

    The officers dispersed one after another. At this time, Sima Yi hurriedly came up with a messenger and said: "Zhou Mu, there is news just sent from Wucheng."

    The messenger came forward and knelt down on one knee, holding a letter high, "This is a letter from my eunuch asking for help from the governor!"

    Liu Jing quickly accepted the letter, and there was an inexplicable worry in his heart. Before he went on the expedition, he actually received a letter asking for help from Pang Xi, which gave Liu Jing an ominous premonition.

    He read the letter. It was Pang Xi who was defeated by Yan Yan. Now he has a small army and is hiding in Wucheng County, begging Jingzhou to send troops for assistance.

    "Whether Badong was defeated or the Wucheng army was defeated?" Pang Xi did not write clearly in the letter, so Liu Jing asked the soldier who reported the news.

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, first Badong was defeated and General Pang Jun was killed. Yan Yan's army chased and killed the remnant soldiers who escaped all the way to Wu City. They were very arrogant. Governor Pang attacked in anger, but was ambushed again and was killed. He was defeated.  Return."

    "How many troops are there in Wu City now?" Liu Jing asked again.

    "Prefect Pang has transferred the Zigui County garrison to Wucheng, with less than three thousand troops."

    "I see!"

    Liu Jing asked his soldiers to take the messenger down. At this time, Sima Yi smiled slightly and said: "It seems that this Yan Yan is also quite good at using tricks. He will be a stumbling block for us to advance westward."

    "Military advisor, don't worry too much. Although Yan Yan has a little bit of strategy, his mantis arm cannot block the car. Our army marching westward will definitely crush his 20,000 troops to pieces!"

    Liu Jing stared at the green farmland in the distance. He couldn't help but sigh softly, "It's my sin to go on an expedition in the spring!"

    After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the ship, giving orders to everyone around him, "Get ready to go!"

    An hour later, with the sound of huge war drums, 1,500 warships hoisted their sails. Thousands of sails were like clouds, which was extremely spectacular. The fleet sailed towards Bashu in a mighty manner, officially kicking off the great expansion of Jingzhou to the west.  screen.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Yedu, at night, a carriage slowly stopped in front of the Prime Minister's Mansion. Xun You got out of the carriage with the support of a family boy. On the steps of the mansion, a dozen people carried lanterns, illuminating the front of the mansion as if it were daytime.  , Cao Zhi, who was waiting in front of the steps, hurriedly came forward, bowed and saluted: "Father is waiting for Shibo in the study, sir, please come with me!"

    Xun You nodded and said with a smile: "What happened that made your father come to me in such a hurry?"

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the specific nephew, but it seems to be related to Yizhou.¡±

    "Oh! Is there any news from Yizhou?" Xun You asked, stroking his beard.

    "Just now, an express message arrived from Yizhou. My father looked very shocked. The news is probably not good."

    The bad news coming from Yizhou was expected by Xun You. At the beginning of the month, he told the prime minister that Liu Jing had assembled an army in Jiangling, nominally to attack Jingnan, but in reality.He was preparing to use troops against Bashu. He made three suggestions. The first was to ask the emperor to issue an edict to clarify the sphere of influence of each prince, so as not to give Liu Jing an excuse to cross the border and attack Yizhou.

    Secondly, it was suggested that Cao Jun massively increase his troops in Runan and put pressure on Anlu County so that Liu Jing would not dare to act rashly.

    The third suggestion was to remind Liu Zhang to increase troops in Badong County to strengthen Yizhou's own defense. However, for some reason, the prime minister did not adopt the first two suggestions and did not explain the reasons to him. However, Xun You could guess one or two. The key is  The Prime Minister's mentality is different from before. Since the disastrous defeat in Chibi, the Prime Minister has obviously shifted from offense to defense, and his focus has also shifted from military to politics, losing his previous vigor.

    Of course, Xun You can also understand that the Red Cliff War caused too much material and financial losses to the Central Plains, which have not yet been recovered. It is obviously unrealistic to send troops on a large scale, but more importantly, the prime minister is old and no longer has the previous vigor.  He paid more attention to his status in the Han Dynasty.

    On the contrary, Liu Jing is young and energetic, full of vitality, with elite soldiers and people, and assisted by top talents like Jia Xu and Sima Yi. It is reasonable that the expansion is on the rise.

    Frankly speaking, Xun You had no good strategy to restrain Liu Jing's westward expansion, unless civil strife broke out in Jingzhou, which seemed unlikely, and Jiangdong was not a threat. After much deliberation, the only option was to send troops to intervene.

    Xun You quickly followed Cao Zhi to the inner hall, where Cao Cao gathered his close aides to discuss military and state affairs. He saw the prime minister pacing back and forth in the hall alone, looking very worried, which made Xun You feel inexplicably sad.

    In the past, among the five great counselors, Guo Jia died of illness, Jia Xu surrendered to Liu Jing, and his uncle turned to government affairs and no longer advised the prime minister. After Cheng Yu was defeated in Chibi, he felt guilty and claimed that he was ill. Now the prime minister is left alone.  One person.

    Xun You walked quickly to the hall, bowed and saluted: "I am here to see you, Prime Minister!"

    "Gongda is here just in time, please come in quickly!"

    Cao Cao was anxious, and he had no intention of talking to Xun You about his family affairs. The two sat down, and he got straight to the point and said, "I just got the news that Liu Zhang died unexpectedly."

    This news shocked Xun You, "How could he die of illness?"

    "I heard that he died suddenly while on patrol. The cause of death is unknown. He was most likely poisoned."

    Cao Cao sighed and added: "Now Liu Zhang's two sons accuse each other of poisoning, and each leads an army to conquer. The civil war is fierce. Fierce fighting also broke out between the Dongzhou scholars and the Bashu clan in the south. Yizhou is now in chaos.  "

    Xun You snorted slightly and said: "Liu Zhang died suddenly. Who else could have done it besides Liu Jing? It's a pity that Liu Zhang and two fools fought for their own interests, but they ignored the impending enemy."

    Cao Cao nodded, "It is obvious that Liu Jing is the biggest beneficiary of Liu Zhang's death. As long as Liu Zhang is eliminated, Yizhou will become a land without one, and Liu Jing can rush to appoint Xinzhou Mu before the imperial court."  , seizing Bashu, euphemistically claiming to quell the rebellion in Bashu and protecting the people, is morally tenable, and then he will force me to admit his control over Bashu. "

    Speaking of this, Cao Cao showed an unconcealed worry in his eyes, and said to Xun You: "Liu Jing occupied Jingzhou and captured Bashu. He won the second most prosperous land in the world, and Bashu is even more advantageous. If his superior strategy succeeds, Bashu will be the winner."  Hanzhong will be conquered, and then the troops will be directed to Guanzhong, which will occupy half of the Han Dynasty. Gongda, what should we do now? "

    Xun You sighed secretly in his heart, Liu Zhang died suddenly, Liu Jing's victory over Yizhou was completed, what else could be done to stop him, but he had to share Cao Cao's worries. After pondering for a moment, Xun You said slowly: "Wei Chen has three plans, maybe he can  Slow down Liu Jing¡¯s westward march.¡±

    Of course, Cao Cao also knew that this matter was extremely difficult. If it were easy, he could make the decision himself. It was precisely because he had nothing to do that he invited Xun You. As expected, Xun You did not disappoint him and proposed three strategies. He quickly smiled and said: "Mr.  Please tell me!"

    "The first plan can be called an emergency plan and must be done immediately. The imperial court must immediately recognize Liu Xun or Liu Wei as the governor of Yizhou, and then send people to Yizhou to persuade their brothers to stop internal strife and unite with the outside world. This can make them  Liu Jing is morally untenable, and at the same time he also suggests that troops should be stationed in Nanyang or Runan immediately, taking advantage of Liu Jing's westward advance and Jingzhou being empty, to overwhelm Jingzhou and force Liu Jing to retreat. "

    Cao Cao nodded silently. He could recognize Liu Wei as the pastor of Yizhou and let Huang Quan mediate the civil war. This was no problem, but he felt it was inappropriate to attack Jingzhou. Xun You proposed this plan last time, but he did not adopt it.

    It's not because he and Liu Jing signed a non-attack contract. That kind of contract is meaningless to him. The key is that there is a barrier between the Han River and the Yangtze River, and Jiangxia has a strong navy. His attack on Jingzhou will have little effect, but will tear it up.  The breach of contract gave Liu Jing the opportunity to attack Nanyang, so Cao Cao weighed again and again and did not adopt the plan of stationing troops in Runan.

    But Cao Cao didn¡¯t want to overdo it either.After explaining, he asked: "Gongda, please tell me the second plan!"

    Xun You felt that Cao Cao was not very surprised, and he probably would not adopt the option of forcing troops to force Jingzhou. However, he had no choice but to say: "If Liu Jing captures Bashu, the prime minister can secretly support the Bashu native faction and mobilize the Bashu native faction and Dong  The conflict between the state officials made it difficult for Liu Jing to gain a foothold in Yizhou, and he was finally forced to abandon Yizhou. This plan will take a certain amount of time, but the effect will be very good, so it is also called a slow plan. "

    "Not bad!" Cao Cao praised: "This is a plan to draw out the firepower. Without the support of the Bashu people, Liu Jing would not be able to swallow it even if he swallowed the Bashu people in his mouth. More importantly, it can buy me time. This plan I  Accepted, please ask Gongda for the third plan.¡±

    Xun You thought for a while and said: "The third plan, let's call it a supplementary plan. What Weichen means is that we did not seize the opportunity in Bashu and Hanzhong, resulting in today's passivity. Then our next step is to seize the opportunity to defeat Liu."  Before Jing, block his next step."

    "Gongda refers to Guanzhong?" Cao Cao asked.

    Xun You nodded, "It's Guanzhong!"

    Cao Cao paced slowly with his hands behind his back. He understood what Xun You meant. The key to Guanzhong lies in Ma Chao. If Ma Chao is not eliminated, Liu Jing will most likely use his alliance with Ma Chao to gain control of Guanzhong.

    For Ma Chao, once Liu Jing takes charge of Guanzhong, it means that he has complete control over Longyou and no longer has to worry about Cao Jun's support for Han Sui in Guanzhong. He may even ask Liu Jing to help him destroy Han Sui.

    However, for Liu Jing, if he captures Guanzhong, he will form a force to encircle the Central Plains from the south and west, forming a strategic encirclement for himself, causing him to focus on one thing at the expense of the other. In the end, he will inevitably be cannibalized by Liu Jing step by step, and he will be the only one to take control of Guanzhong first.  Killing Ma Chao and blocking Liu Jing in Hanzhong is the right strategy.

    Thinking of this, Cao Cao turned around and asked: "If we want to destroy Ma Chao, what should we do?"

    Xun You stroked his beard and smiled and said: "Ma Chao has the advantage of cavalry, and many of his officers and men are Qiang people. Longyou is his foundation. If it is difficult to destroy him at Longyou, it is better to lure him to Guanzhong and destroy him there."  "

    Cao Cao was overjoyed and asked quickly: "What's the plan?"

    Xun You whispered a few words to Cao Cao. Cao Cao nodded repeatedly, gave a thumbs up and praised: "The strategy of fairness is brilliant!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 513 Veterans fighting for swords

    In Wucheng County, Pang Xi, wearing a suit of armor, stood at the top of the city, his heart filled with an unspeakable bitterness. In just one month, his army dropped sharply from 10,000 to less than 3,000.  It was a disastrous defeat that he had never suffered in more than ten years.

    The wilderness at the foot of the mountain in the distance was covered with countless tents. It was the 8,000 troops that Yan Yan personally led to attack Wu City. Fortunately, Wu City was strong and tall, which prevented the enemy from continuing to march eastward.

    Pang Xi has realized the reason for his failure, that is, he refused to give up Badong County and divided his already unfavorable troops into two. As a result, Yan Yan defeated them one by one. Although he knew it in his heart, he  £®  £®  £®  £®  How could he be willing to give up running Badong County for many years?

    In the final analysis, he should not accept Jianping County. Although he knew that Liu Jing was using Dongzhou scholars, he himself was using Jingzhou to expand his power, but his army simply did not have such a big appetite. Why should he do this?  greedy?

    Pang Xi sighed lowly, turned around and walked towards the city. At this moment, the rumble of war drums suddenly sounded outside the city, ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The shouts of killing shook the sky, and Pang Xi hurried back to the city wall, only to see an army of thousands of people swarming toward Wu City in darkness, with flags fluttering and a spectacular momentum.

    Pang Xi quickly turned around and shouted: "Sound the alarm, the whole army goes to the city to defend!"

    The alarm bell in Wu City rang, and the rapid tolling echoed in the city. Groups of fully armed soldiers rushed to the top of the city with murderous intent. In just a moment, 2,500 soldiers were in position, with bows and crossbows drawn, ready for battle.

    At this time, thousands of enemy troops had already reached the city walls and were lined up in a dense formation two hundred steps away from the city wall. Their helmets were bright and their swords and spears were like a forest. In the middle was a big flag fluttering, with dragons and phoenixes on the flag writing a big word.  The word 'Yan', under the banner, is a sixty-year-old veteran holding a machete in his hand, riding on a majestic war horse, with a fluttering white beard on his chest, majestic, it is the veteran Yan Yan.

    He urged his horse forward and pointed at the city head and shouted: "Pang Xi, the traitor, get out of the city and die!"

    Yan Yan¡¯s voice was loud and high-pitched, like a bell. Even the soldiers on the city could hear it clearly. Pang Xi turned blue with anger and shouted, ¡°Set me an arrow!¡±

    Suddenly, arrows rained down from the top of the city, shooting directly at Yan Yan. Yan Yan was known as Bashu's Southern Sword, and his martial arts skills were second only to Beiqian Zhang Ren in Bashu. He used his broadsword to deflect the arrows. He was impervious to wind and rain, and slowly retreated with his legs tucked under his horse.  Soon he was out of the crossbow range.

    He shouted again: "Pang Xi, you eggless coward. I am not afraid of death at the age of sixty. Do you dare to fight to the death with me?"

    Pang Xi ignored him on the wall, and Yan Yan turned around and shouted: "Bring it up!"

    Dozens of soldiers came forward carrying puppets. These puppets were about one person tall and looked like men, but they were wearing women's clothes. The word "Pang Xi" was written on a big sign above their heads. Yan Yan's soldiers laughed.

    Hundreds more people built a wooden platform in front of the city wall, and more than a dozen shamans, witches, and witches performed witchcraft performances on the platform. One of them was dressed as Yan Yan and stood on the platform with a big knife in his hand. The other was a middle-aged man wearing a woman's dress.  , knelt down and kowtowed in front of Yan Yan and begged for mercy. He was full of ugliness. The big banner on the stage read "Pang Xi begs for mercy."

    Amid the sound of gongs and drums, witchcraft performances were performed wonderfully. One moment, a monkey dressed up as Pang Xi performed a monkey show, and the other moment, Pang Xi performed naked sumo wrestling, which attracted bursts of laughter and curses from the soldiers.

    Pang Xi was so angry that he was shaking all over. He knew that this was Yan Yan's plan to provoke the enemy, but this shameful humiliation still made him couldn't help but yell, "Come out of the city with me and kill these bandits!"

    Deng Zhi was so frightened that he stepped forward to stop him, "Don't be fooled, we will be defeated when we leave the city!"

    Pang Xi stamped his feet fiercely, turned around and walked towards the city. Deng Zhi hurriedly chased after him, "Your Majesty, this is their way of provoking generals!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yan Yan performed in the city for a day, which was extremely humiliating. Pang Xi was so angry that his eyes were on fire. He wanted to leave the city several times for a decisive battle, but Deng Zhi tried hard to persuade him. As night fell, Yan Yan's army challenged him to no avail.  Withdrew to the military camp at the foot of the mountain.

    In the night, veteran general Huang Zhong led an army of 20,000 people to march rapidly along the Shu Road towards Wucheng. The army of 20,000 people was like a long snake, stretching for more than ten miles on the mountain road. Due to Pang Xi's defeat on the front line, Xinling County and Zigui County  There were no more garrison troops in the county and they were all transferred to Wucheng County. Huang Zhong's army successfully crossed the border and walked quickly all the way to Wucheng five miles away.

    At this time, the captain Liao Hua rushed forward and bowed: "Old general, I humbly take a step forward and give orders to Pang Xi to open the city to welcome the army!"

    Huang Zhong shook his head, "Pang Xi is a veteran of Bashu, with a high status and a proud nature. If you ask him to go out of the city to greet him, it will make him dissatisfied and may cause trouble. Why don't I go see him directly and give him a face?"  ¡±

    Jiang Wan, who joined the army next to him, smiled and said: "Veteran general?Sure enough, he is well versed in the ways of the world!  "

    Liao Hua bowed and said: "I understand my humble position."

    Huang Zhong immediately ordered: "The whole army speeds up!"

    The team sped up, and not long after, the vanguard arrived at Wu City. Huang Zhong stared at the dangerous city and ordered the soldiers: "Go and call the door!"

    The soldiers rushed to the bottom of the city and shouted: "Listen on the city, General Huang has arrived with the Jingzhou army. Please open the door quickly!"

    The defenders at the head of the city had already noticed the arrival of the army and rushed to report it to Pang Xi. Pang Xi hurried to the head of the east city and looked down the city. In the darkness, he only saw torches like a long dragon with no end in sight. This was at least several  The army of ten thousand made Pang Xi secretly frightened.

    However, the arrival of the Jingzhou Army made him breathe a long sigh of relief. At this time, he saw a dozen generals on horseback approaching and asked loudly: "I am Pang Xi. Who is the general under the city?"

    A burst of loud laughter came from the city, "Mr. Pang, I am Huang Hansheng!"

    Pang Xi has been dealing with Jingzhou for many years, and of course he knows Huang Zhong. He knows that Huang Zhong was a veteran of the Jingzhou military back then, and now he is the highest-ranking general in Jingzhou. He did not dare to neglect and quickly ordered: "Open the city!"

    The gate of Wu City slowly opened, and Pang Xi personally welcomed him out, followed by Deng Zhi and other important subordinates. Huang Zhong dismounted his horse, stepped forward and said with a smile: "I heard that Pang Zhenggong was fighting against Yan Yan's army, and I followed the order of Zhou Mu.  , came here to help!"

    Pang Xi was overjoyed, stepped forward to salute, and quickly asked: "Excuse me, old general, is Liu Zhoumu here?"

    Huang Zhong pointed to the river in the distance and said with a smile: "Pang Gong will be able to see Jingzhou's main army on the river at the latest the day after tomorrow."

    Pang Xi sighed softly, "This day has finally come!"

    At this time, Deng Zhi stepped forward and whispered: "Your Majesty, Yan Yan will definitely come to challenge you tomorrow, so we might as well take advantage of it."

    Pang Xi suddenly woke up and quickly said to Huang Zhong: "Old thief Yan Yan comes to the city to challenge every day. I suffer from insufficient troops and cannot accept the challenge. With the old general here, we can kill him by surprise tomorrow!"

    Huang Zhong laughed, "I've heard for a long time that Yan Yan's sword is not old, but I want to take a look, whose sword is more sophisticated?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The next morning, the drums sounded again, and Yan Yan led more than 2,000 people to the pass and shouted curses. At this moment, the gate of Wucheng opened wide, and an army of more than 1,000 people came out of the city, led by  A veteran, with a majestic figure and a fluttering white beard, holds a gold-backed tiger-tooth sword in his hand, riding on a majestic white horse, like a tiger and leopard leaving the city.

    Of course Yan Yan knew Huang Zhong, and he was shocked. Huang Zhong actually appeared in Wucheng, which meant that the Jingzhou army was coming to kill him. His thoughts suddenly changed, and he knew that the method he prepared to deal with Pang Xi was no longer effective, and he was about to transfer the horse.  He retreated, only to hear Huang Zhong shout: "General Yan, do you dare to fight with me?"

    Yan Yan knew that Huang Zhong was the best general in Jingzhou in the past, and now that there was another Zhao Yun, he was listed as the second among the five tiger generals in Jingzhou. Perhaps because they were both veteran generals, Yan Yan suddenly felt a sense of competitiveness and swung his sword.  "I'm willing to fight the old general!"

    He hurriedly urged the horse, and the horse galloped like thunder, rushing straight towards Huang Zhong. A cold light flashed, and the machete slashed Huang Zhong's chest with a fierce momentum. Huang Zhong was not in a hurry, and the gold-backed tiger-tooth knife came forward to meet him.  Listen 'dang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, like a thunder on the ground, two big knives slashed at one place, fire flew out, and two powerful forces struck back at the two people at the same time.

    The war horse clattered back. Huang Zhong felt his arms and legs were sore and numb, and the strong sword energy almost made him breathless. He secretly praised in his heart that he was worthy of the name Bashu Southern Sword, and it was indeed well-deserved.

    And Yan Yan was even more miserable. He had almost no feeling in his arms, and the knife in his hand almost came out. His blood was boiling, and his chest was extremely uncomfortable. He suddenly turned around and spit out a mouthful of blood.

    Huang Zhong refused to spare him and shouted, "Kill me again!"

    The war horse rushed forward and slashed with his sword. Yan Yan had to steel himself and faced the battle. The two were fighting fiercely. At this time, the army in the city began to pour out in large numbers. The number of troops in the city gradually increased from 1,000 to 8,000.  , all wearing the iron pockets of the Jingzhou Army, led by the deputy general Liao Hua, full of murderous intent, just waiting for an order to kill the enemy.

    Yan Yan and Huang Zhong have been fighting fiercely for twenty rounds. Although Yan Yan has excellent sword skills, he is obviously inferior to Huang Zhong in terms of strength, and he gradually begins to be unable to resist.

    He found a flaw and stabbed Huang Zhong in the face. Huang Zhong swung his sword to fight. Yan Yan seized this momentary opportunity, turned his horse and fled, while shouting to the soldiers: "Retreat immediately!"

    Huang Zhong put away his sword, opened his bow and nocked an arrow, aiming at the back of Yan Yan's neck. Yan Yan had no defense. The arrow would definitely penetrate his neck, but Huang Zhong hesitated and relaxed the bow string. For some reason, he feltHe actually felt a sense of sympathy and gave up the arrow.

    Seeing that the enemy troops were defeated and fleeing, Huang Zhong shouted: "The whole army is chasing us!"

    "Kill!"

    The Jingzhou army roared like thunder and charged towards the Yizhou army camp at the foot of the mountain. Yan Yan had originally ambushed three thousand enemy troops at the foot of the mountain, preparing to ambush Pang Xi, but the Jingzhou army came and killed him, making his ambush ineffective.  The Yizhou Army could not withstand the impact of the Jingzhou Army and fled in defeat. Huang Zhong led his army to pursue them all the way, killing countless people and surrendering.

    In this battle, Yan Yan's 5,000 troops were defeated, more than 1,000 people were killed, 3,000 were captured, and only more than 800 people followed Yan Yan and fled back to Badong County in embarrassment.

    Huang Zhong immediately withdrew his troops. He did not rush to attack. Instead, he let the army rest in Wucheng for two days. The soldiers were very tired due to the rapid march. He knew that the physical strength and morale of the soldiers were the key to the war. Two days later, the Jingzhou Army  The main fleet appeared overwhelmingly on the river outside Wucheng. Huang Zhong then ordered the entire army to set off and advance towards Badong County.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 514 Meeting Pang Xi for the first time

    The fleet passed through Wushan County and then entered the famous Wu Gorge. This is a beautiful grand canyon. The river is as clear as blue, and there are strange peaks and rocks on both sides of the river. It is surrounded by clouds and mist. It is so beautiful that the soldiers stood on the deck to enjoy the magnificent scenery.  , cranes and apes can be heard faintly, and the agile Bashan apes jumped and climbed on the cliffs above the river, following the fleet, which attracted exclamations from the soldiers.

    "How beautiful!" Sima Yi stood in front of the deck with his hands folded, looking up at the magnificent Wu Gorge scenery, and couldn't help but admire it again.

    Liu Jing slowly walked to him and said with a smile: "Actually, the beauty of Mount Xisai is no less beautiful than here, but it is indeed not as magnificent as here."

    Sima Yi nodded, "There are indeed many beautiful scenery along the Yangtze River, such as Red Cliff, Xisai Mountain, and the vast waves in the Jiangling section, but here it gives people a sense of sudden enlightenment and the insignificance of human beings, even if they encounter failure.  It¡¯s not depressing.¡±

    At this time, the fleet rounded a section of mountain peaks, and a small piece of gentle land suddenly appeared in front of them. It was a gentle section of foothills, with a radius of about dozens of miles. It was a good land for building a city. There were more than a hundred people standing on the shore.  Sergeant, wave the Jingzhou red flag to greet the fleet.

    Sima Yi smiled and said: "It should be Pang Xi and the others. After passing Wucheng, Pang Xi should come to see Zhou Mu."

    Although Liu Jing had heard of his name for a long time, he had not yet met Pang Xi, so he said to his soldiers: "Let a small boat pick them up to see me!"

    During this Western Expedition, the warships of the Jingzhou Army were all Qianshi or less. The ships were too big to pass through a section of dangerous shoals in the Three Gorges. Liu Jing's ship was also a Qianshi building, with the first floor being the place for discussions and staff operations.  , the second floor is the living and sleeping quarters. Sima Yi also has his own boat, but today when he entered the Wucheng River section, he also went to Liu Jing's boat to discuss military affairs.

    Not long after, Pang Xi and Deng Zhi boarded the ship under the guidance of their own soldiers. Sima Yi faced Pang Xi and said with a smile, "Prefect Pang, are you okay?"

    Sima Yi went on three missions to Bashu. He specifically passed through Badong County twice and met Pang Xi. Pang Xi quickly returned the greeting, "It turns out to be Sima's military advisor. I haven't seen you for a long time. May I know where the governor can stay?"

    Sima Yi waved his hand, "Please, Grand Administrator! Zhou Mu has been waiting for a long time."

    Pang Xi nodded, winked at Deng Zhi, and the two of them followed Sima Yi and walked quickly to the main hall of the cabin on the first floor. Although the two sides often exchanged letters, this was the first time for Pang Xi to see Liu Jing. He felt a little nervous, but  It's not that I'm afraid of meeting Liu Jing, but I don't know what kind of future Liu Jing will give me?

    It stands to reason that he accepted Liu Jing's arrangement and took over Jianping County to ensure that the Jingzhou Army could enter Shu smoothly. For this, he paid a heavy price and he should be well compensated. But for some reason, Pang Xi had an unusual feeling.  The wonderful feeling seems that Liu Jing will not give herself too many benefits.

    Sima Yi smiled in front of the cabin door: "Zhou Mu, they are here!"

    "Please come in!"

    Liu Jing's deep voice came from the cabin. This voice made people feel an irresistible majesty, which made Pang Xi feel even more uneasy.

    The three of them walked into the cabin. The cabin was very spacious and could accommodate at least fifty people. There was a circle of low tables placed against the ship wall. There were seats behind the table, which were obviously used for banquets and discussions.

    There is a sand table in the middle of the cabin, which is three feet long and two feet wide, occupying most of the middle of the cabin. Standing in front of the sand table with his hands folded is a young general wearing a golden helmet and iron scale armor.  Tall and majestic.

    He looked back at Pang Xi, his eyes as sharp as a knife, as if he could see through Pang Xi's thoughts, which made Pang Xi's heart jump suddenly and he was a little at a loss.

    But the sharpness in the young officer's eyes quickly disappeared. He smiled slightly and asked, "Are you Pang Shijun?" His smile was like a spring breeze, which immediately dispelled the uneasiness in Pang Xi's heart.

    Pang Xi knew that this was the famous Jingzhou Mu Liu Jing, who would also be his lord in the future. He quickly bowed deeply and said, "Pang Xi pays homage to Jingzhou Mu!"

    "We should be very familiar with each other, even though this is the first time we meet." Liu Jing said with a gentle smile.

    Pang Xi nodded, "Zhou Mu is right."

    "Please take a seat! Mr. Deng, please take a seat as well. You can be more casual and don't be nervous."

    Liu Jing asked Pang Xi and Deng Zhi to sit down, while Sima Yi sat down opposite them. Liu Jing sat in the center. At this time, the soldiers served several cups of tea. Liu Jing picked up the cup and took a sip of tea, and then asked:  "Before I left for the expedition, I received a letter from Duke Pang. It seemed that something bad had happened to me. I wonder what the situation is now?"

    Pang Xi sighed and said with great sadness: "I was eager to enter Wu City this time, but I couldn't give up the equally important Badong County. As a result, I was defeated by Yan Yan one by one, and my brother was killed. I led my troops to attack in anger, but  They were caught in an ambush and lost 70% of their troops. It was an unprecedented heavy loss for Dongzhou soldiers  "

    Although he didn¡¯t say it explicitly, the implication was that he was telling Liu Jing, ¡®It was your order that led to my fiasco, and the responsibility for the huge loss lies with you.  ¡¯

    Deng Zhi next to him heard something in Pang Xi's words, and he felt very uneasy. He didn't expect Pang Xi to complain so directly. Now is not the time to bargain with Liu Jing, so how could you be so confused?

    Liu Jing's expression was very calm, as if he didn't understand Pang Xi's hint. He just smiled lightly and said: "I know the sacrifices made by Pang Gong and Dongzhou Shi. After this battle is over, I will definitely make double compensation.  Please don¡¯t worry, Mr. Pang!¡±

    Pang Xi was overjoyed and quickly raised his hands and said, "Thank you to Zhou Mu for making the decision for Dongzhou Scholars."

    At this time, Sima Yi smiled and asked: "I wonder what the situation in Chengdu is like? Does Prefect Pang know?"

    Pang Xi hesitated for a moment. Of course he knew that yesterday his son-in-law Liu Xun wrote a letter asking for help, but in front of Liu Jing, he did not want to mention that he still had contacts with Liu Xun.

    He thought for a while and said: "I only heard that the Liu brothers fought three wars, which were very tragic. I also knew that both of them proclaimed themselves Yizhou Mu. The elder brother occupied Chengdu and the younger brother occupied Mianzhu. Each had a group of people to support it. If  Liu Zhang knows that his sons are killing each other, and I am afraid that he will not be able to die peacefully. "

    Liu Jing nodded and said: "Whether it is Liu Xun or Liu Wei, such people only care about their own interests and do not care about the life and death of the people. Such people cannot be the leader of Yizhou, but I welcome them to kill each other. This provides us with  Huge opportunity.¡±

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing thought for a moment and then said: "The next step is for me to capture Badong County. Pang Gong has been operating in Badong County for many years and has a high prestige. I would like to ask Pang Gong to go with the ship and appease the people of Badong County for me. This  It¡¯s my first stop and it means a lot.¡±

    Pang Xi pondered for a moment and asked: "Then who is better to guard the Witch City?"

    Liu Jing glanced at Deng Zhi, smiled slightly and said, "I think Mr. Deng is the best candidate."

    Pang Xi and Deng Zhi retreated, and Liu Jing walked to the sand table with his hands behind his back and stared at the terrain and passes of Bashu. Historically, Liu Bei did not have warships when taking Bashu, so he could only fight through the passes one by one, but there was no need for him here.  Well, he took the water route, from the Yangtze River to the Minjiang River, and fought all the way to Chengdu. As long as Chengdu was captured, all the counties and counties in Bashu would be defeated.

    "However, Yan Yan of Bajun is a tough guy. If Huang Zhong can bite him off and comfort him, then the three counties of Bazhou will be safe.

    At this time, Sima Yi sent Pang Xi and Deng Zhi away and came in, "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Pang Xi was placed in another ship, and Deng Zhi was sent ashore."

    "Pang Xi has no objection, right?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    "He seemed to have noticed something, but there was nothing he could do about it."

    Sima Yi gave a thumbs up and praised: "I thought Zhou Mu wanted him to go ashore, but I didn't expect Zhou Mu to detain him. How clever!"

    Liu Jing said coldly: "This person has been bargaining with me since we met. He may not make any small moves in the future. At the critical moment, we cannot let him control the key passes of Wu City. This kind of person must be in my hands to feel at ease."

    Sima Yi also nodded, "What Zhou Mu said is right. After all, he is Liu Xun's father-in-law. Once a war breaks out between us and Liu Xun, this man will definitely help Liu Xun secretly. But can Deng Zhi rest assured?"

    Liu Jing smiled proudly, "I will replace the defenders. I understand that even Deng Zhi, a scholar, will not be able to make trouble, but I believe that he is aware of current affairs and knows who to be loyal to?"

    Sima Yi heard something in Liu Jing's words and quickly asked: "Is Zhou Mu going to transfer Dongzhou's troops?"

    Liu Jing took two steps behind his hands, turned around and said to Sima Yi: "I plan to temporarily transfer them to Jiangling. After the war in Yizhou is over, they will be disbanded and returned to the countryside. In any case, Dongzhou scholars cannot have an army."

    "Then how will Zhou Mu plan to resettle Pang Xi?" Sima Yi asked again.

    Liu Jing put his hands behind his hands and said coldly: "Then it depends on his performance in the future. If he performs well, I can let him serve as Jingzhou Biejia and reuse him. But if he dares to make any small moves, then I can only send him to Wuling."  Become a county magistrate."

    Sima Yi was silent. He didn¡¯t persuade her too much. After all, when sending troops to Bashu, one can¡¯t put too much emphasis on women¡¯s benevolence. Only kindness and power can be effective. It seems that Liu Jing has done a good job and does not need to persuade him.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yan Yan returned to Badong County to pick up the remaining troops and defeated the defeated generals. He actually lost more than 4,000 people. This made him very depressed. He ordered troops to be stationed outside Yuwei City. At this time, Lieutenant General Zhang Yi and counselor Peng Yi came to see him.  he.

    In the big tent, Zhang Yi saw that the general was worried, so he smiled and asked: "Is the envoy upset because he lost to Huang Zhong?"

    Yan Yan let out a long sigh, "Huang Zhong was originally the most powerful general in Jingzhou, and now he is second only to Zhao Yun among the five tiger generals. I don't think so."??He is very normal. I am not worried about this. What I am worried about is that Jingzhou has finally made a large-scale westward advance. What can we Bashu do to resist?  "

    Peng Yi also nodded and said: "If I guessed correctly, the Jingzhou army must have come by both water routes, and Huang Zhong only came by land. The real Jingzhou army came by water, and should have been led by Liu Jing himself. It's a pity that Liu Zhang still foolishly thought that Jingzhou  The army wanted to march north to Hanzhong, but Liu Jing fell into Liu Jing's plan to divert the tiger away from the mountain and trapped 40,000 elite troops in Hanzhong. The situation is now serious! "

    At this time, Zhang Yi hesitated and asked Yan Yan in a low voice: "I heard that the two young masters were fighting fiercely for the throne in Chengdu. I wonder who we support?"

    "Hmph! Two idiots and losers."

    Yan Yan was so angry that she cursed: "Two bastards, I will not support anyone."

    Just as he was talking about this, a soldier suddenly rushed outside the tent and reported: "Report to the prefect, Jiangzhou is asking for urgent help!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 515 Fire in the Backyard

    A soldier who reported the news knelt down on one knee and cried to Yan Yan: "Yong Kai, the prefect of Jianning, led an army of 40,000 people to the north. They have entered Jiangyang County, burning, killing and looting all the way. Ba County is in danger. Lu Juncheng begged the prefect to return the troops immediately!"

    This news stunned Yan Yan. He never dreamed that when he led his army to stop the Jingzhou Army, his backyard would be attacked by Yong Chi. Yan Yan could not say a word for a long time, but Peng Yi was calm and asked quickly:  "Did Yong Kai's army enter Bajun?"

    "Replying to Sir, Yong Kai's army crossed the Yangtze River in Jiangyang. There were many barbarians in the army. They were especially fierce in killing and robbing. They burned and killed them all the way. The forwards have entered Bajun and are now approaching Jiangzhou."

    "We understand, please step back first!"

    The messenger retreated, and Peng Jicai said to Yan Yan: "Yong Kai is Liu Wei's father-in-law. He must have received Liu Wei's request for help before leading his army northward. However, Yong Kai did not have so many troops. The soldiers said there were many barbarians. I guess  Zhu Bao, the governor of Xianggao, and Gaoding, the king of Yuexi Yi, also sent troops to help."

    Yan Yan pondered for a moment and said: "Since Yong Kai is supporting Liu Wei, then after crossing the river in Jiangyang County, they should go directly north to Chengdu along the Min River. Why did they go east to Bajun?"

    "This is the selfishness of the barbarian army. They mainly come to plunder, not to go north to Chengdu. It is precisely because Bajun is empty that they are given the opportunity."

    Yan Yan nodded, "The situation is urgent, we need to return to Jiangzhou immediately."

    At this time, Zhang Yi asked, "What about the Jingzhou Army?"

    Yan Yan sighed, "Actually, I'm just here to deal with Pang Xi's Dongzhou Army. Fighting against Liu Jing with our strength is undoubtedly a mantis blocking the car. Since the Jingzhou army has arrived, it is wise for us to withdraw to Bajun."  Lift."

    Peng Yi also agreed with Yan Yan's decision and added: "Now that Liu Zhang is dead and Yizhou is actually an unowned land, only Yong Kai dared to go north so unscrupulously. In this case, we should conserve our strength and wait and see how the situation develops."  It¡¯s the right path, and you shouldn¡¯t be too aggressive and compromise your own strength.¡±

    Yan Yan stood up and ordered: "Pass my order, the three armies must gather and return to Jiangzhou immediately!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yan Yan's army evacuated Badong overnight and returned to Ba County. Early the next morning, pioneer Liao Hua led 5,000 troops to Yuwei County and occupied this strategically located county. At the same time, he sent another 3,000 troops to attack  The counties of Badong County advanced and completely occupied the first county of Bashu.

    At noon, Huang Zhong led more than 10,000 troops to Yuwei County. Yuwei County, also known as Yong'an County in later generations, is the starting point of the Three Gorges and the east gate of Bashu. Its strategic location is extremely important. Occupying Yuwei County is quite significant.  Yu opened the gate of Bashu.

    Liao Hua led the county magistrate out of the city to greet Huang Zhong, "I would like to inform the old general that Yan Yan's army has withdrawn. I have sent troops to various places in Badong County according to the old general's order."

    Huang Zhong nodded approvingly, "Thank you for your hard work, General Liao."

    He got off his horse and smiled at the magistrate: "You must be Magistrate Luo!"

    Magistrate Luo County stepped forward and bowed: "Your Majesty, Luo Yong, is here to see General Huang."

    "You're welcome, Magistrate Luo. I want to know why Yan Yan's army suddenly withdrew?"

    Magistrate Luo County quickly said: "There is indeed a special reason. Since last night, refugees from Bajun have been fleeing one after another. I heard that barbarians from the south entered Bajun, burning, killing and looting along the way. People fled their homes one after another.  Governor Yan probably withdrew to Bajun for this reason."

    "I see!"

    Huang Zhong nodded, this was a new situation, and he should report it to Zhou Mu. At this time, Liao Hua said again: "For the record, old general, Yan Yan captured more than 3,000 Badong troops before, and they didn't have time to take them away when they retreated.  They all expressed their willingness to surrender to us and are now concentrated in the military camp. What should we do? "

    This issue is a bit tricky. To be safe, you should ask Liu Jing for instructions, but Huang Zhong also knows Liu Jing's intentions. These Badong soldiers are all children of Dongzhou people and cannot be allowed to form an army. Moreover, Pang Xi wants to return home.  These prisoners of war would be troublesome if they stayed, so he asked Magistrate Luo, "Where are these Badong Army soldiers from?"

    "Their families are distributed throughout Bashu, mainly concentrated in Badong County and Bajun. Most of them are the children of Dongzhou people who fled to Bashu from Jingzhou."

    Huang Zhong thought for a while and immediately ordered Liao Hua: "Give them each a little food and let them go home separately. Say the war is over and let them go home in peace to serve their parents and raise their children."

    ¡°I understand my humble position!¡±

    Liao Hua turned around and hurried to the military camp. Huang Zhong said to Magistrate Luo: "The Jingzhou army is expected to arrive tomorrow, and my state herdsman will also come with the army. Magistrate Luo will comfort the county people and reassure them that the Jingzhou army is coming."  Protect them. With the Jingzhou army here, the barbarians from the south can't kill them."

      "Xia Guan is relieved. Please ask the old general to follow Xi Guan into the city."

    "No need, we will be stationed outside the city. Magistrate Luo, please come back!"

    Huang Zhong immediately ordered the army to camp outside the city and wait until Liu Jing's army arrived.

    At noon the next day, the overwhelming Jingzhou military fleet appeared on the river outside Yufu County. This was a spectacular sight that the Badong people had not seen in decades. The sails were like clouds, covering the river, and both sides of the river were lined with people.  People came to see the excitement, and even Yufu County came out all over the city. Tens of thousands of people came to the riverside to welcome the arrival of Liu Jing, the herdsman of Jingzhou.

    There are more than 100,000 people in Badong County, 70% of which come from Jingzhou and the north. It is a place where Dongzhou scholars live together.

    Therefore, they all have a special feeling of intimacy towards the Jingzhou Army, as if they came to greet their relatives. The gongs and drums were playing on the shore, and it was extremely lively.

    At this time, Huang Zhong had boarded Liu Jing's boat and was reporting to Liu Jing about the southern army's march north. In the meeting hall, Liu Jing stared at the sand table. This news was really beyond his expectation. For a long time, he  They are all paying attention to the situation in Bashu, that is, northern Yizhou, but don't know much about southern Yizhou.

    After a long silence, he asked Pang Xi: "Can Mr. Pang tell me about the situation in southern Yizhou?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, the southern part of Yizhou is actually composed of seven counties, including Zhuti, Yueqi, Zangqi, Jianning, Yunnan, Yongchang, Xinggu and other seven counties. Most of them are places where Yi and barbarians live together, and there are also many  Han people live among them.

    Among them, the leader of the Han people is Yong Kai, the prefect of Jianning, who is a descendant of the famous general Yong Chi in the early Han Dynasty. The other major forces are Zhu Bao, the prefect of Zangda, Gaoding, the king of Heiyi in Yuexi, Meng Huo, the barbarian king, and Luo, the queen of Baiyi.  Jiao Feng.

    These southern forces have always been unruly and divided. Liu Zhang could only win over and appease him. He even let his son Liu Wei marry Yong Kai's daughter. This time when the southern forces went north, I think they must have obtained Liu Wei.  for help.  "

    After Pang Xi finished speaking, his heart was full of worries. He was very worried about the fate of his son-in-law Liu Xun. Although Pang Xi made various requests when he first met Liu Jing, he was after all a veteran of Bashu and had been in the officialdom for decades.  Jing refused to let him return to Wu City, and he soon understood that he had committed the taboo of relying on merit and favor.

    Pang Xi did not dare to make any more demands. Even after arriving in Badong County, he no longer asked to return to Badong to stabilize the situation. Everything was waiting for Liu Jing's arrangement. However, it is human nature to care about the fate of his daughter and son-in-law. At least he  I hope my son-in-law can protect himself and my daughter can survive the chaos.

    Liu Jing was a little confused and said: "I heard that Zhu Bao was also a barbarian king. Why is Meng Huo also a barbarian king? How many barbarian kings are there?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, there are three branches of barbarians, calling themselves raw barbarians, cooked barbarians and dong barbarians. Zhu Bao, the prefect of Xianggao, is the leader of raw barbarians, while Meng Huo is the leader of cooked barbarians. They live in the area of ??Jianning County and Xinggu County. Dongman people  They mainly lived in Jiaozhou, and there was also a Dongman King, so there were three Barbarian Kings.

    In addition, the Yi people are also divided into Bai Yi and Black Yi. Gaoding is the king of Black Yi and lives in Yueqi County. Bai Yi is mainly distributed in Yunnan County. The Bai Yi King is a woman named Luo Jiaofeng.  "

    "I see!"

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded. He stared at the sand table for a moment, pointed at Jiangzhou with a wooden pole and said, "Does Pang Gong think Yong Kai will attack Bajun?"

    "If it is to aid Liu Wei, then the best way is to go north along the Minjiang River. However, Yan Yan rushed back to Bajun, which shows that Yong Kai's army did not go north, but continued to advance eastward to attack Jiangzhou."

    Speaking of this, Pang Xi sighed softly and said: "In the seventh year of Jian'an, there was a severe drought in southern Yizhou and there was no grain harvest. Yong Kai once asked Yan Yan to borrow rice, but Yan Yan refused. In the eighth year of Jian'an,  A 200-person caravan of mules and horses from the Yan family disappeared in Jianning County. Yan Yan asked Yong Kai for the caravan, but Yong Kai returned more than a hundred heads, claiming that they had been killed by barbarians. The two families formed a bond from then on.  There is a grudge. This time Yong Kai¡¯s army marched eastward to Bajun, probably to avenge old grudges. Of course, the barbarians also wanted to take the opportunity to plunder Bajun¡¯s property and people.¡±

    At this time, Sima Yi smiled and said: "Zhou Mu, this is actually an opportunity!"

    Liu Jing nodded. He understood what Sima Yi meant. This was indeed an opportunity to win over the people of Bashu.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Bashu is actually a general name for Ba and Shu in the pre-Qin period. Ba is the current three counties of Badong, Bajun and Brazil, with Bajun as the center, and Jiangzhou County is the seat of Bajun.  , also known as Chongqing in later generations, was the largest city in southern Bashu, with dense population and developed commerce. It was the richest area in Bashu except Chengdu.

    Yan Yan, as the governor of Bajun and the captain of Basi County, was actually the military and political leader of Bajun and Basi counties. It became Yan Yan's biggest wish to seize Badong and realize the unification of the three counties.

    This oneThis time he had achieved his wish and occupied Badong County, but he never expected that Yong Kai would suddenly lead his army northward and target Ba County, which made Yan Yan anxious.

    This time he went to Badong and used all the troops in Brazil and Ba County. There was not a single soldier in the entire Brazil County, and Ba County only had 1,500 people guarding Jiangzhou County. How could he withstand the wolves and tigers?  Forty thousand barbarians.

    Yan Yan withdrew back to Bajun overnight and marched non-stop towards Jiangzhou. He knew nothing about the situation in Jiangzhou now, but he still had a trace of luck in his heart. Maybe Yong Kai had not yet had time to capture Jiangzhou.

    His luck also has a certain basis, because he has not seen a large number of refugees fleeing eastward, which means that the scene he fears most has not happened. His family, his wife and daughter have not been massacred and humiliated.

    Yan Yan knew very well what would happen to his family's wives and daughters in the hands of Yong Kai. Because of this, he was so anxious that he didn't sleep a wink for two days. Not only him, but all the soldiers were worried about the misfortune of their family members. They seemed to have gone crazy.  Crazy, marching westward day and night.

    Two days later, Yan Yan's army arrived at Luofu Town, about fifty miles west of Jiangzhou County. After two days of forced march, the soldiers could no longer support themselves, so Yan Yan ordered the entire army to rest on the spot.

    Yan Yan was sitting on a big rock, drinking water silently. He had sent scouts to find out the news. News should come back soon. Just as he was thinking about it, a group of cavalry came rushing from the official road in the west. Yan Yan suddenly  Zi stood up and saw that the scouts he sent had returned.

    The scout rushed over, dismounted and reported: "To tell you, old general, Jiangzhou is safe and sound. Even Luofu Town ahead is quiet. People in the town said they didn't see any Nanman soldiers."

    Yan Yan was a little stunned, how could there be no Nanman Army?  According to the time, Yong Kai should have arrived in Jiangzhou before them. Could it be that they withdrew their troops and continued northward, no longer paying attention to Bajun?

    Yan Yan was puzzled. If this was the case, then he met many refugees from Bajun on the road and told him about the brutality of the barbarians. How could this be explained?

    At this moment, several soldiers stumbled over supporting the patrolling soldiers. The patrolling soldiers were hit by two arrows. He reported in a weak voice: "Report to the prefect, there is an ambush around!"

    "Ah!" Yan Yan was shocked and stood up. Suddenly, there was a dense sound of drums not far away, 'Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The drums were beating loudly, the shouts of killing were loud, and countless ambush soldiers came from all directions to kill.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 516 Emergency Help

    This was an ambush battle that Yan Yan would forever remember as humiliating. His 15,000 troops were surrounded and ambushed by Yong Kai's 30,000 troops. Although Yan Yan resisted desperately, the Bajun army was ultimately defeated due to march fatigue and being outnumbered.

    More than 10,000 people were killed and captured. In the end, Yan Yan only led a few thousand people to break out of the siege and fled eastward. It was not until dark that they escaped the pursuit of Yong Kai's army.

    In a pine forest, soldiers were lying all over the place. Many soldiers were extremely exhausted and fell asleep, temporarily forgetting fear and hunger. Some young soldiers were crying quietly, as if they had not woken up from fear.  , the painful groans of wounded soldiers could be heard everywhere in the pine forest, one after another.

    Yan Yan checked the situation in the pine forest with a heavy heart. He was in an extremely embarrassed state at this time. All supplies such as food and baggage were lost. Many of the wounded's wounds were infected and could not be treated. He could only watch them die.

    At this time, Yan Yan was squatting in front of a young soldier. He looked like he was only sixteen or seventeen years old. He was hit by an arrow in the back and was bleeding profusely. He was already dying. Seeing that he seemed to have something to say, Yan Yan held the soldier's hand.  hand, and asked in a low voice: "What do you want to say?"

    "Prefectplease protect my family and don't letthey be killed by the Nanman!" the young soldier said with difficulty.

    Yan Yan¡¯s nose was slightly sore, she patted his shoulder and comforted him: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will never let your family get hurt in the slightest.¡±

    The soldier forced a smile, but his smile gradually faded. Yan Yan wiped his eyelids, couldn't help but let out a long sigh, and stood up. All the soldiers hoped that he could protect his family, but how could he protect himself?  His wife and daughter can no longer be protected.

    At this time, Zhang Yi slowly walked up to him, hesitated for a moment, and whispered: "Prefect, I have something to say from my humble position!"

    Yan Yan pointed to an open space next to him, and the two walked over. Yan Yan sat down on a big rock, looked at Zhang Yi and said, "Go ahead!"

    Zhang Yi bit his lip, "Beizhi thinks that we may still have a way out."

    Yan Yan was silent. Of course he knew what Zhang Yi said about another way. He asked the Jingzhou Army for help. Only they could defeat Yong Kai and save Jiangzhou. After thinking for a long time, Yan Yan nodded, "Okay, I  Agree."

    He glanced at Peng Yi who was visiting the wounded soldiers in the distance, "What did you say, sir?"

    "This is Mr. Peng's suggestion. I feel that we have no enmity with the Jingzhou Army. As long as we ask, Liu Jing will definitely help us. I am willing to ask for help."

    Yan Yan took off his sword and handed it to Zhang Yi, "Give this sword to Liu Jing and tell him that as long as he is willing to rescue him, the people of Ba County and Brazil County will support him to take over Yizhou.  "

    "I understand, I understand, and I'm going to Badong now!"

    Zhang Yi put away Yan Yan's sword, got on his horse, and galloped eastward with a few cavalrymen, gradually disappearing into the night. Yan Yan watched his back disappear, and he suddenly felt exhausted. He was already two  I haven't slept for two days and two nights

    Liu Jing did not stop in Badong County. He left 3,000 people to guard Yuwei County. The land and water armies then continued to march westward, marching towards Bajun at a rapid speed.

    In fact, he and Yan Yan's army were only one day apart. They entered Bajun territory that afternoon. At five o'clock in the night, Liu Jing was awakened by a knock on the door in his sleep.

    "What's up?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Yan Yan sent deputy general Zhang Yi to urgently ask for help from us, and he has been brought on board the ship."

    Liu Jing sat up. This was the news he was looking forward to. He immediately said: "Take him to the meeting hall and wait for me. I will be here soon."

    Two soldiers brought water into the cabin. Liu Jing washed her face and asked, "What time is it now?"

    "Returning to report to Zhou Mu, it's just after the second watch."

    Liu Jing drank another cup of tea and quickly walked out of the cabin. It was still dark, and the river was completely dark. The dark river water reflected the lanterns of the big ship. The shadows of mountains and forests could be faintly seen on both sides of the river, and behind was the endless ship.  The team drove quietly on the river. The lanterns formed a red light belt, just like the Milky Way in the sky reflected on the river.

    The lamps and candles were already lit in the meeting hall. Zhang Yi stood in front of the window and stared at the night sky quietly. He did not expect that the Jingzhou Army was marching so quickly. They had already passed Linjiang County and were only more than a hundred miles away from Jiangzhou. This made  A glimmer of hope ignited in his heart, maybe Jiangzhou City could still be saved.

    At this time, the sound of footsteps came. Zhang Yi turned around and saw a young general wearing a golden helmet walking in from the outside. He was stunned for a moment and immediately realized, besides Liu Jing, who else could wear a golden helmet?  But he didn't expect Liu Jing to be so young.

    He hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down with his fists clasped, "Bajun Zhang Yi meets Zhou Mu!"

    ?Liu Jing smiled and helped him up, "I have heard about General Zhang for a long time. When I saw him today, he was indeed General Longhu."

    ¡°I dare not take it!¡±

    Liu Jing waved her hand, "General Zhang, please take a seat!"

    Zhang Yi sat down anxiously, and Liu Jing asked with a smile: "Is General Yan in Jiangzhou now?"

    Liu Jing's question made Zhang Yi feel sour in his heart. He said anxiously: "This is to inform Zhou Mu, because Yong Kai's army invaded the border, we hurried back to Zhou Mu. Unexpectedly, we were ambushed by the enemy on the road. We suffered heavy casualties. We are very afraid of Jiang."  If the state falls, there will be a brutal massacre. I beg the state pastor to save us."

    Speaking of this, Zhang Yi's eyes suddenly turned red. His wife and children were also in Jiangzhou City. Thinking that his wife and children would be massacred made him feel like a knife. He knelt down and cried: "If the governor refuses to save us, we will survive."  There is no way out.¡±

    Liu Jing stared at him silently for a moment, and then asked, "What is General Yan's attitude?"

    Zhang Yi hurriedly said: "General Yan will present his sword to Zhou Mu!"

    A soldier next to him handed over his sword. Liu Jing took the sword and looked at it. The general offered his sword, which was a sign of surrender and allegiance. Unexpectedly, Yan Yan, a tough person, would be forced to this extent.

    Zhang Yi thought that Liu Jing would not agree, so he quickly explained: "Liu Zhang is dead and Yizhou has no owner. We are not trying to prevent the Jingzhou army from entering Shu. We just want to take the opportunity to unify the three counties of Banan. As long as the state herdsmen love the Ba people, we will  I would like to dedicate Sanba to Zhou Mu.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "Where is General Yan now?"

    ¡°Reporting to Zhou Mu, the prefect is now in a pine forest in Niutan Town in the southwest, about thirty miles away from here, but the situation in Jiangzhou is critical, and I beg Zhou Mu to save Jiangzhou first.¡±

    Liu Jing stood up and walked to the sand table, looked at it for a moment, and then asked Zhang Yi, "Where are we now?"

    Zhang Yi stepped forward and took a look. He pointed to a small county town by the river and said, "This is Zhi County. We have already passed the county town for about twenty miles."

    He pointed to a large county town ahead, "This is Jiangzhou City, about eighty miles away from us. If we go at full speed, we can arrive early tomorrow morning."

    Liu Jing walked to the window again and stared at the night outside the window. It was late at night at the second watch. It would be dangerous if the boat speed was too fast, but it would be too long to wait until dawn. He pondered for a long time and turned to face  The soldier ordered: "Pass my order, the fleet will move forward at full speed!"

    Jiangzhou City is built on the mountain and faces the Yangtze River to the south. The city has a circumference of about 30 miles. It is the largest city in Bashu except Chengdu. It was also the capital of the Ba Kingdom. The city is built tall and solid and has extremely strong defensive capabilities.

    Due to the large-scale invasion of the southern army, killings and looting, Ba County has long been in turmoil. Refugees from Jiangyang County and farmers from the suburbs have fled into the city. The number of people in the city has reached 200,000.

    Just two hours after defeating Yan Yan's army, Yong Kai personally led 40,000 troops to Jiangzhou City and launched an attack on Jiangzhou City. On the one hand, it was out of personal grudges, and on the other hand, Jiangzhou was very wealthy, which made the Yi  People and barbarians have been coveting it for a long time.

    Yong Kai knew that the defense of Jiangzhou City was empty. He led his army to Jiangzhou City, immediately erected a siege ladder, used stone cannons to attack the city, and launched a fierce attack on Jiangzhou City.

    Because Yan Yan led the main force to march into Badong County, there were only more than 2,000 defenders in Jiangzhou City, led by Zhang Yi, the prime minister of Ba County. Zhang Yi was Zhang Yi's uncle, a well-known veteran general in Bashu and a well-known civil and military commander.

    At this time, Zhang Yi had already received the news of Yan Yan's tragic defeat, and all the surrendered soldiers were killed, many of them were descendants of Jiangzhou. He did not dare to announce the matter and ordered the news to be blocked.

    Zhang Yi also mobilized tens of thousands of men and women in the city to go to the city to resist the enemy. Jiangzhou soldiers and civilians knew that they would be massacred after the city fell. Regardless of men, women, old or young, they went to the city to help in the battle. Everyone resisted desperately. Relying on the unity of the army and the people, Zhang Yi  Yi Yi's excellent command actually repelled Yong Kai's army's attacks time and time again.

    ??Fighting fiercely from noon to night, Yong Kai's army never broke through Jiangzhou City. Instead, nearly 4,000 people were killed and injured. Yong Kai was so angry that he was furious, but he was helpless.

    However, the soldiers and civilians of Jiangzhou also suffered heavy casualties. After more than four hours of fierce attack, nearly 10,000 soldiers and civilians were killed or injured at the top of the city. Most of them were shot to death by bows and arrows. The blood stained the top of the city red. There were cries all over the city and tragic.  The deaths and injuries struck fear into the hearts of ordinary people.

    At this time, the news of Yan Yan's defeat spread. Everyone in Jiangzhou knew that the Yi people did not leave any surrendered soldiers in the war. Worry about their relatives made the city of Jiangzhou burst into tears. Morale gradually began to decline. Many defenders of the city  The civilian husbands all fled back to their homes at night.

    In the early morning, Zhang Yi worriedly inspected the city. One of the big reasons why he held on to the city was because he knew that Yong Kai did not go north to plunder. He must go to support Liu Wei, and the plunder was just for logistics.  Guaranteed, if Jiangzhou can hold on for three or four days, Yong Kai will probably give up on Jiangzhou.

    But the situation before usThey were not optimistic. After all, the people were not soldiers. They did not have the strong will of soldiers. Facing death, they became timid and their fighting spirit began to disappear. Many began to naively believe that Yong Kai would spare their lives as long as they donated their belongings.

    More importantly, the news of Yan Taishou's defeat has spread, causing the army and the people to lose confidence and hope. This is the most critical issue. Without confidence and hope, whether it is the army or the people, the army will undoubtedly fail.  .

    Zhang Yi was extremely worried. If the enemy attacked the city again after dawn like yesterday, they might not be able to sustain it for even an hour.

    At this time, it was getting brighter, and suddenly there was a loud drum sound from the city, ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ Hundreds of large drums were beaten at the same time, and the huge drum sound resounded through the sky, waking up the whole city of Jiangzhou City.

    The sound of the drums was like the roar of the devil, filled with the smell of killing. Everyone was terrified, as if death was imminent. The women hugged their children and cried loudly, while the old people knelt on the streets and prayed to the sky.

    Thousands of soldiers and civilians on the top of the city stared blankly at the bottom of the city, all of them pale. Outside Jiangzhou City, torches were overwhelming. Each soldier held two torches, forming a sea of ??fire. The momentum was huge, and there was a burst of fire.  Shouts like waves.

    Many young civilians were so frightened that they started to cry, threw down their spears and fled towards the city. Zhang Yi was furious and ordered people around him: "Stop them. Anyone who dares to leave their post without permission will be killed on the spot!"

    At this time, a tooth general stepped forward and whispered: "Jun Cheng, our morale is very low. Jiangzhou will definitely not be able to hold on. Surrender! Maybe you can save your life."

    Zhang Yi stared at them, and after a while he gritted his teeth and said: "Stop dreaming. Surrendering is also a massacre of the city. There are so many barbarians inside, can Yong Kai control them?"

    The officers stepped forward one after another, "Jun Cheng, give it a try! Maybe you can save your life."

    At this moment, a deep horn sound came from the distance, "Woo¡ª¡ª" A soldier noticed something unusual and pointed at the river and shouted: "Look, what kind of fleet is that!"

    Zhang Yi looked towards the river outside the city. In the hazy morning light, he saw a massive war fleet appearing on the river. Zhang Yi suddenly realized and shouted: "This is the Jingzhou Army, the Jingzhou Army has arrived!"

    "The Jingzhou Army has arrived!"

    There was sudden joy on the top of the city, everyone hugged each other and cried, and many people burst into tears with joy.

    "The Jingzhou Army has arrived!"

    The news spread quickly, and Jiangzhou City suddenly boiled.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 517 Head-on attack

    Yong Kai was about forty years old, with a tall build, a head as big as a bucket, a rough square face, and eyes as venomous as snakes. At this time, he was standing on a high ground on horseback, looking at the sudden sudden change on the river in shock.  Thousands of warships appeared. Although he had a vague feeling that these might be Jingzhou warships, the Jianning County where he was located was remote and lacked information. He could not have as much information as Huang Quan, Pang Xi and others.  intelligence.

    Although he was shocked, he still couldn't believe that Jingzhou warships would appear in Jiangzhou, and he never imagined that this was the main force of the 50,000 Jingzhou army led by Liu Jing himself.

    "Gather the troops and stop attacking the city!" Yong Kai shouted loudly.

    Although he did not think about fighting this navy army, it was obvious that he could no longer continue to attack the city.

    Thirty-five thousand Southern Allied Forces quickly assembled. They were called the Allied Forces because the ethnic composition of this army was complex. There were Han people, Yi people, barbarians, some Qiang people, etc. Since the Yong family, as the military aristocracy of the Han Dynasty, had  Southern Yizhou has powerful forces, so the leader of southern Yizhou is actually Yong Kai.

    At this time, Yue Yi King Gaoding urged his horse forward and asked: "Brother, where is this naval force?"

    "I don't know either, but Yizhou doesn't have such a powerful navy. I guess it's the Jingzhou army."

    "Liu Jing?" Gao Ding asked in surprise.

    Yong Kai nodded, "Besides him, I can't think of anyone else.",

    "Damn it! Why are the Jingzhou Army here?"

    Gao Ding cursed angrily and asked again: "Should I fight or not?"

    Yong Kai looked back and saw that although his soldiers fought fiercely, most of them wore rattan armor or leather armor, and the range of their bows and arrows was only dozens of steps. He was able to defeat Yan Yan entirely by ambush. If it was a frontal battle, he would  Yan Yan's 40,000 troops may not be the opponent of Yan Yan's 20,000 troops.

    But people are very strange and are often deceived by illusions. Yong Kai knew that their equipment was not as good as that of the Yizhou army, but because he defeated Yan Yan's army, he began to believe in his own strength and felt that the Jingzhou army was also vulnerable. Their bravery  and morale will definitely defeat the opponent.

    At this time, Zhu Bao, the governor of Xianggang, also rushed over on horseback, cupped his hands and said: "Brother, brothers do not want to give up Jiangzhou!"

    Yong Kai looked at Gao Ding again, Gao Ding pondered for a moment and said, "I don't want to give up Jiangzhou City either."

    "good!"

    Yong Kai nodded, "Give me my order and prepare for battle. We must annihilate the Jingzhou Army in one battle!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The embankment where Jiangzhou City Wharf can be parked is about three miles wide, but the three-mile-long embankment is densely packed with black barbarian soldiers, numbering about 8,000. They are dressed in rattan armor, holding rattan shields and spears, and line up on the shore.  , forming a spectacular shield wall.

    Liu Jing stood on the bow of the ship, staring coldly at the enemy troops on the shore. He did not expect that Yong Kai actually decided to fight to the death with him. This was good. He needed the heads and blood of these people to establish his position in Bashu.

    At this time, Pang Xi stepped forward and whispered: "Zhou Mu, these are barbarians, just ordinary men who work hard. As long as they are beaten hard, their morale will quickly collapse. However, the vine armor on his body is very strong, and it is very strong against bows."  The crossbow's defense is better than that of leather armor, and it can be attacked with fire."

    Liu Jing nodded. Their Jingzhou Army was an expert at playing with fire. He turned around and ordered: "Order Shen Mi to lead his troops to attack the east with kerosene."

    Some soldiers drove a small boat to convey the order. At this time, Liu Hu approached in a small boat. He shouted from under the boat: "Zhou Mu, give our heavy armored infantry a chance!"

    Liu Jing looked over and saw that his face was full of expectation, so she smiled and said: "Then the west side will be left to you, open a gap for me to land."

    Liu Hu was overjoyed and said, "Yes!" He waved and ordered the soldiers to return to his ship.

    At this time, the rumble of war drums came from the east. This was Shen Mi leading fifty warships preparing to launch an attack. They would use the Long Snake Formation to launch a fire and oil offensive. This was the most effective way to deal with the cluster of soldiers on the shore.  In the offensive formation, fifty thousand-stone warships were connected end to end on the river, arranged in a line, like a huge python swimming on the river.

    Fifty warships were all equipped with impellers. At this time, the sails were furled, and the soldiers in the ship stepped on the impellers. The ships sailed against the river. The leading ship led the fleet in an arc on the river, about 10 meters from the river bank.  Driving slowly on the water sixty paces away.

    Defending on the river bank were the 8,000 Yi troops led by the Yi king Gaoding and the 3,000 crossbow troops transferred by Yong Kai. Seeing the Jingzhou warships sailing closer and closer to the shore, Gaoding also became nervous and he panicked.  Shout, "Fire the arrow!"

    Three thousand crossbowmen released arrows at the same time, and the arrows were overwhelmingly shot at the Jingzhou warship. However, the arrows were shot against the wind, and the range was not far. They could not cause any damage to the warship. Only the towers standing on the deck were seen.Small trebuchets were built, and ten trebuchets were installed on each large ship.

    This kind of trebuchet is small in size, only one person tall, and the throwing rod is three feet long. It can be operated by only five people. Although it is very short and lean compared with the large trebuchet, its elasticity is amazing and it can throw more than ten kilograms.  The stones were thrown a hundred paces away.

    Four soldiers pushed the winch, which creaked and tightened. Another soldier put a clay pot containing ten kilograms of kerosene into an iron bag. He grabbed the control iron rod, pulled it downwards hard, and hinged  Released, the three-foot-long arm swung out violently, and smashed the clay pot filled with kerosene into the enemy group on the shore.

    The ten trebuchets on the big ship were launched almost at the same time. The clay pots rolled in the air, the mud mouths of several clay pots spread out, and kerosene spilled out. The soldiers on the shore got out of the way, and ten clay pots hit the shore one after another.  The tank shattered and kerosene flowed all over the floor.

    Immediately afterwards, the kerosene tanks from the second and third ships were also smashed in. More than a dozen large ships passed by, and the shore dozens of feet wide was covered with kerosene. The Yi soldiers had never seen this kind of substance.  , except for the pungent odor, it has almost no lethality.

    Many soldiers mistook the light yellow liquid for urine, pointed at the ship, laughed and cursed, and many soldiers even spread their pants and peed into the river.

    At this time, Yi Wang Gaoding urged his horse to come to Yong Kai and handed an unbroken clay pot to Yong Kai, "Brother, look at what this is?"

    Yong Kai took a look at the clay pot and saw that there was a light yellow liquid inside, full of pungent smell. He frowned and asked the generals on his left and right, "Who has seen this kind of water?"

    Gao Ding smiled and said: "Brothers all said it was urine, and the Jingzhou army was practicing witchcraft."

    From the outside, this liquid looked very similar to urine, and all the generals laughed. But at this moment, someone suddenly shouted: "Fire! The fire is on!"

    Everyone looked towards the riverside and were stunned. They saw countless rockets fired from the river. The fire burned rapidly on the shore. The fire instantly engulfed more than a thousand soldiers on the shore. The soldiers screamed and fled in all directions.  Everyone was on fire, and many of them fell into the fire as soon as they took a few steps.

    The ferocious fire was burning fiercely, with flames reaching into the sky, thick smoke billowing, and a terrifying sound. However, the ships on the river continued to throw kerosene cans onto the shore, making the fire more intense. Only then did Yong Kai realize that what he was holding turned out to be  The terrifying fire demon liquid scared him and threw the clay pot far away.

    Just as the allied forces on the bank were stunned by the fire from the east, on the other side of the embankment, Liu Hu led two thousand heavily armored soldiers to launch a landing battle. He also deployed three thousand soldiers on the river bank hundreds of steps wide to the west.  The Yi soldiers were not hit by the fire oil and barely maintained their formation.

    While the fire was burning in the east, more than a dozen warships quickly sailed towards the shore. The warships fired their heavy crossbows and fired dense iron arrows at the enemy group. The iron arrows were extremely powerful and penetrated the barbarians.  The soldiers were wearing vine armor, and screams suddenly rang out. Groups of soldiers were shot down. After only two rounds of arrows, more than 300 people died tragically under the arrows.

    A large ship crashed onto the embankment, and the ship's planks were set up on the shore. Groups of heavy armored infantry rushed to the shore with their swords in hand. Five of them lined up in a row, waving their swords up and down, and rushed into the enemy who had gathered again.  In the group, swords flashed and flesh and blood flew everywhere. They were like extremely fierce giant crocodiles. Wherever they passed, there were stumps of body parts and bloody mist, and heads rolled on the ground. They killed a group of people.  Bloody road.

    A thousand heavy armored infantry opened the gap, and the main force of the Jingzhou Army began to land in the west. At this time, Jingzhou's powerful strength greatly shocked the coalition forces. The fire burned countless people to death, and the bloody killings of the heavy armored infantry were even more frightening.  A strong sense of fear quickly spread among the coalition forces. The original arrogance disappeared, morale was low, and military morale was shaken.

    Even the general Yong Kai had a hint of fear. He never knew that the Jingzhou army was so powerful and ferocious. He began to have the idea of ????retreating. At this time, Zhu Bao, who was in charge of the defense of the left wing, galloped over on horseback. He shouted loudly.  : "Brother, the situation is not good, let's retreat!"

    For the barbarians and barbarians, they are more ferocious than tigers in massacring civilians and looting property. But when they encounter real powerful enemies, they can run faster than rabbits and will never fight for their lives. Moreover, many people still miss them.  The property and women in the camp have no intention of fighting anymore.

    Yong Kai was a little worried. He knew that it was too late to withdraw. The Jingzhou Army had already landed. They would be pursued if they retreated. However, if they resisted, they would have a slight chance of winning. Yong Kai secretly regretted that he would have known it earlier.  He would not show off his strength and fight against the Jingzhou army.

    Just when Yong Kai was hesitant, the 10,000 Jingzhou troops who were the first to land launched an offensive. Under the personal command of their commander Liu Jing, the high-morale Jingzhou soldiers rushed into the 8,000 Yi troops deployed on the shore. The army was overwhelming.  , unstoppable.

      Eight thousand Yi troops were demoralized by the fire and panicked. Under the impact of 10,000 Jingzhou troops and 1,000 heavy armored infantry who landed first, in less than a quarter of an hour, the defensive formation collapsed and the entire line collapsed.  Thousands of soldiers screamed in fear and fled westward.

    Their collapse also drove five thousand barbarian soldiers to flee for their lives. Like an avalanche, more than 30,000 coalition soldiers collapsed and fled westward without their lives.

    Their camp is located in Weijiang Town, more than a hundred miles away. There are property and young women they robbed in the camp. Even if they are defeated, they don't want to give up their money and property. Many people have the same idea and bring money with them.  The woman went home and stopped going north to work for Yong Kai.

    Seeing that the morale of the army was in chaos, Yongkai knew that the situation was over and he had no intention of organizing an army for defense. He turned his horse's head and fled. Hundreds of soldiers followed him closely and surrounded him as he fled westward.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 518 Sanba Returns

    The city of Jiangzhou was already crowded with people. Seeing the ruthless barbarian coalition defeated, the city suddenly burst into cheers and drums were beating loudly to cheer up the Jingzhou army.

    When Liu Jing saw that the enemy army was retreating, he turned around and said to General Shen Mi: "You can lead 10,000 troops to pursue them and not allow them to cross the river. I will kill them all!"

    "Follow your orders!"

    Shen Mi led an army of 10,000 troops in pursuit, and Liu Jing issued an order to General Lou: "The enemy must cross the river from Jiangyang County and go south. You can lead 500 warships to continue westward and blockade the river. If you don't  Any ship that is not allowed to cross the river will be killed!"

    "The general will obey the order!"

    Lou Fa led more than a hundred people back to the warship. At this time, Sima Yi stepped forward and persuaded: "In fact, wouldn't it be better to capture them and try to reform them? Why did Zhou Mu kill them all?"

    Liu Jing shook his head and said: "The military advisor cannot just laugh at the barbarians and ignore the cries of the Han people. They invaded the country, burned, killed, looted, and raped women. They deserved their crimes. Killing them will allow me to win over the hearts of the Ba people. As for the reform, I think Liu Zhang  Being weak and being too tolerant to them has developed their arrogance and arrogance. Only by killing them will they be afraid and surrender. "

    Sima Yi was silent. He did not agree with Liu Jing's words. Although he said that being tolerant would only encourage the other party's arrogance and that only kindness and power were the right way, once the bloody killings happened, the conflicts between the barbarians and the government would no longer be reconciled.  It became a dead end.

    Liu Jing glanced at him, as if he understood his worries, and he shook his head. Sima Yi was a Confucian scholar after all, and he was still young, so sometimes he would have a bit of a corrupt Confucian spirit. This was true for killing people in Bajun, and in southern Xinjiang.  Killing people is a completely different thing. Sima Yi didn't understand this.

    At this time, Pang Xi, who had been silent, said: "The Yi people and barbarians sent troops to plunder the Han people. They always wanted women instead of men, wealth instead of land. Whether prisoners of war or ordinary people, all the men were killed and the houses were burned down. Dong Zhuo's Rebellion  Later, the situation became more serious, and Liu Zhang could not stop it. He could only use gentle and appeasing methods to let Liu Wei marry Yong Kai's daughter. This factor was also included, and he killed both raw and mature barbarians.  There are black Yi and white Yi, so the military advisor doesn¡¯t need to worry too much.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Sima Yi sighed softly, bowed to Liu Jing and said, "Wei Chen understands!"

    At this time, the gates of Jiangzhou City were opened wide, and the county magistrate Zhang Yi led hundreds of elders out of the city to greet Liu Jing. They knelt on the roadside and shouted loudly: "Jiangzhou City is grateful to Liu Zhoumu for saving his life!"

    Liu Jing hurriedly stepped forward to help Zhang Yi up and said with a smile: "Zhang Juncheng refused to surrender and led the army and people to resolutely resist foreign aggression. Liu Jing admired him. Please rest assured, Juncheng, the Jingzhou army has strict military discipline and will never disturb the people of Bajun."

    Zhang Yi was overjoyed and said quickly: "The kindness of Zhou Mu is known to all the world. The people of Ba County were saved by Zhou Mu, so they should serve Zhou Mu. I wonder if Zhou Mu met Governor Yan on his way west?"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and took out Yan Yan's sword, "This is Prefect Yan's sword. My nephew brought it to me for help. Otherwise, how would I know that Jiangzhou was in danger?"

    Zhang Yi recognized Yan Yan's sword. Since the sword was given to Liu Jing, it was natural for him to surrender. He was immediately relieved. He bowed to Sima Yi and Pang Xi again and said to Liu Jing, "Please ask the state pastor."  Go to town and rest!¡±

    Liu Jing thought for a moment, then turned back to Sima Yi and said: "Commander, please go to the city first! The war is not over yet, I have to rush to Jiangyang County to finish the final battle. I will be back in two days. In addition, if General Yan comes back, please invite him  Meet me in Jiangyang County.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yong Kai led the defeated army and fled westward. The coalition camp was located in Weijiang Town, a hundred miles away. They burned, killed and looted all the way, accumulated a lot of money, and also robbed countless young women. In order to plunder Jiangzhou City, they went to Weijiang Town.  Jiang Zhen built a camp, stored all the stolen property and women in the camp, and rushed to Jiangzhou lightly.

    Now the Jingzhou Army has cut off everyone's path to wealth. From the generals to the soldiers, everyone has the same idea. The Jingzhou Army has frightened them. They just want to get back the looted property and women, and immediately cross the river and go home.  .

    Only Yong Kai's idea is slightly different from everyone else. He considers more aid to Liu Wei. Obviously, the Jingzhou Army will also participate in the battle for Bashu. Whether it is Liu Xun or Liu Wei, the possibility of winning in the end is very low.  It was not long. Under this situation, it was obviously unwise for him to go north again. Yong Kai also decided to withdraw his troops and return to Jianning County to wait and see how the situation changes.

    Tens of thousands of defeated troops fled on the official road. The team was in chaos, and there were pursuers behind them. The soldiers were frightened and could not stop to organize the team. They fled from the morning to the afternoon, and the number of soldiers dropped sharply from more than 30,000 to 20,000.  When they came forward, the remaining tens of thousands of soldiers were killed by the pursuers. There were corpses wearing vine armor or leather armor everywhere along the way.

    At this time, the defeated soldiers retreated to a valley, which was only more than ten miles away from their military camp.It is about five or six miles long, one mile at its widest point, and only a few dozen paces at its narrowest point. In just a moment, the valley was crowded with the fleeing Nanyizhou coalition troops. It was noisy and noisy, and everyone rushed out of the valley first.

    Yong Kai felt something was wrong. This valley left a deep impression on him. When he led his army to Jiangzhou, he joked to his left and right officials that if anyone ambushed them in the valley, their entire army would be annihilated.

    At that time, they were unstoppable and their morale was high. Such words were just a joke, but now, Yong Kai felt particularly frightened, as if the valley was filled with murderous intent, and he couldn't help but rein in his horse at the entrance of the valley.

    Decades of experience told him that even if they escaped to the camp, they would not be able to escape the pursuit. Liu Jing would never let them go. He knew in his heart that if he wanted to escape successfully, he could only leave the camp.

    "Prefect, leave quickly, the pursuers are coming from behind!" their soldiers urged.

    Yongkai looked to both sides. The official road led directly into the valley, and there were no roads around. At this time, he saw a forest to the north. The forest was unfathomable. He turned his horse's head and ran towards the forest. More than a hundred soldiers  They all ran towards the woods.

    ¡°Prefect, there is no road over there!¡± the soldiers shouted from behind.

    Yong Kai was in a panic and turned a deaf ear to the cries of his soldiers. He rushed his horse into the woods and ran along a stream deep into the woods, gradually disappearing.

    More than 20,000 defeated soldiers gradually rushed into the valley. Shen Mi led 10,000 pursuers from behind. They took no prisoners and killed all the defeated soldiers who caught up. At this time, a military prince shouted to Shen Mi: "General  , look at the mountains!¡±

    When Shen Mi raised his head, he saw a red flag of the Jingzhou Army waving on the mountain. With a thought in his mind, he suddenly understood, turned around and shouted: "The whole army stops advancing and is not allowed to enter the valley!"

    He had already guessed that Huang Zhong's army was ahead. They were about to ambush the enemy in the valley. They should have seen his own army and used a big flag to remind them. Thinking of this, Shen Mi ordered again: "The crossbowmen block it."  Taniguchi, no enemy troops are allowed to escape."

    As soon as he finished speaking, he saw screams erupting in the valley. From a distance, he could see thick smoke billowing over the valley and flames shooting into the sky. As expected, something happened in the valley. Shen Mi led three thousand crossbowmen to form a formation and blocked the area.  Taniguchi.

    The drums were beating loudly in the valley, and the shouts of killing were loud. Huang Zhong received Liu Jing's order. He led 15,000 troops to bypass Jiangzhou, first led the enemy's camp, and then turned back to set up a camp in the valley.  ambush.

    At this time, Liao Hua led two thousand troops to block the other end of the valley, while Huang Zhong led the rest of the troops to ambush on both sides of the valley, firing random arrows to kill the defeated troops who were fleeing for their lives.

    More than 20,000 defeated troops were exhausted after running for a day. They had just escaped from the battlefield, but they did not expect to be ambushed here again. Many of them had abandoned their armor and had no shields or weapons in their hands. Most of them were bare-handed and wearing clothes.  With short clothes, there was no way he could hide from the rain of arrows fired from both sides.

    The defeated soldiers suffered heavy casualties, trampling on each other and crying for their lives, but the front was blocked by fire and the flames were raging. Many soldiers rushed through the sea of ????fire desperately, but were shot by arrows from the opposite side of the sea of ????fire and burned alive in the fire.  .

    At this time, a soldier sent by Shen Mi ran up the mountain, found Huang Zhong, and bowed down to report: "Old General, General Shen intercepted him in the outer valley. He conveyed the order of Zhou Mu to the old general, not to leave any prisoners of war, and to kill them all!"  "

    Huang Zhong was startled, but he also knew that this must be Liu Jing's order. He would not fail to execute it just because it was conveyed by Shen Mi. Huang Zhong saw that more than half of the enemy troops were dead and wounded, and the killing effect of arrows was weakened, so he immediately ordered: "  Go down the mountain and kill them all!¡±

    Drums were beating loudly on the mountains on both sides, and more than 10,000 Jingzhou troops rushed down from both sides with shouts, wielding swords and spears to kill the enemy. The valley was filled with corpses. In addition to being shot to death, many people were trampled to death by each other.  , bloody and bloody, those who were still alive were stabbed to death by Jingzhou soldiers.

    At this time, a Jingzhou soldier found the corpse of an enemy general wearing a golden crown with long feathers. There were the words " ™ ˜ Zhu Bao" on his sword. The soldier shouted with joy and chopped off Zhu Bao's head with one knife.

    Gaoding, the Yi King of Yueqi, led four thousand Yi people at the end of the team. When the valley suddenly encountered an ambush, he had better luck. Only more than a thousand people from the front team entered the ambush circle.

    The brutal killing almost broke Gao Ding's courage. He turned his horse's head and ran away. His barbarian soldiers also became confused and scrambled to escape towards the entrance of the valley.

    However, thousands of Jingzhou crossbowmen were densely lined up at the entrance of the valley, blocking the way to escape. When the Yi soldiers fled, Shen Mi gave an order, and arrows were fired suddenly. The dense arrows were like a storm, and they hit him head-on.  Shoot at the defeated army.

    Large swaths of Yi soldiers were shot to the ground. With just one round of arrows, hundreds of people were shot to death at the mouth of the valley. Immediately afterwards, a second round of arrows roared in.

    It is even more difficult for the Yi soldiers to find their way back.?, having no way out, they had no choice but to turn around and run towards the valley. Many people climbed up along the cliff at the entrance of the valley, and countless people fell to their deaths. In the valley, desperate cries were heard.

    Seeing that the way back was cut off, Gao Ding had no choice but to turn his horse and flee into the valley. At this time, a Jingzhou army rushed towards him. The leader was a veteran general with a majestic build. He held a gold-backed tiger-tooth knife and an iron armor.  Wearing a silver helmet and a fluttering white beard, he looked particularly majestic. He was none other than the veteran Huang Zhong.

    Huang Zhong saw Gao Ding at a glance and shouted, "Death to King Yi!" He urged his horse to kill him with his sword.

    Gao Ding met Huang Zhong and was so frightened that his hands and feet were cold. He had no way to escape, so he had to take off his iron gun and face the battle. Huang Zhong's horse flew past Gao Ding like a fast dragon, and there was only a flash of cold light.  , the blood mist rose, the high-definition head flew three feet away, and the corpse followed the horse for a few steps before falling to the ground.

    Huang Zhong beheaded Gao Ding with one sword, then pointed at the barbarian soldiers with his sword, "Kill me!"

    Thousands of Jingzhou Army officers and soldiers shouted and killed the last thousand or so Yi soldiers.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    This was a far-reaching battle. The 40,000 coalition troops led by Yong Kai, the leader of Nanyi Prefecture, were ruthlessly strangled by the Jingzhou Army in Bajun. Except for Yong Kai who escaped with more than 100 people, more than 40,000 people  The entire army was wiped out and all were killed by the Jingzhou army.

    This battle allowed Liu Jing to completely win the support of the Ba people, and at the same time caused heavy losses to the tribes in Nanyi Prefecture. They were afraid of Liu Jing's power and sent people to sue for peace and surrender one after another.  and Baiyi leader Luo Jiaofeng also sent envoys to present gifts to Liu Jing.

    Although the Jingzhou Army had not even set foot in the south of Yizhou, it had already frightened the disobedient hearts of the southern counties. Only Yong Kai refused to accept it. He kept recruiting troops and waiting for opportunities to rise again.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 519 Brothers Fighting for Position

    In Chengdu, the Liu brothers' battle for state pastoral control has been going on for more than a month. The two sides are clearly divided. Liu Xun took Shu County as his base and occupied Chengdu. He was supported by Zhang Ren, Dong He, Fei Guan, Wang Lei and others, and had two troops.  With more than 10,000 people, he has succeeded Yizhou Mu in Chengdu.

    And Liu Wei did not show weakness. He took Guanghan County as his base and occupied Mianzhu. He was supported by civil and military generals such as Huang Quan, Liu Ba, Lei Tong, and Yang Pei. He had an army of 15,000 people, plus his 3,000  There are also more than 20,000 private armies and temporarily recruited soldiers.

    More importantly, he had the support of Cao Cao, and the imperial court had named him Yizhou Mu, which gave Liu Wei a legal advantage. He was the Yizhou Mu recognized by the imperial court, and Liu Xun was not, and he was the Yizhou Mu.  This made Liu Wei's army highly morale and aggressive. They won two of the three battles and the army attacked the city of Chengdu.

    More than a month of fighting resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. People fled their homes and agricultural production suffered serious damage. Even Chengdu, a city with developed industry and commerce, was in depression. Every household closed its doors and taverns and shops closed down.

    Night shrouded Chengdu. On top of the city, Liu Xunzheng silently stared at the military camp three miles away. It was pitch black, with only a faint outline and dots of lights visible.

    Liu Xun was extremely worried. He lost more than half of his 20,000 troops in two defeats, and he only had less than 10,000 troops in hand. He was no longer sure whether he could hold Chengdu. Now his only hope was whether Wu Yi from Hanzhong could return reinforcements in time.

    Just half a month ago, he received a briefing from Wu Yi. Wu Yi's army was entangled by Zhang Lu at Dingjun Mountain and could not escape. He could only try his best to defeat Zhang Lu and return to Bashu to help in the battle.

    But what was even more difficult for Liu Xun to accept was that the imperial court actually granted Liu Wei the title of Yizhou Mu. In this way, he became a rebellious minister and a traitor, and his stupid and cruel brother inherited his father's business. Thinking of this, Liu Xun couldn't help but sigh for a long time.  Sighed.

    "Are you resenting the imperial court?" Zhang Ren walked to Liu Xun and smiled.

    Liu Xun nodded, "My father clearly reported his son to the court last year and asked the court to confer him with him, but the court turned a blind eye and appointed an immoral and incompetent person as the shepherd of Yizhou. This is so embarrassing."

    "This should have nothing to do with the court, it is Cao Cao's intention. In fact, Cao Cao may not understand your brothers' situation. He just believed Huang Quan's words."

    "Huang Quan?"

    Liu Xun looked at Zhang Ren with some surprise, "Why is it related to him?"

    Zhang Ren sneered, "Actually, in terms of qualifications and talents, it was not Huang Quan's turn to take over as the Yizhou Biejia. At that time, many people suspected that Huang Quan had already secretly surrendered to Cao Cao, and he had always been Cao Cao's pawn in Yizhou.  , that¡¯s why he was named Yizhou Biejia.¡±

    Liu Xun nodded and said bitterly: "I understand. In this way, Cao Cao's understanding of Yizhou lies in Huang Quan's report. Huang Quan described Liu Wei as virtuous and kind, and described me, Liu Xun, as mediocre and incompetent.  So Cao Cao believed his words!"

    Zhang Ren shook his head, "I think it's the opposite. Huang Quan's report to Cao Cao must have said that Liu Wei was fatuous and stupid and was willing to be loyal to Cao Cao. This made Cao Cao feel that Liu Wei was easy to control. For Cao Cao, Liu Jing was already  With his head as big as a bucket, how could he allow a second capable leader to appear in Yizhou? It is reasonable for Cao Cao to admit Liu Wei. "

    Although he said this, Liu Xun still felt depressed and asked after a while: "General, do you think Liu Jing will take the opportunity to attack Bashu?"

    Zhang Ren didn¡¯t speak, and a bitter smile gradually appeared at the corner of his mouth. How should he answer?  He had known for a long time that Liu Jing would definitely attack Bashu, and he also guessed that Pang Xi had secretly surrendered to Liu Jing, otherwise Liu Jing would not have let Pang Xi guard Jianping County, but the lord refused to believe it, and Pang Xi was Liu Jing.  It¡¯s hard for him to answer my father-in-law¡¯s question!

    Liu Xun looked back at him and saw the bitterness on his face. His heart skipped a beat and he whispered, "Does the general mean that Liu Jing has already marched westward to Bashu?"

    Zhang Ren nodded silently, pondered for a moment and then said: "I suspect that Liu Jing's Jingzhou army has already fought with Yong Kai's army, otherwise Yong Kai's reinforcements should have arrived long ago. Don't you think it's strange, sir?"

    Liu Xun frowned slightly. He also felt a little strange about Zhang Ren's reminder. He knew that Liu Wei had colluded with Yong Kai for a long time. As soon as he made an attack, Yong Kai would immediately send troops. Now Yong Kai's army has been delayed.  Yes, although there will be various reasons, the possibility of encountering the Jingzhou Army is greater.

    But Yong Kai is not important. The important Jingzhou army marches into Bashu. Their brothers are still fighting among themselves here and making wedding clothes for Liu Jing in vain.

    At this moment, the bells on the observation tower at the top of the city suddenly rang loudly. This was what happened. Liu Xun and Zhang Ren were stunned and turned back to look at the observation tower.  Just listen to the Tashan soldiers shouting: "Sir, there is movement in the enemy camp below the city, and there are troops coming to kill."

    ? ?Xun Xun leaned over and looked at the military camp in the distance. Sure enough, he saw that the military camp was starting to become chaotic. Several fire dragons were charging towards the camp. There were about 10,000 troops. This was clearly a sneak attack formation. The vanguard had already rushed into the enemy army.  In the camp.

    Zhang Ren also saw that this was a tactic of stealing a camp, and he suddenly shouted excitedly, "This must be Wu Yi's army, our reinforcements are coming!"

    The cheers on the top of the city suddenly rang out. Liu Xun was extremely excited, but he was also a little worried, "I'm worried that this is Liu Wei's trick to lure troops."

    "Young master, don't worry, Liu Wei is a stupid person, he can't use this kind of strategy."

    After saying that, Zhang Ren handed over his hand and asked for battle: "Please let me lead the army to fight. Attack from the front and back, and we will definitely defeat the enemy!"

    Liu Xun hesitated for a moment, then finally made up his mind, and immediately issued an order, ordering Zhang Ren to lead eight thousand troops out of the city to fight.

    The city gate opened wide, and Zhang Ren took the lead, waving a big iron gun, and led eight thousand soldiers to rush towards Liu Wei's camp.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The army that suddenly rushed into Liu Wei's camp from behind was Wu Yi's army coming from Hanzhong. Wu Yi did not completely retreat. He ordered General Yang Hong to still lead his army to confront Zhang Lu at Dingjun Mountain, while he himself  He led 10,000 troops back to Bashu to help Liu Xun fight for the throne.

    At this time, Wu Yi also learned that the imperial court had appointed Liu Wei as the shepherd of Yizhou, which made him very angry. He knew this man better than anyone else. He was greedy, stupid, and ruthless. If he were the lord of Yizhou, he would be a Yizhou native.  misfortune.

    At the same time, Wu Yi was also very worried that Liu Jing had entered Bashu. If the internal strife between the brothers was not quelled, Bashu would be completely over.

    He led 10,000 men to march day and night, taking advantage of the cover of night to sneak attack Liu Wei's camp.

    Liu Wei's camp was in chaos. Many tents were set on fire. The fire was soaring into the sky and thick smoke was filling the air. Soldiers were running around in the camp. Troops were attacking left and right in the camp. The general camp was in pieces.  , General Gao Pei led more than a thousand people and Wu Yi's army who had stolen the camp to fight fiercely. In the darkness, it was difficult for both sides to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy, and the battle was extremely chaotic.

    At this moment, there was chaos on the other side of the military camp. Zhang Ren led eight thousand troops into the enemy camp. The two armies attacked from the front and back, making Liu Wei's army attacked from both sides. It only persisted for a moment in the chaos and then completely collapsed.  .

    Liu Wei, wearing a gold helmet and silver armor, was riding on a horse and commanding soldiers to resist the sneak attack of Wu Yi's army. He shouted loudly: "Don't be confused, the army forms a defensive formation!"

    The people in the camp shouted "horse neigh" and suppressed his cry. Except for more than a hundred people around him, no one could hear his cry. Seeing that Wu Yi's army had entered the camp and set fire to kill everywhere, Liu Wei  Angry and anxious, at this moment, a soldier rushed over.

    "Zhou Mu, there are enemy troops from the west entering the camp. They are Zhang Ren's army!"

    Liu Wei was stunned for a moment. Enemy troops were coming from both sides. Can he still resist?  At this time, his soldiers all shouted anxiously, "Zhou Mu, leave quickly. If you don't leave, it will be too late."

    Liu Wei turned his horse around and ran towards the north of the camp. There were enemy troops stealing the camp from the east and west, so he could only break out to the north, with more than a thousand soldiers following behind him.

    Just as they arrived at the gate of the North Camp, a fire suddenly appeared at the gate, and an army came in. The leader was a general holding a big iron gun. He was eight feet tall and was riding on a majestic black horse. He looked majestic.  This person is Zhang Ren, who is known as the first general of Bashu.

    Zhang Ren is about forty years old, and he also studied under Yu Zhenzi from Hebei. He is a lay disciple and debuted earlier, but he also got the essence of Yu Zhenzi's martial arts. The thirteen-style Hundred Birds Chaofeng Spear made him as pure as fire.  , who has been in Bashu for twenty years and has never encountered an opponent, and is known as the Spear King of Xichuan.

    Zhang Ren was not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also quite intelligent. He knew that Liu Wei would break out to the north in desperation, so he led 3,000 troops to wait outside the gate of Beiying. Seeing Liu Wei fleeing, Zhang Ren could no longer  Unable to contain his excitement, he led his army to meet him.

    "Second Young Master, surrender! I will spare your life." Zhang Ren pointed his spear at Liu Wei and shouted,

    Liu Wei did not expect to meet Zhang Ren, and he was frightened. At this time, he found that there were not many soldiers on one side of the camp gate, so he turned around and shouted to the soldiers behind him: "My sons, let's kill together!"

    The soldiers shouted and rushed forward. Dozens of soldiers surrounded Zhang Ren from all sides. Liu Wei seized this opportunity and ran a group of war horses towards the camp gate where there were few people, waving his sword and slashing, "Get out of the way, anyone who blocks me."  die!"

    At this moment, a sneer came from beside him. When he turned around, he saw Zhang Ren appearing next to him. Liu Wei was so frightened that he flew out of his mind. He slashed at Zhang Ren with his knife. Zhang Ren separated him with a spear and reached out to grab Liu Wei.  Liu Wei pulled the silk ribbon that bound the armor into his arms and captured Liu Wei alive.

    Seeing that Liu Wei had been captured, the soldiers were unwilling to fight anymore and knelt down one after another to surrender. General Zhang RenWei Wei threw it to the ground and shouted: "Tied!"

    Several soldiers rushed up and tied up Liu Wei. At this time, Zhang Ren led his troops into the barracks and collected the deserters. Liu Wei was tied to an ox cart. The soldiers around him were running away in confusion. All thoughts in his heart were shattered.  He lowered his head and thought to himself, "Brother won't kill me, just be a rich man!"  "

    But just as he thought of this, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his vest, and found the tip of a knife protruding from his chest. He slowly turned around and saw a dark figure standing next to him, and he could faintly see his ferocious smile.

    Liu Wei suddenly recognized this person, who was actually a close guard of his brother Liu Xun. Liu Wei suddenly understood that his brother would not give him a chance to live. He screamed and fell from the bullock cart to his death.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 520 Rushing to Fight

    Liu Wei was killed in the chaos. When the news came out, Liu Wei's forces immediately fell apart. General Yang Pei immediately offered Mianzhu City to surrender, while Huang Quan escaped from the city in the chaos and disappeared. At this time, all Jingzhou troops  News of the annihilation of Yongkai's army has reached Chengdu, and the situation suddenly became tense.

    Liu Xun had no time to liquidate Liu Wei's forces, nor did he have time to enjoy the joy of victory. He ordered the pardon of all civilian and military generals who followed Liu Wei, and concentrated his forces to deal with the Jingzhou Army's invasion.

    In the inner hall of the state government office, more than a dozen senior civil and military officials from Yizhou, including Zhang Ren, Wu Yi, Yang Huai, Wang Lei, Dong He, Wu Lan, Fei Guan, and Yin Mo, gathered together to discuss emergency response strategies with Liu Xun.

    "The key is that we don't have enough troops!"

    Zhang Ren said worriedly: "Including the reinforcements and Yang Wei's surrender, we only have a total of more than 35,000 people. And I heard that the Jingzhou army has more than a thousand warships, which is at least 50,000 or 60,000 people. More importantly,  Yes, the Jingzhou Army attacked from the waterway, and our dangerous passes have become useless. The situation is grim! "

    The hall was silent. In fact, everyone knew that Liu Jing used various strategies to divide and weaken Yizhou's power.

    More importantly, the internal strife between brothers has greatly damaged the prestige of the Liu Zhang family. From the silence of each county, we can see that each county is dissatisfied with the brothers' struggle for throne. It will take a long time to repair this damage to reputation, but now  They don't have time.

    Liu Xun was helpless and asked Wu Yidao: "General Wu, can the 20,000 troops in Hanzhong be withdrawn?"

    The 20,000 troops in Hanzhong are the elite troops of Bashu. If they can be withdrawn, their strength will immediately increase to more than 50,000, which can barely compete with the Jingzhou army. Everyone looked at Wu Yi together.

    Wu Yi smiled bitterly and said: "If we can withdraw, I will bring it back together this time. Zhang Lu led 30,000 troops to confront us at Dingjun Mountain. If we retreat hastily, I am afraid there will be a danger of the entire army being annihilated. We  Don¡¯t dare to act rashly.¡±

    There was silence in the lobby again. In fact, even if the Yizhou Army in Hanzhong was requested to be withdrawn now, it would take at least twenty days, and it would be too late. After a moment of silence, Dong He said slowly: "Can we give it a try?  The troops from various counties gathered in Chengdu, and together with the troops at the dangerous pass, they could probably gather 20,000 people. "

    "Does Governor Dong think it's possible?"

    Wang Lei sneered and said: "The Jingzhou army has already shown its sword in Bajun. Yong Kai's forty thousand troops were all killed by the Jingzhou army. They won the hearts of the Ba people, at least Badong, Brazil, Bajun and Jiangyang."  All the counties have surrendered to Liu Jing. Can the remaining six counties of Hanjia, Qianwei, Guanghan, Dongguanghan, Zitong, and Wenchuan gather 20,000 people? And even if they have troops, these prefects will send troops to fight with Jingzhou?  Are you fighting?"

    "Maybe Wang Canjun is right, but how can you know if you don't try? At least we can control it in Jianwei County." Dong He insisted on his opinion.

    At this time, Yang Huai glanced at Dong He and sneered coldly: "Actually, I think Dong Taishou should just avoid it. Dong Taishou really shouldn't show up on this occasion!"

    "Yang Canjun, what do you mean by this?" Dong He asked Yang Huai angrily.

    Zhang Ren also snorted coldly and said in agreement: "I think what Yang Canjun said makes sense. The son of Governor Dong is a high-ranking official in Jingzhou. When it comes to the decisive battle between Jing and Shu, Governor Dong should really stay away. It's not that he doubts Dong.  The governor has a disloyal heart, but it is common sense."

    "alright!"

    Liu Xun interrupted Zhang Ren with some dissatisfaction, "We have had enough internal strife. Now that we are facing a formidable enemy, we should all focus on the overall situation!"

    Now that Liu Xun opened his mouth, everyone stopped talking. Dong He was also silent. Liu Xun sighed and said: "No matter what, we cannot let the Jingzhou army reach Chengdu so smoothly. They must effectively block it. Who is willing to lead the army south?"  ?¡±

    "Who is willing?"

    Liu Xun asked twice in a row, but no one answered. At this time, Wu Yi said: "If you don't mind the humble position and low ability, I am willing to lead the troops south!"

    Liu Xun was overjoyed and said hurriedly: "I will give Wu Gong 15,000 men and 300 warships to go south along the Minjiang River and stop the Jingzhou army in Jianwei County."

    "Wei Chen obeys your orders!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The crowd dispersed, and Liu Xun stood alone in front of the map in a daze. He heard that Liu Jing had a sand table map, which clearly marked the mountains, rivers, city passes, etc. in Sichuan, and he was in Yizhou.  However, he did not have such a clearer map, which made him feel sad. Can he survive this level?

    At this time, a deep voice came from behind him, "Actually, we are not desperate!"

    Liu Xun turned around and saw Fei Guan appearing behind him. Fei Guan was about thirty years old and was an important representative of the Fei family.He married Liu Xun's eldest sister and was appointed as the governor of Yizhou. The Fei and Liu families had a very close relationship. Liu Zhang's mother was from the Fei family.

    The Fei family is known as the first aristocratic family in Chengdu and has an important influence on the political situation of Yizhou. Not only does it own a large amount of land and the family is rich, but it also produces talents in large numbers. Fei Guan, Fei Jun, and Fei Li all serve as senior officials in Yizhou, including Fei Guan's nephew Fei Yi.  He is also a famous young talent in Yizhou. Together with Dong Yun, he is known as the two outstanding figures in Yizhou.

    Fei Guan stepped forward and said: "Actually, we still have three ways to go now. One is to resist. Chengdu has a population of more than 200,000, a grain reserve of 500,000 dan, Lingluo money piled up in the treasury, and a mobilization of 50,000 to 60,000 young people.  There is absolutely no problem in participating in the defense of the city. If we defend the city for more than three months, maybe Cao Cao will take action against Jingzhou; the second is to abandon Shu and go to the capital. Even if the young master does not want to surrender to Liu Jing, he can still be granted a title of marquis and an official in Yedu.  , Don¡¯t look at Liu Jing¡¯s face.¡±

    "What about the third one?" Liu Xun asked again.

    Fei Guan didn't speak, just smiled. Liu Xun immediately understood that the third way was to surrender. He sighed: "How can I give away the foundation laid by my father and ancestors so easily? Try your best to resist! If you really defend  If you don¡¯t stop, that¡¯s God¡¯s will.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After defeating the Yinan Allied Forces, the Jingzhou Army won the support of the people of Badi. The county and county governments expressed their willingness to surrender to Liu Jing. In just a few days, the Jingzhou Army easily captured Badong, Brazil, Bajun and Jiangyang.  Four counties.

    Liu Jing appointed Yan Yan as Zhonglang General, and appointed Zhang Yi, recommended by Yan Yan, as the governor of Ba County. He immediately ordered Liao Hua and Jiang Wan to lead 5,000 troops to take over Baxi County, and ordered Huang Zhong to lead 10,000 troops as the vanguard.  Yan Yan led the way to capture Jianwei County first, while he led the main force of the navy to rest for three days in Jiangyang County.

    Three days later, the army continued to move westward by boat. The mighty fleet entered the Minjiang River from Nan'an County and sailed north with the southeast wind.

    Jianwei County is the most prosperous county in Bashu. It is located in the middle of Bashu, adjacent to Shu County in the north, Ba County and Jiangyang County in the south, including today's Ziyang, Jianyang, Leshan, Meishan, Yibin and other areas. The county area is vast and the land is fertile.  , with a population of nearly 100,000 households, is also the most populous county in Bashu. If we capture Jianwei County, the whole of Bashu will be in doom.

    There are 7,000 troops stationed in Jianwei County. Some of them, about 2,000, are stationed at various passes in the form of county soldiers, while the remaining 5,000 heavy troops are stationed in Wuyang County, the capital of Jianwei County. They are led by generals Liu Wei and Lingbao.

    At the same time that Huang Zhong, the pioneer of the Jingzhou Army, led his army north, Wu Yi also led 15,000 troops to Wuyang County. The two sides were racing to catch up with the time.

    Qianwei County is located in the transition zone between the mountains in western Sichuan and the plains in central Sichuan. It is divided into two parts by the Minjiang River. The west is surrounded by mountains and hills, while the east is dominated by plains, with occasional low hills and mountains.

    The 10,000 vanguard troops led by Huang Zhong marched quickly among the low hills, with Yan Yan as their guide. All the way north, officials from various counties opened the city to surrender. Jingzhou was unstoppable and had no obstacles along the way.

    On the one hand, it has something to do with Yan Yan being the guide, but the more important reason is that the Jingzhou Army annihilated Yong Kai's army that went north. Everyone knows that if Yong Kai's army was not annihilated by the Jingzhou Army in Ba County, then they will surely encounter the most cruel  The killings and looting were out of a sense of gratitude, and all the counties in Jianwei County surrendered to the Jingzhou Army one after another.

    That evening, the army arrived about thirty miles south of Wuyang County. At this time, Yan Yanxiao asked: "General Huang, let's rush to Wuyang County in one go. Should we camp here and go to Wuyang County after dawn tomorrow?"  ?¡±

    Perhaps because they are so similar in age, Huang Zhong and Yan Yan get along very well with each other. Although Huang Zhong's military position is one level higher than that of Yan Yan, Huang Zhong still respects him very much and does not act like a superior at all.

    Huang Zhong thought for a while and asked: "Mr. Yan thinks that when we go to Wuyang County, Liu Sui and Lingbao will open the city to welcome us?"

    Yan Yan shook his head, "They are not local generals, they are Zhang Ren's generals. It is estimated that they are unlikely to surrender, and I have a hunch that Chengdu's army has arrived in Wuyang County."

    "In this case, it is better to be more cautious and avoid being ambushed."

    Huang Zhong looked up at the sky, and then looked at the surrounding terrain. He was located on a high ground with sufficient water, which was very suitable for camping. He then ordered: "The army will camp on the spot!"

    Under the arrangements of the Marching Sima, the soldiers began to set up simple tents one after another. Huang Zhong sent more than a hundred spies to patrol the surrounding areas, while he and Yan Yan discussed ways to capture Wuyang City in a simple tent.

    "Wuyang City is backed by Pengshan and faces the river. The city is tall and solid, and there is plenty of food and grass in the city. If you want to attack hard, you can do it, but you will need at least four times the number of defenders. And we only have 10,000 people. Even if we capture the city, it will be difficult.  There will be a heavy price to pay, not to mention the arrival of reinforcements, and then it will be almost impossible to attack the city.??.  "

    Huang Zhong nodded. He is a very cautious person and will not take risks. If this is the case, then he should wait for the main force of Zhou Mu to come over.

    At this time, a soldier said at the door of the tent: "This is to report to General Huang, to General Yan, the prefect Jiang of Qianwei County has sent someone."

    Huang Zhong and Yan Yan looked at each other, and Yan Yan immediately asked, "What's the name of the person coming?"

    "It seems to be called Zhao Zhu!"

    Yan Yan smiled at Huang Zhong and said: "This man is the assistant of the prefect Jiang Heng and his confidant. I have met him many times. He is a very capable man. His arrival must bring important news."

    Huang Zhong immediately ordered: "Invite him in!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 521 Wu Yang is unfavorable

    Not long after, a man in his thirties was led into the tent. Although he was wearing a farmer's short coat, he looked elegant and was obviously a scholar in disguise. When he entered the tent, he bowed and saluted, "See Mr. Huang.  General, see Governor Yan!"

    Yan Yan was very familiar with him and said with a smile: "It turns out to be Zhao Shuzuo, but he came here on the order of Governor Jiang?"

    "Exactly!"

    Zhao Zhu took out a letter from his arms and presented it with both hands, "This is a letter from the prefect to Liu Zhoumu. Please convey it to the two old generals."

    Huang Zhong took the letter. It was a letter to Zhou Mu. He couldn't open it and read it at will, so he asked, "May I ask what your eunuch's intention is?"

    "Reporting to General Huang, my eunuch is grateful to the Jingzhou army for annihilating Yong Kai's army, and is willing to serve Liuzhou Mu. However, he is unable to command the troops in the city and cannot directly dedicate the city. He is willing to cooperate with the two generals to attack the city."

    Huang Zhong nodded and asked, "How many troops are there in the city now?"

    "Originally there were five thousand troops, but at noon today Wu Yi arrived with 15,000 troops. Now there are 20,000 troops in the city."

    "Twenty thousand?"

    Huang Zhong and Yan Yan looked at each other. The opponent's force was twice as strong as their own, so it would be difficult to take the city. They had to report to the state pastor. After thinking for a moment, Yan Yan asked, "Is Wu Yi the leader now?"

    "I reported back to Prefect Yan. Although Wu Yi is the chief general, the Prefect also knows that Lingbao and Liu Quan are Zhang Ren's generals. They don't agree with each other and are arguing and fighting for power in the city. It's still very chaotic now."

    "we know!"

    Huang Zhong said to Zhao Zhu: "Please Mr. Zhao go back and tell Governor Jiang that there is no need for him to take risks in the military. As long as he preserves the supplies in the treasury and appeases the people in the city, this will be a meritorious service."

    Zhao Zhu was overjoyed. If this was the case, the pressure on them would be much less. He quickly bowed deeply and said, "I will go back and resume my duties now."

    He slowly retreated, and when he left, Huang Zhong said to Yan Yan: "The other side has 20,000 troops. Not to mention attacking the city, even if the two armies fight in the wilderness, we are not sure of victory. I think  Or should we be on the safe side and not attack the city for the time being, and then discuss countermeasures after the state army arrives? What do you think?"

    Yan Yan smiled and said: "The old general is indeed a cautious person. In this case, then wait for the Zhou Mu!"

    Huang Zhong immediately ordered someone to deliver a message to Liu Jing. He also ordered the sergeants to strengthen defense and not to slack off at night.

    Zhao Zhu left Huang Zhong's military camp and rode back to Wuyang City from the official road. He ran for more than ten miles, but turned his horse and ran towards a small road. Not long after, he came to a relatively hidden valley. At this moment  , dozens of patrol soldiers rushed out from both sides of the woods and surrounded him. He turned over and dismounted, cupped his hands and said, "Please tell General Wu that Zhao Zhu is back."

    "It turns out to be Zhao Shuzuo, please! General Wu is waiting,"

    Zhao Zhu followed the soldiers into the valley. The valley was very wide, about ten miles long and four or five miles wide. It was called Hulu Valley. There was only one narrow passage for entry and exit. It was a very ideal place to hide soldiers. In Hulu Valley  There are nearly 20,000 troops hidden in the valley, which is the Yizhou Army led by Wu Yi.

    This was of course Wu Yi's plan, because all the county officials along the way were watching the wind and surrendering to the Jingzhou army, so he followed his plan and asked the prefect Jiang Heng to pretend to surrender to Huang Zhong, and ordered Zhao Zhu to send false news, while he led 20,000 troops out of the city to prepare  Attack Huang Zhong's army at night.

    Zhao Zhu was led into a large tent with bright lights. Wu Yizheng was discussing the plan for a sneak attack with several generals, including the deputy general Deng Xian he brought, the former guards of Wuyang County Lingbao and Liu Sui, and the soldiers who joined the army.  Fei Shi.

    Zhao Zhu entered the tent and saluted: "See General Wu!"

    Wu Yi smiled and asked, "How is it? Have you seen Huang Zhong?"

    "I met Huang Zhong and Yan Yan and told them one by one according to General Wu's words. I can see that they believed it deeply."

    Wu Yi laughed and said to everyone: "The best strategy is to tell nine truths and one lie. Even Yan Yan will not doubt it. Huang Zhong thinks that there is discord in our army, so he will not be wary of it.  Tonight is your chance to steal camp.¡±

    Everyone praised Wu Yi for his clever strategy. At this time, Fei Shi said: "But Huang Zhong is a meticulous person. Even if he believes it is true, he will pay attention to defense and will not let us steal the camp so easily. I hope Wu  General, don¡¯t be too careless.¡±

    Wu Yi nodded, "Fei Canjun is right, we really can't be careless."

    He pointed at the map and said to everyone: "The place where Huang Zhong camped is called Koulonggang. Although the terrain is good, it also has weaknesses, that is, the slope is very gentle, and there is no obstruction on the hill. It is difficult to defend, especially the west side, which directly faces the river.  The rocks are rugged, so we can attack from the west to disrupt his military camp and force him to withdraw. "

    Having said this, Wu Yi pointed to a mountain col and said to Lingbao and"You two can lead your headquarters to ambush here, and attack from the side when Huang Zhong withdraws his troops. As long as the Jingzhou army breaks into chaos, this will be our opportunity," he said.

    Lingbao and Liu Huang raised their hands together and said, "Follow the order!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Huang Zhong's army was stationed on a broad and flat hill, only a few dozen feet above the ground. There were sparse pine forests on the hill, with gentle slopes on three sides, and it was adjacent to the Min River in the west. The river had been eroded by the water for thousands of years.  The west side of the hill is rugged with rocks, and some of the gaps between the rocks are even as deep as a foot.

    A crescent moon passes through the dark clouds, sometimes giving the earth a layer of pale silver, and sometimes it penetrates into the clouds, making the earth dark. In the intermittent darkness, dozens of black figures are quietly walking in the southwest of the hills.  They climbed up among the rocks in the corner. They were very hidden and lurked dozens of steps away from the Jingzhou military camp, waiting for an opportunity.

    It was already the second watch, but Huang Zhong did not fall asleep. As usual, he patrolled around the military camp. This was a habit he had developed over decades. Whenever he went on an expedition, he would be very cautious and would personally patrol until the third watch.  It's time to take a rest.

    Especially tonight, they marched lightly and did not carry more camping tools, such as camp fences, guns, etc., which made the defense insufficient. They could only rely on patrols outside to detect danger in advance.

    "Old General, it's already very late. Go back to your tent and rest!" Two soldiers advised him beside him.

    Huang Zhong didn't finish speaking. He looked around carefully. He was surrounded by rolling hills and large forests. Beyond this forest was a plain area hundreds of miles wide. Over there were fertile lands and farms.

    Huang Zhong also felt that the problem was not big, so he turned around and walked towards his tent. However, after he had reached only a few dozen steps, there was suddenly a rapid sound of horse hooves behind him. Huang Zhong suddenly turned around and saw a patrolman riding on horseback and shouting: "  Found the enemy, there is an enemy!"

    Huang Zhong was taken aback and immediately ordered: "Sound the alarm!"

    'when!  when!  when!  'The alarm bells echoed on the hills, and the sleeping Jingzhou Army soldiers were awakened. At this time, the enemy troops had already reached the hills. A sentry urgently reported to Huang Zhong: "Old General, there are enemies to the north and east."  Army attack!"

    Huang Zhong was so shocked that sweat began to form on his forehead. He began to realize that he had been fooled by Zhao Zhu. There was no internal strife within the Yizhou Army. He said this to make him lose his vigilance, but they really relaxed their vigilance. Huang  Zhong was upset, but he did not panic and ordered: "Don't panic, gather defense immediately!"

    At this time, a soldier rushed to report: "General Qi, General Yan is leading a thousand brothers to intercept on the east side. He said he is responsible for the east side and asked the old general to arrange the defense on the north side."

    Huang Zhong nodded, got on his horse and ran towards the north. He saw a dense crowd of people in the north, and the shouts of killing were loud from all sides. I don't know how many troops were coming towards the mountain camp. Suddenly, a soldier pointed to the west and shouted:  "Old General, there's a fire in the camp!"

    Huang Zhong turned around and saw a huge fire in the southwest corner. The simple tents where the soldiers rested were ignited. The fire took advantage of the wind and dozens of large tents were ignited in an instant. Soon, the dry pine forest was also ignited by the fire, and the flames shot into the sky.  It rose up to a height of more than ten feet. Many burning tents were blown into the air by the wind and flew down in the middle of the camp. They also set fire to the tents in the middle. The soldiers had no time to collect the tents, and there was chaos on the hill.

    Huang Zhong had realized that they could no longer hold the camp. If they did not retreat, they would be engulfed in fire. He immediately ordered: "The army immediately evacuated the hills and retreated southward!"

    "Dang! Dang"

    The hasty retreat bell rang, and the Jingzhou army in panic withdrew from the hills one after another. Huang Zhong took the lead, Yan Yan took the lead, and the 10,000 troops quickly retreated south.

    With more troops chasing behind him, Wu Yi shouted: "Brothers, the enemy is defeated, chase them!"

    Amidst the sound of war drums, more than 10,000 Yizhou troops were chasing after them. Huang Zhong's army had just ran a few miles and passed a mountain col. Suddenly, a burst of drums sounded, and there was a big fire. Lingbao and Liu Sui, who were ambushing in the col, led  Five thousand soldiers came out and cut the retreating troops into two sections. The sudden attack caused chaos in Jingzhou.

    Seeing that the situation in the rear was critical, Huang Zhong shouted: "Follow me back!"

    He led his army to turn around and charge forward, and met the general Liu Sui head-on. Huang Zhong raised his might and roared. His horse galloped like a fierce tiger and killed him in an instant. With a flash of his sword, he split Liu Sui into two pieces. His army  Immediately their morale was greatly boosted, and they followed Huang Zhong in counterattack, and soon killed the Yizhou Army that had intercepted them, and connected them with the Jingzhou Army behind them.

    At this time, Wu Yi led his army to catch up. The two armies fought together. Although Jingzhou fought back, they were outnumbered and retreated again. Wu Yi was overjoyed and shouted: "The enemy will be defeated tonight, sons and daughters, chase and kill them."  !¡±

      The Yizhou army was rushing like a wild wave, chasing after them. At this time, Jingzhou was in chaos and could no longer organize effective resistance. It was about to be defeated. At this moment, there was a sudden loud sound of drums and fire on a mountain road on the side.  It ignited, and an army of more than a thousand people came out of the thorn.

    The leader was a general, with a white horse and a silver spear. The horse was like a dragon, and the man was like a god. The war horse galloped forward, and the silver spear assassinated him from left to right. He was unstoppable. Wherever he passed, the Yizhou Army was killed and many people were turned upside down, causing heavy casualties.

    In an instant, the situation on the battlefield was reversed. The Yizhou Army retreated one after another. Seeing that the situation was not good, Wu Yi ordered to stop the pursuit. The Yizhou Army was blocked on the official road by troops killed from the mountain road.

    At this time, Wu Yi recognized that one of them was Deng Zhi, Pang Xi's staff, but he did not know this extremely brave white horse and silver spear. He hurriedly ordered the people around him, "Who is coming?"

    Someone rushed up and asked loudly: "Who is this coming?"

    General Silver Spear sneered slightly, "I am Changshan Zhao Yun!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 522 Outsmarting Wuyang

    Zhao Yun was originally sent to pretend to attack Shangyong, but then Liu Jing transferred him to Shu to participate in the capture of Bashu. Zhao Yun did not follow the march of the main force in Jingzhou, but led more than a thousand people from Jiangxi under the leadership of Deng Zhi.  Crossing over from the north of Yang County, he originally wanted to join Huang Zhong's army in Wuyang County, but unexpectedly he arrived by chance and rescued Huang Zhong.

    Zhao Yun raised his spear and shouted sternly: "If you don't want to live, come up and die!"

    Zhao Yun fought alone against Cao Cao's army of more than 100,000 men in Nanjun. The news has spread all over the world, and his reputation is also very loud in Bashu. When all the troops saw that he was as brave as a tiger, and heard that he was actually Zhao Yun, who was the most brave in the world, they couldn't help but feel fear.  , one after another retreated.

    At this time, Wu Yi saw that Huang Zhong's troops were quickly gathering. He knew that the chance of a night attack had been lost, so he ordered: "Withdraw the troops!"

    The Yizhou Army quickly withdrew. Zhao Yun's troops were weak and did not pursue him. He waited until the Yizhou Army had completely withdrawn before turning his horse and running towards Huang Zhong.

    At this time, Huang Zhong's army had gradually recovered from the chaos and was quickly assembling the entire team. However, there were only about 4,000 people left, less than half. This made Huang Zhong extremely frustrated. He was defeated so much in this battle.  awful.

    Yan Yan next to him comforted him and said: "This battle didn't last long, so it shouldn't be so tragic. I think many soldiers have escaped. If we gather them slowly, we should find them again."

    Huang Zhong sighed. No matter how much he could recover, he lost this battle too cowardly. He was unexpectedly attacked. He had never encountered such a thing.

    At this time, Zhao Yun urged his horse forward, cupped his hands and asked: "How is the old general?"

    Huang Zhong stepped forward and returned the salute. Then he remembered that Zhao Yun had not followed them into Shu, and he couldn't help but asked in surprise: "Where did Zilong come from?"

    "I entered Sichuan on the orders of Zhou Mu and went to the north of Jiangyang County. I originally wanted to meet the old general in Wuyang County, but I didn't expect to encounter a battle."

    Huang Zhong became more and more surprised. He sighed, "This is really God's will. God sent Zilong to save us and also saved my reputation. Please accept my courtesy."

    After saying that, Huang Zhong dismounted and knelt down to salute. Zhao Yun quickly dismounted and helped him up, "Old General, you can't help me!"

    Seeing that he refused to accept the courtesy, Huang Zhong became more and more grateful. He patted Zhao Yun's arm and introduced Yan Yan to him: "This is General Yan. He was formerly the prefect of Baling. He is highly skilled in martial arts and is the bravest of the three armies!"

    Zhao Yun was pleased to receive the gift, "It turns out that the old general is the Governor Yan known as the Bashu Southern Sword. Zhao Yun has admired him for a long time."

    Yan Yan had long heard of Zhao Yun's reputation. After Lu Bu's death, he was recognized as the best general in the world. Even Xiliang Ma Chao was amazed that Zhao Yun fought his way out of Cao Cao's hundreds of thousands of troops. He felt ashamed. How dare he, Yan Yan,  In front of Zhao Yun, he talked about his martial arts skills.

    Huang Zhong's introduction made him feel ashamed, but Zhao Yun knew that his reputation made him quite proud. Yan Yan quickly saluted and said: "Yan Yan has long admired General Zhao's reputation. I didn't expect that he would be saved by the general today. Yan Yan is grateful."  Not enough.¡±

    The two exchanged polite words, and Zhao Yun asked Huang Zhong, "Excuse me, old general, what should we do next?"

    Huang Zhong sighed, "We don't have enough troops, and Wu Yi is a good strategist. We should wait for the arrival of the Zhou Mu to discuss countermeasures!"

    Zhao Yun nodded, "It's important to gather the scattered soldiers first."

    Huang Zhong had the same intention. He immediately sent out 20 patrol teams to collect the fleeing Jingzhou defeated soldiers. As daybreak came, stragglers returned one after another, and finally reorganized the army, which numbered about 8,000 people. In other words, this  In the first battle, he lost two thousand soldiers and a lot of mules and horses. Although it was not a heavy loss, it also made Huang Zhong depressed.

    Huang Zhong did not dare to stay in Wuyang County, so he immediately led his army south. In the afternoon of the next day, they finally waited until the main force of the Jingzhou Navy arrived.

    In the cabin, Liu Jing listened quietly to Huang Zhong's story. After Huang Zhong finished speaking, he sighed and said guiltily: "In my humble position, I believed the enemy's words of surrender and lost my vigilance. As a result, I was attacked by the enemy and defeated. Please ask the state pastor for punishment."  !¡±

    Liu Jing shook his head, "Victory and defeat are common matters for military officers. The veteran general does not need to take it to heart."

    Liu Jing smiled at Zhao Yun again and said, "General Zhao came by such a coincidence, just to save General Huang."

    Zhao Yun spread his hands and said with a smile: "It can only be said to be God's will, and I can't explain it."

    Everyone laughed.  At this time, Yan Yan said: "Qi Zhoumu, Wuyang City is tall and strong. Wu Yi is experienced and has a heavy army with sufficient food. The city is difficult to break and there is nothing we can do."

    As soon as Yan Yan finished speaking, Sima Yi next to him smiled slightly and said, "I have a plan. Taking Wuyang City will be easy."

    Huang Zhong and Yan Yan looked at each other. They were both overjoyed and said quickly: "Can you please give me some advice from your military advisor on how to make a plan?"

    Sima Yi smiled and whispered a few words, Huang Zhong and Yan Yan praised him repeatedly, and even Liu Jing also??Nods slightly, Sima Yi lives up to his reputation, he really has something.

    Early the next morning, the main warships of the Jingzhou Army continued their mighty march north. One thousand and five hundred warships filled up their sails and sailed northward. The sails were overwhelming and covered the river. When the massive fleet passed outside Wuyang City,  On the river, the defenders on the city changed their faces in horror, with fear in their eyes. They had never seen such a spectacular fleet.

    Even Wu Yi¡¯s expression changed drastically. His eyes were extremely worried. Although he knew that Liu Jing was leading an army to march westward, he did not expect that it would be so huge. The fleet stretched for hundreds of miles. How many troops should there be?  Can Bashu be saved?

    At this time, deputy general Deng Xian stepped forward and said: "General, something seems to be wrong! The Jingzhou army does not care about Wuyang County, but went directly to attack Chengdu."

    Wu Yi nodded. He also saw that the opponent was a fleet and would not consider such things as logistics being cut off. He was ordered to go south to defend Wuyang County, which was obviously a mistake. If Chengdu fell, they would be finished. There were only two people in Chengdu.  Ten thousand troops may not be able to defend it!

    Thinking of this, he said to Deng Xian: "I must immediately lead my army back to Chengdu for reinforcements. You and General Leng can lead four thousand troops to defend Wuyang City. If the Jingzhou army is defeated, you can intercept them."

    "Humble your duties and obey orders!"

    Wu Yi was so anxious that he gave Lingbao a few more instructions and led an army of 15,000 people to rush back to Chengdu by land.

    Thirty miles away from Wuyang City, Huang Zhong and Yan Yan set up camp again. This place is only three miles away from where they were attacked a few days ago. It is a relatively hidden valley. They hide their troops in the valley, waiting for Wuyang  News from county spies.

    The valley is relatively empty, and Huang Zhong's army has set up hundreds of large tents. In one of the Chinese army's tents, Huang Zhong and Yan Yan are listening to a local guide's story.

    The guide was a woodcutter in his sixties. He had been collecting firewood in this area for nearly forty years and knew every plant and tree. He took a sip of water and said with a smile: "This mountain range is called Wushan. Wuyang is located in the north of the mountain range."  It got its name because there are many ravines in the valley. This valley is called Bird Valley in our local area. There are many birds in the valley every autumn. Like the Calabash Valley in front, it is a death valley with only one opening.

    After passing Wuyang County, there is another slightly gentle hilly mountain range called Pengshan. Legend has it that it is the burial place of Peng Zu. After these two mountains, there is an endless plain.  "

    Huang Zhong knew all this, Yan Yan told him, and he asked patiently: "Is there a place to hide troops in Pengshan, like this valley."

    The old guide thought for a while and said: "There is a valley called the Valley of Hidden Soldiers, but it is not on the official road. It is two miles away from the official road. It can be passed through a small road. It is enough to hide more than ten thousand soldiers."

    Huang Zhong quickly spread out the map, and the guide stepped forward and found the Hidden Soldier Valley. "It's right here. Next to it is an abandoned official road. I often go there to collect firewood."

    Huang Zhong nodded. This seat was very good. It was exactly the place he needed to hide soldiers. He asked again: "Is there any other way to the Soldier Hidden Valley? I mean it doesn't pass through Wuyang City."

    The guide laughed and said, "Why is there no road? You can take a small path to get around. I know at least three small roads."

    At this time, a soldier rushed to the big tent and reported: "General Qi, Wu Yi has led an army to leave the city. The scout said there are about 15,000 people."

    Huang Zhong and Yan Yan exchanged glances, and both of them smiled. As expected, Wu Yi found that there was no point in garrisoning Wuyang and withdrew his troops back to Chengdu. Yan Yan smiled and said: "The next step is for us to take action."

    Wuyang City originally had Liu Sui as the chief general and Lingbao as the deputy general. After Liu Sui was killed by Huang Zhong, all his subordinates were taken away by Zhang Ren and were not handed over to Lingbao. This made Lingbao unhappy. According to  According to Yizhou's military regulations, those in charge of 5,000 troops can be promoted to captain. If Lingbao accepted Liu Sui's subordinates, his subordinates would exceed 5,000 and be promoted to captain. Obviously Wu Yi did not give him this opportunity.

    When Wu Yi led his army back to the north, Lingbao understood Wu Yi's intention. Wu Yi appointed his general Deng Xian as the chief general of Wuyang County, while Lingbao remained his deputy general because Deng Xian was a school captain and a high-ranking officer.  He was one level above him, so he could only obey Deng Xian's orders.

    This made Lingbao very dissatisfied, but he did not dare to express his dissatisfaction, so he turned a blind eye to military affairs and let Deng Xian do whatever he wanted.

    Just at dusk the next day after Wu Yi led his army north, Lingbao hurried to the city wall. Deng Xian was patrolling the city. He heard that Lingbao had an urgent military situation to find him. He was a little surprised. Why did this person come to him again?  Have you made progress?

    Deng Xian then ordered someone to invite Lingbao, and asked lukewarmly, "What can I do for General Leng?"

    Lingbao cupped his fists and smiled: "I just heard that the patrol found a Jingzhou baggage team crossing the border and heading north. Is this possible?"

    Deng Xian nodded, "It's true. There were about a thousand people driving two people.A bullock cart goes north on another road and does not pass us.  "

    "The ox-carts move slowly and cannot go very far. Doesn't General Deng want to intercept these ox-carts?"

    Deng Xian frowned and said, "General Wu ordered us to hold on to the city. I don't want to cause trouble. I advise General Leng to calm down and stop thinking wildly."

    Lingbao was hit with a problem and said angrily: "I don't want any business that comes to my door. I really think of myself as a person."

    "What did you say?" Deng Xian glared at him and said.

    "nothing!"

    Lingbao turned around and walked away. Watching him go away, Deng Xian snorted heavily and said to himself: "Even if a hundred Liu Huangs die, it won't be your turn!"

    Not long after, a soldier rushed over and reported urgently: "Report to General Deng, General Leng opened the east city gate without authorization and led his headquarters out of the city."

    Deng Xian became furious and cursed: "Lingbao, I will kill you!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 523 The troops are approaching the city

    Lingbao led two thousand soldiers to pursue him all the way north. It was not that he wanted to intercept the oxcart and make a fortune, but that he wanted to take a gamble. He wanted to make a great contribution by intercepting this logistics convoy and dealing a heavy blow to the Jingzhou army.  .

    This will let Wu Yi know that he is not the one who can suppress him if he wants to, and let Zhang Ren support him and give Wu Yi a loud slap in the face.

    Eager to achieve meritorious service, Lingbao forgot about the danger and focused on chasing the Jingzhou Army's logistics convoy. He was dazzled by the desire to achieve meritorious service and completely forgot about Huang Zhong's army.

    After passing Wuyang County, we entered the rolling hills and mountains. This mountain range is called Pengshan. Legend has it that it is the burial place of Peng Zu. The mountains are dozens of miles wide. When you step out of the hilly areas, you will see the endless Sichuan in front of you.  In the central plains, there are ravines and crisscrossing mountains, and there are many huge canyons.

    Ling Baobao led the army to rush along the official road in the rolling hills. This is an abandoned official road. Although it is overgrown with weeds, oxcarts can still be walked on it. On both sides are low hills and dense forests.  , looking particularly cold and lonely in the moonlight.

    The team chased for more than twenty miles. Gradually, under the moonlight, they saw the ox cart in front of them. It was rumbling northward with dust flying. Lingbao was overjoyed and shouted: "Catch up with the ox cart!"

    The soldiers rushed to catch up and got closer and closer to the oxcart. At this moment, there was a bang in the woods on both sides, and dense arrows were shot out from the woods. Lingbao's army was caught off guard and fell to the ground screaming. It only took a moment.  A large piece fell down in a moment. At this time, fire broke out, and an army rushed out from the woods. The leader was Huang Zhong. He shouted: "Thief general, take your life!"

    Lingbao was so frightened that he turned around and fled. Their soldiers were also frightened by the cold arrows fired from the sneak attack and the enemy's ambush. Without waiting for his order, they scrambled to flee back.

    At this time, ambush soldiers came from both sides and cut off the escapers' path. The Yizhou army had no intention of resisting, and they all knelt down and surrendered, and there was a loud cry of begging.

    Lingbao's horse was fast and he took the lead to break through the ambush and fled towards Wuyang City with hundreds of people. However, less than two miles away, flames broke out in front and another army blocked the way.

    Lingbao reined in his horse and looked around for an escape route. He found that not only were the ambush troops rushing out from the front, but also from the front, rear, and left, with thousands of people surrounding them.

    At this time, Yan Yan came out of the team and shouted to him: "General Ling, even I have surrendered to Jingzhou. If you don't surrender now, how long will you wait?"

    Lingbao was desperate and thought about why Wu Yi was so mean to him, so why should he work for Liu Xun again? He couldn't help but let out a long sigh, got off his horse, and knelt on the side of the road to surrender.

    After the general surrendered, the soldiers also discarded their weapons and surrendered. In this ambush, Huang Zhong effortlessly captured the enemy general Lingbao and surrendered.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Lingbao led his army to chase the Jingzhou army's baggage. Deng Xian was restless in the city. Although he hated Lingbao for not obeying his orders, Lingbao was Zhang Ren's confidant after all. If something happened to him, he would not be able to explain to Zhang Ren.  .

    Deng Xian then sent people to inquire about information outside the city, but found no information about a large group of enemy troops heading north, which made him feel slightly relieved.

    At the third watch, Deng Xian had just fallen asleep when he was awakened by a knock on the door. A soldier reported outside: "General Qi, General Ling is back, and countless oxcarts are coming!"

    Deng Xian was overjoyed and hurriedly put on his armor and ran to the north city. He ran up to the city and looked down. He saw the city was brightly lit. Soldiers held torches and drove thousands of ox carts. The leader was Lingbao.

    When Lingbao saw Deng Xian coming out, he laughed proudly and said, "General Deng, I came back with a load of good stuff. I can give you some of it."

    After saying that, he lifted up the oilcloth on an oxcart, and the soldiers at the city head suddenly exclaimed. Under the firelight, they saw that the oxcart was loaded with yellow copper coins, and each copper coin shone with a dazzling metallic luster.  More than a dozen ox carts were filled with fine copper coins, which made people's eyes red.

    Deng Xian secretly despised Lingbao, but with so many copper coins, he could just use them to reward the soldiers, so he immediately ordered: "Open the city!"

    The city gate creaked open and the suspension bridge was lowered. Lingbao ordered the soldiers and ox carts to advance into the city. Groups of soldiers escorted the ox carts towards the city.

    When there were only a hundred or so bullock carts left, it suddenly stopped. Deng Xian frowned, leaned out and shouted, "Why don't you go into the city? Why are you waiting so long?"

    Suddenly a soldier pointed not far away and shouted: "General, there is enemy situation!"

    I saw dense soldiers coming out of the darkness, the sound of horse hooves, and a general leading countless soldiers towards the city gate. Deng Xian was shocked and shouted: "Close the city gate quickly! Close the city gate!"

    The city gate was blocked by bullock carts.The suspension bridge could not be pulled up and the city gate could not be closed. At this moment, there was a sudden cry of killing in the city. Deng Xian turned around suddenly and heard a soldier shouting: "General Ling has rebelled. His soldiers are all  Rebellion."

    Deng Xian¡¯s mind was ¡®buzzing!  ¡¯ He suddenly understood that when Lingbao went to chase the ox cart, something must have happened. Lingbao surrendered to the Jingzhou army and then came to deceive the city. He took a few steps back and sat helplessly on the top of the city, with all his thoughts in his mind.  Hui, he knew very well that Wuyang City was finished.

    This was Sima Yi¡¯s plan to deceive the city. He was sure that Wu Yi would not place heavy troops in Wuyang County. As soon as Wu Yi¡¯s army left, they could implement the plan to deceive the city.

    Luring the city defenders to chase the ox carts was one of his strategies. If this strategy failed, Sima Yi had a second plan, which was to leave hundreds of ox carts on the roadside and wait for the city defenders to drive the ox carts into the city.  In a surprise attack, the bullock cart will inevitably block the city gate, making it impossible to advance or retreat, and the ambush troops can take the opportunity to seize the city.

    It¡¯s just that Lingbao was so eager to achieve success that he didn¡¯t need to use the second plan. He succeeded in the first plan and led the Jingzhou army to defraud Wuyang City.

    There was no suspense in the battle, and the Yizhou soldiers surrendered one after another. Deng Xian tried to escape from the west gate, but was caught by the west gate defenders and escorted to show his merit.

    In the temporary camp, Huang Zhong ordered his men to reward the soldiers who captured Deng Xian. Then he smiled at Deng Xian and said, "General Deng, are you willing to surrender?"

    Deng Xian bowed his head and said nothing, and Huang Zhong persuaded again: "General Deng is also a Ba people. How could he not know that Liu Zhoumu killed all the barbarian soldiers to protect the Ba people, and even General Deng's parents and relatives were protected. As the saying goes, the birds choose the best trees."  And Qi, even if General Deng doesn't want to be grateful, he should know that surrendering to Liu Zhoumu is a wise move. Why should he sacrifice his life for Liu Xun, who is killing his brothers, and defend Chengdu that is about to be destroyed? "

    Every word touched Deng Xian's heart. He thought about the Ba people's gratitude to Liu Jing and how he could not be moved. He also thought about Liu Xun's reputation and his unjust words. The enemy was currently killing brothers. Such a lord really  Not worthy of his allegiance.

    Deng Xian sighed, knelt down on one knee, held his fist high and said: "Deng Xian is willing to surrender to Jingzhou and serve Liu Jingzhou!"

    Huang Zhong was overjoyed and quickly helped Deng Xian up, "I knew General Deng was an upright man. I promise the general that Liu Zhoumu will never treat the general badly."

    Deng Xian saluted again, "Thank you, General Huang."

    At this time, a soldier came into the tent and whispered a few words to Huang Zhong. Huang Zhong was startled, "How could this happen?"

    "Excuse me, old general, what happened?" Deng Xian asked uneasily.

    Huang Zhong sighed, "Prefect Jiang refused to surrender, so his whole family committed suicide by taking poison!"

    Deng Xian felt sad and said after a while: "I have a long-standing friendship with Prefect Jiang. I would like to ask the old general to allow me to bury them."

    Huang Zhong nodded, "You can have a grand burial with the courtesy of a prefect!"

    Huang Zhong reorganized and surrendered his troops for two days, and then in accordance with Liu Jing's order, he appointed Deng Zhi as the governor of Qianwei and gave him two thousand soldiers. Then he and Yan Yan led the army to continue northward.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Chengdu, Liu Jing led the 60,000 main Jingzhou army to the largest city in Bashu. The warships were parked all over the Minjiang River. The Jingzhou army built a military camp in the wilderness two miles west of the city. The Jingzhou army was not in a hurry to attack the city.  , Liu Jing hoped to use huge pressure to force Liu Xun to surrender.

    Just when Liu Jing led his army to arrive, Xu Jing, the Prime Minister of Shu County, surrendered to Liu Jing first. Not far from the city, Liu Jing patrolled along the city under the protection of hundreds of personal guards and more than a dozen generals.

    Chengdu is worthy of being the first city in Bashu. The city wall is tall and strong, the city head is wide and can be used for horse racing. There are perforations, inspection holes and stone chutes. It also has a horse face and a moat around it. It is about four feet wide. It was designed by Liu Jing.  The widest moat I have ever seen cannot be built with ordinary wooden boards.

    But this did not trouble Liu Jing, because the moat was connected to the outer river, ships could sail into the moat, and pontoons could be quickly built, and the moat was built very wide, leaving a loophole.

    "How deep is the moat?" Liu Jing asked Xu Jingdao with a smile.

    Xu Jingnian was about sixty years old. In his early years, he and his younger brother Xu Shao were famous for their criticism of people. He was very senior in the imperial court and wandered around in the troubled times. He went to Wang Lang, Jiaozhou, and finally Yizhou, where he served as  The governor of Bajun was gradually ignored by Liu Zhang because he was squeezed out by the native Bashu clan. Taking up the post of Cheng of Shujun was also a sinecure.

    But Liu Jing respected him quite a bit and showed that he would reuse him. This made Xu Jing feel excited. He quickly replied: "The mud was only cleaned this spring, and it was about one foot deep."

    "One foot!"

    Liu Jing was quite satisfied with this answer. He raised his whip and pointed at another natural river not far away that connected to the moat and asked, "Excuse me, Jun Cheng, what is the name of that river?"

    Xu Jing quickly clasped his fists and said, "This river is called Jinhe.It runs through the whole city and leads directly to the Minjiang River. There is a water gate built at the entrance to the city.  "

    Liu Jing nodded, urged his horse to come to the Jin River, and carefully looked at the river. Like the moat, it was about four to five feet wide. It should flow northward into the Minjiang River. He immediately ordered his soldiers to say: "Test the water depth!"

    Several soldiers used spears to test the depth of the water and reported: "The water depth is more than one foot, about one foot and twenty-three."

    Liu Jing smiled and asked Xu Jing: "Is there a water gate at the other end of the entrance?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, this is the north of the city, and there is also a water gate in the east of the city."

    Liu Jing knew Shuimen very well. He knew Shuimen's weaknesses. He leaned forward and squinted his eyes to look inside Shuimen. Through the iron gate, he could faintly see the Wengcheng inside. The structure was exactly the same as that of Chaisang Water City. He couldn't help but laugh.  , "Did the same person build this and Chaisang?"

    On the top of the city, Liu Xun was holding the head of the city and looking at Liu Jing in the distance. He was only a hundred steps away. He was observing the city as he pleased, pointing east and west, provoking him so unscrupulously, which made Liu Xun's face livid. He turned around and asked:  "Can I shoot him with an arrow?"

    The guards all shook their heads, "Master, he is just outside the range of the crossbow. I'm afraid it will be difficult to shoot."

    At this time, Zhang Ren said coldly: "Others can't do it, but I can!"

    He took off his three-stone hard bow, took out an arrow from the quiver on his back, stretched the bow and nocked the arrow, and suddenly pulled the string. The bowstring was like a full moon. He squinted and aimed at Liu Jing. When the string loosened, a powerful arrow was fired.  The wolf-fang arrow shot towards Liu Jing like lightning.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 524 Fierce Battle in Chengdu (1)

    Zhang Ren's arrow came with a fierce force, and it reached Liu Jing's side in an instant. It was too late to save him. Amidst the screams, Liu Jing drew out the Qingzhi sword, and struck first. The force caused the sword to accelerate suddenly, and in an almost impossible situation  In this case, use your backhand sword to fly away the sneak attack arrow.

    Liu Jing slowly stood up straight, with an ugly expression on his face. He was clearly outside the range of the crossbow, but there was someone who could shoot such a powerful arrow. Liu Jing turned back and looked coldly towards the top of the city. At this time, there were shadowy figures on the top of the city.  There is a large group of people standing, one of whom is holding a long bow. Who is this?

    A soldier picked up the arrow and handed it to Liu Jing. The arrow had been split into two pieces. The name "Xichuan Zhang Ren" was engraved on the tip of the arrow. Liu Jing frowned slightly. It was shot by Zhang Ren.  At this time, Zhao Yun urged his horse forward, looked at the arrow shaft, and said lightly to Liu Jing: "This person also makes hundreds of birds shoot at the phoenix spear."

    Zhao Yun's casual words made Liu Jing immediately understand that this person had a close relationship with him. He put away the arrow, looked back at the city, and said to everyone: "Go back to the military camp!"

    Everyone turned their horses and galloped towards the military camp, gradually running away.

    On top of the city, Zhang Ren held a bow and arrow in his hand, staring closely at Liu Jing, but did not shoot a second arrow. Liu Xun looked back at him and asked with some dissatisfaction: "General Zhang still has a chance, why?"  Not shooting the second arrow?¡±

    Zhang Ren bowed slightly and said, "Reporting to the young master, Liu Jing is already on guard. The second arrow is meaningless."

    Liu Xun snorted coldly, turned around and walked towards the city, but Zhang Ren watched Liu Jing riding away, the surprise in his heart still not disappearing.

    He could see clearly just now that the moment Liu Jing drew his sword to chop the arrow, he was using the Luo Feng Kung Fu. His power suddenly accelerated, and he flew his own arrow under almost impossible circumstances. The Luo Feng Kung Fu was so profound and skillful.  , I am far inferior.

    ¡®It turns out he is really Yuzhen¡¯s disciple!  ¡¯ Zhang Ren said to himself

    In the afternoon, drums were beating loudly outside the Chengdu city. Zhao Yun, armed with white horses and silver spears, led three thousand Jingzhou soldiers to fight outside the city. He shouted loudly: "I am Changshan Zhao Zilong. Zhang Ren comes out to fight!"

    There were soldiers standing on top of the city. Zhang Ren stared at Zhao Yun for a long time. He turned back to Liu Xundao: "Master, please allow me to go out of the city to fight!"

    Liu Xun was a little hesitant. This was the world-famous Zhao Yun. Could his general be his opponent?

    At this time, Lei Tong next to him bowed and said: "Zhao Yun does not have three heads and six arms, but for that, I am willing to go out of the city to fight."

    Liu Xun thought for a while and then agreed, "General Lei, don't underestimate the enemy. If you lose, you can retreat in time."

    Zhang Ren said again: "I am willing to hold the battle for General Lei!"

    "Can!"

    The drums beat loudly on the top of the city, and the city gate opened. Lei Tong held a snake spear in his hand and galloped out, followed by a large army of soldiers and horses, with flags flying and momentum like a dragon. Zhao Yun waved his hand, and his army slowly retreated, far away from the city.  Yili stabilized his position.

    The Yizhou army was also lined up. Zhang Ren looked at Zhao Yun from a distance. His mood was a little complicated. Although he had never met Zhao Yun, he knew that Zhao Yun was his junior brother and a close disciple of his mentor Yu Zhenzi. Zhang Ren was also a family member.  He was taught martial arts, and his grandfather laid a solid foundation for him since he was young.

    Forty years ago, Yu Zhenzi traveled around the world and settled in Qingcheng Mountain. Zhang Ren, a son of a wealthy family who was only fifteen years old, went to Qingcheng Mountain to seek a teacher. Yu Zhenzi accepted him as a lay disciple and taught him martial arts carefully. Unfortunately, Zhang Ren himself  The conflict between his martial arts foundation and the Luofeng Kung Fu prevented him from fully understanding the Luofeng Kung Fu, which became Zhang Ren's lifelong regret.

    Despite this, Zhang Ren still relied on his superb Hundred Birds Chaofeng Spear to dominate Bashu for forty years, and earned the nickname of Xichuan Spear King, as famous as Zhang Xiu, the North Land Spear King, and because the Yizhou family has Shu Zhang Bayan  According to the theory, some good people put Yan Yan and Zhang Ren side by side, calling them North Spear and South Sword, but in fact, Zhang Ren's martial arts skills were far superior to Yan Yan's.

    At this time, Lei Tong clasped his fists and said: "General, I have humbled myself and gone to fight!"

    Zhang Ren nodded, "General Lei, be careful."

    Lei Tong brandished a forty-pound snake spear and urged his horse to run towards Zhao Yun. The reason why Lei Tong took the initiative to fight was because he and Yang Pei were persuaded by Huang Quan to become Liu Wei's subordinates. After Liu Wei's defeat, he  He returned to Chengdu, but was criticized all the time, so he wanted to express himself in front of Liu Xun, and today's battle against Zhao Yun was also a way for him to express himself.

    Lei Tong is also a fierce general in Bashu. His martial arts ranks third, second only to Zhang Ren and Yan Yan. He is especially unique in that he has a hammer in his spear. However, he is brave and unintelligent and does not understand literature, so he has never been taken seriously by Liu Zhang and cannot become a leader.  A general who stands alone can only serve as a general.

    "Zhao Yun, please stop being so arrogant and eat my Thunder Copper Spear!" The Thunder Copper War Horse was as fast as flying. It rushed to Zhao Yun's eyes in an instant and stabbed when he was distracted. The momentum was extremely fast and fierce.

    Zhao YunmeiHe frowned and saw that it was not Zhang Ren. He came to challenge Zhang Ren just because he wanted to meet Zhang Ren for a while. He also heard his master Yu Zhenren said that in his early years, he had several famous apprentices, one was Peking Gongsun Zan, and the other was Wuwei Zhang Xiu.  , one is Bashu Zhang Ren, Zhao Yun is a passionate person, and he followed Gongsun Zan in his early years because he and Gongsun Zan have the same family friendship.

    But at this time, Zhao Yun had no time to think about it. The tip of Thunder Copper's spear had already pierced in front of him. He felt that the attack was fierce. The general in front of him seemed to have some skills. Moreover, he immediately hung an eight-edged sledgehammer, which he had never seen before.  , Zhao Yun did not dare to take it lightly, urged his horse to run diagonally, and pointed his spear outward, "Dang!"  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and the tip of the spear was knocked away. Then the spear shook and stabbed the Thunder Copper chest flatly.

    Lei Tong was shocked to the point that his arms were numb, and he was secretly surprised. Zhao Yun was holding a silver spear, but he didn't expect it to be so powerful. Seeing Zhao Yun stab his chest with the spear, the speed was not fast, but it was a powerful force.  But it covered him, making him unable to hide.

    After all, Lei Tong is also an experienced warrior. He changed his left hand to hold the spear, and drew out the eight-edged purple gold hammer with his right hand. With the sound of wind, he slammed the hammer against Zhao Yun's gun barrel. This hammer seemed ordinary, but it contained subtlety, Lei Tong's pain.  After ten years of practice, he learned the spear-hitting hammer and hit it with perfect accuracy.

    But Zhao Yun's spear suddenly disappeared like a phantom, causing Lei Tong to hit the air with his hammer. This was something Lei Tong had never encountered before. He was horrified and his body suddenly lost balance, although it was only a moment of imbalance.  , but for a top master like Zhao Yun, it is enough.

    Zhao Yun shot with his backhand, and the gun barrel hit Lei Tong's back. The force of the blow increased Lei Tong's imbalance. Lei Tong couldn't sit still on his horse and fell off the horse. He was about to get up when Zhao Yun's cold spear hit him.  The tip was pressed against his throat, making him unable to move.

    "Tie me up!" Zhao Yun ordered coldly.

    Several soldiers swarmed forward and tied up Lei Tong. On the opposite side, Zhang Ren saw that Zhao Yun had defeated Lei Tong in just two rounds. He was shocked and urged his horse to rush forward. "Zhao Yun, let him go!" Zhang Ren shouted.  , brandishing a big gun, rushed forward. Zhao Yun swung his silver gun and blocked Zhang Ren's path. He stared at Zhang Ren and asked: "Are you Xichuan Zhang Ren?"

    "Of course!"

    When Zhang Ren saw that Lei Tong had been captured by the soldiers and could not be saved, he calmed down, looked at Zhao Yun, and asked inexplicably, "Are you a wooden gun?"

    This sentence can only be understood by the disciples of the Luofeng Sect. Yuzhenzi has a special characteristic in teaching disciples. He pays attention to the Five Elements according to each person's qualifications, which is divided into metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Each person practices the Luofeng Kung Fu specifically.  The methods are different.

    For example, Zhao Yun practiced chopping wood, so he called it a wooden gun, Liu Jing practiced in water, so he called it a water gun, and Zhang Ren practiced blacksmithing, so he called it a golden gun.

    In addition to paying attention to the five elements, there is also the dual cultivation of yin and yang. The Falling Phoenix Kung Fu is yin, the Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix Spear is yang, yin is internal cultivation, and yang is external cultivation. Only when yin and yang complement each other can martial arts be achieved.

    Zhao Yun laughed, "If senior brother can resist me for twenty rounds, I will let this person go." He turned around and pointed his gun at Thunder Copper.

    Zhang Ren's face felt hot. Zhao Yun actually called him senior brother, but the words 'twenty rounds' made him a little annoyed. He said coldly: "Then I will learn the lesson!"

    He shouted loudly, made a phoenix nod, and stabbed Zhao Yun straight in the chest. This was also the rule of the Luofeng sect. To compete with fellow sects, the first move must be the phoenix nod. Although Zhang Ren was angry that Zhao Yun looked down on him, he still admitted that they were  Fellow disciple.

    Zhao Yun also shook his gun, flashed out seven spearheads, and opened Zhang Ren's spear. This is called the Qifeng Crying, which is the respect of the younger generation for the older generation. Zhang Ren's face softened slightly, and he shouted loudly, and the two of them fought fiercely.

    In the team not far away, Liu Jing immediately stood under a big flag and silently watched the battle between Zhao Yun and Zhang Ren.

    In fact, it was his suggestion to let Zhao Yun challenge Zhang Ren. In southern Yizhou, because he successfully surrendered Yan Yan, he gained the support of the three counties of Badi and even Jiangyang County. If he could surrender Zhang Ren, then he would  Being able to get the support of the northern Shu family was of great significance to him stabilizing Bashu.

    It is precisely because of this consideration that Liu Jing tried to resolve Zhang Ren's hostility based on the friendship between the same sect, and it was more meaningful for Zhao Yun to take action than for himself.

    Just as he was thinking about it, the battle between Zhao Yun and Zhang Ren had gradually been divided into winners and losers. After the two fought for sixteen or seven rounds, Zhang Ren could no longer hold on. Zhang Ren actually knew in his heart that in the tenth round, Zhao Yun would be able to win.  He put himself under the horse, but he let himself go and gave himself enough face.

    In the 19th round, Zhao Yun backhanded a spear hammer and accurately hit the tip of Zhang Ren's spear. With a 'click' sound, the tip of Zhang Ren's spear suddenly broke. Zhang Ren's arms were sore and numb, and the barrel of the spear flew away from his hand.  He was so frightened that he turned his horse and ran away, but he was still a step too late. Zhao Yun stabbed him in the back with a spear. Just as he was about to hit him, Zhao Yun suddenly withdrew his spear and stopped chasing. He just stared at Zhang helplessly.Ren fled towards the city.

    The Yizhou army fled back to the city in embarrassment. The drawbridge was pulled up, the city gates were closed, and arrows were fired from the city to prevent Jingzhou from approaching. Zhao Yun raised his spear high, and the three thousand troops suddenly cheered, beat the victory drum, and slowly withdrew.  Arrive at the camp.

    Zhang Ren rushed into the city, shocked. He thought of what Zhao Yun said, that the battle would be over within twenty rounds. It was indeed the case. This showed that Zhao Yun's martial arts was far better than his own, which made Zhang Ren very frustrated.

    He also knew in his heart that if it were Ma Chao or Xu Chu, he would have no problem fighting for thirty or forty rounds, but he and Zhao Yun are from the same sect. They both know the basics, and subtle differences make it easier for the other party to seize loopholes. He couldn't help but sigh.  Take a breath.

    "General Zhang!"

    Zhang Ren suddenly heard Liu Xun's voice behind him. When he turned around, he saw Liu Xun standing behind him, looking at him with a half-smile. He quickly got off his horse, knelt down on one knee and said: "I'm humble and incompetent. I can't save him."  General Lei, please punish me!"

    Liu Xun snorted coldly and ordered around, "Tie him up!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 525 Fierce Battle in Chengdu (2)

    Guards on both sides swarmed forward, held down Zhang Ren and tied him up. Zhang Ren shouted: "I am not guilty!"

    Liu Xun said coldly: "Do you think I am blind? Zhao Yun made your gun fly. He could obviously kill you, why didn't he kill you?"

    He leaned closer to Zhang Ren again, gritted his teeth and whispered: "And the shooting skills of the two of you are so similar, how can you explain it to me?"

    Zhang Ren lowered his head and said after a while: "We were taught by the same master, so naturally our marksmanship is the same."

    "It turns out that you are brothers from the same sect. I understand. No wonder you refused to shoot Liu Jing's second arrow. So that's what happened."

    "That's not right!"

    Zhang Ren shouted loudly: "Although we are from the same sect, we have never met each other. We are separated by decades, and each has his own master. There is no personal relationship here. Master, please don't accuse me unjustly!"

    At this time, Wu Yi walked up to Liu Xun and whispered: "Now is the time to employ people. Master, please forgive him! General Zhang should be fine."

    Liu Xun looked at Zhang Ren coldly for a while, then waved his hand, "Let him go!"

    The soldiers untied him, and Zhang Ren clasped his fists in thanks, "Thank you, Master, for your forgiveness."

    "Although I let you go, I don't spare you. I make you a general of Ya, and your subordinates will be handed over to General Wu. You are not allowed to lead any soldiers!"

    After saying that, Liu Xun got on his horse, beat the horse and drove away. Zhang Ren watched him go away and couldn't help but sigh. Wu Yi stepped forward to comfort him and said: "Lei Tong was captured, and the young master is also in a difficult situation. Zhang Ren wants to be more open-minded."  Come on! I¡¯ll give you some advice when I get the chance.¡±

    Zhang Ren smiled bitterly, shook his head and said, "Thank you, General, for your comfort. It's just that he can't even tolerate his own brothers. Can he still tolerate me?"

    Zhang Ren stood up and left. Wu Yi was stunned. He always thought that Liu Wei died in the rebellion, but Zhang Ren had something in his words. Could it be that Liu Wei was killed by Liu Xun?  He became a little confused.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Xun returned to the government office worriedly. When he entered his official room, his staff Yin Kuai came up to him and said with a smile: "I have checked the accounts clearly. There are 540,000 shi of grain, 800 million shi of money, and 12,000 kilograms of gold in the treasury, which is enough."  Let¡¯s support it for more than a year.¡±

    "Thank you for your hard work, sir." Liu Xun agreed casually, returned to his seat and sat down. He stared blankly outside the hall, appearing absent-minded.

    "Sir, what happened?" Yin Miao asked cautiously.

    Liu Xun shook his head, "It's Zhang Ren, it's making me upset!"

    "Zhang Ren?" Yin Mo was a little surprised, "Isn't he always very loyal to the young master?"

    "I know people but not their hearts. I used to think he was loyal to me, but today I found out that he and Zhao Yun are brothers in the same sect."

    Liu Xun raised his head, looked at Yin Mo and said: "I heard that Liu Jing's martial arts are of the same lineage as Zhao Yun, so Zhang Ren should be from the same sect as Liu Jing, so he shot Liu Jing today, but refused to shoot the second arrow.  , How can you hide these details from me?"

    Yin Mo has been following Liu Xun for three years and knows him very well. Liu Xun is not as vicious and insidious as Liu Wei. He is talented and knowledgeable and has great ambitions. On the surface, he treats others very kindly, but Yin Mo knows that Liu  Xun is narrow-minded at heart, intolerant of others, and extremely vindictive, but he usually hides it very well, so even his father can't see it.

    Moreover, the cause of Liu Zhang's death was unknown. Liu Xun had always accused his brother Liu Wei of bribed the guards to do it, but Yin Mo had a feeling that Liu Zhang was most likely the hand of Liu Xun, because Liu Zhang gave the military power in Hanzhong to Liu Wei, which made Liu Xun's heart  Panic arose and he had the motive to kill his father.

    Of course, it is also possible that Jingzhou did it, but they checked for a long time and couldn't find the opportunity for Jingzhou to do it?  Liu Zhang's death remains a mystery to this day.

    Yin Mo persuaded him: "Zhang Ren learned martial arts from his master forty years ago, and Zhao Yun is not yet forty years old, let alone Liu Jing. Even if they are the same disciple, it doesn't mean much. Zhang Ren has no need to betray his master."  ¡±

    "What you said is wrong!"

    Liu Xun shook his head and said: "If Zhang Ren had no need to betray me, then why did Zhang Song betray my father and offer Yizhou to Liu Bei? In the final analysis, it was for the interests of the family. The interests of the Zhang family are the object of their allegiance, and Jue  It¡¯s not our father and son. Once Liu Jing promises to protect the interests of the Zhang family, Zhang Ren will definitely betray me. What¡¯s more, I am not a state pastor appointed by the imperial court, and no one is willing to call me a state pastor. "

    Yin Mao was speechless. He pondered for a moment and then said: "If you really can't hold Chengdu, surrender is actually an option. At least you can save your son and your family."

    Liu Xun turned around and glared at Yin Mo, "If you are greedy for life and afraid of death, I will let you out of the city now!"

    Yin Mao was so frightened that he knelt down and said, "I don't mean this. Young Master has misunderstood."

    "snort!  "

    Liu Xun snorted heavily, "Go ahead! I don't want to see anyone now, just let me be quiet for a while."

    Yin Mao stood up and bowed, slowly retreated, and walked out of the door. He breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head. At this time, there was a sound of 'Bang!  ¡¯ There was a crisp sound, and Liu Xun¡¯s hoarse voice was heard yelling in the room: ¡°They are all a group of people who are greedy for life and afraid of death, and are disloyal and unjust bastards!¡±

    Yin Mao frowned, and his heart suddenly tightened

    In the Jingzhou camp, a group of soldiers pushed Lei Tong into the Chinese army's tent. Lei Tong glared at Liu Jing angrily, raised his head, and looked toward the top of the tent, paying no attention to anyone.

    Liu Jing looked at him and waved her hand, "Untie him!"

    The soldiers untied Lei Tong. He gently rubbed his numb arms and said angrily: "You don't have to be so pretentious. I will not surrender. I will kill you or cut into pieces as you please. I, Lei Tong, will never frown."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "I won't kill you, and I won't force you to surrender. If you don't want to stay, then go!"

    Lei Tong was stunned and turned to look at Liu Jing, "What did you say?"

    "I said, if you are unwilling to surrender, then leave! I will let you go."

    Lei Tong was speechless for a long time, "Youreally let me go?"

    Liu Jing waved his hand, "Give him his war horse and weapons, and let him out of the camp!"

    The soldiers stepped forward and called Lei Tong out. Lei Tong lowered his head and said nothing. He sighed one last time, turned around and left the tent. Watching him walk away, Sima Yi smiled and said: "He has been shaken in the end, why doesn't Zhou Mu  Try to persuade him again?"

    Liu Jing shook his head, "This man was first loyal to Liu Wei, and then surrendered to Liu Xun. He refused to surrender to me because of his face, so I let him go. Next time he will surrender wholeheartedly, so we don't have to worry."

    Sima Yi gave a thumbs up and smiled: "Zhou Mu really has an insight into people's hearts!"

    Liu Jing narrowed his eyes. If he didn't have insight into people's hearts, could he be the state pastor?  He glanced at Sima Yi again, couldn't help but smile and said, "You don't have to flatter me, it's so disgusting."

    "Wei Chen sincerely admires you, not flattery!"

    Liu Jing waved her hand and said with a smile: "Let's talk about strategies to break the city! I want to hear your plan. How are you preparing?"

    Sima Yi nodded, waved his hand and ordered the soldiers: "Bring it up!"

    Soon, several soldiers carried in a wooden city, which was a miniature model of Chengdu City. It was eight feet long and three feet high. It had city walls, gates, suspension bridges, urns, and moats, and even the Jinhe River.  Sima Yi personally drew the drawings and ordered carpenters in the army to start making it a few days ago. It was finally made after an on-site inspection of the city this morning.

    Liu Jing was very interested. He stepped forward and took a closer look at the wooden city. It was exactly the same as the city he saw today. He smiled and said, "It's really difficult for the military advisor. With this wooden city, why worry about the real city not being destroyed?"

    At this time, Xu Jing also walked in. He bowed to Liu Jing and stood aside to look at the wooden city curiously. This was also the first time he heard that wooden cities were used to study strategies for destroying cities, which made him admire him.

    Sima Yi stepped forward, picked up the wooden pole and pointed at the city wall and said: "The height of the city wall is the same as that of Luoyang City, three feet and four feet high. Our highest siege ladder is only three feet and cannot be used. Although the ladder can build the city, it is only  Twenty, the number is still insufficient, so it is not wise to attack the city wall. "

    Sima Yi pointed the wooden pole at the water gate again and said: "The second is water gate. Because we have a large number of warships, attacking water gate is a shortcut, but I don't know how strong the iron fence of water gate is."

    Sima Yi turned around and looked at Xu Jing. Xu Jing bowed slightly and said, "Shuimen is exactly the same as Luoyang. There are two iron gates on the inside and outside, about the thickness of two fingers."

    "That's exactly the same as Chaisang Minato."

    Liu Jing said with a smile: "Ling Cao attacked Chaisang City through the water gate. I still remember it fresh."

    Sima Yi hurriedly said: "Wei Chen's idea is to break through from Shuicheng. From Shuicheng gate, you can reach the city directly. However, what Zhou Mu said should be siege ships. We don't have them yet and it will take time to build them."

    "How long does it take to make it?" Liu Jing asked.

    "It will take three days at the fastest."

    Liu Jing made a decision immediately, "Okay, I'll wait for three more days!"

    Although Liu Jing finally decided to attack the city six days later, he still needed to put pressure on Chengdu before that.

    At night, hundreds of ox carts parked beside the Jin River in the east of the city. More than a thousand soldiers unloaded barrels of kerosene from the carts. This place is about 300 steps away from the water gate. The Jin River flows into the city from here and meanders through the city.  After twisting and turning, it flows out from Beishuimen, flows all the way to the northwest, and finally flows into the Minjiang River.

      The soldiers poured barrels of kerosene into the river. Soon, a thick layer of kerosene was spread on the river and drifted into the city. A soldier lit the kerosene on the river with a torch, 'Boom!  ¡¯ The surface of the river began to burn, spreading rapidly forward, rushing through the water gate, and burning into the city. After a while, the entire eastern section of the Jin River turned into a fire dragon.

    The Jingzhou Army poured five thousand barrels of kerosene into the river. Thick smoke billowed from the river, flames burned, and the entire city was shrouded in thick smoke.

    Up and down the city, the soldiers were terrified and ran to tell each other that this was the first time they had seen the water burning. This panic quickly spread throughout the city.

    People from every household rushed out of their homes and stood by the Jin River from a distance, looking at the blazing fire on the river. People talked in horror. Many wizards even thought that this was the Jingzhou army performing witchcraft.

    People in the city began to panic, and many civilians who were recruited to defend the city slipped back home, refusing to work for Liu Xun anymore. Morale was low, people were panicked, and even some famous families began to waver.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 526 Fierce Battle in Chengdu (3)

    Just as people all over the city rushed to the Jin River to look at the spectacle of "water and fire mingling" in horror, Yizhou Zhizhong Feiguan was also sitting in a carriage, watching the spectacular scene of the fire burning the river from a distance.

    He was not as frightened as ordinary people. He knew that the Jingzhou Army had kerosene in their hands that could burn on the water, but seeing it with his own eyes today still made him feel extremely shocked.

    He looked up at the sky. The originally clear night with bright moon and sparse stars was no longer visible. The billowing black smoke obscured everything, and the air was filled with a suffocating pungent smell. He sighed softly and ordered to the coachman: "  Go home!¡±

    The carriage started and drove towards Fei Mansion in Nancheng. There are three spectacular mansions in Chengdu. One is the Zhou Mu Mansion located in the middle of the city, covering an area of ??500 acres, just like a royal palace.

    The other one is the Zhang Mansion in the north of the city. It used to be Zhang Song's mansion, covering an area of ??120 acres. After Zhang Song was killed, the mansion was not confiscated and the Zhang family members still live there. Zhang Ren's mansion is right next to it.  together.

    Then there is the Fei Mansion in the south of the city, which covers an area of ??100 acres. It is the residence of the Fei family. It is home to more than a hundred members of the Fei family, such as Fei Guan, Fei Shi, Fei Yi, etc., all of whom are famous figures in Bashu, so  There is also a saying in Chengdu that "Feinan, Zhangbei and Liuhou" are said.

    Fei Guan's carriage slowly stopped in front of the steps, and his nephew Fei Yi hurriedly greeted him. Fei Yi was in his early twenties, and together with Dong He's son Dong Yun, he was known as the two heroes of Bashu. He was tall, fair-skinned, and gentle in temperament.  He is the best reserve member of the Fei family and has high hopes for him.

    "Second uncle!" Fei Yi stepped forward and saluted.

    "What's the matter?" Fei Guanwen asked. He knew that his nephew cherished time like gold and would not stand at the door of the house without anything happening.

    Fei Yi took a step forward and whispered a few words in his uncle's ear. Fei Guan was startled, why is he here?  Fei Dian nodded, "I understand, go and do your work!"

    Fei Yi hesitated and said, "I want to study ink for my second uncle."

    Fei Guan immediately understood what his nephew meant. He also wanted to participate in the meeting, so he could study all day and become a nerd. Dong Yun was only two years older than him. He served as Liu Jing's reporter and joined the army. Recently he was promoted to  He was the magistrate of Xiangyang County.

    People like Liu Min, Pang Shanmin, Zhou Buyi, Jiang Wan, etc. are all extremely young talents. Even Liu Jing, the shepherd of Jingzhou, is only more than 20 years old, and he has become famous all over the world and has become a party that can compete with Cao Cao.  princes.

    In the time of chaos in Yizhou, it¡¯s time for my nephew to take action. Fei Guandian nodded, let¡¯s go together!

    In the distinguished guest hall of Fei Mansion, Fa Zheng was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. Since Liu Zhang's death, he had been ignored by Liu Xun and sent to Wenchang Pavilion to take charge of the books. This was not because of his status as a scholar in Dongzhou. Liu Xun  Because his father-in-law Pang Xi was the leader of Dongzhou scholars, Xun was relatively tolerant of Dongzhou scholars.

    "It's because Fazheng was close to Zhang Song in the past, and it can be said that he was Zhang Song's confidant. Liu Zhang didn't care much about this relationship, but Liu Xun was extremely taboo about it.

    Now that the Jingzhou Army has fully attacked Bashu and is approaching the city, Fa Zheng is a little anxious. He wants to do something for Liu Jing that will benefit his future status. After much deliberation, he decided to start with the Bashu family.

    There are two major aristocratic families in Chengdu, the Fei family and the Zhang family, both of which have a decisive influence on the political situation. Zhang Ren is currently in charge of the Zhang family. Fazheng is not sure, so he turns to the Fei family. The reason is simple, because the Fei family  He is also a native of Anlu County, Jingzhou, and has a deep connection with Dongzhou scholars.

    At this time, Fei Guan¡¯s laughing voice came from outside the hall, ¡°Keep Xiaozhi waiting for a long time!¡±

    Fazheng turned around and saw Fei Guan walking into the hall quickly, followed by his nephew Fei Yi. It was Fei Yi who had received him just now. He chatted for a while and felt that Fei Yi was quite discerning. Although he was a scholar, he was impressive.  .

    Fazheng quickly bowed and saluted, "I'm sorry to disturb you!"

    In the officialdom of Yizhou, although Wu Yi was the head of the military generals, he also performed the duties of military advisor. After Zhang Song's death, Wu Yi became the number one figure in Yizhou and the head of the civil and military officials.

    Originally, Huang Quan, the newly appointed Biejia, was the second-ranked civil official. Since Huang Quan supported Liu Wei and was defeated and disappeared, Fei Guan, now in charge of Zhongzhong, became the second-ranked civil official, one higher than Dong He, the prefect of Shu County, so Fazheng  It is reasonable to be extremely respectful to him.

    Fei Guan smiled slightly, waved his hand and said, "Xiaozhi, please sit down!"

    The two sat down separately. Fei Guan winked at Fei Yi and asked him to sit down too. Fei Yi sat with him at the last seat. Fei Guan did not talk about official matters for now, but Fazheng said with a smile: "I have heard for a long time that filial piety and uprightness are good things."  I have a talent for knowing people, but I don¡¯t know how to know them?¡±

    Fazheng lightly stroked his short beard and said with a smile: "To know a person is like a doctor, first look at the Qi meter, that is to say, the Qi is upright and the instrument is clear, the temperament must be upright, the person must be upright, be upright and upright in life, the appearance must be clear, and look at the vulgarity when seeing it.  It does not refer to natural skin, but to the tolerance of reading and cultivation.

    The gas gauge is good, please wait.A person's future can be seen through his or her speech, whether he or she has a beautiful mind, whether he or she is far-sighted, whether his thinking is clear, or whether he has a thorough vision.  "

    "well said!"

    Fei Guan praised, he pointed at Fei Yi again, "Xiaozhi, please take a look at my nephew."

    Fazheng smiled slightly, "I just talked to my nephew for a few words. From the four words he said, 'New Han Dynasty will rise', I knew that your nephew is very important. His future achievements will be higher than those of you and me. I might as well be bold."  It is predicted that your nephew will be a prime minister."

    Fei Yi quickly stood up and thanked him: "I dare not take this high praise seriously!"

    Fei Guan is also a person with extremely sensitive thinking. When he heard the four words "New Han Dynasty will rise" from Fazheng's mouth, his heart skipped a beat and he thought to himself: "What does this person mean by this?"  ¡¯

    He asked quietly: "Xiao Zhi went to Jingzhou three times as an envoy, what do you think of Liu Jing?"

    In fact, Fazheng was only sent to Jingzhou once as an envoy. The other two times were not to Jingzhou. One was to Cao Cao and the other was to Liu Bei. However, Fazheng took a detour to Liu Jing. This incident almost became a problem in Yizhou officialdom.  There is no evidence that Fa Zheng had an affair with Liu Jing.

    Now that things have happened, Fei Guan no longer minces words and speaks frankly. Fazheng's face heats up and he quickly says: "The Liu Jing in Fazheng's eyes may not be the Liu Jing in Fei Gong's eyes. It can only be said by one family.  I dare not mislead Mr. Fei.¡±

    "But it doesn't matter!"

    Fa Zheng gathered his thoughts. When he saw Fei Yi's eyes full of enthusiasm, he nodded to him and sighed slightly: "The Han Dynasty is declining, traitors are in power, the emperor is weak, Dong Zhuo, Li Cui, Cao Cao and other traitors are running rampant. It is a pity that Liu Biao in Jingzhou  He has no ambition, Liu Zhang is a mediocre person, Liu Bei is weak and weak, and they are not qualified to carry the banner of reviving the Han Dynasty. Looking around the world, no one with the surname Liu is outstanding. I think the Han Dynasty will perish.

    But since the rise of Liu Jing in Jiangxia in the ninth year of Jian'an, and the Battle of Chibi in the thirteenth year, which shocked the world, we and other loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty have seen the dawn of ZTE again. The revival of the Han Dynasty is hopeful, which is extremely sad. I dare to say that those who will revive the Han Dynasty will definitely  Liu Jing, the Marquis of Chu!  "

    Fazheng was very good at talking. He first placed Liu Jing on the righteousness of the Han Dynasty. He did not say that Liu Jing would seize Yizhou, nor did he say what would happen to Yizhou in the future?  Instead, he set his sights on the world, which was very motivating and implicitly hinted to Fei Guan that if he surrendered to Liu Jing, the Fei family's gains would no longer be in Yizhou, but in the world. This is what he said before.  Yi is the foreshadowing of the prime minister's talents.

    Although Fazheng was a talking technique, what he said was true and not exaggerated. Many famous people in the world who were loyal to the Han Dynasty placed their hopes on Liu Jing. Fei Guan also knew that he was just worried about the interests of the family, so he  He bowed his head and said nothing.

    "Does Mr. Fei think I am exaggerating?" Fazheng looked at Fei Guan with bright eyes.

    Fei Guan shook his head and sighed: "To be honest, I am worried about Liu Jing's family policy. The four major aristocratic families in Jingzhou, Cai, Kuai, Huang, and Pang, have already declined in just a few years.  "If he takes over Yizhou, what will happen to our Fei family?"

    Fazheng laughed and said, "Last year I was on a mission to Jingzhou and talked about this matter with Liu Jing privately. I was quite enlightened by what Liu Jing said."

    "What did he say?" Fei Guan sat up straight and asked with concern.

    How could he not care about the future of his family? He was very nervous and hoped to get answers from Fa Zheng.

    Fa Zheng smiled and said: "Liu Jing told me that the beginning of the reduction of vassalage in Jingzhou did not start with him, but in the era of his uncle Liu Biao. The Jingzhou army relied on aristocratic families for money and food supply, and the government's annual tax revenue was less than 30% of the aristocratic family's income.  , the peasants were almost wiped out. Liu Biao tried every means to cut down the vassal, demoted Zhang Yun, and attacked the Cai family. He did not dare to touch the foundation of the family, and it was in chaos in the last few years.

    In fact, the decline of the Jingzhou family was caused by the invasion of foreign enemies. Jiangdong invaded Jiangxia and slaughtered the Huangzu family. Cao's army went south to Jingzhou, and the lands of Cai, Kuai, and Pang were wiped out. This was the root cause of the decline of the Jingzhou family.  "

    Fei Guandian nodded and asked his nephew Fei Yi: "You and Dong Yun have exchanged letters. Have you mentioned this matter?"

    Fei Yi quickly bowed and said: "What Mr. Fa said is true, but Mr. Fa still didn't say all he meant. It seems that he only said half of it."

    Fazheng laughed and said, "My nephew is indeed smart and quick, and he knows my heart!"

    Fei Guan leaned forward and said, "Please Xiaozhi, please continue."

    Fazheng stroked his beard and smiled and continued: "Liu Jing's attitude towards the aristocratic family is very clear. He does not allow the aristocratic family to become powerful, but at the same time, he must rely on the aristocratic family's support. The key lies in one degree. He visited the Cai family three times, and the Cai family handed over half of the land.  , so Cai Yan became the governor of Xiangyang.

    The same goes for the Kuai family. Their property and houses were not moved at all, half of the land was handed over, and Kuai Qi was appointed as the prefect of Anlu. As for the Pang family, they did not have much land.?There is no loss.

    It can be seen from this that Liu Jing¡¯s attitude towards the aristocratic family is to protect property and restrict land. The Fei family is not like Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, He Jin, and Jiuchang Shi, who are shaking the foundation of the country, so why worry?  "

    Fei Guan nodded silently. He was finally moved by Fazheng¡¯s words.

    Fazheng left, and Fei Guan returned to his study. His nephew Fei Yi also walked in. Fei glanced at him and said, "I can see that you are very eager. Do you want to encourage me to surrender to Liu Jing?"

    Fei Yi was so frightened that he knelt down and said, "My nephew doesn't dare. It's just that I think Fazheng is right."

    "What's wrong with him? Get up and say something back!"

    "yes!"

    Fei Yi stood up and said: "My nephew is thinking that since Liu Jing aspires to the world, he certainly hopes to get the support of the gentry, and most of the gentry are from aristocratic families. At least before he wins the world, he will never damage his foundation, and the Bashu farmers are self-cultivated  There are many more than Jingzhou. There is no situation where the four major families control Jingzhou, so Liu Jing will not infringe on the interests of the Fei family."

    Fei Dian nodded. Liu Jing took away Liu Zhang's foundation and also got Liu Zhang's land and property. In comparison, the Fei family and the Zhang family were really insignificant.

    Fei Guan took a few steps with his hands behind his back. Liu Jing's setting fire to the river was a warning. He wanted to take over Chengdu peacefully, and why didn't he hope so?

    Fei Guan knew he had to make a choice.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 527 Fierce Battle in Chengdu (4)

    Three days passed quickly. During these three days, Liu Jing did not launch an attack on Chengdu. Instead, he sent Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Yan Yan, Liu Hu and other generals to take turns to challenge the city. Liu Xun did not dare to challenge. This is  This was a sign of weakness, and the morale of the Yizhou Army gradually declined.

    At noon that day, Liu Jing led dozens of generals to the mouth of the Jin River where it flows into the Min River. There were more than a dozen Qianshilou boats moored here, all equipped with impellers and capable of moving forward by manual pedaling. Hundreds of craftsmen were working on  He was busy refitting warships and converting these ordinary warships into siege ships.

    The so-called siege ship is specifically designed for cities with water gates. The ship is elevated and equipped with ladders, arrow towers, trebuchets, stone cannons, etc. The city can be climbed directly from the ship without ladders.

    In the first Battle of Chaisang that year, Ling Cao used a siege ship to successfully rush to the top of Chaisang City. That battle left a deep impression on Liu Jing.

    Sima Yi took Liu Jing and the generals onto a modified siege ship. A young craftsman leader came up to him and bowed to salute, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing knew this person. He was Ma Jun's third apprentice, named Liang Zhi. Ma Jun accepted ten apprentices in total, and all of them became master craftsmen. Five of them stayed in the craftsman school to continue teaching new people, and the other five became masters of craftsmanship.  A leader in various industries, Liang Zhi was good at shipbuilding and became the chief craftsman of Jingzhou Navy, and was appointed as the Marquis of the Troops and Troops.

    Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "We are here to see Master Liang's craftsmanship."

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to take this humble position, please ask the state pastor to visit!¡±

    Liang Zhi took Liu Jing to the bow of the ship. The front of the bow was equipped with a pig iron ram, which could hit the city wall without damaging the ship. A platform for waiting for the city was built close to the bow, about seven feet high and one foot long and wide.  Soldiers stood on this platform preparing to ascend the city.

    There is a ladder erected directly in front. The ladder is very wide and looks like a city suspension bridge. Six people can walk parallel to it. When it is erected, it can be used as a shield. There is an iron hook in front. When it is lowered, it can be tightly hooked to the city wall. It is a siege weapon.  Sharp weapon.

    Liang Zhi waved his hand, and the two soldiers shook the hinge. The ladder was slowly lowered and then raised again. It was very convenient. Liu Jing nodded and walked to a trebuchet. This trebuchet was similar to ordinary trebuchets.  The machine is quite different. It is low and stout, with a short throwing rod. It can be operated by only two people. There are four seats installed side by side on the boat.

    Liang Zhi introduced at the side: "This trebuchet has a range of only twenty steps, but it can throw a hundred kilograms of weight. It is specially used for siege ships."

    "What about the archery tower?" Liu Jing asked again.

    Liang Zhi turned around and pointed at the two-story ship building behind him and said with a smile: "That's it. The building ship is converted into a siege ship, and the ship building is directly converted into an archery tower to cover the soldiers ascending the city. There are fifty people at the top and bottom, and a hundred people can be ambushed.  "The famous crossbowman."

    Seeing these extremely practical and sharp siege weapons, Liu Jing's heart warmed up. She turned around and smiled at the generals: "When do you think we can attack the city?"

    Everyone looked at each other, with eagerness in everyone's eyes. Huang Zhong cupped his hands and said with a smile: "If you can, you might as well give it a try tonight. Today is cloudy, which is perfect for attacking the city."

    Liu Jing also laughed, "It's just what I want, then let's do it tonight!"

    In the big tent, Liu Jing was standing in front of the city model, thinking about an attack strategy. A soldier reported: "Report to Zhou Mu, Sima Military Advisor to see you!"

    "Come in!"

    Sima Yi walked in quickly, bowed his hands and said, "I've seen Zhou Mu."

    Seeing that Sima Yi seemed to have something to say, Liu Jing smiled and asked, "What can I do for you, military advisor?"

    Sima Yi asked tentatively: "Is Zhou Mu really determined to attack the city?"

    Liu Jing was startled, frowned slightly and said, "What does the military advisor mean by this?"

    Sima Yi sighed, "What I mean is, try to get Chengdu to surrender as much as possible. This will be conducive to the long-term peace and stability of Yizhou. After all, surrender is the result of internal negotiations and compromises in Yizhou, and conquering the city will do great harm to the people of Yizhou. Even if  Surrender is also a last resort, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t accept it.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded silently. He had also considered this, but he did not want to delay it any longer. He also said helplessly: "To be honest, I am very worried about Cao Cao. He will definitely not watch me attack Bashu. He will definitely  I am worried that something will happen to Jingzhou, and I am also worried that Cao Cao will send troops to Guanzhong and Hanzhong. If this battle lasts for a long time and Cao Cao captures Hanzhong first, then we will lose more than we gain. "

    Sima Yi thought for a while and said, "I have a plan that may be effective."

    "Military advisor, please speak!"

    "This plan is called attacking without capturing, attacking without destroying." Sima Yi said slowly.

    Liu Jing understood what Sima Yi meant. He thought for a moment and nodded in agreement, "You can do it according to the military advisor's plan!"

    At this time, there were soldiers stopping outside.He shouted, "General Tiger, let us report to the state pastor first."

    "You are too lazy, I will report it myself!"

    Liu Hu pushed away the soldiers and strode to the front of the tent, shouting loudly with the sound of an urn: "Report to the Zhou Mu, Liu Hu has an urgent military report."

    Liu Jing and Sima Yi looked at each other. Sima Yi smiled bitterly and shook his head. He knew it well, but Liu Jing found it strange. If this guy is not a scout, but not a sentry, what emergency military situation does he have?

    Liu Jing then smiled and said: "Come in!"

    Liu Hu strode into the camp, knelt down on one knee, and held two thin pages of paper high above his head, "Please ask the state pastor to read it!"

    Liu Jing took the two pages of paper and saw that they were densely covered with fingerprints. She couldn't help but be stunned and asked in confusion: "What is this?"

    "This is the unanimous wish of our heavy armored infantry officers and above. We sincerely ask the state pastor to allow us to attack the city tonight!"

    Liu Hu heard that the Eagle Attack Army might attack the city. He immediately became anxious. He knew that he was not convinced by Liu Jing, so he asked his officers to agree collectively.

    Liu Jing glanced at him strangely, "Tell me honestly, who taught you this?"

    Liu Hu looked at Sima Yi timidly, and Sima Yi smiled bitterly and said: "Zhou Mu, this is the method I taught him. I am really troubled by this guy and can't do anything."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, gloomy dark clouds shrouded the earth. There were no moonlight or stars. In the dark night, more than a dozen large ships of thousands of stones gradually moved closer to the north city of Chengdu along the Jin River. These dozens of large ships were equipped with manned impellers and were pedaled by human power.  Going against the current is not very fast.

    There is a windproof lantern hung on the mast of each large ship, and the orange-red light is filled with a mysterious and weird atmosphere.

    On the shore, ten thousand Jingzhou troops followed the warships towards the city with murderous intent. There was no noise, only the rustling of footsteps and the occasional clash of weapons. They were still three miles away from the city. Huang Zhong looked at the city in front and turned back.  He ordered in a low voice: "Speed ??up!"

    The order was conveyed quickly, and the team accelerated their march.

    It was very quiet at the top of the city. Teams of soldiers were patrolling the top of the city vigilantly. Wu Yi was solely responsible for the defense of the entire city. He also knew that the danger was coming gradually, so he did not dare to be careless. Every night, he would arrange five  Thousands of troops patrolled the city to prevent the Jingzhou army from sneak attacks at night.

    Especially tonight, the night is dark, which is the best time for a sneak attack. Wu Yi personally went to the city to be on duty. At this time, a soldier hurriedly ran over to report: "General, brothers found some strange red dots outside the city.  move."

    Wu Yi was startled, and he vaguely sensed something. He leaned out and looked outside the battlements. It was pitch black outside the city, and he could no longer see anything dozens of steps away. However, his many years of war experience gave him an unusual acuity.  He tried his best to let his eyes adapt to the darkness, and gradually he was able to see further.

    Wu Yi finally saw that there were indeed tiny red dots moving in the distance. There were about a dozen red dots, forming a long row, slowly coming towards the city. After thinking about it for a moment, he suddenly came to his senses.  That's the Jin River over there. What else could the red dots moving above the river contain besides warships?

    This must be the warships of the Jingzhou Army coming to attack the city. Wu Yi made a decisive decision and shouted loudly: "Sound the alarm!"

    'when!  when!  when!  'The alarm bell at the top of the city rang, and the patrolling soldiers rushed to the top of the north city. Countless torches illuminated the top of the city like daylight. The firelight spread far away, making the outline of the warship in the distance gradually appear. The soldiers on the top of the city were huge.  Yelled.

    Wu Yi ordered: "Don't panic, prepare your bows and arrows!"

    A thousand archers unfurled their bows and nocked arrows, raised their bows and arrows at an angle, and aimed them at the approaching warships. The bells still echoed at the top of the city. The sleeping soldiers in the military camps in the city also got up and lined up to march towards the city.  People rushed to the city, and even Liu Xun hurried over after hearing the news.

    At this time, the Jingzhou military fleet gradually stopped a hundred steps away, as if waiting for something. With a burst of fierce war drums, the warships started again. Several warships sailed towards Shuimen, among which the leading warship was very fast.  Quickly, the following ships followed slowly to prevent collision.

    The big ship was getting closer and closer, less than a hundred steps away. The bow of the ship was wrapped with pig iron and shone in the light of the fire. A wooden plank like a suspension bridge was erected high on the ship. No soldiers could be seen. Wu Yi shouted  :"shoot!"

    A thousand archers shot long arrows at the same time, and a thousand arrows rose into the sky, drawing countless arcs, and shot towards the warships on the Jin River. Only the sound of crackling was heard, but no screams were heard.

    At the same time, hundreds of crossbowmen hiding in the two-story archery tower also fired. The dense crossbow bolts were fired at the group of archers at the top of the city. The crossbow bolts roared and dozens of archers fell down screaming. The top of the city was slightly  There was a moment of confusion, and the archers squatted down one after another.

      Wu Yi was furious. How many crossbowmen could there be on a ship? They were so frightened. He rushed up and yelled: "Stand up, don't squat down!"

    The archers stood up one after another, and Wu Yi quickly mobilized a group of shield soldiers to hold their shields high to protect the city. At this time, the second round of crossbow bolts from the ship came, and most of the crossbow bolts were blocked by the shields. Although there were still more than a dozen  An archer was hit by an arrow, but he was much better than before.

    Arrows intertwined in the night sky, but the warship was getting closer and closer. Gradually, many details on the ship were revealed. Wu Yi's heart was pounding with shock. This was actually a siege ship. The Jingzhou army wanted to use Shuimen's  The weak point is under attack.

    At this time, Liu Xun, protected by hundreds of guards, also ran over. He asked urgently: "General Wu, what happened?"

    Wu Yi sighed, "The Jingzhou Army is going to attack the city tonight!"

    Liu Xun was stunned for a moment. Although he also knew that the Jingzhou Army would attack the city sooner or later, he did not expect that it would happen at night. Everything happened so suddenly. He was nervous and stammered: "Can we defend it?"  Live?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 528 Fierce Battle in Chengdu (5)

    Wu Yi smiled bitterly in his heart. They had no training in attacking the city at night. He didn't know whether they could defend it. However, he did not show it and said to Liu Xundao: "We have 30,000 elite soldiers and sufficient food and supplies. We should be able to defend it. It's just that  Swords and arrows have no eyes, Young Master, it is too dangerous in the outer city, please go to the inner city to supervise the battle!"

    Chengdu, like other big cities, is also divided into an inner city and an outer city, but after all, Chengdu has not experienced war for a hundred years, and the defenders do not have the experience of the Jingzhou Army in resisting the enemy.

    In fact, it was only after the first loss of Chaisang that Liu Jing realized the serious consequences of connecting the inner and outer cities and rebuilt it. There had never been a war in Chengdu, so naturally he did not realize the need to separate the inner and outer cities.  .

    Seeing that the battle was approaching, Liu Xun did not dare to stay in the outer city, so he bowed and saluted, "Thank you, General Wu!"

    "Young master, go ahead! I will do my best."

    Wu Yi looked at Liu Xun's back and hurried away. He couldn't help but sigh softly. Their biggest problem now was not the lack of troops and food, but the lack of support from the people. They wanted to recruit people, but they only recruited thousands of people in ten days.  The people of Chengdu were not willing to sacrifice their lives for Liu Xun at all. In the final analysis, it was because Liu Xun had an unfair reputation and the people did not recognize him as the lord of Yizhou.

    Since the death of Liu Zhang, people in Yizhou have been in chaos. All counties and counties are waiting to see how the situation will develop. Even the 30,000 troops in the city are not working for Liu Xun, but because the prestige of Wu Yi, Zhang Ren and others is still there.  , once the situation becomes clear, the army may fall apart.

    Just as I was thinking about it, suddenly ¡®Boom!  With a loud noise, Wu Yi felt his feet shake violently and almost fell down. He held on to the battlement and looked back. He saw many soldiers above the water gate falling to the ground. A Jingzhou army warship collided with it.  When we got to the water gate, there was a crack in the city wall.

    Wu Yi immediately realized that the Jingzhou army was going to board the city with the help of warships. He shouted sharply: "Shoot arrows for me to stop them from climbing the city!"

    The crossbowmen at the top of the city fired arrows at the big ship, but there was no target. There were no soldiers on the ship. Only from the shooting holes in the archery tower, countless arrows shot towards the top of the city. Soldiers were shot down constantly at the top of the city, and screams came one after another.  .

    At this moment, the ladder originally erected on the bow of the ship began to be lowered slowly, and was suddenly placed on top of the city. According to the original battle plan, the next step was to throw a large amount of kerosene onto the city to form a fire zone.  Then the Eagle Attack Army descended on the city.

    But today, the plan was temporarily modified. The Eagle Attack Army was changed to heavy armored infantry to climb the city. This would eliminate the need to throw kerosene, which would instead cause a huge obstacle for the heavy armored infantry to climb the city.

    As the ladder to the city was slowly lowered, ten heavy armored infantry figures were revealed on the wooden platform behind the ladder. They were the first wave of impact, and the tallest one at the head was Liu Hu.

    When the ladder to the city had just reached the top of the city, Liu Hu roared, brandished his sword and rushed to the top of the city. The long sword slashed out violently, and the heads of the two guards were thrown away. The sword whirled back and struck another soldier.  He was split into two pieces, and the remaining nine soldiers followed him to the top of the city.

    The ten heavy armored infantrymen were all carefully selected and elite. They were all over eight feet two tall, with broad arms and round waists, and were extremely powerful. In an instant, they opened up a three-foot square space at the top of the city.

    At this time, more than a dozen large ships have been connected one after another, and two thousand heavy armored infantry are running in formation, with the cold light of their sabers flashing in their hands. The soldiers are full of murderous intent, rushing onto the platform and rushing towards the city head along the stairs.  go.

    Wu Yi's eyes turned red, and he shouted in a hissing voice: "Fire the arrow! Fire the arrow!"

    An overwhelming barrage of arrows was fired at the heavy armored infantry, but the defenders saw a terrifying scene. The arrows hit the enemy, but had no effect at all. They bounced away one after another. They seemed to be invulnerable.

    At this time, hundreds of heavy armored infantrymen rushed to the top of the city. The city they occupied became wider and wider. They lined up to fight, three in a row, and formed two teams. They strangled left and right on the top of the city, and they were sharp wherever they went.  Unstoppable, the ground was filled with broken corpses, flesh and blood flying everywhere, heads and limbs piled all over the city.

    In fact, heavy armored infantry is mainly used to deal with cavalry. They are very risky to fight alone. For example, their biggest weakness is the inconvenience of walking. Once they fall, it is difficult to stand up. The enemy can cover the ground with traps and obstacles. Secondly, their  Heavy armor is not invulnerable, and the powerful iron arrows of the ten-stone yellow crossbow can shoot through them.

    However, the reason why the heavy armored infantry often succeeded was because they were unexpected. The other party did not know that such an army existed and was not prepared in advance. At least the Yizhou Army was not prepared. It would be different if it was Cao Jun or Jiangdong Army. Cao Jun and Jiangdong Army  Jiangdong's army had suffered heavy losses at their hands before, and they were all prepared to deal with it in advance.

    The Yizhou Army was unprepared. They watched their teammates being slaughtered like melons and vegetables. They died miserably. Half of their heads were cut off, their arms and thighs were cut into pieces, and their bodies were chopped into two pieces.Groups of internal organs flowed out from the severed bodies, and the smell of blood in the air was nauseating. The soldiers were frightened out of their wits, their fighting spirit was gone, and they turned around and ran for their lives.

    Wu Yi was so anxious that he shouted and refused to allow the soldiers to escape. He killed more than a dozen deserters in a row, but he could not stop the soldiers from fleeing.

    At this time, he suddenly discovered that tens of thousands of Jingzhou soldiers were boarding ships on the shore, and using the open passage to the city, they were fighting their way to the top of the city. The Jingzhou army on the top of the city had exceeded the number of Yizhou troops. Wu Yi felt in his heart  Somewhat desperate.

    "General, retreat to the inner city quickly, or it will be too late!"

    Wu Yi's soldiers shouted loudly. Regardless of whether Wu Yi wanted to or not, they lifted him up and ran towards the inner city. The Yizhou army was completely defeated in the outer city. The outer city gate had been opened, the suspension bridge was slowly lowered, and they were ambushing him in the outer city.  Tens of thousands of troops outside the city rushed into the outer city.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The inner city and the outer city were about two hundred steps apart. There was no moat or drawbridge. The army rushed directly to the city gate. Hundreds of soldiers held huge battering rams and violently hit the inner city gate, 'Boom -  ¡ª'A dull and huge sound spread throughout the city, the city walls were shaking, and the soldiers were unsteady on their feet.

    Liu Xun, who was at the head of the inner city, was trembling with fear. As he watched the dark enemy troops charging into the inner city, he felt his feet shaking violently, and the city gate made a stabbing sound as it was about to be knocked open. Liu Xun's legs were so frightened that they became weak.  He supported the guards and fled into the city. Seeing that the situation was not good, the guards followed him down the city and fled in panic towards the governor's mansion.

    Zhang Ren and Wu Yi each led a thousand men, fighting desperately on the east and west sides of the city to resist the heavy armored infantry attacking the inner city. There was no partition in the middle, and they could only rely on their flesh and blood to resist the enemy.

    At this time, the inner city defenders also knew that the gate of the inner city was about to be breached and the fall of Chengdu was imminent. Everyone was desperate. Even Liu Xun fled, and no one was willing to sacrifice his life anymore. The soldiers took off their armor and threw away their weapons.  , left the city head one after another and fled into the city.

    At this moment, a fire suddenly lit up on the outer city. Thousands of soldiers raised their torches, illuminating the outer city like daylight. "Dong-dong¡ª¡ª" the dull drum beat sounded, as if it was an order.  All Jingzhou Army's attacks suddenly stopped. The heavily armored soldiers stopped slashing and sprinting, and the door-colliding soldiers also stopped hitting and quickly retreated.

    The defenders were at a loss and looked towards the top of the outer city. They saw a cavalry of more than a thousand people ascending to the top of the city surrounded by a general with a golden helmet. The big flag was waving, and under the fierce firelight  Under the banner, a big word "Liu" clearly appeared on the banner. The Yizhou soldiers on the top of the inner city started to stir slightly. This was the arrival of Liu Jing, the shepherd of Jingzhou.

    Liu Jing stopped above the main gate. He held the halberd high in his hand. The whole city fell silent for a moment. He only heard him shouting: "Brothers guarding the city, listen, I am Liu Jing, the shepherd of Jingzhou. I don't want to kill, so give it to me."  Wait for an opportunity, lay down your weapons and surrender, the Jingzhou army will not commit any crimes, and the property of all civil and military officials will be protected. If Chengdu has not surrendered before noon tomorrow, the Jingzhou army will massacre the city and establish its power!"

    His voice was low and clear, echoing on the inner and outer city walls. Everyone could hear it clearly. The defenders all lowered their heads. Even Zhang Ren felt extremely tired and had no fighting spirit in his heart. He sighed softly.  .

    Liu Jing immediately ordered, "Retreat!"

    The Jingzhou Army retreated like an ebbing tide. A quarter of an hour later, the 30,000 Jingzhou Army retreated cleanly. Even the dead soldiers and wounded soldiers were carried away. The ladder to the city was pulled up on a hinge, and the fleet began to slowly retreat.  withdraw.

    Wu Yi looked at the empty outer city and couldn't help but let out a long sigh and said to himself: "The situation is over!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    This night was destined to be a sleepless night in Chengdu. The Jingzhou army retreated at the last moment after conquering the city. It was not a retreat, but gave them a chance to surrender. People's hearts no longer supported the Liu Zhang family. More than 8,000 civilian men were recruited.  All fled overnight, including the soldiers who trained them.

    The morale of the army also collapsed. Starting from the fourth watch, the entire battalion of soldiers took off their armor, discarded their weapons and fled to hide among the people. By daybreak, only more than 10,000 soldiers were left in the 30,000-strong army.

    The sky in the east gradually turned white, and it was already bright. The mountains and rivers in the distance could already be seen. Wu Yi was alone and patrolling the outer city. The remaining soldiers who had not escaped were busy cleaning up the corpses in the outer city.  , carrying water to wash away the blood on the ground.

    At this time, an officer rushed to Wu Yi, pointed at the outer city gate and said: "General Wu, the outer city gate has been destroyed, and the iron chain of the outer city suspension bridge has also been cut off. It will take at least three days to repair it."

    Wu Yi sighed, shook his head and said: "Stop cultivating, just let it go!"

    The officer was stunned for a moment and left hesitantly. Wu Yi looked at the soldiers beside him again. The soldiers stopped what they were doing and looked at him blankly. Wu Yi forced a smile.He said: "Do you still want to fight again?"

    All the soldiers shook their heads, and an older veteran said: "We don't want to fight anymore, but we don't want to abandon the old general and flee."

    "I know!"

    Wu Yi¡¯s nose felt a little sore, and he nodded and said, ¡°I will not let you die in vain again, and I will not let your family members be massacred.¡±

    He sighed, turned around and walked towards the inner city.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 529 Chengdu Surrenders (Part 1)

    Before dawn, a team of hundreds of soldiers came from the west gate of Chengdu, led by General Lei Tong. After Lei Tong was released by Liu Jing, he did not receive a hero's triumphant reward. On the contrary, Liu Xun suspected him.  Liu Jing had surrendered, stripped him of all military positions, and imprisoned him in a military camp.

    There was a mass exodus in the military camp last night, and even the soldiers guarding Lei Tong fled. Hundreds of Lei Tong's old troops rescued him. Lei Tong learned from the pain and decided to surrender to the Jingzhou Army.

    When the team came to the city gate, Lei Tong shouted: "Who is the officer guarding the city?"

    The west gate was guarded by three hundred soldiers. A military lord named Luo was the general guarding the city. They were Zhang Ren's subordinates. Luo Junhou looked over the female wall and asked, "What can I do, General Lei?"

    Lei Tong snorted loudly and said: "I have been ordered by General Wu to go out on patrol in the city. Please open the door for me quickly!"

    "Can General Lei have any military orders?"

    "I accept the command, just open the city to me, otherwise I will kill you!"

    "General Lei, please wait a moment. The winch on the city gate has been locked. I will find someone to unlock it and we will open the city immediately!"

    The military lord on the city knew about Lei Tong¡¯s imprisonment, so how could he believe Lei Tong¡¯s words? While coaxing Lei Tong, he sent someone to report to Zhang Ren quickly.

    "asshole!"

    Lei Tong was furious, and brandished his snake spear spear to urge his horse to rush towards the city. His soldiers rushed up to the city with him. Luo Junhou saw Lei Tong's fierce approach and was so frightened that he ran away. He only ran a few steps and was chased by Lei Tong.  On the top of the city, a spear pierced his vest and killed him on the top of the city.

    His soldiers killed the defenders, pulled the winch, and the inner city gate creaked open. He pointed his thunder copper spear at the outer city gate and ordered: "Go and open the outer city gate!"

    More than a hundred of his men rushed towards the outer city. Lei Tong urged his horse down the city, rushed out of the inner city gate and entered Wengcheng. At this time, his men had seized the city gate winch and were slowly opening the city gate. At this moment  , there was a rapid sound of horse hooves behind him, and Zhang Ren shouted loudly, "Lei Tong, are you going to surrender to the enemy?"

    Lei Tong turned his horse's head, crossed his snake spear, and said coldly: "I, Lei Tong, were captured and would rather die than surrender. Liu Jing felt my loyalty and let me back, but unexpectedly, I was framed and imprisoned. It was I, Lei Tong, who went blind."  Now I have figured out that Liu Jing is the lord worthy of my service. General Zhang, please let me go!"

    Zhang Ren sighed and said softly: "There may be a misunderstanding. Mr. Xun wronged the general because of his inexperience and carelessness. Please give up the idea of ??surrendering to the enemy. I am willing to seek justice for the general in front of Mr. Xun."

    Lei Tong sneered, "General Zhang, you are still under suspicion and deprived of military power. If Wu Yi hadn't spoken for you, you would have ended up like me. Why would you sacrifice your life for such a fool?"

    "I didn't sacrifice my life for him, but because the former master treated me well, I couldn't bear to abandon his son. General Lei, the former master also treated you well. Why did you disregard your loyalty and surrender to the enemy in times of crisis?"

    Lei Tong shook his head, "We dedicate the city to Liu Jing and save the people in the city. This is to repay the kindness of the late lord. It's okay if the general doesn't want to, but my destiny is up to me. I just want to leave.  Please let me go, General Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Ren became angry, "What if I don't let you go?"

    Lei Tong swung the snake spear horizontally, "I'll kill you!"

    "Then you die!"

    Zhang Ren spurred his horse to gallop, thrust his spear straight at Lei Tong, and Lei Tong greeted him with his spear. The two fought fiercely. After more than twenty rounds, Lei Tong gradually gave out. At this time, the city gate had been opened, and the suspension bridge was also closed.  After putting it down, Lei Tong flicked his gun, turned his horse and fled out of the city. His men also followed him and fled out of the city.

    Zhang Ren took off his long bow, drew an arrow from behind, nocked the bow, and aimed at the back of Lei Tong's neck, but he was never able to shoot the arrow. He put down the bow and watched Lei Tong flee away, sighing.  He said to the left and right: "Close the city gate!"

    Zhang Ren drove his horse back excitedly and desolately. At this time, Wu Yi also led his army and galloped in front of Zhang Ren. He reined in his horse and asked, "I heard that Lei Tong Kaicheng surrendered to the enemy?"

    Zhang Ren nodded, "He's gone, I can't stop him."

    After saying that, he shook his head and urged his horse to go towards his mansion. Wu Yi was stunned and couldn't say a word for a long time. Lei Tong left the city and surrendered. What a blow to the morale of the army, didn't Zhang Ren know?  ¡­

    In the main hall of the state government, hundreds of Yizhou officials, large and small, gathered, including Dong He, Fei Guan, Liu Ba, Wang Lei and other high-ranking officials, as well as many middle and low-level officials such as Shuzuo and Liucao. They were all worried about  Regarding the fate of Chengdu, many people gathered together to discuss countermeasures.

    At this time, officials were no longer allowed to be duplicitous or take the path of moderation. Two opinion factions soon separated in the lobby. One was the surrender faction, led by Dong He, Liu Ba and others.More than 80%.

    The other faction insisted on resisting and never gave in to Liu Jing's threat. This faction only accounted for less than 20%, and was mainly led by Wang Lei who joined the army and Zheng Du who was engaged in the army.

    The debate had already broken out, but no one could convince anyone. In fact, their opinions were meaningless. The final army was in the hands of Wu Yi and Zhang Ren, and the only person who decided to surrender Wu Yi and Zhang Ren was the young master Liu Xun.

    In the lobby, the two groups looked at each other angrily and said nothing, only waiting for news from Liu Xun.

    In the inner hall, Yin Mo and Fei Guan were persuading Liu Xun to surrender in Kaicheng, while Zheng Duze persuaded Liu Xun to persist in resisting. Liu Xun sat on the mat, covering his head with his hands, looking in great pain. He didn't know what to do.

    Yin Mo saw that Liu Xun was indecisive and still hesitant at this time. He advised him sadly: "Sir, the city has fallen. The inner city gate has been seriously damaged. If you hit it twice at most, the city gate will be opened. Jingzhou will be destroyed."  When the army comes to the city, it is not enough to surrender. It will massacre the city and establish its authority. Young Master, please think about the people in the city! "

    Zheng Du, the staff member next to him, snorted coldly and said: "Mr. Yin is simply ignorant. Do you really think he will massacre the city? Does he still want Yizhou?"

    Zheng Du was once one of Liu Zhang's confidants and served as the magistrate of Wenchuan County. He just came back recently. Liu Xun ordered people to assassinate his brother Liu Wei. It was Zheng Du's suggestion. He was the main militant and urged Liu Xun to fight to the end.  .

    Fei Guan saw that Zheng Du didn't care about the life and death of the people and wanted to persuade Liu Xun to resist. He couldn't help but get angry. He slammed the table and scolded Zheng Du: "Only an idiot like you thinks Liu Jing is a threat. If he doesn't keep his word, how will he fight in the future?"  In the world, if he doesn't slaughter the city to establish his power, who will surrender to him in the future? He killed tens of thousands of Yong Kai's troops and left no one alive. Do you think he is as weak as you?"

    Zheng Du looked pale and was speechless for a long time. At this moment, Wu Yi hurriedly walked in and anxiously said to Liu Xun, "Master, the situation is not good!"

    "What happened?" Liu Xun raised his head and asked blankly.

    ¡°Lei Tong left the city without authorization and surrendered to the Jingzhou Army, which caused chaos. Thousands of soldiers in the Western Camp mutinied and wanted to surrender in Kaicheng. The situation was out of control.

    Liu Xun's face turned extremely pale in an instant. Fei Guan stamped his foot and shouted anxiously, "Master, what are you waiting for?"

    "All right!"

    Liu Xun let out a long sigh, "I agree to surrender."

    Fei Guan rushed out like a gust of wind and shouted: "Young Master has decided to surrender! Surrender!"

    There was a burst of cheers from the front hall. Wu Yi also knew that there was no return. He bowed to Liu Xun, turned around and left in a hurry.

    An hour before noon, news came from the city of Chengdu that Liu Xun was willing to surrender the city unconditionally. This news finally brought a smile to Liu Jing's face, which meant that he had completely conquered Yizhou.

    In the wilderness outside the north city of Chengdu, 80,000 Jingzhou troops lined up in order, flags fluttering, and the black soldiers were overwhelming. The sound was spectacular, and the dull drum beat "dong-dong¡ª¡ª". Every sound of the war drum made the soldiers in the city tremble with fear.

    Liu Jing immediately stood under the Jingzhou military flag and stared coldly at the north city gate. Sima Yi next to him asked in a low voice: "Liu Xun surrendered, what do you plan to do with him, lord?"

    Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "The best way is to kill him and eliminate future troubles forever. However, I am afraid that it will cause dissatisfaction between the soldiers and people of Yizhou, so we cannot move him for the time being. What suggestions does the military advisor have?"

    Sima Yi whispered: "You can place him in Jingnan, grant him a high position, and give him a false position to appease the generals of Yizhou. Then use strong wine and beautiful women to corrupt this person. In two years at most, he will follow Liu Qi's footsteps and become a native of Yizhou."  I won¡¯t pity this kind of queen who died on a woman¡¯s belly.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "It's true what the military advisor said!"

    At this time, the inner city gate finally slowly opened, and groups of surrendered soldiers walked out of the city. They put down their weapons, took off their armor, and were led by the surrendered soldiers of the Jingzhou Army to assemble outside the camp.

    At this time, Wu Yi led dozens of military generals out of the city. They were led by the soldiers to Liu Jing. They all knelt down on one knee, clasped their fists high and said, "I am willing to return to surrender to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing turned over and dismounted, helped Wu Yi up, and said with a smile: "You are all loyal generals. I hope you will join me in reviving the Han Dynasty and win fame and wealth for our descendants!"

    The generals were overjoyed and shouted together: "I am willing to serve the State Shepherd!"

    Lei Tong, who was in the Jingzhou army in the distance, was secretly proud. He surrendered to Liu Jing first. Liu Jing made him a prince and named him a captain. He was treated much more favorably than these generals who surrendered collectively.

    At this time, Liu Jing glanced at the generals and asked Wu Yi, "Where is General Zhang Ren? Why don't you see him?"

    Wu Yi sighed, "He locked himself in the mansion, weI tried to persuade him, but he just ignored me and said he wanted to go back to his hometown to farm.  "

    Liu Jing nodded and said nothing more. At this time, Liu Xun was naked, hung the Yizhou Muyin ribbon around his neck, and led all the officials out. He knelt beside the suspension bridge and shouted: "Liu Xun is willing to offer his services."  Give the state to the Marquis of Chu!"

    Liu Jing ordered his soldiers to bring him a brocade robe, quickly stepped forward, put it on Liu Xun himself, then helped him stand up and said, "I heard that Cao Cao was going to attack Hanzhong and Yizhou, so he came thousands of miles to save me Liu Xun."  Yizhou is the foundation of my Liu family's restoration, and it cannot fall into the hands of Cao's thieves again. The young master understands justice and is admirable. Please rest assured that I will never treat the young master badly. "

    Liu Xun felt ashamed and offered the seal ribbon with both hands, "This is the seal ribbon of Yizhou Mu, please accept it!"

    Liu Jing took the seal ribbon from Yizhou Mu and raised it high, and the 80,000 Jingzhou troops cheered.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 530 Chengdu Surrenders (Part 2)

    The surrendered troops in Yizhou were handed over to Yan Yan for reorganization. Liu Jing immediately ordered Huang Zhong to lead 30,000 troops to take over the defense of Chengdu. Sima Yi and Jiang Wan took over the government affairs of Yizhou, and ordered Xu Jing, Dong He and Liu Ba to assist.

    Cleaning up documents, taking inventory of treasury, and appeasing the people. All affairs have plans beforehand, and everything is implemented in an orderly manner according to the original plan.

    In the back hall of the state government office, Yin Mo handed a box of confidential documents left by Liu Zhang to Liu Jing, "For the record to the state pastor, there are letters between Liu Jiyu and the royal family in the DPRK, as well as the emperor's edict, and the presence of Liu Jiyu and his son.  The forces in the court have been sorted out by the people one by one. There is no shortage of anything. Please accept it from the governor!"

    Liu Jing was not interested in these confidential documents. He smiled at Yin Mo and said, "Why do you call yourself 'Xiaomin?'"

    Yin Kuai sighed for a while and said: "As a minister, I can't protect my territory, protect my children, and can't make good plans. I'm very ashamed."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Yin Gong is an honest man. He persuaded Liu Xun to surrender, but he saved hundreds of thousands of Chengdu people. You should have a clear conscience."

    ¡°That being said, it¡¯s hard to resolve the knot in my heart!¡±

    Yin Mao stretched himself out and saluted: "Please allow me to go to Jingnan with Master Xun."

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary!¡±

    Liu Jing's attitude was very firm, "Wang Lei would rather die than surrender. He wants to accompany Mr. Xun to Jingnan. I can only agree. If Yin Gong also goes, morality will be established. Wouldn't it mean that all the officials in Yizhou will be forced to go to Jingnan?"  Do you have to go to Jingnan for justice? Why should Mr. Yin embarrass me?"

    Yin Mo couldn't say a word, so Liu Jing persuaded him again: "I know Yin Gong is a great talent, so be it! How about I hire Yin Gong as my personal staff? He will handle the documents for me."

    Yin Miao also knew that Liu Jing had given him enough face and a step up the ladder, so he no longer insisted on going to Jingnan and bowed and said, "Yin Miao is willing to share the worries of Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing laughed, "That's right."

    Yin Mao smiled bitterly and asked: "Can Zhou Mu tell his subordinates, Xiangyang and Chengdu, where will Zhou Mu be stationed in the future?"

    Liu Jing said: "To be honest, I have been worried about this matter. Can Mr. Yin give me some advice?"

    Yin Mao smiled and said, "I will give you three reasons, and Zhou Mu can make his own decision."

    "Please say!"

    Yin Mo pondered for a moment and then said slowly: "Firstly, Yizhou is initially settled, and people's hearts are unstable. In particular, most counties and major families in Yizhou have a wait-and-see attitude. If the state pastor is not in Yizhou for a long time, people's hearts may not be settled;  Secondly, although Zhou Mu took Yizhou by himself, the imperial court did not recognize it after all. If Zhou Mu left Yizhou, the imperial court would take the opportunity to appoint a new Yizhou Mu, which would be detrimental to Zhou Mu, and Cao Cao would also take the opportunity to stir up trouble in Yizhou. I'm afraid  Changes will happen; thirdly, Zhou Mu¡¯s goal should be to continue to move north, seize Hanzhong, and close Guanzhong. Without Yizhou as the foundation, I am afraid it will be difficult to implement. For the above three reasons, Zhou Mu should decide for himself! "

    Liu Jing laughed, "Sir, you know my heart!"

    After settling in the official room, Liu Jing immediately met with Yizhou officials in the lobby. Under the leadership of Wu Yi and Fei Guan, everyone bowed down to meet the new owner of Yizhou. Liu Jing waved his hands and smiled at everyone: "Yizhou is not  I, Liu Jing, belong to Yizhou, and I also belong to everyone here. I not only hope that everyone can live and work in Yizhou in peace and contentment, but I also hope that everyone here will take a broader view and do their part to help the Han Dynasty and revive the Han Dynasty.  "

    In front of the generals, Liu Jing spoke bluntly, for fear that the rough and tumble men would not understand. But in front of these sharp-minded civil servants, he spoke very implicitly. He believed that everyone could understand the meaning behind his words.

    How could everyone not understand what Liu Jing meant, that he would not only protect their interests in Yizhou, but also give them a share of the interests of the world. Everyone was overjoyed and worshiped together, "I am willing to work with the Zhou Mu to help the Han Dynasty and the country."  Try your best!¡±

    There is a vast house in the north of Chengdu. This is the residence of the Zhang family in Chengdu. The Zhang family has always been the largest family in Shu County before the Fei family came to power. Their family owns thousands of acres in the north of Shu County.  There is a manor covering thousands of acres of fertile land.

    Chengdu Zhang's Mansion is just a villa of their family. Despite this, Zhang's Mansion has become the second largest mansion in Chengdu after Zhou Mu's Mansion. In the past, there was a lot of traffic in front of the mansion and an endless stream of visitors, but since leaving Zhang Song  After he was killed, the front door of Zhang Song's house suddenly became deserted, and everyone avoided it for fear of being implicated in Zhang Song's case.

    Next to the Zhang Mansion, there is a small Zhang Mansion, covering an area of ??about 30 acres, which is Zhang Ren's residence. After the surrender of Kaicheng, Chengdu, every household placed an incense table in front of the door to welcome Liu Jing into the city, including the gate of the Zhang Family Mansion.  An incense table was also placed in front of the house, but Zhang Ren's mansion closed the door tightly and ignored it.

    In the evening, hundreds of cavalry escorted a carriage and slowly stopped in front of Zhang Ren's mansion. A soldier ran up the steps and knocked on the door. After a moment, the door opened a crack."Who is it?" asked the porter.

    "Please tell your master that Liu Zhoumu is here to visit!"

    After being stunned for a long time, the gatekeeper shouted and ran towards the inner palace like a gust of wind.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    "Father!"

    Zhang Ren's eldest son, Zhang Run, was out of breath after running. He rushed into the courtyard of the inner hall. In the courtyard, Zhang Ren was sitting under a pear tree reading a book. The pear blossoms were about to wither, and the fallen leaves were colorful and covered the ground.  White petals.

    Zhang Ren glanced at his eldest son and said with some displeasure: "What's the matter?"

    "FatherLiu Zhoumu is here and wants to visit father outside the house."

    Zhang Ren was slightly startled and a little surprised in his heart, but in front of his son, he did not show his inner surprise and scolded with a straight face: "Even if the King of Heaven is here, you don't have to be so excited!"

    Zhang Run was so frightened that he trembled and quickly lowered his hands and said, "Yes! I know I was wrong."

    Zhang Ren waved his hand, "Tell him that I am sick and will not see you!"

    "Father!"

    Zhang Run shouted in a low voice. He didn't move. How could his father reject Liu Jing like this?

    Zhang Ren glanced at his son and saw that his eyes were full of expectation. He couldn't help but feel soft in his heart, so he had to say in a long voice: "Invite him to the living room! Tell me I'll be out right away."

    Although it was still rude, it was much better than not seeing him just now. Zhang Run quickly turned around and ran out of the mansion. Zhang Ren was very conflicted in his heart. On the one hand, he was dissatisfied with Liu Jing for taking Yizhou. After all, Liu Zhang treated him well.  He, Zhang Ren, was just a concubine of the Zhang family. When the Zhang family was rude to him, Liu Zhang built a mansion for him next to the Zhang family to help him out. Zhang Ren will remember this kindness in his heart.

    But on the other hand, Liu Xun really didn't live up to expectations, and Zhang Ren had seen through him. If he were the leader of Yizhou, Yizhou would be thrown into chaos by him. In comparison, Liu Jing's courage and skill  It also impressed him and made him realize that Liu Jing was a truly talented and strategic person, and the lord worthy of his refuge, not to mention that Liu Jing was still his junior brother, but  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhang Ren understood his son's expectant gaze. He felt helpless and had no choice but to get up and go to the living room.

    Zhang Ren ordered his son to welcome Liu Jing into the guest hall, but Zhang Run welcomed Liu Jing into the guest hall. He asked Liu Jing to sit down, and personally served Liu Jing hot tea. He smiled and said: "Please wait a moment, the state pastor."  "Father will be here soon!"

    Liu Jing nodded and asked, "Can Mr. Zhang become an official?"

    Zhang Run's heart skipped a beat and he quickly said: "I worked as the chief clerk in Xindu County for a year. My father said that I was incompetent as an official and could not benefit the people, so he forced me to retire."

    He used the word 'force', and his tone was full of unwillingness and regret. Liu Jing smiled and shook his head and said: "The county magistrate's qualifications should be assessed by the county and reported to the state government for the decision on appointment or dismissal. This is a public matter and should not be handled privately.  ¡±

    Liu Jing's words touched Zhang Run's heart, and the sadness in his heart suddenly burst out, and his eyes turned a little red, "Zhou Mu is right! Business affairs should be handled openly."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly again and said: "I remember this matter. I will let the state government review it again and give the young master a fair chance."

    Zhang Run was overjoyed and moved. He bowed deeply, his voice choked up, "Thank you, Zhou Mu, for your concern."

    He was full of gratitude to Liu Jing in his heart, and he also knew that if his father and Liu Jing were not at odds with each other, his career would be over. Before his father arrived, he lowered his voice and said, "Father is grateful to Liu Zhang, and he values ??Chongzhou Mu's treatment of Liu Zhang."  of respect.¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "Thank you very much!"

    At this time, footsteps came from outside, and Zhang Ren walked in quickly. He went to the living room first, but learned that his son had invited Liu Jing to the guest room, so he had to make a big detour again. Zhang Run felt guilty and gave a courtesy.  : "Father, the child has to step back first."

    Zhang Ren glared at him fiercely and said in a long voice: "Go!"

    At this time, Liu Jing stood up, cupped her hands and said with a smile: "I came uninvited and disturbed General Zhang."

    Zhang Ren replied coldly, "Zhou Mu came to Zhang's house in person. Zhang can't bear the responsibility. Please sit down!"

    Liu Jing sat down, and Zhang Ren also sat down at the main seat. The living room was silent. At this time, the maid brought two cups of hot tea. Zhang Ren took a sip of tea and finally broke the silence in the hall, "Zhang Ren is also from Chengdu.  I am grateful to Zhou Mu for not massacring the city. Of course, I am also grateful to Jingzhou Army for not committing any crimes. "

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "This is also the result I expect. It should be said that Mr. Xun cares about the people. Although he failed, he is still a hero."

    This sentence was very polite. Zhang Ren felt Liu Jing's modesty. He nodded and asked, "I wonder how Zhou Mu plans to settle Mr. Xun?"

    "I have named him Zhenwu Colonel"He was allowed to take his mother and family to live in the public security bureau, and give his mother the taxes from one county of the public security bureau to support her in her old age.  "

    Liu Jing still remembered Liu Zhang's wife, which made Zhang Ren's expression soften slightly. He sighed and said: "It's a pity that Liu Zhang was too mediocre and failed to make use of such a good land. Otherwise, the Jingzhou army may not be able to invade Yi."  state."

    "How do you say this? This is the difference between the kingly way and the benevolent way. Liu Zhang may not be mediocre. I think he should rule by doing nothing, but he has a weakness. His weakness is that he is too considerate of the people and unwilling to go militarily. If he believed in the kingly way,  Yizhou can support an army of at least 300,000 people. Not to mention that I can¡¯t attack Yizhou, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t even be able to defend Jingzhou.¡±

    Zhang Ren sighed, "It is fair that Zhou Mu is willing to evaluate him like this. I wonder if Zhou Mu plans to recruit 300,000 troops in Yizhou?"

    Liu Jing looked up to the sky and laughed. He stopped laughing and said calmly: "General Zhang must have also learned about my heavy armored infantry. These two thousand heavy armored infantry are enough to withstand 10,000 cavalry and the Jingzhou navy. It can be said that  I am invincible. I have four thousand elite cavalry and five hundred eagle attack troops. I am also preparing to equip six thousand heavy crossbow troops. With these troops, does General Zhang think I will recruit three hundred thousand troops? "

    Zhang Ren nodded, "Zhou Mu is right, the soldiers should be the best and not the masses. I very much agree."

    The two were silent for a moment, and Zhang Ren asked again: "Is Zhou Mu a disciple of Zhenren Yu?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "I can only be regarded as a half-way learner. I was indeed taught by Master Yu himself. He designated me as a water gun, but he did not officially accept me as his disciple. However, Zilong has always been obsessed with the general."

    After saying that, Liu Jing took out two things from her arms and put them on the table. She stood up and said with a smile, "Then I won't disturb you anymore and I'll take my leave!"

    Zhang Ren did not hold back and sent Liu Jing out of the house in person. Watching Liu Jing go away, he hurriedly returned to the guest room and picked up the two items Liu Jing left on the table. One was Wen Yu. Zhang Ren recognized it at a glance.  Master's jade pendant, Master has been wearing it for sixty years.

    He held the jade pendant, his hands trembled violently, and slowly knelt down. Thinking that his master had no way to repay his kindness, tears burst out from his eyes, and he couldn't help crying out, "Master!"

    After a long while, Zhang Rencai carefully asked Yu to put it into his arms, wiped away his tears, and stood up to pick up another item on the table. It turned out to be an appointment letter from Liu Jing, naming him Zhonglang General. Zhang Ren couldn't help but sigh.  At this point, he knew that he could no longer refuse Liu Jing's sincerity.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 531 Storm in Han Dynasty (1)

    In Hanzhong, in the drizzle, an army of 8,000 troops was marching rapidly among the high mountains. Yizhou had been restored, but the situation in Hanzhong was unclear, especially as there were still 20,000 Yizhou troops hanging outside Hanzhong.  Liu Jing's Hanzhong strategy became urgent.

    This 8,000-man army is commanded by General Zhao Yun, with Yizhou surrendered general Wu Yi as deputy general. They will rush to Dingjun Mountain to receive 20,000 Yizhou troops. After marching for five days, the team has entered the border of Hanzhong and is getting closer and closer to Dingjun Mountain.  The closer.

    It¡¯s late spring now, and the weather is getting a little hot, especially in the river valley, where the water vapor is evaporating and under the direct sunlight, it feels even hotter.

    Zhao Yun reined in his horse and put up a curtain to observe the surrounding terrain. They were marching in a wide valley with steep mountains on both sides. The widest part of the valley was several miles and the narrowest part was one mile. In the middle of the valley was a rapid stream.  , has not yet formed a river, the stream is about five or six feet wide, the water is crystal clear, you can march barefoot in the water, the deepest point only reaches a person's waist, the cold stream makes people feel hot.

    "General Zhao!"

    There was a shout from behind, and when Zhao Yun turned around, he saw Wu Yizong galloping towards him. The two of them got along well with each other all the way, and they cooperated very well.

    Although Wu Yi was only Zhao Yun's deputy general, he had no complaints. He knew that Zhao Yun had a high status in the Jingzhou army, second only to Huang Zhong and Wenpin, and even slightly higher than Gan Ning. This was also because Zhao Yun and Liu  Jing¡¯s special relationship.

    Especially because Zhao Yun was kind and sincere, and he was famous all over the world, Wu Yi was convinced by him and was willing to be his lieutenant.

    And before leaving, Liu Jing also explained to him that he was allowed to go to Hanzhong because only he could collect the 20,000 troops in Hanzhong. He was wronged to accompany Zhao Yun on this trip. He would be used in a big way in the future. Liu Jing said this  , Wu Yi has nothing to worry about anymore.

    He galloped forward, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "This place is less than fifty miles away from Dingjun Mountain. Why don't we send scouts to find out the situation first. Let the soldiers rest for an hour. What does General Zhao think?"

    Zhao Yun readily agreed, ¡°General Wu¡¯s words make sense, let¡¯s rest on the spot!¡±

    Wu Yi quickly ordered the troops to rest on both sides of the river bed, and sent a team of scouts to Dingjun Mountain to inquire about the news. The soldiers sat on the bank to rest. Many took off their armor and lay in the stream to take a shower.

    At this time, Fazheng, the counselor accompanying the army, sat next to Zhao Yun and asked with a smile: "General Zhao, should we directly capture Hanzhong during this trip, or should we open up the Hanzhong Road first?"

    Zhao Yun pondered for a moment and said: "The key depends on Shangyong. Zhou Mu has urgently ordered to attack Shangyong. If Shangyong is captured, Gan Ning and Wei Yan will go north from Shangyong and join us in Hanzhong. Zhou Mu means to let  We contain Zhang Lu's main force at Dingjun Mountain, and Gan Ning and Wei Yan capture Nanzheng. If it goes well, we can directly capture Hanzhong. If it doesn't go well, Zhou Mu may go north. "

    Fazheng nodded, "I understand, but Zhang Lu is very vigilant. Once Shangyong makes a mistake, he will immediately change his strategy. General Gan and the others may not have a chance to capture Nanzheng. I suggest that we might as well attack Nanzheng.  Kill Zhang Lu by surprise."

    Zhao Yun cheered up. He knew that Liu Jing valued Fazheng very much and praised him as a man with great plans. Fazheng's suggestion was very meaningful. If Nanzheng could be captured, half of Hanzhong would be captured.

    Zhao Yun quickly invited Wu Yi and told him Fa Zheng¡¯s suggestion. Wu Yi was also very interested. He quickly took the map, spread it out on the big stone, and said with a smile: "Please give me Mr. Fa Zheng's advice!"

    Fazheng smiled, looked at the map for a moment, pointed to the Nanzheng area and said: "The Hanzhong Valley is actually located between Zhongnan Mountain in the north and Daba Mountain in the south. It is no different from the valley we are in now, it is just bigger.  It¡¯s only dozens of times higher. If we take the official road, we will go directly to Dingjun Mountain, but if we take the Babei Trail and bypass Dingjun Mountain from the south, we can go directly to Nanzheng City.¡±

    Zhao Yun thought for a while and said: "The key is that we don't know the situation in Nanzheng City. How many troops are there and who is guarding it?"

    Wu Yi responded: "When I left Hanzhong and went south a month ago, I knew that Nanzheng City was guarded by Zhang Lu's brother Zhang Wei and his companion Yang Song, but I don't know if it has changed now."

    Fazheng smiled and said: "If it is guarded by Yang Song, there is hope."

    He and Wu Yi looked at each other, and they both laughed. Zhao Yun asked in confusion: "Why is this?"

    Fa Zhengdao: "Yang Song is very capable, but he is greedy for bribes and has a strong sense of profit. Interest outweighs loyalty. We can open a gap through him."

    Zhao Yun pondered for a moment and said, "Zhou Mu also told me that Yang Song has people of ours around him who can indeed be used."

    He made a quick decision and said: "In this case, we will split up. General Wu will still go to Dingjun Mountain to recruit his old troops. Mr. Fa and I will take the small road to Nanzheng."

    ?Wu Yi hesitated and asked him to recruit his old subordinates alone. Does Zhou Mu allow this?

    Zhao Yun understood the difficulty, so he patted him on the shoulder, looked into his eyes and said, "General Wu, even if you go to Dingjun Mountain, I, Zhao Yun, will take care of everything!"

    Wu Yi nodded silently, Zhao Yun's trust made him feel a sense of gratitude.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The confrontation between the two armies in front of Dingjun Mountain has been going on for more than a month. The Yizhou Army occupied a high place and built a strong camp, which was condescending and easy to defend and difficult to attack. The Hanzhong Army's camp was on the bank of the Mianshui River fifteen miles away. Zhang Lu personally  He led 30,000 troops to confront the Yizhou Army.

    Dazhai in Dingjun Mountain is an important strategic stronghold in Hanzhong and the last dangerous place from the Daba Mountains to the Hanzhong Valley. In the fifth year of Jian'an, the Hanzhong Army built a strong fortress in Dingjun Mountain and hoarded a large amount of food supplies.  To deal with the Yizhou Army's expansion into Hanzhong.

    But Zhang Lu never imagined that the defensive castle he worked so hard to build would eventually become a wedge for the Yizhou Army to invade Hanzhong. The fort had sufficient food and grass supplies, as well as mountain spring water, and could last at least half a year. However, the fort was easy to defend and difficult to defend.  He attacked three times in a row, but failed miserably. He lost thousands of troops but gained nothing.

    In the big tent, Zhang Lu was drinking alone. He had heard about the Jingzhou army's massive attack on Bashu, but he didn't know the specific situation.

    It wasn't until Liu Jing attacked Bashu that Zhang Lu finally realized that he and Liu Zhang had become Liu Jing's two pawns. Liu Jing pretended to attack Shangyong in order to lead Liu Zhang's army into Hanzhong, contain him from the north, and prevent him from taking advantage of the chaos to enter Shu.  And Liu Jing's real goal is Bashu.

    Zhang Lu was very worried. After Liu Jing captured Bashu, he would definitely attack Hanzhong. He would attack from Yizhou and Shangyong. With the Jingzhou army's good fighting skills, could he still hold Hanzhong?

    At this time, counselor Yan Pu slowly walked into the tent and asked with concern: "General, he seems to be in a bad mood today?"

    Zhang Lu sighed, "I'm worried, let's just live today, I won't know tomorrow."

    He waved his hand and said, "Sir, please have a seat!"

    Yan Pu sat down and asked cautiously: "Is the general worried about Liu Jing?"

    Zhang Lu nodded, "Exactly. I don't know if he has captured Yizhou now. Will he continue to go north and attack Hanzhong?"

    "My subordinates feel that Liu Jing did not capture Yizhou so quickly. The top priority is to annihilate the Yizhou Army in Dingjun Mountain, redeploy defenses, and use the dangers of the terrain to keep the Jingzhou Army at bay. If this is not possible, the general can  Ask Prime Minister Cao for help."

    "snort!"

    Zhang Lu snorted coldly, "Liu Jing is a wolf and Cao Cao is a tiger. Asking him for help is undoubtedly a sheep entering the tiger's mouth. In this case, sir, please stop talking."

    Yan Pu did not expect that Zhang Lu would resist Cao Cao like this, so he had to smile bitterly. At this moment, a rumble of war drums suddenly came from outside the tent. Zhang Lu was startled, stood up and asked, "What's going on?"

    After a while, a soldier rushed in and reported: "General, it's Wu Yi who is leading his army to challenge us!"

    "Wu Yi?"

    Zhang Lu was surprised. The Yizhou Army spies he captured some time ago said that Wu Yi had returned to Bashu. Why did he come back?

    At this time, Yan Pu asked from the side: "Is it the Yizhou Army flag, or has it changed?"

    Zhang Lu suddenly understood that maybe Zhang Lu had surrendered to the Jingzhou Army. He also asked nervously: "Where is the battle flag?"

    The soldier shook his head, "I haven't heard of the humble position."

    Zhang Ludang immediately ordered: "Send troops to fight!"

    The war drums of the Hanzhong military camp also sounded loudly. They had not gone to war for nearly ten days. As the war drums beat, the Hanzhong army began to cheer up. The camp gates opened wide, and Zhang Lu led 10,000 troops to file out with banners.  Move around, full of murderous intent.

    Two miles away opposite them, an army of more than 10,000 people also lined up neatly. Under the sun, their helmets were bright and their swords were flashing. Zhang Lu could see clearly that the opponent's flag fluttering in the wind was still the blue Yizhou.  The battle flag made Zhang Lu breathe a long sigh of relief. It meant that Wu Yi had not surrendered to the Jingzhou Army, and it also meant that Yizhou had not been occupied by Liu Jing.

    At this time, Wu Yi, escorted by dozens of generals, ran up on horseback and shouted: "General Zhang, please come out and talk!"

    Zhang Lu hesitated for a moment, then urged his horse to come forward. A hundred personal guards quickly guarded him. The two were about dozens of steps apart. Zhang Lu asked loudly: "General Wu, what's the matter?"

    Wu Yi cupped his fists and smiled and said: "Can we discuss with the general? We are willing to return to Bashu. Please ask General Zhang to let us retreat."

    Yan Pu, who was following Zhang Lu, was overjoyed. This was a good opportunity to reorganize his defense. He was about to persuade Zhang Lu to answerHe responded, but Zhang Lu said coldly: "I, Hanzhong, are not a vegetable garden. You can come if you want and leave if you want. If you want to leave, you can, but you can keep the head!"

    Wu Yi was furious, took off his iron spear and pointed it at Zhang Lu, "In that case, let's fight to the death!"

    Zhang Lu raised his head and laughed, turned around and asked the generals: "Who is willing to fight?"

    A young general brandished his sword and shouted: "The last general is willing to fight!"

    When Zhang Lu saw that it was his general Ma Qu, he nodded, "Ready to fight!"

    Ma Qu urged his horse to charge forward, and the opponent on the opposite side was also changed. It was no longer Wu Yi, but the general Lei Tong. With a snake spear, he urged his horse to stab the enemy general. At this time, Yan Pu asked Zhang Lu in a low voice:  "Why doesn't the general allow them to withdraw? We can take the opportunity to sort out the pass."

    Zhang Lu sneered and said: "The situation in Yizhou should be bad, so Wu Yi is in a hurry to go back. I will not allow him to go back and drag them to death. When he withdraws hastily, our opportunity will come. The 20,000 Yizhou troops will  How could I not swallow it?"

    Yan Pu nodded, "The general is really smart, and my subordinates admire him!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 532 Storm in Han Dynasty (2)

    Lei Tong is known as the third general in Bashu, second only to Zhang Ren and Yan Yan. Although he is far inferior to the world's fierce generals like Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong, he is still considered a general in Bashu. He and Ma Qu fought fiercely for more than ten rounds.  The snake spear feinted and diverted the opponent's sword. At this moment, the two horses were crossing each other. He pulled out the eight-edged purple gold hammer from the horse bag and swept towards Ma Qu like lightning. This was Lei Tong's famous skill. With one hammer strike,  He always hits the mark, so his nickname is Thor.

    Although he missed in front of Zhao Yun, Ma Qu was not Zhao Yun. The hammer hit the opponent's temple. Ma Qu's brain suddenly burst and he died tragically on the spot. The horse ran for more than ten steps and the dead body fell under the horse. Lei Tong was so excited  Shouted to the Hanzhong Army: "Which bastard who is not afraid of death comes again!"

    Zhang Lu smiled coldly, gritted his teeth and said to himself, "I'll just let you be arrogant for two more days!"

    He turned around and shouted: "Withdraw troops and return to camp!"

    'when!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The withdrawal bell rang, and two thousand crossbowmen rushed forward like a tide. They lined up and raised their crossbows to aim at the Yizhou Army, covering the rest of the army as they slowly evacuated the battlefield.

    Wu Yi did not order the pursuit of Zhang Lu's army. He was known as the Yizhou Military Advisor, so he naturally had his own merits. When he took over the army, he found that the Hanzhong Army failed to attack Dingjun's mountain fortress three times, and he was feeling tired.

    He was very worried that Zhang Lu would withdraw his troops back to Nanzheng, so he issued a request for peace and withdrawal, causing Zhang Lu to misjudge and think that they were going to withdraw to Bashu. In this way, Zhang Lu would not withdraw to Nanzheng for the time being.  This bought Zhao Yun time.

    Wu Yi laughed coldly, turned around and ordered: "Retreat to the fort!"

    Ten thousand troops retreated slowly in formation. After a while, the battlefield was empty. At this time, hundreds of scout cavalry rushed out from the Hanzhong Army camp. The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and billowing yellow dust was raised. They were fifteen miles away.  He rushed to Dingjun Mountain.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Since Zhang Lu led 30,000 troops to Dingjun Mountain to destroy the Yizhou army, the threat to Nanzheng City has been completely eliminated. There is no threat from Cao Cao's army to the north. To the east, the Jingzhou army was intercepted outside Shangyong City.  , to the south, Yizhou was invaded by the Jingzhou army and had no time to take care of itself.

    Normal life resumed in Nanzheng. A large number of farmers hiding in the city returned to their homes. Merchants also began to travel between Guanzhong and Nanyang, transporting goods at low prices and selling at high prices.

    Although Nanzheng City returned to normal, the garrison still existed. Zhang Wei, Zhang Lu's younger brother, led an army of 5,000 to guard the city, while Yang Song was solely responsible for government affairs.

    During this period, Yang Song's life was not easy. As an official in charge of government affairs, he was most concerned about spring planting and autumn harvest, and tax collection. However, this time the Yizhou Army went north during spring plowing, and a large number of farmers abandoned their fields.  Although the Yizhou army finally withdrew, spring plowing and sowing were delayed.

    This made Yang Song extremely angry. He delayed spring plowing, which would affect the autumn harvest, cause famine, and damage taxes. The consequences were very serious. For a whole day, Yang Song locked himself in the room to calculate the accounts. He wanted to figure out what would happen.  How much damage is caused depends on how to make up for it.

    At dusk, Yang Song finally came out of the room with a straight face and extremely unhappy. It was obvious that the losses he calculated were unbearable for the government. At this time, Meng You hurried forward to report: "Mr. Yang, my subordinates have just received the news.  , there are bandits attacking Hannan Manor, I need to rush to eliminate the bandits. "

    Yang Songyang has a tribe of 1,500 people, usually stationed in the manor. It was previously controlled by Meng Da. After Meng Da was transferred to Shangyong, Yang Song's tribe was controlled by Meng Da's brother Meng You. However,  The so-called being in charge is just training and leading troops, but the power to mobilize troops lies in Yang Song's hands.

    Yang Song was distraught. He took off half of the jade pendant for mobilizing soldiers from his waist and handed it to Meng You. He said to him: "Three hundred people are enough to wipe out the mountain bandits. Go back as soon as possible. Don't delay."

    "I understand!"

    Meng You took the jade pendant for mobilizing troops from 300 people, bowed and then retreated. He mounted a horse and rushed out of the city with two of his followers. Meng You crossed the Han River and ran south.  After traveling thirty miles, we came to a mountain range called Nanshan. It was not high and stretched for more than a hundred miles. The forest at the foot of the mountain was dense, and there were hundreds of caves, large and small.

    Meng You received a secret order from Zhao Yun last night, ordering him to cooperate with the Jingzhou Army to capture Nanzheng City. This surprised and delighted him. He spent the whole night thinking about how to cooperate with the Jingzhou Army.

    He knew that although Yang Song was corrupt, he was still relatively loyal to Zhang Lu and was not easy to persuade. If he tried to persuade in a hurry, he would expose many secrets. Not only would Yang Song know that the Jingzhou Army wanted to take Nanzheng, but his brother Meng would also be exposed.  Given Da's identity, the best way is to first obtain the right to deploy troops from Yang Song Buqu and use private troops to seize Nanzheng City.

    It¡¯s just that Yang Song was stingy and cautious by nature, and only gave him the right to mobilize 300 troops. The number of troops was too small, which disrupted his plan. Meng You had no choice but to come to see Zhao Yun first.

    Running to the forest,It was already dark. Meng You drew out a dynamite, stretched his bow and fired into the woods. A scream passed over the forest. Soon, a group of Jingzhou Army patrols came out of the forest. Meng You urged him to step forward and raised his hands: "I'm here to serve you."  General Zhao ordered me to come and pay my respects!"

    "Please come with us!"

    The sentry cavalry led the three men towards the depths of the woods. After a while, everyone came to an open area where dozens of tents were stationed. The surrounding area was heavily guarded, and the sentry rushed to report.

    After a while, two Zhao Yun soldiers brought Meng You into a large tent. This was a double tent, that is, an inner and outer tent. It was mainly used for concealed marches. The lights in the tent were bright, but the light was difficult to leak out.

    In the big tent, Zhao Yunzheng and counselor Fa Zheng discussed the strategy to capture Nanzheng. Fa Zheng had already drawn up four plans, all of which could capture Nanzheng, but Zhao Yun believed that it was more reliable to use Yang Song's troops to capture Nanzheng city.

    At this time, the soldiers reported outside the tent, "General Qi, General Meng is here."

    "Please come in!" Zhao Yun is waiting for Meng You to come.

    The curtain was opened, and Meng You quickly walked into the tent. He knelt down on one knee and saluted: "General Meng You, please see General Zhao!"

    "Please get up! Please get up!"

    Zhao Yun quickly helped him up, introduced Fazheng to him, and then smiled and said: "We are waiting for General Meng! Please sit down and talk."

    Meng You sat down, took a sip of tea and said, "Yang Song is stingy and only gave me the right to mobilize 300 troops. I don't know if that's enough?"

    Zhao Yun glanced at Fazheng, who slowly asked: "Actually, the number of people is not important, the key is whether Zhang Wei allows Yang Song's private soldiers to enter the city?"

    This sentence is the key. Meng You thought for a moment, shook his head and said: "The relationship between Zhang Wei and Yang Song has always been bad, and Zhang Wei is fierce and unwise. I'm afraid he won't let Yang Song's private soldiers enter the city. Even Yang Song  House servants must be carefully checked when entering or exiting the city."

    Fa Zheng walked a few steps with his hands behind his head and his head lowered. He asked again: "Have they had a bad relationship in the past two days?"

    "During this period, Zhang Wei and Yang Song were in a cold war, ignoring each other, but yesterday Zhang Wei was ridiculed by Yang Song."

    Fazheng laughed and said, "If this is the case, I have a plan. We don't need Yang Song's private soldiers. We can directly use the contradiction between them to seize Nanzheng."

    After finishing speaking, he whispered a few words to Zhao Yun and Meng You. Meng You lowered his head and thought for a while, "But it's too close to the city, and the army will be easily discovered in the past."

    "It doesn't matter, they won't know it after midnight. It can happen in the early morning."

    At this time, Zhao Yun remembered something again and said quickly: "If Zhang Lu learns that General Meng participated in the attack on Nanzheng, will it be detrimental to the mediocre General Meng Da?"

    Meng You also became worried. This was indeed a loophole.

    Fazheng smiled slightly, "Not to mention that this possibility is very small, even if Zhang Lu knows about it, it won't be a big problem. First of all, General Meng Da is the commander-in-chief of Shangyong. If Fei Ge passes the message, General Meng Da must know it first, so  Zhang Lu could only send someone to secretly deliver a message to Yang Ang. Secondly, it would take at least seven or eight days from capturing Nanzheng to leaking the news and finally delivering the message to Shangyong. I think the battle of Shangyong should have ended long ago. "

    After a pause, Fazheng said again: "If General Meng is really worried, we can also send people to intercept the messenger on the road to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

    Meng You finally let go. He couldn't help but give a thumbs up and praised: "Mr. Fa's plan is really brilliant. There have been bandits recently. I think Zhang Wei will be fooled because of his impatience and ferocity. I can let my confidants follow first."  Provoking trouble in the city."

    The three of them discussed the details again, and then Meng You called two of his close followers in, gave them a few instructions, and then left with the order.

    Early the next morning, a big event happened in the largest tavern in Nanzheng City. While drinking here, more than twenty of Yang Song's servants had a conflict with five or six Zhang Wei's servants. The two sides fought hard, and Yang Song's servants  They were so powerful that they beat Zhang Wei's servants to a bloody head, and their arms were also broken.

    Zhang Wei's servants cried out to their master. Zhang Wei was furious and led hundreds of soldiers to rush to Yang Song's house. Zhang Wei was riding on a war horse, with his helmet on his head and a halberd in his hand, showing off his power in front of Yang Song's house and yelling curses.  : "Tie Yang, hand over your dog servant to me, or I will burn your house and kill your whole family."

    Yang Song had already asked the servants in the house. It was Zhang Wei's servant who insulted Yang Song in public, which caused the servants to scold him, and it was Zhang Wei's servant who took action first.

    So, how could Yang Song hand over his servant? He shouted at the gate of the mansion: "Zhang Wei, don't be so arrogant, I will sue you in front of the general and see who apologizes to whom!"

    Zhang Wei became even more angry and shouted: "Young thief, get out of here if you dare!"

      Yang Song also shouted without flinching: "The general fought hard against the Yizhou Army at Dingjun Mountain, but you provoked internal strife in Nanzheng. How do you explain to the general?"

    Zhang Wei was so angry that he was furious. At this moment, a soldier rushed over and reported: "General Zhang, please report the situation."

    "What the hell is going on?" Zhang Wei shouted.

    The soldier was so frightened that he said tremblingly: "There were people disguised as bandits on the riverside pier to rob the businessmen's property. A businessman recognized that the leader was Meng You, the general of Yang Song's family. I am afraid that the so-called bandits are Yang Song's private soldiers in disguise."

    Zhang Wei was stunned. Bandits have indeed appeared in Nanzheng recently. He sent people to encircle and suppress them several times but failed to catch anyone. It turns out that these bandits are Yang Song's private soldiers. No wonder he is so rich. They are all shady money. Zhang Wei  Wei felt malicious in his heart, laughed ferociously, and said to himself: "I'll come back and skin you clean after I get all the witnesses!"

    He asked again: "How many people are there?"

    "About fifty or sixty people!"

    Zhang Wei couldn¡¯t help but laugh three times when he thought of Yang Song¡¯s wealth, and shouted at the top of his lungs: ¡°Yang Song, just wait and see, today I will make your life worse than death!¡±

    He waved his hand, "Let's go!"

    Zhang Wei led hundreds of people to rush out of the city

    Nanzheng City is close to the Han River and is located to the north of the Han River. The wharf is about three miles away from the West City Gate. It is the largest wharf on the upper reaches of the Han River. A five-hundred-stone cargo ship can go down the river and reach Xiangyang in four days. There is a large amount of medicinal materials every year.  , dyes and other local specialties were shipped to Xiangyang.

    At this time, on the pier, fifty or sixty big men in black were looting merchants with steel knives in their hands. The leader was Zheng Meng You. They were not in a hurry to escape, but were waiting for the merchant ships to come ashore like fishing.  At this moment, dust was rising in the distance, and Zhang Wei was seen leading hundreds of soldiers rushing toward the dock.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 533 Storm in Han Dynasty (3)

    "The army is coming!" a man in black shouted.

    Meng You also saw it. Zhang Wei was leading the horse a few hundred steps away, holding a halberd and galloping on his horse, followed by hundreds of soldiers, dusty and murderous.

    "Retreat!"

    Meng You shouted and led dozens of men in black to flee westward. From the outside, it looked like these men in black were running away in a very panic and embarrassment. Some even lost their headscarves and did not bother to pick them up. They also threw away the weapons in their hands.  Lost, a group of people panicked like a bereaved dog.

    Zhang Wei was even more excited. He saw clearly that the leader was Meng You. These bandits must be Yang Song's private soldiers in disguise. He shouted: "Brothers, catch up with me!"

    Hundreds of soldiers shouted wildly with excitement and followed Zhang Wei in pursuit of the man in black.

    To the west of the dock is a forest, which stretches for more than ten miles and is only two or three miles wide. After the woods, there is endless fertile farmland.

    Dozens of men in black fled westward along the edge of the woods. A hundred steps away, Zhang Wei led his soldiers in pursuit. When Zhang Wei and hundreds of soldiers walked around the woods, they found that the men in black were gone.

    Zhang Wei reined in his horse and looked around strangely. The soldiers behind him suddenly shouted in panic. When Zhang Wei turned around, he found a dark army behind them, thousands of them, and they quickly surrounded them.

    Zhang Wei was shocked and turned his horse's head, only to see an army coming out of the woods in front of them and surrounding them from the front. The two armies quickly closed up and surrounded hundreds of them.

    Zhang Wei felt something was not going well. He turned his horse to break out, but an arrow shot 'Whoosh!  ¡¯ The ground shot out and hit his horse¡¯s neck. The horse let out a mournful cry, jumped up with its front hooves, and knocked Zhang Wei to the ground.

    At this time, a general came out of the woods with a white horse and a silver spear, holding a bow and arrow. He looked at him coldly. Zhang Wei was so shocked that he shouted: "Who are you?"

    The general sneered, "I am Zhao Yun!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Half an hour later, hundreds of Zhang Wei's soldiers came out from behind the woods, still in bright armor, escorting dozens of men in black. Zhang Wei was lying on a stretcher, with six soldiers carrying him back and forth.  , he was covered with a thick quilt. Under the quilt, Zhang Wei was tied up. There was a thin soldier lying next to him, holding a sharp dagger against his waist.

    At the front of the team were several of Zhang Wei's soldiers, including a military lord. They escorted the man in black and walked quickly to the west city gate. The west city gate was closed. The military lord was held hostage by two soldiers and came forward to call the door.  , "Open the city quickly!"

    A tooth general looked over and asked a little strangely: "What's going on, general?"

    "The general is injured and fell into the water. Open the door quickly!"

    At this time, Zhang Wei's lips moved, and the sharp dagger immediately pressed against his ribs. The tip penetrated his clothes and made him feel a sting. The soldier in the quilt threatened in a low voice: "If you dare to scream, I will kill you with a knife."  Pierce you!"

    Zhang Wei bit his lip. At this time, the city gate began to slowly open, the suspension bridge was lowered, and the soldiers escorted the man in black into the city and entered the Wengcheng. The inner city gate also opened.

    At this time, the tooth general felt a little strange. The soldiers Zhang Wei brought out were all his confidants, and everyone was familiar with them. How come he didn't recognize any of these people when he came back?

    Suspicion arose in his heart, and he rushed down to the city. He stopped Zhang Wei's stretcher at the gate of the inner city. At this time, he saw clearly that except for the few soldiers in front of him, he didn't know any of the others.  Where are the military lords, Yang Tuen Chang and others? They clearly left the city with Zhang Wei.

    He became even more suspicious and stepped forward to salute Zhang Wei, "Where is the general injured?"

    Zhang Wei snorted twice and said nothing, but he gave Ya Jiang a look. Ya Jiang saw that Zhang Wei had a different look on his face. He stared at the quilt tightly. He already felt that there was someone else under the quilt, so he laughed dryly and said  : "A humble person can also cure diseases, why not let me take a look at it first for the general!"

    He suddenly grabbed the quilt and lifted it violently. Zhang Wei shouted in horror, "They are the Jingzhou Armyah!"

    The shouts from behind turned into long screams. The thin soldier pierced his body with a knife and jumped off the stretcher. Seeing that their disguise was seen through, several soldiers nearby drew their swords and slashed at Ya Jiang.  He was stabbed twice in the back, staggered into the city, covered his shoulders and shouted: "They are the enemy!"

    There was a huge chaos at the gate of the city. Hundreds of soldiers were divided into two groups. More than a hundred people guarded the outer city. The remaining more than 300 people drew their swords and rushed towards the inner city. More than 200 defenders on the city also ran down and fought fiercely with Jingzhou.  At one point, there was a loud cry of killing in the barbican city.

    Zhao Yun led more than 6,000 soldiers in the woods and stared at the west gate. He suddenly heard shouts of killing coming from the city. He turned around and shouted loudly: "The city is broken now. Brothers, follow me."?!  "

    He waved his silver spear and rushed out first, followed by six thousand soldiers who followed him in an overwhelming charge.

    There was a fierce fighting in the city at this time. There was a military camp not far from the city. After hearing the news, more than 2,000 Han Chinese soldiers rushed out of the military camp and swooped towards the west gate. The dense arrows were like locusts and like rapid rain, shooting into the caves of the city.  , shot to death together with the last dozens of Hanzhong soldiers.

    The soldiers of the Jingzhou Army had no shields, and hundreds of them were killed and injured immediately. They lay on their knees and piled up the corpses as a wall of flesh. Everyone hid behind the wall of flesh and held on to the city gate.

    "I only heard the city gate creaking and making a harsh sound. The soldiers on the city were trying their best to close the city, but the soldiers in the cave blocked the city gate with corpses. The two sides were in a stalemate.

    The same goes for the outer city. The iron chains of the suspension bridge were chopped to pieces by the soldiers. The wedges of the iron chains fell off from the wooden boards of the suspension bridge, like two giant snakes dancing in the air. The soldiers used wooden stakes to hold up the city gate and could not close it.  .

    The Jingzhou army outside the city was getting closer and closer. Zhao Yun took the lead. He lifted the reins, and the war horse leaped into the outer city like a cloud and mist. Arrows as dense as a rainstorm roared towards him from the top of the inner city. Zhao Yun waved his silver spear.  , like pear blossoms flying in the sky, shooting dense arrows, and sprinting towards the inner city non-stop.

    He rushed into the inner city like lightning and shouted to the soldiers in the cave, "Follow me to the city!"

    More than half of the Jingzhou soldiers in the city cave were dead or wounded, and they could no longer hold on. However, Zhao Yun's bravery infected every soldier, and courage burned in their hearts. They roared, got up one after another, and followed Zhao Yun into the city.

    Zhao Yun led more than a hundred soldiers into the group of archers. He went on a killing spree, like a fierce tiger or a flock of sheep. He killed the soldiers of the Hanzhong Army crying for heaven and earth. Corpses were everywhere. Wherever he passed, those who stood in his way were killed.  The victim died, the silver spear smashed the head, the brain burst, the spear tip pierced the throat, and the body was carried high into the air.

    This battle made every Hanzhong Army soldier fearful. Zhao Yun's reputation in Hanzhong was like the reincarnation of the God of Death. Those who heard about it changed their expressions. As six thousand Jingzhou soldiers rushed into the inner city, Zhang Lu praised himself as 'impregnable'.  Nanzheng City was finally lost.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, Zhang Lu fully believed that Wu Yi was going to withdraw his troops and go south. He had made a plan to send General Yang Ren to lead an army to take a small road to bypass Dingjun Mountain and ambush the Yizhou army on the way back to ambush the retreat.  The Yizhou Army in the center completely defeated Wu Yi's 20,000 troops and took them into surrender.

    But at this moment, the news that Zhang Weng's death was unknown and that Nanzheng City had been lost was spread to the Hanzhong Army camp by the soldiers of the Hanzhong Army on the periphery. This news shocked Zhang Lu so much that he didn't react for a full cup of tea.  come over.

    When he finally realized that the city had been captured, he fell into an extreme fear that he had never experienced before. This was manifested by him jumping into a rage, yelling like crazy, pulling out his sword and hacking at the tent.  The maps, documents and tables in the room were chopped into pieces by him.

    Not only that, he rushed out of the camp and killed seven or eight soldiers in a row, as if going crazy, until dozens of soldiers swarmed up, held him down, took away his sword, and tied him up with beef tendons, until this time.  At this time, Zhang Lu was still screaming at the top of his lungs, his voice was hoarse, and he was foaming at the mouth.

    Soldiers had already rushed to report to Yan Pu. The news of the fall of Nanzheng also shocked Yan Pu, but he was not stimulated to madness like Zhang Lu.

    He didn't have time to think carefully and hurried towards the Chinese army's tent. At this time, the news of the fall of Nanzheng had quickly spread throughout the military camp. The soldiers in Hanzhong were panic-stricken. Many of the soldiers' families were in Nanzheng City, and it was Zhao Yun who led the army to conquer it.  Nanzheng City, this made many soldiers feel extremely desperate.

    Yanpu saw soldiers with frightened faces along the way, which made his heart even heavier. He had realized that they had been deceived by Wu Yi's illusion. Yizhou had been occupied by Liu Jing, and Wu Yi had surrendered to the Jingzhou army, so he  Zhao Yun will come with him.

    Wu Yi used the illusion of withdrawal at Dingjun Mountain to contain the main force of the Hanzhong Army, creating an opportunity for Zhao Yun to sneak attack Nanzheng. This was a very clever strategy. The Jingzhou Army was indeed full of capable people. Yan Pu sighed, he didn't know what to do.  What happened?

    When he arrived at the Chinese army camp, Zhang Lu's soldiers came up to him and told him about Zhang Lu's madness. Yan Pu nodded, "I understand. Let me go and see the general."

    The soldiers surrounded Yan Pu and walked into the tent. At this time, Zhang Lu was sitting by the tent, leaning against a box that had been chopped to pieces. He had calmed down, his eyes full of despair, like a wild beast falling.  Falling into the hunter's trap, Yan Pu sighed, stepped forward and said softly: "General, the situation is not desperate yet, we still have a chance."

    "Chance?"

    Zhang Lu gave a low, bitter smile and muttered to himself in a hoarse voice, "I can't see the opportunity, I can't see the light, there is only a blur in front of me.Darkness, endless darkness, there are no roads, only graves.  "

    "General, we still have 45,000 troops in our hands, and we haven't lost any strength. It's just that Nanzheng City has been lost and can be recaptured. The other side doesn't have as many troops as we do, so we really still have a chance."

    Zhang Lu broke free of the tendons with both hands and grabbed Yan Pu, just like a drowning man grabbing a life-saving piece of wood. He stared at Yan Pu closely and said, "Do we still have a chance?"

    Yan Pu nodded, "There is still a chance!"

    "Then what should I do? Sir, teach me!" Zhang Lu's mind gradually recovered.

    Yan Pu thought for a while and said: "To prevent the morale of the army from collapsing, we must return to Nanzheng immediately, take advantage of the soldiers' eagerness to save their families, and storm Nanzheng City. Success or failure depends on this one move."

    "What if we can't capture Nanzheng?" Zhang Lu's eyes suddenly became extremely sharp and he stared at him and asked.

    Yan Pu bit his lip, "Then retreat to Weixing County and ask for help from Prime Minister Cao!"

    This time, Zhang Lu had no objection to asking for help from Cao Cao. He knew he had no choice. He tore off the tendons from his feet, helped a soldier to stand up, and ordered: "Give me my order and return immediately."  Nanzheng City!¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 534 Storm in Han Dynasty (4)

    Nanzheng City had been occupied by Zhao Yun for two days. In the battle to enter the city, more than a thousand Hanzhong soldiers were killed, and all the remaining soldiers surrendered. During the two days, Zhao Yun was busy reorganizing and surrendering his troops, deploying defenses, and conducting regular operations.  He was responsible for taking over the treasury and organizing the account books, while the officials in Nanzheng fled and ran away. Even Yang Song hid in his own house and could not leave.

    At this time, Zhao Yun did not bother to liquidate the original officials. He knew that Zhang Lu's army was about to counterattack, and he had to complete the defense deployment before the Hanzhong army could fight back. Fortunately, there were a large number of weapons and ammunition in the Nanzheng army depot, including five bows and crossbows.  Ten thousand pairs, there are as many as two million arrows, enough for them to defend the city.

    In the early morning, Zhao Yun inspected the city as usual. Of the 7,000 soldiers he brought, only 1,000 patrolled inside and outside the city, and the remaining 6,000 were used to defend the city.

    The top of the city was busy. Soldiers were carrying arrows and weapons. Stones and rolling logs were being moved to the top of the city. Heavy defensive weapons such as crossbows, trebuchets, and stone cannons were also placed in place one by one.

    Several tooth generals accompanied Zhao Yun to inspect the city. One of the tooth generals smiled and said: "This city is worthy of being called the 'impregnable city'. Although it is not as tall as Chengdu, its sturdiness is the first city in Bashu and Han. The city wall  They are all built with bluestone, with two layers inside and outside, and are extremely strong.¡±

    Zhao Yun patted the battlements and smiled and said: "It is indeed very strong, but don't worry, I don't think we can fight a siege!"

    Everyone was puzzled and asked: "General, why is this?"

    "How can they attack the city with peace of mind when the mantis stalks the cicada and the oriole is behind?"

    Everyone laughed and forgot about Wu Yi's army. At this moment, several scouts rushed from the west. Zhao Yun felt something and immediately leaned on the battlements and asked loudly: "What's going on?  "

    Several scouts reined in their horses and shouted to the top of the city: "Report to the general, the main force of the Hanzhong Army is coming here to kill, about 30,000 people, less than 30 miles away."

    The news that Zhao Yun was waiting for finally came. He thought for a moment and ordered: "Open the west city gate and prepare the whole army for battle!"

    ??Everyone was shocked and didn¡¯t know why the west city gate was opened. At this time, the city gate slowly opened, the suspension bridge was lowered, and six thousand soldiers climbed to the top of the city, bows and crossbows drawn, and they were ready.

    Dust was flying in the distance, and a black line was rapidly coming from the west to Nanzheng City. It was the main force of the 30,000 Hanzhong Army rushing back from Dingjun Mountain. Zhang Lu was so anxious that he galloped at the front.

    Behind him followed a large group of cavalry, including dozens of generals and nearly a thousand cavalry. They were as anxious as Zhang Lu. Their family members had fallen into the hands of the Jingzhou army. Rather than coming to attack the city, they wanted to know the news about their family members.  .

    The overwhelming army reached two miles outside the city and gradually stopped. A cavalryman ran back and reported: "General, there is only Zhao Yun outside the city. The city gate is wide open and there are no soldiers on the city."

    Zhang Lu was surprised. He urged his horse to run up to a high ground and looked toward the city gate. Sure enough, he saw the city gate wide open, the drawbridge lowered, and a general with a white horse and a silver spear standing alone at the city gate. He could not see the city gate.  A soldier.

    Zhang Lu was suspicious. He thought for a moment, then turned back to the generals and said, "Which general is willing to lead his army into the city?"

    All the generals looked at each other with fear. That was Zhao Yun. If he went up to challenge him, he would definitely die. No one among the thirty generals was willing to take the lead. Zhang Lu said angrily: "Raise troops for a thousand days and use them for a while. If you push back three and block four, you will wait."  What's the use? General Song, lead five thousand people into the city for me!"

    Standing in front, General Song Huan had no choice but to clasp his fists and say: "I humbly obey the order!"

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The drums of the attack sounded, and General Song Huan led five thousand troops towards the West City Gate like a tide. In front of the West City Gate, Zhao Yun, with a cold smile on his face, immediately raised his gun and watched motionlessly as the enemy troops approached.

    ¡®Two hundred steps, one hundred and fifty steps, one hundred steps¡¯

    Getting closer and closer, but the attacking soldiers began to slow down, and many people were filled with timidity. When they rushed fifty steps, Zhao Yun still did not move. The five thousand troops finally stopped, and they watched timidly and uneasily.  Zhao Yun, who was fighting alone, no one dared to rush forward despite the thunderous beating of drums.

    At this time, Zhao Yun pointed his spear forward, and drums sounded loudly on top of the city. Thousands of Jingzhou soldiers appeared together, opened their bows and fired arrows. Thousands of arrows shot at the five thousand Hanzhong Army soldiers overwhelmingly.

    Soldiers of the Hanzhong Army were struck by arrows and fell down one after another. Hundreds of them fell in front of the city gate. Screams resounded outside the west city. The sudden attack made the soldiers of the Hanzhong Army turn around and run away in shock. In panic, they trampled on each other and cried.  There were shouts, wails, and screams.

    Zhao Yun sneered. A small test showed that the morale of the Hanzhong army was low and the morale of the army was on the verge of collapse. This army was no longer their opponent. He turned his horse and returned.Inside the city.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhang Lu was furious, whipped Song Huan over his head and face, and cursed: "You bastard, you are useless, how can you explain to me?"

    Song Huan lowered his head, and after a while he explained: "It's not that my subordinates are disadvantaged, it's actually that the soldiers are frightened, their morale is low, and they have no intention of fighting anymore."

    Zhang Lu became even more angry and shouted: "Drag me down and kill me!"

    At this time, Yan Pu hurriedly stepped forward to persuade: "General, killing the general before the battle is not good for the morale of the army. Besides, this is not entirely General Song's fault. The general still needs to calm down."

    Zhang Lu also realized that he was too manic, so he waved his hand, "Push him down and hit him with thirty army sticks!"

    The soldiers held Song Huan down. Zhang Lu looked at Nanzheng City with worry on his face. He knew very well that Nanzheng City was strong and difficult to attack. He did not have enough siege weapons to capture Nanzheng City.  come back?

    At this moment, a patrol sentry flew over and reported loudly: "General Qi, Wu Yi's army is coming towards us, less than ten miles away."

    Zhang Luhuo turned around and looked to the southwest, looking across the woods. Faintly, he seemed to see the dust flying in the distance. At this moment, Zhang Lu suddenly realized that the moment that decided his fate had arrived.

    "The whole army is ready to fight!" Zhang Lu drew his sword and shouted.

    The 30,000-strong army turned around and began to face the west. Soon, the brigade circled around from the south of the forest and formed four large square formations, each with 5,000 men.

    Wu Yi brought all the troops. The soldiers had bright armor and banners like clouds. The main military flag at the head was no longer the blue flag of the Yizhou Army, but the red flag of the Jingzhou Army. This proved that Zhang Lu's worries came true.  , Jingzhou Army has occupied Yizhou.

    At this time, everyone in Zhang Lu's army who had a little bit of brains knew that their chances of winning were slim. The opponent had 20,000 troops. Plus the troops in the city, their strength was almost the same as theirs. Moreover, the opponent had morale and the advantage of occupying the city.  Jingzhou has clearly gained the upper hand, and many people are beginning to find a way out for themselves.

    Wu Yi took the lead and led his troops to continuously approach the Hanzhong Army. They were still more than a mile away.  He raised his hand and the team stopped. Wu Yi looked around the city. He saw two more big flags on the city tower. The one big flag just now became three big flags. This was what he and Zhao Yun had done beforehand.  Zhao Yun was telling him the secret code of the discussion and the city was also ready.

    Wu Yi looked back at his army again. He drew his sword, pointed at the Hanzhong Army and shouted: "Brothers, kill them!"

    Earth-shaking war drums suddenly sounded, and 20,000 soldiers shouted like thunder, "Kill!" All the people started running, like a rushing tide, waving swords and spears to kill the Hanzhong Army

    In Wengcheng just inside the west gate, five thousand Jingzhou Army soldiers were lined up and ready to go. Zhao Yun immediately stood in front of the team, half-closing his eyes, quietly listening to the battle outside the city. The war drums outside the city were rumbling, and the shouts of killing were shocking.  One day, the two armies started a fierce battle. At this time, a soldier on the top of the city shouted: "General Qi, the two armies are already fighting in one place."

    Zhao Yun nodded, turned around and shouted to the soldiers: "Brothers, defeat the enemy today, follow me and fight out of the city!"

    The city gate rumbled open, the suspension bridge was lowered, and Zhao Yun shouted sharply: "Fight out of the city!"

    He waved his spear and rushed out of the city. Five thousand soldiers followed him and rushed out of the west city gate. Dust was flying outside the city, flags were mixed, drums and shouts of death resounded across the field. Tens of thousands of troops were fighting fiercely in one place.  , the morale of the Jingzhou army was greatly boosted, and they followed the general Zhao Yun to kill the back of the Hanzhong army.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In this battle, the Hanzhong Army was attacked from both sides, and its morale was low. It only lasted for less than half an hour before the entire line collapsed. The soldiers rushed to escape, and more soldiers knelt down and surrendered.

    Most of the family members of the Hanzhong Army officers and soldiers were near Nanzheng City. They were unwilling to abandon their families and flee, and they were unwilling to work for Zhang Lu anymore. A spectacular surrender scene appeared on the entire battlefield. More than 20,000 soldiers abandoned their weapons and took off their clothes.  Armor, kneeling on the ground with hands raised.

    Seeing that the defeat was certain, Zhang Lu led thousands of his guards and fled in panic towards Dongcang. Zhao Yun and Wu Yi soldiers divided into two groups and pursued them relentlessly. In the end, Zhang Lu only escaped with less than a thousand men and fled to Weixing County in panic.

    More than 4,000 of the 30,000 Hanzhong people were killed, and the remaining 24,000 people all surrendered. This meant that Zhang Lu's foundation was completely removed from Hanzhong, leaving only more than 15,000 people in Shangyong City.

    While Liu Jing sent Wu Yi and Zhao Yun to march into Hanzhong, he sent a letter via flying pigeon to inform Gan Ning and Wei Yan who were attacking Shangyong that Shangyong City could be finished.

    Gan Ning and Wei Yan led 10,000 navy and army troops and hundreds of ships.The boat had a confrontation with the Hanzhong army occupying Shangyong City outside Shangyong City for nearly two months. The chief general of Shangyong City, Meng Da, and his deputy Yang Ang, guarded the city, blocked the waterway, and fought with Jingzhou outside the city.  Military confrontation.

    If we really want to seize Shangyong City and break through the waterway blockade, it will be easy for the Jingzhou Army. However, Shangyong City is just a diversionary move for the Jingzhou Army. It is diverted but not attacked, which affects the battle between Bashu and Hanzhong.

    Gan Ning and Wei Yan have been waiting for Liu Jing's order. Wei Yan led an army of 10,000 to station in Yongnan City, while Gan Ning led a navy of 5,000 to station at the mouth of the Dushui River. The two armies echoed each other.

    At noon that day, several fast boats came from the mouth of the blocked river and stopped at the dock of Yongnan City. Gan Ning jumped off the fast boats and walked quickly into the city.

    ¡°General Wei, I heard there¡¯s news from Zhou Mu?¡± Gan Ning asked impatiently when he saw Wei Yan.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 535 Storm in Han Dynasty (5)

    After waiting for two months in Shangyong, both Gan Ning and Wei Yan were a little impatient. Just this morning, Wei Yan sent a soldier to inform Gan Ning that there was news coming from Xiangyang, and Gan Ning was impatient.  Arriving at Yongnan City.

    Wei Yan nodded, "General Gan, please speak in the room!"

    The two of them entered the official room and sat down. Wei Yan took out a letter, handed it to Gan Ning and said with a smile: "This is the order just sent from Xiangyang. Zhou Mu has taken Yizhou and ordered us to capture Shangyong."

    Gan Ning took the letter and read it over, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, "I've finally waited for this moment."

    At this time, Wei Yan asked again: "How should we coordinate our actions next?"

    Gan Ning pondered for a moment and said: "It is easy for me to break the blockade from the waterway. It is better to take Shangyong City first to avoid disturbing the enemy."

    Wei Yan nodded, "In this case, I will retreat first and then connect with Meng Da."

    At noon that day, the Jingzhou Army, which had been facing off for nearly two months, finally evacuated Shangyong City and retreated towards Xiangyang. Anomalies in Yongnan City were immediately discovered in Shangyong City.

    The Hanzhong Army in Shangyong City has a total of more than 15,000 people, led by generals Meng Da and Yang Ang. Meng Da is nominally the chief general, and Yang Ang participates in coordinated defense. But in fact, Yang Ang has a higher military rank than Meng Da, and  He also had much more seniority in the army, and was appointed as the captain of Wei Xing County. Among the defenders of Shangyong City this time, 10,000 people were brought by Yang Ang from Wei Xing. These were actually his troops.

    Meng Da brought five thousand people from Nanzheng. This was Meng Da's army. Therefore, in Shangyong City, Meng Da and Yang Ang each commanded a part of the army, almost in separate formations.

    Meng Da hurriedly came to the city. He had just received news that the Jingzhou Army was showing signs of withdrawing. He leaned on the battlements and looked towards Yongnan City.

    Sure enough, the Jingzhou flag planted on the head of Yongnan City has disappeared, and Meng Da's heart suddenly became nervous. This was the signal they had agreed upon. Once the Jingzhou army withdraws eastward, it means that the operation has begun.

    Because of the confrontation between the two armies, their patrol posts could not be sent out, so the Jingzhou Army had to withdraw first and let the Shangyong City patrol posts go out, so as to give the two armies a chance to contact.

    Meng Da returned to his official room again. He wrote a note, called one of his soldiers, and told him: "I will send soldiers out to patrol the posts. You can go out with the patrols and go east to find the Jingzhou Army."  , meet Wei Yan and give him this note."

    The soldier took the note and put it away carefully, nodded and said: "General, don't worry! There will be no mistake."

    Mengda immediately sent ten patrols out of the city to find out the news. He had just finished arranging the patrols when a soldier came to report, "General Yang has something urgent to see you!"

    "Invite him in!"

    Not long after, Yang Ang quickly walked into Meng Da's official room. Yang Ang was about forty years old, tall and fierce in appearance. He was a veteran of the Hanzhong Army. He followed Zhang Lu from Yizhou to Hanzhong to quell the rebellion. Zhang  After Lu stole Hanzhong, he followed Zhang Lu, gradually rose through the ranks, and was appointed captain of Weixing County.

    This time, the situation in Shangyong was more complicated. First, General Meng Da led 5,000 men to capture Shangyong, and was immediately appointed as the captain of Shangyong County. However, due to the large-scale counterattack by the Jingzhou Army, Zhang Lu was afraid that Shangyong would make a mistake, so he  Yang Ang was ordered to lead the Weixing County garrison to assist Shangyong and participate in Shangyong's defense.

    Of course, Zhang Lu had another deeper meaning, that is, Yang Ang was arrogant and unruly, so Zhang Lu took advantage of this opportunity to help defend Shangyong and transferred Yang Ang away from Wei Xing County, and then appointed his brother Zhang Wei as the commander-in-chief.  The prefect of Weixing County led his troops to garrison Weixing County.

    This invisibly replaced Yang Ang's power in Weixing County, so Yang Ang was always unhappy and led his army to Shangyong. He did not obey Meng Da's command and took matters into his own hands.

    Yang Ang also heard the news about the withdrawal of the Jingzhou army, and hurriedly came to discuss with Meng Da. Although his status and qualifications were higher than Meng Da's, after all, Meng Da was the captain of Shangyong and controlled Shangyong's money and food. Yang Ang  The money and food supply for the 10,000-strong army depended on Meng Da, so he spoke politely to Meng Da.

    "General Meng, I heard that the Jingzhou Army has withdrawn eastward, and the crisis in Shangyong should be resolved. I plan to lead the army back to Weixing County, so I would like to discuss with General Meng. Can you provide me with a month's rations?"

    At this time, Zhao Yun's army had just captured Nanzheng City. Of course, they did not know what had happened in Nanzheng City, but Yang Ang knew that Zhang Wei had been transferred back to Nanzheng by Zhang Lu. Now that there were no troops stationed in Weixing County, he wanted to take the opportunity to return.  Wei Xingjun regained his territory, but he was worried about insufficient food and grass, so he came to ask Mengda for food shamelessly.

    Meng Da was shocked. Yang Ang actually wanted to withdraw his troops. This was not possible. If these 10,000 troops left, how could he explain to the state pastor?  He must be stabilized first.

    He thought for a while and smiled: "If Captain Yang wants to go back, of course I won't stop him.The grass will be given in abundance. Can you please wait another three days for Captain Yang? After my patrol comes back, the Jingzhou Army has indeed retreated. At that time, I will practice for Captain Yang again.  "

    Although Yang Ang didn't want to wait any longer and was eager to return to Weixing County, Meng Da's words made sense. Yang Ang agreed due to the pressure of money and food, "Okay! I will wait for three more days. After three days, I will ask Meng Da  General, farewell!"

    Gan Ning's navy and Wei Yan's army both evacuated Shangyong City for about fifty miles, just leaving Shangyong County and within the boundaries of Fangling County. This gave Mengda the opportunity to send patrols out of the city. At night, Wei Yan was reading in the big tent.  , Wei Yan's soldiers hurriedly led a Hanzhong Army patrol to the Chinese army's tent and reported: "To General Wei, General Meng has sent someone."

    "Please come in!"

    Wei Yan put down his book. He was waiting for news from Meng Da. When the curtain was lifted, the soldiers led the messenger sent by Meng Da into the big tent. The messenger knelt down on one knee and saluted, took out Meng Da's note and held it with both hands.  Presented, "This is General Meng's handwriting, please see General Wei!"

    The guard handed the note to Wei Yan. Wei Yan took the note and opened it and read it. Meng Da said on the note that he was going to annihilate Yang Ang's army and asked the Jingzhou army to enter the city in time to avoid chaos. The time to enter the city was set.  In the evening of the day after tomorrow, at the right time.

    Wei Yan nodded, "Go back and tell General Meng that everything will be done according to his plan. I will appear outside the city on time!"

    The messenger bowed and left.

    Wei Yan thought for a moment, then immediately wrote a letter and handed it to his soldiers: "Go to General Gan's fleet quickly and give him this letter!"

    Time soon arrived in the afternoon of the third day. The patrol soldiers came back and reported to Meng Da that the Jingzhou Army had evacuated Shangyong County. This meant that the alarm in Shangyong was temporarily lifted. Yang Ang once again sent someone to urge Meng Da to deliver money and grain.  , he wants to return to Weixing County.

    Mengda then set up a farewell banquet at the county government office, and invited Yang Ang and his twelve confidants to come to the banquet to bid farewell to them on their way west.

    At night, the lights in the county office were brightly lit. Meng Da set up five banquets and entertained Yang Ang and his confidants. He invited the gentry and wise men from Shangyong City to accompany him, and also invited a group of dancing girls to add to the fun.  There was a sea of ??wine, the sound of silk and bamboo, the graceful figures of dancing girls, teams of soldiers bringing dishes and wine like flowing water, everyone was laughing and chatting, and it was extremely lively.

    Meng Da held up the wine bowl and said with a smile: "Thank you Captain Yang for your assistance for more than a month, helping me to defend Shangyong. General Yang will leave early tomorrow morning. This bowl of wine expresses my respect. I will drink it first."

    He picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp. He raised the empty bowl high and everyone cheered in unison. Yang Ang and his men had drank a lot of wine and were half drunk. They couldn't help but glance at the graceful dancer.  They haven't touched a woman for such a long time, and when they are about to leave, everyone has loosened their guard and started to become distracted.

    Meng Da knew it well, and after a thought, he suddenly had a way to deal with these guys, and he laughed and said: "If Brother Yang doesn't mind it, let these dancers accompany Brother Yang and the brothers tonight!  Just think of it as my heart.¡±

    Yang Ang was overjoyed and said with a smile on his face: "Thank you, dear brother, come! I will give you a bowl of wine, dear brother."

    Everyone drank for a while. At this time, a soldier stepped forward and whispered to Meng Da: "There is still a quarter of an hour left."

    In other words, there was still a quarter of an hour before the agreed time. When Meng Da saw that the time was approaching, he asked people to take the dancers and gentry down. He stood up and smiled at Yang Ang and the generals: "A moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold.  The dancers are already waiting at the back door, and your horses and entourage are also at the back door. If the soldiers don't see it, please take them away through the back door! I will send the money and food early tomorrow morning."

    Yang Ang smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, General Meng, for your kindness!" He winked at all the confidant generals, and all the generals were so horny that they drank all the wine in the bowl and stood up to leave.

    They drunkenly walked to the back door. As soon as they entered a courtyard, the front and back doors suddenly closed. Yang Ang was startled. He suddenly found that the walls on both sides were filled with soldiers holding crossbows. He suddenly woke up and said, "Not good!"  He yelled, turned around and ran, but it was too late. An arrow shot through his heart, followed by a volley of arrows from the wall, killing Yang Ang and all twelve of his henchmen in the yard.  .

    When Meng Da saw that Yang Ang and his trusted generals were dead, he immediately led dozens of his trusted soldiers and rode towards the east gate. At this time, the defenses of the east and west gates of Shangyong City were all replaced by Meng Da's trusted soldiers.  , Mengda shouted loudly: "Open the city gate!"

    The east city gate rumbled open, and soldiers raised torches and waved them on top of the city. It was already Xu Shizheng, and the appointed time had come. Wei Yan led an army of 10,000 people to ambush outside the city. He saw the torches on top of the city, and felt in his heart  Overjoyed, he immediately ordered his troops to march into the city.

    More than 10,000 Jingzhou Army soldiers entered Shangyong City. Wei YanyiThe horse took the lead and saw Meng Da in the firelight. He laughed and said, "Congratulations to General Meng for your great achievements!"

    Meng Da cupped his hands and said: "Yang Ang and his trusted generals have been killed. General Wei, please march directly into the camp to collect the soldiers. There will be no resistance."

    Wei Yan nodded, turned around and ordered: "The army will enter the Western Army Camp to collect the surrendered soldiers. Anyone who dares to resist will be killed on the spot!"

    The whole night, Shangyong City was spent in chaos and tension. Since Yang Ang and his trusted generals were killed, the Jingzhou Army did not encounter fierce resistance. In addition to killing more than a hundred stubborn resisters, the Jingzhou Army took complete control.  According to the situation, early the next morning, Gan Ning also annihilated all three thousand Hanzhong troops responsible for intercepting the Han River.

    Wei Yan left 5,000 troops to his general Lu Jin, asking him to assist Mengda in guarding Shangyong City, pacify the people, and recruit the surrendered soldiers. Wei Yan himself and Gan Ning each led 5,000 troops and advanced toward the hinterland of Hanzhong by land and water.  Weixing County.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 536 People use their talents

    The Battle of Hanzhong can only be regarded as an additional battle of the Battle of Bashu. At the beginning of the march into Bashu, Shangyong's foreshadowing and Liu Zhang's dispatch of troops laid the foundation for the final capture of Hanzhong.

    After Liu Jing entered Yizhou, seizing Hanzhong became a matter of course. Zhang Lu, who was desperate, finally fled to Yedu and surrendered to Cao Cao under Yan Pu's persuasion.

    Ten days later, Liu Jing arrived at Nanzheng City. At this time, Wei Yan and Gan Ning also led their troops to Nanzheng to join Zhao Yun's Jingzhou army.

    Outside the city gate and the west gate, dozens of Jingzhou army generals came out of the city to greet Liu Jing. When Liu Jing arrived at Caicheng gate surrounded by thousands of soldiers, everyone knelt down on one knee and saluted Liu Jing, "See Zhou Mu!  "

    Liu Jing turned over and dismounted, stepped forward and helped Zhao Yun and others up one by one. He patted Zhao Yun's shoulder heavily, his eyes full of approval. Zhao Yun bowed and clasped his fists and said: "Zhao Yun only made a small contribution, not worthy of Zhou Mu."  Appreciate it.¡±

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "If General Zhao has only a small amount of merit, what will others do? Being too humble may not make people like him!"

    Everyone laughed together, "Zhou Mu is right. If General Zhao is too humble, he will block our path to wealth that generous reward."

    Zhao Yun gave a bitter smile and said nothing more. Liu Jing smiled at everyone and said, "Everyone has made great efforts to capture Hanzhong this time. I will reward you one by one in recognition of your achievements."

    Everyone was overjoyed and bowed again, "Thank you to the state pastor for the award!"

    At this time, an unprotected carriage stopped in front of Liu Jing. Zhao Yun smiled and said, "Please invite the state pastor into the city!"

    Liu Jing happily got on the carriage. Guarded by hundreds of cavalry, the carriage drove slowly towards Nanzheng City. Everyone got on their horses and followed the carriage. The carriage drove slowly on the central street of Nanzheng City.

    Liu Jing stood on the carriage with a sword in hand and looked at the big city of Hanzhong majestically. The buildings in the city were very neat, the streets were clean and wide, and there were no shabby thatched bamboo huts. It could be seen that Zhang Lu managed Hanzhong very well.

    On both sides of the street, every household set up an incense burner outside the door and knelt down to welcome Liu Jing into the city. Liu Jing was quite moved and smiled softly to Zhao Yun who was following him: "Brother, do you still remember what happened in Runan back then?"

    Zhao Yun nodded slightly and sighed: "Back then, my dear brother said that he had ambitions for the world, and I just laughed it off. But who would have thought that nine years later, one of three parts of the world would have been obtained, and no one knows your details better than me.  ¡±

    Liu Jing burst out laughing, and Zhao Yun was filled with emotion. He recalled that when he and Liu Jing escaped, that humble young man turned out to be a hero of a generation. He had to marvel at God's miraculous arrangement. Thinking of this, Zhao Yun also showed a trace of his face.  A genuine smile.

    At this time, thousands of people poured into the streets, singing and dancing to welcome Liu Jing. Liu Jing saw that their costumes were miscellaneous, and smiled at Zhao Yun and said: "Hanzhong and Chengdu are very different. Most of them in Chengdu are local Shu people, and they wear the same color, but  In Nanzheng City, it seems that there are costumes from all over the country, and there seems to be people from Chu, Shu, and many people from Qin.¡±

    Zhao Yun smiled and said: "The people in Hanzhong are actually the Qin people, most of whom fled from Guanzhong to seek refuge. I don't know the specific situation. You can ask Mr. Fa."

    Liu Jing remembered someone and asked, "Can Yang Song surrender?"

    "He wanted to surrender, but his reputation was not very good and he was too corrupt, so I didn't agree to it for the time being."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Bring him to see me later!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Hanzhong originally belonged to Yizhou, but was separated by Zhang Lu. It governed the three counties of Hanzhong, Wudu, and Weixing, and implemented the integration of military, government, and education. The highest official office was called Tianshi Mansion, which was where Zhang Lu handled military, government, and educational affairs.

    But now that Liu Jing has occupied Hanzhong, the three counties of Hanzhong have returned to the jurisdiction of Yizhou. However, Hanzhong still maintains its independence militarily, so the Tianshi Mansion was renamed Hanzhong Junyamen.

    Liu Jing was resting temporarily in the inner hall. Not long after, Meng You hurried over with Yang Song. He asked Yang Song to wait in the yard for a while while he went in to report to Liu Jing.

    At this time, Yang Song was extremely nervous. He wanted to surrender to the Jingzhou Army, but Zhao Yun refused and sent troops to take control of his mansion, which made Yang Song panic about impending disaster.

    His only hope is the Meng brothers. Can Liu Jing spare his life for the sake of taking in the Meng brothers? At this time, Meng You came out of the inner hall and smiled at him: "Mr. Yang, please come in!"

    Yang Song walked towards the inner hall tremblingly. When he reached the door, he asked Meng You in a trembling voice, "The Lord of Chudo you want to kill me?"

    Meng You smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry! It's not that serious."

    Walking into the inner hall, Liu Jing was sitting on the couch slowly drinking tea, Yang Song ¡®Plop!  ¡¯ Kneel down and kowtow repeatedly, ¡°The guilty minister Yang Song pays homage to the Marquis of Chu!¡±

     Liu Jing glanced at him and said with a smile: "We have dealt with each other a long time ago!"

    Yang Song was stunned, when had he ever dealt with Liu Jing?  His thoughts suddenly changed, and he suddenly realized that when the Tao family passed through Hanzhong while selling horses, he had been bribed to let them go.

    He suddenly understood what Liu Jing meant, which was alluding to him being bribed. After thinking about this, he turned pale with fright and trembled all over.

    Liu Jing looked at him coldly. This man did have great talent, and his financial management skills were unparalleled in the world. However, his weaknesses were also obvious. He was too greedy and bribery. Liu Jing also wanted to use him, but before using him, he must  Give him a good whack.

    "How much money have you saved over the years and how much land have you bought? Give me real money!"

    Yang Song was covered in cold sweat, his forehead was on the ground, and his legs were trembling. After a long while, he stammered: "I don't like land, only one thousand two hundred acres, money I  Countless."

    It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t know how much money he has, he knows better than anyone else how much money he has, but he doesn¡¯t dare to say it.

    "How many children do you have?" Liu Jing asked again.

    "I have two sonsand one daughter."

    "It seems you don't have many children, so how do you spend it when you have accumulated so much wealth?"

    Yang Song couldn't say a word. He was born with the love of making money, which had become his pleasure. As for how to spend the money, he didn't think much about it.

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Let me show you the way! You can make money openly, do trade, open shops, and still have a lot of money.

    In fact, you don¡¯t have to take the risk of taking bribes. It will not only damage your moral character, but also bring you death. I have a patrol station in Jingzhou, and they are all spies. Once corruption is discovered, they will be dismissed from their posts and imprisoned at worst.  The whole family was killed, do you understand what I mean?  "

    Yang Song was stunned. He kind of heard what Liu Jing meant, which was to let him make money in the right way in the future and stop taking bribes. He seemed to see a glimmer of hope in his heart and kowtowed: "The guilty minister dare not be greedy anymore."  Bribed."

    "Okay! That's all I have to say. I won't touch your old land and money. I'll treat it as your ancestral heritage. But from today on, if you dare to embezzle or take a single bribe, I will raid your entire family.  Behead and confiscate all family property, do you remember?" Liu Jing said with a stern voice.

    "Sinful ministerremember it!"

    "Get up!"

    Yang Song climbed up tremblingly and stood with his hands down.

    Liu Jing took a sip of tea, thought for a while and said: "I appoint you as the governor of Hanzhong, run Hanzhong well for me, be honest and honest, and I will make you a marquis in the future, so that you can honor your ancestors and leave a famous name in the history books.  "

    Yang Song's tears suddenly welled up. He was so moved that he knelt down again and cried: "I am willing to shed my blood to the ground to repay my lord for your kindness!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Yang Song said goodbye and left. Liu Jing glanced at the soldier standing at the door and saw that he was hesitant to speak, so she asked, "What's the matter?"

    "Mr. Fa is here, waiting outside."

    Seeing Liu Jing's tired face, the soldier hesitated and said, "How about I ask him to come back later?"

    Liu Jing was really tired after traveling all the way north. He originally wanted to rest for a while, but since Fazheng had already arrived, Liu Jing cheered up and said, "No, let's invite him in!"

    The soldiers retreated, and after a while, Fazheng was led into the back hall. He knelt down and bowed, "I pay my respects to the Zhou Mu!"

    "You're welcome, sir, please get up!" Liu Jing waved her hands and smiled.

    Fazheng sat up straight and handed a cleared inventory to Liu Jing, "This is the population and treasury situation of Hanzhong, please have a look at it from the state pastor."

    Liu Jing took the inventory and did not open it to take a closer look. Instead, she smiled and said, "I'll take a look at it later tonight. Sir, you might as well tell me about it first."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Fazheng briefly organized his thoughts and said: "Speaking of which, the situation in Hanzhong is indeed surprisingly good. It has a population of more than 100,000 households and more than 600,000 people. Nanzheng alone has 400,000 shi of grain and 850,000 pieces of cloth.  Horses, 20,000 catties of gold, and more than 300,000 livestock in the government. The money piled up like mountains, and many of them were rotten. I have to admit that Zhang Lu managed Hanzhong well, and Yang Song was good at managing money, and only after he accumulated a lot of money could he earn a good job.  family fortune.¡±

    These figures made Liu Jing very happy. This time he marched into Hanzhong and Bashu and got such a rich harvest, which really surprised him. Liu Jing breathed a sigh of relief. In this way, the pressure on Jingzhou was completely relieved.

    At this time, Fazheng said again: "Hanzhong only had 20,000 households more than ten years ago. Mainly because of Dong Zhuo's rebellion and Li Ji's rebellion, a lot of people were involved.?The population has poured into Hanzhong, and the population has increased rapidly five times. These days, Weichen has also investigated nearly a thousand households. They have some doubts about Zhou Mu taking over Hanzhong. The key is taxes. If taxes increase, many people will  Planning to return to Guanzhong.  "

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and asked: "How much is the tax in Guanzhong? Do you know how filial and upright you are?"

    "It's about fifteen taxes per yen, plus oral taxes, calculation taxes, and corvee labor. It's not too low in total. It's similar to Yizhou. What's more important is that a large amount of land in Guanzhong has been idle for many years. If they want to return to Guanzhong, they can only  It¡¯s just talk. I think no one would be willing to return to Guanzhong to face the risk of war after they have been stable in Hanzhong for many years.¡±

    "That makes sense."

    Liu Jing also smiled and said: "The occupation of Hanzhong is not just for their little tax, so let's maintain the status quo!"

    "Wei Chen understands."

    At this time, Fazheng hesitated and asked: "Does Zhou Mu mean that Wei Chen should stay in Hanzhong?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "It's too unfair to let Xiaozhi stay in Hanzhong."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 537 News from Guanzhong

    The inner hall became quiet. Fazheng had always been concerned about his future. He was demoted by Liu Zhang to manage the library because he was implicated in the Zhang Song case. He counted on Liu Jing to join Shu so that he could completely turn over. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing still re-employed Bashu.  He was an official from the local department and sent him to Hanzhong.

    Fa Zheng originally thought that Liu Jing wanted to keep him in Hanzhong, but he had just received the news that Liu Jing had reappointed Yang Song as the prefect of Hanzhong County. This made Fa Zheng quite disappointed. That was the position he wanted, but he was given the position.  Does Yang Song, who has a bad reputation, want to make himself the county magistrate?

    Liu Jing took a few steps with his hands behind his back. He had been thinking about the arrangements for Fa Zheng. In fact, as a superior, he did not need to interfere with specific affairs. He only had to manage people. As long as he hired people properly, everything would naturally go smoothly.

    Fazheng's talent lies in military affairs rather than government affairs, which is why he has been difficult to get ahead in Bashu. Fazheng is an outstanding counselor and should not be engaged in trivial government affairs. Liu Zhang did not discover his advantages, which shows that Liu Zhang employs people.  unknown.

    From this capture of Hanzhong, we can see Fazheng's ingenious plan. He seized the most critical point in the chaos, captured Nanzheng City, uprooted Zhang Lu's foundation, and caused Zhang Lu's power to collapse.

    Moreover, the strategy when capturing Nanzheng was also extremely brilliant. He took advantage of the contradiction between Zhang Wei and Yang Song to successfully defraud the city. The details in between were even more remarkable. It would be too much for such a talent to serve as a county official.  Pity.

    More importantly, the status of Hanzhong is not trivial. It will be the link between Bashu and Guanzhong in the future. He must let key people control this key place.

    Of course, the key person will not be Yang Song. He made Yang Song the prefect just to imitate Liu Bang's Yong Chi strategy. Even corrupt officials like Yang Song were forgiven. Those northern officials who always have selfish motives have nothing to worry about.  Woolen cloth?

    But the real power cannot be given to Yang Song. In the future, the official office of real power in Hanzhong County will not be the governor's office, but the governor's office, so Fa Zheng is a key figure in the governor's office.

    As for the officials under their command, they will soon understand the secret of this without saying anything.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled lightly and said: "Cao Cao has four great counselors, Guo Jia, Xun Yu, Xun You and Cheng Yu. Now there are three left, so I also need four great counselors. I have Jia Xu, Sima Yi, and there are still more  The best of the two is Zhuge Liang, but it¡¯s a pity that he refuses to assist me. Pang Tong can barely count as one! Then there is still one person left. I wonder if Xiaozhi is willing to be one of them.¡±

    Fazheng was stunned for a moment. Only then did he understand Liu Jing's intention of letting him follow the army into Hanzhong. It turned out that he wanted to make himself one of the four major plotters. Fazheng was excited and looking forward to it. He quickly bowed deeply and said, "  Fa Zheng is willing to serve Zhou Mu!¡±

    Liu Jing smiled again and said: "Although you are a military advisor, you have to stay in Hanzhong. Zilong will be the governor of Hanzhong and will be in charge of Hanzhong's military affairs. General Wu Yi will assist him in handling military affairs, but he lacks a long history to assist in government affairs."  , let Takashi take charge!¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, Liu Jing sat at the table and wrote letters to his family. He not only wanted to write a letter to his wife Tao Zhan, but also to his second wife Shangxiang.

    In addition, he was very concerned about something. Judging from the time, Little Bao Niang should have given birth, but he didn't know whether it was a son or a daughter. At this moment, Liu Jing's heart was full of tenderness. He had always hoped that he could have a daughter, and he hoped that Little Bao Niang would give birth to a daughter.  Don't let him down once.

    At this time, the door knocked, interrupting Liu Jing's thoughts. Liu Jing stopped writing and asked with some displeasure: "What's the matter?"

    "Zhou Mu, Liu Canjun is here, there is news from Guanzhong!"

    This news made Liu Jing's unhappiness disappear immediately, and he hurriedly said: "Invite him in quickly!"

    Liu Canjun was naturally Liu Min. He was once again ordered to send an envoy to Longyou to establish contact with Ma Chao. Liu Jing was also very concerned about the situation in Guanzhong. This time he launched a large-scale attack on Bashu and Hanzhong. Cao Cao did not send troops to intervene, which made him feel a bit strange.  Perhaps Cao Cao was temporarily unable to intervene in Bashu and Hanzhong, but in any case, Cao Cao would not stand idly by. He suspected that there would be news from Guanzhong.

    Just when he was worried, Liu Min arrived in time.

    A moment later, Liu Min walked into the room dusty. He had just arrived from Guanzhong and brought news from Guanzhong and Ma Chao's request.

    "See Zhou Mu!" Liu Min bowed deeply.

    Liu Jing saw that he was darker and thinner than last time, but in very good spirits, so she smiled and said: "Thank you for your hard work, Liu Canjun, please sit down!"

    "Xie Zhoumu!"

    Liu Min sat down, took out a letter from his arms, and handed it to Liu Jing, "This is a letter written by Ma Chao. Please ask the state pastor to read it."

    Liu Jing took the letter, but did not open it in a hurry. He looked at it and put it on the table. He asked with a smile: "What's going on in Guanzhong? Has Cao Cao sent troops?"

    Liu Min clicked?, "Cao Cao sent troops very strangely. He ordered Sili Colonel Zhong Yao to conquer Zhang Lu. Zhong Yao led 30,000 troops to march south. However, he did not go through Ziwu Valley or Chencang Road, but went west out of San.  Pass and go south via Qishan Road.¡±

    Liu Jing immediately stood up, took out a map and spread it on the table. He looked at it carefully for a moment. Qishan Mountain is located in the southwest of Tianshui County, but after leaving Sanguan, it is Ma Chao's territory. This is equivalent to borrowing Ma Chao's territory. Liu Jing  Jing couldn't help but frown, "This is strange. Does Cao Cao want to attack Guo under false pretenses again?"

    Liu Min sighed, "The key is that Cao Jun did not say hello to Ma Chao and led his troops directly out of Sanguan. He said he was going south via Qishan Mountain, but he stationed troops in Tianshui County for ten days. Ma Chao could not bear it anymore and decided to send troops to expel him.  Cao Jun."

    Liu Jing picked up the letter on the table, opened it and read it. As Liu Min said in the letter, Ma Chao decided to send troops to expel Cao Jun. He hoped that Liu Jing could also send troops to Guanzhong to defeat Cao Jun together. Liu Jing thought for a moment and then asked: "  Have you sent out troops yet?"

    "Yedu has also sent troops. Cao Cao ordered Xia Houyuan, the Western Protector, to lead an army of 30,000 from Hedong to Guanzhong, preparing to join Zhong Yao."

    As soon as Liu Ming finished speaking, another soldier reported outside the door: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Li Fu sent someone from Yedu to send urgent information."

    The news came almost at the same time. Liu Jing realized that Cao Cao was going to make a big move, and he hurriedly said: "Bring it in!"

    After a while, the soldiers hurried in with a young man. The young man knelt down on one knee, took out a letter and presented it, "On the order of Li Canjun, deliver a letter to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing took the letter and read it again. He nodded and asked, "How is Li Canjun doing in Yedu now?"

    "Back to Zhoumu, Li Canjun has established an intelligence network in Yedu, with more than 80 subordinates, and it is running very smoothly."

    Liu Jing smiled happily. Li Fu was indeed very capable and lived up to his expectations. He immediately ordered his surroundings, "Give him ten taels of gold and take him down to rest."

    "Thank you for the pastoral reward from Zhou!" The messenger bowed and followed the soldiers to retreat.

    At this time, Liu Jing glanced at Liu Min who was full of expectations and said with a smile: "Wait a moment, I will find another person to discuss."

    He then said to the soldiers: "Go and invite Mr. Fa!"

    After the soldiers had gone to receive the order, Liu Jing turned back to Liu Min and said: "Mr. Fa is also the famous minister of Yizhou, Fa Xiaozhi. He is a man of great talent, but it is a pity that Liu Zhang is mediocre and does not recognize talents. Fa Xiaozhi will also become my deputy military advisor in the future.  Staff Military."

    Liu Min said happily: "Zhou Mu can make full use of people's talents, which is the key to our success. I hope Zhou Mu can further promote talents in an eclectic way. We will surely surpass Cao Cao, become the number one force in the world, and eventually unify the world."

    "You are right, talent is the foundation of prosperity. I have ordered Xiangyang to organize the Talent Seeking Examination to seek talents from all over the world this autumn. Scholars from all over the world, regardless of whether they are high or low, can come to Xiangyang to take the exam. Scholars will be selected based on their talents."

    Fazheng was also temporarily stationed in the military office, a few yards away from Liu Jing. Soon he followed the soldiers to Liu Jing's yard, "Zhou Mu, Mr. Fa is here!" The soldiers reported outside the door.

    "Please come in!"

    Fazheng walked into the room, saluted Liu Jing, and looked at Liu Min. He did not recognize Liu Min, "This is"

    Liu Jing introduced him with a smile: "This is Liu Canjun, who is known as our first envoy in Jingzhou. Sir, have you heard of him?"

    "Could he be the nephew of the former Jingzhou Liu Biejia?"

    Liu Min bowed and saluted, "It is my junior Liu Min. I have heard of Mr. Fa for a long time. I hope that Mr. Fa will give more support to this junior."

    "Where! Liu Canjun is a promising young man. I heard that even Cao Cao praised Joining the Army for his courage and courage. He is worthy of being a rising star."

    The two of them said a few words of humility, and Liu Jing asked them to sit down. He then introduced the situation on Ma Chao's side to Fazheng, and finally said: "Just now, Li Fu sent someone to deliver an urgent message, saying that Cao Cao has ordered his eldest son, Cao Pi, to temporarily take charge of government affairs.  He also ordered Cheng Yu to assist Cao Pi, which reminded me of Cao Cao's southern expedition the year before. "

    Fazheng nodded, "Obviously, Cao Cao is preparing for the Western Expedition, but I think his goal is not Hanzhong, but Ma Chao."

    Liu Min suddenly realized, "Then Zhong Yao sent troops to Tianshui County to deliberately force Ma Chao to rebel?"

    Liu Jing sneered, "It has been two months since I sent troops to Bashu, and Cao Cao just sent troops to attack Hanzhong. This was obviously a pretense. He didn't dare to compete with me for Hanzhong. Instead, he destroyed Ma Chao first and blocked Guanzhong.  I was not allowed to go north again, but Cao Cao didn't expect that I would capture Hanzhong so quickly."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing glanced at Fazheng and said: "The question now is that Ma Chao invites me to go north and attack Guanzhong. Do you think I can agree?"

    Fazheng lowered his head and thought for a long time. He shook his head and said, "Frankly speaking,I don't agree with joining forces with Ma Chao.  "

    "Why?" Liu Jing looked at Fazheng with bright eyes and asked.

    Fazheng smiled and said: "I personally think that the biggest obstacle to the Jingzhou army's march north to Guanzhong is actually not Cao Cao, but Ma Chao."

    The room was silent, and even Liu Min was deep in thought. Liu Jing walked to the window with his hands behind his hands and looked out at the deep night. Of course he understood what Fazheng meant. If he sent troops to capture Guanzhong with Ma Chao, who would Guanzhong belong to?  ?  Is it Liu Jing or Ma Chao?

    Obviously, Ma Chao is the leader and he is only assisting. The majority of the interests naturally belong to Ma Chao. Most of the land in Guanzhong will be occupied by Ma Chao. This completely destroys his original intention of seizing Guanzhong and lays the foundation for the internal strife between him and Ma Chao.  .

    Even if Ma Chao retreats ten thousand steps and generously gives up Guanzhong to him, then he will march eastward to the Central Plains in the future, but Ma Chao is a knife in his back. Will he stab him in the back when his defense is empty? This will  It became his trouble in the West, but if he eradicated Ma Chao first, wouldn't it mean that he, Liu Jing, was repaying kindness with hatred?  Lost the hearts of the people in the world.

    So Fazheng was absolutely right. The biggest obstacle to his march north to Guanzhong was not Cao Cao, but Ma Chao.

    "Then what does Xiaozhi think I should do?" Liu Jing asked in a deep voice.

    "Wei Chen means to stand still and use Cao Cao's help to eradicate Ma Chao."

    Liu Min showed worry in his eyes and asked: "But we have an alliance with Ma Chao. If we stand still, will we lose the credibility of the state pastor?"

    Fazheng smiled slightly, "This is very simple. There are many reasons. For example, the Battle of Yizhou has not yet ended, the seven counties of Nanyizhou have not yet been pacified, Yong Kai and others have raised troops to invade Bajun, etc. These are all facts, Zhou  Mu can definitely conquer Yongkai and the southern counties of Yizhou first. Ma Chao is not asking for help anyway, and there is no moral problem, so Ma Chao will not insist anymore. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "Xiao Zhi is indeed a mastermind!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 538 Ma Chao Rebellion

    Among the forces in Guanzhong and Longyou, Cao Cao actually only fully controlled the Sanfu area, that is, Jingzhao County, Fufeng County and Fengyi County, while the Guanlong area outside Sanfu was much more complicated.

    The imperial court controlled some major cities, but the small counties and vast countryside belonged to Ma Teng, Han Sui, and many warlords and barbarians. This situation of separatism by the heroes extended westward to the Hehuang area and the Hexi Corridor.

    Ma Teng's army is different from the Central Plains army. Many of his soldiers are Qiang, Di and other Hu people living in Liangzhou and Longyou. These Hu people are organized according to tribes. In this way, his army is also affected by the tribal system.  Composed of semi-independent parts,

    In addition to Ma Teng's 20,000 troops under direct jurisdiction, there are eight warlords including Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin, Yang Qiu, Li Kan, Zhang Heng, Liang Xing, Cheng Yi, and Ma Wan. Each of them has an army of seven to eight thousand or more.  Ten thousand people formed an alliance, and they all regarded Ma Teng as the leader of the alliance.

    Two years ago, after Ma Teng came to Beijing to serve as an official under the pressure of Cao Cao, he handed over the army to his eldest son Ma Chao, but Ma Teng did not trust Ma Chao. He was very afraid that his eldest son would rebel. Once the eldest son rebelled against Cao Cao, he would be implicated.  Disaster, it is for this reason that Ma Teng still controls the armies of Xiliang.

    At first, everyone was still willing to continue to obey his orders, but as time went by, Ma Teng's control gradually weakened. On the contrary, Ma Chao continued to send cattle, sheep and food to each tribe, and gradually won over the eight tribes and made them  Instead, follow your own orders.

    Ma Chao's directly-administered army was stationed in Ji County of Tianshui County, which is the county seat of Tianshui County. When Ma Chao heard that Zhong Yao had led an army of 30,000 to enter Tianshui County, he did not give himself any explanation in advance. He only sent someone to tell him after arriving at Qishan Mountain.  There was a call to conquer Zhang Lu in Hanzhong south, which made Ma Chao shocked and angry.

    When Zhong Yao set out from Chang'an to conquer Zhang Lu, he could have taken the Ziwu Road, the Yugu Road, the Tangluo Road, the Baoxie Road, or even the Chencang Road. Among the six roads in Guanzhong, there were five roads that could lead south to Hanzhong, but they didn't take it.  To come here and take the long road to Qishan is obviously to attack Zhang Lu in vain, but to attack yourself is true.

    Soon Ma Chao received another news. Xia Houyuan led an army of 30,000 from Hedong to Guanzhong. This was obviously to support Zhong Yao and jointly destroy him. However, Ma Chao only had 20,000 troops directly under the central government in his hands. He was extremely nervous.

    On the one hand, Ma Chao asked Liu Min to deliver a message to Liu Jing, and he was willing to work with Liu Jing in Guanzhong. On the other hand, he sent people to Jincheng County to invite Han Sui to come and discuss the plan. At the same time, Ma Chao secretly issued an order to mobilize troops and ordered the remaining eight troops.  The army prepared to rebel against Cao Cao.

    In the afternoon, a group of cavalry rushed from the north along the official road and arrived in front of Ma Chao's camp. A soldier stepped forward and shouted: "General Han is here, please inform General Ma!"

    In the big tent, Ma Chao was pacing back and forth uneasily with his hands behind his back. Ma Chao was eight feet three tall, tall and well-proportioned, with pink face and red lips. He was very handsome, but his eyes were like lightning and his eyebrows were like swords. He was so handsome.  There is also a kind of heroic spirit in him, which is praised by the world as Jin Ma Chao.

    Ma Chao's martial arts skills are second to none among the heroes in the world, second only to Lu Bu. Together with Zhao Yun and Dian Wei, he is known as the Three Heroes. After the deaths of Lu Bu and Dian Wei, he and Zhao Yun were called the Two Heroes in the World.

    "However, although Ma Chao has unparalleled martial arts, he is far behind in terms of strategy and talents. Therefore, although he is also a prince, people in the world do not compare him with Liu Jing.

    He was only regarded as a fierce general, not a hero. There were no clever counselors willing to rely on him, and the nobles did not recognize him. This caused an imbalance in Ma Chao's civil and military affairs and never became a great weapon. Although he occupied a large area, he never became a great leader.  It has not truly won the hearts of the people and has an unstable foundation.

    This is the reason why Cao Cao did not take him seriously. If Liu Jing had not wanted to expand northward into Guanzhong, Cao Cao would not be in a hurry to destroy Ma Chao for the time being.

    At this time, a soldier rushed over and bowed: "My lord, General Han is here!"

    Ma Chao was overjoyed that Han Sui had finally arrived. He hurriedly ordered: "Please come quickly!"

    He reacted immediately and waved his hand quickly, "No need, I will greet you personally!"

    Outside the camp, Han Sui was patiently waiting for Ma Chao's camp to open. Han Sui was about fifty years old, the same age as Ma Teng. He was also a famous warlord in the Guanlong area, second only to Ma Teng in the Guanlong area.

    In order to fight for control of Guanlong, Han Sui repeatedly fought with Ma Teng, and even killed Ma Teng's wife, Ma Chao's mother, and formed a grudge against Ma Teng and his son.

    However, under the mediation of Chang'an General Zhong Yao, Ma Teng and Han Sui resolved their hatred and reconciled as before. This time Han Sui received a letter from Ma Chao and knew that the situation had changed, so he came overnight to discuss with Ma Chao.

    Although Ma Chao and Han Sui had a hatred for killing their mother, the hatred has faded after many years. In addition, Han Sui knew that Ma Chao was in a critical situation and would not consider hatred, so he had no scruples.

    ? ?Yan Xing, the general of Han Sui Xin on the border, persuaded in a low voice: "As the saying goes, there is no better relationship than father and son. Ma Chao knew that his father was a hostage in Ye, but he wanted to rebel. This was to kill his father. This man is so ambitious, why is the general so good?"  Do you want to follow him in rebellion and put yourself in danger? "

    Han Sui sighed, "Without it, my lips will be dead and my teeth will be cold!"

    At this time, the camp gate opened wide, and Ma Chao led the generals to welcome him out. He knelt down on one knee, held his fist high and said, "Ma Chao is grateful to Uncle Shi for coming to help!"

    Han Sui quickly helped him up and said, "My dear nephew, there is no need to be polite. The situation is critical now. Let's talk about business first!"

    "Uncle Shi, please!"

    Ma Chao welcomed Han Sui into the Chinese military tent. The two were seated separately. A soldier brought two bowls of buttermilk. Han Sui took the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. He wiped the corners of his mouth and asked, "What's the situation now?"

    "Reporting to Uncle Shi, Zhong Yao kept saying that he was going to attack Zhang Lu, but now he has stationed troops in Shanggui County. I sent someone to question him, but he also said that he didn't have enough troops and wanted to wait for reinforcements from Hedong. This was obviously a plan.  Join forces to attack me and destroy us."

    Han Sui nodded and said, "I also know that Zhong Yao's words are not trustworthy. He often talks sweetly to me, but he has ulterior motives, so I have been on guard against him."

    Ma Chao deeply agreed and added: "Zhong Yao secretly ordered me to murder the general before, but he deceived the general again. It can be seen that the Guandong people can no longer believe it. This time they are called the Southern Expedition, but they are actually going to perish.  We, we must not sit still and wait for death!¡±

    Ma Chaoyue became more and more excited as he spoke. He stood up and knelt down again, raised an arrow and swore: "Now I, Ma Mengqi, give up my father. I am willing to treat the general like my father. I beg the general to treat me like his son. I  The heart is like an arrow, and if the heart is not sincere, the arrow will be broken.¡±

    Han Sui smiled slightly and said: "Don't worry, my dear nephew. Since I'm here, I am willing to advance and retreat together with my nephew. We must work together to build a great cause!"

    Ma Chao was overjoyed and discussed with Han Sui the specifics of sending troops. At this time, Han Sui asked, "How is the situation with Liu Jing? Can he send troops together?"

    "I only heard that he is attacking Yizhou. I don't know if he can send troops. I have asked Liu Min to send a message to Yizhou, hoping that he can send troops to attack Cao's thieves together."

    Han Sui thought for a moment and then said: "Even if Liu Jing sends troops, he will attack Guanzhong directly. Zhong Yao's army still has to be dealt with by us. So be it! I will go back immediately to order troops to join my nephew, and my nephew will inform the other eight troops. We  Let¡¯s raise an army together to attack Cao Cao¡¯s thieves.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the early summer of the 15th year of Jian'an, Cao's army took advantage of the southern route to conquer Hanzhong, which finally triggered a rebellion by the Guanlong heroes. Ma Chao, Han Sui, Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin, Yang Qiu and other ten Guanlong armies rebelled one after another. They joined forces to fight against Cao's army.  He raised an army of 100,000 troops and attacked Zhong Yao's army.

    Zhong Yao only had 30,000 troops. Before the Xiliang army arrived, he quickly retreated to Guanzhong. On the one hand, Zhong Yao led his army to defend Chang'an, and on the other hand, he used flying pigeons to send messages to Cao Cao urgently for help.

    In Yedu, the news of Ma Chao's rebellion has spread throughout the government and the public, even surpassing the news of Liu Jing's dispatch of troops to Yizhou. After all, Liu Jing's dispatch of troops to Yizhou is still relatively far away for the people of Yedu. In addition to lamenting Liu Jing's bravery,  In addition, no one cares about the life and death of Liu Zhang's family.

    But the news of Ma Chao's rebellion was different. The Xiliang army had already invaded Guanzhong, and the threat seemed to be right in front of them. It even caused panic in the Yedu market. There was a wave of rice grabbing, and the price of rice doubled and increased sharply.  Eighty dollars.

    In the Prime Minister's Palace, a group of counselors and civil servants including Xun You, Cheng Yu, Liu Ye, Chen Qun, Jia Kui, Guoyuan, as well as Cao Cao's three sons, Cao Pi, Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi, all gathered together to discuss how to deal with the Xiliang army's rebellion.  .

    Of course, Cao Cao did not tell everyone that Ma Chao's rebellion was actually a strategy set by him and Xun You. The purpose was to introduce Ma Chao and Han Sui's troops into Guanzhong to annihilate them and re-establish Guanzhong defense.

    The counselors were talking a lot in the hall, but Cao Cao seemed a little absent-minded when he was sitting in the upper position. In fact, Cao Cao didn't care about Ma Chao's rebellion. What he cared about was Liu Jing's conquest of Yizhou and Hanzhong. Just last night, Zhang Lu fled to Yedu to invite  Surrender, this means that Liu Jing conquered Hanzhong.

    Cao Cao never expected that Liu Jing would conquer Yizhou and Hanzhong in just two months, which greatly exceeded his expectations. In order to destroy Ma Chao, Cao Cao specially mobilized grain and grass from various places, which invisibly delayed time. When he was preparing  When it was completed, Liu Jing had already captured Yizhou and Hanzhong, which made Cao Cao deeply worried. Will Liu Jing send troops to Guanzhong to join forces with Ma Chao? If so, the situation in Guanzhong would be critical.

    At this time, Cao Pi saw that his father seemed very tired, so he whispered: "If father is unwell, let's end it for now! We will discuss it tomorrow."

    Cao Cao sighed, "The situation is critical, there is no time to delay, so be it! Let XunDuke Cheng and Duke Cheng stayed, while the others went back for the time being.  "

    After saying that, Cao Cao got up and walked to the backyard. Not long after, Cao Cao changed his clothes and came to the outer study. In the outer study, Xun You and Cheng Yu were already waiting. Cao Pi was also standing beside him. He was very smart. He knew that his father  Asking him to keep Xun You and Cheng Yu secretly means letting him come to discuss matters as well.

    "Do you two know?"

    Cao Cao sat down tiredly and said to the two of them with regret in his tone: "Liu Jing has already captured Yizhou and Hanzhong. Now that Jing, Shu and Han are united as one, they are so powerful that they can vaguely compete with me. The two gentlemen feel that  Do I need to march south again?¡±

    Xun You and Cheng Yu looked at each other, and Xun You said: "Prime Minister, the top priority is to destroy Ma Chao and consolidate the defense of Guanzhong. Liu Jing must not be allowed to go north to Guanzhong again. This is our top priority in the past two years. The southern expedition can wait until the recovery  Think about it later.¡±

    Cheng Yu also added: "Prime Minister, we need time to recover now. A battle in Chibi has had a great impact on us, and there are signs of instability in Hebei. Especially the powerful locals Tian Bo and Su Yin in Hejian gathered tens of thousands of people to rebel.  , had a great impact, and people in Jizhou and Youzhou also responded, causing great chaos. If the people cannot live and work in peace and contentment, the country will be unstable. Under such circumstances, the consequences of another southern expedition will be unimaginable. "

    Cao Cao was really upset. He thought for a long time and said to his third son, Cao Zhi: "Zhi'er, why don't you go to Xiangyang as an envoy for your father and have a good talk with him."

    Cao Zhi bowed and said: "My son, I am willing to share my father's worries!"

    Next to him, Cao Pi's face was slightly unnatural, and a trace of jealousy quickly flashed in his eyes. He knew that Liu Jing now played a decisive role in his father's heart. His father did not send a minister as an envoy, but sent his third brother as an envoy. Does this mean that the third brother should be sent as an envoy?  Will my younger brother take the lead in Jingzhou¡¯s countermeasures?

    Thinking of this, Cao Pi's heart was full of worries. He finally couldn't help it and stepped forward and said: "Father, I am very worried about Liu Jing's next move. He has already won Hanzhong and Yizhou. He has no worries anymore. Will he take the opportunity to send troops?"  Guanzhong, join forces with Ma Chao?¡±

    Cheng Yu quickly glanced at Cao Pi. The prime minister had asked Cao Zhi to go to Jingzhou, but he caused trouble again. This was not wise. Seeing that Cao Pi wanted to say more, Cheng Yu smiled faintly and cut off his words, "Eldest Young Master, don't worry about this.  , I dare to say that Liu Jing will never enter Bingguanzhong at this time."

    "Why is this?" Cao Cao also asked with great interest. This was also the question he was most concerned about, but Cao Cao did not notice the subtle change in the eldest son's mentality.

    Cheng Yu stroked his beard and said: "How can one mountain accommodate two tigers? How can he share Guanzhong with Ma Chao? He must use our hands to destroy Ma Chao to eliminate his future troubles, so I dare say that he will not send troops now  Guanzhong will definitely find the excuse of Yizhou¡¯s instability to reject Ma Chao.¡±

    Cao Cao nodded, that was indeed the case. With Liu Jing¡¯s evildoing, it was indeed the best choice to kill Ma Chao with his own hands. He pondered for a while and said, "In that case, is it feasible to use Ma Chao to contain Liu Jing?"

    "Inappropriate!"

    Xun You shook his head and objected, "If Ma Chao is not eliminated, Liu Jing will use him to drive away wolves and swallow tigers. Hedong will be in danger!"

    Cao Cao suddenly woke up, and at this moment he made up his mind, "Forget it! The army will go out tomorrow."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The next day, Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty issued a decree that Ma Teng colluded with Ma Chao to rebel. He was dismissed from his position as Weiweiqing and his family was imprisoned for questioning. He also made Cao Cao the general of the Western Conquest, with full power to put down Ma Chao's rebellion.

    After receiving the order, Cao Cao immediately issued a series of orders. He ordered General Cao Ren of Anxi to lead 20,000 troops to Tongguan to block Ma Chao's eastward advance. He also ordered Xia Houyuan's troops to build a city in Puban, and ordered 200,000 civilians from all counties in Bingzhou to carry grain and grass.  supplies.

    Orders came out one after another, and the world was shocked. Cao Cao worshiped the horse god of heaven and earth, and personally led a hundred thousand troops to kill in the direction of Guanzhong.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 539 Return to Xiangyang

    Liu Jing ordered Huang Zhong and Yan Yan to lead 30,000 troops to continue to exterminate the barbarian armed forces who resisted the Jingzhou army in southern Yizhou, focusing on attacking Yong Kai's army. Liu Jing issued a strict order to completely wipe out the Yong family in Jianning County in southern Yizhou.  power.

    But Liu Jing did not participate in the sweep of southern Yizhou. He led a mighty 50,000-strong army back to Jingzhou. At this point, the two-month battle between Yizhou and Hanzhong came to a successful conclusion.

    It has arrived in late May, and the weather is gradually getting hotter. This summer is even hotter than in previous years. The silent heat is steaming on the earth, shining, swaying leisurely and softly. There are few pedestrians on the street, taking over Yizhou and Hanzhong.  The joy of victory has gradually faded in the hearts of Xiangyang people, and only occasionally some people celebrating victory will gather under the shade of the trees to play gongs and drums.

    The 50,000-strong army returned to Xiangyang in a low-key manner. They returned at night and went directly to the military camp to rest, as if training from outside, without causing any disturbance. Liu Jing also returned to his mansion at night.

    He received a letter from his wife on the way. Just as he expected, Xiao Bao Niang gave birth to a daughter last month. This made Liu Jing overjoyed. After arranging the army, he immediately rushed back to the mansion.

    The inner hall was extremely lively. Liu Jing's return was warmly welcomed by her family. Everyone gathered together, laughing constantly, and shared the joy of family reunion.

    Little Bao Niang carefully handed the swaddling clothes to Liu Jing. Her face was flushed and her eyes were filled with the happiness of becoming a mother for the first time.

    Although she wanted to have a son, the birth of her daughter once made her depressed, but when Tao Zhan told her that Liu Jing would rather have a daughter, she finally let go and devoted herself to nurturing her daughter.

    Liu Jing carefully hugged her daughter, and a pink baby face appeared in front of him. The little guy was sleeping soundly. He looked carefully and saw that the face was very round. Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh, "This is a small bun."  ¡±

    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????¡­

    Liu Jing chuckled, "I was just joking, this is my sweetheart, I can't call him Little Baozi, call him Little Pearl."

    At this time, Tao Zhan smiled and said: "The father wants to give his child a name, have you thought about it?"

    Liu Jing thought for a while and said: "I just said she is a little Zhu'er, so let's call her Liu Zhu! This is my eldest daughter, which means the apple of my eye."

    Mother Bao was overjoyed to take over her daughter. Her daughter finally had a name, Liu Zhu, and her husband personally admitted that she was his eldest daughter.

    At this time, Liu Jing found that Sun Shangxiang was very quiet tonight, smiling and saying nothing, and smiling very gently, which was relatively rare.

    He glanced at Sun Shangxiang and asked with a smile: "Second Lady, you are very quiet tonight!"

    "It's nothing. I'm very happy to have you back. I was just wondering, when will you fulfill your promise?" Sun Shangxiang's expression was still calm, but there was obviously a sly smile in his bright jewel-like eyes.

    "Promise?" Liu Jing was stunned. What promise had he made?  Why do I have no impression at all?

    Sun Shangxiang is certainly not worried because she has no children. She yearns for freedom by nature, and she doesn't want to be tied down by children yet. But she has been bored in the mansion for a few months, so she wants to follow Liu Jing on a trip.

    "you forgot!"

    Sun Shangxiang saw Liu Jing's confused look and couldn't help but said: "What if I am a meritorious soldier and you forget the promise I made?"

    Tao Zhan knew what Sun Shangxiang was thinking, so he smiled and reminded Liu Jing: "My husband seems to have really forgotten. You promised Shangxiang to take her with you on the trip, and even I remember it!"

    As a housewife, Tao Zhan has other ideas. She and Bao Niang have children, but Shang Xiang has not made any movement. This will not only make Shang Xiang feel uncomfortable, but also make it difficult to explain to Jiang Dong.

    Tao Zhan still remembered how difficult it was for her and her husband to have a child, but this kind of thing could not be told to the outside world, so she thought that giving Shang Xiang more time to be with Liu Jing was the best way.

    Liu Jing then remembered that he seemed to have promised Sun Shangxiang. He patted his forehead and smiled at Sun Shangxiang: "There are too many things to do, so I have to remind you, so be it! I have to go to Yizhou in a few days, you can come with me  Peer.¡±

    Sun Shangxiang was immediately overjoyed and said with a smile, "Really? Zhou Mu won't break his promise again!"

    "It won't happen this time. If there is a war, it will really be difficult to take care of the family, but this time it is a patrol, so there will be no problem."

    After saying that, Liu Jing stretched and said with a smile: "I have to have a good sleep tonight, I am too tired."

    At night, Tao Zhan went to visit his son and returned to his hometown.In the ? room, Liu Jing was sitting on the couch and burning her feet with hot water. When she saw her wife returning, she asked with a smile: "Is the child asleep?"

    "Yeah! Sleeping like a little pig."

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and said with a smile: "I'm going to have another big pig sleeping next to me tonight."

    She made a joke, squatted down again, and carefully massaged the acupoints on her husband's feet. Liu Jing was moved. Her wife has not changed this habit since they got married. He stroked Tao Zhan's hair and said softly: "I promise."  Don¡¯t you object to taking Shang Xiang to Yizhou?¡±

    Tao Zhan raised his head and asked with a smile: "Do you think I should object? Or will I feel uncomfortable?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "If you think it's inappropriate, forget it."

    "Husband, you underestimate me."

    Tao Zhan sighed softly, "I'm not that narrow-minded. I also hope that she can give birth to a child for you, so that Jiangdong can explain it, and my pressure will be less."

    "Are you stressed?" Liu Jing was stunned.

    Tao Zhan was silent for a moment and said: "The dignified Jingzhou shepherd and Yizhou shepherd only have one son. Do you think I will feel no pressure?"

    Liu Jing touched her pretty face and smiled: "Then let's work hard tonight to reduce your pressure."

    Tao Zhan¡¯s face suddenly turned red, he gently slapped his hand away, and said angrily: ¡°You are tired from the journey, you should go to bed early tonight, and we¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow night!¡±

    Liu Jing laughed, but he couldn't help her when they got into bed. He was afraid that Tao Zhan would guess what he was thinking, so he quickly changed the subject and said with a smile: "We are going to move to Chengdu, you have to prepare yourself mentally first."

    "Are we really going to move to Yizhou?" Tao Zhan became concerned. This was a big deal for her. This was not a move from one mansion to another, but a move from Xiangyang to Bashu. It was a completely unfamiliar place.  .

    "I think you should get used to it. We were first in Chaisang, then moved to Wuchang, and then to Xiangyang. It doesn't matter if we move again, you should always follow me."

    After a pause, Liu Jing smiled again and said, "Besides, the mansion in Yizhou also occupies a vast area and is even more exquisitely built than ours. I believe you will like it."

    Tao Zhan sighed inwardly. It was not that she wanted a better environment, but that she had never moved away from Jingzhou since she was a child. Even when she went to Jiangdong, it was only a short visit. In the past, she had moved within Jingzhou, and she thought it was not a big problem.  , but now she is moving to Yizhou, a place with completely different customs and customs, which of course has a great influence on her, but she can't help it. She nodded silently and asked: "When will we move?"

    "It will take another two months! We need to wait for Yizhou to stabilize first."

    That night, the couple was like fish in water, loving each other so much that they didn¡¯t fall asleep until late at night

    Early the next morning, Liu Jing arrived at the official room of the state government office. As soon as he entered the room, he saw Yin Guzheng and several assistants busy organizing documents outside. In the past, Dong Yun served as the secretary to join the army, but now Dong Yun has been transferred to Xiangyang County Cheng, so he  Yin Miao took over his position. Of course, Yin Miao had to arrange many details according to his own habits.

    "How is it, are you still used to it?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? out????????

    "It should be said that the predecessor Dong Canjun and Mr. Yin are the same type of people. They don't like luxury and advocate simplicity. I hope that Mr. Dong can adapt to here as soon as possible."

    Yin Mao nodded. He took another document and handed it to Liu Jing, "This is the document sent by Xu Changshi early in the morning. It seems that Liu Bei wants to ask us to borrow food."

    There has been no news about Liu Bei since he went to Hengyang County. Liu Jing is also very concerned about their progress. He planned to ask about it today, but he did not expect to get news about Liu Bei early in the morning.

    He opened the document and walked around to read it. It said that Liu Bei's army had captured Yulin and Cangwu counties. Now he was in trouble with food. He hoped to borrow food from Jingzhou. The document said that the envoy sent was Sun Qian.

    Liu Jing stopped, turned around and said, "Go and notify Xu Changshi and ask him to bring Liu Bei's envoy to see me."

    Liu Jing walked into his official room and sat down. A book boy served him tea. He drank tea slowly, but he was thinking about Liu Bei. He had always had a relatively ambivalent attitude towards Liu Bei. On the one hand, although  He hoped that Liu Bei could transform Jiaozhou for him and turn Jiaozhou into a Chinese place.

    Since ancient times, Jiaozhou has not been valued by the central court because of its remote location. However, Liu Bei is based on Jiaozhou.  Change the barbaric and backward appearance of Jiaozhou.

    But on the other hand, Liu Jing is also a little worried about Liu Bei becoming powerful. This kind of contradictionHis mood has been bothering him. At this time, a secretary reported at the door: "To report to the state pastor, Xu Changshi is here with Liu Bei's envoy."

    "Invite them in!"

    After a while, Xu Shu and Sun Qian hurried into the official room. Xu Shu stepped forward, saluted and said with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, Zhou Mu!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 540 Liu Bei borrows food

    Liu Jing relied heavily on Xu Shu. He led his army to conquer Yizhou and Hanzhong in the west, and Jingzhou was completely handed over to Xu Shu and Jia Xu. The two managed Jingzhou in an orderly manner. Jia Xu was mainly responsible for farming, while Xu Shu had full authority over government affairs and people's livelihood.  Take control.  .

    Although Xu Shu was not as good as Jia Xu and Sima Yi in terms of military strategy, he did an excellent job in government affairs and took various appropriate measures to make Jingzhou full of vitality. In just two years, it restored the state that had been destroyed by Cao's army going south.  People's livelihood economy, this is a remarkable achievement.

    Liu Jing also smiled back and said, "It should be Chang Shi's hard work."

    At this time, Sun Qian stepped forward and knelt down to bow, "Sun Qian pays homage to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "Gongyou, we are old friends. There is no need to pay such a big courtesy. Please sit down!"

    He nodded again to Xu Shu, who also sat down. Sun Qian sat down, leaned over and smiled again: "First of all, congratulations to the Jingzhou army for successfully capturing Yizhou and Hanzhong, and congratulations to Zhou Mu for becoming the master of the two states."

    "Thank you Gongyou. I wonder how Uncle Liu Huang is doing now. Is everything going well in Jiaozhou?"

    Liu Jing saw that Sun Qian seemed to be preparing his words, so he smiled and said: "Gongyou, there is no need to polish it, just say it clearly. I really want to know how Uncle Liu captured Yulin and Cangwu counties?"

    Sun Qian no longer concealed anything and said with a frank smile: "This time we went south to Jiaozhou, it was like God's will. Just when we were preparing to raise troops, a fierce battle broke out between Lai Gong of Yulin County and Wu Ju of Cangwu County.

    The two had a long-standing feud, but this time they were competing for Lipu County, a major grain-producing county on the border between the two counties. As a result, Lai Gong was defeated in three battles and was expelled from Yulin County. He had a grudge in his heart, so he found Uncle Liu Huang and sent Yu to the county.  Governor Lin gave us his seal and ribbon, and he was willing to give up Yu Lin's life on the condition that we rescue his family members.

    From this we got an excuse to send troops. Zhuge's military advisor led 10,000 troops and the two generals Guan and Zhang to go south. Zhuge's military advisor used a trick of doubting the troops and used 2,000 people to pretend to be the main force to confront Wu Ju. Yun Chang led 8,000 people to take a detour.  Arriving at Cangwu County and taking over Wu Ju's lair, Wu Jucang panicked and retreated south. On the way, he was ambushed by Yunchang's returning troops. He was defeated in the first battle and Wu Ju was captured and surrendered. In this way, we captured Yulin as quickly as possible.  and Cangwu counties.  "

    "What about Shi Xie from Jiaozhi County?"

    Liu Jing then asked: "What was his reaction?"

    "When we captured Cangwu County, Shi Xie was watching with 10,000 troops. He also took advantage of the opportunity, but was still a step too late. Guangxin County, which is governed by Cangwu County, was captured by us first. Zhuge's military advisor ordered General Zhang to rob Shi Xie.  Xie provided supplies and supplies. At the same time, Zhuge's military advisors kept the walls clear and defended the city without fighting. Shi Xie was unable to support himself, so he had to withdraw his troops and return to Jiaozhi. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "Since we have occupied Yulin and Cangwu counties, we should have enough food and grass. Why do you still need to borrow food from me?"

    Sun Qian sighed and said: "The main reason is that Lai Gong and Wu Ju have been fighting for years, which has seriously affected farmers' farming. This year's spring plowing has been delayed. We have to replant beans and grains. There will definitely be a famine this year, so Liu Huangshu implores the state animal husbandry to  Can you lend us 100,000 shi of food to survive this year¡¯s famine?¡±

    "There's no problem with borrowing food, but how are you going to pay it back to me? I hope this can be clarified first." Liu Jing said with a faint smile.

    Sun Qian's face turned red. He didn't expect Liu Jing to ask this question, which made it difficult for him to answer. Xu Shu next to him was also a little embarrassed. It was common for princes to borrow food from each other, but they would never ask for repayment in person, even for ordinary people.  If you borrow rice, you won't be so straightforward as to ask when you will pay it back?  This can hurt feelings.

    But Xu Shu also knew that Liu Jing¡¯s question must have deep meaning, so he also remained silent and did not come forward to smooth things over.

    After a while, Sun Qian sighed and said: "Frankly speaking, we really don't know when we can return the food to Jingzhou, because we don't know the situation of food production yet, but we can guarantee that the food will be returned to Jingzhou."

    Liu Jing shook her head, "To repay after twenty years is to keep one's promise. This won't work. It's not that I'm making things difficult for you, but I think both parties should discuss and sign an agreement to clarify some things. For example, what about repaying after one year?  If it doesn't work in one year, what will happen in three years? If it can't be paid back, what will be used to compensate for it? After all, it's one hundred thousand shi of food, not a small amount, what does Gongyou think? "

    Sun Qian was stunned for a moment, and he suddenly understood. It was not that Liu Jing wanted to force them to pay back the food, but that Liu Jing didn't want to lend them food in vain and needed to have conditions. However, he refused to say it clearly and had to take the initiative to put it forward.

    Sun Qian smiled bitterly in his heart and bowed to Liu Jing: "I thought too simply. We really need to sign an agreement. I wonder what kind of guarantee Zhou Mu needs us to provide while lending us grain?"

    Liu Jing laughed. This Sun Qian was very smart and understood what he meant. He thought about it and smiled and said: "Actually, I don't need it.What kind of material guarantee is there? I can provide one hundred thousand shi of grain, but I need Uncle Liu Huang to give me a written promise. Before the one hundred thousand shi of grain is repaid, I will not allow a single soldier of his army to enter Jingzhou.  "

    Sun Quan nodded silently. He understood what Liu Jing meant. There would definitely not be many Jingzhou troops stationed in Jingnan, but Liu Jing was worried that the emperor's army would take the opportunity to fight back to Jingnan, so he wanted to use these 100,000 shi of grain as a constraint.  The emperor's uncle was asked to make a promise, but this was only a unilateral promise.

    Of course there are advantages, that is, Liu Jing no longer collects debts, and can pay back the food in five years or ten years. There are advantages and disadvantages in this, but it is not Sun Qian who can make the decision.

    Thinking of this, Sun Qian said: "In this case, I must go back and ask the emperor for instructions, or the state pastor will send someone to go back with me, so that I don't have to run repeatedly."

    "Can!"

    Liu Jing readily agreed, "As an expression of sincerity, I will send a boat to deliver 20,000 shi of grain to Cangwu County via the Ling Canal. The remaining 80,000 shi of grain will be sent all at once after Uncle Liu Huang makes a written commitment."

    Sun Qian nodded in agreement, and then asked silently: "Does Zhou Mu really believe in an agreement?"

    Liu Jing shook her head, "Frankly speaking, I don't actually believe it, but I always have to do something, and there is an explanation on both sides."

    "I see!"

    Sun Qian smiled and asked again: "I wonder if Zhou Mu has any other questions that I need to answer?"

    Liu Jing thought for a while and asked with a smile: "And I really want to know, how are you going to deal with Jiaozhi Shixie?"

    Logically speaking, this kind of military strategy issue cannot be leaked easily, especially if Liu Jing told Shi Xie, the consequences would be serious. However, Sun Qian also knew that Liu Jing would not do such duplicitous things, so he told the truth frankly.

    "Our next step is to seize the three counties of Hepu, Gaoliang and Zhuya, and cut off the connection between Nanhai County and Jiaozhi County to the west. The emperor's intention is to capture Nanhai County first, make Panyu the state government, and then negotiate with Shixie to stabilize one or two counties.  Years later, he attacked Shixie to the west and finally unified Jiaozhou."

    "Yes, this strategy is very good and is developing steadily. My only suggestion is that Shi Xie has been operating in Jiaozhi for a long time and the people are loyal to him. If the emperor wants to attack him, he must be fully prepared and gain military advantage first. For example, he must choose  Regarding the season, for example, we can take the sea route to capture Yuenan County south of Jiaozhi, attack from the north and south, and defeat Shi Xie as quickly as possible. Once the war drags on, it will be detrimental to the emperor's uncle. "

    "Thank you for your kind words, Zhou Mu. I will tell the emperor that if there is nothing else, Sun Qian will take his leave."

    Liu Jing nodded, "I will have another day off today. I will ask Liao Li to go to Jiaozhou with you tomorrow. You can follow the grain ship to Cangwu, so that the journey will not be tiring."

    Sun Qian resigned, and Liu Jing ordered someone to invite Liao Li. At this time, Xu Shu smiled and said: "I feel that Zhou Mu seems to be a little conflicted with Liu Bei. On the one hand, he hopes that he can unify Jiaozhou, but on the other hand, he wants to restrict his development.  , why is this?¡±

    Liu Jing sighed and said: "From the perspective of Jingzhou's strategy, I hope that Liu Bei and Shi Xie will confront each other and maintain two hostile forces in Jiaozhou so that Liu Bei has no time to visit the north. But from the perspective of the long-term interests of a central empire, I hope  I also hope that Liu Bei can unify Jiaozhou as soon as possible and promote Han culture in Jiaozhou so that Jiaozhou can develop like Jingzhou as soon as possible and lay the foundation for the Central Empire to rule Jiaozhou for a long time. So I feel quite conflicted. In fact, this is why I let Liu Bei go to Jiaozhou.  main purpose."

    Xu Shu nodded and sighed sincerely: "Zhou Mu is indeed a man of great talent and strategy. His vision and ambition are indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people!"

    At this time, Liao Li's voice came from the outer room, "Report to the State Shepherd, the minister is here."

    "Please come in!"

    Liao Li was also Liu Jing's counselor and took up the post of joining the army. He was a second-level counselor, slightly inferior to Jia Xu, Sima Yi and others, such as Dong Yun, Ma Liang, Yin Miao, Liu Min, Yi Ji, Li Fu, Li Yan,  Zhou Buyi, Jiang Wan, as well as Peng Yi, Li Yi, Deng Zhi, etc. from Bashu are all second-level counselors.

    Second-level counselors cannot participate in major military and national decisions, but they will be responsible for some small-scale battles or some specific affairs, such as farming, inspections, army supervision, mine supervision, money supervision, grain supervision, etc.

    For example, Liao Li was responsible for inspecting money minting and shipbuilding, and patrolling money minting and shipbuilding stations. The reason why Liu Jing asked Liao Li to go to Jiaozhou as an envoy was mainly because he was from Jingnan himself. Secondly, Liao Li was an old-fashioned, careful and observant person.  He is very powerful, so he is the most suitable candidate to go to Jiaozhou.

    Liao Li walked in and bowed deeply, "See Zhou Mu!"

    "Liao Canjun, please take a seat!"

    Liao Li sat down and Liu Jing asked with a smile: "How is the current situation of making money?"

    "Enlightenment"Mu, we have opened thirty coin-making furnaces. The biggest problem is the shortage of copper materials. But ten days ago, one million kilograms of copper materials were transported from Bashu, which completely alleviated the problem of insufficient copper materials. In addition,  One tael of gold and silver ingots have begun to be minted, and the finished products are already in the warehouse, but they have not yet been released to the public.  "

    Liu Jing nodded and said to Xu Shu: "The next important thing is to unify the coins of Jingzhou, Yizhou and Hanzhong. I have ordered all the official coins of Yizhou and Hanzhong to be transported back to Xiangyang, melted and recast.  Money, the coins circulating in the markets in the two places must be slowly recovered and replaced with Chu money, and we must hurry up on this matter. "

    Xu Shu bowed and said, "Wei Chen has remembered it."

    Liu Jing then smiled faintly at Liao Li and said, "I plan to ask you to be my envoy to Jiaozhou to find out about Liu Bei's situation for me."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 541 Cao Zhi is on an envoy

    In the afternoon, Liu Jing, escorted by more than a dozen soldiers, arrived at Fancheng on the other side of Xiangyang. Compared with a few months ago, Fancheng has changed significantly. The population has gradually returned to the 30,000 people at the end of the war.  The population quickly increased to 100,000. Although it is difficult to return to the 200,000 population at its peak, it is very different from the original desolate and deserted state.

    Fancheng is positioned as an affiliated city of Xiangyang, which concentrates 90% of Xiangyang City¡¯s commerce. It is Jingzhou¡¯s window for trade with the Central Plains. A large amount of materials flow from south to north, and commerce is prosperous. It has gradually returned to its former prosperity.

    Liu Jing did not come to Fancheng today for inspection. He sat in a carriage and entered Fancheng in a low profile without attracting anyone's attention.

    Liu Jing came to Fancheng to pay homage to Tao Lie. The old head of the family, Tao Lie, passed away two months ago, which plunged the Tao family into a low ebb. The Tao family has been busy with funerals for the past two months, and has only recently returned to normal, including Tao Zhan.  I have also come out of my grief.

    This is also the difference between ancient and modern times. Perhaps it is because people¡¯s lifespan is not long and children die easily. The ancients took birth, old age, illness and death relatively lightly. After the death of their elders, they would not be immersed in grief for too long. The ancients paid more attention to sacrifices and held rituals several times a year.  This sacrifice is their memory of their relatives in another world.

    Tao's Trading Company in Fancheng was also the center of the Tao family in Jingzhou. The Tao family naturally followed the center of power and moved from Chaisang to Wuchang, and then from Wuchang to Xiangyang. Although Liu Jing did not want the Tao family to be too strong, at present  The Tao family is still the largest businessman in the south and even in the world.

    It's just that the Tao family is very low-key now, strictly restricting the Tao family's children from publicizing outside, and the business is spread to various places. It is no longer just buying and selling goods and making money, but has begun to invest heavily in taverns, shops, hostels, and brothels. The Tao family has given up on cloth,  A large number of ordinary businesses such as livestock and daily groceries are only engaged in grain, salt, iron and freight business.  You can't feel the scale of the Tao family, and the Tao family gradually fades out of people's sight.

    At the same time, Tao Zheng was promoted to the prefect of Qichun, Tao Zhan's other uncle Tao Yun was appointed as the magistrate of Chaisang County, and five of Tao's children were studying in Jingzhou Academy. This gradually started the transformation of the Tao family from business to politics.  .

    Liu Jing's carriage stopped in front of Tao's Trading Company. At this time, Tao Li was already waiting in front of the gate. He quickly stepped forward to salute and said with a smile: "I heard that the army came last night, so I wondered if Zhou Mu was coming back.  I didn¡¯t expect Zhou Mu to come to the Tao family today, the Tao family is really honored and honored.¡±

    "Okay! Okay! Second uncle, you don't have to be so polite."

    Liu Jing got off the carriage and smiled and said: "We are all members of our own family, so I am extremely honored. I am here in a private capacity and has nothing to do with official business, so don't think too much."

    Tao Li also smiled. He was an easy-going person and had a good relationship with Liu Jing. He looked at the carriage again and asked a little strangely: "Didn't Zhan'er come with you?"

    "I didn't tell her that she was coming to Tao Mansion. It was my temporary decision. Today I came here specifically to pay homage to my grandfather. I also have some other matters to discuss with my second uncle."

    Liu Jing knew that his father-in-law Tao Sheng was in Wuchang to arrange the funeral of his grandfather and had not returned yet. Most of the Tao family's children had gone to Wuchang. Only his second uncle stayed in Fancheng. He followed Tao Li to the sacrificial shed in the outer courtyard and changed  In filial piety, he walked into the shed.

    There is a memorial tablet of Tao Lie in the sacrificial shed, mainly for the convenience of relatives and friends in Xiangyang to offer sacrifices. In the past two months, there has been an endless stream of people coming to offer sacrifices. It was only in the past few days that it gradually calmed down. Liu Jing offered three sticks of incense, and then  He knelt down in front of Tao Lie's memorial tablet. Thinking of Tao Lie's kindness to him in the past, he felt quite sad in his heart.

    "May my grandfather's spirit rest in peace in heaven, and Liu Jing will protect the Tao family as always."

    He kowtowed three times and burned a few more strings of paper money before he stood up. Tao Li stepped forward and said, "Please come with me!"

    Liu Jing nodded, walked out of the tent, took off her mourning clothes, and followed Tao Li to the inner hall.

    The two sat down in the inner hall, and Tao Li said sadly: "My father passed away in his sleep, and he passed away peacefully. Moreover, he had already arranged his future life, and he had no regrets or worries. My eldest brother also did this under his father's instruction."  Make a lot of big decisions.¡±

    "I know!"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "The Tao family supports Jingzhou Academy with 50 million yuan every year, and also invests 50 million yuan to support the establishment of official schools in Jingzhou. It is very far-sighted!"

    Tao Li also sighed, "Zhou Mu called on Jingzhou to advocate simplicity. The Tao family also responded positively and strictly restrained the family's children. Extravagance and waste are not allowed, prostitutes are not allowed to fight for wealth, and no one is allowed to show off his status. Once violated, he will be severely punished.  "Loan, the Tao family has to transform from a businessman to a wealthy family, and money is just a means of transformation."

    "Second uncle said it very well. I have no prejudice against businessmen. Businessmen can enrich the country and improve people's livelihood. As long as the Tao family remembers the four words of 'low-key and modest', they will not arouse jealousy and will not be hated by others."There will be no fatal disaster.  "

    Tao Li nodded silently, "I remember."

    At this time, Liu Jing changed the subject and said with a smile: "I came to the Tao family today. In addition to paying homage to my grandfather, there is one more thing I want to ask the Tao family for help."

    "Zhou Mu just said it doesn't matter, the Tao family will definitely do their best."

    Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "I hope that the Tao family will use an anonymous identity to open taverns in various counties of Jiaozhou and collect information on Jiaozhou for me for a long time. I don't need any secrets, just ordinary information, such as running schools in Jiaozhou, Chinese culture, reclamation, farming, etc.  Wait, in short, I want to know about Liu Bei's governance in Jiaozhou, does Second Uncle understand what I mean?"

    "I know!"

    Tao Li smiled and said: "Zhou Mu does not want to attack Jiaozhou, but wants to understand the changes in Jiaozhou in all aspects. There are several managers in Tao's business firm who are from Jiaozhou. I can let them return to Jiaozhou to take root. I will do it later."  Write a letter to Wuchang and ask my elder brother to arrange this matter."

    Liu Jing nodded. With such a well-connected relative doing things for him, many things would be much easier to handle.

    Liu Jing had many things to do. He only stayed at Tao's Trading Company for half an hour before leaving Fancheng and returning to Xiangyang. His carriage had just arrived at Fancheng Pier, but he found many soldiers on the wharf, including Cao Jun soldiers and Jingzhou soldiers.  Liu Jing was slightly startled, what's going on?

    He immediately sent a soldier to inquire about the situation. Not long after, the soldier hurried over with an official. It turned out to be Ma Liang. Ma Liang was currently working in Jingzhou, and concurrently served as the captain of Jingbei Tuntian.  He's in charge.

    Liu Jing opened the car curtain and said with a smile: "Ji Chang, what happened?"

    Ma Liang stepped forward and bowed and said, "I would like to report to Zhou Mu that the envoy from Yedu is here."

    "Who is he?" Liu Jing asked again. The arrival of the Yedu envoy was expected by him. He captured Yizhou and Hanzhong. It was strange that there was no movement from Cao Cao's side.

    "Two people came, one is the eunuch who announced the decree, and the other is Cao Zhi, the son of Cao Cao."

    It turned out that Cao Zhi was here, and Liu Jing immediately became interested. Although Cao Zhi also participated in the Battle of Chibi, he had never seen this famous Jian'an talent in history. Liu Jing smiled and said: "Invite them.  see me!"

    Not long after, a eunuch hurried over. He was white, fat, and handsome. Liu Jing recognized him immediately. Isn't this the eunuch who came to Xiangyang at the beginning of the year?

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Eunuch Mi, we meet again."

    The rice eunuch's name was Mi Ying. He was white and fat, so he was nicknamed "Mi Chong" in the palace. He was the favorite eunuch of Emperor Liu Xie. At the beginning of the year, he was ordered to supervise Jingzhou's sacrifices, but in fact he failed to do so.  It was to deliver news for Liu Xie.

    With a flattering smile on his face, Mi Ying stepped forward and saluted respectfully: "This old slave has come here to confer the title of Duke of Chu on the orders of the Holy Master. Congratulations to Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Eunuch Mi, you have worked hard all the way."

    The canonization was as he expected. The title was upgraded one level, from Marquis of Chu to Duke of Chu. However, he did not know whether his position was increased to that of Yizhou Mu. This was Liu Jing's biggest concern. He was not in a hurry to ask this question.  He turned his attention to the young master behind Mi Ying, who was Cao Zhi.

    Cao Zhi was about twenty years old. He was tall and handsome. He wore a splendid white robe, a jade belt around his waist, and a golden crown on his head. He looked distinguished and unforgettable. He was Cao Cao's most beloved son. It is said that Cao Cao even wanted to  Pass the mantle to him, not to his eldest son Cao Pi.

    Cao Zhi calmly stepped forward and saluted: "Cao Zijian comes to see Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing nodded and asked, "Mr. Zhi, is your father okay?"

    "Thank you very much for Zhou Mu's concern. My father is in good health and he also cares about Zhou Mu. I am sending a personal letter to Zhou Mu on my father's order."

    After saying that, he took out Cao Cao's autographed letter from his arms and presented it to Liu Jing. Liu Jing took the letter and said with a smile: "Go back to Xiangyang first! You two have a rest first, and then we will talk about business slowly."

    He told Ma Liang, "Ji Changke can send them to a distinguished hotel and let the hotel manager take care of them."

    "Don't worry, Zhou Mu, Wei Chen will make arrangements."

    Liu Jing watched them go away, then put down the car curtain, picked up Cao Cao's letter, opened it and read it carefully. The tone of the letter was very polite, asking about the health of him and his family, and congratulating him for getting another daughter.  He said that he was getting older and his body and energy were not as good as before. He could not come in person to congratulate Liu Jing on his promotion to the prince, so he sent his son Zhi to come and congratulate Liu Jing on his behalf.

    The tone and tone of the writing were sincere, as if two old friends were reminiscing about their farewells, but the actual content was not mentioned. Liu Jing pondered for a moment and ordered the soldiers outside the car: "Go to the residence of Military Advisor Jia!  "

    Jia Xu has been feeling a little sick for the past two days and did not come to the state office today. Jia XuHe was already over sixty years old and paid special attention to taking care of his body. Due to the hot weather, he tried to stay indoors and read. At this time, his second son Jia Guan hurried into the yard and reported in the yard: "Father, Liuzhou Mu has come  ¡±

    Jia Xu had two sons, who were originally officials in other places. After Liu Jing brought Jia Xu's family to Jingzhou, he sent someone to inform his two sons. They both abandoned their official positions and fled to Jiangxia. The eldest son Jia Mu is now Guizhou.  Yang Juncheng's second son Jia Fan was sent to Jingzhou Academy for further study by Jia Xu. He happened to be at home today.

    When Jia Xu heard that Liu Jing was coming, he put down his book and said with a smile, "Will you invite Zhou Mu to my study on behalf of my father?"

    Jia Fan hurried away, and Jia Xu also put on his hat and came to the courtyard gate to greet Liu Jing. From a distance, he saw Liu Jing walking quickly. Jia Xu bowed deeply, "Old minister, see you, my lord!"

    Liu Jing replied with a smile: "I heard that the military advisor is ill, so I came here to visit. By the way, I also have something to discuss with the military advisor."

    Jia Xu nodded, waved his hand and said: "Zhou Mu, please come in and talk in detail!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 542 What Conditions

    In the room, Liu Jing handed Cao Cao's autographed letter to Jia Xu, "The military advisor will read it first, and then we will talk."

    Jia Xu recognized Cao Cao's handwriting on the envelope at a glance. He immediately cheered up, sat upright, opened the letter and read it carefully. His brows also wrinkled slightly, but when he saw that Cao Zhi, the third son of the sent, arrived,  He seemed to have thought of something and couldn't help but laugh again.

    Jia Xu returned the letter to Liu Jing and said with a smile: "This is Prime Minister Cao's usual style. The letter only talks about friendship, and Cao Zhi should be the one to talk about the business. But I'm a little surprised that Prime Minister Cao Cao actually asked Cao Zhi to go on a mission to Jingzhou."

    "Is there anything special about this?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Jia Xu nodded, "If he sent his confidants, there would be no problem at all, but this is the first time he sent his son as an envoy. Of course, maybe he wanted his son to temper himself, but I feel that Prime Minister Cao seems  I want Cao Zhi to take charge of the affairs of Jingzhou."

    "He will take the lead?"

    Liu Jing couldn't help but sneered, "I think he is only twenty years old. Can he take charge of Jingzhou affairs for his father? Be careful not to ruin the big thing."

    "Don't worry, my lord! Prime Minister Cao knows what he's doing and won't let his son do anything bad. I think he should have explained everything. Maybe there will be important ministers to help him next time."

    Liu Jing's thoughts changed and she suddenly understood, "What does the military counselor mean by saying that Cao Cao wants Cao Zhi to inherit his mantle?"

    Jia Xu quickly shook his head, "There is no certainty. Cao Pi should still take charge, but Prime Minister Cao may also consider letting Cao Zhi succeed. As far as I know, he loves this third son very much and often tells people that Cao Zhi is the most like him.  More importantly, Cao Pi failed to handle some matters well, which made Prime Minister Cao very disgusted and affected his succession. "

    "Like what?"

    "The most serious thing was that Cao Pi took advantage of the chaos to marry the Zhen family. Eight months later, the Zhen family gave birth to a son. Do you think this child was the Yuan family or the Cao family? Although Prime Minister Cao Pi didn't say anything at the time, we all  I know that Cao Cheng is quite dissatisfied with his son's lust."

    Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh, "Cao Cao is also a lustful person, and his body is not upright. How can he blame his son for sitting crookedly?"

    Although Jia Xu surrendered to Liu Jing and assisted Liu Jing loyally, deep down in his heart, he always felt a little guilty towards Cao Cao. For example, he never called Cao Cao by his name, but called him Prime Minister. This was the reason.

    Jia Xu shook his head, "This actually has nothing to do with lust, but is related to the succession of children. It would be fine if Mrs. Zhen was unmarried, but she is Yuan Shao's daughter-in-law. Cao Pi did not ask the medical officer to do so without his father's consent.  He married her without permission, how could Prime Minister Cao not be angry?"

    Liu Jing smiled and asked, "What about the next step?"

    "There is also the death of Zhang Xiu. Cao Pi took advantage of his father's western expedition and forced Zhang Xiu to death. Although I don't know what happened later, I know one thing very well. Cao Pi forced Zhang Xiu to death without his father's consent. This will inevitably make Zhang Xiu die.  Prime Minister Cao was furious, and the impact was very bad. More importantly, the revival of the Yuan family was also caused by Cao Pi's improper handling, which affected the decisive battle of Chibi. It was exactly what happened that made Prime Minister Cao have the idea of ??letting Cao Zhi inherit the mantle. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "Let's not talk about this anymore, let's get down to business! What does the military advisor think Cao Zhi's purpose is for coming here?"

    Jia Xu pondered for a moment and said: "If I guess correctly, Prime Minister Cao wants to negotiate with the lord!"

    "What are you negotiating for?"

    "It should be that he wants us to abandon Guanzhong. Frankly speaking, our Guanzhong strategy makes him sleepless, but he is powerless to stop it, so he can only come and beg the lord not to go north again."

    Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh, "Can this kind of thing be solved by asking for help?"

    "That's why he sent his son to negotiate!"

    Jia Xu smiled slightly and said: "I think Prime Minister Cao will make a big concession. If the lord wants to do it, he can open his mouth. As long as he can do it, he will agree. The lord can even ask for the title of king."

    At this time, Liu Jing suddenly remembered something and said quickly: "Does the military advisor know a eunuch named Mi? It is said that this person is a close eunuch of Liu Xie."

    A trace of disdain appeared on Jia Xu¡¯s face, ¡°It¡¯s just a habit of cutting sleeves, why are you mentioning him?¡±

    "He is here too. In fact, he has been here since the beginning of the year. Last time, he was supervising the sacrifices and delivered Liu Xie's message to me. But this time, he was sent by Liu Xie to canonize me."

    Jia Xu was extremely sophisticated and immediately understood what Liu Jing meant, "Master, are you saying that this person is the poisonous snake that Cao Cao placed beside Liu Xie?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "It would be weird if it wasn't."

    Jia Xu closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then slowly said to Liu Jing: "In this case, my lord, why not meet this eunuch rice first, and then see Cao Zhi again."

    In the afternoon, the eunuch Mi Ying announced to Liu Jing at the state government office thatFollowing the imperial edict, Liu Jing was promoted to the title of Duke of Chu and General of Hussars. At the same time, Liu Jing's wife Tao was granted the title of Lady of Jing State, his second wife Sun was granted the title of Lady of Wu State, and Liu Jing's eldest son Liu Zhi was granted the title of Marquis of Ting and Jiazhen.  Martial arts captain.

    As Liu Jing expected, there was no mention of Yizhou or Hanzhong in the decree. Liu Jing sneered in his heart and kowtowed to thank him. Eunuch Mi gave the decree to Liu Jing and whispered to Liu Jing: "  The old slave has some confidential words that he wants to convey to the state pastor."

    Liu Jing knew that he wanted to convey Liu Xie's words, but when he thought of Jia Xu's evaluation of him, he felt sick in his heart. He suppressed the discomfort in his heart and smiled and said: "Eunuch Mi, please come to my official room for a cup of tea." Eunuch Mi  Xinran followed Liu Jing into the official room. He sat down and looked at Liu Jing affectionately, which made Liu Jing's back feel numb. He said to several soldiers: "You guys retreat first!"

    The soldiers retreated, Liu Jing took a sip of tea and said coldly: "If you have any secrets, father-in-law, just tell me!"

    "When I was leaving, the Holy Master asked me to tell the state pastor, 'Since you have taken control of Jingshu, why don't you raise the king's army to go into the Central Plains and save the Han family? Do you have different intentions?'"

    Eunuch Mi¡¯s voice was very high-pitched. He imitated Liu Xie¡¯s voice, with a sinister air, and his tone was full of resentment, just like the resentment emanating from the bones of a resentful woman who had been widowed for many years.

    Liu Jing lowered his face and said nothing. His heart was full of disdain. He could imagine that when Liu Xie said this, his eyes were full of jealousy and dissatisfaction with himself. A person who has been suppressed for a long time must have a twisted heart.  This kind of person cannot be persuaded by normal means.

    After a long while, Liu Jingcai said calmly: "Eunuch Mi, let's make a deal!"

    A flattering smile suddenly appeared on Eunuch Mi's face, "Please tell me, Zhou Mu, that I am willing to make a deal with Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing suddenly stared at him coldly, his eyes as sharp as knives, as if piercing people's hearts. Eunuch Mi was so frightened that his heart trembled, and his legs trembled. He only heard Liu Jing's cold voice, "What should I do?"  Tell the emperor, I can pretend not to know about your affair with Cao Cao."

    Liu Jing drew out her sword, pressed it on his neck, and whispered: "

    If you dare to treat me twice, I will make you die!  "

    Eunuch Mi was so frightened that he collapsed on the ground. His crotch felt wet and he even lost control of his urine. Liu Jing didn't want to look at him anymore, sheathed her sword and shouted: "Come here!"

    Several soldiers walked in quickly. Liu Jing pointed at Eunuch Mi and said, "Eunuch Mi is sick. Send him to a distinguished hotel to rest as soon as possible!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    When eunuch Mi went to the state government to announce his decree, Cao Zhi did not go with him. On the one hand, he also hated this eunuch who was neither male nor female. On the other hand, the arrogance in his bones also made him not want to see Liu Jing so soon.

    In the room, Cao Zhi was drinking, playing the piano, and singing. At this time, there was a strange sound in his piano, and it suddenly stopped. Cao Zhi asked coldly: "What's the matter?"

    The nervous voice of Guan Cheng came from the yard, "Mr. Cao, my state pastor is here."

    "Okay, I get it now."

    Cao Zhi agreed casually. He adjusted the tune again, but Liu Jing's laughter came from the yard, "Master Zhi wants to be Bo Ya, but it's a pity that I am not Zi Qi."

    Cao Zhi was stunned for a moment. He stood up and walked to the window. He saw Liu Jing wearing a lavender fine linen robe and a plain scarf. She was looking at him with a smile on her hands. Cao Zhi's face was a little hot. Although he was a noble person,  Although he is a human being, he also knows how to treat guests. He did not expect that Liu Jing would condescend to pay him a visit in person, which moved him deeply and greatly satisfied his vanity.

    He quickly raised his hands and said, "Zijian is rude, please ask the state pastor to come in and sit down!"

    He hurriedly put away his piano and wine cup, straightened his clothes, and stepped forward to open the door. Liu Jing walked in with a smile, "I'm sorry for coming uninvited, Mr. Zhi!"

    "I'm rude, please sit down, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing was not polite and sat down facing east. Cao Zhi also sat down. At this time, the Guan Cheng brought two cups of tea. Liu Jing nodded and said, "Stand down!"

    He took out a letter from his arms, put it on the table and pushed it to Cao Zhi, "This is my reply to your father, I hope you can convey it to me."

    "sure!"

    Cao Zhi put away the letter, leaned over and said with a smile: "First of all, congratulations to Zhou Mu for being promoted to Duke of Chu and appointed as a hussar general. This is second only to the general and ranks higher than the three Dukes. It shows that the emperor values ??Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing shook her head, "It's a pity that there is nothing I want here. I wanted Yizhou Mu, but your father didn't give it to me."

    Cao Zhi didn¡¯t expect Liu Jing to be so frank and got into the topic right away. After all, he was inexperienced and didn¡¯t know how to go around in circles to test Liu Jing¡¯s bottom line. He didn¡¯t know he could ask for anything first.The price will be paid, and then Liu Jing and Liu Jing will slowly pay back the money on the spot.

    He pondered for a while and said, "My father said that if Zhou Mu wants to serve as Yizhou Mu concurrently, he can do it, and if he wants to be crowned king, he can do it. As long as Zhou Mu agrees to one thing, then Zhou Mu can ask for an official title."

    "Then what is going on?" Liu Jing asked pretending to be confused.

    Cao Zhi hesitated. He didn't know whether he should say it like this, but Liu Jing smiled and said: "If Mr. Zhi feels embarrassed, then I won't ask. I may leave for Yizhou tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, so I came here to express my gratitude to Mr. Zhi."  Farewell!"

    Liu Jing cupped her fists and cupped her hands, and was about to stand up when Cao Zhi quickly said: "Please sit down for a moment and listen to me."

    Liu Jing looked at him with a smile, "Master, please speak, Liu Jing is all ears!"

    Cao Zhi sighed and said: "The state pastor knows the nine tins. The first is chariots and horses, the second is clothes, the third is musical instruments, the fourth is Zhuhu, the fifth is Nabi, the sixth is hundreds of warriors, the seventh is axes and axes, and the eighth is bows and arrows.  , Jiuyue Xiang, the most noble and noble, if Zhou Mu agrees to this, my father can even ask for an order to add Jiuxi to Zhou Mu! "

    Liu Jing laughed, "Your Majesty, you don't even dare to talk about adding Jiuxi. Liu Jing is a low-ranking official and has a low position. How dare you have such arrogance? Jiuxi will be exempted, and the title of king will be exempted. Yizhou Mu can consider it.  Sir, please speak directly!"

    "Okay! Then I'll tell you directly."

    Cao Zhi gritted his teeth and said: "My father hopes that Zhou Mu will not go north to Guanzhong for five years or so. Zhou Mu can provide all conditions."

    Liu Jing was really disappointed. Even a man of great talent and strategy like Cao Cao actually put forward such unrealistic conditions. What other conditions could he have for himself to agree? Jiuxi, Wangjue, and the position of emperor, the question is.  £®  £®  £®  £®  Is it possible for me to agree?

    Liu Jing was silent for a moment and said in a mocking tone: "Since any conditions can be made, I will put forward the conditions and ask Mr. Zhi to tell your father that if he is willing to retire and return to his hometown, I will be willing to take over his position as prime minister.  , how about sharing the world's worries for him?"

    Cao Zhi was stunned. He didn't know how to answer. He was angry and panicked, and his face was red.

    At this time, Liu Jing glanced at him and said calmly: "I am just joking about the position of prime minister. I don't have the respect of your father. However, the young master will tell your father for me that I have a copy of the clothing order in my hand.  I can give it back to him if he wants."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 543 Han Sui¡¯s Thoughts

    The Ma Chao coalition attacked all the way to the east with overwhelming momentum. Except for Chang'an, in just half a month, the Ma Chao coalition swept through Guanzhong and forced Xiahou Yuan's army back to Hedong.

    In mid-July, Ma Chao's army arrived at Tongguan. At the same time, Cao Ren also led 20,000 troops to build a camp outside Tongguan to defend Ma Chao's coalition forces from continuing to advance eastward. Xiahouyuan's army built a city at Puban, forming a horns with Cao Ren's army.

    Time gradually passed for nearly a month. In early August, Cao Cao led an army of 100,000 to Tongguan, facing Ma Chao's army across Tongguan. Cao Cao's army kept building siege equipment in the camp day and night, and prepared for a large-scale attack on Tongguan.  Secretly, Xu Huang and Yu Jin led 5,000 troops to cross the river from Puban in Hedong County in the north and seize Pujin Pass on the other side of the Yellow River.

    One early morning in mid-August, Ma Chao unexpectedly received news that Cao Cao's army outside Tongguan was crossing the river to the north. This news surprised Ma Chao and hurriedly found Han Sui. Han Sui's camp was also in Tongguan. At this time  , Han Sui was having breakfast in his tent, when a noise disturbed him.

    "What's the matter?" Han Sui put down his chopsticks and asked displeasedly.

    "To inform the Commander-in-Chief, General Ma is here, saying there is an emergency!"

    As soon as the soldier finished speaking, Ma Chao burst in with a sword, "Mr. Han and I are as close as father and son, you don't need to inform me!"

    Han Sui was slightly unhappy. Although Ma Chao kept saying that he was his father, he did not respect him. He did not discuss many things with him, especially when it came to the decision to make Chang'an. The two had differences. Han Sui took the lead in attacking Chang'an.  Consolidating the occupation of Guanzhong, Ma Chao was unwilling to attack the city and focused on annihilating the main force of Cao's army. In the end, Han Sui had no choice but to listen to his advice and gave up the attack on Chang'an.

    When he arrived at Tongguan, Han Sui proposed that he would lead his headquarters to station in Shangjun, while Ma Chao would lead eight other coalition forces to station in Guanzhong. This meant that he wanted to divide the spoils. He wanted the territory in Shangjun and other areas within the pass, and the territory in Guanzhong would be given to Ma Chao.

    Ma Chao, however, did not allow him to lead his army northward on the grounds that the overall situation was undecided. Instead, he asked Yang Qiu, who was close to him, to lead his army to station in Shangjun. This made Han Sui really annoyed. It was obvious that Ma Chao did not want to give him the territory in the pass.

    At this time, Ma Chao rudely broke into his tent, which made Han Sui very unhappy. However, Han Sui did not show it on his face. He stood up with a smile and walked to the tent, "Meng got up early! Let's use it together."  Let¡¯s have breakfast!¡±

    Ma Chao cupped his fists and saluted: "Uncle Shi, Ma Chao has something urgent to discuss with us."

    "Then please come into the account and tell us!"

    Han Sui invited Ma Chao into the tent and ordered people to remove breakfast. Then he smiled and asked, "What's the matter?"

    "Uncle Qi, I just received news that Cao Jun has begun to cross the Yellow River and head north."

    Han Sui was also surprised. He quickly took out the map and spread it out. He looked at the map carefully and said to Ma Chao: "Cao Jun's intention is obvious. He must be crossing the river at Puban and entering Guanzhong."

    "Damn you thief Cao!"

    Ma Chao gritted his teeth and cursed: "How dare you fake siege equipment to deceive me, I will have to cut him into pieces!"

    Han Sui said worriedly: "When Cao Cao crosses the river and goes north, he must have captured Pujin Pass. He will only move when he is sure. I am worried that Liang Xing will lose something. I want to lead my headquarters to go north to support. What does Meng Qi think?"

    This time Ma Chao did not object, nodded and said: "Please take a step forward, uncle. After I defeat Cao's army in Tongguan, come and join him immediately!"

    At the moment, Ma Chao's coalition forces were divided into two groups. Han Sui led his 20,000 troops north to Feng Yi County to support Pujin Pass, while Ma Chao led 10,000 cavalry out of Tong Pass and attacked Cao's camp, accurately annihilating the rear of Cao's army that had not crossed the river.

    Tongguan is located on the south bank of the bend of the Yellow River. It is surrounded by steep mountains. There is only one road into Tongguan. The other side of the Yellow River is Hedong. Along the northeast of the river, there is another ferry at Puban. On the other side is Pujin Pass in Fengyi County.  Another entrance into Guanzhong.

    At this time, Xu Huang and Yu Jin had occupied Pujin Pass. Cao Cao immediately ordered his army to cross the river and go north. One hundred thousand troops had been crossing the river for two days and two nights. Only a few thousand logistics troops were left on the south bank of the Yellow River. Cao Cao had not yet crossed the river. At this moment,  Soldiers in the distance shouted: "Ma Chao's army is coming!"

    Cao Cao was startled. He turned around and looked to the west. He saw dust flying in the west, flags waving, and a cavalry rushing towards the dock. The leading general was vaguely visible, wearing a golden crown on his head, wearing silver armor, holding a  With a long spear and a horse like a dragon, rushing towards him like soaring clouds and riding mist, it was none other than General Ma Chao.

    Cao Cao laughed and said to the guards on the left and right: "People praise horses as beautiful as beautiful things. This is indeed true. He is worthy of being the reincarnation of Lu Bu. In terms of martial arts, I am afraid that only Zhao Yun in the world can rival him, and even Liu Jingzhou is inferior."

    Everyone was in a panic. They couldn't hear Cao Cao's comments and shouted together: "Prime Minister, get on the boat quickly!"

    Cao Cao stood up and said with a smile: "Don't panic, he will kill you."Can't tell the truth.  "

    Huben captain Xu Chu was even more anxious. He ordered Cao Cao's war horses to be sent across the river first, and he escorted Cao Cao onto another boat. When the guards saw that their lord had boarded the boat, they all fled eastward. At this time, Ma Chao led several  Hundreds of forwards fought to the dock and saw that Cao Cao's boat had left the shore. They were so angry that he yelled: "Thief Cao, leave your head for me!"

    Cao Cao held his fan and laughed and said, "Can the horse swim?"

    Ma Chao pointed his spear, "Set me an arrow!"

    Hundreds of cavalrymen raised their bows and fired arrows at the boat. The boatman was unable to dodge and was hit in the back by an arrow. He screamed and fell into the river. Xu Chu was so anxious that he raised his saddle as a shield with one hand and defended Cao Cao.  Blocking the arrows and rocking the oar with one hand, Cao Cao remained unhurried, chatting and laughing, and the boat gradually moved away.

    Ma Chao felt extremely regretful when he saw that he had failed to capture Cao Cao alive. He turned around and shouted, "Kill all Cao Cao's troops who have not crossed the river!"

    But an accident happened. Cattle and sheep were seen rushing out from the hillside, blocking the mountain road. His army was in chaos. No one cared about chasing Cao Jun, and they all dismounted to catch the cattle and sheep. This was when Cao Cao's military academy captain Ding Fei saw that the situation was critical.  , in order to cover the retreat of the logistics soldiers, they ordered tens of thousands of cattle and sheep to be released.

    Most of Ma Chao's cavalry were Qiang and Hu people, and their military discipline was lax. They regarded cattle and sheep as their lives. Suddenly, cattle and sheep appeared all over the mountains and plains in front of them. They had no fighting spirit. They just robbed the cattle and sheep. Ma Chao was so angry that he couldn't do anything.  Watching Cao Jun escape

    A few days later, Ma Chao received information that Pujin Pass had been captured by Cao's army. Liang Xing was defeated and retreated south. Cao's army, with tens of thousands of forwards, had entered Feng Yi County and advanced south under the leadership of General Xiahou Yuan to garrison Weibei. Han Sui's army was defeated by Cao's army.  , urgently asked Ma Chao for help, but Ma Chao had no choice but to abandon Tongguan and lead his army northward.

    In the Cao army's camp, Xu Huang and Yu Jin hurriedly walked into Xiahou Yuan's tent. Inside the tent, Xiahou Yuan was talking to Xun You about something. When Xun You saw Xu Huang and Yu Jin entering the tent, he smiled and said: "The two generals are here too.  , let¡¯s discuss it!¡±

    Xu Huang and Yu Jin sat down. Xia Houyuan took out an order and said to them: "We just received an order from the Prime Minister, ordering us to temporarily station in Weibei and don't have to attack Han Sui's army?"

    Xu Huang was a little confused and asked: "Han Sui's army has less than 20,000 troops, and Liang Xing's army only has a few thousand troops. Why not seize this opportunity?"

    ??

    Yu Jin asked: "I wonder what weakness you found in them, sir?"

    Xun You smiled and said: "Their weakness is actually very obvious. At the beginning, they coordinated and worked together to send troops. But after occupying Guanzhong, there was a problem how to distribute the benefits. Yang Qiu is Ma Chao's closest subordinate. He went  Shangjun, what do others think? Especially Han Sui. He came to rescue Liang Xing, but he was obviously not sincere and refused to send troops. As a result, Liang Xing lost most of his army. How could Liang Xing not be resentful? Then our opportunity has come.  "

    Xun You whispered a few words to everyone, and everyone clapped and applauded. Xia Houyuan praised: "This plan is enough to make Ma Chao's army kill each other."

    Han Sui's army was stationed on the south bank of the Wei River. Han Sui was really anxious these days. Cao Cao's army pretended to attack Tongguan by pretending to attack Tongguan, but succeeded in crossing the river at Puban and marching westward. Seeing Cao Cao's army entering Guanzhong one after another, Ma Chao was unable to deal with it.  It has already lost a strategic position.

    From the strategic response of both sides, we can see that Ma Chao is unwise. Cao Cao's strategy of crossing the river north is obvious. However, Ma Chao did not lead his army to Feng Yi County to fight, but led his army out of Tongguan to fight Cao Cao's rear army, showing the courage of an ordinary man.  However, he delayed the opportunity to fight, so that Cao Jun broke into Guanzhong.

    Han Sui let out a long sigh. Cao Cao's army was well organized, but Ma Chao was confused and disorderly. I'm afraid they would be in trouble in this battle. Only then did Han Sui understand why Liu Jing refused to send troops north to Guanzhong. He knew that they would be defeated and took advantage of Cao Cao's help.  He wanted to eradicate these Guanlong warlords by hand and lay the foundation for him to take over Guanlong in the future. I have to say that this is a far-sighted strategy. In comparison, Ma Chao seems too unwise.

    At this time, there were soldiers outside the tent reporting, "Report to the Governor, there is someone outside asking to see him, saying he is Prime Minister Cao's envoy."

    Han Sui was startled. He quickly walked to the tent door and saw a military official standing outside the tent door. "Are you" Han Sui asked doubtfully.

    The military officer cupped his hands and said with a smile: "My surname is Zhang. I am the Prime Minister's personal guard. I have been ordered by the Prime Minister to deliver a letter to the general."

    "Please come into the account and tell me!"

    Han Sui hurriedly invited the generals into the tent. The military officials took out a letter and handed it to him, "The prime minister said that Governor Han is his old friend. I hope this letter can give Governor Han a bright future."

    "Then I have to see what is written?  "

    Han Sui laughed dryly to hide the nervousness in his heart. He opened the letter and read it impatiently. The letter said that when the conditions are ripe in the future, he can be made King of Xiliang and his family will be allowed to rule Liangzhou for thirty years.  year, the premise is that he will no longer follow Ma Chao in rebellion and withdraw from Guanzhong as soon as possible.

    Han Sui was a little hesitant. He didn't believe that Cao Cao would give him such a preferential condition. Thirty years as the king of Xiliang, he couldn't believe it. Moreover, the letter said that it would only be given when the conditions are mature. What does it mean when the conditions are mature?  This is a bit far away.

    However, Cao Cao sent soldiers to look for him. This incident itself was an opportunity for Han Sui. He no longer wanted to hang out with Ma Chao and bring about his own destruction.

    "The Prime Minister said that if Governor Han feels that the conditions in the letter are not enough and he has any other requests, he can consider them even if he puts them forward."

    Han Sui sighed in his heart. If he could be the king of Xiliang for thirty years, of course he would dream of it. But he was eager to know, what does it mean when the conditions are ripe?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 544: A plan to alienate

    At the same moment when Han Sui secretly met with Cao Cao's envoy, in another camp about five or six miles away from Han Sui's camp, General Liang Xing was listening solemnly to a patrol report.

    "The humble post was absolutely correct. It was Cao Cao's envoy. He was escorted by Cao Cao's soldiers and crossed the river in a small boat. The envoy finally entered Han Sui's camp."

    Liang Xing was also one of the ten tribes of Guanlong, with 8,000 soldiers under his command. He was originally stationed at Pujing Pass on the orders of Ma Chao, but the defense was not tight. Pujing Pass was successfully attacked by Cao's army, and he was forced to retreat south.

    However, in the battle of retreating south from the Wei River, his army was defeated by Cao's army and lost nearly 4,000 people. This made Liang Xing extremely dissatisfied with Han Sui. He believed that Han Sui failed to respond well. It was obvious that Han Sui had arrived in Weinan long ago, but he was too late.  He was too late to send troops to help him cross the river, causing his army to suffer heavy losses. He put this account on Han Sui's head.

    Now Han Sui was in secret contact with Cao Cao's envoy. How could he let it go? Liang Xing immediately ordered to his left and right: "I must intercept Cao Cao's envoy!"

    Cao Cao's envoy took advantage of the cover of night and left Han Sui's camp. He took two followers and rode towards the Wei River. They ran along the river for more than ten miles. When they passed a forest, a sudden sound of "dyprosium" passed over their heads.  , hundreds of soldiers rushed out from the woods and surrounded them.

    In the fierce fire, Liang Xing urged his horse forward, glanced coldly at Cao Cao's envoy, and ordered: "Tie them up!"

    The crowd rushed forward and knocked Cao Cao's envoy to the ground. They found Han Sui's reply letter from his body. The envoy shouted: "Don't hurt me, I will explain everything!"

    Liang Xing received Han Sui's reply and looked at the envelope. "Cao Cheng expresses his sincerity," and the signature was Xiliang Han Sui. Liang Xing couldn't help but reveal a sinister smile on his face. The evidence was conclusive. Let's see what else he has to say.

    Three days later, Ma Chao led 50,000 allied troops to the south bank of the Wei River and set up camp not far from Han Sui's camp. While the camp was busy cleaning up, a soldier came to report, "General Liang is here!"

    This is Liang Xing¡¯s arrival. Ma Chao also wanted to know about Cao Jun¡¯s situation and hurriedly invited him in. After a moment, Liang Xing hurriedly walked into the tent, knelt down on one knee and saluted, ¡°General, I will see you at last!¡±

    "Get up! Tell us about the situation of Cao's army."

    Liang Xing stood up and said: "Cao's army numbered about 30,000, commanded by General Xia Houyuan. In the first battle, our defense had loopholes and there were too few defensive troops at night. They attacked Pujin Pass and succeeded. But in the second battle in Weibei,  The defeat is not the responsibility of my humble position. Someone secretly communicated with Cao Cao and betrayed me. "

    "What do you mean?"

    Ma Chao asked in surprise: "Who betrayed you?"

    Liang Xing took out Han Sui's letter to Cao Cao, handed it to Ma Chao and said: "I intercepted the envoy of Cao's army and found this letter on his body. The general will know it at a glance."

    Ma Chao took the letter and read it, his face suddenly darkened. He opened the letter and read it carefully, and suddenly became furious, "I regard him as my father, but he secretly betrayed me. This thief deserves to be killed!"

    Pang De, Ma Chao's confidant general next to him, quickly advised: "General, calm down. If the two armies fight internally, it will only benefit Cao's army. It is better to remain silent for the time being, invite Han Sui to discuss military affairs, kill this man directly, and take over his army."

    Ma Chao suppressed his anger and nodded, "Ling Ming is right!"

    He immediately ordered his soldiers, "Go to the camp of the Han Governor and tell him that there is an urgent military situation and ask him to come quickly to discuss it."

    After walking a few steps, Ma Chao said to Pang De again: "You and my brother can each lead 10,000 troops and ambush around Han Sui's camp. When I get the signal, surround his camp and make an emergency landing!"

    Han Sui sent off Cao Cao's envoy and kept waiting for Cao Cao's reply. Seeing that Ma Chao's army had arrived at the Wei River, there was no news from Cao Cao, which made him really uneasy.

    At this time, Ma Chao sent someone to ask him to discuss the military situation. Han Sui had no doubts and rushed to Ma Chao's camp with more than a dozen followers.

    Entering the military camp and approaching the tent, Han Sui felt a hint of murderous intent. He suddenly became uneasy. He saw Ma Chao coming out of the tent and said with a smile, "Why are you late, Uncle Shi?"

    "If you pack your things in the camp, you will be late."

    Ma Chao originally wanted to go into the tent and deal with him, but at this time he could no longer hold back the overwhelming anger in his heart and said coldly: "Is Governor Han packing his bags?"

    Han Sui was stunned, stopped and asked, "Wonderful nephew, why do you say this?"

    Before Ma Chao could speak, Liang Xing rushed up and pointed at him and yelled: "Old thief, you had an affair with Cao Cao, which led to my disastrous defeat. Do you still dare not to admit it?"

    Han Sui suddenly turned around to look at Ma Chao, only to see him pressing on the hilt of his sword, with murderous intent in his eyes. Knowing that he had been exposed, he turned around and ran away. Ma Chao drew out his sword, took two steps quickly, and struck Han Sui's thigh with one sword. Han Sui fell to the ground.  Falling to the ground, he cupped his hands and begged: "Dear nephew, for the sake of our old friendship, please spare my life!  "

    "Friendship?"

    Ma Chao said fiercely: "You and I only have the hatred of killing our mother and the hatred of betrayal, but we have no friendship!" He raised his sword and killed Han Sui. The soldiers who were ambushing around swarmed up and took Han Sui away.  All the soldiers were killed.

    Ma Chao cut off Han Sui's head, held it high and shouted: "Han Sui is having an affair with Cao Cao and wants to kill us. Let's kill him today to serve as a warning to the traitors!"

    Han Sui was killed. Everyone in Ma Chao's camp was shocked. The other military leaders were in panic. Especially those who were good friends with Han Sui, such as Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin, Li Kan, etc., were even more dissatisfied and filled with anger.

    Just when Ma Chao's army attacked Han Sui's camp and the army was unstable, Cao Jun took the opportunity to build a pontoon bridge on the Wei River. Xu Huang led an army of 10,000 to build a military camp twenty miles away from Ma Chao's camp. At this time, Ma Chao was busy quelling the civil strife.  , unable to stop Cao's army from stationing in the camp, Xu Huang built a military camp on the south bank of the Wei River that could accommodate tens of thousands of people in just one day and one night.

    At night, dark clouds covered the entire country, the stars and moon were dim, and thick red clouds shrouded the land of Guanzhong. The strong river wind blowing from the Weishui River made the woods on the south bank rustle, and on the newly built sentry tower of Cao Jun's camp  , several sentries were pacing back and forth, watching the official road in the distance warily.

    In a forest a few miles away from Cao's army, Ma Chao led an army of 15,000 people and was ready for an attack. Tonight was a good opportunity to steal the camp. General Pang De next to him whispered: "I have heard that Xu Gongming  With both wisdom and courage, the camp is easily attacked tonight, will Xu Huang be prepared?"

    Ma Chao sneered and said: "He is always ready, so what? Can his camp withstand the impact of my five thousand iron hooves?"

    At this time, a soldier said: "General, the time has come!"

    Ma Chao waved his sword and shouted loudly: "Kill me!"

    Five thousand cavalry suddenly launched into action, like a river bursting its banks. The horses galloped and galloped wildly. The sound of horse hooves sounded like thunder. The shouts of killing resounded throughout the earth. Five thousand of the most elite cavalry rushed towards Cao Jun's camp.

    When the cavalry was still more than a hundred steps away from the camp, hundreds of horses running in front suddenly fell down one after another. The horses neighed and broke bones. A large number of horse pits were dug in front of the camp gate, and iron was sprinkled intensively.  The horses were hit by the caltrops one after another and rolled to the ground. The cavalry were thrown from their horses. The horses behind them were unable to recover and crashed into a ball.

    Just when the cavalry was in chaos, a sudden fire broke out on the wall of Cao's army camp. Thousands of crossbowmen who were ambushing here fired arrows at the Xiliang army. The arrows were like a rapid rain, hitting the Xiliang army overwhelmingly. In just one stick of incense,  In a short time, more than half of the 5,000 cavalry were lost. They were so frightened that they retreated, and the 10,000 infantry behind them were also in chaos.

    Pang De rushed to Ma Chao and reported loudly: "General, the enemy is well prepared, and our brothers have suffered heavy casualties!"

    Ma Chao's face turned pale and he could only say bitterly: "Retreat!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, drums suddenly sounded loudly behind him, and fire broke out. Six thousand Cao Cao's troops who were ambushing behind them rushed out, led by a general, holding a mountain-breaking ax, majestic. It was Cao Cao's army Xu Huang, who shouted loudly  : "Horse, stop moving!"

    Ma Chao was furious, and rushed forward with his gun drawn, but Pang De and Ma Dai grabbed the reins tightly and shouted: "General, the army is in chaos, retreat quickly!"

    The surrounding Xiliang army was in chaos. They all turned around and fled to the west. Even the cavalry stopped attacking. At this time, Yu Jin led 5,000 people to kill from the south. The Xiliang army was frightened and fled for their lives. Ma Chao saw that the defeat was certain.  He could only let out a long sigh and ordered: "The whole army retreats!"

    He turned his horse's head and fled toward his camp with Pang De and Ma Dai. Xu Huang and Yu Jin led their troops to pursue them. In this battle, Xiliang army corpses were scattered all over the field, causing heavy casualties. Ma Chao led a group of  Fifty thousand people went to steal the camp, but in the end less than 4,000 soldiers escaped, and most of the 5,000 elite cavalry were killed or injured.

    Ma Chao fled back to the military camp. He was extremely depressed. At this time, he was also a little shaken. He sent people to find Ma Dai and Pang De. Ma Chao sighed and said to them: "Han Sui betrayed me. I underestimated the enemy's defeat. I'm afraid the morale of the army has been lost."  Shaken, tell me what we should do now?"

    Ma Dai thought for a while and said, "Can we ask Liu Jing for help? Since he has occupied Hanzhong, he should have enough troops in his hands. If he can go north to Guanzhong, then our crisis will be solved."

    Ma Chao shook his head, "Liu Jing is in Xiangyang now. Even if he agrees to send troops, it will take half a month to come and go. I'm afraid it's too late, and our situation is unfavorable. He may not be willing to send troops, so we can't pin our hopes on him."  ¡±

    Pang De added: "I heard that Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin and others were dissatisfied with the general's killing of Han Sui. Now that we have been defeated and the morale of the army is even more unstable, it is better to ask Cao Cao for peace. We will return to Liangzhou to recharge our batteries and fight again in the future."  Thinking about making a comeback.¡±

    Ma Dai also advised: "Ling Ming saidThat's good. Anyway, Han Sui is dead and there is no one to compete with us for Xiliang. It is best to retreat. I agree to negotiate peace with Cao Cao.  "

    Ma Chao thought about it, but he had nothing to do, so he nodded, summoned a clerk, handed him his autographed letter and said: "Go to the north bank and tell Cao Cao that as long as he is willing to let me return to Xiliang, I am willing to  The Yellow River is our boundary and we will never go further east. In addition, I can use my son as a hostage."

    "Humble your duties and obey orders!"

    Shu Zuo took the letter, bowed and hurried away. At this time, Ma Chao whispered to the two of them: "In order to prevent Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin, Li Kan and others from causing trouble, I think it is necessary to kill them. What do you think?"  ?¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 545 Ma Chao¡¯s Defeat

    [This is a supplement to last night¡¯s update. Today¡¯s first update will be a little later, about 11:30.]¡ª¡ª

    The day after Xu Huang ambushed the Xiliang army, Cao Cao led his army to the military camp on the north bank of the Weihe River. After hearing the reports from Xia Houyuan and Xu Huang, he couldn't help stroking his beard and laughing: "A horse is brave but has no plans. If you show the courage of an ordinary man, you can be undefeated."  ?¡±

    Xia Houyuan quickly bowed and said: "This is all Mr. Xun's plan!"

    Cao Cao nodded to Xun You and sighed: "In the past two years, I, Liu Jing, have killed me in a terrible way. The morale of the army has been low, and the morale has been low. Thanks to your good plan, I have been able to feel proud in Guanzhong. I want to wash away the bad luck of the past few years. Please accept it, sir."  I salute you.¡±

    After saying that, Cao Cao bowed deeply to Xun You. Xun You was so frightened that he quickly bowed to him and said, "Prime Minister, you don't have to do this. This is a matter for a minor official!"

    Cao Cao was really happy and rewarded Xu Huang and Yu Jin heavily. Then he asked Xun You, "Sir, what should we do next?"

    Xun You said confidently with a smile: "Ma Chao's biggest mistake was to kill Han Sui. Although he won Han Sui's army, he chilled the hearts of other warlords. Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin and others separated from him. Ma Chao was bound to lose."  , now we just need to find some way to stabilize him and prevent them from escaping back to Xiliang. I guess Ma Chao may ask the Prime Minister for peace. "

    As soon as he finished speaking, a soldier reported outside the tent: "For the record, Prime Minister, Ma Chao has sent someone to ask for peace!"

    Cao Cao laughed, "Sir, you are indeed a Bole!"

    Xun You couldn't help but laugh and said, "Prime Minister, why don't you listen to what Ma Chao has to say?"

    Cao Cao nodded and ordered: "Bring people into the tent!"

    After a while, the soldiers brought Ma Chao's secretary in. The secretary knelt down and saluted: "I am the secretary of General Ma's account. I am here to deliver a message on General Ma's order."

    With that said, he handed over the letter with both hands. Cao Cao took the letter and read it again. He handed the letter to Xun You and asked coldly: "Ma Chao, is there anything else you want to say?"

    "General Ma promised to the Prime Minister that he would use the Yellow River as the boundary and would not take more than one step of the Yellow River in his life. If the Prime Minister does not believe his sincerity, he is willing to send his son to Yedu as a pledge."

    Cao Cao was furious. He snorted loudly and scolded: "The counties in Liangzhou are originally officials appointed by the imperial court. Ma Chao only lives in Liangzhou. How dare he talk to the imperial court about separatist rule?"

    At this time, Xun You coughed twice. Cao Cao woke up and said slowly: "Wu Wei is definitely not good, but if he agrees to retreat to Zhangye, maybe I can consider it."

    "I understand, I understand, now go back and report to General Ma!"

    Shu Zuo resigned and left. Cao Cao smiled and asked Xun You, "What should we do now?"

    Xun You said calmly: "Cut off their return immediately!"

    Cao Cao nodded, "Gongda's words are exactly what I want!"

    He turned around and ordered Xia Houyuan: "Miao Cai can lead 20,000 troops to march westward for a hundred miles and then cross the river, and cooperate with Zhong Yao to intercept Ma Chao's army's return."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Xia Houyuan took the military order and quickly left the tent. Cao Cao thought for a moment and then issued the military order: "Pass my order. The army will rest overnight and cross the river at five o'clock tomorrow!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cao Cao¡¯s army had built two pontoon bridges on the Wei River, which led directly to the military camp on the south bank. Before dawn the next day, Cao Cao¡¯s army began to cross the river quickly. By daybreak, 50,000 troops had crossed the Wei River.

    On the pontoon, the dark soldiers of Cao's army were running quickly. They had been fully prepared at night. Each of them was wearing bright armor, holding weapons, bows and arrows, and carried two days of dry food. After all the soldiers had crossed the river, food, grass, baggage and other logistics would be carried out.  Just started to cross the river.

    Cao Cao crossed the Wei River in the middle of the team. As soon as he arrived on the other side, Xu Huang came up to him, clasping his fists and saying: "To inform the Prime Minister, the candidate has sent an envoy to ask for an audience!"

    Hou Xuan is the third largest warlord among the ten warlords of Guanlong. He has an army of 12,000 people. He actually sent people here. Cao Cao couldn't help but laugh proudly. It seemed that Xun You's alienation plan was very effective. Han Suizhi  His death triggered internal strife among the warlords.

    "Bring him up!"

    After a while, a man in a robe was led to Cao Cao. He knelt down and saluted: "The villain Hou Jian pays homage to the Prime Minister!"

    "Who are you as candidate?" Cao Cao looked at him coldly and asked.

    "The villain is his younger brother."

    Cao Cao nodded, "What do you want to see me for?"

    Hou Jian took out a letter and presented it, "We are willing to surrender to the Prime Minister and no longer follow Ma Chao."

    Cao Cao took the letter and read it. It was a joint letter signed by Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin, and Li Kan. They all expressed their intention to surrender. This was beyond Cao Cao's expectation. A gentle smile appeared on his face and his voice became softer.  Get up and say, "This is right."Those who understand current affairs are heroes. As long as you surrender sincerely, the truth will not treat you badly.  "

    Hou Jian was extremely grateful and kowtowed again and again: "Ma Chao wants to kill us. We hate his ruthlessness and senselessness. We must surrender to the Prime Minister sincerely."

    "Why does Ma Chao want to kill you?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, last night Ma Chao invited everyone to gather in the Chinese army in the name of discussing military affairs. My brother sent people to investigate in advance and found that there were swordsmen and ax hands hidden in the Chinese army's tents. We used the excuse that the soldiers were unstable.  Go, Ma Chao has nothing to say for the time being, he will probably take action today or tomorrow."

    Cao Cao nodded, "You just have to endure it for a day or two and don't leave. In two days at most, I will attack Ma Chao's army. You can defect before the battle. After that, I will make you all princes."

    Hou Jian was overjoyed and said quickly: "Thank you Prime Minister for your kindness, I will go back and report it to my brother!"

    Cao Cao sent someone to send him away. At this time, Xu Huang stepped forward and said: "Prime Minister, these people are all Guanlong eagles and tigers. They will be obedient if they have meat to eat, but they will rebel if they don't have meat to eat. You must not indulge them anymore."

    Cao Cao sneered, "Of course I know. I was just trying to stabilize them. It was difficult to gather them in Guanzhong. If I don't annihilate them all, wouldn't it be a waste of food for me?"

    Having said this, Cao Cao made a decisive decision and ordered: "The whole army should speed up to cross the river. Do not take off your armor after crossing the river. Prepare the entire army to attack!"

    In the camp, Ma Chao was upset and paced back and forth in the tent. Last night he wanted to kill Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin and others and seize their army. Unexpectedly, Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin and Li Kan did not come.  Only four people, Zhang Heng, Liang Xing, Cheng Yi and Ma Wan, came. These four were just small warlords with a combined strength of no more than 10,000 men. Ma Chao was afraid of alerting Hou Xuan and others, so he did not take action.

    He was a little worried that his plan had been discovered by Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin and others, and he was also worried that they would withdraw their troops and flee westward. If the three of them fled, the number of troops would be reduced by half. This made Ma Chao very troubled. At this time, he also had to withdraw his troops.  However, if he withdraws hastily before reaching an agreement with Cao Cao, he will lose his greatest interests and even lose his footing.

    Ma Dai next to him advised: "We might as well retreat to Longxi. The Hehuang area is thousands of miles of fertile wilderness, and the Qinghai area can herd horses, which is enough for us to establish a foundation. Why must my brother rely on Cao Cao's gift?"

    Pang De also advised: "Cao Cao's army started to cross the river last night. He clearly has no intention of making peace with us. He wants to annihilate us all in the pass. The general will kill us when he wants. Don't count on Cao Cao anymore. We need to immediately  Withdrawal."

    Ma Chao got Cao Cao's promise to retreat to the west of Zhangye, which made him very excited. Although he lost Weiwu County, Zhangye was also an extremely wealthy place, including Jiuquan, Dunhuang and other places. If he got this area, then  He was old enough to become king on his own. It was for this reason that he wanted to reach a written agreement with Cao Cao and then withdraw his troops.

    Ma Chao sighed and said: "I also know that the situation is not good now, but if we don't try our best, I'm afraid there will be no chance in the future. Wait three more days. If there is no reply after three days, we will withdraw our troops!"

    At this moment, a sergeant rushed to the tent door and reported: "General Qi, Zhang Heng and Cheng Yi led their troops to leave the camp and seem to be retreating westward!"

    Ma Chao was furious. He immediately said to Ma Dai and Pang De: "You can lead two thousand cavalry and catch them up for me to strangle them."

    Ma Dai and Pang De looked at each other and had to bow and say: "Follow the order!"

    The two of them were about to walk out of the tent. Ma Dai sighed and said: "General, it is unwise to still place hope on Cao Cao!"

    Pang De smiled bitterly, "We can only do our best, let's go! It's important to catch up with Zhang Heng and Cheng Yi."

    After a while, Ma Dai and Pang De each led two thousand cavalry out of the camp and chased westward. These four thousand cavalry were Ma Chao's last cavalry. The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and they ran westward like a gust of wind.

    Less than an hour after the cavalry left, Cao Cao's 100,000-strong army launched an attack on Ma Chao's army. Six generals, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xu Huang, Yu Jin, Zhang Liao, and Zhang He, each led 10,000 troops to attack from all sides. Cao Cao personally led the four  Wan Dajun attacked from the center.

    Ma Chao's army was unprepared, and more importantly, all the warlords had deserted. Cao's army raised flags and surrendered before Cao's army could kill him, causing the morale of the army to collapse quickly. Ma Chao's army collapsed at the first touch, and the army was defeated.

    Under attack from all directions by Cao's army, Ma Chao's army cried and knelt down begging for mercy, but they were killed by Cao's army without mercy. The army suffered heavy casualties. Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin, Li Kan and others expected to surrender to Cao Cao, but Cao Cao  But they refused to accept their surrender and ordered their troops to kill them. They were killed by Cao Jun in the chaos. Their troops could not accept the surrender and were killed by Cao Jun in the chaos.

    Ma Chao led an army of five thousand to rise up to resist. However, Cao¡¯s army was so powerful that his army became smaller and smaller as the battle continued. In the end, only Cao Cao¡¯s army was left.With less than a thousand men, Ma Chao had no choice but to lead his army to fight a bloody road and flee westward, running for more than fifty miles in one breath. When he turned back, he was followed by only a dozen cavalrymen, and the rest of the soldiers were scattered.

    Ma Chao was so exhausted that he couldn't help but sigh, "Heaven is going to kill me!"

    Suddenly, one of his men pointed to the west and shouted: "Second General and General Pang are here!"

    When Ma Chao turned around, he saw Ma Dai and Pang De leading more than a thousand cavalry running towards them in panic. Many of the soldiers were injured. Ma Chao was startled and rushed forward to greet them, "What's going on?"

    Ma Dai cupped his hands and said: "General Qi, we caught up with Zhang Heng and others. During the fierce battle, Xia Houyuan led an army to kill from the west. We could not resist and were defeated by Cao's army. Zhang Heng and Cheng Yi also died in the chaos.  "In the army."

    At this time, Pang De asked in surprise: "General, what happened at the camp? Why are there only a few people following you?"

    Ma Chao cried and said: "I regret not listening to the words of the two brothers and believing in Cao Cao. As a result, he suddenly attacked the camp. Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin and others surrendered one after another. The army was in chaos and was divided and defeated by Cao Cao's army. I had to fight my way out."  Escape, we will be wiped out!"

    Speaking of this, Ma Chao felt filled with regret. He pulled out his sword and wiped it from his own neck. Ma Dai, with quick hands and eyes, hugged him and said, "Brother, no!"

    Pang De stepped forward and snatched Ma Chao's sword, and urged: "Victory and defeat are common matters for military strategists. How can a general admit defeat as soon as he is defeated?"

    Ma Chao sighed after a long while: "My army has been wiped out. Where is the chance to revive? What should we do now?"

    Ma Dai thought for a while and said, "Otherwise, if we go to Hanzhong, my eldest brother has an alliance with Liu Jing, and he will definitely take us in."

    Ma Chao shook his head, "I am also a prince after all. I don't want to be his general and be driven by others."

    Seeing that Ma Chao refused to go to Hanzhong, Pang De said, "Why don't we go back to Xiliang first and see if there is any chance. If it doesn't work, we can look for another way."

    This suggestion can still be considered. Ma Chao nodded, "Forget it, just go back to Xiliang first. We won't talk about it until we have a chance."

    Ma Chao reorganized his cavalry, and there were still more than a thousand men. They bypassed Cao Jun's interception from the south, plundered grain and grass along the way, and fled to Xiliang.

    Cao Cao defeated Ma Chao's army, ordered all the defeated troops to be killed, divided his troops into two groups, and ordered Cao Ren to lead 30,000 troops across the river to the north and go to Shangjun to attack Yang Qiu's tribe.

    He also ordered Xu Huang, Zhang Liao and Yu Jin to each lead 20,000 troops to guard various fortresses in Guanzhong to prevent Liu Jing's army from moving north from Hanzhong.

    Cao Cao personally led an army of 50,000 people all the way west to recover the counties of Longyou and Longxi.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 546 March on the Shu Road

    September in Sichuan does not have the cool air of autumn in the north, with blue sky and white clouds. The sky is always shrouded by clouds. From time to time it rains, and there is a hint of autumn coolness, but the warm and moist atmosphere quietly nourishes people.  skin.

    This was particularly evident in Sun Shangxiang. She had followed Liu Jing to Sichuan for a month, and she herself felt that her skin was more delicate and whiter than before. Overjoyed, she immediately wrote to Tao Zhan in Jingzhou,  I strongly advised her to move to Chengdu as soon as possible.

    Naturally, Sun Shangxiang came to Chengdu not for enjoyment, but because her heart longed for freedom. She did not want to be restrained in the house every day. She longed to travel among famous mountains and rivers, which made her heart as broad as the world. Liu Jing also satisfied her desire.  He wishes to take her to visit various places in Bashu so that she can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Bashu.

    In the misty autumn rain, on the Jianmen Shu Road in Zitong County, an army of thousands of people was winding its way north on the narrow mountain road. In addition to the five thousand troops, there were tens of thousands of livestock loaded with grain and grass supplies, following the army slowly.  Walking slowly, it was raining and the road was slippery, so the troops walked extremely carefully.

    In front of the team, Liu Jing was riding on a war horse, chatting and laughing all the way, using a riding whip to point out the roads of Shu to his beloved wife beside him, "The road we are walking on is called the Golden Bull Road, also called the Jianmen Road of Shu. In addition, there are  Compared with Yinping Road and Micang Road to the east, Jinniu Road is slightly easier to walk, so this road has become the main road heading north to Hanzhong. Legend has it that it was formed by hitting the mountain with the horns of a golden bull. There are also legends  It was formed by five powerful warriors who split the mountain with giant axes, so there are allusions to the story of the golden bull opening the way and the five small warriors splitting the mountain."

    Liu Jing was in high spirits and talked eloquently, but Sun Shangxiang beside her smiled and said nothing, listening attentively to her husband's explanation of Shu Road allusions. She was riding on a majestic rouge war horse, and like other soldiers, she wore fine fish scale armor, and her head was  Wear a wide bamboo hat.

    Although most of the more than a month of life in Shu was spent on the road, she was nourished by the aura of Shu water in Bashan and became extremely beautiful. Her skin was like snow and her eyes were filled with autumn water.

    She looked up at the steep and towering mountains on both sides. The towering mountains in the distance stretched endlessly to the horizon. Sun Shangxiang couldn't help but marvel.

    She has lived in the rivers and lakes of Jiangdong since she was a child. Although there are mountains, most of them are low and gentle. Even Beigu Mountain, which is known as the best mountain in the world, is far from the Dajian Mountain in front of her.

    ¡°This trip to Shu Road has really opened my eyes!¡±

    Sun Shangxiang sighed: "If I can't see these beautiful mountains and rivers, my life will be in vain."

    Speaking of this, her eyes flashed, and she said to Liu Jing with a hint of resentment: "I was just wondering when you could take me to the desert to have a look. I will never resent you in this life!"

    Liu Jing was stunned, "Do you mean that if I don't take you to the desert, you will resent me for the rest of your life?"

    "Of course, who told you to control me too tightly and not let me be free on my own?" Sun Shangxiang smiled triumphantly: "So, just think about how to make it up to me!"

    At this time, a soldier rushed over from the front and bowed in front of Liu Jing to report: "General Wu asked the state pastor for instructions. It is getting late and there is an open area ahead. Can we camp?"

    Liu Jing looked at the sky and nodded, "You can camp!"

    After the military order was passed, the soldiers unloaded their tents on the spot. Although there was an open area ahead, it could only accommodate a thousand people to camp, and the remaining four thousand troops could only be stationed on the mountain road.

    This is also a common thing when traveling on the Shu Road. Many businessmen camped directly on the road while traveling. Some people got up in a daze at night and fell into the air and fell into the cliff.

    There are also people who spend the night in a very narrow place and fall into a mountain stream after falling asleep. Fortunately, the mountain roads in this area are wide enough to set up small tents.

    The soldiers began to busily set up tents and bury pots to make rice. As the commander-in-chief, Liu Jing had three tents, one large, two small, and three. The big tent was the Zhongjun tent, which was the command center of the army. The big tent had been set up first, and a layer of tents had been laid on the ground.  With a layer of hay and a blanket, the tent is very dry and you can sit on the ground directly.

    Liu Jing is sitting behind a desk. He is reviewing documents from various places. There is already a thick stack of important documents on the desk. Although Liu Jing has tried his best to delegate power, some major matters still require him to make decisions.

    After Liu Jing occupied Yizhou, he adopted Sima Yi's suggestion and adopted the governance strategy of "Sichuan people govern the Shu area, and Northerners control the center". The prefects and county magistrates of each county were basically Shu people.

    The original Jingzhou Mu and Yizhou Mu were emptied out in name only, and their power was emptied out. The Hussar General's Mansion was re-established, and powerful figures such as Xu Shu, Jia Xu, and Sima Yi were moved to the Hussar General's Mansion to take charge of Jing and Yizhou.  Great power, this is their central court.

    Then the Huqi Prefecture implemented a two-prefecture system, with official duties in Chengdu in the winter and government administration in Xiangyang in the summer. This ensured the stability of the two states.??, while military power is firmly controlled by the Hussar General's Office, and each region can have no more than a thousand county soldiers. This new power structure can adapt to the expansion of territory after the annexation of Yizhou.

    At this time, a soldier reported at the door of the tent: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Wu Sima has something important to see you!"

    "Invite him in!"

    After a while, Wu Yi led a messenger soldier into the tent. Wu Yi knelt down, saluted and said with a smile: "Prefect, there is an urgent letter from Hanzhong!"

    Liu Jing put down the pen in her hand, "What's the matter?"

    The messenger knelt down and bowed, took out a letter from Zhao Yun and presented it, "This is an urgent letter from General Zhao, concerning the situation of the Third Assistant!"

    Liu Jing has been paying attention to the situation in Guanzhong. He quickly took the letter, opened it and read it again. The letter said that Ma Chao had killed Han Sui for liaison with Cao Jun, and sent his head to each camp for public display.

    Liu Jing sighed and ordered the messengers to be taken to rest. Then he said to Yin Mao and Wu Yi beside him: "Ma Chao is unwise and fell into Cao Cao's plan to alienate each other. The ten coalition forces were originally tied together with a thread. Now let's go to one of them.  Is it possible for the remaining nine troops to be tied up again? The internal trouble has occurred, and there is not much time to go. At most, Ma Chao will be defeated!"

    Wu Yi nodded, "From this point of view, it is indeed a wise move for Zhou Mu not to attack Guanzhong, and Guanzhong is not like Hanzhong, which can be defeated in a single battle. We need to prepare for a long-term war."

    Liu Jing valued Wu Yi very much. Wu Yi was not only able to lead troops in battles, but also had great strategies. He was worthy of being the military advisor of Bashu. It was a pity that Liu Zhang trusted Huang Quan and did not listen to Wu Yi's plan, so he sent Wu Yi to Hanzhong at the critical moment.  , eventually leading to the destruction of the country.

    However, Liu Jing reused Wu Yi. He made Zhao Yun the governor of Hanzhong and was in charge of the 30,000 troops in Hanzhong. But at the same time, he made Wu Yi the governor of Jijiu, assisting Zhao Yun in managing military affairs. He was Zhao Yun's deputy. Fa Zheng was the chief history officer and was in charge of government affairs.  This time Wu Yi was on his way to Hanzhong to take office.

    Wu Yi was also deeply grateful that he followed a lord like Liu Jing. Liu Jing appointed officials on a merit-based basis and was willing to let go of power, allowing the ministers under his rule to give full play to their talents, and also won the loyalty of his ministers.  .

    On the other hand, for the army, rewards and punishments are clear, military discipline is strict, kindness and power are combined, and the army is firmly controlled. At the same time, it is light on corvee, encourages trade, and develops the economy. It also leads by example, advocates simplicity, and can share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers, winning the hearts and minds of the people.  Military spirit, such people are the heroes who compete for the world.

    Wu Yi always likes to compare Liu Zhang and Liu Jing. Every time he compares them, he sighs. In comparison, Liu Zhang is so mediocre and cowardly. It was meeting a wise master like Liu Jing that made everyone including Wu Yi  The wise ministers and generals of Bashu saw their own future and bright future, which gave them the goal and motivation to fight. After washing away the internal strife in the past, they wholeheartedly assisted Liu Jing in striving for a higher goal.

    Thinking of this, Wu Yi smiled again and said: "Wei Chen has another suggestion. Zhou Mu might as well consider it."

    "Sima, please tell me!"

    "When Wei Chen was chatting with the ministers in Shuzhong during this period, he often mentioned Guanzhong. It seemed that everyone had his own ideas. Zhou Mu might as well openly solicit for 'Ping San Assistant Policy'. On the one hand, he can brainstorm ideas, and on the other hand,  It can stimulate everyone's enthusiasm for participation and make the Shu ministers look further ahead and no longer focus on the three-thirds of Bashu."

    Before Wu Yi could finish speaking, Yin Mao beside him could not help but praise repeatedly: "It is indeed a good idea!"

    Liu Jing smiled and asked Yin Mao: "Why is Wu Sima's strategy good?"

    Yin Mo said with a smile: "The biggest problem of officials in Shu is that they are too local-minded, narrow-minded, and blindly xenophobic. Over the years, it has become a major cancer in Yizhou officialdom. It will take at least ten years to eradicate it, but it can be done in the short term."  To weaken this local custom, one is to appoint officials in different places. For example, Shu officials can go to Badi to serve as officials, or they can also go to Jingzhou to serve.

    The second is to cultivate the world's vision, just like Sima's suggestion, collect "Ping San Assistant", this is a good medicine, encourage everyone to set their sights on the world, and naturally their minds will not be so narrow-minded.  "

    Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "It is indeed a good strategy, but don't be too hasty, take your time!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In addition to the large Chinese army tent where Liu Jing handles official business, there are two small tents in the back. One is a side tent for Sun Shangxiang's two maids to live in. The other is Liu Jing's sleeping tent, which is slightly larger.  A double-layer tent, that is, there are two layers of tents, the inner and outer. The mezzanine is a passage wide for one person. You can walk directly into the side tent from the mezzanine passage. The two tents are actually one tent. Because their appearance resembles a gourd, they are also called  It's called the gourd account.

    In the sleeping tent, Sun Shangxiang and two maids were packing their belongings. Just like the Chinese military tent, the floor of the sleeping tent was first covered with a layer of hay and then covered with a thick military blanket. Although the sleeping tent was not large, it could only accommodate up to four people.  , but also seems very warmComfort, of course, is related to Sun Shangxiang's careful decoration. After all, she is a woman, and it is her nature to keep things clean and tidy.

    Sun Shangxiang had already changed her clothes. She took off her fish scales and put on a white inner robe, which showed that she had an extremely graceful figure. Her waterfall-like black hair was spread over her shoulders. Under the candlelight, her skin had a layer that looked like ivory.  luster, eyes shining like gems.

    Sun Shangxiang folded several pieces of clothes neatly, put them into the box, and hung her Qingyue Sword on the tent. At this time, she heard footsteps coming from outside the tent, and a soldier standing guard said hello. This was Liu Jing coming back.  She then smiled at the two maids and said: "It's getting late, we will set off tomorrow at five o'clock, so you should go back and rest!"

    The two maids bowed and then retreated, returning to their side tent through the passage. At this time, the curtain opened and Liu Jing walked in with a smile on her face.

    "How is it? Is it damp inside the tent?" Liu Jing looked at the tent and asked with a smile.

    "Hmm! It's better than I thought, maybe it's because of the double-layer tent."

    Sun Shangxiang smiled brightly and stepped forward to untie his armor and take off his boots. At this time, two maids brought two more buckets of hot water and served Liu Jing to wash his feet. Sun Shangxiang sat aside and looked at it with a smile.  The two of them were busy, and after washing their feet, she saw the maid about to take the bucket away, and quickly stopped her: "Leave half the bucket of hot water, you go!"

    Liu Jing finished washing her feet and lay down comfortably. He was so comfortable that he moaned: "The feeling of lying down is so wonderful!"

    But his hands were not idle, he gently grabbed Sun Shangxiang's waist and hugged her to him. Sun Shangxiang was caught off guard and almost screamed in fright. She thought of the soldiers outside the tent and quickly bit her  He pursed his lips and punched Liu Jing twice on the shoulder, "Don't scare me like that!"

    Before she could finish speaking, Liu Jing kissed her lips. Sun Shangxiang's body gradually softened, and she hugged her husband's neck and kissed her passionately. At this time, Liu Jing's hand reached into her long skirt.  , Sun Shangxiang quickly pressed his hand and said coquettishly: "Not tonight!"

    Liu Jing laughed in a low voice: "If that doesn't work, why do you keep half a bucket of hot water?"

    "You guy, you have a dirty mind!"

    Sun Shangxiang's face turned red as he guessed his thoughts, and her heart gradually melted. She allowed her husband to take off her skirt one by one. The night gradually deepened, the soldiers all fell asleep, and Liu Jing's bed was filled with water and milk.  , the two hearts melted into one.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 547 Inspection of Hanzhong

    In the military system designed by Jingzhou, in addition to all generals having hundreds of personal soldiers of their own, the rest of the army is controlled by the Hussar General's Office. Each county can only have no more than a thousand local county soldiers.

    But there are a few exceptions. One is the kerosene production area and the military field area, where thousands of troops are usually stationed.

    The second one is north of the Han River, that is, from Fancheng to Xinye. This area is defended by an army of 10,000 commanded by Wenpin.

    The third place was Hanzhong, where Zhao Yun led 30,000 troops to be stationed. Zhao Yun's power was even higher than that of Wenpin. As the governor of Hanzhong, he could directly appoint or dismiss officers below Yajiang.

    The governor is a relatively special official position in the Jingzhou army. Generally speaking, the military positions of Cao Jun, Jiangdong or Jingzhou are slightly different. Jingzhou is divided into two categories: military positions and military positions.

    The military positions in Jingzhou range from corps commander, chief commander, camp commander, military marquis, tooth general, to deputy captain, school captain, Zhonglang general, Pi general, partial general, and then to miscellaneous general, front, rear, left and right generals, and chariot general.  , hussar general, general, general, etc.

    At present, the highest military position is Huang Zhong, who was promoted to partial general for his meritorious service in the expedition against Yizhou. Zhao Yun was promoted to assistant general for his meritorious service in conquering Hanzhong.

    But in addition to military positions, there are also military positions, which are the specific duties of leading troops. For example, the leaders of local militia groups are called tuanlian; the leaders of local county soldiers are called county commanders.

    There are currently three categories of military positions directly under the Hussars General's Mansion. One category is the leaders of garrison troops in special areas. For example, Xiazhi County and Jingling County, which produce kerosene, each have 3,000 garrison troops, and there are 5,000 troops in the Jiangxia military garrison area.  The general's name is Sima Beibu.

    The second category is the leader of the garrison in the defense area. Due to the large number of troops, the position is correspondingly higher. The chief general is called Duwei. The most typical one is Wenpin. He guards Xinye and defends Nanyang. He has an army of 10,000 people and is named Jing.  Bei Duwei, at the same time, Wenpin's military position was also Bijiang, the same position as Zhao Yun.

    The third category is the garrison leader who spans several counties. Hanzhong is a typical example. The chief general is called the governor. He oversees the four counties of Hanzhong, Wudu, Wei Xing, and Shangyong. He has an army of 30,000. He cannot serve unless he is a close general.

    However, once Liu Jing's army captures Guanzhong, Hanzhong will no longer face the enemy, and the post of Hanzhong Governor will naturally be revoked, and the army will move north to Guanzhong and become the Guanzhong Governor.

    This is also the reason why Liu Jing finally decided to appoint Zhao Yun as the commander-in-chief of Hanzhong, out of absolute trust in him. Of course, Zhao Yun's own prestige and ability are also qualified for this important position.

    Zhao Yun did not disappoint Liu Jing. On the first day he took office, he made a three-chapter agreement with the soldiers. He would never use power for personal gain, never beat soldiers at will, and never neglect military law.

    Although Zhao Yun was married and his wife was pregnant, he refused to take his wife to Hanzhong. Instead, he stayed in Xiangyang. He lived in the military camp, ate and slept with the soldiers, trained the soldiers himself, and won their support.  Universally loved.

    In particular, half of the army was the original surrendered army from Hanzhong. It only took Zhao Yun just two months to transform this army into an elite army.

    Early in the morning, tens of thousands of soldiers began their daily run in the military camp outside Nanzheng City. They started running at five o'clock and had to run twenty miles before returning to the camp for breakfast.

    Zhao Yun stood on the high platform and watched the first batch of soldiers running back to the military camp from a distance. A smile appeared on his face. A thin soldier was the first to run back to the military camp.

    " Two months ago, this soldier named Zhang Hu couldn't bear the hardships of the military camp and planned to escape home with a group of local soldiers. As a result, he was reported. According to military regulations, anyone who intends to escape must be beaten with two hundred sticks.

    After enforcing the military regulations, Zhao Yun had another in-depth talk with the soldiers who were trying to escape. These soldiers seemed to have changed, and they all trained hard.

    Especially this Zhang Hu, his physical strength has improved greatly in just two months, and he can finish in the top fifty every time. Today, he was the first to run back to the military camp. According to the usual practice, he can get a reward of one thousand yuan.  .

    But what makes Zhao Yun happy is that these soldiers lived up to his hard work, which shows that his training methods are very effective.

    At this time, a cavalryman ran quickly from outside the camp and ran along the horse path to the stands. The cavalryman dismounted and reported to Zhao Yun: "Report to the Governor, Zhou Mu has led his army to the south bank of Han River."

    Zhao Yun was overjoyed. He had received an express letter from Liu Jing before and learned that he was on his way to Hanzhong. He did not expect to arrive so soon. Zhao Yun quickly gave a few words to his deputy and walked quickly to the audience.

    Liu Jing's team has arrived at the south bank of the Han River. A large number of private cargo ships have gathered on the Han River, all coming to Nanzheng to transport supplies to Xiangyang. Zhang Lu has worked hard to run Hanzhong for more than ten years and has stored a large amount of food and supplies.  The grain is still stored outside Hanzhong, and a large number of other ordnance, pig iron, cloth, medicinal materials, etc. have to be transported back to Xiangyang.

    Because the Jingzhou navy isDuring the reorganization, the material transportation was carried by private merchants. On the large ships, you can clearly see the double carp logo on each large ship. This is the fleet of Tao Trading Company.

    It can be said that Tao's Trading Company is the third largest water force after Jingzhou Navy and Jiangdong Navy. It owns more than 600 large and small cargo ships, including grain, ore and salt from Jiangdong, coal from Bashu, and leasing from major merchants.  The fleet of Tao Trading Company was active all over the south, even as far away as Jiaozhou.

    At this time, it was not surprising to see the Tao family's cargo ship in Hanzhong. At this time, a small boat slowly approached the south bank, and a middle-aged man walked quickly from the boat. He was the chief steward of the Tao family. His surname was  Zhang, he was led by the soldiers to Liu Jing, knelt down and saluted: "Xiaomin Zhang Yi comes to see Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing recognized him and said with a smile: "It turns out that Zhang Da is in charge, please get up!"

    Manager Zhang stood up and said: "We have been entrusted by Chief Judge Shi to come to Hanzhong to transport supplies. This is the third and last trip."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Thank you for your hard work, Manager Zhang. My army plans to cross the Han River, but there are not enough ferries. Could you please ask Manager Zhang to transfer another batch of cargo ships to help my army cross the river?"

    "Of course there is no problem, Xiaomin will go adjust the ship now!"

    Manager Zhang quickly returned to the other side. Not long after, cargo ships began to slowly sail towards the south bank of the Han River. Liu Jing's troops began to line up to board the ships. The ships sailed towards the other side. As soon as Liu Jing got off the ship, he saw Zhao Yun rushing up to greet him.  , Zhao Yun bowed and saluted, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing saw that Zhao Yun was dark and thin, and knew that he had worked hard in commanding the troops. She couldn't help but feel deeply moved. She nodded silently, "Captain Zhao, you have worked hard these past few months."

    "It's all Wei Chen's job. Although it's a little harder, it's very rewarding. Wei Chen also feels very happy and has a sense of accomplishment."

    When Zhao Yun said this, he suddenly saw Sun Shangxiang in military uniform next to him. He was stunned for a moment and quickly bowed and saluted: "It turns out that Madam is also here. I didn't see you just now."

    Sun Shangxiang had a very good impression of Zhao Yun. She smiled and said: "General Zhao, there is no need to be polite. I am just following my husband to enjoy the famous mountains and rivers. It is not official business. General Zhao can ignore me."

    At this time, Yang Song, the prefect of Hanzhong, also hurriedly came to pay homage to Liu Jing. After Yang Song became the prefect, he discovered that he had no real power. The real power was in the hands of Shi Fazheng, the governor of Hanzhong, which filled his heart with bitterness.  A prefect in vain, he might as well go home and retire.

    Liu Jing understood his mood, comforted him with a few words, and asked him to return to the city first, and then go to Nanzheng City for inspection after inspecting the military camp.

    After reciting the rituals one by one, Liu Jing got on his horse and followed Zhao Yun to the military camp.

    On the way, Liu Jing laughed in a low voice and asked, "I heard that my sister-in-law is about to give birth. Congratulations, brother!"

    A warm smile appeared on Zhao Yun's face, "It will take another two months! I will go back and take a look after the baby is born."

    "Of course, you can ask Wu Yi to take your place temporarily and go back to Xiangyang to rest for a few months, and then bring your sister-in-law and the child to Nanzheng. Don't live separately in the two places anymore."

    Zhao Yun nodded. He suddenly remembered something and said quickly: "Ma Chao was defeated. Has Zhou Mu heard about it?"

    Liu Jing sneered, "In my expectation, it would be strange if he could defeat Cao Cao."

    Zhao Yun wanted to talk about the details, but Liu Jing waved her hand and said, "Let's talk about it in detail after we return to the military camp!"

    Everyone speeded up their horses and rushed towards the camp several miles away.

    After entering the military camp, everyone sat down in the tent. Zhao Yun then detailed the information he had obtained to Liu Jing, "Cao Cao is indeed very cunning. He sent the main force to cross the river first, but he refused to cross the river himself, attracting  He defeated Ma Chao, but it also delayed Ma Chao's rush to the Weishui River, allowing Cao Jun to gain a firm foothold. Unfortunately, Ma Chao made repeated mistakes and fell into the opponent's plan to alienate Han Sui. He killed Han Sui, which led to internal divisions and was finally defeated by Cao Jun.  , tens of thousands of Guanlong troops were massacred, and I heard that Ma Chao only escaped with more than a thousand people."

    Liu Jing nodded, "In this battle, Cao's army took full advantage of the opponent's weakness of being united and did not fight very skillfully. This is also because Ma Chao was unwise. If he had a strategist, he would not have suffered such a disastrous defeat. At least he could have withdrawn to the west in time."  Cool to protect yourself.¡±

    Wu Yi next to him said with a smile: "The key is that most of Ma Chao's subordinates are Qiang and Hu. They invaded Guanzhong on a large scale and seriously damaged the interests of the people in Guanzhong. Even smart scholars will not be loyal to him. It's not surprising that he has no talented people to help him."  ¡±

    "Zi Yuan is right. This is also an important reason why I don't want to cooperate with Ma Chao. Joining forces with him to enter Guanzhong will damage my reputation in Guanzhong and lose the support of the people in Guanzhong."

    At this time, Zhao Yun asked: "I wonder when we will send troops to Guanzhong? Last time the state pastor said autumn, but now it has entered autumn."

    Liu Jing smiled and said:?The last time we sent troops to Bashu, it happened to be the spring plowing time. Although it was to seize the opportunity, it also harmed the farming. We must learn from the lesson in the future. In addition, it will take time to integrate Yizhou. This autumn will definitely be too late. I initially plan to do it next year.  Send out troops after spring plowing.  "

    Zhao Yun nodded silently, "In this case, I still have nearly half a year to train. Although Cao Jun's victory over Xiliang Army was a ruse, Cao Jun's strength is indeed very strong and should not be underestimated. I have fought with Cao Jun for many years and I know their strength very well.  "

    "What Governor Zhao said is right!"

    Liu Jing strongly agreed with Zhao Yun's words, "The reason why we were able to win the Battle of Chibi and the previous battles was because Cao's army was not used to water warfare. But when they reached the north, they dominated the world. Can the southern army defeat them?"  Northern Army, this is still a big problem, so we cannot underestimate the enemy in the slightest, we must be fully prepared before advancing calmly. "

    Everyone agreed. At this time, a soldier reported at the door: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Ma Chao has sent someone, and it is Ma Chao's younger brother Ma Dai."

    Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh, "He came as soon as I arrived. Could it be that he had already ambushed Nanzheng City and was waiting?"

    He immediately ordered: "Invite him in!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 548 Kuai goes to Vietnam

    After a moment, Ma Dai quickly walked into the big tent. It was indeed a coincidence. Ma Dai had just arrived in Hanzhong. He happened to hear that Liu Jing led his army to inspect Hanzhong, so he hurried to the military camp.

    This time Ma Dai came to Hanzhong specifically to borrow food. Ma Chao fled to Tianshui County, killed the prefect Wei Kang, captured Ji County, and claimed to be the General of the Western Conquest. At the same time, he persuaded the leader of the Di people, Yang Wanwan, to support him, and obtained tens of thousands of troops.  However, there was a serious shortage of food in the army, so he had to send his brother Ma Dai to Hanzhong for help.

    Ma Dai stepped forward, knelt down on one knee, clasped his fists and said, "The last general, Ma Dai, is here to see Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing saw Ma Dai for the first time. When he saw that Ma Dai was tall and handsome, with bright eyes and bright eyes, he couldn't help but like him very much. He smiled and said: "General Ma, please stand up!"

    Ma Dai stood up, took out Ma Chao's autographed letter, and presented it to Liu Jing, "This is my eldest brother's autographed letter, please ask Zhou Mu to read it!"

    Liu Jing took the letter and read it. It turned out that Ma Chao had the support of the Di people and tens of thousands of troops. This made Liu Jing a little unhappy. He originally expected Cao Cao to uproot Ma Chao's power, but he didn't expect Cao Cao to be so ineffective.  Ma Chao was revived again.

    Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "It's a good thing that Meng Qi can make a comeback again. I feel deeply sorry for not being able to support Guanzhong in time. If food can compensate for my guilt, I will be very happy. Now that Meng Qi has opened  Of course I will fully support it.¡±

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then smiled: "Fifty thousand shi of grain is enough to express my sincerity!"

    As soon as this was opened, not only Wu Yi next to him was startled, but even Zhao Yun's expression changed slightly. Fifty thousand shi of food was too much. Ma Dai was even more ecstatic. They had only planned to borrow 10,000 shi.  Unexpectedly, Liu Jing gave him five times the food. This made him extremely surprised. You must know that borrowing was just a way of saying that they had no intention of paying it back.

    Ma Dai was not sure, so he asked tentatively: "I'm afraid we can't afford fifty thousand shi of food!"

    Liu Jing waved her hand and said with a cheerful smile: "Our two families are allies, so there is no such thing as 'return'. With these fifty thousand shi of food, I will support you."

    Ma Dai was grateful in his heart and bowed deeply, "We can't thank Zhou Mu enough for his kindness."

    "No need. In addition, Hanzhong lacks livestock to transport food. Can you please ask your army to send a team of mules and horses to Hanzhong to transport food?"

    "I understand. I will go back and report to my brother to arrange the transportation of mules and horses."

    Ma Dai was so anxious that he hurriedly said goodbye. As soon as Ma Dai left, Wu Yi said anxiously: "Zhou Mu promised 50,000 shi of grain. This will greatly expand Ma Chao's strength and will be detrimental to our future capture of Guanlong!"

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "If Ma Chao has enough mules and horses, he will not be short of food. How much transport capacity can he use? At most two thousand mules and horses. Each mule can carry three stones of grain on its back, traveling between high mountains and lofty mountains. A round trip of at least  One and a half months is only six thousand dan of grain. How long will Cao Cao tolerate him? What if I promise him 100,000 dan of grain? "

    Everyone reacted immediately and burst into laughter. Even Zhao Yun couldn't help laughing and said: "I didn't expect this. Drawing cakes to satisfy hunger, Ma Chao can only be happy in vain in the end."

    Wu Yi next to him said with a smile: "It's best to detain his mule and horse team as well, just think of it as compensation for borrowing food!"

    Everyone laughed again. At this time, Liu Jing ordered: "Go and invite Liu Min!"

    A moment later, Liu Min, who joined the army, hurriedly walked into the tent, bowed and saluted, "See you, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing thought for a long time, and then slowly said: "I have two things to ask you to join the army."

    "Please give me your instructions, Zhou Mu!"

    "First, you and Ma Dai go to Ji County together and tell Ma Chao that I will send troops to Guanzhong on the eastern front to relieve his pressure. At the same time, draw me a detailed map of the march out of Qishan. Secondly, you will take a detour when you come back.  Guanzhong, meet Cao Cao and send a letter to Cao Cao for me."

    "Wei Chen obeys your orders!"

    Liu Jing immediately wrote a handwritten letter to Cao Cao and handed it to Liu Min. Then she said to Zhao Yun and Wu Yi: "Although my plan is to send troops after the spring plowing next year, the art of war is that it is difficult to determine the truth from the truth, so you still need to have a small army."  Send troops to Guanzhong on a large scale, harass Cao's army along Chencang Road or Ziwu Road, and send more scouts to map out the terrain."

    Zhao Yun and Wu Yi looked at each other and nodded together, "We understand, Zhou Mu, please rest assured!"

    Liu Jing inspected Hanzhong for three days, then left Hanzhong and followed the cargo ship back to Xiangyang. It was already late August, and the time for the open recruitment of scholars in Jing and Yizhou was getting closer and closer.

    Nanyang County, Wancheng, Wancheng has gradually become lively these days. The most obvious thing is that the number of scholars on the street has increased. Scholars from Guanzhong, Zhongyuan, and Hebei and Hedong counties have gathered southward. Wancheng is where they must pass.  Where, their ultimate goal is JingzhouNanyang and Nanyang were just transit places for scholars.

    At this time, there were still twenty days before the public recruitment for scholars in Jingzhou. It is said that all scholars who go to Xiangyang to participate in the recruitment will be free of food and accommodation in Xiangyang. This has inspired great confidence among the children of poor families. For more than a month, scholars from the north have  There was an endless stream of scholars, and the number of scholars crossing from Nanyang to Xiangyang alone exceeded 80,000, which was unprecedented.

    At this time, Cao Cao was fighting Ma Chao in Guanzhong and had no time to interfere with this large-scale migration of scholars. In fact, the local governments could not stop it, unless they could be like Jingzhou, no matter how poor or low, they only promoted their talents.

    At noon that day, a carriage slowly drove into Wancheng, accompanied by several horseback attendants. The curtain of the carriage was raised, revealing the face of a middle-aged man. He looked at the young scholars walking on the street with complex eyes.  , the vigor shown by the scholars made him secretly jealous. He was now nearly sixty years old, but he didn't know how many years he still had in his official career.

    This middle-aged man is Kuai Yue who followed Cao Jun to Yedu in the 13th year of Jian'an. He served as Taichang Shaoqing in the imperial court. Just last month, the imperial court officially appointed him as Jingzhou Farewell Officer. This is actually Liu Jing's  After weighing the request again and again, Cao Cao also felt that Kuai Yue was more suitable as a middleman. He needed to establish a communication bridge with Liu Jing, and Kuai Yue was obviously the most suitable candidate.

    The carriage drove into Wancheng and stopped slowly in front of a house. The plaque on the gate of the house read the word "Deng Mansion". This is the main residence of the Deng family in Nanyang. Among the famous families in Nanyang, only the Huang and Deng families  , the Huang family moved to Xiangyang for refuge, and now relies on the Pang family.

    The Deng family is divided into two, one part is in Nanyang and the other part is in Xinye, Xiangyang. Among them, Nanyang is the main one and Xinye is the supplement.

    The current head of the Deng family is Deng Yi, who once served as the governor of Jingzhou. Deng Yi was appointed as the Cheng of Nanyang County by Cao Cao, but he only took office for half a year before he became ill and went home. Now he is resting at home.

    Kuai Yue had a very good relationship with him when he was in Jingzhou. This time when he returned to Jingzhou, Kuai Yue felt a little uneasy, so he came to visit Deng Yi first.

    The carriage waited outside the mansion for a moment, and a young man hurriedly came out of the mansion. He was Deng Hong, Deng Yi¡¯s third son. He was only in his twenties and in his prime.

    He stepped forward and bowed and saluted: "I've kept Shibo waiting for a long time. My father has inconvenient legs and feet, so I asked my nephew to take Shibo into the house."

    Kuai Yue knew that Deng Yi had a disabled leg and had difficulty walking, so he nodded and said with a smile: "Then there is Lao Xian's nephew."

    Kuai Yue got off the carriage and followed Deng Hong into the mansion. He walked all the way to the depths of the mansion and walked into a courtyard. In an octagonal pavilion in the courtyard, Deng Yizheng looked at him with a smile.

    "Xidu, are you alright?"

    Kuai Yue walked into the pavilion with a smile, cupped his hands and said: "My brother seems to be in good spirits and enjoys happiness at home!"

    Deng Yi has a leg problem and can only walk slowly with the help of a stick. He sits most of the time. He apologized: "I can't greet my brother anymore, please sit down!"

    Kuai Yue sat down and a maid served them tea. Kuai Yue sighed and said, "Time flies so fast! Two years have passed in a flash."

    "Yes! Many things just happened yesterday, but Jingzhou has changed a lot."

    Deng Yi felt very sorry in his heart. He had bad legs. Liu Jing sent people to invite him to Xiangyang several times to serve as an official, but he could only decline.

    "Xiandi's legs still can't walk?" Kuai Yue asked with concern.

    Deng Yi shook his head, "Maybe it has something to do with age. Now I can only walk a hundred steps with a stick at most. I used to be able to walk one or two miles without any problem. I'm old!"

    "My dear brother is two years younger than me. I want to go to Jingzhou to serve as an official. How can I talk about my old age?"

    Speaking of this, Kuai Yue glanced at Deng Hong next to him. Deng Hong bowed and stepped back knowingly.

    Only Kuai Yue and Deng Yi were left in the room. Kuai Yue then lowered his voice and said, "I heard that leaving Jingzhou is a false post. Is this serious?"

    This was something that Kuai Yue had always been concerned about. He didn't know much about the situation in Jingzhou, and no one in the court knew the specific situation. It was just rumored that Liu Jing had significantly changed the system, which made Kuai Yue inexplicably worried. This time he passed by  Nanyang came to visit Deng Yi specifically for this matter.

    Deng Yi was very aware of Kuai Yue's uneasiness, so he smiled and said: "There has indeed been a great transfer of power in Jingzhou, but it has nothing to do with Yidu's appointment as Jingzhou's farewell officer. This is because Jingzhou has annexed Yizhou and Hanzhong and needs to reorganize its interests."  Balance, this is normal, don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    "I wonder what the change is?"

    "The main thing is to transfer the power of the state government to the Hussar General's Mansion. The state government is still there, but it is just a false sign."

    Kuai Yue was astonished, "Then my position as Jingzhou Biejia is still a false position in name only?"

    ?Deng Yi looked at him deeply and sighed secretly in his heart. He found that Kuai Yue was a little different from before. He was so old-fashioned and sharp in the past. Many things did not need to be said at all. He could understand everything with a hint, but now he seemed a bit slow.

    "Does Yidu think Liu Jing will let a minister from the imperial court take charge of Jingzhou?" Deng Yi finally couldn't help but remind Kuai Yuedao straightforwardly.

    Kuai Yue was silent. It wasn't that he didn't understand, but that he had some luck. After all, he was personally named by Liu Jing to go to Jingzhou, and he and Liu Jing had friends in the past, including his brother Kuai Liang and nephew Kuai Qi.  Many of the Kuai family's children were serving as officials in Jingzhou, so he had a sense of luck in his heart. Maybe Liu Jing would entrust him with important tasks.

    But Deng Yi's frankness shattered his last hope, making Kuai Yue extremely depressed. After a while, he sighed softly, "I made a wrong step at the beginning, and then I made a wrong step every step."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 549 Public Recruitment of Scholars (Part 1)

    Deng Yi looked at him with some pity. In the final analysis, it was because Kuai Yue had no confidence in Liu Jing and finally surrendered to Cao Cao. It is impossible for him to look back now. However, after all, Kuai Yue represents the imperial court. As long as his position stands  Well, it's not like he doesn't have a chance.

    Thinking of this, Deng Yi advised: "Now Liu Jing is no longer satisfied with his status as a prince. He begins to establish relations with the imperial court. This is the reason why my brother returned to Jingzhou from the imperial court. I feel that my brother's other  This opportunity also exists in it. Help Liu Jing integrate into the court and help Jingzhou establish a good relationship with the court. This is what the elder brother should do, instead of focusing on Jingzhou's internal affairs. "

    Kuai Yue was speechless. Deng Yi's persuasion made him feel suddenly enlightened, but at the same time, he felt an inexplicable sadness in his heart. He actually needed Deng Yi to wake him up for such a thing. Did he really lose his sense of officialdom?  ?

    Deng Yi seemed to understand what he was thinking and said with a smile: "Brother, don't blame yourself. This is the confusion of the authorities. Bystanders know clearly. Although I am in Nanyang, Jingzhou's news is very sensitive. I know what Liu Jing needs now, but my brother does not know. Otherwise,  Why are you looking for me, brother?¡±

    Kuai Yue also laughed, "Brother Xian is right, I am indeed the one who got into trouble. Thank you very much for your guidance. Then I won't bother you and continue south."

    Deng Yi thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you, brother, stay with me for one night and go south with Quanzi tomorrow?"

    Deng Yi pointed to his son Deng Hong standing in the yard, "Tomorrow he will also leave for Xiangyang to participate in the recruitment of scholars, so he can go with his brother on the same journey."

    Kuai Yue smiled happily and said: "This is no problem. We can take care of each other on the same journey. It seems that this time Xiangyang's recruitment of scholars was so grand that even the court was alerted. When I left, many ministers wanted me to write back and talk about this.  I would like to ask, what is going on with this matter?"

    Deng Yi sighed and said: "This time it is really Liu Jing's great effort to recruit scholars. It is not for Jingzhou and Yizhou, but for the whole world. No matter poor or low, only those who are talented can be promoted. In this way, all scholars in the world will yearn for Jingzhou, but  In fact, it¡¯s just a cover-up.¡±

    "What are you covering up?" Kuai Yue asked puzzledly.

    "The people Liu Jing really wants to use are actually prominent families in various counties, such as the Cui family of Boling and the Xun family of Yingchuan. He wants to get the support of these noble families, but he cannot make it obvious, so he uses 'No matter how poor or low, as long as  This is a cover-up. Now is not the time to seek fairness. I believe all the major families know this. "

    Kuai Yue nodded, "Brother Xian, you are right. When I heard some scholars on the road say, 'no matter how poor or low, only those who are worthy of promotion', I felt a little strange. If Liu Jing wants to win the world, he must win all the big names in the world."  The support of noble families cannot be treated equally at this time. If they are treated equally, it will anger the major families and lose their support. "

    Deng Yi said with a smile: "Don't worry! Liu Jing is no longer the Young Master Jing of the past. How could he not understand this truth? He wants fame and benefits. This is actually the same thing as his brother's appointment as Jingzhou Farewell. One is  For the imperial court, and the other for the aristocratic families in the world, openly recruiting scholars is just an excuse. In this way, the aristocratic families all over the world will have the opportunity to send their children to Jingzhou. "

    Kuai Yue couldn't help but sigh and said: "He is really getting more and more powerful. I don't know if I can get used to him anymore" Kuai Yue's heart was heavy and full of worries about his future.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As the time for the public recruitment of scholars gets closer and closer, Xiangyang City becomes more and more lively. Nearly a hundred thousand scholars from all counties in the world gather in one city. Because there is no threshold, scholars all over the world flock to it, and the source of students is naturally mixed.

    The large number of scholars who came to Xiangyang was far beyond the expectations of Jingzhou officials. All major hotels, academies, and libraries were full. Jingzhou officials also mobilized urgently and arranged for the scholars to live in vacant houses in Fancheng.  Provide monetary and food subsidies.

    But not all scholars came from poor backgrounds. On the contrary, many scholars came from prominent families. Their families were well-off and they had strong support from their families. Even if they came to Jingzhou, they had plenty of money and did not bother to accept the poor food conditions of the Jingzhou government.  With accommodation subsidies, they rented a house by themselves and spent every day in the Fancheng tavern, living a happy life.

    One hundred thousand scholars gathered in Xiangyang, and the biggest gain was Fancheng's business. Fancheng was facing the dilemma of a sharp decline in population and the transfer of Jingzhou's trade center to Jiangxia and Jiangling. However, the arrival of one hundred thousand scholars undoubtedly gave Fancheng a boost.  The needles made all the shops, pubs, brothels, and hotels that were originally a little deserted suddenly become popular.

    At noon, the Yunmeng Tavern in Fancheng was extremely busy. The tavern is located near the south of the city. It covers an area of ??nearly five acres and is three stories high. It can accommodate 200 people dining at the same time. The tavern follows the mid-to-low-end route, with a simple interior layout. The dishes are of high quality and low price.Welcomed by the scholars.

    Although many children from rich families think this place is of low quality, there is the most news here, and children from rich families are willing to condescend to come here to dine and inquire about all kinds of news.

    People were coming and going in the tavern, and the scholars gathered in small groups to dine together. It was noisy and noisy. The bartenders were sweating profusely, carrying plates and serving dishes everywhere, and their voices were shouted hoarse.

    A young scholar squeezed over from the side passage, "Excuse me, please give way!"

    The second floor was already full, and he wanted to go up the stairs to the third floor. At this time, someone next to him suddenly shouted: "Brother Wen Ruo!"

    When the young scholar turned around, he saw someone waving to him by the window. He recognized it immediately, rushed forward and said with a smile: "So Brother Zhaoyuan is here too!"

    "Is Wenruo a person?"

    The young scholar nodded, and everyone immediately gave up a seat and warmly invited him to sit down and drink together. The young scholar was not polite and sat down.

    This scholar named Zhaoyuan is named Cui Shi, whose courtesy name is Zhaoyuan. He is a direct descendant of Cui family in Boling. He introduced this young scholar to everyone with a smile, "Let me introduce to you, this is Yingchuan Xun  He is a son of the Xun family, whose name is Zhi and whose courtesy name is Wenruo. He and I were classmates for ten years. He is extremely talented in literature and is the leader of the younger generation of the Xun family. "

    When everyone heard that he was a descendant of the Xun family, they couldn't help but stand in awe. Xun You and Xun Yu were famous all over the world, making the Xun family a family admired by the world. Some people sighed in a low voice: "All the famous families are here, what hope do we have.  "

    "What Brother Wang is saying is wrong. In Jingzhou, no matter how high or low you are, meritocracy is the only thing that matters. Everyone has a chance. It's a fair exam. I heard it's a nameless exam."

    This news made everyone excited, and they all asked: "Zhaoyuan, is this news serious?"

    Cui Shi smiled and said: "I paid a special visit to Xu Changshi yesterday. He and my uncle were good friends when they were in Longzhong. My uncle even asked me to bring a letter to Xu Changshi, but Xu Changshi clearly told me that this  The first public examination was very strict. I couldn't help me. He asked me to rely on my own knowledge to take the exam. He only revealed a little information. There were two exams in total, one was the academy exam. If you passed the exam, you would be eligible to stay in the academy to continue studying.  , the monthly subsidy is enough to support the family. The second time is the civil service examination, and those who pass the examination can be directly appointed as officials. Xu Changshi told me personally that both examinations were in vain. "

    At this time, there were many people around. Cui Shi's words immediately made people around him cheer. Cui Shi laughed and said nothing. Before leaving, his uncle told him that Jingzhou's public recruitment of scholars was not that simple.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Jingzhou Prefectural Government Office was renamed the Military and Government Administration Office at the beginning of the year, and in August it was renamed the Hussar General's Office. The title of the Military and Government Administration Office was cancelled, but Jingzhou Prefectural Government Office was still retained.

    The sign is still hanging, but only a dozen people are maintaining the operation of the state government. Liu Jing still serves as Jingzhou Mu. The rest of the military and political officials have been transferred to the Hussar General's Mansion, but the location has not changed. The military government office remains the same.  The state government office.

    The military government was originally scheduled to move to Yizhou and Chengdu in October, but because Xiangyang held a public recruitment ceremony, the move was postponed to November. From then on, it would be in Chengdu in winter and spring, and then move back to Xiangyang in summer and autumn. Therefore, Xiangyang was merged with  It has not lost its position as the political center.

    This is the same as the imperial court owning Xudu and Ye. Cao Cao moved the capital to Ye in order to stabilize Hebei and Hedong that he captured from Yuan Shao. Liu Jing set up two general mansions in order to stabilize Bashu.  They have different approaches but the same effect.

    At this time, the military government was in chaos, and officials were busy packing boxes and packing things, although most of the things did not need to be moved to Chengdu.

    But after packing up, there are still thousands of boxes of documents that need to be moved to Chengdu. These documents must be loaded on the ship immediately and transported to Bashu before the wind direction turns to the west.

    A carriage, escorted by hundreds of cavalry, slowly drove into the original state government office, which is now the Hussar General's Mansion. It crossed the square and stopped in front of the steps. A guard stepped forward and opened the door.  , Liu Jing bent down and got out of the carriage.

    For more than a month, he has been staying in Jingzhou and captured Bashu and Hanzhong. It was time for the army to rest and reorganize. For Liu Jing, it was time to shift his attention from military affairs to government affairs, especially the upcoming public recruitment of scholars.  The stakes are high, and Liu Jing is also very concerned about this talent selection examination.

    After entering the military mansion, he walked all the way to his official room. When he entered the official room, a clerk came forward to take off his robe for him. Liu Jing asked, "Is Pang Yuancheng here?"

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, waiting for the state pastor¡¯s summons!¡±

    "Invite him in!"

    Pang Yuancheng is Pang Tong, the dean of Jingzhou Academy. After returning to Xiangyang from Wucheng, he first rested at home for nearly a month.

    As the anger in his heart disappeared, he had the idea of ??seeking an official position again, but he experiencedAfter all the twists and turns, he no longer believed in Liu Bei and was not optimistic about Liu Bei's development after going to Jiaozhou.

    He began to realize Liu Jing's bright future. His mind changed, and he also hoped to find a job in Jingzhou, but he couldn't save the face and could not speak. At this time, his uncle Pang Degong invited him to be the Chancellor of Jingzhou Academy.

    Jingzhou Academy is not the Lumen Academy of the Pang family, but the official academy of Jingzhou, the highest official institution of higher learning. The Chancellor also has an official position of 500 shi. Without Liu Jing's consent, his uncle would not be able to take over.

    Pang Tong knew it well, so he accepted the appointment half-heartedly, re-entered the official position, and started his new official career.

    This time, the public recruitment of scholars in Jingzhou was jointly carried out by Jiang Wan, the chief minister of the general's office, Kuai Liang, the academic minister and the chief minister of Jingzhou academy. Because Kuai Liang was old and in poor health, it was actually  Pang Tong and Jiang Wan were solely responsible for the recruitment.

    They also deployed more than a dozen subordinates and more than 300 soldiers. Despite this, they were still busy from morning to night every day, and they didn't even have time to drink water. Although they were so busy that they kept walking, Pang Tong felt extremely fulfilled, especially  He and Jiang Wan were solely responsible for formulating the rules and had great power without any interference from above. This gave Pang Tong his first taste of power.

    This was the first time Pang Tong saw Liu Jing since he became the Chancellor. He was also quite nervous. He followed Shu Zuo into Liu Jing's official room and saw Liu Jing standing in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, staring out of the window for a long time.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 550 Public Recruitment of Scholars (Part 2)

    [The intensity of coding three chapters a day is too great, which caused the inflammation in my fingers last time. I can only write two chapters a day, one morning and one night. I'm sorry everyone.  ¡¿

    =========

    Pang Tong hurriedly stepped forward and bowed in salute, "I'm here to see you, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing looked back at him and smiled slightly, "It turns out to be Pang Yuancheng, long time no see, please take a seat!"

    Liu Jing did not sit down and wait for him. In fact, she wanted to give Pang Tong face by not allowing him to bow. After all, he was once Liu Bei's deputy military adviser, so he had to give him a step to slowly adapt to himself.

    Liu Jing and Pang Tong sat down respectively. A bookboy came in with two cups of tea. Liu Jing took a sip of hot tea and then asked with a smile: "Pang Yuancheng is very busy during this time, right?"

    Pang Tong hurriedly leaned forward and said, "Fortunately, I won't care about the academy for the time being. Now I'm concentrating on the exams. Although I'm a little busy, I feel very comfortable."

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "That's right. The happiest thing is to achieve something. In fact, I am the same. I developed step by step from Chaisang to today occupying Jingyi and Jingzhou. I often  Feel the joy of achievement.¡±

    "You can't be satisfied with Jingzhou and Yizhou!" Pang Tong couldn't help but said.

    Liu Jing burst out laughing, cupped her hands and said, "Thank you, Chancellor, for reminding me, Liu Jing doesn't dare to slack off!"

    Pang Tong also laughed, and the tension in his heart gradually disappeared, and he turned the topic to business, "Wei Chen came here today to report on the exam. The time is set for the tenth day of October, and there are still five days left.  It¡¯s the first exam. It was originally planned to admit 10% of the scholars, but now there are 105,000 people registered, and the number of people admitted is 10,000. Isn¡¯t this too many people?¡±

    Liu Jing thought for a while and said: "It is indeed too many. Let's reduce it by half to 5,000. Even if we are not admitted as officials in the end, we can still go to Jingzhou Academy and Yizhou Academy to study for further studies. As for the number of people who will be admitted as officials in the end, we need to  Control it within a hundred people.¡±

    Pang Tong quickly leaned forward and said, "But the original plan was to have three hundred people, but now it has been reduced to one hundred. Isn't it too few?"

    ¡°Things are valuable when they are rare, and only when they are rare are they valuable!¡±

    "But one hundred thousand people"

    Before Pang Tong could finish speaking, Liu Jing waved his hand and interrupted him, "There are not so many vacancies in Jingzhou and Yizhou at the moment. Besides, you can enroll in the academy and study in the academy for future use. In the future, outstanding candidates can continue to study in the academy."  Continue to fill the vacancy from the academy, this matter is settled."

    Pang Tong had no choice but to nod and agree. Seeing that he was a little reluctant, Liu Jing added with a smile: "The key is to do some details well. In addition to ensuring their food and accommodation, each scholar will be given another gift before leaving."  For a hundred coins of travel expenses, a bucket of rice and a linen blanket, we must be kind and righteous, so that the scholars will not return home with emotions, and they will always gain something and can explain it when they return home. "

    Pang Tong nodded. He remembered something again and asked quickly: "There is also the admission of children from aristocratic families. Please tell Weichen in detail what points should be paid attention to?"

    Liu Jing thought about this issue. He took a list from the table and handed it to Pang Tong, "There are a total of forty-eight aristocratic families on the list. These forty-eight aristocratic families should have sent their children for reference. You can send someone to secretly inquire about this."  For the children of the forty-eight families, they may come by themselves or they may be sent by their families. We mainly admit children sent by the families, up to forty-eight people."

    "Weichen knows!"

    Pang Tong took the list, read it carefully, and put it away carefully. Then he continued: "There is also admissions. Since we have to ensure that the children of scholar families are admitted, we are also discussing the plan. It will be a bit difficult if we take the exam with unknown names."  ¡±

    "This is actually simple!"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "The first academy examination can be completely anonymous and the admission will be fair. I think if the children of these aristocratic families can't even pass the academy examination, then there is no need to come to Xiangyang. The key is that for the second examination, you can add one  Interview! It will be easier to adjust through the interview, what does Pang Yuancheng think? "

    In fact, Pang Tong already had a case against him. He just wanted to hear Liu Jing's opinion first. He pondered for a while and said: "If half of the second list of 100 people are descendants of aristocratic families, this will be criticized and will damage Zhou Mu's reputation."  Regarding reputation, Weichen and Jiang engaged in discussion. In fact, there is no need to interview for the second time, and the admissions are still fair. However, these 48 people can be admitted separately without announcing it. In this way, a maximum of 130 people will be admitted, which ensures that  The needs of the state animal husbandry have also been taken into consideration. Does the state animal husbandry think it is appropriate?¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "This method is feasible. I would like to ask Yuan Cheng to discuss it with Jiang Zhi again and officially announce the specific plan!"

    "Wei Chen understands, farewell!"

    Pang Tong stood up and bowed, and was about to turn around and leave, but Liu JingShe stopped him and said, "Shiyuan, please stay!"

    Pang Tong hurriedly bowed and said: "Prefect, please tell me."

    Liu Jing smiled and said lightly: "After this public recruitment is over, Shi Yuan will change his position! How about working in the General's Mansion?"

    Pang Tong¡¯s heart was beating fast. He understood the implication of Liu Jing¡¯s words, which was that he would start to reuse him. At this time, he had no resistance in his heart and bowed deeply, "I am willing to serve Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing laughed meaningfully. This Pang Tong was indeed not a pedantic person. He cupped his fists and saluted back, "I'll leave it to Mr. Pang for the examination."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the afternoon, Liu Jing returned to his mansion. Liu Jing's mansion was also busy, with large and small boxes and cages piled up into a hill. They were also about to move. Unlike the General's Mansion, Liu Jing's mansion would be completely moved to Chengdu and would be empty.  The house will be transformed into a part of Jingzhou Academy. This beautiful and spectacular mansion will become a place for scholars to study.

    In fact, they started packing up as early as a month ago. Ten days later will be the auspicious day to move their house. The family will officially move to Chengdu. There is another reason that urges them to move as soon as possible, that is, Tao Zhan has another wife.  If you are pregnant, you can only move to Chengdu as early as possible, otherwise you will be in trouble later.

    When Liu Jing entered the house, he went directly to the inner study. This was his habit. After resting in the study for half an hour, he then considered having dinner. Liu Jing changed into a robe. As soon as he sat down, he heard a knock on the door, and a small voice came from outside.  A small child's voice said, "Open the door!"

    Liu Jing suddenly laughed, stood up and opened the door. He saw his wife Tao Zhan standing at the door holding her son. She smiled and said, "Let's see what daddy is doing?"

    Liu Jing quickly picked up her son with a smile. Liu Zhi was already one year old. Although he was still walking unsteadily, he could speak a lot of words in a vague way. He pointed to the bed in the corner of the room and shouted: "Go to bed and play!"  "

    Every time he comes to his father's study, he likes to play on the bed. It is also a bed specially placed by Liu Jing for his son. The couch is covered with soft mats. Liu Zhi climbs on the bed and rolls with joy. This is the nature of children.  .

    At this time, Tao Zhan took the tea cup from the maid's hand and walked into the study. He looked at the father and son playing on the bed with joy. This was also the happiest moment for a woman, and it satisfied her as a wife and mother at the same time.  wish.

    Liu Zhi's biggest hobby is reading, especially pictures. Every time he comes to his father's study, he has to play with a set of wood-carving maps. This is a map of Jingzhou made up of fourteen wood-carving maps. Each wood-carving represents a map of Jingzhou.  County, in Liu Zhi's eyes, this is the best toy.

    After only playing naughty for a moment, Liu Zhi began to concentrate on sitting on the wooden couch and playing with a pile of book-sized wooden maps. At this time, Liu Jing no longer had to accompany his son. He sat down next to him and took the tea from his wife.  Zhan took a sip and said with a smile: "Tell me! What do you want from me?"

    He knew his wife very well, and usually would not come to the study to disturb him. Something must have happened. Tao Zhan smiled sheepishly and said, "Ms. Pan came to me this morning and brought a request from my father. It was about the children of the Tao family taking the exam."  I hope my husband can also regard the Tao family as a family in Jiangxia County. I know what my father meant, so I refused and asked them to take the exam honestly like other scholars. I just told my husband. "

    Liu Jing was silent in thought. The problem was not that the Tao family wanted to rely on connections, but that Tao Sheng, with the unique keenness of a businessman, realized the real purpose of his public recruitment. He felt that Tao Sheng was not seeking an official position, but Tao Sheng.  Sheng's real intention is to officially position the Tao family as a noble family, and this exam is an opportunity.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled at Tao Zhan and said: "Even if we don't look at the relationship, from the Tao family's huge contribution to Jingzhou, I should also consider giving some rewards to the Tao family. This exam will indeed take care of the interests of some aristocratic families, and also  It's not entirely fair. Since the Tao family has spoken, why can't I agree? "

    Tao Zhan sighed, "I mainly don't want to spoil the Tao family. I can't agree to everything he asks. If this doesn't work, it will not only harm the Tao family, but also implicate me."

    Speaking of this, Tao Zhan quickly glanced at her son who was sitting on the couch and concentrating on playing wood carving. Most of the time, she was thinking about her son. Liu Jing understood her difficulties. He held Tao Zhan's hand and smiled: "This time  In fact, the Tao family is not excessive. I have taken care of forty-eight noble families. It would be unjustifiable both emotionally and rationally to exclude the Tao family, so if the Tao family is allowed to enjoy a quota like other aristocratic families, no one will say anything. "

    Tao Zhan nodded silently. If this was the case, she could reluctantly agree, "Okay! Then we have an agreement first, only this time, not next time, and my husband can't agree to my father in my name. He can only agree to it in the Tao family's name."  contribution determines its status.¡±

    "This is no problem,That's it.  "

    At this time, Liu Jing was also feeling a little hungry. She stood up and said with a smile, "Let's go! Let's have dinner together."

    He picked up his son, rode him on his neck, and trotted away like a horse. The little boy screamed with excitement, patted his father on the head desperately, and the family walked quickly to the dining hall.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 551 Public Recruitment of Scholars (Part 2)

    Five days later, the much-anticipated public examination finally kicked off in Jingzhou. A full 105,000 scholars participated in this examination, from all counties in the world, and even candidates from Liaodong, although only among the twenty people  Although one person could be admitted, only a hundred people could pass the second official examination, but it still aroused great enthusiasm among the scholars, and everyone had hope for themselves.

    In the Han Dynasty, where family status and reputation were the criteria for selecting officials, it was so rare and valuable to be able to be admitted as officials through a fair examination!  It is precisely in this way that every scholar who takes the exam treats this opportunity with the greatest enthusiasm and the most rigorous attitude.

    There is no place in Xiangyang that can accommodate 100,000 people to study at the same time. In addition to the academy and the library, the Lianzhou Yamen Office also used it. In addition, several large sword halls and academies were also temporarily requisitioned by the government as examination rooms.

    In fact, during the Han Dynasty, paper was far from popular and very expensive. Most books were still bamboo slips. This resulted in a very narrow spread of culture, mostly centered on the gentry in each county, including children of aristocratic families and scholars who were dependent on gentry.  , which also led to the uneven quality of reference scholars. Many scholars even came to take the exam after only reading a few volumes of the Analects.

    This is completely different from the Tang and Song Dynasties when more than 100,000 people took the exam for scientific research.

    A total of nine children of the Boling Cui family came to take the exam this time, but most of them came at their own expense. The only scholar who came to take the exam on behalf of the family was Cui Shi. He is the nephew of Cui Zhouping and a direct descendant of the Cui family. This  This time, he shouldered the great trust of his family and came to Jingzhou to look for opportunities.

    Before leaving, the head of the family and several family elders had a heartfelt talk with him, which still echoes in his mind. Liu Jing's strong rise has already begun to rival Cao Cao.

    More importantly, Liu Jing is a direct descendant of the clan. If he seizes the world, there will inevitably be a revival of the Han Dynasty. So whether the Cui family can obtain its due status in the likely revival of the Han Dynasty, this is what the Cui family must face.  Right big thing.

    In this context, Cui Shi participated in this exam on behalf of the Cui family, and he was bound to win.

    Before dawn, Cui Shi went out. He was at the home ground of Jingzhou Academy, which was less than a mile away from the inn where he lived. Although it was not yet bright, the streets were already crowded with scholars who came to Jingzhou Academy for reference.  , many scholars were holding lanterns, and the stars were dotted, which contrasted with the stars in the sky, which was particularly spectacular.

    "Brother Zhaoyuan!"

    As soon as Cui Shi walked to the gate, he heard someone calling him from behind. When he turned around, he saw Xun Zhi running quickly with a book box on his back. Behind him was a young scholar. The two of them ran forward.  Zhi smiled and said: "I just went to your inn to ask, and you said you just left, so I chased you all the way!"

    Cui Shi said apologetically: "I didn't know my dear brother would come, so I'm sorry!"

    "It's okay! I was just passing by the inn."

    At this time, Cui Shi nodded again to the scholar next to him. This scholar was also present when we drank together that day, but Cui Shi forgot his name. The young scholar smiled and said: "I am Nanyang Deng Hong. Brother Cui still remembers  ?"

    Cui Shi slapped his forehead and said with a smile: "Yes, you are Deng Wenzhong, I remembered, you are a very good drinker."

    The three of them laughed together. At this time, the dull bell sounded in the distance, which informed the scholars to enter the examination room. The three of them checked the examination room. Cui Shi and Deng Hong were both in the B examination room, and Xun Zhi  In Ding's examination room, Xun Zhi cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Then I'll say goodbye to you two dear friends first. We'll get together for a drink at noon. Let's meet at Zhaoyuan's inn!"

    "no problem!"

    Cui Shi bowed his hands and saluted: "First of all, I wish my good brother good luck in the exam and top the list in high school!" "To each other! Each other! Everyone will pass the exam!"

    Xun Zhi smiled and went to the Ding examination room in front. Cui Shi and Deng Hong walked into the B examination room together.

    The examination room is in a hall that can accommodate 3,000 people. There are 3,000 small tables and a mat. Each person is given a piece of paper and brings his or her own pen and ink.

    In addition, there is a bamboo basket beside the table. In the basket are a bucket of rice, one hundred Chu coins, and a thick linen blanket. This is the travel expenses and souvenirs given to each candidate by Jingzhou to return home. The linen blanket comes from Hanzhong and Nanzheng Warehouse.  There are hundreds of thousands of linen blankets inside, just a souvenir for the scholars.

    There were whispers in the examination room, and the scholars were looking through the baskets excitedly. Even if they failed the exam, their trip was not in vain, and they went back with something gained.

    At this time, an examiner shouted loudly on the high platform: "Everyone, please be quiet!"

    The scholars all fell silent, and the hall filled with thousands of people was completely silent. The examiner loudly said again: "The baskets next to everyone are Liu Zhoumu's gifts for everyone's return trip. The blankets can be used as cushions or covers in winter. They are very practical. They belong to Liu Zhoumu."  A heartfelt thank you for coming to Jingzhou to take the exam.¡±

    At this time,The scholars burst into applause. The examiner waved his hands and asked everyone to quiet down. He continued: "As for today's exam, there are five questions in total. I will announce the questions, which involve "The Analects of Confucius", "The Doctrine of the Mean", and "The Great Learning".  ", "Guanzi" and "Han Feizi" test real talent and practical knowledge, but there is only one piece of paper, so everyone should use it sparingly. After filling in your name, place of origin and test number at the top of the paper, use the paper next to it to paste it. Be careful not to  If something goes wrong and the name is leaked, it will be invalid!"

    The examiner¡¯s words made a thunderous noise in everyone¡¯s heart. It was not a matter of confusion, but the books involved. The Analects, Doctrine of the Mean and The Great Learning, all belong to the category of the Four Books, so the problem is not big.

    The key is that the last two books, "Guanzi" and "Han Feizi", have made many people confused, especially "Guanzi", which is very unknown and has not been read by many people. Unexpectedly, it became one of the five questions in the exam.

    "Everyone, be quiet. I will announce the first question. Please listen carefully. I will only say it three times in total!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The exam only lasted for half a day. At noon, the scholars came out of the examination room one after another. Everyone looked solemn, walked in a hurry, and seemed to be in a heavy mood. Obviously, the exam questions were much more difficult than they imagined. Many candidates  I have decided to go back and pack my bags and return to my hometown.

    There is really a huge gap in the level among scholars. Some people have a lot of knowledge, while others only read a few books briefly and then come to take the exam claiming to be scholars.

    "Brother Cui, how did you do in the exam?" Xun Zhi asked eagerly as soon as they met.

    "I think it's pretty good. At least I got the answers right. I don't know whether it's to the examiner's liking. How did you do in the exam, dear brother?"

    Xun Zhi laughed and said, "I think it's very good. In fact, I know that Liu Jing also admires Legalism, so I studied several Legalist works repeatedly. I didn't expect that I actually took the exam of "Guanzi" and "Hanfeizi". I was very happy."  Rejoice!¡±

    At this time, Deng Hong sighed, "I answered the first few questions very well, but unfortunately I can't remember all of "Guanzi". I haven't finished writing it, so I will probably fail."

    Cui Shi patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "Don't worry! I know for sure that you will achieve something in Jingzhou."

    Xun Zhi was still excited and shouted anxiously: "After the exam is over, don't think about it anymore. Let's cross the river to Fancheng to have a drink!"

    "Drink! Drink!" The three of them laughed together, walked out of the inn, hired a mule cart, and drove towards Fancheng on the other side of the Han River.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The first round of exams is only for academies. Those who pass the exam can enter Jingzhou Academy and Yizhou Academy, enjoy government financial and food subsidies, and can also support their families. This alone attracts scholars from all over the country.

    As for the second round of the civil service examination, since less than a hundred people were admitted, this is undoubtedly a small amount of money for the huge number of candidates. Many candidates do not expect to be admitted to the civil service examination. They are all waiting eagerly for the first exam ten days later.  One round of rankings.

    After the academy examination, the wealthy candidates went to various places in Jingzhou in groups, but some children of aristocratic families with clear goals were still studying Legalist works assiduously to prepare for the second round of the official examination.

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: There are only two days left before the first round of rankings. In the inner hall of the Hussar General's Mansion, Liu Jing and dozens of senior officials of the General's Mansion are discussing the final list.

    "Jiang Canjun, please tell everyone about the situation first!" Liu Jing said to Jiang Wan with a smile.

    Jiang Wan nodded and said to everyone: "In this exam, there are a total of 15,480 candidates, and there are 8,500 waste papers. Mainly because of problems with their names, and some of them are not.  As a result, the names were leaked. Some of them were anonymized too closely and the names were stuck. The gap among the nearly 100,000 candidates was too big. Nearly 20,000 candidates only answered one question on "The Analects", and less than 10,000 people answered all four questions.  There were only more than 2,000 people who completed five questions, and the main question "Guanzi" stumped most of the candidates."

    Liu Jing frowned and said, "There are actually eight thousand waste papers?"

    "Yes! It is the first time for many people to take the nameless examination, so there are more problems. According to regulations, those who reveal their names must be invalidated."

    Liu Jing said nothing more, and turned to Fei Guan and asked, "I wonder how many scholars the academy in Bashu can accept?"

    The Hussar General's Office not only appointed senior officials from Jingzhou, but also appointed many senior officials from Yizhou, such as Dong He, Fei Guan, Fei Yi, Yin Mo, Liu Ba, Li Hui, Peng Yi, etc. Dong He served as Sima  This is the third-highest official position after military advisor and chief historian, and is in charge of prison administration and law in Jingzhou and Yizhou. This is why Liu Jing took a fancy to Dong He's uprightness.

    ???????????? Fei Guan took up the post of Zhizhong and also served as Yizhou Biejia. Yizhou¡¯s academic affairs fell under his jurisdiction. Fei Guan stood up and said, ¡°Except for Yizhou Academy, all countiesThere are also schools in each county. They used to recruit students from Bashu, but now they can also recruit students from outside the state. I estimated that they can recruit about 3,000 students, but Wei Chen has something to say.  "

    "Fei Gong, feel free to speak out!"

    Fei Guan said slowly: "It seems a bit unfair to recruit five or six thousand scholars to study in the academy, and to provide them with money and food, which is undoubtedly to feed them. I hope they can do something, not idle around, and the whole family depends on them.  The government will provide for them.¡±

    There was a burst of discussion in the lobby. Most people agreed with Fei Guan's opinion. The money and food consumed by five to six thousand people a year was huge, which was a heavy burden on the government. Everyone demanded reforms.

    At this time, Xu Shu, who was sitting aside, smiled and said: "This point really needs to be improved. We will come up with a plan. For example, scholars can be allowed to copy books, they can be seconded to be civil servants in various counties and counties in turn, and they can take up military positions as civil servants concurrently.  , you can go to school to teach, you can go to disaster relief, etc. In short, scholars have many uses. Although they are not working in the fields, they are still useful. "

    Liu Jing smiled and said to everyone: "The use of scholars will be discussed specifically next time. The list will be released tomorrow. Let's confirm the list!"

    After a pause, he said to Xu Shu: "The second round of official examinations will be held in three days. Chang Shi will be in charge, Jiang Shenjun and Pang Yuancheng will be in charge, and we will implement it according to the original plan."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 552 Winning over the Aristocratic Family (Part 1)

    Liu Jing returned to his official room. He slowly opened a thick list of candidates who had rejected the examination. There were more than a hundred pages, densely filled with the names of the candidates. While he was reading, he circled some of the more sensitive ones with a pen.  name.

    At this time, Xu Shu, Jiang Wan, and Pang Tong also hurried over. Xu Shu did not interfere in the academy examination. As the highest minister of state affairs, he was only responsible for providing all necessary resources. However, in the second round of the official examination, Xu Shu became the master.  Examiner.

    "Please take a seat!"

    Liu Jing asked the three of them to sit down. He handed the list of discarded candidates to Jiang Wan, "There is a loophole in it. It is possible that the candidates I need are also on the discarded list. This will harm Jingzhou's interests. You understand.  What do I mean?"

    Jiang Wan took over the roster. He understood what Liu Jing meant. He and Pang Tong exchanged glances, nodded immediately and said: "Let's sort it out quickly and see if there is any way to remedy it."

    "I hope I won't bring this up again. Like some of the people I circled with my pen, you turned a blind eye to so many sensitive names!"

    Liu Jing sounded a little displeased, "The first person on the third page, Yingchuan Xunzhi, is obviously a member of the Xun family. You actually directly invalidated it without giving any explanation. Isn't this just a violation of the Xun family?"  Do you really think I want the so-called fairness? "

    At the end, Liu Jing's attitude became very harsh, and he was very angry. He repeatedly emphasized that this examination was mainly to win over the hearts of the gentry all over the world, recruit their children, and build a bridge to connect with the gentry in the north. Unexpectedly,  His repeated orders fell on deaf ears.

    Jiang Wan also felt that Liu Jing was angry. He was a little panicked. He quickly stood up and saluted: "I'm reporting to Zhou Mu, there is a reason for this. Please listen to Wei Chen's explanation!"

    "you say!"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, there are indeed many children of aristocratic families who came to take the exam. Some came as private persons, and some came as representatives of the family. It is difficult to distinguish. If the Xun family of Yingchuan, the children of the Xun family who took the exam  There are nine people in total, including direct descendants of the Xun family, as well as distant relatives. We can't deliberately admit him just because his surname is Xun. Another example is Jinyang Zhang Quan on the first page. Zhou Mu has also circled it. Could it be that his surname is Xun?  Zhang, is he the famous Zhang family in Jinyang? And the time is very tight, we don¡¯t have time to check them one by one, so we can only act according to the rules when it is difficult to have both."

    This explanation eased Liu Jing's anger slightly. He thought for a moment and then said, "Now I need an explanation. How are you going to remedy it?"

    At this time, Pang Tong stepped forward and saluted: "Perhaps we can give those who excel in the exam a chance to retake the exam. We will also give some sensitive names a chance to retake the exam."

    This plan was acceptable to Liu Jing, and he said to the three of them seriously: "You must understand this. The so-called fair examination is just a gimmick. The real purpose of my holding this open recruitment is to establish contact with the northern gentry, and I must give priority to it."  The admission of their children, even the scholars in Jingzhou and Yizhou, must be inferior to the children of the northern gentry. As for fairness, it is not impossible, but it is not possible now. After we take over the world, I can agree to whatever fairness you want,  Do you understand?"

    The three of them stood up and saluted, "Wei Chen understands!"

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with her hands behind her hands, then turned back and told the three of them: "There are still some details that need to be grasped. Once the results are finally released, some people will definitely see the clues. Discussions are inevitable, but we must ensure that this influence  It has been reduced to the lowest level. Therefore, after the academy rankings are released, we must find ways to drive the scholars home. When the final official examination results are released, I hope that most of them will have left, and the remaining scholars will have the benefit of passing the academy examinations.  For those involved, it¡¯s okay to discuss it, this is very important and you must not be careless.¡±

    Jiang Wan and Pang Tong left in a hurry, but Xu Shu stayed. He smiled slightly and said, "It's rare to see Zhou Mu angry! We actually met him today."

    Liu Jing sighed and said: "I know that Jiang Wan and Pang Tong want fairness in their bones, but how can there be any fairness from ancient times to the present? I am angry because they are too bookish. They have to remind them to wake up. If  I didn¡¯t notice it, so that¡¯s a big deal.¡±

    Xu Shu smiled and said: "They want to balance, not only pay attention to fairness, but also consider interests, so they will inevitably not consider some details carefully, but since Zhou Mu has made it so clear, I think they will not make similar mistakes again.  mistake."

    Liu Jing nodded and asked: "What does Chang Shi think of Pang Tong? I mean talent."

    Xu Shu pondered for a moment and said, "Shi Yuan and I have known each other for many years. At that time, he was known as Feng Chu. He and Kong Ming were the great talents in Xiangyang. They were indeed talented. Therefore, people in Xiangyang often say, Wolong and Feng Chu, whoever wins one of them will win the world.  But Feng Chu's performance has been mediocre in recent years. Frankly speaking, let??Disappointment.  "

    "I have also heard many people say that he has a false reputation. Is this true?"

    Xu Shu shook his head, "No! His performance is mediocre. I think it has something to do with Liu Bei not making good use of him. From this public recruitment of scholars, we can see that he is very capable, from the registration of the scholars' food and accommodation to the arrangement of the examination room."  , rule formulation, etc., he prepared very well for such a complicated and huge matter in just two months, especially when 100,000 people participated in the exam, there was no trouble. This ability is not something ordinary people can achieve, but  Pang Tong¡¯s talent was not in government affairs, but in military affairs.¡±

    "But he didn't have any outstanding military performance with Liu Bei, and he was far inferior to Zhuge Liang."

    "That's the problem!"

    Xu Shu sighed, "This is called a dragon, but not a phoenix. Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang are colleagues. Of course, it is difficult for him to get ahead. Moreover, Pang Tong is good at enemy tactics, and Zhuge Liang is good at long-term strategy. But in front of the powerful Jiangxia army, then  Good tactics were meaningless, which gave Pang Tong no chance to use his talents. In the later period, Pang Ji surrendered to Cao Cao, which seriously affected Liu Bei's trust in Pang Tong. In Wucheng, Liu Feng did not use him at all and even monitored him.  This made him completely disappointed with Liu Bei."

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then turned back and asked, "If I want to use him as my deputy military advisor, does Chang Shi think it's okay?"

    Xu Shu pondered for a moment and said: "Pang Tong does have the talent of a military advisor, but he has encountered too many setbacks with Liu Bei and is not very confident in himself. Moreover, he has no outstanding performance. If he is rashly used as a military advisor, I am afraid that it will make people miserable."  Everyone was dissatisfied, so I suggested that the state pastor should lower him down a little and appoint him as a military advisor to participate in military planning, and then promote him to deputy military advisor after he has made outstanding achievements."

    If you only evaluate Xu Shu in terms of talent, Liu Jing's rating for Xu Shu is not very high, it can only be considered as above average. He is not as talented as Xiao He and Zhang Liang, nor can he compare with Zhuge Liang's wisdom.

    But Liu Jing trusts Xu Shu very much. Xu Shu is down-to-earth and honest in his work. In particular, he always evaluates people fairly and has no selfish motives. Liu Jing basically accepts his personnel suggestions, so his attitude can often determine a person's fate.

    Liu Jing nodded, "What Chang Shi said is absolutely true, so it's decided."

    At this time, Xu Shu remembered something again and said with a smile: "There is also Kuai Gong. I guess he will come back from Yizhou soon. How do you plan to use him?"

    Kuai Gong is the new Jingzhou Biejia Kuaiyue. He came to Jingzhou to take office twenty days ago, and Liu Jing sent him to Yizhou to inspect the customs and customs. Judging from the time, he will be back soon.

    Liu Jing smiled lightly: "Although Kuai Gong has an old relationship with me, he abandoned Jingzhou at the most critical moment. This was his disloyalty to Jingzhou. Although I also know that he wants to come back, it is no longer possible. If he  If you can maintain a good relationship with the court for me, then I may reuse the Kuai family."

    Xu Shu didn't say anything more. He understood Liu Jing's will very well, and many things could be discussed. If what he said was reasonable, Liu Jing would give in, but when it came to issues of principle, Liu Jing would never give in at all. For Kuai  More broadly speaking, the betrayal of the past is the principle, no matter how kind Kuai Yue was to Liu Jing.

    It¡¯s a pity that Kuai Yue didn¡¯t insist, but he didn¡¯t leave in the first place. With his great kindness to Liu Jing, he should now be the number one person in Jingzhou besides Liu Jing. Xu Shu couldn¡¯t help but secretly sighed.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Under the spotlight, the first round of academy examinations was finally announced. Five thousand five hundred people were on the list. Since the morning, the Jingzhou Academy has been crowded with tens of thousands of scholars coming from all directions. Everyone is crowded.  Look for your name in the list. Fortunately, the list is published according to county and place of origin, which makes it a little easier to find.

    I kept seeing people jumping up and shouting for joy, but more people left sadly. The reality is so cruel. One hundred thousand people took the exam, and only one person could be admitted out of twenty. For the Jingzhou government, the only thing they could do was  It was fair, and even the top performers among the 8,000 scrapped papers were given the opportunity to retake the exam.

    Xun Zhi was one of those who took the make-up exam. His name slip fell off because it was not stuck firmly, but his grades were very good and he even ranked among the top ten, so he got a chance to take the make-up exam.

    Xun Zhi's make-up exam ended yesterday. Like his two other friends, he received the news that he passed the academy exam in the morning. Neither he, Cui Shi, nor Deng Hong were too surprised about passing the academy exam.  He was more concerned about the upcoming official examination, which was the purpose of their trip.

    However, passing the academy examination can be considered as qualifying for the official examination. Based on this, it is time to celebrate. However, the major taverns in Fancheng and Xiangyang were full, so the three of them asked the shopkeeper to cook some dishes in the hotel.  Warm a pot of wine and drink together by the fire.

    "This make-up exam is really unexpected."??¡±

    Xun Zhi took a sip and sighed: "I heard from an examiner that there were more than 8,000 waste papers this time, and I was one of them. I didn't have the chance to take the make-up exam again, but because of Liu Zhoumu's anger, there were three  We are all grateful that more than 100 people got another chance to take the make-up exam.¡±

    "Why is Liu Zhoumu so angry?" Deng Hong asked with some confusion.

    Xun Zhi shook his head, "I don't know either. Everyone is guessing that Liu Zhoumu is probably afraid of losing talent!"

    Cui Shi sneered and said, "If I'm not wrong, these scholars taking the make-up exam are all descendants of aristocratic families!"

    "How do you say this?" Xun Zhi and Deng Hong asked together.

    At this moment, footsteps were heard in the yard, and the innkeeper was seen shouting in the yard: "Mr. Cui, we have a guest!"

    Cui Shi was startled, stood up and looked out the window, and saw a few people standing in the yard. To be precise, a few followers surrounded a man in his thirties. Cui Shi felt that this man looked vaguely familiar, but for a moment he thought  Where have you seen him?

    It¡¯s just that when he was having a drink with his friends, someone came to visit rashly, which made him a little embarrassed. Xun Zhi smiled and said: "Invite the guests into the house! It is a bit impolite to let others wait outside."

    Cui Shi nodded, opened the door and welcomed him out. He held his hands and smiled and said, "This gentleman looks familiar. Please forgive Cui Shi for being rude. I really forgot who he is?"

    The man smiled slightly and said, "Please tell me!"

    This voice really surprised Cui Shi.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 553 Winning over the Aristocratic Family (Part 2)

    Cui Shi quickly invited the man into the room. The man wiped off his beard and revealed a clear and handsome face. It was Xu Shu. He smiled and nodded to Cui Shi, "Don't you recognize me, my dear nephew?"

    Cui Shi knew it was Xu Shu when he heard the voice just now. Now that it was confirmed, he was so frightened that he knelt down quickly and said, "My nephew Cui Shi pays homage to Uncle Shi!"

    "My dear nephew, please wake up!"

    Xu Shu and Cui Shi's uncle Cui Zhouping are close friends. Cui Zhouping is currently the governor of Xihe. He wrote a letter to Xu Shu specifically for his nephew, asking him to take good care of his nephew.

    But Xu Shu's concern for Cui Shi has another profound meaning. Cui Shi's grandfather was Taiwei Cui Lie, who died in Li Ji's rebellion. His father Cui Jun is now the court councilor. Cui Shi came to Jingzhou to look for opportunities on behalf of the Cui family.  He said that he was the nobleman Liu Jing cared about most.

    Xu Shu looked at Xun Zhi and Deng Hong again, and asked with a smile: "Who are these two?"

    "These two are my good friends, Xun Zhi of Yingchuan and Deng Hong of Nanyang."

    "Are you Yingchuan Xunzhi?" Xu Shu stared at Xunzhi sharply. Xunzhi felt that the man in front of him was not an ordinary person, and felt a little nervous. He quickly asked Cui Shi in a low voice, "Who is this uncle of yours?"

    Cui Shi pulled Xun Zhi and Deng Hong aside and whispered Xu Shu's identity to them. Both of them were shocked and at a loss. They quickly stepped forward and knelt down, "Students pay homage to Xu Changshi!"

    Xu Shu quickly helped them up and said with a smile: "You and I are not strangers. I am also from Yingchuan. I am the same hometown as Mr. Xun. I also studied at Xun's family for two years. I have a close relationship with Mr. Xun and Deng.  Young Master, I was favored by your father when I first arrived in Xiangyang, and I am not an outsider, so I am lucky enough to meet you today!"

    The three of them hurriedly asked Xu Shu to sit down. Cui Shi poured him another glass of wine and smiled sheepishly: "The three of us have passed the academy examination and are buying wine to celebrate."

    Xu Shu smiled slightly and said: "Only one person was admitted out of twenty people. You are not easy. Come on! I would like to toast the three nephews."

    The three of them hurriedly raised their glasses and had a drink with Xu Shu. At this time, Xun Zhi couldn't help but asked: "Uncle Shi seemed to have known about me when he came in just now. What happened?"

    Xu Shu laughed and said, "Of course I know you. Isn't it because of you that Zhou Mu was furious about the scrapping of the scroll?"

    The three of them looked at each other with shock in their eyes. What was the reason for this?  They all looked at Xu Shu, hoping that he could solve the doubts in their hearts.

    Xu Shu pondered for a moment and then asked Xun Zhi, "Does your uncle know that you came to Xiangyang to take the exam?"

    Xun Zhi's uncle was Xun You. Xun Zhi smiled bitterly and said: "My father decided to come to Xiangyang to take the exam two months ago. I think my uncle should know. As for whether he approves or opposes, I don't know.  "

    Xu Shu nodded and smiled at the three of them: "This public recruitment in Xiangyang has two purposes. First, Liu Zhoumu wants to recruit talents from all over the world. Secondly, he also wants to use this opportunity to establish a relationship with all the major families in the world. Everyone wants to  You are smart people. From the fact that you came to Jingzhou to take the exam, you can see that your family also has this intention. This is a good thing!"

    Cui Shi understood what Xu Shu said. On his way to Jingzhou, he went to Xihe County to meet his uncle. His uncle carefully analyzed Jingzhou's intention to openly recruit scholars, so Cui Shi was not surprised.

    But Xun Zhi and Deng Hong didn't know these details. When Xu Shu said this, they suddenly realized that it was no wonder that the family attached so much importance to this exam. It turned out to have such profound meaning. The two of them suddenly became excited. Although Xu Shu didn't say it clearly, they all understood it.  Yes, they will definitely be admitted.

    Deng Hong couldn't help but asked: "Excuse me, Chang Shi, if you are admitted to the official examination, what position will you be appointed to? Of course, I am not talking about myself, but other scholars."

    Although Deng Hong¡¯s question was rather abrupt, this question was what everyone was most concerned about. Cui Shi and Xun Zhi both held their breaths, waiting for Xu Shu¡¯s answer.

    Xu Shu drank down the wine in the cup and said with a smile: "I can tell you that in this civil service examination, except for the best candidates who will stay in the general's mansion, the rest will go to the county to become officials, chief clerks, or among the six Cao Cao.  In short, we will start from the bottom and work our way up step by step. The state pastor will gradually establish a promotion system, and you will be the first batch."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Amid great expectations, Jingzhou's official examination officially kicked off, with a total of 5,800 people participating. If the academy examination was just a warm-up, then this time the official examination was the real test, and it took three days in total.  Including scriptures, poems and poems.

    Out of 5,800 people, only 130 were admitted, of which 30 were admitted by default and the other 100 were admitted through fair competition.

    On the same day that the exam started, Liu Jing, Jia Xu, Xu Shu, Sima Yi, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, GanNearly two dozen family members of Jingzhou's senior civil and military officials, such as ??, Wenpin and so on, officially left Xiangyang for Yizhou and Chengdu.

    On the pier, dozens of thousand-stone ships slowly set off. The families of these high-ranking civil and military officials were escorted by 10,000 naval troops. They detoured from Jiangxia to Nanjun, and then sailed west to Bashu. After half a month, the mansions in Chengdu had been packed up.  Just waiting for people to check in.

    Liu Jing and a group of officials stood on the dock and waved goodbye to their families. However, this was only a short separation from their families. One month later, the entire Cavalry General's Mansion will also be moved to Chengdu, making Chengdu the military and political center. Then in May next year  The moon will return to Xiangyang again.

    "I still remember moving from Jiangxia to Xiangyang not long ago. I didn't expect to move to Chengdu so soon. I wonder when the next move will be?" Jia Xu sighed at the side.

    Liu Jing looked back at him and asked with a smile: "When does the military advisor hope to move next time?"

    Jia Xu narrowed his eyes and smiled, "I hope it will be next spring!"

    The two looked at each other and laughed together. The relocation they were talking about was referring to Guanzhong. Liu Jing also stared at the northwest with her hands behind her hands, yes!  When can they capture Guanzhong?

    Early in the morning, in the long corridor of the General's Mansion, Pang Tong was walking quickly with a scroll in his hand. The civil service examination had ended five days ago. Hundreds of markers were reviewing it day and night. It was not until last night that all the papers were reviewed. Pang Tong  After sorting it out with Jiang Wan all night, I finally completed the preliminary results.

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????:???????????????????????????????????????????? Walking quickly to the front of Liu Jing's official room, Pang Tong said to the guard at the door: "Please report to the state pastor for me, just say that Pang Tong has something important to report."

    "Pang Yuancheng, please wait a moment!"

    The guards quickly went in to report. After a while, a child came out and saluted: "President Mu, please come in, Mr. Pang Yuancheng!"

    "Thank you!"

    Pang Tong walked into the official room and came to the inner room. He saw Liu Jing standing in front of a sand table, deep in thought. Pang Tong quickly bowed and saluted, "I am here to see you, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing looked back at him and asked with a smile: "Is there anything wrong with Pang Yuancheng?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, the preliminary results of the official examination have come out."

    Pang Tong presented the scroll to Liu Jing, who took it and asked, "Did you give it to Xu Changshi?"

    According to normal official rules, Xu Shu is the chief examiner, and Xu Shu should report to Liu Jing, not Pang Tong, who is the deputy examiner. The scroll should also be given to Xu Shu first, rather than directly to Liu Jing, but Liu Jing also knows that  Xu Shu felt a little sick today and was resting at home. Pang Tong reported directly to Xu Shu, which was barely acceptable.

    Pang Tong said quickly: "Weichen just came from Xu Changshi's mansion, he has already seen it."

    Liu Jing nodded and unfolded the book. Pang Tong explained beside him: "The book is divided into three parts. The front is the performance ranking of the top 100 people, and the middle is divided into two parts: A and B. Part A is the top 100 students admitted through the exam.  One hundred people, part B is the admission of the children of the twenty-nine noble families, and the last one is the one hundred and thirty people admitted in the announced list. "

    Liu Jing looked through it roughly and found that the names of many children from aristocratic families appeared in the previous rankings, so she smiled and said: "It seems that these children from aristocratic families have done well in the exam."

    "It's indeed very good. In fact, only ten people did not enter the top 100, but they all entered the top 200. From this, it can be seen that the strength of these nobles' children is quite strong."

    "That's natural. The nobility inherits power, and the gentry inherits culture. If the children of the gentry are unworthy, that would be a huge disappointment to me."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing pointed to the first-ranked scholar and asked: "Is this Cui Shi the Boling Cui clan?"

    "Exactly, he is the grandson of Cui Lie and the son of Cui Jun. His uncle is Cui Zhouping. Zhou Mu has also met him. This Cui Shi has outstanding strength. He ranked first in the academy examination and the official examination. Wei Chen heard what Xu Changshi said  , he is good friends with Xun Zhi, who is ranked fifth, and Deng Hong, who is ranked 19th.¡±

    After a pause, Pang Tong added: "Xun Zhi is Xun You's nephew, and Deng Hong is the son of Deng Yi, the former ruler of Jingzhou."

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "It turns out they are all descendants of old friends. They are better than their masters!"

    At this time, Liu Jing remembered something again and asked, "I heard that Deng Ai also took the exam. How did he do?"

    Pang Tong had a good relationship with Deng Ai. It can be said that he was Deng Ai's entry-level master. He also cared about Deng Ai very much. He quickly said: "Return to Zhou Mu, Deng Ai was originally going to take the exam, but because of his mother's illness  He rushed back to Xinye to serve his mother, so he failed to take the exam."

    "I see!"

    Liu Jing was a little regretful. He also wanted to see Deng Ai's strength in this public recruitment. Unfortunately, there was no such opportunity. Liu Jing returned the scroll to Pang Tong, "In principle, there is no problem. In terms of specific details, you  Think about it carefully and give me aIf the final plan is passed, the results will be released tomorrow.  "

    "Weichen understands!"

    At this time, Liu Jing smiled again and said: "I am looking at the road to Guanzhong from the north. Is Pang Yuancheng interested in coming to give me some advice?"

    Pang Tong suddenly became excited. He knew that this was the first step for him to change his identity. Liu Jing's next step was undoubtedly to attack Guanzhong. Asking him for advice now was actually asking him for advice. In fact, he had considered seizing it many times.  Guanzhong's strategy already has a set of clues in mind.

    Pang Tong put away the scroll and walked forward with a smile: "The minister may be talking nonsense, please don't be offended by the governor!"

    "Yuan Cheng just said it doesn't matter!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 554 Rookie Enters the House

    Pang Tong stared at the sand table for a long time and said slowly: "Guanzhong is the place where the Qin and Han dynasties were established. The dragon veins have been running for hundreds of years. It can be said that whoever wins Guanzhong can win the world. Cao Cao also knows this truth, but he cannot move the capital there due to reality.  Chang'an, but it does not mean that he attaches great importance to Guanzhong. In the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao mobilized all the troops in the world, but he did not mobilize a single soldier in Guanzhong. This shows that he attaches great importance to Guanzhong, so we have to take Guanzhong. Its significance is no less than that of Guanzhong.  The Battle of Chibi is completely different from the capture of Bashu and the struggle for Hanzhong. I hope Zhou Mu will understand this. "

    Liu Jing nodded slightly, "It is late autumn now, Cao Cao is still attacking Ma Chao, and ordered Xun You to lead an army of 100,000 to guard Guanzhong. This shows that he attaches great importance to Guanzhong. I also understand in my heart the importance of Guanzhong to Cao Cao."

    "Since Zhou Mu understands, let me be frank. Guanzhong is surrounded by high mountains and steep mountains. There are only three roads to get to Guanzhong. One is the middle road, which is the Yugu Road, Ziwu Road, Baoxie Road, Tangluo Road, and Chencang Road.  There are five dangerous roads that pass through the deep gorges of Zhongnan Mountain. The other one is the west road, which goes from Wudu County out of Qishan Mountain to Longxi, and then enters Guanzhong along the Weishui River. The third one is the east road, which takes Nanyang County and enters Guanzhong via Wuguan Road.  "

    Pang Tong was talking eloquently, while Liu Jing looked seriously and looked at the Guanzhong Taoism on the sand table. He had considered what Pang Tong said, but he was still undecided for a moment, but he did not interrupt Pang Tong and let him continue.

    Pang Tong continued: "From the perspective of supply and march, it is actually most convenient to take the Wuguan Road from Nanyang. This involves the issue of attacking Nanyang County. Now Cao Cao is in Tianshui County, and the main force is in Guanzhong. Attack Nanyang County.  In fact, it is the best opportunity. I wonder if Zhou Mu has thought of it?"

    Liu Jing shook his head, "Cao Cao and I signed a ceasefire agreement from Nanyang to Xiangyang. When I launched a large-scale attack on Bashu, there were less than 20,000 people in Xiangyang, but Cao Cao did not take the opportunity to go south to Xiangyang or attack Anlu County. Of course,  Because of the navy, even if he attacks Xinye Fancheng, it will put a lot of pressure on me. I can only say that he still adheres to the agreement, so I will not consider taking the eastern front for the time being. "

    Pang Tong secretly smiled bitterly in his heart, but he had no choice but to point at Qishan with a wooden pole and said: "Since Zhou Mu does not consider the eastern front, let's take a look at the western front."

    In fact, Liu Jing is also very concerned about the Western Front. In history, Zhuge Liang also took the Western Front when he wanted to capture Guanzhong. Compared with the deep valleys and dangerous roads in the middle line, the Western Front was indeed easier to walk. Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "Please continue.  !¡±

    "The western front leads out of Qishan and into Tianshui County. Now Cao Cao is leading his army to annihilate the remnants of Ma Chao in Jicheng. I wonder what the current situation is?" Pang Tong asked.

    "As Yuan Cheng said, Ma Chao can no longer support this winter. Although I promised to lend Ma Chao grain, Cao Cao blocked the Qishan grain road, and grain cannot be transported there at all. Ma Chao has no grain and few livestock. I guess he can still survive at most.  Support for one month.¡±

    Pang Tong thought for a moment and said: "If Ma Chao is defeated, Cao Cao will inevitably withdraw his troops back to Yedu, and the garrison in Tianshui County will be reduced. In the spring of next year, Zhou Mu can divide his troops into two groups, feint to attack the middle road, secretly leave Qishan, and capture Tianshui County with a surprise attack.  Tianshui County is an important logistics area, so we can attack the counties in Guanzhong to the north. In this way, we will surround Guanzhong from the south, west and north, and it will be a matter of course to capture Guanzhong. "

    Liu Jing smiled slightly. Who said Pang Tong had no talent? It was just that Liu Bei refused to use him. Liu Jing sincerely praised: "Shi Yuan's plan is exactly what I want. After this exam, you don't have to go back to the academy."  Okay, let's hand it over and be reassigned to the position of military advisor."

    Pang Tong was overjoyed. Although he was still one level shy of military advisor, he was only half a level short of deputy military advisor. This was also a very high position in the Jingzhou Army, which made him very satisfied. He quickly bowed and saluted, "Thank you Zhou Mu for your trust, Wei Chen."  I will do my best.¡±

    The public recruitment process that lasted for nearly a month has finally ended. At this time, most of the scholars have returned to their hometowns. The two cities of Xiangyang and Fancheng have finally quieted down. Only nearly 6,000 scholars who have passed the academy examinations are left. They are anxious.  Uneasily waiting for the final official examination results to be announced.

    After two rounds of examinations, the last 130 best candidates stood out and became the final winners. On the day when the results were released, the successful candidates were filled with joy and many people cried with joy. This meant that they had entered official careers in Jingzhou.

    Even those who did not pass the exam are not too disappointed. After all, they passed the academy exam and can continue to study in Jingzhou and Yizhou. They also have the opportunity to become officials through the internal official examination of the academy.

    Just after the fourth watch, the night was deep, people were sleeping soundly, and there was silence in Xiangyang City. Cui Shi was woken up by the innkeeper. He quickly got up to wash up and get ready. Today, he and all the candidates who passed the exam will go to the General Office at the fifth watch.  , officially began their career journey.

    This time, nine people from the Cui family came to Xiangyang to take the exam. In the end, three of them passed the official exam. Cui Shi was the first in the official exam. This has nothing to do with his identity.??, but that he is powerful.

    Cui Shi is the leader of the younger generation of the Cui family. When he was young, his grandfather Cui Lie praised him for his great talent. It was the Cui family's emphasis on Liu Jing that sent the best son of the family to Liu Jing.  Come to Xiangyang to participate in recruiting scholars.

    "Brother Zhaoyuan!"

    Deng Hong walked into the yard excitedly, "We have packed up and are waiting for you!"

    Wearing an Eguan on his head and a Confucian robe, Deng Hong looked particularly energetic. He finally ranked 19th in the official examination. This made him overjoyed and wrote to his father overnight to announce the good news.

    Although the Deng family is hardly comparable to the Xun family and the Cui family in world fame, his father's connections in Jingzhou are not as good as those of the Cui and Xun families. This is destined to give him an advantage that others cannot match in his final appointment.  , of course, he cannot compare with Cui Shi. Cui Shi is the first in the official examination and will get the best official position.

    Cui Shi also put on the Eguan and said with a smile while getting dressed: "What are you in a hurry for? The fifth watch has just started. Let's just walk a few steps and we'll be there."

    ¡°After all, you have to go early to leave a good impression on others.¡±

    "I'm fine too."

    Cui Shi tied up her brocade belt and said with a smile, ¡°Then let¡¯s go!

    The two walked out of the hotel, and there were more than a dozen people waiting for them at the gate. They were all the same leaders of Eguan Bo, and they were all very excited. After seeing the ceremony, everyone walked towards the Hussars General's Mansion not far away

    The Hussar General's Office was also the original State Office. Before five o'clock, one hundred and thirty scholars had gathered in the square, in teams of ten, and lined up neatly. Several officials were explaining to them today's various tasks.  arrange.

    Xun Zhi ranked fifth in the official examination. Although he ranked very high, he still felt a little regretful. He heard the wrong time during the policy theory test, which resulted in a hasty ending, which naturally affected his results. Otherwise, he would have been among the top.  three.

    But he was also very happy to get the fifth place in the exam. He originally thought that he would get to the fiftieth place, which would be a discredit to the family, at least he did not bring shame to the family.

    Xun Zhi gently pulled Cui Shi's sleeve, pointed to a middle-sized scholar in front of him, and whispered: "That man is a descendant of Chaisang Tao family. I heard that he only got more than 170 people in the exam, but in the end he failed."  Admitted."

    "Shh!"

    Cui Shi whispered: "The Tao family is Mrs. Zhou Mu's natal family and has made great contributions to Jingzhou. It is normal for him to be admitted. Don't make a fuss."

    "I know, but I am from a business family"

    There was a hint of contempt in Xun Zhi's tone. He had been taught by orthodoxy and had always looked down upon businessmen. However, Cui Shi was broader-minded than him. He smiled slightly and said: "Businessmen pay taxes and circulate materials, which are very important to the strength of a country."  It¡¯s very useful, and you don¡¯t have to be too defensive, and I¡¯ve seen this person in a tavern. He is quite low-key and polite, helps the poor, and is also a good-natured person.¡±

    Xun Zhi also nodded, "It's true that he's not arrogant, and he's not annoying either!"

    As he was talking, the bell rang, and everyone suddenly became quiet. No one spoke anymore. Jiang Wan quickly walked out of the main hall and said to everyone: "Everyone, please follow me!"

    This is the first step. Chu Gong Liu Jing will receive them. Everyone looks solemn and files into the main hall. The main hall is wide enough to accommodate a thousand people. There are armed guards standing next to it, and dozens of senior officials are lined up on the steps.  On both sides, the hall was silent, solemn and solemn.

    At this time, Liu Jing, wearing a purple robe and uniform, walked quickly through the side door. He looked at the young faces and said with a smile: "I am Liu Jing. Congratulations to everyone for passing the final exam!"

    Everyone bowed and saluted together, and said in unison: "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing nodded, and then said slowly: "After passing the civil service examination, you will officially become an official in Jingyi Prefecture. You are all outstanding talents. Some will stay in the central government, some will go to local officials, and some will  Go to serve in the army, but no matter where you go, I am not worried about your future. As long as you practice morality and work hard, and do your job conscientiously, you will be promoted step by step, and finally become the ministers of the court, govern the world, and realize your dreams.  ambition.¡±

    The lobby was very quiet. Everyone was listening quietly to every word Liu Jing said, "Today is your first day on the job. After listening to my speech, you will ride on horseback and parade through the streets to accept the celebrations from the people of Xiangyang. In the evening  There is also the Baiguan Celebration Banquet, which is your honor. You can enjoy the glory today, but starting from tomorrow, we hope that you will start to be down-to-earth and work hard to realize your ambitions step by step!"

    This day is an unforgettable time for every scholar. They enjoy the celebration of hundreds of thousands of people in Xiangyang, the admiring eyes of young girls, and the delicacies of the banquet of hundreds of officials at night. They get drunk before resting.

    Starting from the next day, you will go through the entry procedures and receive a generous settling-in allowance. Everyone will have one month of family leave.The township arranges for a child to be brought to Xiangyang for his wife, children, and parents.

    Cui Shi did not return to Boling. He only wrote a letter to his father to announce the good news. The top three candidates in the official examination all stayed in Jingzhou as officials. Cui Shi was appointed to join the army and entered the core position of the Hussar General's Palace.  The place, Liu Jing's staff account, is responsible for Yin Mao's work.

    Yin Mo took him to visit the staff's accounts, pointed to a seat with a smile and said: "This is where you will do your official business in the future. You will be responsible for drafting military orders. The drafted military orders must be signed by me before they can be stamped with the general's seal. The rules are very strict.  Strictly, I¡¯ll tell you in detail when we¡¯re on the road.¡±

    Cui Shi was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but asked in a low voice: "Excuse me, Mr. Yin, do we want to travel?"

    Yin Mo laughed and said, "Go back and clean up! Zhou Mu will leave for Hanzhong tomorrow, and of course we have to go with him."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 555 Another Storm

    Ji County is the seat of Tianshui County. The city is tall and solid, and the moat is very wide. It is an easy-to-defend but difficult-to-attack city. Before Ma Chao raised his troops, the prefects of Tianshui County and other Longxi counties were appointed by the imperial court. Although Ma Chao wanted to  Like Liu Jing, he claimed the throne, but he couldn't do it. They couldn't build a huge bureaucracy.

    Liu Jing had the foundation laid by Liu Biao, but Ma Chao did not. Therefore, for more than ten years, both Ma Teng and Ma Chao were only militarily independent. They had never been politically independent. However, this time after Ma Chao returned from Guanzhong's defeat, he and Ma Chao  Things were a little different once upon a time.

    Ma Chao directly captured Ji County, killed the prefect Wei Kang, and proclaimed himself the general of the Western Expedition and the shepherd of Liangzhou, preparing to imitate Jingzhou and implement the integration of military and political affairs.

    However, although the idea was beautiful, the reality was cruel. The people in Ji County did not want to be exploited by him and fled out of the city one after another. There were only more than 500 households with a population of 20,000 to 30,000 left in the city. All the officials, big and small, had also fled.  The remaining county magistrate Yang Fu reluctantly maintained order in the city for him.

    Not only was it a political defeat, but it was also a military defeat. The Qiang and Di people supported his army of 10,000 slaves, but did not give him war horses, causing him to lose the most important mobility. At the same time, Ma Chao's army was short of food.  The little food he collected from the city made it difficult for him to survive until the end of the year.

    On top of the city, Ma Chao looked anxiously towards the south. Ten days ago, he received an express message from the Hanzhong grain delivery team. The grain team sent six thousand shi of grain. Now in the Qishan area, he hoped that he could send troops to respond. Ma Chao immediately ordered his horse  Dai led three thousand troops to Qishan to meet him.

    Judging from the time, they should have returned a long time ago, but there was no news at all. Ma Chao sighed and looked at Cao Jun's camp a few miles away. Cao Cao personally led an army of 40,000 to chase him, but Cao Jun did not besiege the city, and  The camp was set up three miles away to the east, and no troops were sent to attack. The confrontation lasted for nearly two months.

    Ma Chao also knew Cao Cao's intention very well. If he did not besiege the city, he would wait for him to abandon Jicheng and escape. Without the advantage of Jicheng's high city, Cao Cao's army could annihilate him in one battle, just like they annihilated a hundred thousand allied troops in Guanzhong, including Shangjun's  Yang Qiu's army was also wiped out.

    Cao Cao must have known that his food was going to be cut off. On the day when he ran out of food, Ma Chao was anxious and resentful, but he had no choice. At this moment, a soldier pointed into the distance and shouted: "Captain! It's the second general coming.  ¡±

    The second general was Ma Dai. Ma Chao cheered up and looked southward. He saw dust flying in the distance and an army running towards the city. Judging from the number of people, there were only more than a thousand people and they were not fully loaded.  Grain mules and horses.

    Ma Chao's heart sank, and a feeling of extreme disappointment poured into his heart. Needless to say, Ma Dai must have failed to receive the grain. At this time, someone shouted again: "Cao's army has sent troops!"

    I saw an army running towards Ma Dai's army in the direction of Cao's army camp. It was obvious that they wanted to intercept Ma Dai. Ma Chao hurriedly ordered: "Call two thousand men to follow me out of the city!"

    After a while, Ma Chao led two thousand soldiers out of the city and rushed to meet Ma Dai's defeated army.

    There were about 5,000 Cao troops who came to intercept Ma Dai, led by generals Cao Ren and Xu Chu. At this time, Cao Ren saw Ma Chao's army coming out of the city and hurriedly stopped the soldiers. Xu Chu said urgently: "General Xiao, since Ma Chao has left the city,  Wouldn't it be great if we simply blocked his retreat and waited for the Prime Minister's army to arrive and defeat him in one battle? "

    Cao Ren shook his head, "Pang De must have been prepared. If we cut off Ma Chao's retreat, we will be easily attacked by Ma Chao and Pang De, causing unnecessary defeat. The Prime Minister said, Ma Chao will be defeated in these few days, we don't need to take this risk."  ¡±

    Xu Chu could only sigh and rein in his horse. At this time, Ma Chao suddenly led his army towards them. Ma Chao stepped forward and shouted: "General Cao, do you dare to fight Ma Chao?"

    Xu Chu felt itchy and could not bear it. He cupped his fists at Cao Ren and said, "General, please allow me to fight!"

    Cao Ren nodded, "General Xu, be careful!"

    Xu Chu brandished an eighty-pound golden-backed tiger-tooth sword and urged his horse to kill Ma Chao, shouting like thunder, "Ma, have you heard of the name of Qiaojun Xu Zhongkang?"

    Ma Chao said coldly: "I think you look like the butcher who kills pigs in Qiao County!"

    Xu Chu was furious and slashed at Ma Chao with a sword that could swallow mountains and rivers. The sword was as fast as lightning. Ma Chao was calm and faced him with his gun. The two fought fiercely

    On the viewing platform of Cao Jun's camp in the distance, Cao Cao, surrounded by dozens of generals, was watching the battle between Xu Chu and Ma Chao from a distance. Seeing that the two men had fought for more than sixty rounds, with no winner or loser, he couldn't help but look back.  He smiled and asked Xu Huang: "Who do you think Gongming will win in this battle?"

    Xu Huang pondered for a moment and said: "Although Zhong Kang is brave, his horsepower cannot last long. I'm afraid he will suffer a loss in terms of horsepower."

    Cao Cao nodded and asked the generals with a smile: "Can Ma Chao be called the best in the world?"

    Zhang Liao next to him bowed and said: "The minister believed that Ma Chao was slightly inferior to Zhao Yun and could be ranked second.  "

    "Well! Zhao Zilong is indeed the best general in the world. Even Liu Jing's martial arts can be ranked in the top ten. In comparison, Ma Chao is really nothing to worry about!" Cao Cao couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

    "Prime Minister, I'm afraid Liu Jing can't be considered a general!" Xu Huang said with a smile.

    "Of course he doesn't count!"

    Cao Cao sighed and said, "I just made a joke. I wish he was a military commander."

    At this time, Zhang He said nervously: "General Xu's horse is indeed dying."

    Cao Cao looked at the battlefield again. On the battlefield, Ma Chao and Xu Chu were already fighting Lily. The horse surpassed Zhan Yueyong, and the shadowless spear penetrated every hole like mercury leaking into the ground. Although Xu Chu was full of energy, his horse could not hold on.  , kept snoring, and his running speed also slowed down obviously. Xu Chu knew something was wrong, he feinted a shot and ran out of the battlefield, shouting: "The horse is waiting for me, I will change horses and fight again!"

    Xu Chu turned his horse and ran towards his own formation. Ma Chao sneered, hung up his spear, took out his eagle bow, and attached a wolf tooth arrow. He opened his bow like a full moon and shot an arrow straight into the back of Xu Chu's heart. The arrow was as fast as lightning. Xu Chu heard it.  There was the sound of a bowstring, and he hurriedly dodged, but was a step too slow, and shot Xu Chu in the shoulder with an arrow.

    Xu Chu yelled and almost fell off his horse. He lay on his horse and fled toward the camp. Seeing that the situation was not good, Cao Ren immediately ordered: "Use a hard bow to suppress the formation and retreat slowly!"

    Two thousand crossbowmen held down the formation, and Cao Jun slowly withdrew towards the camp. Ma Chao saw that Cao Jun's formation was in order, and he had no cavalry, so he would suffer a loss if he pursued him, so he stopped his subordinates who wanted to pursue him and joined Ma Dai.  Return to the city.

    "What's going on? Why didn't we receive the food?" Ma Chao asked Ma Dai sternly as soon as he entered the city.

    Ma Dai sighed, "The Hanzhong grain team, with about 2,000 mules and horses, was transporting 6,000 shi of grain in Qishan, but was intercepted by Xiahou Yuan's 3,000 troops in Qishan. He lost nearly half of his troops and was forced to retreat to Licheng. I led my troops to Qishan and joined Xia Houyuan's army.  During the battle, I was unexpectedly attacked from behind by Yu Jin's army. My troops were outnumbered and defeated. I lost two thousand troops. I failed to complete my mission and failed my brother's trust. I am willing to take the blame!"

    After saying that, Ma Dai knelt down on one knee to apologize. Ma Chao sighed, helped him up and said: "Even I can't win in this situation, let alone you. It's only because Cao Cao is too ruthless."

    At this time, Pang De hurriedly stepped forward and whispered to Ma Chao: "I just went to take stock of the food and found that our food can only last three days."

    Ma Chao¡¯s face turned pale and he asked after a while: ¡°How many livestock and war horses are there?¡±

    "There are less than a hundred war horses and less than thirty livestock."

    Ma Chao paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, feeling extremely anxious. The day was finally coming when the food supply was running out. What should he do, abandon the city and leave?  Where can he go?

    Pang De whispered: "Captain, why don't we rob Cao's army's food route? Maybe there is still some hope."

    Ma Chao also knew that Cao Jun had food shipped from Guanzhong every day. Perhaps this was really his last chance. Ma Chao gritted his teeth and said to Pang De, "You stay in the city while my second brother and I go to rob the food tonight. Success or failure depends on this one move."  "

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At nightfall, Cao Cao visited Xu Chu's arrow wound and returned to his tent. Xu Chu's skin and flesh were thick. Although the arrow was shot hard, it did not hurt his bones. Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief. Attacking Ma Chao can be said to be his most powerful weapon in recent times.  It was the most successful military deployment of the year, and he didn't want Xu Chu to lose it.

    As soon as he entered the tent, his son Cao Zhi came up to him and presented him with a letter, "Father, this is the letter Mr. Xun just sent."

    Cao Cao took the letter and sat down, opening Xun You's letter. Usually Xun You would send military reports, but today he sent a letter explaining that the letter contained Xun You's personal affairs. The letter said that Zhao Yun continued to send small groups of troops to harass Chen Cang.  Dao and Luo Tang said that Cao Cao already knew last time that he did not take this matter to heart. He knew that this was Liu Jing's pretense for Ma Chao, and at the same time he was testing Cao Jun's defense, which was of little significance.

    At the end of the letter, Xun You finally mentioned personal matters. He apologized to Cao Cao for his nephew Xun Zhi going to Xiangyang to take the exam. This was a family decision and there was nothing he could do about it.

    Cao Cao had learned about this from the imperial dispatch. A grand public recruitment ceremony was held in Xiangyang. It was said that one hundred thousand scholars from all over the world participated. This shocked Cao Cao. Only then did he suddenly realize that Liu Jing had already achieved world-wide fame, and even  There are also many wealthy families who send their children to take the exam. This is undoubtedly Liu Jing's preparation for conquering the world.

    At this time, Cao Zhi brought a cup of hot tea and put it on the table. Cao Cao sighed and said to his son: "I didn't expect that even the Xun family sent people to Xiangyang to take the exam. I am disappointed!"

    Cao Zhi bit his lip and said, "Father can also openly recruit scholars like Xiangyang to offset Xiangyang's influence."

      Cao Cao shook his head, "Ask me to pick up Liu Jing's wisdom, but I won't do it! Moreover, I killed Bianzang, killed Kong Rong, and forcibly promoted the Legalism of the poor family. I have already really offended these nobles. Even if I openly recruit scholars,  They won't come either."

    "But I heard that Liu Jing also promoted Legalism like his father. Even the questions in this exam were "Han Fei" and "Guan Zi". It's strange, why don't these nobles resist?"

    Cao Cao smiled bitterly and said, "He is smarter than me. He is a Legalist for his bones and a Confucian for his skin. He coaxed some aristocratic families to support him. This time in recruiting scholars in Xiangyang, on the surface he promoted fairness and publicly selected scholars, but secretly he recruited children from aristocratic families. Those  Of course the nobles support it. When he really gets the government, just wait and see, he will crush these aristocratic families and promote my humble legalism. "

    "Does father think Liu Jing also supports the poor Legalists?"

    Cao Cao nodded, "The root cause of the decline of the Han Dynasty was that the central government could not control the local areas. The main reason for the strong local power was the prominent families in these places. They only recognized the interests of their families, regardless of the rise or fall of the dynasty. They controlled the local government.  This also greatly weakened the court's control over the local area, so I promoted the legalism of poor families in order to attack these aristocratic families. "

    Speaking of this, Cao Cao sighed again: "In fact, the same goes for Liu Jing. Just look at what he did in Jingzhou. The four great families of Cai, Kuai, Pang, and Huang have all declined. In Yizhou, he allowed the Bashu family to own  Wealth, but restricting them from owning land, is the cruelest move. Without the support of land, how can these aristocratic families rely on inheritance? "

    Cao Zhi was silent. At this time, Cao Cao casually took another letter from the table. This was the handwritten letter that Liu Jing ordered Liu Min to give him last time. The letter was written very politely and declined many of his promises.

    At the same time, he suggested that future wars between the two families should try to avoid affecting farming. It seemed a bit funny, but Cao Cao understood Liu Jing's meaning. Liu Jing was actually hinting to him that he would not attack Guanzhong before spring plowing next year.

    Precisely because of Liu Jing's hint, Cao Cao attacked Ma Chao without haste. He must use the method of cutting off the roots to kill Ma Chao and never give him a chance to make a comeback.

    At this time, a guard came to the tent and reported: "Prime Minister, we hope to send urgent information from Hebei County!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 556 Desperate (Part 1)

    After a moment, a young man hurriedly walked into the big tent under the leadership of the guards, knelt down and saluted, "I pay homage to the Prime Minister!"

    This young man is the son of Yang Fu, the prime minister of Tianshui County. His name is Yang Tao. He came to see Cao Cao on his father's order. Cao Cao smiled and waved his hand, "Master Yang, no courtesy!"

    Yang Tao stood up, took out Yang Fu's letter and presented it to Cao Cao, "This is the letter from my father to the prime minister!"

    In fact, Yang Fu and Cao Cao had been secretly communicating with each other for a long time, so Cao Cao knew the situation in the city very well. He took the letter, read it, and said with a smile: "It turns out that the food in the city is only enough for three days. Isn't Ma Chao in a hurry?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, just when the villain was leaving the city, Ma Chao was gathering an army to prepare to leave the city, so my father hurriedly ordered the villain to deliver a message to the Prime Minister."

    "Oh? Is the horse going to run away?"

    Cao Cao suddenly became interested and asked: "Are all the troops leaving the city?"

    Yang Tao shook his head, "It's just Ma Chao, Ma Dai, and Pang De still leading the army to defend the city."

    Cao Cao thought for a moment and suddenly laughed, "It turns out that the horse wants to rob me of my food and grass. What a good thing!"

    Next to him, Cao Zhi whispered: "Father, maybe Ma Chao wants to abandon the city and run away?"

    Cao Cao shook his head, "They have no cavalry, so they can easily escape. My cavalry can catch up with them overnight. Ma Chao will not give up the city easily. If the food and grass are to be cut off, they will definitely go out to rob me of food."

    Having said this, Cao Cao stood up, put his hands behind his hands and smiled coldly, "Then let them come! I'm looking forward to it."

    In the dark of night, Ma Chao and Ma Dai led three thousand troops to ambush in a forest. A few dozen steps ahead was the official road leading to Cao's camp. According to the news from his scouts, around one watch every night, there would always be an army sending troops to Cao Cao's camp.  Liang's mule train passed here and headed for Cao Ying.

    Ma Dai whispered to Ma Chao: "Brother, the convoy is very important to us. Do you want to tell the brothers not to hurt the livestock?"

    Ma Chao nodded, "Okay, you can go ahead and give the order!"

    Ma Dai turned around and went down. Ma Chao looked at Cao Cao's camp more than ten miles away. He could vaguely see a light, and a strong murderous intention suddenly appeared in his eyes. He wanted to repay Cao Cao ten times the shame and humiliation Cao Cao had brought him.  .

    At this time, not far from the official road, Zhang Liao and Xu Huang each led 10,000 people and surrounded the woods where Ma Chao was from the east and west. A young general beside Zhang Liao whispered: "General, Ma Chao  There are many Qiang men under my command, and I can speak Qiang language. I can pretend to be Ma Chao's subordinate and go to Pang De for help and lure Pang De out of the city."

    Zhang Liao was overjoyed and patted his shoulder heavily, "What a brilliant idea! If it works, I will report it to the Prime Minister and reward you heavily."

    "The general will go first."

    Zhang Liao immediately found dozens of people, disguised as Qiang and Hu, together with the tooth general, and ran towards Jicheng.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the official road, a convoy of about 500 mule carts, loaded with grain and grass, was slowly coming along the official road. The grain and grass were covered with oilcloth, and there were sparse cavalry guards on both sides.

    The convoy moved very slowly. There was a big flag on the first cart with the word "grain" written on it. It was difficult to see clearly in the dark.

    Ma Chao¡¯s army in the woods was engrossed in staring at the convoy on the official road, completely unaware that they had been surrounded. Seeing that the time was ripe, Ma Chao shouted, ¡°Charge forward!¡±

    Shouts broke out in the woods, and thousands of soldiers rushed out of the woods, rushing like a tide towards the grain convoy fifty steps away. The rushing troops did not use bows and arrows, for fear of shooting to death the mules and horses carrying the grain, making them unable to  Move the food.

    The few cavalrymen guarding the grain cart panicked and hid behind the grain and grass. The soldiers ran closer and closer, only thirty steps away.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Even though it was night, Ma Chao could still clearly see the grain bags on the carriage. Covered under the thick oilcloth, he seemed to see the neatly stacked bags of grain. They were the source of life he dreamed of and the foundation for his comeback.  Ma Chao was so excited that he shouted: "Seize the food!"

    But at this moment, the oilcloth on the grain cart suddenly opened up. What was underneath was not bags of grain, but groups of crossbowmen half-kneeling on the cart. There were five people on each cart, and each of them had three  The crossbows were strung up and placed beside them. Their flat-ended crossbows aimed their cold crossbow arrows at the charging Ma Chao army.

    There is no need to wait for the order, the oilcloth is lifted and the order to shoot is heard, and only a 'click' is heard!  Click!  ' The sound of crossbows crashing, dense crossbow bolts whizzing towards Ma Chao's army thirty steps away. The rushing soldiers were caught off guard and were shot down in large pieces. Even Ma Chao's helmet was shot away by an arrow.  He fired the arrows and kept retreating.

    The soldiers who rushed up were in chaos. As the second round of intensive arrows came, Ma Chao's army suffered even more casualties. The soldiers turned around and ran towards the woods.

    ? ?At this time, everyone understood that they had been fooled. They had no food, but an ambush by Cao Jun. The fear of being trapped in an ambush caused the army's fighting spirit and morale to collapse rapidly.

    Suddenly there was a loud killing sound from both sides of the woods, as if there were enemy troops on all sides. Ma Dai galloped towards Ma Chao and shouted to Ma Chao: "Brother, we are surrounded, Cao's troops are on all sides!"

    Ma Chao's face was extremely pale, he clenched his fists, and his eyes seemed to be bursting with fire. He turned his head and stared at the grain and grass, and said coldly: "There is a gap through which we can rush out!"

    He shouted, "Those who want to live, follow me!"

    He turned his horse's head and brandished his spear to kill the grain cart. He realized that there must be no ambush on the other side of the grain cart. Unfortunately, the dense arrows made the soldiers unwilling to look back. Only Ma Dai led Ma Chao's more than a hundred soldiers.  The personal guard cavalry followed Ma Chao closely. They fought a bloody road and ran towards the dark south. There was indeed no ambush from Cao's army on that side.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After Ma Chao left the city, Pang De stood on the city wall and looked worriedly to the east. He knew that Cao Cao was extremely cunning and was famous for robbing the enemy's food routes. Will Cao Cao give them this opportunity?

    But it was pitch dark outside, and except for a few lights from Cao's camp a few miles away, nothing could be seen. Pang De secretly regretted that he should have persuaded Ma Chao not to rob the grain.

    At this moment, the sound of horse hooves came from the dark night. Pound quickly walked to the city wall and stared nervously outside the city.

    Soon, a dozen black figures appeared outside the city. One of them was riding a horse and running towards the city gate. The defenders saw clearly that they were more than a dozen Qiang and Hu soldiers, many of whom were injured. They just heard  The leader shouted: "Is General Pang here?"

    is the Qiang and Hu language, which is the common language in Ma Chao's army. Pang De held the battlement and asked: "I am Pang De, who are you?"

    "I am a subordinate of General Ma. Let me tell General Pang that General Ma was ambushed and surrounded by Cao's army. The situation is critical!"

    Pang De was shocked and said hurriedly: "You go to the city and report!"

    The leading soldier shouted in Qiang and Hu dialect: "We are going back to our hometown. We don't want to die in a foreign land. We just want to tell General Pang by the way, please take care of yourself, General!"

    The soldiers refused to enter the city and turned to flee northwest. Pound hurriedly shouted: "Where are you being surrounded?"

    "On the official road east of Cao Jun!" The deserters shouted from a distance, and they disappeared.

    Pang De was so angry that he punched the battlement hard and cursed: "These bastards!"

    At this time, the county magistrate Yang Fu hurriedly stepped forward and said: "General Pang, I guess this is true. Cao Cao is extremely cunning. The governor must have fallen into a trap. I am willing to lead the troops to rescue him!"

    Pang De sighed, "As a civil servant, how can you lead the troops to rescue? You guard the city, and I will lead the troops to rescue."

    Pang De turned around and shouted: "Gather the troops quickly and follow me out of the city!"

    A quarter of an hour later, Pang De led two thousand soldiers out of the city gate and ran toward the northeast of Cao Ying. Yang Fu watched them go away and couldn't help but sneer.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Pang De led his army and ran less than ten miles before encountering Ma Chao and Ma Dai. Only about thirty of their men were left with them.

    Ma Chao was relieved to receive the support of fresh troops, but he was also a little surprised that there were actually soldiers who escaped from the siege and rushed back to Jicheng before him. No matter how he thought about it, he thought it was impossible.  I can't understand it.

    At this time, Ma Dai felt that the pursuers had arrived, and hurriedly urged: "Brother, let's go back to the city first!"

    Ma Chao nodded, turned around and ordered: "Go back to Jicheng quickly."

    The army sped up and rushed towards Jicheng. Half an hour later, Ma Chao led his army to the city. He raised his head and shouted: "Open the city quickly!"

    A fire suddenly broke out at the top of the city. In the light of the fire, Yang Fu could be heard shouting: "Ma Chao, I have surrendered to the Prime Minister, you can leave!"

    Ma Chao was shocked, urged his horse forward and said sternly: "Yang Fu, I treat you well, why do you want to betray me?"

    "snort!"

    Yang Fu snorted heavily and sneered: "What does it mean to be humble? Governor Wei loves the people like his own son, but you killed his whole family, seized the people's food, and allowed the soldiers to humiliate their wives and daughters. The people of Jicheng are eager to skin you and eat you."  Your flesh, I, Yang Fu, have endured the humiliation and have been waiting for this day!"

    Ma Chao was furious and ordered his men to attack the city. Yang Fu's comrades Zhao Ang, Yin Feng and other Ya generals led their troops to shoot arrows downwards. The arrows were like a rain of arrows, which prevented Ma Chao's army from advancing. At this moment, drums sounded loudly from behind.  It was Zhang Liao and Xu Huang who led their troops to attack. Ma Chao had no choice but to lead his troops around the city and retreat to the southwest.

    Less than three miles after escaping, the woodsSuddenly, drums were beating loudly, and fires were everywhere. Tens of thousands of Cao Cao's ambush troops rushed out from both sides of the woods. In the firelight, Cao Cao was seen laughing loudly, "The horses are still alive?"

    Ma Chao¡¯s heart was filled with despair. He turned around and said to Ma Dai and Pang De: ¡°If the two brothers want to surrender, I won¡¯t stop them. I can only fight to the end!¡±

    Pound said angrily: "What are you saying, Governor? We live and die together. If the Governor wants to fight to the death, how can we live alone?"

    Ma Dai also advised: "Brother, don't be too desperate. Cao's army also has disadvantages when fighting at night, and there are not many troops. If we fight to the death, we may be able to break through."

    Ma Chao nodded, "Zhao Yun can still break through alone among an army of more than 100,000 people. How can I, Ma Mengqi, fall behind?"

    He waved his spear and shouted: "Brothers, follow me to break out of the encirclement!"

    "Kill!"

    Three thousand soldiers and Ma Chao rushed towards Cao Jun. Cao Cao immediately ordered, "Whoever captures Ma Chao alive will be granted the title of Marquis and be rewarded with a thousand gold coins. Anyone who captures Ma Chao's head will be promoted by two levels and be rewarded with five hundred gold coins."  ¡¯

    Under the heavy reward, Cao's army came from all directions, but Ma Chao, Pang De, and Ma Dai relied on their brave martial arts and powerful horses to cut a bloody path and broke out of the siege. The other soldiers  With no hope of breaking out, they all knelt down and surrendered.

    When Cao Cao saw Ma Chao breaking out and leaving, he was filled with hatred, but he had no choice but to order Cao Hong to lead a thousand cavalry to chase Ma Chao. He then ordered: "Return to Jicheng!"

    Cao Jun returned to Jicheng. At this time, the gate of Jicheng opened, and Yang Fu led Zhao Ang, Yin Feng and others to welcome him out. He knelt down and cried: "Ma Chao killed the prefect, and we have endured the humiliation until now, and we are finally looking forward to the arrival of the prime minister.  "

    Cao Cao comforted them with a few words, and made Yang Fu the Marquis of Guannei and the governor of Tianshui County. He also made Zhao Ang, Yin Feng and others the commanders of other departments, garrisoning Jieting and other northern fortresses. Cao Cao asked again: "Is Ma Chao's family here?"

    "I reported back to the Prime Minister that Ma Chao's two sons had died in the rebellion, and his wife had also committed suicide. Ma Chao hated Taishou Wei for not being able to save his wife and children for him, so he killed Taishou Wei's entire family."

    Cao Cao nodded, this is also tit for tat!  At this time, Zhang Liao led the young tooth general forward and said: "Please tell me, Prime Minister, it was this tooth general who deceived Pound's army and caused Ma Chao's entire army to be annihilated."

    General Ya came forward and knelt down on one knee and said: "General, I will see the Prime Minister at the end of the day!"

    Cao Cao nodded, "What's your name and where are you from?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, the last general's name is Wang Ping, who is from Bajun, Yizhou."

    Cao Cao was startled. He was actually from Bajun. He was a little unhappy and his tone became colder. "Since you are from Bajun in Yizhou, why are you in my army?"

    "The last general left his hometown five years ago. He originally wanted to join Liu Zhang, but Liu Zhang refused to take him in. So the last general had to go north to Sanfu and join Zhong Xiaowei. He spent many years suppressing bandits in Longxi and was promoted to General Ya for his merits."

    "Well! If you have made great contributions this time, I will give you a generous reward. Come, I will reward General Wang with a hundred taels of gold!"

    As soon as Wang Ping was stunned, Zhao Ang, Yin Feng and others did not have much credit. They were granted the title of Sima of another department. They took the risk to deceive Pang De and lured the main force of Cao's army in time. They only rewarded him with a hundred taels of gold. Why should the prime minister treat him so favorably?  Disregard this?

    Although he was a little dissatisfied, he didn't dare to say anything, so he had to thank him and leave. Next to him, Zhang Liao sighed secretly. He knew what the problem was?  Wang Ping was born in Bajun, Yizhou. It was a pity that such a talented person was not used by the prime minister. He could only find opportunities to intercede for Wang Ping in the future.

    Cao Cao had fulfilled his wish and was concerned about the situation in Guanzhong, so he immediately ordered: "The whole army will rest for one day and then return to Guanzhong!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 557 Desperate (Part 2)

    Ma Chao ran away all night. As daylight gradually dawned, they stopped their horses by a creek. Ma Chao looked back. Except for Ma Dai and Pang De who followed him, there were only five or six soldiers following him. The rest of the soldiers  When the whole army was wiped out, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh, filled with sadness, "This is God trying to destroy me. The world is so big, where can I still have a place for my horse to stand tall?"

    Pang De stepped forward and advised: "The chief of Dihu, Yang Wanwan, has always been on good terms with the governor. It is better to go to him, or go to Xiliang to join Nangong Suo and borrow troops from him to seize Wuwei County."

    Ma Chao shook his head, "Yang Wanwan is a hypocrite. Last time he only gave me soldiers but not horses. This shows one thing. This time my entire army was wiped out. How could he pay attention to me again? As for Nangong Suo, that man is even more powerful."  If I go to him in despair, he will definitely tie me to Cao Cao in exchange for benefits."

    At this time, Ma Dai stepped forward and said, "I have something to say. I wonder if your brother is willing to listen."

    Ma Chao sighed, "Now if there is anything else I can't listen to, just say it!"

    "If my brother wants to continue to be a prince, I have nothing to say, but if my brother is willing to give up his desire for hegemony, I think it is a good choice to join Liu Jing. Liu Jing failed to send troops to fight with my brother in Guanzhong.  , He must feel guilty, I don¡¯t think he will treat his brother poorly.¡±

    In fact, Ma Chao just wanted to join Liu Jing. He knew that Liu Jing wanted to conquer the world. If he could help him seize the world, he would also let himself command Xiliang. This was indeed a good choice. Thinking of this, Ma Chao asked Pound again.  , "Is Ling Ming willing to follow me to join Liu Jing?"

    Pang De nodded, "I will follow the Governor, and I will go wherever the Governor goes?"

    "All right!"

    Ma Chao finally made up his mind, turned around and said to several soldiers: "Rest for an hour, let's go to Hanzhong!"

    A few days later, Ma Chao and his entourage followed a large group of merchants into Nanzheng City. They disguised themselves as merchants not to enter Nanzheng, but to pass the checkpoint of Cao Jun in Qishan.

    It was already winter, the wind was biting, and the streets of Nanzheng City were deserted. Ma Chao said goodbye to the merchants and found a hotel. Everyone sat down to discuss countermeasures. Ma Chao did not want to go to Zhao Yun. He relied on his identity and wanted to go directly to Liu Jing.  , but I don¡¯t know whether Liu Jing is in Chengdu or Xiangyang.

    At this time, the shopkeeper came in with a pot of hot water and said with a smile: "Everyone, please wash your face first!"

    Ma Chao smiled and asked: "Excuse me, shopkeeper, is Liu Zhoumu in Chengdu or Xiangyang?"

    The shopkeeper chuckled: "Zhou Mu is neither in Chengdu nor Xiangyang. If you want to find him, it would be a coincidence. He is in the city."

    Ma Chao was overjoyed. It turned out that Liu Jing was in the city. That couldn't be better. He thanked the shopkeeper and then said to Ma Dai: "Second brother, go to the military camp and find out what Liu Jing has to say. If he doesn't want to take us in, then we can  Go to Jiangdong.¡±

    Seeing that his brother was worried, Ma Dai smiled and said, "Don't worry, brother! Liu Jing is a man with a big heart. If he can't even tolerate his brother, how can he fight for the world?"

    Ma Chao sighed slightly, "I hope so!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing arrived in Nanzheng City three days ago. He forced Zhao Yun to return to Chengdu to visit relatives, and he temporarily replaced Zhao Yun. He did not live in the city, but in the military camp outside the city.

    At this time, he was inspecting the camp for the victims outside Nanzheng City, and listened to the report from Hanzhong Governor Shi Fazheng on the resettlement of the victims in Guanzhong.

    This is due to the wave of disaster victims caused by the Xiliang allied forces' attack on Guanzhong a few months ago. More than 30,000 households and nearly 200,000 victims fled into Hanzhong. Now that Cao's army has taken control of Guanzhong, order has been restored in Guanzhong, and the victims have begun to return one after another. In fact,  , Fa Zheng and the others have done a lot of resettlement work, and they just reported to Liu Jing today.

    The refugee camp covers an area of ??about 3,000 acres, with thousands of large tents set up. When the population was at its highest, 200,000 victims were accommodated here. But now most of them have returned to their hometowns, and there are still a small number left.  It also looked very empty. After walking through five or six large tents, they were all empty. Only soldiers were cleaning and burying garbage.

    Fa Zheng reported to Liu Jing: "Qi Zhoumu, 70% of the more than 200,000 refugees have returned home, and there are still 50,000 to 60,000 people. Ministers and officials have repeatedly mobilized them to go back, but there are still many  People don¡¯t want to go back.¡±

    "Why is this?" Liu Jing stopped and asked.

    "These victims said that Hanzhong is stable and there is no war. They will rent land anyway when they go back. It is better to rent land in Hanzhong to live. About 20,000 to 30,000 people have this idea."

    Liu Jing frowned. He did not want Guanzhong to become a vast wilderness. After he captured Guanzhong in the future, he would not be able to establish a capital in Guanzhong. He still hoped that the people of Guanzhong would return to their hometown. At this time, he saw what seemed to be people living in a large tent.  Someone walked over directly.

      This is a medium-sized tent, which houses a large family, about ten people. The tent is separated by curtains, and men and women live on each side. At this time, the men have gone to help collect food, and there are only six or seven people in the big tent.  Women, children and old people were frightened when they saw the large group of people coming in. An old man in his 60s or 70s came forward and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

    Fazheng quickly introduced him: "This is our state pastor, and I came here to take a look at you."

    The old man knew Fazheng and knew that he was a high-ranking official in Hanzhong, but this young official turned out to be Zhou Mu. He was so frightened that the old man knelt down and said, "I don't know that Zhou Mu is here. I ask Zhou Mu to forgive me!"

    Liu Jing helped him up and said with a smile: "Don't be nervous, I'm just here to ask about the situation. Is it convenient?"

    "Convenient! Convenient!"

    The old man quickly cleared a place, spread a mat, and asked Liu Jing to sit down. Liu Jing was not polite and sat down directly. He asked the old man to sit down too, turned around and smiled at everyone: "Chief Shi and Governor Wu  Just stay with me, the rest will wait outside the tent."

    Everyone retreated, leaving only Fazheng and Wu Yi accompanying Liu Jing. They also sat down behind Liu Jing. Liu Jing then asked the old man with a smile: "Excuse me, what is your surname? Where are you from?"

    "My surname is Liu, a native of Baqiao Township, Chang'an. I took my two sons and a nephew, as well as their wives and children, a family of fourteen people, to escape the war and came to Hanzhong. My nephew and two eldest grandsons went to help the government.  After working, there are only a bunch of old and young people left in the big tent."

    "It turns out that my father-in-law is also named Liu, so we are from the same family!"

    Liu Jing smiled and said to Fa Zheng: "It is too crowded for fourteen people to squeeze into one tent. Now there are many large tents that have been vacated. There is no need to hurry up and put them away. It is better to even them out."  A couple lives in a big tent with their children.¡±

    In fact, Fa just wants to force these victims back to Guanzhong, and does not want to improve their living conditions. But now that Liu Jing has spoken, he can only nod in agreement, "Wei Chen understands, and will send someone to rearrange it immediately."

    The old man was extremely grateful and kowtowed quickly, "Thank you, Zhou Mu, for your concern. I am grateful to you!"

    Liu Jing waved her hands and said with a smile: "But I also want to ask, aren't my father-in-law's family planning to return to Guanzhong?"

    The old man scratched his head in embarrassment and smiled: "To be honest with Zhou Mu, it is more profitable in Hanzhong. We don't want to go back."

    "Why?" Liu Jing asked curiously, "What is profitable?"

    "That's right. We have found out that the field rent in Hanzhong is two bushels of wheat per mu, plus six liters of tax, while the field rent in Guanzhong is two bushels of wheat per mu, and the tax is the same. So one mu of land is the same.  I earned five liters of grain.¡±

    Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh, "But Guanzhong has its own house, but Hanzhong doesn't. It also costs a lot of money to build a house. No matter how you calculate this, it will be in Guanzhong's favor!"

    The old man shook his head, "I've also asked. If you rent a hundred acres of land, your boss can provide you with a house and cattle. The same goes for renting official land. Moreover, the dilapidated houses in Guanzhong can't protect you from wind and rain. Basically, you bring all your belongings.  More importantly, there may be another war one day, and those deserters are ten times more vicious than the bandits, so we really can¡¯t afford to mess with them.¡±

    Liu Jing was speechless for a long time, then he smiled bitterly and said, "I do know how to settle accounts, excuse me!"

    He stood up, bowed, and retreated. The old man felt uneasy, not knowing whether it was a blessing or a curse to say these words to Zhou Mu.

    After walking out of the camp, Liu Jing walked for a while in contemplation and silence. He slowly stopped and said slowly to Fazheng: "In the future, we will still have to find a way to slowly move all the people from Guanzhong back to Guanzhong, but not now. Wait.  We take Guanzhong and start implementing it. Not only the new victims, but also the old victims must be persuaded to go back. The population of Hanzhong is too large. "

    Fazheng smiled bitterly in his heart. It was not that Hanzhong had too many people, but that there were only so many people. If Hanzhong had more people, Guanzhong would naturally have less people. Zhou Mu wanted to move the population to fill up Guanzhong. He quickly agreed, "Wei Chen, remember this."  !¡±

    At this time, a soldier rushed over and saluted Liu Jing: "Report to Zhou Mu, General Ma Dai is waiting for Zhou Mu in the military camp, saying that he has important matters to discuss with Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing nodded. Ma Dai was here, and Ma Chao should be here too. He immediately ordered: "Return to the military camp immediately!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the side tent of the military camp, Ma Dai was uneasily drinking a bowl of hot soup. The soldiers told him that Zhou Mu had gone to inspect the refugee camp and asked him to sit for a while. Although Ma Dai comforted Ma Chao and said that there was no problem, in fact, in his heart  There is no bottom line. The key brother Ma Chao is also a prince, not an ordinary general. Can Liu Jing really accept them?

    Or, even if they are accepted, what kind of status will they be given?  The more he thought about it, the more worried he became, and he couldn't sit still.

    ? ???At this moment, footsteps were heard outside, and a soldier announced, "The State Shepherd is here!"

    Ma Dai stood up in a hurry and saw Liu Jing striding into the camp. He asked with a smile: "Where is General Meng Qi?"

    Ma Dai felt a little relieved, at least there was no problem in staying. He quickly stepped forward and bowed and saluted, "Join the state animal husbandry!"

    "So it's General Ma Dai. Didn't your brother come to Hanzhong?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Ma Dai suddenly had a clear understanding in his heart. Liu Jing must be well aware of the war that took place in Tianshui County. Otherwise, how would he know that his brother had fled to Hanzhong?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 558 Ma Chao Returns

    Ma Dai has been gone for an hour. Ma Chao counted the time and should have come back long ago, but there was no news. He began to feel a little restless. He slowly walked to the window with his hands behind his hands and stared at a few bare peach trees in the backyard.  Ma Chao suddenly realized that the New Year would be in one month, and his wife and children had all died in Ji County without even a tombstone.

    Ma Chao sighed quietly in his heart. He suddenly felt an unprecedented fatigue. The past was quickly leaving him. He didn't even want to think about it anymore, and his memory began to blur.

    At this time, the horrified voice of the shopkeeper came from the yard, "Two distinguished guests, our state pastor is here!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of footsteps came. When Ma Chao turned around, he saw a group of soldiers walking into the yard. Ma Dai led the way, followed by a tall young man wearing a gold crown and fine linen.  Wearing a purple robe, a jade belt around his waist, and a pair of piercing eyes, he looked extraordinarily brave and upright.

    This was the first time Ma Chao met Liu Jing. Although no one introduced him, he immediately guessed that this young man with extraordinary temperament was the famous Liu Jing. He actually came to visit him in person. This moved Ma Chao.  He quickly stepped forward and knelt down, and Pang De and several of his men also knelt down beside him.

    "Ma Chao, the last general, pays homage to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing also met Ma Chao for the first time. She saw that Ma Chao had a face as good as a crown jewel, was extremely handsome, and had a majestic and tall figure. Although he was wearing a businessman's black robe, he could not conceal his superior temperament. Liu Jing felt that  I secretly admired him, he was indeed the 'Jin Ma Chao', he was indeed a talented person and lived up to his reputation.

    He hurriedly stepped forward to help Ma Chao up, and asked Pang De and others to get up. Then he smiled at Ma Chao and said, "I don't know if my brother is coming to Guanzhong, but I am a little far away to welcome him. Please don't blame me."

    Ma Chao felt ashamed and said: "You don't have to be like this, Zhou Mu. Ma Chao is a down-and-out man. He is too ashamed to deserve it!"

    Liu Jing knew it well, and although he had to say polite words, if he really raised Ma Chao too high, I'm afraid it would be difficult to manage him in the future. Since Ma Chao himself admitted that he was the defeated general, then why should she be too polite to him.

    Liu Jing did not apologize anymore. He smiled and asked Ma Chao, Ma Dai and Pang De to sit down. At this time, the shopkeeper brought several bowls of hot soup. Liu Jing took a sip of the hot soup and said to Ma Chao: "I am here today."  I also received a message from Chang'an in the morning, saying that Cao Cao's army has returned to Chang'an. I knew that the battle situation must be unfavorable for you in Tianshui, but I didn't know the specific situation. I was anxious, and you happened to be here. Just now I  I have already talked to the Second General, and I feel really guilty for not being able to help you."

    Ma Chao shook his head, "Actually, Ma Chao overestimated his capabilities and wanted to raise his flag to clear the emperor's side, but he did not have the strength. He was defeated twice by Cao Cao, and his foundation was uprooted. I am just an ordinary general now. Please don't treat Zhou Mu as an equal."  Treat me with courtesy, Ma Chao knows his own way, please pray to the state pastor!"

    Ma Chao once again begged Liu Jing not to treat him as a prince. This was what they had discussed along the way. If they wanted Liu Jing to take them in, they would have to be humble and lower their status. Liu Jing was not Liu Biao and would take him in just like he took in Liu Bei.  If they don't know what is good for them and want to have equal status, they will definitely be killed by Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing smiled slightly. He was quite satisfied with Ma Chao's self-awareness. Liu Jing no longer mentioned the matter of Tianshui. He pondered for a while and said: "Because we have just won Bashu and are not stable internally, we cannot immediately use troops to attack Guanzhong, so the fastest  We won't be able to attack Guanzhong until next spring. We need to rest and recuperate for the time being. If Meng Qi doesn't dislike it, he temporarily accepts the post of Zhonglang General and serves as General Zhao Yun's deputy to assist General Zhao Yun in training troops in Nanzheng. General Zhao went to Chengdu to visit relatives.  I¡¯ll be back in a few days, and I hope Meng Qi can train the cavalry for me.¡±

    Ma Chao did not expect that Liu Jing would immediately let him lead the troops alone and guard one side. He also knew that he could not be compared with Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun. Being named Zhonglang General would be at the same level as Wu Yi and Gan Ning. This was indeed Liu Jing's.  Jing's biggest concession gave him enough face. If he was still not satisfied, not only would he offend Liu Jing, but even the generals of the Jingzhou Army would not be able to tolerate him.

    Ma Chao was grateful in his heart. He quickly knelt down on one knee and clasped his fists and said: "From today on, Ma Meng will be Zhou Mu's general. I am willing to die for Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing laughed, quickly helped him up and said, "We will be a family from now on."

    He then said to Ma Dai and Pang De: "According to the rules of the Jingzhou Army, Meng Qi is the Zhonglang General, and the two generals will be two levels below him. However, I want to make a special appointment today. They can be deputy captains to assist General Meng Qi."  ¡±

    Pang De and Ma Dai hurriedly saluted, "Thank you to Zhou Mu for the appointment, and I am willing to serve Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing asked Ma Chao and others to sit down again, and introduced them to Wu Yi and Yin Mo who came with them. Yin Mo smiled and said: "General Ma joins the Jingzhou Army. I'm afraid General Wei will complain."

    Ma Chao was confused, how could he infringe on Wei Yan's interests?  He quickly asked: "Excuse me, Mr. Yin,??Why?  "

    Before Yin Mo could speak, Liu Jing said with a smile: "There are five tiger generals in the Jingzhou Army. Before Meng Qi came, the rankings were Zilong, Hansheng, Xingba, Wenpin, and Wei Yan. Now that Meng Qi joins, the rankings will be  Changed, Meng Qi ranked at least second, then the last place is the dispute between Wen Zhongye and Wei Wenchang. In fact, in terms of martial arts, Wei Yan is slightly better than Wen Pin, but the Jingzhou Army does not recognize it, so Wei Yan can only withdraw from the Five Tiger Generals.  "

    Ma Chao smiled bitterly and said: "All the generals have made great contributions to Jingzhou, and the humble ministers have just arrived. They dare not stand shoulder to shoulder with the generals, let alone damage the reputation of General Wei."

    Liu Jing smiled, "This is a ranking based on force, and has nothing to do with merit. It is just a joke among the military, and there is no formal recognition. If we really want to be recognized, I, Liu Jing, can at least join the ranks of the Five Tigers, and I will not even have a chance to be hired.  So Meng Qi doesn¡¯t have to worry too much, it won¡¯t damage his reputation.¡±

    "Wei Chen understands, thank you Zhou Mu for reminding me!"

    Liu Jing nodded, "Okay! Pack your things and let's go back to the military camp. General Ma's tent has been packed."

    Having said this, Liu Jing glanced at Pound again out of the corner of her eye. This is a general who is versatile in both civil and military affairs. His martial arts can definitely be included in the Five Tigers, but he can't use Pound too much for the time being.

    Ma Chao quickly gathered up the salutes with everyone and followed Liu Jing back to the military camp.

    Wu Yi was responsible for the arrangements for Ma Chao and others, so Liu Jing stopped interfering. He returned to his tent. At this time, Yin Miao also followed in, bowed and said, "Does Zhou Mu have anything to do with Wei Chen?"

    Liu Jing nodded and asked calmly: "What do you think, sir, of Ma Chao's surrender?"

    Yin Mo thought for a moment and said: "I think Ma Chao's surrender was not because he was convinced by Zhou Mu, but because he had no choice but to surrender. I observed his expression carefully at that time. When Zhou Mu asked him to assist General Zhao in training troops,  , I saw the disappointment in his eyes, and I guess he hoped that Zhou Mu would let him control one side alone. From this, it can be inferred that he actually still wants to be a prince, and maybe one day in the future, he will ask to guard Xiliang. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "Sir's vision is really wise, I feel the same way, but since I use him, I can't be too stingy. If he can pass my one-year test, I will still give him the opportunity to guard one side in the future.  It¡¯s just that he raised an army and forced his father to death, and his reputation has been compromised. If he is reused immediately, everyone in the world will talk about it, so I can¡¯t give him a chance to get ahead for the time being. Sir, I will give him a hint and let him understand this. "

    "Weichen has remembered it, but Weichen has another suggestion."

    "What suggestions?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Yin Mo said with a smile: "I heard that Ma Chao's wife and children are dead. The state pastor might as well be concerned about his heirs. I heard that General Hu's sister has been a widow for several years and has no heirs. If they are brought together, one is to win over them;  Once Ma Chao has a son, it will be easy to control him. "

    Liu Hu's sister is named Liu Ju, who is Liu Jing's clan sister. She is about 26 or 27 years old and quite pretty. She was originally married to Huo Jun's brother Huo Du, who passed away many years ago.  Mrs. Liu has been a widow since then. She has no children, and her family has been trying to choose a husband for her, but unfortunately there is no suitable candidate.

    Liu Jing originally planned to marry her to Zhao Yun, but Zhao Yun fell in love with Li Jing, the daughter of Li Xun, a great scholar from the same country, and married her. Now Yin Mo offered her to marry Ma Chao, which immediately reminded Liu Jing that this was indeed a good profession.  With Ma Chao's outstanding talents and world-famous martial arts, Liu Ju is definitely willing to get married. The key is whether Ma Chao is willing?

    Liu Jing thought for a while and smiled: "Don't rush to talk about this matter in a hurry. In a few days, sir, I will test out Ma Chao's tone for me. If Ma Chao is also interested, I will let them meet during the New Year to discuss marriage."

    Yin Mao chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Zhou Mu, I will test him."

    At this time, Yin Mo remembered something again and suggested in a low voice: "Ma Dai and Pang De are both unique talents. If it is inconvenient for Zhou Mu to reuse Ma Chao for a while, then they can reuse these two people first and let them be grateful to Zhou Mu."  In my heart, as long as Ma Chao doesn't have these two people following him, his self-reliance will gradually fade away, what does Zhou Mu think?"

    Liu Jing nodded. Historically, Ma Dai and Pang De were both loyal generals, so they could be of great use. "Sir, what you said makes sense. I have remembered it in my heart. We can use them when we attack Guanzhong."

    "Wei Chen, please retire!" Yin Mao bowed and retreated.

    Liu Jing walked to the door of the tent with her hands behind her back. She was really happy. This time, Cao Cao defeated Ma Chao. On the one hand, he eliminated the troubles of Xiliang, and on the other hand, he gained three powerful generals. Although Ma Chao was not convinced and surrendered to him  , but as long as he uses his skills well and uses both kindness and power, I believe Ma Chao will definitely become his most effective general.

    Ma Chao is brave enough to win the three armies, but unfortunately he lacks in resourcefulness, but he has many advisers around him, which can fully make up for his resourcefulness.More importantly, Ma Chao is very good at training cavalry. If he can train a strong Xiliang cavalry force for himself, he will have the capital to compete with Cao Cao's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

    Unlike the south, the north is flat and smooth, so cavalry is particularly important. Without a strong cavalry, how can we fight for the world?

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing couldn't help but reveal a proud smile.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 559 The cold spring is unexpected

    Winter turns to spring, and the spring of the 16th year of Jian'an finally arrives. In the early spring of February, busy farmers appear in the fields of Bashu.

    Bashu mainly grows winter wheat. Although there is no need to sow seeds in spring, cattle plowing and hoeing are still extremely important to maintain soil moisture. First, cattle are used to loosen the hardened soil, and then each piece of land must be hoed at least twice.  Above all, care must be taken not to damage the wheat seedlings, in order to keep the soil loose and moist, which is conducive to the vigorous growth of the wheat seedlings.

    After harvesting wheat in early June, rice must be planted immediately. The humid climate, fertile soil and sufficient water sources have made the Bashu region a granary since ancient times. Qin conquered Bashu first, and then conquered the world.

    The same goes for Liu Jing. After acquiring Bashu, he completely solved the food problem and increased his army from 120,000 to 200,000. After nearly a year of training and rest, his army became increasingly elite.  The time is gradually approaching.

    At this time, Liu Jing's army was no longer called Jingzhou Army. It gradually changed its name as the territory he controlled expanded. For example, it was first called Chaisang Army, then Jiangxia Army, and then renamed Jingzhou Army. But with the expansion of Bashu and Shu  With the admission of Hanzhong and the addition of 80,000 Yizhou Army and Hanzhong Army, it is obviously out of date to call it Jingzhou Army again.

    Someone proposed to change the name to Chu Army because Liu Jing was named Chu Gong, but the senior officials of Bashu disagreed. After repeated discussions, Liu Jing finally decided on the name himself. For Cao Jun, his army was called Han Army, and the Han Dynasty  army.

    Although the time to go north to Guanzhong is gradually approaching, it is still the most critical moment for spring plowing. It is not appropriate to start war preparations and mobilization. We have to wait another half a month. After the spring plowing is over, it is the best time to prepare for war.

    Liu Jing's new residence is the original Zhou Mufu of Liu Zhang. It is located in the north of Chengdu and covers an area of ??300 acres. One of the natural lakes is 100 acres in size. The lake water is clear and sweet. It has been carefully repaired by Liu Zhang for more than ten years, as if it were a piece of land.  Exquisite emeralds, countless exquisite pavilions and pavilions were built around the lake, surrounded by dense woods, and a granite bridge spanned the lake. Although the mansion in Bashu was not as big as the Jingzhou mansion, it was even more exquisite.  Nothing less.

    In the afternoon, Sun Shangxiang stood in the Moon Pavilion by the lake, staring at the lake in a daze. There was a touch of sadness in her eyes. Just two days ago, she received a letter from her sister-in-law. Her mother fell ill because she missed her.  It also evoked her homesickness.

    She has been married for more than a year. Many times, the magnificence of Shushan and Bashui made her forget her hometown, but her mother's illness made her miss her hometown suddenly. It was like a river opening its gates, and her homesickness surged out.

    "What's wrong?"

    At some point, Tao Zhan appeared behind her. She was pregnant with Liujia and her movement was already very inconvenient. She was walking with two female guards. She happened to see Sun Shangxiang in the pavilion from a distance. Tao Zhan asked with concern: "Yes?"  Miss your mother?"

    Sun Shangxiang nodded silently, and Tao Zhan sighed. She also thought of her mother, who died of illness the year she met her husband. She felt a little sad in her heart, and said softly: "Then you go back to visit your mother! Your husband should  Will agree."

    "I know he will agree, I just don't trust you."

    Sun Shangxiang looked back at Tao Zhan's abdomen, smiled bitterly and said, "If I leave, there will be so many things at home, how can you be so busy?"

    Tao Zhan stepped forward and held her hand, and said with a smile: "The housekeepers are very capable, and there is also Bao Niang, she can help me, and this is not the first time I have given birth, so you can feel free to go back to visit my mother!  Stay here for the first half of the year and spend time with your mother."

    Sun Shangxiang bit his lip lightly and nodded, "I'll go talk to him."

    Tao Zhan smiled, "He is having a meeting with several military advisors in the study outside. It should be over. You go!"

    ¡°It¡¯s windy here, I¡¯ll send my eldest sister back first!¡±

    Sun Shangxiang helped Tao Zhan slowly walk out of the pavilion and walked towards Tao Zhan¡¯s yard

    In the outer study, Liu Jingzheng, Jia Xu, Sima Yi, Fazheng, Pang Tong, Xu Shu, Jiang Wan, Yin Mo and others discussed the decision to take Guanzhong north. It was an obvious plan for their army to take Guanzhong north. Cao Cao could mobilize any army.  It can be seen clearly, but some details can be discussed.

    "According to our latest intelligence, Cao Cao has deployed 200,000 troops on the line from Guanzhong to Longxi. Among them, there are 140,000 troops in Guanzhong, with Cao Zhi as the commander-in-chief, Cao Ren as the deputy general, and Xun You as the military advisor. Longxi has deployed 60,000 troops, led by  Cao Zhang is the chief general, Xia Houyuan is the deputy general, and Chen Qun is the military advisor. In addition, Zhang Liao leads 30,000 troops to garrison in Nanyang, Man Chong leads 50,000 troops to garrison in Hefei, and Cao Cao is stationed in Xuchang. The defense is tight. The battle in Guanzhong will be difficult to fight! "

    At this time, Sima Yi frowned, "It sounds like Cao Cao has recovered his strength?"

    Liu Jing nodded,??After all, the Battle of Chibi took place in the 13th year of Jian'an. Now nearly three years have passed. In addition, last year's good weather in the north resulted in a bumper harvest of autumn grains in various places. The harvest in the military villages was even richer, and Cao's army's food shortage problem was also solved.  , and Cao Cao quelled the rebels of Tian Bo and Su Yin in Hebei at the end of last year, and obtained more than 100,000 soldiers, which restored his military strength to 400,000. Not only that, a month ago, Cao Cao was granted the title of Duke of Wei, with an additional nine  Although Xi was opposed by the gentry, we have to admit that he still had extremely high prestige in the court and the army.  "

    As soon as Liu Jing finished speaking, Jia Xu burst out laughing, "Zhou Mu is too ambitious. In fact, apart from the increase in military strength, Cao's army has not changed much, and the hundreds of thousands of surrendered soldiers are just a mob. In just a few years  With so much training, we can never expect to become an elite army. Although our strength is only half that of our opponent, our navy, heavy armored infantry, heavy crossbow army, and eagle attack army are all extremely powerful elites. Our army of 200,000 can definitely do it.  To compete with 400,000 Cao's troops, otherwise, Cao's troops would have killed him long ago."

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "The main thing is that we cannot underestimate the enemy. Although we have repeatedly defeated Cao's army in the past, it was in the swampy land of the south. But if we go to the north, it will be completely different. We must be mentally prepared to suffer defeat."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing picked up the wooden pole and pointed at the map and said: "Since everyone agrees to march from Longxi, it has been decided to pretend to attack Chencang, contain Cao's army, and attack Tianshui County."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Everyone dispersed, leaving only Fazheng in the room. Liu Jing had other things to do and kept him here. Fazheng had been assisting Zhao Yun in Hanzhong and just rushed back to Chengdu last night.

    "How is the morale of the Hanzhong army?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Fazheng nodded, "Morale has gradually reached its best state. In General Zhao's words, the Hanzhong Army that surrendered seems to have been reborn. Now General Zhao is also very concerned about when to attack Guanzhong?"

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, sighed slightly and said: "There are sufficient stocks of food and ordnance materials in the Hanzhong warehouse. The key is to requisition them from the people. The attack on Guanzhong is not like the south, where you can rely on boats. The north relies entirely on animal power and people."  To transport supplies, I plan to recruit 150,000 civilians and 300,000 livestock from Bashu and Hanzhong. The impact will be too great. We must wait for the end of spring plowing, which will take another half a month!"

    Fazheng hesitated and said, "I have something to say, I don't know whether to say it or not?"

    "If you have anything to say, just say it. You don't have to hesitate so much. I'm not a person who keeps silent." Liu Jing said with some displeasure.

    "Wei Chen wants to say, why not attack Guanzhong after the autumn harvest last year. At that time, Cao Cao's deployment had not been completed, and the war to annihilate Ma Chao had just ended. The soldiers were tired and the army in Longxi was empty. If we attacked Longxi at that time, it might be much easier.  Unlike now, after Cao Cao's deployment is completed, we are a little passive. "

    Liu Jing looked at the roof with her hands behind her hands, and said after a while: "Many people have raised this question now, and even the military has questioned it. I don't blame them for questioning, but I hope you will not ask such questions again in the future. After all,  You are a military advisor. If you don¡¯t understand it, how will you fight this battle in the future?¡±

    Fazheng was so frightened that he broke into a cold sweat. He did not expect Liu Jing to be so unhappy. He lowered his head and did not dare to say more. Liu Jing glanced at him and continued: "Since ancient times, no southern army has been able to unify the world. In the past,  No, and we won't do it in the future. We raised troops in Jingzhou and relied on the Yangtze and Han Rivers to survive and resist Cao's army, but this does not mean that we can defeat Cao's army in the north. "

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing sighed softly again, "In fact, I originally planned to capture Nanyang, but I gave up in the end because I knew that when the Jingzhou Army arrived on the plains, it was no match for Cao Cao's army. Only Cao Cao's 30,000 cavalry  I can capture Nanyang, but I can't hold it. It's just like this that I finally decided to give up fighting for Nanyang and go north to Guanzhong. With Guanzhong as the center, I established the Longyou cavalry to fight against Cao's army. This was the only way I could  The way to finally defeat Cao Cao, so the meaning of the Battle of Guanzhong is no less than that of the Battle of Chibi, Xiaozhi, do you understand? "

    Fazheng nodded silently. He somewhat understood, "What Zhou Mu means is that we must not only capture Guanzhong and Longyou, but more importantly, defend them and gain a firm foothold in Guanzhong."

    A smile of approval appeared on Liu Jing's face, "It is for this reason that I might have been able to take advantage of the opportunity to capture Guanzhong last autumn, but could I hold it? Bashu is not yet stable, the food transportation line has not been established, and the siege weapons have not been completed.  , the army training is not sufficient. If we capture Guanlong and are driven back, it will be a fatal blow. It is very likely that we will never have the chance to capture Guanlong. On the contrary, when Cao Cao is ready, when Cao Cao's army is the strongest  If you defeat him when you are big, then he will also not have the strength to take back Guan Long. We will sit firmly in Guan Long. If we don¡¯t pay the price, how can we have real gains?What about?  "

    Fazheng looked ashamed and bowed deeply, "I understand your humble position!"

    Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "Actually, Jia Xu and Sima Yi both understood this, so they didn't raise any objections."

    "After a pause, Liu Jing asked with a smile: "How is Ma Chao doing?" "He is very good and works hard to train the army, but he is relatively silent. He has expressed his willingness to marry Liu as his wife."

    "That's good, Xiao Nao, just work hard and be the matchmaker!"

    Fazheng laughed and said, "I'm very willing!"

    At this time, seeing that it was getting late, he stood up and left. Liu Jing sent him out of the yard. When he turned around, he saw Sun Shangxiang standing in a pavilion not far away, looking over here. Liu Jing greeted him with a smile.  .

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 560 Change of Mind

    "Do you have anything to ask me about?" Liu Jing walked up to the pavilion and smiled.

    "I didn't interrupt your discussion of military affairs, did I?"

    Sun Shangxiang forced a smile and said, "Why don't I talk to you again until you're done?"

    Liu Jing held her hand and smiled: "Let's go! I'm fine."

    Sun Shangxiang nodded and followed Liu Jing towards the inner house

    "You want to go back to Jiangdong to visit your mother?" Liu Jing asked after a moment of silence.

    Sun Shangxiang said with tears in his eyes: "I received a letter from my sister-in-law, saying that my mother misses me and is ill. Husband, I want to see my mother."

    Sun Shangxiang¡¯s voice was filled with tears. She held Liu Jing¡¯s hand and begged, ¡°Let me go back!¡±

    Liu Jing reached out to wipe away the tears from the corners of Sun Shangxiang's eyes, stared at her, and said with a slight smile: "Where is the former Princess Shangxiang who went her own way? You should say, if you don't let me go back, I will kill you with one sword.  This is the real you, you don¡¯t need to ask me.¡±

    Sun Shangxiang sighed, "If you are not my husband, why should I beg you?"

    Sun Shangxiang stared at her husband for a moment, and when she saw that he never nodded, she was filled with disappointment. She turned around and walked slowly towards the inner house. Liu Jing looked at her back and shook her head gently. It was not that he did not want Sun Shangxiang to go back, but that they  At the critical moment when he was about to attack Guanzhong, he didn't want to cause trouble. He needed to think about this matter carefully.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, Liu Jing lay down next to his wife. He gently touched his wife's bulging belly and said with a smile, "Did I tell you? I'm going to Hanzhong in two days."

    "You told me. In fact, I know even if you don't tell me, everyone is talking about attacking Guanzhong."

    "Yes! This day will come soon."

    Tao Zhan kissed his forehead and said softly: "Stop talking about this, go to bed early!"

    "Um!"

    Liu Jing agreed, blew out the candle, and slowly closed his eyes. After a while, he felt that his wife was not asleep, so he asked again: "What's wrong? You seem to have something on your mind?"

    Tao Zhan sighed softly, "Why didn't you allow her to go back? She was very sad and cried all afternoon."

    "I didn't let her go back, I just need to think about it."

    "Husband, I understand you, thinking is just your excuse. In fact, you just don't want her to go back."

    Liu Jing was silent for a long time, and Tao Zhan said quietly again: "You value your country too much, more than family ties. You have forgotten that she is also your wife. Her mother misses her so much that she becomes ill, even if she is poor.  The husband will also prepare a chicken for his wife to take back to her parents' house. Although you have a high position, sometimes you can't even compare with a small family. "

    "Stop talking!"

    Liu Jing sat up unhappily, "What do you know? Now is the critical moment to attack Guanzhong. I don't want anything to happen to Jiangdong again."

    "That's why I said, you value the country more than family ties!"

    Liu Jing was stabbed hard in the heart. He snorted, put on his shoes and walked out, "I'm going to Bao Niang's place!"

    Tao Zhan turned sideways and watched her husband walk out quickly. She couldn't help but shake her head. She felt that her husband was sometimes too unkind.

    Liu Jing walked out of the yard, and a cold night wind blew, making him shiver. He was upset and did not want to go to Bao Niang, so he walked along the lake with his hands behind his back. In fact, he also knew that with Jiangdong's strength,  It is far from enough to conquer the west again, not to mention that Jiangdong does not have the courage to do so again.

    But Liu Jing always felt that during the battle between him and Cao Cao in Guanzhong, Sun Quan would not miss this golden opportunity. He would definitely take the opportunity to do something, maybe against Cao Cao, or maybe against himself. At this critical moment,  At the critical moment, news came from Jiangdong that her grandson's mother was seriously ill, which made Liu Jing have doubts in her heart.

    Walking through a forest, Liu Jing came to a courtyard unknowingly. He looked up at the courtyard and was stunned. He actually walked to Sun Shangxiang's courtyard. It was already one o'clock, and there were still people in Sun Shangxiang's dormitory.  The lights were on, and someone could faintly be seen moving around.

    Liu Jing hesitated for a moment, turned to leave, but saw Sun Shangxiang walking back worriedly, with his head lowered, as if he didn't see him. At this time, Sun Shangxiang felt something, raised his head and met Liu Jing.

    "Youwhy are you here?" Sun Shangxiang asked in surprise.

    Liu Jing saw that there were still tears in the corners of her eyes, so he stepped forward and gently hugged her into his arms, lowered his head and kissed her forehead, and asked with a smile: "Where did you go to cry?"

    "You can't control it!"

    Sun ShangxiangShe broke free from Liu Jing's arms and walked towards her yard with a cold face. Liu Jing looked back at her, "Aren't you going to let me in?"

    Sun Shangxiang ignored her, but she speeded up. When she reached the courtyard gate, she suddenly stopped and said coldly: "I have already written to my mother to tell her not to go back. Now you should be satisfied!"

    Liu Jing suddenly felt a sense of guilt in his heart, and he suddenly realized that he had gone too far in this matter. He stepped forward again, took her hand, pulled her in front of him, and said softly  : "If you want to go back, go back! I will arrange soldiers to protect you."

    Sun Shangxiang was shocked. She raised her head in disbelief, looked at Liu Jing and asked, "Are you serious?"

    Liu Jing nodded, pointed to the single clothes on her body and said with a smile: "Your eldest sister said that I didn't care about family ties and only cared about profit, so she kicked me out of the room. When I think about it, it seems that I didn't care about family ties, so I came  I¡¯m looking for you to discuss how to get back.¡±

    Sun Shangxiang was immediately elated. Although she was angry with Liu Jing, when she heard that he agreed to let her go back, the resentment in her heart immediately disappeared. When she saw that Liu Jing was only wearing underwear, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and said, "Chi!"  ¡¯ With a smile, he pulled him towards his dormitory.

    After going up to the second floor, Sun Shangxiang turned around and put her arms around her husband's neck, kissed him passionately on the lips, and the two hugged each other tightly. Sun Shangxiang was panting and whispered in Liu Jing's ear: "TonightI must  Pregnant with your child!"

    Liu Jing¡¯s heart was filled with passion, and she picked up Sun Shangxiang¡¯s legs and said, ¡®Huh!  ¡¯ He blew out the lamp and walked towards the inner room with her in his arms.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The lights were on again in Tao Zhan's room. She sat in front of the window and waited uneasily for the news. Just now he asked the maid to go to Bao Niang's yard to ask for news, but she learned that her husband did not go to Bao Niang, which made her a little uneasy.  Get up, it's so late, where has your husband been?

    She also felt a little regretful in her heart. She shouldn't have said it so harshly. She shouldn't have said that he only cared about the country and ignored family ties. In fact, her husband loved his children very much and took care of family ties. However, he also had difficulties, but she couldn't understand him.

    "Hey! Where did he go?" Tao Zhan sighed and said to himself worriedly.

    At this moment, her personal maid ran in and saluted: "Madam, I asked about the master's news!"

    "Where is he?" Tao Zhan asked hurriedly.

    "At the second lady's place."

    Tao Zhan was stunned. Her husband went to Shang Xiang¡¯s place. What was going on?  Has he changed his mind again?  Tao Zhan quickly asked: "Did they have any quarrel?"

    The maid shook her head, "I heard Ah Luo say that the second lady smiled and pulled the master into the house. She was very happy. It seems that the master will spend the night there tonight."

    Tao Zhan suddenly felt relieved. She knew that the problem was solved and her husband would surely go back to Jiangdong to visit relatives. That was good. Tao Zhan was also very happy. After all, her husband was not a coldhearted person.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just as Liu Jing's Han army was preparing for the battle in Guanzhong, Cao Cao did not take it lightly. He was also actively deploying.

    On the basis of the 100,000 troops that originally attacked Ma Chao, he mobilized another 100,000 troops from Bingzhou and Hebei to enter Guanzhong, bringing Cao's army ready for war to 200,000. The grain and grass stockpiled in Chang'an alone amounted to one million shi.  many.

    Cao Cao was very clear about the significance of this Guanzhong battle. Once Liu Jing's army captured Guanzhong, then Longyou, Hexi and the counties within Guanzhong would become his possessions. Liu Jing would transform from a southern prince to a new one.  Becoming a prince in the world will have a profound impact on the current situation of the entire world. At that time, Cao Cao will probably become Dong Zhuo's second.

    Cao Cao has set foot on the land of Guanzhong. Under the escort of 10,000 tiger and leopard cavalry, he marches toward Chang'an.

    Chang'an at this time was not the Chang'an of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, but Han Chang'an. Since Chang'an was destroyed by the Red Eyebrow Army at the end of Wang Mang, Liu Xiu made Luoyang his capital, and Chang'an has since declined.

    However, although Chang'an is no longer the capital, it was still restored by the Han Dynasty and became one of the most famous cities in the world. In particular, Dong Zhuo burned Luoyang, moved the capital to Chang'an for a time, and sent people to repair Chang'an City. It is still a city today.  A tall and broad fortified city.

    Before Ma Chao's rebellion, Chang'an had been guarded by Sili Colonel Zhong Yao. After Ma Chao's rebellion, as Liu Jing's intention to attack Guanzhong became more and more obvious, Cao Cao ordered his chief adviser Xun You to command the Guanlong armies. At the beginning of the year, he  He appointed his son Cao Zhi as the governor of Guanzhong, commanding an army of 140,000, and his second son Cao Zhang as the governor of Longyou, commanding an army of 60,000.

    When Cao Cao's team slowly arrived at Chang'an City, Cao Zhi led Xun You, Cao Ren, Zhong Yao, Xu Huang, Yu Jin, Sima Lang, Mao Jie and other civil and military officers out of the city to greet him. Cao Zhi knelt down in front of his father's horse,The head said: "Cao Zhi pays homage to father and the prime minister!"

    Everyone bowed and saluted together, "Greetings to the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao smiled slightly and said, "Excuse me."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 561 Meeting in Ziwu Valley

    [Lao Gao wrote an international current affairs entertainment article "Seeing Through the Fog in Ukraine" last night. It was posted in the morning. It is just Lao Gao's personal opinion. Please read it as entertainment. Don't take it seriously!  ¡¿¡ª¡ª

    Everyone stood up one after another and surrounded Cao Cao towards the city of Chang'an. The palace in Chang'an had long been burned down by the Red Eyebrow Army. Liu Xiu did not rebuild the palace after he ascended the throne in Luoyang, but only built a temporary palace on the original site of Weiyang Palace.  After two renovations by Emperor Shun and Emperor Heng, Dong Zhuo later expanded the palace and named it New Weiyang Palace.

    Before Ma Chao's rebellion, this palace covering an area of ??nearly 400 acres had been used as the official office of the governor of Guanzhong. Now it was changed to the governor's office of Guanzhong. Cao Zhi was stationed in it and commanded the 140,000 troops in Guanzhong.

    Cao Cao entered the palace and sat down in the inner hall. All the civil and military generals stood on both sides. Cao Cao then asked: "Is there any news from Liu Jing?"

    Cao Ren took a step forward and bowed: "Prime Minister, Liu Jing is gradually gathering troops to Hanzhong. According to our latest information, it is estimated that there are 100,000 troops. In addition, there are 400,000 shi of grain left by Zhang Lu in the Nanzheng official warehouse.  There is also a large amount of ordnance and supplies, and there is also news that Liu Jing has changed the name of the Jingzhou Army to the Han Army. "

    Cao Cao was startled and suddenly raised his head and laughed. Everyone was confused. Cao Cao nodded and said: "It seems that Liu Jing has made no secret of his ambition. My army is called Cao Army, but his army is called Han Army.  Is he the army of the imperial court? "

    Xun You smiled slightly and said, "I'm afraid Liu Jing's real idea is to call the Southern Han Army."

    "Gongda is right. Liu Jing does not want to recognize the imperial court. He wants to establish his own imperial court. Unfortunately, his ambition will not succeed. I will defend Guanzhong to the death and prevent him from entering Guanzhong."

    Having said this, Cao Cao looked around again and said slowly: "Although I am very confident, we must also admit that Liu Jing's army is our biggest enemy. He has many superior armies. We can ignore the naval army, but his important  The armored infantry can even compete with my tiger and leopard cavalry. In addition, his troops are well-prepared and his soldiers are well-trained. In this battle in Guanzhong, we will each have a half chance of victory. It depends on who performs well in the battle, so  We can¡¯t be lazy at all, let alone arrogant. Please keep this in mind!¡±

    Everyone bowed and saluted together, "The Prime Minister's teachings, I will keep them in mind!"

    After meeting everyone, Cao Cao returned to the inner hall. He ordered people to fetch Xun You, Zhong Yao and Cao Ren. Cao Cao had changed into loose clothes and smiled at everyone: "Everyone, please feel free to sit down!"

    Cao Zhi was also present. He was standing behind his father. Cao Cao looked back at him and said, "Sit down too!"

    When Cao Cao saw everyone sitting down, he sighed and said, "Speaking of which, I feel very regretful. If I had persisted a little longer in Runan and caught Liu Jing, the hunky boy who went to seek refuge with Liu Biao, I wouldn't be where I am today.  Passive."

    Everyone laughed bitterly. The prime minister had regretted this matter more than once. Xun You advised again: "The ministers were also present at that time. To be honest, I didn't take this young boy to heart at all. I guess no one paid attention to it."  Who would have thought that one day he would become the master of Jingzhou and Yizhou and become our biggest enemy? So the prime minister no longer needs to worry about the past."

    "I don't mind, I'm just thinking how great it would be if I had such a son!"

    Everyone looked at each other in shock. It turns out that the Prime Minister has a love for talents again. When will this old problem be changed?  Cao Zhi, however, looked embarrassed and leaned forward and said, "My child has let his father down!"

    Cao Cao waved his hand and sighed: "Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore. I'll listen to everyone's response strategies. How should we deal with Liu Jing's northward movement?"

    He glanced at Zhong Yao and said with a smile: "Yuan Chang is not only good at writing, but also good at strategy. He is especially familiar with Guanzhong. I want to hear your opinion first."

    Zhong Yao was the founder of regular script and a famous calligrapher in the late Han Dynasty. He was about sixty years old and a senior minister of the imperial court. He had a particularly deep friendship with Xun You. Xun You recommended him to Cao Cao many times, and Cao Cao appointed Zhong Yao as his successor.  Sili Xiaowei, guarding Guanzhong.

    It is precisely because of Zhong Yao's painstaking management that Guanzhong's economy has recovered very quickly in recent years. It is no longer as dilapidated as it was in the early years of Jian'an, and has become somewhat vibrant.

    Seeing that Cao Cao asked himself first, Zhong Yao bowed and said, "I thought Liu Jing would not attack Guanzhong, but would march to Longxi."

    "How do you say this?" Cao Cao asked quickly.

    "The reason is very simple. The Zhongyu Valley Road in Guanzhong has been destroyed for decades and is difficult to reuse. In fact, there are only five roads, Wuguan Road, Ziwu Road, Luotang Road, Baoxie Road and Chencang Road, and Wuguan Road starts from Nanyang.  Come here, so it can be eliminated, and only four roads are left. The characteristics of these four roads are all located in steep mountains. It can be said that one man can guard the pass, and ten thousand people cannot open it. Now there are tens of thousands of troops stationed in each valley road, Liu JingHow could Zhao Yun's army get by? Zhao Yun's army kept coming to harass them. They also knew very well that the Four Roads in Guanzhong could not get in, so the most likely way was to go north via Qishan Mountain.  "

    Zhong Yao's analysis was so well-founded that people had to believe it. Cao Cao walked to the map hanging on the wall with his hands behind his back and stared at the map of Guanzhong for a long time. The map was clearly marked, from Wuguan Road in the east to  On the westernmost Chencang Road, Cao Cao pondered for a while and said, "I want to go to Ziwu Road and see it for myself."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Ziwu Road is the most dangerous road among the six roads in Guanzhong. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that "Zhongnan Road is the king of the six southern roads". Ziwu Road is also the Zhongnan Road closest to Chang'an. It leads from Chang'an to Hanzhong, with a total length of 600 miles.  It enters from Zigu in the north and exits from Wugu in the south, so it is also called Ziwu Valley.

    There are steep and steep mountains on both sides of the Ziwu Valley. The valley is long and narrow, with only two steps at the narrowest point and less than 200 steps at the widest point. The highlands in the valley are undulating, and the climate is unpredictable. The sun was shining just now, but in the blink of an eye it was  There were dark clouds, lightning and thunder, and often the mules and horses of merchant travelers fell dead in the valley from exhaustion.

    Cao Jun built ten beacons on the top of a high mountain about a hundred miles long on the northern line of Ziwu Road, with an average of one beacon every ten miles to monitor the hundred-mile long valley road. In addition, he built five military forts in dangerous places.  A military fort can accommodate a hundred people, forming a situation where one man can guard the gate and ten thousand men can't open it.

    Not only that, Cao Jun also had a large military camp at the entrance of the valley, with about 10,000 troops stationed. Not only the Ziwu Valley, but also the other valley roads were similarly tightly defended, with tens of thousands of troops stationed.

    Accompanied by everyone, Cao Cao arrived at the entrance of Ziwu Valley. He did not go to the military camp, but directly entered the valley road. Guarded by more than a thousand soldiers in front and behind, he marched southward along the valley road. He walked about thirty years in the rugged valley road.  Inside, there is a military fort in front of it. It is condescending and blocks the valley road, just like a strong man straddling the valley road. Pedestrians must pass through the military fort.

    This military fort is the southernmost defensive point of Cao's army. Further south, there are only beacons left. Cao Cao pointed at the military fort with his riding whip, "We're here!"

    The soldiers in the military fort came out one after another, led by a military prince. He knelt down on one knee to salute, "See the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao lowered his head and asked: "Is there any enemy situation recently?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, there have been frequent enemy scouts recently, and beacons were lit this morning. It is estimated that a large group of enemy troops will come to harass us."

    Cao Cao nodded, got off his horse, and, surrounded by a group of civil and military officials, walked into the military fort, went up to the third floor, and looked down to the south. The valley to the south was relatively open, like a trumpet, and the top was narrow.  When it opens up, there is a flat land about a hundred paces wide at the bottom.

    At this moment, an army suddenly appeared in front, with about a thousand people, led by more than a hundred cavalry, with flags like clouds, which was quite spectacular. At this time, Cao Ren exclaimed in a low voice, "This is Liu Jing's army!"

    Everyone was stunned, and Cao Cao asked: "How can you see it?"

    Cao Ren pointed to the flag in front and said: "Prime Minister, please look at the big flag in the middle. It has a red flag, a black dragon and a golden edge. It has an extra gold edge than the ordinary flag. This is Liu Jing's handsome flag, and Liu Jing must be among them."

    Cao Cao squinted and took a closer look. He also saw that among the opponent's flags, there was indeed a gold-rimmed red flag. He couldn't help but laugh, "What a coincidence, I met Liu Jing here."

    However, Cao Cao's guards became nervous. More than a thousand people lined up, with their swords drawn, and they watched Liu Jing's army more than two hundred steps away with vigilance. At this time, the army on the opposite side also stopped. Cao Cao could see clearly that there were only a thousand soldiers.  The rest of them don't seem to be here to attack Ziwu Valley, but perhaps Liu Jing is here to inspect.

    Xun You next to him whispered: "Liu Jing appears in Hanzhong, and the war is about to begin. Wei Chen feels that Longxi needs to strengthen its troops. In addition,"

    Before Xun You finished speaking, a cavalryman from the opposite side rushed over and shouted from a few dozen steps away: "Is Prime Minister Cao here?"

    Cao Cao laughed on the top of the military fort and said, "The truth is here!"

    The cavalryman clasped his fists again and said, "My state pastor wants to talk to Prime Minister Cao. I wonder if the Prime Minister is willing to give me a favor?"

    Cao Cao thought for a moment, then smiled and said: "Okay, please let Liu Zhoumu come forward and talk!"

    Liu Jing arrived in Hanzhong five days ago. Accompanied by dozens of civil and military officers, Liu Jing came to personally inspect the Ziwu Valley to learn about Cao's army's defense. Unexpectedly, he met Cao Cao in the Ziwu Valley Road, which greatly surprised him.  He immediately realized that in this battle of Guanzhong, he was still facing off against Cao Cao.

    Not long after, Liu Jing came forward slowly, escorted by more than 20 cavalry. The horsemen held shields and guarded Liu Jing closely to prevent Cao Jun from attacking with crossbows.

    There were still more than twenty steps away from the military fort, Liu Jing stopped, clasped his fists and said loudly:"Prime Minister Cao invites you!"

    Cao Cao stood in front of the battlements of the military fortress and said with a smile: "My dear nephew, you are welcome and safe!"

    "My nephew has a hard life, traveling around Jingshu. However, the Prime Minister is a little older and his temples have turned gray. Please take care of your health."

    Cao Cao has indeed aged a lot in the past two years, his hair is half white, and his temples are stained with frost, but he never admits that he is old, and the ministers around him do not dare to mention it in front of him, except Liu Jing in front of more than a thousand people.  He pointed it out directly to Cao Cao. Although it was meant as a greeting, Cao Cao heard it harshly.

    The smile on his face disappeared, and he replied lukewarmly: "I am in strong health. I can still ride a horse and shoot a bow, and I can also recite poems and compose poems. I am very confident that one day I will personally pay tribute to the governor and erect a monument."  To be honest, I¡¯m looking forward to that day.¡±

    Liu Jing laughed loudly, "I'm afraid I have disappointed the Prime Minister. My nephew is only twenty-six this year. He can live for at least fifty years. I wonder if the Prime Minister will be safe in fifty years?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Attachment: "Seeing Through the Fog of Ukraine"

    The chaos in Ukraine is two sides of the same coin. On the surface, it is a dispute between the United States and Russia. In fact, it is not. The real struggle is on the other side. The struggle between the United States and Europe, or the struggle between NATO and the European Union. The real protagonists are the United States and Germany.  , Russia is just the best supporting role. This is actually a continuation of hundreds of years of European history, just like Britain supporting Germany against France.

    It¡¯s just that the historical Britain has been replaced by the United States. Britain and the United States are originally one, but recently the British brother has had a different mind and actually flirted with the Eastern Dragon. He must be taught a lesson, so there was the independence of Scotland. Scotland is the United States.  The Celtic people of England are the Anglo-Saxons.

    There are two spokespersons for the United States in Europe, one is the United Kingdom, and the other is NATO. In order to control Europe, the United States must stir up trouble in Europe. NATO's business has been too deserted in recent years, and it is likely to be replaced by the European Union, so the United States needs to give him  Looking for business, I got two customers, one from Ukraine and one from Turkey.

    Ukraine and T¨¹rkiye are actually the same thing.

    Some people say that the Ukraine incident was the trigger for World War III. In fact, there is some truth to it, because the real purpose of the United States is to find an enemy for Europe and force Europe to move closer to the United States. Russia is undoubtedly the best traditional enemy.

    ??From Napoleon to World War I and World War II, the Russians were Europe's archenemies in the three European unification wars. Now it is the fourth time that Germany has used the EU to unify Europe. Of course, Russia will not stay out of it. This is also a continuation of history.

    To a certain extent, Russia is cooperating with the United States. A divided Europe is in the interest of Britain, the United States and Russia. Why does Russia dare to swallow Crimea? Because this is a great gift from the United States to the Russians.

    Are Americans that stupid?  Knowing that Ukraine cannot do without Russia, they still go to Ukraine to stir up trouble. Knowing that Russia will take the opportunity to annex Crimea, they still want to encourage Ukrainians to rebel in the streets. There is only one explanation. The United States and Russia have a tacit understanding.

    Why the United States is eager to deal with Europe is actually the dispute between the dollar and the euro, but now it has evolved into a life-saving struggle between the United States and Europe. The profound crisis has made it almost impossible for both sides to open up the dispute.

    From the fact that the United States actually wants to transport even a small amount of gold from Ukraine, you know how ugly the United States is and how anxious it is. If it doesn't eat Europe, the United States will collapse.

    Of course, the United States originally wanted to eat China, but it couldn't eat it. Now it can only think about Europe. The Ukrainian incident broke out in order to cooperate with the US strategy.

    Ukraine is only a strategic plan of the United States. Russia's eating of Crimea can only threaten Europe at a strategic level, but the United States also needs a tactical threat. It must make Europe face a huge imminent threat. The United States will even not hesitate to provoke a war.

    So after the end of Ukraine, Turkey must be on the scene. Why is it Turkey? If you search Crimea on Baidu, you will know the origin of Turkey and Crimea.

    Secondly, Turkey is also a battlefield for the EU and NATO. Why does Turkey buy Chinese high-speed rail and Chinese missiles? There cannot be no trace of the Germans behind this. It can be said that Turkey is a cooperation between the EU and China, and Turkey has naturally become a thorn in the side of the United States.  .

    The United States must win over Turkey, so when Ukraine is in chaos, Turkey is also in chaos. Recently, two U.S. aircraft carriers appeared in the Mediterranean. Many people say that they are threatening Russia. In fact, this is not the case. The real sword of the U.S. aircraft carriers is Turkey.  In other words, it is Germany. The so-called sword dance in Xiangzhuang is intended to be performed by Peigong.

    It's like putting two guns to Turkey's head to force Turkey to fight Crimea. As long as Turkey launches the Crimean War, the Russians will appear in the Bosporus, and the United States will pose a tactical threat to Europe.  It worked.

    ??Turkey is too sensitive. It is not important in itself. It is just a common man who is innocent and guilty of carrying a treasure. Who allows him to control the Bosporus?

    Even Turkey is inextricably linked to Iran. In history, it was the Turks who destroyed the Abbasid Empire. The latter also established the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Looking back at European history, Turkey should not be underestimated.

    Some students said, weren¡¯t the United States and Russia incompatible over Syria last year?  That is past tense. The United States and Russia have already shaken hands and made peace with the resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue.

    There are never permanent enemies in international politics. What¡¯s more, Russia is taking advantage of the United States¡¯ opportunity to suppress Europe to expand westward. Why not?

    The United States proposed a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly to condemn Russia's annexation of Crimea. This is just a typical manifestation of wanting to build a memorial and being a bitch at the same time.

    It is precisely because China has seen through the performance of the United States that it voted to abstain from voting at the UN General Assembly. It is really boring.

    But the situation in Europe is at stake, and only the Knights of the East can save the European princess from the hands of the American devil.

    This Knight of the East is China. Why does Xi Jinping want to visit Germany and the EU at this critical moment?  Why did the First Lady of the United States come to China on the eve of President Xi Jinping¡¯s trip to Europe? Is this really just a coincidence?

    The Eastern Knights are very brave and capable. It depends on whether you, the European princess, are willing to marry the Eastern Knights and whether you are willing to provide a generous dowry and the industrial technology of Germany and the European Union.

    In fact, Thailand is the Ukraine of the East. It¡¯s hard to go into detail on this. I can give you a clue. The key to Thailand lies in the high-speed rail. The starting point of the high-speed rail is Kunming, China, and the end point is the Kra Canal. What happened to this high-speed rail and the starting point and the end point recently?  ?  If you think about it, you will understand.

    ¡°If you look through Ukraine, you will understand that the United States is not afraid of China and Russia joining forces, but is afraid of China and Europe joining forces.

 Volume 2, Jiangxia, Chapter 562: Soldiers Arrive at Wudu

    The reason why Cao Cao and Liu Jing are very concerned about each other's health and lifespan is that they have a bet to see who will die first. Of course, this does not refer to the natural lifespan, but in fact it is an allusion to who will destroy the other.

    In fact, this doesn¡¯t mean much, but when people reach a certain age, they will be as serious as children, especially Cao Cao. He knew that he did not have many years to live, so he paid special attention to the bet between him and Liu Jing.

    "My dear nephew, you lead the two states of Jing and Yi, with thousands of miles of fertile land and a population of millions. You already have the foundation of an emperor. If you are willing, I can ask the Holy One to make you King of Chu or King of Shu, or even King of Han.  The imperial court does not need taxes. You can appoint officials by yourself. The imperial court will recognize it. This is actually breaking up the soil and standing on your own. As long as you stop threatening the imperial court and invading Guanzhong, I will treat you sincerely. I hope my nephew will consider my suggestion. "

    Cao Cao felt that he had shown the greatest sincerity. Almost no one could resist this temptation. He looked at Liu Jing expectantly, hoping to see a hint of affection in Liu Jing's eyes.

    Unexpectedly, Liu Jing just smiled faintly and showed no sign of being tempted, "Thank you Prime Minister for your kindness. Liu Jing is a descendant of Emperor Gao of the Han Dynasty. How can he not yearn for Chang'an? Chang'an is bound to be won by me. I would like to persuade the Prime Minister to understand the current affairs and withdraw his troops and leave Guanzhong."  , to save the lives of the soldiers. As for the king, I would also like to advise the prime minister. The prime minister has become the Duke of Wei and has nine tins on his body. This is the extreme of a human minister. Don't go any further. One more step forward will lead to an abyss.  The prime minister should think about his posthumous reputation and his descendants. "

    Cao Cao's face changed drastically. Liu Jing was warning him not to call him king again. Cao Cao calling him Duke of Wei was only the first step. His ultimate goal was to be the king of Wei. Once he became king with a different surname, it meant that he was only on the line with the emperor.  After that, as long as the descendants are strong, they can completely replace the emperor. This is why kings with different surnames have been a taboo in dynasties since ancient times.

    In the early Han Dynasty, Han Xin, Peng Yue and others were kings, but were eventually exterminated. Later, the Lu family's children were also given the title of king with a different surname and were executed again. How could Cao Cao not know these truths? He suddenly understood the reason why Liu Jing claimed to be a Han army. It was not for him.  The imperial court was already preventing him from replacing the Han Dynasty.

    Cao Cao's face turned red and white. Liu Jing had seen through his mind, leaving him speechless. After a long while, he said, "Humph!"  ¡¯ With a sound, he turned around and left the military fort, ignoring Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing couldn't help but sneered. He understood what Cao Cao was thinking. He went to great lengths to make himself the Duke of Wei. He did not hesitate to make himself the Duke of Chu first, and also added nine tins to himself, but it was for himself to add nine tins. If  If Cao Cao wins the battle in Guanzhong, it is inevitable that he will be crowned King of Wei.

    When Liu Jing saw that Cao Cao had left, he rode his horse back to the team, and then ordered: "Turn around and return to Hanzhong!"

    More than a thousand people turned around and marched toward Hanzhong

    Cao Cao was exposed by Liu Jing and left angrily. After walking for more than ten miles, he gradually calmed down and couldn't help but smile to everyone: "Liu Jing is my enemy. I actually expect him to say good things about me. Isn't that very good?"  Is it weird? Why should I be angry?¡±

    After saying that, Cao Cao looked up to the sky and laughed.

    Zhong Yao stroked his beard and said with a smile: "The Prime Minister is right. In the face of a powerful enemy, you should stay calm and rational. Liu Jing used the method of provoking generals. If you are provoked by his words, you may make irrational decisions."  , just what he wanted."

    Cao Cao nodded, then turned back and asked Xun You: "It seems that I haven't finished what I just said Gongda, what else is there?"

    Xun You smiled slightly, "I want to say that if Liu Jing decides to send troops from Qishan, I have a series of plans to defeat the Han army."

    At this time, Cao Cao could no longer care about Xun You calling Liu Jing's army the Han army. He quickly asked: "What good strategy does Gongda have?"

    "This series of strategies, one is called the lure strategy and the other is the surprise strategy. We can take advantage of the Han army's weaknesses and set a trap."

    Xun You whispered a few words into Cao Cao's ear, and Cao Cao's eyes narrowed in laughter, "Gongda is indeed the best plan in the world. This plan is indeed brilliant."

    He smiled at Zhong Yao again and said: "I know that Yuan Chang has many connections in Guanzhong and Longyou, so I will leave this matter to you."

    Zhong Yao quickly saluted, "I am willing to serve the Prime Minister!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Time gradually arrived in late February, with the end of spring plowing, the Hussar General's Office finally issued an order to carry out military operations in the four counties of Hanzhong and Zitong County, Shu County, Guanghan County, Brazil County, Wenchuan County, Yinping County and other counties in Yizhou.  County, a total of 150,000 civilians and 300,000 livestock were recruited to Hanzhong to assist the army in transporting 300,000 shi of grain and various ordnance supplies to Benxian County, Wudu County.

    At the same time, Liu Jing ordered Wu Yi to be the guard general of Hanzhong County and led an army of 20,000 to guard the dangerous roads in Hanzhong. Liu Jing personally led an army of 80,000 to Wudu County. At this point, the Han army finally launched its northern attack on Guanzhong.  ofcurtain.

    The county seat of Wudu County is Xiabian County, which is in today's Chengxian area. It is also a wide valley between the Qinling Mountains in the north and the Daba Mountain in the south. It is one of the three major basins in Hanzhong. Later it was called the Chenghui Basin.  At the end of the period, it was called the Wudu Valley, a plateau basin about a hundred miles long and dozens of miles wide. It had fertile land and abundant water. It was also one of the three major grain-producing areas in Hanzhong and home to tens of thousands of people.

    There are two main roads from Bashu to Longxi. One is the Yinping Road in the west. It takes Yinping County and crosses the Min Mountain into the Lintao area. This road is dangerous and difficult to travel. It was this road that the Red Army took in the Long March.

    The other road is the Qishan Road, which goes from Wudu County to Tianshui County in the north and leads directly to the Wei River. The road is wide and flat, and can even be used by cavalry. Although there are many passes in the Qishan area, it is easier to walk than the Guanzhong Six Roads.  many.

    And when they arrived in the Ji County area of ??Tianshui County, there were many roads to Guanzhong to choose from. After repeated consideration, Liu Jing finally decided to designate the route to attack Guanzhong as the Qishan Road.

    In mid-March, Liu Jing led tens of thousands of main troops to arrive at Xiaben County, Wudu County. At this time, hundreds of thousands of civilians and livestock gathered in Xiaben County. Food and various ordnance supplies were piled up in mountains, and even some were transported from Xiangyang.  Tens of thousands of barrels of kerosene came.

    To the west of the county town is a large camp that stretches for more than 20 miles, with nearly 10,000 tents, and the edges can be seen at a glance. This is the station of more than 100,000 civilians and nearly 80,000 troops, but supplies and food are stored in the city.  .

    A large-scale war requires the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of civilians. These civilians are mainly used to transport food and military supplies. Especially in the mountainous Hanzhong area, transporting food is more difficult than in the Central Plains and the South, so a large number of civilians need to be mobilized.  and animal power.

    Transporting supplies and supplies from the central city to the logistics base during the war. For Hanzhong, the main task was to transport food and supplies from Nanzheng City to Xiaben County, a journey of hundreds of miles and at least half a month.

    However, civilians and livestock also need to consume a lot of grain and grass. Even 30% of the grain and grass transported must be consumed by civilians and livestock on the road. There are also pensions for civilians who died of illness on the road and livestock compensation, etc., so the requisition of civilians and livestock is generally not the same.  Can't last.

    This is not to cherish the common people, but because the food and grass consumption is too large and cannot be maintained. After the general supplies and food are transported to the destination, the common people will be sent home, leaving only 20,000 to 30,000 hard-covered common people to continue to transport food and grass.

    So this is what it means to say that a war is about national strength. A large number of civilians and livestock must be requisitioned. The civilians must be fed, and the livestock must be subsidized with money and food. Logistics preparations must take at least two months at a time. If the journey is closer, it will also take one and a half months.  , money and food were spent like water, and more than 400,000 shi of grain were transported from Nanzheng. However, in the end, only 300,000 shi of grain was used by the army. The remaining 100,000 shi of grain and a large amount of fodder were consumed by civilians and livestock.  .

    This is also the reason why it was difficult for Cao's army to recover after a battle in Chibi. Jiangdong's army failed in its western expedition and was unable to use troops for several years. It is also the same reason. In history, the destruction of the Shu Han Dynasty was also caused by Zhuge Liang's several failed northern expeditions.  The poverty of the people and the country has a lot to do with it.

    This time the Han army was able to launch a large-scale northern expedition based on the savings of Zhang Lu in Hanzhong for more than ten years.

    That afternoon, Liu Jing, escorted by more than a hundred cavalry, urged his horses into the county. Although most of the civilians and soldiers were stationed outside the city, the county was already filled with grain, grass and supplies.  County, there are nearly 2,000 households in the city. Due to the needs of the war, most of the ordinary people were moved to Nanzheng City, turning the county into a military city.

    There are no civilians in the city, only teams of patrolling soldiers, patrolling day and night to ensure the safety of food and supplies. The war is about to begin, and this is the logistics base of the Han army. All food and supplies needed for combat are transported to the battlefield from here.

    Li Yan and Huo Jun were responsible for the logistics of Wudu County. Li Yan and Huo Jun were punished for losing Zigui County. Li Yan was removed from the post of Nanjun Prefect and was appointed as Wudu County Magistrate. Huo Jun was also demoted to  Sima from another department became Zhao Yun's general and led 5,000 troops to garrison Wudu County.

    This time they attacked Guanzhong, and by chance, they got another chance. Li Yan was appointed as the rear army captain, responsible for the collection, storage and distribution of grain, grass and ordnance materials, while Huo Jun was appointed as the rear army deputy captain, responsible for the security of important logistics areas.

    Li Yan accompanied Liu Jing to inspect the progress of material war preparations. He pointed to a group of private houses not far away and said: "There are shops along the street, with warehouses behind them, and spacious private houses. There are hundreds of them in a row.  If we use these warehouses and houses to store grain and grass supplies, we can build fifty fewer warehouses."

    Liu Jing nodded and asked: "Then how do you prevent Cao Jun's spies from sneaking in and setting fire to destroy it?"

    "The main purpose of Qi Zhou Mu is to establish a joint defense. First of all, there is no ordinary people in the city. Cao Cao?You can only pretend to be our army when entering the city, but all soldiers in the city must form a team of more than ten people. They are never allowed to act alone. Any lone actor will be immediately arrested and prosecuted. Moreover, soldiers must have a special pass and a password to enter the city.  In this way, it is basically possible to prevent Cao Jun's spies from entering the city to destroy it. In addition, no fire can be seen in the city, and all igniting objects are confiscated. Even the food for the soldiers in the city is brought in from outside the city.  "

    Li Yan¡¯s various plans were indeed very rigorous. Liu Jing also found that the soldiers in the city were all in teams of more than ten people, and no one acted alone. He couldn¡¯t help but praise Li Yan and walked into a large warehouse.

    This is a huge grain depot. The grain in it is six to seven feet high. One bag of grain weighs one stone. The grain bags are neatly stacked and look quite spectacular. Liu Jing patted the grain bags and asked with a smile:  "How much food is in here?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, this is our largest grain depot, storing twelve thousand shi of grain."

    "How much food and supplies have been shipped now?" Liu Jing asked again.

    Li Yan thought for a while and replied: "The military supplies are almost over, and the food and grass supplies should be close to 70%. If each of the more than 100,000 civilians makes another trip, it should be almost done."

    "In this case, there is no need for so many civilians. We can start repatriating them back to their hometowns. The livestock are also sent back to counties and counties to save food and grass as much as possible."

    Li Yan quickly clasped his fists and said, "Wei Chen understands that we will start repatriation this afternoon."

    At this moment, a soldier hurriedly walked up to Liu Jing's ear and whispered a few words to him. Liu Jing was startled, and his eyes showed surprise. Why are they here?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 563 Dihu Envoy

    In a large tent in the military camp outside the city, a Hu man in his thirties was pacing back and forth thoughtfully. Although it was already warm spring, he was still wearing a thick fur coat and a double-eared leather hat.  Wearing thick felt boots on his feet, which is the typical dress of the Qiang Di people, he is of medium build, extremely strong, with a dark face and bright and energetic eyes.

    His name is Ge Yuan, and he is the younger brother of Yang Wanwan, the leader of the Di people. The Di people are distributed in the Longxi area and consist of dozens of tribes, large and small, with a population of hundreds of thousands. Their ancestors have been engaged in animal husbandry for generations.

    There are three major forces in Longxi and Liangzhou. One is Song Jian, a native of Longxi, who claims to be the king of Longxi. He has ruled Hehuang for more than 30 years. The capital is located in Wuhan, with tens of thousands of soldiers.

    ?The second one is the Qiang people and the Di people. Because the Qiang people live in the north and the Di people live in the south, they are also called Northern Qiang and Southern Di.

    The Qiang people live in the Hexi Corridor in the Wuwei and Zhangye areas. Qiang King Nangongsu once sold horses to Jiangxia and brought alfalfa seeds to Liu Jing.

    The Di people live in the Longxi and Hehuang areas, living together with the Tyuhun people and some Qiang people. There are two groups of Di people, one is Yang Wanwan, the Di king of Xingguo, and the other is Agui, the Di king of Baixiang.

    The envoy from the big tent was sent by Yang Wanwan, the king of Xingguo and Di. For the Han people in the Central Plains, it was difficult to distinguish between Xingguo and Baixiang. They all called them Dihu.

    In fact, the Di people live by the water. There are Di people in Tianshui County and even in Wudu County. Liu Jing mobilized troops on a large scale in Wudu County, and Cao Cao continued to increase his troops in Tianshui County. This has already alarmed the people living here.  The barbarians in the area.

    Including the Qiang people, Di people, Tuguhun people, etc., they all moved westward to avoid the upcoming war. The leader of the Di people, Yang Wanwan, had deep interests in Longxi, so he sent his brothers to meet Liu Jing.  .

    At this time, voices and footsteps came from outside the tent, and a soldier hurriedly ran over to Ge Yuan and said, "Our state pastor is here!"

    Ge Yuan hurriedly walked out of the tent and saw a burly young general walking quickly surrounded by dozens of sergeants. The young general was wearing fish scale armor, a golden helmet on his head, and walking vigorously. He immediately guessed that this was He He.  The prestigious Liu Jing and Ge Yuan quickly stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "King Di's envoy Ge Yuan pays homage to Zhou Mu!"

    Having dealt with Han people for many years, Ge Yuan can also speak fluent Chinese. In addition, his humble attitude makes it easy for people to like him, and Liu Jing is no exception. He smiled slightly and said: "Please come to the tent to speak!  "

    He invited the envoy Ge Yuan into the tent, and the two sat down. Liu Jing ordered someone to serve tea again, and then smiled at Ge Yuan and said, "I don't know much about Di people, but I know Nangong Suo. He seems to be  The leader of the Qiang people!¡±

    Ge Yuan said quickly: "Yes, he is the leader of the Qiang people, who mainly lives in Liangzhou. We are Di people, living in the Longxi and Hehuang areas. However, the Qiang and Di people were originally a family with similar living customs, and most people can't tell them apart.  ¡±

    Liu Jing nodded. The reason why he valued the Qiang and Di Hu people so much and hurried over after hearing the news was because his dealings with Nangong Suo left a deep impression on him.

    The Qiang and Di Hu people have many powerful war horses, which are the strategic materials he urgently needs. Liu Jing smiled and said: "Back then, I told Nangongsuo that I was willing to establish trade with the Qiang people and buy and sell their respective specialties, such as cattle.  Sheep and horses, etc., but it can only be a wish, because there are Bashu and Hanzhong in the middle, but it is different now. We can already establish trade routes. Whether it is Qiang people or Di people, I am very willing to develop friendly relations.  "

    Liu Jing said it very implicitly. If she puts it bluntly, it is just one sentence, ¡®I want to buy your war horse!  ¡¯

    As an envoy, Ge Yuan certainly understood the profound meaning of Liu Jing's words. He quickly smiled and said: "I brought a few horses as gifts from my chief to the Zhou Mu. I wonder if the Zhou Mu is willing to take a look."

    "Haha! I'm very happy."

    The two walked out of the big tent. Ge Yuan asked his entourage to bring in a few war horses. These horses had slender limbs and strong postures. They looked extremely majestic. They were either black or white without a single hair. Ge Yuan patted them.  The body of the war horse smiled and said: "These five war horses are all obtained from Longju Island. It is said that they are the descendants of dragons and horses. They are a little bit of my chief's wishes."

    Liu Jing also really likes these five war horses. It can be seen that these five war horses are better than the horses that Nangong Suo gave him back then. The Di people chief has indeed spent a lot of money. He smiled and said: "Thank you very much!"

    The two returned to the tent and sat down. Ge Yuan then slowly stated the purpose of his trip, "Because we support Ma Chao, after Cao Cao wiped out the remaining troops of Ma Chao, he ordered Xia Houyuan to continue to attack the Di people to the west.  , if the Battle of Guanzhong had not broken out, we would have been destroyed, so for us, we extremely hope that Zhou Mu can defeat Cao Jun. For this reason, my brother is willing to send troops to assist Zhou Mu in attacking Tianshui. "

    Liu Jing didn¡¯t speak for a long time.Unexpectedly, the Di people actually wanted to send troops to help him attack Tianshui. This was really beyond his expectation. He originally thought that the Di people just wanted to establish trade relations.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "Thank you very much for your chief's kindness. In fact, there are many ways for us to cooperate. For now, I first want to buy a thousand high-quality war horses."

    "There is no problem with this transaction. We hope to exchange it with cloth. According to the market price, ten pieces of silk can be exchanged for a horse. We will send the war horse from Yinping Road to Hanzhong as soon as possible. In addition, we have assembled six thousand cavalry and can be ready at any time.  Launch an offensive against Cao's army from the west, and we are willing to obey Zhou Mu's orders."

    Having said this, Ge Yuan asked his entourage to bring in a gold dagger studded with gems and presented it to Liu Jing, "This is our King Di's sword. With this sword, Zhou Mu can mobilize six thousand Xi Di cavalry warriors at any time. We  I am willing to help Zhou Mu defeat Cao Jun without hesitation and restore the previous peace."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Ge Yuan said goodbye and left. Liu Jing paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands, thinking about the sudden change. He also knew that Xia Houyuan was preparing to lead his army to continue attacking Dihu, but later canceled the plan because he wanted to  Instead, they prepared for war and defended the Han army from marching northward to Guanzhong. It would be great if Di Hu was really willing to send troops to attack Cao Jun. However, this incident happened relatively suddenly, which made Liu Jing a little confused.

    At this time, a soldier reported outside the tent: "General Ma Chao is here and wants to see the governor!"

    Liu Jing was about to find Ma Chao, but Ma Chao came unexpectedly. He quickly ordered: "Invite him into the account!"

    A moment later, Ma Chao quickly walked into the tent, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See you, Zhou Mu!"

    It has been four months since Ma Chao surrendered to Liu Jing. He has gradually adapted to his current status. Fazheng also hinted to him that because of his father, Zhou Mu cannot reuse him for the time being, so he should be patient for a year or two.

    Ma Chao can also understand this. More importantly, Liu Jing is ready to marry his widowed sister, which makes Ma Chao very touched. He has agreed to the marriage, so that Ma Chao can stay in peace with peace of mind.  Hanzhong.

    This time during the northern expedition to Guanzhong, since Liu Jing was conducting the expedition himself, Ma Chao, as the general accompanying the army, listened to orders in his tent. Just now he learned that Ge Yuan was coming as an envoy. He was familiar with the Qiang and Di people, so he couldn't help but come.  Meet Liu Jing.

    Liu Jing waved her hands and said with a smile: "General Meng Qi, please take a seat!"

    Ma Chao sat down under Liu Jing and asked, "I heard that Yang Wanwan sent an envoy here. Is he still there?"

    "The envoy's name is Ge Yuan. He claims to be Yang Wanwan's younger brother. He has gone back. Is Meng Qi familiar with him?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    Ma Chao nodded, "Ge Yuan is indeed Yang Wanwan's younger brother, and he is very familiar with Weichen. However, he is very slippery and is good at changing the situation. I don't like him."

    Liu Jing smiled, "Actually, I wanted to buy their war horses to supplement my cavalry strength, and they agreed. However, Ge Yuan actually expressed his willingness to help me attack Cao Jun, which was really beyond my expectation. Meng Qi felt that they  Is this statement credible?¡±

    "Did they give any evidence?"

    Liu Jing took out the golden sword and put it on the table, "I gave this sword and said that I can use it to mobilize the Di cavalry."

    Ma Chao picked up the sword, looked at it, and said to Liu Jing: "This sword is one of Yang Wanwan's three military swords. It can indeed be used to mobilize troops. Since they gave this sword to Zhou Mu, it means that they are determined to dispatch troops."  , and I know that Yang Wanwan is very afraid of Cao Cao's westward advance, so it's not surprising that he wants to send troops to attack Cao Cao, but there is one thing I want to remind Zhou Mu! "

    "Meng Qi, please speak!"

    Ma Chao said slowly: "There is a saying in Longyou that the Qiang are thick and the Di are thin. That is to say, the Qiang are reliable and the Di are trustless. When I was defeated in Guanzhong, I asked Di King Yang Wanwan for help. He did give me ten thousand troops.  , but this man only gave soldiers, not horses, which ultimately made me unable to return to Xiliang and was wiped out by Cao Jun. This shows that Yang Wanwan is not a sincere person. He is very scheming, and Zhou Mu must be careful to guard against him.  , at least you can¡¯t rely on him to prevent him from changing his mind temporarily.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, "Meng Qi is right. Although I really hope that the Di people can attack Cao Jun from the side, I still can't see their sincerity, so I can't place my hope on them. We still have to follow our original instructions."  implementation of the plan.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Qishan Road refers to a north-south official road from Xiabian County in Wudu County to Jixian County in Tianshui County. It is about 500 miles long and is divided into two parts, north and south, with Qishan Mountain as the midpoint.

    The South Road is from Xiabian County to Xi County to the north of Qishan Mountain. This distance is about 200 miles, half of which is in Wudu County. It belongs to the western section of the Zhongnan Mountains. The mountains are undulating and the road is rugged. It is the southern part of Qishan Mountain.  This section of the road is relatively difficult to walk, but after walking out of this section of the mountain road, the march became relatively easy and entered the Qishan area.

    ?Qishan Mountain is actually a mountain group composed of three mountain ranges and nearly a hundred mountains. The terrain is broken and the mountains are relatively independent. They stretch for hundreds of miles from northwest to southeast. The roads between the mountain groups are complex and various trails intersperse them.  There are three broad official roads, which go northward from the east and west sides of Qishan Mountain.

    The so-called easy march is only compared to the South Road. Compared with the plain terrain of Guanzhong, the Qishan Road is still a relatively difficult mountain road. Due to the extremely high strategic position of Qishan Mountain, there are more than a dozen passes and military cities scattered in this area, such as  Jieting, Liucheng, Licheng, Mumen, Longkou, and a county seat - Xixian.

    Cao Cao stationed an army of 60,000 in the Qishan area, commanded by his second son Cao Zhang, with Xia Houyuan as his deputy general, Chen Qun as his counselor, and core generals such as Cao Hong, Yu Jin, Zang Ba, Li Dian, Zhang He, Zhang Yan, etc.

    For Liu Jing¡¯s Han army, detecting intelligence was also a top priority before the war. To this end, Liu Jing sent ten of the most elite scout teams composed of the Eagle Strike Army to detect intelligence on Qishan Road, Tianshui and Weihe River areas.

    This afternoon, near Licheng, the southernmost part of Qishan Mountain, a scout team of twenty people was marching hurriedly on the mountain road. They went to carry out a secret mission.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 564 The first battle with Licheng

    Licheng is a military city in the southernmost part of Tianshui County, close to Wudu County. The so-called military city is a city mainly for military defense. It is larger in area and has more than 300 troops stationed. It is called a military city, and vice versa is called a military fort.

    Licheng is about ten miles in circumference and has two thousand garrison troops, commanded by a general named Yang of Cao Jun. This area belongs to the general's defense zone.

    In addition to the 2,000 garrison troops, there are also 200 civilian households, all of which are military family members. These military family members have opened taverns, hostels, shops and brothels at the city gate to provide some necessary services to the garrison. Among them, brothels and brothels are a must.  In the early days of commerce, when heroes were fighting for hegemony, human lives were like grass, and there were a large number of military prostitutes accompanying the armies.

    But as Cao Cao unified the north, people settled down, the army began to be regularized, and military prostitutes gradually disappeared, but the demand still existed, so they turned into brothels and brothels.

    In fact, the same is true for Liu Jing¡¯s army. There are many brothels and brothels in the big cities where the army is stationed. For example, in the former Xiaji County, all private shops were moved away, but only three brothels remained.

    Licheng established a dangerous place on the Qishan Road. It was built against the mountain. It was located on the mountainside. It was high up and easy to defend but difficult to attack. Two thousand troops were enough to defend against the attack of ten thousand troops. In addition to guarding the key points, Licheng also controlled the following.  There are three beacons, which monitor the army going north.

    On a tree-shaded mountain road about 30 miles south of Licheng County, a scout team of 20 people was rapidly heading towards the top of the mountain under the guidance of a guide. This scout team was the Eagle Attack Army.  of a team.

    The leader is a military lord named Ren Ping, that is, the officer who made great contributions to the capture of Zigui County and was transferred to the Eagle Attack Army. He has been promoted to military lord due to his merits. This time Liu Jing sent ten scout teams.  , are all the elite of the Eagle Attack Army, and the team led by Ren Ping is one of them.

    The task accepted by Ren Ping is to explore the intelligence of Licheng, which includes pulling out three beacons. He has already pulled out two beacons, and now it is the last and most important beacon.

    The mountain they are currently on is called Niutoushan, which looks like a huge bull's head. It is also called Liangjun Mountain because this mountain, which is more than ten miles long, spans the two counties of Tianshui and Wudu.

    There is a Cao Jun beacon on the Niujiao Mountain rock near Tianshui County, which can directly monitor the movements of the mountain road in the direction of Wudu County.

    Ren Ping led his men to run on a medicinal mountain road. At this time, the guide suddenly said: "We're here!"

    Ren Ping immediately waved his hand, and everyone quickly crouched in the bushes. The guide pointed to a huge rock on the top of the mountain and whispered to Ren Ping: "We call that rock Niujiao Rock. What you are looking for  The beacon is on the rock."

    Ren Ping nodded, turned to his two subordinates and said, "Go up and take a look!"

    Two soldiers with flexible bodies rushed up the mountain. Not long after, the two soldiers quickly came back and reported: "We saw the beacon. It is a medium-sized wooden beacon that can accommodate up to twenty people."

    "Are there any sentries around?"

    The soldier shook his head, "There are no sentries, but it is difficult to go up this rock. You should use a rope ladder to go up, but the rope ladder has been pulled up."

    Ren Ping thought for a moment. Climbing the rock was no longer a problem for them. The key was not to be discovered. He looked up at the sky. It was already afternoon. He then ordered: "Retreat five miles and rest until night to go up the mountain."  ¡±

    ??Everyone turned around and headed down the mountain. Time passed little by little, night fell, the moon rose, and the clear light poured down the mountain like mercury. A stone quickly dyed a green leaf silvery white.

    The mountain peak is a huge rock mass. It is wedged between two rocks, one tall and one short. The taller rock is thin and long, about ten feet, like a horn piercing the sky, while the taller rock is slightly longer.  The short rock is like half a wooden barrel, huge in size, about seven or eight feet high, and a wooden beacon is built on the platform of the short rock.

    The beacon is made of thick tree trunks and looks relatively simple, just like a huge eagle's nest. Under the rendering of the moonlight, the beacon is wrapped in silvery white and full of mystery.

    Twenty scouts were already standing closely under the rock. Although the rope ladder was pulled up, it could not stop them. Ren Ping was like a sloth slowly climbing up the rock. Any protruding rock or gap was  His focus.

    Not long after, he was less than ten feet away from the top of the rock. He hid his body in the gap, took out a coil of rope around his waist and tied it firmly to a rock, and threw the other end of the rock down.

    At this time, he jumped up and scurried up to the top of the rock like a monkey, hiding under the beacon. Only then did he realize that the top of the rock was actually very spacious and flat, covering an area of ??two acres. Standing on the top of the rock, he could see all the mountains at a glance.  We can clearly see the Qishan Road in the distance. If the Han army goes north, they will be discovered by soldiers on the top of the rock more than ten miles away, which will trigger their attack.??Beacon fire.

    More than a dozen of his subordinates climbed up to the top of the rock. They hid under the beacon, waiting for the leader's order. Ren Ping looked at the three-story beacon and whispered to his two subordinates: "You go up from the back first.  Control the hot pot and I will kill the enemy!"

    The two scouts nodded and quickly climbed up from behind the beacon. There were only two sentries on duty. One of them was curled up in the corner and sleeping, and the other was taking a nap leaning on a wooden stake. Beside them were three large iron pots.  Filled with kerosene, Cao Jun is also burning kerosene to report the message.

    The two scouts looked at each other, and they rushed forward like lightning, cutting the throats of the two sentries with sharp daggers, and then killed them with one knife.  As cleanly as a rabbit rises and a falcon falls, a scout immediately waved down.

    Ren Ping gave a low order, and the remaining dozen soldiers rushed into Fengsui. The eight sleeping Cao Jun soldiers were all killed before they understood what happened, leaving only one alive to question Dian Fengsui.  Provisions

    The sky was getting brighter, and a wisp of beacon smoke was floating on the beacon. Lighting the beacon at this time meant that there was peace and no hostility. It only took a moment to light the incense and it would go out. Shortly after it was extinguished, a fire about about 100 meters away appeared on the Qishan Road in the distance.  The vanguard of the Han army of more than 10,000 men, led by General Zhao Yun, marched towards Licheng in a mighty manner.

    This army crossed the two counties and mountains and entered Tianshui County. This means that the battle for Guanzhong has officially begun.

    This elite Han army of 10,000 people was the vanguard of the Northern Expedition. It was commanded by Zhao Yun. Its lieutenants were generals Wei Yan and Zhang Ren. Pang Tong was followed by military advisers. There were also several Shu generals who were good at mountain warfare, including Deng Xian, Zhang Yi and  Wu Ban and so on.

    Zhao Yun was riding on a war horse, looking at the beacons on the top of the two counties in the distance, and smiled at Pang Tong: "It seems that our scouts are very capable, and they pulled out the stakes under their noses."

    In this Guanzhong battle, Liu Jing mainly used Fazheng and Pang Tong. Jia Xu was responsible for guarding Jingzhou, while Sima Yi was responsible for stabilizing Yizhou. It can be said that this was the first time Pang Tong served Liu Jing in the military, and he also worked particularly hard.  , volunteered to follow Zhao Yun's vanguard northward.

    Pang Tong also stroked his beard and said: "Our scouts are indeed very capable, but the first battle is to capture Licheng. General, are you considering fighting this tough battle?"

    Zhao Yun shook his head, "Before leaving, Zhou Mu has made it clear that he does not agree to attack Licheng forcefully, because the first battle is very important to us. Once we fail to capture it, it will greatly affect our morale. This is why Zhou Mu asked Mr. Pang  The profound meaning of fighting with the vanguard.¡±

    Of course Pang Tong knew that if he suffered heavy losses due to a hard attack on Licheng in the first battle, even if he captured it, Pang Tong's future would be over. Pang Tong was good at tactics but weak at strategy. In terms of strategy, he could not come up with a weighty plan.  He can only earn his position by using his talents in battle after battle.

    Pang Tong smiled and said, "I probably have a clue, but I need to ask the scouts in detail."

    As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers came to report and the scout leader arrived. Zhao Yun laughed and said, "Sir, whatever you want, it will come to you."

    He immediately ordered the army to rest on the spot for an hour. At this time, two soldiers brought Ren Ping up. He knelt down on one knee and saluted, "Ren Ping, the Marquis of the Eagle Attack Army, meets General Zhao and Commander Pang!"

    Zhao Yun nodded, "Thank you for your hard work!"

    He pointed at Pang Tong again and said with a smile: "Commander Pang wants to know something from you."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Some soldiers spread a mat beside the road. Pang Tong sat on the ground with a small table in front of him. He waved his hand and smiled at Ren Ping and said, "Marquis Ren, please take a seat!"

    Ren Ping sat down opposite. At this time, Wei Yan and Zhang Ren also came after hearing the news. They sat aside with Zhao Yun and paid attention to Pang Tong's questions. Pang Tong smiled slightly and said: "I want to know about the situation and terrain of Licheng.  "

    "Reporting to the military advisor, there are about two thousand Cao Cao troops in Licheng. The commander Ya will be named Dan Ting, who is a general of Yu Jin. The circumference of Licheng is about ten miles, the wall is two feet and a half high, there is no moat, and the north and south gates are made of  It is made of pig iron and is very strong. In addition, Licheng is built on a mountain and is located at a high place. It is condescending to us and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. "

    Pang Tong pondered for a moment and then asked: "Are the buildings in the city made of wood? I heard that there are also stone buildings, is that true?"

    "Reporting to the military advisor, most of the city is made of camps. There are not many buildings, all made of wood. They are mainly warehouses and some residential shops. As far as the general knows, there are no stone buildings."

    Pang Tongyong waved, and two soldiers came up. They carried a wooden box and opened it. Inside were various models, including mountains, cities, bridges, rivers, woods, as well as camps and soldiers. They were made lifelike and could be used at any time.  The formation of various terrains is very conducive to marching and fighting.

    Pang Tong smiled and said: "Junhou, can you use these models to form the terrain of Licheng for me?"?? 

    Ren Ping took out a map he had drawn, compared it with the map, and slowly built it with various models. In a short time, he had built a topographic map of Licheng and its surrounding environment. He bowed and said, "I can't say it's very accurate even though I'm humble.  , but that¡¯s about it.¡±

    Zhang Ren looked at it carefully for a moment and said, "I've been to Licheng, and it looked like this."

    Pang Tong rubbed his beard and observed the terrain carefully. In fact, he had rehearsed his strategy to Liu Jing on the sand table in Hanzhong, and Liu Jing approved it. The terrain model in front of him was similar to his deduction. The key was that Licheng was close to each other.  He pointed at a big mountain and said: "My winning strategy lies on this big mountain."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 565 Burning the city with fire

    At night, the city was quiet. The moonlight in the city seemed very dim. The mountains to the east blocked the moonlight and cast a huge shadow into the city. In the dim night, the soldiers fell asleep one after another, except for the hundreds of people on the top of the city.  The garrison on duty was pacing back and forth, watching the outside of the city warily.

    Cao Jun relied heavily on the three beacons in the south. Although they knew that a war was about to break out, everyone held on to a bit of luck. Maybe the enemy army would kill them from Chencang Road to Guanzhong. After all, it was not far from Wudu County to take Chencang Road.

    So they have been paying attention to the beacon, which reports safety once every morning and dusk. There is no abnormal fire, which calms down the soldiers guarding the city.

    Behind a forest about three miles east of the city, an army of more than a thousand people was running quickly towards the mountain. This mountain army came from central Sichuan. Each soldier grew up in the mountains and was very good at carrying heavy loads.  Climbing the mountain, each soldier carried heavy equipment, led by General Zhang Ren, and rushed along the mountain road under the guidance of scout Ren Ping.

    This mountain was originally nameless. It got its name because of the Licheng built at the foot of the mountain in the west. It was called Lidong Mountain. Licheng was actually built on the mountainside of this mountain. It was very high and commanding, blocking the way to the north to Qishan.  Through the road.

    Zhang Ren led the soldiers to run all the way. Half an hour later, they came to a slightly gentle hillside, which was already above Licheng. This was Pang Tong's strategy. He discovered the weakness of Licheng, which was to build  On the mountain, then his army can go up the mountain to dominate and control the city, turning Licheng's advantage into a disadvantage.

    This is also the most common way to use the terrain to win in mountain warfare. However, the people who originally built the city also took this disadvantage into consideration, so Licheng was not close to the cliff, but slowly climbed up from a slope, creating a gap between the hillside and the city.  At a distance of about 150 steps, even a bow and arrow could not reach the city.

    But if a throwing weapon of more than two hundred steps is used, then this distance will have no effect. Of course, it is impossible for the general army to move heavy weapons such as large catapults up the mountain, but since Jingzhou has the craftsmanship  , this becomes possible.

    The trebuchet invented by Ma Jun not only hit far and was built sturdy and durable, but he also fully considered the convenience of transportation and made the trebuchet very easy to disassemble and assemble. Only two hundred soldiers can carry a large trebuchet on their backs.  It can also be used anytime in the mountains.

    These one thousand mountain soldiers carry five heavy trebuchets on their backs, which can throw dozens of kilograms of heavy objects four hundred steps away. The throwing pole alone is four feet long. This is the only part that needs ten soldiers to carry and run.  .

    Zhang Ren found an open space to attack the city. He gave an order and hundreds of fortification soldiers began to quickly assemble a giant trebuchet.

    An hour later, five giant trebuchets stood on the hillside. Zhang Ren looked inside the city and could faintly see the dense tents in the city. He smiled coldly and ordered: "Prepare fireballs!"

    This time, the Han army used fireballs. They soaked linen cloth with kerosene and wrapped it layer by layer to form a large ball with a diameter of three feet, weighing more than forty kilograms, and could be thrown four hundred steps away.

    Five huge fireballs were put into the copper bag. The soldiers pulled back and the throwing pole hooked the wooden frame. At this time, the soldiers began to push the winch, which creaked and tightened.

    The soldiers raised torches and lit five big balls. The five big balls began to burn. The burning flames were particularly dazzling at night. Zhao Yun, who was ambushing in the woods in the distance, could see clearly. His fists slowly clenched.  .

    Zhang Ren looked at both sides and saw that they were all ready. He shouted, "Set fireball!"

    The soldiers opened the iron hook, and the rope pulling on the throwing pole lost its tension. The throwing pole suddenly popped forward, and saw five red burning fireballs rising into the sky. The fireballs rolled in the night sky, heading straight into Licheng.  Smash it.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Licheng was still sleeping, including the soldiers guarding the city wall. None of them thought that danger had quietly come, let alone that the danger actually fell from the sky.

    When the soldiers guarding the city suddenly discovered the bright red fireball above their heads, it was too late. The fireball crashed into the city, smashing several tents. The huge fireball rolled on the ground, rushed into the tent group, and ignited a group of tents.  Tent after tent.

    The defenders on the city wall screamed loudly, and the alarm bells rang. Many soldiers ran out barefoot from the big tents, watching in horror as the big tents burned. Dozens of big tents had been set alight. The fire took advantage of the wind.  The fire burned more and more fiercely, and Yajiang galloped over on horseback. He shouted anxiously: "Demolish the tent quickly!"

    He had realized that this was not fire falling from the sky, but enemy troops attacking the city from the mountains, but they were not prepared at all in advance. He was so anxious that he waved his sword and shouted: "All soldiers, come out of the tents!"

    At this moment, ?? Five fireballs fell from the sky and roared into the tents to the west. Dozens of large tents were quickly ignited, and more than a dozen residential shops were also ignited by the fire. The flames burned fiercely and spread extremely quickly.

    Pieces of tents that were burning out of control were blown into the air by the wind. Fires were burning everywhere in the city. Thick smoke filled the air. Soldiers ran in all directions. Frightened shouts and cries resounded throughout the city.

    At this time, Zhao Yun's army was in a forest two miles west of the city. Although they were at a low place, they could already see the fire and smoke billowing from the top of the city. Zhao Yun couldn't help but praise Pang Tong: "The military advisor is really powerful.  , and forced Cao Jun out of Licheng without spending a single soldier."

    Pang Tong stroked his beard and smiled proudly, "This means that the weather is not as good as the location. Cao's army built the city on the mountain. Although it was condescending, it also left hidden dangers, and the location is not as good as the people. We have the most powerful trebuchet, which is doomed in history.  The city was destroyed, and Cao's army supported it for at most half an hour, and the general was ready to attack. "

    Zhao Yun nodded, turned around and shouted: "Give me the order, get ready to attack!"

    "Get ready to attack!"

    Orders were passed down one after another, and the nine thousand Han troops were ready to fight.

    At this time, what was thrown from the mountain was no longer a fireball, but barrels of kerosene, each weighing forty pounds, contained in sealed wooden barrels. The barrels of kerosene fell from the sky and crashed into the city.

    The wooden barrel fell to the ground and shattered, and the kerosene splashed everywhere, further fueling the fire. At this time, the entire city of Licheng was enveloped in fire. Hundreds of houses were all set on fire. The fire raged and only reached a height of more than ten feet in the sky.

    The soldiers were frightened. Seeing the fire getting bigger and bigger, some soldiers began to flee across the city. Soon, the city gate opened and countless soldiers and family members poured out of the city. Many young women stumbled and cried.  .

    Shan Ting yelled in panic and ordered the soldiers to go to the south city to escape. He had discovered a clue, that is, the fireball thrown from the mountain could not reach the south end of the city. The south end was ignited by the fire entirely because of the tent fragments.  As long as you escape up the city wall, you can escape this disaster.

    Although Dan Ting discovered a way to escape, not many soldiers listened to his command. At this time, everyone knew that only by escaping from the city would they be safe. The instinct to escape caused more and more soldiers to flee outside the city.

    "General, let's go!"

    Several soldiers shouted to Shan Ting, "Brothers have all fled the city!"

    Shan Ting saw that the cries around him could no longer be heard, and there were fewer and fewer running figures. There were only more than a hundred soldiers on duty following him. At this time, he knew that the situation was over, so he could only sigh and turned back to the soldiers.  He shouted: "There must be an enemy ambush outside the city. Everyone can follow me to break out of the siege."

    Shan Ting rode his horse and ran towards the north gate. The north gate was wide open, and all the soldiers and people had fled. He rushed out on horseback, and more than a hundred soldiers behind him also ran out of the gate.

    At this time, the Han army had surrounded the two city gates in the north and south. Not long after Cao Jun's soldiers escaped, they were immediately surrounded by Han troops from all sides. Most of Cao Jun's soldiers woke up from their sleep, without armor or weapons, and even  Barefooted and terrified, surrounded by enemy troops, they all knelt down and surrendered, no one dared to resist.

    Shan Ting, the tooth general, led more than a hundred soldiers out of the north gate. He knew that there must be enemy troops outside. At this time, he could only rely on his war horses to see if he could break out of the siege. Shan Ting saw enemy troops blocking the road ahead and knelt on both sides of the official road.  When the crowd was full of surrendering soldiers, he waved his spear and shouted, "Anyone who stands in my way will die!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a general coming out of the diagonal stab. He was eight feet tall and holding a broadsword. He shouted like a thunderbolt: "Wei Yan is here!"

    Wei Yan's galloping horse was like lightning. In an instant, he rushed to Shan Ting. He raised his knife and dropped it. The sword flashed across like lightning. Dan Ting was unable to dodge. His head was chopped several feet away and the dead body fell from the horse.

    With the death of the general, the hundreds of soldiers who escaped with the single force were so frightened that they dropped their weapons, knelt down and raised their hands in surrender.

    The sky gradually dawned, and the fire in Licheng was extinguished. A fire burned the military city to the ground. Hundreds of people were swallowed up by the fire. More than two thousand soldiers and people escaped from the city, but they were all captured by the Han army. The Han army  The army only suffered minor injuries to a few people, and the battle was extremely exciting.

    Zhao Yun immediately ordered people to send the prisoners of war and the people back to Wudu to ask for merit. At this time, Pang Tong urged his horse forward and said with a smile: "General Zhao, I have something to discuss with the general."

    This battle made Zhao Yun admire Pang Tong very much. When he followed Liu Bei in the past, he didn't feel that Pang Tong was outstanding. Uncle Liu was also dissatisfied with Pang Tong and was often indifferent to him.

    But this battle made Zhao Yun completely change his view of Pang Tong. He finally discovered that Pang Tong was really a piece of beautiful jade. It was hidden in the stone before, but Uncle Liu Huang could not find it. However, Liu Jing was a skilled craftsman, and it was he who made Pang Tong's beautiful jade fully.  carve out??.

    Zhao Yun clasped his fists on the horse and said, "Commander Pang, please speak!"

    Pang Tong also liked Zhao Yun very much. Zhao Yun was humble and respected him enough, which allowed Pang Tong to find his dignity. At this time, Pang Tong was not satisfied with the victory in this battle.

    He smiled slightly and said: "There is a pass thirty miles ahead called Bailong Valley. There is a military stronghold with more than 300 troops stationed in it. Although it is not as difficult to attack as Licheng, I will use a small plan.  , we can easily capture this military stronghold.¡±

    Zhao Yun was overjoyed and quickly bowed and said: "Please give instructions from the military advisor!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 566 Zhang Ren¡¯s First Battle

    Pang Tong's strategy was very simple. He selected father, son and brother soldiers from more than 1,700 prisoners of war, and sent his father and brother to Wudu, leaving more than fifty people.

    Pang Tong gathered these soldiers together and said to them: "According to the rules of the Han army, prisoners of war have to mine for three years before they can go home. But there are exceptions, and that is prisoners of war who have made meritorious services. Your father and brother have all gone to the military."  Du, as long as you can make meritorious service, then you and your father and brothers are no longer prisoners of war. You can choose to go home, you can become Han soldiers, and you can even settle in Yizhou and Jingzhou, but the premise is that you have to make meritorious service and help us win the war.  "Xiabailong Pass, do you understand?"

    The soldiers looked at each other, and one of the more courageous soldiers asked: "What should we do?"

    "It's very simple. You are the soldiers who escaped from Licheng. There are few soldiers in Bailong Pass, so we will definitely use you for defense. When we attack Bailong Pass, I hope you can fight back."

    All the soldiers knelt down one after another, "I am willing to serve the Han army!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the other side of the garrison, Zhang Ren slowly walked to Zhao Yun, smiled and said: "Zilong, how about letting me attack Bailong Village?"

    Since Zhang Ren surrendered to Liu Jing, he was named Zhonglang General. His main task was to cooperate with Huang Zhong in reorganizing the Yizhou Army. However, as the attack on Guanzhong gradually opened, Zhang Ren also began to have ideas.

    When he surrendered to Liu Jing, he was moved by Liu Jing's theory of world. He was not willing to be an unknown Shu general. He also longed to make contributions in the tide of unifying the world, be granted titles and generals, win fame during and after his death, and create blessings for future generations.  shade.

    So he repeatedly applied to Liu Jing to participate in the Battle of Guanzhong, and finally got permission. This time, as Zhao Yun's deputy general, he was the vanguard of the Battle of Guanzhong. He has not yet made any meritorious service. If the capture of Licheng is Pang Tong's credit, then the next Bai  Long Ai made Zhang Ren tempted.

    Zhang Ren is Zhao Yun's senior brother. The two have an unusual relationship. Now that Zhang Ren has spoken, Zhao Yun will naturally agree. He nodded and said with a smile: "Then I will give the general three thousand soldiers to capture it before dawn tomorrow."  Bailong Pass, is there a problem?¡±

    Zhang Ren was overjoyed and quickly clasped his fists and said, "No problem!"

    Zhao Yun whispered Pang Tong's strategy again, and Zhang Ren realized that Pang Tong had taken the lead again. However, Pang Tong was a counselor, and it was normal for him to make plans. Zhang Ren nodded, turned around and ordered his troops to start.

    As soon as Zhang Ren left, Wei Yan hurriedly found Zhao Yun, clasped his fists and saluted, "General Zhao, can you let me go to Bailong Pass to attack Bailong Pass?"

    Zhao Yun said with some regret: "General Zhang Ren has asked for a battle just now, and I have agreed. Otherwise, how about I give General Wei more opportunities when we attack Heisongzhai?"

    ?? Heisongzhai is the main stronghold entering Qishan Mountain. There are 5,000 troops stationed in it, led by General Yu Jin. It is certainly a great achievement to capture Heisongzhai.

    But Wei Yan also knew that he alone could not capture Heisongzhai. If he could capture Bailong Pass, it would be his sole responsibility. Unexpectedly, Zhang Ren took the lead. Wei Yan was a little disappointed and helpless.  He could only nod reluctantly.

    After the Battle of Chibi, Wei Yan dissatisfied Liu Jing because of his arrogance and defiance of orders, which caused him to suffer repeated setbacks. It was not until he defeated Shangyong that he finally resumed his position as a captain.

    By this time, Gan Ning had been promoted to Zhonglang General, Zhao Yun and Wenpin had also been promoted to Assistant General, Huang Zhong had even been promoted to Side General, and even Zhang Ren and Wu Yi who had surrendered were also named Zhonglang General, one level higher than him.  .

    Wei Yan was only at the same level as Liao Hua, Lei Tong, Huo Jun and others, which made Wei Yan feel depressed. Especially when Ma Chao surrendered, he lost the title of Five Tiger Generals, and his reputation in the army further declined.

    After learning from the pain, Wei Yan finally understood his foolishness in resisting the order. Fortunately, he had a good relationship with Jia Xu. It was Jia Xu's repeated recommendations to Liu Jing, and Wei Yan also got the opportunity to serve as a forward deputy general. As long as he continued to make military exploits, he would  There is hope of being promoted, so Wei Yan is more eager than anyone else to make military exploits.

    Zhao Yun was a kind man and knew Wei Yan's thoughts, so he smiled and comforted him and said: "Since we are the vanguard, it is our duty to clear the way through the mountains and build bridges when encountering water. As long as we ensure the convenience and safety of the army's camp, and create conditions for the army to move north,  That is also a meritorious service, just like General Wei killed Shanting, the defender of Licheng, and captured more than 700 people. This is also a meritorious service. Countless small merits added up will become a great merit. The key is to be patient and take your time.  Wen Chang¡¯s military position will definitely not escape.¡±

    Wei Yan felt Zhao Yun's sincerity, and he was very moved. He cupped his fists and said, "Thank you Zilong for enlightening me!"

    Zhao Yun nodded and said: "Arrange the soldiers to garrison the camp! Let's take a day off tomorrow and we will wait for General Zhang Ren's success!"

    Bailong Pass is actually the mouth of a canyon, the mouth of the Bailong Valley, and also blocks the only way to pass through the Qishan Road. It is thirty miles away from Licheng and is the entrance of Cao Jun.?The second defensive point on the Qishan Road, but the defenders of Bailong Pass only have 300 people, which is much smaller than Licheng. It can only be regarded as the outpost of Heisong Dazhai.

    Last night, a fire burned all night in Licheng. Cao¡¯s army at Bailong Pass saw it. They knew that this was the Han army starting to move north. All the soldiers were extremely nervous. Military Marquis Yang Qi sent someone to urgently report to the Lord General Jin.

    Before dawn, the defeated soldiers from Licheng began to flee one after another. These defeated soldiers were all extremely embarrassed. Some were not wearing armor, some were bare-handed, and some were even barefoot. They all looked frightened. Yang Qi, the Marquis of the defending army  After identifying them one by one, they were let into the stronghold. At this time, Yu Jin, escorted by more than a hundred people, came from Heisong stronghold to investigate the situation.

    Since the Battle of Chibi, Yu Jin has no longer been ridiculed by his colleagues in Cao's army. With Liu Jing's capture of Yizhou and Hanzhong, his reputation has increased step by step. Yu Jin's previous defeats by Liu Jing are no longer worth mentioning.

    Cao Cao also began to continue to focus on the ban. In the war against Ma Chao, he led 3,000 people to intercept more than 10,000 defeated troops fleeing westward, and killed Yang Qiu. He was commended by Cao Cao and was rewarded with 500 households. This was his number.  The biggest reward in years also meant that he finally began to step out of Liu Jing's shadow.

    However, Cao Cao's second son, Cao Zhang, had strong objections to Yu Jin's letting Liu Jing go in Runan. Although Yu Jin had not intended to do so, this could not avert Cao Zhang's dissatisfaction with him.

    As Liu Jing's power expanded step by step, Cao Zhang's dissatisfaction with Jin became more difficult to reverse, as if the Cao family's current predicament was entirely caused by Yu Jin.

    Although Cao Zhang's dissatisfaction would not be expressed publicly, it would be inadvertently expressed in many ways. On his second day as the coach of Longxi, he sent major generals to various fortresses and divided defense zones.

    ?Perhaps it is a coincidence, or it may be Cao Zhang's intentional arrangement, Yu Jin's defensive zone is the southernmost area of ??Tianshui County bordering Wudu, including Licheng and Heisongzhai, which is the first stop for Liu Jing's army heading north.

    Of course, it cannot be said that Cao Zhang did it on purpose, because even if Yu Jin did not go, Zang Ba, Li Dian and others would go. Cao Zhang had only one reason. Yu Jin had been dealing with Jingzhou for a long time and had richer experience than others. This made Yu Jin helpless.  You can talk.

    On the wall of the village, Yu Jin watched the defeated troops fleeing back one after another with a solemn expression. He knew that Liu Jing's Northern Expedition had begun, and he would have to face another challenge in his life.

    At this time, Yang Qi, the military lord who was guarding the camp, brought two defeated soldiers to Yu Jin. They knelt down and saluted, "See you, general!"

    "Let me ask you, how was Licheng lost?"

    This is a question that Yu Jin has always been confused about. Licheng is located in a high place and the city is tall and strong. Why was it lost overnight? He also knew that the Han army used fire to attack, but he did not know how to use fire. He was eager to know the truth.

    "General Qi, the fire fell from the sky, it should have been shot down from the mountain. It was not a rocket, but a fireball. The pumpkin was several times larger than the fireball. The fireball ignited the tents in the city and caused a fire throughout the city."

    Yu Jin nodded. He understood that this must be the Han army transporting the trebuchet to the mountain to throw fireballs downwards. As for how it was done, Yu Jin was not surprised at all. He had long been accustomed to the endless new gadgets in Liu Jing's army.

    Thinking of this, Yu couldn't help but look up at the mountains on both sides. Fortunately, the mountains here are gentle and open, so Licheng's fire method cannot be used. However.  £®  £®  £®  Yu Jin also knew one thing very well. Bailong Pass was just a small military camp with more than 300 people. It could not withstand a large-scale attack by the Han army. Of course, their condescension could also make the Han army pay a heavy price.

    After pondering for a moment, Yu Jin asked again: "How many troops does the enemy have?"

    The two soldiers looked at each other and shook their heads, "We don't know too well."

    Yu Jin immediately ordered the people around him, "Order the scouts to investigate clearly!"

    A dozen Cao Jun spies left the camp and headed south. Yu Jin returned to the tent, looking worried. He sat in the tent and considered countermeasures. Of course, he was not considering Bailong Pass, but his Black Pine Village.

    Licheng was lost so easily, which was already very detrimental to him. If Heisongzhai was lost again, I'm afraid Cao Zhang would have an excuse to kill him. If the prime minister could arrive at Jicheng in time, maybe he would just be scolded, but he wouldn't  Something happened, but  £®  £®  £®  £®  Is the Prime Minister still in Guanzhong now?

    In fact, Cao Cao had already arrived in Jicheng at this time, but Yu Jin didn't know it yet. The huge pressure made him anxious.

    In the afternoon, the spies finally received news that the vanguard of the Han army was marching north, led by Zhao Yun, with about 10,000 troops. This news gave Yu Jin some confidence. If there were only 10,000 troops, then his Heisongzhai could  It can be defended, but the defense needs to be strengthened.

    Thinking of this, Yu Jin suddenly became anxious.??, he gave a few instructions to the military prince and immediately led his men back to Heisong Village.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the evening, Zhang Ren led three thousand troops to Bailong Pass. The terrain here is similar to that of Licheng. The military stronghold is also built on a high place, condescending, but it is much smaller. In addition, it is not as close to a big mountain as Licheng.  Attacking from the mountains, there is no such terrain here.

    "The only thing we can count on is the defeated soldiers in the military stronghold. They should have been incorporated into the defensive formation now. Zhang Ren stared at the military stronghold in the distance on his horse. He could faintly see that the military stronghold was covered with crossbowmen.

    Zhang Ren sneered and ordered: "Rest on the spot for half an hour!"

    Three thousand soldiers sat down to rest. More than a hundred soldiers found a tall and strong tree, cut it down, and made a simple battering ram.

    Soon, night fell quietly. The weather tonight was gloomy, with dark clouds and no starlight. It was pitch black dozens of steps away.

    At this time, the Han army had already lined up in order. They carried a makeshift battering ram and began to slowly march towards Bailong Pass. The two thousand soldiers in front raised their shields high. They held a shield in one hand and a crossbow in the other.  They marched forward, and dozens of steps behind the crossbow troops were a thousand spear troops, carrying a thick battering ram and following slowly.

    The Han army¡¯s tactics were clear. They used powerful crossbows to suppress the enemy, and then the spear troops boarded the stronghold. Of course, this was the worst result. If the internal forces in the stronghold played a role, it would be easier for them to conquer Bailong Pass.

    When they were more than two hundred steps away from the military stronghold, Cao Jun in the military stronghold discovered them. Immediately the bell rang loudly. Cao Jun's soldiers also saw the dark army pressing towards the pass. They suddenly panicked and fired arrows together.  Hundreds of arrows shot towards the black shadow in the distance.

    When Zhang Ren saw the enemy firing arrows indiscriminately, he snorted, turned around and ordered: "Beat the drum!"

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

    The huge drum beat. This was an agreement between them and the soldiers in the city. Taking the drum as their trust, if they heard the drum, they would immediately fight back.

    There were originally 300 soldiers in the military stronghold, plus more than 50 defeated soldiers who fled back one after another. Now there are 350 soldiers, all deployed on the stronghold wall. When the drums of the Han army sounded, the soldiers in the military stronghold  An abnormality occurred, and the fifty fleeing soldiers shouted, "Escape for your life! A hundred thousand soldiers of the Han army are coming to kill them. If they break through the stronghold, no one will survive."

    The soldiers shouted and encouraged them to flee for their lives. Some soldiers even set fires in the military stronghold. The soldiers in the military stronghold were already panic-stricken. After their instigation and the fire in the military stronghold, the defensive line began.  Chaos arose.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 567 Yangshui sneak attack

    Zhang Ren saw the chaos in Cao's army camp. He knew the opportunity was coming and immediately issued the order to attack, "Attack!"

    The drums of the attack rumbled, and the three thousand Han troops burst out with shouts of killing. They rushed towards the military camp more than 200 steps away. In a moment, they rushed within a hundred steps. Two thousand Han crossbowmen fired arrows at the same time.  The arrows shot towards the military stronghold like a storm.

    Although the Cao army on the military base also fired in time, the dense arrows from the opponent suppressed the defenders to the point where they could not lift their heads, and they were hit by arrows one after another. Behind the Han army's crossbow soldiers, a thousand spears surged up, and one of them was hit by an arrow.  A thick battering ram, dozens of soldiers held the battering ram and rushed towards the city gate.

    "Boom!" With a loud bang, the battering ram hit the gate of the military stronghold, and the entire wall shook violently. "Run away! The Han army is coming."

    More than fifty internal soldiers shouted loudly. Some were the first to abandon their armor and flee, while others took the lead. The frightened soldiers dropped their defensive bows and arrows and fled back. At this time, there was no need to hit the battering ram a second time.  The internal soldiers opened the gate of the stronghold. The gate of the stronghold was wide open, and three thousand Han troops rushed into the stronghold with shouts.

    Within two days, the Han army reached Kelicheng and Bailong Pass military stronghold, and their morale was greatly boosted. Zhao Yun immediately sent his army north. At noon the next day, 10,000 Han troops arrived at the south bank of Yangshui. It was only 20 miles away from Qishan Mountain.  We could clearly see Cao Jun's camp on Black Pine Ridge.

    Heisongzhai is the last pass of Cao Jun's first line of defense. It is also one of the three strongholds deployed by Cao Jun in Qishan. It has an army of 5,000 people and is commanded by General Jun.

    Black Pine Village is named after it is located on Black Pine Ridge. This is a mountain with a height of more than 30 feet. It is located on the north bank of the West Han River. Under the mountain ridge is the only way to Qishan Mountain. The mountain was originally covered with black pine trees, but  At this time, thousands of pine trees had been cut down, and a camp about five or six miles long was built.

    Heisongzhai is a board-walled camp, which is to build a frame with wood and boulders, and then tamp it with soil on the shelf. Although this type of board-walled camp is far less strong than the city wall, it also has an excellent defensive effect.  .

    There are two springs on the Black Pine Ridge. The water source is sufficient. In addition, there is enough food stored in the camp, so that five thousand people can hold on for several months without any problem. After Yu Jin returned from Bailong Pass, he re-strengthened the defense and absorbed Licheng.  The lesson learned from the fire was that all tents, wooden houses and other fire-prone structures in the camp were demolished.

    On the mountain ridge, Yu Jin stared at the Yangshui several miles away, thinking about how to deal with this battle. After he returned to Dazhai, he had received news that Cao Cao had led reinforcements to Longxi, which made him sigh in relief, but.  £®  £®  £®  £®  If he returns in defeat, Cao Cao will not be able to spare him.

    At this time, if he felt something, he turned around and saw deputy general Wang Ping slowly walking beside him. Wang Pingyuan was Zhang Liao's general and was appointed deputy captain. Zhang Liao was transferred to guard Nanyang. His army  He handed it over to Cao Zhang, and Wang Ping was appointed as Yu Jin's deputy general.

    Yu Jin sighed softly and said: "General Wang, the Han army is approaching, how should I respond?"

    Wang Ping knew Yu Jin's melancholy and smiled slightly: "General, don't worry too much. I think as long as we are defeated and undefeated in this battle, we can explain it to the Prime Minister."

    "How do you say this?" Yu Jin looked at him puzzled.

    "What I mean is that if the general is defeated by Liu Jing's army, the prime minister will never blame the general. This is called a defeat."

    If Yu Jin had some realization, "What you mean by being invincible means that it cannot be defeated by Zhao Yun's vanguard army, right?"

    Wang Ping smiled and nodded, "That's right!"

    Yu Jin suddenly realized that it was indeed true. If he could resist Liu Jing's Northern Expedition army, would the Prime Minister still need to gather 200,000 troops to fight against Liu Jing in Guanzhong?

    He smiled and said: "But even Zhao Yun's vanguard is not easy to deal with!"

    Wang Ping suggested: "In fact, we can build a defensive line on the north bank of Yangshui to block the Han army south of Yangshui. Even if we cannot stop it in the end, we can still damage the enemy's morale."

    Yu Jin looked at the terrain and saw that a defensive line could indeed be established. He nodded slightly, "If we use an ambush, the effect may be better!"

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what it means to be humble!¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Yangshui River is the uppermost reaches of the Jialing River. After flowing into Hanzhong, the Yangshui River was renamed the West Hanshui River. It flows southward and finally flows into the Yangtze River in Jiangzhou. The Yangshui River in the Qishan area is only a medium-sized river, only five feet wide, but the water flow  The water was so fast that it was about seven feet deep, and a shorter person would be submerged above his head.

    Zhao Yun's vanguard army was temporarily stationed on the south bank of the Yangshui River. Zhao Yun looked at the nearby terrain by the river. The terrain in this area was open and it was a small basin. It was surrounded by rolling mountains. A long mountain ridge lay across the middle of the basin. This is  Black Pine Ridge, the Han Army canHe could clearly see the Black Pine Ridge and Cao Jun's camp on the mountain several miles away.

    At this time, several soldiers tested the water depth with bamboo poles and reported to Zhao Yun: "General Qi, the water depth is only six feet, and a pontoon bridge can be built directly."

    Zhao Yun nodded and immediately ordered: "Fortification soldiers build the bridge!"

    Building a pontoon is relatively simple. Generally, boats are put together and then laid with wooden planks. If there are no boats, you need to build a raft first and use a three-layer raft to build a pontoon. Due to the turbulent water flow, you also need to lay blocking piles in the water.  .

    Five hundred engineering soldiers took action quickly, cutting down trees to build rafts, and launching piles into the water. An hour later, half of the pontoon bridge had appeared, and more than two hundred engineering soldiers were densely busy in the water.

    At this moment, there was a sudden bang from the other side, and a loud arrow roared from the other side, knocking over the military commander who was directing the construction of the pontoon bridge.

    Immediately afterwards, more than a thousand arrows were fired intensively. The arrow formation was very organized. The soldiers on the shore were shot first, and then the soldiers in the water. The soldiers in the water and on the shore were caught off guard and were hit by arrows one after another. After two rounds of arrows, more than 200 people in the water were shot.  Most of the fortification soldiers were killed or injured, and the river was dyed red with blood. The corpses of the soldiers were washed away by the rapids, and the river was filled with corpses of soldiers.

    Hundreds of people on the shore were hit by arrows and fell to the ground, screaming loudly.

    Zhao Yun was shocked and ordered repeatedly: "Retreat quickly!"

    The soldiers retreated one after another until they were out of range. Only then did they notice that there was a stone wall dozens of steps away on the other side. It was covered by bushes and was difficult to find. This stone wall was  The wall is about one mile long and six feet high. The dense arrows are shot from behind the stone wall. It turns out that there is an ambush of Cao Jun's crossbowmen.

    At this time, Wang Ping led hundreds of Cao soldiers to rush out from behind the stone wall. Under the cover of bows and arrows, they rushed to the river. They fired arrows at random and shot to death all the dozens of Han army fortification soldiers hiding in the river.  , dozens of Cao Jun soldiers jumped into the river and chopped down the pontoon bridge with axes.

    For a moment, the floating bridge dispersed and was washed away by the rapids, and soon disappeared without a trace. Wang Ping gave an order, and Cao Jun's soldiers rushed back behind the defensive stone wall.

    Zhao Yun looked at the wounded soldiers who were wailing, and he felt great hatred in his heart. He had only injured more than 20 people when he conquered Licheng and Bailong Pass, and none of them died. However, he was ambushed here, and hundreds of soldiers were hit by arrows.  Two to three hundred people were killed, and they were all fortification soldiers, so he suffered a big loss.

    Zhao Yun gnashed his teeth with hatred, "Who is this? He is hiding in such a secretive way."

    The general on the other side took advantage of the loophole that the scouts did not have to cross the river, and successfully attacked the Han army. This made Zhao Yun annoyed and angry, "I must cut this man into pieces with a thousand knives!"

    At this time, Wei Yan stepped forward and asked for orders: "I would like to lead my army across the river from the east and go around to the enemy's flank to attack!"

    Zhao Yun looked to the east. There was a forest to the east, which stretched for more than ten miles along the Yangtze River. There were also woods on the other side. He pondered for a moment and asked, "Then how do you cross the river?"

    "Swim across. The river is not wide, so it should be easy to cross. There are archers on the other side. I can destroy them with only two thousand spearmen."

    Zhao Yun nodded and said: "But the river is very fast, so bring a few more long ropes, and remember to cross the river quickly."

    "Follow the order!"

    When Wei Yan saw that Zhao Yun had agreed, he was overjoyed and immediately led an army of two thousand spears to the east.

    Wang Ping was watching the movements of the enemy troops on the other side behind a big rock. At this time, he suddenly found signs of the Han army moving eastward. He immediately looked eastward and saw a dense forest to the east, distributed on both sides of the river.  The Han army must have wanted to cross the river in the forest to the east and then attack themselves from the side.

    Thinking of this, Wang Ping waved, and a tooth general rushed forward. Wang Ping gave him a few instructions, and the tooth general nodded, "Please don't worry, general, I will try my best to resist!"

    Wang Ping then led his five hundred crossbow troops around a forest and ran towards the east.

    Wei Yan led two thousand spearmen into the woods. They marched until three miles away before crossing the river. It was the same here as down below. Although the river bed was not wide, the water flow was fast.

    The soldiers took off their armor one after another and put their armor and spears on their heads. A few soldiers with good water resistance swam to the other side first and pulled out a few long ropes. In this way, the soldiers could climb on the long ropes to cross the river. For  Soldiers who are slightly less watery are very advantageous.

    Groups of soldiers began to cross the river quickly, but at this moment, a large group of Cao's archers suddenly appeared in the woods on the other side. There were more than 500 people. They launched an attack on the Han army with lightning speed.

    The arrows were like a rapid rain, shooting at more than a hundred Han soldiers who had come ashore. Most of the soldiers were not wearing armor. They were caught off guard by the hail of arrows and fell down in large numbers. The soldiers behind them jumped when they saw that the situation was not good.  He went into the water and swam to the other side. The Han soldiers in the water also turned around.

    Wei YandaAngry, he urged his horse to jump into the water, holding a shield in one hand and a sword in the other, urging the horse to walk step by step towards the other side. Behind him, hundreds of elite soldiers followed Wei Yan's example, holding shields and spears in their hands, jumping into the river and walking slowly towards the other side.  go.

    Wei Yan's war horse jumped onto the shore. Wang Ping was already waiting on the shore. He gave a loud shout, galloped his horse, and struck Wei Yan head-on with his sword. Wei Yan threw away his shield and raised his sword to meet him. The two horses crossed each other.  A fierce battle is in place.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 568 The army presses the territory

    Wang Ping's swordsmanship was neat and he fought Wei Yan for more than 20 rounds without any flaws. However, at this time, hundreds of Han troops with spears rushed ashore. They held shields and spears and effectively withstood Cao Jun's bows and arrows.  , covering more and more troops coming ashore to cross the river. Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, Wang Ping took advantage of the situation, turned his horse's head and fled, shouting: "Retreat quickly!"

    The archers and crossbowmen of Cao's army in the woods followed Wang Ping in retreat. Wei Yan was worried that there was an ambush in the woods, so he stopped his men's pursuit and immediately ordered the soldiers to cross the river. This time, there was no enemy to disrupt them, and it only took the Han army a quarter of an hour to defeat them.  The thousands of spear troops all crossed the Yangshui River and quickly assembled on the shore.

    Wei Yan led two thousand troops and rushed towards Cao Cao's defense line on the north bank. At this time, a fierce bow and arrow battle broke out on both sides of the Yangshui River. Three thousand Han army crossbowmen fired a volley of arrows, attacking Cao Cao's army who stayed behind the bunker.  They suppressed Cao's army tightly, making it impossible for Cao's army to counterattack.

    At this time, Wang Ping led 500 Cao troops and rushed back, shouting: "Retreat back to the camp immediately!"

    Cao¡¯s army hiding behind the bunker ran northward one after another. Dozens of them ran a little slower and were shot by random arrows from the Han army. They fell to the ground screaming. The remaining soldiers ran desperately and followed Wang Ping to retreat to Heisongzhai.

    However, Wei Yan led his army to attack quickly from the east and caught up with some of Cao's soldiers. More than a hundred Cao's soldiers were so frightened that they knelt down and surrendered. Wei Yan was filled with hatred and refused to accept the surrender. He ordered the soldiers to massacre. In just a moment,  The corpses of more than a hundred Cao Jun soldiers were strewn on the ground, all stabbed to death with spears.

    Wang Ping was also frightened and did not dare to stay. He led the remaining 800 soldiers to escape all the way to Heisong Ridge.

    The ambush on the other side had been cleared, and Zhao Yun once again ordered a bridge to be built across the river. In just an hour, the Han army built three pontoon bridges. Eight thousand soldiers quickly crossed the Yangshui, met up with Wei Yan's army, and continued to the Black Pine Ridge.  Go ahead.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just the day before Liu Jing's army began the Northern Expedition, Cao Cao also led 60,000 troops to Jicheng, Tianshui County. Although Han troops were also found active on Chencang Road, Cao Cao still transported supplies from the Han army to Wudu County on a large scale.  , it was judged that the main force of the Han army must go north via Qishan Road.

    To conquer Guanzhong, at least more than 100,000 troops are needed, and a large amount of grain and grass materials need to be mobilized. There may be some small strategies in specific operations, but in terms of strategy, Liu Jing cannot use tricks. Taking the Qishan Road is conclusive  undoubtedly.

    At this time, Cao Cao's troops deployed along the Qishan Road had reached 120,000. Almost all of his elite troops had been mobilized here, and Cao Cao's army had a geographical advantage. Cao Cao had great confidence in this battle.

    In the inner hall of the state government, Cao Cao was discussing strategies for the war with counselors Xun You and Chen Qun. In front of them was a medium-sized sand table, one foot long and one foot wide, clearly showing the terrain of Guanzhong and Hanzhong, which Cao Cao originally wanted to seize.  It took half a year to make in Hanzhong and finally came in handy.

    "I'm thinking, if we defeat Liu Jing's army in this battle, should we continue to march and capture Hanzhong in one fell swoop."

    Chen Qun is only in his thirties this year. He is an upright man and has always been known for adhering to principles. Although he angered Cao Cao several times and was punished, Cao Cao immediately pardoned him and apologized to him after his anger dissipated.  He attached great importance to Chen Qun. During the Guanzhong War, Chen Qun actually served as deputy military advisor.

    Chen Qun heard that Cao Cao wanted to continue to capture Hanzhong, and immediately said: "If some prerequisites are met, I think it is not impossible to capture Hanzhong, but the top priority now is to improve the defense of Qishan."

    The implication is that it is too early to talk about taking Hanzhong. Cao Cao was a little unhappy and asked: "What conditions must be met? I might as well make it clear in the long article."

    "The condition that Weichen refers to is that the Han army can be completely defeated, and at least more than half of its army must be annihilated. If we do not meet this condition, if we head south rashly, we will be encircled and counterattacked by it, which will ultimately affect the gains and losses of Longxi."

    Cao Cao remained silent and asked Xun You, "What do Gongda think?"

    Xun You smiled slightly, "Frankly speaking, I support Chang Wen's opinion. If this battle reaches a certain point, it is indeed possible to capture Hanzhong, then it is not a bad idea to continue the fight. But now The Prime Minister is indeed a little bit  Thinking too far ahead."

    Cao Cao respected Xun You's opinion very much. Since even he said this, maybe he did think too much. He laughed dryly and turned back to ask Chen Qun: "The long article just mentioned that we should improve the defense of Qishan. Is there any loophole in our defense of Qishan?"  ?¡±

    Chen Qun said frankly: "The current Qishan defense was planned by Mr. Zhang without much consultation from the generals. Moreover, I firmly opposed it, but Mr. Zhang did not listen. Now I hope the Prime Minister can find the problem."

    Cao Cao¡¯s face immediately darkened, ¡°Please explain in detail in a long article, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

      Chen Qun picked up the wooden pole, pointed at the Qishan area and said: "Now the defense of Qishan deployed by Mr. Zhang is divided into four parts. Yu Jin is responsible for the south of Qishan, Zang Ba is responsible for the east of Qishan, Li Dian is responsible for the west of Qishan, and Hao Zhao leads a group  Ten thousand troops are deployed to the north of Qishan, but they are not to support the south, but only to defend Jicheng. If 40,000 troops are deployed in their own formations, can they really prevent the Han army from moving north? "

    Before Chen Qun could finish speaking, Cao Cao punched the sand table frame hard, "This evil obstacle almost missed my chance!"

    Cao Cao has experienced hundreds of battles, and he can see at a glance the problems in this kind of deployment, that is, it is easy for the enemy to concentrate their forces and defeat them individually. It can be said that this kind of deployment is a taboo for military strategists.

    Chen Qun continued: "Of course, Mr. Zhang has his reasons for deploying like this, because General Xiahou deployed it like this before. It is difficult to garrison large-scale troops in the dangerous places around Qishan Mountain. This is also true, so Wei Chen did not say it was wrong.  But it still needs to be perfected.¡±

    Cao Cao also knew that Chen Qun was trying to save face for him. After all, he was his son. Xia Houyuan's original deployment was to prevent Hanzhong's small army from going north to support Ma Chao. It was okay to deal with an army of about 10,000, but now they faced seven or eight  Obviously, the main force of the Wanhan Army will not be deployed in this way.

    Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "You don't have to speak for him. My stupid son can go to the north to fight the Huns, but he is not suitable to lead such a large-scale battle. I know it very well, so I came to Tianshui County in person."

    Cao Cao's anger calmed down a little, and he asked Chen Qun again: "Tell me your plan?"

    "Weichen's plan is to cancel the defenses on all sides of Qishan Mountain, and just set up a defense point of 20,000 people to the north of Qishan Mountain. No matter how many troops Liu Jing has, they will not be able to go north unless he removes this defense point, otherwise his logistics will  There will be problems with support.¡±

    Cao Cao nodded. He realized very early that the biggest weakness of Liu Jing's army during the northern expedition was the logistical and food support. He had to take advantage of this weakness of the opponent to make a fuss.

    He glanced at Xun You again, and Xun You smiled slightly, "Actually, the Prime Minister mistakenly blamed the Second Young Master. The Second Young Master's deployment of troops in this way was my suggestion to him."

    Both Cao Cao and Chen Qun were startled. How could it be Xun You's suggestion?  Cao Cao asked in confusion: "Why did Gongda teach him to deploy troops like this? It's obvious"

    Xun You smiled faintly and said, "The so-called war is never tired of deceit. If we don't give Liu Jing a little sweetness, how can he have the confidence to go north? Prime Minister, do you understand what I mean?"

    Cao Cao nodded, "I understand what Gongda meant. He wanted to lure Liu Jing north to cooperate with the chain plan and make him feel like he underestimated the enemy. So what should we do now?"

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple!¡±

    ??

    Cao Cao knew that if Yu Jin abandoned his camp and headed north, he would be chased by the Han army and most likely the whole army would be annihilated. However, Xun You's strategy was very clear and Yu Jin's army was a bait. Cao Cao immediately made a decision and said: "Immediately order Xiahou Yuan to come see me!  "

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhao Yun launched two exploratory attacks in Heisong Ridge, both of which ended in failure. The easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack terrain of Heisong Ridge and the 5,000-man garrison gave Cao's army a firm defensive advantage. At least 20,000 men were needed to attack.  Capture Cao Jun's camp.

    After Zhao Yun lost nearly a thousand attacking soldiers, he stopped the attack and set up a camp on the north bank of the Yangshui River, waiting for the arrival of the main force of the Han army. Three days later, the main force of 60,000 troops led by Liu Jing crossed the Yangshui River and stationed in the Han Dynasty.  camp.

    So far, Liu Jing is still very satisfied with Zhao Yun's performance, especially the capture of Licheng without losing a single soldier, which is even more admirable for his clever strategy. Of course, this is mainly due to Pang Tong, and Zhao Yun does not take any credit.  The first credit goes to Pang Tong.

    In the Chinese army's tent, Liu Jing was discussing the military situation with everyone and listened to Zhao Yun's report. Zhao Yun admired Wang Ping, Yu Jin's deputy general, and praised him for his courage and strategy, and as a promising young general.

    Zhang Ren next to him smiled and said: "Speaking of which, I know this Wang Ping. He is from Bajun. He was once a famous swordsman and ranger in Bajun. He later wanted to join the army and become a general, but Liu Zhang didn't like his status as a ranger, so he was not sure.  He joined the Yizhou Army, and later heard that he went to the north, and he probably joined the Cao Army. "

    Liu Jing nodded and said: "Since you are from Bajun, you can fight for it. Liu Zhang doesn't want it, but I, Liu Jing, want it. This matter will take time. Let's wait for a while. Now I want to take a look at the deployment map of Cao Cao's army in Qishan.  ¡±

    Zhao Yun quickly took out a blueprint and handed it to Liu Jing, "This is the deployment of Cao's army based on the intelligence from several scouts. Please ask the state pastor to take a look."

    Liu Jing took it and looked at it carefully for a long time. He walked to the sand table again and followed the map.As a warning, he placed several blue flags on the corresponding positions on the sand table. He looked at them for a moment, and couldn't help but smile and said to everyone: "Look at Cao Jun's deployment, it's very interesting."

    ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

    Pang Tong also said on the side: "As far as I know, this should be Cao Zhang's deployment. It is a continuation of Xia Houyuan's approach, but with an increase in the number of troops. I think if it were Cao Cao, he would never deploy like this. It is said that Cao Cao has already arrived in Longxi  , so is it possible for Cao Jun to redeploy? "

    As soon as he finished speaking, a guard reported at the door: "Report to the State Shepherd, the scouts have important information to report!"

    "Let him in!"

    After a moment, a scout commander quickly walked into the big tent, knelt down on one knee and reported: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, just this morning, Cao's army stationed on the east and west roads of Qishan Mountain has withdrawn northward, and all supplies that cannot be taken away have been withdrawn."  All the food and grass were burned.¡±

    This news made Liu Jing smile to Pang Tong and everyone: "This news comes too timely. It seems that Cao Cao has taken the power of defense and denied Cao Zhang's deployment."

    Pang Tong pondered for a moment and said: "This must be Cao Cao shrinking the defense line, and the main camp in Heisongling will be no exception. Yu Jin should have received the order. If I am not mistaken, Yu Jin will withdraw his troops tonight, and it is  Retreat quietly."

    Next to him, Zhao Yun hesitated and said, "But Cao Cao's camp in Black Pine Ridge is indeed easy to defend and difficult to attack. It would be a pity to give up like this. Perhaps Cao Cao will consider Yu Jin's true situation and order him to stick to the camp."

    Liu Jing shook his head, "Zilong, what you said is wrong. The Black Pine Ridge camp is indeed difficult for your 10,000 vanguard army to capture, but what if it is an army of 40,000 people? I will not attack the mountain road, but start from  If we attack from the other side of the ridge, the Heisongling camp will be breached in two hours at most, and all 5,000 Cao Cao's troops will be wiped out. I understand Yu Jin, and he will never put himself in a desperate situation, so I agree with Master Pang's opinion.  Yu Jin will definitely withdraw his troops tonight."

    Zhao Yun did not insist anymore, and he himself was not sure. After pondering for a moment, Zhao Yun said again: "In that case, I will immediately send scouts to explore the information and keep abreast of the movements of the forbidden army at any time."

    Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "This is the most effective countermeasure!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 569 Night Chase

    Yu Jin received Cao Cao's withdrawal order at noon, which was exactly the same as the withdrawal order from Li Dian and Zang Ba. Cao Cao did not consider that his army was closest to the Han army and did not let him decide whether to retreat based on his own situation.

    Cao Cao¡¯s order was very firm, telling him to burn food and retreat north immediately. In other words, Yu Jin had to bear the huge risk of withdrawing his troops.

    This put Yu Jin into great distress. Of course he hoped to withdraw his troops, but if the withdrawal failed and he was ambushed and caused heavy losses, who would bear the responsibility? Will the Prime Minister admit that it was his order?

    Yu Jin knows Cao Cao very well. Cao Cao will not admit that he is responsible, but will let Yu Jin take the responsibility. But if he does not withdraw, Liu Jing's 70,000 troops are at the foot of the mountain. How long can he hold on?

    Yu Jin knew the defense of Heisongzhai very well. He had no problem dealing with Zhao Yun's 10,000 vanguards, but how could he withstand the 70,000 main force? As Wang Ping said, if he was defeated at the hands of Liu Jing, the prime minister would not blame him.

    At this time, Lieutenant General Wang Ping quickly walked into the tent, bowed to Jin Jin and saluted: "See you, General!"

    Yu Jin sighed and asked: "Zijun, what should I do now, should I withdraw or not?"

    Wang Ping pondered for a moment and said: "I can't talk about the issue of responsibility, but one thing I know is that if we don't withdraw, we have no way out. Once Liu Jing's army breaks through the camp, our entire army will be annihilated. If we withdraw, we may be pursued and killed or injured."  Tragic, but not annihilated."

    ¡°You mean, we should still withdraw?¡±

    Wang Ping nodded, "Actually, we had some hope in defending Black Pine Ridge before. Li Dian and Zang Ba would support us, but now there is no support. Once the Han army reaches the ridge and attacks us from the other side,  With only ten heavy trebuchets, our camp will be defeated, and then 20,000 troops will rush in. We have no way to escape. In fact, the Prime Minister also knows that we cannot hold it. Rather than annihilating the entire army, it is better to withdraw with less loss.  ¡±

    Yu Jin nodded. Wang Ping's suggestion finally convinced him. He thought for a moment and said: "In this case, we will retreat tonight. We can set up two armies, virtual and real. The virtual army will confuse the enemy, and the real army will retreat. General Wang can be willing to retreat for the virtual army."  The commander of the army?"

    "I am humbled by my position and would like to be the general's queen!" Wang Ping said without hesitation.

    In the afternoon of the same day, Yu Jin conveyed the order to prepare for the withdrawal of troops, and all large quantities of supplies such as food and ammunition were discarded.

    According to Cao Cao's order, the grain and grass must be burned and the supplies must be destroyed. Although Yu Jin was afraid that setting fire to the grain would arouse the suspicion of the Han army, he did not dare to disobey Cao Cao's military order.

    Before leaving the camp, Yu Jin ordered the soldiers to pour kerosene on more than 10,000 stones of grain and grass and burn them all. He also ordered that all the ordnance in stock be destroyed. Bows and arrows were smashed, swords were bent, and spears were cut off. The soldiers were all lightly equipped.  , to facilitate escape.

    At night, the fire in Heisong Village was soaring into the sky. Under the cover of darkness, the two armies went down the mountain separately from the north and east foot of Heisong Ridge.

    There were about 4,000 troops descending from the northern foot of the mountain. They were led by Jin, and they were the main force retreating north. The other army, which only had more than a thousand people, came down the mountain from the eastern foot. They were responsible for covering the main retreat and were led by deputy general Wang Ping.

    Wang Ping felt very complicated. He knew the danger he faced, and he did not want to go and die, but it was difficult to disobey military orders. More importantly, he was from Bashu, and everyone from Cao Cao to Cao Zhang was prejudiced against him.

    He took a deep breath in his heart, and with a feeling of pity, he wanted Cao and his son to see that he, Wang Ping, was the real pillar of talent.

    "General, where are we going?" a tooth general asked in a low voice.

    Wang Ping pondered for a moment and said: "When the main force withdraws, the Han army will definitely pursue them. We can ambush them halfway."

    He turned around, waved his hand, and shouted: "Follow me!" He led more than a thousand Cao's troops to the northwest.

    Just as Cao Jun left the Heisongling military camp, the Han army scouts discovered their movements and immediately rushed back to the camp to report. The Han army also immediately dispatched. Liu Jing personally led 20,000 troops out of the camp to pursue them.

    In the night, Pang Tong urged his horse to catch up with Liu Jing and whispered: "Yu Jin will definitely leave an army to contain our pursuit. I suspect there will be an ambush on the road. It's better for Zhou Mu to be careful."

    Liu Jing took it seriously, nodded and said with a smile: "Since Cao Jun wants to fish, I will send a fish to his door."

    He turned around and smiled at General Ma Dai: "How about asking General Wu to be a fish in the net?"

    Both Ma Dai and Pang De no longer followed Ma Chao. Pang Tong was appointed deputy general Wenpin to guard Xinye and led three thousand troops to confront Cao Jun in Nanyang. Ma Dai followed Liu Jing and was named General Yamen, commanding Liu Jing's tent.  Two thousand cavalry directly under his command.

    Ma Dai didn¡¯t understand what it meant to lure a fish into a net. He hesitated for a moment. Liu Jing smiled again and explained: ¡°There must be an ambush ahead. You can go and lure the fish.¡±The ambush army does not need cavalry, but can lead an army of three thousand swords and shields.  "

    Only then did Ma Dai understand, and immediately clasped his fists and said: "I obey my orders!"

    He turned his horse around and led an army of three thousand swords and shields to run northwest along the official road. Liu Jing immediately ordered, "Split the troops into three groups and advance!"

    Wang Ping's army was ambushing in a forest next to the official road. A thousand soldiers were holding crossbows, waiting patiently for the Han army to pursue them. Wang Ping was still a little worried. After all, he only had a thousand soldiers. If the Han army pursued them,  If the army exceeds 10,000 people, his interception will be meaningless.

    In fact, he can conclude that the pursuing army must exceed ten thousand people. He only hopes that they will divide their forces to pursue. Maybe he still has a glimmer of hope.

    At this moment, a spy quickly ran back and reported in a low voice: "An enemy army is coming here along the official road, about three thousand people."

    Wang Ping cheered up. This team was no more than no less, just enough for him to ambush. As long as he succeeded in ambush, he would definitely attract the main force of the Han army to cover Yu Jin's retreat.

    He immediately shouted: "Get ready for an ambush!"

    A thousand soldiers raised their crossbows and aimed at the official road. At this time, a slender fire dragon appeared not far away. This was a team holding torches, rushing towards this side. All Cao Jun soldiers were excited and waiting for the launch.  The command.

    The three thousand Han troops were getting closer and closer and gradually entered the shooting range. Ma Dai led the three thousand sword and shield army. The sword and shield army used large shields. This kind of shield was different from the light shield used by ordinary soldiers and different from the one used by the crossbowmen.  The shield is also different, but a heavy shield. Because there is a ferocious tiger head pattern painted on the shield, it is also called the tiger shield.

    The shield is five feet high and two feet and a half wide. It is made of solid walnut wood and covered with two layers of rawhide. It is soaked in oil and dried in the sun. This process is repeated three times. The entire production takes a year and weighs about ten kilograms. It is a shield.  The best among them, it can withstand the penetrating power of a five-stone crossbow from a distance of sixty steps. It is generally only equipped by the Sword and Shield Army.

    The Three Thousand Sword and Shield Army marched forward in three groups. The soldiers in the middle group held torches, and the soldiers on both sides held shields, covering their bodies from the sides. This was actually an ambush shooting arrows on both sides of the defensive official road.

    Wang Ping also discovered that this team was well-defended, but at this time he still had a bit of luck in his heart, so he shouted, "Shoot!"

    The sound of clappers sounded in the woods, and dense arrows were fired at the Han army on the official road. At this time, the Han army had already tightened their strings. When they heard the sound of clappers, they half-crouched and hid behind the giant shields. Only a few soldiers could not react in time.  Hit by a dense barrage of arrows, they screamed and fell down. Their vacated seats were immediately filled by the Sword and Shield Army in the middle.

    The Han army had already defended itself, so Cao Jun's ambush had no effect. The Sword and Shield army shouted loudly and rushed towards the woods dozens of steps away like a tide. Wang Ping felt his scalp exploding. He knew  He fell into the trap of the Han army. He was immediately anxious and ordered urgently: "Retreat immediately!"

    Thousands of Cao's troops followed him out of the woods and ran wildly to the north. But as soon as they came out of the woods, two armies with thousands of people on each side came out. Fires were everywhere, Cao's troops were intercepted on the left and right, and the Sword and Shield troops behind them also  Cut off their escape route.

    The leader of the general, wearing a gold helmet and iron armor and holding a halberd, was Liu Jing, the commander-in-chief of the Han army. Liu Jing laughed and said, "General Wang Ping, if you don't surrender now, how long will it take?"

    Wang Ping was panicked and turned his horses left and right, but there was no way to retreat. Zhang Ren was on the left, Wei Yan was on the right, and Ma Dai was behind him, surrounding a thousand legions.

    At this time, Zhang Ren shouted loudly: "Wang Ping, this is Duke Chu trying to persuade you to surrender. If you don't surrender, how can you go to see the elders of Ba County!"

    Wang Ping knew Zhang Ren, the former second-in-command of the Yizhou Army, and he knew that the golden-helmeted general in front of him must be Liu Jing. At this time, he remembered the unkindness of the Cao family and his son to him, and couldn't help but sigh and ordered: "  No resistance, the entire army surrenders!"

    Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers knelt down and surrendered one after another. Wang Ping also dropped his sword, dismounted from his horse, crawled on the roadside, and shouted: "Wang Ping is willing to surrender to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing also dismounted and helped him up, and comforted him softly: "General Wang is a hero of Bashu. Liu Zhang is incompetent and does not know heroes. I, Liu Jing, use you."

    Wang Ping thought of all the experiences he had experienced in the past. He was moved and choked up: "Wang Ping has been lost for many years. Today he returns to Shu. The state pastor has been so kind to him. I can only break my body and bones to repay him."

    Liu Jing nodded, "I will make you the Jingwu Colonel. I hope you will make outstanding achievements in the Han army again."

    "The last general would like to thank Zhou Mu for his kindness!"

    Liu Jing immediately ordered Zhang Ren to recruit Cao's army, and he led the troops to pursue northward along the official road.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Heisong Ridge is about fifty miles away from Qishan Mountain, and more than ten miles of it is still a basin with relatively open roads. But after passing the basin, there are nearly forty miles of rugged mountain roads. Yu Jin led his army to rush all the way. Half an hour later,  TheyAfter passing the Beishan Pass, we entered the rugged mountainous area. From here to the north, the road was very difficult, and the march of the four thousand Cao troops also slowed down.

    "General!"

    The general Zhang De chased him on horseback from behind and said to the ban: "Brothers are very tired. Let's rest for a while!"

    "Fart!" Yu Jin was so angry that he yelled: "I have only been running for half an hour and I need to rest. If I stop, the pursuers will come to kill me. If I don't stop, I will shoot and kill anyone who dares to stop!"

    Yu Jin whipped his horse fiercely and sped forward. General Zhang De had no choice but to turn around and scold the soldiers, "We are running for our lives now. Do you understand, run quickly!"

    The soldiers had no choice but to curse in a low voice while speeding up. After running another seven or eight miles, another mountain col appeared in front of them.

    The mountains in the Qishan area are relatively independent. Mountains stand tall and majestic, making such mountain cols and valleys everywhere. Generally, they have no names. Yu Jin did not care and accelerated his horse speed into the mountain col.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 570 Soldiers Passed Qishan

    The valley is about two miles long. In the Qishan area where there are many ravines, this can only be regarded as a very short valley. There are steep and tall peaks on both sides. The mountainside is covered with dense forests. When more than 4,000 Cao Jun rushed into the valley,  Earth-shattering drums suddenly burst out from both sides of the valley.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The sound of drums was like muffled thunder, echoing in the valley, the fire was bright, the shouts of killing were loud, and dense arrows on both sides were shot at the bottom of the valley.

    The sudden ambush shocked Cao Jun to death. The soldiers were immediately in chaos. Those who were hit by arrows screamed and fell to the ground. Everyone ran away desperately, pushing each other and trampling on each other. There were wailing and crying sounds. Yu Jin reacted very quickly. He had a mentality.  He was ready, fearing an ambush. When the drums sounded, he immediately turned around and shouted: "Follow me and rush out of the valley!"

    He whipped his horse several times, and regardless of the soldiers behind him, he galloped out of the valley. He was very experienced and knew that the first round was just to fire arrows, which caused chaos in Cao's army. Before the arrows were finished, the enemy troops still  There will be no impact down the mountain. This is also their only chance to escape. As long as they avoid the rain of arrows, they have a chance to escape.

    Yu Jin ran quickly and swung his sword to deflect the incoming arrows. At this moment, an arrow shot out like lightning and hit the back of his neck. At that moment, Yu Jin lowered his head, allowing him to avoid the fatal arrow.  The arrow pierced his helmet and flew more than ten steps away. Yu Jin was so frightened that his heart stopped beating and he threw away his knife. He leaned on his horse and fought hard to escape, gradually running away.

    On the hillside, Ma Chao held a bow and arrow in his hand, watching Yu Jin run away with some regret. This arrow could have killed the enemy general, but he escaped. At this time, the war drums of the Han army became more urgent.  The order to attack.

    Ma Chao pointed his spear and shouted: "Kill them down the mountain, and those who resist will be beheaded on the spot!"

    The 10,000 Han troops ambushing on both sides of the valley launched an all-out attack. On the hillside on the left was the general Zhao Yun, and on the hillside on the right was the deputy general Ma Chao. The two led their troops to kill down the valley. Cao's soldiers were desperate and knelt down one after another to surrender. At this point, five people in Heisongzhai  Qian Cao's army was completely wiped out. Yu Jin gathered more than 200 remaining soldiers who had escaped and fled towards Jicheng in panic.

    Although the Han army captured the three passes of Licheng, Bailong Pass and Heisongzhai in one go, opened the gate to Qishan Mountain and won the first stage of victory, Liu Jing did not dare to be blindly optimistic. He knew that these victories were due to Cao Zhang's deployment  Get it if you have questions.

    Cao Cao has changed his defensive measures, withdrawing the two defensive lines in Qishan East and Qishan West, and concentrated 30,000 troops in Xicheng County in the north of Qishan. This made Jicheng and Xicheng form an horn, and Cao Cao also had 70,000 to 80,000 troops.  The army was deployed in these two cities.

    More importantly, Cao Cao also discovered his weakness, that is, if the battle line is too long, there will be problems with logistical supplies. Food and grass transportation is indeed a weakness of the Han army that is difficult to make up for. Liu Jing mobilized 150,000 civilians and 300,000  It took nearly two months to move 300,000 shi of grain from Nanzheng to Xiaben City in Wudu, using only one animal power.

    Now his 70,000-strong army is nearly 200 miles away from Shimoben County on a mountain road. Food transportation is very difficult. Food transportation and supplies have become the biggest weakness. Although their food teams continue to deliver food, it is not enough for the 70,000-strong army every day.  In terms of huge consumption, it still cannot solve the problem.

    Liu Jing once considered building wooden cows and flowing horses to transport military rations, and handed over this plan to Ma Jun, but unfortunately it has not been successful so far.

    Although they were very worried about the food and grass problem, they could not stop moving forward. A few days later, Liu Jing led 70,000 troops to Xicheng County and set up a ten-mile joint camp in the wilderness south of Xicheng County.

    As for logistics, it can only be guaranteed by the continuous transportation of grain and grass. For this reason, Liu Jing ordered Zhang Ren to lead 10,000 troops to escort along the way to ensure the safety of the grain transportation line.

    Xicheng is the southernmost county of Tianshui County. The city is tall and wide, with a circumference of nearly 20 miles. It is located on the Luoyue Slope Highlands and is known as the gate to southwestern Longxi. Its strategic position is very important. The empty city plan in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was staged here.  .

    In Cao Zhang¡¯s original deployment, Xicheng was an extremely important defense point. It was the shield of Jicheng and the logistics support base for the three defense points in Qishan. It was guarded by 10,000 troops led by General Hao Zhao.

    Hao Zhao was good at defense. He led his soldiers and civilians to raise the height of the West City wall, making it reach three feet. Not only that, he also built thirty platforms in the inner city of the three walls and installed thirty trebuchets on them.  .

    After Cao Cao took over the battle in Longxi, he also attached great importance to the defense of the West City. He ordered the troops at the three defense points in Qishan to be withdrawn to the West City. At the same time, he appointed Xia Houyuan as the chief general, Hao Zhao as the deputy general, and Chen Qun as the counselor to defend the West City.

    Although Yu Jin¡¯s army failed to break through, Xicheng¡¯s army still numbered 30,000, defending Xicheng like an iron barrel.

    In the early morning, it was bright and clear. On the city wall, Xia Houyuan stared at the Han army camp in the distance with cold eyes. He returned.He asked Yu Jin: "Can Wen Ze be sure that Liu Jing is in the army?"

    Yu Jin sighed, "If Liu Jing was not in the army, how could I have suffered such a disastrous defeat? I saw him inspecting Black Pine Ridge with my own eyes, so of course I know him."

    Xia Houyuan's mouth revealed a sarcastic smile, "It seems that General Yu really has a fate with Liu Jing. As long as General Yu is around, our army will be defeated, and every time the soldiers will flee."

    Yu Jin immediately said angrily: "What does General Xiahou mean by this? I only lead an army of 5,000 people. How can I defeat Liu Jing's main force of 70,000 people? In the Battle of Chibi, General Xiahou did the same."

    Before Yu Jin could finish his words, he was interrupted by Chen Qun next to him, "General Yu, General Xiahou has no other meaning. He just said that Liu Jing is going to fight in person, so we need to be extremely cautious."

    Xia Houyuan's face had darkened. Although Yu Jin had not finished speaking, he knew what Yu Jin was going to say. He said that he was also captured by the Jingzhou army. It could be said that this was a great shame and humiliation for Xia Houyuan. He did not allow anyone to mention it, not even the prime minister.  When this matter was brought up, Yu Jin actually revealed his scars in front of everyone.

    Xia Houyuan said coldly: "The Prime Minister wants to know the details of the defeat in Licheng and the annihilation of your entire army. You should go back to Jicheng and report to the Prime Minister!"

    Yu Jin also realized that he had just opened Xia Houyuan's scars in a hurry and offended this important minister, but he could not apologize to Xia Houyuan. He bit his lips hard, clasped his fists and said, "I obey my orders!"

    He turned around and quickly walked down the city, summoned his own soldiers, and was about to leave Xicheng for Jicheng. Xia Houyuan did not stop him, and looked at him coldly as he walked down the city, and then said to Chen Qun calmly: "I am a relatively  Pay attention to the situation. Yu Jin has been defeated repeatedly against Liu Jing. He is already an ominous person. Keeping him in Xicheng is not good for our army, so I drove him away. Don't blame me sir."

    Chen Qun smiled and said: "I understand what General Xiahou means, so I didn't stop him. In fact, Yu Jin is not unlucky, but he is unlucky and always encounters Liu Jing's strength."

    "Yes! He is really unlucky, and I'm afraid that the luck he gave me will also be bad." At this point, Xia Houyuan couldn't help laughing.

    Xia Houyuan stopped laughing and asked Chen Qun, "How do you think I should deal with Liu Jing, sir?"

    Chen Qun stared at the military camp in the distance and sneered: "Liu Jing's biggest weakness is that it is inconvenient to transport food and grass, and he cannot fight a protracted war with us. But this is exactly what we need to do. As long as the general can hold the West City behind closed doors,  Without a fight, Liu Jing won¡¯t be able to hold on for at least two months.¡±

    Xia Houyuan nodded, "This is also what the Prime Minister meant. In fact, I think it is best to send troops to disrupt his food channels."

    Chen Qun shook his head slightly, "It is necessary to harass the grain road, but this is a matter for the prime minister. We have only one task, to defend the west city and strive for the final victory."

    At this time, a soldier rushed over and handed a pigeon letter to Xia Houyuan, "Prime Minister, urgent message!"

    Xia Houyuan took the pigeon letter, slowly unfolded it, read it carefully, turned around and smiled at Chen Qun: "The Prime Minister sent troops south two days ago, and is expected to arrive at Shangfang Valley tomorrow, which is fifteen miles away from us.  The military responds to each other.¡±

    Chen Qun's expression changed and he said anxiously: "If this is the case, the Han army will definitely attack the city today!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, the rumble of war drums came from the distance.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The sky is getting brighter, and the sun shines through the heavy clouds, casting a golden light on the top of the West City. The warning bell rings on the top of the West City.  when!  ' The bell rang, and 15,000 soldiers of Cao's army rushed to the top of the city, holding bows, arrows and crossbows, and were ready.

    Another 15,000 people served as the second round of defenders, waiting under the city, nervously preparing to replace the casualties.

    Outside the city, the overwhelming Han army has arrived in a mighty manner. There are more than 30,000 people in total. They are divided into three large square formations and pouring towards the West City from three directions.

    The horns sounded, the drums beat like thunder, infantry, cavalry, crossbowmen, and more than twenty heavy trebuchets in the distance followed the team like giants. The 30,000-strong army undulated like waves, and gradually stopped.  The city is about one mile long.

    The soldiers of the Han army wore iron robes on their heads and armbands decorated with iron plates. The generals above the village commander wore fish scale armor. The three thousand troops in front were the sword and shield troops, and the second group were eight thousand hand-held troops.  Crossbowman.

    Behind them was the main siege force of 20,000 people - the spear army. They were armed with spears and light shields. They were in order. The iron sheets and spear points on their bodies shone in the sun, and they were filled with murderous aura.

    The team carried two hundred siege stairs. They did not carry ladders and nest carts, but they had more than twenty heavy trebuchets and three battering rams.

    Liu Jing stood on a wooden platform carried by a hundred soldiers.Behind him were four standard-bearers, surrounded by five hundred cavalry.

    Liu Jing got the news in the middle of the night that Cao Cao led tens of thousands of troops south, obviously to form a horns with Xicheng. Of course Liu Jing knew that Cao Cao's army going south would be very unfavorable to the Han army.

    If Cao Cao's army can capture Xicheng before it reaches it, the situation in Longxi will be completely reversed, and Cao Cao will have to retreat to Guanzhong.

    Liu Jing looked coldly at the city in the distance. The city was covered with flags and densely packed with Cao soldiers. Behind them were dozens of huge trebuchets, standing high on the city wall. Liu Jing had participated in  After countless siege battles, he was well aware of the power of trebuchets. It was the trebuchets that brought heavy losses to Jiangdong's army in Chaisang. Although Jiangdong's army had monster-like nest cars, Chaisang was not captured in the end.  .

    However, he did not expect that Cao Jun would suddenly go south to aid in large numbers, nor did he expect that Cao Jun would strictly guard the city and build the West City like an iron barrel, which made his preparations for the siege a little hasty, especially since the West City is located on a slope, condescending and occupying a large area.  The huge geographical advantage made Liu Jing somewhat worried.

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, the formation is ready!" An officer rushed to report.

    Liu Jing looked back and saw nearly a hundred cows dragging three huge battering rams, seven feet long and six feet in diameter, with an iron head on the front. It would take more than a hundred people to hold such a giant battering ram.  .

    In front of the battering ram, twenty trebuchets were slowly climbing up the slope with great difficulty. The thirty-degree slope was a severe challenge for the huge trebuchets or nest cars. It was becoming more and more obvious that the Han army  The trebuchet will probably not work in this battle.

    Although Liu Jing still had doubts about the effectiveness of the trebuchet, the arrow was already on the string and he could not let it go. He finally gave the order to attack: "Launch the attack!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 571 Siege Battle

    This is the first bloody siege by the Han army in the true sense. Although everyone knows that siege will pay a heavy price, this is war, and cruelty and ruthlessness are the essence of war.

    The flag was waved, and the drums of the attack sounded, "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The drums resounded throughout the wilderness.

    The Three Thousand Sword Shield Army outside the South City launched the first round of offensive. The Three Thousand Sword Shield Army came in like a tide. They carried countless long wooden boards, held their shields high, shouted and rushed towards the city wall. They needed to  Use wooden planks to fill the three trenches in front of the city wall to create siege conditions for the siege troops behind.

    Iron arrows were like dense rain. The Sword and Shield army was still hundreds of steps away. The defenders at the top of the city began to shoot. Iron arrows one foot and five inches long were fired from three hundred crossbows at the same time, whistling towards the Sword and Shield.  The heavy shield of the sword and shield army could not stop the iron crossbow bolt that was strong enough to penetrate the golden cracked stone. The iron crossbow bolt penetrated the heavy shield of the sword and shield army, and the Han soldiers fell to the ground screaming.

    At the same time, on the top of the city, Cao Jun's more than ten trebuchets began to creak open. Because they attacked from top to bottom, the power of the trebuchets became more powerful.

    Stones as big as millstones were put into the throwing bags. Lieutenant General Hao Zhao gave an order and thirteen trebuchets were launched at the same time. Thirteen huge stones were thrown up high and rolled in the air, drawing arcs.  The ground was thrown into the dense crowd.

    "Boom!" There was a loud noise, and screams were heard everywhere. Several Tuhan soldiers fled and were smashed into meat patties by huge rocks. The huge inertia caused the rocks to roll along the slope among the crowd, extremely fast and violent.  After taking more than forty steps, the Han soldiers tried their best to dodge to both sides, but fifty or sixty people were still killed by the collision of more than a dozen boulders. Hundreds more were injured, with broken bones and tendons, and the sound of wailing could be heard.

    Immediately after the second, third, and fourth rounds of trebuchets were fired, accompanied by the firing of crossbows from Cao Cao's army of 10,000 people on the top of the city, arrows rained like dense rain on the top of the city, and there were heavy casualties below the city. Every time a huge stone fell, it would bring  With dozens of casualties, it was simply a machine for killing people, causing heavy casualties to the Han army.

    The role played by trebuchets in defending the city is unparalleled. In the Battle of Guandu ten years ago, Cao Jun, who was slightly weaker, used hundreds of giant trebuchets to kill tens of thousands of Yuan's troops, which was a glorious victory for the Battle of Guandu.  A solid foundation was laid.

    Although Liu Jing founded the craftsmanship school and introduced a large number of skilled craftsmen such as Ma Jun to make military inventions and achieve brilliant achievements, Cao's army in the north was equally powerful in military weapons and their experience in attacking and defending cities was far superior to that of the southern army.  .

    In Xicheng, Cao's army used the most powerful trebuchet in the northern army, causing huge losses to the attacking Han army. The battlefield was littered with corpses, with smashed bodies, smashed heads, and blood flowing everywhere.  The river became red, and the fallen rocks were dyed red. In just one attack, the Han army lost thousands of people.

    Despite the heavy casualties, the Sword and Shield Army laid wooden planks on the three ravines, creating conditions for the attacking army behind. The Han Army's eight thousand crossbow troops had also rushed to about a hundred steps, and they were free from the attack of the trebuchets.  area.

    Eight thousand crossbowmen fired at the top of the city at the same time. Nearly ten thousand arrows were fired in unison. The dense arrows shot at the top of the city like a storm. Cao Jun on the top of the city was hit by arrows one after another. The archers quickly retreated, not daring to raise their heads again. Cao Jun's bows  The soldiers were quickly suppressed.

    As the drums of the Han army's attack sounded again, the 20,000 spearmen broke out with a cry of killing, braving the huge rocks rolling overhead, carrying the siege ladder

    Twenty thousand troops were arranged in four square formations. Each square formation was separated by a hundred steps, just like four huge black carpets, undulating and advancing on the ground. The morale of the army was high and murderous. They moved closer to the city wall from two miles away, and the drums beat.  Like thunder, the horns reach the sky, the flags cover the sky and the sun, the spears are like forests, and the shields are like mountains. Under the sunlight, they glow with the black color of death.

    The main attacking general, Zhao Yun, rode on his horse and pointed at the city with his sword, "Forward!"

    ¡°Woo~~¡±

    The low sound of the trumpet resounded throughout the world, and a dozen wooden domes were erected in the middle of each team. They were used to protect against flying stones on the city. With the huge roar of the wooden domes, the team began to slow down.  Fight towards the city wall.

    Drums were also beating loudly on the top of the city. Xia Houyuan's eyes were red and he was roaring again and again. Although he knew that this was just a tentative attack by the Han army, the opponent invested more than 30,000 people, which still caused huge pressure on him.

    Xiahou Yuan continuously mobilized his troops, invested 10,000 people in the defense of Nancheng, and personally directed the battle.

    At this time, Xia Houyuan found that the arrows of the crossbowmen below the city were too fierce, and suppressed the archers at the top of the city. They were very passive. Xiahou Yuan shouted anxiously: "Change the long bow and bring up the arrows"

    "Asshole! Go move the rocks first and prepare the trebuchet!"

    The thirteen heavy trebuchets on the head of Nancheng opened again. This is the most powerful trebuchet of Cao Jun. It is three feet high.Its arms are six feet long, and it can throw stones up to four hundred paces away. It takes two hundred people to pull it.

    Thirteen dark trebuchets stood on a specially built platform, just like thirteen monsters. A boulder weighing more than a hundred kilograms was put into the magazine. Two hundred people pulled twenty arm-thick leather belts, waiting for launch.  The command.

    Under the battlements, the four thousand archers of Cao's army have replaced their longbows, so they can squat down and shoot arrows outwards, avoiding the densely fired crossbow bolts. Two-foot-long thick arrows have been put on the bowstrings, and they are shooting towards each other intensively.  Shoot outside.

    The longbow arrows they used at this time were slightly different from the bows and arrows used in peaceful battles. The arrows did not need to be able to shoot far, but they had to be heavy so that the arrows could rely on their own gravity to shoot through the enemy's armor. Therefore, they were generally  Use big arrows, finger-thick arrow shafts, sharp arrow tips in a streamlined shape, and bleeding grooves on the four sides.

    The range of the arrows was only fifty steps and could not hurt the Han crossbowmen who were a hundred steps away. However, they were deadly killers of the siege soldiers and caused huge losses to the Han troops who subsequently attacked the city.

    At this time, the main force of the Han army had gradually entered the range of the trebuchet. Xia Houyuan's face was ferocious, and the muscles on his face were twisted with tension. He shouted in a hoarse voice: "Trebuchet!"

    The red flag was waved, and Cao Jun struggled to pull the trebuchet. The long arms of thirteen monsters were waved out, and thirteen huge rocks flew into the air, roaring and smashing towards the city.

    Looking up from the city, we saw thirteen small black dots appearing in the sky, like a flock of geese flying across the sky. However, the small black dots grew larger and larger, and instantly turned into huge boulders rolling in the sky, hitting the heads of the Han army.  Down.

    The attacking Han soldiers shouted, and the soldiers hid under Doumeng, but there were still a large number of soldiers who had nowhere to hide. They shouted and dodged around, and the boulders fell down, 'Bang!  ' There was a loud noise and dust flew up. Several soldiers were unable to dodge and were smashed into pieces by the boulder. The boulder continued to roll forward, knocking over dozens of people before stopping.

    A huge stone hit the cowhide doumeng, with a loud "click" sound, and the doumeng collapsed. The soldiers rolled and crawled out from underneath, but the stone bounced off the doumeng and jumped forward for more than twenty steps.  Rushing into the crowd, screams rang out.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although Cao Jun's heavy trebuchet caused nearly 2,000 casualties to the Han army, it could not stop the attack of more than 30,000 troops. As the drums in the Han army camp accelerated, the soldiers in the four square formations ran  Get up and rush towards the city overwhelmingly.

    There was no city protection in the West City, but a two-foot-wide dry ditch was dug. The dry ditch to protect the city had been paved by the Sword and Shield Army, and it had lost its function as a barrier.

    Four-foot-high siege ladders crossed the moat and were set up on the city wall. Tens of thousands of Han soldiers climbed up the ladder like a colony of ants, led by thousands of light shield soldiers who climbed up with one hand.  Ladder, shield in one hand, Huanshou knife in mouth, struggling to climb up.

    Arrows rained down from the top of the city, stones and rolling wood fell like hail. Soldiers were hit and shot one after another, and fell down the city screaming.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The West City wall also has a horse-faced structure, which is a protruding piece of wall. It is named because its shape resembles a horse's face. It usually protrudes outward by two feet. Its function is to enable the defenders to shoot arrows at the enemy from behind.

    In this way, the siege soldiers ignored their backs and their backs were exposed and became targets. The soldiers on the city head fired arrows intensively, which brought serious danger to the Han army on the ladder. The casualties were extremely heavy, and most of the soldiers who fell were shot dead.  They were all shot in the back.

    The dead bodies piled up quickly under the city wall, and blood flowed through the city river, seeping out from the piles of corpses, staining the top and bottom of the city wall red. The soldiers on the city used steel forks to push outwards, and the barbs at the top of the siege ladder creaked away from the city.  His head turned outwards and he fell out. A group of soldiers on the ladder let out a long scream, and many people jumped off the ladder.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At this time, the first battering ram of the Han army was gradually approaching the city gate. More than a hundred people carried the battering ram on both sides, and hundreds of Sword and Shield Army soldiers held up their shields to protect them. They withstood the arrows fired by the soldiers at the top of the city.  , shouting and rushing towards the city gate, the situation guarding the city suddenly became serious.

    At this time, Hao Zhao rushed to Xia Houyuan and shouted: "General, you can repel the battering ram with kerosene!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, ¡®Boom!  There was a muffled sound that shook the earth. The city gate was hit by the battering ram, and the city gate made a harsh creaking sound. The city wall also shook violently. The soldiers were unable to stand steadily and fell one after another. Xia Houyuan also fell to the ground. He  He was so anxious that he shouted: "Use kerosene!"

    Cao's soldiers carried hundreds of barrels of kerosene and threw them downwards. The kerosene barrels shattered and the pungent kerosene flowed all over the floor. Just as the Han soldiers rushed towards them with their battering rams, they were about to collide.  When the gate rang for the second time, Cao Jun's soldiers fired dozens of rockets, igniting kerosene all over the ground. The fire burned rapidly and a sea of ????fire suddenly formed in front of the city gate.

    Dozens of Han soldiers were killedThe oil ignited their bodies and became pyrotechnics. They opened their arms and ran around wailing. Before they could run a few steps, they fell to the ground. The fire burned them and they curled up.

    Cao Jun's kerosene bombs dealt a fatal blow to the battering ram. As the fire burned and spread, the huge battering ram was also ignited. The soldiers carrying the battering ram had to abandon the battering ram and flee, and the battering ram crashed to the ground.  , and was soon engulfed by the raging fire.

    The casualties were close to five thousand, and more than half of the two hundred siege aircraft carried by the Han army had been destroyed. The situation began to go against the Han army. Liu Jing stared blankly at the raging fire at the city gate, even though the kerosene was used by him for the first time.  After using it once, he didn't expect it to be so sharp. Liu Jing couldn't help but let out a long sigh, "Send the troops with gold!"

    With ¡®Dang!  when!  ' The bell rang, and the Han army retreated like a tide. Their first attack on the city failed.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 572 Fatal Weakness

    Cao Cao's army arrived at Xicheng in the evening. They did not approach Xicheng. Instead, they set up camp in a wilderness about ten miles away from Xicheng. Cao Cao's soldiers were busy in the camp. Inside the tent, Cao Cao was listening.  General Zang Ba's report on offensive and defensive warfare.

    Xia Houyuan successfully withstood the fierce attack of the Han army, resulting in nearly 5,000 casualties of the Han army, which made Cao Cao quite satisfied.

    This can be said to be a rare example of Cao's army defeating the Han army. It also shows that his prediction was completely correct. The Han army could defeat Cao's army in the water country in the south, but in the north, the Han army's advantage disappeared.  Cao Jun's opponent.

    Cao Cao walked to the tent with his hands behind his back and stared at the setting sun for a long time. The towering mountains in the distance were stained with a layer of blood. His heart was up and down. In the past few years, he had been overwhelmed by the rise of Liu Jing, and  At this moment, he actually had a sense of clarity that cleared the clouds and revealed the sun.

    The Battle of Xicheng was like a mirror, allowing him to see the other side of Liu Jing's army. Leaving the south, the Han army was like a fish out of water. Their myth of invincibility was broken in the Battle of Xicheng, which made Cao Cao see  Arrived at hope.

    Thinking of this, Cao Cao turned around and smiled at Zang Ba: "General Zang, go and rest for a while. I will find you later."

    "I humbly obey my command!" Zang Ba bowed hastily and then retreated.

    At this time, Cao Cao smiled at Xun You and said, "Does Gongda have any new ideas?"

    Xun You pondered for a moment and said: "We hope that the prime minister will not be scornful because Liu Jing failed to attack the city. In fact, the Han army failed to attack the city because the west city was condescending and the Han army's trebuchets could not work. Otherwise, the outcome of the battle would have been different."  The outcome is unpredictable.¡±

    The smile on Cao Cao's face suddenly froze. After a while, he nodded silently, "Gongda is right!"

    Xun You laughed again and said: "Although the Han army is very powerful, our strategy is close to success. Now Liu Jing is at his wits' end. I think he knows that protracted delay is extremely detrimental to his army. This is when we use our trump card."  It¡¯s time, but before using the trump card, I suggest another false shot to create an illusion for Liu Jing.¡±

    Cao Cao obeyed Xun You's strategy. He smiled and asked, "I wonder what this feint means?"

    "It's very simple, rob the Han army's food road!"

    Xun You whispered to Cao Cao, "Find a general who is likely to surrender to Liu Jing"

    Cao Cao nodded repeatedly and laughed understandingly.

    After the first exploratory attack failed, Liu Jing withdrew his troops and returned to the camp. He did not launch a second large-scale attack. Instead, he summoned all generals and counselors above the deputy captain level to gather in the big tent to review the failure of the siege.  reason.

    "From the terrain point of view, our army is indeed in a disadvantageous position, but I don't think this is the main reason. The reason is that many of our generals, including myself, Liu Jing, have the intention of underestimating the enemy and always think that Cao Jun is unbearable.  A blow, don't forget, it was in the south of the Yangtze River, on the Han River and the Yangtze River, and now we are in the north, and Cao Jun is the overlord of the north. When we challenged the overlord of the north, we actually had the intention of underestimating the enemy. This  It¡¯s a danger signal!¡±

    Liu Jing's attitude was very stern, and there was silence in the tent. Everyone lowered their heads in shame. At this time, Zhao Yun sighed and said: "I bear the main responsibility for the failure of this siege. I am willing to take responsibility and ask the state pastor to punish him."  !¡±

    Liu Jing shook his head, "I didn't say that losing a siege is a failure. Losing a siege is normal, but such heavy casualties are not normal. In the final analysis, it is because we underestimated the enemy. Today I want to review it with you.  It¡¯s about underestimating the enemy, not defeat.¡±

    Seeing that everyone was ashamed, Liu Jing knew that it was enough to stop at the review point, so he said to everyone: "Everyone, go back! I hope everyone can remain silent. This review is limited to all of us here. Don't expand it any further, so as not to  Affects military morale.¡±

    Everyone stood up and left, leaving only four people, Liu Jing, Zhao Yun, Fazheng and Pang Tong, in the tent. Fazheng then said to Liu Jing sincerely: "Zhou Mu, please forgive me for speaking frankly. I feel that this attack on the city  In fact, Zhou Mu was too hasty in the battle and was not fully prepared. This is the real reason for our defeat, and it is not a matter of underestimating the enemy. "

    Pang Tong also said: "I feel it too. I feel that Zhou Mu seemed a little impatient after passing Qishan. In fact, this siege is obviously not good for us. We should not fight. We should look for opportunities in the confrontation. Xiaozhi is right.  , too hasty is the main reason for the failure of this siege. "

    Liu Jing was silent for a moment and said: "The two military advisors are right. I am indeed a little impatient. The main reason is that our food and grass are only enough to last ten days, and the battle line is too long, and supplies are a problem. They can only be delivered every two days."  A single supply of food is only enough to feed an army of 70,000 people for one day. The pressure on military food is very high. This kind of food transportationThe problem of losing is that we have never encountered it before. If we fight a long and protracted war like this, we can't afford it. That's what Cao Cao means, so I must capture the west city before Cao Cao's main force arrives, but now it seems that this idea seems unrealistic.  .  "

    Zhao Yun suggested from the side: "The main force of Cao's army is only 60,000 troops, which is equivalent to our strength. In fact, we can fight the main force of Cao's army and order 10,000 troops to focus on the west city. If we can defeat the main force of Cao's army, the west city will be destroyed."

    "Inappropriate!"

    Fazheng and Pang Tong objected in unison. Fazheng said solemnly: "Cao's armies are horns of each other and have the advantage of supporting each other. If we attack the main force of Cao's army, Cao's army of 30,000 in the west city will definitely attack in full force and attack us from behind. We will be attacked from the front and back, or even just cut off  If we lose food, we will be defeated without a fight. This is a taboo for military strategists. We must not attack rashly. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "The reason why I did not go north to meet Cao Cao is because there are too many troops in the city, which is not suitable for the tactic of besieging the city for reinforcements. Now we have to either retreat the troops or stand in confrontation and wait for the opportunity. There is no better way for the time being."

    The three of them were silent. Retreating was obviously not feasible, so they could only temporarily confront each other. Fazheng and Pang Tong were at their wits' end. At this moment, a soldier rushed to the tent door and reported: "Qizhou Mu,  The scouts discovered that Cao's army was moving, and an army of about 3,000 men took a small road and went deep behind us. "

    Everyone looked at each other in shock. This was Cao Cao's old trick of sending troops to rob their food roads. Liu Jing snorted loudly and then said to Zhao Yun: "Although Zhang Ren accompanied the army to protect the food, he may not be prepared. Zilong can lead five people."  Thousands of people will go south to intercept, and we must annihilate all Cao¡¯s troops who are attacking the grain road!¡±

    "Wei Chen obeys your orders!"

    Zhao Yun clasped his fists in salute and left in a hurry. Liu Jing walked to the tent door, looked at the north with her hands behind her hands and said to herself: "Thief Cao, I'm afraid I will disappoint you!"

    The dark night shrouded the vast mountains. There were no stars or moonlight, the dark clouds were low, and the night was extremely deep. On the dark and rugged mountain road, an army of three thousand people was marching rapidly southward.

    This is the Cao army that went to attack the grain road of the Han army. It was led by general Xiahoulan.

    Xiahoulan led his army to set out yesterday, bypassing the Han army camp from the west trail. They are currently in the area of ??the west road of Qishan Mountain. They are preparing to go around to Heisong Ridge, which is conducive to Cao Jun's attack on the grain road.

    It was already the fourth watch, and the mountain road was getting more and more difficult to walk. The road ahead could no longer be seen clearly. At this time, a confidant led his horse to Xiahou Lan and whispered: "General, take a rest.  Let¡¯s go later!¡±

    Xiahou Lan shook his head, "We were discovered by Han army scouts yesterday. There must be pursuers behind us. We cannot rest and continue marching!"

    "But the road ahead is very steep and it is very dangerous to walk in the dark at night. The Han army will not chase in the dark. It is better to stop and let the spies explore the road first."

    Xia Houlan thought for a moment, and that was okay. Anyway, what the Prime Minister said before leaving was not to rob food, but to make a big fuss. A simple fight would be in line with the Prime Minister's request. Thinking of this, Xia Houlan immediately ordered  : "Let the brothers rest on the spot for two hours!"

    General Ya was overjoyed and hurriedly stepped forward to deliver the order, "General, if you have an order, rest on the spot!"

    Cao's soldiers all found a dry place to sit down, drink water and eat dry food. At this moment, a soldier rushed over and reported to Xiahoulan: "General Qi, the Han army has been spotted twenty miles ahead.  A grain transport team has thousands of livestock and is escorted by about a thousand troops."

    Xia Houlan stood up and shouted sternly: "Everyone stand up and get ready to fight!"

    There is indeed a northbound grain team in a valley twenty miles away, consisting of 3,000 mules, transporting 8,000 stones of grain and 3,000 loads of fodder. The grain also includes more than 1,000 mule drivers and 1,000 escort soldiers.  The food was consumed on the road, and only 5,000 shi of food was left when it was transported to the frontline camp, and there was basically no fodder left.

    This food delivery team is just one of the twelve food delivery teams on Qishan Road. The twelve food delivery teams take turns delivering food in a steady stream to ensure the supply of food and grass for the 70,000 troops on the front line. Due to the darkness at night, for safety reasons, this food delivery team  The grain team did not take the night route, but spent the night in the valley.

    It was already past the fifth watch, and the sky was gradually getting brighter. It was no longer pitch black, and you could vaguely see the mountain road ahead. Amidst the shouts of the army, the mule drivers urged their mules and horses to get up and unload the grain.  The grain on the side was put on the back of the mule again, the mule was given water, and he packed up and prepared to set off.

    At this moment, a patrol sentry from the front rushed over and shouted urgently: "Retreat quickly! Cao's army is coming from the front and is already two miles away."

    ThisThe news immediately caused the grain team to become a mess. Some people in the mule and horse teams were at a loss, and some people ran back with their mules. At this time, Feng Jing, the tooth general who was guarding the grain team, shouted: "The grain team retreats south immediately."  , the army followed me to the mouth of the valley to stop Cao's army."

    He turned around and shouted to a military commander: "Wu Junhou, lead the two hundred brothers and lead the grain team to retreat south quickly!"

    In the chaos, the grain team turned around and headed south. Eight hundred soldiers rushed to the mouth of the valley to hide. They drew their bows and arrows, preparing to ambush Cao's army. Not long after, Xia Houlan led three thousand people and rushed towards them. The sky was bright and the light was dim.  , Cao Jun did not find the ambush at the entrance of the valley. They were eager to achieve success and ran towards the entrance of the valley as fast as possible until they were still dozens of steps away from the entrance of the valley.

    At this moment, there was a sudden bang in the valley, and arrows suddenly fired from both sides of the valley. The dense arrows were shot at Cao Jun. Cao Jun was caught off guard. The soldiers rushing in front fell to the ground after being hit by arrows. More than a hundred people were killed or injured.  People screamed loudly, and Cao Jun's soldiers retreated one after another.

    Xia Houlan was also taken aback and shouted: "Brothers with shields, come forward!"

    Cao's army immediately rushed out with hundreds of shield-holding soldiers, quickly formed a shield wall on the mountain road, and began to advance slowly. At the same time, Cao's army fired dense arrows at the mouth of the valley, and the Han army also suffered casualties.  At that moment, Feng Jing, the tooth general, saw that his bow and arrows had lost their effect. He shouted: "Kill him!"

    The eight hundred Han troops shouted "kill" in unison, rushed out from their hiding places, and charged at Cao Jun with spears and knives in hand. Cao Jun also shouted and rushed forward. The two armies collided and fought bloody battles in the wilderness outside the valley mouth.  .

    At this moment, Zhang Ren led three thousand Han troops from the south, rushed into the valley, and pounced on the battlefield several miles away.

    At the same time, Zhao Yun also led five thousand troops from the north and launched an attack on Cao Jun from behind.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 573 Unexpected Reinforcements

    In the early morning of the next day, the report of Cao Jun's sneak attack on the grain transport team was placed on Liu Jing's desk. The result did not surprise Liu Jing. He knew the importance of grain and grass transportation to him and sent 20,000 troops to protect the grain team. What did Cao Jun do?  Maybe take advantage.  .

    The result was just as he expected, three thousand Cao's troops were strangled by the combined efforts of Zhang Ren and Zhao Yun. Cao's army was completely wiped out, and the enemy general Xiahou Lan was captured.

    However, Zhao Yun said in the report that Xia Houlan and he were from the same hometown and had grown up together since childhood. He begged Liu Jing to spare his life. Liu Jing pondered for a moment and immediately ordered his soldiers: "Go quickly and bring the prisoner Xia Houlan to see you."  I!"

    Of course he would give Zhao Yun face, and if Xiahou Lan was willing to surrender, he might be able to get some important information from him. He always felt that Cao Jun's interference with the grain road was a bit strange this time.

    Liu Jing turned around and smiled at Fazheng: "Didn't Xiaozhi realize that Cao Cao seems to be more impatient than me this time?"

    Fazheng nodded, "It is indeed a bit strange that Cao Cao sent troops to disturb the grain roads this time. Logically speaking, he should know how closely we guard the grain roads. He sent three thousand people to harass the grain roads, but the effect was not great. Moreover, these three thousand people  He is going to die. As long as he holds his ground and confronts us, after a long time, we will naturally withdraw due to lack of food and grass. This time he really does not need to send troops to disturb our food routes. I always feel that there seems to be something hidden here.  kind of purpose.¡±

    As soon as Fazheng said this, a soldier reported outside the tent: "Report to Zhou Mu, Cao Cao sent someone to deliver the letter!"

    Liu Jing was startled and immediately said: "Let the messenger come in!"

    After a while, a messenger was led into the tent, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "I am sending a message to Liu Zhoumu as ordered by the Prime Minister."

    He took out a letter from his arms and presented it with both hands. Liu Jing took the letter and read it. Sure enough, it was a letter written by Cao Cao himself. He opened it and read it carefully. In the letter, Cao Cao accused him of being an important local minister of the imperial court.  , Crossing the border to use troops without permission was a sign of contempt for the emperor, and he was ordered to withdraw his troops immediately and return south. At the end of the letter, Cao Cao proposed that as long as he was willing to withdraw his troops, the emperor would confer on him the title of Yizhou Mu and ensure that he withdraws his troops.  Safety.

    Liu Jing smiled and said to the messenger: "I won't write a reply. Please tell the Prime Minister that I led the army north to escort the people of Sanfu back home. When the people of Sanfu have settled down, I will naturally withdraw my troops. Please  Prime Minister, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    The messenger bowed and said, "I will definitely tell you to take my leave!"

    Liu Jing ordered someone to send him out, and then handed the letter to Fa Zheng, "Xiaozhi, please read the letter! It's really strange."

    Fa Zheng took the letter and read it, and after a moment of reflection he said: "It actually makes no sense to accuse Zhou Mu of sending troops north without authorization, but in the end he hopes that we will withdraw our troops and he will ensure the safety of the troops. I think this is the focus of the whole letter, and it's also ridiculous.  The purpose of writing this letter is why does he want the state pastor to withdraw his troops? "

    Liu Jing nodded, "I also find it a bit strange. Cao Cao was obviously not at a disadvantage in the entire battle, and had even discovered my weaknesses. He should have shown weakness and tried every means to keep me in Xicheng, but he actually guaranteed the safety of my withdrawal.  Is he just showing off?"

    "I don't think this is like Cao Cao's principles of doing things."

    Fazheng said with some confusion: "I feel there must be something fishy here. We might as well wait and see what will happen?"

    In the evening, more than a dozen soldiers escorted the captured Xiahoulan. Xiahoulan was about forty years old. Although his surname was Xiahou, he had nothing to do with the Xiahou family. He was from Zhending in Changshan County and related to Zhao Yun.  In fact, after he was captured, he expressed his willingness to surrender to the Han army and begged Zhao Yun to intercede and spare his life.

    Xiahoulan was escorted into the tent, knelt down and kowtowed: "General Xiahoulan pays homage to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing read Zhao Yun's letter and knew that Xia Houlan wanted to surrender. However, Xia Houlan was not Wang Ping, but a mediocre general. Liu Jing had no interest in him. Liu Jing sat down and said coldly: "Xia Houlan  General, please sit down."

    A soldier brought a mat. Xiahoulan sat down cautiously, looking very embarrassed. Liu Jing smiled and asked, "I have some questions. I wonder if General Xiahou can explain them?"

    ¡°It¡¯s a humble job and I know everything I know!¡±

    Liu Jing nodded and asked: "I want to know what happened to Cao Cao? What made him so eager to attack my grain road? Can General Xiahou give me an explanation?"

    Xiahou Lan was at a loss for a while. He was just ordered to disturb the Han army's food route. How could he know what was going on?

    "This Prime Minister Cao usually doesn't give too many explanations to generals."

    As soon as he said this, Xia Houlan suddenly remembered something and said quickly: "I remember my humble position."

    "Say!" Liu Jing stared at him closely.

    Xia Hou thought for a while and said: "There is a secret rumor in Cao Ying.It is said that Ji County was attacked by Di cavalry and the situation was not good. I also heard from the soldiers delivering grain in Ji County that Di people were rampant on the grain road, which should be true.  "

    Liu Jing suddenly remembered that before he sent troops, King Yang Wanwan of Di had sent his brother Ge Yuan to him and proposed to send troops to help in the war. Because Ma Chao said that the Qiang and Di people had a bad reputation, he didn't take it too seriously. Could it be that he was really Di?  Did anyone send troops?

    He glanced at Fazheng again, and seeing that Fazheng also had a confused look on his face, Liu Jing comforted Xiahoulan with a few words and appointed him as deputy captain. As Zhao Yun's general, Xiahoulan was extremely grateful and left. Xiahoulan  As soon as he left, Liu Jing smiled at Fazheng and said, "No wonder Cao Cao wants to ensure the safety of my withdrawal. They really have problems. It seems that our fortunes are turning."

    Fazheng pondered for a while and said: "Although this matter is possible, we still need to be cautious. Be careful that soldiers are not tired of deceit. Cao Cao will use tricks to deceive us."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Then we will just wait and see. However, once the intelligence is true and the Di people are really attacking Ji County, then we must seize this opportunity. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to defeat Cao Jun."

    ?¡­

    In the middle of the night, Liu Jing was asleep, but was awakened by the urgent call of his soldiers, "Zhou Mu! Zhou Mu! There is important military information."

    Liu Jing suddenly woke up and asked, "What's the matter?"

    "I just received urgent information from the scouts. Cao Cao has withdrawn his troops."

    "What?"

    Liu Jing sat up suddenly. He was very surprised. He put on a military robe and walked out of the bed quickly and asked, "When did it happen?"

    "Just now, it should be time to start withdrawing troops at the third watch!"

    Liu Jing looked at the night and estimated that the fourth watch had not yet arrived. He immediately ordered: "Go quickly and invite the French military advisor and General Zhao to the Chinese army's tent, saying that there is an important military situation to discuss."

    At this time, Pang Tong went to Wudu County to collect food. He was not in the camp for the time being. The only military advisor in the camp was Fazheng. Not long after, Fazheng and Zhao Yun came to the Chinese army's tent. The tent was lit with candles and the lights were bright.  , Liu Jing asked the two of them to sit down and said, "I just got the information that Cao Cao has withdrawn north."

    Zhao Yun frowned slightly, "Did the Di people attack Jicheng in a large scale?"

    "It's very possible!"

    Liu Jing said in a deep voice: "Jicheng is an important place for Cao Cao's military supply and logistics. If Jicheng is lost, it will reverse the entire war situation and Cao Cao will definitely lose, so it is reasonable for him to withdraw his troops."

    Liu Jing took two steps behind his hands and said: "We don't know how many Di cavalry attacked Jicheng. From common sense, Jicheng must be heavily protected, but Cao Cao actually withdrew his troops for this, which shows that the number of Di cavalry is not enough."  Master Hui, the key now is whether we should take the opportunity to pursue Cao's army and attack the main force of Cao's army from the north and south with the Di cavalry. This is a good opportunity for us to seize the battle in Longxi and even Guanzhong."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing turned back to look at Fa Zheng. Fa Zheng thought for a long time before slowly saying: "I still have my consistent opinion. You can seize this opportunity, but you must be cautious. You must confirm the facts before sending troops to prevent Cao Cao from using his tactics."  ¡±

    At this time, there were soldiers outside the tent reporting: "Reporting to the Zhou Mu, there is a Di messenger named Ge Yuan asking to see him, saying that the Zhou Mu knows him."

    Liu Jing laughed and said to Zhao Yun and Fa Zheng: "As soon as we got to the key point, the key person came."

    He immediately ordered his soldiers, "Bring him to the Chinese army's tent!"

    After a while, the soldiers invited Ge Yuan from Di into the tent. Ge Yuan knelt down on one knee and clasped his fists and said, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hand, "Please get up!"

    Ge Yuan stood up and bowed to Fazheng and Zhao Yun, and then he couldn't hide his excitement and said: "Reporting to Zhoumu, we have sent troops to attack Jicheng to cooperate with the Han army and Cao army."

    "How many troops will you send?"

    "Back to Zhou Mu, we dispatched 30,000 cavalry, led by my brother personally. Three days ago, 3,000 vanguard cavalry attacked Jicheng. Unfortunately, Cao Jun discovered it and failed to break the city. Yesterday, my brother led 30,000 cavalry.  The main force enters Tianshui County and obeys the state pastor¡¯s arrangements at any time.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded secretly. No wonder Cao Cao wanted to retreat. Thirty thousand cavalry was indeed a big threat. He thought for a while and asked: "Then what is your plan?"

    Ge Yuan smiled sheepishly and said: "To be honest with Zhou Mu, we wanted to seize the grain and grass stored by Cao Cao in Jicheng. Unfortunately, we were discovered by Cao Jun's patrol. The vanguard army failed to seize the city in time. There were only 6,000 defenders in Jicheng.  But we are not good at attacking cities. Now my brother is willing to follow the arrangements of the state pastor? "

    Liu Jing thought for a while and asked: "Where are you stationing troops now?"

    "We are currently stationed on the south bank of the Wei River, about thirty places west of Jicheng."

    Liu Jing walked quickly to the sand tableHe walked forward, looked at the terrain, and pointed at a small town west of Jicheng with a wooden pole, "Is it here?"

    This was the first time Ge Yuan saw this kind of sand table. He was very surprised. He followed Liu Jing's wooden pole and looked at it for a long time, then nodded, "That's probably it. There is indeed a small town nearby, but all the people in the town have left."  ¡±

    Liu Jing stared at the sand table for a long time. If Cao's army retreated north, the Di cavalry could indeed intercept it south of Jicheng. Thinking of this, Liu Jing slowly said: "I want you to intercept Cao's army from the north and cooperate with me to attack the main force of Cao's army from the north and south.  Is it possible for you to do it?¡±

    "Of course, it's just"

    "Just what?" Liu Jing looked at him sharply.

    A trace of greed flashed in Ge Yuan's eyes, and he laughed dryly and said: "You Han people often say that you don't get up early if there is no profit. We have worked so hard to come from Hehuang and exhausted our horsepower. The state pastor should give us some hard-earned money!"

    Liu Jing sneered in his heart. He knew that these guys would not help him for no reason. To put it bluntly, they were just here to take advantage of the situation. Ma Chao was right. Without enough benefits, there was no way to let these guys send troops to work hard.

    Liu Jing asked quietly: "What conditions do you want?"

    Ge Yuan bowed and said: "We Di people are always cheerful, so I will tell you the truth. We have two conditions. First, we want the food in Hebei City to be ours, and we don't need the fodder. Second, we hope that we can exchange the war horses for pig iron in the future."  ¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 574 A double plan

    Ge Yuan said goodbye and left, while Liu Jing paced back and forth in the camp with his hands behind his back. Judging from various situations that occurred, Cao Cao's abnormality was indeed related to the Di cavalry attacking Jicheng. This should be an opportunity.

    But Liu Jing is still a little hesitant. From Chai Sang to the present, he has never relied on others to defeat the enemy, let alone the Di people. He usually doesn't have much contact, but now he suddenly has to cooperate. Liu Jing is somewhat difficult to adapt.

    At this time, Fazheng said with a smile: "The Di people want food and pig iron, and they are willing to fight only if there is profit. This means that they are here to take advantage of the situation. I don't doubt the truth of this matter. I am just worried about how much price they are willing to pay. What will happen to them?"  We will not withdraw our troops with a slight loss. That would be detrimental to us. If Zhou Mu is determined to take advantage of this opportunity, I suggest that we take the initiative to launch an offensive against Cao Jun. In this way, the Di cavalry will attack Cao Jun from behind, and the pressure will be less and the possibility of success will be smaller.  Even bigger, the key is for Zhou Mu to make this determination.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded. Wealth comes from danger. If he refuses to take the risk, he will miss this opportunity in vain. Once he seizes this opportunity and defeats Cao Cao's main force, not only Longxi, but even Guanzhong will be within easy reach.

    More importantly, he has a big problem with his food supply. He can only last for less than half a month at most. The Northern Expedition is more likely to fail. The appearance of the Di Ren cavalry is undoubtedly a timely help. He must seize this time.  Chance.

    Thinking of this, he resolutely made up his mind and turned back to Zhao Yun and said: "Zilong can lead 10,000 troops to guard the camp. I will transfer Zhang Ren's 10,000 food protection troops back, so that there will be 20,000 troops. Don't act rashly.  Just keep an eye on Xicheng, and I will lead the main army north to pursue Cao Jun. Within three days, we must defeat Cao Jun! "

    Zhao Yun stood up and saluted, "General, I will obey your orders!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cao's army indeed withdrew northward. Starting from the third watch, the 60,000-strong army began to leave the camp and evacuate northward. A piece of bad news spread throughout the military camp. It was because the Di cavalry attacked Jicheng and caused the retreat. Many soldiers were worried.  The Han army and the Di cavalry formed a pincer attack from the north and the south, and I'm afraid they were in danger.

    The team withdrew in a very hasty manner, retreating more than 30 miles north in one hour. Except for food and grass, they had no time to take away the camp and countless baggage, so they had to abandon them all.

    Before dawn, Liu Jing led tens of thousands of troops to the place where Cao's army was stationed. The entire camp remained intact, except that the people left the camp and the uniforms, ordnance, war drums, flags, and various baggage vehicles had no time to take away.  , but Cao Jun took away tens of thousands of stones of grain, leaving not a single grain of rice behind.

    Liu Jing rode on horseback to inspect Cao Jun's camp. He was deeply impressed by Cao Jun's hasty retreat, which doubled his confidence. He immediately ordered: "Send the order for the whole army to speed up the march and go north to pursue Cao Jun!"

    The Han army also accelerated its march and chased towards the north. More than a dozen teams of scouts were scouting the road ahead to prevent Cao's army from ambush halfway.

    Time gradually came to noon the next day. Cao Cao's 60,000 troops had withdrawn eighty miles north and were still more than fifty miles away from Ji County. Cao Cao then ordered the troops to rest on the spot.

    By this time, Cao Cao had received the news, and Liu Jing led the main force of the Han army to pursue them all the way north, about twenty miles away.

    He couldn't help laughing proudly, and praised Xun You: "I have always mourned Fengxiao's early death, but now I no longer sigh. With Gongda here, why be afraid of Jia Xu? This plan is a series of steps, which can be called a classic for luring the enemy.  , I want my descendants to write this plan into the history books of military strategists."

    Xun You smiled and said: "Actually, the fundamental reason why this plan was successful was that Liu Jing underestimated the difficulty of the Northern Expedition. Especially in the south, there were ships transporting grain and grass. They had never had any logistical transportation problems, so they planned to 'The troops and horses have not moved, the grain and grass go first.  'I don't have a deep understanding, but the food transportation on Qishan Road is difficult. I think Liu Jing didn't expect it in advance, which caused him logistical problems, so he was eager to fight us decisively. Otherwise, with Liu Jing's shrewdness, he really wouldn't be sure  Fooled."

    "But Gongda had expected it a long time ago. This is called being shrewd rather than being clever." Cao Cao did not hesitate to praise Xun You.

    At this time, a guard hurriedly came to report, "Prime Minister, the Di people's envoy is here."

    "Bring him up!"

    After a while, several guards brought the Di envoy up. It was Ge Yuan who had been on two missions to the Han army. He stepped forward and knelt down and said, "Ge Yuan pays homage to the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao nodded slightly and said: "If you are willing to cooperate with me to complete this plan this time, I will reward you and let the court officially confer the title of King Di, your leader. As for the pig iron trade, I will keep my promise. Now that you have completed the task, you can  Withdrew the troops."

    "Thank you, Prime Minister, for the reward. I will go back and ask my brother to withdraw the troops!"

    Ge Yuan kowtowed, stood up and retreated. Xun You hesitated and said that he should not let the Di people withdraw, as this would cause some flaws. He should let the Di people's cavalry pretend to attack the back of Cao's army, which would be more effective.

      But Xun You only hesitated and did not stop the Di people's envoys from leaving.

    Cao Cao watched Ge Yuan walk away, then smiled and asked Xun You, "What should we do next?"

    After Cao Cao wiped out Ma Chao, he sent people to rebuke the Di king Yang Wanwan, accusing him of supporting Ma Chao's army, which deeply frightened the Di people. Yang Wanwan sent his wife and brothers to apologize to Cao Cao, and he would not have the courage to give them a hundred courages.  Dare to send troops to attack Cao's army. As for the Di cavalry's surprise attack on Ji County this time, it was completely Xun You's plan.

    Xun You knew that the Han army's northern expedition would be confused by the problem of food and grass. Liu Jing must be eager to fight Cao's army decisively. Before the Han army's northern expedition, Xun You calculated all possibilities. The so-called Di people's cavalry was a key chess piece, so that  Liu Jing was lured northward by the psychological anxiety of eager to fight.

    It can be said that this is the most classic strategy in Xun You's half-life campaign. From Ge Yuan's first mission to Hanzhong, to Yu Jin's defeat, to choosing Xiahou Lan as the main general, he was arrested in a sneak attack on the grain road, and inadvertently revealed the secrets of Cao's army.  Until the Di cavalry attacked Jicheng and forced Cao Jun to retreat, all the links were carefully planned by Xun You, with the ultimate goal of luring the enemy northward.

    It was his flawless plan that finally convinced Cao Cao, establishing Xun You's position as the master strategist in Cao Cao's heart. However, the Di Ren cavalry was only one link in his series of plans. He still had one killer move that he had not yet used. Now it is  It's time.

    Xun You smiled faintly and said, "Since Liu Jing has fallen into the trap and headed north, General Xu Huang can appear!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The reason why Xicheng was able to establish a county was mainly due to its strategic location. It is the east-west bifurcation point of Qishan Road. Two official roads intersect here. To the north, you can go to Tianshui County and Hebei County, and to the east there is another road.  The road, through Shanggui County, can continue eastward to Guangwei County.

    However, the official road to the east is not easy to walk and is extremely rugged and difficult, so business travelers going north would rather take a long way to Jixian County first, and then go east from Jixian County to Guangwei County. Although the road is twice as far, it is flat and spacious.  It is suitable for transporting large amounts of goods, and those who take the east road are just in a hurry or go to the nearby Shanggui County.

    On the evening of the next day after Liu Jing led his army north to pursue Cao Jun, a Cao army of about 50,000 people was marching rapidly toward the west city along the rugged east road. This Cao army was another link in Xun You's double-kill series.  Cao Jun's reinforcements came from Guanzhong.

    Cao Cao deployed an army of 200,000 in Guanlong, and initially deployed only a small number of troops in Longxi. When Cao Cao was sure that General Liu Jing would lead his army north from Qishan Road, he personally led an army of 60,000 to Tianshui County. Despite this, the troops in Guanzhong were  There were still 100,000 troops, which was completely unnecessary, so Cao Cao decided to mobilize another 50,000 troops to Longxi.

    However, Xun You came up with a plan. The 50,000-strong army in the second round could be used as a surprise force and appeared at the most critical moment. Under Xun You's planning, this army secretly entered Guangwei County and did not come west to Tianshui County.  , but turned to the southwest, passed through Shanggui County, and headed straight for Xicheng.

    At this time, Liu Jing had led the main force to the north, and in the Han camp in Xicheng, only Zhao Yun commanded 20,000 troops to confront the Xicheng defenders. The sudden arrival of this 50,000-strong army became the key to deciding the outcome. If Di  Human cavalry is the luring troop tactic in Xun You's double strategy, and the appearance of this army is the second stratagem: the surprise troop stratagem.

    These 50,000 Cao troops were led by general Xu Huang, with Zhang He as deputy general. However, the only drawback was that this army was not the elite of Cao's army.

    At the end of last year, Cao Cao defeated the powerful Su Yin and Tian Bo who rebelled in Hebei, and collected more than 100,000 surrender troops. These 50,000 troops were part of the collected surrender troops. They were sent after only more than two months of simple training.  To Guanzhong, the combat effectiveness is relatively weak.

    An army of 50,000 people marched rapidly on the mountain road with great momentum. The soldiers kept making noises and frightened birds along the way. It was difficult to march covertly. Xu Huang knew that this army was originally a ragtag group of people with low training, so he had nothing to do.  We can only speed up our march.

    At this time, it was already dark, and the team was still more than twenty miles away from the west city. The road was very difficult. After a long march, the army began to be obviously tired. The soldiers kept complaining and vicious curses came and went. Zhang He urged his horse forward.  He said to Xu Huang: "Gongming, why don't we let our brothers rest for an hour to recover their strength so that they can attack the Han army."

    Xu Huang looked back at the army and saw that the troops were tired and the team was not in order, so he shook his head and said: "One hour is too long, pass my order to rest on the spot for half an hour!"

    The ordering soldier rushed to deliver the order, "The general has an order, rest on the spot for half an hour!"

    The sergeants have long been exhausted, and now they can finally rest. The soldiers are scrambling for seats to rest. Some people drink water and eat, but more people wrap up military blankets and fall to the ground to sleep. Soon they are snoring, no matter how long it takes for half an hourWill I be able to wake up later?

    At this time, on the mountain hundreds of steps away, several soldiers climbed on the big tree and were surprised to observe the enemy troops on the official road. These soldiers were the scouts sent by Zhao Yun to patrol the east road, and their leader was the scout chief general Ren.  flat.

    At this time, Ren Ping was extremely shocked. Based on his experience, he quickly deduced that this Cao army had at least 40,000 to 50,000 people. This Cao army was obviously going to support Xicheng, but they knew nothing about the situation of the Han army in Xicheng.  very dangerous.

    A Han soldier emerged from the bushes and came forward to report: "I'm sure I'm here. There are 40,000 to 50,000 people in this army, but it seems that the army is not neatly organized and the night is chaotic. I also saw some soldiers gathering together."  gamble."

    Ren Ping nodded and said: "You continue to keep an eye on the enemy. I will go back and report to General Zhao immediately!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 575 Critical moment

    Half an hour later, Zhao Yun received an urgent report. Cao's army of tens of thousands was spotted on the east road more than 20 miles away. This news frightened Zhao Yun into a cold sweat. He immediately ordered the entire army to enter combat mode and sent people to  Invite Pang Tong.

    Pang Tong also followed a batch of grain back to the Han army camp outside Xicheng in the afternoon. He was already exhausted due to the bumpy journey and fell asleep as soon as he returned to the camp.

    Pang Tong had just been awakened by the soldiers. Hearing that there was an emergency military situation, he followed the soldiers and walked quickly to the front camp regardless of his sleepiness.

    At this time, Zhao Yun was not in the tent, but was deploying crossbowmen for defense with Zhang Ren. Three thousand archers and three thousand crossbowmen were densely deployed outside the military camp. Twenty of them did not play a role in the siege.  Heavy trebuchets were also deployed at high altitudes.

    Thousands of soldiers dug deep and widened defensive ditches in front of the camp. In the dark night, there were pairs of soldiers running everywhere, carrying various combat supplies. The atmosphere in the entire military camp seemed extremely tense.

    "General Zhao!"

    Pang Tong saw Zhao Yun and rushed up. He gasped and asked, "What happened?"

    Zhao Yun said with a solemn expression: "Our scouts found a large number of Cao's troops on the official road east of Xicheng, about 40,000 to 50,000 people. They are still more than 20 miles away from us. They should be arriving soon."

    Pang Tong was shocked, "What's going on?"

    Next to him, Zhang Ren added: "This should be a surprise force deployed by Cao Cao, coming from Guangwei County. The purpose is to attack us when Zhou Mu leads the main force north. If we are defeated, Zhou Mu's main force will lose food and logistics."  Supplies will be lost within three days.¡±

    Pang Tong¡¯s thoughts gradually woke up from the chaos. He pondered for a long time and said, ¡°Have you sent someone to report this to Zhou Mu?¡±

    "It has been sent!"

    Zhao Yun sighed softly and said: "Even if there are 40,000 people, plus the 30,000 troops in the west city, then we will face 70,000 Cao Cao's troops, but we only have 20,000 people, the situation is serious!"

    "No matter how serious the situation is, we must face it and we must not withdraw our troops. If we withdraw our troops, the main force of Zhou Mu will be threatened by enemies from both sides."

    Zhao Yun nodded, "That's for sure, we must not retreat, but I heard from the scouts that this army coming from the east is not strictly disciplined, and even gathered people to gamble during a short break. The leader seems to be Xu Huang."

    Pang Tong sneered: "Xu Huang has always been known for his strict military discipline. His army actually gathered people to gamble during the break. What does this mean? Don't the two generals find it funny?"

    Zhang Ren said disdainfully: "I heard that Cao Cao quelled the rebellion of Su Yin and Tian Bo in Hebei last year. With only 20,000 troops, he wiped out 200,000 rebels and captured hundreds of thousands of surrendered troops. It is estimated that these tens of thousands are  The surrendered army that had just been captured a few months ago was temporarily reorganized and sent to Guanzhong. A hundred thousand soldiers were defeated by 20,000 Cao soldiers. It can be seen that they are just a bunch of ragtag people. It makes sense that Xu Huang can't control them. "

    Zhao Yun is calmer than Zhang Ren. It doesn't matter whether the tens of thousands of Cao's troops on the east route are a mob or not. What matters is how he responds to this crisis. This not only involves his 20,000 men, but also the relationship.  The safety of the entire main force of the Northern Expedition was in danger.

    Zhao Yun knew that his strategy was insufficient and he might not be able to handle such a complicated situation, so he placed his hope on Pang Tong, hoping that Pang Tong could come up with a proper plan. Zhao Yun couldn't help but look at Pang Tong with expectation.

    At this time, Pang Tong had completely calmed down. His mind was sorting out various ideas like electricity. After thinking for a moment, he said to Zhao Yun: "I need to see the sand table!"

    Zhao Yun immediately brought Pang Tong back to the tent. Pang Tong walked to the sand table and looked at the road between Xicheng and Jicheng. Although the road was relatively wide in general, the road more than 20 miles away seemed rugged and narrow.  .

    Seeing this, Pang Tong said to Zhao Yun: "The key to the entire battle now is not us, but Zhou Mu. If I am not mistaken, some of Cao's troops from Xicheng will go north to attack Zhou Mu's army from behind, causing a front-to-back attack."  We must intercept this army heading north."

    Zhao Yun nodded, "Then the military advisor thinks, how many troops should I send north?"

    Pang Tong pondered for a moment and said: "The army is not about large numbers, but about quality. Three thousand people are enough, but it must be the most elite army. The general at the head must have enough courage."

    Zhao Yun changed his mind and immediately said to Zhang Ren: "I will personally intercept the troops heading north from Xicheng. I only lead three thousand troops to go north, and I will entrust General Zhang and Military Advisor Pang to the camp."

    Zhang Ren nodded silently, and used 3,000 men to stop Cao's army of at least 10,000 people heading north. This kind of bravery is indeed Zhao Yun's, "Don't worry, General Zhao, with Zhang Ren here, the camp can be kept safe!"

    At this time, Pang Tong pointed to a long valley and said: "This valley is called Shen Yu Valley. It is about ten miles long. The narrowest part is onlyIt is several feet high, with high mountains and dense forests, making it easy to hide. General Zhao can hide here and kill Cao's army by surprise.  "

    Zhao Yun nodded, turned around and ordered: "Order the spear and crossbow troops to assemble immediately!"

    At the top of the West City, Xia Houyuan stared at the east with dark eyes. It was almost two o'clock, long past the agreed time, but Xu Huang's army still hadn't shown up. This made Xia Houyuan a little angry.  He snorted and turned back to Chen Qun: "Xu Gongming unexpectedly missed the military plane and wanted to ruin the prime minister's important affairs!"

    Chen Qun was also very confused. With Xu Huang's caution and ability to lead troops, such a mistake should not have happened. Besides, Zhang He was also a very capable general, but he missed the appointed time. There must be a reason. He thought for a while and said  : "I estimate that the 40,000 troops under his command are mixed and difficult to control, which is why the delay is caused. The general will wait a little longer."

    "I can't wait any longer. If I wait any longer, I will also delay the military plane. How can I explain it to the Prime Minister?"

    Xia Houyuan then said to Hao Zhao: "General Hao must guard the city strictly and not go into battle until the critical moment!"

    Hao Zhao bowed and saluted, "I humbly obey my orders!"

    Xia Houyuan strode towards the city and shouted: "Let's go to the city!"

    In the west city, 15,000 soldiers of Cao's army have lined up, with bright armor, a forest of swords and guns, and full of murderous intent. They will follow Xiahou Yuan's army to the north and launch an attack on the back of the main force of the Han army. At this time, the north city gate slowly opens, and the night  During the battle, 15,000 Cao Jun soldiers lined up and marched along the North Road of Qishan Mountain under the leadership of General Xia Houyuan.

    Xu Huang did encounter trouble when he urged the army to set off. He originally ordered the soldiers to rest for half an hour on the spot to recover their strength, but he did not expect that most of the soldiers were exhausted. Regardless of the short time, they wrapped themselves in blankets and went to sleep. When he ordered to set off,  Nearly half of the sleeping soldiers could not be woken up, or they took a long time to wake up and were unable to enter the state.

    Seeing that time passed little by little, the army was still in chaos. Tens of thousands of soldiers were still sleeping and did not obey military orders. Xu Huang suddenly became furious. He drew his sword and killed more than a dozen noisy soldiers, and ordered the soldiers to beat them with military sticks.  Anyone who gets up will be killed with a stick.

    Xu Huang's iron-blooded tactics were able to frighten the army. The soldiers stood up and lined up. No one dared to resist and cause trouble. It took half an hour to complete the order of tens of thousands of troops. Xu Huang immediately ordered the whole army to set off.  It was already past the agreed first watch, but they were still twenty miles away from Xicheng. Xu Huang couldn't help but be anxious and ordered the soldiers to speed up their march.  However, the rugged mountain roads made marching very difficult and it was impossible to maintain a high-speed march.

    When Xu Huang finally arrived at Xicheng with his army, it was already two o'clock in the night, and Xia Houyuan had already led his army north.

    It was very quiet outside the West City. Xu Huang immediately looked at the Han army camp in the distance from a high place. He could faintly see the lights of the Han army camp. The Han army was stationed on a low hillside. The camp undulated with the mountains. The highest point  About twenty feet long, the lowest point is on the ground.

    The entire Han army camp is distributed in a long strip along the north-south direction. The camp facing the West City is about three miles wide, but two of them are built on the hillside, and only one mile is on the flat ground. For them, it is the best attack point.  It is this one-mile camp spread out on the flat ground.

    At this time, Lieutenant General Zhang He rushed forward and said: "Gongming, General Xiahou led his army northward before we arrived. There are only 12,000 soldiers in the west city, commanded by Hao Zhao."

    Xu Huang nodded and asked, "What's Hao Zhao's attitude?"

    "He said that General Xiahou gave him an order to hold on to the city. He said that he could not send troops to assist us, and could only provide material and food support at most."

    Xu Huang didn't say anything for a long time. The prime minister's order was for the two armies to coordinate operations and conquer the Han army's stronghold. Unexpectedly, Xia Houyuan refused to send troops at the critical moment. Xu Huang knew that this involved an issue of who was the leader and who was the deputy.  , it was obvious that Xiahou Yuan did not want his army to assist.

    Helpless, Xu Huang had no choice but to say to Zhang He: "Start deploying the army! Launch the attack in half an hour."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the Han army camp, Zhang Ren urged his horses to patrol everywhere and command the army to deploy defenses. He was very active and meticulous. This was also the first opportunity he had to independently command operations since he surrendered to Liu Jing. This opportunity was what he had dreamed of, and he also  Knowing that Zhao Yun specifically gave this opportunity to him made Zhang Ren feel grateful to Zhao Yun.

    Zhang Ren is stationed in front of a huge trebuchet, staring at Cao Jun in the distance. The moonlight is clear tonight, and the silvery glow is sprinkled on the ground, giving people a broad field of vision. You can clearly see the dark Cao Jun in the distance deploying in formation.  Thousands of people held torches, forming a sea of ??fire. They were making final preparations before attacking.

    At this time, Pang Tong hurriedly found him, "General Zhang!"

    Zhang ?He clasped his fists and saluted on his horse, "Is there anything wrong, military advisor?"

    Pang Tong pointed to a forest to the east and suggested: "We should deploy a flexible army on the outside. Two to three thousand people are enough. Harassing Cao's army on the outside may have unexpected effects."

    Zhang Ren thought for a moment and smiled: "The military advisor is right. Such an army is indeed needed to be deployed on the periphery."

    Lei Tong on the side clasped his fists and said: "General, I am willing to lead the peripheral army due to my humble position."

    Zhang Ren patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "If the enemy breaks through the camp, how can it be resisted without a strong general like General Lei? The outside is just harassment. We don't need too many brave generals, just ordinary generals."

    Lei Tong was satisfied with Zhang Ren's praise and chuckled, "In this humble position, I will obey the general's arrangements!"

    Zhang Ren nodded and immediately ordered: "Get Wang Ping for me!"

    A moment later, Wang Ping rushed over, cupped his fists and said, "See you, general."

    Zhang Ren smiled slightly and said: "I want to send an army to harass and attack Cao's army on the periphery, but the army will not be large, only a thousand people. Will General Wang be willing to take the order?"

    Wang Ping has not had a chance to fight since he surrendered to Liu Jing. Of course, this is because he just surrendered and needs some time to adapt.  But at this time, the Han army encountered a serious crisis, and Wang Ping could not sit still. Zhang Ren gave him a task. Wang Ping bowed without hesitation and said: "I humbly obey my command!"

    Zhang Ren quickly glanced at Lei Tong, who was standing not far away, and whispered to Wang Ping: "Your mission is extremely important. All actions are decided by you. I hope you will not disappoint me."

    "Please don't worry, General. Your humble position will never disappoint you."

    Wang Pingping saluted and hurried away. He would lead a thousand elite soldiers from the back gate of the camp to bypass the mountain ridge and penetrate directly into the flank of Cao Jun.

    At this moment, Cao Jun's attack drums rang loudly, and the shouts of killing shook the sky. Twenty thousand Cao Jun troops launched the first wave of attacks on the Han army camp. Zhang Rencai rushed up the hill, waved his sword and shouted: "  The crossbowmen are in position and the trebuchets are ready to fire!"

    ??In a scene of ¡®squeak!  ¡¯ In the sound, twenty heavy-duty slingshots were pulled back, and huge fireballs were put into iron bags, ready to be fired.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 576 Counterattack in Crisis (Part 1)

    Zhao Yun led 3,000 troops to ambush in the dense forest of Shenyu Valley. This valley is about twenty miles away from the West City and is the only way to go north to Jicheng. The valley is ten miles long, about a hundred feet at its widest point and twenty feet at its narrowest point.  Not far away, the hillsides on both sides have gentle slopes and are covered with large areas of dense forest, making them a good place for Tibetan soldiers to ambush.

    Zhao Yun knew that he had to face more than 10,000 Cao's troops, so the 3,000 troops he led were the elite of the Han army. They were one of the 30,000 surrender troops selected from more than 100,000 Cao's prisoners of war after the Battle of Chibi.  This army was originally Lu Bu's spear army. It fought in the south and the north and had extremely strong combat effectiveness. After Lu Bu's fall, it was absorbed by Cao's army and later surrendered to Jiangxia.

    The army is mainly composed of spears and carries crossbows on its back, so it is also called the crossbow army. Whether it can rely on this army to intercept Cao's army heading north is the key to the entire battle. Zhao Yun was a little nervous and his palms were clenched.  Come sweat.

    At this time, a scout rushed to report: "General, eight of the enemy's patrols were shot and killed. In addition, a large group of Cao's troops was discovered heading north and was about to enter the valley. There were about 15,000 people. The leader was none other than Xia Houyuan.  "

    Zhao Yun nodded and shouted in a low voice: "Send the order to the whole army to prepare and listen to my order to fire the crossbows!"

    The order was quickly passed on. Three thousand Han soldiers raised their crossbows and set arrows. They looked at the bottom of the valley with all their concentration. Under the moonlight in the distance, a mighty army was marching quickly and soon entered the valley.  , led by dozens of cavalry, surrounded by a general. The general was eight feet three tall, with a majestic appearance, a tiger's back and a bear's waist. He held a big iron spear in his hand and a black horse at his crotch. He looked like a reborn overlord.

    This person was Xia Houyuan, an important general under Cao Cao's account and the deputy general of Cao Cao's western expedition. According to Xun You's plan, Cao Cao ordered Xia Houyuan to immediately lead 15,000 troops northward after Xu Huang's army arrived at Xicheng to cut off Liu Jing's army.  supplies of food and grass, and attacked the Han army from behind when a battle broke out.

    It can be said that this is an extremely important moment in Xun You's chain plan, the link that connects the decoy plan and the surprise weapon plan. If Xia Houyuan can succeed, then Xun You's chain plan will basically be successful.

    Xia Houyuan urged his horses to march while sizing up the valley. He considered deploying an army in this valley, which could block the grain road and attack the Han army who went north to support Liu Jing. The conditions of this valley were very suitable.  A place for ambush.

    Thinking of this, Xia Houyuan turned around and asked, "What is the name of this valley?"

    "Reporting to the general, this valley is called the Valley of Injustice."

    Xia Houyuan was surprised. There was a word "Yuan" in his name, but this place was called Shen Yuan Valley. This was not good for him. He hurriedly asked: "The spies have not inspected this valley?"

    "The spies went to the front and didn't come back to report. There should be nothing wrong!"

    Xia Houyuan was full of suspicions. Just because he didn't come back to report didn't mean that nothing happened. Maybe the spies had been shot dead. He looked at the dense forest on both sides and ordered: "Stop moving forward and send spies up the mountain to investigate."

    Under the moonlight, Zhao Yun could see very clearly. He kept a close eye on Xia Houyuan and found an opportunity. At this time, Zhao Yun saw that Cao Jun had stopped moving forward and immediately ordered: "Aim at the enemy general and shoot!"

    A banging sound suddenly sounded in the valley. The sound was extremely clear and spread throughout the valley. This was the order to release arrows. The three thousand Han troops ambushing on both sides released arrows together. The overwhelming crossbow arrows hit Cao Jun in the valley. Cao Jun was caught off guard.  , screams suddenly broke out, hundreds of people were shot to the ground, Cao Jun's soldiers suddenly became confused, everyone rushed to run back, crowded on the valley road more than 20 feet wide, the soldiers trampled on each other, crying,  Screams came and went.

    Xia Houyuan waved his spear to fire the arrows. Most of the twenty cavalrymen around him were hit by arrows, leaving only four or five cavalrymen. They were all frightened and urged him to escape. Xiahouyuan couldn't help but became furious and turned around and shouted: "No one is allowed to  Chaos, hold your ground!"

    At this moment, drums sounded loudly on the mountain, and three thousand Han troops charged down with spears brandished. A white war horse, as fast as lightning, swooped down from a mountain road. The general on the horse was wearing silver armor and a spear, and his helmet was tasseled in the wind.  Floating, Ma Lie's spear was fierce, as if a god descended from heaven, and it was Zhao Yun who came.

    Zhao Yun saw that there were not many personal guards around Xia Houyuan. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He must seize this opportunity. When he mentioned the war horse, the war horse jumped over the heads of several cavalry. In mid-air, Zhao Yun shot  Assassin Xia Houyuan.

    Zhao Yun's horse was so fast that he was right in front of him in an instant. Xia Houyuan didn't have time to be careful and was shocked. He waved his gun in a panic to block it. Unexpectedly, he missed it and the tip of the gun suddenly disappeared in front of his eyes. He knew that the danger was coming.  Ben Ben dodged Zhao Yun's fatal shot with one side of his neck, shouted loudly, and stabbed Zhao Yun's horse with his spear.

    At this time, Zhao Yun had rushed behind him, and before the front hooves of the war horse touched the ground, Zhao Yun stabbed Xia Houyuan in the back of the neck with a backhand shot. This shot was a reply.With a gun, no one in the world can attack twice in a row before the horse lands, only Zhao Yun can do it.

    This spear was faster than lightning. Before Xia Houyuan could react, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. His eyes suddenly went dark, and the cold tip of the spear had pierced Xia Houyuan's neck.

    At the moment when the war horse landed, Zhao Yun's arms vibrated, and the tip of the spear violently stirred in Xia Houyuan's neck. Xia Houyuan's head flew up immediately, blood spattered, and Xia Houyuan's body fell from the horse. The second most powerful person in the world  The ten-year general finally died under Zhao Yun's gun on Qishan Road.

    At this time, Zhao Yun's horse had landed. Zhao Yun held the reins with one hand, held the gun with one arm and stabbed into the air with his backhand. One gun pierced the head. Zhao Yun raised the gun high, mounted the head on the horse and shouted: "Xia Houyuan is dead, and the head is here!"

    Three thousand Han troops also rushed into Cao's army from both sides. They shouted: "Xiahou Yuan is dead! Xiahou Yuan is dead!"

    The morale of the Han army was greatly boosted and they fought bravely. They formed dozens of spear formations and were unstoppable on the valley road. They killed Cao Jun's corpses all over the ground and retreated steadily. At this time, Cao Jun's army was confused and morale was low. The general  They were unwilling to fight and fled southward.

    Lieutenant General Li Dian led thousands of people to the rear of the team. His team could still hold its position, but there was chaos in the front, and the defeated troops came like a tide, disrupting the rear army's position, and the rear army also became chaotic. At this time,  A tooth general shouted: "General Li, General Xiahou has been killed!"

    Li Dian was stunned and asked hurriedly: "Is it true or false?"

    "He is really dead. He was stabbed to death by Zhao Yun. His head is in Zhao Yun's hand. What I saw before my eyes!"

    At this time, a long roar was heard from the valley, and then a thunderous shout came, "I am Changshan Zhao Zilong, anyone who stands in my way will die!"

    I saw a general kill through the crowd of Cao Jun, rushed over, and started killing in the crowd of Cao Jun. Wherever his horses and spears passed, those who stood in his way died, and those who blocked him died. Dead bodies piled up under his spear.  , Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers were so frightened that they ran away shouting and screaming.

    Li Dian recognized Zhao Yun and saw the head of Xia Houyuan on his waist. At this time, Zhao Yun urged his horse to charge towards Li Dian. Li Dian felt frightened, turned his horse's head and fled. Fifteen thousand Cao's troops were killed by Zhao Yun and three thousand Han.  Under the fierce fighting of the elite soldiers, the entire army collapsed. Corpses were strewn in the valley, and blood flowed into rivers. Even the surrenderers were stabbed to death by soldiers with spears.

    Most of Cao's troops were killed or wounded, and the remaining thousands of soldiers fled out of the valley, following Lieutenant General Li Dian as they fled toward the West City in panic. Zhao Yun wiped the blood from his face, turned around and shouted: "Watch the whole team, follow me and fight back to the West City!"

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  'The offensive and defensive battle outside the Han army's camp reached its bloodiest moment. Fifty thousand Cao troops took turns to attack the Han army's camp. The sound of drums and shouts of killing resounded across the field. Arrows were like rain, weaving into a cloud of arrows in the air.  net.

    Huge fireballs and barrels filled with kerosene passed over Cao Jun's head and crashed into the crowd. The barrels shattered, the fireballs rolled, flames rose, and thick smoke spread everywhere. Although the fireballs were not as lethal as the boulders,  However, the panic caused by the fire hit Cao Jun's morale again and again. Seeing the fireballs roaring from the sky, Cao Jun's soldiers shouted, held their heads and fled in all directions, disrupting their position.

    The Han army's camp on the hillside was condescending and difficult to attack. Only the one-mile-long camp on the flat ground was slightly easier to attack. This became the main attack point for Cao's army. They stormed into the Han army's camp and burned the grain and grass. This was Xu Huang's army.  task.

    At this time, the attack in front of the camp had reached fever pitch. Countless ladders were erected on the two-foot-high board wall. Tens of thousands of Cao soldiers climbed on the wall, and they fought fiercely with thousands of Han troops. They slashed and slashed with swords.  The spears stabbed rapidly, blood spattered everywhere, and soldiers kept screaming and falling down the camp. It was no longer possible to tell whether they were Cao's army or Han's army.

    Under the inner side of the board wall, more than two thousand Han crossbowmen fired arrows from the arrow holes. The dense crossbow arrows continuously knocked over groups of Cao Jun soldiers who were rushing toward them with their arms in arms. The corpses of Cao Jun outside the board wall were piled three feet high.  , almost blocking the arrow hole.

    At this time, a group of more than 100 Cao soldiers rushed up holding the bumping wood. With a huge muffled sound, the board wall shook violently, followed by a second violent impact. Finally, a corner of the board wall collapsed, forming  A two-foot-wide gap was opened. Zhang He, who was commanding the battle, was overjoyed and shouted: "Charge into the camp. The first person to break into the camp will be rewarded 500 taels!"

    Under the heavy reward, hundreds of Cao soldiers rushed towards the gap wildly, brandishing their swords. At this time, more than a hundred Han soldiers, led by Lei Tong, rushed forward and blocked the gap with their bodies.

    Lei Tong seemed to be half crazy, wielding a big ax and hacking indiscriminately, killing Cao Jun's blood and flesh. He killed dozens of people in a row and withstood the first wave of Cao Jun's crazy attack. The two sides started a bloody fight in front of the gap.

    Zhang Ren is very calm. There are 16,000 people in his camp. As long as he is commanded properly, he can rely on solid troops.The camp withstood the enemy's crazy attack. Although the enemy's army numbered 50,000, three times as many as our own, their combat effectiveness was not as good as our own soldiers.

    At this time, he saw that the bow and arrow had lost their effect, so he turned around and shouted: "The trebuchet uses huge rocks instead to hit the enemy within two hundred steps!"

    The Han army's trebuchets can adjust the shooting range. The longest range is four hundred steps, and the closest range can be a hundred steps. The two thousand soldiers quickly adjusted the shooting range and replaced them with boulders weighing a hundred kilograms. Soon, twenty boulders suddenly fell.  It was thrown out, rolled in the air, passed over the heads of the defending defenders, and hit the enemy group within 200 steps outside the camp.

    This is where the enemy troops are most concentrated. Tens of thousands of Cao's soldiers held shields to resist arrows, but they could not stop the boulders falling from the air. As the boulders fell from the sky, Cao's soldiers were hit to pieces with broken bones and tendons.  , bloody and bloody, rolling boulders, knocking over pieces of Cao's army.

    The soldiers of Cao's army outside the camp were suddenly in chaos. They turned around and fled, retreating like a tide. Without the support of the follow-up, it was difficult for Cao's army to continue the attack on the camp. Many soldiers jumped off the wall and fled back.

    Zhang He yelled and cursed loudly, but could not stop the soldiers from retreating. He saw that the enemy's trebuchet attack was fierce and extremely lethal, so he had to turn his horse back and find Xu Huang.

    "Gong Ming, the enemy's trebuchet is too sharp, causing us to fall short."

    Xu Huang was commanding the overall battle from a high place. He could see clearly. He turned back to look at the west city and said coldly: "It doesn't matter, we also have trebuchets. We can use the trebuchets to smash the walls of the village and rush directly into the enemy."  camp."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 577 Counterattack in Crisis (Part 2)

    At this time, Hao Zhao didn't know that Xia Houyuan had died under Zhao Yun's gun. He was still resolutely carrying out Xia Houyuan's order before leaving, sticking to Xicheng and not sending troops to assist Xu Huang in attacking the Han army camp. However, Hao Zhao also knew that the prime minister had ordered Xicheng troops to assist  Xu Huang's army attacked the enemy, so when Xu Huang asked Xicheng to support the trebuchet, he agreed.

    Hao Zhao ordered twenty trebuchets to be unloaded from the city head, fixed on wooden boards equipped with wheels, and ordered the soldiers to slowly push out the city gate.

    Twenty trebuchets were pushed out from the city gate like a queue of giants and marched towards the Han army camp. In the dark night, their huge figures moved in formation, which looked particularly strange from a distance.

    In a forest not far east of Xicheng, Wang Ping led a thousand soldiers and were patiently waiting for an opportunity. Wang Ping and the soldiers all changed into Cao Jun uniforms, except that the white cloth wrapped around their right arm was different from Cao Jun. At this time, a man  The soldier pointed at the trebuchet slowly coming out of the West City and shouted: "General, look!"

    Wang Ping had already seen the huge trebuchets lined up from the city. They must be to support the Cao army attacking the camp. Wang Ping knew very well what the trebuchets meant to the camp walls. Under the heavy blow of the huge rocks,  , the board wall is easy to collapse. If a gap is opened, Cao's army will swarm into the camp, and their food and grass may not be saved.

    Wang Ping touched the leather pouch on his back. Each soldier was carrying a leather pouch, and each leather pouch contained five kilograms of kerosene. They were originally going to attack the logistics and food accounts of Xu Huang's army, but he found that Xu Huang  The army did not bring any food at all. It was estimated that they were preparing to obtain supplies from the West City. The soldiers each carried dry food with them, which frustrated his plan, but these twenty trebuchets became his new target.

    "All the village chiefs come here!"

    Wang Ping gave the order, and twenty village chiefs gathered around him. Wang Ping pointed at the trebuchet and gave everyone some instructions. He immediately got up and ran towards the trebuchet. The village chiefs also led their soldiers to run with Wang Ping.  , and soon the army came to the trebuchet.

    At this time, Wang Ping had already ordered his soldiers to line up. He led the soldiers quickly to the trebuchet, cupped his hands and clasped his fists at an officer and said: "I have been ordered by General Xu to take over the trebuchet. You can go back."

    The soldiers in Xicheng never dreamed that the army in front of them turned out to be the Han army in disguise. They were controlling the trebuchet slowly downhill, which was very difficult. Since the other party was willing to take over, it would be the best. The leader, General Ya, gave an order and sent them down.  Twenty trebuchets were handed over to Wang Ping and his men.

    Each village commander led his soldiers to control a trebuchet. The trebuchet moved slowly. Wang Ping turned around and saw that the soldiers from Xicheng had entered the city, so he ordered in a low voice: "Do it!"

    They took off the flat bags from their backs, sprayed kerosene on the trebuchets, and then raised fire to light the trebuchets. Suddenly, the flames shot up three feet high and quickly engulfed the trebuchets. Wang Ping led the soldiers to attack the two trebuchets.  All ten trebuchets were overturned and allowed to burn in the fire. They quickly left the scene of the fire and soon disappeared into the night.

    Cao Jun on the top of the city was stunned. The trebuchet that had just been sent out of the city was burned by the fire in the blink of an eye. What happened?  Everyone was whispering, and Hao Zhao felt something bad in his heart. Maybe they had been fooled.

    Not long after, Xu Huang led hundreds of people in a hurry. At this time, the fire had completely engulfed twenty trebuchets. Xu Huang was so angry that his eyes were spitting fire. Huo Di turned back to his subordinates and said: "Go and ask them what's going on?  "

    A tooth general rode towards the west city. He asked loudly under the city: "Excuse me, where is General Hao?"

    "I'm here, what do you want?" Hao Zhao replied on the top of the city.

    General Ya clasped his fists and saluted, "General Hao, General Xu, may I ask what's going on? Why did the trebuchet burn after it left the city gate?"

    Hao Zhao was taken aback, "Didn't I just hand over the trebuchet to your army? What are you asking me for? You should ask yourselves."

    "General Xu has not sent any troops to receive the troops. He is still waiting for you to send trebuchets! We don't know what's going on."

    Hao Zhao secretly screamed that something was wrong. They were indeed fooled. After a while, he said: "The enemy must have impersonated you. They burned the trebuchet. Please go and arrest the enemy immediately!"

    General Ya had no choice but to turn around and go back to report. Xu Huang was furious. He ordered his men to search for suspicious troops everywhere. At the same time, he sent someone to discuss with Hao Zhao whether ten more trebuchets could be sent over.

    Not long after, his subordinates came back and reported: "General Qi, General Hao said that there are only thirty trebuchets in total at the top of the city. Now we have been given twenty, and ten more are used to defend the city. They cannot be demolished under any circumstances."  , please forgive me, General!"

    "You bastard!"

    Xu Huang was so angry that he gritted his teeth and cursed. The prime minister clearly ordered everyone to work together to conquer the Han army camp, but now they have selfish motivesThey refused to send troops and even refused to support the trebuchets. I must sue them in front of the prime minister.

    Helpless, Xu Huang had to return to the battlefield. At this time, Cao Jun's first attack on the Han army camp ended in failure. Cao Jun lost more than 8,000 people, and the remaining 40,000 soldiers were regrouping to prepare for the second attack.  Attack the Han army camp for the first time.

    Wang Ping had already led his troops back to the woods. At this time, someone suggested a sneak attack on the enemy's logistics camp. This was indeed a good idea, but Wang Ping had another idea.

    He saw that the enemy army was extremely chaotic, and it was difficult to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy in the darkness, so he secretly thought, ¡®Maybe this is an opportunity.  ¡¯

    He immediately took off the white cloth on his arm, summoned the village commanders over, and said to them: "Many brothers suggested a sneak attack on the enemy's camp, but I feel that attacking the enemy's heart is worse than attacking the enemy's heart. Now that the enemy is in chaos, we can sneak into the enemy's camp. Spreading unfavorable news and causing panic among the enemy will have a better effect. What do you think?"

    Wang Ping is the leader. He has made a decision. Naturally, everyone will not object. One of the village chiefs asked: "What news can we spread?"

    Wang Ping thought for a while and said: "Two news can be spread. The first is that the Han army entered Guanzhong via Chencang Road and Chang'an has been lost; the second news is that the Di people sent troops to attack Cao Jun. Cao Cao was attacked from both sides and Cao Cao was seriously injured.  Unfortunately, he was killed in action. I think these two pieces of news will definitely shake their military morale.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Han army's camp took advantage of the short retreat time of Cao's army to quickly repair a section of the camp wall that had been conquered, redeployed defenses, checked the belts of the trebuchets, and the soldiers moved bundles of arrows and barrels of kerosene to a distant place.  Under the camp wall, a large number of boulders were transported to supplement the shortage of trebuchets.

    On the camp wall, a crossbowman was deployed every other step. They held crossbows in their hands, crossbow bolt pots on their backs, and spears beside them. They were all watching the enemy troops gathering in the distance.

    Zhang Ren stood on the camp wall, watching Cao Jun from a distance. His brows gradually furrowed. The general next to him, Deng Xian, whispered: "It's strange. Cao Jun has already assembled and completed, but has been reluctant to attack. This is  Why?"

    Zhang Ren raised his head and looked at the sky. It was already Mao hour, and the sky turned white. Seeing that the long night was about to pass, and it was about to dawn, he didn't know why Cao Jun stopped attacking. Did they want to wait until dawn before attacking?  However, attacking during the day is more beneficial to defense. Xu Huang has experienced many battles and it is impossible not to know this, otherwise he would not attack in the middle of the night.

    Zhang Ren was puzzled and said to Deng Xian: "You keep an eye on the enemy, and I will discuss it with Military Advisor Pang."

    Zhang Ren turned around, walked down the camp wall, and walked quickly towards the tent.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the big tent, Pang Tong stared at the sand table for a long time, lowered his head and pondered. He needed to sort out several key ideas in order to make the right decision. At this time, Zhang Ren hurriedly walked into the big tent. He saw that Pang Tong was deep in thought and couldn't help but hesitate.  Suddenly, the pace slowed down.

    Pang Tong felt his arrival, turned around and smiled, "Just in time, I also want to send someone to invite General Zhang."

    Zhang Ren stepped forward and said, "Military advisor, can you let me talk first?"

    "General Zhang, please speak!"

    Zhang Ren said with some doubts in his tone, "It's strange. The enemy troops have gathered but they haven't launched an attack yet. I wonder what's going on?"

    Pang Tong was moved in his heart and said cautiously: "Is there any news from General Zhao?"

    Zhang Ren was also stunned. He quickly walked to the sand table and found Shen Yue Valley. He pondered for a moment and said, "It's almost dawn now, and the war in Shen Yue Valley should also be over. There is only twenty miles away from us. If  It only takes half an hour to run back, and it is likely that as the military advisor guessed, the news from Shen Yue Valley has already arrived."

    Pang Tong thought for a while and then said: "Maybe there is another possibility, which is my worry. Xu Huang will change his tactics and no longer attack the camp, but switch to blocking tactics to block the movement of food northward."

    Zhang Ren's expression suddenly became serious. He understood what Pang Tong meant. The purpose of Cao Jun's attack on the camp was to destroy the food stored in the camp. However, if the road to the north was blocked, the food could also be cut off. Perhaps Cao Jun would  He didn't realize this at first, but after a night of failure in attacking the camp, Cao Jun probably already thought about this key.

    "Then what should we do now?"

    Pang Tong walked a few steps with his hands behind his back: "Whether it is the first possibility or the second possibility, it will cause Cao's army to stop attacking the camp. If this is the case, it would be too passive for us to be trapped in the camp. I am considering whether  Take the initiative and turn passivity into initiative. £®

    "What conditions?" Zhang Ren asked eagerly.

    ¡°We still need to get the exact information from General Zhao.?¡±

    Pang Tong sighed slightly and said to Zhang Ren: "So I suggest not to act rashly yet and wait and see what happens!"

    Zhang Ren nodded, "I understand."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cao's army has been assembled, but Xu Huang has yet to launch an attack. Not long ago, Xu Huang received the news that Xiahou Yuan was ambushed by the Han army halfway. Xiahou Yuan was unfortunately killed in battle, and the 15,000 northward troops were killed and almost completely annihilated.  , now the defeated army is fleeing to the south, and the enemy is pursuing them.

    This news shocked Xu Huang. Xia Houyuan was killed in battle, and the situation began to look a little bad. How many enemy troops ambushed Xia Houyuan's troops?  Some said five thousand, some said ten thousand, some said it was the general Zhao Yun.

    If it is really Zhao Yun, then he will have a lot of troops. Can they withstand the attack from the north and the Han army in the enemy camp?

    Xu Huang was extremely worried. Seeing that it was almost dawn, they could not attack the enemy camp. Moreover, the enemy's trebuchets were burned down in the chaos. The enemy's trebuchets were extremely sharp and could attack from both near and far. This time they attacked the camp.  I'm afraid it's more bad than good.

    At this time, Zhang He stepped forward and whispered: "General, there is something bad going on."

    "what's the situation?"

    "Are there already deserters in the army?"

    "What!"

    Xu Huang was shocked. What he was most worried about finally happened. He hurriedly asked: "What happened?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 578 Counterattack in Crisis (Part 2)

    Zhang He said with lingering fear: "There are various unfavorable news spreading in the army. Some say that the main force of the Han army secretly crossed the Chencang Road, entered Guanzhong, and captured Chang'an. There is also news that the main force of the Di cavalry and Liu Jing attacked us one after another.  The main force, our main force was defeated, the prime minister was unfortunately seriously injured and killed, the morale of the army was shaken, and nearly a thousand people have fled. "

    Xu Huang only felt a headache. The army he led was originally a ragtag group of rebels in Hebei. It was only two months after being recruited and trained and it was sent to Guanzhong to fight. The military discipline was chaotic and disorganized. He had already seen this on the road, and now the offensive encountered serious difficulties.  With setbacks and low morale, how could they be as stable as the elite Cao Jun?

    "Where did the rumor come from?" Xu Huang asked again.

    "I have ordered to trace the source of the rumors, but the time is too short, I am afraid that it will not be clear for a while."

    Xu Huang sighed, "I'm afraid Jun Yi still doesn't know that General Xiahou was ambushed on the way north for reinforcements. Almost the entire army was wiped out. General Xiahou was also unfortunately killed in action!"

    "ah!"

    Zhang He was stunned for a moment. Xia Houyuan was killed in battle. Could such a serious war happen?  After a while, he asked anxiously: "What should we do now?"

    "I don't know either!"

    Xu Huang pondered for a moment and then said: "I am now afraid of being attacked from the front and back. These soldiers are so unbearable. Once the morale of the army collapses and there is a large-scale flight, the consequences will be serious."

    Zhang He knew very well that Xu Huang's worry was not unnecessary, but something that was very likely to happen. He thought for a while and said: "It is better to withdraw the troops to the east road first, rectify the morale of the army, and if the situation improves, then attack the Han army camp. I think then  It¡¯s not too late.¡±

    Xu Huang nodded slowly, "I think so too!"

    Xu Huang immediately issued an order: "Send an order to the entire army to withdraw to the east entrance. Anyone who dares to flee will be killed without mercy!"

    The so-called east road crossing is the official road crossing east of Xicheng leading to Shanggui County. It is an open area. Xu Huang set up a logistics camp there, about ten miles away from the battlefield. Under Xu Huang's order, Cao Jun began to slowly move toward  The logistics camp was evacuated.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    When Xun You's clever military strategy encountered serious setbacks, his double-decoy strategy also encountered difficulties. This is normal. After all, no matter how clever the strategy is, it cannot predict the complex people's hearts one by one. What's more,  Xun You's opponent was also a very powerful strategist.

    Liu Jing did not fully follow Xun You's temptation to go north with all his strength. He did not quite believe the Di people, especially Ma Chao, who had been tricked by the leader of the Di people. This made Liu Jing a little wary. He also knew  His weakness is the lack of food and grass. If his troops are too far north, if any accident occurs and the army is cut off from food, his army will collapse.

    So Liu Jing led his army northward, but the march was very slow. He was waiting for the Di people to attack Cao Jun first, and then he launched an offensive. No matter how nice the Di people's words were, if there was no actual action, everything would be in vain.  talk.

    One day had passed, and by the morning of the next day, Liu Jing's tens of thousands of troops were still stationed about twenty miles away from Cao Jun's army.

    This is a slightly safer military distance. If we move forward, the battle situation will get out of control. At this time, Liu Jing was waiting for food supplies from the south and news of the Di people attacking Cao Jun.

    Unexpectedly, after waiting for a day, no food and grass were delivered from the south, and there was no movement from the Di cavalry. This made Liu Jing suspicious.

    In the tent, Liu Jing said to Fa Zheng with some worry: "I feel something is wrong here. If the Di cavalry really wanted to attack Cao Jun from the north, they should have launched an attack when Cao Jun withdrew. There has been no movement from Cao Jun.  Moreover, since Cao Jun is afraid of Jicheng, he should rush back to Jicheng, but now they are stationary. Isn't it strange? "

    Fazheng also realized many unreasonable things. For example, Cao Jun clearly withdrew in a hurry and didn't even clean up his tents. He just threw them away. So where did their tents come from now?  If it was a camp sent from Jicheng, then why was the team sending supplies not attacked by the Di?

    "So many unreasonable measures made Fazheng feel bad. He thought for a long time and said: "I wonder if this is Cao Cao's trick to lure troops. In fact, there are no cavalry at all, it is Cao Cao's own suspicious troops."

    "It is true that the Di cavalry attacked Jicheng. That Ge Yuan was indeed the brother of the Di leader Qian Qian, but I suspect that this Di was a pawn arranged by Cao Cao to falsely attack Jicheng and give Cao Cao an excuse to retreat north.  This leads us to take the bait.¡±

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and then said: "I'm very worried about the south now. Once something happens to the Xicheng camp and the food reserves are destroyed, I'm afraid it will be in danger for us to even withdraw our troops. No! We can't take this risk anymore. We must withdraw our troops immediately  ¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking,A soldier reported at the tent door: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, General Zhao sent someone to send urgent information!"

    Liu Jing was startled, then turned around slowly, with an ominous premonition in her heart, and nodded, "Let the messenger come in!"

    After a while, the messenger was brought in. He knelt down on one knee and handed over a letter, "To inform the state pastor, something serious has happened!"

    Liu Jing took Zhao Yun's message and quickly opened it to check. His heart suddenly sank. About 40,000 to 50,000 Cao troops came from the direction of Shanggui and overwhelmed the Xicheng military camp.

    "What's going on?" Fa Zheng stepped forward and asked nervously.

    Liu Jing sighed slightly and handed the letter to him, "Military advisor, read it yourself!"

    Fazheng hurriedly took the letter and read it hastily. He was also stunned. Fifty thousand Cao troops were coming from the east road. The west city camp was in danger. After a while, Fazheng asked the messenger urgently: "When did you leave the camp?"  Set off?"

    "Reporting to the military advisor, I set out at around 3:30pm last night."

    Fazheng silently calculated the time, and it was exactly six hours. He said to Liu Jing again: "Zhou Mu, we have indeed fallen into the trap. The only way now is to rush back to Xicheng. Maybe there is a chance."

    Liu Jing walked back and forth for a few steps with his hands behind his back, and then ordered: "Go and find Wei Yan!"

    A moment later, Wei Yan hurried over and bowed, "See you, Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing glanced at him and said slowly: "I will lead the main force back to Xicheng immediately. I will leave five thousand soldiers for you. If Cao Jun pursues, you can resist me. No matter you win or lose this battle, when you come back  I will make you a lieutenant general!"

    Wei Yan was so excited that he knelt down on one knee, cupped his fists and said, "Wei Yan is dead!"

    Liu Jing nodded, and then ordered: "Pass my order, the entire army must assemble, all tents and military supplies must be discarded, and retreat south immediately!"

    In Cao Jun¡¯s camp, the nearly 60,000 soldiers did not rest, but were fully armed and ready to fight at any time. Cao Cao knew very well that the moment that would determine the outcome of the battle would happen tonight.

    It should be last night that Xu Huang led an army of 50,000 people and the Xicheng army to attack the Han army camp outside Xicheng. Although the situation of the battle is not known yet, if there is news, it should be at this time.

    Cao Cao stood on the sentry tower in front of the military camp, squinting and looking south. The guards next to him knew that the prime minister was not looking at the Han military camp. It was twenty miles away and could not be seen here. The prime minister was actually waiting for news from the scouts.

    "Gongda, do you think Liu Jing will eventually fall into a trap?"

    There was a kind of worry that could not be concealed in Cao Cao's tone. His worry was justified, that is, Liu Jing did not attack him as originally planned, which showed that Liu Jing was probably already suspicious of the Di cavalry.

    Xun You stood behind Cao Cao and remained silent. In fact, he had realized that there was a problem with his chain plan, and he was also very clear about where the problem was. There was one subtle link that he did not handle well, that is, Di should not be allowed to  Instead of withdrawing the cavalry, they should be allowed to pretend to attack Cao Jun. In this way, Liu Jing would definitely be fooled.

    In fact, Xun You also raised this issue at the beginning, but Cao Cao did not believe in the Di cavalry. He was worried that the lie would come true. Once the Di cavalry found out that it was profitable, they would really attack Cao's army. This would cause big trouble, so the last step was  The feint was called off.

    Although the last link was missing, it was not a big problem. If Liu Jing refused to attack Cao's army, it would be the same for Cao's army to attack the Han army. However, Xun You did not expect that Liu Jing was extremely shrewd and always kept a distance of twenty miles.  , it was this distance of twenty miles that gave Liu Jing the possibility of decoupling.

    Xun You was silent for a moment and sighed: "Now I can only guarantee that Liu Jing will withdraw to Hanzhong. As for whether he will fall into a trap, it is really hard to say. After all, the longer it takes, he will find something fishy."

    As soon as Xun You finished speaking, he saw several scouts and cavalry rushing towards him. Cao Cao was refreshed. This was the spy he was waiting for. "How is the situation?" Cao Cao asked loudly from the sentry tower.

    The cavalry rushed forward, reined in their horses, and reported loudly: "For the record, Prime Minister, Liu Jing has withdrawn his troops in a very hasty manner!"

    Cao Cao was shocked. He immediately realized that Liu Jing had seen through his trap and was about to escape. He immediately ordered: "Send my order and the whole army will pursue him!"

    Suddenly drums were beating loudly in Cao's camp, the camp gate was opened wide, and groups of soldiers who had already lined up rushed out of the camp. Tens of thousands of Cao's troops rushed southward like a sea wave. Under the urging of the officers, the soldiers continued to speed up.  Speed, chasing the Han army retreating south.

    This section is a flat road, which is conducive to marching. Half an hour later, Cao Cao's army approached the abandoned camp of the Han army. At this time, the Han army's camp was filled with flames and thick smoke. The fire had engulfed the entire camp. Cao Cao's face  Ashen, he pulled out his sword and shouted:"Speed ??up the pursuit for me, and whoever captures Liu Jing's head will be rewarded with a reward of 100 million and be granted the title of Marquis of 10,000 households!"

    Under the stimulation of this unprecedented bounty, Cao Jun's potential exploded. Regardless of exhaustion, they ran southward to catch up with all their strength. However, they had just run less than five miles past the camp when drums suddenly sounded loudly in a nearby mountain col, and the shouts of killing were shocking.  One day, a Han army that was ambushing in the mountains came out. The leader was Wei Yan.

    Wei Yan got Liu Jing¡¯s promise. He had already held his breath and shouted, "Thief Cao, stop being so rampant, Wei Yan is here!"

    He waved his saber, urged his horse to gallop, and went straight to Cao Cao under the purple umbrella. The five thousand soldiers behind him rushed forward with shouts and cut off Cao Cao's army.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 579 Withdrawal of troops to the south

    The Han army quickly headed south after leaving the camp. The road was not smooth. The distance of more than 100 miles took about a day's march. After three hours of forced march, the army had already left the camp far away. Liu Jing hoped to get Wei Yan behind.  After hearing the news from the army and Cao Jun, he ordered the army to rest on the spot for half an hour.

    At this time, night had quietly fallen, and tens of thousands of Han troops took a temporary rest in a wide valley. The valley was surrounded by patrols and scouts, watching the movements in front and behind with vigilance. Liu Jing sat alone on a large rock, staring at the sky.  A crescent moon, lost in thought.

    Fazheng walked over slowly. He sighed apologetically and said, "I fell into Cao Jun's plan this time. I have a heavy responsibility. I hope the state pastor can punish me!"

    Liu Jing looked back at him, with a soft smile in her eyes, "Why does the military advisor blame himself so much?"

    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t made a mistake in judgment, I¡¯m afraid we wouldn¡¯t have been so passive. How could I not blame myself?¡±

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I don't mean to excuse you. You are indeed responsible for this matter, but it is not serious. In fact, the root cause still lies with me. This northern expedition was too hasty. I was eager to go north and was not fully prepared.  The lack of awareness of the difficulties of the Northern Expedition led to problems in the transportation of grain and grass, which was the root of our trap. "

    Fazheng lowered his head, and after a long while he asked again: "Does Zhou Mu want to withdraw his troops and return to Hanzhong?"

    Liu Jing let out a long sigh, "I don't want to withdraw my troops, but this battle has taught me a lot. Some things cannot be rushed. Only through accumulation can you make progress. Let's go step by step!"

    At this time, a soldier hurried over to report, "Report to Zhou Mu, General Zhao has sent urgent military information."

    "Come and see me quickly!"

    Liu Jing has always been worried about the situation in the Xicheng Camp. He has decided to retreat, so the safety of the Xicheng Camp is related to whether he can escape unharmed. After a while, a messenger was brought up. He bowed and took out Zhao Yun.  The second letter is different from the first letter in that it is written on red paper, which means that this time it is a good news.

    The sky was not completely dark yet. In the half-dark sky, Liu Jing hurriedly read Zhao Yun's letter. He was overjoyed. Zhao Yun led 3,000 troops to kill Xiahou Yuan in the Valley of Sin, and defeated more than 10,000 Xiahou Yuan who went north.  Army, this is great news.

    He smiled and handed the letter to Fazheng, "Combatant, please take a look! This is encouraging news."

    Fazheng took the letter and read it, and suddenly said excitedly: "This is a battle that can turn the world around!"

    Liu Jing nodded. Zhao Yun's success in ambushing Xia Houyuan really turned the tide of the war, saving him from the severe situation of being attacked from both sides, and also creating conditions for him to escape unscathed. Since Zhao Yun could successfully ambush Xia Houyuan in Shen Yuan Valley, then Liu Jing's attack on Xicheng  The battalion is also full of confidence.

    At this time, Liu Jing asked again: "Is there no news from Wei Yan?"

    Not long after, the scouts galloped to report: "Call to Zhou Mu, General Wei sent people to report. Cao Jun's offensive was fierce. His troops were too few, and more than half of them were killed or wounded. He could no longer resist and was forced to retreat. Please call Zhou Mu."  Escape south quickly."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment. Although Xia Houyuan was beheaded, he no longer had to worry about being attacked from both sides and could fight the main force of Cao's army. However, there were still 50,000 Cao troops attacking the city at the Xicheng camp, so he still had to worry about what to do. He had to  He gave up the idea of ????fighting and ordered to his left and right: "Quickly pass on my order, and the army will immediately set off to retreat south!"

    The order was passed down, and the soldiers stood up one after another and set off in formation. At this time, Fazheng smiled at Liu Jing and said, "You can give General Zhao's military report to Cao Cao for a look. I believe he will make a correct judgment."

    Liu Jing nodded and ordered to the soldiers: "Bring in the arrested spies!"

    The soldiers quickly brought up the two captured Cao army spies. Liu Jing handed them Zhao Yun's letter and ordered them: "I will let you go back. You can give this letter to Prime Minister Cao and tell it to them."  He said, 'If a fish dies, the net will break.'"

    The two spies kowtowed and left. Liu Jing watched them go away, then urged his horse to follow the team and quickly withdrew to the south.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In order to open the passage as soon as possible, Cao Cao did not hesitate to use tiger and leopard cavalry. Under the fierce attacks of Cao Jun, Wei Yan's army suffered more than half of its casualties and was forced to retreat. Despite this, Cao Cao's army was blocked by Wei Yan's five thousand troops for a full hour and a half.

    This made Cao Cao extremely angry. He pointed his riding whip at Cao Chun on the roadside and yelled: "Useless things. I spent countless money and food for you to build elite cavalry. Is this your achievement? Three thousand cavalry were blocked by five thousand infantry."  In one and a half hours, more than 500 cavalrymen were killed or wounded. How can you explain this to me?"

    Cao Chun has a reason. It¡¯s not that his cavalry is not conducive to combat, but the terrain is not conducive to cavalry combat. Even if there are 10,000 cavalry, it will not be possible at one time.Only less than a hundred cavalry can be invested in the attack. How can this have any cavalry effect?  But Cao Chun did not dare to explain, and lowered his head to accept the prime minister's reprimand.

    Yu Jinzhan stepped forward cautiously and asked for instructions: "Wei Yan's army has withdrawn, should we continue to pursue it?"

    "Is there any need to ask?" Cao Cao asked with a stern face.

    Seeing that the prime minister was angry, Yu Jin did not dare to ask any more questions, so he immediately led his soldiers to continue pursuing south. The army pursued them for more than fifty miles. It was already dark, and it was already two o'clock. Cao Cao's army held up torches and went south, with little flames.  Like a long fire dragon.

    At this time, several patrols brought the two spies up, "Prime Minister, these two are spies from our army. They have brought news about Liu Jing."

    "What do you want to say?" Cao Cao asked coldly on his horse.

    The two spies knelt down and presented a letter to Cao Cao, "For the Prime Minister, this is the letter Liu Jing asked us to give to the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao took the letter, and a guard immediately raised a torch behind him. By the light of the fire, Cao Cao hurriedly read the letter. Although the letter was a good news from Zhao Yun to Liu Jing, the content in it surprised Cao Cao. Xia Houyuan was ambushed.  Killed in battle, he was stunned as if struck by lightning.

    At this time, a man came galloping on horseback. It was Xiahou Ba, the son of Xia Houyuan. He ran to Cao Cao, dismounted his horse and fell to the ground crying, "Prime Minister, my father and young brother died tragically in the army. The Prime Minister wants to make the decision for me!"

    In this ambush, not only Xia Houyuan was killed, but Xia Hourong, the fifth son who followed Xia Houyuan, also died tragically among the rebels.

    Cao Cao quickly helped Xia Houba up. Xia Houyuan had a brotherhood with him. Now he was ambushed and killed by the enemy. Cao Cao felt so painful that he felt like crying loudly. His eyes were filled with tears unknowingly.  He wiped away his tears and held back his grief and said: "My dear nephew, please express my condolences. One day, I will use Liu Jing's head to sacrifice your father's soul."

    He turned back to the two spies and asked, "Is there anything else you want to report?"

    ¡°Also, Liu Jing asked us to bring a message to the Prime Minister.¡±

    "explain!"

    "He just hopes that the prime minister will not be defeated."

    "When a fish dies, the net is broken! When a fish dies, the net is broken!"

    Cao Cao muttered a few words, and suddenly shouted: "He killed my brother, and he still wants to escape unscathed?"

    Cao Cao was furious and ordered sternly: "Speed ??up the march. Those who kill Liu Jing will be granted the title of Duke of Ten Thousand Households and a generous reward of thousands of hectares of fertile land!"

    Amid Cao Cao's roar, Cao Jun's soldiers accelerated their march again. Cao Chun personally led 3,000 tiger and leopard cavalry in pursuit. Although Cao Cao was furious, the road soon became narrow and rugged, making it unsuitable for cavalry to gallop. Cao Jun's cavalry could not  If you don't lead the horse slowly, the marching speed will soon slow down.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the fifth watch, Liu Jing finally led the army back to the camp south of Xicheng. By this time, Zhao Yun and Zhang Ren had received the order sent by Liu Jing in advance. They had packed up the camp materials and made preparations to withdraw the troops.  Prepare.

    In the light of the hunting fire, Liu Jing urged her horse into the camp, and her heart was finally relieved. At this time, Zhao Yun, Pang Tong and Zhang Ren led the generals to come forward to salute. Liu Jing nodded in approval and said: "This time we can fight with all our bodies."  Retreating is the result of your desperate efforts to resist Cao's attack. I will not forget your achievements. But now."

    Zhao Yun, Zhang Ren and others looked at each other in shock. Zhao Yun stepped forward and said: "We are still strong and can definitely fight Cao Jun. Why doesn't Zhou Mu insist anymore?"

    Liu Jing sighed and said: "We are not fully prepared for this Northern Expedition. The food problem has always been our weakness. Even if we have the upper hand now, we may not be able to capture Guanzhong. It is better to go back and prepare well, calm down and prepare for the war, and strive for success next time."

    Having said this, he looked back at Xu Huang's camp in the distance, and then turned his eyes to the dark wall of the West City. He shook his head slightly, and then ordered: "Pass my order, the army will withdraw southward!"

    Nearly 70,000 troops began to slowly retreat towards Hanzhong. At this time, Pang Tong stepped forward and suggested: "I suggest that we occupy Licheng as our stronghold on the Qishan Road to create conditions for the next northern expedition."

    Liu Jing nodded, this plan can be adopted, and he immediately ordered Zhang Ren: "Destroy the camp with fire, leaving nothing to Cao Jun!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cao Cao led his army to Xicheng after dawn. On the way, he saw the fire in the south. He knew that it was Liu Jing who burned the camp and retreated south.

    At this time, Cao Cao finally calmed down, and Xun You took the opportunity to persuade him: "Although we were not able to completely annihilate Liu Jing's army, we at least defeated Liu Jing's Northern Expedition. We have gained something. If we pursue it further south, we will advance."We are in Hanzhong. Frankly speaking, Hanzhong is a quagmire for us now. Once we fall into it, it will be difficult to get out. I hope the Prime Minister will think twice!  "

    Cao Cao sighed and said: "Actually, I also understand in my heart that although the Han army failed in the Northern Expedition, I also paid a heavy price. Miaocai was killed in battle, which made me heartbroken. But how can you fight without killing people? He can fight  Death on the battlefield is considered a worthy death. I will not pursue you further south. This battle is over. Let¡¯s return to Yecheng to recharge our batteries!¡±

    At this time, Xu Huang, Hao Zhao and Chen Qun stepped forward to salute. Cao Cao sighed and said to everyone: "Miaocai has been killed in battle. I don't want to hold him responsible for not taking down the enemy camp for the time being. Liu Jing has retreated, but I believe  He will come back again, and Xicheng will be the most important moment for us to defend the Han army from moving north. We must deploy heavy troops to defend it. "

    Everyone was ashamed and saluted together: "Thank you, Prime Minister, for your ungrateful kindness!"

    Cao Cao said to Hao Zhao again: "General Hao will lead 10,000 troops to garrison the west city. There must be no carelessness."

    Hao Zhao hurriedly saluted, "I humbly obey my orders!"

    Cao Cao took another look at the Han army camp, which was gradually extinguishing. He suddenly felt depressed and ordered to his left and right: "The army will rest for three days and return to Chang'an!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 580 Xun Yu Jianyan

    In the Yedu Palace, a tall, thin, dark-skinned eunuch was walking in a hurry with his head lowered. He walked through a long corridor and was about to enter the inner palace. Unexpectedly, someone walked out of the palace. The two couldn't stop in time and bumped into each other heavily.  Together, 'Ouch!  ¡¯ With a sound, the eunuch who came out of the inner palace was knocked to the ground.

    The eunuch who fell to the ground was white, fat, handsome, like a woman. He was Mi Ying, the confidant of Han Emperor Liu Xie. He covered his chest and cursed: "Which blind bastard hit our house?"  Who are you looking for?¡±

    The thin black eunuch hurriedly helped him up and apologized continuously, "It turns out to be the manager Ma. I'm rude. I apologize to the manager!"

    Mi Ying recognized the black and thin eunuch in front of him. He was Mu Shun, the confidant of Queen Fu and his rival for power in the palace. His face suddenly darkened and he said coldly: "Oh! It turns out to be Manager Mu.  Why are you leaving in such a hurry?"

    Mu Shun also felt uncomfortable, so he forced a smile and said, "Mr. Fu fell ill. The Queen ordered me to visit the emperor. I was rushing back, but I bumped into Eunuch Mi. I'm sorry!"

    He bowed again to express his apology. Mi Ying laughed twice and said, "I just met Fu Guozhang a few days ago. He is in good health. Why did he fall ill?"

    "Who can predict that misfortunes and fortunes will happen to people all the time?"

    ¡°I see, I won¡¯t delay Mr. Mu anymore, please!¡±

    Mu Shun bowed to him and hurried to the inner palace with a few young eunuchs. Mi Ying looked at his back with some doubts in his heart. The prime minister was not in Yedu and fell ill after lying down. Is it such a coincidence?  "

    He winked at one of his confidants, the young eunuch, and whispered: "Go and inquire about the news and see what's going on?"

    The little eunuch turned around and ran away. Mi Ying then walked to the imperial study room in the front palace.

    Mu Shun hurried to Queen Fu's living hall. At this time, Queen Fu was standing in front of the parrot stand feeding a green parrot. This was her most beloved pet and had been with her for ten years. When she heard the familiar footsteps, Fu  The queen suddenly turned around and saw Mu Shun kneeling behind her.

    "You all get out!"

    Queen Fu sent all the maids away coldly, and then asked nervously: "Is there any news?"

    Mu Shun took off his hat and pulled out a piece of paper from his bun and presented it to Queen Fu, "Everything the abbot said is in the letter!"

    Queen Fu opened the letter and read it, with a flash of surprise in her eyes. She put the letter away close to her body and nodded approvingly to Mu Shun, "You are very loyal. This matter must not be leaked."

    "I understand, old slave!"

    Empress Fu couldn't hold back the joy in her heart, so she went out of the palace and got on the chariot, heading towards the royal study of the Holy Emperor. She and her husband Liu Xie secretly discussed this and used Cao Cao's opportunity to go to Guanzhong to quietly build up power, mainly for the benefit of Empress Fu's father.  The relationship between the country's abbot and Fu Wan.

    Fu Wan has not lived up to the expectations of his daughter and son-in-law, and has secretly recruited three powerful local governors. Together with his own troops at the manor, they have already commanded an army of 10,000 people. However, Fu Wan said in the letter that the army was not well trained and was still in trouble.  It takes several months to a year of training, and the time to take action will be when Cao Cao goes on an expedition.

    Soon, Queen Fu came to Liu Xie's imperial study. In fact, Liu Xie did not have any real power. He could read some memorials, but they were all selected by the Prime Minister's Office, and they were only copied copies. The things in the memorials had already been implemented.

    For some major matters that must be approved by the emperor, he can only agree or disagree based on the instructions of the Prime Minister's Office. If he dares to disagree, then his emperor will be in trouble and will soon die of illness.  Cao Cao established a new emperor.

    Therefore, there is nothing wrong with Empress Fu appearing in the emperor's study room. It is just inappropriate in terms of etiquette and has nothing to do with politics.

    Walking to the study, Empress Fu faintly heard the disgusting shrill laughter of the eunuch Mi Ying. Her face sank. She had already heard that her husband and this eunuch were too close and some disgusting things happened, but she didn't.  Evidence, and today she heard with her own ears that Mi Ying dared to laugh wildly in the imperial study room. What did this mean?

    Queen Fu suddenly became angry, but she still held back her anger. She just snorted loudly and said to the two guards: "Go and report to the Holy Lord. I have something important to see him."

    The guard quickly walked to the door and reported loudly: "The Queen has an audience!"

    Mi Ying¡¯s laughter in the Imperial Study Room suddenly stopped. After a moment, Mi Ying hurriedly walked out, bowed, and said with a flattering smile: "The Queen rarely comes to the Imperial Study Room! Why are you free today"

    Before he finished speaking, Queen Fu was already furious and slapped him hard, "Asshole! Is this the attitude of a palace slave speaking to me?"

    Mi Ying was stunned. It took him a while to react. He knelt down and slapped himself, "?The slave is rude, the old slave deserves to die!  "

    Queen Fu glared at him with hatred, "Get out of here!"

    Mi Ying was so frightened that she crawled to the ground and ran outside. Then Empress Fu rushed into her husband's study room angrily.

    At the end of the corridor, Mi Ying's vicious gaze appeared from behind a large column. He gritted his teeth and whispered to himself: "Bitch, I want you to die in my hands!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the imperial study, Liu Xie looked a little embarrassed. He did not expect that the queen would come to the imperial study in person. He forced a smile and said, "Why did the queen come to my imperial study today?"

    Queen Fu did not fall out in front of her husband. She walked a few steps in the royal study, glanced at the few eunuchs next to her, and then looked back at Liu Xie, "Have you forgotten, Your Majesty? What we talked about a few days ago."

    Liu Xie's thoughts changed, and he suddenly realized something. He quickly waved his hands to several young eunuchs, "You all stand down!"

    Several young eunuchs retreated, and Empress Fu took out her father's letter and handed it to Liu Xie, "This is the letter from the abbot of the state. It contains the content of your Majesty's concern."

    Liu Xie was so excited that he almost grabbed the letter. He sat at the table and read it carefully. He read it three times in a row. He didn't want to let go of every word on it. Finally, he was so excited that he couldn't sit still. He took the letter and read it carefully.  He walked back and forth in the room, then stopped and couldn't help but read the letter. Fu Wan said in the letter that he had mastered tens of thousands of soldiers.

    This is a strength that Liu Xie has never had before. How could he not be ecstatic? Not long ago, he got the news that Cao Cao actually promised Liu Jing to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor during the Battle of Chibi, although this was just a temptation.  , but Cao Cao's statement still shocked Liu Xie.

    This shows that Cao Cao already had the intention of deposing him. Even without Liu Jing, Cao Cao would have supported other young princes to ascend the throne. At that time, he would not even be a puppet emperor.

    It was the unprecedented crisis that forced Liu Xie to plan for self-protection. The most effective way was to eradicate Cao Cao and let him take charge of the power. Unfortunately, most of the ministers in the court were close to Cao Cao, and some ministers who were slightly supportive of the royal family were also afraid of Cao Cao.  Too powerful to say anything.

    Liu Xie could only ask the royal family for help. After his repeated pleas, Queen Fu finally persuaded his father Fu Wan to help. He and Fu Wan had discussed the army several times, but he did not expect an answer so quickly.  Liu Xie was so excited that he actually had 10,000 troops.

    Seeing that her husband was losing his temper, Empress Fu couldn't help but feel worried, so she reminded her in a low voice: "Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance. Only you and I can know about it. We must not leak it to other attendants."

    Queen Fu was actually referring to Mi Ying. The relationship between her husband and him was too close. Everyone in the palace knew it. How could Cao Cao not know that if Cao Cao used Mi Ying to spy on her husband, the consequences would be disastrous. But Queen Fu also knew that there was no evidence now, so she accused  Miying would anger her husband, so she could only give a subtle reminder.

    Liu Xie's face felt slightly warm. He heard what the queen meant, and he laughed twice and said: "Queen, don't worry! I will know how to control it."

    At this time, a guard reported outside the door: "Your Excellency, Mr. Xun, is asking to see His Majesty!"

    Queen Fu and Liu Xie couldn't help but be startled. Very few ministers came to the palace to have an audience. Why is Xun Yu here?  Empress Fu said quickly: "Concubine, please retire!"

    Liu Xie nodded, "Queen, go ahead! We will discuss the details in the evening."

    After Empress Fu left, Liu Xie sat back in his seat and ordered: "Servant Xuan Xun is here to see you!"

    "The Holy One has a decree, and Xun Xun is here to see you!"

    The guard loudly conveyed the order. Not long after, Xun Yu, wearing a purple robe and a flat crown, hurriedly walked into the imperial study. Xun Yu had been transferred from Cao Cao's staff to a minister of the imperial court. He was granted the title of Shizhong and ranked among the three princes.  , Xun Yu was a clean and honest official, upright and selfless, and was highly praised by the court.

    More importantly, Xun Yu was a royalist and loyal to the Han Dynasty. When Cao Cao was granted the title of Duke of Wei and accepted the Nine Treasures, Xun Yu strongly opposed it.  With Wang Mang, Cao Cao compared himself to Wang Mang, which made Xun Yu extremely sad.

    Xun Yu knelt down and kowtowed, "I, Xun Yu, come to see your Majesty and wish your Majesty long live, long live!"

    "Xun Aiqing is exempted from courtesy!"

    "Thank you, Your Majesty."

    Xun Yu sat up straight. The reason why he came to see Liu Xie today was because there was a rumor in the court recently that the Holy Emperor wanted to make a fuss about Liu Jing's Northern Expedition and issued an order to deprive Liu Jing of his title. If the Holy Emperor like this  If you do it, the Prime Minister may not object, and it is very likely to come true.

    But Xun Yu was very anxious in his heart. He knew that the Holy Sage did this out of selfish motives, and felt that Liu Jing was threatening his throne. However, this would greatly damage the Holy Sage's prestige among the nobles, and would instead  Weakened even moreThe influence of the Han Dynasty was declining day by day.

    This is a consequence that Xun Yu did not want to see. The Holy Emperor obviously did not know Liu Jing's influence among the northern gentry. Now even the Prime Minister did not dare to depose Liu Jing's title. If the Holy One wanted to do this, Prime Minister Cao would naturally want it.

    Xun Yu thought about it again and again, and finally couldn't sit still. He would rather risk Cao Cao's dissatisfaction with him, but also persuade the emperor to see the situation clearly and not do anything stupid.

    "I recently heard a rumor that the Holy One is planning to reduce the title of Liu Jing, the shepherd of Jingzhou. I wonder if this is just a rumor?"

    When Liu Xie saw Xun Yu talking about Liu Jing, he felt a little unhappy and said coldly: "Liu Jing sent troops to Bashu without following the orders. This is a serious crime. However, his excuse was that he sent troops to stabilize the situation in Yizhou because of the civil strife in Yizhou.  That's all, but what about his northern expedition to Guanzhong? Guanzhong is the land of Longxing of our Han Dynasty. What does he mean by occupying it without authorization? If he doesn't give a clear explanation, I will punish him severely.  he!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 581 Inspection of Jingnan

    Xun Yu secretly sighed in his heart. The Holy Emperor had obviously lived in the deep palace for a long time. He had no idea what was happening outside, nor the changes in the situation outside, nor the extent of Liu Jing's influence. He naturally wanted to issue an edict to severely punish him.  Something big could happen.

    It¡¯s just that Xun Yu didn¡¯t know that he couldn¡¯t persuade him directly. After all, the Holy Emperor was wary of him. If he didn¡¯t persuade him well, it would be self-defeating. He could only speak with facts. Thinking of this, Xun Yu slowly said: "Does your Majesty know that Jingzhou last autumn?"  Public recruitment?"

    Liu Xie was stunned. He didn¡¯t know about this. He shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of it!¡±

    ??

    Liu Xie couldn't hold back his anger and said quickly: "Your Majesty, can you tell me something?"

    "Jingzhou's public recruitment of scholars is nominally aimed at Jingzhou, but in fact it is for the whole world. It is not a promotion of filial piety and integrity, but a public examination. Regardless of poverty, the best will be admitted. According to accurate information, more than 100,000 scholars from all over the world went to Jingzhou to participate.  The examination was carried out from Liaodong in the north to Longyou in the west. All the children of both scholars and common people rushed to Xiangyang with great momentum. Thirty-five great gentry families in the world also sent their children to take the examination. In the end, more than a hundred people were admitted. It can be said that this event was sensational  Government and opposition parties.¡±

    Liu Xie was extremely shocked. He didn¡¯t know about this at all, and he never imagined that hundreds of thousands of scholars from all over the world would rush to Xiangyang to take the exam. After a while, Liu Xie said with hatred: "Is Xiangyang so attractive?"

    "Your Majesty, don't you understand?"

    Xun Yu said anxiously: "Liu Jing is already famous all over the world. Liu Jing captured Yizhou. How many people asked the prime minister to recognize him as the shepherd of Yizhou? This time Liu Jing went north to Guanzhong, and all the great families in the world were silent.  No one is criticizing. Does your Majesty understand the subtleties in this?"

    Liu Xie's face became more and more ugly. He was not a fool. How could he not understand what Xun Yu meant? In other words, Liu Jing had gradually gained the support of the nobles. "Huh!" Liu Xie snorted coldly: "Xun Yu.  The family should also send their children to participate in the so-called open recruitment!"

    Xun Yu took a long time to respond: "Your Majesty, what I want to say today has nothing to do with the Xun family. I just want to say that even the prime minister dare not reduce Liu Jing's title. Why would your Majesty do this? I can learn from your loyalty. I hope your majesty can learn from it."  I understand my hard work.¡±

    Liu Xie said coldly: "I understand, is there anything else?"

    "There is nothing else. I will not disturb Your Majesty and will leave!"

    Xun Yu bowed and slowly withdrew. Liu Xie did not hold him back and watched him retreat with cold eyes. Xun Yu was once one of Cao Cao's four great counselors. How could he believe that Xun Yu was only thinking about himself and was just suffering  Cao Cao's instigation came to test his true identity.

    Xun Yu walked out of the imperial study, raised his head and let out a long breath. This emperor really disappointed him. Even if he didn't accept his good intentions, he should at least understand the situation. If he continued to be confused like this, he might not be able to retain the throne in the end.  It can't be saved either.

    Xun Yu shook his head and left the palace in a dejected mood

    Time gradually came to May. According to the original plan, the general's mansion had to move back to Xiangyang before the beginning of summer and spend the summer and autumn in Xiangyang. However, the plan did not change. After the failure of the Northern Expedition, the Han army restarted the second Northern Expedition.  The preparations for the expedition were carried out in Yizhou, so the plan was adjusted. This year the general will not move back to Xiangyang for the time being. He will move back to Xiangyang after the Northern Expedition is successful.

    Although the general's mansion will not be moved back to Xiangyang, Liu Jing must appear in Jingzhou. This is actually a kind of balance. Although it is necessary to strengthen the control of Yizhou, Jingzhou cannot be left out in the cold. Liu Jing inspected the counties in Jingnan in April  In early May, he arrived at Lingling County under the escort of thousands of soldiers.

    Lingling County can be said to be the second largest county in Jingnan after Changsha County. It ranks among the top in Jingnan in terms of area and population. It is also a place where many Han people live. Many senior officials under Liu Jing, including Liu Min and Zhou  Buyi, Jiang Wan and others are all from Lingling County.

    The prefect of Lingling County was originally Liu Du. Liu Du went to Yedu to settle in Yedu as a representative of the Jingzhou royal family last autumn. Liu Jing appointed his son Liu Xian as the prefect of Lingling County and made Jiang Wan's uncle Jiang Jing the Prime Minister of Lingling County.

    ¡°But Liu Jing¡¯s visit to Lingling County was not just to listen to the reports from the prefect and the county magistrate. The more important purpose of his coming to Lingling County was to go to Lingling County.

    Liu Jing took hundreds of 500-stone official ships and headed south along the Xiangjiang River. The prefect Liu Xian accompanied him all the way. In the distance, there were green mountains and dense forests, but there were large rice fields on both sides of the Xiangjiang River.  water wheel.

    Liu Xian pointed to the large rice fields on both sides and smiled at Liu Jing: "More than ten years ago, the Lingling area was vast and sparsely populated, with abundant land. The locals cultivated the land with fire and water, and did not cultivate.  An acre of land only produces about a hundred kilograms of grain. My father and I have been improving the local people¡¯s farming methods over the years.As manure was accumulated and cultivated deeply, grain production increased year by year. Now one acre of land can produce five to six hundred kilograms of grain. Grain production increased, and the lives of local people began to become richer.  "

    Liu Jing looked at the farmers busy in the rice fields and nodded happily, "The food problem is always a big deal. It is the foundation of a strong country and the guarantee for the struggle for the world. The fundamental reason why the Northern Expedition failed to succeed is the lack of food. Of course,  It's not a lack of food, but a problem with transporting food. However, the next Northern Expedition may have a problem of food sufficiency. So when I inspected Jingnan this time, I said to the county officials: "Let the people have enough to eat.  If a soldier does not have to worry about food shortage, then he is a good official. It is really gratifying that Lingling County can always pay attention to agriculture.  "

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing and Liu Xian looked at each other and smiled. Needless to say, Liu Jing has already expressed his meaning enough. Food comes first. As long as Lingling can become a major grain-producing county, Liu Xian's promotion will be just around the corner.

    At this time, Liu Xian smiled and asked: "Is it because Zhou Mu went to Lingling County specifically for Lingqu Canal?"

    Although the name of Lingling County is the same as the name of the county, it is actually just a small county, and it is located in the relatively remote south. It has no status in Lingling County, but it is the origin of Lingqu Canal, and the other side of Lingcan Canal.  One end is located in Shixing County in the south. The Lingqu canal connects the Xiangshui River and the Lishui River and is an important water transportation channel for Jingzhou through Jiaozhou.

    At this time, a fleet of more than 20 cargo ships was approaching. The flag of Jiangling Wu's Trading Company was planted on the bow. The waterline was deep and fully loaded with goods. Liu Jing watched this fleet passing opposite her.  Then he said to Liu Xian: "I have reached an agreement with Liu Bei to liberalize trade between Jingzhou and Jiaozhou in the future. Although the Xiang River mainly flows through Changsha County, part of it also flows through Lingling County. I hope Lingling can seize this opportunity.  Develop trade.¡±

    "Wei Chen will seize the opportunity, but last time the state pastor said that it is strictly forbidden to transport pig iron, armor, copper, grain and other strategic materials into Jiaozhou. However, there are many roads from Lingling to Jiaozhou, and I am worried that I will not be able to control it."

    Liu Jing laughed, "It is impossible to completely control this kind of smuggling of materials. We can only say that the government will strictly prohibit it, major commercial banks will not be allowed to transport it, and waterway inspections will be strengthened. Then there will be no large-scale southward transportation of strategic materials."

    Liu Xian nodded, "Wei Chen understands!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The fleet went all the way south and arrived at Lingling County at noon the next day. Lingling County was indeed just a small county. The county town was short and dilapidated, with a circumference of twelve miles and a population of only a thousand households.

    People here make a living by farming, fishing and hunting, but since last autumn, when Liu Jing agreed to lend 50,000 shi of grain to Jiaozhou, Lingling County has become lively.

    Taking advantage of the opportunity of transporting grain, several major merchants in Jingzhou bought land to open stores in Lingling County and built warehouses and docks, making Lingling County's trading industry develop almost overnight.

    With the development of trade, shops, taverns, hostels, brothels and other industries have sprung up rapidly. Eight taverns have opened in the county within a month. Not only are almost half of the locals in Lingling employed, but also businessmen from other places.  , there were thousands of civilians, business was prosperous, and the reputation of Lingling County began to spread.

    Like Lingling County, the same prosperous scene appeared in Shi'an County at the other end of the Lingqu Canal. Shi'an County, also known as Guilin in later generations, once belonged to Lingling County and was later assigned to Cangwu County. It was the trade window of Jiaozhou.  , the merchant ships coming from Jingzhou sailed into the Li River through the Ling Canal, arrived at Cangwu, and then along the Yu River to Panyu, Nanhai County, so the Ling Canal became the trade throat channel between Jingzhou and Jiaozhou.

    When Liu Jing's boat slowly approached the pier of Lingling County, the county magistrate and a group of officials had been waiting on the pier for a long time. The county magistrate stepped forward and knelt down to Liu Jing and saluted, "Lingling County Magistrate Zhou Yun pays homage to Zhou Mu  , see the prefect!¡±

    Liu Jing quickly helped him up, smiled and reassured him: "Magistrate Zhou has worked hard these past few months. It is not easy to build a new dock and warehouse in such a short time!"

    Not far away stood dozens of huge warehouses. There were official warehouses, which were built in just two months. No wonder Liu Jing wanted to admire Magistrate Zhou, not only the official warehouses, but also the official docks.  The construction was completed within two months, which was also extremely difficult. In addition, in addition to Guancang and Guan Wharf, several major trading houses also built their own wharves and warehouses, making both sides of the more than ten miles long Xiang River covered with  The huge warehouse complex is spectacular.

    Liu Jing followed the county magistrate into the county government office. He sat down and asked the county magistrate some information. Finally, the topic changed and he asked with a smile: "I would like to know some of Liu Bei's latest situation. Can the county magistrate introduce it to you?"

    In fact, Liu Jing also knew some of Liu Bei's development in Jiaozhou, but due to the long distance and inconvenient information, the news was relatively delayed. The information he received from Liu Bei was something that happened at the beginning of the year. Now that four or five months have passed, the situation is definitely  Something has changed, and this is one of the main purposes of his coming to Lingling County.

      County Magistrate Zhou hesitated for a moment. He had been busy building docks and warehouses in the past few months, and did not pay attention to Liu Bei's current situation. He didn't know it, but someone knew it. He quickly said: "Please ask the governor of the state, Marquis Xiao.  The Wu merchant fleet just returned from Jiaozhou yesterday, and I asked them to introduce the situation. "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 582 The advent of the wooden cow

    The person brought in by County Magistrate Zhou was a man in his forties. He was tall and thin and appeared to be very smart and capable. His surname was Shan, and he was one of the chief managers of Wu's Trading Company in Jiangling. The middle-aged man entered the lobby.  Kneel down and salute, "Little citizen Shan Yue pays homage to Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hand, "No need to be polite, please get up!"

    "Xie Zhoumu!" Shan Guanshi stood up.

    Liu Jing smiled and asked again: "I heard from County Magistrate Zhou that Shan Guanshi just returned from Jiaozhou?"

    "Yes! Xiaomin just returned with his fleet from Panyu County, Nanhai County yesterday."

    "I see!"

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then asked: "I probably knew at the beginning of the year that Liu Bei's army had a fierce battle with Shi Xie's army in Hepu County. I wonder what the outcome was?"

    "Reporting to Zhou Mu, this battle has ended long ago. Shi Xie's army was defeated by Zhuge Liang. Liu Bei occupied Hepu County and Gaoliang County. He ordered General Chen Dao to lead his army to guard Hepu County and Feng Xi to guard Gaoliang County. Zhuge Liang then led 20,000  The army marched eastward to Nanhai County. Just last month, the Nanhai prefect Shiwu was killed by Guan Yu. I heard that more than 10,000 troops in Panyu City surrendered to Zhuge Liang. When I came back, I happened to meet Liu Bei leading civil and military officials and their families from Cangwu.  Moved to Panyu City."

    Liu Jing nodded. Shi Xie was no match for Liu Bei. He had expected this, but he didn't expect Liu Bei's army to advance so quickly. Nine counties in Jiaozhou had already occupied six counties. He pondered for a moment and then asked: "Then you  Do you know Shi Xie¡¯s situation?¡±

    "The common people have only heard that the Shi family retreated to Jiaozhi County. Now there are only three counties of Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen and Rinan left. Most of the army has been lost. Now Shi Xie is asking Liu Bei for peace."

    "Seek peace from Liu Bei?"

    Liu Jing immediately asked with interest: "Is the news true?"

    "When I came back, I just heard some local people talking in the Cangwu County tavern. Someone saw Shixie's envoy, who was his brother Shiyi. I can't guarantee whether the peace request is true."

    Liu Jing smiled and said to Liu Xian: "It seems that Uncle Liu Huang chose to go to Jiaozhou. This is the right path. At least he has a foundation."

    Liu Xian shook his head, "Frankly speaking, I am not optimistic about Uncle Liu Huang. Although Jiaozhou is managed by Zhao Tuo, it is still a barbaric land. It is not as good as Jingnan, let alone compared with Jingnan and Yizhou.  Without ten or twenty years of hard work, there will be no improvement in occupying the entire territory of Jiaozhou, let alone conquering the Central Plains. "

    While everyone was talking, at this time, a soldier reported in the hall, "Reporting to the Zhou Mu, the master of the Jiangxia Horse Academy has sent someone to convey your trust!"

    The master of the Ma Academy is Ma Jun. He is an official and is engaged in military affairs. The craftsmanship he founded is still in Xiakou and has not moved to Xiangyang yet. Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "Let the messenger come in!"

    After a while, Ma Jun's apprentice Liang Yi walked into the lobby quickly, saluted Liu Jing and said: "Wei Chen was ordered by the master to deliver a letter to Zhou Mu. He went to Chengdu and found out that Zhou Mu was originally in Jingnan and came here again.  "

    Liu Jing laughed, "It's really hard on you for chasing me to Lingling County."

    Liang Yi took out Ma Jun¡¯s letter and presented it to Liu Jing, ¡°Please ask the state pastor to read it!¡±

    Liu Jing took the letter, opened it without panic, and asked with a smile: "I am very concerned about how your master is speaking now?"

    "Thank you for your concern, Zhou Mu. Master, it's okay to speak slower, but if you get anxious, you won't be able to say a word. In the past few months, I was very anxious about developing the wooden cow. I didn't say a word for three days."

    What Liu Jing was most concerned about was the progress of the development of the Wooden Ox, which was related to his Northern Expedition. He opened the letter and read it, and immediately stood up. The letter said that the development of the Wooden Ox had been successful, and Liu Jing could no longer press on.  Unable to hold back the anticipation in his heart, he smiled at everyone and said, "It looks like I have to leave for Jiangxia tomorrow!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Five days later, Liu Jing's fleet arrived in Qichun County. At this time, Ma Jun was not in Xiakou, but was testing wooden oxen in the mountainous areas of Qichun County. According to the agreement reached between Jingzhou and Jiangdong, Qichun County is now managed by two companies.  It was jointly managed and officially handed over to Jingzhou in September. Currently, the prefect of Qichun is Bu Zhi, while the county magistrate is Tao Zheng. There are no troops stationed in the county.

    Bu Zhi was only the nominal governor of Qichun. He also served as the governor of Lujiang. Bu Zhi stayed in Lujiang County most of the time. Qichun County was actually controlled by Tao Zheng, the county magistrate.

    It can be seen that the Tao family has also invested money in Qichun County, renovated the Qichun County pier, and moved the Tao family's fleet supply station and warehouse from Wuchang County to Qichun County, which promoted the development of Qichun County.  Qichun Pier is full of ships, and the pier is also very lively with people coming and going.

    When Liu Jing got off the boat, Tao Zheng and Ma Jun immediately greeted him and saluted together, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing exchanged a few words with Tao Zheng and then turned his attention to Ma Jun. After all, he came all the way here just for Ma Jun¡¯s wooden cow. He immediately smiled and asked: "I?Where did you see the wooden ox?  "

    Ma Jun also smiled and said very slowly: "We made a total of twenty vehicles and built a testing ground in Yundan Mountain in the north of Qichun County. It is still a hundred miles away from here, but there are also some in the county.  "a car"

    Before he could finish speaking, Liu Jing smiled and said, "I can't wait any longer, so I'll go to the county seat!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    There is a black wooden cart placed in the back hall of the county government office. It is about six feet high and one foot long. It does look like a wooden cow in appearance. There is also a cow head carved in the front. The cow body in the middle is actually grain.  The cabinet is very wide, but there is only one wheel underneath, which is a bit like a deer cart.

    Liu Jing gently stroked the wooden ox. It could be seen that it had many mechanisms and was by no means a simple deer cart. A disciple of Ma Jun next to him introduced: "The wooden ox has two major characteristics. One is its large storage capacity.  , four stones of rice can be placed in the grain cabinet, which is equivalent to the load of two mules or two deer carts. Secondly, it is light and can be operated by one person. Mules need to eat grass, and deer carts also need two people to operate. It is also difficult to walk on mountain roads.  It¡¯s very inconvenient because our wooden ox can only walk on flat ground when walking on mountain roads.¡±

    "How is this done?" Liu Jing asked curiously.

    "This is really hard to explain in one word!" Ma Jun said slowly with a smile: "The key is that there is a set of copper mechanisms under the belly of the wooden cow."

    He asked someone to turn the wooden cart over, and there was indeed a set of copper disc-shaped mechanisms underneath, which looked very complicated.

    Ma Jun pointed at the mechanism and said slowly: "This mechanism is mainly used to adjust the height of the wheels and boxes, as well as the front, rear, left, and right, according to different terrains. In this way, it can be adjusted whether it is going uphill, downhill, or walking on rugged mountain roads.  ¡±

    Liu Jing frowned slightly, "It seems that the control is very complicated!"

    "It is indeed not easy to operate. This is the only trouble. People who use the wooden ox need to train for several months before they can operate it skillfully."

    Liu Jing could no longer restrain her expectations and said with a smile: "I hope to see the actual performance of the wooden cow in the mountains right away."

    Yundan Mountain is located about a hundred miles northeast of Qichun County. It belongs to the remnant range of the Dabie Mountains. The mountains are steep, the height difference is huge, the mountain roads are rugged, the mountain streams are gurgling, and the forests are lush. The terrain is somewhat similar to that of Zhongnan Mountain.  , is the most ideal place to test the wooden cow.

    In the afternoon of the same day, Liu Jing and his party arrived at Yundan Mountain in a mighty manner. At this time, more than a hundred disciples of Ma Jun had set up dozens of tents at the foot of the mountain as a base for testing wooden cows. Before Liu Jing came in the future  , they have been testing repeatedly for more than three months, constantly making adjustments and improvements, and finally produced twenty prototype vehicles.

    In the open space in front of the big tent, there are twenty black-painted wooden oxen neatly placed. Ma Jun's twenty disciples are ready. They are all tall and strong, and are very suitable for controlling the wooden oxen.

    Dozens of steps behind them, there is a winding and rugged road up the mountain. There are two Taoist temples on the mountain. This mountain road is the uphill trail for the Taoist temples to transport supplies.

    Liu Jing stepped forward, gently patted one of the wooden oxen, and smiled at Ma Jun: "I'll wait and see, let's get started!"

    "Pack food!"

    Ma Jun's other disciples carried out bags of grain from a large tent. This was Jingzhou's standard grain bag. One bag was exactly one stone of rice. They put four bags of grain in each wooden ox's grain cabinet, and then placed  The cabinet door was locked, and the twenty disciples who controlled the wooden ox put their belts on their shoulders and were ready.

    "Set off!"

    Following Ma Jun's order, twenty disciples pushed the wooden oxen and began to line up. Liu Jing followed them with hundreds of soldiers to observe the actions of the grain team. As expected, as Ma Jun had described in advance, the twenty disciples  The grain truck is very light. Although it carries nearly 500 kilograms of grain, it can still walk on the mountain road like flying.

    It's a little difficult when going uphill, but it can still be pushed up slowly. When going downhill, the mechanism is switched so that the wooden cow can walk slowly without rushing down all at once. The key is that the wheels are very flexible and can easily avoid the big rocks in front of it.  .

    All the way through the stream and through the jungle, the twenty wooden oxen always maintained their formation and walked as fast as flying. Even the disciples who controlled the wooden oxen did not seem tired. They walked for twenty miles and finally came to a Taoist temple. Here  There are already more than a dozen disciples waiting.

    Not long after, Liu Jing led the soldiers to the Taoist temple. They saw twenty wooden oxen parked neatly in front of the Taoist temple. Each wooden oxen was intact. Seeing is believing. Not only Liu Jing's eyes were filled with smiles of approval, but also  His soldiers also exclaimed that this was a living and healthy mule. It did not need to eat forage and had a large load capacity. It was a treasure for transporting grain and grass supplies in mountainous areas.

    At this time, Ma Jun came with his disciples, raised his hands and said with a smile: "Are you satisfied, Zhou Mu?"

    "Satisfied, very satisfied!" Liu Jing said with a smile: "But I stillHave a request!  "

    "Please tell me, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing pulled him forward and said: "I was thinking on the road that I could directly order the soldiers to transport food without recruiting civilians. At the same time, when encountering enemy situations, the soldiers could also put down the wooden ox to fight. So, can the wooden ox be converted into a wooden ox at the same time?"  A defensive weapon."

    Ma Jun thought for a while and said slowly: "It should be okay!"

    He pointed to the wheel and said: "The wooden wheel can be retracted into the belly of the car, which becomes a kind of bunker. Moreover, the enemy does not understand the mechanism and cannot push it forward. In addition, I can modify it here at Niutou"

    Ma Jun patted the cow's head and said: "This cow's head is originally for decoration, but I can turn it into a row of crossbows. In this way, when encountering an enemy, the wooden cow can also fire the crossbow. What does Zhou Mu think?"

    At this time, Liu Jing was already looking forward to the grand scene of thousands of wooden oxen walking on Qishan Mountain. He was already a little impatient. He pondered for a while and asked: "If I want 5,000 oxen carts, how long will it take to build them?"  "

    Ma Jun was a little embarrassed, "The production requirements for this kind of wooden ox are very high. I think it will take three years at the fastest to build 5,000 of them."

    "Three years!"

    Liu Jing shook his head repeatedly, "When the day lilies are cold in three years, what else can we do? Can we complete it in advance, or not use five thousand, but three thousand wooden oxen? When can we build it?"

    Ma Jun pondered for a moment and said, "If there are enough craftsmen and we can rush the production, we can complete three thousand vehicles in one year."

    "Then we will make an agreement!"

    Liu Jing said without hesitation: "I will hand over all the ordnance craftsmen to you. I can allocate as much food as you need. No matter what, we must build three thousand wooden oxen within a year, and build another hundred for use first."  for training soldiers.¡±

    Ma Jun agreed enthusiastically, "I humbly obey my orders!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 583 Encounter in Wuchang

    After leaving Qichun County, Liu Jing crossed the river and came to Wuchang. This was the first time he returned to Jiangxia in the past year. Liu Jing did not include Jiangxia in his inspection plan. This time he just went to Qichun County to inspect the wooden cattle and stopped by to take a look at Jiangxia.  Just like a married woman returning to her parents' home, come and see the place where he rises.

    Liu Jing did not alert the government, but only brought a few followers to Wuchang City disguised as businessmen. He wanted to personally understand the current situation of Wuchang after he left, instead of listening to reports from officials. Jiangxia was like his hometown, and Liu Jing was very interested in it.  It always has a special feeling.

    Wuchang City is more lively than before. Since Jiangdong fully liberalized trade with Jingzhou, Wuchang City's business has further prospered. At the same time, except for the three strategic materials of salt, iron and grain, the Tao family has let go of all other goods trade.  This brought huge business opportunities to many small businessmen, and the freight capacity of the Tao family's nearly two thousand merchant ships also ensured the rapid development of trade between Jingzhou and Jiangdong.

    Almost overnight, 300 small trading houses were established in Wuchang City. On the pier, there were many merchant ships under the banners of various trading houses, but the Tao family was hidden behind them, with huge merchant ships and dozens of people standing on the pier.  A warehouse, these are the business of the Tao family. The Tao family has transformed from a merchant to a provider of basic commercial facilities. The famous double carp logo of the Tao family has gradually disappeared from the shopping mall.

    The pier was bustling with people, businessmen gathered together and talked about business opportunities and profits obtained in various places. The boatmen were nervously maneuvering the large boats and docked from the narrow waterway. Everywhere, you could see shrewd business stewards walking in a hurry to handle various matters.  Procedures: On the edge of the dock, dozens of elephants were helping to unload the goods in an orderly manner. Teams of civilian workers walked towards the warehouse carrying the goods, their bronze backs shining in the sun.

    Liu Jing got off the boat and walked into the city with several followers. He put on a fake beard, had a ruddy beard, and thickened eyebrows. No one could recognize him. In addition, he was wearing a crimson robe.  Wearing a leather belt and a turban, he looks like a Hu merchant from the Western Regions. In Wuchang City, Hu merchants are no longer uncommon and can be seen everywhere.

    It was already noon at this time. Liu Jing turned around and smiled at several followers: "Let's go to Bishui Tower for lunch!"

    Bishui Building is located near Dongcheng. It was Liu Jing's favorite tavern in the past. He especially liked a famous dish there, soy sauce fish roe. His son's full moon wine was purchased here. Liu Jing remembered it again after not visiting Wuchang for a long time.  The delicious taste of soy sauce fish roe.

    Several soldiers knew about his hobby, and they all said with a smile: "Now is the season when fish roe is rich, so we are going to have a great time today!"

    Liu Jing laughed and walked towards the Bishui Tavern not far away with her hands behind her hands. As soon as she arrived at the door, a bartender came up to her and introduced her enthusiastically: "This is the first time for the guest to come to this small shop. This small shop has three unique features."

    Liu Jing waved her hand, "You don't need to introduce me. I've been here before. Find me a private room on the third floor."

    The bartender quickly smiled and said: "There happens to be an empty room, please come with me, distinguished guest!"

    Liu Jing followed the bartender to the third floor. There were seven or eight private rooms on the third floor. The bartender led them into a private room. Liu Jing frowned. This room was too small for two people to drink. He was  With five attendants, there was no room to sit down.

    "Is there anyone in Songhe Hall?" Liu Jing asked.

    ¡°There are guests, but it seems like only one person is drinking alone.¡±

    "Then change it!"

    Seeing that the bartender looked embarrassed, Liu Jing smiled and said: "If you don't dare to speak, then I will discuss it with the guest!"

    Liu Jing turned around and walked towards the Songhe Hall at the end of the corridor. It was the largest private room on the third floor, with two rooms inside and outside. It was just the right place for him and his soldiers to have a meal. The door was not closed. He knocked on the door and then pushed the door open.  The door went in.

    There was no one outside, but there was a person sitting inside. She turned out to be a young woman with a slender figure and a ponytail hairdo. Her slender neck exposed her snow-white skin. She was sitting at the table drinking alone. Liu Jing did not expect it to be a woman. He  After hesitating for a moment, his steps stopped, but he felt that the woman's back looked vaguely familiar.

    At this time, the woman said calmly: "Didn't I tell you? I want to be quiet, don't disturb me."

    As soon as the woman spoke, Liu Jing immediately recognized his voice, and he blurted out, "Miss Cai!"

    The woman's body trembled suddenly, and she suddenly turned around, staring closely at Liu Jing. She had a pretty face. She was Cai Shaoyu back then. Her eyes were shining brightly. When she saw that the person behind her was actually a tall man with a beard,  The sparkle in his eyes suddenly dimmed, and his tone was full of disappointment, "I recognized the wrong person. Does this gentleman know me?"

    Liu Jing suddenly laughed, "You didn't admit your mistake!"

    Cai Shaoyu was stunned and hesitated for a while: "You are really"

    She looked at Liu Jing's figure again, her cheeks turned slightly red, and she couldn't help but laugh, "It's really you, I didn't recognize you in disguise"??.  "

    "Why is Miss Cai in Wuchang? Didn't you go to Xiangyang?" Liu Jing asked strangely.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to put it into words!¡±

    Cai Shaoyu forced a smile and said, "If the general doesn't feel condescending, how about sitting down and having a drink together?"

    "When you meet an old friend in a foreign country, how can you not share a drink with them?"

    Liu Jing smiled and bowed her hands, then sat down next to Cai Shaoyu. At this time, the bartender walked in. Cai Shaoyu ordered: "Serve two portions of more than a dozen special dishes in the tavern, plus five more pots. Mark them in my book."  On the account.¡±

    Liu Jing saw that the jewelry and bracelets on her head were all made of silver, not gold, and were not even inlaid with gems. She was obviously not well-off. He quickly stopped her and said, "No, I will do it myself!"

    Cai Shaoyu smiled and shook her head, "Although the little girl is not rich, she can still afford a meal. How about giving me a face?"

    Seeing her insistence, Liu Jing stopped forcing her and told several soldiers: "You are drinking outside. You can order what you want and pay the bill yourself. You can leave me alone."

    Liu Jing ordered a few more side dishes she liked and ordered two bottles of wine. Then she smiled at Cai Shaoyu and said, "That's okay!"

    Cai Shaoyu saw that he was very understanding of the world, so she nodded, "That's it!"

    The bartender went, and Cai Shaoyu took a clean ear cup from the side, filled it with her own wine, and asked with a smile: "When did the general come to Jiangxia? There is no news at all."

    "I just entered the city and went to Qichun County. I transferred to Wuchang to have a private look. I didn't want to alarm the officials."

    "Is this a private visit incognito?" Cai Shaoyu asked with a smile.

    Liu Jing saw that she no longer had the arrogance and willfulness of the past, and had become gentle and approachable. He immediately felt a little fond of her. In fact, after experiencing so many things, his past grudges had long since faded away, and he knew  Although Cai Shaoyu was Liu Cong's wife in name only, she was in name only. Liu Cong severed the marital relationship with her after he went north. Cai Shaoyu has been in a miserable situation, and Liu Jing also sympathized with her.

    "It's a private visit incognito! What about you? I thought you would follow Cai Jin to Xiangyang, why are you in Jiangxia?"

    Cai Shaoyu sighed slightly, "My brother has already quarreled with my wife twice because of me. I didn't want to embarrass my brother anymore, so I returned to Wuchang and used my little savings to buy an old house and retire here!"

    "Then you can go to Cai Mansion. Don't you want to be welcomed by the old man?" Liu Jing looked at her and asked again.

    Cai Shaoyu shook his head, "Grandpa no longer cares about family affairs. You know the look in the eyes of the tribe is enough to kill someone. They say it is because of my father that the Cai family declined. If my father is gone, they will naturally be angry with me."

    "What about your father?"

    Cai Shaoyu suddenly lowered her head, bit her lip, her eyes finally turned red, and a string of tears fell. Liu Jing then remembered something Cai Jin had said to him. It seemed that Cai Mao wanted his daughter to marry Xia Houyuan's son.  Cai Shaoyu resolutely refused, and Cai Mao severed ties with his daughter in anger.

    Liu Jing felt apologetic in her heart and stared at Cai Shaoyu silently. At this time, the door opened and several bartenders brought food and wine in. Cai Shaoyu quickly wiped away her tears and forced a smile and said, "I made you laugh."

    Liu Jing drank the wine in the glass and said in deep thought: "You should go back to the Cai family. I will say hello to the Cai family. I believe they will treat you well."

    Cai Shaoyu poured him a glass of wine and said with a smile: "Thank you for your relationship. I'm very happy, but I really don't want to go back to the Cai family. Maybe Cai Shaoyu is dead and I am another person. I want to live again in the Cai family.  Jiang Xia, I live well on my own. I still have some savings, which my mother left to me. At least I don¡¯t have to worry about life. "

    "no!"

    Liu Jing decisively rejected her idea, "If I didn't know your current situation, maybe I wouldn't care, but since I met you today, I will care!"

    "Does the dignified Jingzhou Shepherd want to save a weak woman like me?" Cai Shaoyu smiled somewhat self-deprecatingly.

    She suddenly stopped smiling, looked at Liu Jing, and said extremely firmly: "I'll say it again, I will never go back to the Cai family. My life has been ruined there, and I will never go back again."

    "You come home with me!" Liu Jing said lightly.

    "Go home with you!" Cai Shaoyu was stunned, "Why?"

    "It's nothing. I'm a domineering person. I won't find reasons for what I want to do, because I want you to go home with me. It's that simple."

    Cai Shaoyu stared at him blankly, with a trace of desolation slowly showing in her eyes. She took a breath and whispered: "You know, what is the thing I regret most in my life? For seven years, I have been thinking about that all the time.  Willful and regretful, a personA person cannot take the wrong path. Once she takes the wrong path, her life will be over.  "

    Liu Jing said silently: "But it was the family's decision to let you marry Liu Cong, and you had nothing to do, so I don't blame you."

    Cai Shaoyu was startled. She raised her head and stared at Liu Jing for a long time. Her lips moved. She seemed to want to say something, but she didn't say it in the end. In fact, why didn't she want to go to Liu Jing?  It's just that she no longer has the qualifications and courage.

    "Thank you for your concern, I won't bother you anymore. In fact, Jiang Xia is not bad, at least you don't have to think about the troubles in the past, and"

    Speaking of this, Cai Shaoyu smiled bitterly, "I have no reason to live in your house. Your wife won't agree, so let's forget it!"

    Liu Jing held her hand and stared at her endlessly sad eyes, "I have the final say in Jingzhou, you come with me!"

    Cai Shaoyu¡¯s nose moved, and she suddenly lay on the table and burst into tears. Seven years of regrets were vented at this moment.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 584 Accountability of the County Government

    Although it was just a private visit incognito, Liu Jing finally decided to pay a visit to the prefect Su Fei before leaving, at least to give Jiang Xia an explanation. It was not that he did not care about Jiang Xia, but that he was paying attention to Jiang Xia's current situation in his own way.

    The Jiangxia County Government Office was the former state government office. Although it was far from comparable to the state government office in Jingzhou, it was still much larger than the average county government office. Therefore, Su Fei, the prefect, did not dare to occupy it completely, but set aside half of it as the county government office.  The other half, including Liu Jing's former official residence, were all closed as a memorial.

    In front of the gate of the county government office, Liu Jing was looking at this government office that he was very familiar with. He spent nearly five years here and left too many memories. At this time, there was a sound of footsteps behind him, and the prefect  Su Fei, Jun Cheng Yi Ji and other senior officials from Jiangxia County came out one after another.

    ??Everyone seemed very nervous. They didn¡¯t know when Zhou Mu came to Jiangxia. They were not even prepared at all. They were even more worried about whether any officials were bullying the people and were met by Liu Jing. Everyone stepped forward and saluted, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing glanced at them and saw that everyone was very nervous, so she smiled slightly and said: "I'm sorry that I didn't notify you in advance and shocked everyone!"

    Su Fei smiled bitterly and said, "It's because the servants didn't do their job well. When the state pastor arrived, no one notified Wei Chen, which makes Wei Chen feel ashamed!"

    Liu Jing chuckled, "If the people of Jiangxia recognize me, it will be a failure. You don't have to blame yourself. I just want to revisit my old place, not on an official inspection tour."

    Su Fei and Yi Ji looked at each other, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Zhou Mu admitted that it was not a formal inspection, which made them feel a lot less stressed. Su Fei quickly said: "Zhou Mu, please come to the government office to discuss it in detail!"

    Liu Jing happily walked into the government office. While looking at this extremely familiar government office, he saw a long high wall dividing the county government office into two. He couldn't help but asked strangely: "What is that half doing?"

    "Reporting to the state pastor, that half includes the former state pastor, the official office, and the government hall. Now it is temporarily vacant, and the ministers dare not use it."

    "Why don't you dare to activate it?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    At this time, Yi Ji next to him said: "The main reason is that the county government is already the largest county government in Jingzhou. If the other half is used again, it will be too big and a bit inappropriate. Other counties will also discuss it. Considering that other counties  County¡¯s feelings, so only use half.¡±

    This reason is not bad. Liu Jing nodded and said: "I am just considering setting up the Shipping Department in Jiangxia to govern the commercial trade in Jingzhou. Since this half is free, let the Shipping Department be the yamen!"

    Su Fei was suddenly shocked. Jiangxia's business is now under the jurisdiction of the county government. If the Municipal Shipping Department is established, wouldn't this deprive the county government of its power?

    But he didn't dare to ask any more questions, and followed Liu Jing into the inner hall. Everyone sat down in the inner hall, and a maid served tea. Liu Jing said to everyone: "Last year, the money and grain handed in by Jiangxia County ranked second in Jingzhou, second to Xiangyang."  County, although in terms of quantity, the money and grain income of Jiangxia County is the same as the year before, but Xiangyang County has increased by 50% compared with the year before. This was still at the time when the chaos was initially set. Logically speaking, Jiangxia¡¯s business is much more prosperous than the year before, Jiangdong  Trade restrictions have been relaxed again, so at least Jiangxia County should see rapid growth in commercial tax revenue, but the actual commercial tax revenue is the same as the previous year. I want to know what is wrong with this. "

    Liu Jing said it in an understatement, but in fact he was asking the officials why Jiangxia's money and grain income did not increase last year, especially commercial taxes. They worked hard to defeat Jiangdong and force Jiangdong to liberalize trade, but in the end they gained nothing. Isn't this just  Does this mean that his Jiangdong negotiations failed?  Liu Jing was very dissatisfied on this point.

    There was silence in the lobby. Everyone understood Zhou Mu's question. Others could remain silent, but Su Fei, the governor, and Yi Ji, the county magistrate, could not pretend not to hear. Su Fei quickly said: "The opening of trade in Jiangdong has certainly greatly promoted Wuchang and Chaisang."  The prosperity of business is obvious to all. If we strengthen tax collection, we can indeed collect a large amount of tax money. However, considering the need to cultivate fish and encourage business development, we did not strengthen tax collection and maintained the tax amount from the previous year.  "

    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t object if it¡¯s just for the purpose of releasing water to raise fish, but why don¡¯t you report it to the higher authorities? Why don¡¯t you explain why the business tax has not increased?¡±

    "this"

    Su Fei was not able to answer for a moment, and after a moment of silence, he finally bit the bullet and said: "Collecting commercial taxes has always been the power of each county, and there is no system that requires reporting to the top, so there is no special explanation. If the state pastor needs it,  We can write a detailed paperwork."

    Liu Jing didn't say anything. In fact, this was the reason why he wanted to set up shipping departments in Wuchang, Jiangling, and Xiangyang, and transfer the local trade taxation rights to the General's Office. Liu Jing said lightly: "You can write a report to the General's Office.  , maybe I need it, Xu Changshi should also know the reason. "

    Having said this, he changed the topic and asked Yi Ji again:"I would like to ask Yi Juncheng. Jiangxia had a good harvest last year. Grain production in military fields increased by 30%, but the government's taxes increased by less than half. This makes me puzzled. What is the reason?"

    There was a bitter look on Yi Ji's face. He knew that this question would be asked, but at this time he had to answer, "Huizhou Mu, we did have a bumper harvest last year, but because a large number of refugees returned to Xiangyang and Nanjun last year, they  Reluctant to give up the land in Jiangxia, this issue was not finally resolved until September last year. This resulted in tens of thousands of hectares of land not being harvested in the autumn, so there was a tax gap."

    "Bang!" Liu Jing slammed the table and said angrily: "Why isn't such a major incident reported to the superior?"

    Yi Ji was so frightened that he knelt down quickly, "This is a minor dereliction of duty, please ask the state pastor to punish you!"

    Liu Jing snorted heavily, "This is not because you are derelict in your duty, it is because you deceive others!"

    Liu Jing's words were so serious that all the officials in the lobby knelt down in fright. Su Fei was sweating profusely. He was a prefect, and he knew that the problem was serious this time.  Once he is confirmed, his official title cannot be kept.

    Liu Jing forced herself to calm down and said slowly: "I must get to the bottom of this matter. Including commercial taxes, there is no corruption, perversion of the law, or personal enrichment. I will give you a chance to investigate yourself first. Within the deadline,  If the report is submitted to Chengdu within one month, the punishment will be determined according to the rules.¡±

    Su Fei kowtowed and said, "I would like to report to the state pastor that I, the ministers and others will never be corrupt, pervert the law, or enrich their own pockets. I am willing to guarantee it with my head!"

    "Don't explain it to me now. Just because you don't have it doesn't mean that your subordinates don't have it. I'll give you a month to self-examine so you can take care of yourself!"

    Liu Jing only stayed in Wuchang for two days before returning to Chengdu by boat. Originally, he had to inspect Anlu County and Xiangyang County, and also go to Hanzhong from Fangling County. However, what happened in Wuchang really annoyed him, and he also  I feel the problem is serious.

    It¡¯s not just Jiangxia County, but also other counties. There is no way of knowing whether the reports they submitted to the General¡¯s Office contain the same secrets as Jiangxia County. He needs to establish a system, a supervisory system.

    In fact, the Han Dynasty itself had a very complete supervisory system, with the Yushitai set up in the central y¨¡ng as the highest supervisory organ. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, special supervisory agencies were set up in local areas, and each ministry dispatched one governor, called the Thirteen Divisions.  , subordinate to the central y¨¡ng Yushitai, is responsible for supervising counties and counties.

    Even the initial arrangement for the post of Zhou Mu was to be a supervisor sent by the emperor to the local area. However, after Emperor Ling, the central court declined and the local areas became strong. Various supervisory systems were ineffective. After Liu Jing established the Jiangxia Army, he established a military inspection department in the army.  He is responsible for supervising military discipline in various places and disciplinary issues within the army, but has not yet carried out supervision of local counties.

    Now he already owns dozens of counties and hundreds of counties in Jing and Yi prefectures. Without adequate supervision, these county officials would actually be the local emperors. Liu Jing had stayed in the Youyuan County, and he knew how to charge merchants.  The inside story of taxation is that there are no certificates. How much tax should be collected and whether the tax should be paid into the official treasury is completely decided by local officials. There are really too many loopholes here.

    These all need to be improved by establishing various systems. On the big ship, Liu Jing looked at the dark river and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

    At this time, Cai Shaoyu slowly walked up to him and asked with concern: "The general seems to be worried, has anything unpleasant happened to him?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "It used to be that there was only one county in Jiangxia, so there wasn't much to worry about. But now that the area in charge is bigger, there are more to worry about. In fact, it's nothing."

    He looked at Cai Shaoyu and asked with a smile: "It's already two o'clock, why aren't you sleeping yet?"

    Cai Shaoyu's face turned slightly red, she shook her head slightly and whispered: "I can't sleep!"

    "Are you not used to taking a boat?" Liu Jing asked again with concern.

    "No, I just feel a little panicked and can't sleep." Cai Shaoyu's face turned redder.

    Liu Jing laughed, gently held her shoulders, and said softly: "Go to bed! Don't worry, Mrs. Tao will welcome you."

    Cai Shaoyu felt Liu Jing's warm and strong hands on her shoulders. She had almost no strength left. This feeling made her extremely attached. She followed Liu Jing to her cabin in a daze. At this time, Cai Shaoyu's personal maid greeted her.  Coming over, Liu Jing handed Cai Shaoyu to her and said, "Take Miss Cai to bed."

    The maid quickly helped Cai Shaoyu and walked towards the cabin. When she reached the door of the cabin, Cai Shaoyu couldn't help but look back and saw Liu Jingjiu standing not far behind her, looking at her with a smile on her face. Cai Shaoyu felt warm in her heart.  , there was a glimmer of hope, she suddenly rolled her eyes at him charmingly, and quickly walked into the cabin.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 585 Finally Entering the Liu Mansion

    Cai Shaoyu slowly lay down in the cabin and covered herself with a thin silk quilt. She looked at the dark cabin roof and couldn't help but sigh. She couldn't sleep not because she was worried about Tao Zhan, but because she didn't know herself.  What the hell, Liu Jing took her to Chengdu in an almost 'forced' way. Will she be his woman from now on?

    It doesn¡¯t feel like it. He doesn¡¯t seem to take himself seriously. He just wants to take care of her and give her a stable life. Is this really the case?

    Cai Shaoyu's heart was in chaos, and an unspeakable regret flowed into her heart unknowingly. She was Liu Jing's fianc¨¦e at the beginning. She should have married Liu Jing, not Liu Cong, but it was a pity that she was ignorant and willful.  The short-sightedness of her father and aunt ruined the marriage and her life.

    As she gradually matured and understood the truth, she suddenly realized that she had always liked Liu Jing, but Liu Jing was cold to her and unwilling to please her, which made her noble heart unbearable, but Liu Cong was everywhere  Pleasing her and coaxing her could satisfy her vanity, which eventually made her so dizzy that she still wanted to marry Liu Cong even though she knew he was incompetent.

    She was full of prejudice and pride, and ended up with such a sad end, oh!  How despicable and abominable I am, I deserve this!

    Cai Shaoyu cursed herself secretly, she lost control of her emotions again, tears welled up, she threw herself on the quilt and burst into tears again

    It's midsummer in Chengdu in early June, and it's another difficult day of the year. The oppressive heat is so ruthless that even the air seems to be flowing. Although it's not as unbearable as Xiangyang, there is another kind of heat.  , that is the sweltering heat, just like being in a steamer, no matter at home or outside, you are still sweating.

    Xia Chan screamed at the top of her voice on the big tree in the yard. In the room, Tao Zhan was replying to Sun Shangxiang at the desk. It had been almost three months since Sun Shangxiang returned to Jiangdong to visit relatives, and she also wrote several letters during this period. She said  Her mother was seriously ill, and she was worried that time was short. She would have to stay with her mother for a few more months, and she might not be able to come back until autumn.

    Despite the sultry weather, Tao Zhan maintained the demeanor of Mrs. Zhou Mu, wearing wide-body thin clothes and a neat bun. She was seven months pregnant and her abdomen was bulging. She was not yet ready to give birth, but she was not used to it.  Due to the climate in Chengdu, my body has been quite uncomfortable recently, and I have actually seen blood. This makes the midwife and doctor very nervous. This is a sign of miscarriage.

    In order to protect the fetus in her belly, she tried not to move and maintained a peaceful attitude.

    "My sister Shangxiang, I am very worried when I heard that my aunt is seriously ill. I hope God will bless my aunt to recover gradually. I also hope that you will not be too sad, take care of yourself, and come back smoothly when the leaves fall in autumn."

    After writing this, Tao Zhan pondered for a moment. She read the letter written by her husband next to her, and continued to write: "The situation at home is good, and the little one in her belly is often naughty, but compared to Zhi'er at the beginning, this  The little one is much quieter. I think she should be a girl. I also hope to have a daughter who will grow up to be as considerate to her mother as you and me.

    In addition, after the general returned to Chengdu, he quickly went to Jingzhou for inspection. He should be back in the next two days. I received a letter from him yesterday. The letter said that he met the daughter of the Cai family in Wuchang and brought her back. I  I don¡¯t know what this means. Are there multiple guests in the house?  Or do I want more sisters?¡±

    Tao Zhan stopped writing. She sighed softly and erased the last sentence. Seeing that the handwriting was mottled, she simply tore up the letter paper and took a piece of paper to rewrite. She didn't want Sun Shangxiang to know that she was upset.

    Just yesterday, she received an express message from her husband's personal soldiers. The letter said that his ship had passed Jiangzhou and would return home in a few days. This news made her very happy.

    But at the end of the letter, the husband said that he met Cai Shaoyu in Wuchang who was lonely and pitiful, so he decided to take her back to his home, which made Tao Zhan feel a little uncomfortable.

    "If Cai Shaoyu is poor, she can spend a large amount of money to make her worry-free for the rest of her life. As the lord of the two states, Liu Jing can solve her difficulties with just one sentence. Why must she bring it home?"

    When Tao Zhan first met Liu Jing, she knew that Liu Jing was actually engaged to Cai Shaoyu. It was only because of Cai Mao's objection that she finally canceled the engagement. She suspected that Liu Jing had some sense of responsibility for Cai Shaoyu, so she did such a thing.  Ridiculous decision.

    Moreover, as a woman, Tao Zhan is more sensitive than Liu Jing. When she met Cai Shaoyu in a restaurant for the first time, she discovered that Cai Shaoyu had some affection for Liu Jing. I am afraid that even she did not realize it. Although she is no longer Liu Congzhi  Wife, but she is only in her early twenties and can definitely marry again. Why doesn¡¯t she want to marry?

    Tao Zhan sighed softly. Her husband was not a lustful person, otherwise he would have brought back many women with his power. But she knew that Liu Jing was a passionate person.The military adviser also said that this was his biggest weakness. He valued friendship too much. When he first married himself, it was because of friendship. Now he marries Cai Shaoyu because of this. I wonder if this is a good thing or a bad thing?  Of course Tao Zhan felt that being affectionate was not a bad thing, but nowshe was a little confused.

    But one thing she knew very well was that now that her husband had made a decision, she could no longer object and must respect her husband's decision, even though she was reluctant to let Cai Shaoyu come in.

    Thinking of this, Tao Zhan sighed helplessly and ordered the maid at the door: "A Tao, go ask Granny Li if Tanmei Courtyard has been sorted out?"

    The little maid turned around and left. Tao Zhan thought for a while and wondered if her husband's inner study had been tidied up. She had to go and take a look. She called a maid again, "Help me up!"

    The maid waved her hands repeatedly, "Madam, you can't get up!"

    Tao Zhan supported his waist, slowly lay down again, and then ordered: "Please take a look at the master's inner study."

    At this moment, there was a sound of footsteps outside, and a maid rushed over, "Madam, the master is back!"

    Tao Zhan felt extremely happy and immediately ordered: "Go and tell Bao Niang to greet the master for me."

    At the gate of the State Shepherd's Mansion, Liu Jing reached out to Cai Shaoyu and helped her out of the carriage. Cai Shaoyu was very conflicted. Her pride made her not want to enter this mansion, but she also longed to become a member of this family. She was afraid to see  Tao Zhan, but she also hoped to see Tao Zhan. It was this contradictory mentality that made her worry about gain and loss. She didn't know what to do, so she had to follow Liu Jing obediently.

    Walking into the gate, I was greeted by a large group of maids. In the middle was a pretty young woman, but she was not his wife Tao Zhan. Cai Shaoyu also knew her. She was Liu Jing's personal maid and Bao Niang, and later became Liu Jing's.  Concubine.

    Bao Niang stepped forward and said a few words to Liu Jing. Liu Jing was startled and hurried to the inner courtyard. Cai Shaoyu didn't know what to do. Bao Niang stepped forward and pursed her lips and smiled: "Sister, I also want to see you, please follow me.  Let me do it!"

    Cai Shaoyu nodded silently and followed Bao Niang towards the backyard.

    Liu Jing walked into the room quickly and saw his wife struggling to sit up. He quickly stepped forward to support her and complained to her: "If you are not feeling well, just don't move. Why didn't you tell me, hey!"

    Her husband's concern made Tao Zhan feel sweet in her heart, and the little resentment in her heart disappeared without a trace. She said apologetically: "I also want to work hard to keep the child, but I am very afraid. What if?"  "

    Liu Jing stopped her and continued, "If it really doesn't work, there is nothing we can do. Let's think about it more broadly!"

    Liu Jing changed the topic again and turned around to ask Bao Niang, "Are the children okay?"

    The little girl hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "General, don't worry, the children are all well, and the eldest sister will definitely get better too."

    At this time, Tao Zhan let go of her husband's hand, and with a wave of his hand, he called Cai Shaoyu to him and said with a smile: "I knew you were coming. I have asked the housekeeper to tidy up a yard. If you need anything, please come to me. I am inconvenienced."  , you can also find a nanny. In short, I hope you will regard this place as your home. "

    Tao Zhan¡¯s soft words made Cai Shaoyu¡¯s nose feel a little sore and her eyes slightly red. She quickly saluted, ¡°Thank you, Madam, for your love for Shaoyu!¡±

    Tao Zhan smiled sweetly and said, "Sit next to me and let's talk for a while."

    Cai Shaoyu hurriedly stepped forward to support Tao Zhan and sat down next to her. Liu Jing also breathed a sigh of relief. She felt really relieved that she had a good wife and a tolerant heart. She also stood up and quietly held the little Bao Niang's hand.  After pulling her gently, the little girl understood, and the two left the room and walked towards the yard

    At night, Liu Jing washed her feet and changed into comfortable clothes. Then she got on her wife's bed and lay next to her. Tao Zhan smiled and said, "It's inconvenient for me to sleep at night. You can go to Bao Niang's place!"

    "I'll accompany you tonight!" Liu Jing smiled.

    "Fool, do you really not understand what I mean?"

    Tao Zhan pursed his lips and smiled at him, "If you go to Miss Cai's place, I won't object."

    "It's nothing, what are you thinking about? I'll stay with you first, and I'll go find Bao Niang later. Unfortunately, Shang Xiang isn't here. How is she now?" Liu Jing deliberately changed the subject.

    "You changed the subject when you heard me mention Miss Cai?"

    Tao Zhan shook his head and smiled: "Okay! Shang Xiang won't come back until autumn. Her mother may not be able to survive. She wrote a few letters. I'll show them to you tomorrow."

    After a pause, Tao Zhan said solemnly: "General, you may not be happy after hearing this, but I still want to remind you. After all, she was your nominal sister-in-law. If you take her home, consider the impact.  ?"

    Liu Jing QingqingTouching his wife's cheek, he smiled and said, "Let's talk about this later! I still need to use her to win over the Cai family."

    "You! It's obvious that you don't forget the old relationship, but you still find an excuse for the Cai family. Forget it, as long as you like it, I don't have any objection. In fact, it's not a big problem. She is no longer Liu Cong's wife. You can make your own decision.  Bar!"

    Liu Jing lowered her head and kissed Tao Zhan's red lips, and whispered: "I will stay with you tonight and not go to Bao Niang's place."

    Of course Tao Zhan hoped that her husband could stay with her. Fortunately, the bed was big enough. She smiled brightly, nodded, put her arms around her husband's neck, and carefully lay in his arms.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 586 Emergency Discussion

    Early the next morning, Liu Jing arrived at the Hussar General's Mansion. The General's Mansion was the original Yizhou Prefecture Government Office. It could not be compared with the Jingzhou Prefecture Government Office in terms of the size of the land area or the number of buildings. This also showed to a certain extent that Liu Zhang had no ambitions.  For example, Liu Biao had the ambition to become emperor.

    However, although the size of the state government office is not large, the building is very exquisitely built, with cornices, carved walls, waterside pavilions and jade terraces, hidden among lush green trees, and surrounded by clear water below. All kinds of exotic flowers and plants can be seen everywhere.  Shows the original owner's love for life.

    The entire General's Mansion is centered on a grand hall with a thousand people. The hall is called Jixian Hall. It is the place where Liu Zhang held the Yizhou New Year's Assembly of Hundreds of Officials and met with important envoys. There are a large number of buildings on both sides.  The functional official offices are located in it.

    Liu Jing¡¯s official residence is located behind Jixian Hall, which was Liu Zhang¡¯s official residence in the past. It consists of three halls and twelve rooms. It is a small building complex covering an area of ??about five acres. It is of course also the center of power in Jing and Yi prefectures.

    There are more than 20 officials in the official office, and a secretarial supervisor is set up. Yin Kui is the secretary, Fei Yi is the secretary, and the rest of the officials are officers, secretaries, and assistants. They are in charge of Liu Jing's various confidential documents, as well as the superiors.  Thousands of books.

    Liu Jing walked into the official room quickly, and a young official was hurriedly walking towards him. Liu Jing felt that he looked familiar, but couldn't remember his name for a moment. When the visitor approached, he suddenly remembered that this person was the same person last year.  The newly recruited Cui Shi, who ranked first in the imperial examination.

    Cui Shi was appointed secretary when he joined the company. Because of his hard work, humility and kindness, as well as his talents, he gradually became valued by Yin Mo. Two months ago, he was promoted to secretary, responsible for recording and organizing all matters.  content of the proceedings.

    Cui Shi happened to meet Liu Jing. He quickly stepped forward and saluted, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing smiled and asked, "Is Mr. Yin here?"

    "Go back to Zhou Mu, Duke Yin is already here, he is in the official room!"

    Liu Jing nodded and ordered him: "Go and invite Military Advisor Jia, Military Advisor Sima and Xu Changshi, as well as Jiang Wan, Li Xun and Duke Xu. Tell them that I have important matters to discuss with them."

    "Follow the order!"

    Cui Xian bowed and hurried away. Liu Jing walked into his official room. Outside was the main hall. There were four officers working in the main hall. There was a meeting room on the left and right. Behind him was his official room, which was Liu Jing's office.  There are two rooms next to the ground. One is his resting place, and the other contains the sand tables of Jingyi and Guanzhong Longyou.

    Liu Jing walked into his room. His room had a mezzanine, and ice cubes were placed in the mezzanine, which made the room very cool. As soon as he entered the room, the heat suddenly disappeared. Liu Jing breathed a long sigh of relief, took off his robe, and sat on his bed.  In front of the desk.

    At this time, Yin Miao hurriedly walked in, holding a thick stack of documents in his hand, and said with a smile: "These are urgent documents that must be signed by the state pastor to take effect. If the state pastor does not come back, some officials will be so anxious that they will jump into the river.  "

    In fact, whether Cao Cao, Sun Quan, or Liu Jing almost all personally commanded major battles, this involved a power decision-making issue, and they also used different methods to solve it.

    Before Cao Cao went on an expedition, he temporarily handed over the prime minister's approval power to his eldest son Cao Pi, assisted by Cheng Yu; while Sun Quan took a group of senior civil and military officials with him when he went on an expedition, forming a mobile Wuhou Mansion.

    Liu Jing did not have any brothers or grown-up sons to share his worries, so he used decentralization to solve the problem. He divided all government decisions into two categories: A and B. Category B government affairs were decided through consultation by senior officials such as military advisers, chief historians, and secretaries.  Finally, it will take effect after the Secretary Cheng stamps his seal.

    Liu Jing is unambiguous about Class A government affairs, which are related to military affairs and important personnel appointments, and must be signed by him personally. Even if he goes on an expedition, they must be sent to the battlefield for him to review.

    At this time, the stack of documents that Yin Mo carried was the Class A documents that must be signed by him. Liu Jing lowered his head to review and said to Yin Mo: "Liu Xun unfortunately died of illness in Jiangling. His wife and children requested that the coffin be transported back to Chengdu for burial.  I have agreed. You will draft an obituary and allow him to be buried with marquis rites. His wife and children can return to Chengdu to be raised."

    Yin Mao sighed secretly in his heart. He knew that Liu Xun indulged in drunkenness and sex. He died in less than a year. His son was only two years old. Liu Zhang's power was really over.

    Liu Jing stopped writing and glanced sharply at Yin Mo, "Does Mr. Yin already know about this?"

    Yin Mao nodded, "The documents from the Nanjun government were delivered a few days ago. The news has spread among the officials and everyone knows about it."

    "What's the attitude of the officials?"

    Yin Mao sighed and said: "Sad for his misfortune, but angry for his inability to fight!"

    Liu Jing showed a sneer at the corner of his mouth, and found the urgent document from Nanjun in a stack of documents. He quickly gave instructions andThe letter was handed over to Yin Mao, "Just follow the advice I just said and allow all officials to pay filial piety."

    "Weichen understands and will handle it immediately!"

    Yin Mao remembered something again and said quickly: "The other thing is that the Barbarian King Meng Huo and his wife arrived yesterday and want to plead guilty to the state pastor."

    Huang Zhong went to the south of Shu at the end of last year and defeated Yong Kai and the Yi army again. He forced Yong Kai and the king of Xin Yi to come to Chengdu to plead guilty and surrender to Liu Jing.  Because of the northern expedition to Guanzhong, the Han army did not attack for the time being. Unexpectedly, Meng Huo came at this time.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then immediately understood that this should be the temporary end of the Battle of Guanzhong. Meng Huo was afraid of the Han army's southern expedition, so he came to perform pilgrimage first. However, Liu Jing did have plans for a southern expedition and was preparing to conquer the barbarians in the autumn.  , since Meng Huo took the initiative to surrender, that would be the best thing.

    Liu Jing then smiled and said: "Then make arrangements! I will meet him tomorrow morning."

    "In addition, Meng Huo brought five hundred soldiers. We did not agree to the soldiers entering the city, but Meng Huo asked us to allow a hundred people to enter the city to protect the city. Please ask the state pastor, do you allow it?"

    "Where are his troops stationed?"

    "Stationed at the small military camp outside Nancheng."

    Liu Jing thought for a while and agreed, "At most, a hundred people can only be allowed to enter the city, and the remaining soldiers are still stationed outside the city."

    At this time, Cui Shi reported at the door: "Qi Zhou Mu, the military counselors are here."

    "Ask him to go to the meeting hall and wait a moment. I'll be right away."

    Liu Jing said to Yin Miao again: "Mr. Yin, come too! I have important things to discuss with you."

    In the meeting hall, Jia Xu, Sima Yi, Xu Shu, Jiang Wan, Xu Jing, Li Xun and other senior officials were all seated. Everyone was talking in low voices. Among them, only Li Xun was not a senior official.

    Li Xun was from Zitong and a disciple of Sima Hui in Jingzhou. He also studied under the famous Confucian Song Zhong. He not only knew the Five Classics and other scholars, but was also good at arithmetic, divination, medicine, crossbows, machinery, etc. When Liu Jing took Yizhou  Previously, he served as Secretary of Yizhou.

    With Yin Gui¡¯s strong recommendation, Liu Jing appointed him as a general, responsible for building cities, building bridges, and managing craftsmen and other matters. Seeing Li Zhen attending, everyone guessed that this discussion might be related to craftsmen affairs.

    At this time, Liu Jing quickly walked into the meeting hall. Behind him, Secretary Ling Yin and Recorder Cui Shi also walked in. Everyone stood up and saluted. Liu Jing waved her hands and smiled at everyone: "Thank you for your hard work these past few months.  Please take a seat!"

    Everyone sat down one by one. Cui Shi also spread out paper on the table in the corner of the room and picked up a pen to record the contents of the discussion.

    Liu Jing then smiled at everyone and said: "I invite you all to come today. There are two main things to discuss. One is to tell you the good news. Ma Jun's wooden cow has been successfully developed. I have seen the actual object with my own eyes and the transportation.  The effect is really exciting.¡±

    This news immediately made everyone excited. This expedition to Guanzhong was unfavorable mainly because the food transportation could not keep up. If the transportation problem could be solved, then the Northern Expedition would be almost half won.

    Not only that, but because Bashu is surrounded by mountains, there are indeed many difficulties in transporting materials. The Yangtze River waterway between Jingshu and Shu is slightly more convenient, but it is very difficult between Bashu and Hanzhong. Therefore, the success of Mu Niu is not only beneficial to the military.  , which is also a major boost in trade and civil affairs.

    Liu Jing added: "There is also a problem, that is, it is very complicated to build wooden oxen. I proposed to build three thousand wooden oxen as the first step. Ma Jun thought it would take at least a year, and it would take military craftsmen from Jing and Shu states to work together."  It can only be done through cooperation, but I hope the time can be shortened a little bit. If we can recruit craftsmen from various county governments and recruit some outstanding private craftsmen, it might be possible."

    Only then did everyone understand that Liu Jing wanted to recruit government craftsmen on a large scale, which was indeed directly related to general work. At this time, Jiang Wan cupped his hands and said: "If you want to mobilize government craftsmen and recruit private craftsmen, this involves a  Has Zhou Mu considered the issue of confidentiality?¡±

    "This is indeed a big problem. I also asked Ma Jun, and he proposed a plan, which is to disassemble the various parts and hand them over to different craftsmen to complete. Finally, five hundred disciples of the Craftsman School will be responsible for the assembly. In this way, it can be realized  Keep it confidential, how about everyone take a look at this plan?¡±

    Li Xun cupped his hands and said, "Weichen thinks it's feasible!"

    Li Zhen made the order. If he thought it was feasible, then there would be no problem. Everyone agreed. Xu Shu also expressed that he could provide money and food for subsidies. Liu Jing smiled and said, "In this case, please draw up a plan as soon as possible."  , it will be implemented after approval. To be honest, I am a little impatient, so I would like to ask Li Qinzhong to prepare now!¡±

    Everyone laughed, and Li Zhen understood in his heart that Zhou Mu was tactfully asking him to leave. The following discussionIt had nothing to do with him. He bowed knowingly, "Wei Chen, go now!"

    After Li Zhen left the meeting hall, Liu Jing said to everyone seriously: "Now I want to discuss with you the supervision issues of local counties!"

    This meeting did not end until noon. The plan was very simple. It was to establish a supervisory council, with one person each from the left and right. The left inner historian would supervise the officials, and the right inner historian would supervise the counties. Ten supervisory envoys would be dispatched to inspect various places.  .

    Under the unanimous recommendation of everyone, Du Qiong, a member of Biejia, was appointed as the Supervisory Council Order, and Liao Li, the former prefect of Wuling County, was appointed as the internal history of the left side. Zhou Buyi, known as the Iron Face, was appointed as the internal history of the right side.  Thirty people serve as supervisors.

    In the room, Liu Jing had finished her lunch and was slowly drinking tea and thinking about the Overwatch Council. At this time, a clerk reported, "Mr. Xu is here!"

    Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "Please come in!"

    After a moment, Xu Jing walked in. Xu Jing was appointed as the Young Master of the General's Mansion, in charge of rituals, music, and ceremonies. His salary was as high as a thousand stones. He was also a senior official in the General's Mansion. His qualifications among the hundreds of officials were second only to Jia Xu and more senior to Liu Jing.  Appreciate.

    Xu Jing entered the room, bowed and saluted: "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hands: "Mr. Xu, please sit down."

    Xu Jing sat down, and Liu Jing asked with concern: "I heard that your wife is not in good health. How is she doing now?"

    "Thanks to the relationship between state and animal husbandry, my wife no longer has any problems."

    Liu Jing nodded and sighed: "The weather is hot now, and it is indeed easy to get sick. I have ordered that officials with more than 500 shi will be provided with 500 kilograms of ice cubes per day to cool down, and the other officials will be subsidized with 100 kilograms of ice per day for cooling. I am right  It¡¯s really shameful that the officials don¡¯t care enough!¡±

    "You don't have to be ashamed, Zhou Mu. This is already very good. In the past, Emperor Ling did not consider giving ministers any cooling fees. This is the first time Wei Chen has heard of it. I think everyone has a steelyard in their hearts and understands Zhou Mu's kindness."

    Liu Jing smiled and turned the topic to business, "I heard that Prime Minister Cao recruited Duke Xu to serve in the court last year. Is this true?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 587 Barbarian Soldiers

    Xu Jing's heart skipped a beat and he quickly said: "This is after Zhang Song was killed by Liu Zhang last year, Xun Yu proposed that Wei Chen take over the post of Biejia. Later, the prime minister wrote to ask Wei Chen whether he was willing to take over the post of Biejia or return to the court.  He was offered the position of Chief Minister of Agriculture, but all the minor ministers declined."

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "Actually, I hope that Mr. Xu will return to the court and take up the post of Chief Agriculture Officer."

    Xu Jing was stunned. After a long while, he asked belatedly: "Why did Zhou Mu say this?"

    "Mr. Xu, please don't think that I am chasing people away. On the contrary, Gong Xu is my most valued subordinate. My suggestion to Gong Xu to return to the court is actually to realize a major plan of mine. In other words, I hope that Gong Xu will return to the court."  As my representative, he will be stationed in the imperial court."

    Xu Jing nodded silently. He finally understood what Liu Jing meant. Liu Jing wanted to put herself in the imperial court as his representative and eyes and ears.

    Xu Jing has experienced too many twists and turns, and he has become very realistic. It is not impossible to go to the court, but he needs to clarify his future status.

    After all, he is already sixty years old, and his official career is not long. It is very likely that his appointment in the imperial court will be his final destination, so he needs Liu Jing to clarify his final status, which is related to his descendants.

    Of course, Xu Jing would not say this outright. It should have been Liu Jing who proposed it, not him. But Liu Jing may not have realized it, so he could only hint at it.

    "After a moment of silence, Xu Jing said slowly: "I am already in my sixtieth year. Although I have the intention to serve Zhou Mu, I am afraid that my ambition will be insufficient and my strength will be insufficient. In the end, I will miss Zhou Mu's important event. Please think again."

    Liu Jing heard the implication of Xu Jing's words, that is, he was old and might not be able to do it for a few more years. He hoped that he could give him an explanation. Liu Jing understood what Xu Jing meant and smiled and said: "Don't worry, Mr. Xu.  My eyes are on the world, not Jingzhou and Yizhou. I, Liu Jing, know very well about Xu Gong's achievements and will never wrong Xu Gong. "

    Xu Jing was overjoyed and quickly bowed deeply, "Old minister, I am willing to do my best to serve Zhou Mu!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the afternoon, Liu Jing finished his official duties and explained a few things to Yin Mao, then left the general's mansion and headed for the military camp outside Beicheng. The Han army stationed a hundred thousand troops around Chengdu, divided into four camps, including Beida Camp.  The main camp covers an area of ??several thousand acres and has nearly 50,000 troops stationed there.

    This is the busiest time in the afternoon. The streets of Chengdu are bustling with people, especially in and around Beizhou City, the largest city in Yizhou, where businessmen gather. There are groups of customers holding large and small bags everywhere, and oxcarts loaded with goods.  , horse-drawn carriages are constantly coming and going. There are many taverns and shops in this area. There are shouts and shouts on both sides of the street. It is also the most lively place in Chengdu.

    Liu Jing was sitting in a large carriage, watching the situation on both sides of the street through the curtains. At this time, he suddenly heard a noise, slightly opened the curtains, and saw three barbarians running out of a tavern.  Everyone wore leather armor, had no arms, and wore gold rings in their earlobes. Their hair was braided into braids. They had bows and arrows on their backs and long knives on their waists. They looked very fierce.

    Five or six bartenders were chasing after them, carrying kitchen knives and iron bars, pointing at the barbarians and yelling at them. Soon, they were surrounded by people watching the excitement. The three barbarians' faces turned red and they waved their arms excitedly.  , screaming loudly, I don¡¯t know what he is shouting?

    At this time, the owner of the tavern ran out of the door, covered his bloody nose, and cursed angrily: "This is not a barbarian territory. If you want to eat a king's meal, just dream!"

    He then shouted to the people around him: "Come to think of it, these three barbarians ordered a table of dishes, tasted a little of each dish, and then said it was not the dish they wanted and left without paying. What kind of logic is this!"  "

    People all around started making noises, accusing the three barbarian soldiers of being rude. One of the barbarian soldiers, who knew a little bit of Chinese, stammered: "Our rules are that if you are not satisfied, you don't have to pay. If it's too unpalatable, we won't be satisfied!"

    Liu Jing couldn't help but burst into laughter. This kind of rule probably wouldn't work anywhere. At this moment, a group of patrolling soldiers came quickly. The tavern owner quickly stepped forward to complain. The head of the camp was angry and ordered his subordinates, "Take them away."  Walk!"

    More than a dozen soldiers rushed up, dragged the barbarian soldiers away, and the three barbarian soldiers looked at each other, broke free from the soldiers' hands at the same time, turned around and ran away. The patrol soldiers chased after them and shouted: "Stop."  !¡±

    At this time, the three barbarian soldiers took off their bows and arrows, turned around and shot arrows while running, and their arrows were extremely accurate.  The three barbarian soldiers sped up, turned a corner and ran away without a trace.

    Liu Jing¡¯s guards were furious and were about to rush their horses to catch up, but Liu Jing stopped them and said, ¡°No need to chase!¡±

    Liu Jing looked at the patrol soldiers getting up from the ground, limping and looking quite embarrassed, and he feltI was a little surprised that the arrow skills of these barbarians were so accurate. At this time, a general came hurriedly with hundreds of soldiers. It was Wang Ping. It seemed that he was an officer on duty.

    "Call General Wang up!"

    A guard rushed over and found Wang Ping. Wang Ping happened to be on duty today. He heard that there was a conflict between the patrolling soldiers and the barbarians, and the soldiers suffered a loss. He hurriedly led a large group of soldiers to come. The barbarians were already there.  He disappeared, but unexpectedly he met Zhou Mu.

    Wang Ping felt a little nervous and quickly walked to the carriage to salute, "I'm humble enough to see you as a state pastor!"

    Liu Jing lifted the car curtain and asked with a smile: "Is General Wang on duty to patrol the city today?"

    "It's just a humble job. The humble job patrols poorly, causing the barbarians to cause trouble. Please ask the state pastor to punish you!"

    "I have seen the whole process clearly, and you have nothing to do with it, but I want to go to the small military camp in Nancheng. You and your brothers can follow me!"

    "Yes! I humbly obey my orders."

    Wang Ping ran back to gather the soldiers, and Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Turn around and go to the small military camp outside the south city."

    The carriage slowly turned around and headed towards the South City Gate. Wang Ping followed the carriage on horseback, followed by more than 500 soldiers and 300 cavalry guards. The group headed towards the South City Gate in a mighty manner.

    The small military camp is also called Fanying. It is specially used for guarding soldiers of ethnic minority leaders. It covers an area of ??more than 20 acres and can station about a thousand people. Next to the small military camp is the Chengdu Nanda Camp, with nearly 20,000 troops.

    This time Meng Huo came to Chengdu to plead guilty and brought a total of 500 barbarians. Liu Jing agreed that 100 of them should enter the city, and the remaining 400 were stationed in a small military camp. The three barbarians who caused trouble were naturally among the 100 barbarians who entered the city.  one.

    Liu Jing did not come to the small military camp to raise troops to question the charges. Such trivial matters did not worry him. He was surprised by the archery skills of the three barbarian soldiers. I wonder if the barbarian soldiers outside the city also had such sharp arrow skills?

    Of course, when the Han army attacked Bashu, there was a battle with barbarian soldiers and tens of thousands of barbarian soldiers were annihilated. However, Liu Jing knew the reason very well. Although the barbarian soldiers were very powerful when fighting alone, their training was too poor.  There is no structure in large-scale battles, and morale will easily collapse once you encounter a strong enemy.

    The reason why Liu Jing suddenly became interested in the barbarian soldiers was because he had an idea, and the barbarian soldiers appeared at the right time.

    In the small military camp, hundreds of barbarian soldiers were training in twos and threes. Some were fighting each other, some were shooting arrows, and many soldiers were sitting on the ground, adjusting their bows and arrows. At this time, a large group of Han troops suddenly entered the military camp, and the barbarian soldiers stopped holding their hands.  He looked at these uninvited guests in astonishment.

    At this time, the leader of the barbarian soldiers came over. He spoke Chinese quite fluently. He raised his hands and said, "Excuse me, what can I do for you?"

    Wang Ping urged his horse forward and said coldly: "Liu Zhoumu is in the carriage, why don't you come forward to see me?"

    The leader of the barbarian soldiers was shocked, and he quickly stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "See Liu Zhoumu!"

    Liu Jing got down from the carriage and said with a slight smile: "This general is exempt from the courtesy. I came here specially to see you."

    "Thank you for your relationship with the state and animal husbandry, but my king is in the city."

    "It doesn't matter, I will meet your king tomorrow. Let's see the soldiers today. What is the name of this general?"

    "My name is Guduo, and I am appointed as the leader."

    The leader is equivalent to the captain of the Han army, and is already a high-ranking official in the barbarian army. Liu Jing nodded. He looked at the hundreds of soldiers who were in a daze, and then smiled and said: "I have heard about the archery skills of the barbarian soldiers for a long time. Can you let me  Let me see it."

    There are three branches of barbarians, who call themselves raw barbarians, cooked barbarians and dongman barbarians. Zhu Bao, the prefect of Xianggao, is the leader of raw barbarians and was wiped out in Bajun. Meng Huo is the leader of cooked barbarians and lives in Jianning and Xinggu counties.  , Dongman mainly lives in Jiaozhou.

    Although the raw and cooked barbarians live in different territories, Liu Jing massacred the raw barbarians in Bajun, which reduced the number of raw barbarians by 60%. Meng Huo took the opportunity to annex the raw barbarians, and the raw and cooked barbarians merged into one.  His power expanded northward to Xangqi County. This time Meng Huo came to pay homage to Liu Jing. To a large extent, he hoped that Liu Jing would recognize his northward expansion of power.

    Since Liu Jing had made the request, Guduo immediately arranged for soldiers to perform. The barbarians lined up to shoot arrows. They were not cavalry, but shot arrows while running. Their archery skills were extremely accurate, and they ran like the wind. Each of them was strong, brave, and quite imposing.

    Liu Jing applauded gently and asked with a smile: "The five hundred people you are heading north should be the bodyguards of the Barbarian King! Are they brave men carefully selected from the army?"

    Guduo shook his head, "For the record to Zhou Mu, the barbarians make a living by hunting. Men learn archery at the age of six, and after they are ten years old, they will follow the team into the mountains to hunt. Every soldier is a warrior who can fight fierce beasts, and their archery skills are excellent."  It is a necessary skill. These soldiers were not selected because of their bravery, but because they were related to the Barbarian King clan."

    "It turns out that? Then I wonder if the Baiyi people are also good at hunting?  "

    Gu Duo smiled and said: "The Bai Yi family is headed by women, and they mainly focus on fishing and gathering. Although the men also hunt, they are far inferior to us because they cannot hunt prey and will not starve to death, so they will not fight as hard as us. We  Call them Hua Yinan.¡±

    At this moment, a group of barbarian soldiers ran in from outside the gate. The leader was a black-faced man in his thirties, wearing iron armor, a red hero's cloak, a copper crown on his head, and two long swords.  Wild pheasant tail hair, this person is none other than the Barbarian King Meng Huo.

    In fact, Meng Huo is half Han Chinese. His ancestor was a general of the Qin army in Zhao Tuo's army. His family has always been powerful in Jianping County. Meng Huo's mother was the sister of Gaoding, the king of the barbarians. He also married the daughter of the barbarian king.  The Shuman King had no children, so after his death, he designated Meng Huo as the new generation of Shuman King.

    Behind him, a beautiful and coquettish woman wearing a flower crown was his wife, Mrs. Zhu Rong. Meng Huo had just heard that Liu Jing had appeared in the military camp outside the city, and he was so frightened that he quickly brought his wife to see him.

    Meng Huo and his wife knelt down to pay homage to Liu Jing, "Meng Huo, a barbarian from the wilderness, brought his wife to pay homage to the state pastor!"

    Liu Jing quickly helped the two of them up and said apologetically: "I should have received you in the main hall of the General's Mansion, not here. It was me who neglected you two."

    Meng Huo cupped his hands and said, "We should be the ones visiting Zhou Mu instead of Zhou Mu coming to the military camp. This is our discourtesy."

    Liu Jing smiled, "In that case, let's not be rude to each other. How about we sit down and talk when we meet?"

    Mrs. Zhu Rong next to her was very fond of Liu Jing. She looked at this world-famous hero from a woman's perspective. He was tall, brave, cheerful, and still so young. I am afraid that this is what every woman desires to marry.  Husband, it's a pity that she doesn't have this blessing.

    With a good impression in her heart, Mrs. Zhu Rong also smiled sweetly and said: "I like Zhou Mu's refreshing attitude, please Zhou Mu!"

    "please!"

    The three of them walked into the big tent. Meng Huo and his wife repeatedly asked Liu Jing to take the seat of honor. They sat down next to Liu Jing. Meng Huo sighed and said, "In fact, the barbarians and the Bashu Han people have been living in harmony for hundreds of years.  , but Yong Kai¡¯s greed and cruelty led to the looting and killing of Bajun last year. To be honest, I hate Yong Kai, Zhu Bao and others very much. They destroyed the harmony between the barbarians and the Han people. This time I  I came to Chengdu to make a pilgrimage to Zhou Mu, hoping to restore the previous peace.¡±

    Liu Jing had a polite smile on his face. In fact, he knew very well that when Yong Kai led his army to the north, there was also a small number of Meng Huo's troops in the army. Now Meng Huo refused to admit it. He said it very beautifully and put all the responsibility on Yong Kai.  Kai and Zhu Bao et al.

    But this is politics. Everything must be moved forward. Holding on to the hatred of the past will not lead to good results. Liu Jing also hopes that what Meng Huo said is heartfelt.

    He smiled faintly and said: "The reason why the tragedy of ethnic vendetta occurred is that we cannot look at the surface. We must see the underlying problems. Why have we been able to live in harmony for hundreds of years, but now they are incompatible? What is the reason? Find the reason,  Solving the problem is the only way to consolidate the foundation, what does the Barbarian King think? "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 588 Southern Barbarian Mercenaries

    Meng Huo is half Han Chinese. Of course he knows where the root problem lies?  The problem lies in the decline of the Han Dynasty. The chaos in the world in the past two decades has brought the Han Dynasty to the edge of destruction.

    It has been a fact since ancient times that the Han Dynasty was weak and the Hu Dynasty was strong, and southern Xinjiang was no exception. The decline of the Han Dynasty naturally made the barbarians look down upon it, and they had the idea of ????driving the Han people out of Nan Yizhou.

    Coupled with Liu Zhang's weakness and his insistence on retreating and forbearing, it will certainly make the barbarians more arrogant, and it is not surprising that the massacre and plundering of Han people in Bajun occurred.

    But Liu Jing was completely different. He scared the barbarians to shit with his cruel killings. To this day in southern Xinjiang, the barbarians still call Liu Jing the God of Killing. Even children dare not cry at night when Liu Jing is mentioned as the God of Killing.

    Of course Meng Huo knew the real reason very well, but he couldn't tell it. He could only laugh dryly and said: "Zhou Mu is right. Only by solving the real reason is the way to consolidate the foundation."

    Liu Jing nodded and said: "Then what is the real reason? I think it is caused by the wealth of the Han people and the poverty of the barbarians. It is precisely because of the inequality between the rich and the poor that there is hatred. To eliminate hatred, the poverty of the barbarians must be solved.  question."

    Mrs. Zhu Rong next to her sighed and said: "Zhou Mu is indeed a man who cares about the world. When it comes to the fundamentals, I completely agree with this statement. He works hard like a barbarian and hunts with his life, but he can still barely wrap his belly with a needle.  You can exchange for a chicken, a piece of salt as big as a palm can be exchanged for a goat, and a piece of cloth can even be exchanged for a young girl. It is really sad.

    Therefore, it has always been a barbarian girl marrying a Han man, but there is no such thing as a barbarian man marrying a Han woman. We barbarians hope all the time to have enough food and clothes like the Han people, but no Han leader has ever said, "I  Come and help you solve poverty.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  "

    Speaking of this, Mrs. Zhu Rong's voice began to choke, but Meng Huo fell silent. He was much smarter than his wife. He was a Han Chinese. He knew that if they wanted to be as rich as the Han people, it meant that they had to go out and be like the Han people.  They lived together, men farmed and women weaved, and learned Chinese language and rituals. Finally, the two ethnic groups merged together, and there were no more barbarians.

    I'm afraid Liu Jing said so much because he had this idea. Liu Jing is not a compassionate person. He wants to completely eliminate the threat in southern Yizhou through the integration of Han and barbarians. However, this is by no means what Meng Huo wants to see.  He did not want to endanger his own interests by solving the poverty of the barbarians.

    After a long silence, Meng Huo wrote lightly: "I wonder if Zhou Mu has any solution or plan to solve the poverty of the barbarians?"

    Liu Jing took a deep look at Meng Huo, and he felt Meng Huo's resistance. In fact, Meng Huo guessed Liu Jing's thoughts. Liu Jing really hoped to use the method of ethnic integration to completely solve the threat of barbarians to southern Shu, but  This will not work in a year or two, it will take decades or even hundreds of years.

    "At the moment, we can only use some special means to transform the barbarians. We must do it slowly and not be too hasty. If we are too hasty, we will threaten the interests of the barbarian nobles.

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing sighed slightly and said: "It is not easy to make the barbarians as rich as the Han people. It requires a long time of hard work. Although it is difficult, many things can still be done. I thought of a good way, just  I wonder if the Barbarian King is willing?"

    Meng Huo bowed and saluted, "I would like to hear the details!"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "My army in Jingyi and Yizhou has 200,000 people, and there are thousands of Qiang people in the army. The rest are almost all Han people. Today I accidentally discovered that the barbarians are very skilled in archery, and all of them are  They are all first-class warriors who fight bravely. I heard Guduo say that this is mainly related to the hunting life of the barbarians. I was thinking that I also need barbarian warriors in my army. I want to recruit an army from the barbarians. Of course, I  I will pay fair money and food. I think this is also a way for the barbarians to obtain money and food. I wonder if the barbarian king agrees? "

    Meng Huo was silent. He knew very well that once his barbarians joined the Han army, they would gradually be assimilated by the Han army. When they returned to their hometown, they would bring Han culture with them and subtly affect the descendants of the barbarians. This is actually the case.  A means of assimilation.

    But Meng Huo felt Liu Jing's sharp gaze, and he also knew that he might have no room for bargaining. If he didn't agree, Liu Jing would send troops to the south. At that time, the problem would become serious. After a long silence, Meng Huo finally asked: "  I wonder how many barbarian troops the State Shepherd needs?¡±

    Liu Jing stretched out a palm and said lightly: "Five thousand people!"

    ¡®Five thousand people!  Meng Huo's heart trembled. He only had 20,000 troops in his hands. Liu Jing asked for 5,000 troops as soon as he opened his mouth. How could he get them? After a long while, Meng Huo hesitated and said: "I can't decide the barbarians alone."  , I still need to discuss with other tribal leaders and ask the state pastor to give me some time."

    "Okay, I'll give King Man a month to think about it. I hope King Man won't disappoint me."??Liu Jing's smile was no longer so gentle, and her tone already had a hint of threat. His implicit message was to tell Meng Huo that if there is no reply within a month, don't blame me for being rude.

    Of course Meng Huo also understood what Liu Jing meant. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. However, his wife, Mrs. Zhu Rong, did not understand her husband's difficulties. She frowned and said, "This is a good thing! It can allow the barbarians to have more income.  Why doesn¡¯t the Barbarian King just agree? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to discuss it with the other chiefs!¡±

    Meng Huo just wanted to grab his wife's neck and slap her in the face. Why was she so disrespectful to him? Meng Huo felt Liu Jing's cold gaze. He quickly laughed and explained to his wife: "Of course this is a good thing.  We need to discuss how to allocate the quota of 5,000 people, so how can I have it all to myself?¡±

    Mrs. Zhu Rong was just about to speak again. At this moment, a burst of exclamations came from outside. They were the voices of barbarian soldiers. Meng Huo was extremely unhappy and asked: "What happened?"

    A guard hurriedly reported: "To the barbarian king, the soldiers outside are competing with General Wang Ping. General Wang is fighting a hundred people alone."

    Liu Jing was also interested, stood up and said with a smile: "Let's have a look!"

    Meng Huo and his wife followed Liu Jing out of the camp and saw a hundred barbarian soldiers forming a large circle in the open space. Each man took out a wooden sword in his hand. Wang Ping stood in the middle, holding a wooden stick about ten feet long.  He looked at the surrounding barbarians with a sneer on his face.

    Not far away, a large group of Han soldiers and barbarian soldiers were sitting on both sides, constantly cheering for their side. Liu Jing stepped forward, and Li Qing, a personal soldier, stepped forward to report: "General Qi, General Wang Ping  In a gambling battle with the barbarians, I first defeated all the barbarians in archery, then fought three, ten, twenty, and now a hundred."

    "What's the bet?" Liu Jing asked with a smile of interest.

    "The bet is a barbarian warrior card. If General Wang can defeat a hundred people, Guduo will give him this barbarian warrior card."

    "What if Wang Ping loses?"

    "If General Wang loses, he will give the sword to Guduo."

    Liu Jing nodded, turned around and smiled at Meng Huo: "Why don't we make a bet too!"

    "I wonder what Zhou Mu wants to bet on?"

    Liu Jing gave Li Qing some instructions, and Li Qing immediately ran to fetch a green horse. Liu Jing patted the strong war horse and said with a smile: "This is one of the Hexi war horses in my collection. I use it."  How about making a bet?"

    Meng Huo was a man who knew what he was looking for. This war horse was extremely strong, with slender limbs and shiny fur. There was not a single stray hair on it. It was a beautiful horse. His eyes suddenly shone. He stared at the war horse for a long time and pulled it from its waist.  He took off his sword. The handle and scabbard were inlaid with precious gems. He said to Liu Jing: "This barbarian sword is also called the ghost-suppressing sword. The devils within ten feet do not dare to get close. It is also my favorite thing.  I bet on it."

    "Okay! Let's watch the fight in the field."

    At this time, hundreds of barbarian soldiers burst out with a cry. They attacked Wang Ping from all directions at the same time. Wang Ping was a very famous swordsman-errant in Ba County at the beginning. He was very good at close combat. He also shouted, "Well done!"

    He waved the wooden stick and struck towards the northwest corner. He was experienced and would never place himself surrounded by enemies. He would create a gap and then face the enemy head-on. In this way, there would be no difference between a hundred people and ten people. Northwest  The angle was exactly where he found a weak point.

    The shadow of the stick flew as fast as lightning, and his strike was precise and merciless. He knocked down five or six people in an instant. He rushed out of the encirclement, turned back and struck with the stick quickly. Several barbarian soldiers who rushed forward were caught off guard and were killed.  He knocked him to the ground, but the barbarian soldiers kept their promise. After being knocked down, they automatically quit the fight. In a short period of time, more than a dozen people were knocked down.

    These barbarian soldiers were all experienced hunters. In their eyes, Wang Ping was like a cheetah. They shouted loudly and quickly formed a new encirclement. They knew that only by attacking from all sides could they take advantage of the large number of people.

    It¡¯s a pity that the ones facing them were not Cheetahs, but the Han generals with sharper minds and more experience. Wang Ping did not give them a chance to form an encirclement, and kept breaking through, rushing to the outside, always maintaining a one-on-ten situation.

    Even Liu Jing couldn't help but nod secretly. No wonder Zhao Yun valued Wang Ping so much. This man was really smart and strategic, and his martial arts skills were second to none. It was rare that he kept his head clear during the battle. This man could be of great use.

    On the battlefield, Wang Ping became more and more courageous as he fought, and more and more barbarian soldiers fell under their sticks. In the end, there were only about thirty people left. The cheers and cheers from both sides were like thunder, and even the barbarian soldiers couldn't help but cheer for Wang Ping.  There were cheers and cheers. At this time, Wang Ping roared and changed his strategy. He no longer broke through the encirclement. Instead, he charged into a group of more than thirty barbarians like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. With one enemy against many, he showed his bravery and fought.  All the barbarian soldiers screamed and howled, and were in a state of panic.

    Only a momentSuddenly, more than thirty people were knocked to the ground by Wang Ping. Wang Ping withdrew his long stick and stood proudly. There was thunderous applause from all around and cheers resounded throughout the military camp.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 589 The Moon Orb

    Meng Huo sighed, "One fight against a hundred, General Wang is truly a brave general!"

    He then respectfully presented the sword to Liu Jing, "If Zhou Mu has such a fierce general, why worry about the world being unfair?"

    Although Meng Huo's words were flattering, Liu Jing was also willing to hear such respectful words. He took the sword and said with a smile: "Although it is a bet, the Barbarian King is a guest from afar. How can I not express my feelings?"  ¡±

    He took the reins of the green horse and handed it to Meng Huo, "I will give this horse to the Barbarian King!"

    Meng Huo was overjoyed. There were no war horses in southern Xinjiang, only some animal power. He had always dreamed of getting a war horse. He thought there was no hope of losing the bet. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing still gave him the BMW. He was grateful and saluted him repeatedly.  , "Meng Huo will remember the kindness of the state pastor in his heart!"

    At this time, Mrs. Zhu Rong took off a string of pearl necklaces from her neck, bowed and presented it to Liu Jing, "Thank you Zhou Mu for gifting the horse. This is my gift to Mrs. Zhou Mu. Please accept it!"

    Meng Huo was secretly shocked. This string of pearls was a treasure of the barbarians and one of the identity symbols of the wives of barbarian kings in the past. His wife actually dedicated it to Liu Jing.

    He winked at his wife anxiously, but Mrs. Zhu Rong seemed to be unaware. Meng Huo was helpless. Since his wife had already donated it, Meng Huo could not say anything more, so he could only sigh secretly. It was a pity in his heart that his wife actually gave away the Mingyue Pearl.  .

    Liu Jing didn't realize how valuable this string of pearls was. He felt it was extremely cold when he held it. It felt very comfortable in the hand on a hot summer day. Seeing that Mrs. Zhu Rong was quite sincere, he accepted it with a smile and asked her to give it back to her tomorrow.  gift.

    Liu Jing looked at the time, then smiled at Meng Huo and said, "I have to go to the military camp. We will have a formal meeting tomorrow. Let's take our leave now."

    Meng Huo and his wife sent Liu Jing out of the military camp. Watching Liu Jing's carriage go away, Meng Huo's face sank, he glared at his wife fiercely, turned and walked towards the tent.

    Mrs. Zhu Rong followed him into the account, and she also said angrily: "The Mingyue Pearl is a thing left by my mother. I have the right to dispose of it. It is my intention to present it to the wife of Zhou Mu. Why are you angry at me?"

    Meng Huo said with a stern face: "I'm not angry about Mingyue Pearl, but because he wants to recruit five thousand barbarian soldiers. I don't want to agree. Why do you want to embarrass me?"

    Meng Huo had the opportunity to become the barbarian king because he married Mrs. Zhu Rong, which was a bit like a son-in-law. Therefore, among the familiar barbarians, Mrs. Zhu Rong had a very high status. In the eyes of the barbarians, she was the real queen. It can be said that Meng Huo was just in name.  The barbarian king on the throne, and Mrs. Zhu Rong is the real king, but outsiders don't know this, including Liu Jing.

    It is precisely for this reason that Mrs. Zhu Rong has a great say. She can directly express her position without her husband's consent. It is also the reason why Meng Huo was embarrassed just now.

    Now there are no outsiders in the tent, and Mrs. Zhu Rong doesn¡¯t need to worry about her husband¡¯s face. It¡¯s a good thing that Meng Huo didn¡¯t mention the matter of the barbarians. When he mentioned this matter, Mrs. Zhu Rong¡¯s heart suddenly became angry. She glared at her husband and shouted: ¡°You think I don¡¯t know.  What's on your mind? You just want to keep your throne, but you don't care about the life or death of us barbarians. The barbarians have been poor for hundreds of years. Who in the central court has cared about our life and death? It's hard to find a Han leader who cares about the barbarians, but you only care about your own.  Are you worthy of my father's status?"

    When Meng Huo saw his wife angry, he softened and sighed: "Because I know Liu Jing's thoughts. He wants to Chineseize the barbarians and completely integrate the barbarian territory into the Han territory. I am thinking about the future of the barbarians. You  But I don¡¯t appreciate it, alas!¡±

    Mrs. Zhu Rong also gradually calmed down and said after thinking for a while: "It's not like you don't know Liu Jing's methods of killing raw barbarians and black barbarians. He gave you the horse and proposed to improve the life of the barbarians. This is to win over us. If we don't know  Interesting, if we don't agree to his request, I'm afraid we will end up like Shengman. Besides, this time we come to Chengdu for pilgrimage, we want to expand our power northward to Xangqi County. If you don't make concessions, how can he agree?  Why don't you give him this favor, and then you don't have to pledge the child in Chengdu? "

    Meng Huo heard what his wife said made sense. He thought about it, but he really didn't dare not agree. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Okay! Tomorrow, we will use five thousand barbarians as a condition in exchange for our forces to go north.  I hope Liu Jing can make me the governor of Zanggao."

    Liu Jing rode a carriage into the city. He asked his soldiers to find Wang Ping. Wang Ping urged the horse forward, cupped his hands in front of the carriage window and said: "State Shepherd, I am here to serve you!"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "What does the Warrior card look like? Let me see it?"

    Wang Ping took out the barbarian warrior card and handed it to Liu Jing. He scratched his head and said, "I heard that the barbarians have a total of five warrior cards. This is one of them. Although I lost to me, I am not a barbarian, so I still can't enjoy the warrior card."  status."

    Liu Jing looked at the warrior card. It was actually made of turtle shells and was engraved with two dragons. It was quite exquisite. He returned the warrior card to Wang Ping and said with a smile: "I plan to set up the Five Yamen Army, and plan to appoint you as one of the five Yamen Generals to command five thousand barbarian soldiers, so that your warrior card will be useful.  "

    The Yamen Army is Liu Jing's direct army, and the Yamen General is the direct leading general. Although his military position is not special, he is Liu Jing's confidant and has a bright future. Wang Ping was overjoyed and quickly clasped his fists and bowed: "May I  Serve the state pastor!"

    However, Wang Ping still felt a little regretful that Zhou Mu actually asked him to command five thousand barbarian soldiers, which did not go as planned.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The establishment of the Yamen Army has always been the practice of the major princes. It is mainly to ensure emergency war mobilization and protect the safety of the princes. Most of the troops are between 10,000 and 20,000. For example, Cao Cao has 30,000 Yamen, and Liu Bei also has 5,000 Yamen.  Army, Sun Quan has 20,000 direct troops.

    Liu Jing has not established a direct army so far, mainly because he firmly controls the military power, and there is no need to establish a direct army for the time being. However, since the failure of the first Northern Expedition, Liu Jing has begun to consider this matter. According to the practice of ordinary princes, it is to use  10% of the total military strength of the soldiers is established as a direct army.

    Now that there are 200,000 Han troops, that means 20,000 Yamen troops can be set up. According to Liu Jing¡¯s idea, five armies are set up, namely cavalry, heavy armored infantry, barbarian crossbowmen, heavy shield troops and eagle attack troops.

    At the same time, five tooth gate generals were appointed. The cavalry tooth gate will be held by Ma Dai. The heavy armored infantry will naturally be commanded by Liu Hu. The commander of the Eagle Attack Army will be Liu Zheng. Today he decided to use Wang Ping to command the barbarian crossbowmen. It is only the last heavy shield army.  He couldn't find a suitable candidate for the time being.

    "Zhou Mu! Are you going to the military camp now?"

    The guard leader Li Qing's question interrupted Liu Jing's train of thought. Li Qing knew his lord's habits very well. He never went to the military camp in the evening. He would either go to the general's mansion or go back to his own mansion. Especially recently, his wife was not in good health. Zhou Mu  He will be more concerned about his wife's condition.

    Sure enough, Liu Jing looked up at the sky. The western sky was already filled with crimson clouds. He shook his head and said, "I'm not going to the military camp today. Let's go home!"

    The carriage turned around and drove towards Liu Jing's mansion.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In Fengyi Pavilion, Liu Jing was having dinner with his family. Fengyi Pavilion is a pavilion, about three feet high, built near the water, located in the northwest of the lake. The cool breeze blowing from the lake makes the attic particularly cool.  The sultry summer heat has been swept away. This is also the summer pavilion built by Liu Zhang to spend the midsummer. Unfortunately, the owner changed just after the construction of Yizhou.

    A large area of ??special plants was planted under the pavilion, so that there were no mosquitoes in Fengyi Pavilion, which relieved a lot of worries. The pavilion was not big, with a radius of only two feet. There were four maids standing around and two nurses to take care of the children.  mother.

    Liu Jing likes to have her whole family gather together to eat. The table is surrounded by a small circle and everyone sits next to each other. This is also the way ordinary small families eat. It is called "gathering and sitting", while for large families it is "scattered sitting".  It is required to sit alone at a table, with each seat spaced one foot apart and spread out on all sides.

    The reason for gathering together is because there are not many ingredients and it is not possible for each person to share a portion, so everyone gathers together to share a bowl of food with chopsticks. This is the same as the way of dining in later generations. The purpose of gathering together at Liu Jing's home is to increase family ties.  , because the house is too big, each wife and concubine has an independent yard, and they don't have much contact with each other. If they sit far away during meals, this kind of family affection will really become alienated.

    Therefore, Liu Jing adopted the small family sitting style, but the dishes were served for each person. Liu Jing sat at the head table, and his wife Tao Zhan sat first on the left.  banquet.

    The first one on the right is Sun Shangxiang's seat. Although she went back to Jiangdong to visit relatives, she still kept her seat. The second one on the right is the little Bao Niang. The nurse and the two children are sitting behind their mother.

    Cai Shaoyu should not appear in Fengyi Pavilion. It is the rule of Liu Jing's house not to enter the pavilion. However, Tao Zhan understood Liu Jing's thoughts and specially added a seat for Cai Shaoyu beside him, including the maids.  Everyone knew it, except Cai Shaoyu himself.

    The dining table was quite lively. Liu Jing took out the pearl necklace that Mrs. Zhu Rong gave to his wife, handed it to her and said with a smile: "This is a gift from the Barbarian King's wife. It seems to be quite cold, so I accepted it for you."

    Tao Zhan is the daughter of a wealthy family. She is well-informed and does not pay attention to ordinary treasures. However, she was attracted by this string of pearls. The pearls were rounded and made of eighteen pieces in total. They were hollowed out and wrapped with gold wire.  She picked it up and looked at the light carefully, and said with some surprise: "General, does he know what this is?"

    Liu Jing was also a little curious and said: "I thought it was a pearl from the water, but I found out that it was not. It was rounded by hand, and it was always cold. It seemed to be a rare thing."

    Tao Zhan sighed lowly, "I know that there is a rare stone in the barbarian border, called jade milk stone essence, and the barbarians call it moon stone."

      Cai Shaoyu next to him said with a smile: "I also know about jade milkstones. They are found in many caves with various shapes and strange shapes. I have been to the Bailong Cave in Nanjun. All kinds of jade milkstones are very beautiful."

    Tao Zhan shook his head. Jade milkstones are very common. The jade milkstone essence I am talking about is the essence of jade milkstones that have been nurtured for hundreds of thousands of years. Not every jade milkstone has it. There are about a hundred jade milkstones.  Shicai had a jade milkstone with a little bit of stone essence, the size of which was like a grain of rice. A steward of the Tao family bought a little bit of it at a high price in Manjiang. It was about the size of more than a dozen soybeans and was inlaid into a bracelet. It was presented to Mr. Wu from Jiangdong by my grandfather.  This person is Shang Xiang¡¯s aunt.  "

    Liu Jing was even more surprised and said with a smile: "It sounds very rare, but I see that Mrs. Zhu Rong took it off and gave it to me without hesitation, so I didn't take it seriously."

    Tao Zhan sighed, "This is a unique string in the world. The barbarians call it the Mingyue Pearl. It has been worn by the barbarian king's wife for generations. It is a symbol of the king's wife and can be called their national treasure. She actually gave this treasure to the general. I don't know.  What a favor the general gave her."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 590 You will be born in sorrow

    Of course Liu Jing knew why Mrs. Zhu Rong gave this string of precious gems to herself. It was because she was considering the future of the barbarians and was willing to solve the poverty of the barbarians that Mrs. Zhu Rong was so grateful that she did not hesitate to give herself the earliest precious identity symbol.

    It seems that Mrs. Zhu Rong is a man among women, and from this we can see the simple side of the barbarians.

    But at this time Liu Jing was more interested in this string of gems. He smiled and said: "Why is it called the moon stone? I think it is better to call it the cold stone." Tao Zhan shook his head, "This is because the general doesn't understand. One hundred stones [  There is a stone essence in one of the ***] stones. If everyone wants to look for this stone essence, wouldn¡¯t it mean that all the [***] stone beans in the caves will be destroyed? You may not be able to find it. I heard my grandfather say,  This kind of stone spirit must be found at night so that it can be seen." Having said this, Tao Zhan ordered the maids on both sides: "Turn out the lights!" All the lights were put out, and only the moon orb on the table could be seen faintly.  With a blue light, it illuminated the entire Fengyi Pavilion. Everyone, including the maids, exclaimed. Tao Zhan's three-year-old son Liu Zhi ran over excitedly, reaching out to grab the orb on the table.  Nia Qi shouted: "Mom, give it to me quickly!" "Little guy, don't mess around!"

    Tao Zhan grabbed his son, slapped him gently on his buttocks, handed him to the wet nurse, and then smiled at the maid: "Light the lamp!" When the light came on, the orb returned to its original crystal color.  , Liu Jing nodded and said: "Because it can be seen in the crystal clear [***] stone at night, it is called moon stone. I think it should be a kind of fluorite, which is not surprising." Tao Zhan said quietly.  She laughed at her husband and said, "You underestimate the barbarians and our Tao family too much. If it were a fluorescent stone, would we be rare? It's not called the moon stone because it shines in the [***] stone, but because the barbarians  It is thought that this is a part that has collapsed from the moon, so it is called the moon stone. It is not only rare, but it is always as cool as ice, even in the middle of summer. What kind of gemstone in the world can do this? Barbarians worship the moon, so they call this moon stone.  This string of gems is their clan treasure and cannot be worn by anyone but the royal wife. General, I cannot take this string of gems. Please return it to Mrs. Zhu Rong." Tao Zhan pushed the gems to his husband, and his confidant maid went to get some of his own.  I put the jewelry together and handed it over to Liu Jing, "Return the gems to Mrs. Zhu Rong. These pieces of jewelry are my way of thanking her. I am inconvenient, so I won't accompany you to meet the couple." Liu Jing did not take it.  He shook his head and said: "Mrs. Zhu Rong is coming to visit you at home tomorrow, so just meet her! If you don't want this gem, return it to her in person tomorrow. If I return it to them in a formal occasion, I will be very rude to them."  Tao Zhan shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Husband, you are confused. How can I see outsiders with this body? Husband, please return it to her for me!" After everyone finished their dinner, they talked for a while and then went back to the yard. Liu  Jing accompanied Cai Shaoyu for a slow walk by the lake. The weeping willows were leaning on the lake, the cool breeze was blowing, the waves were sparkling, and the insects around were playing nocturnes. It was extraordinarily peaceful. The moonlight was very good tonight, and it was as bright as a mirror.  On the lake, a full moon is reflected in the water. "How is your wife treating you?" Liu Jing asked softly.

    Cai Shaoyu walked slowly along the lakeside path with her hands behind her back. She nodded lightly, "She treats me very well and arranges everything in every possible way. Moreover, she is kind-hearted and far more tolerant than me. You are lucky to have such a wife."  "Don't you think you have changed too? I still remember what you were like before." "What was I like before?"

    Cai Shaoyu tilted her head and asked him: "You have to tell the truth!" "To be honest, you should be unruly and arbitrary. Thinking about marrying such a woman, I just have a headache." Cai Shaoyu didn't say anything, and she walked to the lake.  , staring blankly at the full moon in the lake, for a while, she sighed softly, but Liu Jing walked up to her, gently put his hand on her shoulders, and said softly: "But now you are not  , you have matured, become quiet and polite, and a little sentimental, and I like it a little bit again." Cai Shaoyu's heart softened, and she slowly snuggled into Liu Jing's arms, looking up at him, "Do you really like me?"  Liu Jing lowered her head and kissed her on the forehead, "If I didn't like you, I wouldn't have taken you back home." Cai Shaoyu's eyes filled with sparkling color, she lowered her head and whispered for a while: "You  It's not that you like me, but you pity me and sympathize with me." Tears rolled down her face, and her voice became choked, "You know? I have always regretted it in my life. I shouldn't have agreed to marry him. I actually liked him.  You, but I didn¡¯t know that until that night, he wanted to kill me, but you saved me from his hands, and I knew that I would live in regret for the rest of my life." Liu Jing lifted her chin and gently helped her.  After wiping away the tears on her face, Cai Shaoyu finally couldn't help but kiss her lips. Cai Shaoyu was shocked, and the emotions she had suppressed deep in her heart suddenly burst out.

    She hugged Liu Jing's neck tightly and cried bitterly while kissing him desperately. Finally, she threw herself into Liu Jing's arms and cried loudly, "Please don't dare to drive me away. I really have no place to go!" Liu Jing  Gently stroking her hair, he remembered Zhao Yun's evaluation of himself, "You are good at everything, but you are too soft-hearted!" Liu Jing couldn't help but reveal a bitter smile on her face. She was really too soft-hearted, why did she kiss her on the lips?  , or should I say that I am still a little bit lustful?

    At this time, he felt something, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a lantern coming from the distance. This meant someone was coming.

    He gently separated from Cai Shaoyu, looked back, and saw his wife's maid Axiang, "What's the matter?" Liu Jing asked.

     Axiang saw Liu Jing and Miss Cai hugging each other from a distance. She was scared in her heart and said tremblingly: "There are guests in the front hall who want to see me. Madam asked me to see the master!" "Who is it?" "It seems to be Mr. Jia."  "

    It turned out to be Jia Yu. Liu Jing smiled at Cai Shaoyu and said, "I have important guests, so I'll send you back first!" Cai Shaoyu nodded, "General, just go and receive the guests. I can go back by myself." She turned and walked west.  That didn't seem to be the direction of her yard. Liu Jing stopped her with a smile, "It seems that I went the wrong way!" "I didn't go the wrong way. I went to the madam's place. She can't be alone these days. We had already agreed that today  I will accompany her tonight." Cai Shaoyu smiled brightly, turned around and sped up and chased Axiang, "Axiang, wait for me!" The lantern in front stopped, Cai Shaoyu caught up with Axiang, and they walked towards the west courtyard together.  At this time, Cai Shaoyu's steps became much brisker, as if a heavy boulder had been dropped from her heart.

    Liu Jing walked into the room quickly and said with a smile: "I kept the military advisor waiting for a long time!"

    After capturing Yizhou, Liu Jing made a slight division of labor, letting Jia Yu be in charge of Jingzhou and Sima Yi in charge of Yizhou. Of course, this did not refer to government affairs, but to security. The safety of Jingzhou lies with Cao Cao in the north and Sun Quan in the east.  , as well as Liu Bei in the south, and Yizhou's security mainly lies in the interior, and the barbarians in the south also need to pay attention.

    As for the Northern Expedition, it was mainly Fazheng and Pang Tong who followed Liu Jing. The first Northern Expedition failed. Liu Jing did not put the responsibility on Pang Tong and Fa Zheng. Instead, he admitted that it was due to his lack of preparation, but when preparing for the second  During the Northern Expedition, Liu Jing brought both Jia Yu and Sima Yi into the decision-making circle.

    Jia Yu stood up and said apologetically: "I'm disturbing Zhou Mu's rest." "It's okay, please sit down!"

    The two sat down, and a maid came in to offer tea. Liu Jing took a sip of tea from the cup and said to Jia Yu: "I went to Lingling County during this eastern tour and got some news about Liu Bei. Zhuge Liang is indeed good.  After leading his army across Jiaozhou, Shixie brothers are now trapped in the three counties of Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen and Yuenan. Now Liu Bei has moved all his subordinates' families to Panyu. I estimate that Shixie will come to my rescue soon." Jia said.  Yu smiled slightly and said: "Actually, I have been thinking about whether we should give Fu Shixie a hand so that he can confront Liu Bei. I heard that Sima Yi also proposed this suggestion to Zhou Mu, but Zhou Mu rejected it.  Do you really hope that Liu Bei will unify Jiaozhou and rebuild the South Vietnam Kingdom?" "Perhaps I have different ideas from Sima and Military Advisor Jia. I always think that Liu Bei's enemy is not Shi Xie, but the geographical scholars of South Vietnam. Even if Liu Bei is destroyed  Even if Shi Xie is lost, he will have to spend decades or even generations of effort to govern South Vietnam. More importantly, Liu Bei belongs to the Han clan. No matter how good he is, he will not betray the Han Dynasty. This is why,  In the future, it will be justifiable for us to accept South Vietnam. On the contrary, Shi Xie is the real threat to the Han Dynasty's unification of South Vietnam, so I support Liu Bei in destroying Shi Xie to eliminate future troubles." But Zhou Mu has considered that Liu Bei will make peace with him.  Will Sun Quan form an alliance?"

    Liu Jing laughed. If Sun Quan went to form an alliance with Liu Bei, he would undoubtedly be seeking skin from a tiger. Don't worry, military advisor. Sun Quan personally told me that Jiangdong will not conquer the west again. Their strategy for the next ten years is to conquer the south and seize Jiaozhou. We have reached a consensus.  , I have ordered Yi Li to go to the South China Sea again and tell Liu Bei the consensus between Sun Quan and I, so that Liu Bei can make preparations in advance." Jia Yu smiled slightly and said: "Zhou Mu's methods are becoming more and more sophisticated!"

    Liu Jing also sighed, "I feel ashamed to say that I was too hasty in capturing Guanzhong, which led to the failure of the Northern Expedition. In fact, I should have listened more to the opinions of military advisors."  Mu.¡±

    Jia Yu took out a document from his arms and said, "This is the strategy I formulated for the northern expedition to Guanzhong. It is divided into three parts: war preparation strategy, tactical strategy and strategic strategy. Please take a look at it when you have time." Liu Jing  Refreshed, he hurriedly took the document and began to read it impatiently. He trusted Jia Yu very much, and the plan Jia Yu came up with must be a wise one.

    But Liu Jing read a few pages and frowned slightly, "Will it take three years to capture Guanzhong?" Jia Yu nodded, "Zhou Mu's intention in capturing Guanzhong was to besiege Cao Cao from the southern and western fronts, but  I think this is wrong. Does Zhou Mu still remember when I suggested that Zhou Mu take Guanzhong first instead of Bashu?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 591 Annoying News

    Jia Xu smiled and said: "At the beginning, I advised Zhou Mu to take Guanzhong first because I knew that the southern army would not be able to sweep across the north. Although the battle of Chibi was won by relying on the Yangtze River water battle, it was all because of the sharp navy, but once  When we reach the northern plains, we are not necessarily the opponents of the northern army. Moreover, Prime Minister Cao has 30,000 cavalry. Who can compete with him in the north? In fact, if I were Prime Minister Cao's military adviser, I would suggest that he give up Guanzhong and let the army go.  The Han army entered Guanzhong, and then used the superiority of the cavalry to annihilate the Han army in Guanzhong."

    Before Jia Xu could continue, Liu Jing sighed: "Fortunately Wen He is not Cao Cao's military advisor, otherwise I would be the second best to Ma Chao."

    "Actually, it's not that Prime Minister Cao didn't think of it. Even if he didn't think of it, Xun You would consider it for him. The reason why they didn't adopt this plan was because they were defeated by the Han army many times and didn't dare to take this risk again, but after experience  After the First Northern Expedition, I think Prime Minister Cao will also change his strategy. He will put the Han army into Guanzhong, but concentrate his forces to defend Longyou and Guan Nei. Guanzhong is a big urn. Once inside Guanzhong, Cao Jun can catch turtles in the urn.  Okay, Zhou Mu, do you understand what I mean?"

    Liu Jing understood somewhat, and he quickly said: "The military advisor said that Guanlong is actually one body, and it is meaningless to capture Guanzhong!"

    "exactly!"

    Jia Xu put his hands on his hands and laughed. When his laughter stopped, he sighed slightly and said: "I am from Guanlong, and I know Guanlong better than anyone else. Back then, I advised Dong Zhuo to take Guanlong first, and then go to Beijing after solidifying this foundation."  , It's a pity that Dong Zhuo was eager for success and rushed to Beijing. In the end, there was no way out. Xiliang's power was just a flash in the pan. I don't want Zhou Mu to make the same mistake again. "

    Liu Jing nodded silently. He already fully understood what Jia Xu meant. Capturing Guanzhong does not necessarily mean that he can capture Guanzhong. If Cao Cao puts them in Guanzhong and uses cavalry and the power of the country to fight him in Guanzhong, he will probably do it again.  If you fail, you won¡¯t even have a chance to make a comeback.

    Therefore, Jia Xu advised him to take Longyou first, consolidate Longyou, and then attack Guanzhong after he has the strength to compete with the northern army. This is a stable strategy.

    "The military advisor is right. I understand the three-year period."

    Liu Jing sighed and said: "Actually, it takes two years to consolidate Longyou and Guannei. It is already very fast."

    Jia Xu thought for a while and then said: "Besides, there are two other things I want to remind Zhou Mu."

    "Military advisor, please speak!"

    "The first thing is Nanyang. The war-free contract with Cao Jun will expire next year. I suggest Zhou Mu renew it for another three years to ensure the safety of Jingzhou."

    "I think so too. It's best for Nanyang to remain calm. I believe Cao Cao also has this intention. What about the second thing?"

    "The second thing is that there must be a reason for Zhou Mu's northern expedition. Kuai Yue told me that the emperor was very angry at Zhou Mu's unauthorized expedition to the north, and even ordered to deprive Zhou Mu of his title. However, Xun Yu dissuaded him. Now the imperial court has  There was a great deal of discussion about Zhou Mu's northern expedition. Prime Minister Cao's party members such as Liang Mao, Chang Lin, Wang Jie and others took advantage of Zhou Mu's unauthorized expedition to the north to create public opinion, saying that Zhou Mu had disobedient intentions. Many people who supported Zhou Mu were also forced to  Keeping silent will be very detrimental to Zhou Mu¡¯s reputation.¡±

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "I have decided to send Xu Jing to the court as a representative of my interests in the court, so that Xu Jing can act in the court and save the unfavorable situation."

    "Inappropriate!"

    Jia Xu shook his head and said: "Prime Minister Cao may be able to accept Xu Jing's entry into the court, but there must be a bottom line, that is, Xu Jing can only be Zhou Mu's mouthpiece. If he is allowed to act in the court, Prime Minister Cao will never  Agree, something will happen to Xu Jing. After all, the court is under the control of Prime Minister Cao. Why doesn't Zhou Mu consider using the belt edict? "

    The Yidai Zhao was what Liu Jing was going to use to exchange Cao Cao for the title of Yizhou Mu. The last time Cao Zhi was on a mission to Jingzhou, Liu Jing proposed this condition, but Cao Cao never responded. I don¡¯t know if Cao Zhi didn¡¯t say it or if Cao Cao had something else.  idea.

    More importantly, Liu Jing knew that once the Yidai Edict was used, it meant that he and Cao Cao were completely hostile. Cao Cao would force the Han Emperor to issue an order to deprive him of all titles and official positions, and declare Liu Jing a traitor.  In order to pretend to be a royal family and drive him out of the ancestral temple, he will suffer great political losses.

    Cao Cao could have done this, but Cao Cao did not take this step, which shows that he is also very cautious and does not want to do things absolutely. Since Cao Cao left room for it, Liu Jing must also weigh the pros and cons, and it is not just a belt edict.  He, Liu Jing, could gain great righteousness. It was not that simple. Jia Xu obviously did not expect this.

    Liu Jing sighed, "Let me think about the clothing and belt edict again!"

    Jia Xu felt that Liu Jing was reluctant to use the belt edict, so he smiled and said, "This is just the suggestion of Wei Chen. Zhou Mu can make his own decision."

    At this moment, the study door suddenly banged!  boom!  The ground struck, very quickly, "What?"???  "Liu Jing said extremely displeased.

    I heard Bao Niang say anxiously outside the door: "General!"

    Liu Jing got up and walked out. Seeing her anxious face, she asked, "What happened?"

    Mother Bao whispered to him: "Madam has given birth to a girl. The midwife said the baby can still be saved."

    "ah!"

    Liu Jing was so shocked that he froze for a moment. He ignored Jia Xu and ran towards the backyard as fast as fire.

    It has been almost two months since Cao Cao returned to Yedu from Chang'an. Cao Cao first held a grand funeral for Xia Houyuan, named him Minhou, and gave his son a generous title.

    Secondly, like Liu Jing, not long after Cao Cao returned to Yedu, he set off to inspect Xudu and the counties in Hebei, and then went to various counties in the Central Plains. It was already early September after returning to Yedu, and the next step was the autumn harvest.  Cao Cao also attached great importance to the most important matters of the government and ordered his eldest son Cao Pi to inspect major grain-producing areas to supervise the autumn harvest.

    But the most important thing for Cao Cao was the founding of the Wei State. According to the Han system, after being granted the title of Duke, one could establish a state, open a government, and establish official positions. For example, when Liu Jing was granted the title of Duke of Chu, he removed the state pastor and established a  The reason why the General Mansion did not establish the Chu State was out of a low profile.

    But Cao Cao did not keep a low profile. He formally established the Wei State and appointed all the former staff of the Prime Minister's Office as senior officials of the Wei State. For example, Xun You was appointed as Shangshu Ling, Liang Mao was appointed as Shangshu Pushe, Mao Jie, Chang Lin, Xu  Yi and others were ministers, Wang Jie, Du Xi and others were ministers, Zhong Yao was Dali, Wang Xiu was chief agricultural officer, Yuan Huan was Lang Zhongling and censor doctor, Chen Qun was censor Zhongcheng, etc.

    At the same time, Cao Cao transferred all the government affairs of the Prime Minister's Office to the State of Wei. Since the establishment of official positions was exactly the same as that of the imperial court, he actually emptied the imperial court, just like Liu Jing emptied the state government.

    In the morning, Cao Cao met with Cheng Yu in the official room. Cheng Yu was named the Wei Qing of the Wei Kingdom and was in charge of Cao Cao's 30,000 tooth army. Although the position of the guard was not the highest, it had extremely heavy military power and could not be held by anyone but a close confidant.

    Cheng Yu also controls Cao Cao¡¯s secret intelligence agency. He came to see Cao Cao today because he has important information to report to Cao Cao.

    "Let's talk about something not too big or too small first! Liu Jing's wife Tao gave birth to a daughter who was less than a month old last month, and she actually kept it. She named her Liu Chan. According to Jingzhou custom, all the children of the same month as the neighbor have to give birth to a child.  As a result, Liu Jing ordered that all children born in the same month in Jing and Yi prefectures would be given one stone of grain, and all prisoners in the two prefectures would be pardoned!"

    Cao Cao laughed and said, "It seems that he loves this daughter very much! When his son was born, there was no such big news, but he actually pardoned the prisoners. This is the right of the emperor. If Liu Xie knew about it, I don't know how he would hate him.  ¡±

    "Doesn't the Prime Minister care?"

    Cheng Yu asked a little strangely. He thought Cao Cao would make a fuss about Liu Jing's pardon of prisoners. Unexpectedly, Cao Cao downplayed it and didn't take it to heart. Cheng Yu thought about it and suddenly understood that with Liu Jing's arrogance first, the Prime Minister  It¡¯s not surprising that a little transgression followed.

    Cao Cao understood Cheng Yu's thoughts and smiled and said: "This is not a big deal. Haven't Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu done it before? There is no need to make a fuss about such trivial matters. If I care too much, I will appear to be a narrow-minded prime minister.  , Every penny counts, and when he really has a big problem, no one will care. "

    "The Prime Minister is absolutely right, Wei Chen did not expect this."

    "What other information is there?" Cao Cao asked with a smile.

    ¡°Also, I heard that Ma Jun invented a mountain grain transport truck called the Wooden Ox, which is being built on a large scale in Jingzhou.¡±

    Cao Cao's expression suddenly became serious. Of course he knew that the reason why Liu Jing failed in his first northern expedition was not because of military failure, but because of insufficient food and grass. In fact, the Han army did not suffer any losses in the battle and even killed many people.  Xia Houyuan and Cao Cao knew very well that once Liu Jing solved the food and grass problem, the outcome of the Han army's northern expedition would be uncertain.

    Cao Cao couldn't sit still. He paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. After walking a few times, he suddenly stopped and said to Cheng Yu: "Zhongde, actually I'm not worried about Liu Jing attacking Guanzhong. What I'm worried about is that he still chooses to attack Guanzhong."  The real purpose of taking the Qishan Road is that the Nanyang Armistice Agreement he and I signed will expire next year. Why doesn't he attack Nanyang and choose to take the Wuguan Road to Guanzhong? The road there is better. What I'm worried about is his real purpose is to seize Longyou.  and Liangzhou.¡±

    Cheng Yu frowned and said, "The prime minister is saying that Liu Jing is for the cavalry?"

    Cao Cao nodded and sighed: "Actually, I am not afraid of the southern army going north. As long as there is no water battle, I can definitely defeat Liu Jing's army. But if the southern army has a large-scale cavalry, the meaning will be completely different.  Liu Jing took the Qishan Road to attack north, and his real purpose was probably to gain war horses!¡±

    Cheng Yu pondered for a long time and said: "Since the Prime Minister is worried about Liu Jing taking Longyou, he can relax other ways to enter Guanzhong and let the Han army enter."in Guanzhong, and then encircled and annihilated the Han army in Guanzhong, just like dealing with Ma Chao.  "

    Cao Cao sighed slightly, "Why haven't I considered it? But Liu Jing is not Ma Chao, so I'm afraid that the annihilation will fail and Guanzhong will be lost instead. Then the gain will outweigh the loss."

    Having said this, Cao Cao stared out the window with his hands behind his hands, his heart agitated. His originally good mood was completely destroyed by the news that Jingzhou was building a wooden ox.

    "Zhongde, what do you think I should do?" Cao Cao asked with a long sigh.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 592 The Wrath of Thunder

    [There will be wars, literary struggles, political systems, power struggles, family life, and social development. This is a complete novel. Please be patient. We will soon enter a new round of war. Zhuge Liang  The Northern Expedition failed several times, and Liu Jing¡¯s Northern Expedition will certainly not go smoothly.]

    ======

    Since the Battle of Chibi, Cheng Yu felt guilty for his incompetence in the Battle of Chibi. Coupled with his old age, he has gradually faded out of Cao Cao's circle of advisers in the past two years. He has instead engaged in politics, mainly assisting Cao Cao's eldest son Cao Pi, including  Cheng Yu did not participate in the battle against Liu Jing in Longxi to annihilate Ma Chao, and Cao Cao basically no longer allowed him to participate in the military.

    But at this time, Cao Cao was upset and forgot that Cheng Yu was no longer the mastermind, so he habitually asked for his advice. Cheng Yu heard Cao Cao's worries, and he was full of sympathy for his lord.  For a moment, he put aside his idea of ??not pursuing military affairs and said sincerely to Cao Cao: "If the Prime Minister is willing to listen to the words of my veteran minister, I have a few suggestions."

    Cao Cao seemed to realize something. He looked back at Cheng Yu and saw endless sincerity in Cheng Yu's eyes. Cao Cao's heart was touched. He seemed to have returned to the past when the two of them talked about world affairs together, which made Cao Cao's nose feel sore.

    "Zhongde, please speak, I am all ears."

    "To deal with Liu Jing, we must use both soft and hard tactics. On the one hand, the Prime Minister can recognize him as a Yizhou Shepherd. This is already a fact. Recognizing him as a Yizhou Shepherd shows the Prime Minister's magnanimity. In this way, both parties have room for negotiation. Liu Jing is not  Lu Bu, let alone Ma Chao, has his ambitions in the world. Such a person will pay more attention to rules, be more rational, and will not act randomly. Therefore, the Prime Minister cannot blindly use military means to deal with Liu Jing. Sometimes he must also use political means.  ¡±

    Cao Cao nodded, "Zhongde is right, please continue."

    "The so-called political method means that both sides set rules on what can and cannot be done, and everyone openly and honestly draws a bottom line. If this bottom line is violated, then both sides can only fight each other."

    "Like what?" Cao Cao asked thoughtfully.

    "For example, he must recognize that the Prime Minister is the head of the civil service of the court and recognize the Prime Minister's legal status. He cannot use means such as clothing edicts or Qingjun's side."

    Cao Cao pondered for a moment and asked: "I heard a rumor that Liu Bei has given the belt edict to Liu Jing. Is it true?"

    "This must be true. After all, Guan Yu was once captured by Liu Jing, and I got the news that Liu Jing seems to be willing to use the belt edict in exchange for the Prime Minister's recognition of him as Yizhou Mu."

    Cao Cao was startled, "What's going on? How could I not know?"

    Cheng Yu bowed and said, "I heard that it was the condition put forward by Liu Jing when the Second Young Master was on a mission to Jingzhou. I only heard about it, but I don't know if it is true or not?"

    The power struggle between heirs is often the most cruel, not only with tragic results, but also by unscrupulous means. Cheng Yu is making suggestions for Cao Cao at this time, how to deal with Liu Jing?  But just inadvertently, Cheng Yu gave Cao Zhi a hard blow on the back without any sound.

    Cao Cao's face suddenly darkened. He knew that Cheng Yu was extremely cautious when speaking. He would never say such things casually if he was not sure. This must be the case. "Bang!" Cao Cao slammed the table and turned around to give a stern order.  Said: "Go and find me the Third Young Master!"

    It has been a long time since Cao Cao was so angry. If Cheng Yu's initial words only disappointed him, but now his son Cao Zhi actually concealed the belt edict, which made Cao Cao furious.

    He can even understand that if the transaction of Yizhou Mu in exchange for the Yizhou Mu that Liu Jing threw out could be handled well, maybe Liu Jing would not be so eager for the Northern Expedition, and Xia Houyuan would not die tragically.

    He will have time to prepare for war and accumulate strength. If Liu Jing postpones the Northern Expedition for three years, then Cao's army will far surpass the Han army in both military and financial resources, and there will be no need to worry about Liu Jing's Northern Expedition.

    However, the more important thing is that Liu Jing's proposal to exchange the Yizhou Mu for the Yizhou Mu was actually a political recognition of Cao Cao's legitimacy as the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, instead of being like Yuan Shao, Liu Bei and others who did not recognize his legitimacy and called him "  Han thieves.

    If Liu Jing recognizes his legitimacy as prime minister, then Sun Quan will also recognize him as legitimate, which is extremely important to Cao Cao politically.

    It happened that such an important information was concealed by his son, and Cao Cao was furious.

    Cao Cao had no intention of listening to Cheng Yu anymore. He stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, staring at the osmanthus trees outside the window gloomily. Time passed little by little, but Cao Zhi still didn't come back. Cao Cao couldn't help but shouted again: "Three  Why haven¡¯t you come yet?¡±

    A guard said tremblingly: "The third young master is not in the mansion. He seems to be fighting poems with some literary friends in Chixia Tower."

    Cao Cao was furious and ordered again: "Xu Chuheexist?  "

    "The general is here!" Xu Chu's deep voice came from the yard.

    Cao Cao immediately ordered: "Immediately lead five hundred cavalry to Chixia Tower to capture the Third Young Master. Anyone who dares to stop him will be killed! In addition, give me a fire to burn down Chixia Tower."

    The anger in his heart had made Cao Cao a little out of control. Cheng Yu did not dare to persuade Cao Cao. He stood up and saluted: "Prime Minister, I will come to see you another day."

    "Go ahead!"

    Cheng Yu saluted and left. At this moment, Cao Cao tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. He had an urge to kill in his heart.

    Chixia Tower is the largest brothel in Yedu, covering an area of ??nearly 20 acres. It is not only large in scale and high-grade, but also the main gathering place for Yedu literati. Some famous literati often gather here.

    Today is the thirty-fourth birthday of Wang Can, known as one of the Seven Sons of Jian'an. His literary friends gathered at Chixia Tower to celebrate his birthday, including Xu Qian, Cao Zhi, Chen Lin, Yang Xiu, Ruan Yu and other civil and military officials.

    In fact, Cao Cao himself was also a famous writer. He was not opposed to promoting literature and recruiting literati. He even encouraged it. He gathered a large number of talented literary people around him. These writers were called the "Ye Literati Group"  , they gathered because of Cao Cao's love for literature. He also specially had the position of "Wuguan Zhonglang General Literary" in the official office.

    But nothing is absolute. Cao Cao encouraged literature, but did not indulge it. He was more often a politician and had to consider whether cultural promotion met the requirements of the times.

    Now the Han army in the south is heavily armed and its soldiers are diligently trained. Liu Jing has ordered all officials and their family members to be prohibited from wearing silk clothes, opposes extravagance and waste, and is actively preparing for the Northern Expedition.

    And Cao Cao also ordered the soldiers to strengthen their training, ordered his wives and concubines to spin and weave their own cloth, and take the lead in promoting simplicity. At this time, Yedu literati should use their straightness, generosity, and ambition to make achievements.

    Rather than holding a poem-fighting and drinking party in a place like Chixia Tower with fireworks, and writing some romantic and romantic songs, this seems very inappropriate. Cao Cao has long been dissatisfied with their debauched behavior of drinking and prostitutes.

    It just so happened that the behavior of the third son Cao Zhi today offended Cao Cao, and Chixialou became the first target of Cao Cao's punishment. He wanted to take this opportunity to severely crack down on the glitz and licentiousness currently prevalent among the literati.

    Five hundred iron cavalry galloped down the street. The pedestrians on the street were so frightened that they stumbled to both sides and rolled and crawled. The iron cavalry swept past like a storm with terrifying momentum. They rushed to Chixia Tower in a moment. Chixia Tower was crowded with good people.  Everyone was craning their necks to inquire about Dou Shi. At this moment, five hundred cavalry rushed in. People were frightened and ran away, screaming loudly.

    An old madam soliciting customers at the door came forward and asked tremblingly: "What can I do, gentlemen?"

    "Get out of here!"

    Xu Chu whipped the old bustard over hard, turned around and shouted, "Come in and drive him away!"

    Five hundred cavalry launched and rushed into the lobby of Chixia Tower. The soldiers did not care about the crime and beat them with five-color sticks. The tables were overturned and cups fell to the ground. Dozens of prostitutes and guests were frightened out of their wits. Screams were heard everywhere.  hide.

    At this time, Cao Zhi and others who were drinking on the second floor came over after hearing the news. Cao Zhi said angrily at the top of the stairs: "General Xu, what are you doing?"

    Xu Chu said coldly: "Third Young Master, please return home quickly! You have offended the Prime Minister. If you don't go back, your life may be in danger."

    Cao Zhi was stunned for a moment, what is going on?  At this time, several of Cao Cao's guards also arrived, dragging Cao Zhi away and saying anxiously: "Young master, please go back quickly! The prime minister is angry and something big is going to happen."

    Xu Chu then raised his hands to Chen Lin, Yang Xiu and others and said: "Emissaries, please leave Chixia Tower immediately. The Prime Minister has ordered that Chixia Tower be burned down!"

    This sentence was like a bolt from the blue. Many people were shocked. After a while, they started shouting like a frying pan. Xu Chu shouted again: "People in the building can leave quickly. The building will be set on fire in a quarter of an hour."  , life or death."

    Seeing that the situation was not good, Yang Xiu and others immediately left first. The Chixia Building suddenly became a mess. The guests fled through the door, while the prostitutes screamed and ran to the backyard to pack up their belongings.

    A quarter of an hour later, the cavalry began to set fire to the building. The largest brothel in Yedu was engulfed in thick smoke and eventually burned to the ground.

    Although the burning of Chixia Tower was an order issued by Cao Cao in anger, it effectively dealt a blow to the glitz and luxury in Yedu, causing the atmosphere in Yedu to change, becoming tense and tense, and entering a wartime state.  It greatly promoted Cao's army's active preparations for the Han army.

    There was a faint smell of alcohol in Cao Cao's official room. Cao Zhi knelt on the ground with a pale face, his head bowed deeply, listening to his father's violent storm with fear.He scolded, "I thought it was insignificant, that it was just a joke from Liu Jing. Is this your reason? You let me down so much."

    Cao Cao was so angry that he almost fainted. He kept banging the table and shouted angrily: "How could I have such a stupid son like you? Apart from being romantic, besides drinking and playing with women, what else do you have? I actually let you  When I went to Xiangyang as an envoy, I was blinded, and I, Cao Cao, died at the hands of a traitor like you!"

    Cao Zhi was so sad that he couldn't help but cry softly. Xu Chu, who was next to him, saw Cao Cao's anger and quickly stepped forward to persuade him in a low voice: "Prime Minister, after all, you are young and inexperienced. It is understandable that you made mistakes. Please calm down, Prime Minister."  "It's important to take care of yourself."

    Xu Chu is Cao Cao's confidant bodyguard. He usually does not take a stand on anything and is loyal to his duties. Today he persuades Cao Cao not to speak for Cao Zhi, but because he knows that his lord's body has weakened greatly in the past two years. If he does not take good care of himself, he may be in trouble.  Something would go wrong. Being so angry would be extremely harmful to his body.

    Cao Cao also felt that his vision was getting dark. He held on to the table next to him and calmed down the anger in his heart little by little. He thought that Liu Jing's Northern Expedition was a failure and did not cause too serious consequences, so the anger in his heart calmed down a little.

    Cao Cao stood up and walked to the inner room. Cao Zhi knelt on the ground and did not dare to move. After a long time, a guard walked quickly to him and whispered: "Mr. Zhi, the prime minister wants you to come in."

    He helped Cao Zhi up, and Cao Zhi walked to the inner room tremblingly. In fact, he had forgotten whether Liu Jing had mentioned the belt edict. He just remembered that Liu Jing only mentioned it lightly at the end of meeting him.  After saying a few words, he later told his entourage about the matter and laughed at Liu Jing's wishful thinking.

    But he never dreamed that his father would take this matter so seriously. Until now, his mind is still confused. He doesn't know why this matter is important.

    Walking into the inner room, he saw his father sitting at the banquet with a serious expression. His anger seemed to have subsided, but his expression became more severe. Cao Zhi was so frightened that he continued to kneel down and did not dare to say a word.

    "Why do you think this matter is not important?" Cao Cao asked coldly.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 593 It¡¯s hard to guard against domestic thieves

    "Because the child felt thatthe Clothes and Belts Order had gone by and had no meaning. Moreover, the Holy Spirit had also issued an edict to clarify that there was no such thing as the Clothes and Belts Order. It was Dong Cheng's own creation, so the child laughed it off.  . No. .

    Cao Zhi stammered to explain to his father. Cao Cao looked at him gloomily and asked coldly: "Is that all?"

    "This isthe real reason."

    After a long while, Cao Cao sighed, "It seems I was wrong. You are indeed not suitable for politics. It may be more suitable for you to concentrate on literature."

    Cao Zhi felt sad and cried: "The child is incompetent and has let his father down."

    Cao Cao liked Cao Zhi the most. As the saying goes, the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. Today's anger was also because he had too much expectations for his son. When he saw his son's face full of tears, he couldn't help but feel pity in his heart, and said softly: "Get up!"

    Cao Zhi stood up and stood with his hands down. Cao Cao stared at the roof for a while, and then sighed: "Father, let me explain to you the true meaning of this matter. Liu Jing was not mocking me when he said he wanted me to give up the position of prime minister, but  It was telling me that he asked for a political status that was in line with his status. Of course, this was just his exorbitant price, but he also said that he was willing to use the clothing and belt edict in exchange for the position of Yizhou Mu. This sentence does not lie with Yizhou Mu, but with Yizhou Mu.  The Yi Dai Zhao means that he will not threaten me with the Yi Dai Zhao, and will not completely break up with me. He is using the Yi Dai Zhao to show his attitude to me, do you understand? "

    Only then did Cao Zhi wake up from a dream. It turned out that there was such a deep meaning hidden in Liu Jing's words. He took it for granted that it was his casual words. Cao Zhi felt extremely guilty and knelt down again and kowtowed to apologize, "I am stupid, I only understand Liu Jing now."  The profound meaning, the child ignored this matter and deserves to die!"

    "You did make a big mistake. At that time, he had just captured Yizhou and had not yet stabilized it. He was still hesitant about whether to march north. If at that time, we accepted his conditions and exchanged the imperial edict for benefits.  Zhou Mu, and then use this opportunity to continue talking in depth and give him the position he wants, maybe he will temporarily stop the Northern Expedition, and I will gain time to fully recover and deploy calmly, and your uncle Xiahou will not die in battle, but  Your carelessness has led to this serious situation today, and now it is impossible to negotiate peace."

    Speaking of this, Cao Cao let out a long sigh, full of disappointment. He could only say that it was God's will. How could he let an inexperienced son negotiate at that time? He was confused.

    "You go! Learn from your brother, care more about the autumn harvest, care about people's livelihood, and stop going to brothels to drink and fool around. Go!"

    "My child remembers it!"

    Cao Zhi kowtowed three times, got up and walked away in despair. Cao Cao paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. Although his son's stupidity caused him to lose an opportunity to negotiate with Liu Jing, the opportunity was not completely cut off, at least.  We can talk about it again now.

    Of course Cao Cao knew what Liu Jing wanted. He wanted to rule the world and have the power of an emperor, but he couldn't give it to him, because once he ruled the world, it would mean the destruction of the Cao family. During the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao suggested  Liu Jing was the emperor, but he wanted Liu Jing to be another Liu Xie, so there was a fundamental conflict of interest between them.

    But what Cao Cao wants is time. As long as he is given another three years, he will be able to fully restore his strength before the Battle of Chibi. By then, Liu Jing will not pose the threat to him today.

    While Cao Cao was meditating, a guard reported at the door: "For the record, Prime Minister, the rice eunuch said he has something urgent to see you!"

    Cao Cao looked back at the guard and nodded, "Let him in!"

    Eunuch Mi is Liu Xie's confidant eunuch Mi Ying. He is Liu Xie's scholar. He grew up together in the palace and had a relationship with Liu Xie. As early as five years ago, he expressed his love to Cao Cao.  Be loyal and become the most secret spy placed by Cao Cao around Liu Xie.

    Mi Ying would write a secret report about Liu Xie every ten days, reporting Liu Xie's privacy to Cao Cao one by one, including even Liu Xie's most private sexual intercourse. Cao Cao had a clear grasp of it. Cao Cao even  I knew that Liu Xie had secretly contacted Liu Jing twice because it was Mi Ying who went to Xiangyang.

    Cao Cao also disliked this Mi Ying very much. He usually would not meet this person and would only read the reports he wrote. But today he hurriedly came to report, which made Cao Cao feel wary. What happened?

    After a while, the guards brought Mi Ying in. Mi Ying knelt down and kowtowed, "The official servant pays homage to the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao glanced at the white and fat eunuch with disgust, without even the smallest fake smile, and asked coldly: "What's the matter?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, the official slave discovered a secret about Queen Fu."

    "What secret?"

    Cao Cao suddenly understoodInterested, I sat down and urged him: "Tell me in detail!"

    "The official slave discovered that Queen Fu often contacted her father and brother. Every time there was news, she immediately went to talk to the Holy Master."

    Cao Cao suddenly had a doubt in his heart. He thought for a moment and then asked: "Is there anything strange here?"

    "There is something strange, that is, the Holy Emperor is very interested in this matter. In the past, when Empress Fu came to him during the day, he refused to see him and let the official slaves find various excuses. But in the past two months, whenever Empress Fu comes to him,  , he immediately called the queen to the secret room to talk, and even I refused to say what they talked about? "

    Cao Cao nodded. He knew that if even Mi Ying didn't know the content of the conversation, then no one would know. This shows the secrecy of the conversation. This must not be a conversation between husband and wife. Could it be that Fu Wan is Dong Cheng again?

    Cao Cao secretly sneered in his heart, how dare a coward like Fu Wan conspire to rebel against him?  Cao Cao has learned Dong Cheng's lesson. Don't alert the enemy too early. He can simply let Fu Wan make the arrangements and wait for him to win over more party members and catch them all in one fell swoop.

    Thinking of this, Cao Cao said to Mi Ying: "You have to use your close relationship with the emperor to make suggestions for him and make him trust you. Then he will naturally reveal the plan to you. Don't come to me directly in the future. I will send  People contact you secretly.¡±

    "The official slave understands and will definitely get things done."

    Mi Ying kowtowed respectfully and slowly retreated. At this time, Cao Cao stopped him again and asked, "Do you still want to see the Holy Master?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, he has not been there since the last time. However, he wrote two more letters to the Holy One. The Holy One burned them after reading them. No one knows the contents."

    Cao Cao looked gloomy for a while, then snorted: "Go!"

    "Official slave, farewell!"

    Mi Ying left in a hurry. Cao Cao's thoughts about Liu Jing were interrupted by this incident. He thought for a long time and then ordered: "Please order Hua Xin to come see me quickly!"

    Not long after, Shangshu Ling Hua Xin hurried in, bowed and said: "I'm here to see you, Prime Minister!"

    Hua Xin is Cao Cao's confidant, and he is an extremely capable confidant. He is not a famous minister in governing the country, but he is a capable official who can solve problems for his lord. He is especially good at figuring out the superior's intentions, so everything he does wins the heart of Cao Cao.  , Cao Cao usually asked him to do some less honorable secret things.

    "You should pay attention to Wan Wan and his son during this period of time and keep track of their movements, do you understand?"

    Hua Xin's thoughts changed and he immediately understood what Cao Cao meant. It must be that Fu Guozhang had secretly colluded with the puppet emperor. He immediately saluted and said, "Please rest assured, Prime Minister, I will definitely get things done."

    He bowed and left. Cao Cao pondered for a moment and then ordered: "Prepare the vehicle. I am going to Shizhong Xun's residence."

    Xun Yu was still an official of the imperial court, and he was not able to enter the Wei State, that is, he did not enter the real center of power. Of course, this was not because Cao Cao excluded him, but because Xun Yu was determined not to be a minister of Wei. He was a minister of the Han Dynasty.  , rather than a minister of the Wei State.

    If Xun Yu worked hard for Cao Cao to unify the north and made great contributions in the past, then when Cao Cao's role began to change from prime minister to Duke of Wei, Xun Yu also made the biggest decision in his life. He chose  He was loyal to the Han Dynasty and began to separate from Cao Cao.

    Especially when Cao Cao requested to be granted the title of Duke of Wei and receive Jiuxi, he was firmly opposed by Xun Yu. He wrote a letter to Cao Cao, reprimanding Cao Cao for betraying his own beliefs, saying, "The Duke's intention is to promote righteous troops to bring justice to the Ning Kingdom."  , uphold loyalty and sincerity, and abide by the truth of concession; a gentleman loves others with virtue, and this should not be the case!  ¡¯

    It was this letter that completely broke the friendship between Cao Cao and Xun Yu. Xun Yu's huge influence in the court made him a major stumbling block for Cao Cao to become the king of Wei.

    Xun Yu had been feeling a little sick for the past two days, and since he had nothing to do when he entered the court, he simply rested at home. In the room, Xun Yu was replying to his brother Xun Yan. Xun Yu had also just learned about Xun Zhi, the son of Xun Jin  On behalf of the Xun family, he went to Xiangyang to take the exam. He ranked fifth in high school and was appointed magistrate of Lingyang County, Wuling County.

    Although Xun Yu also knew that the real purpose of Liu Jing's public recruitment was to win over the northern aristocratic families, he always felt that the Xun family was a little too hasty in sending their children to Xiangyang to take the exam, so he needed to remind his brothers that in the overall situation of the world  Before it becomes clear, please do not act rashly for the time being, so as not to bring unnecessary disaster to the family.

    At this time, his eldest son Xun Yun reported at the door: "Father, the prime minister is here!"

    Xun Yu was taken aback. He did not expect Cao Cao to come. He pondered for a moment, then stopped writing and said: "Just say that I am ill and cannot greet him in person. You can invite him to my study for me."

    Xun Yun quickly went out to greet Cao Cao for his father. In fact,Xun Yun was Cao Cao's son-in-law, so Xun Yu could let him go to greet Cao Cao. Xun Yun came to the outer hall and bowed deeply to Cao Cao.  I hope my father-in-law will forgive me."

    Cao Cao chuckled and said, "There are not so many etiquettes when the in-laws are running around. My son-in-law can lead the way."

    "Father-in-law, please!"

    Xun Yun led Cao Cao to his father's study. At this time, Cao Cao's daughter Cao Jin, who was married to the Xun family, also came to visit her father. Cao Cao gave her a few words before following Xun Yun into the courtyard. Xun Yu was standing at this time.  Waiting in front of the study door, when he saw Cao Cao walking into the courtyard, he immediately bowed and saluted: "Xun Yu meets the prime minister!"

    "If Wen is feeling sick, don't stand in the courtyard and go inside quickly!"

    Cao Cao pulled Xun Yu into the room with great concern. At this time, he didn't have any airs of a prime minister. He was completely acting like a father-in-law. He was talking and laughing and was extremely affectionate. However, Xun Yu knew Cao Cao very well and knew not to look at Cao Cao's appearance.  , his coming today must have deep meaning.

    Xun Yu politely asked Cao Cao to sit down. At this time, Cao Jin personally brought tea to his father and father-in-law, bowed and retired. Xun Yun sat beside him. Cao Cao glanced at his son-in-law and smiled:  "You go down too! I'll talk to your father about old things, so you don't have to be there."

    "Yes! Father, the child has retreated."

    "Go!"

    Xun Yu sent his son away. At this time, only Xun Yu and Cao Cao were left in the study. Cao Cao smiled faintly and asked nonchalantly: "What has Wen Ruo been busy with recently?"

    Xun Yu was shocked. He suddenly realized why Cao Cao came to him. It was about the Emperor Liu Xie. He had met Liu Xie during Cao Cao's Western Expedition, which violated Cao Cao's rule of not allowing foreign ministers to meet the Emperor privately.  Three months have passed, and I didn't expect that Cao Cao would come to settle accounts at this time.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 594 Another opportunity

    "I haven't been feeling well lately. I've spent most of my time quietly recuperating. Nothing happened. Thank you, Prime Minister, for your concern!" Xun Yu also answered Cao Cao lightly.

    Cao Cao did not directly ask Xun Yu why he went to see the Han Emperor privately. He could not ask about such a thing. It was a natural thing for ministers to see the emperor. It would be untenable to ask. However, Cao Cao came to warn Xun Yu today.  Even if Xun Yu refused to help him, Cao Cao didn't want him to stand on his opposite side.

    Cao Cao changed the topic and said with a smile: "I came to see Wen Ruo today. On the one hand, I came to check on Wen Ruo's condition. On the other hand, I also wanted to ask Wen Ruo for advice. How should I deal with the threat of Liu Jing going north?"

    "Prime Minister, why do you think Liu Jing wants to go north?" Xun Yu asked with a faint smile.

    "Ambition!"

    Cao Cao sighed: "This man is too ambitious. He wants to overthrow the emperor and replace him. His ambition is known to a three-year-old child. Why should Wen Ruo ask me?"

    Xun Yu stroked his beard and said with a smile: "In this case, there are only two methods, sparing and blocking."

    Although Cao Cao did not really come to deal with Liu Jing, he was also intrigued by Xun Yu's words at this time. He quickly sat up and asked: "What is sparse and what is blocking?"

    "Defense means communication. The two sides have a good talk and find a mutually acceptable solution. Blocking is what the Prime Minister is doing now. I don't need to say more."

    "Does Wenruo think it's feasible?"

    Xun Yu pondered for a moment and said meaningfully: "Liu Jing belongs to the clan. If he becomes emperor, it is only to revitalize the Han Dynasty. What he actually wants to replace is the emperor, not the prime minister. I think it can actually be argued. The original prime minister  Didn¡¯t you also propose to make him emperor?¡±

    Cao Cao was a little unhappy in his heart. Xun Yu could not have known that Liu Jing was not Liu Xie. If he were the emperor, how could he tolerate his existence anymore? Even if he did not kill him, all his hard work for more than ten years would be ruined.  Xun Yu knew that he could not tolerate a strong emperor, but he still said this. Was he mocking himself?

    Cao Cao did not refute, but said coldly: "Please continue!"

    Xun Yu had already felt Cao Cao's displeasure, but he must use this opportunity to finish what was in his heart. He did not look at Cao Cao's face and continued: "The reason why I said we can negotiate is that there is actually a prime minister's power in it."  And the issue of the balance of monarchy. Liu Jing wants the monarchy, and the prime minister wants the power of the prime minister. So how to balance the monarch and the prime minister? I think as long as both parties have sincerity, fully communicate, and negotiate a way to balance the monarch and the prime minister, a balance can be found.  Or establish a new system so that there will be no more wars and the Han Dynasty can be revitalized. Isn¡¯t this the prime minister¡¯s ambition when he rebelled against Dong Zhuo?  "

    "enough!"

    Cao Cao could no longer hold back the anger in Xin's heart. He stood up and said: "You have not lost your moral character today. How can Wen Ruo say that you should abolish Li? I don't want to hear such treasonous words anymore. You can do it yourself!"

    Cao Cao turned around and walked away angrily. Today, Cao Cao finally understood Xun Yu's thoughts. Xun Yu was not loyal to Liu Xie, he was loyal to the Han Dynasty. He had turned to support Liu Jing to replace Liu Xie, saying  In the end, Xun Yu was still dissatisfied with himself for establishing the Wei Kingdom and being dissatisfied with himself for taking power.

    Cao Cao walked out of Xun Yu's house and looked up at the sky. At this moment, he finally felt a murderous intention towards Xun Yu. He could tolerate Xun Yu's loyalty to Liu Xie, but he could never tolerate Xun Yu's support for Liu Jing. Cao Cao's fist  He slowly tightened his grip, snorted heavily, and left quickly.

    In the study, Xun Yu sat calmly, without panicking. Cao Cao's anger was expected by him. At this time, he felt a trace of sadness in his heart. The Cao Cao who was determined to unify the world in order to support the Han Dynasty no longer existed.  , Cao Cao now is the second Dong Zhuo who is lost in the desire for power.

    At this time, the eldest son Xun Yun quickly walked to the door and saluted: "Father, the prime minister has left."

    "come here!"

    Xun Yu called his son forward and pointed to the opposite side, "Sit down, my father has something to say to you."

    Xun Yun sat down opposite his father respectfully. Xun Yu sighed and said, "I guess the Prime Minister won't let me go this time."

    Xun Yun understood his father's thoughts, and he couldn't help crying and said: "Father knows that the prime minister cannot be persuaded, why do he still put himself in danger?"

    Xun Yu shook his head, "I, Xun Yu, have lofty aspirations, how can I be deceived by wealth and fear of life and death? Reviving the Great Han Dynasty is my lifelong ambition. I have already risked my life and died. If the Prime Minister kills me for this, I would rather be generous."  Even if I die, I will never be a submissive person.¡±

    "But father" Xun Yun bit his lip, tears welling up.

    Xun Yu smiled and patted his hand, "Don't worry, idiot, you are the prime minister's son-in-law, he will not vent his anger on you."I will not anger your brothers, nor will I force you to follow me. This is my own business and has nothing to do with my descendants. I just want to tell you that the Prime Minister and I only have different ambitions, not any grudges.  , Don¡¯t blame your wife, Jin¡¯er is a filial daughter-in-law, I like her very much, I hope you can give me more grandchildren, so that I can be worthy of my ancestors.  "

    Xun Yun finally cried out, "Father!"

    Xun Yu raised his head and sighed: "I had hoped that today's emperor could shoulder the important task of reviving the Han Dynasty, but I found that I was wrong. Today's emperor will only destroy the Han Dynasty in the end. Although this is not his fault, he can make a choice.  Alas! Why should he face Gaozu?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Although Cao Cao had murderous intentions against Xun Yu, he did not immediately order Xun Yu's death. After all, Xun Yu was his mastermind and enjoyed high prestige in the army. Cao Cao also knew that he could not attack Xun Yu at will. He had to  He has to wait for the opportunity, but he must do one thing and not let Xun Yu become Jia Xu's second.

    Returning to his mansion, Cao Cao immediately ordered people to find Cao Hong. Cao Hong was also a relative of Xun Yu. His daughter married Xun Yu's youngest son Xun Can last year. Xun Can was so talented that Xun Yu regarded him as his successor.  The most beloved son, Xun Yu would take Xun Can with him wherever he went.

    Cao Hong knelt down on one knee and said, "See you, brother!"

    Cao Cao nodded, "Sit down!"

    Looking at Cao Hong sitting down, Cao Cao sighed and said, "I went to visit Xun Wenruo today, but we ended up unhappy."

    Cao Hong knew that Xun Yu was firmly opposed to his brother's establishment of the Wei Kingdom, but after all, Xun Yu was also his in-laws, and his daughter married Xun Yu's other son, Xun Can.

    Cao Hong didn't want Xun Yu to suffer misfortune, so he carefully advised Cao Cao: "Since he doesn't want to help his brother, just don't force him. That puppet can't actually make a big splash, so let him go!"

    "It would be great if that were the case."

    Cao Cao smiled bitterly and said: "He now thinks that Liu Jing can revive the Han Dynasty and persuades me to support Liu Jing as emperor. How could I agree? Now I am worried that he will become Jia Xu's second best!"

    Cao Hong was shocked, "How could he say that?"

    Cao Cao shook his head, "It's meaningless to say anything now. Of course, I can't kill him directly or arrest him. Zi Lian, I want to monitor his movements secretly. Once he attempts to leave Yedu privately, I will  Must know immediately."

    Cao Hong suddenly understood what his brother meant. If Xun Yu wanted to leave, he would definitely take away his most beloved son Xun Can. Since Xun Can was his son-in-law, he could know Xun Yu's movements from his daughter. As expected, his brother considered it.  It was very deep. Although Cao Hong was reluctant to do this, he did not dare to refuse and had to express his agreement.

    "I understand what brother means. I will talk to Qier."

    Cao Cao smiled and patted his shoulder, "Go!"

    Cao Hong stood up and left, and Cao Cao sat alone for a while. Although it was impossible for him to adopt Xun Yu's suggestion and talk to Liu Jing about the balance between king and phase, he did need to have a good talk with Liu Jing and delay Liu Jing's decision as much as possible.  Northern Expedition, to buy time for his full strength to recover.

    At this time, Cao Cao¡¯s second daughter, Cao Xian, carefully brought in a bowl of medicine. She bowed to her father and gave the medicine bowl to him, ¡°Father, it¡¯s time to take medicine!¡±

    Cao Xian is only seventeen years old this year. She is extremely beautiful and dignified. She is also Cao Cao's most beloved daughter. A few years ago, Cao Cao had the idea of ??letting her replace Queen Fu so that she could better control Liu Xie. However, Cao Xian was still young at that time.  It was not suitable to talk about marriage, so Cao Cao put the matter aside for the time being, but today he suddenly realized that his daughter had grown up.

    Cao Cao smiled and took the bowl and asked, "Xian'er is seventeen years old this year, right?"

    Cao Xian nodded, "My daughter will be seventeen in the spring."

    Cao Cao frowned, why didn¡¯t he know his daughter¡¯s birthday?  After thinking for a while, he suddenly remembered that he was fighting the Han army in Longxi in the spring. Cao Cao said apologetically: "Dad was so worried about Liu Jing's incident that he didn't care about Xian'er's birthday. Oh! Daddy is very sorry."

    "Dad, don't say that. Daddy is responsible for the great responsibility of the world. It's a pity that my daughter is not a man, otherwise she would go to the battlefield to fight for her father."

    Cao Cao smiled lovingly, "If you have this intention, dad will be very happy. As long as you marry well, it will be dad's greatest gratification."

    Cao Xian lowered his head and said after a while: "Dad, my daughter does not want to marry the emperor."

    Cao Cao was startled, "Who did you listen to?"

    "Did Dad forget? Dad told his daughter personally two years ago."

    "Cao Cao couldn't remember. When did he tell his daughter about this?"  But he did plan toAll of his daughters were married to Liu Xie, cutting off his dependence on his relatives. Cao Cao pondered for a moment and said, "Let's talk about this matter later! Dad hasn't thought it through yet."

    Cao Xian bit his lip and said, "My daughter is willing to marry anyone, but she doesn't want to marry him. My daughter is even willing to marry Liu Jing."

    "Liu Jing?"

    Cao Cao was stunned for a moment. He had never had this idea, but Cao Xian's words seemed to open a window, and Cao Cao's eyes suddenly lit up. But then he shook his head. He was not Sun Quan. He and Liu Jing were competing for interests.  Marriage is not something that can be avoided, however.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cao Cao suddenly realized that even if the marriage could not avoid the battle of interests between him and Liu Jing, it could ease or delay this battle. Isn't he now doing everything possible to delay Liu Jing's Northern Expedition?

    Thinking of this, he took a closer look at his daughter. Her daughter's beauty and integrity could delay Liu Jing's northern expedition for him.

    Cao Cao pondered for a moment. This matter cannot be considered for the time being. It is not to the extent of using his daughter as a chess piece.

    He then said with a smile: "There is no need to rush your marriage, let dad think about it carefully!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 595 Autumn Harvest Season

    At the end of September, the autumn harvest season has arrived in Yizhou and Jingzhou. There are endless rice fields everywhere. The fields seem to be covered with a light yellow autumn dress. The thick ears of rice have finally matured. The fields are like a windless sea, with heavy grains.  The ears bent down the rice stalks, yellow waves came and went, and people's laughter about the harvest was everywhere.

    The autumn harvest season is also the busiest time for officials in various places. Officials have to leave their offices and go to the farmland to collect grain with farmers. They set an example, show their importance to agriculture, and solve difficulties for farmers. This is true whether it is in the north or the south, whether it is Cao Cao.  It's still Liu Jing or Jiang Dong, the rules are the same.

    Liu Jing also inspected the autumn harvest in Shu County and Guanghan County. In addition to the necessary troops for defense, all soldiers devoted themselves to the hot autumn harvest. Especially this summer, Yizhou's wheat harvest was poor, so the autumn harvest is particularly important for Yizhou.  .

    There are more than a dozen carriages parked beside the wide official road in Luoxian County, Guanghan County. Hundreds of soldiers lined up on both sides of the official road, watching the situation around them with vigilance. In the fields are endless rice fields, and the rice fields are full of busy farmers.  After several days of hard work, most of the rice has been harvested, and the joy of harvest is overflowing on every farmer's face.

    In a harvested rice field next to the road, Liu Jing was resting and chatting with a dozen old farmers, while several officials stood nervously aside, waiting in fear for the end of the meeting.

    "After the autumn harvest, what do you most want to do?" Liu Jing asked everyone with a smile.

    "sleep!"

    An old farmer scratched his head in embarrassment and said: "I have been busy for a year, and I am just waiting for three days of sleep after the autumn harvest!"

    The old farmer's words resonated with everyone, and everyone laughed together. Another old farmer said: "Maybe Zhou Mu doesn't know! Yizhou has two crops a year. I heard that Jingzhou is the same as the north, with three crops every two years."  Ripe.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, the person next to him poked him, "What are you talking about? How could Zhou Mu not know!"

    Liu Jing does know the reason. The main reason is that the traditional sowing method of rice-wheat rotation does not have enough time. The traditional method is to sow rice seeds and wait for the winter wheat to mature before sowing rice seeds. It is too late in time, so for a long time, the northern  They can only achieve three crops every two years, rotating wheat and corn, while the south can only achieve one crop a year.

    However, with the development of agricultural technology, the method of transplanting and sowing appeared in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. That is, when the wheat matures, the rice seedlings are first cultivated in the rice field. After the wheat is harvested, the rice transplanting begins immediately. This shortens the growth time of rice and realizes  Two crops a year.

    In the Central Plains, where agriculture is developed, this two-crop-a-year farming method has long been popularized. In the southern region, due to the large population of Bashu and the developed agriculture, it has also maintained the same farming technology as the north.

    Since the Jingzhou and Jiangdong areas have sparse population, vast land, and backward agricultural technology, they have always had one crop a year. Until after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, a large number of northern farmers fled south, bringing advanced farming technology with them.

    Coupled with Liu Biao¡¯s vigorous promotion, the three counties of Xiangyang, Nanjun and Jiangxia in Jingzhou have gradually changed to a two-crop-a-year farming method, but in the Jingnan area, it is still one-crop a year.

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Xiangyang and Jiangxia also have two crops a year, but to be honest, the yield per mu is not as high as that in Bashu. The maximum yield per mu is two and a half stones, while the yield per mu in Bashu has reached three stones. Don't underestimate it."  Look at this half stone of food, this is the source of a strong country and a prosperous people.¡±

    "Excuse me, Prefectural Shepherd, I heard that the corvee will be changed this winter. I don't know how to change it?"

    Someone asked this sensitive question, and everyone fell silent immediately, looking at Liu Jing uneasily.

    In the past, ordinary farmers had one month of corv¨¦e every year, usually during the slack season in winter, when they went to the city to work as errands, or to dredge rivers, build roads, etc. This has been the case for decades.

    But recently there is news that the corvee system in Yizhou will be changed. This is undoubtedly related to the vital interests of everyone. I don¡¯t know how to change the law. Is it to increase the number of days, or to spend money to avoid the corvee.

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Corvee service is a court system. Of course it will not be abolished easily, but there will be changes in some details. In fact, Jiangxia's corvee system is being promoted in Yizhou. If you understand Jiangxia's corvee system, you will understand  ¡±

    ¡°Zhou Mu, please tell us!¡± someone begged.

    Everyone begged together, "Just tell me, Zhou Mu!"

    "Okay! Let me tell you about the corvee system in Jiangxia County."

    Liu Jing smiled and said to everyone: "The number of days of corv¨¦e in Jiangxia is the same as that in Yizhou now. Men must serve twenty-five days each year, and women must serve fifteen days. Everyone over the age of sixteen and under sixty must serve.  The corv¨¦es, including my wife and I, are all required to do corvee labor, and everyone is treated equally.

      Of course, my wife and I will not build roads or bridges, so we have to pay free service money or pay grain to offset it. If you don¡¯t want to do the labor service, you can just hand over some grain to the government. It won¡¯t be too much.  One liter of rice is worth one day, that is, two buckets of five liters of rice can save one year of corvee.  "

    When Liu Jing said this, everyone was whispering and calculating in their hearts. They could still get two buckets and five liters of rice.

    If it¡¯s a couple, four dou of rice is a bit heavy, so usually the wife is left at home and the man does the corvee, or three dou of rice is paid and only ten days of corvee is paid, which makes it a lot easier.

    At this time, Liu Jing waved his hand, and everyone became quiet again. He continued: "There is another way to join the army. Jiangxia's army provides very good treatment. Not only does it provide food and rice every month, but the food and rice are doubled during the war, and there is also extra salary.  Money, and the most important thing is that by joining the army, your family, including your wife and parents, can be exempted from servitude.¡±

    In fact, after Jiangxia implemented the use of money and grain to offset corvee labor, the number of people serving as corvee workers each year dropped sharply by 70%, but there was also considerable income to offset the money and grain.

    If you really need civilian men, you can pay to recruit them, and you can still recruit them. The key is that after implementing the credit system, you can earn a lot of food, which is very valuable for the Han army in the period of expansion.

    While everyone was talking secretly, two cavalrymen rushed from the official road to the west. Liu Jing knew that something was going on. He got up and walked to the roadside and asked the reporting soldier: "What's going on?"

    The soldier who reported the news knelt down on one knee and reported: "Report to Zhou Mu! Cao Cao sent an envoy to Chengdu. Military Advisor Jia asked Zhou Mu to go back immediately."

    Liu Jing nodded, "I understand."

    He immediately ordered his surroundings, "Everyone pack up and return to Chengdu immediately!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    To Liu Jing¡¯s surprise, the envoy sent by Cao Cao this time was still his second son Cao Zhi, but Cao Zhi was the deputy envoy and the chief envoy was Chen Qun.

    Chen Qun is now Cao Cao's second adviser after Xun You, and he is highly trusted by Cao Cao. After the establishment of the Wei State, he was appointed as Yushi Zhongcheng. Although his position is not high, he has great power. He can supervise all officials and can also have  Time to plan military affairs for Cao Cao.

    Although Cao Zhi made a mistake last time, he was Cao Cao's son after all. Cao Cao gave him a chance to correct his mistakes and asked him to follow Chen Qun on a mission to Yizhou to continue to cultivate his political talents.

    In the Chengdu VIP Hotel, Cao Zhi was talking to Chen Qun in the hall. After a lesson, he was obviously more humble than before, and he also knew his shortcomings. It can even be said that he had a little enlightenment.

    "My nephew doesn't quite understand. Why isn't my father afraid that Liu Jing will take me hostage? I didn't realize it when I was on a mission last time. Can Uncle Shi explain it to my nephew?"

    Chen Qun stroked his beard and smiled and said: "If Ma Chao was sent as an envoy, your father would never send you, not even me, but Liu Jing is fine here. Do you still remember Liu Bei's son Liu Chan? The prime minister finally sent him  Let him go. On the surface, he had negotiated terms with Liu Jing, but that was not the case. After all, the issue of Jueren's heir affected his reputation. Liu Bei was also the uncle of the Han emperor and was quite famous among the northern nobles, so the prime minister finally gave Liu Jing some face.  , let Liu Chan go.¡±

    "Uncle Shi, you mean that Liu Jing is the same and doesn't detain me because he cares about his reputation?"

    "To be precise, it's not necessary!"

    Chen Qun smiled and said: "With Liu Jing's status, he would never do such a stupid and incompetent thing. What's the point of taking the young master as a hostage to him? What benefits will the Prime Minister give him? Prime Minister  I understand very well in my heart, so I feel free to let the young master go on the mission. In fact, this is also a gesture from the prime minister to Liu Jing, showing sincerity. Do you understand, young master?"

    "When Uncle Shi said this, I understood. I used to be ignorant. The last time I was severely scolded by my father, I felt that I had some sense." Cao Zhi sighed.

    "That's because the Prime Minister has placed high expectations on the Young Master. Young Master, please don't let the Prime Minister down!"

    Cao Zhi nodded, "Uncle Shi is right!"

    At this time, Guan Cheng rushed over and said urgently outside the hall: "Mr. Chen, Mr. Cao, my state pastor is here!"

    Cao Zhi stood up suddenly, looking quite nervous. Behind him, Chen Qun slowly stood up and said with a smile: "Young master, don't be nervous. He is just here to visit us and won't talk about business."

    Cao Zhi suddenly realized that there was no point in talking about business in a distinguished hotel. When he saw Chen Qun looking calm and calm, he couldn't help but feel a little ashamed and tried to calm down. At this time, Liu Jing walked into the courtyard quickly and Laoyuan smiled and said:  "I went out to inspect the autumn harvest. I neglected Chen Zhongcheng and Mr. Zhi. Don't blame me! Don't blame me!"

    Chen Qun¡¯s eyes narrowed with a smile. Liu Jing really knew that he was the chief envoy, and Cao ZhicaiHe is the deputy envoy. You must know that Cao Zhi's name is on the front of the official document. It is indeed very labor-saving to deal with such a smart person.

    Chen Qun stepped forward, bowed and saluted: "The State Shepherd's inspection of the autumn harvest is a major event. It was an unlucky time for us to come. We should be the ones to apologize."

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to apologize to each other anymore, please!¡± Liu Jing waved her hand and smiled.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 596 Bargaining

    Liu Jing quickly walked into the lobby, and he bowed his hands slightly to Cao Zhi. He was a little curious, did Cao Zhi tell Cao Cao about the dress order?  With Cao Cao's character, he shouldn't be indifferent. Does Cao Cao really think he can stop his march north?  That's why I dismissed it.

    Cao Zhi swallowed dryly, feeling a little nervous. If the newborn calf was not afraid of tigers and had some contempt for Liu Jing last time, then at this moment he had already felt the strong pressure from Liu Jing, and he might be able to decide in just a few words.  Thousands of lives.

    Cao Zhi also saluted Liu Jing, said nothing, and followed Chen Qun silently. Liu Jing felt Cao Zhi's subtle changes, smiled, and asked Chen Qun and Cao Zhi to sit down.

    "How is the harvest in the north this autumn?" Liu Jing asked with concern.

    "The autumn harvest is pretty good, but the wheat harvest is not good in the summer. This year's wheat is a bad year, and it should be the same in the south!"

    "Indeed, the wheat harvest is not good in the summer, and the output is 20% lower than last year, so Yizhou and Jingzhou are paying special attention to the autumn harvest."

    "It's the same in the north. The eldest son has already gone to Hebei to inspect the autumn harvest, and most officials have also gone out to help with the autumn harvest. Farming is the foundation of the country!"

    The two exchanged a few words. Chen Qun took out a seal and placed it on the table. He then handed a scroll to Liu Jing, "This is the edict from the Holy One to Zhou Mu. Please keep the etiquette simple!"

    Simple etiquette means that there is no need to bathe, change clothes, or set up an incense table to receive orders. However, Liu Jing still kowtowed three times respectfully to the edict and accepted it. He slowly opened it, and it turned out to be an edict formally naming him as Yizhou Mu, and it also  The title of his daughter Liu Zhu as the head of Wuchang County really surprised Liu Jing.

    It can be said that Cao Cao made his daughter the head of the county to win over him, so what does it mean to directly make him the shepherd of Yizhou?  Liu Jing immediately understood the deeper meaning of this, which was to accept his plan to exchange the Yizhou Mu for the Yizhou Mu. However, Cao Cao showed his sincerity first and took the initiative to make him the Yizhou Mu. As for whether to give him the Yizhou Mu, it was up to Liu Jing.  Are you willing to cooperate?

    Seeing this, Liu Jing quickly glanced at Cao Zhi with sharp eyes. She saw that Cao Zhi's face was red, his eyes were evasive, he did not dare to look at her, and he lowered his head with a guilty conscience.

    Liu Jingruo realized something, smiled slightly at Chen Qun and said: "The Holy Spirit's concern for me is touching! Please Chen Zhongcheng convey my gratitude to the Holy Spirit for me. When the time is right, I will go to Yedu to see the Holy Spirit."

    This time Cao Zhi understood. Liu Jing obviously meant the Holy Emperor, but in fact he meant his father. Cao Zhi's spirit immediately cheered up, and he felt as if he had entered a palace.

    However, Chen Qun was polite and did not bring the topic down to business. At this time, Liu Jing asked again, "I heard that Chen Zhongcheng strongly advocated the restoration of corporal punishment. I am very interested. Can you please tell me about it?"  !¡±

    Chen Qun advocated the restoration of corporal punishment and the abolition of whipping punishment, which caused great controversy in the court. Cao Cao had been hesitant, which put Chen Qun under great pressure. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing was very interested, and Chen Qun suddenly felt like a confidant.  Feeling touched, he said with a smile: "It's rare that Zhou Mu is willing to listen, so I'll just tell you a little bit."

    "I am willing to listen attentively!"

    Chen Qun pondered for a while and said: "My father thought that the abolition of corporal punishment and the addition of whipping were out of compassion, but the result was that more people committed crimes. This is what is called light in name but heavy in reality. A light criminal law makes it easier for the people.  Although it is unreasonable to commit a crime and refuse to change despite repeated admonitions, it can protect innocent people.

    If ancient punishments could be reused, and those who committed adultery would be forced to go to the silkworm's nest, and those who committed theft would have their feet cut off, then they would never have the possibility of committing adultery and stealing. Although all evil in the world cannot be wiped out, at least those who harm others cannot commit crimes again and again.  , and at the same time deter crime, so the "Book of Books" says: 'Only respect the five punishments to achieve the three virtues'. If the people are not afraid of severe punishments and severe laws, where will there be virtues? It is the same in ancient and modern times.  "

    Liu Jing nodded, "Zhongcheng is absolutely right. Liu Zhang has been weak for more than ten years and the criminal law is lenient, which has led to arrogance and arrogance in the people of Bashu. The people are not afraid of the law and moral decay. The law cannot be changed without severe punishment. If Zhongcheng  If you are interested, can you write an article on how to restore punishment for me? I would be happy to try to implement it.¡±

    Chen Qun was very happy. Although Liu Jing was their enemy, he was still very encouraged by Liu Jing's willingness to adopt his way of governing the country. He stroked his beard happily and said: "I will go back and sort out my father's and my family's affairs."  Send a copy of some legal thoughts to the state pastor."

    At this time, Cao Zhi coughed slightly behind him and reminded Chen Qun to pay attention to his position. Chen Qun turned around and smiled slightly: "Young Master, don't be nervous. I will discuss this matter with the Prime Minister. With the Prime Minister's magnanimity, I believe he will agree."  ¡±

    Liu Jing also smiled and said: "It seems that Mr. Zhi doesn't know his father very well either!"

    Cao Zhi blushed and reluctantly responded: "This time Chen Zhongcheng and I are on a mission to Yizhou under the orders of my father. We have a mission. We should put official matters first. After the official matters are done, wouldn't it be more important to talk about private matters again?"Significant?  "

    What Cao Zhi means is that if the business affairs cannot be negotiated and the private affairs are settled, it will be a bit private and the public affairs will be abolished. It will be difficult to explain when we go back.

    Liu Jing and Chen Qun looked at each other and laughed together, "Master Zhi is right, let's talk about the law later!"

    Liu Jing exchanged a few words with them, but never got down to business. He ordered the Guan Cheng to arrange food and lodging, and then stood up to leave.

    After seeing off Liu Jing, Chen Qun and Cao Zhi returned to the lobby. Chen Qun saw that Cao Zhi was always smiling and worried, so he smiled and said: "Young master, don't be too nervous. The prime minister knows in his heart that there will be nothing wrong with the outcome of this negotiation."  Breakthrough, we have no pressure, take it easy.¡±

    Cao Zhi was stunned, "Since you know there will be no result, why are you negotiating?"

    Chen Qun smiled faintly and said: "This is politics. Fighting is fighting, and talking is talking. You can't break up just because the two armies are fighting. Young Master, remember, no matter when and where, you must leave some room for yourself and the other party.  The Prime Minister does not want to break up with Liu Jing. Only in this way will there be possibility of negotiation in the future. "

    Cao Zhi nodded silently, leaving a little room for everything. He gradually understood.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Returning to the General's Mansion, Liu Jing immediately ordered someone to invite Jia Xu. Due to the principle of reciprocity, this kind of negotiation did not require Liu Jing to come forward in person, as long as his senior officials came forward. On the way back to the General's Mansion, Liu Jing,  I have repeatedly considered that this kind of negotiation still requires Jia Xu to come forward.

    Xu Shu is an upright man, straightforward and not hypocritical. When negotiating with Jiangdong last year, he found that he was not suitable for negotiation. Although Sima Yi is shrewd and cunning, his qualifications are relatively low and may not be able to suppress Chen Qun. Only Jia Xu is old and cunning, and has senior qualifications.  He is the most suitable negotiator.

    It was just that Jia Xu was a little worried, so Liu Jing had to talk to him first. Not long after, Jia Xu hurried to Liu Jing's official room. Almost all the senior officials in the general's office left and went to various places to inspect the autumn harvest. Jia Xu was old because of his old age.  Gao Bian stayed in the general's mansion.

    "See Zhou Mu!" Jia Xu entered the room and saluted Liu Jing.

    "Military advisor, please take a seat!"

    Liu Jing asked Jia Xu to sit down with a smile, and ordered someone to serve tea. Who was Jia Xu? Why did Liu Jing rush back in such a hurry? It was not because he was an envoy for Cao Cao. Moreover, Xu Shu and others were not in the general's mansion. Liu Jing asked himself  It was obvious that he wanted to negotiate with Chen Qun on his behalf.

    This is Jia Xu's heartache. For so many years, he has always called Cao Cao prime minister and has not changed his words. It is because Cao Cao was kind to him. He has never let go of this kindness. Especially when Liu Jing went to the north, Jia Xu avoided planning.  , in fact, it is a kind of avoidance.

    However, Jia Xu also knew that Liu Jing's biggest enemy was Cao Cao, not Sun Quan. No matter how he tried to avoid it, he would always have to face this day. After a moment of silence, Jia Xu slowly asked: "Zhou Mu came to see me, but  For Prime Minister Cao¡¯s envoy? "

    Liu Jing did not speak first, but waited for Jia Xu to mention the matter first so that he could be mentally prepared. Liu Jing nodded, "What does the military advisor think Cao Cao means by sending an envoy?"

    Jia Xu also considered this issue. He pondered for a while and said: "Last time Cao Zhi came alone. Obviously the result of his mission made Prime Minister Cao very dissatisfied, so this time Chen Qun came again. This shows that Prime Minister Cao attaches great importance to it.  If I guessed correctly, the purpose should still be the same as last time, to dissuade Zhou Mu from the Northern Expedition, or to delay Zhou Mu's Northern Expedition to buy him time to prepare for war. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "The military advisor is right, I feel the same way, so how should we deal with it?"

    Jia Xu laughed, "We don't have to refuse outright, let's talk slowly. Of course, war preparations are still going on as planned, and the time for the Northern Expedition remains unchanged. The only thing we need to do is try not to fall out with the court and strive for the greatest benefits."

    "well said!"

    Liu Jing praised: "The last sentence is what I want to hear most. Could you please have a good talk with Chen Qun for me and see what Cao Cao is willing to give me?"

    Jia Xu secretly sighed in his heart, what should come will always come, and he can only face the reality. Jia Xu bowed deeply, "I am willing to share my worries with you!"

    Jia Xu left, Liu Jing gently fiddled with the pen in his hand, but in his mind he was thinking about the current situation of preparations for the war. One thousand, six hundred wooden cows have been built, and the number is increasing at the rate of three hundred per month. So by next year  By March, we should be able to reach 3,000 vehicles. This is the most basic requirement for the Northern Expedition.

    Secondly, there is grain allocation. Wudu County still has 200,000 shi of grain and 100,000 dans of fodder. The grain must be increased to 400,000 shi and the fodder to 300,000 dans before March. This winter is the best time to transport.

    At this time, a soldier reported at the door: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, my wife just sent someone to see you off.??, saying that there is something important in the government, please ask Zhou Mu to go back as soon as possible.  "

    "Ma'am, what's the matter?"

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, I just asked Zhou Mu to return home as soon as possible.¡±

    Liu Jing looked at the sky and saw that it was already dusk. It was indeed time for him to go back, so he stood up and ordered: "Prepare the carriage and go back home!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 597 Return of Shang Xiang

    The carriage was speeding through the streets, with hundreds of soldiers guarding the horses. In the carriage, Liu Jing was leaning against the wall of the carriage with her eyes closed and taking a nap. As the end of the year approached, the date of the second Northern Expedition was getting closer and closer, between the first  After the failure of the Northern Expedition, Liu Jing had learned a sufficient lesson and was no longer eager to go north. Instead, he decided to proceed step by step and fight a protracted war in the Northern Expedition.

    If this is the case, then Jingzhou is likely to encounter Cao's army advancing southward. He must be prepared. Liu Jing sighed softly. Whether the Northern Expedition can succeed will directly affect his overall situation in the next ten years. If  This time the Northern Expedition was still defeated by Cao's army, so he could only change his strategy and turn around to attack Jiangdong to unify the south first.

    At this time, the carriage slowed down slightly and stopped slowly. Liu Jing opened his eyes and found that he had arrived at the mansion. At this time, he suddenly found dozens of mule carts parked at the gate of the mansion, filled with large and small goods.  There were various boxes and cages, and the maids in the mansion were carrying boxes to the mansion. Liu Jing suddenly realized something. He opened the car door, jumped out of the carriage and walked quickly to the mansion.

    "General!"

    As soon as he walked into the mansion, Liu Jing suddenly heard someone calling him from behind. When he turned around, he saw Cai Shaoyu walking out from behind the screen wall, lowering her head and slowly walking forward, "It's Princess Shangxiang who is back!" Cai Shaoyu whispered,  The tone was full of loneliness.

    Since the kiss by the lake that night, her relationship with Liu Jing has gradually become dull and has not gone any further. Cai Shaoyu has seen that Liu Jing does not like her, but is only willing to accept her out of pity for her.  This feeling made her feel even more disappointed, so she proposed to Tao Zhan that she would temporarily stay in the house as a guest. The dignity of a woman made her not want to be accepted as a concubine by Liu Jing.

    "I also guessed that she was back."

    Liu Jing chuckled. He looked down at Cai Shaoyu and saw that she looked quite lonely, so he asked with concern: "What's wrong with you?"

    "I"

    Cai Shaoyu sighed lowly, "Eldest brother wrote a letter and asked me to return to his house."

    She looked up at Liu Jing, her eyes full of sadness, lowered her head and whispered: "I think I'd better move away!"

    A trace of sympathy arose in Liu Jing's heart. In fact, it wasn't that he didn't want Cai Shaoyu as his concubine. He pityed her and could take care of her, but Cai Shaoyu was once Liu Cong's wife. Although she was only his wife in name, everyone in Jingzhou knew that  He could let Cai Shaoyu live in his house, which seemed like an uncle-sister relationship to outsiders, but he couldn't silently accept her as his concubine.

    So he sent people to the Cai family in Xiangyang, hoping that the Cai family would agree to let Cai Shaoyu live in his house. This was actually a hint, asking the Cai family to come forward and offer to continue Cai Shaoyu as his side house. As long as the Cai family spoke, then outsiders would not  It was okay to say anything, but the Cai family remained silent. They didn't say yes or no. In fact, they just didn't want to ask about Cai Shaoyu's affairs.

    Liu Jing also understands the difficulties of the Cai family. After all, Cai Shaoyu's father, Cai Mao, is currently the county magistrate of Shangjun. Without Cai Mao's nod, the Cai family cannot overstep their bounds. In this case, Liu Jing cannot recklessly accept her as a concubine and can only wait patiently.

    He understood the distress in Cai Shaoyu's heart, so he took her to the small room next to him, held her pretty face in his hands and said with a smile: "Stop thinking about it, live here with peace of mind, this is your home, I will definitely give you a  statement."

    "But how long do you want me to wait?" Cai Shaoyu asked quietly.

    "Within a year, maybe when I come back from the Northern Expedition, I believe there will be results."

    Liu Jing thought for a while and then said: "You can write a letter to your father and tell him that you live in my house. You can also hint to him that you will become my wife."

    Cai Shaoyu's body was shaken. She looked at Liu Jing's firm gaze, and her heart gradually melted. She nodded slightly, then pressed her face against his chest, and sighed softly, "Actually, my brother didn't write to me.  , If you don¡¯t want me, I really don¡¯t know where to go?¡±

    "Then just listen to me and go back to the inner hall to be with everyone. Don't walk away alone. I don't like that."

    "I know, I will listen to you."

    Cai Shaoyu quickly kissed Liu Jing's cheek, turned around and walked quickly to the inner hall. Liu Jing watched her go away, but was not in a hurry to go to the inner hall, but returned to his study first.

    The inner hall was extremely lively. Sun Shangxiang finally returned from Jiangdong today after being gone for half a year. Her mother was treated by Zhang Zhongjing and slowly recovered from her serious illness. Although she was not recovered as before, at least she no longer had to prepare for the funeral.

    As soon as her mother's illness improved, Sun Quan urged Sun Shangxiang to return to Chengdu. After nearly a month of long journey, Sun Shangxiang finally arrived in Chengdu by boat.

    Sun Shangxiang has long since returned home and misses her husband. She is outgoing and unrestrained. Her mother's recovery made her feel particularly happy. The inner hall was filled with her laughter. She brought back a lot of things from JiangdongNot only Tao Zhan, Bao Niang and the children, but also the maids and female guards of the inner palace had a share of the goods, and everyone was happy for a while.

    Sun Shangxiang was wearing a light green silk and linen blended dress, tied with a satin waist, and a short sword on her waist. Her black waterfall-like hair was naturally spread out. She was very tall and looked particularly slender and elegant. She was currently  Holding Tao Zhan's daughter who was only a few months old, she chatted and laughed with everyone, commenting on the little baby in her hands that looked as if they were carved from pink and jade.

    "When I left, you were still in your mother's belly, but in the blink of an eye, you ran out and you have grown so big. Let me show you, who do you look like?"

    Sun Shangxiang kissed her little cheek lovingly, turned around and smiled at Tao Zhan: "Sister, didn't you find that she looks a bit like me?"

    Tao Zhan said angrily: "If you like it, I'll give it to you. You feed her every night, and you torture me to death."

    Sun Shangxiang picked up Liu Chan and said with a smile: "Oh! Poor little guy, your mother actually doesn't want you anymore, just follow Er Niang from now on! Er Niang can't breastfeed, but Er Niang can teach you martial arts, and when you grow up, you can go into battle to kill the enemy.  ¡±

    Her words made everyone in the inner hall laugh. Bao Niang smiled and handed her the daughter in her arms, "Shang Xiang, please teach my Zhu'er too!"

    "Then I will have two apprentices in the future."

    At this time, Liu Zhi rushed over like a gust of wind, took Sun Shangxiang's arm and begged: "Er Niang, please teach me martial arts too! I am willing to learn."

    Sun Shangxiang smiled and hit him on the head, "First, I don't accept male disciples; Second, your father's martial arts is more powerful, I can't beat him, you learn from him; Third, let go quickly  , my sleeves are going to be pulled off by you.¡±

    While they were joking, Tao Zhan noticed that Cai Shaoyu came in from the small door next to her. She thought about it and knew that Liu Jing should be back. She quickly asked the wet nurse to take the child away, and pulled Sun Shangxiang to Cai Shaoyu and introduced her to Sun Shangxiang.  He said: "This is Miss Cai I just mentioned to you, Shaoyu, and this is my sister Shangxiang. In fact, you should have heard of each other a long time ago."

    Cai Shaoyu felt a little nervous and quickly bowed, "See you, Madam!"

    Sun Shangxiang has a cheerful and outgoing personality, but she is an extremely smart woman. Although Tao Zhan's words were very vague, she immediately guessed why Cai Shaoyu wanted to live in the house. Liu Jing must have brought her back. This guy, himself  A few months after he went back, he found another woman. She must settle the score with him tonight.

    Although she complained a little about Liu Jing, Sun Shangxiang was a cheerful person. She quickly returned the gift and smiled at Tao Zhan: "It's my fault that the eldest sister didn't write to tell me. I didn't know that Miss Sun was in the house and didn't prepare a gift. This would be fatal."  "

    Cai Shaoyu waved her hands hurriedly, "Thank you, Madam Second, for your kindness. I don't want any gifts."

    "That won't work. I can't treat people with nothing."

    Sun Shangxiang thought for a while, then took off a gem necklace from his neck, hung it on Cai Shaoyu, and said with a smile: "This is the necklace I collected from my second sister-in-law. I will give it to you. I hope you like it."

    Cai Shaoyu was moved in her heart, gently touched the necklace, and whispered: "Thank you, Madam!"

    "Don't say thank you, we will spend a lot of time together in the future! You will annoy me by then."

    At this time, Tao Zhan stepped forward and said with a smile: "I'm a little annoyed by you for being so long-winded. Go wash your face quickly! Get ready to eat."

    She whispered in Sun Shangxiang's ear again: "He has come back and is waiting for you in the study!"

    Sun Shangxiang's face suddenly turned red, and he said a little nervously: "What does it have to do with me if he comes back? I didn't come back just for him."

    "Go wash your face quickly!"

    Tao Zhan smiled and pushed her out. After leaving the courtyard gate, Sun Shangxiang turned around and rushed towards the study like a gust of wind. Bao Niang stood in front of the window. Seeing that Sun Shangxiang was going in the wrong direction, she covered her mouth and laughed so hard that she couldn't breathe.  , Tao Zhan winked at her quickly, but for a moment, Tao Zhan himself couldn't help but cover his mouth, "Tsk!"  ¡¯ laughed

    Sun Shangxiang walked quickly into Liu Jing's study. As soon as she entered, the person at the door hugged her waist. Smelling the familiar atmosphere, Sun Shangxiang was extremely excited. She turned around and held her husband's neck, and the two kissed tightly.  together.

    I don¡¯t know how long they kissed before Sun Shangxiang reluctantly separated from him. Her eyes were shining like gems, and she looked at Liu Jing burningly and asked: "Do you miss me?"

    She was answered by another storm of kisses from Liu Jing. Sun Shangxiang was so drunk that Liu Jing stroked her jade buttocks and whispered: "You wild girl, you have been gone for so long, I want to punish you!"

    After saying that, he picked up her legs, picked her up and walked quickly to the back room. The two fell on the couch and hugged each other passionately until Liu Jing began to untie her skirt.??, she suddenly woke up and quickly took Liu Jing's hand, "Husband, we can't do it now, the eldest sister is still waiting for us to have dinner, let's do it tonight!"

    "No! Now I'm going to do a little discipline, and then I'll continue the punishment at night, and I'll punish him until dawn!"

    Sun Shangxiang put her arms around his neck, kissed his lips and smiled sweetly: "I should be the one to punish you. You must first explain to me honestly, what happened to Miss Cai?"

    "Are you uncomfortable with this?"

    "The eldest sister didn't say anything, so I didn't feel uncomfortable! However, I'm warning you, these women among us are enough for you to enjoy the blessings of everyone. If you dare to mess around outside again, be careful that I will kill you."  The bottom clicks off!¡±

    Sun Shangxiang ¡®Whoosh!  ¡¯ He pulled out the dagger from his waist, pressed the sharp blade against Liu Jing¡¯s thigh, and said with a half-smile, ¡°Do you know why I carry a sword with me? I¡¯m just going to use it to cut your thing!¡±

    Liu Jing was lying on the bed. Seeing how cute Sun Shangxiang looked, he couldn't help laughing. Sun Shangxiang's face sank, "Why are you laughing? Do you think I don't dare? I'll castrate you and I'll marry someone who doesn't want to be a philanderer."  If you go as a man, I won¡¯t care about you.¡±

    "What should we do?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.

    "There is a way! There is one."

    Sun Shangxiang put away his sword, pressed it on Liu Jing, held his chin and said: "I heard from the eldest sister that you are going to Hanzhong for inspection in two days, so take me with you. I will follow you, so that you can't mess with others."  Grass."

    "You wild girl, you originally had this idea, what if I don't agree?"

    Sun Shangxiang looked a little sad, and whispered for a while: "I feel a lot of pressure when I return to Jiangdong this time. It seems that I am also going to have a baby."

    Liu Jing felt an inexplicable touch in her heart. He hugged Sun Shangxiang's waist tightly and said in her ear: "Okay! I promise you, and we will work hard tonight."

    Sun Shangxiang smiled slyly, "This is called using both soft and hard tactics. This girl has learned another way to control her husband."

    Liu Jing looked at her angrily. At this time, the maid's voice came from outside the door, "Master, my wife has invited you to dinner."

    Sun Shangxiang suddenly panicked and said, "It's bad, I have to wash my face and tidy up first, otherwise they will laugh to death at me."

    After saying that, she got up and hurried away from the back door. Liu Jing looked at her moving back, his heart was filled with love for her, what a lovely wife!

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 598 Preliminary Test

    That night, Liu Jing and Sun Shangxiang were so in love that they felt like a fish in water, blending their long-lost lovesickness into the passion of meeting again.

    Early the next morning, before dawn, Liu Jing got up and went to the General Office. He was about to leave for Hanzhong. He needed to finish all his official duties this morning, which made him extremely busy.  Rush to the government office.

    Liu Jing walked into the official office. At this time, many officials had arrived. Secretary Lang Cuishi stepped forward and reported to Liu Jing: "To inform the state pastor, Xu Changshi sent someone to deliver a letter early in the morning, and he will return tomorrow."

    Xu Shu went to Brazil County to inspect the autumn harvest. Because Liu Jing was going to Hanzhong, he sent someone to urge him to come back. Liu Jing nodded, "I understand!"

    He walked quickly to the official room, and after walking a few steps, Liu Jing remembered something again, turned around and smiled at Cui Shi: "Last time you recommended Xun Zhi to me as the supervisory envoy. It was very good. He was called the Iron-faced Young Master by the Hanzhong people.  In one fell swoop, we uncovered a major case of collusion between officials and businessmen in Juxian County and the private sale of official grain. I am ready to further promote him."

    Cui Shi quickly saluted and said: "Thank you very much for Zhou Mu's praise. Xun Zhi is not only talented, but also an upright and upright man. As long as you give him a chance, he will not let Zhou Mu down."

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Young people are energetic and have not been infected with the habits of officialdom. Cui Shijun, you should also consider going to local areas for experience. If you always stay in the general's mansion, you will lose many opportunities."

    Cui Shi was stunned, and he suddenly realized that this was his opportunity, and quickly said: "Wei Chen is willing to go to the local area to practice, and I beg the state pastor to give me a chance."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly and hurriedly walked into the official room. Cui Shi had not yet realized what Liu Jing said. After the imperial examination last year, Xun Zhi and Deng Hong went to the local government to serve as officials, and he entered the Secretary's Supervisor of the General's Mansion.  , followed Liu Jing, which made many scholars who joined the officialdom with him extremely envious, and Cui Shi himself was also proud for a time.

    However, the rise of Xun Zhi deeply stimulated him. Xun Zhi first went to Lingling County. Within a month, he responded to the call and volunteered to be transferred to Nanguang County, Zhuti County, Nanyi Prefecture as the chief administrator. He taught the Yi people how to farm.  , ran schools and built roads, and made outstanding achievements. In just one year, he was promoted to county captain. Even Liu Jing noticed him and promoted him to Hanzhong Road Supervisory Envoy.

    Xun Zhi was selfless and selfless in Hanzhong. He repeatedly solved grain embezzlement cases and won praises from the generals. His popularity far surpassed that of Cui Shi. This made Cui Shi start to reflect on whether becoming a local official was the right way.

    A few days ago, he hesitantly expressed his intention to Yin Mao. Today Liu Jing mentioned it. Cui Shi immediately realized that it must be Yin Mao who mentioned this matter to Liu Jing, and his heart was suddenly filled with excitement.  Looking forward to it, I couldn't help but feel excited inside. I jumped up and ran outside.

    In the afternoon, Jia Xu's carriage slowly stopped at the VIP Hotel. A guard opened the door and helped Jia Xu out of the carriage. The Guan Cheng also quickly stepped forward to greet him. Jia Xu laughed and said: "Go tell Chen Zhongcheng, just say old friend  Jia Xu came to visit him."

    Although Chen Qun was young, he had been friends with Jia Xu for many years and had a very good relationship. Guan Cheng rushed in to report. After a while, Chen Qun hurriedly greeted him out. When he reached the door, he held his hands in his hands and said with a smile: "Jia Gong, you are fine!"

    "I'm fine, the long article looks good too!"

    The two held hands and laughed, and Chen Qun quickly invited him into the distinguished hotel. Naturally, Jia Xu was entrusted by Liu Jing to come to negotiate with Chen Qun. However, Jia Xu was experienced and wanted to test his tone before formal negotiations.  Let¡¯s test Chen Qun¡¯s true intention on this mission.

    The two came to the inner hall and sat down. Jia Xu looked around and asked with a smile: "Why isn't Master Zhi here?"

    "He didn't know that Duke Jia would come today, so he took a few followers to visit Qingcheng Mountain early in the morning."

    Jia Xu nodded and smiled and said: "There are many beautiful scenery in Sichuan. I have been in Bashu for half a year and have only been to a few places. I have not been to Qingcheng Mountain yet. When Changwen is free, how about we go to Qingcheng Mountain together?"

    Chen Qun also stroked his beard and said, "I would like to go with Mr. Jia."

    The two looked at each other and smiled again. At this time, Chen Qun pondered for a moment and said: "At the New Year's Day at the beginning of the year, the Prime Minister mentioned some old ministers at the banquet with all the officials, and he also mentioned Mr. Jia. Does Mr. Jia know about this?"  "

    Of course, Jia Xu knew that Cao Cao was nostalgic. He mentioned Guo Jia and himself, and his words were quite longing for him. However, Jia Xu understood what Chen Qun meant when he said this. It was nothing more than using emotions to win over him first, and then  Get down to business slowly.

    Jia Xu sneered in her heart, but said calmly: "The Prime Minister mentioned me and Fengxiao together, is it a hint that it's time for me to meet with Fengxiao!"

    "Jia Gong has misunderstood, and the Prime Minister has absolutely no such intention."

    Before Chen Qun could say anything more, Jia Xu interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "Chang Wen, it's meaningless to talk about these things now. If I still miss my old feelings, I won't be able to come today. Each one is his own master. Let's talk about it."  Business?!  "

    Chen Qun had no choice but to nod his head and said: "In that case, let me get straight to the point. This time Mr. Zhi and I went to Chengdu as envoys on the order of the Prime Minister. There are two main things. One is that the Prime Minister promised to propose Yizhou to Zhou Mu last time.  Regarding the change of clothes and the imperial edict, out of sincerity, we have brought the emperor¡¯s imperial edict to officially designate General Liu as the Mu of Yizhou.¡±

    Jia Xu smiled slightly, took out a wooden box from the cloth bag he carried with him, and handed it to Chen Qun, "This is the original copy of the Clothes and Belt Order. Please send a long text to the Prime Minister. In addition, my Zhou Mu also said, we will not  Accept the imperial edict again."

    Chen Qun was overjoyed. What the Prime Minister wanted was the last sentence. As the Prime Minister expected, returning the belt edict was acknowledging the Prime Minister's legal status. He opened the box and looked at it, and recognized Liu Xie's handwriting at a glance. He smiled happily.  Said: "This way, it will be easier for us to talk about many things."

    "That's true! Please write a long article about the second thing."

    Chen Qun pondered for a while and said: "The second thing is about the Han army going north. The Prime Minister does not want another war like the one in the spring. In other words, the Prime Minister hopes that Liu Zhoumu will stop the Northern Expedition."

    Jia Xu chuckled, "Isn't this sentence a little too simple? I can't answer it! I believe the Prime Minister has more follow-up words, why doesn't he say it in the long article?"

    Jia Xu tried his best to get Chen Qun's bottom line without expressing his position. Chen Qun had no choice but to continue: "If Liu Zhoumu is willing to agree, then as compensation, the prime minister promises to persuade the emperor to make Liu Zhoumu the King of Han and grant Liu Zhoumu a knighthood."  In addition, the prime minister will send troops to assist the Han army in conquering Jiangdong. Does Jia Gong think this condition can be considered? "

    Jia Xu smiled and shook his head, "This condition is too big. I can't answer the long article. I have to ask the state pastor for instructions."

    "Then let's talk tomorrow!"

    Jia Xu shook his head, "I'm afraid it will take some time. The state pastor has already left for Hanzhong to inspect the autumn harvest at noon. I'm sorry, but please wait patiently for a few more days!"

    There was an indescribable bitterness in Chen Qun's heart. No wonder Liu Jing asked Jia Xu to come to negotiate and exposed all his bottom lines. But Jia Xu's side was so tight that he didn't say anything and had to delay time.  Still can't beat Jia Wenhe!

    However, Chen Qun also realized that Liu Jing went to Hanzhong not necessarily to inspect the autumn harvest, but to inspect and prepare for war. It might be impossible to persuade Liu Jing to give up the Northern Expedition.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing did leave Chengdu at noon and headed for Hanzhong. Thousands of soldiers escorted Liu Jing and his second wife Sun Shangxiang and drove to Hanzhong in a mighty manner.

    This time Sun Shangxiang followed Liu Jing north to Hanzhong. Although she did not marvel at the famous mountains and rivers like the last time, she was still very interested. Although she sailed thousands of miles to Jiangdong, she also enjoyed the beautiful scenery on both sides of the Yangtze River, but she never had much interest.  , the key is that she is not with her husband, and there is no Liu Jing to accompany her, just like there is no salt in the dishes, no matter how exquisite the dishes are, they are tasteless.

    And as long as she was with Liu Jing, she didn't feel bored even though she had to go back to Hanzhong. Along the way, she told Liu Jing interesting stories about her return to Jiangdong, "I don't know who leaked that I was going back to Jiangdong. As a result, my ship arrived at Jingkou, and my husband  What happened to Lang Guai was really touching. Tens of thousands of people spontaneously came to the pier to greet me. There was a huge crowd of people. When I got off the boat, tens of thousands of people cheered, and I even shed tears. "

    "What are they cheering for?" Liu Jing asked with a smile while riding on the horse.

    "What else can I cheer for? Long live the princess! If I live ten thousand years, won't I become the eighth queen?" Sun Shangxiang laughed out loud. She remembered that many soldiers shouted long live Zhou Mu.  , then wouldn¡¯t this husband also become that?  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing glanced at her and asked strangely: "Why are you laughing?"

    "nothing!"

    Sun Shangxiang suppressed his laughter, took Liu Jing's arm again, and said softly: "I know, because I married you, the people of Jiangdong thought that I was bearing the humiliation and humiliation for Jiangdong and suffered all your bullying, so I  When I come back, they will come to the dock to greet me as if they were welcoming their own daughter back to their parents¡¯ home.¡±

    Liu Jing suddenly became angry, "What do you think, you are being bullied by me?"

    Sun Shangxiang looked back and forth. The soldiers were all very far away from them and could not understand their conversation. Several female guards were also several feet away. Sun Shangxiang bit his lip and whispered: "You bad guy, you were not bullying last night."  Spend the night with someone?"

    Liu Jing's heart trembled, and she couldn't help but laugh softly: "That doesn't mean you are being bullied. It will continue tonight."

    Sun Shangxiang pinched him and said shyly: "You are not allowed to say anything anymore."

    Liu Jing scratched her head and smiled, "My lady reminded me that we will camp early tonight, and Jianmen Pass is in front of us., after passing Jianmen Pass, there is no place to camp.  "

    "After walking for the past few days, my body is almost exhausted. I need to go to bed early tonight."

    Sun Shangxiang smiled brightly and said: "Let's make an agreement first. We will sleep in our own tents tonight. You are not allowed to disturb my sweet dreams. If you dare to come secretly, be careful and I will kill you as a thief."

    Although he said this, when Liu Jing went to deliver the order, Sun Shangxiang held him back and said in a low voice: "If you dare not come, I will kill you with one sword."

    Liu Jing laughed loudly, cupped her fists and said, "Follow the order, madam!"

    Liu Jing rode away. Sun Shangxiang watched him go away, and couldn't help but said to himself proudly: "Whoever said that political marriages mean misfortune, this girl is not the case!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 599 Pioneer of the Northern Expedition

    At night, Liu Jing's team was stationed near Jianmen Pass. Like last time, Liu Jing used a separate large tent, and Sun Shangxiang also had a small tent. Of course, she never slept in her own tent and had to sleep with her every night.  She lived in a big tent with her husband. In her words, there were more vixens in the mountains, and she was afraid that Liu Jing would be fascinated by the vixens.

    It was already two o'clock in the morning, and the two were sleeping in each other's arms. Sun Shangxiang snuggled lazily beside him, her head resting on his shoulder, and her black waterfall-like hair spread outside the quilt.

    "Husband, my brother asked me to bring you a message. Do you want to listen?"

    Liu Jing was startled, and hurriedly sat up, complaining a little: "How many days have it been? Why didn't you tell me about such an important thing earlier?"

    Sun Shangxiang pulled him down again, hugged his arm and said with a smile: "I'm just teasing you. I think you're about to fall asleep, so I want to stimulate you, but you have to wait for me to fall asleep first."

    Liu Jing had nothing to do with her. She was as naughty as a little girl. He pinched her nose and said with a smile: "If you give birth to a daughter like you, I will die from a headache."

    "Actually, my brother often talks about you to me. Of course, it's not a military matter."

    "What did he say about me?"

    "He said that you have courage and vision, and you can compete with Cao Cao in seven or eight years. He said that he is not as good as you, and he can't do many things he wants to do."

    Liu Jing smiled and asked: "How is your cousin's matter going? I'm talking about Sun Ben's matter."

    'Why!  ¡¯

    Sun Shangxiang sighed softly and said: "What else can he do? I heard that he was imprisoned on a desert island and has gone crazy. He howls at the sea all day long. I repeatedly persuaded my brother to put him back, but he ignored me.  , I can¡¯t do anything, and my younger brother Sun Lang is imprisoned in Wu County and I can¡¯t see him anymore.¡±

    "What about the others? For example, Zhu Ran, Han Dang and others, how are they doing?"

    "My brother was quite tolerant towards them and did not hold them accountable. He just dismissed them from their official positions. My brother said that they also have deep connections in Jiangdong. If they are dealt with too harshly, I am afraid it will lay the foundation for the division of Jiangdong."

    Liu Jing rested his head on his arm and shook his head. He disapproved of Sun Quan's compromising approach. In doing so, it seemed that the matter was settled at the moment, but in the end it laid the root of trouble. These people's dissatisfaction with Sun Quan would not come from this.  As the hatred fades and the hatred deepens, sooner or later something will happen to Jiangdong.  "

    "Go to sleep! We have to march tomorrow!"

    Sun Shangxiang nodded, stood up, blew out the candles, hugged her husband tightly and fell asleep.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the past few months, Chengdu has begun to mobilize troops on a large scale. One hundred thousand troops have been mobilized to Hanzhong and distributed in Hanzhong and Wudu counties. As the Han army's control over Yizhou has deepened, some troops originally distributed in various counties in Yizhou have been mobilized.  The main forces of the Han army were also transferred to Hanzhong, and General Huang Zhong was also transferred from garrisoning in Yinan to Wudu County.

    Licheng was the first fortress on the north side of Wudu County on the Qishan Mountains. Zhao Yun adopted Pang Tong's strategy to burn down Licheng and eradicated the fortress in one fell swoop. When the Han army withdrew south, Cao Cao's army came to Licheng and the two men stationed in Licheng  Qian Han's army had to abandon the city and leave, and Licheng was reoccupied by Cao's army.

    Half a year has passed, and Cao Cao's army has already withdrawn eastward from Guanzhong. Before Cao Cao withdrew his troops, he deployed tens of thousands of troops on Qishan Road and built six defense lines, including Licheng, Qishan Fort, Xicheng, Mumenzhai, Shanggui County and Jicheng.  , among which Licheng is the first line of defense.

    Licheng was rebuilt, and the entire city was moved forward a hundred steps, eliminating the hidden danger of being easily attacked overhead. At this time, there were 4,000 Cao troops stationed in Licheng, commanded by Xiahouba. Since his father Xiahouyuan was killed on Qishan Road, Xiahouba  He took the initiative to ask Ying to guard Qishan Road. Cao Cao strengthened his determination and made him the Zhennan captain and ordered him to garrison Licheng.

    Although Xiahouba generously accepted the order because his father was killed in battle, he also knew in his heart that Licheng was the first stop of the Han army's northern expedition. Once the Han army marched north in large numbers, Licheng would definitely not be able to hold it, and Xiahouba would even be in danger of his life.  .

    Early in the morning, Xiahou Ba stood on the top of the city, looking worriedly towards the south. Three nights ago, he received intelligence from scouts and discovered three Han army patrol teams, each with more than a hundred people. Xiahou Ba knew clearly that  This is actually a signal that the Han army is likely to march north again.

    Although he was very worried, Xiahou Ba would not conclude that the enemy situation had arrived just because the number of enemy patrols increased. He had to have accurate information before he could report it to the superior. For this reason, he rejected many scout teams and rushed to various places in the south to spy on the Han army.  information.

    It is only a few dozen miles from Licheng to Wudu County, not far away. It is supposed that there should be news of the scouts coming back, but there is still no news of the scouts. This makes Xiahou Ba very worried, will something happen to his scouts?  Already?

    At this moment, several cavalrymen in the distanceThe cavalrymen rushed over, which immediately refreshed Xiahou Ba's spirits. He leaned on the battlements and looked out. In a moment, several cavalrymen rushed over. They were the scouts he sent out. Xiahou Ba anxiously shouted: "What's going on?"  "

    A cavalryman rushed forward and reported loudly: "Report to General Xiahou that a Han army of about 5,000 people was found building a city in Fengyun Valley to the south."

    Xiahou Ba felt a little relieved. Fengyun Valley is located fifty miles to the south. It is a funnel-shaped valley. It is wide in the north and narrow in the south, which is conducive to the attack on Hanzhong from the north. If the Han army is building a city there, it means that the Han army is in  For the defense, there is no intention to attack the north for the time being. It is the autumn harvest season. The Han army should be worried that Cao's army will enter Hanzhong to harass and destroy. It is reasonable to garrison troops for defense. The number of troops is not large. Five thousand people are just right for defense.

    Xiahou Ba also heard Cao Cao say before that the time for the Han Army's Northern Expedition is likely to be next spring. The Han Army will have to prepare for at least a year. It has only been half a year now, and the Han Army's Northern Expedition is unlikely.

    Xiahou Ba kept comforting himself, and the tension in his heart gradually calmed down. He turned around and ordered: "We must strengthen our defense. We must not be lax and lazy. Anyone who disobeys the order will be executed!"

    He gave the order and went down to the city to rest. He hadn't slept well in the past few days and was extremely exhausted. He needed a good sleep.

    In a forest to the southwest of Licheng, two hundred Han soldiers were hiding. They were the patrol team discovered by Cao Jun.

    But in fact, they were not a patrol team, but an Eagle Attack Army. The leader was none other than Liu Zheng. He led two hundred of the most elite Eagle Attack Army soldiers, disguised as patrol guards, and gradually approached Licheng.

    Of course, the time for the Han army's official northern expedition is not now, but in the second northern expedition, the Han army has changed its strategy, from heading north sharply to camp step by step. The vanguard general was also changed from Zhao Yun to the veteran Huang Zhong, and the vanguard military advisor was still Pang Tong.

    According to Pang Tong¡¯s plan, the Han army needs to first build a transit supply city on the Qishan Road, and build a supply city every fifty miles to store grain and grass supplies, and then use wooden oxen to transport them, so that the grain and grass problem of the Northern Expedition can be completely solved.

    Fengyun Valley is the first supply city they built, while Licheng is the second supply city, Qishan Fort is the third, and Xicheng is the fourth and most important one. Although the Han army will not arrive until next spring.  A large-scale northern expedition was launched, but as Huang Zhong was the vanguard, he needed to open the road from Wudu to Qishan first and build three supply cities.

    The first supply city is being built in Fengyun Valley, but it is just a means to confuse the enemy. Huang Zhong's goal is to capture Licheng, so he sent Liu Zhengwei as a forward to seize the city to cooperate with his actions.

    In the woods, Liu Zheng laid a map on a flat stone. This was the inner city defense map of Licheng. They captured several Cao Jun scouts and drew the map from their information.

    Liu Zheng and his general Ren Ping discussed the plan to seize the city. "Originally, Licheng was built against a mountain. It could be attacked with fire from the mountain. But now Cao Jun has moved the entire city a hundred steps south. It is impossible to attack from the mountain. We can only attack it from the mountain."  Take advantage of its own vulnerabilities to attack the city."

    Speaking of this, Liu Zheng frowned and said: "The key point is that this is a military city. There are no ordinary people in the city, and no merchants enter or exit. It is impossible to sneak in, unless we dress up as Cao Jun, Lao Ren, you said we dress up as Cao Jun?"  How are they scouting?"

    Ren Ping had only joined the Eagle Attack Army for more than a year, but he had already made many extraordinary attacks, was promoted to Yajiang, and became Liu Zheng's right-hand man. He smiled and said, "I know Licheng very well. The area south of Licheng is originally  There were three beacons that were destroyed by me one by one. However, I did not destroy the beacons. I only killed the defenders. As long as I sent soldiers up, they could be used again. However, I found that Xiahou Ba did not restore these beacons, which shows that this  People are far inferior to Yu Jin in terms of defense. It can be said that they don¡¯t understand defense. Such people will definitely have loopholes in guarding Li City. In fact, the general does not need to dress up as a scout. I have a way to enter the city. "

    Liu Zheng was overjoyed, "What can you do?"

    Ren Ping clicked on the city on the map, "The solution is behind the city!"

    As the main scout who attacked Licheng last time, Ren Ping knew the situation in Licheng very well. The loopholes in the city's defense he mentioned were due to the entire southward movement of Licheng, which was completed in less than two months.  It is enough to show the haste of rebuilding the city, and Licheng did not quarry new stones for construction, but completely used the original old city stones. In this way, it would be very chaotic when the old city stones were demolished.

    This is also true. After the city was moved, a wilderness area more than a hundred paces wide and several miles long was formed behind Licheng. The surface was in a mess, with ditches and deep pits everywhere. The deepest pit was two feet deep, and the soil became very soft.  The city wall was also rebuilt very roughly, with stones simply piled up, and there was no mortar between the stone gaps.

    Ren Ping¡¯s method was to dig a hole under the city and enter the city, but soonHe was frustrated. He had a good idea. The soft land and huge ravines could indeed be used to dig holes. However, there were some things he didn't expect. The huge pits and gullies had been filled with rainwater and turned into ponds.  The soil has become so pulpy that even digging a hole cannot support it.

    "Old Ren, your method still doesn't work!"

    In the forest, Liu Zheng patted Ren Ping on the shoulder and said with a smile: "But a trip to the back has inspired me. I already have a way to break the city."

    "What can we do?" Ren Ping glanced at him listlessly and asked.

    Liu Zheng pointed at the city wall and said: "You see, the city wall is built hastily and is tilted. Such a city wall cannot withstand the heavy blow of the city ram."

    Ren Ping stared at it for a while, then nodded, "You are right, it is indeed very rough, especially the city wall in the northeast corner is not flat at all. I can climb up the city directly along the city wall without any tools, or we don't need to hit the city.  Hammer, go straight to the city."

    Liu Zheng thought for a moment and nodded slowly, "Maybe you are right. You can go directly to the city. We will immediately send someone to report to General Huang."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 600: Seizing Licheng at Night

    At noon, an army of 5,000 people was marching rapidly northward. The red flag at the head had a big Chinese character written on it. This was the military flag of the Han army.

    This army is the team of veteran general Huang Zhong. As the vanguard of the Han army, Huang Zhong led an elite army of 10,000 to the north. His first task was to capture Licheng and Qishan Fort, establish three midway supply points, and capture the West City for the Han army.  lay the foundation.

    Huang Zhong did not participate in the first Northern Expedition. He led 20,000 troops to garrison in the south of Yizhou to prevent the barbarians from taking advantage of the Han army's northern expedition to rebel. However, as the barbarians successively expressed their surrender, Liu Jing and other ethnic groups in southern Xinjiang  A compromise was reached, and the situation in southern Xinjiang gradually eased.

    Liu Jing immediately appointed Yan Yan as the governor of Yinan and Liao Hua as the deputy governor. The two commanded 10,000 troops to garrison Nan Yizhou, while Huang Zhong was transferred to Hanzhong.

    Huang Zhong is cautious, good at using strategies, and is good at getting along with others. If he is the vanguard, he will more reliably implement the Han army's strategy of moving forward step by step in the second northern expedition. Compared with Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong has richer experience and can  The flexible strategies of Pang Tong and other counselors are more perfectly combined with actual combat, so they will be more effective. Zhao Yun is slightly weaker in this regard.

    Pang Tong followed Huang Zhong on horseback. He was a little confused and asked: "Why doesn't the old general march at night? Marching during the day can easily be discovered by Cao Jun's scouts."

    Huang Zhong smiled slightly and said: "There is only one official road going north. Even if we march at night, we will be discovered by Cao Jun's spies. Moreover, if we march at night, we will easily be ambushed by the enemy, which is disadvantageous. So after weighing it, there is no problem in marching during the day."

    "But if Cao Jun discovers it, they will strengthen the city wall defense, which will make it more difficult for Liu Zheng and the others to enter the city. Has the old general considered this?"

    Huang Zhong smiled gently and said, "Don't worry, Shi Yuan. I have also considered this issue. I only have five thousand troops here. I don't think Xiahou Ba will be too nervous. I also believe that Liu Zheng and the others will not let people go."  Disappointed, they will succeed."

    Pang Tong had nothing to say. He found that Huang Zhong appeared to be very tolerant and never angry, but in fact he was more difficult to persuade than Zhao Yun. After formulating a strategy, Huang Zhong acted completely according to his own ideas and did not quite obey.  Pang Tong felt helpless about other people's opinions, so he could only sigh and say nothing more.

    At this time, several cavalrymen rushed forward. One cavalryman clasped his fists and said, "I am reporting to General Huang that we have information about Lieutenant Liu!"

    He took out a piece of information and presented it to Huang Zhong. Huang Zhong opened it and looked at it. He couldn't help stroking his beard and smiled at Pang Tong: "It seems that Liu Xiaowei is sure. Let's speed up the march and seize Licheng at night!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Xiahou Ba was awakened from his deep sleep by a rapid knock on the door. He was very unhappy and asked: "What's the matter?"

    "Report to the general, a scout came urgently to report that the Han army was heading north!"

    "ah!"

    Xiahou Ba exclaimed, and his sleepiness immediately disappeared without a trace. He quickly stood up and walked out of the door and asked: "How many enemy troops are there and where are they now?"

    "The scouts said there were about five thousand people. They were thirty miles away when they were discovered. They are estimated to be twenty miles away now."

    Xiahouba felt a little relieved when he heard that there were only 5,000 people. He had 4,000 defenders and had the defensive advantage of the city wall, so he could handle the attack of 5,000 people. He quickly walked out of the military office and walked towards the city wall.

    After the last baptism of fire in Licheng, some changes have been made to the layout of the city. The army was stationed as far as possible in the south. Hundreds of barracks were built using a mixture of slate, soil and wood. A row of stone houses were built close to the city wall. The stone houses are natural.  It is the military office of the general Xiahou Ba, so even if the enemy attacks with fire, it will not be easily ignited.

    However, it is still impossible to completely abandon the tents. There are just a lot fewer tents. There are only more than a hundred large tents used as warehouses. They are located in the middle of the city and are simply surrounded by wooden boards to resist rocket attacks.

    Even these more than a hundred large tents are only for temporary use. Thousands of soldiers are still busy setting up barracks, striving to completely abandon the use of tents before next spring.

    Xiahou Ba hurriedly ran up to the city and stood at the top of the city looking south. He was not in a hurry. After all, the enemy army was still more than twenty miles away and would have to go for at least an hour. Now he could not tell whether the Han army was coming to attack.  Licheng?

    At this time, another scout rushed towards the city and shouted: "General Qi, the Han army is stationed fifteen miles away. It seems that they are building a wall camp."

    Xiahou Ba was a little stunned. The Han army built a walled camp fifteen miles away. This usually meant that they would be stationed for a long time. He became more and more confused. What on earth was the Han army going to do?

    At this time, Xiahou Ba¡¯s deputy general Mao Xin stepped forward and said: ¡°General, could it be that the Han army is preparing for the Northern Expedition, building camps to store grain, so that they will have supply points and no longer have to fight with the army?The capital and counties have transported food. Wasn't it true that last time they were forced to evacuate south because of difficulties in transporting food?  "

    Xiahou Ba was reminded in one sentence that the Han army only came with five thousand troops. It didn't look like they were here to attack the city and fight, but what were they here for?  He was puzzled, but Mao Xin reminded him that the Han army was here to build supply camps in preparation for the Northern Expedition.

    Xiahou Ba also realized that this was important information. They discovered the Han army's northern expedition strategy, established supply depots, and fought step by step. He had to report it immediately. Xiahou Ba wrote an express letter on the spot and found a relative.  The soldier said: "Go to Jicheng quickly and give this letter to General Xiahou!"

    After Xiahou Yuan died in battle, Xiahou Dun was appointed as the commander-in-chief of Longxi. Xiahou Ba directly accepted the command of his uncle Xiahou Dun, and his own soldiers rode northward.

    Although Xiahou Ba concluded that the Han army was not here to attack, he still did not dare to be careless. He divided the army into two squads and patrolled the city day and night. He also sent hundreds of scouts to detect the movement of the Han army building camps.

    The night slowly fell, the tired birds flew back, and there was silence in the mountain forest. Behind a big tree on the edge of the mountain forest, Liu Zheng gently patted Ren Ping's shoulder and whispered: "It's extremely dangerous to go to the city. You  Take care of everything.¡±

    Ren Ping had already changed into the military uniform of Cao Jun. He only brought two of his men into the city, which was indeed very dangerous. However, the three of them accepted the task without hesitation. Ren Ping nodded silently, "If I die in battle unfortunately, my father, wife and children will die."  Leave it to the Captain to take care of."

    "Don't worry! Your father is my father, but I believe you will return safely."

    Liu Zheng said to the two sergeants again: "Save your own life and come back to accept the generous reward!"

    The two soldiers nodded. At this time, Ren Ping looked at the sky and whispered: "Let's go!"

    The three of them ran out of the forest one after another, moving as quickly as civet cats, stopping and walking, and gradually moved closer to the city wall. They were walking to the northeast corner, where it was easier to get to the city. The three of them stayed close to the city wall. Ren Ping tried it, and there were many gaps.  , it is indeed very easy to get to the city. Of course, this is only relative to them. For ordinary people, it is still as difficult as climbing to the sky.

    The three of them were like geckos, climbing up slowly against the city wall. After a while, Ren Ping was the first to reach the top of the city. He observed the top of the city close to the battlements. Cao Jun's defense was mainly concentrated on the south, almost three steps, one post, two steps and one sentry.  , but there are no such soldiers in the north. There are mainly more than a dozen patrol teams patrolling the city back and forth. The patrol frequency is very intensive. There are only more than twenty steps between patrol teams, so they don't have many opportunities.

    After observing for a moment, at this time, a ten-man patrol of Cao's army came and walked past the battlement where Ren Ping and the others were hiding. Just after they had walked a few steps, another patrol did not come, so they  With only this moment of opportunity, Ren Ping winked at his two men at the same time. The three of them jumped up to the top of the city at the same time. Then they rolled quickly on the top of the city and descended from the other side gently and skillfully.

    Just as they disappeared, another group of patrolling soldiers walked over in formation. They found nothing unusual and walked past the top of the city, but the group of soldiers just turned around and came back.  ,

    When the Han Army's Eagle Attack Army marched north, they captured two Cao Army scouts. From the Cao Army soldiers, they knew the layout of the city very clearly and made corresponding plans. There were four thousand troops in the city, and it was a military city.  Without residential buildings, it is unrealistic to fight for the city gate. The only way is to copy the last time we captured the city.

    Last time, fireballs were thrown from the mountain to burn the camp, but this time, people sneaked into the city and set fire. The goal of Ren Ping and the others was to burn the enemy's food in the more than 100 tents and warehouses that had not yet been demolished. Cao Jun could not support it.  .

    Of course, things are not that simple. The camp is surrounded by defenders. The defense is tight and it is difficult to get close. The three of Ren Ping hide behind a military camp and look at the tent dozens of steps away. There are soldiers patrolling the tent.  , they had no chance to get close.

    Ren Ping is not in a hurry to act. He is waiting patiently. According to the plan he and Liu Zheng discussed, Liu Zheng will help them create opportunities.

    At this time, there was a rapid sound of galloping horses in the distance, and there was a noise on the top of the city. Someone shouted: "Go and report to the general, the Han army is coming to attack!"

    Soldiers ran to report, but the shouts from the top of the city were even louder. Countless arrows were shot up from under the city. Screams were heard constantly. Many arrows were shot into the city. The sudden attack outside the city caused chaos in the city.  .

    The soldiers ran towards the city in small groups, and the soldiers guarding the tent also rushed to the front to pay attention to the situation at the city. Ren Ping and the others seized this opportunity and rushed over, taking advantage of Cao Jun's lack of attention.  Got into the big tent.

    The Han army that attacked the city was led by Liu Zheng's two hundred men. They harassed the enemy with surprise attacks, attracted Cao Jun's attention, and created opportunities for Ren Ping and the others. After harassing them for a while, Liu Zheng saw that the city was in chaos.  Immediately led the soldiers to leave quickly, and soon disappeared.In the dark.

    At this time, Huang Zhong led 5,000 troops to line up, waiting for the situation in Licheng. Pang Tong truly admired Huang Zhong's experience. With 5,000 people setting up camp here, it is indeed difficult for people to think that they are here to attack the city.  Although Cao Jun would have guessed their strategy, it didn't matter anymore. Once he captured Licheng, his step-by-step strategy would immediately become clear to the world.

    "Old general, do you think they can succeed?" Pang Tong asked worriedly.

    Huang Gai chuckled, "Don't worry, military advisor, they are the Eagle Attack Army, and this is what they are best at. If they can't succeed, there will be no other army in the world that can succeed. After all, Xiahou Ba doesn't have much experience, so  , they will definitely succeed!¡±

    Huang Zhong estimated the time Liu Zheng had agreed upon, and it was time to set off. He waved his hand and ordered: "Let's go!"

    Five thousand soldiers carried dozens of siege ladders and quickly rushed towards Licheng.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 601 Surrender or Escape

    The tent was pitch black, with a mountain of sacks vaguely visible. Ren Ping patted the sacks, which were all thick and heavy grains. There were at least three thousand stones of grain in this tent. This was not the target they were looking for, so they quickly went there again.  Entering another big tent, these more than a hundred big tents are almost connected together. Once you enter one big tent, it will be much easier to enter the other big tents.

    They received information that among the more than 100 large tents, at least 30 large tents stored food, and the rest were fodder, ordnance, kerosene and other materials.

    They first had to find the big tent where kerosene was stored. Although the captured Cao Jun scouts confessed that some of the kerosene was stored in one of these tents, they did not know which tent it was.  Search one account at a time.

    When they found more than thirty big tents, they got into another big tent. The pungent smell of oil from the big tent hit their faces, and this was it. At this time, their eyes had adapted to the darkness, and all they could see was the big tent.  Half of the inside was stacked with ordnance, and the other half was stacked with neat wooden barrels. There were hundreds of them, just like the Han army's gun oil barrels, each barrel weighed about twenty kilograms.

    Ren Ping was excited. He knew that the mission was mostly successful. As long as they were careful and careful with the rest, there would usually be no problems. He was about to instruct his men to take action when he heard someone speaking outside the tent, "The general has ordered, put the kerosene on the  It¡¯s too dangerous in the big tent, we need to move to the stone house immediately!¡±

    Ren Ping was startled. He pulled two of his men, and the three of them ducked behind the kerosene barrels. The tent door opened, and hundreds of soldiers walked in in formation. They were noisy and swaying. Each of them was carrying two soldiers.  The kerosene barrels left, and Ren Ping was so nervous that his heart almost jumped out of his chest. After moving most of the oil barrels away, no one came in.

    ¡°You all come here, go in and move, and move all the oil barrels away!¡± An officer¡¯s order came from outside.

    This was their only chance. It was about to pass. Ren Ping gritted his teeth. The three of them each carried two oil barrels and ran towards the weapons pile. Just as the three of them were hiding close to the tent, a group of Cao soldiers came in again.  , they moved quickly and quickly emptied the remaining hundreds of oil barrels, and the big tent suddenly became quiet again.

    Ren Ping breathed a long sigh of relief. He felt that his back was soaked. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. Seeing that his two men were extremely nervous, he smiled and patted them, "It's okay!" "Let's go first."  Are you going to burn fodder?" one of the men asked in a low voice.

    Ren Ping shook his head, "Only burn the food. Let's go separate ways. After lighting a stick of incense, we will light the fire. After lighting the fire, we will meet at the same place."

    The two nodded and each carried two barrels of oil and got out of the tent. Ren Ping calmly calmed down and ran to the other side carrying two barrels of oil

    On the city, more than 3,000 troops have all been deployed on the city. Xiahou Ba has just received intelligence from the scouts. The 5,000 Han troops who were originally setting up camp are heading towards Licheng, which is only a few miles away.

    This made Xiahou Ba very nervous. He didn't know what was happening. The situation changed day by day, but the final result was that the Han army really killed Licheng.

    Xiahou Ba worriedly asked Lieutenant General Mao Xin: "General Mao, what do you think the enemy is going to do? They change again and again. What is their purpose?"

    At this time, Mao Xin also felt confused. It was obvious that only 5,000 men could not break through Licheng, which was guarded by 4,000 troops. So what was the intention of the Han army?  Just here to test it out?

    At this time, Mao Xin suddenly remembered something and said anxiously: "Maybe the Han army is attacking the south city on the surface, but actually attacking the north city. Our north city wall is not very strong, so don't let them take advantage of it."

    This sentence immediately reminded Xiahou Ba. He remembered that the northern city wall was indeed built hastily and could be easily knocked open with a battering ram. If the Han army really attacked from the east to the west, the consequences would be serious. Xiahou suddenly broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly said to Mao Xin:  "You send a thousand soldiers to defend Beicheng. If anything happens, report it to me at any time!"

    Mao Xin led the army in a hurry. At this time, the Han army had appeared two miles away. From the top of the city, people could be seen faintly in the distance. Xiahou Ba watched the movement in the distance closely. For some reason, he suddenly felt something in his heart.  a bad feeling

    Huang Zhong's army arrived at Licheng after marching for more than half an hour. They did not hide, but directly formed a military formation under Licheng, posing as if they were going to attack the city. Huang Zhong rode on his horse and watched coldly.  Looking at the city in the distance, this is the first battle of his northern expedition, and he must not fail.

    At this time, Liu Zheng was brought up by Huang Zhong's soldiers. Liu Zheng clasped his fists and said: "Liu Zheng, a low-ranking official, meets with General Huang!"

    Every time Huang Zhong sees him, he can't help but think of the first time he saw him in Xiaji County. The monkey jumping on the tree has now become the famous eagle monkey in the Han army. Huang Zhong smiled slightly and said  : "General Liu, can you tell me what the situation is like in the city?"

    "Judging from the current situation, there is nothing abnormal and it should go smoothly. I believe Ren PingWith all his strength, he will definitely fulfill his mission!  "

    Huang Zhong nodded, "Okay, I'll wait and see!"

    Having said that, Liu Zheng was still very nervous. If Ren Ping missed, not only his life would be in danger, but the reputation of the Eagle Attack Army would also be damaged. Although he had a backup plan of hitting the wall with the battering ram, he still hoped that Ren Ping could succeed.  .

    It has now passed the time they agreed on, and Ren Ping has been in the city for an hour and a half. No matter how difficult it is, there should be news. Liu Zheng's heart was pounding with nervousness, and he secretly prayed to God to bless them with success.

    At this moment, Liu Zheng suddenly saw a thick smoke rising from the top of the city, followed by tongues of fire rising into the sky and then disappearing. Liu Zheng's eyes suddenly widened and he stared at the city, only to see the flames rising again.  It rose up to a height of more than ten feet. It was a raging fire mixed with billowing smoke.

    Liu Zheng screamed with excitement, jumped three feet high, and shouted: "They succeeded!"

    "Success!"

    The two hundred Eagle Strikers cheered, and all the Han soldiers cheered. Everyone saw the raging fire in the city. Huang Zhong nodded in approval and immediately ordered: "Send my order to attack the city!"

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The drums of the Han army were beating loudly, and the five thousand Han troops shouted loudly, holding their shields and spears high, and carrying siege ladders, they rushed towards the Licheng wall like a tide.

    At this time, the city of Licheng was already in chaos. The fire was first ignited from the grain warehouse. Dozens of large tents were ignited. The fire was fierce and the flames shot into the sky. The wooden boards protecting the tents were also burned. There was a crackling sound and the fire was burning.  The fire spread rapidly due to the strong wind. Soon, more than a hundred large tents were all set on fire. The soldiers shouted in horror, "Fight the fire! Put out the fire quickly!"

    More than a hundred guard soldiers rushed forward with water basins and splashed water desperately, but to no avail. When they saw that the fire was out of control, they shouted anxiously and asked for support. Many soldiers ran down from the city head to help put out the fire. Xiahou Ba  He was so anxious that he stamped his feet, "Save the food depot first! Save the food!"

    But at this moment, the drums of the Han army's attack sounded, and five thousand soldiers rushed to the city like a great tide.  !¡±

    The alarm bells blared on the city, and the thundering drums came from outside the city. An officer rushed down to the city and shouted: "Go back, the enemy is coming, go up to the city to resist, go back quickly!"

    The more than 2,000 soldiers who had just rushed down the city to join in the fire-fighting turned around and ran towards the top of the city. At this time, there was chaos above and below the city. Every soldier was at a loss. Many people thought of the last fire and were desperate.  The emotions captured the hearts of the soldiers.

    Behind a house, Ren Ping was carrying a bucket and pretending to put out a fire. However, he was anxious in his heart and looked around for his two men. According to the previous agreement, once the fire was successfully set, they should come here to join him. Why now?  If they haven't come yet, has something happened to them?

    At this moment, two Cao Jun soldiers rushed over one after the other and shouted in a low voice: "General, we are here!"

    The three of them were so excited that they hugged each other tightly. Ren Ping said to the two of them: "Now we are Cao Jun. Follow me and pretend to put out the fire. Don't go to the city to avoid being hurt by stray arrows."

    The two nodded, and each of them found a bucket, ran to the well to fetch water, and followed other Cao Jun soldiers to shout and carry water to put out the fire.

    Of course Huang Zhong would not really attack the city with all his strength. His so-called siege was just to contain Cao's army so that they could not put out the fire with all their strength. When the soldiers rushed within a hundred steps, they stopped attacking and raised their crossbows to shoot arrows at the top of the city.  , Arrows from both sides were like rain, densely intertwined. Soldiers kept screaming when they were hit by arrows, and the Han army also continued to suffer casualties.

    Huang Zhong had no expression on his face. He saw that the arrows in the southwest were originally dense, but suddenly decreased. He immediately realized that Cao Jun must have gone down to put out the fire. Huang Zhong immediately ordered: "Climb the city from the southwest of the city wall!"

    Thousands of Han troops raised their shields high and rushed toward the southwest with siege ladders on their shoulders. More than a dozen siege ladders were set up on the mile-wide city wall. The soldiers fought bravely to be the first, climbed up, and soon fought fiercely with the soldiers on the city.  Together.

    Seeing that the enemy's attack was not strong, Xiahou Ba had just dispatched a thousand men to the city to put out the fire. Unexpectedly, the Han army suddenly launched an attack with fierce force. The southwest wall quickly became nervous. A soldier came to ask for help, "General, brothers  It¡¯s almost unstoppable, please call for reinforcements!¡±

    Xiahou Ba stamped his feet in hatred, turned around and shouted: "Go and ask Mao Xin to go to the city to fight, and forget about putting out the fire!"

    More than a thousand soldiers who had just descended from the city, led by Mao Xin, rushed to the top of the city again and fought fiercely with the attacking Han army. At this time, the fire in the city was getting bigger and bigger, swallowing up all the supplies, and it was completely out of control.  Two to three hundred people could not put out the fire at all. Almost all Cao Jun's soldiers who participated in fighting the fire were desperate. They no longer carried water, but stood there blankly, looking at the fire that shot straight into the sky.

      It was getting daylight, and the Han army that was attacking the city retreated again. Broken ladders and dead bodies were everywhere on the battlefield. Weapons and shields were discarded all over the ground. The pools of blood were particularly bright red and dazzling.

    Although the Han army failed to capture the city in the end and suffered more than 300 casualties, they successfully blocked Cao Jun's fire-fighting operations.

    Cao's army's grain, grass and military supplies warehouses in the city were burned to the ground. Dozens of people and hundreds of livestock were burned to death in the fire. Only about 3,000 of Cao's army of four thousand were left. An extremely serious problem was immediately placed in front of them.  , their food was cut off, and only a dozen officers' horses were left.

    There were silent soldiers standing on the top of the city. They looked at the Han army two miles away. Everyone was full of worries. The city must have been unable to be defended. The question now is, should they surrender or flee?  Every soldier faces his own life choices.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 602 Inspection of Hanzhong

    In the golden autumn of October, the land of Hanzhong is full of prosperity. At this time, the Hanzhong Basin, like other counties in Yizhou and Jingzhou, the autumn harvest has ended. Songs are floating everywhere in the farm, and groups of farmers are busy in the village.  Overflowing with the joy of harvest,

    In the morning, a team of two thousand soldiers escorted slowly on the official road. This was Liu Jing's team inspecting Hanzhong. He had been inspecting Hanzhong for ten days and was on his way to Wudu County.  They were still walking in the Hanzhong Basin. The alternating hills and fields were the unique scenery of this area, and the shadows of tall mountains could be faintly seen in the distance.

    The Hanzhong Basin is still the core area of ??the entire Hanzhong region, and Nanzheng County is the largest city in Hanzhong and the political and economic center of Hanzhong. However, the military center has quietly been relocated to Wudu County last year.

    ¡°Husband, it seems we have been here before!¡±

    In the carriage, Sun Shangxiang looked around at the scenery and asked. The terrain in the Hanzhong Basin was slightly flat. She no longer rode a horse, but took a carriage instead. Although she was very tired following her husband's inspection, she had no complaints and tried her best to do what she could.  She obviously lost weight after being out for twenty days, such as meeting the officials' families, comforting the wives and children of fallen soldiers, etc.

    Liu Jing glanced at her with pity and said with a smile: "Twenty miles to the south is the Yangping Pass where we entered Hanzhong from Shu Road. At that time, we were walking eastward from the official road in the south. Now we are walking west, so you  It looks familiar, we have been here before.¡±

    "It turns out this is Yangping Pass, why does it look familiar to me!"

    Sun Shangxiang asked again: "Is this still Hanzhong County?"

    Liu Jing pointed with her riding whip to a small river not far ahead and said with a smile: "Have you seen the small river in front of you? After crossing that river, you will enter Wudu County."

    The team soon arrived at the small river and crossed the river from the bridge. There was a boundary monument by the river. Sun Shangxiang leaned over and looked at it, and saw the word "Juxian" written on the boundary monument.

    She suddenly remembered something and asked Liu Jing: "Last time I heard you said that you were going to Ju County for something important. Is this here?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "It's right here. I'll have a day of rest in the county today and leave for Xiabian tomorrow morning."

    The reason why Liu Jing is very interested in Ju County is because a major case broke out in Ju County more than a month ago. Ju County officials colluded with profiteers to embezzle tens of thousands of official grains. All officials from the county magistrate to the chief registrar were involved.  Among this major case, it can be said to be the most serious embezzlement case that Liu Jing has encountered since she started her army in Jiangxia.

    Ever since Liu Jing discovered that local officials were committing fraud while inspecting Wuchang, he immediately established the Supervisory Yuan when he returned to Chengdu and organized ten teams of external supervisory envoys, requesting that all counties in Yizhou and Jingzhou be inspected within one year.  A thorough investigation was needed. The major corruption case in Ju County took place against this background, so Liu Jing attached great importance to it.

    One of the most important purposes of Liu Jing's inspection of Hanzhong this time was to come to Ju County to personally interrogate the case. He first went to Nanzheng, and on his way from Nanzheng to Xiabian County, he happened to pass through Ju County.

    Not long after, the team gradually arrived at the county seat of Juxian County. Juxian County is one of the major grain-producing counties in Hanzhong. It is close to Mianshui and has a large population, with nearly 7,000 households. However, the county seat is not large, with a circumference of only ten miles and short city walls.  It is dilapidated and the population mainly lives in the villages on both sides of Mian River.

    Since all the officials in Ju County have been dismissed from their posts and held accountable, the Hanzhong Supervisory Envoy has temporarily taken over the government affairs of Ju County, waiting for the new officials to take over the power. The Hanzhong Supervisory Envoy is served by the young Xun Zhi, with two deputies and two  Ten cavalrymen provided escort.

    In just a few months, they visited more than a dozen counties in Hanzhong County and Shangyong County.  The major case of collusion between county officials and businessmen and the private sale of official grain made Xun Zhi famous in the official circles of Jing and Yi prefectures.

    At this time, Xun Zhi had already received the news of Liu Jing¡¯s arrival and rushed outside the city gate to greet the arrival of Zhou Mu. Xun Zhi was led by the sergeant to Liu Jing. He bowed deeply and said: "Xun Zhi, a humble minister, joins Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing knew that Xun Zhi was Xun Yu's nephew, and that the Xun family was an important family that he wanted to fight for in the future. In fact, it was also based on this consideration that Liu Jing made an exception and promoted Xun Zhi to the position of supervisory envoy. Seeing that Xun Zhi was gentle and gentle, he couldn't help but have a good impression of him.  , then nodded and said: "I have read the report sent by Ambassador Xun. It shocked me deeply, so this time I inspected Hanzhong and came to Ju County specifically. I want to understand this major case personally."

    "Invite the state pastor to come to the city and let Weichen report in detail!"

    Liu Jing then ordered the captain of the guard Li Qing: "The army does not need to enter the city. It will be stationed in the military camp outside the city. It will rest for a day and set off early tomorrow morning!"

    "Follow the order!"

    Li Qing led the army to divert to the military camp outside the West City, while Liu Jing led Sun Shangxiang in under the protection of two hundred guards.??³Ç.

    Although Ju County is a large county in Hanzhong, the county town is very dilapidated and dirty. The ground is bumpy, dusty, and there is a sour smell everywhere. The residents' houses are mostly mud houses, low and shabby.  Most of the residents were wearing old coarse clothes, and the children seen along the way were all barefoot and without shoes.

    Liu Jing also has many years of political experience. He knows that the quality of a county magistrate can be seen from the appearance of a county. The magistrate of Ju County is obviously very unqualified. How could Zhang Lu tolerate such an inactive magistrate?

    When the group arrived at the county government office, Liu Jing asked Xun Zhi to arrange for someone to take several female guards and Sun Shangxiang to the side hall to rest first, while Liu Jing entered the back hall. Liu Jing sat down and smiled at Xun Zhi: "Tell me.  Tell me, how did you discover the situation? The report you wrote was too simple. "

    Xun Zhi hurriedly bowed and said: "Back to Zhou Mu, I first looked at Zhang Lu's original inspection records of various counties and found that there were no records in Ju County for three consecutive years. I asked Governor Yang again and he said that Zhong Lin, the magistrate of Ju County,  It turned out that he was Zhang Wei's brother-in-law. He served as county magistrate for three years. His taxes paid ranked among the top among all counties in Hanzhong for two consecutive years. He was highly praised by Zhang Lu. If we hadn't conquered Hanzhong, Zhang Lu would have promoted him to Wudu.  Jun Cheng, on the surface, seems to be a very capable official, but Governor Yang suggested that I go to the county to take a closer look."

    "You mean Yang Song knew about it?" Liu Jing interrupted him and asked.

    "Prefect Yang only knew that the magistrate of Zhong County was very ruthless in collecting taxes, and he did not know about the embezzlement of official grain. Because Prefect Yang was the prefect of Hanzhong County, and Ju County belonged to Wudu County, so Prefect Yang couldn't say much, just a suggestion  I'll go to Ju County to check in detail.

    It turned out that Ju County collected ten years of taxes in three years. In other words, the taxes for the next seven years had been collected in advance. Naturally, a lot of taxes were paid, which was praised by Zhang Lu. As for how much he had embezzled, that is  What a confusing account.  "

    "Then how did you find out?"

    "Back to Zhou Mu, on the night when Wei Chen and two deputies came to the county for inspection, Zhong Lin asked someone to send me five hundred taels of gold. I knew that his problem must be serious, but most of his previous account books were lost.  , there was no way to check, and later it was discovered that the grain inventory did not match Hanzhong's account book.

    Weichen then checked back from Hanzhong records and found that there should be 70,000 shi of grain in the official warehouse of Ju County, but in fact the inventory was less than 20,000 shi. Excluding the loss of poor preservation, there was a full shortage of 50,000 shi of grain.

    As a result, everyone from the county magistrate to the chief secretary insisted that the grain was requisitioned by the Yizhou Army when they went north, and that a lot of it was taken away by the rebels. This is the problem. The Yizhou Army did not go through Juzhou when they went north.  The county went directly from Mingyue Pass to Dingjun Mountain, and did not even come to Yangping Pass. How could it be possible to requisition the county's grain?  "

    Liu Jing nodded and asked with a smile: "Then how did you find out the problem?"

    In his report to Chengdu, Xun Zhi only reported on the problems of Ju County officials, but did not mention how he investigated the case, but Liu Jing was very interested in it.

    Xun Zhi said with some embarrassment: "Weichen pretended to accept their bribe and pretended to investigate for three days. They believed it and lowered their vigilance. Then Weichen left and returned to Nanzheng, but secretly sent his subordinates back to Ju County to investigate.  , found the businessman who was trading with them, and arrested the businessman directly in Nanzheng.

    As a result, the businessman had detailed records and evidence. The minister asked General Zhao to send troops to assist, and a large amount of money was seized from the homes of several officials in Ju County, as well as the account books they had hidden. In front of the evidence and witnesses, they had to plead guilty.  .  "

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "It's true. He is not only selfless, but also very strategic. He is worthy of being a descendant of the Xun family."

    Xun Zhi's face turned red, and he bowed and saluted: "I have a request, and I beg the state pastor to agree to it."

    "Let's talk about it. If it makes sense, I'll agree."

    "Wei Chen is very sad about the situation in Ju County. A good county has been devastated by corrupt officials. I implore the state pastor to appoint Wei Chen as the magistrate of Ju County. Give me two years and I will completely change the face of Ju County."  come over."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, and then said happily: "It's rare that you have this ambition, then I will fulfill it for you. Not only that, I will exempt Ju County from taxes for another three years, and all the money and grain collected from several corrupt officials will be transferred to Ju County."  The county treasury can be used by the county. I will come to Ju County for inspection in two years. I hope you will not disappoint me. "

    Xun Zhi was overjoyed and bowed: "I will definitely live up to Zhou Mu's trust!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, Liu Jing was reviewing the emergency ultimatum sent from Chengdu in the military camp, while Sun Shangxiang sat aside and sorted out the documents for him. Although Sun Shangxiang was fond of martial arts since he was a child, he also received a good education, read and wrote a beautiful essay.  font.

    Although she followed Liu Jing all the way north to inspect and enjoy theMagnificent mountains and rivers, but at the same time he also served as Liu Jing's temporary scribe, organizing documents for him and arranging his daily life, food and accommodation, which was of great help to Liu Jing.

    At this time, Liu Jing stopped writing and asked Sun Shangxiang with a smile: "Madam, can you tell me how Jiangdong governs the Shanyue people?"

    Sun Shangxiang knew why her husband asked this question. She had also seen Xu Shu's report just now. Xu Shu suggested sending people to the barbarian tribes to teach them how to raise silkworms, weave brocades, and open up wasteland for farming. This made her quite emotional. Yizhou's management of the barbarians and  Jiangdong's governance of the Shanyue people was completely different.

    "The population of Jiangdong is insufficient. Since the time of my eldest brother, I have been constantly provoking wars against the Shanyue people. I have taken the opportunity to plunder the Shanyue people to enrich the population of local counties. Although I have conquered the Shanyue people on the surface, it has also left a lot of hidden dangers. Over the years, Shanyue  Continuous riots occurred in counties where people gathered, and there were frequent vendettas against the Han people, which has always been Jiangdong's thorn in the side. "

    Sun Shangxiang sighed softly and added: "From Yizhou's governance of the barbarians, I realized that Jiangdong's direction in governing the Shanyue people was wrong from the beginning. It should be to help them improve their lives and then slowly integrate with the Han people.  Don¡¯t just use force to conquer, that will only be counterproductive.¡±

    Speaking of this, Sun Shangxiang took off the moon orb from his neck. It was a gift from Mrs. Zhu Rong to Tao Zhan. It was a barbarian treasure. Although Tao Zhan was unwilling to accept it, he couldn't get rid of it in the end. Later, he gave it to Sun Shangxiang. Sun Shangxiang  I love it very much and wear it all the time.

    She stroked the orb and said to Liu Jing: "From this string of orbs, we can see Mrs. Zhu Rong's desire to improve the lives of the barbarians. I hope that your husband can help them sincerely."

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Conquest is not only about force, culture is also a kind of conquest. In fact, whether it is against barbarians or Shanyue, we cannot use force roughly, nor can we just appease them. We should use both kindness and power. We must first use force to establish authority, and then use force to establish prestige."  We should use gentle means to appease, and more importantly, we must be patient. It will take several generations to integrate slowly and subtly, and we cannot rush for success. I believe that by the time of our grandson's generation, southern Xinjiang will have changed a lot.  "

    "My husband is right, I hope to see that day."

    The two of them were talking when a guard outside the tent reported: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, General Huang has sent an urgent battle report!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 603 Wei Yan offers a plan

    Not long after, a messenger soldier covered in mud hurriedly walked in. His face was also scratched. It looked like he had fallen. He knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See you, Zhou Mu!"

    ¡°Where is Old General Huang¡¯s letter?¡±

    The messenger soldier presented Huang Zhong¡¯s letter. Liu Jing took it and asked, ¡°Is there any other oral news?¡±

    "Returning to report to Zhou Mu, Cao's army broke out from Licheng and was surrounded and annihilated by General Huang Lao. Only dozens of people escaped. Xiahou Ba, the leader of Licheng, was also captured alive by General Huang Lao."

    "good!"

    Liu Jing nodded in approval, and then ordered the guards, "Give him five taels of gold and take him down to rest!"

    "Thank you so much for the reward, Zhou Mu!"

    The soldier was taken away. Liu Jing opened Huang Zhong's letter and read it again. She stood up and went to the sand table next to her. Sun Shangxiang did not follow her. She knew that when her husband was handling military affairs, it was best not to get involved. She cleared the table.  Put the documents on Liu Jing's desk, stood up and left.

    Liu Jing stood in front of the sand table, comparing it with the sand table to find Huang Zhong's battle trajectory. In the letter, Huang Zhong gave the first credit to Ren Ping, the general of the Eagle Strike Army, and two other soldiers. They risked their lives to sneak into the city and burn Cao's army's food and fodder.  As for Cao's army, unable to defend the city, they had to abandon Licheng and break out of the siege, which became the key to capturing Licheng.

    Capturing Licheng is the first step in the second Northern Expedition and a key point in realizing the Northern Expedition strategy. Of course, it cannot be compared with capturing Xicheng, but it is equally encouraging. Liu Jing found Licheng on the sand table and again  After finding the two camps to be built, plus the captured Licheng, there were already three grain storage transfer stations on the Qishan Road in the northern expedition to Longxi.

    He paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands, thinking about the next strategy for dispatching troops.

    Benxian County under Wudu County has become the military center of the Han army in Hanzhong. Nearly 50,000 troops are stationed here, including Fazheng, Pang Tong, Zhao Yun, Wu Yi, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Ma Chao, Zhang Ren, Liu Hu, etc.  All senior civil and military officials gathered here to actively prepare for war.

    The Han army's camp outside Xiabian County stretches for dozens of miles. Thousands of tents can be seen at a glance. The tents are neat and orderly. The soldiers drill in the camp every day to train their physical fitness. A three-foot-long tower is also built in the middle of the camp.  It is a small castle with a perimeter of four miles. The walls are tall and strong, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.

    This military fort is used to train soldiers to siege and defend the city. No matter day or night, soldiers will participate in training, and there will even be highly realistic siege battles.

    Starting from the first watch in the middle of the night, waves of war drums continued to be heard in the camp. The tens of thousands of soldiers in the camp knew that this was the beginning of a simulated siege night battle training.

    Nearly 10,000 soldiers participated in this simulated siege battle. Countless torches illuminated the night like day. More than 7,000 soldiers carried siege ladders and pushed huge nest carts, rumbling forward from all directions.

    There were three thousand soldiers defending the city. They used headless crossbows to shoot downwards intensively. They used wooden spears and blunt knives to fight the attacking soldiers. The shouts of killing resounded through the night sky. Soldiers kept screaming and falling from the city.  , fell into the pond below the city.

    On a high platform not far away, Liu Jing, accompanied by dozens of civilian officials and generals, watched the fierce siege training. This kind of training is extremely dangerous. In less than half a year from April to now, more than 20 people have  He died during training and hundreds of people were injured, most of whom were injured after falling from the city wall.

    Despite this, the training effect is very significant, especially the night siege training, which allows the soldiers to adapt to the cruelty of night fighting, which will play an immeasurable role in improving the soldiers' night fighting capabilities.

    "How many soldiers are participating in night battle training now?" Liu Jing turned around and asked Zhao Yundao.

    Zhao Yun immediately held up his hands and said: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, all soldiers have participated in overnight battle siege training. There are trainings almost every night. This has been eight rounds."

    Liu Jing nodded and asked: "With such a huge momentum, will it affect the rest of the soldiers? After all, the training volume the next day is very heavy. If you don't get a good rest at night, the training will be compromised."

    Next to him, Wu Yi smiled and said: "It was a little affected at first, but the soldiers have long been accustomed to it. They are very tired from training during the day. When they fall down, they fall asleep. It can be said that they are unstoppable and even the French military advisor cannot wake up."

    "Yeah?"

    Liu Jing turned back to Fa Zheng and asked with a smile: "Are the French military advisors used to it too?"

    Fazheng smiled bitterly, "I'm really used to it."

    At this time, there was a burst of cheers from the castle, and more than a dozen nest vehicles came into play. The siege army captured the west city. The city gate was opened wide, and the soldiers rushed into the city gate. There was still a quarter of an hour before the prescribed time.  It means that the night battle training will be won by the siege side.

    Liu Jing looked at the sky and saw that it was almost the third watch. Then everyone laughed and said, "It's too late. Let's go and have a rest! Let's talk about anything tomorrow."

    Everybody wants toLiu Jing said goodbye and dispersed. Liu Jing also returned to his big tent. Due to strict military discipline, Sun Shangxiang did not live in the military camp, but in the county town. Liu Jing returned to the big tent. He just tidied up and lay down, but something happened outside the tent.  Wei Yan's voice came, "Please report to Zhou Mu, I have something urgent!"

    "General Wei, it's too late. If it's not an urgent military situation, it's best not to disturb Zhou Mu anymore."

    "Although it is not an urgent military situation, it is still very important. Please be accommodating!"

    Wei Yan stood outside the tent and asked several guards on duty. Since he led his army to successfully intercept Cao Jun's pursuit, Liu Jing had not broken his promise and promoted him to Zhonglang General after returning to Chengdu.

    In this way, Wei Yan completely emerged from the shadow of the loss of Chaisang and became one of the eight Zhonglang generals of the Han army. However, Wei Yan's target was General Pi.

    He has very senior qualifications in Hanzhong. As early as when Liu Jing was still a military prince, he and Liu Hu became Liu Jing's right-hand man, and they have followed Liu Jing in his campaigns in the north and south, step by step until today.

    Although he is now ranked as the Zhonglang general along with Gan Ning, Liu Hu and others, Wei Yan is not satisfied. He feels that his qualifications are fully qualified to serve as the assistant general like Zhao Yun and Wenpin.

    The key is military merit. As long as he can achieve great military merit, then it will be logical for him to be promoted to general. Now that he has a chance, it depends on whether Zhou Mu can fulfill himself.

    Wei Yan did not want to report in the daytime, as that would alert other generals and would not show his contribution to the strategy. Moreover, he was Zhao Yun's subordinate, so if he reported in the daytime, he would not be able to overstep his rank.

    This is also human nature, just like most people always want to report to the leader privately when they have some good ideas, so that the leader can appreciate themselves.

    Wei Yan begged again and again, but saw that the guards were indifferent, and he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed, but he didn't dare to get angry, so he had to slightly raise his voice and plead: "I just beg you to inform me once. If it is inconvenient for the governor, I will leave immediately."

    At this time, Liu Jing¡¯s voice came from the tent, ¡°Please come in, General Wei!¡±

    Wei Yan was overjoyed and shouted loudly: "The last general, Wei Yan, wants to see you!"

    The guard glared at him angrily and said unhappily: "General Wei, please come with me!"

    In the big tent, Liu Jing had already stood up. He put on a piece of clothing, and the two guards also lit the lamp. Liu Jing sat down in front of the table.

    The curtain was opened, and a guard led Wei Yan in. Wei Yan knelt down on one knee and saluted, "Please don't blame Zhou Mu for disturbing Zhou Mu's rest!"

    "General Wei, sit down and talk!"

    Liu Jing ordered Wei Yan to sit down and asked the guards to serve hot tea. Wei Yan had no intention of drinking tea and said eagerly: "I have a unique military strategy that can ensure that our army quickly wins the battle of Longxi."

    "What a strange military strategy, tell me!" Liu Jing said with a slight smile.

    Wei Yan bowed again and said: "Can you please ask the state pastor to come to the sand table to listen to the explanation of your humble position?"

    Liu Jing nodded, stood up and walked slowly to the sand table. Wei Yan quickly stepped forward, picked up the wooden pole and pointed at Jixian County: "It's only more than three hundred miles from Wudu County to Jicheng. Now Cao Jun thinks we are moving step by step.  Establishing supply points along the Qishan Road, we simply sent out a surprise force to raid Jicheng via the same dangerous route used by the Di cavalry last year. Jicheng fell. That day, Shui County was in our possession, and neither Qishan Fort nor Xicheng  Another threat."

    Liu Jing asked quietly: "Then how many troops does General Wei think is better?"

    "I feel that an army of five thousand is the most suitable. It is best to bring the Eagle Attack Army with me. I am willing to lead the troops to Jicheng."

    "Then how do you provide food for your five thousand troops? The journey of 350 miles will take four days at the fastest. Does General Wei think it is enough to bring dry food?"

    "When I returned to Zhoumu, I could use wooden oxen. I saw the training of wooden oxen with my own eyes. It was amazing. If there were no wooden oxen, I would not dare to propose this plan."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said with a smile: "General Wei, there is no need to worry. It is only October now and we are not fully prepared. If we are not fully prepared for war, even if the surprise strategy is successful, it will be difficult to succeed. What we want is not to capture Jicheng, nor is it a one-time victory."  The victory in the Tianshui County battle is to defeat the main force of Cao's army in Longyou and gain a firm foothold. Our last failure was that we sent troops too hastily, so we must not repeat the same mistake this time. "

    Wei Yan¡¯s disappointment was palpable. He thought his plan for a surprise attack was impeccable, but unexpectedly Zhou Mu was not very interested. He felt very disappointed and lowered his head in silence for a while.

    Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder again and said with a smile: "I know you are eager for your meritorious service, but you have now been promoted to the rank of Zhonglang General. Even if your trick succeeds, I can't promote you. I can only give you a reward. You have to understand one thing.  , if you want to be promoted to a general or a general, you can't do it with one or two military exploits, but because you are not qualified enough to control one side. Let's put it this way, even if you don't participate in the war, as long as you"Give me guard Chaisang for three years, and I will directly promote you to the rank of general. Do you understand what I mean?"  "

    Wei Yan nodded silently. He understood what Liu Jing meant. He sighed and said: "When we were in Jiangxia, the highest military rank of the Jiangxia Army was just General Zhonglang. After capturing Jingzhou, the highest military rank was General Pi.  After conquering Yizhou, the highest military rank in the Han army was promoted to partial general. If you want to be promoted to a lower rank, you must at least wait until Guanzhong is captured. Do you understand the lower rank? "

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "That's more or less the meaning. Not only can you not be promoted, but Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, and Wenpin can't be promoted either, but merit can be accumulated. If Guanzhong is won, everyone will be promoted based on merit. Of course,  That won¡¯t happen next year, General Wei, you have to learn to wait and be patient.¡±

    "I understand, I understand. Thank you so much for your teachings. I will say goodbye!"

    Wei Yan bowed to say goodbye and left the tent, but Liu Jing was no longer sleepy. He stared at Jicheng for a long time. In fact, Wei Yan's proposal was a very good plan.

    Xiabian County was originally a large county with a population of 2,000 households. Because the county town became the starting point of the Han Army's Northern Expedition, more than half of the people in the city were temporarily evacuated to various parts of Hanzhong.

    There are less than 300 households left in the city, and they are basically merchants serving the army, such as trading houses, taverns, brothels, hostels, shops, etc. There are more than 20 brothels in Guangzhou, from Guanzhong, Longyou, Yi, etc.  There are nearly a thousand young prostitutes from Zhouzhou, Jingzhou and other places.

    The Han army did not have military prostitutes with the army, and the military discipline was strict. Anyone who raped civilian women would not be pardoned. In order to meet the physiological needs of the soldiers, the Han army acquiesced to a certain extent in allowing brothels to move with the army. In fact, this was also the fault of Cao Jun and Jiangdong Army.  rule.

    So when the Han army camp was set up outside Wudu County, brothels and merchants from all over the country flocked there.

    In addition to brothels, taverns in the county are also favored by soldiers. Since it is not war time, soldiers are allowed to drink occasionally, but they can only sell fruit wine, and the portions are also limited. Despite this, various taverns have become extremely popular among soldiers.  place.

    There is a newly opened tavern near the south gate of the county, called Xingshenglou, which can accommodate more than a hundred people for dining at the same time. It is also ranked among the top three among the more than ten taverns in the county. It rents a private house covering an area of ??three acres.  , business is usually booming. The proprietor of Xingshenglou is surnamed Yang and is from Guanzhong. There is also a tavern with the same name in Chang'an City. This one in Xiaben County is considered a branch.

    According to the regulations of the Han army, soldiers are not allowed to stay out overnight and must return to camp after dark. Therefore, all shops in the county have no business at night and close as soon as it gets dark, and Ruyi Tower is no exception.

    It was already midnight, the sky was dawning, the city gate had been opened, and the rumble of drums came from the military camp outside the city. This was when the soldiers began to get up for training.

    Because it has not yet entered wartime and only troops are stationed in Wudu County, the soldiers have a chance to leave the camp every ten days and can take a day off. Everyone takes turns to rest. Every day, 5,000 soldiers get a rotation and are allowed to enter.  City shopping and dining.

    As soon as the drums in the military camp sounded, all the shops opened for business, preparing to welcome the soldiers. Some impatient soldiers had already appeared on the streets in twos and threes. They joked with each other, but their goal was very clear, and they went straight to each brothel.

    Xingsheng Building usually doesn't open until the morning. At this time, a soldier quickly came to the back door of Xingsheng Building. He knocked on the door rhythmically. The door opened a crack. The soldier ducked and entered the back door.  The middle-aged man looked at both sides of the street and quickly closed the back door.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The middle-aged man's name is Yang Lin, who is the proprietor of Xingsheng Tower. He is a businessman in name, but his real identity is Cao Jun's spy. He was originally a clerk of Zhong Yao and was sent to the people to investigate the sentiments of the people.  , he opened a tavern in Chang'an to explore the people's sentiments in Chang'an.

    During the Han Army's Northern Expedition, in order to spy on the Han Army's intelligence, Yang Lin was selected by Cao Jun and sent to Wudu County to open this tavern. On the one hand, he obtained information from the dining Han soldiers, and on the other hand, Cao Jun  There are also detailed operations in the Han army, and Xingsheng Tower is responsible for transmitting information.

    This Han soldier was one of Cao's soldiers. He followed Yang Lin to the inner room. The two sat down. The soldier took out a piece of paper from his arms and handed it to Yang Lin, "This is the Han soldier."  The key to the inner cabin design of the wooden cow is the mechanism at the bottom of the wooden cow. Unfortunately, it is too confidential and detailed drawings of the mechanism are not available. "

    Obtaining detailed information about the wooden ox was an order personally issued by Cao Cao. Cao Cao¡¯s army attached great importance to it. Although they could not obtain detailed manufacturing drawings, they had obtained the outline drawings before and now they had obtained the inner cabin drawings, so they could barely deliver.

    Yang Lin looked at the drawing carefully, carefully put it into a box, and asked: "I heard that another batch of wooden oxen was sent from the Han army yesterday. Is it true?"

    The soldier nodded, "?There are about 300 vehicles, so there are 1,500 wooden oxen in the Wudu camp. There is also an important piece of information.  "

    "What information?"

    "Liu Jing arrived at the military camp yesterday and is now in the military camp."

    Yang Lin was surprised. After the Han army suddenly launched the Battle of Licheng, Liu Jing appeared in Wudu County. It seemed that Licheng was not the end of the Han army's operation. They were going north. Do they still want to attack Xicheng?  ?  Yang Lin immediately realized that this information was extremely important, and he wanted to send it to Ji County immediately by pigeon mail.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 604 Wooden Oxen Transports Grain

    Early the next morning, in the Han army's camp, 1,500 wooden oxen were ready. This was their first time transporting grain. They could transport more than 7,000 shi of grain at a time. Their destination was the Han army's recent arrival.  The newly occupied city of Licheng.

    The team responsible for transporting grain this time is 2,000 barbarian soldiers. This is the first batch of soldiers sent to Bashu after the Barbarian King Meng Huo and Liu Jing reached an agreement in Chengdu. A total of 5,000 barbarian elites will come to Han within half a year.  Serving in the army, these two thousand people were the first batch of soldiers to join the Han army two months ago. They were organized into Liu Jing's Ya Army and were commanded by General Wang Ping.

    After repeated consideration, Liu Jing decided to use these first batch of barbarian soldiers to control wooden oxen to transport food, and use their expertise in walking like flying in the mountains to maximize the advantages of wooden oxen in transporting food.

    Two thousand barbarian soldiers have been training hard in the Han army camp for two months. Not only have they learned to control the wooden ox, they have also made great progress in military discipline, military orders and combat formations. Many smart soldiers have also learned a few things.  Chinese.

    Their equipment is no different from that of ordinary Han troops. They wear iron pockets on their heads, leather armor decorated with iron plates, shields and bows on their backs, and swords on their waists. Each of them also has a standard spear, and their feet are pierced with war swords.  Boots, with a dagger inserted in the boots, and each soldier also has a military blanket. Although it is only the equipment of ordinary soldiers, it is already a world of difference compared to their previous equipment.

    These two thousand barbarian soldiers were generally not tall, but they were all extremely strong, with their dark muscles glowing bronze in the sun. At first, the Han soldiers looked at these soldiers from southern Xinjiang with a strange look.  However, after getting along for a long time, both generals and ordinary soldiers fell in love with these barbarian soldiers who were able to endure hardships and have a simple and kind nature.

    These soldiers had a military salary of 300 yuan per month, but they never spent it arbitrarily, and they never went to the city to drink or go to prostitutes. They saved all the money and sent it to their wives and children. This was recognized by senior officials of the Han army.  their general praise.

    Fifteen hundred wooden oxen were neatly placed in the open space of the camp. Each vehicle contained five bags of grain, weighing five stones in total. Directly in front of the wooden oxen was a row of nine-arrow crossbow holes, which could shoot nine crossbow arrows at the same time.  , although the range is not far, only fifty steps, but it is extremely lethal to close attacks, giving the wooden cow a certain degree of defense.

    In addition, there are spear holders and hooks for hanging bows, arrows and swords on both sides, so that soldiers can march lightly without being restrained by weapons. On the side of the wooden bull facing the soldiers, there are bamboo hats, food bags and water hyacinths hung, and military blankets  Then it was rolled up and stuffed into the leather pocket under the wooden cow. Every aspect was considered very thoughtfully.

    There was a barbarian soldier standing next to each bullock cart, and another 500 people served as patrols and guards. In front of the team, Liu Jing told Wang Ping: "Although the Qishan Road to Licheng from the north is under our control, you  You still have to be careful along the way and don¡¯t be careless.¡±

    Wang Ping bowed and saluted: "Please rest assured, Zhou Mu, I will march with caution and will never be careless."

    Liu Jing nodded. He looked at the energetic barbarian soldiers again and said with a smile, "Okay! It's time to set off!"

    Wang Ping urged his horse to the front of the team, raised his sword high and shouted: "Let's go!"

    The gate of the military camp slowly opened. The barbarian soldiers put the wooden ox leather straps on their shoulders and pushed the wooden ox. Although the wooden ox was loaded with five stones of grain, it walked very briskly. The barbarian soldiers walked as fast as flying, and the wooden ox was pushed out one after another.  At the gate of the military camp, tens of thousands of soldiers lined the road to see him off and headed towards Qishan Road.

    Liu Jing was impressed when he saw that the wooden ox was extremely fast, light and flexible. He turned back to Fa Zheng and said, "I plan to build 30,000 wooden oxen so that we can closely connect Guanzhong and Longyou with us."

    Fazheng also smiled and said: "The key to the Qin Dynasty's ability to unify the world is that it has the Bashu granary. It will be the same for us in the future. Longyou produces horses, Bashu and Jingzhou produce grain, and we have the benefits of Guanzhong. I believe that within ten years,  We will surely sweep across the Central Plains and unify the world."

    Liu Jing's heart also surged with great pride. He turned around and ordered to the guards: "Order all officers above the rank of captain to come to the Chinese army's tent to discuss the strategy of capturing the West City."

    Since Cao Cao led his army to withdraw from Jicheng, the garrison in Jicheng has also been reduced sharply to 10,000. General Cao Ren is stationed here and is responsible for the defense of the entire Qishan Road, including Jicheng, Licheng, Qishan Fort, Xicheng, and Mumen City  and six defensive points in Shanggui County.

    According to Cao Cao's inference when he withdrew his troops, Liu Jing would have to prepare for at least a year before launching the second Northern Expedition. In terms of time, it would not be until next spring. It was also based on this inference that Cao Cao's army only deployed 1,000 troops in Guanzhong and Longxi.  One hundred thousand troops, of which 70,000 were deployed in Guanzhong, led by Xiahou Dun and Xun You.

    Qishan Road in Tianshui County deployed 30,000 troops, with Cao Ren as the general and Mao Jie as the counselor. Before the Han army launched the second northern expedition, Cao Ren's main task was to prevent the Han army fromSmall-scale harassment and assault.

    But a series of things that happened recently made Cao Ren frightened. The Han army suddenly launched an attack on Licheng at the end of the autumn harvest, broke through Licheng, and captured Xiahou Ba. If this was a large-scale attack by the Han army,  , but the strength seems to be a little less, only more than 5,000 people.

    If this was just a small-scale harassment by the Han army, but it didn't look like it, and it was led by Huang Zhong, a veteran general with the highest military rank in the Han army. This conflicting military information deeply confused Cao Ren. Not long after the fall of Licheng,  The Han army began to build a grain storage military city in Fengyun Valley, south of Licheng.

    Only then could Cao Ren be sure that this was not a large-scale attack by the Han army, nor a small-scale harassment, but a change of strategy by the Han army, and they began to conquer the Qishan Road fortresses one by one, and built grain transfer stations along the Qishan Road.

    Realizing the change in Han army's strategy, Cao Ren immediately sent people to Yedu to urgently report to Cao Cao. At the same time, he also requested military support from Xiahou Dun, who was guarding Chang'an.

    Above the city of Ji County, Cao Ren stood in front of the battlements with the hilt of his sword in his hand and looked towards the mountains to the south. His eyes were filled with deep worries. Xicheng was not very far from here, less than two hundred miles away. What he was most worried about was  Xicheng is a strategic location for the entire Qishan Road. The city is tall and wide, and can garrison tens of thousands of troops. It can also store hundreds of thousands of grains. Once the Han army captures Xicheng, the Han army's Northern Expedition will have the upper hand. At that time,  How did he explain it to the Prime Minister?

    At present, Xicheng has tens of thousands of grain stores and 5,000 troops stationed in it, commanded by General Zang Ba. If the Han army only attacks with 5,000 people, it is really okay, but we are afraid that the Han army will increase its troops. Once there are 20,000 or 30,000 more troops, Xicheng will  It's dangerous.

    If the Chang'an reinforcements could arrive in time, it would be good for him to lead the army to support Xicheng, but Cao Ren also knew that it was impossible. He only sent people to Chang'an for help three days ago. It would take at least seven or eight days to go there, and the Prime Minister strictly ordered  He was not allowed to lead his troops easily, lest Jicheng be empty and the Han army take the opportunity to sneak attack.

    At this time, Mao Jie walked up to Cao Ren and said with a smile: "General, don't be too anxious. Even if the Han army goes north, they must at least face Qishan Fort first. Otherwise, the army of Qishan Fort will cut off their food routes. Even if ten Huang Zhong  It¡¯s useless, and Qishan Fort is in a dangerous terrain, and it¡¯s almost difficult to capture it with just a few thousand people, so I think the West City is not in danger yet, so the general can stay calm.¡±

    Cao Ren didn't like Mao Jie. It wasn't that Mao Jie was incompetent, but that Mao Jie was too incorruptible as an official. It was fine that he himself was poor. However, he was in a high position and also required all civil and military officials in the court to be honest and honest. This was very difficult.  It is easy to offend people. Although Cao Ren himself was not corrupt, his brother Cao Hong was impeached by Mao Jie several times and was almost dismissed from office. This made Cao Ren always dissatisfied with Mao Jie.

    More importantly, Cao Ren looked down on Mao Jie's resourcefulness. It was because of Mao Jie's misjudgment in Fancheng that he was attacked by the Jiangxia navy at that time. General Le Jin died in Xinye, which made it difficult for Cao Ren to explain to the prime minister.  regret.

    Although Mao Jie later made great contributions in obtaining the secret recipe for kerosene, Cao Ren was always worried about him. This time the prime minister sent Chen Qun to Chengdu for negotiations, but appointed Mao Jie to join the military in Longxi, which made Cao Ren very unhappy.

    However, Cao Ren also knew that the Prime Minister valued Mao Jie very much. After the founding of the Wei Kingdom, he appointed Mao Jie as Shangshu. He had a high position and a high position, and he could not afford to offend him. Cao Ren said lightly: "Logically, Licheng should be difficult to attack, but the Han Dynasty  However, the army captured Licheng overnight, so anything can happen on the battlefield. We should not think too simply. If Xicheng is in danger, I will still lead the troops to rescue. "

    Mao Jie felt the coldness in Cao Ren's tone. He was silent for a moment and said: "If the general is worried, you can order two thousand soldiers from Mumen City to reinforce Xicheng. The Xicheng army has 7,000 soldiers, which is enough to resist the attack of 20,000 people.  "

    This suggestion was acceptable to Cao Ren. He nodded, "Just follow Mao Shangshu's words and mobilize soldiers from Mumen City to reinforce Xicheng."

    As soon as he finished speaking, a soldier ran up from the city and shouted: "General, the pigeon message from Shimoben County is here!"

    Cao Ren was startled. It turned out to be a pigeon letter. There must be urgent information. He immediately ordered: "Send the letter up!"

    The soldier ran forward and handed a roll of pigeon letter to Cao Ren. Cao Ren opened the pigeon letter and looked at it carefully. He was suddenly surprised. Mao Jie, who was standing next to him, saw that Cao Ren had a different look on his face and asked quickly: "What happened over there in Wudu County?  "

    Cao Ren sighed and said, "Liu Jing is in Xiabian County now. I'm afraid he will personally lead his army northward."

    Mao Jie thought for a while and said: "Liu Jing should only be inspecting Hanzhong and will not easily lead his army northward. After all, Chen Qun and Mr. Zhi are both in Chengdu. Before the negotiation breaks down, he will not rush to launch an attack. I believe the Prime Minister  "My judgment is not wrong. Liu Jing will lead his army in the northern expedition at least until next spring."

    "But their strategy has changed now!"

    Cao Ren was a little annoyedHe stood up and said, "Liu Jing is heading north step by step. Once he captures Xicheng, his Northern Expedition will be half successful. Why wait for next spring? No, I will go to Xicheng personally to take charge of the defense!"

    Cao Ren was so anxious that he didn't listen to Mao Jie's persuasion and hurried down to the city. He ordered his deputy general Niu Jin: "Quickly order five thousand troops and horses. I want to rush to the west city immediately!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 605 Pang Tong¡¯s concerns

    Qishan Fort is located in the middle section of the East Road of Qishan Mountain. Its name is Fort. It is actually a board-walled camp built on a slightly dangerous hill. It was a defensive point for Cao Jun during the Han Army's first Northern Expedition.  .

    Although the location of camping on a hill is advantageous, the disadvantages are also very obvious. The most important thing is the water source. Qishan Fort was chosen to be on a hill with water source. The camp was built according to the mountain and stretched for several miles.  , two thousand Cao troops were stationed in Gaozhai, blocking the official road to the north.

    Although the Han army can go north from the west road of Qishan Mountain, the presence of such an army in the Qishan area will easily cut off the Han army's food routes and seriously threaten the Han army's Northern Expedition. Pulling out the Qishan Fort has become an inevitable choice for the Han army.  .

    After Huang Zhong's army captured Licheng, they rested for a few days and continued to move north. Although Huang Zhong's vanguard army had 10,000 people, only 5,000 troops actually went into battle. The number was neither too many nor too few. On the one hand, it allowed  Cao's army was at a loss as to whether the Han army was a formal northern expedition or a small-scale harassment.

    On the other hand, in order to reduce the Han army's own food consumption, before the Han army's food transportation and supply channels are fully established, it is undoubtedly the best choice for a medium-sized army to go north.

    In the morning, five thousand troops marched rapidly among the high mountains. Flags were fluttering, dust was flying, the troops were neatly dressed, and the morale of the soldiers was high. They had passed the basin and entered the central area of ??Qishan Mountain. They were less than twenty miles away from Qishan Fort.  inside.

    Huang Zhong rode on his horse and looked at the surrounding terrain. The terrain in this area was open and there were few trees. The possibility of an ambush by Cao's army was low. However, Huang Zhong did not dare to take it lightly and kept sending scouts to check the situation ahead.

    At this time, a scout galloped over on horseback and reported: "General Qi, the mountains ahead have become narrower. The mountains are high and the forests are dense, making it very easy to ambush!"

    Huang Zhong nodded and immediately ordered: "Give me my order to change the formation of the march, five people in a row, and slow down the march!"

    The formation of a platoon of five people is to shorten the length of the team, shortening the marching team that often takes more than ten miles to a few miles, which is conducive to concentration of troops to deal with enemy ambushes and sneak attacks. Generally, only experienced generals will make such an arrangement.

    Since the time of Liu Biao, Huang Zhong has been fighting in the north and south to expand Jingzhou's territory. He has been fighting for more than 20 years and has rich experience. He knows what marching strategy to adopt in the situation. The terrain was open and not easy to be ambushed, so he ordered the army  He marched quickly, but once the terrain narrowed, he immediately became cautious and ordered the troops to slow down their marching speed. This is called proper timing.

    At this time, Lieutenant General Wu Ban rode forward and said: "Old General, Qishan Fort is fifteen miles ahead. The camp under the mountain fort is easily attacked by the enemy. It is better to garrison five miles away! I know there is someone there.  It is in an open area with a small river flowing through it, which is very suitable for camping. I suggest you camp there.¡±

    Wu Ban was the younger brother of Wu Yi. He was brave and good at fighting. Like his brother, he was also quite strategic. He was highly appreciated by Liu Jing and was named a deputy captain. He was very familiar with Qishan Road. This time Huang Zhong went north, Liu Jing made special arrangements.  He is Huang Zhong's deputy general.

    In addition to Wu Ban, the generals who followed Huang Zhong in the Northern Expedition this time included Lei Tong, Feng Xi, Lingbao, Zhou Xin and others. They were responsible for guarding Licheng, building a city in Fengyun Valley, etc., while those who marched into Qishan Fort  There are only two generals, Wu Ban and Lei Tong. Of course, military advisor Pang Tong also went north with the army.

    Huang Zhong thought for a while and realized that Wu Ban's suggestion made sense, so he nodded and said, "In that case, you can lead a thousand people to the camp first, and be careful about safety on the road."

    "Humble your duties and obey orders!"

    Wu Ban led a thousand people to escort the mules and horses transporting the tents, accelerated the march, and ran to the north first.

    At this time, Huang Zhong slowed down his horse and waited for Pang Tong to come forward and keep pace with him. "The military advisor was quite silent today. Are you still unhappy about what happened yesterday?" Huang Zhong asked with a smile.

    Yesterday, Pang Tong proposed a plan to Huang Zhong. He could station himself at the foot of Qishanbao Mountain, relax military discipline, and lead Cao's army to rob the camp at night. However, Huang Zhong rejected it, which made Pang Tong a little unhappy. The key is that during this northern expedition, Huang Zhong basically didn't.  Listening to his suggestions really made Pang Tong feel dissatisfied, so from yesterday to now, he has said nothing and stopped making any suggestions.

    At this time, Huang Zhong came to greet him, and Pang Tong said coldly: "The general is extremely talented and invincible. What else can I say? Just shut up. General, don't you feel that your ears are quiet?"

    Huang Zhong heard the emotion in Pang Tong's tone, so he didn't say anything more. He smiled, urged his horse to go to the front of the team, and said to Pang Tong from a distance: "Commenter, follow me! We will camp after passing the mountain col in front."  "

    Pang Tong watched Huang Zhong walk away and slowly clenched his teeth. If he was really allowed to remain silent all the way, he would be unwilling to do so. After all, this Northern Expedition was also an opportunity for him. Why should he give up?

    It¡¯s just that Pang Tong really couldn¡¯t understand Huang Zhong¡¯s thoughts and it was difficult to work with him. Compared withZhao Yun respected him more, but Pang Tong had to admit that Huang Zhong's rich experience could sometimes make up for his lack of strategy.

    "Drive!" Pang Tong urged his horse and chased after him helplessly.

    The Han army set up camp in an open area by the river. It was only four or five miles away from Qishan Fort. You could clearly see Cao Jun's camp on the mountain ridge in the distance. Even if Cao Jun rushed down from the mountain to attack the Han army's camp, it would still take a while.  Time was enough for the Han army to organize a defense, and the camp location satisfied Huang Zhong very much.

    Pang Tong entered his tent, where a clerk was sorting out the books for him. Pang Tong waved his hand impatiently, "You should leave first! I can sort it out myself."

    The secretary bowed and retired. Pang Tong sat down and opened a blank document. He wanted to write a letter to Liu Jing to express his dissatisfaction with Huang Zhong. However, he hesitated for a long time and could not write. He remembered that he was under Liu Bei.  The slight he suffered in the military camp was largely due to his outspokenness, which offended many of Liu Bei's cronies, such as Jian Yong and Sun Qian. After writing this letter, Huang Zhong would inevitably be offended again, and he would repeat the same mistake.

    Pang Tong sighed softly. He seemed a bit narrow-minded in doing so. He put down his pen again and was silent. At this time, a soldier of Huang Zhong walked quickly to the tent, bowed and said: "Revelation  Military advisor, the old general invites the military advisor to discuss matters!¡±

    Pang Tong was slightly startled. Did Huang Zhong change his gender again and remember that he should respect himself?

    He nodded, "Tell the old general that I will come right away!"

    Although Pang Tong wanted to stay angry, he also knew in his heart that if he continued to be angry like this, he would not be able to explain it to Zhou Mu, and he would not be able to stand up in future arguments. Forget it, why not go and listen to what Huang Zhong wanted to discuss with him?

    Pang Tong straightened his clothes, walked out of the camp, and walked quickly towards the Chinese army's tent.

    In the Chinese army's tent, Huang Zhong was interrogating two Cao army scouts. They were the two Cao army spies captured by the patrol. For Huang Zhong, these two spies arrived in time. At this time, Pang Tong walked into the tent. He already knew  Cao Jun's spies were captured.

    "Old General, they should be interrogated separately. Maybe they are spies sent by Cao Jun to deliver false news." Pang Tong reminded him when he entered the tent.

    Huang Zhong nodded, "The military advisor is absolutely right!"

    He immediately asked his deputy Wu Ban to escort one of them to another tent for interrogation, and he interrogated the other person himself. Pang Tong sat aside and listened quietly to Huang Zhong's interrogation.

    "Reporting to the general, there are a total of 2,300 people. The leader is Jiao Huang. I don't know how many rations there are, but it should be sufficient."

    "Where are the military rations and materials stored in the military camp?" Huang Zhong asked again.

    "It was originally in the southeast corner, but in the past two days it was moved to the middle of the camp. A specially built camp fence was built to surround it. It is heavily guarded and covers an area of ??more than ten acres."

    "How is the morale of the army? Do you know about the fall of Licheng?"

    "Reporting back to the general, the morale is still good. No one knows about the fall of Licheng. General Jiao always said that the Han army will not move north within one or two years, so the brothers are very reassured."

    At this time, Pang Tong asked from the side: "How do you solve the problem of water supply?"

    "There were springs on the mountain for several days. We led the springs to the camp and buried hundreds of large urns on the ground to store water. The water source was very sufficient."

    Huang Zhong asked more than a dozen questions and learned about the situation in Qishan Fort in detail before ordering Cao Jun to be detained. At this time, Wu Ban's interrogation also ended, and both sides checked the confessions and basically agreed.

    Huang Zhong slowly said to everyone: "Since Cao Jun chose to camp in Qishan Fort, they must have considered it. This is the only way to go north from Qishan East Road to West City. The mountains are high and the road is dangerous. It is located in a dangerous place. With our five  It would be unrealistic for thousands of people to go up the mountain to attack. It would take at least 20,000 people to capture the enemy stronghold, and a huge price would have to be paid. Zhou Mu¡¯s order is very clear. Except for Xicheng, we are not allowed to pay a heavy price at other passes, so we  Don¡¯t consider attacking by force, let¡¯s brainstorm and see if there is a better way.¡±

    As soon as Huang Zhong finished speaking, Lei Tong suggested: "Can you let the Eagle Attack Army go up in the dark and set his mother on fire?"

    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely!¡±

    Wu Ban shook his head and said: "They have learned the lessons of Licheng. They even moved the warehouse to the middle of the camp. This shows that the other party is strictly guarded. The fire plan will definitely not work. How about the water plan? Start from the water source."

    Huang Zhong pondered for a moment, then turned back and asked Pang Tong, "Just now the military advisor specifically asked about the source of water, did you also have this consideration?"

    Pang Tong smiled bitterly and said: "Because Cao's army was stationed on the top of the mountain, the stream must be led up from the mountainside. It is feasible to cut off their water source. However, the spy also said that hundreds of large urns were buried on the mountain to store water, and this area  The trees are particularly lush?, the air is humid, and it can be seen that there is a lot of precipitation. Even if their water source is cut off, they can collect and store rainwater. Moreover, Cao Ren is a famous general in the north. When considering garrisoning, he will never have problems with water sources, so I think it is best to cut off the water source.  The water source plan is inappropriate.  "

    Pang Tong's analysis was well-founded, and everyone felt that it was inappropriate to cut off the water source. Everyone was silent for a while. After a while, Pang Tong said again: "The only way to conquer Qishan Fort is to lead Cao's army down the mountain. Other than that, there is no other way."  There is no other way.¡±

    Huang Zhong sighed slightly and said: "Yesterday, the military advisor also proposed to lure Cao Jun to rob the camp. The reason why I don't agree is because Cao Jun has a small number of troops and is obviously focused on defense. They will never take the risk of going down the mountain to rob the camp. Even if we pose  They won¡¯t go down the mountain easily if the camp is empty, so I think the military advisor¡¯s plan is inappropriate.¡±

    Pang Tong bit his lip and said, "There is another situation. Cao Jun will have to go down the mountain. We can put a long line to catch big fish."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 606 Fishing with a long-term view

    At night, groups of Cao Jun soldiers patrolled back and forth on the wall of the stronghold. The number of patrols tonight increased three times than usual, and the soldiers were fully attentive and alert to all movements. The arrival of the Han army made Cao Jun in Qishan Fort extremely nervous until  At this time, Cao's soldiers vaguely guessed that Licheng had probably been lost.

    Qishan Fort is a plank-walled camp, which is extremely solid and occupies almost the entire hilltop. The surrounding terrain is difficult, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Although the defenders only have more than 2,000 people, they can defend 20,000 people.  The attack was a strong fortress set up by Cao Jun on the Qishan Road.

    General Jiao Huang is the son of General Jiao Chu of the Cao Army. He followed Cao Ren in pacifying the remnants of the Yuan family in Hebei and was named a school captain. His father Jiao Chu was killed in the Battle of Chibi and was posthumously named a lieutenant.

    Jiao Huang was a general under Cao Ren. He was brave, good at fighting, and cautious. He was trusted by Cao Ren. He was appointed by Cao Ren as the commander-in-chief of Qishan Fort and was ordered to defend Qishan Fort.

    At this time, Jiao Huang also looked very nervous, although he knew that Licheng had fallen and hid the news from the soldiers, and he also received an order from Cao Ren, ordering him to defend Qishan Fort to prevent a sneak attack by the Han army.

    In other words, he knew that the Han army would arrive sooner or later and was mentally prepared, but when Huang Zhong's army actually arrived, he still felt tremendous pressure. He was now most worried about being attacked by the Han army and suffering the same fate as Licheng  .

    To this end, he not only strengthened patrol soldiers, but also moved food and supplies to the center of the camp. At the same time, he ordered soldiers to operate in groups of five. Any soldiers with less than five people would be arrested, and those who violated the order would be severely punished, even  The passwords had to be changed three times overnight, all to prevent Han army scouts from sneaking into the military camp.

    At this time, on the wall of the village, General Jiao Huang was staring at the southeast direction. In the daytime, he could clearly see the Han army camp. Judging from the scale of the Han army camp, there should be less than 10,000 people. It was about 10,000 meters away from Qishan Fort.  They set up camp five miles away to prevent themselves from attacking from a high position. It seems that the Han army was also very cautious and not in a hurry to launch an attack on Qishan Fort.

    At this moment, a patrol soldier suddenly shouted from the southwest corner: "Who is it! Tell me your identity, otherwise the arrow will be released."

    The soldiers of Cao's army on the camp suddenly became nervous. Groups of soldiers rushed to the southwest corner. Jiao Huang shouted: "Strictly guard your respective posts, and you are not allowed to leave at will!"

    More than a dozen groups of soldiers also returned to their sentry posts. At this time, Jiao Huang quickly walked to the southwest corner and saw the soldiers holding crossbows and nervously staring at the bushes outside the camp. "What happened?" Jiao Huang asked.  road.

    A village chief came forward to report, "General Qi, I just noticed a figure moving in the bushes outside the camp, and now there is no movement again."

    Jiao Huang looked up at the moonlight. The night sky was clear, without a trace of clouds. A full moon hung in the sky, and the silver moonlight covered the mountain tops. It was unmistakable on such a night. He also became confused and took the hand from the soldier.  He took a crossbow and aimed at the largest bush below.

    ¡®Click!  ¡¯ With a soft sound, he pulled the hanging knife, and a crossbow arrow shot towards the bushes like lightning. He only heard a cry from the bushes, ¡®Ah!  ¡¯ screams, followed by countless black shadows running out of the bushes and fleeing down the mountain.

    "There is an enemy!" Jiao Huang shouted, and Cao's troops all around fired arrows downwards. Only a scream was heard, and seven or eight black figures were hit by the arrows and fell down. At this time, the bell on the camp rang, 'Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The shrill bells echoed in the night sky.

    Groups of soldiers rushed up to the wall of the village, drew their bows and nocked arrows, and aimed at the outside of the camp. At this time, the defenders had already fired several rounds of arrows, but it seemed that the enemy troops had withdrawn. Jiao Huang was filled with hatred. The Han army was really going to attack them.  Attack the camp at night.

    ¡°This order is sent to all soldiers, no one is allowed to rest tonight!¡±

    The soldiers of Cao's army kept struggling until dawn the next day, and after confirming that the Han army had retreated, they opened the gate of the village and went out to inspect the situation last night.

    Jiao Huang personally went out to inspect the stronghold. The soldiers had found the bodies of three Han soldiers. There were still a lot of blood stains on the ground. It seemed that some injured people had escaped. Jiao Huang looked at the bushes and trees around him and shouted sternly.  He yelled: "Pass my order. All bushes and trees within two hundred steps of the camp must be eradicated. The caves must be filled in. No hiding place is allowed."

    Two thousand soldiers used their axes to chop down the bushes and woods. In fact, the best way was to burn them with fire. However, Cao's soldiers were worried that setting fire would affect the camp, so they could only use knives to eradicate them.

    At this time, a soldier rushed to report: "General, traces of enemy troops were found over the creek."

    Jiao Huang was surprised. Could it be that the Han army's target was the water source last night?  He hurried to Xiquan.

    There are three clear springs on the top of the mountain where Qishan Fort is located. They flow out from the stone cracks on the cliff, and finally converge into a stream and flow into the small river at the foot of the mountain. The water source of Qishan Fort for Cao Jun is these three clear springs.One of the springs, the source of the spring water is in Cao Jun's camp, so Cao Jun is not worried about the water source problem.

    However, Jiao Huang was also afraid that the Han army would do something and cause the water source in the camp to dry up. He quickly rushed to the scene of the incident, which was located halfway up the mountain. He saw the Han army digging three deep holes hundreds of steps apart on the mountainside.  The pits were several feet in diameter, and there was a little water in one of the pits.

    An officer clasped his fists at Jiao Huang and said: "I guess the Han army's intention is to let the water flow out from the mountainside, so that the springs in the cliff will dry up."

    Jiao Huang frowned, "Is this possible?"

    "This situation is relatively common in the Bashu area. However, the terrain of Qishan Mountain is complex and the source of the water veins is unknown. It is very unrealistic to use this method. It can be seen from these three pits that the Han army's idea failed."

    "But isn't there water in the pit?"

    "Reporting to the general, if the water veins were found, a pool would have been formed a long time ago. There would not be only such a small amount of water. This is actually water accumulated in the soil from rainwater and spring water. It has no meaning, so the Han army also gave up."

    Jiao Huang nodded, his heart finally relieved, and he immediately ordered: "Fill the pit and return to camp!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The Han army's night attack on Cao's camp ended in failure. The operation to cut off Cao's army's water source was also forced to give up because it could not find a water vein. As Cao's army began to fortify the walls and clear the country, all shrubs, boulders and trees within two hundred steps of the camp were removed.  It was cleaned up completely, and even a few stone crevices where people could hide were filled in. The possibility of the Han army attacking Cao Jun's camp was getting lower and lower. For three days in a row, there was no movement by the Han army.

    In the early morning of the fourth day, Cao Jun's soldiers discovered a scene that surprised them. The Han army camp stationed several miles away disappeared, and there were no traces of the camp around, as if it had been blown away by the wind overnight. This made Cao Jun  The soldiers talked a lot, and many soldiers realized that the Han army had probably given up attacking Qishan Fort.

    Not long after, the scouts went up the mountain to report that no trace of the Han army was found within a radius of ten miles. They had indeed withdrawn. Jiao Huang felt relieved and led his soldiers down the mountain to check. Not long after, they came to the Han army camp. Except for some  There were no other supplies outside the earthen stove for cooking, and the signs of the camp were still there. It could be seen that they were not in a hurry and had to clean up before leaving.

    Jiao Huang was surprised. Could it be that the Han army retreated to Licheng because they could not capture Qishan Fort?  It doesn't feel like Huang Zhong's style of doing things. After all, there was no attack, so he just surrendered and retreated. How would Huang Zhong explain to Liu Jing when he went back?

    Of course, there is another possibility. The Han army abandoned Qishan Fort and went directly north to attack Xicheng. After all, Xicheng was the key place for the Han army's Northern Expedition.

    At this time, several Cao Jun scouts brought back an old medicine collector and reported to Jiao Huang: "General, this man knows something about the situation!"

    Jiao Huang was overjoyed and hurriedly stepped forward to ask. Seeing that the old man was trembling with fear, he comforted him and said, "Don't be afraid, old man. Just tell me what you know and I will let you go. What's your last name?"  Where are you from?¡±

    The old man bowed and saluted: "My surname is Qiao. I am from Tianshui County. I have been collecting herbs in Qishan Mountain for nearly twenty years. I did see something last night."

    "What did you see? Tell me quickly!"

    "Last night, I saw countless soldiers marching north in formation. They were very careful and there was no movement at all. I hid on the rock wall and was so scared that I didn't dare to come down all night."

    Jiao Huang took a breath. Sure enough, he guessed it right. Huang Zhong abandoned Qishan Fort and went directly north to attack Xicheng. A tooth general next to him hesitated and said: "If the Han army doesn't care about us, what will happen to their logistics and food channels?"  Guarantee? Isn¡¯t Huang Zhong afraid that we will cut off his food supply?¡±

    Jiao Huang shook his head, "We only cut off the east road of Qishan. The Han army's food team can completely take the west road of Qishan. Although the road is a little longer, it can bypass the Qishan Fort. General Xiahou also set up defenses on the west road of Qishan.  The point is to prevent the Han army's food team from bypassing the west road. Now that the defense point there is gone, there is nothing we can do. "

    "General, do you mean that we just don't care?" the subordinate said in astonishment.

    Jiao Huang pondered for a moment and said: "We must ask General Cao for instructions on this matter, or we can first take a look at the enemy's situation before making a decision."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 607 Wooden Ox as Bait

    A grain transport team composed of more than 300 wooden ox carts was marching northward along the rugged Qishan Road at high speed. In addition to the 300 barbarian soldiers manipulating the wooden ox carts, there were also 200 escort soldiers, led by the general.  Wang Ping led it himself.

    Wang Ping had completed transporting grain to Licheng. Just as he was about to return to Wudu County, he received an urgent order from Liu Jing, ordering him to immediately lead 300 wooden oxen northward to support Huang Zhong.

    At this time, the wooden ox convoy led by Wang Ping was driving on the official road to Qishan. Although the road was rugged, the wooden ox controlled by the barbarian soldiers still walked quickly. They had fully mastered the driving skills of the wooden ox and adapted to it.  The road conditions on the Qishan Road were extremely comfortable while marching all the way.

    At this time, a patrolling cavalry rushed back to report, "General Qi, Luo Yingtang is in front of us, how should we go?"

    Luoyingtang is a place name, and it is also a bifurcation point of Qishan Road. Qishan Road is divided into east and west roads. Going east is a straight road. It is closer to Xicheng and the road is flat and spacious, but it has to pass through Qishan Fort, while going west  It's a curved route, dozens of miles further than the east, but it won't be intercepted by Cao's army.

    Wang Ping thought for a while, but did not answer hastily. Instead, he shouted to the soldiers: "Everyone, rest where you are for half an hour!"

    The soldiers pushed the wooden cows to the roadside one after another and sat on the ground to rest and drink water. At this time, Wang Ping said to the scout: "Go to the west road to explore the situation. Be careful of being ambushed by enemy patrols."

    "As ordered!" The chief scout clasped his fists in salute, led his two men, turned their horses and ran north.

    While the Han soldiers were resting on the roadside, on the mountainside not far away about 300 steps away, two Cao Army spies were watching the situation of the Han Army's grain transport team. They observed for a long time and looked at each other.  The man quickly left the mountainside and ran northward along a path.

    Half an hour later, the Han army finished resting and started on the road again. Wang Ping ordered: "Go west on the forked road ahead, take the Qishan West Road to the north!"

    The barbarian soldiers pushed the wooden ox cart, and three hundred wooden ox carts lined up and set off northward

    Jiao Huang received a report from the spies in the afternoon and discovered more than 300 strange wooden carts of the Han army. The wooden carts were large in size but only needed to be operated by one person. There were about 500 Han soldiers. Jiao Huang immediately realized  , this kind of wooden cart is most likely the wooden ox that Cao Ren has repeatedly warned him about. It is said that the Prime Minister attaches great importance to this kind of wooden ox and ordered that a batch of wooden oxen must be captured.

    This made Jiao Huang's heart begin to waver. It had been three days since Huang Zhong's army marched north to West City. The east road of Qishan was completely quiet. No Han army passed by here anymore, and even the Han army's patrols and scouts could not be seen.

    At the same time, Jiao Huang also received an order from Cao Ren yesterday, allowing him to act according to the situation. That is to say, under the condition of ensuring safety, he can send troops to attack the Han army's food road, and it is up to him to make the specific decision.

    And Jiao Huang only knew that Cao Ren was already in Xicheng at this time, less than a hundred miles away from him. This made Jiao Huang a little embarrassed. If he was allowed to make his own decision, he would also bear the consequences of failure. Jiao Huang paced back and forth in the room.  After thinking about it, the two tooth generals under his command agreed to attack the Han army's food team.

    "General, we can ambush the enemy's food team in the north. No matter whether they take the east road or the west road, they will eventually converge and go north. Then we will ambush the enemy at the meeting point in the north, and it is not far from us, only thirty  Yuli.¡±

    Another tooth general also advised: "The key is that the opponent is using a wooden ox. Didn't the Prime Minister have an order that whoever can capture the Han army's wooden ox will be given a heavy reward? This is our opportunity. If we let it go in vain,  It¡¯s really stupid.¡±

    The key is the wooden ox, and Jiao Huang is also tempted. He doesn't want a big reward, but three hundred wooden ox. If he can capture it, the prime minister will be very happy, and he will be able to become a marquis. Thinking of this, Jiao Huang finally made up his mind.  determination.

    "Okay! Let's send troops to ambush the enemy's food team."

    He said to a tooth general: "You can lead five hundred troops to defend the camp. I will personally lead the troops to ambush. I will also give you a share of the prime minister's reward. I will not treat you badly."

    The tooth general was overjoyed, and he cupped his hands and said: "I humbly obey the order!"

    A quarter of an hour later, Jiao Huang led 1,800 Cao soldiers to leave Qishan Fort and quickly headed north. He had to cut off the enemy's path before the opponent's grain team.

    The east road to Qishan is about fifty miles long, while the west road is eighty miles long. Not only does it take an extra thirty miles of curves, but the ground is uneven and the road is narrow, making it much more difficult to walk than the east road. Until the next morning, Han  The ration team had just completed this difficult journey, and the soldiers were really tired.

    Wang Ping looked at the map on his horse. After walking five or six miles, he would reach the meeting point of the east and west roads. The road would become flat and wide again, leading to the West City.

    He thought for a moment and then looked around at the terrain. They had already walked out.In this section of the valley, the terrain becomes open, with large forests scattered in the distance, extending to the north.

    Wang Ping looked back at the soldiers again and saw that every soldier was sweating profusely and panting from exhaustion. He couldn't bear it and ordered: "Everyone, stop and rest for an hour!"

    After giving the order, the soldiers did not care about pushing the wooden ox aside, and sat down and rested on the wooden ox. Wang Ping did not rest. He climbed up a big tree and looked around. He knew very well that if Cao Jun  To ambush them, this area is the best terrain.

    Especially the forest in front of him was dense and deep, which was very suitable for an ambush. He could not go any further, otherwise he would be within the range of the enemy's crossbows. Wang Ping was cautious and wise, and he knew where he was going.  Although he was responsible for the mission, he also cherished the soldiers and was unwilling to let them sacrifice needlessly.

    Therefore, the resting place he chose was very clever. The enemy could not ambush with crossbows and could only rush out of the forest to make a surprise attack. At this time, a flock of frightened birds suddenly flew over the forest in the distance. Wang Ping suddenly became vigilant. He jumped down from the tree and shouted  : "There is enemy situation, prepare to fight!"

    The barbarian soldiers who were sitting on the ground and resting got up one after another. They had gone through countless emergency trainings and immediately quickly pulled the wooden ox together to straighten it. At the same time, they took off the bows and arrows from the wooden ox and hid behind the ox cart.

    Before they were ready, shouts of killing erupted from both sides of the forest. Nearly two thousand soldiers of Cao's army came out from the north and south and rushed towards the wooden cow's parking place. It was nearly two thousand Cao's soldiers led by Jiao Huang. They originally wanted to use  He ambushed the opponent with crossbows, but the opponent was resting outside the shooting range. In addition, the opponent was not many in number, only about 500 people. Jiao Huang was worried that the night would be long and the dream would be long, so he ordered a surprise attack.

    Two thousand Cao soldiers attacked the Han soldiers resting on one side of the official road like a tide. At this time, the Han soldiers fired arrows behind the wooden ox. The arrows flew rapidly in the air. Cao soldiers screamed and fell to the ground after being hit by arrows.  These Han soldiers were all from barbarian tribes, and all of them had accurate archery skills, and the Han army's bows and arrows were much sharper than their native bows. Even though Cao's army raised their shields to meet them, more than a hundred Cao's soldiers were shot down in one round of arrows.

    But after all, the number of Han soldiers was small and they could not stop Cao's army from rushing in. Seeing that the enemy troops were getting closer and closer to the wooden ox caravan, Wang Ping stared closely at the enemy troops that were coming up. The enemy troops had already entered within thirty steps. Wang Ping  Ping gave an order, "Fire the crossbow!"

    There is a nine-hole crossbow on the front end of the wooden ox. The hanging knife is located behind the car body. Usually the crossbow arrows are not stringed, but today they were prepared in advance. Three hundred Han soldiers pulled the hanging knife together. There was only the sound of a crossbow machine, and the two arrows shot by the wooden cow were heard.  Thousands and seven hundred short arrows shot at Cao Jun's soldiers like a storm.

    The powerful short arrows shot through the shields, Cao Jun's soldiers screamed loudly, and the two hundred people running in front were shot to the ground. Everyone was hit by several arrows. A Cao Jun Ya general was also hit by five arrows and died tragically on the spot.  , Cao Jun's soldiers were in chaos, their positions were unstable, and the impact quickly faded. The soldiers who were lucky enough to miss the arrows scrambled to turn around and run away.

    At this time, the Han soldiers fired the second round of bows and arrows. Many Cao soldiers who were running backwards were shot over. Jiao Huang was stunned. He did not expect that the wooden ox could actually shoot arrows, and it was so powerful. In just one round of shooting,  More than three hundred of his men were hit by arrows and fell to the ground.

    Although the Han army's attack was sharp, it did not cause a fatal blow to Cao's army. Jiao Huang quickly calmed down and shouted loudly: "Don't be afraid, the enemy only has 500 people, hold on to your position!"

    Cao Jun escaped fifty steps away. Under the repeated shouts of his general Jiao Huang, Cao Jun finally stabilized and began to regroup. They held their shields high and held spears in their hands, forming a dense shield array. They no longer ran, but were neatly organized.  Approaching the Han army step by step in an orderly manner.

    In this way, the bows and arrows of the Han soldiers lost their killing effect, and it took time for the wooden ox to load the second round of arrows. There was no time to prepare. Wang Ping gave the order, "Retreat!"

    The Han soldiers abandoned the wooden oxen and followed Wang Ping to retreat south quickly. Cao Jun did not pursue them. Their target was 300 wooden oxen. Jiao Huang was overjoyed and ordered the soldiers to push all the wooden oxen away, but he soon discovered  The problem is that the wheels are stuck in the mechanism and cannot be pushed at all. No one knows how to operate the complicated mechanism below.

    "General, the wheel is stuck. I wonder what the problem is?"

    Jiao Huang was so anxious that he stamped his feet and shouted: "Find the reason for me immediately. Anyone who finds the reason will be rewarded five hundred taels of gold!"

    The soldiers of Cao's army were lying under the wooden ox looking for the switch. At this moment, drums were beating loudly all around, and countless Han troops came from all directions to kill. The leader was a veteran, holding a golden-backed tiger-tooth knife. It was the commander Huang Zhong, who had a long sword.  Pointing at the soldiers of Cao's army, he shouted: "I am Huang Zhong. You are surrounded, why don't you surrender quickly?"

    More than a thousand Cao Jun soldiers were frightened out of their wits and at a loss. Jiao Huang knew he had been tricked and shouted, "Brothers, follow me and break out of the encirclement!"

    He turned his horse's head and ran south,After running less than a hundred steps, a Han army came out of the forest. It was five hundred barbarians led by Wang Ping. Wang Ping's horse was very fast, and he rushed to Jiao Huang's eyes in an instant, "The enemy will die!"

    He shouted loudly and slashed with his sword like a bolt of lightning. Jiao Huang was caught off guard and was killed on his horse by Wang Ping's sword. His body fell to the ground. Seeing that their general was dead, the soldiers of Cao's army ran around and had no way out. They all knelt down and surrendered.

    Huang Zhong was so happy that he raised his head and laughed, "What a long-term plan to catch the big fish, the military advisor really has a clever plan!"

    At dusk, five thousand Han troops reappeared under the Qishan Fort. Huang Zhong ordered his men to send Jiao Huang's head up the mountain, giving Cao's soldiers one hour to surrender, otherwise the camp would be set on fire and no one would survive.

    Only half an hour later, five hundred soldiers of Cao's army raised the white flag high and surrendered, dedicating the Qishan Fort. At this point, all Cao's strongholds south of Qishan had been occupied by the Han army. At this time, the Han army would once again face the strategically important city of Xicheng.  Once the West City was captured, the Han army's step-by-step strategy was mostly successful.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 609 Bloody Battle in West City ((Part 1)

    Xicheng County, Cao Ren has arrived in Xicheng County for five days, but bad news comes one after another. Jiao Huang's wooden ox convoy that attacked the Han army was caught in a trap, and the entire army was wiped out. Cao's army in Qishan Fort surrendered, and Licheng and Qishan Fort were lost successively.  , the next target of the Han army must be Xicheng.

    This made Cao Ren very nervous. He knew the strategic significance of Xicheng. Xicheng was not only the gate of Tianshui County, but also the Han army could enter Guangwei County eastward. Once Xicheng was lost, the entire battle situation in Longxi would be extremely unfavorable to Cao Jun.

    There are currently 8,000 Cao troops in Xicheng County, which has almost reached the upper limit of the number of troops that can be stationed in Xicheng County. However, Cao Ren is still worried. He keeps sending people to Guanzhong to urge Xiahou Dun's reinforcements.

    In the room, Cao Ren was standing in front of the map with his hands behind his hands, staring at the map on the wall for a long time. Just the night before yesterday, Huang Zhong led 5,000 troops to bypass the West City and stationed himself on a mountainside ten miles away to the north. This was undoubtedly  It brought trouble to Cao's army who went south to support him.

    Just now, he received news that Xu Huang had led 30,000 troops and was rushing westward. He would arrive at Jicheng first and leave 10,000 troops to defend Jicheng. Xu Huang would then lead 20,000 troops south to help defend Xicheng.

    This was Xun You's suggestion to prevent the Han army from taking advantage of the void to attack Jicheng. Cao Ren agreed with this plan. He was also worried that the Han army would attack the east and west and take advantage of the opportunity when he went south to the west city to attack Jicheng. However, Xu Huang's army has not yet reached Jicheng.  The situation was already bad, which made Cao Ren's heart twist into a ball.

    "General, I don't understand why General Xu didn't come directly from Guangwei County to Xicheng. He had to detour to Jicheng and then go south. This would take at least two more days." The deputy general Zang Ba next to him said puzzled.

    Cao Ren shook his head, "This should be Mr. Xun's careful consideration. Mr. Xun knew that I was in Xicheng and had enough troops. He should be more worried about the loss of Jicheng, so he sent troops to Jicheng first. Considering the overall situation, it was completely safe to send troops to Jicheng.  correct."

    Zang Ba lowered his head and said after a while: "I am worried that Liu Jing will personally lead the army to attack the West City. General, if the West City is lost, we will not be able to explain it to the Prime Minister!"

    ¡°You have to calm down!

    Cao Ren glared at Zang Ba with dissatisfaction, "We have 8,000 troops in the west city and a tall and strong city wall, which can completely withstand an attack of 50,000 people. The garrison in Wudu County is only 50,000. Liu Jing can lead 30,000 at most.  Why can't we resist the army's march to the north? Xuangao, I think you don't have the confidence!"

    "Yes! I am humble enough to know my fault."

    Cao Ren took two steps with his hands behind his back, and then said: "I have received information that the Han army has been practicing night battles to siege the city in the past few months. I suspect it is for the West City. Starting tonight, we will also practice night battles to defend the city. In addition,  There are too few trebuchets on the city, you must organize craftsmen to make them immediately. "

    "I understand, I will make arrangements now!"

    Zang Ba bowed and left, leaving Cao Ren alone in the room. Although he scolded Zang Ba for being impatient, in fact he was more worried. Once the West City was lost, how would he explain it to the prime minister?

    At this moment, there was a sound of running outside, and a guard rushed to the door and reported hurriedly: "General, the scouts have discovered urgently that a Han army of more than 30,000 people has passed Qishan and is heading towards the west city.  Come on, make a big noise."

    "Ah!" Cao Ren was stunned for a moment, and he said urgently: "Bring the scouts to see me!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the afternoon, General Cao Ren stood on top of the city and looked worriedly towards the south. He seemed to have seen the main force of the Han army. Although he ordered more trebuchets, it would take at least five days to add ten more trebuchets.  He worried that there was not enough time.

    He has just received news that tens of thousands of troops arrived at Qishan last night and are continuing to move north towards Xicheng. They are probably Liu Jing's main army.

    But at this time, there was also a Han army camped in the north less than ten miles away from Xicheng. It was Huang Zhong's five thousand army. They bypassed Xicheng at night and camped in the north of Xicheng County for two days.

    The main force of the Han army is approaching, what should we do?  Should he leave the city and fight the 5,000 Han troops first, defeat Huang Zhong's troops and open the way to retreat north, or hold on to the city and wait for the main force of the Han army to attack the city. Although the crisis is imminent, there is also an opportunity now, but Cao Ren has not yet figured out how to deal with it.  .

    When people are in panic, they tend to retreat instead of forging ahead. This is a weakness of human nature. Only brave and extraordinary people dare to challenge themselves in adversity.

    Cao Ren obviously lacked courage. He hesitated when the main force of the Han army was about to press the border. He knew that he could fight Huang Zhong's army, but he still did not have the courage to order to leave the city.

    He looked carefully at the wall of the West City. The wall was three feet high. Although there was no moat, the wall was very thick. It was all made of large bluestones. It might be able to withstand the Han army for a few days, or it might be able to wait until the reinforcements led by Xu Huang arrived.  that moment.

    Although Cao RenxunHe scolded Zang Ba for being cowardly, but in fact he was also afraid of Liu Jing in his heart. He was once captured by Liu Jing. Being captured not only brought him a lifetime of humiliation, but also made him deeply afraid of Liu Jing.

    He just hoped that the reinforcements would arrive as soon as possible, but what Cao Ren didn't expect was that the Han army had really arrived, and it was not his illusion.

    ¡®Woo~wu¡ª¡ª¡¯

    A low and distant horn sounded in the south of the earth, and a long black line appeared in the south, like an echo. At this time, horns also sounded in the north, and the Han army in the north also appeared.

    The black line gradually spread out, pulling out an overwhelming black curtain, with flags like clouds, bright armor, neat teams, and swords and guns like an endless forest.

    The cavalry is in front and the infantry is behind. The marching speed is not fast, but every step is so thrilling. The marching rhythm is accompanied by the sound of horns and the rumbling drums roll across the sky like muffled thunder.

    This is an army composed mainly of the original Yizhou Army, with about 30,000 people. They still retain the unique flag-laying formation of the Yizhou Army.

    But the femininity of Bashu soldiers is no longer visible in them. They have the blood and fire unique to Jiangxia soldiers, and a steel-like tough temperament. They are like a piece of high-density steel, indestructible.

    At this time, the alarm bell above Xicheng also rang rapidly.

    All eight thousand Cao Cao troops went to the city for defense, and twenty trebuchets and three hundred crossbows installed at the top of the city were also ready.

    There are not only heavy defensive weapons, but also soldiers' crossbows and the most primitive rolling wood and stones. Therefore, Cao's soldiers are aware that their most severe test is about to come.

    Thirty thousand Han troops attacked the west city, which put Cao Jun under great pressure. The city was already busy. Lieutenant General Zang Ba commanded two thousand civilians in front of the city gate to carry huge stones to block the gate. Giant stones weighing a thousand kilograms were moved by Cao Jun soldiers.  Come, they were piled densely behind the city gate. There was no moat. The city gate was the most vulnerable part of this strong city, and it was extremely easy for the Han army to open a gap from here.

    Zang Ba¡¯s voice was hoarse. He pointed at a door and shouted in a hoarse voice: "Quick! This way, this way, block this place."

    More than two hundred civilians used crowbars and rolling logs to slowly transport a large square stone to block the city gate. Several more large stones were also transported from behind and piled on top of the large stone, as if one more stone was being piled on top.  Big rocks can add a little bit of hope. Hundreds of huge rocks blocked the north and south gates.

    The drumming outside the city gradually subsided, and the two Han armies from the south and the north arrived at Xicheng almost at the same time. They stopped advancing two miles away from the city, waiting for the next order.

    Liu Jing was riding on his horse, in the center of the team. He looked at the familiar city with cold eyes. Although he had made response plans for several possible situations, he did not expect that Cao Jun would eventually choose to trap himself.  In the city.

    Although the thick wall of the West City could temporarily make it more difficult for the Han army to attack the city, Liu Jing was confident of victory. Cao Jun could not defend the city this time. On the contrary, the wall would trap Cao Jun's soldiers from escaping.

    If it were him, if he knew he was outmatched and no reinforcements arrived, he would rather break out of the encirclement and break out to the east to preserve his vitality, while being trapped in the city, it would be easier for them to be completely annihilated.

    "Look, Zhou Mu!"

    A soldier pointed at the city head and shouted: "They have started throwing stones."

    A big stone flew up from the top of the city and landed with a crash.

    Liu Jing couldn't help but smile contemptuously. He had already smelled the cowardice of Cao Jun. He couldn't help but lose control when they were still two miles away. Doesn't it show their nervousness and cowardice?

    "Give me my order and build a fort!"

    The biggest advantage of Xicheng is its high terrain. Whether attacking from the north or from the south, you have to face a slope of hundreds of steps. This slope makes it difficult for the siege army to use heavy siege weapons. This is also  The main reason why the Han army failed to attack the city last time.

    In response to this weakness, the Han army found a solution, which was to build ten forts 350 steps away and turn the slope into a platform.

    Cao Jun¡¯s trebuchet is a medium-to-large trebuchet, with a maximum throwing distance of about 300 steps. Therefore, building a fort 350 steps away can avoid enemy trebuchet attacks.

    Two thousand Han army engineering soldiers were quickly building trebuchet platforms out of huge trees, and in the army, soldiers were also busy assembling trebuchet components. This time the Han army went north and brought ten giant trebuchets, with the longest range.  To reach 400 steps, it takes ten oxen to pull back and shoot, which is aimed at Xicheng.

    At this time, a cavalryman rushed from the north and shouted: "I am sending a message to Zhou Mu on the order of General Huang!"

    A dentist?The messenger was brought to Liu Jing. The messenger presented Huang Zhong's arrows and bowed on his horse to report: "General Huang asked the state pastor for instructions whether to attack Beicheng at the same time?"

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "Let the old general wait for my order, not to act rashly, and to pay attention to the arrival of Cao's army from the north."

    "Follow the order!"

    The messenger saluted, turned his horse and galloped away to the north.

    At this moment, a commotion suddenly broke out at the platform construction site in front, and thousands of fortification soldiers were seen retreating backwards.

    "What happened?" Liu Jing asked loudly.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 610 Bloody Battle in West City (Part 2)

    Cao Jun's three hundred crossbows were fired at the same time. The arrows were three feet long and had a range of more than five hundred steps. The arrows were so powerful that dozens of fortification soldiers were caught off guard and were shot down one after another. The fortification soldiers building the platform were in chaos.  They all retreated.

    A tooth general rushed to Liu Jing and reported: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Cao Jun used crossbows to attack, and more than fifty of our brothers were killed or injured."

    Liu Jing frowned, turned around and asked Fa Zhengdao: "How can this be solved?"

    Fazheng stroked his beard and said with a smile: "This is very easy. Just nail a row of wooden supports for defense. They are 350 steps apart. At the end of the powerful crossbow, the crossbow arrows cannot penetrate the wooden planks."

    Liu Jing nodded, "It works!"

    He immediately ordered to go down. Not long after, the carpenters in the army made ten simple wooden supports, four feet long, two feet high, and two inches thick. They transported them to the platform for defense. Only the crackling of the long crossbow arrows was heard.  The shot hit the thick wooden board, but could no longer penetrate the wooden board. Thousands of Han army engineering soldiers behind the wooden board began to continue the construction work nervously and busily.

    On the top of the city, Cao Ren had realized the intention of the Han army to build the platform, and was extremely nervous. He kept ordering the crossbows to be fired, but the crossbows soon lost their effect. At this time, Cao Ren shouted: "Attack with a trebuchet."  !¡±

    Twenty large trebuchets began to creak open and throw the stones violently. In order to increase the range, they did not use hundreds of kilograms of boulders, but used more than twenty kilograms of small and medium-sized stones. Even so, there was still no killing effect.  , pieces of boulders rolled in the air, and landed with a bang dozens of steps away from the wooden board. Several boulders rolled and hit the defensive wooden board, making a dull and loud noise, but they could not break the wooden board.

    Zang Ba rushed to Cao Ren, raised his hands and saluted: "General, you can use kerosene to burn the enemy's wooden barriers. We have thousands of barrels of kerosene in the city, which is enough to burn the enemy's army!"

    Cao Ren nodded. This was a good suggestion. He immediately ordered: "Prepare to attack with kerosene!"

    Twenty large trebuchets were replaced with clay pots of kerosene. Each pot contained 20 kilograms of kerosene. With an order, the twenty trebuchets were launched at the same time. The kerosene jars flew into the air, still a few meters away from the plank.  When he landed ten steps away, the clay pot shattered and kerosene spilled all over the ground. At this moment, several huge fireballs flew from the air and hit the ground. Suddenly, the ground ignited a raging fire. Several fireballs ricocheted into the baffle.  The fireball even flew over the barrier and landed in the crowd of engineering soldiers, causing a cry of exclamation.

    Cao Jun continued to fire kerosene, and a sea of ????fire broke out hundreds of steps away. Four baffles were already ignited by the flowing and burning kerosene. At this moment, hundreds of soldiers rushed into the sea of ????fire carrying earth and sandbags, and stood on the wooden planks.  A wall of earth was piled in front of it, blocking the continued downward flow of kerosene.

    There were more than a thousand people digging several ditches on both sides of the wooden planks, introducing flowing kerosene into the ditches, and constantly filling them with soil to extinguish the fire. The Han army had a very complete and effective fire-fighting plan. Although the fire was soaring on the hillside and the smoke was billowing, they were never able to  Affects the construction of wooden platforms.

    It was getting dark, but the hillside was still burning with fire. The fire was burning, burning the land. All the big trees and shrubs for miles around were burned. Six of the ten baffles were burned down, but the Han army had already burned down.  The burned baffle was replaced with a ten-foot-high earth wall, blocking the flow of kerosene toward the wooden platform.

    At this time, ten wooden platforms have been built, each of which is five feet long and wide, enough to accommodate a giant trebuchet. At the same time, the ten giant trebuchets have also been assembled.

    This giant trebuchet has a range of between 350 and 400 steps and can be accurately adjusted. It can be called the largest trebuchet in the world at present, with a height of two to eight feet and a throwing pole of about four feet.  , with a chain winch, it took ten oxen to pull the hinge.

    In the last Northern Expedition, the Han army did not carry such giant trebuchets, which resulted in a weak siege. But this time the Han army learned their lesson and transported more than ten giant trebuchets from Xiakou as early as two months ago.  The Han army was determined to win the battle to seize Xicheng.

    At this time, the ten giant trebuchets were pushed up the slope by the soldiers and installed on the newly built platform. The soldiers drove the oxen to pull the hinges. With the rattling sound of the iron chains, the trebuchet poles were bent and mounted.  The Han army also used kerosene to attack the city wall.

    At this time, an officer loudly asked Liu Jing for instructions, "Report to Zhou Mu, the trebuchet is ready, can we attack?"

    Liu Jing nodded slowly, "Attack!" He gave the order to attack.

    With the bang bang sound of the formation, ten giant trebuchets threw stones out of the fire oil tanks. The huge fire oil tanks rolled in the air and hit the city head. The soldiers on the city head screamed in terror and fled in all directions.  boom!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and a kerosene jar hit the top of the city. The debris was scattered, the kerosene splashed, and the kerosene jars hit the city one after another.??, or fly into the city, causing a pungent smell of kerosene to quickly fill the city.

    Cao Ren was so shocked that he shouted: "Hurry and cover it with mud!"

    At this moment, ten fire points appeared in the sky and quickly hit the city. This was fire clay used in water battles. Its biggest feature is that it has excellent stickiness, unlike fire balls that will bounce off after landing.  The kerosene sludge was also ignited. When they hit the city head, hundreds of sparks were immediately thrown out, instantly igniting the kerosene all over the city head. Several sections of fire appeared on the two-mile-long city head.

    The soldiers of Cao's army tried their best to cover the burning kerosene with earth, but the kerosene cans fired from below the city hit the top of the city three times in a row, causing Cao's army to lose sight of one thing. The fire area became larger and larger, and several trebuchets on the top of the city were also burned by the fire.  It ignites, burns blazingly, and is particularly dazzling in the night sky.

    At this time, Liu Jing saw that the time was ripe to attack the city, and issued the second order, "Attack the city!"

    The earth-shaking drum beat sounded again, "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The drum beat was earth-shattering. Dozens of nest vehicles had been assembled, pushed and dragged by the soldiers, and began to rumble towards the West City on the slope. Two  The soldiers of the Wanhan Army surged up like a great tide. They splashed the hot soil under their feet with water and ran forward carrying the siege ladder.

    Although the Han army has the most advanced and sharpest offensive weapons, the war is fought by people. The Han army needs to temper themselves with blood and fire. They need to grow in death and become the most powerful in the world in the baptism of war.  army.

    The trebuchet on the city head was activated again. This time it was no longer kerosene, but a hundred kilograms of boulders. The boulders rolled and smashed into the crowd. Blood and flesh flew everywhere. Groups of soldiers were knocked down. The powerful crossbows shot out long arrows.  The arrows flew across and penetrated the shields of the Han soldiers. Soldiers running in front were shot through their bodies and fell down.

    Fire was burning in the night sky, and the ten giant trebuchets were still throwing kerosene at the top of the city powerfully. After several rounds of throwing, they had gradually adjusted their shooting range and were able to accurately hit the top of the city. The fire continued to spread at the top of the city.  However, the enemy's offensive under the city was strong, and loopholes began to appear in Cao Jun's defensive formation.

    At this time, the six thousand Han army's giant shield archers had already rushed into the city within a hundred steps away. They carried giant shields five feet high. Under the shields were two feet-long spikes that could be inserted into the soil.  There is a bracket behind the shield. When the bracket is unfolded, a temporary defensive shield is formed. This is also Ma Jun's craftsmanship invention. It is just a small improvement that solves the defensive weakness of the crossbowman.

    Six thousand crossbowmen crouched behind giant shields and kept shooting arrows at the top of the city, suppressing the dense arrows of Cao's army at the top of the city.

    The morale of the Han army was high, and an attack ladder was set up on the top of the city. The soldiers of the Tang army climbed up the city. Although the arrows on the top of the city were weakened, rolling wood and rocks fell like hailstones.

    A Han soldier's skull was smashed and he screamed and fell down the city. Another soldier bravely came up and used his spear to fight with the Cao soldiers at the top of the city. They had rich experience in night fighting and their attacks were sharp.  , the city is surrounded by dangers.

    Under the city, six thousand Han troops fought back with strong bows and crossbows. The overwhelming rain of arrows made it impossible for Cao's soldiers on the city to raise their heads. Cao's army suffered heavy casualties, and soldiers continued to be hit by arrows and fell into the city.

    At this time, more than twenty trebuchets of Cao's army had been burned, and eighteen of them had been burned down. The city was covered with raging fire.  Obviously weaker than the opponent, he was gradually at a disadvantage. Knowing that something was wrong, he hurriedly said to Zang Ba: "Quickly move the big stone from the north gate and prepare to retreat!"

    Zang Ba was stunned and said for a long time: "But if you lose Xicheng, how can you explain it to the Prime Minister?"

    Cao Ren was so angry that he yelled: "Asshole! Do you want me to be captured again?"

    Zang Ba had no choice but to turn around and rush towards the city. At this time, the giant trebuchet had stopped shooting, and the Han army's twenty nest chariots finally arrived at the city wall. There were rollers installed under the nest chariots, and hundreds of soldiers pushed them.  It moves forward.

    Although the walls of the west city are tall, the Chao chariots are exactly at the same level as the city head. Each chao chariot has fifty heavy armored infantry inside. The iron bridge across the city head is pulled up by iron chains, which can resist Cao Jun's bows and arrows.

    ¡®Boom!  There was a loud bang on the ground, and iron plates were erected on the top of the city, causing rubble to fly. Fifty heavy armored infantry shouted and rushed out of the chariot, waving their war horse swords, and rushed into Cao's army, and  They fight together.

    As twenty Chao Chariots reached the top of the city one after another, a thousand heavy armored infantry took the lead in attacking the top of the city. They became the sharpest blow to Cao's army's defeat. The following Han soldiers rushed to the top of the city, and the twenty  The chao chariot became the passage to the city. Countless soldiers climbed up the city from the chao chariot. They were full of fighting spirit and high momentum, shouting to kill. However, Cao Jun's military morale quickly weakened, his morale was low, and he was beaten back by the Han army.  .

    At this time, the people in the west city were the Han troops who had entered the city, and the surrendered Cao soldiers were not counted.However, the North City Gate was opened by Zang Ba and his army. More than 2,000 Cao Jun soldiers rushed out of the North City and fled in all directions. Huang Zhong from the north led 5,000 soldiers to cover them up, cutting off the retreat of Cao Jun soldiers.

    Liu Jing saw that the south gate of the West City was also open, and the Han army was waving flags on top of the city. He immediately pointed his sword at the city gate and ordered to the 10,000 soldiers preparing for war: "Enter the West City!"

    Ten thousand soldiers ran with all their strength, shouting to kill, and the two thousand cavalry in the lead surged towards the West City like the highest wave.

    With the full preparation of the Han army, it only took three hours to conquer Xicheng County, the most critical strategic point on the Qishan Road. At this point, the Han army took the initiative in the Northern Expedition. Tianshui County and Guangwei County faced the Han army at the same time.  threats.

    But for the Han army, the important thing was not to attack the city, but to establish an effective and rapid food transportation system. Moreover, winter was coming, which was not conducive to the Northern Expedition, so the Han army stopped continuing to attack.

    On the one hand, Liu Jing sent people to negotiate peace with Cao Jun, and on the other hand, he began to build Qishan City and Fengyun City on a large scale, and built a small castle-shaped post station every twenty miles to facilitate the transportation team to rest and avoid enemy ambush.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 611 The Worry of the Bronze Bird

    It snowed for the first time in Yedu in November. Heavy snow fell one after another, and the auspicious snow covered the land of Yecheng. Although the news of the Han army's capture of Xicheng had spread throughout Yedu through various channels.

    But for ordinary people, where is Xicheng?  What's the significance?  There is no way to know, so this news does not have much impact.

    Soon it was replaced by the joy of the arrival of heavy snow. "This winter, I will cover myself with three layers of wheat quilts, and next year I will sleep with steamed buns on my pillow." Everyone is full of longing for next year's harvest.

    Another thing that also diverted everyone's attention was that Cao Cao moved out of the Prime Minister's Mansion where he originally lived and moved to Tongquetai. The meaning behind this incident caused different opinions in Yedu, completely suppressing the Western Front.  War situation.

    Tongque Terrace is located on the south bank of Zhangshui in the north of the city. Opposite is the Xuanwu Pond where Cao Jun trained his navy. It is actually one of the three Tongque Terraces, Jinfeng Terrace and Bingjing Terrace. Although the main building is called the Terrace, it is actually a group of majestic towers.  The palace complex began to be built one after another after Yuan Shao was defeated, and it was not completed until last autumn.

    Cao Cao's decision to move to Tongquetai was also a decision he made after careful consideration. He had already established the Wei State and appointed hundreds of officials. If he continued to issue orders based on the orders of the prime minister, it would violate his original intention of establishing the Wei State and would undermine the ministers who were loyal to him.  Deeply disappointed.

    And moving to Tongque Terrace, as a palace of the Wei State, was not only in line with etiquette, but also took into account the feelings of his ministers, so after careful consideration, Cao Cao finally decided to move to Tongque Terrace.

    At this time, the Tongque Tower was also covered with snow, and the colorful red bricks and black tiles were no longer visible. Regardless of the golden phoenix in front, the Tongque Tower in the middle, or the ice well behind, the three high platforms were all completely white.  , as if wrapped in a thick layer of white robe.

    On the magnificent Bronze Bird Platform, which is more than twenty feet high, Cao Cao stood alone in front of the jade railing with his hands behind his hands, staring at the Xuanwu Pond covered with ice and snow in the distance for a long time.

    If others don't understand the significance of the Han army's occupation of Xicheng, it can be forgiven, but if Cao Cao doesn't understand it either, it will be unforgivable. Cao Cao knows better than anyone else the consequences of Liu Jing's occupation of Xicheng, and this was actually what he expected.  Among them, Chen Qun and Cao Zhi returned from Chengdu and did not receive any commitment from Liu Jing regarding the Northern Expedition.

    He knew that Liu Jing's Northern Expedition was inevitable. He knew that Liu Jing was going to do the Northern Expedition, but he was unable to stop him. This helplessness and loss made him fall into deep melancholy.

    The fall of Xicheng means that the gate of Tianshui County is open. There is no danger to defend between Xicheng and Jicheng. If the Han army goes further north, it will approach the city of Ji County. Jixian is the county seat of Tianshui County and also the capital of Longxi.  The largest city was originally the foundation of Ma Chao. If Ji County is lost, the entire four counties of Longxi will be the property of Liu Jing.

    Cao Cao couldn't help but let out a long sigh, picked up the wine bottle on the jade railing, which had half-frozen into ice. He couldn't help but hum in a low voice: "Singing to wine, how much is life! It's like morning dew, it will be more bitter in the past; generosity should be used,  Worry is unforgettable; how can we relieve it?"

    He drank the glass of wine in one gulp, feeling an unspeakable bitterness in his heart. Even if he drank the glass of wine, it could not relieve his sorrow.

    At this time, a guard quickly came to Cao Cao with a green umbrella and whispered: "Mr. Xun has arrived. Waiting in the inner hall. Mr. Cheng and the eldest son are also here."

    Cao Cao nodded silently, turned around and walked heavily towards the audience.

    After walking off the high platform, Cao Cao first changed into a robe, and then walked into the inner hall. The gauze curtain was lowered in the inner hall, and several pots of charcoal fire were lit. The room was quite warm, and Xun You and Cao Pi were talking in a low voice.

    Cheng Yu on the side was stroking his beard and smiling without saying a word. He was very satisfied with Cao Pi's performance and seized every opportunity to win over everyone he could win over. Xun You had not yet taken sides, and he was the most trusted person by the prime minister. If he could win him over as the eldest son,  On this side, he would rather express his apology to Xun You.

    Xun You had just arrived in Yedu from Chang'an. On the one hand, he came to report to Cao Cao on the situation in Longxi, and on the other hand, Cao Cao hoped to get from him a plan to deal with the Han army's northern expedition.

    At this time, a guard shouted loudly: "Wei Gong is here!"

    The three people stood up quickly, and saw the curtain opened, and Cao Cao walked in quickly. The three people bowed and saluted together, "See Wei Gong!"

    Cao Cao nodded, "Sit down!"

    The three of them sat down, and three concubines came in and served hot tea to everyone. Cao Cao then asked Xun You with concern: "Gongda is coming all the way east. The road is not easy, isn't it?"

    Xun You leaned over and smiled and said: "The journey was pretty smooth, except that it was icy when crossing Taihang and the mountain road was difficult, but we finally made it through."

    Cao Cao sighed, "It snowed half a month earlier this year than in previous years. It is extremely cold and is not conducive to sending troops!"

    Unconsciously, the topic turned to business. Cao Cao pondered for a moment and then asked Xun You: "I want to know the current situation of the Han army. Can Gongda tell me?"

      ? Moreover, General Cao Ren was injured by an arrow and needed to rest on his bed."

    Cao Cao took the scroll, unfolded it, read it again, and asked with concern: "How come Zixiao was shot and injured? Is the injury serious?"

    Xun You sighed, "When he broke out of the siege in Xicheng, he was intercepted by Huang Zhong's army and was shot in the back by a stray arrow. Thanks to the white swan horse given to him by the prime minister and the desperate guard of General Zang Ba, he was able to break out of the siege injured.  It was his great luck to escape from Shanggui Road in the east. The military doctor said that the problem was not serious and he would need to rest for a few months without getting angry and causing the wound to burst. "

    At this time, Cheng Yu said slowly from the side: "Liu Jing's request for peace may have other motives!"

    " This reminded Cao Cao, and he looked at Xun You again. Xun You nodded, "Zhongde is right. Liu Jing's peace negotiation does have other intentions. I can explain it to the prime minister in front of the sand table."

    Cao Cao stood up and stretched out his hand to open the curtain on the side, revealing a huge sand table behind the curtain, including Hanzhong, Guanzhong, Longxi, Longyou and other places. The four of them walked to the sand table. Xun You picked up the wooden pole and pointed at Xicheng on the sand table.  Said: "I won't go into details about the significance of the Han army taking Xicheng. I will talk about Liu Jing's intention."

    He pointed the wooden pole to the south of Licheng, "This is Fengyun Valley, wide in the north and narrow in the south. It is about fifty miles away from Xiabian County and more than fifty miles away from Licheng. The Han army built a military city outside the entrance of the south valley.  We are actively building now.¡±

    Xun You pointed up the wooden pole again, "This is the east road of Qishan. It is still more than ten miles away from Qishan Fort, about forty miles away from Licheng, and about fifty miles away from West City. The Han army also built a military city here.  It is said to be called Qishan City. Judging from the foundation, the city¡¯s circumference is about ten miles. From the distribution of these two military cities, did Zhongde notice anything? "

    "They are building a supply line for grain and grass supplies!" Before Cheng Yu could speak, Cao Pi Baibai blurted out.

    Cao Cao's face was very gloomy. He had received a briefing from Cao Ren before, pointing out that Liu Jing was using a step-by-step strategy to advance north step by step. At that time, he suspected that the Han army's motive for implementing this strategy was to establish a supply line. Now Xun You used  The fact that the Han army built the city proves this point.

    Of course he knew what Liu Jing's long-term plan was to build the city like this, which was to connect Hanzhong and Longxi into one, so that from Jingzhou to Hanzhong, from Bashu to Hanzhong, and then from Hanzhong to Longxi, this would connect the major spheres of influence.  As a whole, Bashu's food supplies will be reliably guaranteed to go north.

    After a long while, Cao Cao burst out a sentence from between his teeth, "He wants to become the second country of Qin, with Bashu as his backing and Guanzhong as his foundation, and then go eastward to annex the world, no! Even worse than Qin, Jingchu is already in  He has it in his pocket.¡±

    ??

    "The question now is, what should we do?"

    Cao Cao looked at Xun You and Cheng Yu, his eyes fell on his eldest son Cao Pi, and then looked away. He didn't want to say anything more to his eldest son for the time being. Cao Cao restrained his inner anxiety and tried to calm himself down. Of course he  Knowing that the consequences would be serious, I called in both Xun You and Cheng Yu today just to hear their opinions on the situation.

    "Zhongde, let's speak first!" Cao Cao knew that there was a subtle imbalance between Cheng Yu and Xun You, and he was afraid that neither one would speak first, so he let Cheng Yu speak first.

    Cheng Yu smiled and said: "Gongda knows the situation in Longxi better than Weichen, but the prime minister wants to ask me, okay! I will simply share my thoughts. Please correct me if I am inappropriate."

    "Brother Zhongde, you're welcome!"

    Cheng Yu stroked his beard and pondered for a moment and said: "Liu Jing's intention is already obvious. It is to establish a transportation channel through Longxi. Grain and grass supplies can be quickly and efficiently moved south and north. However, Wei Chen noticed a detail, that is,  Liu Jing did not attack the weak Shanggui County and Guangwei County, nor did he build a castle between Xicheng and Guangwei County. This revealed Liu Jing's true purpose. His northern expedition was in Longxi, not Guanzhong.  "

    ??

    Cao Cao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then suddenly turned around and said, "What Gongda means is that Liu Jingzhi is establishing the Longxi Cavalry?"

    Xun You nodded, "Not only Longxi, but also Longyou, Guannei, Hehuang and Liangzhou are all Liu Jing's strategic intentions. The reason why he hid Ma Chao was to use him to regain Liangzhou, and so did Wei Chen  On the way to YeduI finally figured this out.  "

    Cao Cao sighed slightly and said to Cheng Yu: "Zhongde, please continue."

    Cheng Yu was not annoyed when Xun You interrupted him. He leaned slightly and said: "Now that we have seen Liu Jing's intention, we must not let him succeed. Wei Chen suggested that the army attack Fancheng and Xiangyang to contain Liu Jing in the west.  The offensive on the western front will buy us time to establish a new defensive line on the western front. At the same time, we can contact the Nandi people to jointly deal with the Han army moving north. "

    Cao Cao pondered for a long time, and this was actually his idea. In fact, he secretly ordered Zhang Liao to prepare for the southern expedition in Wancheng a year ago.

    Although he did not agree to send troops from Nanyang at the beginning of the year, the reason was that he did not want to tear up the Eastern Front Armistice Contract signed by him and Liu Jing, but in fact it was because Zhang Liao was not ready yet and he still needed to wait for the opportunity. A few days ago, he received Zhang Liao's  Wancheng is ready with the secret message.

    He glanced at Xun You again, wanting to hear Xun You's opinion. Xun You nodded, "Last time, I advised the prime minister not to be bound by a contract. Now that our strength has gradually recovered, as long as Jiangdong is appeased, we can  The troops from Hefei were transferred to Nanyang, which was enough to break through the Xinye defense line, capture the south of Han River, and wait for an opportunity to attack Xiangyang. "

    "But Liu Jing and Sun Quan have a marriage relationship. Will Sun Quan accept my comfort?"

    Cheng Yu laughed and said, "Prime Minister, you don't have to worry about this. Although Sun Quan and Liu Jing are married, they may not be in love with each other. Jiangdong has Jiangdong's interests. Even if Liu Jing asks Jiangdong to move north, Sun Quan will definitely take the opportunity to cancel the contract they signed."  I believe Liu Jing will not agree to some contracts, such as canceling restrictions on warships, restoring the governance of Qichun County, etc., especially Qichun County."

    "But what if Sun Quan thinks it is profitable to attack Hefei?"

    Cao Cao then asked: "He crossed the river to attack Hefei without putting forward conditions first, and then went north to make a profit and then forced Liu Jing to give in. Isn't this killing two birds with one stone?"

    "It is indeed possible, but we are not completely withdrawing our troops. We can station 10,000 elite troops in Hefei, which is enough to deal with Jiangdong's army going north. Moreover, Wei Chen believes that Jiangdong's internal forces will not agree to Sun Quan's going north. I think it is possible for Sun Quan to make a gesture.  The nature is even greater, after all, he doesn¡¯t have the strength to march north yet.¡±

    "It's just that Liu Jing and I signed a three-year armistice agreement. Now that I've torn up the agreement, what will the three armies think of me? I don't care what Liu Jing thinks. I'm still worried that the generals of Cao Jun will say that Cao Cao doesn't keep his word. It's hard to do that.  ah!"

    This was what Cao Cao was most worried about. He was worried that he would break trust with his subordinates, but Xun You smiled and said, "Actually, the Prime Minister doesn't have to worry about this. I have a plan to eliminate the bad influence on the Prime Minister."

    He whispered a few words to Cao Cao, and Cheng Yu also laughed, "Mr. Xun is indeed brilliant!"

    Cao Cao was a little shaken by the suggestions of Cheng Yu and Xun You. Finally, he nodded, "You should step back first! Let me think about it again."

    Cheng Yu and Xun You bowed and left, but Cao Cao stopped his eldest son, "Pier, stay here. My father has something to talk to you about."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 613 Changes in Nanyang

    Chai Lili Yu said with a smile: "Young Master might as well be more attentive to Mr. Xun. If you can get his support, it will be very helpful to Mr. Xun. However, the Xun family has always been neutral, so Mr. Xun needs to be patient."

    "I understand, and I will try my best to win over him."

    At this time, Cheng Yu smiled slightly and said: "Today the Prime Minister is meeting you, I would like to congratulate the eldest son!"

    "How did Duke Cheng know that there was a happy event?" Cao Pi asked puzzledly.

    "It's very simple. I just met Hua Xin. He told me that the Prime Minister has decided to let the eldest son live in the former Prime Minister's Mansion. Isn't this a good thing?"

    Cao Pi nodded, "It's indeed a good thing. My father has decided to officially make me Wu Guanzhonglang and deputy prime minister. He will be in charge of daily government affairs. He will no longer take care of it only when he goes on an expedition. Except for major military and state affairs that need to be reported to him, all other daily affairs will be done."  All government affairs are decided by me.¡±

    After Cao Pi finished speaking, he saw that Cheng Yu was silent. He was slightly startled and asked quickly: "Does Mr. Cheng think there is anything wrong?"

    "Of course it's a happy event. You don't have to worry about anything, sir. It's just that I think about it more."

    "I am willing to listen to Duke Cheng's teachings!"

    Cheng Yu gently stroked his beard and said: "We might as well understand it from three aspects. First, the young master has performed well in the past few years and has been recognized by the prime minister. Secondly, Liu Jing is now powerful in the south, especially the Northern Expedition, which has shaken the country. The prime minister is worried.  In the end, he must be freed from the complicated daily government affairs and concentrate on dealing with Liu Jing; and thirdly, the performance of Mr. Zhi disappointed the prime minister, so the prime minister finally chose the eldest son, but there is one thing he hopes the eldest son will understand.  There is still some distance to go, and anything is possible.¡±

    "I see!"

    Cao Pi nodded silently, and then asked: "Does Mr. Cheng mean that it is possible for the third brother to reverse the situation?"

    "How should I put it? Mr. Zhi is not an incompetent person. It's just because he lacks political experience, and the prime minister has high hopes for him. He entrusts him with important tasks that he is not qualified to do. Of course he can't do it well, and he is lucky.  Not good."

    Speaking of this, Cheng Yu laughed, "I heard Chen Qun say that when Jia Xu came to formally negotiate on behalf of Liu Jing, he went to Qingcheng Mountain to play. How could the Prime Minister not be angry? It was because of the failure of two missions that the Prime Minister  Disappointed in him, but if he is allowed to do something within his ability, maybe he can do a good job, the key is"

    "What's the key?" Cao Pi asked nervously.

    Cheng Yu said with a solemn expression: "The key is to see whether the Prime Minister will continue to take him with him when he goes on an expedition. If he doesn't take him with him, his position as the heir apparent will be worry-free, but if he continues to take him with him, something will happen."

    "I understand?" Cao Pi sighed softly.

    At this time, Jia Xu asked again: "Did the Prime Minister mention the matter of being promoted to King of Wei?"

    Cao Pi hesitated and shook his head, "Father didn't mention this to me!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    From Xinye, you can take a boat to go north along the Feishui River to Wancheng. This is also an important water channel for Wancheng to transport grain and grass baggage southward. From Xinye, go north for thirty miles and first reach Juoyang County, which is the southernmost county of Nanyang County.  The county, the county seat and the border of Xinye are only more than ten miles apart, and three thousand Cao troops are stationed.

    The general of Cao's army stationed in Juiyang County is a school captain named Li Shun, who is the younger brother of Li Tong, the prefect of Runan. Although it is a border army, the pressure on Cao's army is not great. Two years ago, Prime Minister Cao and Jingzhou Prefect Liu  Jing signed a non-invasion agreement. Within three years, Cao's army would not invade Jingzhou, and the Han army stationed in Jingzhou would not invade Nanyang.

    Two years have passed, and the armies of both sides have never crossed the border. They are living in peace and harmony. As time goes by, Cao Jun's soldiers have gradually eliminated their fears and patrolled the city and the border every day, and they lived a leisurely life.

    At noon that day, the patrol posts at the top of the city had just changed. The soldiers were the same as usual. Although they had changed posts, few people had the intention to patrol the top of the city. The soldiers gathered in small groups or sat together.  Drink and chat, or hide in a corner and gamble.

    But at this moment, more than a dozen Cao Jun patrols came galloping towards them on horseback from a distance. Many of them were covered in blood. They shouted in fear and waved their hands. The sentry on the observation tower saw it and immediately sounded the alarm.  .

    'when!  when!  when!  'The alarm bells resounded at the top of the city. Cao Jun's soldiers came from all directions and looked down from the top of the city. In a moment, a dozen Cao Jun sentries rode to the bottom of the city on horseback, rushed into the city gate, and shouted: "Close the gate quickly.  !¡±

    The soldiers on the city didn't know what happened and closed the city gates one after another. At this time, Colonel Li Shun heard the news and came over. More than a dozen sentries were dressing wounds inside the city gate. Half of the soldiers were hit by arrows. Li Shun asked urgently  : "What happened, where are the other brothers?"

    A military commander reported with a cry: "General Qi, we are patrolling the border normally, and we were suddenly attacked by Han soldiers.?The brothers were ambushed and suffered heavy casualties. Only a dozen of us escaped.  "

    Li Shun was shocked. Only a dozen people from the hundred-person patrol team escaped. How many people from the Han army ambushed them. At this moment, a soldier on the top of the city shouted: "General, the enemy has appeared!"

    Li Shun quickly rushed to the city and looked into the distance. He saw an army of several hundred people running out of the woods by the Feishui River. Under the red flag of the Han army, they drove a large group of people towards the county seat.  The people were stumbling and crying, and when they were about two hundred steps away from the county seat, the army suddenly fired arrows at the people from behind. The screams suddenly broke out. In just a moment, hundreds of men, women, and children were all shot by this army.  die.

    Li Shun was furious and ordered: "Gather the troops and follow me to fight out of the city!"

    At this time, a tooth general quickly advised: "General, be careful, this may be the enemy's trick to lure troops."

    Li Shun suddenly woke up and gave up the idea of ??fighting out of the city. He paid close attention to the enemy's situation outside the city. He saw hundreds of Han soldiers coming forward to provoke, but Li Shun saw faint signs of an ambush in the woods. He felt that  Be vigilant and never leave the city.

    It wasn't until it was almost dark that the Han army finally withdrew. At night, news of villagers being killed kept coming from around Tuoyang County, which made Li Shun a little confused. The Han army always had strict military discipline and never  How could he kill ordinary farmers when he was disturbing the people?

    At dawn the next day, the Han army no longer showed up. Li Shun sent people to check the situation outside the city. The news he brought back shocked him. From yesterday to now, in one day and one night, the invading Han soldiers killed nearly two hundred people.  Cao Jun's patrol and thousands of ordinary people.

    The situation was so serious that Li Shun did not dare to hide it and immediately sent someone to Wancheng to report the matter to Zhang Liao. Although Zhang Liao knew about the matter and did not agree with the prime minister's use of this method, he still followed the previous instructions.  It was agreed to urgently report to Yedu the news that the Han army violated the armistice agreement and invaded Nanyang.

    The news of the Han army's invasion of Nanyang shocked both the government and the public in Yedu. Cao Cao angrily announced that the armistice agreement was invalid, began to massively increase troops to Nanyang, and personally led the army to Nanyang. The clouds of war once again shrouded Jingzhou.

    The first snow in Chengdu was more than twenty days later than that in Yedu. It was not until the beginning of December that the first snow fell one after another. It was gentler than the heavy snow in Yedu. It was like pieces of white elves slowly falling from the sky, hanging on the sky.  On the trees, falling on the roof, floating into the water, covering the fields lightly, the earth became pure white.

    The charcoal in the brazier was burning brightly, bursting out a string of sparks from time to time, making the study room extremely warm. Liu Jing was wearing a thick white robe and a plain scarf on her head. She was sitting at the table writing quickly.  Dozens of silk scrolls were piled around him. These were official tax documents sent from various places in Jingzhou and Yizhou.

    Both Jingzhou and Yizhou implemented Han Dynasty taxes, which were divided into four types: land tax, calculation tax, oral tax and Gengfu. In addition, merchants also had commercial tax. Land tax was subject to a tax of 15 per mu, with a fixed amount of six liters per mu.

    The official tax is a poll tax, which is 60 yuan per person per year for adults over seventeen and under sixty years old; while the oral tax is a head tax for children, between the ages of six and seventeen, it is halved to 30 yuan.

    As for the new tax, people who do not want to do hard labor can pay money or grain to avoid having to do hard labor. The calculation is based on one liter of rice per day, or four qian.

    Although Jingzhou has always been a prosperous place, after a large-scale southern expedition by Cao's army, the tax revenue was huge. The tax revenue in the 13th year of Jian'an was only half of that in the 8th year of Jian'an. After nearly two years of recovery, Jingzhou's tax revenue  It has gradually recovered to 70% of what it was in the eighth year of Jian'an.

    However, Yizhou's taxation is beyond Liu Jing's expectation. No wonder it is known as the land of abundance. Yizhou's annual tax is more than twice that of Jingzhou. Add in the 100,000 households in Hanzhong, and the two states and three states every year  The taxes received by the land were enough to support an army of 200,000 men.

    This year's taxes were sufficient, and the capture of Xicheng made Liu Jing quite happy. He was in a very happy mood during this period. Just as he was working hard to review official documents, he suddenly heard a faint cry of childishness in the distance.  There were footsteps running into the yard, and Liu Jing recognized the cry. It turned out to be the cry of his son Liu Zhi.

    He felt strange, put down his pen and walked to the window. He opened the window and saw his son running into the yard crying. A female guard squatted on the ground to comfort him. Liu Zhi was almost four years old this year and looked very much like his mother.  She is not tall, quiet and delicate, completely different from Liu Jing's tall and burly figure.

    "Zhi'er, why are you crying?" Liu Jing asked with a smile while lying in front of the window.

    Liu Zhi wiped away his tears, pointed in the direction of the yard and said with sobs, "The snow horse I made was eaten by my mother."

    Liu Jing was puzzled and asked with concern: "Why did your mother eat it?"

    "I put it in the house and then it disappeared."

    The female guard laughed out loud, "Pfft!" Liu Jing also laughed loudly, and he looked out of the window.He jumped out lightly, walked up to his son, picked him up, lovingly patted the snowflakes on his head and said with a smile: "Snow horses are afraid of heat and turn into water when they enter the house."

    "Why does it turn into water?"

    "Because snowflakes are made of water, they are the spirits of water."

    Liu Jing stretched out his hand, and a snowflake fell gently on Liu Jing's palm. He placed it in front of his son, "Pay attention!"

    Liu Zhi's eyes widened. Gradually, the snowflakes disappeared and melted into water. Liu Zhi immediately clapped his hands happily and said with a smile: "It turns out that snow is really turned into water, so how can water turn into snowflakes?"

    This question is difficult to answer. Liu Jing thought for a while and smiled: "Because the clouds in the sky are water vapor. In summer, water vapor turns into rain. In winter, when it is very cold, the water vapor freezes and turns into snowflakes."

    "Dad, what is water vapor?"

    "this"

    Liu Jing let out a sigh of relief, "This is water vapor!"

    "It turns out that the water vapor comes from the stomach."

    At this time, Tao Zhan came hurriedly with several maids. When she saw her son in her husband's arms, she breathed a long sigh of relief. She stepped forward, picked her son up, and patted his little butt gently.  He slapped Liu Jing and said with a smile: "This brat made a snow horse and hid it in the house. He said he was waiting for his sister to wake up and play together. But when he found that it was gone, he insisted that I had eaten it and cried loudly.  He made a big fuss and disappeared in a blink of an eye. I guess I came to complain to my father, and that¡¯s true.¡±

    Tao Zhan slapped his little butt again, "Tell me! Did my mother eat the snow horse?"

    Liu Zhi did not dare to cry, lowered his head and said timidly: "No, it turned into water."

    Everyone laughed. At this time, a housekeeper reported at the door: "Sir, Xu Changshi is here. He is waiting for you in the study outside."

    Liu Jing nodded, "I'll be there right away."

    He stroked his son's little head and smiled and said: "If you can think of playing with your sister, you are a good boy. When the snow falls a little harder, daddy will build a snowman with you."

    "OK!"

    Liu Zhi was so happy that he wanted to clap his hands. It could be seen that his mother was still sullen, so he was frightened so that he did not dare to act recklessly. Tao Zhan suppressed his laughter and said, "Husband, go quickly! Don't keep Xu Changshi waiting."

    Liu Jing pinched her son's little cheek and walked quickly out to the study room.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 614 News from Nanyang

    The brazier had just been lit in the outer study, but the room was very cold. Xu Shu sat in front of the brazier and rubbed his hands to warm himself up. Although today was a rare day off, Xu Shu couldn't sit still at home. He finally completed Liu Jing's work last night.  He came here specially to discuss the task given to him today with Liu Jing.

    At this time, the door opened, and Liu Jingbao walked in with a gust of cold wind. She smiled apologetically and said, "It's very cold in the room. How about we go to the guest room, where it's warmer."

    "No, it won't get cold if you warm yourself over the fire."

    Both of them were dressed casually today, not Asahi, and the two of them had removed all the red tape, just like a gathering between friends. This was Liu Jing's repeated request to his subordinates. Xu Shu had followed Liu Jing for many years, and he was used to Liu Jing's behavior.  All kinds of rules.

    The two sat down. Xu Shu took out a scroll and handed it to Liu Jing: "Last time Zhou Mu talked about the issue of power restructuring. According to Zhou Mu's ideas, I made some plans and asked Zhou Mu to take a look."

    In fact, Liu Jing, like Cao Cao, was also considering freeing himself from the heavy government affairs and concentrating on the Northern Expedition. The difference was that Cao Cao had an adult son to entrust, while Liu Jing's son was only four years old, so he considered carrying out the expedition through the system.  Reform to prevent one person from monopolizing political power.

    Xu Shu strongly supports this point. Although this will weaken Xu Shu's own power, Xu Shu is thinking about the future. Once the system is formed, it will be a good check and balance on the monarch's power and prevent the monarch from becoming monopolized.

    Liu Jing's idea is very simple. In the Han Dynasty, the monarch and the prime minister shared power, and the monarch's power and the prime minister's power were independent. This was actually a restriction of the monarch's power by the prime minister's power.

    But what Liu Jing proposed this time was a decentralized system, that is, a polyphase system, with more than one prime minister and a balance of power among the prime ministers, so as to prevent one person from monopolizing power.

    Xu Shu also introduced: "What Weichen thought of was the five-chief history system. There were five chief historians who took turns taking charge of political affairs. For major government affairs, five people voted, and the majority agreed and passed. In addition, there was also a minister to serve as the chief historian.  The political affairs will be reviewed, and if there are any doubts, they will be rejected and returned to the five officials for joint decision-making. This can effectively prevent one person from monopolizing power. "

    Liu Jing nodded. This is what he wants. To distribute the power of the general history to several people, in fact, it is to disperse the power of the prime minister. There is also an audit agency, plus the supervisory internal history that reports directly to him. In this way  He can completely delegate the power of government affairs temporarily.

    He looked at the report written by Xu Shu and asked: "Chang Shi thinks it is appropriate to take turns in taking charge of political affairs. How many days should it be rotated?"

    "Weichen discussed with Jia Junshi, and he suggested that it would be better to change it every ten days, so that it would be once every fifty days. However, Jia Junshi has made it clear that he will not participate in government affairs."

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "Let's do this! I won't stop participating for the time being. Military Advisor Jia is old. Since he doesn't want to participate in government affairs, we respect his opinions. Then Xu Changshi, Military Advisor Sima, Jiang Wan, and Fei Guan will join us.  Go up to Dong He and Yin Miao, the six of you will form a preparatory team to discuss various systems in detail, and finally reach a plan that everyone agrees with, and I will review it. "

    Xu Shu understood what Liu Jing meant. In fact, the six of them formed the highest authority. Among them, Yin Kuai had the power of review and rejection. Xu Shu remembered something again and said cautiously: "Last time, Zhou Buyi and Liao Liwei were recommended to supervise the internal affairs of the left and right."  , caused some criticism.¡±

    "What's the criticism?" Liu Jing looked at him puzzled.

    "The main reason is that Yizhou officials don't agree with it, because both of them are from Jingzhou, and everyone thinks it is unbalanced."

    Liu Jing was really unhappy in his heart. He disliked this kind of regional rivalry the most, which could easily lead to division. Although he was not very happy, he also knew that he had just begun to take charge of Yizhou, and he had to balance the dissatisfaction of everyone.

    "Then do you have any suitable suggestions?"

    Xu Shu hurriedly said: "Wei Chen suggested that Liao Li should be appointed as the prefect of Jiangxia to replace Su Fei, and Yang Yi, the former Prime Minister of Zitong County, should be appointed as the supervisor of the right internal history. This person is upright, shrewd and careful, and is suitable for local county supervision."

    "Let me think about it again!"

    Liu Jing said he was considering it, but in fact he basically agreed to Xu Shu's suggestion. He also warned: "The decentralization plan of the polyphase system is of great importance. I hope Yuan Zhi will take more trouble."

    Xu Shu quickly stood up and said, "Wei Chen understands. Let's go back and prepare."

    Liu Jing smiled and waved her hand, "Today is a holiday. Chang Shi doesn't have to work so hard. Have a good rest today and let's talk about it tomorrow!"

    Xu Shu couldn't help but laugh, "I'm used to being busy. If I don't do anything for a day, I feel lost and have no chance of rest. Many people have tried to persuade me, but I just can't change it. Today I'm here to disturb Zhou Mu's rest."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, "To be honest with Yuan Zhi, I am also the same. I am also reviewing the tax reports of each county today. There are many things to do!"

    The two looked at each other and laughed knowingly together.Come.

    At this time, the sound of hurried footsteps was heard outside the door, and a guard reported outside the door: "Reporting to the State Shepherd, Governor Wen of Fancheng sent someone to send an urgent report!"

    "Bring him in!"

    Not long after, a sergeant was ushered in by the guards. The sergeant knelt down on one knee and presented a volume of military reports: "According to the order of Governor Wen, report the emergency military situation to the state pastor."

    Liu Jing took the document scroll, opened it and read it again. His face suddenly changed slightly. Xu Shu asked uneasily: "Zhou Mu, what happened?"

    "Cao Cao sent more troops to Nanyang, 30,000 more from Xuchang, and 40,000 from Hefei, so Nanyang's strength reaches 100,000. Wenpin said that someone discovered Cao Cao's presence in Wancheng."

    Xu Shu was also shocked and said quickly: "Is Cao Jun going to attack Xiangyang?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "If Cao Cao really appears in Wancheng, I'm afraid he will implement the strategy of besieging Wei and rescuing Zhao, attacking Jingxiang and relieving the crisis in Tianshui County."

    "But the armistice contract we signed with him will expire in one year. Is he really going to break the contract? Once he breaks the contract, his trustworthiness will be completely gone." Xu Shu said in confusion.

    Liu Jing shook his head. Wenpin reported in the emergency report that the Han army invaded Nanyang first, but the Xinye garrison had never done this. Liu Jing understood immediately. He sighed softly and said: "This is actually what I am most worried about.  Did it really happen?"

    He immediately ordered to the guards: "Go quickly and invite Military Advisor Jia and Military Advisor Sima, saying that there is an urgent military situation to discuss."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Half an hour later, Jia Xu and Sima Yi hurried over, and Xu Shu did not leave. Although he did not care about military affairs, in fact, if military affairs occurred in Xiangfan, it would have a great impact on civil affairs.

    Several guards had already moved the Jingxiang sand table over. Liu Jing stood in front of the sand table and stared at Xiangyang for a long time. He had not cared about the situation in Xiangyang for only a year, but it felt like many years had passed. He originally thought that Cao Cao would abide by the tacit agreement between the two parties.  They kept the eastern front calm, but they didn't expect that Cao Cao would still break the contract and attack Xiangfan.

    Liu Jing raised her head and looked at Jia Xu and Sima Yi, "Both strategists should know what happened!"

    Sima Yi snorted coldly, "It's just a tactic. If we frame it, he can tear up the armistice agreement. It seems that Cao Cao is really going to attack Xiangyang."

    Jia Xu nodded, "I have to say that Cao Jun's attack on Xiangyang is a bit surprising. This should be a strategy to encircle Wei and save Zhao. The real purpose of Cao Jun is to defend the western front."

    "Although it is said to besiege Wei and rescue Zhao, it is very troublesome. Xiangfan only has 15,000 troops. How can it resist Cao Cao's 100,000 troops?"

    Liu Jing sighed, "I have just recovered a little bit of strength, but I am about to suffer misfortune again."

    At this time, Xu Shu said: "Actually, I think if we deal with it effectively, the loss should not be too big. The area from Xinye to Fancheng is mainly military settlements. There are not many farmers, but Fancheng has a larger business population. If we retreat in time, then  By blocking the Han River with naval forces, even if Cao¡¯s troops occupy the north of the Han River, they will still be the same as before and cannot do anything to us.¡±

    Liu Jing also knew that this was an ideal state, but after all, it was an army of 100,000, and Cao Cao had always planned to attack Jingzhou again. How could Cao Cao's army not be prepared in Nanyang? Thinking of this, Liu Jing said again: "Now Liu Bei is fighting with Jiaozhi  Shi Xie is at a standoff and has no time to go north to Jingnan. I plan to transfer Jiangling's 10,000 troops north to Xiangyang, and then transfer 5,000 naval troops from Wuchang to reinforce Hanshui. In this way, Xiangfan will have 30,000 troops, guarded by Wenpin and Gan Ning. I can  I'm a little relieved, but I'm a little worried that they lack strategy and may fall into Cao Cao's scheme."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing glanced at Jia Xu, who understood, and immediately bowed and said: "I will rush to Xiangyang immediately to participate in the defense plan."

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "With Mr. Jia in charge of Xiangyang, I feel more relieved."

    His eyes fell on Sima Yi. Seeing that Sima Yi was about to speak but hesitated, he asked, "What suggestions does Military Advisor Sima have?"

    Sima Yi bowed and said: "Wei Chen suggested contacting Sun Quan and asking Jiangdong's army to attack Hefei or Guangling northward, so that the pressure on Xiangyang can be dispersed."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "That's okay, but I'm afraid Sun Quan will take the opportunity to make a request to abolish some of the original provisions."

    Xu Shu advised again: "The compensation for pig iron has been completed, and Jiangdong has also taken back Yuzhang County. I heard that Jiangdong built many 900-stone warships. This is a disguised breach of contract. As for the inland river ban, it is now beneficial to both parties."  , I think Jiangdong will not ask for the abolition of this article, so the real benefit is Qichun County. As long as Zhou Mu insists that Qichun County will not give up, they can relax their warship restrictions, and there will be no loss to us. "

    Jia Xu also said: "The long history is right. There are two to three thousand stone merchant ships in the east of the Yangtze River."There are quite a few. This restriction really has no practical significance. Letting it go is also a sign of our sincerity. The key is that if Qichun County refuses to do so, it will not harm our interests.  "

    "All right!"

    Liu Jing finally agreed. He wrote a letter to Sun Quan and gave it to Sima Yi, "Please ask the military advisor to go to Jiangdong for me. In addition, the military advisor can take Liu Min with him on the way to Xiangyang and let him be the deputy envoy to Jiangdong. Details  What to do, the military advisor can decide according to the situation.¡±

    Sima Yi bowed and said: "I understand, I will go back and clean up now and go on a mission to Jiangdong."

    Jia Xu also smiled and said: "I'm going to Xiangyang too, so I can go with Zhongda for a while."

    Sima Yi was a little scared and waved his hand quickly, "I have agreed in advance that I will not play chess with Mr. Jia."

    Jia Xu frowned and said, "Why are you so stingy? What's the point of playing a few games of chess?"

    Everyone laughed together. Playing a game of chess with Jia Xu would take at least half a day, and no one could stand it.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 615 Encounter in Xinye

    Before the Chibi War, Xinye County was a large county with a population of nearly 50,000, which was well-governed by Liu Bei. However, after Cao Jun went south, tens of thousands of Xinye County residents followed Liu Bei and fled eastward, and finally crossed the river to Jiangxia. When the Chibi War ended  After that, the people of Xinye County never returned to their hometown and were resettled in Xiangyang and Jiangxia.

    Xinye County gradually became a military city, and the tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land south of the county also became military fields. In addition to the 3,000 garrison troops, there were nearly 10,000 military dependents. They cultivated the military fields, harvested rich crops, and enjoyed tax-free service.  .

    But the good times did not last long. Cao Jun suddenly increased his troops in Nanyang, which brought a huge threat to Xinye County. The shadow of war once again approached Xinye County. Without waiting for the order from General Chengdu, Xiangyang Prefect Cai Yan and Xiangfan Duwei Wenpin agreed to withdraw to the south.  According to the consensus, all soldiers and civilians north of the Han River evacuated to the south of the Han River.

    It was already late December, the coldest time of the year. In the biting cold wind, on the official road from Xinye to Fancheng, a refugee team about ten miles long was slowly evacuating south. Civilians  Most of them were driving bullock carts, with the elderly and young children sitting on the bullock carts. The carts were loaded with food, bedding, clothing, large and small parcels, and pottery pots and other daily necessities.

    The men led the oxen in front, while the women walked beside the oxcart, looking after the young children in the car anxiously from time to time. Many teenage children also followed their mothers. Behind the civilian team, there were also hundreds of vehicles.  The mule carts loaded with supplies and grain, which were supplies for the army, also withdrew southward along with the civilians.

    On both sides of the team, two thousand Han soldiers were fully armed and escorted the civilian team as they marched slowly. They were responsible for protecting the more than 10,000 military dependents from safely evacuating south. From time to time, they helped the fallen old people up and lifted some people who had no oxcart to carry them.  The old people and children were sent to ride on the army mule cart.

    The general leading this army was Pang De, Ma Chao's former deputy general. He was named deputy captain and sent to assist Wenpin in guarding Xiangfan and served as the general of Xinye Town.

    Pound is quite satisfied with his new position. The key is that he has military power and controls three thousand troops. For a general, the key to whether he is reused is whether he has military power.

    Although it was Wenpin who appointed him as the general of Xinye Town in name, Pang De knew in his heart that this was actually Liu Jing's appointment.

    It has been nearly a year since the Han army surrendered, and Pound also understood many of the rules of the Han army. Wenpin has the power to command the army, but does not have the right to appoint military positions. Officers below Yajiang are appointed by the General's Office of Bingcao through assessment, and those above Yajiang  The appointment must be decided by Liu Jing.

    Pang De is about thirty years old, eight feet three tall, with a head as big as a bucket, dark skin, a black beard, and a large iron spear weighing sixty kilograms. He has outstanding martial arts skills.

    Although he looks fierce and rude, Pang De has been educated and literate since he was a child. After joining the army, he studied military literature. In fact, he is a general with both civil and military skills. When he followed Ma Chao, he was Ma Chao's think tank and made suggestions for Ma Chao. It is for this reason.  Liu Jing then asked him to guard Xinye.

    Pang De also received news that Cao's army was massively increasing its troops in Nanyang. They were actually moving troops from Hefei to Nanyang. Of course Pang De knew that such a troop transfer would be very costly and would not be without purpose. Cao's army in Wancheng already numbered 100,000.  Obviously he is going south to Xiangyang.

    Pang De was a little worried that it might be too late for them to retreat south. It was said that Cao Cao had arrived at Wancheng, but from a military point of view, Cao Jun did not want to raid Xiangyang. If he wanted to raid Xiangyang, he would not wait for reinforcements to arrive before taking action.  Instead, they will directly attack Xinye and Fancheng southward, without giving them a chance to retreat southward.

    It is very possible that Cao Jun just made a gesture of military suppression to force the Han army to stop the Northern Expedition on the Western Front. After all, the two sides signed an armistice agreement, and Cao Jun would not easily tear up this agreement until the last moment.

    After thinking about this, Pang De felt a little at ease. He looked back at the civilian team and saw that everyone looked miserable. Seeing that New Year's Eve was only a few days away, but he encountered a military disaster, Pang De couldn't help but secretly sigh.

    Pang De saw that the team was moving very slowly, walking up to thirty or forty miles a day. It would take three or four days to reach Fancheng. Once Cao's army arrived, it would be dangerous, so he ordered the soldiers: "Speed ??up a little!"

    At this moment, several scout cavalry came from a distance and rushed over quickly. The leading scout reported urgently on horseback: "General Qi, Cao's army has moved south, and the forward is only more than thirty miles away from us."

    This news shocked Pang De. He had just thought that Cao Jun would not go south easily. Unexpectedly, Cao Jun had already killed him. He suddenly became anxious. He could not escape Cao Jun's pursuit if he went south. Only by escaping eastward into the forest would he have a chance.  vitality.

    Fortunately, there is Bi Shui two miles away. After Bi Shui, there is an endless forest. To the east is Tongbai Mountain. As long as you cross Bi Shui and dismantle the bridge, you can protect yourself, but the ox cart obviously cannot travel eastward in the wilderness.  He immediately shouted to the soldiers: "Let everyone abandon their baggage, bring rations, and bring their livestock.Immediately evacuate to the east, Cao's army is about to attack.  "

    The news of Cao's army's arrival immediately caused chaos among the troops. Although the soldiers repeatedly explained that Cao's army was still thirty miles away, they could not control the panic of the people. The refugees shouted endlessly. They did not care about their fatigue. Men carried old people and women on their backs.  After picking up the child, although everyone was in a panic, they still didn't want to throw away the valuable things, especially the cattle, which were the lifeblood of the people.

    They untied the cattle from the cart one after another, and the women took some grain and soft food, discarded the other items, and quickly left the official road. People and animals mixed together, scrambling to escape to the east in the wilderness. Men, women, old and young stumbled around in chaos, shouting.  The sounds of children calling for their husbands and the cries of children falling over resounded throughout the wilderness.

    Pound shouted, "The troops must assemble immediately and follow me to meet the enemy!"

    At this time, Pound could no longer care about the refugees. He ordered a military commander: "You can lead five hundred brothers to guard the refugees. After crossing the river, immediately demolish the bridge. No mistake!"

    "Follow your orders!"

    The Marquis bowed and saluted, and waved to his soldiers, "Follow me!"

    He led five hundred soldiers to follow the refugees. Seeing that they were far away, Pound ordered his scouts to rush to Fancheng to report the news. At this time, a tooth general advised: "The enemy's vanguard has at least ten thousand people, and we only have two."  There are more than a thousand people who can't defeat the enemy, why don't they retreat to the east bank of the river with the people?"

    Pang De glared at him and said sternly: "Fleeing without fighting is not what a man would do. Death in battle is also a blessing for us, so you don't need to say more!"

    General Ya was too frightened to say a word. When Pound saw that the troops had been assembled, he shouted: "Brothers, stop the enemy and buy time for the people of Fancheng to cross the river. This is the duty of our soldiers. Follow me north and beat them hard."  Cao Jun!"

    "I am willing to follow the general northward!"

    The soldiers shouted in unison, and Pound waved his hand, "Let's go!"

    He turned his horse and ran northward, leading 2,500 Han troops to the north, preparing to meet the vanguard of Cao's army.

    Cao Jun¡¯s eight thousand forward troops had already reached Xinye County, led by General Zhang He. When he discovered that Xinye County was an empty city, he immediately led his army to turn around and go south to pursue the fleeing Han army.

    Pang De was not completely accurate about Cao's army. Cao Cao mobilized a large number of troops to gather in Nanyang and decided to tear up the armistice agreement signed by both parties. The reason why he did not send troops to raid Xiangfan was because Cao Cao did not consider attacking the people of Fancheng.

    Cao Cao was not very interested in capturing Xiangfan. What he cared about was gathering momentum, causing panic in Xiangfan as much as possible, and making the situation in Jingzhou more serious. Only in this way could it influence Liu Jing's decision-making to the greatest extent and force him to temporarily give up his Northern Expedition to Hebei.  City, thereby buying time for Cao's army to deploy on the western front.

    At this time, Cao Cao had received the information that Jia Xu had arrived in Xiangyang, and the time was ripe. He resolutely ordered the army to go south and put full pressure on Xiangfan.

    Zhang He led eight thousand troops to rush on the official road. He kept receiving news from spies ahead. He found a large number of abandoned carts and supplies on the official road thirty miles away. There were traces of refugees fleeing eastward in the fields. Zhang He  He snorted coldly. He knew that two miles away to the east was Bishui, which was more than ten feet wide. Once the refugees escaped across the river, it would be difficult for him to chase them.

    At this time, Lieutenant General Yang Gu said from the side: "I remember there is a bridge nearby. We might as well cross the bridge and chase south. These women, children, old and young can't run far."

    Zhang He pondered for a moment, shook his head and said: "What can we do if we catch up with them and kill them? Or let them become our burden. The prime minister's order is to seize Fancheng as soon as possible to create a great momentum. If we kill innocent people indiscriminately, it will be very difficult."  It¡¯s hard to explain to the Prime Minister.¡±

    "The general is right, he has neglected his duty!"

    Zhang He turned around and shouted, "Speed ??up and head towards Fancheng!"

    Eight thousand Cao Cao's troops sped up and chased southward along the official road. An hour later, a large number of abandoned baggage carts of the Han army appeared on the official road ahead. The carts were loaded with supplies such as grain, grass, weapons and tents. Not only the Han army  The baggage included a large number of civilian vehicles, and the animals pulling the carts were taken away. Large and small bags, and various items were piled up in the cart.

    At this time, Cao's army began to get a little confused, and the soldiers began to scramble to snatch the people's property. Zhang He was furious, rushed forward, whipped the soldiers, and shouted sternly: "Put down all your things and form a team immediately!"

    At this moment, an army of about 2,000 people suddenly appeared on a small road not far away. The leader was General Pang De. He originally planned to lead the army north, but suddenly thought that he could use the property discarded by the people to make a living.  Bai, he led his army to ambush in the woods a mile away. When Cao's army was chaotically fighting for property, he seized the opportunity.

    Pang De waved his big iron gun and shouted loudly: "Brothers, kill!"

    Twenty-five hundred soldiers of the Han army ran with all their strength and rushed into the enemy's territory in an instant with shouts of killing.Among the rear troops, Cao's army was cut into two, killing the enemy soldiers until they fell on their backs and wailed all over the field. Pound ran rampant, his big guns flying, and wherever the iron guns passed, corpses were everywhere.

    The general of the rear army was the deputy general Yang Gu. When he saw the enemy's fierce attack and the heavy casualties in his own army, he was furious. He waved his sword and urged his horse to attack Pang De, "Stop being so arrogant, black-faced barbarian, I'll kill you with my knife!"

    Pang De sneered, fired his spear, and urged his horse to meet him. The two of them fought fiercely together, but within five seconds, Pang De pretended to be defeated and drove his horse away.  With a quick step, Pang De immediately knocked Yang Man off his horse with a carbine, and killed him with another shot.

    Yang Yu was killed in battle, and the three thousand rear troops were all trembling with fear and losing their fighting spirit. They were killed and wounded by the Han army and became a mass of chaos. Countless soldiers began to turn around and flee. The army showed signs of imminent collapse. At this moment, Zhang He led  Thousands of soldiers came from the front.

    He recognized Pang De, waved his steel spear and shouted loudly: "Pang Lingming, do you dare to fight me, Zhang He?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 616 Xiangfan Crisis

    Although Pang De took advantage of the chaos in the rear of Cao's army and succeeded in a sneak attack and defeated 3,000 rear troops, Cao's army was still large in number. Seeing more than 5,000 people from the center and front army coming to kill him, twice as many as himself, Pang De realized  If you can kill the enemy general, it may be a chance to defeat the enemy.

    Without saying a word, he spurred his horse to gallop forward and thrust his spear straight into Zhang He's throat. Zhang He was hailed as a famous general in Hebei Province. He was known as a famous general in Hebei Province. He had the courage to use a sixty-eight kilogram steel spear, and his martial arts skills were not as good as Zhang Liao's.  , Under Xu Huang, although Pang De was extremely brave, Zhang He was also unambiguous. He sneered, swung his spear and struck Pound back, the two horses were staggered, and the two were fighting fiercely.

    The armies on both sides were beating war drums, shouting like thunder, and yellow dust was billowing on the battlefield. The two had fought for more than thirty rounds, with neither victory nor defeat. Zhang He saw that Pang De's marksmanship was neat and flawless, and he couldn't help but secretly praise him, but he  There was no time to spend any time with Pang De, so he used a flaw to break away from the battle circle, raised his flag and shouted to thousands of troops: "Kill me!"

    The drums of Cao¡¯s army¡¯s attack sounded, and five thousand troops rushed towards the Han army from three directions like a surging tide. The Han army also came forward to fight, and the two armies fought fiercely in the wilderness.

    While Pang De and Cao Jun were fighting fiercely near Hekou Town, a large-scale evacuation of people and supplies was also underway on the Han River outside Fancheng.

    Compared with the embarrassment of the evacuation from Xinye, the evacuation from places such as Fancheng and Dengxian seemed leisurely. Two pontoons were built on the Han River. Dozens of large ships were moored on the shore. Soldiers moved food supplies from Fancheng warehouses onto the ships.  , transported back to Xiangyang again and again.

    Tens of thousands of people in Fancheng went back and forth from the pontoon and moved all their belongings to the other side. Some families even refused to keep the water tanks in their yards. The merchants moved large amounts of goods and money to the other side and stored them there.  In the Tao family's warehouse.

    The treatment of refugees this time is much better than a few years ago. Tens of thousands of tents have been set up in the wilderness south of Xiangyang, stretching for nearly a hundred miles. There is almost one tent for each family. They share the same tent with a family a few years ago.  Ding camp tent, conditions have been greatly improved.

    On the one hand, there are not many residents in the north of Hanshui River, with only about 10,000 households, which is easy to take care of. On the other hand, it is also because its own strength is gradually growing. Jingzhou was unified, and Yizhou and Hanzhong were added. The fertile fields are thousands of miles away, and the population is huge.  Millions, with strong strength as the backing, the treatment of refugees will naturally be much better than before.

    On the pier on the south bank of the Han River, there is a long row of tables. Nearly a hundred famous Xiangyang scholars are sitting at their desks to register their names. The tables are lined with refugees preparing to register. They are organized into family units. They are lined up in a long line.  Teams register in turn. After registering and checking a household, they will receive a bronze medal. With this bronze medal, they can stay, receive food and blankets.

    Cai Yanzheng, the prefect of Xiangyang, led a dozen officials to inspect the refugees fleeing from the north bank. He and the county magistrate Dong Yun divided the work and cooperated. Dong Yun was responsible for the arrangements for the refugee camps, while Cai Yan was responsible for receiving the refugees and registering them one by one.  Then he was sent to the camp in the south of the city.

    Cai Yan stood in front of the pier with his hands folded, looking at the people going north and south on the pontoon bridge. He was worried in his heart. The people in Fancheng and Deng County had basically evacuated, but the people in Xinye were late.  It's been a long time coming, has something happened?  After all, there were more than 10,000 people. If something happened to them, Cai Yan was worried that he would not be able to explain to the state pastor.

    At this time, a soldier rushed over, bowed to Cai Yan and saluted: "To the prefect, Captain Wen Du has invited you!"

    Cai Yan was also about to see Wenpin. He nodded and followed the soldiers to the river. There was a thousand-stone warship moored by the river. Wenpin stood on the bow waiting for Cai Yan. Although he marched into Bashu and attacked  Hanzhong and the Northern Expedition to Longxi did not have Wenpin's status, but this did not affect Wenpin's promotion. Wenpin had been promoted to the rank of general, the same level as Zhao Yun. Although he did not participate in the war, he shouldered the heavy responsibility of guarding Peking University in Jingxiang.  Door.

    This time Cao's army marched south from Wancheng again and directly attacked Wenpin's defense range. Wenpin stood on the bow of the ship and stared at the north. He had not participated in the Han army's westward expansion in the past two years and had been guarding Xiangyang. Although he had no achievements, he could  Repeated promotions have caused many Han soldiers to complain. Wenpin knew this well. It was for this reason that when Cao's army suddenly moved south from Wancheng, Wenpin felt tremendous pressure.

    If he fails to fight this battle, or suffers heavy losses, then he will lose face in the Han army. At this time, Wenpin is most worried about the safety of Pang De's army. He has received orders from Pang De  News came that Cao Jun's vanguard of nearly 10,000 troops had moved south. Pang De led his army to fight and block Cao Jun's southward movement, but Pang De only had 2,500 troops!

    Wenpin sighed slightly in his heart. He had sent Cai Jin to lead a hundred warships north along Bishui to meet Pang De's army and the people of Xinye. He didn't know if he could keep Xinye's army.

    At this time, a soldier behind him reported: "Captain Wen, Governor Cai is here!"

    Wenpin turned around and saw Cai Yan walking up quickly.On the ship, Wenpin and Cai Yan have known each other for decades. In addition, Cai Yan is the father of his apprentice Cai Jin, so the relationship between the two is naturally unusual. Wenpin went up to greet him and said with a smile: "Invite the prefect here, and disturb the prefect's official duties."  !¡±

    Cai Yan waved his hand and said: "You're welcome, Lieutenant Wen, but I'm worried about the situation of the people in Xinye. Is there any news about General Wenpin?"

    Wenpin nodded, "This is exactly why I came to see the prefect. I just got the news that Cao Jun's forward has moved south and was blocked by Pang De's troops. At present, the people of Xinye have escaped Bishui and hid in the forest east of Bishui. I sent  Jin'er will lead the fleet to the north to greet him, there should be news soon."

    The Xinye people hid in the forest, which made Cai Yan feel relieved, but he immediately realized that the danger was approaching. He asked nervously: "Has Cao's army gone south?"

    "should be!"

    Wenpin nodded, "The vanguard has already moved south, and the main army will leave only one day apart at most. I invited the prefect here just to tell him that I will dismantle the pontoon bridge in two hours. Please inform the people of Fancheng to move completely!  "

    Cai Yan nodded silently. At this moment, he remembered something again and asked quickly: "I wonder when General Gan's navy will arrive in Xiangyang?"

    "It should be on the way. It is estimated that it will arrive in Xiangyang tomorrow, and there will be 10,000 reinforcements from Jiangling, which will arrive in the next two days. Please rest assured, prefect, the Han River is not frozen. Even in winter, Cao Jun will not be able to break through the Han River.  , as long as the people are evacuated to the south bank, everything will be safe."

    Cai Yan sighed softly, "It will be the New Year in a few days, and Cao Jun will not let us live in peace!"

    He then said to Wenpin: "In addition, I need five hundred soldiers to maintain order in the refugee camp for me. Can Captain Cai support them?"

    "No problem, I will allocate 500 soldiers to the prefect later."

    Cai Yan thanked Cai Yan and left. Wenpin thought for a while. He was still not sure about Longzhong's defense. Now that Gan Ning had not arrived, he did not have enough warships. Once Cao Jun crossed the river from Fangling, Xiangyang would be threatened. He  A defensive line must be deployed in Longzhong without any carelessness.

    Thinking of this, Wenpin immediately ordered his soldiers: "Give me a horse, I want to go to Longzhong immediately!"

    A fleet of 200 warships is sailing north along Bi Shui. The warships are almost all small warships with a size of 300 to 500 shi. They rely on manual rowing, and there is already a layer of ice on Bi Shui.  The ice was thin, but there was no ice in the middle of the river. Two hundred ships moved forward in sequence along the narrow river. The fleet stretched for more than twenty miles and carried two thousand soldiers.

    On the big ship headed by him, Cai Jin used his hand curtain to block the dazzling sunlight and looked for traces of Xinye soldiers and civilians on both sides of the strait. In the distance was a large forest. There had just been a light snowfall last night, covering the forest with a light silver. The light snow  It also covered the traces on the ground, and there was no human habitation around. Ever since Hekou Town was bloodbathed by Cao Jun's cavalry, the entire town had been abandoned and no one was inhabited anymore, making this area inaccessible.

    According to the information they received, the people of Xinye escaped from Bishui in this area, but now he could not see any trace of the refugees, let alone Pang De's army. This made Cai Jin a little worried. Could it be that Pang De's entire army had already  Overthrown?  Did Cao Jun massacre all the refugees in Xinye again?  If this was the case, he should have seen a few fleeing soldiers or refugees, but his fleet traveled for a day without finding a single person.

    At this moment, a soldier pointed to the forest in the distance and shouted: "General, there seems to be someone over there!"

    Cai Jin looked in the direction of his finger and saw several moving black spots on the snow on the edge of the forest a few miles away in the northeast. They did not look like deer or wild beasts, but looked like people. Cai Jin immediately ordered: "Wave the military flag.  Signal!¡±

    The two soldiers immediately raised the two-foot-high Han army war flag and waved it on the boat. Within a moment, they saw a large group of black spots running out of the forest. They were indeed people. They were jumping and waving to this side desperately, including children.  , Cai Jin knew that they had found the Xinye fugitives, and he immediately ordered, "Speed ??up!"

    The fleet speeded up, getting closer and closer to the crowd, and more and more people rushed out of the forest. Sure enough, they were Xinye refugees. They did not dare to continue walking eastward, but hid in the forest waiting for rescue. When the Han army  When the warship finally arrived, the refugees were excited and jumped for joy. Many people were so excited that they knelt on the snow and cried.

    Soon, tens of thousands of refugees rushed out of the forest. They rushed towards Bishui with large and small bags, holding cattle, carrying elderly parents on their backs, and holding children in their arms. Cheers rang through the sky.

    The Han soldiers on the warships broke the ice on the river, and the warships slowly docked. The soldiers jumped off the boats one after another and began to help the people get on the boats. At this time, the Han soldiers who were guarding the refugees stepped forward and asked Cai Cai  He saluted: "This is to General Cai. I humbly serve under the orders of General Pang and lead five hundred brothers to protect the refugees. Now that I have completed my mission, I would like to hand over the order to General Cai!"

    Cai Jin took the photo?His shoulder, "Thank you for your hard work, everyone is okay!"

    "Except for the unfortunate deaths of a dozen old people last night, everything else is fine."

    "I wonder if there is any news about General Pang?" Cai Jin asked again.

    The military marquis said sadly: "Last night, Cao Jun set fire to the carts and grain on the official road. I sent people to inquire about the situation, but they did not come back. I was also worried about General Pang's situation. I am willing to lead my brothers.  Let¡¯s go meet General Pang!¡±

    Cai Jin shook his head, "You don't have to go, do one thing for me."

    "General, please give me your orders!"

    Cai Jin pointed to the large group of cattle on the shore and said: "There are at least a thousand of these cattle. Our ships are too small to carry them. You lead the brothers to drive the cattle to the north bank of the Han River. There will be a ferry to pick you up there."  Cross the river."

    ¡°I understand my humble position!¡±

    The military marquis saluted, jumped ashore, and walked quickly toward the cattle. He led five hundred soldiers and drove more than two thousand cattle, mules, and horses, and headed south in a mighty manner.

    At this time, warships full of refugees also slowly turned around and sailed towards the Han River. Cai Jin stood on the shore and looked at the wilderness to the west. He was very worried. Judging from the few words spoken by the military marquis, since Cao Cao  Setting fire to the cart would mean that the Han army had been defeated. I wonder if Pang De could escape this disaster?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 617 Severe Punishment

    From Xinye to the west is endless farmland, interspersed with patches of woods. At this time, the autumn rice has long been harvested, and the winter wheat has grown tender seedlings. The ground is covered with thin white snow, the cold wind is bleak, and groups of foraging birds are flying around.  Flying around in the wilderness.

    In the early morning, in a forest about fifty miles away from the main official road, there were more than a thousand sleeping Han soldiers lying in a huddle. They were tightly wrapped in blankets, clinging to each other, with tired faces on their faces. By the woods  On a large rock, Pound was naked to the waist, holding a wooden stick in his mouth, while two soldiers were using sharp daggers to carve out the arrow tips from his back.

    In a bloody battle yesterday afternoon, although the Han army killed nearly 3,000 enemies, they were outnumbered and ultimately failed. The army fled to defeat and ran fifty miles in one breath before finally getting rid of Cao Jun's pursuit.

    In this bloody battle, the Han army lost more than 1,300 people. Even the commander-in-chief Pang De was shot in the back by a stray arrow. Pang De only felt a heartbreaking pain in his back, and he clenched the branch.  , big beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, his vision went dark, he almost fainted and fell to the ground, all he heard from behind was 'Dang!  ' With a sound, the tip of the arrow was gouged out along with a large piece of flesh, and fell on the plate. A stream of black blood spattered out.

    The soldiers hurriedly applied medicine to him and tied the wound tightly with silk cloth. A soldier wiped the sweat from his forehead and whispered: "General, move a little and see if there is any problem!"

    Pang De slowly moved his arms. Although it was still in severe pain, at least he still had consciousness and could move. This made him feel relieved. He slowly put on his clothes. At this time, the sentry on the tree shouted:  "Our scouts are back!"

    After a moment, two scouts walked quickly into the woods, knelt down on one knee and saluted Pound, "See General!"

    Pang De nodded and asked, "How is the situation outside?"

    "Reporting to the general, Cao Jun's vanguard burned the vehicles on the official road last night. They returned to Xinye County and did not continue southward!"

    This was what Pound expected. Cao's army lost nearly 3,000 men. If they only relied on 5,000 men to go south, they would be severely beaten by the Han army in Xiangyang. They themselves understood this and did not dare to go south. Although they  The army suffered heavy losses, but at least it succeeded in blocking Cao's vanguard from going south.

    But Pound was still a little worried about the safety of the people evacuating eastward. Just as he was about to ask again, the scout reported: "We met a seriously injured Cao Jun spy on the road. Before he died, he told us that he found a ship in the south.  The team is heading north along the river, it should be our naval force."

    This news immediately made Pang De relieved. Cao Jun did not have a naval force and could only use a fleet passing through Xiangyang. It should be that Wenpin received the report he sent when he left Xinye, so he sent a ship to meet him. If the people of Xinye  If he goes down the river, he can meet the fleet, so he can rest assured.

    Thinking of this, Pang De turned back to his soldiers and said, "Go and inform the military lords and generals to come see me!"

    Several soldiers ran to report, and soon two tooth generals and four military princes came forward and sat around Pang De. Pound told several generals the information, and everyone suddenly became excited. One tooth general  Said: "Now that the vanguard of Cao's army has returned to Xinye, we can immediately go south and cross the river from Deng County to Longzhong."

    Pang De smiled and said: "Now our dry food can last for three days. I plan to go west and cross the river in Fangling County. The defenders on the other side of Fangling County are only a thousand people. If Cao's army comes from Fangling County,  If we forcefully cross the Han River, Xiangyang will be in danger. Why don't we rush to Fangling County and strengthen its defenses? "What do you think?"

    Everyone looked at each other and bowed together: "I am willing to listen to the general's command!"

    "good!"

    Pang De immediately ordered: "Tell the brothers to get up and set off in a quarter of an hour!"

    At noon, Cao Cao personally led an army of 100,000 to Xinye. The army lineup was huge and the banners covered the sky. This time Cao Cao's army went south to Jingxiang, which was far inferior to the southern expedition in the 13th year of Jian'an.  After several years of preparation, it exhausted all the strength of the country, and finally failed. As a result, Cao's army has not been able to recover to this day.

    This time, the southern expedition only merged the armies of Nanyang and Hefei. The food and grass were also stored in Nanyang itself. As for the ordnance supplies, warships, civilians, etc., there were almost no special preparations. This also shows that Cao Cao did not really intend to attack and destroy them.  Jingxiang was just to build momentum and contain the battle on the Western Front.

    Zhang He had received the news in advance and rushed five miles away to report to Cao Cao about the forward movement south. Under the guidance of several guards, he came to Cao Cao's war horse and bowed down to report: "The general will see the Prime Minister."

    Cao Cao nodded and asked: "General Zhang, you should be in Fancheng now, not Xinye! How do you explain to me?"

    Zhang He knew that there were some things that he could not avoid, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and report: "Reporting to the Prime Minister, I was attacked by Xinye Guardsman Pang De and his army on the way south. The two sides were furious.After fighting for half a day, Beizhi's army suffered heavy losses. According to the prime minister's instructions, caution was the most important thing, so Beizhi temporarily stopped moving south.  "

    Cao Cao frowned and turned around to ask Chen Qun, "Is this Pang De the original general Pang Lingming of Ma Chao?"

    "It was this man who followed Ma Chao and surrendered to Liu Jing. He was named deputy captain and stationed in Xinye."

    "This man is a talented person. It's a pity that Liu Jing only named him deputy captain."

    Cao Cao sighed slightly, then looked at Zhang He and said, "I'm telling you to be cautious, but can General Zhang tell me how many troops were lost and how many casualties the opponent had?"

    Zhang He's face turned red. His military report had already been submitted. How could the Prime Minister not know that he was being asked here deliberately? He was so frightened that he quickly knelt down on one knee and clasped his fists and said: "I am not in a good position in the first battle due to my humble position. I am willing to be punished by the Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao snorted coldly, "When two armies are fighting, victory or defeat is a matter of military strategism. You have lost more troops than the other side. I won't blame you for this, but I have repeatedly told you to speed up the march and attack Fancheng as quickly as possible. But  However, your subordinates were fascinated by the people's wealth and lost their sense of proportion. Then they were attacked by the other side. You knew clearly that there was property on the official road ahead, why didn't you send your confidants to burn it first and cut off the greed of the soldiers behind?  Is this what a general would do to give soldiers a chance to steal property?"

    Zhang He's face was full of shame, and he muttered after a while: "I didn't think carefully about my humble position, and I let the prime minister down."

    "I am very disappointed. You were ineffective as a vanguard and wasted the opportunity to fight. I will demote you one level, exempt you from General Pingdi, and fine you one year's salary."

    Zhang He's face turned pale and he lowered his head in silence. Cao Cao's punishment was quite severe. You must know that Zhang He went to Liaodong and fought to the death to be named General Pingdi. However, this time he was exempted from the ban just because of an uninspected march.  He lost his most important position as general.

    Next to Zhang Liao, he couldn't bear it and hurriedly knelt down to plead for Zhang He, "Prime Minister, please calm down. Although Jun Yi didn't think well for a moment, he did not condone the soldiers to loot property. Instead, he led the soldiers to fight back and finally defeated the enemy who sneaked in.  Nearly half of the army suffered casualties, so we have made up for it. As for not going south again, it was due to caution. I sincerely ask the Prime Minister to give me a lighter punishment!"

    All the generals came forward to plead for Zhang He. Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "I have thought a lot recently about why our army was repeatedly defeated by Liu Jing. After much thought, this is related to our lax military discipline and Liu Jing's lenient management of the army."  To help each other, those who violate military rules will be severely punished, no matter who they are, they will not be lenient, and for meritorious service, they will be generously rewarded, and they will not be stingy. Therefore, the three armies are united and the soldiers will serve their lives. On the contrary, we have been defeated repeatedly in these years, but have we ever  Who has been punished before? Over time, everyone has become scornful and no longer fights hard. So starting from this southern expedition, whether it is the defense on the western front or the southern expedition on the eastern front, victory will be rewarded heavily, and defeat will be rewarded heavily.  Punishment will never be tolerated again!¡±

    Zhang He said sadly: "The Prime Minister is right. I am a vanguard and I am not in a good position to send troops. Although I defeated the opponent, the strength of the troops is very different. Even though I won, I am still defeated. I should be severely punished. I accept the punishment of the Prime Minister for humiliating my position!"

    Cao Cao nodded, "Very good. I will punish you today. When you make great achievements in the future, I will double your reward."

    "Thank you, Prime Minister!"

    Everyone stopped talking and felt ashamed. Zhang Liao also felt a little ashamed. Although he interceded for Zhang He, he also knew that a defeat was a defeat. There was no reason to explain it. The prime minister's punishment was fair and not biased.

    At this time, Cao Cao took out the Golden Order Arrow and said to Zhang Liao: "Wenyuan, I will give you 30,000 troops as the front army. Immediately speed up south, sweep across the north of the Han River, and burn Fancheng and Deng County to the ground, leaving no city behind.  , to create momentum for me.¡±

    "Obey the order!" Zhang Liao took the golden arrow and hurried away.

    At this time, Cao Cao stared at Xinye City several miles away and ordered: "Burn Xinye City and raze Xinye to the ground!"

    At this time, a guard rushed over and whispered to Cao Cao: "Urgent information from Yedu!"

    Cao Cao's expression changed. He took a roll of silk, opened it and read it again. A sneer gradually appeared at the corner of his mouth. He pondered for a moment, wrote an order, handed it to a guard and said: "Go back to Yedu immediately and give this letter  Give it to the eldest son and ask him to execute it immediately."

    Starting in the afternoon, the soldiers at the head of Xiangyang City saw the thick smoke billowing over the north bank of the Han River. At first, it was just a thin puff of black smoke in the distance. Although the black smoke was very thin and small, the soldiers all guessed that it was there.  In Xinye County, they could actually see more than a hundred miles of black smoke, which was enough to imagine what a terrifying scene it was above Xinye City.

    In the second half of the night, all the cities on the north bank of the Han River, including Fancheng, Dengxian, and Dengsaicheng, were ablaze with raging fires. Especially Fancheng, the fire engulfed the entire county. Thick smoke rose into the sky, and the billowing smoke was mixed with terrible flames.  , I kept hearing the crashing sound of the city wall collapsing.

    The floating water on the Han River at this timeThe city has been dismantled, and hundreds of Han army thousand-stone warships that have just sailed from Jiangxia are patrolling in the Han River. The soldiers on the ship can see more clearly than the top of Xiangyang City. They see tens of thousands of Cao army soldiers coming, and they destroy the city wall.  , burning the county town, destroying everything like locusts, but the wide Han River blocked Cao Jun's continued southward movement, so Cao Jun's raids did not really hit Jing Xiang.

    On the top of Xiangyang City, Jia Xu, Wenpin, Gan Ning, Cai Yan, Dong Yun and other high-ranking civil and military officials boarded the city top one after another, looking solemnly at the wanton destruction of Cao Jun on the other side of the Han River, but only Jia Xu was stroking his beard.  He chuckled, seemingly not taking the destruction to heart.

    "The military advisor doesn't seem to care too much?" Gan Ning asked in a low voice, puzzled.

    Jia Xu smiled slightly and said, "It's just a bluff. There isn't much that Cao Cao can do. His purpose is just to put pressure on Zhou Mu and force him to stop the Western Front Expedition. Unless Cao Cao's army can cross the Han River, he can't stop the Han Dynasty."  The will of the army to march north.¡±

    Gan Ning nodded and said to everyone: "This time I lead 300 thousand-stone wooden warships and 5,000 naval troops to the north. They are the most elite naval forces of the Han army. They are enough to dominate the world's rivers and seas. Cao's army cannot cross the Han Dynasty."  Shui, I won't give him any chance, including Fangling and Shangyong, each has fifty warships heading north, and Cao's army will stop at the Han River. This is inevitable! "

    Wenpin also said happily: "With General Gan's confidence, I believe that Cao Jun's strategy of exerting pressure on the eastern front will never succeed."

    At this moment, an earth-shattering drum sound suddenly came from the north bank of Han River.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 618 Enemy Traces of Unknown Origin

    At the same moment when Cao Jun invaded Xiangyang, Liu ushered in the New Year's Eve of the 17th year of Jian'an in Xicheng County, Tianshui County. According to the original plan, the entire Liu family will participate in the clan sacrifice in Xiangyang for the first time today, but Liu obviously  He would not go to Xiangyang again, so he entrusted Liu Hu to go to Xiangyang on his behalf.

    In the early morning, when the first ray of sunlight shines through the clouds and shines on the top of the city, looking into the distance from the top of the city, Qishan Mountain is still a snow-capped world, shining with golden light under the sunlight.

    The more than a thousand soldiers guarding the city had spent a cold and long night, cheering up and preparing to return to the military camp to rest after changing their posts. At this moment, there was a sudden commotion at the top of the city.

    Liu, the commander-in-chief of the Han army, actually appeared at the top of the city, which surprised and surprised the soldiers.

    "Good morning, Zhou Mu!"

    When several soldiers saw Liu arriving, they quickly bowed and saluted him. Liu smiled and nodded, "Good New Year everyone!"

    At this time, hundreds of guards gathered around, "Happy New Year, Zhou Mu!" Everyone greeted Liu loudly. On the New Year's Day, Zhou Mu was actually with them, and the soldiers were very touched.

    Liu smiled and waved his hand, "Thank you for your hard work, brothers. There will be wine and meat today to reward everyone!"

    The crowd roared with joy. At this time, a soldier pointed in the distance and shouted: "State Shepherd, the grain team is here!"

    Liu looked towards the official road to the south and saw a long team coming. The banner of the Han army was waving, and wooden oxen were running fast on the official road, heading towards the west city. This was coming from  There are about two thousand grain trucks coming from Qishan Fort.

    After taking Xicheng, after nearly two months of running-in and delivering a large number of wooden oxen to the military, the Han army has initially established a grain transportation line and implemented segmented transportation.

    The grain is transported from Xiabian County, Wudu County to Fengyun City, then from Fengyun City to Licheng, then to Qishan City, and finally from Qishan City to Xicheng. It is divided into four sections, each with 2,000 wooden oxen.  In the future, on the one hand, it will reduce the hardship of soldiers transporting food over long distances, on the other hand, it will also speed up the turnover of food and reduce transportation risks along the way.

    On average, it takes ten days to go back and forth from Qishan City to Xicheng. Four trips have been made so far, and a total of 40,000 shi of grain has been transported, bringing the grain storage in Xicheng to 100,000 shi. This is the same as the first northern expedition to Xicheng, when the military camp had less than 10,000 shi of grain.  Compared with stone, it is no longer the same.

    Sufficient food became the most solid guarantee for the success of the Northern Expedition. Once Xicheng's military rations accumulated to 200,000 dan, the time would be ripe for the Northern Expedition.

    The gate of the West City slowly opened, and wooden oxen and grain carts filed in. The two thousand barbarian grain transport soldiers were all sweating profusely, and their faces were filled with the joy of completing anything. They finally arrived on the first day of the New Year.  Food was delivered to Xicheng.

    At this time, the food delivery soldiers spotted Zhou Mu standing inside the city gate with a smile on his face, and the food delivery soldiers suddenly cheered.

    Liu stepped forward, patted the shoulders of several soldiers delivering food, gave them a few words of comfort, and said loudly: "Brothers delivering food, soldiers guarding the city, you have worked hard in the past year, and in the new year  As long as you work hard, I believe you will have a better income and improve your family¡¯s life, and your parents, wives and children will be proud of you!¡±

    Two thousand barbarian soldiers listened quietly to Liu's New Year's message. Not only them, but also tens of thousands of defenders surrounded their lord, looking up at Liu and listening to his words.

    "Today has entered the 17th year of Jian'an. At this time, Cao Cao is leading a hundred thousand troops to suppress Xiangyang. He wants to force us to stop the Northern Expedition, but he is wrong. We still have to go to the Northern Expedition. This year will be a glorious year for the Han army.  Year, this is the reason why I am in Xicheng today. Brothers and brave soldiers, let us march north together to create greater glory for the Han Army!"

    Liu's words infected tens of thousands of Han soldiers inside and outside the city. He shouted together, "I am willing to follow Zhou Mu in the Northern Expedition! Northern Expedition!" The shouts soared into the sky, and every soldier felt his blood boiling. They longed to go to war from deep in their hearts.  A moment of early arrival

    The leader of the grain transport was Wang Ping. He was walking in the middle of the team. When the team began to slowly enter the city, he urged his horse to rush to the front and saw the lord who was about to return to the city. "Please stay, Zhou Mu!" Wang Ping was behind.  shouted loudly.

    Liu turned around and saw that it was Wang Ping calling him. He smiled and walked forward and asked, "Isn't General Wang in Qishan City?"

    Wang Ping turned over and dismounted, stepped forward and bowed: "I am a little worried about transporting grain to the north this time, so I specially followed the escort."

    Liu heard something in his words and asked, "What happened?"

    "Back to Zhou Mu, the patrol I sent discovered a cavalry group in the North Road of Qishan Mountain. It is definitely not a Han army, but an army of unknown origin, with about a thousand people."

    "When did it happen?" Liu's expression changed toHe became solemn, and unexpectedly found more than a thousand cavalry. Could it be Cao Jun? If he only found a dozen Cao Jun patrols, this would be normal and not a big problem. But when a Cao Jun team of more than a thousand people actually appeared, the problem would be a bit serious.  The key point is how did Cao Jun get there?

    "It was discovered four days ago. Because it was discovered at night, we are not sure whether it is Cao Jun, so we have not reported it yet."

    "Did you encounter them again this time when we went north?" Liu asked again.

    Wang Ping shook his head, "I sent scouts to search all the way, but they disappeared and no trace was found."

    Liu muttered for a moment and said, "Follow me!"

    Liu got on his horse and, escorted by hundreds of cavalry guards on the left and right, he led Wang Ping and rushed towards the camp outside the city.

    At present, the Han army has 40,000 troops in Xicheng. In addition to 10,000 people stationed inside the city, the other 30,000 people are stationed outside Xicheng. After a while, Liu came to the gate of the camp. He got off his horse and walked into the camp.  Go and tell the soldiers: "Go and find Liu Zheng for me."

    In the big tent, Huang Zhongzheng and Fa Zheng discussed the New Year's reward for the army. At present, Huang Zhong is still the commander-in-chief of the Han Army in Xicheng, and Liu only came to inspect and did not replace Huang Zhong's position as commander-in-chief. At this time, a soldier came  A loud announcement was made at the door, "The State Shepherd is here!"

    I saw Liu quickly walking into the tent, followed by Wang Ping and Liu Zheng. Huang Zhong and Fazheng stood up quickly, bowed and saluted, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Liu waved his hand and said with a smile: "Today is the New Year, and we shouldn't talk about the military situation, but General Wang Ping brought a piece of news that I think should be taken seriously, so I came here to discuss it with you."

    Liu quickly came to the sand table and said to Wang Ping: "General Wang, please say it again!"

    Wang Ping saluted everyone and said: "About four days ago, the patrol I sent discovered a cavalry of more than a thousand people on the North Road of Qishan Mountain. Their origins are unknown. I tracked them later, but they lost track."

    Everyone looked at each other in shock. Qishan Road should have been controlled by them. How could an army of more than a thousand people appear, and they were also cavalry? This was definitely not the Han army. Who could it be?  Could it be that Cao Jun discovered a small road?

    At this time, Liu picked up the wooden pole and pointed at Mumen Fort to the east and said: "I suspect that it is Cao's army from Mumen Fort, or Cao's army from Shang County, coming from the trail. What do you think?"

    Huang Zhong shook his head, "I don't think it's possible. Except for the official road, which is barely feasible, the rest of the mountains are still blocked by heavy snow. The soldiers I sent to inspect found that even the upper road was impassable, let alone other small roads."

    Fazheng pondered for a moment and said: "Could it be the Cao army or the Dihu army coming from the west?"

    "Cao's army in Nan'an County to the west doesn't have cavalry, so it can't be them. As for Dihu, it's possible, but even if they want to come, they have to go around Jicheng. Besides, what are Dihu doing here?" Huang Zhong doesn't think it's Dihu.  Hu.

    At this time, Liu Zheng hesitated and said: "I heard from my subordinates that although the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, the rivers are frozen, so you can walk across the rivers."

    This sentence immediately reminded everyone. They looked at the sand table again and soon found two glacier roads. One was from Mumen Fort along Yangshui to the south of Qishan Mountain, and the other was Baishui, leading to Longxi County.  , it is impossible to march on these two rivers in spring and summer, but in winter the rivers freeze and are covered with snow, so you can march on the ice.

    At this time, Liu slowly said: "More than a thousand cavalrymen, a small military stronghold with a wooden gate cannot afford so many war horses. I suspect that they are Dihu who came from Longxi, because Dihu helped him during the first Northern Expedition."  Cao Cao deceived us, and they knew I would settle old scores, so they will help Cao Cao again this time."

    "If they are really Di people, there won't be just a thousand or so people. There should be more Di people who are here to cut off our food routes."

    As soon as Fazheng finished speaking, a soldier outside the big tent reported urgently: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, there is urgent news in Qishan City!"

    Everyone suddenly had a bad feeling in their hearts, and Liu immediately ordered: "Let the messenger come in!"

    After a moment, a messenger soldier was brought in. He knelt down and sobbed: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Qinnan Post was attacked by unknown persons the night before yesterday. Three hundred fortification soldiers suffered heavy casualties. Only dozens of people escaped. In addition, Licheng  The grain transport team to Qishan City was also attacked, with more than 200 casualties, and nearly 500 wooden oxen were burned. It was said that it was surrounded by at least a thousand cavalry and was suddenly killed. It seemed to be Cao Jun, but it was not like Cao Jun. Now the grain road  has been truncated."

    "Bang!" Liu slammed his fist on the table and said through gritted teeth, "It couldn't be anyone other than Dihu. This must be Yang Wanwan sent to attack our grain road."

    Wang Ping felt ashamed in his heart and apologized: "I am guilty of my humble position and failed to report it in time. Please let my humble position be my fault and lead the army to wipe out this cavalry."

    Liu thought for a while and then ordered: "Go and take Ma Dai."Come on!  "

    After a while, Ma Dai hurried over. He had a general understanding of the situation. He saluted Liu, and Liu then said to Ma Dai and Wang Ping: "You two can each lead three thousand people and go south with the Eagle Attack Army. Give me all the troops."  Destroy this cavalry, leaving no one behind."

    Ma Dai and Wang Ping bowed together to receive the order, "Obey the order!"

    The two of them took the order and left, but Huang Zhong beside them was a little worried and said: "I'm worried that there are more than a thousand people. There should be a supply team behind them. Can we go to meet them?"

    Liu shook his head, "They have six thousand troops. If they can't deal with Dihu like this, then I will be disappointed. The army is enough, and the old general doesn't need to go to support him anymore."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 619 Qishan Dao Thief

    The mysterious cavalry that appeared on Qishan Road were the Dihu cavalry from Baishui. King Yang Wanwan of Di received Cao Cao's order and personally led 20,000 cavalry to Tianshui County to support Cao's army. He also ordered his nephew Yang Zheng to lead 2,000 cavalry along Baishui.  Entering the hinterland of Qishan Mountain, they attacked the Han army's food road.

    For the Di and Qiang people, it is not difficult to move around in the Qishan area in winter. They have long been accustomed to cavalry marching in the snow-covered mountains. They can find forage covered by heavy snow. They have strong survival ability and are extremely sharp, constantly avoiding the Han.  The military patrol finally succeeded in raiding the inn under construction and the food delivery team at night.

    At this time, the Dihu cavalry had withdrawn from the hinterland of Qishan along Baishui, but they did not leave. Instead, they lurked like wolves, preparing to enter Qishan Road for the second time to attack the Han army's grain team.

    Yang Zheng is about thirty years old, eight feet two in height, with a strong back and waist, protruding eyes, bloodshot eyes, and a very ferocious appearance. He wields a long-handled copper hammer weighing sixty kilograms, and has the courage of thousands of men. He is Di  A famous general among men, he is not only extremely brave, but also extremely cunning. He has been hunting in the mountainous areas of Longxi for many years and has rich ambush experience.

    At this time, Yang Zheng led his men to hide in a valley about fifty miles away from the west road of Qishan Mountain. They set up more than a hundred white tents in the valley. The entrance to the valley was narrow and surrounded by cliffs, plus more than a hundred white tents.  The color of the big tent blended with the snow, making them extremely difficult to spot.

    This time Yang Zheng brought a total of 1,300 people, including 1,000 of the most elite cavalry, and more than 300 supply teams. After the first successful attack, they also knew that the Han army would send troops to eliminate them. At this time, they  So he hid himself and waited patiently for the second chance.

    In front of a large tent, two spies were waiting patiently. The rough roars of men and the cries of women could be heard faintly from the tent. On the other side, a dozen soldiers were waiting restlessly, like a group of remnants waiting for the opportunity.  A vulture with leftover meat in the soup.

    At this time, the sound in the big tent stopped, followed by a cry, and a naked young woman was thrown out of the big tent. More than a dozen soldiers swarmed up and grabbed the woman.  The lieutenant general snatched her into a nearby tent, and soon, the woman's cries were covered up by a roar of ferocious laughter.

    "Come in and report!" A fierce voice came from the big tent.

    The two spies looked at each other and timidly walked into the big tent. The tent was covered with animal skins and all kinds of property were scattered in a mess. A muscular man was holding a leather bag and pouring wine into his mouth. He had disheveled hair and dark skin.  , his upper body was naked, and his lower body was only tied with a piece of animal skin. His eyes were bulging and bloodshot, and he looked back at the two spies fiercely, "What's the news?"

    The two spies knelt down quickly, and the leader reported: "We in Qishan City discovered a Han army heading south, about 6,000 people, heading towards Baishui."

    "Damn it, you're not stupid!"

    Yang Zheng cursed, and he took two more gulps of strong wine. He wiped the wine stains on his lips and said coldly: "Continue to monitor them, and be careful not to expose their whereabouts!"

    "Yes!" the two spies agreed and hurriedly exited the tent.

    Yang Zheng was not worried about the Han army. He knew well that the Han army could not find this valley. As long as he could escape this search, he would attack the grain team again. The Han army's grain trucks were quite good, but it was a pity that they did not know how to use them.  He could seize the food and then destroy it. At this time, he suddenly regretted that the woman should not be given to his men. He had to hide for a while. How could he survive without a woman.

    He just stood up when he saw a woman's long scream coming from the tent next door. Yang Zheng cursed in a low voice, "A bunch of bastards!" He had no choice but to sit down again, staring at the ground fiercely, wondering what he was thinking about.

    Baishui originates from the Qinling Mountains, crosses the Qishan Mountains, flows to Longxi County, and finally flows into Taoshui River. Most of the river sections of Baishui flow through mountainous areas. The water flow is rapid and the banks are steep and difficult to navigate. In spring and summer, it is impossible to use the riverbed to travel westward, but by then  In winter, the river is covered with thick ice and covered with heavy snow, forming an ice path from Longxi County into the hinterland of Qishan Mountain.

    Under the pale moonlight, a team of more than a hundred people was marching westward along the Baishui River. This army was a detachment sent by the Eagle Attack Army. The leader was Ren Ping. Ren Ping was responsible for capturing Licheng.  He was promoted to Yajiang due to his great achievements.

    He also became famous in the Han army due to the Battle of Licheng. He was particularly good at using fire and climbing rocks, which earned him the nickname "Fire Monkey", making him second only to the Eagle Monkey in the Eagle Attack Army.  Liu Zhenghe is the third-ranking figure in his lieutenant general Wu Ban.

    The mission of the Eagle Attack Army is to find the whereabouts of the Dihu Cavalry on both sides of Baishui. Since there are high mountains and ridges on both sides of Baishui, there are hundreds of valleys where you can hide. If you want to find a deliberate force within a radius of hundreds of miles,  The hidden army is undoubtedly looking for a needle in a haystack.

    It was already dark at this time, and the moonlight was particularly bright, illuminating the strange rocks on both sides of the strait.The mountains were sprinkled with a layer of silver, and when they walked on the ice, bursts of biting cold air hit them from under their feet. Although the Eagle Strikers were physically stronger than ordinary soldiers, they were still shivering from the cold.

    At this moment, a soldier pointed to the mountainside and shouted: "Boss, look over there!"

    Ren Ping also saw it. There was a bright spot on the mountainside. It was not caused by moonlight, but by fire. He waved his hand and whispered: "Go up!"

    The soldiers quickly left the ice and climbed up the mountain road covered with thick snow. After a while, they climbed halfway up the mountain. Only then did they discover a newly built hut hidden halfway up the mountain.  However, the hut has been destroyed, half of the earthen wall collapsed, the items in the house were chopped to pieces, and some clothes were torn into strips.

    There was an oil lamp placed in a niche on the wall, burning with a huge flame. It was the light that he saw just now, but there was no one around. Ren Ping glanced at the oil lamp. It was impossible for more than a hundred people not to notice it.  Turning on the light can only mean that it was discovered by the soldiers just after it was turned on.

    So where did the people hide?

    Ren Ping turned around and ordered: "Let me search around!"

    The soldiers searched separately around the house. At this moment, a black shadow jumped down from the rock and ran down the mountain as agile as a monkey.

    "There! Catch him."

    The soldiers surrounded him from all sides and quickly blocked the black shadow's path. Although the black shadow was extremely agile, he faced hundreds of Eagle Strikers, the most elite soldiers in the Han army. He roared like a wild beast and brandished his sword to charge.  When he went out, he was knocked down by three soldiers, who held him down, took away the knife in his hand, and tied him up.

    Ren Ping slowly walked up to him, and then he saw clearly that he was a young man in his twenties, with a medium build and very strong appearance. He looked like a Han man, but his eyes were full of deep-seated hatred, revealing a sinister look.  The white teeth seemed to bite Ren Ping to death.

    "Who are you?" Ren Ping felt that he did not look like a spy of Cao Jun, but more like a woodcutter or hunter in Qishan Mountain.

    The man's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared like a wild beast in his throat. He struggled desperately. Ren Ping was furious and slapped him twice with his backhand, "Are you crazy?"

    The man seemed to wake up a little. He looked at Ren Ping and asked in a hoarse voice after a while, "Aren't you a barbarian?"

    "We are the Han army, you should know it!"

    The anger in the man's eyes quickly faded. He grinned and suddenly burst into tears. He huddled up. Ren Ping had realized that this man had seen Dihu, which was an extremely important clue. Dihu must have  Wearing Cao Jun's armor, he thought he was also Cao Jun.

    Ren Pingping was almost crying, so he patted his shoulder and said softly: "We are also chasing Dihu, they should have destroyed your home!"

    He asked the soldiers to let him go, then squatted beside him and said, "Tell us, maybe we can help you."

    The young man finally told his unfortunate experience intermittently. He was originally a medical craftsman named Lin Jin who lived in Licheng. He opened a medicine shop with his father in Licheng and had a young wife and a lovely young son.

    Last year, when the Han army attacked Licheng for the first time, their family fled the city. Their father slipped and broke his back while escaping, and was unable to move. They built a temporary hut here to treat his father's injuries and take care of his recovery.  He makes a living by hunting and gathering herbs.

    Just four days ago when he came back from hunting, he found that his hut had been destroyed, his father and son had been killed, and his wife was missing. He searched around frantically. Two days ago, he unexpectedly found a Hu spy and brought him to the house.  After being arrested, he learned from his mouth the whereabouts of his wife, who was kidnapped by the Hu people. His father and son were also killed by the Hu cavalry.

    He killed the Hu spy, took his bow, arrows and knife, and was about to go home to find something, but was caught by the Han army. At this time, the young man's eyes had dried up from crying, and there was only deep hatred left in his eyes.  .

    He gritted his teeth and whispered: "If my wife falls into their hands, she will be ruined and die. Apart from revenge, I have nothing else to think about in this life!"

    Ren Ping's heart was full of sympathy. He sighed and said: "This Di cavalry attacked our grain transport team and killed hundreds of people. We were also ordered to find them and annihilate them in one fell swoop."

    The young man looked at Ren Ping and shook his head, "There are too few of you to be their opponent."

    Ren Ping laughed, "We are looking for their whereabouts. The specific battle is not us, but other Han troops, thousands of them, but we can't find their hiding place yet."

    After a while, the young man whispered: "Maybe I know where they are hiding."

    Six thousand elite Han troops led by Ma Dai and Wang PingThe leader arrived at Qishan City. Qishan City is a newly built military city with a circumference of about eight miles. It is located south of the original Qishan Fort of Cao Jun. The military city wall is three feet high and thousands of troops are stationed. The military city is mainly used to store grain. It is  An important part of the Han army's food transportation system.

    It was already getting late. Wang Ping and Ma Dai discussed it and decided to spend the night in Qishan City. Just as they were preparing to enter the city, a soldier shouted: "General Wang, General Ma, the Eagle Attack Army has sent someone to deliver a message."  ¡±

    "Bring him up!"

    After a while, an Eagle Attack Army soldier was led up, knelt down on one knee and handed over a piece of paper, "This is urgent information from my general."

    Wang Ping took the note, read it quickly under the firelight, and said to Ma Dai with some uncontrollable joy: "They found the enemy's hiding place."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 620 Annihilation of Dihu

    On a cliff about sixty feet high, a Han army scout with excellent eyesight lay on the edge of the cliff and looked down. He counted for a long time. He turned back and whispered to General Ren Ping: "Boss, probably  There are a hundred tents, and the twenty or so tents on the west side are larger, and they should be used for storing supplies. "

    At this time, an Eagle Attack Army scout climbed up the cliff, cautiously came to Ren Ping's side and said, "General Wang and General Ma have already deployed. General Wang said we can take action at any time."

    Ren Ping nodded and looked at the sky again. It was almost dusk. He smiled at Orion Lin Jin who helped them find the enemy's hiding place and said, "Go back to Hanzhong! We have nothing to do with you here.  I will avenge you."

    Lin Jin bit his lips and shook his head resolutely, "I won't leave, I must take revenge with my own hands."

    Ren Ping had no choice but to say to him: "If you really want to take revenge, go down the mountain. When the fight breaks out, the barbarians will definitely rush out of the valley. Then you can kill people as you please."

    Lin Jin did not say a word or move. Ren Ping patted his shoulder again and persuaded: "We are about to dive down. If you follow us, you will be exposed and will drag us down. Go down the mountain! There are Han troops at the bottom of the mountain. You can fight with them."  They kill the enemy together."

    Lin Jin lowered his head. He suddenly stood up and ran quickly to the woods in the distance. Ren Ping watched him go away, feeling a little regretful in his heart. He knew that this young man actually wanted to join the Han Army, but the Eagle Strike Army had strict requirements.  , you can't join casually, so he didn't say this.

    Not long after, night fell quietly. Ren Ping lay on the edge of the cliff, patiently waiting for the time to pass. About an hour later, the sky finally turned dark. A crescent moon passed through the clouds, and the moonlight disappeared and appeared.  , everything is silent, it¡¯s time to take action.

    Ren Ping gently threw a long rope more than 40 feet long off the cliff, and tied the other end to a big tree on the top of the cliff. There were three soldiers in total, one of whom cooperated on the top of the mountain, Ren Ping and another soldier  Go down.

    They carried two thirty kilograms of kerosene skin bags on their backs, pulled the rope and slowly went down. About thirty feet down, they found a protruding rock. During the day, they found this foothold.  The foothold was still more than fifty steps away from the tent, otherwise they could just throw the torch on the tent, and rockets wouldn't work either. The chance of success might be too low.

    The soldiers above threw down the rope, and they tied the rope to a big rock. Ren Ping and his men continued to slide down slowly. At this time, they could already be seen below.

    However, they sneaked in from the innermost part of the valley, and there were no sentries here. Despite this, the two of them were extremely careful, moving down little by little against the stone wall, and finally jumped lightly and landed silently in the snow.

    Both of them were wearing white cloaks and were lying motionless in the snow. They heard someone humming a tune and coming towards them. It was a drunken Hu soldier. He came here for convenience. This Hu soldier had just come.  After unfastening his belt, Ren Ping jumped up and threw Hu Bing to the ground. Almost at the moment he fell, the sharp dagger in his hand had cut the opponent's throat cleanly.

    The two dragged the body into the pile of rocks, covered it with snow, and then quickly ran towards the tent dozens of steps away. They had already observed the situation around them. Except for the sentry at the entrance of the valley, there were no enemy troops inside.  sentinel.

    But the accident happened at this time. Just when they were still more than ten steps away from the big tent, two Hu soldiers came out of the big tent talking and laughing, and met them head-on, only five or six steps apart.

    "Who is he?" a Hu Bing shouted.

    Without saying a word, Ren Ping pounced forward and pierced Hu Bing's chest with a knife. Hu Bing let out a long scream. The shrill scream broke the tranquility in the valley. Another Hu Bing turned around and ran away. Ren Ping drew out  The dagger flew out, but unfortunately it missed slightly and stuck in the opponent's shoulder blade, failing to kill him.

    The Hu soldier ran wildly while shouting: "There are spies! There are spies!"

    The situation suddenly changed. They no longer cared about chasing the enemy. They took kerosene from their bodies and sprayed it on the tent. Another soldier lit a torch and set the tent in front of them on fire. The flames burst into flames.  , spread rapidly, Ren Ping simply took off his cloak, crumpled it into a ball, dipped it in kerosene, lit it on the fire, and threw it towards a big tent in front. Soon, the big tent in front was also set on fire.  .

    At this time, there were shouts everywhere in the valley. Dozens of Hu soldiers, led by their leader Yang Zheng, rushed towards this side. Yang Zheng's bulging eyes were spraying with anger. He held a long-handled copper hammer and shouted:  : "Take the tent in the middle to stop the spread of the fire!"

    Dihu soldiers rushed to put out the fire, but Yang Zheng was looking for the person who set the fire. At this time, he suddenly saw two black figures running towards the cliff in the distance. He smiled coldly and jumped after them.  Still apart?Ten steps later, he threw the copper hammer in his hand and hit the Eagle Attack Soldier on the back.

    The soldier screamed, fell to the ground, and died on the spot. Seeing the tragic death of his men, Ren Ping's eyes turned red. He suddenly turned around, pulled out his knife, roared, and struck Yang Zheng head-on.

    ¡°Well done!¡±

    Yang Zheng shouted, pinched the blade, and heard 'Crack!  With a sound, he forcibly broke the knife into two pieces and kicked Ren Ping two feet away. He roared and pounced forward, but Ren Ping did not dodge. The moment the opponent approached, he  A short blade popped out from the sole of the boot and kicked into the opponent's stomach.

    Yang Zheng was like a wild beast, without any reaction. He grabbed Ren Ping's neck and tried to break his neck with all his strength. He was so powerful that Ren Ping's vision went dark and he almost fainted.  At this time, only a cold light flashed, and Yang Zheng suddenly stopped moving. For a moment, a large human head rolled down from his neck, and the blood in his neck spurted out more than ten feet away, splashing all over Ren Ping.  body.

    Ren Ping was so surprised that he kicked the body of this fierce enemy away. He saw a person standing behind the enemy general, holding a ring-head sword in his hand. It was hunter Lin Jin. He did not leave, but followed Ren Ping.  Ping climbed down the cliff and saved Ren Ping's life at a critical moment.

    He gritted his teeth, turned around and ran towards the enemy camp. He wanted to save his wife, but Ren Ping shouted that he couldn't do it, and watched helplessly as he disappeared in the light of the fire.

    At this time, the fire had spread, and half of the tents were ignited by the fire. The fire burned more and more fiercely, and thick smoke filled the valley. The Dihu leader disappeared, and people everywhere screamed. The valley was extremely chaotic, and the Hu people  Unable to extinguish the fire, the soldiers got on their horses and galloped away from the valley.

    Outside the valley is Baishui. At this time, the ice on both sides of the valley is full of black Han troops. Thousands of Han soldiers are ready, and thousands of bows and crossbows are aimed at the mouth of the valley, completely blocking the escape routes at both ends.  It's blocked.

    When the first group of Dihu cavalry rushed out of the valley, crossbow arrows from both sides were shot almost simultaneously. Dozens of Dihu screamed and fell off their horses. Their horses were all knocked over by the dense crossbow arrows, but the cavalry behind them  Not realizing that something was going on outside, they continued to rush out. The valley was filled with smoke and fire, making them panic. However, what greeted them was the Han army killing them mercilessly.

    Arrows rushed like a storm, the horses screamed, the cavalry screamed, groups of cavalry were shot down near the mouth of the valley, hundreds of people were killed in a row, and the cavalry in the valley no longer dared to rush out.

    At this time, Wang Ping personally led 2,000 Han spear troops to attack the valley. Suddenly, the shouts of killing resounded throughout the valley. After killing for half an hour, the valley gradually calmed down, and the Dihu camp was burned to ashes.  The white ground was full of charred corpses, and more than 1,300 Dihu were killed.

    Ren Ping did not leave. He finally saw Lin Jin in a corner of the valley. Lin Jin had found the body of his wife. She was insulted to death by Dihu. The body was randomly buried in the snow. Lin Jin wrapped it with a war flag.  The body of the good wife was laid on the pyre and burned.

    Lin Jin silently watched his wife's body being engulfed by the fire, tears rolling down his face. At this time, Ren Ping walked up to him. After a while, Ren Ping asked in a deep voice: "What are your plans?"

    "I want to bury her and the child together first."

    "Then what?"

    Lin Jin shook his head, "I don't know either!"

    After a moment of silence, Ren Ping sighed: "I owe you my life, just follow me from now on!"

    Lin Jin knelt down on one knee and cried: "Thank you General Ren for taking him in. I am willing to be a member of the Han army and follow the general to fight in all directions from now on."

    Ren Ping took out a military card and gave it to him, "We are going back to Xicheng. After you deal with the future generations, come to Xicheng to find me."

    He patted Lin Jin on the shoulder again, carried Yang Zheng's head, turned around and walked quickly towards the mouth of the valley.

    Half an hour later, the Han soldiers finished cleaning up the battlefield, left the valley, and set off towards the west city.

    After walking out of Baishui, Ma Dai left another thousand soldiers behind and ordered them to build a camp at a dangerous place by the Baishui River. Although they annihilated all the enemy troops, danger signals had appeared and the Han army must prevent them.  Dihu continued to enter Qishan from Baishui Road.

    The Dihu cavalry rushing into Qishan Road was just a small episode, but it heralded that the enemies of the Han army were no longer just Cao Jun, but also included the Dihu in Longxi County. Twenty thousand Dihu cavalry had entered Tianshui County.  With the addition of 50,000 Cao's troops, their strength far exceeded that of the Han army.

    At this time, it seems unrealistic to rely solely on 30,000 Han troops to seize Ji County, and the reinforcement of Han troops is imminent.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 621 Ox Cart Crossing the River

    Just three days after the Dihu cavalry on Qishan Road was annihilated, Liu Jing finally received the news from the scouts that 20,000 Dihu cavalry, led by Di Wang Yang Wanwan, entered Tianshui County and stationed themselves thirty miles west of Ji County.  Inside and outside, they were at odds with the 50,000 Cao troops in Ji County, preparing to face the Han army heading north.

    This news was unexpected by Liu Jing. All he had prepared was to fight against Cao Jun in Ji County, but Liu Jing also knew that the arrival of 20,000 barbarians disrupted his plan, even more so than when Cao Jun went south to Jingxiang.  Feeling stressed.

    In the big tent, Liu Jing was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, thinking about how to deal with it. At this time, Pang Tong smiled at Liu Jing and said: "I think it is not a bad thing for the Dihu cavalry to arrive at this time. At least it allows us to advance in advance."  Get a warning, otherwise, when we were fighting fiercely with Cao Jun, the Dihu cavalry came from the side and the consequences would be disastrous. In fact, I think this was a mistake by Cao Jun. They could have used a trick to lure us to Ji County before sending troops. They  Reinforcements on the flanks were exposed too early.¡±

    Liu Jing shook his head, "Cao's army can't be said to have made a mistake. I can't make the mistake of last year and rush north. In fact, when the Dihu cavalry appeared in Baishui, I knew that Dihu was going to send troops. In this case, I would not even  Will take risks."

    Huang Zhong also smiled and said: "Now the enemy has 70,000 troops and we only have 30,000. Judging from the strength of our troops, we are indeed at a disadvantage. However, the enemy also has weaknesses, that is, they are divided into two armies, and there is no tacit understanding of cooperation. Even  Everyone has their own thoughts, so it is certain that they will not take the initiative to attack southward, but will focus on defense. "

    Liu Jing nodded and asked Ma Chao, who was silent on the side: "Does Meng Qi have any suggestions?"

    Ma Chao had just arrived from Wudu County. He had dealt with the Dihu for many years and knew them very well. Liu Jing hoped to get some strategies for dealing with the Dihu from Ma Chao. Ma Chao pondered for a moment and said: "The Longyou area is known as the Northern Qiang and the Southern Qiang."  According to the Di theory, the two major tribes of the Di people and Song Jian, the king of Pouhan, formed an alliance in order to jointly deal with the threat of the Qiang people. In fact, they each had their own ideas. Although they would not take advantage of the situation and annex each other, they would also fight to the death. If they wanted to  It is easy to make the Di people retreat. Just let the Qiang troops attack Longxi. Didn't Zhou Mu say that he knows Qiang King Nangong Suo? If he asks him to send troops to Longxi, Yang Wanwan will naturally withdraw. "

    "Does Meng Qi think Nangong Suo will agree to send troops without fear of Cao Cao?" Liu Jing asked again.

    Ma Chao laughed and said, "Nangong Suo is a man who puts profit first. As long as he is given enough benefits, he will definitely send troops."

    "Then what benefits does he want?"

    Ma Chao thought for a while and said: "The Qiang people are the same as the Di people. What they need most is pig iron and grain. There is no need for Zhou Mu to give him anything. As long as the pig iron and grain trade is liberalized, I think he will definitely agree."

    "no!"

    Pang Tong categorically rejected Ma Chao's suggestion. He bowed deeply to Liu Jing and said: "The Qiang and Di tribe must not be allowed to become powerful. Although the imperial court has repeatedly sent envoys to appease the Qiang people for hundreds of years, it has always refused to let go of the pig iron trade.  That is to say, he was worried that his powerful rear invaders would attack the border. When Dong Zhuo entered Beijing, his Qiang soldiers devastated the Central Plains. This shows that although the soldiers of the Western Qiang could be used to help, it would not break the precedent of the pig iron embargo. Even if it was temporary,  It is beneficial, but it will cause endless harm. Please think again, Zhou Mu!¡±

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and then smiled at Ma Chao: "What do Meng Qi think?"

    Ma Chao knew that what the Qiang people needed most was high-quality pig iron, but if Liu Jing really didn't want to give it, he had nothing to do. Ma Chao had to smile bitterly and said: "Actually, the Qiang people can also smelt iron, but the iron they smelt is of lower quality.  , can¡¯t make good weapons, they always want the fine steel from the Central Plains, if Zhou Mu feels that the fine steel is not good, then agree to let go of the grain trade!¡±

    "Then let's try grain!" Liu Jing also felt that it was not possible to liberalize the refined iron trade. Grain could be agreed for the time being. More importantly, it would not be too late to argue with the Qiang and Di people after Longyou was captured.

    At this time, Ma Chao suggested again: "If there is no suitable candidate for Zhou Mu, Weichen recommends my brother Ma Dai to be sent as an envoy. He has a good relationship with the Qiang people, and he should not let down Zhou Mu's trust."

    Liu Jing nodded and ordered: "Please come to see me, General Ma Dai!"

    Cao Cao's 100,000 troops had arrived in Fancheng for nearly twenty days and were stationed on the north bank of the Han River. At this time, Fancheng, Deng County, Xinye and other Jiangbei counties were razed to the ground by Cao Jun. Cao Cao's army was so powerful that it completely suppressed Xiangyang on the south bank of the Han River.  city.

    Han reinforcements also arrived in Xiangyang City one after another. Gan Ning's 5,000 navy troops and Jiangling's 15,000 troops arrived in Xiangyang one after another, bringing the number of Han troops in Xiangyang to 30,000. Wenpin ordered Cai Jin to lead three troops.  Thousands of troops rushed to Fangling County to join Pang De's army to prevent Cao's army from crossing the river from Fangling County.

    Although the Cao army overwhelmed the Han army in terms of momentum, the Han navy always controlled the Han River, preventing Cao's army from crossing the river. However, if the confrontation lasted for a long time, loopholes in the Han army's defense would naturally appear.

     That night, a baggage convoy consisting of thousands of oxen carts marched southeast along the north bank of the Han River. Thousands of Cao Jun soldiers were guarding the ox carts on both sides, and 20,000 Cao Jun soldiers followed several miles behind. This was a force of  The special baggage train, each oxcart was covered with oilcloth, looked very mysterious. The oxcarts carried not grain or ordnance, but a total of 600 small boats.

    The boat was secretly manufactured in Nanyang County and took a year. When Cao Cao went south, he was not in a hurry to take out this secret weapon. Instead, he garrisoned the army for twenty days and waited until the Han army's defense in Xiangyang was somewhat relaxed.  This secret weapon came out.

    Since Cao Jun controlled Bi Shui, the fleet went south along the Tui River and Bi River. When it was still twenty miles away from the Han River, it was dragged ashore and used an ox cart to carry it. Cao Cao did not intend to cross the river at Xiangyang.  He knew that the Han army's warships would not give him a chance, but the Han army had no navy in Yicheng County, so he could use these 600 small boats to build a pontoon bridge in Yicheng County so that the army could cross the river.

    This was a loophole in the Han army's defense. Although the Han army's warships blocked the mouth of the Bishui River, the Han army never dreamed that Cao's army would transport ships by land. Although the Han army's warships were patrolled by naval forces on the Han River, they were  Cao's army suppressed Fancheng, and most of the warships patrolling the Han River were transferred to Fancheng, causing the patrol strength in the south of the Han River to weaken accordingly.

    Originally, one patrol fleet was responsible for a hundred miles of river, but now there are not enough patrol boats. It has been changed to one fleet for three hundred miles of river. The distance of the river patrolled by the sentry boats is too long, and there will be about three dozen patrol boats on the river outside Yicheng County.  Hours of patrol free time.

    In this way, Cao Jun seized this loophole and used these three hours to avoid the Han army's patrol posts on the water and cross the river from the upper part of Hanshui River.

    More importantly, Cao Cao¡¯s warships had to enter the Han River through Bishui, and Gan Ning also knew that there were insufficient patrols, so he sent heavy troops to block the mouth of the Bishui River to ensure that Cao Cao¡¯s ships could not enter the Han River.

    But the Han army never expected that Cao Cao would transport ships from land into the Han River. In fact, in the Battle of Chibi that year, Cao Jun had done the same thing, transporting ships from Yunmengze to the Yangtze River overland, and this  This time Cao Cao did it more covertly.

    The north bank of the Han River is a rolling hilly area with sparsely populated areas and endless forests. Cao Jun¡¯s convoy could only travel along the narrow strip of land along the river, building bridges along the way and advancing toward the ferry in Yicheng County, a hundred miles away.

    At the fourth watch, the team finally arrived at the ferry on the other side of Yicheng County. The shore was dark, no one could be seen on the pier, and the river was empty. There was not a single ship. Under the dim moonlight, it was faintly visible.  See the outline of the county town on the other side.

    At this time, some soldiers rushed to report to Zhang Liao, the general behind him. Zhang Liao rushed to the dock with hundreds of guards. He carefully observed the situation on the other side. Everything was as expected by the prime minister. The Han army's patrol ship also returned  A hundred miles away to the south, it would take at least three hours to return. This is indeed a defensive loophole for the Han army.

    Zhang Liao waved his hand and said: "Build a pontoon bridge immediately!"

    Teams of engineering soldiers quickly unhooked the boats from the ox carts. The boats were specially built for building pontoons. There were iron chains on the left and right sides, as well as the bow and stern. As long as the iron chains were fastened firmly, the boats could be quickly lined up in the water.

    Six hundred warships quickly lined up in the river, and special wooden boards were put on the boats. Two straight and wide pontoons gradually formed on the river, leading directly to the other side.

    Three thousand engineering soldiers were busy in a skilled and orderly manner. They had trained many times in Nanyang. Generally, it would take two hours at the fastest to build a pontoon bridge, but they could complete it in just one hour.

    Zhang Liao watched the pontoon bridge gradually take shape with complicated eyes. In order to prepare these two pontoon bridges, he spent a full year and poured all his efforts into it. Today, when the two pontoon bridges finally came into play, Zhang Liao actually had a feeling in his heart.  Indescribable excitement.

    He sighed softly, hoping that this time the southern expedition would be successful.

    An hour later, the captain of the fortification army rushed to Zhang Liao and reported: "To general, the pontoon bridge has been built!"

    Zhang Liao was overjoyed and walked quickly to the dock. He saw two long pontoons lying across the river. The Han River, which Jingzhou had always regarded as a natural chasm, was finally conquered by them.

    Zhang Liao turned around and shouted sharply: "Send my order and the whole army begins to line up to cross the river!"

    Thirty thousand Cao Cao's troops had already lined up and began to cross the Han River in a mighty manner and march towards the south bank of the Han River.

    At this moment, beacon fire was suddenly lit at the head of Yicheng County, and the defenders of Yicheng County finally discovered that Cao Jun was crossing the river in large numbers.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the top of Xiangyang City, Jia Xu felt a little uneasy tonight. He came to the top of the city alone and stared at Cao Cao¡¯s camp on the other side of the Han River with his hands behind his hands. Twenty days had passed, but Cao Cao still stood still. This made Jia XuHe was confused. He had been with Cao Cao for many years. He knew Cao Cao's character and would never do anything meaningless.

    "Like Cao's army is now camped in the north of the city, destroying Fancheng and Deng County, but can't cross the river, what's the point?"  Will Liu Jing give up the Northern Expedition because of this?  Cao Cao was too naive.

    But with Cao Cao¡¯s strategy and style of doing things, it was impossible for him to do such a bluffing thing. Jia Xu secretly thought, could Cao Cao have other plans this time?

    "What are the military advisors thinking?" At some point, Wenpin appeared next to Jia Xu.

    Jia Xu sighed and said: "I have an uneasy feeling, maybe we have underestimated Cao Cao."

    "Why does the military advisor feel this way?"

    "I can't explain clearly, but it has been twenty days, and Cao Cao has made no move. If he just tore up the armistice agreement just to scare us on the other side, Cao Cao's decision would be too hasty, and the gain will far outweigh the loss.  , This is definitely not his style, and he is very aware of the serious consequences of breaking the agreement.¡±

    Wenpin pondered for a moment and asked: "The military advisor is saying that he has other intentions?"

    Jia Xu nodded, "That must be the case, otherwise he would not be Cao Cao."

    As soon as he finished speaking, a soldier pointed to the east and shouted: "Beacon! General Wen, there is an alarm beacon in the east."

    Jia Xu and Wenpin looked to the east together, and saw flames soaring into the sky in the distance. It was the beacon tower along the river that was lit. At this time, Jia Xu's heart suddenly sank. Oops!  Something must have happened in Yicheng County.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 622 Xiangyang Crisis (Part 1)

    Wenpin's face turned pale in an instant, and he also realized that something happened in Yicheng County. The defense of Yicheng County was extremely weak, with less than a thousand defenders, and it was impossible to defend the county. But how did Cao's army cross the border?  River?  Where do the ships come from?

    Wenpin was extremely nervous and turned around to ask Jia Xu, "Military advisor, something happened in Yicheng. How did Cao Jun cross the river?"

    Jia Xu was calmer than Wenpin. He thought quickly in his mind for a moment and said in a deep voice: "For now, don't worry about how Cao Jun crossed the river. Once Cao Jun crosses the river, the number of people will never be less than 10,000, so the top priority now is to intercept Cao Jun.  Head north to Xiangyang.¡±

    Wenpin nodded, calmed down, and immediately ordered: "Pass my order to Huang Xin's troops to intercept Cao's army heading north!"

    The Han army had a military camp thirty miles north of Yicheng County. There were a thousand troops stationed there, commanded by General Huang Xin. Although the number was small, it could slightly delay Cao's army's march north.

    At this time, Gan Ning and the prefect Cai Yan also arrived. Gan Ning already understood the situation. He was the naval commander of the Han army. He was responsible for the defense of the Han River. Gan Ning's current defense of the Han River  Knowing everything, Gan Ning realized what the problem was. Cao Jun must have taken advantage of the long interval between patrol posts on the Han River and crossed the river from Yicheng County. There were three crossing points in the entire Han River, and Yicheng County was the third.  one place.

    Gan Ning suddenly broke into a cold sweat. He was thinking not of Xiangyang, but of Jiangxia. Currently, Jiangxia only had 15,000 troops, distributed in Wuchang, Chaisang and Hankou. Once Cao Jun attacked Jiangxia, the consequences would be disastrous.

    He hurriedly stepped forward and said to Jia Xu: "Jiangxia is in danger. I must lead the navy south immediately to destroy all Cao's warships and the pontoon crossing the river. Please give orders from the military advisor!"

    Jia Xu pondered for a while and said: "Fancheng also needs to leave naval forces. Some warships only need to rush to Yicheng County and destroy Cao's army's pontoon bridge across the river. In addition, General Gan can order all Jiangxia naval forces to enter a wartime state.  , patrol the river at all times.¡±

    "But I am very worried that Cao Jun will attack Jiangxia. Jiangxia is where we raised our troops, and the defense is weaker than Xiangyang. Just in case."

    Before Gan Ning could finish speaking, Jia Xu smiled and said: "If Cao Jun attacks Jiangxia, it will be another Chibi War. Don't worry! This time they won't attack Jiangxia, they will definitely attack Xiangyang. General Gan doesn't have to worry."

    ¡°I understand my humble position!¡±

    Gan Ning clasped his fists and saluted, "I will lead the warship to Yicheng County right now."

    Gan Ning hurried down to the city. At this time, Jia Xu said to Cai Yan: "Cao's army should have just arrived in Yicheng County and will not arrive in Xiangyang until at least tomorrow afternoon. Please ask the eunuch to immediately move the refugees and villagers outside the city."  City, hurry up, discard the debris, life is the most important thing!¡±

    Cai Yan nodded, turned around and rushed out of the city with Dong Yun. Jia Xu said to Wenpin again: "If General Gan can destroy Cao Jun's pontoon bridge across the river in time, maybe the problem will not be serious, but no matter what, we have to do it."  In the worst case, General Wenpin can immediately deploy the city defense, and send some troops out of the city to assist the refugees outside the city to evacuate into the city, and withdraw as much supplies as possible! "

    Jia Xu let out a long sigh. They all underestimated Cao Cao. As a result, Jia Xu had to bear the main responsibility for such serious consequences. Thinking of this, Jia Xu said to Wen Pin again: "I will report this matter to Zhou Mu."  , take all responsibilities, General Wen, please do your best!¡±

    Wenpin nodded silently. He was also responsible for this matter, and Gan Ning was also responsible. However, Wenpin didn't say much and immediately turned around to deploy defenses at the top of the city.

    At this time, all the 30,000 defenders of Xiangyang City were mobilized. The alarm bells of Xiangyang City rang loudly, and groups of soldiers rushed to the top of the city. The 20,000 troops responded quickly and deployed at various defense points.

    The South City Gate has also been opened, and thousands of refugees swarmed in from outside the city in horror. Most of their belongings were thrown into the tent. Many people only held a package in their hands, calling their children and wives, screaming,  There were cries and cries, and the scene at the city gate was very chaotic. Even the soldiers who were maintaining order were rushed and scrambled.

    On the river outside the city, hundreds of warships carrying two thousand naval troops left the Xiangyang River. One by one, the warships pulled up their sails and lined up to sail quickly towards Yicheng.

    On the Fancheng Pier in the north of the Yangtze River, Cao Cao stood on a high platform with his hands behind his hands, watching the changes in the situation on the other side of the river. At this time, he had seen the alarm beacons on the beacons along the river, and also faintly heard the alarm bells coming from Xiangyang City.  A sneer appeared on Cao Cao's lips. The Han army thought the problem was too simple. Can't they cross the small Han River without warships?  This is not the Yangtze River.

    Next to him, the second son Cao Zhang whispered: "Father, I am thinking that if we attack Jiangxia, we may gain more. After all, Xiangyang City is tall and strong, and there are 20,000 troops stationed there. It will not be easy to break it."

    Cao Cao shook his head, "My father has considered this issue. We canThe gains from conquering Xiakou and even Wuchang are not small, but after all, Jiangxia is no longer Liu Jing's military and political center, and its status is not as good as Xiangyang. Once the situation in Xiangyang is critical, the Han army will return to rescue anyway, and  The army is too deep in Jiangxia. We do not have naval support and may suffer losses. It is better for us to respond in Xiangyang.  "

    In fact, Cao Cao still had something to say, but this time he attacked Jingxiang in a hurry. He was far from ready. Zhang Liao's tens of thousands of troops could not capture the entire Jingzhou, not to mention that his purpose of this campaign was just to contain the Western Front.  Han army.

    Thinking of this, Cao Cao glanced at his son again, and seeing his son's eyes full of desire to fight, Cao Cao patted his shoulder lightly and said with a smile: "One day, we will sweep across the south and unify the world, but not yet, I hope  When the day comes, you will be able to capture the city on my father's behalf, defeat the main force of the Han army, and achieve great deeds."

    Cao Zhang understood what his father meant, not allowing himself to participate in this war. He felt very disappointed and could only nod his head, "I also hope that day will come soon!"

    After Zhang Liao led 30,000 Cao troops across the Han River, he captured Yicheng County with almost no effort and seized 20,000 shi of grain stored in the county warehouse.

    Zhang Liao took Yicheng County as the basis for his attack on Xiangyang, and ordered his deputy general Quan to lead 5,000 men to garrison Yicheng County, while he himself led 25,000 men to continue marching north.

    At this time, the sky was bright and clear, and Cao's army, which was about ten miles long, was marching rapidly towards Xiangyang on the official road north of Yicheng County. On both sides were endless wheat fields, with new sprouts growing in the wheat fields. Many farmers went to work before dawn.  Working in the wheat fields.

    The passing of Cao's army made these farmers put down their hoes and stared at the sudden appearance of the army in horror. They obviously did not look like the Han army, but people never expected that Cao's army would appear in the hinterland of Jingzhou.

    However, there are still some clever farmers who dropped their hoes and ran towards their homes.

    There was a village not far ahead, with about a hundred households, called Jiangli, and there were many people with the surname Jiang. At this time, a cavalryman rushed to Zhang Liao and whispered a few words.

    Zhang Liao was startled, with an angry look on his face. He urged his horse to run towards the village, followed closely by more than a hundred cavalry guards.

    In front of a house on the edge of the village, dozens of Cao Jun soldiers surrounded the gate. Among them, five Cao Jun soldiers knelt, their hands tied behind their backs, their heads hanging down, all of them terrified.

    At this time, a soldier shouted: "The general is here!"

    Cao Jun got out of the way one after another. Zhang Liao urged his horse to run towards him. He dismounted and walked into the yard with a sullen face. This was a well-to-do family with a barn and two cows.

    There were five corpses lying in the yard, an old man, a middle-aged couple, and two young girls. It could be seen that the two young girls were raped and strangled to death, and the middle-aged woman also showed signs of being insulted.

    The room was turned into a mess, there was large amounts of blood everywhere, and valuable things were packed into packages.

    Zhang Liao turned around and walked quickly towards the gate. Five Cao soldiers were the first to arrive on patrol, led by a village chief. They passed by this house and became malicious.

    Without saying a word, Zhang Liao whipped the five of them on their faces and bodies, frightening them so much that they kowtowed desperately and begged for mercy, "General, please spare us! Don't dare to do it again."

    The head of the camp kowtowed: "General, I am a fellow countryman of General Zi Lian. Please forgive me this time for the sake of General Zi Lian."

    General Zilian was Cao Hong. Zhang Liao became even more angry when he saw that he had moved Cao Hong out to suppress him. At this time, deputy general Li Dian also arrived. He quickly winked at Zhang Liao, but Zhang Liao ignored him and turned around to order his soldiers:  "Behead these five people and use their heads as a warning to the three armies. Anyone who dares to plunder people's property and rape women again will use this as a warning!"

    "General, spare your life! Spare your life!"

    Five soldiers desperately begged for mercy, and the soldiers dragged the five people down like wolves and tigers. At this time, Cao Jun soldiers brought up the area chief and a dozen old people.

    The leader was a middle-aged man of about forty years old. He lowered his head and said nothing. The dozen or so old men behind him all lowered their heads and remained silent like him, but their eyes were full of resentment.

    Zhang Liao sighed in his heart and said to the crowd: "Please forgive me, Zhang Liao's incompetence in running the army has led to such a tragic incident. I have ordered the beheading of the five murderers. Please rest assured, fellow villagers, Cao's army will not invade civilians again."

    Soon, the heads of five Cao soldiers were brought up. Zhang Liao ordered people to show them to the local villagers. He got on his horse and urged his horse to go towards the official road.

    Li Dian also urged his horse to rush to Zhang Liao's side, and sighed: "Since the officer has already spoken out, why should Wen Yuan kill him? Isn't this offending someone in vain? You also know that that person is very difficult to talk to.  "

    Li Dian did not mention Cao Hong¡¯s name. He believed that Zhang LiaomingWhat he meant was that Zhang Liao reined in his horse and said coldly: "Liu Jingshang knows how to release hundreds of thousands of soldiers to win over the hearts of the people in the north. Can we, the ministers, destroy the prime minister's reputation at will?"

    After saying that, he ignored Li Dian and urged his horse to run towards the front of the team. Li Dian looked at his running back and shook his head. It was unwise to offend Cao Hong for a trivial matter. Wen Yuan was a little too serious.

    Cao Jun continued to move north, and soon they encountered their first obstacle, an army stationed in Ping'an Town, about 30 miles north of Yicheng County.

    Ping'an Town is about a hundred miles away from Xiangyang. It is the intersection of two official roads, one to Jiangxia and the other to Nanjun. Because of its important geographical location, the Han army stationed a thousand people here.

    The military camp is a military stronghold covering an area of ??about 200 acres. It is two feet high and is very solidly built. The commander-in-chief Huang Xin is Huang Zhong's nephew. He is about thirty years old. Like his uncle Huang Zhong, he uses a golden-backed tiger fang.  Sword, brave in battle, well-known among the Han army.

    He has received an urgent order from Wenpin, ordering him to defend the camp and hold off Cao's army to gain as much time as possible for Xiangyang to prepare for the war.

    Huang Xin stood on the stronghold tower holding the hilt of his sword. He had already seen Cao's army coming in the distance. He slapped the hilt of the sword and shouted loudly: "What a pity that a man dies on the battlefield! My sons and daughters follow me.  In a bloody battle with Cao Jun, never take a step back!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 623 Xiangyang Crisis (Part 2)

    Twenty-five thousand Cao's troops finally arrived at the Han camp and stopped two miles away. At this time, Li Dian urged his horse to come to Zhang Liao, cupped his hands and said: "General, this camp is not large in size, with more than a thousand people at most.  We don¡¯t need to pay attention and continue heading north to Xiangyang.¡±

    Zhang Liao shook his head, "If this military camp is not removed, it will become a thorn in my back, and it will also damage our food transportation. In an hour at most, I will raze this military camp to the ground!"

    Zhang Liao did not accept Li Dian's suggestion and ordered: "Attack from all sides!"

    It was the chief general who issued the order, but it was the deputy general who carried out the specific orders. Li Dian had no choice but to arrange for 20,000 troops to attack the Han army camp from four directions at the same time.

    The drums of Cao's army were beating like thunder, and 20,000 Cao's troops attacked the Han army's camp like a tide. Arrows were fired at the camp. Four heavy trebuchets took turns to smash boulders into the camp from the south. The boulders hit the camp wall,  The camp wall made of rammed earth and wood could not withstand the attack of the heavy trebuchet. Earth and rocks flew away, and the camp wall collapsed. A two-foot-wide gap appeared in an instant.

    The soldiers of Cao's army shouted and rushed towards the Han army's camp. On the wall, a thousand Han soldiers were divided in all directions and fought back with bows and arrows. Although they kept shooting down Cao's soldiers, they were unable to stop the attack of Cao's soldiers because of the huge force of Cao's army.

    In the dense rain of arrows, the defending Han soldiers were continuously hit by arrows and fell down the wall screaming. In just a moment, Cao soldiers rushed to the wall like a great tide and set up dozens of attack planes.  On the city ladder, dense Cao soldiers rushed up crazily. They held shields and spears and fought desperately with the Han army on the wall.

    "Hurry and report to General Huang, we can't stand it anymore!" A military commander guarding the camp to the east yelled anxiously.

    A soldier ran towards the Nanzhai Wall, but the situation at the Nanzhai Wall was even more critical at this time. The addition of four trebuchets posed a serious challenge to the Han army's defense. The roaring boulders had already broken open a section of the camp wall.  There was a five-foot-long gap. At this time, the trebuchet attack stopped, but thousands of Cao soldiers rushed to the gap, and dense arrows were fired into the gap.

    In the gap, more than a hundred Han soldiers faced each other with shields and spears. On the walls on both sides, dozens of Han soldiers fired arrows from the archery openings, knocking over the Cao soldiers who were rushing up. However,  After only supporting for a moment, thousands of Cao Jun soldiers rushed to the gap. Hundreds of spears struck each other, making a crisp impact, followed by the screams of soldiers being stabbed. The two sides started a fierce battle in front of the gap.  .

    Cao Jun's drum beat like thunder, and the waves of attack came one after another. It was obvious that the Han army could no longer support it and was surrounded by dangers. "General Huang!" The reporting soldier rushed over and shouted: "We can no longer support the east side.  Please help!"

    When Huang Xin turned around, he saw that Cao Jun to the east had already attacked the camp. Thousands of Cao Jun soldiers had completely engulfed the defending Han soldiers. When he looked to the north, Cao Jun's blue flag was also planted on the northern camp wall.

    At this moment, hundreds of soldiers of Cao's army tied the camp wall with ropes and worked together. There was a loud bang and a section of the camp wall more than 20 feet long was pulled down. Dust was flying in the air.  Thousands of Cao Jun soldiers rushed into the camp. The situation was over. Huang Xin shouted, "Brothers, fight with me to the end!"

    Huang Xin got on his horse, brandished his sword and charged at the dense Cao army. Behind him, more than a hundred soldiers shouted, and followed him into thousands of Cao soldiers. Gradually, they were overwhelmed by the Cao soldiers who were rushing into the camp from all directions.

    In less than an hour, 20,000 Cao soldiers captured the Han army camp blocking the road. All 1,000 soldiers were wiped out. General Huang Xin died in the chaos. Only dozens of soldiers managed to escape from the camp and headed towards Xiangyang.  Run.

    Under Zhang Liao¡¯s order, 25,000 Cao¡¯s troops razed the Han army camp to the ground. They reorganized and continued to march toward Xiangyang with murderous intent.

    After a night and a morning of emergency evacuation of Xiangyang City, more than 50,000 refugees temporarily stationed outside the city and nearly 10,000 local residents of Xiangyang in the suburban villages all evacuated into the city. Han soldiers also evacuated various materials, including tents,  Food, carts and other materials were transported into the city. It was busy until noon, when the Xiangyang City Gate finally slowly closed.

    At this time, all the 20,000 defenders had entered various areas of the city for defense. The Xiangyang government recruited 30,000 young men from among the hundreds of thousands of people to participate in the defense of the city. All young men and women were given armor and weapons, and the vast city  Above our heads, we can see a group of young and strong civilians training in formation everywhere.

    Wenpin rode around with more than a hundred personal guards around the city. Xiangyang's city defense still gave him great confidence. Xiangyang was overhauled four times when Liu Biao was in power. After Liu Jing moved into Xiangyang, he re-planned the city wall.  Defense, greatly widened the moat and filled up various loopholes, making Xiangyang City's walls strong, the city high and the pool deep, easy to defend but difficult to attack, and impregnable. It is known as "Iron-Strengthed Xiangyang".

    Xiangyang City is about forty miles in circumference and is known as JingchuThe largest city is divided into an inner city and an outer city. The outer city wall is three feet high, and the inner city wall is two feet eight feet high. The inner and outer city walls are more than two hundred steps apart. In the middle is the military camp. The inner and outer city walls pass through the north and south gates.  The Wengcheng is connected.

    But the most spectacular thing about Xiangyang City is the moat. There is a wide moat dug around it. Water is diverted from Tanxi River into the moat. The moat is ten feet wide and one foot and five feet deep. At the widest part in the east of the city, it is even more than twenty feet, which can be driven.  The warship can be called the best moat in the world.

    The four city gates all have high suspension bridges. It is this tight and solid defense that makes Xiangyang City the most difficult city to conquer since ancient times.

    Wenpin was stationed in Nancheng at this time, watching with interest a special team of more than 300 people conducting bow and arrow training. This team was volunteers selected from the 3,000 scholars of Xiangyang Academy.  They are all physically strong and usually study and practice martial arts. Today they finally have the opportunity to go into battle to kill the enemy. They all wear helmets and armor, hold bows and arrows in their hands, and shoot arrows outside the city under the orders of the sergeants.

    The leader of this army of soldiers was Deng Ai, who was well-known in the Han army. Deng Ai was good at both civil and martial arts. He joined Lumen Academy since he was a child and was the proud disciple of Pang Degong. At the same time, he followed Zhao Yun to learn martial arts. A bright silver spear made him  He is so extraordinary that he is only seventeen years old and has become a leader among the younger generation of the Han army.

    Deng Ai wanted to join the army several times, but Liu Jing drove him back to the academy and forced him to continue his studies. However, Wenpin admired him very much and appointed him as his army officer, so that Deng Ai often had the opportunity to come to the camp to counsel on military affairs.

    At this time, Deng Ai also saw Wenpin and hurriedly stepped forward to salute, "Student, see the Governor!"

    Wenpin got off his horse, patted him on the shoulder and asked with a smile: "How come there are so many scholars coming to participate in the city defense?"

    "Reporting to the Governor, in fact, three thousand soldiers were mobilized, and most of them went to assist the government in resettling refugees. These three hundred people actively volunteered to join the army and participate in the city's defense."

    Wenpin nodded and smiled: "Although Zhou Mu said that you must be eighteen years old before you can join the officialdom, the Han army is currently in the Northern Expedition. If you can seize this opportunity to participate in the Northern Expedition, it will be great for your future future.  benefit."

    Deng Ai nodded and sighed: "I think so too! It's just the state pastor who won't allow it."

    "Who says Zhou Mu is not allowed? You joined the army in our camp. Do you think Zhou Mu doesn't know? In this way, after this battle, I will record your merits and let Chengdu officially grant you an official position. In this way, Zhou Mu will have nothing to say.  I told you, then you can be transferred to General Zhao¡¯s side, wouldn¡¯t that be enough?¡±

    Deng Ai was overjoyed and quickly bowed and saluted, "Thank you very much, Commander-in-Chief!"

    At this time, Jia Xu came over with several followers. Deng Ai quickly saluted Jia Xu and said, "See the military advisor!"

    Jia Xu smiled and waved his hand, "I was just talking, where did you go, you little bastard? Why can't I see you in the city? You came to defend the city. What, you started to give up literature and join the martial arts?"

    Deng Ai scratched his head and said sheepishly: "Students don't dare to throw away their books. They are just taking up martial arts temporarily. From now on, they will still focus on literature."

    "In fact, you can also join the military. The key is to take the path of a coach. Just like Governor Wen, you will be able to control one side in the future. With Governor Wen in Xiangyang, Zhou Mu can rest assured to prepare for the Northern Expedition on the western front." Wen Pin's face changed.  He felt ashamed and said: "The military advisor is mocking me! This time Cao Jun crossed south, I can't even explain it to the governor."

    Jia Xu smiled slightly and said, "Admiral Wen built Xiangyang like a copper wall and an iron wall. Cao's army of 20,000 to 30,000 troops could not attack it. I was worried last night, but today, I am no longer worried."

    "The military advisor is right!"

    Deng Ai next to him said: "Seeing that the main force of Cao's army did not march south, we know that Cao Cao actually has no intention of attacking Jingxiang. He just wants to create a crisis in Xiangyang and disrupt the Northern Expedition on the Western Front."

    Wenpin and Jia Xu looked at each other and laughed together. Deng Ai asked uneasily, "Is that right?"

    "You are right!"

    Wenpin said to him seriously: "As a general, you cannot be sure that the opponent has not moved just because the camp has not moved and the flag has not fallen. You must send out scouts and get accurate information before you can make a judgment, no matter what the reason is."  Generals are still plotters, and the worst thing they can do is take things for granted.¡±

    Deng Ai nodded silently, "Student understands!"

    At this moment, the alarm bell on the observation tower at the top of the city rang again, ¡®Dang!  when!  When the alarm bell was very urgent, which meant that there was an enemy situation, Wenpin quickly walked to the battlements and looked to the southeast. After a while, he faintly saw a black line appearing in the distance, and Cao Jun finally came to kill.

    Wenpin immediately ordered: "Order the entire army to be on combat alert!"

    20,000 soldiers appeared on the city wall one after another. They were already ready, all of them were at war with each other.

    Zhang Liao led 25,000 menThe soldiers finally reached Xiangyang City. Zhang Liao was riding on his horse, staring at the strong and tall city wall in the distance. With their current strength, it was unrealistic to capture Xiangyang, but their purpose was not to capture Xiangyang.  , their strategic purpose is to capture the Han River.

    Zhang Liao waved his sword and ordered: "Stand camp by the Han River!"

    More than 20,000 Cao troops marched toward the northeast of Xiangyang.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 624 Thousand Miles of Rescue

    Just as Cao Jun crossed the river from Yicheng County and broke through the Han River defense line, Liu Jing also led his army from Xicheng back to Nanzheng City, Hanzhong. The Dihu cavalry sent troops to assist Cao Jun, disrupting the Han army's northward plan, causing Liu Jing to  Jing had to temporarily stop going north and ordered Huang Zhong to lead 20,000 troops to guard Xicheng, while he returned to Hanzhong.

    While Liu Jing sent Ma Dai to envoy the Qiang and Hu, he also ordered Chengdu to send another 50,000 troops to Hanzhong, bringing the total strength of Hanzhong to 120,000. But at this time, Jia Xu sent out from Xiangyang.  The urgent report was also sent to Hanzhong by pigeon letter.

    At nightfall, Fazheng and Wu Yi, who was guarding Hanzhong County, received an urgent call from Liu Jing and hurried to the military camp outside the city. A soldier was already waiting in front of the gate. When he saw the two of them arriving, he quickly took them there.  The Chinese military tent.

    "What happened?" Wu Yi asked the soldier in a low voice.

    The soldier smiled bitterly and said, "I don't know the specific position. It seems that something happened in Xiangyang, and Zhou Mu is quite worried."

    Wu Yi and Fazheng looked at each other, and both of them became a little nervous. The thing that made Zhou Mu also worried must be that something big happened in Xiangyang. Could it be that Cao Jun captured Xiangyang?  If that's the case, the problem is really serious.

    The two came to the big tent, and the soldiers reported for them in front of the tent door, "Report to Zhou Mu, General Wu and the French military division have arrived."

    "Please come in!"

    Listening to Liu Jing¡¯s voice, her mood was relatively stable, which made Wu Yi and Fazheng feel slightly relieved, and they quickly walked into the tent.

    There was a sand table in the middle of the tent. Liu Jing and Pang Tong were standing in front of the sand table to discuss the military situation. At this time, Wu Yi and Fazheng walked in. They saluted together: "See Zhou Mu!"

    "You two don't have to be polite, come over here!"

    The two of them approached the sand table and realized that it was the sand table of Jingzhou. Liu Jing said to them: "I just received an urgent report from Commander Jia that there is some trouble in Xiangyang."

    Liu Jing picked up the wooden pole and pointed to the Yicheng County Road: "About 30,000 Cao's troops took advantage of the long gap between patrol posts on the Han River to build a pontoon bridge on the Yicheng County River and quickly crossed the Han River. Now they have captured it."  In Yicheng, it is said that the coach may be Zhang Liao, but they are not sure.¡±

    Thirty thousand people crossed the river. Wu Yi and Fazheng looked at each other. This problem was indeed very serious. At this time, Fazheng asked again: "I wonder what countermeasures Xiangyang has taken?"

    "There are also countermeasures. Gan Ning fired a part of the navy southward, destroyed Cao Jun's pontoon bridge, and strengthened Jiangxia's defense. In addition, all the people outside Xiangyang City evacuated into the city, and the Xiangyang army strengthened its combat readiness. Judging from the current intelligence sent by Military Advisor Jia, Cao Cao  There is no sign of a large-scale invasion of Jingzhou."

    At this time, Pang Tong said: "Now I am worried that Cao's army will turn around and attack Jiangxia. Jiangxia only has the advantage of the navy, but on land, it is no match for Cao's army. If Jiangxia is destroyed by Cao's army, the consequences will be disastrous. I am afraid that the entire army will be shattered."  Be shaken."

    Everyone was silent, then Wu Yi asked: "Wei Chen has a question, I wonder if I should ask it?"

    "Zi Yuan can say it, but there is no need to be so modest."

    Wu Yi pondered for a moment and said: "Just now Zhou Mu said that the pontoon bridge in Yicheng County has been destroyed by the navy, so I don't quite understand how these 30,000 Cao troops can go back?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "Ziyuan's question comes to the crux. The first is how Cao Jun built a pontoon bridge. To build a pontoon bridge, boats must be used. Since the mouth of the Bishui River has been blocked by us, how did Cao Jun's boat sail to Yi?  The city and county, but this problem has been solved by Military Advisor Pang just now. The boat can be carried by car, and it must be transported by land. But it can be seen from this incident that Cao Cao has made a lot of preparations. Since they can send the army over,  There must be a way to bring the army back.¡±

    Everyone was silent. At this time, Liu Jing said again: "I have invited you here to discuss with you whether I should send troops to Xiangyang?"

    This is the crux of the problem. Everyone knows that Cao Cao sent troops to Jingxiang to disrupt the Han army's plan to move north on the Western Front. At first, Cao Cao's army destroyed Fancheng and stationed troops north of the Han River, which did not affect the Western Front plan. But now Cao Cao's army has crossed  After crossing the Han River, the problem becomes serious.

    The three of them all understood that since Liu Jing wanted to discuss this matter, it meant that he had a plan to send troops to rescue Xiangyang. However, in this way, the Northern Expedition could no longer be considered for at least half a year, which made Cao Cao's strategy of encircling Wei and rescuing Zhao successful.

    After a moment of silence, Liu Jing said slowly: "This is what I thought about it. Because Dihu sent troops to Tianshui, my plan was ruined. I need to wait for the Qiang people to send troops to Dihu's base camp to force the Dihu cavalry back. This will at least take a long time."  It will take two or three months, and then I have to mobilize troops and transport food. Calculated, it will take another one or two months. This period of time is just waiting anyway, so I will simply send troops to Xiangyang, drive Cao's army back to Nanyang, and relieve Xiangyang and  Jiangxia¡¯s future plans??, what do you think?  "

    Fazheng sighed and said, "Didn't Zhou Mu say that he wanted to ask Sun Quan to send troops to Hefei to force Cao Cao to retreat?"

    Liu Jing shook his head, "I don't expect Sun Quan to send troops. I received a quick message from Xu Jing, saying that the emperor had decreed to make Sun Quan the Duke of Wu and appointed Cheng Pu as the prefect of Jian'an County. In addition, it is said that Zhou Yu is seriously ill. From this information  According to the analysis, Sun Quan will most likely not send troops. At best, he will just show off, and he will not be able to break the siege of Xiangyang at all. "

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing sighed again and said: "Although Cao Cao has no intention of annexing Jingzhou now, he is afraid that if time goes by and his reinforcements and food and grass move south, Cao Cao will change his mind and launch a second southern expedition.  That¡¯s when it becomes a big problem.¡±

    At this point, the three of them all understood that Liu Jing had decided to support Xiangyang, and Wu Yi responded: "The Northern Expedition will not succeed once or twice. You must not only kill, but also stand firm. This is  We need to be fully prepared. Now our step-by-step Northern Expedition strategy is completely correct. Let¡¯s implement it to the end and use this time to transport grain northward and fill all five cities with grain. After half a year, we will be fully prepared and start the Northern Expedition to Longxi.  , I believe it will be successful.¡±

    Wu Yi's words touched Liu Jing's heart, and he said to the three of them: "I will personally lead 50,000 troops on the Yongdao Road to Xiangyang, but before leaving, I need to make some arrangements. Military Advisor Pang can go to Xicheng to assist Huang.  The old general defended the city, and the French military division went to Wudu County to assist Governor Zhao and be responsible for the transportation of troops and food, while General Wu stayed in Hanzhong County to guard the six roads of Hanzhong and prevent Cao's army from attacking Hanzhong."

    The three of them bowed together and saluted, "I will obey the order of the State Shepherd!"

    The very next day, Liu Jing led an army of 50,000 people, with Wei Yan as the vanguard, left Nanzheng City, and took the road to Xiangyang to relieve the crisis in Xiangyang.

    Since Sun Quan and Liu Jing reached a reconciliation agreement in the 14th year of Jian'an, Jiangdong's army has entered a period of rest. Jiangdong began to recuperate and gradually recover from the serious damage caused to Jiangdong's economy by the Western Expedition.

    At the same time, Jiangdong also eliminated internal troubles. Sun Ben was sent to an overseas island and imprisoned. His younger brother Sun Lang was also deprived of military power and demoted to a commoner. Advisor Zhu Zhi was also dismissed from all official positions and retired at home.

    However, in order to maintain the stability of the regime, Sun Quan did not go too deep into the matter. After punishing only a few key figures, the rest of the party members were pardoned one by one, allowing Jiangdong to reach internal reconciliation.

    After clearing away internal troubles, Sun Quan finally accepted Zhang Hong's persuasion and moved the capital to Moling County again. He renamed the county seat Jianye and officially moved the capital from Jingkou to Jianye City, a city in Jiangdong where tigers and dragons dominate.  It was a major event to build cities and palaces. From the 14th year of Jian'an to the 16th year of Jian'an, the entire Jiangdong was busy moving the capital.

    However, while moving the capital, Sun Quan did not forget to expand the border. From the 15th year of Jian'an, Sun Quan began to weaken the power of the Shanyue people, ordering Cheng Pu to continuously attack the cities of the Shanyue people and plunder the Shanyue people as slaves.

    At this time, Sun Quan had already begun to expand his power southward. He knew that he could not compete with Jingzhou for the time being, so he could expand his power to Lingnan and finally capture Jiaozhou.

    Although Sun Quan's attention is all in the south, he is also observing Liu Jing's westward expansion and northern expedition. In Sun Quan's heart, Liu Jing has always been his strong enemy. Although Liu Jing is already his brother-in-law, his ambition to compete for the world is far away.  Far more than the family affection brought by marriage.

    Just over a month ago, Sun Quan accepted the title of the imperial court and was named Duke of Wu and General Right. His eldest son, Sun Deng, was awarded the title of Lieutenant of the Jianjun Army. Of course, Sun Quan also knew that this was Cao Cao's attempt to win him over.  It was inevitable to take action against Jingzhou. Sure enough, just half a month after the knighthood, Cao Cao personally led an army of 100,000 people to go south to Jingxiang.

    Jianye City has not yet been completely built. There is still half of the city wall, and the city is a bit chaotic. There are mansions under construction everywhere. Unlike the Iron Weng City in Jingkou, everyone knows that the Iron Weng City is only a temporary capital, so they are unwilling to carry out large-scale construction.  The mansions make Tieweng City always seem relatively deserted, and the family members are basically still in Soochow City.

    And this time the capital was moved to Jianye. Everyone knew that this place would be Jiangdong's century-old foundation and would not be changed easily. Therefore, both civil and military officials, landlords, ordinary people, etc., all bought land and built houses in Jianye.  , buy a family property.

    Sun Quan's carriage, guarded by hundreds of guards, rushed south along Moling Street. Not long after, the carriage stopped in front of a mansion. This was the residence of Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu was injured by a stray arrow in the battle against the Shanyue people in two years.  , serious internal injuries, although Zhang Zhongjing's treatment saved his life, the injuries have been difficult to heal.

    When a cold wave hit Jiangdong at the beginning of the year, Zhou Yu's injuries occurred again. Although many famous doctors were invited to treat him, they could not be undone. Seeing Zhou Yu gradually approaching his deathbed, Sun Quan was heartbroken and sent people to visit him every day.

    The carriage slowly stopped in front of the mansion. At this time, Zhou Yu?The eldest son Zhou Xun has been waiting in front of the mansion for a long time. Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao gave birth to two sons and one daughter. The eldest son Zhou Xun is only fifteen years old this year. He is already engaged to Sun Quan's eldest daughter Sun Luban, but Sun Luban is only ten years old.  Therefore, she must wait until she reaches adulthood before getting married.

    Zhou Xun stepped forward and knelt down to bow, "Junior Zhou Xun pays homage to Duke Wu!"

    Sun Quan quickly helped him up and asked with concern: "How is your father?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 625 Jiangdong loses its hero

    Zhou Xun lowered his head with a sad expression. Sun Quan sighed in his heart, patted his shoulder, and walked quickly into Zhou Yu's house. In the ward, Zhou Yu's eyes were closed tightly, and he seemed to have fallen asleep. Next to him, his wife Xiao Qiao was giving  He packed his clothes.

    She has been married to Zhou Yu for more than ten years, and the couple is very loving. The fate of this couple is about to come to an end, and Xiao Qiao feels very uncomfortable. She seems to have aged ten years in the past few months, and her former pretty face has disappeared.  There were no traces of her, and a few white strands of hair were added to her temples.

    At this time, a maid reported at the door: "Madam, Mr. Wu is here!"

    She nodded, gently touched her husband's forehead, and looked at her husband's skinny cheeks that had been tortured by the disease. She felt uncomfortable in her heart, "Zhou Lang! Zhou Lang!" She called out twice, and Zhou Yu slowly opened his eyes.  After opening his eyes, he held his wife's hand, smiled, and said in a low voice, "I'm not asleep yet!"

    Seeing that her husband was in particularly good spirits today, Xiao Qiao felt happy and said quickly, "Mr. Wu is here to see you. Xun'er has gone to the gate to greet you and will be there soon."

    "I understand, you go and rest!"

    Xiao Qiao kissed her husband gently on the forehead, smiled sweetly, and quickly went out from the side door. After a while, Zhou Xun led Sun Quan in. Zhou Yu quickly struggled to sit up, and Zhou Xun quickly stepped forward to support his father.  , put a mattress on his back.

    Sun Quan sat next to Zhou Yu, held his hand and asked, "Gong Jin, how are you feeling recently?"

    "Thank you, Lord Wu! Lord Wu, I'm used to shouting, and I can't change it for a while." Zhou Yu said with a wry smile, "Not bad, I feel a little energetic."

    "Don't call me Duke Wu, please call me Marquis Wu. I have told everyone that it is not the time for me to call myself Duke."

    Having said this, Sun Quan looked at Zhou Yu again and said with a smile: "Well! It seems to be better than the previous days. He can speak longer and is in good spirits!"

    Although Zhou Yu was seriously ill, he was still paying close attention to the current situation. He asked again: "I heard from Xun'er that Cao's army is marching south again?"

    Sun Quan didn't want Zhou Yu to worry about this matter, so he said vaguely: "It's just pretending. How can it be so easy to conquer the south."

    "My lord, be careful. I am afraid that Cao Cao's reward for my lord is just to drive a wedge between the Sun and Liu families. If Liu Jing comes to ask for help, we should still send troops. Otherwise, how can we ask for help from Jingzhou when Cao Cao attacks Jiangdong in the future?"

    Sun Quan nodded, "Zijing also advised me the same way. After all, Liu Jing is my brother-in-law. If he opens his mouth, I will definitely consider it."

    Sun Quan didn¡¯t want to say more, so he changed the subject and said, ¡°Gong Jin has submitted his resignation, and I have approved it, but I would like to ask Gong Jin to teach me who can succeed Gong Jin as the governor?¡±

    Zhou Yu sighed slightly, "It is none other than Zijing. Zijing is a loyal man. Liu Jing admires him the most among the officials in Jiangdong. Letting him serve as the governor will help stabilize the east and west fronts of Jiangxi and allow the lord to concentrate on the southern expedition."  "

    "What Gong Jin said is good, but I'm worried that Zijing may have some shortcomings in the use of troops. I want to use Lu Xun as the deputy governor again. What do you think of Gong Jin?"

    Zhou Yu knew in his heart that the person Wu Hou wanted to use was actually Lu Xun, because Lu Xun had just married Sun Ce¡¯s eldest daughter. With this in-law, Wu Hou could naturally trust him. It was only because Lu Xun was not qualified that he had to use Lu Su. However, this was no longer the case.  Zhou Yu closed his eyes as he was in charge of things that Zhou Yu could not do.

    Sun Quan saw that he was a little tired, so he stood up and said goodbye, "Gong Jin, please rest in peace and recover. I will come to visit another day."

    "Thank you for your concern, my lord."

    Sun Quan left accompanied by Zhou Xun. Zhou Yu felt that his time had come and he couldn't help but sigh, "A man died at the age of thirty-eight, no regrets!"

    That night, Zhou Yu died of illness at home at the age of thirty-eight. After hearing the news, Sun Quan fell to the ground crying and fainted for a time. The news spread quickly. Counties in Jiangdong mourned one after another, and hundreds of officials came to Zhou's mansion to pay their respects.  .

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sima Yi and Liu Min have been in Jiangdong for two days. During this period, Sun Quan met them and held a banquet in their honor. After that, there was no further explanation. Sun Quan did not give a clear answer whether to send troops or not. However, Sima Yi also knew that the matter was of great importance.  Sun Quan also had to coordinate with important ministers.

    Sima Yi and Liu Min lived in Jianye VIP Inn, which was specially built to receive imperial envoys. It was very luxurious and luxurious, just like a palace. It not only had fine clothes and fine food, but also dozens of beautiful maids to serve them. It could be said that they were entertaining.  Every detail is taken care of.

    But Sima Yi was very uncomfortable. He got the latest news from the Jianye Intelligence Point. Cao Jun had crossed the Han River and was besieging Xiangyang. This made him a little anxious. He only hoped to get results as soon as possible to complete his mission.  .

    In the inner hall, Sima Yi was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his hands, looking a little worried. Yesterday afternoonWhen he met Lu Su, he found that Lu Su had only heard a little bit about the events in Jingzhou, which surprised Sima Yi. This meant that Sun Quan had not discussed the matter with his ministers.

    What is Sun Quan¡¯s attitude now?  Could it be that he really had no sincerity in sending troops as Zhou Mu said?  If that's the case, then why did Sun Quan say something like "it's obligatory"? Could it be a joke coming from the mouth of a master of Jiangdong?

    All kinds of concerns made Sima Yi feel upset. He felt that he could no longer be so vague and had to talk to Sun Quan again. Whether he was willing to send troops or not, he had to make his position clear.

    "Military advisor!"

    Liu Min hurried in from the outside. Liu Min is currently serving as General Honglu and is responsible for diplomacy and other affairs. This time he and Sima Yi are on a mission to Jiangdong. He is responsible for external relations, while Sima Yi is considering decision-making.

    "What happened?" Sima Yi felt that something had happened when he saw Liu Min walking in a hurry.

    "I just got the news that Zhou Yu passed away last night."

    "Ah!" Sima Yi was shocked. They also heard that Zhou Yu was seriously ill. He was planning to visit Zhou Yu on behalf of Liu Jing in two days. Unexpectedly, he passed away last night. Sima Yi was a little upset. Why didn't he visit him earlier?  ?

    At this point, Sima Yi had no choice but to ask: "Has the tomb been set up?"

    Liu Min nodded, "It was put out, and many officials went to offer sacrifices."

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go too!¡± Sima Yi sighed. There was also an autographed letter written by Liu Jing to Zhou Yu in his arms, which he could not give to himself.

    They changed into plain clothes, then got on the carriage and rushed to Zhou Yu's mansion.

    There was a sea of ??people in front of Zhou Yu's mansion. The ground was filled with incense and candles. Countless people were kowtowing and crying. People in Jiangdong always respected Zhou Yu. When they heard that Zhou Lang had died of illness, people were deeply saddened. They rushed to the door of Zhou Yu's mansion to offer sacrifices. The front door was full of hangings.  White banners, dozens of servants wearing linen and mourning, holding copper plates filled with mourning clothes, stood in front of the palace gate to greet the officials who came to offer sacrifices.

    Sima Yi and Liu Min got off the carriage. At this moment, they suddenly heard someone calling them from behind. When they turned around, it was Lu Su. His eyes were red from crying. He was wearing sackcloth and mourning. He also just got off the carriage. He walked quickly and choked with tears.  Salute: "The death of Governor Zhou is a great loss to Jiangdong!"

    Sima Yi sighed, "My lord also knew that Gong Jin was seriously ill, so he asked me to bring him a letter of greetings. Unexpectedly, he went ahead without seeing anyone. This is my dereliction of duty."

    "Sima Military Advisor, please don't say that. After all, you have only been here for two days. You have more important things to do. It is human nature to go to see the governor a few days later. It has nothing to do with dereliction of duty."

    Lu Su comforted Sima Yi with a few words, and everyone walked towards the mansion together. Sima Yi changed into mourning clothes and came to the mourning shed. There was already a long queue in front of the mourning shed. They were all high-ranking civil and military officials from Jiangdong, including Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Cheng  Pu, Lu Xun, Taishi Ci, Lu Meng and others were among them.

    Seeing Sima Yi¡¯s arrival, everyone moved out of the way. Zhang Zhao cupped his hands and said, ¡°Zhongda is an honored guest. It is Jiangdong¡¯s honor to come to pay homage to my governor. Please go ahead!¡±

    Sima Yi nodded and walked into the mourning shed. The shed was filled with white flags. In the center was a mourning platform with Zhou Yu's spiritual tablet and coffin. Zhou Yu's wife Xiao Qiao, two sons, daughters and nephews all wore sackcloth and mourning.  Kneel on either side.

    Sima Yi burned incense, knelt down on the futon, and kowtowed three times to the spirit tablet. He took out a letter from his arms, presented it to Xiao Qiao with both hands, and whispered: "Madam, this is what my Zhou Mu gave to Gong Jin."  It¡¯s a handwritten letter. I didn¡¯t expect that I was late and couldn¡¯t deliver it to him in person. Please forgive me, madam!¡±

    Xiao Qiao's eyes turned red, she took the letter and said with tears: "Thank you Liu Zhoumu for caring about my general, and thank you Mr. Sima for sending the letter thousands of miles away!"

    She put the letter into the brazier and quickly lit it. As she watched the letter burn, she couldn't help sobbing again. The two sons beside her quickly supported her, "Mother!"

    Sima Yi felt sad, silently stood up and retreated, walked out of the tomb, and saw Sun Quan walking quickly accompanied by the ministers. Sima Yi quickly stepped forward to greet him, "See Mr. Wu!"

    Sun Quan sighed and said, "Due to arranging the governor's affairs these past two days, I have neglected Sima's military advisor. Please don't blame me, military advisor!"

    "I can understand!"

    Sun Quan thought for a while and then said: "As for sending troops, I will let Zijing have a detailed discussion with the military advisor, either today or tomorrow. Please wait a moment. In any case, Jiangdong will give Jingzhou an explanation."

    Sima Yi quickly saluted and said: "Then I will wait for news about Duke Wu!

    Sima Yi and Liu Min first said goodbye and left. Sun Quan paid homage to Zhou Yu's soul and ordered Lu Su to return to Jianye Palace with him. The carriage walked slowly on the road. In the large carriage, Sun Quan pondered for a moment and said: "I visited yesterday afternoon.  Gongjin recommended Zijing to me as my successor.Governor, what do you think?  "

    Lu Su was frightened and quickly knelt down and said: "I am a humble minister without virtue and incompetence. An can take on this important task. There are many people in Jiangdong who are qualified for this position. Why don't you consider it, my lord?"

    Sun Quan quickly helped him up and asked with a smile: "Who do you think is suitable?"

    "Zibu and Demou have deep qualifications, especially Demou, who has served as deputy governor for a long time and has won the hearts of the military. It is most suitable for him to serve as chief governor."

    Sun Quan smiled and asked: "Besides Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu, is there anyone else?"

    "General Huang, General Taishi, and General Lu all have great prestige in the military. Even General Lu Xun is young and promising. He is also a suitable candidate. Why can't my lord make an exception and appoint him as the governor?"

    Sun Quan laughed, "Zijing has talked about so many people, why didn't he mention himself?"

    Lu Su felt ashamed and said: "I am not capable enough and am not qualified for the job."

    Sun Quan was stunned. He turned back and stared out the window. After a long time, he shook his head with a wry smile and said: "The biggest mistake I have made in these years was the Western Expedition three years ago. That battle depleted Jiangdong's vitality, but at that time he tried to stop me."  Gong Jin and Zijing were the only two people who participated in the Western Expedition. Only you knew that I would make a big mistake. Although Gong Jin later failed to break out, I don't blame him because the responsibility lies with me. "

    Speaking of this, Sun Quan sighed again, "In the past two years, I have figured out that the key to Jiangdong's stability lies in Liu Jing's attitude towards Jiangdong. This is why Gong Jin persuaded me to let Zijing succeed as the governor.  Because of this, I don¡¯t need a warrior to expand my territory now. I need a mirror to stop me from making mistakes, and this mirror is none other than Zijing.¡±

    Sun Quan looked back at Lu Su and said slowly: "I thought about it all night and decided to let you succeed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies!"

 Volume 2 Jiang Xia Chapter 626: Fighting through the air

    Lu Su already knew Sun Quan very well. He knew that Sun Quan would not appoint a high-ranking official easily, but once he said it, it was the result of his careful consideration. He also knew that it would be hypocritical to refuse any more. Lu Su stopped refusing and knelt down to bow.  , "Wei Chen obeys the order!"

    Sun Quan appointed Lu Su as the governor not entirely because of Zhou Yu's recommendation. He also had his own considerations. The person Sun Quan really wanted to appoint was Lu Xun. On the one hand, Lu Xun was Sun Ce's son-in-law. On the other hand, the Lu family was the number one in Wu County.  A big family, and Wu County is the foundation of Jiangdong.

    However, Lu Xun's qualifications are still insufficient. I am afraid that many people will not accept the appointment of him as the governor, especially the generals and senior officials in the military. At the same time, Lu Xun is a pioneering general, and now he needs to recuperate and maintain his achievements. Lu Xun is obviously not very good at it.  It fits.

    Lu Su was very suitable for Shoucheng. He was cautious and advocated peace with Jingzhou instead of war. More importantly, Lu Su's loyalty could reassure Sun Quan. Moreover, Lu Su was generous and very popular. He belonged to Zhou Yu's Lujiang faction. He  As the Grand Governor, both the northern faction of Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu and the local faction of Zhang Hong, Gu Yong, Lu Xun and others can accept it, and will not destroy the current balance of power in Jiangdong.

    So Sun Quan thought carefully all night and decided to let Lu Su succeed him as the governor. Sun Quan helped him up and smiled and said: "Now I want to ask Zijing. Sima Yi asked Jiangdong to send troops to Hefei. Should I save him or not?"

    Lu Su pondered for a moment and said, "What are your thoughts, my lord?"

    Although Sun Quan was saddened by Zhou Yu's death, he would not indulge in his grief. When talking about business, his mood was exactly the same as usual. He said calmly: "In fact, it is okay to send troops, but I don't want to save him in vain. I  Is it okay for Zijing to ask Liu Jing to let go of some of the treaties he made back then?"

    Lu Su thought for a while and said: "Wei Chen suggested that we should send troops without hesitation and wait until the crisis in Jingzhou is resolved before discussing the treaty with Jingzhou. I think Liu Jing will also release restrictions on Jiangdong out of gratitude at that time.  "

    Sun Quan nodded, "Let me think about this matter!"

    Returning to the Jianye Palace, Sun Quan had just walked to his official room when a guard reported at the door: "This is for Duke Wu, the military advisor wants to see you!"

    Jiangdong¡¯s military advisor was Zhang Zhao. Sun Quan knew that his request to see him at this time must be about matters related to Jingzhou. He pondered for a moment and then said: "Invite him in!"

    After a moment, Zhang Zhao hurriedly walked into the official room, bowed and said: "I am here to see you, my lord."

    "Military advisor, please take a seat!"

    Sun Quan asked Zhang Zhao to sit down and ordered the guards to serve tea. Zhang Zhao said anxiously: "Has my lord agreed to send troops to Jingzhou?"

    ¡°I haven¡¯t formally agreed yet, I just made a statement that I will put the justice of the Sun and Liu families first, but how to do this is still open to discussion.¡±

    "Wei Chen is here just for this matter. Wei Chen advises my lord not to offend Cao Cao for this matter."

    "You mean, I refuse to send troops?" Sun Quan asked with a frown.

    "That's not what Wei Chen means. Wei Chen just feels that in the current situation, it is better for Jiangdong to remain neutral. Jiangdong should seek the greatest interests between Liu Jing and Cao Cao."

    Sun Quan walked to the window with his hands behind his back and stared out of the window for a long time. Although he decided to appoint Lu Su as the governor, his attitude towards Jingzhou's request for help coincided with Zhang Zhao's suggestion.

    Now Liu Jing's force is no longer the small force that monopolized a corner of Jiangxia and was at loggerheads with Jiangdong. Instead, it is a large force that can compete with Cao Jun. In this case, Jiangdong must assess the situation and choose his own position.  .

    In Sun Quan's view, the struggle for hegemony between Liu Jing and Cao Cao will take many years to come to an end. In this case, whether Jiangdong helps Liu Jing or Cao Cao, it is not the best choice. The best choice is to be neutral.  The struggle between these two major forces seeks the greatest benefit for Jiangdong.

    After thinking for a long time, Sun Quan turned around and asked, "Does the military advisor have any plans?"

    Zhang Zhao said with a smile: "The plan is very simple. Since Cao Cao has given us a benefit by canonizing the lord, Liu Jing should also express it. We can put forward conditions to Sima Yi. If the other party agrees, we can send troops symbolically."  Hefei, at least on the surface, don¡¯t fall out with Liu Jing.¡±

    "Sending troops symbolically", Sun Quan couldn't help laughing, and asked: "What are the specific conditions?"

    "Three conditions can be put forward. One is to abolish the restriction on the upper limit of our warships, the second is to return Qichun County, and the third is to cancel the inland river trade."

    Sun Quan was speechless. He could still understand the first two conditions, but the third condition was that Zhang Zhao represented the interests of some senior officials. If inland river trade was cancelled, Jingzhou merchants would not be able to go deep into Jiangdong counties to purchase goods directly, but would have to negotiate with them.  The big merchants in Jiangdong are doing business, which means that the big merchants in Jiangdong have regained their monopoly.Jiangdong inland river.

    But Sun Quan also knew that Zhang Zhao always considered both public and private matters, and would not abandon public service for private reasons. If public and private matters could not be balanced, Zhang Zhao would definitely give up his selfishness and devote himself to the public service.

    Sun Quan asked again: "If Jingzhou really agrees to these three conditions, can we send troops to Hefei?"

    Zhang Zhao shook his head, "The conditions are too harsh. Jingzhou will never agree to them all, especially Qichun County. They will definitely not agree, so we send troops just to show off, so that we can gain benefits from both sides."

    Speaking of this, Zhang Zhao smiled meaningfully and said: "Don't you hope that both of them will lose?"

    "I see!"

    Zhang Zhao¡¯s last words touched Sun Quan¡¯s heart,

    Sun Quan thought for a while and then smiled and said: "How about this, let the military advisor go to talk to Sima Yi on my behalf and see how much they can agree to on the three conditions?"

    After a pause, Sun Quan continued: "There is one more thing I want to tell the military advisor. I have decided to appoint Zijing as the successor to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies."

    Zhang Zhao was shocked that Lu Su was actually appointed as the Governor, but he felt slightly relieved. Lu Su was fine, as long as Lu Xun was not appointed

    Zhang Zhao left Jianye Palace and turned around to go to the VIP Inn. He had a clear understanding in his heart that although the lord appointed Lu Su as the governor, he still let himself take the lead in the negotiations with Jingzhou.  It can be seen that he is still not at ease with Lu Su, or that Lu Su's ideas are not in line with his wishes.

    Needless to say, Zhang Zhao also guessed what Lu Su's suggestion was, which must be to send troops without any conditions. If it was three years ago, this idea would have been relatively rational, but now it is still a bit inappropriate to send troops without conditions.

    It is related to the fundamental interests of a country, and it is not possible to achieve the goal by talking about feelings. At least in Zhang Zhao's view, it is impossible. The most fundamental interest of Jiangdong is safety.

    Both Liu Jing and Cao Cao were harmed, so Jiangdong was guaranteed security. Unfortunately, Lu Su didn't understand this. Fortunately, Duke Wu understood that both the powerful Han army and the powerful Cao army were a huge threat to Jiangdong.  .

    Zhang Zhao was led into the VIP Post by Yi Cheng. At this time, Sima Yi also came out after hearing the news. He was just talking to Liu Min about who among Jiangdong's important ministers would be in trouble when Jingzhou asked for help this time. Both of them thought of Zhang Zhao at the same time.  , he has always been unfriendly to Jingzhou, but he didn't expect Zhang Zhao to visit.

    This made Sima Yi realize that this trip to Jingzhou might be just as they feared beforehand. Jiangdong had no sincerity in assisting Jingzhou. Although he was slightly unhappy, Sima Yi still warmly welcomed Zhang Zhao into the inner hall.

    The two exchanged a few words, and the maid served them tea. Zhang Zhao took the initiative to turn the topic to the matter in Jingzhou. He pondered for a while and said: "Actually, we also heard about Cao Jun's march south, but according to what we learned from Yedu  According to the intelligence, Cao Cao's army was not fully prepared for the southern expedition this time, so we judged that Cao Cao's real goal was not Jingzhou, but Longxi. As long as Liuzhou Mu agreed to suspend the northern expedition to Longxi, Cao Cao would definitely withdraw his troops and return to Nanyang. "

    Sima Yi secretly exclaimed that Zhang Zhao was really powerful, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he put himself in a passive position morally.

    What Zhang Zhao means is that you have to ask Jiangdong for help now that you can solve the problem yourself. Then if Jiangdong sends troops, it will be to help the Han army in the northern expedition. This is not a timely help, but the icing on the cake. Sending help in a timely manner is morally necessary.  It is free help, but the icing on the cake is not the case. It requires paying a price.

    Sima Yi smiled and said: "Actually, we also know that Cao Cao's strategic purpose is for the Western Front, but now the two armies on the Western Front are in a stalemate. Cao Cao has also deployed more than 100,000 troops in Guanzhong and Longxi. If we abandon the Western Front,  If we turn to aid Xiangyang, it will lead to a lack of troops on the western front. Instead, Cao's army will invade Hanzhong and even threaten Yizhou, so we dare not mobilize Yizhou's army easily. "

    Zhang Zhao chuckled, "I know that your army already has 200,000 people. In fact, 100,000 are guarding Hanzhong and 100,000 are facing Xiangyang. They can even temporarily recruit militia groups to deal with Cao Cao's southern expedition with the strong strength of Jingyi and Yizhou.  It¡¯s more than enough. In fact, there is no need for Sima Military Advisor to make such a hard trip.¡±

    Sima Yi was silent, and said coldly for a while: "I understand what Mr. Zhang meant, that is to say, Jiangdong declined Jingzhou's request, right?"

    "No! No!" Zhang Zhao waved his hands quickly and said with a smile: "Our two families are related by marriage, how can we refuse? This will make it difficult for the princess to live in Yizhou. I am just making a few suggestions."

    Sima Yi also understood what Zhang Zhao meant. In the final analysis, there were conditions, but Zhang Zhao could not speak. He thought for a while and said: "In order to show the sincerity of both parties, we will not let Jiangdong send troops in vain. We promise that as long as Jiangdong's army takes over  After arriving at Hefei, once Cao's army counterattacks, we will support it from the west to throw troops into the enemy's territory.Report to Li.  "

    Next to him, Liu Min did not speak, but quietly listened to the negotiation between the two strategists. He was also quite emotional in his heart. He was worthy of being a strategist. The two of them were fighting in the air, both trying to seize the moral high ground. Zhang Zhao's move  Although sharp, Sima Yi's counterattack showed no sign of weakness. He told Zhang Zhao clearly that if Jiangdong did not save Xiangyang this time, then don't expect Jingzhou to save Jiangdong next time.

    Zhang Zhao pondered for a while and said: "To be honest with Sima, the Jiangdong Army is currently fighting the Shanyue people in Jian'an County. It is not impossible for us to assist Jingzhou, but we can't send too many troops at the moment, and we are worried that we will not be able to solve the crisis in Jingzhou."

    Sima Yi sneered in his heart. After all, Jiangdong did not have the sincerity to send troops. If he gave too many conditions and Jiangdong refused to try his best, then it would be a waste of meat to feed the tiger. How can there be such a good thing in the world?

    Thinking of this, Sima Yi cupped his hands and said: "My state pastor also knows that Jiangdong is in trouble, but he still hopes that Jiangdong can send troops to Hefei. Please ask Duke Zhang to tell Wu Hou that if Jiangdong is willing to send troops, Jingzhou can promise that Jiangdong will no longer be restricted by Qianshi warships.  "

    Sima Yi first blocked Jiangdong's opportunity to raise conditions. He told Zhang Zhao clearly that Jingzhou only had one condition. If Jiangdong agreed, he would agree. If Jiangdong didn't agree, he would not force Jiangdong to send troops. Zhang Zhao's face turned pale, and he stood up and saluted, reluctantly.  He smiled and said: "In that case, let me go back and report to Duke Wu."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 627 Visitors from Western Japan

    After seeing off Zhang Zhao, Liu Min angrily said to Sima Yi: "I can see that Jiangdong is not sincere in sending troops. I don't understand. Could it be that Jiangdong won't ask us for help in the future?"

    Sima Yi shook his head, "Perhaps one person can't see it, can't so many high-ranking Jiangdong officials see it? This should be the result of Jiangdong weighing the pros and cons. In their hearts, they hope that both us and Cao Cao will lose. As for Cao Cao's threat to Jiangdong, frankly  He said that before he destroys us, Cao Cao will only win over Jiangdong. From this time Sun Quan was granted the title of Duke of Wu, we can see Cao Cao's attitude towards Jiangdong. "

    Speaking of this, Sima Yi sighed softly, "Now I really understand why Zhou Mu must cripple Jiangdong before considering the westward expedition. If Jiangdong's strength is still there, then we will now face Cao Jun and Jiangdong Army."  Attacking from two directions, it will no longer be Cao's army that attacks Xiangyang, but Jiangdong's army. It's not that Jiangdong doesn't want to take advantage of the opportunity to seize Jingzhou, but it's because he has more ambition than strength! "

    Liu Min nodded silently and said with some emotion: "This is the fundamental interest of a country. Even marriage is meaningless."

    "Actually, marriage is still useful!"

    Sima Yi smiled slightly and said: "At least the two sides will not quarrel with each other, and the final result will not be too bad. If I am not wrong, Jiangdong will still send troops. On the surface, Sun Quan is a sensible person, and he knows how to weigh the pros and cons.  ¡±

    The two were talking when Yi Cheng reported outside the hall: "Reporting to Sima Military Advisor, someone outside the hall asked to see him. He said that he is also a general of Jingzhou."

    Sima Yi was startled, how could there be a Jingzhou general in Jiangdong?  His thoughts changed, and he suddenly knew who it was, and quickly ordered: "Invite him in quickly!"

    Liu Min asked in confusion: "Strategic advisor, who could it be?"

    Sima Yi smiled mysteriously and said, "Think about it, who has disappeared in the past year or two?"

    Liu Min thought for a moment and suddenly blurted out, "Lou Fa!"

    Sima Yi nodded, "It's him. He was ordered by Zhou Mu to carry out a secret mission. He should be back now."

    At this time, Yi Cheng led a burly general into the inner hall quickly. His skin was dark and shiny, and his eyes were very sharp. It was Lou Fa, the general of the Jingzhou Navy. Lou Fa and Shen Mi were Gan Ning's  As his right-hand man, he gradually took charge of his own business and became the main general of Jingzhou Navy, and was appointed as a school captain.

    After capturing Yizhou, Lou Fa was sent by Liu Jing to perform a secret mission, which was the agreement reached by Liu Jing and Sun Quan that year to exchange Yuzhang County for Yizhou, which would later become Taiwan Island, but Lou Fa  His mission was not to go to Yizhou, but to establish a supply point on Xiying Island between Yizhou and Jian'an County, which was later known as the Penghu Islands.

    Lou Fa led ten 2,000-stone ships and 800 soldiers to set out for Xiying Island in the autumn of the year before last. It has been a year and a half since he left. There has been no news yet, but he did not expect that he would also appear in Jianye City today. Lou Fa stepped forward.  Kneel down on one knee and salute, "For this humble position, please see the military advisor!"

    Sima Yi quickly helped him up and said, "General Lou, please excuse me and please get up quickly!"

    Lou Fa and Liu Min met again and then sat down. Sima Yi smiled and said, "Why did General Lou show up at Jianye?"

    "For the information of the military advisor, we passed by Jianye on the way back to Jingzhou. We discovered the Jingzhou warship while supplying supplies on the dock. After asking about it, it turned out that the military advisor was in the city, so I came to pay my respects."

    ¡°That¡¯s it, what a coincidence.¡±

    Sima Yi smiled and asked: "How is the situation on Xiying Island?"

    "We have established a military camp on the island and are getting along very well with the local natives. Now there are 300 soldiers building a fort on the island. More than a thousand natives are also assisting us. More than half of the castle has been completed."

    Sima Yi nodded and asked: "What is the closest county to Xiying Island?"

    Lou Fa thought for a while and said: "The nearest county should be Dongzhi County, the former capital of the Minyue Kingdom, but it will take several days and nights of sailing."

    Speaking of this, Lou Fa smiled bitterly and said: "Frankly speaking, this business between Zhou Mu and Wu Hou is a loss."

    "Why are you losing money? Is it too far away?" Sima Yi asked with a smile.

    Lou Fa shook his head, "Actually, there are many islands along the coast that are desert islands, and there are also many river mouths in Jian'an County. The land is fertile and sparsely populated. Jiangdong is also incapable of occupying it. We can definitely march to land. There is no need to occupy Xiying.  Island, in fact, we also deceived the local natives, saying that we were setting up a ship supply point and had no intention of taking their land, otherwise they would never allow us to go to the island.¡±

    "You are right. In fact, our purpose is to put a knife on Jiangdong's back to create conditions for wiping out Jiangdong in the future, but we cannot make Jiangdong suspicious, so we temporarily built a city on Xiying Island. With this  supply points, and then expand to the mainland. What Zhou Mu means is that we will gradually build in coastal areas within five years.There are ten military cities and five thousand soldiers are stationed there.  "

    Lou Fa nodded silently. At this moment, he suddenly remembered something and said with a smile: "When we came back, to avoid the wind and waves, we accidentally found an exiled prisoner on a desert island south of Kuaiji County. The military advisor guessed who he was.  Who is it?¡±

    "who is it?"

    "It's Sun Quan's cousin Sun Bi. I never imagined that he would be on a desert island."

    Sima Yi and Liu Min looked at each other, and their expressions suddenly became serious. They heard Liu Jing talk about the internal strife in Jiangdong, and Sun Ben was the key figure in the internal strife. Sima Yi quickly asked: "Where is this Sun Ben now?"

    Lou Fa whispered: "He is on my ship. I thought he was useful, so I brought him back."

    Liu Min asked anxiously: "Does anyone else know?"

    Lou Fa shook his head, "There was only one mute servant on the island to take care of him, and five soldiers to guard him. I took everyone away together. It is said that the Kuaiji County government will send them supplies every three months.  We just delivered them once, and even if they are found missing, it will be three months later.¡±

    Sima Yi took a few steps with his hands behind his back. This Sun Bi was indeed an important figure and would be of great use in the future. The key was to keep it secret and never let Jiang Dong know about it. Thinking of this, Sima Yi made a decision immediately: "It will take a few days for me to return.  , General Lou, don¡¯t wait for me, you should leave Jianye and return to Jingzhou now, hide this Sun Ben in Wuchang County temporarily, and then report to the state pastor later.¡±

    ¡°I understand this humble position, leave now!¡±

    Lou issued a gift and left in a hurry. Sima Yi smiled slightly at Liu Min and said, "This trip to Jiangdong was not in vain. At least I got a good chess piece."

    Liu Min also laughed heartily, "I can imagine how Sun Quan would be furious when he found out that the man was missing."

    The two looked at each other and couldn't help laughing together.

    In the end, as Sima Yi had guessed, Sun Quan accepted Liu Jing's condition of releasing the upper limit of warships and agreed to send troops to Hefei. Sun Quan then ordered Huang Gai to lead an army of 20,000 to cross the river from Liyang and kill Hefei.

    But before Huang Gai left, Sun Quan also made it clear to him that this time he sent troops to Hefei only to attack but not to fight, and not to lose a single soldier.

    Liu Jing's 50,000-strong army marched south along Shangyong Road. Five days later, the army arrived at Fangling County, a Zhong County surrounded by mountains. It has a population of about 2,000 households, most of whom make a living by farming. Basin  Centered on both sides of Zhushui, the land is fertile, the water is sufficient, the climate is warm and humid, and the food output is very stable, making the people here live and work in peace and contentment.

    Fangling County is naturally the seat of Fangling County. Although the county is not big, its geographical location is very important. It is the only place that must be passed by Shangyong Road to Xiangyang. From here, you can go northwest to Wudang County, and you can go directly by boat to Zhushui  Entering the Han River, heading southeast, it enters the boundary of Xiangyang.

    Because of its important geographical location, Fangling County is also a battleground for military strategists. Pound was worried that Cao's army would cross the river from Fangling County. After the defeat of Xinye, he directly led the remaining troops to Fangling County to participate in the defense. At the same time,  , Wenpin ordered Cai Jin to lead 3,000 troops to Fangling to join Pound's army, bringing the number of troops stationed in Fangling County to more than 4,000.

    That morning, the 50,000-strong army led by Liu Jing slowly arrived in Fangling County. It was still a few miles away from the county seat. Pang De and Cai Jin had already rushed to greet them. The 50,000-strong army stopped and stood among hundreds of flags.  , Pang De and Cai Jin saw Liu Jing, the state pastor, and they quickly stepped forward to salute with clasped fists, "In this humble position, please see the state pastor!"

    "Thank you two generals for your hard work!"

    Liu Jing already knew about Pound's fierce battle in Xinye. He got off his horse, patted Pound on the shoulder, and asked with concern: "How is the injury?"

    Pang De did not expect that the first thing Zhou Mu would do was to care about his arrow wound. He was very moved and said quickly: "Thank you Zhou Mu for caring, the arrow wound is fine!"

    "That's good. I've also heard about this Battle of Xinye. Although it's quite controversial, I support your decision. If the army doesn't dare to fight, what's the point of calling it an army?"

    Pang De led three thousand troops instead of evacuating eastward in time. Instead, he took the initiative to go north to meet the vanguard of Cao's army. His move aroused discussion among the army. Some said that he was brave and fearless and could be called a model general. Others said that he was covering the retreat of the people.  While fighting, he was very responsible, but many people criticized him for making unnecessary sacrifices. He obviously could save the lives of soldiers, but he had to use the weak to attack the strong, which led to a tragic defeat in the end.

    However, Liu Jing took the initiative to excuse Pound and praised Pound for his heroic act, thus ending the debate on Pound in the army. Pound nodded silently, then bowed and said: "Thank you Zhou Mu for your understanding, I will die with no regrets despite my humble position."  !¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and nodded, and then said to Cai Jin: "Is there any Cao Jun spying in Fangling County?"

    "Returning to Zhoumu, Cao's army did not go to Fanling, but to Yicheng County. However, we did not dare to take it lightly. We have deployed one troops each in Zhuyang County and Wudang County.?Army, as long as Cao Jun shows signs of crossing the river, we will rush to support him immediately.  "

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "The two river crossing points in Fangling County are in Wudang County and Zhuyang County respectively. I suggest that the two generals each lead 2,000 troops to garrison one place. Just be careful not to fall into the trap of Cao Jun.  A plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain."

    Pang De and Cai Jin looked at each other. They both understood that Zhou Mu was dissatisfied with their presence in Fangling County and believed that they should be stationed by the Han River. They both bowed and said: "Obey the order!"

    Liu Jing then nodded. He got on his horse and ordered: "Rest outside the county town for an hour. You are not allowed to enter the city. Then continue to march towards Xiangyang County!"

    The 50,000-strong army was activated again and marched towards the county seat in a mighty manner.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 628 Cao Jun retreats north

    Cao Jun's siege of Xiangyang has entered the tenth day, but to everyone's surprise, Cao Jun did not attack Xiangyang City, but only stationed troops near the dock. Although the wide moat seemed to make Cao Jun unable to do anything, Wenpin knew that  Cao's army had 20,000 to 30,000 troops and could completely fill a section of the moat overnight and launch an attack on the city.

    But Cao Jun never launched an attack, and Wenpin also guessed the reason. Cao Jun's siege of Xiangyang but not attacking might just be a means. Cao Jun's original intention was not to conquer Xiangyang, but just to force the Han army to stop attacking on the western front.

    Now it seems that their goal has been achieved. Wenpin received the news that Liu Jing personally led an army of 50,000 to come to Xiangyang's aid. They had already passed Fangling County and could reach Xiangyang in two days at most.

    However, although Cao's army did not attack Xiangyang City, Zhonglu County and Enguo County, about 20 miles away from Xiangyang, were captured by Cao's army respectively. They took tens of thousands of stones of grain and a large amount of tax money from the official warehouses and warehouses of the two counties.  Loot them all and use them as supplies for the army.

    The capture of these two county towns still brought huge pressure to Xiangyang City.

    The news that Liu Jing personally led an army of 50,000 people to come to the rescue made Wenpin very excited, and his heart that had been hanging in the air for nearly ten days could finally be relieved. At dusk, Wenpin was patrolling the streets under the protection of dozens of soldiers.  , the wide streets of Xiangyang were covered with tents, making the city very crowded and noisy.

    The busy figures of scholars can be seen everywhere on the streets. This time, the three thousand scholars in Xiangyang City played a huge role. As auxiliary personnel of the government, they took the initiative to take care of the city when all the troops were used to defend the city.  Responsibilities of fleeing people.

    The scholars worked very hard to appease the people, distribute food, help the sick and the weak, and maintain order. Thanks to their efforts, although Xiangyang City was overcrowded, it was always in order, and there was no chaos or epidemic.

    Although Cao Jun occupied the two counties of Zhonglu and Yiguo, which temporarily caused turmoil in the city, the emotions of the refugees eventually calmed down and they patiently waited for Cao Jun's retreat.

    Wenpin inspected all the way and was very satisfied with the calmness in the city. At this time, he walked near the Jinding Gate, which is a city gate in the northeast and the smallest of the six gates in Xiangyang City. It is rarely opened.

    As soon as he arrived at the city gate, he suddenly heard someone calling him from the top of the city, "General Wen!"

    He looked up and saw Deng Ai waving to him, so he smiled and asked, "What's the matter?"

    "General Qi reported that an abnormality has been discovered!"

    Wenpin was startled. He immediately turned his horse and ran towards the corridor. After a while, he rushed to the top of the city. Deng Ai came up to meet him, cupped his hands and said, "Just now we found dozens of small boats in the small river outside the city. We explored the river for a while, and then  gone back."

    Wenpin turned over and dismounted, walked quickly to the battlements and looked into the distance. The moat outside the Golden Summit was the narrowest section in Xiangyang. It was only more than ten feet wide and connected to a small river flowing in the northeast. At this time, Wenpin also saw something on the small river.  More than a dozen small boats appeared, with Cao Jun sentries on board.

    Wenpin couldn't help but have some doubts in his heart. In the past ten days, there was no movement at all from Cao's army outside Xiangyang. Why did a sentinel ship suddenly appear? What does this mean?  Could Cao Jun want to attack Xiangyang at night?

    Wenpin also knew that Cao Jun had collected more than a hundred small boats in nearby villages, but it was obviously unrealistic to rely on these small boats to attack Xiangyang.

    At this time, Wenpin suddenly thought that Liu Jing's reinforcements were coming. He realized something in his mind, pondered for a moment, and then ordered the soldiers guarding the city, "We must closely monitor the movements of Cao's army outside the city. If there is any situation, report it to me immediately!"

    Wenpin has realized that Cao Jun is likely to retreat

    It was getting dark. Inside Cao Jun¡¯s camp, three thousand Cao Jun soldiers were already lined up. Their armors were bright, their swords and guns were shining, and they were full of murderous intent. They were ready to go out to fight.

    Cao's army did not go to war to conquer Xiangyang City. On the contrary, they were preparing to withdraw. Zhang Liao also received an urgent report from the scouts. Liu Jing led 50,000 reinforcements and was heading towards Xiangyang City. The vanguard had already passed Fangling County.  Heaven, 50,000 Han troops will attack Xiangyang City.

    This news made Zhang Liao very nervous. He urgently sent people across the river to report to the Prime Minister, and soon received a reply from the Prime Minister. He crossed the river overnight to withdraw his troops. In fact, Zhang Liao also knew very well that with 50,000 reinforcements and 20,000 troops in the city, the Han army  His total strength will reach 70,000, nearly three times his own. It will be difficult for him to resist no matter what, and withdrawal is an inevitable choice.

    How to withdraw?  Zhang Liao has rich combat experience, and Wenpin must also know about the arrival of Liu Jing's supporting army. Once he evacuates, he is likely to attack, holding him back, preventing him from crossing the river, and finally facing the fate of total annihilation, so he must  Ensure that you can escape unscathed.

    Zhang Liao patted Li Dian on the shoulder and said with a smile, "I'll leave everything to Brother Mancheng!"Li Dian nodded, "General, please don't worry, I will do my best."

    Li Dian got on his horse and waved his hand, "Let's go!"

    Li Dian led 3,000 troops out of the West Camp and headed west. At this time, Zhang Liao watched the soldiers walk away. He turned and stared at the Han River. The dark water on the Han River could faintly see enemy battleships.  As the boat was cruising in the river, Zhang Liao nodded, turned around and ordered: "The three armies are ready to retreat!"

    In the light of hunting fire in the camp, I saw Cao Jun soldiers quickly sorting out their weapons and equipment. As for the tents and some supplies such as food and grass, which were not conducive to crossing the river, they gave up one by one, and everyone tried to streamline their equipment.

    But another extremely important material was taken out of the camp by the soldiers and tied into rolls with ropes, which were thousands of sheepskin rafts. This would be their tool for crossing the river. It could also be said that this was the smooth return of Cao's army to the north.  secret weapon.

    During the expedition against Ma Chao, Cao Jun seized thousands of sheepskin rafts used by the Qiang people to cross the river in Yang Qiu's camp. In fact, they stripped the sheep to obtain a complete sheepskin, which was then made into a skin bag and dozens of sheepskin rafts were used to cross the river.  The sheepskin airbags are tied together and inflated to form a sheepskin raft.

    After being deflated, sheepskin rafts were light and easy to carry. They were a must-have for the Hu people when they went on an expedition. Cao Cao was inspired by the sheepskin rafts and asked Zhang Liao's army to carry the sheepskin rafts across the river. Although the pontoon bridge they used to cross the river had been destroyed,  Zhang Liao could still cross the river and return to the north bank with a sheepskin raft.

    At the same time, using sheepskin rafts to cross the river can also warn Liu Jing that the Han River can no longer stop Cao Jun.

    As the time gradually reached Hai hour, the gate of the military camp slowly opened, and more than 20,000 Cao troops filed out of the military camp. They moved quickly, leaving the military camp and marched towards Longzhong. More than 200 warships were deployed on the river outside Xiangyang City, facing the enemy.  The threat of them crossing the river was too great, and there were only more than thirty warships in the Longzhong Ferry area.

    Just as Cao Jun left the camp, he was immediately discovered by Han army scouts outside the city. They immediately rushed back to Xiangyang City to report. After hearing the news, Wenpin rushed to the north city and looked outside the city. At this time, Jia Xu also hurriedly  He came and asked urgently: "What happened?"

    Wenpin pointed at Cao Jun's camp and said, "I just received a report from the scouts. The main force of Cao Jun has left the camp and headed west."

    Jia Xu frowned, "Are you going to Longzhong?"

    "should be!"

    Wenpin added: "I suspect that Cao's army went to fight Zhou Mu's reinforcements. Judging from the time, Zhou Mu's reinforcements will arrive in Longzhong at the earliest tomorrow night. Could Zhang Liao go to ambush Zhou Mu?"

    "It is possible, but it is also possible that Zhang Liao wanted to cross the river from Longzhong Pier and return north. However, they did not have a boat, so it was unlikely that they could cross the river. In fact, the most likely possibility was to lure the Xiangyang defenders out of the city to pursue them.  Then they fought back and finally captured Xiangyang in chaos. "

    Wenpin took a breath of air. He wanted to go out to pursue him. When Jia Xu said this, he realized that he had underestimated the enemy. "Then what should we do?" he asked again.

    Jia Xu thought for a while and said: "You can send five thousand troops to follow. If it really ambush Zhou Mu, the five thousand troops can attack Cao Jun from behind and defeat them. If it is Cao Jun's trick to lure troops, the five thousand troops can withdraw in time."  As for Longzhong crossing the river, although it is unlikely, we still need to be prepared for Cao Jun to send ships from the other side to meet us. We must prevent Cao Jun from actually escaping from Longzhong Ferry, and we should increase the number of warships on the Longzhong River. "

    Wenpin nodded, "I will personally lead five thousand troops to follow and arrange the warships. I will immediately send someone to notify General Shen!"

    "Captain Wen must be careful, be careful of being ambushed by enemy troops on the way." Jia Xu reminded again with a smile.

    "You should be careful if you are in a humble position. I leave the defense of Xiangyang City to the military advisor."

    Wenpin immediately went down to the city, ordered five thousand soldiers to leave the city from the west gate, and marched towards Longzhong. He was very cautious and followed Cao Jun from a distance.

    After Gan Ning led his army back to Jiangxia, the 4,000-strong naval force on the Xiangyang River was commanded by Captain Shen Mi. There were more than 400 warships of different sizes, and they blocked the river from Fangling to Yicheng County for thousands of miles. But the key point was  Xiangyang, Yicheng and Fangling.

    Especially on the river in the Xiangfan area, Cao Cao's two armies from the north and the south were stationed in Xiangyang and Fancheng. Shen Mi personally led 200 warships to patrol the river, taking precautions day and night and standing ready.

    At the same moment when Zhang Liao withdrew his troops to the west, Cao's army on the north bank of the river also made movement. Tens of thousands of Cao's troops appeared in the Fancheng Pier area holding torches, as if a sea of ??fire had been ignited. They dragged more than 400 small boats from the land into the river, and war drums  The sound was rumbling, and a large-scale effort was made to cross the river.

    Shen Mi immediately set up an interception formation, deploying two hundred warships into three defense lines. At the same time, he sent a dozen 500-stone warships to attack the dock in an attempt to destroy Cao Jun's boat, but tens of thousands of Cao Jun's troops fired arrows into the river from the dock.  ,arrowIt was like heavy rain, forcing the naval warships to be unable to approach.

    Seeing that he could not get close to the shore, Shen Mi ordered: "No need to go forward anymore, maintain the formation and let them cross the river!"

    Since Cao Jun must cross the river to seek death, he will help them. The bells on the river rang loudly, and more than a dozen warships slowly retreated back. At this moment, a small boat approached Shen Mi's thousand-stone warship.  A sergeant on the ship shouted: "Is General Shen here?"

    Shen Mi quickly walked to the side of the ship, leaned forward and asked, "What's the matter?"

    "The military advisor ordered you to send some warships to strengthen the defense on the Longzhong River. The main force of Cao's army on the south bank has gone west."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 629 Crossing the river to break out

    Shen Mi frowned. He was just about to mobilize the ships from Longzhong, but the military advisor ordered him to send the ships to Longzhong.

    Although Shen Mi was somewhat reluctant, Shen Mi did not dare to disobey Jia Xu's order. He turned around and ordered a tooth general: "General Zhou, please lead your headquarters to Longzhong Pier to patrol the river. Go immediately!"

    General Zhou Xin agreed, got off the ship, led fifty warships out of the defensive formation, and headed to Longzhong Pier dozens of miles away to the west.

    Wenpin led five thousand soldiers to pursue him. The army was still several miles away from Tanxi. When he saw a fire in front of him in the distance, Wenpin was confused and immediately sent spies to check. After a while, the spies came back and reported, "General Qi, it's  Tanxi Bridge was set on fire by Cao Jun! "

    Wenpin was stunned for a moment, then looked to the south. He saw faint flames rising more than ten miles away. It was another bridge that was also set on fire by Cao's army. This made Wenpin feel angry and immediately gave the order.  Said: "Cut down the trees immediately and build a floating bridge!"

    Tanxi River is only a few feet wide, and large trees can be used to build a floating bridge across the river. Hundreds of soldiers quickly cut down more than a dozen weeping willow trees on the bank and dragged them to the river. Unexpectedly, as soon as they reached the river, there was a sudden banging sound from the other side.  , dense arrows from all around were shot towards the face. The soldiers were caught off guard and fell to the ground one after another. The soldiers behind were so frightened that they turned around and ran away.

    "General, there is an ambush by Cao's army on the other side!" A military leader hurriedly reported to Wenpin.

    This news made Wenpin immediately vigilant. Cao Jun was actually ambushing him. He thought about it, turned around and ordered Zhang Yan, "Take a thousand brothers to build a bridge across the river, and be careful of the other side's cold arrows!"

    Zhang Yan agreed and led a thousand soldiers towards Tanxi. Wenpin watched the other side intently. If there were still arrow attacks, he could forcefully cross the river. If there was no movement, he had to be careful. There was most likely an ambush ahead.  .

    At this time, the Han army cut down dozens of big trees and built a very simple pontoon bridge on the river. However, no more cold arrows were fired. It seemed that Cao Jun who was shooting arrows had run away. When Zhang Yan was about to cross the river, Wenpin immediately stopped him.  After stopping him, he urged his horse forward and said: "This is a trick of the enemy to lure troops. There must be an ambush on the road. Don't advance recklessly."

    Zhang Yan was puzzled and asked: "I don't understand. Since there are no arrows, it means that Cao Jun is just harassing us to cross the river. There should be no ambush. Why does the general think there is an ambush?"

    Wenpin sneered, "The Art of War says that what is true is false, and what is false is true. The opponent is the famous general Zhang Liao. How could he not know that little Tanxi is difficult to join my army? He just burned the bridge and deliberately sent people to shoot cold arrows just to lure him away."  I crossed the river in pursuit. If I crossed the river in a hurry and got into the enemy's encirclement, and the way back was blocked, we might be completely wiped out. "

    "The general is right. It's better to send spies to explore the road first. If nothing unusual happens, we can cross the river and pursue them."

    Wenpin nodded, "Okay!"

    Zhang Yan immediately sent several scouts to the front to inquire about the news. The five thousand soldiers were not in a hurry to cross the river, but waited patiently for news from the scouts. Half an hour later, a scout came back and reported, "There is no ambush within ten miles ahead!  "

    Wenpin had some doubts in his heart. Did he make a mistake in his judgment?  At this time, Zhang Yan asked for instructions again: "General, do you want to continue marching?"

    Wenpin nodded and immediately ordered: "The army crosses the river and continues marching!"

    Five thousand Han troops crossed Tanxi and continued to pursue forward for more than ten miles. At this time, Zhang Yan rushed over and reported: "General Qi, something is wrong. All the scouts sent by humble posts have disappeared and have not returned.  "

    Wenpin was shocked, and quickly reined in his horse and looked around. They had entered the Longzhong Mountain area. Two miles ahead was Longzhong Town. It was surrounded by high mountains and deep valleys, making it easy for the enemy to ambush. He suddenly realized that something was wrong and immediately  The order: "Return to the army quickly!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of drums in the valleys on both sides, and fires broke out. Two armies, one on the left and one on the right, came out from the valleys on both sides. It was unclear how many people there were in the darkness. In the light of the fire, only a general was seen shooting out with a gun.  It was Li Dian, the general of Cao's army.

    Wenpin's marching team stretched for several miles. It was difficult to gather for the battle and was suddenly cut into two by Cao's army. Wenpin's army was immediately in chaos. Wenpin shouted to Zhang Yan: "Stabilize the army and break out and return to Xiangyang!"

    He waved his willow leaf sword, urged his horse to meet Li Dian, and shouted, "The thief will kill me!"

    He was struck with a knife in front of him. The force of the knife was extremely sharp. Li Dian also shouted and waved his gun to fight. The two men's horses crossed each other and they fought fiercely together on the official road.

    Wenpin was highly skilled in martial arts. He was once one of the three fierce generals under Liu Biao, and was later listed as one of the Five Tiger Generals in Jingzhou. It was not until Ma Chao and Pang De surrendered that Wenpin was withdrawn from the Five Tiger Generals. Li Dian was also a famous general under Cao Cao, with both civil and military skills.  He was very strategic, and the plan to break the bridge to lure soldiers was his arrangement, and eventually Wenpin was attracted.

    But in martial artsOn the battlefield, Li Dian was weaker than Yu Jin, Zhang Liao and others, and slightly inferior to Wenpin. The two fought fiercely for more than 20 rounds, and Li Dian gradually became exhausted.  Defeated to the west, his retreat caused Cao's army's offensive to weaken a bit.

    Wenpin seized this opportunity and shouted: "Brothers, break out!"

    At this time, Zhang Yan had stabilized the morale and formation of the Han army. Under the leadership of Wenpin, they rushed out of the siege of Cao's army and quickly retreated to Xiangyang City. At this time, Li Dian came back and saw the Han army.  Having been defeated, he stopped chasing and led the army towards Longzhong Pier.

    Longzhong Wharf is half smaller than Xiangyang Wharf, and Deng County is on the opposite bank. The terrain of this area is gentle. You can cross the river even if you are not on the wharf. The available riverside is several miles wide. Since Cao's army is mainly concentrated in the Xiangfan area,  Therefore, the river in Longzhong was not the focus of Han warship patrols, and there were only less than twenty warships.

    The warships mainly defended the north shore. There were almost no warships patrolling near the south shore. Zhang Liao's army had stopped about a mile away from the dock. The soldiers had filled up the sheepskin rafts. Soon, thousands of sheepskin rafts were ready.  .

    At this time, a spy rushed to report: "General, there are no enemy warships on the south bank of the river, and there are no enemy warships on the north bank."

    Zhang Liao was even more worried about the arrival of Xiangyang's warships. He immediately ordered: "Let's set out to cross the river!"

    More than 20,000 soldiers of Cao's army rushed towards the river carrying sheepskin rafts. One raft rushed into the river, and the soldiers jumped on the rafts one after another. According to Cao's army's organizational system, one raft per tithe, so that it would be easier to have a leader to lead it.  For command and division of labor, four soldiers used wooden oars to paddle the water, and the remaining six soldiers raised their bows and crossbows to guard the surrounding areas.

    In just a moment, thousands of sheepskin rafts appeared densely on the river, rowing hard to the other side. Looking down from a high place, I saw countless small black spots floating on the river, making a huge and spectacular scene.

    It was already the fourth watch, the night was deep, the river was pitch black, the spring was cold, and the wind was strong. The Han army's warships finally discovered something unusual on the south bank, and more than twenty warships turned around and rushed toward the south river.

    The Han warships on the Longzhong River were mainly five-hundred-stone warships, and there was also a thousand-stone warship. They were commanded by a military lord. He saw that the situation was critical and immediately ordered people to rush to Xiangyang for help.

    "Knock them over!" the Han army commander shouted loudly, and the war drums were beating on the river. More than twenty Han army warships quickly rushed towards Cao Jun's group. When the ships came slightly closer, the people on the rafts were  Cao Jun raised their crossbows and fired arrows one after another. Arrows flew like rain on the river, shooting at the enemy ships that were hitting them.

    "Boom!" There was a loud noise, and the leading warship hit a sheepskin raft hard. The huge waves aroused overturned the raft. Amidst the screams, ten Cao Jun soldiers fell into the water one after another, and they were horrified.  Asking for help on the river.

    The warship ignored it and collided head-on with another sheepskin raft. Although most of the warships only weighed 500 stones, they still looked huge compared to the leather rafts and had a huge disparity in strength, but their number was far less than thousands.  Although the warships were rampaging on the river, the number of rafts was still too small. More Cao Jun's rafts broke through the Han River blockade and crossed the Han River.

    Zhang Liao was at the back of the team. He wanted to wait for Li Dian's army to arrive. At this time, soldiers came to report that Li Dian's army had passed Longzhong Town and was rushing towards the dock. Only then did Zhang Liao board a large  There were fifty of his soldiers and two horses on the sheepskin raft. The soldiers paddled hard and sailed to the other side.

    But at this moment, a deep horn sound came from the river in the distance, 'Woo¡ª¡ª' The horn sound echoed on the river, followed by the rumble of drums, and dozens of Han warships appeared on the river.  It was the warship sent by the navy leader Shen Mi to support Longzhong. There were about fifty warships. They also knew that there was military information in Longzhong and were heading west quickly.

    At this time, half of Cao's army had not crossed the river. Zhang Liao's expression changed greatly, and he immediately ordered: "Order the escort to fight!"

    Zhang Liao also trained a Nanyang navy of 2,000 men in Wancheng. Compared with northern soldiers, they were better at water and could fight on the river. In the plan to cross the river, Zhang Liao did not consider water battles with the Han army.  He wanted to cross the river as soon as possible, but reinforcements from the Han army arrived at this time, forcing him to change his plan.

    ¡®Dong-dong-dong!  The war drums of Cao's army also sounded, and the fierce and rhythmic war drums echoed on the river. This was an order to go to war. The two hundred escort rafts that were crossing the river began to gather quickly and fight towards the oncoming Han army.  The ship went to meet the challenge.

    The name of the Han army's tooth general is Zhou Xin. It was he who captured Guan Yu in Jiangling and was promoted from a military prince to a tooth general. His bravery and proficiency in battle were recognized by Gan Ning, who specially appointed him as Shen Mi's deputy general.  Zhou Xin was a native of the south and had never seen a sheepskin raft before. He was also quite surprised. However, at this time, nearly two Cao Jun's strange ships came towards his ship from all directions.When the attack came, arrows rained down on the river, and many soldiers were hit by arrows. He did not dare to underestimate the enemy and ordered: "Attack with stone cannons!"

    The stone cannon is also a stone-throwing machine. Cao Jun called it the thunder cannon. It is like a giant crossbow and launches stones. It is much smaller than the trebuchet, and its range is only more than fifty steps at most, but its advantage is that it is more accurate.  , especially suitable for use on boats.

    The warships led by Zhou Xin are different from the Longzhong patrol ships. At least half of them are Qianshi main warships, most of which are equipped with stone cannons. With the sound of 'Bang!  boom!  ¡¯ The sound of rocks echoing on the river, and large rocks weighing more than ten kilograms were thrown at the sheepskin raft.

    ¡®Boom!  There was a loud noise, and a big stone hit a sheepskin raft. Several Cao soldiers were hit and let out a series of screams. They fell from the raft into the water. The big ship immediately hit it and knocked over the raft.  The remaining Han warships were so sharp that they knocked over dozens of rafts. The river was full of Cao soldiers who fell into the water and asked for help.

    However, the fierce counterattack by Cao Jun also caused heavy damage to the Han warship. Several rafts surrounded a thousand-stone warship. Cao Jun's soldiers on the raft threw clay pots filled with kerosene onto the big ship and ignited the kerosene with rockets.  The ship began to burn rapidly and was soon engulfed in flames.

    Cao Jun followed suit and ignited eight Han warships in succession. Flames shot into the sky and thick smoke billowed on the river. On the river where the two armies were fighting fiercely, countless Cao Jun soldiers rowed desperately, and densely packed sheepskin rafts sailed towards the other side in the waves.

    But many Cao soldiers who fell into the water also found a way to survive. They used knives to cut the ropes of the sheepskin rafts, held an inflated sheepskin bag, and swam to the other side.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 630 Confrontation between the two armies

    The sky gradually dawned, and the Han River returned to calm. After a night of life-and-death struggle and at the cost of more than 2,000 casualties, the main force of Cao's army led by Zhang Liao finally crossed the Han River on rafts. At the same time, Yicheng  Yu Jin of the county also successfully crossed the Han River on a sheepskin raft and retreated to the north bank. Cao's army once again gathered at the Fancheng camp.

    Although Cao Cao's cross-river raid did not achieve much results and paid a heavy price, Cao Cao's strategy was successful. Cao Cao's crossing of the river put great pressure on the Han army, and Liu Jing had to suspend the Northern Expedition and lead his army.  Support Xiangyang.

    Although the Northern Expedition was only suspended, it would take at least half a year before the offensive could be launched again. This bought Cao Cao's army valuable time to deploy Longxi defense. From this perspective, Cao Cao's southern expedition to Xiangyang achieved the expected goal and was successful.

    In the early morning of the next day after Cao Jun crossed the river, Wei Yan led a vanguard of 5,000 Han troops to Xiangyang. At noon, the main force of tens of thousands led by Liu Jing also appeared in Longzhong. At this time, Wenpin and Jia Xu also arrived.  Go to Longzhong to welcome Liu Jing's arrival.

    "I made a mistake in my humble judgment and failed to stop Cao's army. Please ask the state pastor to punish you!"

    Wenpin was very ashamed. Although Jia Xu had realized that Cao Jun's purpose was to cross the river from Longzhong, he still made a mistake in judgment, thinking that Cao Jun was going to block Han reinforcements, and thus failed to seize the opportunity to pursue Cao Jun.

    Liu Jing had received the report. He helped Wenpin up and said with a smile: "This time Cao's army crossed south and returned north. It was obvious that they had carefully planned in advance and used sheepskin rafts. This is really unimaginable for the southern army. This time  As long as you can defend Xiangyang, I think you have not neglected your duty and deserve to be commended!"

    At this time, Jia Xu also came up and saluted: "I feel ashamed to say it. It is understandable that General Wen did not expect that Cao Jun would use sheepskin rafts, but I am from Xiliang and have been familiar with this kind of river crossing vehicle since I was a child. I did not expect that.  It¡¯s a bit unreasonable. The responsibility for letting Cao Jun escape this time is mine and has nothing to do with General Wen.¡±

    "There is no need for the military advisor to blame himself. In fact, I was worried about Cao Cao's army attacking Jiangxia. Fortunately, Cao Cao has no such intention for the time being, which can be considered lucky for us."

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing smiled at everyone and said, "Let's go to Longzhong Pier and have a look!"

    He got on his horse, and the crowd gathered around him and headed towards Longzhong Pier. At this time, Longzhong Pier was filled with military supplies and weapons discarded by Cao Jun. Han soldiers were cleaning up various supplies. Liu Jing came to a pile of sheepskin rafts.  There were more than 400 rafts washed ashore by the river, most of them deflated, and there were a dozen complete rafts piled aside.

    Liu Jing looked at these sheepskin rafts carefully, then turned around and asked Jia Xu: "How big is the largest leather raft that the military advisor has ever seen?"

    Jia Xu thought for a while and said: "Dong Zhuo had one in his army back then. It was actually made of thirty small rafts, with giant trees tied around them. It was very large and could carry more than two hundred people at most, but it was mainly used for  To transport food, even a thousand-stone warship might not be able to overturn it."

    Liu Jing nodded, "This time Cao Jun used a small raft and tasted the benefits. I am worried that he will build a giant raft in the future to facilitate transportation. The threat to our Jingzhou will be great, and this time Cao Jun crossed  The river has exposed the weakness of our navy's narrow defense area. If we cross the river from Yicheng County today, we might cross the river from Anlu County tomorrow. It's hard to guard against it!"

    Jia Xu smiled bitterly and said nothing. Liu Jing said to Wenpin and Wei Yan: "You go back to Xiangyang first! Station the army, and I will take a boat to Xiangyang with Military Advisor Jia later."

    Everyone saluted and said goodbye, Liu Jing and Jia Xu boarded a thousand-stone ship and sailed along the river towards Xiangyang.

    On the side of the ship, Liu Jing stared at the destroyed Deng County town on the other side for a long time, his eyes full of anger. At this time, Jia Xu slowly walked to Liu Jing's side and sighed for a while: "Maybe we have to change our plan."

    Liu Jing looked back at him and asked in confusion: "What does this mean, military advisor?"

    "Cao Cao has found a way to break the Han River defense, which has put tremendous pressure on our northern expedition on the western front. After all, Cao Cao's military strength is much greater than ours. If our strategic focus is on the west, then Cao Cao's army can attack from the east at any time.  To contain us, I feel that Cao Jun's crossing of the river is actually warning us that if we do not give up the Northern Expedition, there will be a second crossing of the Han River, and by then I am afraid it will not be Xiangyang, but Jiangxia. "

    "What does this have to do with our change of plans?"

    "Our original plan was to capture Longxi first, and then attack Guanzhong after establishing a foothold in Longyou. But now it seems that we must capture Guanzhong as soon as possible. If Cao's army restrains us from Jingxiang again, then we can threaten from Guanzhong eastward.  Bingzhou can even threaten Nanyang from behind, thus achieving a two-sided siege on Cao's army."

    Liu Jing thought for a long time and said: "We can support Shi Xie, the prefect of Jiaozhi, so that he has the strength to compete with Liu Bei. In this way, I can bring Jiangling's navy toAll the ships were transferred to the Han River to double the naval defense of the Han River. At the same time, an additional 50,000 troops were recruited to increase the defense strength of Jingzhou to 120,000. I think this will not affect my plan for the Western Expedition.  .  "

    Jia Xu understood what Liu Jing meant. For the time being, he did not want to attack Guanzhong first. He still wanted to follow the original plan and gain a foothold in Longxi before marching to Guanzhong. This would be safer. Thinking of this, Jia Xu smiled and said, "Maybe I can  If there is a strategy, Cao's army will be restrained in the direction of Hefei, and it will be unable to attack Jingzhou. "

    "Hefei?"

    Liu Jing¡¯s eyes lit up. He understood a little bit what Jia Xu meant. If that was the case, it would be a good idea. He believed that Sun Quan would definitely swallow this bait.

    Zhang Liao returned safely with his army, and Liu Jing was forced to stop his western expedition and come to aid Jingzhou. This made Cao Cao very happy. Before Liu Jing's army arrived in Xiangyang, Cao Cao ordered a banquet to celebrate the success of this military expedition.

    In the big tent, Cao Cao held a banquet, and everyone gathered in a circle to sit down. Several strong men in the army competed in sumo wrestling in the big tent. Everyone was laughing and talking, and the atmosphere was very lively.

    At this time, Cao Cao raised his wine bottle and smiled at everyone: "Everyone, please listen to me!"

    The tent immediately became quiet, and countless pairs of eyes stared at Cao Cao. Cao Cao then said slowly: "The significance of crossing the river this time is not only that we succeeded in forcing Liu Jing to come to Xiangyang's aid, but also that we were able to return intact.  What's more important is that we have been under the oppression of the Jingzhou Navy for these years, and finally found a way to fight against the Jingzhou Navy. We don't need traditional warships, and we can completely use the convenience and flexibility of sheepskin rafts to fight against the Jingzhou Navy.  , come, let¡¯s drink this bottle of wine together!¡±

    Everyone responded in unison, raised their ear cups and drank the wine in one gulp. Many people here did not quite understand the meaning of Cao Cao's last words, but Zhang Liao understood because there were hundreds of Cao Jun soldiers who fell into the water, each holding a  The sheepskin bag swam back to the other side. This discovery was of great significance. In this way, Cao's soldiers could swim across the Han River smoothly as long as they knew how to swim.

    In the past, it was also suggested that soldiers could carry wood to cross the river, but after all, wood is inconvenient to carry. However, sheepskin bags can be stacked in backpacks. Each soldier can carry four with him, and armor and weapons can be placed in them.  Crossing the river on the skin.

    It can even be temporarily assembled into a giant raft to carry war horses and baggage across the river. It was this discovery that made Cao Cao ecstatic. The problem of crossing the river that had been bothering him for so many years was finally solved. Of course, the Yangtze River is not yet available, but apart from the Yangtze River  Otherwise, Cao's army will no longer be trapped by any river.

    Seeing that Zhang Liao was thoughtful, Cao Cao smiled and asked, "What are Wen Yuan thinking about? Are you thinking about the usefulness of the sheepskin bag?"

    "Yes! I am thinking about this. In addition, I am a little worried about Hefei. I am worried that Jiangdong Army will take advantage of the situation to attack Hefei City."

    Cao Cao chuckled, "I did receive an urgent report. Huang Gai led 20,000 Jiangdong people to cross the river from Liyang and fight for Hefei. But I am not worried at all that Sun Quan will really work hard for Liu Jing and help Liu Jing defeat us. What does he have?  The benefit? For him, the biggest benefit is that both Cao and Liu will lose, so he will only show off and will never actually attack Hefei. "

    "The Prime Minister really has insight into people's hearts." Everyone raised their glasses in praise.

    Cao Cao drank two more glasses of wine and felt a little intoxicated. He sighed and said, "Rangshan spared Liu Jing's life because of a mistake. I didn't expect that he would eventually become a serious problem for me. As a result, I am so passive today. This year  I am already fifty-eight and nearly sixty years old, but the world is not at peace, the number of refugees in the north is increasing, the martyrs are in their twilight years, and their ambitions have not been fulfilled!"

    After saying that, he raised the wine bottle again and drank the wine in one gulp. He felt a little drunk. Xu Chu, who was standing behind Cao Cao, felt that the Prime Minister was exhausted, so he quickly stepped forward and whispered: "Prime Minister, do you want to go change?"

    Cao Cao nodded, "I really want to change my clothes!"

    Xu Chu helped Cao Cao up, and Cao Cao smiled at everyone: "I may not come back after I leave. I know everyone wants me to leave, so I will help you. Let's have a drink! Tomorrow we will discuss how to deal with Liu Jing.  arrival."

    Everyone laughed and stood up to salute. Xu Chu then supported the Prime Minister and carefully left from the back tent. Cao Cao left, and everyone was no longer restrained. The big tent became lively again, with everyone talking and laughing, and the atmosphere was lively.

    At this time, Cao Hong walked up to Zhang Liao with a glass of wine and said with a half-smile: "Although Wenyuan was defeated in this battle, his defeat was heroic. Even the prime minister was full of praise and even bought Wenyuan wine to celebrate, which is very admirable.  Let me drink to Wenyuan and express my feelings.¡±

    Zhang Liao heard the thorn in his words and felt a little unhappy. He said calmly: "Zhang Liao is just following the Prime Minister's orders to fight. The Prime Minister's purchase of wine has nothing to do with Zhang Liao. He does not dare to accept General Zi Lian's praise. Let's drink this glass of wine separately."  Bar!"

    He picked up the wine and drank it all in one gulp. Cao Hong's face changed slightly and he said coldly: "Could it be that you don't want to give me this face?  "

    "No! I just drank General Zilian's wine. I don't like General Zilian. Please invite General Zilian!"

    "snort!"

    Cao Hong snorted heavily, poured the wine on the ground, turned around and walked away, pouring the wine on the ground in front of his face. This was an extremely humiliating move at the wine table. Zhang Liao was furious, slapped the table and shouted: "Cao Hong, what are you doing?  what for?"

    Cao Hong glanced back at him and said in a sarcastic tone: "It's nothing, I'm just paying homage to the innocent villagers who were unfortunately killed by the general. Why should the general be angry?"

    Zhang Liao immediately understood that he was the military prince who had raped and humiliated women of the people and killed people to steal wealth. As expected, Cao Hong had made trouble for him. How could Zhang Liao be silent after being humiliated? He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "General Cao Hong,  Please speak clearly before leaving!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 631 The Arrival of Xun Yu

    Cao Hong stopped, looked back at Zhang Liao expressionlessly, sneered at the end, turned around and left. At this time, there was silence in the tent, and everyone looked at the two of them. Everyone was surprised, how could Cao Hong  Spilled wine on the floor?  What conflict happened between the two of them.

    At this time, Chen Qun, who was sitting next to him, asked in a low voice: "Wen Yuan, what happened?"

    Zhang Liao knew that this was not the time for internal strife. He held back his breath and shook his head, "It's nothing. Sir, please continue drinking!"

    Chen Qun's eyes became even more confused. Others might not be able to see clearly, but he was sitting next to him and could see clearly. It was clearly Cao Hongqian who was angry with Zhang Liao. There was a conflict between the two people. Since Zhang Liao refused to talk, Chen Qun also  It¡¯s not easy to ask too many questions.

    At this time, there were whispers in the big tent, and gradually it became lively again. At this moment, a guard shouted in front of the tent door: "Generals, the imperial court has sent an envoy, it is Xun Lingjun!"

    The generals got up and walked outside the tent one after another, but Chen Qun was surprised. Why did his father-in-law come?  Without thinking too much, he stood up and went out to greet him. At this time, Cao Hong walked quickly past Zhang Liao. He listened to his footsteps, glanced at him coldly, and walked away quickly. Zhang Liao pretended that he didn't see anything.

    Li Dian also walked to Zhang Liao's side and said apologetically: "General Zilian came to see me this afternoon and asked about the murder of his fellow villagers. I'm sorry that I couldn't persuade him about this."

    "This matter has nothing to do with you. Mancheng doesn't have to blame himself, and I won't take it to heart."

    Zhang Liao did not go to the camp gate and turned back to his tent. Li Dian watched him go away and couldn't help but shook his head. He knew that Cao Hong would hold grudges and even tried to persuade Zhang Liao, but he refused to listen. He really couldn't blame himself for this.

    At the gate of the camp, Xun Yu walked into the military camp holding a talisman in his hand. He came to Fancheng to reward the army on the emperor's order. Xunyu did not want to come to Cao Jun's camp. He had decided not to participate in Cao Jun's military affairs, but this time he had no choice but to come to Fancheng.  To reward the army, Xun Yu knew very well that this must be Cao Cao's intention. The emperor was just a puppet emperor. What decision could he make?

    At this time, Chen Qun came up to greet him, sallied and said with a smile: "I didn't expect that my father-in-law would come, which surprised my son-in-law so much!"

    Xun Yu was related to Chen Qun and his son-in-law. When he saw his son-in-law Chen Qun, Xun Yu was quite happy. He also slightly returned the greeting and said: "Chang Wen, long time no see."

    Xun Yu greeted the generals who came to greet him one by one, but when he found that Cao Cao was missing, he asked, "Is the prime minister here?"

    Chen Qun whispered: "The prime minister is drunk and is sleeping in the tent. I'm afraid I won't be able to see my father-in-law for a while. Please forgive me."

    Xun Yu nodded silently, "It doesn't matter, I can see the Prime Minister tomorrow."

    "Father-in-law, please come with me! I will take my father-in-law to rest in the tent first. We have traveled thousands of miles and it has been a hard journey."

    Chen Qun said as he led Xun Yu towards the Chinese army

    Cao Cao slept until night and woke up with a splitting headache. He drank a cup of tea to calm his mind and asked Xu Chu: "What's going on on the other side?"

    Xu Chu bowed and replied: "The other side is very quiet, there is no movement, and there is no news of the arrival of the army from Longzhong."

    After hesitating for a moment, Xu Chu said again: "It is Xun Lingjun who is here. He came to reward the army according to the emperor's order."

    Cao Cao chuckled, "He's finally here."

    Of course Cao Cao knew that Xun Yu would come, so he ordered his eldest son Cao Pi to arrange for the emperor to send Xun Yu to reward the army. Some things that happened in the capital made him extremely angry. It was said that Xun Yu was also involved, which made Cao Cao angry and confused.  It hurts that he doesn't care what others do, but he can't allow Xun Yu to betray him.

    After thinking for a moment, Cao Cao said to Xu Chu: "Go and invite Duke Xun here and tell him that I want to see him."

    "Is the Prime Minister going to receive an order?" Xu Chu asked. If it was an order, he would order the guards to prepare the incense table.

    "We will discuss the order tomorrow. I want to talk to him tonight. Go ahead! Invite him to come over."

    "Follow the order!" Xu Chu turned around and hurried away.

    The place where Xun Yu lived was very close to Cao Cao's tent. Not long after, Xu Chu led Xun Yu into Cao Cao's tent.

    "Wen Ruo, you have worked hard all the way, please sit down!" Cao Cao smiled and asked Xun Yu to sit down.

    Xun Yu sat down, leaned forward and said, "I came to the camp to reward the troops on the emperor's order. The emperor asked me to tell the prime minister that if there is anything needed, the prime minister can directly raise it."

    Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Thank you Wenruo, I don't have any needs for the time being."

    "I wonder if the Prime Minister has asked me to come here to ask you what's the matter?"

    Cao Cao glanced at Xun Yu with a smile but not a smile, and after a long time he asked calmly: "Last month Fu Guozhang celebrated his birthday, shall we goThere were 267 civil and military ministers celebrating, and Wen Ruo should have gone too!  "

    Xun Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Why did Cao Cao even know the exact number of people? He quickly leaned forward and said, ¡°Wei Chen did go and met the eldest son.¡±

    What Xun Yu meant was that Cao Pi also went, why did he ask me about this?

    "Haha! It's nothing, I just asked casually."

    It was quiet in the big tent, and neither of them spoke, but Xun Yu understood that Cao Cao had been watching Fu Wan, and finally Fu Wan left eight people behind to discuss important matters secretly, and he was one of them, but he didn't want to participate in Fu Wan  Cao Cao called himself from Yecheng for this plan.

    Xun Yu's back was soaked, and he secretly complained that Fu Wan was confused. This kind of thing was delayed and uncertain. How could Cao Cao not know that Fu Wan was really doomed now, and even Empress Fu was implicated. He picked up the cup and drank tea.  Shivering slightly.

    At this time, Cao Cao glanced sharply at Xun Yu. He changed the topic and sighed: "Today I tell everyone that the biggest mistake in my life was to let Liu Jing go in Rangshan. When Liu Jing started, I  I didn't take him to heart, and in the end he became a serious problem for me, keeping me awake at night. Now he is about to go on the Northern Expedition. Although I temporarily suppressed the Northern Expedition by encircling Wei and rescuing Zhao, he will not give up and will still go out.  Can Wen Ruo teach me how to deal with Liu Jing¡¯s Northern Expedition?¡±

    Xun Yu was silent for a moment and said: "The Prime Minister has many talented people under his command. Zhongde, Gongda and Changwen are all talented people. They can give the Prime Minister a wise suggestion. I have not been interested in military affairs for a long time and I am already unfamiliar with it. I'm afraid  I can¡¯t help the Prime Minister.¡±

    Cao Cao felt sad, and after a long while he sighed and said: "Wen Ruo was once my most trusted confidant and my mentor. I treated Wen Ruo well back then. Now when I am in the most critical situation, why should Wen Ruo look on coldly?"

    Cao Cao's tone was very sad, which made Xun Yu couldn't bear it. He remembered that Cao Cao had been really kind to him in the past. Although he hated him for usurping power, he couldn't get around the word friendship.

    Helpless, Xun Yu had to ask slowly: "Prime Minister, what do you think is the biggest weakness in the area Liu Jing currently occupies?"

    Cao Cao thought for a moment and immediately understood, "Wenruo refers to the gap between Jingzhou and Yizhou, right?"

    Xun Yu nodded, "Jingzhou is the land of Chu, and Yizhou is the source of Bashu. The two places have always been close to each other, but what I am talking about here is the geographical barrier. Jingzhou and Yizhou are separated by high mountains and ridges, so they can only  Through the connection between the Yangtze River and the Shu Road, it is difficult for the two places to be strategically unified, which is Liu Jing's biggest weakness. "

    Cao Cao said in a deep voice: "I understand a little bit, Wen Ruo, please continue!"

    Xun Yu smiled and continued: "Now Liu Jing is focused on the Northern Expedition on the Western Front, and Yizhou has not been very stable since he won it soon, so Liu Jing transferred all his army strength to Yizhou and Hanzhong, which made Jingzhou  military strength is insufficient.

    Now Liu Jing is using Jing Yi's strength to march north. It can be said that the southern army is fighting in the north. Although the battle can be won by luck, if you want to hold the north, it will not happen overnight. I advise the prime minister not to focus on the gains and losses of one battle in Longxi.  We should focus on the world and Jingzhou. He goes north to Tianshui, while the prime minister's army goes south to Hanshui. He captures Guanzhong, and the prime minister captures Jingzhou.

    The Prime Minister can even send troops to Anlu County to threaten Jiangxia and seize Qichun. In this way, Jiangdong's strategy will be disrupted. Will they send troops to retake Qichun County from the Prime Minister?  Once Jiangdong captures Qichun County and finds that Jiangxia's defenses are weak, will they continue to advance westward?

    At that time, the prime minister withdrew from Jiangxia, concentrated his troops to occupy Xiangyang, and forced the forces east of Jiangdong to develop towards Nanjun and Jingnan. Will Liu Jing save Jingzhou? Once he saves Jingzhou with all his strength, the military strategy will inevitably shift eastward. At that time, Guanzhong and Longxi will  Can you still hold on?  "

    Xun You's persuasion gave Cao Cao a sense of enlightenment. He really only considered the immediate situation, but never thought about how he would respond after Liu Jing captured Guanlong. Xun You saw the situation clearly and saw the greatest power of Liu Jing.  Weaknesses, we also see the apparent incompatibility between Jiangdong and Jingzhou.

    Liu Jing's roots are in Jingzhou. If you want to defeat him completely, you can only consider it from the root. Cao Cao was extremely emotional. Xun Yu was such an outstanding talent, but he actually abandoned him?

    Cao Cao bowed deeply to Xun Yu, "Wen Ruo is worthy of being Gu's chief military advisor. From now on, I officially appoint Duke Xun as my military advisor general. Please accept my bow!"

    Xun Yu's expression suddenly changed. He was an important minister of the Han Dynasty and could no longer be Cao Cao's minister of Wei.

    "No! No! Prime Minister, please listen to me."

    However, Cao Cao did not listen to his refusal at all. He stood up and said to Xu Chu: "Send Military Advisor Xun to rest in the tent, and at the same time give orders to the three armies. From now on. Lord Xun Ling is my military advisor general. He is only under me. If you dare to slight the military advisor, you will be killed."  !¡±

    " Cheng?!  "

    Xun Yu stood up in a hurry and said solemnly: "Wei Chen is a minister of the Han Dynasty. He patrols the military camp according to the rules. The prime minister cannot appoint him as a military advisor without authorization."

    "Now you are no longer a servant!"

    With a proud smile on his face, Cao Cao took out a roll of imperial edict and handed it to Xun Yu: "This is the edict sent from Yedu the day before yesterday. Take a look for yourself!"

    Xun Yu took the decree with doubts, opened it and read it again. He was suddenly struck by thunder. In the decree, he was appointed as the Minister of Wei, Guanglu Doctor, and the Prime Minister's Military Advisor. He was relieved of his position as the Minister of the Han Dynasty.

    Xun Yu returned to his tent and drank glass after glass of wine. Cao Cao actually forcibly appointed him as military advisor. What made it even more difficult for him to accept was that when he left Yedu, Cao Cao ordered the emperor to remove him from the imperial court.  His position was transferred to Wei Guo's minister.

    This dealt a huge blow to Xun Yu's dignity, and filled his heart with sadness. There was no emperor in the Han Dynasty, but Duke Wei. The Han Dynasty still had the surname Liu, and it was clear that his surname was Cao. Could it be that Xun Yu also wanted to  Will you help Zhou to commit oppression and become a rebellious minister?

    Xun Yu was filled with grief and anger. At this time, Chen Qun slowly walked in. He stood behind Xun Yu, looking at his father-in-law's thin body. He sighed secretly in his heart and sat down next to Xun Yu without saying a word.

    At this time, Xun Yu picked up the jug and poured himself wine, but found that the jug was empty. He turned around and handed the jug to Chen Qun, "Go get me another jug!" Xun Yu ordered.  .

    Chen Qun took the jug but put it aside, "Father-in-law, you can't drink anymore."

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I drink anymore?¡±

    Xun Yu looked at him sideways and sneered: "You are working as a lobbyist for Cao Cao!"

    Chen Qun sighed, "The Prime Minister asked me to persuade him, but doesn't my father-in-law know why the Prime Minister summoned my father-in-law from the capital?"

    "Of course I know, he is going to attack Queen Fu!" Xun Yu sneered repeatedly.

    "Actually, the prime minister was thinking about his father-in-law. He was afraid that his father-in-law would be involved in a power struggle, so he summoned his father-in-law from Yedu."

    Chen Qun also just found out about Fu Wan, which shocked him. He was also secretly glad that his father-in-law was summoned to Fancheng by the prime minister, otherwise his father-in-law would be ruined by this stupid thing and he would also be implicated.

    Xun Yu was silent. For a moment, he slowly said to Chen Qun: "Go and tell Cao Cao. If he really wants me to plan military affairs for him, then I have only one condition. Let him dethrone the Duke of Wei and withdraw from the gift of Jiuxi. Otherwise, I will  I won¡¯t plan anything for him again.¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 632 The Strong Backbone of the Xun Family

    Chen Qun left Xun Yu's tent and came to Cao Cao's camp worriedly. At this time, Cao Cao was waiting for him. When he heard that Chen Qun was back, he quickly invited him in.

    Chen Qun walked into the big tent, bowed and saluted, "I have kept the prime minister waiting for a long time."

    "Please take a seat!"

    Cao Cao asked Chen Qun to sit down and asked impatiently: "How is it? Has your father-in-law agreed?"

    Chen Qun smiled bitterly and shook his head, "The Prime Minister should also know that it is difficult to convince him. His temper is too stubborn."

    Cao Cao couldn't help but show a trace of anger on his face, and said with great displeasure: "Why is he like this? Am I not a minister of the Han Dynasty? Have I, Cao Cao, usurped the throne and made myself emperor? It's nothing more than conferring the title of Duke of Wei and accepting the Nine-Xin Order.  Forget it, given my status and achievements, am I worthy of this? Is this an act of dissatisfaction? "

    The more Cao Cao talked, the angrier he became. Finally, he realized that he had lost his composure, so he forcibly restrained his anger and said, "Then what? Keep talking!"

    Chen Qun took a long time to sigh slightly and said: "My father-in-law is a person who accepts death. Maybe he hopes that the prime minister will return power to the emperor."

    "It's total nonsense!"

    Cao Cao was really angry this time. He paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands. He was so angry that he couldn't get rid of it. He said angrily: "The emperor has a way, and the country will be pure. If the emperor has no way, the country will be in chaos, and the country will be in chaos.  Since the Rebellion, the imperial court has declined, heroes have emerged, people's livelihood has declined, and the disaster of refugees has become increasingly serious. Thousands of miles of bare fields, bones fill the ravines. In these troubled times, no one without talent and strategy can govern!

    That so-called emperor can turn the tide?  Can it save the people of the world from fire and water?  cannot!  He is a foolish king and a dandy who has no idea about the suffering of the people at all. He only enjoys pleasure and disrupts the government. If he takes power, it will only make the country more decadent and the people more miserable!  "

    Having said this, Cao Cao took a deep breath and said slowly: "To be honest, although I regard Liu Jing as my biggest enemy, the person I admire most is him. He is the real hero.  He is the one who truly brought the Han Dynasty from chaos to rule, and is the one who truly revitalizes the Han Dynasty. It is a pity that he and I are incompatible with each other. Otherwise, I would really be willing to make him the emperor and rule the world together. If Xun Yu is willing to be loyal to Liu Jing  , I really have nothing to say, but he insists on being loyal to a mediocre person, which makes me so disappointed!"

    Chen Qun asked in a low voice: "If my father-in-law really goes to be loyal to Liu Jing, will the Prime Minister allow it?"

    Cao Cao sneered and asked, "What do you think?"

    Chen Qun did not dare to say any more. By this time, Cao Cao had calmed down. He knew that Chen Qun must not have said the exact words, so he asked again: "What did your father-in-law say?"

    "He said that if the Prime Minister could depose the Duke of Wei and resign the gift of Jiuxi, he would be willing to serve the Prime Minister as always, otherwise he would not make another plan."

    "I see!"

    Cao Cao waved his hand, "I won't force him anymore, but he can't stay with the emperor, so let him live in Wancheng to retire!"

    At this moment, there was a slight commotion outside the tent, as if someone was running. Cao Cao was startled, walked to the tent door and asked, "What happened?"

    After a while, a guard came to report, "I don't know why? There was a conflict between General Cao Hong's personal soldiers and General Zhang Liao's personal guards."

    Chen Qun next to him was shocked, "Did they really take action?"

    Cao Cao looked back at him doubtfully, "Chang Wen seems to know about this!"

    Chen Qun nodded, "While drinking today, Wei Chen noticed that Zi Lian and Wen Yuan seemed to have a conflict, and asked Wen Yuan what the specific matter was, but he refused to say anything."

    Cao Cao snorted heavily and immediately said to Xu Chu: "You quickly bring the Tiger Guards to quell the conflict. Therefore, everyone involved in the conflict, whether they are soldiers or generals, give me a hundred military sticks. In addition, bring Zhang Liao to see me."  !¡±

    Xu Chu led his troops and rushed to the scene of the conflict. The conflict took place in the West Camp. Zhang Liao and Cao Hong were both stationed in the West Camp. More than a dozen of Cao Hong's soldiers besieged and beat one of Zhang Liao's guards, triggering a melee of nearly a hundred people.  , by this time the conflict had been stopped by Zhang Liao. Nearly a hundred people were holding swords and sticks, glaring at each other angrily. Many of them were injured. There were more than a dozen soldiers lying on the ground with bloody flesh.

    When Cao Hong's soldiers saw Zhang Liao coming out, they all turned to leave. At this moment, Xu Chu brought a large group of troops to kill. In a moment, they surrounded more than a hundred people. Xu Chu immediately clasped his fists at Zhang Liao and said: "General Zhang, Prime Minister, please  You go over there and I'll take care of it."

    Zhang Liao glanced in the direction of Cao Hong's tent, but seeing no movement there, he asked, "Did the Prime Minister just summon me?"

    "Exactly!"

    Zhang Liao nodded and quickly walked towards the Chinese army's tent. Seeing that Zhang Liao had left, Xu Chu immediately ordered: "Take them all!"

    Five hundred tiger guard soldiers are like wolves and tiger generals.All the soldiers involved in the fight were pressed and tied up. At this time, Cao Hong appeared. He stepped forward and cupped his hands with Xu Chu: "General Xu, there may be a misunderstanding here. Can you give me a face and let me take the soldiers away?"  Take them away and I will strictly control them.¡±

    Xu Chuhu said with a face: "General Zilian, go and explain to the Prime Minister! The Prime Minister has ordered that all those involved in the conflict will be beaten with a hundred military sticks. Come on!"

    Five hundred tiger guard soldiers overturned the soldiers on both sides and beat them with sticks, causing the soldiers to scream in agony. Cao Hong's face turned red and white. At this time, a guard ran up and saluted Cao Hong, "General Zilian, Prime Minister  Order you to go over."

    Cao Hong had a bad feeling in his heart. He didn't dare to disobey, so he had to follow the soldiers towards the Chinese army's tent.

    In the big tent, Zhang Liao reported to Cao Cao in detail how he killed Cao Hong, a fellow countryman who had violated military discipline, on the south bank. He also told Cao Hong about Cao Hong's provocation to him at the banquet today. Cao Cao's face turned livid, and he asked after a long while: "What about you?"  Why did you hold back again?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, when Liu Jing is about to lead the Han army to kill, the minister does not want to cause internal strife and allow Liu Jing's army to take advantage of it. We can wait until the war is over to discuss everything."

    "very good!"

    Cao Cao said two good things in a row, and praised: "Wen Yuan endured humiliation and shouldered the heavy burden, very like Lin Xiangru. He is worthy of being my humerus general. I will remember it in my heart, and I will let Cao Hong apologize to you."

    "I don't dare to take it seriously, but the above is just a one-sided statement made by a humble minister. I hope the prime minister will investigate clearly and then deal with it."

    "I understand, you go back first!"

    Zhang Liao saluted, stood up and retreated. As soon as he walked out of the tent, he met Cao Hong. Zhang Liao looked at him coldly and hurried away without saying a word. Cao Hong turned to look at Zhang Liao's back as he walked away, with murderous intent in his eyes.  Shoot, he knew that Zhang Liao must have said something unfavorable to him in front of the prime minister.

    At this time, the soldiers walked out of the tent and said: "General Zilian, the Prime Minister invites you in!"

    Cao Hong bravely walked into the tent and saw Cao Cao standing in front of the sand table with his hands behind his back, meditating. Cao Hong quickly knelt down on one knee, clasped his fists high and said: "I see the Prime Minister for my humble duty."

    Cao Cao glanced at him and asked calmly: "What is the relationship between the military prince who was executed for violating military discipline and you?"

    Cao Hong said after a while: "Twenty years ago, his father was my personal soldier and died in the battle in Qingzhou."

    "In that case, why don't you keep him with you?" Cao Cao asked again.

    "I don't like this person very much, he has bad conduct."

    Cao Cao sneered, "You also know that this man has bad conduct. He raped women in Xiangyang, killed people and looted money, which violated military regulations. It was not wrong for Wen Yuan to kill him. Why are you not grateful to Wen Yuan and still looking for trouble with him?  , please tell me, what is the truth? "

    Cao Hong lowered his head and sighed, "I am actually jealous of Zhang Liao for being favored by his brother and not giving me face when he kills people, so I use this to stir up trouble."

    Cao Cao looked at him for a long time and nodded, "This seems a bit like the truth, is that true?"

    "yes!"

    "Very good, then what are you going to do? Give me an explanation, now I am not your brother."

    Cao Hong bit his lip and said, "I promise you, Prime Minister, that this kind of thing will never happen again."

    "No, I don't accept this plan."

    Cao Cao flatly rejected his guarantee and said coldly: "Tomorrow morning at the Chinese army's tent, you must publicly apologize to Wen Yuan."

    Cao Hong's self-esteem could not accept this punishment. He kowtowed and said with tears: "Besides this, I am willing to accept any punishment from the Prime Minister!"

    "you!"

    Cao Cao glared at Cao Hong. He suppressed his inner irritation and said slowly: "Zilian, you disappoint me so much."

    Cao Hong lowered his head and said nothing. No matter what, he would never apologize to Zhang Liao. Cao Cao stared at him and nodded after a while, "I asked you to publicly apologize to Wenyuan to give you an exemption."  But you don't want the opportunity, so there's nothing I can do about it. When the two armies are confronting each other, you provoke internal strife and create internal conflicts without authorization. You should be executed according to military regulations. In recognition of your merits, I will absolve you of the death penalty, but you will not be punished alive.  "Rao, come here!"

    Several guards appeared in front of the tent. Cao Cao pointed at Cao Hong and said, "Drag this man down and beat him with a hundred military sticks!"

    The guards stepped forward to pick up Cao Hong and then walked out of the tent. Cao Cao then said coldly: "You will be relieved of your duties as General Li Feng and demoted to General Yangwu Zhonglang!"

    Cao Hong was shocked. Promoting him as General of Military Affairs was his position ten years ago in Jian'an, but he was forced to retreat for seven years. At this time, Cao Cao waved his hand to stop the guard, walked up to him and asked, "I'll give it to you again."  Given the chance, would you like to apologize, or would you rather be punished and dismissed?"

      Cao Hong closed his eyes, and Cao Cao suddenly became angry and ordered: "Push him down and beat him hard!"

    Cao Hong was dragged down. Cao Cao was very agitated at this time. Xun Yu refused to be loyal to him today, and Cao Hong refused to show weakness. What happened to each of these people? They did not give him face.

    Cao Cao thought again that Liu Jing was as hard to chew as a hard bone, leaving him helpless, and he became even more upset. He drew out his sword angrily, struck it hard on the table, kicked the table over, and shouted to the sky, "  Kill me too!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 633 Force Jiangdong

    After Liu Jing's reinforcements arrived in Xiangyang, the strength of the Han army in Xiangyang increased to 70,000, and they confronted Cao's army across the river. Liu Jing also ordered Huang Xin, who died in the battle, to be buried lavishly, and posthumously named him a brave general. A few days later, the Jiangling navy army  The 1,200 warships also sailed into the Han River, increasing the total strength of the Han army in Xiangyang to 90,000.

    However, Cao Cao did not order the withdrawal, and still stationed troops in Fancheng to confront the Han army. Not only that, Cao Cao also ordered Cao Chun to lead the 20,000 cavalry who had arrived in Wancheng to continue southward, and stationed heavy troops on the north bank of the Han River, assuming a non-fighting attitude.  trend.

    Cao Cao's strategic purpose is also very obvious, which is to drag Liu Jing and the main force of the Han army in Jingzhou, so that the Han army cannot carry out the northern expedition on the western front and buy time for Xun You's defensive deployment on the western front.

    Half a month has passed, and the situation in Jingzhou is still in a stalemate. Cao's army shows no signs of withdrawing, and the Han army calmly confronts Cao's army. However, the 20,000 Jiangdong Army has been stationed in the south of Hefei for a long time, but has been reluctant to launch an attack.  Sun Quanxu's attitude of conciliation became increasingly obvious.

    It was already mid-March, and it was mid-spring. Everything in the north and south of the Yangtze River was colorful and full of spring. Huainan County had also entered the most vibrant time of the year. Huainan County was located on the north bank of Danyang County. It was originally the core area where Yuan Shu dominated.  Yuan Shu's capital Shouchun is located to the north of Huainan County.

    The geographical location of Huainan County is extremely important. It is the hub connecting the northeast of the Yangtze River to the Central Plains and the bridgehead from the Central Plains to the south of the Yangtze River. Hefei is the center. Cao's army stationed 50,000 troops in Hefei at most. However, due to the outbreak of the Jingzhou Campaign, the troops from Hefei were transferred to Jingzhou.  , leaving Hefei with only 10,000 troops, led by General Man Chong.

    This morning, a fleet of fifty thousand-stone warships lined up and sailed on the vast Chao Lake. The blue sky was like an empty and quiet sea, without a trace of clouds. The air was fresh and moist. Under the sun,  The fleet filled up its sails and cut through the waves.

    On the bow of the first large ship, Gan Ning, who was wearing armor, held the hilt of his sword and looked to the north. This was the 10,000 Jiangxia navy he led, divided into fifty large ships, heading eastward along the Yangtze River, starting from the Yangtze River.  They entered Ruxushui at Ruxukou, went all the way north, entered Chaohu Lake two days later, then entered Feishui from Chaohu Lake, and finally arrived at Hefei. Their goal was Hefei.

    Gan Ning's ears seemed to still be echoing Liu Jing's words, "This time Cao's army conquered the Han River defense line in Yicheng County. The responsibility lies not with Xingba, but with me, Liu Jing, with 200,000 Han troops and only 50,000 in Jingzhou.  All the elites are in Hanzhong, and Jingzhou's defenses are weak. How could Cao Jun not take advantage of the situation and sneak in?  So I don't blame Jiangxia navy.  '

    Gan Ning sighed softly. Although Zhou Mu did not blame him for his inability to defend the Han River, he himself felt huge pressure, especially this trip to Hefei. If he could not succeed, he would really be ashamed of Zhou Mu.  Gan Ning knew the importance of this trip to Hefei.

    Although the Jingzhou navy has completely blocked the Han River and Cao's army can no longer go south, the fact that the battlefield is in Jingzhou has a great impact on the morale of the Han army, Jingzhou's agriculture, trade, and the stability of people's hearts. In the end,  Damage to Jingzhou's interests. It can be said that the longer Cao's army is stationed in Fancheng, the greater the damage to Jingzhou's interests.

    From a strategic point of view, the Han army's focus is currently on the western front, and Jingzhou's strength and attention have naturally weakened. This allows Cao Jun to take advantage of the opportunity and break Jingzhou's strategic balance. Liu Jing is especially worried that the delay will be too long.  It will form a de facto occupation of Fancheng, which will push the force forward from the south of Wancheng to the line of Han River, which will pose a great threat to Jingzhou. Especially, Cao Jun successfully evacuated from Longzhong Ferry using sheepskin rafts, which shows that the Han River can no longer stop it.  Live with Cao Jun.

    Therefore, Cao Cao must be forced to withdraw his troops as soon as possible. To break the current deadlock in Jingzhou, the only way to break the situation is from the eastern front. However, the Jiangdong Army was arrogant and did not work hard. In desperation, Liu Jing could only order Gan Ning to rush thousands of miles to attack Hefei.  Hefei opens up a new battlefield.

    "General, our sentinel ship is back!" A soldier shouted pointing into the distance.

    Gan Ning also saw it. Three clippers were heading towards the fleet from the east. The red flag of the Han army was planted on the bow of the leading ship, which was particularly eye-catching in the sun. Gan Ning waved his hand and said, "Slow down!"

    The fleet gradually slowed down, and after a while, three fast ships approached the Han army ship.

    These three clippers were the scout ships that went to contact Jiangdong Army first. They brought intelligence about Jiangdong Army. At this time, Gan Ning saw a burly Jiangdong Army general standing on the leader of the clipboard.  Smiling and saluting him, Gan Ning recognized him at a glance. This person was Lu Meng, the general of the Jiangdong Army.

    This made Gan Ning a little surprised. Why did Lu Meng come with him? He hurriedly greeted him, smiled and said in return: "General Lu, you are well!"

    Lu Meng was the deputy general who sent Jiangdong Army to Hefei this time. Entrusted by General Huang Gai, he came to discuss with the Han Army the coordinated operations of the two armies. This time Jiangdong Army sent troops to Hefei, although Sun Quan's order was to attack rather than attack.?, it was an offensive gesture, but the Jiangdong Army strongly advocated using this opportunity to seize Hefei.

    Military generals including Lu Su, Huang Gai, Lu Meng, Taishi Ci, Lu Xun, Han Dang, etc. all hoped to actually send troops to attack Hefei. Even Cheng Pu, who had always been hostile to Jingzhou, twice suggested to Sun Quan to capture Hefei. Even the civil servants also  Opinions were divided, and senior officials such as Zhang Hong, Lu Fan, and Bu Zhi also began to support the military's opinions.

    It was under repeated pressure from the military and some civilian officials that Sun Quan finally wavered in his position and gave Huang Gai an order to wait for an opportunity. This order was still very vague. He neither agreed to attack Hefei nor said that he was not allowed to attack.  , In fact, it means letting Huang Gai wait for the opportunity. If the opportunity is right, then he can consider attacking Hefei.

    Now the arrival of the Han army's 10,000 naval troops undoubtedly made Huang Gai see an opportunity, but at the same time he also had some doubts. Why did the Han army attack Hefei?  Because of these doubts about who would own this strategically important place after Hefei was captured, Huang Gai sent Lu Meng to communicate and negotiate with Gan Ning.

    Gan Ning and Lu Meng exchanged a few pleasantries and then walked into the cabin. The two sat down facing each other. Gan Ning smiled and said: "I didn't expect General Lu to come here in person. I think he must have brought news that interests us.  "

    Lu Meng hurriedly leaned forward and said: "Because the matter is so important, General Huang hopes to fully communicate with your army. If possible, we hope to coordinate operations."

    Of course Gan Ning understood Lu Meng's real purpose of coming. It should be that the sudden appearance of the Han army aroused their doubts. They were worried that the Han army would also participate in the fight for Hefei. In fact, this was the purpose of Liu Jing's decision to send troops to Hefei, to force the Jiangdong Army  Really send troops to Hefei, otherwise it would be almost impossible to capture Hefei with 10,000 naval troops.

    Gan Ning smiled faintly, "Because the confrontation between Xiangyang and Cao Cao's army had a great impact on Jingzhou, my lord hoped to break the situation in Hefei and force Cao Cao to retreat. He originally expected Jiangdong Army to capture Hefei, but more than a month later, Jiangdong Army still failed.  Action, of course, my lord also understands Jiangdong Army¡¯s difficulties, so we decided to work harder and capture Hefei ourselves.¡±

    Lu Meng's face became hot. People could clearly see Wu Hou's little moves, which made him feel ashamed. Lu Meng was a little embarrassed and said: "We do have some difficulties. It's because of insufficient supplies and the army's food has not been shipped for a long time, so we can't  Launch an attack on Hefei. Now that the food and grass problem has been solved, your army has also arrived. General Huang wants the two armies to join forces and capture Hefei. I wonder what General Gan wants? "

    This was not Lu Meng¡¯s unauthorized decision, but Huang Gai¡¯s intention. The key was that Wu Gong had already relented, and Huang Gai decided to join forces with the Han army to attack Hefei. Hefei must not be surrendered to the Han army. What Gan Ning was waiting for was Lu Meng¡¯s words.  He said with a hearty smile: "Of course we are willing to fight hand in hand with Jiangdong Army again, but can General Huang make the decision? Should we report it to Marquis Wu first?"

    Lu Meng shook his head and said solemnly: "General Huang can make the decision on the attack on Hefei. If General Gan thinks that the details need to be discussed, he can wait for General Huang to come."

    "No, I have a plan, we might as well talk about it."

    Gan Ning turned around and ordered the soldiers at the door: "Bring me the map!"

    Jiangdong Army is stationed about fifty miles away from Hefei and only a few miles away from Chaohu Lake. The military camp covers an area of ??hundreds of acres and is compacted with soil and wood. The walls are tall and strong. Rows of tents are neatly arranged. There are 20,000 garrison troops in total.

    Jiangdong Army has been stationed here for nearly a month, but they have never launched an attack on Hefei City. Likewise, Cao Jun has not launched an attack on them. The two sides seem to have a tacit understanding not to test each other.

    At noon, Lu Meng rushed back to the military camp. He went directly to Huang Gai's tent. At this time, Huang Gai was meditating on the plan to capture Hefei in front of the map. This was the second time Jiangdong Army attacked Hefei. The first time was during the Battle of Chibi.  , Sun Quan took advantage of the opportunity when the main force of Cao's army was contained in Chibi and launched a battle against Hefei. Unfortunately, he fell into Cao's army's false strategy and withdrew hastily.

    This time, Sun Quan had no actual intention of attacking Hefei, but just wanted to make a gesture. This deeply disappointed Huang Gai, but he was unwilling to do so and wrote to Sun Quan continuously. With the joint efforts of other senior officials, Sun Quan finally agreed to wait for the opportunity.  .

    Now that the Han army is attacking Hefei, Huang Gai thinks this is an opportunity. If Hefei is really captured by the Han army, Jiangdong Army will suffer huge strategic losses. In any case, Huang Gai will never allow Jingzhou to capture Hefei. Of course, he will not fight with Cao Jun.  Cooperate to prevent the Han army from moving, but will capture Hefei before the Han army.

    At least this way he can find a reason to explain to Sun Quan, which is undoubtedly an exciting thing for Huang Gai, who is determined to capture Hefei.

    At this time, a soldier outside the tent reported: "General Qi, Lieutenant Lu is back!"

    "Let him in quickly!"

      Lu Meng quickly walked into the big tent, bowed and said: "I am lucky enough to live up to my humble duty and get good news."

    "Ziming sat down and said."

    Lu Meng sat down and then smiled and said: "I met Gan Ning. They are indeed going to attack Hefei. After our discussion, Gan Ning agreed that both parties should cooperate to conquer Hefei."

    "Whose will be Hefei after it is captured?" This was Huang Gai's most critical question.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 634 Night attack on Hefei

    Lu Meng smiled and said: "General, what do you think the real purpose of the Jingzhou Army's coming is?"

    Huang Gai pondered for a moment and asked: "Ziming means that Gan Ning has no intention of taking Hefei?"

    "They only brought 10,000 troops. Does the general think that Hefei can be captured with these 10,000 troops?"

    Huang Gai somewhat understood what Lu Meng meant. The Jingzhou army came to force him to send troops to attack Hefei and relieve Jingzhou's crisis. He nodded, "You are right. Hefei is of little significance to Jingzhou for the time being, but it is crucial to us.  Although Gan Ning came to force us to attack Hefei, I still want to use this opportunity to capture Hefei in one fell swoop. Do they have any plans?"

    "have!"

    Lu Meng pointed to the map and said: "In front of Hefei is Xiaoyaojin, with three thousand troops stationed there. Gan Ning said that they would attack Xiaoyaojin and attract Cao's army to assist, while we would be responsible for attacking Hefei City. This is actually giving Hefei City to us.  ¡±

    Huang Gai nodded, "Cao's army in Hefei only has 10,000 people, but our coalition has 30,000 people. It is inevitable to take Hefei City. I want to know, when will we do it?"

    "Just tonight!"

    "night?"

    Huang Gai hesitated for a moment, thinking that night was more suitable for stealing a camp than for attacking a city, but he finally nodded, "In this case, immediately send an order to the three armies to prepare to set off!"

    Xiaoyaojin is a ferry crossing where the Feishui River enters Hefei. It is a wide lake, directly connected to the moat. Not only is the terrain here higher, but more importantly, the other half of Xiaoyaojin is located within the city of Hefei, so there is no need to attack the city wall.  You can directly enter Hefei City from Xiaoyaojin, which is a strategic location on the outskirts of Hefei County.

    Due to the sharpness of Jiangdong's navy, Cao Jun was particularly worried that Jiangdong's army would attack from the water. Xiaoyaojin's military status was highlighted. Cao Jun's commander, Man Chong, carefully deployed defenses and stationed 3,000 troops at the key points of Jindu, and on the west bank of Shuidang.  A strong camp was set up to block the main route into the city.

    Before Gan Ning sent out troops, he got detailed information from a businessman who had just arrived from Hefei. He knew the importance of Xiaoyaojin to Hefei City. Once a fierce battle broke out in Xiaoyaojin, most of the troops in Hefei City would be attracted. This would  This created conditions for Jiangdong's army to seize Hefei City.

    Night had fallen, and the Han fleet was anchored on the Feishui River about ten miles away from the county seat. It was quiet all around, and no one could be seen. The main hall of the leading ship was brightly lit, and Gan Ning was summoning more than a dozen generals under him on the main ship.  Discuss the battle plan.

    During the day, Gan Ning sent two scouts dressed as fishermen to enter Hefei City from Xiaoyaojin on fishing boats, and drew a brief defense map. Gan Ning pointed to the map on the table and said to everyone: "Cao's army has a total of 100 troops in Xiaoyaojin."  There are three defensive points. There is a large military camp on the west bank, estimated to have more than 2,000 people. There is a small military camp on the east bank, close to the ferry. It is said that there are ships in the military camp. It should be a patrol water fort. There is also a sentry fort on a hill.  Up here, you can overlook the entire Xiaoyaojin, so for this battle, I plan to divide our troops into two groups."

    Gan Ning pointed to the small military camp on the map and said: "The sentry fort cannot see the ships on the water at night. As long as we extinguish the lights, Cao's army in the small military camp will attack us from behind, so we must capture it."

    Having said this, he smiled at Lieutenant General Chen Shuo and said, "General Chen, are you willing to do this deal?"

    Chen Shuo was the original general of the Jingzhou Navy. After surrendering to Liu Jing, he and Li Jun had been guarding Wuchang and had been promoted to captain. This time Li Jun stayed in Jiangxia, and Chen Shuo followed Gan Ning to Hefei as a deputy general.

    He also bowed and said with a smile: "Shopkeeper Gan has handed over the deal, how can I turn it down? I am willing to go!"

    Everyone laughed, but at this time, Gan Ning stopped smiling and said to everyone with a solemn expression: "This battle is related to the resolution of the confrontation in Jingzhou, and is also related to whether the Western Front and the Northern Expedition can be successfully realized, so I ask you to  Take Hefei City at all costs!¡±

    Everyone stood up and said solemnly: "I humble my duty and obey the order!"

    Just when the Han fleet was anchored in Feishui, on the other side of Feishui, several cavalry from Cao's army were rushing in from afar. These soldiers were scouts sent by Man Chong to monitor Jiangdong's army. They discovered Jiangdong at noon today.  If there was any abnormal movement in the army, they hurried back to Feicheng to report.

    At this time, the leading scout leader suddenly reined in his horse and stared at the river. For a moment, he pointed at the river and asked several of his men: "Do you see anything on the river?"

    Several soldiers looked at it for a long time, and almost said in unison: "It's the fleet!"

    "It's not just a fleet, it's a war fleet!"

    The leading scout suddenly became nervous. How could there be such a huge fleet? Who was on board?  He didn't have time to think about it, so he left one scout to continue monitoring the fleet on the river, while the others followed him and rushed towards Hefei City.

    For Cao Jun, Hefei is also extremelyAn important strategic location, it is a key fulcrum to defend against the northward expansion of Jiangdong Army, and it is also a bridgehead to peek into Jiangdong. Heavy troops have been stationed there for many years. During the civil strife in Jiangdong, the number once reached 80,000 troops. As the situation in Jiangdong stabilized,  The number of troops stationed in Cao's army also gradually decreased. This time Cao's army marched south to Jingzhou and removed most of the troops stationed in Hefei, leaving only 10,000 troops in Hefei, led by General Man Chong.

    Cao Jun was not too worried about the Jiangdong Army's attack on Hefei. On the one hand, the imperial court enthroned Sun Quan as Wu Gong and General You, which won over Sun Quan. On the other hand, it was also because Jiangdong was defeated by Jiangxia the year before and his vitality was far from restored. There was no need to  Speaking of going north, even quelling the rebellion of the Shanyue people was very difficult, and Cao Cao also believed that it was more in Sun Quan's interests to sit back and watch the cranes and clams fight.

    It was these thoughts that made Cao Cao believe that Sun Quan would not attack Hefei. Even if he attacked, it would only give Liu Jing a face and make a gesture. Judging from the current performance of Jiangdong Army, this is indeed the case. It has been a month. Jiangdong  Always stand still.

    However, Man Chong was very cautious and sent scouts to closely monitor the movements of Jiangdong Army.

    At night, Man Chong was patrolling the city as usual. Not far away from him, teams were also patrolling the city. He deployed seven thousand troops in the city and three thousand troops in Xiaoyaojin.  What Man Chong was most worried about was Xiaoyaojin to the east. There was no city wall in that area, and warships could sail directly along the moat into the city. Especially for the Jiangdong Army, which had a sharp naval force, Xiaoyaojin's strategic position became even more important.

    Man Chong stood at the top of the city and looked towards Xiaoyaojin. In the darkness, the camp could not be seen, but he could faintly see a light spot in the air. Man Chong knew that it was a lantern hanging on the outpost, and the lantern was on.  It means everything is safe over there in Xiaoyaojin.

    At this moment, a soldier rushed over and reported politely: "Marquis Zhang Jun is back and said that he has received extremely important information!"

    Zhang Junhou is the scout leader sent by Man Chong to monitor Jiangdong Army. He has important information. There must be some movement in Jiangdong Army. Man Chong quickly ordered: "Bring him up!"

    Not long after, the military lord Zhang Ji was hurriedly brought up by the soldiers. He bowed and saluted: "See you, Governor!"

    "What's going on with Jiangdong Army?" Man Chong asked.

    "There is movement from Jiangdong Army. They started packing their luggage and preparing to set off at noon."

    "Where are you going?"

    "It should be coming to Hefei City!"

    Man Chong was stunned. He thought he was packing his luggage to retreat, but he didn't expect that he was actually coming to Hefei. He still didn't believe it, and asked, "Are you sure? Are you coming in our direction?"

    "It's certain that I saw them coming out with my own eyes, and I also have more important information."

    "what else?"

    Military Marquis Zhang Ji said nervously: "When I came back, I found a large fleet of warships on the Feishui River. There were at least dozens of them, and most of them were thousands of stone warships."

    This news shocked Man Chong, and he hurriedly asked: "Where is the warship?"

    "It's about ten miles away from us."

    This information made Man Chong nervous. He knew that the Jiangdong Army did not have a thousand-stone warship, nor did it come by warship, and Hefei did not have dozens of thousand-stone warships. The appearance of this fleet seemed extremely strange. This was  what happened?  Which fleet is this?

    But no matter what Man Chong thought, he never thought that it would be a Jingzhou warship. After all, it was too far away. It was impossible for the Jingzhou navy to travel thousands of miles. After thinking about it, it could only be the Jiangdong Army. Could it be the Jiangdong Army's supporting warship?  ?

    Man Chong thought about the unusual movements of Jiangdong Army again, so the appearance of this fleet can be explained. This must be the army sent by Sun Quan to reinforce Huang Gai, but what makes Man Chong confused is why Jiangdong Army marched towards Hefei?  Don't they want to stop pretending and prepare to really attack Hefei on a large scale?

    Man Chong was in a mess and couldn't think straight. At this time, deputy general Cao Zhen hurried over. Although Cao Zhen was Cao Cao's adopted son, his qualifications and strategy were not as good as Man Chong's, so Cao Cao appointed him as deputy general.

    Cao Zhen was actually the deputy of Cao Chun, the commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. Together with Cao Xiu, he became Cao Chun's deputy general of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. The reason why he appeared in Hefei was because there were one thousand Tiger and Leopard Cavalry in the 10,000 Hefei army, so Cao Zhen  He is the leader of these thousand tiger and leopard cavalry.

    Cao Zhen stepped forward and asked, "Captain, what happened?"

    Man Chong sighed and said: "The scouts found a fleet on the Feishui River ten miles away. They were all thousand-stone warships, about dozens of ships. Also, Jiangdong Army left the camp and was heading towards Hefei."

    Cao Zhen was also surprised and said quickly: "Does the governor think that the war fleet is also the Jiangdong Army?"

    "I don't know, but I can't think of anything else."How possible, could it be the Jingzhou navy?  "

    "Although the possibility is relatively low, it is not impossible. But now that there are dozens of more warships, the opponent's military strength far exceeds ours. Commander, Xiaoyaojin is in danger over there!"

    Cao Zhen reminded Man Chong that the other party was coming by warship and would definitely enter the city through Xiaoyaojin. He looked towards the direction of Xiaoyaojin and saw that the lights in mid-air were still there and there was nothing unusual. Let him pause for a moment.  Let go.

    At this time, Cao Zhen cupped his fists and said, "Let Beizhi guard Xiaoyaojin! Beizhi has also practiced water fighting in Xuanwu Pond, so he can compete with the enemy."

    Man Chong knew that his martial arts skills were extremely strong, especially his outstanding archery skills, so he nodded, "I will give you another thousand cavalry, a total of four thousand. You must defend Xiaoyaojin."

    "Follow the order!"

    Cao Zhen bowed and hurried away. At this time, Man Chong turned around and ordered: "Pass my order, all troops must go to the city!"

    The soldiers rushed towards the military camp, and Man Chong turned around to go down to the city. At this time, a thought came to his mind, 'Why can't it be the Jingzhou Navy?  It is obviously a thousand-stone warship. Only with the arrival of the Jingzhou Navy can the Jiangdong Army officially attack Hefei.  ¡¯

    At this moment, Man Chong suddenly understood where the navy on the Fei River belonged to, and he became even more nervous.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 635 Fierce Battle in Hefei (Part 1)

    In the dark night, Chen Shuo led two thousand soldiers along the west bank of Fei River. His mission was to pull out the small military camp next to the ferry on the west bank to prevent the garrison from attacking the Han army from behind. His army moved very secretly.  Gradually we got closer to the military camp. Although it was called a small military camp, it covered an area of ??nearly a hundred acres. There were a thousand Cao troops stationed here, and there were fifty fast boats. It was the sentinel boat water village of the moat.

    Chen Shuo carefully observed the enemy camp for a long time, and then sent two scouts to find out the structure of the camp. After a while, two scouts ran back and reported in a low voice: "There are no thorns or antlers around, and there are no horse pits. This is a  Ordinary military camp.¡±

    "Are there any sentries?" Chen Shuo asked again.

    "There are sentries, but they can only see twenty or thirty steps at most."

    Chen Shuo rolled his eyes and immediately ordered: "Everyone line up and follow me to the enemy camp!"

    The alarm issued by the commander-in-chief Manchong has been transmitted to Xiaoyaojin, but due to the water barrier, it has not yet reached the small military camp next to the ferry on the east bank. It is already the first watch, and most of the soldiers have fallen asleep, so the military camp is particularly unusual.  It was quiet. On the left and right guard towers next to the gate, two soldiers were patrolling back and forth on the guard towers.

    At this time, a soldier suddenly discovered that there were troops approaching in formation in the darkness. He shouted, "Who are you, stop!"

    "We have come from Nanyang to assist you on the orders of the Prime Minister. Is General Manchong here?"

    The other party replied loudly, but the army did not stop and got closer and closer. The sentry hesitated a little. As usual, he had sounded the alarm long ago, but these troops turned out to be reinforcements sent by the Prime Minister from Nanyang.

    Just when he hesitated, the other party had already walked more than ten steps away. The sentry finally woke up and shouted: "Stop!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, an arrow shot out like lightning, piercing the sentry's throat. He covered his throat and screamed, falling headfirst on the sentry tower. The other sentry on the opposite side suddenly reacted and was shocked.  Shout, "There's a situation! There's an enemy!"

    Before he could sound the alarm, several arrows were shot at him. The sentry screamed and fell from the sentry tower. At this time, Chen Shuo shouted, "Go in!"

    Hundreds of soldiers rushed up holding huge wooden logs, ¡®Boom!  With a loud bang, the gate of the military camp was opened, and three thousand Han soldiers rushed in with shouts. Most of Cao's soldiers were asleep, especially the dozens of large tents near the military camp. They did not wait for the soldiers in the tents to wake up.  , one after another became the ghosts of the sword.

    The soldiers of Cao's army were awakened in the military camp. They shouted in fear and ran away. More soldiers could not escape, so they had to kneel down and surrender, begging for their lives. On the official road outside the military camp, Cao Zhen led a thousand cavalry towards the small military camp.  He was rushing out of the city from the city gate and took a detour. He was still one mile away from the military camp. A soldier suddenly pointed at the small military camp and shouted: "General, look!"

    Cao Zhen reined in his horse, and he also saw it. There were flames flying into the small barracks, and a fire broke out. "No!" Cao Zhen suddenly understood that this must be a signal to report to another army attacking the Xiaoyaojin barracks.

    Cao Zhen turned his horse and was about to leave, but he reined in his horse and slowly took off his spear. Why was he so passive? Why did he want to leave? He wanted to kill the enemy in the small camp. He suddenly raised his spear and shouted.  , "Brothers, follow me and fight in!"

    A thousand tiger and leopard cavalry suddenly activated and rushed towards the small military camp like thunder.

    The fire lit in the small military camp was a signal to Gan Ning. At this time, Gan Ning's fleet was already outside the main military camp, quietly waiting for the moment to attack. The small military camp in the distance was already burning with flames, but Gan Ning  Ning did not give the order to attack.

    Gan Ning stood on the bow of the ship, staring sharply at the lantern on the outpost in the distance. The lantern had gone out, which was a signal to call the police. But what surprised Gan Ning was that long before the fire in the small military camp started burning,  The signal from the outpost had gone out.

    This means that Cao Jun has discovered their arrival and the danger in advance, so will the main army camp be prepared?  Gan Ning's eyes turned to the main military camp, and his eyes became confused.

    At this time, a general took a boat and approached Gan Ning's ship and asked: "General, do you want to fight?"

    Gan Ning nodded. Regardless of whether the opponent noticed them or not, this battle was inevitable. He immediately ordered: "You can go out and let the brothers protect themselves with shields."

    The order was issued, and the signal lights on Gan Ning's warship shook. This was a signal to attack the thirty main attack warships that had been prepared. In the darkness, the thirty warships set off. They were pedaled by manpower and wooden wheels.  The warship turned faster and faster, and the warship was filled with soldiers preparing to attack. They held shields and spears and looked nervously at the dock in the darkness.

    It was very quiet on the pier. No one seemed to notice the arrival of the Jingzhou warship.At the end of the day, the three-hundred- and two-hundred-step warships entered within a hundred steps. At this moment, there was a banging sound in the darkness, and the fire suddenly appeared on the dock, and countless soldiers who were ambushing on the dock appeared.

    There were more than a thousand Cao soldiers on the dock. They raised their bows and crossbows and fired arrows at the Han warships on the water. The arrows were like a storm, shooting at the Jingzhou sailors intensively. Some people kept screaming and falling into the water.

    At this time, I just heard ¡®Boom!  There was a loud noise, and the warship at the front hit the boulder under the water. The bow of the ship was broken, and the hull capsized. Nearly a hundred soldiers on the ship fell into the water amidst screams. Then several warships behind them also collided with each other.  The huge rocks above and below the water were a mess.

    This was a "hidden weapon" set up by Manchong to prevent the Jiangdong Army's warships from invading. The water near the dock was covered with huge rocks. Only a hundred-stone ship or a small sampan could pass through smoothly. Unexpectedly, Jingzhou's warships had not arrived before the Jiangdong Army's warships arrived.  However, the warships collided with each other. The warships of the Han army were all large ships of 500 stones and could not pass through the underwater rocks.

    The road was blocked by large rocks under the water, arrows rained down on the water, and the soldiers suffered heavy casualties. The Jingzhou warships were unable to land and had to retreat one after another.

    Just as Xiaoyaojin's water attack was blocked, an extremely unfavorable situation appeared in the small military camp. Cao Zhen led a thousand tiger and leopard cavalry into the small military camp and started a bloody fight with three thousand Jingzhou navy.

    The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry has always been the most elite cavalry of Cao's army. Ten years before Jian'an, there were not many Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, only more than 6,000. However, in the war against the Wuhuan people, Cao Cao selected them from the surrendered Wuhuan people.  Thirty thousand young men with superb riding skills were sent out to form a new tiger and leopard cavalry and handed over to Cao Chun for training. After several years of training, this tiger and leopard cavalry became the main force of Cao's army in land warfare.

    Cao Chun led only 10,000 cavalry to defeat the remaining 100,000 Yuan clan. In the process of annihilating the rebellion of Hejian people Tian Yin and Su Bo, Cao Chun, Cao Xiu, Cao Zhen and other three Cao generals led 20,000 tiger and leopard cavalry to defeat them in one battle.  Two hundred thousand rebel troops made the tiger and leopard cavalry powerful in the Central Plains of Hebei.

    This was the first time that the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry encountered the Jingzhou Navy. Although the Navy was invincible on the water, it was far from the opponent of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry on land. Groups of Tiger and Leopard Cavalry galloped across the military camp, swords in hand.  Slashing and stabbing with spears, the Jingzhou soldiers fought back, but in the end they could not compete with Cao's cavalry and were repeatedly chopped down and stabbed to death. Screams could be heard all around. The formation of the Jingzhou navy was divided by the cavalry attack and gradually fell into chaos.  middle.

    Seeing that the situation was not good, Chen Shuo knew that retreating outside the camp would be a dead end and the only way to escape was through the water. He was so anxious that he shouted: "Retreat toward the water!"

    The 2,000 navy soldiers had already lost more than 400 casualties, and the remaining 1,500 navy soldiers rushed towards the barracks dock in the southwest of the camp, with a thousand cavalry following behind.

    At this time, Cao Zhen saw Chen Shuo. He knew that this was the enemy general. He hung up his long spear and took off his three-stone giant bow. Cao Zhen had a thousand-pound arm strength and outstanding archery skills. He once returned his horse to shoot a tiger, but the tiger fell down at the sound.

    Cao Zhen galloped on his horse, stretched his bow and arrow, and shot an arrow at the enemy general a hundred steps away. At this time, Chen Shuo was on the shore shouting for the soldiers to swim and retreat. An arrow shot at him like lightning. Poor Chen Shuo  Unable to dodge, he was shot through the head by an arrow and died tragically under Cao Zhen's arrow.

    When Cao Zhen saw that he had shot the enemy general to death, he raised his gun and shouted: "Kill them all!"

    A thousand cavalry attacked the Jingzhou navy from all directions. The Jingzhou navy had to jump into the water one after another and swim hard to the island in the center of the lake a mile away. Cao Zhen was about to order to shoot the enemy troops in the water with arrows. At this time, a  A cavalryman rushed over and reported loudly: "General, the enemy has begun to attack the main military camp. There are hundreds of warships with a huge momentum."

    Cao Zhen was shocked. Man Chong had handed over Xiaoyaojin to him. If the main military camp fell, the passage to the city would be opened. He no longer cared about chasing down the soldiers who fell into the water, waved and shouted: "Follow me!"

    A thousand tiger and leopard cavalry turned their horses and followed Cao Zhen towards the outside of the camp.

    The Jingzhou navy that attacked the main military camp also encountered difficulties. The large rocks under the water made it impossible for the warship to dock. In addition, the enemy's arrows on the shore were dense. The navy could only use bows and arrows to fight back. Although they were protected by shields, the navy still suffered numerous casualties.  , at this time, the shouts of killing were loud and the drums were beating loudly at the west city gate in the distance. This was the Jiangdong Army launching an attack on the city.

    According to the agreement between the two parties, the Han army took Xiaoyaojin, attracting the main force of Cao's army, weakening Cao's defense of the city, and giving Jiangdong's army an opportunity to attack the city. However, unexpected circumstances frustrated the Han army's attack, and it was not carried out according to the original plan.  .

    Gan Ning had just received the news of Chen Shuo's death at this time. He was furious, his eyes were red, holding a halberd and a shield, he jumped onto a sampan and shouted: "Follow me!"

    Dozens of sampans carrying more than 200 soldiers followed Gan Ning and rushed to the dock.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 636 Fierce Battle in Hefei (Part 2)

    The more than a thousand Cao troops on the Xiaoyaojin dock were led by a tooth general. Cao Zhen had already made arrangements separately before leading his cavalry to the small military camp. The ambush of the enemy troops on the dock was only the first layer of defense, as the huge rocks under the water blocked the way.  The Jingzhou Army's warships gave Cao's army the upper hand. They blocked the Han army's offensive route from three directions. The arrows were like rain, and the Han soldiers on the warships could not lift their heads.

    At this time, with the fierce sound of drums, dozens of small sampans rushed towards the pier. On the leading sampan, Gan Ning held a shield in one hand and a single halberd in the other, staring sharply at Cao Jun on the shore. The sampans were coming very fast.  , and rushed through the underwater boulders in an instant.

    Cao's soldiers fired arrows at him almost at the same time. The dense arrows shot at Gan Ning. Gan Ning half-knelt on the boat and raised his shield to meet him. There was a rapid sound of beating. His shield was already filled with hundreds of arrows.  At this moment, Gan Ning shouted loudly, jumped up from the bow of the boat, and jumped onto the shore. He slashed out his short halberd and knocked the two Cao soldiers to the ground.

    Gan Ning threw away his shield, pulled out another short halberd from his back, shouted loudly, and charged into the group of Cao Jun's soldiers. The two halberds slashed and stabbed rapidly, causing blood and flesh to fly everywhere in their path, killing Cao Jun's corpses all over the ground, and howling sounds were heard.  Continuing, General Ya shouted anxiously: "This is the enemy general, rush up and kill him!"

    Countless soldiers of Cao's army came towards Gan Ning, but Gan Ning became more and more courageous as he fought. He was like a tiger and a flock of sheep, unstoppable. At this time, the two hundred Han troops behind also rushed ashore to kill, following Gan Ning and Cao's soldiers.  Fierce fighting.

    The attack of the Han army caused Cao's army on the shore to be in chaos, and the arrow shooting also stopped. The underwater boulders were finally dragged away by the soldiers with ropes, and a waterway was opened. One warship after another passed through the waterway and moved towards the shore.  .

    More and more Han soldiers came ashore to support the commander and two hundred soldiers who were fighting alone. As the force gradually reversed, Cao's army could not resist and finally collapsed. General Ya was the first to escape, followed by hundreds of soldiers.  He abandoned his armor and fled towards the main camp.

    Gan Ning did not rush to catch up, but ordered the soldiers who came ashore to use ropes to drag away the underwater boulders one by one and completely open the channel. At this time, Han warships began to dock in large numbers, and groups of soldiers  They ran down from the boat and quickly formed a formation on the shore.

    Gan Ning was covered in blood, but miraculously uninjured. He stood on a large rock and looked towards the main camp and the city. He had just received a report that the Han army in the small camp was defeated by a thousand extremely powerful cavalry.  Gan Ning realized that they had most likely encountered Cao's army's sharpest tiger and leopard cavalry.

    From here to the main camp, which is about three miles away, there is a wide and flat land in front of it, which is very conducive to cavalry assault. If you go through like this, you are likely to encounter a head-on attack from Cao Jun's tiger and leopard cavalry.

    Gan Ning turned his head and looked to the side again. On the side was a gentle mound, about ten feet high. The mound was densely wooded, which was very conducive to cavalry operations. More importantly, the woods were long and narrow, in the shape of a crescent, and the edge was already close to the edge.  Approaching the main military camp, Gan Ning immediately ordered: "The army goes up the hill!"

    The thousands of troops that had been assembled immediately turned around and rushed towards the hills. They quickly rushed into the woods and rushed along both sides of the lush woods towards the main military camp.

    Gan Ning's prediction was not wrong. Cao Zhen had already led a thousand cavalry to take advantage of the opportunity when the Han army was blocked on the water to bypass the road. A thousand cavalry lined up in the wilderness in front of the main camp, preparing to attack the enemy head-on.

    By this time, Cao Zhen already knew that the army that attacked Xiaoyaojin was the Jingzhou army, and he immediately sent someone to report to Man Chong.

    Cao Zhen was extremely confident in his cavalry. His father told him that although the Jingzhou navy was powerful, their cavalry could sweep across the Jingzhou army in the northern plains. He wanted to prove this statement today, but after waiting for a long time, there was no Han army.  The soldiers came to kill him, which made him a little surprised.

    At this moment, the woods on the mound suddenly started to be filled with birds. Cao Zhen suddenly realized that the Han army had entered the woods. He suddenly became furious and shouted: "Kill them, burn the woods, and burn them out!"  "

    A thousand cavalrymen suddenly rose up, their horses' hooves sounded like thunder, stirred up the billowing dust, and charged towards the hills three miles away.

    "General Gan, they are coming!" a sentry rushed into the woods and shouted.

    Another Ya general also suggested in a low voice: "Cao Jun's kerosene is also very powerful, be careful they set fire to the forest."

    Gan Ning pondered for a moment and said to the three tooth generals: "The three of you each lead your headquarters to defend on the north side of the woods, and use bows and arrows to prevent the cavalry from approaching the woods."

    He then said to the other generals: "The rest of the army should go to the south of the woods and ambush the cavalry from behind."

    Everyone took the order, and the eight thousand troops divided into two groups, each running north and south.

    The horses were galloping in the darkness, like wind and lightning, and more than a thousand tiger and leopard cavalry rushed to the hill in an instant. Cao Zhen raised his hand, and the horses slowed down, stopped, and began to line up quickly. Fifty cavalry were in one team, a total of?Twenty bands, armed with spears and shields, stared murderously at the hills.

    At the edge of the woods on the hill, three thousand Han soldiers held crossbows and formed a dense crossbow array. Their sharp arrows were aimed at the cavalry at the foot of the hill. With the woods behind them, the most troublesome formation for the cavalry was once the cavalry charged.  When the enemy arrives, the opponent will quickly retreat into the woods, making it difficult for the cavalry to launch an attack.

    But at this time, Cao Zhen hoped that the Han army could retreat into the woods so that he could set fire to the forest. He raised his iron gun and shouted, "Kill them!"

    A thousand tiger and leopard cavalry suddenly trembled, and the ground began to shake. The dark cavalry raised their shields and spears, and swept towards the Han army's formation like thunder.

    Three thousand soldiers of the Han army were arranged in a "pin" shape. Each of them had a crossbow. They all pointed their crossbows at Cao Cao's cavalry. The cavalry got closer and closer, and soon rushed into the killing range of the crossbows.  , at this time, a string of bangs rang, and only the crossbow machine was heard clicking!  ¡¯ sounded, and the first round of thousands of crossbow bolts were fired at once, roaring towards the cavalry like a storm.

    The horses neighed miserably, and everyone fell on their backs. The hundreds of cavalrymen rushing at the front fell down one after another, causing the cavalry to fall into a brief chaos. However, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were the best cavalry after all. They quickly recovered from the chaos and continued to charge forward. This  At this time, the second round of thousands of crossbow arrows was shot out again, followed by the third round of thousands of arrows.

    The three thousand Han troops cooperated very well and took turns to fire. In an instant, three rounds of nine thousand crossbow bolts were fired, causing the tiger and leopard cavalry to lose more than 300 people. The proud arrogance of the tiger and leopard cavalry was knocked down. Cao Zhen saw  The Han army's crossbows were sharp and their cavalry suffered heavy casualties. They were extremely angry, but they had no choice but to shout, "Retreat!"

    The cavalry retreated like a tide, out of the range of the Han army. The hillside was covered with cavalry and horses that had been hit by arrows and fell to the ground. More than a hundred agile soldiers rushed into the dead and injured enemy troops.  The injured cavalryman was stabbed to death. After a moment, there was deathly silence on the hillside, and the groans of the wounded soldiers disappeared.

    Cao Zhen was quite upset. He had received news that the Jiangdong Army had also launched an attack on the West City Gate. This was obviously a joint attack between Jingzhou and Jiangdong on Hefei, but their forces were far insufficient and they might not be able to defend Hefei.

    Cao Zhen had already thought of conserving his strength and withdrawing from Hefei. At this moment, there was a sudden scream from behind. Cao Zhen was startled and looked back. He saw chaos behind the cavalry. In the darkness, he did not know how many troops were coming to kill him.  A cavalryman rushed over and shouted: "General, there are countless enemy troops attacking us from behind, and our brothers suffered heavy casualties."

    Cao Zhen was shocked. He suddenly realized that he was surrounded by enemy troops. At this time, drums were beating loudly on the hill, and three thousand Han troops shouted. They used spears instead and rushed down the hillside. Cao Jun's cavalry retreated one after another.  Cao Zhen shouted anxiously: "Don't retreat, come forward to fight!"

    The cavalry and Han infantry rushed together in an instant. At the same time, Gan Ning led 5,000 Han troops to attack Cao Cao's cavalry from behind. The 8,000 Han infantry gradually formed a huge encirclement, encircling more than 600 tiger and leopard cavalry.  Surround.

    Cao Zhen saw that the situation was not good, and if they did not escape, their entire army would be annihilated. At this time, he found that the Han army in the northwest had not closed up, and there was a gap more than ten feet wide. He shouted, "Follow me!"

    Cao Zhen wielded his long spear and charged into the northwest of the Han army. At this time, his eyes were red with blood. He opened a bloody path and rushed out. He did not dare to stop. He rushed out for more than ten miles in one go. When he turned back, there was someone behind him.  Only a few soldiers followed on horseback.

    Cao Zhen couldn't help but sigh. Hefei could no longer be saved. He turned his horse's head and fled towards Runan.

    Cao Zhen broke out of the siege and escaped, but his men had no chance. In less than a moment, more than 600 cavalrymen were stabbed to death by spears. One thousand tiger and leopard cavalry were all killed, and the Han army captured 400 cavalrymen.  One more war horse.

    Eight thousand Han soldiers immediately attacked the main military camp in Xiaoyaojin

    The battle outside the West City was extremely fierce. The firelight illuminated the inside and outside of the West City like daylight. The drums were beating fiercely and the shouts of killing were loud. Huang Gai and Lu Meng led 20,000 Jiangdong troops to attack the West City, and Cao Cao's 6,000 troops on the city also invested.  Fight desperately to resist the Jiangdong Army's attack.

    The Jiangdong Army crossed the moat and put dozens of siege ladders on top of the city. The soldiers bravely climbed onto the city. Arrows rained down on the city, and rolling logs and boulders fell like hail. Groups of Jiangdong soldiers were knocked down from the city, and their corpses were thrown down.  Piling up, the blood formed a stream.

    Huang Gai¡¯s brows furrowed. The original plan was for the Han army to capture Xiaoyaojin first and attract the main force of Cao¡¯s army there, but it seems that the main force of Cao¡¯s army did not pass. Could it be that the Han army was attacking Xiaoyaojin in vain?

    At this time, Lu Meng stepped forward and cupped his hands and said: "General Qi, I have received news from Xiaoyaojin. Gan Ning's army was attacked by Cao Jun's tiger and leopard cavalry, and suffered heavy losses. Unfortunately, deputy general Chen Shuo was killed in battle."

    Huang Gai nodded. So that was the case. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty. He had misunderstood the Han army.He thought for a moment and then said to Lu Meng: "It seems that Cao Jun has gathered all his troops in the west city, so the south city and east city must be empty. You can lead three thousand troops to attack the south city. Our success or failure depends on this."

    "Obey the order!" Lu Meng led three thousand troops and ran towards Nancheng.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 637 Bad news arrives

    At this time, the sky has gradually reached the fifth watch, and there is a hint of blue in the sky. The darkest hour has passed, and the battle to attack Hefei City is gradually coming to an end.

    After hearing that a thousand tiger and leopard cavalry were wiped out by the Han army, Cao Jun in the main camp lost the will to resist.

    When Gan Ning led more than 8,000 Han troops to attack, the 2,000 Cao troops in the main camp were in chaos. Some of Cao's troops fled from the Xiying Gate, but the locals in Cao's troops were unwilling to escape.  Under the leadership of General Ya, he chose to surrender.

    Groups of Han soldiers entered the main military camp covering an area of ??hundreds of acres and quickly took control of all key points in the camp. The more than 800 surrendered soldiers gave up their weapons and armor and sat in a dozen large tents.  , waiting to return home after the war is over.

    Gan Ning surrendered, accompanied by General Ya, and boarded the sentry fort located to the west of the main military camp. This is a fort tower five feet high, the tallest building in the entire Hefei area. Standing on the fort tower, there are dozens of people around it.  There is a clear view inside.

    General Ya, whose surname is Jiang, is a native of Hefei. He is nearly fifty years old. He no longer has the ambition to win, nor does he have any expectations for an official career. He just wants to live the rest of his life peacefully, so he annihilates Cao's cavalry in the Han army.  After the news came, he immediately decided to abandon the camp and surrender.

    He accompanied Gan Ning to the fort and could clearly see the situation in the city. In the faint morning light, he could see that fewer and fewer Cao's troops were on the west city. Jiangdong's army had entered Hefei City from the south gate.  He pointed at the North City Gate and said, "Have you seen, General? The North City Gate has been opened. This means that Cao Jun has abandoned the city and withdrew."

    Gan Ning nodded. He saw the North City Gate open and asked, "Will Man Chong hold on to the end?"

    "Probably not. General Man puts more emphasis on soldiers. Xiaoyaojin in the east was lost, and the south city was also lost. I think he will no longer insist on defending the city. He will definitely save his soldiers and lead his troops to withdraw from the north city gate."

    Having said this, General Ya couldn't help but ask: "Does the conquest of Hefei belong to Jingzhou or Jiangdong?"

    "Hefei is for Jiangdong, we don't need it for the time being."

    Seeing General Ya's face showing disappointment, Gan Ning patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "General Jiang, don't worry, I will reach an agreement with Huang Gai and let you continue to guard Hefei. I hope that one day, when the Han army officially attacks Hefei  When the time comes, we can meet the general again.¡±

    General Ya understood what Gan Ning meant and nodded silently. At this time, a Jiangdong cavalryman rushed from the city and was taken to the foot of the tower by the soldiers. He shouted loudly: "Is General Gan here?"

    "What's the matter?" Gan Ning asked.

    "General Huang has captured the city of Hefei. Please go to the county office to discuss it."

    "I understand. Please tell General Huang that I will come as soon as I finish arranging military affairs."

    The messenger rushed away again, and Gan Ning walked down the sentry tower. At this time, several generals stepped forward and advised: "General, please be careful that Jiangdong Army has evil intentions. It is best not to go."

    Gan Ning chuckled, "Don't worry, everyone! Huang Gai knows in his heart that he will not harm us. He cannot bear the consequences. Everyone, guard the barracks. I will be back soon."

    After giving some instructions to everyone, Gan Ning led more than a hundred soldiers and rode towards the city.

    The city of Hefei was already controlled by Jiangdong's army. When Manchong heard that both Xiaoyaojin and South Gate had been lost, he knew that the situation was over, so he led thousands of Cao's troops to withdraw from the North Gate and retreated towards Runan. At this time, Hefei was under martial law and no one was allowed to do so.  People took to the streets, which were filled with patrolling Jiangdong Army soldiers. From time to time, Jiangdong Army patrols escorted captured Cao Army soldiers past.

    Gan Ning quickly arrived at the county government office located in the middle of the city. This was also the county government office for the entire Huainan County. After Cao's army withdrew, the prefect Zhong Yun also led the county officials to surrender to Jiangdong's army. Gan Ning dismounted and a relative of Huang Gai  The soldiers were already waiting in front of the gate. He hurriedly came up to greet him and saluted him: "My general is already waiting for General Gan. General, please follow me."

    Gan Ning followed him into the county government office. In a temporary official room, Huang Gai was standing alone in front of the map and meditating. Although the capture of Hefei had completed the task assigned by Duke Wu, Huang Gai knew that the war was not over.  , this time Jingzhou sent troops to help them capture Hefei, they had to return this favor.

    At this time, the soldiers reported at the door: "Foreign General, General Gan is here!"

    "Please come in quickly!" Huang Gai said quickly.

    After a moment, Gan Ning walked in quickly, cupped his hands and said, "I apologize to General Huang for not being able to attract the main force of Cao's army. Gan Ning did not fulfill his promise."

    Huang Gai was a sensible man. Although Jiangdong's army lost more than 3,000 men in the attack on Hefei, he knew that if Gan Ning hadn't dragged 4,000 Cao's troops in Xiaoyaojin, they might not have been able to capture Hefei, especially with 1,000 tigers and leopards.  The cavalry were completely wiped out by the Han army, which was a great favor.

    He quickly said: "General Gan, please don't apologize. Chen Shuo was killed in battle. I express my deepest condolences."It's a pity that you have tried your best to capture the city and hold back Cao's army for us. I understand in my heart.  "

    Gan Ning saw that he was sensible, so he smiled and walked up, and said: "According to the agreement, Hefei is controlled by Jiangdong Army. I will withdraw to Jingzhou. In addition, I have nearly a thousand surrendered soldiers there, all natives of Hefei, together with Ya  I will hand them over to Jiangdong Army and hope the general will treat them well."

    Huang Gai laughed and said, "Don't worry, General Gan. Since you are a native, of course I will continue to use it to let them maintain order. I invited the general here to discuss what we should do next? What if we can frighten Cao Jun to the greatest extent?"  , maybe we can force Cao Cao to withdraw his troops."

    Gan Ning stepped forward and said with a smile: "Before I left, Zhou Mu had already given me a plan. If Hefei is captured, I will continue to go north to capture Shouchun and send troops to Qiao County. I hope that Jiangdong Army can also send some troops to cooperate with me in going north.  , As long as Cao Cao withdraws from Jingzhou to the north, I will immediately withdraw to Hefei and hand over Hefei to Jiangdong. I will lead my army back to Jingzhou and will never break my promise."

    Gan Ning's plan was within Huang Gai's expectation, but if Shouchun could be captured, he could report it to Wu Gong. He thought for a moment and said: "I ordered Lu Meng to lead an army of ten thousand to cooperate with your army to go north, but in the end we will have Shouchun."  spring."

    Gan Ning nodded, "Then we will make an agreement!"

    Three days later, 20,000 allied troops reached Shouchun. Due to the fall of Hefei, the east gate of the Central Plains area was opened, and 400,000 Cao troops were mainly concentrated in Guanlong, Jingzhou, Yedu, Xuchang and Xuzhou in the north. The Central Plains area was empty of troops. Shouchun  There were only a few hundred county soldiers in spring.

    After learning that the Jiangdong and Jingzhou coalition forces were approaching, Shouchun County magistrates abandoned the city and fled, allowing the coalition forces to occupy Shouchun without a fight. The 20,000 coalition troops did not stop in Shouchun and continued to advance rapidly towards Qiao County. They were invincible along the way.  The Queen of Heaven captured Chengfu County and directed her troops to Qiao County, which shocked the Central Plains.

    News that the Sun and Liu coalition forces had conquered Hefei and entered Qiao County finally reached Jingzhou. It was already late April. The confrontation between the Han army and the Cao army had lasted for more than a month. Neither side took action and waited patiently.

    Cao Cao wanted to delay time, implement Xun Yu's plan as soon as possible, and solidify the occupation of Fancheng, pushing the border between the two sides to the line of Han River. At the same time, he began to mobilize troops to Runan, preparing to attack Anlu County, and then attack Qichun.

    On the one hand, Liu Jing was waiting for news from Hefei, and on the other hand, he transferred 30,000 troops from Bashu to Jingzhou. At the same time, he transferred 20,000 troops from Xiangyang to Jiangxia to increase Jiangxia's defense.  Posture.

    But in fact, Cao Cao's army could no longer support it. Cao Cao's march south to Jingzhou this time was just a temporary decision. It was far different from the more than a year of advance preparations for the Chibi War. The supplies of the 100,000-strong army began to run out, and Cao Cao's army needed food from now on.  Wancheng was transported to Fancheng. Although Cao Cao requisitioned 3,000 oxcarts and transported food day and night, it was still unable to satisfy the huge consumption of a hundred thousand troops.

    Zhang Liao once built many ships in Wancheng, which could transport grain through the water. However, nearly a thousand small boats were lost in a single crossing of the river. Without ships, large-scale water transportation would be impossible.

    As a last resort, Cao Cao began to use sheepskin rafts to transport food. However, just two days ago, a group of Han army sentries sailed north along Bishui and burned hundreds of sheepskin rafts loaded with food. Tens of thousands of stones of food were burned to the ground.  This tragic loss made Cao Cao extremely angry and ordered the three generals of Cao's army who were guarding along the river to be beheaded.

    But Cao Cao also knew that this was not a dereliction of duty on the part of the soldiers, but rather a result of the weakness of the navy. He had to stop using sheepskin rafts to transport food. However, news that Cao Cao could not accept came quietly.

    Chen Qun hurriedly walked towards Cao Cao's tent. He had also heard some rumors just now, saying that Hefei was defeated and Jiangdong's army had gone north to the Central Plains. This rumor made Chen Qun feel a little uneasy. He was eager to confirm this to the prime minister.

    Chen Qun walked to the big tent, stopped again, stepped forward and asked Xu Chu in a low voice: "General Xu, how is the Prime Minister doing now?"

    Xu Chu shook his head gently, "The Prime Minister was furious just now. I have never seen the Prime Minister so angry. I suggest you to stay away for the time being and wait until the Prime Minister calms down."

    "Is it about Hefei?" Chen Qun asked with concern.

    Xu Chu glanced to both sides from the corner of his eye, and seeing no one around him, he whispered to Chen Qun: "Hefei was indeed lost. Cao Zhen fled to Xuchang, and Man Chong also retreated to Runan."

    Chen Qun was extremely shocked. The rumors were true. How could this be possible? Sun Quan actually attacked Hefei. He was a little confused and couldn't think of the reason. At this time, Cao Cao's tired voice came from the tent, "Is it a long article?  ?Please come in!¡±

    Xu Chu was so frightened that he quickly took two steps back, stood up straight and did not dare to say a word. Chen Qun had no choice but to bite the bullet and walked into the tent.

    In the big tent, Cao Cao was sitting at the table, with his back facing the tent door and his back slightly smiling.A little stooped and looking extremely tired, Chen Qun stepped forward, knelt down and bowed, "See you, Prime Minister!"

    "You're welcome, please take a seat!"

    Cao Cao slowly turned around, smiled bitterly and said, "Did Chang Wen come to see me because he heard the rumors?"

    "Yes, I can't believe it."

    "I don't believe it either, but it's a fact. Not only did Hefei fall, but Qiao County also fell."

    Chen Qun was stunned for a moment, and after a while he whispered: "It was because I misjudged Sun Quan. I am responsible for it."

    Cao Cao shook his head, "You are not wrong about Sun Quan, and I am not wrong either. It's just that we underestimated Liu Jing and our biggest enemy."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 638 Forced to withdraw troops

    Chen Qun was stunned, "What does this have to do with Liu Jing?"

    ¡°It¡¯s normal that you wouldn¡¯t expect it, because I didn¡¯t expect it either.¡±

    Cao Cao sighed softly, "The main force for the attack on Hefei this time was the 10,000 Jiangxia navy. Originally, Hefei was a dead move, but Liu Jing and the 10,000 Jiangxia navy destroyed the entire Southeast chess game. How could Sun Quan make it happen?"  Jiangxia seizes Hefei?¡±

    Chen Qun smiled bitterly for a while and said: "No wonder Liu Jing has been silent this month. It turns out that he was waiting for this result."

    "Yes! Sun Quan's attitude was ambiguous at first, but as a result, he had to send troops to Hefei, and once he got Hefei, he had the ambition of the Northern Expedition. I have to admit that Liu Jing's move was very clever. It should be  Jia Xu's plan was to release Jia Xu to Liu Jing. This is my biggest loss. That evil obstacle caused me trouble!"

    Cao Cao slammed his fist on the table, furious and extremely resentful.

    Chen Qun knew that Cao Cao was referring to the eldest son Cao Pi. He lowered his head and thought for a while, then asked: "Then what should we do next?"

    "Qiao County has been lost, what else can we do? I have decided to withdraw our troops."

    Chen Qun was surprised and said quickly: "Have you considered it, Prime Minister? The Sun and Liu coalition forces are not large, maybe only twenty or thirty thousand people. Taking Qiao County may be their limit. If they go further north, they will go deep alone.  There will also be problems with the supply of food and grass, and the prime minister can mobilize troops to fight, but Wei Chen believes that it is not enough to require the prime minister to evacuate Jingzhou. "

    "Of course I know they don't have many troops, only 20,000, but the problem is this chess game"

    Speaking of this, Cao Cao restrained his anger, shook his head and said: "Now that the main war faction in Jiangdong has the upper hand, Sun Quan is no longer ambiguous. He will definitely cooperate with Liu Jing to win this favor, and occupying Hefei will make his ambitions be undermined."  I am sure that he will continue to send more troops to Hefei. Once Sun and Liu join forces, the whole situation will change. Do I still need to stay in Jingzhou? "

    "But"

    Before Chen Qun could continue, Cao Cao interrupted him again with his hand, "Moreover, we were not well prepared in advance, so now the army has difficulty in supplying food and grass. This is also an important reason why I want to withdraw the army. Don't persuade me, Chief Wen. I have thought about it again and again."  , has been decided.¡±

    Chen Qun was very frustrated. If he had known this, why would he have to tear up the contract and go south?

    Cao Cao seemed to understand what he was thinking, and smiled coldly: "I was also very angry at first, but now I have calmed down and slowly figured it out. In fact, I did not fail, and I gained a lot. First, I successfully delayed  Liu Jing's Northern Expedition took at least half a year. Secondly, I found a way to cross the Han River. I will be fully prepared in the future and can capture Xiangyang at any time. It can be said that my original goals were achieved, but many unrealistic additions were added later.  We are now disappointed because of our expectations. Wen Chang, you should think about our initial plan, right? "

    Chen Qun nodded, "The Prime Minister is right. At first we just wanted to delay Liu Jing's Northern Expedition, and we did succeed. What is the Prime Minister going to do next?"

    Cao Cao thought for a while and said: "The next step is to divide the troops into two groups. One is to increase the defense on the western front and prepare for Liu Jing's Northern Expedition. The second is to recapture Hefei and never give Jiangdong a chance to advance to the Central Plains."

    "Then what are you going to do with Mr. Xun Ling?" Chen Qun asked in a low voice.

    This question was a bit difficult for Cao Cao to answer. After all, Chen Qun was Xun Yu's son-in-law. He thought for a long time and said: "I plan to let Xun Gong sit in Nanyang. With him in Nanyang, I won't worry about Jingzhou."

    Chen Qun sighed in his heart. This was what he expected. The prime minister had decided not to let his father-in-law return to the court, but that was fine. Chen Qun knew that there would be big changes in the court recently, and it was a good thing to keep his father-in-law out of the matter. Chen Qun didn't want to let his father-in-law return to the court.  Let¡¯s talk about this again.

    At this time, Cao Cao took out a letter and handed it to Chen Qun, saying: "Please Changwen, please cross the river to see Liu Jing and give this letter to him for me."

    "I am willing to share my worries with the Prime Minister!"

    Chen Qun took the letter and asked, "What should I say to Liu Jing?"

    "The letter is all written and not sealed. You can open it and read it if it is a long article."

    After finishing speaking, Cao Cao stood up and sighed: "I am too tired. I want to have a good sleep before withdrawing my troops."

    "Did Cao Cao really say that?" Xun Yu asked coldly in the camp.

    Chen Qun leaned forward and said: "The Prime Minister did say that. He hopes that his father-in-law can stay in Nanyang. In fact, it is for his own sake. In fact, his father-in-law should know in his heart that the court is about to undergo major changes."

    Xun Yu snorted coldly, "Are you really ignorant or are you pretending to be stupid? Maybe you are ignorant and you don't understand Cao Cao's thoughts. I can see through him better than anyone else. If you keep me in Nanyang, you will ruin my reputation! The imperial court  If anything goes wrong, everyone will say that Xun Yu did it and that Xun Yu betrayed her.My dear, Changwen, do you think this is Cao Cao thinking about me?  "

    Chen Qun lowered his head. He really hadn't thought of this. Although it was a bit unbelievable, his father-in-law had indeed seen through the prime minister. Chen Qun bit his lip and said, "My son-in-law, go talk to the prime minister again and ask him to change his original intention and let his father-in-law  Return to Beijing."

    ??

    Chen Qun felt uncomfortable and said after a while: "My son-in-law is ashamed of his father-in-law!"

    "Go!" Xun Yu waved his hand, "Let me be quiet for a while."

    Chen Qun stood up and slowly retreated. Xun Yu walked to the tent door with his hands behind his hands. He looked at the sunset and sighed softly. He knew that he would never return to the court in this life.

    Chen Qun took a small boat and sailed to the other side of the Han River. At this time, the afterglow on the horizon had not dissipated, the sky was hazy, and the river water showed a strange blue color, blending with the horizon, as if the sky and water were the same color. This was an extremely magnificent scene.

    But Chen Qun had no intention of admiring this magnificent scenery. He sat on the bow of the boat, thinking about the upcoming meeting with Liu Jing. He was very embarrassed. The prime minister actually asked to sign a Jingzhou armistice agreement with Liu Jing for another year. Liu Jing might  Do you agree?

    Chen Qun sighed secretly. He was so happy when he tore up the agreement. Now he doesn¡¯t want to fight and wants to restore the agreement. How many people will agree?  He knew that the prime minister was actually afraid of Liu Jing's pursuit, which caused him to return miserably.

    At this time, the soldier rocking the boat was a little nervous and reminded him: "Mr. Chen!"

    When Chen Qun raised his head, he realized that there were Han warships in front, back and left. Countless soldiers were aiming their crossbows at him. He was already surrounded by Han troops. He smiled bitterly, stood up and cupped his hands and said, "I am the Prime Minister's envoy. I have been ordered to go."  Seeing your state pastor, please give way!¡±

    A general walked out of a large ship. It was Colonel Shen Mi. He was not reckless. He looked at Chen Qun and asked, "Who are you, sir?"

    "I'm with Chen Qun of Yingchuan!"

    "It turns out to be Mr. Chen, whom I have admired for a long time."

    Shen Mi quickly ordered the left and right to put down their crossbows, and smiled at Chen Qun: "Mr. Jean is frightened. Please follow me to Zhou Mu's big ship!"

    "Isn't Liu Zhoumu in Xiangyang City?"

    Shen Mi shook his head, "Zhou Mu is not in the city, but on a warship, please!"

    Chen Qun was confused. Liu Jing was not in the city, but on a warship. Did he know that Cao Jun was about to withdraw?  Without thinking much, he boarded Shen Mi's ship and followed him eastward.

    When the ship arrived at Bishui, Chen Qun saw a two thousand stone ship, surrounded by dozens of warships to guard it. This must be it, he thought secretly in his heart.

    "Zhou Mu is on the boat, please!"

    Shen Mi took Chen Qun to the big ship. He walked to the ship building and said to the guard: "Please report to Zhou Mu. Just tell Cao Jun's envoy Chen Qun to see Zhou Mu."

    The guard nodded and quickly walked into the cabin. The cabin was brightly lit. Liu Jing and Jia Xu were discussing the plan to hunt down Cao Jun. At this time, Liu Jing already knew that Gan Ning and Huang Gai had captured Hefei, and he realized that Cao Jun should  He was about to retreat north soon, but he didn't want to let Cao Cao come and go so freely, and he had to teach him a lesson.

    Jia Xu advocated seizing Cao Jun¡¯s logistical equipment, but Liu Jing had other ideas. At this moment, the guard reported in front of the cabin door: ¡°Cao Cao¡¯s envoy Chen Qun wants to see you!¡±

    Liu Jing and Jia Xu looked at each other and couldn't help but smile knowingly. It seemed that Cao Cao knew himself and knew that he would not let him go. Liu Jing nodded and said, "Invite him in!"

    After a while, the guards brought Chen Qun in. Chen Qun bowed and saluted: "See you, Zhou Mu, see Military Advisor Jia!"

    "Mr. Chen, no courtesy!"

    Liu Jing winked to several guards and asked them to take the map away. He didn't want Chen Qun to see that he had any intention of pursuing Cao Jun. "Please sit down!" Liu Jing smiled and Chen Qun sat down.

    The three of them sat down separately, and Liu Jing and his soldiers served tea. At this time, Jia Xu first smiled and said: "Last time in Chengdu, I neglected to write a long article. Please don't blame me for writing a long article!"

    Chen Qun chuckled, "Although I don't blame Wen He for running away, Wen He promised to accompany me to visit Qingcheng Mountain, but there was no follow-up, which makes me feel bad."

    The three of them laughed together, and the atmosphere in the cabin suddenly became relaxed. Chen Qun took out Cao Cao's autographed letter and presented it to Liu Jing, "This is the Prime Minister's autographed letter to Zhou Mu. Please ask Zhou Mu to read it."

    Liu Jing took the letter and read it. Cao Cao stated in the letter that he was willing to withdraw to Nanyang and hoped to conclude an armistice treaty with him in Jingzhou. This was a shameless thing. Cao Cao actually wrote very sincerely in the letter, as if he had to  It is common to lead an army southward.

    Liu Jing couldn't help but sneered and said: "The guest is leaving, I?As the master, of course, I need to send him a way. Please tell Mr. Chen to tell Prime Minister Cao for me that my army is ready and ready to "gift" Cao Jun out of the country.  "

    Liu Jing specifically emphasized the word 'gift', which made Chen Qun feel uneasy and quickly explained: "The Prime Minister is also very apologetic. Of course, if Zhou Mu is willing to conclude an armistice agreement, we can negotiate the terms and will not let Jingzhou  Suffer."

    "Then let me calculate the losses first. Xinye, Fancheng, and Dengxian counties were destroyed, and the official warehouses of two affiliated counties in Xiangyang were looted. Spring plowing was also delayed. This summer's grain harvest will definitely be poor. With such a big loss, Cao Cao  How is the Prime Minister going to compensate me?"

    "The Prime Minister should have written in his letter that he can give the emperor of tomorrow the right to ennoble the state pastor."

    Liu Jing shook her head, "I am a little hussar general, what qualifications do I have to be awarded the title of general? Please tell the prime minister, don't trap me in injustice."

    Seeing that he refused the right to be ennobled, Chen Qun couldn't help but asked with a wry smile: "What does Zhou Mu need?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Although the request made by the Prime Minister is a bit unbelievable, it is like destroying other people's yards and making others grateful. It is probably unacceptable to anyone else, but I can understand the Prime Minister and I can accept it. The key is  Conditions, as long as the Prime Minister meets my conditions, it doesn¡¯t matter if I agree to the Prime Minister.¡±

    "Please state the conditions, Zhou Mu, Chen Qun is all ears!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 639: Easy come, hard go

    Liu Jing said slowly: "My conditions are very simple. I can let Cao's army retreat, or I can continue to conclude a one-year armistice agreement with the Prime Minister, but the Prime Minister must promise me in writing not to depose Queen Fu."

    This condition stunned both Chen Qun and Jia Xu. Jia Xu was just thinking about how Cao's army could retreat at a heavy price. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing actually proposed an unrelated condition, which confused Jia Xu.  .

    Chen Qun was even more shocked. Of course he knew what Liu Jing meant. This showed that Liu Jing knew the situation in the capital very well, and he had put forward this political condition, but the prime minister might not agree!

    "How about it, Mr. Chen, do you think the Prime Minister will agree?"

    Chen Qun smiled bitterly and shook his head, "It's so unexpected. I didn't know. I have to go back and ask the Prime Minister for instructions."

    "Please, Mr. Chen! If you don't get a reply before dawn tomorrow, the Prime Minister's retreat will not be so smooth."

    Chen Qun said goodbye and left, and Jia Xu asked Liu Jing with some confusion: "Why would Zhou Mu put forward such a condition?"

    "This is some information I got recently. There will be chaos in Ye City. Of course I don't want to stay out of it at this time." Liu Jing said with a smile.

    "But does Zhou Mu think Cao Cao will agree?"

    Liu Jing shook his head, "Frankly speaking, I don't know. If he were weaker, he might agree, but then he wouldn't be Cao Cao, so I don't think he would agree."

    ¡°Since there is a high possibility that we won¡¯t agree, what should we do?¡± Jia Xuxiao asked.

    Liu Jing narrowed his eyes and smiled. Of course he knew what to do. He immediately ordered the guards: "Go and find General Wen to see me!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cao Cao's attitude was expected by Liu Jing, because this was not a military concession, nor a concession in terms of interests, but Liu Jing's naked provocation to him politically, which directly violated his vital interests. Cao Cao was in danger.  Angry, he slapped the table and said to Chen Qun: "Since he doesn't understand, there is nothing to talk about. We will withdraw our troops overnight and don't pay attention to him anymore."

    Chen Qun was a little worried and said: "But Wei Chen is worried that Liu Jing will not let us withdraw so easily. When Wei Chen saw him, he was on a warship at the mouth of the Bishui River. This means that he will definitely pursue us from behind. The Prime Minister must  Defend."

    "I know!"

    Cao Cao sighed slightly, "I just knew he wouldn't give up, so I wanted to reach a compromise with him so that I could escape unscathed, but I couldn't accept his conditions."

    "But keeping Queen Fu will also help maintain the reputation of the Prime Minister." Chen Qun whispered.

    Cao Cao's face suddenly darkened and he gave him a cold look, "Chang Wen, this is not what you should say."

    Chen Qun was so scared that he didn't dare to speak anymore. After a while, Cao Cao ordered: "Where is Zhang He?"

    Not long after, Zhang He quickly walked into the tent, cupped his fists and saluted, "I'm sorry to see you, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao slowly said to him: "Our army will evacuate overnight, but Liu Jing is very likely to intercept us from the north of Bishui. You can lead 20,000 troops to ambush the enemy on Bishui. Bishui is not wide. I believe General Jun Yi  Won't let me down."

    Zhang He bowed and saluted, and said solemnly: "I will never disappoint the Prime Minister in my humble position!"

    An hour later, Cao Cao led his army and began to retreat north. Cao Chun led 20,000 tiger and leopard cavalry to clear the way in front. Cao Hong and Yu Jin led 40,000 troops as the central army to protect Cao Cao and hundreds of civil and military officials. Zhang Liao and Li Dian led two troops.  Wanjun is the rear army, transporting food and grass to the north.

    Team after team of soldiers left the camp and evacuated to the north. At this time, more than a dozen Han army scouts had already figured out the information about Cao Jun and swam across the river to report to Liu Jing.

    Nearly a hundred large and small warships gathered at the mouth of the Bishui River. On the leading ship, Shen Mi was patiently waiting for Liu Jing's order. At this time, a small boat came quickly, and the soldiers on the boat shouted loudly: "General Shen, Zhou Mu Ming  You go!"

    Shen Mi immediately gave the order: "Let's go north!"

    One after another, the Han warships sailed into the mouth of the Bishui River. Under the cover of night, they began to sail towards the north at a very fast speed. It seemed that the Han army was trying to intercept Cao's army before they could retreat to Nanyang.

    The Bi River originates from Runan, while the Bi River originates from Nanyang. The two rivers go south in parallel. They meet at Hekou Town, south of Xinye, forming the new Bi River. They continue to flow for hundreds of miles and then flow into the Han River. The Bi River is just  A medium-sized river, with a width of more than twenty feet at its widest point and an average width of more than ten feet, can carry a thousand-stone warship.

    At this time, more than a hundred warships of the Han army, large and small, were sailing against the current without pulling up the sails. The soldiers knew very well that once they were attacked by Cao's army, the sails would be fatal. The entire fleet borrowed the power of the impellers to  Going north along the east bank of the river, which is ten miles long, on the Qianshi warship headed by Shen MiWatching the movements on both sides of the Taiwan Strait vigilantly, his eyesight was excellent and he could see movements more than a hundred steps away in the dark.

    There were lush woods a hundred steps away on both sides of the river, and there was a trace of murderous aura in the dark woods. The fleet began to enter a relatively narrow river channel and moved forward silently for another three miles. Shen Mi suddenly felt something and waved his hand.  "Stop the boat!"

    The boat slowly stopped, and a strange sheen was seen floating on the river in front. A pungent smell hit his face. Shen Mi immediately realized the danger. There was kerosene floating on the water. He immediately turned around and ordered: "  The fleet turns around!"

    There was a flash of fire on the top of the mast and the order was given. The fleet began to turn around and head south, but the U-turn was slow and it seemed that it was too late. Shen Mi gave another urgent order: "Set up the floating lock quickly!"

    The floating gate is a tool used by the Jingzhou navy to deal with oil floating on the water. It is actually a huge tree that blocks the giant wood on the water. The water continues to flow from below, but the floating oil is intercepted, but it is just a floating gate.  It is obviously not enough. At least three or four floating gates are needed to stop the oil slick.

    A dozen soldiers jumped into the river, quickly connected several giant logs, and drove the two ends into the soil of the river bank to build the first floating gate. They stepped back a dozen steps and began to build the second floating gate.  At this moment, a line of blue fire in the distance quickly spread towards this side. Shen Mi knew that the situation was not good and his warship was too late. He ordered his soldiers and the second ship to board the ship and led his men to quickly move towards  The larger ships behind retreated.

    In an instant, fire was blazing on the water, and thick smoke was billowing, blocking the sight of both sides of the bank. At this moment, countless Cao Jun soldiers rushed out of the woods to the west. They rushed to the river and fired arrows at random, with dense arrows.  An overwhelming barrage of fire came towards the big ship, mixed with countless rockets. At this time, Zhang He's 20,000 troops ambushed in the woods along the coast launched an attack on the Han fleet on the river.

    Han soldiers hid behind the side of the ship and fought back on the shore. Many soldiers doused the fire on the deck with water. From time to time, soldiers were hit by arrows and screamed and fell into the water. The fleet fled south to avoid the fire on the water and the shore.  The attack seemed very passive. At this time, seven or eight large ships had been ignited by rockets and fire in the water. The fire was getting bigger and bigger, like a fire dragon. The soldiers on the ship panicked and jumped into the water to escape.

    On the shore, Zhang He was riding on his horse, watching with great satisfaction the Han warships escaping southward. The river was not the Han River. On the narrow river, the troops on the shore could completely control the fleet in the water. At this moment, there was a sudden sound behind him.  The rumbling drums of war came, the shouts of killing shook the sky, and there was a scream.

    Zhang He was startled and quickly looked back, only to see two armies suddenly coming out from behind, like wolves and tigers, charging into his army and cutting Cao's army in two. His soldiers were caught off guard and fell into chaos.  .

    Zhang He was stunned. He suddenly realized that he might have fallen into a trap. The fleet on the river might just be a bait, and the real Han army was attacking him from behind. Zhang He was panic-stricken, took off his big gun and rushed forward. At this time, he was killed by the enemy.  A general came, it was Wei Yan. He stopped Zhang He with his sword and shouted, "I am Wei Yan, the thief will report his name!"

    Without saying a word, Zhang He drew his spear and stabbed him. Wei Yan was furious and slashed at him with his sword. The two were fighting fiercely by the river. At this time, 30,000 Han troops, led by Liu Jing personally, came from all directions.  This Han army had undergone several months of night fighting training in Wudu County. They fought without any hindrance at night, and they were all extremely brave, killing Cao's army and retreating steadily.

    Zhang He and Wei Yan fought for more than 20 rounds. Zhang He had no intention of joining the fight. He fired seven or eight shots in a row, forcing Wei Yan back several steps. He turned his horse's head and urged the horse to rush out of the battle circle. Wei Yan refused to give up and clung to him  At this time, a soldier shouted in the distance: "General Wei, the state pastor has an order, the enemy general should not pursue him, command the army to fight!"

    Wei Yan suddenly woke up and gave up on Zhang He. He saw that Cao Jun was defeated, but there were still many Cao troops struggling to support him. He ran through the woods. In a wilderness in the northwest corner, two armies of thousands of people were fighting fiercely.  Wei Yan shouted, "Follow me!" He led more than a thousand soldiers to kill Cao's army from the side.

    This is a trap set by Jia Xu, and hundreds of warships sailing on the water are the bait. If Xun You or Cheng Yu were here, Cao Jun might not be fooled, but Zhang He was inferior in strategy after all, no matter he or other Cao Jun  The generals were already used to the Han army heading north by boat. Jia Xu took advantage of Cao Jun's thinking habits and laid this trap.

    At this time, thousands of Han troops from the warships also disembarked to join the battle. Cao's army was attacked from both sides and could no longer hold on. Zhang He saw that the situation was not good. Rather than collapse, it was better to retreat first. He shouted, "Send the order to retreat!"

    'when!  when!  when!  The bell rang for Cao's army to retreat. Although it was called a withdrawal in name, retreating north in the face of defeat would easily lead to a collapse of the entire front under the double blow of military morale and morale. Zhang He also understood it, but he had no choice. He could only  Can be saved to the maximum extentVigorous.

    "Retreat! Retreat!"

    He shouted loudly, and nearly 20,000 Cao's troops fled northward like a tide. At this time, Liu Jing saw that Cao's army had retreated, and issued an order to attack across the front. The morale of the 30,000 Han troops was high, and they chased Cao's army all the way, killing Cao's army corpses everywhere.  , countless people knelt down and surrendered. After more than 20 miles of pursuit, Cao Jun's casualties and surrenders exceeded 10,000, before Liu Jing gave the order to withdraw his troops.

    "Report to Zhou Mu!"

    Pang De rushed over, cupped his fists and said, "I would like to lead troops to reinforce General Wen!"

    Wenpin led 20,000 troops to land in Fancheng and directly attacked Cao Jun's rear army. Judging from the time, it should have entered a fierce battle. Liu Jing nodded, "You can lead 5,000 troops to attack Cao Jun's back from the left."

    At this time, Jia Xu, escorted by dozens of cavalry, rushed up on horseback and shouted from afar: "Zhou Mu, I have something to say."

    Liu Jing went up to him and asked, "Please give me some advice from your military advisor!"

    Jia Xu stepped forward and whispered to Liu Jing: "Cao Cao is so deceitful. Since he sent Chen Qun to sue for peace, it means that he knew that Zhou Mu would not let him retreat north. He ordered Cao Chun's tiger and leopard cavalry to be the vanguard. He may not be sincere, but it is very possible  It is to confuse our army. Once the rear army engages in battle, how can the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry not appear? "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 640 The bloody battle in Jiangbei (Part 1)

    Liu Jing suddenly realized that he was still most afraid of Cao Cao's tiger and leopard cavalry. Once Cao Cao got the news that the rear army was attacked, he would definitely send 20,000 tiger and leopard cavalry to rescue him. Liu Jing quickly asked: "Then what should we do?  ?¡±

    Jia Xu smiled slightly and said, "Soldiers never tire of deceit, so long as the state herdsman can keep the oriole behind."

    Liu Jing nodded. He understood what Jia Xu meant. He first stopped Pang De and then said to a guard: "Go and tell General Wenpin that we need to strengthen the scouts. If Cao's cavalry comes to attack, we can immediately  Withdraw your troops and cross the river, don¡¯t stop fighting!¡±

    The guard agreed and urged his horse to gallop towards Fancheng. Liu Jing said to Pang De and Wei Yan: "The two generals can each lead 5,000 men to ambush on the official road to the north. When Cao's cavalry arrives to rescue the rear army,  You can ambush the enemy, but you cannot fight head-on with the cavalry."

    "Follow the order!"

    Wei Yan and Pang De each bowed and turned their horses to lead the army towards the west. Watching them go away, Liu Jing gave the order: "Collect the prisoners of war and prepare to evacuate south across the river!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the blocking layout of the Han army, Liu Jing personally led 30,000 troops on the eastern front, using warships on the water as bait to trap Zhang He's army, while Wenpin led 20,000 troops on the western front, landing at Fancheng and attacking Cao Cao.  The army seized the grain, grass and baggage. Liu Jing's eastern front went relatively smoothly, but the western front encountered stubborn resistance from Cao's army.

    While the eastern front was trapping Zhang He's army, Wenpin on the western front led his army to launch an attack on Cao Cao's rear army. The two sides started a fierce battle in the wilderness ten miles north of Fancheng. Although the overall situation of the entire northward retreat was slightly unfavorable to Cao Cao's army,  Zhang Liao used his rich combat experience to make up for the overall disadvantage.

    Zhang Liao was in no hurry to retreat north. When he heard that the Han army had landed, he immediately began to build fortifications. He deployed his troops on a flat hillock dozens of feet high, cut down a pine forest on the flat hill, and sawed it into  Rolling logs one by one, they were condescending, and used food and heavy carts to encircle the city on Pinggang with a defensive circle of nearly ten miles in circumference. At the same time, they sent people to ask Cao Cao for help.

    Zhang Liao and Li Dian each led an army of 10,000, relying on thousands of heavy baggage vehicles to resist the attacks of Han soldiers. The shouts of killing were loud on the miles-long front, and 20,000 Cao troops were deployed on a tower as high as one foot.  On top of the baggage and food bags, they used crossbows and sections of newly felled giant trees to resist the Han army's attack.

    The night has reached two o'clock, and the battle between the Han and Cao armies is still going on fiercely. Wenpin has invested 20,000 troops to attack the Cao army. Although the night battle is unfavorable to both the offensive and defensive sides, the battle is reaching a fierce moment, and no one can  The fighting couldn't be stopped.

    Nearly 5,000 Han troops have broken through the first line of defense. This is a temporary trench dug by Cao Jun. It is only five feet deep. However, the fire is burning in the trench, the smoke is billowing, and the dense arrows fired from the hills make the Han army  There were heavy casualties. The corpses inside and outside the trench piled up like mountains. The gurgling blood flowed into the trench like a stream, filling the air with a pungent stench.

    The attacking Han army also fired thousands of arrows. Arrows from both sides were like dense rain, intertwining into a web of arrows. The Han army held their shields high, supported rolling logs and stones, and stepped on the corpses of their companions, struggling to attack the hills. Every moment,  Every moment, Han soldiers were shot by bows and arrows or hit by huge rolling logs. Their heads were bruised and bloody, and they rolled down the hillside screaming.

    A dangerous situation appeared on the southwest side of the hill. Hundreds of Cao soldiers were guarding a battle line more than ten feet long. Dozens of Han soldiers, led by a camp commander, had already rushed up the hill and climbed onto the heavy baggage vehicles and hundreds of Cao soldiers.  The soldiers endured the battle, and behind them, hundreds of Han troops were rushing up along the gap.

    At this time, the leader of the Han army found a long piece of wood and held it against the crossbar of the baggage cart. He pushed the cart inward with all his strength, "Come and help me!" he shouted loudly.

    A dozen Han soldiers rushed to help him, and everyone shouted: "One, two, three!"

    The heavy baggage cart was pushed and slowly turned inward. The cart gradually tilted back, its center of gravity shifted outward, and began to shake violently. The dozen or so Cao soldiers on board let out a series of frightened screams, and some jumped from the cart.  Jumping up and down, most people fell heavily to the ground as the cart tilted.

    ¡®Boom!  With a loud noise, the cart overturned and fell apart. Hundreds of bags of grain on the cart poured down. More than ten Cao soldiers were killed or injured. Most of them were suppressed by the grain bags and could not move. The Han soldiers jumped up.  The spears were stabbed at Cao Jun who was pinned down by the grain bags. Amidst the screams, more than a dozen people were stabbed to death.

    A gap was finally opened in the southwest corner, and hundreds of Han soldiers rushed in, followed by hundreds more. At this moment, Zhang Liao received an urgent report and led more than a thousand soldiers to rush there. Seeing the critical situation, Zhang Liao shouted  Said: "Use bows and arrows to push down the enemy troops behind!"

    More than a thousand soldiers of Cao's army shot at the Han army rushing up the hillside from the side. Zhang Liao shouted, swung his sword and attacked, killing several people in succession. At this time, the Han army led by Zhang Liao gatheredWith a scream, he was hit in the face by a cold arrow from Cao Jun, and fell on his back. Another Han soldier quickly rushed forward to fill his position, but his head was chopped off by Zhang Liao.

    Hundreds more Cao troops came rushing towards the gap. The Han troops who rushed into the gap could not withstand it and retreated steadily. Cao soldiers, under the command of Zhang Liao, once again blocked the gap. The gap in the southwest corner was not breached in the end. The Han army suffered more than a hundred casualties.  The people behind them were forced to retreat back.

    After nearly an hour of fighting, both armies suffered heavy casualties, each with more than 2,000 casualties. Most of them were shot to death by arrows, and some were killed in fierce fighting when attacking the baggage trains.

    Wenpin stood at a high place and watched the battle coldly. He always had a gloomy face and said nothing. Standing next to him was his beloved disciple Cai Jin. Cai Jin was the third batch of attacking generals. At this time, he felt a little worried.  , said in a low voice: "Master, the losses from such a forceful attack are too great. Why don't we retreat first and then pursue Cao's army when they set off."

    Wenpin glanced at him coldly and said after a while: "Of course I know that such an attack will cause great losses, but sooner or later the Jingzhou army will face a land battle with Cao's army. Let them fight head-on. It will only be good for them."

    Only then did Cai Jin realize that the master wanted to use this opportunity to hone the combat effectiveness of the soldiers. At this moment, Liu Hu led a thousand heavy armored infantry in formation. He stepped forward and clasped his fists and saluted: "General Wen, it's time to  We're on the field."

    Liu Hu arrived at Xiangyang from Bashu five days ago to fight. He brought 3,000 heavy infantry with him, but today he only led 1,000 soldiers across the river. The rest of his brothers stayed in Xiangyang City. He thought he had nothing to do, but unexpectedly  Wenpin encountered a tough battle, and he immediately volunteered to fight.

    Liu Hu was appointed Zhonglang General, one level lower than Wenpin, but his status was very high. He was a veteran of the Han army, and he was extremely gentle with others. Everyone in the Han army disliked him. Since Liu Hu took the initiative to go to war, Wenpin  It was hard to refuse the offer, so he nodded and said: "General, be careful!"

    At this time, the Cai family quickly suggested: "General Tiger, the hillside to the east is gentle, which is conducive to the charge of heavily armored soldiers, and there are not many enemy troops in the northeast corner."

    "Okay! Just from the east."

    Liu Hu waved his hand and shouted: "Follow me!"

    Groups of heavy armored infantrymen wearing heavy armor and holding sabers shouted and followed Liu Hu running towards the east hillside. Cai Jin was infected by their heroic momentum. He came to the war drum, picked up the drumstick and violently  The ground struck.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The drums were beating loudly, and a thousand heavy armored infantry rushed towards the Cao army's fortifications on the hillside. What greeted them was a storm of arrows.

    The heavy armored infantry held shields in hand and charged without fear. When they reached forty steps, huge logs came crashing down on their heads and faces. The heavy armored infantry lowered their heads and slowly advanced with their shields raised, but many soldiers were still hit.  I had to roll down the mountain, screaming one after another.

    Liu Hu was furious. He threw away his shield, swung his sword forward, and split a huge tree into two pieces. He shouted, "Throw away your shield and kill me!"

    The heavily armored soldiers threw away their shields one after another, shouting and charging towards the top of the mountain dozens of steps away. Liu Hu took the lead bravely. He chopped off two huge trees in a row, roared, and suddenly raised his sword to slash at a large cart in front of him.  Go and just listen 'Crack!  ¡¯ With a sound, a large baggage vehicle was split into two halves. Liu Hu slashed horizontally again, flying off the heads of two Cao soldiers.

    He crashed into the cart and headed towards the inner circle

    In the northeast corner of the defense circle, Cao Jun encountered a crisis again. The nearly 100-foot-long baggage cart in this area had no food and grass, and Cao Jun did not have many soldiers. It was guarded by 1,500 Cao Jun soldiers, which was 30% less than in other places. Cai Jin  Be the first to discover this defensive flaw.

    The people who attacked this defensive loophole were the most elite and powerful heavy armored infantry of the Han army. They were 5,000 people selected from the 200,000-strong army. They were all tall and powerful and fought fiercely. Their arrival began to reverse the situation.  The Han army's offensive situation was unfavorable.

    A thousand heavy armored infantrymen broke through a gap more than 20 feet wide and fought fiercely with more than a thousand Cao Jun. They were extremely powerful and with flashing swords, they killed Cao Jun soldiers with heavy casualties and retreated steadily.

    It was dark at night, and amidst the melee all around, Li Dian, who was responsible for defending the east side, had already learned that something happened in the northeast corner and was leading two thousand soldiers to help defend. However, he was still a step too late. Hundreds of elite heavy armored infantry quickly killed them.  Entering the hinterland, he fought his way to the cattle and horse pens in one go.

    The more than a thousand civilians guarding tens of thousands of livestock began to get confused. Some Han soldiers threw stones, and some stabbed them with spears in the dark. They shouted and panicked.

    After a moment, Liu Hu led dozens of Han army heavy armored infantry to appear in front of the westernmost hay tent. Liu Hu was extremely fierce at this time. He faced him with a knife and chopped off the heads of two civilian husbands. He was covered with wounds.  Flesh and blood, ferocious and ferocious, dozens of other civilians were so frightened that they dropped their spears and ran away.There was a gap in front of the ten hay tents, and a soldier began to light a fire.

    At this time, hundreds of Cao soldiers who were guarding the livestock saw that the situation was critical and rushed forward together. However, Liu Huchang seized the opportunity of just a moment and kicked open the railing surrounding the large forage tent. He swung his knife  He slashed fiercely, and in an instant, three more civilians were hacked to death. When he turned around, he saw a large group of Cao Jun soldiers rushing up, so he roared, turned around, and fought with Cao Jun.

    At this time, more than a hundred heavy armored infantry rushed from the gap to the cattle and horse barrier. These Han soldiers were all covered in heavy iron armor, tall, strong, and ferocious in appearance. They rushed into the Cao army, like tigers rushing into a herd of sheep.

    In a moment, forty or fifty Cao Jun soldiers were killed. The Cao Jun soldiers were so frightened that they turned and fled. At the same time, a large tent filled with fodder was set alight. The fire shot into the sky and the flames spread rapidly.  There was chaos.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 641 The bloody battle in Jiangbei (Part 2)

    According to the division of labor, Li Dian was in charge of the eastern and northern fronts, and Zhang Liao was also in charge of the southern and western fronts. Li Dian led 3,000 soldiers to the northeast corner. In the pale moonlight, he saw countless tall soldiers wearing heavy armor fighting against each other.  His own men fought fiercely.

    The enemy army was extremely ferocious. Wherever the blade passed, blood burst out and pieces of meat flew everywhere. All around them were the stumps and broken arms of Cao's soldiers. It was bloody and tragic. Fortunately, the enemy army was unable to move and was blocked by many large and heavy vehicles.  Way to go.

    Li Dian was so shocked that his scalp exploded. He knew that this must be the most famous heavy armored infantry of the Han army.

    At this time, a Cao Jun soldier behind him shouted: "General, hundreds of enemy troops have already entered the hinterland."

    Li Dian turned his head, and in the night, he saw a huge fire in the middle of the hill, and flames soaring into the sky. That was where the large forage tent was, and there were running mules, horses and other livestock everywhere, forming a chaotic mess. Just when Li Dian felt at a loss what to do, a sudden  A cavalryman rushed over and shouted: "General Li, General Zhang, please block the enemy's entrance. He will deal with the enemy in the hinterland!"

    Li Dian felt relieved suddenly, brandished his gun and shouted: "Brothers, follow me to block the enemy army!"

    At this time, the 1,500 Cao soldiers in the northeast corner had already killed a thousand, and only a few hundred were fighting fiercely with the opponent. Li Dian was shocked and angry, and roared, waving his spear and charging forward. Three thousand Cao soldiers were like  A swarm of ants rushed forward after him, blocking the passage of the heavy armored infantry.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Cao's army has more than 20,000 people, and Han's army also has 20,000. The two sides are balanced in terms of strength. Although Cao's army has a slight advantage by using the terrain, Cao's army is on the defensive after all, while the Han army is on the offensive, and the initiative lies with Han.  In the hands of the army, the two sides are actually evenly matched.

    However, the appearance of a thousand heavy armored infantry broke this balance. The powerful combat power of the heavy armored infantry quickly tore apart Cao Jun's defensive front, leaving Cao Jun in a passive situation across the board. Zhang Liao also got the opportunity to break through the defensive line.  The news made him anxious, and he personally led three thousand soldiers to the fire in the center of the hill.

    At this time, nearly 500 Han heavy armored infantrymen, led by Liu Hu, had entered the hinterland of the hill from the northeast corner gap, and a large number of Han troops were continuously attacking the gap.

    But Liu Hu also made a mistake. After he led his army into the hinterland, he did not immediately support the other Han troops who were attacking the defensive line. Instead, he focused his main energy on attacking the hinterland of Cao's army, including destroying the cattle and horse stables, burning  The forage tent and the main battle flag of Cao's army were cut off.

    Of course, destroying the cattle and horse stables is very beneficial to disrupting Cao's defense. Cutting off the battle flags can also impact the enemy's morale. There is nothing wrong with Liu Hu's approach, but everything has priorities. At this critical moment, destroying the cattle and horse stables and destroying the enemy's morale  The battle flag is nothing more than an act of sacrificing the foundation for the sake of the end.

    At this time, Zhang Liao led 3,000 men to kill. They cut with swords and arrows, attacked and blocked, trying to divide and annihilate the 500 heavy armored infantry. Liu Hu also realized that he had made a mistake. He regretted it in his heart, and his heroic fighting spirit burst out.  , shouted: "Brothers, line up!"

    Liu Hu swung his horse-killing sword, flying like snowflakes, and instantly chopped off the heads of three Cao soldiers. Five hundred heavy armored infantry were quickly gathering together. Although Cao Jun tried his best to separate them, it was difficult to stop the gathering of heavy armored infantry.  Zhang Liao was also shocked by the powerful combat power of the heavy armored infantry.

    At this time, there was a gust of wind behind him. Zhang Liao knew something was wrong, lowered his head and rolled out. A cold light passed over his head, and he saw a tall and burly heavy armored infantry general holding a saber and slashing into the air.

    The tooth general yelled again and rushed towards Zhang Liao from the side, slashing with his sword. The sword was extremely sharp. He moved from high to low like an eagle and a rabbit, but Zhang Liao dodged and avoided this brutal blow.  Picking up a spear casually, he swung the spear and stabbed back. The tip of the spear penetrated the eye hole of the heavy armored infantry helmet, and the spear pierced the opponent's head. With a miserable hiss, the tooth general's huge body was lifted up high, and Zhang Liao's spear shot out.  Throw, throw the opponent's body more than ten feet away.

    The death of General Ya made the five hundred heavy-armored infantry suddenly red-eyed. They roared in unison, formed a wall, and slashed out horses and swords one by one, killing Cao's soldiers until they were retreating.

    Zhang Liao commanded his soldiers to surround the heavy armored infantry with chariots, and then barely withstood the opponent's attack. Liu Hu saw that the enemy troops were too numerous, so he also ordered to stop the attack and temporarily retreated to the cattle and horse stables to recover and fight with the enemy troops.  Confrontation.

    The war drums of the Han army rumbled again, and a Han army of more than 10,000 people rushed up from the west front, constantly attacking Cao Jun's most unstable defense line in the southwest corner.

    At this time, the situation of Cao's army was already very unfavorable, but Wenpin was not in a hurry to defeat Cao's army. He changed the offensive rhythm again and ordered Cai Jin to lead the second batch of Han troops to attack the western front, with a total of 10,000 troops.

    Although Cao Jun suffered heavy casualties under the dense arrow array, one army had already broken through the southwest defense line, while the other eight thousand Han troops were watching eagerly from a hundred steps away, ready to attack at any time.The soldiers press forward.

    At this time, a soldier rushed to Zhang Liao and reported: "General, the southwest corner has been breached. We cannot support it. General Sun asks for help!"

    Zhang Liao had just secured the southwest corner and handed over the defense responsibility to his general Sun Tai. He led his troops to intercept the heavy armored infantry in the hinterland. Unexpectedly, just a moment after he left, the southwest corner was breached again. Zhang Liao was furious.  "Go tell him that if he doesn't close the gap within a quarter of an hour, I'll take his head!"

    Although he hated it, Zhang Liao had no choice but to take care of it. He ordered another 2,000 Cao troops from the 5,000 northern front line to reinforce the southwest corner. However, Cao Jun in the southwest corner had already suffered more than 1,000 casualties, and only less than 800 people were in command.  Under the command of Sun Tai, they resisted hard.

    In the night, Cao Jun¡¯s archery lost its lethality and its morale was low, making it even more difficult to resist the Han army¡¯s attack. If Wenpin hadn¡¯t sent troops in turn to attack Cao Jun¡¯s defense line in order to hone the Han army¡¯s combat effectiveness, Cao Jun would have already failed.

    Wenpin stood at a high place, still looking at the battle on the highlands with a calm expression. He looked back to the north from time to time. He had just received Liu Jing's order. Cao's cavalry was most likely to go south to assist the rear army, but he was still asked to follow his own instructions.  Plan your battle accordingly and don't be influenced by the cavalry.

    Wenpin understood what Liu Jing meant, that is, there were already deployments in the north.

    At this time, a military commander galloped over on horseback. He raised his hands on the horse and said: "We have been able to break through the enemy's defense on the western front. General Cai asked for instructions, can we attack across the entire front?"

    Wenpin asked: "How is General Tiger's situation?"

    "General Tiger is confronting the enemy. There is no fierce fighting between the two sides for the time being!"

    Wenpin nodded and ordered: "Send my order to General Cai, and wait patiently for my order."

    "Follow the order!" The Marquis urged his horse to gallop away, and Wenpin turned his attention to the north. He must cooperate with Liu Jing's overall layout. Defeating the enemy too early would affect the ambush of the cavalry. He needed to wait and watch the north.  make a decision based on the battle situation.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the dark night, a cavalry of 5,000 people was heading south rapidly under the leadership of general Cao Xiu. Cao Xiu was Cao Hong's nephew. He was tall, powerful, skilled in martial arts, and brave and good at fighting. He was known as the "Call of War" together with Cao Zhen.  'Cao's Two Tiger Horses' has become the leader of the younger generation of the Cao family.

    Cao Xiu was not only very brave, but also very strategic. He was highly regarded by Cao Cao. He was appointed by Cao Cao to be the commander of the Su Guard Cavalry and was given the title of Colonel Zhenyong. He originally followed Cao Chun to open the way north, but he urgently received news from Cao Cao and ordered him to  He led five thousand cavalry to rescue Zhang Liao's troops in the rear.

    Five thousand cavalry were marching along the road. Under the pale moonlight, yellow dust was billowing on the official road. The cavalry, which was several miles long, was marching southward in formation on the official road.

    This is Cao's army's most elite tiger and leopard cavalry. Most of the soldiers are not Han people, but Wuhuan Hu people. They have superb riding skills, are good at riding and shooting, and have strong personal abilities. After rigorous formal training, they have become  A formidable elite cavalry force.

    Although these cavalrymen had superb riding skills, they could not march at the same speed at night as during the day. They could not gallop. This made Cao Xiu very anxious. After two hours, they had only traveled more than fifty miles. He was worried that the rear army could no longer withstand it.  .

    The army has passed Hekou Town and is only more than ten miles away from Bailonggang where the rear army was besieged. So far, no defeated troops have been seen, indicating that Zhang Liao's army has not failed and is still supporting. Only then did Cao Xiu relax a little.  He immediately ordered the army to slow down and try to let the horses rest, and at the same time sent several scouts to the front to inquire about the situation.

    At this time, Cao Xiu looked at the surrounding terrain. Most of this area was plain, but some abrupt hills and mountains could still be seen in the distance. There were large wheat fields on both sides of the official road. They had reached the heading period, but due to lack of management,  The wheat fields were not growing well, and large areas had been trampled by the army.

    In addition to the wheat fields, there are also dense forest belts. There are no people in sight, and the surroundings are silent. Cao Xiu sees no sign of an ambush, and his eyes turn to the front. At this time, the scout brought a messenger from Zhang Liao.  Come quickly.

    The messenger soldier held the command arrow in his hand and clasped his fist on the horse and said: "Reporting to General Cao, we are surrounded by 20,000 Han troops in Bailonggang, with nearly 40% dead and wounded. We are urgently looking forward to the general's assistance!"

    "I know, hurry up now!"

    Cao Xiu shouted loudly: "Pass my order and march faster!"

    The speed of Cao's cavalry increased again, and the horses' hoofs beat on the ground, making a dull sound like thunder. After a while, the army marched for several more miles. In front of them was a lush forest. The spies had inspected the woods and found nothing unusual. Cao Xiu was no longer suspicious.  Just order the troops to move quickly.

    "But there is a time lag between the spies' inspection and the arrival of the army, about a cup of tea. During the interval of this time lag,The 10,000 Han soldiers led by Yan De and Wei Yan quickly ran into the woods from a distance, stopped more than 60 steps away, and carefully ambush. They hid in the grass or big trees, quietly watching the distance.  The cavalry passed by in formation.

    Cao's cavalry stretches for several miles, and it is necessary to hit the middle part of the cavalry to achieve the greatest effect. Ten thousand Han soldiers are spread out in the woods two miles long. They have quietly raised their crossbows, aimed at the cavalry on the official road, and are waiting.  The command appears.

    The cavalry forward on the official road suddenly discovered a strange sight on more than a dozen big trees by the road. A soldier pointed at the big tree and asked: "General, what do you see on the big tree?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 642 Let¡¯s discuss the conditions again

    Cao Xiu also saw that there were more than a dozen big trees eight or nine feet high scattered along the official road. The crowns of the trees were huge and extremely leafy. There was a huge black spherical object on the top of each big tree. It looked like  It looked like a bird's nest, but none of the soldiers had ever seen such a big bird's nest. The soldiers were very surprised and talked a lot.

    Cao Xiu felt a little uneasy. This was the third time he had passed this official road, especially when he had just passed it a few hours ago and didn't see any bird's nests. How could it suddenly appear?  At this time, a soldier suddenly shouted: "There seems to be someone in the tree!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, fire suddenly appeared on the tree, and the huge black spherical objects were ignited instantly. They burned very quickly, causing the cavalry on the official road to panic. At this time, a raging fire also ignited on the official road ahead, cutting off  They were on their way, and just as the soldiers were reining in their horses, fireballs from more than a dozen big trees suddenly fell down and hit the cavalry group. The soldiers screamed, the horses screamed, and they became a mess.

    However, no one expected that a fire ignited on the official road and spread quickly. Although the fire was not big, it frightened the war horses. The horses raised their front hooves and ran out of the official road in panic. But on the left side of the road was a long road.  The long ditch was about two feet wide, and many war horses turned around and ran toward the woods on the inside.

    The light of the fire was the signal, and suddenly a volley of arrows was fired in the woods. Five thousand crossbow arrows roared and shot at the cavalry on the official road. Cao's cavalry were caught off guard and screamed, falling off their horses and falling into the fire on the ground. Then the second  The round arrows came again with great force, and the second round of arrows shot out, killing and wounding nearly a thousand Cao Cao's cavalry. There were threats of bows and arrows outside, and fire burning inside. Thousands of cavalry fell into extreme chaos.

    At this time, the flames on the official road triggered more kerosene buried in the soil. The fire burned throughout the official road in an instant, forming a mile-long fire belt. Cao Xiu waved his arms desperately and shouted: "Leave."  Official Road! Get out of Official Road!"

    More than a thousand cavalrymen of Cao's army fled outward as if their nest had been blown up. At this time, the ravine on the left blocked Cao's army's desire to survive, and countless horses fell into the ravine.

    The soldiers of Cao's army, who were covered in fire, ran out of the fire wailing and ran towards the woods. At this time, they no longer cared about the ambush with bows and arrows on the opposite side. The fire was burning on their heads and bodies. Many of them opened their arms and ran for only a few seconds.  As soon as they took a step, they fell to the ground. The fire burned them and they curled up. Dozens of war horses that ran a little slower were also engulfed in the fire. They fell to the ground and rolled around, screaming.

    In the woods, Pound shook his head slightly. This tragic scene was too cruel, but the war did not allow him to have mercy. He gritted his teeth and ordered: "Keep shooting!"

    Round after round of arrows were shot out from the woods. Many Cao Jun cavalry who climbed out of the ravine could not escape the dense arrows and were shot to the ground. Gradually, the two-mile-long official road quietly attacked, and the fire also  The fever subsided, and a pungent burnt smell filled the air.

    But not all of Cao's cavalry fell into the ambush, but nearly half of the cavalry fell into the ambush. Cao Xiu escaped from the ambush. He was burned to the point of despair. He led the more than 2,000 soldiers behind him to turn around and flee north, but he could not escape within a few miles.  , suddenly a burst of drums sounded, fire broke out, and another army of about 5,000 people came out of the woods. The leader was Wei Yan.

    He brandished his sword and shouted, "The enemy general should not leave, Wei Yan has been waiting here for a long time!"

    Cao Xiu was so frightened that he had no intention of fighting, so he turned around and ran away. The cavalry behind him ran after him. Wei Yan led his army to surround and charge, killing the enemy and capturing nearly a thousand people. Only a thousand cavalry escaped the pursuit and followed Cao Xiu in panic and fled northward.

    Wei Yan ordered the soldiers to clean the battlefield and escort the prisoners of war. The soldiers brought groups of war horses, more than 700 of them. Wei Yan's eyes suddenly lit up. He walked to an unusually handsome horse, patted it and said with a smile: "This horse  good!"

    "General Wei, just accept this horse!" Several generals nearby laughed.

    Wei Yan shook his head. He suffered too much because he ignored the military regulations. This time he learned his lesson.

    "This war horse will be dedicated to Zhou Mu."

    He immediately ordered his soldiers, "Put this horse away!"

    At this time, a soldier came riding on horseback from a distance. The soldier clasped his fists on the horse and said, "Just now, Zhou Mu sent someone to send an order, asking us to go to the south to help in the battle. General Pang has already assembled his troops and is waiting in front."

    Wei Yan said happily: "Please tell General Pang that we will be there soon."

    Not long after, the two armies joined forces and marched toward the south in a mighty manner.

    The time had gradually reached the fifth watch, and the Han army stopped attacking. Liu Hu's 500 heavy armored infantry also broke out of the way and fought towards the hills. The battlefield was silent. Zhang Liao stood on a big rock and looked to the north with an expression on his face.  Very solemnly, he had already seen the burning fire in the north. It must be that their reinforcements were ambushed.

    At this time, Li Dian slowly walked forward,He whispered: "It's really strange. The enemy was completely able to break through our defenses, but they gave up at the last moment. The enemy's heavy armored infantry also withdrew from the hills. What on earth were they doing?"

    Zhang Liao sighed and said, "If I guess correctly, even if we go out to break out, we will still be surrounded by enemy troops."

    As soon as Zhang Liao finished speaking, ¡®Boom!  "Boom!" With the sound of war drums, a massive army with tens of thousands of people appeared in the east, and an army of tens of thousands of people appeared in the north. Li Dian suddenly turned pale, and he saw a gold-rimmed red flag.  , this is the king's flag of the Han army, Liu Jing arrived in person.

    "Wen Yuan, is he trying to force us to surrender?" Li Dian asked in a trembling voice.

    Zhang Liao's face was as solemn as water. After a while, he shook his head slightly and said: "There is no point in them forcing us to surrender. I think they should use us to exchange conditions with the Prime Minister!"

    Speaking of this, Zhang Liao asked again: "How many troops do we have?"

    "There are more than 8,000 fresh troops, more than 6,000 wounded troops, and more than 4,000 dead."

    Zhang Liao nodded, "Rebuild the fortifications, kill all the livestock for food, and let the brothers have a full meal!"

    "But we don't have much water."

    "How much water is left?" Zhang Liao asked anxiously.

    "It can probably last three days."

    Zhang Liao sighed softly, "I think three days will be enough!"

    Under the hill, 60,000 Han troops gathered. Just as Zhang Liao said, Liu Jing personally led the army. He did not order to attack the hill again, but set up a large camp under the hill. The stretching tents surrounded the hill. At this time,  Zhang Liao is their hostage. It depends on whether Cao Cao saves him or not. If he doesn't save, Cao Cao will lose his prestige. If he saves, they will definitely pay a heavier price. The only way out is negotiation. Of course Liu Jing will not refuse, but  It all depends on Cao Cao¡¯s bid.

    In the big tent, Wenpin handed over the command arrow to Liu Jing. Liu Jing smiled approvingly and said: "General Wen fought very wisely in this battle and left me plenty of room. If General Pang and General Wei hadn't defeated them,  I still can¡¯t make up my mind to support Cao¡¯s cavalry.¡±

    Wenpin clasped his fists and responded: "I'm ashamed of myself. My final idea is to use this opportunity to hone the soldiers' actual combat capabilities, so it is definitely not wise to send troops to attack in turns."

    "General Wen is too modest."

    Liu Jing smiled and glanced at Liu Hu again. Seeing that Liu Hu was about to speak but hesitated, she asked with a smile: "What does General Tiger want to say?"

    Liu Hu scratched his head and said sheepishly: "Fortunately, I brought a thousand brothers here. If I brought two thousand brothers, wouldn't it ruin the state pastor's plan?"

    Everyone laughed together. At this time, a guard reported at the door of the tent: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, Cao Jun's envoy is asking for an audience. It's Chen Qun from last time."

    Liu Jing chuckled and said, "It's faster than I expected. Please wait in another tent."

    Everyone retreated one after another, leaving only Jia Xu in the tent. At this time, Liu Jing said with emotion: "We did not expect this result in advance."

    Jia Xu smiled, "Although it was unexpected, it is also reasonable. Cao Cao's rear army cannot escape."

    "The military advisor is right, but now is not the time to summarize the achievements. Let's talk about the negotiations. From the fact that Chen Qun came in such a hurry, we can see that Cao Cao is very anxious at this time. Should we take the opportunity to increase the price?" Liu Jing  asked with a smile.

    Jia Xu shook his head, "The increase in Zhou Mu's price at this time will only make people feel that Zhou Mu is inconsistent and has no principles. Cao Cao was unwilling to accept Zhou Mu's conditions before, which led to this defeat. Then Zhou Mu should stick to his principles.  You should not take advantage of others¡¯ danger, regardless of whether they are enemies or not.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded silently and bowed, "The military advisor is right to criticize."

    Jia Xu smiled slyly and said: "However, if Cao Cao insists on improving the conditions and forcing various benefits to Zhou Mu, Zhou Mu might as well accept it happily, and he can't be too pedantic, right?"

    Liu Jing laughed loudly, "The military advisor knows me very well. I would like to ask the military advisor to come forward on my behalf in this matter."

    In the other tent, Chen Qun paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands. From time to time he walked to the tent door and looked at the hills not far away. His heart was full of anxiety at this time. The situation at this time made them very passive. If not  Saving Zhang Liao and other rear armies would seriously affect the prime minister's military prestige. If they were to rescue the rear armies, Liu Jing's conditions would probably be unbearable for them.

    At this time, there was a heavy cough from the door of the tent. Chen Qun turned around and saw Jia Xu walking in calmly with his hands behind his hands. This made Chen Qun feel cold. Liu Jing really refused to come forward.  It's a bit difficult to handle.

    Chen Qun hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "Chen Qun came here without permission and disturbed the military advisor."

    Jia Xu saidHe waved his hand and said, "No need to say more about this long article. We all understand the situation. Please sit down!"

    Chen Qun and Jia Xu sat down, and Jia Xu smiled again: "Zhou Mu is busy with military affairs, so he asked me to meet Chang Wen on his behalf. Please forgive me for any rudeness, Chang Wen."

    Chen Qun smiled bitterly, "I was entrusted by the Prime Minister to come to discuss with your army. I hope your army will allow our rear army to return north. As for some necessary conditions, we can discuss it. I don't know what conditions Zhou Mu needs before he is willing to let go."  people?"

    "This question is difficult to answer!"

    Jia Xu pondered for a long time and said: "Please forgive me, Chang Wen came here once before, actually last night, when Zhou Mu proposed conditions, but was rejected by Prime Minister Cao. Things have changed. Now let us put forward conditions again.  , it seems a bit unreasonable, isn¡¯t it a long article?¡±

    Jia Xu¡¯s implication was to let the other party put forward their own conditions and they would no longer take the initiative. Chen Qun understood what the other party meant and couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly in his heart. He had no choice but to hand over his hand: "In this case, I will discuss it with the Prime Minister when I go back!"

    Jia Xu nodded and pretended to be worried: "Although there is no food to worry about on the hills, there is no water source. This matter cannot be delayed for a long time, so go back as soon as possible!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 643 Zhang Liao returns to the north

    At this time, Cao Cao set up a temporary camp in Xinye City. He originally planned to withdraw to Wancheng as much as possible, but the unfavorable withdrawal made Cao Cao troubled.

    Zhang He used a trick to lure the troops in the river and lost more than half of them, which Cao Cao could barely accept. Cao Xiu was ambushed on the road, and most of his 5,000 elite cavalry were killed or injured. Cao Cao could tolerate it, but he couldn't accept that the rear army was wiped out.

    Not only is it an army issue, but more importantly, the rear army commander Zhang Liao is his most trusted confidant. Once Zhang Liao is captured or surrenders to Liu Jing, the consequences will be unimaginable.

    Of course, Cao Cao also knew that Zhang Liao would not surrender to Liu Jing, but if Zhang Liao did not want to be captured and would rather die for his country, it would be an unbearable pain for him. How to get Liu Jing to withdraw his troops as soon as possible and how to withdraw the post-liberation troops would become Cao Cao's pressure.  Big things on my mind.

    Cao Hong proposed a plan. He advocated that the army should go south again to fight the Han army and use the superiority of the cavalry to defeat Liu Jing's army. However, this plan was ultimately rejected by Cao Cao. Cao Cao had experienced hundreds of battles and knew that even with cavalry, he might not be able to defeat him.  Han army.

    More importantly, the food and grass are all in the rear army. Once his army goes south, Liu Jing will not give him another chance. He will definitely retreat to the south bank after annihilating Zhang Liao's army. If the food and grass are cut off, the morale of the army is confused, and the Han army takes the opportunity to counterattack. He  It would lead to a complete defeat, a consequence he couldn't afford.

    After repeated deliberation, Cao Cao finally decided to sue for peace and end the southern expedition with an attitude of admitting defeat. Although it was ugly, he still achieved his goal and successfully delayed the Han army's northern expedition on the western front and won the victory for Xun You in preparation for the war.  time.

    In the big tent, Cao Cao was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his hands, anxiously waiting for news from Chen Qun. It was already dark. According to the distance, Chen Qun should have returned long ago, or sent someone to deliver a letter. Why now?  There is no news at all. Did something happen to him?

    Just when Cao Cao started to feel a little irritable, a guard came to the door and reported: "Prime Minister, Chen Canjun is back!"

    Cao Cao was overjoyed and said quickly: "Bring him in quickly!"

    A moment later, Chen Qun hurriedly walked into the tent, bowed and saluted, "I'm here to see you, Prime Minister."

    "No need to be polite, tell me how it goes?"

    "Reporting to the Prime Minister, the minister failed to see Liu Jing. Jia Wenhe received me, but he avoided talking about the conditions."

    Cao Cao was stunned, what does this mean?  He waved his hand and said, "Sit down and talk in detail."

    The two sat down, and Chen Qun told him in detail how he met Jia Xu, and finally said: "Consideration of the humble position should be a condition for Liu Jing's improvement, but he did not want to express his position, but hoped that the prime minister would take the initiative to propose  ¡±

    Cao Cao nodded, "You are right. Since he besieged and refused to attack, he just wanted to bargain with us, but he didn't want to take advantage of others' danger, so he refused to take the initiative to put forward conditions. He wanted me to express my position. It's just that  How can I make a price?"

    Cao Cao sighed and said, "He previously proposed not to depose Queen Fu. This is an extremely harsh condition. What else does he want?"

    Chen Qun was silent. Many people could not understand the profound meaning of this condition, but he knew very well that this was not a visible material transaction such as money, food, ordnance. This was a political game. Once Empress Fu was deposed, the Cao family would definitely be killed.  As the queen, Cao Cao became the head of the country and gained a lot of political leverage. This formed a situation where Cao and Liu shared the world. Then it was logical for Cao Cao to become the king of Wei.

    Chen Qun knew that Cao Cao had been waiting for this day for a long time. He even conspired with Fu Wan to collude with ministers and bribe dead soldiers. Cao Cao knew about this and even acquiesced to the expansion of this behavior, thus creating conditions for him to abolish Queen Fu.

    But Liu Jing also saw this problem and put forward the condition that he was not allowed to depose the queen. This undoubtedly hit Cao Cao's key points, so Cao Cao refused to agree. Chen Qun did not dare to persuade, and only waited patiently for Cao Cao to make his own decision.  .

    Cao Cao paced back and forth with his hands behind his hands, then stopped and looked at the tent roof. After a long time, he finally sighed and said, "Okay! I promise him that I will not depose Queen Fu for the time being."

    Chen Qun's heart suddenly relaxed. In this way, he could at least explain to his father-in-law Xun Yu. Chen Qun said cautiously: "I'm afraid this condition alone is not enough."

    "I know!"

    Cao Cao nodded and said: "Tell Liu Jing, there will be an imperial edict, and he can be granted the title of nobility below the rank of Marquis. I just hope he will not abuse the title."

    Chen Qun rushed to Fancheng without stopping, changing horses all the way. When the sky was dim, he finally saw the Han army camp from a distance.

    On Bailonggang, the battlefield has been cleared up. Food and carts have been rearranged into defensive formations. Swords, guns and arrows have been collected one by one. The cattle and sheep pens have also been completely repaired. Tens of thousands of cattle and horses are staying quietly in the pens. In the open space to the west  , Cao Jun laid down hundreds ofThe tent is where injured soldiers rest.

    At this time, it was just dawn, and most of Cao's soldiers were sleeping, and it was extremely quiet on the hills. Zhang Liao had gotten up early and was inspecting the wounded soldiers in the camp in the west. A fierce battle injured more than 5,000 Cao's soldiers, including 1,000 seriously injured.  More than 500 people have been killed due to injuries.

    In fact, the proportion of casualties after such injuries is very small. This is all due to the blood coagulation patch and wound healing pill invented by Zhang Zhongjing. They were first equipped in the Jiangxia Army. Each soldier is equipped with a medical kit.  Later, this kind of medical kit was spread to Cao Jun, and Cao Cao also ordered its promotion. Every Cao Jun soldier was equipped with one.

    Soldiers call this kind of medical kit a "life-saving kit". After being injured, soldiers can help themselves and stop bleeding and heal their wounds in time. This greatly reduces the war mortality rate. It was the same in this battle. It took only ten wounded soldiers to die without treatment.  If one person died, at least half would have died in the past.

    Zhang Liao visited several large tents in succession. At this time, a soldier rushed over and said with cupped hands: "General, Liu Jing has sent an envoy to see the general."

    Zhang Liao nodded, turned around and followed the soldiers. When he reached the hillside, he saw hundreds of Cao soldiers aiming their bows and arrows at a young scribe. Zhang Liao stepped forward and said in a deep voice: "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

    The young scribe bowed and said: "My Excellency, Liu Min, is joining the army under Zhou Mu's tent. I have been granted the order of Zhou Mu to deliver a letter to General Zhang."

    Liu Min said this, but did not take out the letter. He meant to go to the camp to talk in detail. Unexpectedly, Zhang Liao shook his head and said, "The two armies are facing each other. I forgive Zhang Liao for not receiving the enemy's envoy."

    Liu Min had no choice but to take out the letter and presented it to Zhang Liao, "General, please take a look at the autographed letter written by my governor."

    Zhang Liao took the letter and saw on the cover that it read, 'Personally signed by General Wenyuan of the Han Dynasty.' However, he returned the letter and said, "I do not accept this letter. Please take Liu Canjun back with you!"

    Liu Min was stunned, "General, why is this?"

    Zhang Liao was silent for a moment and said calmly: "If Liu Zhou Mu has an official matter, please report it directly to the Prime Minister. Zhang Liao is just a subordinate general and dare not accept the official trust of Zhou Mu. If it is a private matter, Zhang Liao and Zhou Mu don't seem to have friendship yet. I forgive Zhang Liao for not accepting private letters."  ¡±

    After saying that, he turned around and walked away quickly. He heard the order from a distance: "Send Liu Canjun down the mountain!"

    Just when Liu Min had no choice but to go down the mountain to report to Liu Jing, Chen Qun had already arrived at the Han army camp. Chen Qun was exhausted from running back and forth for two days. He was almost helped into Liu Jing's tent by the soldiers.

    This time, Liu Jing met him in person. In the big tent, Chen Qun drank a bowl of hot soup and rested for a while before regaining his strength. Liu Jing sat aside and looked at him with a smile and said: "Sir, don't be anxious.  I just received news from your army¡¯s spies that the army¡¯s water supply can last for two days and there is enough food. Sir, why don¡¯t you go to sleep first and then talk more about it?¡±

    Chen Qun shook his head, "Thank you Zhou Mu for your concern. This matter is important, so I will work harder. The Prime Minister clearly promised Zhou Mu that he will not abolish Queen Fu for the time being."

    Having said this, Chen Qun took out Cao Cao's letter from his arms and presented it to Liu Jing with both hands, "The prime minister's written commitment is in the letter. Please ask the state pastor to read it."

    Liu Jing opened the letter and read it. Cao Cao indeed promised in the letter that he would not depose Empress Fu due to the rebellion of his relatives. Liu Jing nodded. As Cao Cao, since he made the promise personally, he would not go back on it easily. This is consistent with  It was not the same thing that he tore up the armistice; it was a political commitment from which he benefited.

    At this time, Chen Qun said again: "In addition, the prime minister can also agree to give the state pastor the right to ennoble. In a few days, the imperial edict will come, but it will only be limited to the country marquis level."

    Liu Jing and Jia Xu looked at each other, and both of them laughed knowingly. It seemed that Cao Cao was very understanding of the world, and he gave an additional condition. He nodded, "Since Prime Minister Cao is so sincere, then I can release the rear army."  Return to the north, but leave all supplies and only allow the army to leave."

    "This is no problem!"

    Chen Qun quickly said: "Can you let me go up to the mountain to explain to the generals?"

    "Sir, please do as you like!"

    Liu Jing ordered people to send Chen Qun up the mountain. At this time, Jia Xu sighed and said: "Although Cao Cao promised not to depose Queen Fu for the time being, things will inevitably happen in the future. I know him, and he will definitely do what he wants to do. Maybe  It will be delayed by a few years.¡±

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "I understand this. It's just that he is in his twilight years. Even if he wants to do many things, he will still worry about his posthumous reputation."

    Having said this, Liu Jing walked to the big tent with his hands behind his back, looked at Bailonggang bathed in the morning glow, and looked at the fluttering flag of Cao Jun. He sighed softly, "If Zhang Liao is willing to surrender to me, I would rather not have this  The right of ennoblement.¡±

    Jia Xu smiled and said, "Wen Yuan is a loyal person."As a general, why don't Zhou Mu help him?  "

    "The military advisor is right!"

    Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Pass my order, the army withdraws from the encirclement, withdraws one mile east, and lets Cao's army return north."

    On the hilltop, Zhang Liao led Li Dian and the generals to bow three times to the north. Zhang Liao said loudly: "Zhang Liao will remember the Prime Minister's kindness in rescuing him. I hope my liver and brain will be wiped out and I will die for the Prime Minister!"

    Chen Qun nodded and said to Zhang Liao: "Wenyuan, please evacuate as soon as possible! The prime minister is still waiting in Xinye for the general to return north together."

    Zhang Liao looked at the Han army slowly retreating eastward. He turned around and ordered in a deep voice: "Abandon all supplies and immediately go down the mountain and retreat northward!"

    Groups of Cao's troops marched down the mountain. Zhang Liao, guarded by more than a hundred soldiers, rushed down the mountain on horseback. At this time, he reined in his horse and looked east again.

    On a high ground a few hundred steps away, a gold-rimmed red flag was fluttering in the wind. Under the flag, hundreds of people gathered around a golden-helmeted general riding a white horse. He was watching from a distance.  , Zhang Liao gave him a deep salute with his fists clasped, then turned his horse's head and galloped away to the north.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 644 Jiangdong Envoy Arrives

    Cao Cao's army withdrew from Wancheng to the north. Cao Cao immediately ordered Zhang Liao as the chief general and Li Dian as the deputy general to lead 30,000 troops to Hefei to capture the important town of Compound Fei. He also appointed his second son Cao Zhang as the governor of Nanyang and led 20,000 troops to guard Wancheng. Xun Yu was appointed as military advisor.  Assist Cao Zhang.

    Cao Cao himself, escorted by fifteen thousand cavalry, returned to Yedu in a mighty manner.

    After Cao's army withdrew to the north, the Han army reoccupied the north of Fancheng and seized a large amount of military supplies. On the Han River, ferries were busy sailing back and forth, transporting a large number of Han troops and young people across the Han River. The war was over.  At this time, the military and civilians have shifted from intense war preparations to post-war recovery, rebuilding their homes and resuming farming.

    Especially now that it is May, it is the wheat ear filling season. They must guard the fields day and night to protect the growth of wheat ears. Production reduction is inevitable. What they need to do now is to minimize losses so as to grab a piece of wheat during the summer harvest in June.  Harvest little by little.

    After Cao's army withdrew to the north, Liu Jing ordered Jia Xu and Liu Hu to lead 20,000 troops back to Hanzhong. Because the Jiangdong envoy had arrived, he needed to stay and meet with the Jiangdong envoy before returning to Chengdu.

    That morning, Liu Jing, accompanied by the prefect Cai Yan and the governor Wenpin, inspected the destroyed cities. The three county towns of Fancheng, Dengxian and Xinye had been burned by Cao's army. Dengxian and Xinye were razed to the ground, and Fancheng  It was slightly better, with a bare city wall left.

    All the wooden buildings in Fan City were destroyed by the fire, and there were charred ruins everywhere. However, the tall city walls still stood, and the inner walls were blackened by thick smoke. Groups of prisoners of war of the Cao army were busy under the supervision of the Han soldiers.  Clean up the remaining bricks and tiles in the city.

    Liu Jing rode through the main street. The bustling shops and taverns on both sides were now burned to the ground. Many businessmen who had returned home squatted in their burned shops to look for usable items. Many people were stunned.  He looked at the burned-down shop in a daze.

    Walking to the burned-down Qin Family Tavern, Liu Jing got off her horse, walked to an old man, knelt down and asked, "Is my father the owner of this place?"

    The old man knew Liu Jing and quickly pulled his son to kneel down and salute. Liu Jing helped the father and son up and said with a smile: "No need to be polite, I just want to ask about the situation."

    The old man sighed and said, "My name is Qin Xu. The Qin Family Tavern is my property. It used to be a three-story restaurant, but now it's gone."

    Speaking of this, the old man couldn't help but burst into tears. His son complained to his father in a low voice, "Zhou Mu is right next to you, why are you crying!"

    The old man quickly wiped away his tears and said: "Fortunately, everyone is alive. I will take out the coffin and rebuild it again. I just hope that it will not be burned again in the future."

    "Don't worry! It won't happen again in the future."

    Liu Jing comforted the father and son with a few words, walked back to the street, got on his horse again, and said to Cai Yan: "Calculate the losses of each household. Half of the spoils seized this time can be given to the families who lost the money as compensation."

    Cai Yan was overjoyed and quickly bowed deeply, "Thank you, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing said to Wenpin again: "Today's military harvest is expected to be halved. There is no need to collect military rations. All of them should be left to military households in the field! Each household's losses must be compensated in the same way as civilian households."

    "Wei Chen plans to distribute the captured cattle and horses to military households as compensation."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Okay, you can discuss this with Governor Cai, so you don't need to ask me for instructions."

    At this time, a group of prisoners of war walked by carrying several roof beams that had been burned to charcoal. Liu Jing pointed at the prisoners of war with a riding crop and asked: "How many prisoners of war are there in total?"

    "There are about 8,500 people returning to report to Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said to Wenpin: "Follow the rules of the Jiangxia Army in the past. Make it clear to them that those who are willing to surrender to the Han Army can be converted into formal soldiers and enjoy the same food and salary. Those who are unwilling to surrender can serve in the mines."  After three years of hard labor, he was returned to his hometown.¡±

    "Weichen understands!"

    The crowd turned around and went out of the city. At this time, a guard rushed to a horse and rushed to the way: "Qixuzhou animal husbandry, Sima Jun division accompanied Jiang Dong's messenger, and now he has arrived at Xiangyang Pier."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed and turned back to Wenpin and Cai Yan with a smile: "You two continue to patrol, I will take the first step."

    Wenpin and Cai Yan saluted together, "You can go back, Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing whipped her war horse and ran toward the dock under the protection of a hundred guards.

    There were several thousand-stone ships parked at the Xiangyang pier. It was Sima Yi and his party who were returning from Jiangdong. Deputy envoy Liu Min came back early and reported the situation to Liu Jing, while Sima Yi left a few days later and accompanied Lu Fan, the envoy from Jiangdong.  Xiangyang, affected by the war in Fancheng, temporarily stayed in Wuchang to wait. It was not until the war gradually came to an end that they rushed to Xiangyang.

    On the pier, Sima Yi and Lu Fan were waiting for Liu Jing. Lu Fan refused to go to the city to rest and had to wait for Liu Jing. This time he was on a mission to Jingzhou.Lu Fan was entrusted by Sun Quan to reunite with the Han army and jointly deal with Cao Cao.

    Sun Quan originally had an ambiguous attitude towards fighting Cao Yuanjing. It was not until Huang Gai captured Hefei that his ambitions were aroused. He finally decided to join forces with Liu Jing to fight against Cao and seize benefits from the north.

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? As time goes by, the unpleasant past has gradually faded away, and now there is an opportunity to re-alliance, so Lu Fan's mission is particularly important.

    At this time, a ferry slowly docked and Liu Jing walked out of the boat. Sima Yi saw it first and smiled at Lu Fan: "My lord is here."

    Only then did Lu Fan see Liu Jing walking down the pier. He quickly straightened his clothes, went up to meet her, and said with a deep salute: "Jiangdong Lu Fan meets Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing also had a good impression of the matchmaker Lu Fan because she married Sun Shangxiang. He responded with a smile and said, "We haven't seen each other for several years, but Lu Gong is still as healthy as before."

    "Thank you Zhou Mu for the compliment. How is Princess Shangxiang?"

    "She is very good in Chengdu. Speaking of which, I am grateful to Lu Gong for being a matchmaker, so that I could marry a good wife."

    Lu Gong smiled bitterly in his heart. They all knew that Princess Shangxiang had been following Liu Jing everywhere. In fact, it was the princess's active nature and had nothing to do with Xian. However, Princess Shangxiang behaved well after getting married and respected her elders and husband, which made him a matchmaker.  He breathed a sigh of relief.

    "What we in Jiangdong hope most is that the princess will give birth to an heir as soon as possible. This matter must be left to the state pastor."

    Liu Jing chuckled, "I will definitely work hard!"

    These words made everyone feel that something was wrong, and everyone laughed together. Liu Jing asked Lu Fan to get on the carriage, and they went to Xiangyang City together.

    In the carriage, Sima Yi found the opportunity to ask in a low voice: "Does Zhou Mu know about Sun Ben's incident?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "He is in Xiangyang now, but I haven't met him yet. I can only decide how to deal with him after confirming Jiangdong's relationship."

    Sima Yi was startled, and he quickly said: "Don't Zhou Mu want to use this chess piece?"

    "It's not that I don't want to use him, it's just that he can't be used in a big way. I'm worried that using him will do bad things and cause hostility between Jiangdong and Jingzhou, which will be detrimental to the overall situation."

    Sima Yi smiled and said: "You don't have to worry about this, Zhou Mu. This person has very deep connections in Jiangdong. In order to stabilize Jiangdong, Sun Quan did not investigate his party members, which left trouble in the future. I dare to say that this person must be the cause of the great chaos in Jiangdong."  root."

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and said, "Let's put this aside for a while and think about it after I talk to Lu Fan."

    The carriage stopped slowly in front of the county government office. Liu Jing invited Lu Fan to enter the county government office and sit down in the lobby. Sima Yi, Liu Min and the county prime minister Dong Yun sat beside him. Liu Jing sighed: "I was very sad when I heard that Gong Jin passed away.  It¡¯s uncomfortable. I also built a shrine for him in Chaisang. I wonder how his wife is doing now. What¡¯s the difficulty?¡±

    Lu Fan was grateful to Liu Jing for setting up a shrine for Zhou Yu, and added: "Gong Jin's wife Qiao has always been respected and loved by Jiangdong people, and the eldest son Zhou Xun is Wu Gong's future son-in-law. In order to take care of their mother and son's lives, Wu Gong specially set up Jianye  One hundred and fifty hectares of fertile land in the south of the city are allocated to them and their son, and the public salary and food are also provided as usual, so there should be no problem in their lives. Thank you to the state pastor for your concern. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "Fortunately, it is Zijing who has taken over the post of Governor, so I really feel relieved."

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??

    Liu Jing took the silk book, but did not rush to open it to take a closer look. Instead, he put it aside and smiled at Lu Fan: "I am very grateful to General Sun for this attack on Hefei. It also reflects the deep friendship between the two families. I hope that from Hefei  The war began, and the relationship between the Sun and Liu families opened a new chapter. "

    "This is what my master means, so he specially ordered me to go to Jingzhou as an envoy to discuss the plan of forming an alliance between the two families to fight against Cao Cao."

    Liu Jing nodded and opened Sun Quan's silk book. Sun Quan formally proposed an alliance plan between the two families in the book. At the end of the silk book, Sun Quan implicitly pointed out that the premise of the alliance was that the two families were equal. Liu Jing understood what was happening here.  To say that the two families are equal means to demand the abolition of the unequal treaties signed before.

    Liu Jing did not express his position, but smiled and said to Lu Fan: "Lv Gong has worked hard all the way, take a good rest first, and follow me to Chengdu in two days. In Chengdu, we will discuss the alliance in detail. Of course, in principle, I am not opposed to the alliance, but  Some details need to be carefully considered.¡±

    Lu Fan understood what Liu Jing meant. They needed internal communication and discussion, so he smiled and said: "I just happened to bring the old lady's letter and planned to give it to Princess Shangxiang. I will visit her by the way. I am looking forward to the Chengdu delegation."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 645 Special Chess Piece

    Lu Fan was invited to the post house, and Liu Jing handed the silk book to everyone for circulation. Sima Yi read the silk book and smiled and said: "Sun Quan's meaning is very clear! The alliance is just an excuse, because we captured Hefei and helped us repel Cao's army.  , he will abrogate the previous treaty.¡±

    Liu Jing sneered and said: "In fact, I have canceled the restrictions on warships in Jiangdong. I can also cancel the inland river trade, but they may not be willing. The key is Qichun County. I think Sun Quan's real purpose is to recover  Qichun County, but this is absolutely impossible. When I promised to return Yuzhang County to Sun Quan in Jiangdong, Sun Quan made it clear to me that he would not return to Qichun County. Does he want to go back on his word now? "

    Dong Yun also added: "If he was not for Qichun County, there would be no need for him to say in the silk book that the premise of the alliance is that the two families are equal. He said this obviously because of the previous treaty, but now except for Qichun County, we  I think he¡¯s not interested in anything else.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the Yangtze River waterway?¡±

    Liu Min, who joined the army, smiled and said: "We control the Yangtze River waterway west of Wankou, as well as Pengze Lake and Pengze County. They were originally the training grounds for the navy in Jiangdong, but now they have been assigned to us. Maybe Sun Quan wanted to  These two places are not Qichun County."

    "It's possible. I can return these two places to them, and the Yangtze River waterway can also be discussed. But Qichun County is our eastern barrier. This is our bottom line. We would rather fail to form an alliance than never return it."

    Xiangyang North Military Camp is the largest military camp in Xiangyang City. It is located in the north of the city. Including the sandwich city between the inner and outer cities, it covers an area of ??about 1,000 acres and can garrison 50,000 troops.

    In the afternoon, two carriages, escorted by more than a hundred cavalry, drove into the military camp and drove to a row of houses in the northernmost part of the military camp, close to the city wall. The carriage stopped in front of a yard in the corner. Liu Jing and Sima Yi  They got out of the carriage one after another.

    Liu Jing looked at the surrounding environment. This area was a military camp warehouse with not many soldiers, but the courtyard in the corner was heavily guarded. There were at least a hundred soldiers guarding it, and no one in the military camp was allowed to approach.

    Liu Jing stepped forward, and a military prince quickly stepped forward and knelt down on one knee to salute, "See you, Zhou Mu!"

    "How are the people inside? Is there any trouble?" Liu Jing asked.

    "Going back to Zhoumu, the people inside are very quiet and there is no trouble."

    Liu Jing nodded and walked in. The yard was quite large, divided into front and back, with seven or eight rooms, a yard and a patio. There were rockery ponds, fish, and several big trees. It was very quiet and the environment was beautiful.  Not bad, but he was closely guarded by soldiers and had no freedom to go out. This was obviously a place of house arrest.

    Liu Jing walked into the yard, and a young woman happened to come out with a plate. She saw Liu Jing head-on and was so frightened that she hid in a nearby room.

    "Alai, who is it?" someone asked in the courtyard.

    When no one agreed, a man walked out from the courtyard. He was about forty years old, tall and fat, with a hooked nose and a pair of slender eyes. His eyes were more white than black, making him look particularly cunning and unfeeling. This man was from the Sun Quan clan.  Brother Sun Ben, who was once the second most powerful person in Jiangdong, was rescued by Lou Fa from being exiled on a desert island overseas and was temporarily placed under house arrest here.

    He saw Liu Jing face to face and couldn't help but froze. They had met Liu Jing once when she first went to Jiangdong for peace talks. Sun Ben slowly calmed down and said coldly, "It turns out to be Liu Zhoumu. I'm disrespectful."

    "I'd better call you Grand Administrator Sun! We should have met before, and after all, we are still relatives." Liu Jing smiled.

    Sun Ben knew that he was referring to Sun Shangxiang. He shook his head, "Zhou Mu, there is no need to get close to me. Now I am the fish and you are the knife. If you want to say anything, just say it."

    Liu Jing looked at the patio and said with a smile: "This is not the place to talk."

    When Sun Ben saw Liu Jing followed by Sima Yi, he waved his hand and said, "Please talk in the room."

    Liu Jing and Sima Yi walked into the room, and the three of them sat down. Liu Jing said frankly: "I hope Prefect Sun will understand that I am not going to put you under house arrest. You are actually no threat to me. I am protecting you."  , if the news that you are hiding in Xiangyang spreads, you should be very clear about the consequences. "

    After a pause, Liu Jing continued: "You were rescued by my men from an overseas desert island, and I should have saved your life. Although I don't need your gratitude or repayment, I hope you can be calm and rational. Maybe we  Can cooperate.¡±

    Sun Ben nodded silently. He understood what Liu Jing meant. The so-called cooperation meant using himself, but perhaps this kind of use would not be harmful to him. He finally put away his sarcastic sneer and whispered: "I understand Zhou Mu  the meaning of."

    ¡°As long as you understand!¡±

    Liu Jing thought for a while and then smiled and said: "I think Grand Administrator Sun is a smart man, so let's tell the truth without beating around the bush.So that both sides can relax, I decided to return Grand Administrator Sun to Jiangdong. At the same time, I will secretly help you to give you the capital to make a comeback, how about it?  "

    "Does Zhou Mu want me to replace Sun Quan?"

    "I didn't think that far ahead. Maybe Grand Administrator Sun taking charge of Jiangdong would be a greater threat to Jingzhou than Sun Quan. I don't care much about which of you becomes the master of Jiangdong."

    "What does Zhou Mu want? Why did he let me go back to Jiangdong?" Sun Ben asked doubtfully.

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Because Sun Quan has always been threatening Jingzhou, his ambition is too great, and my current energy is on the Northern Expedition to Guanzhong, and I have no time to take care of Jingzhou, so I need a Jiangdong that is internally unstable and unable to attack my Jingzhou, and Sun  The prefect is undoubtedly my best choice."

    Sun Ben understood what Liu Jing meant. Although it was too frank to accept, Sun Ben at least understood Liu Jing's true intention. He thought for a long time and finally nodded, "Then we will make it a deal."

    Liu Jing laughed, "Prefect Sun speaks quickly and quickly. I like this style. In addition, I would like to ask, where will Prefect Sun start from when he returns to Jiangdong?"

    Sun Ben sighed, "Since Zhou Mu is so frank, I won't hide anything from Zhou Mu. The biggest weakness within Jiangdong is the Shanyue people, and Kuaiji County where Shanyue people live is also the most unstable county in Jiangdong. I plan to start from  Kuaiji County and Shanyue people started."

    Liu Jing returned to the temporary official room of the county government, and Sima Yi also followed him in. Liu Jing thought for a moment and asked him: "Does the military advisor think that person is reliable?"

    "Does Zhou Mu think there are risks?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "There is indeed a risk. Once Sun Quan knows that I am returning this person to Jiangdong, then the superficial harmony between Jingzhou and Jiangdong may not be possible. I am worried that Sun Quan will turn to Cao Cao."

    Sima Yi thought for a while and said: "Wei Chen feels that even without this person, Jiangdong and Jingzhou are only superficially harmonious. This time Sun Quan is obviously taking advantage of the fisherman. If Zhou Mu hadn't sent Gan Ning to attack Hefei, would Sun Quan have made up his mind to attack Cao Cao?  ? Therefore, Sun Quan¡¯s attitude towards us has nothing to do with this person, it is only about interests. Even if Sun Quan knows, Sun Liu will benefit more from cooperation, and he will pretend not to know. "

    Liu Jing nodded, "The military advisor is right, it is indeed the case, but I want to know, does this person still have a chance to make a comeback in Jiangdong?"

    "He has every chance!"

    Sima Yi smiled slightly and said: "In order to stabilize Jiangdong, Sun Quan did not vigorously cleanse Sun Ben's forces and only punished Sun Ben, Sun Lang and Zhu Zhi. However, I specifically inquired in Jiangdong and found that Cheng Pu, Han Dang and He Qi were actually the original Sun Quan.  Although Sun Quan said he would not hold the people on the list accountable, he actually ignored them. After Zhou Yu died, Cheng Pu should have taken over as the governor, but Lu Su took over in the end. Although there was a factional relationship here, it was also related to Sun Quan.  I don¡¯t trust Cheng Pu, and Sun Ben has been the governor of Yuzhang for many years and has deep influence in Yuzhang County. I believe he will do something if he lurks back. "

    Liu Jing nodded and sighed: "Then I'll wait and see."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    In the west of Yedu City near the city gate, there is a well-known tavern called Juxian Tavern. It has a history of 30 years. The tavern covers an area of ??about five acres and consists of three buildings, two large and one small. Two of the restaurants are  It is three stories high and can accommodate more than a hundred guests dining at the same time. The other small building is a row of bungalows, which are not open to the public and serve as warehouses, utility rooms and dormitories for bartenders.

    Next to the small building, there is a house covering an area of ??three acres, with dense tree shade and deep courtyard. It is said that this house is also the property of the tavern, but ordinary drinkers don't care about it, and no one will ask.

    The owner of the tavern, whose surname is Zhang, is said to be from Guanzhong. It is difficult to see him at ordinary times. Usually, the big shopkeeper takes care of the business. The big shopkeeper of Juxian Tavern, whose surname is Yang, is a middle-aged man in his forties and a kind-hearted man.  He always has a sincere smile on his face, making him feel approachable.

    At noon on this day, the tavern was doing business as usual. Both restaurants were full of guests, noisy and extremely lively. More than a dozen bartenders were too busy to touch the floor. Several bartenders were dressed in gorgeous long dresses, looking like  She walked like a butterfly among the drinkers, selling wine to the guests diligently. From time to time, a guest took advantage of the opportunity, and the wine lady scolded her in a coquettish voice, causing a burst of laughter.

    At this time, a tall and burly young man hurriedly walked into the door of the pub, walked to the counter and took a look. He saw shopkeeper Yang's fat body bending over the counter to look for something. He picked up the ruler on the counter and knocked on it.  He knocked on Shopkeeper Yang¡¯s back and said with a smile: ¡°Shopkeeper Yang, you are very busy!¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 646 The Wind Rises in Yedu (Part 1)

    Shopkeeper Yang stood up slowly and glared at the young man, "Why are you here if you don't go and work hard?"

    "Shopkeeper, I have something to do! It's going to rain."

    "It's going to rain" is a code word, indicating that he has something very important. Shopkeeper Yang nodded. Seeing that no one was paying attention, he took out a black dental plate and gave it to him, "Go by yourself!"

    The young man took the tooth plate and quickly walked around the back door and walked into the yard. He passed through the bungalow at the back and walked to the corner. There was an inconspicuous small door over there. The young man knocked on the door.  He pushed the dental plate under the door. After a moment, the door creaked open a crack, and he ducked in.

    On the other side of the small door is the deep house. The whole house is in a dark state. The yard is covered by dense shade of trees. Most of the windows in the room are closed, making it difficult for sunlight to enter, giving people a slightly gloomy feeling.  Especially since there was no sign of anyone, it looked like an empty house.

    The young man followed a man who looked like a housekeeper and walked quickly towards the inner courtyard. Neither of them spoke or even said hello, as if they were strangers to each other. The two walked into the inner courtyard and stopped in front of a room.  Next, the housekeeper knocked on the door, and someone finally answered, "Who is it?"

    "It's me, Luo Qing." The young man replied.

    "Come in!"

    The housekeeper stepped aside, and the young man pushed the door open and went in. The room was dimly lit, and green smoke was rising from the copper stove in the corner, filling the room with a faint fragrance. A tall man with a slender face was sitting in front of him.  Thin, with sharp eyes, he appeared to be extremely shrewd. This man was Li Fu, the intelligence chief of the Han army in Yedu, who had served as a general and joined the army.

    Li Fu has been in Yedu for many years and has established a complete intelligence network. In the past few years, he has deployed more than 300 spies in Yedu, Hebei, Xuchang and the Central Plains area, and set up spies in the court. He provided Liu  Jing sent a large amount of extremely valuable information, which won Liu Jing's respect. Li Fu has been promoted to a captain in the army.

    Li Fu was writing a report to Liu Jing. When he saw the young man coming in, he stopped writing and said with a smile, "Is there any news?"

    The young man's name is Luo Qing. He is a palace guard. He is twenty years old this year. He was originally a guard in Beicheng. He has strong martial arts. He was selected to enter the palace three years ago and serve as a guard beside Liu Xie. He is from Bajun.  Two years ago, he was developed as an informant by Li Fu and reported directly to Li Fu.

    He bowed and said, "I'm going to join the army. There is indeed important news. Yesterday afternoon, I entered the palace after the ceremony and conspired with the Holy One for more than an hour. After I left, the Holy Emperor was very excited. He even drank a bottle of wine last night and said  He made some weird remarks, like 'It's finally coming to an end.' 'Seventeen years' and so on."

    Li Fu sneered and asked, "What about Queen Fu?"

    "Queen Fu was still calm and kept stopping the Holy One's nonsense, and then sent us all away."

    Li Fu thought for a moment and then asked: "Is there anything unusual about Eunuch Mi?"

    "Eunuch Mi said he was sick and didn't come today."

    Li Fu nodded. The situation was obvious. Fu Wan was finally about to take action. At this time, Cao Cao was marching south to conquer Jingzhou. There were only 30,000 troops in Yedu, which was the smallest army in several years. This rare opportunity would definitely be taken by Fu Wan.  Will catch.

    "What else happened?" Li Fu asked again.

    "There is nothing else."

    Li Fu was pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He had just received an emergency order from the state pastor yesterday, ordering him to closely monitor Fu Wan's actions and try to delay their raising of troops. However, Li Fu knew that Fu Wan's raising of troops was imminent.  It was difficult for them to delay, so they could only try to save Queen Fu as much as possible.

    Thinking of this, Li Fu immediately gave Luo Qing a few words of caution. Luo Qing was shocked. He quickly saluted, "Remember your humble position, and you will never miss anything!" He hurriedly left,

    At the same moment when Luo Qing reported the situation to Li Fu, in the residence of Deputy Prime Minister Cao Pi, Cao Pi was also at the table carefully reading the secret letter sent by the eunuch Mi Ying. Cao Pi read it carefully twice and couldn't help but sneered,  He said to Hua Xin, the imperial censor, "He has been the emperor for twenty years after all. Why is he becoming more and more mentally retarded? When he wrote the edict on clothes and belts, he also had Liu Bei and Ma Teng in charge of the military, but now he is entrusted to a man who is about to  This rotten old man, did he really think he could make it happen?"

    Hua Xin smiled slightly and said: "In the past, Dong Cheng, Wang Zifu and other ministers with some power helped him, but now, all the ministers in the court are avoiding him, and the royal family members are also finding various reasons not to visit him.  It can be said that he has become an emperor in name only, and has actually reached the point where everyone has betrayed his relatives. He himself should know this, so he is eager to raise his troops."

    "The doctor is right, this is indeed the case, but why did he end up like this?"

    Hua Xin had a look of embarrassment on his face, speechless for a long time, Cao Pi glanced at him and smiled: "Is there anything we can't say between me and the doctor?"

    Hua Xin sighed, "Actually, Young Master should know the reason."

    "You mean Liu Jing?"

    Hua Xin nodded, "Liu Jing's strong rise and his military name was changed to Han. Many ministers and relatives loyal to the Han Dynasty have pinned their hopes of reviving the Han Dynasty on Liu Jing. Although Liu Xie is not stupid, he is weak.  He is incompetent. After more than 20 years on the throne, everyone's confidence in him has been wiped out. "

    Cao Pi's face became very ugly. After a while, he snorted heavily, "It's not yet known who will win. Liu Jing will most likely separate Jing and Shu. He wants to conquer the world, but I'm afraid it's wishful thinking."

    Having said this, Cao Pi waved his hand again, "Forget it, don't mention this matter, go find Fan Pu to see me, and try to be as secretive as possible."

    Fu Wan was the consort of Liu Zhi, Emperor Heng of the Han Dynasty, and married Liu Hua, the daughter of Emperor Heng. Ten years ago, Liu Hua died of illness, and Fu Wan married Fan as his second wife. Fu Wan was nearly sixty years old, frail and sick, with exhaustion of Qi and blood.  , and Mrs. Fan was only forty years old, at the time when she was most vigorous, an old husband and a strong wife, Fu Wan was extremely afraid of his wife Mr. Fan, and Mr. Fan made the final decision on almost all matters in the family.

    The Fan family had a younger brother named Fan Pu, who was appointed as Jinwu. He was nominally the supreme commander of the Royal Guards of the Imperial City. However, in fact, the Imperial Guard had been replaced by Cao Jun, and Zhijinwu became a vacant position. However, this Fan Pu  He is a lively person and has a wide network of contacts. Many job seekers can find official positions through him. He is also quick-thinking and will often come to him to discuss important matters after work.

    It¡¯s just that Fu Wan never imagined that his brother-in-law had already secretly betrayed him.

    Half an hour later, a carriage secretly stopped at the back door of Cao Pi's mansion. Cao Pi's mansion was also the original Prime Minister's Mansion of Cao Cao. After Cao Cao moved to Tongque Terrace, he would hand over the Prime Minister's Mansion to his eldest son Cao Pi, including the handling of daily government affairs.  He was also handed over to him, and Cheng Yu was appointed as Cao Pi's advisor to assist him in handling government affairs.

    Fan Pu got off the carriage and was led into the back door by the guards. He walked all the way through the mansion and arrived at Cao Pi's official room. Hua Xin was already waiting for him at the door. Seeing his arrival, he quickly stepped forward and said with a smile: "Wen Zhong is finally here.  "The eldest son has been waiting for you for a long time."

    Fan Pu quickly bowed and saluted, and explained: "I went out of the city with Fudian early in the morning, and I just came back. I kept Doctor Hua and the eldest son waiting for a long time."

    Hua Xin chuckled, "Wen Zhong doesn't need to explain to me, the eldest son is waiting for you, come with me!"

    He took Fan Pu into Cao Pi's official room, smiled at Cao Pi and said, "Sir, General Fan is here."

    Fan Pu took a step forward and knelt down to salute, "I'm sorry to see you, Prime Minister Cao!"

    This is where Fan Pu comes in handy. Most people call Cao Pi the eldest son, and some officials call him deputy prime minister. However, Fan Pu removed the word "vice" and added the surname, and he became Prime Minister Cao. Although  There was nothing wrong with the title, but even Hua Xin's eyelids jumped when he heard this kind of naked flattery, feeling ashamed.

    Cao Pi's biggest wish is to become the heir apparent, but his father has never been clear on this issue. There is also news that Guoyuan, Liu Ye and others have written to his father to support his third brother as the heir apparent. This makes Cao Pi quite troubled. Although the third brother  His abilities are not good, but his father likes him very much.

    What is even more difficult for Cao Pi to accept is that on the one hand, his father appointed himself to be in charge of daily government affairs, but on the other hand, he sent his third brother to Guanzhong to take charge of the military power of an army of 200,000. This is Cao Pi's biggest worry at present.

    Fan Pu called him Prime Minister Cao, which sounded a bit abrupt, but Cao Pi felt really comfortable in his heart. He waved his hand and said with a smile: "General Fan, please sit down!"

    Fan Pu sat down, and Cao Pi said to him again: "I have brought General Fan here. I want to know what Fu Wan is doing. I know that Fu Wan met with Liu Xie yesterday and talked for more than an hour. They should have made some move.  What news can you tell me?"

    Fan Pu quickly said: "Even if the Prime Minister doesn't come to me, I will come to report, and I will raise my troops tonight after the ambush!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 647 The Wind Rises in Yedu (Part 2)

    Fan Pu left, and at this time, Xi Lu, the imperial censor, also rushed to Cao Pi's study. Xi Lu had always been Cao Cao's confidant. He had been serving as the imperial censor for a long time. Before Cao Cao established the Wei Kingdom, Xi Lu served as the imperial censor.  Doctors speculated on Cao Cao's intentions to demote court officials. The most famous one was when Xi considered impeaching Kong Rong for slandering the court and seeking evil intentions, resulting in Kong Rong's death.

    At this time, although Xi Lu and Hua Xin both held the position of imperial censor, they were still different. Xi Lu was the imperial censor of the imperial court and had the power to supervise the court, while Hua Xin was the imperial censor of Wei.  Although the real power is in the hands of Hua Xin, Xi Lu's duty is to monitor the courtiers for Cao Cao. To deal with Fu Wan, Xi Lu must come forward.

    Cao Pi and the two men were discussing countermeasures in the official room. After the ambush tonight, they would raise their troops and start an uprising. Cao Pi also decided not to wait any longer. At this time, Xi Lu asked cautiously: "Does the eldest son have Wei Gong's wishes?"

    Cao Pi understood what Xi Lu meant. This matter was of great importance. He asked him not to act without permission and to get his father's permission. Cao Pi nodded and said, "My father told me about this matter before leaving for the expedition and asked me to act according to the situation.  In times of crisis, use the power of thunder to take precautions.¡±

    "Do you have the right to mobilize troops?" Xi Liu continued to ask.

    Cao Pi took out two gold medals and said with a smile: "One is the order for the forbidden army in the palace, and the other is the order for the transfer of the guards in Beicheng. My father has already thought about it for me."

    Xi Lu nodded and said with a smile: "In that case, I have nothing to worry about."

    Cao Pi asked Hua Xin again, "What do you think of Ziyu?"

    Hua Xin said slowly: "What I mean is that the evidence must be conclusive and the case should be confirmed. Since Fu Wan has raised three thousand private troops, we should convict Fu Wan of conspiracy and rebellion. The eldest son and the minor ministers are only  In a word, the struggle for power has always been life-and-death, and the Prime Minister would never want to see the eldest son behave like a woman at this time."

    Cao Pi was shocked, he nodded, and said resolutely: "You are right, I can never let my father down again, so we will divide our troops into three groups. I will personally lead the army to annihilate the private army outside the city, and Ziyu will lead  The army surrounded Fu Mansion and captured Fu Hou, while Hongyu entered the palace to capture Fu Hou."

    As night gradually fell, in a farm covering an area of ??several hundred acres outside Yedu City, three thousand soldiers were already assembled. These three thousand soldiers were private soldiers raised by Fu Wan and had been hiding in Lu County until  Recently, they have arrived in Yedu in batches one after another, and are now commanded by Fu Wan's eldest son Fu Dian.

    Fudian was about forty years old and was appointed as the captain of the Tun Cavalry School. He firmly supported his father's concept of loyalty to the emperor and also supported this operation. They had been planning this operation for a year and gained Lujun, Taishan, and Peiguo in the local area.  Waiting for the support of the four counties, there were 10,000 troops in Lu County at the same time.

    Tonight they will rush into the palace to rescue Emperor Liu Xie and Queen Fu, and send them to Lu County overnight, where they will rebuild the Han Dynasty, and then call on the governors of the world to rush to Mount Tai to kill King Qin Cao.

    Although Fu Dian also knows that this move is very difficult, now is their only chance. Cao Cao is fighting in Jingzhou, and Liu Jing has restrained the main force of 200,000 in Guanzhong and Longxi. There are only 30,000 troops in the capital. If they move quickly, then in  Before Cao's army was mobilized, they were able to break out and leave. If they did not seize this opportunity, they would regret it too late.

    The army has been assembled, and Fu Dian is waiting for news from the capital. They will enter Yedu from the East City. Liu Ying, the gatekeeper in charge of the East City Gate, is also one of their people. The time is gradually approaching Haishi, and the appointed time has arrived. At this time, Fan Pu rides on horseback.  He rushed over, clasped his fists towards Fudian and said, "Sir, the city is ready. Fugong orders you to send out troops!"

    Fudian nodded, and the moment finally came. He drew his sword and turned around and ordered: "Pass my order, set off and march towards Yedu!"

    In the dark of night, groups of soldiers set off in formation. They were brightly armored, holding spears and knives in their hands. They were full of murderous intent. Under the leadership of Fudian, they left the farm and marched along the official road toward the east gate of Yedu.  go

    The gatekeeper guarding the east city was named Liu Ying. He was about thirty years old and was the son of Liu Jin, King of Laiyang. Liu Jin had a close relationship with Fu Wan. The reason why Fu Wan received the support of the governors of the four counties in Shandong was also related to Liu Jin. Han Dynasty  Most of the clan members live at home or are scattered in various counties. There are very few people in charge of the army in the capital, and Liu Ying is one of them.

    Liu Ying and Fu Dian have made arrangements. He will be on duty in the east city tonight, and Fu Dian will raise his troops tonight. Liu Ying has five hundred people under his command. After letting Fu Dian enter the city, he will have to rush there.  Fu Mansion, escort Fu Wan and his family out of the city.

    It was almost Haishi, and in half an hour, Fu Dian would arrive with his army. Liu Ying was quite nervous. He stood at the top of the city and looked northeast. At this moment, there was a sudden commotion behind him.  He was startled, and when he looked back, he saw a large number of troops suddenly appeared at the top of the city. He was immediately surprised. What was going on?

    A large group of soldiers escorted two generals in armor and helmets, one of whom was the Beicheng Suwei general.??Hou Heng, Xia Houyuan's eldest son, and another person who made Liu Ying's heart suddenly fall into the abyss. The general beside Xia Houheng was Cao Pi.

    Wearing armor and holding a sword in hand, Cao Pi walked up and said coldly: "What are General Liu waiting for?"

    Liu Ying stepped forward and saluted, "I am not waiting for anything. I am patrolling the city gate."

    "Humph! You are waiting for Fu Dian!"

    Liu Ying's face changed drastically. He knew that the matter had been leaked and turned around to run away. Dozens of soldiers held up their halberds to hold him back. Liu Ying's whole body became weak and he slowly sat on the ground. Cao Pi waved his hand and said, "Tie him up."  "

    Several soldiers came forward and tied up Liu Ying. Cao Pi said to Xia Houheng: "Let's divide our forces below. You ambush below the city while I wait on the city. Let's catch this big fish together!"

    "Follow the order!"

    Xia Houheng led 10,000 North City Guards and rushed out of the city. Cao Pi walked to the battlements, looked at the dark night, and said to himself coldly: "You rats who overestimate your capabilities, suffer death!"

    Fu Mansion is located in the middle of Yedu. It is a large house covering an area of ??50 acres. Fu Wan was the late emperor's consort and the current emperor of the country. He had a high status in the court. In fact, as early as the Dong Cheng incident in the fourth year of Jian'an, he was also  Among the participants, he was cautious and only contacted Dong Cheng secretly. After Dong Cheng was executed, he escaped.

    And this time is his last attempt when he is nearly sixty years old. Regardless of success or failure, he will go down in history and leave his name for generations. He is unwilling to die in obscurity. He is obsessed with gaining a posthumous reputation, even at the expense of others.  He used his family as a bet, knowing that the chance of success was extremely small, but he did it without hesitation.

    At this time, the gray-haired Fu Wan was sitting in the study, silently staring at the dozen volumes of historical records on the table. He hoped that his name Fu Wan would be immortalized in the biographies of loyal ministers in later generations of Han history.

    Calculating that it was time to raise the troops, Fu Wan took a deep breath and waited for that moment to arrive. But at this moment, there was the sound of rapid running outside the door, and the housekeeper reported in horror: "Master, Hua Hua  Xin led a thousand troops into the mansion, and his wife and several young men were arrested by the soldiers. "

    After lying down, his body shook violently, and there was a look of fear in his eyes. After a while, he slowly closed his eyes. The moment he was most worried about finally came. Cao Cao had been prepared, and they failed.

    "Ah!" A scream came from outside the door, the housekeeper was killed outside, 'Bang!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise and the door was kicked open. Dozens of soldiers rushed in, surrounded him, and held him with dozens of spears.

    At this time, Hua Xin walked into the study with his hands behind his back, smiled sinisterly at Fu Wan and said, "Fu Guozhang, you can't think of it!"

    Fu Wan sighed and asked calmly: "When did you know about it?"

    "I won't hide it from you now. As early as a year ago, when Liu Xie summoned you in the palace, the prime minister knew about it and has been waiting for today."

    Fu Wan shook his head and sighed, "It's up to people to plan things, and it's up to God to make things happen. This is God's will!"

    After saying that, he smiled miserably, took out a vial from his sleeve, drank the poison in one gulp, fell on his back to the ground, and quietly waited for death.

    Hua Xin walked up to him and kicked over a dozen volumes of historical records on the table. The bamboo slips were scattered all over the floor. Hua Xin smiled disdainfully and whispered in his ear: "It is true that the name of the emperor will be passed down through the ages, but not  It¡¯s a biography of a loyal minister, but a biography of a traitor, I promise!¡±

    The toxicity began to attack rapidly. Fu Wan's whole body twitched, and blood gurgled from the corner of his mouth. He breathed weakly and said: "With Liu Jing here, I won't be a traitor, you are!" After saying that, he closed his eyes and passed away.

    "Crazy!"

    Hua Xin kicked him hard and ordered: "Take everyone away!"

    In the palace, Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty and Empress Fu were sitting across from each other drinking. They had finished cleaning up briefly and were preparing to leave the palace with Fu Wan's army. Liu Xie seemed quite excited and drank glass after glass of wine.

    He has been a puppet for so many years, and he has been looking forward to today, when he can escape from Cao Cao's control and become a real emperor. Although there will be risks, he is willing to take such risks in order to gain freedom.

    Seeing that Queen Fu looked a little worried, he smiled and said: "Queen, don't worry so much. During the rebellion of Dong Zhuo and Li Ji, we suffered ten times as much as we do now. We were displaced and precarious. Although it is a bit risky now, it is still  The best opportunity, if we don¡¯t seize this opportunity, we will regret it.¡±

    Queen Fu whispered: "I just feel that my father is not reliable in his work. Even if we escape to Lu County, can we withstand Cao Cao's massive attack?"

    "You don't understand this. Now Liu Jing is marching northwest of Longxi and has contained Cao Cao's 200,000-strong army. Cao Cao himself led a 100,000-strong army to fight in Jingzhou. Moreover, I heard the news that the Jiangdong Army has broken through.Hefei, the Central Plains was shocked. It can be said that Cao Cao was worried about one thing and the other. If we don't seize this opportunity, we will never leave in this life. Does the queen really want to be a puppet with me for the rest of her life?  "

    Queen Fu lowered her head and whispered: "I don't want to!"

    "That's right, no one is willing. Even if I take huge risks this time, I have to give it a try."

    As soon as the two of them said this, an angry reprimand from a guard suddenly came from outside the palace, "Doctor Xi, what are you going to do? This is His Majesty's palace. Are you trying to rebel by barging in with a knife?"

    Liu Xie and Queen Fu looked at each other, their expressions changed with shock. Doctor Xi was Xi Lu, and he was Cao Cao's confidant. What was he doing?  Xi Lu was heard shouting outside the palace: "Fu Wan attempted to rebel and has been executed. His daughter Fu Shou is also suspected of treason and is here to arrest her on the orders of the prime minister. Who among you dares to stop me and will be held responsible for the crime!"

    Liu Xie only felt ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ With a sound, he was executed after Fu was finished. It was over, and the plot must have been leaked. What should we do?  When Queen Fu heard that her father had been killed, she burst into tears and knelt in front of Liu Xie, "Please save my life!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 648 The Wind Rises in Yedu (Part 2)

    Liu Xie also shed tears and said: "I can't even save myself. How can I save you? You run away! Hide so they can't find you."

    At this time, only the sound of rapid footsteps was heard from outside the palace, and Xi Lu shouted: "This matter has nothing to do with your Majesty, your Majesty, don't worry, the minister is just here to arrest the rebel Fu Shou."

    Empress Fu was so frightened that she ignored the emperor. She got up and ran to the back door. Just as she ran out of the back door, Xi Lu led more than a hundred armored warriors and rushed in. The whole hall was filled with darkness. He bowed to Liu Xie  He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have been ordered by the Prime Minister to arrest the rebels Fu Shou. Please don't panic."

    "Isn't the Prime Minister in Jingzhou?" Liu Xie asked, trembling with fear.

    "It was the order from the Prime Minister before he went on the expedition. Now the evidence of Fu Wan's rebellion is conclusive. Fu Wan has committed suicide out of fear of the crime. His brothers have all confessed. Queen Fu Shou is the mastermind. Where is she?"

    "I don't know."

    Xi Lu reached out and touched the wine glass. It was still warm. He immediately ordered: "He must have run away from behind. Chase him!"

    Dozens of soldiers chased her out of the back door. Liu Xiebei came in and cried loudly: "Doctor Xi, that is the queen of the Han Dynasty! Are you still a Han minister?"

    Xi Lu's body seemed to be frozen. After a long while, he bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured that the Prime Minister will handle this case impartially."

    "But the Prime Minister is not in the capital now. Can we wait until the Prime Minister comes back?"

    "Reporting to Your Majesty, I have no right to decide."

    At this moment, Hua Xin rushed out of the hall and asked sternly: "Doctor Xi, can you catch the traitor Fu Shou?"

    Xi Lu pointed to the back door, "She just escaped!"

    Seeing that he was ineffective in catching people, Hua Xin snorted in dissatisfaction, ignored Liu Xie, and chased him out of the back door with long strides.

    Queen Fu was so frightened that she ran towards her palace in a panic. Only two maids following her were following her. In the panic, her two shoes also ran away, and she ran forward with all her strength barefooted.

    She ran out of breath and ran into a corridor. At this time, a young guard caught up behind her and shouted behind her: "Queen, please stop, you can't go to the palace!"

    Queen Fu stopped and turned around to recognize this person, who was the inner palace guard Luo Qing. She quickly grabbed Luo Qing and said urgently: "Guard Luo, save my life!"

    "Mother, there are soldiers in front of us."

    As soon as he finished speaking, a large torch appeared at the front of the corridor, blocking the way to the palace. A shout came from dozens of steps behind: "Catch her, don't let her run away."

    Queen Fu was desperate. Her captors were in front of her and they were chasing her from behind. Where could she escape to?  She almost cried, "Guard Luo, what should I do?"

    "Mother, please listen to what I have to say!"

    Luo Qing never had the chance to talk to Queen Fu. This was the most critical moment. If he didn't talk, he would miss the big event. He stepped forward and whispered a few words to her. Queen Fu was stunned. How could this be possible?  Luo Qing turned around and saw that the pursuers were more than ten steps away. He stamped his feet anxiously, "My dear, this is your only way to survive. If you don't listen, you won't be able to save your life."

    After saying that, he jumped into the pond and swam away quickly. Empress Fu was still confused. The pursuers from both sides had rushed up, blocking her and the two palace maids in the corridor. Countless torches illuminated the corridor.  During the day, many soldiers also fired arrows into the water.

    At this time, Hua Xin separated from the soldiers and walked up quickly. He slapped her in the face, which made Queen Fu dizzy and fell to the ground. "Bitch, you still want to escape!" Hua Xin showed his fierceness and grabbed her.  The hair that was lying down was dragged away.

    Queen Fu was extremely frightened. She suddenly remembered what Luo Qing said to her, and shouted anxiously: "Hua Xin, Prime Minister Cao promised Liu Jing not to harm me, and you are not allowed to mess around!"

    Hua Xin was stunned for a moment. Why didn¡¯t he know about this?  He hesitated, slowly let go of Queen Fu, and said viciously: "Don't talk nonsense, even the eldest son doesn't know about it. How can you know about it when you are in the deep palace?"

    Although Empress Fu was trembling with fear, she still risked her life when it was a matter of life and death. She stood up, held her head high and said: "I am a majestic Empress of the Han Dynasty, can I talk nonsense about this kind of thing? Is there anyone who can tell me  My Lord, Cao Cao has been defeated by Liu Jing, and he promises not to harm me."

    Hua Xin's thoughts changed, and he suddenly understood, and shouted to the people around him, "Catch the person who just jumped into the water!"

    The soldiers searched along the lake one after another. Hua Xin was confused. Although it felt ridiculous, they also received a message from flying pigeons last night. Hefei was lost and Cao's army in Jingzhou decided to withdraw north. This actually means that the southern expedition failed. Logically speaking, the ambush  The queen couldn't possibly know, but she said it. Could it be true?

    Although Hua Xin is cruel and cruel, he is not stupid and has a very flexible mind. He immediatelyHe had an idea, whether it was true or not, let the eldest son deal with her, so that he could get out of the relationship. He snorted coldly and ordered: "Take her away!"

    The soldiers pushed Queen Fu out of the palace. Liu Xie was begging Xi Lu to spare the queen in the palace. Xi Lu lowered his head and said nothing. At this time, a large group of soldiers pushed Queen Fu in from the back door. Queen Fu had disheveled hair and was shining  Kneeling on her feet and crying all the way, she fell to her knees and cried: "Your Majesty, save me!"

    Liu Xie's heart was broken, and he hugged her and cried loudly, "I don't know how long I can live?"

    Xi Liu couldn't bear it and turned his head away. Hua Xin ordered: "Take it away!"

    Several soldiers grabbed the queen and pushed her out. Liu Xie shouted: "Xi Aiqing, is there such a thing in the world?"

    Xi Liu sighed, shook his head and left. The soldiers in the palace were all gone in an instant. Liu Xie fell to the ground and beat his chest desperately, "I don't have one! I can't even save my wife."

    The battle in the east of the city has also ended. Fu Dian's army was surrounded and ambushed by 10,000 Cao troops. The entire army was wiped out, with nearly half of the casualties and countless surrenders. Even Fu Dian was shot to death by random arrows.

    Cao Pi stood on the top of the city, watching with fierce eyes the groups of prisoners being led into the city. These prisoners of war must all be executed and their heads displayed to the public to see who dares to rebel.

    At this time, Hua Xin hurried over and said, "The eldest son, Fu Wan committed suicide, Fu Shou also caught him, and is now being imprisoned in Yeting Palace."

    "Where are her two sons?" Cao Pi asked coldly.

    "The two sons were also caught."

    Hua Xin hesitated and then said: "It's just that when Wei Chen arrested Fu Shou, she said that the Prime Minister promised Liu Jing not to hurt her. I don't know whether it is true or not?"

    "Nonsense! How could she know? She just wanted to save her life. This is her wishful thinking. How can I spare her?" Cao Pi said disdainfully.

    Hua Xin thought of the person who escaped. He learned from the two palace maids that the person was the inner palace guard Luo Qing. He also found out his resume and found that he was from Bajun, which surprised him. He suspected that this Luo Qing was  Liu Jing was the spy placed in the palace.

    Moreover, Queen Fu actually knew that Cao Jun was defeated, which made Hua Xin a little worried. He was afraid that if it was true, he would be in trouble. Originally, according to his and Cao Pi's plan, Queen Fu was killed with poisonous wine and then told the outside world that it was true.  commit suicide in fear of sin.

    Now Hua Xin was afraid that if it was true, the Prime Minister would punish him when he came back, so he advised: "Wei Chen suggested that Fu Shou should be dealt with after the Prime Minister comes back. After all, if the Prime Minister withdraws his troops, if he and Liu Jing reach any compromise, once  If Fu Shou is killed, the prime minister will vent his anger on the young master and say that the young master does not understand politics. Isn't this bad? It's better for me to be cautious. "

    Hua Xin's words touched Cao Pi's heart. Now he must be careful every step of the way. He can't afford to lose again or let his father down again. He thought for a moment, and a cold look flashed in his eyes, "Fu Shou can not kill her for the time being, but her  The two sons must be killed immediately to avoid future troubles.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It has been three days since Liu Jing returned to Chengdu. During these three days, he has almost stayed in his mansion. For more than a year, he and his family have been together less and less. Most of the time he has been on foreign expeditions, and he rarely cares about his family, which makes him feel quite sad.  To apologize.

    On the first day he came back, he stayed with his family for a whole day. Perhaps it was because he had been separated from his family for so long. He particularly cherished the time he spent with his family. For this reason, he took three days off to spend time with his wife and children.  Pass.

    In the study room, Liu Jing's eldest son Liu Zhi is sitting at a small table practicing writing. He is five years old this year. He is very quiet and delicate, and he is extremely smart. He can read at the age of three, and started to learn poetry at the age of four. By the age of five, he has already  Having learned thousands of Chinese words, he was already able to recite poems and compose poems, and was hailed as a child prodigy by officials.

    But Liu Jing did not like the title of child prodigy very much. He did not allow his son to learn poetry and compose poems prematurely, but allowed him to continue reading and writing. Because Liu Zhi was the eldest son, not only Liu Jing valued him particularly, but also the officials  They were extremely concerned about him. Regarding his master, several important ministers discussed this three times, and finally unanimously decided to invite Dr. Lai Min from Zhouxue to be Liu Zhi's enlightenment teacher.

    Lai Min was the son of Kong Laiyan, a Han Sikong. After the name of She in the Eastern Han Dynasty, he was a new savage in Jingzhou. During the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, he fled to Jingzhou with his sister. Because his brother-in-law Huang Wan was the nephew of Liu Zhang's grandmother, Lai Min followed his sister to Bashu to serve as Liu Zhang.  Guests, being knowledgeable is of course the primary factor, but there are too many erudites in Bashu, so the second important factor is balance. To take into account the interests of the north, Jingzhou and Bashu, Lai Min is undoubtedly the best candidate.

    Lai Min and Liu Jing had the same idea. Liu Zhi was not allowed to show off his cleverness, but he was taught to read various basic classics and calligraphy. Lai Min's teaching plan won Liu Jing's approval, and he recognized the eldest son's talents.  Taifu'.

    Liu Jing metThe son was concentrating without any distractions, and his handwriting was quite beautiful. He couldn't help but smile and pat his little head, "Not only do you have to study literature, but you also have to practice martial arts when you have time. You don't have to be strong in martial arts, but at least you can keep fit."

    Liu Zhi quickly put down his pen, stood up and said respectfully, "My son sometimes learns sword lessons from Er Niang."

    Liu Jing quickly pulled his son to sit down and said with a smile: "It is a good thing to respect your father, but you don't have to be so restrained."

    "yes!"

    Liu Jing asked curiously: "Isn't it that Er Niang refuses to teach you martial arts?"

    Liu Zhi¡¯s lips moved, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Liu Jing smiled and said, ¡°If you have anything to say, just say it. My father also likes being a straightforward child.¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 649 There is a little girl at home

    Liu Zhi plucked up the courage and said, "Second Mother only talks fiercely, but she is actually very soft-hearted. Moreover, she has forgotten that she said she would not teach me how to practice martial arts. She insists on forcing me to learn swordsmanship from her until dawn in the morning."  Just pull me up."

    After talking about it, Liu Zhi felt a hint of complaint. Liu Jing laughed and said to his son seriously: "Your mother-in-law hopes that you will not become a nerd. She is doing it for your own good. She wants you to get up early for training."  Your will, when dad was learning martial arts, he would get up at the fourth watch, and he has persisted for eight years, and he still doesn't wake up at dawn. Only people with strong will can do great things in the future, you should thank Er Niang. "

    Liu Zhi was stunned for a moment. No one had ever told him these truths before. Only then did he understand Er Niang's good intentions and couldn't help but lower his head in shame, "I understand, kid!"

    Liu Jing patted his young shoulder and said, "Master will slowly teach you these principles in the future, so write well!"

    "yes!"

    Liu Zhi did his homework again and started to write seriously. At this time, Liu Jing suddenly saw a little head peeking into the room. It was his precious daughter Liu Zhu. She was only three years old this year. She was quite naughty and loved by all fathers.  Liu Jing especially loves his daughter.

    He walked up with a smile, picked up his daughter, gently pinched her chubby little face, and asked with a smile: "What are you doing, little piggy?"

    Like her mother, Liu Zhu has a round face, big eyes, and is well-behaved and smart. She blinked her eyes and said with a smile, "I'm watching to see if daddy is teaching my brother a lesson."

    "What if dad is teaching my brother a lesson?" Liu Jing asked again with a smile.

    "I'll help daddy fight together!"

    Liu Jing burst out laughing. He kissed his daughter on the cheek and said, "My brother will give you all the fruits he has, and you still beat him?"

    Liu Zhu made a face, but did not answer. Liu Jing turned around and saw that his son was as unmoved as an old monk in meditation, so he nodded and said with a smile: "Brother is practicing calligraphy, and I will accompany Zhu'er to play in the yard."

    Liu Zhu clapped her hands happily, "I want daddy to help me pick fruits."

    "Okay! Daddy will pick it for you."

    Liu Jing walked to the yard with her daughter in her arms. Liu Zhu pointed at the many yellowed apricots on the apricot tree and said anxiously: "I want that."

    Liu Jing stretched out her hand to pull down the branch. Liu Zhu stretched out her little hand and grabbed two apricots. She smiled brightly. At this time, Sun Shangxiang walked into the yard and smiled at Liu Jing: "I just met Granny Wu and said that Xu Changshi  Here you are, waiting for your husband in the study, won¡¯t you go and see me?¡±

    Liu Jing knew that Xu Shu must be involved in Jiangdong's affairs. He nodded and handed her his daughter, "Little Zhuer, let Er Niang play with you. Daddy has something to do."

    Liu Zhu pouted her mouth with an unhappy look on her face. She eagerly came to find her father, but he only stayed with her for a while. Liu Jing loved his daughter, pinched her little face and smiled and said, "Daddy will paint with you tonight."

    Liu Zhu suddenly became happy, "Daddy lied to me that I was a puppy!"

    Liu Jing hooked her little fingers with her, smiled at Sun Shangxiang, turned around and left. When she walked out of the door, she heard Sun Shangxiang teasing her: "Little pig, give Er Niang an apricot in your hand."

    "No! Daddy gave it to me."

    Liu Jing smiled, shook her head, and walked quickly to the house.

    Walking into the outer study room, Xu Shu and Dong He were sitting in the room talking about something. Seeing Liu Jing come in, they quickly stood up and saluted: "Wei ministers are here to see Zhou Mu!"

    At the end of last year, the General's Office carried out a major power reform and officially implemented the multi-phase system. However, because Liu Jing had not yet founded the country, he could not be called a prime minister, so he established the position of Minister of Political Participation, referred to as Shangshu. He had to be granted this position, that is,  Obtained the power of Prime Minister.

    Currently, Xu Shu, Jiang Wan, Fei Guan, Dong He, and Sima Yi serve as ministers to participate in the political affairs, and jointly negotiate major military and political affairs. There is also the post of Shangshu Ling, who is responsible for handling daily government affairs and in charge of political affairs. Five people take turns to serve as Shangshu Ling.  , each person held the political pen for a month. For this reason, the meeting hall was renamed Pingzhangtai. Pingzhang means consultation. In this way, the polyphase system advocated by Liu Jing was formed.

    However, in order to restrain the minister from abusing his power, the post of Shizhong was also established, which was held by Yin Mao. If the government affairs decisions of the minister or the minister's order were seriously inappropriate, they would be rejected by the minister and returned to the ministers of Pingzhangtai for renegotiation.  There are several assistants under the Shizhong, namely Shilang.

    If the opinions of the minister and the minister are still unable to reach an agreement, then Liu Jing will make the final decision.

    In addition, the minister also has an important power, the right to distinguish government affairs. Which government affairs can be decided by the Shangshu Ling himself, which government affairs must be negotiated and resolved by the five ministers of Pingzhangtai, and which government affairs must be handed over to Liu Jing for approval. In this way  , Liu Jing can be freed from the heavy daily government affairs and concentrate on military and national affairs.

    For this kind ofXu Shu suffered the greatest loss from the major power changes. In fact, Xu Shu's long-term power was divided into five parts. Xu Shu was originally in charge of government affairs alone, but now it has become five people who share the power of the prime minister.

    Although he lost a lot of power, Xu Shu was a staunch promoter of this polyphase system, because Xu Shu did not consider his own power gains and losses, but the checks and balances of the prime minister's power on the monarch's power. The single phase system of the Han Dynasty was easy to  Allowing the prime minister to monopolize power would easily lead to the emperor's suspicion of the prime minister, so the prime minister's power was not great.

    Once the polyphase system is implemented, the prime ministers can check and balance each other, and the threat to the emperor is greatly reduced, so the emperor can easily delegate power.

    Xu Shu knew that once this multi-phase system was formed, it would have a profound impact on the power structure in the next hundred years. From the perspective of separation of powers between the monarch and the prime minister, Xu Shu strongly supported this reform.

    It is also a coincidence that this month Xu Shu is appointed as Shangshu Ling and is in charge of political affairs. He is responsible for some daily and trivial government affairs.

    Liu Jing ordered the maid to serve tea, and then asked Xu Shu and Dong Hexiao: "The multi-phase system has been running for five months. How do you feel?"

    Xu Shu leaned forward and said: "It was a little unsuitable at the beginning, and there were some ill-considered things, but as time goes by, it will naturally fit in, so we are not worried. Overall, it is still very good and runs smoothly.  "

    Liu Jing nodded, "Because my energy is mainly focused on the Northern Expedition and the Eastern Expedition, I basically don't care about government affairs. However, once things stabilize in the future, maybe I will also participate in government affairs."

    Dong He smiled and said: "Of course, Zhou Mu, please rest assured that we will not take the opportunity to take away Zhou Mu's power."

    The three of them laughed together, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly relaxed. At this time, Liu Jing asked again: "Has it been decided yet about recruiting another hundred thousand troops?"

    This was the first thing Liu Jing did after the Battle of Jingzhou. The lack of troops made him very passive in the confrontation with Cao Cao, and he had to suspend the Northern Expedition plan, so he recruited another 100,000 troops, bringing the total strength to 300,000.  , it seems very urgent.

    Dong He was responsible for recruiting soldiers. He was in charge of Bingcao and Weicao, and his authority was equivalent to that of the later Minister of War. Dong He quickly replied: "Report to Zhoumu, the plan has been formulated, and we will only report it after Pingzhangtai has negotiated."  It can be implemented with the approval of the state pastor.¡±

    "Just tell me." Liu Jing smiled.

    "To put it simply, Yizhou recruits 50,000 troops, Jingzhou recruits 30,000 troops, and Hanzhong recruits 20,000 troops. Among them, the 50,000 troops in Yizhou include 20,000 barbarian soldiers in the south of Yizhou. We have reached an agreement with the barbarian king and the Yi king.  ¡±

    Liu Jing nodded and asked Xu Shu, "How are the talks about Jiangdong's alliance going?"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The alliance between the Sun and Liu families did not go smoothly. It could be said to be a deadlock. The key was the ownership of Qichun County. Sun Quan's attitude was very clear. To form an alliance, the unequal agreement signed before must be abolished, so Qichun County should be returned.  To Jiang Dong, but after discussion, the ministers of the General's Mansion unanimously rejected Jiang Dong's request.

    The reason is very simple. The alliance is a matter of the future, and the ownership of Qichun County to Jingzhou is the result of the last Jiangdong Army's Western Expedition. The fact that Jiangdong Army's Western Expedition cannot be obliterated because of the current alliance. Of course, as Jingzhou's sincerity, it can be  Pengze Lake and Pengze County and the Yangtze River waterway east of Qichun County were returned to Jiangdong, nothing more.

    The attitude of the General's Palace made Lu Fan deeply depressed, because when he set out, Marquis Wu repeatedly told him that he must get Qichun County back, otherwise he would rather not form an alliance. Although Lu Fan also understood that Juchun County was too great a threat to Jiangxia, and the General's Palace would definitely not  He agreed, but Wu Hou's attitude was also obvious, leaving him in a dilemma and unable to do anything.

    Lu Fan lived in the VIP Post House in Chengdu. The elegant environment and attentive service made his stay very comfortable. However, the tough attitude of the General Palace made him depressed and had no intention of enjoying the beautiful scenery in the post house.  He also had no intention of visiting Princess Shangxiang.

    At noon, an ox cart slowly stopped in front of the VIP Inn. A middle-aged man led two waiters to lift more than a dozen food boxes out of the cart. At this time, the Guan Cheng came out and looked at it.  These people asked, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

    The middle-aged man bowed his hands and saluted: "We are from Jiangnan Tavern. The guests from Jiangdong in the post house ordered wine and food from the Tavern, and we specially sent them here."

    The Guan Cheng was a little stunned. He had never heard of guests from the VIP Inn ordering food and drinks outside. At this time, Jiangdong Deputy Envoy Zhang Cheng came out. Zhang Cheng is the eldest son of Zhang Zhao. He is in his thirties and is currently serving in the Jiangdong Governor's Office.  , very smart and capable, this time he was appointed by Sun Quan as Lu Fan's deputy envoy to Chengdu.

    Because the negotiations were at a deadlock, Zhang Cheng was feeling quite depressed, so he wanted to go for a walk. When he walked out of the gate, he happened to see the ox cart and was heartbroken.He couldn't help but be slightly startled. At this time, the middle-aged man who delivered the wine and food hurriedly stepped forward and said, "It turns out to be Mr. Zhang. I am the owner of Jiangnan Tavern, and I came here to deliver wine and food."

    Zhang Cheng felt that this middle-aged man looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before. He pondered for a moment and didn't answer. The middle-aged man blinked at him and said, "Young master, have you forgotten? You came here yesterday."  Go to Jiangnan Tavern."

    Zhang Cheng suddenly realized, isn¡¯t Jiangnan Tavern an intelligence point set up by Jiangdong Army in Chengdu?  He laughed and said, "Yes, I almost forgot, I ordered the food and wine, please bring it in!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    [Cao Cao called Zhuge Liang a villager, which is a bit wrong when you think about it. In the Han Dynasty, there was only the concept of a village, not a village]

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 650 Mrs. Sun¡¯s Rejection

    Seeing that it was indeed Zhang Cheng who ordered the food and wine, the Guan Cheng asked them no more questions and asked them to take them into the post house. After walking through the door, the middle-aged man laughed in a low voice and said, "Master Zhang, don't you remember me?"

    Zhang Cheng said apologetically: "Your Excellency looks familiar to me, but I just can't remember where I've seen him before?"

    "I am working for Cang Cao of the Governor's Office. My surname is Jiang. We have dealt with each other before."

    Zhang Cheng slapped his forehead and remembered. This person's name was Jiang Huan, nicknamed Jiang Gushen. He had seen him more than once in the Dudu Mansion the year before last. Later, he heard that he had been transferred away. Unexpectedly, he was actually in Chengdu, and it looked like  , should be Jiangdong's intelligence commander in Yizhou.

    He quickly said: "I remembered, you are the God of Ceres."

    The middle-aged man chuckled, "Exactly!"

    He smiled and said solemnly to Zhang Cheng: "Marquis Wu has an urgent order for you. I want to see General Lu."

    Zhang Cheng nodded, "Please!"

    In the room, Lu Fan was drinking alone. The alliance had become a deadlock. If it couldn't be resolved, he was ready to go back and resume his life. He knew that Liu Jing would definitely not give in, but Wu Hou also refused to give in. He  There is really no point in staying in Chengdu.

    At this moment, Zhang Cheng walked quickly to the door, bowed and said: "General, the people at Jiangnan Tavern have something urgent to ask for."

    Lu Fan was also slightly startled. As an envoy, of course he knew the status of Jiangnan Tavern. He immediately realized that there should be news coming from Jiangdong, but he was a little confused about how the news came.  He had only arrived in Chengdu three days ago. Did the news from Jiangdong come so soon?

    "Invite him in!"

    After a while, Zhang Cheng brought the shopkeeper Jiang Huan into the room. Jiang Huan knelt down and bowed and said: "I see you, General Lu!"

    "It turns out to be Jiang Gushen." Lu Fan said with a slight smile: "Please excuse me!"

    Jiang Huan straightened up, took out a piece of information and handed it to Lu Fan, "This is an urgent pigeon message from Jiangdong an hour ago. This is the first time. I didn't dare to delay, so I sent it immediately."

    Lu Fan was also quite shocked. It turned out to be a pigeon letter. You must know that it is thousands of miles from Jiangdong to Bashu. The pigeon letter has to be transferred at least several times, and the risk is extremely high. This rarely happens, but now a pigeon letter is actually sent.  , which only shows that the content in the letter is of great importance.

    He took the information and immediately opened it and read it. He didn't say anything for a while. At this time, Zhang Cheng hinted Jiang Huan to retreat. When only he and Lu Fan were left in the room, he asked: "General, what happened?"  What's going on?"

    Lu Fan sighed, "Cao's army counterattacked Hefei. The situation in Hefei is critical. Now Wu Hou has personally led the reinforcements to Hefei. He hopes that we will sign an alliance with Liu Jing immediately."

    "But what about Qichun County?" Zhang Cheng asked in embarrassment.

    Lu Fan pondered for a moment and said: "Wu Hou didn't mention it in his letter, but since he asked us to sign the contract immediately, Qichun County should give up. What does Zhang Canjun think?"

    Zhang Cheng nodded, "The general is right, Liu Jing cannot return Qichun to us. Wu Hou is eager to form an alliance, so we can only give up Qichun County."

    Lu Fan walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then lowered his head to think for a moment, and finally sighed: "I guess Liu Jing doesn't know about Hefei yet. Let's not be too impatient. We will talk to the General's Mansion tomorrow, but today I want to  Go visit Princess Shangxiang and see if Princess Shangxiang can gain some benefits for Jiangdong. "

    Sun Shangxiang had known for a long time that Lu Fan had come to Chengdu, and her husband had also forwarded her mother's family letters to her. Logically speaking, Lu Fan was her matchmaker with Liu Jing, and he was also a Jiangdong veteran. He had a very good relationship with his father, and he was just like his father.  Likewise, it is human nature to come and visit him when he comes to Chengdu. Sun Shangxiang is also eager to learn about the situation in his hometown from Lu Fan.

    But Sun Shangxiang waited for three days, but Lu Fan never came to see her, which made her a little unhappy. In the afternoon, when Sun Shangxiang was about to visit Tao Zhan, the housekeeper suddenly came to report that a distinguished guest from Jiangdong was visiting, which made her  I felt excited, but also a little angry.

    Sun Shangxiang deliberately said not to see her, but after thinking about it, she suppressed her unhappiness and came to the guest hall.

    In the distinguished guest hall, Lu Fan was drinking tea thoughtfully. At this time, he heard the sound of garb rings, and saw a dozen maids walking in surrounded by the bright and beautiful Princess Shangxiang. Lu Fan quickly stood up and saluted, "I see you, Shangxiang."  Princess!"

    "General Lu, you don't have to be polite. Could you please sit down?"

    Sun Shangxiang has been married to Liu Jing for almost three years, and her aggressive personality when she was young has also restrained a lot. Although she is still straightforward at heart, in front of outsiders, she has a somewhat graceful attitude of a lady. She  Knowing that she represents Liu Jing in some situations, she also has to pay attention to some etiquette, even in front of people in her hometown.

    Lu Fan saw that Sun Shangxiang had a smile on his face and behaved calmly and appropriately., I couldn't help being surprised. Is this the Princess Shangxiang who always led a group of female cavalry in the past, causing headaches to everyone in Jiangdong?  It feels like a completely different person.

    He sighed softly in his heart, it was their princess who had grown up and matured, and she was the most beautiful woman in Jiangdong. At this time, Sun Shangxiang asked the maid to serve tea, and then asked with a smile: "When did Lu Gong come to Chengdu? Just Lu  A man?"

    Lu Fan quickly leaned forward and said, "Wei Chen arrived three days ago. He was busy with official duties and did not come to visit the princess first. This time when we came to Chengdu, in addition to Wei Chen, there was also Commander Zhang's eldest son, who is the deputy envoy."

    "I see."

    Sun Shangxiang smiled and asked, "Why doesn't Mr. Zhang come to see me?"

    Lu Fan couldn't answer for a while. Zhang Cheng didn't come with him because there was a bit of embarrassment. Back then, Sun Ce wanted to marry Zhang Zhao and promised Zhang Cheng his sister Shang Xiang. Both parties had already agreed that because of Sun Ce's death, this would not happen.  The marriage never came to an end, and Zhang Zhao never mentioned it.

    But Lu Fan was the party involved, and he knew the cause and effect very well. Zhang Zhao was very willing to marry Sun, but Mrs. Wu objected to the marriage. She felt that the age difference between the two was more than ten years old, which was inappropriate. Mrs. Wu objected, and Sun Quan  He also pretended not to know, and Sun Quan wanted to marry the Gu family, a famous family in Wu County, who was the son of Gu Yong, so the marriage fell through.

    The Sun family had not taken this matter to heart for a long time, but the Zhang family had never forgotten it. Zhang Cheng refused to come with him, which meant that Zhang Cheng still remembered this matter in his heart. Lu Fan smiled bitterly and explained: "  Because I have to discuss the alliance with the General's Mansion tomorrow, Mr. Zhang has to prepare a lot of information, so I don't have time to visit the princess. Please forgive me."

    Sun Shangxiang just asked casually and didn't take it to heart. She didn't know that there was an engagement between herself and Zhang Cheng, but even if she knew, it would be meaningless. After all, she had already married Liu Jing. Sun Shangxiang asked again: "My mother  How is your health lately?¡±

    "Although the old lady is frail and sick, the problem is not serious. Careful nursing will also lead to longevity. Princess, please rest assured that Wu Hou and other clan members are all well. There is also a letter from the old lady to the princess. The princess has received it!"

    "General Liu has already given it to me. Thank you very much, Mr. Lu, for bringing the letter."

    After a moment of silence, Lu Fan said slowly: "This time the minister came to Chengdu as an envoy, on the order of Wu Hou, he wanted to form an alliance with Liu Zhoumu, so that the two families could fight against Cao Cao. However, Wu Hou meant that it is best for both parties to reach an agreement on an equal footing.  Covenant, so Wei Chen has been negotiating with the General's Mansion, but "

    Before Lu Fan could finish speaking, Sun Shangxiang waved her hand decisively to stop him. She said solemnly: "I understand what Mr. Lu means, but my husband and I made an agreement when we got married. I will never participate in the affairs of the Sun and Liu families."  Regarding affairs, if General Liu takes care of Jiangdong for my sake, that is his wish and has nothing to do with me. Please tell my brother, Mr. Lu, that I am the wife of General Liu. If I must come forward, I will only favor General Liu.  , but it will be detrimental to Jiangdong, so it is best not to mention anything unpleasant to everyone in front of me. "

    Lu Fan sighed secretly after a while. He didn't dare to tell Wu Hou

    At night, after some affectionate love, Liu Jing felt a little tired. He slowly closed his eyes, while Sun Shangxiang clung to her husband like a lazy cat. The light next to the bed was dimly lit, making her delicate and delicate.  A layer of creamy luster appeared on the extremely elastic skin. She also closed her eyes slightly, still immersed in the great physical and mental pleasure.

    Liu Jing gently stroked her hair and said softly: "We have worked very hard, God should give us a child!"

    "You're not working hard enough!"

    Sun Shangxiang pursed his lips and smiled: "I heard from the eldest sister that it was hard work for you to get Zhi'er, but now you are lazy."

    "You're going to tire me out!"

    Liu Jing turned over and pressed her down, kissed her lips, and said with a smile: "Do you want more, madam?"

    Sun Shangxiang¡¯s starry eyes were blurred, and she nodded slightly. Liu Jing turned around and blew out the lamp, and once again entered into a loving relationship with Sun Shangxiang.

    "Husband, Mr. Lu came to visit me today." Sun Shangxiang said quietly in the dark night.

    "I know, he told me in Xiangyang that he would come to visit you."

    Liu Jing smiled in a teasing tone: "It is said that everyone in Jiangdong is looking forward to you taking the child back to your parents' home."

    Sun Shangxiang pinched his arm and said coquettishly, "Are you laughing at me?"

    "No! How dare I laugh at a good wife."

    "I'm sorry you don't dare!"

    Sun Shangxiang sighed again, "As I hugged the little pig today, I suddenly wanted a daughter. I would dress her up like a princess, and I would also teach her to read."

    "Don't you want to teach her martial arts?" Liu Jing answered with a smile.Mouth.

    "No teaching!" Sun Shangxiang shook his head, "Not every man will like a woman who practices martial arts like my husband."

    Liu Jing felt an inexplicable touch in his heart. He touched Sun Shangxiang's face with pity and said, "Yes, God will definitely give us a daughter."

    "Yeah!" Sun Shangxiang agreed, nestled her face on her husband's shoulder, and said softly: "Go to sleep! You are very tired tonight."

    Liu Jing was thinking about Jiangdong. He had just received information today that Zhang Liao led an army of 50,000 to attack Hefei. In this way, Jiangdong would be eager to send troops, and the contradiction in Qichun County would naturally be resolved.

    He originally thought that Shang Xiang would mention the Jiangdong alliance to him, but he did not expect that she did not mention it at all, which moved Liu Jing very much.

    He looked down at his wife and found that she had fallen asleep. He carefully put her head back on the pillow and kissed her face. After a while, he also fell asleep.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 651 Send troops to Hefei

    Early the next morning, Liu Jing's carriage, escorted by more than a hundred cavalry, arrived at the General's Mansion. This was the first time he had come to the General's Mansion this year.

    It was just past midnight, and the sky was not yet completely bright. The eastern sky was dyed red with morning glow, and rays of dawn penetrated the clouds, coating the entire city with a layer of gold.

    Outside the gate of the General's Mansion, many officials came to court one after another. Several officials were exchanging greetings and chatting in front of the gate. At this time, someone shouted: "The governor is here!"

    The officials all moved out of the way, Liu Jing's carriage slowly stopped, he got out of the carriage, smiled and nodded to everyone, all the officials stepped forward and bowed and saluted: "See Zhou Mu!"

    "Thank you for coming to court so early, thank you all."

    Everyone laughed and said: "We are used to it, but it is the state pastor who is fighting in the north and south, worrying about the world, which is the real hardship."

    Liu Jing smiled and walked into the gate of the General's Mansion. The General's Mansion was the former Yizhou government office. After several repairs, it has formed a magnificent building complex covering an area of ??nearly 500 acres. After entering the gate, there is an open square.  , there are two towers in the center. On the front is the Jixian Hall of the General's Mansion, which is actually the main hall. On both sides are various government offices.

    Behind the meeting hall is the original meeting hall, now renamed Pingzhangtai, which is where the five ministers discuss military and state affairs. There are thirteen smaller buildings around it, corresponding to the thirteen cao, which is the specific implementation of Pingzhangtai.  mechanism.

    To the left of Pingzhang Terrace is Liu Jing's official chamber, but today Liu Jing did not go directly to his official chamber, but came to Pingzhang Terrace. He signed an order in Hanzhong to announce the establishment of the Five Ministers System, but he was still the first  Come to Pingzhangtai once.

    Liu Jing just walked into Pingzhang Terrace and met Sima Yi face to face. Sima Yi was startled and quickly stepped forward to greet him, "Why is Zhou Mu here?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "It's almost three days of rest. Didn't Zhongda take a rest after he came back from Xiangyang?"

    "Wei Chen also had a day off, but there were too many things to do, so Wei Chen was invited by the ministers to discuss matters."

    "Speaking of it, I have pushed all the trivial government affairs to everyone. I am relaxed, but you have worked hard. I still feel a little sorry when I think about it!" Liu Jing said with a slight smile.

    At this time, a loud voice came from behind, "The Zhou Mu should concentrate on thinking about the world's major events. Let us share these daily government affairs for the Zhou Mu."

    When Liu Jing turned around, it was Dong He. She smiled and nodded, "It turns out to be Dong Shangshu!"

    Dong He hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "See Zhou Mu!"

    Dong He was the original leader of the Dongzhou scholars of Bashu. As one of the five ministers, he represented the interests of the Dongzhou scholars. Fei Guan represented the interests of the native Bashu clan. Xu Shu represented the original Jiangxia clan. Sima Yi was the representative.  The Northern faction, while Jiang Wan represents the Jingzhou faction. The five ministers all have their own power backgrounds. As the highest authority, although Liu Jing himself does not like this kind of factional structure, he must also adapt to reality and balance all parties.  demands for interests, otherwise there will be internal disputes of interests, which will affect his world plans.

    Liu Jing asked Dong He: "Is everyone here?"

    Dong He nodded, "Today we will discuss the alliance with Jiangdong. We all arrived early in the morning. Yesterday afternoon Lu Fan sent a letter, expressing his willingness to abandon Qichun County and form an alliance as soon as possible, so we need to discuss a specific plan."

    At this time, Fei Yi, the manager, stepped forward quickly, bowed to Liu Jing, and then said to Sima Yi and Dong He: "The time is coming, please invite me, the two ministers!"

    "I'm urging you, let's go! I want to observe today."

    Liu Jing chuckled and walked into the inner hall.

    The layout of the inner hall is quite solemn and solemn. Four huge pillars stand in the lobby, with curtains several feet high. Five large tables are arranged in a semicircle in the middle, covered with soft mats. These are the five ministers.  There are dozens of small tables behind the seats, which are the seats of the minister, the thirteen Cao Ling, and the chief officials of various government offices. Generally, only the minister is sitting, and the other seats are empty. Only some special and important discussions are held by them.  will participate.

    There is a large table on the upper left side of the Fifth Minister's seat, which is Liu Jing's seat. The table is covered with a golden ribbon and has two seals of Fangzhou Mu. Of course, this table is only symbolic.  In fact, this is also a characteristic of the politics of the Han and Tang Dynasties. The emperor does not care about government affairs, and the practical power of government affairs lies in the hands of the prime minister.

    But it does not completely negate Liu Jing's power. Today we are mainly discussing the alliance with Jiangdong, so yesterday Xu Shu came to see Liu Jing to ask for Liu Jing's opinions, and the final alliance resolution still needs Liu Jing's signature before it can be finalized.  pass.

    Liu Jing sat down in his seat. He did not interfere with the five ministers¡¯ discussions. This was a matter of principle and he did not want to violate this principle. At this time, the fiveThe ministers are all sitting down, and the discussion has not officially begun yet.

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "Since the discussion has not yet begun, I will tell you some news first. Cao Cao has sent Zhang Liao to lead an army of 50,000 to counterattack Hefei. Now the situation in Hefei is tight, and Sun Quan is eager for us to send troops to help."

    There was a sudden discussion in the inner hall, and everyone knew why the Jiangdong envoy was eager to reach an alliance. It turned out that there was a war in Hefei. At this time, Fei Guan asked: "May I ask the state pastor, when was the news?"

    "This is the news I just got last night. It is said that Sun Quan has personally led his army to return to Fei. The war situation should be unfavorable to Jiangdong, so Sun Quan is eager to form an alliance."

    "Did Zhou Mu decide to send troops?" Jiang Wan asked again.

    Liu Jing smiled and said: "It depends on how you negotiate with the Jiangdong envoy. If we can reach an agreement, I can send troops. In addition, I told Yuan Zhi yesterday that Pengze Lake poses a great threat to Chaisang, and Pengze County can be returned.  Jiangdong, but Pengze Lake cannot be returned. Now the situation is different. Since Jiangdong took the initiative to ask for an alliance, no other land will be surrendered except the Yangtze River waterway east of Qichun County. "

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The alliance between the Sun and Liu families was finally reached due to Sun Quan's concessions. Jingzhou retained Qichun County, Pengze County and Pengze Lake. In the end, only minor concessions were made, and the three hundred miles of Yangtze River waterway east of Qichun County was  Returned to Jiangdong.

    Forming an alliance still requires the signatures and seals of the two lords, and it will take at least several months to go back and forth. However, the situation in Hefei was already very tense, so Liu Jing agreed to let the Jingzhou navy take the first step and rush to rescue Hefei.

    That morning, on the river east of Chaisang, a fleet of 500 warships was speeding along the river. The fleet was huge and stretched for dozens of miles. This was two ships led by Gan Ning.  Wanjingzhou Navy rushed to Hefei to support Jiangdong Army according to Liu Jing's order.

    On the first large ship, Gan Ning held a sword in his hand and stared at the vast river surface. Less than a month after he returned to Jiangxia, he set off again for Hefei. Perhaps after experiencing the Battle of Hefei, he was full of confidence in Cao Jun's counterattack on Hefei.  Worrying, I don¡¯t know if Cao¡¯s army¡¯s Tiger and Leopard Cavalry participated in the battle. If the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry are among them, then Jiangdong¡¯s army is indeed in a disadvantageous situation.

    While he was meditating, a soldier pointed to the river and shouted: "General Gan, there seems to be a ship calling us over there!"

    Gan Ning walked to the side of the ship and saw a 500-stone speedboat turning around. The Jiangdong Army flag was hung on the mast, and a red flag was waving. This was the flag, meaning a request to get on board. Gan Ning immediately ordered: "  Slow down the boat and pick them up!"

    The warship slowly slowed down. After a while, Jiangdong's ship approached. A messenger climbed onto the ship. He took a step forward and knelt down on one knee to salute: "I am a Marquis of the Jiangdong Army. I came to Jiangxia to deliver a message on the order of Marquis Wu."  ¡±

    After saying that, he took out a scroll and presented it to Gan Ning with both hands. This was an autograph letter written by Lu Su, and it was written to Gan Ning. Of course, if it was an autograph letter from Sun Quan, it should be written to Liu Jing. Obviously the time  It's too late to go up.

    Gan Ning opened the scroll and read it again. Lu Su's tone in the letter seemed quite urgent, hoping that he could send troops to support Hefei as soon as possible. The situation in Hefei was critical.

    This made Gan Ning slightly startled. Why was Lu Su so eager?  Also, why is the situation in Hefei critical, why not Qiao County or Shouchun?  The letter did not give an answer, so Gan Ning asked the military commander who sent the letter: "Has Jiangdong Army abandoned Qiao County and Shouchun?"

    The military marquis sighed and said: "Qiao County gave up, but Shouchun was defeated. General Huang was attacked by Cao's army in Shouchun. The warships were burned to death and tens of thousands of people were lost. General Huang was forced to withdraw to Hefei.  "

    "Then where is Wu Hou?" Gan Ning asked again.

    "When Beizhi set out, Wu Hou was at Ruxushui and was heading for Hefei. Because he was afraid of Cao's army's fire attack, he did not take the waterway. The warships stopped at Ruxukou and rushed to Hefei from the land."

    "How many troops did Marquis Wu bring?"

    "About 100,000 troops."

    Hearing that Sun Quan was leading an army of 100,000 to support Hefei, Gan Ning felt a little relieved. He smiled and said to the military commander: "Don't worry! I'm rushing to Hefei to support Jiangdong Army. I will arrive as soon as possible."

    "Thank you, General Gan!"

    The military marquis got off the boat. At this time, Shen Mi slowly walked to Gan Ning and whispered: "General, Sun Quan doesn't dare to take the boat to go north, but he expects our navy. This seems to have ulterior motives!"

    "I know this!" Gan Ning sighed and said: "Sun Quan didn't have ulterior motives, but it was something that was obvious to him. He needed a navy to defend Hefei, but he was afraid of fire attack and did not dare to take a boat. He expected us to attack him, but Jiangdong  If the army loses this battle, I am afraid that it will never dare to march north again, which will be detrimental to sharing our pressure. Considering the overall situation, we must put aside our dissatisfaction with Jiangdong Army. "

     Speaking of this, Gan Ning immediately ordered: "Pass my order, and the speed of the warship will be increased by another 30%."

    The Jingzhou navy's warships, which were originally traveling at a constant speed on the river, accelerated again. Gan Ning changed the reinforcement plan. It originally took eight days to arrive at Hefei, but now it was changed to five days. As soon as possible, the Jingzhou navy kept speeding day and night, but after all, the journey was far away.  , and at this time, Hefei's crisis is imminent.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 652 Battle at Hefei

    Zhang Liao was surrounded by the Han army when he retreated from Fancheng, and almost his entire army was annihilated. If Cao Cao had not used great political conditions to redeem his army, even Zhang Liao would have become a prisoner of war of the Han army. However, Cao Cao did not suffer the consequences because of his nearly  When the rear army was completely wiped out, he ignored him. On the contrary, when Cao Cao withdrew his army back to Yedu, he once again re-employed Zhang Liao and ordered him to lead an army of 50,000 to gather compound fertilizer.

    Knowing his shame and then being brave, Zhang Liao suppressed his anger in Jingzhou, and finally poured out all this anger behind Jiangdong's army. After the 50,000-strong army forced back Jiangdong's army in Qiao County, he went all out to Shouchun, and in Fei  Water and fire burned the warships of the Jiangdong Army. Three hundred warships of the Jiangdong Army were burned to the ground. Only a hundred of the more than 10,000 troops escaped, and the remaining soldiers all died under the fire and arrows.

    Zhang Liao acted decisively and immediately led his army south to attack Hefei. At this time, there were only more than 10,000 defenders left in Hefei. General Huang Gai was deeply frightened and sent a letter to Sun Quan overnight asking for help.

    Zhang Liao has been besieging Hefei for more than ten days. He attacked Hefei City twice. Both sides suffered losses. However, the base of Cao's army was 50,000, while the base of Jiangdong's army was only more than 10,000. The loss of several thousand people was of little significance to Cao's army.  But it had a huge impact on Jiangdong. Huang Gai's troops were less than 10,000. How could he still defend Hefei City?

    However, Zhang Liao was no longer in a hurry to capture Hefei at this time. He was patiently waiting for reinforcements from Jiangdong to arrive, and instead adopted the strategy of siege and reinforcements.

    Cao Jun's camp was set up outside the north city of Hefei, stretching for more than ten miles. The tents were one after another, and the momentum was majestic. This was Zhang Liao's plan to increase the number of stoves. There were only 50,000 troops, but a 100,000-strong army was stationed. This way  This put great pressure on Jiangdong's army in the city, making Jiangdong's army low in morale and in panic all day long.

    In Cao Jun's tent, Zhang Liozheng and his deputy Li Dian discussed countermeasures. This time they cooperated very well, without the subtle conflicts they had in Jingzhou. Although some things were not revealed, both of them knew in their hearts that they would kill the man in Jingzhou.  When there were five sergeants, apart from Zhang Liao's personal soldiers, the other person around was Li Dian. Apart from Li Dian, where else could Cao Hong know the details at that time?

    But neither of them said anything, and after arriving in Hefei, Zhang Liao no longer cared about Li Dian's little tricks behind his back. The two went all out to deal with Jiangdong's army, and gradually forgot about the discord between them.

    "Now the main force of Jiangdong Army has passed Chaohu, about fifty miles away from Hefei."

    Zhang Liao pointed at the northern section of Chaohu on the sand table with a wooden pole and said in a deep voice: "It is said that the main force of the Jiangdong Army this time was led by Sun Quan himself. If we can completely defeat Sun Quan in this battle, then Sun Quan will not dare to go north again for at least five years."  Peep, this destroys the significance of the alliance between Liu Jing and Sun Quan."

    Li Dian nodded, "Wen Yuan is right, it is true. We cannot focus on recapturing Hefei, but also consider the overall situation and completely dispel Jiangdong Army's ambition to march north, so that when we deal with Liu Jing, we don't have to worry about something happening in the southeast."

    Having said this, Li Dian took the wooden pole and pointed at Jiangxia, asking: "Does Wenyuan think Jingzhou will send troops to assist Jiangdong?"

    Zhang Liao sighed, "This is what I'm worried about. If Jiangzhou sends troops, we can either go through Anlu County and cut off our retreat through Runan. This is a land route. Then we can take the Yangtze River waterway and rush to Hefei. This is a waterway.  Although the land route is relatively close, Jingzhou's advantage is its navy. I don't think they will give up their advantage for disadvantage, especially when Cao Zhen led his cavalry to inflict heavy losses on Jingzhou's navy, which Gan Ning should still remember."

    Li Dian thought for a moment and then said: "Actually, I am worried that the Jingzhou navy will arrive in time. I am afraid that our troops will not be able to deal with the Sun and Liu coalition forces. I suggest that we go to war as soon as possible and defeat the Jiangdong army before the Jingzhou reinforcements arrive. Sun Quan  In order to shirk responsibility, they will definitely accuse the Jingzhou Army of failing to rescue, which will cause conflicts between the Sun and Liu families. "

    Zhang Liao raised his thumb and said with a smile: "The Prime Minister often told me that Mancheng is a famous commander. He thinks carefully and listens to the thunder in the silent place. It is indeed good. I follow Mancheng's words and will attack Hefei today and prepare to face Sun Quan's main force.  ¡±

    Zhang Liao immediately ordered: "Send my order and the army will attack the north gate!"

    He then said to Li Dian: "Huang Gai has insufficient troops and must be lucky. He thinks that the northerners are not used to water warfare and will not enter the city by water. Mancheng can lead 3000 troops to cross the river from Xiaoyaojin and enter the city tonight. The enemy will be defeated tonight.  ¡±

    It was already evening, and the war drums in Cao's camp suddenly sounded. Jiangdong's army at the top of the city suddenly became nervous. Some people hurriedly ran down the city to report. After a while, Huang Gai and Lu Meng rushed to the city after hearing the news.  At the beginning, Cao's army was mobilizing on a large scale under the city. Cao's army was like a river converging into the sea, gathering outside the north city from all directions, with battle flags like clouds and spears like forests, with a huge momentum.

    Huang Gai looked extremely serious. He only had 6,000 defenders in the city now. How could he resist Cao Jun's large-scale advance? He sighed and said to Lu Meng: "Cao Jun's strategy is obvious. They have been reluctant to attack the city.  We are besieging the city to bring reinforcements. Waiting for our reinforcements to arrive,?Seeing our reinforcements arriving, Cao Jun decided to attack the city. This was a formal siege. They must want to capture Hefei before tonight.  "

    Lu Meng said worriedly: "Our reinforcements are about to arrive, and they can kill them as soon as tomorrow morning. Can we hold on until tomorrow morning?"

    "I do not know!"

    Huang Gai shook his head, the worry in his eyes deepened, and he resolutely said to Lu Meng: "No matter what, we must try our best to defend Hefei. Judging from the situation of Cao Jun's river filling these days, Cao Jun will attack the North Gate and West Gate. The North Gate is  I will be responsible for guarding the side, and Zi Ming can lead two thousand troops to guard the west gate. As long as we hold on until Wu Hou arrives, we will have achieved great success."

    "Humble your duties and obey orders!"

    Lu Meng saluted and led an army to rush towards the west gate. At this time, Huang Gai took a deep breath and shouted loudly: "Pass my order, all soldiers and civilians must go to the city to participate in the defense!"

    Jiangdong Army not only had 6,000 soldiers, but also recruited 20,000 young and strong civilians. They were briefly trained, given weapons, and then participated in defending the city together. These 20,000 civilians were also Huang Gai's last hope.

    As soon as it got dark, Cao Jun's 50,000-strong army had been assembled. They divided their troops into two groups, with 20,000 people attacking the west city. Zhang Liao personally led 30,000 people to attack the north city. Cao Jun lit torches outside the city, and tens of thousands of torches illuminated the inside and outside of the city.  Like daytime, amidst bursts of passionate drums, Cao's army began to rush towards the city wall like a tide.

    After more than ten days of siege, although Cao's army did not attack the city, they did not idle either. Instead, they continued to fill the moat with soil at night. It took more than ten days to fill up most of the moats in both the North City and the West City.  It turned out that part of the moat, which was dozens of feet wide, had disappeared, and the gap where the moat disappeared became the main battlefield for Cao's army to attack the city tonight.

    Tens of thousands of Cao's troops resisted hundreds of siege ladders and swarmed towards the two-mile-long gap, as dense as a swarm of ants. Behind them, ten huge nest cars were slowly driving towards the city wall.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

    The fierce sound of war drums seemed to break a person's heart. Arrows were fired up and down the city like a storm, forming a large black cloud of arrows, which made the soldiers above and below the city breathless.

    More than a dozen of Cao Jun's heavy trebuchets took turns throwing huge rocks onto the city. The rubble flew everywhere and the walls collapsed. Amidst the screams one after another, the Jiangdong Army soldiers also became red-eyed and used big rocks and rolling logs.  Smashing the siege ladder against Cao Jun, I saw a series of Cao Jun soldiers being smashed down the city, letting out shrill screams.

    "General, the Northeast is in danger, and our brothers can't stand it any longer!"

    A soldier hurriedly reported to Huang Gai, "The chariot has approached the city, and there are too many enemy troops."

    Huang Gai also saw it. Three Chao chariots were close to the northeast corner. Countless Cao troops were rushing towards the city along the Chao chariots. More than a hundred Jiangdong soldiers resisted desperately. They could no longer hold on anymore. Huang Gai was so anxious that he was sweating profusely.  , turned around and shouted: "All reserve troops go to reinforce the northeast corner!"

    "General Qi, all the reserve troops are here."

    "Then let the civilians mobilize three thousand civilians to go to the city." Huang Gai yelled.

    At this moment, another soldier rushed over and reported urgently: "General Huang, the West City is in danger and can no longer withstand it. General Lu is asking for support."

    Huang Gai took a deep breath, waved his hand, and signaled the soldiers to wait for a moment. At this time, the people who ran out to recruit the civilians came back in panic and reported: "General Huang, all the civilians have ran away, and only a few dozen people are left."

    Huang Gai was stunned. He walked quickly to the female wall and looked down. He saw that the place where the civilians gathered was empty. There was really no one in sight. All kinds of weapons were scattered all over the floor. Tens of thousands of civilians actually ran away.  There was no one left, which made Huang Gai's heart feel like it was falling into an ice cave. The soldiers asking for help said at the side: "All the civilians in Xicheng have also fled. They are unwilling to sacrifice their lives for the Jiangdong Army."

    Huang Gai is so upset, what should he do?  After only an hour, I couldn't hold it anymore. Do I really want to abandon the city and flee?

    He suddenly remembered something, turned around and asked: "How is the situation over there in Xiaoyaojin?"

    "Reporting to the general, Xiaoyaojin is very quiet and there is no Cao army attacking."

    When Huang Gai deployed his troops, he was worried that Cao's army would enter the city from Xiaoyaojin in the east, so he specially deployed a thousand troops there. Those one thousand soldiers became his life-saving straw at this time. Most of Cao's troops were northern soldiers and were not good at water.  The possibility of entering the city from the direction of Xiaoyaojin is extremely small. Although there is a slight possibility, Huang Gai can't care about it now. He immediately ordered: "Order General Zhang to abandon the defense of Xiaoyaojin and immediately lead his troops to support Beicheng and Xicheng."  ¡±

    Xiaoyaojin's Qianjiangdong garrison received Huang Gai's order and divided their forces into two groups to rescue Beicheng and Xicheng. Xiaoyaojin's defenses disappeared. At this time, the long-awaited ships of Cao's army appeared. There were more than a hundred small boats in total, fully loaded.  Three thousand Cao's troops marched quietly into the city.

    ?It is true that Cao Cao's army was not good at water warfare, but Huang Gai ignored the fact that Cao Cao had been training his water army for many years in the Xuanwu Pond north of Yedu. After several years of training, Cao Cao's army was no longer as weak and afraid of water as it was during the Battle of Chibi.  Cao Jun was defeated, and there was no problem at least taking a boat. What's more, the water in Xiaoyaojin was calm and calm, which had no impact on Cao Jun at all.

    Li Dian held a spear and shield in his hand and stared sharply ahead. He could not see any enemy troops. Small boats slowly docked. Cao Jun was preparing to land. Li Dian jumped ashore and looked around cautiously.  After a moment, with a wave of his hand, countless Cao soldiers disembarked from their boats and went ashore, quickly gathering on the shore.

    Not long after, Cao Cao's three thousand troops were assembled, and Li Dian shouted, "Brothers, the city will be broken tonight. The first person to enter the city will be rewarded with a reward of one hundred taels!"

    Under the temptation of the huge reward, three thousand Cao Cao's troops rushed towards the city of Hefei.

 Volume 2, Jiangxia Chapter 653: Taking advantage of the situation

    Although a thousand soldiers came to reinforce Beicheng and Xicheng, as more and more Cao Jun's chariots approached the city, the defense at the top of the city was finally broken through. Still in the northeast corner, Jiangdong Army was defeated by Cao Jun, hundreds of Cao Jun  Swarming towards the city, they quickly occupied the city and opened a passage up the city.

    Huang Gai was leading more than a thousand people to resist the attack of Cao's soldiers. At this time, a soldier ran over and reported urgently, "General Huang, the northeast corner has been lost!"

    Huang Gai turned around and saw a large group of enemy troops in the northeast corner rushing towards the city. Only less than a hundred soldiers were desperately resisting. Huang Gai was so anxious that he shouted to a general next to him: "Hurry up and lead three soldiers with you."  Brother Bai, go to the northeast corner to defend!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, there were shouts of panic in the city. Some soldiers rushed up the corridor and shouted in a tearful voice: "General Huang, thousands of Cao troops have entered the city from the direction of Xiaoyaojin!"

    Huang Gai only felt ¡®Boom!  ' With a sound, everything went blank. At this time, dozens of soldiers around him looked at him, waiting for his decision. Huang Gai sighed slowly, his face full of bitterness. Although he resisted desperately, Hefei was still lost.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sun Quan's initial plan was to wait until the Jingzhou navy arrived, and the two armies would join forces. The Jingzhou navy would take the water route, while his 100,000-strong army would take the land route, and the water route would go together to rescue Hefei. However, Huang Gai's letters for help came one after another.  Sun Quan also knew that the situation in Hefei was critical and would not allow him to delay any longer.

    He couldn't wait for the Jingzhou navy to arrive, so he rushed to Hefei day and night. For Sun Quan, Hefei was a strategic location in the Central Plains of Beitu. As long as he stood firm in Hefei, once Cao Cao was dragged by Liu Jing on the western front, he would  You can head to the Central Plains at any time.

    On the contrary, if Hefei is lost, Jiangdong may not be able to send troops to the north within ten years. It can be said that the battle of Hefei is a battle related to Jiangdong's future status, whether to be on the side of peace, or to go north to the Central Plains, and then aspire to dominate the world.

    Precisely because of the importance of Hefei, Sun Quan personally led an army of 100,000 people to the north to rescue Hefei.

    One hundred thousand troops marched rapidly north along the east bank of Feishui River. At this time, they were still twenty miles away from Hefei. They could reach it in another hour's walk. Sun Quan was extremely anxious. Just a few hours ago, he received Huang Gai's arrival again.  Cao Jun has begun a large-scale attack on Hefei City, but now there is no news, so how can Sun Quan not be anxious.

    One hundred thousand troops stretched for more than ten miles, galloping on the wide official road by the river. It was already the fourth watch. Both sides of the official road were dark, without lights, and extremely quiet. There was only the rapid footsteps of the army marching north.

    Suddenly, a guard pointed forward and shouted: "General, look ahead, there seems to be an army."

    Sun Quan reined in his horse. He seemed to see an army rushing towards him a few miles ahead. There was also the sound of horse hooves. At this time, Taishi Ci led 3,000 Jiangdong elite crossbowmen on the official road.  A defensive formation was deployed, and three thousand military crossbows were pointed coldly at the north.

    A group of cavalry had already rushed forward to inquire about the situation. After a while, the cavalry came back and reported: "My lord, it is General Huang and General Lu!"

    Sun Quan's heart sank. He immediately realized that something happened in Hefei. After a while, he ordered: "Bring General Huang to see me."

    Soon, a group of cavalry came forward with Huang Gai. Huang Gai was covered in blood. He had been stabbed several times and his body was bloody. He seemed exhausted. He stepped forward and reluctantly clasped his fists and said: "I am guilty of my humble position. I failed to defend Hefei. I am ashamed."  To my lord!"

    As expected, Hefei was lost. Sun Quan was extremely depressed. After a while, he sighed and ordered: "Take Old General Huang down to heal his wounds!"

    Huang Gai felt guilty. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't say anything, so he had to follow the soldiers down. Sun Quan asked Lu Meng to be found and asked him: "How many troops are left?"

    "Please tell me, my lord, that there are still more than two thousand people left."

    Sun Quan felt a pain in his heart. Twenty thousand people were guarding Hefei, but in the end only more than two thousand were left. This loss was too heavy, but the loss of soldiers was second. The key was the loss of Hefei, a strategic place, which he could not accept no matter what.  After pondering for a long time, he asked reluctantly: "How many more of Cao's troops are there?"

    "Reporting to my lord, Cao's army originally numbered more than 53,000 people, but after several battles, they also lost seven or eight thousand people. It is estimated that there are still more than 40,000 people now."

    At this time, Lu Su slowly urged his horse forward and said: "The city of Hefei is wide and the walls are high. We don't have heavy siege equipment. I'm afraid it will be difficult to attack. It's better to retreat to Jiangdong first and plan for it later."

    Sun Quan shook his head, "I have lost nearly 20,000 troops, and I am really unwilling to retreat just like this!"

    Next to him, Lu Xun understood Sun Quan¡¯s thoughts and cupped his hands and said: ¡°Your Majesty, I think we still have hope to recapture Hefei.¡±

    "Keep talking!" Sun Quan suddenly became energetic and said.

    ? ?Xun Xun smiled and continued: "As Governor Lu said, Hefei City is wide and has high walls, making it difficult to attack, but Hefei also has a weakness. We can start from this weakness. Should General Lu know where this weakness is?"

    Speaking of this, Lu Xun glanced at Lu Meng and looked at him with a half-smile. Ever since the Battle of Chaisang, Lu Xun led his troops to escape first, resulting in Lu Meng being captured. The relationship between Lu Meng and Lu Xun has always been unharmonious, but on the surface, the two  He never showed it, he just secretly made trouble with the other party inadvertently.

    Sun Quan asked Lu Meng again, "Where is the weakness?"

    Lu Meng felt very uncomfortable. Lu Xun meant that they were not well defended and were invaded by Cao Jun from Xiaoyaojin. However, Wu Hou had to answer what he said. Lu Meng had to bow and said: "Report to my lord, Hefei's weak point is Xiaoyaojin.  It¡¯s a lake with no city walls and you can enter the city directly from the lake.¡±

    At this time, Sun Quan suddenly understood what Lu Xun meant, and he immediately asked: "General Lu, does he mean to wait for the Jingzhou navy to arrive and use the Jingzhou navy to break through Xiaoyaojin?"

    Lu Xun nodded, "That's exactly what Wei Chen meant!"

    Next to him, Lu Su said anxiously: "Wu Hou, please calm down. Our trip is to reinforce General Huang, not to attack the city. We are not well prepared for the siege. If we change the decision in a hurry, it may be detrimental to the war situation. Wu Hou should withdraw his troops first and wait for preparations."  Then attack Hefei when we have enough.¡±

    Sun Quan had been planning for Hefei for a long time and was not willing to give up easily. He did not listen to Lu Su's advice and immediately ordered: "Pass my order, the army continues to move north and camp on the east bank of Xiaoyaojin, Hefei!"

    The 100,000-strong army set off again, marching toward Hefei City in a mighty manner. Within an hour, they arrived at the east bank ferry of Xiaoyaojin, east of Hefei City, and began to set up camp in an open area.

    There was silence in the Jiangdong military camp. After a day and night of forced march, the soldiers were exhausted and rested in the big tent. Cao's army had just captured Hefei City and needed to stabilize Hefei City. They would not attack Jiangdong Army for the time being. Both sides were at a disadvantage.  A temporary truce.

    In the Jiangdong camp, Lu Xun walked through a group of tents and hurried to Sun Quan's tent. He clasped his fists to the guards and said, "Is Marquis Wu asleep?"

    At this time, Sun Quan¡¯s voice came from the big tent, ¡°Bo Yan, please come in!¡±

    Lu Xun nodded to the guards and quickly walked into the big tent. Inside the big tent, Sun Quan was standing in front of the sand table with his hands behind his back to check the terrain. This was also an advanced combat tool that Jiangdong learned from Jingzhou. Sun Quan ordered people to make it after the Battle of Chibi.  Hundreds of craftsmen spent a year to finally create this panoramic view of Jiangdong Sand Table, which also includes Jingzhou and some places in Jiangbei. The northernmost is Shouchun. Each sand table is about three feet long and is made up of eight small sand tables.  Easy to carry when marching.

    Lu Xun stepped forward and saluted, "See Wu Hou!"

    "What's wrong with Boyan?" Sun Quan asked with a smile.

    Lu Xun nodded and said: "Wei Chen inspected the military camp and found that the morale of the soldiers was low due to the loss of Hefei. If we want to win this battle, we must first improve the morale and morale of the soldiers."

    "I also know that morale is low. Does Boyan have any good ideas?" Sun Quan looked at him and asked.

    "To inform the Marquis of Wu, the way to improve is very simple, that is, win a battle first, so that the morale of the army will be high. The humble minister has a plan to defeat Cao's army."

    "Please continue telling me what your plan is."

    Lu Xun smiled, "Just now Wei Chen went to visit General Huang's injury. He told me that Hefei's grain storehouse only has more than 30,000 dan, and a large amount of grain is stored in Shouchun. If Cao Jun intends to confront us for a long time, then they  The grain must be transferred from Shouchun. Cao's army has more than 200 grain ships in Shouchun, and they should soon be transporting grain to Hefei by water. Wei Chen is willing to lead an army to ambush the grain ships and capture Shouchun.  "

    Sun Quan felt that Lu Xun had not finished speaking, so he asked, "Bo Yan seems to have not finished speaking yet?"

    "Yes! Wei Chen also wants to say that as long as Jiangdong's army goes north to Shouchun, Cao's army will definitely send troops to protect Shouchun. We can turn around and eat this supporting army, and at the same time cut off Cao's army's supplies. Even if the Jingzhou army does not arrive, it will take at most one month.  Cao's army will be unable to hold on and withdraw."

    Sun Quan stared at the sand table for a long time. Shouchun is in the north of Hefei and is connected to Hefei by the Fei River. It is true that as long as the Fei River is cut off, Shouchun's grain cannot be transported south to Hefei. Lu Xun's suggestion is indeed a good idea. Sun Quan thought for a moment and then asked:  "If Boyan leads an army, how many troops will be needed?"

    "We need 30,000 soldiers, 10,000 for light and 20,000 for cover. Cao's army does not have many troops. We can send at most 10,000 people northward. Then we can be sure to annihilate all 10,000 Cao's troops."

    Sun Quan nodded, "Then I will give you 30,000 people, and General Zhou Tai will be my deputy. I hope you will not disappoint me."

    At the same moment when Lu Xun proposed to Sun Quan the plan to cut off grain, Zhang Liao and Li Dian were also looking at the Jiangdong Army camp from a distance on top of the city.

      Li Dian pointed at Jiangdong Camp and smiled: "Sun Quan is actually stationed on the opposite bank of Xiaoyaojin. This shows that they want to break through Xiaoyaojin and enter the city, but they have no warships."

    Zhang Liao said worriedly: "They should be counting on the warships from Jingzhou to reinforce them. Once the Jingzhou navy arrives, there will be at least three to four hundred warships, which will put a lot of pressure on us, and they have the upper hand. It is very likely that we will still defend."  We don¡¯t live in Hefei, but the problem now is that we know Jiangdong Army¡¯s plan, but we can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±

    "There should be countermeasures!" Li Dian turned back and stared at Zhang Liandao.

    Zhang Liao nodded, "There is indeed one countermeasure, which is to fight Jiangdong Army decisively and defeat Jiangdong Army before the Jingzhou navy arrives."

    "But what if the Jiangdong Army is unwilling to fight us? Or they send troops to cut off our food transportation."

    Li Dian didn't go on. They had already discussed this issue. There were only 30,000 grains in the city, and ordinary residents were short of food. Shouchun had more than 100,000 shi of grain. Zhang Liao had sent Renshouchun to urge grain, and now he was afraid of Jiangdong's army.  Realizing this, they sent troops to cut off their food routes.

    Zhang Liao said calmly: "The Jiangdong Army will definitely discover our food shortage problem, and there will definitely be suggestions to cut off our food routes, or even lure more of our troops to go north, thus leaving the city empty. But since we can predict the enemy first, we can take advantage of it."  .

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 654 Zhang Liao shows off his power

    At the third watch, a Cao army of about 30,000 people left Hefei City and headed north along the Feishui River. Just an hour ago, two Jiangdong armies also left the camp and headed toward Shouchun.

    Jiangdong Army deployed a large number of scouts near Hefei City. When the 30,000 Cao Army troops just left the city and headed north, they were immediately discovered by Jiangdong Army scouts. Several cavalrymen rushed towards Jiangdong Camp, "We have important information to report to Wuhou!  ¡± shouted the cavalryman in the darkness.

    The sentry stepped forward to check the messenger cavalry and immediately got out of the way. The cavalry dismounted and ran into the camp at full speed towards the Chinese army's tent.

    At this time, Sun Quan had just fallen asleep and was gently pushed awake by the guard, "Marquis Wu, the scout has reported an emergency!"

    Sun Quan turned over and sat up, put on a coat and went to the outer tent. The scout commander immediately knelt on one knee and reported: "Report to the Marquis of Wu, we found that Cao's army left the city and headed north."

    Sun Quan perked up. This was exactly the news he wanted to hear. He immediately asked: "How many Cao's troops are there?"

    "About thirty thousand people!"

    "How much?" Sun Quan asked again in surprise.

    "Reporting to the Marquis of Wu, there are about 30,000 people."

    Sun Quan became a little nervous. The number of troops sent by Cao Jun was beyond his expectation. At first, he only considered 10,000 Cao Jun troops going north. In this way, 30,000 Jiangdong troops would be enough to annihilate 10,000 Cao Jun troops. But now Cao Jun actually sent 30,000 troops. His troops heading north  It's a bit dangerous.

    He thought for a moment and then asked: "Can you be sure of the number of people? It must be Cao's soldiers, not civilians dressed up?"

    The scout commander shook his head, "It should be about 30,000 people, and they must be the army, not civilians. It can be seen from the marching state, and there are 5,000 tiger and leopard cavalry among them."

    Sun Quan was surprised that there were actually five thousand cavalry. He became more and more nervous and said to himself: "It's strange. Doesn't Zhang Liao not want Hefei City?"

    After pondering for a long time, Sun Quan waved his hand and ordered the scouts to retreat. He then ordered the guards, "Send General Lu Ziming to see me quickly!"

    Not long after, Lu Meng hurried over. Not long after he fell asleep, he was woken up by Sun Quan's guards. He stepped forward and saluted, "I will see my lord at the end!"

    "General Ziming, let me ask you, if we attack Hefei with all our strength, how long can Cao Jun defend the city of Hefei with 10,000 troops?"

    "Report to the lord, if the other party has civilians to help, they can guard it for three hours!"

    "But you only held on for more than an hour?"

    Lu Meng sighed, "People's hearts in Hefei are not in Jiangdong, and the people are unwilling to work hard. If Cao Jun defends the city, maybe they will work harder. Moreover, Jiangdong Army does not have many heavy siege engines, while Cao Jun has dozens of nest chariots. In the end, they attacked the city."  It's Chao Che. Wei Chen tells the truth, if we can capture Hefei in three hours, it will be good."

    Sun Quan paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. He did not want to attack Hefei City. He was thinking about why Cao Jun dared to send 30,000 troops to the north. It was obviously not to Shouchun, but to protect the grain ships heading south.  Lu Meng analyzed this, and he understood a little bit. Cao Jun must have gone through repeated deliberation and sent 30,000 troops northward on the premise of ensuring that he could defend the city.

    But in this way, Lu Xun's army would be in danger. The opponent also had 30,000 troops and 5,000 cavalry. Maybe their army would be swallowed up by Cao's army. Thinking of this, the sweat on Sun Quan's forehead was already seeping out.  He immediately said to Lu Meng: "General Lu, I will give you 20,000 troops. You immediately go north to meet General Lu's army. If they have already fought, you can attack Cao's army from behind. If they have not fought yet, you can order General Lu to immediately  Withdraw to the camp."

    After saying that, Sun Quan took out his gold medal and handed it to Lu Meng, "Please understand everything!"

    "I humble my duty and obey my orders!"

    Lu Meng took the gold medal, bowed and hurriedly retreated. Sun Quan walked to the big tent with his hands behind his hands. Looking at the dark night outside the tent, he couldn't help but sigh softly. He couldn't underestimate the enemy in the slightest!

    Sun Quan never dreamed of the saying that soldiers never tire of deceit. At this time, the city of Hefei was almost an empty city, with only three thousand soldiers and ten thousand civilians guarding it. At the military camp west of Xiaoyaojin, Zhang Liao led ten thousand elite troops and was ready.  Waiting for news from Li Dian.

    At this time, a Cao Army spy rushed to report, "Report to the general, Jiangdong Army has another 20,000 troops leaving the barracks and heading north."

    Zhang Liao couldn't help but reveal a proud smile on his face. This was what he expected. Sun Quan heard that he also had an army of 30,000 going north. How could he not worry about the 30,000 Jiangdong Army who had already gone north? He would definitely send another army.  Go and respond, this is the normal approach.

    But in this way, there are only 50,000 troops left in the Jiangdong Army camp on the east bank of Xiaoyaojin, which is equivalent to their strength. This is to take advantage of the situation and transfer the Jiangdong Army.Half of the army.

    He looked at the sky and saw that it was already the fourth watch. He turned around and shouted: "Cheer up, we will defeat the enemy tonight!"

    The 10,000 Cao troops cheered up. At this time, Zhang Liao waved his hand, and the 10,000 Cao troops marched along a trail to the other side of Xiaoyaojin. There was a narrow waterway on the Xiaoyaojin peninsula, only ten feet away from the west bank. It was possible to use a small boat to  Quickly build a floating bridge.

    In the previous battle with the Jingzhou Army, Cao Zhen led his cavalry to use this trail to reach the small military camp on the west bank of the river and annihilated 3,000 Jingzhou Army. General Chen Shuo was killed as a result. This time, Zhang Liao still wanted to use this trail to launch a surprise attack.  The hinterland of Jiangdong Army camp

    The time has gradually reached the fifth watch, and the Jiangdong Army camp has completely fallen silent. This is the darkest time before dawn, and it is also the moment when the soldiers sleep the deepest. On the sentry tower outside the camp, several soldiers are pacing back and forth.  Watch the situation outside with vigilance.

    At this moment, a burst of rapid horse hoofbeats shattered the silent night, and several scout cavalry were seen rushing towards them. They shouted from a distance, "Sing the alarm, Cao Jun is coming!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen arrows were shot from a distance. The two scouts screamed and fell off their horses. The remaining one was so frightened that he ran away in panic. The two soldiers on the sentry tower were also stunned. They suddenly reacted.  A sudden alarm bell rang.

    "Dang! Dang! Dang!" The alarm bell rang loudly on the sentry tower, and a thousand soldiers on duty rushed to the gate, each holding a bow and arrow, and nervously stared outside the camp. At this time, the ground began to shake slightly, and there was a sound in the distance.  There was a thunderous sound, and the leading Yajiang suddenly realized something and shouted: "This is the cavalry. Go and report to the Marquis of Wu. Cao's cavalry is coming!"

    In the dark night, only a few hundred steps away in the northwest direction, a dark cavalry was rushing towards the Jiangdong Army camp. The speed was getting faster and faster, and the light of the spear tips could already be seen flickering. Behind the cavalry,  It was more than 20,000 Cao troops. Under the leadership of Li Dian, they shouted and charged towards the Jiangdong Army camp.

    This is the 30,000 Cao army heading north. Their marching north was just a gimmick, a trick to lure the enemy. After deceiving Jiangdong Army to the north, they turned around and headed south quickly, attacking directly at Jiangdong Army's camp. At this time, inside Jiangdong Army's camp  There were only 50,000 men, while Cao's army had more than 40,000. The strength of both sides was equal. In addition, Cao's army had 5,000 tiger and leopard cavalry, and Cao's army had unexpected tactics.

    They wanted to use a surprise attack to defeat Jiangdong's army before dawn, and end the battle when Lu Xun and Lu Meng's troops came back. This was an extremely bold strategy. Cao's army only had one hour, so it had to be steady, accurate, fast, and  Cruel, if this battle of Xiaoyaojin can succeed, Zhang Liao will be powerful in the world.

    Cao Jun's sneak attack caught Jiangdong Army off guard, and the camp was in chaos. A thousand crossbowmen rushed to the northwest corner to fight. After only shooting a round of arrows, 5,000 tiger and leopard cavalry entered the Jiangdong Army camp. There were hundreds of them.  One team made a surprise attack in the camp, killing all the Jiangdong Army soldiers and leaving dead bodies everywhere.

    At this time, Lu Su led an army of 10,000 disheveled soldiers to fight. They were in such a hurry that many of the soldiers did not have helmets or armor, and were even barefoot. There was no time to organize the troops. Under Lu Su's order, 10,000 soldiers marched forward.  The army rushed forward with spears in hand and withstood the charge of five thousand cavalry.

    Although the soldiers could not withstand the cavalry assault, they still bought valuable time for other armies to gather and for Sun Quan to retreat.

    The 25,000 troops led by Li Dian also entered the Jiangdong Army camp, while Ling Tong and Quan Cong each led the 5,000 troops they had just organized to fight against Li Dian's army.

    At this moment, a sudden chaos occurred in the southwest. Zhang Liao personally led 10,000 Cao troops to fight out from the trail and directly into the Jiangdong army camp. The sudden arrival of 10,000 Cao troops made the 20,000 Jiangdong troops gathering  Once again, they fell into extreme chaos. The morale of Jiangdong Army collapsed and they fled for their lives. Jiangdong Army was defeated like a mountain.

    Zhang Liao led the way with his long sword, followed by a thousand cavalry behind him, killing everyone they encountered. Countless casualties were caused by Zhang Liao's sword. Zhang Liao led the cavalry to fight a bloody path until they rushed to the Chinese army's tent. More than a dozen cavalry slashed with their swords.  The flagpole of the Jiangdong Army was broken, and the flag of the Jiangdong Army crashed down together with the flagpole, and a raging fire broke out in the Chinese Army tent.

    At this time, the sky was already bright. In the melee, Zhang Liao saw dozens of Jiangdong soldiers guarding a purple-bearded man running eastward. The purple-bearded man was wearing the clothes of a low-grade civil servant. Zhang Liao didn't take it to heart and rushed towards the gate.  He shouted and asked, "Where is Sun Quan?"

    The purple-bearded man pointed to the north, "That's the one wearing the golden helmet!"

    When Zhang Liao turned around, he vaguely saw a man wearing a golden helmet among the rebels. He was overjoyed and turned his horse's head to rush north. The purple-bearded man breathed a long sigh of relief, trembled and ran eastward with all his strength.

    Zhang Liao ran a hundred steps, but could not find the man wearing the golden helmet. He grabbed a Jiangdong Army soldier and asked: "Where is Sun Quan?  "

    Jiangdong Army soldiers panicked and replied: "That's the person the general asked just now!"

    Zhang Liao was stunned, "But that man with purple beard and blue eyes?"

    "Exactly!"

    Zhang Liao regretted greatly that he had let Sun Quan go in vain. Zhang Liao was unwilling to accept it and turned eastward to pursue him. Behind him, thousands of Cao's cavalry followed closely. At this time, Zhang Liao saw Sun Quan's back in the distance again. He  He was overjoyed and shouted: "Sun Quan, keep the head!"

    Sun Quan was chased by Zhang Liao and had no way to go up to the sky and no way down to the earth. He was complaining in his heart that he would definitely die. At this moment, a Jiangdong army of more than a thousand people came out of the diagonal stab. The leader of the general was Taishi Ci. Taishi Ci  He shouted loudly, "The enemy general will not hurt my lord!"

    He drew his spear and faced Zhang Liao. Zhang Liao knew Taishi Ci and knew that he was very skilled in martial arts and did not dare to underestimate the enemy.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 655 Taishi Returns

    Zhang Liao and Taishi Ci fought for more than fifty rounds, with neither victory nor defeat, but by this time Taishi Ci's men had been slaughtered by Zhang Liao's cavalry, and more than a thousand cavalry surrounded their battlefield.

    Taishi Ci saw that the situation was not good. Even if he defeated Zhang Liao, he might not be able to break out. Only by killing when the cavalry dared not fire arrows could he have a chance of survival.

    The two horses were staggered. Taishi Ci took advantage of the situation and turned his horse's head to run towards a weak spot in the south. Several cavalrymen thrust their spears towards them. Taishi Ci stabbed left and right, and instantly lifted several Cao Jun cavalry under the horse.  , Zongma rushed out of the tight encirclement.

    Zhang Liao smiled coldly, hung up his sword, took off his three-stone giant bow, and drew out a wolf-tooth arrow. He opened the bow and nocked an arrow, aimed at Taishi Ci, loosened the bowstring, and shot out a wolf-tooth arrow like lightning.

    Taishi Ci had just rushed out of the siege and had no time to prepare. Suddenly he heard the sound of wind behind him, but he had no time to dodge. There was a sharp pain in his back, and the wolf-fang arrow hit his vest, and he almost fell off his horse.

    Taishi Ci endured the severe pain and urged his horse to gallop. After a while, he gradually ran away. At this time, a Jiangdong army general fled with hundreds of defeated troops. They followed Taishi Ci and retreated to the south.

    When Zhang Liao saw that Taishi Ci had fled far away, he stopped chasing him. When he looked for Sun Quan again, Sun Quan had already disappeared without a trace.

    Zhang Liao felt extremely regretful when he thought that he had let Sun Quan go in vain, and he couldn't help but throw his bow and arrow to the ground.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    It was Taishi Ci who sacrificed his life to save Sun Quan, and Sun Quan escaped from the catastrophe. Under the protection of more than a hundred guards, he fled to the northeast in a panic.

    After running for more than ten miles in one breath, an army suddenly appeared in front of him, rushing southward in a mighty manner. Sun Quan was stunned for a moment. Could it be that he had encountered Cao Jun again?

    "It's Jiangdong Army!" A guard recognized the opponent's banner.

    Sun Quan was extremely surprised and urged his horse to meet him.

    This army was the 50,000 Jiangdong Army who hurriedly returned to the camp, led by Lu Xun and Zhou Tai. Lu Xun did not wait to go north to Cao's army, but encountered Lu Meng's army who came to rescue.

    Lu Xun suddenly realized that they had fallen into Cao Jun's plan to mobilize troops. They hurriedly led their troops south, but they did not dare to be too hasty for fear of being ambushed along the way.

    By the time they arrived at the camp, it was already dark. Cao Jun successfully raided the Jiangdong camp, but they happened to pick up Sun Quan who was fleeing north.

    Lu Xun knelt down in front of Sun Quan and apologized, "I was humble and incompetent, and Cao Jun saw through his plan, which led to the disastrous defeat of Jiangdong Army. Wuhou suffered for it. Please kill me to thank the fallen soldiers."

    Sun Quan helped him up and said with tears: "This is not Bo Yan's fault. There are no flaws in the plan. It's just that Cao Jun's plan was better. In fact, it's my fault."

    At this time, Lu Su, Ling Tong and Quan Cong rushed in with their remnant armies. From the 50,000-strong army, they only gathered less than 10,000 people.

    Lu Su stepped forward and reported: "To the Marquis of Wu, Cao's army has retreated to Hefei City. There are no more enemy troops in the camp. Please go back to the Marquis of Wu."

    Sun Quan held Lu Su's arm and said with tears: "I regret not listening to Zijing's words, which led to today's defeat. More than half of the 100,000 soldiers were lost. How can I face the elders of Jiangdong?"

    Everyone tried to persuade Sun Quan, saying that when fighting at night, most of the soldiers would flee and the casualties might not be more than half. Sun Quan finally calmed down, nodded and said: "The soldiers must be fleeing south, let's retreat south first!"

    Jiangdong's army packed up its tents and slowly withdrew southward.

    All the way south, they continued to gather the defeated army. At this time, a guard hurriedly stepped forward and whispered a few words to Sun Quan. Sun Quan was shocked and quickly followed the guard to a forest beside the road.

    There was a circle of Jiangdong soldiers in the woods, and someone shouted, "Marquis Wu is here!"

    Everyone moved out of the way. Sun Quan hurriedly stepped forward and saw Taishi Ci lying on the ground. The arrow had been pulled out from his back. His armor was stained with blood. His face was like gold paper and he was unconscious. It was obvious that he was not alive anymore.

    Sun Quan held Tai Shici's hand and burst into tears, crying: "Ziyi! Ziyi!"

    Taishi Ci slowly woke up and said with a weak breath: "I followed Kong Beihai to repay my kindness. I met Bo Fu again and followed him to fight in the south and north. Unfortunately, Bo Fu left early. I am still alive today. Now I will die on the battlefield. I will die as expected."  My lord, watch over my son sooner or later and let him serve Jiangdong again."

    Speaking of this, Taishi Ci let out a long sigh, "A man was born in troubled times, and he should carry a three-foot sword to achieve unparalleled achievements. Now that his ambition has failed, how can he die?"

    After saying this, Taishi Ci closed his eyes and passed away. Sun Quan was so shocked that his liver and gallbladder split, he screamed, and he fainted immediately.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Taishi Ci was killed in battle. Sun Quan was extremely sad and ordered the entire army to mourn. The mourning army of Jiangdong Army withdrew southward and arrived at Ruxukou two days later, gathering nearly 20,000 remnant troops along the way. At this point, a night attack by Cao Jun caused three casualties in Jiangdong.More than 10,000 people, including general Tai Shici, were killed in the battle.

    Zhang Liao became famous in the battle of Xiaoyaojin. He defeated the 100,000 Jiangdong army with 40,000 troops and killed Sun Quan to despair. After the battle of Xiaoyaojin, Zhang Liao's reputation in Jiangdong was almost as good as that of Liu Jing, and his reputation was even worse than that of Liu Jing. Jiangdong  Children dare not cry at night after hearing this.

    Sun Quan had no intention of attacking Hefei again, and was preparing to cross the Yangtze River back at Ruxukou. But at this moment, Gan Ning led 20,000 Jingzhou naval troops and finally arrived at Ruxukou.

    After four days of rapid sailing on the Yangtze River, the Jingzhou Army's fleet finally arrived at Ruxukou, then entered Ruxushui and headed north. It arrived in Hefei two days later. It took a total of six days of sailing, which was eight to eight days in total.  The sailing time of ten days has been greatly improved.

    If everything is normal, they should have time to participate in the Battle of Hefei. The so-called 'normal state' means that after Jiangdong's army arrives in Hefei, it will confront Cao's army for a period of time, waiting for an opportunity to fight. However, Jiangdong's army is not normal. On the night of arriving in Hefei, they will  A battle broke out with Cao's army, which gave Jingzhou navy no chance to fight.

    Hundreds of warships of the Jingzhou Army were moored quietly by the wide river mouth. A few miles away, the camp of the Jiangdong Army could be faintly seen. Gan Ning got off the warship and arrived escorted by more than a hundred soldiers.  Jiangdong Army Camp.

    After waiting for a while, Sun Quan's guards led him directly to the Chinese army's tent. In the tent, Sun Quan and Lu Su were discussing the withdrawal of the army. Although they still had 70,000 troops in hand, plus 20,000 Jingzhou naval troops,  Then there are 90,000 troops, while there are only more than 40,000 Cao troops in Hefei City. In terms of strength comparison, the strength of the Sun and Liu coalition is much greater.

    But Sun Quan lost the will to fight and the courage to continue attacking Hefei. After a tragic night battle, he became devastated and demoralized. He did not want to continue fighting and only wanted to return to Jianye.

    And Lu Su¡¯s opinion also disapproved of continuing to attack Hefei. It was obvious that they were poorly prepared. Even hundreds of siege ladders were burned down by Cao¡¯s army. What did they use to attack the city?  Lu Su advocated recuperating for a few more years and then considering the Northern Expedition after being fully prepared.

    Seeing that Sun Quan was worried, Lu Su advised: "Marquis Wu, don't feel too guilty. Victory and defeat are common matters for military strategists. I believe the people in Jiangdong can understand this defeat in Hefei. After all, our strength is far inferior to Cao Cao. Win first and then win."  Failure is completely normal.¡±

    "How could I not know!"

    Sun Quan sighed and said: "The loss of only 30,000 troops and the previous 20,000 troops is 50,000. This has far exceeded the losses of the Western Expedition three years ago. The defeat three years ago made me bear a huge burden."  It¡¯s a burden, and how can I explain it to Mr. Jiangdong this time?¡±

    "Marquis Wu is overly worried. This failure is different from the failure three years ago. Three years ago, we used the strength of the whole country to conquer the west, and the warships and supplies we lost have made it difficult for us to recover for several years. But this time  Although the army suffered heavy losses, fortunately the material losses were not large, and we did not mobilize the whole country. This failure had little impact on the people. It was just a normal defeat. There was no need to explain anything to the Jiangdong elders, or even to make too many concessions.  The people of Jiangdong know about the defeat.¡±

    Sun Quan nodded silently. What Lu Su said was somewhat reasonable. At this time, a guard in front of the tent reported: "To the Marquis of Wu, General Gan Ning, the commander of the Jingzhou navy, is asking for an audience!"

    Of course, Sun Quan knew that the Jingzhou navy had arrived. He had been looking forward to the arrival of the Jingzhou navy, but now his mind had changed and he no longer wanted the navy to come. He no longer wanted to accept this favor, and more importantly, he did not want to be with Liu Jing.  Or he would lose face in front of his subordinates.

    Seeing that Sun Quan was silent, Lu Su whispered, "Since they are already here, Marquis Wu might as well meet them!"

    "Okay! Please come in, General Gan." Sun Quan ordered the guards helplessly.

    Gan Ning waited outside the tent for a while. Although he was a military commander, he also had delicate thoughts. If Sun Quan was extremely looking forward to his arrival, then Sun Quan would definitely welcome him out of the tent in person to show his respect and win over him.  But now Sun Quan is sitting in the big tent to announce his visit, which shows that Sun Quan has become indifferent to his arrival, or in other words, Sun Quan no longer has the passion to attack Hefei.

    ¡®It seems that Ruxukou is the end of my trip.  ¡¯ Gan Ning thought secretly in his heart.

    Gan Ning followed the guards into the big tent. He was a little dissatisfied. Sun Quan's attitude was a little rude. He was not an envoy, let alone a subordinate of Jiangdong. He came to assist the Jiangdong Army on behalf of the Zhou Mu. He was the chief general of the Jingzhou Navy. He Gan Ning  No matter how humble his status was, Sun Quan should stand up to greet him instead of sitting there waiting for him to salute.

    Lu Su also felt that his lord was a little rude, and quickly winked at Sun Quan, stood up, stepped forward to greet him, and said with a smile: "General Gan, you have worked hard all the way."

    Of course, Sun Quan would not be so ignorant of etiquette. He did not get up to greet Gan Ning because he needed to show a dissatisfied attitude. It was because Gan Ning's army was late that he suffered a disastrous defeat. To put it bluntly, Sun QuanHe wanted to put the responsibility for the defeat of Hefei on the Jingzhou army's lack of cooperation. In this way, he could explain it to the armies and Jiangdong elders, and he turned a blind eye to Lu Su's eyes.

    Gan Ning and Lu Su saw the ceremony and then stepped forward to bow to Sun Quan and said, "Jingzhou Gan Ning meets the Marquis of Wu!"

    Sun Quan waved his hand and said coldly: "General Gan, there is no need to be polite, please sit down!"

    Gan Ning sat down and said, "I heard that General Taishi Ci was unfortunately killed in battle. Gan Ning is deeply saddened. I would like to go to the tomb of General Taishi to pay homage on behalf of my family's prefecture!"

    "Thank you, General Gan, for your kindness. General Taishi's tomb is not far from here, feel free to do so."

    Sun Quan¡¯s tone was very calm, and he changed the topic again and again: "I once sent an envoy to Jiangxia to ask for help. I wonder if General Gan met him?"

    "Meet him halfway."

    "Excuse me, where did you meet him?" Sun Quan asked again.

    Gan Ning felt that Sun Quan's tone was a little unfriendly, and he was really unhappy, so he said coldly: "I will report back to the Marquis of Wu to the east of Chaisang."

    "No wonder!"

    Sun Quan sighed and said, "I look forward to the arrival of reinforcements from Jingzhou every day. It can be said that I hope for the stars and the moon, but you never arrive, leaving me unable to resist Cao Jun's attack from the water. I was eventually defeated by Cao Jun. This is really regrettable."

    Lu Su was startled, why did Wu Hou speak like this?  Gan Ning also heard something in Sun Quan's words and immediately asked dissatisfiedly: "Does Marquis Wu mean that the defeat of the Jiangdong Army was caused by the Jingzhou navy not arriving in time?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 656: Abandoning the Empress and establishing a Concubine

    Gan Ning's straightforwardness made it difficult for Sun Quan to adapt to him, and his face darkened, and he said coldly: "I didn't mean that, but if the Jingzhou Navy can arrive in time, Jiangdong Army will not be defeated."

    Sun Quan spoke from his inner feelings. If the Jingzhou navy arrived in time, he would not have to send troops north to intercept Cao's grain ships. At least the Jingzhou navy could do it for him. In this way, Cao's army would not dare to carry out such a blatant night attack.

    Although this is the truth, there are also unreasonable things in it. For example, why didn't Jiangdong Army wait for the arrival of the Jingzhou navy before heading north together?

    Gan Ning was very dissatisfied, stood up and said angrily: "After receiving the order from Zhou Mu, I immediately sent troops to Hefei and traveled day and night. The journey that originally took nine days at the fastest, we arrived in less than seven days, even supplying supplies along the way.  If you are so sincere, why is Wu Hou dissatisfied?"

    Seeing that they were quarreling, Lu Su quickly smoothed things over and said, "General Gan misunderstood. Marquis Wu is not dissatisfied with the Jingzhou navy, but deeply regrets that the two families failed to join forces in a joint operation."

    Gan Ning said in a strong tone: "I am also very sorry, but to be clear, the defeat of Jiangdong Army is not the responsibility of Jingzhou Army. We both have not agreed on a day to meet. We can only do our best, and I did my best.  If Marquis Wu is still dissatisfied, he can appeal to our state pastor."

    Sun Quan sneered and said, "I really want to talk to Liu Zhoumu about this matter."

    At this time, Gan Ning finally understood what Sun Quan meant. He wanted to put the responsibility for the defeat on himself to cover up Sun Quan's incompetence. Gan Ning was furious, saluted with a livid face, turned around and strode away.  .

    Lu Su was so anxious that he quickly followed out and advised Gan Ning: "General Gan, please calm down. My Marquis of Wu is feeling sad and a little unstable because of General Taishi's death in battle. It's not that he is rude to the general. Please give me some advice."  Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    Gan Ning sighed, "Captain Lu, there is no need to persuade me anymore. I am just a general under Zhou Mu, and I have been ordered to send troops. If the Sun and Liu families unite again next time, I will still do my best as long as Zhou Mu orders it. I will never  I will abandon public service for personal reasons, but I also want to make it clear to Zhou Mu that we tried our best this time and that the defeat of the Jiangdong Army was not our responsibility. Please forgive me, Governor Lu."

    Lu Su had no choice but to send Gan Ning out of the camp and hurried back. He saw Sun Quan pacing back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and not angry. He sighed slightly, "Wu Hou  Why is this so?¡±

    Sun Quan looked at the tent with his hands behind his back, and said coldly after a long while: "I know very well what I am doing. If Liu Jing cannot bear the responsibility for the defeat, do I, Sun Quan, have to bear it? Zijing, if you sit on my  position, you will understand my difficulties.¡±

    Lu Su smiled bitterly and said, "But this will affect the alliance between the Sun and Liu families."

    Sun Quan shook his head, "He never sincerely helps me, and I never really help him. We just use each other. If he refuses to help me, then he will never expect that I will help him next time. That's it."  It¡¯s okay, Zijing, don¡¯t try to persuade me anymore.¡±

    Seeing that his lord was determined to shift the responsibility for the defeat to the Jingzhou army, Lu Su felt helpless and full of bitterness that his persuasion was ineffective.

    Early the next morning, hundreds of Jiangdong's ships arrived at the Yangtze River, and 70,000 Jiangdong's troops boarded the ships. The fleet sailed eastward and returned to Jianye. Gan Ning stood on the bow and watched the Jiangdong's fleet go away.  Biting his lips tightly, what Sun Quan did made him feel extremely chilled.

    "General, the warships are ready and ready to go at any time!" Deputy General Shen Mi reported to him.

    Gan Ning nodded, "Let's go!"

    Hundreds of Jingzhou warships also slowly turned around and sailed into the Yangtze River, and Yang Fan sailed towards Jiangxia

    It had been three days since Cao Cao led his army back to Yedu. He ordered that nearly a hundred of Fu Wan's brothers, nephews, and Ma Teng and his son who were imprisoned should be executed for treason. Dozens of Fu's family members were exiled to Liaodong and exiled to the army.

    Cao Cao was quite satisfied with his eldest son Cao Pi's thunderous methods and a series of treatments, especially Queen Fu. Cao Pi only killed her two sons with a stick, but did not kill Queen Fu herself. This cautious approach was especially praised by Cao Cao, which shows that the eldest son  He is already very politically savvy and knows what can be done and what cannot be done, and he has a very good sense of proportion.

    As night fell, Cao Cao, accompanied by Hua Xin, arrived at Yeting Palace. Since ancient times, Yeting Palace has been a place where maids who committed crimes were imprisoned, and where the family members of criminal ministers were imprisoned. In fact, it was a women's prison in the palace.  Women worked here as laborers, often imprisoned for life.

    However, after more than ten years of war, the number of maids in the palace has been greatly reduced, and Liu Xie is just a puppet emperor. Naturally, Cao Cao will not spend too much money on him. This means that there are only two maids and eunuchs in the palace combined.  There are more than a hundred people, and there are only a handful of maids imprisoned for committing crimes.

      So the Yeting Palace was empty, with almost no imprisoned maids visible, and no guards. The palace seemed to be in disrepair, and was quite dilapidated. Several guards were leading the way with lanterns in front, and Cao Cao pressed his sword hilt on the  Walking quickly behind him, Hua Xin followed closely, followed by a large group of guards.

    Hua Xin secretly felt lucky. Fortunately, he persuaded Cao Pi not to kill Fu Shou, otherwise the consequences would be serious. Now it seems that Cao Cao did have some agreement with Liu Jing. Although Cao Cao didn't mention it at all, Hua Xin could guess it.  .

    But what he was a little nervous about was that Fu Shou must not say anything later that she knew that Cao Cao and Liu Jing had an agreement. That way, once Cao Cao pursues the investigation and they don't catch the eunuch who leaked the secret, Hua Xin will be in trouble.  Walk along.

    Cao Cao quickly came to a dilapidated building, which was guarded by more than twenty soldiers. Cao Cao walked directly into the dilapidated palace. The lobby was empty, covered with cobwebs and dust, and a cell was opened in the corner of the room.  , dozens of arm-thick wooden fences sealed off the entire corner of the house, with only a bed and a bedpan inside.

    Sitting on the bed was a woman with disheveled hair, holding a pile of tattered quilts, staring at the approaching Cao Cao with hatred. She was the current Queen Fu Shou. She already knew the news that her child had been killed. At this time, she felt  Only endless hatred remains.

    Cao Cao approached the fence, looked at her, and sneered: "I treat you well, but you want to hurt me. It's your own fault. If I don't kill you, I'm being extra tolerant to you."

    Next to him, Hua Xin was afraid that Fu Shou would tell him about Liu Jing, so he shouted loudly: "Fu Shou, the prime minister is talking to you, why don't you show respect?"

    "You vicious dog!"

    Queen Fu cursed Hua Xin through her teeth, "One day, you will die without a burial place!"

    Hua Xin was furious. He was about to scold him when he noticed that Cao Cao's face was serious. He had to hold back his anger. After a long time, Cao Cao said: "For the sake of the king and his ministers, I won't kill you, but I won't keep you either."  You are in Yedu, I will send you to Xuchang tomorrow, take care of yourself!"

    After saying that, Cao Cao turned around and left. When he reached the door, he heard Fu Shou's cold voice, "You are so arrogant today, will Liu Jing spare your Cao family in the future?"

    Cao Cao was shocked and turned around to stare at Fu Shou sharply. After a while, he snorted loudly, turned around and left quickly. After walking out of the palace, he stopped and said to Hua Xin: "Send her to Xudu tonight."  In the old palace, you are not allowed to hurt her, and you will support her as a normal concubine, but there is one rule: no one is allowed to touch her. "

    "Wei Chen obeys your orders!"

    After Cao Cao finished giving his instructions, he hurried to the palace. Hua Xin turned around and said to the guarding soldiers: "Hurry and prepare the carriage, seal the windows tightly, and find two guilty palace maids to serve her. We will set off for Xudu in an hour."  "

    The soldiers immediately became busy. Several soldiers ran to find the carriage. In the palace, Fu Shou was sneering. She finally believed that Liu Jing had indeed made an agreement with Cao Cao, so Cao Cao did not dare to kill her. Otherwise, what would happen to Cao Cao?  Maybe let yourself go.

    At this time, a guarding soldier appeared in front of the fence. Seeing no one around, he quickly flicked a ball of paper into the cell and left in a hurry. Fu Shou was surprised and quickly stood up to pick up the note and quickly opened it and took a look.  , I saw a line of words written on it, 'Take care of yourself, and you will be free one day.  ¡¯

    Fu Shou put the note into her mouth, chewed it and swallowed it. She sat back on the bed and was silent. She could guess who sent the note, just like the guard Luo Qing told her the news at the critical moment. There was Liu in it.  The game between Jing and Cao Cao.

    She suddenly thought of her child, and felt mournful in her heart. Tears couldn't help but well up. She wiped away her tears, gritted her teeth and said to herself: "I will, I will definitely wait until the day when the thief Cao is crowned."

    In the inner palace, Liu Xie sat behind the desk nervously, trembling slightly. He stared at the respectful Cao Cao in front of him, his eyes full of deep fear, but Cao Cao knelt down to Liu Xie and respectfully  He kowtowed and said, "I was far away in Jingzhou and failed to stop the rebel rebellion in time, which frightened the Holy One. I am heartbroken and wish I could not replace him with my own body."

    Liu Xie saw with his own eyes that his two sons were put into bags and killed with sticks by the guards sent by Cao Pi. At this time, he was no longer angry, but endless fear. He was afraid that if he said something wrong, he would also be put into bags and killed with sticks.

    "If Liu Xie was still thinking about how to regain the monarchy before, but after the incident, he was frightened out of his courage by the vicious methods of Cao and his son. Not to mention taking back the monarchy, I am afraid that he is no longer qualified to be a puppet.

    Liu Xie¡¯s lips trembled, and after a while he asked: ¡°What should I do with my Queen and Prime Minister?¡±

    Cao Cao didn't wait for Liu Xie to declare his innocence. He sat up straight and said calmly: "Fu Wan conspired to rebel and tried to kidnap the saint to go to Mount Tai. This is a crime of great treason and injustice. The crime should be punished by the nine tribes, but I think"The empress lived deep in the palace and had not lost any virtue, so I suggested that the Holy One should be more lenient with her. I suggested that she could retain her position as queen, but it was not suitable for her to live next to the Holy One anymore. I suggested that she be sent to Xudu for resettlement.  .  "

    Cao Cao kept making suggestions one by one. Liu Xie was speechless for a long time. What kind of suggestions were these? It was clearly Cao Cao's decision. He was in a mess. Empress Fu wanted to be sent to Xudu, but she could still retain the title of empress. What was this?  mean?

    "Your Majesty!"

    Cao Cao¡¯s voice became louder, ¡°Why don¡¯t you answer my suggestion?¡±

    Liu Xie was so frightened that he trembled all over, "I'm going to play!"

    Cao Cao laughed proudly and said slowly: "The harem cannot be without a master for a day. Although the queen is not here, Concubine Yuan can still preside over the harem and perform the queen's courtesy. I have a female name, I am sixteen years old, and I have both good looks and good looks.  , you can make her a royal concubine, please be kind to her."

    Liu Xie didn't dare not agree. He sighed in his heart and had no choice but to say: "I would like to make the Prime Minister's daughter Yuan Fei!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 657 News from Guanzhong

    The hot summer is gradually passing, and as the nights get cooler, the atmosphere of autumn begins to get stronger day by day. With the arrival of August, the August Festival gradually comes closer to ordinary people. The August Festival is a traditional festival held around  On the day after the White Dew, sacrifices are made to the gods.

    On this day, every household must hang yarrow, and it is required not to go to homes where there are funerals or births within seven days before the festival. On this day of the festival, the whole family needs to reunite and go out of the city to worship the mountain gods and river gods. In fact, it is an autumn outing. Since the white dew season is mostly in August  Around the fifteenth day of the lunar month, the August Festival became the predecessor of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

    However, compared with the New Year, the August Festival can only be regarded as an ordinary small festival. Except for some families who have time or conditions permit, most ordinary families have to rush for life and it is difficult to reunite the whole family.  At most, a string of yarrow is hung on the door of the house to indicate the coming of the festival.

    There are only two days left for the August Festival. Many families in Chang'an are preparing yarrow and preparing to go out of the city to enjoy the autumn with their families. However, the continuous autumn rain has made the travel plan a little more troublesome.

    At this time, there is a hint of coolness in Chang'an in the morning and evening. This year's summer is particularly long. It is almost the white dew season, and the raging autumn tigers have come to an end with the arrival of the continuous autumn rain.

    "But people are used to this year's scorching heat. It is said that scorching heat is the sign of military disaster. Many people in Chang'an believe that there will definitely be a war in autumn today."

    The great war that people in Chang'an are talking about is the Han Army's Northern Expedition that took place in Tianshui County on the western front. The second Han Army's Northern Expedition, which was supposed to break out this spring, was shelved because of the Jingzhou Battle on the eastern front.  As the situation on the Eastern Front gradually calmed down, the atmosphere of war on the Western Front quietly appeared again.

    The Han Army's Northern Expedition has been going on for more than two years, but it has never succeeded. The people in Guanzhong have gradually adapted to this atmosphere of war and no longer make a fuss about it. Everyone lives a normal life. The so-called war is just a drunken chat among guests in a tavern.  words.

    At noon that day, the west gate of Chang'an City was crowded with people as usual. Guests coming from the south and the north were bustling and extremely lively. Under the governance of Sili Colonel Zhong Yao for more than ten years, Chang'an gradually restored its prosperity before the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

    Chang'an has a population of nearly 300,000, and there are hundreds of thousands of merchants, traders, soldiers and other floating population, which makes this ancient capital full of vitality in the Guanzhong land that has been repeatedly ravaged by war.

    Perhaps it was because the war took place in Tianshui County, which was relatively far away from Guanzhong. Therefore, the security in Guanzhong was not tight, or even relatively loose. There were no soldiers guarding the city in front of the city gate, only a few old officials squatting in the city.  People on both sides of the gate were napping, letting the motorcade of wealthy families who went out of the city to enjoy the autumn rush out of the city.

    At this time, a large camel caravan loaded with goods slowly entered Chang'an City. These were Sogdian merchants from the distant Western Regions. They brought spices, gems, cloth and silverware from the Western Regions, and they wanted to  Transport silk from the Central Plains to the West. In the Western Roman Empire, a piece of silk could be exchanged for the same weight of gold. The huge commercial benefits made Sogdian merchants travel thousands of miles to the Central Plains to buy silk starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty.

    This Sogdian caravan consists of five to six hundred camels and more than a hundred merchants. Most of them have deep eyes and high noses, and their bodies are stained with the wind and frost of the Western Regions. These Sogdian merchants have their own place to stay. They came to  The goods are unloaded in front of a large warehouse about half a mile away from the city gate, and then the camels are taken to be fostered outside the city, while the people live in the city.

    The leader of the businessman is an old man who is about sixty years old. His face is covered with deep wrinkles, but his smile is extremely sincere. His name is Abad. He has been walking on the Silk Road for forty years. After experiencing the vicissitudes of life, he  He can speak fluent Chinese and is well versed in the ways of the people and the world in the Central Plains.

    He walked up to a young businessman, bowed, and said respectfully: "Dear Mr. Ma, according to the agreement, it's time for us to break up."

    This Mr. Ma is tall, wearing a Sogdian wide-brimmed pointed hat, with a short beard, a clear face, and unusually bright eyes. He also brings several followers with the same stature. It can be seen that they are not Sogdians.  People, but Han Chinese mixed in this large caravan.

    This Young Master Ma was Ma Dai, the Han military captain. At first, he was ordered by Liu Jing to contact Qiang King Nangong Suo, hoping that Nangong Suo could launch a war against the Di people, so that the Di people's cavalry would leave Cao's army. However, after Cao Cao pacified Ma Chao, his troops  The front was directed at Hehuang and Liangzhou. The Di king Yang Wanwan and the Qiang king Nangongsuo were afraid of Cao Cao's power, and they all pledged themselves to Chang'an.

    Although Nangong Suo was willing to help Liu Jing, attack the Di people and weaken the support of the Di people's cavalry against Cao's army, because his only son was held hostage in Chang'an, he was worried about his son's safety, so he always had an ambiguous attitude and was willing to sell horses to Liu Jing, but he was too late  Chi refused to agree to attack the Di people for fear of offending Cao Jun.

    Therefore, if the Qiang people want to attack the Di people, they must solve Nangong Suo's worries. Rescue his son who was held hostage in Chang'an will become the key for the Qiang people to send troops.

    Ma Dai isComing from Zhangye, they disguised themselves as merchants and marched eastward. Taking advantage of the relaxed atmosphere created by the armistice in the past few months, they successfully passed through Tianshui County controlled by Cao Jun, and followed the Sogdian caravan into Chang'an City.

    Ma Dai saluted and said with a smile: "Thank you Abad, we hope to see you again in the future!"

    "See you later!"

    Everyone said goodbye to Ma Dai, and Ma Dai left the caravan with a few followers. They walked eastward and soon came to Nan'an Street in the middle of Chang'an. They found a small hotel at the end of the street. This hotel  There is no signboard, and it looks ordinary from the outside. There is nothing attractive about it, and it can be seen that the business is very light.

    But before Ma Dai went to Chang'an, he didn't know that this inn with a slow business was actually an intelligence point set up by the Han army in Chang'an. This inn would play a big role in rescuing Nangong Suo's son Nangong Boyu this time.

    Walking into the hotel, a lazy waiter came out and said, "The shop is being cleaned these days and we won't be accepting guests for the time being. Please go elsewhere!"

    Ma Dai took out a token and waved it in front of the clerk. The clerk's face suddenly changed, and his laziness was gone. He walked quickly to the door, looked outside, then closed the door and said to Ma Dai  :"plz follow me!"

    He asked his entourage to take a rest outside, while he took Ma Dai into the inner courtyard, came to a room, knocked on the door, "Shopkeeper, they are here!"

    "Please come in!" A gentle voice came from the room, and it sounded like he was young.

    Ma Dai pushed the door open and entered the house. The house was clean and tidy. Sitting there was a scribe in his thirties, tall and thin, with a shrewd look on his face. He stepped forward with a smile and saluted, "Welcome General Ma!"

    "You know me?" Ma Dai asked in shock.

    The scribe nodded, "I have received an express message from the French military advisor in advance and know that General Ma is coming."

    He introduced himself with a smile again, "My surname is Zhou Mingzhi. I am a native of Chang'an. I was originally the secretary of the General's Office. I was ordered to come to Chang'an two years ago to establish this intelligence point."

    "It turns out to be Mr. Zhou, I'm rude."

    Ma Dai saluted and the two sat down. At this time, Ma Dai had a clear understanding in his heart. Since Zhou Zhi already knew that he was coming, he must also know his mission. He tentatively asked: "Mr. Zhou knows about my trip."  mission!¡±

    Zhou Zhi nodded, "The French military advisor has explained it in the letter. I have gone to inquire about it in advance, but there will be no news tonight. Please rest first, General Ma, and we will talk about it in the evening."

    Ma Dai came from Zhangye County. It was a dusty journey and he was really exhausted. He nodded and smiled and said, "I'll trouble you, sir."

    At night, the waiter led Ma Dai to the day room with a lantern. In addition to Zhou Zhi, there was one more person in the room. He was a middle-aged man in his forties who was quite fat. He respectfully greeted Ma Dai.  He nodded and smiled broadly.

    After Ma Dai sat down, Zhou Zhi introduced him with a smile: "This Manager Qiu is the boss of Wangyue Tower, the largest tavern in Chang'an. Wangyue Tower is the property of the Tao family in Jingzhou. Does General Ma know that?"

    Ma Dai suddenly realized that this Zhou Zhi had opened a small, shabby inn with little business, and only had three people under his command. Ma Dai was still puzzled, how could they collect intelligence?  It turned out that they took advantage of the Tao family's business in Chang'an.

    Zhou Zhi understood what he was thinking, and added with a smile: "Not only the Tao family, but also several large commercial banks in Hanzhong County are cooperating with us. We have to keep a low profile so that we can be more hidden."

    Ma Dai nodded, "I understand."

    At this time, Manager Qiu said with a smile: "I have already found out about Qiang King Nangongsuo's son. He lives in the county government office and is taken care of by someone. In fact, he is under surveillance and rarely goes out."

    "How old is this hostage?" Ma Dai asked.

    "About nine years old, his name was Boyu. Zhong Yao treated him well and hired a Confucian scholar to teach him how to read and write. In addition, he also had an entourage named Jiang. His son accompanied Boyu to study, and the two of them  The age difference is almost the same.¡±

    Manager Qiu¡¯s introduction is similar to that of Ma Dai, so there should be nothing wrong with that, it¡¯s this person.

    Ma Dai pondered for a moment and said, "Is there any way to contact this child?"

    Next to him, Zhou Zhixiao asked, "Can we start with the Confucian scholar who taught them how to read?"

    "no!"

    Manager Qiu immediately shook his head in denial, "That Confucian scholar is a doctor of official studies in Chang'an. He and Zhong Yao are close friends. He won't help us, but we can start with the entourage named Jiang. I have a way to get him to come to our tavern."

    Ma Dai thought for a while and asked, "What is the name of this follower, and what kind of person is he probably?"

    Manager Qiu smiled and said, "He is TianshuiA member of the most prominent family, the Jiang family, the Tianshui Jiang family is actually a Chinese Qiang, and his name is Jiang Juan."

    "It turns out it's him!" Ma Dai said in surprise.

    Manager Qiu and Zhou Zhi looked at each other and asked together: "General Ma, do you know this person?"

    Ma Dai nodded, "This person turned out to be the aide of the prefect Wei Kang. My brother killed Wei Kang when he was fighting for Ji County. This Jiang Juan escaped and unexpectedly became Nangong Boyu's follower. I'm afraid this matter  It¡¯s not easy.¡±

    Ma Dai is very worried. Jiang Juan is Wei Kang¡¯s confidant. His brother Ma Chao killed Wei Kang. Is Jiang Juan still willing to help him?

    Next to him, Zhou Zhi smiled and said: "One moment, another moment, now General Ma is representing Zhou Mu, and he wants to rescue the hostages back to Liangzhou. I think Jiang Juan should understand in his heart, and his son is also a famous child prodigy named Jiang Wei.  He is only eleven years old, has studied martial arts, is extremely talented, and is extremely intelligent. Of course, he will not let his son never succeed. "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 658 Golden Cicada Escapes

    Wangyue Tavern is located in the south of Chang'an City. It is a large tavern covering an area of ??five acres. It consists of three buildings and can accommodate 200 people for dining at the same time. Because of its excellent location, the exquisite layout of the tavern and the delicious dishes, it makes the tavern one of the best in Chang'an.  It is extremely famous and is known as the first tavern in Chang'an.

    Every day, dignitaries and famous families from Chang'an come to dine, and even many businessmen come here because of its reputation. The business is very prosperous, but basically no one knows the true background of this tavern. They only know that its owner is a man from Nanyang County.  As a big businessman, no one would have thought that its real owner was Tao from Jingzhou.

    At noon that day, Wangyue Tavern was doing business as usual, and there was an endless stream of customers. A man in his thirties came to the tavern. He was Jiang Juan, the follower of the son of the Qiang King. He was invited by a friend to come to the tavern for a drink today.  .

    Jiang Junnian is about thirty years old. He is quite tall and strong, but not rude. He has a gentle and elegant temperament in his movements. Although he is a Qiang, he has been Hanized several generations ago. He is different from ordinary Han people.  There is no difference, and he is both civil and military and has outstanding talents. If it weren't for Ma Chao's rebellion, he would never have fled to Liangzhou.

    Jiang Juan walked to the tavern, hesitated for a moment, and said to a bartender who came up to him: "I have an appointment with a friend to have a small gathering here. My friend's surname is Yang. Can I make a reservation?"

    The bartender was stunned and asked quickly: "Is the guest's surname Jiang?"

    "Exactly!"

    The bartender quickly said with a smile: "Yang Shuzuo has booked a room, please Mr. Jiang come with me."

    Jiang Juan nodded happily. He had made an appointment with Yang Yun, the secretary of the county government, to come here for a drink. He followed the bartender into the tavern. The bartender led him into the annex on the left and went directly to the third floor. This made Jiang Juan feel  It's a bit strange, why did I book a room so remote?

    There were almost no customers on the third floor. They walked to the end, and the tavern pointed to the room at the end, "This is it, please!"

    Jiang Juan hesitated for a moment, then opened the door and walked in. When he entered the room, he was stunned. He saw three people sitting in the room. The person on the right was his friend Yang Yun, and the person on the left was a scribe.  Wearing a Confucian robe, he looks relaxed.

    But the person sitting in the front had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a tall figure. Although he was wearing a plain scarf, he had a powerful aura. Jiang Juan felt that this person looked very familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere.

    He had some doubts in his heart and took a step back. Two burly men blocked the door with their hands on their chests. Jiang Juan felt uneasy. He stared at the three of them and asked, "What are you going to do?"

    Ma Dai waved his hands and said with a smile: "Mr. Jiang, please sit down, we don't mean any harm."

    Jiang Juan felt that this person looked familiar more and more, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before. He hesitated, walked up and sat down, "What do you want?"

    Ma Dai took out a short bronze arrow from his arms, put it on the table, pushed it to Jiang Juan, and said with a smile: "Mr. Jiang should know this arrow!"

    Jiang Juan was stunned. Of course he knew it. This was Nangong Suo's bronze arrow order, which was used to gather various tribes of the Qiang people. It was also called the Qiang King's Order. He slowly picked up the order arrow and looked at it carefully, looking at Ma Dai.  , "Are you a person sent by King Nangong Qiang?"

    "Exactly, but my real identity is a Han military captain. My surname is Ma. We should have met before."

    "Who are you"

    Jiang Juan suddenly recognized the person in front of him. It turned out to be Ma Chao's younger brother Ma Dai. He was shocked and angry. He stood up and glared at Ma Dai: "So it's you!"

    Ma Dai also stood up, cupped his hands to him and said, "I'm sorry about Wei Kang, but Mr. Jiang should know that my two nephews and sister-in-law died in Wei Kang's hands. We didn't kill people for no reason."

    Jiang Juan was originally an aide to Wei Kang, the prefect of Tianshui County. Thanks to Wei Kang's favor, he saw with his own eyes that Wei Kang's family was murdered by Ma Chao's men. Although it was not Ma Dai who did it, Ma Dai was Ma Chao's younger brother and he could not escape his involvement. Jiang Juan thought of that time  The tragic situation made him so angry that his chest heaved violently, and he stared at Ma Dai with anger gushing out of his eyes.

    At this time, Yang Yun stood up quickly and advised: "Brother Jiang, please calm down first. General Ma is now a captain of the Han Army. This time he came to Chang'an under the entrustment of the Qiang King."

    Jiang Yan's eyes fell on the bronze arrow on the table again. He suppressed the anger in his heart, sat down slowly, and asked coldly: "Please tell me if you have anything to say!"

    Ma Dai also sat down and said solemnly: "I was entrusted by the Qiang King to save the little prince from leaving. I know that Mr. Jiang has a grudge against me, but this is a business matter. I hope that Mr. Jiang will not abandon his official duties for personal reasons.  What grudges we have, let¡¯s talk about it after we finish the business.¡±

    Jiang Juan gradually calmed down, and he soon understood the mystery. This must be that Liu Jing wanted to win over the Qiang King, and Nangong Suo was also willing to lean towards Liu Jing, so the Han military captain came to rescue Nangong Boyu.  Actually, Jiang Jiong is also very worried about the safety of Nangong Boyu and his son, especially?He did not want his son Jiang Wei to become a hostage and never succeed.

    Jiang Ji lowered his head and thought for a long time: "It is not easy to rescue Boyu. Not to mention someone guarding him, even if he leaves the county government, how can he leave Chang'an and Guanzhong?"

    Seeing that he was willing to cooperate, Ma Dai couldn't help but be overjoyed and said quickly: "We have a way to leave Guanzhong. The key is to leave the county government. Does Mr. Jiang have any good ideas?"

    Jiang Ji nodded, "Actually, there is an opportunity in these two days."

    Nangong Boyu was the only son of Qiang King Nangong Suo and the future Qiang King. He was placed under house arrest in Chang'an as a hostage. Due to the Han army's Northern Expedition, Xun You was also worried that Liu Jing would win over the Qiang King, so he ordered Zhong Yao to keep an eye on Nangong Boyu.  Not only was he placed under house arrest in the county government office, but more than a dozen soldiers were assigned to guard him.

    However, Nangong Boyu was not a prisoner after all, and Zhong Yao did not dare to go too far. On the one hand, he restricted his freedom, and on the other hand, he sent Lin Fang, a doctor of official science, to teach Nangong Boyu to read and write. At the same time, Zhong Yao also specifically allowed them to read and write every month.  Go out for a trip.

    The opportunity Jiang Ji mentioned was to travel once a month, and the day of travel happened to be in two days. The travel plan was drawn up in advance by Dr. Lin Fang. It happened to be the August Festival. According to custom, one should go out of the city to worship the mountain gods and river gods.  So this trip is for them to go out of the city to enjoy the autumn.

    Early in the morning, Nangong Boyu and Jiang Wei got on a carriage. Dr. Lin did not accompany him because he had something to do. Instead, Jiang Juan and a dozen soldiers guarding them followed on horseback. They left the city for a while and then came back. The carriage slowly started,  Leave the side gate of the county government and drive towards the outside of Chang'an City.

    Nangong Boyu is only nine years old. He is just a weak boy with immature mind. He has no independent opinions. However, his companion Jiang Wei is extremely smart. Although he is only eleven years old, he is more resourceful and bold than ordinary people. He is bold and careful.  Jiang Wei will play an important role in the first escape.

    It was raining heavily today, and it was quite cool. They all wore thick black robes and curtain hats. The curtain hat is a bamboo hat with a gauze hanging from the brim, covering the face. This is usually worn by women when traveling.  But Jiang Wei said that there were too many people enjoying the autumn, and they didn't want to be recognized, and it was raining, so they insisted on wearing such hats when traveling. The officer guarding them also thought it made sense and agreed to their dress.

    The carriage passed a street corner. At this time, Jiang Wei kicked Nangong Boyu. Nangong Boyu immediately shouted: "Stop the car quickly! I have a severe stomachache and I want to go out."

    Jiang Wei also shouted: "I want convenience too!"

    The carriage stopped. Their position was right between the county government office and the city gate. They were a little far away from the county government office and still some distance from the city gate. The leading officer was a little embarrassed. He looked around and saw that he was not far away.  There was a dilapidated house. The house had collapsed and only a few broken walls were left. He pointed at the broken walls and said: "Go over there and come back. Come back quickly!"

    Jiang Wei and Nangong Boyu jumped out of the carriage and ran towards the broken wall together. Several soldiers rode forward and followed them from a distance. Soon, the two teenagers disappeared behind the broken wall. After a while, they ran away with their pants.  When they came out, they wore curtain hats, lowered their heads and ran quickly. Without saying anything, they climbed directly into the carriage.

    The officer shouted, "Let's go!"

    The carriage continued to start and ran towards the south city gate. After running far away, Jiang Juan turned back slightly and glanced at the broken wall. When the carriage disappeared, another carriage came from the side and stopped at the broken wall. At this time, the broken wall  Then two young men wearing curtains and hats ran out, it was Nangong Boyu and Jiang Wei who were out of court. The two young men wearing the same clothes just now were just two stand-ins who had been hidden here beforehand. Nangong Boyu and Jiang Wei  He quickly got on the carriage, which turned around and sped away.

    Not long after, Nangong Boyu and Jiang Wei were led into the backyard of the hotel. The shopkeeper Zhou Zhi smiled at them and said: "The two little brothers will stay here patiently for ten days and a half. When the storm is over, we will leave Guanzhong."  ¡±

    Jiang Wei asked worriedly: "What about my father?"

    Zhou Zhi smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry! There is a general with strong martial arts skills outside the city. He will rescue your father. We have made arrangements."

    The person in charge of Chang'an was not Xun You, but Sili Colonel Zhong Yao. Zhong Yao had guarded Chang'an for many years and had deep feelings for Chang'an. Since the Han army did not launch the Northern Expedition in the spring, everyone agreed that the Han army was extremely  The Northern Expedition might be launched in the autumn, so Zhong Yao was extremely busy after autumn, actively preparing for the upcoming war.

    Zhong Yao's official residence was also in the county government office, not far from the courtyard where Nangong Boyu was under house arrest. However, during this period of time, he could no longer take care of Nangong Boyu and almost forgot about this unimportant hostage of the Qiang King. At noon,  Zhong Yao is writing a letter to Cao Cao in his room.

    At this time, there was a rush of running sounds in the yard, and someone reported outside the door: "Captain Qi, something big has happened!"

    Zhong Yao stopped writing and asked, "Come in and talk!"

    ?A guard walked into the room and bowed: "The son of King Qiang is missing."

    Zhong Yao was startled, "What's going on? Isn't he at the county government office?"

    "Qiu Lieutenant, today is the August Festival. They went out of the city to enjoy the autumn. They were rescued. Most of the soldiers guarding them were killed. Only one person was injured and survived. According to him, they were ambushed by dozens of Qiang people.  The Qiang people snatched the carriage and fled westward."

    Zhong Yao was furious. He stood up and said, "Immediately send someone to chase me. I must bring back the hostages!"

    The guards led the order and left. Zhong Yao paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. If the Qiang people wanted to rescue the hostages at this time, it must mean that the Qiang King was going to turn to Liu Jing. This is definitely not a good thing and will affect the entire battle situation.  He was anxious and hateful in his heart, and ordered again: "Come here!"

    Immediately a subordinate came in, bowed and said: "Please give me the captain's orders!"

    Zhong Yao took out his token, handed it to his subordinates and said: "Go to Chencang County immediately, find General Cao Ren, and ask him to send troops to block the west road and prevent the Qiang King's hostages from escaping Guanzhong."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 659 Troops are about to be dispatched

    In a thin autumn rain, Liu Jing's team arrived at Benxian County, Wudu County again. It was already late August. More than half a year had passed since the last time they conquered Xicheng, and it had been more than half a year since the first Northern Expedition.  , two full years have passed.

    After the failure of the first Northern Expedition, the Han army learned from the painful experience, got rid of the impetuousness of eagerness for success, and began to make meticulous and serious preparations for war. So far, 6,000 wooden oxen grain transport trucks have been manufactured, and the villages in Xiaben County  The food supply has reached 400,000 shi.

    More importantly, the Han army has established a food transportation line about three hundred miles long, starting from Xiaben County in the south and ending in Xicheng in the north. Along the way, it built four military cities and six temporary refuge post cities, each of which was  There are 3,000 garrison troops and more than 100,000 shi of grain in storage, which completely solved the grain transportation problem of the Han army's Northern Expedition.

    In addition, after the Battle of Jingzhou, the Han army once again recruited 100,000 troops from Jingzhou, Yizhou, Yinan and Hanzhong, bringing the total strength of the Han army to 300,000. Xiangyang County, Anlu County and Hanzhong County  Heavy troops were stationed everywhere, and the number of elite Han troops preparing to participate in the Northern Expedition reached 100,000 in the military cities of Xiaben County and Qishan Road.

    Liu Jing actually only passed through Xiaben County, and his final destination was to go to Xicheng. With the arrival of Liu Jing, the 60,000 main force led by Zhao Yun was ready.

    In the camp outside the city, Liu Jing, accompanied by Zhao Yun and Zhang Ren, inspected the military camp. Teams of soldiers being trained could be seen everywhere in the open space of the military camp.

    "According to reliable information, Cao Jun has deployed a total of 150,000 troops in Tianshui County and Guangwei County, of which 20,000 troops are Di cavalry. The commander is Xiahou Dun, and the military advisor is Xun You. They are also fully prepared."

    Liu Jing frowned slightly, why are the Di cavalry still in Tianshui County?  He asked again: "Is there any news from Ma Dai?"

    Zhao Yun shook his head, "Not yet."

    Liu Jing felt a little unhappy. He had reached an agreement with Qiang King Nangongsuo. The other party was willing to send troops to attack the Di people's lair, but he put forward a condition that the Han army would rescue his son who was a hostage in Chang'an. Ma Dai had been there for nearly two years.  Ten days later, there was still no news. If King Qiang did not send troops, it would affect his plan for the Northern Expedition.

    At this time, a burst of shouting attracted Liu Jing's attention. Not far away, more than 3,000 barbarian soldiers were forming a circle, applauding and cheering. Zhao Yun smiled and said: "They should be competing in martial arts."  , The barbarians like to compete in martial arts and compete in rankings every day."

    Liu Jing was curious, so she walked up to a high platform nearby and saw dozens of barbarian soldiers surrounding one person in the crowd. It was Wang Ping, the leader of the barbarian soldiers. After several recruitments, there were 7,000 barbarian soldiers in the Han army, including  Four thousand people were organized into the wooden ox transport team, and three thousand tough men formed an army. Since they were all mountain hunters, they did not use shields and ran around the mountains and forests like flying, so they were named Wudang Feijun, led by General Yamen.  Commander Wang Ping.

    Currently, Liu Jing has five major generals under his command: Liu Hu, the leader of the heavy infantry, Liu Zheng, the leader of the Eagle Attack Army, Ma Dai, the leader of the cavalry, Wang Ping, the leader of the Wudang Flying Army, and the last one is the heavy shield spearman.  Lei Tong, the leader of the crossbowmen, and five generals commanded a total of 15,000 people, forming Liu Jing's direct Yajun.

    Among the barbarian soldiers, Wang Ping was seen fighting fiercely with more than a dozen barbarian officers with wooden sticks in his hands. The soldiers were all barefoot, holding wooden sticks in their hands, and their movements were extremely agile. They were all hunters in the mountains and had extremely rich experience. The drums were beating on both sides.  Densely, they need to end the battle within a stick of incense.

    Liu Jing had seen the fight between Wang Ping and the barbarians and knew Wang Ping's abilities. However, at this time, he was attracted by a person next to him. That person should be the scorekeeper. How many times did each person get hit? How many times did Wang Ping get hit?  The recording was clear and precise, which surprised Liu Jing. This requires strong discrimination to keep score.

    At this time, the drums stopped and the two sides stopped fighting. The recorder stood up and announced the results loudly. He pointed out the number of sticks each person received one by one. Everyone was convinced. In the end, Wang Ping was hit with thirteen sticks and compared with two hundred.  Forty sticks hit the opponent and win.

    Liu Jing nodded and smiled at Zhao Yun and Zhang Ren: "General Wang is good at martial arts, but I think that scorekeeper is a great talent."

    Zhao Yun thought for a moment and said, "That man seems to be Wang Ping's military doctor. His surname is Lin. He was originally in the Eagle Attack Army, but was later transferred to the Wudang Fei Army as a military doctor."

    At this time, Wang Ping saw Liu Jing and hurriedly came forward to greet him. Liu Jing smiled and said: "Your scorekeeper is good, with strong memory and discrimination skills."

    Wang Ping quickly pulled the recorder up, and the recorder quickly knelt down on one knee and saluted, "Military doctor Lin Jin comes to see Zhou Mu!"

    ¡®Lin Jin?  ¡¯

    Liu Jing only thought that the name was familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere, and he actually remembered that he had seen it in Liu Zheng's report, and he smiled and said: "Are you the doctor who was killed by the enemy?  "

    Lin Jin felt sadHe said: "Bei Zuo is right. He was rescued by General Ren Ping and joined the Eagle Attack Army. He was transferred to General Wang's account last month."

    Liu Jing asked curiously: "How do you record the scores of their competition?"

    "Reporting back to Zhou Mu, I have a slightly better memory and good eyesight, so I can distinguish their results clearly."

    "Have you read a book?" Liu Jing asked again.

    "Bi Zhi has been studying medicine with his father since he was a child."

    Liu Jing nodded and asked with a smile: "It's a pity that you become a military doctor. I lack a secretary who is responsible for calculating gifts. Are you willing to take the role?"

    Lin Jin was overjoyed and immediately agreed: "I am willing to follow Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing chuckled and said, "Come to the French military advisor this afternoon! He will make arrangements."

    Liu Jing turned around and walked towards the tent. When Wang Ping saw Zhou Mu walking away, he patted Lin Jin heavily on the shoulder, "Congratulations!"

    Lin Jin felt ashamed and said: "I can no longer serve under the general's command because of my humble position."

    Wang Ping smiled slightly and said, "Not everyone has the opportunity to serve beside Zhou Mu. This is your ability and your destiny. You have suffered hardships, but you have been rewarded. I wish you a bright future."

    "Thank you, General, for your support, and Brother Ren for your life-saving grace. I will always remember it in my heart."

    "Go pack your things! I will take you to the Chinese army's tent to report in the afternoon."

    "I resign from my humble position!"

    Lin Jin left. Wang Ping looked at his back and couldn't help but nodded. People's fate is really wonderful. Lin Jin was transferred to him because he couldn't adapt to the high-intensity march of the Eagle Attack Army. Unexpectedly, he was chosen by Zhou Mu in the end.  , maybe he will really achieve something in the future

    When Liu Jing returned to the tent, Fazheng immediately came up to him and said with a smile: "There is news about General Ma Dai!"

    Liu Jing suddenly became energetic. He had just mentioned this matter, but the news came unexpectedly. Liu Jing was not in a hurry to ask. He sat down, took a sip of hot tea, and then asked calmly:  "What's the situation now?"

    "General Ma Dai has rescued Nangong Boyu. In fact, they rescued the hostages ten days ago and did not send the hostages out of Guanzhong until the day before yesterday."

    "Why is this?" Liu Jing asked with some confusion.

    "Speaking of it, their strategy was good. They used the golden cicada's escape plan, exchanged the hostages with two teenagers, and then hid the hostages in Chang'an. However, Zhong Yao thought that the hostages had escaped and searched everywhere in Guanzhong, but he did not expect that the hostages were hidden.  Under his eyes, when the search relaxed a little, Ma Dai took the hostages and hid in a Sogdian caravan and left Guanzhong. "

    ¡°Well done!¡±

    Liu Jing praised: "In this way, the Qiang people will have no reason to refuse my request to send troops."

    Fazheng handed Ma Dai's letter to Liu Jing. Liu Jing read it carefully. He suddenly discovered a detail and asked, "Why are there two teenagers?"

    There were no details in the letter. Fazheng smiled and said: "I heard from the messenger that one is Nangong Boyu, the son of King Qiang, and the other is the son of a follower, surnamed Jiang, who accompanies Nangong Boyu to study."

    Liu Jing did not go into the details and turned around, "Now that the hostages have been rescued and the Qiang troops are about to arrive, I think Xun You will definitely find a way to resolve this crisis and will probably send Cao Jun to assist the Di people. We cannot give Cao Jun a chance and must immediately  Send troops north."

    Fazheng nodded, "Zhou Mu is right, we are fully prepared and can send troops north."

    Liu Jing immediately said to Zhao Yun and Zhang Ren: "Start preparations today. The army will march north to Xicheng early tomorrow morning!"

    At present, the Han army and the Cao army are facing each other on the front line of Xicheng. The Cao army built a large camp at the mouth of Shanggang Valley, about fifty miles north of the Xicheng city, and stationed 30,000 troops as a buffer outpost in Ji County. In addition, 10,000 troops were stationed in Shanggui County to prevent  The Han army attacked Guangwei from the east road.

    Not only that, Xun You took advantage of Cao Cao's opportunity to drag Liu Jing to Jingzhou to rebuild Jicheng, making Jicheng a taller and stronger city than Chang'an, including some strategic locations around Jixian such as Taoyang and Jieting.  Fortresses such as , Mumen, and Beiyuan were also rebuilt, repaired and reinforced, and troops were deployed to defend the city of Hebei.

    But the only thing Xun You was worried about was the Di cavalry. When a 2,000-strong Di harassing cavalry was wiped out by the Han army in Qishan at the beginning of the year, Di King Yang Wanwan became fearful and hinted several times that he wanted to withdraw.  But Xun You was determined not to allow it.

    But just a few days ago, Xun You received an urgent message from Zhong Yao. The son of King Qiang was rescued from Chang'an and his whereabouts are still unknown. This made Xun You nervous. He immediately realized that this was Qiang King Nangong's request to send troops.

    Of course the Qiang people would not send troops to attack Cao's army, but they would attack the Di people in the Hehuang and Longxi areas and force the Di people's cavalry to withdraw. Xun You realized the Han army's strategy andOnce the Di cavalry withdraws to the west, the Han army will inevitably be marched north.

    In the Jicheng County Yamen, Xun You was pacing back and forth in the official room with his hands behind his back. He was thinking about how to break Liu Jing's situation and keep the Di cavalry. This was Liu Jing's plan to drain the firepower. Without the Di cavalry, Cao Jun's strength would be reduced.  will be reduced sharply by 20%, and after more than half a year of training, the Di Ren cavalry's combat effectiveness is quite good. It would be a pity to let them return west.

    But the Qiang people really want to attack the Di people¡¯s home base, so what if they don¡¯t let the Di people go west?  Unless the Qiang people stop attacking, Xun You raised his head and sighed. If the prime minister was here, he could ask the prime minister to write a letter to persuade the Qiang king to remain neutral. Unfortunately, the prime minister was in Yedu, and he might not be able to make it in time.

    But he had no other options. After much deliberation, he could only ask the prime minister to take action in person. Thinking of this, Xun You immediately sat down and wrote a letter to Cao Cao, explaining the situation clearly and asking Cao Cao to take advantage of the court and persuade him.  Qiang King Nangong remained neutral.

    At the same time, he also wanted to tell Cao Cao that Liu Jing had arrived at Wudu County and another northern expedition of the Han army was about to begin.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 660 Soldiers Arrive at Xicheng

    Going north from Xiabian County, the Han army spent nearly two years building two military cities, Fengyun City and Qishan City, which were integrated with the original Xiabian City, Licheng and Xicheng, plus the other military cities.  Six more castle-like transportation shelters were built during this period, forming a complete food and material transportation chain.

    This is the basis for the Han army's northern expedition. Without this foundation, no matter how many times the Han army sends troops, even if it captures Longxi, it will still have an unstable footing and eventually retreat.

    However, this Qishan transportation chain is not only for the Northern Expedition, but to connect Bashu, Hanzhong and Guanlong together. In order to ensure the long-term occupation of Guanlong by the Han army, this is the deep reason why Liu Jing always chose the Qishan Road for the Northern Expedition.  reason.

    Three days later, Liu Jing led 60,000 elite troops to Xicheng. At this time, 20,000 troops were stationed in Xicheng. As a result, the number of Han troops at the front line reached 80,000.

    "Although Cao's army has a strength of 150,000, but excluding the 20,000 Di cavalry, plus there are many strategic locations, the strength must be dispersed, Cao's army's front-line strength is only about 100,000, which is basically the same as ours."

    The lobby of the Xicheng Military Government Office was crowded with people. All officers above the general level gathered together to listen to the coach Liu Jing's analysis of the current military situation. In the middle of the lobby was a wooden frame with a huge map hung on it. Liu Jing used the wooden frame to  Zhang pointed at the map and said to everyone: "Currently, the main force of Cao's army is concentrated in Jicheng and Shangfang Valley, with 50,000 troops stationed in each. The rest of the army is stationed in various fortresses. If I am not wrong, the current deployment of Cao's army is only for  In the face of confrontation, once our army moves north, Cao Jun will definitely increase his troops in Shangfang Valley. The number of troops in Shangfang Valley should be more than 50,000 now. "

    Speaking of this, Liu Jing looked at everyone and saw that everyone was attentive and their eyes were full of expectation. He slowly said: "But we must understand the situation clearly. The equalization of troops is only temporary. Cao Cao will arrive soon. He will at least lead  Twenty thousand tiger and leopard cavalry came to assist in the battle. In terms of strength comparison, we did not have an advantage. Moreover, Cao Cao had experienced hundreds of battles and had rich war experience. He would not make mistakes easily. He also had the assistance of the mastermind Xun You. This time  It will be very difficult for us to defeat Cao Jun in the battle, but it is also not easy for them to win, so this will be a battle of will and endurance. Don't think that we can defeat Cao Jun as easily as before. Now we are in the north.  Everyone must forget about the Battle of Chibi. Everyone here must be prepared to die on the battlefield. This battle will be the key to whether we can go north. "

    There was silence in the lobby, and everyone was silently listening to Liu Jing's lecture. Their hearts began to feel heavy and they began to realize the cruelty of this battle.

    Finally, Liu Jing said again: "Everyone here, the lowest military rank is a tooth general. You are not ordinary soldiers. Your morale should not be easily shaken. But what I said today is not allowed to spread among the soldiers or shake the morale of the army.  , If anyone dares to speak out and affect the stability of the military's morale, he will be killed without mercy! "

    The generals were solemn and bowed together to salute, "Obey the order!"

    The generals all dispersed, leaving only Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, Zhang Ren, Ma Chao, Pang Tong, Fazheng and other core civil and military officials in the tent. At this time, Huang Zhong smiled and said: "The words of Zhou Mu made  Many generals' expressions changed. I saw many people were eager to try at first, but their expressions turned serious in the end. "

    Liu Jing snorted coldly and said: "A arrogant army will be defeated. In the past, it was easy for us to defeat Cao Jun in the south, which made everyone underestimate the enemy. If we don't dispel their intention to underestimate the enemy, we will still fail this time in the Northern Expedition."  ¡±

    At this time, Ma Chao said from the side: "Actually, the tiger and leopard cavalry only have space to play in the Jicheng area. Not in Shangfang Valley. The cavalry is too restricted by the terrain. We don't have to be too eager to attack Shangfang Valley. We don't have to worry about Cao Cao's tiger and leopard cavalry.  Riding reinforcements.¡±

    It has been almost two years since Ma Chao surrendered to Liu Jing. As time went by, his earliest ambitions gradually faded. In addition, he married Liu Hu's widowed sister and became related by marriage to Liu Jing, so he began to be loyal to Liu Jing.  , he has naturally been reused by Liu Jing, and he is currently Huang Zhong's deputy general.

    This time the Northern Expedition to the Han Army actually consisted of two armies, one was Huang Zhong's Ba Army, with about 30,000 people, and the other was Zhao Yun's Hanzhong Army, also with 30,000 people, plus Liu Jing's 20,000 direct subordinates.  The Jingzhou Army formed an army of 80,000 people, so Liu Jing wanted to personally serve as the commander-in-chief, in order to command these two armies.

    Liu Jing looked at Ma Chao approvingly, and smiled again on his face, "If I was afraid of Cao Cao, I would not have marched north. I would only tell the generals the strengths of Cao Cao's army, but not their weaknesses. In fact, Cao Cao's deployment  Among Guanlong's twenty armies, there are only 70,000 to 80,000 elite troops. Most of the rest of the troops were recruited after the Battle of Chibi, and their combat effectiveness is not terrible. Although we are the army of the south, we have various elite troops, such as those to deal with cavalry.  Heavy armored infantry, the Eagle Attack Army that can carry out special operations and fight ten of them, the Wudang Flying Army that is good at mountain combat, and the Heavy Shield Lancer Crossbow Army that is not afraid of arrows and has strong charge power, as well as our various heavy weaponsWeapons are something that Cao Jun cannot possess. Because of this, I say that we are on par with Cao Jun in terms of strength, and we are even slightly better. This is the confidence we have in daring the Northern Expedition.  "

    Zhao Yun also laughed, "What Zhou Mu said is good, which doubles our confidence. I think the more important thing is that we have solved the food transportation problem, which has made us invincible."

    Liu Jing nodded, "So our first battle is Shangfang Valley. This is a tough battle. By capturing Shangfang Valley, we will have a geographical advantage. We can overlook the Weishui Valley from top to bottom. Let's discuss it. Our first  How to fight?"

    Shangfang Valley is located about fifty miles north of Xicheng. It is the exit of Qishan Mountain and a commanding height of Qishan Road. From Shangfang Valley to the north is the Wei River Valley, which is nearly a hundred miles wide. Taking Shangfang Valley forms a link to Ji County.  Condescending.

    Because the strategic location of Shangfang Valley is very important, Cao Jun paid special attention to it. He built three board-walled camps in the open area here, distributed in a "pin" shape, and stationed 50,000 troops.

    The reason why three camps were built was not because of any tactical needs, but because of the terrain of the upper valley. Cao Jun could not find an open space where he could build a complete camp, so he could only deploy his troops separately within a radius of ten miles.  .

    This kind of separate deployment has its advantages. First of all, it can form a horn situation, and the three camps echo each other and assist each other; secondly, it occupies the open and flat land in the upper valley, leaving the Han army with no place to garrison.

    However, the shortcomings are also obvious, that is, the three camps are four or five miles apart. The distance between them is not a flat road, but a rugged mountain road. The rescue speed will be affected. In short, it is easy to be attacked by the Han army.  Break.

    Just as Liu Jing judged, at the same time that the main force of the Han army arrived in Xicheng, Xun You also led 20,000 troops to Shangfang Valley, bringing the number of Cao's troops in Shangfang Valley to 70,000.

    The chief general of Shangfang Valley is Xiahou Dun, his deputy is Xu Huang, and Xun You is the military advisor. However, the actual decision-making power is in the hands of Xun You. Even the 200,000 troops in the entire Guanlong area are uniformly dispatched by Xun You, while Cao Zhi is only the nominal commander.  , based in Chang'an.

    From the perspective of absolute control of the army, Cao Cao would generally not hand over 200,000 troops to outsiders, but blocking the Han army's Northern Expedition was too important. Cao Cao was afraid that Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren would not be Liu Jing's opponents, so he handed over the final decision-making power to Xun You  , of course, the specific army is in the hands of Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren.

    Xiahou Dun welcomed Xun You into the front army's tent. Without waiting for Xun You to ask, Xiahou Dun said impatiently: "Xicheng spies sent information. Liu Jing personally led nearly 60,000 troops to Xicheng. Together with Huang Zhong's Xicheng army, this way  The total number of Han troops is 80,000, and it is very likely that they will launch an attack on us. "

    Xun You nodded, "This is what I expected, so I came here in a hurry."

    He walked quickly to the sand table, looked at the terrain carefully, pointed to the valley road about ten miles long and asked: "Last time I asked General Yuan Rang to cut down all the trees in the valley road, was it possible?"

    Xiahou Dun smiled slightly and said: "Don't worry, military advisor, I have cut down all the trees on the ten-mile valley road to build camps. The valley is already completely bare."

    At this time, Xu Huang asked in confusion: "Excuse me, military advisor, why do we need to cut down all the trees? When the Han army enters the valley, we can use fire to burn the enemy, and the trees will be used to support the combustion. Wouldn't it be better?"

    Xun You smiled and shook his head, "Gong Ming only knows one thing. That Liu Jing was born playing with fire. In terms of skill in fire attack, we are not as good as the Han army. How could he easily fall into our fire plan? But he left the trees to make the Han army  Being able to hide makes it impossible for us to grasp the position of the Han army, but it is easy to be attacked by them. Moreover, if the Han army uses fire attack, these trees will be our hidden danger. "

    Only then did Xu Huang understand. He bowed and said, "I am deeply ashamed of my inconsiderate position. Thank you, military advisor, for clearing up my confusion."

    "Gongming does not need to be ashamed. You must know that everything has advantages and disadvantages. In fact, Gongming's doubts are also correct. By cutting down all the trees, we did lose the opportunity to attack the Han army with fire. It's just that Liu Jing is good at using strange tricks, including the magic of his men.  Both Zheng and Pang Tong advocated winning by surprise. Because of this, I asked that all the trees be cut down so that Liu Jing would have no surprise soldiers to use, so that he could fight us head-on. But we have the advantage of the geographical location, and this kind of hard battle will only be beneficial to us.  I believe Liu Jing is also aware of this.¡±

    Speaking of this, Xun You pointed at the Mumen Valley east of Xicheng and continued: "If Liu Jing is unwilling to fight us, then he has only one way, and that is to go east and take Guangdao Road to Guangwei County. If he  If this is the decision, then Mumen Valley is the fortress he must face, and I know that Liu Jing will definitely send troops to Mumen Valley. "

    "Why is the military advisor so sure?" This time Xiahou Dun didn't understand.

    Xun You put down the wooden pole, stroked his beard and smiled proudly:??As the saying goes, only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you win a hundred battles without danger. Why did Liu Jing bring Huang Zhongjun and Zhao Yunjun at the same time? Didn't he just want to divide his troops and fight?  All the way to the north, all the way to the east, I have already understood his plan.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 661 Bloody Battle at the Wooden Door (Part 1)

    At dusk, on the rugged mountain road about fifty miles east of Xicheng County, an army of 30,000 people was marching rapidly eastward. This was the Hanzhong Army led by Zhao Yun. He accepted Liu Jing's order and headed east to conquer Mumen City.  Open up the Shanggui Road and attack Guangwei County where Cao's army is weak, thereby cutting off the connection between Guanzhong and Longxi.

    This is also the main reason why Liu Jing brought Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun's two armies at the same time. Whether it was to attack Shangfang Valley or Jicheng, the Han army was in a disadvantageous position and was bound to suffer heavy losses, especially Cao Cao's deployment in Guanlong.  With an army of 200,000, Cao's army would continue to arrive and continuously replenish the troops in Longxi. However, the Han army became less and less as they fought, and eventually they were unable to support the Northern Expedition and failed.

    It is precisely with this consideration in mind that Liu Jing will not attack Fangfang Valley, but will divide his troops to attack the weak points of Cao's army, which is Guangwei County, especially Shanggui County. Once Shanggui County is captured, the Han army will be on the Wei River.  Once you have a foothold in the valley, you can attack one point and defeat the overall situation.

    It is about 150 miles from Xicheng to Shanggui County. The mountains are high and the valleys are deep, and the roads are difficult. It is difficult for large and heavy vehicles to pass. Especially the last 80 miles requires climbing over mountains. Even a wooden ox cannot survive on such difficult mountainous terrain.  Walking, each soldier carried five kilograms of dry food as their consumption for five days.

    Of course, five kilograms of dry food is not enough. Once Shanggui County cannot be captured, the Han soldiers will face the danger of running out of food, so they must establish a food supply point halfway. In fact, this food supply point exists naturally, that is  Mumen Village is located sixty miles away.

    Mumen Village is located in the eastern section of Mumen Valley. It was a supply village specially built by Xun You two years ago to implement the serial plan. It provided supplies to the 50,000 troops led by Xu Huang at that time. After Liu Jing's first Northern Expedition failed, Mumen Village was  It officially became a fortress for the defense of Cao's army, and was expanded and reinforced. Currently, there are 5,000 troops stationed there, and together with Shanggui County, they are guarded by General Zhang He.

    The Han army marched all the way, and the army was gradually arriving at Mumen Valley. Mumen Valley was about seven or eight miles long, and at the end of the valley road was Mumen Village.

    At this time, Fazheng urged his horse forward and said to Zhao Yun: "General Zhao, the Mumen Valley is in front of us, why not stop and camp!"

    Zhao Yun raised his head and looked at the sky. Night had gradually fallen, which was indeed not conducive to marching. He said to his soldiers: "Go and inform General Zhang to camp on the spot!"

    When the order came out, the army stopped marching. Zhang Ren found an open space, arranged for the soldiers to camp and rest, and sent more than a hundred scouts to patrol nearby to detect the enemy's situation.

    In a large tent that had just been built, Zhao Yun, Fazheng, Zhang Ren and Liu Zheng were discussing countermeasures in front of the map. Zhao Yun said to the three of them: "Before leaving, Zhou Mu made it clear that for more than a year  Xun You has been deploying defenses. There are only a few weak soldiers and a large number of soldiers, but there are no loopholes in the defense. Although it is Mumen Village, there will be a fierce battle. But I thought about it all the way. Since Zhou Mu asked us to go eastward, he did not want to lose too much.  , If I suffer heavy losses to open the east road, what's the point, so I don't want to attack Mumen Village by force this time. "

    Speaking of this, Zhao Yun looked at Fazheng. Seeing that Fazheng was thoughtful, he smiled and asked, "Does the French military advisor have any good strategies?"

    Fa Zheng smiled and said: "We marched smoothly along the way and saw no sign of an ambush by Cao Jun. This shows that Cao Jun's strategy in Mumen Village is very simple, which is to defend. It can be said that this is to remain unchanged in response to all changes. It should be Xun You  It¡¯s a strategy, but there are some situations that Xun You wouldn¡¯t think of.¡±

    Everyone asked together: "What's going on?"

    Fazheng smiled and said: "That means we have the most elite army like the Eagle Attack Army. Even if there are no loopholes in Cao's army's defense, we will create loopholes."

    Liu Zheng's face turned red. He knew that he would take the lead in this battle, which made him very excited. In fact, this was also what Liu Jing meant. Liu Jing knew that it was difficult to take the east road, so he specially handed over the direct Eagle Attack Army to Zhao Yun.  , giving them the opportunity to perform extraordinary feats, Fazheng also understood Liu Jing's intention, and therefore proposed to use the Eagle Attack Army to attack Mumen Valley.

    But Fazheng couldn¡¯t come up with a plan for the specific attack method at the moment.

    Mumen Village is located on the mountainside of a steep mountain. It overlooks the Mumen Valley and blocks the road to the east. The entire camp covers an area of ??about 100 acres. It has a wood and stone structure. After two constructions, the camp has become extremely strong and solid.  , to withstand the bombardment of trebuchets, a three-foot-high sentry tower was built at each corner of the camp, with sentries patrolling day and night, very vigilant.

    At the first watch, several black figures appeared in the valley road about a mile away from Mumen Village. They moved quickly and acted like apes, and quickly climbed to the crown of a big tree. The person leading them was none other than the scout leader Ren Ping.  , he is now Liu Zheng's deputy general, in charge of the scouts of the Eagle Attack Army.

    Ren Ping stared at the enemy camp not far away for a moment, and couldn't help but shake his head. Based on his experience, he could not find any flaws in the camp. At this time, his eyes fell on the steep slope behind the camp.If you must find a flaw on the high mountain, then there is some hope in this high mountain.

    When we first attacked Licheng, the mountain behind the city became the key to capturing Licheng with trebuchets. However, this mountain obviously did not have such a chance. The mountain was full of rocks, bare without trees, and very steep.  A long straight slope goes up.

    This made Ren Ping a little discouraged. At this time, one of his subordinates said: "Boss, why don't we climb up the mountain and have a look to see if there is any chance."

    Ren Ping pondered for a moment, and that was right. You can only know whether there is a chance after experiencing something in person. He immediately ordered several of his subordinates: "Everyone, follow me up the mountain!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The reason why this area is called Mumen is because there are two steep mountains at the end of the valley. The two mountains stand opposite each other, forming a huge gate shape at the end of the valley, so they named it Mumen Valley. The two mountains are called Nanmen Mountain and Beimen respectively.  Mountain, at the foot of Beimen Mountain is a bottomless crack and ravine, with no way to go.

    If you want to pass through Mumen Valley, you can only cross the Mumen Pass with special terrain by passing through the mountainside of Nanmen Mountain. Cao Jun¡¯s camp was built on the mountainside of Nanmen Mountain, blocking the only way.

    Ren Ping and others used ropes to climb to the top of the valley and walked for several miles along the south side of the foothills before arriving at the back of Nanmen Mountain. However, this place was different from the steep treeless side on the other side. The back was covered with thick trees and surrounded by trees.  It is surrounded by high mountains and there is no way to go.

    Five Han army scouts climbed up Nanmen Mountain from the back. They stood at the neck of the mountain and looked down. The height below was more than 20 feet high. The cliffs were as sharp as a knife, which made people dizzy. The moonlight tonight was bright and silvery.  All over the mountain ridge, you can clearly see the situation inside Cao Jun's stronghold. They are narrowly distributed on the mountainside, backed by high mountains, and the village wall is built on the other side. They are located directly behind Cao Jun's stronghold.

    "Ren Tou, do you think we can throw fireballs down and burn his mother camp?" One of his subordinates asked tentatively.

    Ren Ping stared for a moment and shook his head, "Didn't you see a row of rafts nailed down below? That is to prevent the fireball from being thrown from the mountain. The fireball will be blocked by the rafts. More importantly, there is no way to use a trebuchet here.  gain a foothold."

    Ren Ping observed for a while and then said to his subordinates: "Let's go! Go back and report."

    At dawn, Ren Ping and his party returned to the temporary station, found Liu Zheng, and reported to him the investigation situation last night. Liu Zheng immediately took him to Zhao Yun's tent, and Zhang Ren and Fazheng also hurriedly arrived not long after.

    Ren Ping simply drew the terrain of the camp on the map and told everyone: "Mumen Village actually has two walls. The inner and outer walls are about a hundred steps apart. The tops of the walls are very wide, about two feet high.  It is very strong, and soldiers can be placed on it. In addition, there are no trebuchets on the walls of the village, but there are crossbows on the outer walls of the village, about a hundred of them. "

    "I heard that there is a wide rock crack in Mumen Village, right?" Zhang Ren asked.

    "Actually, there are two cracks. There is a ravine less than three feet wide in front of the outer wall. It is a natural ditch and there is a suspension bridge. This crack is not a big problem. You can use wooden boards to bridge it. The key is the rock crack inside.  , it is about ten feet wide, and there is only a wooden bridge spanning the crack. This wooden bridge has not been demolished yet. "

    Everyone was silent. If the enemy army destroyed the wooden bridge directly, the consequences would be disastrous. However, Cao Jun did not destroy it, which gave everyone a glimmer of hope.

    "How do you know the situation in the village?"

    Fazheng asked a little strangely: "Have you climbed the mountain?"

    "Yes! We climbed up the mountain behind the camp. The mountain wall is a slope, but very straight, like a knife. There are rafts underneath. It is impossible to shoot rockets or fireballs from high places. It can be seen that Cao Jun also absorbed Licheng  Lessons."

    Fazheng, Zhao Yun and others exchanged glances, and Zhao Yun asked: "Can we go down the mountain from the back and enter Cao's camp?"

    Ren Ping understood what the general meant. He hesitated and said: "The stone wall is too smooth. Maybe we can use a rope to go down the mountain, but it will be easily discovered by Cao's soldiers at the foot of the mountain, so we will become a living target."

    Fazheng laughed and said, "It doesn't matter. As long as we can enter the rear camp, we have a seven-point chance of winning this battle."

    He looked back at Liu Zheng and said, "General Liu, it seems that Zhou Mu had some idea before letting the Eagle Attack Army accompany us."

    Liu Zheng bowed and said: "I am humble enough to ask for a fight!"

    During the day, the Han army did not take any action and rested for a day. As night fell again, the 20,000 Han army was divided into two groups. Zhang Ren led the army in front and Zhao Yun led 20,000 troops in the rear. The two armies entered the Mumen Valley one after another.  He ran towards Mumen Village a few miles away.

    The commander of Cao Jun¡¯s camp is Zhang He. He should be in Shanggui County, but he received orders from Xun You, so the Han army is likely toHe took the east road to kill Guangwei County and ordered him to be vigilant. It is for this reason that Zhang He rushed from Shanggui County to Mumen Village and personally took charge of the defense of Dazhai.

    When the Han army temporarily camped at the mouth of the valley during the day, Zhang He received the spies' report, which made him immediately nervous. As expected, the Han army came, and there were 30,000 people. This made the pressure on his shoulders suddenly become extremely heavy.  They only have 5,000 people, but the opponent has 30,000 people. With a strength of 1:6, can Mumen Village be able to defend it?

    Although Zhang He was full of worries, he still refused to give up and personally led his soldiers to actively defend. They defended for a whole day. When night fell, Zhang He felt a little tired and ordered his deputy Wang Ying to continue monitoring while he returned to the camp to rest.  .

    Just when he was about to fall asleep, a soldier rushed over and shouted outside the tent: "General, the enemy's movements have been detected, and they are about to attack."

    As soon as Zhang He stood up, he was lying down with his armor closed. He didn't need to put on any clothes. He grabbed the big gun and ran out of the tent.

    Zhang He rushed to the wall of the outer village in one breath, stared outside for a long time, and asked Wang Ying in a low voice: "How many enemy troops were found?"

    "I can't see clearly, but the sentry said there should be a lot of people."

    Zhang He raised his head and glanced at the sky. The sky was cloudy tonight, and a bright moon passed through the clouds, making the surroundings of the camp alternately bright and dark.

    "Fire the crossbow!" Zhang He ordered resolutely.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 662 Bloody Battle at the Wooden Gate (Part 2)

    Although the Han army has 30,000 people, due to terrain restrictions, the actual number of troops that can be put into combat is only 5,000 at most. However, the Han army can continuously replenish it, fight a war of attrition, and finally capture Mumen Village, but this is not Zhao Yun's.  His original intention was that although he knew that he needed to pay a price to attract the enemy, he did not want to lose too many troops.

    Zhang Ren is the main offensive general. He has led five thousand troops and has quietly approached the entrance of the valley. This is about 300 steps away from the outer wall of the village. His eyesight is good and he can see the opponent's defense. When the bright moon breaks through the clouds, the moonlight shines on  On the hillside, Cao Jun's defense immediately became clear.

    I saw a natural ditch in front of the village wall, about three feet wide, and a high suspension bridge. The village wall was covered with soldiers. There were no torches, and it looked dark.

    At this moment, there was a sound of ¡®Crack!  Click!  ' sound, followed by countless small black dots whizzing towards the mouth of the valley. In the blink of an eye, they were in front of them, and they turned out to be nearly a hundred large four-foot-long arrows. These are the crossbow arrows, which can break gold and crack stones within three hundred steps.  Extremely powerful.

    The crossbow arrows shot into the woods, and only a few screams were heard. This was a Han soldier who had been hit by an arrow. There was a loud siren in the sentry, shouting on the wall, and the Cao soldiers were extremely nervous.  At this moment, Fazheng quickly came to Zhang Ren and whispered to him: "General, once Cao's army retreats, they will definitely burn the inner bridge. We must prevent it. I have a plan to quickly capture the inner bridge."

    He whispered a few words, and Zhang Ren nodded, "I understand what the military advisor means, and I will make arrangements."

    When Fazheng retreated, Zhang Ren shouted: "The first army is coming!"

    With the roar of drums, more than a thousand soldiers rushed out of the woods, each holding a shield and carrying a long plank on their shoulders, running up the hillside. Their task was to build planks on the ditch.  As soon as he ran out of the woods, hundreds of crossbow arrows were fired at him. The arrows were so powerful that they penetrated dozens of shields and shot the Han soldiers behind the shields to death on the ground.

    But the number of crossbows was too small to pose a fatal threat to the Han army. A thousand soldiers still rushed towards Cao Jun's camp

    Cao Jun deployed two thousand troops in the outer camp, commanded by deputy general Wang Ying, while Zhang He led three thousand troops to guard the inner camp. At this time, Wang Ying stood on the wall and shouted loudly: "The crossbowmen are ready, shoot!"

    Two thousand arrows shot into the air together, drawing arcs and shooting directly at the Han soldiers who were getting closer and closer. Although the Han soldiers held their shields high, the arrows were dense, and soldiers were still being shot over and screamed.  fell to the ground.

    At this time, another thousand Han soldiers rushed up from behind. They carried small wooden barrels weighing 20 kilograms of kerosene and ran up the hillside. Following the one thousand soldiers in front, the two thousand soldiers rushed forward and gradually rushed to the city wall.  , put wooden planks on the ditch, but under the dense rain of arrows from Cao Jun, soldiers continued to fall to the ground.

    Rolling logs fell from the camp one after another and rolled towards the densely packed Han soldiers on the hillside. Soldiers were knocked to the ground one by one. Although there were heavy casualties, the thousands of Han soldiers who rushed up from behind still knocked down hundreds of soldiers.  A barrel of kerosene was thrown under the wall of the village.

    Two thousand Han soldiers retreated quickly. They were not an attacking army. Most of them did not carry weapons. They evacuated immediately after completing their mission. In this round of charge, the Han army paid the price of hundreds of deaths. On the hillsides and in the ditches  Bodies of fallen soldiers were everywhere.

    However, the Han army's third round of attack did not start. The battlefield became quiet. Wang Ying looked at the hundreds of wooden oil barrels in the corner and on the hillside. His scalp couldn't help but explode. In fact, they also had kerosene, but  It's just that I'm afraid of backburning myself, so I don't dare to use it.

    Cao Jun's camp was made of wood and stone, which could easily catch fire. Fire prevention was a top priority. Seeing that the Han army was not attacking, Wang Ying could seize this opportunity to deal with the hidden danger, so he immediately ordered: "Go out with two hundred people and carry all the oil barrels."  Come back and throw the plank into the ditch."

    The suspension bridge was slowly lowered, the gate of the camp was opened, and two hundred Cao Jun soldiers rushed out. They moved quickly, moved the wooden planks on the ditch, threw them into the ditch, put the oil drums on their shoulders, and turned towards the camp.  Run.

    But at this moment, there was a sudden shout of killing at the foot of the mountain. Thousands of Han soldiers came out of the valley brandishing spears and knives. They roared and rushed towards the wall. Wang Ying was shocked and shouted:  "Hurry up and pull up the suspension bridge!"

    The suspension bridge no longer cared about Cao Jun who had not fled back, and began to creak and pull up, but an accident happened at this moment. Dozens of Han soldiers who were killed on both sides of the suspension bridge suddenly jumped up and rushed onto the suspension bridge.

    Several tall and powerful men wielded giant axes to chop at the iron chains on the suspension bridge, and saw fire splashing everywhere, 'Crack!  ¡¯ After several sounds, the iron chains on the left and right were cut off one after another, and the suspension bridge that had risen three feet suddenly fell again.

    These dozens of soldiers immediately rushed to the gate of the village, held it against the gate with their bodies, and fought fiercely with Cao's army in front and behind the gate.He was so brave that one of them was as good as ten, killing Cao's army and retreating steadily.

    On the wall of the village, Wang Ying was stunned by the scene in front of him. This sudden change caught all Cao Jun off guard.

    This was Fazheng¡¯s clever plan. Thirty Eagle Strikers were mixed in with the ordinary soldiers, pretending to be dead and lying around the suspension bridge.

    Fa Zheng expected that the enemy general would definitely send people out to clear the wooden planks and kerosene on the ditch, so the chance to seize the outer wall and wooden bridge was just a moment away.

    Wang Ying finally reacted and shouted: "Destroy them all and close the village gate!"

    There were already hundreds of people fighting fiercely with thirty Eagle Attack Army soldiers at the entrance of the village, and soon hundreds more people rushed over.

    At the same time, thousands of Han troops were rushing towards the stronghold like wild waves, and were about to reach the entrance of the stronghold. Knowing that the outer stronghold was in danger, Wang Ying shouted, "Retreat!" Two thousand Cao Jun soldiers jumped off the stronghold wall.  Run towards the inner village.

    The so-called outer wall is actually an auxiliary defense line, not a real camp. Conquering the outer wall is just a step closer to the real camp.

    But there is a natural crack ten feet wide between the two walls. The bottom of the crack is bottomless. If you fall, you will definitely die.

    There is a wooden bridge spanning the stone seam. The wooden bridge is about six feet long and three feet wide. It looks very old. Only by rushing across the wooden bridge and knocking open the inner village gate can you truly enter the wooden gate village.

    In fact, the best way to defend was to destroy the wooden bridge and block the Han army to the west of the crack. The defense would be half the result with half the effort. However, Zhang He considered that there was a defensive wall in front, so he did not demolish the wooden bridge.

    Hundreds of Han army vanguards, led by Zhang Ren, rushed through the outer wall and headed directly towards the wooden bridge. At this time, a dozen Cao army soldiers, under the command of Wang Ying, were pouring kerosene on the bridge and preparing to burn it.

    Zhang Ren was so anxious that his eyes were red. He roared, rushed onto the wooden bridge, and stabbed seven or eight people with his gun. Seeing that the situation was not good, Wang Ying dropped the torch in his hand, and the kerosene on the bridge was blown to the ground.  Lit.

    Zhang Ren shouted, "The enemy will die!" He jumped forward and challenged Wang Ying with a spear. Wang Ying screamed and fell into the bottomless rock crevice.

    At this time, the Han soldiers behind swarmed up and used soil to extinguish the fire that had not yet spread. They were very lucky to seize this life-or-death wooden bridge before the enemy burned the bridge.

    According to Zhang He's original plan, once Cao's army withdrew across the wooden bridge, they could set fire to the bridge and block the Han army on the west bank. It was not easy for the Han army to build a wooden bridge on a crack nearly ten feet wide, and Cao's army could burn it at any time.  wooden bridge.

    But the plan never changed. The Han army cleverly captured the outer wall, and the Han army's vanguard took the lead in occupying the wooden bridge. Zhang He's plan to burn the wooden bridge also failed.

    The situation has begun to go against Cao Jun. More Han troops are coming in a steady stream. However, Cao Jun soldiers also found that although the number of Han troops is large, they are limited by the terrain and can only attack the camp with a few thousand people at most.

    More importantly, the camp is on a high terrain, three feet above the wooden bridge. Cao's soldiers are at a commanding height, and the camp is easy to defend and difficult to attack. This is where Xun You's confidence lies. As long as the location is maintained, even if the Han army sends 30,000 troops, they will never be able to capture Mumen Village.  .

    At this time, Zhang He had calmed down from the initial panic. He ordered the gate of the village to be closed, and immediately organized soldiers to fight back. There were more than 3,000 soldiers on the inner wall of the village. They drew their bows and nocked arrows, and a dense rain of arrows shot at the people on the bridge.  Hundreds of Han troops and Han soldiers raised shields to meet them. While withstanding the dense rain of arrows from Cao Jun, they fought fiercely with more than a thousand Cao Jun soldiers who tried to recapture the wooden bridge.

    At this time, there were still nearly 1,500 Cao Jun soldiers who had no time to retreat to the stronghold, so the gate of the stronghold was slammed shut. These more than 1,000 Cao Jun soldiers became the first enemies of the Han army in a fierce battle. The shouts of killing were loud, and the wooden bridge was crowded with people.  It was filled with soldiers from both armies, and in the narrow space, the two sides started a bloody fight.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At the same moment when the Han army launched a large-scale attack on the camp and attracted Cao Jun's attention, four hundred Eagle Strikers also climbed up the mountain behind Cao Jun's camp.

    But at this time, God no longer favored the Han army, and the dark clouds in the sky began to become sparse. A bright moon shone on Mumen Mountain, coating the mountain with a layer of silver gray. If you go down the mountain at this time, the people at the foot of the mountain will clearly detect the enemy invasion.  .

    But Liu Zheng made the decision without hesitation and threw the rope down the mountain. He had no choice. The fierce fighting at the foot of the mountain and the death of the soldiers were all to cover their way into Cao Jun's camp from behind.

    Ropes of dozens of feet were thrown down along the mountain wall, and Liu Zheng ordered in a deep voice: "The first battalion goes down the mountain!"

    As the deputy commander, Ren Ping took the lead and was the first to climb down the mountain on the long rope. The soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army followed him down the mountain one by one. In a moment, the five long ropes were dotted with strings of small black dots.  Quickly climb down the mountain.

    Liu Zheng stared closely at the departmentAs his subordinates walked down the mountain, he was extremely nervous and bit his lips tightly. He knew the risks involved. As long as any Cao Army soldier turned around, he could see the Eagle Attack Army soldiers on the mountain wall.

    Today, the God who originally favored them suddenly changed his mind. Will this mean that everything will not go well for them?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 663 Bloody Battle at the Wooden Gate (Part 2)

    The battle to attack the camp has reached a fever pitch. Corpses piled up like mountains on the ten-foot-long wooden bridge, and blood flowed into rivers. Nearly a thousand Cao soldiers who had not had time to evacuate were basically slaughtered, leaving only a few hundred people to rely on.  At the gate of the village, they struggled to support the Han army's attacks one after another.

    They cursed desperately and kept smashing the gate of the village, trying to open a crack so that they could retreat into the camp. However, the gate did not move at all and the inside was tightly closed. They had only one way to fight to the death, and even surrendered.  There is no road left. Either you die or I live. No one will consider prisoners of war at this time.

    But the dense rain of arrows from Cao's army on the camp slowed down their pressure. The walls of the camp were crowded with Cao's soldiers, more than 3,000 of them. They fired arrows from both sides, like locusts, and the overwhelming arrows were so dense that they could not penetrate.  wind and rain.

    At this time, the Han army also suffered heavy casualties, with more than a thousand people killed. Even the commander-in-chief Zhang Ren was hit by two arrows. He leaned on a bridge pile with a dozen soldiers guarding him with shields.  Commanding the battle amidst the rain of arrows.

    Zhang Ren was worried. Now the Han army was very passive. They were sandwiched between the inner and outer walls, as if they were ambushed. The rain of arrows fired from both sides of the enemy army made it difficult for the Han soldiers to take care of them. They could only defend with shields back to back.

    But in this way, they were unable to launch an attack. A large number of troops were suppressed on the ten-foot-long and four-foot-wide wooden bridge. This short section of the wooden bridge was actually crowded with nearly 1,500 people.

    Arrows as dense as hailstones rushed towards the bridge. Two hundred Han soldiers held giant shields and formed a shield wall on both sides of the wooden bridge, effectively resisting the arrows. Despite this, the bridge was still too dark.  It was dangerous. If Cao Jun used kerosene to break the wooden bridge, his army would suffer heavy casualties.

    In fact, Cao Jun also continued to use small trebuchets to smash barrels of kerosene onto the bridge. Unfortunately, there were too many soldiers on the bridge, and the barrels could only hit the shields, but they were immediately unloaded into the deep ditches on both sides, unable to  Fall on the bridge.

    A raging fire has been ignited on the east side of the crack. Although the fire could not reach the wooden bridge, the mountain wind blew the thick smoke and engulfed the wooden bridge.

    Groups of soldiers could not withstand the smoke and were forced to evacuate the wooden bridge. However, new soldiers immediately came up. It is precisely because of this that Zhang Ren was unwilling to evacuate the soldiers from the wooden bridge and used the soldiers'  The human shield protected the wooden bridge and resisted the continuous fire oil and rockets fired by Cao's army.

    Now they can only hold on until the Eagle Attack Army enters the camp. The camp is too high and condescending, almost suppressing them, making it difficult for them to launch an attack. Once Cao Jun burns the wooden bridge with kerosene, they will try to capture the wooden gate.  If you don't build a stronghold, you will have to pay an even greater price.

    Zhang Ren was worried. Why hasn¡¯t the Eagle Attack Army launched an attack yet?

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Zhang Ren did not expect that the Eagle Attack Army would also encounter huge trouble at this time. When they came down the mountain, they were discovered by Cao Jun on the sentry tower. The sentry immediately sounded the alarm. Only then did Zhang He realize that the Han army was attacking from the east and west, and he immediately sent out  Five hundred men launched crossbow attacks at the Han army on the cliff.

    At this time, more than a hundred Eagle Attack Army soldiers were trapped on the cliff. They pulled the rope with one arm and slowly descended, while raising their shields high to deal with the intensive incoming arrows.

    What¡¯s even worse is that the bottom of the cliff is covered with thousands of iron spikes several feet long, which can only be found when approaching the ground. This is used to deal with sneak attackers on the cliff. If they jump off in a hurry, they will definitely die.

    At this time, five or six Eagle Attack Army soldiers had been shot by arrows. They screamed and fell off the cliff and died on the spikes. The sweat on Ren Ping's forehead rolled down. This was his responsibility. He did not notice it.  Spikes on the ground.

    If this sneak attack failed, there would be serious consequences. At this time, he suddenly discovered that there was a corridor on the right side of the cliff. It was made of stones, three feet wide and more than 20 steps long, and led directly to the camp. It was probably used to install the cliff.  On the raft on the wall, more than a dozen Cao Jun soldiers stood on the corridor and fired arrows at them.

    This discovery made Ren Ping overjoyed. He turned around and shouted, "Everyone, follow me!"

    He put his shield on his back, climbed onto the rock, pulled the long rope and slowly approached the corridor, and continued to descend. He was still one foot away from the corridor. He wound the rope several times around a protruding rock and fixed it on the rock wall.  Go up, and then jump up onto the corridor.

    Holding the shield in his left hand, he drew his sword with his right hand, shouted and rushed forward, used the shield to hold the spear of a Cao soldier, and slashed the enemy down the corridor with a backhand sword.

    At this time, more than a dozen Eagle Attack Army soldiers followed him and jumped onto the corridor and ran forward. Cao's soldiers also noticed that someone rushed onto the corridor. More than two hundred soldiers raised their spears and shouted towards the corridor.  Go up to the challenge.

    The dense spikes on the ground made it impossible for the Eagle Attack Army soldiers to land. They could only enter the camp through the corridor. This corridor became a battleground for both sides.focus.

    "Kill him!"

    A Cao Junya general was commanding the battle. He found that arrows shooting at the enemy on the cliff were ineffective. It took several rounds of arrows to kill five people, and the corridor would become a breakthrough for the enemy. He changed his strategy and shouted loudly.  He ordered, "The whole army presses forward and stabs the enemy to death with spears!"

    Hundreds of soldiers from Cao's Army swarmed up, and a dozen soldiers from the Eagle Attack Army drew out their single crossbows and shot at Cao's army in front of the corridor. Although they were small in number, their arrow skills were extremely accurate, and they shot down the soldiers who were swarming up the corridor.  Cao Jun's soldiers shot him and fell to the ground.

    However, Cao's army was too numerous, and hundreds of them rushed up the corridor. At the same time, more than a dozen Eagle Attack Army soldiers jumped onto the corridor. A total of 30 people, holding shields and sabers, fought fiercely with Cao's soldiers. They were extremely brave and cooperative.  With a tacit understanding, Cao's army was defeated steadily.

    Ren Ping stabbed several people to death with the spear he had captured, shouted loudly, and rushed down the corridor first. Thirty of his men behind him also followed him to fight a bloody path and rushed down the corridor. This meant that the Han soldiers had captured  this critical passage.

    Cao's troops from both sides attacked wildly, trying to kill them and recapture the corridor. At this time, Zhang He also got the news. In order to prevent the enemy from attacking the camp from behind, he sent 500 elite soldiers and invested thousands of them.  The elite troops of Cao's army were brave and good at fighting. They formed a dense defensive wall and fought with the Eagle Attack Army.

    The battle between the two sides began to heat up, but the Eagle Attack Army was not equipped with long weapons, only shields and swords, which prevented them from exerting their powerful combat effectiveness. They could only seize the enemy's spears, which was extremely unsuitable.

    But as a new batch of Eagle Attack Army soldiers boarded the corridor, their weapon disadvantage was immediately reversed. More than two dozen Eagle Attack Army soldiers brought dozens of horse-cutting knives.

    This type of Zhanma Dao was originally a piece of equipment for heavy armored infantry. However, because it is light, strong, sharp, and highly practical, as the smelting and casting technology matured, Zanma Dao gradually began to be equipped in other military branches. The Eagle Attack Army was the first.  The military services that batch equipment.

    As the sword of the Eagle Attack Army entered the hands of the soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army, the passive situation was suddenly reversed. The soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army began to become unstoppable. When the long sword of the Army of the Eagle Striker struck, blood would be scattered everywhere, and the enemy soldiers would be cut in half.  Or get your head chopped off.

    At this time, Cao's army was also furious. One group of dead people would come one after another, and the corpses piled up three feet high, seriously obstructing the way into the camp.

    As a result, the soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army at the back kept using long handles to push away the dead bodies. However, Cao's army was so large in number, and especially the cold arrows that were hard to guard against, that the soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army also suffered heavy casualties. In the nearly half-hour battle, there were already nearly thirty soldiers.  One person was killed, which was the heaviest casualty since the establishment of the Eagle Strike Force.

    At this time, Wu Ban, the deputy captain of the Eagle Attack Army, had come down from the cliff and rushed to the front. His nickname was "Gibbon". He was a rare tall and burly man among the five hundred Eagle Attack Army. He was eight feet two tall.  , with an unusually tall physique, strong strength and long arms, the one-foot-eight-foot-long horse-killing sword in his hand was like a butcher's knife in the Shura field.

    Wu Ban is the younger brother of Wu Yi. He is a fierce general who is as famous as Lei Tong in the Bashu army. He is not only tall, but also extremely agile and dexterous. Because Liu Jing lacks strong generals who are good at fighting in the Eagle Attack Army, he makes Wu Ban the deputy captain and Liu Jing.  The deputy general on the right is responsible for charging into the battle.

    He led fifty Eagle Attack Soldiers who were good at fighting and came down from the cliff and joined the war. His arrival completely turned the tide of the battle. The sword flashed and saw heads rolling to the ground, flesh and blood flying everywhere, limbs separated, and tragic  The screams filled the night sky.

    Wu Ban roared, jumped into the crowd, swung his sharp blade, and cut four Cao soldiers into eight pieces. Then with a backhand slash, three heads flew up, and blood spurted out from the neck cavity.

    Wu Ban's ferocious look frightened dozens of Cao soldiers surrounding him. They had never seen such a ferocious murderer before, and their legs were trembling with fear. Wu Ban got excited to kill, roared wildly, and swung his sword towards  Dozens of soldiers rushed at him, slashed with more than a dozen knives, and more than a dozen people's heads were missing. Cao Jun's soldiers yelled in fright, turned around and fled.

    Wu Ban looked up to the sky and laughed. He waved his hand and shouted: "Brothers, charge into the enemy camp!"

    At this time, more and more Eagle Strike soldiers came down from the cliff, and even the general Liu Zheng also came down the cliff. More than 400 Eagle Strike soldiers showed their bravery, and a road to victory was finally opened.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As hundreds of Eagle Strikers entered the camp from behind, the battle situation began to reverse. More and more Cao's troops were forced to turn to deal with the Eagle Strikers who entered the camp. Even Zhang He was forced to turn to deal with the attackers.  Enemy troops entering inside.

    There were only a thousand soldiers of Cao's army guarding the gate of the village. Zhang Ren already knew that Liu Zheng's army had succeeded. He sternly ordered: "Kill the whole army and attack the city!"

    The deep horn sounded,The drums were like thunder, and thousands of Han soldiers rushed across the wooden bridge with shouts. More than a hundred soldiers held the battering ram and rushed towards the high wall of the camp. Behind them, thousands of Han soldiers fired arrows together, and the arrows were like rain.  Suppressed Cao Jun's soldiers on the top of the city.

    Seeing that the situation was not good, more than a thousand soldiers of Cao's army withdrew from the passage on the wall to the gate, preparing to fight a fierce battle in front of the gate.

    "Boom!" A muffled sound penetrated people's hearts, and the gate shook violently. Dozens of Cao soldiers behind the door retreated in fear. At this time, hundreds of Han troops burst out with a cry, and the huge battering ram hit the gate of the village again.  The door could not withstand such a violent impact and was finally shattered by the impact, leaving the door open.

    Although the wall of Mumen Village is strong, tall and condescending, even ordinary siege ladders cannot reach it, it still has shortcomings, just like a wooden barrel filled with water. When one of the barrel staves breaks, the entire wooden wall will be destroyed.  The barrel could no longer hold water, no matter how strong and durable the remaining staves were.

    The gate was knocked open, and the seemingly impregnable camp defense collapsed in an instant. The Han army rushed into Mumen Village like a tide. Zhang Ren led hundreds of soldiers at the front, like a strong wind blowing through the night, and was the first to rush in.  Enter the village gate.

    At this time, Cao's army in Mumen Village was immersed in extreme panic and confusion. The camp was breached, leaving them at a loss. Thousands of Han soldiers rushed into the village, slashing with swords, stabbing with spears, and their heads were chopped off.  , the chest was pierced.

    In front of the fierce tiger-like Han army, any resistance was in vain. The defenders knelt down and surrendered. The stubborn resisters were killed on the spot. Zhang Ren led his army and rushed all the way to the east gate of Mumen Village. At this time, the east gate had already  Captured by the Eagle Attack Army, Zhang He led more than a thousand soldiers in an attempt to break through the enemy's obstruction and escape from Mumen Village.

    The two sides fought fiercely in front of the east gate. Zhang He was on horseback and was fighting fiercely with the infantry general Wu Ban. Although Wu Ban was a fierce general in Sichuan, he was still slightly inferior to Zhang He, the famous general from Hebei. He was killed and retreated. Seeing that he could not resist.  live.

    At this moment, a thundering cry of killing came from the distance. Zhang He found that thousands of Han troops were coming towards him. The general at the head seemed to be the main general of the Han army. He knew that something was wrong and did not care about Wu Ban.  He turned the horse's head and rushed towards the gate, swung some steel spears, stabbed over a dozen people in a row, and opened a bloody path.

    His soldiers took the opportunity to push open the east gate. Zhang He clamped his horse between his legs and rushed out of the east gate, leading more than a hundred soldiers to flee eastward in panic.

    "Surrender! We surrender!"

    Seeing Zhang He's escape, more than a thousand Cao's troops began to shout as they had no hope of escape. Their cry of surrender became the straw that broke the camel's back.

    Groups of Cao soldiers laid down their weapons, and nearly two thousand people surrendered in a moment. They knelt on the ground, begging the Han army for forgiveness. Everyone's heart was filled with fear. Many people were shaking all over and couldn't even kneel.  Completely paralyzed on the ground.

    At this time, Zhao Yun also entered the camp. He squinted and looked at the strong camp and the mountains of grain piled in the warehouse. He breathed a sigh of relief and captured Mumen Village, which meant that his mission was half successful.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 664 Reinforcements Arrive

    On the night after Zhao Yun's army marched eastward, Liu Jing also led the Han army northward overnight. He ordered Wei Yan to lead an army of 10,000 to guard the west city. He personally led an army of 40,000 to the north and arrived at Shangfang Valley at noon the next day. Liu Jing  Jing ordered the army to set up a large camp at the southern end of Shangfang Valley. The mountains on both sides of Shangshang Valley were open, and the widest valley road was one mile wide, so they could camp. However, Liu Jing did not choose to camp in the valley road in the end.

    Han army scouts have repeatedly explored the situation of Cao's army in the upper valley. Cao's army has three camps and nearly 70,000 troops blocking the northern end of the valley entrance. Cao's army has a huge advantage in terms of terrain and strength. Mumen Village may be because of Cao's army's strength.  There are too few, and it is still possible to conquer, but the Cao army's defense in the upper valley is basically difficult to break.

    Liu Jing was not in a hurry to launch an attack. He built a large camp, set up camp, and patiently confronted Cao Jun, waiting for the opportunity to attack. More importantly, he had established a food and grass transportation system, and no longer had to worry about military supplies. It was completely possible.  Calmly confront Cao Jun.

    On the third day of the confrontation, Liu Jing received news that Jia Xu and veteran Yan Yan had arrived in Xicheng with 30,000 reinforcements and were continuing to move north towards Shanggu. This news made Liu Jing overjoyed. He was waiting for Jia Xu  Now that he had finally arrived, Liu Jing personally left the camp five miles away to welcome the reinforcements.

    Because Jia Xu was old, after the Battle of Jingzhou, he no longer participated in specific battles, but made strategic plans for Liu Jing. However, when he heard the news that Cao Cao had also left Yedu and rushed to Tianshui, Jia Xu also  Unable to sit still, regardless of his old age, he insisted on following the arrival of reinforcements.

    The troops of Jia Xu and Yan Yan were about to arrive at the Han army camp. They were accompanied by Ma Jun, the master of the Craftsman Academy. He brought a hundred outstanding disciples and rushed to serve in the army. At this time, a soldier pointed to the front  Shouted: "Commander, look, Zhou Mu is here!"

    I saw a large group of cavalry coming from the front, with flags fluttering. Under a red flag with a gold border, dozens of generals surrounded a general wearing a golden helmet. Soon they came closer. It was Liu Jing. Jia Xu laughed and turned over.  He dismounted and walked up quickly. Yan Yan and Ma Jun also dismounted quickly and led a dozen generals to greet them.

    "See Zhou Mu!"

    Everyone saluted in front of Liu Jing's horse. Liu Jing quickly got off the horse and saluted everyone, "Thank you for your hard work!"

    He walked up to Jia Xu and said with a smile: "Why are the military advisors here? Can your body bear the bumps along the way?"

    Jia Xu smiled slightly, "Although it is an old bone, it is still quite strong. Don't worry, Zhou Mu, it will not fall apart on the road!"

    Everyone laughed, and Liu Jing met Yan Yan and Ma Jun again. At this time, he unexpectedly found that Deng Ai was also in the army, wearing armor and carrying a silver gun. He was quite heroic. Liu Jing was a little uncomfortable.  Yue said: "If you are not studying hard in Xiangyang, what are you doing here?"

    Deng Ai was a little afraid of Liu Jing and lowered his head and did not dare to answer. At this time, Jia Xu smiled and answered for him: "Brother Deng has brought a hundred outstanding scholars to join the army. I know that there is a shortage of civil servants in the army, so I make the decision for Zhou Mu.  Brought him along."

    Liu Jing has seen more than a hundred young scholars in the team. They all came out to bow to Liu Jing. They were all in high spirits and full of expectations and yearning for the future.

    Jia Xu is right. His army does lack civilian officers. Handling documents, recording achievements, calculating money and food, compiling military registers, etc. are all matters of civilian officers. However, there are too few civilian officers in his army. Many people  They all have multiple jobs and are extremely busy. It can be said that these young scholars came at just the right time.

    Liu Jing nodded happily, "Since you are here, then stay, everyone has worked hard along the way, please come with me to the camp to rest!"

    ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

    The arrival of the reinforcements made the camp extremely lively. Liu Jing asked Huang Zhong and Ma Chao to place the reinforcements. Ma Jun also took his disciples to place the ordnance, while Liu Jing invited Jia Xu to the Chinese military tent.

    There was Pang Tong in the tent. Pang Tong quickly stepped forward and saluted Jia Xu, "See Mr. Jia!"

    Jia Xu nodded and said with a smile: "Master Pang is worthy of being a person valued by the state pastor. He is resourceful and resourceful, which I admire very much. There will be successors to the Han army."

    "Jia Gong has given you the award, I am ashamed of myself!"

    After exchanging a few words, they followed Liu Jing to the sand table. Liu Jing was full of expectations for Jia Xu's arrival, hoping that Jia Xu could break the situation for him. Jia Xu also understood Liu Jing's thoughts. He walked to the sand table, stared at it for a moment and smiled: "  As expected of Xun You, the defense is impeccable. It will take a lot of effort to capture Longxi. "

    Liu Jing also sighed slightly and said: "Although I am not in a hurry to attack and wait patiently for the opportunity, it is actually a kind of helplessness that I can't do anything about. If Cao Jun wants to confront me for several years, I have no choice."

    Jia Xu smiled and said: "It's not that there is no way, right?"For more than ten years, when Prime Minister Cao returns to the West, doesn't the world belong to Zhou Mu?  "

    Several guards nearby said ¡®Pfft!  ¡¯ laughed out loud, Liu Jing had no choice but to laugh bitterly, ¡°The military advisor is getting better and better at making jokes.¡±

    "Haha! Of course it's a joke, but I heard that the Di cavalry withdrew westward, is that true?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "Indeed, this is good news. The Qiang people sent troops to attack Yang Wanwan's home base. Naturally, Yang Wanwan was forced to withdraw his troops, without a cavalry that would be a headache."

    Jia Xu looked at the sand table again, pondered for a moment and said: "Actually, there is no way to conquer Shangfang Valley. The key is Jicheng. Taking Jicheng is the most difficult thing."

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. He was not considering Jicheng for the time being. The key was Shangfang Valley. If he captured Shangfang Valley, the Han army would directly face the Weishui Valley. They could echo Zhao Yun's army on the east and west sides. At least he would have solved the current dilemma.  .

    Liu Jing quickly bowed and saluted: "Please teach me the strategy of breaking through Shangfang Valley."

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and laughed, "I don't have the strategy to defeat Shangfang Valley. Zhou Mu has found the wrong person. He should go to the owner of the horse courtyard."

    Liu Jing was stunned. Pang Tong reacted very quickly and immediately said, "Did Master Ma bring some new offensive weapons?"

    Jia Xu nodded, "Exactly!"

    Liu Jing was overjoyed. Why didn't he think of it? "Then let's go take a look now!" he said impatiently.

    Ma Jun and his disciples were placed in the logistics camp. This time Jia Xu led reinforcements and brought a large amount of baggage. Thousands of soldiers were busy moving the baggage and grain into the warehouse. In the other corner of the baggage camp,  Ma Jun is also assembling hundreds of parts one by one with his disciples.

    This is a small trebuchet he invented using the principle of a wooden ox. It can be pushed in the mountains. It is very convenient and has an extremely long range, even surpassing the giant trebuchet. It was Ma Jun's painstaking work that took him two years to create.  .

    At this time, the disciples stood up one after another. Ma Jun turned around and saw Liu Jing, Jia Xu and Pang Tong hurriedly approaching. He also stood up and said politely: "See you, Zhou Mu!"

    Liu Jing stepped forward and said with an apologetic smile: "There were too many people just now, and my mind couldn't turn around for a while. I didn't expect that there must be a reason for the hospital master's arrival. Thanks to the military advisor's reminder, I realized that I was neglecting the hospital master."

    "Where! Zhou Mu is very busy, I understand."

    Ma Jun no longer stutters like before, but he speaks concisely and to the point, trying to keep his words as short as possible. He introduces the trebuchet to Liu Jing with a smile, "Zhou Mu, take a look first, what's the difference?"

    Liu Jing stepped forward and looked at the trebuchet up and down. He saw that it was less than a person tall, but the throwing pole was very slender, about two feet and five feet. The winch was made of double strands of beef tendon, which was extremely elastic. Liu Jing thought about it.  I thought: "It feels very light, but it seems like it can't throw heavy objects, and it actually has wheels, so it should be able to push it!"

    "It is actually a wooden ox. It can be driven in the mountains and can be launched by three soldiers. It can shoot five kilograms of objects five hundred steps away."

    Liu Jing was immediately surprised and delighted. He had witnessed the dexterity of the wooden ox with his own eyes. It could walk on the mountain like flying. If this trebuchet could do the same, it would be a sharp weapon in the army, and it could shoot up to 500 steps.  Besides, considering that the giant trebuchet only has a range of more than 400 steps, how can it do this?

    Liu Jing looked at Ma Jun doubtfully. Ma Jun smiled and patted the throwing pole, "The key is that this throwing pole is extraordinary."

    Liu Jing took the throwing rod, and he immediately felt the difference. The throwing rod was completely black, shimmering with metallic luster, and heavy, but he didn't know what material it was made of?  At this time, a disciple of Ma Jun next to him introduced: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, this throwing pole is actually made of high-quality eucalyptus wood. It takes two years to make a throwing pole."

    Liu Jing nodded. He knew that Zhemu has very good toughness and is the best material for making bows. However, how to make it tough and durable is a matter of technique. It is estimated that this is related to the two years it took.

    "Please keep talking!"

    Ma Jun's disciple bowed and continued: "First, take the trunk of the best eucalyptus wood, peel it into pieces of uniform thickness, and then soak the fine pieces in oil repeatedly. After soaking, it will no longer deform or crack, and then it is completed.  first step."

    "Then what?" Liu Jing was very interested and asked again.

    "This step will take a year. After one year, the strips will be taken out and air-dried in the shade for several months. Then they will be glued together with high-quality glue and paint to form a throwing rod with an even thickness and a length of two to five feet. The outer layer  Then wrap the tendon around it, wait until the tendon is completely dry, apply raw lacquer, wrap it in kudzu cloth, dry it layer by layer and wrap it layer by layer."

    "Wait a minute!" Liu Jing suddenly understood something, and he said in surprise: "Isn't this making a horse?"

    Ma Jun smiled and said: "It's exactly what Ma Jun made, but it's slightly different. Ma Jun uses hemp rope to wrap it, but we use cowhide."When it comes to entanglement, Ma Shan wants to be hard, but we want to be hard and soft.  "

    Ma Jun waved his hand, and the two disciples began to do the experiment. They fixed one end and pulled the other end with a rope. They saw that the throwing rod was bent into a semicircle, and there was still no sign of breaking. As soon as the two men loosened their hands, the throwing rod suddenly  It bounced straight and trembled non-stop, and the surrounding soldiers were amazed. They had never seen such a tough long pole.

    Liu Jing sighed softly, "No wonder it can shoot five hundred steps, it's extraordinary!"

    At this time, Ma Jun smiled slightly and said: "We also brought a treasure, I believe Zhou Mu is more interested."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 665 Broken Flag Warning

    Liu Jing's curiosity was aroused and she smiled and said: "Master Ma, please don't spare me, just take out the treasure!"

    Ma Jun smiled and took a clay pot from an apprentice. He walked to the table and poured out the contents of the clay pot. What he saw was a mass of sugar-jelly-like object, very viscous and full of texture.  Black, Liu Jing stepped forward and smelled it, and said in surprise: "Fire oil!"

    Ma Jun nodded, "This is indeed kerosene. It becomes like this after being mixed with some things. We call it oil glue."

    "This is similar to the fire clay used on warships. Does it have the same effect?"

    "It burns longer and longer than fire sludge, and has greater firepower. More importantly, it does not extinguish in the wind. Zhou Mu might as well think about the shortcomings of rockets."

    Of course Liu Jing knew that the biggest problem with rockets is that the arrows will go out in the air when they are shot halfway. At least eight out of ten arrows will be extinguished by the wind, so using rockets to ignite is actually very unreliable. Generally, they are used  The method of shooting a group of rockets is to hope that one of the rockets will not go out.

    Liu Jing¡¯s heart immediately became eager and she smiled: ¡°In that case, I might as well give it a try!¡±

    He ordered someone to set up a straw man a hundred steps away, and took his own bow and arrows. Liu Jing used a three-stone hard bow, which could shoot as far as 150 steps. At this time, Ma Jun handed him one. Zhou Mu  Might as well use this specialized rocket.

    Liu Jing was startled. He took the arrow and saw that the shape was exactly the same as an ordinary arrow. However, he carefully discovered that the arrowhead was different. There was an empty slot on the arrowhead, as if it could hold something. Obviously, this small slot was filled with  Used to hold oil glue.

    "Don't underestimate this groove, Zhou Mu, it can ensure that the arrow burns for a cup of tea."

    Liu Jing nodded, secretly praising Ma Jun's cleverness. He applied a layer of oil glue on the arrow, and also put a ball of oil glue into the arrow slot. He opened his bow and nocked an arrow, and aimed at the straw man a hundred steps away.  At that moment, a soldier lit the arrow with a torch, and a blue flame ignited. Liu Jingxian let go, and the rocket "whooshed!"  ¡¯ The ground shot out, along with a line of black smoke, directly hitting the straw man a hundred steps away.

    Liu Jing's eyesight was very good, and he could see clearly. Although the flame of the arrow was stretched by the wind, it never went out. The rocket hit the straw man's chest. In just a moment, he saw fire coming out of the straw man and burning fiercely.  , the soldiers around couldn't help shouting loudly.

    Liu Jing nodded, and it turned out that it was not extinguished. He turned around and asked Ma Jun: "May I ask Master Ma, how many of these two treasures have you brought?"

    Ma Jun smiled and said: "There is enough oil and glue, and the trebuchet can be modified with a wooden ox. However, it took us two years to make this kind of throwing rod, and we only made three hundred rods in total. In other words, it can only be modified into three hundred rods at most."  Hundreds of trebuchets.¡±

    "Three hundred will do, but how long will it take?"

    Ma Jun thought for a while and said: "I need all the military craftsmen to cooperate with me, and it will take ten days at the earliest!"

    Liu Jing's heart was full of expectations, and he said resolutely: "Then ten days. After ten days, I will try to attack Cao Ying."

    News of the arrival of Han army reinforcements soon reached Cao Jun's camp. At this time, Xun You was discussing the military situation with several generals in a camp in the middle. Xun You's face was solemn. He was not because of the arrival of enemy reinforcements, but  Worried about the current situation of Mumen Village, according to the agreement between him and Zhang He, Zhang He was supposed to send a carrier pigeon to Shangfang Valley every day to show that Mumen Village was safe, but the carrier pigeon had been interrupted for two days, which made Xun You feel heartbroken.

    Has Mumenzhai been captured by the Han army?  Otherwise, why would there be no news? However, Xun You believed that since Mumen Village was very strong and guarded by five thousand troops, it would be difficult for even tens of thousands of troops to conquer it. How did the Han army do it?

    If Mumen Village is lost and the Han army has a food transit area, they can attack Shanggui calmly. Then can Shanggui County be defended?

    Xun You was very anxious. Once Shanggui County was lost, it would be equivalent to cutting off the connection between Longxi and Guanzhong. The consequences would be very serious. Of course, he could also cross the Wei River, go north via Jieting, go around the pass and enter Guanzhong, but that would be a long way.  doubled.

    At this time, Xiahou Dun next to him said: "I heard from the scouts that Jia Xu is also here. Will Jia Xu use a trick to seize Shangfang Valley?"

    Xun You shook his head, "I have remained unchanged in response to all changes. It is useless even if Jia Xu comes. Now I am very worried about Shanggui County. There are only three thousand defenders in Shanggui County. Can Zhang He withstand the attack of Zhao Yun's tens of thousands of troops?"  , and the Prime Minister has just arrived in Guanzhong. If Shanggui County is lost, the Prime Minister will not be able to make it. "

    Xu Huang cupped his hands and said: "Since the military advisor is worried, I am willing to lead my army to support Shanggui and withstand the Han army's attack."

    After much deliberation, Xun You only had this option. Instead of worrying here, it would be better to send troops to rescue. Xun You immediately nodded and said: "Since General Xu is willing to support Shanggui County, I will give the general five thousand troops and hope that General Xu will set off immediately.  ¡±

    ?"Follow the order!"

    Xu Huang led the order and left. Xun You stood in front of the sand table again, watching Liu Jing's army. It turned out that Liu Jing only had 40,000 troops left. Now, 30,000 reinforcements have come, and his strength has increased again. I'm afraid he will launch an attack soon.  The attack on Fangfang Valley.

    Xiahou Dun walked aside and whispered: "Does the military advisor think we will be unable to defend Longxi?"

    Xun You sighed, "Although I have been deployed for a year and it is watertight, after all, the specific operations still rely on people. The battlefield is changing rapidly, and I cannot predict it. For example, over at Mumen Village, I am worried that Zhang He failed to demolish the wooden planks in time."  Bridge, then half of my defensive deployment will be broken, so the key still depends on execution! "

    "The military advisor said, would Zhang He make such a mistake?"

    "I have no idea!"

    Xun You shook his head and said sadly: "But I know one thing. If Mumen Village was breached, then the wooden bridge must not have been demolished. Maybe he wanted to demolish it but was too late and was seized by the enemy. In short, I will start my deployment now.  No more confidence.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    After Zhao Yun's army captured Mumen Village, he ordered General Deng Xian to lead 3,000 troops to garrison Mumen Village. Zhao Yun's army continued to move north and gradually arrived at Shanggui County two days later. Shanggui County belongs to Guangwei County and is located in the south of the Weishui River Valley.  The edge is equivalent to the upper valley, the transition zone from the plateau to the valley basin.

    Shanggui County is only a small county. Due to its low commercial value, the county has a small population of only more than 800 households and a population of several thousand. However, its military status is very important. Although it does not belong to Guangwei County, it does  It is the gateway to Guangwei County. If you capture Shanggui County, the open Wei River Valley will suddenly appear in front of you.

    Because of its important military status, Xun You raised and reinforced the county seat to give it a certain defensive function. However, compared with Jicheng, Shanggui County was still far behind.

    There were still ten miles away from the county seat, and it was getting late at night. Zhao Yun marched cautiously. He was not familiar with the terrain in Shanggui County, so he ordered to camp on the spot and wait until dawn tomorrow before heading north.

    In the tent, Zhao Yun, Zhang Ren and Fa Zheng were discussing the strategy of capturing Shanggui County. Fa Zheng pointed to Shanggui County and said: "It only takes ninety miles from Shangfang Valley to Shanggui County. If Mumen Village is lost, Xun You will definitely not be able to fight against it."  If Gong County sits back and does nothing, it will definitely send troops to rescue. I suggest that we can use the strategy of siege and reinforcements. On the one hand, we can surround Shanggui County, and on the other hand, send the main force to defeat the reinforcements coming from Shangguang Valley. As long as the reinforcements are defeated, Shanggui County will not be able to defend it.  If we stay there, Zhang He will definitely abandon the city and flee."

    Zhao Yun thought for a moment and said: "Zhang He has already lost Mumen Village. Does the military advisor think he will give up on Shanggui County?"

    Zhang Ren also said: "I also think that Zhang He dare not leave him in Gui County anymore, otherwise he will not be able to explain to Cao Cao."

    "I think he will give up!"

    Fa Zheng smiled and said: "If we only have 10,000 troops, maybe Zhang He will defend the county. But we have more than 25,000 people and Shanggui County cannot hold it. More importantly, Xun You gave him 8,000 troops. If Quan  If the army is destroyed, he can't explain to Cao Cao. The county town cannot be defended anyway, so it is better to preserve the strength, abandon the city and retreat eastward. "

    While they were discussing, there was a slight commotion outside the tent. Zhao Yun asked with some displeasure, "What happened?"

    "Reporting to the general, the rope of the military flag was broken, and our military flag was blown away by the wind."

    Zhang Ren was shocked. He said to Zhao Yun and Fa Zheng: "I believe in God's will. If there is an abnormality in the military flag, it usually implies that there will be a sneak attack at night. Zhang He will definitely make some movement tonight."

    Zhao Yun also pondered for a moment and said: "Although it sounds ridiculous, I wouldn't be surprised if Zhang He would come to steal the camp tonight. This is indeed his only way to recover the losses of Mumen Village."

    Speaking of this, Zhang Ren and Zhao Yun looked at Fazheng together, but Fazheng narrowed his eyes and smiled and said: "If there is really a secret camp, we might as well take advantage of it."

    In the night, an army of 3,000 people marched southward on a small road. This was a remote road far away from the official road. Generally, woodcutter or herb collectors would walk this mountain road, but today an army appeared.  A rather spectacular army.

    The leading general held a steel spear in his hand and a black-maned horse under his crotch. He looked majestic and majestic. He was none other than General Zhang He. During the defense of Longxi deployed by Xun You, Zhang He was responsible for Shanggui County and Mumen Village, commanding a total of 8,000 troops. Unexpectedly, Mumen Village  In the battle, all five thousand troops were wiped out. In the blink of an eye, he was left with only three thousand men guarding a small county in Shanggui.

    Zhang He knew better than anyone that Shanggui County and his 3,000 troops could not withstand Zhao Yun's attack of nearly 30,000 people. If Shanggui County fell again or his army was completely wiped out, he would not be able to explain it to the prime minister.  .

    After repeated thinking, Zhang He finally made up his mind. Rather than sit back and wait for death, he might as well give it a go and use his familiarity with the terrain to attack the Han Dynasty at night.The army camp was completely defeated by Zhao Yun's army.

    Zhang He was still very confident. He knew that there were several paths to avoid the Han army's patrols and spies. As long as he was not discovered by the patrols, he could kill the Han army by surprise. At this time, he was getting closer and closer to the Han army's camp.  , he looked up at the sky and saw that it was almost two o'clock.

    "The entire army is suspended!"

    Zhang He passed the military order and the army stopped. At this time, he called a few more scouts and whispered to them: "Go and explore the enemy camp and report to me immediately."

    "Follow the order!"

    Several scouts quickly rode away, and Zhang He issued another order, "The whole army should take a break for half an hour and prepare to fight!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Time gradually came to the third watch. Zhang He led three thousand troops quietly to the northwest corner of the Han army's old enemy. Through the trees, he could clearly see the Han army's camp. It couldn't even be called a camp. There was no fence and nearly a thousand soldiers.  The tents were densely packed together, surrounded by spears and spears. A team of sentries was patrolling on both sides of the gate, looking around with vigilance. On a tall sentry tower, a soldier was stretching his arms.  Waist, squat down and never get up again.

    Zhang He sneered in his heart, even if he was discovered, what could the Han army do? They had no time to defend themselves. Now was the time when the soldiers were sleeping soundly. When the time was right, Zhang He got on his horse, waved his flag and shouted: "You will be rewarded for your meritorious service."  Tonight, brothers, follow me and fight in!"

    "Kill!" Zhang He urged his war horse, waved his long spear, and charged towards the entrance of the Han army's camp.

    "Kill!" Three thousand Cao soldiers shouted in unison, rushing out of the woods like a surging black wave, following the general Zhang He, roaring towards the camp.

    The sentries in the military camp shouted and fled in all directions. Zhang He's horse galloped into the Han army's camp. He kicked down seven or eight tents in a row, but did not see a single soldier. Zhang He reined in his horse and was stunned.  At this time, Cao's soldiers rushed into the tent one after another, but like Zhang He, they did not see any enemy soldiers.

    "General, this is an empty camp!" someone reported urgently.

    Zhang He secretly shouted in his heart that it was bad, he had fallen into a trap. At this moment, the shouts of killing were heard all around, and the drums were beating like thunder. Zhang He was panicked, and led the soldiers to rush out of the camp. Suddenly, fire broke out on the left and right, and on the left was General Ling.  When Bao came to kill, the general on the right with a white horse and a silver spear, a tall figure and a dignified appearance, was none other than Zhao Yun, the commander of the Eastern Expedition Army.

    Zhao Yun rushed over on horseback, thrust his spear straight at Zhang He's throat, "Thief general, take your life!"

    Zhang He had a fierce battle with Zhao Yun in Dangyang, Nanjun. He knew that Zhao Yun was powerful and he was no match for him. He wanted to escape, but Zhao Yun's silver spear was already in front of him. Zhang He had no choice but to raise his arms to meet him. The two fought fiercely for ten years.  After the remaining rounds, Zhang He gradually became exhausted. He shouted loudly and stabbed Zhao Yun in the left rib with his sword. The moment Zhao Yun ducked, Zhang He clamped the horse between his legs and the horse rushed out.

    Unexpectedly, he heard Zhao Yun sneer, and the sound of wind behind his head shocked Zhang He to the point of heartbreak. This was a spear and hammer hitting the back of Zhang He's head, as fast as lightning. If this blow hit, Zhang He's brain would burst and die.  .

    But after all, Zhang He was a famous general in Hebei who had experienced hundreds of battles. He realized that this was not the sound of a spear stabbing, and he suddenly fell down on his horse. The back of his head avoided the fatal blow from the hammer, but the gun barrel struck Zhang He hard on the back.

    There was a muffled sound of "Pa!", armor plates flew, and Zhang He was beaten until a mouthful of blood spurted out. He hugged the horse's neck and fled in panic. Zhao Yun could not catch up. He reined in the horse, turned around and shouted orders to the three thousand Cao troops.  Said: "I am Zhao Yun of Changshan. Anyone who surrenders will be spared death. If he doesn't surrender, he will be killed!"

    Three thousand Cao soldiers witnessed Zhang He being beaten until he vomited blood and fled, and heard that this was the world-famous fierce general Zhao Yun. The soldiers were so frightened that they knelt down and surrendered. Fifteen thousand Han troops surrounded him from all sides.  Come and disarm all three thousand Cao troops.

    This battle was like catching a turtle in an urn. Except for the general Zhang He and his two followers, none of the 3,000 Cao soldiers escaped and all surrendered to the Han army.

    At the same moment when Zhang He led his army to sneak attack the Han army camp, Zhang Ren led 10,000 troops to Shanggui County. Looking at the dark county town a mile away, Zhang Ren waved his hand and ordered: "Stop advancing!"

    The 10,000-strong army stopped moving forward. Zhang Ren stared at the city for a moment, then turned around and a military commander said: "Go and ask the city to open the door!"

    The Marquis led two cavalrymen and galloped forward, shouting at the foot of the city: "The Han army has arrived. If we don't open the city gate, we will break it down and massacre the city!"

    There were only less than a hundred defenders left in the city. They saw the dark army outside and heard that the Han army was coming. They were so frightened that the defenders abandoned their helmets and armor and fled, hiding in civilian houses.

    At this time, the county magistrate Lu Yan was patrolling the county with more than a dozen government officials, and happened to encounter someone who had fled down the city.Soldier, he quickly stepped forward and asked: "What happened?"

    A soldier said tremblingly: "Inform the county magistrate that the Han army has arrived. It seems that there are more than ten thousand people. We are in the city and ordered us to open the city gate. All the brothers have fled."

    Lu Yan was shocked. Zhang He led his army to steal the camp. It is estimated that there is more misfortune than good. Now that the Han army is coming, what should we do?  He was panicked, but he quickly calmed down and said to himself: "I am the magistrate of a county. My personal reputation is small, but the life of the whole city is big."

    He immediately ordered the government officials to open the city gate. After a while, the government officials lowered the drawbridge and opened the city gate. Lu Yan urged his horse out of the city and shouted: "I am the magistrate of this county. I am willing to surrender the county city. I hope the Han army will calm down and treat them kindly."  "People!"

    Zhang Ren led 10,000 troops to the city gate. He looked at the county magistrate up and down. He saw that his clothes were half-worn and he was in his thirties. He looked quite smart and capable, so he asked: "Are you the magistrate of Shanggui County?"  ?¡±

    Lu Yan stepped forward and saluted, "General, I am the county magistrate Lu Yan. There are no troops in the county, only thousands of people. I am willing to welcome the Han army into the city. I hope the general will not harm the people."

    "The Han army has strict military discipline and never harms the people. Can you calm the people for me? In addition, I want to know how much food is in the city?"

    "Report to the general, about 30,000 dan."

    Zhang Ren was overjoyed. Thirty thousand shi of grain could sustain them for two months. He immediately turned around and ordered: "The troops marched into the city in formation. Do not disturb the people. Anyone who disobeys the order will be killed!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 666 The virtual city is waiting

    In the night, an army was marching rapidly eastward along the official road on the south bank of the Wei River. This army of about 20,000 people was exactly the Cao army that went to support Shanggui County. They set out from the Shangfang Valley and moved up day and night.  Gong County rushed there.

    The leader of this army is Xu Huang. He was silent all the way and looked worried. He knew the dangers faced by Shanggui County. The journey of the Han army to Shanggui County was much shorter than theirs, and now Zhang He's request for help  The soldiers haven't arrived yet, so it's very likely that something has happened in Shanggui County.

    "How far is it from Shanggui County?" Xu Huang turned around and asked.

    An officer quickly stepped forward to report: "General, this is Huilong Valley. After passing Huilong Valley, we have to turn south. It should be more than thirty miles away."

    Xu Huang nodded. He looked at the surrounding terrain. The terrain in this area was open and flat, but there were two large mountains in front. The mountains were steep and the valleys were densely forested. It was an easy place to be ambushed. Xu Huang knew that the Han army was good at using ambushes.  Then he ordered: "The army stops advancing and rests on the spot!"

    The soldiers stopped to rest one after another, and Xu Huang ordered his scouts to explore the road conditions. At this time, the deputy general Jin rode up and ran up. He got off his horse and said to Xu Huang: "Gongming, judging from the time, I'm afraid it's not going to be good for Shanggui.  "

    Xu Huang nodded and sighed, "I also know that there is danger in Shanggui, but we can't stop going just because there is danger. How can a general disobey the general's orders?"

    Yu Jin was silent for a moment and said: "Although it is important to save Shanggui, protecting yourself from being ambushed by the Han army. I think this is the most important thing for us to consider at the moment. What do you think Gongming?"

    Xu Huang knew that Yu Jin was deeply afraid of the Han army. He was defeated repeatedly by the Han army. He was even nicknamed "Yu Crow" among Cao's troops. Whoever he followed would be defeated. Xu Huang was a man.  Honest, he understood Yu Jin's mood, and smiled and said: "Wen Ze, don't worry too much, we just need to be careful. Even if we can't save Shanggui, we won't lose ourselves."

    Yu Jin sighed, "There is something I don't know whether I should say or not. If a military advisor thinks too carefully, problems will often arise."

    "Oh! How do you say this?" Xu Huang asked with a curious smile.

    "I just wanted to cover everything, but as a result, I divided my troops too much, and it was easy for Liu Jing to defeat them one by one. Liu Jing was on the offensive, and we were on the defensive. He took the initiative. If he didn't attack Shangfang Valley, he would instead attack Shangshang. He could still break through the blockade. Shangfang Valley  It is meaningless. It is better to concentrate the troops to defend Jicheng. As long as Jicheng is not lost, Liu Jing will not be able to capture Longxi. As for Jieting, Shanggui, etc., they seem important, but in fact they are meaningless. "

    "But has Wen Ze ever thought about it? Losing Shanggui will cut off our connection with Guanzhong. If Liu Jing sends an army to guard Shanggui, he will lead the main force to attack Guanzhong. Guanzhong will be in danger!"

    "Liu Jing doesn't know how to conquer Guanzhong. I know him better than anyone else. If he wants to capture Guanzhong, he will definitely attack Nanyang first and enter Guanzhong via Wuguan Road. This is his usual approach. It's a pity that the military advisor did not listen to my advice."

    At the end of the story, Yu Jin looked very frustrated. He couldn't help but sigh. Xu Huang patted his shoulder and comforted him with a smile: "As long as the facts prove that you are right in the end, I believe that the military advisor will give you justice.  "

    While the two were talking, a soldier rushed to report, "General Qi, General Zhang He is here!"

    Xu Huang and Yu Jin looked at each other. Both of them knew that Shanggui County was lost. They stood up and went to meet him. Soon, Zhang He was helped by the soldiers. He was hit on the back by Zhao Yun and was extremely injured.  It was heavy, he vomited blood all the way, and his face was extremely ugly. It was only because of his strong body that he could endure it.

    Xu Huang quickly supported him, "What's going on?"

    Zhang He had been holding on until now. When he saw Xu Huang, he felt relieved and fainted immediately. Everyone was in a mess. Xu Huang quickly ordered military doctors to treat him. At this time, the two soldiers who escaped with Zhang He were led away  Coming up, Xu Huang asked, "Tell me, what happened?"

    One of the soldiers cried and said: "Because there were too few troops to defend the city, and the opponent had 20,000 people, the general came up with a surprise force to attack the enemy camp at night. However, the enemy saw through it, broke into the empty camp, and was surrounded by the enemy.  , the general was injured by Zhao Yun and escaped desperately, and the rest of his brothers were dead."

    "What about Shanggui County?" Xu Huang asked anxiously.

    "There are only a hundred defenders in Shanggui. Can they be defended?"

    Xu Huang was speechless for a while, but Yu Jin next to him was secretly happy. Zhang He was also a famous general in Cao's army. He lost Mumenzhai first, and then Shanggui. The eight thousand army was wiped out. What's the difference between this and himself? Who dares to do it again?  Laugh at yourself.

    Although he was secretly happy in his heart, he could not show it on his face. Yu Jin pretended to be in a heavy mood and said: "Since Shanggui has been lost, our mission has also disappeared. As for whether to defeat Shanggui, let's ask the military advisor to decide! What do Gongming think?  "

    Xu Huang was silent and sighed for a long time.He said angrily: "What you said makes sense, but I still want to wait and see the situation in Shanggui. I need to give an explanation to the military advisor, and I can't just go back like this."

    That night, Cao Jun¡¯s scouts came with news. This news shocked both Xu Huang and Yu Jin. Shanggui County turned out to be an empty city without a single garrison, and the Han army was nowhere to be found.

    Although he knew that this might be a trick of the Han army to lure troops, Xu Huang decided to march to Shanggui County after repeated consideration. The reason was also very simple. He had 20,000 troops, and the Han army also had 20,000 troops. The strength of both sides was equal.  He could not give up Shanggui County just because the Han army had planned an empty city, as this would make him unable to explain to his superiors.

    At the third watch, Cao's army broke out of camp again and marched toward Shanggui County in a mighty manner. Xu Huang divided his troops into two groups. Since Ban led 5,000 troops to advance first, he led 15,000 main troops to follow closely. The two sides were only ten miles apart.  Even when Yu Jinqian's army was ambushed, he was able to rescue him in time.

    The main force of Cao's army passed through Huilong Valley, then turned south and marched along a rugged mountain road to Shanggui County, more than 20 miles away. Although the mountain road was rugged, the terrain was not high and it was a transitional hilly area. Yu Jin was extremely careful.  , sent hundreds of soldiers to clear the way ahead, for fear of being ambushed by the Han army.

    "Obviously, the Han army would not give up Shanggui County for no reason. They went north just to capture Shanggui County. How could they give up again?"  There is only one reason. The Han army wants to deal with their supporting army. Now they are in the light and the Han army is in the dark. Yu Jin feels extremely passive.

    However, to his surprise, no one encountered any ambush. At the fifth watch, his army successfully arrived in Shanggui County. At this time, spies came to report that there were still no Han troops in the county. Looking at the dark county town in the distance,  Yu Jin hesitated for a long time and finally issued an order: "Send the order for the whole army to enter the city!"

    Five thousand Cao Cao¡¯s troops rushed toward Shanggui County

    Xu Huang's main force was ten miles behind, and he did not encounter any enemy forces. The journey was very smooth, which made Xu Huang feel quite uneasy. If anything goes wrong, there must be monsters. The Han army cannot let them easily retake Shanggui County.  So what's the problem?

    Just when Xu Huang was puzzled, suddenly, there was a big fire behind the army, people shouted and horses neighed, and there was a chaos. Xu Huang's mind was 'buzzing!  ' There was a sound, that was his baggage rear army. He immediately understood that the Han army was going to attack his baggage rear army.

    "The army turns around!"

    Xu Huang shouted loudly: "Go and rescue the rear army immediately!"

    The advancing Cao army turned around and fought back. At this time, Cao Jun's rear army baggage was in chaos. Zhang Ren led an army of 10,000 to bypass the official road and fight back from another road, just in time to intercept and kill Cao Jun's rear.  Three thousand heavy troops were killed and wounded heavily, and they ran away crying, while thousands of carts were poured with kerosene and set alight by the Han soldiers. The fire soared into the sky and burned into one piece. The animals pulling the carts were terrified and were everywhere.  During the rush, many livestock fell down and were crushed by carts. The fire burned them and made them scream and hiss.

    The rear army was not far from the main force, less than a mile away. Within a moment, the main force of Cao's army came back, but the road was blocked by burning carts. Most of the soldiers could not get through, while the Han army was in chaos on the side road.  Arrows were fired, and the dense rain of arrows suppressed Cao Jun's soldiers.

    At this time, Xu Huang arrived with a big axe. He saw the fire in front of him was soaring into the sky, and all the grain and grass carts were set on fire. He was so anxious that he shouted: "Go up and put out the fire!"

    Thousands of Cao Jun's soldiers were forced to have no choice but to shout and rush towards the rear. However, they only took a dozen steps. Thousands of dense crossbow arrows roared towards them. Cao Jun's soldiers screamed. Even with shields, they could not stop the all-pervasive arrows.  Arrows were fired, and more than a hundred people running in front were hit by arrows and fell down. The soldiers behind were so frightened that they lay on the ground. No one dared to rush forward.

    "General, the enemy's arrows are too fierce and our brothers cannot kill them."

    Xu Huang¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred, and he shouted, ¡°Everyone, get out of the way!¡±

    The soldiers stumbled to both sides, making way for a path. Xu Huang brandished his axe, and charged forward on horseback. He struck and fired random arrows, and only rushed a few dozen steps. Suddenly, his horse neighed,  The front hooves were raised high, and several arrows shot through the horse's head.

    The war horse fell to the side of the road, Xu Huang was also thrown out, and his body was pinned down by the war horse. The soldiers behind him rushed forward with shields, dozens of people formed a shield wall, and the remaining soldiers carried Xu Huang back.

    The fire burned for half an hour, and dozens of feet on both sides of the mountain road were scorched. Nearly a thousand large and heavy vehicles were burned. All military supplies such as grain, grass, weapons, tents, etc. were burned. More than 2,000 livestock were also burned.  Most of them were burned to death, and the rest of the livestock ran away without a trace.

    At this time, the Han army that attacked them had already evacuated. At the scene of the fire, thousands of Cao soldiers were sorting out the supplies that had not been burned. The meat of the burned animals was also cut off to be used as army rations. Xu Huang looked at the tragic scene after the fire, and felt sad in his heart.  Angry and annoyed, he only thought that the Han army would ambush them in front.Unexpectedly, they were ambushing their rear army, and all the food, grass and military supplies they carried were burned. What should we do?

    At this moment, a soldier sent by Yu Jin rushed over to report: "To General Xu, Shanggui County is an empty city. All the county residents have been moved away and there is no one left."

    Xu Huang was stunned and hurriedly asked: "What about the food in the county official warehouse?"

    ¡°Nothing is left, not even a grain of rice.¡±

    Xu Huang was stunned. He pressed his forehead and finally understood the Han army's strategy. In a fire, the food for his 20,000 troops was actually cut off.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 667 Dilemma

    It finally dawned, and Xu Huang's army also entered Shanggui County. Although the food and grass supplies were burned, it would be more dangerous to stay outside the city, and they could only make a decision after assessing the situation.

    On the top of the city, Xu Huang sighed and said to Jin: "Wen Ze, I should follow your advice and not be seduced by the empty city in Shanggui County, and I won't be so passive."

    Although Yu Jin was quite proud in his heart, he did not dare to show it on his face. He comforted Xu Huang and said: "Gongming, there is no need to blame yourself. Although he lost his baggage and food, his military losses were not big, with only more than a thousand casualties. This is a blessing. What's more,  The important thing is that we have recaptured Shanggui County, which can be regarded as an explanation to the military advisor. The key is that we cannot be disturbed by the enemy, we should boost our morale and consider our next move. "

    Xu Huang nodded, "You are right. We cannot have low morale because of this, let alone be led by the Han army. If we can fight, I will never give in."

    Xu Huang has thought clearly that the best strategy now is to fight to the death with the Han army. The strength of the two sides is almost the same, but the Cao army has stronger individual combat capabilities. In the end, they may not fail. Even if they win miserably, it will be very worthwhile.

    At this time, the army's grain officer hurriedly stepped forward and reported: "General, the grain inventory has been completed."

    "How much food is left?" Xu Huang asked anxiously. Although the rear army's baggage was burned, Cao's soldiers also brought some rations with them, and Xu Huang placed great hopes on this.

    "Reporting back to the general, each soldier has an average of three liters of grain and two kilograms of meat, and there is no other grain or grass for the rest."

    Xu Huang was stunned for a moment. This food could only last for two days at most. He stood there for a long time. He waved his hand and asked the grain officer to leave. At this time, Yu Jin said: "I guess the Han army will not go anywhere else. They must be stationed in the mountain road to the south."  , there is still a county of civilians, why don't we concentrate our troops and go south to fight the Han army, maybe there is a glimmer of hope. "

    Xu Huang stared outside the city for a long time. He shook his head and said, "Wen Ze, although I regret not listening to your persuasion before, I still don't agree with your idea this time. The Han army is at the top and we are at the bottom.  , how can the Han army be without defense? If they refuse to fight, we will run out of food and collapse in at most two days. That is when our entire army will be annihilated, so I decided to withdraw eastward. In two days, we should be able to reach Guangwei County  , Of course, if the Han army wants to pursue us, I am not afraid to fight them. "

    Yu Jin wanted to persuade again, but Xu Huang stopped him with a wave of his hand, "Wen Ze, there is no need to persuade anymore. As you just said, preserving our troops is our first priority. Although I also want to preserve Shanggui County, I don't have the ability."  , if I hold on forcefully, I will lose both the army and the city. It is better to protect it. I believe the prime minister will agree with my decision. "

    Yu Jin had no choice but to smile bitterly and said: "Since Gongming has made a decision, I am the deputy general, so I will naturally give my full support."

    "Well, order the brothers to assemble immediately and set off northward in a quarter of an hour."

    "I suggest burning Shanggui County to ashes!" Yu Jin suggested again.

    Xu Huang shook his head, "The city in Shanggui County is small and cannot stop the army's attack. There is no point in burning it. What will be lost is the people's residences. We can't protect the people, so why destroy their homes? Don't worry about it. Just withdraw the troops!"

    Yu Jin had no choice but to rush to gather his soldiers. A quarter of an hour later, nearly 20,000 Cao's troops left Shanggui County and drove toward the northeast in a mighty manner.

    Not long after Cao's army withdrew, Zhao Yun led the main force of the Han army back to Shanggui County. Zhao Yun was a cautious person and would not rush into a decisive battle with Cao's army. Moreover, he had been in the north for a long time and knew that Cao's army was stronger in combat.  With equal strength, the Han army may not necessarily be Cao's opponent, not to mention that the main generals of Cao's army are Xu Huang and Yu Jin, both of whom are capable of conquering and fighting.

    If he attacks recklessly and fights the enemy, once defeated, he will have to retreat to the wooden gate. However, this will seriously affect Zhou Mu's strategic layout, so Zhao Yun's strategy is to force Cao's army away and cut off their food.  is the best way.

    The Han army entered the city, and the soldiers separated and stationed tents in the open space. At this time, Fazheng found Zhao Yun and said with a smile: "General, are you looking for me?"

    Zhao Yun nodded, "Military advisor, please follow me!"

    Zhao Yun took Fazheng to the city and walked around. Zhao Yun pointed to the city wall and said: "The county is too small to station 20,000 troops, and the city wall is thin and low, which is extremely inconvenient for defense. I plan to build the city and make the city wider and taller."  , what do you think, military advisor?"

    Fazheng smiled and said: "Building the city will take time, at least three months to half a year. I'm afraid there won't be enough time. Once Cao Cao arrives in Longxi, he will definitely gather a large army to attack the city. So I suggest not to build the city, but to build the city along the outer edge of the city."  Build a circle of planks around the city wall, like building two defensive lines like Mumen Village. Once Cao's army captures the outer wall, the soldiers can return to the inner city to continue resisting. "

    Zhao Yun thought for a moment and then said: "The military advisor is right. Build another wall around the perimeter. We have 20,000 troops.", is enough for defense, but I still want to build the city wall high. There are a lot of rocks around, which can be directly quarried. It is simpler and can be completed in more than a month. Moreover, even if Cao Jun attacks in large numbers, the impact will not be big.  "

    Fa Zheng saw that Zhao Yun wanted to build a city, so he no longer objected and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter if it is simpler. In fact, I don't think there is any need to be trapped in Shanggui County. Just like this time, when Cao Jun attacked, we retreated and waited for Cao Jun to leave.  If we occupy it again, as long as there is no food in the city and Cao Jun's food route can be cut off in time, Cao Jun will not be able to station a large army in Shanggui County. We can take it back at any time, but the general must build the city. I have no objection, but I hope  General, don¡¯t be trapped by the walls.¡±

    It suddenly dawned on Zhao Yun that he bowed and saluted: "Thanks to the military advisor's reminder, Zhao Yun almost trapped himself in the city."

    Fazheng smiled again and said: "I would also like to remind the general that Zhou Mu's order is not only to occupy Shanggui County. We must coordinate the attack in Shangguang Valley. Xu Huang will withdraw his troops to Linwei County now. This is our opportunity. If  When Xu Huang replenishes his supplies and comes back, the opportunity will be gone. "

    Zhao Yun nodded, "The military advisor is right to remind you. I will hand over Shanggui County to General Zhang. I will lead the army to the west tonight."

    Zhao Yun then handed over Shanggui County to Zhang Ren. He led 10,000 troops to leave Shanggui County and march northwest.

    Zhang Ren took over the defense of Shanggui County. He immediately ordered the troops to be stationed in the city. Only 3,000 troops were stationed in the city. There was not much food in the city. The remaining 17,000 people set up camp at a dangerous place on the mountain road several miles away to protect Shanggui Road and provide food and grass.  Stationed in the military camp, in this way, even if Shanggui County is temporarily abandoned, it will not change the overall situation of the Han army entering the Weishui Valley

    Just as Zhao Yun was using tactics to force back Xu Huang's reinforcements, the situation in Shangfang Valley also changed due to the arrival of Ma Jun. Ma Jun brought a new type of trebuchet to the Han army. Although this type of trebuchet was not very powerful,  It was not enough to destroy the camp wall, but its long range still gave the Han army an opportunity to defeat Cao's army.

    In the camp of Cao Jun, there are more than thirty giant trebuchets. This is the thunderbolt chariot used by Cao Jun when he defeated Yuan Shao. It is three feet high and can be pulled up by a hundred soldiers. It can throw a giant stone of 100 kilograms as far as 400 steps away.  More than thirty giant trebuchets completely blocked the entrance of the valley.

    If the Han army were to forcefully attack Cao's camp, they would suffer heavy losses from the heavy trebuchets. This was a loss Liu Jing was unwilling to bear. If a small group of soldiers were used to attack, Cao's thousands of crossbowmen would  Annihilate them all at close range.

    It was precisely because he was worried about Cao Jun's sharp defensive weapons that Liu Jing was reluctant to launch an attack. However, the small trebuchet brought by Ma Jun had a range of up to 500 steps, which was longer than the 400-step range of Cao Jun's trebuchets. It could avoid Cao Jun's defensive weapons.  of heavy blows.

    That night, when night fell, 30,000 Han troops entered the Shangfang Valley and slowly advanced. This was actually to cover the trebuchet attack. In front of the team were a thousand control soldiers led by Wang Ping. They pushed  Two hundred trebuchets moved forward, followed by three thousand crossbow troops. This was the first round of impact after Cao's army broke out of the stronghold.

    Behind the crossbow corps are five thousand heavy armored infantry, which is the Han army's weapon against cavalry. Behind the heavy armored corps are 20,000 spear infantry. They are the main force attacking the enemy's camp.

    About five hundred steps away from Cao Jun's camp, the Han army stopped advancing. The valley here was about one mile wide, which was the best position for the attack. Following Wang Ping's order, a thousand soldiers began to assemble quickly, and two hundred soldiers  New trebuchets gradually appeared in the spacious valley.

    Just when the Han army entered the upper valley, Cao Jun immediately received the news. Xun You and Xiahou Dun appeared on the wall of the village together. At this time, Xun You was more concerned about the situation in Shanggui County. Judging from the time, Xu Huang's army should have arrived.  After arriving in Shanggui County, according to the agreement, Xu Huang should send him a pigeon letter immediately, but there is no news yet, which makes Xun You extremely worried. Could something happen in Shanggui County?

    In fact, when Xun You learned about the fall of Mumen Village, he knew that Shanggui County could not be saved. There were only 3,000 defenders in Shanggui County, and the city was low and narrow, which could not stop the attack of 20,000 Han troops.  The strategic position is important. Once it is lost, it will tear a hole in his carefully built defense network.

    This made Xun You very worried. He could only hope that Xu Huang could arrive in time and recapture Shanggui County. There is no news about Shanggui County yet, but the Han army has begun to attack Shangfang Valley. Is there any connection between the two?

    Xun You was preoccupied, but Xiahou Dun did not think that far. He focused all his attention on the Han army in front. After observing for a long time, he turned back to Xun You and said: "The spy said that the enemy army only has 30,000 people to attack. It is night again, military advisor."  Do you think Liu Jing has a trick? "

    ??? If he is not sure, he will not attack at night. He must be relying on something, and we must not be careless.  "

    "Is it a cart driven by the Han army?"

    Xiahou Dun suddenly remembered the scout's report. At the front of the Han army was a thousand small carts. He didn't know what they were. He suddenly became nervous, "Military advisor, could it be that the Han army invented some new weapon?"

    Not only Xiahou Dun, but also almost all of Cao's army were very worried about the endless new weapons of the Han army. Many generals asked to learn from the Han army and also set up craftsmanship to develop new weapons. The creation of craftsmanship in Jiangdong failed, but Cao Cao this year  At the beginning of the year, a craftsmanship school was opened in Wuchang.

    Thinking of this, Xiahou Dun didn't care about any new weapons. He gritted his teeth and said fiercely: "No matter what they have to rely on, everything will be turned into powder in front of our Thunderbolt Chariot."

    Xiahou Dun shouted, "Get ready for the boulder!"

    Thirty giant trebuchets creaked open, and Cao's soldiers put boulders weighing more than a hundred kilograms into iron pockets. At this time, Xiahou Dun's eyes turned to the observation tower next to Dazhai. The four-foot-tall observation tower was like  When the fire lit up, it meant that the enemy was within range, and Xiahou Dun was waiting for this moment.

    At this moment, torches were lit on the observation tower.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 668 Shangfang Valley (Part 1)

    Liu Jing immediately followed the crossbowmen and stared at the Cao army's camp at the entrance of the valley above from a distance. Although the moonlight was dim, he could still faintly see dozens of trebuchets standing in the camp, like a row of ferocious monsters.

    Today will be the first battle of the main force of the Han army's northern attack. This battle is crucial to him. It is related to the morale of tens of thousands of soldiers and the follow-up strategic plan. He must seize Shangfang Valley before Cao Cao reaches Jicheng and gain a geographical advantage.  Advantage, so that even if it is difficult for him to capture Jicheng for a while, he can continue to gain a foothold in the Weishui Valley.

    Without Ma Jun's new trebuchet, he could only use forceful attacks to seize Shangfang Valley at all costs. But now with the new trebuchet, his losses will be reduced by at least half. At this moment, he is full of expectations for the new trebuchet.  .

    At this time, Wang Ping ran up, clasped his fists and saluted: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, the trebuchets are all equipped, confirmed to be correct, and can be fired at any time!"

    Liu Jing looked at the dark Cao Jun camp in the distance, nodded, and gave the order, "You can launch!"

    Two hundred small trebuchets creaked and opened, all the throwing rods were stretched into a bow shape, and the trebuchets in clay pots were placed in the hurling pockets. At this moment, the trebuchets in Cao's army started with a bang.  More than thirty boulders rose into the air, forming a row of black dots and whizzing towards the Han army's position.

    The boulder crashed to the ground with a terrifying momentum, stirring up a cloud of dust and filling the air with yellow dust. Although the boulder only hit four hundred steps away, it rolled dozens of steps away and was only less than fifty steps away from the Han army. The overwhelming dust hit our faces.  Come.

    "Launch!"

    Wang Ping shouted an order, and the soldiers used torches to ignite the oil glue. The outside of the clay pot was also coated with oil glue, and the entire pot immediately started to burn.

    Two hundred balls of blue flames burned blazingly, and they were suddenly launched. Dots of flames were seen in the air, flying towards Cao Jun's camp. The advantages of oil glue were immediately revealed. It would not go out in the air, nor would it easily escape from the thin neck.  Spilled out of the clay pot, they rolled in the air and rushed towards Cao Jun's stronghold.

    "Han army fire attack!"

    The soldiers of Cao's army shouted one after another, and Xun You also saw the fire spots all over the sky. He was suddenly shocked. The Han army could actually project the cupping pot from more than 400 steps away. But before he could think about it, the cupping pot had already reached his head. Dozens of Cao's soldiers were  The guards rushed forward and raised their shields to resist, protecting Xun You and Xiahou Dun.

    There was a crackling sound, and the clay pots fell to the ground one after another. This kind of clay pot was specially made for fire attack. The wall of the pottery was as thin as paper and would break with a light knock. But this time, what was spilled was not kerosene, but fire oil.  It is a ball of oily slurry, together with the burning fragments of the clay pot, splashing everywhere. A fire pot will splash dozens or even hundreds of fireballs.

    They hit the wall, trebuchets, observation towers and groups of soldiers, and the Cao army's camp suddenly burst into flames from all sides.

    Xiahou Dun was so anxious that he shouted: "Quickly put out the fire!"

    Cao Jun has been using kerosene for many years. They also have rich experience in extinguishing fires. They know that water cannot be used to extinguish fire oil, but sand must be used to extinguish fires. A large amount of fire-extinguishing sand is specially prepared in each Cao Jun camp.  Countless soldiers dumped baskets of mud and sand onto the burning oil glue spots and stamped on them to extinguish the fire.

    But this only extinguished the fire that fell to the ground, but the oil glue that hit the catapult and the outer wall of the camp could not be extinguished. At this time, the second batch of fire pots roared in again, the pots shattered, and countless fires  Dots splashed, and the fire took advantage of the wind. Several giant trebuchets were engulfed in the fire. The camp was also ignited with raging fires. Thick smoke filled the air. Many Cao Jun soldiers were also stained by the burning oil glue. They screamed in fear and fled.  Run away, or roll on the ground.

    "Military advisor, it's dangerous here, retreat quickly!" Xiahou Dun shouted anxiously.

    Xun You seemed to turn a deaf ear. He squatted down, used a dagger to open up the soil, and dug out a ball of oil glue from underneath. He stared at it for a moment, and then sniffed. His eyes became extremely serious. The Han army not only had long-distance stone throwing  Weapons, and kerosene are also different from before. This kerosene is like gel, and when it splashes, it will burn in lumps.

    Xun You turned back to Xiahou Dun and said: "Switch fireballs to attack the opponent!"

    In the fire, Cao Jun no longer used boulders, but instead used huge fireballs, which were wrapped in oil-soaked fire cloth. Cao Jun soldiers lit the fireballs, and thirty giant trebuchets launched them at the same time.  A huge fireball rose into the sky and hit the valley hundreds of steps away.

    The effect of the fireballs was completely different from that of boulders. After landing on the ground, the huge fireballs bounced high again, flew more than a hundred steps, and hit the densely packed Han army. The Han soldiers shouted and fell to the ground one after another.  Despite this, the huge fireball knocked over more than twenty trebuchets, injured nearly a hundred soldiers, and caused small riots in the Han army.

    Liu Jing was unmoved. He looked expressionlessly at the wall of Cao Jun's village that had begun to burn in the distance.Several giant trebuchets coldly ordered: "Continue the attack!"

    Thousands of heavy shield troops, led by General Lei Tong, rushed to the trebuchet. They used heavy shields to form a shield wall to protect the trebuchet. More than a hundred Ma Jun disciples also ran up to repair the overturned trebuchet.  At the same time, another round of Cao Jun's attack began. Huge fireballs roared in, hit the shield wall, passed the trebuchet position, and bounced towards the crossbow army further away. Every giant fireball flying towards them would hit the enemy.  It caused a commotion among the Han army.

    The Han army's cupping jars were also intensively fired into Cao Jun's camp. The fire splashed everywhere, causing Cao Jun's soldiers to focus on one thing and another. As the observation tower collapsed in the burning fire, more and more facilities and weapons in the camp were ignited.  More than half of the giant trebuchet was engulfed in the fire, and a section of the village wall more than ten feet long was scorched, lost its support and collapsed.

    A hundred steps away, the tents in Cao Jun's stronghold were all cleaned up. Xun You stared at the giant trebuchets being ignited and scorched and fell. He knew that once the defense of Cao Jun's stronghold was destroyed, the Han army would  The time of massive attack.

    He sighed lowly, turned around and said to Xiahou Dun: "General Xiahou, prepare to gather your troops and fight the Han army in a bloody battle! They will attack soon."

    Xiahou Dun nodded, "Commander, please go to the rear village! I will take command here. Even if Liu Jing comes in, I will make him pay a heavy price."

    He turned around and shouted: "Send the general to the rear camp quickly!"

    Xun You and a dozen civil servants were sent to the rear stronghold, and 20,000 Cao troops began to assemble. In front were 3,000 crossbowmen, arranged in three rows. At this time, the stronghold wall was completely engulfed in fire. There was no way to defend on the stronghold wall, so they could only wait.  The wall collapsed, and after the Han army rushed into the camp, they used a powerful arrow formation to stop the enemy.

    As the last giant trebuchet fell, the most powerful Stonehenge of Cao's army also disappeared. Liu Jing finally showed a smile on his face and ordered: "The cavalry breaks the stronghold, the heavy armored infantry is ready, beat the drums and attack!"

    The rumbling war drums suddenly sounded in the valley. The drums shook the heaven and the earth. The Han army's formation quickly changed from defensive to offensive. Two cavalrymen came out from the left and right, each with more than a thousand men. The war horses galloped toward the enemy.  Dazhai rushed, and the three thousand heavy armored infantry led by Liu Hu also moved to the front. They quickly lined up, with a hundred people in a row, a total of thirty rows. Following the cavalry, they marched step by step to the sound of attacking drums.  Walk to Cao Jun's camp five hundred steps away.

    Behind them are 20,000 spear troops. Their spears are like a forest, and their murderous intent is skyrocketing. The army marches neatly, like waves, and follows the rhythm. Under the leadership of General Ma Chao, it slowly advances forward.

    The Han cavalry used long ropes to pull down pieces of Cao Jun's camp walls. As the hundreds of feet of camp walls collapsed to the ground, the broad hinterland of the camp was revealed. From a distance, two hundred densely packed Cao Jun soldiers could be seen in the distance. They were also waiting in full formation.  A fierce and fierce battle is about to begin.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As the wall collapsed, what Cao Jun encountered was not the attack of cavalry, but the appearance of Han heavy armored infantry. The two sides had been fighting for many years and had known each other for a long time. Xiahou Dun knew how powerful the heavy armored infantry was. This was what Liu Jing used.  It took nearly ten years to build a powerful army. I don't know how much money was spent on food, and a sword was worth more than the property of a farmer's family.

    Although the appearance of the heavy armored infantry was expected by Xiahou Dun, when they actually appeared, Xiahou Dun was still very nervous. At this time, deputy general Zang Ba stepped forward and whispered: "General, the heavy armored infantry has thick armor and is not afraid of bows and arrows."  , I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be effective to suppress the formation with crossbows.¡±

    Xiahou Dun didn't know that the only way to deal with heavy armored infantry was with bed crossbows. Unfortunately, the bed crossbows were installed on the wall of the village and were destroyed by the fire. He was at a loss for what to do. Zang Ba said again: "It's better to just use spears to fight with the enemy."  The enemy fought fiercely to avoid unnecessary losses to the crossbowmen."

    Zang Ba¡¯s suggestion was that there was no other way. Xiahou Dun pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Just shoot two rounds of crossbow arrows and then retreat!¡±

    People always have a sense of luck, and Xiahou Dun is no exception. Perhaps the dense and powerful crossbow arrows can really bring a certain amount of damage to the heavy armored infantry. He ordered: "Prepare the crossbow arrows!"

    Three thousand military crossbows were raised on the ground, and the cold arrow points were aimed at the enemy's heavy armored infantry, which was getting closer and closer. The heavy armored infantry were lined up in a row of a hundred, walking side by side, holding a horse-killing blade in one hand and a shield in the other.  He moved forward step by step with heavy and slow steps.

    In the earliest days, heavy armored infantry did not use shields. Their heavy armor was enough to withstand ordinary bows and crossbows. However, after long-term battles, the Han army also discovered that heavy armored infantry were not invulnerable. In some cases, their weapons  The armor still couldn't withstand the crossbow arrows.

    First, within thirty steps, densely packed and powerful crossbow arrows can penetrate heavy armor. Secondly, the head is one piece of armor, but there are sight holes and breathing holes. If the arrows are too dense, it is still easy to be shot in the head.  holes and breathing holes, the Han army had such a lesson.

    So finally the heavy armored infantry also started toThe shield is made of oil-soaked double-layered cowhide covered on a date board. It is very light and it is effortless to lift it. Although the shield cannot block the powerful crossbow arrows, it is an excellent weapon.  buffer.

    The heavy armored infantry was getting closer and closer, and the sharp swords gleaming under the firelight, full of murderous intent. Unfortunately, Xiahou Dun did not know the secret of being able to penetrate heavy armor within thirty steps. The heavy armored infantry was still fifty years away from the crossbow array.  At this time, this is the most effective shooting distance in general battles, and Xiahou Dun gave the order to shoot.

    Three thousand crossbow arrows were fired at the same time, and the dense crossbow arrows roared like a storm. The powerful breath of death was suffocating. Liu Hu shouted loudly, and the hundreds of heavy armored infantry in the front row raised their shields at the same time, squatting down and steadying themselves.  Standing in the lower plate, there was only a harsh sound of blows. The powerful crossbow arrows smashed the shields in their hands to pieces, but did not hurt anyone.

    "Kill!" Liu Hu yelled, brandishing his knife.

    Three thousand heavy armored infantry shouted in unison, "Kill!" They jumped up and started running, holding sharp sabers in both hands and rushing towards Cao's crossbow array.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 669 Shangfang Valley (Part 2)

    Although the heavy armored infantry were heavy and slow, they were unstoppable once they started running. They rushed twenty steps away in the blink of an eye. At this time, it was too late for Cao Jun's crossbowmen to re-arm their bows, and they all retreated. Xiahou Dun shouted and speared  The army went up to kill him.

    Thirty thousand spearmen raised their spears in Huo Di, lined up and faced the heavy armored infantry that was coming like a violent wind, 'Boom!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and the two armies collided fiercely. Immediately, blood mist filled the air, limbs flew everywhere, and wails and screams resounded through the camp. With just one blow, more than a hundred Cao soldiers were killed.

    The heavy armored infantry, like a heavy and sharp mace, penetrated three levels of Cao Jun's formation and killed hundreds of people. The unstoppable momentum was finally blocked by Cao Jun's spear. At this time, the first  The platoon of heavily armored soldiers retreated, and the second platoon rushed out. The two sides met in close combat and fought fiercely.

    However, Cao Jun's camp was very wide, and the heavy armored infantry only occupied a small part of it. Just when Cao Jun was about to encircle and attack the heavy armored infantry from the side, Ma Chao led 20,000 spear troops to kill them, just in time to cut off the troops coming from the side.  Cao Jun, the two sides started a fierce battle on the other side.

    It was the fourth watch, and the moon was dim. This was the time Liu Jing specially chose. The Han army had taken turns to conduct night battle training in the Wudu County camp for nearly two years. They were already accustomed to night battles, and the armors of both armies were  The difference is that the Han army has white cloth tied on its left arm, which can also be distinguished at night.

    This was originally a close and fierce battle, and Cao's army even had a slight advantage. However, the three thousand heavy armored infantry were undoubtedly the game-breakers. They held back nearly 15,000 Cao's troops with one strike five, which was like two spears.  In the fierce battle between the two armies, there was an imbalance in the number of troops. The Han army had an advantage of 5,000 men.

    Xiahou Dun was shouting and commanding the battle with all his strength. At this time, his soldiers suddenly shouted: "General, danger!"

    Xiahou Dun turned his head and saw a silver-helmeted general coming towards him from a diagonal stab. This man was extremely majestic, with a white horse and a silver spear, and was majestic. He was Jin Machao, who was known as the third most powerful general in the world. Xiahou Dun only had one glance.  He didn't recognize Ma Chao until he came closer, and was shocked. However, Ma Chao didn't give him a chance to escape, and shouted, "Thieves Xiahou, take your life!"

    He spurred his horse to rush towards him, raised his spear and stabbed. The sharp spear tip was in front of him in an instant. Xiahou Dun saw that he could not escape, so he had no choice but to block with his spear. The big iron spear stabbed Ma Chao with his backhand, and the two horses circled.  , fighting fiercely on the battlefield for more than ten rounds, Xiahou Dun gradually couldn't hold on anymore, but he couldn't avoid the super-fast storm-like attacks on his horse. Seeing that he was about to be unable to withstand it, Xiahou Dun cried out in his heart and secretly thought:  'Am I going to die in Longxi like Miaocai?  ¡¯

    At this time, Zang Ba saw that the situation was not good and urged his horse to gallop forward. In front of him, Xiahou Dun was about to be stabbed by Ma Chao's spear. In desperation, Zang Ba grabbed a spear and threw it at Ma Chao. Ma Chao was about to  When Xiahou Dun was stabbed under his horse with a spear, the spear flew out from the diagonal stab. In the blink of an eye, it came in front of him. He could not ignore it. Ma Chao had no choice but to swing the spear away.

    But Xiahou Dun seized this momentary opportunity, galloped his horse, and broke out of the battle circle controlled by Ma Chao. Ma Chao was furious, "Xiahou thief, stop leaving!"

    He urged his horse to pursue him. The horse was so fast that the spear was less than a foot away from Xiahou Dun's heart. Seeing the critical situation, Xiahou Dun's soldiers swarmed forward and attacked Ma Chao with dozens of weapons, blocking Ma Chao's path. Ma Chao was furious  Angry, he brandished his spear like pear blossoms, stabbing left and right. In just a moment, dozens of Xiahou Dun's soldiers were stabbed to the ground by him.

    But Xiahou Dun escaped. He ran non-stop and rushed towards the rear army. He was gradually overwhelmed by the army. Ma Chao couldn't find Xiahou Dun on either side. He was really annoyed. With a loud shout, he rushed into the densest place of Cao's army, like a fierce tiger.  The sheep were invincible and unstoppable. Even Zang Ba didn't dare to take advantage of them and kept away from them fearfully.

    At this time, a tooth general rushed forward and shouted to Zang Ba: "General, the enemy's heavy armored infantry is too sharp, and the forwards have suffered heavy casualties. They can no longer withstand it!"

    Zang Ba was shocked and galloped forward. He saw that Cao Jun's army to the west of the camp was showing signs of collapse. The three thousand heavy armored infantry seemed to be going crazy. Blood flowed on the ground like a river, and the broken corpses piled up like mountains. Cao Jun's forward  Thousands of spearmen were killed and retreated steadily, crying and shouting, and some soldiers had already escaped from the battle.

    Zang Ba was so anxious that when he turned around, he saw that the two thousand right wing of the spear formation was slightly in the air and was not attacked by the enemy. In desperation, Zang Ba ordered: "Kill the forwards of the right wing army and let me take the lead."

    A general nearby said urgently: "General, the right wing cannot be left vacant, it is too dangerous."

    Zang Ba yelled: "The front army is about to collapse. You still care so much. Report to the general immediately and ask him to mobilize the reserve army to supplement the right wing."

    "But where is the general?"

    Zang Ba pointed to the back, "He retreated just now, go to the back to find him, go quickly!"

    ThisGeneral Zang Ya turned the horse's head and ran towards the rear. Zang Ba shouted to the right wing who was running up: "Follow me and resist the forward!"

    The two thousand spear troops followed Zang Ba and rushed to the front with shouts. They withstood the sharp heavy armored infantry and stabilized the forward position that was about to collapse. However, due to the temporary transfer of the two thousand spear troops who originally guarded the right side,  Forward, this turned the two wings of Cao Jun's spear formation into a single wing.

    The Han army was personally commanded by Liu Jing, but he did not directly participate in the battle. Under the strict protection of more than a thousand guards, he immediately stood on a high ground and coldly observed the progress of the battlefield. At this time, he discovered that Cao Jun's spear to the west was  A defensive hole appeared on the right side of the military formation.

    According to normal operations, Xiahou Dun, as the coach, should have transferred the reserve rear army to fill the right wing in time. However, Xiahou Dun was defeated by Ma Chao and left the command center. He was not informed in time that the right wing had been transferred, so he could not make up for it in time.  loopholes.

    The right wing of Cao Jun's western formation briefly disappeared, leaving the right side of Cao Jun's main force without defense. However, this fatal flaw was discovered by Liu Jing. Fighters often pass by in an instant. It depends on whether the commander can seize it decisively. This is the decision.  The key to the entire battle.

    Liu Jing immediately ordered Ma Dai: "The cavalry should attack Cao Jun's right wing to the west quickly!"

    "Follow the order!"

    Ma Dai clasped his fists to receive the order, turned around and shouted to the two thousand cavalry: "Brothers, follow me!"

    He galloped on his horse, taking the lead, followed closely by two thousand cavalry, and rushed into Cao's camp, directly killing the right side of Cao's main force in the west. Without the right wing defense, two thousand Han cavalry rushed into Cao's formation.  The formation of Cao's army suddenly became chaotic. Soon, the cavalry, like sharp swords, cut the main force of Cao's army into two.

    At this time, Liu Jing ordered again, "Order the Sword and Shield Army to attack from the left and right to surround the enemy forward in the west."

    Lei Tong immediately led an army of three thousand swords and shields to attack the military camp. He divided his troops into two groups and attacked the left and right sides of Cao Jun in the west, forming a siege on Cao Jun's forward.

    There were about 5,000 Cao Jun's forwards, and they were fighting fiercely with the heavy armored infantry. At this time, they were cut off by the Han cavalry, and the Han Army's sword and shield troops came from the left and right, forming a situation to surround Cao Jun's forwards. Zang  Ba immediately realized that something was wrong. If they didn't break out, they would be surrounded and annihilated.

    He immediately shouted: "Breakout to the right!"

    The five thousand spear troops stopped their fierce battle with the heavy armored infantry and followed Zang Ba to break through to the right. At this time, Liu Jing saw the enemy's attempt to break out, and sneered and ordered: "Let the enemy break out, and the cavalry will follow."  Cover up from behind!"

    The two thousand sword and shield troops surrounding the right side withdrew, leaving a gap, and the frightened 5,000 Cao Jun forwards swarmed out. At this time, the Cao Jun soldiers had been killed by the heavy armored infantry and were terrified. Once there was a chance to escape,  The situation was so strong that no one was willing to fight back with the whole army. They fled northward desperately, throwing away their armor and armor, as if the mountain collapsed and the sea collapsed. Zang Ba was shocked and shouted loudly, "Stop, don't run away, stop!"  "

    He killed more than a dozen deserters, but could not stop thousands of people from escaping. At this time, two thousand Han cavalry came from behind to cover up and kill Cao Cao's army, accelerating the collapse of Cao's army. The collapse of the five thousand army was like dominoes.  Cao's troops fighting on all fronts were unwilling to fight and fled for their lives with the defeated army. The Han army pursued and killed them, and countless people surrendered.

    At this time, Xiahou Dun led two thousand reserve troops to replenish the temporarily disappeared right wing. However, he arrived too late, and Cao's army was completely defeated. Seeing that the situation was not good, Xiahou Dun also turned his horse and ran towards the rear camp.

    Cao Jun had a total of three camps in the Shangfang Valley, which were distributed in the shape of a pin. The latter two military camps were almost close to each other, but they were several miles away from the front camp.

    The front camp was captured by the Han army. When Xiahou Dun fled to the rear camp with more than 10,000 defeated soldiers, Xun You led 20,000 Cao troops on the road waiting to rescue them. Xun You did not rush to rescue Xiahou Dun, of course because the military camp could not  There were too many troops to fight, but more importantly, Xun You knew that the front camp could no longer hold. Rather than causing more troops to collapse, it was better to treat it seriously and stabilize the rear camp.

    The arrival of the army finally calmed down the panicked Cao army. Xiahou Dun also breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped forward and said to Xun You in shame: "I am incompetent. I could not withstand the enemy's attack, so I was defeated."

    "General, there is no need to blame yourself. Liu Jing has been preparing for this battle for a long time. In addition, he has a new trebuchet, which makes our defense ineffective, which leads to this defeat. It is not the fault of the general!"

    Although he said this, Xiahou Dun still felt uneasy, and he asked cautiously: "I wonder if we can hold the rear camp?"

    Xun You didn¡¯t speak for a long time, and finally sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s do our best!¡±

    This statement made Xiahou Dun feel cold. Even Xun You was not sure. It seemed that the situation was indeed not good. At this time, Xun You ordered his surroundings, "Please ask General Xiahou to go to the big tent to rest!"

    Xiahou Dun is full of heartAfter the ground was gone, Cao Jun's soldiers quickly retreated to the rear camp. Xun You looked at the distant military camp with his hands behind his hands, his eyes becoming more and more serious.

    He turned his head and looked east again. What he was most worried about was the situation in Shanggui County.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 670 The Second Front

    The Han army occupied the front camp, and 20,000 spearmen lined up on the road leading to the rear camp, preparing for the possible counterattack by Cao's army. Tens of thousands of troops began to quickly move in, and thousands of soldiers were busy building camps to consolidate the attack.  Occupation of the Forward Battalion.

    For the Han army, the top priority now is not to continue attacking the rear camp, but to completely occupy the extremely important strategic position of the front camp.

    Liu Jing stood on the observation tower at the back gate of the camp, looking at Cao Jun's rear camp several miles away. At this time, the sky was already bright, and he could clearly see that Cao's army was slowly withdrawing to the rear camp. He could see the rear camp.  The dark village wall and the densely packed Cao army soldiers on the wall.

    "Zhou Mu, when will we attack the rear camp?" Ma Dai asked quietly next to him. He was gearing up and couldn't wait.

    "You may be disappointed."

    Liu Jing smiled slightly, looked back at him and asked: "Why attack? Wouldn't it be more meaningful to defeat the enemy without fighting?"

    "But"

    Ma Dai always felt that something was wrong. The strategic location of Shangfang Valley was so important. How could Cao Jun give up so easily?  He was puzzled, Liu Jing put her hands behind her hands and smiled, "In two days at the latest, Cao's army will abandon Shangfang Valley and withdraw."

    In the Weishui River Valley, a Han army of more than 10,000 people is marching rapidly westward. This is a Han army that came out of Shanggui County. Its goal is Hebei City 200 miles away. It is led by General Zhao Yun. This is also the time when the Han army occupied Shanggui County.  One of the important purposes of Gui County.

    When the Shangfang Valley was blocked by Cao Jun, an exit of the Weishui River Valley was opened from Shanggui County, so that the Han army could enter the Weishui River Valley and put pressure on Cao Jun in the Shangfang Valley.

    This area is flat, densely populated, and filled with large tracts of farmland as far as the eye can see. It can be said that the Weishui River Valley is the essence of the entire Longxi. Once the Weishui River Valley is occupied, it will also control the economy and food lifeline of Longxi.

    Zhao Yun's army had been marching for a day and night, and was gradually approaching Jicheng. At this time, two scout cavalry rushed from the west, rushed to Zhao Yun and reported: "Alert to the governor, Jicheng is twenty miles away.  , the defense is very tight, the city gate is closed, it is said that there are no residential buildings in the city, all are troops. "

    Zhao Yun nodded. This was what he expected. Cao Jun's beacons were all along the Weishui River Valley. When his army came over, the beacons had been lit. Jicheng must have been fully prepared. In fact, he did not intend to attack Jicheng.  .

    The walls of Ji City are high and the city is wide. They don¡¯t have any siege weapons, so how can they capture Ji City? However, they can cut off the grain road between Ji City and Shangfang Valley, and attack the important Qibei Fort at the rear of Shangfang Valley.

    Zhao Yun immediately ordered: "The army turns around and heads south to Qibei Fort!"

    The 10,000-strong army turned around and headed south, heading towards Shangfang Valley. In the afternoon, the Han army arrived at Qibei Fort. This is the end of Qishan Road, right between Shangfang Valley and Jicheng, with two north and south branches.  The official roads intersect here. In order to facilitate the transportation of food, Cao Jun built a military city here as a transfer station for food and military supplies. A large amount of food and soldiers were stored in the city, and there were a thousand troops guarding it.

    Although it was unrealistic for Zhao Yun's army to attack Jicheng, it was easy to attack Qibei Fort. When Zhao Yun's army arrived at the castle, they did not attack the city immediately. Instead, they set up a temporary military camp two miles east of the castle and waited for the arrival of darkness.

    Qibei Fort has lit a beacon for help. Three pillars of thick smoke are rising straight into the sky. It is also asking for help from Jicheng and Shangfang Valley. The situation that has always been calm and worry-free suddenly becomes tense. The name of the guard in the fort is Zhang Heng, who is Xiahou Dun's heart.  The sudden attack of the Han army made him extremely nervous. For a whole hour, he stood on the city wall and observed the enemy's movements.

    The Han army did not attack the city immediately, but stationed two miles away, which gave him some peace of mind. However, Cao Jun soon discovered that the Han army had collected a large number of trees from the distant forest, which made Zhang Heng nervous again. He realized  Come, the Han army is likely to launch an attack on the military city tonight

    Night is gradually falling, the sunset has already set, and the last ray of sunset has begun to fade. The sky is glowing with light blue, and a fog-like dark black begins to cover the basin.

    Zhao Yun and Liu Zheng stood on a high ground and looked at the military city. Qibei Fort was located to the south of a river that poured into the Wei River to the east. Shanggui County was just downstream of the river here, but there were mountains and canyons blocking it. The Han army  Unable to come directly along the river, we can only go around to Jicheng and then go south to Qibei Fort.

    Qibei Fort is about two feet and six feet high, has no moat, and is located on a gentle hill. The terrain is slightly higher. From the perspective of an army attack, it is not easy to capture this military city. This is why Liu Jing originally sent them  They also took this into account when they marched eastward, and specially sent Liu Zheng's Eagle Attack Army to follow them.

    For the Eagle Attack Army, climbing up this city is not a big problem, and besides, it is just a small city with a circumference of six miles. Liu Zheng pointed to the city and said to Zhao Yun: "Dongfang.The terrain on the front and south is slightly flat. We can attack from these two sides. I am prepared to invest 500 people, which is enough to deal with the defenders on the city, but I need the general to send crossbowmen to cover.  "

    Zhao Yun smiled and nodded, "This is no problem. We will send four thousand crossbow troops to cover you. When will General Liu prepare to attack?"

    Liu Zheng looked back at his men who were preparing to go up to the city pole in the open space. They were almost ready. He smiled and said: "We will launch the attack in half an hour!"

    Zhao Yun immediately turned around and said to the messenger: "Send the order to General Leng Bao and order him to prepare four thousand crossbowmen and set off in half an hour!"

    The Han army¡¯s city-climbing pole was actually a simple city-climbing tool, mainly used in small-scale cities without moats or trenches. Qibei City was the most suitable military city for this method of siege.

    The Han army cut down hundreds of fir trees from the forest. These fir trees had grown for many years and were seven to eight feet tall. However, the Han army only cut off four feet of them. The biggest feature of this kind of wood is that it is straight and tough.  A small wooden wedge was made to facilitate soldiers to climb on the fir tree, and then an iron hook was installed on the front end, and the other end was sharpened so that it could be inserted into the soil and fixed. It was actually a wooden ladder.

    For ordinary soldiers, this kind of single-wooden ladder is difficult to climb, but for the Eagle Attack Army, climbing this kind of single-wooden ladder is simply a piece of cake. They have been trained to be more dexterous than apes, and a total of one hundred wooden ladders have been prepared to climb the city.  There is an average of five poles for each person, and the most critical person is the first person. He is the key to whether he can successfully climb the city, so the most elite Eagle Attack Army soldiers must be selected to be the first attacker, usually the corps commander.

    Half an hour later, Leng Bao led four thousand crossbowmen and divided his troops into two groups to rush to the east city and south city. As soon as they entered within a hundred steps, drums sounded loudly on the top of the city, and a thousand Cao troops fired arrows downwards.  A volley of random arrows was fired, blocking the Han army from moving forward.

    At this time, the Han army also beat the war drums, and four thousand crossbow troops shot arrows at the top of the city at the same time. The arrows were like locusts, and dense arrows roared towards the top of the city.

    The Han army had four times as many crossbowmen as the enemy, and the powerful rain of arrows quickly suppressed Cao's army, preventing them from raising their heads. At this moment, five hundred eagle strikers rushed up carrying a hundred poles to the city.  , and ran to the city in a moment. The first attacking soldier held a shield in one hand and held the front end of the city pole with the other hand, while the other four ran holding the back end. They cooperated very well.

    Just as the five hundred soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army rushed to the city, the drums of the Han army stopped. This was the order to stop shooting. The four thousand crossbow troops stopped shooting in an instant. Thousands of pairs of eyes watched the Eagle Attack Army attack the city.  What they saw was a breathtaking sight.

    I saw five people on each city pole running forward together. The first attacking soldier in front suddenly jumped into the air. With the momentum of running, his feet rushed on the city wall, and his whole body relied on the support of the city pole.

    The Eagle Attack Army has trained this method of siege countless times and has become very good at it. A single run can make the first attacking soldiers rush to the top of the city three feet high. In an instant, the first attacking soldiers have already rushed to the top of the city.

    The Han army's crossbowmen stopped shooting, causing Cao's soldiers to start looking around. However, most of them never expected that when they stood up, an enemy soldier appeared head-on. The hundreds of first-attack Eagle Attack soldiers were extremely agile.  He jumped up to the city, raised his shield to protect himself, and at the same time let go of the city pole, pulled out a short halberd from his back, swung the halberd towards Cao Jun's soldiers and slashed at them. The sharp halberd blade brought out a gust of piercing wind.

    Just when the rabbits were up and the falcons were about to fall, a hundred soldiers from the first attack of the Eagle Attack Army had already rushed to the top of the city, catching Cao Jun off guard. There was a commotion on the top of the city. Cao Jun's soldiers were shouting and looking very panicked. The general Zhang Heng realized this.  When danger was approaching, he shouted loudly, "Go up and kill them!"

    The soldiers of Cao's army calmed down and rushed forward to fight with the soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army with their spears drawn. At this time, the soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army did not leave the battlements. They had to cover the remaining soldiers on the city. They used shields to protect themselves and waved their halberds to fight with the enemy.  In the fierce battle, although there was only one person in front of each crenel, they were highly skilled in martial arts and well-trained. They looked for every favorable position to counterattack, and their shields blocked the thrusts of halberds, without losing any of them.

    The iron hook of the upper city pole has hooked the city head. The four soldiers behind are climbing on the wooden pole as nimbly as apes, and quickly climb to the city head. All this must be efficient and fast, and must be completed in a short period of time.  Complete, otherwise once the enemy forces form a counterattack with bows and arrows, the soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army will inevitably suffer serious casualties.

    Of course, the crossbow troops below the city can also use arrows to cover their way up the city. However, the crossbow troops must cooperate tacitly and cannot accidentally injure themselves. But tonight, it seems that there is no need for such cooperation. The Eagle Attack Army moves very quickly. In a very short period of time, the crossbow troops  Within a short period of time, five hundred people were sent to the city.

    The battle situation at the top of the city immediately turned around. The Eagle Attack Army fought bravely and had high martial arts. Each of them could defeat ten against one. What's more, there were only a thousand Cao's troops at the top of the city. In less than a day, more than half of Cao's troops at the top of the city were killed or wounded, and they were defeated.  General Zhang Heng saw that the situation was not good, turned around and ran towards the city. Two soldiers were already there.His horse was brought in, "General, get out through the west gate!" the soldiers shouted.

    Just when Zhang Heng got back on his horse, Liu Zheng discovered his intention and sneered. Liu Zheng jumped down from the top of the city. Before Zhang Heng could fight back, he shot out the short halberd in his hand. The halberd was as fast as lightning.  , Zhang Heng couldn't dodge, and the short halberd pierced his vest. Zhang Heng screamed, turned over and fell off his horse.

    Liu Zheng also fell to the ground immediately. He rolled to avoid the assassination of the two soldiers. He pulled out his sword and slashed left and right. He knocked the two soldiers to the ground. He chopped off Zhang Heng's head with one knife. He got on his horse and urged the horse on.  They rushed into the city, holding up the heads in their hands and shouting: "General Cao's army has been killed, General Cao's army is dead!"

    Zhang Heng was killed. Cao's troops in the city had no intention of fighting and knelt down to surrender. At this time, the city gate opened and a fire was lit on top of the city. The city had been captured, and the Han troops outside the city suddenly cheered.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 671 Forced to withdraw troops

    The rear camp of Cao's army was very quiet, and no attack was launched to recapture the front camp.

    Since the Han army occupied the front camp last night, they have not launched an attack again. Instead, they have maintained an offensive and defensive posture. From time to time, neatly lined up large groups of Han soldiers can be seen appearing on the road, but they soon retreated.  The damaged camps were rebuilt, and the Han army also built two tall observation towers.

    The real intention of the Han army is unclear, but Cao Jun is not nervous. After all, the Han army did not approach the rear camp. Xun You ordered that Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers should not take off their armor, keep their weapons, and rest as much as possible. Just like this, the whole camp of Cao Jun was filled with chaos.  It was quiet, most of the soldiers were asleep.

    At this time, Xiahou Dun and Zang Ba hurried to the Chinese army's tent. The tent was brightly lit, and Xun You was standing in front of the sand table in meditation for a long time, with a very heavy expression on his face.

    "Military advisor, what happened?" Xiahou Dun asked as he walked into the tent.

    Xun You smiled bitterly and said, "General Xiahou, I have bad news to tell you."

    "But Shanggui County was lost?" Xiahou Dun asked nervously.

    Xun You nodded, but then shook his head and sighed: "If only Shanggui County was lost, I wouldn't be so anxious to invite the two generals. In fact, the problem is more serious. Qibei Fort is lost."

    "What!"

    Xiahou Dun and Zang Ba were shocked at the same time. They looked at each other. They couldn't believe that Qibei Fort was captured by the Han army. Where did the Han army come from?  Fly over their heads?

    But soon, the two of them came to their senses, and Zang Ba asked in a deep voice: "Are they the Han troops coming from Shanggui County?"

    "Exactly, there are 10,000 people led by Zhao Yun. They have captured Qibei Fort."

    "How is Zhang Heng's situation?" Xiahou Dun asked anxiously.

    Zhang Heng was his favorite general, and he didn't want anything to happen to Zhang Heng. Xun You shook his head, "Frankly speaking, I don't know. It was two scouts patrolling the perimeter who escaped and came to report to me. General Xiahou  , just think of the worst!"

    Xiahou Dun's fists were clenched. Zhang Heng would not surrender. In all likelihood, he would be killed. At this time, Xun You said worriedly: "What I'm worried about now is the food problem. Qibei Fort has been captured, and our military rations will be reduced."  We lost supplies and now the problem is serious."

    "How serious is the problem?" Xiahou Dun asked worriedly.

    "There are 70,000 troops in our military camp, but there are only 8,000 shi of food left. On average, each person has one bucket of rice, which can only last for five days at most. What should we do?"

    Xiahou Dun and Zang Ba both had a look of shame on their faces. They shouldn't have been in such embarrassment. There were 50,000 shi of food in the military camp, but most of it was in the front camp. If the front camp was lost, the food would be gone. Xun You could see the shame in their hearts.  He comforted them and said: "This has nothing to do with the two generals. This is my responsibility. My deployment was poor, which caused the Han army to break through Mumenzhai and Shanggui County one after another, causing the Han army to enter the Weihe River Valley. And I was careless, until I got  After knowing that Shanggui County was lost, I realized that Qibei Fort was in danger and it was already too late to increase our troops. "

    Xiahou Dun shook his head, "This is not the responsibility of the military advisor. Liu Jing has always been our strong enemy. He is offensive and we are defensive. He takes the initiative and we fall into passivity. It can only be said that we are unable to defend ourselves. If we must be held responsible, I think  The responsibility should be on Zhang He. After all, the military advisor gave him eight thousand troops and he failed to defend Mumen Village. If he is not responsible, who will be responsible? "

    Zang Ba¡¯s face next to him was a little unnatural. He and Zhang He had a very good personal relationship. Xiahou Dun actually wanted to put all the responsibility for the failure on Zhang He. What about the responsibility for the defeat of the front camp?  If he, Xiahou Dun, had not left his duty, resulting in the delay in rescuing the right wing, and Liu Jing seized the opportunity, how could they have suffered a disastrous defeat and lost more than half of their troops.

    Zang Ba sighed secretly in his heart. Xiahou Dun did not put the responsibility on himself because he saved him once, so Zang Ba also kept silent about the real reason for the camp's defeat. Only the two of them knew this.

    At this time, Zang Ba changed the subject and asked, "Excuse me, military advisor, when will the Prime Minister arrive in Jicheng?"

    "The Prime Minister has arrived in Chang'an, but I heard that Wu Yi's Hanzhong army attacked Dashan Pass on Chencang Road. Guanzhong is very nervous now. The Prime Minister's letter to me explained a lot of things. Judging from the tone of the Prime Minister's letter, he may not necessarily  Will come to Longxi."

    "Then what should we do?"

    Xiahou Dun suddenly said anxiously: "We only have five days of food. How can we defend Shangfang Valley? Otherwise, I will lead an army of 30,000 to recapture Qibei Fort."

    As soon as Xiahou Dun finished speaking, he heard a soldier report outside the tent: "Report to the military advisor, report to General Xiahou, there is a fire in the direction of Qibei Fort!"

    The three people hurriedly walked to the big tent and looked far to the north. They were on a high ground and could clearly see that the location of Qibei Fort was blazing into the sky, and the flames were as strong as twice as high.Several feet high, with thick smoke billowing, the expressions of the three people were frozen. This was the Han army burning Qibei Fort.

    After a long time, Xun You sighed and said, "The Prime Minister said in his letter that if Shang Shang Valley cannot be defended, he will retreat to Jicheng. I didn't expect that the Prime Minister was right."

    "Has the military advisor decided to withdraw?" Xiahou Dun asked frustratedly.

    Xun You nodded, "Retreat tonight!"

    He then said to Zang Ba: "If I am not mistaken, Zhao Yun set fire to Qibei Fort, which was actually a message to Liu Jing. Liu Jing will probably send troops to pursue us. General Zang Ba can lead 10,000 troops as the rear army to replace us.  We hold off the Han army¡¯s pursuit, and our safety depends on General Zang.¡±

    Zang Ba quickly bowed and saluted, "I humbly obey my order!"

    On the observation tower of the front camp, Liu Jing received a message from the soldiers and hurried over. He stood on the observation tower and looked north. He saw flames rising into the sky dozens of miles away. He couldn't help but smile with relief on his face. This was  He and Zhao Yun's agreement was that after capturing Qibei Fort, they would prevent fire from burning the city. Once Qibei Fort was lost, Cao's army would be cut off from food, and their food reserves would not last long, and they would inevitably withdraw soon.

    Liu Jing turned around and smiled at Jia Xu: "I originally thought that Zilong would be able to capture Qibei Fort tomorrow at the earliest, but I didn't expect that he would send good news tonight. It's really gratifying!"

    Jia Xu also smiled slightly and said: "General Zhao has always been prudent in his work. He will not be greedy for credit and will not miss good opportunities. It is indeed reassuring. Now Qibei Fort is lost and Cao's army is about to withdraw. Congratulations to Zhou Mu on the complete capture of Shangfang  valley."

    "I wonder when the military advisor thinks Cao Jun will withdraw?"

    "The latest will be tomorrow during the day, and the soonest will be now."

    Liu Jing looked at Cao Jun¡¯s camp. He couldn¡¯t see the movement of Cao Jun. He immediately turned around and ordered: ¡°Where is General Wei Yan?¡±

    Wei Yan quickly stepped forward, bowed and said: "The general is here!"

    "You can count the 10,000 spear troops to slowly advance forward and test the attack on Cao Jun's camp. You don't need to attack violently, just test it!"

    "Follow the order!"

    Wei Yan quickly went down, ordered 10,000 spear troops to leave the camp, and ran toward the north in a mighty manner.

    Liu Jing watched the army go away, and a big stone weighing on his heart finally moved away. Occupying Shangfang Valley meant that his power had entered the Weishui River Valley.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Wei Yan was not able to participate in the battle to attack the front camp, but stayed behind to defend, which made him sigh. Now he finally got the opportunity to send troops. Along the way, he was thinking about how to use this opportunity to build another army.  It's amazing. Obviously, Zhou Mu thought that Cao's army would retreat north tonight, so he asked him to test Cao's camp. If he really retreated north, would he take advantage of the victory to pursue it?

    Zhou Mu did not give him this military order, but he did not forbid him to take advantage of the victory and pursue it. This made Wei Yan very confused and it was difficult to make a decision. He was worried and led the army to rush all the way. After a while, he rushed to the front of Cao Jun's camp.

    Outside the range of the crossbows, Wei Yan ordered the soldiers to stop advancing. He looked at Cao Jun's camp with doubts. There should be heavy trebuchets in the camp. He had already entered the killing range of the trebuchets, but there was no movement. Could it be that Cao Jun really  Have they withdrawn to the north?

    Wei Yan thought for a moment and then ordered Zhang Nan, "You can lead two thousand troops to attack the enemy camp and order your brothers to pay attention to defense!"

    "Follow your orders!"

    Zhang Nan saluted and led two thousand soldiers to rush towards Cao Jun's camp. Wei Yan immediately ordered: "Beat the drum to cheer!"

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The fierce war drums beat, and two thousand soldiers shouted loudly. Holding shields in one hand and spears in the other, they rushed towards Cao Jun's camp. Just after they rushed a hundred steps away, they saw only the camp wall.  Suddenly a dense Cao army appeared on the mountain, and they all fired arrows at the oncoming Han army. Thousands of arrows were fired at once, as dense as a heavy rain. The Han soldiers were caught off guard and more than two hundred people were shot down.

    Wei Yan saw that Cao¡¯s army had at least seven or eight thousand men, and two thousand men rushed forward to suffer heavy losses, so he quickly ordered: "Call the gold and withdraw the troops!"

    'when!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The bell rang, and the Han soldiers who rushed up retreated like a tide.

    At this moment, dozens of heavy catapults in the Dazhai creaked open and were launched together. Dozens of heavy stones weighing hundreds of kilograms rose into the air and roared towards the heads of the Han army. The huge rocks rolled in the crowd, and the Han army  The soldiers screamed, and hundreds of people were beaten to pieces and died tragically on the spot.

    Wei Yan then realized that he had been fooled. Instead of sending boulders, the opponent wanted to attack first with arrows and then hit him with a trebuchet, causing heavy losses. Wei Yan was so anxious that he shouted: "Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

    More than 9,000 people retreated southward like a tide. At this time, the second round of boulders was thrown, and the rear troops behind them couldn't run. More than a hundred people died tragically under the boulders.

    In just one attack, the Han army suffered nearly 800 casualties.Wei Yan was resentful and heartbroken, and had no choice but to send someone to report to Liu Jing. Cao Jun was prepared, but the test failed, causing him heavy losses.

    Zang Ba stood on the wall of the stronghold and looked at the Han army coldly. The other party only sent ten thousand people, and they were obviously just here to test. It seemed that Liu Jing had already suspected that they were withdrawing their troops, but so what if Liu Jing confirmed it, he would  Send out 50,000 troops to attack your own stronghold at the cost of thousands of casualties?

    Zang Ba looked back at the camp. The tents in the camp were empty. Xun You led an army of 60,000 to retreat north. However, the evacuation speed was relatively slow. He had to hold on for one more day to buy time for their troops to evacuate.

    Wei Yan withdrew to 500 steps away and stood still, waiting for news from Zhou Mu. Not long after, Liu Jing and Jia Xu led more than 10,000 people to the camp of Cao's army. Wei Yan stepped forward and reported: "The humble attack failed and the loss was nearly 1,000 people."  People, please punish the state pastor!"

    "This is my test for you, and it has nothing to do with you. General Wei, please wake up!"

    Liu Jing turned around and asked Jia Xu: "Does the military counselor think that Cao's army has really withdrawn?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 672: Soldiers Surge in Wei Valley

    Jia Xu stared at it for a moment, then smiled lightly and said: "Xun You always likes to be fictitious and real. If he had not withdrawn his troops, he would have lowered the flag and pretended to retreat to confuse us. But now the flag is still flying at the top of the city, so  I'm sure Xun You must have withdrawn his troops. This was his bluff."

    Liu Jing nodded, "In this way, the army on top of the city is the blocking rear army deployed by Xun You. There are at most 10,000 people. I can press the entire army and capture the camp before dawn."

    Jia Xu advised him: "Zhou Mu has taken ninety-nine steps, why should we pay the price at the last step? With Xun You's plan, we may not be able to take advantage. Attacking the city now will cause heavy casualties. It is better to wait.  This rear army doesn¡¯t have much food anyway, so it won¡¯t last long. They will have to withdraw in a day or two at most, and then we can easily occupy the upper valley.¡±

    Liu Jing thought for a while and found that it was indeed the case. He did not need to rush at this moment, so he ordered: "The whole army returns to the camp and waits patiently. No more attacks are allowed on Cao's camp."

    More than 20,000 Han troops retreated slowly. Cheers suddenly erupted from the wall of Cao Jun's stronghold, but Zang Ba's face was solemn. The more than 20,000 Han troops did not attack him. This shows that they have seen through their bottom line and are waiting for him to withdraw.  .

    Zang Ba thought for a while, called several generals up and ordered them: "If we retreat together and the Han army catches up, we will suffer heavy casualties. We might as well retreat in batches, with one army withdrawing every two hours.  I led a thousand brothers to make the final retreat."

    Everyone bowed and agreed, and Zang Ba ordered thousands of straw men to be imprisoned, put on Cao Jun's armor, and tied them to the wall of the stronghold, as if there were thousands of people guarding the camp.

    This move indeed deceived the Han scouts. It was not until the evening of the next day that the Han scouts discovered that Cao's army had not moved on the city. Finally, they discovered that there were thousands of straw men.

    When Wei Yan led 3,000 Han troops to Cao Jun¡¯s camp, Zang Ba had already led the last 1,000 soldiers to evacuate an hour ago, and Cao Jun¡¯s camp was already an empty camp.

    Although Wei Yan was aggrieved for not being able to pursue Cao Jun in time, Liu Jing did not care too much about Cao Jun's successful retreat. For him, this was not the same thing as Cao Jun's retreat in Fancheng. Seizing the strategic location of Shangfang Valley was  Top priority.

    After capturing Shangfang Valley, the next step was to stabilize the occupation of Shangfang Valley. Liu Jing immediately ordered the appointment of Li Yan, the prefect of Wudu County, as the city builder, and led 10,000 reserve troops and 20,000 Cao army prisoners of war to build a city in Shangfang Valley. It must be in three places  The upper city was built within the month.

    At the same time, Yan Yan was appointed as the general of Shangfang Valley, and he led an army of 20,000 to build a camp in the dangerous location of Shangfang Valley. After ensuring the safety of Shangfang Valley, Liu Jing led an army of 70,000 to walk out of Qishan Road and march towards Jicheng.

    That night, Liu Jing joined Zhao Yun's army at Qibei Fort, and 80,000 troops set up camp east of Qibei Fort.

    In the Chinese army's tent, Zhao Yun gave Liu Jing a detailed report on the capture of Mumenzhai and Shanggui County, especially the performance of the Eagle Attack Army. Zhao Yun unabashedly expressed the mission of the Eagle Attack Army in these battles.  great contribution.

    Liu Jing was not surprised by the performance of the Eagle Attack Army. This was his most elite army, and their excellent performance was the norm. At this time, Liu Jing was more concerned about the situation in Jicheng.

    "Let's talk about Jicheng! You said in the report that there was something gained, what was it?"

    Ma Chao was sitting aside. Logically speaking, he had the most say in the situation of Jicheng. However, the Jicheng at this time was no longer the Jicheng of the past. After two reconstructions by Xun You, Jicheng had been completely transformed. It was not the Jicheng of the past at all. It is said that  Its strength exceeds that of Chang'an City.

    Zhao Yun smiled and said: "After capturing Qibei Fort, we captured two fort repair craftsmen in the city, but we learned that they were also involved in the reconstruction of Jicheng. Wei Chen ordered them to make a model of Jicheng out of wood.  , Zhou Mu might as well listen to them."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Bring them in!"

    Not long after, the soldiers brought in two craftsmen, both surnamed Jiang, about forty years old, and two cousins. They came to Liu Jing tremblingly, knelt down and kowtowed, "I pay my respects to Zhou Mu!"

    "Excuse me, please tell me your surnames. Where are you from?"

    "Our surname is Jiang, and we are from Tianshui County. I am the elder brother. Zhou Mu calls me Jiang Da. That is my younger brother. Zhou Mu can call him Jiang Er." The slightly older craftsman replied.

    "Don't be afraid, you two. When we capture Jicheng, we will naturally let you go home."

    Liu Jing smiled and reassured the two of them. At this time, several soldiers carried in a one-foot-sized city model. This was a model of the city of Hebei made based on the description of the uncle and nephew. This is also a feature of the Han army.  Before attacking a city, a model must be made.

    Originally, a new model was built every time, but it was labor-intensive and labor-intensive. Later, I found that most of the cities were similar, so I made some common model parts, assembled them, and then made a new model.?The unique feature is that a city is completed, it is very fast and convenient, and there are specialized military craftsmen to make it according to the description.

    Everyone gathered around. The older craftsman already knew the city model very well. He picked up the wooden pole and introduced it to everyone: "Jicheng began to be renovated last year. I remember that the civil servant leader of Cao Jun personally presided over it. The requirements were very high.  Strict, once he found that the bricks in Xicheng City were not thick enough, he got angry and beat the supervisor with a hundred military sticks, and ordered them to be stripped off and repaired with bluestone. "

    Everyone knows that the civil servant leader mentioned by the craftsman is Xun You, who is famous for his seriousness. Zhao Yun whispered from the side: "You don't need to introduce these, just talk about the city."

    Liu Jing waved her hand, "No problem, let him speak!"

    Jiang Da said again: "There are no bricks in the old city of Jicheng. They are all bricks in the new city. They are made of bluestone and are very strong. The city wall is about two feet wide. Three carriages can run parallel to the city head. After the end, Cao Jun specially used stones to throw stones."  The machine came to test and smashed the city, not moving at all."

    "How long is the city wall?" Ma Chao asked next to him.

    "The circumference is about twenty miles, with four city gates. Each of the four gates has urns and double city walls. There are more than a dozen warehouses built with stones at the top of the city, and giant trebuchets are installed. I remember there are twenty on one city wall.  ¡±

    The city of twenty miles was enough to accommodate 100,000 troops. Everyone realized that attacking Jicheng would be a tough battle. At this time, Jia Xu carefully observed the city and found an anomaly, so he asked: "Why is there nothing outside?"  moat?"

    Only then did everyone realize that there was indeed no moat on the model. Next to them, Ma Chao laughed and said, "Let me answer this! Although Jicheng is close to the Wei River, it is not easy to divert water from the Wei River, and the soil below is loose. Digging a moat will cause the city to collapse.  I dug it back then, and the whole west city collapsed."

    "This general is right!"

    Jiang Da interfaced: "There was a lot of controversy about the moat at that time. A big pit was dug at that time. The civil servant leader went into the pit to study it. In the end, he decided not to dig the moat and build double city walls instead. So  Now there are two walls in Jicheng, the inside is slightly higher than the outside by five feet, and the two walls are connected by wooden bridges. There are four wooden bridges in total. "

    Liu Jing also saw it. This is the biggest feature of Jicheng. It is actually a double city wall, and the walls are connected by wooden bridges. Once the outer city is captured and the wooden bridge is burned, the inner city will be unable to pass. It is indeed designed by Xun You himself.  The city is simply made of copper and iron walls.

    After the introduction of the craftsmen, Liu Jing asked people to lead them down and let everyone go to rest. He stood alone in front of the city and meditated. At this time, Jia Xu slowly walked over and asked, "Is Zhou Mu still worried about attacking Jicheng?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "Jicheng is the largest city in Longxi. If we don't capture it, it will be impossible to capture Longxi. However, it is so strong, with strong troops and sufficient food. It is said that it can hold on for a year. More importantly, it is  Cao Cao's 20,000 elite cavalry are watching from the outside, echoing from inside and outside, and the situation is not optimistic. "

    Jia Xu smiled and said: "As long as you are fully prepared, there is no city that cannot be captured. Is Zhou Mu fully prepared?"

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly, "I was very well prepared for the Northern Expedition to seize the Qishan Road, but I was not fully prepared for the capture of Jicheng. I have to admit this."

    "Therefore, the governor of the state should not be anxious about attacking Jicheng, but must take a long-term approach. I suggest increasing the number of troops to 150,000 to prevent Diqi and other young people from Xiliang. At the same time, we should build Shangfang City and repair Qibei Fort to ensure the convenience of food transfer and transportation.  , and then find the best camp to confront Cao Jun. Winter is about to begin, and it will not be too late to visit Longxi after the spring warms up next year. "

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and couldn't help but sigh: "The military advisor is right, haste makes waste. At least we have completed the plan to seize Qishan Road before winter. We must wait patiently and slowly gnaw on this hard nut."  Bar!"

    Jia Xu stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes and smiled: "Although it seems to be a tough guy, there are also weaknesses. I will use a little plan next spring to get Jicheng at your fingertips."

    Liu Jing was startled and asked quickly: "What is the strategy of the military advisor?"

    Jia Xu Fuer said a few words to Liu Jing, and so on.

    Liu Jing was enlightened and suddenly realized. He bowed deeply and said: "Liu Jing is lucky to have Duke Jia as his conspirator."

    ¡°The state animal husbandry received the award!¡±

    Jia Xu smiled again, "The key is that Cao Cao's army can no longer advance westward to increase troops. I think there will be good news from General Wen, who will contain Cao Cao for us and make it difficult for his cavalry to advance westward."

    Liu Jing nodded. From the beginning to the end, Nanyang was a bait. It was a bait that Cao Cao had to spit out and swallow. Just like Cao Cao used Jingzhou to contain the battlefield on the Western Front, why couldn't Liu Jing use Nanyang instead?  To contain Cao Cao?

    Just when Liu Jing captured Shangfang Valley and marched into Hebei County,Later, Cao Cao led 20,000 tiger and leopard cavalry to Chang'an. He did not rush to Longxi, but stayed in Chang'an and took charge of the overall situation.  In fact, after defeating Sun Quan in Hefei, Jiangdong's risk has been temporarily lifted, and now he is fully contending with Liu Jing's army.

    Not only in Tianshui County, but also in Guanzhong and Nanyang, he knew that Liu Jing had once again recruited a large number of troops after the Battle of Jingzhou. His troops had reached 300,000, which was as good as his own. Such a huge force could never be defeated.  Not only did he fight on the Tianshui line, but when necessary, Liu Jing would also launch the battles of Guanzhong and Nanyang to disperse his forces.

    Cao Cao was particularly worried about Nanyang. He and Liu Jing only verbally agreed on a temporary truce. As for how long the truce would last, whether the two sides really stopped fighting, etc., they were not implemented. This left a lot of hidden dangers. The Han army could move north at any time.  Nanyang.

    Once the Han army captured Nanyang, they could enter Guanzhong via Wuguan Road, putting great pressure on Guanzhong. Moreover, Cao Cao received intelligence that Wenpin had already stationed 30,000 troops in Xinye, and he was ready to move.

    However, Cao Cao could not relax Hefei's defense at this time, which caused his troops to be greatly dispersed. There were only more than 10,000 troops in Nanyang, and it was unclear whether they could withstand the Han army's attack. This put Cao Cao in a dilemma.  , he simply stayed in Chang'an so that he could control the defensive operations on three lines at the same time.

    Cao Cao was very clear about the situation in Longxi. When he heard that the Han army had captured Mumen Village, Cao Cao knew that Shangfang Valley could not be defended. Seeing that the cold winter was coming, it was better to withdraw to Jicheng than to endure the passive attack from two fronts in Shangfang Valley.  , Holding on to Jicheng, the Han army could not take Longxi.

    Based on this consideration, Cao Cao suggested that Xun You abandon Shangfang Valley and withdraw his troops back to Jicheng.

    It was now November, and the weather was getting colder. That morning, it finally snowed for the first time in Guanzhong. Cao Cao stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, looking at the falling snow flakes outside the window. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart.  In just over a month, the 18th Anniversary of Jian'an is coming. How long will this battle last?

    At this moment, the guard¡¯s voice sounded outside the door, ¡°Prime Minister, there is an urgent message from Nanyang!¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 673 Nanyang Containment

    Cao Cao's heart sank. Did something happen to Nanyang?  He said anxiously: "Come in and report!"

    A guard came in and handed over an urgent letter from Nanyang. This was an urgent military report from Cao Hong, the general of Nanyang. Cao Cao opened the letter and felt a chill in his heart. Sure enough, Xiangyang's army was attacking Nanyang, and Cao Hong's army could not resist.  Live, we have lost two battles in a row, and now we are retreating to Wancheng. The situation is very critical.

    This news made Cao Cao extremely irritable. The war on the Western Front was not going well, and something happened on the Xiangyang front line. He paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He could not help Nanyang, so he was worried that his reinforcements would be killed, and Wancheng  It has been lost, and at least three days have passed since this express letter arrived.

    After repeated consideration, he could only use cavalry to rescue him. He immediately ordered: "Let Cao Chun come to see me!"

    Not long after, Cao Chun hurried into the room, bowed and saluted: "See you, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Chun is a younger brother of Cao Cao. He is about forty years old. He is tall and burly, good at both civil and military affairs. He is very good at commanding cavalry and is the chief general of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. He is a low-key person and never shows off his personality.  Only with his unique personality did he win Cao Cao's trust. Cao Cao trusted him even more than Cao Ren and Cao Hong.

    Cao Cao turned around and said to him: "The situation in Nanyang is critical. Cao Hong's battle is unfavorable. He has lost two battles in a row. Now he is trapped in Wancheng. I suspect that he can no longer support it. Zihe can lead five thousand cavalry and rush to Nanyang to rescue day and night.  "

    "Follow the order!" Cao Chun bowed and saluted, "I will leave now."

    "Go! It's snowing outside. Wuguan can replenish supplies. Just be careful."

    Cao Chun nodded and left quickly. Cao Cao was slightly relieved. Cao Chun rushed to rescue him, which really made him feel relieved. At this moment, Cao Cao suddenly thought of Xun Yu. Xun Yu was now in Wan  City, if he is captured by the Han army, will he become Jia Xu's second.

    Moreover, if Xun Yu is willing to make suggestions, Cao Hong will never lose two battles in a row. This shows that Xun Yu is not involved at all. Regardless of Nanyang's life or death, Cao Cao's heart suddenly bursts with murderous intent, but he also knows that Cao Hong and Xun Yu are in-laws, and Cao Hong will never  To kill Xun Yu, even if he sent a pigeon letter to order him, he would not take action and would only give the order in person.

    Cao Cao thought for a moment, took out a gold medal, handed it to a close guard and said, "Take my gold medal and rush to Wancheng immediately. Tell Cao Hong that no matter what method is used, Xun Yu must commit suicide. If Cao Hong dares to disobey the order, he will be killed."  Come and see me!"

    The guard took the gold medal and bowed, slowly retreated, and hurried to Nanyang. At this time, Cao Cao walked to the window and stared at the heavy snow outside the window for a long time. For a long time, he coldly said to himself: "Wen Ruo  , you are forcing me, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless!¡±

    The situation in Nanyang was indeed very critical. In order to contain Cao Cao's army in Guanzhong, Liu Jing issued an order to attack Nanyang. Wenpin ordered Cai Jin to lead 5,000 troops to guard Xiangyang, and asked Gan Ning to send 3,000 naval troops to blockade it.  Hanshui.

    He then led 20,000 people to the new wilderness and joined forces with Pound. He also ordered Pound to be the vanguard and lead an army of 5,000 to go first, while he himself led an army of 20,000 to go north afterwards.

    Pang De lived up to Wenpin's expectations and defeated Cao Hong's general Yan Ming's 5,000 troops in Tuoyang County and occupied Tuoyang. The Han army used Tuoyang as its base. Wenpin and Pang De joined forces and marched north to the south of Wancheng.  Cao Hong once again defeated Cao Hong's 15,000 main force. Cao Hong was defeated and returned to Wancheng, with less than 8,000 troops left in his hands. He was worried that Wancheng would not be protected, so he urgently asked Cao Cao for help.

    In Wancheng, the Han army's 25,000 troops had been confronting Cao's army in the city for three days. The Han army was stationed on the east bank of the Feishui River, patiently waiting for the delivery of siege weapons. This afternoon, the Han army's fleet finally  Five hundred siege ladders and other siege equipment were sent to the Han army camp.

    Wenpin stood on the shore, watching the soldiers move the ladders off the ship. He had been waiting for this battle for many years, or in other words, he had endured it for many years.

    He has been waiting for this day since the early years of Jian'an. Nanyang was originally the sphere of influence of Jingzhou and the place under his jurisdiction. Ever since Liu Biao assigned it to Zhang Xiu, Nanyang has been separated from Jingzhou. To this day, Jingzhou's  The army had just set foot on this land again, which made Wenpin deeply moved.

    At this time, Pang Tong slowly walked up to him and smiled at Wenpin: "General, do you think Cao Cao will send reinforcements to save Nanyang?"

    Wenpin nodded, "Nanyang is the gateway to the Central Plains from the north and Guanzhong. Its strategic position is extremely important. Cao Cao will definitely send reinforcements, and they will be the fastest reinforcements to ensure that Wancheng will not fall into our hands."

    "The governor is talking about the cavalry?"

    "If I were Cao Cao, I would definitely send cavalry. Didn't Cao Cao lead 20,000 tigers and leopards to Guanzhong? It should be this cavalry that came directly from Wuguan Road to kill."

    Pang De agreed with Wenpin¡¯s judgment, ¡°The governor is right, only cavalry taking the Wuguan Road is the fastest way to rescue. If we don¡¯t stop day and night,So they will reach Nanyang County tomorrow morning at the latest.  "

    "Our time is very tight. We must capture Wancheng before dawn tomorrow at the latest, otherwise Cao's cavalry will attack and we will fail."

    Wenpin stared at Wancheng not far away, his fists slowly clenched.

    At this time, Pang De held up his hands and smiled and said: "Sun Tzu said, if you attack, you must take it, and attack it if you don't defend it. I have a plan to capture Wancheng."

    Wancheng is the largest city in Nanyang and the gateway city to Jingzhou. The city is wide, extremely tall and solid, and the moat is connected to the Feishui River. It is more than ten feet wide. Even if it is covered with wooden boards, it is difficult to pave it. The moat is usually filled with soil.  For example, when Cao Cao attacked Wancheng, hundreds of thousands of troops filled up the moat overnight.

    However, it was impossible for the Han army to adopt a method of filling up the moat. Firstly, there were insufficient troops, and secondly, there was not enough time. For the Jingzhou army, they had another way to cross the moat. That night, a ship silently  The resting place sailed into the moat, and several of these ships lined up to build temporary pontoons.

    At this time, Cao Jun on the top of the city also discovered the Han army ships sailing into the moat, and the alarm sounded rapidly, 'Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The rapid ringing of bells spread throughout the city, and thousands of soldiers guarding the city rushed to the battlements, bows and arrows drawn, and aimed at the ships below the city.

    Some soldiers had already gone to report to the general Cao Hong, but at this time Cao Hong was visiting Xun Yu. The Xun family in Yingchuan and the Deng family in Nanyang were related by marriage and had a good friendship. Xun Yu lived in the residence of the Deng family in Nanyang.

    Because of the ambush incident in Yedu, Xun Yu was forced to stay in Nanyang by Cao Cao and served as a military advisor general to assist Cao Hong in defending the city. However, Xun Yu never participated in the military because of his illness. Cao Hong and Xun Yu were in-laws and knew that  He didn't force Xun Yu to face Xun Yu's difficulties.

    But this time Cao Hong was nervous. He was worried that he could not defend the city, so he rushed to Xun Yu to discuss it. As a relative, he asked Xun Yu for help, hoping that he could point out a clear way for him.

    In the study, Xun Yu couldn't stand in the way of his in-laws. He slowly drank a glass of wine and said calmly: "Zi Lian should make two preparations. The first is to wait for the Prime Minister's reinforcements, and the second is to prepare to withdraw. But I think Wen Pin will also understand.  Chang'an reinforcements are coming, and he will increase the intensity of the attack. I don't have much hope whether Zilian can hold Wancheng. "

    "If Wancheng is lost, how can I explain it to the prime minister?" Cao Hong sighed.

    Xun Yu smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry Zi Lian, the Prime Minister will not punish you. In fact, he is mentally prepared to lose Nanyang."

    Cao Hong was stunned, "Why is this?"

    "It's very simple. He tore up the armistice agreement and attacked Fancheng and Xiangyang, which has already sowed the bitter fruits of today. If he wanted to keep Nanyang, he would have to station at least 50,000 troops in Nanyang, just like back then, but he only stationed 20,000 troops, and  It is not the most elite army. Most of them are prisoners of war captured in Hebei Province last year. Their combat effectiveness is extremely poor. How can they possibly defend Nanyang? Zi Lian knows well that if you fail to defend Nanyang, it will be his expectation. "

    Xun Yu¡¯s analysis made Cao Hong feel more at ease. He sighed and said, ¡°Now I hope that Chang¡¯an¡¯s cavalry will arrive tomorrow, so that Wancheng can be saved.¡±

    Xun Yu shook his head, "Although you think well, Wenpin may not give you a chance. If I am not wrong, the Han army will attack the city tonight."

    As soon as Xun Yu finished speaking, there were rapid footsteps outside, and a soldier reported nervously: "General Qi, there is an alarm sound coming from the top of the city. Maybe the Han army has begun to attack the city."

    Cao Hong stood up abruptly, his face changed drastically, and his voice changed with nervousness, "Mr. Xun, what should I do?"

    Xun Yu waved his hand and said with a smile: "Zilian, don't be nervous, just do your best! And be prepared to retreat, leaving the green hills behind, so you don't have to worry about running out of firewood."

    Cao Hong was so confused that he didn't ask Xun Yu about his plans. He bowed and hurried away. Xun Yu slowly drank another glass of wine and said to himself: "Zilian, the prime minister will not tolerate me anymore."  Come on, take care of yourself!¡±

    At this time, a young man appeared at the door. He was Deng Yi's nephew, named Deng Datang. He cupped his hands and said: "Uncle Xun Shi, my uncle said that it may not be safe if the city is destroyed. Please come with me to take shelter temporarily."

    "Haha! Thank you, my dear nephew, the Han army will not hurt me."

    Deng Dading said seriously: "Uncle Shi, I'm afraid it's not the Han army. It's because I'm worried that Cao Cao won't let Uncle Shi go."

    Xun Yu pondered for a moment, finally nodded, stood up and said, "Thank you so much, nephew."

    At night, the dark twilight enveloped the land of Nanyang, but the defenders at the head of Wancheng were extremely nervous, and everyone's eyes were full of nervousness.

    The endless wilderness outside the city was covered with fire, forming an extremely huge oval shape, spreading on the ground outside the city, as if it had gathered into a field of torches.The ocean extends to more than ten miles away, and behind the oval, a stream of red fire continues to pour into the ocean of fire.

    This is at least an army of hundreds of thousands of people. Almost all of Cao's troops realized that reinforcements from Xiangyang must be arriving in large numbers.

    At this time, Cao Hong hurried to the city. He was also frightened by the spectacular scene below the city and took a breath. The commander beside him, Shi Jia Kui, said: "General Zilian, this is not a real army. It must be a tactic of the enemy."  , It¡¯s just a torch.¡±

    Cao Hong suddenly woke up and shouted: "There are no reinforcements, it's a fake army. They only have 20,000 people."

    Although Cao Hong repeatedly refuted the rumors, the soldiers were still very nervous because these torches were moving. Even if one person held two torches, there would be at least 60,000 to 70,000 people, definitely not more than 20,000.

    Seeing that all the torches were moving, Cao Hong felt unsure. It was obvious that the Han army was going to attack from Nancheng.

    At this time, Cao Hong saw that three hundred flat-bottomed tugboats of the Han army had entered the moat. The five boats were lined up side by side, and after being laid with planks, they formed a pontoon bridge, which was about several miles long.

    Cao Hong shouted: "Throw fire oil down and burn these ships!"

    Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers immediately threw hundreds of barrels of kerosene down, and used rockets to ignite the kerosene moat. The ships on the moat suddenly burst into flames. The fire burned more and more fiercely, and gradually became one. Cao Jun on the city suddenly cheered.

    The war drums under the city suddenly beat, and the shouts of killing shook the sky. Countless Han troops rushed towards Nancheng. Cao Hong saw that Nancheng only had 4,000 troops, which was not enough to resist the Han army, so he turned around and gave a stern order: "All troops  Transfer to Nancheng and survive tonight. Reinforcements will arrive tomorrow."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 674: Making an attack in the east and attacking in the west

    The endless torches outside the city are indeed a little trick of the Han army. Each soldier holds a piece of wood horizontally, with five torches stuck on each piece of wood. When the soldiers run, the five torches run together.

    It¡¯s just that this kind of trick is easy for the opponent to see through, but the purpose of the Han army is not here, but has a deeper meaning. These torches can easily create another illusion, that is, the main force of the Han army is concentrated in Nancheng.

    As the drums of the Han army urging the battle accelerated, the torches outside the city gradually extinguished, and tens of thousands of soldiers ran towards the city in overwhelming numbers.

    The moat was covered with a pontoon bridge, which lost its function as an obstruction. Although the fire was burning, thousands of Han troops were still not afraid of the fire. They raised siege ladders and rushed across the moat, and set them on the city wall with a bang.

    Thousands of Han soldiers climbed up the ladder like a swarm of ants, climbing the ladder in one hand, holding a shield in the other, holding a cross sword in their mouths, and struggled to climb up. Arrows rained down from the top of the city, and stones rolled like hail.  When it fell, soldiers were hit and shot one by one, screaming and falling down the city.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Wancheng city wall also has a horse-faced structure, which is a protruding piece of city wall. It is named because its shape resembles a horse's face. It usually protrudes outward by two feet. Its function is to enable the defenders to shoot arrows at the enemy from behind.

    In this way, the siege soldiers ignored their heads and rear, and their backs were exposed and became targets. Long arrows were shot out intensively, which brought serious danger to the Han army on the siege ladder. The casualties were extremely heavy, and most of the soldiers who fell were shot dead.  They were all shot in the back.

    The dead bodies piled up quickly under the city wall, and blood flowed into the city river, seeping out from the piles of corpses and dyeing the water of the moat red.

    The situation began to turn against the Han army. The soldiers on the city used steel forks to hold up the siege ladders on both sides. The barbs at the top of the ladders creaked across the wall. They could no longer hold up, and they stabbed diagonally.  After falling down, a group of soldiers on the ladder let out a long scream. Many people jumped from the ladder, but they still could not escape death or injury.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just as the decisive battle of life and death began in Nancheng, Pang De led five hundred elite Han troops to gradually approach the moat. Each of them was holding a sheepskin raft about ten feet long. This was one of the three hundred sheepskin rafts captured in the Han River.  , but was used by the Han army to cross the moat.

    The attack from the south was just a false attack, and the so-called use of warships to cross the river was just a decoy. The real attack was from the north. The real tool for crossing the river was a sheepskin raft.

    Five hundred soldiers lay on the sheepskin rafts, slowly paddling forward with their hands, and there were five siege ladders floating on the river.

    There were only more than 700 defenders on the northern wall. Most of them were attracted by the battle in the south. No one realized that the threat under the northern city was quietly coming.

    Under the cover of the thick night, five hundred Han troops came ashore one after another. Four siege aircraft quickly set up on the city wall. No one noticed. Pang De waved his hand and climbed to the top of the city first.

    Five hundred elite soldiers followed him and quickly rushed to the top of the city along the ladder. They were the 500 elite soldiers selected by Wenpin from the 30,000 troops. They were all brave and good at fighting. If today's sneak attack on the north wall is successful, Wancheng will definitely fall.  into the hands of the Han army.

    Two hundred steps behind them, there were 8,000 Han soldiers carrying several huge sheepskin rafts. They rushed to the moat and quickly used the sheepskin rafts to build a pontoon bridge in the river.

    At this time, a group of Cao Jun patrolling soldiers came from the direction of the east city. The leader suddenly noticed a man climbing up the city in the dark. He shouted, "Who is he?" and rushed up with a spear.

    The first one to come up was General Pang De. He held a big sword in his hand and shouted in a low voice: "Keep your head!"

    I saw a flash of cold light, and the head of Cao Jun's camp commander was immediately hacked away. Pang De shouted loudly and swung his knife to kill him. Like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, the sword flew away. In a moment, more than a dozen soldiers died tragically.  Under his knife, every body was broken and bloody.

    The other soldiers were so frightened that they turned around and ran away, shouting, "There is an enemy situation! The enemy troops are coming to the city!"

    The sneak attack of the Han army finally alerted the defenders of Beicheng, and more than 700 Cao soldiers came up from the east and west sides.

    At this time, hundreds of Han soldiers had already entered the city. These more than a hundred soldiers were extremely ferocious and unstoppable. They instantly opened a bloody path among the defenders. The defenders were killed and wounded heavily, and they retreated one after another. As the five hundred soldiers rushed forward, they  At the top of the city, the situation in Wancheng suddenly reversed.

    When the news that the Han army was attacking Beicheng reached Nancheng, Cao Hong turned pale with shock. He never expected that the enemy army would come from Beicheng. Only then did he suddenly realize that he had been fooled and that the real main force was in Beicheng.

    At this moment, Pang De led five hundred Han troops to attack from the west of the city, shouting and killing loudly.

    "Press up! Annihilate them all"

    Cao Hong waved his sword and shouted loudly. Thousands of Cao's soldiers swarmed forward and resisted desperately. They fought fiercely with the brave and skilled Han army.??Hundreds of Cao's troops rushed down to the city gates to guard the city gates to prevent the Han troops outside the city from entering the city.

    Cao Jun on the top of the city also knew that once the Han army broke through the city, it would mean that the entire Nanyang had fallen. Cao Jun had no choice but to fight to the death.

    Although the 500 elite Han troops were fierce, they were not many in number after all. Facing the dense siege of Cao Jun, they could not rush through for a while.

    The battle was still going on above and below the city. The ladders were overturned, and the siege soldiers were shot and fell into the city. Screams and roars were heard one after another. Arrows were also coming from the Han army below the city. Cao's troops continued to be hit by arrows and fell to the ground. The attack and defense of both sides were fierce.  The war has entered a fierce state.

    The real threat was still in the north city. Hundreds of climbing ladders were built up to the city. A steady stream of Han troops climbed up the city from the north. Cao Hong's eyes were red with anxiety. He turned around and shouted in a hissing voice: "Use kerosene! Fire!"  Oil blocks the enemy's path!"

    Hundreds of Cao Jun soldiers rushed up carrying barrels of kerosene and threw the barrels onto the city. The barrels shattered and black kerosene flowed all over the ground. At this time, rockets fired in unison, and the ground went 'boom!  ¡¯ The ground burned, flames flew, and in just a moment, the raging fire engulfed the road leading to Nancheng.

    But Cao Hong also understood in his heart that this was meaningless. At most, it could only buy a little time. If the Han army climbed to the top of the city, it meant that Wancheng was lost. He saw the black soldiers of the Han army running towards the city along the corridor.

    Knowing that the situation was over, he turned around and shouted: "Brothers, follow me and break out of the city!"

    Cao Hong rushed down to the city, got on his horse, and rushed out of the east city with more than two thousand defeated soldiers. They escaped from Wancheng, flew all the way, and gradually left Wancheng.

    As the south city gate slowly opened, the attacking Han army rushed into the city like a tide, leaving behind a pile of corpses on the ground and nearly a hundred broken siege ladders. The Han army's attack finally ended.

    This battle lasted for nearly an hour and a half. The Han army destroyed seventy siege ladders and killed more than a thousand people. Cao's army also suffered nearly three thousand casualties and countless surrenders.

    The top of the city began to get busy. Han soldiers quickly collected the bodies of the dead, carried the injured down on stretchers, and cleared the arrows on the city. Some soldiers repaired the city wall, escorted Cao's prisoners of war who had not escaped, and recovered the arrows.  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The bloody and tense battle was finally over. Wenpin felt that he was almost exhausted from exhaustion. Sweat soaked his inner and outer clothes and armor, and the armor became extremely heavy, hanging on him like a big stone.

    Wenpin sat on a big rock and looked far to the west with a focused expression. He didn't know whether Cao Jun's reinforcements would arrive at dawn.

    At this time, Pound hurriedly walked to Wenpin and whispered a few words. Wenpin was startled, stood up and said in surprise: "Is it true?"

    "It's true. He is in the city and has not escaped."

    Wenpin couldn't help being surprised and happy. Regardless of his physical fatigue, he asked Pang De to be responsible for arranging the city's defense. He walked quickly into the city. Several Han soldiers stood in front of Xun Yu's house and no one was allowed to approach.  This mansion was also the residence of the Deng family in Nanyang, and Xun Yu lived in the east courtyard.

    The door to the east courtyard was ajar, and an old housekeeper was poking his head to check the situation outside. At this time, Wenpin came galloping over on horseback, escorted by a group of soldiers.

    This was something Wenpin didn't expect. Xun Yu was actually in Wancheng, which made him surprised and happy. If Zhou Mu got this news, he didn't know how happy he would be. Wenpin got off his horse in front of the gate, and several gatekeepers  The soldiers quickly came forward to salute.

    Wenpin asked: "How is the situation in the mansion?"

    "Reporting to the general, the mansion is very quiet, no one comes in or out."

    Wenpin nodded, "You just need to guard the door, and you are not allowed to enter the house to harass me."

    "Follow your orders!"

    Wenpin walked quickly towards the gate. At this time, the housekeeper quickly bowed and saluted: "My master is not in good health. I hope the general will not disturb him."

    "I am Wenpin, the commander-in-chief of the Han army. I heard that Duke Xun was here, so I came here to pay my respects. I have no other ill intentions."

    "General, please wait a moment, I'll go report!"

    The old housekeeper hurried away. After a while, a young scribe came quickly. It was Xun Yu's youngest son Xun Jie, who was also Cao Hong's son-in-law. He had been with his father and stayed in Nanyang this time.  He walked to the door and saluted Wen Pin and said, "My father thanks General Wen for his concern. It's just that my father is unwell and cannot see General Wen. I hope the general will forgive me."

    Wenpin nodded. Xun Yu refused to see him, which was what he expected. He smiled and said, "Nanyang is very safe. Please rest in peace and recuperate. No one will come to harass him. If you need anything, please feel free to contact me."  Tell me, I will make arrangements."

    "Thank you, General!"

    Wenpin turned to leave, but saw that Xunjie was about to speak but hesitated, so he asked, "Master, is there anything difficult that you can do?"

    Xunjie bit his mouthLip, finally shook his head, "Nothing, General Wen, walk slowly!"

    He bowed and turned around to go back to his house. Wenpin watched him go away with some doubts in his heart. He felt that Xun Yu's son must have something to do with him.

    At this moment, a middle-aged man who looked like a butler hurried over and saluted Wenpin, "General Wen, my master is here to invite you."

    Wenpin was startled, "Who is your master?"

    "My master is Deng Zhizhong from Jingzhou in the past. General Wen should know him."

    Wenpin was overjoyed. It turned out to be Deng Yi. Why had he forgotten him? He secretly blamed himself and said quickly: "Take me to see your master quickly."

    Wenpin knew that Deng Yi was a pro-Jiangxia faction and secretly helped Zhou Mu a lot. After Zhou Mu occupied Jingzhou, he invited him to serve in Jingzhou several times. Deng Yi never came because of a stroke, which made Zhou Mu feel quite disappointed.  Pity.

    To take Nanyang by himself, he needed a prominent family like the Deng family in Nanyang to come forward to appease the people. Deng Yi was undoubtedly the best candidate, and Deng Yi was no less important than Xun Yu.

    Wenpin followed the housekeeper and walked quickly towards the main gate.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 675 Beating the Reinforcements

    In the courtyard, Deng Yi sat on a light bamboo couch, held his hands to Wenpin and said with a smile: "Zhongye, I haven't seen you for many years."

    At that time, Deng Yi was appointed as the governor of Jingzhou and was in charge of Jingzhou's money and food. He was one of the most powerful figures in Jingzhou, second only to Cai Mao and Kuai Yue. As one of the main generals in Jingzhou, Wenpin was of course familiar with him. He quickly saluted and said, "The army is attacking the city."  , which shocked Mr. Deng.¡±

    "It doesn't matter, Zhongye is busy with military affairs, and I still bother him. I should be the one to apologize."

    The two apologized to each other and couldn't help laughing. Deng Yi waved his hand and said, "General, please sit down in the room!"

    The two family members stepped forward, lifted up the bamboo couch, and walked into the house. Wenpin followed beside him and asked with concern: "Is there nothing that can be done about Mr. Deng's legs?"

    "I have been paralyzed for five or six years, and there is no hope of recovery. However, apart from the inconvenience of my legs and feet, my body is still healthy, and the impact is not big."

    Wenpin nodded silently, "Zhou Mu has always wanted to invite Mr. Deng to return to Jingzhou. It is because of Mr. Deng's legs and feet that it is a pity. This is also Jingzhou's loss."

    The two of them went into the house and sat down. Deng Yi ordered his family to serve tea, and then he smiled at Wenpin and said, "Although I can't serve Jingzhou, I can make up for my regret by being an official in Nanjun."

    After Deng Yi's son Deng Hong participated in the public examination of scholars in Jingzhou and was admitted, he was appointed as the chief registrar of Huarong County. Deng Yi was very pleased. Wenpin smiled and said: "The state pastor also told me that there are several scholars in this group.  Excellent people, like Xun Zhi, Cui Shi, Zhang Xi, and your son, are said to be hard-working, devoted to the people, honest and honest, and their future is limitless."

    Deng Yi stroked his beard and nodded, "He is doing well in Huarong County now. He wrote to me and said that he is busy every day and has a fulfilling life. I have warned him more than once that the future of being an official lies in establishing reputation, and reputation comes from  People's reputation, as long as he is willing to do practical things for the people, he will naturally have reputation. With reputation, he will have the opportunity to move up. This is the way I used to be an official, Zhongye, wasn't that what Jingsheng was like back then? "

    Both of them laughed, and Wenpin sighed: "When it comes to grand plans and great achievements, Jing Sheng is far behind Zhou Mu now. Back then, Jing Sheng was afraid of Cao Cao like a tiger, but now it's the other way around. After all, Jing Sheng's  My ambition and ambition are still a little bit behind, far less than Zhou Mu¡¯s talent and sagacity. I¡¯m lucky that I, Wenpin, can follow such a master!¡±

    "Yes! He was different back then. I also saw that the two young masters, Qi and Cong, were mediocre people and could not take on the responsibility of revitalizing Jingzhou, so I finally supported Mr. Jing, but I did not expect that Mr. Jing could actually go like this.  Yuan, now I am paying attention to whether he can win Guan Long. Once he wins Guan Long, the hope of winning the world will be greatly increased. "

    ¡°I¡¯m also looking forward to that day!¡±

    The two of them talked about each other for a moment, then Wenpin turned the topic to Xun Yu and asked in a deep voice: "Does Mr. Deng think that Xun Lingjun may switch to work for us?"

    Deng Yi smiled slightly and said, "Both Xun Yu and Xun You are staunch defenders of the Han Dynasty. Cao Cao established the Wei Kingdom and accepted Jiuxi, which has already shown Wang Mang's cuteness. All those who support the Han in the world are filled with righteous indignation. This is why Jingzhou's open recruitment of scholars can  Because of the great success, Xun's uncle and nephew are actually no exception. It's just that Xun You is reserved and Xun Yu is upright.  He was also very disappointed. He told me personally that without Liu Jing, the Han Dynasty would have been destroyed by Jin Shang. "

    "What Mr. Deng means is that he is willing to serve the state pastor?"

    Deng Yi shook his head, "He will serve the Han Dynasty, but he will not fight against Cao Cao for Master Jing. Cao Cao has a deep kindness to him. No matter how much he resents Cao Cao, he will not become his enemy. However, Master Jing can win over Xun Yu."  , be friends with him and discuss some strategies for governing the country, I think Xun Lingjun will be very willing to contribute. "

    Speaking of wooing, this reminded Wenpin of Xun Jie's attitude just now. He quickly asked: "I saw Xun Lingjun's son just now. He said that his father was not in good health and could not see me, but he felt that he seemed to have something to say.  I said, I don¡¯t know why?¡±

    Deng Yi smiled slightly, "Xun Yu is indeed ill and has not recovered. Xun Jie also came to me, hoping to ask Zhang Zhongjing to treat his father's illness. However, due to Cao Cao's invasion of the south, Zhang Ji and his family hid in Nanjun. I guess Xun Yu  That¡¯s what Jie means.¡±

    Wenpin suddenly realized. He pondered for a moment and said: "It's not a big problem to ask Zhang Ji to treat his illness. It's just that Duke Deng thinks Xun Lingjun will go to Nanjun?"

    "No, at least within a year, he will not leave Wancheng for half a step."

    Wenpin sighed and said, "In this case, we have to ask Zhong Jing to go north, but only Zhou Mu has the face. I will immediately write to Zhou Mu and report to Zhou Mu, asking Mr. Deng to take more care of Xun Lingjun."

    "This is natural!"

    At this time, Wenpin stood up to leave, and Deng Yi reminded Wenpin: "I guess Cao Cao will not let Xun Lingjun go, and I hope Zhongye will send troops to protect him."??We cannot let him be plotted by Cao Cao.  "

    This sentence immediately reminded Wenpin, and he quickly handed over his hand, "I understand, thank you Mr. Deng for reminding me!"

    Back on the city, it was already dawn, and a ray of morning glow shot out from the clouds in the eastern sky, dyeing the entire Wancheng into gold. Wenpin looked at the morning glow, and couldn't help but feel excited. At this time, Pang De hurriedly found Wenpin  , whispered: "I just received a message from the scout's flying pigeon. Cao Jun's cavalry has entered Nanyang, about five thousand cavalry, and the leader seems to be Cao Chun."

    Wenpin nodded, as expected, he pondered for a moment and then asked: "Can the defeated soldiers in the city be cleaned up?"

    For the Han army, the top priority is to clean up Cao Jun hiding in the city, prevent them from cooperating inside and outside, and receive Cao Jun's cavalry into the city. Pang De nodded, "We searched the whole city and captured more than 600 Cao Jun hiding in the city. Now even if  Since Cao¡¯s army has not been found and there are no more than a hundred men, it is not a big problem. I think we should prevent the enemy¡¯s cavalry from moving south. "

    Wenpin was startled, "Ling Ming, what do you mean?"

    "The enemy is cavalry, so they will definitely not be able to capture Wancheng, but they can't explain it to Cao Cao, so I feel that they will go south to Xinye and Fancheng, especially when Fancheng is rebuilding the city, tens of thousands of people are working, and Xinye is dredging ditches and water conservancy projects  , and there are many of them. Once Cao¡¯s cavalry kills them, the consequences will be disastrous.¡±

    Wenpin nodded, "You are right, we must deal with this danger."

    Wenpin also laughed. He understood what Pound meant and said, "I will give you three thousand people, and I will leave this matter to you."

    Pang De was overjoyed and bowed: "I will not disappoint the governor in my humble position!"

    A quarter of an hour later, Pang De led 3,000 people to rush out of Wancheng and rushed south.

    Cao Chun's five thousand cavalry arrived at Wancheng at noon. In the distance, only dust was flying, and the earth shook like thunder. The five thousand cavalry came overwhelmingly, making the sky and the earth change color. In a moment, the army reached the city, and Cao Chun  Chun led five thousand cavalry to rush day and night, and arrived at Wancheng in just two days and one night. However, they were still a step too late, and Wancheng had been lost last night.

    Cao Chun was extremely upset and secretly hated Cao Hong for his incompetence. He knew that the Prime Minister would send reinforcements, but he could not hold out for the last night. However, Cao Hong had already fled to Xuchang.  The river was filled with soil, but when the cavalry had just approached the moat, arrows were fired from the city, like a rain of arrows. Cao's troops were hit by arrows and fell from their horses, killing and wounding hundreds of people.

    Cao Chun had no choice but to retreat out of range. At this time, Cao Zhen stepped forward and suggested: "Since Wancheng cannot be captured, why don't we go south to Jingzhou and rush into the rear of the Han army. When the Han army divides its forces to rescue us, we can just fight.  Annihilation, at least I can explain it to the Prime Minister."

    Cao Chun thought for a moment and decided that this was all he could do. He immediately ordered, "The army goes south to Jingzhou!"

    Five thousand cavalry turned their horses and swept towards the south like a strong wind. After a while, they disappeared into the distance. Wenpin watched Cao's cavalry go away from the city. He was filled with worry. Can Pound stop it?

    Cao Chun¡¯s army went south all the way, but did not encounter a single farmer. Many fortifications were half-built, and it was obvious that they were evacuating in a hurry. This shows that enemy troops had already moved south first and notified the villagers to evacuate.

    In the afternoon, Cao Chun led five thousand cavalry to Fancheng. At this time, Fancheng was also empty. The city was halfway rebuilt, and the craftsmen and civilians had all fled. Cao Chun had a gloomy face, pointed with his riding whip at a craftsmen's tent not far away and said:  "Burn it for me!"

    Several cavalrymen lit torches and rushed forward to burn the tents. Many cavalrymen rushed into the city and doused the half-repaired houses with kerosene and set them on fire. After a while, hundreds of tents were engulfed in raging fire, and Fancheng was also  Thick smoke billowed and black smoke covered the sky.

    Cao Chun couldn't find a target to vent his anger on, so he finally had to turn around and head north. They went all the way north along Bishui, burning houses and destroying things when they saw it. When it was getting dark, the cavalry arrived at Hekou Town, which is Feishui.  Where the Hebi River meets the Bishui River, the town back then was already deserted, and the weeds were taller than the people.

    At this time, a cavalryman rushed to report, "A fleet of about a hundred ships was spotted ahead. They seemed to be fully loaded with cargo and were heading south."

    Cao Chun was overjoyed and finally gained something. He ordered: "Come forward and welcome us!"

    Thousands of cavalry rushed northward, and after running for several miles, they saw a fleet of boats heading south from a distance, with two boatmen on each boat. Cao Chun rushed up and shouted: "Stop the boats!"

    A boatman on the bow said tremblingly: "General, this is a cargo ship, going to Wuchang, there is no contraband."

    "The fleet is docking!"

    Cao Jun shouted fiercely, and the fleet had no choice but to slowly approach the shore. Cao Jun's cavalry dismounted one after another and approached them. Cao Chun also dismounted and walked quickly to the shore, preparing to harvest these merchants.??, for Cao Chun, not only did he want to give an explanation to the prime minister, but he also wanted to gain something for his brothers. This merchant ship came at just the right time.

    At this moment, the head boatman¡¯s expression changed and he rang the big bell on the bow vigorously.

    'when!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The bell sounded loudly, and the bell was the signal. The covers on the boat canopy were raised one after another, and countless crossbow arrows were fired towards the shore. The stormy crossbow arrows were fired at Cao Jun¡¯s cavalry dozens of steps away.

    The cavalrymen all dismounted and were unprepared. They were shot down in large areas and screamed. Even Cao Chun was caught off guard. He was hit by three arrows, one of which hit Cao Chun's chest. Cao Chun shouted,  He fell on his back. The sudden attack caused Cao Chun's army to panic. They turned their horses and ran towards the distance. A dozen soldiers carried Cao Chun away with shields.

    At this time, thousands of Han soldiers appeared on the ship, each holding a crossbow. The general at the head was Pang De. He shot an arrow into the chest of the enemy general. When Pang De saw that Cao's cavalry had withdrawn a hundred steps away,  , couldn't help but sneer and said: "Go back to Chang'an, otherwise the whole army will be annihilated in Nanyang!"

    Cao Jun¡¯s cavalry did not attack. They were waiting for the general¡¯s order. Cao Zhen held Cao Chun¡¯s hand and shouted: ¡°Uncle, wake up!¡±

    Cao Chun was shot through the chest by an arrow from Pang De. He was seriously injured and could no longer survive. He opened his eyes slightly and said in a weak voice: "Send meorder to withdraw the troops immediately and return to Chang'an!"

    After the words fell and he couldn't take a breath, Cao Chun closed his eyes and passed away. The tiger and leopard general died unexpectedly in Nanyang.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 676 Cao Cao¡¯s Loss

    News of the fall of Nanyang and the death of Cao Chun in the Feishui River reached Chang'an. First, Xia Houyuan was killed in Qishan, and then Cao Chun died. They were all close relatives of Cao Cao and his most trusted right-hand man.

    And Nanyang is the gate to the Central Plains. The fall of Nanyang means that the gate to the Central Plains is wide open. A series of heavy blows made Cao Cao unable to bear it anymore, and finally fell ill.

    Counselor Dong Zhao came to the door of the ward worriedly, and saw Xu Chu standing in front of the door. He waved to Xu Chu, and the two walked aside.

    "How is the prime minister's condition?" Dong Zhao asked in a low voice.

    Dong Zhao was originally Yuan Shao's counselor. He defected to Cao Cao because he was jealous of Yuan Shao. He was deeply trusted by Cao Cao. However, he mainly dealt with internal affairs rather than external affairs, so he was not as famous as Guo Jia and Xun Yu. However, he participated in many major political events.  Dong Zhao made plans, such as welcoming the Han Emperor to Xuchang, Cao Cao becoming the Duke of Wei, accepting Jiuxi, etc. These were all Dong Zhao's suggestions, and his opinions were deeply valued by Cao Cao.

    Xu Chu naturally knew this. He shook his head and said: "After the Battle of Chibi, the Prime Minister's body began to decline. Every year was worse than the previous year. He was deeply saddened by the death of Miaocai last time, and he was depressed and could not reduce his emissions.  , General Cao Chun was killed this time, and he can no longer withstand the blow. Sir, I am really worried. "

    "What did the military doctor say?"

    "The military doctor said that the Prime Minister is weak and seriously ill. The physical illness can be cured, but the mental illness is difficult to treat."

    Dong Zhao nodded silently, "Let me go and persuade the Prime Minister!"

    Dong Zhao entered Cao Cao's ward. The brazier was lit in the ward, which was very warm. However, the curtains were half-opened and the light was slightly dim. Cao Zhi stood aside with his hands hanging. Two concubines were serving Cao Cao to drink medicine. Cao Cao wore a white scarf on his head and wore a  He was wearing a wide robe, his face was pale, and his complexion was very bad. When he saw Dong Zhao coming in, he smiled and nodded, "Gongren is here."

    Dong Zhao bowed and saluted, "The humble minister has come to visit the Prime Minister!"

    "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Gongren."

    Cao Cao said to Cao Zhi again: "My son invites Mr. Dong to sit down on behalf of his father."

    Cao Zhi quickly stepped forward and saluted, "Sir, please sit down!"

    Dong Zhao smiled and nodded, and sat down next to him. Cao Cao said to the two concubines, "You guys, please step back!"

    The two concubines slowly retreated, and Cao Cao winked at Cao Zhi again. Cao Zhi understood, bowed to Dong Zhao, and then retreated. After they all left, Cao Cao sighed: "Gongren, I'm afraid I  It can¡¯t last long.¡±

    Dong Zhao was so frightened that he knelt down and kowtowed: "Prime Minister, you must not say this. Please take care of yourself!"

    Cao Cao smiled bitterly, "I know my own body well, and I often fall ill. But this time it was serious. I even felt that my life was about to pass away. Gongren, this feeling makes me sad."

    Dong Zhao gritted his teeth and said, "The Prime Minister is not suffering from a physical problem, but a mental illness. When the mental illness is gone, the Prime Minister will be healthier than anyone else."

    "This is right to the core."

    Cao Cao sighed softly, "My heart disease is Liu Jing, but the root cause of this disease is not easy to get rid of!"

    Dong Zhao was silent. He really couldn't answer this question. Cao Cao looked at him for a long time and asked: "Tell me the truth, what do you think of Liu Jing's capture of Longxi?"

    Dong Zhao lowered his head, shook his head again and said, "It's hard to say to a minor minister."

    "It's hard to say but I have to say it. I want to hear the truth."

    "In my humble opinion, the Prime Minister should not go to Longxi."

    This was a very subtle hint to Cao Cao that Longxi might not be saved. Cao Cao understood his hint and was silent for a moment and asked: "Why did you say that?"

    "Prime Minister, think about it. Liu Jing has been attacking Longxi for almost three years. He has been more successful every time. The food problem that most affected his northern expedition has been solved. Now that he has captured Shangfang Valley and marched into the Weishui River, it is only a matter of time before he captures Ji County.  The problem."

    Cao Cao felt sad. He sighed and said, "I let this man go because of a thought, but now he has become my gravedigger. This is God's arrangement and my destiny."

    "When the Prime Minister is unwell, he will naturally feel a lot of pressure. When the Prime Minister is healthy, Liu Jing's threat will be nothing at that time, and the Prime Minister no longer has to worry about the past."

    "Maybe you are right."

    Cao Cao remembered something and pondered for a moment and said: "Last time Gongren persuaded me to join the King of Wei, I have been thinking about it repeatedly during this period. I feel that it is not urgent to join the King of Wei. It is urgent to determine the prince first. I want to hear Gongren's opinion.  ¡±

    Dong Zhao's heart skipped a beat. How should he answer this question? From the bottom of his heart, he supported Cao Zhi. Cao Zhi was kind and generous to others, not as mean and vicious as Cao Pi. However, Cao Pi clearly had the upper hand in the fight for the crown prince. The prime minister had already  Making him deputy prime minister and in charge of government affairs is actuallyHe had entrusted the State of Wei to him. If Dong Zhao were to express his stance at this time, wouldn't it be like putting him on the fire?

    Cao Cao smiled and said, "I've also heard people say that Gongren is more supportive of Zhi'er. Why, have you changed your mind now?"

    "Weichen does support Mr. Zhi, but Mr. Zhi is inexperienced. This is his obvious weakness. For this reason, many people"

    Before Dong Zhao could finish speaking, Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "I know he is inexperienced and this is not a big problem. I just want to know why you support the third son instead of the eldest son."

    Dong Zhao actually heard from Cao Cao that "the problem is not big due to lack of experience", which made Dong Zhao suddenly see a glimmer of hope. From Cao Cao's tone, it seemed that Mr. Zhi might also inherit the position of the crown prince, so he cautiously said: "Wei Wei  I support Mr. Zhi because he is generous and kind."

    "You mean, the eldest son is not generous or virtuous enough, right?"

    Dong Zhao didn't speak, which meant that he acquiesced to Cao Cao's intention. Cao Pi was not only not generous and kind, but also vicious and vicious. Cao Cao nodded, "I understand what Gongren means, please stand down!"

    "Wei Chen resigns!"

    Dong Zhao stood up and slowly retreated. Cao Cao lay down again. At this time, Cao Zhi walked in again and asked with concern: "Father, do you want to rest?"

    "Zhi'er, regarding fatherhood, if my father passes away one day and leaves Wei State to you, how are you going to deal with Liu Jing?"

    Cao Zhi was so frightened that he knelt down, "Why did father say this?"

    Cao Cao said impatiently: "People always have to die. Liu Jing is thirty years younger than me, so he will naturally die behind me. Let me ask you, if you were the lord of Wei, how would you deal with him?"

    "My child is not good at military affairs, but my child can use names to generalize famous ministers, such as Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Zhang He, Xun You, Dong Zhao and other ministers, and give them full power."

    Cao Cao half stood up again, looked at Cao Zhi sharply and asked, "How do you know they are reliable? They are all outsiders. If they surrender to Liu Jing for the benefit of their own family, wouldn't the hundreds of thousands of troops be completely destroyed?"  "

    Cao Zhi bit his lip and said again: "Children treat each other with sincerity and heart-to-heart. I believe they will not betray, just like my father trusted Military Advisor Xun."

    Cao Cao stared at Cao Zhi for a long time, then slowly lay down, "Father, I want to sleep for a while, please step back!"

    Cao Zhi retreated. Cao Cao stared at the roof for a long time, and then took out a letter from the jade box next to him. This was an express letter sent by Xiahou Dun today. Cao Cao slowly opened the letter and saw that it read: "Xun You has not communicated with Xun You."  There are letters exchanged between Xun You, and all the troops and troops deployed are known to him one by one. There is nothing wrong for the time being. From the current point of view, Xun You has no different intentions.  £®  £®  £®  £®  ¡¯

    Cao Cao slowly closed his eyes, his heart filled with incomparable loss.

    Three days later, Cao Cao ordered Cao Ren to lead 50,000 troops to garrison Wuguan, and appointed Cao Zhi as the general to conquer the west. He was stationed in Guanzhong and ordered Dong Zhao and Zhong Yao to assist him. While his illness was getting better, he set off for Xuchang. Nanyang fell, threatening  The biggest one was Xuchang. Cao Cao could not take into account the situation in Longxi and went to Xuchang himself to take charge.

    Liu Jing had returned to Chengdu a month ago. The Han army was divided into two groups, one led by Zhao Yun and stationed in Shanggui City with 40,000 troops, and the other led by Huang Zhong and led by 80,000 troops stationed in Qibei Fort.

    Time has gradually arrived in December, which is the coldest time of the year. There have been two consecutive heavy snowfalls in Longxi, and the Wei River has frozen. There is a world of ice and snow between heaven and earth. The war has stopped. The armies of both sides are waiting in the cold winter, waiting for the spring of next year.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Winter turns to spring, and time gradually arrives in the spring of the 18th year of Jian'an. The mountains are thawing, the ice and snow are melting, streams are gurgling everywhere, birds are singing and flowers are fragrant, creating a vibrant scene. But for Jicheng, the arrival of spring means a new battle.  About to open.

    In the military yamen, a soldier walked into the room cautiously with a letter, and gently pushed Xun You who was sleeping on the desk, "Military advisor, wake up!"

    Xun You sat up and the blanket on his body fell to the ground. He quickly grabbed it and asked tiredly: "What time is it?"

    ¡°Military advisor, it¡¯s already dawn.¡±

    Xun You nodded, and it was already dawn. He felt a pain in his head, so he stood up and stretched, and then opened the window. Suddenly, a large amount of sunlight poured into the room, and a fresh and cold air hit his face.  Xun You's spirit was lifted.

    "Military advisor, I have your letter!" the soldier reminded him.

    Xun You then noticed a letter on the table. He walked over and picked it up, and was stunned. It turned out to be a letter from Xun Jie. He waved his hand and said, "Stand back!"

    The soldier lit the brazier and retreated. Xun You then opened the letter and read it carefully. His brows gradually wrinkled. The letter said that the father and son were in Wancheng, and his father??Xun Yu received treatment from the famous doctor Zhang Zhongjing, and his health gradually improved. Some of the problems he had suffered for many years were gradually eliminated, so he should not worry about it.

    Although it was just a trivial matter, Xun You still read a lot of profound meaning from it. Wancheng had been occupied by the Han army and became part of Jingzhou. Why didn't Xun Yu leave?  The letter said that they also went to Xiangyang to visit old friends in Longzhong, which showed that Xun Yu was not restricted in his freedom, but that he did not want to leave Wancheng.

    " Moreover, Zhang Ji is the master of medicine in Nanjun. He has to teach thousands of disciples and is very busy. Without Liu Jing's face, how could Zhang Ji make a special trip to Wancheng to treat Xun Yu.

    Xun You put down the letter, and he was really worried. He knew that Xun Zhi went to Xiangyang to take the exam and was admitted as an official. This matter had Xun Yu's tacit approval in advance. Xun Yu had already begun to favor Liu Jing. Of course, Xun You knew why his uncle did what he did.  Such a choice really showed that he was disappointed with Liu Xie and was counting on Liu Jing to revive the Han Dynasty.

    In fact, this is what makes Xun You miserable. He was also loyal to the Han Dynasty. He clearly knew that Liu Jing wanted to revive the Han Dynasty. He also clearly knew that Cao Cao had accepted Jiuxi and established the Wei Kingdom, so he already had the intention to succeed the Han Dynasty. This was another reason for him  The reality that must not be accepted is that Cao Cao has not yet been crowned King of Wei, and he still has the last bit of integrity left, which makes him have illusions.

    At the same time, because of Cao Cao's kindness to him for many years, he still helped Cao Cao deal with Liu Jing who revived the Han Dynasty. This kind of behavior that went against his inner wishes really made him deeply painful and often unable to sleep.

    Xun You read Xun Jie's letter again. He believed that this letter had Xun Yu's tacit approval. It was actually a hint from Xun Yu to him. Of course, Xun Yu did not come to persuade him because he surrendered to Liu Jing. He believed  Xun Yu's integrity meant that he would not surrender to Liu Jing. If he had surrendered to Liu Jing, he would be in Yizhou now, not Wancheng.

    He hinted to himself that he just hoped that he could stick to the principle of loyalty to the Han Dynasty, but Xun You couldn't help but show a wry smile and asked him to choose whatever he wanted. Did he lose the war on purpose?  How can it be.

    At this time, there was a rush of footsteps outside the door, and then someone asked: "Is the military advisor here?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 677 Fatal Weakness

    Xun You heard that it was Xiahou Dun's voice, and he quickly put the letter away. Although he felt no guilt, he still didn't want to have too many explanations. At this time, Xiahou Dun walked to the door and said, "Commander, can I come in?"

    "General Xiahou, please come in!"

    Xiahou Dun walked in quickly, clasped his fists and said, "Military advisor, I just got the news that the Han army has withdrawn their camp."

    Xun You was shocked. He quickly walked to the sand table and took a closer look at Qibei Fort, fifty miles away, where the Han army was stationed. The Han army had been stationed here for a winter. Setting up camp now meant the spring offensive.  It was about to start. In fact, throughout the whole winter, the Han army did not launch an offensive against Jicheng, and the two sides continued to face off for more than three months.

    "Is there any news from Linwei County?" Xun You asked again.

    Linwei County is where Xu Huang and Yu Jin garrisoned. The two of them led 20,000 troops and were stationed in Linwei County. They faced off against Zhao Yun's army in Shanggui County. Xun You actually wanted to know the situation of the Han army in Shanggui. If Zhao Yun  There is also movement, so the Han army must launch a full-scale attack.

    Xiahou Dun shook his head, "There is no news from there yet."

    Xun You pondered for a moment and said: "It is now the 18th year of Jian'an, and Liu Jing has been on the Northern Expedition for three full years. He will not wait any longer. He will go all out in this battle. If we can completely defeat him in this battle, then  Liu Jing will not march north again for five years. If we lose this battle, then the entire Guanlong will be in danger. I hope General Xiahou can understand the importance of this battle. "

    Xiahou Dun nodded silently, "I will try my best!"

    Xiahou Dun left Xun You's palace and just walked into the courtyard when a guard quickly followed him and whispered to him: "General, I have something to report."

    Xiahou Dun walked out of the courtyard expressionlessly, and then he stopped. The guard followed him and said, "This morning, the military advisor received a letter. It was sent from Wancheng. It seemed to be a letter from Xun Jie."

    Xiahou Dun nodded, "I understand, go ahead!"

    After the guards left, Xiahou Dun sighed softly. He knew that the Prime Minister was also suspicious of Xun You because of Xun Yu's incident, but Xun You did go all out. He boosted morale and strengthened the city's defenses for a whole winter, without even a day's work.  Although he was slack, Xun You was still loyal to the prime minister, and he, Xiahou Dun, could not open his eyes and tell lies.

    At this moment, a soldier rushed over and reported urgently: "General, the vanguard of the Han army has arrived!"

    Xiahou Dun was shocked and rushed to the city. He saw an army coming from outside the city, about five to six thousand people, led by a general on a white horse. He was holding a spear, wearing a silver helmet and a soap robe. He was majestic. He was none other than the famous general Ma Chao.  He was shouting and cursing at the gate of the city.

    The officers and soldiers of Cao's army were so embarrassed that he couldn't bear the scolding. General Yin Shu stepped forward and asked Xiahou Dun to fight, "General, I am willing to fight Ma Chao!"

    Xiahou Dun glared at him fiercely and scolded: "Do you think you are better than Xu Huchi and can defeat Ma Chao? If you lose and damage my morale, will you bear the responsibility?"

    The Yin bureau retreated with a face full of shame, and Xiahou Dun said angrily: "Pass my order, no one is allowed to go into battle, just shoot random arrows at the enemy!"

    Suddenly arrows were fired from the city, and Ma Chao led his troops to retreat. At this time, Xun You also hurried over after hearing the news, and said to Xiahou Dun: "No one is allowed to leave the city to fight!"

    "I understand, I have ordered that no one is allowed to fight."

    Xun You nodded. He walked to the battlements and stared at the Han army in the distance. He looked at the bottom of the city and shook his head slightly. Xiahou Dun was a little worried and asked, "Does the military advisor think there is anything wrong?"

    Xun You sighed, "I'm very worried about the soil beneath Jicheng. It's too loose and doesn't even have a moat. Once the Han army digs into the city, it may cause the city to collapse. This is the biggest weakness of Jicheng and what I'm most worried about."  ¡±

    "But didn't we reinforce the foundation with bluestone?"

    "That's just a measure of rights and interests. It treats the symptoms but not the root cause. Hey! Forget it, let's do our best to defend!"

    Xun You stopped mentioning the matter and said to Xiahou Dun: "From now on, the number of patrols will be increased from 10,000 to 20,000 every day. Patrols will be conducted day and night for twelve hours, especially at night. No one is allowed to sleep lazily. Anyone who disobeys the order will be punished according to military law!  "

    In the afternoon, the main force of the Han army finally arrived at Jicheng. There were 100,000 troops, marching toward Jicheng along the official road. Flags were overwhelming, people and horses were endless, and the carriages and baggage were invisible at a glance. In front of the team,  Liu Jing rode on his horse and compared the map in his hand with the real scenes on both sides of the official road. This was his first time in Jicheng, and everything around him was quite new.

    Jia Xu smiled at him and said: "The spring in Longyou is actually more moving than in the south. After experiencing the ice and snow in the winter, it feels more vibrant in the spring. Unlike the south, where it is green all year round, spring also feels very normal.  "

      "The military adviser is right, spring is the same everywhere, but the feelings are different."

    At this time, a soldier from the front shouted: "The bridge is over!"

    Liu Jing urged his horse forward. There was a small river in front of him. The water rose in spring, and the river doubled in width. The current was so fast that a small bridge collapsed. At this time, two thousand engineering soldiers rushed over and began to rebuild the bridge.  Liu Jing stared at the swollen river for a long time and said to Jia Xu: "Do you think Cao Jun will consider this issue?"

    Jia Xu smiled and said, "I believe Xun You will consider it, but he has no choice. Man cannot defeat heaven unless he does not choose Jicheng."

    "But he can strengthen the city and prevent the soil from being too loose."

    Jia Xu shook his head, "It's like if a person's body is too weak, it's meaningless to give him armor. This is not a problem that Xun You can solve."

    Liu Jing immediately looked at Jicheng in the distance and sighed softly: "I have been waiting for three full years. I hope that this time, God will not let me fail again."

    Soon, the engineering soldiers built three bridges, and the Han army crossed the river and continued to advance north. After a while, they arrived at the camp. The Han army scouts explored the terrain several times as early as winter and found a place.  The most ideal campsite.

    This place is located about ten miles east of Jicheng. It is a hilly area with a height of more than 30 feet. The hills are wide and flat, which is very suitable for camping. A pine forest grew up. Liu Jing immediately ordered the pine forest to be cut down for camping. After an hour, the area covered an area of ??hundreds of acres.  The pine forests were cut down, and the Han army set up camp on the hills.

    Liu Jing stood on the high ground of the hill with his hands behind his hands, looking down at Jicheng from a distance. From his position, he could clearly see the situation in Jicheng. There were no people, only groups of soldiers patrolling the streets, and no tents that could easily be set on fire.  , but a large military camp made of earth and rocks. It was very neat. It was obvious that Xun You had put a lot of effort into it.

    At this time, Huang Zhong stepped forward and saluted: "Zhou Mu, are you ready? When can we start?"

    Liu Jing looked at the sky, it was almost dusk, and said: "The army can set off. After dark, we will send the army to take action!"

    At night, Xun You stood on the top of the city and stared at the Han army's camp on the hill. The camp was dimly lit and he could see it very clearly. He was surprised that the Han army was actually camping on the hill. He knew the pine forest.  There is no water source on the hill. Once his army surrounds the hill, the Han army will be defeated without a fight. How could Liu Jing make such a low-level mistake?

    Xun You suspected that he had made a mistake, so he immediately called for two sentries and asked: "Is there any water source on the hill where the Han army camped?"

    "To inform the military advisor, there is indeed no water source. We dug on the hill and found no water even after digging two feet deep."

    ¡°That¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    At this time, Xun You suddenly remembered something and suddenly broke into a cold sweat. He asked anxiously: "Please ask General Xiahou to come see me quickly?"

    The soldiers ran down. Xun You held on to the battlements again and looked nervously at the bottom of the city. He already understood Liu Jing's intention. Liu Jing had found the biggest weakness of Jicheng, and they would encounter a catastrophe.

    Not long after, Xiahou Dun hurried over and asked, "Military advisor, what happened?"

    "General Xiahou, quickly order all soldiers to put earth bags into the city and besiege the city from the inside. Go quickly, it will be too late if it is later."

    Xiahou Dun was confused. He scratched his head and asked, "Military advisor, what happened, can you tell me clearly?"

    "The Han army is going to dig up the Wei River and flood the city."

    Xiahou Dun's face turned pale. Jicheng happened to be in a low-lying area. What would happen if the Wei River flooded the city?  He quickly said: "Otherwise, we will evacuate immediately."

    "It's too late! We can only save ourselves, go quickly!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, Xun You suddenly heard a muffled thunderous sound coming from the north. The earth was shaking and he saw countless animals running away desperately.  The white line is rushing towards this side.

    Xun You's face turned pale. This was the coming of a flood. When he looked through the county annals of Hebei County, he found that from the Qin and Han Dynasties to the present, there had been five major floods in Hebei County, all of which occurred in spring. The Wei River burst its banks and flooded the city.  The most recent one was forty years ago.

    And now, the flood came again, but this time the Han army dug up the Weishui River embankment and released the flood to submerge the city of Hebei. Xun You felt that all his thoughts were in despair. He had worked hard to prepare the defense for more than a year.  So it has lost its usefulness.

    Cao Jun on the top of the city had discovered something unusual. They were shouting and shouting, and the alarm bells were ringing. The flood came very fast, and it covered the city in an instant and continued to rush south.

    There was already a panic in the city. Flood poured into the city through the gaps in the four city gates. Tens of thousands of soldiers rushed to the city gate carrying sacks filled with soil to block the water leakage.

    It¡¯s the spring flood season, the Wei River surged. Once the embankment burst, white waves suddenly surged into the sky. The water rose rapidly. An hour later, the floods did not pass the city gate. The water in the city was up to people's waists. Most of the houses in the city were made of rammed earth and could not withstand blisters.  Soon it began to collapse, and Cao's soldiers climbed up to the top of the city, crying and shouting.

    The city was crowded with tens of thousands of Cao soldiers, and cries and screams could be heard one after another. Xun You looked at the vast expanse outside the city, and his heart felt as if he was sinking into an abyss. This was his responsibility. When he read the county annals, he knew how many times Jicheng had been destroyed.  The floods submerged him, but he did not expect that Liu Jing would also dig up the Weishui River and flood Jicheng again.

    At this time, Xiahou Dun stepped forward and said with a heavy heart: "We have grabbed several thousand stones of food, and maybe we can carry some more. How long does the military advisor think the flood will last?"

    Xun You shook his head, "Jicheng happens to be a depression. If the Han army can block the gap in time, maybe the water will recede in three to five days. Otherwise, the flood will form a lake here, and we will all have to feed fish and shrimps."

    Xiahou Dun was angry in his heart. The Han army wanted to flood Jicheng, so how could they block the breach? Seeing Xun You hesitate to speak, he suddenly understood, "Does the military advisor mean that if we surrender, the Han army will block the breach?"  ?¡±

    Xun You nodded, "There is no other way besides this!"

    Xiahou Dun suddenly turned pale, and for a long time he said, "If the military advisor wants to surrender, I won't stop you, but I will surrender only if I die!"

    He turned around and left quickly. Xun You looked at his back and shook his head gently. If Liu Jing allowed them to surrender, it would already be a form of forgiveness.

    At this moment, a soldier shouted: "The city has collapsed!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 678 Flooded Jicheng

    Xun You looked back and saw that a section of the city wall collapsed in the northwest corner, and a huge flood surged in. Hundreds of soldiers standing in the northwest corner were unable to escape and fell into the city, and were instantly swallowed up by the flood.

    Xun You stood up slowly. This was what he was most worried about. There was a warehouse in the northwest corner, which involved the transportation of a large amount of materials. There was no time to reinforce the foundation, and the soil under the city was loose. He was worried about whether the city wall there could withstand the impact of the flood. What was the situation?  It was worse than he imagined. Less than two hours later, the city wall collapsed.

    The entire city wall fell silent. Tens of thousands of soldiers watched silently as the floods rushed into the city. Houses collapsed, warehouses were washed away, and tens of thousands of stones of grain were submerged in the flood. Thousands of soldiers who were carrying grains ran towards the city head desperately.  , shouting in fear, many people could not run and were swallowed up by the flood. Death was so close to them. Many young soldiers squatted down, covering their faces and crying silently.

    Xun You's heart was like a heavy boulder. He had never been so confused and stressed in his life. At this time, Xun You looked east and could clearly see the Han army's camp on the hill.  Injury, I wonder what Liu Jing would think when he saw this scene in front of him?

    At this time, Liu Jing was standing on the hill, with hundreds of generals behind him. He put his hands behind his hands and silently watched the floods below the mountain, watching the floods besieging Ji County. This was Jia Xu's plan. As early as last winter, he knew that Ji County was under siege.  The biggest weakness of the city is actually not the loose soil, but the fact that it is located in the Weishui River depression. Once the spring floods come, Jicheng will face a great threat.

    "How did the military advisor know there would be floods this year?" Liu Jing turned around and asked Jia Xu curiously.

    Jia Xu smiled and said, "I am from Longyou, and I know the climate and geography of this area well. Forty years ago, I encountered a flood in Jicheng. Half of the people in the county died in the flood. I remember it very well.  Clearly, that's because there has been a drought in Hebei City for three consecutive years. A long drought will inevitably lead to floods. That winter, the snow in Longyou was particularly heavy. It was the same this time. There were three consecutive years of drought. As a result, there were four consecutive heavy snowfalls this winter. The Weishui River  It will inevitably surge, and with just a little guidance, it will cause huge floods.¡±

    At this time, Pang Tong said worriedly: "But if this happens, the entire Weishui River Valley will be affected."

    "It's not all, but within a radius of a hundred miles, this area happens to be a depression. Further south, the terrain becomes higher again, which is similar to our current location. Floods cannot get through."

    "However, many civilians will still suffer from flooding. This area happens to be a densely populated area."

    At this time, Liu Jing glanced at Pang Tongyi with some dissatisfaction, "Shi Yuan, this is war, not a child's game. If we don't flood Jicheng, when can we take Longxi?"

    Pang Tong lowered his head and did not dare to say a word. Liu Jing looked at Jicheng again and said coldly: "It's a pity that Cao Cao's cavalry is not here, otherwise he would have drowned his 20,000 cavalry, and I will have no worries anymore!"

    "There is no other way. If Cao Cao's cavalry is in Longxi, we may not be able to enter the Wei River. As the saying goes, every gain must come with a loss, so there is no need for Zhou Mu to regret it."

    Speaking of this, Jia Xu smiled again and said: "Cao's army should have no fighting power now. We can talk to Xun You."

    Liu Jing nodded and looked back at the group of civil servants accompanying the army. At this time, Chief Shi Maliang came out and saluted: "Zhou Mu, I would like to go and talk to Cao Jun."

    It was still dark at this time, and the sky in the east was already turning white. Liu Jing stared at the city with her hands behind her hands for a moment, and then said calmly: "Wait three days before going!"

    Two days passed in a flash, and it was the early morning of the third day. It was getting brighter. The inside and outside of Jicheng City were still white. The city had already been flooded. The length of the city wall collapsed was two miles long, and the flood was less than five feet away from the city wall.  Tens of thousands of soldiers crowded on top of the city and struggled for three days. By this time, they were almost in despair and were waiting in extreme fear for the moment of death.

    Xun You hadn¡¯t slept well in the past three days. He was extremely exhausted and couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. At dawn, he covered himself with a blanket and took a nap for a while. At this time, a soldier shook him awake and said, ¡°Wake up, military advisor!¡±

    Xun You felt a splitting headache. He sat up and asked, "What happened?"

    "Military advisor, Liu Jing has sent an envoy."

    Xun You was startled and hurriedly sat up. The soldier pointed toward the water and said, "Commander, look!"

    Xun You also saw it, and saw several soldiers driving a sheepskin raft slowly approaching. On the raft stood a scribe. He said loudly: "I am Shi Maliang, the commander of the Han army, on the orders of my family's Zhou Mu.  , I came here to pay my respects to Mr. Xun.¡±

    At this time, Xiahou Dun hurried over. He was also a little anxious. Last night, there was a serious incident where two groups of soldiers fought for food and killed each other. Hundreds of people died. He realized that the soldiers could hardly survive.

    He also intends to negotiate peace with the Han army, but he is not sure how to negotiate. But one thing is for sure, he would rather be a prisoner of war than a prisoner of war.??Surrender.

    "Military advisor, the Han envoy is here, how can we talk to him?" Xiahou Dun stepped forward and asked worriedly.

    Xun You sneered and said, "General Xiahou, this is Liu Jing's plan to be polite before fighting. The so-called peace talks are for us to surrender in his way. We have no choice. We might as well listen to Liu Jing's attitude."

    Xiahou Dun didn¡¯t speak for a long time, and finally nodded, ¡°Let the military advisor make the decision!¡±

    In fact, the biggest headache for Xun You was Xiahou Dun. He was always self-righteous and could not see the situation clearly. If he really wanted to negotiate with Liu Jing's envoy, the biggest obstacle would be Xiahou Dun. It would be nice to let him participate as well. Thinking of this, Xun You immediately said to the soldiers: "Please invite Han  The military envoys are coming!¡±

    After a while, Ma Liang followed the soldiers to Xun You, smiled and saluted, "Student Ma Liang, please see Mr. Xun!"

    "It turns out to be Ma Jichang, the white-browed man. I have admired his reputation for a long time. Please sit down, Ma Changshi!"

    Ma Liang bowed his hands to Xiahou Dun again, but Xiahou Dun snorted coldly and turned away. Ma Liang didn't take it seriously and sat down opposite Xun You. Then he said: "This time I have ordered the governor of the state to come to see Military Advisor Xun. The main reason is  I want to discuss how to end this war. My state pastor is a tolerant person and does not want to kill anymore."

    Before he finished speaking, Xiahou Dun next to him sneered and said, "How dare you claim to be tolerant when you dug the Wei River to flood the city?"

    Ma Liang sat up straight, looked at Xiahou Dun and said loudly: "General Xiahou, please understand that now our two armies are enemies, either you die or I live. When the two armies fight, they must make use of the right time and place, and defeat the enemy's troops without fighting. This way  Are there too many battles? General Xiahou is also a veteran of many years of fighting. If one day he could dig a river and flood the Han army, would General Xiahou have compassion for others? "

    "I will not have compassion for others, but I will never claim to be lenient and kill anyone. Why do I say I am compassionate?"

    Ma Liang shook his head and sighed: "The light of fireflies is as bright as the bright moon. How can a general on the battlefield understand the compassion of my state shepherd for all the people in the world? General Xiahou, if you don't understand, you can ask Prime Minister Cao.  Ask him to tell you."

    At this time, Xun You quickly smoothed things over and said, "Let's not go too far. Please let Ma Changshi get back to the topic!"

    Xiahou Dun's face was livid and he stopped talking. Ma Liang smiled and said, "My family, Zhou Mu, has two paths before your army. One is military and the other is civil. Please choose for yourself."

    "What about martial arts, what about literature?"

    "Wu means that we will withdraw our troops, and two months later we will burn the corpses to eliminate the plague, while Wen means to send off the officers above Yajiang, including Military Advisor Xun and General Xiahou, but we still want the army."

    Xun You's face was very ugly and he was speechless for a long time. At this time, Ma Liang stood up and saluted and said: "Commentary Xun and General Xiahou think about it! I will come back early tomorrow morning to hear the answer and take my leave."

    Ma Liang bowed, turned around and walked away. Xun You did not stop him. He put his hands behind his hands and watched Ma Liang's raft go away. After a long time, he let out a long sigh.

    "Is the military advisor going to agree to him?" Xiahou Dun said with a gloomy face next to him.

    Xun You shook his head, "This is not my business alone. I must discuss it with General Xiahou before deciding."

    "I think there is nothing to discuss. I, Xiahou Dun, can't do this if I leave my soldiers and escape. If Commander Xun wants to leave, I will not stop him. I will lead my soldiers to fight the enemy to the bitter end."

    After saying that, Xiahou Dun turned around and left quickly. Xun You watched him go away, his eyes full of bitterness. Liu Jing had already made it very clear that after two months, the corpses would be burned to eliminate the plague. How could he have another decisive battle with Cao Jun?  Don¡¯t you understand?

    At night, Xiahou Dun was woken up by soldiers, "General, it's bad, has something happened?"

    Xiahou Dun sat up and asked, "What happened?"

    "There seems to be a plague in the army." The soldier said nervously.

    "How could it be?" Xiahou Dun shouted with wide eyes.

    He lifted the blanket, stood up and said, "Where is it? Take me there quickly."

    The soldiers brought Xiahou Dun to a dozen large tents at the end of the city's east wall. This was a temporary military medical tent. It had been put under martial law and soldiers were not allowed to approach. At this time, a military doctor stepped forward to salute and said nervously: "Qiu  General, so far, fifty-four people have been infected with the disease, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea, and their lives are in danger."

    "Why did the plague appear?"

    The military doctor sighed and said: "Following the investigation, it turned out that a soldier hid his brother's body and refused to discard it. As a result, his brother's body became pathologically pathological. This soldier was the first to contract the disease and then infected the people around him.  It spread very quickly."

    Xiahou Dun immediately ordered: "If it cannot be cured, kill and burn all the sick soldiers immediately. Don't wait for them to die. There can be no further delay."

    The military doctor bit himHe said with his lips: "If this is the case, I am afraid that the sick soldiers will also hide it and dare not tell the truth. On the contrary, the epidemic will be more serious."

    At this moment, another soldier came slowly escorting dozens of infected soldiers. Xiahou Dun quickly got out of the way and covered his mouth and nose. A tooth general stepped forward and whispered: "General, something is not going well.  There are already more than a thousand soldiers suffering from diarrhea, and hundreds of them have begun to have fever. Now the soldiers are in panic and panic, and they have begun to kill each other. "

    Xiahou Dun immediately said angrily: "Why do we want to kill each other?"

    "Once a soldier has diarrhea, he will be immediately killed by other soldiers and thrown into the water. Hundreds of General Yin's men have been killed."

    Xiahou Dun was stunned for a while, then he sighed deeply and said to the soldiers on both sides: "Let's go to Military Advisor Xun."

    Xiahou Dun walked toward the south city wall worriedly. Along the way, he kept hearing soldiers crying and shouting: "I don't want to die, I want to surrender, I want to surrender!"

    This made him feel even heavier. Soon he came to Nancheng. From a distance, he happened to see Xun You comforting the soldiers. Xiahou Dun did not disturb him, but stood aside and waited. At this time, Xun You also saw Xiahou Dun and stepped forward.  Said: "The general knows about the plague, right?"

    Xiahou Dun sighed, "The situation is worse than I imagined."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 679 Capture of Longxi

    Xiahou Dun bowed again and said, "I was rude to the military advisor today. I hope the military advisor will forgive me!"

    "It's nothing, I can understand the general's mood."

    Seeing that Xiahou Dun was about to speak, Xun You smiled and said, "General Xiahou, why don't you go and talk in the tent?"

    Xiahou Dun nodded and followed Xun You towards the camp. The two of them walked into the camp and several soldiers retreated.  It's just that I'm worried that I won't be able to explain it to the Prime Minister. All the officers have left and tens of thousands of ordinary soldiers are left behind. This is not the way to be a general. From my original intention, I never want to become a prisoner of the Han army. I would rather die in battle, but now the Han army  If the army doesn't fight with us, we will all die of illness in the city. This is too cruel to the soldiers. "

    Xun You smiled bitterly and said: "Actually, why would I want to? In order to protect Longxi, the Prime Minister launched the Battle of Jingzhou and paid heavy political conditions in the end. However, we failed to live up to the Prime Minister's hard work. I can't even apologize to him.  The Prime Minister explained, but we must face reality. No matter if all the soldiers die of illness or all surrender, in the end Jicheng will not be saved and Longxi will be finished. Although we cannot accept it emotionally and feel ashamed of the Prime Minister, we can save the general.  Especially to save General Xiahou, I believe the Prime Minister will still admit that we did the right thing, what does General Xiahou think? "

    "But we can't all leave, some of us have to stay."

    Xun You smiled miserably, "I know, so I decided to stay, and I will acknowledge all the consequences."

    Xiahou Dun looked back at him. Xun You's eyes were extremely firm. Xiahou Dun was moved in his heart. He had to admit that Xun You was sensible. Now was not the time to get emotional. He couldn't help but look up to the sky and sighed, "Okay! I accept Liu Jing's literary plan and everything will be handed over to him."  Let the military advisor handle it."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Early the next morning, more than a dozen sheepskin rafts loaded with more than a hundred senior officials of Cao's army left the city of Ji County and rowed southwest. They would disembark dozens of miles away and then leave Longxi and return to Guanzhong. Tens of thousands of Cao's soldiers watched silently.  As they left, many squatted down and cried bitterly. The pain of being abandoned was difficult for them to accept, but more people's eyes were full of anger, but no one roared or shouted. It was a kind of speechless  of anger.

    Xun You did not leave, and he was the only one of the officials above Yajiang who stayed. He did not want to surrender to Liu Jing, but wanted to take on this responsibility. The prime minister handed over Longxi to him, but he failed to keep Longxi in the end, which made him heartbroken.  Full of shame and self-blame.

    Not long after the sheepskin raft transporting Xiahou Dun left, a fleet of hundreds of sheepskin rafts began to slowly sail towards Jicheng. The leader was a huge sheepskin raft that could carry hundreds of people, but  But Liu Jing stood on the raft. He was looking over here with his hands behind his hands. There was a smile of victory on his lips. It was not for the nearly 60,000 prisoners of war, but for Longxi. After three years of the Northern Expedition, he finally captured the Wei River.  In the valley, this step was extremely difficult, but extremely steady. As long as he captured Longxi, he would never lose it again.

    One after another, the sheepskin rafts began to slowly approach Jicheng. No one among Cao's soldiers resisted. At this time, they were lucky to survive. What's more, the senior officials had abandoned them, which made them feel discouraged. The soldiers followed Han's instructions.  The army ordered them to take off their armor, put down their weapons, get on the sheepskin raft, and sail to the Han army camp ten miles away. It would take at least two days to transport the 60,000 prisoners of war.

    At this time, Liu Jing's raft approached Nancheng. Liu Jing cupped her hands at Xun You and said with a smile: "Commander Xun is willing to live and die with the soldiers. Liu Jing admires him very much. Please ask Commander Xun to get on my raft!"

    Xun You shook his head, pointed to the raft transporting prisoners of war in the distance, and said loudly: "That's the raft I should get on."

    Liu Jing understood what he meant and smiled: "Please rest assured, Mr. Xun, I will not force Military Advisor Xun to do anything. Military Advisor Xun can leave at any time and return to Yedu."

    After saying that, he ordered someone to drive an empty raft to pick up Xun You. Xun You nodded, "Thank you to Zhou Mu for being considerate of Xun You, and thank you to Zhou Mu for treating the soldiers well. There has been a plague in the army. Wang Zhou Mu will screen it carefully and don't do it again."  Cause greater tragedy.¡±

    "I will, thank you Military Advisor Xun for the reminder."

    Liu Jing immediately ordered to the left and right: "Soldiers in Cao's army who have fever will be isolated first, and they will be sent back to the prisoner of war camp after they are confirmed to be fine."

    The soldiers went to convey the order, and Liu Jing watched the sheepskin rafts filled with Cao's prisoners of war leave. He then ordered: "Send the order to General Huang, and ask him to block the breach of the Wei River as soon as possible and dredge the flood."

    At the beginning of the 18th year of Jian'an, there was a spring flood on the Wei River. The Han army dug up the levee of the Wei River and flooded Jicheng. Cao's 70,000-strong army was drowned and tens of thousands of people were killed. The remaining nearly 60,000 people had nowhere to escape and all became prisoners of the Han army.  The Han army occupied the Wei River Valley. At this point, the Han army's northern invasion lasted for three full years.??The curtain finally came to an end temporarily.

    But the war was not over. After the flood receded, the Han army immediately reorganized its troops and crossed the Wei River. The troops were divided into four groups and marched to Guangwei County, Nan'an County, Longxi County and Anding County respectively. At this time, they were stationed in Linwei County, Guangwei County.  Xu Huang's army in the county also withdrew from Guanzhong. The remaining counties in Longxi were empty of troops and surrendered one after another. The Han army was overwhelming and occupied the five counties in Longxi in only three days.

    The news that Longxi was lost and only 20,000 of the 100,000-strong army escaped quickly spread to Yedu, and the government and the public were in an uproar. This news was even more shocking than Liu Jing's capture of Yizhou. Everyone knew that Longxi was just a springboard, and the Han army  After capturing Longxi, the next step must be to attack Guanzhong.

    For several days, there was a lot of discussion between the government and the public, including praise and criticism among the people. Some people raised eyebrows and toasted to celebrate the hope of the revival of the Han Dynasty. Others disagreed and angrily accused Liu Jing of having ulterior motives and being disobedient. However, Cao Cao was very quiet.  His voice was not heard for several days, and no one knew what his attitude was.

    The East Market to the south of the palace is the most prosperous commercial center in Yedu. There are thousands of shops in the East Market, selling all kinds of goods. On both sides of the gate of the East Market, there are more than two dozen taverns densely distributed. Every day, there are crowds of people and businesses.  Prosperity.

    At noon that day, several followers escorted an old man with white beard into a tavern called Wanshunxing. This tavern is three stories high. It is very famous in Yedu and the business is extremely prosperous. Every day from morning to night  They were all full of guests.

    This old man is wearing a cloth robe and a plain scarf. He has a medium build and looks quite elegant. But if you look closely, you will find that his beard is unnaturally white, and his eyebrows and nose have been skillfully made up. He is obviously disguised.  Come on, this person is Cao Cao who has kept silent for several days. He was feeling depressed today, so he went out incognito and went out to the market to get some fresh air.

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????A bartender saw their extraordinary demeanor, hurriedly stepped forward to accompany them and said with a smile: "For these distinguished guests, there happens to be an empty table on the second floor. Please follow me to the second floor."

    Cao Cao nodded, "Then let's go to the second floor!"

    The bartender led them up to the second floor, found an empty seat by the window and sat down. Cao Cao said to Xu Chu, "You guys should sit down too!"

    Xu Chu nodded and winked at several guards. They sat down on the other side and ordered some more food and drinks. Xu Chu poured Cao Cao a glass of wine and said with a smile: "It's rare for you to go out for a walk, so don't think about the court."  It's all right, so you can relax and your health will get better."

    After Cao Chun was killed in battle last winter, Cao Cao fell seriously ill, leaving behind the root of the disease and has been in poor health. This time the Han army flooded the city of Hebei and captured Longxi, which shocked the court. Xu Chu was also worried that the Prime Minister would not be able to withstand this blow.  , Unexpectedly, the Prime Minister was very calm, not furious, nor depressed, but extremely quiet. He locked himself in the room for two days in a row and did not come out for a whole day.

    This made Xu Chu even more worried. He knew Cao Cao very well. This was a sign that Cao Cao suffered a heavy blow deep in his heart. Only during the Battle of Wancheng, when his eldest son Cao Ang died in battle, could Cao Cao lock himself in a tent like this for a day.  Xu Chu didn't know how to comfort his lord, so he specially advised him to go out for a walk.

    Cao Cao picked up the wine glass and took a sip of wine. At this time, there was a noise from the seat next to him, and someone shouted loudly: "We can bet that Liu Jing will attack Guanzhong within half a month. If I lose, I am willing to pay a small sum of money."  Thousands of dollars.¡±

    Another voice said: "I won't bet with you, but I think that after we have just captured Longxi, we must stabilize the situation and appease the people. It is impossible to attack Guanzhong so soon, at least a month later."

    "What do you know? The art of war says that soldiers need to be quick. Liu Jing has occupied Nanyang again. He can attack Guanzhong from the west and south at the same time. It is the best strategy to capture Guanzhong in one fell swoop before the tiger and leopard cavalry arrive.  "

    Cao Cao frowned slightly, who is this?  With some knowledge, Xu Chu said in a low voice: "I have seen this person before, he seems to be Yang Xian, a younger brother of the Yang Biao clan."

    ¡®Yang Xian?  ¡¯ Cao Cao thought for a while, but he had no impression of this person, and asked Xu Chu, ¡°Does he know you?¡±

    Xu Chu shook his head, "He doesn't know me. The reason why I remember him is because his hair is very distinctive and unforgettable."

    Cao Cao looked sideways and saw that this person had red hair, just like the red-browed army in Wang Mang's era, and his eyes were blue, which was indeed unforgettable. It seemed that this person's mother was Bai Di.

    At this time, the wine table was completely silent. No one dared to bet with him. Yang Xian said proudly: "I'm right. If Liu Jing doesn't adopt this strategy, then he is really stupid."

    Cao Cao said coldly: "Let me make this bet with you!"

    Yang Xian turned around and saw Cao Cao at the next table, but he really didn't know Cao Cao. His face was a little unhappy. He cupped his hands and said arrogantly: "I would like to listen to this gentleman's opinion!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 680 The profound meaning of local products

    At this time, the tavern owner's face turned pale. He did not recognize Cao Cao, but he recognized Xu Chu. Xu Chu's tall and burly figure and leopard-like eyes impressed him deeply, and Xu Chu stood here with a knife in his hand.  Behind the old man, it is self-evident who this old man is.

    The tavern owner's legs became weak for a while, and he almost knelt down, but was supported by one of Cao Cao's guards, who whispered: "Prime Minister, you don't want to be recognized, so don't make a fuss."

    "Yes! Yes!" The shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his forehead and retreated in a panic.

    At this time, Cao Cao smiled and said: "I bet that Liu Jing will not attack Guanzhong for at least two months. Is this brother willing to make a bet with me?"

    After speaking, Cao Cao ordered his entourage to take out a pound of gold, put it on the table, and said: "This pound of gold is equivalent to ten thousand dollars. We might as well ask the tavern owner to play a mediator and see who wins the bet in the end."

    Yang Xian¡¯s face was a little ugly. It wasn¡¯t that he was reluctant to part with the ten thousand dollars. The Yang family of Hongnong was from a famous family in the world, so it wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t afford the ten thousand dollars. It was just that he was afraid of losing face and hurt the family¡¯s face after losing the bet.

    He was silent for a moment and then asked: "I just said that Liu Jing will attack Guanzhong within half a month, and I also gave my reasons. What about you? What reason do you have for saying that he will attack Guanzhong after two months?"

    "The reason is very simple. If the problem of the Di and Qiang people in Longxi is not solved, how can he attack Guanzhong?"

    Yang Xian was speechless and couldn't say a word for a long time. He didn't consider the problem of the Di and Qiang people. At this time, more and more people gathered around, and someone laughed teasingly: "Mr. Yang, take the money."  Come out! If the money is not enough, I will lend it to you."

    Yang Xian's face turned red and white, and he was in a dilemma. Cao Cao smiled lightly and said, "Yang Biao is also a man of great talent and learning. How can he have such a family name?"

    He shook his head. The little intention of joking that he finally had was ruined by a self-righteous person like Yang Xian. He felt dull in his heart, so he turned and left the tavern. There was still noisy on the second floor, and everyone surrounded Yang  There was a lot of discussion around Xian, but the old man turned around and left despite clearly having the upper hand, which really puzzled the drinkers.

    At this time, the tavern owner hurriedly came over and saluted Yang Xian: "Mr. Yang, I'm afraid you're in trouble. Do you know who that old man is?"

    Everyone gathered around and asked curiously: "Shopkeeper, who is that person?"

    Yang Xian also looked at the shopkeeper a little uneasily. The shopkeeper sighed and said, "Don't you recognize it? He is Prime Minister Cao!"

    There was an uproar in the tavern. Everyone was shocked. It turned out to be Cao Cao. For a moment, everyone was so frightened that they dispersed. Many people were scared and did not care about drinking. They dropped their money and quickly left the tavern. Yang Xian was unable to sit down.  , holding the wine glass in a daze, he said to himself: "I didn't say anything too hasty, what does he want to do to me?"

    Although he comforted himself like this, his hands were shaking, and soon he couldn't sit down anymore. After paying the bill, he hurriedly left the tavern and went to find his clan brother Yang Biao for help.

    Although Cao Cao acted arbitrarily, he would not send troops to arrest the people in the tavern. Although he was dissatisfied with the people in the tavern for pursuing Liu Jing, he would not show it and make people look down upon him. He would use other means to pursue Yang Xian.  nonsense,

    Cao Cao was really unhappy. In the tavern today, neither Yang Xian nor the other drinkers condemned or resented Liu Jing's capture of Longxi. Instead, they were excited to speculate when he would attack Guanzhong.

    It can also be seen from this that the people of Yedu have begun to accept Liu Jing and no longer regard him as an enemy. This is a very taboo thing. Public opinion is the basis for the legitimacy of the regime. Once public opinion recognizes Liu Jing,  There will be no shared hatred of the enemy. Once Liu Jing captures Yedu in the future, his power base will quickly fall apart.

    Cao Cao knew very well that people in the world still had hope in the Han Dynasty. In the past, they had hope in Liu Xie, but now more and more people are disappointed with Liu Xie, and this hope is pinned on Liu Jing, including Xun Yu.  , Yang Biao, Yuan Huan and other old ministers who were loyal to the Han Dynasty. Recently, Yang Biao had a lot of contacts with some aristocratic families, which made Cao Cao dissatisfied. Today, Yang Xian's incident happened again, which made Cao Cao feel the need to warn Yang Biao.

    When Cao Cao returned to Tongque Terrace, he immediately ordered people to find Yang Xiu. Yang Xiu was now Cao Cao's chief secretary. He was quick-thinking and good at discerning Cao Cao's thoughts. He could always do what Cao Cao ordered according to his wishes.  Yang Xiu has always been highly valued by Cao Cao, and Yang Xiu has a very good relationship with Cao Zhi. He is Cao Zhi's most powerful supporter in his bid to become the heir apparent, and can be said to be Cao Zhi's military advisor.

    Yang Xiu hurried to the Tongque Terrace, knelt down in the inner hall and saluted: "I am here to see you, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao smiled slightly and said, "Invite Master Yang here. I want to ask about your father's situation. How is his health recently? What do you need?"

     Yang Xiu quickly and respectfully said: "Thank you, Prime Minister, for your concern. My father is in good health and the family has plenty of supplies. There is nothing needed for the time being."

    "Haha! That's not necessarily true. Goguryeo sent envoys to visit you a few days ago and brought a lot of local products. Among them, ginseng and fragrant pig are good. I will order someone to send some to your father later."

    "Thank you, Prime Minister, for your love."

    Cao Cao nodded, "There is nothing else to do. If possible, I hope you will go to Guanzhong to assist Zhi'er. Of course, it depends on your own wishes."

    Yang Xiu couldn't figure out Cao Cao's thoughts, so he had to bow and said: "I obey the Prime Minister's order. I am willing to go to Guanzhong."

    "Go! See your father and convey my regards to him."

    Yang Xiu bowed and slowly retreated. Cao Cao sneered. He believed that Yang Biao would understand his warning.

    Yang Biao was appointed as the Taiwei of the current dynasty, and he could be called the leader of the officials. He was extremely senior. He was also the head of the Hongnong Yang family. The Hongnong Yang family was also one of the famous families in the world, together with the Yuan family in Runan and the Boling Cui family.  , the Xun family of Yingchuan, the Cao family of Qiaojun, the Lu family of Beiping, and the Wang family of Taiyuan are collectively known as the Seven Hopes of the World.

    Due to his lofty status in the family and officialdom, Yang Biao was called the first elder of the imperial court. Yang Biao was over seventy years old. He did not have a son until he was in his thirties, named Yang Xiu, whom he loved very much and cultivated with all his heart.  , Yang Xiu did not disappoint him. He had magical powers since he was a child. When he grew up, he was so talented that he was known as one of the Seven Sons of Jian'an.

    Yang Biao was a loyal supporter of the Han Dynasty, but he was different from Xun Yu in his uprightness. He was more flexible and good at protecting himself. Therefore, whether it was Dong Zhuo in power, Cui and Guo's rebellion, or Cao Cao coercing the emperor to order the princes,  Yang Biao was able to safely survive one disaster after another.

    But in his heart he always loved the Han Dynasty, so after Cao Cao granted Wei the throne, he asked him to serve as an important minister of Wei several times, but he politely declined. However, he also asked his son Yang Xiu to serve as an aide in Cao Cao's tent, which was also his flexible side.  It can be regarded as recognition of Cao Cao's orthodox status.

    But at that time, there was no spoiler like Liu Jing. Cao Cao won the Battle of Guandu and his prestige was at its peak. However, Yang Biao encountered trouble and was imprisoned, so he had to let his son Yang Xiu seek an official position in Cao Cao to relieve himself from prison.

    Now Liu Jing was aggressive, occupying Jing and Yi states, and at the same time captured Longxi and Nanyang. His power began to expand northward. However, Cao's army suffered repeated defeats, his reputation plummeted, and his military morale was low. As a supporter of the Han Dynasty, Yang Biao  Naturally I have some ideas.

    In the living room, Yang Biao was half-leaning on the couch, listening to his clan brother Yang Xian's account of what happened at noon. Yang Xian was still frightened, "I never dreamed that the old man would be Cao Cao. I have seen Cao Cao, but he was really completely different.  I am very worried that what I said will cause trouble. Even if it happens to me personally, I am worried about implicating the family. "

    Yang Biao said slowly after a long while: "You are also over fifty years old, why are you still talking nonsense like a stupid young man? Don't you know that trouble comes from such words?"

    Yang Xian's face was full of shame, "I know I was wrong, and I will never dare to talk nonsense outside again."

    Yang Biao knew that this clan brother always liked to talk nonsense outside. It was not easy to get him to admit his mistakes and stop talking nonsense. It would be good if he suffered a setback, but Yang Biao saw that he was afraid and couldn't bear it, so he comforted him.  He said: "You don't have to worry too much. Since Cao Cao is traveling incognito, he won't want anyone to recognize him. Even if he feels uncomfortable with your words, he will not put you in jail. At most, he will find a chance.  Warn me and you don't have to worry."

    The comfort of the head of the family made Yang Xian feel relieved a little, his fear dissipated, and his thoughts became active again, and he quickly said: "To be honest, Liu Jing's capture of Longxi this time has a profound impact. If he captures Guanzhong again, then  The revival of the Han Dynasty has begun. Hasn¡¯t my brother considered letting the descendants of the Hongnong Yang family go to Jingzhou to serve as officials? "

    Yang Biao smiled and said nothing. Yang Xian was still excited and continued: "I heard that many big families have begun to set up in Jingzhou and Yizhou. The children of the Cui family and the Xun family have become Liu Jing's subordinates.  The important backbone of Liu Jing and Liu Jing¡¯s multi-phase system have been formed. It¡¯s already too late for our Yang family. If my brother doesn¡¯t make arrangements early, once Liu Jing takes over the world in the future, the Yang family¡¯s status will be worrying!¡±

    Yang Biao waved his hand, "You are thinking too much. Those who conquer the world may not be able to dominate the world. For the Yang family, what is important is not how they behave in front of Liu Jing, but the cultivation of family talents. As long as the family has talents in large numbers,  Our Yang family will be prosperous, and we will still be able to serve as generals even five hundred years later. Your problem is that you are too impatient and wish for things to change overnight. It is not that easy to revive the Han Dynasty. Cao Cao has deep roots in the north.  , Liu Jing can shake it by capturing Longxi? It is still unclear who will win in the future, so wait patiently and observe patiently. Don't talk nonsense in the future. At this critical moment, silence is the right way. "

    "Brother, I understand and won't mess up anymore."Talk.  "

    At this moment, the voice of his son Yang Xiu came from the hall, "Father, can the child come in?"

    Yang Biao was slightly startled, why did his son come back a little early today?  He nodded and said, "Enter the hall!"

    Yang Xiu walked quickly into the inner hall, knelt down in front of his father and saluted, "My son, see you father!"

    "Why did my son come back so early today?"

    "Reply to my father, Prime Minister Cao summoned the child this afternoon, and the child will come back directly after the meeting."

    Next to him, Yang Xian's expression changed drastically. He immediately realized that Cao Cao's summoning of Yang Xiu must have something to do with him. He asked worriedly: "My dear nephew, why did Cao Cao summon you?"

    Yang Xiu never liked this unlearned uncle, and usually ignored him. It was just a hindrance to his father's face. He had to reply: "It's nothing. The prime minister just greeted my father and asked me to bring back some Goguryeo."  specialties for my father.¡±

    Yang Biao pondered for a moment and asked: "What local products did Prime Minister Cao ask you to bring?"

    "A thousand-year-old ginseng, ten fragrant pigs, and nothing else."

    Yang Biao had been in the officialdom for fifty years and had already cultivated himself into a man. With a change of heart, he suddenly understood the deep meaning of Cao Cao's gift of local products to him.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 681 Causes Failure

    Seeing his father's solemn expression, Yang Xiu was secretly surprised and asked quickly: "Father, what happened?"

    Yang Biao shook his head, "Cao Cao is warning me!"

    He stood up and walked to the front of the hall, looking at the lush grove outside the hall with his hands behind his hands. After a long while, he smiled bitterly and said: "At this sensitive moment when rumors are flying all over the sky, he is thinking about me and gives me gifts. Xiu'er, what do you think he is?"  what does it mean?"

    At this time, Yang Xian had already briefly told Yang Xiu about his encounter with Cao Cao in the tavern at noon. Only then did Yang Xiu understand why Cao Cao had summoned him. It turned out that he was dissatisfied with what his uncle had said. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, and was suddenly shocked.  Satori, "Father, I understand what he means."

    "Tell me, what does he mean?" Yang Biao looked back at his son and said.

    "Sending thousand-year-old ginseng means that my father will live a long life, and pig has the same pronunciation as Zhu, so sending ten pigs actually means to be punished for making a mistake, and it is to warn us not to talk nonsense."

    Next to him, Yang Xian's face suddenly turned very pale, and his legs were shaking a little. Yang Biao nodded, "Xiu'er is right. That's what Cao Cao meant. He was warning me, Yang Biao, not to offend him again."

    Speaking of this, Yang Biao said earnestly to his younger brother Yang Xianyu: "You understand! Cao Cao is under great pressure now. He needs to kill others and warn the family not to fall in line. Originally, he chose Xun Yu, but because Xun You was in Longxi for  Military advisor, so he has not taken action for a long time. Now that Xun Yu has fallen into the hands of the Han army, he can't force the Xun family too much. If he forces Xun Yu to become Jia Xu's second best, then he will lose more than he gains, so his goal is again  They have turned to our Yang family and are preparing to attack our Yang family. I hope that the safety of the Yang family is the top priority and we will stop talking nonsense. "

    Yang Xian felt tremendous pressure, and he also knew that he had caused a big disaster, and if he was not careful, it would harm the Yang family, so he nodded repeatedly and said: "I remember, I don't dare to say another random word, I will go back to Hong Kong overnight."  Nong, don¡¯t stay in Yedu anymore.¡±

    "This is best. You go back and pack it up! I will arrange a vehicle to take you back."

    Yang Xian bowed and retreated. Yang Biao said to Yang Xiu again: "Cao Cao asked my son to go to Guanzhong to assist Cao Zhi. This is actually a test to test my attitude. I mean, you still have to go. At this sensitive moment, we  The Yang family cannot choose to take sides, cannot become Cao Cao¡¯s target, and must continue to keep a low profile.¡±

    Yang Xiu nodded silently, "I understand, kid!"

    "Go! My father wants to be alone for a while."

    Yang Xiu also said goodbye and left. Yang Biao stood in front of the hall with his hands behind his hands, thinking about the matter repeatedly. His heart was full of pressure. He knew that once Cao Cao targeted his family, it would be difficult for his family to escape the disaster. Yang Biao sighed softly.  I breathed a sigh of relief. Now that things have happened, I can only take one step at a time.

    The floods in Jicheng slowly receded after five days, and no lakes were formed. After the floods receded, the Jicheng area was in a mess. It would be difficult to recover in less than ten years, while the Han army was busy with disaster relief.  As well as collecting and surrendering the army, at the same time sending troops to collect and surrender the counties in Longxi, time gradually passed like this for ten days.

    The Han army camp was now located in Linwei County, Guangwei County. More than a hundred miles to the east was the boundary of Guanzhong. This area was the confluence of Longshan Mountain and Zhongnan Mountain. The mountains were steep and steep, stretching for thousands of miles, and the Wei River was  A gap breaks out from the intersection of these two mountain ranges and enters the vast Guanzhong Plain.

    In the Chinese army's tent, Liu Jing was discussing the next move with more than a dozen senior civil and military officials. Currently, there are two completely different opinions in the army. One is to use the morale of Longxi's victory to attack Guanzhong in one go. This view is based on  Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong were the representatives, which basically represented the opinions of the generals.

    Another view is to consolidate Longxi and quell the Di cavalry troubles. First capture the outer reaches of Guanlong, and finally encircle and annihilate Guanzhong. This is Jia Xu's opinion, and it has also been supported by civil servants including Pang Tong, Fa Zheng, Ma Liang and others.

    Of course, in the end, Liu Jing's attitude prevailed. Liu Jing initially supported Jia Xu's solid plan, but the Northern Expedition took him three years, which made Liu Jing lose his patience. Especially when the Han army captured Nanyang County,  A three-sided pincer attack on Guanzhong formed. More importantly, Cao Cao's confidence began to lack, and he even wanted to give up Longxi in the end.

    "The capture of Longxi this time caused a huge blow to the morale of Cao's army. Why can't we take advantage of the low morale of Cao's army to directly enter Guanzhong?"  Perhaps politically it is more appropriate to be conservative, but militarily, surprise is the way to go.

    "The current strength of Cao's army in Guanzhong is about 112,000, and our available troops are 140,000, 100,000 to the west, 20,000 each to Hanzhong and Nanyang. To the east, the Han army of Nanyang will take the Wuguan Road, and to the south, the Hanzhong army will take the Wuguan Road.  Chen Cang said, "We marched eastward along the Weishui River Valley and launched attacks on three sides, forcing Cao Cao's army to divide its forces for defense. More importantly, Cao Cao's 20,000 cavalry were not in Guanzhong, which gave us a golden opportunity."

    &nbspWhen Liu Jing said this, he looked at Jia Xu. He hoped to persuade Jia Xu to support him in sending troops. Jia Xu understood Liu Jing's eagerness to capture Guanzhong, so he smiled and said: "I remember Zhou Mu said that after capturing Longxi, he  One thing is to destroy the Di cavalry, eliminate future troubles, and then march eastward to Guanzhong. Why have you changed your mind now? "

    "There is a Qiang king on the Di people's side to check for me. I don't have to worry for the moment. I can capture Guanzhong and then go back to deal with the Di people. But I can't miss the opportunity. Once Cao's army recovers its morale and the cavalry enters Guanzhong again, then I want to capture Guanzhong again.  There are no favorable conditions like today.¡±

    Jia Xu, Fazheng, Pang Tong and others looked at each other. They all felt Liu Jing's determination to capture Guanzhong. At this time, Fa Zheng said: "Wei Chen suggested that we consider capturing Chencang first. This is the west gate of Guanzhong. Once the west gate is occupied  When we opened it, we took the initiative, and at that time we were discussing whether to directly seize the entire territory of Guanzhong."

    Huang Zhong also nodded and smiled and said: "The French military advisor's suggestion is also reasonable. First test the strength of Cao's army. If the capture of Chencang goes smoothly, then we will directly attack Chang'an. If the capture of Chencang does not go well, it will not be too late for us to make long-term plans."

    Zhao Yun also said: "I also support the French military division's plan."

    Liu Jing thought for a moment and finally agreed to the plan, "Okay! Let's follow the French military division's plan and send troops to attack Guanzhong in three routes, with the west and south routes mainly attacking Chencang."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    At night, Liu Jing was alone in front of the sand table, considering the deployment of the army. At this time, Jia Xu's voice came from outside the tent, "Has the state pastor rested?"

    "Not yet, Zhou Mu is probably considering the military situation."

    "Please report it to me and say that I have something to ask for."

    At this time, Liu Jing smiled in the tent and said: "There is no need to be polite, military advisor, please come in!"

    Jia Xu walked in with a smile. He changed into a loose green robe and a plain scarf on his head, looking quite leisurely. When he entered the tent, he smiled and said: "Since the decision has been made, why should Zhou Mu be so nervous and study it at night?  Military situation, take a rest!¡±

    Liu Jing smiled bitterly, "Although I have decided to attack Chencang, I am really not sure and feel very conflicted."

    Jia Xu smiled slightly, "I think this attack on Guanzhong, regardless of victory or defeat, will not affect the overall situation. The key is that with Longxi, we can attack when we advance and defend when we retreat. It is different from our Northern Expedition, so I did not object in the end.  ¡±

    "What do you think the military advisor has to say about my chances of winning this time when I send troops to Guanzhong?"

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, I think I¡¯m at most 50% sure.¡±

    Liu Jing was startled, "Why only 50%?"

    "The reason is very simple. Cao Cao has 30,000 troops in Xuchang. If Nanyang's army attacks Wuguan, what will happen to Nanyang? What will happen to Xiangyang? So the so-called east road attack does not exist at all. As for the south road, I have been to Sanguan.  Unless there is an attack with ten times the force, or a sneak attack at night, and the scattered defenders happen to fall asleep again, there is still a chance, otherwise, the southern front is meaningless. "

    "What the military advisor means is that we can only attack along the west route, is that true?"

    "Not entirely!"

    Jia Xu picked up the wooden pole and pointed at Long County, northwest of Chencang, and said: "We can still take the Longshan Road. The key point of the Longshan Road is the street pavilion. According to the prisoners of war, there are 5,000 Cao troops guarding there. I don't know how many there are now.  We can divide our troops into two groups, one going to Jieting and the other to the Weishui River Valley. If we can capture Jieting, we can directly enter Guanzhong from Jieting, which will disperse Cao's army's defensive forces, which will be of great help in capturing Guanzhong."

    Liu Jing suddenly realized, "What the military advisor meant was that he was obviously going to the Weishui River Valley, but in fact he was trying to seize the street pavilion."

    Jia Xu narrowed his eyes and laughed, "So I asked Zhou Mu to relax a little and don't worry too much. In fact, as long as we capture the street pavilion, the initiative in Guanzhong is in our hands. We can capture Guanzhong at any time. I suggest  It would be better to contain Cao's army in Guanzhong by drawing them instead."

    Liu Jing nodded silently, Jiang is still very spicy!

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Liu Jing couldn't sleep, so he walked out of the tent and walked slowly in the camp alone, thinking about Jia Xu's plan in his mind. He had to sigh that it was Jia Xu who enabled him to move forward step by step.  to this day.

    Unconsciously, Liu Jing walked to the back tent, where Xun You was placed under house arrest. Tens of thousands of prisoners of war from the Cao army were sent back to Xiabian County for integration, but Xun You was left in the Han army camp.

    "How is Mr. Xun?" Liu Jing asked a guard with a smile.

    "The sir is very nice. I listened to him play the piano this morning."

    Liu Jing nodded, "Go and let me know that I'm coming to visit him."

    The soldier went into the tent, and after a while he came out and said, "Mr. Xun, please ask the state pastor to come in."

    Liu Jing?He walked into the big tent and saw Xun You sitting on the couch reading a book. He cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Sir, he looks good!"

    Xun You put down his book, bowed to Liu Jing, smiled slightly and said: "Nothing to think about, nothing to worry about, eat well, sleep well, of course you look good, thank you Zhou Mu for your concern."

    He waved his hand and said, "If Zhou Mu doesn't feel shabby, please take a seat!"

    Liu Jing was not polite and sat down directly in the guest seat. Xun You also sat down. A soldier serving Xun You served tea. Xun You took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "I didn't drink tea before, but then I gradually felt the wonders of tea."  I also fell in love with tea. What I am most satisfied with here is that I can drink this year¡¯s new tea, which was not available before and was basically old tea.¡±

    Liu Jing chuckled and said, "If Mr. likes it, I will send someone to deliver dozens of kilograms of new tea to Mr. every year."

    Xun You suddenly heard the profound meaning of Liu Jing's words, and asked tentatively: "Does Zhou Mu plan to let me go?"

    Liu Jing smiled faintly, "In fact, I will give you your choice. If you are willing to stay in Bashu to teach talents in the official school, I am very welcome. If you want to return to Yedu, I will not stop you. You can make your own decision."

    Xun You thought for a while and asked, "How did my uncle choose?"

    Liu Jing knew that Xun You was referring to Xun Yu, and said with a smile: "Now Xun Lingjun has been invited by his old friend Pang Degong to study metaphysics in Lumen Academy. It has nothing to do with the government. He can come and go freely, and I have not given him any choice."

    Xun You pondered for a moment and said: "If I go back, won't Zhou Mu worry that I will continue to be an enemy of Zhou Mu and hinder the Han army's eastward expedition plan?"

    "I believe that sir will not, and Cao Cao will not use you to lead the military anymore. After all, I am a Han soldier, and it is my duty to revitalize the Han Dynasty. Sir has repaid Cao Cao's kindness in Longxi, and I believe that sir will not stand in the way of Cao Wei again."  The revival of the Han Dynasty."

    Xun You lowered his head and said nothing, and then sighed slightly after a long while, "Thank you to Zhou Mu for your tolerance, I still choose to return to Yedu. As for whether I will be an enemy of Zhou Mu again, I will not make any guarantees. Frankly speaking, I  I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded, stood up and bowed, "Sir, please rest in peace for a while. When I stabilize Longxi, I will send someone to take you back to Yedu."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 682 Taking Chen Cang Mingming

    Chencang is today's Baoji area. It is the county seat of Fufeng County in Sanfu, Guanzhong. It is also the barrier to the west of Guanzhong. There are three roads into Guanzhong from Chencang, one is Longshan Road in the northwest.

    This is a relatively flat and gentle section of the Longshan Mountains. There is a fractured canyon dozens of miles long. You can go directly through the canyon to the west to the Hehuang Valley. Cao's army built passes and stationed heavy troops at strategic points on the west side of the canyon.  At the pass is the famous street pavilion, which is still in the hands of Cao Jun.

    The second road is the Chencang Road in the south. When Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, entered Guanzhong from Hanzhong, he used the strategy of building a plank road openly and secretly attacking Chencang. The terrain of Chencang Road is rugged and the mountain road is narrow and difficult to navigate, especially when entering Guanzhong.  Obstacle, extremely difficult to attack, so this is a dangerous path.

    The third is the West Road, also called the Weishui Valley Road, which goes directly into Guanzhong along the Weishui River Valley. It is feasible for large armies. The importance of Chencang is to defend this Weishui Valley Road. Chencang City was built on the north bank of the Weishui River.  It is the only way to enter Guanzhong from the Weishui Valley Road.

    The city of Chencang is tall and wide, easy to defend and difficult to attack. According to Cao's previous deployment, there are 20,000 troops stationed in Chencang, 10,000 troops stationed in Long County to the northwest, and 5,000 troops stationed in Sanguan, a total of 30,000 troops.  Fifteen thousand Cao troops were in Fufeng County to defend the Han army from advancing westward.

    In fact, now that Xu Huang has withdrawn 20,000 troops from Linwei County, part of which increases Chencang's troops, the real garrison is 45,000.

    The chief general of Chencang is currently Xu Huang, the deputy generals are Yu Jin and Zang Ba, Mao Jie is the military advisor, Cao Ren is the governor-general in Chang'an, Han Hao and Shi Huan are guarding Wuguan, this is Cao Cao's deployment.

    Cao Cao also knew that the Han army would advance eastward from the Weishui River Valley. After much consideration, he decided to appoint Xu Huang as the commander-in-chief of Chencang instead of placing Cao Ren in this important position. This was mainly because Cao Ren had been defeated by Liu in Jingzhou several times.  Jing.

    As for Xiahou Dun, although he was responsible for the defeat of Longxi and had a heavy responsibility, Cao Cao believed that the flooding of Jicheng was not entirely Xiahou Dun's responsibility. After all, the last time there was a decisive battle was more than forty years ago.

    This time Liu Jing was able to flood the city of Hebei, and there was a certain degree of providence. Xiahou Dun was transferred back to Xuchang and continued to serve as the governor of Henan to confront the Han army in Nanyang.

    This morning, Cao Jun in Chencang received the latest information from the Han army.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Xu Huang stood at the top of Chencang City, watching the westward official road in the distance. He received intelligence from the scouts in the morning that about 60,000 Han troops, led by Liu Jing, were moving toward Guanzhong in a mighty manner. The army had already  Forty miles away, this information was beyond Xu Huang's expectation.

    Like Cao Cao, he believed that Liu Jing would not rush to attack Guanzhong, but would go all out to stabilize Longxi and eliminate the Di troubles at the same time, so that he could enter Guanzhong without any worries. Otherwise, once the main force of the Han army was dragged away,  In Guanzhong, if the Di cavalry continues to watch eagerly, Longxi will be in danger.

    At this time, Yu Jin slowly stepped forward and said: "If Liu Jing comes to attack Chencang in person, then Wu Yi from Hanzhong will also go northward via Chencang Road to cooperate with Liu Jing's attack on Chencang. I suspect that the Nanyang army will also go northward from the east.  The line is holding us back, General, we must guard against it."

    Xu Huang shook his head, "Actually, I am not worried about the Han army on Chencang Road. There are five thousand troops in Sanguan, which is enough to resist the Han army going north from Chencang Road. I am worried about the street pavilion. If the Han army is divided into two groups, the other group will  When it comes to street pavilions, the situation becomes more complicated.¡±

    "General Xu's concerns are not wrong!"

    A hearty laugh came from behind. Xu Huang and Yu Jin turned around, only to see Mao Jie walking over. Mao Jie was originally Cao Ren's military advisor. Because of the tense relationship with Cao Ren, Cao Cao asked Chen Qun to follow Cao Ren, but Mao Jie transferred him.  As Xu Huang's military advisor, Xu Huang was a generous man, got along well with Mao Jie, and respected Mao Jie very much.

    Xu Huang quickly raised his fists and saluted, "It turns out that the military advisor has arrived. Xu Huang didn't see it. Please forgive me!"

    Mao Jie slowly stepped forward and said: "It's not wrong for Gongming to worry about Jieting. To a certain extent, Jieting is more important than Chencang. Once the Han army captures Jieting, they can directly enter Guanzhong and Chang'an will be in danger."  , If I were Liu Jing, I would definitely send an army to capture Jieting while attacking Chencang. Besides, Jia Xu, Pang Tong, and Fazheng are all smart people, so they should have thought of it."

    Yu Jin next to him asked: "Does Military Advisor Mao think that the Han army is bound to win Guanzhong this time?"

    "no no!"

    Mao Jie shook his head repeatedly, "Now is not the time to seize Guanzhong at all. The situation in Qiang and Di is complicated, and the people of Longxi are unpopular. Liu Jing will never launch the Guanzhong campaign at this time."

    "But he has led his army to the east!"

    "Leading the army to the east is not to attack Guanzhong, but to open the gate of Guanzhong first, occupy the favorable location, and then turn around and return to Longxi. The Han army will not attack Guanzhong for at least one or two years, and the prime minister will not attack Guanzhong."?I totally agree with that.  "

    Xu Huang nodded, Mao Jie's words came to his heart.

    At this moment, a rapid alarm bell sounded from the observation tower, and then a soldier shouted: "General, enemy troops have been spotted in the west!"

    Xu Huang was shocked, how could it come so fast? He quickly walked to the battlements and looked west, only to see a black line gradually appearing on the official road in the distance, speeding towards this side at an extremely fast speed.

    "It's the cavalry!" Yu Jin blurted out.

    Xu Huang also saw it clearly, and it turned out to be cavalry. The cavalry was getting closer and closer, about three thousand cavalry. This must be the vanguard of the Han army's cavalry, preventing them from fortifying the wall and clearing the country. Xu Huang immediately ordered: "Close the city immediately.  Door, enter the battle defense preparation!"

    Chencang's city gate creaked shut, the suspension bridge was pulled up, and countless Cao soldiers rushed to the top of the city, their swords drawn and their swords drawn, and they were ready. After a while, three thousand Han cavalry, led by General Ma Dai, rushed to the city.  Stopping a hundred paces away, Ma Dai looked at the city for a moment, then galloped toward the northeast, quickly bypassing Chencang City and gradually disappearing in the east.

    "Senior Mao, are the Han cavalry going to Chang'an?" Xu Huang asked with some confusion.

    Mao Jie frowned and said after a long while: "From the direction, it seems they are going to Chang'an, but I feel that maybe they are going to Long County."

    "Is it still for the street pavilion?"

    Mao Jie nodded slowly, "It's very possible that he was going to take the back route from the street pavilion."

    Xu Huang suddenly became worried. Longxian County and Chencang had not yet had time to establish a pigeon letter connection. He must immediately send someone to deliver a message to Zang Ba, telling him to be careful.

    Longshan Road is actually a huge fractured canyon, running from northwest to southeast. There are steep and high cliffs on the north and south sides, slightly higher on the east and west sides, and a depression in the middle. The canyon is densely forested, the terrain is uneven, and there are many mountains.  The secret passage is more than ten miles wide from north to south and more than eighty miles long from east to west.

    Longshan Canyon is also called Qianyuan Valley. As the name suggests, it is the birthplace of Qianshui River. You can reach Longxian County directly to the south along the Qianshui River Valley.

    Although Xiaoguan Road, two hundred miles away to the north, is the first thoroughfare from Longyou into Guanzhong, Longshan Canyon is also another passage across Longshan and from Longxi into Guanzhong, and its strategic position is extremely important.

    The street pavilion is located in the west of this canyon. There is a pavilion here, with a pavilion chief who oversees farmers ten miles away. At the same time, the pavilion can also be used by businessmen to rest, and businessmen come and go all year round.

    But since last year, Xun You has been building a defensive line here, building a large camp at a strategic location close to Tingyi, and stationing thousands of troops. Although Cao Jun did not use this camp during the Han Army's Northern Expedition, it was  When the Han army marched eastward to Guanzhong, the importance of this camp was immediately highlighted.

    There are actually two defense points on the entire Longshan Road. In addition to street pavilions, there is also Long County. Long County is the second largest city in Fufeng County. It is located to the east of Longshan, about 70 miles away from Longshan Road, and from Chencang to the south.  About a hundred miles away, it is also an important city to defend against the Tianshui Qiang and Hu cavalry from entering Guanzhong.

    There are currently 10,000 Cao troops stationed on Longshan Road, led by General Zang Ba. Zang Ba has 5,000 troops stationed in Longxian County. At the same time, several beacons have been built on Longshan Road to connect Jieting and Longxian County.

    Since the Han army began to garrison Linwei County, Zang Ba also realized that the Han army's Eastern Expedition was about to begin. As the main guard guarding the choke point entering Guanzhong, Zang Ba was also extremely nervous. In the morning, the beacon fire on Longshan Road suddenly burned.  , three beacon smokes shot straight into the sky, which was the intelligence of the arrival of a large group of enemy troops. In other words, enemy troops were discovered outside the street pavilion.

    Zang Ba was pacing back and forth on the top of the city with his hands behind his back. He was a little hesitant in his mind whether to send troops to support Jieting, or whether he should lead his troops to support himself. However, he was worried about the gap in Long County's troops and being attacked by the enemy. This made him worried.  He was in a dilemma. Of course, the last resort was to ask Chang'an or Chencang to support Long County. Then he could safely lead his army to the west, but it was a little too late.

    Just when Zang Ba felt in a dilemma, the scouts came to report, and the street pavilion master sent Jiang Ping urgent news. Zang Ba quickly ordered: "Bring him to see me!"

    Not long after, a messenger hurried up to the city, knelt down on one knee in front of Zang Ba and saluted, handed over an order arrow, "Sending a message to the general on the order of General Jiang."

    ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s the situation at the street pavilion?¡± Zang Ba asked anxiously.

    "Reporting back to the general, the situation at the street pavilion is very bad. Zhao Yun led 30,000 troops to camp outside the street pavilion. General Jiang was worried that he could not resist the enemy, so he asked the general for help."

    Zang Ba sighed. Although the Jieting camp was in a dangerous position and was easy to defend and difficult to attack, even the dangerous camp in Mumenzhai was captured by the Han army. Zang Ba was really not sure. He pondered for a long time and asked the messenger again.  He said: "Go back and tell General Jiang that he must hold on for two more days.?I will definitely come to my aid.  "

    This is Zang Ba's compromise. As the leader of Longshan Road, it is necessary to think twice before acting. He can't go right away. That would be too reckless, and he has to go. Otherwise, he will watch the street pavilion fall. He can only observe it after two days.  Set off again, this is the safest way.

    Zang Ba¡¯s prudent approach during the retreat in Shangfang Valley was highly praised by Cao Cao. Although Longxi was eventually lost, Cao Cao still named him General Fuwei and rewarded him with a thousand taels in recognition of his outstanding performance during the retreat in Shangfang Valley.

    The messenger saluted and rode away quickly. Zang Ba turned his eyes to the south again. He was a little surprised that there was no news from Chencang. Logically speaking, Chencang should also have enemy information. Xu Huang must have sent someone to deliver the message to him, but he  But he could not wait for the arrival of the messenger.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 683 Outsmarting the Street Pavilion (Part 1)

    On the official road south of Long County, a cavalryman was urging his horse to run at a high speed. On both sides were large green fields. In the distance, the tall and majestic Longshan Mountains were rolling. The forests at the foot of the mountains were dense, just like a green belt entwined between the mountains.  , Goshawks were circling over the forest, and occasionally there were dozens of farmhouses at the foot of the mountain, with curls of white smoke rising from their kitchens.

    It was already noon, and there were still thirty miles away from Long County. The cavalry did not stop their horses to rest, but instead accelerated their speed. This was the messenger sent by Xu Huang to deliver a message to Zang Ba. Xu Huang wanted to tell Zang Ba that there were probably three  Thousands of cavalrymen circled behind Long County, telling Zang Ba to be careful.

    This letter was urgent and could not be delayed for a moment. The cavalry whipped their horses and sped up again. A gurgling stream appeared in front of them. There was a small bridge on the stream with a narrow bridge. A group of merchants came just opposite.  A dozen mules were loaded with goods, and several businessmen were riding on donkeys, slowly walking towards this side. The cavalry could not help but slow down their horses.

    "Get out of the way!"

    The cavalry roared, rushed onto the bridge, and whipped at several businessmen. But at this moment, a young businessman suddenly rushed up, blocked the soldiers and threw them off the bridge, and rolled them into the river. The other few  The businessman jumped off the bridge, held down the messenger cavalry, and tied him up behind his back.

    "You bastards, you dare to rob officers and soldiers, don't you want to live? Let me go!"

    Before the cavalry could react, he cursed loudly. A businessman raised his hand and slapped him in the face. He said coldly: "You are blind, you really think we are businessmen."

    He tore open the cavalryman's clothes, took out an oilcloth bag from his inner pocket, and took out an order arrow and a letter. It was Xu Huang's autographed letter to Zang Ba. The merchant read it, immediately put away the letter, and ordered  Said: "Take him away!"

    Only then did the messenger cavalry react. His face suddenly turned pale and he lowered his head. He knew he had encountered the enemy.

    Several businessmen took him across the fields and came to a lush forest. There were thousands of cavalry in the forest. It was the three thousand cavalry led by Ma Dai. The businessmen were naturally Han army scouts in disguise. Ma Dai knew that Xu Huang would  When sending a message to Zang Ba, he specially sent someone to intercept the messenger.

    Several scouts escorted the messenger Cao Bing to Ma Dai and knelt down in front of Ma Dai. The messenger repeatedly kowtowed and begged for mercy. Ma Dai took the letter and read it carefully. He couldn't help but nodded. Xu Huang was indeed a famous general. He was obviously running towards Chang'an, but he still  Guessing that he was going to Long County, he ordered Zang Ba to guard Long County strictly and not to act rashly.

    However, they did not escape Jia Xu's plan. Jia Xu knew that there was no pigeon letter between Chencang and Longxian, so Xu Huang would definitely send someone to deliver the letter, so he specially arranged a clever plan.

    Ma Dai interrogated the messenger a few more times, and then found Ma Liang, who was accompanying him. He handed Xu Huang's letter to him and said with a smile, "Ji Chang takes a look at this letter. Can you imitate it?"

    Ma Liang is very good at imitating handwriting. He opened the letter, read it, and said with a smile: "Don't worry! There is no problem."

    Ma Liang immediately took out a scroll of silk and imitated Xu Huang's handwriting to write another letter. The writing was as fast as flying and it was done with one swipe. Ma Liang himself was very proud of it. It was so flawless. He dried the letter, handed it to Ma Dai and said with a smile: "The rest is  I don¡¯t care about the matter, General Ma can arrange it himself!¡±

    Ma Dai was overjoyed, "With this letter from sir, great things can be helped!"

    Ma Dai found another capable soldier and gave him careful instructions, explaining everything clearly. The sergeant then saluted, mounted the messenger's horse, and galloped away in the direction of Long County.

    Zang Ba had been waiting for a whole day. He was quite worried about the situation in the street pavilion. However, if Longxian's worries were not resolved, he would not be able to go west with peace of mind. Zang Ba knew that news would definitely come from Xu Huang, so he patiently  Waiting, in the afternoon, Zang Ba was patrolling at the head of the south city as usual. At this time, a soldier shouted: "General, the soldiers delivering the message are here!"

    Zang Ba held the city head and looked around. He saw a cavalryman rushing towards the city gate. Zang Ba was overjoyed. He finally received the news from Xu Huang. "Open the city and let people in!" Zang Ba immediately ordered.  .

    The city gate opened, and the messenger rushed his horse into the city. After a while, a soldier led the messenger to Zang Ba. The messenger knelt down on one knee and saluted, "I have ordered General Xu to deliver a letter to General Zang. It is urgent!"

    "Where is the letter?" Zang Ba asked anxiously.

    The messenger soldier took out an oil bag from his pocket, took out the order arrow and the letter, and presented it to Zang Ba with both hands. Zang Ba took the order arrow, looked at it, and hurriedly unfolded Xu Huang's letter. Sure enough, it was Xu Huang's personal letter.  , the letter stated that Liu Jing led tens of thousands of troops to set up camp west of Chencang. It was most likely a plan to attack the east and attack the west. The real target of the Han army should be the street pavilion. He was very worried about the loss of the street pavilion and ordered Zang Ba to lead his army immediately.  Go to aid Jieting. He will send scouts to monitor the Han army in Long County. If the Han army shows signs of moving north, he will immediately send troops to strengthen the defense of Long County so that Zang Ba does not have to worry.

    Zang Ba nodded, what he wanted was for Xu Huang to fight LongZang Ba promised to defend the county, and Xu Huang's judgment was the same as his own. The real purpose of the Han army was the street pavilion. Zang Ba asked the messenger a few more questions, and then summoned his confidant Zhao Wei and ordered him: "I will lead the army."  If the army goes to help Jieting, you can lead a thousand troops to guard Long County and don't slack off!"

    "The general will obey your orders!"

    Zang Ba added: "General Xu will send reinforcements in the next two days, give them good military camps, and arrange meals. Don't let others feel dissatisfied."

    "General, please rest assured that their food and accommodation will be arranged in the future."

    Zang Ba made arrangements for Long County and immediately ordered the troops to assemble. Half an hour later, Zang Ba led four thousand troops to leave Long County and rushed toward Jieting.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    As night falls, a bright moon passes through the thin clouds. The moonlight is bright and dark, pouring on the land of Longxian County. It also paints the tall and solid Longxian city wall with a light silver gray. On the top of the city,  Cao's soldiers were patrolling back and forth, and the sentries on the observation tower were watching the movements outside the city with vigilance.

    At this time, a sentry suddenly noticed an army coming up the official road to the south. He couldn't see its appearance clearly. The sentry immediately leaned forward and shouted to the top of the city: "Report to General Zhao quickly, an army is coming from the south."

    The soldiers patrolling the city also discovered that there were troops outside the city. Someone immediately ran to report the guard Zhao Wei. Zhao Wei was resting in the south city tower. When he heard the report, he immediately walked out of the tower and looked outside the city. After a while, a  A group of Cao Cao's troops appeared below the city, about 3,000 men, of whom more than 100 were on horseback in front and infantry behind.

    "Who is coming down from the city?" Zhao Wei asked loudly.

    I saw a general step forward, clasping his fists and saying: "It is General Zhao Wei who is on the city, and I am down at Ma Ping. I have been ordered by General Xu to reinforce Long County. I have the arrows and General Xu's order here!"

    Zhao Wei got Zang Ba's instructions before leaving and knew that reinforcements would arrive in the next two days to reinforce the defense of Long County. He immediately ordered people to put down the basket. A soldier from the city put Ling Jian and Xu Huang's warrant into the basket, and the basket was pulled  After going up, Zhao Wei looked at the order arrow and found that it was correct. He opened the warrant again and looked at it close to the torch. It was indeed Xu Huang's order. The order was from Ma Ping, the commanding general, leading 3,000 troops to reinforce Long County. But who is this Ma Ping?  Zhao Wei had never heard of it.

    But Zhao Wei also knew that Chen Cang's army was quite mixed, including the defeated Longxi army, Xu Huang's deployment, Xiahou Dun's deployment, Guanzhong garrison, and even county soldiers recruited by Zhong Yao before, so Zhao Wei did not have too many doubts.  Then he asked: "Who is General Ma? I'm sorry, but I have never seen a general before."

    Ma Ping, who was under the city, smiled and said: "I am from the Hebei Army. I joined Cao's Army three years ago and have been following General Cao Ren. It is normal that General Zhao does not recognize me."

    Only then did Zhao Wei suddenly realize that it turned out to be the surrendered army of the Hebei rebellion. They called themselves the Hebei Army. In fact, they were not the same thing as Yuan Shao's Hebei Army. They were a ragtag group that had always been looked down upon by Cao's army. Zhao Wei was originally Lu Bu's Xuzhou Army.  With a higher status in Cao's army, he was even more disdainful of this rabble-rous surrendering army.

    Zhao Wei's heart was filled with contempt, and he curled his lips secretly. The first-class food and accommodation he originally planned for was immediately downgraded to third-class. Why should he give them the best camp and just station them in the west camp? Thinking of this, Zhao Wei ordered: "  Kaicheng lets them in."

    He then called for a military lord and ordered: "Take some care of the Western Camp, let them station there, and give them some grain and rice so that they can cook for themselves."

    The Western Camp has been vacant for many years and is quite dilapidated. It is really not the way to welcome guests. However, Zhao Wei gave orders and the military leader did not dare to disobey. He immediately ran to the Western Camp to prepare. At this time, the city gate opened and three thousand Cao Jun began to attack.  Enter the city in formation.

    Zhao Wei walked down the city, stood on the corridor and stared coldly at this low-status Cao army. However, the soldiers in this army were tall, broad-shouldered, brave and powerful, and the team was neat and murderous. They looked very elite.  It's not like the legendary gang.

    In particular, the more than a hundred war horses are very strong, with slender and powerful limbs, and bright and neat coats. They are obviously horses. The powerful momentum brought by more than a hundred cavalry, even the most powerful tiger and leopard cavalry of Cao Jun seems to be incomparable.  More than a hundred cavalrymen were like a thousand troops.

    Zhao Wei began to wonder, is this really the Hebei army from three years ago?  It was much stronger than his soldiers. At this time, he unexpectedly discovered that the left arms of Cao's army were all wrapped with white cloth. This was clearly a mark. He began to feel suspicious and felt something was wrong. He immediately gave the order.  Said: "Stop, you are not allowed to enter the city again!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, a general rushed over on horseback and shouted, "I am not Ma Ping, I am Ma Dai of the Han army!"

    He swung his sword and slashed at Zhao Wei. Zhao Wei was shocked. It was too late to dodge, and he was split into two pieces by Ma Dai. The sudden turn of events shocked hundreds of Cao Wei's troops. When they saw the guard being killed, they  Just reactedThere was a huge chaos, and they turned around to run away. At this time, the Han soldiers raised their crossbows and fired, and the dense arrows knocked Cao's soldiers to the ground.

    Ma Dai shouted, "Follow me to the city!"

    He urged his horse, jumped onto the corridor, and rushed to the top of the city with more than a thousand soldiers. The defenders on the city were so frightened that they fled in all directions. Ma Dai controlled the hinge of the city gate and shouted loudly: "  The whole army enters the city, those who surrender will be spared, and those who resist will be killed!"

    Three thousand Han troops roared and surged into Longxian City, quickly occupying the first fortified city on Longshan Road.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 684 Outsmarting the Street Pavilion (Part 2)

    Jieting is located at the west end of Longshan Pass. This area is composed of three independent low mountains. The mountains are not high. The valley between the two mountains is wide and flat. As early as more than a thousand years ago, this was a route for the Hehuang Qiang people to enter Guanzhong.  Passage, but most business travelers mainly take the Weishui River Valley in the south and don't take this valley road very often.

    Although there is more access to the south, an official road has become flat and solid due to years of business travel. Even army luggage can pass quickly. A river runs parallel to the official road, leading to the depths of the canyon.

    Jieting Nanshan is a hill with beautiful scenery. It has lush forests and gurgling streams. The top of the mountain is flat and wide. At the foot of the mountain is Jietingting Post, which is the only place where the official road must pass. There are more than a dozen buildings built here for transportation.  The businessman stopped to feed the horses.

    There was originally a military fortress on the top of the mountain, with 300 troops stationed there, mainly to guard against the bandits who robbed the Longshan Road. But starting from last year, Xun You built another military stronghold on the top of the mountain, with more than 1,000 troops stationed, to guard against the Han army.  Enter Guanzhong from Longshan Pass.

    The chief general in the military camp is named Jiang Ping, who is a deputy captain. He is from the famous Jiang family in Tianshui County. He was originally the deputy general of the Xiliang warlord Yang Qiu. He came from a noble family and was both civil and military. After Xia Houyuan defeated Yang Qiu, he surrendered thousands of troops.  Jiang Ping also followed the generals to surrender to Xiahou Yuan and became his general. He was highly valued by Xiahou Yuan. After Xiahou Yuan died on Qishan Road, Jiang Ping was classified as Xiahou Dun's general. However, Xiahou Dun despised him as a Qiang.  Being contemptuous of him, Xiahou Dun sent him to guard the street pavilion when Xun You was arranging the defense.

    In the Battle of Longxi, the street pavilion played no role, but now that the Han army is about to attack Guanzhong, the importance of the street pavilion is immediately revealed. Once the street pavilion is lost, the Han army can cross the canyon and enter the Lishui River Valley, and then attack  Longxian can be reached from the south, so guarding Jieting and Longxian is of great strategic significance to Guanzhong. The defenders quickly increased from more than a thousand to five thousand.

    Jiang Ping has been extremely nervous these days. He has received intelligence that an army of about 30,000 people has appeared to the west of Jieting. It is said that the leader is Zhao Yun. Obviously, Zhao Yun wants to seize Jieting and cross the valley into Guanzhong.

    Jiang Ping has sent someone to inform Zang Ba, hoping to get Zang Ba's assistance, but although Zang Ba agreed, he still had to wait for two more days, which made Jiang Ping angry and helpless.

    That morning, Jiang Ping was inspecting the defense of the soldiers on the military stronghold as usual. At this time, a soldier came and reported in a low voice: "General, the Han army sent someone to deliver a message, saying that he is the general's old friend."

    Jiang Ping was shocked, who could this be?  He quickly calmed down and pretended to be calm: "Bring someone to the camp to wait."

    He left the military camp with worries and hurried to the camp. He saw an officer waiting in the camp. Jiang Ping recognized this man at a glance. This man was also a general of Yang Qiu, named Hou Feng, and he had a good relationship with him.  , died in battle with Yang Qiu that year, but I didn't expect that he was still alive.

    "Why is it you? You're not?" Jiang Ping was very surprised.

    Hou Feng clasped his fists and laughed: "Brother Jiang thought I was dead, right? In fact, I was only injured at the time and fled to Longxi to recuperate. Later, I heard that Governor Ma was in Hanzhong, so I also went to Hanzhong, and now I am the general of Governor Ma."

    Jiang Ping looked uncertain and ordered the soldiers on his left and right: "You all stand down!"

    The soldiers all retreated. There were only two people in the tent, Jiang Ping and Hou Feng. They sat down and Hou Feng asked with concern: "Jicheng was flooded. I wonder if the Jiang family suffered any losses?"

    "Fortunately, the clan members have all moved to Linwei County before. There are only fields and houses in Jicheng. Although the fields and houses were submerged, the clan members are safe, which can be considered a blessing among misfortunes."

    Having said this, Jiang Ping smiled and asked, "Is Commander Ma okay?"

    Hou Feng nodded, "Captain Ma married Zhou Mu's sister and was highly regarded by Liu Zhoumu. He has been appointed as the governor of Longxi. This time I went to Jieting with Zhao Yun. It was on the orders of Governor Ma that I sent Brother Jiang  Send a letter."

    After saying that, Hou Feng took out Ma Chao's autographed letter and handed it to Jiang Ping. Jiang Ping took the letter and read it over. Ma Chao persuaded him to surrender in the letter, saying that the overall situation of Cao Cao's withdrawal from Guanlong was decided, and his family, parents, and wife  Since his son is in Longxi, why should he go to the Central Plains? If he is willing to surrender, Ma Chao promises to recommend him as the captain of Tianshui County.

    Ma Chao has a high prestige in Longxi and Liangzhou. Yang Qiu is also one of the eight warlords under Ma Chao. To a certain extent, Jiang Ping is also Ma Chao's general. Now that the Han army has captured Longxi, its power is at its peak. Although Cao Cao has occupied  Guanzhong, but the forces are beginning to be on the defensive. Guanzhong will be Liu Jing's dish sooner or later. Jiang Ping understands these situations.

    It's just that Xu Huang treated him well. Not only did he not take away his position as the street guard, but he also gave him four thousand more troops. He fully trusted him. If he surrendered, he would have a guilty conscience and be ashamed of Xu Huang's treatment of him.  Trust, Jiang Ping pondered for a long time, sighed and said: "I am very grateful to the governor for his concern. I also hope to stay in Longxi, but surrendering to the Han army is very important, so let me think about it carefully."??And I also have 5,000 Cao troops under my command. Most of them are not my troops, but subordinates of General Xu Huang. If I surrender and they refuse, big trouble will happen. Why not give me a little more time?  "

    Hou Feng chuckled, stood up and cupped his hands and said: "Of course I will give Brother Jiang time to think about it, so be it! I will reply in two days, okay?"

    It was another two days. Jiang Ping had no choice but to nod his head, "In two days, whether I surrender or not, I will give a clear answer."

    Hou Feng said goodbye and left. Jiang Ping paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands, feeling confused. Seeing that Zang Ba's reinforcements were about to arrive, what should he do if he wanted to surrender at that time?  He couldn't help but let out a long sigh. If he had known better, he shouldn't have asked Zang Ba for help.

    Zang Ba led four thousand troops to leave Long County and marched north along the Lianshui River Valley. The next day they entered the Longshan Canyon. The canyon was more than ten miles wide and the terrain was open. Although the mountains in the valley were also undulating, they were not steep and relatively steep.  It is gentle enough for horses carrying provisions to pass through.

    Four thousand troops walked west along a small river. This small river was the source of Qishui. It was more than ten feet wide. The water was very shallow, and the deepest part was only knee-high. It was already late April, and under the direct sunlight, the weather was  It was already a bit hot, so most of the soldiers rolled up their trousers and marched in the water, enjoying the bone-chilling coolness. Many soldiers even secretly took off their clothes and lay naked in the water.

    Zang Ba looked worried all the way, and did not stop the soldiers from violating the rules. He was thinking about sending troops to Guanzhong this time. Since the troops were divided into two groups, it was obvious that he did not want to take Chang'an directly, but to  Capture Chencang, Jieting, and Longxian to gain geographical advantages. If the Han army's tactics are successful, Guanzhong will not be able to be defended sooner or later. I wonder why the prime minister did not send tiger and leopard cavalry to Guanzhong. With tiger and leopard cavalry, the Han army may not be able to capture Guanzhong.

    Zang Ba couldn¡¯t help but sigh up to the sky. The Prime Minister¡¯s strategic deployment in the past few years has really been problematic. It can be said that he has made many mistakes. If this continues, Guan Long will really not be saved. Does the Prime Minister really have the idea of ????giving up on Guan Long?

    "General!"

    A scout from afar came galloping on horseback, clasped his fists at Zang Ba and said, "There is a forest area ahead. The five brothers we sent have not returned yet. Should we wait for them to come back before marching?"

    There is a forest area of ??more than thirty miles ahead. The woods are extremely dense and it is easy to hide the enemy. Zang Ba is a cautious person. How could he not know? He looked at the sky and saw that it was already afternoon. He would be walking through the forest at night.  It was very unsafe in the area, so he nodded and ordered: "Send my order and the army will camp on the spot and set off at five o'clock tomorrow morning!"

    The army did not bring tents, and the soldiers carried blankets on their backs. They found a dry place and spread out blankets to lie down. The Huotou army buried pots and cooked rice. The whole army was busy.

    As time went by, it was getting dark. At this time, bad news came from the scout camp. The five scouts who went to explore the road never came back. This made Zang Ba suddenly nervous. This situation can only mean that  One thing was that these five scouts encountered enemy troops, either Han army patrols or the main force of the Han army.

    Zang Ba jumped on a big rock and looked around. The sky was dim, and there were vast mountains in the distance. There were woods for hundreds of steps to the north and south. Although the terrain was relatively open, he always felt that there was a murderous aura hidden in the woods. Zang Ba felt a kind of  Strong uneasiness. He has experienced hundreds of battles and has a special sensitivity in the face of battle. He can feel the approaching danger.

    He immediately jumped off the boulder and shouted: "No rest allowed, everyone get up and assemble!"

    "Woo¡ª¡ª" The horn sounded for Cao Jun's assembly.

    But at this moment, suddenly there was a loud sound of drums in the woods in the distance, and passionate drums came from the woods to the north. Suddenly, fires ignited, and an army of thousands of people came out of the woods, led by a general with white horses and silver spears.  It was the fierce general Ma Chao. He shouted, "Ma Chao has been waiting here for a long time!"

    Before he could shout, his war horse galloped towards Zang Ba. His spears were flying like pear blossoms, killing dozens of Cao's soldiers. The war horse jumped up and stabbed Zang Ba with his spear. Zang Ba was frightened. He knew that he  He is far from being a match for Ma Chao. If he doesn't escape, he will die in Ma Chao's hands.

    Zang Ba turned his horse around and ran toward the soldiers, shouting: "Archers, shoot the enemy generals!"

    Suddenly, hundreds of arrows whizzed towards Ma Chao. Ma Chao danced with his spear and fired the arrows. When he rushed into the group of archers, Zang Ba had already escaped and disappeared. Ma Chao was furious and murderous intent suddenly arose in his heart.  , he roared, and fired his spear at the densely packed crossbowmen all around, starting a killing spree. Wherever the spear passed, blood burst out and corpses tumbled. Cao Jun was killed until Cao Jun cried out and ran for his life, like a wolf running like a pig.  sudden.

    Six thousand Han soldiers also entered Cao's army. Zang Ba's men were also elite veterans. However, Cao's army stretched for three miles at this time. They were far from assembled, let alone arranged in any formation. They hurriedly faced the battle and formed separate formations.  Not the Han armyThe soldiers were killed in pieces, suffered heavy casualties, and rushed to the other side of the river.

    But at this moment, drums were beating loudly in the woods to the south. A Han army of more than 3,000 soldiers came out of the woods and attacked Cao Jun's back. Cao Jun was attacked from both sides and finally collapsed. He fled eastward along the river and was captured.  Those who caught up either resisted and were killed, or knelt down and surrendered. They fought for more than twenty miles and most of Cao's army was annihilated.

    Zang Ba fled for dozens of miles in one breath, and then he stopped to take a breath. At this time, there were only about twenty soldiers on horseback left behind him. After waiting for more than an hour, soldiers started to escape one after another.  He gathered the defeated soldiers, but by daybreak he had only gathered six or seven hundred people.

    Zang Ba sighed deeply in his heart. It was no longer realistic to go to the street pavilion. He had to lead the remaining army to flee towards Long County in panic.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 685 The Little Man¡¯s Choice

    The news of Zang Ba's defeat finally reached the Jieting military camp through deserters. A dozen generals quarreled in the camp. Jiang Ping sat aside and frowned. Although he was the commander-in-chief, in fact he still couldn't fully control the situation.  In control of this army, except for one thousand people who have been commanded by him, the other four thousand people were just transferred from Chencang a month ago. Most of the generals only respect him on the surface, but when encountering big events, they must  Follow Xu Huang's orders.

    Now that Zang Ba was attacked and defeated on the way, it was impossible to come to his aid again, and the 30,000 troops commanded by Zhao Yun were right in front of him. Jiang Ping couldn't decide whether to resist resolutely or surrender, so he simply summoned the generals and let everyone decide together.

    A general named Qin Fang knocked on the table and shouted loudly: "This matter must be consulted by General Xu. General Xu must decide whether to surrender!"

    Several generals nearby agreed with him, "General Qin is right. General Xu treats us well. Even if we want to surrender, we must obtain General Xu's consent."

    Several other officers who advocated surrender were dismissive. One of them sneered: "You are so damn naive. You go discuss it with the Han army and ask them to wait. Then you say that we have to ask General Xu for permission before surrendering. What do you think?"  Will the Han army agree?"

    "If you don't agree, then resist. We are condescending and have the advantage of the terrain. Five thousand people can completely withstand the attack of 20,000 people."

    "Mumenzhai has a better terrain, isn't it just as unbearable?"

    "Jieting is not Mumen Village!"

    The generals quarreled again. Jiang Ping felt depressed and simply walked out of the camp. He paced slowly in the village with his hands behind his back. He made an appointment with Hou Feng for two days and it expired tonight, but he couldn't  What should I do if I give a clear answer?  Should he lead his troops to surrender regardless of other generals?  This makes it difficult for him to live with his conscience.

    At this time, there was a slight commotion in front, and someone seemed to be shouting something in terror. Jiang Ping was startled, and walked up quickly, only to see dozens of soldiers arguing around the water tank, "What happened?"  What's going on?" Jiang Ping stepped forward and asked.

    A soldier saluted and said: "General, the stream has stopped flowing and the water in the reservoir has been reduced by more than half."

    Jiang Ping was shocked, and quickly separated from everyone and stepped forward. Sure enough, a stream from the east had stopped flowing, and the originally full pool was only half full. Jiang Ping was stunned. This is  what happened?

    An experienced officer stepped forward and said: "General, the Han army should have found the water source and diverted it away. There is no water here. As for the reservoir, the Han army should have dug it at the foot of the mountain."  With a few reservoirs, our water seeps into the soil and runs away.¡±

    Jiang Ping was panicking. He could kill horses for a few days without food, but he couldn't survive for a day without water.

    This unexpected situation made Jiang Ping unable to bear it any longer. He quickly walked back to the tent and saw the generals still arguing. He shouted, "Shut up, everyone!"

    There was silence in the big tent for a moment, and Jiang Ping said coldly: "Let me tell you the news. Our water source has been cut off by the Han army. With the water in the water urn, we can only support it for three days at most. It is a war."  It¡¯s up to you to decide whether to surrender or not!¡±

    There was silence in the big tent. After a while, General Qin Fang smiled dryly and said: "If Captain Jiang is willing to lead everyone to surrender, we have no objection. Anyway, Captain Jiang is the commander in chief, so we can just follow him."

    Everyone agreed. Jiang Ping saw that these people were going to put him on the fire and let him bear the infamy of surrender. He sneered in his heart and said slowly: "Everyone here has his own subordinates. I, Jiang Ping, can't command them."  , you still have to decide for yourself, let¡¯s do this! We have made a three-part agreement. From now on, if you are willing to surrender, you will lead your troops down the mountain to surrender. If you are not willing to surrender, you will stay on the mountain. Others must not force or plot against you. Everyone has his own ambitions.  It¡¯s good to say goodbye, everyone.¡±

    After saying that, Jiang Ping turned around and walked away. The other generals looked at each other in confusion. Jiang Ping obviously refused to take the lead and wanted everyone to make their own decision. No one was in the mood to argue anymore. Everyone left with their own thoughts.

    Just half an hour later, shocking news broke out in Cao Jun's camp. The first Cao Jun general to go down the mountain to surrender turned out to be Qin Fang, the tooth general who was most opposed to surrender. He led a thousand soldiers of his army to go down the mountain and surrendered to the Han army.  Cushui can only last for three days. Surrender is a matter of time and sooner or later. The first one to surrender will obviously gain the greatest benefits. This news caused an uproar among Cao Jun.

    Immediately afterwards, Zhang Qu, the tooth general who was also opposed to surrender, also led his five hundred soldiers down the mountain to surrender to the Han army. Qin Fang and Zhang Qu's preemptive surrender made other Cao Jun generals regret it. Cao Jun no longer hesitated and went down the mountain to surrender.  At dusk, only a thousand soldiers led by Jiang Ping remained in Cao's camp.

    Jiang Ping stood on the wall of the village, looking at the sunset, which was like blood. The sunset reflected his face red. Everyone has his or her own personality.Jiang Ping was no exception. If he had decided to surrender before, his mentality changed when Cao Jun's generals came down the mountain to surrender and no one wanted to stay.

    Although Jiang Ping knows that the situation is over, he is the commander-in-chief of the street pavilion. He must maintain the final dignity of Cao's army. This is his unshirkable responsibility.

    At this time, a soldier pointed down the mountain and shouted: "General, someone is coming!"

    Jiang Ping also saw a group of Han soldiers coming, and the leader turned out to be Ma Chao. This was beyond Jiang Ping's expectation. At this time, Ma Chao rushed forward and shouted: "I'm looking for your general and ask him to come out and answer!"  "

    Jiang Ping stepped forward, bowed his hands and saluted: "Captain Ma, you are well and well!"

    Ma Chao nodded, "It will be two days in half an hour. I can't bear my dear brother to die in the street pavilion, so I came here to persuade you. Cao Cao is a traitor to the Han Dynasty. Why should my dear brother be buried for him and suffer infamy for thousands of years?"

    Jiang Ping lowered his head and remained silent. Ma Chao sighed and persuaded again: "I know that Brother Xian is grateful for Xu Huang's kindness and cannot bear to betray him, but have you ever considered for your brothers? They will also die with you.  Did you die in Jieting? I won't hide it from you. Longxi has been captured by my brother Ma Dai. Now only Jieting is left. Liu Zhoumu sent a military order to kill anyone who refuses to surrender. In half an hour, not only the virtuous brother  If there is no chance, even your brothers will be killed. How can you bear this, my dear brother?"

    Jiang Ping looked back at his thousand soldiers, and saw that each of them had a look of fear on their faces. Many of them secretly put down their weapons. Their morale had collapsed. He gave a long sigh and ordered: "Open the gate of the village!"

    The gate of the village slowly opened, and Jiang Ping said to his soldiers: "Every brother has parents, wives and children. I will not stop you. Those who are willing to surrender, please go down the mountain!"

    The soldiers stood silently for a moment. Some soldiers began to take off their armor, put down their weapons, knelt down to salute Jiang Ping, and silently walked out of the village gate and went down the mountain. More and more soldiers left, and finally only Jiang Ping and ten of his soldiers were left.  Jiang Ping ordered the ten soldiers again: "You also go down the mountain and leave!"

    The soldiers all knelt down and cried: "We don't want to leave the general, we want to live and die with him!"

    Jiang Ping nodded, then clasped his fists at Ma Chao and said: "Captain, although Cao Cao was unjust to the Han people, since I, Jiang Ping, have been ordered to guard the street pavilion, I should fight to the end and live and die with the street pavilion. This is my duty, but I  I don¡¯t want the soldiers to make unnecessary sacrifices. Now that the street pavilion has been lost, let me take the responsibility for losing the street pavilion!¡±

    After Jiang Ping finished speaking, he resolutely drew his sword and cut himself with a horizontal sword. When his ten soldiers saw that their leader had committed suicide, they all shouted and followed him on the wall with their swords drawn.

    Ma Chao silently watched Jiang Ping commit suicide, tears welling up in his eyes. After a while, he held back his grief and said to his subordinates: "Collect their bodies and send them back to their hometown for burial."

    After saying that, Ma Chao couldn't help but look up to the sky and sigh, "Who said there are no loyal and brave generals in Longxi!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    The news that the Han army had captured Long County and Jieting soon reached the Han army camp in Chencang. At this time, Liu Jing personally led an army of 70,000 and had been confronting Cao Jun outside the west city of Chencang for many days. Although the capture of Jieting was unexpected by Liu Jing,  However, when the news really came, he was still very excited, especially when Long County was captured by Ma Dai through trickery. This was a major event that boosted the morale of the army.

    In the big tent, Jia Xu smiled at Liu Jing and said: "Now that Long County has been captured, the capture of Chencang is just around the corner. Long County Ben and Chen Cang's guards are the horns. If Long County is in danger, Chen Cang will help it. If Chen Cang is in danger, Long County will help it."  In short, everything has two sides. If Longxian is destroyed, Chencang will not be safe. Zhou Mu ordered Zhao Yun to directly send troops to Chang'an, which made the situation in Chang'an critical. In order to save Chang'an, Xu Huang had to return his troops, so we could not capture Chencang.  It¡¯s a piece of cake.¡±

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then turned around and said, "But I'm a little worried that Zhao Yun's army will go deep alone, and will be attacked by Xu Huang and Cao Ren's army. Our rescue will be beyond our reach."

    Jia Xu thought for a while and then smiled and said: "If Zhou Mu is worried that General Zhao will be attacked by a flank, then let him bring the cavalry with him. With the assistance of the cavalry, it will be difficult for Cao's army to attack unless Cao Cao's tiger and leopard cavalry can arrive in time.  "

    "I don't think Cao Cao's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry will appear in Guanzhong, but I think it is possible that they will appear in Nanyang."

    Liu Jing hesitated and said: "I have a very strong feeling that Cao Cao has no confidence in Guanzhong, but he will never give up in Nanyang."

    Jia Xu laughed, "When Zhou Mu decided to capture Nanyang, wasn't he just using Cao Cao's plan and using Nanyang as a bait to contain Cao Cao's army to reduce the pressure on Longxi? Now Cao Cao's tiger and leopard cavalry cannot come to Guanzhong  , isn¡¯t it just because of Nanyang¡¯s pressure?¡±

    "The military advisor is right. This is the purpose of capturing Nanyang. Yesterday I got information that Cao's army guarding Wuguan only has 6,000 soldiers.person?  I think this is certainly because Wuguan is dangerous and easy to defend but difficult to attack, but more importantly, Cao Cao is very likely to prepare to counterattack Nanyang, so there is no need to station a large number of troops in Wuguan. If it is to counterattack Nanyang, it will not be as simple as dispatching tiger and leopard cavalry.  , and at least 30,000 to 40,000 infantrymen.  "

    Liu Jing walked to the sand table, looked at Guanzhong and Nanyang, pondered for a moment and then said: "To me, Guanzhong is much more important than Nanyang. If I can get Guanzhong, I would rather give up Nanyang."

    Jia Xu also slowly walked forward and said with a smile: "Zhou Mu might as well take Chencang first, don't rush to attack Chang'an, keep the momentum of attracting the enemy without attacking, and then contact Sun Quan and ask him to send troops to Xuzhou or Hefei, so that Jiangdong's army can put pressure on Cao's army in the east.  , as a condition, Qichun County can be returned to Jiangdong, or Hengyang County and Changsha County in the south of Jingnan can be ceded to Jiangdong. I believe that under the temptation of heavy profits, Sun Quan will definitely send troops. As long as Sun Quan sends troops, at the same time, I will send troops to Nanyang and  Runan exerted pressure, and under tremendous pressure, Cao Cao was able to negotiate the ownership of Guanzhong."

    Liu Jing stared at the sand table and said calmly for a long time: "Even so, the pressure on Cao Cao is still not enough. We need to increase the pressure."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 686 Cheng Yu comes out of the mountain

    As night fell, intensive drumbeats rang out from the Drum Tower of Yedu. People on the street hurried to their homes, and all the taverns and shops were closed. This was the curfew that had just been implemented. Since the Han army occupied Longxi,  It caused great repercussions in various parts of the Central Plains, especially in Yedu and Xuchang, which dealt a heavy blow to Cao Cao's prestige.

    In order to prevent the situation from deteriorating, Cao Cao issued an order through the mouth of Liu Xie, imposing a curfew in Yedu and Xudu for a period of one year. After nightfall, eight hundred drums would be beaten. After the drums stopped, no more pedestrians were allowed on the street. Anyone who violates the order  Anyone who violates the order will be arrested, and those who disobey the order twice will be beheaded.

    When the drums stopped, the streets and alleys became silent. There was no more pedestrians. The pubs and shops were closed one after another. Some people who had no time to go home looked for hotels or brothels to spend the night nearby. There were only teams of patrols in full armor on the streets.  Soldier.

    At this moment, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from the street, and a carriage was seen speeding up, escorted by more than a hundred cavalry. An orange lantern was hung on the shaft of the carriage, with two words "Wei Gong" written on it.  In black letters, this is Cao Cao's carriage. The soldiers on patrol stopped to salute.

    Of course, Cao Cao would not be restricted by the curfew. He had important things to go out tonight. The carriage rushed all the way and soon arrived at Cheng Yu's mansion. Xu Chu got off his horse and walked up to knock on the door. After a moment, the concierge came from inside the door.  The voice, "Who is it?"

    "Please tell your master that the Prime Minister is here!"

    Inside the door ¡®Ah!  ' There was a sound, and then there was no sound. In just a moment, the door of the mansion opened, and Cheng Yu's second son Cheng Yan came out. He bowed and saluted on the steps, "I didn't know that the prime minister was coming, and he was not welcomed from a distance. My father ordered the younger generation to apologize to the prime minister!"  "

    Cao Cao came out of the carriage and said with a smile: "I must be sorry for disturbing your rest. Is your father asleep?"

    "Father has not rested yet. Prime Minister, please follow me into the mansion!"

    Cao Cao knew that Cheng Yu must have fallen asleep, otherwise he would have come to greet him in person instead of sending his son instead. He felt a little apologetic, so he followed Cheng Yan into the mansion and came to Cheng Yu's study room in the inner house. Cheng Yu had already passed through  He had good clothes and was waiting at the gate of the courtyard. He bowed and said: "Cheng Yu was extremely rude for not being able to greet the Prime Minister outside the gate. I hope the Prime Minister will forgive me!"

    "Zhongde, it's me who should apologize to you for disturbing your rest."

    "Where! The Prime Minister is visiting at night. There must be something important. Please come into the room and discuss it in detail."

    Cheng Yu knew that Cao Cao was not a polite person, so he was not polite and directly invited Cao Cao into the study. The two sat down and ordered his concubine to serve tea. Cao Cao sighed and said straight to the point: "The defeat of Longxi has a huge impact.  It keeps me awake at night, Zhongde, what should I do?¡±

    "Does the Prime Minister want to take back Longxi again?"

    "I'm very confused and want to take back Longxi, but I don't have the confidence, so I came to ask Zhongde, can I still take back Longxi?"

    Cheng Yu smiled bitterly and asked: "Prime Minister, do you want to hear my heartfelt words, or do you just want to hear my comfort?"

    "I want to hear your comfort, but I also want to hear the truth. If I can't have both, it's better to be frank and let me face reality."

    "Okay! Let me speak frankly. If the Prime Minister wants to recapture Longxi, it is not impossible. As long as he mobilizes all the troops in the country and sends out tiger and leopard cavalry to fight together, I believe he can recapture the five counties of Longxi. But what about recapturing Longxi?  How? The Han army has established the Qishan grain road. As long as Liu Jing holds Shangfang Valley and Xicheng, once the prime minister withdraws, he will still easily occupy Longxi, unless the prime minister gathers 200,000 troops in Longxi and another 100,000 troops in Guanzhong.  , the imperial court must be overwhelmed by the huge expenditure on money and food, and the Central Plains is empty, how can it defend the Han army in Nanyang and the army in Jiangdong? "

    "Then I can only admit defeat in Longxi?" Cao Cao said unwillingly.

    Cheng Yu said helplessly: "Sometimes, we have to face reality."

    Cao Cao was silent. He had also considered what Cheng Yu said. He also knew that he had to face reality in the end, but he could not give up until Cheng Yu said it.

    Cao Cao sighed, "Longxi is far away after all. I know it will be difficult to compete with Liu Jing, but I am afraid that once the Han army goes north, it will gradually gain the advantage of the Northern Army. I mean the cavalry. If this continues, sooner or later I will die in his hands."  ¡±

    "The Prime Minister's words are serious. With the Prime Minister's foundation in the north, how can it be easily shaken by Liu Jing's establishment of a cavalry?"

    These words made Cao Cao feel a little comfort in his heart. He nodded and said: "Speaking of foundation, my foundation is in the Central Plains. Xuchang and Chenliu are the places where I raised my troops. To be honest, losing Longxi is still a little far away, but Nanyang  The loss of the county puts more direct and greater pressure on me. I will take back Nanyang County at any cost. "

    "I support the Prime Minister's plan. Nanyang County is indeed very important, and recapturing Nanyang County will also have an impact on the Prime Minister's reputation.Once stability is restored, I support the Prime Minister to regain Nanyang County.  "

    Cao Cao smiled faintly again, "But there is no one in Nanyang, which makes me worried. Do you want me to conquer it myself?"

    After saying that, Cao Cao looked at Cheng Yu with expectation in his eyes. Only then did Cheng Yu understand that Cao Cao's real intention in coming to him was to let him go out again to conquer Wancheng in the south.

    It turns out that what he just said about Longxi was to pave the way for him to go to Nanyang County. Cheng Yu secretly smiled bitterly in his heart, thinking that he had fallen into Cao Cao's trap.

    Although Cheng Yu did not want to be involved in military affairs after the defeat at Chibi, Cheng Yu also knew that Guo Jia died, Jia Xu surrendered, Xun Yu hid in Xiangyang to teach, Xun You was captured by the Han army, and his life and death were unknown, and the five great counselors  He was the only one left. Chen Qun, Liu Ye, Mao Jie, Xin Pi, Jia Kui and others were still unable to take on big responsibilities, so Cao Cao came to ask for his help.

    Thinking that he was also responsible for the defeat of Jingzhou, Cheng Yu could no longer refuse Cao Cao's sincerity. He stood up and saluted: "I am willing to share the worries of the prime minister!"

    Cao Cao was overjoyed. As long as Cheng Yu is willing to leave the mountain and go to Nanyang, the chance of victory in this battle will be greatly increased. He waved his hands repeatedly, "Zhongde doesn't have to be like this. Please sit down and talk. Let's take a look at how to deploy our troops."

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Just when the Han army captured Longxi and the army advanced towards Guanzhong, Cao Cao ordered the 100,000-strong army in Guanzhong to stand ready. On the other hand, he also mobilized troops and generals in an attempt to recapture Nanyang. He transferred back the 10,000 cavalry guarding Youzhou and the guards who guarded Youzhou.  The 20,000 elite troops from Xuzhou and Hefei, plus the 30,000 troops from Ye County and Xuchang, totaling 50,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, ordered Xiahou Dun to be the chief general, Cheng Yu to be the military adviser, and Zhang Liao and Cao Hong to be the deputy generals. They were ordered to  Retake Nanyang County within two months.

    Ye County of Nanyang County, known as Wan's throat and Xu's mouth, is the gateway from Nanyang County to Xuchang. It has an extremely important strategic position. It is also the only stronghold in Nanyang County that Cao's army did not lose after the fall of Nanyang County. Cao Hong knew he was guilty.  He led thousands of defeated troops to defend Ye County to alleviate his crimes.

    However, Wenpin did not continue to move north after capturing Wancheng because of insufficient troops. This gave Cao's army in Ye County a chance to breathe. Soon, 10,000 reinforcements from Xuchang arrived in Ye County to increase Ye County's defense.

    At this time, 60,000 troops gathered in Ye County. In the Ye County government office, Cheng Yuzheng and others analyzed the war situation. It was Cheng Yu's opinion that he originally advocated launching the Jingzhou Campaign to distract the pressure from Longxi. However, in the end, the Battle of Jingzhou failed, and Longxi was also unlucky.  After the fall, Cheng Yu felt ashamed. With Cao Cao's sincere invitation, he gave up his principle of no longer participating in the military and rushed to Nanyang to supervise the war. He brought Cao Cao's latest order.

    Although Xiahou Dun is the nominal commander, Cheng Yu holds Cao Cao's gold medal for troop deployment, so he is the actual commander. Cheng Yu is fully responsible for all military deployments, and Xiahou Dun is just assisting him.

    "The Prime Minister attaches great importance to this counterattack on Nanyang. The failure of Longxi has seriously affected the Prime Minister's prestige. The Prime Minister must use the Battle of Nanyang to reverse his reputation. Not only that, recapturing Nanyang can also reduce the threat of the Han army to the Central Plains and drive the Han army back  Jingzhou, I hope you can understand this and work together to defeat the powerful enemy."

    Everyone bowed and saluted together, "I am willing to listen to the military advisor's arrangements!"

    Cheng Yu nodded, picked up the wooden pole and pointed at the counties of Nanyang County on the sand table: "According to the scout information, the Han army has a total of 30,000 people in Nanyang County, mainly concentrated in Wancheng, Nanxiang County, Juiyang County and Xinye  Among the three counties, Wancheng and Nanxiang counties each had 10,000 people, and Fuyang County and Xinye each had 5,000 people. The reason why the Han army stationed troops in Nanxiang County was because they wanted to take the Wuguan Road to march into Guanzhong, but they always stood still.  , It shows that Liu Jing did not really intend to capture Guanzhong, and it also shows that Liu Jing was worried about losing Nanyang, so he just pretended to be ready to march to Wuguan, but this just gave us the opportunity to capture Nanyang. "

    Cheng Yu used a wooden pole to guide Nanxiang County again. "At present, Pang De led 10,000 troops to be stationed in Nanxiang County, leaving Wancheng with only 10,000 troops led by Wenpin. Although Wancheng is strong and difficult to attack, only Nanxiang can  The county's army was too late to rush to Wancheng, and Wenpin's 10,000 troops could not defend Wancheng."

    At this time, Zhang Liao said from the side: "But our army has gathered in Ye County. Wenpin will definitely get the news. Will he order Nanxiang County to be abandoned and let 10,000 troops rush to Wancheng to help in the battle? And Nanxiang County is further away from Wancheng.  It¡¯s close, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have enough time.¡±

    Cheng Yu stroked his beard and smiled proudly, "I have prepared for this. The reason why I asked the Prime Minister to mobilize cavalry to fight in Nanyang is to solve Wen Yuan's worries. To be honest, I have secretly ordered Cao Zhen a few days ago.  First, he led five thousand cavalry to the south and cut off the passage between Nanxiang County and Wancheng. Even if Wenpin had the intention, Pound's army would not be able to get through, so there is no need to worry. "

    Everyone suddenly realized that the military advisor had already made arrangements. Seeing Cheng Yu's far-sighted plan, everyone immediately became more confident. At this time, Xiahou Dun said again: "Military advisor, since our military strength"The Han army is twice as strong, so we can continue to fight. I suggest that we send out surprise troops to march into Fancheng and cut off Wenpin's return. What do the military advisors think?"  "

    Cheng Yu shook his head, "The eldest son also proposed this plan before I left, but the prime minister believes that if our army goes south to Fancheng, Liu Jing will definitely mobilize the Jiangxia navy to strengthen the defense of Xiangyang. Once the main force of the Jiangxia navy moves north, the situation will change.  If there is a change, it may even trigger Jiangdong to send troops, which is inconsistent with our strategy of capturing Nanyang. Therefore, the Prime Minister has ordered that Cao¡¯s army not enter Jingzhou in this battle, and the war is not allowed to expand. "

    Since Cao Cao had strict orders, Xiahou Dun had no choice but to ask: "Then when will we send troops?"

    Cheng Yu smiled and said: "It seems that everyone is very anxious. Soldiers are valuable and quick. I suggest sending troops tomorrow!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 687 Counterattack on Nanyang

    On the official road about forty miles west of Wancheng, an army of more than 10,000 people was marching rapidly towards Wancheng. This was an army of 10,000 people led by Pang De. They were originally stationed in Nanxiang County and were preparing to march westward to Wancheng.  However, when news of Cao's massive counterattack came, Wenpin ordered Pang De to abandon Nanxiang and return to Wancheng immediately.  Pang De also realized that the problem was serious and hurriedly led his army eastward to return to Wancheng. However, for some reason, Pang De always had an ominous premonition in his heart that his return to Wancheng would not go smoothly this time. He felt that Cao Jun would not let him easily.  Return to Wancheng.  Pang De walked in the middle of the team and kept looking to the north. In the north were rolling hills and large wheat fields and woods, which made his sight not very far away. He saw that Wancheng was still forty miles away, but he felt uneasy in his heart.  But it is getting stronger and stronger.  At this moment, a soldier pointed to the north and shouted: "General, the scout is back!" I saw a few cavalry running towards this side quickly, and they stepped through the large wheat fields in a panic. Pound's heart suddenly sank.  The Han army has strict military discipline, and those who step on the wheat will die. These scouts were so disrespectful of military discipline, something serious must have happened.  "General!" the scout shouted from a distance: "Cao's cavalry is coming!" The Han soldiers suddenly panicked, but Pound calmed down. As expected, he urged his horse to meet him and asked: "  How many cavalry are there?" "About five thousand cavalry are still several miles away from us. They are about to attack. Please make a decision quickly, general!" Pound nodded and scolded the scouts: "I will settle the account with you later.  No matter how anxious you are, you must not violate military discipline." He then turned around and ordered: "Turn around and retreat westward!" Pound knew very well the strength comparison between them and Cao's cavalry. Their 10,000 infantry were no match for 5,000 cavalry, let alone Cao's army.  The most elite tiger and leopard cavalry, unless they are heavy armored infantry, in this case, the only way to survive is to evacuate quickly and get rid of Cao's cavalry.  Pang De's mind turned. Cao Jun did not allow them to go to Wancheng. They would inevitably come from the east, and there was a plain to the south. They could not outrun Cao Jun, so they had to evacuate to the west. There was Fangshan Mountain twenty miles away. They could avoid Cao Jun by going up the mountain.  cavalry.  The Han troops turned around and ran westward. At this moment, dust was flying in the northeast, the earth shook, and there was a thunderous sound. Pang De's cavalry was extremely experienced, and he immediately judged that Cao's army was still about three miles away from them.  At this time, the deputy general Yang Qing rushed forward and said to Pang De: "Cao's army is very fast. I'm afraid we can't outrun the enemy. I am willing to lead 3,000 troops to block Cao's cavalry." This was a strategy to survive with a broken arm. Pang De nodded silently.  He patted Yang Qing on the shoulder and said, "It is your great contribution to survive!" Yang Qing turned the horse's head and shouted: "Follow me the rear army!" Pang De led a large force to quickly retreat westward, while deputy general Yang Qing led three thousand  The Han soldiers lined up quickly at the back of the official road. They nocked crossbows and aimed at the overwhelming Cao cavalry in the distance. Looking at the murderous Cao cavalry, many Han soldiers changed their faces in shock. Wancheng's Wenpin has been obtained.  When the Han army captured Anlu County, Cao Jun acquiesced and did not counterattack for many years.  Nanyang is different. Nanyang can reach Luoyang to the north, Chang'an to the northwest, and Xuchang to the northeast. Its strategic position is extremely important. Cao Cao captured Nanyang only after Cao Cao conquered Zhangxiu three times. Cao Jun could not tolerate the Han army to capture Nanyang, but Cao Jun counterattacked.  The timing caught Wenpin off guard.  Cao's army counterattacked Nanyang. Just when the Han army was building momentum to seize Guanzhong, Wenpin sent Pang De with 10,000 troops to Nanxiang County to prepare for an attack on Wuguan. At this time, Cao's army counterattacked Nanyang.  I have to say that this is related to the situation in Guanzhong.  What worries Wenpin now is that there are only 10,000 defenders in Wancheng, which is too small to withstand Cao's massive attack. He has ordered Pang De's army to rush back to Wancheng, hoping to complete the deployment before Cao's army goes south.  .  On the top of the city, Wenpin has been looking to the west. Judging from the time, Pang De's army should have arrived, but now there is no news, not even a team of scouts he sent, which makes Wenpin feel sad.  Started to worry.  At this moment, a group of cavalry came running from a distance, it was the scouts he sent, but he only sent 20 people, and now more than 30 people came back, a dozen more people. Wenpin knew that something must have happened.  He quickly shouted: "Open the city gate quickly and let them in!" The suspension bridge was lowered, the city gate slowly opened, and the cavalry rushed into the city. After a while, a soldier led several Han soldiers covered in blood into the city.  When he saw Wenpin, he knelt down and cried loudly. Wenpin shouted anxiously, "Stop crying, tell me what happened?" An officer wiped away his tears and said, "We met five people on the way.  Qian Cao's cavalry, PangThe Cao army led the army to withdraw westward. General Yang Qing led 3,000 men to block the enemy army, but we were no match for Cao's cavalry. All 3,000 brothers were wiped out. Even General Yang Qing was killed in the battle. Only a dozen of us managed to escape.  Wenpin was stunned. There were actually five thousand cavalry. After a while, he asked again: "What about General Pang's army?"  What now?  The scout next to him bowed and said: "General Pang's main force retreated to Fangshan, just twenty miles away to the west, while General Yang Qing's team blocked Cao's cavalry for about half an hour. Judging from the time, General Pang's main force should have  After going up the mountain, Cao Jun's cavalry was still one step late.  " Wenpin was silent. This was just a guess, but what was the real situation? Whether Pound's army could escape the pursuit of Cao's cavalry, he was full of worries. At this moment, a soldier came forward to report: "General, Deng Zhizhong said  I have something urgent to see the general!  " Wenpin was startled. Deng Yi had trouble with his legs and feet. How could he be here? He quickly walked to the parapet wall and saw Deng Yi sitting in a bamboo basket, waving to him from the bottom of the city. Wenpin quickly walked down the city, cupped his hands and said  : ¡°Why is Mr. Deng here?  " "I heard some news and came here to tell the general!  Wenpin pointed to the room next to him and said, "Please go inside to talk."  " Two attendants carried the bamboo horse into the house and retreated. Deng Yi then said to Wenpin: "I heard rumors that many big families in the city have been secretly communicating and preparing to respond to Cao Jun. Although it is a rumor, but  I believe this is true.  " "How did they know that Cao Jun was going to counterattack Nanyang?  Wenpin asked in surprise. "I don't know the details. Maybe Cao Jun has secretly sent an envoy to contact you."  " Wenpin frowned slightly. He felt that Deng Yi was not sincere. As the first family in Nanyang, how could he not know the specific situation of Wancheng's big family? It's just that he didn't want to tell himself. "But Wenpin can also understand that the Deng family  As the leader of the Nanyang family, the Deng family will never betray the township party. It is his greatest sincerity that Deng Yi can tell him this information. Wenpin does not want to embarrass Deng Yi, but he does not understand how this situation could happen.  It is unrealistic that a wealthy family in Wancheng is close to Cao Cao! Nanyang should belong to Jingzhou's traditional sphere of influence. How can the gentry be close to Cao Cao? "Can Mr. Deng tell me the reason?  I really can't figure it out.  " Deng Yi smiled bitterly and said: "Actually, this has something to do with Jingsheng back then. At that time, more than fifty gentry households in Nanyang wrote to Jingsheng, objecting to the transfer of Nanyang to Zhang Xiu. However, Jingsheng still ignored the objections of the gentry and ceded Nanyang to Zhang Xiu.  He killed Zhang Xiu, which led to Zhang Xiu's revenge, which caused the death of many families. This incident chilled the hearts of the Nanyang nobles. In addition, Cao Cao treated Nanyang well. He exempted Nanyang from taxes for several years before and after the Chibi War, which made Nanyang very popular.  In the hearts of the people, Cao Hong was incompetent and failed to defend Nanyang, but he could not change the Nanyang people's love for Cao. I heard that Cao's army was going to counterattack Nanyang. I guess all counties in Nanyang would open their cities to welcome Cao's army. It is inevitable that the Wancheng nobles would make changes.  " Wenpin said bitterly after a while: "But it's no longer Liu Jingsheng's era. Now we are the Kuangfu Han Dynasty. Don't they understand?  " Deng Yi shook his head, "This will take time to change slowly. After all, Mr. Jing is Jing Sheng's nephew. The people of Nanyang will not accept it for a while. What I mean is to tell the general, never mobilize civilians to defend the city, otherwise it will  Giving them a chance would lead to a mutiny before the war and accelerate the fall of Wancheng.  " Wenpin felt really embarrassed. He was considering whether to mobilize the people of Wancheng to participate in the defense of the city. Deng Yi poured cold water on him. After all, the Han army had not occupied Nanyang for a long time, and he did not know the Wancheng nobles.  If Deng Yi's true thoughts were true, things would be in trouble. Wen Ping bowed his hands and said, "Thank you Mr. Deng for the timely notice. I understand what to do."  " Wenpin sent Deng Yi away. He immediately called for a few close guards and whispered to them: "You should find a way to find out if there is a big family in the city gathering strong men secretly. It should be secretive so as not to be discovered.  "The soldiers took the order and left, and Wenpin sent several more scouts to explore the whereabouts of Pang De's army and the dispatch of the main force of Cao's army. As the time gradually came to night, the news began to become tense, and various shops and taverns in Wancheng  They were closed one after another, and several soldiers sent by Wenpin to investigate the situation also brought bad news. It is true that some wealthy families are gathering their young men, ranging from a hundred people to a dozen people. Their excuse is to protect their family property, but  The specific motive is unknown. At the same time, there is also news about the whereabouts of Pang De's army. Pang De's 7,000 troops have retreated southward from Fangshan to Yin County, and can cross the Han River back to Fengling County at any time, while 5,000 Cao Jun's cavalry are leaving.  After reaching Tuoyang County, the 5,000 Tuoyang County defenders who were preparing to rush to Wancheng were forced to return to Tuoyang. Various disadvantages made Wenpin feel very upset. Their intelligence in the Central Plains was poor and they could not know in advance that Cao's army would increase.  Bingye County, counterattack Nanyang??, as a result, he made a mistake in judgment and failed to concentrate his troops in time, which ultimately led to today's passive situation of dispersed troops.  If he could have known that Cao Jun had sent troops to Ye County one day earlier, Pang De's army would have been able to rush back to Wancheng.  He doesn¡¯t know how many Cao¡¯s troops there are in Ye County now and who their general is. Now Wenpin doesn¡¯t know what he should do?  Should he hold on to Wancheng or withdraw his troops? But even if he withdraws his troops, how should he deal with the five thousand cavalry outside?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 688 Kill one person to serve as a warning to others

    Zhang Liao led 20,000 Cao troops as the front army and marched south. Two days later, the army arrived at Bowang County, which was still fifty miles away from Wancheng. Seeing that it was getting late, Zhang Liao ordered the army to camp. Thinking of the disastrous failure of his attack on Jingzhou last year, he  The rear army he led was besieged by Liu Jing's army. If Cao Cao had not made political concessions, Zhang Liao would have become Liu Jing's prisoner of war and face a lifetime of shame. Looking back now, it still makes him feel scared.  But Zhang Liao is also a man who has weathered many storms. He will not be trapped by last year's defeat. On the contrary, he will learn from last year's lessons and fight again to wash away the shame of last year.  The army had just set up camp when Zhang Liao got an unexpected news. A fleet full of supplies left Wancheng and headed south along the Huishui River. There were five hundred large ships. This news made Zhang Liao realize something. Could it be "  Wenyuan!" Li Dian quickly walked into the tent and asked, "I heard there was an emergency military situation. What happened?" "The scouts discovered a fleet sailing out of Wancheng and heading to Xiangyang. There were five hundred large ships.  Full of supplies. " "Is this because Wenpin is giving up Wancheng?" Zhang Liao nodded, "I feel the same way. I heard that Cao Zhen defeated Pang De's army and blocked the Han army from going to Wancheng. Now there are only two people in Wancheng.  Ten thousand troops, if our army arrives, Wenpin will definitely not be able to defend Wancheng. It would be a wise move for him to abandon Wancheng and retreat. " Li Dian hesitated and said: "I am wondering whether we can intercept Wenpin's army.  Withdraw? To avenge last year's attack." Zhang Liao didn't answer immediately. He walked to the map, stared at Feishui for a moment, and asked, "Which route does Mancheng think Wenpin will take if he retreats south?"  In front of him, he pondered for a moment and said: "Cao Zhen's cavalry did not carry kerosene. They could not burn the transport fleet. The cavalry would definitely go north along the river to intercept Wenpin's retreating army. I think Wenpin should know this very well, so Wenpin  If the troops want to retreat, they will definitely evacuate east of Feishui." Li Dian tapped Feishui on the map, "We can't give him any advantage." Zhang Liao fell into thought. So far, the Han army has only retreated southward.  It is a conjecture, but there is no evidence yet. We must be cautious and make a decision only after obtaining precise information.  At this moment, a soldier outside the tent reported: "There is a man named Huang Xu outside asking to see the general, saying that he has important military information to report." "Huang Xu?"  Zhang Liao was slightly startled. He seemed to have heard of this name before. Li Dian responded quickly, "Could he be the son of Huang Ying? He was the leader of the people back then." Zhang Liao suddenly remembered that during the Chibi War, the prime minister recruited 50,000 Nanyang people to transport them.  Regarding food, it seems that the leader is named Huang Xu, the son of the head of the Huang family in Nanyang.  "Invite him in!" Zhang Liao immediately ordered.  Not long after, the soldiers brought a man in. This man was about thirty years old, with a broad waist and a burly figure. His name was Huang Xu. He was the second son of Huang Ying, the head of the Huang family in Wancheng. The Huang family and the Deng family  The families have the same name and are known as the two major families in Nanyang. They have many branches, such as Huang Chengyan in Xiangyang, Huang Zu in Jiangxia, and Huang Zhong in Nanyang, etc.  Due to the intersection of major political forces in the Jingxiang area, each branch of the Huang family also made its own choice. For example, Huang Chengyan chose Liu Bei, Huang Zhong chose Liu Jing, Huang Zu was destroyed by Jiangdong, and Huang Ying, who stayed in Wancheng, surrendered  In Cao Cao's several campaigns against Jingzhou, the Huang family made great contributions and received commendations from Cao Cao. Huang Ying's eldest son, Huang Xian, became an official in Xuchang, and his second son, Huang Xu, was in charge of tens of thousands of civilians. Even Huang Ying himself also  It is extremely honorable to be named the Marquis of Guannei.  A few months ago, when the Han army captured Nanyang, the Huang family chose to remain silent. This was also because time was short. Nanyang County had not yet had time to be included in the official rule of Jingzhou. The prefect was still Zhang Yan appointed by the original court, and the Huang family did not suffer.  Reckoning, dodged a bullet.  This time Cao's army counterattacked Nanyang, and the Huang family began to be active again, secretly contacting the wealthy and pro-Cao families in the city, preparing to cooperate with Cao's army in attacking Wancheng, and starting an uprising in the city. Huang Xu was sent by Huang Ying to contact Cao's army, Huang Xu received the bill  He knelt down and saluted, "See General Zhang!" Zhang Liao recognized him and quickly helped him up, "Master Huang, please get up." Huang Xu stood up and said, "I have important information to report to General Zhang. Wenpin is already gathering troops.  In order to prepare to evacuate Wancheng, my father has also contacted more than a dozen wealthy families and gathered more than a thousand soldiers to prepare for an uprising in the city to welcome Cao's army into the city. "After that, he took out his father's personal letter and presented it to Zhang Liao.  After reading the letter, Zhang Liao felt confident, so he smiled and said to Huang Xu: "I will truthfully report your loyalty to the prime minister, and I will take credit for your efforts in capturing Wancheng." Huang Xu was overjoyed, and he quickly saluted again and said: "Excuse me, General  "When we are ready to attack Wancheng, we can cooperate at any time." "I don't know the details yet, but you can tell me when you go back, if the Han army is ready."Please leave and ask them to pay attention to maintaining order in the city and maintaining the stability of Wancheng.  " "I understand. I will go back to the city to report to my father.  " Huang Xu bowed and left. Zhang Liao ordered people to send him out. At this time, Li Dian stepped forward and said with a smile: "Why didn't Wen Yuan tell them the specific time of our attack?  " Zhang Liao shook his head, "How can we entrust the important military affairs to the villagers at will? They are so many people and talk about everything. Once it is leaked, it will ruin my major affairs.  " Li Dian praised: "Wen Yuan is cautious. No wonder the prime minister entrusts him with such a heavy responsibility.  " Huang Xu left the military camp and hurried back to Wancheng with his two followers. They galloped all the way. It was already dark, and the bright moonlight filled the earth. The official road was silent. Only the rushing sounds of their horses could be heard.  There was the sound of running. An hour later, they were less than twenty miles away from Wancheng. Just as they rushed into a forest, Huang Xu's horse suddenly screamed loudly and raised its front hooves high. They saw the official road ahead.  Two big trees fell down, blocking the way. Before Huang Xu could react, a huge net was thrown over his head, and he was tightly entangled. Then, hundreds of sergeants rushed out from all around and aimed their crossbows at them.  The two followers raised their hands in fear and did not dare to move. A military lord came out from behind the big tree, looked at them coldly, waved his hand, "Take them away!  " In Wancheng, the news of the withdrawal of the Han army spread throughout the city. Even though it was night, there were still countless men in black appearing on the streets. They were all dressed in the same color. They were all wearing short black robes, with their right arms wrapped in white cloth, and holding swords in their hands.  , there are more than a thousand people, they are the young men of more than a dozen wealthy families in Wancheng, headed by the Huang family. When the Han army evacuated Wancheng, they showed up one after another, controlled the city gates, occupied the military camps, and surrounded the government offices.  Patrolling the streets, and more importantly, they were eager to raise the flag of Cao Jun, announcing that Wancheng had changed. Huang Ying, the head of the Huang family, was a middle-aged man in his fifties, tall and energetic.  He once practiced martial arts in the army and used a thirty-pound sword. He had put on Cao's armor and helmet, carried a sword, and patrolled the streets on horseback. He looked majestic. The Han army occupied Nanyang, which frightened him, fearing that he would be purged by the Han army. Fortunately, time passed.  Not long after, Cao Jun came back, and his moment of pride came again. "Master Huang!  "A head of a wealthy family rushed over, bowed to Huang Ying and said, "I talked with Deng Yi, but the Deng family refused to come forward. He said that our actions had nothing to do with him.  Huang Ying snorted coldly and said, "Since he refuses, forget it. Everyone has his own ambitions. I won't force him. It's just that the Deng family will not participate in Nanyang affairs in the future."  " Huang Ying was extremely contemptuous of Deng Yi. He knew that Deng Yi's son was an official in Jingzhou. Deng Yi was a pro-Jingzhou faction. When Wenpin occupied Nanyang some time ago, Deng Yi was very active. Now that Cao's army has returned, he has naturally disappeared.  Huang Ying turned his horse and headed towards the city gate, but he was thinking about how to kill the Deng family. Although the Huang and Deng families were married, Huang Ying still wanted to use the power of Cao's army to eradicate the Deng family, so that Nanyang would become his Huang family.  The family was now alone. At this moment, there was a sudden chaos at the city gate, and there were screams and cries. Huang Ying was shocked. What happened? He urged his horse to run towards the north gate.  , before reaching the city gate, several crossbow arrows were fired towards him. Huang Ying quickly waved his sword to call. At this time, he also saw the situation clearly. He saw countless Han soldiers appearing at the north gate, and more than a hundred men in black were killed.  Huang Ying was so stunned that he cried for his life and ran for his life. Where did the Han army come from? "Master Huang, run quickly, the Han army is coming!"  "A man in black yelled. Huang Ying just woke up as if from a dream, turned his horse's head and ran away. But just after running a few steps, shouts of death and cries and screams came from the street ahead, and he saw a group of black people.  The man in black stumbled and ran away, followed by hundreds of Han soldiers, with arrows like locusts. Huang Ying was so shocked that he fell to the ground. He had already realized that the Han army was not there at all.  Go, pretending to evacuate, and lead them out of the cave. Huang Ying felt regret and hatred in his heart. He threw down the sword, turned his horse and ran towards an alley. But before he could reach the entrance of the alley, dozens of arrows were shot from the side.  When Huang Ying arrived, he was hit by more than a dozen arrows, screamed and fell off his horse, and died tragically on the spot. At this time, Wenpin appeared at the gate of Beicheng, followed by a large group of soldiers, and several soldiers escorted Huang Xu. Huang Xu was frightened.  He was also afraid, because he knew that Wenpin was going to clean up Wancheng, and the Huang family was finished. Wenpin pointed at Huang Xu and ordered the soldiers: "Take him to identify him, and all the families involved in the conspiracy will be cleansed, regardless of master or servant, sixteen years old."  All the above men were arrested.  " Thousands of soldiers were divided into twenty teams. Holding torches, they rushed into the wealthy families participating in the alliance. They captured all the men over the age of sixteen and tied them out one after another, along with hundreds of captives.  A strong man in black clothes arrested more than 2,000 people in total.There was chaos in the house, and the cries were loud, but only the Huang family was really purged. Except for Huang Ying, who was dead, more than ten of his nephews and brothers were all killed by the Han army and their heads were chopped off for public display.  At this time, Wenpin had received news that Cao Jun had nearly 50,000 troops going south, and Zhang Liao's former army had already reached fifty miles away. He knew that Wancheng could not be defended, so he had to give up, but before giving up, he had to kill Wancheng's troops.  After the pro-Cao forces were cleansed, they implemented a small plan, pretended to retreat, and killed another carbine.  Wenpin saw that it was almost five o'clock in the sky and they had little time left. He urged his horse to come to the crowd of more than 2,000 people who had been arrested. They had already knelt down in front of the crowd, which was completely covered in darkness. Everyone had their heads lowered, and many of them were covered in blood.  Trembling, with great fear in my heart.  Wenpin pointed his horsewhip and shouted: "Listen!" The crowd gradually quieted down. Wenpin waved his hand, and a dozen soldiers came forward with a bamboo pole holding a dozen heads of the Huang family.  Wenpin shouted sternly: "I'm just warning you this time. This is no longer the era of Liu Jingsheng. The Han army is just retreating temporarily and will come back soon. If you dare to kiss Cao Cao and rebel against the Han again, the next time I capture Wancheng, I will kiss you."  The Cao family will kill everyone, and the Huang family will be your fate!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 689 Abandoning Nanyang

    Before dawn, the Han army completely evacuated Wancheng. However, contrary to Zhang Liao's expectation, the Han army did not retreat to the east of the Feishui River. Instead, it quickly retreated to the southwest, preparing to join Pang De's army and cross the Han River.  , withdrew from Fengling County to Xiangyang.  Five hundred large ships loaded with supplies evacuated Wancheng three hours ago, and sailed down the Feishui River towards Xiangyang on the Han River. The five hundred large ships stretched for dozens of miles, and their momentum was spectacular and eye-catching. Naturally,  It also attracted the attention of thousands of Cao Jun cavalry active in the south of Wancheng.  After a fierce battle with Pang De's army, although Cao's cavalry wiped out nearly 3,000 Han troops, they also paid the price of more than 300 cavalry casualties. Cao Zhen failed to catch up with the main force of Pang De's army, so he immediately turned around and went south to attack the five troops stationed in Tuoyang County.  Thousands of Han troops, but Xiang Chong, the leader of the Han army in Tuoyang, expected that the enemy would be ahead and retreated to Tuoyang County first, leaving Cao's cavalry in vain.  Xiang Chong was very good at defense. Although the city of Tuoyang was not big, it was defended impeccably by Xiang Chong. Cao Zhen tried to capture Tuoyang County several times, but all ended in failure. However, Xiang Chong was also quite worried and could not defend Tuoyang.  Meaning, the key is to successfully evacuate Nanyang and return to Xiangyang. How to get rid of the pursuit of Cao's cavalry is the top priority.  Xiang Chong quickly came to the city head and looked at the cavalry camp of Cao Army a few miles away. He had just received the news that the cavalry of Cao Army had gone to the north of Feishui, which surprised him. At this time, a tooth general advised  : "General, since Cao Jun's cavalry is heading north, can we use this opportunity to retreat to Xinye?" Xiang Chong shook his head, "What if it is Cao Jun's trick to lure troops? Wait and see, what exactly happened?"  At this moment, a cavalryman rushed from the north, rushed to the city and shouted: "General Xiang, I am here to deliver a message on the order of Governor Wen!" Xiang Chong looked over and saw that he knew this person. He was Wenpin.  The soldiers immediately ordered: "Open the city and let him in!" The city gate slowly opened, and the messenger soldier urged his horse to gallop into the city. He was soon led to the top of the city by the soldiers. The messenger soldier knelt down on one knee and pulled a  The letter was presented, "This is a letter from the Governor, please take a look at it, general." Xiang Chong opened the letter and read it for a moment, and then he understood why Cao's army went north. He nodded, immediately turned around and ordered: "Pass my order, the whole army must assemble.  , prepare to retreat! "It is getting brighter, and the fleet stretching for dozens of miles on the water is heading south quickly. All the ships are two-hundred-stone flat-bottomed sand boats, which are the most common cargo transport ships on the water.  The ships were loaded with ordnance and food, but the draft was not deep, so there was obviously a lot of leeway left. There were several soldiers on each ship escorting them. They hid under the oilcloth, holding military crossbows, and watched the situation on the shore vigilantly.  At this moment, there was a fierce sound of horse hooves in the distance, and a long black line appeared in the distance, followed by an overwhelming number of cavalry rushing towards the shore. The boatmen who were driving the boat suddenly became nervous and started shouting.  Move the boat towards the east coast and sail close to the east coast.  Cao Jun's cavalry did not approach the river. They had learned a painful lesson. A few months ago, Cao Chun died on the bank of Feishui River. Several cavalrymen stepped forward and shouted loudly: "The ship will dock immediately!" No matter how the cavalry shouted,  The fleet just ignored it. Suddenly, more than a dozen cold arrows were shot from the ship. A Cao soldier was shot through the chest by an arrow because he could not dodge. He screamed and fell off his horse. The rest of the cavalry evacuated from the shore.  Cao Zhen was furious, and ordered with a whip: "Shoot arrows for me!" Arrows suddenly fired from the shore and were shot at the fleet. The boatmen raised their shields to greet them. The hull of the boat was covered with arrows in a moment, but the boat was still moving without any traces.  As a result, Cao Zhen felt extremely resentful. This time he traveled south lightly and did not carry kerosene, otherwise the ship would be burned down in a fire.  At this moment, a patrolman came from a distance, clasped his fist towards Cao Zhen and said, "General Qi, Wenpin's army has left Wancheng and is evacuating to the southwest!" Cao Zhen was startled, and he slapped his forehead suddenly.  It suddenly dawned on him that the five hundred ships were used as bait to lure his cavalry to Feishui, but the main force of the Han army withdrew from the west of Wancheng. He asked anxiously: "When did they evacuate?" "Reporting to the general, it seems that it was five years ago.  It's time to watch." Cao Zhen's thoughts suddenly changed. It had only been more than an hour since the Han army had retreated to the west. It was not far away and there was no time to catch up. He immediately ordered: "Follow me and chase Wenpin!" More than 4,000 cavalrymen turned around.  Ma Tou followed Cao Zhen in pursuit to the west, gradually walking away.  An hour later, the fleet arrived at Juiyang County. Xiang Chong's troops who had been waiting here boarded the boat one after another. The fleet continued southbound, heading towards Xiangyang. The cavalry led by Cao Zhen were tiger and leopard cavalry from Youzhou. Most of them  They are Wuhuan people. They have lived on horses since childhood. Their riding skills are extremely exquisite. After Cao Jun's systematic training, they have become a very powerful cavalry. This is one of the reasons why Cao Cao can control the world. A team of five thousand cavalry.  One man's cavalry is enough to defeat tens of thousands of infantry.   It is for this reason that Cao Cao will never allow people with foreign surnames to take charge of the cavalry. Four cavalry commanders, Cao Chun, Cao Zhang, Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu are all Cao Cao's brothers and nephews. Their strong strength and special preferential treatment make this cavalry extremely proud.  He was arrogant and looked down upon not only the Han soldiers in the south, but also his own Cao army infantry.  Cheng Yu was also well aware of their strength and specially sent this cavalry to fight as an outpost. They lived up to Cheng Yu's expectations and successfully blocked the Han army from merging and annihilated the three thousand Han army that blocked them. The cavalry's  The existence of the Han army made the Han army extremely passive, and even evacuating Nanyang County became a big problem. Cao's cavalry rushed westward for several miles. The yellow dust billowed on the official road with a terrifying force. It scared the passers-by and fled to the wheat fields on both sides.  , if you take a step slower, you will be shot to death by random arrows.  "Speed ??up!" Cao Zhen kept shouting back. He took the lead and ran with a long spear in hand. Cao Zhen knew in his heart that the retreat speed of the Han army was not fast, far inferior to that of the cavalry. They could catch up with the enemy at noon.  .  The terrain of Nanyang County is high in the west and low in the east, with plains to the east, hilly areas to the west, and the Funiu Mountains to the west. After the cavalry passed through large wheat fields, they gradually entered the hilly areas. At this time, Cao Jun had discovered  I found traces of the Han army, and it was obvious that they had just passed through it not long ago.  Cao Zhen reined in his horse, pointed his whip at a young man in the field, and ordered to the left and right: "Catch him!" Several cavalrymen galloped away. The young man turned around and ran away, but he could not outrun the cavalry's horse and was instantly captured.  After catching up and arresting him, several cavalrymen carried the young man and ran to Cao Zhen, "General, caught it." Cao Zhen glanced at the young man and asked, "Child, let me ask you, has any army passed before us?"  The young man was trembling with fear and speechless. The cavalry scout knocked the young man and said, "Speak quickly!" The young man said tremblingly: "Not long ago, an army just passed by in a hurry and they were all running." Cao Zhen  Overjoyed, this must be Wenpin's main force. He shouted loudly: "Speed ??up and catch up with the enemy!" The cavalry speeded up again and ran westward like lightning. The cavalry gradually approached a hill, and there was a forest on the hill.  It was dense, about ten miles long, and close to the official road. At this time, thousands of military crossbows in the woods were already aimed at the cavalry of Cao's army that was rushing towards them.  The leading general was Pound. Pound did not cross the river, but was waiting for an opportunity. When he learned that Wenpin's army was also retreating to the west, he immediately led his army to prepare to ambush the pursuing cavalry.  Anger shot out from Pang De's eyes. He thought of the three thousand men who were massacred by the cavalry. The bone-shattering pain filled his heart with hatred.  "General, thousands of enemy troops have passed!" Pound nodded and gave the order, "Shoot!" The sound of clappers rang suddenly, and a volley of arrows suddenly shot out from the woods, densely shooting at Cao Jun's cavalry like a storm, and Cao Jun chased after them.  He was in a hurry and was not on guard. The running cavalry were shot one after another, screaming and falling off their horses. The horses behind them were unable to dodge and were tripped and rolled. Cao's army suffered heavy casualties in an instant. The official road was in chaos, and then the second round of crossbow arrows came again.  When the shot came, many cavalry turned around and ran towards the wheat fields, but the wheat fields were also covered with caltrops. After a few steps, the horses were pierced by long needles in their hoofs and fell to the ground with a long and miserable hiss.  Cao Zhen was at the front of the team and had already passed the ambush. He suddenly heard screams behind him and was shocked. He quickly reined in his horse and asked urgently: "What happened behind you?" "General, there is an ambush on the mountain.  The brothers were ambushed and suffered heavy casualties. " Cao Zhen was shocked. Before he could react, drums sounded loudly all around. Eight thousand soldiers led by Wenpin came out of the woods on the mountainside. Wenpin shouted, "Enemy general.  Take your life!" Cao Zhen recognized Wenpin. Without saying a word, he rode his horse and stabbed him. Wenpin greeted him with his sword. The two were fighting fiercely. At this time, Wenpin's army attacked more than a thousand cavalry.  Surrounded, they stabbed with spears from near and shot with arrows from afar. The cavalry kept screaming and fell off their horses. This place was not suitable for cavalry fighting, making the cavalry extremely passive.  Cao Zhen and Wenpin fought fiercely for more than ten rounds. Cao Zhen saw that the situation was extremely unfavorable. He had no intention of fighting. He made a false stab to deflect Wenpin's sword, turned his horse and ran forward. The cavalry behind him saw that the general was running away, and they also rushed forward.  Later, the Han soldiers were unable to stop the cavalry from breaking through. They were killed and opened a bloody path. They watched helplessly as hundreds of cavalry broke out of the encirclement and escaped.  Wenpin snorted with hatred, turned around and ordered: "Form up! The cavalry is not allowed to break through again." Eight thousand infantry quickly formed up on both sides of the official road, and thousands of crossbows were aimed at the cavalry of Cao's army who was about to rush over.  Arrows shot out like a rapid rain, and the remaining soldiers formed a spear formation to intercept the cavalry's attack.  This battle started with an ambush and interception followed. It was a beautiful turnaround. 4,500 elite cavalrymen were killed and wounded more than 1,800 people.In the end, less than 3,000 people successfully broke through and ran north in panic.  At this time, Zhang Liao's army had occupied Wancheng and was marching into the city. However, Wenpin's army and Pang De's army did not continue to fight back. After the two armies merged, they crossed the Han River southward and returned to Xiangyang from Fangling County. At this point,  Nanyang County was recaptured by Cao's army, and the main force of the Han army retreated to Xiangyang.

 Volume 2, Jiangxia, Chapter 690: Harvest the Sangyu

    While Cao's army was counterattacking Nanyang on a large scale, the situation in Guanzhong also broke down. After opening the gap from Jieting to Long County, the Han army sent an additional 10,000 troops to Long County, increasing the number of troops in Long County to 30,000.  With five thousand men, Zhao Yun ordered Wang Ping to guard Long County. He, Ma Chao, Zhang Ren, Ma Dai and other generals led an army of thirty thousand to attack Chang'an directly.  Chang'an was in turmoil, and the official road to the west was full of people fleeing the war. They dragged their families and families to escape the war. Although the Han army had strict military discipline and did not disturb the people, the fear of war still caused the people in Guanzhong to flee one after another to Chang'an.  At this time, Cao Jun had 20,000 troops stationed in Chang'an, commanded by general Cao Ren. Not only Cao Ren, but also Cao Zhi, the nominal general of Guanzhong, was also in Chang'an.  There was already a sea of ??people outside the West City, tens of thousands of people fleeing from all directions had gathered. However, Cao Ren ordered the other city gates to be closed and only the West City gate to be opened, and strict screening was carried out to prevent Han army spies from taking the opportunity to sneak into the city. This made the fleeing people  A large number of people were stranded outside the city. Many people had been staying outside the city for two days. People were terrified and their cries were loud.  On the top of the city, Cao Zhi looked at the dense crowd outside the city. Many of the crowds were women, children and the elderly. They were crying. He couldn't bear it. He asked Cao Ren several times to let people into the city as soon as possible, but Cao Ren ignored his suggestion.  , making Cao Zhi resentful, but helpless.  At this time, there was a commotion outside the city, followed by heartbreaking cries. Cao Zhi was startled, and looked down while holding on to the battlements. He saw a group of Cao soldiers rushing into the crowd and beating them with sticks, trying to capture  A young man walked away, and the young man cried desperately. Several old men and women nearby were beaten to death, and they knelt on the ground and begged.  Cao Zhi suddenly became furious, and he walked quickly to the city. There were more than a thousand soldiers of Cao's army standing at the gate of the city. They searched the refugees one by one, and the interrogation was very strict. Cao Ren stood aside with his knife pressed, watching with cold eyes as he entered the city.  of refugees.  "Third Uncle!" Cao Zhi walked up quickly, suppressed the anger in his heart, and raised his voice: "Please order the soldiers back immediately and don't allow them to disturb the people!" Cao Ren is a staunch supporter of Cao Pi, and he has great respect for this young San  The young master really looked down upon him. How could a weak scholar with a womanly mentality inherit the prime minister's grand hegemony?  He narrowed his eyes and wanted to laugh: "Didn't I tell my nephew? There are probably Han spies among the refugees. Once they are allowed into the city, Chang'an will be in danger. Why doesn't my nephew understand?" "  But how long will it take for you to do this interrogation? Do you think about their suffering? You still send troops to beat them, Third Uncle, this is not okay!" The smile on Cao Ren's face gradually disappeared, his expression became cold, and he said calmly: "I'd rather be wrong.  Kill three thousand, don't let one person go, they are just a bunch of stupid women and stupid people, why should the wise nephew care so much?" "You!" Cao Zhi was furious, his face turned red, he could no longer hold back the anger in his heart, and shouted: "  Why did Liu Jing become so powerful? Isn't it because you mistreated the people of Guanzhong and gave it to Liu Jing? How can you explain to your father? No, I am the commander. I order you to release him immediately.  I'll open the city and release them!" His voice was very loud, and the soldiers looked at him. Cao Ren turned pale and turned his head to ignore him. Seeing that there was no result, Cao Zhi stamped his feet in anger, "Go and explain to your father!" He turned around and left.  Watching him walk away angrily, he couldn't help but snorted coldly, "How can a woman do great things with her kindness!" At this time, Zhong Yao slowly walked up, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "General Cao, there is no need to be angry, Mr. Zhi is still here."  He is young and impulsive, so you can understand him!" Cao Ren was very polite to Zhong Yao and quickly returned the greeting: "I am mainly worried about Han army spies mixing in among the refugees. If there are hundreds of people mixed in, they will fight at night.  , seize the city gate, if Chang'an is not protected then Guanzhong will be doomed." Zhong Yao smiled and nodded, "I fully support General Cao's caution. You must be careful of spies sneaking into the city, but I am also worried that Mr. Zhi will write to the Prime Minister.  It will be detrimental to you and me. Why don't we work it out to give him a face and give an explanation to the prime minister, and everyone will be in peace. What does General Cao think? " Zhong Yao is very good at talking. He obviously wants to work around.  But he put the problem on Cao Zhi, and implicitly reminded Cao Ren that he was the prime minister's son after all, and he had to give him face, otherwise it would be difficult to explain to the prime minister. This also gave Cao Ren a step forward, unlike Cao Zhi who yelled and finally resolved the conflict.  Intensification, but the problem cannot be solved.  Cao Ren understood in his heart that since Zhong Yao gave him the steps, he also wanted to give Zhong Yao some face, so he smiled and said: "I wonder what Zhong Gong thinks should be changed?" "It's actually very simple. I suggest that women, children and the elderly be put into the city first.  They are young and strong! If they are put into the Wengcheng and examined carefully, they might be able to be used as civilians to help defend the city in exchange for rations. What does the general think?" Cao Ren pondered and nodded.?, this plan was acceptable, and he immediately ordered: "Women, children and the elderly can enter the city directly, and all young men must go to Wengcheng for interrogation." After the order was issued, Cao Jun no longer blocked it, and a large number of women, children, and the elderly began to pour into the city. Zhong Yao also said goodbye to Cao Ren.  , hurriedly rushed to greet his men and prepare to resettle the refugees.  Just two hours later, all the refugees who had been stranded outside the city for two days finally entered the city. Tens of thousands of young adults were taken to the school grounds for interrogation. Those who passed were given weapons and participated in defending the city, while tens of thousands of women, children and the elderly were placed in  Among the thousands of large tents, Zhong Yao has mobilized hundreds of wealthy families to participate in the porridge relief, and more than a thousand soldiers have maintained order. Chang'an City finally did not fall into chaos.  A few hours after all the people entered the city, news came from the scouts that three thousand cavalry of the Han army had appeared ten miles west of Chang'an. The city of Chang'an suddenly became tense. Cao Ren ordered all soldiers and civilians to go to the city to participate in the defense.  On the top of the city, Cao Ren looked at the official road to the west from a distance. He had already seen the Han cavalry appearing on the gentle slope of a hill. His expression was very solemn, and he felt an unprecedented pressure. At this time, Cao Ren was not only worried about Chang'an.  There is no guarantee. He is even more worried about whether the Han army will take the opportunity to open the several passages from Hanzhong to Guanzhong.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The Han army's 30,000-strong army has arrived 30 miles west of Chang'an and set up camp near Sanqiao Town. In the Chinese army's tent, several major generals are discussing the next step. In fact, they did not carry any troops to attack the city.  With weapons, it was not realistic to capture Chang'an, which had tall and solid walls. Their purpose was to force the defenders of Chencang to divide their forces for rescue, thereby creating conditions for the main force of the Han army to capture Chencang.  There was a wooden frame placed in the big tent, and a map of Guanzhong was hung on the wooden frame. Fazheng pointed at the map with a wooden pole and said to several generals: "Although there is no pigeon letter connection between Chencang and Longxian, I believe that Chencang and Chang'an  There must be a connection between them, and Chen Cang must also know that our army is advancing eastward, but so far there is still no movement in Chen Cang, which means that our attack on Chang'an did not bring enough pressure to Chen Cang's Cao army, or that Cao Ren did not feel enough pressure.  , so Xu Huang has not withdrawn his troops." At this time, Zhao Yun hesitated and asked: "Sir, do you think Xu Huang can be influenced by Cao Ren's order?" "Cao Cao's deployment is Longxihe," he said with a smile.  The two battlefields in Guanzhong also had two generals. After the defeat of Longxi, Xiahou Dun was transferred to Xuchang, and Xu Huang stayed in Guanzhong. However, he did not succeed Xiahou Dun as the general on the western front. Instead, Cao Ren served as the general, and Xu Huang  Huang must obey Cao Ren's orders. On the other hand, among Chen Cang's 30,000 troops, only 10,000 were actually directly under Xu Huang. The remaining 20,000 troops were sent by Cao Ren to assist Xu Huang in defending the city, led by Cao Ren's confidant General Niu.  Commander Jin, so as long as Cao Ren orders Chen Cang's army to assist Chang'an, it will be useless even if Xu Huang disagrees. Niu Jin will resolutely carry out Cao Ren's order. " "But now Cao Ren seems to be able to withstand the pressure and refuses to order Chen Cang to return reinforcements.  What can we do?" Ma Chao also asked worriedly.  "General Ma, don't worry. I have a way to make Cao Ren unable to withstand the pressure." Fazheng pointed his wooden pole to the south and said calmly: "As long as we occupy two of the three Hanzhong roads, Tangluo Road, Baoxie Road, and Ziwu Road, we will  Cao Ren will not be able to withstand the pressure and will definitely order Chen Cang's troops to return. "But who will bear the responsibility for losing Chen Cang?" Ma Dai asked in confusion: "Cao Ren ordered Chen Cang to send troops, will he bear the responsibility?"  After saying that, Zhang Ren patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "There are official rules in officialdom. Cao Ren is a general and a veteran in officialdom. He knows what to do?"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Three days later, Cao Jun's scouts brought back the news that Cao Ren was most afraid of. The two camps at the entrance of the valley on Tangluo Road and Baoxie Road were attacked by more than 10,000 Han troops. The two thousand defenders were completely wiped out. The two valley entrances had been destroyed.  The Han army occupied it, and the door from Hanzhong to Guanzhong was finally opened.  This is something Cao Cao repeatedly explained to Cao Ren before withdrawing his troops. Several valley entrances on the Hanzhong Road have geographical advantages. Once occupied by the enemy, it will be difficult to recapture them. Cao Cao ordered him to hold them, but now they have lost them, and the Han army will  With the gate through Guanzhong opened, the main force of the Han army could enter Guanzhong from Tangluo Road and Baoxie Road. What was the point of defending Chencang?  There are only 20,000 troops in Chang'an. It is impossible to divide the troops to recapture Tangluo Road and Baoxie Road. It is also impossible to transfer the defenders of Tongguan and Pujin Pass back. After much deliberation, the only option is to transfer troops from Chencang. Although Cao Ren also knew that,  The transfer of Chencang's troops would put great pressure on Chencang's defense, but he had no choice but to save immediate needs first.  Cao Ren immediately ordered Xu Huang to divide 20,000 troops to recapture Tangluo Road and Baoxie Road respectively. He sent three pigeon messages in a row, ordering Xu Huang to send troops immediately on the premise of ensuring that Chen Cang was not lost.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  By this time Xu Huang was alreadyKnowing that Longxian and Jieting had been lost, the Han army had entered Guanzhong from the Longshan gap in the north. Xu Huang was also facing tremendous pressure. Longxian and Jieting were his defense responsibilities, although Zang Ba was directly responsible.  But the prime minister would find him responsible for Xu Huang.  To this end, Xu Huang sent three teams of scouts to patrol between Chang'an and Longxian. News soon came that 30,000 Han troops were marching from Longxian to Chang'an, and Guanzhong began to fall into war.  "Military advisor, I would like to take advantage of the opportunity of the main force of the Han army to move eastward and send an army to recapture Long County. Do you think it is feasible?" Xu Huang asked worriedly as he looked to the north from the top of the city.  Mao Jie sighed, "If Liu Jing's main force hadn't been oppressing us outside the city, this strategy of surrounding Wei and rescuing Zhao would not be bad. But now as long as we divide our forces a little, Liu Jing will not let go of the opportunity. General, I think it's better to wait and see.  "I also know that it is not appropriate to send troops, but now we are really passive. Once Chang'an is in danger, General Cao will definitely order us to rush to rescue. I think this is the purpose of the Han army's eastward march to Chang'an, so Chencang can still  "Keep it?" Mao Jie was speechless. This was a fact, and he had thought about it, but how to deal with it?  Either abandon Chencang or send a small amount of troops. But what is the point of sending a small amount of troops?  Just as he was talking, a soldier rushed over and reported urgently: "General Xu, urgent pigeon message from Chang'an!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 691 Ending in Guanzhong (Part 1)

    Xu Huang opened the carrier pigeon and took a quick look at it. His brows suddenly furrowed. He was actually asked to send 20,000 troops to save Tangluo Road and Baoxie Road, and he had to ensure that Chencang was not lost. Are you kidding? He only had 30,000 troops in the city.  , 20,000 were taken away, leaving only 10,000. Can Chencang be defended with 10,000 troops?  "Commander, take a look! What a ridiculous request this is." He handed the pigeon letter to Mao Jie and couldn't help but said bitterly: "It's enough to just give up Chencang, but you still want me to guarantee that Chencang will not be lost. Where can I  Guarantee him to go?" Mao Jie read the pigeon letter and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. This is Cao Ren's responsibility. He has asked Xu Huang to ensure that Chen Cang is not lost. If Chen Cang is lost due to the division of troops, it will not belong to Cao Ren.  Responsibility.  But he couldn't say it outright, so he had to say tactfully: "I suggest the general tell the truth to Governor Cao clearly and let him think about it again." "Would he not know? He knows better than anyone else." Xu  Huang sneered and stared in the direction of Chang'an. After a while, his tone slowly softened, "Maybe he needs to consider the overall situation. The loss of Tangluo Road and Baoxie Road is indeed a big problem. Hey! This is my responsibility. The loss of Long County  , so that there were such serious consequences." After saying that, Xu Huang's mood was a little low. He really believed that if Guanzhong was lost, he would have to bear at least 70% of the responsibility. Cao Ren had a point in asking him to take responsibility, not Chen Cang.  , but Jieting and Longxian.  Mao Jie quickly comforted him and said: "General, don't blame yourself too much. This battle is inherently unfair to both sides. It's like a broken bucket full of water. As long as the Han army breaks through any part, they will succeed. And  We must ensure that no place can be breached, but both sides have equal strength. In fact, we are at a disadvantage from the beginning." Xu Huang nodded, "Anyway, Governor Cao is the commander-in-chief. Since he ordered me to send troops, I will.  We must obey his orders. At worst, we will bring back the 5,000 defenders of Chencang Road, so that there will be 15,000 people in Chencang City, who can barely hold the city. " "But Liu Jing may not let the general do what he wants." "That depends.  God's will!" Xu Huang sighed, strode towards the city, and shouted: "Let General Niu Jin come to see me!" An hour later, the east gate of Chencang opened, and 20,000 troops were waiting for General Niu Jinhe.  Zang Ba led a mighty force out of the city, divided the troops into two groups, and rushed towards Tangluo Road and Baoxie Road. The news that Cao Jun's 20,000 troops had left the city was soon detected by Han army scouts, and a group of cavalry immediately rushed towards the Han army camp.  Speeding away.  The Han army camp is located in a wilderness about ten miles west of Chencang. Sixty thousand troops have been stationed here for nearly half a month and built solid walls. Liu Jing is patiently waiting for news from Zhao Yun.  However, the news of Nanyang came first. Cao's army sent 60,000 troops and captured Nanyang County again. The main force of the Han army had withdrawn to the south of the Han River.  This news was expected by Liu Jing. They captured Nanyang County in order to contain Cao Cao's main force from entering the pass and maintain pressure on Cao Cao. He believed that even if Nanyang County was lost, Cao Cao would still station a large number of troops in Nanyang County and still be able to contain it.  Live in Cao Jun.  In the big tent, Jia Xu couldn't help but laugh and said: "We have the Han River and the Yangtze River, which is enough to resist Cao Cao's army going south, but Cao Cao has no favorable terrain to stop us from going north. So what if he sends heavy troops to defend Nanyang County? We can definitely  Turn around to Anlu County and go north from Anlu County to Runan. Isn't Runan empty? " "That's true. The territory is too big and there must be enough troops to guard it. However, Cao Cao no longer has such a strong military force.  , Just like a dilapidated big business, it is still very bright on the surface, but he is already stretched everywhere and can no longer hide his dilapidation. I feel more and more confident after saying this, Liu Jing said with a smile.  I think the key is that the Northern Expedition succeeded in capturing Longxi, which caused a sudden change in the strategic situation. It seems that the three-year Northern Expedition was still very fruitful. " "Of course, in the past, Cao Jun could defend us as long as he stationed troops in Nanyang and Runan.  , now the battle line has expanded to Guanlong, how can he defend such a vast defense line, and coupled with the tragic defeat in Longxi, the army in his hands is no longer capable. I still stick to the previous plan, and defeating the enemy without fighting is the best strategy. "  Liu Jing nodded, "I agree, but we still have to seize Chencang first to gain a strategic advantage, and then implement the strategy of not fighting." As the two of them were talking about this, a report from the guard came from outside the big tent, "Qichezhou  "Mu, the scout has urgent information." "Send it over!" The guard opened the curtain and walked in quickly, bowed to Liu Jing, and handed over a piece of information. Liu Jing took a look at it and suddenly laughed.  He said to Jia Xu: "Chen Cang sent 20,000 troops out of the east of the city. Zhao Yun and others must have created the conditions, forcing Xu Huang to divide his troops to rescue."Jia Xu pondered for a moment and said, "Could it be Xu Huang's trick to lure troops?" Liu Jing took a few steps behind his hands and shook his head, "It can't be a trick to lure troops. Cao's army is already at a disadvantage.  Relying on a city for defense, if his 20,000 troops leave the city, I will eat him if he is not careful. This method of luring troops is too risky and the gain is not worth the loss. I believe that even if someone suggests it, Xu Huang will not adopt it. " Jia Xu also laughed.  He got excited and said, "It seems that I have been overly worried. Since the 20,000 troops have gone east, the city must be empty. I think Xu Huang will definitely mobilize the 5,000 troops from Guan to return to Chencang to increase defense. Why doesn't Zhou Mu take the first step and intercept these troops?"  Where are the five thousand troops?" Liu Jing smiled slightly, "That's what I meant!" He immediately ordered: "General Huang and General Wei, please come to the tent quickly!" After a while, Huang Zhong hurried to the tent and held his fists.  Said: "Please give the state pastor's orders!" At this time, Wei Yan also arrived. He saluted and silently waited for Liu Jing's order. Liu Jing briefly explained the situation to them, and then said slowly: "Now Chen Cang  If the troops are empty, Cao Jun will definitely abandon Sanguan and reinforce Chen Cang. I hope the old general can intercept Cao Jun for me. "Huang Zhong clasped his fists and smiled and said: "Don't worry, Zhou Mu, there are only five thousand people, and my subordinates can take it.  "Exit." Liu Jing nodded and said to Wei Yan: "You can assist the old general to defeat the enemy and seize Sanguan!" "I will obey the order!" Huang Zhong and Wei Yan left the tent after an hour.  The two led their troops to leave the camp and quickly crossed the Wei River. The 20,000-strong army quickly marched towards Chencang Road.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Chencang Road is located in the southwest of Chencang County. It is also a mountain road that passes through Zhongnan Mountain and goes directly to Hanzhong. The mountain road is winding and winding, but it is much easier to travel than the other passages. Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, built the plank road openly and secretly to Chencang.  Ji entered Guanzhong from Hanzhong and took the first step to conquer the world.  The Sanguan pass to the north of Chencang Road is the transportation hub from Hanzhong to Guanzhong. Because it strangles the north-south transportation throat, it has been the "throat of Sichuan and Shaanxi" since ancient times and a battleground for military strategists. It is called one of the four passes of Guanzhong.  Therefore, Chencang Road is extremely important among the roads heading north from Hanzhong. Cao Jun invested heavily in defense and deployed 5,000 troops at Sanguan, the northernmost part of Chencang Road.  At this time, Hao Zhao, the chief general of Sanguan, had received an order from Xu Huang, ordering him to abandon Sanguan and immediately withdraw north to Chencang. This order made Hao Zhao slightly relieved. He knew that the Hanzhong army in the south was heading north, and the army in the north was  The main force of the Han army also reached Chencang. Once Liu Jing paid attention to Chencang Road, he would inevitably encounter the unfavorable situation of being attacked from both sides.  Since Xu Huang ordered him to withdraw north, Hao Zhao no longer hesitated. He packed up his troops and set off overnight, heading north along the Qingshui River. If everything goes well, he would be able to reach Chencang at noon the next day, but Hao Zhao was also worried about encountering Han soldiers.  When the army was ambushed, he sent more than a hundred scouts to go ahead and explore the enemy's situation along the way, but did not encounter any surprises.  After the army walked for more than an hour, the time gradually reached the third quarter of the fifth watch. At this time, the sky was already bright and bright. Through the thin mist, you could see the mountains and woods in the distance. Five thousand Cao's troops were marching all the way. They were several miles ahead.  Outside is the estuary, where the Qingshui River flows into the Wei River. They need to cross the river to the north bank of the Wei River.  Hao Zhao ordered the soldiers to rest where they were, and at the same time sent people to look for boats to cross the river. The soldiers gathered in twos and threes to rest and drink water. At this moment, a scout rushed from the rear, "General!" He rushed to Hao Zhao  Reported in front of him, "The enemy has been discovered by me!" Hao Zhao was startled and asked quickly: "What's going on?" "I discovered a Han army of about five thousand people, which seemed to be led by General Wei Yan. They came out of Longwei Valley and walked along the Qingshui River.  The river went south, probably to Sanguan." Hao Zhao was stunned. What's going on?  He had clearly left Sanguan, why did the Han army rush to Sanguan again?  Didn't they find their own army?  Hao Zhao only thought for a moment and immediately understood that this was the Han army cutting off his retreat and preventing him from retreating to Sanguan.  If this is the case, then there should be another army ready to attack him. Hao Zhao suddenly became nervous. The person who cut off his retreat was the general Wei Yan and the five thousand army. Then the number of troops attacking him would be larger, and the level of the general would be higher.  , who could it be?  Huang Zhong or Zhao Yun?  He immediately stood up and ordered: "Get up and set off immediately, go to the ferry to get on the boat." Cao Jun's soldiers got up one after another, cleaned up briefly, and followed Hao Zhao to the north. After a while, the team arrived at the Weishui River. The Weishui River is about a hundred feet wide and turbid.  The waves were surging, but there was not a single boat on the dock. The soldiers who had come to look for the boat came forward to report: "I just found a few boatmen who were also looking for boats. They said that there were many boats at the ferry last night, but there was one at midnight."  The boats are gone, and they don¡¯t know where they are.¡± Hao Zhao was extremely worried.??, looking around, he knew what the problem was. The Han army must have arrived first and took the ship away.  At this moment, drums were beating loudly behind them, and the shouts of killing were loud. An army of more than 10,000 people came from behind to cover them up. The leader, a veteran general with white beard and hair, was tall and strong, holding a sharp sword in his hand, and riding a horse.  Running, roaring like thunder, it was the veteran Huang Zhong. The Cao army behind was caught off guard and was led by Huang Zhong to attack, and the team immediately fell into chaos.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 692 Finale in Guanzhong (Part 2)

    The sky is getting brighter, and when the sun shines through the heavy clouds and casts a golden light on the top of Chencang City, the warning bell rings at the top of the city.  when!  ' The bell rang, and eight thousand soldiers of Cao's army rushed to the top of the city, holding bows, arrows and hard crossbows, and were ready.  Outside the city, the overwhelming main force of the Han army had already arrived. They were divided into four large square formations and rushed towards Chencang City from four directions. The trumpets were blowing, the drums were beating like thunder, and spearmen, sword and shield soldiers were marching towards Chencang City.  , heavy armored infantry, barbarians, the 40,000-strong army undulated like waves, and gradually stopped, about three miles away from the city.  The soldiers of the Han army wore hoods on their heads and double-layered leather armor decorated with fish scales and iron plates. Their weapons were giant shields, swords and spears, as well as a large number of crossbows. Although they were southern soldiers, they came from creation.  They gave birth to the glorious civilizations of Jingchu and Bashu, and the Chu-Shu civilization was left to their descendants. Their weapons were advanced and sharp, their siege weapons were complete, their formations were neat, and their morale was high.  The 50,000-strong army had hundreds of siege ladders. Instead of using ladders, they used dozens of giant trebuchets, thirty nest cars, and even five huge battering rams.  The Han army had obviously long ago realized the siege problems they faced when attacking Guanzhong General. The hundreds of siege ladders used when attacking the West City were not enough to capture Chencang City. Liu Jing sent tens of thousands of people from Bashu to transport the siege city after capturing the West City.  Weapons, they need the sharpest siege to break open the gate of Chencang City.  Xu Huang looked anxiously at Sanguan in the distance. The Sanguan army should have arrived long ago, but now there is no news, so he has to worry about something happening. There is only one explanation. Liu Jing sent troops to intercept Hao Zhao's army. As for Hao Zhao  He had no way of knowing what happened to the army.  At least he knew in his heart that Hao Zhao's army would not come to support him again. He could only rely on 10,000 defenders to defend Chencang. But in the face of the massive Han army attacking the city, could Chencang be able to defend it?  Xu Huang didn't have any confidence in his heart. Fortunately, Chencang City's defense was well prepared and might be able to host a large-scale attack by the Han army.  The city was covered with flags and densely packed with Cao soldiers. Behind them were dozens of huge trebuchets, standing high on the city wall.  Xu Huang had participated in the Battle of Guandu and was well aware of the power of trebuchets. Cao Jun's thunderbolt catapults brought heavy losses to Yuan Shao's army. Although Cao Jun was not as powerful as Yuan Jun, it was the emergence of the powerful trebuchets that made Yuan Shao's camp successful.  It was finally captured.  Unfortunately, he did not expect that the Han army would attack Chencang in a large scale, nor did he expect that the Han army would carry so many siege weapons, so Xu Huang did not make too many preparations to strengthen the city wall, and the opponent also had a huge monster-like nest.  Che and the siege power of the Han army filled Xu Huang's heart with worry.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The horns below the city are wailing and morale is high. The main force of 40,000 Han troops has surrounded Chencang from four directions and will launch an attack on the city at the same time.  Liu Jing watched Chencang from a distance outside the West City. Chencang City was obviously not as tall and strong as Jicheng. The city was only two feet and five feet high. It was old and did not appear to be too strong, but it had an extra moat.  But for the Han army, which was good at attacking cities, this moat posed no threat. It was only three feet wide and could be paved with wooden planks.  "Reporting to Zhou Mu, the trebuchet and nest cart are ready!" An officer rushed to report.  Liu Jing looked back and saw hundreds of strong oxen dragging dozens of huge trebuchets and nest carts. The trebuchets were three feet high and the throwing rods were five feet long. It took hundreds of people to pull this giant trebuchet.  machine.  Although Liu Jing still had doubts about Cao Jun's trebuchet, he also wanted to see how powerful Cao Jun's trebuchet was.  "Order the army in Beicheng to attack first!" The 10,000 troops in Beicheng were prisoners of war who surrendered to the Han army in the Longxi Battle. Their life and death were not taken seriously by Liu Jing. Now is the first siege battle in Guanzhong to test Cao Jun.  It is their duty to defend themselves.  "Boom! Boom!" The offensive drum sounded, and the Han army outside the North City launched the first round of offensive. Ten thousand Han troops rushed towards the city like a tide. They carried dozens of stairs and waved their sabers.  With spears, shields and crossbows in hand, they rushed towards the city gate with shouts.  The Cao army at the top of the city was extremely nervous. Without waiting for Xu Huang's order, the Han army was still a few hundred steps away and they fired. The arrows were like a dense rain, but had no effect.  Behind the tidal wave of troops were five huge chariots, which were slowly moving forward under the pull of a hundred strong oxen.  On the top of the city, Cao Jun's ten trebuchets began to creak open. Since they were attacking from top to bottom, Cao Jun's craftsmen adjusted the arm distance and set up a clever lever to prevent the trebuchets from moving.  It takes two hundred people to pull it, but only fifty people can launch it.  The stone as big as a millstone was put into the throwing bag. Xu Huang gave an order and ten trebuchets were launched at the same time.The stone was thrown high, rolled in the air, drew an arc, and slammed into the dense crowd.  "Boom!" There was a loud bang on the ground, and screams were everywhere. The Han soldiers were unable to avoid it and were smashed into meat patties by the huge rocks. The huge inertia caused the rocks to roll in the crowd, extremely fast and violent, and they rolled more than twenty steps in a row.  The soldiers attacking the city tried their best to dodge to both sides, but more than ten people were still killed by the collision of boulders, and dozens more were injured, with broken bones and tendons, and the sound of wailing could be heard.  Then the second, third, and fourth rounds of trebuchets were fired. Along with Cao's army's crossbows, arrows rained down on the city. There were heavy casualties below the city. Each round of boulders falling down would cause hundreds of casualties.  It was simply a machine for killing people, causing heavy losses to the siege army.  The role played by trebuchets in defending the city is unparalleled. The most famous example is the Taiyuan defense battle during the Anshi Rebellion in history. Li Guangbi, who was short of troops, used dozens of giant trebuchets to kill nearly 100,000 rebels and achieved victory.  A brilliant victory in the battle to defend Taiyuan.  The same was true in Chencang. Cao's army used trebuchets that were no less powerful than those of the Han army, causing huge casualties to the attacking Han army. The battlefield was littered with corpses, with flattened bodies and smashed heads everywhere.  Brains were smeared on the ground, and blood flowed into rivers, dyeing the fallen rocks red.  At this time, the attacking Han army had gradually approached the city wall. Under the cover of bows and arrows, more than a thousand Han soldiers laid wooden planks on the moat and nailed the giant nails at both ends of the planks into the soil, causing the moat to lose its defensive role.  Thousands of Han soldiers rushed across the moat carrying siege ladders. The ladders were erected on the top of the city. Rolling logs and rocks fell on the city like hailstones. The Han soldiers held up their shields to protect themselves and climbed up to attack.  The five nest cars continued to move forward and gradually drove onto the moat. At this time, Xu Huang sneered and ordered: "Change the kerosene and throw!" Cao Jun quickly mobilized dozens of small trebuchets, swung out the throwing rods, and dozens of trebuchets were fired.  Barrels filled with kerosene were thrown into the moat below the city.  The situation that worried the Han army the most finally happened. Cao Jun used kerosene when the Han army crossed the moat. As dozens of blazing fireballs rolled down from the top of the city and smashed into the crowd, a sea suddenly formed inside and outside the moat.  In the sea of ????fire, countless people were ignited by the fire oil and became burning people. They spread their arms and ran around wailing. Before running a few steps, they fell to the ground. The fire burned them and curled up.  Cao Jun's kerosene dealt a fatal blow to the chariot. As the fire spread, the huge chariot was also ignited. A large number of bullocks pulling the chariot fled wildly. The five chariots overturned in the fierce fire.  Engulfed in raging fire.     'when!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The withdrawal bell rang. After nearly 30% of the soldiers were killed or injured, the Han army that attacked for the first time retreated like a tide. The huge nest car did not play any role and was destroyed by fire.  Liu Jing looked at the city head coldly. Although he knew how powerful Cao Jun's trebuchet was, he did not expect it to be so sharp and the terrifying kerosene weapon. However, these were all within his expectation.  .  At this time, he looked back at the Han army's trebuchet and slowly ordered: "Pass my order to attack on all sides. The first one to attack the city will be rewarded a thousand taels."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  After experiencing the failure of the first trial attack, the Han army launched another all-out attack. Eighty giant trebuchets slowly approached the head of Chencang City from four directions, twice as many as the trebuchets on the city head.  The shooting range is just over four hundred steps, and a boulder weighing a hundred kilograms is enough to destroy everything on the city.  On the top of the city, Xu Huang's expression was extremely serious. He knew in his heart that Chencang could not be defended. He only had 10,000 troops to defend the city, and the Han army attacked from four directions at the same time. He could only deploy more than 2,000 troops at most on each wall.  He lost half of his soldiers just to pull the trebuchet. How could he defend the city when faced with an enemy attack four times his own?  At this moment, there was a strange noise in the sky, and dozens of black dots were seen roaring toward the city. The soldiers panicked and scattered to hide. With a loud noise, the first round of 80 huge rocks hit the city.  head.  "General, move quickly!" the soldiers shouted, and several soldiers threw Xu Huang to the ground. A huge boulder of 100 kilograms flew quickly and hit the battlements. The battlements shattered and rubble flew everywhere. Several soldiers were thrown to the ground.  The soldier was unable to dodge and was hit by the gravel. He suddenly bled profusely and fell to the ground screaming.  The boulder as big as a millstone flew up and rolled over Xu Huang¡¯s head, ¡®Bang!  'There was a loud noise, hitting the bottom of a trebuchet. The thick wood broke. With a harsh creaking sound, the huge trebuchet leaned back, and finally rolled down the city head, landing with a crash.  Crush.  The first round of boulder attacks caused nearly two hundred casualties to Cao's soldiers. Five trebuchets were destroyed. Countless soldiers were beaten to bloody pulp and died tragically on the spot. Then the second round of boulders was launched again, and the west city wall was hit continuously.  , crack??A big gap.  Xu Huang's face turned pale. On the one hand, he ordered the trebuchets at the top of the city to fight back. On the other hand, he found a soldier, gave him a command arrow, and whispered: "Go down to the city immediately, find Liu Jing, and  He said that I was willing to lead the army to evacuate Chencang and asked him to remove the siege of Dongcheng. "When the city was difficult to defend, Xu Huang could only choose to protect the safety of his soldiers to the greatest extent.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 693 Ending in Guanzhong (Part 2)

    The huge trebuchet replaced the stones with kerosene, and barrels of 80 kilograms of kerosene were thrown onto the city top one after another. A raging fire began to burn on the city top. The red flames were flying and the smoke was billowing. Cao Jun's soldiers were helpless.  Enduring the smoke and fire, they fled down the city one after another. Some soldiers even took off their armor and ran directly into the city and hid in civilian houses. The trebuchets on the city were burned by the fire and were engulfed in flames and smoke.  At this time, several guards brought the soldiers sent by Xu Huang to Liu Jing. The guards saluted and said, "This is to inform Zhou Mu, General Cao Jun has sent someone over." Liu Jing glanced at the soldiers who delivered the message and asked coldly.  : "What did Xu Huang ask you to do?" The soldier quickly stepped forward and saluted: "General Xu is willing to evacuate Chencang, please Liu Zhoumu to let go of Dongcheng!" Liu Jing sneered, "Why didn't he evacuate earlier? Now I want to seize the city, he  We are just considering evacuating, it¡¯s impossible!¡± Liu Jing immediately ordered: ¡°Go down and attack across the board!¡± After the order was issued, the drums of the Han army around the city were beating loudly, and the rumble of war drums was earth-shattering, and the 40,000-strong army began to attack Chencang at the same time.  During the attack, an overwhelming number of soldiers ran in the wilderness outside the city, rushing towards the city wall like a tide. Countless soldiers set up planks on the moat, and arrows rained down on the city head, and siege ladders reached the top of the city.  , the soldiers held their swords in their mouths, held their shields high, and struggled to climb upwards.  At this time, the number of soldiers on the city head was greatly reduced to avoid the fierce fire. There were only more than 6,000 soldiers defending the city head. There was a huge disparity in strength. They could not resist the 40,000 people attacking the city at the same time. The gap was opened first in the west city, and six huge nest vehicles  Approaching the west city wall, when the fenders of the six Chao chariots were set up on the city head, the four hundred heavy armored infantry in the Chao chariot took the lead in charging to the city head and fought fiercely with more than a thousand Cao soldiers.  The sharp killing of the heavy armored infantry caused Cao Jun's soldiers to retreat steadily. The defenses at the top of Cao Jun's city were broken. Thousands of soldiers swarmed along the chariots and boarded the West City. Cao Jun in West City collapsed and turned around to flee. Finally, the entire West City was lost.  Thousands of Han soldiers quickly occupied the west city, shouting and killing towards the surrounding city walls.  At this time, Xu Huang, the commander-in-chief of Cao's army, was in a hurry. One bad news came one after another. When he heard that Xicheng had been lost, he knew that Chencang was doomed. At this time, he could only have a chance of survival by fighting his way out.  He thought for a moment and said to a soldier: "Go to Dongcheng quickly and tell General Wu to give up resistance and evacuate the city immediately." Xu Huang arranged a retreat plan, and he immediately led three thousand soldiers to rush to Dongcheng. After a while, he rushed to Dongcheng.  In front of the gate, at this time, more than a thousand soldiers on the east city had abandoned the city and rushed down to the city. Thousands of Han troops were fighting on the city. At this time, Cao Junya general Wu Zheng stepped forward and reported:  "General Qi, we have abandoned the east city. Nearly five thousand Han troops have attacked the city." As soon as he finished speaking, the Han troops on top of the city discovered thousands of Cao troops inside the city gate and fired arrows at Cao Jun.  In an instant, nearly a hundred people fell down with arrows. Cao's soldiers raised their shields to resist. Someone shouted: "General, if you don't leave, it will be too late." Xu Huang was extremely calm. He was still waiting for an opportunity. Only most of the Han troops outside the city  If he reaches the top of the city, then the number of Han troops outside the city will not be enough to stop him from breaking through. After waiting for a while, Xu Huang estimated that 70% of the Han troops have climbed to the top of the city. He immediately shouted: "Open the city!" Soldiers  They opened the city gate, and the suspension bridge outside the city had already been lowered. Xu Huang saw that there were only a few thousand enemy troops outside, and most of the enemy troops had boarded the city. This was his only chance to escape. He shouted and waved his axe.  He rushed forward, followed by thousands of Cao Jun soldiers running desperately behind him.  Xu Huang worked hard and led more than 2,000 soldiers to fight a bloody road and fled towards Chang'an in panic. Xu Huang's escape meant that Chencang was completely occupied by the Han army, and the occupation of Chencang meant that the west gate of Guanzhong was opened.  .  The open fire at the top of the city has been extinguished. Han soldiers are cleaning up the city. Groups of prisoners of war from Cao's army are being escorted down the city. Liu Jing slowly walks to the east wall and looks far towards Chang'an. It is his dream to capture Chang'an.  , however, Chencang was captured, Chencang Road and Sanguan were occupied by the Han army. There was no danger in Guanzhong, and the invasion of Chang'an was just around the corner.  "Don't Zhou Mu think that after taking Longxi, the situation has completely changed?" Jia Xu walked to Liu Jing and smiled.  Liu Jing nodded, "After capturing Longxi, the Han army marched all the way eastwards. Now that I think about it, although it took three years to capture Longxi, it was still worth it!" Liu Jing turned around and smiled again: "Who do you think the military advisor should send?  Is it appropriate to go to Jiangdong as an envoy?" Jia Xu pondered for a moment and said: "In the Battle of Hefei, Sun Quan put the responsibility for the defeat on the Jingzhou Navy. There was a rift in the relationship between the Sun and Liu families. If the rift is not repaired first, no matter how many benefits, Jiangdong will lose.  It may not be agreed. It doesn¡¯t matter who to send as the envoy. The key is that Zhou Mu needs to personally make up for this rift. " "I will go to Jiangdong in person.", but I am a little worried about Guanzhong and Longxi.  " "Don't worry, Zhou Mu. Cao Cao was defeated in Longxi and his vitality was severely damaged. He can only protect himself now and is unable to counterattack. If Zhou Mu is not worried, I am willing to guard Longxi.  " With Jia Xu guarding Longxi, Liu Jing felt relieved. He smiled happily and said: "Since there is a military adviser stationed in Longxi, then I, the son-in-law, can go and visit my mother-in-law with peace of mind.  ¡± ??¡­ Since the defeat at Hefei, Sun Quan¡¯s mood has been really depressed for a while. Sun Quan is also a man with great ambitions, but the failure of the two western expeditions caused heavy losses to Jiangdong and his vitality was severely damaged. Sun Quan¡¯s  His authority was severely challenged. He watched Liu Jing open up new territories and his reputation in the world continued to increase, and even became the hope for the revival of the Han Dynasty. However, Jiangdong became increasingly marginalized, and Sun Quan was gradually forgotten, which made Sun Quan extremely depressed.  , it was driven by this mentality that he finally agreed to cooperate with the Jingzhou navy to attack Hefei. This was also his attempt to march into the Central Plains. Unfortunately, Zhang Liao defeated his army in the battle of Xiaoyaojin and lost his general Taishi.  His kindness caused Sun Quan's Northern Expedition plan to suffer another setback. The continuous blows made Sun Quan depressed and indulged in wine and sex all day long. He could not hear the hard persuasion of Zhang Zhao, Lu Su and others. But this morning,  However, Sun Quan came to his official room unexpectedly early and began to deal with government affairs seriously. Jiangdong ministers did not know the reason and inquired one after another. The last guard revealed the reason. Just last night, Sun Quan received the Western Front Express that Liu Jing was marching to the north.  Longxi succeeded and captured Longxian and Chencang in Guanzhong. Sun Quan was deeply stimulated, but at the same time they were worried about Sun Quan. Could it be that Wu Hou was stimulated again and had plans to go out at noon?  Just after that, Sun Quan was sitting in his room taking a nap for a while, when footsteps were heard outside the door, followed by Lu Su's voice, "Please report to the Marquis of Wu, I have something to ask for!"  " "Captain Lu, Marquis Wu is resting, so it's inconvenient to disturb him.  " At this time, Sun Quan had woken up, sat up straight and said: "Let Governor Lu come in!  " Not long after, Lu Su walked in quickly, bowed and saluted, "I am here to see the Marquis of Wu.  " "What's the matter with Zijing?  "Sun Quan asked with a smile. "For the information to the Marquis of Wu, just now Liu Min found Wei Chen and said that there were important matters in Chengdu that he wanted to discuss with Jiangdong.  " Liu Min was appointed as a general in the Hussars' Office. Liu Jing sent him to station in Jiangdong. Sun Quan was also very familiar with him. Since Liu Min wanted to see him, there must be something important. Sun Quan smiled and said: "Did he say anything?  " "It seems that Liu Jing is going to accompany Princess Shangxiang to visit Jiangdong.  " Sun Quan stood up and asked nervously: "Is Liu Jing coming?  " He immediately realized that he had lost his composure. He slowly sat down again, calmed his mind and asked, "Where is Liu Min now?  " "Waiting outside the palace.  " Sun Quan immediately ordered the guards, "Go outside the palace and invite Ambassador Liu here!  " The guard hurried away. At this time, Sun Quan thought for a moment and asked Lu Su: "Why does Zijing think Liu Jing came?  " Lu Su smiled and said: "Wei Chen has also considered it. Wei Chen believes that Liu Jing came to Jiangdong for two purposes. One is to accompany Princess Shangxiang back to her parents' home to visit relatives. In fact, it is to make up for the differences in the relationship between the two parties during the last battle in Hefei.  of cracks.  " Sun Quan nodded. He agreed with this inference. In the last battle of Hefei, the Jingzhou reinforcements arrived a step too late, resulting in the Jiangdong Army's defeat. The two sides broke up on bad terms. There was a rift in the relationship. As an alliance, Liu Jing will definitely make up for it.  The relationship between them. ¡°What¡¯s next?  "Sun Quan asked again. "The second purpose, Wei Chen is considering whether it has something to do with Liu Jing's northern campaign. After all, he has not captured Guanzhong yet, and the war is not over. He suddenly came to Jiangdong. Does he want Jiangdong to cooperate in the east?  His strategy.  "Sun Quan was silent. Lu Su's second thought also came to his heart. Why did Liu Jing form an alliance with him? In the final analysis, he wanted the Sun and Liu families to fight against Cao Cao, one in the east and the other in the west.  It was difficult for Cao Cao to take care of the situation. Liu Jing came to Jiangdong at this time, and he probably hoped that he would take action from the east. However, this was something that Sun Quan did not consider for the time being. Just as he was thinking about it, the guards led Liu Min into the room and said, "My lord, Liu."  The envoy is here.  Liu Min quickly stepped forward and bowed: "See Wu Hou!"  Sun Quan asked him to sit down and smiled slightly, "How is your life in Jiangdong? Is there anyone making things difficult for you?"  Liu Min quickly leaned forward and said, "Reporting to Marquis Wu, Liu Min is very accustomed to living here and is respected everywhere."  "    "I can rest assured that.  " The two exchanged a few words, and then the topic turned to business. Sun Quan glanced at Lu Su, then smiled at Liu Min and said, "I heard from Zijing,??zhou Mu plans to visit Kodong, is that right?  "That's it. My lord heard that the old lady was weak and that Princess Shangxiang missed her mother very much. He decided to accompany the princess to visit the old lady and at the same time come to visit the old lady. This is also a human relationship, so I hope Jiangdong can agree to my lord's coming.  Koto.  "    "hehe!  Of course I welcome it, very welcome.  " Sun Quan smiled kindly and spoke sincerely, and said: "Your lord-in-law is my sister-in-law, and he can also be regarded as my family. The Sun and Liu families are both neighbors and in-laws. They should be in constant contact. Please tell the general's office.  , I, Sun Quan, am willing to guarantee Liu Zhoumu¡¯s safety in writing. He can lead troops to Jiangdong like last time. Everything is easy to discuss.  Liu Min was overjoyed, "If this is the case, my lord is planning to arrive in Jiangdong in early August. Does Wu Hou think it is feasible in terms of time?"  " It was early May, and there were still three months before early August. Jiangdong would definitely send envoys to greet him. After three months, Sun Quan nodded, "I completely agree!  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 694 Sun Si Cao Lu

    Liu Min said goodbye and left, and Sun Quan ordered people to find Zhang Zhao. Not long after, Zhang Zhao hurried over and bowed and said, "Wu Hou has something to do with my old minister?" Since Zhou Yu's death, Zhang Zhao has been re-employed by Sun Quan.  , gradually took control of Jiangdong's political power. In the power struggle in Jiangdong's officialdom, the Jiangbei faction represented by Zhang Zhao also had the advantage, while Lu Su's Lujiang faction was at a disadvantage. Last year, in Jiangdong's public recruitment of scholars imitating Jingzhou, Zhang Zhao  Scholars from Jiangbei recommended by the faction and scholars from Wuyue recommended by the Soochow faction accounted for most of the places. However, only three scholars from Lujiang and Yuzhang recommended by the Lusu faction were admitted and suffered a disastrous defeat.  In fact, Sun Quan also hoped to completely imitate Jingzhou, without distinction between scholars and common people, and only meritorious service. However, he could not do it. All his officials were unanimously opposed to it. In the end, he had to adopt a compromise method, and first let the famous families in each county perform filial piety.  If you are honest, take the exam and select the best candidates.  In the end, various factions competed for official resources, and ended with Zhang Zhao's Jiangbei faction and the Wuyue faction represented by the Gu, Lu, and Yu families winning a complete victory.  This made Sun Quan also realize that the factional disputes in Jiangdong officialdom were deeply rooted and had become the biggest obstacle to his reform. The most typical example was the failure of Jiangdong Craftsmanship. Zhou Yu founded Jiangdong Craftsmanship in order to learn from Jingzhou and abolished the craftsmanship.  Officials and scholars enjoyed equal treatment, but this reform was strongly opposed by Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, Yu Fan and others. When Zhou Yu died, Lu Su failed to save the craftsmanship school. It died last year due to the loss of all students.  Eventually withdrawn.  It can be said that this is the bitter wine brewed by Sun Quan. In order to consolidate his power, he deliberately strengthened the awareness of factionalism in the officialdom. In the end, the factional struggle in the officialdom became a major cancer in Jiangdong. It has become too big to be eradicated.  After Sun Quan saw Zhang Zhao entering the house, he only greeted Lu Su coldly. He was a little unhappy in his heart, but did not show it on his face. He said gently: "I just met with Liu Jing's permanent envoy Liu Min. He said  Liu Jing plans to visit Jiangdong, on the pretext of accompanying Princess Shangxiang to Jiangdong for a wedding visit. Zijing and I speculated that Liu Jing must have come here for some purpose. I wonder what Zibu thinks?" Zhang Zhao thought for a while and said with a smile:  "If the old minister is not mistaken, he personally came to Jiangdong to consolidate the Sun-Liu alliance, but his real purpose is to hope that Jiangdong will send troops to the Northern Expedition to echo him on the western front in order to seek maximum political interests." "Zibu is in agreement with us.  It seems that Liu Jing did come with a plan, so how should we deal with it?" Sun Quan asked again.  Zhang Zhao thought for a while and said: "Since Liu Jing came to ask for Jiangdong, we also ask for corresponding benefits. I suggest that the lord should not agree to any substantive request of Liu Jing first, but look at his specific sincerity before coming.  Show our attitude and seek the best interests for Jiangdong." Sun Quan nodded, then turned around and asked Lu Su with a smile, "What do you mean by Zijing?" Lu Su said slowly, "If Liu Jing treats each other with sincerity, we will.  We should also show sincerity and not consider interests in everything. Just like the Battle of Hefei, Gan Ning did try his best to come, but the journey was far and he did not arrive in time. This is not entirely the responsibility of the Jingzhou Navy.  I think Wu Hou also needs to express his apology to Liu Jing. This is the basis for cooperation between the two parties. Treating each other with sincerity and courtesy, and seeking the common interests of both parties, is the way for the long-term peace of the two families of Sun and Liu. " Lu  Su's words were obviously aimed at Zhang Zhao. Zhang Zhao's face changed slightly. He was about to refute, but Sun Quan waved his hand and said with a smile: "Zi Bu is right. Jiangdong's interests come first. Zijing is also right. Both sides must  Frank cooperation, let's do this! Zijing will go to Chengdu to greet Liu Jing on my behalf. Zijing will be fully responsible for all the etiquette arrangements. Zibu will start preparing food and supplies. Once the two sides reach an agreement, Jiangdong will probably send troops.  " £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Just when Lu Su and Liu Min took a boat to Chengdu to meet Liu Jing, Cao Cao's agent in Jianye also found out the news and immediately sent this important information to Yedu by pigeon letter.  The information that Liu Jing was going to visit Jiangdong immediately made Cao Cao nervous. Cao Cao knew very well that when Liu Jing visited Jiangdong at this critical moment, he must want to join forces with Jiangdong to plot the Central Plains.  In the inner hall of Tongque Terrace, important counselors and ministers such as Cheng Yu, Guoyuan, Liu Ye, Chen Qun, and Mao Jie gathered together. The eldest son Cao Pi and the third son Cao Zhi were also sitting there. Cao Cao informed Liu Jing of his intention to visit Jiangdong.  Attracting everyone, he said worriedly: "Now the Han army has taken the initiative in Guanlong. At this time, Liu Jing is defending instead of attacking. He went to visit Jiangdong. It is obvious that he wants to unite Jiangdong to launch an offensive in the Central Plains. I want to work with you all  Let's discuss how we should respond." There was silence in the lobby. This news really shocked everyone. They didn't know how to answer for a while. At this time, Cao Cao glanced at Cheng Yu and saw that he seemed to be thinking, so he said: "Zhong De  Let¡¯s talk first!¡± Cheng Yu sighed and said, ¡°Frankly speaking, this news shocked Wei Chen, but I¡¯m not surprised.¡±?, Liu Jing's intention is already very obvious. He has a strategic advantage in Guanzhong, but he fails to attack. Instead, he unites with Sun Quan and prepares to attack the Central Plains in the north, leaving us vulnerable to enemies from both sides. Wei Chen believes that he obviously wants to attack the Central Plains, but in fact  It was still for Guanzhong. What made Wei Chen feel helpless was that he knew that he was for Guanzhong, but he had to be restrained by him. Guanzhong was important, but the Central Plains was more important.  " At this time, Shangshu Guoyuan said: "Even if Liu Jing is to attack the Central Plains, it will take at least four or five months for him to visit Jiangdong and back. By the time they launch a war against the Central Plains, it will be autumn, but it is only five months now.  In mid-month, can we use the few months when Liu Jing is away from the front line to concentrate our forces to recapture Chencang and Long County, drive the Han army out of Guanzhong, and even recapture Longxi? I ??wonder if Mao Shijun thinks it is feasible?  " Mao Jie was a counselor who escaped from Chencang. He knew the situation in Chencang and Longxian very clearly. Although Guoyuan sincerely asked for advice, Mao Jie's face still turned red. He felt deeply ashamed in his heart and bowed his head in silence for a long time.  Cao Cao understood his mood and said with a smile: "I also have this idea, Xiao Xian might as well say it frankly!  Mao Jie had no choice but to say slowly: "Although Liu Jing is not in Chencang, Jia Xu is stationed in Chencang. There are 50,000 elite troops stationed in Chencang and 30,000 troops in Long County. In addition, Sanguan is also firmly held by the Han army.  Take control. I heard that the first thing Liu Jing did after capturing Chencang was to reinforce the city, widen the moat, and strengthen the defense. If we want to capture Chencang, we will need at least 100,000 troops. In addition, to prevent the Han army from Long County from sneaking into Chang'an, we need to defend Chang'an.  The garrison of 50,000 people would be an army of 150,000, which is more than half of our army. Chang'an can no longer afford the required grain and grass supplies, and must transport grain from Bingzhou. This is under the premise that Chencang can be captured. Once Chencang cannot be captured,  Instead, we were counterattacked by the Han troops from Longxian and Chencang. Eighty thousand people versus one hundred thousand people. We were not sure of victory. Once defeated, I think everyone should understand the serious consequences.  " Cao Cao's expression changed. Mao Jie was right. With Jia Xu guarding Chencang, and Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun being brave, if Chencang could not be captured and the army was defeated, the consequences would be serious, and he couldn't bear it. "  Yu continued: "Continuing with what Wei Chen said just now, although Liu Jing is attacking the Central Plains in vain, once the Central Plains has a chance, he will definitely turn his lies into reality and really march to the Central Plains. The Central Plains will be unfavorable and the world will be shocked. I  I hope the Prime Minister can pay full attention to this point.  " Cao Cao nodded silently. Although he didn't want to admit this, he had to face the reality. He sighed in his heart and asked: "In Zhongde's opinion, what should we do?  " "Weichen proposed a plan called: Guard the point in Guanzhong and deploy the border in the Central Plains. Specifically, it means stationing 50,000 heavy troops to defend Chang'an and confront the Han army. Only 50,000 troops will be deployed in Guanzhong, while 150,000 troops will be deployed in Zhongyuan.  , is divided into four points, Nanyang, Runan, Hefei and Xuzhou. Another hundred thousand troops are stationed in Xudu. They will support wherever there is a crisis. As long as Liu Jing's Central Plains offensive can be defeated, we will go back and attack the key points. Wei Chen believes that,  The situation can still be saved.  " Cao Cao also felt that this plan was feasible, and said: "Zhongde will stay for a while, everyone, please retreat first!  " Seeing that the eldest son was hesitant to speak, he also nodded, "Pi'er can stay too.  " Everyone retired, and only Cheng Yu and Cao Pi were left in the inner hall. Cao Cao first asked Cao Pi, "Does Pi'er have anything to say?  " "For my father, I want to remind my father that there were many brave men in the battles of Longxi and Guanzhong, but they have not been rewarded for a long time. This is not good for the morale of the army. For example, Jiang Ping would rather kill himself than surrender to Liu Jing. How heroic he is.  , why didn¡¯t my father reward me generously?  " "My son is right, but I didn't think it through carefully. Jiang Ping was so heroic and loyal that he was given the posthumous title of 'Zhong' and was granted the title of Marquis of Jieting, which was inherited by his son. The soldiers who committed suicide with him were all granted the title of Lieutenant.  Each person is rewarded with a reward of one thousand taels, and it is up to you to handle this matter.  " "My child obeys your orders!  " Cao Cao praised his eldest son for his thorough consideration. He thought for a moment, then sighed to Cheng Yu and said: "To be honest, my most urgent thing now is to restore my reputation. Zhongde successfully counterattacked Nanyang. Although he restored a lot of reputation,  It's not enough. If I can win another victory and increase my prestige, I can continue to recruit troops and increase my strength. Now Liu Jing is going to visit Jiangdong. I wonder if we can use these few months to do something to recruit troops as soon as possible.  "Cheng Yu was very aware of the pressure Cao Cao was under. He wanted to stay here because he wanted to share his worries. Cheng Yu thought about it and smiled and said: "There is a way to increase the reputation of the prime minister.  " Cao Cao was overjoyed and asked quickly: "What can we do?  " "As the saying goes, you have to pick the weak persimmon. In addition to the southern forces, there is also a weak persimmon in the world. Has the Prime Minister forgotten?  " Cao Cao was startled and suddenly realized, "Zhongde is talking about Liaodong?  " Cheng Yu nodded, "The remnants of the Yuan family retreated to Liaodong.??We defeated the forces of the Gongsun family, but I heard that they were fighting fiercely among themselves, fighting against each other, the army was becoming increasingly divided, and the military discipline was very chaotic. We didn't need to worry about them at first. They would have a civil war within a few years. But if the prime minister wanted to improve his reputation, it would be better to  Send a strong force forward and defeat them in a single battle.  " Cao Cao happily stroked his beard and said: "Zhongde knows my heart!  I don¡¯t know who to send?  " Cheng Yu looked at Cao Pi, and Cao Pi immediately bowed and saluted, "My son is willing to share his father's worries and lead his army to pacify Liaodong.  " Cao Cao looked at Cheng Yu, then at Cao Pi, smiled slightly and said, "Okay!  Let Pi'er lead the army there. I hope you won't disappoint me.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 695: Combined Vertical and Horizontal (Part 1)

    Cao Pi was really excited today. He didn't expect that his father would finally allow him to lead troops to attack Liaodong. He knew what this meant. His father did not give this opportunity to his third brother, but to himself. This shows that his father valued him. Cao Pi seemed to  I saw that the position of Crown Prince was beckoning to me.  It's no wonder that Cao Pi has now taken charge of government affairs for his father and has been appointed as deputy prime minister. If you don't consider the puppet emperor, he is truly the one under one person and above ten thousand people. But even in this way, his father still did not make him the deputy prime minister.  The meaning of Prince.  Cao Pi could see that his father doted on his third brother very much and sent him to take charge of Guanzhong. Seeing Chencang fall, he was afraid that he would lose, so he took him back. Take today as an example, the third brother is not qualified to participate in such an important event.  During the discussion, his father decided to let him participate.  Thinking of today's discussion, Cao Pi suddenly remembered a detail. During the discussion, his third brother sat on the left and he sat on the right. You have to know the upper left and the lower right. What does father mean?  Cao Pi's excitement was suddenly extinguished as if being poured out by a basin of ice water, and he felt extremely uneasy like a cat scratching his head.  ¡°Eldest Young Master, can you leave?¡± A guard next to him asked softly.  Cao Pi waved his hand, "Wait a moment!" He opened the curtain and looked towards the gate of Tongque Terrace. At this time, he saw Cheng Yu walking out quickly. Cao Pi quickly said to his subordinates: "Go and get Military Advisor Cheng."  Please come!" The guard rode up. After a moment, Cheng Yu hurriedly came over. Cao Pi quickly opened the door and said, "Commander, please get in." Cheng Yu was a little hesitant, but finally got on the carriage. He complained a little: "Master, what are you doing?  If you can let me get on the carriage in front of the Tongque Tower, the Prime Minister will know about it." "I have something on my mind, please don't blame me." Cao Pi ordered to set off, and the carriage started and drove slowly towards the city. At this time, Cheng Yu said with a smile:  "Congratulations to the young master for leading the troops to Liaodong." "This is the contribution of the military advisor. I am deeply grateful." Having said this, Cao Pi couldn't help but sigh again. Cheng Yu noticed that his expression was different and asked with concern:  "What happened?" Cao Pi looked a little frustrated and said: "Didn't the military advisor notice? Today's seating arrangement, I sit first on the right, but my third brother sits first on the left. I really don't know what my father is.  What do you think? Who is he?" At this point, Cao Pi couldn't help but get angry.  Cheng Yu glanced at him quickly. In fact, he had discovered the seating arrangement a long time ago. It was obviously deliberately arranged by the Prime Minister. As for why it was arranged like this, Cheng Yu didn't know. But Cheng Yu knew that Cao Pi valued gains and losses too much. Of course, this has nothing to do with the arrangement.  His character is cold, vicious, and narrow-minded.  Cheng Yu sighed slightly in his heart and advised gently: "Perhaps the Prime Minister feels that he has treated Mr. Zhi a little bit, so he can give him some comfort in some aspects, but the eldest son has also gained something. Didn't the Prime Minister ask you to lead troops to Liaodong?  ? At this time, a battle that is sure to win without losing will be of great benefit to the eldest son's prestige. In comparison, a seat seems insignificant." Cao Pi snorted, how could he not care?  At this time, Cheng Yu continued: "I have a few points to tell the eldest son. The first thing is to respect the general. The son can ask to take Xu Huang and Mao Jie with him, and appoint Xu Huang as deputy general and Mao Jie as military advisor. The actual combat requirements are  Completely trust them." "Why?" Cao Pi asked in confusion.  "The reason is very simple. The two of them lost Chencang and were under great pressure. If the young master gives them a chance to make meritorious deeds, they will be sincerely grateful to him and become loyal to him." "I understand, what else?" "And there is something else.  Just take Young Master Zhang and Yang Xiu there, give them the opportunity to make meritorious deeds, and praise them a lot in front of the Prime Minister. This shows your tolerance for your brothers. As a father, he cares about this very much, so that he can safely hand over the throne of the Crown Prince to him.  You." Cao Pi was really reluctant. He could take his brother Cao Zhang, but let him take Yang Xiu and give credit to this person. This was absolutely impossible. Cao Pi didn't say anything for a long time.  Cheng Yu saw Cao Pi's reluctance, so he didn't say anything more. Anyway, he could do it or not, it was up to him!  At this time, Cao Pi remembered something again and whispered: "This time Liu Jing visited Jiangdong, one of his staff suggested to me that I could use the opportunity to assassinate Liu Jing." Before Cao Pi could finish speaking, Cheng Yu said angrily: "Who is this?  The young master can kill him!" Cao Pi was stunned, "Why is the military advisor so angry?" Cheng Yu suppressed his anger and said, "This is the work of a villain. Who is the young master? He wants to succeed the prime minister of the Han Dynasty and the heir apparent of Wei Gong.  Be high-spirited, broad-minded, and do something but not do anything. The Prime Minister initially promised Liu Jing to spare Queen Fu's life. Later, Hua Xin persuaded the Prime Minister to make it look like Queen Fu died of illness, but the Prime Minister angrily rebuked her.  It¡¯s the Prime Minister¡¯s temperament?, Prime Minister Liu Jing is the same. She wants to kill him with one knife, but she also wants to marry her daughter to him. Is it a contradiction?  There is no contradiction. Those who sit in high positions should have the broadmindedness and political vision of those in high positions. But the eldest son wants to assassinate Liu Jing. What if he fails?  Have you considered the consequences?  " Cao Pi's face turned red and white for a while. This was actually his idea. No one tried to persuade him, but he didn't say the second half of the sentence. He assassinated Liu Jing and then framed the blame on his third brother, but he didn't expect to offend Cheng Yu.  Cao Pi smiled bitterly and did not dare to say any more. Cheng Yu also guessed that this was Cao Pi's own idea. With his character, he would probably do this. However, Cheng Yu sighed in his heart. If Cao Pi really ascends the throne one day,  It may not be a good thing! Cheng Yu felt a little regretful for some reason. £®It was the hottest time of the year.  Whether it is Jiangdong or Jingchu, the sun is as scorching as fire. The sun throws heat waves to the earth like a spitting fire. The air has become translucent and flows in the fields and woods. People are hiding in their homes and do not want to come out. They can only come out occasionally.  I saw wild dogs running across the fields with their tongues sticking out. On the Yangtze River, a fleet of fifty large ships was speeding on the river, stretching for dozens of miles. This was the fleet Liu Jing was heading to Jiangdong.  Liu Jing was guarded by 3,000 of the most elite soldiers. On the 5,000-stone ship headed by him, it was extremely quiet. There was not a single sailor in sight.  In a transparent cabin on the fourth floor of the building, the air is flowing, and a slightly cool river breeze blows from the window. Sun Shangxiang is wearing a thin light red silk dress, like a girl.  Lying on the floor as lazily as a cat, she felt the momentary comfort of the cool breeze blowing through her body. She squinted her eyes, and from the corner of her eyes, she glanced at Liu Jing who was crouching at his desk reviewing documents in a lazy way.  And he said in a coquettish tone: "It's not that I want to go back to Jiangdong this time, it's you who forced me to come, didn't give me food, and hit me on the head with a sword. It's such a hot day, and I'm covered in sweat every time I move."  , I'm so hot that I'm dying, hey!  Did you listen to me?  " Liu Jing stopped writing and said angrily: "First, I didn't deny you food, it was because you were too hot and refused to eat; second, I didn't hit your head with a sword, but you hit me with a sword.  third, this is my study, what are you doing here?  Sun Shangxiang's eyes were slightly curved, and he said with a charming smile: "Who wants to stay here? I am bored and can't find anyone to talk to. Why don't you come to my cabin and I will make iced fruit juice for you to drink."  "    "forget it!  From Bashu to Jiangdong, when will I drink the iced fruit pulp you prepared?  " "It was all because of your slowness that I couldn't stand the bait and drank it myself.  " Having said this, Sun Shangxiang sat up, gave Liu Jing a hand, and begged coquettishly: "Come on!  Stay with me, I promise not to lie to you this time.  Liu Jing had no choice but to put down his pen. As soon as he stood up, a maid reported outside the door: "Sir, Governor Lu of Jiangdong wants to see you!"  "Lu Su wanted to see him, Liu Jing had no choice but to smile at Sun Shangxiang. Sun Shangxiang pouted dissatisfied and stretched her face over. Liu Jing kissed her on the cheek, turned around and left the room with a smile. Lu Su also lives here  On the same big ship, he and Sima Yi, who accompanied Liu Jing to Jiangdong, lived on the second floor. The third floor was where Liu Jing handled military and political affairs and where his close guards lived. At this time, in the conference cabin on the third floor, Lu Suzheng and Sima Yi were sitting  The situation in Jiangdong in the past two years was discussed in the cabin. At this time, the guard outside the door shouted: "Zhou Mu is here!  " The sound of footsteps sounded, and Liu Jing quickly walked into the cabin, "I kept you two waiting for a long time!  " Lu Su and Sima Yi quickly stood up and saluted. Liu Jing asked them to sit down. He came from upstairs, covered with sweat. Liu Jing sat down, wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile: "The weather is really too hot.  I'm really sorry for making you two suffer from the heat.  Lu Su leaned over and smiled: "It's similar in Jiangdong. There are rivers in the south, so it's sultry and hotter than in the north."  Sima Yi also said: "It used to be so hot in Jingzhou, and it was the same in Bashu, but I heard it was better over there in Longxi."  " "Longxi is very cool, but it is very cold in winter, so I joked to the soldiers that they would spend the summer in Longxi and the winter in Bashu. The soldiers all felt the same way.  " Lu Su and Sima Yi also laughed. At this time, Lu Su said again: "In the past two days, Zhongda and I have talked about the alliance between the Sun and Liu families. I heard from Zhongda that Zhou Mu is going to give up some territory. I guess  Wu Hou will ask about this, so I want to confirm with Zhou Mu again.  " "Indeed!  Liu Jing said with a smile: "I plan to give Hengyang and Changsha counties to Jiangdong, or return Qichun County to Jiangdong."??Jiangdong, Jiangdong can choose between the two. Of course, the premise is that the Sun and Liu families work together to attack the Central Plains. But I want to know, how is Jiangdong's military strength restored now?  Can Zijing please tell me.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 696: Combined Vertical and Horizontal (Part 2)

    Lu Su was an honest man and would not lie. He hesitated for a moment and then said: "Although Jiangdong suffered a defeat at Hefei, it did not touch its roots. There are still more than 100,000 troops and sufficient food and grass. Frankly speaking, Jiangdong's  The problem is not about strength, but about the officialdom. "Liu Jing had also heard that there were many factions in Jiangdong's officialdom and fierce internal fighting, but he did not expect Lu Su to tell him frankly. This made Liu Jing feel more favorable to Lu Su. He ordered.  He nodded and said: "The infighting in the officialdom in Jiangdong comes from the infighting in the Sun family. In fact, it is closely related to Sun Quan's unstable foundation. Both of the two Western expeditions returned with disastrous defeats. Although they won the Chibi War, they did not get enough benefits.  , the Battle of Hefei also won first and then lost. It can be said that Sun Quan lost more and won less, which naturally shook the foundation of his power. In this case, only by provoking factional struggles can he stabilize his position, but Cheng Ye Xiao He,  Even if Xiao He loses, the future defeat of Jiangdong will probably be due to internal fighting in the officialdom. "Lu Su didn't say anything for a long time. Liu Jing used the sharpest way to directly dig out the root cause of Jiangdong's weakness over the years. Lu Su also knew Jiangdong.  The decline was due to infighting in the officialdom, but Liu Jing pointed out the reason for the intensification of infighting in the officialdom. The root cause lies with Sun Quan. In order to maintain his power position, Sun Quan deliberately provoked infighting.  Lu Su couldn't help but what Zhou Yu said to him before his death, "If you don't know someone well, you'd be ashamed of Bo Fu." When Zhou Yu said he didn't know someone well, he was referring to Sun Quan. This made Lu Su feel particularly uncomfortable. Could Jiangdong really be ruined by the officialdom faction?  Above the struggle?  Liu Jing sensed Lu Su's emotional instability and comforted him: "If Zijing does not want to participate in the internal fighting in Jiangdong, he might as well make it clear to Wu Hou that he can represent Jiangdong in Chengdu." Lu Su shook his head with a wry smile.  Sima Yi laughed and said: "Zhou Mu is joking! How could Wu Hou let the governor of Jiangdong go to Chengdu to stay permanently?" Liu Jing did not smile at all. He looked at Lu Su and said: "Zijing still remembers the first time many years ago  "Chai Sang, what I said to you on the dock? If you still remember, those words are still valid today."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Lu Su himself didn't know when he returned to the cabin. He seemed to be sleepwalking, standing in front of the ship window and staring blankly at the roaring river. He couldn't help but think of the scene many years ago, when he first arrived at Chaisang  At that time, Liu Jing personally invited him to stay in Chaisang and become Chaisang's military advisor. At that time, he refused with disdain.  But today Liu Jing mentioned that matter again, which made Lu Su sigh with emotion. But did he still have a choice?  An unspeakable bitter smile appeared on Lu Su's face.  When Zhou Yu was the Commander-in-Chief, he did have military power, and Sun Quan had no choice. However, after Zhou Yu's death, Sun Quan appointed himself as the Commander-in-Chief, but the military power was not given to him, but was taken back by him.  To put it bluntly, he is only a nominal governor, but the actual military power is in the hands of Sun Quan. His actual power is even inferior to that of Lu Xun.  "Did Jiangdong really die in only three generations?" Lu Su said to himself.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Lu Su left, and Liu Jing and Sima Yi were still discussing the negotiations with Jiangdong in the cabin. Liu Jing would not participate in the specific negotiations, and Sima Yi was solely responsible.  Sima Yi sighed and said: "When we were passing through Xiakou, we heard the news that Cao Cao had fully deployed troops in the Central Plains. It means that Cao Cao has seen through our attempt to contact Jiangdong. I am a little worried. If the northern attack on the Central Plains fails, we will give  Jiangdong has given up such huge benefits, especially Changsha and Hengyang. Once lost, it is very likely that Xiangdong and Guiyang counties will not be able to keep it. Are we losing more than we gain?" Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "Zhongda is worrying too much, regardless of Changsha?  Or Hengyang, they are not food, they will be gone if they are eaten, they are land. No matter how many years pass, the land will never be lost. As long as we want it, we can get it back at any time, even if we give them the whole Jingnan, it doesn't matter.  They can't digest it even if they swallow it, so they just treat it as if we are temporarily leaving it in Jiangdong. One day, not only Changsha and Hengyang, but the entire Jiangdong will become ours." After a pause, Liu Jing said again: "As for it.  Cao Cao's deployment of troops in the Central Plains was what I expected. He deployed a total of 250,000 troops. Frankly speaking, this is exactly the result I wanted." Sima Yi was startled, "What did Zhou Mu say?  Liu Jing laughed, "How many troops does Zhongda think Cao Cao would send if he didn't join forces with Sun Quan? Would he send 250,000 troops? No, at most 100,000 troops, 50,000 from Nanyang and 50,000 from Runan."  , If Cao Cao's army in the Central Plains is insufficient, we still have no chance in Guanzhong." Sima Yi suddenly realized that Zhou Mu's strategic purpose was to contain Cao Cao's main force in the Central Plains, and he finally understood.  Liu Jing walked to the window and looked at the river with his hands behind his hands. After a while, he said calmly: "No matter what, this negotiation with Sun Quan must be successful."? In addition to denying them food and material goods, we can agree to all the land conditions they propose. We can seduce them with heavy profits first, and then deal with them later!  "Speaking of this, Liu Jing's eyes became very cold. Two days later, the Han fleet finally arrived in Jianye. The fleet was anchored in the river, and Liu Jing's ship slowly docked.  On the shore, Sun Quan and more than a hundred civil and military officials had been waiting for a long time. When Liu Jing and Sun Shangxiang slowly stepped off the ship, Sun Quan came up to meet him. He smiled from afar and said, "My dear brother, how are you doing?"  "The two laughed and hugged tightly. Liu Jing looked at Sun Quan and smiled and said: "Brother seems to be much fatter than before.  " "Not only are you getting fatter, but you are also getting older. We haven't seen each other for four years. A lot has changed in the past four years!  " "Brother is right. I wonder how my mother-in-law is doing?  Sun Quan nodded, "Although her health is not very good, the most dangerous period has passed. Yesterday she was still wondering when you would arrive. My mother likes you very much, dear brother."  " At this time, Sun Shangxiang stepped forward to greet his brother. Sun Quan smiled slightly and said, "Shall the little sister go to see her mother first, or go to the city with us first, and then go to see her old man together in the evening?  Sun Shangxiang looked back at Liu Jing. It was up to her husband to decide. Liu Jing smiled and said, "Go see your mother first!"  Don't let her wait. I'll go see her in the afternoon.  " Sun Shangxiang was happy to see her husband caring about her, so she said to her brother: "In that case, I will go see my mother first.  " Sun Quan nodded, immediately arranged a carriage, and ordered the guards to send his sister to Changqian Palace to meet her mother. Watching Sun Shangxiang's carriage go away, Liu Jing met and greeted the officials in Jiangdong one by one, and also got on Sun Quan's carriage to go to the palace.  Jianye City drove away. Jianye City was only an official city. It was not a big city. Inside was the official government office and Moling Palace. Its circumference was only ten miles. However, ordinary people lived in the surrounding Stone City and Danyang County City. Sun Quan specially ordered a detour to Danyang.  County town, let Liu Jing feel the enthusiasm of the people in Jiangdong. At this time, the news that Princess Shangxiang and Liu Jing came to Jiangdong to visit relatives had spread throughout Jiangdong. The streets in Danyang County were already filled with people, and the streets were crowded with people coming to welcome Liu Jing.  Tens of thousands of Jiangdong soldiers maintained order on both sides of the crowd, all of them sweating profusely. When Liu Jing's carriage entered the city, more than 100,000 people on the street were excited. The people raised their arms and shouted, and the cheers resounded through the sky.  Liu Jing was also moved by the extremely excited faces. He seemed to have returned to the year when Xiangyang was recaptured. The people were also cheering and excited. At this time, Sun Quan said calmly from the side: "My dear brother, do you know why they are like this?"  Excited and looking forward to it?  " "I'm confused too!  "Liu Jing smiled and said: "Is it to welcome the arrival of Jiangdong's son-in-law?  " Sun Quan shook his head, "Not entirely. The real reason is that my virtuous brother has become famous all over the world and is the hope for the revival of the Han Dynasty. If my virtuous brother doesn't believe it, if he has the opportunity to go to Luoyang or Chang'an, I believe he will be treated like this.  The grand welcome, of course, is also related to Xiandi's original release of tens of thousands of prisoners of war back to Jiangdong. What's popular!  " Sun Quan sighed slightly, "Sometimes I also envy my virtuous brother.  ¡± ¡°Brother has received the award. I think the real reason is not me, but that my brother is by my side.  Sun Quan chuckled and patted Liu Jing on the shoulder, "Have a good rest. My mother will hold a family dinner to welcome you tonight. I am really happy that you are here."  " Lu Su quickly walked through the long corridor in the palace under the leadership of the guards until he came to the inner hall. The guards went in first to report. After a while, the guards walked out and said: "Marquis Wu, please come in and see the governor!  " Lu Su straightened his clothes and walked into the inner hall. He saw Sun Quanzheng, Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong talking about something in the inner hall. For some reason, Lu Su felt an inexplicable feeling of resistance in his heart. Zhang Zhao was from the Jiangbei faction.  The leader of the Wuyue faction, and Gu Yong was the leader of the Wuyue faction, reminded him of Liu Jing's words on the ship. The defeat of Jiangdong must be caused by internal fighting in the officialdom, and the root cause of the internal fighting in the officialdom lies in Sun Quan. Lu Su sighed in his heart.  , stepped forward and bowed deeply to Sun Quan, "Wei ministers join the Marquis of Wu!  " "Thank you for your hard work, Governor Lu. Please sit down!"  Sun Quan smiled and asked Lu Su to sit down and said to him: "We are all very concerned about Liu Jing's coming east this time. Can Zijing tell us what is the real purpose of his coming east this time?"  " Lu Su was a generous man. Although he was disgusted with Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong, he still nodded to them, and then said to Sun Quan in a hurry: "It is indeed as we speculated before, Liu Jing came to Jiangdong this time.  For Sun and Liu to unite and march north to the Central Plains together, of course the prerequisite is to eliminate some of the unhappiness between the two families in the last battle in Hefei.  " "How can there be such a cheap thing in the world!  " As soon as Lu Sugu finished speaking, Zhang Zhao said angrily from the side: "He thoughtLet me ask you this once, if you win over the people of Jiangdong, will Jiangdong¡¯s army sacrifice their lives for him?  What about interests?  What benefits can he give Jiangdong!  " Even though Lu Su was kind-hearted, he finally couldn't bear it anymore. His expression changed and he angrily scolded Zhang Zhao, "Master Zhang always talks about interests. Isn't it true that in the hearts of military counselors, there is no other relationship between people except interests?  "Zhang Zhao didn't expect Lu Su to be so rude and reprimanded himself. He suddenly turned extremely ugly and snorted heavily. Sun Quan saw the awkward atmosphere and quickly smoothed things over: "Zijing has worked hard all the way and the weather is hot, so he is inevitably a little irritable.  , let¡¯s talk slowly, please relax and don¡¯t be anxious.  " Lu Su suppressed his dissatisfaction and bowed to Sun Quan and said: "The minister also asked Sima Yi, and Sima Yi said that in order to show Jingzhou's sincerity, Changsha and Hengyang counties can be assigned to Jiangdong, or Qichun County can be given to Jiangdong.  We can choose one or the other.  " Sun Quan, Zhang Zhao, and Gu Yong looked at each other. There was surprise in their eyes, especially Sun Quan. When he heard that Liu Jing wanted to give him Changsha County and Hengyang County, he couldn't hold back the excitement in his heart and stood up.  He walked quickly to the wall and opened the curtain. On the wall was a huge map of Jingzhou in the east of the Yangtze River. Sun Quan put his hands behind his hands and stared at the map. Changsha County is the second largest county in Jingnan after Nanjun, and Hengyang County is the second largest county in Jingnan.  If these two strategic places can be obtained, it will block the Jingzhou army's way south. Then the Xiangdong County and Guiyang County below will naturally become Jiangdong's bag, and the six counties in Jingnan can be captured in one network.  Fourth, this is the territory he dreamed of! Sun Quan turned around and said to Zhang Zhao: "Liu Jing must use Sima Yi to negotiate. This person has many strategies. The chief negotiator in Jiangdong must be Zibu. Give it to me as much as possible.  Jiangdong strives for more benefits.  " Lu Su couldn't help but sigh in his heart. It was interests first again, but this time it came from Sun Quan's mouth.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 697: Combined Vertical and Horizontal (Part 2)

    Changqian Palace is the residence of Sun Quan's mother, Mrs. Wu, and it is also the most beautiful mansion in the entire Jianye City. Mrs. Wu has been in poor health in the past two years, and was critically ill for a time last year. She finally survived, but her health  He is also extremely weak and spends most of his time in the Buddhist hall, paying no attention to the affairs of the outside world.  But the arrival of her daughter and son-in-law made her extremely happy. Early in the morning, she ordered her maids and domestic servants to clean the palace and prepare rooms. Of course, she believed that her daughter and son-in-law should live with her. When her daughter arrived, she cried with joy and hugged her for a long time.  Looking at their daughter, the mother and daughter talked about their daily routine for nearly an hour.  "I am most worried about your heir. I told you last time to conceive the child as soon as possible and bring it to me when you come next time, but you still come alone." What worries Mrs. Wu the most is that her daughter has no child.  , there was some complaint in her tone, scolding her daughter, "If it's your husband's problem, but Tao can also give birth, I guess it's your own problem. You don't take such an important thing to heart, you are careless all day, and you are still the same as before.  Same, you! How can you understand that children are the continuation of a woman's life?" Sun Shangxiang was not angry when her mother scolded her. She pulled her mother and said coquettishly: "Mom, stop talking. I promise that I will hold a baby next time.  Fat boy, let me show you." "Hey! How long will you keep me worried next time? By the way, have you asked a doctor to take medicine? I heard that Zhang Ji is very experienced in this area. Have you asked him?  "Take a look?" "I asked him to take a look. He said that there is nothing wrong with my daughter, and she has taken medicine." "Nonsense! Where is your medicine? You have been afraid of taking medicine since you were a child.  "You must have ignored it and left the medicine aside, right?" Sun Shangxiang felt a headache coming on. She wanted to see her mother, but every time she saw her mother, she was afraid that she would tell her about the child and not forgive her.  , she had no choice but to look towards her sister-in-law for help. Da Qiao was sitting aside, smiling secretly. She had a very good relationship with Sun Shangxiang. When she saw her sister-in-law asking for help, she smiled at Mrs. Wu and said, "Mom, we will eat later.  Just remind my uncle from time to time. I think one word to my uncle is more effective than ten thousand words to Shang Xiang." One sentence immediately reminded Mrs. Wu, "Well, you are right, tell my son-in-law."  In fact, it was very delicate. She was afraid that her mother would say something that would embarrass her husband, so she quickly winked at her sister-in-law. Da Qiao understood and said with a smile: "Mom, I can't say it directly. After all, my uncle is the leader of the party and I have to give him face. This matter  Leave it to me! I'll make the arrangements. " Mrs. Wu is a sensible person and knows what to do. She nodded and tapped her daughter again, "See, your sister-in-law is so capable.  You're just as confused, I'm going to be pissed off by you, this damn girl." Sun Shangxiang stuck out his tongue and winked at his sister-in-law gratefully. At this time, a maid said at the door: "Old madam, it's time for the banquet, Wu.  Both Hou and my uncle are here, in the lobby." Madam Wu nodded and said with a smile, "Don't keep my son-in-law waiting, let's go!" Sun Shangxiang quickly picked up her mother and walked to the front lobby with her sister-in-law.  The lights were bright, the banquet had been arranged, with a row of tables on both sides, covered with soft mats, and a maid standing behind to serve. Although it was a family banquet, the utensils and dishes were not ambiguous at all, with gold cups and jade cups, and silver pots and jade.  The dishes are mainly light, but they are all so exquisitely prepared that you can¡¯t bear to eat them.  At this time, Liu Jing and Sun Quan had already arrived, as well as several of Sun Quan's wives, daughters, and sons, as well as Sun Ce's children, the wives and children of Sun Yi and Sun Kuang, as well as the matchmakers Qiao Guolao and Lu Fan.  The two of them were also invited and sat at the same table with Sima Yi. At the bottom, Xiao Qiao came with his children, and the hall was full of people.  This was the first time Liu Jing met Xiao Qiao. Although she was pretty, she was obviously haggard. It could be seen that she was not living well after Zhou Yu's death. Liu Jing handed over to Xiao Qiao and said, "Liu Jing and Gong Jin.  We were close friends. Gong Jin passed away at an early age, and Liu Jing was also grieved. However, Liu Jing came in a hurry today and did not have time to express condolences to Gong Jin. I will definitely visit Gong Jin early tomorrow morning to express my condolences. " Xiao Qiao looked sad and quickly stood up to salute. "  Thank you Liu Zhoumu for caring about your late husband. Xiao Qiao is very grateful!" She ordered her son to kowtow to Liu Jing again, and Liu Jing nodded, "You're welcome, please sit down!" At this time, there was a sound of footsteps outside the hall, and a large group of people were seen.  The maids walked slowly, surrounded by Mrs. Wu, Sun Shangxiang and Da Qiao. Everyone knelt down and saluted quickly, "See you, mother!" "Get up, children!" Mrs. Wu smiled and waved. At this time, she saw Liu Jing and hurriedly  He stepped forward to support his son-in-law and said, "My good husband has traveled thousands of miles to visit me. It shows that he is a deeply affectionate person. It is really gratifying. My daughter is really lucky to have a husband like you. Please  Sit back!"  "Thank you, mother!" Liu Jing stood up, took out a string of rosewood rosary beads, and presented them to Mrs. Wu, "This is my son-in-law's intention to honor his mother-in-law, please accept it." Although the things are not valuable, this heartfelt thought  But Mrs. Wu was very moved. She took the rosary and said with a smile: "Thank you, dear son-in-law. I like it very much." She then pulled her daughter over and told her: "Sit with your husband and pour him some wine."  Amidst the laughter, Sun Shangxiang blushed slightly and sat down next to her husband. She pinched Liu Jing lightly and asked in a low voice: "You prepared rosary beads, why didn't you tell me?" "I wanted to give you a surprise,  "It turned out to be too hot, so I forgot." "I'll settle the score with you tonight!" Although she said she was going to settle the score, Sun Shangxiang's eyes were filled with smiles. Her husband actually prepared a gift for her mother. This thoughtfulness was enough to touch and surprise her.  She picked up the wine pot, poured a glass of wine into Liu Jing's ear cup, and said with a smile: "Mother asked me to pour you wine, so it's up to me to decide how much wine you drink tonight. I have to pour it on you at the table."  "No way." "You're the one who's going to be embarrassed if you force me down." "Then drink half of it first, and we'll close the door and continue drinking at night." At this time, Da Qiao, who was sitting next to him, coughed slightly, and Sun Shangxiang finally realized.  Mother was about to speak, and everyone was looking at them!  Her pretty face suddenly turned red, she glared at Liu Jing and lowered her head.  Mrs. Wu took a deep look at them, and then said softly to everyone: "Tonight is a family banquet. Welcome Shang Xiang and my son-in-law back. Everyone, please relax a little. Although I do not advocate drinking, today is an exception. Come  ! Let¡¯s raise a toast to celebrate tonight¡¯s reunion.¡± Mrs. Wu raised her ear cup and smiled to Liu Jing and Sun Shangxiang. Everyone raised their glasses to welcome them back. After the banquet, a maid came to see them ready.  His bedroom was a three-story building, which was also the most exquisite building in the entire Changqian Palace. It was close to the lake, and the cool breeze was blowing, making it especially cool. When Liu Jing and Sun Shangxiang walked to the second floor, Sun Shangxiang hugged him.  She grabbed his neck and pouted: "I can't walk anymore, carry me up!" Liu Jing picked up her legs and hugged her up. Sun Shangxiang giggled, "This is how you behave, take care of this princess."  Okay, I'll give you a bottle of wine tonight." Liu Jing kissed her lips and said with a smile, "I'll throw you into the lake!" He walked a few steps quickly and came to the second floor window, making a move.  He threw it out, and Sun Shangxiang screamed in fright. Liu Jing laughed, and rushed to the third floor with her in his arms. Once they entered the dormitory, they were both stunned. They saw a circle of screens around the bed in the dormitory.  The screen was full of pictures of children playing and pictures of a hundred children welcoming the spring. All kinds of lively and lovely children appeared before their eyes, lifelike.  Only then did Sun Shangxiang understand that her sister-in-law had made an implicit arrangement, and that was what she meant. Her eyes moved, she glanced at Liu Jing, put her arms around his neck, and whispered in his ear: "Husband, do you understand?" Liu Jing smiled bitterly.  He said, "I understand, it seems that tonight I will change my surname to Niu!" "Then shall we still drink?" Sun Shangxiang smiled charmingly.  "First plow in the spring, then drink wine, plant in the summer after drinking, and finally sow in the autumn and cultivate in the winter. Anyway, this time I must make your mother happy." "Then what are you waiting for? Brother Niu." Liu Jing laughed and blew it out suddenly.  Turning off the lamp, getting into the screen, the two of them laughed and fell on the bed. Early the next morning, Liu Jing finished washing herself. Under the escort of hundreds of cavalry, she drove to Zhou Yu's mansion. It had been one year since Zhou Yu's death.  Calmness had long been restored. When he heard that Liu Jing had arrived, Zhou Yu's eldest son Zhou Xun hurriedly came out to greet him. Zhou Xun was sixteen years old and looked exactly like his father. He was elegant and talented, and was currently serving as a guard in the palace.  He heard from his mother last night that Liu Jing was coming to pay homage to his father today, so he asked for leave and waited for Liu Jing to arrive. Zhou Xun knelt down and kowtowed, "Junior Zhou Xun pays homage to Zhou Mu!" Liu Jing quickly helped him up.  He said, "My dear nephew, please wake up. I am here to pay homage to your father today." "I have heard from my mother and asked the state pastor to come with me." Zhou Xun invited Liu Jing into the house and came to his father's ancestral hall.  Please pray!" Liu Jing walked into the ancestral hall and looked at Zhou Yu's portrait on the wall. He sighed softly, knelt down in front of Zhou Yuling, and whispered: "Gong Jin is here, Liu Jing is here from Chengdu, I wish you the best.  The spirit of worshiping the Duke in heaven recalls the passionate years of the past and laments that the hero of Jiangdong is no longer alive. "Liu Jing offered incense and kowtowed three times respectfully. Zhou Xun kowtowed beside him in return. After paying homage, Liu Jing came to the main hall. At this time,  , Xiao Qiao also came out to see the ceremony. When she saw that Liu Jing had come as promised, she was moved and choked with sobs: "Zhou Mu came to pay homage to my late husband despite his busy schedule. I am extremely grateful." "Madam, you are so polite, Gong Jin.  He is my best friend, andWe fought side by side against Cao Cao, but I regretted that we were thousands of miles apart and couldn't see him one last time. Coming to pay homage to him today is regarded as fulfilling my wish.  " Xiao Qiao "Thank you Zhou Mu for your concern!  Gong Jin also often said during his lifetime that he admired the two people most in his life, one was Bo Fu, and the second was Zhou Mu. It was pity that he died young, and he hoped that Zhou Mu would take more care of his children in the future.  " Liu Jing nodded, "Gong Jin's son is also my descendant. If my wife has any request in the future, just tell me that as long as Liu Jing can do it, I will never refuse.  " Liu Jing saw that Xiao Qiao was haggard and pitiful, and she couldn't help but feel a little pity in her heart. She said softly: "Madam, you should go for a walk, and your mood will be cheerful. If Madam is willing, you might as well come to Sichuan for a visit. I, the monk, will visit Xianghui  Welcome ma'am like family.  " This sentence touched Xiao Qiao's mind. Her eyes were a little red. She quietly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and nodded, "I will definitely come!  " After sitting for a while, Liu Jing stood up and said goodbye. Xiao Qiao and Zhou Xun kept sending him out of the mansion. Watching Liu Jing's carriage go away, Xiao Qiao couldn't help but sigh lowly. She thought of Shang Xiang's beauty and beauty last night, and  But he is much older. Maybe Liu Zhoumu is right and he wants to go out for a walk.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 698 The Final Harvest

    While Liu Jing went to pay homage to Zhou Yu, in the Qinzheng Hall of Jianye Palace, Zhang Zhao started negotiations with Sima Yi on behalf of Jiangdong. In addition to Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong and Yu Fan were also sitting on Jiangdong's side, and only Sima Yi was on the other side.  and Liu Min. Liu Min, as Sima Yi's assistant, also sat at the bottom.  "Commander Zhang, this is the second time we have dealt with each other!" Sima Yi said with a smile: "I hope this time, like last time, we can reach a smooth consensus." Zhang Zhao smiled lightly, "Our two families are brothers and have a close relationship.  , and the marriage between Qin and Jin, but as the saying goes, brothers have to settle accounts. I think some things should be frank. What do you think of Sima Shijun? "Sima Yi nodded, "I like Commander Zhang's frankness very much.  " "In that case, let me get straight to the point. We want to know why Liu Zhoumu asked Jiangdong to send troops to the Central Plains? " "We can't say request. The word 'request' is too strong. We have no right to ask Jiangdong to do anything, but we want Jiangdong to do something.  The purpose of sending troops is of course very simple. It is to weaken Cao Cao's strength, which will be beneficial to both Jingshu and Jiangdong. " Sima Yi knew what Zhang Zhao meant, which was to frame this matter as a case of the Han army asking Jiangdong for help.  In terms of conditions, the lion can open its mouth, so Sima Yi must avoid this point. He wants Jiang Dong to understand that not only the Han army will benefit, but Jiang Dong will also benefit.  Zhang Zhao shook his head, "Frankly speaking, we have no plans for the northern expedition for the time being. Especially after the defeat in Hefei, the soldiers and civilians in Jiangdong were very resistant to the northern expedition. We are planning to conquer the south. Now that Liu Zhoumu has made a request, let's just say hope! Hope!  When we send troops to the Central Plains, not to mention dispatching troops and preparing supplies, more importantly, the Marquis of Wu must first convince the civil and military officials and change the plan for the southern expedition. All of this will cost us a lot of manpower and material resources. I hope you can  Understand this. "Zhang Zhao was very smart and blocked Sima Yi's retreat. More importantly, he knew that the other party came to beg Jiangdong. Even Liu Jing came to Jiangdong in person, which showed that the other party expected Jiangdong to send troops. In this case, he  We must use this expectation to seek the greatest benefit for Jiangdong.  Sima Yi nodded, "We also know the difficulties of Jiangdong, so Jingzhou will give Jiangdong some compensation. Lu Zijing should have told Wu Hou that we plan to transfer Changsha County and Hengyang County to Jiangdong as compensation for sending troops. I think Zhang  The military advisor should also know!" "But we heard that there is also Qichun County." Zhang Zhao looked at Sima Yi with a half-smile.  "Qichun County is just an option. If Jiangdong does not want Changsha County and Hengyang County, then Qichun County can be chosen." "Zhang Junshi, I am a frank person. I think our two families should be honest with each other. We can  Send troops, but the conditions are slightly different from yours." Sima Yi looked at Zhang Zhao's undisguised pride. He had roughly guessed the other party's conditions. He said quietly: "I am willing to listen." "The conditions are very simple.  We want not only Changsha County and Hengshan County, but also Qichun County, which means that all three counties must be returned to Jiangdong. In addition, we also hope that Jingzhou can bear the military rations for Jiangdong¡¯s northern expedition. There are only so many conditions, is it possible to agree? "  Sima Yi's heart suddenly burned with anger. It was simply too much. He actually wanted the three counties of Jingzhou. Not only that, but Jingzhou was also asked to bear the military rations. Sima Yi said coldly: "Back then, when we sent tens of thousands of Jiangdong soldiers back to Jiangdong, there were no conditions.  "Why is Jiangdong so harsh?" Zhang Zhao didn't speak for a long time, and finally sighed slightly, "I'm sorry, but Jiangdong has suffered repeated setbacks in recent years, morale is low, public resentment is boiling, and financial resources are gradually becoming difficult. Please ask Sima Military Advisor to understand our difficulties.  Of course Sima Yi understood them and tried his best to use this opportunity to extract maximum benefits for Jiangdong. He suppressed his dissatisfaction and said to Zhang Zhao: "Assigning Changsha County and Hengyang County to Jiangdong is the greatest sincerity. If Jiangdong doesn't do it yet,  If you are satisfied, then we can only say sorry. As for the other conditions, Jingzhou cannot agree." Sima Yi's attitude was clear and there was no room for compromise. The negotiation took a full hour, but in the end it ended with no results and the two sides could not reach an agreement.  compromise.  After the negotiation, Zhang Zhao immediately rushed back to Jianye Palace. He saluted Sun Quan and said: "Let me report to the Marquis of Wu. As we expected, the other party refused to accept our conditions and still insisted on the original conditions. His attitude was very firm.  "Sun Quan smiled and asked, "Did they mention that Jiangdong didn't need to send troops?" "That's not the case. They still hope that we can send troops." "That's right!"  He said: "In their bones, they still hope that we will send troops. As long as we grasp this, they will not be afraid of Liu Jing's uncompromising. I expected it to be good. Sending troops to the Central Plains is related to his Guanzhong battle and is very important to him. Since it is so important, of course he  ??Pay the necessary price.  Sun Quan took a few steps with his hands behind his back, and then said: "The negotiations are temporarily suspended. I believe that if we delay it a little, Liu Jing will be more likely to compromise."  " A carriage quickly drove to Changqian Palace. On the carriage, Liu Min said worriedly: "I don't think it is appropriate to give Hengyang County to Jiangdong. Without Hengyang County, we will not be able to support Xiangdong County and Guiyang County. In fact,  The two counties of Eastern Hunan and Guiyang were also lost. This price was too high.  " Sima Yi smiled slightly and said: "Although your worries are reasonable, you have to understand that Zhou Mu has thought about this matter deeply and he understands it very well. Including Jia Xu, he has also considered it carefully for Zhou Mu. Since he proposed such a proposal  The conditions have their own reasons, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much.  Liu Min nodded silently. He was indeed a little worried. Soon, the carriage arrived at Changqian Palace. In the reception hall of Changqian Palace, Liu Jing met with Sima Yi and listened to his report on the negotiations. Waiting for Sima Yi to finish.  , Liu Jing shook his head and made his position clear: "I made it very clear on the way to Jiangdong that I cannot agree to any material conditions. As for them still wanting Qichun County" Liu Jing looked back at Sima Yi and said: "  My principle is to go south from Jiangdong. Does the military advisor understand?  " Sima Yi nodded silently, "I understand.  " "Since the military adviser understands, there is no need for me to say it anymore, but one thing must be made clear. They must send troops to Hefei and Xuzhou before they can get the benefits I gave up. They cannot send troops in name only like the last time.  There must be no ambiguity.  " "We will clarify this with you, and the time for dispatching troops needs to be clarified.  Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "We also need time to deploy, let's do it in early November!"  After the north began to freeze, both sides sent troops together.  " After three consecutive negotiations, the Sun and Liu families finally reached a compromise. Jiangdong gave up its requirement for military rations and also gave up its requirement for Qichun County. As compensation for interests, Liu Jing promised to transfer Changsha, Hengyang, Xiangdong and Guiyang to Changsha, Hengyang, Xiangdong and Guiyang.  Four counties were assigned to Jiangdong, and the two sides reached an agreement. Jiangdong would send 80,000 troops to attack the Central Plains, while Jingzhou would send 100,000 troops to attack the Central Plains from Nanyang and Runan. Ten days later, Liu Jing ended her visit to Jiangdong.  On the Yangtze River pier outside Jianye City, Sun Quan once again led hundreds of officials to say goodbye to Liu Jing, while Sun Quan's Mrs.  Liu Jing and Princess Shangxiang returned to the west. "Brother, there is no need to send him far away!"  Liu Jing clasped her fists and smiled: "I hope our winter cooperation will be a complete success, and I also wish Jiangdong can successfully capture Xuzhou and Hefei. I hope this is a win-win cooperation."  " Sun Quan smiled a little reluctantly. How could Cao Cao give up the Central Plains to them? He was like a mirror in his heart. Sooner or later he would have to withdraw his troops. If it weren't for the four counties in Jingnan, he would never agree to this northern expedition. But he said politely.  Sun Quan laughed and said, "This is the common hope of both of us. I also hope that my trip to Jiangdong will not be in vain. Take care of yourself all the way!"  " Jiangdong officials also saluted one by one, "Liu Zhoumu, have a good trip!  ¡± ¡°Everyone, take care and see you again when you have a chance!¡±  Liu Jing saluted everyone, then turned and headed towards the ship. At this time, Sun Shangxiang also finished saying goodbye and walked quickly under the escort of several female soldiers. She smiled brightly at Liu Jing, took his arm, and turned back.  He waved to his elder brother and Baiguan, and then walked to the ship with Liu Jing, "Husband, we may have guests coming to our home next year.  "Getting on the boat, Sun Shangxiang smiled. "Who is it?  " "Xiao Qiao is coming. She said she is very depressed in Jiangdong and wants to go out for a walk, so I invited her to come to Chengdu. Is that okay?  "    "sure!  Liu Jing smiled and said: "But we may move next year."  " "Going back to Xiangyang?  " Sun Shangxiang asked in surprise. Liu Jing waved to the people on the shore to see them off, and smiled at Sun Shangxiang: "It's just a possibility, it's not confirmed yet, let's talk about it next year!  " Sun Shangxiang also cast her eyes on the tens of thousands of people who sent them off. She sighed slightly: "It was the same last time. This time they are still so enthusiastic. How can I bear such great expectations?  " "You are too arrogant to belittle yourself. Do you know what will happen to Jiangdong if you marry me?  Liu Jing gently hugged her shoulders and asked with a smile. Sun Shangxiang blinked and asked, "Oh!"  Could it be that the husband is plotting against Jiang Dong?  "Sooner or later, the world will be unified. I hope to preserve the Sun family lineage to the greatest extent. I have to give my wife face."  "Liu Jing lowered her head and kissed Sun Shangxiang on the cheek, then smiled and said: "But now, what I am more concerned about is that weDid today's spring plowing and winter plowing yield any harvest?  Sun Shangxiang rested her head on his shoulder and whispered: "To be honest, I have a very strong feeling that maybe next year, I will teach my baby daughter to practice martial arts."  " "You have it?  "Liu Jing looked at her in surprise. "I don't know, I just feel something is wrong.  Sun Shangxiang hugged his arm and said with a mischievous smile: "I'm afraid the intensity of farming is not enough. I need husband to work harder to get better harvests."  Liu Jing pinched her nose and said, "There is nothing I can do to you, let's go! Let's go back to the cabin and discuss the true meaning of life."  " Although Sun Shangxiang felt that something was wrong during the day, he finally followed Liu Jing to the cabin half-heartedly. The fleet left Jianye City and sailed toward Jingzhou in a mighty way.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 699 Unification of Jiaozhou

    Jiaozhi City, the last city of the Shi family, has been surrounded by the Jiaozhou army for twenty days. In the nearly four-year battle for Jiaozhou, Liu Bei's army has grown from weak to strong, from being at a disadvantage to being at the upper hand.  The scope moved westward step by step, and the army slowly increased from the initial ten thousand to more than sixty thousand.  Relatively speaking, due to repeated defeats, Shi Xie's army was weakened from the peak of 70,000 soldiers to less than 10,000 soldiers, and only the city of Jiaozhi was left in power.  Zhuge Liang personally led an army of 50,000 to surround Jiaozhi City. Once the city was captured, Liu Bei unified Jiaozhou.  On a hillock outside the North City, Zhuge Liang was looking at the largest city in Jiaozhou from a distance. The hot sunshine in Jiaozhou had made Zhuge Liang's skin very dark, and there were a few tufts of white hair on his head, but he was in very good spirits.  Full of energy.  He was wearing a white Taoist robe with Tai Chi diagrams on his head, a hibiscus crown on his head, and a feather fan in his hand. He looked at the Jiaozhi City in the distance with a smile. He turned back to Chen Zhen, who joined the army, and said with a smile: "I have suggested to the lord several times that the capital city should be conquered."  Moved to Jiaozhi, this city is much larger than Panyu City, with a population of hundreds of thousands, but the lord just refused. " Chen Zhen thought for a while and said: "I guess the lord wants to return north, and there is a waterway from Panyu.  Directly to Lingling County or Guiyang County, Jiaozhi is too far away from Jingnan. "You are right. It is indeed easy to guess the Lord's thoughts." Just as he said this, a general rushed over.  Come, about sixteen or seventeen years old, it is Zhang Fei's eldest son Zhang Bao. He shouted loudly: "Inform the military advisor, the army is ready to attack and can launch an attack at any time." Zhuge Liang nodded, today's battle,  They had to capture Jiaozhi City, and the victory or defeat depended on this battle. He immediately ordered: "We can attack the city!" "Obey the order!" Zhang Bao turned his horse and ran towards the army. Zhuge Liang looked at his back,  He sighed in his heart, he was just a child when he came to Jiaozhou, but now he has grown into a general.  There is also Guan Yu¡¯s second son Guan Xing, who is also sixteen years old. There are talented people from generation to generation. A few years have passed and the younger generations have grown up.  At this moment, the drums of the Jiaozhou Army roared loudly, ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  'The sound of drums shook the heaven and the earth, and after only two days of calm, Liu Bei's army launched a violent attack on Jiaozhi City again. General Guan Yu invested 50,000 troops from the east, west, and north directions and launched a wave of attacks on Jiaozhi City.  A similar offensive.  The drums sounded like thunder, and the soldiers rushed like the tide. Ladders, nest carts, and battering rams appeared one after another. On the top of the city, trebuchets were thrown with long poles. Huge boulders roared across the sky and hit the dense soldiers. Dust flew up.  Blood mist filled the air, and soldiers had broken bones and tendons, or were smashed into meat patties.  £®  £®  £®  £®  But the boulders could not stop the overwhelming soldiers, and the strategist's promise still seemed to echo in the ears of the soldiers, "The first person to rush into the city will be rewarded with a reward of five hundred taels, and he will be appointed as a general. If you kill an enemy soldier, you will be rewarded with a reward of five thousand."  Anyone who kills an officer will be rewarded with a reward of 10,000 yuan.  Under the heavy reward, Liu Bei's army went crazy. They were not afraid of death and fought hard to attack Jiaozhi City.  £®  £®  £®  £®  On top of the city, the eight thousand soldiers of Xie's army resisted desperately. In the past twenty days, they had repelled Liu Bei's army's attacks again and again. More than half of them had been killed or injured, but they had never been able to completely defeat Liu Bei's army. Their morale was gradually sluggish, and their morale began to weaken.  Showing defeat.  The eunuch Shi Xie shouted loudly from the top of the city. He was extremely frightened. He had been defending the city for twenty days, but he had no reinforcements and the city was about to be captured.  He is very clear about his final fate. He has no other choice but to die. Liu Bei will definitely eradicate it and will never let him go.  Looking at Liu Bei's army, which was overwhelmingly attacking, he felt his legs were weak. He stumbled towards the city with a long sword in hand, and happened to meet his son Shi Hui, who was also the chief general in the defense of the city.  He led his soldiers to continue mobilizing civilians to defend the city, but with little success. Ten thousand of the 30,000 civilians he mobilized before had died in the battle. The civilians in the city were no longer willing to work for the scholars. After running for two days, he only recruited less than 3,000 civilians.  , half of them were forced to come.  This made Shi Hui extremely worried. Now that Liu Bei's army is attacking the city again, can he still hold it?  What's more important is that they have almost run out of food and can only defend it for two more days at most. This is their big secret. Once the enemy finds out, they will be completely finished.  "Father, what's wrong with you?" Shi Hui noticed that his father looked wrong, and hurriedly stepped forward to help his father. Shi Xie waved his hand, "My heart aches. I need to go back and have a rest." Shi Hui immediately ordered the two soldiers: "Help him  The prefect goes back to rest!" He watched the soldiers walk away and ran up to the city. At this time, Liu Bei's army was attacking like a wave. Shi Hui bit his lips and ordered loudly: "The enemy is attacking again, prepare trebuchets and thunderbolt chariots.  " "Kill!" &nbsp"Liu Beijun's soldiers surged like a surging tide. The battles in the East City and West City gradually stopped, and the offensive shifted to the North City.  The North City is the focus of attack and defense. Zhuge Liang invested 30,000 troops in the North City, and Shi Hui also invested nearly 6,000 defenders in the North City. The city head that was more than ten miles long was filled with soldiers, arrows rained down, and wooden sticks rolled down.  Rocks fell and ladders were overturned, causing numerous casualties.  Zhuge Liang obviously learned the lessons from the previous failed sieges. The number of ladders was reduced to ten, while the number of chariots was increased to fifty. They were pulled by strong cattle and slowly marched towards the city head.  £®  £®  £®  £®  But the defenders were also prepared. The Shijia organized craftsmen in the city to build 180 large thunderbolt chariots in twenty days. The principle is the same as the bed crossbow, except that instead of arrows, it fires stones, and each thunderbolt chariot  It can shoot a stone weighing thirty kilograms a hundred steps away, and within fifty steps, it is extremely destructive.  This kind of thunderbolt car is far less lethal to people than the boulders thrown by the trebuchet, but it is the nemesis of large siege weapons.  Shooting in a straight line within fifty steps, the target is accurate, the rocks are shot out with a roar, flying like meteors, drawing a low and flat parabola, 'Boom!  With a sound, several stones hit a nest car from several directions at the same time. The brackets suddenly broke. Three nest cars fell apart and collapsed suddenly. More than a hundred soldiers in the car suffered heavy casualties. There were cries and tragic sounds.  There was a lot of shouting.  The Thunder Chariots of the defenders at the top of the city exerted great power. Within an hour, twenty of the fifty Chariots attacking the North City were destroyed. Liu Bei's army suffered heavy losses, with nearly 5,000 casualties.  At this moment, there was a huge rumbling sound in the distance. Hundreds of defenders on the southern city looked into the distance in horror. They saw a huge black creature slowly approaching the city wall hundreds of miles away.  Standing four feet tall and ten feet long, it is an incredibly large battering ram.  The body of the hammer is a thousand-year-old giant wood, eight feet long and one foot in diameter. The front end is covered with fine iron and is tapered. The wooden frame that supports this battering ram is even more gigantic. The wood used is thicker than a human thigh.  Ten hundred-foot-long iron chains hang from the hammer body, and eighteen giant wooden wheels as tall as a person are mounted on the chassis below.  This is the battering ram that Zhuge Liang spent a year successfully making just to wait for this moment. It is a secret weapon prepared to be used to conquer Jiaozhi City. It just arrived in Jiaozhi by water this morning.  The entire battering ram weighs tens of thousands of kilograms and is controlled by dozens of elephants and three thousand soldiers. This is Zhuge Liang's surprise. He concentrated his forces to attack the north city. At this time, the south city was empty, which was a golden opportunity to attack the city.  The alarm bell rang at the head of the south city, and soldiers rushed to report to the commander-in-chief, Shi Hui. Shi Hui was a little stunned. He sat down tiredly, and an unprecedented feeling of despair poured into his heart.  Although there were no more troops to send, Shi Hui still took a thousand men from each of the North City defenders to rush to Nancheng to fight.  The circumference of Jiaozhi City is more than 20 miles, and it would take a quarter of an hour for the reinforcements from the north city to reach the south city at the fastest. Liu Beijun just made a time difference, and by the time they arrived, it was already too late.  The young general Guan Xing commanded the army to push the battering ram. The huge battering ram was slowly advancing like a mountain. It was only fifty steps away from the city gate. Dozens of pulling elephants had been led away. Three thousand Liu Bei's troops  Pushing it forward on both sides.  Arrows rained down from the hundreds of defenders on the top of the city, and they jingled on the battering ram, but it was meaningless. Liu Bei's army on both sides had been prepared. Hundreds of people held up giant shields to cover other soldiers as they advanced to attack the city.  hammer.  The target of the battering ram is not the city gate. The structure of the border city gate is different from that of the Central Plains. It is a single city wall. The widest part of the city wall is only two feet, which is very thin. Therefore, the target of this battering ram is the city wall. Its cone-shaped ram  The head also determines its great power to break the city.  A thousand reinforcements are still running on the city to support them. The nearest reinforcements are still several miles away from the south city, but the huge battering ram has arrived at the bottom of the city and stopped. It seems that time has stopped at this moment. The soldiers on the city have stopped.  Ineffective shooting and stoning had no effect. The soldiers watched blankly as the battering ram body was slowly pulled back.  Two thousand soldiers of Liu Bei's army, led by Guan Xing, pulled the iron chains. Huge drums sounded. The eight-foot-long thick hammer was pulled higher and higher. Suddenly, the drums stopped and the iron chains came loose with a crash.  The dark hammer body made a strange sound of wind, rushed down quickly, and violently hit the city wall with a momentum that shook the world.  £®  £®  £®  £®  "Boom!" A dull loud noise spread throughout the city. Many people felt that the soles of their feet were shaking. Tens of thousands of kilograms of force were transmitted to the city wall in an instant. The south wall shook violently, and more than a thousand defenders on it were unstable.  , fell down one after another.  The outer shell of the city wall shattered. The 10,000-kilogram hammer body plus the potential energy of several feet high rushed forward, forming an impact force of more than 100,000 kilograms, all concentrated on dozens of wall bricks. They could not withstand this earth-shaking force.  With such force, it was driven into the heart of the city, and a black hole five feet wide appeared.??.  There was another shout, and the ten-thousand-pound hammer was pulled up again with a creak. The two thousand soldiers suddenly let go, and the earth-shattering impact once again hit the city wall. With a 'bang', the city bricks collapsed, and the sand inside  It poured out and instantly submerged the chassis of the battering ram, revealing a large hole several feet long and wide.  The section Liu Beijun chose was the narrowest part of the city wall. The city was only one foot wide. When the battering ram was pulled up high again, the soldiers on the city felt a sense of imminent death in their hearts.  Out of fear, they dropped their weapons and ran towards the city. Even the soldiers who came to support dropped their armor and fled. The situation of the scholar family was over, and no one was willing to sacrifice their lives for them anymore.  "Boom!" There was another violent impact, but this time the impact was no longer dull, but a sound that penetrated the city. Thousands of wall bricks on the city wall cracked, and rubble flew everywhere, just like the roar of a giant dragon.  The hammer head of the head had penetrated into the city, and the wall bricks collapsed completely, and a gap of a hundred feet wide instantly appeared.  Suddenly the shouts of killing were loud in the camp outside the south city. Twenty thousand Liu Bei's elite troops came from the east and west and rushed out. A thousand cavalry galloped at the front under the leadership of Zhang Bao. The twenty thousand army surged like a wild wave.  The large cave that collapsed in the southern city poured into the Feixiang Tower of the Shi family's residence in Jiaozhi City. Shi Xie desperately threw the torch into the pile of wood. The fire ignited and burned more and more fiercely, and finally swallowed up the entire small building. Shi Xie  The family finally ended their more than ten years of rule in Jiaozhou.  The capture of Jiaozhi City by Liu Bei's army also meant that Liu Bei finally unified Jiaozhou, and Liu Bei began to recuperate. At this time, the news came that Liu Jing and Sun Quan had reached a compromise, and the four counties in Jingnan including Guiyang County and Hengyang County were  It will soon belong to Jiangdong.  Liu Jing actually gave up most of Jingnan to Jiangdong, which once again made Liu Bei's desire to return to the north burning.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 700 Xuchang Night Talk

    It had just rained. On the official road in Xuchang North, an ox caravan stretching for more than ten miles was slowly driving along, loaded with grain and grass. The carts creaked and trudged along the muddy road. From time to time, the ox carts got stuck.  In the quagmire, dozens of soldiers behind shouted in unison, carried it on their shoulders, and pushed it with their hands to push the bullock cart out of the quagmire.  On both sides of the official road are endless millet fields. The corn has matured and looks like a golden wave of millet. A thousand Cao soldiers guarding the grain and grass are walking cautiously beside the millet fields.  Cao's army was extremely strict about protecting farmland. Anyone who plowed wheat would be punished with death. Even when they attacked Xiangyang, the same was true for not only Cao's army, but also Han's, Jiangdong's, and even Liu Bei's Jiaozhou army. They paid special attention to protecting crops. This was an agricultural society.  The instinct of a regular army.  At this time, a group of cavalry came galloping over, shouting loudly and whipping down their whips ruthlessly, "Get out of the way, get out of the way!" The frightened bullock carts all ducked to one side, leaving half of the official road. After a while,  Thousands of cavalry rolled in from a distance, full of murderous intent. Among the cavalry was a carriage pulled by eight strong horses, guarded by hundreds of armored cavalry. This was Cao Cao's carriage, and he came here personally.  Xuchang inspected and found that behind the carriage, dozens of counselors and staff followed on horseback. In addition, there was a smaller carriage in the distance, which was specially for Cheng Yu. He was old and was no longer suitable for riding a horse.  Outside the car window, Cao Cao stared solemnly at the endless millet fields on both sides. Half a month ago, his eldest son Cao Pi and Xu Huang defeated the remnants of the Yuan family in Liaodong, killing more than 30,000 rebels, and captured Yuan Shao's son who slipped through the trap and military advisor Xun alive.  Chen captured more than 40,000 women and children who were attached to Yuan's army and completely wiped out the remnants of the Yuan family.  This victory in Liaodong boosted the morale of Cao's army at a critical moment, and also enhanced the prestige of his eldest son Cao Pi and himself. Cao Cao was very pleased. It was the victory in Liaodong that gave him some confidence in this Central Plains campaign.  Cao Cao was thinking about this battle in the Central Plains. In fact, Cao Cao knew very well why Liu Jing united with Jiangdong to fight this battle in the Central Plains. It was obviously for Guanzhong, but even if he knew, Cao Cao had no choice but to passively respond.  Cao Cao sighed. In the ninth year of Jian'an, when he was preparing to take Jingzhou, he started fighting Liu Jing. Fast forward ten years. Instead of destroying him, he became stronger and stronger. He could allow Liu Jing to unify the south, but he could never  Accept him for the Northern Expedition, but what if you don't? Liu Jing captured Longxi and opened the gate of Guanzhong. Once he captured Guanzhong, the former Qin Empire reappeared, which made Cao Cao worried.  Although Guanzhong is surrounded by dangers, he has to turn his energy to the Central Plains. If Guanzhong is really captured and he has to accept his fate, then he must not lose the Central Plains. Although Guanlong is important, the Central Plains is his core interest.  .  Cao Cao sighed in a low voice. As he got older and his energy was less than before, he was becoming more and more unable to do his job. Liu Jing's words to him were about to come true. He was too old to compete with Liu Jing. In the end, he  He would lose. If he died, what would happen to his children and grandchildren, and what would happen to his family, Cao Cao simply did not dare to think too much.  The team rushed south and arrived at Xuchang an hour later. Cao Cao did not enter the city, but went to the main camp of Cao's army east of Xuchang. The camp covered an area of ??several thousand acres, with more than 4,000 tents and ten troops stationed there.  Thousands of people, and countless supplies of food, fodder, and military supplies.  Before the team arrived at the camp, Xiahou Dun led all the civil and military officials out of the camp to welcome Cao Cao's arrival. Among Cao Cao's four-front deployment, Xiahou Dun was in charge of the Nanyang and Runan fronts, while Cao Ren was in charge of the Hefei and Xuzhou fronts.  Xiahou Dun saluted Cao Cao and said: "I want to inform the Prime Minister about the situation of the Han army!" Cao Cao waved his hands and said with a smile, "Let's talk about it after we enter the camp! Everyone is a little tired, and I need to rest for a while." "I have already done this."  The camp has been arranged, and the prime minister and gentlemen are invited to go into the camp and rest." Cao Cao led all the counselors and staff into the camp. They were exhausted from the long journey and went to rest in their respective tents. Cao Cao also went to sleep in the camp.  It was not until night that I regained my strength.  The lights in the big tent were brightly lit, and Cao Cao stood in front of the map, listening to Xiahou Dun's report with a sinking face. Although Xiahou Dun had arranged the food and accommodation very thoughtfully, the map in front of him made Cao Cao very dissatisfied.  Cao Cao asked to make a complete sand table from the Central Plains region a few months ago, but so far, there are only sand tables from Nanyang and Xiangyang regions, and nowhere else. This makes Cao Cao so happy. ?? Since Cao Cao didn't mention it, he could only pretend not to know and reported: "Currently, the Han army is also mobilizing troops on a large scale. The army in Xiangyang is about 60,000, with Wenpin as the main general, and the army in Anlu County is about five.  Thousands of people, with Gan NingGeneral, this is 110,000 people. According to reliable information, Liu Jing is leading an army of 30,000 people on the way to Xiangyang. By then, the Han army will have 140,000 people. I am not worried about the Jiangdong side, I am worried about the Han army.  The pressure here.  " Cao Cao did not express his position, and asked: "How is the situation in Jiangdong?  " Cao Ren is in charge of Jiangdong, so Xiahou Dun should not be asked, but since Cao Cao asked, Xiahou Dun had to report: "I just heard that there are still differences within Jiangdong. It seems to be a struggle for dominance, between Zhang Zhao's Jiangbei clique and Gu Yong's.  Both the Wu and Yue factions wanted to lead the Northern Expedition, but in the end Sun Quan forcibly appointed them. L¨¹ Meng, the general of the Jiangbei faction, was responsible for the attack in the direction of Xuzhou, and Lu Xun, the chief of the Wu and Yue faction, was responsible for the attack in the Hefei direction. The troops were the same, each with 40,000 men, and were led by Sun Quan.  In addition, I heard that there is also a situation in Jingnan.  "    "what's the situation?  "Cao Cao asked curiously. "Sun Quan appointed Bu Zhi as the governor of Jingnan and led 20,000 troops to Jingnan.  " As soon as Xiahou Dun said this, a voice came from the door of the tent, "This is Liu Jing's vicious plan. Sun Quan thought he had taken advantage.  " Cao Cao turned around and saw Cheng Yu walking in. He saluted Cao Cao and said, "Please forgive me for entering the account without authorization.  " "This is my permission, Zhongde doesn't have to apologize.  " Cao Cao asked again: "Why is it Liu Jing's poisonous plan?  " Cheng Yu nodded to Xiahou Dun, and then sneered: "Wei Chen knew that Liu Bei had no choice but to go to Jiaozhou. He always wanted to return north in Panyu, but he was afraid of the strength of the Han army and did not dare to act rashly. But now Jingnan four  The county became the Jiangdong Army, and Jiangdong was far away, making it difficult to rescue Jingnan, and its strength was far weaker than the Han army. How could Liu Bei not be tempted.  " "But Liu Bei's army is fighting for Jiaozhou with the Shijia army. How can he have the energy to go north?  "  It should be unified across all states.  " Cao Cao was silent for a moment and asked: "Zhongde is saying that Liu Jing assigned the four counties of Jingnan to Liu Bei in order to provoke a war between Liu Bei and Jiangdong?  " "That must be the case. I have been thinking about this all the way. Sun Quan has been planning to go to Jingnan for a long time, and Liu Bei is also eager to return to Jingnan. Although he is afraid of Liu Jing, he is not afraid of Jiangdong. I believe Liu Bei will definitely find an opportunity to launch an attack to the north.  , Jiangdong will not give up Jingnan easily, so he was dragged in, using a small Jingnan, and finally dragged Jiangdong to death. I really admire Liu Jing's methods. The crane and the clam fight, and the fisherman benefits. I  Now I am beginning to doubt Liu Jing's true intention of provoking the Central Plains War this time.  " "There are also experts in Jiangdong. Couldn't they see Liu Jing's move?  "Cao Cao asked doubtfully. Cheng Yu smiled slightly, "The problem is not whether Jiangdong has experts, but whether Jiangdong's intelligence is timely and accurate. If Jiangdong knew that Liu Bei was about to unify Jiaozhou, they would not easily swallow this bait.  Now it seems that Jiangdong does not understand the situation in Jiaozhou, and it is reasonable for him to make wrong decisions.  " Cao Cao paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands. He was very confused. Cheng Yu's words suddenly opened a hole in his heart, but he couldn't see clearly. He needed to sort out his thoughts, but Cheng Yu knew very well that Cao Cao  With his thoughts in mind, he carefully reminded from the side: "The Prime Minister is thinking of using Liu Bei!  " Cao Cao realized that instead of slowly clarifying his ideas, he might as well ask Tuo Yu. He must have thought it through on the way. He quickly said: "Please Zhongde teach me!  " Cheng Yu pondered for a moment and said: "We can support Liu Bei and help him grow, but I can't do anything for the time being. However, the Prime Minister can send someone to meet with Liu Bei to express his support. There will definitely be an opportunity to meet with Liu Bei in the future.  Hand in hand.  " Speaking of this, Cheng Yu smiled again, "Of course, Prime Minister, don't have too much hope in Liu Bei. We are just using him a little. Due to Liu Jing's power, Liu Bei's role is limited, at most.  Contain Liu Jing at some point to buy us time.  " Cao Cao nodded, "That's enough!  He said to Xiahou Dun again: "Yuan Rang, please go down first!"  "  I wonder what Zhongde thinks of being granted the title of King of Wei, even including the eldest son?  ¡± Cheng Yu knew Cao Cao very well. If Cao Cao had no intention, he would not allow such a voice to arise, let alone ask himself. Now that he came to ask himself, it was obvious that he himself was tempted. He actually came to ask Jin.  The rationality of the seal is different from that of Xun Yu and Xun You. Cheng Yu is not loyal to the Han Dynasty. He is loyal to the Cao family, and he is good at adapting, which is why he can end well in the end.One of the main reasons is that Cheng Yu is calmer and can look at problems more rationally.  He thought for a moment and said: "It is not impossible for the prime minister to become the king of Wei, and the ministers fully support it, but I think this matter needs to be discussed in a long-term way and cannot be rushed." Cheng Yu's words made Cao Cao happy, and he smiled slightly and said: "  The long-term plan Zhongde mentioned was referring to Liu Jing, right?" Cheng Yu nodded, "Now we still need to concentrate on fighting against Liu Jing, but Liu Jing's continuous battles will not bear the burden of his people and financial resources. I think he will definitely fight against him.  We stop fighting and spend three to five years recuperating. At this time, the Prime Minister will turn his energy to politics. Jin will appoint the King of Wei and identify the Crown Prince. Even if the Prime Minister does not consider it now, he will not be able to avoid it then. This is called  Everything will work out when it comes." Cao Cao smiled happily and said, "Zhongde's words are great!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 701 Family Troubles

    In Chengdu Prefectural Mufu, Tao Zhan came to Sun Shangxiang's yard as usual. Since Jiangdong came back, Sun Shangxiang began to change. From time to time, he felt chest tightness and retching. The experienced Tao Zhan immediately realized that she might be pregnant. She asked  After the government doctor diagnosed her, it was as she expected, and Sun Shangxiang was finally pregnant.

    This was a major event for the Liu Mansion. Tao Zhan immediately rearranged Sun Shangxiang's courtyard and arranged her in the adjacent Qilin Courtyard for easier care. He also added eight maids and ten female guards to Sun Shangxiang, making the most famous in Chengdu  An experienced midwife was brought to the mansion. Not only that, Tao Zhan also persuaded Liu Jing to send someone to Jiangdong to announce the good news to Sun Shangxiang's mother.

    Tao Zhan was very considerate and took good care of Sun Shangxiang. However, there was one thing where she finally showed her tough side as Liu Jing's wife, and that was her attitude towards Cai Shaoyu. Cai Shaoyu could live in the Prefecture Mufu for a long time, but never thought about it.  Get any status.

    Tao Zhan's attitude was very clear. Cai Shaoyu was once Liu Jing's second sister-in-law, and Liu Cong was still in Yedu. No matter how complicated and unclear the grudges were between them, they could not avoid this fact. Once Liu Jing accepted  She is a concubine, which will be a major blow to Liu Jing's reputation.

    She knew that her husband was soft-hearted in some aspects and would be confused to accept Cai Shaoyu for a while, but Tao Zhan was not confused. Before, she just did not mention the matter for the sake of Liu Jing's face. As time went by, when Liu Jing finally calmed down  At that time, Tao Zhan made the matter clear. She was firmly opposed to Liu Jing taking Cai Shaoyu as his concubine. Her attitude was very tough and there was no room for negotiation.

    This is a ritual that has been practiced since ancient times. Men can live and drink outside, but if they want to bring a woman into the house, they must obtain the consent of their wife.

    It was Tao Zhan's strong opposition that finally forced Liu Jing to temporarily give up the idea of ??taking Cai Shaoyu as his concubine, and had to comfort Cai Shaoyu with kind words, allowing her to live in peace of mind and give her an explanation in the future.

    When Tao Zhan walked into the yard, he heard Sun Shangxiang yelling in a rage, "When will this damn retching end?"

    Tao Zhan laughed knowingly. Sun Shangxiang's pregnancy reaction was very serious. With her personality, it was of course unbearable, but women all have this problem. It would be fine if they got over it. She walked into the room and said with a smile: "What's wrong?  , I seem to be in a bad mood today!¡±

    Sun Shangxiang was half lying on the couch. Seeing Tao Zhan come in, she quickly sat up and frowned: "It's only been more than an hour since I got up in the morning, and I've already retched four times."

    Just when she said this, she suddenly covered her mouth and rushed behind the screen, retching. Two maids quickly came over with a basin. After a long while, Sun Shangxiang rinsed her mouth, then she supported the maid and walked back slowly, her face turned yellow.  , listless, Tao Zhan quickly helped her sit down and handed her hot tea. After a while, Sun Shangxiang sighed and said: "I have never suffered like this since I was a child. If I had known that giving birth to a child would be so painful, I would  I¡¯m not looking forward to it!¡±

    Tao Zhan smiled and comforted her and said, "It's all like this. When I was born, my reaction was even more severe than yours now. I struggled during the day and got up many times at night. Now I feel scared just thinking about it."

    "I'm fine at night, basically calm. It's just that it's really bad in the morning, but I'll feel better in the afternoon. Sister, they said it will stop retching in three or four months, is that true?"

    "It's just that an old pain is gone, and a new pain comes. After seven or eight months, when sleeping at night is a problem, I can only lie down on my back, but that's it! Women have to go through this. Without the pain of childbirth, it's  There will be no joy in being a mother.¡±

    "I just want to give birth tomorrow." Sun Shangxiang muttered softly.

    Tao Zhan smiled. At this time, footsteps came from outside, and Cai Shaoyu was heard laughing in the courtyard and asked: "Shang Xiang, are you feeling better today?"

    "Sister Cai, please come in!"

    Cai Shaoyu walked in quickly, holding a food box in her hand, "I made some porridge for you."

    She stopped for a moment, not expecting that Tao Zhan was also in the room. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed. Tao Zhan smiled and said: "Shaoyu is so thoughtful! She also stewed porridge. I can't think of it. Let me see what it is."  "

    "It's just a little black-bone chicken and lotus seed porridge. It's a good recipe for women in Xiangyang to give birth. It can reduce the reaction."

    Cai Shaoyu walked in slowly, put the food box on the table, forced a smile and said, "When did eldest sister come?"

    "I just arrived, Shaoyu, sit down quickly!"

    Although Tao Zhan firmly opposed her husband to take Cai Shaoyu as his concubine, she did not hate Cai Shaoyu herself, and was quite sympathetic to her. She sincerely asked Cai Shaoyu to live in the mansion. Cai Shaoyu had nowhere to go, and Liu Jing still gave her a little  Hope, she settled down with peace of mind.

    Tao Zhan's intimacy relaxed Cai Shaoyu's awkward mood. She smiled, opened the food box, and handed the porridge bowl to Sun Shangxiang, "Drink it while it's hot!"

    Sun Shangxiang drank the porridge slowly and calmed down. She didn't know that Tao Zhan? Regarding Liu Jing's taking Cai Shaoyu as his concubine, this matter is very secret. Only three parties involved know about it. Tao Zhan naturally will not tell her. It is not that Sun Shangxiang cannot be known, but Sun Shangxiang has no city and is careless, which is easy.  It would be bad for Liu Jing's reputation to spread the word.

    At this time, Sun Shangxiang remembered something and said to Tao Zhan: "The general told me last time that we might move to Chang'an next year. Will this happen?"

    Tao Zhan smiled slightly and said softly: "Maybe it is possible. The last time he moved to Chengdu, he said that he would only live in Chengdu temporarily for a few years. I asked Military Advisor Jia, and Military Advisor Jia said that it is definitely possible to move to Chang'an in the future, but  He can't say exactly when, but since the general told you to move next year, he must have something in mind. "

    Sun Shangxiang sighed, "I don't like the north, it's too cold."

    "Shaoyu, do you want to go to the north?" Tao Zhan turned around and asked Cai Shaoyu with a smile.

    "I?"

    Cai Shaoyu hurriedly shook his head, "I don't know!"

    After a while, she whispered again: "I have never considered this issue."

    At this time, Cai Shaoyu felt a little uncomfortable, so she stood up and said, "I'll go back first, and you guys can chat slowly."

    Tao Zhan also smiled at Sun Shangxiang and said, "I will also go back to see the child and come back to chat with you later."

    She stood up and followed Cai Shaoyu out of the yard. Cai Shaoyu understood what Tao Zhan meant and slowed down, and the two of them walked slowly side by side along the willow path.

    "Are you angry with me?" Tao Zhan asked lightly.

    Cai Shaoyu nodded, then shook his head, and said with a wry smile: "It was a little bit at first, but after thinking about it, I understand it, after all."

    "What do you want to say?" Tao Zhan glanced at her and asked.

    Cai Shaoyu sighed and said: "After all, I married Liu Cong with great glory, and the whole city saw the spectacular wedding scene. This was a mistake I made, and I should bear the consequences, so I figured it out.  I can understand your attitude.¡±

    "It's good that you can understand. If it were an outsider, I wouldn't object, but it's his cousin, Shaoyu. I hope you can marry a good family and remarry with dignity. Do you understand what I mean?"

    Cai Shaoyu bit her lip and said nothing. Tao Zhan added: "Of course, if you don't want to get married and are willing to stay, I'm very welcome. You can stay here for as long as you like, and I will treat you as my sister, but I can't guarantee the future.  "

    Cai Shaoyu nodded, "I understand!"

    Speaking of this, Cai Shaoyu laughed again, "Actually, I have also figured it out. As a woman, what I hope most is to have someone to rely on and a place to live. I am very happy living here and really don't want to leave.  , As long as eldest sister is willing to tolerate me, why should I cause trouble for myself? Don¡¯t worry, eldest sister, I won¡¯t bring up things that make everyone feel embarrassed.¡±

    Tao Zhan smiled and nodded. She was very happy that Cai Shaoyu had such an awareness. She gently held Cai Shaoyu's arm, and the two walked slowly, arm in arm, "Shaoyu, I want to change Zhi'er's master. What do you think?"  How should I mention this to the general?"

    "I think it's best to tell Military Advisor Jia what you think and let them talk to the general. After all, changing Zhi'er's master is a big deal."

    "You are right, but we should wait until he finishes this battle. I don't want to distract him now."

    "Sister, when will the general come back?"

    "I don't know either. I just hope he can come home and have a look during the New Year."

    The two of them walked away while talking, and gradually moved away.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    On the water of the Yangtze River, a Han fleet consisting of 500 thousand-stone ships sailed down the river, heading towards Xiakou in a mighty manner, stretching for hundreds of miles with a spectacular momentum. These were 30,000 Han troops rushing to Anlu County.  The army was led by Liu Jing himself.

    In the martial arts hall of the leading ship, Liu Jing and Sima Yi discussed some specific details of the northern expedition to the Central Plains in front of the sand table. According to the agreement reached by the Han Army and the Jiangdong Army, the northern attack on the Central Plains will start in early October. Today has  It is late October, the autumn harvest has passed, the weather is getting colder, and there is still at most half a month, and the war will slowly begin.

    "Judging from the intelligence sent by Jiangdong, the expedition of Jiangdong's army did not go smoothly. There were great internal differences. It is said that Gu Yong, Yu Fan, Lu Ji and other Wuyue officials were firmly opposed to the Northern Expedition. There were also differences within the army.  Some veterans led by Huang Gai also disapproved of the Northern Expedition."

    Speaking of this, Sima Yi sighed and said: "I am very worried that the disunity within Jiangdong will affect this Northern Expedition."

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "Don't worry too much. I'm not trying to gain much benefit during this Northern Expedition. My fundamental purpose is to put pressure on Cao Cao and be able to achieve a successful outcome."It ends in Guanlong, so as long as Jiangdong sends troops to contain Cao Cao's troops, that is enough. As for whether Jiangdong wins or loses, it has little impact on us.  "

    Sima Yi has always had a feeling that Zhou Mu did not fully tell him the true intention of the Northern Expedition. He only realized many things afterwards, such as the transfer of the four counties of Jingnan to Jiangdong. After Sima Yi received the news of Liu Bei's unification of Jiaozhou  , he suddenly realized Liu Jing's foresight.

    Despite this, he still felt that he had unknown information, such as how to put pressure on Cao Cao in the Central Plains Campaign. If he won, he might be able to put pressure on him. What if he lost?  Especially in Jiangdong, there was internal unrest, and since they were heading north to the Central Plains to fight against the powerful Cao army, their chances of victory were slim.

    But Zhou Mu's statement seemed to have little impact on Jiangdong's victory or defeat, which puzzled Sima Yi. He pondered for a moment, and finally couldn't help asking: "What exactly is Zhou Mu's layout in Guanlong? Can it be done first?"  Tell Wei Chen?¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 702 On the verge of breaking out

    Anlu County is located to the north of Jiangxia County. Due to the barrier of the Huaiyang Mountains in the north, Anlu County is separated from the Central Plains area, forming a semi-enclosed state of Anlu County. During the many years of the North-South War, except for the Red Cliff  Outside of the war, the other battles had little impact on Anlu County.

    Although there are many mountains in the northern part of Anlu County, most of them are hills. They are not as high as Qishan Mountain. There are also many passages between the hills, and you can go straight to the north through the hills and valleys.

    Yiyang County is the northernmost county in Anlu County and the ancestral home of General Wei Yan. This is the Tongbai Mountain District. The terrain is higher in the west and lower in the east. In the easternmost part of Yiyang, there is a plain hundreds of miles wide, from which the Huaihe River flows.  It winds through and divides this plain into Anlu County and Runan County.

    At this time, south of the Huaihe River on the plain, stood a huge military camp covering an area of ??several thousand acres. This was a board-walled military camp that the Han army spent nearly two months building.  A sentry tower was built at Baibu. The camp was close to the Huaihe River. Standing on the sentry tower, one could clearly see the small county of Anyang on the other side of the Huaihe River.

    Anyang County has been occupied by the Han army. As the outpost of the Han army's Northern Expedition, Yiyang County is the birthplace of the Huaihe River. The Huaihe River is not wide in this area and it is easier to cross the river. For this purpose, the Han army built three pontoon bridges on the Huaihe River.  , closely connecting Runan County and Anlu County.

    This time Anlu County will become the main battlefield of the Han Army's Northern Expedition. The Han Army has increased its troops to 80,000 in Yiyang County. Liu Jing also came to Anlu County to take command, and Cao Jun also realized that Runan would become the main battlefield. Cao Cao  They also successively increased their troops to Runan County to 100,000. Cao Cao himself rushed to Ancheng in person to command the upcoming war in the Central Plains.

    Time has gradually arrived in early November, and the Central Plains has entered a cold winter. The upper reaches of the Huaihe River have begun to freeze. However, the ice layer is very shallow and you cannot walk directly on the ice. However, the large and small rivers in Runan are covered with thick ice.  The cold wind is biting and the earth is desolate.

    In a hilly area about fifty miles north of Anyang County, there are large areas of woods and farmland. In the lee of a mountain col, a scout patrol team composed of ten cavalrymen was hiding in a forest to rest and have lunch.

    Everyone lit a fire and roasted a small wild boar they had hunted. The wild boar was roasting cracklingly, golden and oily, and the aroma was overflowing. The soldiers could no longer bear it. They cut off a piece of meat with their knives and sat down.  Have a good meal by the fire.

    The leader of the cavalry scout camp commander is named Wang Xing, who is from Anlu County. The scouts he leads are basically locals and are very familiar with the surrounding environment. Their task is to monitor whether Cao Jun goes south.

    Wang Xing was chewing the hind leg of a wild boar. When he looked up, he found that ten of his men were roasting meat over the fire. He was a little dissatisfied and kicked a soldier, "Wu Si, it's your turn to be on duty. Go quickly."  Watch out!"

    The soldier had no choice but to cut off another piece of meat and eat it while walking out of the mountain col. At this time, another soldier smiled and said: "Captain, in such a cold weather, do you think Cao Jun will go south?"

    Wang Xing wiped his mouth and said, "It's impossible to say. We are in Runan County now, on their territory. I wouldn't be surprised at all if a Cao army appears."

    "Tuen Chief, why do you want to fight in winter?" Another soldier asked vaguely.

    "You ask me, who should I ask?"

    "I guess they want to attack Xudu. I heard that there are also fifty or sixty thousand troops in Xinye, attacking from both sides, like the two pincers of a scorpion."

    "It is impossible to attack Xudu, otherwise what is the point of sending troops from Jiangdong?"

    The soldiers began to argue, and then the commander of the camp, Wang Xing, cursed unhappily: "Stop farting, eat meat quickly, and go on patrol when you are full. If Cao Jun is missed, everyone's life will be in danger."

    At this moment, the soldier who had just gone to watch came over in a panic and said, "I saw Cao's army. There are many troops."

    ?????????????????????????????????Everyone jumped up in fright, and suddenly became a mess. They did not care about eating meat. After extinguishing the fire, they got on their horses and urged their horses to run out of the mountain col.

    Beside a forest on the hill, ten scout cavalry looked into the distance. Sure enough, they saw a Cao army, about 5,000 men, marching rapidly southward along the official road in the distance, obviously towards Anyang.  Go in the direction of the county.

    "Wu Si, you take four brothers and continue to monitor Cao Jun. The rest follow me!"

    The commander of the camp, Wang Xing, turned his horse around and led four cavalrymen to rush down the hill, then took a small road and galloped towards Anyang County.

    At this time, Liu Jing was inspecting Anyang County. Anyang County is a small county with a population of several hundred households. It was built on a high point on the north bank of the Huaihe River. The city wall is less than a hundred steps away from the Huaihe River. The city is small, with a circumference of more than ten miles, and the city wall is quite large.  For shabby.

    The county seat itself has no military strategic value, but because the three pontoon bridges are built close to the county seat, Anyang County has become a bridgehead, protecting the three pontoon bridges, and its military role is artificially limited.?Made.

    There are currently 5,000 troops stationed in Anyang County, commanded by captain Liao Hua. At this time, Liao Hua was accompanying Liu Jing to inspect the county. He pointed at the city wall and said: "Anyang County was destroyed by the Yellow Turban Army Liu Pi in about the fifth year of Jian'an.  Later, it was simply repaired. After more than ten years, it was dilapidated. I carried out partial repairs, repaired some collapsed walls, and replaced the broken city bricks. However, it would take at least half a year to completely rebuild, and there was not enough time.  ¡±

    Liu Jing nodded and said: "It is obviously unrealistic to rely on Anyang County to block the main force of Cao's army. The role of Anyang County is to protect the pontoon bridge. However, when the main force of Cao's army arrives, even if they don't burn the pontoon bridge, we will burn it. Our strategy is  To confront Cao Jun, rather than fight, you must first understand this."

    "I understand my humble position!"

    Although Liao Hua didn't really understand what Liu Jing meant, one thing he knew very well was that as long as he faithfully carried out Liu Jing's orders, it was enough. As for why he should do that, that was not something he considered.

    At this moment, a soldier came to report, "Report to Zhou Mu, a cavalry scout has returned, saying that he has discovered the enemy's situation!"

    Liu Jing was startled and then ordered: "Bring the scouts to see me."

    The city gate opened, and several scout cavalry entered the city. Wang Xing, the leader, was quickly brought to Liu Jing. Liu Jing asked with a smile: "What enemy information was discovered?"

    Wang Xing did not expect to meet Liu Jing. He was a little nervous and quickly knelt down on one knee to report: "About five thousand Cao's troops are coming south along the official road. They should be twenty miles away now."

    "Five thousand Cao Cao's troops are equivalent to the strength of Anyang County. What does Cao Cao mean?"  ¡¯ Liu Jing thought for a while and then said to Wang Xing: ¡°Continue to investigate, try to explore as far away as possible, and report any situation at any time.¡±

    "Follow your orders!"

    Wang Xing saluted, stood up and walked away quickly. At this time, Liao Hua said: "I guess Cao Jun is here to test our authenticity?"

    Liu Jing nodded, "If my prediction is correct, there must be a large group of cavalry behind them. Once the Anyang defenders fight, Cao's cavalry will outflank from behind, destroy Anyang County and the floating bridge, seize the people first, and annihilate the troops in Jiangbei."  Five thousand Han troops boosted the morale of Cao¡¯s army.¡±

    "The meaning of Zhoumu is that he should remain unchanged in his humble position to deal with the enemy and guard Anyang City."

    "I'm just guessing. I don't know the enemy's true intention. It's better to defend. However, the defense needs to be strengthened on the pontoon. If the situation goes bad, we can abandon Anyang and retreat at any time!"

    Liao Hua clasped his fists and said, "I understand my humble position, and I also ask Zhou Mu to return to Nan'an immediately."

    Liu Jing got on her horse and, escorted by hundreds of soldiers, ran out of the city gate and headed toward the south bank along the pontoon.

    The vanguard of the 5,000 Cao army, led by General Yu Jin, quickly reached Anyang City. As Liu Jing guessed, the purpose of the Cao army was to completely annihilate the 5,000 Han army in Anyang City and use the victory in the first battle to boost morale.  Just the vanguard, his task is to burn the pontoon bridge.

    Behind Yu Jin, three thousand Cao Jun cavalry are ready. Once the Han army in the city comes out of the city and engages in a fierce battle with Cao Jun, Cao Jun will quickly attack and cooperate with the Jin army to annihilate the Han army.

    At this time, Yu Jin led 5,000 Cao troops to approach the Han army's first pontoon bridge, which was located one mile east of Anyang City. It was guarded by 500 soldiers. The 500 soldiers held crossbows and lurked behind the bunker, watching nervously.  Follow Cao Jun to kill slowly.

    The five thousand Cao troops led by Yu Jin have been arranged into an attack formation. One thousand soldiers holding large shields are arranged in two rows to form a shield wall and slowly advance forward. Behind the sword and shield troops are one thousand crossbowmen, and behind them are three thousand crossbowmen.  Spearmen.

    Yu Jin was among the crossbowmen. He waved his sword and shouted: "Press up and destroy the pontoon bridge!"

    As the war drums of Cao's army rumbled, Cao's army began to run. The five hundred defenders fired arrows into Cao's army's formation. The dense arrows flew into the air and shot at the enemy group, but the effect was not great.  The first round of shooting by the Han army's crossbowmen was stopped, and less than twenty people were hit by arrows.

    At the same time, Cao Jun's crossbowmen also began to fire arrows, and the overwhelming arrows shot at the bridgehead bunker, suppressing the five hundred Han troops. Seeing Cao Jun getting closer and closer, the Han Junjun shouted, "Retreat!"  "

    The five hundred Han troops at the bridge head left their bunkers one after another and ran southward along the pontoon bridge. A dozen people running behind were shot by random arrows and fell to the ground screaming. Cao Jun soldiers rushed through the bunkers like a tide and completely occupied the first place.  A pontoon bridge, and soon, a raging fire burned on the pontoon bridge, and thick smoke billowed.

    On the top of the city, Liao Hua stared at the burned pontoon bridge in the distance. Seeing Cao Jun turn around and attack the second pontoon bridge, he tightened the hilt of his knife. He could not remain passive like this. Once the three pontoon bridges were burned, they would not be able to go back.  , but Liao Hua couldn't make up his mind whether to attack or retreat.

    At this moment, Wang Xing, the scout cavalry, ran back from the north again and shouted loudly under the citySaid: "Quickly report to General Liao that there is an urgent enemy situation!"

    Liao Hua walked quickly to the top of the city, stuck his head in and asked, "What did you find?"

    "We found that the main force of Cao's army, about 100,000 strong, was coming towards this direction in a mighty manner. It was less than thirty miles away."

    Liao Hua was shocked. When he turned around, Cao Jun had occupied the second pontoon bridge. The situation was extremely critical. Liao Hua immediately ordered: "Leave the city immediately and evacuate to the south bank!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 703 The Third Meeting

    After a fierce battle, in which both sides suffered casualties, the Han army took control of the pontoon and was finally able to retreat. Thousands of Han troops, led by Liao Hua, quickly evacuated to the south bank.

    Cao Jun surrounded the pontoon bridge. At this time, Cao Jun soldiers were about to pour kerosene on the pontoon bridge, but Yu Jin stopped them and said, "Don't burn this pontoon bridge!"

    Yu Jin looked at the south bank with cold eyes. Although the prime minister ordered him to burn the three pontoon bridges, it was to annihilate the five thousand Han troops on the north bank. Now that the Han army had escaped across the pontoon bridge, leaving only one pontoon bridge could give him an explanation.

    At this moment, a soldier pointed into the distance and shouted: "General, our army is here!"

    Yu Jin looked back and saw a black line in the distance, stretching for more than ten miles. This was the arrival of the prime minister. Yu Jin immediately ordered a tooth general, "Go and occupy Anyang County first!"

    He turned his horse's head and galloped towards the main force of Cao's army with a few cavalrymen.

    This arriving army was the 100,000 main force led by Cao Cao himself. Cao Cao was originally in Ancheng. He hoped that Liu Jing's main force could cross the Huaihe River and go north to confront him in Ancheng. However, Cao Cao gradually discovered that Liu Jing had not fought with him.  His intention in the decisive battle was just to confront him, so Cao Cao changed his plan and took the initiative to lead his army southward, preparing to confront the Han army across the Huaihe River.

    One hundred thousand Cao Cao's troops were less than ten miles away from the Huaihe River, and Anyang County in the distance could be clearly seen. At this time, Yu Jin rushed in from the south, rushed to the commander's flag and saluted Cao Cao, "See you, Prime Minister!"

    Cao Cao nodded and asked, "How is the situation of the Han army in Anyang County?"

    "Returning to the Prime Minister, before our army arrived, Liu Jing was in Anyang County. He saw through our strategy. The Han army had already prepared to evacuate. We and the Han army had a fierce battle at the bridgehead, but they still withdrew. Our army  He killed more than 500 enemies and injured less than 300 people."

    Hearing that Liu Jing was actually in the city, Cao Cao felt a little annoyed. He would have known better if he had sent cavalry to attack the pontoon first. But this annoyance disappeared in an instant, and he asked again: "How is the situation on the pontoon?"

    Yu Jin had heard the tone of the Prime Minister, and was secretly glad that he had left a pontoon bridge behind. He quickly clasped his fists and said, "Return to the Prime Minister, two of the three pontoon bridges were burned down, but the last one was not ordered to be burned down by the Prime Minister."

    Cao Cao finally had a smile on his face, "You did a good job, I'm going to see the floating bridge now!"

    Cao Cao got on his horse and ran towards the bank of the Huaihe River under the protection of thousands of soldiers. Not long after, Cao Cao arrived at the bank of the Huaihe River. He saw that the Huaihe River had frozen, and a two-foot-wide pontoon bridge led directly to the other side. The Huaihe River here was not  It is only more than fifty feet wide, and you can clearly see the Han army camp on the other side.

    At this time, a large group of cavalry also appeared on the opposite side. Yu Jin had excellent eyesight. He recognized Liu Jing among the cavalry at a glance, and said to Cao Cao: "Prime Minister, I saw Liu Jing in my humble position."

    Cao Cao nodded. He thought for a moment, then smiled and said to Jin: "General Yu, can you go and tell Liu Jing for me? I want to say a few words to him on the pontoon bridge."

    Yu Jin felt extremely bitter in his heart, but he did not dare to refuse, so he had to bite the bullet and said: "I am willing to take this humble position!"

    He turned the horse's head, took two followers, and led the horse towards the other side. At this time, Xiahou Dun next to him said, "Poof!"  ¡¯ He laughed out loud, and Cao Cao turned around and glared at him, ¡°Why are you laughing?¡±

    Xiahou Dun suppressed his laughter and lowered his head. Cao Cao turned around and said coldly to the generals: "I know you are laughing at General Yu's repeated defeats at the hands of Liu Jing, but aren't we the same? How many times have we fought against Liu Jing? We have fought again.  How many battles have we won? When General Yu spared Liu Jing at Rangshan, why didn't I do the same? Who knows what will happen in the future? If anyone dares to ridicule Yu again in the future, I will hold him accountable."

    The generals quickly bowed and said: "Don't dare!"

    Cao Cao said to Cheng Yu who was standing aside: "Zhongde, do you think we can fight this battle?"

    Cheng Yu pondered for a moment and said: "Judging from the current situation of the Han army, they want to confront us across the Huaihe River. However, I am also a little confused as to why Liu Jing would choose to fight us in the cold winter. You must know that they are the southern army.  Fighting in winter, the Southern Army is at a disadvantage, and the river is frozen, so they cannot take advantage of their navy. To be honest, I am puzzled. "

    Cao Cao nodded, "The military advisor's doubts are reasonable, and I am also deeply confused. However, the matter has reached this point, and we can only take one step at a time."

    After Yu Jin crossed the Huaihe River, he said to the Han troops on the bank from a distance: "Don't shoot your arrows. I have ordered the Prime Minister to send a message to Liu Zhou Mu."

    Liu Jing slowly urged his horse forward. He recognized Yu Jin at a glance and said with a smile: "It turns out to be General Yu. We haven't seen him for many years. General Yu is as energetic as ever."

    Yu Jin smiled bitterly and said, "Thank you very much for Zhou Mu's concern. I am here to convey the message on the Prime Minister's order. The Prime Minister wants to say a few words to Zhou Mu. Is Zhou Mu willing?"

     "Okay, I'm also looking forward to spending some time with the Prime Minister."

    Liu Jing pointed at the floating bridge with her riding whip and said with a smile: "Let's talk on the floating bridge! Thank you General Yu for not burning this floating bridge."

    "I'll report it to the Prime Minister right now!"

    Yu Jin was nervous and turned around to leave, but Liu Jing stopped him again, "General Yu, please stay!"

    Yu Jin slowly turned around, "Is there anything else wrong with Zhou Mu?"

    Liu Jing smiled and said, "I have always regarded General Yu as an old friend. Although we have had many grievances, but now that I think about it, it is a kind of fate. I have a saying that General Yu must remember."

    "Zhou Mu please speak, and Yu Wen is all ears."

    Liu Jing said slowly: "General Yu must leave a way out for himself. I believe that General Yu will regain his glory one day in the future."

    Yu Jin was shocked. He understood what Liu Jing meant. He bowed silently, led his horse and turned away.

    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? wasn't Liu Jing and smiled meaningfully, this Yu Jin has been moved by his words, or in other words, his confidence in Cao Cao is insufficient. This is the case with Yu Jin, what about the other generals of Cao Jun?

    Half an hour later, Liu Jing and Cao Cao each led a dozen guards onto the pontoon bridge and met in the middle of the pontoon bridge. At this time, the middle section of the pontoon bridge had been demolished, and the two sides were five feet apart. Although the guards on both sides did not carry crossbows, they still  Look at each other warily.

    "My dear nephew, you are all right!" Cao Cao said with a hearty smile.

    Liu Jing clasped her fists and saluted, "The Prime Minister is old, but he has to go out in person. In such a cold weather, I hope the Prime Minister will take care of himself."

    " Different from Liu Jing's sarcasm when they met in Ziwu Valley last time, this time Liu Jing spoke very sincerely and cared about Cao Cao's health just like the younger generation cares about their elders, which actually moved Cao Cao a little bit.

    He sighed, "My dog ??is incompetent and cannot go out on my behalf. I can only help my old man. However, it is my nephew's responsibility to go out in such a cold weather!"

    "I just don't want to hurt the farmers. In the past twenty years, wars have continued and the people of the world have suffered deeply. I very much hope that the war can be ended as soon as possible and the world will be unified. After that, I will be able to recuperate and recuperate for a hundred years. This is  My greatest wish.¡±

    Cao Cao nodded and sighed: "I can understand my nephew's ambition. In fact, I am the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty. My ancestors and I have been favored by the Han Dynasty for a long time. I also hope that the Han Dynasty can continue, and I hope that there will be another great victory."  During the reign of Wenjing, I proposed that I would support my nephew as the emperor. We, the monarch and my ministers, worked hard to govern, revive the Han Dynasty, and leave a good name for the ages. However, my nephew refused to accept it. I regret it to this day. "

    Liu Jing smiled lightly, "I can accept the Prime Minister's kindness, but can the Prime Minister accept Chengdu's rule?"

    Cao Cao's expression changed. Of course he knew what Liu Jing meant, which was to accept the multi-phase system and give up power. How could that be possible? He sneered in his heart and pretended to regret on his face: "I don't love power. In fact, I have a lot of grudges."  "If I lose power, I'm afraid someone who wants to kill me will break through my door. I have to hold the sword in my hand to save my life."

    "The Prime Minister's words are inappropriate. As long as I don't kill the Prime Minister, no one in the world will dare to touch a hair of the Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister is willing to delegate power, I will protect the Prime Minister and the Cao family. If the Prime Minister persists in his stubbornness, I am afraid that there will be no Cao surname in the world in the future.  That¡¯s it!¡±

    Cao Cao was furious and glared at Liu Jing with his hand on the hilt of his sword, "Are you threatening me?"

    "I'm not threatening the Prime Minister, I'm just saying frankly that the Prime Minister is old and how long can he still be in power? At this time, the Prime Minister should think more about his posthumous reputation."

    Cao Cao stared at Liu Jing, gritted his teeth for a while and said: "Rangshan didn't kill you back then, it's my lifelong hatred."

    Liu Jing laughed loudly. He stopped laughing and said coldly: "This is God's will. God sent me, Liu Jing, to recover the Han Dynasty. I have a piece of advice, please remember it, Prime Minister!"

    "Say!" Cao Cao suppressed his anger and burst out these two words from between his teeth.

    Liu Jing bowed her hands to him, "The Prime Minister's family affairs are also the affairs of the world. If I were the Prime Minister, I would make Young Master Zhi the heir apparent. Loyalty may be offensive to the ears. Prime Minister, please respect yourself!"

    After saying that, Liu Jing turned around and strode away to the south bank, but Cao Cao did not have an attack. He looked at Liu Jing's back and chewed on Liu Jing's last words repeatedly, making the young master the crown prince. He realized that this was not Liu Jing's alarmist talk.  , has a deep meaning. At this time, Cao Cao sighed, and he suddenly felt as if he was ten years older.

    Cao Cao waved his hand tiredly, "Let's go!"

    With the support of two guards, he staggered towards the north bank.

    Cao Cao's army set up a camp on the north bank. Tens of thousands of soldiers were busy digging out earth and wood to build walls. In Cao Cao's back tent, the soldiers had lit a brazier to make the tent warm as spring. Cao Cao was wearing a thick robe and sitting on a soft bed.  On the couch, he was holding historical records in his hand.He recited silently, but his mind was not on the book. He was still thinking about his meeting with Liu Jing.

    During this meeting, Liu Jing's demeanor was completely different from before. Especially Liu Jing's self-confidence had a great impact on him. It also made Cao Cao feel Liu Jing's domineering power, which made him feel heart palpitations.

    Cao Cao was still thinking about Liu Jing¡¯s last words, ¡®Family affairs are also world affairs, please make Mr. Zhi the heir apparent!  ¡¯

    This sentence has a deep meaning, and Cao Cao also understood that Liu Jing was actually alluding to the ambition of his eldest son Cao Pi, which made Cao Cao have deep concerns. No one's persuasion could be as good as Liu Jing's words to Cao Cao.  The impact is even greater, after all, it is related to his posthumous reputation and the entire Cao family.

    At this time, Cao Cao thought of another sentence from Liu Jing, "The Prime Minister is already old, how long can he still be in power? At this time, the Prime Minister should think more about his posthumous reputation."  ¡¯

    At that time, he was so angry that he did not take these words to heart. Looking back now, Cao Cao was suddenly frightened. He stood up, walked to the tent door with his hands behind his hands, and looked to the northwest from a distance, feeling confused.

    At this moment, Cheng Yu's voice came from outside, "I have something urgent to see the Prime Minister, please report it to me quickly!"

    Cao Cao opened the curtain and walked out, "Zhongde, what's the emergency?"

    Cheng Yu quickly stepped forward and saluted, and said anxiously: "Prime Minister, I have figured out Liu Jing's true strategic intention in launching this Central Plains campaign. I'm afraid the situation is not good."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 704 The surprise attack

    The Yellow River has frozen in November, and the biting cold wind has caused a thick layer of ice to form on the river bed. It has just snowed, and the vast white snow covers the ice. At a glance, it looks like a world of ice and snow.

    This is Xiayang County in Fengyi County, Guanzhong. On the other side of the Yellow River is the famous Hejin Ferry. On this Yellow River ice sheet covered with heavy snow, an army of about 30,000 people is marching rapidly eastward. The soldiers are wearing thick  The leather boots creaked on the dry snow, and the horses' hooves were wrapped with hay, and their bellies were tightly wrapped with thick linen to prevent frostbite from the cold air of the ice field.

    The army marched all the way east, flags fluttering, the red flag of the Han army fluttering in the cold wind. The leader was Zhao Yun. According to Liu Jing's previous unified deployment, after the Central Plains War started, General Zhao Yun led his army to Bingzhou and captured Taiyuan.

    The sun shone on the white snow, and it was particularly bright and dazzling. Zhao Yun opened the curtain and looked into the distance for a moment, and saw a cavalry in the distance running quickly towards this side. This should be the scout cavalry.

    After a while, the scout cavalry rushed to Zhao Yun, clasped his fists on his horse and saluted, saying: "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the 500 Cao troops at Hejin Crossing have been annihilated by General Wang Ping, and not a single person has escaped."

    Zhao Yun was overjoyed and turned back to Fa Zheng and said: "Fa Zheng, General Wang did not disappoint!"

    Fazheng knew that Zhao Yun particularly valued Wang Ping and regarded him as his successor. He also smiled and said: "With General Wang's ability, the small Hejin Ferry is naturally not in his hands. The key is that the news is not leaked. This will be a good thing for us."  Capturing Taiyuan created the best conditions."

    Zhao Yun nodded and immediately gave the order, "Give me my order to cross the Yellow River as quickly as possible and camp in Hejin to rest."

    Thirty thousand troops sped up and rushed to the other side of the Yellow River

    Bingzhou is also the Hedong area. Today's Shanxi Province was originally Yuan Shao's territory. His nephew Gao Gan was appointed as the governor of Bingzhou. After Yuan Shao was destroyed, Gao Gan also surrendered to Cao Cao for a time. Later, he rebelled and was eventually executed by Cao Cao. Currently, Bingzhou is the governor.  The post was held by Wang Yan, the former Sili school captain.

    There were originally 30,000 troops stationed in Bingzhou. Due to the Han army's attack on Guanlong, Cao Cao transferred 20,000 Bingzhou troops to Guanzhong, reducing the strength of Bingzhou troops to 10,000. Five thousand of them were stationed in Taiyuan, led by famous generals.

    Taiyuan is the seat of Bingzhou Prefecture and the largest city in Bingzhou. It is a tall and solid city with a circumference of more than 30 miles and a population of nearly 200,000. It is also one of the five great cities in the north, along with Chang'an, Luoyang, Yedu and Xudu.  .

    Due to its geographical location, Bingzhou was less affected by the Yellow Turban Uprising. In addition, the land is fertile, the people are generally relatively wealthy, and commerce is also very developed. Taiyuan is the commercial center of Bingzhou, with various shops in the city, including wine shops, hotels, and brothels.  , gambling halls, etc. can be found everywhere.

    Although two battles broke out at the same time in Guanzhong and Central Plains, Taiyuan was not affected at all because the battlefields were far away. Business was busy every day, and the people in the city were busy living their own lives.

    That morning, a team of mules and horses came from outside Nancheng fully loaded with goods. This is a very common caravan in the Bingzhou area. It is usually composed of more than a dozen small caravans. This caravan is no exception.  With hundreds of mules and horses, a dozen merchants, and more than a hundred men, it can be considered a large caravan.

    When the caravan appeared at the city gate, a city guarding officer and several soldiers came to greet it, "Where did the caravan come from? Can there be any business leads?"

    A business certificate is a business certificate issued by the government of the place of departure. There will be tax payment records on it to prevent double taxation. After the caravan arrives at its destination, the first thing to do is to report the business certificate to the local city office and pay the tax.  , so that the goods can be sold legally.

    Generally speaking, the officers and soldiers guarding the city gate do not need to verify any business introduction. This is actually a hint to ask for a bribe. The leading merchant handed him a roll of silk paper and said with a smile: "This is our business introduction."

    The officer opened the business guide and looked at it. He smiled half-heartedly and said, "Oh! It turns out that I came from Nanyang and had to trek all the way. It must be very hard!"

    "If we don't work hard, how can the generals work hard to defend the city?"

    While speaking, a gold ingot weighing twelve pounds was quietly put into the officer's hand. The officer understood that these businessmen seemed to know the rules, so he returned the merchants to them and asked with a smile: "Can I bring prohibited weapons?"

    ¡°Of course not, there are just some ordinary swords for self-defense, civilian weapons that can be bought everywhere.¡±

    The officer took a general look at the crowd and saw no prohibited weapons, so he said: "Since you have paid the tax, you are a legal businessman. We will not make things difficult for you. Let's go into the city!"

    He waved his hand and shouted to the soldiers guarding the city: "Let us go!"

    The caravan mobilized its mules and horses and began to enter the city in a mighty manner. Not long after they entered the city, Taiyuan Lord General Qian Zhao led a patrol to pass by. He asked the city guarding officer: "Where is the caravan?"

    "General Qizhen came from Xuchang."

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?He was very cunning and did not dare to talk about Nanyang. Nanyang was close to Jingzhou and would cause unnecessary trouble. Qianzhao nodded and said: "Recently, a battle broke out in Guanzhong. Although it is far away from Taiyuan, you still have to be careful.  Strict inspection and cannot be taken lightly.¡±

    ¡°General, please rest assured, my humble position will never allow suspicious people to sneak into the city.¡±

    Qianzhao nodded, gave a few more instructions, then turned the horse's head and headed towards the west gate. When the general left, the officer pinched the heavy gold in his arms, feeling happy in his heart, and said to his soldiers: "Cheer up and get to work.  , I¡¯ll treat everyone to a drink tonight.¡±

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    When the caravan entered the city, it did not rush to find shops and merchants to sell goods, but went directly to the southwest corner of Taiyuan. The people in this area were relatively complex, with a mixture of fish and dragons. It turned out to be a concentration of ownerless cemeteries. It was desolate and dilapidated, and wild foxes were infested.  , but since a large number of Hebei refugees entered Taiyuan to escape the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the government designated the desolate southwest corner for them to live in, and the refugees built shacks to live in, making the southwest corner of the city a gathering place for the poor in Taiyuan.

    The caravan walked through a dirty little street and came to a hotel at the end. The leading businessman looked at the hotel sign and said to everyone: "This is it, everyone, come in!"

    Several waiters walked out of the hotel. They recognized the leading businessman and quickly led everyone in. At this time, a waiter whispered to the leading businessman: "General Wu, please follow me."

    This caravan was disguised as the elite Eagle Attack Army of the Han Army. The leader of the merchant was Wu Ban, the deputy commander of the Eagle Attack Army. He was sent by Zhao Yun to enter Taiyuan in advance. In fact, there were already several groups of Eagle Attack soldiers before him.  They entered Taiyuan City in pieces in various ways, and Wu Ban was the last batch.

    This hotel was the contact point of the Han army in Taiyuan City. It was specially located in the slum area in the southwest corner. Firstly, it was a large place, and secondly, the government did not interfere. As long as they spent money to buy off the rogue leaders in the area, they could basically get it.  But nothing happened.

    Wu Ban followed the waiter to the back hall quickly. A middle-aged man came up to him and saluted him: "See General Wu!"

    The middle-aged man is the owner of this hotel. His name is Zhang Qu. He is a civil servant in the Han army. He was sent to Taiyuan five months ago. He bought this hotel and established a contact point. Wu Ban ordered  He nodded and smiled: "Zhang Shijun, there is no need to be polite. I have a heavy responsibility. Let's go into the room and talk!"

    "General Wu please!"

    The two of them walked into the inner hall and sat down. Wu Ban asked first, "Why are the two hundred brothers who came before not seen?"

    Zhang Qu smiled and said: "They were scattered throughout Taiyuan City. The main reason is that the investigation is very strict now. If hundreds of people stay in one place for a long time, they will be suspected. So I rented several mansions and moved them there."  They live scattered and can gather at any time.¡±

    Wu Ban nodded and said, "There is also the issue of weapons and armor, has it been resolved?"

    Zhang Qu stood up, smiled mysteriously at Wu Ban and said, "General, please follow me!"

    They walked into the inner room, which looked like a study room. Zhang Qu pushed open a row of bookshelves, revealing a small door behind it. Zhang Qu opened the door and took Wu Ban into the secret room. This was a room without windows.  The stone room is spacious, with more than a dozen rows of shelves filled with crossbows, shields, swords and armor, and a large bundle of spears placed vertically in the corner of the room.

    "Although Taiyuan City does not allow prohibited weapons to be brought into the city, that is only a recent regulation. In fact, as long as you have money, you can buy all kinds of armor and weapons. They are all regular army armor. There are five hundred sets of armor here. General  Feel free to use it.¡±

    Wu Ban stepped forward and took a spear, waved it twice, nodded and put it back, then picked up a crossbow. The crossbow string had been removed and could be used at any time as long as it was mounted. This made him very satisfied.  He turned around and smiled at Zhang Qu: "With the weapons, I feel relieved. Zhang Shijun is very well prepared. If the success is successful, I will report your contribution to him."

    "Thank you, General Wu, for your kind words! I wonder when we will take action?"

    "Hurry! When I came over, the Han army had already captured Hejin and was heading towards Taiyuan. I estimate that the army will arrive in Taiyuan within three days."

    Having said this, Wu Ban ordered again: "The time is coming. I would like to ask Zhang Shijun to inform all the brothers to gather here tonight. I have to arrange tasks."

    "Don't worry, General, I'll send someone to notify you immediately."

    Three days later, the 30,000 Han troops killed from Hejin passed Lishi County and entered Taiyuan County. At dusk, the 30,000 Han troops finally arrived in Taiyuan. The army stretched for more than ten miles, with banners fluttering and a huge momentum.  About ten miles away from Taiyuan City, the speed slowly slowed down.

    The arrival of the Han army made the people in Taiyuan panic. Every house closed its doors and did not dare to go out. The official roads and the wilderness were empty, and there was not a soul in sight. At this moment, a group of Han army scouts rushed over.  , they brought a messenger, who wasThe squad rushed to the men sent before the city gate closed, and the messenger was quickly led to Zhao Yun.

    "See the Governor!" The messenger bowed and presented the token.

    Zhao Yun looked at the token and asked with a smile: "How is General Wu doing now?"

    "Report to the general, we are ready. In the southwest corner of the city, we will seize the west gate tonight. The time is two o'clock. I hope the governor can send troops to cooperate."

    The Eagle Attack Army is an army directly under Liu Jing and not under the jurisdiction of Zhao Yun, so Wu Ban can ask Zhao Yun to cooperate. More importantly, the Taiyuan city gate has been closed and the messenger cannot go back. It is only the Han army outside the city according to Wu Ban's plan.  Come and capture the city.

    Zhao Yun nodded, "Thank you for your hard work, let's go down and rest first!"

    He ordered the soldiers to take the messenger down to rest. At this time, Fazheng stepped forward and said with a smile: "Since we are capturing the west gate, we should camp at the east gate."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 705 Close Search

    At this time, Taiyuan City was already in turmoil. The sudden arrival of the Han army plunged Taiyuan City into panic. Shops were closed, taverns were closed, and every house was closed. The streets were deserted, except for the occasional group of soldiers who ran by in formation.  .  Not only were the ordinary people panic-stricken, but the army was also extremely nervous. Except for 500 of the 5,000-strong army to maintain order, the rest of the army went to the city for defense. Even so, it was still a small amount of money, which was far from meeting the needs of defending the city. From top to bottom.  , the officers and soldiers guarding the city had little confidence.  In the office of Taiyuan Governor, Governor Wang Yan, Governor Qian Zhao and Chief Governor Xin Ping were urgently discussing countermeasures. The three of them were all in a heavy mood. They never expected that the Han army would suddenly attack, which made them extremely passive.  Qianzhao sighed and said: "I heard that the Prime Minister was confronting the Han army in Runan. The war in Guanzhong has not subsided yet. Now the Han army suddenly attacked Taiyuan. Cao Jun was looking at one thing but not the other. He was led by the nose by Liu Jing. He was simply too passive.  "Bring the Governor!" Governor Wang Yan said in a somewhat dissatisfied voice, "This is not the time to say this. We are now discussing countermeasures. How should we deal with the sudden attack by the Han army?"  Zhao sneered and said: "The Battle of Guanzhong mobilized most of Bingzhou's troops. There are only 12,000 troops in Bingzhou, 4,000 in Yanmen County, 3,000 in Hedong County, and only 5,000 in Taiyuan City. The opponent has at least 12,000 troops.  I don¡¯t understand how to fight this battle with 30,000 people!¡± Qianzhao¡¯s tone was full of complaints. At first, he strongly opposed the transfer of Bingzhou troops to Guanzhong, but Wang Yan told the Prime Minister that the problem of Bingzhou was not big. Now the consequences have come out.  But he has to rely on his five thousand troops to deal with it. It is difficult for a clever woman to make a meal without rice. Even if he has extraordinary talents, he cannot fight with an army of 30,000.  At this time, Xin Ping said cautiously: "Let me propose a plan!" Wang Yan glanced at Qianzhao coldly and asked Xin Ping, "Tell me, what plan?" Xin Ping thought for a while and said, "We  We can mobilize the people to participate in the defense of the city, and urgently ask for help from Yedu. I estimate that the Han army has traveled a long distance and does not have any siege weapons. Even if we make temporary siege weapons, it will take a few days. If we persist for another two or three days, maybe  Yedu's reinforcements are coming, what do you think?" "This is the best plan!" Wang Yan praised: "In this case, we will have time to defend the city, and there will be no shortage of money and food in the city, which can be used for recruitment.  Civilian husband." When he said this, his face sank and he asked Qianzhao, "What do you think, General Qianzhao?" Although Qianzhao was full of resentment, he also knew that now was not the time to complain. He must deal with the crisis with all his strength.  The hundred-man caravan he saw three days ago pondered for a while and said: "I also support Xin Changshi's suggestion. I am also worried that there are already spies of the Han army in the city. The defenders of the city are most afraid of cooperation from inside and outside, especially because we don't have many troops. Once  If there are more than a hundred people inside, the city will be in danger." "In that case, search the city!" Wang Yan immediately said: "All hotels, taverns, brothels, shops, and all rental houses must be searched, and no one is allowed to let them go.  One person, General Qian, I will let the government cooperate with the army to search the city from now on. "Although the military and government are independent, Qian Zhao is far lower than Wang Yan in terms of seniority and official position, and he has to carry out Wang Yan's orders.  , he immediately stood up and said: "I'll make arrangements right away!" Wang Yan commented to Xin again: "It's too slow to send out the pigeon message. First use the beacon to warn, and then send the pigeon message to ask for help!" As soon as the sky darkened, the beacon in the north of Taiyuan City was lit.  Suddenly, thick smoke mixed with fire rose into the sky, issuing a warning in the direction of Yedu, and heading east, the beacons were lit immediately, and the beacons on Taihang Mountain also lit up warning beacons.  At the same time, Qianzhao mobilized 2,000 troops and, with the cooperation of 300 government officials, began to search house to house in Taiyuan City. Taiyuan City suddenly became a chaotic mess.  Zhang Qu, the shopkeeper of Nan'an Hotel, hurried back to his hotel. As soon as he entered the door, he ordered: "Close the store and stop business!" He went to the backyard with worries, and happened to meet Wu Ban. Wu Ban saw that he had a strange look on his face.  , and asked: "Zhang Shijun, what happened?" Zhang Qu said nervously: "The army has begun to search the city, and there are soldiers everywhere on the streets. Just now the gangster Niu Er told me that this search of the city is very strict.  Qianzhao personally leads the team, and it's useless to stuff money. Foreigners who are traveling with more than ten people will be arrested, and we will be searched soon." Zhang Qu was very worried. There were three hundred Eagle Attack troops in his hotel.  It's easy to find out, what should I do?  He thought for a while and then said: "Why don't we let the brothers hide in the secret room first, squeeze in, and feel aggrieved for half an hour, and then everything will be fine." Wu Ban pondered for a while and asked: "Is it a house-to-house search? Houses must also be searched.  " "We will search large rental houses, but not ordinary houses."?¡± Wu Ban looked at the night, then smiled and said: ¡°This won¡¯t be a big problem. I have a way to deal with it. You just need to remove the traces of our past, and then face it calmly.  "Zhang Qu was suspicious, what is he going to do?" Half an hour later, hundreds of Cao Jun soldiers finally searched the slums in the southwest corner. Countless torches illuminated the streets like daylight, and they were riding on war horses, with gloomy faces.  After searching for more than an hour, hundreds of people were arrested, but he felt that he had not found any real Han army spies, especially when he saw a caravan of a hundred people three days ago, but he has not found it yet, and there is no record of them leaving the city.  His intuition told him that there must be something wrong with those people, and they were in the city. "Search carefully, and search the cellar too!" Qianzhao ordered loudly.  At this time, more than a dozen soldiers smashed open the Nan'an Hotel. The soldiers did not explain. More than a hundred people rushed in like wolves and tigers. They searched the hotel. Qianzhao also walked into the hotel. He took a look at the hotel.  It occupies a large area and has many houses. It can obviously hide many people. He became suspicious and ordered the searching general: "This hotel must be searched carefully for me, especially to see if there are any  There are no cellars or secret rooms. "" Follow the order! " General Ya led the soldiers to search carefully. Qianzhao walked around the hotel, and he found that there were no guests in the hotel, which made him even more suspicious. At this moment,  A soldier rushed to report: "General, we found a secret room." Lianzhao perked up and quickly followed the soldiers to the backyard. At this time, hundreds of soldiers gathered inside and outside the study room, their swords drawn and ready to stand. The bookshelves in the study room  It was also moved away. General Ya was ordering Zhang Qu to open the door. Zhang Qu explained repeatedly: "This secret room was used by the original owner to take refuge. It has nothing to do with me. It is full of debris." At this time, Qian Zhaoda  Stepping into the study, the soldiers moved out of the way, Qianzhao glanced at the door of the secret room, and said coldly: "Knock it open!" The three soldiers stepped forward and kicked the small door together with all their strength, 'Bang!  With a loud noise, the door of the secret room was kicked open, and it was completely dark inside. Dozens of soldiers fired arrows into the secret room at the same time. After a while, a few soldiers walked in with torches, and Lian Zhao also walked into the secret room. The secret room was quite dark.  It was large and filled with all kinds of broken boxes and beds. There were no prohibited items and no one was hiding in it.  Zhang Qu explained: "I told you, it's really all debris, but you don't believe it." Qianzhao turned around, grabbed his collar, and said viciously: "Let me ask you, why is there no one in your hotel?"  "Guests?" Zhang Qu pretended to be horrified and said: "There were a few original customers who were scared to run away when they heard that the Han army was coming. The store is a small profit, but it turns out to be a cemetery. What's the point?  The guest is willing to stay here." At this time, the soldiers had searched everywhere and came back to report: "General Qi, no suspicious person was found." Qianzhao then let go of his clothes and said bitterly: "Forgive me for now.  If anything happens, report it to the army immediately!" "Definitely! Definitely!" He waved his hand and said, "Go to the next one!" Hundreds of soldiers left the hotel and opened the door of a low-level brothel not far away.  He breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Wu Ban refused to hide in the secret room, otherwise it would be over. In fact, he didn't know that even if he was found, the three hundred Eagle Attack Army soldiers would be more than enough to deal with these Cao soldiers, but Wu Ban didn't want to alert the enemy.  In the private house next door, Wu Ban and dozens of soldiers were hiding in the room. The owner and his family were squatting in the corner, trembling with fear. When Wu Ban saw that Cao Jun had left, he said to the owner: "I won't kill you."  , but if you dare to report it, I will kill your whole family!" The male host trembled in fear: "We dare not say anything, just pretend that nothing happened!" He opened the door and led the soldiers again.  They climbed over the wall and returned to the hotel, but Wu Ban was still more cautious and left a few soldiers to guard the family. They started at the second watch, and they arrived in two hours. The frantic search continued until the first watch. At this time, outside the city  Suddenly, military news came. Outside the east city, Han troops were found filling the moat with sandbags.  The sudden situation forced Qian Zhao to stop his army from searching the city and led his army to the east city. On top of the city, more than a thousand Cao soldiers were firing arrows downward intensively. However, it was dark and they could not see clearly what was going on below. The soldiers could only  Shooting arrows randomly has almost no effect.  At this moment, five thousand crossbowmen from the Han army arrived and lined up to shoot arrows at the top of the city. The dense arrows were fired overwhelmingly, making the top of the city clang and suppressed Cao Jun's soldiers.  Qian Zhao walked quickly to the top of the city. Under the cover of a dozen soldiers holding shields, he cautiously looked down. In the darkness, he saw countless black figures rushing towards the moat.  The moat itself has frozen, but because the water surface is too shallow and there is a certain gap between the two sides,To facilitate the movement of large siege equipment such as chariots and battering rams, sandbags must be used to fill the river surface, at least to create a smooth road.  Qianzhao was very worried. Did the Han army bring large siege engines?  It is very likely that when attacking Chencang, the Han army used improvised heavy siege vehicles such as nest chariots. Perhaps the Han army would assemble them overnight, otherwise they would not be in such a hurry to fill up the river.     what to do?  Tomorrow the Han army will attack the city.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 706 The Fall of Taiyuan

    Just as the Han army was concentrating its forces to fill in the moat outside the East City, Zhao Yun had led 10,000 troops to quietly ambush in a forest one mile away from the West City Gate, waiting patiently for the West City Gate to open. He was very interested in Wu Ban.  He has confidence and even more confidence in the Eagle Attack Army. He knows very well that the powerful combat effectiveness of the three hundred Eagle Attack Army is not inferior to the three thousand army.  Time passed little by little, and there was still half an hour before the second watch. Zhao Yun turned around and shouted in a low voice: "Send the order, don't slack off, and be ready to attack at any time." In the Nan'an Hotel in the southwest corner of Taiyuan City, three hundred people  The soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army were fully armored, each with a spear, a sword, a crossbow and a round shield. A dozen soldiers were also carrying long ropes on their backs. The soldiers were in high spirits and lined up in six rows. Wu  Ban said to everyone: "General Zhao Yun is already waiting outside the city. Our task is to seize the west city gate. We must be fast, ruthless, and clean. We are not allowed to show mercy, and we are not allowed to neglect military orders. Anyone who disobeys the order will be executed!"  "Follow the order!" the soldier shouted in a low voice, his voice neat and powerful.  At this time, Zhang Qu hurriedly ran over and said: "General Wu, the patrol soldiers on the street have passed." Wu Ban nodded, waved his hand, "Let's go!" Three hundred elite soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army quickly ran out.  The costumes were exactly the same as those of Cao Jun. The troops were neatly organized and moved quickly and powerfully. They trotted towards the west gate, and the rhythmic sound of 'Ka!  Click!  Click!  ¡¯ the sound of footsteps.  Just as they were approaching the west city, more than twenty soldiers of Cao's army who were changing the guard came down from the top of the city. They were all exhausted, stretching and yawning, and walked towards them.  "Whose subordinates are you?" the leader of the army asked.  Wu Ban sneered and spoke one word from between his teeth, "Kill!" The three hundred Eagle Strikers raised their crossbows and fired rapidly. The arrows were dense and powerful. Twenty dozen Cao soldiers fell to the ground screaming, and they were all killed.  No one was left alive, but the screams of Cao's soldiers alerted the defenders at the top of the city. More than a dozen people lay on the parapet and looked down. Due to the darkness of the night, they couldn't see clearly what was going on below, but they just felt a little confused.  , an officer asked loudly: "What happened down there?" Wu Ban promised: "It's nothing, a brother slipped and fell." He winked at the army Zhang Jin and whispered: "I'll go  Open the city gate, and you and two hundred brothers are ready to rush into the barbican city!" Wu Ban led a hundred people to walk quickly towards the city. As he walked, he shouted: "I have been ordered by the king to take over the city gate. You can evacuate!  " Dozens of soldiers on the city were stunned. The army was all controlled by General Qian, and when the governor Wang asked, it was just that this army was in Cao's armor. They didn't react for a while. Wu Ban strode to the top of the city.  , shouted, "Do it!" He raised his knife and chopped the leading officer to death on the city wall. The men behind him swooped up and quickly surrounded more than 20 Cao Jun soldiers. Before they could react, more than 20 people  All were stabbed to death by random spears.  Several soldiers ran to pull the city gate hinge, and the city gate below slowly opened. The two hundred Eagle Attack Army soldiers who had been waiting at the city gate, led by the military lord Zhang Jin, rushed into the urn city and ran towards the outer city gate.  .  At this moment, the alarm bell on the inner city suddenly rang. The sound was harsh and loud, echoing in the night sky. When Wu Ban turned around, he discovered that a Cao Jun soldier had escaped and rang the alarm bell. Wu Ban  Ban was furious and threw the spear away. The spear pierced the chest of Cao's soldier and nailed him to the ground.  But the sound of the alarm alarmed the defenders of the east city. Some soldiers hurriedly reported to Qianzhao. Qianzhao was stunned. He suddenly realized that the Han army was attacking from the east and west, filling the moat in the east to attract the defense of the defenders. Their  The real target is Xicheng.  Qianzhao suddenly remembered the Han army spies he had not caught. He stamped his feet anxiously and shouted: "Follow me." He got on his horse and led nearly two thousand soldiers to the west city gate. There were more than 400 defenders in the west city.  Most of the people were concentrated in the outer city. There was no need for alarm bells at this time. The soldiers in the outer city had already been violently attacked by the Eagle Attack Army.  On the corridor to the upper city, one hundred and fifty soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army were fighting fiercely with Cao Jun, holding shields and spears. The corridor was very narrow, less than a foot wide. Three hundred Cao Jun soldiers were condescending, and they had the upper hand, but they were defeated.  The Eagle Attack Army was defeated steadily, and the corpses were piled up in the corridor.  Twenty soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army were dismounting and firing arrows with precision. When an arrow was shot, one soldier would be hit by the arrow and fall to the ground. In just a moment, sixty or seventy people were hit by the arrow, scaring the rest of Cao's soldiers to retreat.  Seeing that the enemy was about to attack the city, more than half of the more than 300 Cao soldiers were dead or injured. The remaining soldiers were frightened and their morale quickly collapsed. Someone shouted, "Run away!" The Cao soldiers on the city scattered.  After fleeing, the Han Army Eagle Attack Army occupied the top of the city, opened the city gate, lowered the drawbridge, and held up torches to signal.  Zhao YunWhen he saw the torch on the top of the city from a distance, he was overjoyed. He got on his horse and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Brothers, fight into the city!" "Kill!" Ten thousand Han soldiers launched an attack, shouting and overwhelming.  Killing into the city, he rushed to the bottom of the city in a moment. Zhao Yun took the lead and rushed into the city gate. The surging Han soldiers behind him poured into the west gate like a great tide.  At this time, Qian Zhao led his army to rush over. He was still more than 200 steps away from the west city. He stopped his horse and stared dumbfoundedly at the surging Han army rushing into the west city. After a while, he turned his horse and headed towards the north city.  He knew that Taiyuan had been lost, so he wanted to see if he could escape from Beicheng.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  From the time the Han army arrived in Taiyuan at dusk to the time when they captured Taiyuan through internal and external cooperation at two o'clock, it took less than four hours. At this time, Yedu had just determined that the beacon fire was coming from the direction of Taiyuan.  Cao Pi paced back and forth restlessly in the room with his hands behind his hands. He was extremely anxious. A beacon warning came from Taiyuan. It must be that the Han army was attacking Bingzhou. What should he do at this time?  My father mobilized 250,000 troops to gather in the Plains, and there were 60,000 troops in Guanzhong. In addition, 30,000 troops were deployed in Youzhou and Liaodong, while only 50,000 troops were stationed in Yedu and Hebei.  Does he want to lead these 50,000 troops to save Taiyuan?  Not to mention that he has no right to mobilize the army, even if he can mobilize it, if he mobilizes the army to Taiyuan, what will Yedu do?  Cao Pi was upset, and stopped to look at the roof and sighed. At this time, a soldier reported, "Xin Changshi is outside the house asking for a meeting!"  He is one of Cao Pi's most trusted confidants and his right-hand man. When Cao Pi heard that Xin Pi was coming, he quickly said: "Please come in quickly!" After a while, Xin Pi quickly walked into the inner hall.  When things happened in Taiyuan, the reason why he was so concerned and anxious was because his brother Xin Ping was an official in Taiyuan, and he was really worried about his brother's safety.  "See you, eldest son!" Xin Pi bowed and saluted.  Cao Pi quickly waved his hand and said: "Chang Shi, please sit down!"  Please tell me what to do, Chang Shi." "It's very simple. The eldest son should send troops immediately and order General Xu Huang to lead 20,000 people to rescue Taiyuan." "But" Cao Pi hesitated and said, "I have no intention of sending troops.  "Quan, has Chang Shi forgotten?" "I know, but the young master has the prime minister's gold medal. He can use the gold medal to mobilize troops to Taiyuan." Cao Pi was a little embarrassed. His father gave him a gold medal before leaving. This was to prevent another ambush like this.  The emergency troop deployment order during the Wan Zhi Rebellion was limited to Yedu. Now there is an incident in Taiyuan, which affects the overall situation of the world. Is this okay for him to send troops without reporting it to his father?  Xinpi knew what Cao Pi was in trouble and advised in a deep voice: "Young master, don't worry, Bingzhou already belongs to the hinterland of the Central Plains. For Yedu, it is even more important than Guanzhong. If Bingzhou is not protected, there is only one Taihang Mountain between Yedu and Taiyuan."  , the Han army can attack at any time. If we are forced to move the capital, Hebei will not be guaranteed. Therefore, Taiyuan's strategic position is extremely important. If the prince has to wait for the prime minister's order, once the opportunity is delayed, serious consequences will be caused, which will have a huge impact on the prince's status.  , no less than the last remnant of the Yuan family." Cao Pi's heart was in a mess, and his mind went blank. After a while, he bit his lips and said, "Let me think about it again." "Sir, don't think about it anymore!  " Xin Pi stood up suddenly, glared at Cao Pi and said sternly: "Now is the time to test the young master's decision. Half an hour has passed since the beacon warning, and the young master is still undecided. Doesn't this show that the young master is indecisive and will have to mobilize his troops sooner or later? Why not  If we mobilize our troops now, even if we can't save Taiyuan, it will at least show the master's determination so that the prime minister will not blame him for the delay in rescue." "Okay!" Cao Pi was finally persuaded by Xin Pi, and he took out the gold medal and put on one.  The robe said: "Let's go to the military camp now!" Cao Pi and Xin Pi walked out of the mansion, got on their horses, and rushed to the military camp outside the city under the protection of hundreds of soldiers. Not long after, they rushed to the military camp.  In front of the gate, Xu Huang had received the news and led his officers out of the camp to greet him.  "In this humble position, please see the eldest son!" Cao Pi and Xu Huang went to Liaodong together and formed a deep friendship. They also won Xu Huang's support for him. He dismounted from his horse and quickly stepped forward to show his gold medal, "General Xu.  , I order you to lead 20,000 elites to Taiyuan immediately, and leave now without any delay." Xu Huang was stunned. To mobilize his army to Bingzhou, he must have tiger charms. Gold medals are not enough. Gold medals are only limited to Yedu.  Move troops.    However, Xu Huang also knew that something had happened in Taiyuan and the situation was critical. He looked at the prime minister's gold medal in Cao Pi's hand, lowered his head and pondered for a moment, and said resolutely: "I obey the order!" Xu Huang turned back to the deputy general Zang Ba: "I personally lead 20,000 people  The army rushes to Taiyuan. You can lead the army to stay in Yedu and obey the orders of the eldest son." "General, I will obey the order!" Xu Huang walked back to the camp quickly and quickly handed over the military power to Zang Ba. Half an hour later, Xu Huang  Cao Cao led 20,000 elite troops to leave Yedu overnight and marched northward, marching rapidly toward Jingxing in the Taihang Mountains.  It was the second watch of the night, and neither Cao Pi nor Xu Huang knew that at this time, the Han army had already invaded Taiyuan City.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 707 Total Passivity

    Cao Jun built a camp on the north bank of the Huaihe River, facing the Han army camp on the south bank of the Huaihe River. The first heavy snowfall of winter came unexpectedly, and the overwhelming snowflakes fell from the sky like catkins, and the earth was soon covered with a thick layer of snow.  Under the thick snow coat, the whole world turned into a gray patch. The heavy snow blocked the sight, and even the Huaihe River a hundred steps away could not be seen clearly.  In the swirling snowflakes, Cheng Yu hurriedly arrived at Cao Cao's tent. Xu Chu stepped forward, put his index finger to his lips and whispered, "The prime minister stayed up all night last night," he said in a low voice.  I just fell asleep. The military advisor will come back later." Cheng Yu nodded and sighed inwardly. Although he finally understood Liu Jing's true strategy, it was still a step too late. Taiyuan was finally lost, and the Bingzhou government surrendered.  The prime minister suffered a heavy blow and locked himself in the tent for two days.  He asked again: "Can the Prime Minister eat?" Xu Chu smiled bitterly, "I just drank a few mouthfuls of porridge. The guard who delivered the porridge said that the Prime Minister seemed to have aged ten years overnight." Cheng Yu shook his head. The Prime Minister was already old.  This was not going to work, so he said to Xu Chu: "If the Prime Minister wakes up, inform me immediately, and I will advise the Prime Minister." "I understand, I will inform the Prime Minister." As soon as Xu Chu finished speaking, there was a sound coming from the big tent.  Cao Cao's tired voice asked, "Is that Zhongde outside?" Cheng Yu and Xu Chu looked at each other and smiled helplessly. Cheng Yu could only step forward and said, "It's Wei Chen!" "It's cold outside, please come in!" "Prime Minister  Let's rest for a while! Weichen will come back later." "Zhongde, please come in!" Cheng Yu had no choice but to walk into the tent, and Xu Chu followed him with no worries. He saw Cao Cao wearing a big cloak and sitting there.  Next to the brazier, he was flicking the charcoal fire with a fire stick. Under the reflection of the charcoal fire, his eyes were red and his expression was tired. Especially his hair was grayer. It was obvious that he was indeed much older.  Cheng Yu quickly bowed and saluted, "See you, Prime Minister!" "Zhongde, please sit down!" Cao Cao asked Cheng Yu to sit down, and then said to Xu Chu: "I suddenly want to drink some chicken soup. Let's stew a chicken! Stew it until it's tender."  "Let's go now!" Xu Chu picked up the tent and ran out. Cao Cao shook his head, sighed and said to Cheng Yu: "Zhongde, tell me, why are we always so passive? We are led by the nose by Liu Jing." Cheng Yu pondered.  After a moment, he said: "Liu Jing used the Yangtze River and Han River as a ravine, the Bashan Qinling Mountains as a barrier, and a powerful naval force as a supplement. His defense foundation is very solid. In addition, Jingzhou has the foundation laid by Liu Biao, and Yizhou is lenient and gentle."  It does not harm the interests of the Shu people and employs people properly. Although there are conflicts between Jing and Shu, under the temptation of the great benefits in the world, the forces of Jing and Shu can temporarily live in peace and work together to help the Han army in the northern expedition. Wei Chen believes that  This is Liu Jing's greatest foundation. "What about me?" Cao Cao asked again, "Where is my weakness?" Cheng Yu knelt down and bowed, "Only a humble minister dares to forgive me."  "I will pardon you. Just tell the truth. I want to hear the truth now." Cheng Yu sighed and said, "The prime minister had three defeats that led to today's passive situation." "To be more specific, which three defeats?  "Cao Cao looked solemnly and looked at Cheng Yu intently.  "The first defeat was that the southern expedition was too early. He was eager to conquer the south just after the Yuan clan was wiped out, but he didn't know that Yuan Shao was so kind to Hebei and that the senior officials in Bingzhou had won the hearts of the army and the people. The Prime Minister destroyed the Yuan clan and killed the senior officials. There was nothing wrong in it.  , but we should completely stabilize Hebei and Bingzhou before marching south. As a result, the prime minister was too anxious. Once Chibi was defeated, the north would become unstable. " "I also know that Hebei and Bingzhou must be stabilized, and even the capital should be moved to Yecheng to reduce taxes.  Isn¡¯t it enough that the large-scale southern expedition only started after six or seven years? " "Although the prime minister showed favor to Hebei and exempted Bingzhou from taxes, during the southern expedition, he doubled down on the exploitation of Bingzhou and Hebei in order to build ships to cross the river.  The houses along the Yellow River were almost completely demolished. Food was collected from the husbands, and they were given ten times as much and asked for a hundred times as much. Therefore, the remnants of the Yuan family came together and roared in Hebei to respond. This is why the Han army unexpectedly attacked Taiyuan, but all parts of Bingzhou were defeated.  Before the Han army arrived, the counties and counties had changed their banners. Does the Prime Minister understand the reason? The people of Bingzhou have been dissatisfied with the Prime Minister for a long time!" Cao Cao nodded. Although Cheng Yu was frank and to the point, he did not  He did not get angry, but silently accepted Cheng Yu's accusation. He sighed, "Zhongde is right. Although I unified the north, the north was not stable. I rushed to the south and Liu Jing became powerful. It was a wrong step.  I made a mistake, please tell Zhongde about the second defeat. " "The Prime Minister's second defeat was the defeat of the Legalists of a poor family. The Prime Minister established a poor family and demoted the family, worshiped Legalism, suppressed Confucianism, killed Kong Rong, and killed the famous family.  , In fact, Liu Jing did not do well. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that he advocates Legalism as much as the Prime Minister, but he is implicitly?, Confucianism is the skin and law is the bones, but his principle of "not distinguishing between scholars and common people, but only those who are talented" made the famous family very disgusted. However, he made a slight modification. On the basis of taking care of the family first, he also talked about fairness.  He also slightly won the hearts of the aristocratic family. In addition, after the Battle of Chibi, he released hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war and won the gratitude of the northern clans. This laid the foundation for his attack on the north today.  " Cao Cao sighed, "You're right. I made a mistake in killing Kong Rong. It's too late to regret it now.  " At this time, the curtain was opened, and Xu Chu led several guards to bring in a can of chicken soup and a few side dishes. Xu Chu moved very quickly. Without waiting for Cao Cao to object, he placed bowls, chopsticks and dishes, and gave them to Cao Cao.  Filling a bowl full of thick chicken soup, Cao Cao took a sip, nodded, and said to Xu Chu: "Pour a bowl for the military advisor as well.  " Xu Chu also poured a bowl for Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu took a sip and said with a smile: "General Xu is very caring!  " Xu Chu's face turned slightly red. Cheng Yu saw through his thoughts. This was no longer pure chicken soup. It contained yam and ginseng that were pounded and mixed together. Cao Cao also understood in his heart that he was not in the mood to eat, but Cheng Yu gave him  After untying his knot a little, he had an appetite and felt really hungry. He drank a bowl of soup and a bowl of porridge before ordering Xu Chu to take away the things. At this time, Cao Cao asked again: "Please tell me, the military advisor."  My third defeat.  Cheng Yu hesitated for a long time, "I don't want to talk about this third defeat."  " "You must say it, I want to hear it!  "Cao Cao said solemnly. Cheng Yu nodded silently and said: "This third defeat is the political defeat of the prime minister.  " "Zhongde is talking about me conferring the title of Duke of Wei and adding Jiuxi?  " "Not only that, the prime minister coerced the emperor to order the princes. He won legally, but lost morally. At the beginning, all the heroes came together and the world was divided. The prime minister respected the king and fought against the barbarians. In the name of the emperor, he conquered all directions and unified the north.  At this time, the prime minister coerced the emperor to order the princes. Everyone would accept and support it, thinking it was an act of submission of power, but it would not work for a long time. Especially after the north was unified, the prime minister used the emperor's name to attack the clan members Liu Bei and Liu Biao. In fact, politically  He lost. Now Liu Jing is raising the banner of reviving the Han Dynasty and calling his army the Han Army. He has a clear banner and clear goals and has a political advantage. Otherwise, how could the Han Army have reached Taiyuan so smoothly?  Don¡¯t the officials and people along the way resist the harassment?  " "Zhongde is right!  "Cao Cao sighed helplessly. "In fact, I only figured it out after the fact. At that time, Wei Chen was also confused. Wasn't it the Wei Chen who strongly advocated the southern expedition to Jingzhou?  Wei Chen also regretted not being able to persuade the prime minister to conquer Jingzhou a few years later.  " "What's the use of saying these words of regret now?  The key is how should I face the predicament in front of me? Liu Jing has captured Taiyuan, Bingzhou is in danger, and Yedu is in danger, but I can't withdraw my troops. Zhongde teaches me, what should I do now?  Cheng Yu smiled and said, "Prime Minister, do you still remember the time you were with Liu Jing on the pontoon?"  " Cao Cao nodded, "Of course I remember, so what?  " Cheng Yu said meaningfully: "I have thought about it over and over again, and I feel that Liu Jing is actually hinting to the Prime Minister. He hopes to end this dispute through negotiation with the Prime Minister. I also said that Liu Jing has been fighting for years, and he may not be able to support it anymore.  Come on, this time he attacked Taiyuan, including uniting with Jiangdong and the Central Plains. I think his real purpose was to force the prime minister to negotiate. Of course, he wanted to obtain the maximum benefit.  " In fact, Cao Cao also realized that Liu Jing wanted to bargain with him. With Liu Jing's current strength, he could not attack from three sides, so he dragged Jiangdong into the water. The attack on Taiyuan was also a sneak attack, which may not really capture Bingzhou. " Cao Cao pondered  After a moment, he said: "I can give him Guanlong, but he must withdraw from Bingzhou. Does the military advisor think it is possible?  " "Wei Chen doesn't know, but we can give it a try. If the Prime Minister agrees, Wei Chen is willing to negotiate with Liu Jing on behalf of the Prime Minister.  " Cao Cao walked a few steps in the tent with his hands behind his back, and finally sighed and said: "The three defeats Zhongde said really made me restless. I have to try my best to make up for it, so Zhongde can go for me!  I don¡¯t want to fight this war anymore.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 708 Reaching a Compromise

    The news that Zhao Yun led his army to conquer Taiyuan also reached the Han army camp. The Han army was full of jubilation and the soldiers were all ecstatic. Liu Jing then ordered to reward the three armies by killing pigs and sheep, and also rewarded each person with a bottle of wine, which the soldiers ate.  After they were full and drunk, their morale soared. The generals asked for help to attack Cao Ying and make new achievements, but Liu Jing just laughed and refused.  That morning, Liu Jingzheng and Sima Yi were discussing how to deal with Cao's army in the big tent. Sima Yi smiled and said: "I guess Cao Cao has also learned about the merger. He should understand our true intention. It depends on whether he can give in wisely."  , To save the current predicament, I estimate that Cao Cao will send someone to sue for peace soon." Liu Jing also sighed: "My original intention was to use the annexation of the state in exchange for Guanlong.  They all expressed their support for the Han army, which made me a little embarrassed. If I gave up the Bingzhou, it would not only disappoint them, but also harm them." Sima Yi advised Liu Jing: "Cao Cao's problem is that he occupies too much territory but does not have the corresponding territory.  The control of strength has led to today¡¯s passiveness. This is a lesson learned from the past. Zhou Mu must learn a lesson and not be greedy for too much and be unrealistic. As for those officials, most of them have inextricable connections with local aristocratic families. They may not support Zhou Mu.  I'm just dissatisfied with Cao Cao. I think Cao Cao doesn't dare to clean up the officialdom of Bingzhou too much with Zhou Mu watching him. The most he can do is to make up for it and win over the Bingzhou family to stabilize the officialdom. Zhou Mu doesn't have to feel guilty about them. " Liu Jing also knows.  Now he does not have the strength to annex Hedong. Being too hasty will make him passive. He must be down-to-earth and step by step, knowing that advancement and retreat are the kingly ways. Liu Jing smiled and said: "Even so, disappointing them also makes me feel guilty. This is  It's human nature." Sima Yi thought for a while and then said: "If Zhou Mu feels sorry, you can ask General Zhao to talk to them and ask them to understand that you are not abandoning them, so that they can be convinced." "Say.  That's right, this is a good idea." As the two were talking, a guard reported at the door of the tent: "Report to the Zhou Mu, Cao Cao sent an envoy, it seems to be Cheng Yu." Liu Jing and Sima Yi looked at each other.  , Liu Jing couldn't help laughing, "He actually sent a military advisor to negotiate. It seems that Cao Cao is really anxious." Sima Yi quickly said: "Let the ministers talk to him!" Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "But  Etiquette is still required, Cheng Yu is a person I respect, and I want to greet him personally. " Cheng Yu only brought one entourage over the pontoon. He stood with his hands behind his hands and looked at the snow-covered world in the distance. There was a foot of snow.  Hou, how can the two armies fight in such weather?  Liu Jing obviously had no intention of attacking the Central Plains, he was just applying pressure.  At this time, the camp gate opened wide and the drums and drums were playing. Cheng Yu was slightly startled. He looked back and saw groups of ceremonial soldiers marching out in two rows. Dozens of generals surrounded Liu Jing from the camp.  After walking out, Cheng Yu hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "The state pastor personally came to greet you, Cheng Yu can't afford it!" Liu Jing bowed her hands to him and returned the salute with a smile: "Mr. Zhongde is a famous person in the world, well-known far and near, and Liu Jing also admires him.  Sir, you are here in person today. How dare Liu Jing be rude? Sir, please follow me into the camp." Although Liu Jing was very polite, his meaning was very clear. He came to greet him in person, not because Cheng Yu was Cao Cao's military advisor, but because he was here to greet him personally.  Because he respected Cheng Yu's reputation, Cheng Yu was quite moved and a little proud. He stroked his beard and smiled and said: "The state pastor is so polite, Cheng Yu would rather be respectful than obey his orders." Cheng Yu followed Liu Jing into the Han army camp.  , I saw that the tents in the camp were neat, the ground was clean, the soldiers were walking in an orderly manner, two people in a row, three people in a row, and there was absolutely no one marching alone. From these details, it can be seen that the Han army is well-trained and worthy of being a strong enemy of Cao Jun.  .  Cheng Yu secretly nodded and walked into the Chinese army's tent with Liu Jing. The two of them took their seats respectively. Sima Yi and Gan Ning accompanied them on the left and right. Before Cheng Yu could speak, Liu Jing changed the subject and said with a smile:  "I heard that after the Battle of Chibi, Sir, he stopped pursuing military affairs and has been assisting in government affairs. I also feel that it is a pity that Mr. Military is the director." Cheng Yu didn't understand what this meant, so he forced a smile and said: "Prime Minister Nian  The affairs have advanced and the daily government affairs have been handed over to Mr. Pi. I have been assisting Mr. Pi in the past few years. " "That's it!" Liu Jing asked again: "Who do you think is more suitable for the crown prince, Mr. Pi or Mr. Zhi?  " Cheng Yu was startled, and then he realized that Liu Jing wanted to talk to him about Cao Cao's successor. Perhaps he wanted to convey something to Cao Cao through his own words. He smiled faintly and said quietly: "This is the Prime Minister's family matter.  "It's not appropriate for a minister to ask too many questions." "No, the prime minister's son is related to the rise and fall of the Wei Dynasty. Besides, didn't Mr. Pi arrange the expedition to Liaodong?" "Speaking of this, Liu  Jing looked at Cheng Yu with a half-smile but not a smile. Cheng Yu secretly exclaimed that this matter was actually mentioned by Liu Jing.It's clear, is it possible that the Prime Minister is passive in getting along? Cheng Yu neither admitted nor denied it, and asked with a slight smile: "I heard from the Prime Minister that the Zhou Mu persuaded the Prime Minister to make Mr. Zhi the heir apparent at the last meeting. Why is this?"  "Actually, Mr. Cheng knows better than me what kind of person Cao Pi is. He will not be willing to just be a small Duke of Wei. From my own interests, I would rather he deposed him as emperor and established Wei Dynasty to replace Han Dynasty.  You can legitimately inherit the Han Dynasty, but in that case, the Cao family is not far away from being exterminated. I admire Prime Minister Cao for unifying the north and contributing to the country, so I advised him not to take another step forward. Just take one more step.  In the abyss, Mr. Cheng is the Prime Minister's confidant and the Prime Minister's confidant. He should always advise the Prime Minister to cherish his reputation after his death. Only then can he be worthy of the Prime Minister's kindness. What do you think, Mr. Liu Jing said these words very sincerely, which made Cheng Yu?  He felt a little ashamed in his heart. He really did not consider the prime minister's posthumous reputation. He strongly supported Cao Pi for his own benefit. In this regard, he was not as good as Xun You. Xun You always refused to participate in the dispute between Pi and Zhi.  Cheng Yu sighed and said: "I will tell the prime minister what the state pastor Jin Yu said. This time I came to the Han army camp to talk about the strike between the two families. I don't know." Before Cheng Yu could finish speaking, Liu Jing  Interrupting his words, he waved his hands and said with a smile: "We'll talk about the business in the afternoon. It's almost noon now. I want to entertain you first to fulfill my friendship as a landlord." After lunch, Cheng Yu rested for a while, and then  Someone came to invite Cheng Yu to talk about business. Cheng Yu walked into the tent, but did not see Liu Jing. Only Sima Yi was in the tent. Cheng Yu then realized that Liu Jing was not negotiating with him, but Sima Yi was negotiating with him. He couldn't help but  He smiled bitterly, he was really confused. Liu Jing already wanted to see the Prime Minister on an equal footing, so how could she negotiate with him?  Cheng Yu understood this and felt relieved. At least Liu Jing was willing to talk to him. This was a good start. He hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands and said with a smile, "I've kept Commander Sima waiting for a long time." At dusk, Cheng  Yu returned to Cao's camp, and Cao Cao immediately ordered his guards to invite him into his tent. The two sat down, and Cao Cao asked impatiently: "How was it?" "Generally speaking, we did not disappoint the prime minister, at least we  You guessed it right, Liu Jing is ready to end this battle through negotiation, but the details still need to be considered by both parties, especially some of his conditions. I'm worried that the prime minister will find it difficult to accept. " "Tell me, what conditions does he have?" Cao Cao calmly said.  came down and asked.  "One is Bingzhou, Liu Jing doesn't want to withdraw his troops, and secondly, Cao Cao's army withdraws from Guanlong, with Tongguan as the boundary." Cao Cao's face obviously darkened. He could not accept the first condition. Liu Jing actually wanted to occupy Bingzhou, how could it be possible?  After a long while, he asked coldly: "What else is there?" "There are also political and economic conditions. There are three conditions. The first is to ask the emperor to make him the King of Han; the second is that the prime minister must ensure the absolute safety of Queen Fu.  The queen is not allowed to be deposed; the third is to completely open up trade, widen the Chengshui River, and dredge the river channel between the Ru River and the Feishui River." Cao Cao paced slowly in the tent with his hands behind his hands. At this time, he had completely calmed down.  Of the last three conditions, the first two were not a problem at all. The first was that he had expressed his willingness to canonize Liu Jing as king the last time he sent his son Cao Zhi to Chengdu, but Liu Jing himself did not agree; as for the second, he guaranteed that Queen Fu would be crowned king.  He also promised Liu Jing when he withdrew his troops from Jingzhou last time. He also mentioned the old talk again. The key is the third one, liberalizing trade and opening up water channels. This one is the key. The first two are just to cover up this.  Article 3.  Cao Cao was very aware of the situation after liberalizing trade and the consequences of Jingzhou's money circulating in the north. Wasn't Jiangdong exploited by Jingzhou in this way at the beginning, sucking away a large amount of materials, especially iron ore, and most of the high-quality refined iron flowed into Jingzhou. If  If we open up trade ourselves, I am afraid we will encounter the same exploitation.  Cao Cao was silent for a long time. At this time, Cheng Yu advised again: "In fact, Prime Minister, you don't have to worry too much about trade. The north is not Jiangdong, and it is not so easy to be exploited. Moreover, opening up trade is a matter for both sides, and the materials in the south will also be affected.  Liu Jing has already occupied Guanlong and is no longer a prince in the south. He also has to consider the north, so Wei Chen feels that Liu Jing's third clause is not to exploit the north. " "Then what is he doing?  What do you mean?" Cao Cao turned around and asked.  "Sima Yi and I discussed this matter. What Sima Yi meant was that Liu Jing wanted to increase exchanges between the north and the south through trade, expand exchanges between the north and the south, and lay the foundation for the true unification and integration of the world in the future." "That's it!" Cao Cao  It suddenly dawned on him that this Liu Jing was indeed a talented person. Understanding this, Cao Cao's worries disappeared. He also supported exchanges and integration between the north and the south, which was in line with his thoughts on the world. Cao Cao has always been an active advocate of the unification of the north and the south.  , No matter who will rule the world in the future, Cao Cao's political philosophy will not change.  Cao Cao thought for a moment and said, "I can answer the last three conditions."He, but he must evacuate Bingzhou, this is unambiguous. The two sides use the Yellow River and Tongguan as the boundaries, and the soldiers return to the treasury to rest and recuperate with the people.  "Weichen understands. Weichen will go to negotiate with Liu Jing tomorrow."  " After three rounds of negotiations, Liu Jing and Cao Cao finally reached a compromise. Cao Cao recognized Liu Jing's occupation of Guanlong, and the Han army evacuated and merged the state. The two sides used the Yellow River and Tongguan as the boundary. In addition, Cao Cao will report that the emperor granted Liu Jing the title  For the King of Han, he ensured the safety of Queen Fu, and at the same time the Cao and Liu families liberalized trade. As for dredging the river between Feishui and Ru River, the two sides could negotiate specifically. On the third day after the two sides reached an agreement, Liu Jing and Cao Cao came to the meeting respectively.  The signing of the reconciliation agreement temporarily ended the nearly ten-year war between the two sides. They each retired and began to recuperate. However, as Jiangdong's power expanded westward, cracks began to appear in the relationship between Jingzhou and Jiangdong.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 709 Tao Zheng¡¯s new official

    There was heavy snowfall in Anlu County, and the snow was up to one foot thick, but there was only a light snowfall in Jiangxia County. Between the green mountains and blue waters, it looked like the hair of an old lady, only slightly stained with frost.  The 80,000-strong army evacuated Anlu County and rested in the Xiakou military camp. However, Liu Jing did not rush back to Chengdu immediately. Instead, he used this opportunity to inspect Jiangxia. Early that morning, Liu Jing's boat slowly approached Qichun County.  pier.  Tao Zheng, the governor of Qichun County, had already led a group of officials to welcome the arrival of Zhou Mu on the dock. Tao Zheng was originally appointed as the governor of Qichun County. Three years ago, after Qichun County officially belonged to Jingzhou, Tao Zheng was officially promoted from the chief historian.  As the prefect, he stayed in Qichun County for four years.  He has a very good reputation in Qichun County. When he was about to be transferred to Nanjun Prefecture last year, the elders of Qichun County did not allow him to leave and forced him to stay in Qichun County. Liu Jing also saw his political achievements clearly.  After three years of governance, Qichun County was transformed from a small and backward county with a sparse population and dilapidated cities into the fifth largest grain-producing county in Jingzhou, second only to Xiangyang, Jiangxia, Nanjun and Changsha, and even surpassed Lingling County.  For this reason, the General Mansion specially sent people to Qichun County for an unannounced visit. Only then did they learn that the population of Qichun County had increased from 10,000 households to more than 30,000 households, with a population of nearly 200,000. The population mainly came from Lujiang County and Yuzhang County.  In Qichun County, the people who moved from Yangzhou had their own land. Each household had more than 100 acres of farmland. The government provided cattle for farming free of charge, and they were exempted from labor. The government provided food and accommodation for children studying. This attracted people  A large number of people from Yangzhou moved in, and the population increased rapidly.  At the same time, Tao Trading Company transferred all its warehouses to Qichun County, and all fleets docked in Qichun County. The government could receive a large amount of income every year, and ordinary people could easily find jobs and make money.  In fact, the rise of Qichun County was mainly due to the Tao family's financial resources, which gave Qichun County great support. This was something that Jingzhou officials knew very well, and Tao Zheng also achieved results that took others ten years to achieve.  , but as long as Liu Jing acquiesces, no one will say anything about this 'special performance'. After all, Qichun County has indeed risen and there is no fraud.  Liu Jing quickly stepped off the ship, and Tao Zheng led the officials to greet him. They all bowed and saluted, "See Zhou Mu!" At this time, several guards behind Liu Jing all said, "Pfft!"  ¡¯ Liu Jing laughed out loud, and then he discovered that more than a dozen officials were all wearing old official robes that had been washed white, and some of the official robes were even patched. It was obvious that they had been discussed.  Liu Jing was angry and funny, and said to everyone: "You don't have to worry too much about how to welcome me. I'm just here to visit my brother-in-law. Please be casual." Everyone looked at each other's official robes. It was indeed a bit too much. Everyone was  Embarrassed to laugh.  Liu Jing got on his horse and walked towards the county town surrounded by people. The last time he entered Qichun County was many years ago, when he and Sun Quan signed an agreement to jointly deal with Cao's army here, and then the Chibi War broke out. In Liu Jing's memory,  Qichun County was dilapidated and messy, and the ground was muddy, but the Qichun County at this time made his eyes shine.  The rows of houses are neat and orderly. They are obviously newly built. There are trees on both sides and the ground is paved with bluestones. The streets are wide and clean. Most of the children on both sides are white and fat. Every household has its door open. There is an incense table at the door and they kneel down.  Welcome yourself into town.  Tao Zheng saw the look of approval in Liu Jing's eyes, and he explained a little embarrassedly: "About four years ago, I gathered all the county people for discussion. We all set the rules. The houses were all built the same, and the fronts of the houses were all the same.  Trees and flowers must be planted behind the house, garbage is not allowed to be thrown around, and open defecation is not allowed. The stone slabs in the streets and alleys are paved by people from all over the county, and the stones do not cost much. After several years of hard work, Qi  Chun County has changed a lot. Immigrants from Yangzhou don¡¯t want to leave after entering the county. Liu Jing was really satisfied with the street scene in front of him, especially the cleanliness. He smiled and asked: ¡°What if you violate the rules?¡±  What should I do? I mean, are you trying to change some people's dirty habits? " "It's very simple. The rules are decided by everyone. Every household has their fingerprints. If they don't comply, they will be severely punished. The first time they will be beaten in public.  Fifty sticks were given as a warning. If the second offense occurred, the whole family would be expelled from Qichun County and rushed to live in a nearby village. They were not allowed to enter the city again. However, so far, only a dozen people have been beaten and no one had been beaten.  After being kicked out of the city, everyone likes this kind of cleanliness, so they will consciously maintain it. "Liu Jing nodded. He still had to admit that Tao Zheng was indeed very capable, not just because he was his brother-in-law.  In fact, Liu Jing has always been very concerned about the development of the Tao family in the officialdom. Now the Tao family is no longer just a businessman, but has gradually gained weight in the officialdom. In addition to Tao Zheng serving as the prefect of Qichun, Yang Liang, the prefect of Yinping County, is also Tao Sheng.  Tao Sheng's brother-in-law, and four or five Tao family descendants served as county officials. Even Tao Sheng himself was named a rural marquis because of the Tao family's outstanding contributions to the Jingzhou army.  But what satisfies Liu Jing the most is the quality of the Tao family¡¯s children.He is pragmatic and has never done any bad deeds of bullying the people. Instead, he is highly respected by the villagers and is honest and self-disciplined in the officialdom. Of course, this is related to the Tao family's wealth. They only give money to others and don't bother to make money at home.  Qian, Tao Zheng is a simple and pragmatic good official, and he gets top marks every year in evaluations.  Liu Jing walked into the county government office and exchanged a few words with everyone. Everyone left the room knowingly. Only Liu Jing and Tao Zheng were left in the room. Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "This time I come to Qichun County.  The main thing is to discuss something with you. To be precise, I want you to do something. " Tao Zheng did not forget the etiquette because he was Liu Jing's brother-in-law. He bowed respectfully and said: "Please give me the instructions.  , I will obey it." Liu Jing nodded, and then said thoughtfully: "That's it, I plan to transfer you to Chang'an as the governor of Jingzhao County and the commander of Chang'an. Can you accept it?" "Is Tao Zheng mentally prepared?  He was prepared, but was still shocked. He was appointed as the chief officer of Chang'an. He knew what this meant. In the past, Cai Yan served as the governor of Xiangyang and the order of Xiangyang. Later, Dong He served as the governor of Shu County and the order of Chengdu. But Dong He is now the fifth prime minister.  One, when the capital was moved to Chang'an in the future, he would be the chief official of the capital. Tao Zheng did not feel happy, but felt tremendous pressure. He knew the weight of this position.  After a long while, he whispered: "I am worried that I am not capable enough and will let Zhou Mu down in the end." Liu Jing stood up and patted his shoulder, saying meaningfully: "You need to understand that without the high position of the Tao family, the future  Princess Han's status may be unstable. "Tao Zheng was shocked. He suddenly understood that Liu Jing was going to establish a foreign influence for his sister. He was touched and frightened at the same time, "Thank you Zhou Mu for your support to the Tao family.  I am worried that if I am not qualified enough, I will be criticized if I take the post of Chang'an Order." Liu Jing laughed, "Do you think there will be criticism?" "Wei Chen understands that I will never let Zhou Mu down."  Nodding, "That's right, Yi Ji will take over the post of Qichun Prefect tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. You will go directly to Chang'an after the handover. Jia Xu will read out my appointment in public."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Liu Jing only stayed in Qichun County for two hours. After lunch, he took a boat to the Jiangxia Copper Mine on the other side of the Yangtze River. Green Copper Mountain has always been the largest copper and gold mine producing area in Jingzhou and even the entire south.  The source of copper materials for casting Jingzhou coins played a decisive role in the entire Jingshu regime.  At present, there are 6,000 soldiers stationed in the copper mine, and about 100,000 people are engaged in mining and smelting here. In addition to more than 10,000 workers recruited locally, the remaining 80,000 people are criminals and criminals from Jing and Yi prefectures.  Prisoners of war, using prisoners of war to mine has been a rule in Jingzhou for many years. Whether prisoners of war from Cao's army or Jiangdong's army, if they do not want to join the Han army, they need to serve in the mines for three years and will be released back to their hometowns after the expiration.  However, as the Han Army and Cao Army signed a reconciliation and armistice agreement, the large surge in prisoners of war will be reversed. As prisoners of war continue to be released, the number of miners will decrease. Liu Jing came to inspect the mine this time for this reason.  .  Compared with eight years ago, Green Copper Mountain has changed a lot now. In the past, a small river was used to transport ore, and a tugboat with a maximum of 100 shi could only sail. But now the river has been widened and deepened, and a cargo ship with 500 shi can now be sailed.  , the ore transportation capacity has also been greatly enhanced, and it does not even need to be transited at Xise Lake and can be transported directly to Xiakou.  However, what is being shipped out now is not the ore, but the blister copper billets and gold nuggets that have been smelted in the mine. Jiangxia County built a smelting field in the mine as early as five years ago, with dozens of blast furnaces working here day and night.  Copper ingots were refined from the ore and then transferred to Xiakou for further refining and coining.  Liu Jing, accompanied by mine supervisor Deng Zhi and school captain Zhang Yi, walked into the vast mining camp. Deng Zhi became the mine supervisor last year and was responsible for the mining and smelting of the entire copper mine, as well as the management of the miners.  Zhang Yi led a garrison of 6,000 troops, responsible for the safety of the copper mines and monitoring the prisoners of war.  The miner's camp covers an area of ??several thousand acres and is surrounded by board walls. There is a sentry tower every hundred steps and is heavily guarded. There are 5,000 large tents in the entire miner's camp. The tents are arranged neatly and the roads are spacious and clean. They are divided into  It is managed in ten districts, and each district is separated by a wall as high as one person.  As Deng Zhi walked, he introduced Liu Jing: "To the state pastor, there are currently twenty people living in each big tent, with a long tent. They work at sunrise and rest at sunset every day, and rest for one day every ten days.  The work and rest are very regular and the public security is good. During Weichen's tenure as mine supervisor, there were no riots and only two escape incidents. More than 300 people were arrested. According to the punitive measures, the service period was extended to five years.  " Liu Jing nodded and asked: "How is the food? " "The food is similar to that of the army. You can eat enough. You can eat one meal of meat in three days. According to the rules, these prisoners of war also have monthly money, one hundred yuan per month.  Converted together when releasedIf paid in gold, almost everyone can earn a pound of gold to take home, and the same goes for criminals.  " At this time, they came to the East Third District, which is the release area. All prisoners of war who are ready to be released after the expiration of their terms will move here a month ago. It consists of a thousand camps, and only ten people live in each tent.  Most of the time, only five or six people lived there, but this time they were all full. This was the largest release since the miner camp was established. Fourteen thousand people would be released at one time. This is because the Han army occupied Guanlong.  After all the prisoners of war from Guanlong were released, there were less than 3,000 prisoners of war who had completed their three-year term. The rest were all prisoners of war from Guanzhong or Longyou. As soon as Liu Jing walked into the East Third District, he heard a fierce noise.  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 710 The tribe returns south

    "What happened?" Zhang Yi roared and rushed forward. He was filled with hatred. He could usually release it quietly, but today when Zhou Mu came to inspect, he made trouble. It was a slap in his face.  Hundreds of prisoners of war were seen squatting on the ground with their heads held in their hands. Soldiers on both sides hit them with sticks like raindrops. A military prince stepped forward and reported: "General, these prisoners of war pretended to be from Guanlong and tried to get through. They were  After being reported, they were found out. They refused to accept it and shouted to make trouble. "Zhang Yi's livid face ordered: "Drag them down and beat them with a hundred military sticks each!" "More than a thousand soldiers are like wolves!  They dragged these people down like a tiger. Hundreds of people cried and begged and kowtowed desperately for mercy. At this time, Liu Jing stepped forward and asked: "What happened?" "These prisoners of war probably want to pretend to be Guanlong people and get through.  , was found out, but he was unwilling to do so, so he shouted desperately. "Liu Jing walked up to a young prisoner of war, looked at him and asked: "Where are you from? Why did you take the risk to escape? Don't you know the consequences will be serious.  "The young prisoner of war cried and said: "General Qi, I am from Hejian County. I participated in Su Yin's rebellion and was suppressed. I was forced to join Cao's army. I was captured when the city of Hebei was flooded. I have been away from home for five years.  I really miss my parents and beg the general to spare me this time. I won¡¯t dare to escape next time.¡± All the prisoners of war felt that the general in front of them seemed to be a high-ranking official. Even the mine supervisor and the school captain were respectful in front of him. He knelt down and begged desperately.  , cried a lot, begging them for mercy once, they all knew that it was not just a simple beating, but the service period would be extended to five years, which made them extremely scared.  Liu Jing nodded, "I'll spare them this time! It won't happen next time." Zhang Yi yelled and cursed: "You're lucky, the state pastor will spare you this time. If anyone dares to escape next time, I will double the punishment and take them all back."  "When these prisoners of war heard that they were state shepherds, they were all very excited, kowtowed in thanks, and cried loudly. They were taken down by the soldiers. Liu Jing was very upset and walked out of the miner camp without saying a word.  Deng Zhi and Zhang Yi felt that Zhou Mu was in a bad mood, and they uneasily accompanied Liu Jing to the warehouse. The warehouse was close to the river and consisted of three huge buildings. It stored five million kilograms of copper ingots. Each copper ingot weighed approximately  Twenty kilograms, all neatly stacked, the entire warehouse is filled with copper ingots, the scale is very spectacular.  Liu Jing walked into the rest room inside the warehouse and sat down. A guard served him tea. Only then did Liu Jing say to Deng Zhi and Zhang Yi: "Because I just signed a settlement agreement with Cao Cao, we need to rest and recuperate, at least for three to five years."  There will be no war. If the rules for releasing prisoners of war are followed, I am afraid that there will be no miners in the mine in three years, so I came to inspect the mine specifically to solve this problem." Deng Zhi and Zhang Yi looked at each other, and Deng Zhi said cautiously.  : "Xu Changshi once proposed a plan in the past, but it was not implemented because the cost was too high. Wei Chen thinks it may be considered now." "Tell me, what plan is it?" Liu Jing couldn't remember what Xu Shu had proposed.  What plan did you go through.  "At that time, Xu Changshi said that prisoners of war could be converted into official miners, allowing them to come and go freely, and improving their treatment to retain them. Naturally, some miners would be willing to stay." Liu Jing remembered that Xu Shu had indeed proposed this plan back then.  , but why it was not implemented, Liu Jing forgot for a while. He pondered for a while and asked: "Do you think it is feasible?" "Reporting to Zhou Mu, although the copper mines are collectively called miners to the outside world, they are actually divided into miners and slave workers internally.  And criminal workers, slave workers are prisoners of war, about 70,000 people, currently spending 100 yuan a month, while miners spend 1,000 yuan a month. If all slave workers are converted into miners, then the burden will be really heavy. That was because  This has not been implemented, but Weichen estimates that if there is freedom of movement and good income, at least 30,000 people will be willing to stay. At the same time, their families will come to Jiangxia from the north, which will be very beneficial to supplement the population of Jingzhou, although the expenditure will be  It¡¯s very big, but for the copper mines they mined, this expenditure is nothing.¡± Deng Zhi strongly recommended Liu Jing to adopt this plan. Like Xu Shu, he opposed the use of prisoners of war as slave labor, and he proposed it several times.  None of the restructuring plans came to fruition. It was rare that Zhou Mu took the initiative to propose a long-term plan for the mine today, and Deng Zhi took advantage of this opportunity to recommend his own plan.  He quickly winked at Zhang Yi and asked him to help him speak. For Zhang Yi, leaving the mine and going to the enemy was his ideal. He was not willing to stay in the mine for a long time and watch others make meritorious services. Zhang Yi understood  Deng Zhi thought, so he said to Liu Jing: "If the slave workers are converted into miners, then there will be no need for 6,000 troops to guard them. Only 2,000 people will be needed to guard criminals and protect warehouses. This can also save a lot of expenses, and it is also a menial job."  I feel that if the miners¡¯ families can come to the copper mine, maybe the copper mine will form a new county, which is a good thing.¡± Liu Jing nodded.?, he once considered changing the prisoner's service period to five years, but after arriving at the mine, he gave up the idea. He did not care about the cost. He was worried about the continuation of the mine.  After pondering for a moment, Liu Jing said to Deng Zhi: "You should investigate first and see how many people will stay after they become miners. If we can guarantee that 30,000 people will stay, I can consider your plan. After the investigation is completed,  Write a detailed report and it will be implemented after Pingzhangtai approves it." Deng Zhi was overjoyed and saluted quickly: "Wei minister, I obey!" After leaving the mine, Liu Jing went to Wuchang. A few days later, he left Jiangxia County.  Returning to Chengdu Time has gradually arrived in late December, and the New Year of the 19th Jian'an period is approaching. Every household in Chengdu cleans their houses, lights up, and various tributes are placed in ancestral halls. The sound of burning firecrackers is everywhere in the city, and children begin to make new things.  When wearing clothes, women consider adding jewelry. Three days before the New Year, there was a heavy snowfall in Chengdu. The city and outside suddenly turned into a blanket of snow. The auspicious snow heralded a good harvest, adding to the New Year atmosphere.  Liu Jing¡¯s house is also decorated with lanterns and decorations. This year¡¯s celebration is even more festive than in previous years, not only because Sun Shangxiang is pregnant, but also because the war has stopped and she has to recuperate for a few years, which means the family has more time to reunite.  Liu Jing had returned to the mansion the day before. At this time, he was discussing the arrangements for the family festival with Liu Hu and Liu Xian in the study. This year, the Liu family will gather in the capital to participate in the annual New Year Festival. This is also ten years after Jian'an.  , the first reunion of the Liu family.  Liu Jing left all the trivial matters of the clan sacrifice to Liu Hu. This year, Liu Hu and Liu Xian will preside over the clan sacrifice. Liu Hu smiled and said: "This year is very unusual. The Yedu clan members are also led by the third uncle."  "I came down to Chengdu, didn't you know?" "Liu Jing really didn't know that there were seven clansmen in Yedu. He followed Liu Cong to Yedu and never had any contact with him again. However, since Liu Du went to Yedu, the clan members  We gradually got in touch again, and unexpectedly they came to Chengdu to participate in the sacrifice. This was the first time.  "I wonder if Liu Cong will come?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.  Liu Xian shook his head, "He is the only one who refuses to come. I heard from my father that the tribesmen who went to Yedu with him are all very miserable. They are looked down upon by others in Ye. They live on the little money and food distributed by the Prime Minister's Office every month, or  After all, Sanfang among them was engaged in business. They were very resentful towards Liu Cong. Liu Cong was originally going to hold a clan sacrifice in Yedu this year, but as a result, all the Qifang clan members came to Chengdu with their father and are currently living in the Liu Clan Hall.  " Speaking of this, Liu Xian asked hesitantly: "They all want to see Zhou Mu. I wonder if Zhou Mu can take time to meet them. " Before Liu Jing could express his position, Liu Hu said bitterly:  "They just want some benefits. They used to be arrogant and ignored Jingzhou, but now that Jingzhou Mu has become stronger, they shamelessly come to seek refuge with them. What do these people who follow others do to see them?" Liu Jing smiled and waved his hand, "Tiger, you are like this  That's too extreme. Even birds know how to choose good trees to roost, let alone humans. This is human nature. After all, they are members of the tribe. After traveling all the way from Yedu, we can't ignore them too much. Let's ask them to choose!  Send two representatives to meet me at the General's Mansion tomorrow." Liu Xian was overjoyed and quickly bowed and said, "I'll tell them right now." At this time, the voice of the eldest son Liu Zhi came from outside the door, "Father, the child is here.  "Liu Jing smiled and said: "Come in quickly!" Liu Zhi walked in quickly. Liu Zhi is seven years old. He is of medium height and looks like his mother. He is very handsome and gentle. Liu Jing also likes this eldest son very much.  He found his eldest son and wanted Liu Zhi to participate in the clan sacrifice.  Liu Zhi walked into the room and knelt down to salute his father, and then paid homage to Liu Hu and Liu Xian. "My nephew, pay homage to my two uncles!"  He was extremely caring, but Liu Hu liked him in a different way, out of family affection. Liu Hu quickly pulled him up, hugged him and sat down beside him, and asked with a smile: "I heard Xu Shangshu say,  You have changed your master, is that true? " Liu Zhi's master was Lai Min. He was very knowledgeable and taught Liu Zhi how to read and learn poetry. He was very good at teaching Liu Zhi, but he had a great weakness, that is, he loved wine as much as his life.  He often lost his temper after drinking. Six months ago, someone accused him of drinking and sleeping with prostitutes. This incident was known to Tao Zhan. Tao Zhan was deeply dissatisfied and wrote a letter to Pingzhangtai, requesting that Master Liu Zhi be replaced. After discussion with Pingzhangtai, he unanimously decided  , Qin Mi was appointed as Master Liu Zhi instead.  Of course, Liu Jing also knew about this matter. Tao Zhan wrote to him in advance and obtained her husband's consent. Originally, Liu Jing's original intention was to keep Lai Min and find a master for his eldest son. However, since Lai Min lost his moral character after drinking, it was indeed  It is no longer appropriate to be your son¡¯s master.  Liu Zhi glanced at his father timidly and whispered: "My nephew is replaced by Master Qin. Master Qin is not in good health and has returned to his hometown to recuperate."   Liu Xian laughed next to him, this little guy is very good at talking!  It was obvious that he had been dismissed due to drunkenness, but he said that he was resigning due to poor health. Yes, he was generous to others and had the air of a superior. Liu Jing also nodded, "You should study hard with Master Qin. I will find you today."  I came because the day is coming soon, and the family is about to hold the annual clan sacrifice. Logically, you have to be eleven years old before you can participate in the clan sacrifice, but your father is going to make an exception and let you start participating in the clan sacrifice this year. Tomorrow afternoon, you  Go to the ancestral hall with Uncle Xian to learn rituals, do you understand? " Most children are very curious about new things, and Liu Zhi is no exception. He has long heard from his master about the importance of family sacrifices, but he has never had the opportunity to participate. This year, his father made an exception for him.  After participating, he was very excited and quickly knelt down to salute, "My child understands." Liu Jing patted his son's young shoulder and said with a smile: "Go! Go tell your mother, she will prepare a sacrificial robe for you." Liu Jing  After Zhi kowtowed and retreated, Liu Jing said to Liu Hu and Liu Xian: "I will be very busy these days. I will leave the preparations for the clan sacrifice to my two brothers." "Don't worry Zhou Mu, we will take care of it."  At this moment, the housekeeper ran over in a panic and reported at the door: "Master Qi, the emperor's envoy has arrived!" Liu Jing stood up in excitement. He knew that the emperor sent an envoy to confer him the title of King of Han. Jian'an was eighteen years old.  At the end of the year, Liu Jing held a grand canonization ceremony at the Hussar General's Mansion to accept the emperor's canonization. Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty officially canonized Liu Jing as the King of Han, canonized Tao as the Princess of Han, and Sun as the partial concubine. At the same time, Liu Jing was allowed to establish the Han Dynasty.  The country's fiefdoms include Jingzhou, Yizhou and Guanlong, with thousands of miles of fertile land and a population of tens of millions.  When the news came out that Liu Jing was canonized as King of Han, the whole city rejoiced. Liu Jing ordered a general amnesty for the prisoners and a one-year exemption from taxes and labor in the country as a token of congratulation.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 711 Discussion on moving the capital

    In the Pingzhangtai Assembly Hall, hundreds of ministers knelt down to congratulate Liu Jing, "Congratulations to Zhou Mu for being promoted to His Royal Highness the King of Han!" Everyone rejoiced, the Lord was named King of Han, and the Han Kingdom was established. This was the moment they had dreamed of, and it finally came true, Xu Shu  I couldn't help but shed tears. It has been ten years since Chaisang became independent. They have grown from weak to strong step by step, expanding their territory step by step, from two thousand soldiers to hundreds of thousands of soldiers, with a territory of thousands of miles. Looking back on the time when they were alone  Xu Shu was deeply moved by the earth-shaking changes in the small town's weakness.  Liu Jing smiled at everyone and said: "Although I am the King of Han, I still hope that everyone will call me Zhou Mu, which is more cordial." "No!" Dong He came out and gave a salute, and solemnly said: "If you don't establish rules, you can't make a circle.  , Your Highness can no longer call you casually as before. Your Highness respects his own title, which means respecting us." Sima Yi felt that Dong He was a bit too serious and didn't quite understand Liu Jing's mood. He smiled and smoothed things over: "Dong Shangshu.  That's right. We are about to be promoted. His Highness is called the State Shepherd. We can't just be a group of state officials!" This sentence was very relaxed and immediately relaxed the tense atmosphere in the lobby. Liu Jing also smiled and said: "Since everyone  Everyone wants to be promoted, so I have no choice but to avoid the difficulty and be promoted to His Highness the King of Han Dynasty first. However, Dong Shangshu said it very well, without rules, there will be no square. Since we have established a country, we must have the momentum of a country. Our  The official position will be promoted, the salary will be increased, and our generals will become generals. These will gradually change. " Speaking of this, Liu Jing's smile disappeared, his expression became very serious, and he loudly said: "Cao Cao established Wei last year.  The country, whose fiefdom includes the Central Plains of Hebei, has actually emptied the imperial court. However, as long as the central court is immortal, the Han Dynasty will still exist. Since we have also established the Han Dynasty, please work with me to use the Han Dynasty as our  The foundation, revitalize the Han Dynasty, and restore the glory of the Han Dynasty!" Everyone bowed together, "I am willing to work hard for the revival of the Han Dynasty!" "Everyone, please go back to the government office! I want to talk to some ministers about the founding of the country!  , I believe there will be good news that everyone is looking forward to. " Everyone bowed and left the meeting hall. There were only five ministers and Shizhong Yin left in the hall. At this time, Liu Jing waved his hands and said with a smile: "Everyone, please take a seat!"  Several ministers sat down, and Liu Jing said to everyone: "Everyone must know that this time the title of King of Han is one of the compromise conditions reached by Cao Cao and I, and I proposed it on my own initiative. This is because we captured Guanlong.  The foundation for the founding of the country has been laid. As for the official title, it is actually a minor issue. The major issue is that we need to consider moving the capital. This is the issue I want to discuss with you today. "Everyone looked at each other. This is indeed a bit sudden. We only accepted the canonization in the morning.  They were all thinking about changing their official titles, but Liu Jing came straight to the point and talked to everyone about moving the capital. Needless to say, everyone understood that the capital must be moved to Chang'an. Even Sima Yi, who had always known Liu Jing, was a little surprised.  At this time, Xu Shu bowed and said: "His Highness wants to move the capital to Chang'an. We can understand it, but I think it is not the time yet. The conditions will not be mature for at least one or two years. First, the population of Guanzhong is declining and Chang'an is dilapidated. We need to do our best to restore it.  Secondly, Longyou is still unstable, and the Qiang Di and the Xiongnu in the north have not returned, which poses a great threat to Guanzhong. If we want to move the capital to Chang'an, we must first pacify the four barbarians. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us to gain a foothold in Guanlong due to internal and external troubles. " Sima Yi also advised.  Said: "Has Your Highness forgotten Yang Wanwan? Dihu colluded with Cao Cao and almost killed us in Qishan. Now he has not sent an envoy to admit his mistake and seek peace. It is obvious that he is not convinced by us, and there is no news from Liangzhou yet.  , Although we have the name of Guanlong, we do not have the reality of Guanlong. I think we should use the opportunity of the truce with Cao Cao to concentrate on pacifying Guanlong and create conditions for moving the capital to Chang'an. " "Everyone is right, I said to move the capital to Chang'an.  , we are not moving the capital immediately, but we are starting to prepare. For example, all Guanzhong refugees in Hanzhong must be repatriated, and I recently went to Jiangxia Copper Mine. I plan to release all prisoners of war, but on the condition that they settle in Guanzhong.  This is to increase the population in Guanzhong. As for the copper mine manpower, barbarian miners can be recruited to supplement it. One thousand yuan a month is higher than the income of soldiers. There must be many people who are willing. In addition, there are many Sanfu refugees in Bashu, that is, Dongzhou Shi  , As long as we use the temptation of benefits, I think many people are willing to move back to Guanzhong. ""Does His Highness mean the temptation of benefits?" Jiang Wan asked cautiously from the side. He was in charge of taxation and was very concerned about this.  sensitive.  Liu Jing nodded, "Not only the tax exemption, but also the land grant. I once talked with an old farmer from Guanzhong in Hanzhong. The reason why his family stayed in Hanzhong and refused to return to Guanzhong was for the benefit of half a bucket of rice per mu.  , if we exempt taxes from Guanzhong for five years, I think not only the fugitives from Guanzhong will fight to go back, but also many people from Hebei and the Central Plains will be willing to move to Guanzhong.A few years from now, I believe Guanzhong will definitely change drastically.  " Liu Jing's ambition not only attracted the hearts of northerners such as Xu Shu and Sima Yi, but also those who had stayed in Bashu for a long time, such as Fei Guan and Dong He. At this time, Yin Mao stood up and said: "I completely  I support His Highness¡¯s plan sooner rather than later. I hope we can make a decision before the New Year and fully implement it after the New Year.  ¡± Everyone expressed their support, and even Jiang Wan, who felt that the five-year tax exemption was a little more, nodded in agreement. As for the granting of land, there are a lot of unowned fields in Guanzhong, which can be taken back and re-granted. The government should take the first step in this regard  Implementation. At this time, Liu Jing resolutely said: "Since you are so supportive, we will divide the work and cooperate. Pingzhangtai will be responsible for restoring the population and economy of Guanzhong, and I will lead the army to pacify the Guanlong barbarians and create a safe environment for the relocation of the capital.  "  Liu Jing returned to the official room. A guard came forward and said: "General Tiger has been waiting for Zhou Mu with two old men for a long time. He said they are from Zhou Mu's tribe.  " Only then did Liu Jing remember that he wanted his tribe to come to the General's Mansion to find him today, so he nodded, "Invite them in!  " After a moment, Liu Hu walked in quickly with two old men. Liu Xian was supposed to bring them here, but Liu Xian wanted to help Liu Zhi learn the rituals, so Liu Hu brought them here. The two old men had already  After discussing, they must not put on the airs of elders in front of Liu Jing, or even have the etiquette of clan members. As soon as they entered the official room, the two of them hurriedly knelt down and saluted, "Liu Fang and Liu Yi pay homage to His Highness the King of Han!"  " These two old men were both Liu Biao's clan brothers in the past, and they were relatively close by blood. The reason why Liu Jing wanted to meet them at the General's Mansion was because he didn't want to pay homage to them as juniors. When he saw these two people knelt down and called him His Royal Highness the King of Han, he was quite  Knowing what was going on, the disgust in his heart was a little better, and he quickly helped them up and said with a smile: "You two, please get up!  Please get up!  " He then ordered the guards, "Prepare soft seats!  " The two guards spread out soft mats. Liu Jing asked them to sit down. Liu Hu also sat aside. The elder Liu Fang smiled and said: "We are really happy to hear that His Highness was named King of Han. Although there are still some princes in the clan now.  , Most of them are in name only. How can you control thousands of miles of country and country like His Highness? This is the real emperor. What a bullshit puppet in Yedu." When Liu Hu heard what he said was so vulgar and explicit, he couldn't help coughing heavily and glared at him.  Only then did Liu Fang realize that he had lost his composure. He laughed awkwardly, "I mean." Liu Jing waved her hands and smiled before he could continue, "I understand, no need to explain anymore, but I want to know."  The current situation of Liu Cong and Mrs. Cai, how are they?  " "Liu Cong is hopeless. All the children in Yedu know that he is a eunuch and his reputation has been ruined. He eats and drinks all day long and is as fat as a pig. Mrs. Cai has long since ignored him. Don't you know, Your Highness, Cai?  My wife remarried three years ago.  " Liu Jing was startled. He really didn't know this. He quickly asked: "Who did you remarry?  " "Xia Houyi, the governor of Changshan County, does your highness know this person?"  Liu Jing frowned, "It seems that he is Xia Houyuan's younger brother."  "It is this person. It is said that Cai Mao pulled the string. Xia Houyi is as strong as an ox. How can Mrs. Cai's fragile body withstand his abuse?" Liu Hu coughed heavily next to him and interrupted him again.  Then she glared at him dissatisfiedly, why was this old guy talking nonsense when he was sixty years old? Liu Fang was so scared that he didn't dare to say a word. But Liu Jing understood that Cai Mao wanted to marry his daughter to Xia Houba, but it turned out.  Cai Shaoyu refused, so he had no choice but to marry his widowed sister to Xia Houyi. In order to cling to the big tree of the Xiahou family, he had good intentions. He did not dare Mrs. Cai to marry again, so she would not be buried next to Liu Biao's tomb.  It's not a bad thing. Liu Jing didn't have time to chat with these two old men. He just showed his attitude when he saw them. After appeasing them, Liu Jing smiled and said: "Don't rush back to Yedu for the time being. Stay here."  There are also benefits to Yedu. If you interact with your third uncle more often, I will ask him to take care of you. If you have any difficulties, your third uncle will help you. When you leave, I will also give each of you a generous gift, which is a little bit of my gratitude.  " Liu Fang and Liu Yi were overjoyed and quickly knelt down and kowtowed in thanks. Liu Jing was really fed up, so she gave Liu Hu a wink and asked him to take the two people away. Liu Hu invited the two people out. After a while, they came again.  He came back in a hurry, "Is Zhou Mu looking for me?  " Liu Jing nodded, "Sit down!  I want to talk to you about the heavy infantry.  " Liu Hu perked up. This was the topic he was most interested in. Liu Jing walked to the window with his hands behind his hands, stared at the wintersweet blooming in the snow outside the window, pondered for a moment and asked: "I want to expand the heavy armored infantry to eight  One thousand people, that is, two thousand more people, can they complete it within two months?  Liu Hu thought for a moment and said, "Training is not a problem. The key is equipment. Heavy armor and a horse-cutting sword are both very expensive."??, I currently only have 500 more units in my warehouse. It may not be realistic to build 1,500 units within two months.  " "I have considered that there are one thousand swords in stock for the horse-killing sword, and there are five hundred in the Eagle Attack Army. They can be transferred over, and the knives are ready. The key is heavy armor. I will organize three thousand craftsmen to build them day and night, and order them to  To make 1,500 pairs within two months, you just have to train 2,000 recruits for me.  " "No problem, I will use the most brutal training methods to ensure that they pass!  " Speaking of this, Liu Hu asked cautiously: "Are you going to fight Di Hu?  Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Whoever said you were stupid was really mistaken. You are smarter than anyone else!"  " Since the capture of Longxi, the Qishan Road has become a busy business travel road. Although it is the end of January, the ice and snow on the Qishan Road have not yet melted, and the road is still extremely difficult to travel. However, there are already impatient caravans, regardless of the dangers of the road, in the ice and snow.  Trekking on the covered Qishan Road, they trafficked furs, medicinal materials and livestock from Longyou to Shuzhong, and also trafficked silk, porcelain and various daily necessities from Shuzhong to Longxi and Liangzhou. At noon that day, they came up the Qishan North Road.  They organized a large-scale caravan. In fact, there were not many people, only more than thirty people. It was the fact that they trafficked thousands of war horses that made it appear huge. The leader of the caravan carried a double carp flag, which symbolized  This is the caravan of Tao's Trading Company. The Tao family is no longer an ordinary merchant, but has transformed into a military merchant. The so-called military merchant is a merchant who specializes in serving the Han army, including transporting heavy supplies, handling loot, transporting prisoners of war, etc.  , extremely profitable. In Jingzhou, the Tao family controls a huge Yangtze River fleet, specializing in the transportation and trading of iron ore and grain. In fact, it also serves the military. For this reason, both Tao Sheng and Tao Li brothers have  After losing his official status, Tao Sheng was granted the title of Marquis of the Township and the title of Yushi Dafu. Tao Li was granted the title of Marquis of Ting and the title of School Captain. Although they were all false positions, they were all real official identities.  The caravan coming from Liangzhou was led by Tao Li. Tao Li nominally went to Liangzhou to buy horses for the military, but in fact he went to carry out the secret mission assigned to him by Liu Jing, to contact the Qiang people to jointly attack the Dihu king.  The envoy also went south with Tao Li. The envoy was a man in his thirties, Jiang Wei's father, Jiang Wei. He had fled Chang'an with the son of the Qiang King and was now a staff member of the Qiang King's tent.  He was ordered to meet with Liu Jing to discuss the specific matters of attacking Dihu. The team was in a hurry, but at this moment, several Qiang cavalry guards rushed up from behind and shouted: "There is a large group of unknown bandits chasing behind."  Come on, let¡¯s go!  " Tao Li was shocked. How could there be bandits on Qishan Road? Jiang Ji reacted very quickly and understood immediately. He said anxiously: "They are not bandits. They must be Di people who came to intercept us.  " Tao Li was immediately worried. He hurriedly said: "This place is fifty miles away from the nearest Shangfang Valley. How can we make it in time?  " "You have to run away before it's too late, or you'll die here!"  " Jiang Jiu rushed his horse and ran away. Tao Li also hurriedly hit the horse and galloped. A dozen men urged the horse to run, followed by ten Qiang cavalry. At this time, the thunderous sound of horse hooves came, and soon,  A dark group of chasing cavalry appeared in the distance. They were fast and numbered hundreds. They killed ten Qiang cavalry who were lagging behind and accelerated their pursuit. These people were all wearing thick black leather robes, fur hats on their heads, and holding weapons in their hands.  The bows, arrows and spears were exactly what the Qishan horse bandits were dressed in in the past, but the Qishan horse bandits had long been wiped out by the Han army. These were actually the Dihu cavalry chasing from Longxi. Their targets were Tao Li and the Qiang King's envoy Jiang Ji.  The leader, General Dihu, saw the cavalry in front of him from a distance. He laughed evilly and shouted: "Catch them and kill them!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 712 Princess and Family Matters

    The Dihu cavalry chased them all the way, and the dust was flying. They were getting closer and closer to their target. A dozen Han cavalry were also killed by them. More than a thousand war horses gathered quietly by the roadside. The rugged road made it impossible for them to continue.  Running away, I have to wait uneasily for fate.  But the target of the Dihu cavalry was not these horses. Their target was the two men in front who were still running desperately. They were only more than a hundred steps away. The Dihu cavalry, who had excellent riding skills, began to control the horse with both legs and bent the bow to draw the arrow.  .  The shooting range of Dihu's bows and arrows is far inferior to that of the Central Plains army. Although they also have some compound bows that flowed from the Central Plains, most of the Dihu people's bows and arrows are still relatively primitive single bows, with a range of only sixty or seventy steps.  Arrows were shot in a dense manner, and most of them landed about ten steps behind Tao Li and Jiang Juan. However, there were also a few powerful arrows that passed over their heads and whizzed past. Tao Li and Jiang Juan were sweating profusely and fought desperately.  The horses were running, and just when they were about to despair, an army suddenly appeared in front of them. It was a wooden ox food team, with about a thousand wooden oxen, and they were walking quickly towards this side.  "Help!" Tao Li shouted, "Dihu are chasing us behind, save us!" At this moment they saw hope again, shouted for help, and ran desperately to the wooden ox team, which came from the upper valley.  We came to deliver grain to Xinji County. The leader was Wang Ping. He suddenly heard a cry for help from ahead. He couldn't help but rein in his horse. He saw two people running quickly on the official road in front, one behind the other, looking panic-stricken.  The dust was flying behind and the sound of horse hooves was thunderous. It was obvious that there was a large group of soldiers pursuing them.  He was stunned, and waved his hand and said: "Ready the crossbows!" More than a thousand barbarian soldiers took out their crossbows, nocked their crossbows, and formed an attack formation on the official road. Soon, Tao Li and the others rushed over.  Li often walked on the Qishan Road and met Wang Ping. He was so excited that he shouted: "General Wang, save us, there are Dihu chasing us!" Wang Ping also recognized Tao Li. He was shocked and quickly ordered: "Gong  Prepare your crossbows and shoot at the pursuers behind you!" The two Tao Li rushed past the barbarian grain transport soldiers. Dozens of barbarian soldiers immediately deployed obstacles on the official road with wooden ox carts. At this time, the Dihu cavalry gradually pursued them.  Coming, their eyes were red with fear, and they fought desperately to catch up. This was when Di Hu noticed something unusual in front of them. Before they could rein in their horses, dense crossbow arrows were fired at them. The arrows were so powerful that they penetrated the heads of the cavalry.  and chest, the Dihu cavalry screamed and fell off their horses.  The cavalry behind finally reined in their horses. Seeing countless Han soldiers in front, the leading general knew that they could not kill the target. In addition, this was already the actual control area of ??the Han army. Once they were blocked in front and behind, they would not be able to escape.  "Retreat!" the leading Di general shouted, leading hundreds of cavalrymen to turn around and disappear without a trace in a moment.  Seeing that Dihu had escaped, Wang Ping ordered people to go to the front to check. At this time, Tao Li and Jiang Juan came forward to thank them. They were both shocked and grateful for Wang Ping's rescue. Only then did Wang Ping know that Tao Li was an envoy accompanying the Qiang King.  After coming, he was secretly glad that he was decisive, otherwise he almost missed something important.  "Don't worry, you two. I will personally escort you two south. There won't be any danger all the way south." "Thank you, General Wang, for your help!" At this time, Tao Li's men rushed up one after another and told Tao Li about the Di people.  They were so cruel that they took away most of the horses before leaving. Tao Li comforted them one by one. At this time, saving lives was the most important thing, and the robbery of the horses seemed insignificant.  He expressed his thanks again to Wang Ping. Wang Ping arranged for a grain transport sergeant to lead 500 escort soldiers. Then he smiled at the two of them: "Let's go! Keep on going." Tao Li and Jiang Juan nodded, and in front of the Han soldiers  Under the escort, continue to go south. These days, Liu Jing's mansion is also in chaos. The main reason is that Liu Jing was canonized as the King of Han, Tao Zhan was canonized as the Princess of Han, and the mansion became a palace. There are many rules involved.  Changes in details, titles, etiquette, rules, plaques, etc. Although Liu Jing and Tao Zhan don't care much about status and etiquette issues, after all, their words and deeds and the Han Palace represent the entire Han Dynasty.  The face of the country, so many things are beyond our control and must be changed.  However, Tao Zhan still tried to simplify it as much as possible. She didn't want to be bothered by the complicated etiquette. She especially wanted to restrain the people in the palace and not harass or extort others in the name of the Han Palace.  On the other hand, Sun Shangxiang's pregnancy was also a big deal. She showed signs of miscarriage a month ago, which made the Liu family extremely nervous. It took a lot of effort to save the fetus.  Tao Zhan did not dare to be careless. She knew that once there were signs of miscarriage, it might happen at any time later. She would not be able to breathe a sigh of relief until she was full term. Sun Shangxiang was only six months pregnant now, which was the most dangerous time.  .  The charcoal fire was burning brightly in the warm room, and the fragrance was lingering in the bronze beast stove in the corner. The room was filled with a light sandalwood incense. Sun ShangHalf lying on the couch, covered with a quilt, her face was a little pale. She drank a few mouthfuls of porridge, put the porridge bowl on the table, and frowned slightly: "Sister, when do you think the general will be back?" Tao Tao  Zhan understood her worries. She was worried that Liu Jing would not be able to catch up with the birth of the child, so he smiled and comforted her: "There are still three months! I think he should be back in time." Sun Shangxiang sighed and complained a little: "This is the time.  He came back two months ago and left again. He, the King of Han, is too busy. Can't he leave something to his men?  Isn't it the same for your brother if he wants to fight in person? They are all working hard. I heard that they are going to clean up the barbarians this time. I hope he doesn't bring back the chief's daughter. " Sun Shangxiang chuckled, "It turns out that the eldest sister is worried about him being outside.  Tao Zhan blushed and shook his head quickly, "He's not that kind of person, and I'm not that narrow-minded. It's just that I don't like dealing with barbarian women. The rules are different from ours. It's difficult."  "Let's live together." "Sister, I don't like it either." Sun Shangxiang smiled slyly and said, "How about we write a letter to him and warn him." Tao Zhan hesitated, "Forget it."  Tao Zhan thought to himself that it was just because of his status that he couldn't write such a letter. She didn't care. He dared to bring a Hu girl back and asked him to wait and see. Sun Shangxiang smiled and shook Tao Zhan's hand, and whispered: "This is  Sister, don't worry about it, I'll write a letter." Tao Zhan also knew that her husband doted on Shang Xiang. He never listened to his own opinions on such matters between men and women, but he did care about Shang Xiang's feelings, although Tao Zhan sometimes did.  She was not comfortable with this, but she was relatively broad-minded, and Sun Shangxiang himself was also a simple-minded person who was lovable and respected her greatly. Tao Zhan also tried not to care about competing for favor in order to maintain the harmony in the family.  At this time, she couldn't help but laugh, "Let me explain first! I don't have such thoughts, and it has nothing to do with me." Sun Shangxiang blinked, "Of course, the eldest sister is the Princess of Han, so she should put the overall situation first. I  A shrewd woman doesn't pay attention to his words." At this point, both of them laughed. At this time, a maid at the door reported: "Princess Qi, Tao Xianghou is outside asking for an audience." Tao Xianghou is Tao Zhan!  Although her father Tao Sheng was also in Chengdu, he rarely came to visit his daughter. Tao Zhan knew that his father must have something to do, so he nodded and said, "Please wait a moment, I will come right away." She then said to Sun Shangxiang:  "Lie down and have a good rest. I'll come and see you in the evening." "Well! Bring Zhu'er and Chan'er. I haven't seen them for a few days and I miss them." Tao Zhan gave a few more instructions and then quickly  Walking towards the outer house. In the guest hall of the outer house, Tao Sheng sat on the soft mat and drank tea with deep thoughts. He has also been very busy in the past two months. He just came back from Chang'an. His son was promoted to the prefect of Jingzhao County and the magistrate of Chang'an.  , this is a major event for the Tao family, even ten times more important than him, a country prince. Tao Sheng asked Jia Xu for advice, and Jia Xu told him that in two years at most, the Han Dynasty would move its capital to Chang'an, and his son Tao Zheng would be  If the first Jingzhao Yin has outstanding political achievements, he will even be appointed as prime minister in Pingzhangtai in ten years.  Tao Sheng was very excited. If his father Jiuquanxia knew about it, he would not know how happy he would be. But he also knew that his son's promotion was entirely due to his daughter becoming the Princess of Han Dynasty. This was Liu Jing's way of cultivating his relatives and improving his daughter's status.  , so he knew what he should do. He needed to communicate with his daughter to let her understand the family's trends.  At this time, there was a sound of rings, and Tao Zhan walked into the hall from the outside. Tao Sheng stood up quickly, stepped forward and bowed deeply, "See you, Princess!" Tao Zhan was slightly startled, "Father, why are you doing this?" "This is  It's rude if I don't bow down." Tao Sheng smiled and said, "This is not only for your face, but also for your face." Tao Zhan nodded silently, "Father, please take a seat." Tao Sheng sat down.  , then leaned over and smiled and said: "Do you know about your brother's appointment as the prefect of Jingzhao County?" "I heard about it, but it wasn't the general who told me. I heard it from my sister-in-law. She came here a few days ago." "The King of Han said this."  Aren't you going to tell me?" Tao Sheng asked with some confusion.  "Father!" Tao Zhan stretched out his voice with some dissatisfaction, "I have told you before that I never care about the Tao family's affairs, and I hope that the Tao family will not use my name to do anything outside. As for my brother's promotion, I  I made an agreement with the general that he doesn't have to tell me these things, and I don't want to know." Tao Sheng was a little embarrassed, and he said in silence for a while: "Of course I remember what you said, but you can't go too extreme with some things.  She is the daughter of the Tao family, and your brother is appointedThe governor of Zhao County and the order of Chang'an are also related to you. This is a fact and you cannot deny it.  " "Father, I didn't deny it. I just said that I don't want to know these things. How does the general think about it? I will not interfere, let alone ask him to take care of the Tao family. Do you understand what I mean?  The Tao family's affairs may have something to do with my identity, but they have nothing to do with me.  " Tao Sheng smiled and nodded, "I can understand that it is wise for you not to get involved in politics. But as a member of the Tao family, as a daughter, you should know what I, the head of the family, and your father, think about. I hope you can give me some advice.  A little advice.  Tao Zhan was silent for a moment and said, "Father, please speak, I will listen."  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 713 Qiang Envoy

    Seeing that his daughter agreed reluctantly, Tao Sheng secretly sighed in his heart. After her daughter married Liu Jing, she had been very resistant to contact with the Tao family. She came to the Tao family several times to visit her grandfather. After his grandfather passed away, she never came back.  She has never been to the Tao family, for fear that the Tao family would use her identity to do mischief.  Tao Sheng can also understand his daughter. After all, the Tao family has done many disgraceful things in the process of becoming a giant businessman. However, since the Tao family began to shift from shopping malls to officialdom, they have been very careful to protect their reputation.  But her daughter doesn¡¯t seem to understand this, but Liu Jing cares about the Tao family very much, and constantly creates opportunities to transform the Tao family, such as making the Tao family become military businessmen, using the Tao family¡¯s industries in various places to collect intelligence, improve Tao¡¯s politics, etc.  Tao Sheng was very grateful to Liu Jing for his concern for the Tao family, but he also felt sad for the estrangement between his daughter and the Tao family. He said slowly: "Zhan'er, first of all, you have to understand that the Tao family no longer has its own business. We  All business in the past has been given away, including shipping, and we no longer undertake the transportation of civilian goods. We only transport iron ore, grain, kerosene and coal, which are military and official supplies. As for buying and selling goods, we also  They are all military products. We are now military merchants. Maybe you don¡¯t know that even the Tao family¡¯s taverns and hotels in various places are collecting intelligence for the Han army, so we are no longer pure businessmen. " Tao Zhan smiled bitterly.  , "From my original intention, I hope that the Tao family will stay as far away from officialdom as possible, and would rather be a pure businessman." "But you have to face reality, you are the Princess of Han, and the Princess of Han's natal family is a small businessman.  "Your son's grandfather is a small shopkeeper. Do you think you can keep your position?" Tao Zhan didn't speak for a long time. She remembered that her grandfather refused to agree to her marriage to Liu Jing. Now it seems that her grandfather did have foresight back then.  , but there are many things she can't help herself about, especially when it comes to her children, which is Tao Zhan's biggest weakness.  Tao Zhan sighed softly, "Then why did father come to me? What did he want to say?" "I'll make it clear! The Tao family doesn't need your special care. I just hope that on the way to the Tao family's rise, you will  Don't hold back, don't stop the King of Han from promoting the Tao family. You can ignore it. " "But I won't care about it now." "Although it is now, it doesn't mean that in the future, Zhan'er, if one day your brother will.  Will you stop me from being promoted to Prime Minister?" Tao Zhan thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "I don't know, I really don't know. If it is a misfortune for the dynasty and the people that my brother is appointed Prime Minister, I think I will definitely oppose it. Of course, if  He is indeed capable, honest and has a good reputation. I will also be very happy. Please understand my painstaking efforts. If the Tao family gets something they shouldn't get because of me, it will not be a benefit to the family, or even a disaster. Father still remembers  What happened to General He Jin?" Tao Sheng had no choice but to sigh and said, "Okay! We'll talk about the future later. I was so excited about your brother's promotion to Jingzhao Prefect, so I came to see you.  "Okay, just pretend that I didn't say anything. My grandson and niece are all fine!" Tao Zhan smiled and said, "They are all fine. I called them to see grandpa." After that, she was about to order the maid.  , Tao Sheng quickly waved his hand and said: "No, let's do it next time! I have important things to do today, and I will come to visit them next time." Tao Sheng stood up and said with a smile, "Then I'll say goodbye!" Tao Zhan kept sending his father away.  In the outer courtyard, looking at her father's hurried back, she couldn't help but sigh lowly, and remembered her grandfather's last advice to her before he died. "The Tao family has too few qualifications. You must not be humble and occupy a high position. That is the way to disaster."  , you need to accumulate hard work. After two generations, the family foundation will be deep, and it will not be too late to slowly move up. I am worried that your father is eager for success and will repeat the tragedy of He Jin. You are a sensible person, so you should dissuade your father more.  Tao family, remember!  Remember!  ¡¯ At this moment, Tao Zhan made up his mind to prevent his brother from being promoted to prime minister no matter what.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In Wudu County, Hanzhong, nearly 50,000 elite troops have been gathering for many days. Early in the morning, Wang Ping brought Tao Jin and Jiang Ji, who had been rescued halfway, to the Han army camp. At this time, in the Chinese army tent, Liu Jingzheng and military advisor Fazheng  , Pang Tong, and general Ma Chao discussed the specific plan for this western expedition.  Ma Chao knew the situation in Longxi very well, so he first smiled and said: "Although the saying goes that the Northern Qiang and the Southern Di are not exactly like that, it is mainly because the Qiang king's tent is in Zhangye, and the Di king's tent is in Longxi, but in fact  The Hu people are mixed in the Longxi area. Qiang, Di, Tuguhun, Xiongnu and other Hu people live there. Among them, the Di people are the largest. The Di people are divided into two groups. One is the Huhan Di people. The leader is named Song Jian, but  "A Han?" Pang Tong said in shock: "He is actually a Han?" Ma Chao smiled and said, "A lot of people thought he was a Han."Even he himself claims to be a Di, but in fact his father is a Han and his mother is a Di. Although he is of Han descent, the Di people still hate the Central Plains court, which has been in separatist rule for more than thirty years.  He set up an official office, and his power reached Hehuang in the west. He called himself King Pinghan, but he was actually called King Pinghan, which shows his ambition.  " "Let's talk about another group of Di people!  "Liu Jing said from the side. "The other Di people are Xingguo Yang Wanwan who has dealt with us. He is a real Di person and is regarded as the King of Di. He is known as a hundred thousand soldiers and occupies most of Longxi County. This person  Insidious, cunning, and capricious, it is not necessarily true that he is loyal to Cao Cao. He saw that we were weak before, so he united with Cao Cao's army to attack us. Now that we are going north to occupy Guanlong, he is probably starting to regret it again and will definitely send an envoy to sue for peace, but His Highness cannot  believe him.  Liu Jing nodded, thought for a moment and then asked: "How about Tuyuhun and the Huns?"  You just said that there are also those in Longxi.  " "The Xiongnu's power is mainly north of Guanzhong. Their power in Longxi is very small. They are just a few small tribes. Don't worry about it. Tuyuhun is actually a branch of Xianbei. It is said that they moved from Liaodong. The tribe is named after the leader. They have been for generations.  The leaders are all called Tuyuhun, and they are not very powerful. They are ridiculed by the Qiang and Di people as "Tuyuhun", which means that they are docile and easily conquered.  Liu Jing paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his back. In fact, he knew what Ma Chao said very well. In order to attack Hehuang in Longxi, he had been preparing for nearly two months and knew the situation there well, but there was one thing.  However, Liu Jing has not been able to make a decision, that is, whether to kill the Hu people in Longxi in one go, or to use both kindness and power, focusing on attacking people's hearts. From his original intention, most of the Hu people are unruly and bully the weak and fear the strong.  It was possible that it would be best to eliminate all future troubles in one fell swoop, but on the other hand Liu Jing also knew that most of the Hu people lived in pursuit of water and grass. As autumn passed and spring came, they would be killed endlessly. At most, they could drive away the old tribes, and then  The coming of new tribes is determined by the geographical environment of the grassland. It is obviously unrealistic to allow the farming people to raise horses and graze. Just now, Ma Chao mentioned the word "Tugu Sheep", which immediately gave Liu Jing a revelation, nomadic people.  But when Liu Jing was meditating, a guard outside the tent reported: "Your Majesty, General Wang Ping has brought two people, one is Master Tao and the other is Qiang.  messenger.  " Liu Jing was overjoyed. He had delayed sending troops in Wudu County because he was waiting for news about Tao Li. Now that it finally came, he immediately said: "Invite them in!  " After a while, the guards brought the three people in. Wang Ping knelt down on one knee to salute. Tao Li and Jiang Juan also knelt down to salute. Liu Jing quickly asked them to stand up, and then asked with a smile: "Why are General Wang together?  " Tao Li then told Liu Jing in detail how he was being chased by the Di people on the way and was fortunately rescued by Wang Ping. Only then did Liu Jing know the twists and turns they had encountered. He nodded and said, "It seems that the Di people have a deep relationship."  It gave me a sense of crisis, and it also showed that they would be prepared, but it also reminded me to prevent them from sneak attacks.  Liu Jing smiled at Jiang Juan again and said, "What news did General Jiang bring me?"  " Jiang Juan was born in the famous Jiang family in Tianshui County. Although he is a Qiang, he has been completely Chineseized. He just fled to Xiliang to avoid Ma Chao's rebellion. At this time, Ma Chao was standing by, but he turned a blind eye and took out a letter and presented it to Liu Jing  , "This is an autographed letter from King Qiang to His Highness the King of Han, please read it!  " Liu Jing opened the letter and read it carefully. Qiang King Nangongsuo was willing to send troops to attack the Di people with the Han army, but he put forward a condition in the letter, which was that he hoped to hand over all the captured Di people to the Qiang people. Liu Jing read it  He wrote the letter and asked Jiang Yanxiao without showing his face: "I heard that the general has a son named Jiang Wei who is very smart. Is he still in Xiliang now?  Jiang Juan felt a little strange. The King of Han asked his son what he was doing. He quickly bowed and said, "My son is in Xiliang, studying with the Qiang prince."  " Liu Jing nodded and said: "The battle for Longxi has subsided. The Jiang family has moved to New Hebei City. The general is just taking a temporary refuge in Liangzhou. He should send his son back to the family. If the general is willing, he can send the son to Xiangyang Long.  There are many famous scholars and scholars in Longzhong. Pang Degong, Sima Hui, and Xun Lingjun are all teaching apprentices in Longzhong. How about I write a letter of recommendation so that your son can receive a better education?  " Jiang Juan was shocked. The King of Han valued his son so much. Of course, his son was not the son of King Qiang and had no value as a hostage. He should have good intentions. Although he didn't understand why the King of Han cared about his son, Jiang Juan  Ji had no idea of ??sending his son to Xiangyang to study, but he was still very grateful to the King of Han for his concern for his son. He quickly bowed deeply and said: "I am very grateful for the kindness of the King of Han, but the matter is sudden and I need to consider it.  Liu Jing smiled and said: "I will write a letter of recommendation. You can decide for yourself whether to send your son to Longzhong or not!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 714 No Sincerity

    Liu Jing ordered people to send Jiang Juan to rest, and gave Tao Li a wink to let him stay. Wang Ping also left, and Liu Jing asked Tao Li to sit down and tell everyone about the situation of using Qiang Hu.  Tao Li sighed and said: "To be honest, I have a very bad impression of Qiang King Nangong Suo this time. Although I have dealt with him for more than ten years, I used to feel that he was frank and straightforward, enthusiastic in treating others, and a good person to do business with."  This person, but this time my feeling has completely changed. This person is very hypocritical, insidious and cunning. He puts forward many unreasonable conditions. This time when we came back from Zhangye, he actually sent only ten cavalry to protect us. I very much doubt that he was the one who secretly informed us.  It was the Di people who led the Di people to pursue us." Pang Tong frowned slightly and asked, "The last time General Ma Dai sent an envoy to Zhangye, King Qiang was very humble and agreed to send troops, and he did it. Now we occupy it.  After Guan Long, he should be more humble. How could he change his face and notify the Di people to assassinate you? Doesn¡¯t he care about Jiang Jiong¡¯s life? " "This is what the Qiang King is only after. He wanted to do it last time?  We obtained grain and pig iron, so we sent troops to attack the Di people, but in the end we only gave him grain, but not the fine iron he asked for. He was secretly annoyed. This time he was not happy and wanted to give us a warning. As for  He actually doesn't care about Jiang Ji's life. " Ma Chao next to him said: "Tao Gong is absolutely right. King Qiang is just such a person. I didn't go to him because I was afraid that he would betray me to Cao Cao.  " Liu Jing has been silent. He remembered a detail from that year. Nangong Suo sold horses to Jiang Xia. He seemed very generous, but all the horses were castrated. There was no ambiguity in the key points. Liu Jing secretly sneered in his heart.  , then handed Nangong Suo's letter to everyone, "Look at his letter!" Everyone took the letter and circulated it one by one. Fazheng sneered and said, "King Qiang proposed to hand over all the Di people to him. It can be seen that  Nangong Suo's ambition is to unify the Qiang and Di. He not only occupies Zhangye Ranch, but also expands to Hehuang. I am afraid that after we destroy the Di people, we will face a powerful Qiang and Hu. It is obvious that Nangong Suo wants to take advantage of us.  "Liu Jing pondered for a moment and then asked Tao Li, "How strong are the Qiang people now?" Tao Li quickly leaned over and said, "I asked Jiang Ji about this question on the road. Jiang Jiong said that there are currently 200,000 Qiang people.  Fifty thousand cavalry were gathered, but there were many tribes. Nangong Suo was just the chief of the largest tribe and was elected as the Qiang King by each tribe. "Liu Jing stood up and said, "In this case, we don't need to join forces with the Qiang people to directly destroy Yang.  Qian Qian and Song Jian, as for the Qiang people, let¡¯s finish the fight against the Di people.¡± That night, Liu Jing sent a letter back to Nangong, declining the proposal to join forces with the Qiang people to attack the Di people, and sent someone to escort Jiang Juan back.  Zhang Ye, as soon as Jiang Ji left, Liu Jing immediately ordered the entire army to set off and march north overnight.  Fifty thousand Han troops went all the way north, marching lightly, and arrived at Shangfang Valley three days later. At this time, a military city had been built in Shangfang Valley, with a thousand troops stationed and 100,000 shi of grain stored. It was getting late, so Liu Jing  The entire army was ordered to camp and rest outside the military city.  Just as the camp was set up, the patrol soldiers led a Di people envoy to the camp. This Di people envoy was the aid of the Han army on two previous missions. He was led into the tent uneasily.  He knelt down and kowtowed, crying: "The guilty minister Ge Yuan came to see His Highness the King of Han, and begged His Highness the King of Han to forgive the ignorance of the Di people. We are willing to redeem our past sins with the greatest sincerity, and are willing to serve as the King of Han's dogs and horses, and to serve the King of Han in attacking Cao's army."  Liu Jing sneered disdainfully, "The sins you have committed are unforgivable. At this point, we can only use your heads to atone for your sins. There is no other way." Ge Yuan was so frightened that he lost his mind and begged: "We  I am willing to hand over ten thousand horses and three hundred thousand sheep, and I am willing to offer the most beautiful girl from Di to the King of Han. I just beg the King of Han to spare us." At this time, Pang Tong whispered a few words to Liu Jing from the side, and Liu Jing understood.  He asked coldly: "Since you are sincere, when are you going to deliver it to us?" Ge Yuan saw a glimmer of hope and kowtowed repeatedly: "The delivery will be in ten days, without any deception." "Okay! I will give it again.  You have one chance, and the delivery will be made in Shouyang County in ten days. If you dare to tell the truth, I will destroy your entire clan, get out of here!" Liu Jing shouted angrily, and Ge Yuan was so scared that he ran away with his head in his arms. At this time, Liu Jing turned around.  Asked Pang Tong, "How did the military advisor know that they were deceitful?" "It's very simple. They knew the relationship between Tao Gong and His Highness, but they still wanted to kill them all. If they had the slightest intention of surrender, wouldn't they leave some room for themselves?"  Liu Jing nodded, and Pang Tong said the key point. It can be seen that Dihu's surrender must be fraudulent.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Longxi County is the largest county in the entire Longxi region. Wuhan in the northwest is the territory of Pinghan King Song Jian, with influence as far away as Hehuang area, while Di?Yang Wanwan's territory includes parts of Nan'an County and Jincheng County.  There are few cities in this area, thousands of miles of pasture, and delicious pasture. It is an ideal place for nomadic people to live. The Di people have lived in this area for thousands of years and have spawned hundreds of tribes, large and small.  Eight days later, thousands of tents, large and small, were set up on a grassland about a hundred miles north of Shouyang County, stretching for dozens of miles. These were more than a hundred tribes controlled by Yang Wanwan, with a population of nearly 200,000.  All gathered together, there were tens of thousands of horses and millions of sheep, including 30,000 elite Dihu cavalry. It was obvious that Yang Wanwan was ready to fight the Han army.  Yang Wanwannian was about fifty years old. He had a strong build, sharp edges and numerous deep grooves on his face, and a pair of small eyes that were particularly sinister. He had been the king of Qiang for nearly twenty years and had beaten many people, big and small.  After nearly a hundred battles, he unified Dong Di and became the master of the Dong Di people.  He asked Ge Yuan to beg for mercy from the Han army, just to buy time to gather the tribes and form a powerful army. Now that all 30,000 Di cavalry were in place, Yang Wanwan no longer had any fear. At this moment, he was eager to fight with the Han army.  In the first battle, the Han army only numbered 50,000 people, and his 30,000 cavalry were enough to sweep the enemy army.  A cavalryman rushed into the tent and reported: "Your Majesty, the Han army has been killed thirty miles away!" Yang Wanwan stood up with a laugh. The moment came to kill the Han army, and he shouted loudly:  "Pass my order, all cavalry mount and prepare for battle!" £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  At this time, Liu Jing led the main force of the Han army to the Dihu camp twenty miles away. In front of him was the endless grassland. Liu Jing seemed to feel something. He stared into the distance for a moment, waved his hand and ordered: "Set up the formation!" The drums sounded,  Tens of thousands of Han troops set up a formation, with fifty large trebuchets lined up. Behind the trebuchets were six thousand crossbow arrows, arranged in three rows.  Aim ahead.  Behind the crossbowmen were 8,000 heavy armored infantry, and behind them were 30,000 main spear troops. Strangely, the 5,000 Han cavalry were not found in the team.  Forty-five thousand Han troops were waiting solemnly. The strong wind was blowing the Han national flag, fluttering in the hunting wind. Liu Jing stood under the flag and stared coldly ahead. At this time, he had seen a long  black line.  He looked at the sky and saw that it was already afternoon. This battle must end before dark. Tens of thousands of Dihu cavalry were getting closer and closer, and the battle was imminent.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The sound of hooves was like thunder, the earth shook, and the Dihu cavalry ran closer and closer, one thousand steps, eight hundred steps, six hundred steps, four hundred steps.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  It has gradually approached the range of the trebuchet.  The Han army's trebuchet was launched, and a series of strong winds sounded. Dozens of boulders rose into the air, forming a dense rain of stones in the air. They made a strange sound and roared towards the heads of the Dihu cavalry.  The Dihu cavalry who were running at the front fell on their backs. The huge boulder hit the soldiers. Their heads were instantly smashed away and their flesh and blood were bloody. The horses were hit and fell down with a scream. The soldiers on the horses were pressed tightly under them. The boulders were scattered all over.  They rolled with screams and suffered countless casualties.  A stone rain killed and wounded more than 300 cavalrymen, dampening the crazy arrogance of the Dihu cavalry. However, their attack did not stop. They continued to attack the Han army's camp. The second wave of stone rain struck again.  Then, another mass of people fell on their backs. At this moment, their forward troops were less than a hundred steps away from the Han army camp.  The Han army's arrow array was activated, a drum beat, and six thousand crossbows were fired at the same time. A dense rain of arrows rose into the sky, forming a long black arrow cloud in the sky, which instantly turned into black spots, overwhelming the sky.  Shoot towards the Dihu cavalry head-on.  The Dihu cavalry raised their shields to meet them, but the Han army's crossbows were dominating the world. Not only did they have a long range, but they were also powerful. Ordinary shields and leather armor could not withstand them at all. Especially when they were thrown from the air, the arrows were even more powerful when they fell.  Its own gravity turned the wooden shields of the Dihu cavalry into decorations.  The powerful and heavy armor-piercing crossbow arrows pierced the shields of the cavalry and shot through the leather armor. The cavalry were hit by the arrows and fell off their horses one after another. Wails filled the field. Then the second and third waves of crossbow arrows roared like raindrops, which were so dense that it made people feel uncomfortable.  Out of breath, the long arrow fell down, piercing the shield and the enemy's face and chest.  These Dihu cavalrymen seemed like crops that had been destroyed by the storm. They fell one by one, blood was everywhere, and they died miserably with wailing sounds. The morale of the enemy army disappeared sharply. The ten thousand cavalrymen began to waver, retreated, and fled in all directions.  As if a strong wind blew through the dark clouds, the clouds cleared and the fog cleared in an instant. The first attack of the Dihu cavalry was disintegrated. They suffered a heavy blow. The Han army only fired two rounds of arrows, and the 10,000 cavalry were reduced by 30%, nearly 30%.  Thousands of people were killed or injured.  Yang Wanwan, who was watching the battle from behind, took a breath of air. He had never seen such a powerful and domineering bow and arrow. Compared with the Han army, the range of Di Ren's bow and arrow wasThe gap was too far. Although bows and arrows were not the Di people's strong point. The Di people were good at short-distance riding and shooting, but even the Qiang people who were good at bows and arrows couldn't compare with the Han army's crossbows. Yang Wanwan felt frightened.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 715 Grassland Massacre

    The vigor of the Dihu cavalrymen was completely wiped out under the powerful crossbows of the Han army. The slogans of defending the homeland and the country that had been shouted as loud as mountains also disappeared. Everyone was anxiously considering their own retreat. They were all thinking about their retreat.  For ordinary herdsmen, how to protect their meager property is their top concern.  The passion for killing the enemy disappeared in a bloody rain of arrows, and they began to feel a sense of fear. Many people cast doubts on Yang Wanwan, why he was hiding behind during the attack, the passion and enthusiasm of the Dihu cavalry.  After their fanaticism was ruthlessly shattered by the rain of arrows from the Han army, they began to calm down.  But this was what Yang Wanwan had expected. He knew that the Di people's fighting spirit was easy to lose. Only by taking their families as hostages would they fight to the death against the Han army.  Yang Qianwan pointed his sword at the endless tents behind him and shouted: "Your wives, daughters and parents are behind you. If you don't fight hard, who will protect your wives and daughters? They will become slaves of the Han people, and your parents will be killed."  , your wife was raped and humiliated, your children were betrayed, and your heads became the enemy¡¯s harvest, carried on tall bamboo poles.¡± Yang Wanwan¡¯s hoarse voice echoed on the grassland, and every word he said deeply moved Dihu.  The cavalry made their newly extinguished fighting spirit burn again.  Tens of thousands of cavalry raised their swords and shouted: "Never retreat!" Yang Wanwan waved his sword again and shouted: "For the honor of the grassland, defeat them and kill the Han army!" "Kill the Han army!" Tens of thousands of people shouted,  War horses are galloping, and tens of thousands of cavalry are roaring like dark clouds under the strong wind. The earth is shaking and the grassland is crying helplessly.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Liu Jing immediately stood on a low grass hill, looking coldly at the overwhelming Dihu cavalry, a cruel smile on his face.  "The crossbow troops retreated, and the heavy armored infantry prepared!" The six thousand crossbow troops retreated like a tide, as if a curtain had been opened, revealing eight thousand heavy armored infantry lined up behind them. They were arranged into eight groups, with a thousand in one row.  Heavy armored infantry.  They were all tall and powerful, holding a two-foot-long saber in their hands. They were covered in heavy armor that shone with green light. Only a pair of unusually cold eyes were revealed on their faces, like a group of hunters, coldly staring at the fallen soldiers.  Trap prey.  Behind the 8,000 heavily armored infantry, there were 30,000 spearmen, each holding a sharp spear one to five feet long in their hands, arranged in three huge square formations. Their chief general Wei Yan had already conveyed the order of the King of Han.  Cover the Dihu cavalry from behind to prevent them from escaping.  "Boom!" The drum beat slowly and powerfully, "Boom! Boom!" Accompanied by the heavy drum beat, the heavy armored infantry stepped closer to the sudden attack of the Dihu cavalry. Every step was so shocking.  The soul is soul-stirring, and every step he takes is so powerful.  At this time, Yang Wanwan, one of the Dihu cavalrymen, shouted, "Come forward!" The Dihu cavalrymen suddenly accelerated. They knew that only by repelling the enemy could they have any hope of survival. Their instinct to protect their families made them desperate.  Holding their swords high, waving their spears, they charged at the Han army crazily, rushing like a storm, but the heavy armored infantry stood still like a mountain.  Liu Hu was wearing heavy armor and holding a sword that was about one foot and nine feet long. Only his eyes were exposed, and his eyes were cold. Behind him stood eight thousand heavy armored infantry.  8,000 heavy armored infantrymen were arranged in a row of 1,000 people, a total of 60 rows, one foot apart from the front and back. All of them had been put on heavy armor. The 8,000 people lined up neatly, like a copper wall and an iron wall, with a murderous look.  The speed of the Dihu cavalry is getting faster and faster, the sound of horse hooves is like thunder, and the momentum is like a stormy sea, destroying everything and invincible, rushing towards the densely defending Han soldiers with an unstoppable violence.  The first three rows of heavy armored infantrymen of the Han army squatted together and gathered tightly. The handles of their war sabers were inserted into the ground, and three thousand long blades were thrust diagonally forward, like a dense forest of knives.  The cavalry like a storm came to the Han army. The cavalry's tactics were to break through the enemy's formation and penetrate into the enemy's hinterland.  But what they saw was a gleaming long blade, with sharp spikes aimed at their chests. The cavalry in front could not retreat in time, and they shouted in fear, and many people closed their eyes.  The blood mist suddenly rose, and screams resounded through the grassland. The powerful impact of the Dihu cavalry did not penetrate into the Han army's formation, and was blocked by three thousand sharp horse-cutting knives. Nearly three thousand cavalry paid a heavy price. They were stabbed  Pierced on the sharp edge.  Liu Hu raised his horse-cutting sword high, and the eight thousand heavy armored infantry simultaneously burst out with an earth-shattering roar: "Kill¡ª¡ª" Liu Hu waved his horse-cutting sword, and the eight thousand heavy armored soldiers launched an offensive, advancing like a wall, with a momentum as dignified as a mountain.  Kill step by step towards the overwhelming Dihu cavalry.  The Dihu cavalry also brandished their spears and stabbed atAmong the armored infantry, Yang Da, nephew of Yang Wanwan, took the lead. He waved his spear, roared, and stabbed at a tall Han army leader while distracted.  The leader of the heavy armored infantry was General Liu Hu. He shouted loudly, and slashed his fierce horse-cutting sword head-on. The sword was so fierce that it immediately split the Yang Dalian man and horse who rushed in front of him into two halves. Blood spattered and internal organs flowed across the room.  The heavy armored infantry waved their long swords and advanced step by step. The swords and blood shadows were slashing or stabbing, and they were invincible. The severed heads and broken bodies of the Dihu cavalrymen rolled to the ground. Their screams and wails resounded through the grassland. On both sides of them, the Han army's arrows were like arrows.  Locusts caused heavy casualties to them. The injured and dismounted Dihu cavalry knelt down and begged, but they were still chopped into pieces by the heavy armored infantry arrayed up. Blood flowed into rivers, and corpses were everywhere. The grassland became a human slaughter.  field.  On the grassy hill, Liu Jing sat on a horse and stared expressionlessly at the massacre on the grassland. The setting sun was like blood, and the afterglow dyed the grassland red. There were desperate screams and miserable cries everywhere. Liu Jing  Jing was unmoved at all. Wang Ping beside him couldn't bear it anymore and whispered: "Your Highness, why not accept their surrender!" Liu Jing glanced at him coldly, and Wang Ping was silent and did not dare to speak.  ¡°Give me my order, the cavalry will attack!¡± £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  A rocket shot high into the sky, drawing a long black smoke. This was an order to attack. Behind a grass hill more than ten miles away, eight thousand Han cavalry had already assembled and were on standby. When this long black smoke  As the smoke streaked across the sky, Ma Chao shouted: "Attack!" Eight thousand cavalrymen burst out with a shout at the same time. Their horses galloped, their spears flashed, and they charged toward the Di camp, which was ten miles away.  When the black cavalry of the Han army appeared not far away, the entire camp was like a nest exploded. Women hugged their children and ran away desperately. The old man knelt on the ground and prayed to heaven. More people hid in  The tent, huddled in the corner shivering.  Three thousand Di cavalry came forward to fight, and instantly collided with the Han cavalry. The Han cavalry divided into two groups. Ma Chao led a fierce battle with the Di cavalry, while Ma Dai led three thousand cavalry into the Di camp.  , the horses galloped, the tent rolled, the cavalry galloped all the way, caught up with the fleeing women and children, quickly surrounded them, and forced them to return to the camp.  Outside the camp, Ma Chao led the Han cavalry to form cavalry formations, dividing and killing the Dihu cavalry. The Han cavalry may not be as good as their opponents in riding skills, and they would be weaker than their opponents when fighting alone, but they have good training.  If the formation is neat and uniform, and the collective strength is used to fight fiercely with Dihu, the combat effect will be completely different, not to mention that the Han army is far stronger than its opponent.  The cries and pleas came one after another from the camp. The cries were so loud that the Dihu cavalry had no intention of fighting. They turned their horses and ran back to the camp. However, they were surrounded by Han cavalry. They dismounted their horses with spears and arrows.  As fast as thunderbolts, slashing with long knives, and bursting with blood, the Dihu cavalry suffered heavy casualties. They had no choice but to abandon their spears and surrender. It was almost dusk, and the fierce battle on the main battlefield in the distance was heating up. The horns were whimpering, and the war horses were  Neighing, the sound of long knives, the sound of horse hooves like thunder, the saber slashing, blood mist filling the air, heads rolling everywhere, broken limbs and broken arms, filling the grassland, eight thousand heavy armored infantry advanced layer by layer like a copper wall and an iron wall, killing Di  The Hu people turned on their backs and retreated steadily, while the 30,000 spear troops formed three large formations and surrounded them from behind, cutting off the escape route of the Di Hu cavalry.  The casualties of the Dihu cavalry exceeded 10,000, their morale was low, and signs of defeat had appeared. Yang Wanwan was in a panic among the troops. No matter how he shouted, it had no effect. The shouts on the battlefield had already drowned out his hoarse voice.  .  At this moment, a cavalryman rushed over and reported with a cry: "Your Majesty, the Han cavalry has entered our camp. Our guards suffered heavy casualties and were unable to resist."  He was struck by thunder and was stunned. His three young sons were all in the camp. Yang Qianqian yelled like crazy, turned his horse's head and ran back. Hundreds of cavalry guards followed him and fled.  He ran away from the seam between the two spear phalanxes in the southwest corner and fled towards the Di camp.  But after only running a few miles, they encountered a cavalry force of 3,000 men. The leader was none other than Ma Chao. They were about to attack the Dihu cavalry from behind, but they happened to encounter Yang Wanwan. Ma Chao recognized Yang Wanwan at a glance.  He shouted, "Chief Hu, don't leave!" He galloped forward, drew his gun and stabbed at him. Yang Wanwan knew Ma Chao, and he was frightened out of his wits. He turned around and ran away, but it was too late and he only ran out.  After a dozen steps, he was caught up by Ma Chao. Yang Wanwan shouted: "Captain Ma, for the sake of our old friendship, spare my life!" Ma Chao sneered, "Go and discuss with the King of Hell!" He shot him  It pierced Yang Wanwan's vest. Yang Wanwan was killed at the beginning, but he was provoked off his horse. Ma Chao stepped forward and cut off his head, and ordered someone to take Yang Wanwan's Jade Dragon BMW. When Yang Wanwan's bodyguard saw that their lord was dead, they  ?Unwilling to fight, they fled in all directions, but were surrounded by Han cavalry. Under a dense rain of arrows, most of the Dihu cavalry were killed or wounded, and dozens of others were so frightened that they dismounted and surrendered.  At this time, the news that the Di camp was attacked by the Han army had spread throughout the battlefield. This news was like a thunderbolt from the blue. The last bit of morale of the Dihu cavalry quickly collapsed. Everyone turned their horses and tried to escape, but they were  The spear army and the sword and shield army were surrounded and had no way out. Arrows from the outside kept flying in, causing heavy casualties to the Dihu cavalry, and the morale of the army was completely shattered.  At this time, Liu Jing issued an order to end the battle: "Those who surrender will be spared death, and those who resist will not be killed!" Amidst the shouts of the Han army urging the surrender officers, the desperate Dihu cavalry dismounted and knelt down to surrender, and more than a thousand of them surrendered.  Dihu, who was unwilling to surrender and was about to break out and escape, was surrounded by thousands of heavily armored infantry and killed.

 Volume 2, Jiangxia, Chapter 716: Attacking Fanhan again

    The war finally ended when it was just dark. Thirty thousand Di Hu cavalrymen were killed, and fifteen thousand of them were killed. The remaining ten thousand people all became prisoners of war. Not only that, nearly two hundred thousand Di people, old, young, women and children also became prisoners of war.  The Han army captured millions of sheep and tens of thousands of horses, and won the first major victory against the Hu people since the establishment of the Jiangxia Army, wiping out all the Dongdi tribes.  It was already dark. Groups of male and female prisoners were disarmed and escorted to the open space behind. Two hundred thousand people sat on the grassland and cried helplessly. They were like more than two hundred thousand lambs waiting to be slaughtered. They had no choice.  , their fate will be decided by the Han army, surrounded by eight thousand Han cavalry guarding them.  Hundreds of Di nobles were imprisoned in another large tent. All Yang Wanwan's brothers, nephews and nephews had been killed. These nobles were the leaders of various tribes. They were even more frightened and desperately waiting for the moment of killing.  In the Chinese army's tent, Liu Jingzheng, Pang Tong and Fazheng discussed the placement of these Di people. It was obviously unrealistic to kill all these unarmed women and children, and it was not the tradition of the Han army. The current disagreement was how to place them, and whether to move them.  After entering Shu and integrating with the Han people, it is better to let them stay in Longxi and resume their previous lives.  Liu Jing preferred to move them to Shu, but Pang Tong and Fazheng agreed that they should stay in Longxi. Pang Tong said: "Have you ever thought about it, your highness, there are Qiang, Tuguhun, Xiongnu, and Xidi people in Longxi?"  Waiting for the Hu people, moving these Dongdi people away, the gap left will be filled by other Hu people immediately, which will make other Hu people stronger. It is better to let them stay in Longxi and diversify the Hu people in Longxi.  The key to our rule is to turn these barbarians into sheep and turn them into sheep, which will be beneficial to our sources of war horses and livestock." "Shi Yuan is right!" Fazheng also added.  : "They are Hu people and are used to nomadic life. It is one thing to move them to Shuzhong. Whether they can adapt to farming is another matter. The key is that most of them are women and children. The government will also need to spend money and food to take care of them. This will increase the burden on local officials. If it involves  Dividing the land will also cause hostility among the Shu people and lead to conflicts. I am not in favor of forcing them to Chinese. "Liu Jing nodded and turned back to ask Ma Chao: "What is Meng Qi's opinion?" Ma Chao said calmly.  "The territory of the Han Kingdom is all your Highness's subjects, why should you care about Han Hu?" Seeing that none of the three people advocated relocation, Liu Jing no longer insisted, so he said to the guard: "Go and find some elders of the main tribes.  " Not long after, five old tribal elders were brought into the tent. They knelt down and cried: "Please spare the lives of our tribe and don't kill us!" "I didn't want to kill anyone, but you have repeatedly turned against me.  , You are the one to blame for helping the tyrants do evil!" Liu Jing said sternly.  One of the leaders, an old man, kowtowed and said: "Report to your highness, we were also coerced by Yang Wanwan, and he beguiled our young herdsmen, saying that the Han army wanted to rob our pastures, seize our wives and daughters, and kill our old people. The young people were deceived by him."  They fought against the Han army in order to protect their hometown. They are by no means born to be enemies of the Han army. As long as His Highness gives us a chance, we are willing to surrender to His Highness and become His subjects. " "We are willing to surrender to Your Highness!" The elder behind us!  They responded one after another.  Seeing that the old man was thinking clearly and speaking fluent Chinese, Liu Jing asked, "What's your name, and which tribe elder are you?" "Reporting to Your Highness, the young man's name is Agui, and he is the leader of the Qiuchi tribe." Ma Chao added next to him  : "The Qiuchi tribe is the second largest Di tribe after the Xingguo tribe. Elder Agui is trustworthy." Liu Jing thought for a moment and said, "Since you are willing to become Han people, I will no longer kill you. I can  I will let you live and won't take away your property, but I have two conditions. First, you must fulfill Yang Wanwan's promise before and provide the Han army with 10,000 horses and 300,000 sheep. Secondly, all  All aristocratic young men under the age of fourteen must go to Chengdu to study, and they can return to Longxi after they turn eighteen." The five old men were very excited, and kowtowed. The leader, Agui, said: "We fully agree to the request of the King of Han, and we are in Xishan Ranch.  There are still many horses, and I would like to select 20,000 more horses to present to His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing was quite satisfied with their attitude, so she nodded and said, "In this case, the number of sheep can be reduced to 100,000, starting from today.  Agui is the king of Di, replacing Yang Wanwan. In addition, the Han army will protect you from the Qiang people." The five old men looked at each other, and the Han army actually agreed to protect them from the Qiang people. All five of them shed tears.  Said: "If we had known that the King of Han was so kind, why would we have been deceived by Yang Wanwan and killed and injured so many children in vain? We hereby swear that we will never have second thoughts and are willing to serve as the people of Han for generations to come." The five old men cut their wrists and dripped drops.  After swearing by blood, Liu Jing was overjoyed and officially crowned Agui as the new King of Di. That night, Liu Jing ordered his release.The people returned home and returned their belongings. More than 200,000 Dongdi people packed up their tents and belongings amidst cries of gratitude. Under the leadership of the New Di King Agui, they drove their flocks back to their home pastures.  The Han army immediately killed the sheep and cooked wine to reward the three armies. After resting for two days, the 50,000 Han army continued to advance westward and attacked the city of Bohan in a mighty manner. The Di people in the west launched an offensive. There are differences between the West Di people and the Dong Di people.  The leader of the Xidi people, Song Jian, was a powerful Han from Longxi. Thirty years ago, he rebelled in Panhan and gradually conquered more than 200 small and large tribes in Xidi and the Tuyuhun people in the Hehuang area. He established an army of 80,000 people.  The army repeatedly defeated the officers and soldiers who came to suppress him, and finally the court acquiesced to his existence.  Song Jian hated the Han Dynasty, proclaimed himself King of the Han Dynasty, established a royal government, canonized queens and princes, and established ministers, ministers and other officials to govern the place. He was actually a separatist regime that had existed for thirty years.  Puhan City is a solid stone city with a circumference of more than ten miles. It has a magnificent royal palace and the residences of ministers. Thousands of slaves live there to serve them. Countless gold, silver and jewels are piled in the palace and underground palaces.  , as well as mountains of valuable furs, and 30,000 troops stationed there. There is a large amount of food in the warehouse, enough for the army to feed for a year.  Song Jian initially wanted to join forces with Yang Wanwan to deal with the Han army's attack, but because of the deep hatred between them and Yang Wanwan's confidence that he could defeat the Han army, their alliance was not reached. By this time, Song Jian had already  After receiving the news that Yang Wanwan had been defeated and killed, he was deeply horrified and immediately ordered his two sons, Song Qi and Song Lin, to take his golden arrows and rush to various tribes to gather troops to support the city of Wuhan.  But the situation seemed a little bad. Five days had passed, but reinforcements from various tribes had not yet arrived. Song Jian paced back and forth in front of the city with his hands behind his back, as anxious as an ant on a hot pot.  Song Jian is about sixty years old this year. When he was young, he was of medium height and unattractive. Now he is over sixty and has turned into a skinny old man. He wears a royal robe woven with gold and jade strands, and a headband inlaid with hundreds of gems.  Although Wang Guan was small in stature, he had dozens of wives and concubines, gave birth to hundreds of children, and owned countless wealth. Perhaps because his children had too much wealth, he had too many concerns and could no longer leave Panhan.  city.  At this time, a soldier pointed in the distance and shouted: "Your Majesty, the second prince is back!" Song Jian lay on the battlements and looked down. He saw his second son Song Lin escaping back in embarrassment with more than a dozen people. He was stunned.  How come there is no army?  He immediately ordered: "Bring him to see me!" Soon, several guards brought Song Lin to the city. Song Lin knelt in front of his father and cried loudly, "The child was almost killed, and he will never be able to see his father again."  "What happened? Tell me quickly!" "Haier went to summon the Di people's army. Unexpectedly, Agui sent people to deliver messages to the tribes in advance, asking them not to resist the Han army. These tribes listened to Agui's instigation and refused.  He sent troops again, but instead imprisoned the child and prepared to sacrifice it to Liu Jing. Thanks to the desperate efforts of his followers, the child escaped. " Song Jian was stunned when he heard this. He also expected Di Ren's 30,000 troops to come to help, but now they are gone.  He was anxious, so he turned around and ordered: "Send someone quickly to Huangzhong to pick up the eldest son." As soon as he finished speaking, another cavalry fled back from the distance, but it was the entourage of the eldest son Song Qi. The entourage shouted in terror below the city:  "Your Majesty, something happened to the eldest son." The eldest son Song Qi was Song Jian's most beloved son and the prince who inherited his career. When he heard that something happened to the eldest son, Song Jian's eyes darkened and he almost fell. He held on to the battlements and quickly ordered someone to help.  Bringing the entourage up, the entourage knelt on the ground and cried: "We followed the eldest son to Huangzhong to order Tuyuhun to send troops, but they refused to send troops in every possible way, so we had to come back. On the way, we encountered a group of Han cavalry.  The eldest son was shot to death by random arrows, and most of the brothers were dead. Only a few people escaped. " Song Jian shouted and fell on his back. The guards quickly revived him. Song Jian burst into tears and gritted his teeth: "No.  To avenge this hatred, I, Song Jian, swear not to be a human being!" He took off his royal robe, put on his armor, and led 30,000 troops to patrol the city day and night. Although Song Jian was the king of Xidi, his cavalry relied on the Di and Tuyuhun people.  , now both families are unwilling to send troops, causing him to lose the support of cavalry. There are less than a thousand horses in the city, and most of the soldiers in the city are Han infantry. Song Jian knows that the 30,000 troops in the city are no match for the Han army. He can only rely on the tallness of the city  Strong and sufficient food and grass confront the Han army, and in the end the Han army will retreat without a fight.  This is the secret that Song Jian has used to repeatedly defeat the imperial army's encirclement and suppression for decades. It has been tried and tested repeatedly. This time, he will use this secret to defeat Liu Jing's Han army, and then deal with the Di and Tuyuhun people who dare to betray him.  On the afternoon of the seventh day, the main force of the Han army finally appeared. There were faint sounds of war drums in the distance, and the massive Han army was gradually approaching Pohan City. Song Jian shouted: "All troops are in position, archers are ready.  ! ¡± Thirty thousand troopsThe city was covered with densely packed bows and arrows aimed at the 50,000 troops several miles away. Under the overwhelming banners, Liu Jing reined in his horse and coldly looked at the solid stone city in front of him. He had extremely rich  With his experience in siege, this stone city made him sneer, and he immediately ordered: "Send my order and the entire army will be stationed on the spot!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 717 Sweeping Longxi

    The troops on the top of the city watched uneasily as the Han army set up a camp outside the field. The spectacular camp stretched for more than ten miles. This was the first time they had seen such a large-scale army of officers and soldiers in decades.  In the past few decades, officers and soldiers have come to encircle and suppress many times, but at most there were more than 10,000 people, or even only a few thousand people, and they were not as large and powerful as today.  ¡°This is only the memory of a very small number of older soldiers. The imperial court has not sent troops to eliminate them for twenty years. For the younger generation of soldiers, they don¡¯t even know how to fight the war?  Many soldiers were so frightened that they squatted down and covered their faces with their palms. Song Jian looked at the camp outside the city with a pale face. He also realized that this time was different from before, but he had no choice.  Yang Wanwan¡¯s family was executed, and that was his fate. He knew that it was not about surrendering or not, but that Liu Jing would not tolerate a second snorer beside the bed. Yang Wanwan was one, and Song Jian was undoubtedly the same.  "Cheer up!" Song Jian waved his sword and shouted: "The enemy has no siege weapons, they can't break our city!" No one followed him in shouting, and there was still silence on the top of the city. Night gradually fell, and the Han army did not  In any move to attack the city, the soldiers began to withdraw to the military camp in the city to rest. There were only five thousand soldiers left on the city. But at this moment, huge black shadows drove out from the Han military camp, like giant beasts.  Moving forward slowly.  "This is a hundred heavy trebuchets, which can smash a fifty-kilogram boulder onto the city from three hundred steps away. The Han army spent an afternoon assembling a hundred such trebuchets.  Ten healthy bulls pulled a trebuchet forward in the wilderness, getting closer and closer to the city. The soldiers on the city also noticed something unusual. They shouted and sounded the alarm, 'Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The piercing alarm bells spread throughout the city of Pohan, and the soldiers who had just slept got up one after another, grabbed their weapons and ran towards the city.  At this time, the soldiers on the top of the city were nervously looking at the heavy trebuchet outside the city. There was no such defensive weapon in Wuhan City, and it was the first time for many soldiers to see it.  One hundred heavy trebuchets were creaking open, and huge clay pots of kerosene were put into iron bags. As a dull drum sounded, the hundreds of trebuchets threw out long poles at the same time, filling a hundred pots with kerosene.  The clay pots were shot towards the city head.  ¡®Bang!  Boom!  ' There was a sound, the clay pot shattered, a large amount of kerosene flowed all over the city, and the air was filled with a pungent smell. This made the soldiers on the city panic. They didn't know what the liquid was?  After three consecutive rounds of projectiles, three hundred cans of kerosene hit the city head. The kerosene covered the east city wall. At this time, dozens of lit kerosene balls rose into the sky, drawing dazzling flames in the air.  It crashed onto the city head, kerosene was ignited, and the flames spread quickly amidst the terrified cries of the defenders. Gradually, the entire city head was engulfed in fire.  Many soldiers were unable to escape and were swallowed up by the flames. Countless firemen were screaming and running. Soon, they fell to the ground. However, the Han army's trebuchets still ruthlessly threw pots of kerosene onto the top of the city.  The fire became more intense, and half an hour later, the entire city wall, which was several miles long, was engulfed in flames.  Song Jian stood on the top of the palace, staring at this scene in stunned silence. He couldn't believe his eyes. This was the fire of hell, coming to engulf them. He stumbled back to the palace with his sword in hand. The cry in the palace was loud, and his  The wives, concubines, and children fled in all directions. Song Jian, as if he couldn't see anything, walked into his room and slammed the door shut.  The Han army's attack outside the city has entered the second stage. Wuhan City is not close to a river and has no moat, but a dry ditch was still dug. The ditch was filled with spikes and antlers, and a high suspension bridge was pulled up.  At this time, dozens of Eagle Attack Army soldiers had already crossed the dry ditch. They climbed onto the suspension bridge and used giant axes to hack at the iron chains of the suspension bridge. Fire spread everywhere. In just a moment, the iron chains broke and the huge suspension bridge collapsed.  A cloud of dust arose.  Not far away, a hundred burly men were holding a thick battering ram, which was made of a thousand-year-old giant wood. It was six feet in diameter and ten feet long. The front was covered with cast iron, which was extremely hard.  With fire billowing above their heads and thick smoke rising into the sky, they didn't have to worry about soldiers shooting arrows from the top of the city. Amid Wei Yan's orders, hundreds of big men rushed forward holding the battering ram. They roared and the huge hammer hit the head.  When I got to the city gate, I heard an earth-shaking muffled sound. The city gate shook violently, the sand and stones above fell, and a crooked crack appeared on the city wall.  The soldiers retreated and shouted again. They grabbed the battering ram and rushed forward. Once again, they hit the city gate. The sound of the impact seemed to break people's hearts. The city gate had deformed, revealing a large gap.  , you can see the soldiers running desperately inside the city gate cave, "Come again!" The soldiers retreated again, and the battering ram hit the gate for the third time like a storm. The gate could no longer withstand the weight.With a pounding force of impact, the city gate was knocked open, revealing a huge black hole. In the distance, Liu Jing sneered. It was so easy to capture this seemingly solid stone city. He waved his sword.  The order was given: "Come into the city!" Under the leadership of Ma Dai, five thousand cavalry galloped into the city like a great tide, brandishing their spears and swords and entered the city, followed closely by 20,000 spearmen.  In the city, the defenders in the city were frightened by the fierce fire. They knelt down and surrendered one after another. The Han army did not encounter any resistance. Ma Dai took the lead and led more than a thousand cavalry into the palace. An hour later, Liu Jing followed hundreds of soldiers.  Under the escort of the cavalry, they slowly entered the city of Panhan. The city was completely controlled by the Han army. Groups of dejected prisoners of war were escorted by the Han army to the military camp. There were searching Han soldiers everywhere. They smashed open the doors of each mansion.  He opened the gate, escorted the people out of the mansion, and began to search the mansion thoroughly. This was Liu Jing's order. Part of the money and items found will be used to reward the three armies.  Liu Jing walked into the palace. The palace had been occupied by thousands of soldiers. All Song Jian's wives, concubines and children were driven into a big room. At this time, Ma Dai stepped forward and saluted: "Your Highness, we have found the underground palace."  "Entrance." "Where is Song Jian?" Liu Jing asked. This is the culprit. He must not let this person go.  "Song Jian is in the underground palace and has committed suicide by taking poison. Please follow your humble duty and go to the underground palace." Liu Jing nodded and followed Ma Dai towards the underground palace. The entrance to the underground palace is under the bed of Song Jian's bedroom, covering the surrounding area.  A large iron plate measuring one foot, with a fine blanket on it, was Song Jian's most beloved concubine who led the soldiers to find the entrance.  The iron plate was opened, and there were soldiers standing guard on both sides. Liu Jing followed Ma Dai into the underground palace. The underground palace was about one foot above the ground. It was an extremely wide underground palace, consisting of seven or eight large rooms. Each room was full of things.  The wealth, gold, jewelry, and precious furs were all dazzling.  Song Jian's body was found in a treasure house filled with large boxes. These large boxes were all filled with gold ingots. The Panhan area was rich in gold. Song Jian had collected almost half of the gold in the past thirty years and piled it up in the underground palace.  There are tens of thousands of kilograms, which is one of the biggest gains of the Han army's western expedition.  At this time, Song Jian's body was carried out by two soldiers. His face had turned black, and he had obviously died of poisoning. Liu Jing looked at this man and couldn't help but shook his head, "dig a grave for him."  !¡± ¡°Your Highness, what to do with his children, wives and concubines?¡± Ma Dai asked in a low voice.  Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "His sons will all be executed without leaving any future troubles, and the women will be given travel expenses to let them go home. Those who have nowhere to go can be given to officers as wives." Ma Dai is more concerned about these 30,000 prisoners of war. These prisoners of war  Most of them are Han Chinese in the Hehuang area. Their ancestors moved from the Guanlong area two hundred years ago and make a living by farming. However, because they have lived among the Qiang and Di people all year round, many of them are good at riding horses, so they can select the best among them to form cavalry.  He also suggested: "There are many Han people among these 30,000 people who are good at riding horses. Your Highness, they are precious resources!" Liu Jing nodded. He also thought about it and said with a smile: "The 30,000 prisoners of war can be exempted from guilt and released."  They go home and continue farming. If there is no land, the Xiping County government will allocate land and they must become self-cultivated farmers. In addition, among the 30,000 people, 10,000 elites who are good at riding can be selected to form new cavalry. " Ma Dai was overjoyed and hurriedly organized.  He bowed and said: "I understand my humble duty, let's go and handle it now." Liu Jing turned around and said to Wang Ping: "Move all the belongings in the city of Wuhan back to the camp and hand them over to the French military division, and then transform the city into a military  There are three thousand troops stationed in the city." Wang Ping quickly agreed. After Liu Jing finished his instructions, he turned and walked out of the city. He met Ma Chao at the city gate. Liu Jing immediately said to him: "Meng Qi can arrange a hundred troops to guard me.  The arrows were sent to various places, whether they were Di people or Tuyuhun, and all the chiefs were summoned to come to see me immediately. " "I obey your orders!" Ma Chao immediately turned his horse around and returned to the camp. Half an hour later, a hundred cavalry teams left the Han army camp.  , rushed to various places as fast as lightning, summoning the chiefs of various tribes to come to see His Highness the King of Han.  Three days later, hundreds of chiefs came from Longxi and Hehuang. Yang Wanwan was killed and Song Jian died, which greatly shocked these chiefs. In addition, Agui had already sent envoys to various places to promote the kindness of King Han, and the Di people  They all came full of hope to see the King of Han.  In a huge round tent, hundreds of chiefs gathered together to accept Liu Jing's banquet. Liu Jing raised his glass and shouted to everyone: "You are all subjects of the Han Dynasty and surrender to the emperor. Now the imperial court has closed Long  If it becomes the territory of the Han State, then all of you here are also subjects of the Han State. I, Liu Jing, will not drive you away from your homeland. I hope that you, like the Han people, can live and work in peace and contentment, reproduce and live in peace and equality from generation to generation. You will all serve me as a great Han.  Our subjects are protected by the Han army and assume our due obligations. For today¡¯s oath, we drank??One cup.  "The chiefs all heard the difference between the words and the past. In the past, they were only nominal subjects of the Han Dynasty. They did not have to pay taxes and paid only a few sheepskins to the government symbolically every year. Even though they were subjects of the Han Dynasty, Liu Jing  There is an additional sentence in today's words, 'Be protected by the Han army and bear due obligations', which means that they will have to pay taxes and gifts to the government from today on. This is not something they can refuse. The chiefs have no choice but to raise taxes together.  Cup, shouting long live the King of Han, and drank the slightly bitter cup of wine. Liu Jing laughed, Han and Hu should be equal not only in words, but also in taxes. These are the real Han subjects.  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 718 Jiang and his Son

    Jiang Juan had returned to Xiliang a few days ago. He handed over Liu Jing's autographed letter to Qiang King Nangongsuo. It could be seen that Nangongsuo was very unhappy with the letter, so he immediately ignored Jiang Jiong and ordered him to go home and rest.  , and there was no more news.  Jiang Ji's home is in Zhangye County. Zhangye County is also the royal city of the Qiang people. The city is full of Han buildings and Qiang tents. The royal tent of Qiang King Nangong Suo is located in the center of the county, while Jiang Ji's home is in the county.  In the northwest corner is a small house covering an area of ??two acres. The house is solid and solid. It is a fine house. It was originally the house of a businessman. After the businessman fled Liangzhou more than ten years ago, the house became vacant.  Nangong Suo was grateful to Jiang Ji for bringing his son back from Chang'an, so he gave him this house to live in.  Only Jiang Juan, his father and son, and a few servants lived in the house. Jiang Juan's wife temporarily lived in her natal family in Guanzhong. She didn't know that their father and son were currently in Liangzhou. For Jiang Jiong, Xiliang was just a temporary stop.  When the situation in Longxi calms down, he will take his son and leave Liangzhou.  In the past two days, Jiang Jiong was really not in a good mood. Another staff member of Nangong Suo told him privately that the last time he and Tao Li went to Shuzhong, they were chased by Dihu. In fact, it was Nangong Suo who revealed the truth to Yang Wanwan.  The purpose of the news was to use Yang Wanwan's hand to kill Tao Li and provoke Liu Jing to send troops to Longxi, so that the Qiang people could seek greater benefits.  As for Jiang Juan, it was just the right time, which confirmed that Tao Li's guess was completely correct. He also defended Nangong Suo on the road, thinking that Nangong Suo could not betray them. It was this news that made him depressed, even though he  I believe that Nangong Suo didn't want to kill him, but Nangong Suo obviously didn't care about his life. If Di Hu killed Tao Li, he would definitely kill him. How could Nangong Suo not know?  At this moment, Jiang Yan finally saw Nangong Suo's deep distrust of him. Maybe he was named Qiang, but in fact he was no different from Han people. Nangong Suo became wary of him and didn't treat him at all.  Treat it as a Han Chinese.  In the afternoon, Jiang Juan returned to the mansion in a depressed mood. He went to Nangong today to ask for his resignation and was preparing to return to Tianshui. Cao Cao and Liu Jing had reached an armistice agreement, Guanlong had been assigned to the Han army, and the situation in Tianshui had completely calmed down.  , it¡¯s time for him to go home, and then take his wife back, and the whole family can be reunited.  But Nangong Suo avoided seeing him. He waited for nearly an hour, and Nangong Suo refused to see him, which made him feel depressed. However, he had decided to leave regardless of whether Nangong Suo agreed or not.  As soon as Jiang Ji returned home, his son Jiang Wei came out of the yard and said with a smile: "Why did daddy come back just now?" Jiang Wei is thirteen years old this year. He is tall, strong, and has very delicate eyebrows. He is studying with his father.  Learning martial arts, especially martial arts, has made rapid progress, and even Nangong Suo's personal bodyguards are no match for him.  Looking at his son's sunny smile, Jiang Juan's mood suddenly became brighter. He also smiled and said: "I originally said goodbye to King Qiang, but he refused to see me. Forget it, I left him a letter and we left directly.  "After a pause, Jiang Juan asked again: "Have you said goodbye to Nangong Boyu?" Jiang Wei nodded, and he took out a sword inlaid with gems. This is a souvenir given to me by Boyu. I also took it.  He gave him his sword. At this time, Jiang Wei remembered something and said quickly: "Father, Boyu asked us not to go back to Tianshui County. We can go to Shuzhong or Guanzhong." "Why?" Jiang Ji frowned.  asked in confusion.  "He may have gotten some news, maybe the Qiang people will attack Longxi." "What!" Jiang Jiu was shocked, and quickly pressed his son's shoulders and asked in a deep voice, "Do you take this news seriously?" "Boyu told me personally,  I don¡¯t know the specific reason, but he is a prince and should know the inside story better than us. " Jiang Ji knew that his son had a very good relationship with the prince Nangong Boyu. Nangong Boyu was also a good character and kinder than his father. Since he said so,  It must be true, but Tianshui County is the foundation of his Jiang family. If the Qiang people attack Tianshui County, it will destroy the foundation of the family.  Although Jiang Jiong didn't have a good impression of his family, it was his family after all, and he was on a mission to Shuzhong and repeatedly assured Nangong Suo of his sincerity. Now Nangong Suo actually took advantage of the opportunity of the Han army to attack the Di people and prepared to attack Longxi, which was empty of troops.  , which asked him how Jiang Juan would face Liu Jing in the future.  Jiang Yan didn't have time to think about it, and immediately said to his son: "Go and pack something quickly, we will leave immediately." Soon, Jiang and his son packed a package, and the two of them led their horses out of the house, got on their horses, and headed out of the city.  Soon after they left the house, Qiang cavalry came forward and surrounded Jiang Juan's house. They were ordered by the Qiang King to capture Jiang Juan and not allow him to leave Liangzhou.  "They just left not long ago, chase after them quickly!" A thousand cavalrymen turned their horses and chased towards the north gate like lightning. Jiang Ji took his son and ran out of the north gate.?At this moment, Jiang Yan heard the thunderous sound of horse hooves behind him. He turned around and saw dust flying not far away, and a cavalryman was rushing towards him. Jiang Yan was shocked. He knew that this was happening.  It was King Qiang who refused to let him go.  "Go south!" He took his son and ran towards the south. He could only go through Dadou Bagou, pass through the Qilian Mountains, and reach Hehuang directly. Liu Jing's army should be there now. The father and son ran all the way, but behind them  The more than a thousand pursuing soldiers pursued him relentlessly, getting closer and closer.  Seeing that the situation was critical, Jiang Ji said to his son: "Go to the Han army to find Liu Jing. He promised me to send you to Xiangyang to study. You hurry up!" "Father, the child must be with his father." "Don't be stupid.  , Nangong Suo won¡¯t kill me, but if you are caught by him, I will never be able to escape, so hurry up!¡± Jiang Wei bit his lips and speeded up his horse. When Jiang Ji saw his son walking away, he stopped him.  The war horse blocked the pursuers behind. After a while, more than a thousand pursuers arrived. The leading general did not see Jiang Wei and shouted: "Go after Jiang Wei and kill him directly!" Jiang Ji then understood that they were here for  Chasing his son, he was suddenly frightened and angry. He shouted loudly and slashed the cavalry who was about to chase his son to the ground with his sword. The Qiang cavalry was furious and stabbed at him with countless spears. Jiang Ji couldn't dodge.  He was stabbed to death by random spears at the mouth of Dadou Valley.  A thousand cavalry continued to chase into the valley. King Qiang had an order to catch up with Jiang Wei, no matter life or death. The valley is a crack in the Qilian Mountains thousands of miles away, and it is also a vital passage between Liangzhou and Hehuang. It is deep and long.  Two hundred miles, reaching Zhangye County in the north and north of Qinghai Lake in the south, is a shortcut from the Hexi Corridor into the Hehuang area. It saves thousands of miles of detours and has an extremely important strategic position.  Before the Han army wiped out the Di people in Longxi, a thousand-man army built by the Song Dynasty was stationed at the southern end of this valley at a strategic location to defend against the Qiang and Hu cavalry coming from the north.  Since the fall of Song Jian, the defense here has been taken over by the Han army. Liu Jing selected a thousand people from Song Jian's Han prisoners of war to take over the garrison of Badou Bago, commanded by a Ya general, and the station was in Dadou.  At the south exit of Bago.  This army not only guarded the key points at the southern end of the valley entrance, but also expanded dozens of miles northward and built three beacon posts to facilitate early warning.  This morning, a patrol team composed of twenty Han army cavalry was patrolling in Dadouba Valley as usual. Due to the high altitude, even though it was late spring, the weather was still relatively cold, so thick military uniforms were required.  Keep out the cold.  After patrolling for more than twenty miles, just as the cavalry was about to turn around and return to the post, a cavalry suddenly pointed to the north and shouted: "Look, what is that?" Everyone looked to the north and saw an appearance on the mountain road in the distance.  There was a small black spot, which looked vaguely like a horse. The cavalry urged the horse to gallop up. When they got closer, it turned out to be a black horse. It was carrying a person on its back. The person had fainted. His hands were hanging down softly. Looking at the clothes on his body,  , not like Hu people, but more like Han people, and they are not very old, at most fourteen or fifteen years old.  All the cavalrymen were surprised. Knowing that wild wolves were rampant in the valley, it was extremely rare for a lone traveler not to be eaten by wild wolves. The leader of the camp glanced at him and saw that the young man was wearing a scabbard with a sword inlaid on it.  A long sword with precious stones was not something ordinary people could wear. He tested the young man's breath and found that he was still breathing, so he immediately ordered: "Give him some wine and take him back!" The soldiers gave the young man a few sips.  Liquor, he led him towards the post. In the room on the second floor of the post, the village commander handed the sword to a medicine collector, "Mr. Wang, do you know the characters? See what characters are engraved on the hilt of the sword?"  This medical craftsman is called Wang Chun. He is a Han nationality and was originally a court official. During the Li Jie Rebellion, he fled to Xiping County with his family. He had excellent medical skills and opened a clinic. He became more and more famous and was favored by people in the Hehuang area.  The Hu people are known as the god of medicine. He happened to be collecting medicine in Dadou Bago these days.  Wang Chun took the sword and looked at it, with a hint of surprise in his eyes, and said: "This is Qiang script, which means the sword of the prince. It should be the sword of the son of the Qiang King." "He is obviously a Han, how could he be the son of the Qiang King?  , is he Nangong Boyu?" the village chief asked in confusion.  "This person's identity is unusual. I'll ask him." Wang Chun followed the village chief downstairs and saw the rescued young man behind the manger. He had regained consciousness. Thanks to Wang Chun's treatment, his scalding body had also recovered.  At room temperature, he hugged his knees and sat in the hay with his head bowed silently. What was he thinking about?  Wang Chun stepped forward and asked with a smile in Qiang language: "Are you a Qiang noble?" The young man knew that it was Wang Chun who saved him, and was very grateful to him. He shook his head and said, "I am not, I am a descendant of the Tianshui Jiang family.  , My father was originally an aide to Wei Kang, the prefect of Tianshui." The young man was Jiang Wei, and his father fought tooth and nail to block the pursuit of the Qiang cavalry.He was able to escape and ran for two days and nights in the valley. It was also because of his alertness that he escaped the attack of wild wolves, and was finally rescued by a Han army patrol.  Wang Chun nodded, "So you are a descendant of the famous Jiang family. Then how come you came from the north and are still alone?" Wang Chun's tone was gentle and his smile was kind. Jiang Wei's nose was sour and he told the story of his and his father's escape.  He said it again, and finally said with tears: "My father blocked the pursuit of the Qiang cavalry. I don't know whether he is alive or dead. I would like to thank my two uncles for saving my son's life. Jiang Wei will bear it in his heart." After saying this, he knelt down and paid tribute to Wang Chun and the village chief.  After kowtowing three times, Wang Chun quickly helped him up and said, "You're welcome, kid. It's fate that we met in the valley." The commander of the village was originally interested in his sword, but seeing that this young man was so polite, he felt embarrassed, so he left the sword  Return it to Jiang Wei, "This is your sword! It's quite valuable, keep it." Jiang Wei shook his head, "General, please change the scabbard for me. This scabbard will be treated as a gift of gratitude from me to the general.  "Haha! Why is this so embarrassing?" The village chief was overjoyed. The five gems on the scabbard were as big as pigeon eggs and were worth at least ten thousand dollars. Since the young man wanted to give them to him, he accepted them without ceremony.  "Let's do it! I'll keep it for you first, and you can come to me to get it back later." The commander of the village was polite and asked with concern: "Is Mr. Jiang going back to Tianshui County? I can send two soldiers to take you back.  "Jiang Wei thought for a moment and said, "I was chased by the Qiang people, maybe because I know some of King Qiang's military secrets. I want to see His Highness the King of Han, okay?" Wang Chun nodded, "I heard that the King of Han is here.  Xiping County is training troops, and I happen to be returning to Xiping County. We can go together." The commander also smiled and said: "With Wang Yishen accompanying him, I don't need to send troops to escort him. With his reputation, even if the bandits have to kneel down and kowtow to him.  " Jiang Wei tidied up a little, then followed Wang Chun and left the outpost. One old man and one young man rode southward.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 719 Soldiers march into the West Sea

    Jiang Juan had returned to Xiliang a few days ago. He handed over Liu Jing's autographed letter to Qiang King Nangongsuo. It could be seen that Nangongsuo was very unhappy with the letter, so he immediately ignored Jiang Jiong and ordered him to go home and rest.  , and there was no more news.  After Liu Jing annihilated the Song Jianbu, he did not immediately lead his army westward to Guanzhong, but continued to stay in Hehuang to consolidate his control over the Hehuang area. The Han Dynasty established Poqiang County and Linqiang County in the Hehuang area. Wang Mang  Xihai County was established during this period, but effective management was only in the Hehuang Valley area east of the West Sea. It was not until the period of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty hundreds of years later that the entire northern plateau was included in the territory of the Central Plains Dynasty and was called Xihai County.  In the past thirty years, the central court's management of Xiping County has existed in name only. Nominally, the officials of Xiping County were appointed by the central court, but in fact they took orders from Song Jian, the king of Pinghan.  Song Jian also maintained this kind of tacit understanding with the Central Dynasty. He gave the Central Dynasty face, but he gained lizi. Xiping County was his sphere of influence. Since Liu Jing defeated Song Jian in one go, Xiping County has also been smoothly  Returned to the Han Kingdom, but Liu Jing's ambition did not lie in this. He wanted to continue to expand westward, incorporate the entire Xihai area into the territory of the Han Kingdom, and establish Xihai County.  The West Sea is also known as Qinghai Lake in later generations. During the Han Dynasty, the West Sea was vast and sparkling, with a radius of thousands of miles. The lake was blue and pure. It was a pearl on the plateau. The lakeside was surrounded by endless plateau pastures. At this time, the West Sea Lake was still sparsely populated.  There are a small number of Qiang people living in this land.  The people living here are the Xianling Qiang, but they are slightly different from the Qiang people in Zhangye and Hehuang areas. They are called Sheng Qiang, that is, the Qiang people who have not been sinicized and maintain their original lifestyle. They originally lived  In the Hehuang area, due to repeated rebellions and repeated suppression by the Han Dynasty, the Qiang people fled to the plateau west of the West Sea. On the plateau, they made a living by grazing and fishing, and lived in poverty for hundreds of years.  Quiet life.  But there are also businessmen who have worked tirelessly and traveled thousands of miles to come to the plateau and exchange daily necessities with them for horses and gems. Especially the horses produced here are the bloody BMWs that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty conquered from Dawan. They are raised here, and  The hypoxic and cold climate of the plateau makes the war horses produced here not only tall and strong, but also with excellent endurance. They are considered treasures among horses and have always been the dream horses of the Central Plains generals.  However, the arrival of the army led by Liu Jing, King of Han, broke the peace on the plateau. Although there were also ambitious tycoons among the Qiang chiefs, the Qiang people were relatively docile and kind-hearted, far less aggressive and cruel than the northern nomads.  Although they were driven away by the Han Dynasty army, they swallowed their anger and did not dare to resist. They lived silently on the plateau for two hundred years and reproduced their descendants.  There are about 20,000 Qiang people living on the Xihai Plateau. They are divided into three tribes and are distributed around the Xihai. They implement the primitive tribal elder system. At this time, Liu Jing led 15,000 Han cavalry and was stationed on the south bank of the Xihai.  He entered the plateau this time, on the one hand, he wanted to use the plateau conditions to train cavalry, and on the other hand, he planned to establish Xihai County.  Of course, the plateau area is not suitable for farming, and it is impossible for him to move the Han people here to live. This area is still mainly based on animal husbandry. He is considering accepting the Xiqiang people as Han subjects, expanding their animal husbandry, and making this area a Han army  The source of war horses.  There was constant laughter in the big tent. Several warriors from the army performed sumo wrestling in the tent. The tables were surrounded by mountains of meat and wine, and various fresh fruits from the Central Plains were placed. Liu Jing was sitting in the middle, with more than a dozen Qiang tribesmen on both sides.  Elders, they were invited as guests by Liu Jing and received the warm hospitality of the King of Han.  However, not all of these elders are happy. Some of them seem to be worried. They are people who understand that when the Central Plains army went to the plateau, it was not just as a guest. I am afraid that they took a fancy to the fertile plateau pastures of this land.  The leader of the Qiang elders was called Abao, who spoke a little Chinese. He said to Liu Jing in unskilled Chinese: "Your Highness said that he wanted to restore the Xihai County of the former Han Dynasty. But in the past, Xihai County was only in the Hehuang area, even the westernmost triangle.  The city is also on the east coast of the West Sea. The Central Plains Dynasty has never involved the plateau area. Why would His Highness consider the entire plateau area to be included in Xihai County this time? "Liu Jing smiled and said: "The Xihai County established by Wang Mang actually includes the plateau area, but it's just that  The county is only on the east coast of the West Sea, and I am just restoring the former Han territory. What's wrong with that?" Abao's expression changed, and he said something sternly to the other elders in Qiang language. The laughter disappeared, and the atmosphere in the big tent suddenly changed.  Becoming serious, Abao said coldly: "There is nothing wrong with Your Highness wanting to restore the territory of the Han Dynasty, but we have lived in this area for nearly two hundred miles and have long regarded this place as our home. We live and work in peace and contentment, and we have never  Invading Hehuang, His Highness wants to take back the land. Will he also drive us westward? " Liu Jing laughed, "The elder is too worried. The climate here is bitter and cold and is not suitable for farming. Who should I take the land back to?  Living? You can lead your tribe to live here. No one will drive you away, but you?You must also become a subject of the Han Dynasty and accept the management of the government.  " "What does the government want to manage us?  Should we be taxed or levied on labor, or should we be exploited by the government like our ancestors?  " Abao translated a few words for everyone, and more than a dozen elders were silent. From their point of view, being managed by the government meant exploiting them, and they could not accept it no matter what. Liu Jing was not angry, but still smiled and said: "Why are there officials?  Management must involve taxation and conscription. Why must I send people to manage it? Can't I appoint your people as governors?  For example, Elder Abao, I think it is most appropriate for you to be the prefect. You do not need to pay taxes or perform labor services. I will exchange your horses, cattle and sheep with grain and cloth. If I need  I will also let you get the rewards you deserve for your labor. What do you think?  " Abao's expression softened a little, and he translated Liu Jing's words to everyone. There was a buzz in the big tent, and everyone was talking in low voices. At this time, Abao said to Liu Jing: "Your Highness, can we discuss it in another tent?  one time.  "    "Can!  " Liu Jing immediately ordered his men to take them to the big tent next door for discussion. After all the elders had left, Fazheng smiled at Liu Jing and said: "Actually, I think Military Advisor Pang's suggestion is not bad. Simply expand Xiping County to the west of the West Sea.  Including them all, there is no need to set up Xihai County separately, and they will not be so resistant.  Liu Jing shook his head, "If that's the case, what's the difference from before?"  It is still a nominal territory. The key is not the land, but the people. The Qiang people here must be allowed to become subjects of the Han State and make them realize that they are also Han people. After decades of assimilation, they will gradually be harmonized.  The Qiang and Di people in Hehuang area also pay taxes.  " "What if they don't agree?  Liu Jing smiled coldly, "My army has already reached the plateau. I will use gentle methods towards them first. If you don't know what's interesting, then don't blame me for being rude."  " Fazheng smiled bitterly and said: "This Abao is very shrewd. Since he proposed the discussion, he should understand the interests and losses involved. I think they want to seek the maximum benefit.  " "As long as it doesn't violate my bottom line, it doesn't matter if I give them benefits. I think as long as their descendants taste the benefits of being Han subjects, and then give them freedom and return to their former poor life, I'm afraid they themselves won't do it.  " At this time, a dozen elders walked back to the big tent. Everyone knew very well that Liu Jing led 15,000 cavalry to the plateau. If they dare not agree, they will not be able to go back today. Their tribe has  Worried about annihilation, the Han army would move the more docile Tuyuhun people to replace them. They knew this. After some discussion, everyone finally made a decision. Rather than being destroyed, it was better to learn to compromise.  "To His Highness the King of Han, we have discussed it and we have three conditions. If His Highness can agree, we are willing to surrender and become Han subjects.  " "Please tell me, I'm all ears.  " "The first condition is the promise made by His Highness the King of Han just now. We do not need to pay taxes or perform labor service. Is this short-term or long-term?  Liu Jing held out five fingers and said, "The period of fifty years. After fifty years, half of the taxes of the Hehuang Di people will be paid. This will never change. I can promise it in writing."  " Everyone looked at each other, and Abao thought to himself, 'This condition is actually good, at least it is not false.' He nodded and said: "The second condition is that the governor must be elected by our tribe, not necessarily our tribe, but a Han.  It's okay, but we need to support it unanimously.  Liu Jing smiled, "There is no problem with this condition. In addition, I need to send a few civil servants to serve as county magistrates. I think you should be able to accept it!"  " "You can send civilian officials, we can accept it.  " Abao took a deep breath and came to the crucial third item, "Our third condition is about garrisoning troops." "Wait a minute!  "Liu Jing's expression changed and she interrupted him, "Let me start with my ugly words. Since it is the territory of the Han Kingdom, I must station troops in Xihai County. This is my bottom line. The only thing that can be discussed is the number of troops stationed.  The problem.  " Everyone's face showed disappointment. They originally did not want the Han army to station troops, but now Liu Jing firmly refused, they could only retreat and do the next best thing. Abao said: "In fact, His Highness has already fought in the great battle in the north of the West Sea.  A thousand troops are stationed in Bago. This is the garrison of Xihai County. Do we need to increase the garrison?  " Liu Jing said solemnly: "The purpose of garrisoning troops in Dadou Bago is to control this important passage. It has little to do with the garrison in Xihai County. I plan to build a military city in Haixi and Haidong.  A thousand troops will be stationed, and a military city will be built in the Hequ area to station a thousand troops, so that there will be 1,000 troops in the entire Xihai County.There are thousands of troops stationed there. You don¡¯t need to bear the military expenses and food and grass. I won¡¯t bother you in peacetime. If your children are willing to join the army, I will also welcome it. This is a plan I have already made.  " Seeing Liu Jing's firm attitude, Abao discussed with everyone for a while and finally agreed, "Then we'll make it a deal!  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 720 Jiang Wei Arrives

    In the big tent, Liu Jing stood in front of the map and planted a few small flags. These were the three military cities he was planning to set up on the Xihai Plateau. If he added the Dadou Bago military stronghold north of the Xihai, then there would be four military forts.  The military points basically strangled various strategic points on the Xihai Plateau.  Fa Zheng pointed at the meander of the river and said with a smile: "I heard in Hanzhong that the meander of the Yellow River is a very good and prosperous land with a mild climate and fertile land, which is very suitable for farming. There are also some Qiang and Shu Han people there.  They are engaged in farming, so there is a saying among Guanzhong people, "If you eat Hequ wheat to death, you will starve Guanzhong grain to death." "What does this sentence mean?" Liu Jing asked curiously.  "The meaning of this sentence is that although the land in Guanzhong is fertile and the grain yield per mu is high, the taxes are also extremely high. After a year of hard work growing grain, it is not enough to live after paying the taxes, and there is no official government on the Hequ side.  Management, and the output is not low. The key is that you can grow as much grain as you want and you don¡¯t have to pay taxes, so it¡¯s called Hequmai.¡± Liu Jing nodded, ¡°For the Han people in the Central Plains, it is indeed a tax avoidance place.  "It's a treasure land of Fu, but I hope there won't be too many Han people fleeing there." "It's true that there are not many, only a few thousand people. They are mainly refugees from Li Ji's rebellion. There were tens of thousands of people originally, but most of them went there later.  Hanzhong and Bashu have gone, and there are only four to five thousand people there now. " Liu Jing looked at Fazheng strangely, how could Fazheng know so clearly?  Fazheng understood Liu Jing's question and smiled lightly and said: "It's very simple, because I have been there before, and then I went to Bashu." "I see, then why not stay in Hequ? Why can't people be retained there?"  Fazheng sighed softly, "People who don't live there can never understand that feeling. The loneliness of leaving the Central Plains homeland without the customs and customs of the Central Plains, and being far away in a foreign land is unbearable. Although it is no longer there,  The government collects taxes, but there are also some unexpected disasters that will happen, and there will be a lot of losses. ""What kind of disasters are they?" Liu Jing asked again.  "For example, conflicts with the local Qiang people, extortion by some powerful people, but what's more serious are bandits. When the autumn harvest season comes, some bandits come in groups, steal with guns and coverts, and even enter homes to kill and commit adultery, so everyone  They gradually couldn't stay any longer, so they returned to the Central Plains one after another, mainly to Hanzhong and Bashu. Although there were taxes there, life was much more stable. " Liu Jing walked a few steps inside the tent with her hands behind her hands and said to herself.  : "Speaking of which, I would like to go and have a look for myself." At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Your Highness, a young man came outside the military camp, saying he was the son of Jiang Shaochang, and there was a medical craftsman with him.  I have something to ask for, Your Highness." Liu Jing was startled, who is Jiang Shaochang?  Fazheng smiled and said: "Jiang Shaochang is Jiang Wei." Liu Jing suddenly realized that this young man was Jiang Wei. He quickly said: "Invite them in!" Liu Jing smiled at Fazheng and said: "I heard Ma Dai  I have said that this young man is extraordinary and can become a great talent if he is well cultivated. Xiaozhi might as well take a look at him." Fazheng stroked his beard and smiled, and he became somewhat interested.  Not long after, several guards led Jiang Wei and Wang Chun into the big tent. They originally went to Xiping County, but when they passed the Dadou Bugu Army Stronghold, they heard that Liu Jing was training troops in the south of the West Sea, so they came around the West Sea. Wang  Chun was worried that Jiang Wei was alone. He was very familiar with this area, so he led Jiang Wei south and soon found the Han army's garrison.  Jiang Wei knelt down and saluted, "Junior Jiang Wei pays homage to His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing quickly helped him up and asked with a smile: "Where is your father, why are you here alone?" Jiang Wei cried and said: "We escaped from Zhangye.  , I don¡¯t know whether my father is alive or dead. I escaped from the battle and came here after hearing that His Highness was in the south of the West Sea. " "That's it!" Liu Jing comforted him and looked at Wang Chun again. He saw that he was young.  He was about fifty years old, short in stature, and somewhat celestial. He asked, "Who is this gentleman?" Wang Chun bowed and saluted, "Wang Chun, a grassroots man, practices medicine in the Hehuang area.  He is just a doctor from Caoshu. He is worried that Jiang Shaolang will come alone, so he will accompany him. Thank you for your attention." Fazheng next to him asked in surprise: "Could it be that you are the Taichang Cheng Wang Chongqing back then?" Wang Chun smiled slightly, "That's the second time.  It happened more than ten years ago, and it¡¯s rare that anyone still knows about it. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you must be Fa Xiaozhi, who was known as the Sanfu prodigy back then!¡± ¡°I am Fazheng!¡± Fazheng was quite excited and hurriedly called Liu.  Jing introduced: "This elder is Wang Yun's younger brother, who was Taichang Cheng at that time. After Li Ji captured Chang'an, his whereabouts were unknown. Now I know that the doctor Wang who was named Manhehuang was Wang Taichang back then." Liu  Jing also saluted and said with a smile: "I heard that King DiGui Gui said that there is a miracle doctor Wang Chun in Hehuang. It turns out that he is your Excellency. He has admired him for a long time.  Wang Chun was quite happy to see that Liu Jing was not interested in his past and valued his current reputation. This was exactly what he expected. He quickly said humbly: "It's just a country doctor with herbal medicine. I don't dare to call him a miracle doctor."  " "Mr. Wang is too modest, please sit down!  Wang Chun was not polite and sat down directly. He had been famous for Liu Jing for a long time and wanted to see this legendary figure with his own eyes. At this time, Liu Jing also pulled Jiang Wei to sit down and asked him: "Tell me  Me, what happened?  " Jiang Wei then told the story of what happened in Zhangye again. Liu Jing couldn't help but sneer secretly. Does Nangong Suo really dare to take advantage of the opportunity to attack Longxi? But there was no expression on his face, so he comforted Jiang Wei and said: "Don't worry!  If your father is captured, I will order Nangong Suo to hand him over.  "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I would also like to remind Your Highness that Nangong Suo is an ungrateful person. No matter how kind Your Highness is to him, he will only take it for granted. As long as it does not go as he wants, he will bear a grudge and cruelly exploit the tribe.  He is unpopular, so your Highness should not be too arrogant about him.  " Liu Jing saw that he could say these words when he was only twelve or thirteen years old, so he smiled and nodded and said: "I know, I happen to be planning to go to Hequ, my nephew, let's go too!  "But" Jiang Wei said anxiously: "Nangong Suo intends to attack Longxi, so His Highness should rush back."  Liu Jing smiled slightly, "To be honest, I am looking forward to Nangong Suo attacking my Longxi, so I will simply create a chance for him."  " Jiang Wei had a realization. It turned out that the King of Han wanted to find an excuse to deal with Nangong Suo. At this time, Wang Chun next to him smiled and said: "I have practiced medicine in Hequ and I know the terrain and customs there better. If His Highness the King of Han does not dislike it, I am willing to do it.  Serve as a guide for His Highness.  Liu Jing was overjoyed. He was in need of someone who was familiar with the conditions of the meander, so Wang Chun volunteered. He immediately raised his hands and saluted, "Well, thank you very much, Mr. Wang!"  " The Hequ area is the first turning point of the Yellow River. Today's Guide area in Qinghai Province has a mild climate, fertile land, sufficient irrigation, and large plains. It has been a rare agricultural bend on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau since ancient times. During the Tang Dynasty,  , Tubo invaded the Central Plains on a large scale, and the Hequ area was an important food logistics supply area for the Tubo army. During the Three Kingdoms period, a small number of Qiang people lived in the Hequ area. They belonged to a branch of the Shaodang Qiang and were engaged in farming in the Hequ area. Since Dong Zhuo and Li.  After the Ji Rebellion, a large number of people from Guanlong fled westward into He meander, cultivated wasteland in the He meander area, and lived a self-sufficient life. At the same time, they brought advanced farming technology and promoted the agricultural development in the He meander area.  The war gradually subsided, and the Han people in the He meander area also returned to their hometowns one after another, making the already prosperous He meander become deserted again. It was already May. On this morning, a mighty Han cavalry used rafts to cross the river.  After crossing the Yellow River, they entered the Hequ area. This army was the 15,000 Han cavalry led by Liu Jing. More than a month of plateau training greatly strengthened the endurance of this cavalry. The effect of this training impressed Liu Jing.  He was so impressed that he even considered building a training camp on the plateau and bringing in other armies for training one after another. This would help make up for the southern army¡¯s lack of combat patience. ¡°Your Highness, the French military advisor seems to like Jiang Wei very much!  "Ma Dai next to him smiled and said to Liu Jing, "This time Ma Chao did not come to the plateau to participate in training, but stayed in Longxi to consolidate the Han army's occupation of Longxi. This is why Liu Jing is not worried about Nangong Suo's massive attack on Longxi. There are Ma Chao and  Pang Tong led 30,000 troops, and Liu Jing could sit back and relax. Ma Dai, as the actual leading general of the Xiliang cavalry, was even better than his brother Ma Chao in training cavalry, so this plateau training was entirely under the control of Ma Dai.  Responsible. Liu Jing also smiled slightly and said: "Although Jiang Wei is a young man, sometimes he feels that he is very mature in thinking, more like an adult, with delicate and impeccable thinking. If he is well cultivated, he will be like Deng Ai in the future.  He will also be a general who can stand alone. If the French military advisor is interested, I would like him to become Jiang Wei's advisor.  Ma Dai also nodded and smiled: "Jiang Wei is also a general who can practice martial arts. My brother has always wanted to find an apprentice. The Ma family and the Jiang family have a deep connection. How about letting my brother teach him martial arts? What do you think, Your Highness?"  ?  " "As long as both of them are willing, I have no objection.  " At this time, Fazheng slowed down his horse and gradually drove alongside Liu Jing. Liu Jing asked with a smile: "Does this apprentice satisfy Xiaozhi?  " Fazheng stroked his beard and smiled and said: "This son is the original son of the He family. Fazheng is afraid that his talent will be sparse and his knowledge will be shallow, so he will miss it. I consider letting him go to Xiangyang to study. There are professors such as Pang Degong, Xun Lingjun and others. Let him fight first.  Good foundation, I will teach him again in five years.  ¡± ¡°Filial piety and straightness¡±??Passionate and admirable!  "Although Liu Jing was very concerned about Jiang Wei's development, he would not show it easily. As the King of Han, if he showed too much concern for someone, it would have a great impact. He handed over Jiang Wei to Fazhenghe.  Ma Dai, that's enough. Liu Jing smiled and turned the topic to the He meander area. He pointed with his riding crop to the large fertile wilderness in the distance and sighed: "Such fertile land, such abundant water and sunshine, but it is barren.  Here, it's such a shame and we have to make the most of it.  " At this time, the guide Wang Chun also rushed forward and said: "Your Highness, this area is not the best. Walk another two hundred miles to the northeast, where the population gathers, and that area is the real treasure.  In the land of Tianhua, the wheat yield per acre is 20% higher than that in the Hehuang area. Moreover, the Yellow River is gentle and bridges can be built on the river. One can go to Hehuang to the east and to the West Sea to the north. The transportation is convenient.  " Wang Chun's words made Liu Jing fascinated, and she said with a smile: "I can't wait any longer. Send an order to speed up!  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 721 Establishing a County in the River Bend

    Two days later, the Han army arrived at the population gathering area of ????Hequ. The so-called population gathering area is still too far away from the Central Plains. After walking for several miles, you will accidentally see a family. The land here is so vast that every household can own it.  For them, a few hectares of land is not a lack of land, but a lack of labor.  The army marched slowly on a narrow path. On both sides were large fields of wild flowers, all over the mountains and plains, in brilliant purples and reds. In the distance was a dense virgin forest. The river was as clear as a green belt, and large fish about a foot long were swimming calmly in the river.  , occasionally a few big carps will jump out of the water, their scales shining in the sun, all of which are particularly fascinating.  When Liu Jing saw that the soldiers were looking forward to the river, he smiled and said, "Rest here for an hour!" After the order was passed, the soldiers cheered and ran towards the river one after another, burying their heads in the clear river water and drinking.  The war horses also followed, drinking the sweet river water happily, and the sound of laughter echoed along the riverside.  At this time, Liu Jing saw a house on the hill. Judging from the architectural style, it was obviously a house in the Guanzhong area. It seemed that someone was peeking over here. He smiled at Fazheng and Wang Chun and said, "Go and visit the locals."  "Liu Jing and the others walked up the gentle hill to the house under the protection of more than a dozen guards. A soldier stepped forward and shouted, "Is there anyone there?" After a while, an old man came out and said tremblingly:  "What's the matter?" It was the accent of Feng Yi in Guanzhong. Fazheng also said with a smile in Guanzhong dialect: "My father-in-law is from my hometown, right?" The old man was stunned, and then asked in surprise: "This gentleman is also from Feng Yi County?  "I am from Mei County." The old man suddenly became excited.  Liu Jing asked a little uneasily, "Are you okay?" Liu Jing clasped her fists and smiled and said, "We are the Han army. We are passing by here and want to have a chat with my father-in-law." The old man didn't know about the Han army. He thought they were officers and soldiers of the Han Dynasty.  , then nodded, "Please come in!" Liu Jing and the other three followed the old man into the hall, while the guards stayed in the yard. The room was simply furnished, with a rough earthenware table, obviously made by themselves, and a five or six-year-old man.  boy, timidly hiding behind his grandfather.  "Please sit down! The room is too simple." Liu Jing and the other three sat down at the small table. The old man took out a few stoneware bowls and poured water for them. Liu Jing asked the old man to sit down and asked, "Excuse me, father-in-law.  There are approximately 3,000 or 4,000 Qiang households in the Hequ area, and the rest are Han Chinese.  There are more than 1,000 families with about 8,000 or 9,000 people. In fact, after decades of living together, Qiang and Han people have intermarried with each other, and it is difficult to tell them apart. For example, my daughter-in-law is Qiang, and we can communicate in language. " Liu Jing glanced back.  Glancing at the back room, he felt that there was someone in the back room, probably the old man's wife and daughter-in-law, who did not dare to come out. He smiled and asked, "Is the old man afraid of the army?" The old man sighed and said, "Logically, you are all from the army in your hometown. I see  I should be very happy, but our family was killed by officers and soldiers. The memory is still fresh and I can¡¯t bear to look back. Please forgive me for being rude just now.¡± Liu Jing smiled and said, ¡°We are the Jingzhou Army, not the Guanzhong Army.  "Oh! I have been to Jingzhou and met Liu Zhoumu. He was very polite. I wonder how he is doing now." "Liu Jingzhou passed away ten years ago. When did the old man leave Guanzhong?"  Years ago! During the Li Jie Rebellion, I fled Guanzhong with my family and came here. It has been almost twenty years." The old man couldn't help but let out a long sigh.  "Has my father-in-law never been back to his hometown?" Fazheng asked with concern.  The old man shook his head, "I had three sons back then. The eldest son's family was killed by the rebel army. The second son was only sixteen years old and was taken away as a soldier. His life and death are still unknown. I am only forty years old and escaped with my wife, daughter and youngest son.  I came here with a group of refugees from Guanzhong. I have lived here for twenty years. Sometimes I miss my hometown very much, but I don¡¯t dare to go back.¡±  Will he have to stay here for the rest of his life before he leaves here?" Liu Jing nodded silently and said with a smile: "I don't need to be afraid anymore. The war in Guanzhong is over and it is now being rebuilt. Many Guanzhong people in Bashu and Hanzhong are here.  Return to your hometown one after another. The government will allocate land. There will be no tax for five years. In the next ten years, a tax of 30 per cent will be implemented. The corvee will be light and the tax will be light. There will be no problem in returning to my hometown. However, I suggest that my father-in-law should not go back. In the future, Hequ will also  It will be good." "Why?" the old man asked as he wiped away his tears.  Liu JingxiaoHe smiled and said: "Because I have decided to establish Hequ County. I will gradually migrate Han people from Lintao and Longxi areas. They will be exempted from the tax for fifty years. I will build Hequ County first. I will recruit laborers at a high price. Like the old man's son, if he has  If you have time, you can apply for the army. I want to protect the precious people, not to be tired, and to make a lot of money." The old man was both happy and very surprised. He was happy that the imperial court was finally going to establish a county in Hequ, and it would also exempt taxes from corvee.  Fifty years, and I am surprised that this general, who looks young, can actually decide to establish counties. His status is not ordinary!  Fazheng intended to reveal Liu Jing's identity, but Liu Jing shook his head and refused to allow him to reveal it. He stood up and cupped his hands and said, "I won't disturb you, let's say goodbye!" Liu Jing also ordered his soldiers to leave five sheepskins for the old man as a meeting gift.  The old man thanked them profusely and sent them out. At this time, Wang Chun couldn't help but ask Liu Jing: "Has His Highness really decided to establish Hequ County?" Liu Jing pointed at the scenery in the distance with his riding crop and said with a smile: "Such a rich and fertile land.  How can I turn a blind eye to Baotianhua, but establishing counties and counties is a long-term matter. I plan to start farming here and reduce the number of troops stationed around the West Sea. The army will be transferred to the Hequ area to farm and train. Later, all the troops of the Han army will be stationed here.  I have to come to Hequ for half a year to train." Wang Chun pondered and said: "Since His Highness is so determined to develop Hequ, I am also willing to move to Hequ to live in Hequ for a long time." Liu Jing laughed, "If Mr. Wang is willing to come,  You might as well serve as the first governor of Hequ County." Wang Chun was stunned. Just as he was about to wave his hand, Liu Jing had already strode away. He heard his voice coming from a distance, "As a doctor, I help the world; as a governor, I value you.  "Shi, sir, there is no need to refuse anymore." Wang Chun couldn't help but feel excited. He was only fifty years old this year. He would be a prefect for another ten years, but he could be famous for a hundred years. His already cooled officialdom heart was warmed up again at this moment.  After the Han army swept away the armies of Yang Wanwan and Song Jian, the Hu people in Longxi had completely surrendered to the Han state, but the Hu people in Liangzhou never came to pay homage. There were also many Hu people living in Liangzhou.  , but most of the troops that Ma Chao entered Guanzhong a few years ago were Hu forces from Liangzhou. For example, Yang Qiu's army was the Dihu army from Liangzhou.  When Ma Chao's 100,000 Xiliang army was defeated by Cao's army, most of the Hu people were killed in Guanzhong. This severely damaged the Hu people in Liangzhou and caused mourning everywhere. This also gave Zhangye Qiang Wang Nangongsuo an opportunity.  He was the only Qiang force among the Hu tribes in Liangzhou that did not participate in the war. He took advantage of the decline of the Hu tribes in Liangzhou and annexed them. In just two years, he basically unified the tribes of the Hu tribes in Liangzhou and became hundreds of tribes of Hu tribes.  The great chief of the human tribe.  Strong power inevitably leads to arrogance. This sentence is true when it comes to Nangong Suo. He already has more than 50,000 armored cavalry, so he thinks he can be on an equal footing with the Central Plains princes. He not only brutally exploits the various tribes he annexed, but also  He also extended his influence to the traditional territory of the imperial court. First, he expelled the prefects and officials of Zhangye County and Jiuquan County, and began to tax the Han farmers living in these two counties.  But just when he was about to take action against the Wuwei County government, news came that Liu Jing and Cao Cao had reached an armistice agreement. The Guanlong area was officially assigned to Liu Jing, and then the Han Kingdom was established. This made Nangongsuo's black hands shrink back.  , on the one hand, he was quite jealous of the Han army. The Han army defeated the Cao army and drove the Cao army out of Guanlong, which made him somewhat frightened.  On the other hand, Liu Jing's next step is to deal with the Di people in Longxi. Nangong Suo also has some expectations in his heart. He is very willing to send troops to help the Han army wipe out the Di people. In this way, his forces can enter the Longxi and Hehuang areas.  He had long wanted to break into Longxi, but because Yang Wanwan and Song Jian joined forces, he couldn't take advantage. Now the opportunity came.  But to Nangong Suo's surprise, the Han army did not ask for his help at all, but directly destroyed Yang Wanwan and Song Jian, and defended Dadou Bago. It was obvious that his forces were not allowed to go south and he was allowed to march.  Longxi's first chance was shattered, which made Nangong Suo furious and scolded Liu Jing for his betrayal.  After Nangong Suo thought about it again and again, he finally couldn't hold back his anxiety. He decided to test the Han army first, so he sent his brother Nangong Ji to lead an army of 10,000 to Wuwei County on the pretext of attacking Cao Cao, preparing to drive out the Han Dynasty court officials.  Once Wuwei County succeeds, Nangongsuo will actually occupy the entire Hexi Corridor, causing the Western Regions that the Han Dynasty has painstakingly managed for hundreds of years to go to waste.  Seeing that the Qiang and Hu troops were about to attack in large numbers, Du Ji, the captain who protected the Qiang and the prefect of Wuwei, urgently ordered people to rush to Jincheng County to ask for help from the Han army.  At this time, the main force of the Han army of 30,000 had left Longxi County and Xiping County, and was temporarily stationed on the north bank of the Yellow River in Jincheng County. It was commanded by Zhenxi General Ma Chao, with Pang Tong as military advisor and Liu Hu as deputy general.  Ordering the Han army to garrison Jincheng County was Liu Jing's deliberate arrangement. Since Liu Jing did not agree to Nangong Suo's conditions for collecting all the Di people, nor did he join forces with Nangong Suo to attack the Di people, this was undoubtedly the case.??In addition to the tacit understanding reached with Nangong Suo before, Liu Jing knew that he would not give up and would definitely take provocative actions. Jincheng County was close to Wuwei County. Once Nangong Suo made any changes, the Han army could be dispatched immediately.  In fact, even if Nangong Suo did not move, the Han army would not let him go. He occupied the two counties of Zhangye and Jiuquan that originally belonged to the Han Dynasty, leaving Dunhuang County alone in the Western Regions.  The Han Dynasty did not lose the Hexi Corridor when it was at its most chaotic and weak. Now that Guanlong is the territory of the Han State, how could Liu Jing tolerate the Qiang people's occupation of Zhangye and Jiuquan counties.  That morning, a letter of distress from Du Ji, the prefect of Wuwei, was delivered to the Han army camp.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 722 Head-on attack (Part 1)

    In the Chinese army's tent, a messenger presented a letter from Wuwei Governor Du Ji to Ma Chao. Ma Chao took the letter and read it over. In the letter, Du Ji said that the situation was urgent and begged Ma Chao to send troops immediately to protect Wuwei County for the Han Dynasty.  Ma Chao read the letter and handed it to Pang Tong. Then he asked the messenger, "Have the Qiang soldiers arrived at Wuwei City?"  In a day and a half, the Qiang soldiers should have entered Wuwei County. "How many soldiers are there in Wuwei County now?" Ma Chao asked again.  The messenger sighed, "There are only a few hundred county soldiers. Governor Du also recruited powerful servants from various families, about a thousand people, and at most thousands of people were mobilized to participate in the defense of the city. The problem is that the Qiang people have siege weapons."  , We can't hold on for long." Ma Chao nodded, "I understand, I will send troops immediately!" Ma Chao ordered the messengers to go down to rest, and then said to Pang Tong: "Our cavalry has gone to the plateau, and the army is all infantry.  "Does the military advisor think it's too late?" Pang Tong said with a smile: "Du Ji is very smart. I guess he made preparations when he saw Jiuquan County was occupied by the Qiang people. There should be spies in Zhangye City. As soon as the enemy moves troops, the spies will be released.  Pigeon Xin, and although the Qiang people are cavalry, if they carry siege weapons, their marching speed will never be fast. Judging from the distance, we should be closer to Wuwei City. I think both sides arrived at Wuwei County at about the same time. As long as  We dispatched troops in time and marched quickly. We will definitely reach Wuwei County before the Qiang people break the city." Liu Hu, who was next to him, immediately said: "Our heavy armored infantry has horses to transport and we are marching quickly. We are willing to go first." Ma Chao shook his head and smiled.  : "General Tiger can go first, but he cannot be the vanguard. If the heavy armored infantry is lost, I cannot explain to His Highness that someone else will be sent as the vanguard." He immediately ordered: "Order General Wang Ping to come to the big tent immediately."  An hour later, General Wang Ping led 5,000 barbarian troops as the vanguard, marching day and night to Wuwei City. Ma Chao personally led 15,000 troops and Liu Hu's 5,000 heavy armored infantry as the main force. They set off late, Pang Tong and veteran general Yan  Yan was the rear army. He led an army of five thousand and escorted the baggage.  Wuwei County is the largest county in Hexi, with a population of about 30,000 households. Most of them are Han people who moved to the Hexi Corridor to cultivate grain fields during the Han Dynasty. After more than two hundred years of painstaking management, Wuwei County has been covered with grain fields and ravines.  Zongheng, and more importantly, Wuwei County was not affected by the chaos of the late Han Dynasty. People's lives were stable, and many people from Guanzhong fled, which also accelerated the prosperity of Wuwei County.  Although it is a border county in the Western Regions, the people here are martial in nature and there are many scholars. They have produced not only talented people like Jia Xu and Wang Su, but also great warlords like Dong Zhuo. Currently, the prefect of Wuwei County is the famous minister Du Ji.  He was an extremely capable official who loved his people as his own son. Under his governance, the people of Wuwei County lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the Han people and the Qiang, Di and Hu people lived in harmony.  Du Ji is the governor appointed by the imperial court, and of course he is also a good minister selected by Cao Cao. Although he is not as loyal to Cao Cao as Guoyuan and Cheng Yu, he is not as loyal to the Han Dynasty as Xun Yu. He is not pedantic and is good at judging the situation. Now  The entire Guanlong was assigned to the Han State. For the original court officials in Guanlong, they could abandon their posts and return to Yedu, or they could continue to serve. Of course, Liu Jing's approval was required to remain in office.  At present, there are three types of officials in the Guanlong area. One is the officials from the six counties of Longxi, who basically expressed their allegiance to Liu Jing and were able to stay in office. The second is the officials from the three counties of Guanzhong, who all evacuated Guanzhong and were reassigned by Liu Jing.  The other type is officials who have not yet expressed their stance. Du Ji, for example, falls into this third category.  Even Du Ji himself didn't know where to go, but at this time he couldn't care less about his future. He had to protect the people of Wuwei County. The four gates of Wuwei City were opened, and crowds of people swarmed in, and the gates were crowded.  Women and children who had fled from various places in Wuwei were in chaos, crying for their fathers and calling their mothers.  "Prefect, will there be enemies from Zhangye and Qiang entering the city mixed in with the crowd?" Li Ji, the county magistrate next to him, asked worriedly.  Du Ji sighed and said: "So what can we do? Do we have to be like Chang'an, where we have to verify our identity one by one before we can enter the city? Even if Nangongsuo's people sneak into the city, there is nothing they can do. The Qiang cavalry will disappear in an instant.  We can only do our best to kill them." Li Ji, the county magistrate, asked again: "Will the Han army really come to rescue us?" "Of course they will!" Du Ji said with a confident smile: "We will lose Wuwei County.  The Hexi Corridor is also lost. How could Liu Jing tolerate it? The reason why he arranged his army in Jincheng County is to guard against the Qiang people. The Han army will definitely come to assist. My only worry is whether they can arrive before the Qiang people.  "Li Ji nodded silently. He could understand Du Ji's confidence. After a moment of silence, he carefully asked: "Prefect, I don't know whether to say something or not?" Du Ji glanced at him and said with some dissatisfaction: "?Ci Shi, we have been together for four years now!  What else can't be said?  " Li Ji smiled bitterly and said: "I want to say that after this incident, the prefect will return to Yedu or continue to stay in Wuwei County?  " Du Ji smiled slightly, "I actually don't care. The key depends on Liu Jing's attitude towards Hexi. If he is determined and must take back Hexi and restore the territory of Zhangye County and Jiuquan County, then I am willing to be loyal to him.  But if he is afraid of Nangong Suo and acquiesces to Nangong Suo's occupation of Zhangye and Jiuquan, then such a person will not be able to achieve great things, and it is better to return to his hometown to farm.  " Li Ji also smiled and said: "The prefect and I also thought of going together. Those of us who are officials in Hexi really have deep feelings for this land.  " At this moment, a soldier shouted: "The army is coming!  " Du Ji was shocked and quickly stepped forward and asked: "Where is it?  " "It's in the south, please take a look, Governor!  " Du Ji breathed a sigh of relief. He held up the curtain and looked into the distance. He saw a long, thick black line in the distant wilderness with flags fluttering. It was an army. Du Ji stroked his beard and smiled. It was infantry.  It's not the cavalry, it can only be the Han army. He was overjoyed and shouted to the soldiers: "It's our reinforcements that are coming!"  " There was thunderous cheers on the city. The arrival of the Han army undoubtedly gave them great hope and made all the soldiers extremely excited. A quarter of an hour later, the army gradually arrived at Wuwei City. It was the five thousand vanguard army led by Wang Ping.  They were all barbarians who were good at marching and had excellent endurance. In addition, they were lightly armed and simple soldiers, so they traveled day and night and arrived at Wuwei City in just one day and one night. The soldiers were exhausted. Although they were extremely tired, they still  Maintaining a neat formation, not wanting the Wuwei defenders to underestimate them, Du Ji rode up with a dozen officials and said, "Excuse me, are you the King of Han's army?"  "Wang Ping also returned the greeting and said: "Exactly, I am Wang Ping, the general under the command of the King of Han, and I am the governor of Du.  " Du Ji was overjoyed: "I am Du Ji. I have finally welcomed you. Please come into the city.  " Wang Ping nodded, turned around and ordered: "Enter the city!  "The team lined up and headed into the city. At this time, Wang Ping asked: "Excuse me, the prefect, is there any news about the Qiang and Hu?  " "Not yet, but they should have entered Wuwei County, and I'm afraid they will arrive today. Your speed is really surprising.  " Du Ji sincerely admired this Han army. He simply couldn't imagine that the Han army, which was infantry, arrived before the Qiang cavalry. He could also see the fatigue of the soldiers, and quickly said: "The military camp is ready, you guys  Let's rest first, and then we'll talk about defending against Qiang enemies.  Wang Ping smiled and said: "Thank you, Governor. Also, I would like to ask if there are any armor in the city. The soldiers did not carry armor in order to reduce the burden."  "There are armors. There are more than 10,000 armors in the arsenal. They are the armors left by Dong Zhuo. I checked them a few days ago. They are very well preserved and there are no problems at all. General, feel free to use them."  Wang Ping was relieved and said: "Then we will take the armor first, then let the soldiers have a good meal, and start the defense in the afternoon. Please understand, prefect, I want to take over the defense with full authority."  " Du Ji nodded, this is inevitable, he was mentally prepared.  In the afternoon, the Qiang and Hu cavalry arrived as scheduled. Dust was flying in the distance, and the overwhelming cavalry came towards Wuwei City.  The white flag fluttered in the dust. This was a scale of 10,000 people. Behind the team, thousands of horses carried hundreds of siege ladders several feet high. It was these heavy and huge siege ladders that slowed down  The marching speed of the Qiang and Hu cavalry prevented them from galloping in the wilderness like herds. The general at the head was Nangong Xin, the younger brother of Qiang King Nangong Suo. He reined in his horse and looked at the tall Wuwei City from a distance.  The guards above were sparse and the troops were in disorder. Most of them were servants wearing soap-colored uniforms, and there were also many ordinary people holding wooden sticks and iron forks. The number of people was more than a thousand at most. He couldn't help but sneer in his heart and took out a letter.  He handed the letter to the soldiers and said: "Shoot this letter into the city and order the Han officials to abandon the city!  " The soldiers took the letter, urged their horses to rush forward, and shouted to the top of the city: "My general has an order to ask the Han officials to leave the city, otherwise after the city is broken, everyone will be killed!  " He shouted three times, pierced the letter with an arrow and shot it at the top of the city. A soldier had already picked up the letter and handed it to the general Wang Ping. Wang Ping and his army were not at the top of the city, but hiding under the city.  The original motley guards were still on their heads. At this time, the prefect Du Ji also came after hearing the news. Wang Ping handed him the letter, "This is a letter from Qiang King Nangong Suo, asking us to give up our military power.  " Du Ji opened the letter and read it. The letter was written quite politely, asking the court officials to leave Wuwei and let the Qiang people temporarily take charge of it. They would return it to the court after the world was stabilized, andWill ensure the safety of the Han people, Du Ji sneered: "Zhangye County and Jiuquan County were intimidated by them in this way, and now it is Wuwei County's turn. Dream on!" Wang Ping said with a smile: "These Qiang people are not resourceful enough.  , If we must march together, if we send three thousand cavalry as the vanguard first, I am afraid that Wuwei City will not be able to be saved. We can use the trick and act according to the original plan. " Du Ji nodded and walked up to the city. He held the battlements and faced the city.  The messenger shouted: "I am the prefect Du Ji. You can leave the city. Please give me half an hour and we will leave naturally." The soldier went back to report Nangong Xin. Nangong Xin nodded, "Then give them half an hour!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 723 Head-on attack (Part 2)

    Half an hour later, the south gate of Wuwei opened, and a dozen carriages, escorted by more than two hundred horsemen and servants, left Wuwei City and headed south. Immediately, Qiang and Hu cavalry discovered it and rushed back to report Nangong Xin. After a while,  , an entourage galloped over on horseback and shouted loudly: "The prefect and the county magistrate have left. Prefect Du kindly asks the general to treat the people of the city well." Nangong Xin laughed, "Since you are so knowledgeable, we will naturally treat you kindly!" This  At that time, the north gate of Wuwei opened and a white flag was planted on the city. Dozens of people on the city shouted at the top of their lungs: "Wuwei County is willing to be loyal to King Nangong!" Nangong Xin was overjoyed and turned around and ordered: "Enter the city!"  Teams of Qiang and Hu cavalry began to line up to enter the city, but less than a thousand Qiang and Hu cavalry entered the city. The ambush troops on both sides stood up and fired with crossbows. The dense arrows were fired at the Qiang cavalry. The Qiang and Hu cavalry screamed and fell off their horses.  The rest of the cavalry turned their horses and fled. Two thousand ambush soldiers rushed forward with shouts and stabbed the cavalry with dense spears.  At the same time that something happened in the city, ambushes arose at the top of the city. Rolling logs and rocks hit the Qiang and Hu cavalry on the suspension bridge like hail. Thousands of ambushes on both sides drew their bows and fired rapidly. The Qiang and Hu cavalry were caught off guard. Suddenly they fell on their backs and screamed in agony.  The sound echoed outside the city.  The sudden turn of events frightened the cavalry behind them and turned their horses and fled. The 10,000 cavalry were defeated and fled several miles away in one breath. Nangong Xin was in shock. It took him a while to regain his composure and began to realize that he had been tricked.  , the carriage leaving the city was not the governor and his family at all, it was just to deceive him. Nangong Xin was extremely embarrassed. At this time, after the soldiers counted the number of people, they lost more than 2,000 people. This made Nangong Xin even more furious and pointed his knife at the city.  He shouted: "When the city is conquered, I will massacre it and humiliate it!" At this time, a general stepped forward and whispered: "It's strange that thousands of regular soldiers appeared. Before leaving, didn't the king say that Wuwei County  Don¡¯t you have any troops?¡± Nangong Xin snorted heavily. He probably had a clue that Liu Jing¡¯s reinforcements must have arrived.  Nangong Xin looked fiercely at the top of the city, where big flags were fluttering and the defenders were densely packed, which was very different from the sparse soldiers before. A general advised again: "There are also many defenders on the other side, and the city is tall and solid. We  Even if we capture Wuwei City, we will suffer heavy losses. It is better to attack other counties." Nangong Xin nodded and gritted his teeth and said: "If they can defend Wuwei City, I don't believe they can defend other counties.  I will never give up!" Nangong Xin immediately ordered: "Send the order, go south to Cangsong County!" Cangsong County is the second largest county in Wuwei County, second only to Guzang County, where Wuwei City is located, with a population of over 10,000.  About eighty miles south of the city, the city wall of Cangsong County is low and easy to attack. More importantly, there will be no defenders there. If tens of thousands of people can be captured and returned, they can give Nangong Suo an explanation, and Nangong Xin  Another idea is to force the reinforcements from Wuwei City to leave the city, which will be beneficial to the Qiang cavalry battle.  The Qiang and Hu cavalry changed their battle plan and no longer attacked the prepared Wuwei City. Instead, they continued southward and attacked Cangsong County, eighty miles away. On top of the city, Wang Ping watched in surprise as the Qiang and Hu cavalry moved south.  , he did not expect that the Qiang and Hu actually abandoned Wuwei City and went south. Soon, he sneered. The Qiang people obviously underestimated the determination of the Han army to defend Hexi. They thought they were the only ones to support the army. At this time, Du Ji walked quickly  He came and said very uneasily: "General Wang, the Qiang people must have gone to attack Cangsong County. The city there is small and there are no defenders. What should I do?" "Don't worry, Governor Du. General Ma will send troops not long after me.  The Qiang people will definitely encounter the main force of the Han army on the way. "Despite Wang Ping's comfort, Du Ji was still a little worried. What if the main force of the Han army did not come?  Wang Ping saw his worry and smiled: "Even if we don't come, I will never let the Qiang people succeed. They just want to lure us out of the city to fight, so I will help them." Wang Ping immediately sent out  Two scouts went to investigate the situation of the Qiang and Hu. He ordered General Zhao Yong to lead 2,000 troops to defend the city. He led 3,000 troops to leave Wuwei City and slowly headed south. He was not far from Wuwei City. Once the Qiang  Hu's main force turned around and fought back. He could return to the city at any time.  Eight thousand Qiang and Hu cavalry led the siege ladder to kill Cangsong County. The eighty-mile journey took them at least two hours. It was already afternoon. Even if they arrived at Cansong County, the sky would be dark.  The darkness was over, but Nangong Xin didn't think about it. He was filled with anger in his heart, and he vowed not to be a human being until Cangsong County was washed with blood.  After walking for more than an hour, dusk came quietly, but it was not completely dark yet. There was still a trace of bright yellow in the eastern sky. The twilight was vast and shrouded the earth. A thin mist floated between the sky and the earth. At this moment, a few  The famous spy rushed back and reported nervously: "General, the Han army was found ten miles ahead, about 15,000 people." Nangong Xin was shocked, why did he encounter him again?After seeing the Han army, he calmed down and asked again: "Is it cavalry or infantry?" "Basically, they are all infantry." Nangong Xin showed a sinister smile on his face. They were eight thousand cavalry, and the opponent was fifteen thousand infantry.  Although twice as large as them, the powerful impact of the cavalry can completely defeat one against two. Moreover, his army is directly under the Qiang King and is not a makeshift herdsman. It has strong combat effectiveness. If he does not take the opportunity to defeat the enemy,  It will make people underestimate him, Nangong Xin.  He turned back to several generals and said: "How about it? Follow me and attack the enemy!" Several generals looked at each other with embarrassment. One of them said: "But it's almost dark, and we are not good at fighting at night." "You.  What did you say?" Nangong Xin rode up to the general with a spear in his hand, staring at him fiercely, "Will you say it again?" The general was shocked by his murderous intention and lowered his head, "I am willing to follow the general.  What about you?" Everyone had no choice but to agree: "I am willing to fight with the general!" Nangong Xin burst out laughing. He rushed to the front of the team, raised his spear and shouted loudly: "Qiang warriors, the time has come to let the enemy cry.  , Han troops appeared in front, they were all infantry, let our iron hoofs trample them to pieces, let them crawl in front of us!" The cavalry shouted passionately, "annihilate all the enemy troops!" Nangong Xin pointed his spear.  Ahead, "Attack!" The eight thousand cavalrymen ran with a roar, their iron hooves beating on the ground, the sound of horse hooves was like thunder, raising the billowing yellow dust, raising their spears high and shouting, speeding up their horses and galloping forward. The Han army coming from the south was Ma Chao  Led by the main force of the 15,000-strong Chinese army, they marched all the way north and had already passed Cangsong County. They would reach Wuwei City after walking another 40 miles.  At this moment, several scout cavalrymen rushed over from a distance and reported urgently: "General Qi, there are about 10,000 Qiang and Hu cavalry in front of us. They are less than ten miles away." The generals were shocked. Why was there no Wang Ping?  After hearing the news, the Qiang and Hu cavalry came to kill, but Ma Chao said coldly: "There are only ten thousand cavalry, how dare you be so impudent!" He immediately ordered: "Set up a formation to meet the Qiang and Hu cavalry." At this time, Liu Hu stepped forward.  He said anxiously: "Meng Qi, the first formation belongs to us." Ma Chao smiled slightly, "General Tiger, don't worry, I know the tactics of the Qiang people very well. The first formation is reserved for the crossbowmen. First, weaken their energy, and then let them go."  The heavy armored infantry killed them fiercely. General Hu asked him to change his equipment first. Liu Hu then remembered that his heavy armored infantry had not yet changed their equipment. The heavy armored infantry usually traveled lightly and only changed equipment before the battle. It was also necessary to change equipment!  After a certain period of time, Ma Chao was just trying to buy him time. He blushed and immediately rushed back to the army and shouted, "What are you doing standing still? Change your clothes quickly!" Fifteen thousand Han troops set up a large formation in the wilderness.  , divided into three armies, with 4,000 crossbowmen in front, 5,000 heavy armored infantry in front, 6,000 spear infantry in the rear, and 5,000 heavy armored infantry's consignment horses quickly retreated southward and left temporarily.  On the battlefield, armies one after another spread out their formations in the wilderness, stretching for several miles.  At this time, everyone felt that the earth was shaking. This was the Qiang and Hu cavalry coming. The horses became restless and snorted, and the soldiers' palms clenching their spears became sweaty.  I saw a dark cloud sweeping in from a distance, changing the color of the sky and the earth. The sound of huge horse hooves was like muffled thunder mixed in the dark clouds, and the earth was shaking. The momentum created by the eight thousand Qiang and Hu cavalry was enough to destroy everything.  .  Ma Chao¡¯s horse felt the fear of the coming war, ¡®Slim!  With a loud scream, Ma Chao raised his front hooves high, but Ma Chao was not afraid. He held a spear in his hand, and the red tassels fluttered on his silver helmet. He looked heroic. He raised his gun and shouted: "Fearless warriors of the Han army, the time has come to make a contribution."  , Kill all the Qiang and Hu cavalry!" The 1500 Han troops shouted in unison, "We must win! We must win!" The Han army's confidence surged into the sky, and their powerful momentum suppressed the Qiang and Hu cavalry.  Feeling the overwhelming fear of the onslaught of killings, they all took their positions and stared coldly at the incoming enemy troops.  In the dim twilight, a black line about several miles long appeared at the end of the wilderness in the distance. It did not stop, overwhelming the sky, and swept towards the Han army with an unstoppable force. Ma Chao had a cold smile on his lips. He was waiting.  At this moment, this battle will establish his status as the governor of Xiliang.  "Crossbowmen prepare!" He gave the first order.  Two thousand crossbowmen and two thousand archers lined up at the same time. The crossbowmen were in front and the archers were behind. The crossbowmen shot from a long distance and the archers shot from a close range. The distance and distance were staggered.  Two thousand crossbowmen were arranged in three rows, one foot apart from the front and back. The first row squatted down half-crouched, and two thousand crossbows stood up from the ground, aiming coldly at the Qiang and Hu cavalry who were rushing towards them.  Qianghu CavalryGetting closer and closer, the overwhelming murderous intent seemed to destroy everything in the world, "Kill!" Under the white flag, the Qiang and Hu cavalry instantly rushed into the range of the Han army's crossbows. Ma Chao ordered coldly, "Shoot!"  "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The huge drum sounded, and six hundred crossbow arrows were fired suddenly, forming a black arrow cloud and roaring towards the Qiang and Hu cavalry.  Hundreds of people were shot down.  Immediately after the second row of crossbow arrows from the Han army came, Qiang and Hu soldiers kept screaming and falling to the ground during the charge. The third row of arrow clouds roared in again, and the dense crossbow arrows shot through the Qiang and Hu cavalrymen like a gust of wind and rain.  Shields and leather armor, pieces of cavalry fell from their horses and were trampled into pulp by the dense war horses.  The three rows of Han crossbowmen moved skillfully, loading, charging, and firing the crossbows in turn. After only three rounds, the Qiang and Hu cavalry lost more than 1,300 people. The heavy losses made the Qiang and Hu cavalry quickly lose their murderous spirit.  , the formation was a little messy, and at this time, the Qiang and Hu cavalry forwards had already rushed sixty steps away.  The Han crossbowmen picked up the spears on the ground and retreated to the left like a tide. They became the left wing guard of the heavy armored infantry. Behind them, the archers who had been waiting for a long time began to fire hard. The archers used long bows and arrows.  It is three feet and three inches long, with sharp steel clusters. It is shot at an elevated angle. Two thousand arrows are as dense as a torrential rain. They are so powerful that they can shoot through both men and horses.  The more than 500 Xiliang cavalry and war horses who rushed through the front were hit by arrows and fell to the ground. Dead bodies piled up. The Han army's arrows were so fast that the Qiang and Hu cavalry were shot over when they rushed forward. Together with the crossbowmen's coordinated firing, the Qiang and Hu cavalry were shot down.  The cavalry suffered heavy casualties, and the cavalry began to be in chaos.  The archers picked up their spears and retreated quickly, transforming into a right-wing escort of heavy armored infantry. In the dusk, five thousand heavy armored infantry made a majestic appearance.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 724 The cavalry leaves the dangerous valley

    The long knives are like a forest, and the sharp swords are shining with an eerie cold light in the dusk. Behind the dense swords are heavy armored infantrymen who are like copper walls and iron walls. They squat down, with the hilts of the knives inserted into the ground, and the sharp tips of the knives pierce the air.  Using the solid power of the earth to counterattack the cavalry's impact is the most effective way to deal with the cavalry's impact. The size of the counterattack force encountered by the cavalry is directly proportional to the strength of their impact.  The horses of the Qiang and Hu cavalry rushed towards them, but what they faced was a dense forest of knives that shone like a god of death. Amidst desperate screams, the Qiang and Hu cavalry crashed into the forest of knives, their limbs shattered and blood dripping from their bodies.  Splattering, corpses of people and horses piled up instantly. The first wave of huge impact was withstood by the powerful sword forest. The cavalry behind them couldn't rein in their horses and collided with each other one after another. The Qiang and Hu cavalry were in chaos.  In the chaos, the heavy armored infantry stood up suddenly, brandished their long swords, and advanced like a wall. The dense swordsmanship slashed at the cavalry. This was a battle with almost no suspense. The heavy armored infantry had rich combat experience and had experienced the most rigorous  With the night battle training, he was not inferior to Cao Jun's tiger and leopard cavalry, let alone the Qiang cavalry who were weak in night battles.  The heavy armored infantry showed off their might, killing the enemy troops all over the field with howls and corpses. The whole world was filled with the pungent smell of blood. In just half an hour, more than half of the eight thousand Qiang and Hu cavalry were killed and wounded. The Qiang and Hu cavalry were killed.  Terrified, morale quickly collapsed.  Nangong Xin was the first to turn around and flee the battlefield, followed by thousands of cavalrymen fleeing like an avalanche. In the chaos, they collided and trampled each other. Soldiers kept falling off their horses and were trampled into mud by the horses behind them.  The Qiang and Hu cavalry ran for twenty miles in one breath, still in shock. Just as they were passing through a forest, there was a sound of banging in the woods, followed by a volley of arrows. The defeated Qiang and Hu troops were unable to dodge. They were shot so hard that they were turned upside down and hundreds of people were killed.  After being shot to the ground, the Qiang and Hu cavalrymen who had just stopped were as frightened as a bowed bird. They were so frightened that they beat their horses and ran again.  Fires broke out in the woods, and an army came out. It was the three thousand troops led by Wang Ping. They intercepted the Qiang and Hu enemy troops from behind. Wang Ping took the lead and rushed out. He happened to meet Nangong Xin. He recognized this person.  The enemy general came up to kill him with his sword.  Wang Ping's war horse was so fast that he shouted loudly and rushed to Nangong Xin's eyes. The sword was fierce and slashed at Nangong Xin's neck. Nangong Xin was caught off guard and his head was chopped off by Wang Ping's knife. The horse ran for more than ten steps and found the headless body.  Only then did he fall off his horse.  Seeing that the enemy army had no fighting spirit, Wang Ping turned around and shouted: "Kill me and reward with heads!" The soldiers ran harder, yelling and rushing up to kill them. They picked off the cavalry with their spears and then chopped off the heads with one knife.  , tie it around your waist and go after the next one.  In this day's battle, the Qiang and Hu cavalry suffered a brutal blow. In the end, only less than 3,000 of the 10,000 cavalry were left and fled back to Zhangye. Even the commander Nangong Xin died in the hands of Wang Ping. At dawn, the Han army slowly walked in.  Arriving at Wuwei City, Ma Chao looked at this familiar city and was filled with emotion. He was back after so many years of absence.  "Captain Ma!" Not far away, someone called him.  Ma Chao turned around and saw that it was Du Ji, the governor of Wuwei County. When he was about to go to Xiliang, Du Ji happened to come from Hedong County to take office. It had been four or five years.  Ma Chao turned over and dismounted, and walked forward calmly, "Prefect Du, it's better not to call me Governor Ma. I am now the General of the Han Dynasty Zhenxi." "Then let's call him General Ma!" Du Ji said with a smile: "  I am very grateful to General Ma for coming to the rescue in time and saving Wuwei County. I represent Wuwei County with 200,000 yuan." Before he could finish speaking, Ma Chao waved his hand, "Perhaps Governor Du doesn't know! Guan Long already belongs to the Han Kingdom. This is  There is no need for the 200,000 Wuwei people to thank me for the imperial court¡¯s decision.¡± ¡°I know, I am just grateful out of habit.¡± Du Ji smiled and took out a volume of letters and handed them to Ma Chao, ¡°This is a letter from His Highness the King of Han.  "It was sent last night when General Wang Ping was leaving the city." Ma Chao was startled. He quickly took the letter and asked with some confusion: "Where did this letter come from?" "It was sent from the direction of Zhangye County."  "General Ma, think about it." Ma Chao thought for a moment and suddenly realized that the messenger came from Dadou Bagou, and His Highness is now on the plateau. He opened the letter, read it briefly, nodded slowly, and read the letter.  He put it away and asked Du Ji: "His Royal Highness the King of Han said in the letter that if Governor Du is willing to stay, he can continue to serve as the Governor of Wuwei County." Du Ji smiled faintly, "I want to know, what should I do in Jiuquan County?" Ma Chao read it  He glanced at Li Ji, the county magistrate next to him, and said: "His Royal Highness the King of Han appointed Li Jun Cheng as the prefect of Jiuquan County." Du Ji and Li Ji looked at each other, and they were overjoyed. This meant that Liu Jing would also regain Jiuquan and Zhangye. He saluted together, and Du Ji  Ji said: "Please Ma Chao tell Zhou Mu that Du Ji and Li Ji are willing to serve the Han Dynasty." &nbspMa Chao quickly returned the greeting and said with a smile: "You two governors, you're welcome. His Royal Highness the King of Han said in the letter that he would regain Zhangye and Jiuquan, and completely eradicate Nangong Suo's power from Zhangye. I will soon go to Zhangye, and Wuwei County will  I'll leave it to the two prefects for the time being." Du Ji said with some concern, "I'm afraid General Ma doesn't have enough troops." Ma Chao smiled slightly, "There are still 10,000 rear troops coming, so we will have 30,000 troops, and we will have another 10,000 troops.  The sharpest mysterious soldier appears."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Dadou Bagou is a diagonal passage across the Qilian Mountains for thousands of miles. It starts from Zhangye County in the north and ends north of the West Sea in the south. It is about 300 miles long. It is of great strategic value and is also the key to the Silk Road entering the Hexi Corridor from Hehuang.  aisle.  Different from the Zhongnan Passage connecting Hanzhong and Guanzhong, the inner valley of Dadouba Valley is wide and wide, ranging from several miles to more than ten miles. It is covered with various plateau plants and is also home to thousands of wild animals, especially at high altitudes.  Higher up, the climate is unpredictable, and the road is equally fraught with danger.  Especially the presence of wild wolves poses a huge threat to passing business travelers. The scattered bones in the grass are a concrete manifestation of this threat.  That morning, a cavalry team of 15,000 people was marching in the Dadou Valley. They were the Han cavalry who had returned from training in the bend of the river. They did not go to Xiping County, but detoured to the north bank of the West Sea and came from Dadou.  Pulling the valley straight into the Hexi Corridor, Liu Jing sent someone to notify Ma Chao at the same time, ordering him to attack Zhangye from the north and cooperate with him from the south.  It can be said that Liu Jing led the cavalry to the plateau to train troops, to a certain extent, in order to cross the Great Dou valley and form a coercive force on the Qiang and Hu from the north. As early as the agreement with Cao Cao on the ownership of Guanlong, Liu Jing  He had already decided to eradicate the Qiang and Hu forces in the Hexi Corridor, and it was impossible for him to accept Nangong Suo's occupation of Zhangye and Jiuquan.  The reason why he and Nangong Suo discussed jointly dealing with the Di and Hu was just a delaying tactic. In order to prevent the Qiang and Di from joining forces, after completely destroying Yang Wanwan and Song Jian, the time to regain the Hexi Corridor gradually matured. This was also the reason why Liu Jing  The reason why he laughed off Jiang Wei's report was not that he didn't take it seriously, but that he had already made plans and arrangements.  "Your Highness!" A group of scout cavalry rushed up from the front, interrupting Liu Jing's train of thought. He reined in his horse and asked, "What happened?" "We captured two Qiang and Hu patrol posts. They are important.  "Information." The scout commander waved, and the soldiers escorted the two Qiang and Hu cavalry up. Liu Jing glanced at them and asked, "What information do you have?" The two Qiang and Hu cavalry couldn't speak Chinese and stammered.  After talking, a guard translated: "Your Highness, they said that there was a big battle just a few days ago. Their cavalry encountered the Han army in Wuwei County and returned with a huge defeat." Liu Jing suddenly became interested.  Then he said: "Let them tell you in detail." The two Qiang and Hu cavalrymen explained the information they knew in detail. Only then did Liu Jing know about the war in Wuwei County. The main force of the Han army was now in Wuwei County, not Jincheng County.  , Liu Jing immediately turned around and ran towards Fazheng's car.  Fazheng was tired from traveling these days and felt a little unwell. He was marching in a carriage. When he heard that the King of Han was coming to see him, he quickly cheered up, opened the window and said with an apologetic smile: "I have caused trouble to His Highness." Liu  Seeing that he looked very poor, Jing said quickly: "There is no need for the military advisor to get up and have a good rest. I just have a situation that I want to discuss with the military advisor." "Your Highness, it's okay to say it." Liu Jing then recounted the confession of the Qiang and Hu cavalry, and finally  He said: "Judging from the current situation, the Qiang people suffered a defeat in Wuwei. The military advisor thinks that Nangong Suo's next step is to seek peace and avoid war, or will he fight with all his troops?" Fazheng thought for a moment and said: "I think the key is to see  The pressure within the Qiang people. If the anti-war pressure within the Qiang people is extremely strong, the possibility of Nangong Suo seeking peace will increase. Judging from the information currently known, Nangong Suo uses force to maintain his rule among the Qiang people.  , brutally exploited the remaining Qiang tribes, and his defeat in Wuwei should have shaken his rule, so I think it is more likely that Nangong will seek peace." Liu Jing nodded and asked, "Me too.  It seems that he is more likely to seek peace. So, do you think we should accept the peace offer or continue to eradicate Nangong Suo?" Fazheng laughed, "Didn't His Highness do a good job in stabilizing Nangong Suo first?  , solved the Longxi Di people, then put the noose around Nangong Suo's neck, tightened it little by little, and bought the Han army time and opportunity. Why not continue now? " Liu Jing laughed, Fa Zheng's thoughts were different from his.  Coincidentally, he was now going to complete the military division's encirclement and suppression deployment. Before that, he had to stabilize Nangong Suo.  He bowed his hands and saluted, "I understand what to do, military advisor, please have a good rest."??¡± Liu Jing turned his horse¡¯s head and ran towards the front of the team. In the afternoon of the next day, the Han cavalry walked out of Dadou Valley and entered Zhangye County. As the terrain lowered, the soldiers¡¯ minds suddenly became refreshed and they were 100 times more energetic.  They have entered the Hexi Corridor. At a glance, they can see that there are large grasslands everywhere, and there are herds of cattle, sheep and horses everywhere. If Wuwei County still has some farmland, then Zhangye County is mainly pasture. Here  It was the most important pasture of the Han Dynasty and the main source of war horses. With the decline of the Han Dynasty at the end of the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty's control over Hexi also gradually weakened. It was successively occupied by separatist forces such as Dong Zhuo, Ma Teng, and Han Sui for five years.  Before that, Cao Cao defeated Ma Chao and Han Sui in Guanzhong and annihilated the Xiliang army. There was a power void in the Hexi Corridor. The Qiang and Hu took advantage of it and gradually occupied Jiuquan and Zhangye counties. However, due to the strategic importance of the Hexi Corridor.  It is destined that this powerless situation will not last long. Even if Liu Jing's army does not come, Cao Jun will still enter Hexi and restore the Central Plains Dynasty's rule over Hexi. When Liu Jing saw that the sky was dark, he ordered: "Pass it to me.  Order, camp on the spot!  " At this moment, a group of scouts came to the Han army camp with several Qiang old men.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 725 Harsh Conditions

    Liu Jing met with three Qiang elders in the Chinese army's tent. They were representatives of several Qiang tribes living in the south of Zhangye County and near Dadou Bago area. They did not expect that the commander of this cavalry was actually the King of Han.  They were very moved by the warm reception received by the King of Han in person and by the King of Han.  All three of them could speak Chinese. One of them, an old man with snow-white hair and beard, said with emotion: "We have lived in Zhangye County for hundreds of years and have raised horses for the imperial court for generations. The imperial court has not treated us badly. Not only are we exempted from taxes, but all the war horses we raise are  With the food subsidies from the court, our tribes have multiplied and their number has increased from a few hundred to several thousand, and our lives are relatively prosperous. But at least Nangong Suo has occupied Zhangye, and our lives have completely changed. Not only do we need three  Every household has to take a ding from each household to fight for him, and more than half of the newly added war horses, cattle and sheep must be handed over every year. Our three tribes originally had 500,000 sheep, but now only 200,000 are left, and the same is true for cattle and horses.  , Life suddenly became abject poverty, and we all dreamed of getting rid of Nangong Suo's control. "The old man's words strongly resonated with the other two. When it came to the heartache, the three of them couldn't help but burst into tears. Liu Jing quickly comforted the three of them and said: "  The Han army came to the Hexi Corridor this time to restore the original order. We demand the independence of each tribe. The fate of each tribe should be decided by each tribe and uniformly accepted by the government. We will never tolerate Nangong Suo's cruel exploitation of other tribes.  The so-called 'Qiang King' exists, so everyone can rest assured that this time the Han army will definitely eradicate this Qiang cancer and return freedom to the kind-hearted Qiang people. "The three old men only considered the interests of their own people and would never consider a powerful one.  , What does the emergence of a unified Qiang regime mean, but Liu Jing knows very well that once a powerful Hu regime is formed, whether it is the Di people or the Qiang people, it means that the Han Dynasty will most likely lose Hexi or Longxi.  This was something he would never tolerate.  For Qiang and Hu heroes like Nangong Suo, we can only attack them mercilessly when they are still weak, and completely restore the Qiang and Di people to their former state of scattered sand. Only the Qiang and Di tribes, large and small, can form separate formations and only care about their own interests.  It will help the government divide them.  Of course Liu Jing also knew why Nangongsuo brutally exploited the Qiang tribes. He was not doing it entirely for personal enjoyment, but to establish a full-time army and break the previous tribal army. This was exactly the power of a powerful Hu dynasty.  Base.  The three old men were all grateful and expressed their willingness to raise 50,000 sheep to reward the Han army cavalry. The Han army also happened to be short of food, so he accepted the Qiang people's enthusiastic dedication without politeness.  "Of course I won't ask for your sheep in vain. After the Zhangye government is restored, I will let the government give you a certain amount of care in the pasture area as compensation for your support of the Han army today." The three old men were overjoyed and immediately expressed  Liu Jing was willing to increase the number of sheep he was willing to reward to one hundred thousand, and Liu Jing also accepted them one by one. Although the average soldier had six sheep, which seemed a bit too much, but what about military rations!  Liu Jing never had too many, and could come back to fetch sheep when needed. Just as Fazheng expected, the failure of Wuwei County brought great trouble to Nangong Suo, not only causing him to lose eight thousand direct cavalry, but also limited military strength.  He suffered heavy losses, and more importantly, his prestige was damaged. Some tribes began to no longer obey his orders.  First of all, more than 20 tribes near Wuwei County took the lead in rejecting Nangong Suo's request for conscription and made it clear that they would no longer pay sheep to Nangong Suo. Secondly, several tribes in Dadou Bago area also refused to send troops.  The reason is to protect the safety of women and children of this tribe.  As 30,000 Han troops entered Zhangye County from Wuwei County, the rebellion spread from south to north. More and more tribes stood still and waited to see what would happen. In previous years, more than 50,000 troops could be raised in ten days, but this time only  The tribes near Zhangye City sent troops to participate in the war, and their number was only a little over 20,000. Including the 20,000 directly affiliated troops, Nangong Suo currently only had more than 40,000 troops in his hands.  In the royal tent in Zhangye City, Nangong Suo was pacing back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his back, looking very angry. He had just received news that five thousand Qiang soldiers from Liqian County and Fanhe County near Wuwei County had surrendered to the Han army. This was  The first incident of Qiang soldiers surrendering, but Nangong Suo knew that this was by no means the last. As long as it started, Qiang soldiers would continue to surrender to the Han army.  What makes Nangong Suo even more upset is that there is an army in the Han army that specializes in restraining cavalry, called heavy armored infantry.  He has one in his collection. Liu Jing personally gave it to him when he sold the war horse to Jiangxia.  Nangong Suo was shocked by the sturdiness and sharpness of this long knife. Over the years, he has been eager to cast such a knife. The fundamental reason why he proposed the condition of fine iron to Liu Jing was to get the tools to cast the horse-killing sword.  Fine iron, but Liu Jing did not satisfy him.  He could only buy Western iron from Sogdian merchants at extremely expensive prices. He already had tens of thousands of kilograms of high-quality iron in his hands.There was also a shortage of famous sword-making craftsmen, so he sent people to Kuaiji County in Jiangdong to hire famous sword-making craftsmen at a high price. Unfortunately, the famous craftsmen had not yet arrived, but the Han army had already arrived.  "Why did my father have to fight with the Han army? Why can't he get along with Liu Jing as friendly as before?" The speaker was Nangong Suo's only son Nangong Boyu. He is only thirteen years old this year, but he is naturally smart and can not only speak  He is fluent in Chinese and can write poems and poems. He especially likes the literature of the Han Dynasty. His biggest wish is to go to Yedu and become a disciple of the Seventh Son of Jian'an. However, since Ma Dai rescued him from Chang'an, Nangong Boyu's dream of becoming a disciple has been shattered.  .  At this time, he saw that his father was worried and couldn't help but persuade him: "Father should make peace with the Han army unconditionally and admit the mistake of attacking Wuwei County. I don't think the King of Han will embarrass us." Nangong Suo sighed and said: "This time the Han army marches westward.  Hexi obviously had a premeditated plan. Liu Jing would not tolerate me occupying Zhangye and Jiuquan. It must be for this reason. How could he easily reconcile with me? " Speaking of this, Nangong Suo said bitterly: "The most hateful thing is these betrayal tribes.  , usually show their loyalty to me, but as soon as there is any trouble, they immediately fall out, faster than the weather in Qilian Mountain." "This may be because my father usually asks too much from them. I have also advised my father." "You.  You know nothing!" Before his son could finish speaking, Nangong Suo scolded: "If I don't exploit them, how can I get the money and food to build an army? If I don't exploit them, how can I afford expensive iron and steel?  With ten thousand fine steel swords, I can go north to Heshuo, conquer the Qiang people in Helan Mountain, and establish the Qiang Empire. At that time, I have more than 100,000 soldiers, so why should I be afraid of the Han army? " "But now that the Han army has arrived, what should we do?  ?¡± Nangong Boyu¡¯s words were like a sharp dagger, piercing Nangong Suo¡¯s ambition. He immediately sat down in frustration, yes!  With only 40,000 troops at his disposal, could he defeat the Han army?  If he cannot defeat them, the Hexi Qiang people will definitely fall apart and his rule will be over. What should he do now?  At this moment, a guard reported in front of the big tent: "Your Majesty, King Liu Jing of Han has sent an envoy to see your Majesty. He is already waiting outside the city." Nangong Suo was stunned. Liu Jing sent an envoy. This  What does it mean?  Nangong Boyu said quickly from the side: "This should be because Liu Jing wants to resolve the dispute peacefully, and his father should meet him." Nangong Suo thought for a long time before nodding and said: "Since the envoy is here, please invite him to the city to meet him."  Soon, several Qiang soldiers led a Han army civilian official into the big tent. The person who came was the head of Cang Cao under Liu Jing's tent, named Lin Jin. He was also the man whose wife was killed by the Di man Hu in Qi Shan Dao.  Hunter, he was favored by Liu Jing because of his talent in counting, and he was appointed to work for Cang Cao. Last year, he was promoted to the chief of Cang Cao, in charge of the money and food of the Han army. He was very smart and capable, and was highly valued by Liu Jing, so he was sent here this time.  Negotiate with the Qiang people.  Lin Jin entered the tent and saluted: "Lin Jin, the staff of the King of Han, is here to see the King of Qiang." Nangong Suo immediately greeted him with a smile, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't go to greet Mr. Lin outside the city." He introduced his son to Lin Jin again, "This is  "Quinzi Boyu." Nangong Boyu quickly bowed deeply and said, "Junior, please meet me sir." The three of them exchanged greetings. Nangong Suo asked Lin Jin to sit down, and he asked with concern: "His Royal Highness.  Where are you now?" Lin Jin smiled slightly, "His Royal Highness is in Biaoshi County now." Nangongsuo's eyes widened. Biaoshi County is the county closest to Zhangye in Jiuquan County, and he suddenly became confused.  Not to mention that Liu Jing was in Jiuquan County, which has a strong hint, but more importantly, how could Liu Jing be in Jiuquan County, and he didn't know anything about it. Did he fly there with wings?  At this time, Nangong Boyu asked: "Did His Highness the King of Han come from Dadou Bugu?" This sentence reminded Nangong Suo that indeed only by walking through Dadou Bugu could he bypass Zhangye without his knowledge.  City, heading to Jiuquan County, Lin Jin smiled and gave a thumbs up, "The prince is really smart." He then said to the Nangong Cableway: "His Royal Highness the Han Dynasty went to inspect the West Sea, and then entered the Hexi Corridor from the Dadou Valley to inspect Jiuquan County and  Zhangye County, your Majesty should know that Liangzhou has now been assigned to the Han Kingdom, and we will soon send officials to take over the five counties of Liangzhou." Lin Jin did not mention the fact that Jiuquan County and Zhangye County had been occupied by the Qiang and Hu.  It was still the territory of the Han State. Nangong Suo was silent. He was not stupid. Of course he understood the meaning of Lin Jin's words. It was impossible for Liu Jing not to know that Jiuquan County and Zhangye County had been occupied by him. He did not admit this, that is,  He said the two counties were not within the scope of negotiations.  After a long while, Nangong Suo sighed and said: "Mr. Lin, we are all sensible people, so there is no need to beat around the bush, just say it clearly! Hanwang PalaceWhat conditions were laid down?  " Lin Jin laughed, "Nangong King Qiang is indeed a cheerful person, so I will make it clear that His Highness the King of Han is very willing to reach a settlement with King Qiang, as long as King Qiang can meet three requirements.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 726 North-South Attack (Part 1)

    "Mr. Lin, please speak, I'm all ears!" Nangong Suo sat up straight and forced a smile.  "The first request is that all the Qiang tribes are strongly opposed to the Nangong tribe's exploitation of them. His Highness the King of Han believes that collecting taxes from the tribes is a matter for the government, and the Nangong tribe should not overstep their authority." Nangong Suo's heart sank suddenly, and unexpectedly  It was more serious than he imagined. Liu Jing's first request involved his core interests. He hurriedly defended: "I am not collecting taxes from tribes. That is not a tax. It is a share that must be paid to the Qiang King."  "Yang' is like the clan money that a Han family needs to pay to the patriarch." Lin Jin apologized: "I am just stating the original intention of His Highness the King of Han. I do not have any decision-making power. I can go back and tell His Highness the Han Dynasty truthfully about the Qiang King's request."  "Reflect." Nangong Suo asked with a sullen face: "What about the second request?" "The second request is that the Qiang king cannot have a direct army and must be disbanded and returned to the tribes." Nangong Suo's thoughts suddenly changed.  It can be dealt with. Most of the troops directly under him are descendants of the Nangong tribe. Even if they are disbanded, they can be quickly assembled. It is not a big problem. He asked quietly: "What is the third requirement?" "The third requirement is that it must be determined.  The boundary between the Qiang people and the government. The pastures of each Qiang tribe are demarcated by the government. In addition, the jurisdiction of each county lies with the government and has nothing to do with the Qiang people. In addition, according to custom, each Qiang tribe should pay cattle and sheep to the government every year.  , Of course, the amount will not be large, it is just a symbolic payment, but it must be paid. This is a vassal relationship. It has been like this for hundreds of years, and His Highness the King of Han does not want to change. "The third requirement is actually territory.  Regarding the territorial issue, Hexi is the territory of the Central Plains court, and the Qiang people are just subjects living in the territory of the Han Dynasty. Nangong Suo had previously driven away Jiuquan and Zhangye officials, but now he wants to restore them.  These three conditions were each more harsh than the last, making it more difficult for Nangong Suo to accept. His face turned red and white for a while, and then he said coldly, "So what if I don't accept it?" Lin Jin shook his head, "This  The King of Han didn't say anything, maybe he thought King Qiang would accept it, or King Qiang could put forward his own ideas, and the two sides reached a compromise. " Nangong Suo snorted heavily, "Except for the second item, I can barely accept it, and I can barely accept the other two.  None of them can be accepted. The first point is that the Zhongqiang tribe pays the traditional sheep quota, which has nothing to do with government taxes. This point is the unreasonable request of the King of Han. There is no room for compromise. As for the third point, I can give up some county towns, but  It is up to me to decide which counties should be ceded. In other words, I can accept co-governance of Jiuquan and Zhangye, but I will not restore the previous relationship of principal and minister. "Lin Jin leaned over and smiled: "In the first article, maybe both parties.  There is a misunderstanding, or maybe His Highness the King of Han has listened to the one-sided words of some Qiang tribes. The original intention of the King of Han is to restore tradition. I think as long as the two parties can communicate fully, then the 'Fenyang' is not unacceptable. As for the third article,  As long as it does not affect the smooth flow of the Silk Road, how to govern together, the two sides can negotiate repeatedly and finally reach a compromise. In my personal opinion, the key is to communicate fully and not cause misunderstandings. This time I am just here to deliver a message and specifically represent the person negotiating on behalf of the King of Han.  It's a French military advisor. King Qiang can also appoint a peer negotiator." Nangong Suo nodded, that's fine. He thought for a moment and said, "I'll let my uncle Nangong Sheng have full authority to negotiate with you on my behalf!  I hope that the differences between the two parties can be resolved peacefully and the hard-won peace in Hexi can be preserved." Lin Jin said goodbye and left. Nangong Suo ordered his uncle Nangong Sheng to be found. Nangong Sheng was a skinny old man, very shrewd, but in poor health.  , has been cultivating. After listening to Nangong Suo's narration, he rolled his eyes quickly and sneered continuously: "Can't the king understand what Liu Jing means?" "My nephew is stupid, please teach me." Nangong Sheng snorted coldly.  : "How could Liu Jing not know about the 'shared sheep money'? Didn't the Di people also have it? His purpose is to get the tribes in Hexi to escape from the control of the Nangong Department. Without the sheep that each tribe pays as tribute, your Qiang king will have no money."  If it exists in name only, we will not be able to support the direct army. This is a matter of one thing and another." Nangong Suo's expression changed. Only then did he understand the meaning of Liu Jing's proposal to abolish the sheep quota, and his fists couldn't help but clenched. Absolutely!  He would never agree.  Nangong Sheng glanced at him and said: "Even if Liu Jing agrees to keep his share of sheep, he will greatly reduce the tribute share of each tribe. For example, each tribe turns over 50,000 sheep to 500. It is still the same thing, so it is also  We can't trust his compromise too much." Nangong Suo had already decided that he would never accept any terms that would infringe on his interests. He asked in a deep voice, "What does the third clause mean, uncle?" "The third clause?  Even simpler, it is to restore the old days of the strong Han Dynasty. We are just subjects and obey the government's arrangements. In short, Liu Jing wants to turn us into scattered tribes that are worse than the Di people. Now he is just doing courtesy first and then fighting.The goal will be achieved by spending one soldier and one soldier. If we don't do it, then war will inevitably break out. So I advise you not to be too superstitious about the so-called negotiations. They just talk nicely and let you surrender without knowing it. The cunning of the Han people  It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand.  " Nangong Suo nodded, "What my uncle said is very true. On the one hand, we must negotiate, and on the other hand, we must make full preparations for war. I will go to Zhaobei and Heli tribes now to force these two large tribes to send troops. In this way, my  The number of troops can reach 60,000, and they can fight the Han army.  " Nangong Sheng patted him on the shoulder, stared into his eyes and said: "This is the hero of the Nangong tribe. As long as the Han army is defeated this time, the dream of establishing the Qiang Empire will be realized step by step.  "Although Nangong Sheng was very cunning, he still did not see through Liu Jing's true intention. Liu Jing had no idea of ??being polite before attacking, nor did he have the idea of ??subduing others without fighting. The so-called negotiation was just a delaying tactic to prevent the Qiang people from striking first, thus  To buy time for the Han army's combat deployment. Liu Jing has made up his mind to completely eradicate the Nangong tribe. As long as the Nangong tribe is eliminated, the Hexi Qiang people will fall into a state of disunity. He, Liu Jing, is the Qiang king.  At the same time as Zhang Yecheng was on his mission, Liu Jing's Battle of Jiuquan also came to fruition. Ma Dai led five thousand cavalry to defeat the Juyan tribe who controlled Jiuquan County outside Lufu City in Jiuquan County, and killed Anu, the chief of the Juyan tribe.  His son Zuo Lidan led the remnant army to flee to Juyanhai, but Ma Dai refused to let him go and led three thousand cavalry in pursuit. The Juyan tribe is one of the three major Qiang tribes loyal to Nangong Suo.  The destruction also meant that Nangongsuo lost control of Jiuquan County. Liu Jing no longer had to worry about being attacked from both sides. He asked Fazheng to lead 2,000 troops to guard Jiuquan County, and then personally led 10,000 cavalry to go south, enter Zhangye County, and attack Zhangye City.  Advancing. That afternoon, Liu Jing's army set up a large camp on the grassland about fifty miles away from Zhangye City. The camp was set up on a high ground, surrounded by 100,000 spears, and surrounded by a large circle.  This is a simple way to camp in the wild, which can prevent the enemy from sneaking into the camp. Not long after the camp was set up, Wang Ping led 5,000 troops to the camp. This was because Ma Chao was worried that Liu Jing would be attacked by the Qiang and Hu, so he sent Wang Ping.  Liu Jing was overjoyed and ordered Wang Ping to be brought into the tent. Wang Ping knelt down on one knee and said, "I am humble enough to see you, Your Highness, the King of Han!"  " Liu Jing had not seen his subordinates for a long time. He was particularly happy when he saw him. He quickly helped Wang Ping, patted his arm and said with a smile: "Sit down quickly and tell me about the battle. I seem to have heard that you are in Wuwei County.  Annihilate 10,000 Qiang and Hu cavalry.  " "To be precise, there are more than 7,900 people. As long as General Liu Hu's heavy armored infantry shows its prowess and General Ma's main force arrives in time, otherwise the Qiang and Hu cavalry will conquer Cangsong County, and the consequences will be disastrous.  " Wang Ping briefly talked about the battle in Wuwei County, but hid his own credit. Liu Jing was so smart, he immediately heard the concealment in Wang Ping's voice. That should be Wang Ping's own credit.  As a pioneer, he saved Wuwei City, how could he not make any achievements? Wang Ping's humility was a bit like Zhao Yun's, which Liu Jing liked very much. He knew it well and did not tell it, so he smiled and said.  : "Then when you came here this time, did you encounter any resistance from the Qiang people?  " "I haven't encountered it. I caught the enemy spies in my humble position. It seems that Nangong Suo went to other tribes to recruit troops and was not in Zhangye City.  " This news made Liu Jing feel moved, and she quickly asked: "When did you catch the enemy spy?  " "It's today, less than two hours from now. It's a pity that the spy died, otherwise I would have brought him back.  Liu Jing took two steps with his hands behind his back and immediately ordered: "Let Wu Ban come to see me."  " Not long after, Wu Ban hurried over. He led the 300 Eagle Attack Army to follow the main cavalry all the way, "I'm here!  "Wu Ban bowed. Liu Jing ordered him: "You can order your men to sneak into Zhangye City and find out the news for me. Where is Nangong Suo now?  In addition, all the Eagle Attack Troops were dispatched to capture nearby Qiang patrol posts.  " "Follow your orders!  "Wu Ban saluted and hurried away. Liu Jing keenly discovered a fighter opportunity from Wang Ping's words. If Nangong Suo was not in Zhangye City, this would be a rare opportunity to defeat the enemy.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 727 North-South Attack (Part 2)

    Wu Ban's efficiency did not disappoint Liu Jing. An hour later, he received definite information from the captured Qiang scouts. Qiang King Nangongsuo was not in Zhangye City, but went to the Heli Department and the northern part of the palace to mobilize troops. He set off seven days ago.  Haven't returned yet.  Liu Jing immediately found these two tribes on the map. They were located at the foot of Heli Mountain. The pastures of the two tribes were close to each other, about two hundred miles northwest of Zhangye City. Both tribes were large tribes with tens of thousands of people.  , plays an important role in Zhangye County.  Liu Jing quickly judged the situation at hand. Nangong Suo only brought more than a thousand people to these two tribes. If everything went well, he could probably bring back 20,000 troops. If not, the number of troops he brought back would be greatly reduced. Normally,  He can come back in four days at most, but he has been gone for seven days now, which shows that his trip is not going well.  Liu Jing immediately made a decision and went to Heli Mountain to intercept Nangong Suo. At this time, the Han army had obtained more than 10,000 war horses from the pro-Han Qiang people. Liu Jing ordered Wang Ping's 5,000 infantry to ride on horseback, followed by 10,000 cavalry to march towards the enemy.  Go northwest.  Heli Mountain is a large mountain stretching for hundreds of miles from northwest to southeast in the Hexi Corridor. At the foot of the mountain is the largest and most lush pasture in the Hexi Corridor, with an area of ??nearly a thousand miles. This pasture was first occupied by the Zhaowu tribe of the Yuezhi people. Zhaowu  After their tribe was defeated by the Huns, they moved westward to the Fergan Basin in Central Asia and established the Nine Sogdian Kingdoms.  Later, the Qiang people moved here to graze their cattle. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, this place was set up as a horse breeding garden for the central court, with a horse prison. The Qiang people also took on the task of raising horses for the court, and most of the horses they raised were provided to the court every year.  There are currently two major Qiang tribes living on this pasture, one is called Gongbei and the other is called Heli. They occupy the most abundant pasture and have naturally become relatively powerful Qiang tribes. Each tribe has tens of thousands of people.  .  Before the Han army attacked Hexi, these two tribes also regarded Nangong Suo as the Qiang King, and provided 40% of sheep every year. The army could be recruited at any time. Although the conditions were extremely harsh, they were intimidated by the strong strength of the Nangong tribe, and the Gongbei and Heli tribes  He could only swallow his anger and accept Nangong Suo's exploitation.  However, since the Han army defeated the Qiang and Hu cavalry in Wuwei County and annihilated nearly 10,000 people, Hexi was shaken. All Qiang tribes began to have rebellious intentions, and the northern part of the palace and the Heli tribe were no exception. Although they did not dare to openly surrender to the Han  However, his attitude towards Nangong Suo has begun to be perfunctory. He has delayed giving the sheep that should be handed over to him, and he has also found various excuses not to go to the army recruitment.  It's just that these two tribes involve 20,000 troops, which are extremely important to Nangong Suo. He can let other tribes go temporarily, but Nangong Suo will never let go of these two tribes. In order to get 20,000 troops, Nangong Suo  I rushed to Heli Mountain in person, but the situation was not as expected. Although the two tribes entertained Nangong Suo with wine and meat every day, on the key issue of sending troops, the two tribes were ambiguous and refused to send troops.  Nangong Suo had been at the foot of Heli Mountain for seven days. No matter how he tried to persuade him, the two tribes refused to let go.  Thousands of people are far from the 20,000 troops Nangong Suo wanted before.  But time did not allow him to delay any longer. In desperation, Nangong Suo could only lead the 5,000 people he recruited and his own 1,000 cavalry back to Zhangye City. After marching for a hundred miles, night fell, and Nangong Suo ordered the army to camp and rest.  And just thirty miles away, Liu Jing's army had just set up camp beside a small river.  The stars in the night sky of the grassland are bright, and the stars are hanging in the velvet sky. In the distance is the huge dark figure of Heli Mountain, like a giant dragon sleeping soundly on the vast grassland. In the night, a group of more than a hundred people  The army's scout cavalry team was galloping on the grassland, led by the captain Wu Ban, who was ordered to go to Heli Mountain to explore the whereabouts of Nangong Suo.  At this time, they had just left the camp for more than 20 miles and were heading west along a small river originating from Heli Mountain. Wu Ban was the younger brother of Wu Yi, the governor of Hanzhong. He was about thirty years old, tall and tall, with superb martial arts. He was  The deputy commander of the Eagle Attack Army, Liu Zheng, the current commander of the Eagle Attack Army, and Ren Ping, the other deputy commander, are in Guanzhong, while Wu Ban is following Liu Jing all the way westward. He is highly appreciated by Liu Jing, and many important matters are entrusted to him.  , Wu Ban also worked extra hard. He originally went to Heli Mountain to explore the enemy's situation. General scouts would be enough, but Wu Ban still insisted on leading his troops there in person.  At this time, suddenly a soldier pointed in the distance and shouted: "General, look!" Wu Ban slowed down his horse and saw a tent stationed on a grassy hill in the distance.  There were hundreds of large tents, obviously not a herdsman tribe, but a military camp. Wu Ban was secretly shocked, could this be Nangong Suo's army?  Before leaving, the King of Han warned him that Nangong Suo would probably return to Zhangye City in the past two days, and asked him to be extra careful on the way. Unexpectedly, he encountered an enemy situation. Wu Ban did not dare to be careless, and immediately ordered his soldiers to hide in a forest, and then  Send two scouts to investigate.    Not long after, two scouts brought exciting news. The enemy army they discovered was none other than Nangong Suo's army, about 6,000 men, who were on their way back to Zhangye City. This information was extremely important, so Wu Ban immediately transferred  Horse head, rush back to the Han army camp.  In the Chinese army's tent, Liu Jing did not rest. He stood in front of the map of Guanlong and pondered for a long time without saying a word. Although Guanlong became the territory of the Han Dynasty, there were not many areas controlled by the imperial court in fact. Except for Guanzhong and Longxi,  The rest of the area was basically in the hands of foreigners. He had previously wiped out Yang Wanwan and Song Jian and recaptured the Longxi and Hehuang areas.  The current deal with Nangongsuo is to restore the Central Plains Dynasty's control over the Hexi Corridor, but it is still far from enough. For example, the Helan Mountains and the Hetao area are now also in the hands of the Qiang Hu. In addition, the Guannei area, that is, the vast area north of Guanzhong, is  It was under the control of the Qianghu and Huns. However, when the Han Dynasty was strong, a large number of Han people were moved to develop the Hetao. The Han Dynasty established more than a dozen counties and counties there. However, with the decline of the imperial court at the end of the Han Dynasty, these lands were re-established.  fell into the hands of nomads.  But Liu Jing also knew that he had to take it step by step. He eliminated Yang Wanwan and Song Jian because they would threaten the vital Qishan strategic channel, and eliminated Nangongsuo because he occupied the Hexi Corridor for a short time.  There are still differences and interests have not been solidified. Under such circumstances, taking back Hexi will undoubtedly get twice the result with half the effort.  As for Heshuo and the land within the pass, we must plan in the long term. After establishing a foothold in the north, we can then gradually conquer and eventually restore the Han Dynasty's rule over the Heshuo area. But now he cannot act too hastily.  Just as he was thinking about it, there was an urgent report from a soldier outside the tent: "Your Highness, General Wu discovered the enemy situation and asked for a meeting outside the tent!" Liu Jing was startled and immediately ordered: "Let him in!" After a moment, Wu Ban strode in.  The camp tent, knelt down on one knee and reported: "Your Highness, I have discovered the Qiang and Hu camp thirty miles away, with about 6,000 people, and they are Nangong Suo's army." Liu Jing was overjoyed, and immediately shouted: "Pass my order.  , ordered the generals to set off immediately and prepare for a night attack on the Qiang and Hu." The fifteen thousand Han troops quickly mobilized. They packed up their armor and mounted their horses. At this time, Liu Jing called Wu Ban and told him: "You.  You can lead the 300 eagle attack troops to go secretly, burn the enemy's camp, and cause chaos to the enemy." "Obey the order!" Wu Ban saluted and left in a hurry.  Liu Jing found Wang Ping again and told him: "When the Qiang and Hu are in chaos, most of them will flee to their own tribes, but Nangong Suo will definitely flee back to Zhangye City. You can lead an army of five thousand to intercept it in the southeast.  We must stop Nangong Suo no matter what, life or death!" Wang Ping nodded, "I understand, I will never let His Highness down." When Wu Ban and Wang Ping's troops were deployed, Liu Jing then ordered: "  Attack!" Ten thousand cavalry trooped out of the camp, their horses' hooves covered with thick sheepskin, silently heading towards the Qiang camp thirty years away.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The time was approaching the first watch, and the Qiang and Hu camp was extremely quiet. Most of the people had fallen asleep. There was only a group of patrols patrolling the camp and the surrounding areas. At this time, the Qiang people had not yet entered a wartime state. People around the camp were  Patrol posts are only within ten miles.  At this time, hundreds of shadows had quietly moved around the camp. This was the Eagle Strike Force of the Han Army, led by General Wu Ban. They had already killed the patrolling sentries on the outside. They sneaked into the camp from the northwest corner.  Waiting for news outside.  At this moment, a team of five patrol sentries walked up. Not far from them, ten cold shooters from the Eagle Attack Army were ready. Their division of labor was clear. Two people were responsible for killing one person, and one person shot the first arrow.  Another shot.  The cold shooters have replaced their sniper poison arrows with highly toxic sniper arrows. This poison comes from the barbarian tribe, and the blood seals the throat. The ten cold shooters raised their crossbows and aimed at the five sentries. Someone shouted in a low voice, "Shoot!"  ' The sound of a crossbow machine sounded, and five crossbow arrows shot at the sentinels like lightning, accurately hitting the people in their throats. The five cold arrows that followed also roared in, and the powerful arrows shot through the hearts of the five people.  The five sentries fell dead without even uttering a cry.  After taking care of the sentries, three hundred Eagle Strikers rushed into the enemy camp silently and began to set fires everywhere. Several large tents in the south were the first to light up.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 728 Pacification of Hexi

    Nangong Suo drank a lot of wine and fell into a deep sleep. In his mind, it was his uncle Nangong Sheng who was bargaining with the Han army. It was far from the moment of war. He had no precautions and was still the same as usual.  At this moment, several soldiers rushed into the tent and pushed him awake, "Your Majesty, wake up quickly, it's not good!" Nangong Suo woke up in a daze and found that the tent was full of pungent smell.  There was the smell of cigarette smoke, and there were horrified shouts everywhere outside. He suddenly woke up from his drunkenness, turned over and sat up, "What happened?" He asked in shock.  "Your Majesty, there are fireworks everywhere, and someone is setting fire to the camp!" Nangong Suo was stunned for a long time. He suddenly stood up and shouted: "This is the Han army that wants to attack us. Gather the cavalry immediately!" As soon as he finished speaking,  I felt the earth shaking, and there were screams and horrified shouts outside. A soldier stumbled into the tent and shouted: "Your Majesty, the Han cavalry has entered the camp, hurry up!" Nangong Suo was so shocked that he lost his mind.  He didn't even have time to put on his boots and armor. He ran out barefoot and rushed out of the tent. He saw flames blazing outside and countless cavalry figures rampaging through the camp, mercilessly killing the fleeing Qiang and Hu soldiers. Their soldiers had already  In a chaotic mess, most of the people were disheveled and unarmed. Some ran away desperately, some knelt down and begged for mercy, and some were wounded by knives and died wailing.  Two soldiers brought the war horse. Nangong Suo was panicked. He got on the horse and instinctively urged the horse to run in the southeast direction. That was the direction of Zhangye City, which was the safe place in his heart. There were only less than two hundred people following him.  Most of the Qiang and Hu cavalry were herdsmen from the northern part of the palace and the Heli tribe. They fled towards their homes in the northwest. The fleeing Qiang and Hu cavalry were clearly separated and went their separate ways.  In the chaos, Nangong Suo escaped from the camp and galloped on the grassland with all his strength. They galloped along a river leading to Zhangye City. Everyone was lost and had only one thought in their mind, escape!  Run as far away as possible.  A group of cavalry only escaped less than ten miles and ran up a grass hill. However, dense figures appeared in front of the grass hill, like ghosts that suddenly emerged from under the grass, appearing dozens of steps away from them.  There were thousands of people in the black shadow, ambushing them in a crescent shape. Countless crossbows were aimed at them. The sharp arrows flashed with the luster of death in the moonlight. When Nangong Suo saw clearly that the opponent was actually thousands of crossbows.  The soldier was suddenly frightened out of his wits and turned his horse around to run away.  But it was too late. Wang Ping had already led his army to wait for him for a long time. With an order, thousands of crossbow arrows roared out, shooting like a storm at Nangong Suo's team of less than 200 people. Hearing only a scream, people suddenly fell on their backs.  The Qiang and Hu cavalry were hit by arrows one after another.  When the round of arrows was fired, there was no more cavalry on the grass. Only the pungent smell of blood filled the air. Wang Ping led the soldiers and ran up. He saw Nangong Suo lying in a pool of blood at a glance.  His body was covered with dozens of arrows, like a hedgehog, and he died of anger.  Wang Ping chopped off his head with a knife and raised it high, which immediately attracted cheers from the soldiers. The battle in the direction of the camp was also over. Six thousand Qiang and Hu cavalry were killed in the chaos, and more than a thousand of them were killed.  , less than a thousand people escaped, and the rest of the Qiang and Hu cavalry all surrendered and became prisoners of war. The fire had burned down the entire camp, and only a few residual fires were still burning.  Liu Jing was waiting for Wang Ping's battle report. He was very confident that if Nangong Suo escaped along the river, he would definitely enter the ambush of the Han army. Not long after, someone shouted: "Your Highness, General Wang is here."  Wang Ping rushed over with a group of soldiers. He dismounted and quickly came to Liu Jing. He knelt down on one knee and raised a human head high. "Your humble duty will fulfill your mission. All the escaping cavalry will be shot."  Nangong Suo's head is here!" Liu Jing was overjoyed. He took Nangong Suo's head and laughed: "King Nangong Qiang, if you had known about this, why did you do it in the first place?" At this time, Liao Hua stepped forward and reported: "Your Highness, the prisoners of war have been arrested.  After finishing packing, are we going to Zhangye City?" Liu Jing shook his head, "Go to the Heli Department first!" Before dawn, 15,000 Han troops escorted nearly 4,000 Qiang and Hu prisoners towards Heli Mountain.  At noon the next day, the army entered the ranch. At this time, a soldier came to report: "The chiefs of the Heli tribe and the northern part of the palace have come to apologize!" Liu Jing nodded. This was what he expected. He immediately ordered: "The army  Camp on the spot!" The Han army began to set up tents on the grassland. At this time, a group of sentries brought a dozen Qiang noble men and women. They were all naked and knelt in front of the military camp to plead guilty. A group of soldiers rushed out and shouted loudly.  He said: "Please get dressed, His Highness the King of Han has invited you!" More than a dozen Qiang and Hu nobles put on their clothes, feeling uneasy in their hearts. They followed the soldiers to the Chinese army's tent. When they walked into the tent, more than a dozen people knelt down.  The two are the chiefs of the Heli Department and the northern part of the palace.?Both were in their early fifties, followed by their wives and sons.  "The guilty ministers do not know the power of heaven and have offended the Han army, so they come to plead guilty!" Liu Jing stepped forward to help them up and said with a smile: "The two chiefs are so sincere, how can I sin against you? Please sit down!" He ordered the soldiers  Seats were laid out for more than a dozen people. Seeing Liu Jing's friendly attitude, everyone's anxiety eased slightly. At this time, the chief of the Heli Department said: "We don't want to send troops to help Nangong Suo at all, just because we all have children in Zhangye City.  The hostages were forced to send troops as a last resort, but they were far from the troops he requested. Please rest assured, Your Highness, we all firmly support the Han Dynasty in restoring its jurisdiction over Hexi." Liu Jing nodded, "In fact, the Han Dynasty has governed Hexi for hundreds of years.  , everyone is in peace, the Qiang and Han people can live in harmony, live and multiply separately, I will not take away your pastures, and I will even rely on you to raise horses for the court. This is also good for the Qiang people, Hexi is so big,  It is enough to support us all. I just hope that each tribe has the right to decide its own affairs and does not allow outside forces to interfere. I will never tolerate ambitious people like Nangong Suo who destroy the balance of Hexi and destroy the harmony of Qiang and Han. " Liu Jingyi.  On the one hand, he comforted them and promised not to interfere in their internal affairs, but on the other hand, he warned them that he would never tolerate it if they dared to disrupt the balance of power in Hexi. All the Qiang people understood what Liu Jing meant and knelt down to apologize.  Liu Jing smiled again and said: "I will release your captured children, but before releasing them, I have a condition." The two chiefs looked at each other and said in unison: "Your Highness, please speak!" "Nangong Suo is dead, I want to  Go and force the Nangong tribe to surrender. I hope you will send troops to follow me to Zhangye City and finally end the Hexi dispute in a peaceful way." The two chiefs expressed their willingness to follow the Han army. They both said goodbye and went back to order troops.  Jing stood up to send them out of the tent. At this time, the chief of the northern part of the palace whispered to Liu Jing: "Your Highness, I have a suggestion that can protect Hexi for a long time." Liu Jing smiled and said: "Chief, please tell me!" "In fact, the Nangong department is the same.  It is composed of nine small tribes. Their pastures are near Zhangye City. Your Highness can break up the Nangong Tribe and make the nine tribes independent. Then scatter their pastures to various parts of Hexi. As long as the pastures are not together, the Nangong Tribe will cease to exist.  " Liu Jing narrowed her eyes. To defeat the enemy, we need insiders. This sentence is absolutely true!  Although this person also had selfish motives, his suggestion was the best way to deal with the Hexi Qiang people. Three days later, the main force of 50,000 Han troops, including Ma Chao's 30,000 troops, arrived at the gate of Zhangye City. In addition, there were Heli Department and Gongbei Department.  The 20,000 cavalrymen also followed the Han army, and a total of 70,000 troops formed a formation at the foot of Zhangye City.  At this time, Nangong Sheng was entrusted by Nangong Boyu to come to the Han army camp to negotiate. In the shadow of swords and swords, Nangong Sheng was escorted into the tent. Liu Jing was wearing armor and sitting upright with a green sword in his hand.  Sitting on his seat, he watched Nangong Sheng walk into the tent coldly.  "Nangong Sheng meets His Highness the King of Han!" Nangong Sheng knelt down and bowed, Liu Jing snorted, "Nangong Suo is dead, why don't you open the city and surrender?" Nangong Sheng gritted his teeth and said, "Although King Qiang is dead,  , but there are still 20,000 warriors in the city who are willing to fight to the death. If the Han army attacks the city, they will pay a heavy price. We just hope to solve the Hexi problem reasonably. "Liu Jing sneered, "It's nothing more than asking me.  It¡¯s just asking for a lot of money, are you still qualified now? If you understand, surrender immediately, otherwise I will attack Zhangye City and slaughter all the Nangong tribe.¡±  Basic interests." Liu Jing's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he shouted to everyone, "Push him out and behead him!" Dozens of soldiers pushed Nangong Sheng out like a tiger and beheaded him while Nangong Sheng yelled and cursed. After a while, he offered his head.  The two followers who came with Nangong Sheng were so frightened that they collapsed on the ground. Liu Jing said coldly to them: "Go back and tell Nangong Boyu that if he surrenders, I will not kill his people. If he dares to resist, I will kill him."  Once the city is broken, I will kill all the Nangong tribe, men, women, old and children, leaving no one behind." The two followers kowtowed and ran away with their heads in their arms. Liu Jing watched them flee, stood up and ordered: "Come to General Ma, set up a formation for me.  "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The huge drums sounded, and the Han army formed an offensive formation outside the city.  The siege ladder appeared, along with fifty huge nest vehicles, making a huge noise.  On the top of the city, the Qiang and Hu soldiers were trembling with fear. At this time, almost all the Nangong family was wiped out, leaving only Nangong Boyu. He was only thirteen years old and had an indecisive personality. Without the support of his uncle Nangong Sheng, he had no hope.  No discountAt this time, he also knew that most of the Juyan tribe was massacred by Han cavalry, and less than a thousand of the remaining tribe fled into the desert. The Qiang tribes established themselves on their own and no longer recognized the Nangong tribe as the Qiang king. They had rebelled against their relatives.  At this time, a general stepped forward quickly and whispered to Nangong Boyu: "Prince, I just got the news that eight elders were meeting in secret and were preparing to surrender in Kaicheng." Nangong Boyu was shocked. Nangong's ministry was  It is composed of nine surnames, and Nangong is only the largest one among them. If the other eight surnames betray, the Nangong department will be completely finished. He was confused and said anxiously: "What should I do?" The general sighed and said: "It has come to this point.  , I don¡¯t understand what the prince is still hesitating about. Surrender! If you wait a little longer, we, Nangong Boyu, will be dead.¡± Nangong Boyu cried, ¡°If everyone is willing, then surrender!¡± The general shook his head.  , strode forward, and shouted to the defenders: "The prince has an order, Kaicheng surrenders!" With the surrender of Zhangye City, it marked that the five counties in Hexi Province had returned to the Han Dynasty again and were officially included in the territory of the Han Kingdom. Liu Jingsui  After dismantling the nine tribes of Nangong, the largest Qiang and Hu forces in Hexi perished. Liu Jing appointed Ma Chao as the governor of Hexi and led 10,000 troops to guard Liangzhou. The rest of the army returned to Longxi, ending the six-month-long Guanlong consolidation war.  Soon, Xihai County, where Ju Yanhai was located in the Han Dynasty, was renamed Juyan County. Xihai County was established on the Xihai Plateau, and Hequ County was also established. City and county were built, and military families were relocated. With the Qiang coming from Longxi, Hexi, Hehuang, and Xihai  The Di and Hu tribes all surrendered to the Han Kingdom, which meant that the Han army began to gain a foothold in the Guanlong area.  At this time, Liu Jing received a letter from his family, saying that Sun Shangxiang had given birth to a son for him. Liu Jing was overjoyed and named his second son Liu Long to commemorate his victory in pacifying Guanlong.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 729 The secret fight between the princes

    As the Cao and Liu families signed a true armistice agreement, Cao Cao was freed from many years of continuous war. He was already in his sixties and his days were not long, but he still had many important things to deal with. He needed to  To allow the people to recuperate and restore national strength, the relationship between Wei and the Han Dynasty also needs to be properly handled, and the power layout for the next thirty years needs to be carried out, but more importantly, he must clearly define his successor.  The matter of choosing a successor was of great importance, and Cao Cao could not make a decision for a long time. Although he appointed his eldest son Pi as deputy prime minister to handle government affairs on his behalf, and even lived in the original prime minister's palace, in the eyes of many people, the eldest son Pi  He is already the crown prince.  But in fact, Cao Cao did not decide that his eldest son would succeed him. He still wavered back and forth between his eldest son and his third son. The eldest son was calm, rational, and decisive in his style. These advantages were admirable, but the eldest son's shortcomings were also obvious. He was ruthless and unjust.  , ambitious, extremely deep, and even a little partial to treachery.  The traitor here, Cao Cao thinks, is Hua Xin. Although Hua Xin is very capable, obedient, and an effective running dog, Cao Cao does not like this person. He lacks loyalty and spends all his time trying to figure out what his superiors want and do what he wants.  If Cao Cao didn't need such a lackey, he would have been killed long ago.  But the eldest son Pi obviously trusted this person, which made Cao Cao unhappy, but he didn't want to remind his eldest son. He was worried that the eldest son would hide his true nature to cater to him, and in the end he would make the wrong choice.  In contrast, the third son Cao Zhi was a gentle man, sincere in treating others, acting straightforwardly, ambitious, ambitious, and compassionate to the people of the world. Cao Cao liked him very much and thought that he was very similar to himself, so Cao Cao wanted to  Make Cao Zhi the crown prince.  However, Cao Zhi's shortcomings are also obvious. He is too idealistic, has no city government, and has no ability to control people. If he were the lord of Wei, Wei would be destroyed by Liu Jing in less than a year.  Thinking of Liu Jing, Cao Cao couldn't help but have infinite feelings. If Liu Jing was his son, he would not hesitate to replace Han with Wei. He would never worry about the future of Wei. Unfortunately, Liu Jing is his great enemy.  , is a fatal threat to Wei State. Neither his eldest son Pi nor his third son Zhi are Liu Jing's opponents.  In the back hall, Cao Cao was discussing with his brother Cao Ren about military training. Cao Ren's attitude was very clear. Although the armistice agreement was for five years, it could only last for three years at most, so training and preparing for war was a top priority.  "Prime Minister, I advocate learning from the militia method recently implemented by the Han Dynasty. On the one hand, implementing the strategy of elite soldiers and maintaining the standing army at 150,000 can make each soldier spend more military expenditures, which is conducive to training elite soldiers and forming militia groups at the same time.  This keeps farmers from leaving their homes and fields, but they can still receive military training. Once a war breaks out, a large number of militia reserve troops can be recruited and converted into regular troops. This will not only save military expenses in peacetime, but also help us concentrate on training elite soldiers. Han  The army has already begun to implement it, and we can definitely copy it. "Cao Cao is also very aware of the recent "Military Corps Order" issued by the Han Dynasty. The purpose is to turn troops into people, which is of great significance to saving military expenses and restoring production. Not only Cao Ren, but also Chen Qun.  Many civil servants in the country also proposed to imitate the Han army and militia orders.  Cao Cao nodded: "You are right. We should indeed learn some of Liu Jing's good measures, such as craftsmanship, land reclamation orders, and militia orders. I have told Pi'er and ordered him to organize officials to discuss it.  "Is the Prime Minister aware of Liu Jing's efforts to pacify the Qiang Di?" Cao Ren asked cautiously.  "I'm always paying attention." "Actually, I think I can use the Hu people to provoke Heshuo and Guan Nei." Before Cao Ren could finish speaking, Cao Cao waved his hand and interrupted him, "Pier also mentioned to me that using  This matter was vetoed by me. Although Liu Jing and I were enemies, I fully supported him in restoring the Han Dynasty's rule over the border areas. When I conquered Wuhuan in the north, Liu Bei suggested to Liu Biao that he take the opportunity to attack Xudu.  Jing firmly opposed it, I still remember it, Zixiao, in the interests of the nation, we cannot make mistakes." Cao Ren lowered his head in shame, "I understand the humble position." Cao Cao sighed again: "Although I used the Dihu cavalry to come.  I want to stop him from going north, but I am just using it. Once I finish using it, I will also wipe out the Dihu. It¡¯s just that Liu Jing went further than me. He actually assigned the Xihai Plateau and He meander area to the Central Plains Dynasty. I think Heshuo and Guannei  He will never let it go, and he will regain the old land sooner or later. My top priority now is to restore people's livelihood, and then determine the heir apparent. I can't delay it any longer." Cao Ren was shocked and whispered quickly: "The Prime Minister feels that the eldest son is not suitable yet.  As the crown prince?" "Of course Pi'er is good, but I also think Zhi'er is good, so I'm hesitant about who should be the crown prince." At this point, Cao Cao glanced at Cao Ren and saw that he was hesitant to speak.  He smiled and said: "You are their uncle, why don't you tell me your opinion?" Cao Ren knew that Cao Cao was extremely smart and could not hide many things from him. He pondered for a moment and said: "Prime MinisterDo you know what happened in Chang'an?  I had a dispute with the Third Young Master.  " "You mean, don't let people enter the city!  I received a letter from him afterwards.  " Cao Ren was startled. It turned out that Cao Zhi had really written a letter to him. He was even more annoyed, but he didn't show it on his face. He just sighed and said, "The Third Young Master is kind and compassionate to all living beings. If the world is now peaceful, I will firmly support him.  He inherited the cause of the Prime Minister, but now that Liu Jing is becoming more and more powerful, it is not the time to be kind and compassionate to all living beings in the world. The Third Young Master is far from Liu Jing's opponent. It is inappropriate for the Prime Minister to appoint him as his successor.  " "Is Pi'er Liu Jing's opponent?  "Cao Cao asked calmly. Cao Ren shook his head, "Frankly speaking, the eldest son is not Liu Jing's opponent, but at least he is very determined and has a lightning-fast style. He will pacify the remnants of the Yuan family and not hesitate to kill them all. I think he is better than Liu Jing.  The Third Young Master is more suitable to deal with Liu Jing.  " "That's because you don't understand them both. I plan to marry Xian'er to Liu Jing as my concubine. Pi'er has no objection, but Zhi'er firmly opposes it. In fact, Zhi'er has a more determined attitude towards Liu Jing. Pi'er has a firmer attitude towards Liu Jing.  He is a bit indecisive, and his methods against the remnants of the Yuan family are just because he is dealing with the weak. He may not be so decisive when dealing with the strong. In fact, I hope that he will only kill the bandit leaders and spare the ordinary people, but he did not do anything.  Show no mercy and leave hatred to future generations. What if it was Liu Jing?  He would retain the people's strength to the maximum extent, let the prisoners of war go mining for a few years, and then release them home. In contrast, Pi'er lacked a benevolent heart to help the world, and was far behind Liu Jing. Zhi'er was very  good.  " After saying that, Cao Cao looked at Cao Ren with a smile but not a smile. Cao Ren's face turned red. Only then did he realize that the Prime Minister was actually dissatisfied with him over the Chang'an refugees. The Prime Minister supported Cao Zhi. He quickly leaned over and kowtowed, "You are guilty of underestimating your position!  " "I won't blame you for what happened in Chang'an. Your idea is not wrong. We really need to prevent Liu Jing's Eagle Attack Army from taking the opportunity to sneak into the city. We have learned many lessons, but you are not smart enough and are not as adaptable as Zhong Yao.  Putting in women and children but not young adults, if this happens again in the future, I believe you should have learned a lesson.  ¡± ¡° I have indeed learned how to be humble and will not do stupid things again.  " "Go!  I will consider the matter of the crown prince again. If Liu Jing can be eliminated before my death, it is better to establish Zhi'er. Zi Xiao, this is a private conversation between our brothers. Don't tell anyone.  " "Brother, I remember!  " Cao Ren bowed and slowly retreated. Cao Cao walked slowly to the window with his hands behind his back. Looking at the rippling Xuanwu Pond in the distance, he thought that Liu Jing had already established a firm foothold in Guanlong and obtained an important source of war horses.  , he couldn't help but let out a long sigh, and turned to go back to his seat. Unexpectedly, as soon as he took two steps, his vision suddenly went dark, and he fainted to the ground. The guards next to him were so frightened that they ran over and shouted: "Mr. Wei!"  Wei Gong!  Please wake up.  " Hua Xin hurriedly walked through the corridor and came to Cao Pi's official room. From a distance, he saw Cao Pi feeding a budgerigar. He stepped forward and said urgently: "Elder Master, something happened.  " "What are you in a hurry for?"  " Cao Pi glared at him dissatisfied, and said in a long voice: "Tell me slowly, what happened?  " Hua Xin quickly calmed down and said in a low voice: "I just got news from the imperial doctor's office that the prime minister fainted this morning.  " Cao Pi was startled in his eyes, and then the shock dissipated. He walked across the room and sat down with his hands behind his hands. He pondered for a while and asked, "Did the imperial doctor tell me why my father fainted?  " " Wang Yuyi said that the Prime Minister is old and indulged himself a little last night. He was short of energy and blood, so he fainted all of a sudden.  "    "Um!  It should be fine.  " "Although the problem is not big, it is a signal that something is wrong with the Prime Minister's health. If he doesn't take care of it, I'm afraid" Hua Xin didn't say any more. Cao Pi should be well aware of what he said next. Cao Pi was in the room with his hands behind his back.  He paced back and forth, then stopped and looked at the roof, and after a while he said: "There is a letter on the table, take a look!  " Hua Xin had long discovered that there was a volume of letters on the table. He picked up the letter and unfolded it. It turned out to be a letter from Cao Ren. He read it hastily. Hua Xin was shocked. The prime minister actually wanted to pass the throne to Cao Zhi. "This was an hour ago.  , the secret letter sent by the third uncle. I really did not expect that my father hoped to pass the position of Duke of Wei to the third brother after Liu Jing was pacified. I was really disappointed.  "Cao Pi let out a long sigh. "What should I do, young master?  " "What can I do? He is my father. Of course I hope he can live a long life.  " After finishing speaking, Cao Pi ordered the guards outside the house: "Prepare the carriage, I am going to visit my father.  " "Eldest son!  "Hua Xin stopped Cao Pi. "Does Yushi Hua have anything else to do?  "Cao Pi glanced at him and asked. Hua Xin carefully reminded him, "Young Master should still be here now.??It's only right to know about the Prime Minister's fainting.  " Cao Pi thought for a while, shook his head and said: "It doesn't matter, I can say that it is the nature of father and son. If my father faints, I should feel something. If I don't worry, I come to visit my father. This is normal.  After speaking, Cao Pi walked out quickly. After walking a few steps, he stopped again and said to Hua Xin: "Send more capable people to closely monitor my third brother. Every move he makes will be reported to me."  " Cao Pi raised an elite team of spies, which were controlled by Hua Xin. Hua Xin quickly bowed and said, "I humbly obey my orders!  "Cao Pi then strode outside the house.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 730 Cao Xian¡¯s concerns

    Cao Pi took a carriage all the way to the Tongque Palace. The carriage entered the gate. Cao Pi saw another carriage parked in front of the steps through the carriage window. His face suddenly darkened. That carriage was clearly the carriage of his third brother Cao Zhi. How did he get here?  Already?  Cao Pi couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. He had put a lot of effort into finding out about his father's condition. This time he learned the news about his father's fainting from the imperial doctor. He didn't believe that his third brother could spend as much effort as he did to bribe him.  Detective, how did he know about his father's collapse?  Did his father ask him to come?  If so, why didn't his father inform him?  A series of questions made Cao Pi more and more annoyed as he thought about it. He got off the carriage and without saying a word, walked quickly to the Tongque Palace and walked into a long corridor. At this time, a guard quietly walked forward and whispered.  He said to Cao Pi, "It was Xian Niang who informed Mr. Zhi to come." It turned out to be his sister Cao Xian. Cao Pi knew that this sister was quick-thinking and extremely talented in literature. She especially admired the Seventh Son of Jian'an, so she had a very good relationship with her third brother. She has been serving him  With her by his father's side, the third brother would certainly be able to get news about his father in time, and Cao Pi couldn't help but have an idea in his mind.  When he walked to the inner hall, he happened to meet his sister Cao Xian head-on. Cao Xian's face was wet with tears and his eyes were red. When she saw her eldest brother, she couldn't help but choked up, "Brother!" Cao Pi quickly supported her and asked in a low voice:  "How is father?" "Father has woken up, but I just found out today that father has fainted for the second time this month. It's all my fault, and I didn't care." "If the attendant deliberately concealed it, you wouldn't know, don't  I blame myself." Cao Pi comforted his sister softly. He glanced at the inner hall and asked calmly, "Who is beside father?" "The third brother was beside his father. When his father was unconscious, he kept whispering his name.  I asked someone to call the third brother over." Cao Xian bit her lip lightly, glanced at her eldest brother uneasily, and then lowered her head. She knew that his eldest brother would definitely be unhappy, and Cao Pi patted her hand.  , smiled and said: "You are right. At this time, we should be more concerned about father's health. If the third brother can make father happy, of course it is a good thing." Cao Xian felt guilty and moved in his heart. She did not expect that  The eldest brother was so reasonable and said quickly: "I will report to my father for the eldest brother." She turned around and walked towards the inner hall. Watching her sister disappear from the inner hall, Cao Pi's eyes immediately became cold and he snorted softly.  , he needs to transfer this sister away from his father.  Not long after, Cao Zhi came out of the inner hall with tears on his face. When he saw his eldest brother, he quickly saluted and said, "See you, brother!" Cao Pi smiled gently and asked, "Is father feeling better?" "Already.  Sober, just a little weak." Cao Zhi sighed, "It's my fault that I paid too little attention to my father." Cao Pi nodded, "It's not just you, but me too." At this time, Cao Xian walked out quickly and said to him.  Cao Pi said: "Eldest brother, father lets you in." Cao Zhi quickly saluted, "Brother, please go visit father! I leave first." "Go!" Cao Pi nodded and followed his sister into the inner hall.  The hall was divided into two parts by a huge curtain. Cao Cao's hospital bed was in the inner room. At this time, Cao Cao was awake but slightly weak. A concubine was carefully feeding him porridge. Cao Xian walked into the curtain.  He whispered: "Father, the eldest brother is here." "Let him come in!" Cao Xian opened the curtain and winked at his brother. Cao Pi quickly walked into the inner room, knelt down on his knees, and couldn't help crying.  Get up, "Father, the child is unfilial!" "Don't let everyone cry when they see me. Am I going to die?" Cao Cao was a little upset, "Stop crying, get up!" "Yes!" Cao Pi stood up and stood with his hands down.  Beside his father, Cao Cao glanced at him thoughtfully and asked with a smile: "How did you know that my father was unwell?" "I don't know, the child just came to his father to report government affairs. He didn't know about his father until he entered the Tongque Palace.  Falling ill." "Oh! So, I didn't want you to worry about it, and the problem wasn't big, so I didn't allow the guards to tell it, but I didn't expect all of you to know about it." At this point, Cao Cao pretended to be dissatisfied.  The daughter glanced at her and said, "It's all your fault for talking like a damn girl!" Cao Xian stuck out his tongue and quietly retreated. She was extremely smart and knew that her eldest brother wanted to discuss government affairs with his father, so it was not appropriate for her to stay here. Cao Cao saw her  Bingxue was smart, and couldn't help but nodded in approval, and turned to his eldest son, "Is there anything you want to report to me?" Cao Pi hesitated, "Let's wait until the father is in better health, and then let the child talk!" "It doesn't matter,"?Just say it.  " Cao Pi pondered for a moment and said: "The boy wanted to report to his father about the militia.  " Cao Pi made a temporary decision to find an excuse to report on government affairs. The reason why he chose the militia was because his uncle Cao Ren said in a secret letter that his father attached great importance to the militia. As expected, Cao Cao perked up and was anxious to sit up. Obviously, Cao Pi's topic  It aroused his great interest. Cao Pi quickly helped his father to lie down. Cao Cao smiled and said, "Go on!"  "Haier has already started drafting the detailed rules of the militia, but it involves too many areas, including training, farming, taxation, labor, armor and weapons management, military deployment, etc. It is very complicated, and the situation in different places is different, so  There are two options that I can consider. One is to copy the Han Army's militia rules. After all, they have been practicing in Jiangxia for many years and have rich experience, but we have no experience. As long as we slightly modify it to suit our actual situation, the second option  It means to pilot it first, such as piloting a vigilante group in Ye County or Yingchuan County, and then fully promote it one year later. What does father think of these two plans?  " Cao Cao pondered for a moment and said: "Actually, the second plan is more secure, but it will delay a year, which I cannot accept. Anyway, let's just use the first plan. Get things started first, and then constantly modify them during implementation.  .  " "Hai'er also has the same idea. We can fully use the mature experience of the Han army. In addition, Ha'er suggests setting up a special militia government office to uniformly deploy the militia training. I wonder what my father wants?  " Cao Cao nodded, "Absolutely, who do you think is better to put in charge of this matter?  " "Haier suggested that Chen Qun and Yang Xiu be responsible for this matter.  " Cao Cao thought for a while and said: "Chen Qun is good. He follows rules and has methods. I believe he is completely qualified. However, Yang Xiu seems not suitable. Why did you think of him?  " Of course Cao Pi would not say that it was to get rid of Cao Zhi's confidants. He explained: "Haier feels that Yang Xiu's biggest characteristic is to find fault in others, because we don't understand the militia, and there may be problems in formulating the rules. Even ordinary people  He would not point out problems when he found them, but that was not the case with Yang Xiu. His character was to speak out, so Hai'er considered letting him find faults.  " Cao Cao laughed, "It's a good idea to have this idea, okay!  Let Yang Xiu serve as deputy to assist Chen Qun in running the militia.  "  The Cao family and his son were discussing government affairs in the inner hall, but Cao Xian was sitting alone in the outer hall, thinking blankly. She is eighteen years old this year and has reached the last year of marriage. If she doesn't get married,  She is older. Although she said that as the prime minister's daughter, she has no worries about getting married, she also knows that she cannot make the decision on her own marriage and is destined to become a political victim. For example, her two sisters, Cao Jie and Cao Hua, both married together.  To the current emperor, it was obviously because her father wanted to strengthen his control over the emperor. Originally, his father wanted to marry her to Liu Xie, but he changed his mind at the last moment. This made Cao Xian secretly happy. Of course, she did not want to marry.  Being given to that useless and incompetent man, who is said to have the habit of Long Yang, makes Cao Xian deeply disgusted. More importantly, he can't even protect his wife and children. Such a man has no sense of security. Cao Xian knows his father's deep meaning.  He wanted to marry her to Liu Jing. His father had this idea as early as two years ago, but Liu Jing refused to agree. No wonder, who wants to marry the daughter of an enemy? From a woman's point of view, Cao Xian also felt that  Liu Jing is very attractive, young and promising, tall and heroic. Regardless of appearance, age, or his achievements, he is the husband that a woman dreams of. I heard that he is not a lustful person. If he can marry such a husband, Cao Cao  Xian would be deeply pleased, but Cao Xian also knew that any woman could marry Liu Jing, but she couldn't, because she was Cao Cao's daughter. Sometimes she thought of Sun Shangxiang, and Liu Jing would become Sun Quan's enemy sooner or later.  What should Sun Shangxiang do? This made her really hard to decide. Maybe it wasn't impossible, but she just needed a way. Just as she was thinking about it, Cao Pi walked out of the inner hall. Cao Xian quickly stood up and saluted, and Cao Pi pointed outside.  , she knew that her brother had something to say to her, so she followed him outside the lobby. Cao Pi smiled, "Father is fine, much better than I thought. I believe he will recover soon."  " "I hope so too.  " "In fact, each of our children has the responsibility to solve problems for his father, not only me, but you as well.  "Cao Pi's tone was very soft, but the content of his words was not easy. Cao Xian nodded, "I know, and I also want to help my father, but I don't know what to do. Brother, can you give me some guidance?  "She looked at her brother pleadingly. "You know that your father wants to marry you to Liu Jing. This is his biggest wish. Do you know why?  "    "I do not know!  " "Father"??I hope you will leave a way for the Cao family to escape.  " Cao Xian was silent. Only then did she understand what her father meant. She bit her lip and whispered: "I am willing to share the worries for my father, but I heard that Liu Jing is not willing because I am the daughter of the Cao family.  " "You are wrong!  " Cao Pi said with a smile: "Liu Jing did not agree to this marriage, not because you are the daughter of the Cao family, but because he is unwilling to accept a political marriage. He has already married Sun Shangxiang and does not want to be involved in a second political marriage. If  If he understands you and likes you, he won't care whose daughter you are.  " "How does brother know?  "Cao Xian asked in a low voice. "I have an informant in Chengdu, so I naturally understand this. Little sister, there are some things you have to fight for yourself. You can't always count on your father and brother.  " After saying that, Cao Pi walked away. He knew that he had reached the point, and the rest was up to his sister's choice. After Cao Pi left, Cao Xian fell into deep thought. I don't know how long it took, but she suddenly came out of deep thought.  He woke up with a start and walked quickly to his father's room.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 731 Unexpected Visitor

    Liu Jing felt like he was on vacation. He came back from somewhere, rested for a few days, and then left in a hurry. For him, home was like a hotel, and he could not stay for more than a few days. This time, he secretly warned  You must stay at home for more time.  It has been some time since Hexi was pacified, and Liu Jing has been living at home for nearly a month. As the weather gradually gets hotter, the unbearable heat has quietly come. In the past few days, Liu Jing has been busy serving full moon wine to his second son, and  The eldest son Liu Zhi looks like his mother, while the second son Liu Long looks exactly like Liu Jing. He is almost carved from the same mold. This makes Liu Jing extremely happy. He has to see this precious son several times a day to be satisfied.  In the room, Tao Zhan was teasing Sun Shangxiang. Seeing Sun Shangxiang holding her son in love, she smiled and said: "I still remember that someone complained about the pain of pregnancy and cried and shouted that she didn't want a child. Now, I don't know if she still has one."  Don't you have such thoughts?" Sun Shangxiang said a little embarrassedly: "If I had known that the little guy was so cute, I wouldn't have complained at the beginning. Hey! This little guy is my nemesis. Yesterday I told my husband that I wanted to go out.  Let's go, but as soon as he said that, he burst into tears and refused to allow me to go out." As soon as Sun Shangxiang finished speaking, Liu Jing's laughter came from the door, "You can take him out with you!" As soon as the curtain opened, Liu Jing came out.  After walking in, Tao Zhan and Sun Shangxiang saw Liu Jing rushing in and quickly said, "Shhh!"  ' With a sound, Sun Shangxiang pointed to the child and lowered his voice: "I just fell asleep, don't wake me up." Liu Jing nodded, tiptoed in quickly, and said with a smile: "Let me have a look." "It's such a hot day, you  Just be quiet for a while!" Sun Shangxiang felt a wave of heat coming towards her face. She frowned and pointed to the side, "Sit down and rest first." Seeing that Liu Jing was sweating profusely, Tao Zhan took out the embroidered handkerchief and handed it to him.  Liu Jing asked with a smile: "Did the general just come back?" "Just came back from the military camp outside the city." Liu Jing didn't expect Tao Zhan to be here, and he felt a little apologetic. During this time, he had been caring and loving his youngest son, but he was a little neglected.  After giving birth to his eldest son, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked: "How is Zhi'er? Can he make progress in studying?" "He is okay and studies very hard. The teacher said that he was born to study, but I think he  It¡¯s too quiet. I need to go out for a walk.¡± Liu Jing nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll take him out for a walk in a few days.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going too!¡±  Let's go, I'm going to be suffocated to death." As soon as she finished speaking, the child in her arms began to cry loudly. Sun Shangxiang suddenly panicked, quickly stood up, patted the child, and said in a low voice: "You little kid.  The devil has been pestering me all day long. I can't even go out for a walk." Tao Zhan smiled and said, "Shang Xiang, put him in the cradle or give him to the nurse. Don't hold him by yourself. He is used to being held.  If you hold it, you can't throw it away." At this time, the child's crying gradually stopped and he fell asleep again. Sun Shangxiang carefully placed the child in the cradle, sat aside and rocked it, and sighed: "I know too.  , But I just couldn¡¯t bear it!¡± Tao Zhan knew that Liu Jing had something to say to Sun Shangxiang, so he stood up and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m going to ask about dinner, you guys should talk first!¡± She smiled and walked out of the room quickly.  Seeing that his wife had left, Liu Jing took out a letter and handed it to Sun Shangxiang, "This is the express letter just sent from Jiangdong. It should be a letter from Mrs. Zhou." Sun Shangxiang was overjoyed. She was waiting for Xiao Qiao's letter.  She was supposed to come here in the spring, but there has been no news so far, which made Sun Shangxiang very worried. She even wrote a letter to ask. After receiving the letter, she suddenly realized and asked strangely: "Why did the letter from Xiao Qiao come here?"  Where are you?" Liu Jing smiled and said, "Jiang Dong sent me a few letters today, including a letter from your brother, so Jiang Dong's messenger gave me Mrs. Zhou's letter as well." "Oh! That's it.  "Sun Shangxiang nodded and asked again: "What did my brother say?" "Nothing, it's just some official matters about Jingnan." Liu Jing tried to be as understated as possible. He didn't want Sun Shangxiang to get involved in Jingnan affairs.  Sun Shangxiang opened Xiao Qiao's letter without asking any more questions and read it hastily. A look of disappointment suddenly appeared on his face, "She said she fell ill in the spring, so she couldn't come to Chengdu. She was recuperating her health and could not come here until next spring.  "This is indeed a bit regrettable. I hope she recovers as soon as possible!" At this time, Sun Shangxiang smiled and approached Liu Jing, took his hand and said coquettishly: "You just said going for a walk, I think it is a good idea.  Let¡¯s talk about the details.¡± Tao Zhan left Sun Shangxiang¡¯s courtyard and walked quickly to the front hall, surrounded by more than a dozen maids and female guards. She was in a good mood, and her husband said she wanted to take her son out.She felt very relieved to go for a walk. She also hoped that her husband could spend more time with her son. Her son was too addicted to reading and became a little taciturn, which made her a little worried.  As soon as she reached the front hall, a maid came to report: "Princess, Butler Wu asked you to go to the concierge to see if there is anything important." Tao Zhan frowned. If there was something important, she had to ask again.  He walked towards the gatehouse. The gatehouse was located on the inside of the gate. It was usually the place where officials came to see the King of Han and were waiting to be summoned. At this time, there were more than 20 guards standing on both sides of the gatehouse, surrounding the gatehouse. Tao Zhan was slightly startled. What was going on?  Already?  As soon as she went up, the old housekeeper Wu Zhong stepped forward and saluted: "Meeting the princess?" "Butler Wu, what happened? It made you so nervous." Butler Wu whispered a few words to Tao Zhan, Tao Zhan's eyes  He also looked surprised, how could it be possible?  How could Cao Cao's daughter come to the Han Palace? She must be a fake.  Tao Zhan was cautious, so she pondered for a moment and then walked into the concierge. Two female guards followed her on the left and right. There were two people in the room. A girl who looked like a maid was sitting listlessly in the corner, and the other one was sitting listlessly in the corner.  A woman was standing in front of the window, looking up at the clouds in the sky.  Tao Zhan saw that she had a slender figure and beautiful appearance. Just standing there quietly, she actually had a graceful and noble aura. This made Tao Zhan secretly surprised. If she believed that this woman was a fake, this kind of temperament was not something ordinary people could achieve.  She had doubts in her heart.  "Who are you?" Tao Zhan asked coldly.  The young woman suddenly turned back, her beautiful eyes shining with gem-like luster. She looked at Tao Zhan briefly and asked hesitantly: "You are Princess Tao!" Tao Zhan heard her tone not as a question, but as a confirmation of her own.  Identity, she obviously knows the level of dress, Tao Zhan's tone is still very cold, "I ask again, who are you?" The young woman quickly stepped forward and saluted, "The little girl Cao Xian is the daughter of Prime Minister Cao, from Ye.  Come here." "Cao Xian!  ' Tao Zhan heard her husband mention this name, and it seemed that she was Cao Cao's daughter. But a name means nothing. Anyone can pretend to be it. The key is that this thing is unbelievable. Cao Cao's daughter actually came to Chengdu alone, bringing only  A maid, no one would believe it.  Tao Zhan shook his head, "Girl, you keep saying that you are the daughter of Prime Minister Cao, don't you think it's ridiculous? The person who came was none other than Cao Xian. She was stung by her elder brother's words. For her father, she secretly left Yedu.  Resolutely coming to Chengdu, she didn't know what she was going to do, but one thing she knew very well was that the root of her father's illness was Liu Jing. Cao Xian blushed, slowly lowered his head, and said after a while: "I also know it's ridiculous.  , most people won¡¯t believe it, but I am indeed the daughter of Prime Minister Cao, I¡± Cao Xian couldn¡¯t say any more, but Tao Zhan became more vigilant. She ordered the two female guards around her, ¡°Kick her out!  " Tao Zhan turned around and left. At this time, Cao Xian said anxiously: "Princess, I really am, my father is ill.  Tao Zhan stopped and did not look back. He just sneered and asked, "Even if you are true, your father is ill and what does it have to do with the King of Han? What are you doing here in Chengdu?"  " "The root cause of my father's illness is the King of Han.  Tao Zhan suddenly turned around and looked at Cao Xian sharply, "So you want to come to Chengdu to assassinate the King of Han and relieve the root cause of your father's illness, right?"  "    "No!  " Cao Xian shook his head in panic, "How could I assassinate the King of Han? I'm just, I'm just" "What are you just?  Tao Zhan was unambiguous and asked Cao Xian. Cao Xian bit his lips and lowered his head, his eyes a little red, "I just came to beg the King of Han to write a letter to his father to comfort him and help him get better."  "Although Cao Xian's voice was very low, Tao Zhan could hear it clearly. There was a hint of warmth in her eyes. No matter whether this woman was fake or not, and no matter what her motives were? But Tao Zhan could feel her affection for her.  Her father's love and affection cannot be faked. She thought to herself, 'Is she really Cao Cao's daughter? She shouldn't be too reckless. ' Thinking of this, Tao Zhan still said coldly: "Although your words are really incredible,  But I won¡¯t embarrass you too much. I¡¯ll just treat you as half the daughter of Prime Minister Cao. I¡¯ll punish you after I investigate clearly. You can stay in the palace for the time being, but you can only live in the outer palace. This is for the King of Han.  For safety reasons, if you don't want to, you can leave at any time.  " Cao Xian is a very smart man. Although the princess has a cold attitude, she can feel the princess's kind nature. She was moved and nodded quickly, "I have no objection!  Tao Zhan turned back to Butler Wu and said, "Take them to the guest room and tidy up a yard."Let her stay and no one is allowed to disturb her.  " Butler Wu sighed in his heart. The princess was so kind-hearted that she kept a woman out of nowhere. She also claimed to be the daughter of Prime Minister Cao. It was ridiculous. If it had been anyone else, she would have been kicked out long ago. There was only one option.  The princess was so tolerant, he said to Cao Xian and the maid: "Come with me!  " Cao Xian saluted Tao Zhan and followed the housekeeper out. Tao Zhan looked at her back, and her noble temperament was clearly revealed in her movements. This was by no means an ordinary woman. She ordered the two female guards, "You two  Keep an eye on her and don't allow her to wander around, but you must also keep her safe.  " "Don't worry, Princess, we understand!  " Two female guards followed him from a distance. Tao Zhan thought for a moment before walking towards the mansion.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 732 To go or to stay

    "What did you say?" Liu Jing looked at his wife in surprise, as if he had heard something unbelievable. It was indeed a bit unbelievable that Cao Cao's daughter actually appeared in his house.  Tao Zhan smiled bitterly and said: "To be honest, I was extremely surprised when I first heard it. My first reaction was that it was fake. It must not be true. But after seeing her in person, I felt that it was not quite fake." "  Why do you think she is not fake? "Tao Zhan thought for a moment and said, "I can't tell, let's rely on a woman's intuition! Her manner is not something ordinary people can have, and I think she really came here because of her father's illness.  "So you just kept her?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.  "I don't know if it's the right thing to do, but out of sympathy for my filial piety, I can't bear to drive her away." Liu Jing shook her head, "I feel a bit ridiculous. My enemy is seriously ill, and the enemy's daughter came to plead for mercy.  What's the point of asking me to let her father go? I wish it would be better if Cao Cao died immediately, so I don't have to work so hard." Tao Zhan sighed, "Husband, it's up to you whether you can help her or not, but at least I can't bear to take her.  Drive her out, she came all the way, if something happens, I can't explain it to the world, people will say that Princess Han is simply a jealous woman, and she can't even tolerate a weak woman." "There are a lot of things to say.  It makes sense, what are you going to do?" Tao Zhan thought for a moment and said, "I plan to give her a place to stay temporarily, and then ask my husband to send someone to Yedu to find out whether she is Cao Cao's daughter. If she is indeed Cao Cao's daughter,  Girl, the husband had better send her back, and this matter can be over." Liu Jing said with a smile: "I'm afraid it's really Cao Cao's daughter, but Cao Cao wants to save face and refuses to admit it, then it will be troublesome for me."  I don't think she came here because of her father's illness. No father would ignore such a filial daughter." Liu Jing nodded, "Okay! I can ask Li Fu to investigate this matter, but I'm curious.  How sick is Cao Cao? How many years can he live? This is a big secret!" Speaking of this, Liu Jing couldn't help laughing. This woman accidentally revealed Cao Cao's secret. Cao Xian was placed in an elegant building.  In the courtyard, the area where she lives is full of guest rooms, which occupy a large area. There are eight in the courtyard alone. Currently, only a few secretaries and staff live there. The guard barracks are also located in the north of the guest rooms.  The small courtyard was very quiet. The housekeeper brought Cao Xian a lot of daily necessities and arranged for people to bring her meals, which made her life very convenient. This time Cao Xian mustered up the courage to come to Chengdu Hanwang Mansion, but when she  After being taken in, she didn't know what to do next. For two whole days, she kept frowning.  At noon that day, she was sitting boredly on the big rock by the pond feeding the fish as usual. She suddenly felt something. When she turned around, she saw a tall young man with a flat crown standing behind her.  , wearing a white fine linen robe with a leather belt around his waist, elegant yet mighty, his eyes were calm and there was a smile on his lips.  Cao Xian stood up in a hurry, took two steps back, and asked with a sullen look on his face: "Who are you?" She was really unhappy. In any case, how could a strange man break into the yard where she lived at will? This was an extremely shameless act.  Cao Xian was offended by etiquette and saw that the visitor was plainly dressed, so Cao Xian felt that this person should be an aide or assistant to the King of Han. She heard that there were several such people living nearby.  The visitor smiled slightly, "Are you Miss Cao?" "I am! But who are you, and why are you so rude and let yourself in uninvited?" "Oh! Speaking of which, I am indeed a bit rude. I should have called you at the door first.  Hello, I apologize to the girl. " "I don't blame you. If you have nothing else to do, please come back!" Cao Xian's maid happened to go to the kitchen in front. She was the only one in the yard. She felt a little uneasy.  In an unfamiliar environment, she felt insecure.  The man smiled and said, "I just wanted to ask, how is your father's health?" After all, Cao Xian is a smart woman. Her thoughts changed and she suddenly guessed who the young man in front of her was, and her heart suddenly pounded.  He jumped up, his face slightly red, "You are His Highness the King of Han." "I am Liu Jing. I have wronged Miss Cao." The person who came was none other than Liu Jing. He had just returned from the government office and stopped by to see Cao Xian.  , he had used flying pigeons to send messages to confirm Cao Xian's identity, but as Tao Zhan said, when he first saw Cao Xian's back, he immediately realized that this woman was indeed Cao Cao's daughter.  Liu Jing looked at Cao Xian with admiration. Cao Xian was tall and slender, with white and delicate skin, a high nose, and a pair of jewel-like bright eyes as calm as water. Her peerless beauty?Liu Jing was surprised. If Tao Zhan's beauty is gentle and delicate, like a piece of warm jade, while Sun Shangxiang's beauty is unrestrained and natural, like a deserted lake and mountain scenery, then the beauty of Cao Xian in front of her seems to be  A carefully carved bonsai is graceful and luxurious. Every detail is so exquisite, so beautiful and amazing.  Cao Xian felt Liu Jing's piercing eyes staring at her, and she became even more panicked. She quickly bowed and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me for being so abrupt and coming uninvited." Liu Jing smiled gently and said, "I don't blame you for anything.  I'm just concerned about your father's health. I heard that he is ill. Is it serious?" Liu Jing's sincere tone and concern for his father moved Cao Xian. She nodded silently and said, "Father is back from Runan.  Since then, I have been in poor health and often fell ill. I fainted twice before I came here. "What did the doctor say?" Liu Jing asked quietly.  After all, Cao Xian didn't have any scheming ideas, and she didn't understand the intrigues in the power struggle. She only felt that Liu Jing sincerely cared about her father, and her father usually praised Liu Jing so much that she actually forgot that Liu Jing was her father's.  Dead enemy, she sighed and said: "The imperial doctor said that my father was suffering from long-term depression and accumulated illness." Speaking of this, Cao Xian glanced at Liu Jing quietly. In fact, what she meant was that his father was suffering from a heart disease, and the cure for his father's heart disease was  The prescription was in the hands of the person in front of her. Of course, she also knew that Liu Jing could not easily take out the prescription, but she always had a glimmer of hope.  Liu Jing understood what she meant, smiled and said: "In my opinion, your father is too arrogant and takes gains and losses too seriously. In fact, the Central Plains and the North are still in his hands. I don't care.  Whether it is poaching a piece of Guanzhong, I will lead the army to pacify Longyou City in Hexi Province, nor is it snatched from your father's hands. If he is calmer, he will not have any heart problems. I think his heart problems are not because of me, but because of me.  It's for the heir!" Cao Xian didn't know much about the current situation. She only knew that her father sighed and looked sad when he mentioned Liu Jing, so she believed that Liu Jing was the cause of her father's heartache.  Of course her idea was correct. After pacifying the Yuan family, her father was high-spirited and ambitious. However, during the Battle of Chibi, his father suffered a heavy blow. From then on, he seldom smiled on his face and was depressed all day long. This was not because of Liu  Jing, why is that?  Of course, Cao Xian also knew that Liu Jing just didn¡¯t want to fall out with him, so what right did he have to ask Liu Jing?  Why should he make concessions to himself? Who is he?  Thinking of who he was, Cao Xian's heart jumped violently again. She remembered another purpose of coming to Liu Jing this time, which was to see if there was any possibility of marriage. But how could she, as a woman, do such a thing?  Can speak.  Cao Xian lowered his head sadly, and after a while he said: "I am the one who caused your highness a difficult situation." "Is it difficult?" Liu Jing said with a smile: "I really hope that your father can recover. After all, he is the prime minister, and his health is not important.  For the well-being of millions of people, let's do this! You can stay here with peace of mind. The princess will take care of you. After I finish handling some things, I will write a letter for you to take back. I believe your father will read the letter.  , the mood will be happier." Cao Xian felt happy and quickly gave a gift, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness." At this time, the maid walked into the yard carrying the food box, and Liu Jing said with a smile, "You can just eat!  Yes." He glanced at her again, nodded with a smile, turned around and left quickly.  "Girl, who is he?" the maid asked in a low voice.  "He's like that. Stop asking and go into the house!" Cao Xian was a little upset and turned around to walk into the house. When Liu Jing was talking to her, she didn't realize that when Liu Jing said goodbye and left, she  Then she suddenly realized that she had already met Liu Jing, but what could she do?  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  When Liu Jing returned to his study, Cao Xian's beautiful image still appeared in his mind from time to time. This reminded him of a suggestion that Cao Cao once made, hoping that he would marry one of his daughters. After all, it should be this Cao Xian. At that time  He flatly rejected the suggestion.  But Liu Jing didn't expect that Cao Xian was so beautiful, which made his heart flutter. Unfortunately, she was Cao Cao's daughter. This thought always appeared in his mind. Liu Jing sighed in his heart, she was such a beauty.  That extremely delicate face, that slender and graceful figure, and that ice-white skin lingered in his mind.  Today, Liu Jing wanted to write a letter to Zhao Yan, the governor of Nanjun, but when he picked up the pen, he was a little absent-minded and had to put down the pen again. At this moment, a guard reported outside the door: "Your Highness, Sima Shangshu wants to see you!"  "Liu Jing's thoughts were immediately pulled back from the chaotic thoughts. He knew why Sima Yi came, so he clicked "He nodded and said, "Invite him in." After a moment, Sima Yi hurriedly walked in, knelt down and saluted: "The humble minister pays homage to His Highness the King of Han." "Shang Shu, please rise!" Sima Yi straightened up and said impatiently: "Your Highness  Do you know what happened in Jingnan?" "What happened in Jingnan when?" "That's the news that was just sent." Liu Jing was slightly startled. He had already received the news about Jingnan yesterday. Did something happen again?  "Tell me, what happened in Jingnan again?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 733 Jingnan Crisis

    At the beginning, in order to unite with Sun Quan to deal with Cao Jun, Liu Jing assigned the four counties of Jingnan to Jiangdong. He actually had a very deep meaning. He knew that Liu Bei had unified Jiaozhou at this time, and he also knew that Liu Bei would have difficulty adapting to the climate of Lingnan.  , always dreaming of counterattacking the Central Plains, but as long as Liu Jing's army is in Jingnan, Liu Bei will not dare to act rashly.  But if Sun Quan's Jiangdong Army occupied Jingnan, the meaning for Liu Bei would be completely different. The main force of Jiangdong Army is far away in Jianye, and the transportation of food and materials is inconvenient. There will definitely not be many troops in Jingnan. If a war breaks out, Jiangdong Army will  The army was unable to rescue them. This was a golden opportunity for Liu Bei's Jiaozhou Army.  More importantly, when Liu Jing and Sun Quan signed the agreement, it was clearly stipulated in the agreement that Jiangdong's garrison in the four counties of Jingnan could not exceed 10,000 people. It was the constraints of the agreement that limited the number of Jiangdong's troops garrisoned in the four counties of Jingnan.  There were only 8,000 people, commanded by Bu Zhao, the governor of Changsha County and the governor of Jingnan.  Facts have proved that Liu Jing's speculation was not wrong. Liu Bei's desire to return north was already uncontrollable. Just a month ago, Liu Bei, who had already secured Jiaozhou, appointed Zhuge Liang to lead an army of 20,000 to march north to Jingnan, with Zhang Fei as the vanguard.  The four counties in Jingnan occupied by Jiangdong's army launched a surprise attack.  In just three days, Zhang Fei occupied Guiyang County. Then Zhuge Liang sent his troops north to Xiangdong County. Chen Ji, the governor of Xiangdong County, surrendered. The Jiaozhou army was overwhelming and entered Hengyang County in one fell swoop.  At this time, Bu Zhi was in a hurry. On the one hand, he asked for help from Gan Ning, the commander of Jingzhou Navy and Annan General, and on the other hand, he urgently sent people to Jiangdong for help. At the same time, Bu Zhi ordered Jianwu General Xu Sheng to lead 5,000 Jiangdong troops to Hengyang County to stop them.  The Jiaozhou Army captured Hengyang.  Hengyang County Liangjiang Estuary, here is the estuary where Lianshui flows into the Xiangshui River. The intersection of the two rivers is under the jurisdiction of Xiangnan County, Hengyang County. To the north of the Liangjiang Estuary is Changsha County, which is also the Dongting Lake Plain with dense population and rich products.  The 30,000 Jiaozhou Army led by Zhuge Liang encountered 5,000 elite soldiers led by Xu Sheng at the mouth of Liangjiang River.  The Jiaozhou Army marching northward slowly stopped, and a scout rushed back and reported in front of Zhuge Liang: "Reporting to the military advisor, we found 5,000 Jiangdong Army, stationed with Lianshui behind, about 20 miles away from us.  Zhuge Liang gently shook his feather fan and smiled at Guan Yu next to him: "Yun Chang, I have heard for a long time that Xu Sheng is a brave general. When I saw him today, he really lived up to his reputation and actually wanted to fight against the odds." Guan Yu sneered: "We have 30,000 troops.  Six soldiers fight one soldier, so what if they fight ten battles? Ask the military advisor to let Guan lead 10,000 troops and defeat the Jiangdong Army in one battle. "But Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and said, "Come up and attack them. There is no need to fight them.  I only need to send an army to attack Changsha, and Xu Sheng will be in chaos without fighting." At this time, Zhang Fei said loudly: "Commander, let me go!" Guan Yu frowned again, "  Military advisor, if reinforcements from Changsha County have arrived, wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous to raid Changsha?¡± Zhuge Liang shook his feather fan and said with a smile, ¡°Where will Jiangdong¡¯s reinforcements come from?  Sun Quan may not know that something has happened in Jingnan. As for the Jingzhou army, I believe there are ten thousand reasons why the Jingzhou army can't come." "Why can't the Jingzhou army come?" Guan Yu asked in confusion.  "This was originally Liu Jing's plan. Jiangdong was so impatient that he swallowed the bait in one gulp and it would be difficult to detach. Therefore, the Jingzhou Army will never come to the rescue." Guan Yu nodded, and he seemed to understand.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Xu Sheng really had no choice at this time. He only had 5,000 troops. Facing the strong pressure of 30,000 Jiaozhou troops, he could only fight against the enemy with determination.  At this time, Xu Sheng had already learned the news that the Jiaozhou Army was coming. The enemy was more than ten miles away. He immediately led his soldiers to an open area to prepare for a decisive battle with the enemy. They were not far from the Xiang River, and the river  The wind was strong, and the big flag flapped against the flagpole. Five thousand Jiangdong Army soldiers had already lined up, with bright helmets and neat military appearance.  Xu Sheng rode on his horse and looked into the distance with a hand curtain. They had been waiting for almost an hour, but still could not see any trace of the enemy. This made Xu Sheng quite uneasy. At this time, a soldier pointed in the distance and shouted: "  General, the scout is back!" Seeing a small black dot rushing from the south, Xu Sheng perked up. It must be the scout. He was waiting for news from the scout. Not long after, the scout rushed over. Xu Sheng urged  He immediately stepped forward and asked loudly: "What's going on?" The scout rushed forward and clasped his fists and said: "Report to the general, the Jiaozhou Army is staying put, but another army has crossed the Xiang River and headed north." Xu Sheng was stunned.  , and quickly asked: "How many troops are crossing the river?" "About ten thousand people, and the leader is Zhang Fei." Xu Sheng's mind suddenly changed, and he suddenlyBai Bai came over, this must be to capture Changsha County. He suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. There were only a thousand defenders on Bu Zhao's side, and the force was empty. If the Jiaozhou Army killed them, Changsha County would definitely be lost. What should we do now?  Could it be that he also withdrew to Changsha County?  Xu Sheng thought for a while and realized that he could not withdraw his troops now. Once he retreated to Changsha County and the Jiaozhou Army attacked him from both sides, he would definitely be defeated. The only way to go now was to fight. Now that the opponent had 10,000 fewer people, he used 5,000 troops to fight 20,000.  , fight to the death, maybe there is still hope of victory.  He was heartbroken and turned around and shouted: "The only way to survive is to fight to the death. Brothers, follow me to face the enemy!" The soldiers of the three armies shouted and followed Xu Sheng towards the Jiaozhou Army garrison more than ten miles away.  .  Not long after they set off, spies had already reported the news to Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang laughed and said to Guan Yu: "As I expected, Jiangdong Army can't hold back. Without the determination to fight, how long can they hold on?" Guan Yu is here  Following Zhuge Liang in the war to unify Jiaozhou, he was sincerely convinced of Zhuge Liang's talents. He also smiled and said: "Leave this battle to the juniors!" "That's what I mean." Zhuge Liang will Guan Xing and Zhang  Bao came to find them and gave them a detailed explanation. The two of them understood and clasped their fists together and said: "General, I will obey the order!" The two of them each led an army and left the main force. At this time, Zhuge Liang smiled at Guan Yu and said: "Excuse me, please let me know."  General, command the army to retreat! "This is Zhuge Liang's cleverness. Although Liu Bei gave him the power to command the army, Zhuge Liang knew that he could not monopolize the power. Proper respect for Guan Yu and Zhang Fei would help balance the interests of all parties.  , so he will also appropriately delegate certain powers to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.  Guan Yu readily accepted Zhuge Liang's transfer of power and ordered his army to retreat south. At this time, Xu Sheng's army had already reached ten miles away. Xu Sheng also received news from the scouts, and the Jiaozhou Army retreated in full. Xu Sheng also realized that it was the Jiaozhou Army.  After deliberately avoiding the battle, the purpose was to buy time for the army to attack Changsha. He became even more anxious and ordered the soldiers to speed up their march and be sure to catch up with the enemy.  Jiang Dongjun chased all the way. This area is the intersection of the two rivers. It is densely covered with water networks and numerous rivers. In the distance are large areas of farmland and woods. Several low hills are scattered on the plains. A muddy official road is winding.  It stretches towards the south.  At this time, the Jiangdong Army had chased for more than ten miles, and the Jiaozhou Army was only five miles away from the retreating south. Xu Sheng became even more anxious and shouted at the soldiers to speed up. But just as they were about to pass through a hill, suddenly drums sounded on both sides of the hill.  Dazuo, one on the left and the other on the right, killed an army. On the left was General Guan Xing, leading 3,000 people, and on the right was General Zhang Bao, also leading 3,000 people. They came with fierce force and instantly overwhelmed the Jiangdong Army whose team stretched for three miles.  Cut in half.  Jiangdong Army suddenly fell into chaos. Xu Sheng secretly shouted that something was wrong and ordered the troops to assemble quickly. However, their army had been cut into two sections and it was difficult to see the head and tail. During the Jiaozhou Army's assault, the formation was completely out of control. At this moment,  One of the soldiers pointed to the front and shouted: "General Xu, the main force of the enemy army has returned." Xu Sheng turned his head, and his heart felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He saw an overwhelming number of flags in front of him, and the enemy troops they were pursuing with all their might were coming again.  After they came back, they saw an endless black army. The leader was none other than Guan Yu. The deputy general Lu Dai shouted anxiously: "General, retreat quickly! If we don't retreat, our entire army will be destroyed." Xu Sheng sighed and ordered loudly.  : "The whole army will follow me and retreat!" It is said to be retreating, but in fact it is to escape. Xu Sheng swung his sword to kill the enemy. Lu Dai followed closely behind and charged with all his strength. At this time, Zhang Bao gave a loud shout and rode towards him.  His horse was very fast, and his spear flew forward. Lu Dai was unable to dodge, so he was thrown under the horse and stabbed to death with another spear.  At this time, Xu Sheng had already opened a bloody road and fled westward with his horse. Thousands of soldiers followed him. Guan Xing led his army to pursue him, killing Jiangdong's army with dead bodies all over the field. Countless people surrendered. Xu Sheng finally only  He fled the battlefield with more than three hundred people.  Not long after, Zhuge Liang was sitting on a cart and was pushed up by the soldiers. Zhang Bao and Guan Xing knelt down to hand over orders. Zhuge Liang stroked his beard and said with a smile: "The two generals are worthy of being famous generals. The young ones are better than the old ones. The Lord is expected to prosper."  "Guan Yu also laughed and was very pleased. At this time, Guan Ping stepped forward and reported: "To inform the military advisor, we killed more than 1,500 of the enemy and captured 3,000 of them, but only a few hundred escaped.  The army's losses were less than a hundred people." Zhuge Liang nodded. This was the result he was pursuing, to destroy the enemy at the minimum cost. He said to Sima Mi Zhu: "Keep these prisoners under guard first, and you can exchange benefits with Jiangdong later."  Guan Yu was still a little worried about Zhang Fei's side, so he suggested: "Commander, the enemy army has been defeated, why don't we go to rescue Yide!" "Okay!" This time Zhuge Liang agreed, but he added: "We must give Yi De  General De created conditions to prevent any news from reaching Linxiang County.Guan Yu immediately ordered: "Send the order, go to the Xiang River and cross the river immediately!" The Jiaozhou Army requisitioned hundreds of ferries on the Xiang River, and the 20,000-strong army immediately crossed the Xiang River and continued to advance north along the Xiang River.  At the same time, Guan Yu sent Guan Ping to cross Lianshui north to intercept Xu Sheng's army from the north and escape back to Changsha.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Zhang Fei's character is quite impatient, and some are rude. He likes to end things directly and fight for the results through war. However, Zhang Fei is not stupid. He can also assess the situation. He led an army of 10,000 to march north to Linxiang County. He knew that the opponent only had  A thousand troops will definitely not fight him decisively, but will defend the city waiting for reinforcements. However, they do not carry siege weapons, so it will not be easy to capture the city.  At this time, he could only outwit the city. Zhang Fei came up with a plan. He did not attack Changsha City directly, but divided his troops into two groups. He ordered General Chen Lei to lead 3,000 people to quickly detour northward, while he himself led 7,000 people.  , slowly swallowing, and heading north with great fanfare.  Chen Lei is the eldest son of Liu Bei's general Chen Dao. He is only 18 years old this year. He is highly skilled in martial arts, calm and capable, and is also a leader of the younger generation. He is Zhang Fei's general and is trusted by Zhang Fei. At night, under the cover of night,  Chen Lei led three thousand people to quietly approach Linxiang County.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 734 Four counties change hands

    Linxiang County, which is today's Changsha, is bordered by the Xiang River to the west and the Liu River to the north. The protection of the two rivers, one from the north and the other from the west, greatly reduces the defense pressure of Linxiang County. It only has to face enemies from the south and east.  , and the city wall is tall and strong, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is because of these favorable conditions that Bu Zhao sent five thousand troops to rescue Hengyang County, leaving only one thousand elite troops to defend the city.  Bu Zhi also calculated in his mind that even if Xu Sheng could not save Hengyang and was defeated by the Jiaozhou Army, part of the army would flee back. In addition, some civilians would be requisitioned to defend the city, and Linxiang County should be able to hold on until reinforcements from the Jiangdong Army arrived.  But Bu Zhao was a scholar after all and had no combat experience. He could not think of many things. First of all, the people of Changsha did not buy his account at all. He sent people repeatedly to mobilize the people to defend the city, but in the end he only recruited more than a thousand people at a high price.  Secondly, he did not consider the possibility of Xu Sheng's army being wiped out. If he could have imagined these consequences, then he would not have sent the army south, but would have used 6,000 troops to defend Linxiang City. This was a decision-making mistake on the key issue of Bu Zhao.  , causing him to fall into great passivity.  On the top of the city, Bu Zhao stared southward with concern. At this time, he had received news that Zhang Fei had led an army to Milishui Town ten miles away and was nervously making siege weapons. This made him extremely worried.  Regarding the situation of Sheng's army, he knew that this was a division of the Jiaozhou Army. If Xu Sheng made a mistake, the Jiaozhou Army would definitely attack in a large scale. Bu Zhi sighed, with unspeakable regret in his heart. Why should Xu Sheng be sent to save Hengyang?  County, with his little military strength, can Hengyang County save it?  At this time, the county magistrate Lu Li stepped forward and advised: "The governor should go and rest! The Jiaozhou Army should build siege weapons overnight. There will be no trouble tonight. They will not launch a large-scale attack tomorrow. Have a good rest tonight." Bu Zhao Diandian  First, what Lu Li said made sense. He told the generals around him: "Just leave a hundred people to patrol the city. All the soldiers should go back to sleep and recuperate to prepare for the battle tomorrow." Several generals agreed,  They led the soldiers back to the barracks to sleep. The soldiers inspected a circle of the city wall, and then went down to the city to rest. There were only a hundred soldiers left on the city, divided into five teams to patrol the city.  The time gradually reached one o'clock, and an army of about 3,000 people appeared outside the North City. They gradually approached the moat outside the North City and ambush behind a group of houses about 300 steps away from the moat. Under the cover of night, at this distance  Inside, no movement could be seen outside the city on top of the city.  After a moment, a spy hurried forward and reported: "General Qi, the patrol posts in the city are concentrated in the south city and the west city. There is a group of soldiers in the north city, only about twenty people." Chen Lei was overjoyed and waved his hand, "Go!" Three  Thousands of soldiers rushed forward like a tide. They carried long planks and siege ladders. They carried the ten siege ladders themselves and had already prepared them. Zhang Fei built siege weapons in Milishui Town just to confuse the opponent.  , covering Chen Lei's night attack.  Planks were put up on the moat, and three thousand Jiaozhou soldiers rushed across the moat, erected siege ladders, and the soldiers climbed up the city. At this moment, twenty sentries patrolling the North City discovered countless black figures climbing up the city.  He screamed in shock, "There's an enemy! There's an enemy!" "Dang! Dang! Dang!" The alarm bells sounded loudly on the top of the city, which sounded very far away at night. At this time, the rapid alarm bells also came from the south city head, outside the south city.  It was discovered that countless enemy troops were approaching the city.  Bu Zhi had just fallen asleep when he was awakened by a violent knock on the door. He heard a soldier shouting nervously outside the door: "Prefect, the enemy troops have entered the city." Bu Zhi was shocked, turned over and sat up, put on a coat  Clothes hurriedly opened the door and asked, "What happened?" "Enemy troops appeared in the North City and South City at the same time, but the enemy troops in the North City have already attacked the city and entered the city. The prefect should leave quickly!" Bu Zhao was suddenly shocked and at a loss.  , at this time, the whole city was filled with shouts of killing, and the city in the distance was blazing into the sky. The situation was critical. Several of his followers brought the war horses. Regardless of whether Bu Zhao wanted to take the confidential documents or not, they pushed him onto the war horse, and more than a hundred people  Two soldiers escorted him and ran towards the east gate. There was only the east city to go to, and no enemy troops could enter.  At this time, there was chaos in the city. Thousands of Jiaozhou Army soldiers rushed into the city and fought fiercely with more than a thousand Jiangdong soldiers in the city. The soldiers guarding Bu Zhao killed dozens of enemy soldiers and fought a bloody path to protect Bu Zhao.  The stallion rushed to the east gate, and the east city gate slowly opened, and everyone rushed out of the city gate in one breath.  Unexpectedly, just as they rushed through the city gate, there was a huge fire all around. They were surrounded by more than a thousand soldiers, with swords drawn and murderous intent. In the light of the fire, a general held a snake spear eight feet long in his hand, and the sound was like a loud bell. It was Zhang Fei. He laughed and said:  "Do you really think that I, Zhang Yide, am a stupid person?" Bu Zhao was stunned and ran away with no way out. Seeing the enemy troops swarming up, he had to dismount and captured him without mercy. At noon the next day, Zhuge Liang led the army slowly to Linxiang City.  Zhang Fei led dozens of generals to welcome him out of the city, "Zhang Fei sawThe commander, honoring the military advisor's instructions, captured Linxiang City and captured Bu Zhao and Lu Li alive.  " Zhuge Liang already knew the details of Zhang Fei's outsmarting of Linxiang City. He happily praised: "General Yide can also use tricks, which is a blessing for my lord!  Zhang Fei was overjoyed and said quickly: "Fei is willing to lead the army to continue the eastward expedition and seize Poyang County and Yuzhang County. Please give me permission from the military advisor!"  " At this time, Guan Yu next to him was stimulated by Zhang Fei's achievements, and finally couldn't help but said: "Guan is also willing to go to the Eastern Expedition.  " Zhuge Liang chuckled, "Since there are two counties, the two generals can each take one. There is no need to argue.  " Guan and Zhang drew lots. Guan Yu was drawn to Yuzhang County, and Zhang Fei was drawn to Poyang County. They each led an army of 5,000, and immediately set out to seize these two counties. They had already ascertained the information about these two counties.  There were only a few hundred county soldiers, and they were vulnerable. At this time, the chief secretary Yang Yi stepped forward and advised: "The military advisor immediately sent troops to Poyang and Yuzhang. Are you a little too anxious?"  " "Why did Wei Gong say that?  "Zhuge Liang asked with a smile. "My subordinates are just worried that the Jingzhou Army will send troops to interfere. We captured the four counties of Jingnan in one go. How can Liu Jing tolerate it? He should wait and see before sending troops. Military advisors are always cautious. Why is this so?  anxious?  Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and said, "If we stop moving, the Jingzhou army will send troops to intervene. I sent troops to Poyang and Yuzhang to follow Liu Jing's intention. He doesn't want anything, so how can he send troops to attack us?"  " Yang Yi finally realized something at this time, "The military advisor is saying, does Liu Jing want us to fight Jiangdong?  " Zhuge Liang nodded, "otherwise how could he transfer the four counties of Jingnan to Jiangdong? Sun Quan was greedy and swallowed the bait. It will not be so easy to get off the hook.  " "My subordinates understand, but what if Sun Quan abandons the four counties in Jingnan?  Liu Jing will not allow us to occupy it.  " Zhuge Liang has been carefully looking for and training talented civil servants for Liu Bei, such as Wang Lei and Huang Quan who refused to be loyal to Liu Jing and instead came to Liu Bei, Sun Jianmi and Chen Zhen who had been following Liu Bei.  , Ma Su, Yang Yi, Chen Zhi, Lu Yi, etc., so Liu Bei also gathered some talented and learned people who admired his reputation. Therefore, he also carefully explained Yang Yi's questions to let him understand the overall situation at hand. He saw that Yang Yi was quite good.  Being smart, he reacted very quickly and said with a smile: "That's why I rushed to attack Yuzhang and Poyang. Sun Quan can give up the four counties of Jingnan, but he can't give up Yuzhang and Poyang. He will definitely send troops. This is like a person trapped in a trap."  The quagmire, the more you struggle, the deeper you fall. As long as Sun Quan is deeply trapped in Jingnan, Liu Jing will definitely not interfere with us and let us weaken Jiangdong. Once Sun Quan decouples, our attack on Jingnan will be in vain.  .  " "But Jiangdong's army has warships, but we don't. Will it be very passive?"  Yang Yi said worriedly again. "Don't worry, Mr. Wei! Liu Jing will solve the ship problem for us. He doesn't want us to be defeated so soon."  " Speaking of this, Zhuge Liang said to Yang Yi again: "I have a letter from my own soldiers that I want to forward to Liu Jing. Can Duke Wei go to Jiangling and give the letter to Gan Ning?  " "Is Gan Ning in Jiangling?  " Yang Yi asked in surprise, Navy Commander Gan Ning should be in Xiakou. Zhuge Liang smiled and nodded, "I think he should be there!  " After Liu Bei unified Jiaozhou, he began to consider going north to regain Guiyang or Lingling County as the base for his northward movement. However, Zhuge Liang firmly opposed it. He knew very well that Liu Jing wanted them to develop Jiaozhou. In other words,  As long as they have no intention of going north, the Han army will not go south to Jiaozhou to attack them, and they can live in peace for at least twenty or thirty years. However, when Liu Jing assigned the four counties of Jingnan to Jiangdong, Zhuge Liang opposed the northern expedition.  The voice weakened, and the situation changed. The Liu and Cao families stopped their troops and began to repair internal affairs and work hard to develop. However, Liu Jing did not want to give Jiangdong the same opportunity for development. He wanted to use Jiaozhou to weaken Jiangdong, or to hinder it.  The development of Jiangdong. Realizing this, Zhuge Liang no longer opposed Liu Bei's northern expedition. He knew that this northern expedition would definitely be beneficial to Jiaozhou. At least he would not have to pay back the grain he borrowed. Judging from the current situation, they continued to occupy the province.  After reaching the four counties of Jingnan, the Han army remained stationary. From this, Zhuge Liang could see that his conclusion was completely correct. However, out of caution, he still wrote a personal letter and sent Yang Yi to Jiangling from Changsha.  It was not far, but the land route was very difficult. Yang Yi took the waterway and took a boat all the way west. At noon that day, he arrived at Jiangling Pier by boat. At this time, Jiangling quickly regained its prosperity due to several years of peace. More importantly, Jingzhou and Yi  The unification of the state and the elimination of various barriers led to a rapid increase in trade between the two places. A large number of Bashu goods moved eastward along the Yangtze River and were transited in Jiangling. The Jiangling dock also expanded three times and was crowded with large and small cargo ships.There were noisy voices and a stream of people above. With the help of dozens of elephants, cargo towers several feet high lifted the ship's cargo ashore, and then dock workers used wooden oxen to carry the cargo to the warehouse. In the distance was  Dozens of huge warehouses.  Yang Yi was very impressed by the prosperity of Jiangling. In comparison, Jiaozhou was really sparsely populated. No wonder the lord wanted to conquer the north. At this moment, Yang Yi was attracted by the wooden oxen.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 735 Sent to the Han Army

    Yang Yi had long heard of the wooden ox. It was the genius creation of Ma Jun, a master craftsman of the generation. It played a huge role in the Han army's Northern Expedition. He always thought that it was the top military secret of the Han army, but he did not expect that it would be used by ordinary people.  He was also surprised to see it on the freight dock.  But if you think about it more carefully, it's actually normal. Now the entire Guanlong has belonged to the Han Kingdom, and Cao Cao's sphere of influence is mainly in the plains. Mountain transportation tools like wooden oxen are of little significance to them. At most, they are useful when crossing the Taihang Mountains.  , but Yang Yi knew in her heart that this kind of wooden cow was crucial to Jiaozhou.  Most of the Jiaozhou area is rugged and mountainous, and the rivers have large differences, which is not conducive to water transportation. Many remote places require manual labor to transport goods. Inconvenient transportation and difficult transportation are always a big problem plaguing Jiaozhou. If Jiaozhou can use a large number of such wooden oxen  , will play a huge role in promoting the development of Jiaozhou.  Yang Yi slowly walked to an ox cart and gently stroked the shiny vehicle. It was made of strong camphor wood. Although it was huge, it was still nimble. The owner of the wooden ox was a man in his thirties.  He was a strong man about 10 years old. When he saw that the scholar was very interested in his wooden ox, he couldn't help introducing it proudly: "I rent this from the government. Not everyone is as lucky as me. After deducting three dollars per month,  With a rent of 100 yuan, it can help me earn a net profit of 2,000 yuan a month. It will be mine after three years of renting.¡± Yang Yi then discovered that there was a number on the side of the wooden cow. He nodded and asked again: ¡°The dock.  "How many wooden oxen are there?" "It's hard to say, but I estimate there are about five hundred, and there are quite a few on Nanshu Road." Yang Yi asked in a low voice, "If I want to buy one, can I buy one?"  "I'm afraid this won't work. They all have government numbers, unless the government is willing to sell them." After hesitating, the strong man smiled again: "Of course, if you are willing to pay a high price, there is nothing you can't buy. This gentleman is really interested. You can find it."  Wu's Trading Company has a deep relationship with the government. They manage these wooden cows for the government. They should be able to get them. " Wu's Trading Company has a very close relationship with Jiaozhou. For example, the elephant used on the dock is Wu.  Yang Yi's trading company purchased from Jiaozhou, and heard that it was related to Wu's trading company. Yang Yi felt relieved, and handed over to the strong man, and led two followers to the Jiangling navy barracks.  When Yang Yi was on the river, he saw a large number of warships moored at the Navy Pier. There were hundreds of warships, and they were basically large ships of more than a thousand stones. He then realized that the military advisor's inference was correct. Gan Ning was probably there.  Jiangling, if Gan Ning is in Jiangling, then he should be in the navy camp.  Yang Yi took a carriage to the navy camp. The carriage stopped in front of the camp. As soon as he got off the carriage, he met a Jiangdong Army general and several followers angrily walking out of the camp. Yang Yi immediately guessed  Realizing that this must be Xu Sheng, he quickly stepped aside and watched Xu Sheng's movements.  Yang Yi guessed correctly. This Jiangdong Army general was Xu Sheng. After the defeat in Lianshui, he fled westward. He wanted to return to Linxiang County, but before he could cross the river, he received news of the fall of Linxiang County.  He had no choice but to come to Jiangling to visit Gan Ning and wanted to borrow troops from Gan Ning to regain Linxiang. Of course, he was frustrated in the end. Gan Ning argued that he had no right to send troops and that he could only send troops to help Jiangdong after receiving the gold medal military order from the King of Han.  However, Gan Ning was still willing to lend him a ship to return to Jiangdong. Xu Sheng had to leave the military camp in anger and return to Jianye to report to Sun Quan. At this time, Xu Sheng failed to borrow troops and was about to return to Jianye. He did not know Yang Yi.  Thinking that he was an ordinary scholar, he rode past Yang Yi and rushed towards the dock with more than a hundred people.  Yang Yi kept watching him go away, and then came to the front of the military camp, raised his hand and reported to the guards: "Is the Governor Gan here?" "My Governor is here, may I ask who this gentleman is?" The sentinel soldiers saw that Yang Yi was very impressive.  , and was quite polite to him.  "Please tell General Gan and submit it to Yang Yi, the military chief of the state, for an audience!" "It turns out to be Chief Yang, please wait a moment, I will report to Governor Gan." The military prince turned around and hurried into the camp to report.  It had only been three days since Gan Ning arrived at Jiangling with 20,000 naval troops. He had received a secret order from Liu Jing. Once the Jiaozhou Army marched north, he could lead his army to Jiangling and pay attention to the situation of the Jiaozhou Army's northern expedition. If Jiangdong abandoned the Jingnan Four  County, and the Jiaozhou Army does not advance eastward, then the Jingzhou Navy will immediately attack the Jiaozhou Army and recover the four counties in Jingnan. However, if Jiangdong sends troops to Jingnan, the Jingzhou Navy will stand still and wait for the two armies to fight.  Gan Ning understood Liu Jing's intention well, which was to use the Jiaozhou Army to weaken Jiangdong and prepare for the next Han Army's Eastern Expedition. This was Gan Ning's wish that he had been looking forward to for many years.  Just now, Xu Sheng came and begged him to send troops to attack the Jiaozhou Army and help Jiangdong regain Changsha County. Gan Ning naturally refused. Of course, he would not refuse so forcefully, but he had good reasons. The Han army had a strict system and there was no  He has no authority to send troops according to the military order of the King of Han. This is not only the Han army, but also the Cao army and Jiangdong army.    Xu Sheng left, and Gan Ning paced in the tent with his hands behind his back. As expected by the King of Han, Liu Bei sent troops to Jingnan, and the attack on Jiaozhou was very fast. He captured the four counties of Jingnan in just over 20 days. Of course,  , this is also related to the fact that Jiangdong has too few troops in Jingnan. Gan Ning has to admire the king of Han for his foresight, setting up a trap for Jiangdong to get into, and also limiting Jiangdong's troops. So does Zhuge Liang understand?  Can Sun Quan endure this bad breath?  Gan Ning will wait and see.  At this time, a soldier reported outside the door: "Jiaozhou Army Chief Yang Yi is asking for an audience outside the military camp!" Gan Ning couldn't help laughing. Everything came so logically. He immediately ordered: "Bring him to the big tent.  Come and see me!" After a while, the soldiers led Yang Yi into the tent. Yang Yi bowed and saluted, "I would like to hand over to Yang Yi, the chief of the state army. I came to Jiangling to see Governor Gan on the orders of Zhuge Military Advisor."  Li, please sit down!" Gan Ning asked Yang Yi to sit down politely and ordered the soldiers to serve tea. Then he asked curiously: "Does your military advisor know that I am in Jiangling?" Yang Yi nodded, "My military advisor said,  Governor Gan should be in Jiangling. "Gan Ning smiled knowingly. Zhuge Liang was indeed worthy of his reputation. He could understand the intentions of the King of Han and cooperated very well. At this time, Yang Yi took out Zhuge Liang's autographed letter and presented it to Gan Ning: "  This is a personal letter written by my military advisor to His Highness the King of Han. Please convey it to us.¡± ¡°I will send someone to Chengdu as quickly as possible. Please rest assured, Master Yang.¡± Having said this, Gan Ning asked tentatively.  : "Did Master Yang come to Jiangling just to deliver this letter?" "Sending the letter is just one aspect. In addition, the military advisor also explained some things. I need to communicate with Governor Gan." "Please tell me, I am all ears." Yang Yi  He pondered for a while and said: "We have conquered Linxiang County and captured the prefect Bu Zhi and the county magistrate Lu Li. Because these two people have special status, the military advisor wants to hand them over to Jingzhou. I wonder if Governor Gan is willing to accept them?"  The identity of the county magistrate Lu Li is indeed a bit special. Bu Zhi is not only a high-ranking official in Jiangdong, but his daughter Bu is one of Sun Quan's wives. Bu Zhi is also Sun Quan's father-in-law. His status in Jiangdong is extraordinary, and Lu Li's  His status is even more special. He is a descendant of the Lu family in Wu County. His official status in Jiangdong is average, and he is only the magistrate of Qu'a County.  But his other identity is very important. He is the uncle of Princess Tao Zhan of Han Dynasty. Tao Zhan's aunt was married to Lu Li. It was this relationship that Zhuge Liang decided to hand over Lu Li to Jingzhou and Bu Zhi to Jingzhou.  It was out of another consideration that Zhuge Liang wanted Sun Quan to know that sending troops to Jiaozhou to Jingnan was actually a tacit agreement with the Han state.  Gan Ning thought for a while and said, "How about this. I'll write a letter and ask Chief Yang to bring it to Military Advisor Zhuge, asking him to release Bu Zhi and Lu Li for the sake of Jingzhou, as a favor to Jingzhou."  Gan Ning is also a cautious person. He knows that he cannot easily accept these two people, but he can mediate as a middleman to mediate the conflicts between Jiangdong and Jiaozhou and urge the Jiaozhou army to release them. This makes sense both emotionally and logically.  Yang Yi saw that Gan Ning was quite shrewd and refused to fall for the trick, so she had to smile bitterly and said: "I will convey Governor Gan's letter and intentions to the military advisor one by one, but I have already brought Lu Li, and he is in the boat at the dock.  "That's it. Then please hand him over to us." Yang Yi agreed and ordered people to bring Lu Li. After arranging Lu Li's affairs, he said to Gan Ning: "There is one more thing that I want to do."  "Tell Governor Gan." "Please tell me!" Yang Yi took a sip of tea and calmed down: "We have sent troops to Poyang County and Yuzhang County. Because Poyang County involves Jingzhou's interests, my military advisor asked me to tell Governor Gan.  , We will not touch Jingzhou¡¯s interests.¡± ¡°Your army is so quick and powerful!¡± Gan Ning laughed meaningfully. He certainly knew what Zhuge Liang meant when he told him this, and he just hoped that he would not move his troops.  Knowing this, he naturally had to express something. Gan Ning thought for a moment and then said: "After His Highness the King of Han and Cao Cao reached an armistice agreement, he issued strict orders to Jingzhou. In the next five years, Jingzhou will mainly focus on recuperation. As long as Jingzhou's territory is not occupied by  If the enemy invades, the people will not be robbed, the trade routes will not be interrupted, and the property will not be damaged, the Jingzhou Army will not use weapons. Please tell Master Yang to tell Zhuge Military Advisor. These are the four principles of the Jingzhou Army. " "I understand, and I will definitely tell you.  " At this time, Yang Yi hesitated and said: "There is one more thing that is within my duties. I want to make a deal with Jingzhou. I wonder if Governor Gan will agree to it? " "Everyone wants to make a deal!  It's good, Master Yang might as well tell you." Gan Ning said with a smile.  "I would like to exchange five hundred elephants for five wooden oxen in Jingzhou. I wonder if General Gan can agree?"   The market price of an adult elephant is 100,000 yuan, while a wooden ox is worth at most 20,000 yuan. The difference is hundreds of times. Jiaozhou is obviously doing a big loss business. Of course, Gan Ning also understands that Yang Yi proposed this deal.  The deeper meaning is that Jiaozhou wanted to imitate wooden oxen on a large scale, so they used 500 elephants to obtain Jingzhou's permission to imitate Jiaozhou.  In fact, wooden oxen are now being promoted to civilians on a large scale. Yang Yi must have seen the wooden ox on the dock before he came up with this idea. If he really wanted to get a wooden ox, it would actually be easy, but Yang Yi was afraid  After the large-scale imitation of wooden cattle affected the trade between Jiaozhou and Jingzhou, we used this compromise method to compensate Jingzhou with 500 elephants, and then justifiably started imitating them. This was a far-sighted approach.  After thinking about this, Gan Ning smiled and said: "Since Master Yang is so sincere, I think it is not a big problem, but this matter must be approved by the King of Han. I will report it truthfully in the report to the King of Han. I believe that in the future  The king of Han is so generous, he will agree to sell the wooden cow to Jiaozhou." Yang Yi was overjoyed and stood up to salute, "In that case, I will leave first!" "Please wait a moment, I will write a letter to Military Advisor Zhuge."  Then he wrote a letter, handed it to Yang Yi and left. Watching Yang Yi walk away, Gan Ning returned to the tent and sat down. He pondered for a moment, then picked up a pen and wrote a quick letter to Liu Jing.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 736: Trapped in the Quagmire

    As early as when the Jiaozhou Army began a large-scale attack on Hengyang County, Bu Zhao urgently sent people to report to Sun Quan. At this time, the long-range pigeon signal of the Jiangdong Army had not yet been established, so he could only send people to Wuchang County to find Jiangdong intelligence points to pass on the news, and waited for Sun Quan.  When the news was received, Changsha County had been captured by the Jiaozhou Army.  Xu Sheng was defeated, Linxiang fell, Bu Zhi was captured, and all four counties in Jingnan were occupied by Jiaozhou. A series of frightening news finally reached Jianye, causing an uproar in the Jiangdong government and the public. Some people criticized Bu Zhi for his inability to defend the land, and complained about Sun Quan.  There were those who should not accept the four counties of Jingnan, and there were many bystanders who questioned the Han army's stand-alone actions. For a time, the whole Jiangdong was caught in a huge wave of public opinion.  However, regarding Jiangdong's response strategy, huge differences emerged within Jiangdong officialdom. This time it was the confrontation between the Jiangbei faction and the Wuyue faction. The Jiangbei faction headed by Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong urged Sun Quan to send troops to recapture Jingnan, while Gu Yongji and others  The Wuyue faction headed by Yu Fan advocated abandoning Jingnan.  This time, the weak Lujiang faction sided with the Wuyue faction. Lu Su wrote to Sun Quan twice, stating the gains and losses of Jiangdong's sending troops to Jingnan. Lu Su clearly pointed out in the letter that Jingnan could not be said to be Jiangdong in terms of population or taxation.  important interests.  But if Lao Shi goes on an expedition, even if he defeats the Jiaozhou Army and recaptures Jingnan, Jiangdong will still pay a huge price in human and financial resources. This kind of cost is no longer something Jiangdong can bear. What's more, an expedition to Jingnan will depend on the face of the Jingzhou Army and all kinds of trade-offs.  , for Jiangdong, sending troops to Jingnan again would be more gain than loss.  However, Zhang Zhao strongly requested to send troops to Jingnan to safeguard the interests and dignity of Jiangdong. Zhang Zhao clearly pointed out that Jiangdong suffered a major defeat both against the Han army and the Cao army. If he bowed to Liu Bei in Jiaozhou again, the prestige of the Marquis of Wu would be destroyed.  After being torn to pieces, it would be difficult to accomplish anything. Even Zhang Hong, who had always been neutral, implicitly advised Sun Quan not to give up Jingnan so easily.  As for the reason why Gu Yulu and other Wuyue factions opposed it was that they would lose money and lose their troops, the deeper reason was to protect the interests of Wuyue counties. To attack Jingnan, it was obvious that Wuyue would need people and help, which would seriously affect Wuyue.  economic recovery, while Jingnan has no benefit to them at all.  Opinions from all sides were quarreling in the government and the opposition, and hotly discussed in the streets. The sharp opposition between the two factions also affected Sun Quan's decision-making, and Sun Quan was still unable to make up his mind.  In Jianye Wu Palace, Lu Su quickly walked into the inner palace under the guidance of a eunuch and came to the Qilin Pavilion. This is Sun Quan's study in the inner palace. It is where Sun Quan handles government affairs at night. The eunuch came to the study and bowed  Shen said: "Inform the Marquis of Wu, Governor Lu has arrived." "Please come in!" Sun Quan's voice came from the room, seemingly worried, Lu Su sighed and walked quickly into Qilin Pavilion.  In the lobby, Sun Quan was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his hands. He had been worried about the incident in Jingnan for two days. According to Sun Quan's original intention, he did not want to send troops. The people of Jiangdong were poor and poor, and they really could not afford another war.  , but what Zhang Zhao said is also very reasonable. If he shows weakness in front of Liu Bei, I am afraid that Sun Quan's prestige will be completely destroyed.  However, Sun Quan also knew that the Wu Yue faction had selfish motives for opposing sending troops, and Zhang Zhao had no direct interest relationship with Jing Nan. It was really for his reputation. Sun Quan was in a dilemma. He wanted to have a good talk with Lu Su again.  .  At this time, Lu Su walked into the hall, bowed and saluted, "I am here to see the Marquis of Wu!" "Zijing is finally here, please take a seat quickly." Sun Quan quickly asked Lu Su to sit down, and then said to him sternly: "Zijing  "Jingnan, the matter in Jingnan has upset me. I want to hear your thoughts again." "Wu Hou has always been decisive, why are you hesitant now?" Lu Su smiled slightly.  Sun Quan sighed and said: "What a dilemma! The country is poor and the troops are insufficient, but I am unwilling to give up Jingnan. I have been waiting for many years to get it, and I don't want to lose it so easily." "But Wu Hou won Jingnan.  It's not difficult! You can get it without spending a single soldier, right?" Sun Quan was stunned, and he heard something in Lu Su's words, and asked hesitantly: "What did Zijing mean?"  Su smiled bitterly and said: "Don't you think it's a coincidence, Marquis Wu? Less than half a year after we took Jingnan, Liu Bei went to the north. Although I never judge people with malice, I am still a little surprised. Jingnan treated Liu Jing the same way.  "It's important that he just gave it up to us. Is there any reason for this?" "You mean, Liu Jing knew that Liu Bei wanted to conquer the north, so he deliberately gave up Jingnan to us?" Sun Quan asked with a dark face.  "I dare not say that. Wei Chen just feels that Liu Jing's sincerity is insufficient, or that he is too generous to abandon the four counties of Jingnan, which is not in line with his usual style. He is a person who must fight for every inch of land." Sun Quan  I didn't think about it so much before. The main reason was that he was over the top. He valued Jingnan too much. Moreover, they also completely took over the four counties of Jingnan and sent officials. In addition to the military strength?Except for the restrictions, there was no obstacle. Liu Jing completely gave him the four counties of Jingnan. More importantly, Liu Jing finally forced Cao Cao to sign the armistice agreement and got Guanlong and Guanlong by giving up the four counties of Jingnan.  In comparison, the four counties in Jingnan are nothing.  But now Liu Bei's army went north and seized the four counties in Jingnan that had not yet been warmed up. Sun Quan was anxious and angry. Under Lu Su's reminder, he suddenly realized that there was something fishy. Liu Jing had taken Jingnan.  It was indeed a bit too generous to give up the four southern counties to him. After thinking about it carefully, he finally came to his senses.  "Bang!" Sun Quan slammed his fist on the table and gritted his teeth: "How dare he bully me like this." Lu Su quickly advised again: "Actually, there is no need for Wu Hou to be angry. Liu Jing is actually taking risks in this matter.  , after all, Liu Bei has just finished a war, and his national strength is exhausted, so he may not be willing to march north. If the Jiaozhou Army refuses to march north, then Liu Jing will just shoot himself in the foot. Moreover, if this matter is handled well, it will not be a bad thing for Jiangdong.  , but he took the opportunity to sweep Jiaozhou into his pocket. "Sun Quan's anger calmed down a little. He and Liu Jing had a relationship of mutual use. It was normal for Liu Jing to plot against him like this. There was no need to be angry about it. He nodded and asked again: "I.  He wants to involve Jiaozhou in the bag. Zijing can tell you how to deal with this matter. " "Wei Chen suggested that we should attack first and send people to Chengdu to find Liu Jing, asking him to fulfill the covenant and send troops to assist Jiangdong in retaking the four counties of Jingnan.  , Liu Jing will definitely not send troops, but in this way, we will have the moral advantage and make it clear that the four Jingnan counties are our land. Once we do not send troops to recapture the four Jingnan counties, Liu Jing will not tolerate Liu Bei's influence.  If he really goes north, he will send troops to attack the Jiaozhou Army sooner or later. When we ask him for the four counties of Jingnan, what will he say? Will he break up with us or destroy the alliance between the two families? Unless Liu Jing is willing to watch it.  We form an alliance with Cao Cao, otherwise he will definitely give an explanation. Weichen estimates that he will help us capture Jiaozhou and give it to us. He will take away the four counties of Jingnan." Sun Quan paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. He knew that Lu Su.  He didn't want Jiangdong and Jingzhou to fall out, but Lu Su still considered Liu Jing a little simpler. In the face of national interests, morality is worthless. Liu Jing could turn his hands into clouds and rain. Once he captured Jiaozhou, he  I won't give it to Jiangdong.  Sun Quan sighed, "Zijing, let me think about it again!" "Wei Chen, please retire!" Lu Su said what he should say. In the end, it was up to Wu Hou to make his own decision. Lu Su bowed and slowly withdrew.  Going down, Sun Quan was so troubled that he didn't even eat dinner. He was thinking alone in Qilin Pavilion. The guards didn't dare to disturb him. Unconsciously, two hours passed and the night gradually reached one o'clock. At this time, there was a sound coming from outside.  There was a sound of hurried footsteps, and a guard shouted in a low voice: "Marquis Wu! Marquis Wu!" Sun Quan fell asleep on the table. He suddenly woke up and asked with some displeasure: "What's the matter?" "Qi  Reported to the Marquis of Wu, Commander Zhang urgently requested a meeting, saying that something big happened in Jingnan. " "Ah!" Sun Quan exclaimed in low voice, "Please come in quickly." After a while, two guards led Zhang Zhao away.  After entering Qilin Pavilion, Zhang Zhao saluted and said, "Old minister, see Wuhou!" "Zibu, if there is any urgent matter, tell me quickly!" Zhang Zhao sighed and said, "I have just received a request for help from Feige from Yuzhang County and Poyang County.  , the Jiaozhou army divided into two groups and attacked Poyang and Yuzhang. Both counties were lost. "This news was like a thunderbolt from the blue. Sun Quan was stunned. The four counties in Jingnan were just reluctant to give up, but they were not from Jiangdong after all.  Traditional territory is the best thing to get, and it doesn't matter if you lose it. However, Yuzhang and Poyang County are different. They have been Jiangdong's territory for more than ten years, especially Yuzhang County. Regardless of population, food, or copper mines, it has no impact on Jiangdong.  They are all crucial. If Yuzhang County is lost, it will be equivalent to breaking an arm of Jiangdong.  It took Sun Quan a while to wake up, and he suddenly panicked and asked quickly: "Zi Bu, what can we do?" "Wu Hou, this is why I insisted on sending troops. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang are both tigers and wolves. We are showing weakness.  They will only intensify their efforts and continue to expand eastward. Now the people in Jiangdong who are shouting and refusing to send troops have selfish motives and are not considering the national plan. Marquis Wu can no longer hesitate. If Yuzhang and Poyang are lost, there will be chaos in Jiangdong. I am afraid that Marquis Wu will be replaced.  "Zhang Zhao said something very serious, but he hit Sun Quan's core again. This time Zhang Zhao had no selfish motives. He was really thinking about the big plan. He knew that Sun Quan had been defeated repeatedly by Liu Jing and Cao Cao, and his status was no longer good.  Stable, if Liu Bei is bullied again, someone in Jiangdong will rebel.  Sun Quan took a deep breath. At this moment, Lu Su's hard advice had been forgotten by him. He could lose Jingnan, but he could not lose Yuzhang and Poyang. He immediately made up his mind, "Zi Bu said it  Yes, we can no longer give in and must send troops." Zhang Zhaoda.??, said anxiously: "The old minister suggested dividing the troops into two groups. The water route can be led by Lu Ziming, and the land route can be commanded by Lu Boyan. We should advance both by water and land, and capture Yuzhang County first." Sun Quan sneered, "This time I will personally lead the army to march westward." Jian'an.  In July of the 19th year, after the Jiaozhou Army occupied the four counties in Jingnan, it continued to expand eastward and successively occupied Poyang County and Yuzhang County. Sun Quan had no way to retreat. He mobilized the whole country and sent 100,000 troops. He personally served as the commander and divided the troops into two.  Road, land and water marched together to conquer the Jiaozhou Army.  At this time, Liu Jing also arrived in Jiangling secretly.

 Volume 2, Jiangxia, Chapter 737: Hidden Soldiers

    On the pier outside Jiangling City, a two-thousand-stone military ship was slowly docking. The military pier was under martial law. More than a thousand soldiers were on tight defense. There was a post every ten steps and a sentry every five steps. No stray people were allowed to approach.  More than a thousand workers who were originally carrying goods on the military dock were also driven out of the dock area.  In the distance, dozens of businessmen are whispering. I wonder if that big shot is coming?  "Could it be the King of Han who is coming?" someone whispered.  This idea immediately made many people around him excited, "It's very possible! There is a war in Changsha County. How can the King of Han sit still in Chengdu? He will definitely come." Everyone's discussion became louder and louder. At this time,  , a cavalry galloped over, and shouted sternly: "Everyone leave, don't gather here." At this time, several more cavalry galloped over, and they raised their whips and whipped them, scaring the merchants to disperse.  At that time, the ship docked at the pier. Hundreds of soldiers escorted a general wearing a golden helmet and walked quickly off the ship. The person who came was none other than Liu Jing.  After receiving the express message sent by Gan Ning eight hundred miles away, he set off for Jiangling. The situation in Jingnan changed so quickly that he did not expect. In just twenty days, Zhuge Liang captured the four counties in Jingnan.  Continue to march eastward.  Zhuge Liang also wrote in his letter to him that he was willing to cooperate with his strategy, but hoped that the Han army would recognize the interests of the Jiaozhou Army. However, the letter was very vague and did not mention recognizing the interests of the Jiaozhou Army.  At the same time, Liu Jing received urgent information from the Jianye intelligence point via flying pigeon relay. One hundred thousand troops had been sent to Jiangdong, and Sun Quan personally took command, dividing the land and water armies and heading west.  A big war is about to begin. Although the Han army is just waiting and watching, Liu Jing knows that the Han army is actually participating in the war, but in a special way.  Liu Jing was accompanied by military advisor Pang Tong. Liu Jing quickly stepped off the ship. Gan Ning, who had been waiting on the dock for a long time, hurriedly greeted him. He knelt down on one knee and reported, "See His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing quickly helped him up.  , smiled slightly and said: "You salute like this, don't you just tell everyone that the King of Han has arrived in Jiangling?" Gan Ning apologized, "I forgot this in my humble position, please forgive me!" "Actually, it doesn't matter, I'm coming or not.  "It's up to you. If the envoy from Jiangdong arrives, you can send him to Chengdu to find me." Pang Tong said with a smile: "His Royal Highness said along the way that he wanted to come to Jiangling secretly, but he stood on the dock and refused to leave.  Do you want the people of Jiangling City to come out to greet you? " "The military advisor is right, if you have anything to do, we'll talk about it back to the military camp." Liu Jing got on his horse, surrounded by people, and galloped towards the navy camp.  Everyone sat down in the Chinese army's tent. Gan Ning took out a letter and handed it to Liu Jing, "This is what Zhuge Liang sent this afternoon, about the wooden ox." Liu Jing took the letter and read it.  Zhuge Liang officially stated that he was willing to exchange 500 elephants for three wooden oxen, and begged Jingzhou to agree.  Of course Liu Jing knew that Zhuge Liang was trying to imitate the wooden cow. It's funny to say that the wooden cow and the horse were supposed to be his patent. Now Zhuge Liang actually wants to imitate the wooden cow. Is Zhuge turning into Kong Ming or Kong Ming turning into Zhuge? It's a mess.  Account settled.  Liu Jing ignored him, he turned around and handed the letter to Pang Tong, smiling and saying: "Shi Yuan, take a look! Give me an opinion." Pang Tong knew that Liu Jing had already made a plan, and he was testing himself!  He thought for a moment and said: "Wei Chen thought that since the wooden ox has been promoted for civilian use, the manufacturing technology will be made public sooner or later, and Jiaozhou can actually easily get two wooden oxen to imitate. The reason why they went to war and used five hundred elephants to  The exchange of three wooden oxen is actually a kind of repayment, but it is more of a way of testing." "Please think about it, Your Highness, five hundred elephants cannot be handed over in one or two days.  , ranging from two years to three years. During this period, they occupied Jingnan. If His Highness wanted their elephant, they would not be able to lose face, and they would have to continue to occupy it. If Jingzhou wanted to take back Jingnan, then they  They will not give any more elephants. This is actually exchanging 500 elephants for the three-year occupation period of Jingnan. Wei Chen suggested that they would rather not have the elephants, but give them two wooden oxen instead of them large-scale.  Instead of imitating it privately, we take the initiative to allow him to imitate it. Instead, they owe us a favor." Liu Jing nodded. His conclusion was the same as Pang Tong thought, but the process was not as complicated as Pang Tong thought. At this time, Liu Jing asked again.  Asked Gan Ning, "Tell me more about the battle situation of the Jiaozhou Army." Gan Ning ordered the soldiers to carry a wooden frame and hang the map on the wooden frame. He pointed at the map with the wooden pole and said: "At present, the main force of the Jiaozhou Army has been killed.  Going to Poyang County and Yuzhang County, there are only 3,000 people from Changsha County stationed in Linxiang County, and the remaining three counties in Jingnan each have 1,000 people. According to the latest information obtained this morning, Zhuge Liang is currently leading the main force in Yuzhang County, andOn the other side of Yang County, only Zhang Fei led 5,000 people.  " Liu Jing frowned slightly. The main force of Jiangdong Army must have come by boat. Zhuge Liang's main force should be placed in Poyang County. How could it be placed in Yuzhang County? At this time, Pang Tong next to him smiled and said: "I know Kong Ming.  , his battles have always been imaginary and real, real and imaginary. If I am not mistaken, Kong Ming wanted to drag the Jiangdong Army to fight on land to make up for the shortcomings of the Jiaozhou Army's water battle.  " "How can you see it?  " Gan Ning asked with a curious smile. Pang Tong shook his head, "I can't explain clearly, I just have a feeling!  Liu Jing, however, said nothing. He paced slowly in the tent with his hands behind his back. He was meditating on something more important. At this time, he turned to Gan Ning and said, "I have a letter. You can use the pigeon to  The letter was sent to Jianye immediately.  ¡±?¡­ After everyone¡¯s discussion, Liu Jing came to another tent. In this tent lived Lu Li, who was captured in Linxiang County. Lu Li is in his forties this year, and his skin is  Fair, of medium height, and elegant in appearance, he was originally a concubine of the Lu family. He had no status in the Lu family and was responsible for some business on the Yangtze River. From this, he met Tao Lie, a big businessman in Jingzhou who also wanted to marry the Lu family.  , so he betrothed his youngest daughter Tao Hua to Lu Li. Lu Li never imagined that it would be this marriage that he once despised that would lead him to prosperity. Because Tao Hua was Tao Zhan's aunt, Lu Li then  He developed a relationship with Liu Jing and was appointed by Sun Quan as the magistrate of Qu'a County. At the same time, he became a core member of the Lu family and became one of the decision-makers of the Lu family. Many of his legitimate sons who had looked down on him in the past had to respectfully shout in front of him.  Third Uncle Sheng. This made Lu Li very emotional. Who would have thought that a marriage back then would change his destiny so much, and his wife Tao would become one of the three most important ladies in the Lu family. Others.  The captured people such as Bu Zhi and others were released by Gan Ning, but Lu Li was retained because Liu Jing wanted to see him. Of course, Lu Li received preferential treatment and was arranged to live according to the rank of distinguished guests. Despite this, Lu Li still stayed.  He seemed a little uneasy, wondering what his fate would be. Lu Li was pacing in the tent with his hands behind his hands. Suddenly he felt something. When he turned around, he saw a young man standing at the door of the tent. He was tall and handsome, with extraordinary weapons and eyes.  There was an intimidating aura in him. Although Liu Jing had been to Jiangdong several times, Lu Li had never seen him. He didn't know Liu Jing. He didn't dare to look down upon the extraordinary person in front of him, so he asked:  "Is this envoy looking for me?  Liu Jing smiled slightly, "I came to see my uncle!"  " 'Uncle?' Lu Li was startled and suddenly realized that the person in front of him turned out to be Liu Jing, the King of Han. He was so frightened that he knelt down and saluted, "I am here to see His Highness the King of Han!"  " Liu Jing quickly helped him up and said with a smile: "I should be the one who salutes my uncle. Why is it the other way around? Please get up quickly.  Lu Li felt excited and ashamed at the same time. He hurriedly asked Liu Jing to sit down, poured him a bowl of tea, and asked, "When did your highness come to Jiangling?"  " "I just arrived an hour ago. I was late, which made my uncle feel wronged.  Liu Jing called him uncle, which made Lu Li blush. Although he was indeed Tao Zhan's biological uncle, after all, the person in front of him was the King of Han. He couldn't afford it. He smiled bitterly and said: "Your Highness, why don't you call me Ting Bo?"  The juniors all call me this, and Zhan'er used to call me this too.  "That's fine. I will also call you Tingbo after the princess. How is your aunt now?"  " "She is very good now. She just believes in Buddhism and stays in the Buddhist hall to chant sutras all day long.  " After exchanging a few pleasantries, Liu Jing slowly turned the topic to business. He smiled and said: "Last time Jingzhou held a public promotion of scholars, almost all the famous families in the world did not respond, so why were there no children of the Lu family?  " "I don't know much about this matter. I can ask the head of the family when I go back.  " "That's fine, Uncle Ting can ask the head of the Lu family, and also say hello to Lu Gongji for me. His trip to Xiangyang that year caused his leg to be disabled. I feel very sorry. I hope he has time to come to Bashu to visit. I will  Personally take him to tour the mountains and rivers of Bashu.  " Liu Jing's sincerity touched Lu Li. He didn't know how to express his gratitude for a moment, so he could only nodded silently. " After Sun Quan personally led an army of 100,000 to send troops, Jianye City gradually became quiet, and people no longer mentioned the battle in Jingnan.  , but another kind of anger spread rapidly in the city, that is, three new oral taxes were added, which increased everyone's tax by 50%. Although there were various excuses and reasons, everyone understood that this was a war.  Tax. The heavy tax burdened the middle and lower classes. People were full of anger and dissatisfaction with Sun's regime. At noon that day, Liu Min and Heping were talking about the tax issue.?We also came to Xi's Tavern near Jianye Guesthouse. This is one of the five major Taverns in Jianye. It covers an area of ??about five acres and is composed of pubs and hotels. It was very famous as early as Jingkou, but it has another identity.  , but it is the intelligence center of the Han army in Jianye.  Liu Min is also quite nervous these days. The expedition of 100,000 Jiangdong troops to Yuzhang and Poyang will cause great changes in the situation in the entire south. Although the war itself has no direct relationship with Jingzhou, the outcome of the war has a huge impact on Jingzhou. Liu Min comes here every day  Xi's Tavern also wants to get news about Chengdu from here.  When he arrived at the door of the tavern, the bartender already knew him and quickly led him up to the second floor. He had a seat by the window. The bartender whispered to him: "Liu Shijun, please sit down first. I will ask the proprietor if there is anything."  Liu Min sat down and looked at the situation in the tavern. Perhaps it was because it was noon, but the business in the tavern was particularly prosperous. It was full of drinkers, noisy, and all kinds of curses came and went.  "I think it would be better for him to ascend the throne and become emperor, then he will be more worthy of his name." A butcher cursed angrily, and his business was extremely loud.  Everyone knew that he was referring to Sun Quan, and someone laughed and said: "Master Liu San, what do you mean by this? Why is it more worthy of the name to be the emperor?" "Then everyone can call him 'Long Live'. We are not just Wan Live now."  "Tax?" Everyone laughed, and some frivolous people shouted: "Liu Sanye is right, he is Sun Long Live now!" But some steady people shook their heads slightly, and someone kindly advised: "Butcher Liu, trouble comes from his mouth."  "Come on, be careful!" "I'm scared of you!" Butcher Liu, who was full of anger, cursed: "If I kill a pig now, I'll have to pay at least half of it. At worst, if I go to Jingzhou to kill pigs, I won't do this.  Birds' breath." Everyone laughed first, and then started talking. At this time, the old man sitting opposite Liu Min sighed: "Although the words are rough, the truth is not rough. The current taxes are too heavy.  If this continues, it is estimated that many people will flee to the north or Jingzhou. "Liu Min was moved, and she cupped her hands and said with a smile, "Is there any basis for what I said?" "What basis do you need for this?  Jiangdong increases taxes every year, and recently three types of export taxes have been added. The taxes are already more than twice as high as those in Jingzhou. Water flows to lower places, and people go to higher places. If they can¡¯t survive, can they still leave? ¡± ¡°It¡¯s already here?  Is it too hard to survive?" Liu Min said in surprise.  The old man shook his head, "Although it's not that serious, it's coming soon. If there are more taxes after autumn, I guess there will be a rebellion. Just go and look at the price of rice and you'll know. It's three hundred yuan for a dou of rice. What's the price of rice in Jiangdong?"  At that time, he had more than a hundred dollars, and more than half of the shops in Beishi were closed down, and the business was sluggish. However, he was still so warlike, repeatedly defeated, wasting people and money, and was incompetent in governing the country! "Liu Min was silent, although he had heard a lot of complaints these days!  , but he really didn't expect that the situation in Jiangdong had become so serious.  At this time, the bartender walked forward quickly and whispered to Liu Min: "Your Majesty, please follow me." Liu Min knew that there must be news. He quickly stood up and bowed to the old man, and followed the bartender to the backyard quickly.  go.  Behind the Xi's Tavern is the Xi's Hotel, with more than a dozen courtyards and deep buildings. He followed the bartender into a small courtyard. The bartender smiled and said: "Liu Shijun, please invite me! My proprietor is waiting in the house."  Liu Min walked into the room. The room was not big and was very neat. Sitting opposite was a woman of about thirty years old, who was very elegant. She was Guan Xi, the proprietor of Xi's Tavern, and also the owner of Xi's Tavern.  The intelligence chief of the Han army in Jiangdong was extremely shrewd and capable, and was highly regarded by Liu Jing.  Liu Min stayed in Jiangdong for two years and only met her three times in total. He knew that she was directly under the jurisdiction of the King of Han, so he was quite polite to her.  Guan Xi stood up and saluted with a smile: "See Liu joining the army!" Liu Min is a minister of the Han Dynasty and a government official, but Guan Xi belongs to the military and has the rank of deputy captain. The two are not in the same system, and Liu Min is also  He smiled and returned the greeting: "I dare not take it. What news does Guan Xiaowei have?" Guan Xi smiled sweetly, "I just received an order from the King of Han today, and it is related to Liu Shijun. Please take a seat!" Liu Min sat down and Guan Xi smiled.  Xi then took out a roll of paper and handed it to him. What Liu Jing sent was a pigeon letter with very small handwriting. Liu Min quickly took the roll, opened it and read it hastily, and nodded, he indeed had a mission.  He thought for a while and then smiled and said: "Your Highness ordered me to go to Kuaiji County. I wonder if Guan Xiaowei can arrange a boat for me?" "No problem. I wonder when your Majesty will leave?" "I will go back and pack up in the afternoon.  Let¡¯s set off.¡± The two discussed the details of arranging the ship. At this time, Liu Min remembered something and said to Guan Xi:"Now the public resentment in Jianye is boiling. Can the captain report it to the King of Han?" Guan Xi smiled and said: "I am a tavern owner. How can I not know these things? Now there is indeed a lot of resentment in Jianye, but I also want to collect information from other counties."  The county's information will be compiled and reported to the King of Han. "That's it! I wonder if other counties will be better?" Guan Xi shook his head, "According to some information I heard, Jianye has the lowest tax.  The highest endowment was in Kuaiji County, which was actually Wu County. Therefore, the officials of the Wu and Yue faction strongly opposed the Western Expedition because the people of Wu and Yue could no longer bear it. Liu Min was silent for a moment and said, "Perhaps this is what the King of Han expected.  The internal chaos will help us unify the south." Guan Xi smiled and said, "Liu Shijun is a learned person. I will ask you for advice in the future." Liu Min saw her smiling sweetly and pretty.  , suddenly remembered that she was a widow, her heart was pounding, she quickly lowered her head and said: "Don't dare, we can communicate with each other if we have the opportunity." Guan Xi knew countless people and had deep experience. She saw Liu Min's embarrassment, and her heart  It was funny, so he said: "Then I won't disturb you, sir. Sir, please go and have dinner first. I will arrange the boat in the afternoon." Liu Min quickly bowed and slowly retreated. Guan Xi saw that Liu Min was quite polite, and she immediately felt attracted to him.  Feeling somewhat fond of him, she watched Liu Min's back go away, her eyes softening.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 738 The Hidden Chess

    Two days later, Liu Min arrived in Kuaiji County by boat. He was wearing a study tour crown, a Confucian robe, and a long sword at his waist. Behind him was a child carrying a book box. From the appearance, he was a scholar who came to study.  son.  The ship slowly stopped at the pier of Shanyin County, the county government. Shanyin County is today's Shaoxing. It has been a prosperous place since ancient times. Compared with Jianye, Shanyin County has less official atmosphere and more  In spite of the philistine merchant atmosphere, there are a large number of cargo ships on the dock, and there are groups of workers carrying large and small packages, and the atmosphere is particularly lively and busy.  Liu Min did not stay on the dock for long. He gave the boatman a few words and then went directly into the county. Shanyin County is quite large, with a population of nearly 100,000. The streets are lined with trees, and various shops are lined up with shouts.  One after another, business is extremely prosperous.  Liu Min inquired all the way and came to an alley in the south of the city. This alley was called Shiren Alley, named after ten families living in it. Liu Min walked to the end of the alley and came to a half-old gate.  , a big tree in the courtyard covered the entire courtyard. He knocked on the door, and after a while a woman's voice asked: "Who is it?" "I came from Jingzhou, my surname is Liu.  Looking for Mr. Sun. "The door is creaking!"  'A crack opened, and a middle-aged woman looked at Liu Min. Liu Min took out a bronze medal and shook it. The woman immediately opened the door, "Please come in!" Liu Min walked into the yard and asked with a smile.  : "Is Mr. Sun here?" "I'm here!" A door in the opposite room opened, revealing a fat and wide face, looking at Liu Min nervously. This person was Sun Ben, who was originally the target of Liu Min.  Jing was under house arrest in Wuchang, but since they reached an agreement, Liu Jing sent him to Kuaiji County, where he has been hiding.  Sun Ben knew Liu Min. His nervous eyes disappeared, a smile appeared, and he bowed his hands and said: "It turns out to be Liu Canjun, long time no see." Liu Min nodded with a smile, and said in return: "Mr. Sun, are you okay?  "It's okay, please come to the inner house!" The house Sun Ben lives in covers an area of ??about two acres and consists of two inner and outer courtyards. He took Liu Min into the inner courtyard and sat down in the house. Sun Ben said with a smile: "  When Sun Quan sent troops to Yuzhang, I knew that the army would come to see me soon." As soon as he said this, Liu Min immediately knew that Sun Ben was not hidden. He had already been active in Kuaiji County and should still be active.  , Liu Min smiled, "It seems that sir knows the situation in Jianye well." Sun Ben smiled proudly, "Of course, Kuaiji County is originally my sphere of influence. Since I am hiding here, someone will provide me with information.  "Speaking of this, Sun Ben asked with hope in his eyes: "Is the time ripe?" "It's almost time. I received an express message from His Highness the King of Han. He said that you can start your activities and build up your power first, and wait until the end.  When the time is right, it can be launched. "When is the last time the time is right?" Sun Ben asked again.  "I know the details, but His Highness said that he will inform us." Sun Ben nodded, "I have been looking forward to this day for a long time!" Liu Min did not stay in Shanyin County for a long time, and returned to Jianye that afternoon. At night,  Sun Ben took a carriage and arrived in front of a large house in the east of the city. This was the residence of Zhennan General He Qi. Since the failure of the Western Expedition that year, He Qi was demoted to Kuaiji Captain by Sun Quan and still put him in charge of dealing with the Shanyue people.  There is no way around this. The army of Kuaiji County was built by He Qi. It is half Han and half Shanyue people. No one can command this Kuaiji army except He Qi.  He Qi has always been Sun Ben's man. When Sun Ben wanted to rebel, He Qi was also on the list. After Sun Bi failed and was arrested, Sun Quan sent people to reach a compromise with He Qi in order to stabilize Kuaiji. Sun Quan would not pursue He Qi.  Qi supports Sun Bi's guilt, and He Qi must continue to be loyal to the Marquis of Wu.  Having said that, Sun Quan has been making small moves in the past two years, using various means to weaken He Qi's military power. For example, Sun Quan ostensibly promoted He Qi to Zhennan General, but then placed two captains in charge of part of the army. This is  The typical promotion and demotion made He Qi very dissatisfied.  When Sun Ben reappeared six months ago and found him, He Qi once again turned to support Sun Ben and was the biggest supporter of Sun Ben's comeback.  Sun Ben arrived at He Qi's residence. He Qi immediately ordered someone to invite him into the study. Not long after, He Qi also hurried to the study. He knew that Sun Ben's arrival must be related to Sun Quan's dispatch of troops. Sun Ben smiled when he saw him entering the door.  He said: "General He, our opportunity is about to come." "Did the King of Han send someone to find the envoy?" Sun Ben nodded, "Exactly!" Sun Ben did not hide from He Qi that he had obtained it behind his back.  Liu Jing's support, only in this way, will He Qi and other people who support him see hope. Although He Qi was defeated by Liu Jing, he also understood thatAfter all, Quan is the lord of Jiangdong and has powerful forces. They alone cannot defeat Sun Quan. Only with the support of external forces can they possibly compete with Sun Quan. The external forces are either Cao Cao or Liu Jing.  Now that Liu Jing was fully supporting Sun Ben, there was hope of defeating Sun Quan. He Qi began to feel excited. He ordered people to set up wine and sat down with Sun Ben to drink. He Qi drank a few drinks in a row, and his mood began to get better.  He picked up his ear cup and said angrily: "Last year, Kuaiji suffered a flood that had never happened in a century. The autumn harvest was reduced by 70%, and the people were in poverty. But what did he do? Instead of reducing taxes to provide disaster relief, he actually increased taxes. If the government hadn't secretly resisted, he would have been forced to death.  How many farmers have recently had three additional taxes increased? The taxes have doubled, and the merchant tax has also increased significantly. I went to Lu Fan yesterday and explicitly asked Kuaiji County not to implement the tax increase order, but Lu Fan refused.  , I had a big quarrel with him. I estimate that once it is implemented, the business in Kuaiji County will suffer a devastating blow, and at least half of the shops will be closed." Sun Ben also said angrily: "My uncle and Bo Fu built the country back then.  , he was defeated bit by bit, defeated repeatedly in battles, ceded territory to pay compensation, and suffered countless casualties. He was incompetent externally and exploited internally. How could he face his father and brother? " The two of them sighed, and Sun Ben again!  After drinking a glass of wine, he said: "Our key is to capture Kuaiji County, and then go north to capture Wu County. I guess Liu Jing's intention is to take advantage of the current vacancy in Jiangdong to capture Jiangdong in one fell swoop." "That should be what he meant, but he said  The timing may mean that Sun Quan was held back by the Jiaozhou Army and was unable to withdraw. That would be the best time." After a pause, He Qi suggested: "In addition, you can go to Jianye and secretly win over some civil and military officials who support us.  High-ranking officials like Zhu Zhi, Han Dang, and Cheng Pu were all demoted due to their involvement in the past. They can definitely be won over. The Yu family in Kuaiji, the Lu family in Wujun, and the Xie family in Danyang must also win over these wealthy and aristocratic families. In addition, the Shanyue people  I will contact them later, and I believe they will support the enthronement. I think it is necessary to get Cao Cao's support, so that we can be more sure." Sun Ben nodded silently, He Qi was right, he should do something.  Take action Sun Quan led an army of 100,000 people on 1,200 large and small warships, stretching for 200 miles, with sails like clouds, overwhelming the sky, and marching westward on the Yangtze River. Since the disastrous defeat of the Western Expedition in the 14th year of Jian'an, Jiangdong's  The warships were completely destroyed, leaving only a few hundred small boats with a weight of less than 1,000 stones. Later, Jingzhou imposed shipping restrictions, making it difficult for Jiangdong's warships to recover.  However, Zhou Yu used a flexible approach and built a nine-hundred-stone warship. At the same time, he prepared a large amount of shipbuilding materials. When the restrictions were lifted, he immediately began large-scale shipbuilding. In just two years, Jiangdong's warships returned to 1,500.  There are as many as 300 warships with a thousand stones or more.  This time the Jiangdong Army went on an expedition, almost all the money and food from the official warehouses in Jiangdong were used, and the entire country was used to conquer the Jiaozhou Army that invaded the north. On the 5,000-stone main ship headed by Sun Quan, he stood on the bow and stared at the vast waves of the river.  , seemed a little worried.  At this time, Zhang Zhao slowly walked up behind him, smiled slightly and said, "Don't Wu Hou have confidence?" "I don't know why, but I always have an ominous premonition in my heart." Sun Quan sighed and said.  Zhang Zhaoqing stroked his long gray beard and said: "Wuhou's is because the failure of the western expedition to Jingzhou left a shadow in his heart, which has not been eliminated. In fact, this time we conquer the Jiaozhou Army, Wuhou should have confidence." "  It¡¯s not entirely the shadow of the original. The main reason is that I am a little worried about what the Han army will do this time and whether it will help the Jiaozhou Army. If the Han Army also participates in the battle, I am afraid that this Western Expedition will not be so easy. " "Wu  Although Hou's worry is reasonable, I believe that Liu Jing will never openly support the Jiaozhou Army. After all, we have an alliance with Princess Shangxiang. If Liu Jing wants to give this face, at most he will secretly help the Jiaozhou Army, but  After all, there is a huge disparity in strength between us and the Jiaozhou Army. Even if we secretly help, it won't be of much use." Sun Quan smiled bitterly and said, "I'm not afraid of anything else. I'm just afraid that the Jiaozhou Army will suddenly use kerosene, but we won't. This is a warship.  "Zhang Zhao also fell silent. It was indeed very possible. He thought for a moment and said, "I thought that even if Liu Jing gave them kerosene, the amount would not be too large, or Wu Hou would write a personal letter.  Ask Zijing to send it to Jiangling. With Wu Hou's personal letter, Liu Jing will not go too far. ""Does the military advisor think Liu Jing is in Jiangling?" Sun Quan asked with a frown.  Zhang Zhao nodded, "I'm sure Liu Jing must be in Jiangling or Chaisang. At this time, he will never be in Chengdu, but even if he doesn't want to see us, it doesn't matter. Give the letter to Gan Ning, and Gan Ning will naturally  "To Liu Jing." "Okay! I'll write a letter right away." Sun Quan then sent someone to find Lu Su, handed him the letter and said, "Zijing can go to Chaisang first.  Chai Sang?If Liu Jing is not strong enough, then Liu Jing may be in Jiangling or Wuchang. Jiangling is more likely. If Liu Jing is willing to meet Zijing, it would be best. If not, then please ask Gan Ning to forward this letter to Liu Jing.  The stakes are high, so Zijing must act with caution.  " Lu Su took the letter and saluted: "Don't worry, Marquis Wu, I have been dealing with Liu Jing for many years and know how to deal with him, and I will never miss important events.  " Lu Su then took a clipper ship and sailed toward Jingzhou like an arrow. Sun Quan stood on the bow of the ship, watching the clipper go away. His heart was heavy and full of worry.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 739 Zhuge vs. Lu Xun

    When the 100,000 Jiangdong Army gradually approached Poyang County, the Jiaozhou Army had completely withdrawn. Zhang Fei's army withdrew from Poyang County, and Zhuge Liang's main force also withdrew from Nanchang County, which is governed by Yuzhang County, and retreated 150 miles away.  Xinwu County, Yuzhang County is one of the most important counties in the south, with a large population and rich products. There are as many as fifteen counties in the county. Xinwu County is a newly built county after Jiangdong Army occupied Yuzhang County.  As the name suggests, it is the new Wu County.  Xinwu County¡¯s city wall is nearly 20 miles in circumference. The city wall is tall and solid, surrounded by a moat. It is an inland military town in Yuzhang County. Its importance is second only to Nanchang County, with a population of nearly 20,000.  Zhuge Liang did not consider Nanchang County as a stronghold from the beginning. The reason is very simple. Nanchang is close to the Gan River, and the fleets from the east of the Yangtze River can attack directly. This is extremely disadvantageous for the weak Jiaozhou Army.  Secondly, Xinwu County is located in a hilly area with undulating mountains, interspersed with rivers and plains, which is very conducive to ambush warfare. For the Jiaozhou Army who is good at mountain warfare, Xinwu County is undoubtedly more suitable than Nanchang County.  So when the Jiaozhou Army occupied Yuzhang County, the first thing Zhuge Liang did was to move a large amount of grain and grass from Nanchang County to Xinwu County, preparing to use Xinwu County as a stronghold to fight against the Jiangdong Army.  In the main tent of the Jiaozhou Army, Zhuge Liang was discussing the upcoming war with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others. The military camp was preparing troops and actively training. The atmosphere before the war was already very strong. The morale of the Jiaozhou Army was high and everyone was eager to try.  But Guan Yu seemed a little worried. He was suspicious of the Han army's vague attitude. Perhaps it was because he had been captured by the Han army. He always felt that the Han army would not tolerate their occupation of the four counties in Jingnan.  Although the Han army is currently using the Jiaozhou Army to weaken the Jiangdong Army, what if it defeats the Jiangdong Army?  Will the Han army add insult to injury and drive them back to Jiaozhou?  Guan Yu finally couldn't help but said: "Military advisor, I think we should still negotiate with Liu Jing to clarify the ownership of the four counties in Jingnan. We can't wait for us to defeat the Jiangdong Army and then end up making wedding clothes in vain. This won't work."  Zhuge Liang shook his head, "I might as well tell Yunchang clearly that Liu Jing from the four counties in Jingnan will never give it to us. There is no need to negotiate with Liu Jing. I know it." Guan Yu was stunned and speechless for a long time.  Zhang Fei said anxiously: "Since the four counties of Jingnan don't have our share, why should we fight? We can just go home and have children!" Zhuge Liang laughed and said to Zhang Fei: "Although the four counties of Jingnan can't get it in the end.  , but our northern expedition this time only passed through the four counties in Jingnan. Our real purpose is to seize Yuzhang County and Poyang County, and then open the Jiaozhou trunk road southward, so that we have our own northward passage. This is actually from  The seizure of land from Jiangdong's hands has nothing to do with Jingzhou. I believe Liu Jing will be happy to see a fierce battle between us and Jiangdong's army." "But the battle with Jiangdong's army is not easy!" Guan Yu sighed.  "It's really difficult to fight. Jiangdong's troops are four times ours. We are under great pressure. However, they also have weaknesses. First, they are not good at mountain warfare. Second, the front is long and the troops are easily dispersed, making it easier for us to defeat them individually. And this time  Sun Quan actually took command in person, which seemed to attach great importance to it. In fact, this would weaken the decision-making power of the frontline commander and was not conducive to the decision-making of the frontline commander. Jiangdong Army failed in this regard several times, but they did not seem to learn their lesson. " At this time,  Chen Zhen, the military advisor, added at the side: "I know the reason why Sun Quan personally took command. He also has his own difficulties." "Oh! Xiao Qi, tell me." Zhuge Liang said with a smile.  "In fact, the root cause of Jiangdong Army's several failures lies in their internal fighting. There are many factions in Jiangdong with clear barriers. From civil servants to military generals, everyone has their own factional interests. In the past, it was the dispute between Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu. Zhou Yu was from the Lujiang faction, and Cheng Pu  It is the northern faction. Zhou Yu died of illness and Cheng Pu was involved in Sun Ben's rebellion. The old pattern in the army has gone, but new forces have emerged. Now there is a dispute between Lu Meng and Lu Xun. L¨¹ Meng belongs to the northern faction and is a general that Zhang Zhao highly respects, while Lu Xun  It is the Wuyue faction, and the two have a personal feud, which can be traced back to the Battle of Chaisang. This time the northern faction is leading the battle, and the Wuyue faction is leading the peace. The conflict is likely to intensify. Sun Quan is worried that the two men will undermine each other, so he personally  "Then why don't you send someone else as the commander, such as Huang Gai, Zhou Tai, Lu Su and others, instead of letting these two enemies lead the army?" Guan Yu asked in confusion.  "This is a typical manifestation of the current political deterioration in Jiangdong. Sun Quan's two failed Western expeditions greatly damaged his authority. Now there are calls within Jiangdong for Sun Quan to return power to Sun Ce's son Sun Shao. Some people advocate that Sun Jing's son Sun Yu should succeed him.  In order to consolidate power and divide the opposition forces, Sun Quan increasingly condoned the conflict between the Jiangdong faction and the Wuyue faction. Huang Gai himself was good, but he was from the Lujiang faction. Since Zhou Yu died of illness, Lu Su was not reused, and the Lujiang faction was replaced.  Having lost power, Huang Gai had no chance to lead his troops.During the Western Expedition, the northern faction and the Wuyue faction competed for the position of chief general. Sun Quan had to use one person each. The northern faction pushed out Lu Meng, and the Wuyue faction pushed out Lu Xun. The conflict between the two was not only a personal enmity, but also represented a struggle between the two factions. Last year  During the Battle of Hefei, Sun Quan sent Lu Xun to meet Lu Meng, which doomed the Jiangdong Army to failure. This was the root cause of Jiangdong's decline, fierce factional fighting.  " Yang Yi's words made everyone wake up. Zhuge Liang nodded approvingly, "Xiao Qi has a clear insight into the situation in Jiangdong. Therefore, in this battle, if we can make full use of the internal conflicts in Jiangdong, we may have a chance of victory.  "While everyone was discussing, a soldier reported at the gate of the camp, "To inform the military advisor, Jingzhou Ganning sent two wooden oxen, which are just outside the camp.  " Zhuge Liang was startled, then overjoyed. He had been waiting for the wooden ox, but he didn't expect it to be delivered. He immediately stood up and smiled at everyone: "We will continue the discussion later. Let's go and see the sharp tools for mountain transportation.  " Everyone had heard about the wooden oxen for a long time, and they all stood up happily and followed Zhuge Liang outside the tent. At this time, two wooden oxen carts had been transported into the camp, and a dozen soldiers were unloading them from the cart. Hundreds of wooden oxen were being unloaded from the cart.  Soldiers gathered around and whispered, Zhuge Liang led the generals, and everyone moved out of the way. At this time, the envoy delivering the wooden ox came forward and saluted Zhuge Liang, and presented a letter to Zhuge Liang: "This is from my governor to Zhuge."  A letter from the military advisor. Two wooden oxen were specially sent at the request of Chief Yang last time.  " Zhuge Liang opened the letter and read it. His expression changed slightly, but he immediately regained his composure. He came to the wooden cow as if nothing had happened. He took a closer look and smiled at everyone: "Did you see that the key to the wooden cow is  The copper hub below is very ingenious. The key lies in how to save labor. It is not as good as river transportation on flat land, but in the mountains it is equivalent to two mules. It is easier to take care of than mules, and it does not need to eat fodder.  " Everyone laughed and gathered around to take a closer look. At this time, Yang Yi saw something different in Zhuge Liang's expression. He slowly walked forward and asked in a low voice: "Military advisor, what happened?  " Zhuge Liang sighed slightly, "Gan Ning clearly rejected our five hundred elephants in the letter. If I am not mistaken, Liu Jing is in Jiangling now. This should be what Liu Jing meant.  Yang Yi was startled, "The military advisor is saying that Liu Jing rejected our kindness?"  " Zhuge Liang shook his head, "They are actually telling me that the four counties in Jingnan will not be given to Jiaozhou.  " Although Zhuge Liang told Guan Yu that Liu Jing would not allow them to occupy the four counties of Jingnan, he himself still held on to a glimmer of hope. However, Liu Jing's rejection of his offer of five hundred elephants showed that Liu Jing had seen through him.  With his thoughts in mind, he clearly rejected the suggestion that the elephant be exchanged for Jingnan. Zhuge Liang couldn't help but sigh again, feeling infinitely sad in his heart. More than 400 warships were lining up and speeding on the Gan River. These were 50,000 elite soldiers led by Lu Xun. They would directly fight with  The Jiaozhou Army fought head-on, while on another battlefield, Lu Meng led 30,000 troops into Jingnan to cut off the Jiaozhou Army's retreat from behind, while Sun Quan led 20,000 baggage rear troops to join the two armies in the Pengze Lake area.  Lu Xun put his hand on his sword and looked quite worried. He was not worried about himself, but that their army had to get permission from Jingzhou for this western expedition. It was very passive. Lu Meng's army could not enter the Jingzhou River for a long time.  This made Lu Xun realize that the outcome of this battle was actually in the hands of the Han army. Once the Han army wanted to use the Jiaozhou Army to weaken Jiangdong, then the battle of Jiangdong would be affected.  The army is bound to be defeated. They seem to have put their heads in a noose and will be tightened by the Han army at any time. Lu Xun belongs to the Wuyue faction. The Wuyue faction strongly opposes sending troops this time, but as an important figure in the military, Lu Xun is.  He supported fighting against the Jiaozhou Army, but Lu Xun advocated a direct attack on Jiaozhou by sea to cut off the roots of the Jiaozhou Army in the north. He proposed this plan during strategic discussions, but was unanimously opposed by all the civil and military ministers, including Sun Quan, who also firmly opposed it. Perhaps it was  Lu Xun's idea was too risky and unbelievable. It may be because the Jiangdong navy has no experience in sea navigation, or it may be that the Jiangdong army's logistics cannot be guaranteed. But Lu Xun feels that the real reason is that they lack an adventurous spirit, especially Sun Quan.  , he even lacked the courage to risk his life, which made Lu Xun very disappointed. Just before he went on the expedition, he had a few words with the patriarch Lu Jingluo, and the patriarch actually revealed his regret for supporting Sun Quan's rise to power, and expressed  Lu Xun also had the same idea that Sun Ce's eldest son, Sun Shao, should succeed him. Maybe if there was another master of Jiangdong, they would not be as passive as they are today. "We're here!"  " The watchman on the mast shouted loudly, interrupting Lu Xun's thoughts. He opened the curtain to block the dazzling sunlight. He saw the outline of a city faintly appearing in the distance. That was Nanchang County. The fleet gradually slowed down.  Speed. Lu Xun had received information halfway that the Jiaozhou Army had withdrawn.In Nanchang County, Xinwu County was stationed one hundred and sixty miles away. There was no soldier left in Nanchang County. This made Lu Xun very confused. This meant that Nanchang County was just a transit station and they had to continue westward.  Advance and attack Xinwu County.  At this time, the watchman pointed to the river and shouted: "Captain Lu, a ship is coming!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 740 The road to Jingzhou is blocked

    The arriving ship was Yan Ji, the magistrate of Nanchang County. He was a native of Nanchang County. After the Jiaozhou Army occupied Nanchang County, he did not surrender to the Jiaozhou Army. Instead, he abandoned his official position and hid at home. When the Jiaozhou Army withdrew, the major families in Nanchang County  The wealthy family invited him back to maintain order in the county.  He saluted Lu Xun and said: "General Lu, the order in the city is now good. The only regret is that the warehouse is empty. All the money and grain stored in the official warehouse have been moved away by the state army. I am afraid that we will not be able to supply the army." This result is in  As Lu Xun expected, they also brought food and grass, which was enough to last for more than twenty days. They did not need supplies from Nanchang County. He nodded and asked: "I would like to know where the Jiaozhou Army has troops stationed besides Xinwu County?" "  Only Xinwu County has no troops stationed in other counties, and most of the Jiaozhou Army have never been there. " "Is Governor Yang here?" Yan Ji sighed and said, "Prefect Yang was killed by Guan Yu when the city was defeated. Li Juncheng surrendered to the Jiaozhou Army.  , the whereabouts of the other officials are unknown." Lu Xun thought for a moment and said: "Now I need the cooperation of the entire county. Now you can act as the prefect and understand the situation of each county for me. I will report to Wu Hou and let you be promoted to the full post of prefect."  Yan Ji was overjoyed and quickly saluted, "I am willing to serve General Lu." The fleet slowly docked, and groups of Jiangdong troops rushed down from the ship and quickly assembled at the pier. Lu Xun also got off the pier, and he turned around  The order said: "Let General Ding Feng come to see me!" After a moment, General Ding Feng stepped forward quickly, bowed and saluted, "See the Governor!" "General Ding, I will give you three thousand elite troops, and you can rush to Xinjiang immediately.  Wu County, but be careful not to fight with the Jiaozhou Army, try to understand the deployment and mobilization rules of the Jiaozhou Army, and come back to see me in ten days!" "Follow the order!" Ding Feng loudly accepted the order and left. At this time, Xu Sheng stepped forward and asked in confusion.  "Do we have to stay in Nanchang County for ten days?" Lu Xun sighed and said, "Marquis Wu has a strict order that we must wait until Lu Meng's army enters Changsha County before we can launch an attack. Marquis Wu gave us ten days.  " "But this will delay the opportunity. It seems a bit too passive." "I know it, but I have to obey Wu Hou's order. He is the leader. After all, Wu Hou doesn't understand the situation here."  " Lu Xun smiled bitterly and shook his head, "I explained to Wu Hou that Wu Hou meant that he would coordinate the overall operation, and I would be solely responsible for the deployment and deployment of the specific operations. Therefore, I have to wait for Wu Hou to decide when to advance.  The news actually makes sense. When Lu Meng enters Changsha County, the greatest chance of victory is to attack from two sides. " "But Zhuge Liang will never kill at the head of the neck. The so-called two-sided attack, if the coordination is not good, will be defeated by each one. This is the truth for you.  I know why the governor stopped trying to persuade Wu Hou." Lu Xun said calmly: "The Jiaozhou army has less than 30,000 people. Either I or Lu Meng can defeat them alone. We each need to build up our own troops, as long as we are not defeated.  Just defeat him. As for L¨¹ Meng, I believe he has his own strategy, so I don¡¯t need to worry about him." Xu Sheng secretly smiled bitterly. Lu Xun¡¯s words contained so much resentment towards L¨¹ Meng. No wonder Wu Hou must separate them.  I'm afraid no one can resolve the grudge between these two people. Lu Su quickly traveled westward by boat and arrived at Jiangling that afternoon. He set off early and had to meet Liu Jing before Wu Hou's army arrived at Pengze.  He shouldered the heavy responsibility of persuading Liu Jing to stand in the middle and not to support the Jiaozhou Army. At the same time, he had to borrow a channel from Liu Jing so that the Jiangdong Navy could pass through the Jiangxia County Waterway and enter Changsha County.  Lu Su was sure about the first point, at least on the surface Liu Jing would agree to neutrality, but he was really not sure about the second point. Will Liu Jing allow tens of thousands of Jiangdong troops to pass through Jiangxia?  In addition, it is still one thing whether Liu Jing is willing to see him, although Lu Su knows that Liu Jing must be in Jiangling.  Lu Su got off the boat and came directly to the main camp of the Jingzhou navy. He shouted loudly to the sentry: "Please report to your general that it is Jiangdong Lu Su who is asking for an audience!" At this time, Gan Ning and Liu Jing were discussing in the big tent.  Regarding the move to Wuchang, Pang Tong advocated staying in Jiangling. Pang Tong smiled and said: "The chess game does not depend on the number of soldiers, but on the strength. Chaisang is empty and Jiangxia is empty. It has no impact on us at all, but it may have a huge impact on Jiangdong."  Temptation, if Sun Quan really loses his head and feels that he can take advantage of it, then Jiangdong's demise will not be far away, but I believe that Sun Quan will not even have this bottom line, so I suggest staying put and wait and see what happens. "  Liu Jing nodded happily and said: "Shi Yuan is right. The conflict between the two countries is based on strength rather than soldiers. Even if Chaisang doesn't have a single soldier, Liang Jiangdong Army will not dare to enter the country even half a step without my consent."  At this time, there were soldiers outside the big tent reporting: "Your Highness, JiangdongLu Su asks to see you!  "Everyone laughed. As soon as they mentioned the wind, the wind came. Liu Jing thought for a while and said to Gan Ning: "They can be allowed to pass through Pengze Lake and go south, but they can't borrow the road from Jiangxia, but I don't want to go with Jiangdong yet.  Fall out and save some face!  You don't have to refuse explicitly, just say that you have no right to decide the matter and ask him to go to Xiangyang to find me.  " "But what if Jiangdong's army wants to forcefully cross the border?  "Gan Ning asked again. Liu Jing said coldly: "If Jiangdong Army dares to forcefully cross the border, then give them a warning.  " At this time, Pang Tong next to him smiled and suggested: "Your Highness, why not act according to the covenant? Doesn't the covenant say that Jiangdong's garrison in Jingnan is not allowed to exceed 10,000?  They can go to Jingnan, but if the number exceeds 10,000, the treaty must be re-done. In this way, General Gan can stand firm and Lu Su will have nothing to say.  " "The military advisor's words make sense!  Liu Jing said to Gan Ning: "Let's talk to Lu Su according to this article. If you want to change the treaty, go to Xiangyang and find me."  " "I understand, I understand!"  Gan Ning bowed and left the tent and hurried away. Liu Jing smiled at Pang Tong and said, "Lu Zijing is a kind man. I really can't bear to bully him. However, it involves the interests of both countries, so I have to aggrieve him."  " "I think Lu Su is not here just to borrow the opportunity. Your Highness might as well make concessions on the other hand, so that Sun Quan will have nothing to say.  "Liu Jing understood what Pang Tong meant, which was to make a slight concession in supporting the Jiaozhou Army. He nodded. He could consider this aspect. "" Lu Su was led into the camp and sat in a guest tent.  Rest and wait inside. Although Lu Su is named the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies in Jiangdong, he is only the nominal military commander. The actual military commander is Sun Quan, and the two deputy commanders below, Lu Meng and Lu Xun, report directly to Sun Quan, so they are in vain.  This was also the result of many years of competition in Jiangdong. With the death of Zhou Yu, Sun Quan was finally able to take control of the military. However, Sun Quan was not the only winner. He also had to compromise with the factional forces he created and appointed someone to represent the northern faction.  Lu Meng and Lu Xun, who represented the Wu and Yue faction, were deputy commanders. The real losers were the Lujiang faction represented by Zhou Yu, Lu Su and Huang Gai. Zhou Yu died of illness, Lu Su was sidelined, and Huang Gai was transferred from the main army.  Xi, the chief instructor of the local militia, was responsible for the training of the militia. Although this was not Sun Quan's original intention, it was difficult for Sun Quan to seize military power from the other two factions, so he could only take advantage of Zhou Yu's death to seize Lujiang.  Lu Su understood the military power sent by the army, but he had nothing to do. Otherwise, why would he, a dignified commander-in-chief of the three armies, be the envoy? Lu Su waited for a full quarter of an hour before Gan Ning arrived late, and Gan Ning walked into the tent.  He cupped his hands and said apologetically: "I was discussing supplies with the generals just now. I couldn't get away and kept Governor Lu waiting for a long time.  " "It was Lu Su who came unexpectedly and affected General Gan's military affairs. I should be the one who is sorry.  " "Zijing, you're welcome, please sit down!  Gan Ning asked Lu Su to sit down and ordered the sergeant to change the tea. Seeing that Gan Ning was alone, Lu Su felt a little uneasy and asked tentatively: "I heard from the primary school just now that His Royal Highness the King of Han is also in the military camp, but  Let Lusu go to see you?  Gan Ning smiled and said, "What a coincidence. The King of Han passed through Jiangling yesterday and inspected the military camp. But he did not come to Jiangling, but to inspect the militia and the defense of the north. He had left Jiangling last night and headed for Xiangyang. If Lu Su  If you go directly to Xiangyang, you might be able to catch up.  " Lu Su had a look of disappointment on his face. Gan Ning's meaning was very clear. Liu Jing didn't want to see him. Not to mention whether Liu Jing was in the military camp or not, even if he was in the military camp, he couldn't see him. But the mission he shouldered was not allowed.  Lu Su had too many complaints, so he had to turn to Gan Ning, "I came here this time on the order of Marquis Wu to discuss two things with the Jingzhou army. I think General Gan is the commander-in-chief of Jingzhou and should be able to make the decision." No  After Lu Su finished speaking, Gan Ning laughed and said, "Before we talk about business, I need to briefly explain to Governor Lu the division of military power in the Han State. There are five generals in the Han State. Zhao Yun is the Zhenbei General, and Ma Chao is the General.  General Zhenxi, Huang Zhong is General Pingnan, I am General Jingdong, and Wenpin is General Rebellion. The five generals can only command troops for training, while recruitment, retirement, pensions, promotions, etc. are handled by Pingzhang.  Tai Bing Cao is under the jurisdiction, but for battles and cross-regional troop movements, you must have the military talisman of the King of Han, otherwise it will be a rebellion. I think the same is true for Jiangdong.  " Lu Su quickly said: "I can understand this. What I said should be within the authority of General Gan.  " "Commander Lu, please speak, I am all ears!  " "The first thing is that we are going to conquer the Jiaozhou Army and march to Jingnan. We hope that General Gan will allow our naval warships to use the passage to pass through Jiangxia.  "Gan Ning said calmly: "Captain Lu might as well talk about the second thing.  ¡±  "As for the second thing, we hope that Jingzhou can remain neutral and not fund the Jiaozhou Army. In fact, according to the covenant, Jingzhou should send troops to attack the Jiaozhou Army with us, but we no longer expect Jingzhou to send troops. We only hope that Jingzhou will remain neutral.  Especially the inability to support Jiaozhou's arms and oil, Lu Su said frankly, please forgive me." Gan Ning said slowly: "Both His Highness the King of Han and I, Gan Ning, are principled people, and we will strictly abide by the terms of both parties.  The covenant will never support the Jiaozhou Army's kerosene. If the Jiaozhou Army uses kerosene, let me first declare that it must have nothing to do with Jingzhou. It may be the support of Cao's army. I can make a clear promise to Governor Lu that we will not support Jiaozhou.  The army will not allow them to gain any power." Lu Su smiled and said, "Since General Gan is so sincere, I believe in the general's words. In addition, I hope General Gan will allow it. "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 741 Mission Failed

    Gan Ning smiled and said: "I think this is not the first time Jiangdong Army has taken advantage of the road. When Jiangdong Army stationed in the four counties of Jingnan last year, I followed the order of His Highness the King of Han to personally escort Jiangdong Army through Jiangxia Waterway and into Dongting Lake.  , This is a matter within my scope of authority, Governor Lu, please rest assured that I will not make things difficult for the Jiangdong Army's normal passage." Lu Su was startled, he did not expect that Gan Ning would agree to borrow the road so easily, and without having to ask for permission.  Liu Jing reported that before he could feel happy, he suddenly remembered something and said quickly: "This time is exactly the same as last year, except the number of people increased slightly." Gan Ning also said lightly: "Last year, 6,000 people crossed the border.  It doesn't matter if the number of people is larger this time. As long as it doesn't exceed 10,000 people, I won't stop it." Lu Su has realized that the problem lies in the upper limit of the number of people. He began to feel uneasy and cautiously tried: "  I'm afraid it will be 30,000 people this time." Gan Ning's face suddenly darkened and he said without hesitation: "According to the agreement signed by both parties, we can only allow 10,000 more troops to cross the border, and the Jiangdong Army Commander of the four counties in Jingnan  The troop strength is not allowed to exceed 10,000. The covenant is clearly written in black and white. It is related to the security of Jingzhou. This is a matter of principle. Please forgive Gan Ning for insisting. " "But this is just a submission of power. Once we defeat the Jiaozhou Army, we will.  We will withdraw our troops immediately, and we will never exceed 10,000 people. Please understand, General Gan." Gan Ning still shook his head, "When the King of Han went to Jingkou to marry Princess Shangxiang, Jiangdong's attitude was also very tough, and the number of troops brought by the King of Han was not accurate.  More than 6,000 people were allowed to go ashore, and no more than 500 people were allowed to go ashore. There was no room for negotiation. This was to ensure the safety of Jiangdong. His Highness the King of Han could understand and finally respected Jiangdong's decision. Confucius said, don't do to others what you don't want others to do.  "Why does Jiangdong want to embarrass us?" "At this time, at that time, it was for two families to get married, and there was no point in having more troops. But this time, Jiangdong and Jiaozhou went to war. It was because of the war. How could an army of 10,000 be defeated?  Jiaozhou Army? Please ask General Gan to understand our difficulties and be a little tolerant in terms of numbers. Wuhou will be grateful." Gan Ning paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands, Lu Su felt that he was having a fierce psychological struggle.  Giving a glimmer of hope, he added: "Afterwards, Wuhou will personally write a letter to His Highness the King of Han to explain the situation clearly, and General Gan will never be implicated." Gan Ning finally sighed and said, "I have been dealing with Jiangdong for many years.  , Frankly speaking, some of Wu Hou¡¯s actions chilled me, such as the defeat of Hefei. In the end, Wu Hou put the responsibility for the defeat on me, Gan Ning, saying that it was because I arrived late to recruit troops, so confusing right and wrong, and calling a deer a horse.  How can I trust Wu Hou¡¯s sincerity?¡± Just as Lu Sugu was about to explain, Gan Ning waved his hand and said, ¡°Of course, I will not affect the relationship between the two countries because of personal grudges, and I will also give Jiangdong advice within the scope of my authority.  The biggest change for the army is whether the Jiangdong Army can station more than 10,000 troops in the four counties of Jingnan. This is not my authority, Gan Ning. I can ignore it and pretend I don¡¯t know about it. However, the Yangtze River waterway must pass through the strategic area of ????Jiangxia.  , including copper mines and kerosene production areas, I won¡¯t talk about their importance, but Governor Lu should also understand. Therefore, when Jiangdong¡¯s army passes through Jiangxia, it cannot exceed 10,000 troops at most, and even one more person will not do. Please forgive me, Governor Lu.  " Lu Su gradually became angry. He stood up and said with great dissatisfaction: "The two sides signed a covenant to jointly defend against the enemy. Now the Jiaozhou Army is infringing on Jiangdong's interests. According to the covenant, Jingzhou should take the initiative to send troops to assist the Jiangdong Army in fighting the Jiaozhou Army.  Invasion, but until Jiangdong's army was wiped out in Changsha County, no one from Jingzhou was seen sending troops. Since Jingzhou did not take the covenant seriously, why did General Gan now keep talking about the covenant? Isn't it funny?  " Gan Ning did not give in, but also argued: "A covenant is one thing, sending troops is another. Without the military talisman of His Highness the King of Han, who dares to send troops without authorization?  When Jiaozhou invaded the north, did Jiangdong go to Chengdu to ask the King of Han to send troops to help?  If the King of Han orders troops to be sent out and the military symbols arrive, will I, Gan Ning, dare to resist and disobey the order?  As for Governor Lu, who kept saying that I was unreasonable and forbidding Jiangdong's army to cross the border to the four counties of Jingnan, I was very surprised. Why did they have to go to Jiangxia?  Obviously we can go to Changsha County by land via Yuzhang County, and we can also break into the four counties of Jingnan to regain the lost territory. Now I am very suspicious of the real purpose of the Jiangdong Army. You are not going to Jingnan. Do you want to take the opportunity to seize Jiangxia? So now I  It is decided that within the scope of my authority, not one soldier or one ship of Jiangdong's army is allowed to enter Jiangxia territory. If Jiangdong dares to force his way in, I will regard Jiangdong as declaring war on us!  " Gan Ning's attitude was very tough. Lu Su was furious. He stood up and glared: "I want to go to the King of Han to see who is right?  " "Please do it!  The King of Han is now in Xiangyang, so Governor Lu can go ahead.  " Gan Ning turned around and walked out of the tent. When he reached the door, Gan Ning stopped again, turned around and said coldly: "Pengze is originally Jiangxia's territory. I allow you to stop in Pengze and use Pengze Lake to go to Ganjiang River.  , is already the greatest sincerity. If you really want to make peace with?If you fall out, I won't even allow you to enter Peng Ze.  " After saying that, he ordered the soldiers on both sides, "Send Governor Lu out of the camp!  " Lu Su didn't have any chance. He was almost driven out of the camp by the Han soldiers. Outside the camp, Lu Su gradually calmed down. He suddenly realized that if Liu Jing was in the camp, then Gan Ning's attitude must be that of Liu Jing.  Regarding Jing's attitude, if Liu Jing really went to Xiangyang, then he must have explained that he would not allow Jiangdong's army to cross Jiangxia. After thinking about this, Lu Su suddenly felt desolate and did not want to go to Xiangyang to pursue Liu Jing.  , directly returned to Pengze listlessly by boat. Sun Quan ordered Lu Xun to wait for ten days in Nanchang City, just to allow Lu Meng's West Route Army to enter Changsha County and cut off the Jiaozhou Army's retreat. At this time, Lu Meng led 30,000 naval troops, divided into  With four hundred large ships, everything was ready and waiting for Sun Quan's order, the fleet would set off to Jiangxia. But what Lu Su brought back was news that shocked and frustrated Sun Quan.  Ning did not allow Jiangdong's army to use the waters of Jiangxia. If Jiangdong's army entered by force, it would be regarded as a declaration of war. This news made Sun Quan furious. He banged the table and shouted angrily: "This is simply too much bullying. He Ning is no more than a small boy."  What power does a small local general have to decide major events between the two countries?  Zhang Zhao glanced at Lu Su next to him and said with a cold look: "Is it because of the rift between Wu Hou and Gan Ning during the last battle in Hefei? Gan Ning held a grudge and wanted to take revenge on Wu Hou?"  " This statement obviously refers to Gan Ning, but in fact it refers to Lu Su's inability to handle things. Sure enough, Sun Quan said to Lu Su dissatisfied: "Zijing, why don't you go to Liu Jing instead of Liu Jing for such an important matter?  Gan Ning, what authority does he have to decide such a thing?  Lu Su quickly said: "Reporting to the Marquis of Wu, I believe that Liu Jing is actually in the Jiangling military camp, and Gan Ning's words are what Liu Jing meant."  Zhang Zhao sneered and said, "Captain Lu, this is wrong. What basis do you have for saying that Liu Jing is in Jiangling?"  This is just your wishful conjecture. If Liu Jing is really not in Jiangling, but goes to Xiangyang as Gan Ning said, but you don't go to Xiangyang, wouldn't this delay Wu Hou's military event?  " Lu Su hated Zhang Zhao deeply in his heart, but could not find any evidence to refute it, so he had to say: "No matter whether Liu Jing was in Jiangling at the time, but such a major event happened, how could he not come to Jiangling? He must explain it to Gan Ning  Yes, so I think what Gan Ning meant was what Liu Jing meant. Gan Ning is a cautious person. If he didn't get Liu Jing's instructions for such a major matter, how could he dare to categorically refuse our entry? At least he would be very reserved.  , If you want to ask the King of Han for instructions, you will never refuse him.  " " Having said that, Zijing should still talk to Liu Jing in person instead of inferring and conjecturing here. Of course, Zijing is inexperienced and has been deceived by Liu Jing repeatedly. This result is also reasonable.  Lu Su was furious and glared at Zhang Zhao fiercely, "Why does Commander Zhang have to make trouble for me, Lu Su? Liu Jing refuses to see me, so what's the use of me running to Xiangyang?"  He will go to Hanzhong again. I chased him to Hanzhong, but he went to Guanzhong. That was the big thing that delayed Wu Hou. Now at least Gan Ning has rejected us. This is Jingzhou's attitude.  "    "alright!  Sun Quan interrupted Lu Su distractedly and said to him, "Zijing, go down and rest first!"  If anything happens, I'll see you again.  " Seeing that Sun Quan had completely excluded him from the decision-making circle, Lu Su couldn't help but feel a little disheartened. He sighed in his heart, bowed and bowed, and retreated. At this time, Sun Quan was so confused that he had no time to feel Lu Su's mood.  , when Lu Su left, he immediately asked Zhang Zhao, "Zibu, what should we do now?  "Zhang Zhao sighed and said: "It is not Weichen who has a prejudice against Zijing. Zijing's behavior in this matter is really unsatisfactory. Weichen dares to assert that Gan Ning will at least agree to the crossing of 10,000 people, because last year we had six  Thousands of people crossed the border, but I don't know how Zijing negotiated this result. Gan Ning flatly refused. This obviously angered Gan Ning. If he could not deign to go to Chengdu in person and talk to Heping Zhangtai, there might be a change.  "Sun Quan is not stupid. Although he empties Lu Su's power, he still knows Lu Su relatively well. He knows that Lu Su is a dedicated and kind man, and what he said is not fabricated by him. Although there is no evidence, Sun Quan  I also believed Lu Su's words. Gan Ning had indeed received Liu Jing's instructions, otherwise he would not have dared to reject it so categorically. Gan Ning could not afford the consequences. Sun Quan sighed and said, "We don't have enough time to delay the key point.  , there will be problems with the supply of food and grass, Zibu should talk about the matter at hand!  Zhang Zhao pondered for a moment and said: "Now there are two options to choose from. One is to change the number of Western Expedition troops passing through Jiangxia to 10,000, but they must carry the food supply of 30,000 troops. The other 20,000 troops can pass by land.  Changsha County is assembled. I believe Gan Ning will not stop 10,000 people from crossing the border. After all, there is an alliance. The second option is to abandon the crossing of Jiangxia. All 30,000 troops will go overland and go around to Changsha County.Although these two plans of capturing Linxiang County to obtain grain and grass supplies are a little more troublesome, they can eventually form the original plan of a combined east-west attack.  " Sun Quan took a few steps with his hands behind his back. He finally made a decision, "The second option will cause food and grass supply problems, which is too risky. I decided to use the first option. At least the food and grass will be carried by ourselves and will not be controlled by others.  .  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 742 Ambush in Yu County

    Although Gan Ning said harsh words, they were just words of will. If Jiangdong's army dared to invade the waters of Jiangxia, it would be regarded as a declaration of war. However, in fact, he still implemented the terms of the covenant. If the army did not exceed the upper limit of 10,000, the crossing would be allowed.  .  Of course, whether it exceeds 10,000 must be verified by the Jingzhou Navy. On the Chaisang River, the Jiangdong Navy warships almost passed the head count one by one, and then under the escort of the Jingzhou Navy warships, a ship separated  One by one they sailed to Changsha County.  This was extremely time-consuming and laborious. With 400 warships and 10,000 troops led by Lu Meng, it took ten days to finally reach Changsha County. At this time, Lu Xun of Nanchang had been waiting for half a month. The long delay caused the Jiangdong Army to appear.  The consequences of low morale and weak military morale, and then more serious consequences have quietly emerged.  About a hundred miles south of Nanchang County, a 20,000-strong Jiangdong Army was rapidly marching westward. This was Sun Quan's 20,000-strong army heading to Changsha County by land after being forced to adopt the first plan.  Led by Jiang Qin and Chen Wu.  Although there are factions in the army, they are not as clear-cut as the civil servants. Jiang Qin belongs to the Northern faction, while Chen Wu belongs to the Lujiang faction. However, the two get along with each other tacitly, and there is no rift between factions. The two followed Sun Quan's orders.  He rushed to Changsha County by land to join Lu Meng's army.  Going westward by land is not as easy as taking the waterway. The road is difficult and dangerous, and you have to climb over the mountains. Fortunately, there is no inspection and trouble from the Jingzhou Army. They do not need to spend ten days and can reach Changsha County in five days of marching.  The army marched lightly, with no baggage. The soldiers only carried the most basic equipment, a spear and a sword. Instead of wearing bulky armor, they wore soft military uniforms, which were convenient for climbing mountains and wading. In addition, each soldier carried  With five or six days of dry food, they marched day and night along the rugged official road towards Changsha County.  In the evening of this day, the army had marched more than 300 miles and arrived at Yu County. The army entered the county seat and rested for a night before continuing the march. When 20,000 troops arrived, the small county seat was immediately frightened. Most of the  All the people in the county fled into the mountains, but only dozens of elderly people refused to leave and stayed in the county. Jiangdong's army moved directly into civilian houses, rested and ate dry food. Many soldiers were so exhausted that they fell to the ground and fell asleep.  In the county government office, the county magistrate of Yu County had already set up a banquet and invited Jiang Qin and Chen Wu to drink together.  The county magistrate¡¯s surname is Zhang. He is most worried about military discipline issues, so he repeatedly emphasizes that this county is a poor county with only a few thousand residents. The people are poor and have little money. There is little oil and water. At most, they can prepare some game for the army to take away.  Jiang Qin understood his worries. His troops were all living in civilian houses. He was afraid that the troops would steal people's property. This was definitely unavoidable. But to put it in a nicer way, he waved his hands and smiled and said, "Don't worry, Magistrate Zhang."  , we are all our own people, we will not rob people's property, we will maintain military discipline, come and go safely, and will not destroy people's houses." Magistrate Zhang was overjoyed, and even toasted the two of them with a few glasses of wine, and said with a smile: "  How about I find two pretty women to sleep with the two generals? " Jiang Qin and Chen Wu looked at each other. Although they were a little tempted, Chen Wu still shook his head and said, "Thank you, Magistrate Zhang, for your kindness.  Military discipline is strict and women are not allowed to enter the camp during the march. If Marquis Wu finds out, we will not be able to bear the consequences. "At this time, Jiang Qin asked again: "I wonder how far Xinwu County is from here. Is there a direct official road?"  The county magistrate thought for a while and said: "Xinwu County is about a hundred miles away in the north. You can go directly to Xinwu County along the remaining water outside the city. Generally, merchants coming to us from Nanchang will go to Xinwu County first, and then hire a boat to go south. The two counties  The connection is still relatively close, so there is a local saying that "the bride from Yu County is from Wu County", which means that Xinwu County is richer, and women from Yu County are willing to marry there. " "That's what Jiang Qin is thinking!  He became a little worried and gave Chen Wu a wink. Chen Wu understood and stood up and said: "I will go back to the barracks first, and you two will drink slowly." Chen Wu wanted to rush back to the barracks to strengthen the defense. He was also very worried. They were light soldiers.  Jian Xing, the soldiers and armor are not complete. Once they encounter the Jiaozhou Army, they will probably be in big trouble. Night gradually fell, and darkness enveloped the small town of Yu County. Just ten miles north of the county seat, a dark army of about 10,000 people appeared.  The man was the elite Jiaozhou Army led by General Zhang Fei. On Zhuge Liang's order, he came to intercept the Jiangdong Army. They arrived half a day earlier than the Jiangdong Army and did not attack the city immediately, but patiently waited for the opportunity.  Zhuge Liang gave Zhang Fei two tips before he left, and ordered him to open the first tip bag when he arrived in Yu County. The first tip bag was to wait. Jiangdong's army marched for three hundred miles, and there were no cities along the way. Yu County was  In the first county town they encountered, Jiangdong's army would definitely rest overnight in Yu County, so Zhang Fei could wait until the third watch to act.  The time gradually came to two o'clock. At this time, a dark figure quietly climbed over the wall and left the county town, running north along the river. In the half-dark moonlight, this person was none other than County Magistrate Zhang. He?Running, he soon encountered the patrol sent by Zhang Fei. Magistrate Zhang quickly said: "I have important information to report to General Zhang." This is Zhuge Liang's second tip, which is to control Magistrate Zhang from inside.  His wife and children forced him to serve the Jiaozhou Army. The patrol led Magistrate Zhang on horseback and rode north. Soon they came to the camp of the Jiaozhou Army and found Zhang Fei.  "Reporting to General Zhang, I have hosted a banquet for the two Jiangdong Army generals as ordered by the general. Chen Wu did not drink much, but Jiang Qin was drunk due to his humble position. He is now in the county government office, but he is protected by his own soldiers and cannot be killed."  Zhang Fei nodded and said, "Can you leave a city gate for me?" Magistrate Zhang said nervously: "Actually, the Yu County city is dilapidated, and it doesn't matter whether it has a city gate or not. Now both the east and west city gates are controlled by Jiangdong's army.  But the city wall in the southeast corner has collapsed and is only supported by some random wood. It can be easily dismantled. In addition, the people have been evacuated according to the general's instructions, and those things have been hidden in the city. " Zhang Fei smiled happily and said: "Yes, you did it.  Very good!" At this time, Magistrate Zhang asked again: "I have done my job as ordered by General Zhang, my wife and daughter, don't worry! I, Zhang Fei, am a man of my word. Your wife and daughter are all here.  Wu County, I will send someone to send you. If Yu County succeeds, the military advisor will reward you greatly." "Thank you, General Zhang!" Zhang Fei sent someone to send Magistrate Zhang away, and then his opponent ordered: "Let's go!"  Fei led an army of ten thousand to Yu County in a mighty manner.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  This was the second time Chen Wu came to Jiang Qin's house. He heard that Jiang Qin was very drunk, which made him feel resentful and worried. Jiang Qin was a bit greedy, which was known to everyone in the army.  , but this was the first time that Jiang Qin got drunk during the expedition. Although this should not be Jiang Qin's style, the fact is here. When he walked outside the door, he heard thunderous snoring in the house, and several soldiers smiled bitterly.  Shaking his head, "General Chen, we can't wake him up." Chen Wu sighed helplessly, and then said to his soldiers: "When General Jiang wakes up a little, tell me immediately, or ask him to come to me. I have something important."  Discuss the matter with him. " The reason why Chen Wu was in a hurry to discuss it with Jiang Qin was because when soldiers searched a house, they found a lot of sulfur that could cause fire. This aroused Chen Wu's alert and hurried over to discuss it with him.  Jiang Qin discussed it, but unexpectedly Jiang Qin was so drunk that he fell unconscious. Chen Wu had no choice but to rush to the house where the sulfur was found.  Since sulfur was only found in one household, it could not be said that someone was up to something evil. At this time, a soldier rushed to report: "To General Chen, we cannot find Magistrate Zhang. There is no one in the county government office." Chen Wu  His brows furrowed, and the county magistrate disappeared inexplicably. What was wrong here? He didn't have time to think about it, and immediately ordered to his left and right: "Search thoroughly, conduct a detailed investigation, and report any doubts to me!" Hundreds  The patrolling soldiers agreed and dispersed to investigate the situation. At this moment, a patrolling guard rushed over to report, "General Chen, there is something wrong with the southeast corner of the city wall!" Chen Wu quickly followed the guard toward the southeast corner, where  More than a hundred soldiers were already demolishing the city wall. Only then did Chen Wu realize that there was no city wall here, just messy wood. Two soldiers were screaming inside. The guard explained: "A group of our patrol brothers passed by here, and two soldiers were killed."  A brother stepped through the air and fell down. Only then did we realize that it was empty and filled with wood. " Chen Wu looked solemn. He stepped forward and took a closer look at this wooden wall. It was about a hundred feet long and filled.  The wood was in tatters, and it could be seen that it was very old, and it would break into pieces when hit by a huge tree. At this time, the soldiers rescued the two soldiers, who suffered a bloody head injury from the fall.  "General, what should we do here?" the guard asked in a low voice.  Chen Wu looked at the clock and saw that it was almost the third watch. They would get up at the fifth watch and prepare to set off. There was no need to repair it now. Chen Wudang immediately ordered: "Fill all the wood back in!" As soon as he finished speaking, the city came to an end.  Suddenly there was a shrill scream from the top of the city. A soldier fell heavily from the top of the city with an arrow stuck in his chest. Immediately afterwards, several more soldiers were hit by arrows and fell from the top of the city. The sudden change caused  Chen Wu was shocked.  He immediately reacted and shouted: "If there is enemy situation, go and call the police!" Dozens of soldiers turned around and ran towards the city, shouting all the way: "There is enemy situation, get up quickly!" At this moment, a message was uploaded on the city wall.  There was an extremely dull crashing sound, broken wood flew into the air, and a large hole appeared in the damaged wooden wall. Through the large hole, one could faintly see the dark shadows outside and how many enemy troops there were.  Chen Wu was so anxious that he was sweating profusely. He turned around and ran towards the house where he lived. His horses and spears were there. At this time, a soldier ran towards him and said anxiously: "General Chen, we are here."  Sulfur and firewood were found in many houses.?? is a fire starter.  " Chen Wu no longer had the intention to listen to these reports. He said anxiously: "Don't worry about this. Let the brothers leave the county immediately. Hurry!  " After running for a few steps, Chen Wu turned back and shouted: "Go to General Jiang now and ask his soldiers to carry General Jiang out of the city. The enemy is coming to kill, so go now.  " Chen Wu ran all the way to his residence, picked up his gun, got on his horse, and shouted to the soldiers: "Follow me quickly!  " As soon as he rushed to the street, he heard a soldier yelling in terror: "Fire!  " Chen Wu then discovered that the city wall was covered with dark troops. They fired arrows into the city. Many houses in the city were already on fire. Thick smoke was everywhere. The fire spread rapidly and soon became one. At this time, the city  There was chaos outside, and soldiers were everywhere crying. Chen Wu was anxious and shouted: "Brothers, rush out with me!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 743 Defeat each one

    Although Jiang Qin was usually a bit greedy, he would never drink too much during the war. The reason why he was so drunk was because Magistrate Zhang put medicine in the wine he drank. Although it was not poison, it was enough to keep him drunk for a long time.  He woke up, but the situation was critical, so the soldiers still found a way to douse him with cold well water to wake him up.  Jiang Qin drowsily opened his eyes, only to feel a splitting headache. He drank a large amount of well water in one breath, and then he regained consciousness a little.  At this time, he heard people everywhere shouting and crying, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of smoke. He was suddenly startled and asked quickly: "What happened?" "General, the enemy set fire to the city.  , the whole county was set on fire." Jiang Qin suddenly woke up and asked urgently: "Where is General Chen?" "He was seen leading his army to attack Dongcheng. The situation is unknown. General, hurry up and leave!  It was too late. " Jiang Qin was helped up by his own soldiers and fled towards the west gate with his gun in hand. Since Chen Wu went to the east gate, he went to the west gate. Both sides could not leave the city from the same gate at the same time.  At this time, the city was filled with flames and thick smoke. The sulfur, hay and other igniting materials hidden in the houses made the fire spread extremely quickly. More than half of the county town had been set alight, and the streets leading to the two city gates were crowded with people fleeing for their lives.  The soldiers who were fighting for their lives were shouting in fear. Many injured soldiers fell to the ground and cried and begged. It was unbearable.  Chen Wu took the lead and rushed out of the east gate, followed by thousands of soldiers. Outside the city were large woods, and not far away were low and rolling hills.  It was past the third watch, and the night was dark. A crescent moon loomed in the thin clouds, making the woods outside the city dim and bright. Chen Wugang rushed out of the city gate and heard only a burst of drums, followed by fire, and two armies.  Killing from the left and right from the woods, the leader of the generals was Zhang Fei, who had a leopard head and ringed eyes, a swallow's jaw and a tiger's beard, and a snake spear eight feet tall in his hand. He had been waiting for a long time.  Zhang Fei roared loudly, the sound was like thunder, and the snake spear of eight feet pierced him like lightning. Chen Wu was frightened by his roar. He had no intention of fighting and turned his horse to escape, but Zhang Fei's spear was faster, Chen Wu  Seeing the snake spear stabbing him, he hurriedly dodged, but it was still a step too late. Zhang Fei's snake spear pierced his shoulder blade.  Chen Wu felt pain in his bones and screamed. Zhang Fei lifted him off his horse. Several soldiers rushed forward and tied Chen Wu up.  Zhang Fei waved his spear and shouted: "Those who surrender will be spared death, and those who resist will be rushed into the city and burned to death!" His voice was so loud that thousands of soldiers who fled the city could hear clearly. They saw that the escape route was blocked,  The general Chen Wu was picked off his horse. Everyone was frightened and knelt down to surrender.  Looking at the surrendered soldiers kneeling on the ground, Zhang Fei laughed proudly. At this time, a soldier rushed to report: "General Qi, the situation in Xicheng is not good. The young general cannot stop the enemy troops from breaking through." Zhang Fei.  Furious, he turned around and told his lieutenant a few words, then turned his horse and rushed towards the west city with more than a thousand soldiers.  Zhang Bao, son of Zhang Fei, led 3,000 people to besiege the outside of the west city. However, the terrain outside the west city was flat and the field of vision was wide, making it very easy to break out. In addition, Jiang Qin fought desperately with Zhang Bao, and the Jiangdong army actually broke out of the siege. Countless Jiangdong soldiers  Fleeing desperately into the wilderness outside the city.  Jiang Qin suddenly heard someone shouting: "General Chariot and Cavalry is here." He knew it was Zhang Fei who was coming. He was panicked, roared, stabbed Zhang Bao three times, forced Zhang Bao back, turned his horse and fled.  After all, Zhang Bao was inexperienced. Seeing that most of the enemy troops were fleeing, he was extremely panicked and did not bother to pursue Jiang Qin and ordered his soldiers to encircle him.  At this time, Zhang Fei arrived with more than a thousand soldiers. He saw that most of the enemy troops had fled, including the enemy generals. His son was in a hurry, looking at the head and tail, and doing things without any rules. He was furious and whipped at  The son whipped him away, "You bastard!" Zhang Bao didn't dare to dodge, and was whipped several times by his father. Only then did Zhang Fei become less angry and ordered: "Narrow the encirclement, and no more fish will slip through the net!" The Jiaozhou Army narrowed the encirclement.  , the Jiangdong Army behind had difficulty escaping. At this time, the fire had engulfed the whole city, and they had to either surrender or be burned to death. The Jiangdong Army behind had no choice but to surrender and ran out.  Zhang Bao was even more ashamed. His father arrived and turned the situation around in a blink of an eye. It seemed that he was still too young. He touched the whip marks on his face and sighed softly.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Jiang Qin fled all the way to the west, escaping for more than twenty miles in one breath before stopping to take a breath. He looked back and saw that there were only a few hundred soldiers behind him. Jiang Qin couldn't help but sigh, "If we are defeated so miserably, how can I go to the army?"  "Wu Hou explained?" At this time, a tooth general came forward and persuaded: "General Jiang, don't worry too much, because our horses are fast, I think there will be a large number of soldiers fleeing from behind. Wait, the situation will definitely change.  "Jiang Qin thought about it well. He remembered that many people escaped and the group must pass by.Waiting on the road to gather the remaining troops, by noon the next day, more than 5,000 people were gathered one after another. At this time, Jiang Qin also received the news that Chen Wu had been captured. Most of the soldiers surrendered and the Jiaozhou Army had evacuated.  Yu County.  Jiang Qin led his army back to Yuli. Although the entire county seat had been burned down and there were ruins and ruins everywhere, which was shocking, there were not many soldiers burned to death, only more than a thousand people. This was also related to the fact that the county seat was too small. Most of them were burned to death.  Jiang Qin was slightly relieved that the soldiers could escape from the city in time. He and the soldiers buried their dead brothers and evacuated toward Nanchang County.  It¡¯s not that Jiang Qin lost the confidence to march westward, but that their food was not enough to support the march to Changsha County, so they had to return to the main camp.  In Yu County, the Jiaozhou Army wiped out 20,000 Jiangdong Army troops at a small cost, captured more than 13,000 people, and captured General Chen Wu. They won a huge victory. This victory greatly boosted the morale of the Jiaozhou Army.  This put Jiangdong's army into great passivity.  But at this moment, three thousand Han troops escorted Pang Tong, the special envoy sent by Liu Jing, to Xinyu County.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Among Liu Jing's four military advisers, Pang Tong ranked third, but in terms of official positions, he was exactly the same as Fazheng, who ranked fourth. They were both military advisers and generals, and their titles were the same. They were named Tinghou, while Jia Xu  He was the military advisor general and the Marquis of Jixiang, the highest civilian position in the army. Sima Yi held both military and political positions. He was the military advisor's lieutenant general and the Pingzhangtai Shangshu in charge of military affairs.  Although Pang Tong¡¯s dream is to be able to enter Pingzhangtai and become the prime minister, he knows in his heart that his qualifications are not enough. This may be possible in ten years, but in any case, he is very satisfied with his current official position and title.  In fact, Pang Tong also had another dream, which was to represent the Han Dynasty as an envoy to Jiaozhou. He wanted Liu Bei to see that when Liu Bei abandoned him, Liu Jing allowed himself to shine and realize his ambition. He admired it very much.  Looking at Liu Bei's expression, he could express the evil in his heart.  Although he was not able to go to Jiaozhou as an envoy, Liu Jing appointed him as a plenipotentiary representative today to send an envoy to Jiaozhou Army, which also made Pang Tong feel proud. At least he could straighten his back in front of Zhuge Liang.  Pang Tong was very grateful to Liu Jing for his arrangement and allowed three thousand troops to escort him to Xinwu County. This honor was enough to make him cry with gratitude. As the march was approaching the county seat, a sergeant pointed at the city in front and shouted: "Military advisor, that is Xinwu County."  "Wu County." Pang Tong nodded, and he also saw it. At this time, the dust was flying in front, and a cavalry was approaching. The Han army had already greeted them. After a while, the Han army brought two young generals, and they came together.  He immediately bowed and saluted, "Guan Xing and Zhang Bao are here to greet Military Advisor Pang on the orders of our military advisor." Pang Tong laughed. It turned out that it was these two people. When he left Liu Bei, these two people were still ignorant teenagers. Now they are together.  In a blink of an eye, the heroic young general was there. Pang Tong said quickly: "It turns out that we are two good nephews. We haven't seen each other for many years and they have grown up." Guan Xing complimented: "I haven't seen Military Advisor Pang for five or six years. It seems like  , Mr. Pang is still as elegant as before." Pang Tong laughed, "Your Majesty never speaks nonsense. Who did you learn from your wise nephew?" "No one can teach you, and you can learn without a teacher!"  After a burst of laughter, he led Pang Tong towards the county town. At the gate of the county town, Zhuge Liang and his generals had been waiting for a long time. Zhuge Liang knew very well that this battle was actually controlled by Liu Jing, and the final victory or defeat was also decided by Liu Jing.  Decide.  For example, this time they were able to defeat Jiangdong's army in Yuxian County, which was completely deliberately arranged by Liu Jing. It was he who did not allow Jiangdong's army to use the Yangtze River, which forced Jiangdong's army to go overland. In the end, they seized the opportunity. If  Liu Jing didn't want the Jiaozhou Army to win. It was very simple. As long as he randomly sent an army south to Jiaozhou, he would have to withdraw his troops.  It was precisely because he understood these key points that Zhuge Liang showed a humble attitude and went out of the city to welcome Pang Tong. At this time, Zhuge Liang saw Pang Tong dismounting, and he greeted him with a smile, "Shi Yuan, how are you doing?" Although Pang Tong  There was a sense of elation, but he was not arrogant by nature. After his dignity was greatly satisfied, he began to calm down and showed the demeanor that a Han military advisor should have. He also smiled and saluted and said: "I am very happy to be able to  See you again, my dear brother. " Pang Tong is two years older than Zhuge Liang. The two have been close friends since they were in Longzhong. They have been classmates for ten years and have a very deep friendship. Putting aside the fame, wealth and grudges in the past, they both feel extremely close at this time.  People held hands and talked happily, looking at each other and smiling, and the past grudges were forgotten.  Pang Tong met with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei again. At this time, he had completely abandoned his past unhappiness and integrated into his current role. After chatting and laughing for a few words, he entered Xinwu County surrounded by everyone.  A group of people came to the county government office and sat down. Zhuge Liang ordered people to serve tea, and then he said sincerely to Pang Tong: "I heard that my brother was reused by the king of Han, and I felt very happy in my heart.I am very happy to win. I know my brother's talent very well. It's a pity that Uncle Liu Huang can't see it, which makes my brother's pearl fall into dust. However, the King of Han reuses his brother. It can be seen that in terms of employment, Uncle Huang is indeed inferior to the King of Han.  " Zhuge Liang's frankness surprised Pang Tong, but as soon as he thought about it, he understood what Zhuge Liang meant. Zhuge Liang was using himself to praise the King of Han and create an atmosphere for the subsequent conversation. Pang Tong smiled slightly and said: "Actually, it's not that the emperor didn't know.  Man, it¡¯s true that Uncle Liu didn¡¯t have the opportunity to let me use my knowledge. The King of Han fought repeatedly with Cao Cao, which created many opportunities. But frankly speaking, in terms of having the world in mind, Uncle Liu was indeed not as good as the King of Han. The King of Han also gave me more than one  Said, his biggest regret is that he did not get the great talent Wolong." Before Pang Tong could finish speaking, Zhuge Liang waved his hands and said, "I won't talk about this now. The emperor has treated me with great kindness, and I will not have any second thoughts.  "    "Oh well!  Let's talk business first and then catch up on old times.  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiang Xia Chapter 744 Sitting on the ground and extracting commissions

    Although Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang reminisced about their old friendship and seemed to be rekindling their friendship, when it came to business, they immediately stopped joking and their expressions became serious. Pang Tong pondered for a moment and said: "This time I am serving the King of Han."  His Highness came with the carte blanche. His Highness the King of Han believes that there are some things that need to be clarified with the Jiaozhou Army, so I want to talk about some topics that may not be pleasant. " Zhuge Liang thought to himself, 'This Liu Jing is really getting more and more powerful. What's going on before the war begins?"  He didn't say anything and conceded everything. Once the two armies were at war, he started to make demands, which were bound to be exorbitant prices.  ' Zhuge Liang sighed in his heart. He felt helpless and passive, but there was nothing he could do. At this time, he sent someone to invite Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to attend the talks together. Zhuge Liang knew well that once the Jiaozhou Army was forced to make major concessions, there would be no choice.  Guan Yu and Zhang Fei agreed, but Zhuge Liang might not be able to do it. More importantly, he had to give Liu Bei an explanation.  After everyone was seated, Zhuge Liang bowed slightly and said: "The most important thing in cooperation between the two parties is to treat each other with sincerity. Please feel free to speak frankly, Shiyuan." "In this case, I will tell you directly. His Highness the King of Han believes that Jingnan is an indivisible part of Jingzhou.  Part of it was given to Jiangdong before, which was a helpless move, but in the end it was unanimously opposed by the Han military and civilians, which also affected the prestige of the Han king in Jingzhou, so we decided to re-incorporate the four counties of Jingnan into the Jingzhou territory after this battle.  " Zhuge Liang's face changed slightly. This was a result he had expected, but he did not expect it to come so quickly. Both Zhang Fei and Guan Yu were furious. Guan Yu said angrily: "We took Jingnan from Jiangdong. We spent money and food and lost soldiers.  , Jingzhou doesn¡¯t send a single soldier, just take it away, treating us as nothing?¡± Zhang Fei was so angry that he drew his sword and pointed it at Pang Tong, shouting: ¡°Take your words back, or I will kill you with one sword?¡±  You." Pang Tong said calmly: "I am just here to convey the opinion of the King of Han. This is not a condition or requirement. We will definitely take back Jingnan. As for how to take it back, we have not given it up to your army. You can use other methods.  The way to take it back is not now, I just want to let you know about it." Pang Tong said very implicitly, but Zhuge Liang understood that the other way was to take it back through war. Zhuge Liang quickly calmed down Zhang Fei.  Then he said to Pang Tong: "I already know about the four counties in Jingnan, but I can't give Shiyuan any reply. Please continue." Pang Tong continued: "I was talking about the four counties in Jingnan just now.  , we can discuss the ownership later, but the King of Han hopes that the Jiaozhou Army will fulfill the next request immediately." "Please tell me!" Zhuge Liang said quietly.  "The second request is to ask the Jiaozhou Army to hand over all Jiangdong prisoners of war to us, not only the prisoners of war in Yu County this time, but also the prisoners of war in Changsha County. I hope the Jiaozhou Army will do it immediately." Pang Tong's tone was still so aggressive.  , his words were still so sharp and forthright, Guan Yu gritted his teeth and asked: "What if we don't agree?" "It's very simple, if your army does not agree to this request, we will immediately send troops to join forces with the Jiangdong Army to annihilate you all, and at the same time the Han Dynasty will  The army will march south and directly destroy Jiaozhou. " There was a sudden silence in the big tent. Pang Tong was no longer discussing anything, but was openly threatening. Even Zhuge Liang's expression changed drastically. After a while, he said coldly: "The King of Han is so loud.  Pang Tong shook his head slightly, "It seems that Kong Ming still doesn't understand His Highness the King of Han. He will never speak big words, let alone do anything that is uncertain. I will not hide it from you. General Zhennan of the Han Kingdom, the old general Huang  Zhong has already led 40,000 barbarian coalition troops to garrison in Lingling and can attack Cangwu County at any time." Everyone sitting there was silent. After a long time, Zhuge Liang sighed and said, "This happened too suddenly. Please go down first."  Rest, we need to discuss." Pang Tong stood up and said, "Please discuss calmly, I'll take my leave first!" After saying that, he turned and walked out of the tent. Zhang Fei looked at his back and spat hard.  He cursed: "A dog relies on human power!" At this time, Guan Yu asked worriedly: "Military advisor, do you take what Pang Tong said seriously?" Zhuge Liang sighed, "I believe this is true, and this also shows Liu Jing's strength.  In fact, this was his plan long ago. He only brought it up when we were in a bitter battle with Jiangdong Army. Whether he said he was despicable or adding insult to injury, we all have to face reality. We have no choice.  "But if we listen to him, what will we gain?" Guan Yu asked reluctantly.  "We will get Yuzhang County and Poyang County. I believe this is the unspoken implication of Liu Jing. He sent Pang Shiyuan here, and his gesture has already shown that these two conditions are not negotiable." Zhang Fei was so angry that his face was full of anger.  Turning red, he said bitterly for a long time: "They are simply robbers. We have worked so hard"?We worked hard to defeat the enemy and capture prisoners of war, but now we have to hand them over to them. Isn't this just sitting on the ground and extracting commissions?  " "Liu Jing is indeed going too far, but we can only obey the order and hand over the prisoners of war to Pang Shiyuan first and take them back!  As for the four counties in Jingnan, let¡¯s take a final look at the situation. What do the two generals think?  " Guan Yu and Zhang Fei looked at each other, and Zhang Fei said angrily: "I have nothing to say, you decide for yourself.  " "Where is General Guan?  "Zhuge Liang asked again. Guan Yu nodded slowly, "As the military advisor said, we have no choice. I agree with the military advisor's plan to hand over the prisoners of war to them first, and the four counties in Jingnan will wait for a while.  Zhuge Liang nodded and immediately said to the soldiers on his left and right: "Go and invite Mr. Pang here again!"  " Pengze Lake was originally the easternmost navy camp in Jiangdong, close to Chaisang. However, after the disastrous defeat in the Western Expedition in the 14th year of Jian'an, Jiangdong ceded both Pengze Lake and Pengze County to Jingzhou. This time Sun Quan  He personally led Jiangdong's army in the westward expedition to Yuzhang and Jingnan, and Pengze Lake became a logistics center for Jiangdong's army. Of course, this had been approved by Jingzhou in advance. Although Gan Ning did not allow the main force of Jiangdong's navy to enter Jiangxia westward, he finally allowed Jiangdong's army to march westward.  This is also an indispensable condition for the army to be stationed at Pengze Lake. To enter the Ganjiang River, you must pass through Pengze Lake. At this time, the Jiangdong Army had 20,000 troops and hundreds of large ships stationed in the Pengze Lake logistics area, and was personally commanded by Sun Quan.  At noon, three five-hundred-stone warships flying the Jiangdong battle flag came quickly from the south and gradually approached the navy stronghold. Immediately, a patrol ship sailed out. The general on duty on the ship shouted: "Who is it?  A soldier on the warship replied: "It's Governor Lu's warship!"  " The general on duty saw Deputy Governor Lu Xun standing on the deck and immediately waved, "Let the ship enter the stronghold!  "Three warships sailed into the water stronghold. On the bow, Lu Xun looked at the densely packed camps on the shore with his hands behind his hands. His eyes were very heavy. It's no wonder that 20,000 troops were annihilated by the Jiaozhou Army in Yu County, which shocked the Jiangdong Army officers and soldiers.  , also made Lu Xun extremely worried. He immediately wrote a letter to Wu Hou, hoping to send troops to Xinwu County immediately, but Wu Hou did not reply for a long time. This made Lu Xun feel bad, so he personally came from Nanchang to Peng County.  Ze. Lu Xun's attitude was very clear, either to concentrate his forces and fight the enemy decisively, or to withdraw his troops back to Jiangdong. He couldn't be at both ends, but he felt Wu Hou's hesitation when he came ashore and met Zhou Tai head-on.  Zhou Tai was Sun Quan's direct military commander and was named Pinglu General. He belonged to neither the Northern Faction nor the Wuyue Faction, but was a close general of Sun Quan. Among the Jiangdong Army, there was no factional general like him.  There are many others, such as Xu Sheng, Zhu Huan, Ding Feng, Ling Tong, etc. Everyone calls them the Conglong faction, which means the faction directly under Sun Quan. Lu Xun greeted Zhou Tai and quickly asked: "Wu Hou."  How's it going?  " Zhou Tai sighed and said, "Wu Hou is in a bad situation. He heard that something happened over there in Jiangdong, and he was very anxious.  " Lu Xun was shocked, "What happened over there in Jiangdong?  " Zhou Tai shook his head, "I don't know the details. Wu Hou received the express letter from Jiangdong and didn't speak for a full quarter of an hour, which shows that something big happened.  " Lu Xun was confused, could it be that there was another rebellion in Shanyue? Zhou Tai pulled Lu Xun aside again and whispered: "I would also like to ask Governor Lu to say a few kind words for Gong Yi. Zhou Tai is very grateful.  " Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were both gangsters along the Yangtze River when they were young. They had a close friendship. This time Jiang Qin defeated Yu County, resulting in the annihilation of 20,000 troops. Sun Quan was extremely angry and turned his anger on Jiang Qin. He was imprisoned and convicted, which made Zhou Tai very worried.  Zhou Tai knew that Sun Quan valued Lu Xun very much, so he wanted Lu Xun to intercede for Jiang Qin. Although Jiang Qin belonged to the Lujiang sect and not the Wuyue sect, Lu Xun knew Zhou Tai's position in Sun Quan's heart, so he had to give the favor, so he was happy to do so.  He smiled and said: "Since General Pinglu has spoken, how can I not agree?  Just don't worry.  " Zhou Tai was overjoyed and quickly led Lu Xun to Sun Quan's tent. Some soldiers went into the tent to report. After a while, he came out and said: "Captain Lu, Wu Hou invites you to come in."  " Lu Xun straightened his clothes and quickly walked into the big tent. In the big tent, Sun Quan stood in front of the table with his hands behind his hands, staring at the map on the table, thinking for a long time without saying a word. Lu Xun quickly bowed and saluted, "See you, little minister.  Wu Hou!  " "Why is Boyan here?  "Sun Quan turned around and glanced at Lu Xun and asked. "Report to the Marquis of Wu that I am here for military purposes.  " Sun Quan nodded, "Sit down!  " "Thank you, Marquis Wu!  "Lu Xun and Sun Quan sat down. Sun Quan sighed and said: "People's habitual thinking is really a terrible thing. Since Jingzhou does not allow us to cross the border, I should change my strategy, temporarily abandon Changsha County, and concentrate my troops to deal with Fang Geliang. But I  Being misled by habitual thoughts, he still sent troops to Changsha County, which led to a disastrous defeat in Yu County.Victory over regret.  " Seeing Sun Quan reviewing himself, Lu Xun explained: "Wei Chen believes that this is not a habitual thought, but a plan we made in advance. Because we have an absolute advantage in military strength, dividing an army into Changsha County will be beneficial to our attack on Jing.  Weichen thinks that the control of Nan is completely correct. If we don't send troops to Jingnan, then it is very likely that we will lose Jingnan. You must know that the Jingzhou army can be watching from the sidelines.  " Sun Quan nodded. Although he was reviewing himself, it was just a way of explaining to his subordinates. If Lu Xun didn't know what he was doing and really thought it was Sun Quan's responsibility, then he was asking for trouble. From ancient times to the present, leaders have always been correct.  Even if you occasionally express a little self-blame, it is just a pretense. As a subordinate, you must have the consciousness to be a subordinate and have the courage to take responsibility for the leader. Of course, you must also grasp the sense of proportion and not become a scapegoat. This is a very profound and profound subject.  Although Lu Xun is young, he has a deep family background, and he is also familiar with this knowledge. He added: "Wei Chen believes that the defeat of Yu County was actually a defeat. It was Jingzhou's toughness that put us at a disadvantage. This battle  Failure is inevitable. No matter who it is, they will also suffer defeat. The biggest difference is the degree of failure. In fact, it is very rare for General Chiang to be able to save more than 5,000 people.  " These words made Sun Quan feel a lot more relieved. There was a look of sullenness on his face, but this anger was directed at Jingzhou. He clenched his fists and said, "Liu Jing is my sister-in-law in vain, and he actually added insult to injury to me. This time.  I will settle the account with him sooner or later.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 745 The Pain of Yuzhang

    Although Lu Xun knew that Sun Quan would be unhappy if he said something, he had to say it because it was related to the entire war situation.  "Weichen came here this time to fight a decisive battle with the Jiaozhou Army. Weichen hopes to fight a decisive battle with the Jiaozhou Army as soon as possible. If it is delayed any longer, on the one hand, there will be a shortage of food and grass, and on the other hand, morale will become increasingly low. Zhuge Liang has always been cunning.  , if he sees the clues, it may be detrimental to the overall situation." Sun Quan sighed, "I also want to fight as soon as possible! Something unimaginable has happened in Jiangdong, and I am ten times more worried than Boyan."  What's the matter?" Lu Xun asked cautiously.  Sun Quan took out a piece of intelligence, and the name on it made him extremely disgusted. He handed it to Lu Xun, "See it for yourself!" Lu Xun took the intelligence and looked at it. He was shocked. Someone discovered that Sun Ben appeared in Kuaiji County.  I was extremely surprised. Wasn't this Sun Ben killed by pirates?  Why did it appear again?  Sun Quan sneered and said: "Sun Ben disappeared inexplicably. The so-called killing by pirates is just a rumor I ordered people to make up. It should be his supporters who secretly rescued him and endured it for so many years. They took advantage of me to send troops to Yuzhang."  He and Jing Nan are planning something evil, huh! That's a good plan." Lu Xun was in a mess. He was worried that his family would be involved. Before leaving for the expedition, the clan leader told him that the Lu family was very attached to Sun Quan.  Disappointed, if Sun Bi takes the opportunity to win over his own family, will the Lu family change their stance?  Sun Quan glanced at Lu Xun sharply. Seeing that Lu Xun was uneasy, he asked, "What is Boyan thinking about?" "Wei Chen is thinking, who will support him?" "Humph!" Sun Quan snorted:  "Is there any need to ask? He appeared in Kuaiji County. Who do you think is supporting him?" Lu Xun immediately understood that Sun Quan was referring to He Qi. He sighed secretly in his heart, who is to blame?  He Qi appeared on Sun Ben's list at the beginning. Wu Hou did not eradicate him in time, but instead caused trouble. This is Sun Quan's own problem!  Although he thought this, Lu Xun did not dare to show anything on his face. He lowered his head and said nothing. Sun Quan paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands, and said angrily: "For so many years, the Shanyue people have been suppressing them without stopping. It is clearly this He Qi."  I'm making a fuss. If I hadn't been afraid of forcing him to collude with the Shanyue people to rebel, I would have killed him long ago. Now that he is ungrateful, he has intensified his efforts to support the rebellion. I will never tolerate him again. Not only him, he originally supported the rebellion.  Not one of the rebels should be spared." Lu Xun knew that Sun Quan was referring to the elders Han Dang, Zhu Ran, and Cheng Pu, so he couldn't help but advise: "Wu Hou's army is outside, so don't act rashly for the time being, so as not to alert the enemy.  , you can monitor them secretly first." Sun Quan nodded, "Of course I know that forcing them will be detrimental to me, but what should I do in this battle?" Lu Xun thought for a moment and asked, "Neng Wu.  "Abandon Yuzhang County and Poyang County temporarily?" "No!" Sun Quan replied decisively, paused, and added: "If you abandon Yuzhang County and Poyang County, the people in Jiangdong will be resentful and the soldiers will be disloyal.  It's not going to be stable, and those rebels will definitely use an excuse to raise troops. " "In this case, please give the order from the Marquis of Wu. We will concentrate our forces to attack Xinwu County and defeat the Jiaozhou Army with our superior strength." Sun Quan took a few steps with his hands behind his back, and finally made his decision.  Determined, he turned back and ordered: "Well, I will give you another 10,000 direct troops. You have full command of these 60,000 troops. You must defeat the Jiaozhou Army within ten days." This order was what Lu Xun had been waiting for for a long time, but at the same time,  It also put heavy pressure on him. They were already more than half a month later than the originally planned advance time. Their morale was low and their morale was disorganized. The Jiaozhou Army's morale was high because of the battle in Yu County.  There was a huge gap in combat power. Even if Jiangdong had twice the strength of the enemy, they might not be sure of victory. However, Lu Xun had no way out. He immediately bowed and said: "I obey the order!" Time has passed.  In August, although autumn has entered, the heat has not dissipated. The heat along the Yangtze River is still as sultry as a steamer and unbearable. At this time, a Han army of more than 10,000 people has quietly arrived at Chaisang. The leader of the army is naturally Liu  Jing, he also got information from Jiangdong. Sun Ben was extremely active in Jiangdong, liaising with officials and wooing generals. He no longer concealed his identity and began to engage in public activities.  Of course, Liu Jing did not give him an order to conduct public activities. This was Sun Ben's unauthorized act, but Liu Jing was sensitively aware that Cao Cao might be involved here, and it was easy to understand that Sun Ben and Cao Cao  They are relatives, and his daughter is Cao Zhang's wife. At this critical juncture, how could Sun Bi not contact Cao Cao? More importantly, Sun Bi expressed his unwillingness to be his puppet from the beginning.  But for Liu Jing, it doesn¡¯t matter what Sun Ben thinks or what he wants to do. Liu Jing is concerned about Jiangdong and completely cuts him off.His goal was to split Jiangdong. It is estimated that Cao Cao also had the same idea. As long as Sun Ben achieved this goal for him, Sun Ben's use value would be complete.  Of course, if Cao Cao's purpose is to annex Jiangdong, that is another matter. If it is just to split Jiangdong, Liu Jing would also be happy to see it happen.  On the wall of Chaisang City, Liu Jing looked at the surging river with his hands behind his hands. This reminded him of a scene ten years ago, when he was the general of Chaisang and began to rise in Chaisang. The river back then was still the same as it is today.  But the world has changed, which makes Liu Jing infinitely sad.  At this time, the staff member Liao Li hurried over, bowed behind Liu Jing and said: "Your Highness, there is news about Military Advisor Pang." Liao Li was originally the governor of Changsha County. Because Jingzhou gave up Changsha County to Jiangdong, Liao Li also  He left Changsha and temporarily served as Liu Jing's chief of staff, which was Yin Miao's original position. He was fully responsible for the organization of documents. Liao Li was also quite strategic and cautious, so he won Liu Jing's trust. Liu Jing several times  He told him that he would not need to return to Changsha County in the future, which meant that he wanted to keep him by his side.  Liu Jing turned around and asked with a smile: "Where is Military Advisor Pang now?" "Commander Pang is on his way north to Yangxin County with more than 10,000 prisoners of war. The spies he sent said that the road is difficult and it may take five days to reach Yangxin County.  , but the mood of the prisoners of war was very stable, and there was no large-scale escape. "Liu Jing knew that there was a way to go north from Xinwu County to Jiangxia, but it had to go over several mountains and the road was very difficult, which was not easy for Pang Tong. Liu Jing nodded.  He then asked, "Is there any news from Nanchang?" "I reported back to Your Highness that Lu Xun has led an army of 50,000 to the west and is currently on its way to Xinwu County. There is no new news?" "Then where is Sun Quan now? Is he still there?  Peng Ze?" Liu Jing asked again.  "I heard that Sun Quan's five thousand stones also appeared in Nanchang by boat, but I don't know whether Sun Quan himself went there." "His has gone by boat, so people will naturally go." Liu Jing put her hands on the city head.  After walking a few steps, he turned back and smiled meaningfully at Liao Li and asked, "Why did Gong Yuan think Sun Quan appeared in Nanchang?" Liao Li understood what Liu Jing meant. He thought for a while and said, "Wei Chen thought that Sun Quan appeared on the surface.  He handed over 10,000 direct troops to Lu Xun, but he actually didn't trust Lu Xun, so he went to Nanchang to supervise the battle in person. However, Wei Chen was a little confused. Lu Xun was Sun Ce's son-in-law, so Sun Quan should trust him. During the Battle of Hefei,  It can be seen that Sun Quan trusts Lu Xun. How could it happen this time? " "Let me tell Gong Yuan the reason!" Liu Jing said with a faint smile: "Now the people in Jiangdong are boiling, and more than half of the public opinion wants Sun Quan to step down. It has already appeared.  There are two kinds of anti-Sun Quan opinions. One is that the officials in Kuaiji County propose that Sun Quan should be replaced by Sun Bi. The other is that Sun Ce's eldest son, Sun Shao, should inherit his father's business and replace Sun Quan. This concept is very popular in Wu County, of course because Wu  The county is the ancestral home of the Sun family, but I heard that several big families in Wu County are also supporting Sun Shao, including the Lu family, and Lu Xun happens to be Sun Ce's son-in-law. So, can Sun Quan not have doubts? "  Liao Li suddenly realized that Sun Quan was afraid that Lu Xun would support Sun Shao. He nodded, "Wei Chen understands. No wonder Sun Quan rushed to Nanchang. He must have heard some rumors." "It's not a rumor, but a secret report.  " Liu Jing said with certainty: "Sun Quan has been secretly monitoring the Sun family since he overthrew his brother Sun Lang and his clan brother Sun Bi. Sun Quan must have received a secret report from the monitor. " "Then what your highness means.  "Should we take advantage of this situation?" Liu Jing nodded slowly and said with a smile, "I think I can help Zhuge Liang." Nanchang County is about 180 miles away from Xinwu County. The road is difficult and the march is not easy.  It took three days to reach Xinwu County. Lu Xun left 10,000 troops to guard Nanchang County. He personally led 50,000 troops all the way west. Lu Xun was very cautious and did not let the baggage be far away from the main force. Instead, he walked in the middle of the team. He knew the importance of logistics.  , without food and grass, they will definitely lose.  It is precisely because of this that Jiangdong's army marched slowly and slowly. Not only that, Lu Xun also sent a hundred scout teams to explore the front and surrounding areas to prevent Zhuge Liang's ambush. Three days later, they were still 100 meters away from Xinwu County.  Thirty miles away, Lu Xun ordered the team to stop and rest.  At this time, Ding Feng urged his horse forward and whispered: "Captain, there are many hills and ravines in this area, making it easy for ambushes. We must be careful of tricks." "I know that we have an army of fifty thousand. If the enemy wants to ambush us, it will take at least  Ten thousand troops, ten thousand troops can be easily discovered. As long as they are a little more cautious, the Jiaozhou Army's ambush will not succeed. However, I have an ominous premonition that Zhuge Liang will not fight with us in the wild. " "What is this, Governor?  Meaning?" ???It's very simple, why Zhuge Liang did not defend the taller and stronger Nanchang City, but retreated to the remote and difficult Xinwu County. It is obviously because Xinwu County is conducive to defense, but will cause logistical supply difficulties for the attacking side. This is  It is easy to create opportunities to defeat us, so Zhuge Liang will definitely stick to Xinwu County. When our food and grass are no longer sustainable, he will naturally retreat.  " Ding Feng nodded, "The governor is right, but how long can our food last?  " "Our food and grass can last for ten days. If we cannot capture Xinwu County after ten days, I must withdraw our troops.  "Speaking of this, Lu Xun let out a long sigh. He had no confidence in winning this battle.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 746 Countermeasures

    Just as Lu Xun had guessed, Zhuge Liang had no intention of sending troops to ambush Jiangdong's army. Lu Xun was also a young commander who was good at fighting, so his surprise troops might not be able to hide from him.  Rather than narrowly defeating the enemy with surprise troops, Zhuge Liang decided to hold on to Xinwucheng and take advantage of the Jiangdong Army's logistical difficulties to defeat the Jiangdong Army.  At this time, Zhuge Liang had received a report from the spies. The main force of Jiangdong Army was still thirty miles away from the city and was stationed to rest. Zhuge Liang nodded and smiled at Guan Yu: "This shows that Lu Xun is also a cautious person. He would rather take it slow than rush.  "Besiege the city." Guan Yu suggested: "Military, the so-called combination of righteousness and strangeness is the only way to win. Since strategists use the right way, why not send out a strange force to move around the perimeter?" Zhuge Liang nodded and said with a smile, "Yun Chang suggested righteousness."  I think this opportunity should be left to the young people!" He ordered people to find Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, and told them: "I will give you three thousand troops, and you can take ten days of dry food to the outside of the city.  If you want to attack the enemy easily, you must look at my tips bag." After saying that, Zhuge Liang handed the two people a bag and said with a smile: "After leaving the city, look at Nephew Guan's bag first. When the time is right,  Let¡¯s look at Zhang Xian¡¯s bag again, and wish the two nephews another great success.¡± The two men were overjoyed, took the bag, bowed to Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu, and went down to the city to order troops. Not long after, Guan Xing and Zhang Bao led the troops.  Three thousand people left Xinwu County from Xicheng and ran towards the northwest. Guan Yu watched the two people go away from the top of the city and couldn't help but worry, "I wonder if the two of them can compete with Lu Xun?" Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and said, "Yun  Don¡¯t worry, sir, the tiger father has no dog son, I believe the two of them will not let us down.¡±  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  At the Ganjiang pier in Nanchang County, a passenger ship slowly docked, and several guests came ashore. Three attendants accompanied a middle-aged man. After the man came ashore, he went directly to the Jiangdong Army barracks and asked the sentry in front of the gate.  He cupped his hands and said, "I came from Wu County. May I ask if Governor Lu is here? I am his family member." After a moment, an officer on duty walked out quickly and said with a smile on his face: "Is this gentleman looking for my Governor?  "Exactly, I am Lu Ming, the uncle of Governor Lu. He came from Wu County. I have something urgent to ask of Governor Lu. Is he here?"  Wait for him to come back, he will be back in ten days at the latest!" The middle-aged man looked anxious, turned to another slightly younger man and whispered: "He is not here, he is in Xin.  Wu County, should we wait for him to come back?" The young man said coldly: "The situation is urgent, Wu County can't wait." The middle-aged man had no choice but to turn around and salute: "We have something urgent, so we should go to Xinwu County.  ! Thank you for the general¡¯s explanation.¡± Several people left the dock and rented some horses from a horse and mule shop not far away. They got on their horses and galloped away to the west. The officer on duty was a little confused about his behavior.  Hurry, what happened?  He lowered his head and thought for a moment that this matter had to be reported to Marquis Wu. He immediately walked towards the big ship docked at the dock. Sun Quan's huge five-thousand-stone ship was moored at the dock, standing like a hill among hundreds of warships.  In the cabin of the ship, Sun Quan was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back thoughtfully. He turned back and asked the officer on duty, "Are you sure he is Lu Xun's uncle?"  His name is Lu Ming, uncle Lu Ming!¡± Sun Quan raised his head and thought about it, then quickly asked the officer, ¡°Does this person have a big black mole on his nose?¡±  It seems that it is really him." Sun Quan said to himself, "Why did he come to Yuzhang County at this time?" The reason why Sun Quan remembered this Lu Ming was because he was the apprentice of his nephew Sun Shao and was the name of Wu County.  Sun Quan, one of the Confucian scholars, remembered the information sent by the spy. There were many wealthy noble families in Wu County and people from the Sun clan who supported Sun Shao in inheriting his father's business, including the Lu family. The so-called Sun Shao inheriting his father's business was actually replacing himself.  A wave of evil arose from the bottom of Sun Quan's heart, and his fists slowly clenched. He was reluctant to order the attack on Xinwu County in the first place, largely because of hearing the news. He was a little worried about Lu Xun, who was his eldest brother.  His son-in-law is Sun Shao's brother-in-law. Will he support Sun Shao?  This time Lu Ming came to Lu Xun and said there was something urgent. What was it for?  Sun Quan's suspicion became even more intense. At this time, he turned back and asked the officer on duty: "Who is the young man with Lu Ming? Is it Sun Shao?" The officer on duty quickly shook his head, "Young Master Shao has seen me in my humble duty.  , he is not, but he also has a Wujun accent and looks like a soldier. He also said that the situationIn a hurry, Wu Jun couldn't wait any longer. Although his voice was low, he still heard it.  " A chill ran down Sun Quan's back. He was almost 80% sure that Lu Ming and this young man came to Lu Xun for Sun Shao's matter. They most likely wanted to instigate Lu Xun. You must know that Lu Xun had 50,000 troops in his hands. Once  If he turns to support Sun Shao, he will be in danger. The more Sun Quan thinks about it, the more frightened he becomes. No! He must recall Lu Xun and seize his military power. At this moment, defeating the Jiaozhou Army and recapturing Jingnan is no longer important. The important thing is to keep it.  Due to his status, Sun Quan immediately took out his gold medal, but he hesitated for a moment. If he used the gold medal, Lu Xun would be wary. Sun Quan replaced it with the command arrow on the table, handed it to a guard and said, "You go to the new place immediately.  Wu County, no need to explain anything, ordered Lu Xun to return to the army immediately.  " "Follow your orders!  " The guard took the order arrow and left in a hurry. Sun Quan walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and finally took out the gold medal and ordered: "Go and find Zhou Tai.  " A moment later, Zhou Tai hurried over, bowed and saluted, "See Wu Hou!  Sun Quan handed him the gold medal and said: "I have sent my own soldiers to recall Lu Xun with the order of arrows. I am worried that he will disobey the order. If this is the case, you can use the gold medal to directly seize his military power and lead the army to retreat immediately!"  " Zhou Tai was shocked, "Wu Hou, this.  £®  £®  £®  Why is this?  " Sun Quan said coldly: "Don't ask me why, just carry out my order!  " "I humble my duty and obey orders!"  Zhou Tai had no choice but to take the gold medal and hurried away. Sun Quan said to another guard general: "You can lead 300 cavalry to Xinwu County, catch up with Lu Ming and his party, and capture them for me."  " The guard general bowed and left. Sun Quan looked out the window in the direction of Xinwu County with his hands behind his hands, and said to himself coldly, "Bo Yan, I trust you very much, but your family disappoints me!  "The siege of Xinwu County has been on its fifth day, and the war is getting more intense. 'Boom! Boom! Boom!' The drums are beating like thunder, and the shouts of killing are loud. Twelve thousand Jiangdong soldiers are rushing towards Dongcheng and Nancheng in a dark way.  When they left, they carried hundreds of siege ladders and attacked like a tide. The southern and eastern sections of the moat under Xinwu County had been filled with sandbags by Jiangdong Army. Without the obstruction of the moat, Jiangdong Army's attack was even sharper.  When Jiangdong's army rushed within 300 steps, the twenty trebuchets on the city began to fire. The capstans turned and the throwing rods were thrown. Huge boulders rose into the air and roared towards the dense crowd of Jiangdong's army.  The boulder crashed to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. The boulder rolled on the ground. Jiangdong Army soldiers screamed and ran away, but many people were still hit by the boulder and suffered broken bones and tendons, and died tragically on the spot. Then the second round of boulders hit them.  , many soldiers were smashed into meat patties, their limbs were flying, their brains were shattered, and pungent blood mist filled the air. There were also bed crossbows, mainly targeting huge siege engines such as nest cars and ladders, but this time the Jiangdong Army was attacked.  There was no large siege machine, so the bed crossbow had no use. It could only shoot four-foot-long arrows hundreds of steps away together with the trebuchet. The force was amazing and it penetrated.  In the shield formation of Jiangdong Army, several people were shot through the body by long arrows behind each giant shield. The morale of Jiangdong Army was not high. The brutal boulder and long arrow attacks chilled many people's hearts, and some people began to turn around and flee back.  Lu Xun stood on a two-foot-high wooden platform, personally holding down the formation and directing the battle. When he saw more than a thousand soldiers fleeing in Nancheng, he was furious. He turned around and ordered: "Order the military judge to execute the law and flee back."  Anyone who commits crime will be beheaded!  " Lu Xun arranged for 500 law enforcement soldiers, who used sharp tomahawks to supervise law enforcement. Under Lu Xun's order, the law enforcement soldiers went on a killing spree, killing hundreds of soldiers who fled, picked up their heads, and shouted: "  Anyone who dares to escape will be beheaded on the spot!  ¡± Under the bloody killings of the law enforcement soldiers, the Jiangdong soldiers who escaped had to rejoin the battlefield and ran to the city head with all their might. The sound of war drums was fierce, and the boulder offensive could not stop the impact of the Jiangdong Army soldiers. The Jiangdong soldiers were as dense as a swarm of ants rushing towards the city.  When they arrived at the bottom of the city, the siege ladders began to be erected. When the enemy troops rushed into the city, the 10,000 defenders at the top of the city fired arrows at random, along with 300 crossbows.  Arrows and the repeating crossbow are Zhuge Liang's inventions. One crossbow can shoot ten arrows and only needs two soldiers to operate it, which is equivalent to 600 people using 3,000 military crossbows. Although the accuracy is not good, it can be effective in defending the city.  . The arrows shot from the city were overwhelming, like a downpour. The soldiers moved forward with their shields raised, but soldiers continued to be hit by the dense rain of arrows and fell down screaming. Jiangdong Army's casualties began to increase.  At this time, more than twenty siege ladders from the east of the city were the first to set up on the city head. Groups of red-eyed Jiangdong soldiers rushed towards the city head crazily. The Jiaozhou Army's arrows shot at them, and rolling logs and rocks headed towards them.  It was smashed down, and a series of Jiangdong soldiers screamed and screamed.They fell down the stairs, were shot by arrows, and their heads were smashed. Dead bodies piled up under the city wall. Immediately afterwards, Jiangdong soldiers frantically climbed up the siege ladder and charged upwards at all costs.  At this time, the drums were beating loudly again in the Jiangdong camp, and reinforcements from 10,000 Jiangdong soldiers arrived. The dust was flying on the battlefield. They passed through the trebuchets and beds from 300 steps to 500 steps as quickly as possible.  The range area of ??the crossbow.  The boulders roared in, knocking over the soldiers one by one. The arrows of the crossbow were so strong and fast that one arrow could shoot through two to three people. The horses neighed miserably, the soldiers rolled over, and under the boulders, there were horrible corpses and blood everywhere.  At this moment, Jiangdong Army has invested 22,000 siege soldiers, and the city offensive and defensive battle has entered its most intense stage.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  At this moment, a group of cavalry rushed from the east. They rushed to the foot of the high platform. The leading guard held Sun Quan's golden arrow in his hand, raised his head and shouted: "Captain Lu, Wu Hou has an order!" Lu Xun looked over and asked.  He asked: "What military order does Marquis Wu have?" The guard raised his arrow high and shouted sternly: "Marquis Wu has an order, ordering you to withdraw your troops and return to Nanchang County immediately!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 747 The monarch and his ministers have different intentions

    Lu Xun was stunned. What did Sun Quan mean?  He actually asked himself to withdraw his troops. He quickly stepped down from the wooden platform, took the order arrow and asked: "Why did Marquis Wu ask me to withdraw my troops?" The guard saluted and said: "Marquis Wu just asked me to pass the order. I don't know the specific reason." Lu Xun's face looked blank.  He looked embarrassed, how could he withdraw his troops now?  He has lost 8,000 troops and has gradually turned from a disadvantage to an even match. The morale of the army has also begun to recover. As long as he accumulates an offensive for two or three days, he can break through Xinwucheng. Withdrawing his troops now will undoubtedly fall short.  He pondered for a moment and then asked: "Does Marquis Wu want me to withdraw the troops immediately?" The guard felt Lu Xun's unwillingness, and said coldly: "Once the military order arrives, it should be executed immediately. Does Governor Lu need to confirm it again?" This  The words put Lu Xun in a difficult position, what should I do?  His heart was in chaos. Right here, Ding Feng came galloping on horseback and shouted excitedly: "Captain, I have discovered the enemy's weakness. Their defense is getting weaker and weaker. It seems that there are not many arrows left."  "Today's archery is 30% less than yesterday's." Lu Xun gritted his teeth and said to the guard who sent the order: "I will be outside, and your order is not accepted. Please go back and report to the Marquis of Wu. I will be able to break through Xinwucheng and defeat Jiaozhou in two days."  Army, I will come to apologize to him when the time comes!" The guard's expression changed greatly, and he stared at Lu Xun and asked, "Captain Lu, do you really want to disobey me?" Lu Xun nodded slowly, "It is about the outcome of the battle. Please tell Wu Hou, I  I am willing to bear all the consequences." The guard snorted heavily, got on his horse, and galloped away with a few followers. Lu Xun watched the guards go away and couldn't help but let out a long sigh. The root cause of Jiangdong's many failures lay in Wu Hou's personal expedition.  The power of generals is always weakened at critical moments, and combat strategies cannot be implemented consistently. How can we remain undefeated?  This time, he is like this again. In the final analysis, it is still a matter of trust!  Lu Xun resolutely made up his mind. No matter what, this time he would resist to the end and win the siege.  At this time, soldiers came to report that more than a hundred siege ladders had been exhausted and could no longer attack the city. Lu Xun nodded. This was a normal situation during the siege. Just prepare the siege ladder again. The key is to do it again and again.  Attacking brings them closer and closer to victory. The accumulation of countless experiences will surely enable them to finally break through the city.  Lu Xun immediately ordered, "Send the order, the troops withdraw!" 'Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The bell rang to withdraw troops, and the 20,000 Jiangdong Army retreated like a tide, leaving behind more than a thousand corpses, while the Jiaozhou Army also lost more than 600 people.  On the top of the city, Zhuge Liang's expression was a little solemn. Lu Xun fought very patiently and rhythmically. He could attack and retreat with ease. He was undefeated when advancing and undefeated when retreating. Every time he attacked, he would weaken himself by one point. Every time he attacked, he was undefeated.  The losses were getting smaller and smaller, and the casualty ratio between the two armies began to approach. This was by no means a good sign. After the five-day war, the Jiaozhou Army also lost nearly 4,000 people. More importantly, there was a shortage of arrows, and morale began to decline.  Zhuge Liang began to worry. If they fight for three more days, the entire Jiangdong Army attacks, and the siege ladder doubles, will they still be able to defend the county?  "Military advisor, the situation seems a little bad?" Guan Yu walked to Zhuge Liang and asked.  Zhuge Liang forced a smile and said: "The problem is not very serious. The other side does not have much food and grass. We only need to persist for four or five days. When the other side's food is exhausted, we will win." Guan Yu also sighed slightly in his heart, and he still has to hold on for four or five days.  Five days, looking at today's siege situation, it seems a bit unlikely.  But Zhuge Liang did not expect that Liu Jing, who had been watching coldly, finally took action to help him. Liu Jing hit the Jiangdong Army's vital point with an understatement: Jiangdong's monarchs and ministers began to have different intentions. In the big tent, Lu Xun was talking to  Dozens of major generals discussed strategies to break the city. The arrival of Sun Quan's military order made Lu Xun realize that he didn't have much time. He had to break the city within two days and then go to plead guilty to Sun Quan. While everyone was discussing, something came from outside the tent.  There was a commotion, and some soldiers shouted: "General Zhou, please wait a moment, we will report to Governor Lu!" "No, I will go directly to the account!" Lu Xun was startled. He heard that it was Zhou Tai's voice.  The curtain was lifted, and dozens of soldiers were seen rushing in. The leader of the group, whose face was as gloomy as water, was none other than Zhou Tai.  "General Zhou, what's the matter with you?" Although Lu Xun felt that Zhou Tai's arrival must have something to do with ordering him to withdraw his troops, Lu Xun was still extremely unhappy when Zhou Tai forced his way into the tent.  Zhou Tai stepped forward, held up Sun Quan's gold medal, and shouted: "Here is the gold medal of Marquis Wu!" Sun Quan's gold medal is the second most powerful military order in Jiangdong, second only to Sun Quan himself, and even one level higher than the military talisman.  Seeing the gold medal was like seeing Wu Hou himself, all the generals in the big tent knelt down one after another. Lu Xun had no choice but to kneel down and obey the order.    Zhou Tai glanced at him and said coldly: "By order of the Marquis of Wu, I hereby announce that from now on, Lu Xun will be removed from all military positions and powers, and the power of Zhang Jun will be temporarily taken over by Zhou Tai on behalf of the Marquis of Wu." Lu Xun suddenly raised his head.  , his eyes were full of shock. He couldn't believe his ears. He was actually dismissed from all military positions and deprived of all military power. This was not a transfer of power, but a seizure of power. Obviously, this was not the result of his refusal to order arrows in the morning.  , not so fast. This should be the second order issued by Sun Quan after Ling Jian. This will only happen if there is rebellion or a disastrous defeat. Why is this?  Lu Xun was filled with righteous indignation. He stood up and glared at Zhou Tai and said, "I don't understand what happened? Please give me an explanation, General Zhou." Everyone was stunned, and it took a while for them to start talking loudly. No one expected that Governor Lu suddenly died inexplicably.  After being seized of power and dismissed from his post, Zhou Tai sighed secretly in his heart, but his face was still very stern, and he said coldly: "Is it possible that General Lu doesn't want to hand over power and wants to rebel?" The word 'rebellion' hit Lu Xun hard in his heart.  He suddenly understood that it must be because of Sun Shao's affairs. The Lu family's secret support for Sun Shao was revealed, which caused the anger and suspicion of Wu Hou, who wanted to deprive him of his military power. When he went to Pengze to see Wu Hou a few days ago,  , I was a little worried that this matter was a hidden danger. Marquis Wu didn't mention it at that time, and I was secretly grateful. I didn't expect that it would eventually break out at the most critical time of my siege.  Lu Xun felt a sense of sadness in his heart. Before fighting against foreign forces, one should first settle the internal affairs. If the internal situation is unstable, how can one fight externally?  The internal power struggle will definitely become the root of Jiangdong's defeat. He lowered his head sadly, took off the commander's sword from his waist, knelt down on one knee, and presented it to Zhou Tai along with the commander's seal. He said in a deep voice: "Lu Boyan is loyal.  As for Wu Hou, I have no intention of rebelliousness. The heaven above can tell me what to do!" Zhou Tai took the sword and the seal, and his heart was full of sympathy for Lu Xun. His voice became softer, "Bo Yan, don't be too depressed, let's deal with the situation!  Tell Wu Hou clearly, and I believe Wu Hou will give Boyan justice." Lu Xun smiled bitterly in his heart. The Lu family was indeed involved in the Sun Shao case, and it was related to the position of the monarch of Jiangdong. How could Sun Quan give him so-called justice?  Justice, this kind of violence has always been bloody. It would be better to kill a thousand people by mistake than to let one person go. Sun Quan would be lucky if he didn't kill himself. Thinking of this, Lu Xun couldn't help but secretly regret in his heart. If he had known that the matter was so serious, he would have died in the morning.  It's time to take the order and withdraw the troops. Now I'm afraid it's hard for him to tell the truth.  However, Lu Xun was more concerned about the war situation now. He asked Zhou Tai again, "Excuse me, General Zhou, is Wu Hou's order to continue the attack or to withdraw immediately?" Zhou Tai shook his head and said: "It is neither an attack nor a withdrawal, but to stand still and wait for Wu Hou."  The next order comes, but I personally estimate that the troops will be withdrawn. Wu Hou has no intention of fighting anymore. " "Then what should I do?" Lu Xun asked again.  "General Lu, please go see Wu Hou immediately, but you will have to wrong General Lu." Lu Xun never imagined that Zhou Tai's wronged himself was to put him into a prison car, put on shackles, and rushed to Nanchang County overnight. Lu Xun  Sitting in the prison car, he felt infinitely sad. When the prison car started, he looked up to the sky and let out a long sigh. Jiangdong Army was completely defeated in this battle.  The prison car traveled all the way east, followed by hundreds of Sun Quan's guards on horseback. They were very vigilant and looked around the official road from time to time. The guards were not worried about enemy attacks, but worried that Lu Xun's personal soldiers would come to intercept the prison car. At the first watch, the prison car  After walking for thirty miles, a shallow river appeared in front of me. It was Yushui. The river was two feet wide and the water was only knee-deep. You could wade across the river directly. There was a forest on the other side of the river. You could go to Yushui along Yushui.  county.  At this moment, drums suddenly sounded loudly in the woods, and fires ignited all around. An army came out from each side, led by two young generals. They were Guan Xing and Zhang Bao who were operating in the periphery. The Jiaozhou Army surrounded them.  More than a hundred guards were stunned. At the third watch, Zhang Bao led dozens of Jiaozhou Army cavalry to take Lu Xun, who was blindfolded and had his hands tied behind his back, to the west gate of Xinwu County. He shouted to the defenders on the city: "I am Zhang Bao.  There is important information to report to the military advisor. Please open the door quickly!" After a while, the suspension bridge was lowered and the city gate opened. Zhang Bao led his men into the city gate. The county government hall was brightly lit. Zhuge Liang got the information and immediately went to the hall to meet Zhang Bao and Guan Yu.  He and Zhang Fei also came after hearing the news. Lu Xun's hands were tied behind his back and his head turned to the other side without looking at Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang was overjoyed after reading the confession of Sun Quan's guards. There was internal strife in Jiangdong Army. This was a God-given opportunity for them.  He handed the confession to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, then smiled at Lu Xun and said, "Bo Yan didn't expect that things would change so much! In the end, he actually came to Xinwucheng." Lu Xun snorted coldly and said nothing.  After hearing this, Zhuge Liang smiled and said: "Don't worry, Boyan. I won't ask you for any information. I know the situation in your army very well. In fact, you only have two days of rations left."You want to go all out and seize Xinwu County to get supplies from us. Unfortunately, God is not as good as God. You still can't escape Sun Quan's suspicion. If I am not wrong, it should be your Lu family who has changed their stance and finally got you involved.  .  " Zhuge Liang also heard about what happened in Jiangdong, but he didn't know much. Half of it was testing Lu Xun. Lu Xun said coldly: "Why are you talking so much nonsense? Kill or behead, it's up to you!  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 748 Defeat of Yuzhang

    Zhuge Liang was not annoyed and still smiled and said: "Of course I won't kill you, but our temple in Jiaozhou is too small to accommodate a great god like you. I will send you to Jingzhou. I believe His Highness the King of Han will be very interested in you.  "Zhuge Liang waved his hand and ordered his men to take Lu Xun down. At this time, Guan Yu frowned and said, "The military advisor really intends to hand over Lu Xun to Liu Jing?" Zhuge Liang nodded, "Lu Xun is Sun Ce's son-in-law and a member of the Jiangdong Army.  He is an important figure and has some relationship with Liu Jing by marriage. His dismissal this time must be due to something big happening within Jiangdong. If I am not mistaken, the internal strife within Jiangdong is also related to Liu Jing. He has been plotting against Jiangdong for many years, including  The use of our power to attack Jiangdong this time is actually part of Liu Jing's plan. This is Liu Jing's chess game and we cannot participate. " Zhuge Liang knew very well that they and Jiangdong's army were just pawns on Liu Jing's chessboard.  Liu Jing is the chess player, and he will never tolerate the Jiaozhou Army becoming a chess player. Zhuge Liang knows this.  Guan Yu understood what the military advisor meant and couldn't help but sigh. There was a huge gap between them and the Han army in terms of strength. When would they be able to catch up with the Han army? At this time, Zhang Fei said excitedly: "Since there is internal strife between the Jiangdong Army and its ministers, we  Can we take this opportunity to defeat the enemy? " Zhuge Liang laughed and said, "This is what we should pay attention to. Now is indeed a good opportunity. How should we seize this opportunity? I have an idea. The two generals consulted for details.  He took a few steps with his hands behind his back and said, "If I'm not mistaken, Jiangdong Army will definitely evacuate before dawn. Although they stole the camp while they were sleeping to compare with me, I think they will launch an attack when they are about to evacuate.  , is the best time, because at this time, they can escape and have no intention of fighting. We can defeat the enemy at the lowest cost." Guan Yu and Zhang Fei looked at each other and said in unison: "Please give the order!"  At the fifth watch, it was still dark, but the soldiers of Jiangdong Army got up one after another, started to pack their bags, and prepared to withdraw. The camp was busy. Changing commanders before battle has always been a taboo in the army. The Battle of Changping in the Warring States Period was  Because the king of Zhao fell into Qin's counter-insurgency plan and replaced veteran general Lian Po with Zhao Kuo, which ultimately led to Changping's tragic defeat.  It was the same this time. Sun Quan fell into Liu Jing's counterintuitive plan, changed his commander before the battle, and imprisoned Lu Xun, which greatly damaged the morale of the Jiangdong Army. Affected by the dismissal of the commander Lu Xun, the morale of the Jiangdong soldiers was generally low, and the military was tired of war.  They all just wanted to leave for home as soon as possible and not continue fighting.  This war-weary mood spread from top to bottom to every corner of the military camp. Various gossips spread in the army, but the most convincing rumor was that Lu Xun supported Sun Shao, the eldest son of General Polu, and was dismissed. Wu  The county has become independent and supports Sun Shao as the leader. Kuaiji has also established itself and supports Sun Ben as the leader. Three Wu masters have appeared in Jiangdong. I don¡¯t know who spread the news, but starting from yesterday afternoon, it has spread throughout the military camp.  It made people in the army panic.  Zhou Tai led more than a hundred people to inspect the military camp. He was under great pressure. He knew that the morale of the army was unstable and could not wait any longer. The troops must withdraw immediately. The reason why Zhou Tai chose to withdraw at the fifth watch was because it was the time of the fifth watch.  The deepest moment of sleep is the best time to withdraw. They must evacuate Xinwu County before the Jiaozhou Army can react.  Seeing the chaos in the military camp, Zhou Tai couldn't help but frowned and ordered: "Order to break out of the camp quickly and set off in half an hour!" At this moment, there was a strange noise outside the southern military camp in the distance, and then a commotion broke out, faintly.  Hearing someone yelling, Zhou Tai said angrily: "What's going on? There's such a noise!" A moment later, a soldier stumbled over and shouted: "Enemy troops have appeared outside the southern camp and are attacking the camp!"  "Ah!" Zhou Tai was shocked. Before he could react, flames broke out in the Western Army Camp, and the shouts of killing were loud. At this time, the enemy troops had already entered the camp. Zhou Tai was so shocked that his scalp exploded. This was the enemy army.  Stealing the camp happens at the moment when they are least prepared.  Zhou Tai was so anxious that he turned around and ran towards the Chinese army's tent, shouting: "Gather the army to resist the enemy." At this time, there was chaos in the Jiangdong military camp. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu each led 6,000 troops from the south.  He Ximian rushed into the Jiangdong Army's camp. They arrived very suddenly. When the sentry found out, they had already reached the base of the camp, catching Jiangdong Army off guard.  Twelve thousand Jiaozhou troops suddenly killed each other in the camp and set fire everywhere. The Jiangdong camp was in chaos. The soldiers had no intention of resisting and ran eastward abandoning their helmets and armor. The morale of the Jiangdong Army was already very low.  The camp made them even more frightened. In just a moment, the morale of Jiangdong Army finally collapsed. The soldiers began to flee on a large scale, scrambling for the first place, pushing and trampling each other, and shouting loudly.  Guan Yu raised the Qinglong Yanyue Sword and shouted loudly: "Kill me!" Jiaozhou ArmyThe soldiers swept towards the retreating Jiangdong Army like a storm. Jiangdong soldiers could not escape for their lives, so they knelt down and surrendered, begging for their lives.  In the autumn of the 19th year of Jian'an, the military morale crisis caused by Jiangdong Army's change of command before the battle finally led to Jiangdong Army's disastrous defeat and the camp was stolen by Jiaozhou Army. More than 40,000 soldiers collapsed. The Jiaozhou Army pursued them all the way, killing 5,000 enemies and capturing more than 20,000 prisoners.  In the end, only more than 15,000 people fled back to Nanchang County.  The disastrous defeat in the Battle of Xinwu County completely changed the pattern of Yuzhang County. Jiangdong Army changed from military initiative to passive. At the Nanchang County dock, Zhang Zhao quickly walked onto Sun Quan's five thousand stone boat. His steps were not easy, but  It seemed a bit heavy. It's no wonder that Zhang Zhao also received news of the defeat in Xinwu County. It was said that it was related to the replacement of Lu Xun, which made Zhang Zhao secretly sigh.  He also knew why Sun Quan wanted to replace Lu Xun, which was related to the changes in the political situation in Jiangdong. He didn't understand why the Lu family would support Sun Shao at this critical moment. This was obviously putting Lu Xun on the fire. After thinking about it, he could only come to one conclusion:  That is, the situation in Jiangdong is much more serious than they imagined.  Zhang Zhao is also very worried about the split of Jiangdong. After all, he also participated in the process of establishing the Jiangdong regime and has deep feelings for Jiangdong. If Jiangdong splits, he would find it difficult to accept it.  Zhang Zhao quickened his pace and came to the second floor of the cabin, where Sun Quan handled official business. He happened to meet Yilang Zhang Wen head-on. Zhang Wen was also an important figure in the Wuyue sect and was married to the Gu family and the Lu family. At the same time, he  He is also the master of Sun Quan's eldest son, Sun Deng. This time he is serving as an aide.  Although Zhang Zhao¡¯s northern faction and the Wuyue faction usually fought fiercely, and they would just say hello casually when they met, this time Xinwu County was defeated, Jiangdong faced the humiliation of foreign enemies, and there was no such barrier as usual between the two factions.  Zhang Zhao stepped forward and asked in a low voice: "How is Marquis Wu now?" Zhang Wen quickly raised his hands and said: "Fortunately, he is relatively calm and his mood swings are not big." Zhang Zhao was immediately relieved, but after thinking about it, Sun Quan was defeated.  With more wins and fewer wins, it is estimated that his mentality has gradually become stronger and he will not be easily knocked down again.  He smiled and bowed his hands, then walked quickly to Sun Quan's cabin. When he reached the door of the cabin, a guard immediately reported: "To the Marquis of Wu, Military Advisor Zhang is here." "Please come in!" Sun Quan's tone was quite calm.  , which made Zhang Zhao feel more at ease.  He walked into the cabin and saw Sun Quan standing in front of the Jiangdong sand table with his hands behind his hands, staring at the sand table without saying a word. This made Zhang Zhao immediately realize that Sun Quan was probably not concerned about the outcome of the battle, but the situation in Jiangdong. He quickly  He stepped forward and saluted, "I am here to see the Marquis of Wu!" Sun Quan glanced back at him and said lightly: "Does the military advisor know about the defeat of Xinwu County?" Zhang Zhao was slightly startled when he heard Sun Quan's understatement.  Calm, it's not like he doesn't care about it so much. What is Wu Hou thinking?  He didn't have time to think about it and quickly replied: "We already know it." "What do you think of this defeat?" "Excuse me, veteran, but this defeat is mainly due to our hasty advance and unpreparedness to deal with the Jiaozhou Army.  Although Zhang Zhao knew that the root cause of the defeat was Sun Quan's excessive interference and unwarranted suspicion, he could not say this. After all, Sun Quan was a monarch and must be punished.  He left some names and could only wait to persuade him later, so Zhang Zhao finally avoided the key issues and just talked about some unfavorable factors that surfaced on the surface.  Sun Quan nodded, smiled bitterly and said: "Although we were defeated twice, the losses were not very serious. I have just received information from Chaisang. The more than 10,000 people captured in Yu County last time have been taken to Chaisang by the Han army."  Sang, it is estimated that Zhuge Liang will also hand over the captured soldiers to Liu Jing this time. After all, we have an alliance with Liu Jing. No matter how intrigues are, we still have to have a superficial harmony. I believe Liu Jing will release these prisoners of war back to Jiangdong.  Whether he said he was winning people's hearts or showing favor to us, at least more than 30,000 prisoners of war could return home. Overall, I only lost less than 20,000 people in this Western Expedition. " Zhang Zhao.  Only then did I understand the reason why Sun Quan was not too affected. It turned out that he was placing his hope on Liu Jing, which was not what a monarch should think.  At this time, Sun Quan said again: "Frankly speaking, this defeat was indeed due to low morale and low military morale, but why was morale low? The root cause was that there was an internal problem in Jiangdong. I heard that the day before the withdrawal,  There are rumors in the military camp that Jiangdong has been divided and there are three Wu masters. Someone is deliberately spreading the rumors! Who could do it? "Zhang Zhao shook his head, "Wei Chen can't think of it!" "Yes!  It was indeed unexpected, because something strange happened before. Lu Ming, an important figure in the Lu family, came to find Lu Xun and rushed to Xinwu County. I sent people to chase him, but he failed to catch up and picked up Lu Xun.??He disappeared mysteriously, along with a hundred of my guards. Of course, he might have been captured, but I always feel that his disappearance is related to Lu Ming, and the rumors in the army are also related to this Lu Ming.  " Sun Quan's guess was not wrong. The rumors in the army were indeed related to Lu Ming, but his starting point was wrong. He never thought that this so-called 'Lu Ming' was not the real Lu Ming, but from Chai  The pretender who came here won¡¯t realize until Sun Quan returns to Jiangdong that he has fallen into a conspiracy. ¡°Then what should we do now?  Does Wu Hou still want to continue fighting?  "Zhang Zhao was silent for a moment and asked. Sun Quan let out a long sigh, "Although I am unwilling to give in, my military spirit has no fighting spirit. I can only rush back to Jiangdong to deal with internal troubles first. If internal troubles are not peaceful, why fight against foreign forces?  I have ordered Lu Meng to abandon Jingnan and rush back to Pengze by boat immediately. We must also withdraw our troops to Pengze immediately. As for the two counties of Yuzhang and Poyang, I have to let them go temporarily and wait until the internal troubles are dealt with before sending out troops.  Take it back.  Zhang Zhao thought for a moment and said, "Wei Chen has a suggestion. I wonder if Wu Hou can accept it?"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 749 Three-Party Wrestling (Part 1)

    "Military advisor, feel free to speak out!" In fact, Sun Quan knew in his heart that this defeat was indeed related to his temporary change of commanders, but he could not admit it, and there was nothing wrong with the temporary change of commanders. After all, the Lu family had already leaned towards Sun Shao, so he had so much control  Lu Xun, who was in military power, was very dangerous. He might launch a mutiny at any time. No matter which monarch he was, in this case, he would not hesitate to change his commander.  It was precisely because of this idea that Sun Quan didn't care much about the defeat in Xinwu County. Zhang Zhao was obviously very considerate of his difficulties, which made Sun Quan very satisfied, and his attitude towards Zhang Zhao became amiable.  Zhang Zhao bowed and said: "Wei Chen is thinking about what position Jingzhou is in this battle. Are they really just sitting idly by? Wei Chen very much suspects that they are supporting the Jiaozhou Army behind the scenes. Our defeat this time is very likely to end with Jiaozhou Army."  They are related. "Sun Quan took a few steps with his hands behind his back. He had actually considered this issue and had doubts about it, but he had no evidence. The more important thing was that he could not fall out with Liu Jing because it was related to the release of Jiangdong prisoners of war. In this case,  They can only try their best to please Jingzhou, but they can never accuse. Even if there is evidence, they can only endure this tone, let alone there is no evidence.  Sun Quan smiled bitterly and said: "Suspicion is suspicion, but without evidence, we can't say anything. Are the military advisors suggesting that we find evidence?" "No! No!" Zhang Zhao quickly shook his head, "Weichen didn't mean that, Weichen did.  It was suggested that the status of Yuzhang County and Poyang County should be clarified with Jingzhou. Wei Chen suspected that Liu Jing would soon take the opportunity to expand eastward. Sun Quan frowned and asked, "Will Liu Jing do this?" Zhang Zhao nodded with certainty.  He said in a tone of voice: "We have been dealing with Liu Jing for many years. This person took advantage of our Western Expedition to occupy the entire Jiangxia when he was in Chaisang. He is very good at taking advantage of the situation. Now that he has signed an armistice agreement with Cao Cao, it stands to reason that the current  The situation in the Central Plains was favorable to him, but he stopped attacking the Central Plains. On the one hand, he wanted to attack the Qiang and Di and consolidate the occupation of Guanlong. But on the other hand, it was probably because he wanted to attack the south and expand the south's sphere of influence.  I have been thinking about it for the past few days and have gradually understood Liu Jing's thinking. "Go on!" Sun Quan said with a solemn expression.  Zhang Zhao walked to the map on the wall, picked up the wooden stick and pointed it at Jingnan and said: "Liu Jing set a trap for us from the beginning and generously assigned Jingnan to us, nominally to deal with it together."  Cao Cao, but in fact we didn't do anything. Looking back at the battle of Chibi, when Wei Chen and Jingzhou were negotiating Jingnan, Liu Jing had a very tough attitude towards Jingnan. This shows how important Jingnan is to him, so Wei Chen  I am sure he has set a trap." Zhang Zhao pointed his wooden pole at Jiaozhou and continued: "The reason why Liu Jing dared to set this trap is because he knew the situation in Jiaozhou well. He knew that Liu Bei had unified Jiaozhou and was eager to march north.  But he was afraid of the Han army, so he gave Jingnan to us, which also gave Liu Bei a chance. "Sun Quan nodded silently. It seemed that this was indeed the case. Liu Jing's foresight was still not as good as that of Sun Quan. Sun Quan sighed.  , "Military advisor, please continue!" Zhang Zhao added: "Yuzhang County was actually assigned to Jingzhou after the war in the 14th year of Jian'an, but in the end Liu Jing returned it to us. It can't be said that he didn't want it, it's just that  Because the time to annex Yuzhang is not yet ripe, he will give it back to us. Now that the territory of Han has expanded to an unprecedented extent, and its strength is as strong as that of Cao Cao, the time is ripe for them to annex Yuzhang County, but it is only hindered by two obstacles.  He did not want to break his moral promise in the covenant relationship between the two countries. In this case, the best way was to let Jiaozhou occupy the two counties of Yuzhang and Poyang, and then he would take it away from the Jiaozhou army and use the U.S.  It's called defending the alliance between the two countries, but I believe he will never return it to Jiangdong. In fact, we and Jiaozhou are two pawns in his chess game. " Sun Quan is very helpless. He already knows.  He was being manipulated by Liu Jing, but he had no choice but to do so. However, Sun Quan was still unwilling to accept it and asked, "What can the military advisor do to avoid this outcome?" Zhang Zhao thought for a while and said, "Unless it's using  Otherwise, Liu Jing would never let go of the fat in his mouth easily. However, Wei Chen couldn't tell for the moment what kind of benefits he would exchange for. However, Wei Chen suggested that Zijing could talk to Liu Jing again.  Talk to him, get to know his details, and also ask Liu Jing to ensure that Lu Meng's army can withdraw smoothly. "But last time Liu Jing refused to see Zijing, can Zijing see him this time?" Sun Quan asked worriedly.  road.  Zhang Zhao smiled slightly and said, "This is the same moment, and I believe that I will definitely see Liu Jing this time." Sun Quan pondered for a moment, and Zhang Zhao was right. Instead of worrying here in vain, it is better to go out and take advantage of the alliance's greatest relationship.  Fight for the rights and interests of Jiangdong as much as possible. Yuzhang and Poyang are very important to Jiangdong. He can no longer sit still and wait for death. Thinking of this, Sun Quan resolutely ordered: "Invite the Governor of Lu immediately"Come on!  ¡± News of the Jiaozhou Army¡¯s victory in Xinwu County soon reached Chaisang. At this time, Liu Jing was still in Chaisang. Although the result was within his expectation, the process of the Jiaozhou Army¡¯s victory over the Jiangdong Army made Liu Jing confused.  With a little worry, Zhuge Liang chose an extremely clever time, not when Jiangdong's army was sleeping, but when Jiangdong's army was preparing to retreat. At this time, Jiangdong's army had no intention of fighting and was about to collapse at the first touch. It can be seen from this that  Zhuge Liang's intelligence was extraordinary. This made Liu Jing stop underestimating the enemy. In fact, he did not send Huang Zhong to lead an army of 50,000 to garrison in Lingling. Huang Zhong was still in Bajun, and the Jingzhou army was mainly stationed in Xiangyang.  , He only put pressure on the other party in order to get Zhuge Liang to hand over the prisoners of war to him. Of course, Liu Jing would not set up another enemy just to attack one enemy. It was impossible for him to let Liu Bei expand northward. That would never suit him.  He hoped that Liu Bei would focus on running Jiaozhou and take good care of Jiaozhou for himself. Once Liu Bei focused on expanding northward, his limited resources would not be used on running Jiaozhou Army.  A chess piece on his chess game, now that the chess piece has completed its mission, it is time to drive it off the chess board. On the night when Liu Jing received the battle report from Xinwu County, he secretly issued an order, ordering Huang Zhong to immediately  Rushing to Nanjun, he mobilized 30,000 troops from Xiangyang and Bajun to assemble in the direction of Jiangling. At the same time, he transferred the Jingzhou navy to Chaisang to prepare for his final move. All war deployments are proceeding in an orderly manner, but in Xiangjiaozhou.  Before the army declared war, he still needed to negotiate with Jiaozhou, such as transferring all Jiangdong prisoners of war to Jiangxia. These Jiangdong prisoners of war were very important to him. When he visited Jiangdong, he received a warm welcome. The people of Jiangdong were deeply grateful to him.  It has something to do with when he released the prisoners of war in Jiangdong. The Sun family has been managing Jiangdong for three generations, and its influence has been deeply rooted in Jiangdong. Even if Jiangdong rebels, it is just an internal conflict between the Sun family. He, Liu Jing, wants to seize it from the Sun family.  Jiangdong must win over the people of Jiangdong in advance, and the release of prisoners of war is a good entry point. More than 10,000 prisoners of war in Jiangdong were placed in military camps outside Chaisang City, guarded by three thousand Han troops led by General Shen Mi.  This was the original camp of the Jiangxia Army, which could accommodate tens of thousands of people. Due to the large reduction in the Chaisang garrison, this military camp was abandoned. It was not reopened until Liu Jing, accompanied by General Shen Mi, was used to house Jiangdong Army prisoners of war.  Next, he was inspecting the prisoner-of-war camp. The prisoner-of-war camp was orderly and not chaotic. Shen Mi introduced to Liu Jing: "Although the prisoners of war are relatively calm for the time being, this is only because they have temporarily got rid of the fear of being taken to Jiaozhou.  In fact, the prisoners of war are still very uneasy. As time goes by, trouble may still arise.  " "What are they worried about?  "Liu Jing asked with a smile. "The main reason is that they are worried about being sent to the mines and not being able to return to their hometowns. I feel that these prisoners of war are very war-weary and eager to return to their hometowns to reunite with their families. Especially at night, they will sing Wu songs, and the entire military camp will be together.  When singing, the mood is very sad.  Liu Jing nodded, "I came to inspect today just to solve these problems. You go and gather all the prisoners of war, and I want to lecture them."  " "I humble my duty and obey my orders!"  " Shen Mi hurried away. After a while, the rumble of war drums sounded in the prisoner-of-war camp. This was an order to assemble. Groups of prisoners of war ran out of the barracks. Under the scolding of the guarding soldiers, they quickly assembled on the training ground.  After a while, more than 12,000 people had gathered. At this time, Liu Jing stepped onto the two-foot-high military parade platform. He looked at the densely packed Jiangdong soldiers below and said loudly: "Brothers from Jiangdong, first.  Let me introduce myself, I am Liu Jing, King of Han Dynasty. I believe everyone has heard of me, and many people have seen me. Today I am here to visit you.  " The 12,000 prisoners of war were silent, each with a solemn expression. Most of them knew Liu Jing. Seeing that everyone was nervous, Liu Jing smiled and said: "Actually, I am half Jiangdong. I am Jiangdong's son-in-law.  Well!  Isn't there a saying in Jiangdong that if a son-in-law is half a son, if I marry your Princess Shangxiang, the identity of the Jiangdong half-son cannot be escaped.  " The relaxed words made everyone laugh. Liu Jing was right. Everyone thought of Princess Shangxiang, and they couldn't help but have a glimmer of hope in their hearts. Even if Liu Jing refused to let them go, Princess Shangxiang would definitely help them. At this time  , Liu Jing waved his hands, and the training ground became quiet again. Liu Jing said loudly: "I heard that many brothers are worried about being sent to the mines. I want to make it clear to everyone today. First of all, you are not prisoners of war of the Han army. You are prisoners of war."  Prisoners of the Jiaozhou Army, I used huge benefits to exchange you from the hands of the Jiaozhou Army, because I couldn't bear to have you taken to Jiaozhou and never see your parents, wives and children again. I rescued you from the hands of the Jiaozhou Army.  " When Liu Jing said this, many people's eyes turned red, and many Jiangdong soldiers even cried softly.Getting up, Liu Jing saw that his emotions were aroused, and continued: "Secondly, the Han Dynasty has abolished the practice of using prisoners of war to mine, so you can rest assured that I will not send you to the mines. I will send you back to your hometown to reunite with your family."  , will be implemented after the war is over. Please wait patiently, take good care of yourself, and strive to go home as soon as possible." The prisoners of war suddenly became excited, and someone shouted, "Long live the King of Han!" This immediately aroused the excitement of more than 10,000 people!  Resonating, they shouted together, "Long live the King of Han! Long live!" The shouts resounded through the sky and went straight into the sky. Everyone's shouts came from the heart, and almost everyone shed tears of gratitude.  This was exactly the effect Liu Jing needed. He turned around and said to the generals: "The human heart is made of flesh. Don't think they are Jiangdong Army soldiers today, but they will be my people tomorrow. We must treat them well." Liu Jing said to them again.  Liao Li ordered: "Gongyuan wants to organize a group of scholars to come to the military camp to write family letters for them. All their family letters must be sent to their families, so that their gratitude can be spread to the hearts of their families. You understand me.  "What do you mean?" Everyone bowed and said: "Yes!" At this time, a soldier hurriedly ran over and knelt down to report: "Your Majesty, Jiangdong Army envoy Lu Su and Jiaozhou Army envoy Yang Yi are at the same time.  Upon arrival, everyone is waiting outside the city.¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 750 Three-Party Wrestling (Part 2)

    An embarrassing scene occurred at Chaisang Pier. Lu Su, the envoy from Jiangdong, and Yang Yi, the envoy from Jiaozhou, arrived at the same time. Both ships were moored at Chaisang Pier, but the two envoys stood aside, sneered with their hands behind their hands, and ignored each other.  who.  At this time, Pang Tong hurriedly came out of the city, greeted Yang Yi first, and asked him to go into the city to rest. The king of Han was currently going to the countryside to inspect and would be back soon. Then Pang Tong went to see Lu Su again and said, "Please wait for a while."  " Lu Su cupped his hands and said with a smile: "It should be difficult for Military Advisor Pang. Both sides have to deal with it. " Although Pang Tong went to meet Yang Yi first, Lu Su didn't care. Lu Su is a wise and foolish type.  He is a little slow, but actually he is not. He knows the tasks he shoulders and does not care who comes first. He cares more about whether Liu Jing is there or not Chai Sang.  Lu Su asked cautiously again: "Is His Highness the King of Han at Chaisang?" "It's a coincidence that Zijing came here this time. His Highness the King of Han happens to be at Chaisang." Pang Tong said with a slight smile.  Lu Su was overjoyed. As expected by Zhang Zhao, Liu Jing finally showed up this time, but his mind changed again. Is it really as Zhang Zhao guessed, was Liu Jing really going to end the chess game?  Yang Yi was led to the post house to rest, but Lu Su followed Pang Tong directly to the Chaisang County Yamen. The front of the Chaisang County Yamen was filled with heavily armed elite soldiers, murderous and heavily guarded. From this, it can be seen that Liu  Jing is actually in the official office, and Yang Yi will understand in her heart. She just wants to meet her first and then to find an excuse to save everyone's face.  Lu Su was led directly into the county government office. On the way into the city, Lu Su tried to get some news out of Pang Tong several times, but Pang Tong laughed and refused to answer. This made Lu Su full of worry. He had already vaguely felt that the situation  It is developing as Zhang Zhao's guess, but it is an unbearable result for Jiangdong. It is better that Yuzhang and Poyang counties are occupied by the Jiaozhou Army, so that they can be recaptured sooner or later. If they are occupied by Jingzhou, it will be impossible to recapture them by force.  , unless Jingzhou himself is willing to give up, then who knows what price Jiangdong will have to pay.  Walking directly into the inner hall, he saw a huge sand table placed on the inner hall, and Liu Jing was standing in front of the sand table with her hands behind her hands. Lu Su quickly stepped forward and bowed, "See you, Your Highness, the King of Han!" "Zijing, it's been a long time."  Gone." Liu Jing smiled and said, "I heard that Zijing went to Jiangling. I happened to be away, so I asked Zijing to go there in vain. I heard that he was scolded by Wu Hou. I was really sorry." Lu Su secretly smiled bitterly, and Liu Jing became more and more sad.  The more tactful he became, he was obviously teasing himself, but now he was telling the truth, but he had no choice but to shake his head and said: "It's because Wu Hou didn't understand the situation, because Lu Su went abruptly, and it's reasonable for His Highness to be away."  "Liu Jing took a deep look at him and smiled gently: "Zijing and I have been friends for many years. I know that Zijing is a kind person, and I can't bear to bully each other. I try my best to treat each other with sincerity and not let him go.  Jing Bai just came." Lu Su couldn't help but be touched by Liu Jing's sincerity, and he quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for your sincerity!" "Please sit down!" Liu Jing asked Lu Su to sit down, and Pang Tong also sat down with him.  On the side, there were soldiers serving them tea. Liu Jing picked up the tea bowl and took a sip of tea, and said slowly: "I heard that the situation in Jiangdong is not good!" Lu Su knew that Liu Jing's intelligence point in Jiangdong was very powerful, and the depth and breadth of the intelligence he obtained  Even Wu Hou himself does not know the information he has. Lu Su asked worriedly: "Can you please tell me, your highness, how serious the situation in Jiangdong is?" "I'm afraid the situation in Jiangdong is serious.  External forces have intervened. I might as well tell Zijing that Cao Cao sent 30,000 more troops to Hefei half a month ago. Cao Cao's troops in Hefei have reached 80,000. In addition, I just received a message from Fei Ge. Cao Cao left Ye the day before yesterday.  They all went south and their whereabouts are unknown. In this situation, it is unwise for Wu Hou to rush to the west!" Lu Su was shocked. They didn't know this information. Thinking that Sun Ben and Cao Cao were relatives, they were so angry last time.  After catching Chen Jiao in Sun Ben's mansion, there was no doubt that Sun Ben was colluding with Cao Cao. Lu Su lowered his head, feeling very heavy in his heart. The situation in Jiangdong had become so serious. If Sun Ben rebelled in Kuaiji County, Cao Cao would definitely  Attacking Jiangdong from the north will cause internal and external troubles, and the Jiangdong regime will be difficult to protect.  Thinking of this, Lu Su bowed to Liu Jing and choked with sobs: "I implore His Highness the King of Han to send troops to rescue Jiangdong for the sake of the covenant and Princess Shangxiang." Liu Jing nodded, "Jingzhou and Jiangdong not only formed the relationship between Qin and Jin  Well, we are still in a state of mutual dependence. If Jiangdong is destroyed by Cao Cao, Jingzhou will also be in danger. Please tell Zijing to tell Wu Hou to let him do his best to quell the internal troubles, and Cao Jun will be dealt with by me." "This speech is very touching. If  Lu Su didn't understand Liu Jing and would have been moved to tears, but Lu Su understood Liu Jing's deeper meaning. The Han army was about to intervene in the internal strife in Jiangdong. I'm afraid the final result would not be like that of Wu Hou.He wished, but if the Han army did not take action, Jiangdong would be in danger again, so Lu Su felt grateful and helpless at the same time.  At this time, it seemed a bit inappropriate for him to mention Yuzhang County and Poyang County again. Lu Su hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to speak.  Liu Jing saw through the entanglement in Lu Su's heart and smiled again: "As for Yuzhang County and Poyang County, I will not allow Jiaozhou to occupy it. This is also a threat to Jingzhou. I will drive Zhuge Liang back to Jiaozhou. Zijing can tell  Marquis Wu, don't worry too much about Yuzhang County." Lu Su bit his lips and said, "As long as His Highness the King of Han can protect Yuzhang County and Poyang County for Jiangdong, Wu Hou agrees to return Jingnan to Jingzhou. No other conditions will apply.  As long as Wu Hou can do it, we can all agree." Liu Jing laughed and said, "We can talk about these things later! The situation is complicated now. We should prioritize and resolve the immediate crisis first. I will send Lu Meng's fleet as soon as possible.  In addition, I will also find a way to get the prisoners of war from the Jiangdong Army back to the Jiaozhou Army. In short, I will do my best. " Lu Su sighed in his heart. This time, Jiangdong was really held in the palm of Liu Jing's hands, but he  Having no choice but to express his gratitude, he bowed again and said, "His Royal Highness the King of Han has shown great kindness to Jiangdong. Lu Su would like to thank the Marquis of Wu first." Lu Su was led down, and Pang Tong, who had been silent, asked:  "Does Your Highness really want to send troops to deal with Cao Cao?" Liu Jing smiled faintly, "I originally set up this game of chess, and I was the only one playing the game. Now that Cao Cao sees that Jiangdong has an opportunity to take advantage of it, he also wants to take a share of the pie. That is to say  , there is another chess player, since Cao Cao wants to play this game of chess with me, why not?" Pang Tong shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "The situation is getting more complicated, your highness's game is too big." "  In fact, it is not complicated at all. As long as I am fully prepared, everything can be done calmly." At this time, a soldier reported: "Your Highness, Lu Xun has arrived." Lu Xun arrived with Yang Yi, and Zhuge Liang decided to hand him over.  To Liu Jing, but Lu Su didn't know. Liu Jing also deliberately concealed the matter. He no longer wanted to hand Lu Xun over to Sun Quan. He nodded, "Invite him in!" After a moment, Lu Xun was led in.  In the inner hall, he wore a plain scarf and a cloth robe. He looked like a scholar from a poor family. Lu Xun stepped forward and saw Liu Jing and Pang Tong sitting on their seats. He also knelt down and bowed.  "Lu Xun of Wu County pays homage to His Highness the King of Han!" "Bo Yan, please excuse me!" Lu Xun sat up straight and said: "Thank you, Your Highness, for saving me from falling into Jiaozhou. Lu Xun is deeply grateful for Your Highness's kindness." Liu Jing smiled slightly.  , "I am also related by marriage to the Lu family. Speaking of which, Boyan and I are also brothers-in-law. How could I not save him from death? I wonder what Boyan's plans are? Are you still planning to go back and be loyal to the Marquis of Wu?" Lu Xun has already fallen in love with Sun Quan.  Frustrated, he shook his head and said: "Marquis Wu is narrow-minded and has no tolerance for others. He has completely failed in the strategy of the world. Following him will only be a fish in the abyss. I will no longer be loyal to him."  "Does Boyan want to be loyal to Sun Shao?" Liu Jing asked again.  Lu Xun categorically denied, "If I were loyal to Sun Shao, wouldn't it confirm Wu Hou's suspicions? I, Lu Xun, am responsible for the defeat of Xin Wu. I just want to return to my hometown to farm and study, and hope that your highness will succeed." Liu Jing is actually  He wanted Lu Xun to be loyal to him, but he also knew that the time was not ripe yet, so he could not act too hastily and had to take his time. He pondered for a while and then said: "Bo Yan can come and go freely, and I will not stop him. However, I have a word of advice. Please  Boyan, think twice." "I would like to hear His Majesty's advice." Liu Jing stood up and walked slowly in the lobby with her hands behind her hands, and said slowly, "As far as I know, the situation in Jiangdong is very delicate and complicated.  has turned to support Sun Shao, and most of the wealthy officials in Wu County have expressed their stance, including the Lu family. Boyan must also know this, followed by Kuaiji County. He Qi holds military power and has the support of the Shanyue people. He supports Sun Bi as the leader.  , Jianye¡¯s control over Kuaiji County has existed in name only. If my prediction is correct, as soon as the news of Wu Hou¡¯s defeat reaches Jiangdong, Wu County and Kuaiji County will immediately raise flags for rebellion. If Boyan returns to Jiangdong at this time, I am afraid he will immediately be involved in the rebellion.  Being caught up in right and wrong and wanting to study behind closed doors is probably just Boyan's wishful thinking." Lu Xun lowered his head and said nothing. He knew that Liu Jing was right, and this would indeed be the result. After a while, he sighed softly, "The best in the world.  Is there no place for me, Lu Xun?" Liu Jing laughed, "Actually, I admire the scenery of Jiangdong very much, but it's a pity that there is no one around me who understands it carefully. If Boyan doesn't dislike it, he can become a doctor under my account.  "How can Lu Xun not know Liu Jing's thoughts after he has spoken to this extent? As the king of Han, he is so considerate and respectful of himself and persuades him in a roundabout way. This shows his sincerity. Lu Xun also thinks of Sun Quan's ruthlessness.  Righteousness, I couldn't help but let out a long sigh in my heart.Sooner or later Jiangdong will be in Liu Jing's pocket, just to find a future for herself and the family!  Thinking of this, Lu Xun bowed again and said, "Lu Xun is willing to work hard for His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing was overjoyed and quickly helped him up and said with a smile: "Come on Lu Boyan, I don't want Jiangdong!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 751 Three-Party Wrestling (Part 2)

    Although Chaisang officials kept a low profile about Liu Jing's meeting with Lu Su and did not publicize it to the outside world, Yang Yi still learned about the situation from a government official, which made him very depressed. Liu Jing was in the city at all, and she just didn't want to see him.  But I met the Jiangdong envoy first.  Yang Yi did not want to compare with Lu Su, but was worried that Liu Jing's final decision would be detrimental to Jiaozhou. This time he also came with a heavy responsibility. The military advisor made it clear that they could abandon the four counties in Jingnan, but Jiaozhou wanted Yuzhang County.  and Poyang County, this will not infringe on Jingzhou's interests, but will Liu Jing agree?  After lunch, Yang Yi walked boredly on the street. This was one of his habits. When he first arrived in a place, he always wanted to understand the local customs. Chaisang was his first time here. He had heard for a long time that it belonged to Liu Jing.  Where I started, my heart is full of curiosity.  It's just that he was in a bad mood at the moment and had no intention of taking a closer look. He just walked around the post house randomly. At this time, he suddenly heard someone calling him anxiously: "Master Yang!" Yang Yi turned around and only  Seeing Yi Cheng running towards him in a panic, "Ma Yi Cheng, what happened?" Yang Yi went up to him and asked.  "Master Yang, come back with me quickly. Your Highness, the King of Han, is here. He's at the post house." Yang Yi's mind buzzed, and his mind was in a mess. The King of Han was actually here, and he was also panicked.  Shopping, he hurriedly followed the postmaster to the posthouse. The inside and outside of the posthouse were controlled by thousands of soldiers, and the guards were very tight. Liu Jing did not enter the inner hall, but stood in front of the fish pond in the posthouse courtyard with his hands behind his hands to watch the red carp.  , there are many carps here that are the fry he put in back then. Now they are fat and big, colorful and pleasing to the eye.  At this time, Pang Tong, who was next to him, reminded him in a low voice: "Your Highness, they are here." When Liu Jing turned around, he saw Yi Cheng leading Yang Yi standing behind him, very nervous, for fear of disturbing his interest in watching fish, Liu Jing  Jing smiled apologetically, "So you're already here, why didn't you tell me?" Yang Yi hurriedly stepped forward, bowed and saluted, "Yang Yi, Chief Secretary of the Jiaozhou Military Account, is here to see His Highness the King of Han!" "Master Yang, you have worked hard all the way, please.  Come inside and talk." Yang Yi quickly led Liu Jing into the courtyard where he lived, and sat down in the main hall. Pang Tong also sat beside him. At this time, Yi Cheng served them tea. Liu Jing smiled and asked Yang Yi, "I don't know.  "Which route did Master Yang take?" "Xiaguan took the north road of Xinwu County, first to Yangxin County, and then took the waterway to Chaisang." Liu Jing turned around and smiled at Pang Tong: "It's the route where the military advisor returns from the north.  Let's go!" "That's right! The road is really difficult, with steep mountains and many rivers. We went through many obstacles and built many bridges, and it took us nearly ten days to reach Yangxin County."  Are there bridges along the way? It turns out that Military Advisor Pang built the bridge. I only walked four days to reach Yangxin County. I really want to thank Military Advisor Pang." Everyone laughed. At this time, Liu Jing turned the topic to business.  , he took a sip of tea and asked quietly: "According to the consensus reached by Military Advisor Pang and Zhuge last time, the Jiaozhou Army should hand over the Jiangdong Army prisoners of war to us. I wonder how you plan to hand them over?" Yang Yi also had a somewhat expression on his face.  Unnaturally, he said after a while: "I came here this time to discuss this matter with the King of Han on the orders of the military advisor?" "Discuss?" Liu Jing raised his voice slightly, expressing his confusion, and then he said calmly: "The specific situation,  I'll let Commander Pang have a detailed discussion with Chief Yang. I'm just here to visit Chief Yang today." There was a hint of displeasure in Liu Jing's tone. Of course, this was not dissatisfaction with Yang Yi, but with Zhuge Liang.  Not to mention Zhuge Liang, not even Liu Bei can compare with him. Zhuge Liang actually sent a chief secretary to negotiate with him. Who does he think he is, the magistrate of Chaisang County?  However, when people reach a certain status, they have deep self-cultivation. Liu Jing was dissatisfied, but did not show it on his face. He stood up and smiled: "Welcome Master Yang to come back to Xiangyang to take a look when you have time. Xiangyang has changed a lot."  , he told Pang Tong a few more words, turned around and left. Yang Yi's face turned red. He knew what the problem was. He was so careless in what he said. He actually said that he was under the orders of the military advisor to discuss with the King of Han. This was too inappropriate.  .  He pursed his lips a few times and wanted to apologize but couldn't. He could only watch Liu Jing go away. At this time, Pang Tong smiled beside him and said, "Master Yang, let's sit down and talk!" An hour later  Pang Tong hurried back to the county government office. He walked quickly to the inner hall. When a guard saw him arriving, he smiled and said: "Commander Pang, please come! Your Highness is waiting for you in the hall." Pang Tong walked into the inner hall and saw Liu Jingzheng.  Standing in front of the sand table with his hands behind his hands, he quickly stepped forward and saluted: "See you, Your Highness!" Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "Tell me about Jiaozhou's attitude!" Pang Tong took out a letter and handed it to Liu Jing.??, "This is Zhuge Liang's personal letter to His Highness entrusted by Yang Yi. In addition, Yang Yi apologized to His Highness. He said the wrong thing." Liu Jing took the letter and smiled, "I know he said the wrong thing. He  It should be said that I am negotiating with you, not with the King of Han. It is a taboo in official circles to speak without restraint. I hope he will learn a lesson!" Liu Jing opened Zhuge Liang's letter and read it again. Zhuge Liang's writing was very vague.  , ambiguous, Liu Jing asked Pang Tong again: "What did he tell you specifically?" "Yang Yi means that he hopes that we can agree to let them occupy Yuzhang and Poyang counties. They have completely given up on the four counties of Jingnan.  "What about the Jiangdong prisoners of war? When will they be sent?" The Jiangdong prisoners of war are what Liu Jing is extremely concerned about. Before any negotiations, the Jiaozhou Army should send the Jiangdong prisoners of war first.  Pang Tong smiled bitterly and said, "What they want is to use Jiangdong prisoners of war as a condition. I hope Your Highness will report to the court and make Liu Bei the governor of Yuzhang, and then they will hand over the Jiangdong prisoners of war to us." Liu Jing sneered repeatedly, "Look  Zhuge Liang still didn't understand the current situation. After defeating Jiangdong Army, he started to forget about it and actually wanted to bargain with me. Very good. I don't want Jiangdong Army's prisoners of war, and they don't want to go back. " Pang Tong noticed that Liu Jing was angry.  He quickly advised: "Your Highness, please calm down and listen to Wei Chen." Liu Jing restrained his anger and said calmly: "Just say it!" "Actually, Wei Chen feels that Zhuge Liang is testing us. He has already felt it.  We may not give them Yuzhang and Poyang counties, but we are not sure, so we use Jiangdong prisoners of war to test us. I think with Zhuge Liang's wisdom, he will not really make such a despicable mistake. "Liu Jing still.  Shaking his head, "In the final analysis, they just want to occupy Yuzhang and Poyang counties, but this is absolutely impossible!" "But they spent troops and food to defeat the Jiangdong Army. His Highness just said a word and let them return without success. I'm afraid  They can't accept it either. Wei Chen heard what Yang Yi said. They want to find a balance point." Liu Jing took a few steps with her hands behind her hands and said in an uncompromising tone: "There is no balance point. I know they do.  Not willing to give in, but if they want to expand northward, they need to use their strength to speak for themselves. If they must take Yuzhang and Poyang counties, it is not impossible. As long as they can defeat the Han army, not only Yuzhang and Poyang, but also the four Jingnan counties  All of them." Having said this, Liu Jing turned back to Pang Tong and said, "Go and tell Yang Yi that I must take the Jiangdong prisoners of war. If they don't give them, their 30,000 Jiaozhou troops will stay and mine for me!"  With L¨¹ Meng's 10,000 Jiangdong Army returning to Pengze, Sun Quan finally led the Jiangdong Army fleet to leave Pengze and return to Jianye. At this time, the Han army also began to gather on two fronts. Along the way, veteran Huang Zhong led an army of 50,000  Assembling in Jiangling, Huang Zhong had received Liu Jing's order and began to lead his army to leave Jiangling and march towards Lingling County in southern Jingnan.  "The other army, the 40,000 Jingzhou navy, also began to gather in Chaisang. Eight hundred thousand-stone warships gathered in Chaisang, and the river was obscured by the overwhelming warships.  In mid-September, Liu Jing ordered Gan Ning to lead 10,000 naval troops to stay in Chaisang. He personally led 30,000 naval troops to leave Chaisang in 500 large ships, passed Pengze Lake, entered the Gan River, and marched toward Nanchang County in a mighty manner.  The clouds of war once again shrouded Yuzhang County.  Since the Jiaozhou Army defeated the Jiangdong Army, it has moved its main force back to Nanchang County, while Xinwu County has been used to detain more than 20,000 Jiangdong prisoners of war. The more than 20,000 prisoners of war were Zhuge Liang's leverage to bargain with Liu Jing. He did not  Zhuge Liang sent the prisoners of war to Jiaozhou, let alone incorporated them into the Jiaozhou army. Zhuge Liang knew very well that if he did not handle these prisoners of war well, they would face a war with the Han army.  The Sifang Building in Nanchang County is the main building of the Yuzhang County School. It was built by Zhuge Liang's uncle Zhuge Xuan when he was the governor of Yuzhang. Zhuge Liang also lived here for several years when he was a boy. The Sifang Building is the tallest building in Nanchang County and is located in the scenery outside the East City.  It is a beautiful place. Looking from the window, you can clearly see the vast and sparkling Gan River.  At this time, Zhuge Liang was standing in front of the small window, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. He received an express message from his lord Liu Bei yesterday. While congratulating him on his victory over Jiangdong Army, he also asked him to continue going north, capture Lujiang County and Xindu County, and establish  With Yuzhang County as the center, the Yangtze River region including Lujiang, Poyang, and Xindu counties is connected to Linchuan County and Luling County in the south, thus connecting the Yangtze River region and Jiaozhou.  Liu Bei's ambition brought only bitter smiles and melancholy to Zhuge Liang. He understood Liu Bei's eagerness to leave Jiaozhou and return north, but Liu Bei obviously ignored the Han Dynasty. If Liu Bei knew that Liu Jing was in Jiangxia from beginning to end, I'm afraid he would  Liu Bei would no longer be so optimistic. Liu Bei thought that Liu Jing had transferred his political center to Guanlong and no longer cared about the southern region.  It can only be said that Liu Bei¡¯s idea is good, but it will never be realized. Zhuge Liang knows very well that Liu Jing is going to take action.Yang Yi's return from Chaisang means that Liu Jing has broken through the so-called neutral disguise and begun to appear.  "Military advisor, could it be that our refusal to give Jiangdong prisoners of war to Liu Jing angered him, so he decided to send troops?" Yang Yi said cautiously from the side.  Zhuge Liang shook his head and sighed and said: "Master Yang, you think of him too simply. No matter whether we give him prisoners of war or not, he will still send troops. Why is he in Jiangxia, waiting for this opportunity? Jiangdong was defeated.  After leaving, Yuzhang County and Poyang County no longer belong to Jiangdong, then he can legitimately take these two counties into his pocket. This is his long-premeditated plan. We hastily marched north and became his pawns in vain.  Yang Yi felt extremely disappointed and asked after a while: "Then what should we do now?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 752 Conflict between generals

    "I have received news that a large number of Jingzhou warships are gathering towards Chaisang. This should be Liu Jing's preparation for war. There are 40,000 naval forces in Jingzhou. It is impossible for Liu Jing to use all of them. He will leave some to guard Jingzhou, so at least there will be  Thirty thousand naval forces will send troops to Yuzhang County. ""Thirty thousand!" Yang Yi exclaimed in low voice. This was not a warning, but a real war with them. Yang Yi suddenly became nervous.  Zhuge Liang turned around and walked to the wall. There was a huge map of Jingzhou hanging on the wall. He looked at the Jingnan area on the map, pondered for a moment and said: "Actually, what I'm really worried about is not the 30,000 navy troops. What I'm worried about is  It is another Han army. They will set off from Nanjun and go straight to Jingnan to threaten Jiaozhou. Pang Tong mentioned this threat last time. I am worried that this threat will become a reality. After all, the Han army is far stronger than us. They  It is entirely possible to send an army of tens of thousands to the south, but Jiaozhou is empty!" Having said this, Zhuge Liang said to Yang Yi in a deep voice: "I want to make peace with Liu Jing and hand over the prisoners of war to Liu Jing immediately, and then we withdraw from Henan!  Zhang County, if this is the case, I think we can at least keep Luling County. "But this is not in line with the emperor's strategy. I am afraid that the two generals Guan and Zhang will not agree." Zhuge Liang also knew that he would give up and withdraw from Yuzhang County.  Zhang Fei definitely wouldn't do it, especially with Liu Bei's handwritten letter, it would be even harder to convince them, but he wanted to give it a try anyway. He immediately ordered his soldiers on the left and right, "Prepare your horses, I'm going to the military camp!" The Jiaozhou Army has completely left Jingzhou.  Withdrawing from the south, 30,000 troops are currently concentrated in Yuzhang County. Among them, Guan Ping leads 5,000 troops to garrison Xinwu County and guard more than 20,000 Jiangdong prisoners of war. The remaining 25,000 troops are stationed in Nanchang County.  The military camp is located in the north of Nanchang County, covering an area of ??several thousand acres, and has more than 3,000 large tents. These tents are the spoils of the Jiaozhou Army, seized from the Jiangdong Army, and there are also a large number of armors and weapons, which were originally the equipment of the Jiaozhou Army.  It was relatively poor. Only 30% of the soldiers had armor, and their spears, knives, and crossbows were relatively backward. But now, they are equipped with Jiangdong Army's armor, and their combat effectiveness has been greatly improved.  The morale of the soldiers was high and they were training hard in the military camp, preparing to continue attacking eastward and completely defeat the Jiangdong Army.  But at this time, the atmosphere in the Chinese army's tent was very depressing and serious. Just as Zhuge Liang had worried, both Guan Yu and Zhang Fei clearly opposed his plan to sue for peace and withdraw their troops. Zhang Fei, in particular, was furious. The entire tent was furious.  All echoed with his thundering roar.  "Didn't we suffer enough humiliation in Jingzhou? We were driven away like chickens and dogs. Now my heart is still bleeding when I think about it. Now we have to run away with our tails between our legs. What are we? Dogs know how to bark twice to protect themselves.  We are worse than dogs!" Zhang Fei's face was swollen to the color of pig liver, his beard and hair were spread out, his eyes were as big as a bell, he clenched his fists and roared at Zhuge Liang, "I, Zhang Yide, have been in the world for decades, and I have lost many battles.  , but he has never surrendered once. If the military advisor is afraid of Liu Jing, he can run away, but I, Zhang Fei, will not leave even if I die on the battlefield!" Zhuge Liang sighed and said: "I am not afraid of Liu Jing, I am really worried about the Han army!  We are marching from Jingnan to Jiaozhou. We are empty in Jiaozhou. What can we do to resist?" Guan Yu said on the side: "The military advisor's words are inappropriate. Not to mention whether the Han army has gathered in Jingnan, we still don't know. Even if the Han army wants to come from Jingnan?  March, will it be too late for us to go back? I think if we defeat the Jiangxia Han Army, it will be the best support for Jiaozhou. More importantly, we defeated the Jiangdong Army and captured Yuzhang County. Now we have to give up 30,000 soldiers.  No one will agree." At the end, Guan Yu was also a little angry, but he was not as furious as Zhang Fei. His voice was slow, and there was no room for negotiation in his words. "Brother wrote a letter yesterday, and that is his order.  I think the leader of Jiaozhou should be my eldest brother. If the military advisor thinks otherwise, then we will not force the military advisor. However, the Jiaozhou army is loyal to my elder brother. Even I, Guan Yu, and even a cook will only obey his orders.  "Zhuge Liang's face was pale. He could ignore Zhang Fei's scolding, but Guan Yu's words hurt him deeply. Zhuge Liang said after a while: "General Guan, do you think I am not loyal to the emperor?" Guan Yu shook his head, "I  Just discussing the matter, perhaps as the military advisor said, we are not Liu Jing's opponent and should conserve our strength and retreat. However, the matter is not that simple. If the military advisor wants to withdraw, he should first persuade the elder brother to change his decision. We will naturally follow the military advisor.  But now that brother's military order has been sent, the military counselor asked from his heart, whose instructions should we follow? " Zhuge Liang took a deep breath and slowly said to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei: "Since the emperor has full authority to appoint me as the commander of the Northern Expedition?  , then before the emperor's uncle takes back my military order arrows, should you obey my military orders? What's more, the emperor's orders will be ignored when he is outside. The emperor's uncle did not consider that the Han army would attack halfway.  It is already inconsistent with the actual situation. Should we still??Blindly obey?  " Just when Zhang Fei was about to have a fit, Guan Yu stopped him with a wave of his hand and said coldly: "I need to remind the military advisor that we were all present when the eldest brother handed over the military power to the military advisor. The eldest brother made it very clear that our northern expedition was only to capture Jingnan.  The four counties, that is to say, the military power of the military advisor is limited to the four counties in Jingnan.  But now we have greatly surpassed the four counties in Jingnan. If the military advisor gives an order in the name of the commander-in-chief, it is actually beyond his authority. We can not care about it. However, the military advisor cannot pretend to be confused because he understands. What's more, my elder brother's words are the emperor's orders.  Even if it is wrong, the ministers must obey. This is the principle of monarch and ministers. I don't agree with the saying that the emperor's order will be ignored if the general is outside.  " Guan Yu's words were very serious and involved the relationship between the monarch and his ministers. Zhuge Liang knew that once Guan Yu and Zhang Fei both decided that they had the intention of treason, Liu Bei would never tolerate him again. With no choice but to do so, Zhuge Liang could only sigh, "  All right!  Since Yun Chang believes that I have exceeded my authority now, I have nothing to say, so just obey the emperor's order and fight the Han army!  ¡± From Nanchang County to Jiujiang, it is about 300 miles by water and takes three days to sail. It is late autumn now. The north wind is blowing on the river. Five hundred warships with thousands of sails are like clouds, riding the wind and waves, lining up on the Ganjiang River.  It sailed rapidly and stretched for dozens of miles. The leader was a four-thousand-stone building ship, which was the main ship of the Han army and Liu Jing's ship. This was Liu Jing's first visit to Yuzhang County. He stood on the ship with his hands behind his hands.  Looking up, enjoying the beautiful scenery on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Lu Xun slowly stepped forward and said with a smile: "Your Highness seems not worried that the Jiaozhou Army will send troops?  " Lu Xun is currently Liu Jing's staff and does not hold a position in the Han army. He assists Liu Jing in military affairs. He has not been loyal to Liu Jing for a long time and is full of curiosity about this legendary figure. Liu Jing did not hide it from him and said with a smile:  "When Zhuge Liang wrote a letter asking me to support the Jiaozhou Army with 10,000 barrels of kerosene, they were willing to exchange elephants for it, but I didn't agree. I knew very well that if I gave him kerosene, he would use it against me today.  " Lu Xun nodded, "It turns out that His Highness has been preparing to take action for a long time!  " " There are some things that Boyan will gradually understand in the future, but there is one thing I might as well make clear.  " Speaking of this, Liu Jing looked back at Lu Xun. Seeing him looking at her expectantly, she smiled and said: "In the two countries' struggle for hegemony, intelligence is the most important. If I don't understand Jiaozhou's intelligence, I will  He would not have given up the four counties of Jingnan to Jiangdong. Sun Quan's defeat was precisely because he did not know what was happening in Jiaozhou.  " Lu Xun couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "In fact, many Jiangdong counselors realized after the fact that Han's surrender of the four Jingnan counties might have been a trap, but they had already been trapped in the trap and couldn't help themselves. From this incident,  It can be seen that Sun Quan is indeed inferior to His Highness in terms of overall planning methods.  ¡± Lu Xun praised Liu Jing without hesitation. In the past few days, he gradually learned the truth of some things and gradually realized that Liu Jing had made many far-sighted plans to seek Jiangdong. Lu Xun did not think there was anything wrong with Liu Jing¡¯s seeking Jiangdong.  Or it was immoral. On the contrary, he admired these foresighted layouts very much. He believed that this was the behavior of those who wanted to conquer the world. If Lu Xun initially surrendered to Liu Jing, he was somewhat helpless and considering the interests of the family, then now he has already.  He was convinced by Liu Jing and began to respect Liu Jing from the bottom of his heart. He thought for a moment and then asked slowly: "Will your Highness go all out to destroy Jiaozhou this time?  Liu Jing smiled and shook his head, "If it was to destroy Jiaozhou, I would not have let Liu Bei go to Jiaozhou. Liu Bei's greatest advantage is that he has a reputation for benevolence and righteousness. He is committed to unifying Jiaozhou and uniting all factions in Jiaozhou."  It is very beneficial. Having Liu Bei manage Jiaozhou for me will at least save me thirty years of time in governing Jiaozhou in the future. It will also help Jiaozhou return to the central dynasty. So what I have to do this time is to completely dispel Liu Bei's plans to return north.  The idea made him work hard in Jiaozhou.  " Lu Xun sighed with emotion: "His Highness's mind and vision are beyond the reach of ordinary people!  "At this time, a patrol boat came quickly and approached Liu Jing. The patrol soldiers on the boat were taken to the big ship. Liu Jing stepped forward and asked, "What happened?"  " "Your Highness, we have found two Jiaozhou armies on the west bank, each with about 10,000 men. They are rapidly marching north along the west bank. The leading army is only thirty miles away from us.  Liu Jing nodded. It seemed that this battle was inevitable. He turned back and asked Lu Xun with a smile, "Bo Yan, how do you think this battle will be fought?"  Lu Xun had a plan in his mind and smiled slightly: "I think the Jiaozhou army is obviously eager to fight the Han army. They also know that there are Han troops in Jingnan marching towards Jiaozhou, so they want to defeat us to eliminate Jingnan's forces."  Threat, but once the army is eager to fight, loopholes will appear. Of course, His Highness can concentrate his forces to defeat the opponent in one battle, but I prefer??Take advantage of the opponent's impatience and use tricks to win.  " He whispered his plan to Liu Jing. Liu Jing smiled happily and said: "The so-called wise people always agree, and Boyan's plan is exactly what I want.  Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Order Shen Mi to lead 10,000 Chinese troops to confront the enemy on the river bank, while the rest of the army continues to move south."  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 753: Taking the Fire from the Bottom

    The conflict between Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang was not just a day or two, it had lasted for many years, nor was it caused by some small incident, but Zhuge Liang's military restructuring in Jiaozhou violated Guan Yu's vital interests.  Before coming to Jingzhou, Liu Bei's army was composed of four major forces. One was the force directly belonging to Liu Bei, such as Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun, the other was the Xuzhou force, including general Chen Dao and the Mi brothers, and the third was the Guan Yu force.  , and there is also a smaller Liu Feng force.  Before Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei firmly controlled these four forces with his huge prestige. Even Zhao Yun's departure could not shake Liu Bei's absolute influence in the army. However, since Zhuge Liang pledged his allegiance to Liu Bei, Liu Bei has  Affairs were gradually handed over to Zhuge Liang, and Zhuge Liang's identity also changed from staff strategist to commander-in-chief.  In Jiaozhou, Liu Bei had difficulty adapting to the humid and hot weather in Jiaozhou, so he stopped going on expeditions. Instead, he handed over the army to Zhuge Liang. In order to strengthen his control over the army, Zhuge Liang began to reorganize the army in the process of conquering the scholars.  For example, Zhang Fei was appointed as the cavalry general, Guan Yu as the hussar general, and Chen Dao as the rear army general. They no longer directly commanded troops, but directly loyal to Liu Bei and became high-ranking officials. At the same time, Zhuge Liang promoted a large number of  Young generals, including Guan Xing, Zhang Bao and other young generals, stood out.  Zhuge Liang¡¯s purpose was to break the power structure, unify military leadership, and form a new military system, but his reforms were not successful.  On the one hand, it was because of the lack of talents in Jiaozhou that he could not exclude Guan Yu forces such as Guan Ping, Zhou Cang, and Guan Xing. On the other hand, Liu Bei secretly restricted Zhuge Liang. In the final analysis, Liu Bei still did not want Zhuge Liang to completely control the army.  This is not a matter of trust. Liu Bei trusted Zhuge Liang so much that he gave him command of the army. However, no monarch will tolerate the loss of military power.  For example, Liu Jing had to personally command many battles in order to firmly control the general power in his hands. For this reason, Liu Jing did not hesitate to give up government power, but he refused to weaken his control over the army at all.  The same goes for Liu Bei. In Liu Bei's view, Zhuge Liang only held military power for him, but could not replace him. Zhuge Liang's military restructuring also weakened Liu Bei's control of the army to a certain extent and violated Liu Bei's interests.  On the surface Liu Bei supported the military restructuring, but secretly he was quite dissatisfied. Therefore, during the Northern Expedition, while Liu Bei appointed Zhuge Liang as the commander-in-chief, he also appointed Guan Yu and Zhang Fei as deputy generals. This was with the intention of monitoring and containing Zhuge Liang. For Liu Bei's  Guan Yu understood this deeply, and finally fell out with Zhuge Liang over the decision of whether to evacuate Yuzhang County. He used the support of his soldiers to seize Zhuge Liang's military power in one fell swoop.  Guan Yu left 5,000 troops for Zhuge Liang to guard Nanchang County. He and Zhang Fei each led 10,000 troops north to face the Han army. However, Guan Yu also knew that they were pressed for time. Once the Han army really moved south from Jingnan to Jiaozhou, he would commit a crime.  This was a big mistake. Only by defeating the Han army in Yuzhang as soon as possible could the unfavorable situation be reversed.  The biggest advantage of the Jiaozhou Army now is that it has high morale and is well-equipped. More importantly, there is not much difference in strength between them and the Han Army, and the Han Army's elite are concentrated on the Guanlong line. Most of the Jingzhou Navy are newly recruited soldiers last year and have not fought.  Based on these considerations, Guan Yu believed that the Jiaozhou Army could defeat the Han Army.  At this time, Guan Yu also received information. The main fleet of the Han army appeared on the river thirty miles away. The moment they had been waiting for finally arrived. Guan Yu immediately sent people to contact Zhang Fei and sent hundreds of small boats to accompany the army.  , preparing to intercept the Han fleet.  The ships of the Jiaozhou Army were mainly civilian ships on the Gan River. They were all small in size, mostly two to three hundred stone. However, the Gan River was narrower than the Yangtze River. Once the river was blocked, the fleet might not be able to rush across.  At the narrowest point of the Gan River, hundreds of small boats were lined up in two rows. In front of the densely packed small boats was an iron chain about a hundred feet long. This was originally an iron chain used to block the river from Jiangdong warships. Unexpectedly,  In the end, it was used on the Han army's warship. All Guan Yu's hopes were pinned on this iron chain.  On the west bank, 20,000 Jiaozhou troops were already lined up, and 5,000 crossbowmen were densely lined up on the shore, swords drawn and ready. The Han warships were already ten miles away. The wind on the river was strong, and the enemy warships were very fast.  It will come, Guan Yu stood on a high place, holding the Qinglong Yanyue Sword in his hand, his red and phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, staring coldly at the northern river.  "Father, the enemy warships are coming!" Guan Xing's eyes were sharp and he saw a group of black spots appearing on the river in the north. He couldn't help shouting. Guan Yu tightened his sword handle and turned around and shouted: "Fleet  "Get ready!" There are about a thousand soldiers with excellent water skills on hundreds of small boats. Their task is not to deal with the huge Han army warships, but to prevent the Han army from destroying the iron chain. Although Guan Yu has no experience in water warfare,  After all, he has stayed in Jingzhou for many years and knows some common sense about water warfare.??To deal with the iron chain blocking the river, either go ashore and destroy the iron chain, or use a fire boat to burn the iron chain. Most people choose the latter. At this time, a flexible boat is particularly important. At critical moments, it can still  Use fire attacks against large ships.  Sure enough, when the Han fleet was still two miles away from the iron chain, it slowly stopped and put down dozens of small sampans from the big ship. There were two soldiers on each sampan, one rowing and one holding the boat.  Shield defense, the small sampan was filled with kerosene and drove quickly towards the Hengjiang Iron Chain.  ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ War drums beat on the river, and dozens of small sampans were set on fire. The flames were blazing and smoke billowed, and they all rushed towards the iron chain.  When they were still thirty steps away from the iron chain, the Jiaozhou army ship began to fire arrows at the small sampan. The arrows were like a rapid rain, and they shot at the small sampan intensively. One of the two Han soldiers on the sampan held a shield to cover, and the other  After speeding up the boat, just ten steps away from the iron chain, the two soldiers jumped into the river at the same time. The out-of-control sampan spun around on the river and crashed into the iron chain.  The iron chain intercepted the sampan, and the thick iron chain was wrapped in raging fire. The kerosene poured into the river, and the surrounding river surface also burned. The fire was so fierce that dozens of Jiaozhou Army water ghosts who tried to get close to put out the fire were also trapped.  In the fire, his hair was set on fire. He screamed and struggled, and quickly dived into the water to escape.  The boatmen of more than a hundred Jiaozhou Army boats had never seen fire burning in the water. Seeing the fire approaching, they were so frightened that they rowed their boats and retreated.  At this time, dozens more sampans loaded with fuel oil arrived and joined the camp of burning the river. The raging fire only burned for a quarter of an hour. The iron chain across the river was finally burned, and dozens of sampans rushed into the river.  After passing through the iron chain, it gradually drifted towards the shore with the help of strong wind.  The thick smoke was blown ashore by the wind, and the neatly arranged crossbowmen began to become slightly confused. Guan Yu's brows wrinkled, and worry flashed in his eyes. He did not expect that the iron chain he had placed his hope on could be so easily destroyed by the enemy.  The army broke through, and the hundreds of ships arranged in advance had no effect at all. The key is that he ignored the fact that kerosene can burn on the water.  Guan Yu secretly regretted in his heart. Now that the Han army had broken through the blockade, was it possible for the Han army to go ashore and fight him?  At this time, the fire on the river gradually subsided, and hundreds of Han warships divided into two groups. About 300 warships broke through the enemy's blockade along the way and continued to sail south.  On the other hand, nearly two hundred warships of the Han army slowly approached the shore. The soldiers on board fired arrows at random, and dense arrows were fired at the crossbowmen on the shore.  Five thousand crossbowmen also fought back, and a fierce archery battle broke out between the two armies on the banks of the Gan River.  According to Lu Xun's strategy, there is no need to pay too much attention to the Jiaozhou Army going north, and he can directly attack Nanchang County to cut off the food and grass supplies of the Jiaozhou Army.  Of course, the Jiaozhou Army will also turn around and follow the big ship south. At this time, an army will be needed to contain the Jiaozhou Army. If the Jiaozhou Army ignores the restraining army, they will be trapped in the dilemma of being attacked from both sides.  Lu Xun also learned from the pain after the disastrous defeat in Xinwu County and found a strategy to defeat the Jiaozhou Army, that is, not to follow the Jiaozhou Army's intentions, but to take the initiative and let the Jiaozhou Army follow their intentions.  If the Jiangdong Army had not attacked Xinwu County, but sent an army directly south to Jiaozhou, which was empty of troops, they would have changed from passive to active. People often realize the mistakes they made and the opportunities they missed only after the fact.  .  But this time, they no longer paid attention to the Jiaozhou Army, and took advantage of the wind and waves to attack Nanchang County directly, forcing the Jiaozhou Army to return for reinforcements, which would inevitably form a situation of front and rear attacks.  After sailing in the Gan River for three hours, the Han fleet arrived at Nanchang County at dusk.  At this time, there were 5,000 troops stationed in Nanchang County, commanded by Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang had been depressed since Guan Yu took away his military power.  Although he was highly intelligent and had a certain prestige in the army, he still couldn't defeat Guan Yu in the direct struggle for military power. Guan Yu was supported by Zhang Fei and middle- and lower-level officers. He took the army away with a single call and left him alone.  He had five thousand men, which made Zhuge Liang deeply dissatisfied.  Although he was dissatisfied, Zhuge Liang also knew that this battle would be related to the success or failure of the Northern Expedition strategy. If defeated by the Han army, the hard work of the past two months would be in vain, and Jiaozhou would also face a profound crisis.  Zhuge Liang is very concerned about Guan Yu going north to meet the enemy. From a tactical point of view, there is nothing wrong with such an attack. However, Zhuge Liang doubts whether Guan Yu's iron chain across the river can stop the Han army who is experienced in water battles.  At this time, a soldier rushed over and reported to Zhuge Liang: "Reporting to the military advisor, hundreds of Han warships were found on the river ten miles away. The army is pressing down. Please make a decision!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 754 Lu Xun offers advice

    Zhuge Liang was surprised. Although this was what he expected, the Han army really attacked in large numbers, which made him nervous again. He quickly asked: "Is there any news about General Guan?" "There is no news about General Guan at the moment.  "If there is any news, please report it quickly!" The spy agreed and hurried away. At this time, the chief secretary Yang Yi said urgently: "Military advisor, the main force of the Han army is coming. Should we fight or withdraw?"  "Zhuge Liang did not answer him, but quickly walked towards the city. The north wind was blowing strongly on the city, and the setting sun was like blood. The afterglow dyed the Ganjiang River red. Zhuge Liang stared at the north. At this time, they could clearly see the Han Dynasty.  The military fleet is slowly approaching here.  Zhuge Liang quickly estimated the balance of troops. He only had 5,000 troops, half of which were old, weak and remnant troops. The opponent came well prepared. They could not defend the city, but the key now is where is Guan Yu's army?  Whether he retreated in time or not, if he was on the way back, he could hold on for a while, but if the distance was still a hundred miles away, then it would be too late and they had to evacuate.  Zhuge Liang looked north again, with an unconcealable anxiety in his eyes. It was the first time in his life that he felt so passive.  But the situation no longer allowed Zhuge Liang to think too much. At this time, a soldier shouted: "Military advisor, the Han army has begun to go ashore." I saw warships slowly docking on the shore, and groups of soldiers quickly disembarked and stood on the shore.  Thousands of people have gathered, and the situation is very critical, but at this time, there is no news from the north.  Zhuge Liang knew that he could not wait any longer, so he immediately ordered a messenger: "Go quickly and report to the general who reported customs. In order to avoid being attacked from both sides, please ask him to withdraw his troops to Xinwu County immediately." The messenger agreed, mounted his horse and galloped away.  , Zhuge Liang ordered again: "Pass my order to immediately abandon Nanchang County and evacuate to Xinwu County." Nanchang City cannot be saved. In order to avoid being completely annihilated, Zhuge Liang can only abandon Nanchang and move to Xinwu County.  The west city gate opened, and five thousand Jiaozhou troops escorting Zhuge Liang, Yang Yi and other civil servants quickly evacuated westward. They evacuated in a very hasty manner and were unable to take away most of the supplies.  The withdrawal of the Jiaozhou Army was immediately discovered by Han Army scouts. They rushed back and reported the information to Liu Jing, "Your Highness, the enemy troops have fled Nanchang City and are heading west." Liu Jing stood on the boat.  He turned his head and looked to the west. Nanchang City a few miles away blocked his sight. At this time, Lu Xun smiled and said: "If I guess correctly, Zhuge Liang should have withdrawn from Xinwu County." Liu Jing nodded.  , and then thoughtfully said: "It's strange, why did Zhuge Liang leave on his own? Is he out of touch with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's army?" Lu Xun was reminded by Liu Jing, and then he came to his senses, "It's indeed a bit strange, he should stick to the city  , waiting for the main force of the Jiaozhou Army to return to reinforcements, and now abandoning the city, why send the Guan and Zhang armies north again? " Liu Jing sneered, "Maybe there is something unspeakable happening between them! " Liu Jing didn't want to speculate too much on the Jiaozhou Army!  Because of the internal conflicts, his top priority was to completely annihilate the enemy troops. He immediately ordered: "Order Wang Shan to lead his troops to occupy Nanchang County, and the rest of the armies will follow me north." Wang Shan, the captain of Wuchang, led three thousand troops to Nanchang County, and Liu Jing then  He led nearly 20,000 troops all the way north, preparing to meet the Jiaozhou Army from the south.  "Bo Yan, what do you think is Guan Yu's biggest weakness?" Liu Jing asked with a smile on her horse.  Lu Xun shook his head, "Frankly speaking, I have only heard of his name for a long time and don't know him well. But judging from his current performance, his biggest weakness is that he is too famous." "How can I say this?" "Very well."  Simple, when our fleet divided into two groups and headed south, Guan Yu should have considered the threat of enemies from both sides. At this time, he immediately withdrew his troops and headed south. Our fleet was not fast. If it was a forced march, he could definitely catch up with us, but Guan Yu did not.  I can¡¯t say he¡¯s stupid for doing this. It¡¯s impossible for him not to think of threats that even ordinary soldiers can think of. There¡¯s only one explanation for that: arrogance and disdain. To put it bluntly, he is just burdened by his reputation and doesn¡¯t bother to do some things.¡± Liu  Jing nodded, "Guan Yu's behavior this time was indeed a bit abnormal. Zhuge Liang was also helpless and evacuated Nanchang in a hurry. Maybe he originally hoped that Guan Yu could come back in time, but Guan Yu disappointed him, but we can't underestimate the enemy too much."  , especially to prevent the enemy troops from withdrawing from Xinwu County." Just as he was talking, a cavalry scout rushed over, clasped his fists and saluted Liu Jing on horseback: "Your Majesty, the main force of the Jiaozhou Army, about 20,000 people, was found ten miles away from the north.  "Liu Jing was overjoyed and turned around and ordered: "Change to a square formation march!" Generally, the army marches in a long snake formation. An army of 10,000 is at least three or four miles long. It is easy to be cut off in the middle by an ambush, and when it encounters an enemy,  , it will take a lot of time to gather into a combat formation.?Time, this is why they often fail when encountering an ambush, there is no time to assemble, and they finally collapse in chaos.  Therefore, in order to avoid this passivity, at critical moments, the army will often transform into a phalanx march, that is, march in a combat formation, so that even if it encounters an ambush, it can immediately enter the battle.  Eighteen thousand Han soldiers immediately formed three phalanxes, one for every 6,000 people. They were like three pieces of black water, advancing northward like undulating waves.  Guan Yu also realized that he was in danger. When he received Zhuge Liang's suggestion that he evacuate to Xinwu County urgently, he hesitated for a long time. He did not evacuate to Xinwu County immediately.  Before being flanked by the two armies, he defeated the enemy's main force in one fell swoop.  This is indeed a fighter plane in Jiaozhou. It will take at least an hour for the Han army behind to land and assemble. As long as he defeats Liu Jing's main force within an hour, and then turns around to deal with the Han army heading north, he can defeat the Han army in one fell swoop. Of course, in this way  The chances are good, but there is a glimmer of hope after all. For Guan Yu, this is the only balance point between maintaining his dignity and reality, and it is crucial to him.  At this time, Guan Yu also received a report from the spies. He found the main force of the Han army ten miles away in front, and the Han army behind him was probably still thirty miles away. This was his only chance. Guan Yu immediately ordered: "The whole army speeds up."  "Forward!" The Jiaozhou Army accelerated its march south. After traveling for about five miles, the army came to an open wilderness, which was the mouth of the Yushui River. The Yushui River came from the west and poured into the Ganjiang River here. This is where the battlefield was set up.  The good land, crossing the Yu River, is a flat wilderness, four miles wide from north to south, and more than twenty miles long from east to west.  Guan Yu looked at this wilderness. Although it was a last-ditch battle, in fact, they could retreat westward along the Yushui River. It was an excellent place to advance, attack, retreat and defend, and it could inspire the soldiers' determination to die. Guan Yu  Nodding, he turned back to Zhang Fei and smiled: "Just wait here for the enemy!" Zhang Fei said coldly: "I have been waiting for this day for a long time!" At this moment, the fierce sound of war drums came from the opponent's wilderness.  , 'Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The sound of the drums was dull and exciting, and the soldiers of the Jiaozhou Army couldn¡¯t help but become nervous. They were finally going to fight the world-famous Han Army, and everyone couldn¡¯t help but tighten their spear shafts.  A dark mass of soldiers appeared on the official road opposite, forming a square formation. They were not very fast but full of murderous intent. At this time, Sima Wangfu urged his horse forward and whispered to Guan Yu: "General, while the enemy's formation is not stable, kill them in one fell swoop."  But Guan Yu shook his head and said, "The opponent is prepared, don't mess up the position." He did not accept Wang Fu's suggestion and stood still. Wang Fu was quite disappointed. Although the opponent was prepared, they did not form a formal formation.  , the Jiaozhou Army massacred, and the possibility of defeating the enemy would increase by one point. When the enemy's formation was completed and they fought again, they would be passive, but Guan Yu refused, leaving Wang Fu helpless.  The Han army also began to enter the wilderness, speeding up, and quickly set up a three-wing formation. Liu Jing was the center army, Ma Dai was the left wing, and Wang Ping was the right wing. Wang Ping's Nanman flying army, Ma Dai's Longxi cavalry, and Liu Zheng's  The Eagle Attack Army and Liu Hu's Army, these five armies make up Liu Jing's Yajiang, usually numbering 20,000 people.  But this time Liu Jing came to the east with only 3,000 men, including 1,000 flying troops and 1,000 cavalry troops, and 500 heavy armored infantry and heavy shielded crossbow troops. The Eagle Attack Army did not follow, but stayed in Guanlong.  Hu also stayed on the plateau to train troops and did not come. Instead, Liu Hu's deputy general Lei Tong followed him.  Jingzhou is dominated by naval forces. Usually these three thousand tooth generals do not appear, but once they enter the land battle, they quickly take over the military power. Liu Jing appoints Wang Ping and Ma Dai as his left and right generals to command the left and right wings. In addition, Lei Lei  Five hundred heavy armored infantry led by Tong and five hundred heavy shielded crossbow troops led by Wu Ban were hidden in the central army. These two armies were Liu Jing's trump card and could only be used at critical moments.  Seeing that the 18,000 Han troops were in formation, Zhang Fei shouted loudly and spurred his horse out. He was the first to seize the opportunity and wanted to single out the enemy general and severely defeat the Han army's morale.  "Who among the Han generals dares to fight with me?" Zhang Fei waved his spear and shouted in the wilderness, his voice was like a huge thunder, showing off his power.  At this time, Pang De, the assistant general of the Chinese army, stepped forward and clasped his fists at Liu Jing and said: "Your Highness, I am willing to fight!" Liu Jing's powerful generals such as Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong, Gan Ning and others did not follow, but Pang De  Ranked fifth among the five tiger generals, his martial arts skills are no less than those of Gan Ning. Although he is slightly inferior to Zhang Fei, he can still fight. Liu Jing nodded, "Ready to fight!" Pang De was overjoyed and rode out of the battle.  In the formation, the drums of the Han army were thunderous, and the shouts of killing were loud. Pound brandished a seventy-pound sword, pointed the tip of the sword at Zhang Fei and shouted: "How dare you bully our Han army, which has no one?" Zhang Fei originally hoped that Liu Jing would go out to fight in person, but  Unexpectedly, a black-faced thief came out. He was disappointed in his heart and became furious. He roared and thrust his spear. Guan Yu saw that Pang De was majestic, eight feet four tall and could split mountains with one spear.He was so fierce that he thought to himself, "If Liu Jing sends this person to fight, he must be superior to others."  Guan Yu was a little worried that Zhang Fei was underestimating the enemy, so he told Zhang Bao: "Go and remind your father not to underestimate the enemy." Zhang Bao flew out on horseback and shouted: "Father, my second uncle has an order. This man is very skilled in martial arts and must not be underestimated."  "Zhang Fei became more and more angry and wanted to stab Pang De to his heart with a spear. His spear was as fast as black lightning and he stabbed Pang De with his back. Pang De was not discouraged and slashed several times, and the sword light formed a net.  Blocking Zhang Fei's offensive, the two fought fiercely together like a revolving lantern.  One person went out to sea like a black dragon, with a fierce spear, and the other person came down from the mountain like a tiger, with a sharp sword. The two fought fiercely for fifty rounds, with no winner or loser. The soldiers on both sides watched this battle intoxicated, and their voices became hoarse.  .

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 755 Defeat Yuhe

    Zhang Fei was energized and excited, and his spear was as fierce as a storm. Pang De's sword skills were neat and calm, and he responded calmly without any flaws. He neutralized Zhang Fei's attacks one by one. In the defense, he would occasionally slash out with his sword and hit the opponent's vital point.  .  The two fought for more than eighty rounds in a blink of an eye. After all, Zhang Fei was the most powerful general in the three armies. Pound gradually became a little weak and sweat appeared on his forehead. However, anyone with a discerning eye could also see that Zhang Fei's horse was a little unable to withstand it. Zhang Fei's  The black-cupped horse has been following him for more than twenty years and is already very old. Pound's war horse was a bloody horse obtained from the Western Expedition as a reward from Liu Jing a few months ago.  Both sides have their own weaknesses. Pang De struggled to fight, while Zhang Fei's horse kept snoring. At this time, the bell in the Jiaozhou Army rang, which was an order for Zhang Fei to return to the formation. Guan Yu knew that Zhang Fei's horse could be paralyzed at any time.  Actually, it's more dangerous than Pound.  Pang De showed his weakness and waited for Zhang Fei to pierce the air with his spear. He took the opportunity to withdraw from the battle circle and shouted to Zhang Fei: "Your horse is not good enough. Go and change horses and fight again!" Zhang Fei was furious and refused to retreat.  He raised his spear and stabbed Pang De again. At this moment, an arrow shot out like lightning, hitting Zhang Fei's horse in the left eye. The Wuzui horse fell to the ground and lifted Zhang Fei more than ten feet away. Pang De saw that the opportunity had come.  , urging his horse to chop with his sword, Zhang Bao beside him turned red-eyed and shouted, "Don't hurt my father!" He urged his horse to gallop to the rescue. At the critical moment, the enemy caught Pound, and several soldiers  He carried Zhang Fei and fled towards the army. At this time, Liu Jing put down his bow and ordered: "Sing Jin, order Pang De to return to the formation!" "Dang!"  when!  When!¡¯ The bell rang, Pang De stopped fighting with Zhang Bao, feinted his sword, and galloped his horse into the formation. At this moment, the drums on both sides of the battlefield rang at the same time, and the sound of the drums was earth-shattering.  Liu Jing waved his war sword and said, "Kill!" The Han army surged like a great tide, and the three wings of the left, middle and right rushed out at the same time to kill the Jiaozhou Army. Guan Yu also shouted: "Fight with your back, there is no way out, kill." The Jiaozhou Army shouted.  As they ran, the two armies got closer and closer, and finally collided with each other. The swords and guns collided, the spears protruded, and the blood mist filled the air. Tens of thousands of troops fought fiercely in the wilderness. Twenty miles away in the north, 10,000 Han troops came from  General Shen Mi, led by General Shen Mi, was running south quickly. When Shen Mi's army came ashore, they were attacked by a thousand archers and were delayed for half an hour. This half hour made them ten miles away from the main enemy force.  It expanded to thirty miles, which was at least an hour's journey.  At this time, Shen Mi had received news of the fierce battle between the Han Army and the Jiaozhou Army at the mouth of the Yushui River. He was extremely anxious and kept giving orders to speed up the march. A scout rushed over, holding an order arrow in his hand and shouted: "General Shen, His Highness the King of Han ordered  You turn to Yushui and intercept the Jiaozhou Army from the west!" Shen Mi was slightly startled. Is His Highness the King of Han already sure of defeating the Jiaozhou Army?  But the military order was overwhelming, so he immediately took out a map and checked it on his horse. He found a small road. He ordered his guide to find him, pointed at the map and asked, "This small road may lead to the army?" The guide thought for a while and said, "This  The road seems to be a commercial road, which is often used by merchants. It saves forty miles compared to the detour from the river mouth in the south. If there is no baggage, the army can pass, and the entrance is two miles ahead. "The Han army is light and simple.  Any heavy baggage burden, Shen Mi immediately ordered: "Change the route and take the smaller road!" The Han army soon changed its direction, entered a valley, and rushed toward the southwest. The battle at the mouth of the Yushui River had been going on for an hour, and it was gradually coming.  In the heat of battle, groups of soldiers were fighting one after another, slashing with swords, stabbing with spears, and screaming. The morale of the Jiaozhou army was high, the Han army was well-trained, and both sides had their own advantages. It was a fierce battle that was inextricable.  But time was not in favor of the Jiaozhou Army. Guan Yu knew that the Han army from the north was about to attack. Once the Jiaozhou Army was attacked from both sides, he would be defeated. The pressure of time made him anxious.  At this time, Sima Wangfu saw that the Jiaozhou army was gradually losing ground, and he was anxious. He stepped forward and pointed at the Han army's flag and said to Guan Yu: "General, the enemy's flag turned out to be the Wang's flag. Liu Jing must be in the army. Capture it."  The thief captures the king first. If Liu Jing is captured, all our disadvantages will be solved." Guan Yu was convinced, and he ordered his son Guan Xing: "My son can stick to the commander's flag and take Liu Jing's head for his father!"  He shouted loudly: "Follow me!" Two thousand elite soldiers followed Guan Yu and killed them deep into the center of the Han army. The red rabbit horses galloped and the Yanyue sword slashed. Guan Yu killed the Han soldiers with corpses all over the field, like breaking waves.  After fighting a bloody road, they gradually approached the core of the Han army's command.  Liu Jing had already seen Guan Yu coming towards him, and he guessed that Guan Yu's intention was to attack him. Liu Jing sneered and said to Lei Tongling: "You can lead five hundred heavy armored infantry to go around from the side.  Cut off the enemy¡¯s commander¡¯s flag!¡± ¡°Follow the order!¡± Lei Tong shouted, ¡°Brothers, follow me!¡±He was originally the third most powerful general in Yizhou, but his martial arts skills were only average among the Han army. He relied on a meteor hammer that was always accurate, but if his details were known in advance, his meteor hammer would be ineffective.  , so Lei Tong's position has always been awkward. Although he is extremely powerful, he is more than brave but lacks martial arts.  Liu Jing took a fancy to his bravery and strength, and appointed him as Liu Hu's deputy general. He changed from a horse general to an infantry general to command the heavy armored infantry. Among the heavy armored infantry, thunder and copper were like a fish in water. The heavy armored infantry did not need a strong individual.  Martial arts, but the need to use collective strength to win, this is precisely his advantage.  At this time, Wu Ban led the heavy shield and crossbow army from behind. Seeing the critical situation, he immediately ordered: "Heavy shield and crossbow army to protect you!" Under the leadership of Wu Ban, the five hundred heavy shield and crossbow army quickly gathered around Liu Jing.  The heavy shield crossbowmen are also called heavy shield spearmen. Their biggest feature is that each person has a five-foot-high and three-foot-wide shield, which can withstand the intensive shooting of crossbow arrows from twenty steps away. They are also equipped with a cannon with a range of three hundred steps.  A crossbow and a sharp fine iron spear.  Sometimes they used heavy crossbows to shoot, but sometimes they used long spears to assassinate. There were three thousand people in the heavy shield crossbow army. It was not until three months ago that Liu Jing decided to use Wu Ban as the commander.  Today they are spearmen, each using a sharp fine iron spear. Five hundred people formed a shield formation and surrounded Liu Jing, King of Han Dynasty.  Guan Yu led two thousand troops to fight all the way, and in a moment they were about a hundred steps away from Liu Jing. However, they encountered five hundred heavy shield crossbow troops. They were like extremely hard basalt stones. Guan Yu and his troops could no longer attack.  .  Guan Yu shouted loudly, spurred his horse to gallop with a diagonal thrust, shouted loudly, and wielded the Qinglong Yanyue Sword to attack the heavily shielded army. What met him was a shield wall and dozens of gleaming spears.  The sword flashed, the swords and guns collided with a loud noise, the powerful force tore several giant shields, seven or eight spears were split into two pieces, the shield wall was rushed open, several soldiers screamed and were knocked away, and the red rabbit horse rushed in  One foot deep, Guan Yu slashed left and right with his sword, killing more than 20 people in a row, gradually carving a bloody path.  Seeing Guan Yu's bravery, Wu Ban roared and swung his sword to meet him. Guan Yu sneered. The Qinglong Yanyue sword reversed and the sharp blade struck Wu Ban's neck. The sword was faster than lightning. Wu Ban was shocked and it was too late to hide.  .  Liu Jing had already discovered that Wu Ban was in danger. He took out two arrows, opened his bow and nocked an arrow, and aimed at Guan Yu. He drew the bow like a full moon. Just when Guan Yu was about to hit Wu Ban, the bowstring loosened and two wolf-fang arrows flashed.  He shot towards Guan Yu's left and right chests.  Guan Yu felt two arrows coming. He retracted his sword and slashed away. Unexpectedly, the arrows hit the air. The two arrows came very fast and arrived in front of him in the blink of an eye. Guan Yu was shocked and quickly turned aside to avoid it. The left arrow grazed his chest and hit him.  One of his soldiers was shot down, but the right arrow could not be avoided. The arrow penetrated the gauntlet, and one arrow hit Guan Yu's right arm.  The heartbreaking pain shook Guan Yu's whole body, and his strength suddenly dissipated. He knew that he could no longer kill the heavily armored soldiers, so he had to turn his horse and run away. At this time, another arrow from Liu Jing was aimed at Guan Yu's back, but he hesitated.  After a moment, his bowstring slowly loosened again.  In the main formation of the Jiaozhou Army, Guan Xing's army could not withstand the attack of 500 heavy armored infantry. The sharp and powerful swords flew up and down, and the broken limbs were scattered everywhere. The heads and bodies of the Jiaozhou Army soldiers were soaked in the ground.  Amid the blood and stains, it was like hell on earth.  They approached the flag of the Jiaozhou Military Commander step by step. At this time, Lei Tong shouted, jumped up, and slashed away with his sharp sword, cutting the two soldiers guarding the flag into four pieces, and the heavy armored infantry swarmed forward.  , slashed with knives, the three-foot-tall handsome flag teetered, and finally collapsed.  As the flag of the Jiaozhou Army collapsed, the soldiers of the Jiaozhou Army lost their morale and began to retreat. At this time, Zhang Bao rushed to Guan Yu and shouted: "Uncle, the Western Front can no longer withstand it. Father, please make a decision quickly."  !" Guan Yu knew that if he didn't retreat, his entire army would be annihilated. He felt severe pain in his right arm and could only sigh, "order the entire army to retreat to Xinwu County!" Zhang Fei and Guan Yu led thousands of soldiers to leave the battlefield.  , fled to the west along the Yushui River. Tens of thousands of soldiers behind them were defeated. They threw away their helmets and unloaded their helmets, and fled. The Han army pursued them all the way, killing the enemy soldiers until they cried and screamed. Countless people knelt down and surrendered. Liu Jing issued an order:  "Pursue to the end!" Zhang Fei and Guan Yu led thousands of defeated troops to run for more than ten miles in one breath. Suddenly, there was a fierce drum sound in the woods ahead, and shouts of killing suddenly rang out from the woods on both sides. Ten thousand Han troops ambush from the woods on both sides.  When they came out, the Jiaozhou Army soldiers were in chaos.  Seeing that the situation was critical, Zhang Fei shouted: "Second brother, please leave quickly, and my younger brother will cut off the rear!" Guan Yu saw that everyone was trapped and exhausted, and they were unable to fight anymore. If Zhang Fei cut off the rear, the whole army would be annihilated. Guan Yu sighed and said: "  There¡¯s no need to cut off the rear, let¡¯s all fight to the death!¡± Zhang Bao and Guan Xing opened the way in front, with Zhang Fei on the left and Zhou Cang on the right, guarding the injured Guan Yu.They fought their way out of the ambush and escaped from the ambush.  After running for more than twenty miles, Guan Yu turned around and saw that there were less than a hundred soldiers following him. The remaining soldiers were either killed or surrendered. Seeing that his entire army was wiped out, Guan Yu couldn't help but burst into tears and said with great regret: "How can I have the face to go there?"  See the military advisor?" He drew his sword and wanted to kill himself. Guan Xing was so frightened that he hugged his father's arm. Zhang Fei took Guan Yu's sword away. Zhang Fei advised: "The matter has come to this, it is useless to be angry. Let's go back and apologize to the military advisor.  Go!" Guan Yu sighed and had no choice but to give up the idea of ??killing himself. He ordered Zhou Cang to gather the defeated troops from behind, and the group rushed to Xinwu County.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 756 Zhuge seeks peace

    The Han army finally won the battle of Yuhe, killing more than 7,000 enemies and capturing 10,000 people. Only more than 2,000 people escaped. The 20,000 Jiaozhou army was almost wiped out, but the Han army also suffered more than 3,000 casualties.  The human cost was a mess on the battlefield, with thick smoke billowing from burning corpses. This was the consistent principle of the Han army. During the war, corpses were disposed of quickly to prevent the occurrence of epidemics.  The soldiers cleaning up the battlefield put bundles of armor and weapons on the weapons platform. The large wooden platform was nearly ten feet long and wide. Weapons, war drums, flags and other items were piled up like a hill. Nearly a thousand war horses and livestock were tied on it.  On the side, in another wilderness, tens of thousands of prisoners of war were sitting on the ground, looking worriedly at the thick smoke of burning corpses in the distance, and their hearts were filled with worries about the future.  Three thousand Han soldiers guarded the prisoners of war. Dozens of soldiers went back and forth among the prisoners of war to deal with the wounded soldiers. Most of them distributed a medical kit and taught them how to disinfect, apply medicine and bandage. Some seriously injured soldiers had broken arms and legs.  He was sent to the other side for treatment by military doctors.  At this time, Ma Dai brought up a captured civil servant, it was Sima Wangfu. His horse was shot down by random arrows, and he was caught by Ma Dai's men. Ma Dai stepped forward and bowed to Liu Jing, "Your Highness  , captured the enemy Sima, and called him Wang Fu!" Liu Jing nodded, walked to Wang Fu, and said with a slight smile: "Wang Sima is from Yizhou, right?" Wang Fu sighed and said, "I am Liu Zhang's subordinate.  Shuzuo, who later followed Mr. Qi, became the Sima of Nanjun, and went to Jiaozhou with Mr. Xuande. He was captured today and has decided to die. I hope His Highness will fulfill his wish. "Liu Jing immediately ordered the soldiers to untie him."  Untying the rope for Wang Fu, Wang Fu gently moved his numb wrists and said with a wry smile: "My family are all in Jiaozhou. Although I have received favor from His Highness, I don't want to surrender to the Han army." Liu Jing shook her head and smiled:  "I don't want you to surrender. You go back and tell Zhuge Liang that I can negotiate with him and exchange the prisoners of war of the Jiaozhou Army for the prisoners of war of the Jiangdong Army in his hands. If he doesn't want to negotiate, then I won't force him." After that, he ordered his surroundings, "Give it to him.  A horse, and a few of Guan Yu's soldiers to send them back." Wang Fu knew that Zhuge Liang must want to negotiate, so he bowed and said gratefully, "Thank you, His Royal Highness, for your mercy." He turned to leave, and Liu Jing.  But he stopped him. Wang Fu felt a little uneasy and asked: "Does your Highness have any other instructions?" Liu Jing said in a gentle tone: "Govern Jiaozhou well and educate the barbarians in Jiaozhou. One day, I will give you a future.  " Wang Fu felt his nose was a little sore. He nodded silently, turned around and strode away. Lu Xun next to him sighed, "Your Highness's ambition for the world, Lu Xun is sincerely convinced!" Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Since Boyan knows my heart,  Then tell me how I should deal with the affairs of the Jiaozhou Army." Lu Xun also smiled and said: "After listening to what His Highness said to Wang Fu, it is easy to guess what His Highness is thinking. It must be to exchange for the Jiangdong army and let Zhuge Liang go.  After returning to the south, the Jiaozhou Army was defeated in the northern expedition and could not recover within three to five years. Liu Bei could only make up his mind to attack Jiaozhou. " Speaking of this, Lu Xun said cautiously: "But I have another suggestion." "Tell me.  Look, what's your suggestion?" "I suggested that Luling County be transferred to Jiaozhou, leaving a gap in Jiaozhou. Liu Bei will perish in Luling County sooner or later." Liu Jing smiled slyly, "Do you think I will agree to Boyan's suggestion?  ?¡± The two looked at each other and laughed together. Not long after Zhuge Liang returned to Xinwu County, he immediately sent people to find out the news on the official road of Nanchang. Zhuge Liang was very worried. He knew Guan Yu and knew that Guan Yu was proud and would not do anything even if he knew there was danger.  Giving up easily, especially not compromising to yourself, will sow the seeds of the Jiaozhou Army's disastrous defeat.  The Jiaozhou Army was not strong, and Zhuge Liang knew it well. Although he led his army to unify Jiaozhou, it did not mean that the Jiaozhou Army could sweep across the Central Plains Army. Although they were lucky enough to defeat the Jiangdong Army, it did not mean that they could defeat the Han Army.  In particular, they had just been equipped with the Jiangdong Army's armor and went into battle without training. The effect was not as good as the previous leather armor and iron swords. In addition to their high morale, Zhuge Liang still could not imagine that they had any hope of defeating the Han army.  Zhuge Liang stood on the top of the city and looked west. At this time, a cavalry rushed towards the city and shouted from the bottom of the city: "Is the military advisor here?" Zhuge Liang poked his head and asked: "Is there any news about the general?" "Qiu"  Reporting to the military advisor that General Guan was defeated, they were already ten miles away. They felt guilty and did not dare to come to see the military advisor. "Zhuge Liang was shocked and asked, "How many defeated soldiers came back?" "About two thousand people.  He couldn't help but let out a long sigh, his entire army was wiped out, he didn't listen to his own dissuasion and fought forcefully, and now he has suffered such consequences, even though Zhuge Liang was thinkingHe hates it very much, but he also knows that now is not the time to blame. At least the crimes of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei cannot be dealt with by him. Let the lord deal with them back!  Thinking of this, Zhuge Liang turned back to Guan Ping and said, "My dear nephew, come with me to greet your father!" Guan Ping clasped his fists and saluted, "I would like to go with the military advisor." The two got on their horses, opened the city gate, and rushed out of the city with their entourage.  , ran ten miles away, and saw Jiaozhou soldiers resting on the roadside from a distance. These were the remaining soldiers gathered by Zhou Cang, about two thousand people, and they were the last escapees of this battle.  Zhuge Liang had already arrived for Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. They were ashamed in their hearts. They were naked and had thorn sticks tied on their backs. They knelt down on the roadside to plead guilty. After a while, Zhuge Liang and his entourage arrived on flying horses. Guan Yu shouted loudly: "Guan Yu and Zhang Fei will be guilty."  , apologize to the military advisor!" Zhuge Liang sighed and laughed in his heart. He quickly dismounted and helped them up one by one. He comforted them and ordered Guan Ping to bring clothes for his father, uncle and brothers to wear. Guan Yu said with shame: "I regret not listening.  The military advisor's words led to the annihilation of the entire army. Guan Yu deserves to be punished with death. Zhuge Liang sighed and said, "This is not only your fault, I am also at fault. Let's not mention this for now. Let's go back and pay tribute to him together."  The emperor apologized, but the situation may not be as serious as General Guan said. "Guan Yu was stunned and didn't understand what Zhuge Liang meant. Guan Ping quickly added: "Father, we still have nearly 20,000 Jiangdong Army prisoners of war." "Guan Yu.  It suddenly dawned on him that they could exchange prisoners of war, but he was a little worried and said: "Now that the Han army is victorious, is Liu Jing still willing to exchange prisoners of war with us?" Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and said, "We still have more than 10,000 people in our hands who can guard them strictly.  The Han army may not be able to break through New Wucheng without paying a heavy price. I think Liu Jing is in a hurry to rush to Jiangdong and will no longer be willing to pay the price, let alone spend time with us. He will definitely agree to make peace with us. "  Guan Yu sighed, "The military advisor is wise, but Yun Chang is stupid and far inferior to me!" Zhuge Liang was also quite happy in his heart. Although he paid a heavy price, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were sincerely convinced by him. This may not be a bad thing. He smiled slightly and said  : "If I am not mistaken, Liu Jing will send someone soon." As soon as he finished speaking, soldiers rushed to report, "Wang Sima is back." Guan Yu was overjoyed. Wang Fu was his confidant and most trusted advisor.  He originally thought he had died in the rebellion, but he did not expect that he was still alive. Guan Yu was overjoyed, but Zhuge Liang understood that Wang Fu must have brought Liu Jing's news. He immediately ordered: "Please ask the king  Sima comes to see you!" After a while, Wang Fu was brought up. He saluted Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang and said with some shame: "The humble horse was shot to death and captured by the enemy, but Liu Jing released the humble soldier and let him lead the army.  Come back." Guan Yu felt Wang Fu's shame, so he patted him on the shoulder and said comfortingly: "This is my fault, and it has caused Guoshan to suffer. It is the greatest luck that you can come back. Don't feel any burden." Wang.  Just sighing, he thought of Liu Jing's last words and felt even more ashamed of Guan Yu, but he couldn't say it. At this time, Zhuge Liang couldn't help but asked: "Wang Sima, what did Liu Jing say?" Wang Fu  Realizing, he raised his hand and gave himself a slap. He actually forgot about the business. He quickly said: "Liu Jing said that we can negotiate and are willing to exchange prisoners of war. If the military advisor is not willing to negotiate, he will not force it." Zhuge Liang sighed, now  Is there any room for bargaining? He said to everyone: "Liu Jing means that if we accept all his conditions, then this battle will be over. Otherwise, not only will they continue to attack, but Huang Zhong's army will also enter Jiaozhou."  , this is actually the last chance he gives us.  " Guan Yu pondered for a moment and asked: "Now that the Han army has all the advantages, it can completely attack and destroy us in one fell swoop. Why did they let us go?  Zhuge Liang smiled bitterly and said, "Has General Guan forgotten?"  Why did he let us go back to Jiaozhou in the first place?  At first he wanted to use us to unify Jiaozhou, but the reason this time is similar. If we had occupied the wealthy Yizhou, he would have defeated us long ago and would not have waited until today.  " Guan Yu nodded silently, "I understand, everything is decided by the military advisor.  " This is when Guan Ping stepped forward and saluted: "Military advisor, I am finally willing to go to Nanchang to negotiate with Liu Jing.  "Zhuge Liang's mind changed. Guan Ping saved Liu Jing's life in Xinye. Maybe Liu Jing would look at Guan Ping's face and give Jiaozhou more benefits and let Guan Ping go. It would be best. Thinking of this,  Zhuge Liang then smiled and said: "I will write a letter, and General Xiaoguan can go to Nanchang and give the letter to Liu Jing without saying a word.  " "The general will obey the order!  ¡± After two rounds of negotiations, the Han Army and the Jiaozhou Army finally reached an agreement. The two armies exchanged prisoners of war. All Jiangdong Army prisoners of war were exchanged for all Jiaozhou Army prisoners of war. Liu Jing also allowed the Jiaozhou Army to withdraw to Jiaozhou.In addition, he had ordered Huang Zhong that the Han army should stop attacking Jiaozhou and withdraw to Jiangling.  At the end of the negotiation, Liu Jing reluctantly agreed to transfer Luling County to Jiaozhou for the sake of their old friendship, as a small compensation for their northern expedition. At this point, the storm in Jingnan finally came to an end, and the Han army  Not only did they recover all of Jingnan, but they also captured Yuzhang and Poyang counties from the Jiaozhou army.  At this time, the situation in Jiangdong changed rapidly, and Liu Jing ordered to withdraw his troops back to Chaisang and prepare to sail to Jiangdong.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 757 Jiangdong Storm (1)

    At the same time when the Han army attacked Yuzhang County and expelled the Jiaozhou forces, Cao Cao led an army of 30,000 to Hefei. By now, the strength of Cao Cao's army in Hefei had reached 80,000, and his sword pointed directly at Jiangdong.  Zhenjiang Shuangque, these are two tall buildings on the north bank of Ruxukou for viewing the scenery of the Yangtze River. The buildings are five feet high. Standing on the tower, you can see the majestic waves of the Yangtze River. The twin towers were built after the Battle of Hefei the year before last. Cao Cao named the twin towers specially.  It was named Wenyuan Shuangque in recognition of Zhang Liao's victory in defeating the Jiangdong Army. However, Zhang Liao did not dare to accept it and quietly renamed the Shuangque to Zhenjiang Shuangque.  At this time, on the high platform of Shuangque, Cao Cao was standing with his hands behind his back, staring at the vast and shining river in front of him, with a lot of thoughts in his heart. Cao Cao resolutely decided to rush to Hefei after receiving Sun Ben's secret letter asking for help. He had realized that  Jiangdong is about to be in chaos, and this will be his chance to unify Jiangdong.  Although Cao Cao has signed an armistice agreement with Liu Jing, it does not mean that Cao's army will completely put their weapons and weapons into storage and release Manan Mountain. Cao's army still needs to train and look for opportunities to conduct war training. Moreover, this year's grain harvest in the Central Plains and Hebei is bumper.  It was sufficient and the national strength was restored to a certain extent, which gave Cao Cao great confidence. Even if they no longer fought the Han army, they could still fight the Jiangdong Army and the northern nomads.  For Cao Cao, the strategic importance of Jiangdong is self-evident. Once he captures Jiangdong, he will gain the advantage of the navy and can compete with the Jingzhou navy, thus reversing the biggest shortcoming of Cao Cao's army, but Cao Cao also knows it in his heart.  , it is not that easy to destroy Jiangdong.  It was already late autumn, the river wind was strong and the chill was permeating the people. The military flags at the four corners of the tower were crackling in the wind. Cao Zhang, the second son who had followed his father southward, stepped forward to persuade him: "Father, the river wind is cold, it is better to return home."  Camp!" The reason why Cao Zhang followed Cao Jun south this time was because Cao Zhang's father-in-law was Sun Ben. Cao Cao hoped that his son would participate in exerting influence on Sun Ben. Cao Cao put his hands behind his hands and smiled and said: "Beyond the river, people are open-minded.  Open, all worries have been forgotten, do you feel this way?" There were only a few responses, only the voices of a few generals. Cao Cao was slightly surprised. He turned back to look at the counselors and saw only a dozen people headed by Cheng Yu.  The counselors were all shivering from the cold, their faces were pale, and their lips were blue. It was obvious that they couldn't bear the cold wind in the river. Cao Cao immediately said apologetically: "The wind in the river is cold, everyone, please get out!" Everyone was relieved and got off the platform one after another. Cao Cao stared again.  After a moment, Yangjiang turned around and walked down the platform, returning to the military city at Ruxukou.  Cao Cao's 80,000 troops were stationed in two places. One was in Hefei City, with a garrison of 30,000 troops, and the other was in Ruxukou, with a garrison of 50,000 troops. The perimeter of the Ruxukou military city was about twelve miles.  Built by Zhang Liao, it is a city completely used for garrisoning. The barracks and warehouses in the city are all masonry structures and have good fire protection functions. Outside the east gate of the city is a training ground covering thousands of acres, where you can conduct  For cavalry training, there is also a school ground covering an area of ??500 acres in the city for formation training.  Before Cao Cao arrived, the entire southeastern army was commanded by Zhang Liao. Zhang Liao was named the General of Zhendong. Returning to the lobby, Zhang Liao ordered people to serve ginger soup to the counselors to dispel the cold. Cao Cao took a sip of the ginger soup and pondered for a moment.  He asked: "Is there any news from Jingzhou?" Zhang Liao set up a secret intelligence point in Pengze County. There were spies to spy on Pengze Lake. Zhang Liao immediately reported: "I just received a pigeon from Pengze County this morning.  The Jiangdong fleet has set off and will pass through Ruxukou in five days. "What about the news about the Han army?" Cao Cao asked again.  Zhang Liao knew Cao Cao very well and knew that he was actually concerned about Liu Jing's news. He smiled and said: "Liu Jing should be in Chaisang now. I heard from my humble position that the envoys from Jiangdong and Jiaozhou went to Chaisang at the same time a few days ago. Now the Jingzhou navy is on a large scale."  Move troops to Chaisang." Cao Cao nodded and sighed: "This is called a fight between a crane and a clam. The fisherman gets the advantage. Jiangdong and Jiaozhou fight to the death for Yuzhang County, but in the end they get Liu Jing's advantage. If  I was not mistaken, this was a series of traps set by Liu Jing, and both Sun Quan and Liu Bei fell into it." At this point, Cao Cao noticed that Cheng Yu was hesitant to speak, so he smiled and asked, "What did Zhongde want to say?"  Yu put down the ginger soup bowl, cupped his hands and said: "Reporting to the Prime Minister, I think that for Liu Jing, the important thing is not necessarily Yuzhang and Poyang County, but Lujiang County in the north of the Yangtze River." Cao Cao frowned, "Zhong  Why did De say this? " "It's very simple. If Liu Jing wants to take this opportunity to completely destroy Jiangdong, then it is necessary to capture Yuzhang and Poyang County, but judging from the description in Sun Ben's letter and Liu Jing's current army deployment  The Han army did not intend to destroy Jiangdong, but wanted to split Jiangdong and completely weaken Jiangdong. From a strategic point of view, retaining Jiangdong would help contain the Xuzhou front line. More importantly, destroying Jiangdong now would plunge the Han army into a quagmire.  It's hard to extricate yourself. It can only be said that the time is not yet ripe. In this case, Yuzhang County and PanThe importance of ? County cannot be revealed. On the contrary, seizing Lujiang County will directly threaten Hefei. Its strategic significance is much greater. I think Liu Jing knows very well what is more important and less important.  ¡± Everyone looked at each other, feeling that Cheng Yu¡¯s words were unbelievable, but reasonable. At this time, Zhang Liao clasped his fists and said, ¡°Prime Minister, what Military Advisor Cheng said is true. When Liu Jing sent Gan Ning to attack Hefei, Gan Ning once said that he would come back sooner or later.  , I thought this was not Gan Ning's casual statement, but revealed Liu Jing's ambition to seize Hefei. The Han army was likely to use this opportunity to exchange Yuzhang County and Poyang County for Lujiang County.  " Cao Cao thought for a moment and said: "What Zhongde said is reasonable, and what Wen Yuan said is also good. So what should we do?  Want to seize Lujiang County before the Han army?  " At this time, Liu Ye stood up and said: "Prime Minister, I think it's just a guess now. Although Military Advisor Cheng's words are very insightful, if you send troops to Lujiang based on a guess, I think it's inappropriate, and instead let Liu Jing attack.  Lujiang's excuse, now we should still focus on Jiangdong and not be easily distracted.  Cheng Yu explained: "Mr. Liu is right. The situation in Jiangdong is delicate now. We should make a decision before taking action. We should focus on calmness and observation, and it is not appropriate to use weapons rashly."  " Everyone expressed their opinions, and there was a murmur in the lobby. At this moment, a guard outside the hall reported: "To the Prime Minister, there is a messenger outside delivering a message, saying that there is urgent information from Pengze County.  Zhang Liao quickly said: "This must be a pigeon message from Pengze County. It should be news from the Han army."  " Cao Cao nodded, "Send it up quickly!  " After a moment, a guard walked quickly into the lobby, knelt down on one knee, and presented a red pigeon letter. Red indicates that the situation is urgent or serious. A guard took the pigeon letter and forwarded it to Cao Cao. Cao Cao slowly wrote it on the table  Unfolding the letter, he squinted and read it again, with helplessness in his eyes. He smiled bitterly and said to everyone: "As expected, Liu Jing led the Jingzhou navy to defeat Guan Yu's army north of Nanchang County.  The entire army was wiped out.  " This news shocked the whole room. Although everyone had expected it, it was still hard to accept that it actually happened. After a while, Cheng Yu sighed and said: "Now, Jiangdong will be even more lively!  "The protagonist of this Jiangdong rebellion is undoubtedly Sun Bi. In order to stabilize the situation in Jiangdong, Sun Quan did not kill everyone. This gave Sun Bi a chance to stand up. With the help of He Qi, Sun Bi finally stood in Kuaiji County.  Taking advantage of Sun Quan's western expedition, Sun Ben visited various places in Jiangdong and invited many Jiangdong elders who supported him to Kuaiji County, including Zhu Zhi, Han Dang, Cheng Pu and other elders. At the same time, Sun Ben recruited troops and forged weapons.  In just one month, he recruited more than 10,000 people. Together with He Qi's 20,000 troops, they had 30,000 troops. Although they had the conditions to raise troops, the best time had not yet come.  In the inner hall, Sun Benzheng was discussing with He Qi, Zhu Zhi, Chen Jiao and others about raising troops. Chen Jiao was sent by Cao Cao to assist Sun Ben. During the last Sun Ben rebellion, Chen Jiao was the mastermind behind the rebellion. Unfortunately, he was caught.  Later, he was replaced by Cao Cao. This time, Cao Cao sent him as Cao Cao's plenipotentiary representative. Chen Jiao had learned the lesson from the last failure and said slowly to everyone: "We failed last time because we did not have the territory in our hands.  And the army, and this time we have Kuaiji County and our own army, but I think that just having Kuaiji County is not enough, and the number of 30,000 troops is too small. We should seek Wu County, Kuaiji and Wu County are connected together, we  It occupies half of Jiangdong.  " Sun Ben thought for a moment and said: "Sun Shao has the support of the Sun family and is preparing to replace Sun Quan. I don't know how they are progressing now. Can we use the excuse of joining forces with Sun Shao, or conversely, use the excuse to put down Sun Shao's rebellion?  Enter Wu County.  " Speaking of this, Sun Ben glanced at Zhu Zhi. He had lived in Wu County for a long time and knew the situation in Wu County very well. Zhu Zhi was a veteran of Jiangdong. He was nearly sixty years old this year and had profound experience in officialdom. He understood what Sun Ben meant.  , lightly stroking his gray beard and smiled: "Sun Shao is only seventeen years old, and his intellect is immature. How can he have the courage to stand up against Sun Quan on his own? Sun Shao is just a puppet. The real people behind the scenes are Sun Jing and his son, but Sun Jingnian  His career was advanced and he lived in seclusion. There are rumors that he has passed away. The truth is not yet known. However, his second son, Sun Yu, is very ambitious and thinks that he is a talented man who can replace Sun Quan. If I am not mistaken, Sun Yu is the mastermind of Wujun's army.  " At this time, He Qi, who had been silent, said: "Sun Quan never allowed Sun's children to take charge of the military. Although Sun Yu was named General Fenwei, it was in vain. However, Gong Sunyang, the commander-in-chief of Wu County, used to be Sun Jing.  general, he should be loyal to Sun Yu, so I think Sun Yu has the military power of Wu County.  " "General He, can you tell me how many troops there are in Wu County?  "Chen Jiao asked again. He Qi smiled and said, "There are 15,000 Wujun troops, among whom Gongsun Yang controls 10,000.In addition, Huang Gai was training militia in Wu County and had an army of 5,000 militia in his hands. As far as I know, Huang Gai and Gongsun Yang had a bad relationship over the food supply issue, so Huang Gai often went to Piling County to farm. He also served as the director of Pilingdian Agricultural School.  Lieutenant, if Sun Yu raises troops in Wu Commandery, Huang Gai should not follow him.  " Chen Jiao's eyes became anxious and he quickly said: "If we can contact Huang Gai and request that we jointly send troops to suppress Sun Shao's rebellion, will Huang Gai agree?  " "I don't know about this, but you can ask Han Dang to persuade Huang Gai. After all, Huang Gai was also squeezed out due to factional issues and was ignored by Sun Quan. We can give it a try.  "While they were discussing, a guard walked quickly to the hall and reported: "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Cao of Jiangbei has an urgent message delivered to him!  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 758 Jiangdong Storm (2)

    The soldiers in the hall brought a messenger up. Chen Jiao immediately recognized that this person was Cao Cao's personal soldier. He quickly asked: "Where is the letter from the Prime Minister?" The soldier took out a scroll and presented it to Chen Jiao.  "This is the Prime Minister's order. Please see it, Mr. Chen." Chen Jiao took the letter and read it over, his eyes showing joy. He handed the letter to everyone for circulation, and said with a smile: "Sun Quan was defeated in Yuzhang, and now he is here."  On the way home, the Prime Minister believes that the time is ripe for us." Everyone circulated Cao Cao's letter one by one, feeling happy and angry at the same time. He Qi cursed in a low voice: "He goes to war but is defeated repeatedly. What kind of person does he think he is?  "Master!" Zhu Zhi pondered for a while and said: "We don't have to raise troops immediately. We should publicize Sun Quan's defeat widely in Jiangdong, add fuel to the fire, and arouse people's anger. This way we will have an excuse to raise troops, and we can also gain the support of the people.  "Support, the time is indeed ripe." "What about Huang Gai? Do we want to contact them?" Sun Ben asked.  Zhu Zhi nodded, "We want to make contact, but this has nothing to do with us raising troops. Regardless of whether he agrees or not, we have to act according to the normal plan." Everyone became excited, discussed the details, and then dispersed.  However, Zhu Zhi secretly called Sun Ben and asked him to ride in a carriage with him. The carriage rumbled by. In the carriage, Zhu Zhi asked quietly: "Is the eldest son really planning to defect to Cao Cao?" Sun Ben sneered.  He said: "I have failed once and will not make the same mistake again. Whether Cao Cao or Liu Jing, they all want to control me and use me as a puppet. I want their support, but I  I will never become their puppet and betray Jiang Dong. "Zhu Zhi nodded with a smile on his face, "Cheng Pu and Han Dang and I all agreed that we want to replace Sun Quan, not betray Jiang Dong, so Cheng Pu and Han Dang agreed.  The two generals are quite dissatisfied with Chen Jiao. They refused to come to the meeting today for this reason. As long as the eldest son can grasp the principle and use Cao Cao and Liu Jing, it's okay. " "Don't worry, Jun Li, I am like a mirror in my heart.  "Then I'll be relieved. I'll tell Han and Cheng so they can rest assured." The carriage sped up and drove towards Sun Ben's mansion. Three days later, Jiangdong's army was defeated.  The news about Yuzhang spread throughout Jiangdong, causing an uproar in Jiangdong. The news said that Sun Quan's command was indiscriminate, and the 100,000 Jiangdong Army was defeated by 20,000 Jiaozhou Army in Xinwu County.  The entire army was wiped out, and the heads of Jiangdong Army soldiers piled into a hill.  These news set off an angry storm in the land of Jiangdong. The people of Jiangdong were angry. They were overwhelmed by heavy taxes, but what they got in exchange was such a tragic result. The Jiangdong Army could not even defeat the Jiaozhou Army.  Moreover, an army of 100,000 was defeated by an army of 20,000. How incompetent must it be to get this end?  The call for Sun Quan to step down resounded throughout the land of Jiangdong, in the streets, alleys, fields, taverns and brothels. Wherever people gathered, angry scholars could be heard berating Sun Quan and calling on the people to rise up and resist Sun Quan's rule.  The strong indignation of the people began to sweep across Jiangdong, and riots against the government frequently occurred in various parts of Jiangdong. Thirty thousand people in Wuxian County attacked the county government office, and the prefect Lu Fan escaped. The county government offices were burned down by fire, and the county offices in Danyang County and Qu'a County were burned down.  The magistrates of two counties were beaten to death by angry people. Twenty thousand Jianye scholars took to the streets and had bloody conflicts with the troops who suppressed them. Hundreds of people died.  Just as riots against Sun Quan were surging in various places, Sun Ben, who had been silent for many years, issued a proclamation in Kuaiji County, denounced Sun Quan as fatuous and harmed the country, and no longer recognized Sun Quan as the lord of Jiangdong. Kuaiji County established a new Jiangdong regime, and Sun Ben took over the title of Marquis of Wu.  , he abolished all Sun Quan's excessive taxes and miscellaneous taxes, called on the people to support the new master of Jiangdong, and work together to defeat the thieves who harmed the country.  Sun Bi's message appeared at a critical moment and immediately won applause from all over Jiangdong. The people of Kuaiji strongly supported it and donated money and food. Young and strong men enthusiastically joined the army. In just a few days, more than 13,000 strong men were recruited.  In Soochow County, a carriage, protected by dozens of guards with swords, slowly stopped in front of the gate of the Lu family's mansion. General Fenwei Sun Yu stepped out of the carriage. Sun Yu was Sun Jingci.  Son, when Sun Ce died unexpectedly and prematurely, there were disagreements and disputes within the Sun family over the successor. Sun Jing was the third younger brother Sun Yi who supported Sun Ce. Sun Yi was brave and decisive, just like Sun Ce, and won the support of many people in the government and the public. Sun Jing was the important  One of the supporters.  But in the end it was Sun Quan who became the lord of Jiangdong, and Sun Jing retired from officialdom and went home to retire. Soon, Sun Quan got rid of Sun Yi with the help of Sun Yi's confidant Bian Hong, and Sun Jing became completely silent.  Fifteen years later, Sun Quan fell into an unprecedented crisis in power. Many people who opposed him appeared on the stage one by one. No one knew Sun Jing's attitude, but Sun Jing's second son, Sun Yu, opposed Sun Quan.As a pioneer, he advocated returning power to Sun Shao and restoring orthodoxy.  Sun Yu was about thirty-seven or eighty years old. He was tall and burly, with great martial arts skills, extraordinary bravery, and ambition. Sun Shao had a weak character, which just met his conditions. Although Sun Yu did not hold military power, the two major capitals of Wu County  Wei, Gongsun Yang and Zhu Huan were all Sun Jing's old subordinates, and they all expressed their support for Sun Shao's succession.  In addition, Sun Yu also got the support of the county prime minister Zhou Li, and gradually took control of the military and political affairs of Wu County. But Sun Yu knew that he also needed the support of the three major families in Wu County. The three major families in Wu County were the Lu family, the Gu family and the Zhang family.  The Wu family controlled the economic lifeline and voice of Wu County. The students they trained were all over Jiangdong. The three major families themselves also produced talents in large numbers and held important positions in Jiangdong officialdom, such as Lu Kang, Lu Ji, Lu Xun, Gu Yong, Zhang Wen and others.  .  With the support of these three aristocratic families, he has established a foundation in Jiangdong. Sun Yu came to visit the three major aristocratic families more than once. Today he came to visit the Lu family again. Forced by the situation, Sun Ben had already raised troops. He would again  Can't wait any longer.  Sun Yu's soldiers quickly walked up the steps and said to the concierge: "Please report to the master of the house and tell General Fenwei to come to visit!" The concierge rushed to report, but Sun Yu stood in front of the door with his hands behind his hands, staring at the sky, which was gloomy.  , dark clouds are gathering, and it¡¯s about to snow. At this time, in the inner hall of the Lu family, several important members of the Lu family are urgently discussing countermeasures. The head of the Lu family is Lu Jun, the eldest son of Lu Kang, who is about forty years old, and there are also younger brothers.  Lu Ming, his younger brother Lu Ji and Lu Li who had just returned from Jingzhou.  Lu Jun received an express letter from Lu Xun just this morning. The letter said that if he returned to Jiangdong, he would be killed by Sun Quan, so he stayed in the Han army for the time being and returned to Jiangdong after the storm passed.  Lu Xun never mentioned that he had become Liu Jing's staff, nor did he tell his tribe that he had surrendered to Liu Jing. However, the news that Lu Xun and Sun Quan fell out and was trapped in the Han army was like a bolt from the blue, causing the Lu family to panic.  The mainstay of the family's greatest hope was unexpectedly dismissed by Jiangdong. Neither Lu Jun nor Lu Ji found it difficult to accept the news. You must know that Lu Xun was Sun Ce's son-in-law.  But the reality has happened, and they can¡¯t accept it. The fact that Lu Xun and Sun Quan fell out has been there. Before Wu County can stand on its own feet, they can only think of ways to minimize the negative impact. After deliberation for a long time, everyone can do nothing.  At this time, Lu Li, who had been silent all the time, slowly said: "I don't think the head of the family should worry too much. This is not necessarily a bad thing." Lu Li just returned to Wu County last night. As the head of the family, Lu Jun had not had time to talk to him in detail.  , At this time, Lu Jun heard something in Lu Li's words. He immediately realized something and asked quickly: "Uncle Ting, what do you mean by this?" "Because before I came back, the King of Han specially met with me, and  "I talked about the Lu family." This sentence shocked several others at the same time. Several people looked at each other. Lu Jun couldn't help but secretly cursed himself for being confused. He clearly knew that Lu Li was the uncle of Princess Han, and it was entirely possible for the King of Han to meet Lu Li.  , he actually forgot about it. Before Lu Jun could speak, Lu Ming asked impatiently: "What did the King of Han say?" "The King of Han said that the last time Jingzhou publicly recruited scholars, most of the famous families in the world sent their children  He has always felt sorry that there are no children of the Lu family to attend. " Lu Jun and Lu Ming looked at each other. This sentence couldn't be more clear. This is a naked attempt to win over the Lu family. As the head of the family, Lu Jun has been thinking about how to win over the Lu family.  The various factions in Jiangdong were balanced, and they never thought about having anything to do with the Han Dynasty. The reason why they valued Lu Li was because Sun Quan valued him.  At this time, Lu Li's words suddenly opened a window in front of Lu Jun's eyes, allowing him to see the magnificent scenery he had never seen before, and his thoughts suddenly broadened.  At this time, Lu Li smiled at Lu Ji again and said: "The King of Han also asked me to greet Gongji. He missed his past interactions with Gongji in Xiangyang and felt guilty for Gongji's leg injury. He hoped that Gongji  If you go to Chengdu for a walk, he will personally take Gong Ji to see the mountains and rivers of Bashu. " These words moved Lu Jun even more. Liu Jing, with his status, actually wanted to accompany Lu Ji to tour the mountains and rivers. This was too much of a shame, no matter whether it was true or not.  Really being a guide, when he was willing to say so, he undoubtedly valued the Lu family. Lu Jun was moved. As the head of the family, if he could upgrade the Lu family from a Jiangdong aristocratic family to a world aristocratic family, what a temptation it would be.  From this perspective, if Lu Xun really surrendered to Liu Jing, wouldn¡¯t it be a bad thing?  Lu Ji sat aside silently. When he went to Xiangyang that year, he was caught by Cai Mao and his leg was broken. From then on, he became a serious cripple. He could no longer serve as an official, so he studied the metaphysics of the Book of Changes at home. He did not expect that Liu Ji  Jing could still remember a friendship from back then, which moved him deeply.  ?????????????????????????????????????????????????:  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 759 Jiangdong Storm (3)

    Sun Yu actually came, which was unexpected by Lu Jun. He stood up and said to the other people: "You continue to talk, I will go see him and come back."

    After saying that, he turned around and walked out of the hall. At this time, Lu Ji reminded him from behind: "Brother, I'm afraid Sun Yu is here to clarify his attitude."

    Lu Jun smiled and nodded, "I understand too, don't worry! I know how to deal with him."

    Lu Jun walked quickly to the guest room in front, but he was thinking about how to deal with Sun Yu. Just now, his mentality changed significantly, from supporting Sun Shao to deciding to seek refuge with Liu Jing. This huge position  The change made Lu Jun have to consider the fate and future of the Lu family. He couldn't offend Sun Yu in front of him, but he didn't want to sink too deep into it. He was thinking about how to maintain a balance.

    Walking up the steps of the guest hall, I saw Sun Yu sitting in the hall with his head down and drinking tea, looking very worried. Lu Jun also inherited his father's ambition to serve as the prefect of Lujiang. He had a good eye for officialdom and was good at observing people's words. When he saw that Sun Yu was full of worries, he knew  He was begging himself, and he felt a little relieved, so that he could calmly grasp his position.

    "Haha! I kept General Sun waiting for a long time." Lu Jun walked into the guest room and smiled heartily.

    Sun Yu quickly stood up and saluted: "Because there is something urgent, I didn't make an appointment in advance. Please forgive me, head of the family."

    Lu Jun nodded, waved his hand and said, "Please sit down!"

    The two of them took their seats respectively. Sun Yu sighed and said, "The current chaos in Jiangdong must be known to the head of the Lu family."

    "There is indeed chaos in Jiangdong now. I'm afraid this is something Sun Quan didn't expect. If he doesn't come back, I'm afraid Jianye City will not be saved."

    "Is it that serious?" Sun Yu asked in surprise.

    Lu Jun smiled faintly, "Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this time public opinion came suddenly and was as violent as a storm. In just a few days, the entire Jiangdong was swallowed up by anger. If there is no one behind the scenes, does General Sun believe it?"  "

    Sun Yu nodded, "This must have been done by Sun Ben, and he added fuel to the fire. According to the information we got, the Jiangdong Army was not completely wiped out. It lost about 60,000 people. There are also more than 30,000 prisoners of war in the hands of the Han army. There are no  If there is an accident, Liu Jing will release them back to win over the people of Jiangdong. In this way, in total, only more than 20,000 people were lost. Sun Ben exaggerated that the entire army was annihilated, with mountains of heads, and the people were easily fooled, so that  He succeeded easily."

    "What, has Sun Ben become independent now?" Lu Jun suddenly understood what Sun Yu was saying.

    Sun Yu sighed helplessly, "Sun Ben has established himself, proclaimed himself Marquis of Wu, and established a new Jiangdong regime. He recruited troops on a large scale. Now his troops have reached 40,000, while we only have more than 10,000 in our hands. Once  Sun Ben¡¯s army moves north, how should we respond?¡±

    "Most of Sun Ben's 40,000 troops are newly recruited soldiers. Without training, the only army that can really fight is 20,000 people. And the more than 10,000 people in General Sun's hands can also reach the opponent, but the problem is not  Here, does Sun Bi have to attack General Sun¡¯s army?¡±

    "Unless we surrender to him, increase his strength, and can no longer stand on his own, he will soon attack the Yuhang area. After all, there is no room for two tigers in one mountain." Sun Yu's tone became serious.

    Lu Jun immediately understood what Sun Yu was worried about. He was worried that he would not be able to defeat Sun Ben, but he was unwilling to surrender, so he was in a dilemma. Lu Jun smiled slightly and said: "General Sun, just tell me! What do you need from the Lu family?"

    Sun Yu moved his lips and whispered: "I got the latest news. Lu Xun was handed over to Liu Jing by the Jiaozhou Army. Can you please ask the Lu family to contact Lu Xun and ask the Han army to enter Jiangdong and support us from the west."

    Lu Jun suddenly realized that Sun Yu wanted to get the support of the Han army. Lu Li was the uncle of the Han princess, and Lu Xun was in the Han army. Sun Yu was in dire straits at this time. If he wanted to get Liu Jing's support, he could only ask the Lu family for help.  This made him feel relieved. He slowly shook his head and said: "Lu Xun was just handed over to the Han army by the Jiaozhou Army. He may not surrender to Liu Jing. He is just trapped in the Han army. I'm afraid the Lu family can't help."

    "I know this, but the Lu family and the Han Princess are related by marriage. For this reason, Liu Jing will also treat Lu Xun well. Besides, isn't Lu Li back too? The head of the family should not be too humble."

    Sun Yu believed that the Lu family and Liu Jing had secret contacts. Regardless of whether Lu Xun surrendered to Liu Jing or not, Liu Jing would definitely give the Lu family face.

    Lu Jun was just talking, and he was willing to hold the line. Lu Jun thought for a while and said, "I'm afraid I won't be able to make it in time."

    When Sun Yu saw Lu Jun relieved, he was secretly happy. He knew that Sun Bi had the support of Cao Cao. If he could get the support of Liu Jing, then he would have a chance of winning. He believed that Liu Jing was willing to help him. The key was to find a reliable person.  As a middleman, the Lu family is undoubtedly the most suitable.

      Sun Yu said quickly: "We can contact you by pigeon mail. Besides, Sun Ben needs to train soldiers and won't go north in a big way for a while. Moreover, we can resist Sun Ben's army for a while. There should be enough time. The key is that this matter is of great importance.  I hope that the head of the family can keep it secret and not let third parties know except you and me. "

    Lu Jun nodded, "I can try my best, but I can't guarantee it. But don't worry, General Sun. I am a person who knows what's appropriate. This matter will be kept confidential!"

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

    Sun Quan's fleet has passed Ruxukou, and hundreds of large ships are returning to Jianye in a mighty manner. At this time, Sun Quan was very anxious. He got the information that Cao Cao had stationed 80,000 troops at Ruxukou and was eyeing Jiangdong, while Jianye only had 20,000 troops.  Army, if Sun Ben rebels in Kuaiji County and leads Cao's army into Jiangdong, and cooperates with the outside, the Sun family's foundation in Jiangdong will be over.

    In the cabin, Sun Quan was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. There was a piece of information on the table, which was a pigeon message sent from the intelligence point in Wuhu on the south bank. Riots broke out all over Jiangdong, government offices were destroyed, and county magistrates were killed, although Sun Bi was not there yet.  news, but Sun Quan knew that now was a good opportunity for Sun Ben to rebel, and Sun Yu from Wu Commandery would also take the opportunity to launch an attack.

    Now that Jiangdong is facing an unprecedented crisis, what should he do?  Sun Quan was so confused that he couldn't think of any solution.

    At this time, Zhang Zhao¡¯s voice came from outside the cabin, ¡°Marquis Wu, I want to see you!¡±

    Sun Quan quickly opened the door, grabbed Zhang Zhao's wrist, pulled him in, handed him the information, and said in a pleading tone: "Zibu, what should I do now?"

    Zhang Zhao opened the information and looked at it. He was secretly surprised that the situation was so chaotic. However, after all, Zhang Zhao was experienced and calm. He did not panic. He said to Sun Quan: "Wu Hou's top priority is to calm down."  Down the road, being anxious about things will not help, but will make you confused and fail to seize opportunities. "

    Zhang Zhao's words were like a basin of ice water being poured down on his head. Sun Quan took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, "The military advisor is right, I should calm down."

    Zhang Zhao walked to the sand table, stared at it, pointed at Ruxukou and said: "Cao Cao is stationed here. We just passed by an hour ago, but nothing happened. I am a little confused, why didn't Cao Cao  Before we come back, we can collude with Sun Ben to attack Jianye and attack Jiangdong from both inside and outside. Why hasn't he taken action yet?"

    Sun Quan also calmed down, and Zhang Zhao¡¯s words made him feel strange, yes!  There was clearly a chance to destroy Jiangdong, why didn't Cao Cao seize it?  He pondered for a moment and said: "Does Cao Cao want to wait for our army to return to Jiangdong, annihilate us all in one go, and then occupy Jiangdong?"

    Zhang Zhao shook his head and said: "I thought so at first, but I don't think this is the reason. I think the real reason is that Cao Cao was afraid of Liu Jing, so he didn't take action first."

    "Liu Jing?" Sun Quan frowned, as if that was the case, but he felt that something was a bit unreliable.

    Zhang Zhao pointed at the Yangtze River with a wooden pole and said slowly: "We are now on the river and have no information about Jingzhou, but Cao Cao is on land. He should get the information about Jingzhou in time. I have a bold idea, maybe Liu Jing  The Jiaozhou Army has been defeated, and now the main warships of the Han Army are on their way to Jiangdong. Therefore, Cao Cao is afraid of making rash moves against Jiangdong. After all, the Han army is involved, and the situation becomes complicated. Cao Cao's army is likely to swallow Jiangdong, but  He couldn't swallow it, and finally made Liu Jing's wedding dress in vain. Cao Cao must be afraid of this, so he stood still. "

    Sun Quan nodded, and Zhang Zhao's last words got to the bottom of it. It's not that Cao Cao didn't want to annex Jiangdong, but that he didn't want to make Liu Jing's wedding dress in vain. Thinking of this, a glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in Sun Quan's heart, and he hurriedly said: "  If that's the case, we might still have hope."

    Zhang Zhao smiled slightly and said: "This is what I want to advise Wu Hou. If neither Cao Cao nor Liu Jing can swallow up Jiangdong, then they would rather maintain a balance in Jiangdong. This balance will never be dominated by one family. I think it should be  It¡¯s a state of division. I can¡¯t say whether it¡¯s two families confronting each other or three families dividing Wu, but at least we still have hope of reunifying Jiangdong.¡±

    Sun Quan breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart became heavy again. Even if Jiangdong was split, it would be difficult for him to accept it. How could he face his father and brother again?  Sun Quan sighed and said: "I am really incompetent. I failed to inherit the inheritance of my father and brother, which led to today's situation. My father's spirit in heaven will not forgive me!"

    Zhang Zhao quickly persuaded Sun Quan, "The Marquis of Wu does not need to blame himself. It is because of Liu Jing that Jiangdong lost the opportunity to expand westward. Several failed westward expansions ultimately led to today's passivity. Not only the Marquis of Wu, but also Cao Cao."  Not so. Liu Jing's force moved north and Cao's army declined day by day. Where is the powerful Cao army that defeated Yuan Benchu? "

    Two people?My heart became heavy, and no one wanted to speak. At this moment, someone outside the cabin shouted: "Marquis Wu, a small boat has arrived. It seems to be Cao Jun's ship, with Cao Jun's battle flag on it."

    Sun Quan was startled, what is going on?  Zhang Zhao said coldly: "Cao Cao is going to dig a trap for Wu Hou."

    Not long after, a five-hundred-stone boat approached Sun Quan. A scribe on the boat raised his hands and said: "I am Liu Ye, the chief clerk of Prime Minister Cao's account. On the order of Prime Minister Cao, I have come to see the Marquis of Wu.  Discuss important matters."

    The soldiers had already gone to report to Sun Quan. After a while, the soldiers came back and threw down a ladder, "Marquis Wu, please get on board Mr. Liu!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 760 Jiangdong Storm (4)

    [This is a chapter that I missed posting two days ago. I found it last night, but I can only send one message a day. I'm sorry!  There should be three chapters released today, but I don¡¯t know if there is a limit. If there is no 766 chapters today, there is really nothing we can do.  ¡¿

    Two guards led Liu Ye to Sun Quan's cabin, and one guard reported: "To the Marquis of Wu, Prime Minister Cao's envoy has arrived!"

    "Please come in!" Sun Quan's voice came from the cabin.

    The guard turned around and waved to Liu Ye, "Please, sir!"

    Liu Ye tidied up his clothes that were messed up by the river wind, and quickly walked into the cabin. He saw two people in the cabin. One of them was Sun Quan, the Marquis of Wu, and the other was an old man with white beard and hair.  Wearing an Eguan Confucian robe and a slender appearance, Liu Ye suddenly remembered who he was. He had met Zhang Zhao, the second-largest man in Jiangdong, in Xuzhou more than ten years ago.

    Liu Ye hurriedly stepped forward to salute, "Liu Ye, the chief clerk of Prime Minister Cao's account, goes to see the Marquis of Wu and to see Military Advisor Zhang."

    "It turns out to be Master Liu. I haven't seen you for many years. Are you okay?"

    "Thank you very much for your concern, Marquis Wu. Liu Ye is very good. This time, under the order of Prime Minister Cao, I have important matters to discuss with Marquis Wu."

    "Please take a seat!"

    Liu Ye and Zhang Zhao nodded, and the three of them sat down. Sun Quan ordered the guards to serve tea again, and asked with a smile: "Does Prime Minister Cao have a letter?"

    Liu Ye shook his head, "I'm sorry, it's just a verbal message, and Liu Ye will relay it."

    "Master, please speak! I am all ears."

    Liu Ye took a sip of hot tea and said calmly: "Prime Minister Cao hopes that Wu Hou can see the situation clearly and make a wise decision, and not make the same mistake again and again, causing the foundation of the third generation to be destroyed."

    Sun Quan was silent. This was not a discussion, it was clearly a threat. Next to him, Zhang Zhao sneered and said, "These words are too vague and incomprehensible. Can Mr. Liu explain it in detail?"

    Liu Ye smiled slightly and continued: "I think Wu Hou should be very clear about the situation in front of him. Jiangdong has been divided into three parts. Sun Bi of Kuaiji has declared independence, and Sun Shao of Wu Commandery is about to become independent. Wu Hou actually only controls Danyang, Lujiang and Piling.  Three counties, including Yuzhang County and Poyang County, have also been occupied by the Han army. This is an unprecedented crisis. If Wu Hou does not take action, I am afraid that the final foothold will be gone. Prime Minister Cao does not want the situation to develop to that point. "

    "Then what action does Prime Minister Cao want me to take?" Sun Quan asked coldly.

    "It's very simple. Prime Minister Cao hopes that Wu Hou will surrender to the court and advance and retreat with Cao's army."

    Only then did Sun Quan understand Cao Cao's intention, which was to make him surrender. It seemed that he was indeed afraid of Liu Jing and did not dare to launch troops easily. Sun Quan smiled lightly and said: "Am I not a member of the imperial court now? The emperor personally named him Marquis of Wu.  , I also send envoys to pay tribute to the Central Government every year, how can Prime Minister Cao want me to surrender? "

    "Prime Minister Cao hopes that Wu Hou will send his eldest son to study in Yedu, and we will take good care of him. In addition, Prime Minister Cao also hopes to meet Wu Hou and establish an alliance. Prime Minister Cao is willing to send troops to help Wu Hou regain Yuzhang County and Poyang County.  "

    Liu Ye's intention was very clear. After protons formed an alliance, Sun Quan sighed for a while and said: "Please give me time to think about it!"

    Liu Ye nodded, "Okay, we will limit it to three days. If there is no reply from Marquis Wu within three days, it will be regarded as Marquis Wu's rejection. I will leave now."

    Sun Quan felt very tired and said to Zhang Zhao, "Zibu will help me get Master Liu off the ship, but I won't do it."

    Zhang Zhao smiled and waved his hand, "Master Liu, please come!"

    After a while, Zhang Zhao saw off Liu Ye and returned to Sun Quan's cabin. He saw Sun Quan standing in front of the boat window with his hands behind his hands, staring at the river without saying a word, his expression very solemn. Zhang Zhao knew that Sun Quan was under great pressure, so he walked into the cabin with a smile.  Said: "Liu Ye's arrival is actually not a bad thing. At least it revealed the fact that Cao Cao is afraid of Liu Jing. If not, would Cao Cao give Wu Hou a chance to surrender?"

    Sun Quan shook his head, "I will never go to Yedu as a hostage."

    "I don't agree with it either, let alone forming an alliance with Cao Cao. This is Cao Cao's vicious plan. First, we will sever our alliance with Liu Jing, and the two sides will meet each other in war."

    Sun Quan sighed lowly, "But what other alliance do we have with Liu Jing? He set up a trap in Jingnan for me to fall into, and also occupied my Yuzhang and Poyang. What is the difference between him and Cao Cao? They are the same  Cruel and ruthless.¡±

    "But at least our face is not broken. Wu Hou asked him why he occupied Yuzhang and Poyang and where did he place the alliance? I think he would give Wu Hou an explanation. Wei Chen felt that the Sun and Liu families were married after all. Mr. Liu Jing  More reliable than Cao Cao."

    Sun Quan turned around and looked at Zhang Zhao in surprise. In his memory, Zhang Zhao was unswervingly opposed to Liu Jing and advocated an alliance with Cao Cao. Why did he reverse it today? Zhang Zhao understood Sun Quan's doubts and explained with a wry smile: "  Wei Chen is still not nice to Liu JingI feel that Jiangdong's survival is now a matter of life and death. Weichen should focus on Jiangdong's great cause and abandon personal grudges. Although Weichen hates Liu Jing, Weichen has to admit that Liu Jing is indeed slightly more reliable than Cao Cao.  "

    Sun Quan nodded, "I'm very happy that Zibu can confess like this, but let me think about it alone!"

    Zhang Zhao bowed and slowly retreated. Sun Quan waited for him to go away and then said to the guards outside: "Go and invite Governor Lu!"

    Only when people are in crisis will they realize those who are truly loyal to themselves, and the same is true for Sun Quan. Only then did he realize that Lu Su, whom he had always despised, was the one who was truly loyal to him, and he couldn't help but blame himself.

    Not long after, Lu Su walked into the cabin quickly. When he saw Wu Hou sitting, he knelt down and bowed, "Greetings to Wu Hou!"

    "Please excuse me."

    Sun Quan sighed and said: "I have been thinking about my faults these days. It has been fifteen years since I took power in the fourth year of Jian'an. However, instead of becoming stronger and stronger, Jiangdong has suffered repeated setbacks. Today it has reached the point of falling apart. Let  I can't face my father and brother. I keep reflecting on myself, but I can't figure it out. I hope Zijing can learn from me and tell me frankly. "

    After saying that, Sun Quan looked at Lu Su expectantly. Lu Su was silent for a moment and said, "loyalty is offensive to my ears. I'm afraid Wu Hou will not be able to accept it."

    "Now that things have happened, there is nothing I can't listen to. Please tell the truth, Zijing! If I still can't listen to the honest advice, Zijing can leave me."

    Lu Su nodded silently, thought for a moment and said: "Marquis Wu did make many mistakes, such as sending troops hastily and being too aggressive, but these are not big problems. Wei Chen has always believed that Marquis Wu made three mistakes that led to today's disaster.  ¡±

    Sun Quan bowed deeply to Lu Su and said, "Please speak clearly."

    "The first mistake is that Wu Hou should not condone factions. Wu Hou has a good understanding of people. Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, Yu Fan and others are all talented people in the world. Huang Gai, Zhou Yu, Lu Xun and Lu Meng can stand alone.  Jiangdong is full of talents, but at critical moments, these talents cannot do their best. An important reason is that the internal fighting among Jiangdong factions is fierce, and everyone has private interests. When public and private interests conflict, all opinions  They all considered their own factions and ignored Jiangdong's great cause. This also led to Wu Hou's repeated mistakes in decision-making, which was the root of Jiangdong's decline. "

    Although the words didn¡¯t sound right, Sun Quan still accepted it silently and said, ¡°Please Zijing, please continue.¡±

    "The second mistake was that Wu Hou was acting on his behalf. Wu Hou had the talent to govern the country, but he had no ability to lead an army. Frankly speaking, Wu Hou's military talents were far inferior to Liu Jing, Cao Cao, and even inferior to Zhou Yu, Lu Xun and others. But  However, every time he went on an expedition, Wu Hou had to personally lead the troops and command the battle, but he always failed and returned, which caused Jiangdong to suffer repeated setbacks, the national power gradually declined, and Wu Hou's own prestige also disappeared. "

    The second mistake pointed out by Lu Su was extremely harsh. Sun Quan's expression changed and he almost had a seizure. He finally restrained himself and said coldly: "Please continue!"

    Lu Su felt that Sun Quan was no longer patient. He felt sad and said no more. He cupped his fists and said, "If Marquis Wu doesn't want to listen anymore, Lu Su will stop talking and won't bother Marquis Wu anymore."

    Sun Quan was shocked and waved his hands quickly, "Please continue, I don't like to hear it, please continue!" Sun Quan felt ashamed that he could no longer hear good advice.

    "Okay! Let me continue with the third point. Wu Hou's third mistake is to break his word and be greedy for small gains and forget the great righteousness."

    "What do you say?" Sun Quan was really unhappy. He felt that this was not a mistake, but a moral issue. How could Lu Su evaluate himself like this.

    "Actually, Marquis Wu himself didn't even realize it. As for his attitude towards Jingzhou, Marquis Wu can ask himself, how many times have we made alliances with Jingzhou and broken them several times? If we repeat this, Liu Jing will no longer trust him.  Marquis Wu, this is breaking your word, being greedy for small gains and forgetting the great righteousness means that Marquis Wu should not accept Jingnan. Marquis Wu clearly knows the importance of Jingnan to Liu Jing, and he knows Liu Jing cannot tolerate the westward expansion of Jiangdong's power. For this reason, we have already  After several battles, Wu Hou could not bear the temptation at the critical moment and took over Jingnan. In the end, he also lost Yuzhang and Poyang."

    "alright!"

    Sun Quan finally couldn't listen any more and became furious. He restrained his anger and said coldly: "I have made many mistakes, but they are not as bad as you said. You don't have to describe me as useless."

    Lu Su was extremely disappointed. He didn't expect that at this time, Sun Quan still wouldn't listen to his advice. On the surface, he said he was willing to accept the advice humbly, but his words were harsh and he couldn't accept it. What's the point of such advice?  , It's just annoying him. Thinking of this, Lu Su sighed and said: "Wei Chen also said just now that the loyal advice is offensive to the ears. Wu Hou is unwilling to accept it. Wei Chen has no choice. Please allow Wei Chen to leave."

    He stood up and bowed,As he turned away, Sun Quan stopped him. After a moment of silence, Sun Quan said slowly: "Although Zijing's words are hard for me to accept for a moment, I will savor them carefully and try to correct my mistakes. Please don't lose Zijing's words."  confidence."

    Lu Su forced a smile and said, "Even a humble minister should be a minister to others."

    After a pause, Lu Su said again: "Wei Chen has another suggestion, I don't know whether to talk about it or not."

    "If you have any suggestions, just say them."

    "Wei Chen heard that Cao Cao sent an envoy to see Wu Hou. If Wei Chen guessed correctly, it should be that Cao Cao was afraid of Liu Jing and did not dare to get involved in the Jiangdong rebellion easily. In this case, Wu Hou should show his sincerity to Liu Jing  , please help us get through this difficulty, Liu Jing, after all, he is the sister-in-law of Wu Hou, and he will not ignore death. "

    "I'm afraid that the conditions he proposed are too high and I can't accept them."

    Lu Su shook his head and said: "He has even occupied Yuzhang and Poyang counties. What other conditions can he offer? What else can't we agree to?"

    Sun Quan heard this. It was true. They had no choice. Sun Quan thought for a moment and said, "Liu Jing's warship should be right behind. I still want to ask Zijing to see him again and ask him to help us survive."  Difficulties.¡±

    Having said this, Sun Quan took out a gold medal and handed it to Lu Su, "As long as we can meet the conditions he proposed, Zijing can agree on my behalf with full authority. We really don't have time."

    When Lu Su took over the gold medal, he felt tremendous pressure.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 761 Jiangdong Storm (5)

    At this time, the Han army's fleet was also chopping waves on the Yangtze River, sailing down the river, about a thousand miles away from the Jiangdong fleet. This was a three-day voyage. On the river, eight hundred thousand-stone warships had their sails swollen, and they were sailing in strong  Blow by the northwest wind, the ship speed is very fast, and eight hundred warships line up, stretching for dozens of miles.

    This time the Han army dispatched 35,000 troops for the eastern expedition, including 30,000 naval troops and 5,000 troops directly under Liu Jing, and brought sufficient food and supplies. In fact, Liu Jing was not on the eastern expedition, but to monitor  Cao Jun, to control the situation in Jiangdong, must not only split Jiangdong, but also prevent the situation in Jiangdong from getting out of control. It is in the interests of the Han army to maintain a balance in Jiangdong in a divided state.

    In the cabin, Liu Jing was writing a letter to his family at his desk. When he set off, he received a letter from his family. Tao Zhan said in the letter that Ye Du had confirmed Cao Xian's identity. The Cao Xian who rashly broke into Liu's house was really Cao Cao.  This made Liu Jing a little surprised as to what Cao Xian's motives were. Although Tao Zhan vaguely revealed a little bit in the letter, Liu Jing was not willing to think in that direction.

    Liu Jing stopped writing and saw Cao Xian's beautiful face, tall and plump figure, and graceful temperament. It cannot be denied that Cao Xian has a strong attraction to men, and Liu Jing is no exception. Although  She was Cao Cao's daughter, but Liu Jing still felt attracted to her.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment, and then wrote: "If this girl is unwilling to return to the north, she can stay in the house temporarily. After asking her father's attitude, she can be asked to return to the north. She can be treated kindly."

    After writing the letter, Liu Jing read it carefully, dried the pen and ink, carefully put it into the envelope, stamped it with wax, and said to the soldier next to him: "You can give this letter to the messenger. Please return to Chengdu as soon as possible and give the letter to him."  princess.'

    The soldier took the letter and left quickly. Liu Jing walked to the boat window with his hands behind his hands and looked at the scenery on the north shore. His heart was ups and downs. He went from the young man who escaped from the war to today step by step. In a flash, he was already thirteen years old.  Years have passed, but sometimes I feel that everything happened yesterday. The real Liu Jing, Liu Jingsheng and his son, Jiangdong Zhoulang, everything has flowed away like a river. Time will never look back, but I don¡¯t know when he will be able to finish it.  During this time journey, how long will it take for him to realize the idea that he never had before and unify the world?

    While he was deep in thought, there was a knock on the door outside the cabin, interrupting Liu Jing's thoughts. He felt a little unhappy and asked, "What's the matter?"

    "Your Highness, a scout has reported that the Lu family in Jiangdong has an urgent message for Your Highness."

    Liu Jing was slightly startled. The Jiangdong Lu family actually came to find him. How did they find him?  Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Bring the scouts on board the big ship!"

    He simply walked to the deck and looked at a small boat sailing on the river. After a moment, the boat approached the boat. A soldier used a ladder to pull up the scout who reported the news. The scout took out a letter and knelt down on one knee in front of Liu Jing.  Report, "This is a letter from the Lu family to His Highness. Please read it."

    Liu Jing took the letter and asked, "Why did you receive a letter from the Lu family?"

    "Reporting to Your Highness, the Lu family has a transfer station in Wankou ahead. They sent people to find us after receiving the pigeon letter."

    Liu Jing nodded, opened the letter and read it again. She was a little surprised. The letter was not only about the Lu family, but also Sun Yu wanted to get her support, so she actually involved Sun Yu. At this time, Lu Xun hurriedly heard the news  Came over, "Your Highness, I heard there was a letter from the Lu family?"

    Liu Jing handed the letter to him, "Take a look! It's very surprising."

    Lu Xun took the letter and read it again. He was a little surprised, but then he thought again that this was actually normal. Lu Xun said: "If His Highness understands the cause and effect, maybe it won't be surprising."

    Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "Go and talk in the cabin!"

    The two of them walked back to the cabin. Liu Jing asked Lu Xun to sit down, then smiled and said, "Go ahead! I'm all ears."

    Lu Xun briefly sorted out his thoughts and said: "In the fourth year of Jian'an, the Sun family had already had an internal conflict to compete for the master of Jiangdong. Sun Quan won that time, while Sun Jing and Sun Ben failed, but the conflict was not eliminated. After Sun Yi  After his sudden death in an accident, Sun Jing completely fell out with Sun Quan. This time, in name, the Sun family's Wujun clan supported Sun Shao in inheriting his father's business. In fact, it was Sun Jing's second son, Sun Yu, who wanted to replace Sun Quan. However, the three branches in Jiangdong  Among the Sun family's forces, Sun Yu is the weakest. Once Sun Bi becomes independent in Kuaiji County, he will definitely march north. Wu County will bear the brunt. Sun Bi has the support of Cao Cao, but Sun Yu is under great pressure. He can only look for foreign aid. It happens that the Lu family also  Expressing support for Sun Shao, Sun Yu will naturally place his hopes on the Han army."

    Liu Jing walked a few steps with her hands behind her back, turned around and said with a smile: "Does Boyan think I accept Sun Yu's request, or turn a blind eye?"

    Lu Xun knew that Liu Jing had made a decision, but he was just considering himself. He thought for a while and said: "I think that if His Highness wants to maintain the balance of power in Jiangdong, he should support Sun Yu. As long as Sun Yu remains neutral,If they are not defeated, then Sun Quan and Sun Ben will not be able to fight in the final duel, and the trend of the three grandsons dividing Wu will be established.  "

    Liu Jing laughed and said, "What Boyan said is exactly what I want. I will give Boyan three thousand elite soldiers, even the Lu family soldiers. Boyan will lead the troops into Wu to support Sun Yu in resisting Sun Ben's Northern Expedition."

    Lu Xun was overjoyed. This way, he was no longer a rebellious Jiangdong. He bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for your highness's love for the Lu family."

    Liu Jing added: "Bo Yan doesn't need to get off the ship. When we arrive in Wuhu the day after tomorrow, Boyan will directly lead a fleet from Wuhu into Wu County. I will also station troops in Wuhu and wait and see the situation in Jiangdong."

    Two days later, the Han fleet gradually arrived at Ruxukou. General Shen Mi led a scout fleet of twenty fast boats to approach the north shore. When approaching the shore, two double towers and two towers could be clearly seen.  The military city behind the Shuangque was filled with densely packed soldiers.

    The Cao soldiers on the shore discovered them and began to rush to the shore. They shot arrows into the river together. The dense arrows were fired at the Han army sentry boat. The sentry boat was forced to retreat and left the range of the arrows. At this moment, a drum sounded at the mouth of the river.  With a sound like thunder, a fleet of Cao's army came at a rapid speed. This was a patrol ship of Cao's army. The leader was named Xue Ju, a general from Zhang Liao's tribe. He was originally the leader of the Black Flag Army of the Yangtze River water thieves. He led hundreds of troops to surrender to Cao's army and fell into the deep sea.  He was highly regarded by Zhang Liao and became a rare naval general among Cao's troops.

    Cao Cao's fleet had about fifty ships, all of which were small boats of two to three hundred stones. They were very nimble. The soldiers on board were all tough and proficient in water skills. They were all water thieves on the Yangtze River. They quickly formed formations and attacked the Han from all directions.  Surrounded by military ships.

    When Shen Mi saw that the opponent had a deep water formation and that the number of people far exceeded his own, he did not dare to underestimate the enemy and immediately led the fleet to break out to the northwest. Xue Ju pointed at Shen Mi and cursed, "Surround them. No one is allowed to escape. The leader of the enemy is  They will be skinned alive!¡±

    Shen Mi was furious and rushed towards Xue Ju with his boat. Arrows were raining all around. Shen Mi held a shield in one hand and a steel spear in the other hand to resist and deflect the arrows. He rushed to the enemy ship in a moment. Shen Mi shouted:  He jumped onto the enemy ship and stabbed Xue Ju with his gun. Xue Ju fought with his sword. The two fought fiercely on the ship.

    After fighting for seven or eight rounds, Xue Ju gradually became exhausted. He slowly retreated to the side of the boat, roared, slashed several times, turned around and jumped into the river. Shen Mi had expected that he was going to jump off the boat, and stabbed with a spear.  The gun pierced his left shoulder. Xue Ju screamed and fell into the river, disappearing from the river.

    This is the most commonly used method in water warfare to capture the thief first. As long as the enemy leader is killed, the remaining ships will lose their command and will collapse without a fight. When the Han ships see that the enemy is about to fall into the water, their morale will immediately rise and they will attack the enemy ships.  , there were shouts of killing on the river, Cao Jun's sentry boats were unwilling to fight, and after losing more than a dozen sentry boats, they withdrew to the mouth of the Ruxu River. Xue Ju was also rescued by a boat and fled back to the military camp in embarrassment.

    At this time, Shen Mi had already discovered the water stronghold set up by Cao Jun at the mouth of the Ruxu River. The water stronghold was small in size, with about five hundred warships, half of which were thousand-stone warships. The water stronghold was surrounded by two layers of wooden piles.  A passage was built on the wooden piles, and thousands of Cao Jun soldiers were waiting with crossbows. The defense was very tight and it was extremely difficult to get close. When Shen Mi saw that his men had picked up his brothers who fell into the water and a dozen Cao Jun soldiers, he waved and said: "Retreat!  "

    The fleet quickly sailed away from the north bank and headed towards the Han fleet anchored in the center of the river. Not long after, Shen Mi boarded Liu Jing's boat, clasped his fists to Liu Jing's bow and reported: "Your Highness, your humble position has been roughly completed."  Find out the situation of Cao Jun¡¯s water camp.¡±

    Liu Jing nodded and asked: "How many warships do the enemy have?"

    "Reporting to Your Highness, there are about 500 warships, half of which are thousand-stone warships, and a navy of 8,000 people. The navy commander is Li Dian. In addition, Cao Cao himself is in the military city on the north bank. The prisoners of war captured in humble positions saw him with their own eyes today.  Come to the water village for inspection."

    Liu Jing frowned, how could Cao Jun have more than 500 warships? Where did they come from?  He was puzzled. At this time, Shen Mi ordered his men to push up a prisoner of war. The prisoner of war was the village chief and a native of Hefei. He was so frightened that he knelt down and kowtowed, begging for his life. Liu Jing glanced at him and said, "Well, please  Ask my questions and I¡¯ll let you go.¡±

    "I understand, villain!"

    Liu Jing looked at him and asked: "I want to know how come there are more than 500 warships in Cao's army, and when did they get them?"

    The prisoner of war said tremblingly: "Most of them are Jiangdong Army's grain ships. When Sun Quan was defeated in Hefei, he had no time to evacuate in Chao Lake and was captured by Cao's army. The other more than a hundred ships were built by Zhang Liao who recruited shipwrights at high prices in the past two years. Many ships  The craftsmen all come from Jiangdong.¡±

    Sun Quan was really a prodigal. He was defeated in many battles. He even gave up his ships to Cao Jun. He also slandered that the reason for the defeat was that the Han army came too late to rescue. Liu Jing cursed secretly and ordered the prisoners to be taken down. At this time, Pang Tong stepped forward.  He smiled and said, "Is His Highness planning to go to war with Cao Jun in Jiangdong?"

    Liu Jing shook his head, "This time I came east not to start a war with Cao Jun, but for Jiangdong. Once the balance is broken, JiangThe situation may get out of control.  "

    Having said this, Liu Jing turned back and asked Shen Mi: "How far is it from Wuhu?"

    "Report to Your Highness, there are still about twenty miles left."

    Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Go to Wuhu to garrison troops!"

    The Han fleet set sail again and sailed slowly towards Wuhu City, ten miles away. At this time, on the double platform, Cao Cao was looking at the Han fleet on the river with his hands behind his back.

    The Han fleet was so huge that it was impossible to see the end at a glance, which made Cao Cao look very solemn. He had fought with Liu Jing countless times and had never defeated Liu Jing on the water, which made him have a deep feeling in his heart about fighting Liu Jing on the water.  of fear.

    It was at this time six years ago that he was defeated in Chibi, which became a turning point in his rise and fall. It still makes him frightened. Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh softly and said to himself: "I hope this time, there will be no more defeats."  Repeat the mistakes of Red Cliff!¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 762 Jiangdong Storm (6)

    At night, the Han fleet docked slowly at the Wuhu County pier. Thousands of torches illuminated the pier like daylight. In the light of the hunting fire, groups of soldiers began to line up ashore. Liu Jing also went ashore surrounded by hundreds of guards.  , at this time, a soldier rushed over quickly and reported: "Your Highness, Jiangdong Lu Su is asking for an audience!" Liu Jing looked back and saw Lu Su standing not far away, accompanied by several soldiers.  , his expression was very serious, without any smile, Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "Invite him here!" After a moment, Lu Su hurriedly stepped forward, bowed and saluted: "See you, Your Highness!" Liu Jing smiled slightly, "I haven't yet.  After being invited by Marquis Wu, he went directly to Jiangdong's territory. Did Zijing come to ask for help? " Lu Su smiled bitterly and said, "Your Highness, stop joking. At this point, does Jiangdong still have any choice? "  Some soldiers laid out soft mats in the tax pavilion next to the dock. Liu Jing smiled and said, "Let's go and talk in the pavilion!" Lu Su followed Liu Jing to the pavilion. The two of them sat down separately.  In the troubled times of Jiangdong, Jiangdong was divided into three parts due to internal strife. The people were in chaos, and Marquis Wu was extremely worried. He sent me here to have a frank talk with His Highness. "The smile on Liu Jing's face disappeared and she said lightly: "  I need to tell Zijing first that the reason why I led my army to Jiangdong was not because I wanted to plot Jiangdong, but because I got information that Cao Cao personally led an 80,000-strong army to drink in the Yangtze River and was eyeing Jiangdong. I was worried that Jiangdong would not be protected, so  I came here specifically to save Jiangdong and also for the safety of Jingzhou. I hope Zijing can understand this. " Lu Su nodded, "I understand in my heart, and Wu Hou also knows it very well. Your Highness does not need to explain that I am here this time.  , I hope that Your Highness can support the Marquis of Wu and prevent Sun Ben from occupying Jiangdong. Your Highness should also know that Sun Ben and Cao Cao are relatives, and they have been secretly communicating with Cao Cao. This time, Cao Cao's troops suppressed Ru Xukou, just to support him. Once Sun Ben  If Ben replaces Wu Hou, then Jiangdong will be on Cao Cao's plate. "Then how can Wu Hou need me to support him?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.  "Wuhou hopes that His Highness can release the prisoners of war captured by the Jiaozhou Army and return them to Jianye. Secondly, I hope that when we fight Sun Ben, the Han army can attack Sun Ben from the side and help us defeat the rebels. Of course, as  To compensate, we will agree to all the conditions within our power." Liu Jing was silent for a while, he looked up at Lu Su and saw that he looked very nervous, so he smiled and said: "Zijing, don't be so nervous, the matter is not at its end yet.  "So, His Highness agreed to our request?" "Not necessarily!" Liu Jing shook his head and said solemnly: "I said just now that I don't want Jiangdong to perish, so I will do my best to protect Wu.  Hou, as for the request made by Wu Hou, the issue of captured soldiers. I can tell Zijing frankly that I don¡¯t want Jiangdong to be destroyed by the war. These soldiers are the future of Jiangdong. They will be responsible for the revival of Jiangdong instead of dying on the battlefield, so  I can only let the soldiers make their own choices. If there are people who are willing to come back and fight for Wu Hou, then I will let them come back. But if some people choose not to fight and just want to farm and fish, then forgive me and cannot hand it over to Wu Hou. I will let them come back.  After the war subsides, let them go back to their hometown directly." Lu Su sighed, "There are wars every year in Jiangdong, and the population is declining. We can no longer destroy it. Although I support your highness's decision, Marquis Wu may not be happy, so I would like to ask your highness to change.  Come up with an explanation!" Although Lu Su supported Liu Jing's approach in his heart, he could not agree. This was a matter of stance. Lu Su took out a gold medal and said to Liu Jing: "This is the gold medal given to me by Wu Hou.  He has the full authority to negotiate with His Highness. The implication is that Jiangdong can accept it as long as he can change the explanation. Liu Jing understood and said with a smile: "Then I will respect the wishes of Jiangdong's soldiers, as long as they are willing to return.  Jiangdong, I will never stop you." Lu Su smiled bitterly and said it nicely, but the situation in Jiangdong is so chaotic, which Jiangdong soldier is willing to come back and die?  Liu Jing smiled and said: "As for assisting Wu Hou and Sun Ben in fighting, I can only promise that I will prevent Cao Jun from assisting Sun Ben. If the situation is critical, I will also send troops to help Wu Hou. This is my promise." Lu  They bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you for your support, Your Highness!" After answering both requests, it seemed that their conversation should end, but they knew in their hearts that there was still a key issue that had not been discussed, and that was Yuzhang County and  Regarding the ownership of Poyang County, now that the Han Army has defeated the Jiaozhou Army and occupied these two large counties that originally belonged to Jiangdong, what is Liu Jing's attitude?  Will these two counties be returned to Jiangdong?  But now Lu Su wanted something from Liu Jing, and he couldn't speak for a while. His lips moved but he didn't say anything. However, Liu Jing understood Lu Su's thoughts and smiled slightly: "Zijing wants to talk to me.  Yuzhang County andGo to Yang County!  " Lu Su sighed, "Jiangdong itself is a small area. If these two counties are lost again, they will really have to live in the southeast. I implore Your Highness to return these two counties to Jiangdong.  Liu Jing had already planned in his mind and was waiting to talk to Lu Su about this matter at this moment. He said with a serious look: "I'm going to say something ugly in front of you. These two counties have been occupied by the Jiaozhou Army. Jiangdong has been defeated by the Jiaozhou Army. These two counties have been defeated by the Jiaozhou Army."  The two counties belong to Jiaozhou, but I defeated the Jiaozhou army and took back these two counties from the Jiaozhou army. In this sense, I can completely incorporate these two counties into the territory of Han Dynasty. There is no moral problem at all.  , and it will not violate the covenant between our two families. This is a matter of principle. I hope to get a clear answer from Zijing.  " Lu Su nodded helplessly after a long while. He had to admit that Liu Jing was right. There was no moral problem with the Han army seizing these two counties. Although it was hard to accept, it was a fact. He could not open his eyes and tell lies. "  Your Highness is right, there is no moral problem, but I still implore Your Highness to return them to Jiangdong.  Liu Jing laughed. This was the premise he wanted. He nodded and said, "I can return these two counties to Jiangdong for the sake of Princess Shangxiang, but I have to give an explanation to the Han army officers. In this way  Bar!  Let's make an exchange. I'll trade Yuzhang County and Poyang County for Lujiang County in Jiangbei. Can Zijing agree?  " Lu Su was stunned. It turned out that Liu Jing wanted Lujiang County. He asked in confusion: "Why does Your Highness want Lujiang County?  " "It's very simple. My next step is to attack the Central Plains. I must open the Hefei channel. I can attack Xuzhou to the northeast and Yuzhou to the northwest. In this way, I can attack the Central Plains from four fronts at the same time. Hefei is of great significance to me.  And Hefei belongs to Lujiang County, so I have to take Lujiang County first. Can Zijing agree?  " "This" Lu Su hesitated. Although Sun Quan prepared him to be the plenipotentiary representative, he did not dare to speak easily when it came to the territory. Liu Jing's face sank and he said coldly: "I hope Zijing can see the situation clearly. Cao Jun occupied  By arriving at Hefei, we have actually occupied the richest part of Lujiang County. The west of Lujiang is a sparsely populated area, and it has no meaning to Jiangdong. I am just giving you Wu Hou a face in exchange. If Zijing is not willing,  Then there is no need to talk about Yuzhang and Poyang. Zijing can decide what is more important!  " Lu Su was forced by Liu Jing to have no choice but to grit his teeth and agree to the exchange, "Okay!  Then we'll make it a deal.  " "This is the person who understands current affairs!  Liu Jing patted Lu Su on the shoulder and said with a smile: "I know that Zijing's family is all in Lujiang. Please ask Zijing for directions. I will treat your people well. As for Wu Hou, I believe he will agree with Zijing's decision."  " Lu Su sighed in his heart. He wanted to return to Yuzhang and Poyang, but lost Lujiang County. Jiangdong has since lost hope of marching into the Central Plains. He doesn't know whether this is a blessing or a curse for Jiangdong, and he doesn't know whether Wu  Hou Hui praised himself for his betrayal, but Liu Jing had no choice.  March to the north quickly. This area is the fertile and prosperous alluvial plain of the Zhejiang River. At the end of the Han Dynasty, the world was in chaos. Hundreds of thousands of northern refugees fled to Jiangdong, where they cultivated wasteland and multiplied, making Kuaiji County and Wu County gradually prosperous.  It was early winter, and a light snowfall had just fallen in the Jiangnan area. The thin snowflakes covered the earth, revealing the true color of the soil, making the world after the snow not so pure white.  , the official road became even more muddy, and the black snow and mud mixed together, making the march of the soldiers particularly difficult. This army has about 8,000 people, and is made up of a mixture of Han and Shanyue people. This is also a characteristic of the Kuaiji army.  At least 30% of Sun Ben's tens of thousands of troops were Shanyue people. This army was led by He Qi's brother He Jing and was ordered by Sun Ben to seize Fuchun County. Fuchun County is located on the north bank of the Zhejiang River and is close to Kuaiji County. It was the Kuaiji County army that moved north.  The only way to pass, the lower reaches of the Zhejiang River is also one of the richest areas in Jiangdong. This area consists of Linshui, Yuhang, Qiantang, and Fuchun counties. It is densely populated and has vast cultivated land. Therefore, Sun Ben's first step is to capture it.  This prosperous land has gained demographic and economic advantages, and Fuchun County is the first to bear the brunt. The Kuaiji military has already received intelligence. Fuchun County has only a few troops, with only more than a thousand people, led by a tooth general.  , so Sun Ben did not send a large number of troops, and only 8,000 men were enough to capture Fuchun County. After all, it was not suitable for fighting in winter, and the main focus was on training and cultivation.  The night has become thin, revealing a faint cyan color, making the road at night not difficult. You can barely see the outline of the road clearly, but the mud on the ground adds trouble to the marching soldiers.The soldiers cursed in a low voice, and from time to time someone squatted down and groped for shoes stuck in the mud.  The general, He Jingnian, is about thirty years old. He looks exactly like his elder brother. He is also tall and burly. His arms have the strength of a thousand kilograms. He can wield an iron halberd weighing seventy kilograms. He is a famous fierce general in Kuaiji County. He is a famous warrior in the mountains and Yue people.  He repeatedly performed meritorious service in the war and was named a partial general.  Today he took the initiative to take over Fuchun County. He Jing was determined to capture it. Seeing the slow march of the soldiers, he couldn't help but feel anxious. They had to cross the Zhejiang River before dawn, but it was already the fifth watch, and they were still far away from the Zhejiang River.  Twenty miles away, I'm afraid it's a little too late.  He Jing saw a soldier squatting on the roadside sorting his shoes and socks. He was angry and whipped the soldier, cursing: "You bastard! Get up and march."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 763 Jiangdong Storm (7)

    Linshui, Yuhang, Qiantang and Fuchun counties are densely distributed on the north bank of the Zhejiang River. The four counties have a population of nearly 100,000 households. The land in this area is flat and fertile, with sufficient sunlight and water sources. The grain yield per acre is extremely high. It is the richest in the entire Jiangdong region, and also  The most densely populated area belonged to Wu County during the Three Kingdoms era. However, in order to limit the excessive size of Wu County, this area was separated and Yuhang County was established.

    If the Kuaiji Army wants to seize this prosperous land, it must first cross the Zhejiang River, and the Zhejiang River is the focus of local garrison defense. The Kuaiji Army must take advantage of the cover of night to cross the Zhejiang River. Finally, before dawn, He Jing led  The army rushed to the south bank of Zhejiang River.

    At this time, the vanguard troops were already looking for ships on the riverside. As the main army arrived, a military prince rushed to He Jing and reported: "I am reporting to General He that more than thirty ships have been found."

    He Jing frowned, with a look of dissatisfaction in his eyes. He knew the situation of the Zhejiang River very well. Normally, this area was very prosperous with thousands of ships competing for it. How could he only find more than 30 ships, and they were only small boats with a hundred stones? He said fiercely  He glared at Junhou and asked, "What's going on? There are only more than thirty ships?"

    The Marquis sighed, "It was the defenders on the other side who drove all the ships to the north shore. These more than thirty ships were still hidden in the inlet without being discovered by the other side, so we were able to find them. Otherwise, there wouldn't even be a single ship.  "

    He Jing had no choice but to ask again: "What's the situation with the enemy on the other side?"

    "There are about a thousand defenders on the other side, but I have just received news that Zhu Huanzheng is leading five thousand troops to Fuchun County for assistance. I'm afraid it will be here soon."

    He Jing was shocked, and he suddenly became anxious. If Zhu Huan's army rushed to the north bank of the Zhejiang River, it would be difficult for them to cross the river. He immediately ordered: "Start crossing the river immediately!"

    The soldiers of the Kuaiji Army crowded into more than thirty small boats, with more than ten people in each boat. More than thirty small boats left the south bank and sailed towards the other bank. He Jing stood on a high place and watched nervously as the boats gradually turned into a  A black spot disappeared into the misty morning light.

    But what He Jing was most worried about happened. Just before the first batch of boats crossing the river arrived at the north bank, Wujun army general Zhu Huan led his army to Fuchun County, although the actual controller of Wujun was Sun Yu.  , but the Wujun army was commanded by two generals, one was Zhu Huan and the other was Gongsun Yang. Both were natives of Wujun and had been Sun Jing's subordinates. Naturally, both of them expressed their feelings to Sun Yu.  Allegiance.

    When the news came that Sun Bi proclaimed himself Marquis of Wu, Sun Yu immediately realized that the Kuaiji army would march north to the Zhejiang River and seize Yuhang and other four counties. He also urgently ordered Zhu Huan to lead his army south and establish a defense line along the Zhejiang River.  .

    At this time, Zhu Huan was listening to the report from General Zhang Xin, "Beizi has received information that there are about 8,000 enemy troops on the other side and are preparing to cross the river. Beiji has collected ships on the south bank in accordance with the general's order, but it is estimated that some ships will slip through the net.  "

    Zhu Huan nodded, "It doesn't matter a small number of ships."

    As soon as he finished speaking, a soldier rushed to report, "General, enemy ships were found on the river, about thirty or so, all small boats, heading towards the north bank!"

    Zhang Xin immediately asked for orders anxiously, "I am willing to lead the troops to annihilate them all!"

    Zhu Huan pondered for a moment and said: "The thirty or so ships can carry at most four to five hundred people. The number is too small. We will wait until more of them come over before taking action."

    Zhu Huan immediately ordered, "The troops on the riverside are to be fully evacuated, and the ships on the north bank are not allowed to be obtained by the other side."

    The Wujun army on the north bank quickly retreated north, and more than a hundred ferries anchored on the north bank also sailed away from the shore. At this time, more than thirty black spots appeared on the river. It was the Kuaiji army crossing the river. The river was wide,  The strong north wind made it extremely difficult for ships to cross the river. It took nearly half an hour for more than thirty small boats to approach the north bank. Soldiers on board the ships landed one after another and gathered on the shore, while the thirty or so small boats turned around and headed south.  to carry a new batch of soldiers

    Time gradually reached noon, and the boat had made four ferries, transporting more than 2,000 soldiers from the Kuaiji Army across the Zhejiang River. At this time, He Jing also received news that the enemy troops were concentrated in Fuchun County, not on the north bank. Although the news was good.  , but He Jing, who was suspicious by nature, still discovered something was wrong. Fuchun County was less than two miles away from the Zhejiang River. When the first batch of 500 soldiers landed on the north bank, the defenders in the county clearly had an advantage in numbers, but why did they  Not attacking?

    There was something fishy here. He Jing realized something was wrong and immediately ordered to stop crossing the river. He strode to the river and stared at the north bank for a moment. The sun was shining brightly and he could clearly see the scenery on the other side, thinking of Zhu Huan's reinforcements.  Having arrived, He Jing suddenly felt a strong uneasiness in his heart. He immediately ordered: "Send an order to withdraw troops from the north bank immediately!"

    When more than thirty empty ships arrived at the north bank, Zhu Huan knew that the enemy forces on the south bank had discovered something was wrong and the opportunity to attack had arrived. Zhu Huan immediately issued an order to attack, "Send the order for the entire army to attack and annihilate the enemy forces on the north bank!"  "

      The rumble of war drums suddenly sounded. Zhu Huan led 5,000 elite soldiers to fight out from behind the woods on both sides and charged directly at the 2,000 Kuaiji Army soldiers gathered on the north bank. Zhu Huan took the lead, brandishing a 60-pound iron spear.  After stabbing more than ten people in a row, he turned around and shouted: "Brothers, kill the enemy and make a meritorious service!"

    The Wujun soldiers' shouts of killing were loud and their morale was high. They were divided into five teams and surrounded and cut off the enemy from five directions. Although the Kuaiji army had a large number, they did not have a general to command them. They formed separate formations and only lasted for a moment before they were all  The army was defeated, and they were killed by Wujun soldiers who cried and cried. Corpses were everywhere. Many people jumped into the water desperately and swam to the north bank. However, the water was fast and they were soon swallowed up by the rapids. The remaining soldiers had no way out and knelt down one after another.  surrender.

    There was almost no suspense in this battle. Wujun soldiers defeated the enemy with an overwhelming advantage and captured more than a thousand people. Nearly 700 people died tragically in the first civil war of Jiangdong Army.

    On the south bank, He Jing's face was ashen. He heard the sound of war drums on the other bank and watched helplessly as the army on the north bank was defeated. He was helpless. He Jing's teeth chattered with hatred. He clenched his fists and punched the flag hard.  He gritted his teeth and said, "If you don't deserve this humiliation, I, He Jing, will never be a human being!"

    The first victory of Wujun soldiers on the north bank of the Zhejiang River quickly spread throughout the counties of Wujun. The whole county was filled with joy. People sang and danced in the temples to celebrate, paraded on the streets, and tens of thousands gathered in front of the Wu Palace.  The people were excited and kept waving their arms and chanting Sun Shao's name. At this time, the mentality of seeking change had penetrated into the hearts of every Wujun people. Getting rid of Sun Quan's rule, getting rid of heavy taxes and endless military service had become the aspiration of the people.

    In the palace of King Wu, more than twenty people from the Sun clan gathered in a small courtyard, nervously waiting for the results. In the room, Sun Yu knelt in front of his father's bed and whispered to his father: "Now the people support us to be independent, and the children also  I feel the time is ripe and I hope my father will agree.¡±

    Whether Wu Jun can stand on its own depends on whether Sun Jing can agree. As the former head of the Sun family and the first generation elder of the Sun family, Sun Jing has made outstanding contributions to the establishment of the Jiangdong regime and enjoys high prestige in the Sun family and Jiangdong. However,  Sun Jing was a low-key person and rarely left the house. Many people in Jiangdong even thought he had passed away.

    But Sun Jing was indeed in his twilight years and was so thin that there was only a handful of bones left. He lay on the couch and closed his eyes slightly. After a while, he asked in a low voice: "Who is the new master of Soochow? How can he be independent?"

    This is the key question. He needs his son to know who the lord is. Not only that, he also needs to know, can he protect himself after becoming independent?  If these two problems are not solved, it will be meaningless to talk about self-reliance.

    Sun Yu whispered in his father's ear: "Self-reliance, of course, means temporarily establishing Sun Shao as the new master. Once Jiangdong is unified, my son can take his place, and my son will ensure Sun Shao's safety."

    After a pause, Sun Yu saw that his father did not respond, so he knew that he acquiesced, and continued in a low voice: "My child has received the exact news from the Lu family. Liu Jing will support our independence, and Lu Xun is leading the Han army towards Soochow.  , with the support of the Han army, we can compete with Sun Quan and Sun Bi. "

    Sun Jing slowly opened her eyes and said in a weak voice: "Be careful of luring the wolf into the house!"

    Sun Yu quickly explained: "Now it is easy for the Han army to destroy Jiangdong, but Liu Jing wants to maintain the division of Jiangdong, or it is in his interest, so Liu Jing's purpose is not to annex us, but to support us  When fighting against the other two families, the boy knows what he is doing and will make full use of his support without giving up his interests. "

    Sun Jing closed her eyes again and stopped talking. Sun Yu knew that her father had agreed, so she kowtowed three times and walked out of the room quickly. The Sun clan members in the yard gathered around and asked, "Second brother,  How about it?"

    Sun Yu did not reply to everyone. He ordered people to invite Sun Shao. Sun Shao was Sun Ce's eldest son. He was born to Sun Ce's ex-wife and was raised by his stepmother Qiao. He was only seventeen years old this year. He did not have any of his father's bravery.  , but a weak scholar, but he was extremely smart. He knew that his second uncle supported him as the new Lord of Wu, but he was just a puppet. He did not express any resentment, but obeyed the orders of his second uncle Sun Yu, who also treated him extremely.  satisfy.

    Sun Yu helped him up, knelt down and kowtowed, and said loudly: "The humble minister Sun Yu is willing to respect Young Master Shao as the new Lord of Wu and revive the Jiangdong Sheji!"

    Only then did everyone understand that Sun Jing had agreed to Wu Commandery¡¯s independence, and they all kowtowed, ¡°Greetings to the new Lord Wu!¡±

    Sun Shao nodded silently, accepting everyone's support. At this time, Sun Yu ordered people to invite the three heads of the Gu, Lu, and Zhang families. Soon, Gu Yong, Lu Ji, Zhou Li, Quan Cong, and Xu  Yi, Gongsun Yang and more than a dozen important civil and military ministers also arrived one after another. They supported Sun Shao in the Wu Palace and succeeded his father, Marquis Wucheng, and officially declared Wu County to be independent and orthodox in Jiangdong.

    Sun Shao immediately appointed Sun Yu as General of the Ming and Han Dynasties, taking control of the military power, Gu Yong as the chief historian, Lu Ji as the military advisor, and granted amnesty to the prisoners in Jiangdong.Apart from all excessive taxes and heavy military service, when the news came out, the whole Soochow County rejoiced all night long, beating gongs and drums to support the new ruler's ascension to the throne.

    In early November of the 19th year of Jian'an, as Sun Shao ascended the throne in Wu County, it became clear that Jiangdong was divided into three parts. Sun Quan occupied Jianye and controlled the five counties of Danyang, Qu'a, Yuzhang, Poyang and Linchuan. Sun Shao occupied Soochow and controlled  Wu County and Xindu County, Sun Ben occupied Shanyin and controlled the three counties of Kuaiji, Linhai and Jian'an.

    But Jiangdong¡¯s three points is not the end, but just the beginning. With the intervention of Cao Jun and Han Jun, the situation in Jiangdong has become extremely complicated.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 764 Jiangdong Storm (8)

    In the early morning, a fleet sailed from Lishui into Taihu Lake. This fleet consisted of more than a hundred warships of 500 stone, carrying 3,000 elite Jingzhou navy. It was commanded by the navy captain Zhou Xin, but he obeyed  Following Lu Xun's order, Lu Xun stood on the first big ship with his hands behind his hands. His heart was quite complicated. In just over a month, his life seemed to have gone through a triangle, from being the governor of Sun Quan to Liu Jing's staff.  Returned to Soochow again.

    ¡®When Boyan returns to Soochow this time, Soochow will definitely entrust him with an important role. I hope Boyan will put the overall situation first and don¡¯t refuse!  ¡¯

    Liu Jing's words seemed to still echo in Lu Xun's ears, which made him feel an indescribable emotion in his heart. Perhaps Liu Jing also knew that he was going back to Jiangdong, so he did not appoint him to an official position in the end, but only used him as a staff member. In this way, he still  A white body.

    But Lu Xun knew in his heart that it was actually different. He had already pledged allegiance to Liu Jing, so whether he was in Jianye or Soochow, his fundamental position should be on the side of Han. This was the key. When he went back this time, he  He needed to conceal the fact that he was loyal to Liu Jing, but this was not something he was willing to do, which made Lu Xun feel in a dilemma.

    The waves of Taihu Lake are vast, and the wind and waves are quite strong today. The wind blows hard from the northwest, making the ships sail very fast. The full sails of hundreds of warships are like pieces of white clouds floating on the water, cutting through the waves, heading towards Dongwu City.  Drive away.

    "Please take a look!"

    A soldier pointed forward and shouted: "There are warships ahead!"

    Lu Xun was pulled back from his thoughts. He stared forward. Sure enough, there were more than a dozen warships in front of him. They were all sentry ships with about 300 stones. The battle flag of Jiangdong was flying on the mast. Lu Xun immediately reacted.  It was a sentry ship from the Jiangdong Army, probably coming from Piling County in the north of Taihu Lake.

    Lu Xun immediately ordered: "Slow down the fleet and form a pin-shaped formation!"

    The signal soldier waved the flag, and the Han warships immediately slowed down the fleet and began to form a formation on the water. Soon they formed a formation with one main body and two wings. At this time, the typical surface combat formation was to attack from the front and outflank the two wings. At this time,  The Jiangdong Army sentry ship on the opposite side also realized the threat of the opponent's warships and began to retreat away from the distance, leaving only one ship behind. This ship slowly approached the Han Army fleet under the banner of a truce.

    The hundred soldiers on Lu Xun's warship raised their crossbows and aimed at the opponent. Lu Xun suddenly recognized the general on the bow of the opponent's ship and quickly ordered: "No arrows allowed!"

    His boat also came up to meet him. When the two boats approached, Lu Xun clasped his fists and saluted, and laughed loudly: "Is that General Huang?"

    The Jiangdong general standing on the bow opposite was Huang Gai. He led an army of 5,000 people to station in Piling County. Piling County was also along Taihu Lake. It was normal to patrol the lake. Huang Gai had more than ten sentinel ships.  , was not a match for the Han fleet at all, but he did not want to evacuate. He wanted to ask clearly about the intentions of this fleet entering Taihu Lake.

    Huang Gai didn't expect it to be Lu Xun. He couldn't help being surprised, and he returned the greeting with fists in his hands and asked, "How could it be Governor Lu?"

    Lu Xun shook his head, "Don't General Huang know? I have been dismissed by Wu Hou in Yuzhang. I am no longer the governor of Jiangdong. Now I am just a white man."

    "In that case, why didn't Boyan return to Jianye, and what happened to these warships?" Huang Gai's tone was stern and full of suspicion.

    Lu Xun said calmly: "Jiangdong is divided into three parts. As a Wujun native, I will naturally return to Wujun. As for these warships and troops, the troops are Jiangdong prisoners of war captured by the Jiaozhou Army. I want them from the Han army, and the warships are from  Borrowed by the Han army."

    Huang Gai couldn't suppress the anger in his heart and shouted: "Did Boyan just betray Wu Hou?"

    "No!"

    Lu Xun also raised his voice and retorted: "It's not that I want to betray Wu Hou, but Wu Hou cannot tolerate me. This time I returned to Wu County not to fight against Wu Hou's army, but to protect the people of Wu County."  Home, especially the Kuaiji army. There are many Yue people in their army. Once they invade Wu County, they will definitely plunder. I will never allow it."

    Huang Gai was speechless for a long time, and finally he sighed and said: "Jiangdong was divided into three parts due to internal strife. General Bo Fu's hard work was destroyed. Jiangdong no longer had the ability to compete with Cao Liu, and it has since declined. Bo Fu  "Yan, don't you feel sad that Jiangdong has fallen into this situation?"

    "General Huang, I feel as sad as you, but I believe that the responsibility for the decline of Jiangdong lies with Wuhou. He condoned and even provoked factional strife. From the officialdom to the army, there was chaos. Even Jiangdong veterans like General Huang were  He was classified as the Lujiang faction and was ignored. He also intervened in commanding the military. As a result, Jiangdong had no victory in foreign affairs for several years. The morale of the military was shattered. Taxes were increased and conscripts were raised. The people were overwhelmed and resentment boiled over. Such a leader of Jiangdong should abdicate. I think  After General Bo Fu, Jiangdong is the orthodox one. Why doesn¡¯t General Huang come with me to assist the Ming Lord and restore Jiangdong¡¯s former glory?¡±

    ??Lu Xun was very eloquent, and what he said left Huang Gai speechless. He sighed and said, "I can't speak to you, but I won't be deceived by you. The leader of Wu Commandery is not Sun Shao. You must also know that, since you are obsessed with it."  , it doesn¡¯t matter, we all have our own masters, let¡¯s make it clear today!¡±

    Huang Gai turned around and ordered: "Let's go!"

    The ship raised its sails and sailed quickly to the northeast. Lu Xun did not give the order to catch up. Instead, he watched Huang Gai's ship gradually go away. He smiled bitterly and said so righteously that he almost believed it. Where was he going?  He was loyal to Wu Jun, and he was obviously going back to work as a spy. He didn't know how future generations would evaluate him, Lu Boyan.

    However, history is written by the victors, and Lu Xun knew this better. If he helped the Han army unify the world, he, Lu Xun, would not be classified as a traitor.

    "Let's go! Go to Soochow County."

    Lu Xun gave the order, and the fleet re-arranged and sailed towards Soochow County.

    In the evening, a hundred Han warships arrived at the shore of Taihu Lake in Soochow County. It was still dozens of miles away from Soochow City. It was necessary to take the canal to get to the county seat. However, Lu Xun did not order the ships to go to the county seat, but anchored at the shore of Taihu Lake.  At the military dock, the fleet did not have any signs of the Han army, and no one dared to make trouble. Lu Xun gave Zhou Xin a few words, arranged the soldiers, and then took a small boat and headed for the county along the canal.

    The night gradually deepened, and at one o'clock, a carriage, escorted by dozens of servants, slowly drove into the Lu family's manor in the north of the county seat, and stopped in front of the old house. The head of the Lu family  Lu Jun and Lu Li got off the carriage, and the manor's steward quickly came over and supported Lu Jun. Lu Jun asked in a low voice: "Is Boyan here?"

    "Here! He is waiting for the head of the family."

    Lu Jun got the news from the manor that Lu Xun was back, so he hurried out of the city and rushed to the manor. The person accompanying him was Lu Li. Lu Jun knew that Lu Xun's return must be related to Liu Jing.

    Lu Jun and Lu Li walked into the old house and came to the inner hall. Lu Xun was already waiting downstairs. He stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "My nephew Lu Xun pays homage to the head of the family and my third uncle!"

    Lu Xun is a junior of the Lu family. Although he holds a high position, he still has to behave like a junior in the family. Lu Jun quickly helped him up and said, "My dear nephew, please get up quickly!"

    The three of them greeted a few words, then entered the inner hall and drove out a few servants. Only the three of them were left in the inner hall. Lu Jun then asked: "I heard that the Han army was stationed in Wuhu, and my nephew served as the king of Han."  The order came?"

    The news that Lu Xun was in the Han army spread almost throughout Jiangdong, but the news that Lu Xun had served Liu Jing was still a secret. Not even the Lu family knew about it. Everyone thought that Lu Xun, like Bu Zhi, was handed over to the Han army by the Jiaozhou Army.  , and was released by the Han army. After all, he did not get the news that Lu Xun had been conferred an official title by Liu Jing. However, Lu Jun suspected that his nephew had secretly surrendered to Liu Jing, so he first made an innuendo.

    Lu Xun didn't want to admit that he had surrendered to Liu Jing even if he faced the head of the family. He heard that the head of the family was testing him, so he said: "My nephew has not served the King of Han, so he cannot be said to be following the order of the King of Han. However, the King of Han and I  We can talk about it as friends, and this time my nephew borrowed 3,000 Han troops and a hundred warships, hoping to help Wucheng Hou. "

    Lu Jun was overjoyed. If the Lu family had the support of the Han army, their status would be extraordinary. He quickly asked: "Where is the army?"

    "Now it is anchored at the Taihu Military Pier."

    At this time, Lu Li said next to him: "Does Boyan want to hand over this army to Sun Yu, or do he want to command it himself?"

    Lu Li's question was also very important. If the army was given to Sun Yu, the Lu family would still have nothing. Lu Jun looked at his nephew expectantly. Lu Xun smiled slightly and said, "Please don't worry, head of the family and third uncle. Before the King of Han leaves,  According to the order, this army will be controlled by me and will not join the Wujun army, so it has nothing to do with Sun Yu. "

    Lu Jun felt relieved and sighed again: "Sun Shao is nominally the lord of Wu County, but the military and political power is in the hands of Sun Yu. Sun Shao is just a puppet. Sun Yu is cruel and has a strong desire for power.  If my nephew doesn¡¯t give him the army, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t let it go, so be careful!¡±

    Lu Xun sneered, "This is the Han army. He can't afford to provoke it. If he dares to plot against this army, the King of Han will be the first to let him go. I'm sorry he doesn't have the guts."

    "Having said that, I'm afraid that he will turn against the Lu family."

    Lu Jun let out a long sigh and said: "To be honest, our Lu family originally supported Sun Shao, and so did the Gu family. I didn't expect that Sun Yu would be in power in the end. It was disappointing. When Gu Yong and I talked about this, we both felt a little regretful, but  The matter has come to this, and there is no use regretting it.¡±

    Lu Xun smiled slightly and said, "Actually, the King of Han also supports Sun Shao."

    Lu Jun was overjoyed. He was about to say something, but Lu Xun waved his hand and interrupted him, "Master, don't think too much for the time being. The top priority now is not who is in power, but to survive. Sun Quan will not"Even if we pass Wu County, Kuaiji County will not let Wu County go. After we have completely withstood the north-south attack, we will then consider who is in charge.  "

    Lu Jun nodded silently. He could understand Lu Xun's painstaking efforts. Lu Xun added: "In addition, only the three of us know the true attitude of King Han, and it cannot be spread to outsiders. Not even Gu Yong can tell, otherwise the Lu family will be in catastrophe. I will tell you tomorrow."  Go visit Sun Yu and express the King of Han¡¯s support for him.¡±

    Lu Jun and Lu Li looked at each other. Both of them felt that the situation was more complicated than they imagined. At this time, Lu Jun suddenly remembered something and said with a smile: "The good nephew has come back just in time. According to the prior agreement, the Gu family will appoint the chief minister.  The family was appointed as military advisor, but Lu Ji's legs and feet were inconvenient, so it was a bit reluctant for him to serve as military advisor. This position of military advisor to Wu County should be filled by his nephew. "

    Lu Xun laughed. This was exactly his ideal position, and he said, "Since the Lu family must take the position, then I will do it reluctantly!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 765 Jiangdong Storm (9)

    The news of Lu Xun's return shocked the officialdom and the people of Wu County. Although Lu Xun belonged to the Lu family of Wu County, it was reasonable for him to return to Wu County. After all, Lu Xun was once the most powerful deputy governor of the Jiangdong Army and was recognized as the important minister of Jiangdong who succeeded Zhou Yu.  His return to Wu County will undoubtedly have a huge inspiring effect on the people and the army of Wu County.

    Lu Xun's return also brought great pressure to Sun Yu. According to the prestige of the army, the military power should be controlled by Lu Xun. However, Lu Xun took the initiative to express his willingness to succeed Lu Ji as the military advisor, which marked the power structure of Wu County.  A sign of success. The military adviser was in charge of military affairs, such as logistics, pensions, and recruitment. He was also involved in formulating battle plans, but did not directly control the army. This undoubtedly made Sun Yu breathe a long sigh of relief.

    On the other hand, Sun Yu was suspicious of the three thousand troops directly controlled by Lu Xun. Although Lu Xun repeatedly claimed that these three thousand troops were Jiangdong prisoners of war, this was just an excuse. Anyone with a discerning eye knew that these three thousand troops were Han troops.

    Sun Yu was helpless. Lu Xun had already made a huge concession, and he had to show some attitude. He was forced to publicly admit that Lu Xun was in charge of the Wujun navy. Despite this, the three thousand navy were still like nails for Sun Yu.  Full of vigilance and inner uneasiness.

    Lu Xun's return to Wu County also had a huge impact on Jianye's military and officialdom. This was a heavy blow to Jianye's people and morale. In order to restore this bad situation, Sun Quan immediately issued the order of the Marquis of Wu, and Lu Xun acted as  The commander-in-chief of the Western Expeditionary Army was defeated and captured. He was fully responsible for the defeat of Yuzhang. He was dismissed from all posts, convicted, and sentenced to beheaded in half.

    Although he made a series of remedies and restored a lot of public sentiment and military morale, these could not make up for the depression in Sun Quan's heart. From the Lu Xun incident, he felt that Liu Jing supported him on the surface, but in fact he supported him.  Wu Jun, in the final analysis, Liu Jing was just playing tricks to completely split Jiangdong.

    In the morning, Sun Quan and his wife Xie took a car to Changqian Palace, which was his mother's palace. Since the internal strife broke out in Jiangdong and the Sun family split, Mrs. Wu was so angry that she fell ill. She hated her son Sun Quan for his incompetence.  She went on a military rampage all day long, stirring up resentment among the people. In the end, the family was divided. With such serious consequences, why did she go to see her husband?

    This time Mrs. Wu was so ill that Sun Quan did not dare to easily attack Wu County and Kuaiji. Sun Quan and Xie came to the palace, and the guards guarding the palace gate rushed in to report. After a while, they came back with helpless faces.  He said: "Reporting to the Marquis of Wu, the old lady did not come to see her. She said she was not feeling well and asked the Marquis of Wu to come visit her another day."

    Sun Quan knew that this was actually because his mother didn't want to see him, so he had no choice but to say to Xie, "You can take care of my mother for me! I won't make her angry anymore. If anything happens, you can tell me in time."  "

    Mrs. Xie nodded, "General, don't worry, I know what to do."

    Mrs. Xie bowed and quickly entered the palace. Sun Quan stood there for a long time, finally sighed, left his mother's palace, and returned to his official room.

    Mrs. Xie quickly walked to the old lady's ward and happened to meet the Qiao sisters. The three of them met and Mrs. Xie asked Da Qiao: "How is mother?"

    "I just took medicine and fell asleep. The situation is not very good. The palace doctor told us to prepare for the worst."

    Xie's face changed and she said anxiously: "How could my mother be so ill? She was fine a few days ago."

    Da Qiao said sadly: "Sister-in-law, have you forgotten? The last time Zhang Ji came to see a doctor for his mother, he said before leaving that his mother could live longer for up to three years. During this period, you must not be angry and maintain a stable mentality. Otherwise, the old disease will relapse and the gods will be dead."  It¡¯s hard to save her, but this time my mother fainted from anger, and there was nothing we could do!¡±

    "Has mother's old illness relapsed?"

    "I don't know, I have to ask my sister-in-law."

    Da Qiao is docile by nature and never accuses anyone, but this time she was a little angry. Marquis Wu caused a big trouble, and Mrs. Xie failed to control herself, spilled the beans, and made her mother faint on the spot.  The responsibility of both of them.

    Mrs. Xie knew that she was at fault. She did not dare to argue and whispered: "I'm going to see my mother!" She walked sideways into the ward.

    The Qiao sisters came to the next room. Da Qiao was sitting on the soft mat with a very sad expression. Although the palace doctor said that the rescue was quite timely and the old disease had not recurred, her mother was old and her condition was very unstable.  Something is wrong, what should she do?  At this time, Xiao Qiao whispered: "Sister, why don't you go to Wu County and live with Shao'er?"

    Da Qiao shook his head, "The letter he gave me said that he still wanted to return to Jianye. He didn't want to be the so-called Master of Wu. He was someone else's puppet. Even eating and sleeping were monitored. I don't want to live such a life, and Sun Yu's  You also know that the way he looks at me is wrong. If I go to Wu County, I will be like a sheep in a tiger's mouth. "

    Xiao Qiao smiled and said: "I heard that Sun Yu has no wife, so I asked?Just remarrying him is actually not a good idea.  "

    "Nonsense!"

    Da Qiao¡¯s face sank and he said, ¡°My heart is as calm as water, don¡¯t say such nonsense in the future!¡±

    Xiao Qiao lowered his head, and Da Qiao also felt that he had said too much, and sighed again: "I know that remarrying is not a shameful thing, but after all, I am the wife of General Bo Fu and was the wife of the Prince of Jiangdong. My identity  It's a matter of Jiangdong's dignity. You can't remarry, and I also gave birth to Qian'er, so I have my heart to trust you. But you are only twenty-eight years old and have no children. You should remarry. Your father also meant the same. He asked you last time  When you go back to your parents¡¯ home, you will go on a blind date, you know?¡±

    Xiao Qiao shook her head, "I know, but I don't want to think about remarrying yet. Let's talk about it later!"

    "We will get older in the future. How long do we women have left? While we are young now, we can still marry a good husband. In a few years, I am afraid we will have to marry again."

    Xiao Qiao shook her head irritably, "Sister, don't talk about this again."

    Da Qiao stayed for a while, and after a long time, she asked softly: "Didn't Shang Xiang invite you to go to her place at the beginning of the year? Why don't you go?"

    "I don't really want to go. I have a lot of things at home and several children to take care of."

    "They are not young anymore and can take care of themselves. Xun'er has even married a wife. Why do you need to take care of them? People will get sick if they stay at home all day. It's better to go out for a walk and relax."

    Xiao Qiao bit her lip lightly and said, "Why don't you, sister, come with me? I'll write a letter to Shang Xiang. She will be very happy."

    "If you want to go, just go, you don't have to drag me along."

    Da Qiao blinked and said with a smile: "I am your sister, okay! I will go with you to relax, but I have to wait until my mother's condition improves."

    Speaking of her mother's condition, Da Qiao's heart cast a shadow again. Although she hoped that her mother's condition would get better, was it really possible for her to get better?  Thinking of this, she secretly sighed in her heart. If her mother could not survive this test, she would have to observe mourning for one year and would not be able to go anywhere.

    The two sisters stopped talking and each had their own thoughts.

    Sun Quan went to visit his mother but was rejected. He returned to the official room in a depressed mood. When he got to the door, he saw Zhang Hong standing at the door from a distance, holding a volume of documents in his hand, as if waiting for him. Sun Quan remembered something and hurriedly shouted  Said: "Stop!"

    The chariot stopped, and he quickly walked out of the chariot and came to Zhang Hong, "Is Chang Shi responsible for what I told you last time?"

    "Exactly!" Zhang Hong bowed to Sun Quan and said with a smile.

    Sun Quan was overjoyed and hurriedly invited Zhang Hong into the room. The two sat down and Zhang Hong presented the document in his hand to Sun Quan, "This is an order from Marquis Wu. Regarding some tax reduction plans, I have considered them and recommended that they be restored."  Taxes for the four years of Jian'an."

    Of course Sun Quan knew that his increase in taxes caused public dissatisfaction, which was the direct source of the Jiangdong split. Although he was still financially tight, he had to reduce taxes, otherwise the people of Danyang County would all flee to Wu County and  In Kuaiji, Sun Quan had a profound lesson in this regard. Because of the poor taxation, a large number of people from Yuzhang and Lujiang fled to Jingzhou, causing a sharp decline in the population of these two counties.

    Not only tax cuts, but also the suspension of military service and labor service, which is also one of the sources of boiling public dissatisfaction. Sun Quan carefully read the final draft and found that it was indeed consistent with the terms of the fourth year of Jian'an. The fourth year of Jian'an was his first year in power, and a lot of fine work was done.  He won the hearts and minds of the people by cutting taxes, and restoring the tax system that had existed for four years during the Jian'an period also meant starting from scratch.

    This point was like a mirror in Sun Quan's mind. Although he was unwilling to agree, he couldn't help it anymore. He sighed and handed the draft to Zhang Hong, "Let's draft it formally! Try to finalize it today and promulgate it tomorrow. Time does not wait."  We are."

    "Weichen will go back and draw up the plan now!"

    Zhang Hong was about to leave, but saw that Sun Quan lowered his head and refused, as if he wanted to say something to himself. He smiled and asked, "Is there anything else, Marquis Wu?"

    Sun Quan said helplessly: "It's about marching into Wu Commandery. I want to take advantage of the fact that the rebellious gang has not yet gained a stable foothold and directly annihilate them. However, I am worried about my mother's condition, so I have been unable to make up my mind. Does Chang Shi have any suggestions?"

    Zhang Hong knew Sun Quan very well. He said he was worried about his mother's condition, but in fact he was not. He was worried about other aspects, whether the civil war would cause a comprehensive crisis and eventually lead to his own destruction. This was Sun Quan's worry.

    Zhang Hong smiled slightly and said: "Whether to send troops or not depends on whether the situation is urgent, whether the conditions are met, whether the strength is assured, etc. Frankly speaking, the situation is indeed very urgent now. If the split is not eradicated in time, once this split situation  Once it is fixed, it will be difficult to wipe out the separatist forces or unify Jiangdong. But the problem is that we do not have the conditions to send troops now. In fact,We are not strong enough to eliminate the two factions' separatist forces, so we are now facing a dilemma.  "

    Sun Quan was silent. When he mentioned that the conditions were not met, he first thought of the Cao army stationed in Ruxukou and the Han army stationed in Wuhu. Both Liu Jing and Cao Cao personally held the battle and watched Jiangdong with eager eyes. Once there was a civil war in Jiangdong, it would be easy  Being interfered by these two armies, Sun Quan has realized that Cao Cao hopes for a civil war in Jiangdong, and it is best for Sun Ben to unify Jiangdong, while Liu Jing is just the opposite. He hopes that Jiangdong will be stable and maintain a three-point situation.

    But neither Liu Jing nor Cao Cao are willing to reunify Jiangdong by themselves. This is beyond doubt. Once this trend occurs, they will definitely send troops to intervene, and even tacitly jointly send troops. This is Sun Quan's biggest worry.

    Zhang Hong smiled lightly and said: "Actually, the key reason is not external interference."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 766 Jiangdong Storm (10)

    Sun Quan clasped his fists and saluted, "I am willing to listen to what you have to say." "Actually, my basis is very simple. It is the mindset of the people of Jiangdong. Due to the annual war in Jiangdong, there is a serious shortage of young and strong labor among the people. Most of the fields are cultivated by old people and women.  The grain yield per acre has been reduced by 20%. Once war breaks out again, Jiangdong's economy will inevitably suffer a devastating blow. By then, the land of Jiangdong will be devastated. Even if Wu Hou unifies Jiangdong, I am afraid Liu Jing will not wait any longer. " Sun Quan nodded silently.  "Please continue!" Zhang Hong said slowly: "The second thing is our strength. Wu Hou currently has only more than 30,000 troops in his hands. If we add the 5,000 civilian regiments in Piling County, it will be 40,000.  However, Jianye only has 100,000 shi of grain left in stock, which can only sustain the army for three months at most. We also have to pay officials' salaries and stabilize grain prices. Marquis Wu, I'm really worried." Sun Quan bowed his head!  After talking for a while, he sighed: "I was originally angry with Lu Zijing because he couldn't get the prisoners of war back, but now I think about it, if 30,000 prisoners of war come back, how will I feed them?" "Weichen thinks Zijing  This mission is still very fruitful. The problem of prisoners of war is not big. Liu Jing will be released sooner or later. However, exchanging Lujiang River for Yuzhang and Poyang counties is beneficial to us in the present. At least the tax revenue of Yuzhang and Poyang counties is far higher.  It is much larger than Lujiang. What Liu Jing wants is a strategic location. What we want is a tax source. It should be said that everyone gets what he needs. Wu Hou should praise Zijing instead of scolding him for betraying the country. " Zhang Hong persuaded Sun Quan very implicitly.  This time when Lu Su came back, Sun Quan became furious and accused him of betraying the country. He removed him from the post of governor and demoted him to Dong Cao Cheng. Lu Su fell ill because of this. Many ministers sympathized with Lu Su but did not dare to stand up for him. Zhang Hong  Likewise, he found this opportunity to implicitly avenge Lu Su.  Sun Quan understood what Zhang Hong meant. He was angry at the time and regretted it afterwards. After all, Lu Su was loyal to him, but Sun Quan couldn't lose face. He could only say vaguely: "I know, I was too harsh on him this time."  Let¡¯s make up for it slowly when we have the opportunity in the future!¡± Although Lu Su¡¯s matter has been resolved, what about the food?  Still unable to do anything, Zhang Hong said cautiously: "Marquis Wu, the price of grain in Jiangdong has risen to 150 cents per meter, which is unprecedentedly high. If the price of grain is not stabilized, the people may rebel." "It is necessary to stabilize the price of grain."  How much food?" Sun Quan asked with a trembling voice.  "At least 50,000 shi are needed." "50,000 shi!" Sun Quan cried out. Fifty thousand shi of grain would use up half of the stored grain. What would happen to his army?  Sun Quan¡¯s face turned livid. He also wanted to collect military rations from the people to launch a war against Wu County. Now that there was no hope of collecting the rations, he actually asked him to post it. How is it possible?  "Is there no other way?" Sun Quan asked.  Zhang Hong sighed, "Originally we could use the support of noble families, but most of the noble families in Jiangdong are in Wu County, and there is no hope now. The noble families in Danyang County may be able to support a little bit, but at most a few thousand dan of grain and a small amount of money will not be enough to make up for the gap.  " Sun Quan paced slowly in the hall with his hands behind his hands. Where can he get food?  At this time, Zhang Hong said again: "If we have another 100,000 shi of grain, then the supplies for the 40,000 army can last for five months. If we are more frugal, we can barely survive until next summer's harvest." Sun Quan sighed, "Of course I understand.  , But where can we get these one hundred thousand stones of grain?" "Wei Chen feels that there is no way to solve this problem." Sun Quan was overjoyed, as if a drowning man had caught a piece of wood, and he hurriedly asked: "  Tell me, what can you do?" Seeing that Sun Quan's attitude had softened, Zhang Hong smiled and said, "Wei Chen has three suggestions. You might as well give them a try." "Mr. Zhang, please speak!" Sun Quan cheered up.  There are actually three options.  "The first suggestion is that Wu Hou can send people to Cao Cao's camp to show weakness to Cao Cao and express his willingness to surrender to the court and pay tribute to the court every year. On the one hand, this can weaken Cao Cao's support for Sun Ben, and on the other hand, it can also weaken Cao Cao's support for Sun Ben.  Liu Jing's warning, if he blindly supports Wu Jun, the consequence will be that Jianye will completely turn to Cao Cao. I think Liu Jing will definitely restrain himself. As for remaining neutral, more importantly, if the negotiation goes well, Cao Cao may support it.  We have 100,000 shi of food." "But he himself is short of food, will he support us?" Sun Quan asked doubtfully.  Zhang Hong said with a smile: "In the past two years, the north has had a great harvest. There is no shortage of food. Cao Cao can afford one hundred thousand shi of food." Sun Quan thought for a while and said happily: "This is a good suggestion. I will consider it.  "Then what?" "The second suggestion is to farm the army. There are a lot of abandoned grain fields in Danyang County and Piling County. The government can take them back and hand them over to the army for farming, so that by the time of next summer's harvest, the army will have enough food.The donation will greatly ease the financial burden and be conducive to self-cultivation and recuperation.  " Zhang Hong saw Sun Quan nodding his head again and again, obviously agreeing with his plan. He was also in high spirits and continued: "The third suggestion is to implement a strategy against Wu Commandery and Kuaiji. Wu Commandery Sun Shao and Sun Yu have conflicts, and Sun Ben is cruel and greedy.  , although the people of Kuaiji are temporarily deceived by him, over time they will definitely see through him and abandon him. Although we do not use troops in Wu County and Kuaiji, we can still defeat others without fighting.  Sun Quan was overjoyed, stood up and saluted and said: "Listening to the Duke's words is worth ten years of reading. With Zhang Gong's assistance, Jiangdong's revival is promising. I accept all three suggestions."  " In Fuchun County, the confrontation between the Kuaiji Army and the Wu Army continues. Although He Jing suffered huge losses, he was not willing to withdraw to Kuaiji. One of the important reasons was that he issued a military order in front of Sun Ben before the expedition, guaranteeing it with a human head.  As a reward for seizing the four counties of Zhejiang Province, Sun Ben also promised to grant Linshui County to him as a food town. But now he has suffered a setback, and the food town is still out of reach, but his head is in danger. He Jing is resentful and angry.  , ordered the army to collect ships everywhere. This area has a dense river network and many lakes. The search soldiers lived up to his expectations and collected more than 200 ships in ten days, all of which were anchored on the south bank of the Zhejiang River. In this way, he once  He Jing was very excited that he could transport three thousand soldiers across the river. He began to look for opportunities patiently. That night, the sky was covered with clouds, the stars and moon were dim, and the night was dark. No one could be seen ten steps away.  It was a great opportunity to cross the river, but He Jing did not cross the river from Fuchun County, but traveled 30 miles westward and crossed the river at a wharf called Baimao Town. Two hundred ships were densely lined up along the river, one after another.  The Kuaiji army boarded the ship one after another, and the first batch of three thousand soldiers quickly boarded the ship. He Jing turned around and asked, "What time is it now?"  "Report to the general at about two o'clock."  " He Dingding nodded, and then ordered: "Send the order to cross the river!  "The military order to cross the river was issued, and ships full of soldiers sailed away from the shore and slowly sailed towards the north bank. He Jing also boarded a medium-sized ferry with a weight of 500 stones and followed the first batch of soldiers to the north bank.  As they set out, the river was pitch black. No other boats could be seen beyond a dozen steps. Even the river water no longer reflected the waves. Only the sound of rowing oars could be heard in his ears. He Jing was secretly happy. Even the scouts on the other side couldn't detect them tonight.  Zhu Huan never expected that he would cross the river thirty miles away. Soon, two hundred ships gradually arrived at the center of the river. At this moment, a fire suddenly appeared on the upper river and was heading toward them quickly.  As they approached, the soldiers of the Kuaiji Army were frightened. Soon the fire approached and they turned out to be densely packed warships. The soldiers on the warships held torches and illuminated the river like daylight. The soldiers of the Kuaiji Army screamed and many ships began to turn around and try to escape.  He Jing was also surprised. He didn't know how there were so many warships. They were all 500-stone warships. There were about a hundred ships covering the river. This fleet was the Han army led by Lu Xun.  Ships, they came from Taihu Lake to support the Wu army against the Kuaiji army on the Zhejiang River. Since Lu Xun was appointed as the commander of the navy, it was his duty to fight on the Zhejiang River. In fact, the Han army fleet arrived in the afternoon and anchored ten miles away.  Lu Xun received information that nearly two hundred ships appeared on the south bank of Baimao Town. He guessed that it was most likely that the Kuaiji army was going to cross the river at night in Baimao Town. He had been waiting for the moment when the enemy troops crossed the river.  The Han army's warships traveled along the river at extremely fast speeds and rushed into the Kuaiji army's river-crossing brigade in an instant. The warships were sharp and knocked over small boats one after another. Countless soldiers fell into the river and swam desperately to the south bank.  But the Han army's warships were raining arrows, and most of the soldiers who fell into the water were shot to death in the river. The kerosene jars hit the enemy's boats. The kerosene overflowed, and the rockets hit the boats, and flames rose into the sky.  In just a few moments, more than fifty boats were set on fire. The soldiers jumped into the water to survive, but were still shot dead in the river by the dense arrows. He Jing was so shocked that he loudly ordered the boats to flee eastward along the river.  Although his boat was extremely fast, he was still hit by a fire oil tank, and the stern of the boat burst into flames. He Jing gave orders to put out the fire while rowing the boat himself. His boat seemed to be flying on the river, and he gradually fled.  At this time, Zhu Huan led his army to the north bank. Although he discovered the enemy's attempt one step late, the north bank was not occupied by the enemy. What he saw were corpses and shipwrecks all over the river, and there were also boats on the river.  After boarding the Han warships, the Kuaiji army that crossed the river was almost wiped out. Two days later, He Jing led two thousand remnant troops to escape back to Shanyin County. What greeted him was Sun Ben's overwhelming anger. In front of the military camp, He Jing  He was stripped of his armor and pushed to the ground. Heavy military sticks hit his hips and legs like raindrops. He Jing was beaten until he screamed and fainted twice. A hundred military sticks were enough to kill him.  Sun Ben was still angry after killing half his life. He was worried about He Qi's death.??He Jing was spared the death penalty, but only 2,000 of the 8,000 elite soldiers led by He Jing fled back. He lost 6,000 people, but could not even cross the Zhejiang River. This made Sun Ben not angry.  , suffered a disastrous defeat in the first battle and lost his face.  "Hit me hard!" Sun Ben pointed at He Jing and yelled, "Incompetent bastard, what else can you do besides playing with women? You killed six thousand of eight thousand elites. Where is Fuchun? Is Yu Hang there?  Where? You actually have the nerve to come to me and beat this bastard to death!" Sun Ben was furious. Dozens of generals beside him were silent. Everyone felt Sun Ben's cruelty. He had a dark heart and beat and scolded the soldiers at every turn.  , often without any reason. Although He Jing failed this time, it was also related to Sun Ben's hasty march north. He underestimated the enemy and sent troops north without even building a warship, but he did not admit that he had any responsibility.  Not far away, He Qi stood silently in front of a large tent, watching helplessly as his brother was knocked unconscious. He gritted his teeth and turned around and walked into the tent. At nightfall, a military doctor was carefully wiping He Jing's wounds.  The beating was so horrific that the skin and flesh were torn apart. When the salt water was rubbed on his wounds, He Jing screamed in pain like a slaughtered pig. At this time, He Qi walked in with two pills of pills in his hand. The military doctor quickly greeted him.  He Qi stepped forward and saw that his brother's lower body was almost beaten to pieces. He sighed and said to the military doctor: "I'll give him medicine. Please step back!"  The elixir melted and was carefully applied to his wound. He Jing suddenly felt a sense of coolness and the pain disappeared. He glanced at his brother gratefully, but couldn't help but gritted his teeth and said: "Today's humiliation will be repaid in the future."  "Come on!" "Don't talk nonsense!" He Qi scolded his brother: "You yourself were defeated and you issued a military order. If he doesn't kill you, he is just giving me face."  , Dare to claim to be the Lord of Jiangdong?" He Jing looked disdainful, and whispered to his brother: "The military power in Kuaiji is in the hands of my eldest brother, why don't we declare ourselves kings and insist on serving the Sun family, especially this Sun Bi, who is vicious at heart?  , He respects his elder brother on the surface, but in fact he hates him. If he has the chance, he will definitely kill his elder brother. Such a person is not worthy of our service. " He Jing looked outside and whispered: "Such words will never happen again.  Stop talking nonsense, be careful." "I know! I know!" He Jing said quickly: "This matter is not a trivial matter, we should take a long-term view." But He Qi smiled and did not express any opinions on his brother's positive suggestions.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 767 Jiangdong Storm (11)

    The war that was supposed to break out between the three parties in Jiangdong did not happen. On the one hand, the people's minds were determined. The three principals complied with public opinion and restrained their desire to wipe out each other. On the other hand, Jiangdong fought every year, and its national power declined, and there was no financial resources to support each other anymore.  The war between the two countries can only be temporarily stopped, each of them is preparing their troops and waiting for the opportunity.  But the Cao army in Ruxukou and the Han army in Wuhu did not withdraw because of the calm in Jiangdong. Although Jiangdong was calm on the surface, there were turbulent undercurrents under the calm water, and the situation became increasingly complicated.  That morning, Liu Jing received a report from the scouts. Sun Quan sent Bu Zhi to Cao Cao's camp secretly. Cao Cao actually sent Bu Zhi out of the camp himself. This made Liu Jing a little confused. Could it be that Sun Quan and Cao Cao had reached something?  The deal fails?  Liu Jing paced slowly in the tent with his hands behind his back, thinking about the situation in front of him. At this time, the guard outside the tent reported: "Your Highness, Liu Canjun came from Jianye and said he had something important to report!" Liu Canjun is Liu  Min was stationed in Jianye on behalf of the Han army commander. Liu Jing immediately realized that Liu Min's important report was probably related to Bu Zhi's mission to Cao Ying. He quickly ordered: "Invite him to see me in the big tent!" No.  After a while, the guards led Liu Min into the big tent. Liu Min stepped forward and bowed and saluted, "See His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing saw that he was a little darker and thinner than the last time they met, and he couldn't help but feel touched. He knew that Liu Jing  Min's wife Jia died of illness last year, leaving behind a three-year-old daughter who has been taken care of by her mother. Liu Min has been alone for many years, and it is difficult for him to do anything.  "Thank you for your hard work, Liu Canjun. Please sit down and talk!" Liu Jing asked Liu Min to sit down and ordered the soldiers to serve hot ginger tea. Liu Min held the tea bowl in both hands, took a sip of hot tea and said with a smile: "Your Highness knows that Sun Quan sent troops  Liu Min is indeed here for this matter. Liu Jing said quickly: "I have received the spy's report, but I don't know why he is sent to Cao Ying." Liu Min laughed.  Said: "Weichen and Kan Ze have a very good personal relationship. They often drink together. Sometimes he will reveal some information to me intentionally or unintentionally. A few days ago, he told me that Sun Quan accepted Zhang Hong's suggestion and surrendered to the court. He was willing to accept it.  The Duke of Wu, who was rejected by him last time, promised to pay tribute to the court every year, which was actually surrendering to Cao Cao. "Liu Jing nodded and asked quietly: "Then Sun Quan promised to hostage.  Are you in Yedu? " "This is the key. If there is no proton, then everything is just a formality. Sun Quan is just making a gesture. If Sun Quan agrees to the proton, it will be a real surrender to Cao Cao, so Liu Jing must make this principle  Problem clarified.  Liu Min shook his head and said, "I asked Kan Ze specifically. Kan Ze said that Sun Quan had already promised to accept the land, so he could not agree to a proton. It is said that on the way back to Jiangdong, Cao Cao sent Liu Ye to see Sun Quan and asked Sun Quan to pledge his son.  I clearly refused. Although Wei Chen did not get the exact information, I believe that Sun Quan will not fall out with the Han army." Liu Jing stood up and slowly walked around the tent with his hands behind his back. He probably understood Sun Quan's intention.  Kan Ze was Sun Quan's chief clerk and had control of Jiangdong's confidential documents. How could such a person casually reveal secrets? Sun Quan must have known that he had a good relationship with Liu Min, so he deliberately asked him to leak secrets to Liu Min. It seemed that he was  Supporting Wu Commandery made Sun Quan extremely dissatisfied. He actually put pressure on himself by surrendering to Cao Cao.  Thinking of this, Liu Jing sneered slightly and said: "It seems that I need to have an interview with Sun Quan." "If His Highness is going to Jianye, Wei Chen can make an excuse for His Highness." Liu Jing smiled and said: "Tell me something.  Look, what's the excuse?" "Weichen heard that Mrs. Wu was so angry that she fell ill. His Highness is her son-in-law. He should go and check on the old lady's condition. " "This is a good reason, and I should go and visit.  Come to her, Liu Canjun, and you will discuss this matter with Jiang Dong for me." Liu Min quickly stood up and promised, "Wei Chen will take care of this matter!" At this time, Liu Min hesitated and said, "The official report has been completed.  Your Majesty, I have a private matter, and I would like to ask Your Majesty to agree to it." "Liu Canjun wants to take his daughter to take care of him?" Liu Min shook his head slightly, "  Thank you for your concern, Your Highness, but it¡¯s not about this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Liu Jing asked with a smile.  "That's it. Wei Chen and Guan Xiaowei are in love. Wei Chen wants to marry her, and I beg Your Highness to agree." Guan Xiaowei is Guan Xi, the intelligence chief of the Han army in Jiangdong. He has been widowed for many years and seems to be as old as Liu  Min Xiang is similar. One of them is in the light and the other is in the dark. They often interact with each other and gradually develop feelings for each other. However, their special status requires Liu Jing's consent. Liu Jing couldn't help laughing, "If that's the case  If so, Guan Xi would not be able to hold the position of intelligence director. She is willing to??  Liu Min nodded, "I think she should be willing!"  " "What does 'you think you should' mean? It seems like you haven't been able to convince her, okay!  I will ask her personally, if she is really willing to give up her military position for you, I can make it happen for both of you.  " Liu Min was happy, but also a little worried. He and Guan Xi were in love and were willing to get married. The King of Han agreed, and that was half the story. The key was that Guan Xi was very ambitious and might not be willing to give up for himself.  As for the military position, he had to find a way to convince her. Thinking of this, Liu Min stood up to leave. Liu Jing gave him a few more instructions and let him leave. Liu Min hurried back to Jianye. It was already dusk the next day.  Seeing that it was too late and there was no time to discuss with Sun Quan about the King of Han's visit to Mrs. Wu, so he could only wait until tomorrow. Liu Min turned around and went to Xi's Tavern. As soon as he entered the tavern, he saw Guan Xi settling accounts at the counter.  She walked forward slowly and coughed heavily. Guan Xi looked up and saw Liu Min. She suddenly smiled. Guan Xi was very beautiful, charming, mature, and extremely attractive. There were many Jiangdong officials who wanted to marry her, but Guan Xi fell in love with her.  On the one hand, they were both officials of the Han Dynasty and could be trusted. On the other hand, although Liu Min had been widowed for two years and was alone in a foreign land, he was steady and self-disciplined and never went to a brothel.  It was admirable that over time, Guan Xi gradually fell in love with him, and the two soon came together. Guan Xi glanced at Liu Min and turned around to go to the backyard. After a while, Liu Min also walked away.  After arriving in the backyard, the two entered the house and immediately hugged each other tightly, kissing passionately. Guan Xi's pretty face was flushed, her breathing was rapid, and she couldn't bear the stimulation of physical contact, which aroused her primitive love. In this dark room, the beauty of spring was endless.  . Men and women like them who have experienced human affairs for a long time tend to think about substantial gains, so they are either not emotional, or they must have carnal relationships. Especially in a foreign land far away from their hometown and relatives, they are especially lustful and enjoy physical pleasure.  It was enough to make up for the longing for each other, and the two finally calmed down. They hugged each other and fell asleep. Guan Xi lay on Liu Min like a kitten, gently using her bright red nails.  He scratched his neck and said coquettishly: "Where have you been these past few days, why didn't you come to me?  Are you avoiding me on purpose?  " Without waiting for Ai Lang's answer, Guan Xi asked again: "Also, when will you marry me?  Liu Min stroked her face and said with a smile: "I rushed to Wuhu in the past few days to pay homage to the King of Han, and specifically begged him to agree to our marriage."  " Guan Xi is the intelligence chief of the Han army in Jiangdong. She has a special status. Her marriage must be approved by Liu Jing. Guan Xi also knows this, and she quickly smiled and said: "It seems that you still have some conscience. What does the King of Han say?  " "He agreed to our marriage, but you also know that after you marry me, you can no longer be the intelligence chief, so the King of Han wants you to make your own choice.  " Guan Xi knew that what Liu Min said was right. As a wife, she could no longer show herself in public or get involved in danger. However, she had been an intelligence chief for many years and had already fallen deeply in love with her career. She was also named  The captain gave her great dignity, and it was difficult for her to really give up her career. Guan Xi sighed softly and whispered: "Let me think about it again!"  " Liu Min loved the beautiful and coquettish creature in front of him. He tightened his hands and hugged Guan Xi's plump body tightly to him. At the same time, his nose greedily sniffed the feminine fragrance emanating from her body, as if he was afraid that this lovely girl would be unforgettable to him.  , you will lose it at any time if you are not careful. He also said softly: "The King of Han is a considerate person. He said he wants to see you, and I think he will solve this problem for us.  "    "Um!  " Guan Xi agreed softly, her body became as hot as fire, her eyes became blurred, she put her arms around Ai Lang's neck, and offered her red lips again. Early the next morning, Liu Min came to Wu Palace to meet Sun Quan. He only  After waiting for a while, he was led into Sun Quan's official room by the guards. Sun Quan was in a good mood today. Bu Zhi met with Cao Cao and the conversation was very successful. Cao Cao accepted his surrender on behalf of the court and promised to accept Jiangdong's offer every year without using a pledge.  In return, the imperial court would support Jianye with 100,000 shi of grain every year. At the same time, Cao Cao also hinted that he could be directly promoted to the King of Wu, which could be described as both fame and fortune. Such favorable conditions made Sun Quan's heart beat.  Cao Cao also mentioned the Qiao sisters twice in his conversation with Bu Zhi. Sun Quan immediately realized that Cao Cao wanted to get the Qiao sisters. Cao Cao had made this request during the Battle of Chibi. Unexpectedly, he never had the Qiao sisters.  Forgetting, this makes Sun Quan a little bit difficult to deal with. Sun Quan is not reluctant to give away these two women. For him, the country is the first priority. As long as his country and power are stable, let alone these two women.If she is not his woman, even if it is his concubine, he will give it away without hesitation.  It's just that the identities of these two sisters are unusual, making it difficult for him to make a decision. Fortunately for Xiao Qiao, it has been almost two years since Zhou Yu's death. Qiao Xuan has proposed several times that he hopes his daughter will remarry, and the Zhou family has agreed, finding an excuse to secretly send Xiao Qiao away.  Just go to Yedu.  The key is Da Qiao, who is his sister-in-law. She was the mistress of Jiangdong and has a high status. If Da Qiao is not willing, how dare he give his sister-in-law to Cao Cao. His mother will not be able to pass it, and Jiangdong's generals will not be able to pass it.  Will agree, which leaves Sun Quan at a loss.  In addition, Cao Cao also made a request to hold formal talks in Jianye, and Sun Quan also agreed. Now Sun Quan is a little worried about Liu Jing. If he and Cao Cao get too close, he will inevitably suffer Liu Jing's revenge. Can he afford it?  ?  At this time, the guard reported outside the door, "Marquis Wu, Liu Canjun is here." Sun Quan knew that Liu Min came to him because there must be something important. It was most likely that he had secretly communicated with Cao Cao, and Liu Jing knew about it.  , he sent Liu Min to ask for help, but now that the matter had come to an end, he didn¡¯t want to escape anymore. Sun Quan nodded, ¡°Please come in!¡±  Widowhood, the Qin law clearly stipulates, "If the husband dies and marries, the person who marries is not guilty." The Han Dynasty followed the Qin law. Especially in the early Han Dynasty, when the population was sparse, the court encouraged childbirth. It was common for women from all walks of life to remarry. Famous people such as Zhuo Wenjun  , Cai Wenji, the customs in Jiangdong during the Three Kingdoms period were the same as those in the north. For example, in the well-known "Jiao Zhongqing's Wife", after Liu Lanzhi divorced her husband, the county magistrate's son wanted to marry her without any objection, so it cannot be based on the concepts of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.  Measuring Qin and Han]

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 768 Jiangdong Storm (12)

    Liu Min quickly walked into the official room, stepped forward and saluted: "Liu Min meets the Marquis of Wu!" Sun Quan was already very familiar with Liu Min. He smiled and invited Liu Min to sit down, ordered someone to serve tea, and asked: "But the King of Han  Is there anything you want Liu Canjun to tell me?" Liu Min nodded, "His Royal Highness the King of Han said that the situation is gradually calming down and he is ready to lead his army back to Jingzhou. However, he heard that Mrs. Wu was seriously ill and he wanted to visit me before leaving.  "Liu Jing is Mrs. Wu's son-in-law. It is only natural for him to ask to visit his seriously ill mother-in-law. However, Sun Quan still keenly sensed that this was just an excuse for Liu Jing to get close to Cao Cao.  Jing felt uneasy, and he wanted to take the opportunity to talk to himself.  But the problem is that Cao Cao also wants to come to Jianye to meet with him. Sun Quan thought for a long time and finally nodded, "I can understand the mood of King Han. In principle, I agree with him coming to visit the old lady, but for the specific security details, Liu Canjun can and  Governor Zhuge and Governor Lu discussed in detail. " Governor Zhuge refers to Zhuge Jin, the governor of Danyang, and Governor Lu refers to the new naval commander Lu Meng. One of them is responsible for local security, and the other is in charge of the navy. Liu Jing will definitely not come to Jianye alone.  , then his safety guarantee must be discussed in detail with Jiangdong. Especially at such a sensitive time, Liu Jing's safety is even more important.  In fact, Liu Ye also came to Jianye with Bu Zhi and was also discussing Cao Cao's safety. Sun Quan realized that this tripartite meeting was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If it was controlled well, he would be able to defeat Liu Jing and Cao Cao.  Bargain for maximum benefits.  Sun Quan finally made a decision. He sent Bu Zhi and Lu Su as envoys to Cao Cao and Liu Jing respectively. At the same time, he sent an invitation letter to them, inviting them to meet in Jianye, and promised in writing to ensure their safety, and the time would be set.  On the eighth day of November, seven days later, Cao Cao had three major regrets in his life. One was that during the Battle of Wancheng, his eldest son Cao Ang died tragically due to his carelessness, and his wife Ding divorced him, causing an irreparable loss in his life.  Family hurts.  The second was the Battle of Rangshan. He did not take Liu Jing seriously, which caused Liu Jing to escape and go to Xiangyang. In the end, it became the root cause of his decline from prosperity. Liu Jing also became his biggest enemy. Every time he mentioned Liu Jing, he  I will always remember this.  The third regret is that he had long admired the beauty of Er Qiao, but he started too late and was married by Sun Ce and Zhou Yu. He launched the Battle of Chibi, preparing to pacify the south and unify the world in one fell swoop, but he also had some ambitions to dominate the world and seize the country.  The beauty's ambition is to take back Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao to entertain her in her old age.  Among the three major regrets now, the eldest son cannot be resurrected. Liu Jing has become powerful and difficult to shake. Only the second Qiao can be taken back by him to make up for his major regret. This time, he took advantage of Bu Zhao's words and implicitly  Di proposed this condition to Sun Quan. Cao Cao believed that the dignity of the King of Wu and the annual aid of one hundred thousand shi of grain would be enough for Sun Quan to hand over Er Qiao to him.  Of course, Cao Cao did not offer such generous conditions for two women. The two women were just additional conditions. His real purpose was to break the alliance between Jiang Dong and Liu Jing. Once Liu Jing and Sun Quan turned against each other, Sun Ben would have  Opportunity to unify Jiangdong. At that time, Jiangdong was in his pocket.  Sun Quan actually came to express his surrender. How could Cao Cao not seize this opportunity?  "Prime Minister, have you ever thought about why Sun Quan came to express his surrender and pay tribute?" Cheng Yu smiled slightly and said, "Has Prime Minister thought about the reason for this?" Cao Cao thought for a moment and said, "I heard that Lu Xun led the Three Thousand Rivers  The army went to Wu County, which should be related to this, but I don't understand why he supported Sun Shao?" Cheng Yu nodded, "The Prime Minister is right, Liu Jing is indeed considering supporting Sun Shao, and he supports Sun Shao.  Shao's reason is the same as Sun Yu's, because among the three grandsons of Jiangdong, Sun Shao is the easiest to control. If you control Sun Shao, you will also control Wu Jun. If you control Wu Jun, the three points of Jiangdong will no longer be unified.  It is in Liu Jing's interest to annex Jiangdong at the lowest cost in the future. "That's why Sun Quan was extremely dissatisfied with Liu Jing's support for Sun Shao, so he came to express his surrender to me," Cao Cao said lightly.  Cheng Yu sighed, "That's the problem. Sun Quan's surrender to the Prime Minister was not sincere. He just used this method to put pressure on Liu Jing and force Liu Jing to make concessions, because Jiangdong benefits us from the Yangtze River, but there is no defense against Jingzhou. Jingzhou  He can annex Yuzhang County and Poyang County at any time. In fact, Sun Quan is more afraid of Liu Jing and does not dare to fall out with Liu Jing easily. Is it too hasty for the prime minister to promise him 100,000 shi of grain? " The last sentence was what Cheng Yu wanted to express.  In the center, he opposed Cao Jun's annual aid of 100,000 shi of grain to Sun Quan. Sun Quan did not dare to fall out with Liu Jing. The 100,000 shi of grain was undoubtedly wasted. Instead of aiding Sun Quan, it would be better to aid Sun Bi.  At this time, Cao Cao sneered, "Zhongde really thought I would give him tenStone grain?  Soldiers never tire of deceit. If Sun Quan really believes it, it can only be because he is stupid. Because I expected that Sun Quan would be short of food, I drew this pie out of thin air for him. As long as the alliance between him and Liu Jing is broken, this pie will not exist.  Well, when Zhang Yi broke the alliance between Qi and Chu, didn't he just draw a pie of six hundred miles out of thin air?  " Of course, Cao Cao also wanted to use this empty promise of 100,000 shi of food per year to make Sun Quan return Er Qiao to him. It was just that he could not express his personal thoughts in front of Cheng Yu. Only then did Cheng Yu understand the deep meaning of Cao Cao's promise.  , he sincerely praised: "The Prime Minister turned his hands into clouds, and turned his hands into rain. I admire you so much!"  " Cao Cao shook his head, "After all, I am the leader of the Wei State. A promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold. It is better not to do such things that damage your credibility. If it were not to break the Sun-Liu alliance this time, I would not have paid so much.  price.  Cheng Yu thought for a moment and then said: "This time when we met in Jianye, Sun Quan also invited Liu Jing. He wants to play both sides between the prime minister and Liu Jing, and take advantage of the contradiction between Cao and Liu to gain the greatest benefits. I think he will do the same."  Offer Liu Jing the same sky-high price.  " "Then he was dreaming!  " Cao Cao sneered, "Who is Liu Jing, who would be led by his nose?  He thinks he can have both sides, but the end result may be that he gets nothing.  " Having said this, Cao Cao walked to the gate with his hands behind his hands and stared at the dark sky in the south. After a while, he said in a low voice: "Actually, I would like to use this opportunity to have a good talk with Liu Jing.  " On the sixth day of November, two days before the Jianye meeting, two hundred warships left Wuhu, guarding the ship of Han Wang Liu Jing, and sailed toward Jianye in a mighty manner. According to the agreement between Liu Min and Jiangdong  Liu Jing's military escort this time was still the same as before, with 6,000 troops, 500 of whom could be escorted ashore. Cao Cao also had the same safety conditions. Zhang Liao led 6,000 troops and 200 warships to escort him.  Cao Cao goes to Jianye. This time, Jianye has made full safety preparations to ensure the safety of Cao Cao and Liu Jing. A far-reaching meeting in Jianye is about to begin£®  £®£®£®£®£®Sun Quan¡¯s wife Xie came to live with Mrs. Wu. She also believed in Buddhism and spent most of her time practicing Buddhism.  Several years of widowhood had made her heartbroken. In the early years, her father Qiao Xuan also persuaded her to remarry, but Da Qiao knew in her heart that her status as the wife of the Jiangdong prince prevented her from making new choices, and it was impossible for her to remarry. Time passed.  Year after year, her desire to remarry has faded away. She and her daughter Sun Qian are dependent on each other and are ready to spend this life peacefully. However, she hopes that her younger sister Xiao Qiao will remarry. Xiao Qiao does not have such heavy status pressure and does not have  She is not yet thirty years old, so she can completely choose a new life. Da Qiao knows that her sister already has the intention to remarry, but it is not easy to choose a suitable new husband for her, Da Qiao is thinking about it.  Regarding this matter, a maid came to the door, knelt down and saluted: "Mother, Madam Xie is here!  " Da Qiao quickly put down the embroidery in his hands and said: "Please come in!  " A few days ago, Da Qiao was quite rude to Mrs. Xie because of her mother's illness, and her words were accusatory. But when she calmed down, she realized that she had been a little impulsive, and she felt a little sorry in her heart. She quickly  When we arrived at the door, we saw Mrs.  "Da Qiao asked with a smile on his face. "I just went to visit my mother, and I stopped by to see my sister-in-law.  " Mrs. Wu's condition has gradually stabilized. Although it is still very bad, she is at least temporarily out of danger. She needs more rest, so Da Qiao no longer serves her all the time. As for Xie, Mrs. Wu  He doesn't like her and won't let her stay for a long time. Da Qiao and Mrs. Xie are sisters-in-law, but their relationship is not close and they don't have much contact. However, she has a very good relationship with Sun Quan's other wife, Bu Shi.  Understanding that Mrs. Xie did not come to the Three Treasures Palace for nothing, she must have something serious to come to see him. Da Qiao quickly invited Mrs. Xie to sit down in the room and ordered the maid to serve hot tea. Mrs. Xie was entrusted by Sun Quan today.  Come, I have something important to discuss with Da Qiao. She smiled and chatted with Da Qiao for a while, then tentatively said: "A few days ago, Wu Hou and Qiao Guolao talked about the matter between the elder sister-in-law and Xiao Qiao. Qiao Guolao expressed the hope that the elder sister-in-law and Xiao Qiao  In fact, Marquis Wu also supported Xiao Qiao's remarriage. After all, my sister-in-law was still young, only in her early thirties, and Xiao Qiao was not even thirty yet. Being a widow at such a young age would make life difficult in the future. I am also a woman, and I know this very well.  "Torture" Da Qiao did not interrupt Xie out of politeness, but in the end she couldn't bear it anymore. Before she could finish speaking, she said coldly: "It is our sisters' decision to remarry, and it has nothing to do with my brother-in-law!"  When Li went to the melon fields, Wu Hou still responded.??Avoid suspicion.  " Da Qiao said this very rudely, accusing Sun Quan of being nosy. Xie blushed and quickly explained: "After all, Marquis Wu is the king of a country, and he has to interfere with some things.  " Da Qiao heard the implication and sneered: "Brothers and sisters, if you have anything to say, just say it!  If you go around and around, you will miss Wu Hou's affairs.  " Mrs. Xie knew that Da Qiao had a gentle personality, but was very strong when it came to principles. She could not just marry Da Qiao directly, so she followed what her husband told her: "Now Sun Shao has divided Jiangdong regardless of the overall situation of Jiangdong.  , while Cao Cao's hundreds of thousands of troops were pressing down on the country, Jiangdong was suffering from internal and external troubles, and was about to be destroyed. The Marquis of Wu was anxious and restless. As a member of the Sun family in Jiangdong, each of us has the responsibility to save the country and preserve the Sun family's hard-won country. I  Even though she was a prostitute, she donated all her savings, hoping that her sister-in-law could share Jiang Dong's worries.  " Sun Shao was raised by Da Qiao. Xie directly pushed the responsibility for splitting Jiangdong to Sun Shao. In fact, it implied that Da Qiao was responsible. Da Qiao understood what she meant and said without hesitation: "I have someone there too.  I saved some money, food, and some jewelry, and I donated them all to do my part for Jiangdong.  "    "No!  No!  Sister-in-law doesn't need to pay. If sister-in-law really wants to share Jiang Dong's worries, there is an opportunity now. To be precise, only sister-in-law can save Jiang Dong now.  " Da Qiao was startled, "I don't understand what you mean. I am a prostitute and have no power to restrain a chicken. How come I am the only one who can save Jiang Dong?  "Xie Shi laughed dryly and said: "Now Cao Cao has put forward the conditions for retreating, that is, if his sister-in-law goes to Yedu as a hostage, he will retreat, and Jiangdong will be saved.  " Da Qiao stood up in a hurry, his pretty face flushed with shame and anger, and angrily shouted: "Men are incompetent, so let women go to the battlefield?  He had no shame and wanted to sacrifice his sister-in-law to the enemy. How could he explain this to his dead brother?  How to explain to the people of Jiangdong?  How to explain to the officers and soldiers of the three armed forces?  " Mrs. Xie's face also turned red. She knew she was in the wrong and said sarcastically: "Wu Hou didn't want to do this either, so he asked me to ask my sister-in-law about her wishes. If she is willing," "Bah!  " Da Qiao spat in Mr. Xie's face, "You asked me to go and get married voluntarily, but you have morals. This is so shameless. Get out!  Get out!  " Mrs. Xie couldn't keep it off her face. She stood up and glared at Da Qiao and said, "If you don't want to, forget it. Who will force you?  " After saying that, she turned around and walked away angrily. When she reached the door, she turned back and said bitterly: "Some things are not up to you!  " "Get out!  " Mr. Xie was so angry that he stamped his feet and walked away quickly. Da Qiao was so angry that his chest heaved violently. He felt the world was spinning and he almost fainted.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 769 Jiangdong Storm (13)

    The Jianye Pier was decorated with lights and colorful lights, and the dry trees in winter were covered with green silk. The sound of drums was loud, and teams of dancers danced in the cold wind and drum music. In the distance, thousands of Jiangdong soldiers were on guard.  It was so strict that all dock workers were not allowed to go near the dock, and people who came to watch the excitement were also kept far away.  At the VIP pavilion at the dock, Sun Quan led dozens of Jiangdong civil and military officials who had been waiting for a long time. Sun Quan had received news that Cao Cao's boat had passed Sanshan Town and was less than twenty miles away from the main dock. Sun Quan came specially to greet him.  But what makes Sun Quan feel a little uneasy is that two hundred warships led by Liu Jing have also arrived in Jianye, but the warships are anchored on the other side of the Yangtze River. Liu Jing has no news so far, and no one has been sent to contact him. Obviously Liu Jing is showing off  He maintained a low-key posture and seemed to give up the glory and aura of the grand welcome to Cao Cao.  This makes Sun Quan very worried. He is very aware of Liu Jing's tough style and fierce methods. His low profile today is completely different from his usual style. It can only be explained that Liu Jing is preparing to strike later, and this kind of late strike often makes Liu Jing  Jiangdong couldn't bear it.  "Is there any news about Zijing?" Sun Quan turned around and asked.  Although Sun Quan was dissatisfied with Lu Su's various weaknesses and even dismissed him from the post of governor and demoted him to Dongcaocheng, he still had to rely on Lu Su to negotiate with the Han army when it came to contact with Jingzhou. This time Lu Su  Go to Wuhu and accompany Liu Jing to Jiangdong.  A guard nearby reported: "There is no news about Lu Shijun yet." Sun Quan suddenly showed a look of dissatisfaction on his face. At such an important moment, Lu Su did not report the news in time, causing him to lose control of the situation. Sun Quan immediately  L¨¹ Meng ordered: "Send people to the north bank quickly, find Lu Su, and ask about the situation. What happened to the Han warships?" L¨¹ Meng agreed and immediately arranged for the ships to go to the north bank. At this moment, an official pointed out  The river in the distance shouted: "Prime Minister Cao is coming!" I saw a fleet of ships appearing on the river in the distance. It was sailing towards the dock. The huge battle flag of Cao's army was hung on the mast. Sun Quan was overjoyed.  , immediately ordered: "Play the drums!" The drums sounded again, Sun Quan left the VIP pavilion, and walked towards the dock with the officials.  On the first big ship, Cao Cao stood on the bow with his hands behind his hands, looking at the Stone City and Jianye County in the distance with great interest. This was his first visit to Jiangdong. In the past, this would have been impossible, but then  With the division of Jiangdong, Sun Quan's strength was greatly reduced and he was no longer able to compete with Cao's army, and everything became possible.  The Jiangdong official who accompanied Cao Cao was Bu Zhi. He stood aside, gave instructions on Jianye, and introduced to Cao Cao why Jiangdong's capital was chosen here, "Jianye is located at the head of the Yangtze River. You can go up to Xuyang in the north and go down to Wujun in the south.  Going to Jingxiang in the west, facing the sea in the east, surrounded by plains and rolling mountains, it can be said that it is a place where tigers and dragons roost, and emperors and dragons have veins." Cao Cao was noncommittal and said calmly: "I heard that during the Qin Dynasty, an alchemist pointed to the southeast.  If there is a dragon spirit, it should be Jianye! For this reason, the First Emperor dug a square mountain and cut off the long ridge to create a sacrificial area. When it entered the river, a dragon hidden the river, which cut off the royal spirit of Jianye. Those who would build a capital here in future generations would not do so.  For a long time, Wu Hou resisted the destiny and forcibly established the capital here. Little did he know that destiny was not something that human power could resist. Jiangdong was divided into three parts, and the disaster came from this! " Cao Cao's words were very sharp, and Bu Zhao's face turned red and white.  But he didn't know how to explain it. He also thought secretly in his heart, "Is this really the cause of the division of Jiangdong?"  ' Cao Cao glanced at him and chuckled: "It's just a joke, Zishan doesn't need to take it seriously." At this time, the ship had gradually docked, and the sound of drums could be heard from the shore. Bu Zhi saw Sun Quan and other officials,  There was a surprise in his heart, and he pointed to the pier and smiled: "Wuhou has come to greet the prime minister in person." Cao Cao smiled and nodded. He also saw Sun Quan. Cao Cao suddenly remembered something and looked around the pier, but he did not see the Han army.  Warship, he asked: "Has the King of Han not arrived yet?" Bu Zhi shook his head, "I don't know the details." Cao Cao felt a little strange. As far as he knew, Liu Jing should have set off before him and left long ago.  It's been a long time, they should have arrived early, why are they missing?  Could it be that he was on another dock? Cao Cao was full of doubts, but he couldn't guess the reason.  The big ship slowly docked and the planks were put on the pier. Cao Cao, closely guarded by his guards, walked onto the pier. At this time, Sun Quan quickly came up to him with a smile on his face. He bowed and saluted: "Welcome Prime Minister to Jiangdong, Jiangdong."  It's such an honor." Cao Cao looked at Sun Quan and saw that he had a purple beard and blue eyes and a majestic appearance. He also thought to himself: "This man has an extraordinary appearance and is also a hero. It's a pity that he met Liu Jing of Jingzhou at the wrong time.  It is really a pity to rise up and even be suppressed by Ruosi!  ¡¯ Cao Cao smiled slightly and said, ¡°I have been dealing with Marquis Wu for many years, but today is the first time I met him. Marquis Wu is an extraordinary person, and he truly deserves his reputation!¡± ¡°Prime Minister¡­It's such an honor, but a humble minister wouldn't dare to take it!  " Since Sun Quan has surrendered to the imperial court, he has become Cao Cao's minister, so he calls himself a minor minister. Sun Quan quickly introduces Jiangdong ministers to Cao Cao. Cao Cao is very familiar with Zhang Hong and is particularly affectionate towards him. He also treats Zhang Zhao and others  They were also polite and chatted happily, but Lu Meng, Xu Sheng and other generals had a cold attitude towards Cao Cao. They didn't even have a perfunctory smile and just stood in the distance coldly. At this time, Sun Quan smiled again:  "Prime Minister, you have worked hard all the way. Please get in the carriage and go back to the VIP Post to rest. In the evening, we will hold a banquet for the Prime Minister to wash away the dust.  " Cao Cao smiled and nodded, and boarded the carriage under the strict protection of hundreds of guards. Just when the carriage was about to start, Cao Cao lowered the window and asked with a smile: "May I ask, Marquis Wu, has the King of Han's fleet arrived?  " Sun Quan showed an embarrassed look on his face, and said with a wry smile: "The King of Han's fleet has arrived first, but it is anchored on the north bank. I think it is the King of Han who is giving courtesy to the Prime Minister!  " Sun Quan said it lightly, but Cao Cao's expression changed drastically. He had experienced hundreds of battles and was so experienced. He immediately saw Liu Jing's intention. The Han warships docked on the north bank, which means they occupied the upper direction. Once Jianye was in crisis,  , the Han warships could easily attack his own fleet, especially the Han army who was good at attacking with fire. As soon as he arrived at Jianye, he was in danger. After a while, Cao Cao sneered and said: "The King of Han is really thoughtful!"  " He lowered the window and started the carriage. Xu Chu led hundreds of cavalry to closely guard the left and right sides. Under the leadership of the Jiangdong leader, the convoy quickly drove towards the city. Sun Quan watched Cao Cao's carriage go away, and he felt a little worried. This time  The three-party meeting between the two parties had hidden murderous intentions from the beginning. I am afraid it will not end so easily. At this time, he actually felt a hint of regret in his heart. The two hundred warships of the Han army were quietly moored at the military dock on the north bank of the Yangtze River. Although the Yangtze River  The north bank to Gaoyou belongs to Jiangdong's territory. When Jiangdong was in its heyday, the number of troops stationed on the north bank of the Yangtze River reached more than 20,000. Now, as Jiangdong has repeatedly failed in foreign campaigns, especially the defeat of Hefei last year, Jiangdong has lost many soldiers.  Ten thousand, Sun Quan had to start to shrink his troops. The garrison in Jiangbei dropped sharply from 20,000 to 3,000. The naval camps and docks in Jiangbei were almost abandoned. At this time, the Han army was stationed in the abandoned military camps along the river in Jiangdong.  In a semi-combat state, the so-called semi-combat state means that half of the army remains on the warship, ready to attack at any time, while the other half of the army is stationed in the military camp on the shore. The troops can only take turns to go ashore to rest. For Liu Jing, he came this time.  Jianye's excuse was to visit Mrs. Wu's condition, which in itself shows that he is not the protagonist of this Jiangdong meeting, Cao Cao is the protagonist, and he wants to establish a closer relationship with Jiangdong. To a certain extent, Liu Jing appeared at this time  In Jiangdong, he played the role of a spoiler. How could he allow Sun Quan to turn to Cao Cao? If Sun Quan and Sun Ben were brought together by Cao Cao, then Wu County would be in danger and would directly threaten Jingzhou's interests, so he must.  To break the alliance between Sun Quan and Cao Cao, putting pressure on Sun Quan is certainly one thing, but directly participating in the negotiations between Sun Quan and Cao Cao is a more effective method. Liu Jing is holding the bow of the four thousand stone ship.  Staring at the south bank of the Yangtze River, it was sunny today and the visibility on the river was very good. With Liu Jing's eyesight, he could faintly see the dense black dots on the river. Those should be Cao Cao's fleet. The corners of Liu Jing's mouth curved.  Sneering, when will Cao Jun be able to rampage on the Yangtze River? At this time, the general Shen Mi said angrily: "Sun Quan knew that His Highness was in the north of the Yangtze River, but he couldn't come by boat to see him. Instead, he stayed at the dock waiting to greet Cao Cao.  This is a humiliation to us. I am willing to take a fleet to teach the Jiangdong people a lesson.  Liu Jing looked back at him and said with some dissatisfaction: "I'm not in a hurry, why are you anxious?"  " Shen Mi felt the harshness in Liu Jing's tone and quickly lowered his head, not daring to say anything anymore. Liu Jing valued Shen Mi very much. He not only trusted his loyalty, but also admired his bravery in combat. He had always regarded Shen Mi as Gan's successor.  Ning's naval commander would also give him various opportunities and train him carefully. Today, Shen Mi's words were a bit reckless. While Liu Jing was dissatisfied, she also wanted him to understand something. Liu Jing smiled and said, "Sun Quan."  It is true that you have neglected me. In my capacity, this kind of neglect can be regarded as a kind of humiliation, but I will not be angry. Not only me, I hope you are the same. You should treat it calmly, deal with it indifferently, and don't send troops at every turn.  .  " Shen Mi wiped the sweat from his forehead and whispered: "I understand, I understand.  " Seeing his sincere attitude, Liu Jing's tone became softer again, and she smiled and said, "Let me give you a few words!  You can keep it in mind and it will become your principle of doing things in the future.  " "Your Highness, please speak!  "Liu Jing said slowly: "When a common man sees humiliation, he draws his sword and stands up to fight. This is not brave. There are great brave men in the world who are not surprised when they are attacked without any reason, and are not angry when they are attacked for no reason. This is what they are holding hostage.  Very big, and its ambitionYuan Ye, do you understand these sentences?  " Shen Mi Na Na read a few words, suddenly woke up, bowed and said: "His Royal Highness's teachings, humble duty should be engraved in the heart, and I dare not forget it for a moment!  " At this time, there was a burst of applause from behind, and someone praised: "There are great brave men in the world who are not surprised when faced with a sudden attack, and are not angry when they are attacked for no reason. Your Highness's words are sobering!  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 770 Jiangdong Storm (14)

    Liu Jing turned around and saw Lu Su walking over. Liu Jing smiled and said, "Aren't you afraid that Zijing will be angry if he doesn't go back and report to the Marquis of Wu?" Lu Su shook his head and said, "My duty is to let His Highness the King of Han get ashore safely.  , and then leave safely, as for reporting the privacy and secrets of His Highness the King of Han to the Marquis of Wu, that is not what a gentleman would do." It seemed that he was magnanimous, but Liu Jing knew that Lu Su was full of disappointment in Sun Quan, and he no longer looked back to the past.  With such hard work and hard work, it is no wonder that Lu Su's loyalty was not only not rewarded, but also met with suspicion, and he was dismissed and demoted. How could Lu Su feel calm in his heart.  Liu Jing smiled again and said: "I can understand Zijing's mood. Can you please ask Zijing to go to Jianye City for me and tell Wu Hou that I have some official business to deal with and will come ashore later." Lu Su ordered  Nodding, he actually knew that if he didn't report to Wu Hou, he would be derelict in his duty, so he clasped his fists and saluted Liu Jing, "Since the King of Han has given the order, I will take the first step." Liu Jing ordered Shen Mi to arrange a ship to send Lu Su back.  , looking at the boat that Lu Su was riding in, Liu Jing said to himself with a smile: "Will Sun Quan really fulfill his friendship as a landlord?" In the Jianye Palace, Sun Quan listened to Lu Su's report with a gloomy face, Liu Jing had  Official business had to be taken care of and he would arrive ashore later, at least by how late. Lu Su didn't know. Sun Quan felt a little annoyed and paced in the lobby with his hands behind his hands. This was obviously Liu Jing's dissatisfaction with his grand welcome to Cao Cao.  So don't give him face.  It's like an ordinary family treating guests. The host has prepared everything, but the guest says he doesn't know when he can come. Most people can't stand this kind of rudeness, let alone between two countries. This is actually a sign of guest dissatisfaction.  .  At this time, Zhang Zhao said from the side: "Perhaps Liu Jing hopes that Wu Hou will go to the north bank to greet him in person, so he is pretending to be reluctant to go ashore." Sun Quan snorted heavily and said, "He is giving me a  What a show of force! If I go to the north bank to greet him, I will obviously show weakness to him, and he will interfere more forcefully in Jiangdong's internal affairs and sabotage this negotiation. Since he is here to visit his mother-in-law, let him visit the patient as he wishes.  Don't talk to him too much about other political matters." Chang Shi Zhang Hong felt that it was inappropriate to do so. After all, Liu Jing held too many handles in Jiangdong. There were nearly 30,000 prisoners of war in Yuzhang and Poyang County, and they were now indifferent to Liu Jing.  The next time I asked him how to speak, he stepped forward and persuaded implicitly: "Since the Marquis of Wu has openly invited Liu Jing to come, if you ignore him, it would not be the way to treat guests. It would be rude of us, and Liu Jing can do it too."  It is completely reasonable to say that he did not want to disembark at the South Bank for safety reasons. He can find many reasons, but we cannot ignore the guests, not to mention that we still have requests from him. " Zhang Hong's last words.  Sun Quan sighed helplessly. He also thought of the 30,000 prisoners of war. If he really offended Liu Jing, he would send 30,000 prisoners of war to Wu County in anger. He could not bear the consequences. He was not acting on impulse now.  when.  Even though he knew that Liu Jing was threatening him, he had no choice but to order: "Prepare the boat, I'm going to the north bank!" As soon as he finished speaking, a guard rushed to the hall to report: "For the report to the Marquis of Wu, the King of Han has come ashore.  , were on their way to Changqian Palace. " Sun Quan and everyone looked at each other. Liu Jing actually came ashore, which was completely beyond their expectations. Sun Quan suddenly became confused. He couldn't understand Liu Jing's chess moves at all, and he was about to give in.  He went to the north bank to greet him, and then abandoned the dignity of the King of Han and went ashore himself. What did he mean?  Sun Quan looked at Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong in confusion, but Zhang Hong understood what Liu Jing meant and smiled slightly: "On the surface, the king of Han is telling Wu Hou that he is just here to visit the old lady's condition.  It has nothing to do with government affairs, but it is precisely because his actions are unethical, contrary to common sense, and contrary to the way of being a guest. Therefore, Marquis Wu must understand that he came to Jiangdong on this trip just to check on the old lady's condition and visit the old man.  After a person's illness, he will not leave. That is the beginning of his trip to Jiangdong." Sun Quan looked at Zhang Zhao again. Zhang Zhao nodded and agreed with Zhang Hong's analysis. Sun Quan thought for a moment and said, "Since he doesn't want to.  If he wants to enter Jiangdong in a low-key manner, he will be welcomed by me. However, I still have to fulfill my friendship as a landlord. "In Changqian Palace, three hundred Han army guards surrounded Liu Jing and waited in the square outside the palace.  At this time, the guard leader of Changqian Palace quickly ran forward, clasped his fists and saluted: "Mrs. Wu, please invite His Highness the King of Han to enter the palace. You can bring your sword and ten guards." Old Man Wu considered Liu Jing's safety, but  But Liu Jing ordered the guards behind him: "You guys wait here, I will enter the palace alone." Li Qing, the captain of the personal army, was about to object, but Liu Jing glared at him. Li Qing did not dare to say anything anymore, Liu Jing said to the guards  Chang smiled and said: "Please!" "Your Highness, please come with me!" WaiterThe eldest son led Liu Jing into Changqian Palace and arrived at Mrs. Wu's bedroom. The guard stopped and said, "The humble servants in front of you cannot go in. A maid will lead His Highness in." As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Da Qiao.  Walking out of the dormitory, he bowed to Liu Jing and said, "Your Highness, please follow me." "Excuse me, madam." Liu Jing followed Da Qiao and walked to the dormitory. The dormitory was quite large and divided into two parts: the inner hall and the outer hall.  It is a pool of water, connected by a long covered bridge, with pavilions and pavilions on both sides, various exquisite buildings, and full of exotic flowers and plants. Although it is the middle of winter, it is full of greenery and does not feel like winter at all.  .  Liu Jing and Da Qiao met several times, but basically did not speak. Da Qiao led Liu Jing into the inner hall, and no other maids followed. The two walked slowly one after the other. At this time, Da Qiao slowed down,  He spoke softly and smiled: "Your Highness, how is Shang Xiang now?" "She is very good. She gave birth to a son this year. Mother and son are safe." "Then I would like to congratulate Your Highness." "Thank you, madam, for your kind words."  After a pause, Da Qiao asked casually: "I wonder how long His Highness will stay in Jianye this time?" "The plan is to leave Jianye for two days, tomorrow night, or early the morning after tomorrow." Da Qiao pursed his lips and smiled, and then said:  "Last time Shang Xiang wrote a letter inviting us to go to Bashu. To be honest, we really wanted to go and relax, but we were afraid of causing trouble to His Highness, so we couldn't make the trip." Liu Jing laughed, "What's the trouble?  , I have been fighting in the field for many years and rarely at home. Shang Xiang has been waiting for you all day long, and his eyes have seen through it. How about this, I now formally invite my wife and sister to visit Chengdu and stay for a year and a half. If you like  Bashan Shushui, I welcome you to stay here for a long time." Da Qiao smiled slightly, "Thank you for your kind invitation, Your Highness." With that, the two of them walked into Mrs. Wu's palace, and a maid came up and said, "Old Madam.  Please come in." Liu Jing walked into the inner hall. Mrs. Wu had already stood up and was sitting on the soft couch. Two maids were supporting her. She was pale, skinny, and in very poor spirits. She was in the same state as last time.  Seeing that she was completely different, Liu Jing felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. He could see that Mrs. Wu was not long gone.  Liu Jing hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down, kowtowed and said, "My son-in-law is here to see my mother-in-law. I wish her good health and longevity!" Mrs. Wu liked her son-in-law very much. She often said to the maids and daughters-in-law around her,  None of her children and grandchildren could compare to this son-in-law. Her son-in-law wanted to achieve imperial supremacy. This was one of the two wisest decisions she made in her life.  Although Mrs. Wu was extremely weak, she still said with a smile: "My dear son-in-law, please get up and sit down!" A maid spread a soft cushion for Liu Jing, and Liu Jing sat down opposite Mrs. Wu. Mr. Wu struggled to sit upright.  Liu Jing leaned over quickly and said, "My son-in-law just arrived in Jianye. This time it was because Cao Cao was stationing troops in Ruxukou, so I specially  Came to rescue Jiangdong. Shang Xiang is in Chengdu. The child is still young and she can't leave. When the child is older, she will bring the child to see her mother. " "Hey!" Mrs. Wu sighed and said, "Wu Hourang.  I am so heartbroken that Jiangdong was so disappointed. I hope that my good son-in-law can help him reunite as soon as possible. Otherwise, how can I explain to his father? " "Wu Hou is capable enough, but he is too kind.  I didn't expect the Sun Ben Rebellion." Speaking of this, Da Qiao snorted coldly. Although the voice was very low, Liu Jing still heard it. He glanced at Da Qiao quickly and saw the disdain in her eyes.  It must be what she said about "the benevolence of the Marquis of Wu" that disgusted her. Of course Sun Quan was not merciful, but he still had to try his best to say comforting words when speaking to the old man.  He then said sincerely: "Please rest assured, mother-in-law, Jiangdong is my second hometown, and I will try my best to protect the people of Jiangdong from the devastation of war." Liu Jing was very vague. He did not promise to protect the Jiangdong regime, but to protect it.  People in Jiangdong, as for who will unify Jiangdong, that is another story. Mrs. Wu was weak and could not discern the deep meaning of Liu Jing's words. She just listened to her ears and said happily: "If you have such a heart, I will  Thank you. I will definitely bring my children next time so that I can see my grandson. "Liu Jing took out a painting, which was a portrait of his children. He has always carried it with him. This time he came to visit Mrs. Wu.  , he brought the portrait of his second son Liu Long. He presented the portrait to the old lady and said with a smile: "This is the portrait of the child born to Shang Xiang. Please take a look at it, mother-in-law." Mrs. Wu became energetic and quickly ordered the maid to open the portrait.  , the portrait showed a chubby little guy, she couldn't help but smile, looked at it for a long time and said: "The eyebrows are a bit like her mother's."??, overall, he looks like his father, very much!  Mrs. Wu said to Liu Jing again: "I will accept this portrait. I have something that you can take back to your child. It is a meeting gift for my grandson."  " She gave some instructions to her maid. The maid went into the inner room and took out a gold box. She opened it in front of Liu Jing. Inside the box was a warm and white jade pendant. Da Qiao next to her gave a low exclamation, obviously surprised by the jade pendant.  , Liu Jing also knew that this jade pendant was valuable, but with his status, nothing could shock him, so he accepted the jade pendant happily. At this time, Mrs. Wu was also a little tired, she nodded and smiled.  He said: "I'm very happy that you can come to visit me, but I'm not in good health and can't say any more. Say hello to Shang Xiang for me.  " She said to Da Qiao again: "Ah Qiao, send my beloved son-in-law out for me.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 771 Jiangdong Storm (15)

    In the corridor, Da Qiao slowly stopped. She did not look back, but asked in a low voice: "Why did Your Highness say so insincerely in front of his mother?" "Where was the insincerity in what he said?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.  "Are you really planning to protect Jiangdong?" Da Qiao looked back at Liu Jing.  After a moment of silence, Liu Jing said slowly: "I didn't say to protect Jiangdong, I just said to protect the people of Jiangdong from the devastation of war." "People of Jiangdong, that's it!" Da Qiao smiled and nodded, she understood Liu Jing's intention  It made sense. At this time, she remembered something and asked again: "Isn't His Highness surprised by that piece of jade?" Liu Jing shook her head, "I don't know what's special about it. Madam, can you tell me?" "I can't say.  "Go back and ask Shang Xiang!" As she spoke, Da Qiao had already led Liu Jing to the gate of the inner palace. She stopped and said, "I won't see you off anymore. Your Highness, please come back!" Liu Jing asked her!  He bowed his hands and bowed, turned around and strode away. Looking at Liu Jing's retreating back, Da Qiao let out a low sigh. Walking out of the gate of Changqian Palace, Liu Jing looked at the starry sky as night fell quietly. He breathed a long sigh of relief and ended his visit.  What should he do next?  At this moment, there was a burst of hurried footsteps in the distance, and Sun Quan was seen walking quickly surrounded by more than a dozen guards. Sun Quan said with a smile on his face: "Finally, I have waited for my good brother to come out." Liu Jing  He also smiled and saluted, "Brother, why don't you go in and wait at the gate?" The two of them looked very relaxed, as if they had just broken up and met again in the blink of an eye. Sun Quan stepped forward and took Liu Jing's arm affectionately.  He sighed helplessly: "Why don't I want to go in, but my mother refuses to see me, so I can only wait outside the door." "Why doesn't she want to see my brother?" Liu Jing asked knowingly.  "Alas! It's hard to say anything. Every family has its own scriptures that are difficult to recite. Forget it, let's not mention it. I will send my brother to rest first. If there is anything else, we can talk about it tomorrow." Sun Quan did not mention the welcoming incident that happened today.  , Liu Jing also wisely did not talk about this matter. Both of them knew very well that with the addition of Cao Cao, the situation would become complicated. If you talk too much about many things, you will lose face, but if you don't talk about them, you can live in peace.  Liu Jing did not refuse, and boarded the carriage prepared by Sun Quan. The carriage started, and Sun Quan personally sent him to a VIP hotel in Jianye City to rest. Liu Jing's guards also urged their horses to follow, and the group quickly disappeared into the night.  middle.  There are two post houses where Jianye entertains distinguished guests. One is called the VIP Post House, also known as the Honglu Pavilion. It is located in Stone City and is mainly used to entertain distinguished guests from foreign vassals. Some foreign vassal kings who come to Jiangdong for an audience will arrange to stay here.  One is called the VIP Hotel, also called the Inner Pavilion, located in Jianye County. The prefects of Jiangdong counties or imperial envoys will be arranged to stay here, but neither the Honglu Pavilion nor the Inner Pavilion is suitable for Cao Cao and his family.  Liu Jing was such a powerful person in the world, but it was difficult for Sun Quan to balance for a while, so he temporarily took power and arranged the two of them in one place.  The carriage entered the north gate of the county town, walked another hundred steps, and stopped slowly in front of a large house. This is the inner hall, covering an area of ??20 acres. It is composed of five single courtyards, with one master and four assistants. It is quite like Wuchang.  At this time, the entire inner building of the VIP hotel was emptied. There were no other guests except Liu Jing. There were more than a thousand Jiangdong soldiers guarding the outside of the hotel wall, and the security was tight.  Liu Min was waiting in front of the gate. He had already checked the building beforehand. Liu Jing walked out of the carriage, turned around and smiled at Sun Quan: "It's getting late, brother, go back and rest! If anything happens, we'll meet again tomorrow."  "Talk." At this time, night had just fallen, and a banquet was held in the Honglu Hall. Sun Quan had to go to greet Cao Cao, so he didn't stay any longer. He smiled and saluted: "My dear brother is Jiangdong's son-in-law, and Jianye is also the son-in-law."  My dear brother, please feel free to visit your home. You don¡¯t have to be bound by anything, so I left as a brother.¡± He bowed, got on the carriage, and nodded to Liu Jing with a smile. The carriage started and drove quickly out of the city.  After a while, they drove out of the north gate.  Without Sun Quan beside her, Liu Jing felt relaxed. At this time, Yi Cheng came up to greet him and said with a smile: "Your Highness, please go to dinner first. The restaurant is ready." Liu Jing pointed to his men and asked with a smile.  "Have you prepared dinner for so many people?" "Reporting to your highness, Marquis Wu has given instructions and everything is ready." Liu Jing nodded and said to Captain Li Qing: "Arrange for all the brothers to live in the post house.  , eat first, and then brothers have a good rest tonight!" Li Qing agreed and asked the deputy general to arrange the food and accommodation for the guards. At this time, Liu Jing smiled at Liu Min and said, "Is Xi's Tavern far from here?"  Liu Min was startled, then overjoyed, and said quickly: "Not far, not far, about two miles or so." "Well! Then I will arrange my dinner at Xi's Tavern!"   Xi's Tavern is located in the west of the city. Business is booming every day, and today is no exception. The tavern is brightly lit, laughing and chatting, and it is full of guests. At this moment, more than a thousand Jiangdong soldiers rushed in and surrounded the tavern.  , the soldiers rushed into the tavern and forcibly drove away the guests, causing chaos in the tavern.  Guan Xi was so surprised that he quickly came out and asked the leading general: "General Wang, what happened?" The leading general's name is Wang Ning. He is Sun Quan's Yamen captain. He is appointed by Sun Quan to protect Liu Jing's safety.  , Liu Jing wanted to come to Xi's Tavern to dine, so Wang Ning needed to clear the place first. He said coldly: "His Royal Highness the King of Han is coming here to dine soon. Drive all the diners away and clean up the tavern. In the meantime, no one is allowed to eat."  Don't accept any more drinkers." Guan Xi was suddenly surprised and happy that His Highness the King of Han was coming. She hurriedly ordered the bartenders to send away the drinkers immediately and clean up the tavern. The bartenders were so busy that they seemed to have no feet on the ground and were in a panic.  Xi's Tavern is very famous in Jianye. Although it is far from the first in terms of land area and scale, only ranking fifth, it is well managed. dignitaries from Jiangdong especially like to dine here, making the Tavern famous far and wide, even the King of Han Dynasty  Liu Jing also heard about this tavern and decided to dine here, which made everyone in the tavern feel proud. The bartenders worked very hard and quickly decorated the tavern.  After a while, Li Qing brought dozens of guards into the tavern to check and make sure it was safe before going to notify King Han. At this time, dozens of steps outside the tavern were already crowded with thousands of people who came to watch the excitement.  People, when Liu Jing's carriage slowly stopped in front of the tavern, the people in Jiangdong immediately applauded like thunder and cheered loudly.  Just ten days ago, the Jingzhou envoys sent home letters from tens of thousands of Jiangdong prisoners of war to Jiangdong to inform their families that they were safe. The King of Han rescued tens of thousands of Jiangdong's children from the Jiaozhou army, so that they would not have to suffer the hardship of going to Jiaozhou to work.  He will soon return home to reunite with his relatives. This incident has spread throughout the land of Jiangdong, making Liu Jing's name of benevolence and righteousness deeply rooted in the hearts of every Jiangdong person, even more than Sun Quan.  People loved Jiangdong's son-in-law from the bottom of their hearts. Many old people even called him Jing Lang. Liu Jing smiled and waved to the people around him. The cheers became more and more enthusiastic. Some people even couldn't help but wave their arms and shouted: "Long live the King of Han!"  "Long live the King of Han!" Thousands of people shouted. More and more people came from around, exceeding 10,000 people. The whole Jianye County began to boil. Guan Xi welcomed Liu Jing into the back hall. Here is the Xi family  Where the tavern entertains distinguished guests, as the intelligence chief of the Jiangdong region, Guan Xi is directly responsible to Liu Jing. She has met Liu Jing many times, but today she is particularly excited. She knows in her heart that Liu Jing coming here today must be related to her life.  Important matters related.  She personally presented Liu Jing with wine and food. Although there were not many wine and food, they were very exquisite. She also warmed a pot of fine old Kuaiji wine. Liu Jing took a sip of the wine and said with a smile, "How many years has Guan Xiaowei been in Jiangdong?" Guan Xi has a pretty face.  She blushed and replied respectfully: "Reporting to your highness, Guan Xi has been in Jiangdong for almost six years." "Six years is not a short time." Liu Jing was also quite emotional. He looked at the people standing aside.  Seeing the expectant look on his face, Liu Min couldn't help but smile and said to Guan Xi: "I'm just here to have dinner today and visit my subordinates. In addition, Liu Canjun seems to be looking forward to my coming here."  With a blushing face, Yingying knelt down and said, "Your Highness is the one to decide everything!" Liu Jing nodded and said, "In my memory, Guan Xiaowei was not originally a military position, right?" "Yes! He only took up his humble position five years ago.  Entering the army, you will be promoted to the rank of deputy captain step by step. "It takes five years to be promoted to the rank of deputy captain. This requires a lot of achievements. Jiangdong has gradually changed from a strong enemy back then to a weak one today."  Enemy, among them, Guan Xiaowei has the greatest merit. Although you are a woman, you are not inferior to a man. From now on, I will officially promote you to Xiaowei and give you a reward of one thousand taels. " Guan Xi was immediately elated, and she was deeply moved.  After bowing, "I humbly thank Your Highness for the award!" But Liu Min next to him became nervous. He wanted to marry Guan Xi as his wife, not to see her get promoted and get rewards. Of course, if Guan Xi's achievements were recognized, he would also  He was happy for her, but at this moment he hoped that his wish would be granted.  Liu Jing glanced at him and saw the nervousness on his face, so she smiled and joked: "Liu Canjun seems to be more nervous than Guan Xiaowei!" Liu Min couldn't help it anymore, and stepped forward and knelt down side by side with Guan Xi, "  I beg your Highness to do it!" At this time, Liu Jing's dozen guards beside him laughed. Guan Xi blushed with embarrassment and pinched Liu Jing's arm quietly, complaining about his recklessness and their little actions.  It was clear that Liu Jing's sense of joking disappeared and her face became serious.  He then slowly said to Guan Xi: "The Han army has five intelligence stations. In addition to Jiangdong, there are also Jiaozhou and Hedong."??Hebei and the Central Plains, these five stations have always reported directly to me. Now that the Han army has captured Guanlong, I am not able to directly manage the intelligence. Therefore, I plan to set up an Intelligence Department to command the five major intelligence stations below.  The division is managed by Military Advisor Pang, but it still needs a specific chief officer. I am considering Guan Xiaowei as the first chief officer.  " Guan Xi understood the King of Han's decision to transfer her back to Chengdu to take charge of intelligence and internal affairs. Although her official rank was raised by half a level, her actual power was reduced. She changed from leading one party alone to coordinating five parties, and from field service to internal affairs.  . But Guan Xi knew in her heart that the purpose of this arrangement was to reduce the pressure on her affairs and take care of her family while maintaining her career. She was extremely grateful and said with tears: "Your Highness has made such painstaking arrangements, and I will bear in mind this humiliation.  Liu Jing nodded and smiled at Liu Min: "Guan Xiaowei is transferred back to Chengdu. You should also go back to Pingzhangtai!"  He served as minister and was in charge of Honglu of Han Dynasty.  "Although it is not the most ideal result, Liu Min also knows that Guan Xi cannot give up his career and focus on raising his husband and children at home. The King of Han has made such an arrangement, which has fulfilled them to the maximum extent. He is already satisfied. Liu Min respectfully said  He kowtowed and said, "I am grateful to Your Highness for your honor!  Liu Jing stepped forward to help them up and said with a smile: "After returning to Chengdu, I hope to drink the wedding wine of you two as soon as possible."  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 772 Jiangdong Storm (16)

    In the lobby of the Honglu Pavilion, Sun Quan held a banquet for Cao Cao to wash away the dust. The sheng music was melodious and more than a dozen dancers danced in the lobby. After three glasses of wine, Cao Cao pretended to be drunk and asked with a tentative smile: "I don't know, Wu."  "Have you met Liu Jing?" Sun Quan knew that Cao Cao would send people to spy on Liu Jing. He was asking questions knowingly. Sun Quan laughed and said without hiding it: "He went directly to visit his mother-in-law. I saw him outside Changqian Palace.  Send him to the distinguished hotel. "Oh! It's so interesting that he doesn't need to be greeted by the host. This is the first time I've seen such a guest." Sun Quan didn't know Cao Cao's intention and replied cautiously: "He is Jiangdong."  My son-in-law is naturally different from ordinary guests. Besides, he is only here to check on his mother's condition. There is nothing wrong with going directly to Changqian Palace. After all, he is not my guest. " "It turns out that he is not Wu Hou's guest this time."  Cao Cao pretended to be suddenly enlightened and said with a smile: "Since he has visited his mother-in-law, he should go back! I wonder if he has other things to do in Jiangdong?" Sun Quan then understood that Cao Cao had made a big circle, and his true intention was  Waiting for him here, Sun Quan pondered for a moment and shook his head, "I don't know what else happened to him. I just saw that he had no intention of going back, so I arranged for him to stay in a distinguished hotel." "But I heard that Wu Hou  I have ordered people to clean up the guesthouse a long time ago, and it seems that I know that he will not go back." Cao Cao continued to press without giving in.  "It's just a precaution. If mother wants to keep him here for a few days, wouldn't it be embarrassing not to be prepared?" Cao Cao looked at Sun Quan, obviously not believing what he said, trying to see through Sun Quan's mind. At this moment, Xu Chu  He hurriedly walked into the lobby and whispered a few words in Cao Cao's ear. Cao Cao laughed and said to Sun Quan: "Liu Jing seems to be very popular in Jiangdong! It caused an uproar among the people in Jianye County, and tens of thousands of people came.  Supporting him and shouting "Long Live the King of Han", do the people of Jiangdong actually regard Liu Jing as "Long Live"? Sun Quan's face turned red and white, and he was so ashamed and angry that after a while he said bitterly: "He has always released the prisoners of war in Jiangdong.  Of course the people of Jiangdong are grateful to him. If Prime Minister Cao is willing to release the prisoners of war from Jiangdong, the people of Jiangdong will also shout "Long live Prime Minister Cao!" He is mocking Cao Cao for refusing to release the prisoners of war from Jiangdong and using Jiangdong prisoners of war to build a city. Cao Cao smiled and said, "If  Marquis Wu hopes that I will release the prisoners of war in Jiangdong. I can release them without any conditions. How about it?" Sun Quan was startled. He couldn't believe it, but he still handed over his hands and thanked him: "If the prime minister is willing to release them, it is Jiangdong.  What a blessing!" "Very good, they are building a city in the east of the river. I will come down and release them as a sign of my sincerity." "The Prime Minister's sincerity, Wei Chen looked at each other and understood.  He laughed. Cao Cao drank a few more glasses of wine and became a little drunk. He asked with a smile: "I wonder how Mr. Qiao is doing now?"  He was asking about Mr. Qiao, but about the Qiao sisters. Sun Quan was very confident. The Qiao sisters were still unparalleled in beauty. Even Sun Quan was extremely tempted, not to mention Cao Cao. He also smiled slightly and said: "The Prime Minister's wishes  I understand very well that as long as our talks go smoothly tomorrow, I will definitely make the Prime Minister's wish come true, I promise!" Sun Quan's implication is that he wants to use the Qiao sisters as additional conditions. Cao Cao must show actual sincerity before he will give Qiao sisters.  The sisters sent to Yedu, for example, food must be delivered, and they cannot make empty promises.  Cao Cao nodded and smiled again: "It's true that I haven't seen Qiao Guolao for many years. I wonder how he is doing? Is he still in good health? Can Marquis Wu make arrangements? Let me see him." Sun Quan's eyes  He smiled and said, "I will hold a family banquet tomorrow night and invite Mr. Qiao's family to attend. Then the Prime Minister will be able to meet them." Qiao Xuan's mansion is located in the east of Jianye City. It is a mansion covering an area of ??20 acres.  In his mansion, Qiao Xuan had no sons, only two daughters. He was originally a prince of the imperial court, but he was an honest official and his family had no money. In addition, he retired from office early and has long been forgotten.  However, because of his two daughters, he became a nobleman in Jiangdong, with a high status. Although he was not rich and powerful, he still had enough food and clothing to enjoy his old age. However, since his two daughters became widowed, Qiao Xuan had more thoughts.  Both daughters are still young. As a father, he certainly hopes that his two daughters can get married again, especially the younger daughter who has no children yet. She needs to remarry, have children, and have a happy life. Of course, the status of the two daughters  Specially, whether they remarry cannot be decided by their father, it must be their own wish.  A few years ago, Qiao Xuan kept persuading her in front of her eldest daughter. Even Mrs. Wu politely expressed her consent for Da Qiao to remarry, but Da Qiao was very strong and refused to marry again.After talking for several years to no avail, Qiao Xuan couldn't help but feel a little discouraged.  Of course, Qiao Xuan also knew that Da Qiao was once Jiangdong's mistress and had a high status. Although it was completely in line with Jiangdong's laws to encourage childbirth, many people in Jiangdong would find it difficult to accept it. It was precisely because of this concern that Qiao Xuan finally gave up.  Persuading the eldest daughter to get married.  However, Xiao Qiao seemed not as stubborn as her elder sister. At the end of last year, Da Qiao found her father and hinted that Xiao Qiao was willing to remarry and asked her father to find a suitable family for her. This made Qiao Guolao overjoyed. He immediately wrote to Yangzhou Governor Wen Hui  , expressed his willingness to accept his marriage proposal and marry his daughter to his second son Wen Gong.  The Wen family is also a famous family in the world. Qiao Xuan and Wen Hui have a very good personal relationship. A few years ago, Qiao Xuan kept urging his eldest daughter to remarry. Wen Hui expressed his willingness to marry Da Qiao for his second son, but Da Qiao refused to remarry. Xiao Qiao also  Being a widow, Wen Hui hinted that he could also marry Xiao Qiao for his second son.  Soon Wen Hui wrote back, saying that he was very willing to complete this marriage. Qiao Xuan was very happy. He went to visit the Zhou family again. The youngest daughter had been widowed for a year. He hoped that the Zhou family would allow Xiao Qiao to remarry. In his opinion, Xiao Qiao was not as good as Da Qiao.  With such a heavy status, there is no problem in remarrying. As he expected, the Zhou family fully agreed with Xiao Qiao's remarriage, and even couldn't wait for Xiao Qiao to get married again.  After reaching an agreement with the Zhou family, the only thing left was to persuade Xiao Qiao to agree to remarry into the Wen family. Unexpectedly, Xiao Qiao refused. She made it clear that she would not marry into the Wen family. This made Qiao Xuan extremely frustrated. After repeated pressure, Xiao Qiao was  Refuse to agree.  Although disappointed, Qiao Xuan also realized that it was not that Xiao Qiao refused to marry again, but that she did not want to marry the Wen family. So who did she want to marry, could it be Lu Meng?  It is said that Lu Meng also expressed his wish to marry Xiao Qiao.  But whether it¡¯s Wen Gong or Lu Meng, as long as his daughter is willing to get married again, then he as a father will be very happy, and it will settle his worries. Otherwise, he would find it difficult to accept both daughters being young and widowed.  Qiao Xuan was sitting in his study, thinking about something. At this time, his housekeeper ran over in a panic and reported at the door: "Sir, the Marquis of Wu is here!" Qiao Xuan was startled, stood up quickly, and walked quickly to the door of the mansion.  Outside the gate, Sun Quan was looking up at the stars with his hands behind his back. He had just reached an agreement with Cao Cao at the banquet that two men would exchange one hundred thousand stones of grain, which could solve his urgent need.  But Sun Quan also knew that it was not that simple to give Er Qiao to Cao Cao, especially because of Da Qiao's identity, which would encounter strong resistance. But the key lies in Qiao Xuan. As long as Qiao Xuan agrees, who will Er Qiao marry?  It's all their family business and has nothing to do with outsiders.  For the aid of 100,000 shi of food, Sun Quan is bound to get it tonight.  At this time, Qiao Xuan hurriedly walked out of the gate, stepped forward and bowed and said: "See Wu Hou!" Sun Quan bowed slightly and said apologetically: "Please forgive me for disturbing Qiao Guo's rest so late." "It doesn't matter, I haven't come yet.  Rest, Marquis Wu, please come in!" Sun Quan smiled and walked quickly into the Qiao Mansion. He followed Qiao Xuan to the outer study. The two of them sat down separately. Although Qiao Xuan had a high status in Jiangdong and was once the head of the country of Jiangdong.  However, in recent years, he has been replaced by upstarts such as the Xie family and Bu family, and his status has plummeted. Moreover, he does not hold an official position in Jiangdong, so he can only rely on a little money to survive, and his life has gradually become difficult.  Sun Quan looked at the study and found that the furniture was very old. Even the soft seats were patched. He sighed and said, "Why is Mr. Qiao so frugal? Tomorrow I will ask my subordinates to buy some new furniture for Mr. Qiao." Qiao Xuan said quickly:  "I just live alone. I am already old. There is no need to trouble Wu Hou anymore." Although Sun Quan wanted to give Qiao Xuan some benefits, at least Qiao Xuan had to cooperate with him and promised to dedicate his two daughters to Cao Cao. Sun Quan pondered for a moment  Asked: "I heard that Mr. Qiao is looking for a new son-in-law for Er Qiao. Is there any result?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 773 Jiangdong Storm (Seventeen)

    Qiao Xuan was startled, why did Sun Quan speak like this? Da Qiao was his sister-in-law, how could he directly address Er Qiao?  This was extremely rude. Qiao Xuan felt slightly unhappy and reluctantly replied: "I have been looking for him, but there is no suitable person for me at the moment." "With their status and conditions, how can ordinary people be compatible? Mr. Qiao must look upward.  ." Sun Quan smiled slightly.  Qiao Xuan said for a long time: "I don't quite understand what Wu Hou means?" Sun Quan smiled, "One is my sister-in-law, and the other was Gong Jin's wife. There are few people in the world who can match them, but I think there are  One person can be worthy of them." Qiao Xuan already understood Sun Quan's purpose of visiting him tonight. He came for his two daughters. Could it be that Sun Quan wanted to include them in the harem?  Qiao Xuan also saw some clues. Sun Quan was a very lecherous person. After several family banquets, Qiao Xuan discovered that Sun Quan looked at Er Qiao in a wrong way. However, because Mrs. Wu was still here, although Sun Quan had such thoughts, he did not  He doesn't have the courage, but now that Mrs. Wu is seriously ill and her time is said to be running out, could it be that Sun Quan has started to take advantage of his two daughters?  Qiao Xuan began to be wary, and he asked tentatively: "I don't know who the Marquis of Wu is. Who in Jiangdong is worthy of my daughter?" Sun Quan sighed in his heart. He wanted to say that only he, Sun Quan, was worthy, but  When he thought of the one hundred thousand grains promised by Cao Cao, he temporarily suppressed the desire in his heart and said with a forced smile: "I don't mean Jiangdong, I mean the world. The crown of heroes in the world is none other than Prime Minister Cao. He is already a fact.  Can Mr. Qiao consider it?" "What?" Qiao Xuan was shocked. He never expected that Sun Quan would say Cao Cao in the end. He immediately said anxiously: "But Cao Cao is already sixty years old, and he is older than me.  He is still one year older, how could he?" Before Qiao Xuan finished speaking, Sun Quan waved his hand and smiled and said: "I didn't say it was Cao Cao, I meant his son Cao Pi. Cao Pi is more than thirty years old, he is prosperous and powerful, and he will  The successor to Wei Gong will be the founding emperor. Can't he marry Er Qiao? " Sun Quan observed his words and felt that Qiao Xuan would never agree to give his two daughters to Cao Cao, so he immediately changed his mind and became Cao Pi. All he had to do was find an excuse to marry Er Qiao.  Sending him off, it doesn't matter who gets Er Qiao in the end.  Qiao Xuan has been through the world for a long time. How could he not understand Sun Quan's intention? It's either Cao Pi or Cao Cao himself who wants his own daughter. Cao Cao has already wanted to fight once during the Battle of Chibi. This time he mentioned it again. I guess Sun Quan and Cao Cao have reached something.  Agreement, sacrificing his own daughter.  Qiao Xuan was resentful in his heart and lowered his head without saying a word. Sun Quan sneered and said in a threatening tone: "It is an honor for Mr. Qiao to marry Er Qiao. Of course, Mr. Qiao can also refuse, but Mr. Qiao understands.  People should know what the consequences of refusal are. With Sun Cao's power, Duke Qiao is like a mantis trying to block a car. I advise Duke Qiao to follow the trend and find a fortune for himself and his two daughters, and he will have no worries for the rest of his life.  "Yes." Sun Quan stared at Qiao Xuan, and Qiao Xuan sighed for a while: "Okay! I hope to get a clear answer from Qiao Guozhang at the latest." Sun Quan said.  He stood up and walked out. When he reached the door, Sun Quan turned back and said coldly: "If I were Mr. Qiao, I would definitely not go to the old lady to complain, because doing so would make my mother's condition worse and cause serious consequences.  In the end, it didn't help. What do you think, Mr. Qiao?" Qiao Xuan shook his head, "Mrs. Wu can't be stimulated in the slightest. I won't go to her, so Wu Hou doesn't have to worry." "You just understand, I hope Mr. Qiao.  Stay calm like this and listen to Duke Qiao's good news tomorrow." Sun Quan turned around and walked quickly. Watching Sun Quan go away, Qiao Xuan couldn't help but let out a long sigh. He slowly sat down, feeling extremely distressed.  The night was getting deeper and it was already past bedtime, and the lanterns in the VIP hotel were extinguished one by one. The old man guarding the door finished warming himself in the room, drank two more sips of wine, yawned long, and prepared to go to bed.  , at this moment, there was a loud knock on the door, and the door felt annoyed. Someone was coming so late, who was so ignorant.  He had no choice but to put on some clothes, curse in his mind, and quickly walked to the door, opened a viewing window, and asked, "Who is it?" An old voice came from outside, "I am  Mr. Qiao, I have something urgent to ask of His Highness the King of Han!" Sun Quan was gently pushed awake by his chamberlain at dawn, "Wu Hou! Wu Hou!" Sun Quan slowly opened his eyes, feeling a little unhappy and asked sleepily.  : "What's the matter?" "Captain Wang Ning said he has something important to report!" Wang Ning is responsible for the security of the hotel where Liu Jing is staying. He has something urgent to report, and it must be related to Liu Jing. Sun Quan suddenly woke up.He turned over and sat up and ordered: "Let him come in quickly!" After a while, Wang Ning was taken to Sun Quan's palace by the guards. At this time, Sun Quan had already put on his clothes and walked out of the inner hall. Wang Ning stepped forward and knelt down on one knee, "See  "Marquis Wu!" "General Wang, what's the matter?" "I was guarding the guesthouse. At midnight last night, I heard that Qiao Guolao went to the guesthouse." Sun Quan was startled. Liu Jing was the only one staying in the guesthouse.  When Qiao Guolao went there, he could only look for Liu Jing. He suddenly became a little angry and asked quietly, "When did he go to the VIP Hotel?"  After staying in the VIP hotel for less than half an hour, Sun Quan thought that he had just left. He couldn't help but snorted coldly. It was obvious that Qiao Xuan's intention was to ask Liu Jing to intervene.  Sun Quan slowly clenched his fists over this matter. This matter was related to one hundred thousand shi of food, and was related to Sun Quan's survival. How could he allow Liu Jing to destroy it.  "Damn old thief!" Sun Quan cursed in a low voice. Qiao Xuan's choice made him extremely angry. This would complicate the situation and make him lose his success. Sun Quan walked a few steps in the lobby with his hands behind his back.  I resolutely made up my mind that I could not wait any longer and must act immediately to prevent long nights and endless dreams.  Sun Quan immediately ordered: "Let Zuo Yun come to see me!" Zuo Yun is Sun Quan's chief of guards and his most capable confidant. After a moment, the burly Zuo Yun hurriedly walked in, bowed and saluted: "See Wu Hou  !¡± Sun Quan waved to him and asked him to come forward and gave him some instructions in a low voice. Zuo Yun understood and immediately clasped his fists and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lord Wu, I will definitely get things done.¡± Zuo Yun left quickly!  , Sun Quan watched him go away, and said to himself coldly for a long time: "No poison, no husband, Qiao Xuan, you are forcing me." It has been nearly two years since Zhou Yu's death, as Zhou Yu's eldest son Zhou Xun grew up  , and several important direct relatives, including Zhou Yu's father and brother, moved from their hometown in Lujiang, Zhou Yu's mansion became the Zhou family's residence, and Xiao Qiao gradually faded away from the Zhou family and no longer interfered with the Zhou family's affairs.  This is also related to Xiao Qiao's own identity. She is not Zhou Yu's first wife, but Zhou Yu's concubine. This is also the reason why Qiao Xuan did not want his two daughters to marry Sun Quan and Zhou Yu, because they were already married and had to follow their wives.  It's not her turn, she can only be accepted as a concubine.  It is for this reason that Xiao Qiao's status in the Zhou family is not high. In addition, the Zhou family has always been a family of officials in Lujiang. It is a famous wealthy family in the world. The patriarch Zhou Zhong once served as a Taiwei, so in  There was no room for Xiao Qiao to speak in the family. After one year of mourning, Xiao Qiao was deprived of all family rights and lived in seclusion at home.  As far as the Zhou family is concerned, Xiao Qiao can either remarry or take care of his old age. Since Xiao Qiao has no children, the patriarch Zhou Zhong prefers the former. He and Qiao Xuan hit it off and strongly support Xiao Qiao's remarriage. As he spends his time in the Zhou family day by day,  Sadly, Xiao Qiao herself has the intention of remarrying, but no one knows her thoughts, not even her father.  Xiao Qiao lived in Changqian Palace most of the time, living with Da Qiao. However, because Mrs. Wu was ill, she moved back to the Zhou family. Normally, she could go back to her natal family to live, but every time she returned to her natal family, her father would  They would force her to remarry, and even found someone for her, the second son of the Wen family in Guangling. This made Xiao Qiao extremely disgusted. After quarreling with her father several times, she never returned to her parents' home.  "But it was uncomfortable to live in the Zhou family. Judging by people's faces, it felt like living under a roof. Xiao Qiao could only endure it silently.  Early in the morning, Xiao Qiao was sitting in her room embroidering. She also heard the news that both Liu Jing and Cao Cao had come to Jianye, which gave her the idea of ??going to Chengdu to find Sun Shangxiang. She had a very good relationship with Sun Shangxiang. Last year, Liu Jing and  Sun Shangxiang invited her to stay in Chengdu for a while. She prepared for this for half a year and planned to travel this spring, but at the last moment she gave up the trip. Even she herself didn't know why she didn't go.  Just as she was thinking about it, her personal maid came to report that Changqian Palace sent a carriage to pick her up. Xiao Qiao was tired of living in the Zhou Mansion, so she immediately got up and said with a smile: "Since sister is here to invite us, we will pack up."  Come on!" Xiao Qiao and the maid packed up a few pieces of clothing and walked out of the Zhou Mansion through the side door. An unusually large and gorgeous carriage was parked at the side door, with more than a dozen palace guards on horseback escorting the carriage. The leading eunuch Xiao Qiao knew him.  , named Li Zhong, was originally the deputy chief chamberlain of Changqian Palace, and was later transferred to Jianye Palace.  Although Xiao Qiao was also a little surprised that he came to pick her up, but there was a flag of Changqian Palace on the carriage, so she had no doubts and walked towards the carriage with her maid. Li Zhong stepped forward and saluted with a smile: "Mrs. Wu  I wanted to see my wife, but there was no carriage in Changqian Palace, so Wu Hou asked me to pick up my wife and ask her to get in the carriage. " "Thank you, Mr. Li, for making the special trip." Xiao Qiao got on the carriage.Zhong Zhong closed the door, his face changed, and he immediately ordered: "Let's go!" The carriage started and drove quickly towards the south gate. In the carriage, Xiao Qiao was a little stunned. Why should he go to the south gate? He should go to the north gate.  ,How is this going?  She was about to open the car window and ask, but at this moment, a hand suddenly appeared behind her and quickly pulled the car curtain. Xiao Qiao was so shocked that her face turned pale. When she turned around, she saw two people appearing in the back seat of the carriage.  A female soldier dressed in black, holding a dagger in her hand and looking fierce, pressed the sharp dagger against the necks of Xiao Qiao and the maid. The leading female soldier said coldly: "Madam, it's best not to move. If you move, your appearance will be ruined!"  "Who are you and what do you want to do?" Xiao Qiao asked angrily.  "We are just following orders. We are just cooperating with Madam. We will never harm Madam." The carriage drove out of the south gate. After traveling for several miles, it soon approached a high-rise courtyard. The gate was opened and the carriage drove directly in.  In the courtyard, the door suddenly closed.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 774 Jiangdong Storm (18)

    Liu Jing's bodyguard commander Li Qing hurriedly walked into the guesthouse and came to the main courtyard. Several guards were standing at the entrance of the main courtyard. Seeing Li Qing's arrival, several guards bowed and saluted together, "See you, Captain!" "Your Highness, get up.  Are you done?" Li Qing asked.  "I'm up early, now I'm practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard!" Li Qing nodded. He didn't need to report, and walked directly into the gate. In the courtyard, Liu Jing was practicing swordsmanship. He saw sword shadows flying around, and the bright sword light surrounded everyone.  Surrounded, the sword energy was withdrawn, and a small tree a few feet away had no leaves left, and the dead leaves were flying in the air.  Liu Jing concentrated for a moment, then slowly sheathed her sword, and asked without looking back: "Is there anything unusual?" Li Qing stepped forward and reported: "Your Highness, Miss Xiao Qiao has been fucked by Chang  "The palace took him away." "When?" Liu Jing asked quietly.  "This morning, but" "But what?" Liu Jing turned around and looked at Li Qing sharply, "Is there anything you can't tell me?" "I asked the concierge of Zhou Mansion that the carriage of Changqian Palace was heading towards the south gate.  Go, and Changqian Palace is outside the north gate. The gatekeeper of the Zhou Mansion also found it a bit strange. In addition, Qiao Guolao's mansion was also monitored by Jiangdong soldiers and no one was allowed to approach. " Liu Jing came over to meet him last night.  After Qiao Guo asked for help, Liu Jing realized that one of Cao Cao's purposes in coming to Jiangdong was for Er Qiao. Although Er Qiao no longer had the youthfulness of a girl, she was still stunningly beautiful, radiant, and even more of a mature woman.  Her charm is worthy of being the most beautiful in the world. Could it be that Cao Cao has never forgotten her.  But Liu Jing was more concerned about the aid of 100,000 shi of food. Sun Quan did not hesitate to betray Er Qiao for 100,000 shi of food. This shows how embarrassing his financial situation was. Liu Jing was not worried about Sun Quan defecting to Cao Cao from now on. Even if  Jiangdong's surrender to Cao Cao would not pose any threat to Jingzhou.  What Liu Jing is worried about is that once Sun Quan accepts the aid of 100,000 shi of grain, he will follow Cao Cao's deployment and launch an attack on Wu Commandery with Sun Ben. Attacking from the north and south, Wu Commandery is in danger. What follows is a melee between Sun Quan and Sun Ben. Regardless of  Whoever wins, Jiangdong is likely to be reunified. This is exactly not the result Liu Jing wants to see, and it will harm the interests of Han.  So no matter what, Liu Jing would not allow Cao Cao and Sun Quan to reach a tacit agreement, nor would he allow Sun Quan to accept Cao Cao's 100,000 shi of food aid. After pondering for a moment, Liu Jing immediately said to Li Qing: "Go to Xi's Tavern to find Guan Xi and tell me  The order ordered her to find Xiao Qiao at all costs, and also asked Liu Min to come see me immediately. "Li Qing agreed and hurried away. Liu Jing returned to the room and wrote a warrant to Gan Ning who was stationed in Wuhu.  , handed it to a guard and said: "Use the flying pigeon to send the message to Gan Ning immediately." "Obey the order!" The guard took the order and turned around to leave. Liu Jing thought for a moment and ordered the guard to  Deputy Commander Zhang Yan came to him and told him: "Jianye City is no longer safe. Order the brothers to pack their bags and we will return to the boat immediately." Zhang Yan agreed and immediately went down to tell the soldiers to pack their things and prepare to go to the dock.  After getting on the boat, at this moment, a guard reported in the courtyard: "Your Highness, Prime Minister Cao is here. He is waiting outside the gate to pay homage to Your Highness." Cao Cao actually came. This was beyond Liu Jing's expectation. He  After thinking about it, he stood up and walked towards the door.  Outside the gate, hundreds of tiger and leopard cavalry were guarding Cao Cao's carriage. Xu Chu, holding a halberd in his hand, stood in front of the carriage like an iron tower. Cao Cao sat in the carriage and looked at the gate of the VIP hotel with a smile. Today he will officially meet Sun Quan.  Hold talks, but before holding talks, he needs to visit Liu Jing first to clarify Liu Jing's attitude.  The current situation in Jiangdong is a bit delicate. It is divided into three parts. It is not that he and Sun Quan have formed an alliance that can threaten the interests of the Han army. Moreover, Cao Cao also understands in his heart that the reason why Sun Bi was able to revive was because he and Liu Jing were secretly helping each other behind the scenes.  Inseparable, but Sun Ben betrayed Liu Jing and turned to himself after he came to power, so Liu Jing supported Sun Shao again.  To a certain extent, Cao Cao and Liu Jing have a common interest, that is, it is best for Jiangdong to maintain a divided situation. For this reason, Cao Cao also felt the need to have a good talk with Liu Jing.  At this time, the door opened, and Liu Jing was seen walking out of the hall quickly, surrounded by dozens of guards. Cao Cao also laughed, "Open the door and let me get off!" Cao Cao got off the carriage and took two steps forward.  He smiled and said, "My dear nephew, how are you?" Liu Jing stepped forward to salute and said with a smile: "When we met in Runan a few months ago, Prime Minister Cao looked gloomy and low in energy, but today he is radiant and full of energy.  Congratulations! " "With the truce with my nephew, I can recuperate at home and no longer run around, so my body will naturally be healthy. However, my nephew has just calmed down the rebellion between the Qiang and Di in Longxi and came to Jiangdong.?It¡¯s very hard work!  " "Juniors are born to work hard.  " Both of them laughed. Liu Jing nodded to Xu Chu again, waved her hand and said to Cao Cao: "Prime Minister, please!  "    "please!  "The two of them walked into the VIP hotel and came to the lobby of the main courtyard. They sat down separately as guests and hosts. A guard served them hot tea. Cao Cao took a sip of tea and then sighed: "The little girl has a naughty nature.  I ran away to Chengdu, which made me, a father, worried and ashamed that I had caused trouble to His Highness.  " Cao Cao left the business aside and turned the topic to his daughter Cao Xian. This was one of the reasons why he came to visit Liu Jing. Although it was not the main reason, it could enhance understanding and ease the atmosphere, so Cao Cao first talked about his daughter Cao Xian. Liu Jing  Jing smiled slightly and said: "Your love came to Chengdu for the health of the prime minister. Although she is a little abrupt, her heart of a filial daughter is admirable. Moreover, your love is gentle and elegant, and her temperament is noble. It is a pleasure to get to know her."  Please rest assured, Prime Minister, your wife is living a good life in my house. She can leave at any time and return to Yedu.  " "I know that she is well taken care of by the princess. I have sent someone to pick her up. It is also her blessing to get His Highness's approval. Your Highness may not know that she has always admired His Highness. Half of the time she went to Chengdu was for me, and the other half was for me.  But it was for herself.  ¡± Cao Cao implicitly expressed his other expectation, that is, he hopes that Liu Jing can marry his daughter, regardless of whether they are enemies, but he hopes to have a political compatibility and not go to extremes in the future, and marriage is  The best way to fit in. Liu Jing understood what Cao Cao meant. Judging from the fact that Cao Cao married his daughters Cao Jie and Cao Hua to Han Emperor Liu Xie at the same time, Cao Cao still tended to control the Han Emperor rather than replace him. More importantly, it was Ye.  The calls for Cao Cao to be promoted to King of Wei are getting louder and louder, but Cao Cao never expresses his position. This is Cao Cao's caution to leave himself a way out. Of course, Liu Jing will not lose his principles because of Cao Xian's beauty. He pondered for a moment.  He smiled and said: "I first heard that the Prime Minister was planning to send all three sisters to the palace, but in the end he kept Miss Cao Xian. From my personal feelings, I think this is the right thing to do by the Prime Minister. Miss Cao Xian  She has her own ideas and pursuits, and the prime minister should respect her and not impose his own wishes on her.  If there is anything inappropriate in Liu Jing's words, please forgive me, Prime Minister.  " Cao Cao nodded and sighed: "She is my most beloved daughter. I will think about her happiness, but no matter what, I still want to thank Your Highness for your tolerance towards her.  " Liu Jing's answer was ambiguous, but Cao Cao was very clear about Liu Jing's ambiguous attitude. Now is not the time to talk about this matter. We will talk about it later. Cao Cao stopped mentioning the matter and turned the topic back to Jiangdong. He smiled lightly and said  : "Your Highness thinks that among the three parties in Jiangdong, who can finally unify Jiangdong?  Liu Jing shook his head, "It's hard to say now. It should be said that all three parties are possible, but Sun Quan has the greatest advantage. However, the people of Jiangdong are now determined. In addition, with the wars every year, the people are poor and the officials are scarce. It is not appropriate to fight again. Now if Sun Quan hastily  If he mobilizes troops, he will only be opposed by more people. His status will be worrying. Maybe in a year or two, there will be another civil war in Jiangdong.  " Speaking of this, Liu Jing sighed softly, "I hope that at that time, the Prime Minister will think of the people of the world and join forces with me to quell the civil war in Jiangdong and return peace and stability to the people of Jiangdong.  " Cao Cao was silent for a while and said: "Since His Highness has this intention, I will do my best to help you!  ¡± The meeting between Liu Jing and Cao Cao was neither fruitful nor encouraging, but at least they reached a consensus on one thing, which is to try to prevent the reunification of Jiangdong. A divided Jiangdong is in the common interests of the Cao and Liu families.  Of course, their conflict was still very deep, but they did not bring it to the table, nor did they talk about embarrassing issues. The two sides did not break up, they met politely and parted politely. In the carriage, Cao Cao looked solemn. Today he  Once again, I learned about Liu Jing's scheming, and I blamed the third son for being useless. How could Zhi'er be Liu Jing's opponent? This is the fourth time Cao Cao has met Liu Jing. Every time he meets him, he feels his progress.  , his skills became more sophisticated, his scheming became more profound, and his ambition became more obvious. But when he thought that Liu Jing was only thirty years old, Cao Cao couldn't help but feel frightened. He couldn't help but sigh lowly. It seemed that Cao Cao was thinking of leaving a way out for himself.  He couldn't help but turn to Er Qiao. Liu Jing had intervened in this trip to Jiangdong. He no longer expected to gain anything politically. However, if he could bring Er Qiao into his house, this would be enough to comfort him for the rest of his life.  What a beautiful thing, thinking of Er Qiao's beauty and peerless elegance, Cao Cao's heart couldn't help but heat up. He had been looking forward to this day for many years, and it was finally coming true.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 775 Jiangdong Storm (19)

    In the afternoon, an ox cart delivering food to the tavern drove into the back door of Xi's Tavern. There was a young man sitting on the shaft of the ox cart. As soon as the cart entered the yard, he jumped down from the shaft like a monkey.  He shouted hurriedly: "Where is your proprietor? It's time to pay me my wages." The tavern owner slapped him on the back of the head and cursed: "Stop farting, and send the dishes to the kitchen quickly." The young man stuck out his tongue.  , picked up the vegetable bag and walked quickly to the kitchen. At this time, in front of a window on the fourth floor of the tavern, Guan Xi was watching the oxcart in the yard. She understood what the young man meant. Even if there was news, Guan Xi was under extreme pressure.  Da, the time given by the King of Han Dynasty was that she must find Xiao Qiao's whereabouts before dark. It was already afternoon. She mobilized almost all her connections and strength to search, but there was still no news.  The arrival of this young man brought her a glimmer of hope. For a moment, there were rapid footsteps in the corridor, and then someone knocked on the door. Guan Xi ordered: "Come in!" The door opened, and the person who came in was the young man just now.  , he no longer had the playful smile in the yard, and his expression was serious. He stepped forward and knelt down on one knee, "See the captain!" "Is there any news?" Guan Xi asked eagerly.  "Reporting to the captain, I have found my target." Guan Xi was overjoyed, and quickly sat down and said, "Quickly, where is he now?" "In a large house about ten miles outside the north gate, that is the Xie family's manor.  Someone saw with their own eyes that soldiers guarding a gorgeous and spacious carriage drove into the manor house early in the morning and never came out. The humble post and a few brothers arrested a strong man who was out on business. It is basically certain that Mrs. Zhou was placed under house arrest.  It's in the back house, but the house is heavily guarded. There are at least two to three hundred people on guard, so I'm afraid they won't be able to get in. " Guan Xi lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Bring a few more brothers and keep a close eye on that house, if there is anyone.  Report any movement to me immediately." The young man agreed and retreated. Guan Xi immediately ordered his men to prepare their horses. I'm going to your hotel." As night fell, the lobby of Jianye Palace was brightly lit.  Several maids and chamberlains are busy setting up the banquet. A high-level banquet will be held here tonight to welcome the Prime Minister Cao Cao and the King of Han Liu Jing who have come from afar. In addition to Sun Quan and his wives and concubines, there are more than a dozen senior officials accompanying them.  His wife and daughter attended.  In Changqian Palace, Sun Quan's wife Xie found Da Qiao again. This time she didn't say much, but handed Da Qiao a letter. This was a letter written by Qiao Xuan to his daughter, hoping that Da Qiao could  Put Jiangdong's overall situation first and attend tonight's banquet.  How could his father write a letter to himself and ask Mrs. Wu Hou to deliver it to him? It didn¡¯t take much for Da Qiao to understand that this was a letter his father was forced to write after being threatened. Da Qiao was so angry that he turned away silently. Xie also  Almost falling out with Da Qiao, she said coldly: "Marquis Wu has no higher demands. I just hope that you will give Marquis Wu a face and attend tonight's banquet. This is related to Jiangdong's national issues." "You guys.  What happened to my father?" Da Qiao asked Mrs. Xie angrily.  "Everything is fine with Mr. Qiao Guolao. He will also come to the banquet tonight. Of course, I don't know what will happen to him in the future. At least he will be affected by your attitude tonight." "You are so despicable and shameless!" Mrs. Xie snorted.  He said: "It's meaningless for you to say angry words now. Let me tell you the truth, tonight is a banquet to welcome the King of Han and Prime Minister Cao. It is very grand. Many ministers will bring their wives and daughters to attend. If you don't come, it will be serious."  I won¡¯t say more about the consequences if it affects Wu Hou¡¯s face, lest you say I¡¯m threatening you. That¡¯s it for now. I¡¯m leaving!¡± Mrs. Xie turned around and walked away. Da Qiao stared at her back angrily.  , slowly tore the letter in his hand into pieces. At Xie's Manor in the north of the city, the door opened, and a carriage drove out quickly from the gate, followed by more than a dozen cavalry. They did not drive into the county, but along the official road outside the county.  Heading towards the dock, Cao Cao has detailed various conditions in today's negotiation. He clearly told Sun Quan that if Sun Quan showed enough sincerity, he would transport the first batch of 30,000 shi of grain directly from Hefei to Jiangdong within ten days.  .  Sun Quan certainly understood the sincerity that Cao Cao meant, and he made up his mind to send Xiao Qiao directly to Cao Cao's ship regardless of the consequences.  The carriage galloped through the night. Inside the carriage, Xiao Qiao's maid lay asleep on the carriage chair. Xiao Qiao was also drowsy, leaning weakly against the wall of the carriage. She understood in her heart, but she was so weak that she didn't even scream.  Strength, she already knew what was going to happen. She was very anxious, but helpless, and her heart was filled with hatred for Sun Quan.  At this moment, the carriage shook violently and stopped. Xiao Qiao almost fell to the ground. He only heard a scream from outside the car, and someone shouted for death. Xiao Qiao reluctantly moved to the window, lifted a corner, and secretly  Looking out, I saw the front of the car.A fierce fighting ensued. Countless men in black surrounded the carriage. Soldiers were constantly being assassinated and thrown off their horses. Xiao Qiao was so frightened that her face turned pale and her whole body trembled.  The fighting outside the car stopped, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of blood. At this time, the car door opened, and a petite person in black walked in. She pulled down her mask, and it turned out to be a pretty woman.  , Xiao Qiao recognized her at once, "You are Guan Xi!" She was extremely surprised, how could you be the proprietor of Xi's Tavern?  Guan Xi smiled slightly and said: "I am actually a subordinate of the King of Han. I came to rescue my wife on the order of the King of Han. Would you like to go to the Han army's warship or return home?" Xiao Qiao heard that Liu Jing sent someone to rescue her. She  She was surprised and moved in her heart, and Xiao Qiao was extremely smart. Since Guan Xi's identity was exposed in front of her, she naturally wanted to go to the Han warship. Thinking that Sun Quan would never let her go, she actually had nowhere to go.  , it may be a way out to seek refuge with Shang Xiang.  Xiao Qiao lowered his head and thought for a moment, and finally nodded, "Thank you, Mrs. Guan, for the rescue. Let's go to the Han army warship!" Guan Xi was overjoyed and gave some instructions to his men. She sat in the car to protect Xiao Qiao, and the carriage started.  , and rushed towards Qinshui Wharf in the northeast. The ships arranged by Guan Xi there could sail directly into the Yangtze River. Carriages stopped one after another in the square of Jianye Palace. Jiangdong's senior officials wore Eguan on their heads, and  Wearing Confucian robes, he walked to Jianye Palace with his wife and daughter chatting and laughing.  The women are dressed up in gorgeous clothes, with their hair in high buns, and their hair is covered with red and emerald green. They are all bright and enchanting, or they are rich and graceful, or they have good eyesight.  At this time, dozens of cavalry escorted a carriage that came quickly and stopped at the steps. Liu Jing walked out of the carriage and met Zhang Wen and his wife.  "His Royal Highness the King of Han!" Zhang Wen's eyes became particularly sharp at this time. When he saw Liu Jing, he was surprised and happy, and quickly came up to meet her.  Zhang Wen's attitude is expected. The Zhang family is a prominent family in Wu County. Since the Lu family has some relationship with the Han army, the Gu family and the Zhang family naturally do not want to fall behind. Gu Yong still has a chance in Wu County, but Zhang  Wen, however, was in Jianye and lagged behind among the three schools.  Zhang Wen originally wanted to visit Liu Jing during the day, but he was worried that Sun Quan would become suspicious, so he had to resist the idea of ??visiting. However, he unexpectedly met Liu Jing at this time, which made him overjoyed. Zhang Wen stepped forward and bowed.  "What a coincidence, I met His Highness the King of Han here!" Zhang Wen's enthusiasm will make anyone feel that there is something hidden in it. Liu Jing is naturally not stupid. He understood Zhang Wen's enthusiasm and smiled back: "  It turned out to be Zhang Shijun. I didn¡¯t expect to meet him in Jianye. It was a bit unexpected!¡± Liu Jing¡¯s implication was that she was asking him why he didn¡¯t go to Wu County. Zhang Wen laughed a little awkwardly and didn¡¯t know how to answer. Liu Jing laughed again.  He said: "In fact, there are Han ministers everywhere, aren't they? Mr. Zhang!" "Yes! Yes!" Zhang Wen suddenly relieved himself, and his smile became sincere again, "I hope to have the opportunity to meet His Highness in the imperial court." "I will certainly do it.  I have this opportunity." The two of them looked at each other and smiled, and walked to the lobby with humility. The guests in the lobby were basically all here. The male guests and the female family members were sitting on each side. In the distinguished seats, Cao Cao sat on the left and right.  The first seat was vacant, which was Liu Jing's seat. At this time, Cao Cao was whispering something to Sun Quan, but his eyes intentionally or unintentionally glanced at the female family members.  He saw an extremely beautiful and dignified woman, with a ponytail, simple clothes, no makeup, and a cold expression. Although her eyebrows were lightly swept, her unparalleled elegance eclipsed all the ladies with heavy makeup.  Cao Cao immediately realized that this was Da Qiao. The seat next to her should be Xiao Qiao, but Xiao Qiao had not arrived yet and the seat was still vacant. It was rumored that Xiao Qiao was more beautiful than Da Qiao. Da Qiao was so beautiful, not to mention Xiao Qiao.  The beauty of it.  Cao Cao thought that Xiao Qiao had been sent to his boat, and his heart suddenly became hot. At this moment, someone at the gate shouted: "His Royal Highness the King of Han has arrived!"  Under the guidance, he quickly walked into the hall. Sun Quan and Cao Cao stood up together, and everyone stood up. The ladies whispered, but they did not expect that the famous King of Han would be so young and brave. Many girls came to the banquet with their fathers.  There was even more admiration in their eyes. The noble ladies were regretful. They only regretted that they did not get ahead of the Tao family and lost the best son-in-law in the world. The girls felt sad that they had no chance to become the Princess of Han.  At this time, Da Qiao also stood up. She watched the majestic Liu Jing walk into the lobby. The cold frost on her face began to melt away, and her eyes brightened up. There was a little tenderness in her eyes. She looked at Liu Jing.  Jing was very fond of Liu Jing. Although it was not a love between a man and a woman, she saw in Liu Jing the majestic appearance of her husband back then.  To a certain extent, she actually regarded Liu Jing as her husband deep in her heart, which made her see hope in her confusion and helplessness. At this moment, she felt a little reliance on Liu Jing in her heart.  Cao Cao saw the dramatic change in Da Qiao's expression. How sophisticated he was, and he immediately guessed Da Qiao's thoughts. He couldn't help but feel a little annoyed in his heart, and he snorted lowly.  Sun Quan greeted him with a big smile, "My dear brother, I'm late, but I have to drink three glasses of wine as a penalty!" "You deserve to be punished! You deserve to be punished!" Liu Jing smiled and walked to his seat arm in arm with Sun Quan, and he went to Cao Cao again.  He bowed and said with a smile: "Spring night is short, but the prime minister is drinking here, it's a waste of time!" Cao Cao was startled, and suddenly felt something was wrong. Liu Jing was obviously alluding to Xiao Qiao. How could he know Xiao Qiao?  Things?  Cao Cao quickly glanced at Sun Quan and saw that Sun Quan was also a little stunned and obviously didn't know anything.  But Cao Cao kept his expression, raised his glass and said with a smile: "I will drink as a penalty first, and then I will talk about other interesting things."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 776 Jiangdong Storm (Twenty)

    Sun Quan couldn't hold back his anger. He was worried that Liu Jing would ruin his big deal. You must know that Er Qiao is a very important part of the agreement with Cao Cao. Da Qiao didn't dare to act rashly because his mother was involved. Xiao Qiao was him.  The best way to express sincerity. Once Xiao Qiao fails, his 30,000 shi of food aid will inevitably be affected.  Sun Quan waved to a guard and whispered a few words to him. The guard followed the order and left. At this time, Sun Quan was so preoccupied that he seemed to have forgotten that he had not made the opening speech. It was not until Madam Xie reminded him twice that he finally realized what he had done.  .  "Everyone!" Sun Quan picked up the cup and stood up with a forced smile on his face. The whispers in the lobby stopped and became quiet. Sun Quan nodded to Cao Cao and Liu Jing, and then said slowly:  "On this good occasion, we are honored to invite Prime Minister Cao and His Highness the King of Han to gather together. I hope that today's gathering can deepen our mutual understanding and friendship." Sun Quan was chatting. At this time, a maid came to Liu Jing carrying a wine pot.  Behind him, he poured wine for him, but quietly placed a note on his table. Liu Jing was startled, and slowly unfolded the note. There was a line of beautiful small words written on the note: 'Xiao Qiao is missing?  ¡¯ Liu Jing looked up in surprise and saw Da Qiao staring at him from a distance, his eyes full of worry. Liu Jing laughed with a relaxed smile, which meant that Xiao Qiao was safe.  Da Qiao also just received the news that his sister Xiao Qiao had gone out early in the morning and came to his place, but she did not see Xiao Qiao. This made Da Qiao start to worry. If Sun Quan would not let him go, then he would not let him go either.  Will he let his sister go? If his sister disappeared inexplicably, could it be related to Sun Quan?  The more she thought about this possibility, the greater the possibility, and she felt worried and scared. Until Liu Jing appeared, she seemed to grasp a life-saving straw and ordered the maid to quietly pass the note to Liu Jing. At this time, Da Qiao saw Liu Jing  Jing's smile, seeing the confidence in his smile, made her let out a long sigh of relief.  At this time, Sun Quan's long speech finally came to an end. He raised his glass and said with a smile: "For today's friendly gathering, we drank this cup!" Everyone picked up their ear cups, drank the wine in the cup, and the banquet began.  In a free state, a group of dancers slid into the lobby with their long sleeves dancing like fairies from the Moon Palace. Amidst the melodious sound of drums, they began to dance. Everyone began to talk to each other and laugh loudly, making it extremely lively.  Cao Cao picked up the ear cup and smiled at Liu Jing: "Your Highness, King of Han, I would like to toast you with this glass of wine!" "Prime Minister, you are so polite. I should be the one to honor the Prime Minister!" Liu Jing picked up the ear cup with both hands, raised the cup to her eyebrows, and drank.  After drinking a glass of wine from Cao Cao, Cao Cao smiled and asked: "I just heard what your highness said, something seems to have happened. I am very interested. Can you please tell me?" Liu Jing shook his head, "I don't mean anything.  It's just words, Prime Minister, don't think too much." "Haha! It seems that I am overthinking." Cao Cao asked again, "When will your Highness go back?" "I am here mainly to visit Jianye.  I visited my mother-in-law last night because of her illness. I planned to leave today, but Marquis Wu asked me to come down to attend the banquet tonight, so I will leave early tomorrow morning. I wonder when the prime minister will return to Fei? " " I will probably talk to you tomorrow, too.  After a few words, at this time, a guard came over in a hurry and whispered something to Sun Quan. Sun Quan's face changed drastically, and he suddenly turned back to stare at Liu Jing, with anger bursting out of his eyes. Xiao Qiao was intercepted halfway.  , Needless to say, there will be no one except Liu Jing, who is breaking the agreement reached between himself and Cao Cao.  "Your Highness!" Sun Quan raised his voice slightly. He restrained his anger and asked, "Why did Your Highness do that?" Liu Jing glanced at him, still smiling and said, "What does Wu Hou want to say?" "My people.  , Why did His Highness want to intercept him?" The smile on Liu Jing's face disappeared and she said coldly: "Is this the way Wu Hou treats guests?" "No! Your Highness is a distinguished guest from Jiangdong, and Sun will only be respectful.  But what your Highness did has harmed Jiangdong¡¯s vital interests. I hope that Your Highness can return the person to me.¡± At this time, the hall became quiet, and everyone felt the unhappiness between Wu Hou and the King of Han. Even the dancers stopped dancing.  , looked at Sun Quan and Liu Jing uneasily, but Cao Cao showed no expression. He understood what happened in his heart, and was also extremely angry, but he was so deep in the city that he did not show it at all on his face.  Liu Jing snorted and said: "I don't understand what Wu Hou is talking about. It seems that Wu Hou's important person is missing, but why do you think it was me, Liu Jing, who did it? Maybe it was Sun Shao of Wu Commandery, or more likely Sun Yat-sen of Kuaiji."  It is possible that Ben did it, or that there was a misunderstanding among Prime Minister Cao's men, but Wu Hou insisted that it was me, Liu Jing, who did it. May I ask, does Wu Hou have any evidence?" Sun Quan was asked, and he indeed did not.  evidence, he?More than a dozen guards were all killed, the carriage was missing, and there were no witnesses at the scene. Although there was no evidence, Sun Quan knew in his heart that there would be no one except Liu Jing, because last night Qiao Xuan went to Liu Jing for help, and Liu Jing  Knowing the importance of Er Qiao, intercepting Xiao Qiao would also destroy the agreement between him and Cao Cao.  Sun Quan's face was livid, he said nothing, and he clenched his ear cups with his hands. At this time, Cao Cao should have come out to smooth things over and ease the tense atmosphere, but Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and remained silent. He was very happy to see Sun Quan and Liu Jing fall out.  The elder sitting at the bottom smiled and stood up to smooth things over and said: "The Marquis of Wu drank too much. Please don't blame me, Your Highness. I will give you a glass of wine as an apology." Sun Quan finally calmed down, and he also realized that he still had something to do.  In Liu Jing's hands, he couldn't really fall out with Liu Jing. He immediately apologized: "I did drink too much. I don't know what I was talking about. Please forgive me!" Liu Jing had a mocking smile on his face and raised his ears.  Cup said: "Of course I don't care. In fact, I don't even know what Wu Hou is talking about?" "I don't know what's best, keep drinking!" Sun Quan waved his hand, the music started again, and the dancer danced again, but something happened  It has happened, and it is impossible for everyone to pretend not to know. The whispers in the lobby started again, and people were talking about the matter in low voices. At this time, Liu Jing winked at Da Qiao and said with a smile: "I am leaving tomorrow and want to go there."  Mrs. Wu said goodbye. I wonder if Madam can take me there? " Da Qiao understood what Liu Jing meant. Her sister Xiao Qiao was missing. Sun Quan wanted to explain to Cao Cao, so he might have his own ideas. She felt a little nervous and got up.  Saluting: "I am willing to serve Your Highness!" Liu Jing drank the wine in his ear cup in one gulp, smiled at Sun Quan and said: "I will go to Changqian Palace first, and say goodbye to the old lady before she has a rest. I will go there immediately.  Just come back!" After saying that, he smiled and nodded to Cao Cao, then stood up and strode out of the lobby. Although Da Qiao felt something was wrong, she still mustered up the courage and left quickly with Liu Jing.  There was a lot of discussion. This was so surprising. Liu Jing actually took Da Qiao away. Although the excuse was to visit the old lady, anyone with a discerning eye knew that this was just an excuse. Everyone began to realize that the falling out between Sun Quan and Liu Jing  , probably related to Er Qiao, Zhang Zhao also understood a little bit, it must be Liu Jing who intercepted Xiao Qiao.  At this time, Cao Cao smiled leisurely and said: "Wu Hou, drink slowly. I will go change my clothes and return in a moment." Cao Cao stood up and left through the side door. Sun Quan's face was extremely ugly. He never expected that Liu Jing would be like this.  He was so daring that he dared to take Da Qiao away at the banquet. It was so unbecoming and disrespectful to Sun Quan. What was the difference between this and a scoundrel on the street? Sun Quan couldn't bear it anymore and said, 'Bang!  ¡¯ He punched the table and everyone in the room was shocked. Cao Cao exited from the side door and ordered the guards following him: ¡°Go and tell General Xu quickly and order him to intercept Liu Jing and not allow him to board the ship!¡± Cao Cao may not be  He wanted to intercept Da Qiao, but directly targeted Liu Jing. Since Liu Jing had fallen out with Sun Quan, he could do some things that were inconvenient for Sun Quan to do. It was more in Cao Cao's interest to detain Liu Jing in Jiangdong.  The guards left quickly. Cao Cao thought for a moment and returned to the hall calmly. He was not worried. He believed that Sun Quan would definitely give him an explanation for food assistance. Liu Jing and Da Qiao quickly walked out of the hall.  Qiao quickly took two steps, followed up and said, "Your Highness, it's not good to leave like this!" She had never done such a deviant thing before, and she was a little worried. It seemed very rude and ridiculous, Liu  Jing stopped, looked at her and said, "If you want to spend the night on Cao Cao's boat tonight, just go back, I won't force you." Da Qiao was startled, and after a while she lowered her head and whispered: "I am willing.  "Follow your highness!" "Then leave quickly!" Liu Jing turned around and continued to walk out of the palace. This time Da Qiao followed him closely with her long skirt in hand. She wanted to ask Xiao Qiao several times, but she couldn't speak.  It wasn't that there was any inconvenience, but Liu Jing was walking too fast and she couldn't keep up. "Your Highness, wait for me." Da Qiao panted.  When Liu Jing saw a dark figure rushing towards Cao Cao's parking place, he knew that Cao Cao was going to take action. He only had more than fifty guards, but Cao Cao brought at least several hundred people. Xu Chu, who was also the most brave among the three armies in martial arts, really  In a fight, he may not be able to escape unscathed.  Liu Jing turned around and grabbed Da Qiao's wrist, and pulled it gently. Da Qiao felt a strong pull pulling her forward. She bit her lips and followed Liu Jing. They walked down the steps and a carriage drove quickly.  Come and stop in front of the steps, Liu Jing opened the car door, gently hugged Da Qiao's waist, picked her up and put her into the carriage.  Da Qiao felt her heart beating wildly. In the more than ten years since her husband passed away, no man had ever touched her like this. But she also knew that Liu Jing had no other intentions, but he just didn't have the time.??She got on the bus as gracefully as usual, and there was no maid to support her.  She didn¡¯t blame Liu Jing for being reckless, but at the same time, Liu Jing¡¯s strong arms gave her an indescribable feeling of dependence, and she became a little confused.  Liu Jing also got on the carriage and ordered in a deep voice: "Go back to the ship!" The driver shook his whip, and the carriage started quickly, speeding towards the northwest. Dozens of guards on horseback guarded both sides. At this time, Liu Jing turned around and looked east  Go, only to hear the fierce sound of horse hoofbeats in the distance, Xu Chu led his army to chase.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 777 Jiangdong Storm (21)

    "Your Highness, is someone chasing us?" The wheels rattled and the horses' hooves outside the car thundered. Although Da Qiao couldn't hear the sound in the distance, she noticed that Liu Jing kept looking back, and she felt a little uncomfortable.  wonderful.  Liu Jing nodded, smiled and said, "Nothing will happen to you." Liu Jing's smile made Da Qiao feel at ease, and she couldn't help but ask, "What about Xiao Qiao?"  "Wu Hou wanted to send her to Cao Cao to take a boat, but my men intercepted her. Now she is on my boat." Da Qiao then understood why Sun Quan was so angry. Liu Jing rescued herself and her sister, ruining Sun Quan's life.  He was so anxious about the big event that he could do anything. She lowered her head and thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness actually doesn't need to worry about me. I'm with the old lady and he doesn't dare to do anything to me." Liu Jing took a deep look at her and said,  He said slowly: "You should know that the old lady's time is running out. As long as Sun Quan tells her that you sisters will come with me to take Shang Xiang back to Jiangdong, I believe that the old lady will not continue to investigate your whereabouts.  At least half a year, do you think the old lady can survive? Madam, I won't force you. If you really want to go back, I will turn around. " Da Qiao felt that Liu Jing's tone was a little unhappy. She knew that she said the wrong thing.  In order to save herself, Liu Jing did not hesitate to fall out with Sun Quan, but she also made an ungrateful gesture, which was wrong. She apologized to Liu Jing in a low voice: "I'm sorry!" Liu Jing laughed, "Madam, there is no need to apologize.  , In fact, I saved my wife out of selfish motives. " Da Qiao was startled, and she was asking carefully. Suddenly, there was a 'click', and an arrow shot out of the back window, and it shot past Da Qiao's hair bun and was nailed in front.  On the wall of the carriage, Da Qiao screamed in fright and grabbed Liu Jing's arm tightly. Liu Jing knew that the pursuers were still a hundred steps away, so he shot this arrow while running at high speed. It required the strength of a thousand-jin arm. This could only be done.  It was the arrow shot by Xu Chu.  Liu Jing cursed secretly in her heart, took off a giant shield from the car wall, put her arms around Da Qiao's shoulders, and blocked her with the giant shield. Da Qiao was stunned for a moment, and then she realized that she was actually holding Liu Jing's arm. She was frightened.  She quickly let go, but her shoulders were tightly hugged by Liu Jing, with a shield behind her, blocking her back. It had been more than ten years since she had been hugged so intimately by a man, and her heart was pounding wildly.  , lowered her head, her cheeks flushed with shame. Fortunately, it was dark inside the carriage, and Liu Jing could not see her embarrassment.  At this time, another arrow shot powerfully through the rear window and was nailed to the shield. Da Qiao also felt the impact of the arrow's power. She realized the danger, which made her temporarily give up her feminine restraint and did not push away Liu Jing's arm.  , but let him hug her. At this time, there was a subtle change in Da Qiao's heart. Liu Jing's strong arms actually gave her a strong sense of dependence.  She quietly raised her head, her eyes moved slightly, and glanced at Liu Jing, only to see him turning his head and looking behind. In the dim light, his face had clear outlines, and his bright eyes were full of perseverance. This kind of perseverance  His masculine charm is unstoppable to any woman.  Da Qiao's heart was in a state of turmoil. Her heart, which had been stable for more than ten years, was completely in chaos at this moment. She had never been so eager for a man as she was today. She forgot about danger and fear. Unknowingly, her head felt light.  Leaning gently on Liu Jing's shoulder, she only hoped that he would hold her arms like this forever.  Liu Jing also felt Da Qiao's body become softer and found that she was leaning on his shoulder. This stimulation made Liu Jing's heart tremble. He slowly lowered his head and stared at Da Qiao with bright eyes. In the darkness, the two of them  People hugged each other, but their faces were so close to each other. The strong masculine aura made Da Qiao intoxicated. The etiquette she had carefully observed for more than ten years was now forgotten, and she slowly closed her eyes.  Liu Jing looked at her half-open red lips and kissed her, their lips touching each other. Da Qiao felt a loud bang in her head and it went blank. She completely forgot about her identity and situation, and only had a feeling of love.  Desire dominated her, and she stretched out her arms to wrap her arms around his neck, her red lips gently greeting each other, their tongues intertwined, completely lost in the passion of male and female love.  After an unknown amount of time, the carriage shook violently and stopped. The guard outside the carriage reported: "Your Highness, we have arrived!" The two of them were shocked and separated quickly. In an instant, Da Qiao returned to his original reserve, a kind of  The intense betrayal and shame made her feel extremely guilty. What had she done?  She turned her head and her chest heaved violently. Liu Jing held her hand and whispered: "Let's go!" Da Qiao withdrew his hand and remained motionless. Liu Jing held her hand again and said with  An irresistible command: "Follow me!" Da Qiao was shocked, slowly turned her head, and stared blankly at Liu Jing. Tears actually flowed from her beautiful eyes, and Liu Jing gently touched her eyes.  He kissed her, kissed away her tears, and said softly: "Follow me!" Da Qiao trembled all over, and suddenly threw himself into Liu Jing's arms and cried bitterly. The endless sorrow and self-blame in his heart, thisAt this moment, she was completely melted into Liu Jing's tenderness and perseverance. Liu Jing gently stroked her hair and let her cry heartily. After a while, Da Qiao wiped away her tears and nodded gently.  Liu Jing helped her out of the carriage. At this time, the carriage had stopped at the pier. Liu Jing's boat was a dozen steps away. Da Qiao felt that the guards were looking at her, so she quietly broke away from Liu Jing's hand.  Walking towards the ship's board, after walking a few steps, she turned back and asked, "Is Xiao Qiao on the ship?" Liu Jing shook her head, "She is not in this cabin, but on another big ship in the north of the Yangtze River." Da Qiao smiled sweetly,  Liu Jing's eyes were charming, and she rolled her eyes at Liu Jing, and walked quickly to the boat. Liu Jing was so shocked by her eyes that her heart almost stopped beating. A poem popped into her mind, "Looking back and smiling will make you charming". This is the kind of thing that makes any man happy.  The charm of a woman that no one can refuse.  Liu Jing suddenly understood why Cao Cao must get the sisters. At this moment, he also had a strong desire to possess them. He would never return these fairy sisters to Sun Quan. He immediately turned around and bowed to a guard.  After a few words of explanation, the guards took the order and drove a small boat to the north of the Yangtze River.  Everyone got on the boat. Liu Jing looked at a group of pursuers in the distance. They did not catch up, but stopped a hundred steps away. At this moment, Liu Jing was not angry with Xu Chu. If it hadn't been for the two arrows he shot, how would he have had the chance to win?  Beauty's heart.  The impeller of the four-thousand-stone warship moved, and the hull slowly started to move. At this time, the fleet on the other side also left the north pier, and headed west in formation. Liu Jing's warship also gradually merged into the formation, heading west.  And go.  Da Qiao stood on the bow of the boat, staring blankly at Changqian Palace in the distance. She sighed lowly, did she just leave like this?  At this time, Liu Jing walked up to him, put a large cloak on her, and hugged her into his arms. This time, Da Qiao did not refuse. She snuggled weakly on Liu Jing's shoulders and asked in a low voice: "  Why don't you let Xiao Qiao come to this ship?" Liu Jing smiled and shook her head, saying in her ear: "What do you think?" Da Qiao smiled softly, "You are very scheming!  "You say that?" "Don't call me Madam, I can jump into the river. My name is Qiao Lian, and my sister is Qiao He. These are our original names. I almost forgot." Da Qiao sighed, "Call me Da."  "Qiao!" Liu Jing is someone who has been here and already knows a little about women. He knows that although Da Qiao is very close to him, he is no longer in a carriage. It is not that easy to get her body and mind, and Da Qiao's appearance  Gentle, but very strong inside. If you are too eager, it will make her disgusted, so you have to take your time.  "Go back to the cabin! It's windy outside." It was already December, and the wind was biting. Da Qiao couldn't bear the cold, so he nodded and followed Liu Jing into the cabin. They lived on the third floor, and there were two of them.  The maid served, Liu Jing did not take her to the sleeping cabin, but to the living cabin, which was a place for tea and rest. The two maids had lit the brazier, and there was a secret passage in the cabin for ventilation, which made her feel warmer and less uncomfortable.  Stuffy.  Da Qiao was happy to see that he was not forcing himself on her. She liked Liu Jing very much and even fell in love with him, but there was still something missing between them. Although she and Liu Jing kissed together in the carriage, it was just the environment and  By chance, she lost herself for a moment. In fact, she was not prepared.  Da Qiao sat down, poured a cup of tea for Liu Jing, and said with a smile: "Your Highness, please take Xiao Qiao over! Let me have a companion." "Actually, there is no rush. The ship will arrive in Wuhu at noon the day after tomorrow, and you will meet in Wuhu.  "That's fine, I've said it before, you can't act like that in the carriage again!" At this point, Da Qiao's face turned red.  Liu Jing stretched out, looked at the deck above and said blankly: "I don't know! What's going on in our carriage? Tell me." "You men, all of you are telling the truth, like heroes.  Save our sisters from falling into the hands of Cao Cao. Who would have known that I had just escaped from the tiger's mouth and fell into the fire pit again. If I had known it, I would not have come out with you." Da Qiao rolled her eyes at him. Although there was a complaint in her tone, she said.  There was a smile in his eyes, and there was no hint of complaint.  "That's because Da Qiao's beauty is like snow blowing in the wind, and the sun is covered by light clouds. I can't help myself." Da Qiao felt sweet in her heart when she heard his beautiful words of praise. She lightly cut her hair, smiling a little shamelessly.  She said: "I am already an old woman. I am no longer young. Where is the beauty of snow clouds?" "In fact, you are only one year older than me." "Oh! Is the young master only thirty years old?" Da Qiao asked in surprise.  road.  Liu Jing nodded, "I went to Jingzhou when I was sixteen, and I started an army in Chaisang when I was eighteen, and I have been fighting in the north and south for more than ten years." If Da Qiao felt something in her heart, she walked to the window and pushed it open gently.  ?Staring at the dark river through the cracks in the window, she couldn't help but burst into tears for a while, "I got married at fourteen and became a widow at sixteen. It's been fifteen years. My only daughter has also gotten married. I feel like I have become an old woman."  , but I would cry again at night. In fact, I am only in my early thirties, and I still have twenty years left before I am an old woman!" Liu Jing felt compassion in her heart, walked up to her, gently hugged her waist, and whispered softly in her ear!  : "With me here, I will make you regain your youth." Da Qiao was shocked and turned around to look at Liu Jing blankly. The two stared at each other, and their hearts collided with each other. Liu Jing hugged her into his arms.  In arms.  "No" Da Qiao suddenly woke up. She wanted to push Liu Jing away, but Liu Jing's strong masculine aura made her flustered. She had no strength at all. She lowered her head, too nervous to look at him.  Liu Jing raised her chin, a little roughly, lowered her head and kissed her red lips deeply again.  Da Qiao was completely weak and collapsed in Liu Jing's arms, panting. The fire was already burning in Liu Jing's chest. He picked up Da Qiao's legs, hugged her across his chest, and strode towards the soft couch.  Qiao sighed in her heart, and the last line of defense in her heart collapsed. She closed her eyes. She felt scared and snuggled tightly into Liu Jing's arms, but at this moment, there was an inexplicable expectation in her heart.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 778 Jiangdong Storm (22)

    A dark night shrouded the Yangtze River, the sky was covered with clouds, and there was a thin layer of snow. The north wind was howling, and the weather was extremely cold. The Cao Navy camp in Ruxukou was deserted. Most of the soldiers hid in the barracks to avoid the cold winter.  There were also half as many soldiers on patrol as usual.  This is also normal. At the beginning, Cao Jun was particularly vigilant. There were soldiers patrolling the navy patrol station day and night, and they did not dare to slack off. However, as time went on, Cao Jun's vigilance would gradually relax, but more importantly,  Liu Jing and Cao Cao reached a five-year armistice agreement, and they were both in Jianye at this time. The three families temporarily sought peace, and there was no motive and meaning for launching a war. In this way, Cao Cao's navy's defenses were obviously relaxed.  Even Zhang Liao believed that Liu Jing's garrison in Wuhu was just a gesture, mainly aimed at Jiangdong, not against Cao Jun.  Cao Cao's navy is located in the mouth of the Ruxu River, not on the Yangtze River. There are four beacon observation towers on both sides of the river mouth. Once the enemy is discovered, the beacons will be lit immediately to call the police. But tonight, the stars and moon were obscured by thick red clouds, and the river was dark.  , the sentry tower can only see up to thirty steps away, and for the mouth of the Ruxu River, which is a hundred feet wide, there is a blind spot dozens of feet wide.  Zhang Liao also knew that this kind of blind spot was more dangerous, so in this case, he used motorized sentry boats to supplement patrols. There were indeed several sentry boats in the Ruxu River mouth, but the patrols were not active, but lazily carried out  Moored in a fixed position, the soldiers on the ship could not resist the cold wind on the river. They wrapped themselves tightly in thick blankets and got into the small cabin to sleep. Only one soldier was left outside to observe the movements on the river.  This soldier was also extremely sleepy. He was also wrapped in a thick blanket. While dozing off, he cursed in a low voice, "Yesterday it was me who kept vigil, and tonight it's me again. Why, you idiots can only bully foreigners?"  " Most of Cao Cao's 20,000 navy troops are from the Jianghuai area and were trained by Zhang Liao, but there are also a very small number of northern soldiers. Due to regional discrimination, the Jianghuai soldiers in the army will be looked down upon and humiliated by the northern soldiers. Similarly, in the navy,  The northern soldiers were often squeezed out and retaliated by Jianghuai soldiers.  This kind of regional discrimination is difficult to avoid in the army, and it has become the root of military factions. This situation also exists in the Han army, such as Jingzhou soldiers and Bashu soldiers, Guanlong soldiers and southern soldiers, etc., all have certain differences.  The differences were only of different degrees, and Liu Jing also attached great importance to such regional factional differences and tried his best to prevent soldiers from the north and the south from being mixed together.  It was past one o'clock, and the soldiers monitoring the river were gradually falling asleep. At this moment, a piece of wood floated silently on the river, went around behind the sentry boat, then slowly turned back and approached the sentry boat.  The wood had clung to the side of the guard ship, making it difficult for the soldiers on board to detect it.  A water ghost in a black suit showed his head. He pointed a blowpipe at the sleeping surveillance soldier, and blew out a blue poisonous arrow, which hit the sentry in the neck. It was extremely poisonous.  Lie, his throat was sealed with blood. The surveillance sentry groaned and fell limply on the board of the ship.  The water ghost immediately jumped onto the boat, making no sound, and the boat did not rock at all. He used the blowpipe to blow a large amount of poison into the narrow cabin. After a moment, he pulled out a sharp dagger and touched into the cabin to do the same.  In just one stick of incense, all seven sentry ships on Ruxukou were killed by water ghosts, and Cao Cao's navy's peripheral defense was completely opened.  In the middle of the Yangtze River, hundreds of warships were ready. The Han army's warships consisted of more than a hundred sampan fire ships and 300 thousand-stone warships.  In addition to the 24,000 Eastern Expedition Navy troops on the Qianshi Ship, there were also 20,000 elite soldiers, commanded by General Huang Zhong. The total number of Han troops in Wuhu had actually quietly increased to 50,000.  It is reasonable for the Han army to increase its troops in Wuhu at this time. Since Liu Jing exchanged Yuzhang and Poyang counties for Lujiang County with Sun Quan, then the Han army was bound to win Hefei, the most important town in Lujiang County.  Gan Ning stood on the leading warship, staring in the direction of Ruxukou. Tonight, it began to snow on the river, and it was extremely cold. It was also the moment when Cao Cao's defense was weakest, but it was the best opportunity for the Han army. As Jingzhou  The commander of the navy, Gan Ning, has always adhered to a principle, that is, Cao Cao cannot have a navy, and must ensure the absolute advantage of the Han army on the river. In fact, this is also the principle explained by Liu Jing, and has formed a consensus among the Han army.  Gan Ning never expected that Zhang Liao would train his navy in Cao Lake, and eventually he would form a navy with hundreds of warships and 20,000 men. This put great pressure on Gan Ning.  , he has made up his mind to annihilate this Cao Cao navy tonight no matter what.  At this time, veteran Huang Zhong walked up to Gan Ning. He also stared at the river in the distance and asked in a deep voice for a long time: "Has His Highness the King of Han left Jianye?" Gan Ning nodded, "The warrant given to me by His Highness the King of Han"  Zhong said that if he asked me to send troops overnight, he would leave Jianye at the same time. I guess his fleet should leave Jianye. " Huang ?? Then he sighed and said: "I am very worried that this military operation will be the beginning of completely tearing up the armistice agreement. Frankly speaking, I think a truce between the two armies is more beneficial to us." Huang Zhong advocates armistice cultivation, and he is very  Knowing that the Han army was extremely exhausted after years of war, local financial resources were depleted, and needed to recuperate, he strongly supported the armistice agreement reached between the King of Han and Cao Cao. Seeing that the armistice had only been a few months, the King of Han was about to start another war in the southeast, and he was somewhat  Resistance.  Gan Ning understood Huang Zhong's mood and persuaded with a smile: "The King of Han told me more than once that the reason why we signed the armistice agreement is because Cao Cao desires an armistice more than we do. If the situation is favorable to Cao Cao, he will never armistice. And  Will continue to launch an offensive against us, so the King of Han believes that as long as both sides exercise restraint, tonight's war will not affect the overall situation. " Huang Zhong sighed and said, "I don't understand why you don't take Jiangdong in one go. Does General Gan know?  Frankly speaking, I don¡¯t quite understand it, but as a general, you only need to carry out the order. There is no need to delve into these issues.¡± At this time, laughter came from behind, ¡°Let me explain it to you two!¡± Huang Zhong and Gan.  Ning turned around and saw Pang Tong walking up with a smile. The two of them clasped their fists in greeting. Pang Tong nodded and said with a smile: "As for why we didn't take the opportunity to capture Jiangdong, in fact, before His Highness the King of Han came to Jingzhou, we had already discussed it repeatedly at Pingzhangtai.  After going through this issue, we finally reached a consensus that it is in our interests to the greatest extent to cause and maintain the division of Jiangdong. "But if we take Jiangdong in one fell swoop, what problems will there be?" Huang Zhong still didn't.  asked understandingly.  "The key lies in the hearts and minds of the people. The Sun family has controlled Jiangdong for three generations and is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in Jiangdong. It is easy to win over Jiangdong but difficult to win over the people. It is not impossible for us to win over Jiangdong, but how can we maintain it? The people of Jiangdong have always been strong and unruly.  , once Cao Cao's forces secretly stir up trouble in Jiangdong, and the people of Jiangdong rise up to fight, they will inevitably raise the banner of supporting the Sun family, and we will fall into the quagmire of Jiangdong and be unable to conquer the Central Plains. " Speaking of this, Pang Tong glanced at Huang again.  Zhong and Gan Ning, seeing that they were enlightened, continued with a smile: "Only by triggering the Sun family's internal strife and making Jiangdong fall into the Sun family's internal strife for a long time, so that the people of Jiangdong hate the Sun family's rule and rise up one after another to resist the Sun family's rule.  Cutting off the possibility of the Sun family's future revival is our opportunity. In fact, the King of Han has been winning over the people of Jiangdong, but this is a long-term process. There is no rush, and there is no need to rush. The general trend is established first. As long as the Sun family is in internal strife.  The general trend has formed. As time goes by, it will be a matter of course for Jiangdong's powerful people and ordinary people to finally choose us." Huang Zhong and Gan Ning both nodded silently. Huang Zhong clasped his fists and said, "Thank you, military advisor, for your inspiration. I understand now. I didn't before."  It is indeed short-sighted." Pang Tong smiled and said, "Let's break Cao Cao's hand toward Jiangdong first!" At this moment, a soldier quickly stepped forward and reported to Gan Ning: "General Qi.  , news came from the outpost that all the sentries on the river had been killed. "Gan Ning glanced at Pang Tong, and Pang Tong smiled and said, "You don't need to ask me about the battle." Gan Ning nodded and said to Huang Zhong, "Old General.  , let¡¯s get ready to start!¡± Although Huang Zhong was a little resistant tonight, he would never disobey orders, let alone send troops passively, not to mention that he was now inspired by Pang Tong and was no longer confused. He immediately said: ¡°I¡¯ll go back.  Get ready, troops will be dispatched in a quarter of an hour!" £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Zhang Liao was a little uneasy tonight. The uneasiness in his heart came from many years of war experience. It was dark and windy tonight, and it was snowing lightly. It was a great opportunity for a sneak attack. Although Zhang Liao also knew that Liu Jing and the prime minister signed a five-year truce.  agreement, but he knew very well that this armistice agreement was not reliable. The first armistice agreement between the Cao and Liu families was torn up by the prime minister in Nanyang.  As the commander-in-chief of Hefei, Zhang Liao knew the strategic importance of Hefei. By capturing Hefei, he could not only control Jiangdong in the south, but also peek into Yuzhou and Xuzhou in the north. The Han army would not turn a blind eye to such an important strategic city. Moreover, the Han army sent troops to Hefei the year before last.  have shown their willingness for Hefei.  It was past the first watch and Zhang Liao couldn't sleep, so he simply got up and went to inspect the military camp.  Cao Jun's camp is composed of three parts: military city, military camp and water stronghold. There are 40,000 troops garrisoned in the military city, and 40,000 troops garrisoned in the military camp. The military camp is located on the east bank of Ruxukou. It is actually a continuation of the water stronghold on the bank.  It is more than ten miles away and consists of more than two thousand large tents. It is about one mile away from the military city.  Zhang Liao did not inspect the military city, but went directly to the military camp. What he was most concerned about was the water village, where he had worked hard for several years. Zhang Liao drove his horse all the way to the water village. As soon as he arrived at the gate, the deputy general came up to greet him.  "See General Zhang!" Zhang Liao nodded and asked, "What's going on on the river?""Back to the general, the river is very calm, there is no exception." Zhang Liao directly embarked on the Shuizhai camp gate. Cao Jun Shuizhai covers an area of ??3,000 acres.  Generally, the walls of water villages are surrounded by large boats, but because there were not enough boats, Cao Jun dug thousands of wooden piles in the river and nailed two five-foot-wide double-layer wooden frames on the wooden piles. The soldiers  You can stand directly on the wooden shelf to defend.  Zhang Liao walked to the southwest corner, which is the place closest to the Yangtze River. If it were daytime, he could clearly see the river in the distance, but now he could only see dozens of steps away. Zhang Liao stared at it for a long time, but he couldn't see anything.  Unable to help but feel worried, he turned around and asked, "How many patrol ships are there outside?" Yu Jin hesitated and said, "Normally, there are twenty ships?" "What do you mean by normal situation? I'm asking now, how many patrol ships are there now?  Ship?" Yu Jin was a little afraid of Zhang Liao's severity. He did not dare to deal with it, so he had to report the truth: "At dusk, I sent out twenty patrol boats and they were going to return at dawn. But how many patrol boats were there, I didn't dare to do it?  "Absolutely." Zhang Liao snorted, "I guess you are not sure. You relaxed your vigilance because you thought everything was safe. I estimate that there are at most seven or eight ships on patrol, and the rest are sleeping in the corner!"  Unconvinced by Zhang Liao's accusation, he defended himself: "I dare not let my guard down! Every night there are two thousand people in defense. I don't believe that the general will do an inventory to see if there are any omissions? It's just because the sentinel ship sailed out, and I can't control it."  That's all." Zhang Liao looked around and saw that there were indeed a lot of defensive soldiers. This could be admitted, but Yu Jin's control over the patrol ships outside made Zhang Liao dissatisfied. He then added: "You can actually control it.  Order twenty sentry ships to report back every half an hour. If you dare not come, you will be dealt with by military law, or a military law ship will be sent to patrol. General Yu, there are many ways, it depends on whether you are willing to adopt them. " Yu Jin sighed in his heart.  , bowed and said: "It is my humble duty to send out a law enforcement boat!" Yu Jin immediately ordered the several law enforcement soldiers behind him: "Go out on patrol by boat. If anyone dares to be lazy and sleep, he will be caught immediately and dealt with by military law!" "Follow the order!" Several of them  The soldiers jumped on a small boat, and the boat sailed towards the gate of the water village like an arrow. At this moment, a soldier pointed at the river in the distance and shouted: "General, look, what is that?" Everyone looked towards the river together.  , in an instant, everyone was stunned.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 779 Jiangdong Storm (Twenty-three)

    I saw a huge silhouette vaguely appearing on the river. In the night, it looked like a huge monster moving in the water, giving people an indescribable sense of shock and fear. All the soldiers were stunned. This  At this moment, Zhang Liao suddenly realized and shouted: "It's an enemy warship! It's a warship!" The soldiers woke up from a dream, yelled one after another, opened their bows and arrows at the behemoth in the dark, and Zhang Liao was shocked.  They were going to explode. He knew very well that if he could see the outline of the warship in the dark, it meant that the warship was very close to them and it was too late. He immediately turned around and ran quickly to the shore, and at the same time ordered: "The warship in the water village is too late."  All the warships dispersed!" But no one answered him. When he turned around, he saw that Yu Jin was directing the soldiers to counterattack, taking the lead and not retreating. At this moment, Zhang Liao's dissatisfaction with Yu Jin disappeared, but he was the commander-in-chief of the entire army.  It was impossible for him to stay and command the navy. He had to guard against Han troops stealing camps on the shore.  Zhang Liao ordered the soldiers again: "Go quickly and pass on my order. All the warships in the water stronghold should disperse!" The soldiers rushed to pass the order, but Zhang Liao ignored the water stronghold and hurried to the shore.  The sneak attack of the Han warships was only about twenty steps away from Cao's water stronghold. They were three huge ships of three thousand stone, equipped with special rams in front. They were also called stronghold-breaking ships, and were specially used to attack the enemy's water stronghold.  They were the vanguard of the navy. Behind the boats that broke into the stronghold were two hundred small sampans. The sampans were loaded with kerosene and firewood and were manned by a soldier. These boats were extremely fast, but they could not break through Cao Jun's water stronghold.  In this case, breaking the stronghold ship is crucial.  "General Yu, get out of the way, we're hitting you!" Several soldiers shouted, and a broken ship several feet high suddenly appeared in front of them, rushing toward the water barrier with an unstoppable force. Yu Jin was shocked  , it was too late to escape, just heard a 'click!  With a loud noise, the first ship broke dozens of wooden piles and rushed into Cao Jun's water stronghold. Cao Jun's soldiers fell into the water one after another amidst the screams. Yu Jin couldn't escape and fell into the water. He hugged a stick  The wooden piles that had not yet been broken were watching helplessly as the second and third boats crashed into the water village, followed by boats as densely packed as wolves. Yu Jin couldn't help but sigh, the scene of the battle in Chibi  It happened again.  Three large boats that broke into the water village opened three large gaps in the fence of the water village. Each gap was more than ten feet wide. The fierce and swift momentum of the boats that broke into the water village scared off the Cao troops defending on both sides. At this time, the mouth of the river in the distance  The drums of the attack on the water were loud, and two hundred small sampans were ignited at the same time. Countless fire spots appeared on the water. Two hundred fire ships rushed to rush into the water village along the gap opened by the collision, and headed towards the moored boats on the shore.  Cao Jun's warships rushed away.  Although Zhang Liao issued an order for the warships to disperse, it took at least half an hour from the order to execution. The navy soldiers were all on the shore. Even if they boarded the ship in time, the densely packed ships would be crowded together, and the surrounding ships would not be able to move.  Disperse first, and the ships in the middle will have nowhere to go.  There was also chaos in the military camp on the shore. Cao Jun's soldiers woke up from their dreams. They hurriedly put on their armor and rushed out of the camp with weapons. Many soldiers ran to the pier, but stayed away. They saw countless small boats burning with raging fire.  Entering the dense warships, many small boats capsized in the collision, and the fire oil on the ships also poured into the water. A large burning flame suddenly appeared on the water, which was more spectacular than the fire ships.  Just when the warships in the water village were set on fire, Huang Zhong led 20,000 Han troops to come from the land. Their goal was very clear, and they went straight to the water army camp near the river, because at this time, the water force was  The soldiers' attention will be attracted by the enemy situation in the water village, and they will ignore the defense of the military camp itself.  Although there were hundreds of soldiers defending on the walls of the military camp, they could not withstand the attack of 10,000 Han troops. The Han army's 3,000 crossbowmen suppressed the defending Cao army with dense rain of arrows. More than a thousand soldiers hugged several  Ten huge impact logs rushed towards the board wall. The heavy impact logs hit the board wall violently again and again. The board wall was crumbling. Amid shouts, the board wall collapsed suddenly, leaving a gap a hundred steps wide.  Huang Zhong shouted, "Follow me into the enemy camp!" He took the lead, brandishing his sword and rushed into the gap first. Behind him, 10,000 Han soldiers poured into Cao's camp like a tide, killing in all directions.  Fire was soaring on the river, and smoke was billowing. Hundreds of Cao's warships were caught in a sea of ??fire, as if the entire Ruxu River mouth was on fire. The shouts of killing in the military camp on the bank were loud, dead bodies were everywhere, blood flowed into the river, and the sticky  The plasma gathered into a stream and flowed into the river. The morale of the 20,000 Cao army sailors was low and the morale of the soldiers was turbulent. They were unable to resist and quickly collapsed under the violent impact of the Han soldiers. The Cao army soldiers had no intention of fighting, and they abandoned their helmets and fled for their lives.  The desperate soldiers knelt down and surrendered.  At this time, a raging fire was also ignited in Cao Jun's barracks. The north wind was strong and the fire spread rapidly. Tent after tent was quickly engulfed by the tongues of flames. Many soldiers simplyBefore he could escape from the big tent, he was engulfed in fire. There were burning men screaming and running everywhere. After running a few steps, they fell to the ground. The fire burned the soldiers and curled up.  Although the flames in the river were more than 30 feet high, which was frightening, they were relatively far away after all. The fire in the military camp directly threatened the survival of Cao's soldiers. At this time, the wave of retreat had quickly swept from the Navy barracks to the Army barracks.  .  This side was led by the deputy general Zang Ba. Zang Ba was riding on a war horse and commanding the soldiers to dismantle the camp in an attempt to form an open space to isolate the spreading fire. At the same time, he also had to prepare to defend against the Han army that was about to kill. Zang Ba  Ba shouted loudly: "No chaos, line up for defense!" At this moment, a soldier pointed to the sky and shouted: "General, look!" Zang Ba looked up and saw several large tents burning with fire being blown to the sky by the wind.  , floating towards this side, he was taken aback, and hurriedly ordered: "Keep an eye on them, don't let them fall into the camp!" But it was too late, several burning tents rushed down quickly and fell into the dense crowd.  In the big tent, more than a dozen big tents behind Zang Ba burned rapidly. Zang Ba cursed in anger, "Quickly isolate them!" He knew very well that once the fire spread, the army would collapse, right here  At that moment, a cavalryman rushed over and shouted to Zang Ba: "General Zang, General Zhang orders your troops to withdraw into the military city immediately!" Zang Ba hesitated, and looked back at the rapidly burning camp.  He couldn't help but sigh. It was indeed the best policy to preserve his strength before the chaos. He immediately ordered: "Withdraw into the military city immediately!"  He rushed to the military city inside and outside, but just after he ran out of the military camp, he heard the sound of war drums and the sound of fire. In the light of the hunting fire, he saw General Wei Yan leading 10,000 ambushes from the side and cutting off Cao Jun's retreat. Cao Jun's soldiers suddenly  There was chaos.  Zang Ba saw that the Han army was chasing him from behind, and the retreating soldiers were about to overwhelm his rear army. He was anxious and shouted desperately: "Kill over!" Cao's soldiers fought desperately to break through, and the two sides fought fiercely outside the camp.  At this time, all Cao Jun's warships in the water stronghold were caught in the sea of ??fire, and Gan Ning led the navy to land from the north of the water stronghold. Twenty-five thousand naval troops landed from the north, outflanking Cao Jun, and blocking Cao Jun's navy from heading north.  retreat.  The two armies continued to fight until dawn. Hundreds of warships in the water stronghold were all burned. The water was full of charred wreckage of Cao's warships. Fifteen thousand navy troops were also completely destroyed under the joint attack of Huang Zhong and Gan Ning.  The army was destroyed, nearly 10,000 people were captured and surrendered, thousands were beheaded, and less than 2,000 escaped.  ??And Zang Ba also lost nearly half of the 20,000-strong army. Zang Ba led his army to fight a bloody road, and more than 10,000 people fled into the military city. However, the Wei Yan tribe responsible for the interception also suffered heavy casualties, with more than 3,000 casualties.  Zhang Liao did not order the troops to go out to fight in the city. He was persuaded to stop by military counselor Cheng Yu. Although they had 35,000 troops in the military city, Cheng Yu knew that Cao Jun's soldiers were not good at night fighting. The camp had been burned by fire, and Cao Jun's military morale was  If you waver, going out to fight out of the city will only lead to more casualties, and it will not help the situation. You cannot restore the fact that the water stronghold and military camp were destroyed. In this case, conserving your strength to the maximum extent is the wisest choice.  Despite this, Zhang Liao personally led 3,000 soldiers out of the city to meet Zang Ba. It was Zhang Liao's response that enabled Zang Ba's army to break through the Han army's interception and survive the chaos.  The light snow has turned into heavy snow, the sky is gray and gloomy, and the snowballs are falling like catkins in the cold wind. The sky and the earth are gray. On the top of the military city, Zhang Liao stands in the heavy snow and stares at the tragic situation outside the city. His  He felt very heavy. The naval force he had worked so hard to manage was destroyed overnight. How could he explain to the prime minister?  At this time, Cheng Yu slowly stepped forward. He sighed and comforted Zhang Liao and said, "Now that the matter is over, Wen Yuan shouldn't worry too much. I didn't expect this. I will explain the situation clearly to the Prime Minister."  What's more, the combat capability of our navy is far weaker than that of the enemy, and it was a surprise attack by them. The failure is reasonable. However," Having said that, Cheng Yu said with some worry: "I am a little worried about the Prime Minister's safety now.  "Zhang Liao was shocked, "The military advisor is saying that the Han army is going to attack the Prime Minister?" Cheng Yu nodded, "The Han army's intention is very obvious, which is to completely destroy our naval force. If the water stronghold is burned, then follow the Prime Minister to the east.  The two hundred warships that went there will definitely be their target." This sentence woke up the people in the game, and Zhang Liao suddenly became anxious, "Then what should we do? How can we go to meet the prime minister if there are no warships?" "General.  Don¡¯t worry, although the Han warships will definitely intercept the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister may not be captured without mercy. He will definitely abandon the ship and go ashore. As long as we rush to the north bank to meet him, we will meet the Prime Minister.After all, there are six thousand elites, and the Han army is not easy to deal with.  Zhang Liao pondered for a moment and then made a decisive decision: "In this case, I will personally lead the troops to rescue the prime minister!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 780 Jiangdong Storm (Twenty Four)

    It was getting daylight, and Liu Jing finally woke up. His whole body ached after a night of romance, and he realized that the beauty in his arms had long since disappeared.  At this time, he actually had a dream-like feeling. He actually got Da Qiao. Just yesterday at noon, he had not had this idea, but overnight, it became a reality.  At this time, the cabin door opened, and a rosy morning glow poured into the cabin. Da Qiao walked in wearing a white fine linen skirt, holding a gold lacquer plate in his hand.  Da Qiao knelt down beside him, put down the lacquer plate, pursed his lips and said with a smile: "I thought you had a hard time last night, so I thought I would give you a tonic. Get up and drink it!" The light shone on her face, she  The skin on her face was rosy, shining as brightly as white porcelain. The sadness between her brows last night was completely gone, and there was a kind of happiness overflowing from her heart.  Liu Jing was a little stunned. Will a woman change so much overnight?  "What are you looking at?" Da Qiao bit her lips lightly. After a night of love, Liu Jing had conquered her body and mind, giving her a feeling of rebirth. She rolled her eyes at him sweetly, "Didn't you see enough last night?  " "It was pitch black last night, what did I see?" "Hi!  ' Da Qiao covered his mouth and smiled, stretched out his jade fingers, and gently touched his face. His eyes were full of affection, but also a bit shy. He smiled lightly and said, "I'll show it to you when I have time. Let you see."  That's enough!" Liu Jing's heart trembled, and she threw her down on the quilt, "I want to see it now!" He unzipped her skirt roughly, and the skirt spread out, like a piece of mutton-fat white jade.  The dazzling skin dazzled his eyes.  "Not now!" Da Qiao hurriedly pointed to the outside of the cabin, "The maid will be here soon." She took the initiative to kiss Liu Jing's cheek and whispered: "Let's go to night! Okay?" Liu Jing sat up and he  He was really hungry. He picked up the bird's nest porridge and drank it slowly. His burning eyes were staring at Da Qiao as he was adjusting his dress. He suddenly remembered that Da Qiao was not wearing this dress last night, so he asked strangely: "You  Did you bring a dress? " "Where can I bring a dress? This is the maid's dress. I can borrow it temporarily. You don't know, but I went down to the second floor and was very cold by the river breeze." Liu Jing thought of her.  There was nothing in her skirt, and she suddenly laughed ambiguously and said teasingly: "What, why don't you jump into the river?" After saying that, he regretted it. What should he do to say such disappointing words at this time? It would hurt her.  Heart, he cursed himself to death.  Sure enough, the smile on Da Qiao's face disappeared, he lowered his head deeply, and after a while he whispered in a low voice: "Do you also feel that I am contemptible in your heart?" Liu Jing felt extremely sad in her heart, and quickly put down the bowl and stepped forward to hug her into her arms.  In the middle, he said sincerely: "It's too late for me to love you. How can I belittle you? I'm afraid that you won't be able to think about it." Da Qiao snuggled powerlessly in his arms. Liu Jing's love and affection made her feel sweet in her heart. She  Sighing softly: "If I hadn't crossed that hurdle in my heart, I would never have left you last night. Do you think I will still be living in his shadow for fifteen years?" "I think you have always been  Living in his shadow, you were finally freed last night. " "Then you are wrong. He has already slowly faded away from my heart. I am just trapped by my identity and suppress my desires deeply in my heart.  In fact, in my dreams, I also longed to escape from that cage, longing to have a shoulder for me to lean on, so that I could have an unforgettable relationship. " Speaking of this, Da Qiao stretched out his arms and hooked Ailang's neck, his eyes blurred.  He said softly: "The feeling last night is really unforgettable. I will never forget it in my life." Liu Jing kissed her lips and said softly: "I will marry you and let you give me a son."  This sentence made Da Qiao suddenly worried. She stood up slowly, walked to the boat window and stared blankly at the vast snow in the sky. After an unknown amount of time, she sighed softly.  "What are you worried about?" Liu Jing walked to her side and hugged her soft waist.  Da Qiao snuggled into his arms and whispered: "You remind me of Shang Xiang. I'm really ashamed. How should I face her?" "What's the point?" Liu Jing said with some displeasure: "I  Liu Jing wants to dominate the world. Do I have to look at other people's faces when marrying a woman? " "It's not as simple as you think. You have no problem, but I am a difficult person." Da Qiao thought for a while.  : "I still want to go back." Seeing the anger in Liu Jing's eyes, she quickly reached out to cover his mouth and said softly: "Just listen to what I say before you get angry, okay?" Liu Jing suppressed the anger in her heart and resented it.  Da Qiao said, "Go ahead!" Da Qiao pondered for a moment and said, "I'm not going back for anyone else, but for Mrs. Wu. Her days are running out, and she has been so kind to me in the past ten years.Shan, I have long regarded her as my mother. I want to accompany her on her last journey. Jinglang, is that okay?  " The anger in Liu Jing's heart melted away when she said 'Jing Lang'. He gently touched her face, nodded and said: "I promise you!  " Da Qiao suddenly became happy, and all the worries in her heart were immediately relieved. She put her arms around Liu Jing's neck, smiled coquettishly and said, "Then you have to ensure my safety, and don't let Sun Quan send me to Cao Ying again. In that case, I will really  He can jump into the river.  "I'm sorry he doesn't have the guts. I will write you a letter and give it to him. I believe he will send you to heaven."  " Speaking of this, the fire in Liu Jing's heart was stirred up by the peerless beauty in front of her. He hugged her tightly and whispered a few words in her ear. Da Qiao nodded shyly. The fleet accelerated and continued sailing, gradually disappearing on the river.  Amid the heavy snow above, after traveling for one day and two nights, at noon on the third day, the Han fleet slowly arrived at Wuhu. It took at least two hours from the first warship to the last warship to berth.  When Liu Jing's boat docked at the pier, Da Qiao finally saw his sister Xiao Qiao, who had disembarked first and was waiting on the pier. She was overjoyed and ran down the boat ladder. The two sisters laughed and hugged each other tightly. Da Qiao.  He said with lingering fear: "I heard that you were arrested, and I was worried to death. Later, the King of Han said that you had been rescued. I thought he was trying to comfort me. But now that I see you, I know that it is true. It reassures me."  .  " The two sisters reunited after the robbery and had endless things to say. Xiao Qiao was so excited that she didn't notice the changes in Da Qiao. She hurriedly said: "I was captured by Wu Hou and imprisoned in a big house outside the city. They took me there at night.  When he was sent away, he was rescued by the King of Han's people and put directly on the ship. I am also very worried about you. I never thought that Wu Hou would do such a despicable thing.  "    "yes!  Fortunately, he escaped from Jianye without any danger.  " Only then did Xiao Qiao notice the subtle changes in Da Qiao. A woman's unique observation ability captured many details. Da Qiao's face was radiant, and his skin became white, delicate, and extremely elastic. He seemed to be ten years younger all of a sudden. More importantly,  , the melancholy that had always shrouded Da Qiao's eyebrows and eyes had been swept away, and she became happy and confident. Xiao Qiao was startled, and she sensitively realized something, and her beautiful eyes quickly looked at Liu Jing who was getting off the boat.  Glancing away, Da Qiao didn't realize that she had exposed her flaws. She took her sister's hand and walked onto the waiting carriage. She smiled at her and said, "I will stay with you in Wuhu for a day, but I still have to go back to Jian."  Ye, you can only go to Shangxiang's place alone.  "    "Why?  "Xiao Qiao asked in surprise. She put aside her sister's changes for the time being. "The old lady can't live without me. You also know that her time is running out. But don't worry, the King of Han will ensure her safety.  There is danger again.  " Xiao Qiao lowered her head and said nothing. She knew what her sister said was true, but she couldn't go to Chengdu with her, which made her feel very regretful. After a while, Xiao Qiao sighed, "I hope my sister can come to Chengdu after seeing off the old lady.  I'm really worried about being reunited with me.  " "Yes, I will definitely come back.  "As the two sisters spoke, the carriage slowly drove to the pier of Wuhu County. Liu Jing kept watching their sisters' carriage go away, and then she said to the guards: "Come to see me, General Gan and General Huang!  "Gan Ning and Huang Zhong were already waiting on the dock. Before Liu Jing could find them, they came to see Liu Jing. "See His Highness the King of Han!  " Liu Jing had already received the battle report halfway. Gan Ning and Huang Zhong had completely wiped out Cao Cao's navy, which made him very satisfied. Although he also knew that with the strong strength of Jingzhou navy and the 20,000 elites brought by Huang Zhong, Cao Cao's navy could be annihilated.  There is no problem with the village and the 20,000 navy, but this involves a balance between benefits and costs. He has to pay a huge cost in attacking Cao Cao's navy, and that is Liu Jing's credibility. He has signed an armistice with Cao Cao.  According to the agreement, the two armies will not fight each other within five years, but he tore up the agreement in just a few months and took the initiative to attack Cao Cao's army. If it was just a small fight, it was nothing more than destroying the naval army that Cao Cao had just established.  , This will have a great impact on Liu Jing's reputation, and Cao Cao can take this opportunity to publicize that Liu Jing is an unfaithful person. Liu Jing cannot fail to know that the cost of attacking Cao Jun is huge, but if the benefits are huge.  If the cost is exceeded, then it is a feasible deal. The so-called benefits are, firstly, to annihilate Cao Cao's navy and lay the foundation for the capture of Hefei. Secondly, it is to have a major impact on the situation in Jiangdong. Cao Cao has not only always supported Sun Bi in Kuaiji County, but also  A new alliance treaty was signed with Sun Quan. Sun Quan expressed his surrender to Cao Cao without sending the prince as a hostage, and even offered Erqiao in exchange for food aid. Once Cao Cao's navy was destroyed, Cao Cao's power would no longer be able to cross the Yangtze River.  , the treaty signed by Cao Cao and Sun Quan became useless paper, Sun Ben could not get Cao Cao's support, and Jiangdong'sThe trend will reverse, and it can be said that the trend will slowly reverse.  This was a business in which the benefits were greater than the costs, and it was profitable. More importantly, it was a key step in breaking the situation. Liu Jing resolutely ordered Gan Ning and Huang Zhong to launch an attack on Cao Cao's navy.  Liu Jing commended the two men and then said to Gan Ning: "Cao Cao still has two hundred warships in his hands, almost all of which are thousands of stone warships. They are on their way back to Ruxukou. General Gan can lead the navy to intercept them."  "I humbly obey my orders!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 781 Jiangdong Storm (Twenty-five)

    Cao Cao's fleet set off at noon the next day after Liu Jing's fleet left, and returned to Ruxukou, six hours later than the Han fleet. It was the middle of winter, and the wind was heading northwest and traveling against the current.  Without special power, the fleet would not be able to travel westward.  The power of the Han army was impellers, which were obtained by soldiers stepping on wooden wheels in the fleet to move forward. Cao's ships were not equipped with impellers, but used long oars. The oar holes were opened on both sides of the warships, and dozens of huge oars were stretched out.  The soldiers rowed the oars in the cabin so that the warship could travel against the wind and the current, so this kind of warship was also called a hundred-oared ship.  However, compared with the Han army's impeller pedal boats, this kind of hundred-oared boat was not fast, inefficient, and time-consuming. The same thousand-stone impeller boat of the Han army only required twenty people to operate, while Cao's thousand-stone impeller boat  A wood-pulp boat requires forty people to row the oars, so Cao Cao's fleet only brought 6,000 people in name, but in fact there were 10,000 troops.  The fleet traveled for a whole day, less than a hundred miles, and was still sailing in Danyang County. At noon, Cao Cao, wearing a thick cloak, stood in front of the ship window and stared at the gray river. It was snowing heavily on both sides of the Yangtze River.  , the heavy snow on the river was blown by the strong westerly wind and roared towards the fleet.  This kind of heavy snow is rare in the south, but Cao Cao has long been accustomed to it in the north. At this time, he was thinking about the situation in Jiangdong. The main reason why he formed an alliance with Sun Quan was to break the alliance between Liu Jing and Sun Quan, and in turn, to attack Jingzhou  Forming a threat, but at this time Jiangdong's power was weakened and it was no longer able to compete with Jingzhou. Sun Quan's utilization value was actually very small, so Cao Cao had new ideas.  He wanted to take this opportunity to annex Jiangdong, but he also knew that Liu Jing would not allow him to annex Jiangdong. Once Cao's army went south to Jiangdong, a war for Jiangdong would inevitably break out. When fighting in the south, Cao's army was no match for the Han army. More importantly,  , on the contrary, it will enable Liu Jing to swallow Jiangdong and make a wedding dress for the Han army in vain.  So Cao Cao thought again and again. He would not directly send troops to Jiangdong, but he could support the pro-Cao forces. This pro-Cao force was not Sun Quan, but Sun Ben from Kuaiji County. Sun Ben must be allowed to unify Jiangdong, but Cao Cao got the news that due to the power of Sun Shao in Wu County  With the support of the Han army, the Kuaiji army could not even cross the Qiantang River.  In this way, eliminating Wu Jun's forces as soon as possible has become the focus of Cao Cao's consideration. The most effective way to deal with Wu Jun is to attack from the north and the south. Sun Quan sends troops from the north, and Sun Ben sends troops from the south. Wu Jun cannot resist the two armies.  Attacking from the north to the south, controlling Sun Quan became another main reason for Cao Cao's Jianye trip.  As for bringing Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao into the harem, that has been a dream of Cao Cao for many years. He was about to succeed, but Liu Jing stepped in and kidnapped Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao. This made Cao Cao extremely depressed, and he couldn't use this  When he challenged Sun Quan about the matter, he had already fled, and it was useless to press Sun Quan any further.  Cao Cao could only sigh. After all, he had no fate with Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao. At the same time, he also hated Liu Jing deeply. It was enough for him to be his enemy. But he actually had to compete with himself for women. This was unbearable!  Cao Cao was sulking in the cabin. At this time, soldiers rushed over and reported outside the cabin: "Reporting to the Prime Minister, the sentry ship discovered the Han warship thirty miles ahead. They launched an attack on the sentry ship. Five  "The sentry ships were sunk and only one escaped." This news shocked Cao Cao. He quickly walked out of the cabin and saw two spies standing outside the cabin, covered in water and shivering from the cold. Cao Cao quickly asked:  "But it's Liu Jing's warship?" "Report to the Prime Minister, it's not Liu Jing's warship. The flag of the leading warship has the word 'Gan' on it. It should be Gan Ning's warship. There are hundreds of them." Cao Cao's thoughts  Quick turn, what does Liu Jing mean? Is he trying to intercept him?  At this time, Cao Cao suddenly had a bad premonition. Gan Ning actually dared to leave Wuhu and mobilize all his troops. Wasn't he afraid that his navy would raid his lair?  Since Gan Ning dared to go out in full force, he must have something to rely on. Could it be that Cao Cao suddenly broke into a cold sweat? This place is at least a hundred miles away from Wuhu. If something happens to Wuhu, Gan Ning will not be able to come back in time to rescue him. If Gan Ning dares to do this, only  One possibility is that Cao Cao began to worry about whether something had happened to his navy.  ¡°Prime Minister, the enemy fleet has been discovered!¡± the observer on the mast shouted loudly.  Cao Cao quickly walked to the side of the ship and looked to the west. He saw countless black spots on the gray river in the west, about ten miles away from them. This immediately made Cao Cao nervous. Although he had two hundred warships,  , an army of ten thousand, but most of the soldiers are used to row boats. They have no combat effectiveness at all. The enemy army is following the river and has an advantage. Once they engage in battle, they will inevitably be annihilated.  Cold sweat broke out on Cao Cao's forehead. After all, he was experienced, knew how to balance the importance, and knew how to get out of the crisis. He immediately ordered: "Pass my order, the fleet quickly approaches the north bank!" In this case, abandoning the ship and landing is the first step.  Their only and wisest approach?As the signal soldiers waved flag signals, Cao Cao's fleet began to turn quickly and moved closer to the north bank.  The war fleet coming from the west was the three hundred war ships led by Gan Ning. They were going down the river at a very fast speed. At this time, Gan Ning also saw Cao's fleet. He immediately ordered: "Pursue with all our strength."  !¡± The Han fleet sped up and pursued the fleeing Cao Cao fleet with all their strength. Gan Ning was even more anxious. He wanted to catch Cao Cao and achieve immortality. He kept giving orders, ¡°Speed ??up, speed up!  " Gan Ning's warship seemed to be flying on the river, getting closer and closer to Cao Cao's warship, but it was not that easy to catch Cao Cao. More than a dozen Cao's warships lined up on the river, blocking Gan Ning's efforts.  In the direction of Ning's warship, they quickly surrounded Gan Ning's ship. Dozens of huge rocks roared towards Gan Ning's ship from all directions. More than a dozen Cao's warships arrived and intercepted several Han warships behind them.  , the two sides launched a fierce water battle on the river.  Although Cao Cao¡¯s warships were far from the enemy¡¯s opponents, they successfully blocked the pursuit of Han warships and bought Cao Cao and his subordinates valuable time to escape ashore.  The water battle on the river was gradually coming to an end. Ten of the nearly thirty Cao Cao warships were sunk, and a dozen more were set on fire. However, Cao Cao's warships had already reached the north bank, and the water on this shore was very deep.  , the warships could dock directly, and Cao Cao boarded the shore under the escort of dozens of soldiers. More and more Cao Jun ships docked, and groups of Cao Jun soldiers rushed to escape to the land.  Cao Cao stood on a high ground and stared solemnly at the Han warships on the river. At this time, he was almost certain that something might happen to his navy. Cao Cao knew Liu Jing's intentions very well. He wanted to break the situation.  Once his navy is destroyed, Sun Quan will change his mind and no longer fulfill the covenant between the two parties, and the covenant will become a piece of waste paper.  Cao Cao was even sure that Liu Jing would never allow him to transport 30,000 shi of grain to Jiangdong, and now he had no ships available. Thinking of this, Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh and became worried. At this time, Xu Chu stepped forward and saluted: "Prime Minister,  Let's leave first!" Cao Cao looked towards the river again and saw that the dense warships on the river were approaching the north bank. The nearest warship was less than 300 steps away from where he was standing. Cao Cao had no choice but to order:  "Leave the shore and head toward Hefei quickly!" Cao Jun's soldiers were forced to abandon their warships and began to evacuate the north bank, heading toward Hefei a hundred miles away along the official road. Nearly two hundred warships were abandoned on the north shore.  The ship and a large amount of food and supplies in the ship all fell into the hands of the Han army, but Gan Ning regretted that this was a good opportunity to seize Cao Cao, but he still failed to seize the opportunity. The Han army's attack on Cao Cao's navy finally triggered  In a chain reaction, Cao's army was forced to abandon the military city of Ruxukou due to the destruction of the navy and the loss of all warships, and returned to Fei in the north direction. The Han army no longer garrisoned in Wuhu, and Liu Jing led the army back to Chaisang.  Shortly after the Han army withdrew, Pang Tong arrived in Jianye in a small boat.  In the Jianye Palace, Sun Quan was discussing with Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong the countermeasures after the Han army was defeated. A few days ago, Da Qiao returned to Jianye. She brought Sun Quan an autographed letter from Liu Jing. In the letter, Liu Jing  He said that he was willing to use grain in exchange for the copper ingots in Jianye's official treasury. In other words, after Cao Cao's 30,000 shi of food aid turned into water, Liu Jing turned to express his willingness to help solve the food crisis in Jiangdong.  At the same time, Sun Quan also received the news that Cao Cao's navy was destroyed and that the Han army and Cao army withdrew at the same time. This news shocked Sun Quan and made him finally realize that south of the Yangtze River, Cao's army would never be  If the opponents of the Han army form an alliance with Cao Cao, they will only end up humiliating themselves.  "I feel very lucky!" Sun Quan felt a little ashamed in his heart. Because he misjudged the situation and almost made a big mistake, he sighed and said to Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong: "I did not send my eldest son to Yedu. This is the wisest thing I have done this year.  decision, otherwise I will be caught by Cao Cao, and it will be difficult for me to stand up again. This time it is entirely my responsibility." Zhang Hong and Zhang Zhao looked at each other, and Zhang Zhao bowed and said, "This matter is trivial to say.  The minister is also responsible and cannot entirely blame Wuhou. After all, it was Weichen who negotiated the alliance between Jiangdong and Cao Cao, and he was not able to dissuade Wuhou in time. Weichen also felt deeply ashamed. " Zhang Hong said calmly: "I will talk to Cao Cao.  Forming an alliance and putting pressure on the Han army was Wei Chen's suggestion. Wei Chen should have greater responsibility, but Wei Chen believed that Jiangdong did not lose much. On the contrary, in the confrontation between Liu Jing and Cao Cao, we also gained something.  Interests, the reason why Liu Jing agreed to trade grain with Jiangdong was actually a compromise on his part. From this perspective, our goal was achieved. Although we took a risky move, of course, we also made some mistakes in rushing for quick success.  ¡± The mistake Zhang Hong mentioned here is that Sun Quan agreed to give Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao to Cao Cao.Neither Hong nor Zhang Zhao knew about it beforehand, but they heard about it later. However, it was difficult to explain this kind of thing clearly, so Zhang Hong could only vaguely remind Sun Quan.  Sun Quan smiled bitterly after a while and said: "Then what should we do next? Are we really going to exchange copper ingots for Liu Jing's food?" He looked at Zhang Zhao, who quickly said: "Wu Hou, don't make a decision in a hurry.  If Wei Chen is not wrong, Liu Jing will definitely send someone to talk about this matter in detail." As soon as he finished speaking, a guard in the hall bowed and said: "Let me inform the Marquis of Wu that the King of Han has sent military advisor Pang Tong to the city."  Sun Quan nodded and praised Zhang Zhao: "Zi Bu is indeed an expert in predicting events!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 782 Jiangdong Storm (Twenty-six)

    Pang Tong was led into the Jianye Palace by Jiangdong soldiers and came to the meeting hall. Sun Quan, Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong had been waiting here for a long time. Pang Tong quickly stepped forward, bowed and saluted: "Pang Tong meets the Marquis of Wu!" Sun Quan laughed.  , stepped forward to hold Pang Tong's arm, looked at him and said: "I sincerely welcome Military Advisor Pang to come." There are some things that need not be said. Both sides understand in their hearts that Pang Tong is here to deal with the aftermath and reorganize the relationship between the Sun and Liu families.  , Liu Jing has destroyed the foundation of the covenant between Sun Quan and Cao Cao, turning the Sun Quan and Cao Cao covenant into a piece of waste paper. So how to solve Jiangdong's current predicament and how Jiangdong's future political situation will be, there must be a clear explanation.  This time, the attitude must be clear, the bottom line must be shown to the other party, and a compromise must be reached on this basis, so Pang Tong's trip is particularly important. Sun Quan also knows this, so he wants to meet Pang Tong in person.  Pang Tong greeted Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong again, and everyone walked into the meeting hall and the guests and hosts took their seats. Sun Quan smiled and said: "I heard that the Han army attacked Cao's water stronghold at night, burned all the warships, and wiped out more than 10,000 enemy people.  This news is encouraging, but it will also damage the reputation of His Highness the King of Han. As far as I know, the King of Han and Cao Cao signed a five-year armistice agreement." Pang Tong smiled slightly and said calmly: "Cao Jun is stationed in Ruxukou.  There are hundreds of warships, which first threatens the safety of Jiangdong. Once Cao Cao captures Jiangdong, he will form a two-sided attack on Jingzhou. For the survival of Jiangdong and the safety of Jingzhou, His Highness the King of Han decided to risk the loss of his reputation.  Even if there is a risk, we must also annihilate Cao Cao's navy to prevent future troubles. " Sun Quan, Zhang Zhao, and Zhang Hong looked at each other, and the three of them smiled bitterly at the same time. Pang Tong said this, undoubtedly asking Jiang Dong to take on this favor, although he could say whatever he wanted.  , but things cannot be done casually. Sun Quan did not continue to argue with Pang Tong on this issue. As soon as he changed the topic, he spoke frankly and honestly: "His Royal Highness the King of Han mentioned in a letter to me that he is willing to trade grain with me. I don't know." Grain  This is the issue that Sun Quan is most concerned about. The little grain stored in the warehouse is military grain, which is related to the stability of the army. He cannot touch a grain of grain. However, the price of grain in the Jiangdong market has skyrocketed, reaching a point where it is unbearable for ordinary people. There has begun to be a problem.  People fled to Wu County. Once a large-scale refugee incident occurred, the foundation of his rule would collapse.  For Sun Quan, the food issue was related to his survival. It was for this reason that he would not hesitate to give Da Qiao Xiao Qiao to Cao Cao for Cao Cao's 30,000 shi of food aid. Now there is little hope for this matter, but Liu  However, Jing offered to exchange grain for Jiangdong copper ingots, which gave Sun Quan hope.  However, Sun Quan was not willing to exchange copper ingots for grain. He was more willing to exchange pig iron billets for grain. When he said this, he looked at Pang Tong expectantly.  Pang Tong came here mainly for this matter. He solved Sun Quan's food crisis, stabilized the situation in Jiangdong, and completely broke the alliance between Sun Quan and Cao Cao. Pang Tong smiled slightly and said: "His Royal Highness the King of Han does intend to trade grain with Jiangdong, but  Before discussing the deal, I must first confirm with the Marquis of Wu the exchange of Yuzhang and Poyang for Lujiang County. Lu Zijing has already agreed on behalf of the Marquis of Wu, but His Highness the King of Han hopes that the Marquis of Wu can agree to the swap in writing. " Sun Quan pondered for a moment.  Although he did not agree with this matter, the situation was here. Yuzhang and Poyang counties were still in the hands of the Han army. If he did not agree, these two counties would never come back. Helplessly, Sun Quan had no choice but to nod and agree.  "I can guarantee it in writing." "Okay!" Pang Tongren praised: "Wuhou is worthy of being a hero in the world who can afford it and let it go. In this case, let's talk about food. His Highness the King of Han promised to allocate funds to Jiangdong  One hundred thousand shi of grain, and 10,000 shi will be allocated every month. There are two ways. Wu Hou can choose one of them. One is to exchange with copper ingots. We will directly give the grain to Wu Hou and let Wu Hou dispose of it. But using this method  There is a small additional condition for the method." "What other conditions are there?" Sun Quan frowned, with a look of displeasure on his face.  At this time, Zhang Zhao said from the side: "Master Pang, don't say any additional conditions first, let's talk about the second method first." Zhang Zhao is more sober than Sun Quan. He knows that this additional condition will not be simple, and he is afraid that Sun Quan will fall into it.  Simply avoiding this additional condition first, Sun Quan suddenly woke up and said quickly: "Okay, Military Advisor Pang will talk about the second way first." Pang Tongtong smiled and said slowly: "The second way is for us to come forward to calm Jiangdong Liang.  "What do you mean?" "In other words, we will not hand over the 100,000 shi of grain to the Jiangdong government. We will set up Pingcang grain stores in Danyang County and Qu'a County. We will be responsible for stabilizing the price of grain in Jiangdong." "Absolutely not.  !¡± Sun Quan and the other two unanimously opposed it. How could it be possible to let Liu Jing take the lead in stabilizing food prices? Wouldn¡¯t this be giving up the people¡¯s support?  Fortunately Liu Jing could figure it out.  Pang Tong was not angry, and said with a smile:"Wu Hou must think clearly, there are no conditions attached to this method." "No!" Sun Quan flatly refused.  "Okay! Let's go back to the first method. We have an additional condition. The condition is that within one year, Wu Hou is not allowed to attack Wu County. Once Wu Hou attacks Wu County, we will immediately stop the grain trade."  Sun Quan's face turned livid and he couldn't say a word for a long time. At this time, Zhang Hong, who had been silent, said: "I'm afraid there are not so many copper ingots in Jiangdong. There are only 100,000 kilograms of copper ingots in the official warehouse, and the rest is not enough to use pig iron."  How about exchange? " "That's okay. Then we'll pay one hundred thousand kilograms of copper ingots first, and the shortfall will be made up with pig iron. The specific price will be calculated based on the market price of both parties." Pang Tong agreed to Zhang Hong's suggestion. At this time, he saw Sun Quan's expression.  Gloomy, knowing that he was annoyed by the additional conditions, he smiled and said: "Let's do it! Wu Hou will think about it first, and I will come back tomorrow morning to hear Wu Hou's decision." Sun Quan nodded and said to Zhang Zhao: "Send Military Advisor Pang to Hongluyi  Rest and let Yi Cheng serve you well." Zhang Zhao smiled and waved, "Commander Pang, please!" Pang Tong bowed to Sun Quan and walked away. Soon Zhang Zhao returned to the meeting hall, and Sun Quan said bitterly.  The two said: "I knew Liu Jing wanted to prevent me from unifying Jiangdong. He wanted to support Sun Shao to unify Jiangdong. Sun Shao has always been cowardly and incompetent. In the end, he would only hand over Jiangdong to Liu Jing." Zhang Zhao sighed, "Wuhou  You're right, Liu Jing defeated Cao Cao's navy just to prevent us and Sun Ben from attacking Sun Shao from north to south. From the Lu family in Wu County, we can see that he was indeed supporting Sun Shao and giving us food. In the final analysis, he was also trying to bribe Jiangdong.  "Huh!" Sun Quan snorted heavily, "I can't wait for one year. I don't know what will happen to the situation in one year. I'm worried that I will never have the chance to unify Jiangdong."  At that time, Zhang Hong said with a smile: "Actually, we can take advantage of both, but there is a compromise." "Please tell me, Chang Shi! What is the compromise?" Sun Quan asked hurriedly.  Zhang Hong said with a smile: "Liu Jing is using food to contain us. Once we send troops to Wu County, he will stop supplying food. This kind of containment seems very powerful, but in fact there is a big loophole." "Continue to talk.  !" Sun Quan's eyes flashed, obviously attracted.  Zhang Hong continued: "It's the beginning of December now, and in one month it will be the New Year. After the New Year, spring will begin, and spring plowing will be carried out. The army will also be stationed in the fields, and there will be no time for war. After this busy period, it will be April at least, and then  After one month of preparation, after half a year, we also got 60,000 shi of grain. When I settled the accounts with Wu Hou, we actually only lacked 50,000 shi of grain. With 60,000 shi of grain, we don't have to worry about Liu Jing interrupting the food supply.  At that time, we were almost ready to march into Wu County and reunify Jiangdong. " Sun Quan understood what Zhang Hong meant. Since New Year, spring plowing and preparation for war would take time, he would simply agree to Liu Jing's additional conditions and wait.  After half the time, they had also survived the food crisis and could attack Wu County in a large scale. This was indeed a compromise that had the best of both worlds.  Sun Quan nodded, "Chang Shi's suggestion can be adopted." At this time, Zhang Zhao smiled and said: "In fact, we can also make full use of these six months to implement strategies in Wu County to weaken Wu County's internal strength and create a better future for us.  Let's wipe out Wu County and create conditions." "This is a great plan!" Zhang Hong suddenly understood what Zhang Zhao meant and praised loudly.  Sun Quan also realized something and said with a smile: "The military advisor refers to Sun Shao?" Zhang Zhao nodded, "Sun Shao is just Sun Shao's puppet. The real power of Wu County is Sun Shao, and Lu Xun and Gu Yong  The one supported by others is Sun Shao. The conflict between them is difficult to resolve. As long as we provoke the relationship between the two, Wu County will inevitably fall into internal strife. At that time, if we send out a large number of troops, we can easily regain Wu County and capture Wu County.  The county is not far away from capturing Kuaiji." Sun Quan raised his thumb and said with great emotion: "I am lucky to have two great talents to assist me!" Sun Quan then appointed Zhang Hong and Pang Tong to negotiate frankly.  In response, a consensus was finally reached. Jiangdong would abrogate the alliance it had reached with Cao Cao not long ago and promised not to attack Wu County within a year. As compensation, the Han army would allocate 100,000 grains to Jiangdong for grain, iron and copper trade.  In addition, Sun Quan recognized Lujiang County in writing as a county under Jingzhou, and the Han army promised to return the Poyang and Yuzhang counties captured from Jiaozhou to Jiangdong.  The two parties formally signed the agreement, and Sun Quan immediately ordered the allocation of 20,000 shi of grain to stabilize Jianye's grain prices. With the intervention of the government, the soaring grain prices in Danyang County immediately fell back to the price of 80 liters of rice, which eased the boiling point.  of public dissatisfaction.  ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????.After the city was handed over to Jingzhou, Liu Jing immediately ordered veteran general Huang Zhong to lead 30,000 elite Han troops to station in Wan County, and ordered general Shen Mi to lead 10,000 naval troops and 300 warships to enter Chaohu along the Ruxu River.  The Han army established a water stronghold in Chao Lake. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Han army mobilized its troops and targeted Hefei.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 783 Traveling to Chaisang with Beauty

    After several days of sailing, the Han warship is about to arrive at Chaisang City. Since Da Qiao has returned to Jianye, this time Xiao Qiao and Liu Jing are returning in the same boat. They get along well with Da Qiao all the way back.  That kind of passion.  When the boat arrived at Chaisang, the heavy snow had stopped. The mountains, forests, rivers and fields on both sides of the bank were covered with heavy snow, turning into a snowy world. Xiao Qiao was wearing a white fox fur coat with a light green bird feather on the outside.  In the cloak, he stood alone on the side of the ship, staring thoughtfully at the snow-white world on the south bank.  At this time, Liu Jing appeared next to her, holding the side of the boat and laughing: "Don't there be such snow scenes in Jianye?"  "It seems that Jianye is still slightly warmer than Jingzhou. There is heavy snow in Jiangxia and Xiangyang every year, but it rarely snows in Chengdu. I wonder what will happen in Guanzhong?"  After understanding what Liu Jing said, he was a little surprised and asked: "Is the general going to move to Guanzhong?" Liu Jing nodded, "Sooner or later, we may have to move as soon as next year. Xiao Qiao will also go to Guanzhong with me.  " Logically speaking, Liu Jing should call her Mrs. Zhou, or Mrs. Xiao Qiao, but that is the official title. After getting along for a long time, Liu Jing changed her name to Xiao Qiao. Her closest friends all called her Xiao Qiao.  Liu Jing smiled, but did not answer what Liu Jing expected. At this time, her eyes lit up, she pointed at the large green area in the distance and asked in surprise: "Where is that? Why isn't it white?" "That's Pengze Lake. After Pengze Lake,  It's Chaisang. We will rest in Chaisang for two days and then go directly to Bashu. "Oh! So that's Pengze Lake." Xiao Qiao said to herself. She suddenly hugged her arms and said apologetically: "I'm a little cold. I want to go in."  "The cabin." "Want me to accompany you back to the cabin?" Liu Jing asked diligently.  "No, I'll go back by myself, thank you!" Xiao Qiao turned around and returned to her cabin. Liu Jing silently watched her enter the cabin. He felt that Xiao Qiao was a little cold to him along the way. On the surface, they got along harmoniously and harmoniously.  But deep down, she deliberately kept a distance from him. Everyone said that Xiao Qiao was passionate and unrestrained, while Da Qiao was reserved and quiet, but Liu Jing felt exactly the opposite.  Liu Jing also returned to his cabin. This time he left Chengdu in May. Half a year later, he also began to miss his family. Liu Jing took out a pen and paper and prepared to write a letter to his family. At this time, he felt something  , looked up and saw Xiao Qiao standing at the door of the cabin, looking a little hesitant. Liu Jing put down her pen and asked with a smile: "What's wrong?" "I have something I want to ask His Highness." "Please come in and sit down and talk!"  Xiao Qiao walked into the cabin swayingly and sat down opposite Liu Jing. Liu Jing ordered the maid to serve tea. Xiao Qiao held the tea cup in both hands and asked with a smile: "Your Highness, please tell the truth, what are you and my sister?"  "Relationship?" "First of all, since you don't want me to call you Mrs. Zhou, then don't call me Your Highness, call me Mr. Jing! This will make me feel more comfortable." "Okay! Mr. Jing can answer me."  "Is that the question you just asked?" In Wuhu County, Xiao Qiao also asked Da Qiao quietly, but Da Qiao denied it. However, with a woman's intuition, Xiao Qiao felt that the relationship between Liu Jing and Da Qiao was unusual, especially Liu Jing.  When she went to the dock to say goodbye to Da Qiao and returned to Jiangdong, Da Qiao's reluctant eyes could hide it from others, but not from Xiao Qiao, who grew up with her.  Liu Jing smiled for a while and said: "Your sister is grateful to me. We get along very well. Frankly speaking, I also like Da Qiao very much, but there is no deeper relationship." "Really.  No?" Xiao Qiao looked at Liu Jing with a half-smile.  "I can't explain this. Just like you and I came all the way and got along day and night. There will definitely be many people who think we have something to do with each other, just like you suspected me and Da Qiao. But in fact, do we have anything to do with each other?" Liu  Jing's frankness made Xiao Qiao blush, and she became confused. She knew her sister's reserve and reserve very well. She might like Liu Jing, but after only two days together, she could devote herself to Liu Jing so easily.  , it is indeed impossible. Do you really think too much?  She nodded, "Young Master is indeed a gentleman. We get along day and night, but His Highness can respect each other politely. If it were Sun Quan or Cao Cao, they would have" Speaking of this, Xiao Qiao blushed even more. How could he say such things casually?  Said, Liu Jing was surprised and asked: "Is Sun Quan also interested in your sisters?" Xiao Qiao sighed softly and said: "Sister, I don't know, but I can feel that he has feelings for me, and he hinted  I passed my father and hoped that I would choose the Sun family to remarry." Liu Jing nodded silently, considering Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao.No man would be tempted by her beautiful appearance, and when the two of them matured, they had an indescribable charm. Liu Jing had a particularly profound experience of this charm in Da Qiao.  The two were silent for a moment, and Xiao Qiao pursed his lips and smiled again: "If I live in the Young Master's house for a long time, will you agree?" "Of course I welcome it, but Jianye, I mean you will be willing to give up Jianye  "My property?" Xiao Qiao sneered, with a hint of resentment in her eyes, and whispered: "That's the Zhou family's property, what does it have to do with me!"  Reading too much resentment and helplessness in his words, he suddenly understood Xiao Qiao's situation, and smiled heartily: "You can stay as long as you want. If you are willing to stay by my side for the rest of your life, I would be happy to ask for it."  The words made Xiao Qiao's pretty face suddenly turn red. After a while, she bit her lip and said, "It turns out that the young master is not a gentleman either." "Do you want me to be a gentleman?" Liu Jing looked at Xiao Qiao warmly and said to the famous couple.  He has been thinking about the sisters in the world for a long time. More importantly, he has the world in his heart and has little patience with women. Being in a high position for a long time also makes him not have too many worries about women. He makes no secret of his feelings for this peerless woman in front of him.  The expectations of a beautiful woman.  Xiao Qiao twisted her fingers into a ball, feeling very conflicted. Although she had a good impression of Liu Jing, she also understood Liu Jing's hints. Moreover, Liu Jing was young, high-ranking, and had a commanding attitude that made it difficult for every woman to refuse, but Xiao Qiao had  She was unwilling to give in to Liu Jing so easily for her own dignity.  Xiao Qiao didn't know what to say, so she had to lower her head and dare not speak. Her half-rejection and half-welcome attitude gave Liu Jing an opportunity. Just as he was about to approach Xiao Qiao, a shout came from outside: "Chai Sang is here!  " The boat shook violently and began to slow down. Xiao Qiao suddenly woke up and quickly changed the topic and said with a smile: "I have never been to Chaisang. Would you like to go shopping with me? " Liu Jing nodded happily.  Said: "I am willing to serve the beautiful lady!" Xiao Qiao smiled brightly, got up and went back to his cabin. Although Chaisang City has gradually been marginalized politically, it has benefited economically from the opening of trade between Jingzhou and Jiangdong. In recent years, business has  It has developed rapidly, and there are many shops in the Beishi City near the city gate. Boats are constantly passing by and it is extremely lively. Businessmen from Changsha County, Yuzhang County, Poyang County and the eastern part of Qichun County come here to purchase goods.  , making Chaisangbei City a huge material distribution center, second only to Wuchang County in the entire Jingzhou region.  It was already early December, and the New Year was approaching. The Chaisang market was piled with supplies, and merchants were haggling over prices. It was extremely lively. Liu Jing was already very familiar with Chaisang. He was no longer in the mood to go shopping, but Xiao Qiao wanted to buy.  Liu Jing cheered up and went shopping with her.  Xiao Qiao was in a hurry when she left Jianye, taking only a few clothes with her. She didn't have any makeup, jewelry, etc. Unlike Da Qiao, who was elegant and pure, Xiao Qiao had been fond of makeup since she was a child. During the period of mourning, she didn't have any  However, after the period of mourning expired, she gradually resumed her hobbies and lifestyle. She was outgoing and lively by nature, and especially liked shopping. The liveliness and prosperity of Chaisang made her wash away the depression of the journey and became  He smiled brightly.  Liu Jing was disguised as a businessman. It was difficult to recognize him after a little dressing up. Xiao Qiao wore a curtain hat, and the gauze on the brim of the hat covered her face. However, her graceful figure and elegant temperament still attracted people.  Many people looked at her, but Xiao Qiao didn't seem to care. She walked side by side with Liu Jing generously, laughing and talking coquettishly all the way, completely restoring her lively and outgoing personality.  They walked to a jewelry store. Liu Jing knew that this was the most famous jewelry store in Chaisang, so she smiled and said, "Let's go in and have a look!" Xiao Qiao had already bought some high-quality powder, but it didn't cost much, so she was happy  Although she accepted Liu Jing's wishes, she was not willing to accept valuable gifts such as jewelry from Liu Jing. She shook her head and said with a smile: "I have a lot of jewelry, and they are all at my sister's place. I will write to her someday."  Just ask someone to bring it to you. No need to buy any more. "I want to buy some for my family as well. You can help me choose a few." "That's it!"  Qiao followed Liu Jing into the jewelry store with great interest. After entering the store, she naturally let go of Liu Jing's arm. At this time, a waiter came up to him enthusiastically and said: "Welcome distinguished guests to come to the store to choose jewelry. The store is  Chai Sang ranks first in the market and ranks third in Jingzhou. It¡¯s absolutely genuine and fair.¡± Seeing the large number of customers in the store, Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help but frowned and said, ¡°Do you have any expensive rooms?¡±  They were dressed luxuriously and had an extraordinary temperament, especially following a few burly and strong followers. They were probably not ordinary people. He quickly smiled and said: "That's right"If you have a guest room, please come with me!  " Liu Jing took Xiao Qiao into the guest room. The two sat down at a small table. A steward brought a jade box filled with precious jewelry and placed more than a dozen pieces of precious jewelry on his desk one by one.  In front of the two of them, he introduced with a smile: "These are treasures from the store. Back then, Princess Han's jewelry was all supplied by the store. The Bifeng hairpin that Princess Han wears every day was also purchased from the store back then."  " Xiao Qiao lifted up the gauze covering her face and looked at Liu Jing with a smile, asking him, 'Is that so?' 

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 784 Returning home after a long absence

    Liu Jing was a bit dumbfounded. A few years ago, his wife Tao Zhan began to use silver hairpins and copper hairpins, and most of her clothes were made of fine linen. Over the years, she has set an example by wearing jasper hairpins wherever she wants. This jewelry store is for  To solicit business, he actually used his wife for publicity, which made Liu Jing feel a little unhappy.  But he would not fall out with such a little person, he just said calmly: "There is no need to show the princess casually, it will not be good for you." The steward then realized that several followers behind him were glaring at him, which made him tremble all over.  Dare not say any more, he quickly picked up a pair of bracelets and introduced to Xiao Qiao: "This pair of gold bracelets are each inlaid with six precious stones, ruby, sapphire, cat's eye, emerald, topaz and green amber, also known as  The six-star pair of bracelets costs 30,000 yuan. If you are sincere about buying it, you can get it cheaper, at least 25,000 yuan. " Before Xiao Qiao could say anything, Liu Jing said, "I bought it!" The manager was overjoyed and quickly bought it with a jade.  Box put the bracelet away, Liu Jing glanced at Xiao Qiao's snow-white neck again, and said with a smile: "I want to buy a string of pearl necklaces, are they available?" In the cabin, Xiao Qiao put a string of dazzling pearl necklaces on her neck.  , this pearl necklace is made up of twenty-four pearls. Each pearl is as big as a grape, crystal clear and round, making her look particularly beautiful. Xiao Qiao sighed softly, including hairpins, wrist bracelets, and these  Liu Jing spent 100,000 yuan on her, including a necklace of pearls, clothes and makeup, and a shopping trip.  Of course, it was not about money, but Liu Jing's attitude towards her. Even her maid could tell that Liu Jing had no feelings for her anymore. Xiao Qiao was very confused. She also liked Liu Jing's demeanor and youthful prowess.  She knew that with Liu Jing's status, it would be easy to get her body, just like Cao Cao planned to get her, but he always treated her with courtesy.  The tenderness of his family moved her and touched her heart.  However, when Xiao Qiao thought about Liu Jing's special status, she always had a little hesitation in her heart. It was this hesitation that made her feel an inexplicable resistance to Liu Jing. She didn't want to get too close to him, but Xiao Qiao hated herself for not being enough.  Determined, he bought so many valuables for himself, why should he accept them?  At this time, the maid Shuang'er saw the contradiction in Xiao Qiao's heart and whispered: "If Madam doesn't want to take it, I am willing to send it back for Madam." Shuang'er is Xiao Qiao's personal maid and has been serving her for ten years.  , the two are called master and servant, and they actually love each other like sisters. Xiao Qiao will not hide anything from her. Xiao Qiao sighed, shook his head and said: "Since you have accepted it, if you give it back, it will annoy him. We  It will be sad in the future.¡± ¡°But Madam doesn¡¯t seem to like him very much.¡± Xiao Qiao turned around and glared at her. ¡°Oh! It turns out Madam likes him.¡±  , smiled and said: "Madam said she always wanted to go to Chengdu, it turned out to be for him." "You are talking nonsense again." Xiao Qiao lowered her face and said, "If you continue to talk nonsense, I will kick you out." "But Madam said it herself.  "I like him." Although Xiao Qiao kept saying that he wanted to drive her out, she wanted to tell her something in her heart. She frowned and said worriedly: "This has nothing to do with whether you like him or not. His status is extraordinary. In the future, he will  If you rule the world, you will have many concubines in your harem. Who am I? If I grow old and lose my beauty, I will be left in a corner and pass away alone for the rest of my life. I might as well stay in the Zhou Mansion. At least I will still have freedom.  "In this case, why do you want to go to Chengdu? Why don't you go back to Jianye with the eldest lady?" "It's okay for her to go back to Jianye. After all, her status is different, and Sun Quan doesn't dare to touch her easily. Who am I to go back to Jianye?"  He will still be given to Cao Cao in the end." Having said this, Xiao Qiao sighed, "Who else in the world can protect me besides him?" Shuang'er lowered her head and thought for a moment, then whispered: "  Otherwise, we should meet Princess Shangxiang first and listen to her opinion." Xiao Qiao shook his head, looked at Shuang'er solemnly and said, "I want to tell you something first, you must not do it.  I must not let anyone know about the King of Han's interest in me before I reveal it to Princess Shangxiang. Remember?" Shuang'er rarely saw her master so serious. She was so frightened that she nodded repeatedly, "Shuang'er remembers it."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  As the New Year approaches, every household in Chengdu hangs up lanterns, raises bamboo flags, cleans their houses, kills pigs and sheep, and begins preparations to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. Even sixteen large death-qi lanterns are hung in front of the gates of the Han Dynasty's official residence and military camp.  .  Today, it snowed heavily throughout the Yangtze River Basin, and Chengdu was no exception. A heavy snowfall made Chengdu covered with snow, turning it into a snowy world, making the New Year atmosphere even stronger, and the thick snowIt has become a happy world for children. Children are everywhere having snowball fights and making snowmen, and laughter resounds throughout the city.  In the room, eight-year-old Liu Zhi is sitting in front of the window practicing calligraphy, but today he is also a little restless. From time to time, he secretly looks out the window at the thick snow. He longs to be able to play in the snow like an ordinary child.  Go wild and fight and build snowmen.  "Brother, come and help me!" A childish cry came from the yard. It was six-year-old Liu Zhu calling her brother. Her little hands were red from the cold. She was holding a spatula and had already piled up a small  She was a small snowman, but it was not fun to play alone, so she wanted to get her brother to play with her.  Liu Zhi sighed. He was the prince of the Han Dynasty. He had no destiny to be a child. Liu Zhi had to lower his head and continued to practice calligraphy. At this time, Liu Zhu sneaked into the room and smashed a snowball.  On his brother's side, he giggled and ran out.  Liu Zhi couldn't bear it anymore. He bit his lip, put down his pen, left his seat and slipped out.  Maybe he could secretly build a snowman and then go back to practice calligraphy.  Liu Zhu had already pinched a bunch of snowballs under the tree. When she saw her brother running out, she screamed with excitement and threw the snowballs at her brother with her little hands. Liu Zhi laughed loudly and also pinched a snowball and threw it at his sister.  , rushed forward and grabbed his sister, and the two rolled over in the snow laughing.  At this moment, Liu Zhiruo felt something and looked up, only to see his mother appearing at the door without knowing when, glaring at him angrily. He was so frightened that he stood up in a hurry and lowered his head in silence. Liu Zhu also stuck out his tongue and hid.  After reaching the tree, she wanted to run away, but she was afraid that her brother would be scolded.  Tao Zhan walked forward slowly and asked coldly: "Have you finished your homework?" "Not yet!" Liu Zhi replied in a low voice.  "Have you finished half of it?" Liu Zhi lowered his head and did not dare to speak. Tao Zhan said angrily: "It has been more than two hours from early morning to now, and you haven't even finished writing two words. What are you doing?"  What? Where are you thinking? You can play if you want! Don't eat, don't sleep, do whatever you want!" Liu Zhi knelt down with tears in his eyes and said aggrievedly, "My child is wrong.  He also knelt down beside his brother and whispered: "Zhu'er was wrong too. You shouldn't have disturbed your brother's calligraphy practice." Tao Zhan sighed and said to the brothers and sisters: "Get up! Come to the room." She walked back to the room.  , and fiddled with the brazier to make the charcoal fire burn more vigorously. At this time, the Liu Zhi brothers and sisters walked into the room and stood with their hands down in front of their mother. Tao Zhan took Zhu'er and put her into his arms, and then he said seriously to Liu Zhiyu  : "Usually you have to write ten words in a morning, but today my mother only asked you to write four words. Do you know why?" Liu Zhi said after a while: "Mother is considerate of the child and gives the child time to play." "It seems like  You know it too, but why didn't you seize the time and finish your homework before playing? Instead, you were half-hearted and couldn't even finish two articles in one morning. If you don't even have this bit of self-control and can't resist the temptation, you will grow up.  How will you inherit your father's business?" "My child knows his mistake!" Tao Zhan looked at his son for a long time and asked: "Now that you know his mistake, what are you going to do?" "My child can finish ten articles, a lot.  "Very well, you can make up your own mind. You can go play or write. Mom won't punish you today. It's up to you." After saying that, Tao Zhan stood up and took Liu Zhu's hand and said with a smile.  Zhu'er went to the front yard with Auntie. Daddy will be back soon. Let's go see how to put up the lanterns. " "It's coming soon. It's either today or tomorrow." Liu Zhu jumped up happily and held Auntie's hand happily.  Liu Zhi walked to the front yard with his hand. Liu Zhi watched his mother and sister walk away. He sighed, sat down again, calmed his mind, and began to write seriously. This time he completely restrained his desire to play in the snow. Tao Zhan held his hand.  When Liu Zhu came to the front yard, he happened to meet Sun Shangxiang who was under the command to install lanterns. Sun Shangxiang picked up Liu Zhu and asked with a smile: "Zhu'er, where is your brother? Why don't you come together?"  He was criticized, but he was writing!" Sun Shangxiang laughed dumbly and said to Tao Zhan: "It's rare for it to snow so much in Chengdu, so my eldest sister just gave him a day off to write all day long, and he turned into a little old man." Tao Zhan shook his head, "  I gave him a chance. If he could concentrate and take the time to complete his homework, he would have built several snowmen now. I was angry with him for not concentrating on his work. He didn¡¯t even have this bit of willpower. He would be able to do it when he grows up.  "What?" "I can understand the eldest sister's desire to have a successful son." At this time, Tao Zhan thought of something again and quickly asked: "Is there any news about Cao Xian in Chang'an?" Ten days ago, Cao Cao sent someone to Chengdu.  General Cao XianAfter returning to Yedu, Tao Zhan later heard that there was heavy snowfall on Qishan Road and Hanzhong. The heavy snow blocked the roads, which made her worried. She had been waiting for news from Chang'an.  Sun Shangxiang nodded, "Sima Military Advisor sent someone to report just now. They have arrived in Chang'an. Sister, don't worry." Tao Zhan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Cao Xian arrives in Chang'an, she won't worry anymore. Sun Shangxiang smiled again: "Cao Xian  Xian is gone, and Xiao Qiao is coming again. The eldest sister is really busy. " "Xiao Qiao's problem is not big. Cao Xian is gone, and the yard where she lives is vacant. I just need to tidy it up a little. I'm just worried about whether my husband can do it.  Rushing back before the New Year, he has not been at home for the New Year for two years. This is not good. If he continues like this, he will forget about our family. " Tao Zhan sighed. In the past two years, my husband has spent too little time at home.  The southern and northern wars are worrying. Although he is a good king of Han and is praised everywhere, he is unqualified as a husband and father. Although Tao Zhan can understand his husband's career, he will never let go.  , she couldn't help but complain a little.  At this moment, the housekeeper rushed from outside the gate in a panic and said urgently: "Princess Qi, Your Highness is back."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 785 Marriage and raising children

    Tao Zhan was immediately elated. At this moment, any dissatisfaction in her heart disappeared with the news of her husband's return. She hurriedly walked out the door. Sun Shangxiang was also happy, picked up Liu Zhu and quickly followed Tao Zhan.  At the gate, two carriages, guarded by hundreds of cavalry, slowly stopped in front of the steps of the palace. Liu Jing stepped out of the carriage and looked at the familiar gate. After an absence of more than half a year, he returned home again. At this time, the maid  Shuang'er also helped Xiao Qiao out of the carriage behind. Xiao Qiao felt a little nervous. Although she was a guest, she felt a little uneasy for some reason. If she couldn't go back to Jianye for a while, Chengdu would be  Will Princess Han welcome her to the place where she has lived for a long time?  There was a rush of footsteps inside the door, and Tao Zhan and Sun Shangxiang walked out quickly, accompanied by a large group of servants. Tao Zhan saw Liu Jing at a glance. She was excited and a little complaining, and stepped forward and said: "Husband, why don't you return?"  Do you remember this home? " "How can you forget your own home? Didn't I come back?" Liu Jing smiled and saluted, "My wife worked hard while I was away." With her husband's concern, Tao Zhan felt no more complaints.  It also dissipated. At this time, Liu Zhu opened his arms and ran up, "I want daddy to hold me!" Liu Jing picked up her daughter, kissed her round little face, and said with a smile: "My little pig.  "Did you make a snowman?" "I made three snowmen, but my brother didn't have any." Liu Jing laughed, and Sun Shangxiang also smiled and stepped forward and hugged her husband. She was so happy that even her little one burst into tears.  Qiao couldn't take care of her for a while, but as a housewife, Tao Zhan couldn't neglect her guests. She saw Xiao Qiao. Although Xiao Qiao had a dusty journey, her elegant and exquisite appearance still made Tao Zhan secretly marvel and thought to herself.  : 'The world-famous beauty truly deserves her reputation.  ' Tao Zhan hurriedly greeted him with a smile and saluted: "Welcome to Madam, we have been looking forward to coming to Chengdu for a year." Xiao Qiao also returned the gift, "Xiao Qiao came in a hurry and caused trouble to Madam." Tao Zhan  She had received a letter from her husband and knew that Xiao Qiao was having difficulty establishing a foothold in Jiangdong because of Cao Cao's demands. She was also full of sympathy for Xiao Qiao. She stepped forward and took Xiao Qiao's arm and said with a smile: "Shang Xiang asked me not to call you Mrs.  , considering that I am two months older than you, I will call you Aqiao from now on!" Xiao Qiao nodded, the princess's enthusiasm made her feel a little uneasy, and she also smiled: "  Then I will follow Shang Xiang and call you eldest sister. " "This is the best, and we will get along well with each other." Everyone said a few words and then walked into the mansion together. At this time, Sun Shang Xiang slowed down and talked with Xiao.  Qiao held hands and walked together. They had the best relationship in Jiangdong. They had always been close to each other and loved each other like sisters. Of course, Sun Shangxiang was the happiest when Xiao Qiao could come to Chengdu.  "Your residence has been packed up, but you have to live with me for these two days first, and we have to talk." "You girl, let me rest for a few days! I came all the way from Jiangdong by boat,  My legs are weak, why don't you be considerate and considerate!" "Aren't you bored all the way? Oh! I understand, of course you won't be bored when my husband is with you," Sun Shangxiang joked.  Xiao Qiao's face suddenly turned red. He pinched her quietly and whispered: "You damn girl, what are you talking about? I am doing it for your own good. You are reunited after a long separation. I don't want to disturb you, but you don't appreciate it.  " Sun Shangxiang's face also blushed slightly. After being separated for more than half a year, of course she thought about her husband day and night, but she knew that the family had a long history. Her husband should accompany her eldest sister in the first two days. She didn't want to mess up the rules. She lightly  He pinched Xiao Qiao's affairs lightly and whispered: "I will arrange it, just leave it alone." At this time, Liu Jing walked to his study room and looked at the warm home. His tense heart finally calmed down.  After relaxing, Liu Jing changed into a loose thick robe and sat in his inner study. This was his private space, no one would disturb him, it was warm and comfortable. The brazier had already been lit in the room, and a burner of incense was lit in the corner of the room.  , filled with a light fragrance.  Liu Jing sat in front of his seat, leaning against the soft quilt. Only then did he completely relax physically and mentally. Liu Jing opened several memorials on the table. Although he was drowsy at this time, the content of the memorials was still there.  But it cheered him up.  This is a memorial written by Jia Xu from Chang'an. After capturing Guanzhong, Jia Xu was responsible for sorting out the affairs of the entire Guanlong area, while Zhao Yun served as the governor of Guanzhong and led an army of 100,000 to guard the Guanzhong, Longxi and Hehuang areas, while Ma Chao  He served as the governor of Hexi and led 30,000 troops to guard the Hexi Corridor.  The content of the memorial is about the restoration and sorting out of the Guanzhong area in the past year. Since the Guanzhong area has implemented a special policy of five exemptions and five half reductions, that is, land rent is exempted for five years, and at the same time, the calculated taxes and oral expenses are halved within five years. In this way  Will beGuanzhong, who had perished in various places, were attracted to return home.  In less than one year, the population of Guanzhong increased by 30,000 households to nearly 200,000. There were people from Sanfu who returned from Bashu and Hanzhong, people who returned from Longxi and Hehuang, and even people who returned from Central Plains and Bingzhou.  The villagers in Guanzhong, even Jia Xu, did not expect such a huge effect, and his excitement was permeated in the words of the memorial.  'The damaged city walls of Chang'an have been repaired. Dong Zhuo's rebellion caused serious damage to the Weiyang Palace, but the main body has been restored. I am repairing the interior. Following the order of the King of Han, the old is replaced by the new without increasing the burden on the government. Sixty percent of the palace has been restored.  The official palace was repaired within half a year, and I thought it would be feasible to move the capital.  ' Moving the capital to Chang'an is a national policy that has been agreed upon by both the government and the public of the Han Dynasty. Even many senior officials from the Bashu faction have agreed to move the capital to Chang'an. Chang'an is the old capital of the Han Dynasty, and Guanzhong is the land of Longxing. Only by moving the capital to Chang'an can we have the opportunity to move the capital to Chang'an.  The momentum to unify the world, regardless of the Jingzhou faction or the Bashu faction, although they all have their own interests, their interests are the same in unifying the world.  It has become a consensus to move the capital to Chang'an. The only thing missing is population and economic and social recovery, of which population is the key. Judging from Jia Xu's report, the speed of population recovery is astonishing, with a net increase of 30,000 households in less than a year.  Together with the original population of more than 40,000 households, the population of Guanzhong has reached more than 70,000 households, nearly 500,000 people.  Although there is still a far cry from the 200,000 households before Dong Zhuo's Rebellion, as long as there are more than 100,000 households, many basic social functions can operate normally. Now that the New Year is approaching, there will be another peak of population migration after the New Year.  It seems that we can consider moving the capital before next autumn.  Liu Jing was thinking when his wife Tao Zhan's voice came from outside the door, "Husband, can I come in?" "Come in!" Liu Jing put down the memorial.  The door opened, and Tao Zhan walked into the study with a bowl of ginseng tea. Only she and Sun Shangxiang could enter Liu Jing's inner study. They mainly cleaned the room and served tea and water for her husband. Tao Zhan put down the ginseng tea and said with a smile, "This is  I made the ginseng tea for you, drink it while it¡¯s hot!¡± Liu Jing smiled and took a sip from the tea bowl, motioning Tao Zhan to sit down. He asked again, ¡°How is Zhi¡¯er studying?¡± During lunch, Liu Jing asked.  Jing sat with her son and chatted for a while, but did not ask about his studies. Tao Zhan smiled and said: "His studies are basically not in my hands. Since my husband has appointed Yin Shizhong as the prince's junior master, he will naturally take over Zhi'er's studies."  Regarding studies, Zhi'er goes to Yin Shizhong to report on his studies every five days. According to Yin Shizhong, Zhi'er studied very well, but this morning, he was scolded by me. " "Why?" Liu Jing asked angrily.  Said: "It's not because of the snow. He wanted to play in the snow but he was half-hearted. He only wrote two words in two hours. Today I specially gave him half the amount of words to write, but he still failed to live up to his expectations. In anger, I wrote  He has restored his original writing capacity. "Oh! Isn't he going to school tonight?" "It's the holiday today. He's studying by himself at home." Liu Jing nodded, and he didn't care about his wife's strict requirements on his son.  Objecting, Liu Jing changed the topic and smiled: "We may have to move next year, do you know?" "Husband, you are talking about moving to Chang'an?" "Exactly, Military Advisor Jia said that Chang'an is recovering quickly. It turns out that Chang'an is recovering quickly.  It was decided to move the capital at the beginning of the next year, but now it seems that it will be half a year ahead of schedule. "Tao Zhan has been moving with Liu Jing, from Chaisang to Wuchang, then to Wuchang to Xiangyang, and then to Chengdu. She has long been accustomed to this kind of moving life.  , she was mentally prepared to move the capital to Chang'an.  Seeing that his wife was deep in thought and silent, Liu Jing asked with a smile: "Why, didn't you think of it?" "It's not that I didn't think of it. Some time ago, I heard that many officials went to Chang'an to buy houses and land, so I guessed that the capital was going to be moved. Sure enough,  I guessed it." Liu Jing was startled, "Are many officials going to Chang'an to buy houses?" Tao Zhan nodded, "This trend is very popular, and even ordinary people are going to Chang'an to buy houses. My sister-in-law said, Tao Zhan  The family also planned to buy a piece of land in Chang'an City, and asked me how much land it would be appropriate to buy. I said it could not exceed thirty acres at most.  "No! No!" Tao Zhan explained quickly: "My husband doesn't know that the Tao family originally had a manor covering an area of ??nearly 500 acres in the western suburbs of Chang'an. It was purchased by my grandfather twenty years ago. For the Tao family,  This manor is enough. If we build a high-profile mansion in the city, it will be offensive. I hope they can keep a low profile. And I have made it clear to my father that the Tao family must give up business within five years and should build Jici Hall.  Heyouxuetang, this is what the Tao family should do. " Liu Jing also meant that the Tao family abandoned business. If the Tao family wants to become a powerful political figure, it must be separated from business. This does not mean that the Tao family cannot own industry.  Each major family basically has its own industry, which is not surprising.To maintain the huge expenses of the family, land income alone is far from enough. The key to the Tao family is that they can no longer focus on business. Liu Jing decided to have a good talk with the Tao family when she has time.  At this time, Tao Zhan asked with a smile: "Husband, why don't you care about Xiao Qiao's situation?" "As long as Shang Xiang arranges it, I will just send her safely to Chengdu, and my mission will be completed." Tao Zhan seemed to  Xiao Feixiao asked: "Xiao Qiao's beauty is recognized as the third in the world, second only to Diao Chan and Zhen Mi. Her beauty and elegance make me, a woman, attracted by it. My husband has been on the same boat with her all the way, getting along day and night, but he didn't pay attention to her.  Do you have any unreasonable thoughts?" Liu Jing smiled lightly and said: "Cao Cao did not hesitate to form an alliance with Jiang Dong for her and Da Qiao. I am also a normal man, and it is reasonable to be attracted to her, but I never like to force women.  , She treated me indifferently all the time, why should I ask for trouble?" Tao Zhan is an extremely sensitive woman. She can see that there is no such close relationship between her husband and Xiao Qiao, which surprises her.  She also feels a little guilty about her husband. She knows that once her husband rules the world, there will inevitably be many women in the harem. This is something she cannot stop. Therefore, Tao Zhan always adheres to the principle that her husband can take concubines, but he must obtain her consent.  , we must respect her basic dignity as a princess.  Tao Zhan smiled and said, "That's a real pity. I heard from Shang Xiang that Xiao Qiao also wants to remarry. With her appearance, there is probably no one in the world who is worthy of her except her husband, and she has never  I can make the decision about childbirth. Should my husband take her into the house? "In fact, Liu Jing wanted to marry Da Qiao more. Da Qiao's affection for him moved him and was unforgettable in his heart, but Xiao Qiao always remained loyal to him along the way.  She remained distant and did not give him a chance, which made Liu Jing feel a little unhappy. He shook his head, "Let's talk about this later! Let her adapt to our family first."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 786 New Year¡¯s Private Visit

    The night has reached two o'clock, and the lights are still brightly lit in Sun Shangxiang's small building. The maid has set up another bed in Sun Shangxiang's bedroom. Xiao Qiao and Sun Shangxiang are sleeping opposite each other. Tonight, Liu Jing will accompany Princess Tao Zhan and Sun Shangxiang.  So he pulled Xiao Qiao to sleep with him. Although it was late at night, Sun Shangxiang was very excited when he saw his old friend for the first time and couldn't fall asleep.  She was saddened by her mother's serious illness and resented the division of Jiangdong. She even hated her brother's alliance with Cao Cao. She said bitterly: "Why is my brother so stupid that he wants to form an alliance with Cao Cao? Isn't that asking for the skin of a tiger? Sun Ben has always  It¡¯s okay to be ambitious, but why does Sun Shao want to split Jiangdong? If this continues, Jiangdong will be destroyed in their hands sooner or later. " Xiao Qiao was physically tired during the journey, but Sun Shangxiang was full of energy, so she had to fight hard.  spirit, chatting with her, "Sun Shao is just a child, what does he know? It was Sun Shao who used him as a puppet, and it was Sun Shao who split Jiangdong." "It's him, did the third uncle agree?" "I heard he agreed.  " Sun Shangxiang suddenly became anxious and said bitterly: "Thanks to him for living so long, how can he agree to such a thing that divides Jiangdong? This will destroy the Sun family's foundation in Jiangdong. " "Anyway, the people of Jiangdong are now.  I'm panicking, and they all say there's going to be a war, so I decided to take refuge here first. Don't drive me away." "Hehe! If I drive you away, you will be sent to Cao Cao." Sun Shangxiang teased.  Xiao Qiao didn't expect that Sun Shangxiang also knew about this matter. As soon as she thought about it, she knew that Liu Jing had written the letter. She couldn't help but secretly scold Liu Jing for being troublesome. She said angrily: "Your brother is to blame for this matter. He is the one who wanted to do it."  Give me away for food, but you also have to thank your husband. He saved me, so you are even, otherwise I would have to twist your ears." "Ah Qiao, what do you think of my husband?  ?" Sun Shangxiang asked with a smile.  Xiao Qiao saw Sun Shangxiang's eyes twinkling, obviously expecting him to say good things, so he smiled and said: "The King of Han is certainly good. He is a dragon among men. He is young and brave, and he is rich and powerful. Every woman wants to marry him.  But! I think he¡¯s a bit lecherous.¡±  Sun Shangxiang laughed dumbly and said: "You can say you want to be greedy for profit and power, but the one in my family is not lewd. You see, he only has three wives and concubines. Cao Cao has hundreds of wives and concubines, and my brother must have dozens as well! Generally, a wealthy family  There are at least five or six of them. My eldest sister even specifically asked his soldiers that he is not a womanizer outside. " Speaking of this, Sun Shangxiang suddenly realized and whispered with a smile: "My man will not treat you.  What did he do!" "No, I was just joking with you. Although we live on the same ship, he has never harassed me. In fact, it surprises me. With his status, if he wants to  I really don¡¯t dare to say no to anything I do.¡± Sun Shangxiang sighed and said, ¡°Ah Qiao, that¡¯s because you don¡¯t understand him. He is really different. He won¡¯t force others to do anything, as beautiful as you.  Women are in the same boat with him. I think he must also be very attracted, but he will not force you. If you show the slightest unwillingness, then he will never touch you. You can say that he is proud, but his willpower  He is far inferior to ordinary people. He is the most charming and courageous man I have ever seen. " "You spoke so well of him!" Xiao Qiao also sighed softly. She had to admit that Sun Shangxiang was right.  Yes, since leaving Chaisang, Liu Jing seemed to understand her thoughts and never joked with her again. It turned out that he felt that she had been cold to him, and Xiao Qiao couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.  "He is very good. He gives me freedom and does not restrain me. I once went to Qingcheng Mountain alone, and he went to greet my mother for me. You don't know how grateful I am to him and how much I love him." said  At this point, Sun Shangxiang's eyes were a little red. Xiao Qiao saw it and smiled: "Okay, okay, I know you married a good husband. I am very envious. Okay!" Sun Shangxiang was a little unhappy.  Sorry, she remembered that Xiao Qiao was still single, and she smiled with concern: "Ah Qiao, I heard from your father last time that he planned to find a good family for you. Congratulations!" Xiao Qiao's face sank slightly, a little bit.  He said unhappily: "My father is wishful thinking. I don't care about him. We have already quarreled over this matter." "Then you still don't want to remarry?" Xiao Qiao hesitated and then whispered: "No more.  "In fact, I still want to marry again, but I don't like the people he hooked up with. I want to marry a man I like, just like your husband." Xiao Qiao immediately realized that he had made a mistake and quickly explained: "  I'm just making a metaphor, don't get me wrong." Sun Shangxiang was already laughing so hard that he couldn't stand up straight. He stopped laughing after a while, pointed at Xiao Qiao and said breathlessly: "I know, you turned out to be attracted to my husband.  ??¡± Xiao Qiao¡¯s face was red, angry and anxious, and he rushed forward to scratch Sun Shangxiang¡¯s armpit, saying, ¡°I told you to talk nonsense again!¡±  Sun Shangxiang laughed so hard that she couldn't breathe, and begged for mercy again and again. Xiao Qiao then stopped tickling her, bit her lips and said, "Don't say any more, do you hear me?"  " It took Sun Shangxiang a long time to calm down, and he took a long breath, "Hey!  Oh my god, what day is it today? I have sent my husband another beautiful woman.  " Seeing Xiao Qiao trying to scratch her again, she quickly begged for mercy, "Sister Qiao, please spare your life, I won't say anything anymore.  " Xiao Qiao lay down weakly and said angrily: "Forget it, I won't tell you anymore, I'm exhausted, I'm going to sleep first!  " She turned sideways and ignored Sun Shangxiang, but for some reason, her mind was filled with Liu Jing's appearance, and she felt a little regret in her heart. But Sun Shangxiang silently watched her back, her woman alone  With some delicate thoughts, she has realized that Xiao Qiao actually likes her husband, so she refuses to come this spring. "I will interrogate that guy tomorrow!"  "She secretly thought to herself, "Early the next morning, Liu Jing did not rush to go to the government office. Instead, he dressed as an ordinary person and came to Chengdu Nan City. He often told his subordinates whether a place was well governed, whether the officials were effective, and whether the people were doing well.  The most direct way to live and work in peace and contentment is to inspect the market. From the changes in prices and the prosperity of business, you can judge the economic situation of a place, and the economic situation is a mirror of the officialdom. Liu Jing has been away from Chengdu for half a year.  , within half a year, except for some major military and state decisions, which were decided by him, all other trivial government affairs were handed over to Pingzhangtai, which was handled through negotiation by several ministers of Pingzhangtai. Liu Jing was quite satisfied with this multi-phase system.  It not only avoids monopolizing the power of the prime minister, but also solves the problem of smooth operation of the regime when he is absent. Of course, this involves the division of monarch power and prime minister power. At the current stage, Liu Jing has handed over most of the power except military power.  Pingzhangtai, but after the world is unified in the future, the monarchy and the power of the prime minister will have to be re-divided. That is a story for another day. The carriage traveled about three miles and then slowly arrived at the gate of Nanshi. Through the curtain, Liu Jing discovered.  The liveliness here is far more than that of Chaisang. It can be said that there are huge crowds of people and the grand occasion is unprecedented. It is like holding a ceremony to worship the gods. Almost everyone is carrying large and small bags of items in their hands. Some carriages carrying goods are walking hard among the crowd.'  Borrow the road! Borrow the road! "The coachman shouted loudly. At this time, the guard accompanying Liu Jing suggested in a low voice: "Your Highness, there are too many people, please come back another day!  " " Just today!  " Liu Jing opened the door and got out of the carriage. He was dressed the same as Chai Sang when he inspected. He wore a wide robe and held a feather fan in his hand. His eyebrows were thickened and a fake beard was glued on his face. He looked exactly like his usual appearance.  Different, looking like a middle-aged scholar, he walked towards the gate calmly while waving his feather fan. Several guards quickly followed him into the gate. People in the market were crowded together, and they could only follow the flow of people slowly.  Okay, walk across a stone bridge. On the other end of the bridge is a grain shop. There are more than a dozen baskets in front of the grain shop, filled with grains, each with its own price. Liu Jing is concerned about white rice, which is the main staple food of Bashu people.  Grain is also the most expensive. There is a wooden sign in the basket filled with white rice, which says, "Sixty yuan for a bucket of rice." The waiter next to him smiled and said, "Do you want to buy rice?"  Liu Jing pointed to the sign and asked: "I remember that in April it was still 40 yuan per dou of rice. How come it has increased to 60 yuan per dou of rice?"  " "The guests are really confused. It's the New Year, so of course everything will be more expensive.  " Only then did Liu Jing realize that it was like this. Prices during the New Year were a little more expensive. He smiled and asked, "After the New Year, will the price of rice return to 40 yuan per dou of rice?  " "Impossible!  " The clerk shook his head like a rattle, "In June this year, it rose to 50 yuan per dou of rice. It is impossible to return to 40 yuan per dou of rice. It will drop to 10 yuan at most.  " "Why is this?  Seeing that he talked a lot, the clerk said impatiently: "Jingnan is at war, don't you know?"  When there is a war, the price of food will of course increase. Fortunately, it only increased by ten yuan. If the war was in Hanzhong, it would have to rise to at least one hundred yuan per dou of rice. If it were in Bashu, the price increase would be even more terrifying, just like that year when the King of Han led his army to besiege Chengdu.  Just like that, it rose to 500 yuan per meter overnight. I have not forgotten it.  " "But the war is over." "I don't know about that. Anyway, there is too much money on the market now. When there is too much money, the price of food will rise. This is a matter of course. In fact, I doubt whether the price will drop next year.  ,Why!  I said, do you want to buy it or not? Why are you asking so much?  "Liu Jing was too lazy to pay attention to him, turned around and left the grain store. He visited the cloth store, butcher store and mule and horse store, and found that except for the price reduction of livestock, other major storesThe price of many items has increased. The price of livestock has dropped because cattle and horses from Longxi and Hexi have entered Bashu in large numbers, and the price reduction has been considerable. Last year, a good horse cost 100,000 yuan, but this year it only costs 50,000 yuan. The price of cattle  Also dropped by half.  This is encouraging news. Liu Jing was about to leave through the back door of Nanshi. At this time, Liu Jing suddenly found several men in black squatting on both sides of the back door. Their eyes flickered. Unlike good people, they looked for targets in the crowd from time to time.  Liu Jing was a little surprised. Who are these people?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 787 The Case of Counterfeit Gold (Part 1)

    When a man in black saw Liu Jing, he came up quietly and whispered: "Does this gentleman want pornographic goods?" Liu Jing was confused, what is pornographic goods?  The guard behind came forward to push the man in black away, but Liu Jing stopped the guard with a fan and asked with a smile: "What are yellow goods?" Seeing Liu Jing's interest, the man in black quickly said: "This is not the place to talk.  , please come here. "Liu Jing is really curious. He knows these people are brokers, but what are they talking about?  He followed the man in black to a big tree. The man in black whispered: "It's gold. If you want it, we have it here. You can exchange it for red gold or money." Gold is also currency.  However, there is very little circulation in the market. The market mainly circulates red gold and money, that is, brass. The official price is that one catty of red gold is equal to one thousand qian, while one catty of gold is worth ten catties of red gold. Liu Jing asked with a smile: "  What price do you pay for the gold here?" Seeing that Liu Jing seemed interested, the man pointed to an alley next to him, "Let's go inside and discuss it in detail." Liu Jing became more and more interested. He knew that there was an underground money exchange market in Wuchang.  Money in Jiangxia is in demand, and the official price is different from the black market price. Today he discovered the underground exchange black market in Chengdu. This was the first time he heard about it. Liu Jing was really curious, so he happily said: "Lead the way!" The man in black was overjoyed and led the way.  As Liu Jing walked towards the alley, Liu Jing waved his fan and stopped several guards, "Wait for me here, I'll be fine." Several guards looked at each other, and one guard handed Liu Jing a package.  "There are ten kilograms of red gold in it. I will exchange money with them. It should be fine." Liu Jing took the package and walked into the alley. Several guards followed from a distance. The man in black led Liu Jing around.  After walking around, he walked into a dark house. Behind the door stood several burly men with arms crossed, their faces full of flesh and their eyes fierce.  Liu Jing walked into the room and found that the air inside was very bad, with a pungent sour smell. The light in the room was not bad, and she could clearly see that the surrounding walls were covered with mold.  There were five or six people sitting behind the table. A fat merchant was bargaining with the people behind the table. He seemed to have been dragged in by the man in black.  As soon as the man in black entered the door, he stepped forward and bowed with a smile: "Fourth Master, here comes another one." Liu Jing just noticed this 'Fourth Master', who was about fifty years old, thin and small, with a pair of eyes full of cunning eyes.  He glanced at Liu Jing, waved his hand and said with a smile: "Dear guest, please take a seat!" It seemed that the other party was quite polite and had a good attitude. The man in black bowed and left. Liu Jing found that it was impossible for him to leave at this time.  Two sturdy men stared at him. Liu Jing sat down and asked with a smile: "My surname is Liu, what is the shopkeeper's surname?" "My surname is Yang. I wonder how much gold Mr. Liu wants to exchange for?" "Shopkeeper Yang, can you give it first?"  What's the price?" The thin shopkeeper Yang narrowed his eyes and said with a smile: "We are innocent, the official price is 10,000 yuan for one pound of gold, or ten pounds of red gold for one pound of gold, it's a little more expensive here.  , Twelve thousand dollars for one pound of gold, similarly, thirteen pounds of red gold for one pound of gold, but let me explain first, if you don¡¯t exchange it, you have to pay five hundred entrance fee, this is the rule.  Not here?" Liu Jing asked again with a smile.  Several shopkeepers looked at each other and laughed together. Shopkeeper Yang chuckled and said: "This brother seems to have read too many books and rarely goes out! How can I exchange gold for it in Di's store? Only red gold can be exchanged for money. We won't tell you.  Nonsense, brother, how much gold do you want to exchange for?" At this time, the fat businessman next to him shouted, "The quality of your gold is not good enough, I won't exchange it." As soon as he finished speaking, two sturdy men walked up to him, one on the left and the other on the right.  Beside him, the fat businessman suddenly did not dare to say anything. At this time, shopkeeper Yang squinted and asked Liu Jing: "How much does Mr. Liu want to exchange for?" Liu Jing opened the package and took out ten red gold ingots. This is the official standard red gold ingot.  The ingot weighed one kilogram, and he pushed it to Shopkeeper Yang, "Ten kilograms of red gold!" Shopkeeper Yang suddenly burst into laughter. He looked at the red gold carefully, then took out twelve ingots of small gold from a small wooden box and pushed it to Liu Jing.  , "One or two and one ingot, put it away!" Liu Jing didn't look carefully, took the gold and left. As long as he exchanged it honestly, several tough men would not embarrass him and let him walk out of the house. He just left.  After more than ten steps, Liu Jing heard someone calling him from behind, "Sir, stay!" When Liu Jing turned around, it was the fat businessman from before. He ran up panting and said with a sad face: "We have all been cheated, the quality of the gold here is  It's not enough, it's only 80% gold at most, it's fake official gold." He took out a small ingot of gold, faced the sun, and said with a cry: "Look, the color is wrong, and there is red gold in it. Now we are in a terrible loss.  I'm so stupid, I know it's a black shop, but I still want to follow you?" Liu Jingtou??The gold he exchanged also had an official casting number, just like the fat businessman, but the color of the gold was obviously impure and it was fake official gold. He asked again: "Why do you want to exchange for gold?" "It's not just for convenience.  I am from Jiangzhou, and I sell tea. I sold more than a hundred kilograms of red gold, but it was too heavy to hold, so I wanted to exchange it for gold. Someone told me that you can exchange it for gold on the black market here, so I believed it and thought about trying to exchange it for some first.  , but ended up being fooled." "How much did you change?" Liu Jing asked again.  "Fortunately, I'm the same as you. I only changed ten pounds. I don't dare to change anymore." Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder and said, "Learn your lesson!" The fat businessman left with a sad face. At this time, several guards  He came up to him and asked: "Your Highness, what happened?" Liu Jing said coldly: "Go to Huo Jun quickly and tell him that it is my order to send troops to destroy this black market and arrest everyone.  Hand it over to the governor of Chengdu for strict interrogation!" Half an hour later, two thousand Han troops rushed into Nanshi and arrested all the black market exchangers in the six houses nearby. There were more than a hundred people.  Tens of thousands of red gold, tens of millions of dollars and a large amount of fake gold were seized.  According to Han law, anyone who secretly minted official money was cut in half, and anyone who secretly exchanged money was also a felony. A month later, more than a hundred people were convicted of three crimes of privately minting official money, privately exchanging coins, and fraud. More than a hundred people were all publicly executed. The case caused a sensation.  After coming out of Nanshi, Liu Jing went directly to the Hanwang's official office. This building complex covering an area of ??hundreds of acres has changed its name several times. It was first called Zhoumufu Yamen, then it was called General's Mansion, and now it is renamed  It is the palace of the Han Dynasty, but the people in Chengdu commonly call it the Palace of the Han Dynasty.  Hanguo Mansion occupies an area of ??about 300 acres. Excluding the library which occupies nearly 100 acres and various rockeries, ponds, fish, woods, flowers, etc. which occupies over 100 acres, the actual building area is only a little over 100 acres.  For the Han Kingdom with a vast territory of thousands of miles, it was indeed very cramped. Officials had proposed expanding the Han Palace several times, but considering that the capital would have to be moved to Chang'an sooner or later, the expansion plan was suspended.  The gate of the Han Dynasty Mansion is composed of two five-foot-high gates, followed by Danfeng Square. In the center is the Hanwang Palace, which is an important place for hundreds of officials to hold court meetings. On the left side of the Hanwang Palace is Liu Jing's official chamber, and on the right is Pingzhang Terrace.  , and the dozen or so buildings behind it are the official offices of the Six Cao Cao and various ministers.  Liu Jing changed her makeup in the carriage and returned to her original appearance. The carriage entered the gate, walked along the horse path, and came directly to Pingzhang Terrace. The carriage slowly stopped in front of Pingzhang Terrace, including five ministers and attendants.  A group of senior officials, including Zhong Yin, had heard the news and were waiting in front of the steps.  When Liu Jing slowly got down from the carriage, everyone came up to greet him, bowed and saluted: "See His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing and everyone had been separated for more than half a year, and now they saw each other and felt more cordial. He waved his hands and smiled: "  Thank you for your hard work, please forgive me!" After everyone exchanged greetings, Liu Jing asked again: "Whose turn is it to be in charge of the pen today?" Jiang Wan bowed and said: "This is the tenth day of the Weichen cycle." "I have three ministers.  It is an important matter that I would like to discuss with you. Please ask Jiang Shangshu to open the attic! ""Opening the attic" is a popular way of saying that closed-door discussions are held in Pingzhangtai. Because the discussions are held in Fengqi Pavilion on the second floor, it is commonly known as "opening the attic".  In the attic, Jiang Wan immediately said: "I obey my orders!" Jiang Wan immediately ordered the people to open Fengqi Pavilion and clean it, and wrote a discussion note. Generally, the discussion note should state what was being discussed, but today this column was empty.  Although everyone was present, all procedures had to be completed to show the formality of the proceedings. Not long after, five ministers, Xu Shu, Jiang Wan, Dong He, Fei Guan, Sima Yi and the minister Yin Miao came to Fengqi Pavilion to sit down.  Next, secretary Lang Feiyi is responsible for recording.  Liu Jing also sat down. He glanced at everyone and smiled slightly: "There are three important things. The first one must be guessed by everyone, which is the attack on Hefei. We have captured Lujiang County. Huang Zhong led the three  Ten thousand troops stationed in Wan County, Shen Mi led ten thousand naval troops to establish a water fortress in Chaohu Lake. The next step is to capture Hefei. This is our top priority next year. The reason why I tore up the truce agreement with Cao Cao and attacked  Cao Cao's navy was preparing for the Battle of Hefei. "It was very quiet in Fengqi Pavilion. Liu Jing didn't write back beforehand, so he raised this matter and caught everyone off guard. Liu Jing smiled and said: "Today I will.  I am just telling everyone about this matter, not to decide anything immediately. After all, the battle of Hefei is of great importance and needs to be considered in the long run. " Jiang Wan stood up and said: "Thank you, Your Highness, for giving us time to prepare. After all, a big battle involves many aspects.  , We need to discuss it again and again to finalize the transportation plan of materials and food." Seeing everyone nodding in agreement, Liu Jing smiled and said, "Let's put aside the battle of Hefei, and let me talk about the other two major events.  You must have read Jia Xu's report on moving the capital to Chang'an. I would like to hear your opinions." Liu Jing looked at everyone one by one.??, finally his eyes fell on Xu Shu's face. Xu Shu was relatively silent today, which made Liu Jing a little strange. He smiled and said: "Xu Shangshu, please speak first!" "Wei Chen obeys the order!" Xu Shu stood up and said: "  It is everyone's consensus to move the capital, and I won't go into details about the benefits. Wei Chen believes that there are two key points in moving the capital to Chang'an, one is population and economy, and the second is security. Chang'an's population is gradually recovering, and by next summer  , it is estimated that the population will increase to 300,000 to 400,000, the same as Chengdu. Business is prosperous, prices are low, and people live and work in peace and contentment. The economic and demographic conditions for moving the capital before next autumn are basically in place, but Weichen is only worried about safety issues. The safety here  It does not refer to Cao Cao, but to the Hu people in Xirong, especially the hundreds of thousands of Qiang Hu, Wuhuan, Xiongnu and so on who are entrenched in Heshuo and various parts of the pass. Your Highness has not had any contact with them. Once they are bribed by Cao Cao,  One hundred thousand soldiers entering Guanzhong would be a devastating blow to Guanzhong and Chang'an, so Wei Chen suggested that before moving the capital, the problem of the barbarians in Guanzhong must be solved first. " Liu Jing nodded, and he wiped out Longxi and Chang'an.  The Qiang and Di in Hehuang and the Hexi Corridor are all barbarians, but they have not yet come into contact with the barbarians in Guannei and Heshuo areas. He originally wanted to solve it slowly later, but Xu Shu's words are very reasonable. If these two areas are not solved,  There is a problem for the Hu people in moving their capital.  Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "Let's do this! We will discuss this matter tomorrow. Please ask Xu Shu to write a complete report today. Let everyone think carefully about how to solve this problem." Xu Shu bowed and said: "I obey!  " At this time, Liu Jing said solemnly to everyone: "Now I want to tell you about a strange thing I encountered in Nanshi this morning. I think it is necessary to talk about it with everyone. "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 788 The Case of Counterfeit Gold (Part 2)

    Liu Jing took out a few ingots of official gold that had been exchanged on the black market in Nanshi and handed them to everyone: "Everyone, take a look at these ingots of gold and see what's wrong with them?" Everyone passed them around and whispered. At this time, Dong He  He frowned and said: "Your Highness, this is fake official gold, and it seems to be mixed with copper." Sima Yi also said: "Wei Chen also encountered this kind of fake official gold in Jingzhou, but the quality is higher than these ingots of official gold.  "Liu Jing nodded and said to everyone: "Now not only in Jingzhou, but also in Chengdu, there are such fake official pay of one or two. The problem is here. Our official pay is one pound, one ingot, one tael.  A batch of official gold was minted in the twelfth year of Jian'an. I remember there were only 5,000 ingots, which were mainly used to reward military merits. But now this kind of one- or two-layer official gold is flooding in the market. It is estimated that more than 80% of it is fake official gold.  It would be fine if it were really pure gold, but now there is adulterated official gold. I think there is a big hidden danger in it." Only then did everyone understand that what His Highness the King of Han mentioned about three things today was actually false.  Regarding the matter of official gold, Jiang Wan stood up and said: "Your Majesty, the ministers checked the official treasury two months ago. There are still 2,700 ingots of this kind of one or two small official gold in the official treasury.  There are only more than 2,000 small gold ingots that are actually circulating in the market. The rest are fake, mainly from the north. Since more than 20 years ago, some people have ventured into buying and selling gold and made huge profits from it.  It is recommended to strengthen the crackdown and never allow this kind of fake official gold to flood the market. Liu Jing picked up a piece of fake official gold and looked at it carefully for a while, then slowly said: "Have you ever thought about why this kind of money is like this?"  One or two weights of gold are flooding the market? This shows that the market needs it very much, but we failed to adapt to the market demand in time, and as a result, profiteers took advantage of it." The ministers looked at each other, and they finally understood the true intention of the King of Han.  The King of Han wanted to promote currency reform. Fei Guan said in a deep voice: "The coins currently circulating in the market are mainly Jiangxia money and red gold. The red gold is mainly one pound per ingot, but gold is mainly used to reward military merits and cannot be circulated in the market.  Weichen also knows that neither Jiangxia money nor red gold can meet the demand for goods trade, so the private casting of official gold has happened frequently. We also discussed this matter two months ago, but it is of great importance.  , Your Highness must make the decision." Liu Jing smiled and said: "This kind of one or two official gold is actually inconvenient. First, it is easy to counterfeit, and secondly, it is troublesome to convert. One pound of gold can be exchanged for 10,000 yuan in Han Dynasty.  , but one pound is equivalent to sixteen taels. It¡¯s hard to calculate how much one tael can be exchanged for, so I suggest we issue money. " At this point, Liu Jing took out a gold coin and handed it to everyone: "This is millet.  Special people brought Yuezhi money, which is very common in Luoyang. It is very beautifully cast. Because it is small in size, it is difficult to adulterate. We can learn this way of casting money. One pound of gold can be cast into one hundred coins, so that one coin can be  It is equivalent to one hundred Jiangxia coins. Ten coins can be exchanged for one pound of red gold. It is very easy to carry. Over the years, we have mined mineral deposits and fought in the north and south, accumulating a large amount of gold. All this gold is sleeping in the official treasury. Although it is only a sum of  It¡¯s a lot of wealth, but I think it¡¯s better to circulate it.  " Xu Shu said: "But has your Highness ever thought about it? Once such a huge amount of money is released, but we do not have the corresponding material guarantee, this will undoubtedly push the price on the market to double. Now it is 60 yuan per dou of rice.  When money appears, it will become a lot of money. Can the people accept it?  In addition, in what name is this money released? Of course it can be used to reward military merits, but the implications are very wide, and we all need to think carefully about it.  " Liu Jing thought for a while and said: "We have to issue 50 million five-baht coins every year, which is equivalent to half a million dollars. Then we can stop the introduction of five-baht coins a year and change it to issuing money. Red gold should also be suspended.  One year, I believe everyone will like gold money. More importantly, it will be taken to the north by merchants, circulated throughout the world, and bring us a large amount of supplies. Now Cao Cao and Sun Quan¡¯s five baht money can no longer compete with us. They  Only red gold is left. Once money replaces red gold, then we will control the lifeline of Cao Cao and Sun Quan's trade, which will lay the foundation for us to unify the world.  " Liu Jing's words caused a lot of discussion. At this moment, a guard reported at the door: "Your Highness, General Huo is urgently seeking to see you!  Liu Jing knew that Huo Jun was here for the fake gold case, so she nodded and said, "Order him to come in!"  " After a moment, Huo Jun walked in quickly. Huo Jun has been promoted to the rank of Zhonglang General. He is also the Sima of the Five Cities and is in charge of the defense and security of Chengdu. He has just received an urgent order from Liu Jing and arrested a gang of people who were exchanging gold on the black market.  Huo Jun knelt down on one knee and saluted Liu Jing, "I'm sorry to see you, Your Highness!  " "General Huo is exempt from the courtesy, but he is here for the Nanshi fake gold case?  " " Exactly!  Under the orders of His Highness, I sent troops to arrest a total of 118 people who were cashing money in the black market. As a result, I got an unexpected harvest.  " "What gain?  ¡± ?Jun said in a deep voice: "There were eight black market gangs in the Nanshi area. They were all eliminated this time. During the arrest, it was discovered that the gang that traded with His Highness turned out to be Cao Jun's spies. The leader's surname was Yang. On the orders of Cao Pi,  Use fake gold to disrupt our money system. "This leader named Yang is probably the shopkeeper Yang who exchanged fake gold for himself in the morning, but at this time he didn't want to see this person again, so Liu Jing smiled and said, "Is there any general Huo?  Are you going to follow the clues and continue to arrest Cao Jun's spies hiding in Chengdu? " Huo Jun bowed and said: "This is what I want to ask His Highness for instructions. During the interrogation of the counterfeit gold case, I have got some clues. The Yellow River Tavern in the west of the city is very likely.  It's Cao Cao's intelligence point in Chengdu. I humbly ask for instructions, do you want to arrest them immediately?" Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "After arresting a group, a new group will come. This is not a permanent solution. Instead of arresting a group clearly,  , why not catch someone secretly? General Huo understands what I mean?" Huo Jun didn't react for a moment. Sima Yi next to him smiled and said: "Your Highness means to take a long time to catch the big fish!" Huo Jun immediately realized and said with fists in his hands: "  I understand the humble position!¡± Liu Jing added: ¡°Except for the important figures, all those who secretly cast official gold will be severely punished, publicly tried, and publicly executed. This case can be handed over to the Chengdu government to investigate the Cao Jun intelligence point.  General Huo can assist Commander Pang. " Pang Tong is the chief intelligence officer of the Han army. Matters involving Cao's intelligence point should be in charge of Pang Tong. Huo Jun understood that he bowed and retreated.  An episode interrupted the discussion about money, but Liu Jing's will was already clear. It was imperative to issue money. Liu Jing continued: "I don't want to delay the issue of money any longer. This matter is  Yuan Zhi and Gong Yan are responsible for making a detailed plan and preparing the money model. I hope to see a sample of the money in a month. "The intelligence department of the Han State was affiliated with the military and was directly under the control of Liu Jing.  The Intelligence Department was only established in April this year. It is divided into six branches: Internal Affairs, Jiangdong, Jiaozhou, Hedong, Hebei and Zhongyuan. Pang Tong was appointed as the director, with six captains under him, clearly in charge of the six branches.  The Intelligence Department is just a private name for the intelligence department by the top brass of the Han army, but its public name is Sili Xiaowei. The department office is not in the Han State Mansion, but in an inconspicuous mansion in an alley not far from the Han State Mansion.  The gate of the house is very small, and there is no sign on it. It is closed all day long. Only after entering the door can you see the sign 'Sili Xiaowei's Office' on the screen wall.  Although the Intelligence Department has a small brand name and a small area, it has great power. It not only collects intelligence externally, but also secretly monitors officials internally. It also has a gold medal for troop mobilization and can directly mobilize up to 2,000 troops.  At present, Pang Tong concurrently holds the post of Sili Xiaowei. There is only one department in Chengdu, the Internal Affairs Department. The chief internal affairs officer is Guan Xi, who has just been transferred back to Chengdu. He has more than 30 subordinates, all of whom are civilians transferred from the army.  Officers and capable non-commissioned officers, on the one hand, they are responsible for sorting out intelligence coming from various places, on the other hand, they are responsible for monitoring suspicious persons in Chengdu.  In the afternoon, Liu Jing, accompanied by Pang Tong, arrived at the Sili School Lieutenant's Office. Guan Xi led several important officials to welcome His Highness the King of Han at the door. "See His Highness the King of Han!" Everyone bowed to Liu Jing who walked into the official office.  Salute oneself.  Liu Jing smiled and said: "Everyone, please excuse me!" He glanced at Guan Xi and asked: "When did Guan Xiaowei take office?" Guan Xi bowed and said: "Reporting to Your Highness, it has been three days since I took up my humble position."  "Did you come back with Liu Min?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.  "Yes!" Guan Xi was a little embarrassed and her face was slightly red. She quickly changed the matter and introduced several meritorious officers and employees to Liu Jing. "This is meritorious officer Yang Jin. In the end, the information His Highness saw was from him.  "Organization." "This is General Zhang Ji, who was originally a capable officer under General Zhang Ren and was responsible for monitoring the spies in Chengdu." Liu Jing nodded to everyone, praised everyone's work, and came to the meeting hall surrounded by everyone.  He sat down and asked Guan Xixiao: "I wonder if General Huo has been here?" Guan Xi quickly said: "General Huo arrived an hour ago and sent a lot of materials and a person who was arranged by Cao Jun.  An important spy in Chengdu is being interrogated by his subordinates, and he has confessed!" Liu Jing nodded, "Take me to see it!" Guan Xi led Liu Jing to the backyard. There was an underground prison in the backyard, made of bluestone.  Zhucheng is a place where suspects are secretly interrogated and detained. It has just been opened not long ago. There are no prisoners yet. Liu Jing walked out of the underground prison. The light became dim and the air was a little turbid.  They walked directly to the interrogation hall, where various torture and restraints were placed. There was an iron pillar in the middle for tying prisoners. There were iron chains and shackles on the surrounding walls and in the air. Eight shirtless menStanding on both sides were tall, fierce-looking men, as well as a presiding judge.  I saw a person tied to the iron pillar. He was thin and small. It was Shopkeeper Yang that Liu Jing met early in the morning. He was not an ordinary businessman, but a spy sent by Cao Jun. He was an important figure in Cao Jun's intelligence point in Chengdu.  Shopkeeper Yang was beaten badly. When he heard footsteps, he raised his head weakly and saw many interrogating officers arriving accompanied by a young big shot. He quickly begged: "I have already confessed, please let me go first!  "Liu Jing waved his hand, "Put him down first!" Two big men stepped forward and untied the shackles on his hands. Shopkeeper Yang fell softly to the ground. Liu Jing squatted in front of him and smiled: "You still know Shopkeeper Yang.  me?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 789 Things are not simple

    Shopkeeper Yang slowly raised his head and stared blankly at the unfamiliar young officer in front of him. He was transferred to Chengdu in September this year and had never seen Liu Jing before. However, he carefully identified the person in front of him and it seemed that the person in front of him was the fake officer he had redeemed in the morning.  A golden middle-aged man.  He hesitated and said: "You were the one who exchanged gold this morning." "It seems that you still have a very good sense!" Liu Jing smiled slightly, without revealing his identity, stood up and said: "Since you are willing to cooperate with the Han army, then I  I can let you go, but before you leave, you must honestly tell us the details of Cao Jun's deployment in Chengdu, do you understand?" Only then did Shopkeeper Yang know why he was arrested. He came to exchange for gold in the morning.  The person turned out to be a spy of the Han army. He sighed and nodded slightly, "I understand!" At this time, Guan Xi took the previous confession of shopkeeper Yang and presented it to Liu Jing, "This is his confession. Please, Your Highness."  "Have a look." "Your Highness" Shopkeeper Yang was shocked. Could this person in front of him be the King of Han?  He took a closer look and found that Liu Jing was wearing a golden helmet. The golden helmet was the symbol of the commander-in-chief of the entire army. Only the Prime Minister Cao Cao could wear it among the Cao army. Who else could wear a golden helmet in the Han army besides the King of Han?  Shopkeeper Yang finally understood that the person who came to exchange for gold in the morning was actually the King of Han in disguise. He was blind and ignorant!  He was so frightened that he turned over and knelt down, trembling all over, full of regret and fear, "This villain has no eyes and no respect for beauty. I beg His Highness the King of Han to spare my life!" Liu Jing glanced at him and continued to read his confession, briefly.  After finishing his confession, he asked: "So your name is Yang Tian, ??and you are still an assistant officer in Cao's army." "The villain is, the villain ranks second in the Chengdu intelligence point, and is responsible for exchanging fake official pay in various places in Bashu.  Use the exchanged money and red gold to buy supplies in Guanzhong and transport them back to Taiyuan. "Is this what Cao Cao ordered you to do?" Yang Tian shook his head, "The prime minister has been in Hefei. This is Cao Pi's wish. The villain asked Hua Xin directly.  Report, the villain is in charge of Chang'an, and there are also secret exchanges of counterfeit gold in Xiangyang and Wuchang." Liu Jing sneered and said: "Sooner or later, if you exchange adulterated gold, you will be reported. This will put you in danger, don't you.  Are you afraid? " "We were a little worried at first, but then we found out that all the merchants who were cheated thought they were unlucky, and no one wanted to report it to the officials, so we were no longer afraid. " "Why is this?" Liu Jing asked in confusion.  Why are merchants unwilling to report to the official and feel unlucky? " "Report to Your Highness, because not only the seller is guilty, but the buyer is also guilty when exchanging fake official money. In the least case, the fake official money will be confiscated, and in the worst case, he will be prosecuted and jailed. They  If you don't report to the official, you will only lose 20% of the gold, and at least 80% of the gold will be real gold. But once you report to the official, the loss will be huge. These businessmen will weigh the pros and cons, so no one will report to the official so far. " Liu Jing nodded.  , it turns out that they caught the businessman's mentality and have been rampant for a few months. If he hadn't accidentally discovered that there was a black market, wouldn't he have continued to be rampant?  Thinking of this, Liu Jing asked Guan Xi with some dissatisfaction: "Have you never discovered the existence of the black market?" Guan Xi had only been in office for a few days, and she really didn't know what was going on here. She glanced at Zhang Ji, who was responsible for investigating the suspect, and said,  Zhang Ji quickly said: "Reporting to your highness, I know that the black market exists. The money exchange black market in Chengdu has existed for seven or eight years. It existed as early as Liu Zhang's time. Most people in Chengdu also know that Jiangxia money had an impact on the old official money of Bashu.  It was very large, and Liu Zhang did not allow official exchange, so the black market was born. It mainly accepted old money and exchanged it for Jiangxia money, and made money in the middle. It is inextricably related to several major families in Chengdu, and its existence has indeed promoted  Because of the promotion of Jiangxia money in Bashu, the government has always acquiesced in the existence of the black market, but I didn¡¯t expect that Cao Jun would penetrate into the black market and use the black market to disrupt our goods production. This is a despicable dereliction of duty. I am willing to accept the punishment of His Highness. " Liu Jing then understood!  It¡¯s no wonder that the black market has such deep roots and is inextricably linked to several major families in Chengdu. Black market exchanges have always been huge profits, and there is no background. How can this kind of black market exist? How can we crack down on the black market? Liu Jing  Putting aside his concerns for the moment, he is now concerned about Cao Cao's intelligence station in Chengdu.  From Yang Tian's confession, Liu Jing discovered the trick hidden in it. Cao Cao's intelligence department was run by Dong Zhao and was directly responsible to Cao Cao. However, it was Cao Pi who used fake official funds to disrupt the Han Dynasty's goods colony, and was sent by Hua Xin.  Responsible, these are actually two systems, but now they are mixed together.  Liu Jing asked Yang Tian again: "You are affiliated with Cao Pi, but you are mixed up with Cao Jun's intelligence point in Chengdu. What is the reason for this?" Yang Tian found that the King of Han was very shrewd and actually asked the root cause. He hesitated and said: "Return to Your Highness,  Cao Pi actually had two purposes. Using fake official money to disrupt the goods colonies in various parts of Han was just a means. His real purpose was to take this opportunity to take over Cao Jun's intelligence.?, because the Intelligence Department of the Cao Army is huge, not only externally, but also internally, and is especially in charge of hundreds of school affairs that Cao Cao uses to monitor his ministers. This is something Cao Pi has always wanted, but Cao Cao has never let go. These are small  Before leaving, the villain did not dare to hide what Doctor Hua said to the villain.  " Liu Jing nodded. The matter was indeed more complicated than he thought. He asked again: "So your mission is not as simple as exchanging money on the black market, but to seize Chengdu's intelligence power, right?  " Yang Tian broke out in a cold sweat on his back. The King of Han actually saw through everything. With such a powerful lord, it's no wonder that Cao Jun has never been a match for the Han army. Yang Tian smiled bitterly and said: "Your Highness is absolutely right.  " Liu Jing took a few steps with his hands behind his back. He suddenly realized that this was a good opportunity. He could use this thread to slowly penetrate into the power struggle between Cao and his son. In contrast, he could eradicate Cao Jun's intelligence point in Chengdu.  , it seemed less important. Liu Jing pondered for a moment, then turned back to Yang Tian and smiled: "You want to seize power, and your opponent doesn't want to kill you. If I let you go like this, you will be caught."  , I'm afraid my life is in danger, so why don't I give you a helping hand.  " Yang Tian somewhat understood what the King of Han meant. He was frightened and helpless. He knew that he had become a fish in the case of the King of Han. He had no choice but to kowtow and said: "I am willing to serve His Highness the King of Han.  !  " Liu Jing nodded, "Do good things for me, and I will give you a future in the future.  " These words gave Yang Tian another glimmer of hope. He kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness. Yang Tian is willing to obey the orders of the King of Han.  " Liu Jing left the dungeon and returned to the meeting hall. He sat at the table and meditated for a long time without saying a word. Pang Tong, Guan Xi and others stood aside, not daring to disturb his thoughts. After a long time, Liu Jing said to Pang Tong and others: "  We must find a way to make Yang Tian the number one figure in the Chengdu Intelligence Point, help him remove obstacles, make him make great contributions, make him rise step by step, and finally become an important figure in Cao Cao's intelligence network. I hope that the Cao family and his son will be in his  Under the influence, it gradually moved towards splitting.  Pang Tong smiled bitterly, "I'm afraid this task is very difficult and far away."  " "I know the task is difficult, but we must make a plan and go step by step. This Yang Tian can let him go and then use tricks to kill their intelligence leader. This is a top priority. We must make Yang Tian become Cao Jun's new intelligence officer in Chengdu as soon as possible.  chief.  Pang Tong nodded, "Wei Chen understands. Wei Chen will discuss with everyone and get this matter done as soon as possible."  ¡± In the west city of Chengdu, not far from the city gate, there is a large three-story tavern called the Yellow River Tavern, but it was originally called the Sanba Tavern. Not long after Liu Jing occupied Chengdu, the Sanba Tavern was also renamed the Yellow River Tavern in the chaos.  At that time, people in Chengdu were in chaos, and various shops were transferred. Therefore, the transfer and name change of Sanba Tavern did not attract anyone's attention. The Yellow River Tavern covers an area of ??about three acres and has many buildings. In addition to the three-story restaurant, there are also  There are several deep courtyards, which are said to be places for drinking. Although the location is good, the business is not well managed, which makes the business here relatively deserted. If only half of the seats are filled with customers, it is considered a prosperous business. No one knows the background of the owner of the Yellow River Tavern.  , the big shopkeeper's name is Zhao Ting, a middle-aged man who is nearly forty years old. The clerks call him a two-faced tiger. On the one hand, he is kind and smiling when facing the customers, but on the other hand, he is cold and vicious when facing his own clerks.  Very rude. In fact, just like his nickname, Zhao Ting is also a two-faced person. On the one hand, he is a small businessman in Chengdu, struggling to maintain a meager business every day, but on the other hand, he is Cao Jun's intelligence chief in Chengdu and serves as Cao Jun's deputy.  As a school captain, not long after Liu Jing's army occupied Yizhou, he was ordered to lead twenty men to Chengdu, bought a tavern, and used the tavern as a cover to secretly collect intelligence. Zhao Ting has also been quite active in the past few months.  Trouble, he was originally directly under the jurisdiction of Dong Zhao, but the eldest son Cao Pi continued to infiltrate, and finally sent a civilian officer as his deputy. This man was named Yang Tian. He was responsible for exchanging fake official gold to disrupt the goods colony in Chengdu.  And purchased a large amount of supplies in Guanzhong and transported them to Hedong. Although Yang Tian and he each performed their own duties, Yang Tian was quite effective in the past few months. He not only successfully penetrated the Chengdu money and goods black market, but also made a lot of profits and successfully transported to Hedong.  A large amount of medicinal materials, compared to his meager achievements in Chengdu in recent years, Yang Tian is obviously doing better than him. This makes Zhao Ting a little more worried. He feels that Yang Tian will replace him sooner or later.  Zhao Ting got the news that the Han army dispatched three thousand troops to start a large-scale raid on the black exchange market in Nan City. This news made Zhao Ting worried, but also felt an uncontrollable joy. He was worried that Yang Tian would reveal their secrets after being caught.  , but he hoped that it would be best for Yang Tian to be caught and executed by the Han army before he could reveal the secret. This was the most satisfactory outcome. But soon, he received news that something had slipped through the net when the Han soldiers raided the black market.  He also ordered his men to fightAccording to the situation, at noon, the bartender who was inquiring about the news hurried back to the tavern and found Zhao Ting.  "Reporting to the leader, I found Deputy Leader Yang. He was not caught. He escaped by chance and is now hiding in a shop in Nanshi. He was frightened and said he would not dare to come back until night." This news made Zhao Ting relieved.  Feeling a little disappointed in his heart, he thought for a while and said to the bartender: "Where is he hiding? Take me there now."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 790 Digging canals to divert water

    For Chengdu Nanshi, it is definitely a big event that the black market exchange that has existed for nearly ten years has been swept away. The black market has been a part of businessmen's lives. For a long time, the black market exchange has been very reputable. Not only are the goods genuine, but  Buying and selling is free, and it was only after a group of people started exchanging gold a few months ago that the credibility of the black market was gradually undermined.  The merchants in Nanshi hated this kind of behavior that violated reputation and rules. Until the army cleared out the entire black market in Nanshi, the merchants were still secretly cursing this group of people, but everything was irreversible. More than a hundred black market money dealers  If he is captured, it is said that he will face capital punishment. Businessmen in Nan City have been discussing this matter all morning.  When Zhao Ting arrived at Nanshi, it was in the afternoon when business was busiest. However, Nanshi today was relatively deserted, with more than half the number of customers than usual. Heavily armed soldiers could be seen everywhere, and they had completely blocked off several areas where the black market was located.  In the territory, there were soldiers searching from house to house, and it was said that several leaders escaped.  Zhao Ting slowed down his horse and followed the bartender to a hotel. The soldiers hadn't searched here yet. The bartender pointed to the hotel and whispered: "It's right here, in the eastmost room on the second floor."  Zhao Ting got off his horse, threw the reins to the bartender, and walked directly into the hotel. He went directly to the second floor without announcing it. The second floor was dimly lit and very quiet. There seemed to be no one. He could only hear the sound of the wooden floor under his feet.  Kaka!  ¡¯ sound, Zhao Ting came to the easternmost room. He knocked on the door. There was no movement inside, and the door seemed to be open. He pushed the door open, but was shocked.  I saw that the room was full of Han soldiers. Everyone was holding a powerful crossbow and aimed it at him coldly. Before he could react, he was hit hard on the back of the head and fainted.  At this time, Yang Tian walked out of the back room, looked at Zhao Ting lying on the ground, nodded and said to Zhang Ji, "That's him!" Zhang Ji waved his hand, "Take him away!" The soldiers lifted up the unconscious Zhao Ting.  Zhao Ting quickly left the room. Zhang Ji patted Yang Tian's shoulder and said with a smile: "We will give you conclusive evidence. He betrayed you. You should know what to do with the rest!" Yang Tian was really nervous.  , and asked: "Will you put him back?" "It's up to you to decide. If you want him to go back, we will let him go." Yang Tianyi gritted his teeth and said, "Letting him go will cause complications, so let him go."  He's gone." Zhang Ji nodded, "Okay! You go back immediately. I'll give you an hour. In one hour, we will clear out the Yellow River Tavern. You can take the people to evacuate as soon as possible."  , he knew he had no way out, he nodded silently, turned around and left the room. Outside the hotel, the bartender who reported the news was holding two horses and was stretching his neck to wait for Zhao Ting to come out. At this time, he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind.  Looking back, he saw Yang Tian waving to him at the entrance of an alley more than ten years away with a very nervous expression. The bartender was startled and quickly led his horse forward and said, "Chief Zhao has come up to look for you. Why are you here?" Yang Tian grabbed him.  The bartender pulled him into the alley and whispered: "The owner of this hotel betrayed me. Fortunately, I escaped quickly. There are traps in the hotel." The bartender was shocked, "But the leader has already entered." "Shh!" Yang Tianshen  He stopped his words with his finger, pointed to the door of the hotel, and said nervously: "Look, it's out!" The bartender quietly looked over and saw a heavily covered carriage driving in front of the door.  As soon as the carriage stopped, seven or eight soldiers walked out of the hotel, carrying a hooded man. Judging from the clothes and figure, it was their leader Zhao Ting. He was sent directly to the carriage. The bartender was frightened.  I was stunned, the leader was actually caught, what should I do?  Yang Tian glared at him fiercely and reprimanded: "Didn't I tell you? I will go back by myself at night. Don't bring him here. It's too dangerous here. If something happens now, what should I do?" The bartender was so scared that he lowered his head.  Yang Tian snorted loudly, "Go back with me quickly!" He led the bartender through the alley, went out through another small door, got on his horse, and ran towards the west city. Half an hour later, at the Yellow River Tavern,  In a room, Yang Tian summoned everyone to lecture, "My men were arrested for exchanging money on the black market. The Han army will not suspect their identities for the time being, but the situation is different when General Zhao is arrested. He always carries the order with him."  card, the identity is easily exposed. I don¡¯t want to doubt General Zhao¡¯s loyalty, but not everyone can withstand the cruel torture instruments of the Han army. Once General Zhao confesses, we will be in catastrophe. We must be prepared, immediately  Close the store, and everyone should burn the information immediately. Act quickly, everyone goes now!" More than two dozen subordinates agreed and rushed to burn all kinds of information. The store was also closed, and someEveryone was also invited out of the tavern. Everyone knew very well that although Zhao Ting was caught accidentally, his identity might be exposed. Deputy Leader Yang was right. Once Zhao Ting could not bear the instrument of torture, they would  There will be a disaster here.  A quarter of an hour later, everyone began to evacuate out of the city in batches. Yang Tian finally left the tavern with a few of his men. Everyone gathered in a tavern outside the city, nervously waiting for news. Not long after, the number of people at the West City Gate suddenly increased.  The soldiers defended themselves and began to strictly interrogate everyone who left the city. The situation suddenly became tense. At this time, a subordinate who was left to monitor the tavern came to report in a panic, "To inform the deputy chief, a large number of troops have come to our tavern. There are enough soldiers."  Thousands of people surrounded the tavern, and some soldiers kicked down the door and rushed in. "This news made everyone feel extremely lucky, and they were also frightened. Sure enough, something had happened. If they had evacuated just a quarter of an hour later, no one could escape.  , everyone's eyes are looking at Yang Tian. The leader Zhao Ting may have betrayed him, and now they can only place their hopes on the deputy leader.  Yang Tian also secretly felt lucky. In fact, there were many loopholes in this strategy. For example, how could the Han army know that Zhao Ting was coming and hide in the room to wait? Another example was that all his men were captured, and how did he  Escape?  ??Also, in fact, Zhao Ting did not carry a token. How could the Han army know that he was a spy for Cao's army?  With Zhao Ting's mind, he could definitely say that he was also a member of the black market. No one else was interrogating him, and the Han army would not interrogate him alone so quickly.  These loopholes actually cannot withstand scrutiny. The key is that there is no time for these subordinates to scrutinize now. Everyone places their hopes on him. After all, he is the number two person.  Yang Tian said in a deep voice to everyone: "Although the Yellow River Tavern has been taken away, I still have a large amount of red gold and gold that I can exchange for, which I have stored in a hidden place in Nanshi. With this money, we can make a comeback.  But I have a request for everyone, that is, to obey orders absolutely, so that we can survive and complete our mission. Whoever dares to have different intentions and betray his brother, I will never spare him. In addition, I know that Zhao Ting treats you more  Mean, please don¡¯t worry, if you follow me, Yang Tian, ??I can at least guarantee that everyone will make a fortune and have food and clothing for the rest of their lives.¡± Yang Tian threatened and tried to win over, and stabilized the mood of his men. That night, they continued.  Entering the city through the south gate, they entered Nan City and entered a secret gold store owned by Yang Tian. When each person received a reward of five kilograms of red gold, Zhao Ting's prestige disappeared in their hearts, and they began to turn their allegiance to Yang Tian.  As for who Yang Tian's backstage is, it has nothing to do with these subordinates.  Early the next morning, Yang Tian went to a pub outside the gate of Nanshi alone under the pretext of seeking information. He went up to the third floor and was led into a private room by the bartender. When he opened the door, Guan Xi and Zhang Ji were already there.  He had been waiting in the room for a long time.  "See General Guan!" Although Guan Xi is a woman, Yang Tian knows that she has a high status and can even report directly to the King of Han, while Zhang Ji is just her subordinate. Guan Xi waved her hand and said with a smile: "Please sit down, Chief Yang!"  Yang Tian smiled bitterly and sat down. He first asked: "How is Zhao Ting doing now?" Guan Xi smiled slightly, "Just as Yang Shijun expected, Zhao Ting insisted that he was just a black market gold merchant and did not reveal anything.  But please rest assured, Yang Shijun, it doesn't matter whether he confesses or not. He will not come out again. In one month, he will be executed as a black market gold dealer, and he will not be given any chance. " Yang Tian wiped it out.  With sweat on his forehead, he whispered: "Zhao Ting has bribed many people over the years. I think it is better to kill them as soon as possible to avoid long nights and many dreams and sudden accidents." "Okay, if everything goes well with Yang Shijun, I will do it tonight  You can execute him." Yang Tian quickly said: "I have settled down here. We discussed last night and prepared to open a new mule and horse shop as a cover." At this point, Yang Tian took out a list and handed it to Guan Xi:  "This is a list I compiled last night. They are the officials who have been bribed by Zhao Ting over the years. Please take a look at it, general." Guan Xi took the list and looked at it. Most of them were middle and low-level officials, and there were also a few Han army generals.  , But in any case, this list is very important to them. Guan Xi nodded and praised: "Yang Shijun has done a good job. Please continue to work hard. We will soon give Yang Shijun some useful secrets. As Yang Shijun  I hope Yang Shijun will be promoted soon." Yang Tian was overjoyed and stood up and bowed deeply, "Thank you, General Guan, for your kindness!" In Liu Jing's official room, Guan Xi was led into the room by the guards. At this time, Liu Jing was sitting behind the table reviewing some papers.  For important memorials, today is the second day for him to officially go to work. He is very busy with official duties. Many backlogged important documents require his approval afterwards. This is a necessary procedure. Although he is not in Chengdu, Pingzhangtai can negotiate and decide on some important documents.  Government affairs, but be sure to report to Liu Jing afterwards to let him know the specific situation.  So??From yesterday afternoon to now, Liu Jing has been busy reviewing these "post-mortems". At this time, the guard reported at the door: "Guan Xiaowei is here." Liu Jing looked up and saw Guan Xi walking in, and smiled  Then he put down his pen and said, "What good news did General Guan bring me?" Guan Xi stepped forward and bowed, then reported to Liu Jing in detail what happened in the past two days, and finally took out the list and presented it to Liu Jing, "This  This is the list given by Yang Tian to some officials and generals who were bribed by Cao Jun. There are twenty-five people in total. Please give instructions from your highness. Do you want to arrest them immediately? " Liu Jing took the list and looked through it carefully. He didn't recognize any of these names.  They are familiar with each other, so their positions are not high. He returned the list to Guan Xi and said, "I once said that if you take a long-term approach to catch big fish, you don't have to rush to catch them. Just keep an eye on them." "But" Guan Xi hesitated and said.  : "Since Zhao Ting has betrayed, it is only reasonable that some people should be arrested. If they are not touched, they will be suspected." Liu Jing nodded, "What you said makes sense. In this case, how many soldiers can be arrested?"  General Fang, they are more dangerous, and these civil servants are not moving for the time being, monitoring them!" Liu Jing waved his secretary Lang Linjin forward, and said with a smile to Guan Xi: "I have already told Xiaozhi.  I told him that he can be bribed by Yang Tian and provide him with some important documents. " Lin Jin nodded to Guan Xi and said that he was ready. At this time, Liu Jing took out another document and handed it to Lin Jin with a smile.  "For me, Yang Tian's importance is in Yedu, not Chengdu. This is a record of the proceedings of Pingzhangtai. There are plans to move the capital to Chang'an and launch the Battle of Hefei. You can give it to Yang Tian.  Let him report to Yedu at the appropriate time." "Wei Chen obeys the order!" Lin Jin took the document.  Guan Xi was surprised next to him and said quickly: "Your Highness, do you want to give such important information to Cao Jun about Hefei's battle plan?" Liu Jing smiled faintly, "It is an obvious plan to attack Hefei. Cao Cao knows it very well, so there is no harm in telling him.  , has little impact on our plans.¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 791 Power of Supervision

    Amidst the sound of firecrackers all over the city, the New Year of the 20th year of Jian'an finally arrived. This year's New Year in Yedu is still as low-key as in previous years. The government did not organize any celebrations. All New Year celebrations are carried out independently by the people. Cao Cao's reasons are very  He is simple, advocates frugality and opposes extravagance and waste. In his view, the New Year activities organized by the government are an unnecessary expense.  But in order to be frugal, Cao Cao even canceled the customary New Year's court meeting, which is a bit puzzling. After all, this was the only opportunity for the Han emperor to contact the ministers. Many people speculated that Cao Cao's frugality was just an excuse. The key  He wanted to completely isolate the Han Emperor and deprive the Han Emperor of any chance to meet with his ministers. This was Cao Cao's real purpose.  However, the cancellation of the New Year's Day meeting is also welcomed by most officials, because they can have time to hold family sacrifices, unlike in previous years.  On the second day of the first lunar month, according to custom, no one can go out on this day, and every household cannot light fires. They eat cold food and drink cold water. Relatives gather together to send away the spirits of their ancestors.  The street was also deserted, with not a single pedestrian in sight. Only occasionally a group of patrolling soldiers passed by. At this time, the sound of rushing carriages and horses came from the distance, breaking the quiet morning. Soon, a carriage drove quickly.  Come, followed by dozens of leading guards on both sides.  The patrolling soldiers recognized this carriage as the eldest son¡¯s, and lined up to salute the carriage. The carriage sped past and headed outside the north city gate.  Cao Pi sat alone in the carriage, meditating and silent. For him, the New Year had no meaning. He dealt with government affairs, summoned his ministers to discuss and solve problems, and spent every day busy as usual.  However, Cao Pi did not have all the power. He only had political power, and important ones such as military power, supervision power, appointment and dismissal of officials, etc. were still firmly in the hands of his father Cao Cao.  Although he is cautious and tries his best to satisfy his father in handling every government affairs, to this day, he has not become the heir apparent and has not received his father's inheritance rights.  And his brother Cao Zhi did not live in debauchery. He was also very hardworking and was highly valued by his father. His father sent him to inspect the Wei State and act as the monarch of the Wei State. The symbolic significance of this power was even greater than Cao Pi's political power, acting as the monarch.  Cao Pi had never received this kind of treatment before.  Cao Pi was very worried about this. As the eldest son, he should be named the crown prince, but his father was reluctant to announce it. This implies that his father actually wanted his third son, Cao Zhi, to inherit the business.  There is another thing that makes Cao Pi feel upset, that is, his father refuses to be promoted to the king of Wei. He vetoed the suggestions of the ministers three times in a row. One veto was out of humility, and two vetoes were out of gesture.  The three consecutive vetoes were because he was unwilling to do so.  Cao Pi also knew why his father was unwilling to be promoted to King of Wei. The key lies in Liu Jing. Liu Jing clearly opposed his father's promotion to King of Wei and warned him more than once. This made his father feel uneasy. This shows that his father was somewhat afraid of Liu Jing.  This made Cao Pi feel deeply confused. If his father refused to be promoted to King of Wei, it would affect Cao Pi's future status and make it difficult for him to take the last and most critical step.  Cao Pi couldn't help but sigh softly. No matter what, he must let his father accept the ministers' initiative and be granted the title of King of Wei. But today, Cao Pi is not here for this.  The carriage slowly stopped in front of the Tongque Palace. A guard stepped forward to open the door. Cao Pi got out of the carriage and walked quickly to the palace gate. He said to the guard: "Please report to the Prime Minister that I have something important."  See you!" The guards went in, and after a while, sister Cao Xian came out and said with a smile, "My father was still asking why my brother didn't come to the party, but he came by himself." It had only been a few days since Cao Xian returned to Yedu.  She was severely reprimanded by her father and grounded for three months. Although she was reprimanded, it was not because she went to find Liu Jing without permission, but because she went out alone without her father's permission. It is very dangerous for a single woman to go out. Once she is robbed by thieves, there will be consequences  It is unimaginable that Cao Cao was furious with his daughter because of this.  Cao Pi said with a smile: "My little sister has had two days of rest, and she looks much better. I am relieved at home." Cao Xian stepped forward and took his brother's arm affectionately and said with a smile: "When I have time, I will tell you what I have experienced. I will definitely tell you what I have learned."  I am very interested in Liu Jing's life, and my father is the most interested. He asks me about it every day." The two walked towards the palace. Cao Pi said with a smile, "It seems that my father is really planning to marry you to Liu Jing.  Be mentally prepared!" Cao Xian blushed and said coquettishly: "Who told you to say this? I don't want to marry him." Cao Pi laughed and followed his sister into the inner palace. Cao Cao was in the inner palace.  The family gathered together, including Mrs. Bian, more than a dozen wives and concubines and more than twenty children, gathered around Cao Cao and chatted. Cao Pi unexpectedly found that Cao Zhi was also sitting next to him.I was startled, wasn't Cao Zhi out on inspection?  When did you come back?  When everyone saw Cao Pi coming in, they all laughed, "There is only one man missing, and now we are all here." Cao Pi quickly stepped forward and knelt down, "My son, Cao Pi, pays homage to your father, and pays homage to all the mothers!" Cao Cao smiled slightly and said, "I  I know you are very busy, so I didn¡¯t ask you to come, but since you are here, let¡¯s have a party together! I will send someone to pick up your wife and children. The whole family will be happier together.¡±  It's time. The child has something important to report to his father. It's related to Chengdu. " Cao Cao didn't want to talk about official matters today, but since it's related to Chengdu, it's a different matter. He thought for a moment, nodded and said, "Let's go to the back room to talk.  !" He slowly stood up and walked towards the back room. Cao Pi quickly followed. At this time, Cao Cao said to Cao Zhi: "Zhi'er, come too." Cao Pi suddenly blushed and even called his third brother over.  Then why didn't the third brother ask him to listen when the third brother reported?  Cao Pi felt ashamed and angry, but he lowered his head and said nothing.  In the room, Cao Cao sat down. He looked at his two sons with a pleasant look. His final successor would be born from these two sons. Emotionally speaking, he preferred his third son, Cao Zhi. Cao Zhi had matured very much in the past two years.  Kuai, he was no longer as immature as he was when he was sent to Xiangyang as an envoy. He gradually became calm and majestic, with a kingly demeanor, which Cao Cao admired very much.  Of course, the eldest son Cao Pi is also very capable and handles government affairs properly without letting himself worry about it. However, there is one thing about Cao Pi that Cao Cao has never liked, that is, he is too scheming. The biggest thing is that he needs to be scheming, but  No father wants to see his son scheming against him, and Cao Pi violated this taboo. Cao Cao knew that Cao Pi was secretly instigating the ministers to propose that he be crowned King of Wei.  The other is Hua Xin. Although Cao Cao valued this person's ability, he disdained his character, and he didn't like his eldest son treating him as a confidant. He reminded Cao Pi several times, but Cao Pi accepted it humbly every time, but never changed.  Cao Cao was deeply disappointed. At the same time, he also began to doubt the sincerity of his eldest son's respect for him and whether he was acting in a submissive manner. Once he passed away, would the eldest son really continue to faithfully implement his political line?  But the persuasion of many ministers is very reasonable. The only way to achieve stability is to have the direct eldest son as the heir. Yuan Shao's lessons are still vivid in his mind, and Cao Zhi is far inferior to Cao Pi in terms of skill and ability. He still has the literati in his heart.  A romantic feeling exists.  It can be seen from his inspection this time that he clearly favors the people when it comes to the struggle between officials and people. He always believes that the people are more important than the king, and that the people are the foundation of the country. Little does he know that this is actually just a saying of the ruler, but Cao Zhi chose to  Seriously, when inspecting Zhao County, he also beat the prefect and the county magistrate in front of nearly ten thousand peasants. This kind of political naivety also gave Cao Cao a headache.  More importantly, the military generally did not support Cao Zhi and supported Cao Pi, but the people at the bottom and the famous noble families supported Cao Zhi. It was this kind of forward-thinking doubts that kept Cao Cao from deciding on a successor.  Cao Cao said to his eldest son Cao Pi with Yan Yuese: "Is there something important that Pi'er needs to report to his father urgently?" Cao Pi restrained his plans for his third brother Cao Zhi, took out a scroll of letters, and presented it to his father with both hands, "This is what happened this morning.  The information about Chengdu that the child received is very important. Please take a look at it. " Cao Cao was a little surprised. Dong Zhao should have reported the information about Chengdu to him. How could it be the eldest son reporting to him?  He was surprised, but he still took the scroll and opened it, and read it hastily. He was immediately surprised to find that the minutes of Zhangtai's proceedings included the Han army's plan to attack Hefei, and Liu Jing's plan to move the capital to Chang'an.  The Han army was preparing to attack Hefei. As Cao Cao expected, the Han army exchanged Lujiang County, garrisoned troops in Anhui County, and established a navy base in Chaohu Lake. This was obviously aimed at Hefei. It was only a matter of time before the capital was moved to Chang'an. Although these two pieces of information  It was important, but it was not enough to surprise Cao Cao. Cao Cao was surprised by the information itself. It turned out to be the minutes of proceedings at Pingzhangtai. This was definitely extremely top-secret and important information, which made Cao Cao stunned.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 792 Doubts about promotion

    After a long while, Cao Cao asked: "Where did you get this information?" Cao Pi bowed and reported: "Father, do you still remember the report that my son and Dong Shizhong gave about the accident at the Chengdu Intelligence Station a few days ago?" Cao Cao nodded, he still remembered  It was Zhao Ting, the leader of the intelligence station, who was captured and confessed to the Han army, which caused the Chengdu intelligence station to be destroyed. As a result, Yang Tian, ??the eldest son sent to destroy the Chengdu cargo colony, rescued most of his men in the crisis, allowing the intelligence station to be restored.  Establishment, although Yang Tian was sent by the eldest son, which made Cao Cao a little unhappy, but when he was in urgent need of employment, he acquiesced to replace Zhao Ting with Yang Tian.  "I still remember, does it have anything to do with this matter?" "Reporting to my father, when Yang Tian was exchanging gold, he met Liu Jing's secretary Lang Linjin. This man once served as Cao Cao of the Han Army.  He had a large amount of red gold and five baht coins, which he secretly exchanged for gold on the black market, and was recognized by Yang Tian's men. Yang Tian immediately traced this person's background and discovered that he had embezzled the logistics money and materials of the Han army when he was appointed as Cang Cao.  Suspected, Yang Tian used the evidence of his gold exchange to force him to submit. The record of Pingzhangtai proceedings was a copy obtained by this person using his position. Yang Tian paid him a hundred taels of gold for this. " "Okay.  ! Okay!" Cao Cao said hello twice, and he asked happily: "Who is this Lin Jin, and I have never heard of him?" Cao Pi took out another piece of information and presented it, "This is his life background.  , please take a look at it, father." Cao Cao nodded appreciatively to Cao Pi. Cao Cao liked his careful and thoughtful consideration. He opened the information and read it carefully. He couldn't help but be surprised: "So he was the military doctor of Cao Jun in Licheng?"  "Exactly!" Cao Pi was secretly proud in his heart. His third brother had not been able to get in with a word until now, and he would not give Cao Zhi any room to intervene. He bowed again and said, "This man has a relative who is the General of Licheng Ya.  Through this relationship, he became a military doctor in Licheng. After the city of Licheng was destroyed, he fled with his family to Qishan to live in seclusion. As a result, his wife and children were killed by Dihu. When the Han army destroyed the Dihu cavalry, he joined the Han army. Later,  Liu Jing discovered that he had strong calculation skills, so he promoted him to the position of Cang Cao, in charge of logistics and material accounting, and gradually became Liu Jing's secretary, who had the opportunity to have access to some confidential documents. "Cao Cao nodded repeatedly, "This Yang.  Tian seems to be very capable. It's rare that he turned against the people around Liu Jing so quickly. "At this time, Cao Zhi said from the side: "Since Yang Tian met this Lin Jin when he was exchanging gold, why didn't he meet him before?  Instigating rebellion, he didn't take this person out until now. "Although Cao Zhi is weak in scheming, he is extremely smart. He immediately saw the crux of the problem, which was Yang Tian's selfishness. It was obvious that he had discovered Lin Jin long ago.  , but refused to give up the credit to Zhao Ting. Cao Zhi was hinting at the internal strife in the Chengdu Intelligence Station, and maybe Zhao Ting was betrayed by Yang Tian secretly.  Of course Cao Cao knew what the problem was. Yang Tian was sent by the eldest son, and Zhao Ting was from Dong Zhao, and Dong Zhao supported Cao Zhi. It would be strange that there was no internal fighting here. Cao Cao also knew that it was actually the eldest son who was fighting with Dong Zhao.  Zhao secretly competes for intelligence rights, but as a ruler, Cao Cao does not care too much about this kind of power struggle. As long as it does not violate his bottom line, he can tolerate it.  When it comes to dealing with the power struggle among their subordinates, whether Cao Cao, Liu Jing, or Sun Quan, they all have the same attitude, that is, allowing the power struggle among their subordinates to exist. This is the essence of the emperor's balance technique, but the bottom line of the three of them is different.  Same.  Liu Jing allowed the conflict of interests between the Jingzhou faction and the Yizhou faction, and he would also balance the phase arrangement of Pingzhangtai. However, on the general principle of unifying the world, Liu Jing did not allow the two factions to have differences, and at the same time he would never  Liu Jing tolerates the existence of regional factional disputes within the military. In dealing with the struggle for factional interests, Liu Jing handles it well and can handle it freely.  The factional struggle that Cao Cao faced was more complicated. In the early stage, it was a dispute between scholars and commoners, as well as a dispute between Confucianism and Legalism. At this point, Cao Cao did not play with the balance of interests. He had a very clear attitude, supporting the Legalists of the poor family and suppressing the Confucianism of the nobles.  Killing and giving way to others, killing Kong Rong, demoting two Xuns, and threatening Yang Biao, the Confucian gentry who supported the Han Dynasty suffered a heavy blow.  To this day, all the famous noble families in the imperial court have been almost wiped out. Most of the remaining ministers are his loyal followers. Some of the remaining famous families have also been left out and silenced. Now the factional dispute that Cao Cao faces is to support Cao Cao.  In the battle between the eldest son and the ministers who supported the third son, Cao Cao played a balancing act and handled this factional interest battle better.  Compared with Liu Jing and Cao Cao, who had a perfect balance in the factional interest struggle, Sun Quan failed to control the factional struggle. Sun Quan could no longer control the internal factional interest struggle, which resulted in serious military and political consequences, and finally led to the split of Jiangdong and its collapse.  Therefore, Cao Cao tried to balance the two factions of Pizhi. He asked Cao Zhi to inspect various places on his behalf. To a certain extent, it was for the sake of peace.?Cao Pi had too much political power, and Cao Pi wanted to seize certain intelligence powers from Dong Zhao, but Cao Cao eventually acquiesced.  Cao Cao waved his hand at Cao Zhi and said with a smile: "Don't worry too much about these side issues. The key is that Yang Tian was able to instigate Liu Jing's secretary Lang and get confidential documents such as the Pingzhangtai Proceedings. This is very encouraging.  This is a major victory for us in the intelligence department, and Yang Tian must be greatly commended." He then said to his eldest son Cao Pi: "For his great contributions, Yang Tian can be named Yushi Zhongcheng, with a reward of 500 catties, and he will be fully responsible for Bashu intelligence.  "Cao Pi did not expect that Yang Tian would be promoted two levels in a row and be named Yushi Zhongcheng. This is the position of supervising the real power of all officials. This is actually an opportunity for his father to take advantage of Yang Tian's meritorious service after removing Hua Xin as Yushi.  He was overjoyed to be given some supervisory power again, and he hurriedly saluted and said: "My son, thank my father for the reward on behalf of Yang Tian!" Cao Cao smiled and nodded, "Today is the second day of the first lunar month, let's not talk about state affairs, everyone is already waiting impatiently, we  "Get out!" At night, Cao Zhi returned to his mansion worriedly. Cao Zhi's mansion is located in the south of the city. It covers an area of ??100 acres, has a deep courtyard and lush trees. There is a 30-acre lake in the mansion, and various pavilions and pavilions have been built around the lake.  , elegant and unique, with exquisite materials and luxurious atmosphere. Not only Cao Zhi's family lived in the mansion, but many literati who relied on Cao Zhi also lived there.  As soon as Cao Zhi returned to the mansion, a guard came forward to report: "Mr. Yang is here, waiting for the young master in the study." The only Mr. Yang who can wait for Cao Zhi in the study is Yang Xiu, Cao Zhi's confidant, and he is also  He wanted to discuss with Yang Xiu, but Yang Xiu came by himself. Cao Zhi nodded and went directly to the study without going back to the room to change clothes.  In the study, Yang Xiu calmly drank fragrant tea. At the beginning of the year, Yang Xiu assisted Chen Qun in organizing the militia as a deputy. Half a year later, the Qingzhou militia and the Xuzhou militia were established. Yang Xiu was immediately transferred back to Yedu and was named a servant.  The censor accompanied Cao Zhi on his tour of various parts of the Wei state.  He has only been back for two days. Today is the second day of the first lunar month. According to custom, he should not go out. However, Yang Xiu received news from Dong Zhao in the afternoon. Wei Gong had appointed Yang Tian as Yushi Zhongcheng. Yang Xiu knew that Yang Tian was originally Cao Renjun.  Zhong was working as a secretary and was also from Hongnong. He was slightly distantly related to his family. He came to his father several times to ask for an official position, but his father disdained his character and rejected him.  Later, I heard that this man had defected to Hua Xin and became Cao Pi's confidant. He was unexpectedly promoted to the position of Yushi Zhongcheng and had the power of supervision. Yang Xiu and his son immediately realized that there must be a reason for this. Although today is the second day of the first lunar month, Yang Biao  It's better to let my son come to find out the information.  There were footsteps in the yard. This was Cao Zhi's return. Yang Xiu stood up, bowed and saluted Cao Zhi who walked into the house, and said, "I'm really sorry to bother you so late." "Dezu, you're welcome. If you  If you don't come, I will send someone to invite you tonight." Cao Zhi sighed and waved his hands: "Please sit down!" Yang Xiu was surprised. He sat down and asked, "Master, what happened?"  A strange thing happened today. My brother's confidant in Chengdu actually got a copy of the proceedings of Pingzhangtai." Cao Zhi told Yang Xiu what happened today in detail, and finally shook his head and said, "Then Yang.  Tian was promoted to the position of Yushi Zhongcheng. He has no qualifications and no talent, but he can serve as such a high official. Isn¡¯t that what his father thought?¡± Yang Xiu pondered for a moment and said: ¡°There is indeed something strange in this, not to mention that he got it.  This kind of confidential document is a bit weird. I think Wei Gong promoted him unexpectedly. I guess he wanted to give the eldest son some face and give him some supervisory power. " "You are right. After Hua Xin was removed from the post of imperial censor,  The elder brother had no one in the Yushitai. His father always liked to play balance. If Dong Zhao became the Yushitai, then the elder brother's people would also find a position in the Yushitai. This Yang Tian happened to be at the right time, and he was lucky.  " Speaking of this, Cao Zhi glanced at Yang Xiu and asked, "I heard that this Yang Tian is related to your Hongnong Yang family, but is it true?" Yang Xiu sneered and said, "They seem to be of the same clan, listen.  His father said that he didn't know how many generations passed before he came to ask his father for an official position, but his father thought he had a low moral character and ignored him.  It¡¯s such a big deal, you don¡¯t need to take him to heart.¡± ¡°But he has made great achievements!¡± Cao Zhi was suddenly shocked and said quickly: ¡°Just now, Dezu said that it was a bit weird that he got this confidential document. What does that mean?  " Yang Xiu smiled and shook his head, "This is just my guess. I suspect that he has surrendered to Liu Jing. With Liu Jing's shrewdness, how could the people around him be bribed?  It could be easily leaked, so I thought there must be something fishy about it.¡±  Cao Zhi frowned, "I was also wondering on the way whether this Yang Tian had surrendered to Liu Jing and was used against us. If so, my brother would not be able to eat it and walked away. I hope so.  Really, since Dezu said so, the possibility is very high." Yang Xiu laughed, "Since the young master is suspicious, I will send my confidants to Chengdu to investigate. Once we have the evidence, we can.  Taking the opportunity to counterattack the eldest son, this will be a heavy blow to the eldest son." Cao Zhi nodded slowly, "I'll leave everything to Dezu!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 793 Yang Cui¡¯s Plan

    Yang Xiu came out of Cao Zhi's house and hurried back home. He did not go back to his yard, but went directly to his father's study. Although it was late at night, the lights were still on in Yang Biao's study, and there were people sitting in the study.  A few people were chatting while waiting patiently for news about Yang Xiu.  Yang Biao, who is nearly seventy years old, is pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. As a Taiwei, he is known as the first elder of the imperial court. He has been living a low-key life in these years and is unwilling to conflict with Cao Cao. Since Cao Cao established the Wei State, he used  After using Wei to completely isolate the Han Dynasty, Yang Biao was almost completely idle at home.  Like other officials of the imperial court, Yang Biao had completely lost confidence in Han Emperor Liu Xie after the case was completed. Although he was still a loyal supporter of the Han Dynasty, he no longer expected Liu Xie to do anything.  He pinned his hope of recovering the Han Dynasty on Liu Jing. He believed that he would be able to see the revival of the Han Dynasty in his lifetime.  Although Yang Biao has kept a low profile politically and does not care about government affairs, he is still very active in safeguarding Confucianism and protecting the interests of the family. He firmly opposes Cao Cao's legalist ideas.  People advocated Legalist ideas, ruled the country by law, and abandoned Confucianism, which was strongly opposed by all the famous families in the world.  Since Cao Cao came to power, the gentry Confucians represented by the Kong family of Qufu, the Yang family of Hongnong, the Cui family of Boling, the Xun family of Yingchuan, the Wang family of Taiyuan, and the Cui family of Qinghe, etc., have been fighting unyieldingly with him.  The struggle lasted for more than twenty years. Cao Cao's killing of the great Confucian Bian Rang became the climax of the struggle between the two factions. However, after Cao Cao killed Kong Rong, the 20th descendant of Confucius, the gentry Confucianism gradually became at a disadvantage.  And Cao Cao was granted the title of Duke of Wei. After the founding of the Wei Kingdom, the Confucian gentry who controlled the imperial court suffered the heaviest blow and gradually became silent. However, silence does not mean sinking. Silence is waiting for an opportunity to make a comeback. In fact, Cao Cao  The struggle between the Legalists of the poor family and the Confucianists of the noble family lasted for hundreds of years. In the early stage, Cao Cao had the upper hand because of his powerful military power, and even Cao Pi was able to replace the Han Dynasty. However, as the Cao family's military power weakened, the Legalists of the poor family declined.  Gradually at a disadvantage, the Confucian gentry represented by Sima Yi finally defeated the Cao family.  This is also the fundamental reason for the short-lived Cao Wei Dynasty. The poor Legalists were never able to defeat the powerful gentry Confucian forces. With the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, gentry Confucianism fully revived and entered the Wei and Jin dynasties when gentry culture was at its peak in Chinese history.  Although the aristocratic families are currently at a disadvantage, the major aristocratic families have been looking for opportunities for a comeback. Liu Jing is certainly their hope, but under the current situation, Yang Biao and others have also discovered another opportunity for a comeback, that is  Cao Zhi, Cao Zhi is one of the Seven Sons of Jian'an. He admires Confucianism and sympathizes with the aristocratic families. If Cao Zhi can win the battle between the heirs and become Cao Cao's heir, then the lives of the major aristocratic families will be much easier, and there will be hope for the revival of Confucianism among the gentry.  .  In addition to Yang Biao, there were also Yang Xun, his nephew, and the famous scholar Cui Yan in the room. Cui Yan was the elder brother of Sikong Cui Lin and once served as a staff member of Cao Cao's tent. Cui Yan and Cui Lin were both outstanding figures in the Cui family of Qinghe.  , Cui Yan has a handsome appearance, is a famous handsome man in the world, and is also a famous literary figure. He is deeply loved by Cao Cao, who invites him as an aide.  However, Cui Yan adhered to the Confucian concepts of the gentry and opposed Cao Cao's poor Legalists. He repeatedly angered Cao Cao and was gradually ignored by Cao Cao. Today he was invited by Yang Biao to discuss important matters. The reason why Yang Biao suddenly had the idea of ??supporting Cao Zhi was because  Because his son Yang Xiu accompanied Cao Zhi back from his inspection tour, Yang Xiu told his father that Cao Zhi admired Confucianism and hoped to get support from the gentry forces. This gave Yang Biao a glimmer of hope. He immediately wrote to Sikong Cui Lin. The two hit it off, and Cui  Lin then asked his brother Cui Yan to come forward on his behalf.  The three of them were waiting for Yang Xiu to return in the study. At this time, footsteps were heard in the yard, and a maid reported: "The young master is back!" They saw Yang Xiu excitedly walking into the room. The three of them were refreshed at the same time, and the dull atmosphere in the room suddenly disappeared.  Being broken, Yang Xiu stepped forward and bowed, "Father, the child is back." Yang Biao sat down, waved his hands and smiled: "Sit down and talk!" Yang Xiu sat down, and a maid served hot tea.  Yang Xiu took a sip of tea and said: "My child just met Mr. Zhi and found out the reason why Yang Tian was named the Censor Zhongcheng. Things are just as his father expected. Cao Pi is going to intervene in the supervision of the Censor." Yang Biao nodded.  , this was expected by him, but he did not expect that Yang Tian, ??who had always been despised by him, would actually be named Yushi Zhongcheng, with real power. Moreover, Cao Cao clearly wrote in the promotion book that Yang Tian was born in the Yang family of Hongnong.  This really makes Yang Biao a little bit unacceptable. Who is Yang Tian from the Hongnong Yang family?  "I want to know if Yang Tian will be transferred back to Yedu?" Yang Xiu thought for a while and said: "I don't know yet whether he will be transferred back to Yedu, but Mr. Zhi told the child something, which is really surprising. I think  There's something very strange about it." "What's so strange?" Yang Biao asked.    Yang Xiu then told Yang Tian¡¯s meritorious service in detail, and finally said: ¡°Master Zhi and I both agree that with Liu Jing¡¯s shrewdness, it is impossible for Yang Tian to obtain the records of Pingzhangtai proceedings. This is most likely Liu Jing¡¯s.  Jing's plan was to take advantage of Yang Tian. " Several people in the room looked at each other. At this time, Cui Yan said from the side: "If Yang Tian really surrenders to Liu Jing and is willing to take advantage of Liu Jing, this junior will think that this is a way to bring down Cao Pi.  Opportunity, what do you think Uncle Shi said? " Yang Biao was silent. He was somewhat conflicted. Of course he also thought that this might be an opportunity to bring down Cao Pi, but he didn't want to ruin Liu Jing's plan. After all, he had no interest in Liu Jing's revival of the Han Dynasty.  Have high hopes.  After weighing it repeatedly, Yang Biao said slowly: "This matter still needs to be communicated with Liu Jing first. We simply told him clearly that the battle for the heir apparent in Wei has reached a fever pitch. We, the nobles, support Cao Zhi and hope that he can also help us."  , work together to overthrow Cao Pi and push Cao Zhi to the throne. " Yang Xiu nodded and said, "Haier thinks so too. Now the military supports Cao Pi. Although Wei Gong prefers Young Master Zhi, Young Master Zhi is not strong enough and is still at a disadvantage. If Liu Jing can  Secretly supporting Mr. Zhi, it will be much more beneficial for Mr. Zhi to ascend to power if he exerts external force. " Cui Yan also said: "Just now Dezu mentioned that the Han army is preparing to attack Hefei. If we can persuade Liu Jing to postpone the attack on Hefei,  And by recording this credit on Mr. Zhi, Duke Wei will definitely look upon Mr. Zhi with admiration, which will directly promote Mr. Zhi's rise to power. " Cui Yan was once an aide to Cao Cao. He knew that Cao Zhi's two missions to Yizhou failed, and he became the leader of the Wei Dynasty.  Cao Zhi was a major failure in his official career. Many people who supported Cao Pi often used this incident to suppress Cao Zhi. To untie the bell, the person who tied the bell must be tied. If Cao Zhi wants to completely turn over in this matter, he still needs the cooperation of Liu Jing.  This idea was deeply approved by Yang Biao, who immediately said to Cui Yan and Yang Xiu: "I will write a personal letter to Liu Jing, asking him to help us. In addition, Xiu'er will go to Mr. Zhi and ask him  He offered to negotiate with Liu Jing to prevent the outbreak of the Battle of Hefei and send his confidants to Chengdu. As for our side, we have to go and communicate with Liu Jing first. " Speaking of this, Yang Biao said to his nephew Yang Xun: "My nephew.  Just go out and deliver a letter to Liu Jing for me." Yang Xun stood up quickly and said, "My nephew, I obey my uncle's order!" The New Year has passed, and the time has gradually reached the end of January, and there is a hint of warmth in the air.  Suddenly, people felt the breath of spring and began to take off their thick winter clothes. Young women put on short jackets and walked out of their houses to breathe in the breath of spring.  Xiao Qiao has been in Chengdu for almost a month, and she has gradually adapted to the climate of Chengdu and the life in the Han Palace. Sun Shangxiang's meticulous care for her has made her live a happy life. She no longer has the embarrassment of living a life based on people's faces in the Zhou family, and her mood has gradually improved.  Cheerful, she began to like this carefree life. She also gained a little weight, her body was plump, her skin was smooth, and her natural beauty made her beauty even more attractive.  A few days ago, Xiao Qiao, accompanied by Sun Shangxiang, went to Qingcheng Mountain to play together, and returned home having a great time. At noon, Xiao Qiao, holding a fan in hand, was walking slowly along the creek in the center of the house, which connected to the guard outside the house.  The clear lake water flows out of the house from the river and the spring lake in the house. The river is winding and winding, with large evergreen trees on both sides. The ground is covered with green grass, as if covered with a soft carpet, with green mountains and small bridges.  The flowing water and the scenery are particularly elegant.  The winter jasmine and wintersweet are in full bloom on both sides of the river. Clusters of brilliant yellow are blooming on both sides of the river. The air is filled with the special fragrance of wintersweet. Groups of birds with bright feathers are singing in the trees. Xiao Qiao is admiring the plum blossoms all the way.  Completely intoxicated by the fragrance of flowers and the chirping of birds.  "Why are you alone?" A deep voice sounded next to Xiao Qiao, waking her up from her intoxication. When she turned around, she saw Liu Jing standing not far behind her, looking at her with a smile.  Xiao Qiao suddenly panicked. She had only seen Liu Jing three times in this month, and they were always with everyone at dinner. This was the first time she saw him alone. She blushed slightly and said with a smile: "  Shang Xiang wants to take a nap. I am bored and just walking around. "Why did the young master go back to the house at noon?" "It's the tenth day of the week. I don't have to go to the official room. I just came out to relax." Xiao Qiao smiled lightly and pointed at the river with his fan.  Both sides said: "I have just discovered that both sides of the river are so beautiful. I like the fragrance of wintersweet the most. Do you like it, sir?" Liu Jing stepped forward, sniffed a dark yellow wintersweet, and nodded, "This  The aroma is indeed very special, not bad, I like it too. " The two walked slowly side by side. Liu Jing took a look at Xiao Qiao and saw that she was wearing a white linen skirt, with light makeup on her face, and her hair was like a waterfall.  She wore a ponytail, which made her look plump and slender, with a pretty and elegant appearance. She exuded an intoxicating and elegant fragrance. She really had a kind of charm that would captivate a country.Appearance.  "How are you living in the mansion these days?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.  Xiao Qiao nodded lightly, "I am living a very happy life, and I am extremely grateful to the young master." "Is it just gratitude?" Liu Jing couldn't help but ask.  Xiao Qiao's body trembled slightly. She glanced at Liu Jing with a shy look and whispered, "Master, what do you mean by this?" Liu Jing smiled but did not answer, but reached out to hold Xiao Qiao's delicate and smooth hand. Xiao Qiao lowered her head.  She pulled her head slightly, but couldn't get away. She immediately turned her head away in shame, not daring to look at Liu Jing.  Liu Jing took her by the shoulders and looked down at her with fiery eyes. Xiao Qiao's heart was pounding wildly. She was so flustered that she trembled: "Young Master!" Liu Jing raised her chin and stared at this picture.  Compared with Da Qiao's dignified beauty, Xiao Qiao has an extremely beautiful face. She closed her beautiful eyes and slightly opened her bright red lips, revealing her snow-white teeth.  As if calling something, Liu Jing slowly came closer and kissed her soft lips. He savored her taste. Xiao Qiao slowly snuggled into his arms, trembling all over.  At this moment, there was a sound of fast footsteps behind him, and a maid not far away whispered: "Your Highness!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 794 Envoys from the North

    Xiao Qiao hurriedly left Liu Jing's arms and turned away. Liu Jing suddenly turned around and looked angrily at the maid behind him who had ruined his good deeds. "What's the matter?" he asked angrily.  The maid's face turned pale with fright, and she lowered her head and said, "Steward Luo has come to deliver a message, saying that Xu Shangshu is asking to see him!" It turned out that it was Xu Shu who was asking to see him. Liu Jing's face turned pale and she said to the maid, "I understand. Tell Steward Luo to ask for Xu Shangshu to be with me."  "Wait in the study outside." The maid left in a hurry. Liu Jing looked back for Xiao Qiao. Xiao Qiao was already a few steps away. The atmosphere was ruined. There was a bit of embarrassment between the two of them. Xiao Qiao blushed.  Said: "Young master, if you have anything to do, go ahead! I'll go back first." Liu Jing didn't say anything, just looked at her deeply, then turned around and walked quickly towards the outer house. Xiao Qiao watched him go away silently, and couldn't help but  He bit his lip lightly and sighed quietly. Xu Shu was patiently waiting for Liu Jing in the study. According to the ten-day cycle of Pingzhangtai, today was his turn to be the chief minister. Last month, Pingzhangtai held a meeting.  Liu Jing explained three things, one was the plan to move the capital, the second was the food and material allocation plan for the Battle of Hefei, and the third was the matter of making money.  A month has passed, and the first two plans have been clarified. The capital relocation is scheduled to begin in September this year. The preliminary affairs have already begun, and the allocation of food supplies for the Battle of Hefei is also proceeding in an orderly manner. Today Xu Shu came to Liu Jing.  In order to cast money, after a month of busy work, I finally got the idea.  At this time, Liu Jing's laughter came from the door, "I found that every time Yuan Zhi comes to visit me, it is always on the tenth day. Why don't you let me have a day off?" Xu Shu quickly stood up and apologized to Liu Jing who walked into the room.  Said: "Wei Chen was negligent and disturbed His Highness's rest." Liu Jing waved her hands and smiled: "It's just a joke. Yuan Zhi doesn't need to take it seriously. Please sit down!" Xu Shu sat down and said with a smile: "I came to see Your Highness today mainly because of  "It's about making money." Liu Jing suddenly became energetic. Making gold money was also a matter of great concern to him. He asked urgently: "How is the progress now?" Xu Shu took out a small wooden box, put it on the table, and pushed it to Liu.  Jing, "Your Highness, please take a look!" Liu Jing opened the box, and inside were two pieces of yellow money. Xu Shu smiled and said, "This is the kind of money." Liu Jing was overjoyed. He didn't expect that the money would come out so quickly. He took out a piece of money.  A piece of money, hold it in your hand and look at it carefully. The money is slightly larger than a five-baht coin. It has a hole in the middle. The money is thick and feels heavy in your hand. The front is engraved with the words "Han Guo Qian" in four small seal characters. The handwriting is thick and thick.  It is a circle of palace reliefs, which is the pattern of Weiyang Palace. It was cast exactly according to the plan Liu Jing originally determined, which made him very satisfied.  Xu Shu explained: "One pound of gold can be exchanged for ten thousand coins, and one pound of gold can be exchanged for one hundred coins. One dollar can be exchanged for one hundred five-baht coins, and one pound of red gold can be exchanged for ten gold coins. It's very simple.  Easy to calculate and easy to circulate." Liu Jing nodded and asked, "How to prevent private casting?" If it is pure gold private casting, it is not a big problem, but Liu Jing is worried about private casting of gold mixed with copper.  The impact of his money plan was great, and he had to prevent this. Xu Shu confidently took out another piece of money from the box and handed it to Liu Jing, "This one is deliberately mixed with 10% red copper, please compare it with your highness!"  Liu Jing took the mixed copper coins with great interest and compared them with the pure money before. Although the size and shape were similar, they felt a little lighter and the color was also different. Xu Shu explained: "Initially we planned to  One pound of gold is used to cast fifty pieces of gold, but it is found to be easily adulterated and difficult to distinguish. After one pound of gold is cast into one hundred pieces of gold, it is easy to distinguish once it is mixed with copper. There is an obvious color difference, and this kind of money is mostly used by businessmen.  It is almost impossible to hide it from the shrewd eyes of businessmen. Please rest assured, Your Highness." Liu Jing thought for a while and then said: "Not only must we prevent it technically, but the key is to use severe punishment. Anyone who dares to secretly mint official money will be cut in half.  , so that the counterfeiters will not dare to try it easily. " "I am not worried about the fraud in the Han State. I am just worried about the fraud on the Wei side. The last fake official gold case was caused by Cao Pi." Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Actually, Cao Pi was there.  Don't worry, if he dares to forge money, he will end up losing more than he gains. " Liu Jing put the money back into the box and said to Xu Shu, "You don't have to worry about anything anymore. We can mint money on a large scale and implement it immediately, and at the same time, we will recover the red gold in the market.  "Wei Chen obeys!" Xu Shu put away the box and stood up and said, "Wei Chen will not disturb His Highness's rest. Please take your leave first!" Liu Jing waved her hands and said with a smile, "Don't leave in a hurry. I have something to ask you for."  Xu Shu slowly sat down again, "Is there anything else, Your Highness?" Liu Jing took a piece of information from the table and handed it to him, "This is the express message from Chang'an yesterday. CaoHe sent the imperial censor Dong Zhao as an envoy to Chengdu. He has already arrived in Chang'an and will arrive in Chengdu in at most ten days.  " This news made Xu Shu slightly startled. What was Cao Cao sending an envoy to do at this time? He took the express letter, read it again, and looked at Liu Jing in confusion. Liu Jing smiled and said: "Dong Zhao is from Cao Zhi's faction.  A capable general, his mission to Chengdu must have been recommended by Cao Zhi. If I guessed correctly, Dong Zhao came for the upcoming battle of Hefei. It can be seen that Cao Cao did not want to fight.  " "But our campaign plan has been implemented. For more than a month, we have been allocating money, food and materials.  " Xu Shu was really a little confused. When he saw Liu Jing's mysterious smile, he didn't understand Liu Jing's true intention even more. He hesitated and asked: "Is it possible that His Highness actually doesn't want to fight?  " Liu Jing said lightly: "It's not that I don't want to fight the battle of Hefei, but compared to capturing Hefei, moving the capital to Chang'an is our top priority. Has Yuan Zhi forgotten?  Yuan Zhi told me at the beginning, what was the biggest obstacle to moving the capital to Chang'an?  " Xu Shu suddenly remembered what he had said a month ago. The prerequisite for moving the capital to Chang'an was to deal with the Qianghu and Xiongnu north of Guanzhong, otherwise Chang'an would be unstable. He suddenly realized that Liu Jing had no intention of using troops against Hefei in the near future. Xu Shu had already  Gradually understanding Liu Jing's thoughts, he smiled and said: "Could it be that His Highness wants to support Cao Zhi so that Dong Zhao can successfully go on his mission this time?  " Liu Jing shook her head, and the smile on her face became even more mysterious, "I don't support Cao Zhi or Cao Pi. I only care about how to get the maximum benefit from their brotherly fight. In fact, it is a matter of remotely controlling the two brothers to fight.  Very interesting thing.  " Dong Zhao was still in Chang'an, but Yang Xun had already arrived in Chengdu. He was secretly sent to Chengdu on Yang Biao's order to make Dong Zhao's trip a success. He was also burdened with another task, which was to find out.  Has Yang Tian secretly surrendered to the Han army? Yang Xun is about forty years old, with a thin and handsome appearance. He is an outstanding son of the Yang family in Hongnong. Together with Yang Xiu, he is known as the two talents of Hongnong. He is talented and has outstanding literary talent.  While well-read in scriptures, he was also shrewd and capable, and won the respect of the family leader Yang Biao. This time he secretly went to Chengdu, shouldering the diligent instructions given to him by Yang Biao when Yang Xun came to study more than ten years ago.  After passing through Chengdu, he once became a disciple of Ren An, a great scholar from Shu County. He lived in Chengdu for two years and was very familiar with Chengdu. Yang Xun entered the city in the evening, checked into a hotel opposite the Yellow River Tavern, and settled his luggage.  Standing in front of the window and looking at the Yellow River Tavern opposite, it turned out to be Cao Jun's intelligence headquarters in Chengdu. After Zhao Ting was arrested, the Yellow River Tavern was sealed by the Han army. The door was closed with a seal on the door, and the restaurant was empty.  , there was no one in sight. Yang Xun looked a little worried. He knew that Cao Jun¡¯s intelligence station had moved to Nanshi. Dong Zhao told him that it was a mule and horse shop in Nanshi. He would have to take time to take a look tomorrow.  Xun decided to find out the truth about Yang Tian first, and then go to see Liu Jing. Since Dong Zhao was still in Chang'an, he had plenty of time. At this time, there was a knock on the door behind him, and Yang Xun turned around and said, "Please come in!"  "The door opened, and the hotel boy came in with a food tray and said with a smile: "Sir's dinner is here.  Yang Xun pointed to the small table and said, "Put it here!"  " He sat down, took out a handful of money and gave it to the guy with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work.  " "Thank you sir!  "The clerk felt that the money was fifty or sixty pieces, and he was overjoyed. He nodded and bowed again and said, "Sir, if you need anything, just ask."  " "I want to ask you something. You should know that the black market was banned more than a month ago!  "The clerk nodded repeatedly, "No one in Chengdu doesn't know that more than a hundred people were beheaded in public a few days ago, and I even went to watch.  " "Do you know why the black market was investigated?  " "I heard that the King of Han paid a private visit incognito and exchanged for fake gold, which aroused the King of Han's anger and ordered the army to encircle and suppress him.  Yang Xun immediately became interested. The exchange of fake gold was exactly what Cao Pi arranged for Yang Tian to do. If this rumor was true, Yang Tian should not be spared. He asked again: "Is this rumor reliable?"  "The guy shrugged, "Who knows!  Anyway, there are various rumors, but my shopkeeper thinks this rumor is reliable, because not long after Nanshi opened, thousands of troops entered Nanshi. The first people they arrested were those who exchanged fake gold, and then they arrested other people who exchanged money.  People, and the black market has existed for more than ten years. It has only been two months since the fake gold came out, and the entire black market was wiped out.  " Yang Xun nodded, what he said made sense. Although he was just a small person, he still saw things very clearly. It seems that something happened to Yang Tian's fake gold. This is interesting. When something happened to the fake gold, Yang Tian didn't have any trouble.  Even though he was promoted, Zhao Ting was arrested and his life and death were unknown. From this, Yang Tian took over the Chengdu Qing Dynasty.At the main station, such an obvious flaw was not visible to the higher-ups. It can only be said that Cao Pi had ulterior motives.  This can explain clearly why Yang Tian was able to obtain such a confidential document as the Pingzhangtai minutes. It was obviously a trap.  However, although Yang Xun was connected, he could not expose it rashly without getting evidence. He had to get definite evidence. At noon the next day, Yang Xun came to Nanshi in a hurry and found the mules and horses Dong Zhao told him.  The store is located in the northeast corner of Nanshi. It is a large store covering an area of ??three acres. There is a circle of railings around the door. Inside, there are more than a dozen horses that have just been delivered. They are draft horses produced in Hehuang. They are tall and strong, with limbs  It is stout and not good at running fast. It is mainly used for pulling carts.  The Han army has very strict regulations on the screening of war horses. High-quality war horses are never allowed to flow into the civilian population and can only be used in the military. Moreover, horses are also prohibited trade items and are not allowed to be sold to Wei and Jiangdong.  Yang Xun dressed up a little, his clothes were shabby, his face was disheveled, and his expression was downcast. He looked like a bankrupt farmer who came to visit relatives and friends. He came to the mule and horse shop and asked cautiously: "Excuse me, is Zhang Luer here?  ?¡± The big man looking at the horse outside looked at him and yelled into the shop: ¡°Zhang Luer, there¡¯s someone looking for me outside!¡± ¡°Who is looking for me?¡± A thin boy ran out, it was Yang Xun he was looking for.  Zhang Lv'er, it was he who took Zhao Ting to Nanshi to find Yang Tian more than a month ago, but Zhao Ting was arrested.  Zhang Luer didn't recognize Yang Xun and was stunned for a moment. Yang Xun hurriedly stepped forward and said, "San Luer, I'm your uncle! Don't you recognize me?" As Yang Xun spoke, a bronze medal appeared in his hand.  Donkey'er's face suddenly changed, and he stepped back two steps: "Second uncle, how did you become like this?" "Alas! It's hard to explain, I finally found you." Zhang Donkey'er looked at the companion watching the horse with a bitter face.  He said: "There is someone coming from my hometown. He is probably here to ask for money. I will take him to dinner first. Don't tell the leader." "Send him away quickly and let the leader know that you are communicating with your family. You will be rewarded. Go quickly."  !" Zhang Luer ran into the shop, and after a while he came out with a bag on his back and said to Yang Xun, "Second uncle, I will take you to eat first."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 795 Double Agent

    In a tavern in Nanshi, Zhang Luer and Yang Xun sat down in a room. Yang Xun took out his waist card again and handed it to Zhang Luer, "Take another look!" Zhang Luer also  He is not an ordinary person. He is a spy placed by Dong Zhao to monitor Zhao Ting's every move. Although Zhao Ting is Dong Zhao's person, Dong Zhao does not completely trust him. When Yang Xun left, Dong Zhao told Yang Xun  He can break through from Zhang Luer and find out the truth of the matter.  Zhang Luer looked at the license plate number and saw that it was actually No. 4. He was shocked. Zhao Ting was actually No. 16, and this person was actually No. 4. His identity must be very important. He quickly asked respectfully: "Who is sir?" "  I am the nephew of Taiwei Yang, and so is Yang Xun, Mr. Zhi¡¯s staff member!¡± Zhang Luer suddenly stood up in awe and saluted, ¡°It turns out that I am Taiwei Yang¡¯s nephew, I¡¯m so disrespectful.¡± Yang Xun smiled bitterly in his heart.  , the other party obviously did not know who he was, and only valued him as the nephew of Taiwei Yang, but did not know that he was a famous Hongnong scholar, and did not bow to him. He just bowed to him, which was obviously perfunctory.  Wait for the little people to care.  Yang Xun waved his hand and said with a smile: "You're welcome, please sit down!" Zhang Luer sat down and looked at Yang Xun eagerly, wondering what he wanted to see him for?  Yang Xun pondered for a moment and said: "I might as well tell you the truth. Both Mr. Zhi and Dr. Dong suspected that Yang Tian had secretly surrendered to the Han army, so they specially ordered me to investigate this matter. You should be an insider. Maybe you have no evidence, but  I want to know, do you think Yang Tian surrendered to the Han army?" Zhang Luer was stunned for a while and then stammered: "Why did Mr. Yang say this?" Yang Xun also felt that he was asking too directly, so he  He smiled and said: "Let's do it! Tell me why Zhao Ting was arrested?" Zhang Luer sighed and said: "This matter is actually very complicated. Yang Tian and Zhao Ting are each their own masters, and they fight secretly.  It's amazing. I was in the game on the day of the accident and didn't see it through. It was only afterward that I slowly realized that Zhao Ting was ruthless, but Yang Tian was even more cunning. " "What do you mean?" Yang Xun suddenly became interested.  , hurriedly leaned forward and asked.  Zhang Luer smiled bitterly and said: "The black market was wiped out, and the trouble started from the fake official gold case. Some people say it was because the King of Han Dynasty discovered it during a private visit incognito, but that's not the case. Only I know the real reason. In fact, Zhao Ting sent someone to report to the government secretly.  Trying to kill Yang Tian with the help of the Han army. "Yang Xun nodded, this was more reliable, and he asked again: "Then what?" "Zhao Ting has already been prepared. Once Yang Tian is captured, he will do it immediately.  Unexpectedly, Yang Tian left a way out for himself in advance and escaped from the Han army's roundup through the waterway. He was so cunning that he immediately laid a trap and asked one of his confidants to come back and deceive Zhao Ting, saying that he had been captured.  There were three thousand taels of gold hidden in a hotel. Zhao Ting became greedy and took me to the hotel. I could see that he wanted to swallow the gold. Unexpectedly, Yang Tian had secretly informed the Han army that the Han army  So I set up an ambush in the hotel and captured Zhao Ting on the spot. I was able to escape because I stayed outside. As a result, Yang Tian used his carbine to take over all Zhao Ting's forces. " Yang Xun suddenly realized that this was not the case.  Thinking that the two people were fighting so fiercely and that Yang Tian was so cunning, his uncle really looked down on him. He thought for a moment and said, "But Yang Tian actually got the records of Pingzhangtai proceedings. Do you think this is possible?"  "Is this why Mr. Yang suspects that Yang Tian surrendered to the Han army?" Yang Xun nodded, "It is because of this that not only me, but also Mr. Zhi and the Taiwei think it is impossible. The records of Pingzhangtai proceedings are so secret.  How could it be leaked?" Zhang Luer smiled self-deprecatingly, "If I say that Yang Tian did have contact with Liu Jing's staff Lin Jin, but it was far from the level of bribery and rebellion against Lin Jin." Yang Xunyi.  Startled, "What does the record of Pingzhangtai proceedings mean?" "There is no record of Pingzhangtai proceedings. It is just a fake report concocted by Yang Tian based on some rumors." Yang Xun was immediately furious.  , "How dare he be so bold to deceive Duke Wei!" Zhang Luer sighed, "His original intention was not to deceive Duke Wei, but to stabilize his position. In addition, Master Pi gave him a great deal.  Under pressure, he temporarily fabricated a so-called record of Pingzhangtai proceedings and presented it to the eldest son. However, this person does have some ability. Over the past month or so, he has really won over Lin Jin. As far as I know, he has been  Inviting Lin Jin to drink gave Lin Jin a lot of benefits, and even bribed the top prostitute in Miaoxiang Tower, making Lin Jin trapped and unable to extricate himself. As for whether Lin Jin surrendered, I don't know. " Yang Xun slowly calmed down.  , more and more he agreed with Zhang Luer's words. The record of the Pingzhangtai meeting was probably a fabrication, because he, Yang Xun, could also fabricate it. Liu Jing wanted to attack Hefei and move the capital to Chang'an, etc.?These are actually established facts. Everyone knows that Liu Jing will definitely discuss these matters when he returns to Chengdu. Yang Tian can indeed make it up perfectly by using some rumors and his own conjectures.  Yang Xun sighed helplessly. It seemed that Cao Zhi's plan to use Yang Tian's surrender to the Han army to attack Cao Pi was impossible. However, Yang Xun was still a little unwilling and asked: "What about Zhao Ting? He  Where are you now?" Zhang Luer shook his head, "I don't know, he has probably been executed." "Okay!" Yang Xun stood up and said, "I live in the hotel opposite the Yellow River Tavern. If anything happens,  You can report to me in time." After saying that, he turned around and walked away. Zhang Luer looked at his back and couldn't help but said, "Bah!  ' He asked, "What the hell?" He thought for a while and was not in a hurry to return to the horse shop. Instead, he left Nanshi and went to another tavern. There was a 'Sanfu Tavern' outside the gate of Nanshi. It is said that this  The tavern was opened by a Guanzhong businessman, but in fact it was a branch of the Han military intelligence agency in Nanshi. Zhang Ji, Guan Xi's capable general, walked into the tavern quickly and went directly to the second floor.  Got a private room.  In the elegant room, Zhang Luer was drinking tea. Seeing Zhang Ji come in, he quickly stood up and saluted, "See General Zhang!" Zhang Luer's identity is very special. On the one hand, he is Dong Zhaoan's spy in Chengdu, specializing in  Supervising the leader of the Chengdu Intelligence Station, on the other hand, not long after Zhao Ting was captured, he was also targeted by the Han Army, and eventually became the Han Army's spy, responsible for monitoring Yang Tian's every move. It can be said that he is Cao Jun's intelligence officer  A double agent on the station.  Zhang Ji waved his hand and smiled and said: "Please sit down!" Zhang Luer sat down and said a little uneasily: "At noon today, just now, Cao Zhi sent someone to find me." Zhang Ji suddenly became interested, sat down and asked:  "Who is he and what are you looking for?" "The man's name is Yang Xun. He claims to be the nephew of Taiwei Yang and Cao Zhi's staff. He is here to investigate whether Yang Tian has surrendered to the Han army." "Yang Xun?"  "Zhang Jimo read the name twice and asked: "Then how did you answer?" "The villain just answered Yang Xun according to what the general taught me last time. It seems that he believed it. He is living here now.  In the hotel opposite the Yellow River Tavern, let me go find him if I have anything to do." Zhang Ji thought for a while and said with a smile, "You don't need to tell him too much. If you say too much, you will make mistakes. It will make him suspicious.  Don't pay attention to him anymore. If he comes to you again, you will be suspicious of Yang Tian. There is no need to say anything to him. " "I understand!" Zhang Ji feels that this matter is quite important, and he has to go back and report it urgently.  Then he stood up and said: "I'm going back first. If you have anything else, you can leave a message directly to the shopkeeper." Zhang Luer also stood up to leave and returned to the mule and horse shop. Zhang Jize hurried back to Sili Yamen to report this to Guan Xi  Important information Guan Xi walked all the way in the Han Dynasty palace, and soon arrived in front of the Han Dynasty King's official chamber. She came to report to the Han Dynasty about Yang Xun. Although her boss was Pang Tong, she should report to Pang Tong first, but Pang Tong was not in Chengdu at this time.  , went to Xiangyang three days ago, Guan Xi could only report urgent matters directly to the King of Han.  Walking to the palace of the King of Han, Guan Xi clasped her fists to the guards and said, "Please tell Your Highness for me that I have something important to report." Guan Xi is the only female high-ranking official in the Han Kingdom. The guards all know her. The guard on duty smiled and said:  "General Guan, wait a moment. I'm going to report." The guard entered the official room and came out after a while: "Your Highness, please come in, general." Guan Xi was wearing a military general's uniform, which made her look handsome and even more heroic. She straightened her clothes,  Quickly walking into the official room, Liu Jing was handling government affairs. When he saw her coming in, he put down his pen and said with a smile, "I heard that General Guan is getting married the day after tomorrow. How can he still have time to busy himself with official duties?" Guan Xi and Liu Min had already made an appointment.  The wedding was scheduled to happen the day after tomorrow. She blushed, stepped forward and bowed and said, "Guan Xi doesn't dare to abolish the official position for personal reasons!" "You don't dare to abolish the official position for personal reasons, but how can I explain it to Liu Honglu?"  Jing asked with a smile.  "I have agreed with him that we will get married as soon as we get married, but he must support me in continuing to hold public office. We have reached a consensus." Liu Jing nodded. He understood Guan Xi's dedication to her career and stopped trying to persuade her. After all, Guan Xi  She was a woman. He asked Princess Tao Zhan to arrange her marriage to Liu Min. Liu Jing asked again: "Is there something urgent about General Guan?" "That's right, Yang Xun, nephew of Taiwei Yang, came to Chengdu yesterday."  Guan Xi told Liu Jing what happened in detail. Liu Jing frowned slightly. He had such a brilliant vision. He immediately saw the key to the problem. It was not Cao Zhi who doubted Yang Tian's loyalty, but the Taiwei.  Yang Biao stood up for Cao Zhi, and Yang BiaoIt is true that his son Yang Xiu is Cao Zhi's confidant, but for so many years, Yang Biao has never had anything to do with Cao Zhi, and this time Yang Biao actually asked his nephew Yang Xun to come forward, and Yang Xun also had a high-level identity number given by Dong Zhao  Card, it was obvious that Yang Biao began to intervene in the succession struggle of the Cao brothers.  Who is Yang Biao? Together with Sikong Cuilin, he is a representative of a well-known noble family. If Yang Biao intervenes in the Cao brothers' fight for the throne, it will definitely not be in his personal capacity. Yang Biao is nearly seventy years old. This kind of fight for the throne will have no impact on him.  The individual has no meaning anymore. It should be the gentry forces that intervene in the Cao family dispute, and the gentry forces support Cao Zhi.  Thinking of this, Liu Jing said: "You can send someone to monitor Yang Xun, but don't alarm him, just pay attention to his every move."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 796 The Envoys of Light and Darkness

    At dusk, Liu Jing left the government office in a carriage and returned to his mansion. The large carriage rumbled on the street, with hundreds of cavalry guarding the left and right. Inside the carriage, Liu Jing was closing his eyes and thinking about today's discovery. Headed by Yang Biao,  The nobles actually intervened in the Pizhi dispute. In any case, it was not a good thing for themselves or Liu Jing.  For many years, Liu Jing has been implementing his important strategy to win the support of the northern gentry, and he did not hesitate to give up a large number of official positions to the children of the northern gentry through public promotions. This strategy of his has also been successful.  However, the nobles headed by Yang Biao turned to support Cao Zhi, which undoubtedly opened up a new path besides Liu Jing. Perhaps the northern nobles believed that the dispute between Cao and Liu would last for decades, so they had to make long-term plans while  We must also consider immediate interests. Cao Zhi is undoubtedly the best choice to take into account immediate interests.  To put it bluntly, this is actually a double-dealing approach, placing bets on both opposing sides. This approach certainly annoyed Liu Jing. He felt betrayed. Liu Jing narrowed his eyes. Sometimes  He has given too much, but the other party will not cherish it.  At this time, the carriage suddenly slowed down, and he heard someone outside the carriage saying, "I, Hongnong Yang Xun, have requested to see His Highness the King of Han at the order of the head of the family." "Yang Xun?"  Liu Jing saw Yang Xun through the thin car curtain. He was a thin, middle-aged man who looked quite smart. Li Qing, the captain of the bodyguard, stepped forward and reported: "Hongnong Yang Xun asked to see him on the order of the head of the family."  Your Highness." The head of the Yang family in Hongnong is Yang Biao. He asked to see him under the order of the head of the family, which means that he should have Yang Biao's letter. Liu Jing nodded, "Take him back to the house!" The carriage continued to start, taking Yang with him.  Xun drove to the Han Dynasty. Liu Jing changed his clothes and came to the guest hall. At this time, Yang Xun was a little restless in the guest hall. After all, he had to face the King of Han. He knew that this meeting was related to the future status of the Yang family. He must  Be fully prepared to respond.  At this time, footsteps came from the hall, and the guard next to him reminded: "His Royal Highness the King of Han is here!" Yang Xun stood up in a hurry, and saw a burly young scribe walking calmly. Yang Xun was stunned for a moment, he didn't  I have met Liu Jing, and in my impression, Liu Jing should be a domineering general with a golden helmet, but unexpectedly he is a gentle and gentle young scholar.  But in an instant, Yang Xun realized that he was at home now. Of course, Liu Jing would not be wearing armor. He stepped forward and bowed deeply, "Yang Xun, see His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing smiled slightly, "It turns out to be Hongnong Yang Shaolin.  , I have admired him for a long time!" Yang Xun suddenly felt excited. The king of Han actually knew that he was a famous scholar in Hongnong and no longer said that he was the nephew of Taiwei Yang. This greatly satisfied his vanity. He quickly took out Yang Biao's letter.  He presented it to Liu Jing with both hands, "This is a letter written by my master to His Highness, please read it." Liu Jing took the letter, waved his hand and said, "Mr. Yang, please sit down!" The two of them sat down separately, but Liu Jing was not in a hurry.  He looked at the letter and asked Yang Xun with a smile: "I heard that Mr. Yang was recommended by Cui Yan and is going to become an official next month. I wonder what his position will be?" Yang Xun's heart skipped a beat, the King of Han actually didn't even know about this  Knowing how powerful his intelligence was, he said with some embarrassment: "I guess he is just a low-ranking official. I don't know what appointment will be made to make His Highness the King of Han laugh." Liu Jing did some testing and knew that Yang Xun was really here.  It has nothing to do with Cao Zhi. His claim to be Cao Zhi's staff is just a one-sided statement.  Liu Jing opened Yang Biao's letter and read it carefully. As he expected, Yang Biao hoped in the letter that he could support Cao Zhi in inheriting the throne, so that the north could revive Confucianism among the gentry and restore the imperial court.  Liu Jing sneered in her heart. This Yang Biao is really an old fool. If Cao Zhi restores the outline of the Han Dynasty and respects Liu Xie as the emperor, then what does Liu Jing mean to him? Should he, Liu Jing, also respect Liu Xie as the emperor?  In the face of core interests, Yang Biao actually asked himself to make concessions. With Yang Biao's decades of experience in officialdom, this cannot be his stupid thinking. It can only be said that these famous nobles still look down on themselves a little bit in their bones.  Liu Jing was annoyed in her heart, but her face remained calm. She smiled slightly and said: "Lieutenant Yang actually wrote to me personally, which shows his trust in me, Liu Jing. Please rest assured, Mr. Yang, I will give him full consideration."  Please try not to let Mr. Yang go in vain." Liu Jing raised the letter in his hand, "I won't let him write this letter in vain." Yang Xun was overjoyed. He didn't expect Liu Jing's attitude to be so kind and amiable.  He stood up and gave a deep salute and said: "Your Highness's kindness, I can't thank you enough!" Liu Jing ordered Yang Xun to be sent away. He put his hands behind his back and pondered for a moment, and said to the guard next to him: "Go and get it quickly.  Lin Jin came to see me!" Ten days later, Dong Zhao, the envoy sent by Cao Cao, arrived.After arriving in Chengdu, Dong Zhao was a decent man but also good at adapting and having excellent strategies. He was once a famous counselor under Yuan Shao and later advised Cao Cao. After Guo Jia died, Jia Xu betrayed Cao and after Er Xun left, Dong Zhao and Mao Jie  , Liu Ye, Chen Qun, Xin Pi, Jia Kui and others together became the second generation of counselors trusted by Cao Cao.  Dong Zhao is currently the censor of the Wei State. He has the supervisory power of the Wei State and is also responsible for the collection of external intelligence. He is a staunch supporter of Cao Zhi and plays a decisive role in the struggle between Cao Zhi and Cao Pi.  Dong Zhao's mission to the Han Dynasty this time was mainly to mend the tension between the two countries caused by the war of words. The fundamental purpose was to prevent the Han army from launching the Battle of Hefei. The Han army was currently stationed in Wan County, and in  A water village was built in Chaohu under Hefei's nose, and his ambition to attack Hefei was made clear to the world.  Although Hefei was defended by Zhang Liao with 50,000 troops, Cao Cao was still very worried about the loss of Hefei. He knew very well that Cao Cao's army was at a disadvantage militarily. If the Han army attacked Hefei with all its strength, Zhang Liao might not be able to hold it, so Cao Cao wanted to politically  To prevent the Battle of Hefei, Cao Zhi recommended Dong Zhao as an envoy to Chengdu.  The senior official of the Han army who accompanied Dong Zhao to Chengdu was none other than the mastermind Jia Xu. Jia Xu was in charge of the military affairs of Guanlong. He happened to be coming to Chengdu to report to Liu Jing, so he came with Dong Zhao.  At this time, they were only a few miles away from Chengdu, and they could already clearly see the tall city walls and towers. There were more and more houses on both sides of the official road. Wine shops, tea shops, hotels, etc. were everywhere. There were endless pedestrians, and the official road became lively.  Dong Zhao is nearly sixty years old. He was a handsome man when he was young. Now that he is old, he still has a handsome appearance. He has a gentle and elegant temperament in his gestures and his words are soft-spoken. It is easy for people to like him, but it is difficult for him to act vigorously and resolutely.  Only in this way can we link up the supervisory power that we can control.  "Jia Gong, I came to Bashu to study when I was twenty years old. I lived in Chengdu for a while at that time. It has been almost forty years. I feel that Chengdu is still similar to what I remember!" Jia Xu said with a slight smile.  : "Chengdu has a long history and simple folk customs. There have been no large-scale battles in the past hundred years. Naturally, it has maintained its original appearance. However, five years ago, the city wall was reinforced and renovated. Of course, Gongren must not remember these details." "Yes!  After all, it has been forty years, and my memory is blurred. I can¡¯t remember clearly.¡± Dong Zhao changed the topic and asked tentatively: ¡°Does Duke Jia think His Highness the King of Han will consider Duke Wei¡¯s suggestion?¡± ¡°To be frank,  I really can't answer." Jia Xu smiled lightly and said: "In fact, I personally think that Prime Minister Cao should not discuss this kind of thing with us at all. Whether to fight or not to fight in Hefei is related to the country's strategy, not one or two negotiations.  It can be changed, and doesn't Gongren feel that coming to Chengdu to negotiate is a bit like seeking skin from a tiger?" Dong Zhao was a little embarrassed and said with a wry smile: "Maybe Wei Gong has his own ideas. This is not something we should consider as ministers. I just want to try my best.  To complete this mission, "No!" Jia Xu shook his head slowly, "If the superiors are not careful, the subordinates should rebuke them. No matter Fengxiao, Gongda, Wenruo, or Cheng Zhongde, they will express their opinions.  , we must make the decision comprehensive and perfect, and never make decisions at the top and follow them at the bottom. This is not the way to be an adviser!" Dong Zhao nodded silently, feeling ashamed in his heart, and sighed.  He said: "Jia Gong is right. We new counselors are still far behind the old generation of planners. Dong Zhao has learned from Jia Gong's golden words." At this time, a group of cavalry came quickly from the opposite side.  The leader was Sima Yi, the Minister of Pingzhang. He came to greet Dong Zhao and Jia Xu on the order of Liu Jing. The dust was flying and the cavalry rushed to the front. Sima Yi cupped his fists and smiled at Jia Xu: "Thank you for your hard work, military advisor!" Jia Xu nodded and smiled.  He introduced to Dong Zhao: "Gongren should know Zhongda. Now Zhongda is one of the five prime ministers of the Han Dynasty, in charge of military affairs and foreign affairs. This time Gongren is on a mission to the Han Dynasty, he will inevitably have to deal with Zhongda." Dong Zhao, of course.  I know Sima Yi. He has a very good relationship with Sima Yi's eldest brother Sima Lang. Sima Yi even asked Dong Zhao for advice when he was a boy. Dong Zhao smiled slightly and said, "Zhongda, we haven't seen each other for a long time." "See Mr. Dong!" Sima Yi enters  He bowed before him and said: "I have come to greet Mr. Dong on the order of His Highness the King of Han. I welcome Mr. Dong on his mission to Shu." "Your Highness the King of Han is so polite." Sima Yi turned his horse's head and said with a smile: "Mr. Dong, please come into the city.  !¡± ¡°Please!¡± The group speeded up and drove towards the city of Chengdu.  Sima Yi arranged for Dong Zhao to stay in a distinguished hotel, while he and Jia Xu rushed to Liu Jing's official residence.  In the official room, Liu Jing was standing in front of a huge sand table with his hands behind his hands. The sand table was five feet long and three feet wide, occupying the entire meeting hall. This sand table map of the entire territory of the Han Kingdom only had an extra one in the lower right corner.The sand table map of Lujiang County includes Hefei. Liu Jing stood in front of the sand table in Hefei and remained silent for a long time.  More than two years ago, he ordered Gan Ning to lead the navy to cooperate with the Jiangdong Army and capture Hefei in one fell swoop. From then on, he was determined to capture Hefei and open up a third battlefield besides Guanzhong and Nanyang. His goal was to  It refers to Xuzhou and the eastern part of Yuzhou, and seizing Hefei can also control Jiangdong to the south, which is of crucial strategic significance. Once Hefei is captured, he will completely gain the strategic initiative.  Precisely because of the great strategic significance, Liu Jing did not want to act rashly without fighting. A battle would be earth-shattering, but Liu Jing was determined to fight the battle of Hefei.  At this time, the guard reported at the door: "Your Highness, Sima Shangshu and Military Advisor Jia are asking to see you!"

 Volume 2, Jiangxia Chapter 797: Being unkind

    Liu Jing turned around and ordered: "Please come in, both of them!" After a moment, Jia Xu and Sima Yi quickly walked into the meeting hall. Jia Xu stepped forward and bowed and saluted, "I am here to see you, Your Highness!" Liu Jing quickly stepped forward to support him.  Jia Xu, seeing that he was thinner than in the last battle of Guanzhong, knew that he had worked hard. Coupled with the fact that he was seventy years old, Liu Jing felt very sorry. He sighed and said, "Commentary, please rest at home well in the future!" Jia Xu  He smiled and said: "Thank you for your love, Your Highness. The Guanzhong strategy has been my dream for more than ten years. After Guanzhong is stabilized, I will no longer care about it." Liu Jing nodded and asked Sima Yi again: "Sima Shangshu, Cao Cao's envoy has arranged it."  "Report to Your Highness, Wei Chen arranged for him to stay in your hotel." Jia Xu said with a smile: "Dong Zhao came here with a big plan. Does Your Highness know his purpose?"  Wrong, Dong Zhao should have come for the Battle of Hefei!" Jia Xu was startled, but his mind changed and he immediately realized that the Han army was stationing troops in Anhui County and Chaohu, and was allocating food and supplies on a large scale. How could Cao Cao not know?  , Liu Jing was aware of Dong Zhao's intention, and it was reasonable.  But Liu Jing shook his head, "It was not what the military advisor thought. There was another reason. Dong Zhao was just an overt envoy, and the secret envoy arrived ten days ago." Jia Xu was confused, what was going on,  Did Cao Cao send two envoys, light and dark?  He really couldn't figure it out, but Jia Xu's city was very deep, so he didn't rush to ask. Instead, he waited patiently for Liu Jing to tell him. Liu Jing then said calmly: "Dong Zhao came here ostensibly to fight for Hefei, but  Behind the scenes is the dispute between Cao Pi and Cao Zhi. Does the military advisor know who Dong Zhao is?" Jia Xu nodded, "Wei Chen knows that he is Cao Zhi's confidant." "It is true. As early as ten days ago, Yang Biao.  My nephew Yang Xun arrived in Chengdu and handed me a letter written by Yang Biao. "Please wait a moment, military advisor." Liu Jing went back to the official room to get the letter. Jia Xu took advantage of the interval and asked Sima Yi: "Zhongda,  "Does His Highness want to attack Hefei?" Jia Xu smiled bitterly and said, "I hear what Xu Yuanzhi said. Your Highness seems to be more interested in moving the capital. After stabilizing Chang'an, he will consider the southeast." Jia Xu had some idea in his mind, and he had already vaguely guessed it.  Liu Jing's intention was revealed. At this time, Liu Jing walked quickly back to the meeting hall and handed Yang Biao's letter to Jia Xu, "This is the letter. Military advisor, please take a look at it!" Jia Xu took the letter and said:  Seeing that the sleeve of the letter read, "The Great Lieutenant of the Han Dynasty, Yang Biao, congratulates His Royal Highness the King of Han", Jia Xu secretly wondered, could this Yang Biao become active again after being dormant for many years?  He unfolded the letter scroll and read it briefly. He was even more surprised. It turned out that this Yang Biao had decided to support Cao Zhi and actually begged the King of Han in the name of Taiwei to also support Cao Zhi as his heir. Jia Xu couldn't help but sneered and said: "This Yang Biao is not guaranteed at this time.  What a great idea to ask His Highness to do a dowry for him!" Liu Jing took the letter and said, "I got information from Yedu. Recently, Cui Yan often goes to Yang Biao's house, and his brother Sikong Cui Lin is engaged in literature.  At the banquet, all the famous literary figures in Yedu were invited, and the military advisor said, "What's going on?" Several questions in Jia Xu's mind suddenly came to light. He smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness means that the northern gentry began to support Cao Zhi, and Dong Zhao went on an envoy.  Just to build momentum for Cao Zhi. "That's right. I'm afraid this is Cao Cao's true intention. The battle in Hefei is about to happen. How could Cao Cao not understand this but still accept Cao Zhi's recommendation?  Dong Zhao was ordered to send an envoy to Chengdu to stop the Battle of Hefei. It seems that Cao Cao has been hesitating for many years and finally wants to make Cao Zhi his heir. " When Liu Jing said this, he looked at Jia Xu meaningfully. He knew that Jia Xu was concerned about this matter.  He wanted to hear Jia Xu's opinion. Jia Xu also understood Liu Jing's hint. He pondered for a moment and said: "Your Highness is right. The call for an early crown prince has been shouting for more than ten years. Cao Pi is the heir apparent."  He was a wise and capable man. Over the years, he served as a lieutenant general and deputy prime minister, and gradually took charge of government affairs. Regardless of legal principles or the reality of the continuation of Cao Wei's power, Cao Pi should be made the heir apparent. However, Cao Cao has always been hesitant so far.  It just shows that he doesn't really want to make Cao Pi his heir, but prefers Cao Zhi." Liu Jing smiled and interrupted: "Parents generally prefer their younger sons. Could it be that Cao Cao is the same as Yuan Benchu?" "No!"  He shook his head and said: "Cao Zhi is not a young son, and Cao Cao's most beloved son is not him, but Cao Chong. If we talk about preference, Cao Chong should be made his heir. It can be seen that the preference theory is not valid. Cao Cao is a man of great talent and great strategy, how can he follow the example of a foolish man?  "What is the reason?" Sima Yi couldn't help but ask.  Jia Xu smiled and said calmly: "Some people say that Cao Zijian is talented and has the best literature in the world, so he should be the master of the world. Some people say that Cao Cao oftenZijian has great talents and great strategies, and is most similar to himself. By making Cao Zijian his heir, he can inherit his father's legacy. However, Wei Chen believes that the fundamental reason why Cao Cao wants to make Cao Zhi his heir lies with His Highness.  "    "because I?  "Liu Jing was stunned. Jia Xu nodded, "It is precisely because of His Royal Highness's growing strength that Cao Cao is worried and worried about the continuation of the Cao family. I still remember that after Cao Cao Jin was granted the title of Duke of Wei, His Highness warned Cao Cao twice to rein in the situation.  , don¡¯t take the most dangerous step again, what will be the result?  Wei Chen saw clearly that after His Highness Runan met with Cao Cao, Cao Cao withdrew the gift of nine tins. In the past year, the calls for Cao Cao to be crowned King of Wei have become louder and louder, but Cao Cao did not  This shows that His Highness's warning had an effect. It was for the long-term consideration of the family that Cao Cao considered choosing Cao Zhi as his heir apparent.  " Sima Yi said from the side: "I had a lot of contact with Cao Zhi back then, and I found that Cao Zhi valued Confucianism and respected scholars. If Cao Zhi is his heir, I am afraid that Cao Cao's twenty years of hard work will be in vain.  " Jia Xu sighed and said, "It is true. Cao Zhi values ??Confucianism, respects the gentry, and advocates respecting etiquette. If he becomes prime minister in the future, he will probably respect the Han Emperor. Although the Han Emperor Liu Xie hates Cao Cao the most, he fears His Highness the most.  Once the Han Emperor returns to the Nine-Fiveth position, I am afraid that the one who will lose the most is not the Cao family, but us.  " Liu Jing paced back and forth in the lobby with his hands behind his back. Jia Xu had a clear mind and could see through the essence of the matter. The reasons he stated were exactly what he had been thinking and worrying about during this period. Moreover, Jia Xu also pointedly pointed out that Cao Zhi's greatest loss would be caused by his ascendancy.  The person was not Cao, but Liu Jing. Liu Jing looked at the roof worriedly and said for a long time: "What the military advisor means is that we should try our best to prevent Cao Zhi from ascending the throne and support Cao Pi as the heir apparent?  "    "No!  " Jia Xu shook his head slightly and said with a smile: "Our best choice is not Cao Pi, but muddying the water so that Cao Cao can't decide on the heir apparent. This is what is most beneficial to us.  Liu Jing was touched. As expected of Jia Xu, it was indeed a wise idea. He smiled and changed the subject, "Military advisor, tell me about the situation in Guanzhong!"  How is Chang'an now?  ¡± Dong Zhao and his entourage stayed in a distinguished hotel. The house was elegant and comfortable, and the hotel minister was attentive. Dong Zhao quickly got rid of the fatigue of the journey. However, there was also something that made him unhappy, that is, the Han army¡¯s guard against him was too strict.  , there were more than two thousand soldiers guarding the VIP hotel, which made him feel more or less like he was being watched. In the evening, Dong Zhao woke up feeling refreshed and energetic, which was not the case today anyway.  What's the matter? The King of Han will not receive him until tomorrow. Dong Zhao wanted to visit Chengdu to see if he could regain the feeling he had forty years ago. At this time, a follower quickly walked to the door and saluted: "  Envoy Qi, someone sent this.  " He handed over a piece of paper. Dong Zhao took it and looked at it. He saw one sentence written on it, "I'll wait for you to see me in the Begonia Room of Baihua Tavern." Dong Zhao was slightly startled and asked his entourage: "Yes.  Who gave the note?  " "I don't know, Beizhi. Just now, Beizhi came back from outside. When he was approaching the door, a child gave me this note.  " Dong Zhao thought for a while and then he understood. It should be that the Han army guarded the VIP hotel too strictly and it was inconvenient for visitors to see him. It was probably Yang Tian. Thinking of this, he ordered again: "Go and find out where the Baihua Tavern is.  ?  " "As I know, you can see a very good tavern just one mile south of the gate.  " Dong Zhao decided to go meet this mysterious man for a while. He immediately changed his clothes and took an entourage. He walked out of the gate and walked south calmly. Not long after, Dong Zhao came to Baihua.  The pub, when I first heard the name, I thought it was a brothel, but in fact it is one of the famous pubs in Chengdu. It covers an area of ??four acres and consists of two red three-story buildings. It was at dusk and the business was very busy.  Xinglong. Dong Zhao walked to the door and was immediately greeted by a bartender, who said with a smile on his face: "Are the guests here to dine?  " Dong Zhao nodded, "Haitang Room, we have an agreement in advance.  "The bartender quickly said: "Guests, please come with me!  " They walked into the last restaurant and went directly to the third floor. There were more than a dozen elegant rooms here, and the innermost one was the Begonia Room. Dong Zhao opened the door and walked into the room. He saw a person waiting in the room. Forty-year-old  He was about 10 years old and was thin and fair. He was dressed in a green robe and a flat scarf on his head. His clothes were very simple. Dong Zhao recognized him at a glance. It was Yang Xun.  , let me guess for a long time.  " Dong Zhao and Yang Xun were very familiar with each other. When Yang Xun left Chang'an, he even met with Dong Zhao and received a high-level waist card. Yang Xun bowed and smiled and said: "The Han army guarded the guesthouse too tightly, so we had to  I invite Mr. Dong to come out for a meeting. Please forgive me for any rudeness.  " "It doesn't matter, it's better to be careful.  ¡± Dong Zhao sat down happily,Xun sat down opposite him, picked up the wine pot, filled the ear cup in front of him with a glass of wine, and said with a smile: "I have been waiting in Chengdu for ten days, and today Mr. Dong finally arrived." Dong Zhao picked up the ear cup.  He took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "Shijun Yang, you should have gained something from this trip!" Yang Xun nodded, put the token on the table, pushed it to Dong Zhao, and replied with a smile: "It should be investigated.  It's clear, His Highness the King of Han has also paid a visit, and now he's giving an order to Dong Gong. "The matter about Yang Tian has been cleared up, what do you say?" Dong Zhao asked anxiously.  Yang Xun sneered and said, "Although Yang Tian did not surrender to the Han army, he has selfish motives and is daring to make up false information to deceive Duke Wei." Dong Zhao was surprised, "Where do you start with this?"  Dong Zhao was of course very nervous. He was nominally Yang Tian's boss. If Yang Tian fabricated false information, he, Dong Zhao, would also be implicated. Cao Pi would also be implicated. How could Duke Wei spare him? He suddenly became anxious.  Yang Xun then explained in detail the meeting between him and Zhang Luer, and finally said: "Afterwards, the official also investigated Lin Jin and found that he did have a relationship with Yang Tian, ??but it was only in the past two days that he became slightly close.  Look up, we were just casual friends before, so more than a month ago, he would not have betrayed the secrets of Pingzhangtai, and the minutes must be fake." Dong Zhao pondered for a long time and said: "This matter is of great importance and involves a lot of things.  There are so many people, it¡¯s best to check with Yang Tian himself, Commander Yang, don¡¯t jump to conclusions easily.¡± The implication is that you have to ask him whether the minutes are true or false. Of course, the result of asking Yang Tian himself will definitely be true, Dong.  Zhao was actually implicitly reminding Yang Xun that you can be serious about things, but you need to think twice about being a human being.

 Volume 2 Jiang Xia Chapter 798 Cooperation in Acting

    Yang Xun is also a shrewd person. He heard the dissatisfaction in Dong Zhao's tone. After a moment of pondering, he realized the problem. He was also a little unhappy in his heart. Since Dong Zhao was Cao Zhi's confidant, when faced with the opportunity to attack Cao Pi, he should  Have a positive attitude, rather than being so ambiguous and thinking only about your own interests.  Yang Xun's tone also cooled down, and he said calmly: "The lower official's duty is to clarify the matter and report the truth. As for the final decision made by the superior, it has nothing to do with the lower official." Dong Zhao stared at Yang Xun for a moment,  Asked: "Are Yang Shijun dissatisfied with me?" "I dare not be dissatisfied with Dr. Dong, I just answer truthfully." Dong Zhao shook his head, "The question is, what evidence do you have to prove that you are right? It's nothing more than Zhang Lu  It's just a one-sided statement. If Duke Wei asks, has Zhang Luer been bribed by Yang Tian, ??how should you answer? " Yang Xun opened his mouth to speak, but Dong Zhao waved his hand and interrupted him, "I know what you want to say?  , Zhang Luer is a spy assigned by me, how can it be false? But in fact, Zhang Luer has never reported the above-mentioned things about Yang Tian to me, but he told you everything, which is a bit unreasonable in itself.  , Frankly speaking, I still have some questions about Zhao Ting's arrest. This question is, why did Zhang Luer not report to me in time? What role did he play in this matter? So Yang Shijun keeps saying it?  I don't agree with what Zhang Luer said. " Yang Xun couldn't say a word for a long time. Although he is a smart man, in terms of official experience, he is far behind Dong Zhao. Dong Zhao has not only been an official for many years, but also has a lot of experience.  He was still a heavyweight counselor and could see deeper and more clearly than Yang Xun. He rendered Yang Xun speechless with just a few words. Yang Xun sighed after a while and said, "Then please teach me, Duke Dong, what should I do?"  How to report it to Mr. Zhi?¡± Dong Zhao smiled slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that Yang Shijun¡¯s investigation is useless, I just mean that the investigation is not comprehensive. Yang Shijun might as well talk to Yang Tian and let Yang Tian present the evidence.  , prove that his report is not fabricated, so that he can report it to the superiors truthfully." Yang Xun nodded silently. He had to admit that his thinking was too simple. He felt ashamed, and stood up to salute Dong Zhao, "Thank you Mr. Dong for your advice.  If you know what to do, leave first!" Dong Zhao stopped him with a smile, "Yang Shijun, why don't you drink two more drinks with me and tell me how you went to see the King of Han. To be honest, I know more about this.  Interested." At night, Yang Xun came to Nanshi again. At this time, all the shops in Nanshi were closed, but the lights were still on in many shops. The clerks were busy packing away the goods, and the manager was calculating the day's income.  , Yang Tian came to the mule and horse shop. The front of the mule and horse shop was empty. There was only one clerk cleaning the floor outside the gate. Yang Xun stepped forward and said with a smile: "Excuse me, I want to see your shopkeeper. Please inform me."  She glanced at him, shook her head and said, "The shop is closed. Guests, please come back tomorrow!" "I'm not here to discuss business. I'm from Yedu, and I'm an old friend of your shopkeeper Yang." The waiter was slightly startled.  , he looked at Yang Xun carefully and said: "Please wait!" He put down the broom and hurried back to the shop. Not long after, the shopkeeper Yang Tian walked out of the shop quickly. He recognized Yang Xun at a glance, and was secretly happy that this person  Sure enough, he came again. He pretended to be surprised and said: "It turns out to be my brother. When did he come to Chengdu and I didn't know?" Yang Xun was extremely disgusted with this fake tribesman. He endured his temper and said calmly: "This is not the place to talk.  , let¡¯s talk in another place.  " "I'm rude, brother, please come in quickly.  Yang Xun was not polite and followed him into the mule and horse shop until he came to a room in the backyard. Yang Tian waved his hand and said, "This is my room. Brother, please come!"  " Yang Xun walked into the room. The room was not big, the lights were bright, and it was filled with various items. There was also a disheveled young woman lying on the bed next to the wall. She was only wearing a piece of obscene clothing, covering her shoulders and most of her body.  Her breasts were exposed and she looked so lazy that Yang Xun couldn't help but frown. Seeing the stranger come in, the woman quickly sat up and hurriedly put on her clothes. Yang Tian yelled at her: "Get out!  " The young woman was so frightened that she ran out with her clothes in her arms. Yang Tian smiled awkwardly and explained: "She's just a prostitute. Please don't take offense, brother. Please sit down!  " Yang Xun resisted his displeasure and sat down. He took out the token Dong Zhao returned to him and put it on the table, "You should know this!  " Yang Tian stared at the gold medal for a while and laughed, "It turns out that my brother is here for official business. I'm disrespectful. But I don't know when my brother joined the Yushitai?  " Yang Xun ignored him, Yang Tian also sat down, put away his smile and said solemnly: "Since it is official business, brother, please speak up!  " Yang Xun took out a copy of the proceedings of Pingzhangtai and handed it to Yang Tian, ??"This report is of great importance, but some people question it.If there is a falsehood, Wei Guo ordered Dr. Dong to investigate the matter clearly. I am entrusted by Dr. Dong to come to inquire about this matter.  " "Is it false?  Yang Tian sneered, "This is obviously the record of the Pingzhangtai proceedings the day after the King of Han returned to Chengdu. Who said this report is false?"  " "The person who can point out that this report is false in front of Duke Wei is naturally of extraordinary status. I still advise you to take this matter seriously and don't take it lightly and ruin your official career.  " "Then how can I prove it?  " Yang Tian also had anger in his tone. "It's very simple, as long as you take me to see the person who leaked this report.  " Yang Tian's face turned red and white, and his eyes were filled with anger. Seeing that he had wavered, Yang Xun struck again while the iron was hot: "This matter is of great importance and has alarmed Duke Wei. Yang Zhongcheng should treat it with caution.  "    "All right!  Yang Tian gritted his teeth, stood up and said, "I'll take you to see him right now."  " Lin Jin's mansion is not far from Nanshi. It is only a mile away from the east gate of Nanshi. Lin Jin still lives alone and has no wife. The mansion is not big. It only covers an area of ??two acres.  He and a few servants lived there. When he heard that Yang Tian had arrived, Lin Jin personally welcomed him out of the house, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "It's so late, shopkeeper Yang still comes to the door, but what's the important matter?  " Yang Tian pointed to Yang Xun behind him, looked at Lin Jin and said: "This is my brother. I have heard about brother Lin Xian for a long time, so I came here to visit specifically to disturb brother Xian.  " Lin Jin understood, smiled and greeted Yang Xun, and warmly invited the two of them into the house. Yang Xun could see that Lin Jin was quite flattering in front of Yang Tian, ??and he couldn't help but secretly wonder, "Could it be this?  Were the dignified aides of the King of Han really bribed by Yang Tian?  "The three of them walked into the study and sat down. Yang Tian took out a bag of gold and put it on the table, pushing it to Lin Jin. "This is the reward for the last meeting of Pingzhangtai. It's three hundred taels of gold. Please accept it.  " Lin Jin hesitated for a moment and quickly glanced at Yang Xun. Yang Tian smiled and said: "Brother Xian, there is no need to see anyone outside. My brother is also one of our own, and his qualifications in Yushitai are a few points higher than mine. If you have any questions, we will  Let¡¯s just say it bluntly, is there anything going on with the King of Han these days?  Lin Jin then accepted the gold and said with a smile: "Today you Dong Zhao arrived, and Military Advisor Jia also came with him. His Highness the King of Han, Military Advisor Jia and Military Advisor Sima discussed in the council hall all afternoon. I heard that Military Advisor Jia may want to  Retired.  " "Is this news reliable?  Yang Tian asked hurriedly. "It should be reliable!"  After all, Military Advisor Jia is over seventy years old. The King of Han has said more than once that he wants Military Advisor Jia to rest but cannot do without him. However, even if Military Advisor Jia retires, he will still participate in major military decisions, but will not care about daily affairs. I heard that it may be  Fazheng and Pang Tong succeeded Jia as military advisor.  " At this time, Yang Xun saw Lin Jin accepting the gold with his own eyes, and he already believed in his heart that Lin Jin had indeed been bribed. Whether he had been bribed before or just now, he could no longer say that Yang Tian made up a false report. He secretly believed that Lin Jin had been bribed before or just now.  He scolded Zhang Luer for misleading him, so he had to force a smile and interject: "Regarding the battle of Hefei, has the King of Han made any decision?  " Lin Jin shook his head, "They should have discussed it today, but there is no written record, and I don't know, but one thing is certain. Four of the five ministers in Pingzhangtai opposed launching the Hefei Campaign this year.  " "Why is this?  " "Because the Han Dynasty has been fighting every year, the people and soldiers are extremely exhausted, and the national power has been exhausted to the limit. The Han Dynasty government and the public have strongly appealed to stop fighting and recuperate. This is the real reason why the King of Han is willing to sign a five-year armistice agreement with Cao Cao.  , although the armistice agreement has been torn up, the fact that Han's national strength is exhausted has not changed.  " Yang Xun nodded, "Looking at it this way, the Battle of Hefei may not be possible this year.  "    "probably!  " Speaking of this, Lin Jin took out another piece of information from a box and handed it to Yang Tian, ??"This is the wooden cow manufacturing pattern that Brother Yang asked for last time. Please take a look.  " Yang Tian opened the drawing and looked at it. He couldn't help but be overjoyed. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you so much, Brother Lin Xian.  " He stood up and said to Yang Xun: "It's getting late. We won't disturb Mr. Lin's rest anymore. Let's say goodbye!  " Yang Xun nodded, said goodbye to Yang Tian, ??and left Lin Jin's mansion. Yang Tian then said to him coldly: "Now you believe it!  Yang Xun thought for a moment and said, "Give me the wooden cow picture!"  I can provide evidence when I go back to clear your suspicions.  " Yang Tian laughed and said, "I can't give you the original. I will give you a copy, and I have to submit it myself.  " Lin Jin watched the two of them leave, then returned to the study and wrote a letter to Liu Jing. In fact, this was Liu Jing's deliberate arrangement. He must use Yang Tian, ??an important chess piece.  , let him play a major role in the Pizhi dispute.??Although it was once the top secret of the Han army, as the wooden cow began to be promoted to civilian use on a large scale, it was easy to get a prototype. As long as the prototype was used, a skilled craftsman could easily copy it. This meant that  The manufacturing of the wooden cow has been declassified, and Zhuge Liang of Jiaozhou has copied it. Yang Tian has obtained the manufacturing drawings, which seems to have obtained important secrets, but in fact it is of little significance.  Lin Jin wrote a simple explanation of the situation, put it in an envelope, found a close family member, gave him the letter and told him: "Go to the Han Dynasty Palace quickly and ask the guards to present this letter to His Highness the King of Han. Tell the guards  "His Royal Highness the King of Han is waiting for this letter." "I understand, sir, don't worry!" The close family members took the letter and left in a hurry. Lin Jin thought about it and wanted to go to Guan Xi tomorrow to get this.  tell her

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 799 The mysterious visitor

    Yang Tian returned to the mule and horse shop. It was already midnight. Almost all the shops in Nanshi were closed, and the lights in most of the shops were also turned off. It was dark in Nanshi. Yang Tian banged on the door of the shop. After a while, the door opened.  When he opened it, it was his subordinate Zhang Lu'er. Yang Tian said angrily: "Why haven't you opened the door yet?" Yang Tian didn't know Zhang Lu'er's special identity. Zhang Lu'er also kept a low profile and humility in front of him. Zhang Lu'er  Er quickly said: "Chief, please don't be angry. Everyone thought it was officers and soldiers who came to check the store, because there was a special guest in the store, and everyone was busy hiding it." Yang Tian was startled, "What guest came?" "It's a guy wearing a face towel.  A middle-aged man, I didn¡¯t see his face, but his accent sounded like he was from Yedu, and he held the Pi Gongzi gold medal.¡± Yang Tian was shocked and asked anxiously: ¡°When did he come?¡±  "Not long after the leader left." Without waiting for Zhang Luer to tell me, Yang Tian pushed him away and walked anxiously towards the inner courtyard. When he walked to a hidden room in the inner courtyard, two men in front of the door whispered.  Said: "The distinguished guest is inside." "I understand, please leave!" Yang Tian pushed the door open and entered the room. He saw a man standing with his back to him, with a medium to thin build, wearing wide sleeves.  Wearing a Confucian robe and a traveling crown, he was looking at the map on the wall with his hands behind his back. Yang Tian quickly stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "For this humble position, please refer to the Order of the Secretary!"  He has a long beard, but he is Hua Xin, the Minister of Wei. Hua Xin has a high position and is a confidant of Cao Pi. He comes to Chengdu this time, and he comes privately on Cao Pi's order, so it is naturally very important.  Hua Xin always has a smile on his face and is kind to others, but everyone who is familiar with him knows that he is actually evil and cruel, and those who offend him will not end well, so people behind his back also call him the "Smiling Tiger".  Hua Xin took a careful look at Yang Tian, ??then stepped forward with a smile and helped him up, "Mr. Yang is also the Censor Zhongcheng. Don't do this humble courtesy anymore." Yang Tian always forgets that he is already the Censor Zhongcheng. He has no regard for this status.  Not used to it, he smiled bitterly and said: "The humble position is just a false name." Hua Xin smiled and shook his head, "It may not be a false name!" This sentence made Yang Tian's heart skip a beat. What did it mean? Could it be that  Are you about to be promoted?  He quickly and carefully asked: "How do you say this? Can Mr. Hua make it clear?" Hua Xin smiled, but changed the topic, "When I came, Yang Shijun was all out. I don't know where he went?" "Humble position?"  I went to meet with Lin Jin, the staff of the King of Han, and got the wooden cow manufacturing drawings from him. " Yang Tian took out the drawings from his arms and presented them to Hua Xin. Hua Xin took the drawings, opened them, looked at them, and pressed the button.  He couldn't help but said with excitement in his heart: "Wei Gong has been thinking about wood cows for a long time. The eldest son only wishes that he could not relieve Wei Gong's worries. With this drawing, the eldest son will be highly praised by Wei Gong. Yang Shijun has done a great job!" As he said, he handed over the drawing.  Putting it into his own bag, Hua Xin thought of something again, raised his head and asked, "Who else knows about the drawings?" Yang Tian did not dare to tell the truth, so he quickly shook his head and said, "Except for his humble position, no one else knows about it.  "Okay! Don't spread this matter anymore. Only you and I know about this drawing. I will thank you for your help." At this time, Hua Xin smiled again.  Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "I'm here in secret. I'm going to see His Highness the King of Han tonight. Can you make arrangements for me?" Yang Tian hesitated and said, "It's Haishi now. Can you?"  Why don't we wait until tomorrow morning?" "No!" Hua Xin flatly refused, "I have to rush back to Yedu overnight after meeting the Queen of Han. If Wei Gong knows that I am coming to Chengdu, the consequences will be disastrous. You must make arrangements for me tonight.  " After a pause, Hua Xin softened his tone and said: "What I just said about your censor Zhongcheng may not be a false name. It was said by the eldest son himself. As long as you handle this matter well, the eldest son will transfer you back to take control of the real power.  , Yang Shijun, this is Yushi Zhongcheng!" Yang Tian couldn't hold back the excitement in his heart and bowed: "Then I will find a solution from Lin Jin and ask Mr. Hua to come with me!" "It's late at night!  Now, Liu Jing is washing his feet with hot water in the room and getting ready to go to bed. Tonight he will sleep with his concubine Bao Niang. Bao Niang is filled with excitement and expectation. As a concubine, she doesn¡¯t spend much time in the same room with her husband.  There are only two or three months at most. Today is the second time Liu Jing has sex with her since she came back. She is dressed up very beautifully and serves her husband wholeheartedly. She sits on the table and puts Liu Jing's feet into her arms, carefully  She used a knife to cut off the calluses on his toes.  Liu Jing was half lying on the soft couch and gently caressed her round and plump cheeks. Liu Jing particularly liked her round face, which was smooth and delicate and could be broken by a blow.The buns look like red and crisp apples.  Bao Niang was a little shy, and she didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. She couldn¡¯t help but breathe a little faster. Liu Jing saw this and smiled: "Let¡¯s sleep! We will peel off the calluses tomorrow." "Yes!" Bao Niang put down the knife.  , and washed his feet. At this time, a maid outside the door reported: "Master, the housekeeper in the front yard has sent news that Mr. Lin has something urgent to see." Liu Jing was startled, what urgent matter does Lin Jin have?  But when Lin came looking for her so late, there must be something urgent, so he ordered: "Wait in the study outside, I'll be right away." Liu Jing put on her shoes and smiled and said, "I don't know what happened, I'll go take a look."  Bao Niang said nothing and silently put on his shoes and socks, and put on his robe. Liu Jing saw a look of resentment in her eyes, so she smiled in her ear and said, "Go and lie down on the couch and wait for me."  Come back." Bao Niang's face turned red suddenly, and she nodded shyly. Liu Jing laughed, patted her round face, and walked quickly to the front yard. Bao Niang looked at her husband walking away, thinking about her expectations for tonight.  Her heart was pounding wildly, and she quickly ordered the maid in the courtyard: "Go get another basin of hot water."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Although Liu Jing ordered Lin Jin to be taken to the outer study room to wait, since Lin Jin was not alone, the housekeeper took them to the distinguished guest hall. The hall was brightly lit, and Lin Jin paced back and forth in front of the hall, looking into the courtyard from time to time.  Hua Xin, on the other hand, sat on the table with deep thoughts, drinking tea and thinking about his thoughts. He was on an important mission this time. Cao Zhi and his group obviously wanted to use the power of the Han Dynasty to increase his influence. Once successful, it would offset  The failure of his two previous missions had an important impact on Cao Zhi's position as the emperor's son. To some extent, it even played a decisive role. Cao Pi could not sit still and wait for death in this situation. Hua Xin's secret visit  It seems particularly important.  Hua Xin's visit to Chengdu this time was indeed extremely confidential. He took the opportunity to come to Chengdu under the pretext of inspecting Bingzhou. Time was very tight. Once Cao Zhi knew about it and told Cao Cao, it would be a devastating blow to Cao Pi. However, in order to save Dong Zhao from leaving,  In order to avoid the negative impact on Cao Pi, it was imperative for Hua Xin to come to Chengdu this time.  At this time, footsteps were heard in the yard. It was Liu Jing who was coming. Lin Jin hurriedly greeted him and whispered a few words to Liu Jing. Liu Jing was also a little surprised. Hua Xin actually came. This was beyond his expectation. However,  It makes sense when you think about it.  Hua Xin also stood up in the lobby. He faintly heard Lin Jin explaining, "I don't know how they found me. I'm also very surprised. How about I wait downstairs." "No, you can go back! There's nothing here.  It's your business." "Yes! I'm resigning from my humble position." Hua Xin then realized that it was unreasonable for Lin Jin to come to him for a recommendation, but he couldn't care less at this time and hurriedly accepted him.  When he went up, he happened to see Liu Jing coming from the steps. Hua Xin hurriedly saluted, "I have seen His Highness the King of Han, and disturbed His Highness's rest late at night. I am very frightened." Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Since Hua Gong is here, there is no need to say anything.  Please give me these kind words!" Liu Jing's kind attitude made Hua Xin feel a little relieved, and he followed Liu Jing into the lobby, "Please sit down, Mr. Hua!" Liu Jing asked Hua Xin to sit down and ordered the maid to change the tea.  .  The two were seated separately, and Liu Jing said with a smile: "I really didn't expect Hua Gong to come to Chengdu in person, which shows Master Pi's sincerity." Both parties are understanding people, but Hua Xin didn't expect Liu Jing to be so candid, which made him heartbroken.  Nervous and looking forward to it, he quickly leaned over and said, "If it were not inconvenient, Mr. Pi would even like to visit His Highness the King of Han in person." Liu Jing chuckled, "There will be a chance. I have met with Mr. Wei four times. I believe it."  I will definitely meet Mr. Pi, and I am looking forward to it." At this time, the maid came in with tea. Liu Jing took a sip of hot tea and asked, "I wonder how Queen Fu is doing now?" Hua Xin really didn't expect Liu Jing to ask herself.  The incident of Empress Fu showed that he was well aware of the incident at Yedu Fuwan, and knowing that he was responsible for it, Hua Xin began to feel nervous. He had long heard that the reason why Cao Cao did not kill Empress Fu was because he had reached a condition with Liu Jing.  Liu Jing asked him about Empress Fu when they met today. This was obviously a warning. Hua Xin's nervousness turned into uneasiness. If Liu Jing really conquered the world in the future, wouldn't he be in trouble with Empress Fu?  Matter.  "Reporting to Your Highness, Queen Fu is now in Xudu, and the ministers have not heard from her for a long time." Liu Jing's sharp eyes pierced Hua Xin, and said coldly: "The matter of Queen Fu has its own justice in people's hearts, I only  I hope Hua Gong can continue from beginning to end and take good care of Queen Fu, which is very important for your future." Hua Xin was so frightened that he broke into a cold sweat. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and whispered: "Wei Chen.??I'll do my best, no!  No!  I will definitely take good care of Queen Fu.  "    "very good!  " Liu Jing's smile became kind again, "Since Mr. Hua has made his position clear, I won't talk about it anymore. Let's talk about Mr. Pi!  This time Hua Gong came to Chengdu specially, but what news did he bring?  " There was an autographed letter from Cao Pi in Hua Xin's arms, but Cao Pi repeatedly told him before he left that he could not give the autographed letter to Liu Jing unless he had to, so as not to use it as a handle for himself. When Hua Xin came to Chengdu, he  Feeling that the atmosphere was delicate, he also realized that he really couldn't take out this letter, so it would be better to dictate it himself. "Reporting to His Highness, Mr. Pi hopes to cooperate with His Highness to achieve a win-win situation for both parties.  "    "cooperate?  " Liu Jing asked with a smile: "How can a cooperation method lead to a win-win situation?  Forgive me for being stupid, I can't understand what Mr. Hua is talking about?  " "This" Hua Xin was a little hesitant. Some words couldn't be said too clearly. He hoped that Liu Jing would understand, but Liu Jing's attitude seemed to become vague again, leaving him at a loss as to what to say. At this time, Liu Jing shouted  He took a sip of tea and said calmly: "I believe Mr. Hua took a huge risk by coming to Chengdu. Since Mr. Hua can come in person, why is his speech vague?  "Liu Jing pointed to herself, then to Hua Xin, and said meaningfully: "Now there are only you and me in the hall. Why can't you say anything openly?  It would be good for both you and me to speak clearly.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 800 Fighting in the air

    Hua Xin was stunned for a long time. It was only then that he realized that he had taken the wrong path. He had been thinking about how to express Cao Pi's meaning implicitly.  Liu Jing found it difficult to get down the stairs. He mainly considered giving Liu Jing enough face.  However, she never expected that Liu Jing would be so straightforward, asking both parties to talk frankly and speak clearly, without any need for implicit communication between high-level officials, which Hua Xin was not mentally prepared for.  But Hua Xin is also a person who is very good at adapting to the situation. He only reacted after being stunned for a moment, and began to quickly adjust his state. He pondered for a while and said: "Since His Highness wants to talk candidly, then I will forgive you for being rude.  , In short, Master Pi hopes that His Highness will support him in succeeding Wei Gong. "Liu Jing laughed, "Only now do I see Hua Gong's sincerity, and then I know why Hua Gong came to visit late at night?" Liu Jing got up in the lobby.  He walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then turned back and said, "I believe Hua Gong also understands the true purpose of Dong Zhao's mission!" "Of course I know, it is because Mr. Zhi's two missions failed, which caused a lot of damage to his image.  He must be eager to make up for the shortcomings in this area. Once Dong Zhao's visit is successful, it will bring great benefits to the reputation of Master Zhi. At the critical moment when Wei Gong is considering the crown prince, I am afraid that Dong Zhao's trip will have an impact on Wei Gong's decision.  "It has a decisive influence." Liu Jing shook his head, "Actually, it's not that serious. Mr. Pi is too nervous and takes Dong Zhao's trip too seriously. After all, Mr. Zhi is not on a personal mission. Even if Dong Zhao is his, he  How could he blatantly take credit for Dong Zhao's achievements? Even Wei Gong couldn't do it so obviously. You must know that Dong Zhao was the imperial censor of the Wei State, and his mission was under the orders of the Wei State, not Cao Zhi.  Personal staff is not sent as an envoy under Cao Zhi's order. I think Mr. Pi is more concerned about Yang Xun coming to Chengdu secretly than Dong Zhao. " "Yang Xun?" Hua Xin was stunned for a while, and he frowned for a long time.  Then I remembered who Yang Xun was, wasn't he Yang Biao's nephew?  What is he doing in Chengdu?  Hua Xin was extremely shrewd, and he immediately guessed that Yang Xun's visit to Chengdu was most likely related to Cao Zhi.  Hua Xin hesitated and asked, "Does Your Highness mean that Yang Xun is the envoy secretly sent by Mr. Zhi?" Liu Jing nodded, "Yang Xun is the envoy of Mr. Zhi and came to investigate the truth about Zhao Ting's arrest. At the same time,  He is also Yang Biao's envoy and sent me a letter written by Yang Biao. What relationship does Hua Gong think there will be between the two? " Hua Xin was very nervous. Of course he understood what Liu Jing meant, that is, Yang Biao.  There is a relationship between Biao and Cao Zhi. Did Yang Biao turn to support Cao Zhi?  Yang Biao was the leader of the northern gentry. If the northern gentry turned to support Cao Zhi, the problem would be serious.  Liu Jing took out Yang Biao's letter from her arms and handed it to Hua Xin, "Don't you want to see what Yang Biao said?" Hua Xin took the letter hesitantly, his heart was in confusion, how could Liu Jing take it  If Yang Biao writes a letter to himself, doesn't this mean betraying Yang Biao?  He opened the letter and read it hastily. It was indeed a letter written by Yang Biao. As expected, Yang Biao clearly requested Liu Jing to support Cao Zhi in the letter. This made Hua Xin feel chills on his back. He realized that he was indeed going in the wrong direction.  Well, instead of paying attention to Dong Zhao, it is better to be wary of Yang Biao.  "Has Your Highness agreed to Yang Biao's request?" Hua Xin asked tentatively.  Liu Jing looked at him deeply and asked with a smile: "What do you think?" Hua Xin secretly cursed himself for being stupid. If Liu Jing agreed to cooperate with Yang Biao, how could he show Yang Biao's letter to him? He returned the letter to  Liu Jing smiled bitterly and said: "To be honest with you, Your Highness, I am very confused right now and I don't know what to say. Could you please make it clear whether Your Highness is willing to cooperate with Mr. Pi?" "Aren't I just cooperating with Mr. Pi now?  " Hua Xin suddenly understood, stood up and bowed deeply, "Wei Chen understands His Highness's deep meaning. Wei Chen will definitely tell Mr. Pi and fully cooperate with His Highness." Liu Jing smiled and then ordered: "Come here!  A guard hurriedly walked in from outside the hall. Liu Jing pointed at Hua Xin and ordered them: "Now the city gate is closed. You can use my gold medal to send this gentleman out of the city. No one is allowed to question him." "Follow the order."  !" Several guards took the gold medal and hurried off.  Hua Xin gratefully saluted and said: "Thank you for your sincerity, Your Highness. I'll take my leave!" "Hua Gong, don't forget the great trust I have placed in you." Hua Xin knew that Liu Jing was referring to Queen Fu, so he quickly said: "  Please rest assured, Your Highness, Wei Chen will do his best to keep her safe." Liu Jing nodded, "Go!" Hua Xin said goodbye and left in a hurry with the guards. Liu Jing watched Hua Xin go away with his hands behind his hands.  He had been thinking about how to deal with Yang Biao, and God knew his heart, so he sent Hua Xin in time  Early the next morning, Sima Yi came to the guesthouse in person and welcomed Dong Zhao, Cao Cao's envoy, into the Han government. Liu Jing, the king of Han, specially received Dong Zhao at the Qinzheng Palace of the Han government.  Accompanying Liu Jing's reception, this was the first time Liu Jing received an envoy from a foreign vassal as the King of Han since he was crowned King of Han.  Since Dong Zhao was an envoy from Wei, not the imperial envoy, according to the principle of etiquette reciprocity, Dong Zhao did not enjoy the courtesy and privileges of the imperial envoy. That is, the King of Han had to go to the square in person to greet the emperor's envoy, but Dong Zhao did not  He went into the palace to meet the King of Han.  In fact, as a kingdom under the Han Dynasty, having the title Qinzheng Palace is an arrogance in itself. However, the Han Dynasty has declined. This kind of arrogance has long been common among princes everywhere. The Han Palace in Chengdu is relatively low-key.  Liu Yan and his son were unwilling and courageous, and the scale of the palace was very small.  But in Chang'an, Jia Xu was unscrupulous in repairing the Weiyang Palace. He actually repaired the highest level of the royal etiquette building - Mingtang Piyong. This was an emperor's building that did not even exist in Yedu or Xudu.  Fei Yi, the imperial censor, led Dong Zhao quickly through the square and up the steps of the main hall. On both sides of the steps stood two hundred guards in golden armor, holding weapons in their hands, looking majestic. At this time, one of the guards shouted: "The King of Han has an order.  Summon the envoy of Wei State to see you!" "Please come in!" Fei Yi reminded Dong Zhao in a low voice. Dong Zhao straightened his clothes and walked quickly into the hall.  The Qinzheng Hall is indeed not big, it can only accommodate a hundred people at most. It is not resplendent and resplendent. It is dark in style and looks solemn and solemn. Seven important ministers sit on two sides, and the throne of the Han Dynasty is on the front. It is not as high as the emperor, but on an equal footing with the ministers.  And sitting, except for the slightly arrogant name, everything else is in line with the status of the kingdom.  Since the King of Han was sitting, Dong Zhao could only kneel down and bow, "Dong Zhao, the envoy of Wei Gong, pays homage to His Royal Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing was wearing royal robes embroidered with unicorns and a flat-topped crown. He waved his hands and said with a smile, "Doctor Dong, please do not hesitate to pay homage to His Majesty the King of Han!"  Li, please take a seat!" Dong Zhao stood up, sat facing east, and bowed again: "Wei Gong asked the minister to convey his respect to His Highness the King of Han." He then looked at the other six important ministers in the hall who looked serious.  , bowed slightly and said: "Wei Gong also sends greetings to all the important ministers in Pingzhangtai." "How is Wei Gong?" Liu Jing's smile broke the dull atmosphere in the palace, "When we met in Jiangdong a few months ago, he said  In the past two years, he has been in poor health and has been sick most of the time. Now that spring is coming, has his health improved? " Dong Zhao quickly replied: "Your Highness, Wei Gong is old and his body is getting weaker.  He is ill and is currently resting in Ye. Thank you for your concern." Liu Jing sighed and said, "Wei Gong will be sixty-one this year!  Prefecture, procrastinating like this is the way to cause chaos in Wei. Yuan Benchu's chaos, will Wei Gong make the same mistake again? " Dong Zhao was speechless for a long time. He didn't understand why Liu Jing said this.  The tone was caring, but the content seemed very rude. He was really unhappy, so he restrained his emotions and asked: "Every family has troubles. I want Duke Wei to solve the family affairs properly, but I don't know why Your Highness wants to interfere with this matter?"  "Three sons competing for heirs are related to the stability of the world and the welfare of millions of people. It is not a family matter! Just like Dong Yushi's mission to the Han Dynasty, wasn't it highly recommended by Mr. Zhi?" Dong Zhao's face changed slightly, Liu  Jing said it too directly. Saying such words in front of seven important ministers was undoubtedly a slap in the face for him. He was about to have a fit, but when he saw Liu Jing's smiling eyes, Dong Zhao suddenly realized that he  He came here for a request, but he couldn't fall out casually, and Liu Jing was obviously deliberately irritating herself.  Dong Zhao was silent for a moment and said: "Your Highness has thought too much. The minister came to negotiate peace with Han on the orders of Wei and has nothing to do with Master Zhi." "Oh! I wonder what Duke Wei wants to negotiate with me?" "It's about  The stationing of the Han navy in Chao Lake seriously threatened the safety of Hefei. Wei Gong hoped that His Highness could abolish the Chao Lake water camp so that the two armies could live in peace and not invade each other. " Liu Jing looked at Sima Yi, and Sima Yi understood, and said coldly: "  Dong Gong was surprised by this statement. Chaohu belongs to Lujiang County, and Jiangdong has officially assigned Lujiang County to Jingzhou. Isn't it natural for us to garrison troops in our own county? Moreover, Cao's army has stationed 50,000 troops in Hefei, and it should be us who threaten the security of Lujiang County.  Asking the Cao army to withdraw, how come you are now asking the Han army to withdraw? Isn't it the most ridiculous thing in the world?" Dong Zhao was angry and retorted: "It is true that Ruxushui belongs to Lujiang County, but half of it belongs to Chaohu Lake?  It belongs to Huainan County, and you have set up a water stronghold on Laoshan Island, which has already crossed the border and directly threatened Hefei City." Before Dong Zhao could finish speaking, Liu Jing waved her hands and smiled: "It turns out that Doctor Dong came to accuse the Han army of crossing the border and stationing troops.  , we didn¡¯t notice this,Let's do it!  I immediately ordered the navy to withdraw to the Lujiang County side to calm the dispute between the two families. How about it?  " Dong Zhao felt really embarrassed. He was passive in everything and was led by the other party. He had to hold back his anger and apologize to Liu Jing: "I just said something inappropriate. I apologize to His Highness the King of Han, and I hope His Highness will understand.  Everyone in the hall laughed heartily. Xu Shu was an upright man and could not bear to tease Dong Zhao anymore. He said frankly: "Is Doctor Dong's mission to Chengdu this time to quell the hidden dangers of the war in Hefei?"  " Dong Zhao glanced at Xu Shu gratefully, nodded and said: "Xu Shangshu is right, the Han army is pressing down on the border, but Wei Gong does not want another Battle of Hefei to break out and ruin people's livelihood, so he specially ordered me to go to your country as an envoy, hoping to increase the number of people.  Trust each other and don't let war break out again.  Sima Yi shook his head and said, "Dong Gong's words are inappropriate. We stationed heavy troops in Chaohu and Wan County not to attack Hefei, but because we were afraid that Cao Jun in Hefei would attack Lujiang. We had no choice but to do it. If Wei Gong really did it for the two families, then  troops, then the garrison in Hefei should also be reduced. The two armies should be equal in strength, each garrisoning 10,000 troops. In this way, fighting would be impossible. Wouldn¡¯t the problem be solved?  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 801 Unavoidable

    Before Dong Zhao's mission, Cao Cao had a careful discussion with his advisers. Liu Ye also raised this issue. The key to the truce was to withdraw the troops. While the Han army threatened Hefei, Hefei was also threatening Lujiang County in Jingzhou. If only  It is obviously unrealistic to ask the Han army to withdraw, and the Han army will inevitably demand that the Cao army withdraws in equal measure.  Liu Ye's doubts won the consensus of everyone, and it was easier for Cao's army to withdraw. They could directly withdraw their troops to Shouchun or Qiaojun. Everyone discussed several plans for this. As expected today, Sima Yi made it clear that if the war ceased, Cao's army would  The troops must also be withdrawn from Hefei.  Dong Zhao nodded and said: "I can understand your army's request for reciprocity. To show sincerity, we are also willing to withdraw our troops from Hefei and reduce the pressure on Lujiang County." After speaking, he looked at Liu Jing expectantly.  Jing smiled lightly and said: "I don't hide it from Doctor Dong. The Battle of Hefei is a plan that I have been planning for a long time. For this purpose, we allocate money and food, organize civilians, and work hard. I don't understand how Wei Gong knew about our plan and came here."  Asking us to stop the war, of course, is not impossible. This is called asking for peace, but since it is asking for peace, we must pay a price and provide compensation. There is no such thing as asking for peace without any conditions. I believe Dr. Dong also understands.  " Liu Jing's words have made it very clear. He does not disagree with Cao Cao's request for peace, but he requires Cao Cao to pay a price. Only when the compensation conditions are met, the two sides will discuss a specific truce and withdrawal plan, not Dong Zhao's.  A ceasefire was proposed and both sides withdrew their troops. Things were not that simple.  Dong Zhao sighed in his heart, of course he knew that Liu Jing would not easily agree to a truce, but the conditions were too harsh, and I was afraid that Duke Wei would not be able to accept it, so he asked cautiously: "I wonder what conditions must be met by the Han Palace before the two sides can cease the war?  Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Let Sima Shangshu answer this question for you!" Dong Zhao looked at Sima Yi again, and Sima Yi said calmly: "Our requirements are not high. There are two conditions. The first is  The compensation conditions are that during the truce, the Cao army will compensate the Han army 10,000 shi of grain every month. The second is the additional condition. Wei Gong must promise not to interfere in the political situation of Jiangdong in any form. As long as you can agree to these two conditions,  We will suspend the plan to attack Hefei, and then sit down to discuss the specific plan for withdrawing our troops." Dong Zhao lowered his head and thought silently. Frankly speaking, the two conditions proposed by the other party were not high. Ten thousand shi of food per month. If the war ceases.  Five years, that is 600,000 shi of food, but it is impossible to cease the war for five years. A one-year ceasefire is not bad. Wei Gong just wants to buy time to prepare for the war.  As for the second condition, they are not allowed to interfere in the political situation in Jiangdong. It seems to be a very high condition, but in fact it is meaningless. Since the warships and navy were destroyed, Cao Jun has been unable to interfere in the political situation in Jiangdong. At most, he sent people to Jiangdong secretly.  All parties, such as Chen Jiao, are now in Kuaiji County, but they have little effect. The other party actually proposed such an insignificant condition, which puzzled Dong Zhao.  Doesn¡¯t Liu Jing know that Cao Jun¡¯s influence on Jiangdong is actually very small?  It's impossible not to know, so why would you mention such an insignificant condition?  At this moment, Dong Zhao suddenly realized that the Han army was not actually preparing to fight the Battle of Hefei. Even if he did not send an envoy, the Battle of Hefei would not break out in the near future. All of this, Liu Jing was just making a gesture.  .  After understanding this point, Dong Zhao's heart suddenly became relaxed. As a plenipotentiary envoy, he could completely agree to the two conditions proposed by the deal. Thinking of this, Dong Zhao resolutely said: "To show the sincerity of Wei State, Sima Shangshu proposed  I can accept the two conditions on behalf of Duke Wei." Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile, "Now that the obstacles to the withdrawal of troops from both sides have been removed, we can sit down and discuss in detail how to withdraw the troops, the distance and number of troops, etc., I will.  Appointed Sima Shangshu as the plenipotentiary to negotiate with Dr. Dong, hoping to reach a consensus as soon as possible. "After the meeting, Liu Jing returned to his official room, took off his ceremonial royal robes, and changed into a pair of relaxed and loose casual clothes. He said to the guards: "  Go and invite the military advisor!" "No need to invite him!" Jia Xu's laughter came from the door, "I am an uninvited guest." "Come in, military advisor!" Liu Jing quickly invited Jia Xu in.  The people sat down in the room, and the guards served them tea. Jia Xu smiled and said: "Dong Zhao seems to have understood the true intention of the King of Han. I can see his expression of finally realizing it." Liu Jing sneered, "  Dong Zhao is Cao Cao's important counselor. If he can't even see this hint, then he is not qualified as a counselor.  Yes, he finally woke up, and he is worthy of being Cao Cao's important mastermind." The two took a sip of tea, and then Jia Xu smiled again: "Your Highness's next step is to intervene.Plant war?  Liu Jing nodded, "To be exact, it's not just the dispute between Pizhi and Pizhi. If possible, I also want to bring Cao Zhang in to muddy the water. The military advisor doesn't know about it yet!"  Hua Xin came to see me secretly last night.  " Jia Xu was startled, and then laughed, "It seems that Cao Pi can't stand it anymore. The competition between the two brothers has reached a fever pitch.  "Liu Jing pondered for a while and then said: "Actually, the reason why I want to ask the military advisor to come here is not to fight for Pizhi's position, but to discuss with the military advisor how to recover Heshuo and eliminate the threat of Qiang and Hu to Guanzhong. This will have a big impact on our move of the capital to Chang'an  It is of great significance, and it is for this reason that I suspended the Hefei campaign.  " Jia Xu nodded and said: "Wei Chen understands the concerns of His Highness the King of Han. Indeed, the world north of Guanzhong is almost dominated by barbarians. This is very unfavorable for us to move the capital to Chang'an. The barbarian problem must be solved first.  " "I just don't understand. How could the situation in Guan Nei and Heshuo get out of control? Almost all of them were invaded by barbarians?  "Liu Jing frowned and asked. "This matter is a long story, so I can only briefly talk about it. In fact, the reason is also very simple. It is that the Donghu Xianbei people gradually rose up in Mobei, defeated the Northern Xiongnu, and launched a series of attacks on the grassland.  In the conquest campaign, under the threat of Xianbei, the Wuhuan people, the southern Huns, and the Jie people had to move south in large numbers, gradually encroaching on the Han territories such as Heshuo, Guannei, and northern Bingzhou. The court was powerless, which resulted in a large-scale migration of refugees from the north.  , which lasted for decades, had a huge impact on the political situation in the Central Plains. For example, the Yellow Turban Rebellion, wasn't it because the court had difficulty in settling these refugees, which eventually led to rebellion?  This is also the root of the separatist regimes of the Central Plains princes!  " Liu Jing has a deep understanding of the migration of refugees in the north for decades. He asked again: "Is it not just the Qiang and Di people?  " "There are not only Qiang and Di people, but also Qiang and Di people, as well as Wuhuan, Xiongnu, Jie and other Hu people. There are also Xianbei people in the Hetao area, so it is not accurate to call them Qiang Hu people. They should be called Zahu people. There are  With nearly a million people, Your Highness, it is not easy to defeat them. Even Cao Cao used gentle and appeasing methods and named them as captains of various places, which actually recognized their independence.  Liu Jing nodded silently. He knew that the influence of the Zahu southward on the Central Plains Dynasty was extremely profound. It not only caused the great migration of Han people, triggered the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and ultimately led to the demise of the Han Dynasty. But a hundred years later, it was also these Zahu who entrenched themselves in the north.  Hu's massive invasion of the Central Plains triggered the famous "Five Husties" in history, which opened the darkest scene in the Middle Ages. The Han people were almost massacred and exterminated for a hundred years. Liu Jing walked to the window with her hands behind her hands and stared at the white clouds and blue sky for a long time.  , as blue as a pure gem. After a long while, Liu Jing said calmly: "I know it is not easy, but some things must be done, and we cannot avoid it.  ¡±?¡­ At nightfall, Liu Jing was half lying on the couch, with her hands behind her head, staring at the roof in a daze, thinking about something. At this time, Tao Zhan was sitting next to him,  She reached out and touched his forehead, her eyes full of concern, and asked him softly: "What's wrong, are you feeling uncomfortable?  Liu Jing reached out to grab his wife's hand and said with a smile, "How long has it been since you left home?"  " "I don't know how long it has been, but I went to Dujiangyan a few months ago.  Tao Zhan smiled and asked curiously: "Why do you ask this?"  " "I'm going to take the whole family on a trip. Let's go to Guanzhong and play around Chang'an for a month or two. How about it?  " Tao Zhan is such a smart woman. She immediately understood what her husband meant. He wanted to go to Guanzhong, but he didn't want to leave his family behind. She smiled softly and said, "You can go if you want!  This is business, regardless of our feelings.  Liu Jing held his wife's hand tightly and said: "This time it is just an inspection, not a war. I plan to bring Zilong's wife and children with me so that their whole family can be reunited, so I want to take this opportunity to bring you together."  Take it, it happens to be spring, go out and relax!  " Tao Zhan's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile: "Of course we are willing to go out and relax. I think the children will also be very happy. It's rare that you are so thoughtful, so I decided to accept this favor.  " Liu Jing felt happy. He hugged his wife's waist, pressed her against him, kissed her lips and said with a smile: "We will set off in ten days and start packing tomorrow.  " "We will set off in ten days!  Tao Zhan said with a worried look on his face: "Think about how many things you need to bring!"  All kinds of daily utensils, clothes, medicines, children's things, as well as the maid's and wet nurse's belongings, as well as books, bedding for the road, the dry food we are used to eating, the tabby cat that Zhu Er raised, and the fragrant iron  Hammer" "Wait!  Liu Jing interrupted his wife's list and asked doubtfully: "What is Shang Xiang's hammer?"  " Tao Zhan couldn't help laughing, "It's a hound raised by Shang Xiang. Last year, Mrs. Zhao's hound gave birth to a litter of puppies.Dog, she gave us one as a gift. Shang Xiang fell in love with it immediately and took it away. It was black and strong, so Shang Xiang called it Hammer.  " "But why haven't I seen it?  " "You didn't go to Shang Xiang's place during the day. You thought it barked fiercely at night, so you kept it in the stable. Shang Xiang was afraid that you wouldn't like her keeping a dog, so you asked us not to tell you.  Liu Jing turned over and pressed Tao Zhan under her. She pretended to be angry and said, "Tell me the truth. Is there anything else you are hiding from me at home?"  " "Look at what you said, it seems that we have done something wrong. There are many things at home that you don't know about. You are His Highness the King of Han, with the country in your heart and your eyes on the world. What do you want to know about the trivial matters at home?  Besides, I find it a bit strange why you haven't gone to see Xiao Qiao recently.  " Liu Jing's expression became a little unnatural. She turned over and lay down next to Tao Zhan. She said listlessly: "She is taken care of by Shang Xiang. She is fine. Why should I care about her?  " "You really don't care?  Tao Zhan looked at him with a half-smile, "Tell me the truth, if she wants to go back to Jiangdong now, will you let her go back?"  " "My legs are growing on her body, can I stop her?"  " Liu Jing already understood in her heart that it was the maid who secretly told Tao Zhan what happened by the lake that day. He was a little unhappy in his heart. Wasn't he even allowed to find a woman? She was firmly opposed to Cai Shaoyu's incident last time.  It's okay for her to be reasonable, but this time she seems to be objecting to Xiao Qiao's matter. Who does she think she is? Liu Jing was annoyed, so she simply turned over to sleep and ignored Tao Zhan. Tao Zhan sighed and said: "  She is indeed as beautiful as a fairy, and it is hard for most people to resist. If you want to marry her, I have no objection, but I am worried that marrying her will affect your relationship with Jiangdong.  " Liu Jing is not worried about affecting the relationship with Jiang Dong. He doesn't take Jiang Dong to heart at all. He is just afraid of affecting Da Qiao. He really likes Da Qiao. The two days and nights with Da Qiao made him unforgettable.  , Liu Jing also let out a long sigh and said, "Let nature take its course!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 802 Departure to the North

    Ten days later, the day of departure for Chang'an came. The palace of the Han Dynasty was busy early in the morning. Dozens of carriages loaded with supplies lined up in front of the palace. Tao Zhan had her own considerations, because the capital would be moved this fall.  Chang'an, instead of being busy and chaotic when we arrive, why not just take advantage of this opportunity to go to Chang'an and move some items there first.  Everyone in the palace was packing up their last belongings. Everyone was extremely busy, and the whole palace seemed in chaos. At this time, Liu Jing, escorted by a group of soldiers, came from the government office on horseback. He will also be there these days.  Government affairs are handed over one by one, and documents that must be approved by him will be sent to Chang'an in time.  "Have you packed up the princess?" Liu Jing turned over and dismounted and asked the housekeeper who came up.  "It's almost time to report back to His Highness. The princess said that if His Highness comes back, please go to the inner study." "I know!" Liu Jing walked quickly to the inner chamber.  In the inner study room, Tao Zhan and Sun Shangxiang were packing and packing documents. Liu Jing's inner study room contained many extremely important documents. Except for himself, only Tao Zhan and Sun Shangxiang could enter and pack them. They followed Liu Jing's instructions.  According to the instructions, the last dozen documents were put into a special wooden box. The room was filled with twenty wooden boxes, all of which were books, charts and important documents.  At this time, Liu Jing walked into the room and said with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, two good wives!" Sun Shangxiang rolled his eyes at him and ignored him. Tao Zhan said with a smile: "See for yourself, what else should you take away? If you don't have anything else,  , I asked the soldiers to move it into the car. Now you are the only one who has not moved it yet. Everything else is ready." Liu Jing looked around the room and said with a smile: "It's packed well, it's ready to move.  " Tao Zhan quickly said hello to the soldiers waiting outside. Dozens of soldiers entered the house. They all moved quickly and quickly moved out all the more than 20 wooden boxes. At this time, Tao Zhan said again.  : "Okay, things here are over. I'm going to ask the children to get in the car." She glanced at Sun Shangxiang, smiled, and left quickly. Sun Shangxiang wanted to follow, but was pulled by Liu Jing.  Holding her hand and pulling her down, Sun Shangxiang said angrily: "I have to pack my things too, why are you pulling me?" Sun Shangxiang's mother, Mrs. Wu, finally couldn't survive the illness and passed away three months ago. Sun Shangxiang  Although she couldn't go back to attend the funeral, she still had to observe mourning for her mother for at least half a year. During this time, she had been depressed.  Liu Jing knew that she was in a bad mood and was not angry. She smiled and asked, "Let me ask you, why have you been ignoring me these past few days?" "How dare I ignore you? Aren't I talking to you now?"  Sun Shangxiang's face was as dark as water, without a trace of smile on his face.  Liu Jing said softly: "This time I go to Chang'an, I may stay for more than a month, so I have to bring everything, especially the children's things." "I know, what else is there?" Liu Jing looked at her for a moment and saw her  With a face as cold as frost, he suddenly realized that Shang Xiang was not in a bad mood because of his mother's death, but because of Xiao Qiao. He had no choice but to sigh helplessly, "Okay! Get ready to go." Sun Shangxiang ignored him and turned around  Then she walked towards the yard. Liu Jing watched her walk away quickly and couldn't help but feel a headache. Once she offended Sun Shangxiang, her strong temper would break out and she didn't know how long it would take to recover.  Liu Jing shook her head and walked quickly out of the gate. Sun Shangxiang returned to his yard. The wet nurse was holding her son Liu Long and was waiting in the yard. When the little boy saw his mother coming back, he quickly opened his little hands to hug him. He was babbling and didn't know what he was saying.  , he is already eight months old, he is white and fat, and he is at his cutest.  Sun Shangxiang took over her son lovingly and put her face against his little face. This was her baby and her life. If it weren't for her son, she would have returned to Jiangdong in anger.  At this time, Xiao Qiao came out of the small building carrying a package and said with a smile: "My things are the simplest, one package is enough, not like you have so many bottles and jars." Sun Shangxiang's face immediately turned sunny, she was just angry  Although her husband was angry, she still had a deep friendship with Xiao Qiao. She smiled sheepishly and said: "Normally, it seems that there are not many things, but the eldest sister said to move some of them first, but it turned out that there were so many things that it was scary to death, and there were also my precious weapons.  , I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move slowly in the future! Who dares to steal your things?¡± Xiao Qiao pursed his lips and smiled, ¡°When I was in Jiangdong, I remember that you would go to the weapons room every day.  It's only half a day, but I've been here for almost two months, but I've never seen you go to the weapons room once. Your maid said that those weapons have become a burden to you. " "It's not because of this little guy.  After him, I lost all my hobbies and interests and just hung around him all day long." Sun Shangxiang pinched his son's cheek gently and said with a smile, "You little thing has made my mother miserable, I know.?  " At this time, the housekeeper quickly came to the door of the courtyard and saluted: "Second Madam, it's time to set off.  "I understand. Where is the princess? Is she out?"  " "Everyone has gone out and is waiting for the second lady.  "Sun Shangxiang smiled and said: "It seems that we are holding back, let's go!  " The wet nurse took the child, and a dozen maids filed out carrying their parcels. Sun Shangxiang held Xiao Qiao's hand and walked to the end, smiling: "I have only been here for two months, and I have to make you busy again.  " "I don't care, I just take things as they come. But if you find me annoying, I will go back to Jiangdong tomorrow.  "Although Sun Shangxiang was angry with Liu Jing, she also knew that she was angry, but she couldn't really drive Xiao Qiao away. She squeezed Xiao Qiao's hand and said with a smile: "Now that you have entered my house, you can leave if you want.  It's not that easy. Follow me obediently and don't even think about escaping from my grasp.  " Xiao Qiao was sensitive. Hearing something in Sun Shangxiang's words, his face blushed slightly. He also thought that Liu Jing seemed to be deliberately avoiding him, and suddenly felt a little disappointed. "Outside the gate, dozens of carriages had stopped at the gate, Jia Xu  Along with his family, Zhao Yun's family, Zhang Ren's family, Fazheng's family, etc., a group of family members of senior officials from Chang'an will go to Guanzhong, along with their luggage and carriages. This time there will be hundreds of carriages and tens of thousands of soldiers guarding the northward journey.  . Sun Shangxiang and Xiao Qiao walked out of the gate and saw Tao Zhan waving to her from the window of a carriage. Sun Shangxiang stepped forward and said with a smile, "Are we all in the same carriage?  " "We all sit together and talk during the day, and go back to our carriages to rest at night. And you are the only one in our family who has traveled north, so everyone is counting on you to introduce the scenery along the way!  " Sun Shangxiang glanced at Liu Jing not far away. Seeing the proud smile on his face, he couldn't help but glared at him. He and Xiao Qiao got into the carriage. Liu Jing watched them get on the carriage, especially Sun Shangxiang gave him the last look.  , which showed that she was just angry, not really resenting herself. Liu Jing suddenly felt relieved and felt better again. He immediately ordered: "Give the order and set off!  "    "let's go!  "The guard shouted, and the leading carriage started slowly. Under the guard of the soldiers, hundreds of carriages left Chengdu in a mighty manner and headed north. Just as Liu Jing led his family to Guanzhong, Dong Zhao also ended  As an envoy, he was on his way back to Yedu. After fruitful negotiations between him and Sima Yi, both sides were sincere and soon reached an agreement. The Han army suspended its attack on Hefei, withdrew the Chaohu water stronghold, and moved its navy to Ruxukou.  The naval force will not exceed 5,000, and the warships will not exceed 100, and the strength of Wan County will also be reduced to 10,000. At the same time, Cao's army's garrison in Hefei will also be reduced to 10,000. As compensation for the truce, Hefei will.  The provision of food supplies for the Han navy in Ruxukou was reduced from the 10,000 shi of food per month originally proposed by Liu Jing to 5,000 shi of food per month. This was a concession by the Han army. At the same time, Cao Jun promised not to interfere in the internal affairs of Jiangdong.  This is Cao Cao's strategic need. He needs time to prepare for war. This is also Liu Jing's strategic need. He needs time to first deal with the miscellaneous threats north of Guanzhong and move the capital to Chang'an.  It calmed down and no longer became the focus of attention, but the struggle between the Cao brothers for the succession gradually became more intense. Hua Xin rushed all the way back to Yedu. He entered Yedu at dusk, and he didn't care.  Exhausted from the journey, I rushed directly to Cao Pi's residence. Cao Pi's residence was the former Prime Minister Cao Cao's residence. After Cao Cao moved to Tongque Terrace, he gave the old residence to his eldest son Cao Pi. This caused controversy because according to Cao Pi  Although he was not qualified to live in a huge house covering an area of ??150 acres, as Cao Pi became deputy prime minister and Wufang Zhonglang general, taking charge of government affairs, this controversy gradually subsided. By this time, Cao Pi had ended.  After a day of business, he was sitting in the study room reading, but he seemed a little uneasy. Just at noon today, the news of the successful negotiation between Cao and Liu reached Yedu in the form of an 800-mile express. This news shocked both the government and the public.  Deeply encouraged, Cao Cao personally ordered to commend Dong Zhao. But what made Cao Pi uneasy was that his father actually summoned his brother Cao Zhi and praised him for his meritorious service in recommending Dong Zhao. This undoubtedly gave half of the credit for Dong Zhao's mission to his brother.  Cao Zhi made Cao Zhi's line proud, but Cao Pi was unhappy these days. His father was more and more biased towards his brothers. Just three days ago, he promoted Wang Jie to the position of minister. Wang Jie was also the backbone of his brother Cao Zhi's line because he was demoted from Jingzhou.  , has never been very important, and this time he was promoted to the position of a powerful minister, responsible for reviewing his government approval documents, which undoubtedly restricted his government power. Cao Pi was worried that his government power was being diverted. Although the military supported him,  But the military is firmly controlled by their father, and they have no say.The power fell into the hands of his brothers again, and his own advantages were surpassed bit by bit. Did the father really want to make his third brother his heir?  Cao Pi was upset and couldn't read. At this time, there was a knock on the door. It was the voice of his wife Zhen, "General!" "What's the matter?" Cao Pi asked with some displeasure.  "General, the housekeeper sent news from the front yard. Mr. Hua is here. He said he has something urgent to see." Cao Pi stood up and couldn't help being surprised and happy. Hua Xin was finally back. He repeatedly ordered: "Please come quickly, Mr. Hua."  Wait in the outer study, I'll be right away." He put on some clothes and hurried to the outer study, hoping that Hua Xin would bring him good news.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 803 Cao Pi counterattacks (Part 1)

    Hua Xin has been invited to sit down in the outer study. He is holding a cup, sipping tea, adjusting his tiredness, and thinking about how to report to Cao Pi. He has too many things to report, and there are thousands of things that need to be reported.  Let¡¯s figure out a clue first.  Just as he was thinking about it, the guard's voice came from the yard to report, "Sir, Mr. Hua is already waiting in the room." "I understand. You guys should watch the surroundings and don't allow anyone to disturb you." Hua Xin stood up in a hurry.  I saw Cao Pi walking into the room quickly. He hurriedly stepped forward and bowed and saluted, "Meet the eldest son!" Cao Pi quickly supported his arm and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Ziyu. Please sit down!" Hua Xin  After sitting down, Cao Pi asked with a smile: "What good news did you bring me?" "There is a lot of news, and I need to report it one by one." "Then tell me slowly." Hua Xin thought for a while and then sent him out.  The detailed story of Chengdu was told to Cao Pi bit by bit. Cao Pi listened and thought about it. There was indeed a lot of news, and he tried to pay attention to the key parts.  "You mean Yang Xun also went to Chengdu?" "Yes! On the surface, he went to investigate the truth about Zhao Ting's death, but in fact he went to find Liu Jing and handed Liu Jing a personal letter from Yang Biao.  The letter was witnessed by Wei Chen, and Yang Biao hoped that Liu Jing could support Cao Zhi and restore the Han Dynasty's orthodoxy. "Cao Pi couldn't help but sneered, "If Liu Jing supports the Han Dynasty, isn't it like seeking the skin of a tiger? Why was Yang Biao so cunning in the past?  Have you become so pedantic?" Hua Xin nodded, "Young Master has seen clearly. Since Liu Jing showed me Yang Biao's autographed letter, it shows that he is also very angry with the nobles for seeking refuge with Master Zhi. I thought it was Liu Jing who  Jing is giving the young master a hint. "What hint?" "He wants to join forces with the young master to attack the nobles such as Yang and Cui." Cao Pi paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. It is not impossible to join forces with Liu Jing to attack the nobles, but he needs to.  After weighing the pros and cons, once Yang Cui and others are attacked, the northern gentry will become scattered, and the direct consequence will be to completely surrender to Liu Jing.  But if you don't attack them, the nobles will turn to support the third brother. This is another great force and is extremely detrimental to himself. The benefits and losses are really difficult for Cao Pi to weigh.  Hua Xin knew Cao Pi very well and knew where his heart was, so he implicitly suggested: "Wei Chen believes that attacking the gentry is actually a choice between immediate and long-term interests. The immediate interests can weaken the support of Mr. Zhi, which is beneficial to us.  , and in the long run, the nobles will turn to support Liu Jing, which will be detrimental to Cao Wei. However, after the prince takes power, it will be too late to find ways to regain the support of the nobles. More importantly, this is an opportunity for us to cooperate with Liu Jing. If  If we don't take this matter up, I'm afraid there will be no chance of cooperation in the future. "Cao Pi nodded slowly. Hua Xin made sense. Attacking the nobles was the first step in his cooperation with Liu Jing. If he takes the first step.  Otherwise, don't expect Liu Jing to help him anymore. At this moment, Cao Pi made up his mind.  Seeing that Cao Pi had made a decision, Hua Xin felt secretly proud and said quickly: "In addition, the minister suggested that Yang Tian be transferred back to Yedu. He is the censor Zhongcheng and is crucial for us to seize the power of supervision. At least he can restrain Dong Zhao."  , Dong Zhao and his party will not be as unscrupulous as before." Hua Xin does not need to explain this. Cao Pi knew it well. When his father appointed Yang Tian as Yushi Zhongcheng, he was actually hinting that he would give himself some supervisory power. Of course he would.  Yang Tian should be transferred back to Yedu.  "What else?" Cao Pi asked again.  Hua Xin thought for a while, then suddenly remembered something. He quickly took out a drawing from his arms and said, "Wei Chen almost forgot, this is the drawing for making a wooden cow that Yang Tian got. Please take a look at it." Cao Pi was overjoyed and took it.  After reading the drawing carefully, it turned out to be a drawing for making a wooden cow. This was the treasure that my father had been looking forward to. Although I heard that merchants in Jingnan were already using this kind of wooden cow, with the drawing, he no longer needed to  It takes time and effort to get one back.  However, Cao Pi had a change of heart. If he handed this drawing to his father immediately, he might not be able to get it back to Yang Tian. He had to slow down and build a wooden ox first, which would give his father a surprise. Thinking of this  , he carefully put away the drawings, and asked with a smile: "Ziyu went to Chengdu this time and gained a lot. It gave me some countermeasures. Thank you for your hard work." "Wei Chen dare not take credit, this is Liu  The result is that Jing is willing to cooperate with the young master." Cao Pi nodded. He was very satisfied with Hua Xin's answer. This was exactly what he wanted to hear. He also thought that Liu Jing was willing to cooperate with him. Whether it was Hua Xin or someone else who was on an envoy,  The result will be the same. If he can get Liu Jing's support, it will be crucial for him to win in the end. Now that Liu Jing has set a question, he has to solve this question. Only by completing the first step of cooperation can he have the opportunity to cooperate in the future.?Meet.  After pondering for a moment, Cao Pi asked again: "How do you think we should deal with Yang Biao?" Hua Xin had been thinking about this problem all the way and had already had a plan to deal with it. Since Cao Pi asked about it, he said confidently: "It is actually very easy to deal with Yang Biao.  It's easy. The key is to find a breakthrough. Wei Chen thinks that he can start with Yang Xun. If His Highness trusts Wei Chen, this matter can be left to Wei Chen. "Of course Cao Pi trusts Hua Xin. With Hua Xin's ruthlessness, he believes in him.  Not wanting to let himself down, Cao Pi immediately took out a gold medal, handed it to Hua Xin and said, "With this gold medal, I can mobilize my Dark Tiger Guards." The Dark Tiger Guards are a secret guard formed by Cao Pi. They are all highly skilled in martial arts.  And they are loyal to Cao Pi. In name, they are responsible for protecting the safety of Cao Pi and his family, but in fact they are Cao Pi's powerful tools to eliminate dissidents and spy on intelligence. Hua Xin must rely on them if he wants to deal with Yang Biao.  Hua Xin took the gold medal and bowed: "Within three days, I will give His Highness a satisfactory result." It has been several days since Yang Xun came back from Chengdu. Among the three people who were on a mission to Chengdu at the same time, his  The harvest was the smallest. He found no evidence that Yang Tian had cheated, nor did he find any clues that Yang Tian had surrendered to the Han army. On the contrary, the various information and evidence he obtained proved that Yang Tian was indeed capable and more capable than mediocrity.  Well done Zhao Ting.  But this result disappointed both Yang Xiu and Cao Zhi, especially Cao Zhi. When his father appointed Yang Tian as Yushi Zhongcheng, he felt threatened and wanted to find evidence against Yang Tian. In the end, Yang Xun disappointed him, but  Yang Biao was very satisfied with Yang Xun's mission, which can be regarded as the success of Yang Xun's mission.  He met Liu Jing and handed Yang Biao's autographed letter to Liu Jing. Although Liu Jing did not express his position immediately, judging from the fact that Dong Zhao successfully reached an armistice agreement with the Han army and Cao Cao praised Cao Zhi for recommending Dong Zhao, Liu Jing still  Yang Biao responded to Yang Biao's initiative, which made Yang Biao very pleased and praised Yang Xun greatly, making Yang Xun feel that he had achieved something during his mission.  Yang Xun's home is not in Yedu, but in his hometown of Hongnong. He has a virtuous wife and two lovely sons. In Yedu, he lived in Yang Biao's mansion. There was a single courtyard in the mansion and two children.  Young and beautiful maids serve him, and he is also Cao Zhi's staff. He can also receive a generous salary from Cao Zhi every month. This kind of life makes Yang Xun very satisfied.  When he has nothing to do, he goes out to drink and chat with friends. The place he goes to most often is Manchun House, which is a famous brothel in Ye. Yang Tian has a lot of money in his pocket and his outstanding literary talent makes him very popular in the brothel.  After returning from the mission, he stayed in the brothel for several days, letting the beauty's warm and fragrant nephrite moisturize his body that had become somewhat dry due to the mission.  As night falls, the lights in the Manchun Building are bright, music is playing, and laughter is constantly flowing. There is a huge flow of people in front of the door. New and old guests come from all directions. The old bustards who are half-married and old are greeting and sending them off at the door, with faces piled up.  A smile as bright as a flower.  At this time, a carriage stopped in front of the gate. Yang Xun, who was well-dressed, stepped out of the carriage. The driver asked, "Do you want me to wait here, Commander Yang?" "No, I will come back by myself. You can go back."  !¡± The coachman raised his whip and drove away. Yang Xun straightened his clothes and hat, shook a feather fan, and walked briskly towards the gate. The madam had already seen him, and immediately came up to him and said with a smile: ¡°Shijun Yang is here today.  "Look for Jiuyu!" Yang Xun nodded, "Does she have any guests?" "No! No! Jiuyu is waiting for Yang Shijun today. In her heart, who can be better than Yang Shijun?"  The girl Xun is looking for is named Jin Jiuyu. She was the oiran of Manchun House three years ago. Although she has been out in the past two years, her reputation is still the same and she can be ranked among the top five in Manchun House. She is kind  There were countless guests, and Yang Xun was just one of them. Yang Xun heard that Jiuyu was waiting for him, and his vanity was greatly satisfied. He took out a piece of red gold and threw it to the old bustard, "I'll reward you!"  Yang Xun welcomed Yang Xun into the brothel. Yang Xun did not enter the lobby and walked directly to the backyard. Jin Jiuyu had a special courtyard and was served by maids. As soon as Yang Xun entered the courtyard, a red cloud rushed over and fell into his arms. The warm and fragrant soft jade fell into his arms.  , the charming and charming body trembled in his arms like a rabbit, Yang Xun lowered his head, a piece of red lips greeted her, and the two quickly entangled themselves.  After a long time, the beauty smiled coquettishly, her eyes were charming, and she pulled him towards the house. She told the maid, "Close the door. No one is allowed to disturb you before dawn tomorrow." She closed the door again and pulled him directly.  Following Yang Xun into the back room, Yang Xun's heart was burning with desire. He entered the room and was about to pounce on the beauty. Unexpectedly, there was a sharp pain in the back of his head, and his vision went black. When Yang Xun woke up again, he found that he was no longer in Qin.  The fragrant bedroom is surrounded by damp and dark rocks. A small oil lamp flickers on and off, making the rough rocks look particularly hideous.The air was filled with a strong rotten air, and in front of him were no longer charming beauties, but four bare-chested burly men with fleshy faces, staring at him fiercely.  Yang Xun felt a sharp pain in his wrist, and then he realized that he was hanging in the air by iron chains, with his body separated in a large shape. He was suddenly frightened and asked anxiously: "Who are you and what are you doing?" At this time,  A thin man walked out from behind the big man and said with a sinister smile: "Yang Shijun has taken good care of himself! His skin is tender and his flesh is tender. I wonder if he can withstand the 18 kinds of torture?" Yang Xun recognized it.  This person turned out to be Shangshu Ling Hua Xin, an important minister of Wei State, and a confidant of Cao Pi. His mind was buzzing!  ' With a sound, he suddenly understood that he had fallen into Cao Pi's hands.  "Hua Shangshu, what are you going to do?" Hua Xin walked up to him and said calmly: "Yang Shijun is a smart man. I will be polite to smart people. It's very simple. We know that Yang Shijun went to Chengdu.  I also met Liu Jing, the King of Han, and seemed to have sent a letter to the King of Han. Of course, we don¡¯t know the content of the letter, but I hope Yang Shijun can tell us in detail about his secret mission to Chengdu. " "  I was ordered by Master Zhi to go to Chengdu to investigate whether Yang Tian had surrendered to the enemy." Yang Xun shouted.  Hua Xin shook his head, "I know this. I want Yang Shijun to talk about another mission. For example, on the eve of Yang Shijun's departure, Cui Yan appeared in Yang Taiwei's house at night. What did you talk about together? Yang Taiwei seemed  I wrote another letter, you should understand what I mean, tell me! This way you don¡¯t have to suffer.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about, and I have never seen the King of Han. You are talking nonsense!¡± Hua Xin sneered.  , "It seems that you are not smart at all, okay! I will ask you again tomorrow morning." Hua Xin turned around and walked away, faintly hearing Yang Xun shouting in fear, "What are you going to do? Let me go, ah!" Finally!  It was a long scream.  Hua Xin couldn¡¯t help but sigh and said to himself: ¡®Another idiot who won¡¯t shed tears until he sees the coffin.  ¡¯

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 804 Cao Pi counterattacks (Part 2)

    At noon the next day, Hua Xin found Cao Pi. He presented a thick stack of confessions to Cao Pi, "All the materials the master needs are here." Cao Pi was overjoyed. He didn't expect Yang Xun to give the confession so quickly. He took it  After flipping through the confession, he found that there were many letters in it. He couldn't help but asked strangely: "Why are there still letters?" "These are the letters that the Dark Tiger Guards found from his room based on his confession. God bless you, sir. What's inside?"  There was actually a letter written by Yang Biao to Liu Jing. It was probably not sent out in time, but it became evidence that Yang Biao colluded with Liu Jing. " Hua Xin took out another letter and handed it to Cao Pi, "Master, take a look at this letter.  Letter." Cao Pi was stunned when he took the letter. It turned out to be the handwriting of his third brother Cao Zhi. He opened the letter and read it. It was a reply from his third brother to Yang Biao. The letter thanked the nobles for their support. If he succeeds to the throne, he will  Will vigorously support Confucianism and restore the authority of the Han emperor.  Cao Pi narrowed his eyes and looked back and forth. He couldn't find the time to write the letter, so he asked: "When was this letter?" "It was yesterday afternoon that Mr. Zhi asked him to forward it to Yang Biao, who happened to be sleeping.  , this letter was not sent in time." Cao Pi couldn't hold back his excitement. He read Yang Xun's confession carefully, then read each letter carefully, and finally slapped the table, "I'll go now.  See Father!" Cao Pi was confident that with these confessions, not only would the gentry that supported his third brother collapse, but some of the contents would be extremely detrimental to his third brother. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot and hand these letters and confessions to his father.  Hua Xin quickly advised: "Master, don't be anxious. Once the case breaks out, it will be tried by the Yushitai. We don't have anyone in the Yushitai, which is not good for us. It's better to transfer Yang Tian back first. He is the Yushitai Zhongcheng."  Now, we can take the initiative in this case." "It makes sense. I informed my father yesterday and it is said that my father has approved it. The transfer order will be issued this afternoon at the latest. We will just wait a few days."  , Cao Pi remembered something again and asked: "What should we do about Yang Xun? His unexpected disappearance for so many days will definitely arouse Yang Biao's vigilance. How should we deal with him?" Hua Xin smiled slightly and said: "Young master, don't worry, Yang Xun has already  I was conquered by torture from the bottom of my heart. As long as I tell him that the matter has calmed down, I believe he will not say anything." Cao Pi nodded, "If we can guarantee his silence, then let him go temporarily." Half an hour later, Yi.  A carriage full of spring buildings stopped at the side door of Yang Mansion. The carriage supported Yang Xun and slowly walked out of the car. Yang Xun's eyes were empty, and his former shrewdness was no longer visible in him, as if he was a walking corpse.  At this time, someone from behind shouted: "Brother, is that you?" Yang Xun slowly turned around and saw Yang Xiu walking forward quickly. A trace of panic suddenly flashed in his originally numb eyes. Yang Xiu stepped forward and asked  : "Where did you go last night? Why are you back now? Father is very worried about you." Yang Xiu glanced at the carriage again. He recognized it as Manchunlou's carriage and sighed in his heart. This brother of his is too addicted.  Yu Qinglou, but soon, Yang Xiu discovered something strange about Yang Xun. There were many bruises on his face and neck. It was obvious that he had been beaten. He was startled and asked quickly: "Brother, what are you doing?"  "Yes, who was beaten?" "No, no, I just fell down and will be fine after two days of rest." Yang Xun hurriedly walked into the side courtyard, not daring to face Yang Xiu.  Yang Xiu felt strange. He grabbed the coachman, pointed at Yang Xun's back and asked, "What happened to him? Who was he beaten by?" The coachman sighed and said, "Yang Shijun and a group of regular guests last night  During the fight for the Golden Oiran, Yang Shijun was violently beaten by a group of scoundrels in the middle of the night. The scoundrels had run away, and they didn't know who was behind it. Yang Shijun repeatedly told us not to talk about this matter. I have to leave first.  "The coachman broke away from Yang Xiu's hand and drove the carriage away. Yang Xiu was shaking with anger. He knew that Yang Xun had been addicted to the brothel and refused to listen to his father's repeated advice, but he did not expect that such a scandal would happen to him.  If word spreads about her fighting for a prostitute and being beaten up, the reputation of the Yang family will be ruined.  For a long while, Yang Xiu held back the resentment in his heart and thought about it again. He really couldn't tell his father about this matter. If he let his father know, he would be angry to death.  Yang Xiu didn¡¯t want to pay attention to this romantic and absurd clan brother, he turned around and walked towards the main entrance.  Yang Xun returned to his room, lay down, and ordered the two maids in the room to apply medicine to him. The two maids carefully applied the medicine all over his bruised body. The pain made Yang Xun tremble all over.  , he thought again of the unbearable night last night, the unbearable humiliation and heart-wrenching pain. Thinking of being beaten into submission in the end, Yang Xun couldn't help but shed tears of humiliation.  But he felt fear again in his heart. His confession and the letters that were taken away would be revealed later.?It was unimaginable, and the more he thought about it, the more scared he became, but he didn't have the courage to confess to the head of the family. He couldn't help but think of Hua Xin's words in his mind, "This matter ends here. Let's just pretend that nothing happened."  We will embarrass you again and everyone will remain silent. If you want to tell the truth, we can accompany you. You can think about the consequences yourself!  ' Although I don't know why Hua Xin stopped pursuing the matter, Yang Xun has a little hope in his heart. Maybe this matter is just like what Hua Xin said, and it will just go away. If so, he won't have to deal with it anymore.  speak out.  Thinking of this, Yang Xun sighed lowly, just think that he had a nightmare last night!  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  After Liu Jing's convoy entered Hanzhong, it entered Guanzhong from Chencang Road and traveled all the way to and from Dasanguan. After three days, it finally left Dashan Pass and entered Guanzhong. After another three days of walking, at noon that day, it was only ten miles away from Chang'an, which was far away.  The towering city walls of Chang'an can be seen in the distance.  At this time, Chang'an was still Han Chang'an, Daxing City had not yet been built, and the famous Chang'an of the Tang Dynasty was still in a desolate wilderness. Han Chang'an was built close to the Wei River. The city's circumference was more than thirty miles, and to the north of the city was the famous Weiyang Palace.  .  This capital city of the Han Dynasty was once glorious and experienced several ups and downs. It was gradually restored after Zhong Yao became Sili Xiaowei, and the city has returned to its normal defensive functions. The Weiyang Palace in the north was restored after Jia Xu's one-year patchwork work.  , Changle Palace and Jianzhang Palace were demolished and disappeared, and the area of ??the three palaces was reduced by half than before. However, a large amount of ready-made raw materials were obtained for the restoration of Weiyang Palace, and soon the outline of a complete palace was gradually revealed.  For Chang'an and Guanzhong, the most important thing at present is not to restore the city walls, but to restore the population. After the rebellion of Dong Zhuo and Li Ji in the late Han Dynasty, a large number of Guanzhong's population fled. Although it gradually recovered later, compared with its heyday,  There is still a huge gap. Liu Jing can only use the most generous tax policies to attract the population back. The key is to attract the population from Bingzhou, Hebei and the Central Plains.  For the people, light corvee and low taxes are always the most attractive. Guanzhong's generous tax policy attracted a large number of people to return. In just one year, the population of Guanzhong increased by tens of thousands of households, and the population of Chang'an also increased from more than 100,000 people.  It quickly recovered to nearly 200,000 people, most of whom were old residents of Chang'an. The once deserted Chang'an became lively again.  Liu Jing's team walked slowly along the official road. At this time, dust was flying in the distance. Zhao Yun, the governor of Guanlong, Zhang Ren, the deputy governor, Liu Hu, the commander-in-chief, and Tao Zheng, the prefect of Jingzhao, and other civil and military personnel.  The high-ranking officials rushed to greet the arrival of Liu Jing, the King of Han Dynasty. After a while, everyone came galloping and reined in their horses in front of Liu Jing. Zhao Yun stepped forward and clasped his fists and said, "I'm sorry to see you, Your Highness!" Everyone stepped forward and saluted, "See you, Your Highness!"  Liu Jing waved her hands with a smile, "Excuse me, everyone, we have worked hard this year." Everyone looked at each other and smiled: "There has been no war this year, so it cannot be said to be hard work." "Although there has been no war, we still need to train.  Soldiers, suppressing bandits and maintaining order, there are many things to do. Military Master Jia told me that it is not easy for everyone. This time I am here to take a look at the results of your training in the past year. "At this time, Zhao Yun stepped forward and said: "  Your Majesty, please lead me into the city." Liu Jing nodded and turned to the generals Wang Ping and Wu Ban: "You can arrange for the army to rest outside the city, so there is no need to enter the city."  Next to him, Zhang Ren quickly led two people to garrison the camp. Liu Jing led a carriage team, protected by a thousand cavalry guards, toward the city in a mighty manner.  Zhao Yun followed Liu Jing on horseback and asked in a low voice: "I have read your highness's letter. Your highness is going to prepare to use troops against the miscreants in the pass. I don't know when you are going to do it?" Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Don't worry, let's build up our momentum first.  Be fully prepared for war, and then attack with force. If the attack with force is ineffective, then attack with thunder. "Zhao Yun sighed: "Although I have been recuperating my strength this year, it has also suppressed everyone. Seeing the rampant chaos in the pass, they all want to send troops immediately.  Attack." Liu Jing nodded, "I understand everyone's eagerness, but these bastards are not weak, and the cavalry is particularly sharp. We must make full use of the Han army's advanced weapons to attack them. I came to Guanzhong this time to inspect.  " Craftsmanship." At this point, Liu Jing looked back and asked, "Why isn't Ma Xiaowei there? " Ma Jun is the Jiangxia Craftsmanship School. Starting from the autumn of the previous year, Jiangxia Craftsmanship was officially divided into military craftsmen and civilian craftsmen.  Of the two major departments, the civilian craftsmanship academy still remains in Xiakou, while the military craftsmanship academy moved to Chang'an last year and was renamed the Ordnance Institute. It is responsible for the development and improvement of various weapons and ordnance. There are more than 2,000 master craftsmen and students.  Zhao Yun said quickly: "Captain Ma went to Yong County to inspect the city's defense. He will be back in the next two days." As he said that, the convoy entered Chang'an City. As soon as it entered the city gate, the noisy and lively atmosphere hit us.  cityThere are densely packed shops on both sides of the door, varying in height and height. There are three-story taverns with painted eaves, as well as dilapidated bungalow shops. The streets are wide, more than twenty feet long, and the ground is paved with smooth paving.  The stone slabs are clean and tidy, and there is no pungent smell of horse manure in the air.  Liu Jing nodded secretly. He could see that this was not temporary cleaning. This should be attributed to Tao Zheng. He did a good job in keeping the city clean. He was able to cultivate people's awareness of cleanliness and consciously maintain the cleanliness of the city, which is very important for preventing the spread of epidemics.  Very effective.  Another obvious difference from Chengdu is that there are many majestic buildings in the city, and you can see Douban and cornices everywhere. It is worthy of being the central capital of the Han Dynasty. The whole city is filled with a graceful and imperial atmosphere.  But regarding the cleanliness of the city, Liu Jing was more concerned about the people. Due to his arrival, the army had already implemented controls. All pedestrians were standing on both sides of the street. There were more and more people. People kept coming from all directions after hearing the news. The streets  Both sides were already crowded with people who came to welcome the King of Han. There were nearly 100,000 people, and the sea of ????people stretched for ten miles. Tens of thousands of soldiers stood in a row in front of the crowd, holding hands to prevent the crowd from getting out of control.  The people in Chang'an that Liu Jing saw were indeed not as well dressed as those in Chengdu. Most of them wore cloth robes with dark tones. There were obviously far fewer people wearing silk gowns than in Chengdu, but they were full of energy, excited, and their eyes were full of joy.  Hope for future life.  As Liu Jing waved to passers-by on both sides, thousands of people on both sides suddenly cheered, "Long live, long live the King of Han!" The cheers resounded through the sky.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 805 Inspection of Chang'an

    The initial plan of Chang'an officials was for the King of Han and his family to live directly in the newly renovated Weiyang Palace, but this was opposed by Liu Jing, "The people's land is not under control, the people's hearts are not restored, and luxury is not the way to prosper a country." This is  This is the reason for Liu Jing's objection.  As a result, Chang'an officials changed their plan and temporarily closed Weiyang Palace and allowed the King of Han and his family to move into Xiyuan Palace. This was the temporary palace used by Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong when he inspected Chang'an. It was a palace in name, but in fact it was a palace covering an area of ??100 acres.  The mansion is far from comparable to the Weiyang Palace, which covers an area of ??thousands of acres, but it is also exquisite and elegant, with long painted pavilions and corridors, clear springs forming a lake, and weeping willows on the lakeside. It has a unique artistic conception.  The princess and other family members were busy moving into their new home, but Liu Jing went directly to the military camp outside Beicheng to inspect and express condolences to the soldiers. The Han army had 100,000 troops stationed in the Guanzhong area, and another 50,000 in Longxi, Hehuang and Hexi areas.  People, there are 150,000 troops in the entire Guanlong area, of which 80,000 troops are directly stationed around Chang'an. They are mainly stationed in three places, namely the famous three military camps of Bashang, Jimen and Xiliu. Due to their important geographical location,  It is still used today.  Liu Jing inspected the military camp, which is the direct garrison camp of Chang'an. It is located in the former site of Changle Palace outside the North City. There are 20,000 soldiers. They are mainly responsible for the defense of Chang'an and the maintenance of order in Chang'an. The military camp occupies a large area. After the Changle Palace was demolished, what remained  The flat foundation is perfect for garrisoning troops.  Accompanied by Zhao Yun and Zhang Ren, Liu Jing climbed onto the magnificent West Tower. The West Tower of Changle Palace and the East Tower of Weiyang Palace echoed each other, forming a spectacular double tower landscape. Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty,  It is to climb up to the west tower to overlook the world and ennoble the princes and kings.  However, at this time, the West Tower was changed into a military parade platform. You can overlook the military camp covering an area of ??thousands of acres. Of course, you can also see the majestic Weiyang Palace to the west. Liu Jing came to the railing, held it and looked into the distance.  Everywhere is the surging Wei River, rushing eastward. Looking out from the railing makes you open-minded.  Under the platform was a dense military camp, and soldiers could be seen lining up in the open space for training. Liu Jing turned back to Zhao Yun and Zhang Ren and asked with a smile: "Why don't you see the cavalry training?" Zhang Ren stepped forward and said: "Return to your highness, this way  There are 20,000 Chang'an garrison and 3,000 cavalry. However, the cavalry has gone to the Xihai Naval Camp for training. They will train for half a year and will not be able to return until two months later. "It is Liu Jing's national policy to go to the Xihai Plateau for training. Almost every soldier must do it."  Going to the Western Navy Camp for half a year of rotation training has a significant effect on improving the physical strength of the soldiers, which plays a decisive role in improving the combat effectiveness of the southern soldiers who are weak in strength and physique.  Liu Jing nodded. He took a panoramic view of the entire military camp, then walked down the platform and came to the soldiers' barracks. A group of people walked into a large tent. Several soldiers who had just finished training were resting in the tent. Suddenly they saw someone leaving.  Entering a large group of people, they were so frightened that they all stood up.  Zhao Yun smiled and said: "This is His Royal Highness the King of Han coming to visit you." The soldiers quickly stepped forward to salute. Liu Jing waved her hands and smiled and said: "You're welcome, please sit down and talk." He sat down, and three soldiers sat on him timidly.  On the opposite side, at this time, several more soldiers from the camp quietly came in and surrounded both sides. Liu Jing turned around and smiled at the soldiers: "Everyone, please sit down! Just be casual." The soldiers sat on the ground one after another, and Liu Jing asked the three of them with a smile  The soldier asked: "What are your names and where are you from?" "Your Majesty, I am Yang Qing, a native of Hejian County." "Luo Xiaoliu, a native of Hanzhong." "Qianchuan, a native of Longxi." Liu Jing  He smiled and asked a black soldier: "You are actually from Hejian County. How come you are here? Are you the soldier who was captured?"  I joined the army. I heard that the taxes in Guanzhong were very low, so my family of seven came to Guanzhong from Hejian County to make a living. I was the third in the family. In order to get an extra 20 acres of military land, my parents let me join the army. " Soldier's Frankness  Everyone laughed, Liu Jing nodded, and asked with a smile: "Then where is your family now? How much land do you have?" "Bizhi's family was resettled in Lantian County. The family of seven members cultivated 120 acres.  There are two bullocks on the land. "Does the land belong to you?" Liu Jing asked again.  "Reporting to Your Highness, seventy acres are productive land and belong to me, and twenty acres are military land. As long as you serve in the army for five years, the military land will belong to you. The other thirty acres are rented official land. As long as you continue to cultivate it,  If you don't let go, you can get tax exemption within five years." Liu Jing turned around and asked the more than 20 soldiers: "How many of you are in the same situation as him?" A dozen of the soldiers raised their hands.  Zhao Yun said from the side: "Most of the garrison soldiers are new soldiers, more than 70% of them are from the north, and the majority of them are from Hebei. According to statistics from Weichen, there are more than 8,300 soldiers from Hebei." Liu Jing.Some curious soldiers asked Heizhuang: "Why do you have so many soldiers from Hebei?" The soldier sighed and said: "Most people in Hebei miss Yuan Benchu. After Cao Cao unified Hebei, he imposed heavy taxes on the counties in Hebei. In addition,  A large number of strong men were forcibly captured to join the army. We Hebei people have always hated Cao Cao. Two of my clan brothers died in the Battle of Chibi. My eldest brother was also captured in the Battle of Chibi. Later, His Highness the King of Han released him back.  Our whole family is very grateful. This time, some fellow villagers said that Guanzhong was recruiting people, so my parents immediately decided to lead the whole family to move to Guanzhong to repay His Majesty's kindness in releasing my eldest brother. " Liu Jing was also impressed by the soldier's account.  Unexpectedly, one of my decisions back then would be remembered by so many people to this day. It can be seen that people have a weighing scale in their hearts. They know what is right and what is wrong.  At this time, a guard squeezed into the tent and said in Liu Jing's ear: "Captain Ma is here. Waiting outside the tent." Liu Jing nodded, stood up and said with a smile, "I won't disturb everyone's rest. Let's work hard."  Training, please remember my words, one more drop of sweat in peacetime, one drop of blood in wartime." Everyone bowed and saluted, "obey the order!" Liu Jing walked out of the tent, and Ma Jun was waiting outside the tent.  He stepped forward and saluted: "See your highness!" "When did Captain Ma come back?" "Reporting to Your Highness, Wei Chen has just come back. Please follow Wei Chen to the Ordnance Institute for inspection." "Thank you for your hard work, Captain Ma, we will do it now.  Let's go!" Liu Jing then said goodbye to Zhao Yun and others, and led the guards and Ma Jun out of the gate of the military camp. The Ordnance Institute is located in the west of the city. It is a wilderness covering an area of ??nearly a thousand acres. It is surrounded by camp fences and has a small river running through it in the northeast corner.  It flows through and flows into the Wei River. The building part of the Ordnance Academy covers an area of ??about 100 acres and is composed of dozens of large and small houses and courtyards. Currently, there are more than 2,000 ordnance craftsmen and apprentices, divided into crossbows, shields and armors.  , swords and spears, firearms, warships, etc. ten branches.  In Liu Jing¡¯s plan to attack Hu cavalry, various new weapons against Hu cavalry will play a decisive role, among which long-range attack crossbows are the main ones.  In fact, in recent years, the Han army has equipped Cao Cao's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry with many new weapons, such as the kerosene missiles used when attacking Shangfang Valley, which have a range of 500 steps, and the improved Rhubarb Crossbow, which originally required four or five  After the ten-stone big yellow crossbow that can only be operated by a human was reduced to a seven-stone one, the weight was reduced by half, and two soldiers could operate it. Currently, two thousand units have been produced, with a killing range of 300 steps, and the arrows can penetrate armor.  The reason why Liu Jing rushed to the Ordnance Academy was because he heard the news that Ma Jun led his apprentice to develop a continuous-fire bee crossbow, which was extremely lethal. This aroused Liu Jing's great interest, even including this time.  The rush to come to Chang'an was also due to this factor.  Liu Jing and his party followed Ma Jun into the Ordnance Institute. Ma Jun smiled and said: "Your Highness, do you want to visit the Ordnance Institute first, or go see the new bee crossbow first?" Liu Jing said with a smile, "Let's talk about it after visiting the ordnance institute! Bee Crossbow  "I've been looking forward to it for a long time." "In that case, please come with me, Your Highness." Everyone entered the Nugong Branch Courtyard, which is a three-entry courtyard. The front yard is a lecture hall, which can accommodate up to five rooms.  Five hundred people listened to the lecture at the same time. The middle courtyard was a place for studying new crossbows. It consisted of more than twenty houses. The backyard was a crossbow testing ground. It was an open space covering an area of ??about ten acres. There were a total of master craftsmen and apprentices.  More than three hundred people.  The reason why Ma Jun called it the new bee crossbow was because as early as the 10th year of Jian'an, they invented the water bee crossbow at Jiangxia Craftsman School. They modified it with a large yellow crossbow and installed it on a small boat. It could shoot at enemy ships at close range, but  The new bee crossbow invented this time is completely different.  In a showroom, Liu Jing saw the new bee crossbow that Ma Jun highly recommended. It was indeed completely different from the previous water bee crossbow. What Liu Jing saw was a square cabinet that looked like a wooden cow, but it had  With four wheels, Liu Jing patted the cabinet and smiled: "What is this, a four-wheeled wooden cow?" Ma Jun smiled mysteriously and pulled a mechanism behind the cabinet. The cabinet slowly opened, and Ma Jun's two  The apprentice quickly opened the cabinet board, and a crossbow rack appeared in front of him. The vertical axis was about six feet long and the horizontal axis was four feet long. They were all made of hard and fine walnut wood.  An iron box about two feet long is attached to the keel of the crossbow frame. The iron box is made of fine iron and is ground very smooth. There are dense holes in the front end, as many as thirty holes. Each  An arrow was placed in the small hole. There was a tendon string at each end of the iron box, and the other end was fixed on the horizontal axis of the crossbow frame.  Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Isn¡¯t this just an amplification of the defensive crossbow on the wooden ox?  Ma Jun understood Liu Jing's smile and explained: "This kind of bee crossbow is actually a type of repeating crossbow. The wooden ox repeating crossbow has the same idea as it, but the range of the wooden ox repeating crossbow is very short, only fifty steps, and this kind of bee crossbow  The range of the crossbow is three hundred steps, which can be??Continuous firing is far more powerful than the wooden ox repeating crossbow.  " Ma Jun took out a crossbow arrow and handed it to Liu Jing, "Actually, the most difficult part in developing it is this arrow. Your Highness, please take a look.  Liu Jing took the heavy crossbow arrow and discovered that it was an iron arrow, about one foot long. The arrow weighed at least ten taels. He frowned and asked, "How could it be an iron arrow?"  ¡± Ma Jun speaks very slowly, but his articulation is very clear, and he can also speak longer words. If it were the first time I met him, I would never have imagined that he was a severe stutterer a few years ago. Ma Jun used great perseverance that is unimaginable to ordinary people.  , and gradually overcame the stubborn illness that had troubled him since he was a child. ¡°The arrows have many feathers and are well balanced, but they fly slowly. The crossbow arrows have few feathers, but have poor stability and are prone to somersaults in the air. Our iron crossbow arrows have none.  Feathers, the presence of feathers will seriously affect the launch. At first we used wooden arrows, but they were always unsuccessful. Later we found out that they were too light and were greatly affected by the wind, so we changed to iron arrows, which greatly increased the stability.  No longer blown by the wind.  " "Can the balance problem be solved by using the iron arrow?  "Liu Jing asked again. "We only solved the left and right swing, but the front and back rolling problem also cost us a lot of effort.  " Ma Jun took an iron arrow, placed it between his fingers, and said to Liu Jing, "Your Highness, please take a closer look at the appearance of this iron arrow.  Liu Jing stepped forward to take a closer look. Although the entire crossbow arrow looked very symmetrical at first glance, if you look closely, you will find that the front end is slightly thicker and the arrow tip is spindle-shaped. He nodded and said: "The front is heavier and the back is lighter!"  "Yes, the key is here. Dozens of crossbow arrows are shot from an elevation angle. After flying out of an arc, it will turn head down, using the weight of the iron arrow itself to stab downwards rapidly. The power is amazing. We  After many experiments, it can penetrate two layers of leather armor from a distance of 300 steps.  "Liu Jing couldn't hold back her inner expectations and smiled: "I want to see his power with my own eyes.  " "Yes, please, Your Highness!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 806 The New Official of Yushitai

    Ma Jun asked his disciples to launch five bee crossbows. Due to the long range, they could not test it in the backyard, so everyone went to the wilderness to the northwest. There were already dozens of disciples planting more than a hundred armored crossbows three hundred meters away.  The straw men and horses in leather armor hold shields in their hands, imitating the cavalry that is attacking rapidly, which is quite imposing.  Surrounded by disciples who came to observe the experiment, Liu Jing nodded, "Let's begin!" Ma Jun waved the green flag, and fifteen disciples ran out. Three of them controlled a bee crossbow, two of whom cocked the string and one loaded it.  The biggest feature of this kind of bee crossbow is continuous firing, which is also a creative invention.  The so-called continuous firing means that there is no need to temporarily install crossbow arrows, but to use an arrow box that has been filled with crossbow arrows in advance. A bee crossbow is equipped with ten arrow boxes, a total of three hundred iron crossbow arrows. During combat, thirty arrow boxes will be used directly.  Insert the crossbow arrow box into the firing iron basket and buckle it. After shooting one round, take out the empty box and replace it with another arrow box. This way, you can continuously shoot the most crossbow arrows in the shortest time. No accuracy is required.  Just mass destruction is required.  The winches on both sides are the easiest to wind the cross-winch. It requires two strong soldiers to pull it at the same time and cooperate tacitly. Moreover, there is no conflict between winding up and loading the arrow box. Each performs its own duties. Only a creaking sound of winding up is heard. Ma Jun  Waving the red flag, there was only a clicking sound, five bee crossbows were fired at the same time, and one hundred and fifty iron crossbow bolts were like a swarm of locusts, densely attacking the straw men and horses 300 steps away.  "Come again!" Ma Jun shouted and waved the green flag. The disciples moved skillfully and quickly, winding up the string, loading the arrow box, and launching it, almost in one go. Another rain of arrows was shot out, five rounds in a row. Liu Jing secretly planned in his heart, the cavalry  At this time, he was already thirty steps away, and he shouted: "Stop!" The bee crossbow stopped shooting. Liu Jing led several guards on horseback and galloped up, arriving in front of more than a hundred Caohu horses.  The Hu cavalrymen had been shot to pieces. Their bodies, horses and shields were all covered with iron crossbow bolts. This kind of iron crossbow bolts was really powerful. All the leather armor and shields were shot through. Liu Jing couldn't help but  He nodded, he was very satisfied with the result.  At this time, a guard handed a shield to Liu Jing and said: "Your Highness, this shield is a bit strange." Liu Jing took the shield and looked at it. The shield was very thin. It was made of two ordinary wooden boards. It was similar to that of the Qiang people.  The same as the shield, it is the oldest kind of shield. It is far different from the compound shield of the Han army and cannot withstand the impact of iron crossbows at all.  Ma Jun stepped forward and said with a smile: "The Huns don't use shields. They mainly use double-layer leather armor, and their horses are also armored. Putting a shield here is just to make the experiment more difficult." But Liu Jing was not thinking of the Huns' shield. He considered  Cao Jun, he took a shield from the Han army. This was also a compound shield developed by the Craftsman School three years ago. Cao Jun also copied it and made it in large quantities. The shields of the Han and Cao armies were exactly the same.  This kind of compound shield is made of strong hardwood as the base, covered with rawhide, and repeatedly wrapped with oil-soaked cloth, then soaked in oil and dried in the sun. It takes half a year to make a shield, and arrows are generally very long.  Difficult to penetrate.  Liu Jing frowned and asked Ma Jun, who was coming forward, "What would happen if the shield was replaced by the Han army or Cao army?" Ma Jun shook his head, "The casualties will be greatly reduced." Ma Jun could see Liu Jing's heart.  Somewhat displeased, he quickly explained: "Your Highness, it is not easy to have a killing range of three hundred steps. Even a strong crossbow can hardly penetrate the steel at the end of a hundred and fifty steps. The bee crossbow uses iron crossbow arrows, which to a large extent  It uses its own weight to break through. Besides, we developed it for the cavalry. It can penetrate two layers of leather armor. Moreover, the cavalry does not use shields, so your highness does not have to worry about it. " Liu Jing gave a helpless smile.  Said: "Okay! Large-scale manufacturing can be carried out. How long will it take to build two thousand units?" "Reporting to Your Highness, we have the strong strength to build wooden oxen. It only takes four months to build two thousand units." Liu Jing nodded.  , "That's it. Ma Xiaowei, please submit your application to Pingzhang Tai as soon as possible. I will let them give special approval and start manufacturing as soon as possible." "Wei Chen obeys your order!" Liu Jing picked up another crossbow arrow and smiled:  "I'm very interested in this kind of iron crossbow. I ask Lieutenant Ma to think about how we can penetrate Cao Jun's compound shield. We can also brainstorm ideas in the Ordnance Academy. I will give a heavy reward to the first person to come up with an effective plan.  He has three hundred taels of gold." Ma Jun looked back at the surrounding apprentices, nodded and said, "Your Highness is right. Using heavy rewards to encourage innovation is also a good way. I will make the reward plan public in the Ordnance Academy."  Liu Jing patted Ma Jun on the shoulder and walked back quickly. He got on his horse and said to Ma Jun from a distance: "Looking forward to the good news from Lieutenant Ma!" He turned the horse's head and rode under the protection of hundreds of guards.  To the Ordnance Institute?He ran away quickly, and soon ran out of the gate. Ma Jun looked at the iron crossbow in his hand again, and couldn't help but fell into deep thought. A carriage was driving slowly on Yedu Street, followed by more than a dozen people on both sides.  The cavalry escorted the carriage, and pedestrians on both sides paid their attention to the carriage. There was a triangular white flag on the carriage, and the three black characters "yushitai" were written on it. These three characters represented great authority.  An official car came from the opposite direction and met each other on the crowded street. The official car from the opposite side immediately avoided and gave way to the Yushitai's carriage. Inside the carriage, Yang Tian leaned against the wall of the car and looked through the curtain.  Looking at the carriage opposite, it was the carriage of Honglu Temple. He was afraid of his authority and took the initiative to avoid it. This made Yang Tian very proud. He liked this feeling of being respected very much, and Yang Tian transferred him back to Yedu to serve as the emperor.  Shi Zhongcheng has been there for three days, and he still feels like he is in a dream. Two months ago, he was a small person exchanging fake gold in Chengdu Nan City. In the blink of an eye, he became a high-ranking official of the Wei State, holding the power of supervision. His life encounters are wonderful.  Nothing more than this.  But Yang Tian also knows that the pie will not fall from the sky for nothing. The turning point of his fate was one morning two months ago, when he met a special guest, Liu Jing, the King of Han. It was the appearance of Liu Jing, the King of Han.  , completely changed his destiny.  At this time, he was like a kite flying in the sky. No matter how beautiful he was, the thread that held his fate was still in the hands of the King of Han. This made Yang Tian feel helpless. His ears seemed to still be echoing with the memories of when he passed through Guanzhong.  Liu Jing taught him, "You can feel at ease and become an official in Wei State. I will make you a high-ranking official in Wei State. I will not expose you and let you go up step by step. But you can't forget your roots. If one day you forget yourself."  If you know your true identity, you will fall from the clouds into the eighteenth level of hell.' Yang Tian sighed lowly. He knew that he would become the highest-level spy placed by the Han State in the Wei State. Although he was unwilling, he could not help himself.  , at this time the carriage slowly stopped, and a soldier said: "Yang Zhongcheng, we have arrived at the eldest son's residence." Yang Tian looked around and found that he had indeed arrived at Cao Pi's residence. He got off the carriage and walked quickly towards the gate.  , a guard came forward and said: "Young master is waiting for Zhongcheng, please come with me!" Yang Tian nodded and followed the guard to the mansion. He had only met Cao Pi the day before yesterday, and today Cao Pi had something important to see him.  He couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, and walked all the way to Cao Pi's study. Cao Pi should be in the official room of Ye Palace at this time, but today he received him in his own house. Yang Tian realized that he must have something private to ask him about.  All the way to the outer study room, the guard announced at the door, "Master Qi, Yang Zhongcheng is here." "Please come in!" Cao Pi's voice came from the room. He seemed to be in a good mood. Yang Tian quickly tidied up his clothes and walked quickly.  Entering the room, Cao Pi was sitting behind the desk reviewing memorials. Yang Tian quickly stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "I am here to see you, Prime Minister!" Cao Pi put down his pen and said with a smile, "No courtesy!" "Thank you, Prime Minister."  Yang Tian sat up straight and looked at Cao Pi uneasily. Cao Pi felt his nervousness and asked with a smile: "Are you familiar with Yushitai in the past few days?" "Thank you, Prime Minister, for your concern. I am already familiar with it."  Cao Pi nodded, "Yang Zhongcheng was originally in charge of local supervision, but now the real power of local supervision is in the hands of my third brother, and you can't get in, so I reported to Wei Gong and transferred you to the supervisory position, but you have to  Understand, this is still a false position, the real power is not in your hands." Yang Tianmoran, he knew what Cao Pi meant, the real power to supervise the officials was in the hands of Wei Gong, so he bypassed the Yushitai and established the school affairs.  Hundreds of school officials are used to supervise the capital, including civil and military officials. The Yushitai has only nominal supervision power.  Cao Pi smiled and said: "Although the real power is in the hands of Wei Gong, it does not mean that you, the Censor Zhongcheng, are just a decoration. In fact, you can also exercise the power of supervision. These are two different supervisory agencies. The Censor's Office is in the Ming Dynasty.  , the school affairs are in secret, you can supervise and impeach openly, but the school affairs can only report to Wei Gong secretly, especially you are recommended to Wei Gong by me. To a certain extent, Wei Gong will appropriately delegate power to Yushitai,  Do you understand?" "Wei Chen understands that this is the Prime Minister's love for Wei Chen." Cao Pi was very satisfied with Yang Tian's title. He took out a thick stack of files and handed them to Yang Tian, ??"This is more than ten days.  A major case discovered recently involved Yang Biao and Cui Lin's affair with the Han Dynasty. However, I had to impeach through the Yushitai. But we had no one at the Yushitai at the time, so we could only wait for you to come. Now the conditions have been met  Mature, this can be considered the first major case you have handled!" Yang Tian was shocked. He remembered what Liu Jing said, "After you return to Beijing, Cao Pi will have a major case handed over to you soon.  Do your best'.  It turned out that Liu Jing¡¯s words were related to this matter. It seemed that Cao Pi and Liu Jing had a tacit understanding for a long time. He took the file and turned it over at will.He turned around and was even more frightened. Sure enough, it was Yang Xun's secret visit to Chengdu. The crime was finally revealed. He felt a little embarrassed. After all, he was also the Yang family of Hongnong. How could he explain to the family that he was dealing with the head of the family like this?  Cao Pi looked at him and saw the embarrassment in Yang Tian's eyes, so he asked coldly: "Aren't you willing to take over this case?" Yang Tian was so frightened that he trembled all over and said quickly: "I don't dare!" "  In this case, just do it well! I believe that Guild Wei appreciates your righteous act of killing your relatives. This is the first step for you to become prosperous. It depends on whether you can seize this opportunity. " Yang Tian sighed secretly. At this point, he  There was no choice anymore. He was heartbroken and kowtowed: "I will do my best." Cao Pi showed a smile on his face, nodded and said: "Go! Break through from Yang Xun, he has been taken care of.  Yes, he will cooperate with you, don't let me down." "Wei Chen obeys!" Yang Tian stood up and left Cao Pi's study. When he walked to the yard, a cold wind blew, and he realized that his back was already soaked.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 807 Shocking Case

    Cao Cao was in a really bad mood today. Cheng Yu brought him bad news. The Han Army Ordnance Institute in Chang'an developed a new type of weapon called the Bee Crossbow. It has an effective range of three hundred steps and is powerful against cavalry.  Its lethality posed a huge threat to his tiger and leopard cavalry.  What made Cao Cao angry was not that the Han army invented any new weapons. The Han army had new weapons emerging one after another, and he had long been accustomed to it. The key was that they themselves were not up to par. They had imitated the Han army in establishing craftsmanship a few years ago, but they failed to imitate the Han army.  The army produced a large number of advanced weapons.  Cao Cao snorted loudly and said to the guards on the left and right: "Go and find me the eldest son!" Cao Pi was in charge of the craftsmanship in Wei State. Cao Cao was furious and wanted to ask his eldest son for an explanation. The guards agreed.  He quickly ran away.  At this time, Cheng Yu advised from the side: "Wei Gong, please calm down, this matter is actually not that simple." "Zhongde, please continue talking, I listen!" Cao Cao restrained his anger and sat down slowly.  Currently, Cheng Yu is Cao Cao's number one adviser and his most trusted confidant. Cao Cao's elite espionage agency, the School Affairs, is in the hands of Cheng Yu. In order to understand the development of new weapons by Han military craftsmen, Cheng Yu specially visited the Han Dynasty.  Among the many students of the Military Craftsmanship School, two spies were placed.  Although they did not have access to core secrets, they were able to learn about the development of some major weapons, such as the test of the bee crossbow, which had to be conducted in the wilderness so that many disciples could watch, including the spies deployed by Cheng Yu.  Cheng Yu smiled and said: "The bee crossbow developed by the Han army is actually not to deal with us, but to deal with Guanlong Zahu. This is directly related to the Han army's upcoming campaign to conquer Zahu, and it will affect us.  Not big." Cao Cao nodded. He later saw the real reason why Liu Jing stopped the Hefei campaign, which was that the Han army was about to launch a war against the miscellaneous people in the pass, so as to relieve the worries of the Han Dynasty in moving its capital to Chang'an. At this time, bees appeared.  The new weapon crossbow was obviously aimed at miscellaneous cavalry, a reason Cao Cao agreed with.  He pondered for a moment and asked: "It's true that the bee crossbow appeared to target Hu Qi, but why did Zhongde say it would have little impact on us?" Cheng Yu smiled slightly, "Because after testing the bee crossbow, Liu Jing issued it at the Ordnance Academy  A public reward was offered to anyone who could come up with an effective plan to break through Cao Jun's shield. Three hundred taels of gold were rewarded. It can be seen that the bee crossbow can penetrate the barbarian's simple shield, but it cannot penetrate Cao Jun's compound shield, so there is this reward.  "Zhongde means that our shield can defend against the Han army's bee crossbow?" "That should be the case!" Cheng Yu took out a sketch of the bee crossbow and put it on the table: "The key is its range.  There are 300 steps. Any bow and crossbow will be at the end of its range when it reaches this range, and the bee crossbow is no exception. However, in order to create lethality beyond 300 steps, the Han army's bee crossbow used iron crossbow arrows, making use of the falling weight of the iron arrows themselves.  , this is the key point of the bee crossbow. It must be fired at an elevated angle. Zahu's leather armor and wooden shield cannot resist this falling impact, but our shield can withstand it, so although the spear is sharp, the shield must be strong.  , As long as we strengthen the shield defense, the bee crossbow will not be a threat to us." Cao Cao stared at this sketch and said for a long time: "In fact, we can also imitate the bee crossbow and treat others in their own way.  Let the Han army also have a taste of the bee crossbow. Cheng Yu smiled bitterly and said: "This bee crossbow looks very simple from the outside. In fact, it is not that easy to shoot the crossbow arrow perfectly without the crossbow arrow drifting and rolling.  , this eyewitness¡¯s sketch alone cannot imitate the bee crossbow, unless we can get a real bee crossbow and conduct detailed disassembly and research.¡± Cao Cao took a few steps with his hands behind his hands, and turned around and said, ¡°Liu Jing is not going to do it.  Should we use it to deal with Hu Qi? As long as it goes into war, we will definitely be able to get the bee crossbow, but I hope to be prepared in advance so that once we get the bee crossbow, we can immediately start a large-scale imitation." At this time, the guard reported.  Report: "Notice Wei Gong, the eldest son is here." Cao Cao was startled, how could he come so quickly?  He immediately said: "Invite him in!" After a moment, Cao Pi hurriedly walked in, knelt down and saluted: "My son, pay homage to my father." "Pier, are you coming to see me?" "Yes! My son has a very important document.  , I want to give it to my father for review." With that said, Cao Pi stepped forward and handed over a memorial. Cao Cao took it and glanced quickly. It was Yushitai who impeached Taiwei Yang Biao and Sikong Cuilin. He put it aside first and asked Cao Pi.  Said: "My father came to you to ask about the craftsmanship school. Why can't our craftsmanship school continue to launch important new weapons like the Han military craftsmanship school? I allocate so much money and food every year, but what are they doing all day long?  What to do?" At the end of the sentence, Cao Cao's tone became obviously dissatisfied, and Cao Pi quickly said: "Please calm down, father, we craftsmen?It was only established three years ago, while the Han Military Craftsmanship School has been in existence for nearly ten years. In terms of technology accumulation, we are far inferior to each other. New weapons can only be created through continuous accumulation, but our advantage lies in the practice of craftsmen.  He is very experienced and good at imitating, such as horse gear, impeller pedal boats, giant trebuchets, improved rhubarb crossbows, compound shields, double-layer fish scale armor, and the latest wooden ox, etc. It can be said that in addition to heavy armored infantry  Except for the swords and armors, we have copied most of the other weapons and armors.  " Next to him, Cheng Yu also advised: "Wei Gong, I have to say something fair. It is not easy for the Craftsman School, which has only been established for three years, to achieve this. Wei Gong should not be too demanding of the eldest son.  " Cao Cao also felt that his requirements were too strict. He calmed down his anger and said to Cao Pi: "I recently heard news that Han military craftsmen have invented a new type of bee crossbow, which is extremely powerful, but our compound shield can defend against it.  I hope that the craftsmen of the Wei State can develop a large shield that is convenient for cavalry to use. It must be larger, lighter, and stronger. If you pass on the order, whoever develops the best shield first will be rewarded with five hundred taels of gold.  " "My child obeys your orders!  "Cao Cao put down the bee crossbow matter, and then he picked up the impeachment memorial from Yushitai. He was actually very interested. It was actually about impeaching Yang Biao and Cui Lin. Cao Pi stood aside and secretly watched the change in his father's face. It stands to reason that  , he should not personally give this memorial to his father, but Hua Xin reminded him that the memorial from the Yushitai would go to Dong Zhao first. If Dong Zhao withheld it on a false pretext, Cao Zhi might be notified to prepare it in advance, and the final effect would be  It would be greatly discounted, and since Yang Tian was one of his own, his father would also know that his impeachment was related to him, so there was nothing wrong with sending it directly. Cao Pi noticed that his father's face began to change, and there was a cloud on his face, so he took a sneak peek.  The letter in his father's hand should be Cui Yan's letter to Yang Xun. Cao Pi remembered that it said, "Whenever things change, there will be changes." This "change" refers to the changes after Cao Zhi ascended the throne.  He read down one letter after another, his face becoming more and more gloomy. Finally he saw the letter written by Cao Zhi to Yang Biao. The content in the letter made him furious. He could no longer restrain the resentment in his heart.  The table shouted: "Go and find Cao Zhi!  The guards rushed away, and Cao Pi said cautiously: "Father, Yang Tian, ??the chief censor, is waiting outside. Do you want to summon him too?"  " Cao Cao snorted heavily, "Also tell him to come to see me!  " At this time, Cheng Yu, who was standing aside, sighed secretly. Although he didn't know the content of the letter Cao Cao read, he could tell that it must be a heavy blow from Cao Pi to Cao Zhi. The evidence seemed conclusive.  No wonder Wei Gong was so angry. It seemed that the brotherly dispute was about to become intense. Cheng Yu was once a staunch supporter of Cao Pi, but as his relationship with Cao Pi deepened, he gradually discovered Cao Pi's character flaws, which were dark and cold.  , was ambitious and bent on taking over the Han Dynasty and replacing him. If he came to power, the Han Dynasty would inevitably perish in his hands. Cheng Yu was unwilling to bear this historical responsibility, so he broke away from Cao Pi and remained neutral. He neither supported Cao Pi nor supported Cao Pi.  But at the same time, Cheng Yu did not want to see Wei fall into internal strife due to the dispute between their brothers, so Cheng Yu gently advised Cao Cao: "Wei Gong is old and it is not appropriate to be angry. After asking for the facts, he will deal with it in accordance with the law.  That¡¯s it.  "Cao Cao slowly sat down again and controlled his emotions. After all, he was a powerful man who held the most power in the world. He knew how to grasp the balance between reason and anger. He also realized that this was a struggle between his two sons.  , Don't lose your mind at this time, Cao Cao nodded gratefully to Cheng Yu, and finally calmed down. At this time, the guards led Yang Tian, ??the censor Zhongcheng, into the inner hall quickly. Cao Pi gave him a wink, and Yang Tian understood and stepped forward.  He knelt down and saluted, "Wei Chen Yushi Zhongcheng Yang Tian, ??pays homage to Wei Gong!  " Cao Cao quickly glanced at Cao Pi, and he suddenly realized that this impeachment document should have been handed over to him by Dong Zhao, the imperial censor. Now he actually bypassed Dong Zhao and presented it to him directly from the censor Zhongcheng, or through the eldest son.  This was obviously the eldest son's revenge for the nobles' defection to the third son Cao Zhi. Cao Cao was not angry, but asked Yang Tian calmly: "How did you find out that Yang Biao was having an affair with Liu Jing?  " Yang Tian kowtowed and said: "Reporting to Wei Gong, a month ago, when Dr. Dong was on his mission to Chengdu, Yang Xun suddenly came to Chengdu to find Wei Chen. He asked me for help, saying that he wanted to see Liu Jing, and that he wanted to help Yang  The Taiwei sent a letter to Liu Jing, but the minister did not have the ability to do so, so he declined him. Later, he heard that he had stopped Liu Jing's carriage, saying that he had come with the order of Taiwei Yang, so Liu Jing took him with him.  After entering the Han Dynasty, he quickly left Chengdu.  " "Why are you reporting what happened more than a month ago now?  "Cao Cao asked sternly. Yang Tian banged his head and said with tears: "After all, Weichen was also born in the Hongnong Yang family. Taiwei Yang is the head of my family. If I betray the owner of the house and betray the family, Weichen can't do anything.  ???The minister is guilty and is willing to be punished by Duke Wei.  " Cao Cao's face softened a little, and he asked again: "Then why can he do it again now?  "Wei Chen has been suffering from this matter for a month. Wei Gong promoted Wei Chen to the position of Yushi Zhongcheng. If he can't correct himself, how can he correct others? Wei Chen decided to deal with it openly and began to investigate the matter secretly, and got Yang  In order to escape, Yang Xun handed over all the letters to Wei Chen. Although Wei Chen was a member of the Hongnong Yang clan, he did not dare to use his private life to undermine public service and was willing to uphold the principles of the government with his own life.  " Cao Cao nodded, with a look of approval in his eyes. Regardless of whether Yang Tian was instigated by his eldest son or not, this kind of righteous attitude of killing relatives is worthy of praise. Next to him, Cheng Yu secretly shook his head. Wei Gong was really confused. Yang Biao never recognized this Yang Tian.  He is a member of the Hongnong Yang clan. This is not a righteous act. He is clearly seeking revenge and willing to be a lackey. Cheng Yu despises him very much, but at this critical moment, he does not want to get too involved in this matter. At this time, a guard came to report, "Master Zhi."  We've arrived. See you outside the hall!" Cao Cao snorted and said, "Let him come in!" After a moment, Cao Zhi hurriedly walked into the inner hall. He had already heard some news. It seemed that his brother had sued him, which made his father furious.  , he couldn't help but feel uneasy, and he knelt down and saluted, "My son, Cao Zhi, pays homage to my father." Cao Cao threw the autographed letter written by Cao Zhi to Yang Biao to his son, and said coldly: "Is this a lie?" Cao Zhi  When he saw this letter, his head pounded. How could this letter get into his father's hands? He secretly hated Yang Biao, but he didn't dare to admit it. He had to lower his head and whispered: "This is written by a child."  " When Cao Cao saw that he admitted it, he couldn't help but laugh angrily, "Okay! After he ascends the throne, he will respect Confucianism, rely on the nobles, and support the Han Emperor. This is indeed my good son. He knows that I have made a big mistake and wants to correct it.  Father, my father is really touched, very touched!" Cao Zhi was too frightened to say a word. Cao Cao stared at him for a while, and suddenly 'Bang!  He slammed the table and shouted: "I'm not dead yet, and it's not your turn to respect Confucianism and destroy the law. You traitor, you actually colluded to rebel against the party and destroy our country. I don't have a son like you!"  He was so furious that he spurted out a mouthful of blood and fell to the sky.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 808 Liquidation of the Nobility

    Cao Pi and Cheng Yu were both stunned. They reacted at the same time, ran up together, supported Cao Cao and shouted: "Father! Wei Gong!" Cao Zhi burst into tears and kowtowed, with blood flowing from his forehead. Next to him, Yang Tian  But there was a chill in his heart. He had just experienced the cruelty of political struggle today. It was clearly Cao Pi who secretly colluded with Liu Jing, but in the end it turned out to be Cao Zhi's affair with the Han Dynasty. How could there be any fraternal love between brothers?  After a while, Cao Cao slowly woke up. He sighed and stared blankly at the roof. Cao Pi quickly ordered the guards: "Why don't you go and ask for the imperial doctor?" Several frightened guards rushed away. Cao Cao waved his hand and motioned for Cao Pi to help him.  He sat up and saw that Cao Zhi's face was covered with blood. He felt distressed and regretful, so he waved his hand and said, "You go down first!" Cao Zhi kowtowed and cried, "My child deserves to die. I beg my father to punish me severely!  "Cheng Yu saw that Cao Zhi was not interested, so he quickly stepped forward to help Cao Zhi and whispered: "Master Zhi, go down first. Don't make your father angry anymore. Go quickly!" Cao Zhi had no choice but to stand up and slowly retreat.  At that time, Cao Cao gritted his teeth and said to Yang Tian: "Yang Zhongcheng, I will give you the gold medal for troop deployment and investigate this case thoroughly. Anyone who dares to liaise with the enemy, whether it is a Taiwei or a Sikong, will be severely punished by me!"  "Follow the order of Wei Gong!" Groups of running soldiers appeared on the calm streets of Yedu. Two thousand fully armed Cao Cao's direct guards rushed from all directions. The Bachelor Street in the west of the city suddenly became chaotic. People stumbled and ran in all directions.  Fruit was spilled, mules and horses were frightened and screamed, calling for father and mother, chickens and dogs were jumping around, and the whole Bachelor Street fell into chaos.  Two thousand Cao Jun soldiers had a clear goal and surrounded the mansion of Taiwei Yang Biao. Soldiers began to break down the door. Yang Biao was concentrating on reading in the study. He had no idea that danger was quietly approaching. He suddenly heard a faint noise.  The sound came, and he couldn't help but frown. Who was making noise in his house?  At this time, someone was running hurriedly in the yard. Yang Biao looked up and saw Yang Xiu panting: "Father, something bad is going on. Cao Jun is surrounding our mansion, and soldiers have already broken in!" "Why are we surrounding our mansion?"  ?" Yang Biao asked unhappy.  "I don't know, kid, but father, please go to the basement and take shelter!" "Escape?" Yang Biao sneered, "Why should I avoid it? This is my home, the mansion of a dignified captain, not some cat, dog, and cat."  If they want to break into my house, they have to give me an explanation." As soon as he finished speaking, a large group of soldiers rushed into the yard and surrounded the study. More than 20 soldiers rushed into the study and surrounded Yang.  The father and son, the leader of which was a tooth general, stepped forward and said: "We have been ordered to arrest Yang and his son. Please follow us and don't resist needlessly!" "Who wants to arrest me?" Yang Biao asked coldly.  At this time Yang Tian came up, bowed and saluted, showed a gold medal and said: "Return to the Taiwei, this is the order of Wei Gong. The Taiwei is suspected of collaborating with the enemy. Wei Gong ordered the Yushitai to investigate the case. Please ask the Taiwei to investigate the case."  Wei and Dezu should both go to the Yushitai to ask questions as a matter of routine. "It turns out it's you!" Yang Biao immediately understood that Yang Tian's backstage was Cao Pi, and it must have been Cao Pi who attacked him.  Biao was also a little panicked, and he shouted loudly: "I want to see Duke Wei!" "I will give the Taiwei a chance to see Duke Wei, but not now. Please follow us to Yushitai now." "Who are you?  "Thing!" Yang Xiu suddenly became furious and rushed out. He was going to find Cao Zhi for help. Yang Tian winked at Ya, who understood. He walked behind Yang Xiu and stabbed Yang with the hilt of his sword.  After Xiu was hit on the back of his head, Yang Xiu screamed and fell softly to the ground.  Yang Biao was taken aback and shouted quickly: "Don't mess around!" Yang Tian said coldly: "If Taiwei Yang cooperates with us, we will not hurt him." "Okay!" Yang Biao sighed helplessly: "I will follow  You go!" He stepped forward to help his son, surrounded by soldiers, and walked towards the door of the mansion. A carriage had stopped outside the door, and the windows were closed. Yang Biao and Yang Xiu got on the carriage quickly.  Heading towards Tianlao, at the same time that Yang Biao was arrested, more than a thousand soldiers from Cui Mansion broke in, took Sikong Cuilin and Cui Yan out of Cui Mansion, and also took them to Tianlao.  The news that Yang Biao and Cui Lin were arrested at the same time spread throughout the city. The entire Ye government and the public were discussing the matter. After all, Yang Biao and Cui Lin were the leaders of the northern gentry. They were arrested, and many people were sensitive.  Realizing that the northern gentry was about to face a stormy purge.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In front of Tongque Palace, Cao Zhi had been kneeling all morning, in order to save Yang Xiu and support him.As a northern nobleman, he desperately begged his father to spare Yang Biao and his son, spare the Cui brothers, and at least give him a lighter sentence. However, this time Cao Cao did not spare him because of his favor, and there was no reply or response from beginning to end.  .  Cao Zhi knelt all morning, feeling pain all over his body, dizziness, and almost unable to support himself. However, compared with his physical fatigue, the despair in his heart made him more painful. At this time, an eunuch trotted over and helped him up.  Cao Zhi whispered in his ear: "Madam, please get up, young master, and stop kneeling." This was because his mother couldn't bear to see her suffer anymore. Cao Zhi's nose became sour and he asked in a low voice: "What else does mother have to say?"  "My wife said that the evidence of Taiwei Yang's liaison with the enemy is conclusive. The young master should stop making meaningless excuses. She also said that the young master really wants a favor, so it is better to go to Military Advisor Cheng." Cao Zhi nodded silently. He originally wanted to exchange the affection between father and son for his father.  He made concessions, but it seemed to have no effect, so he had to go to Cheng Yu for help. The eunuch's reminder fit his mind. He sighed and said: "Please tell mother, thank you for her concern, but people can't be unjust, Yang  No matter how bad the father and son are, as long as they support me for one day, I have the obligation to rescue them." The eunuch smiled bitterly and helped him get into the carriage. "Master, let's go quickly!" Cao Zhi told the coachman, "Go to the carriage of Master Cheng!"  It started and drove towards Cheng Yu's mansion. The carriage rushed all the way. After a while, it arrived in front of Cheng Yu's mansion. It happened to meet Cheng Yu's eldest son Cheng Wu returning to his mansion. Cheng Wu was about forty years old. He served as an official and joined the army. He was a member of Cao's army.  A civilian officer, he recognized Cao Zhi's carriage, stepped forward and said with a smile, "Is this Mr. Zhi?" Cao Zhi opened the carriage door and apologized, cupping his hands and saying, "Tang is here for a sudden visit. I wonder if your father is at home?" Cheng Wu looked at the sky.  , nodded and said: "Father comes back to take a nap at noon every day. Mr. Zhi, please come into the house! I will report to father." Although Cao Zhi knew that visiting at this time was disturbing Cheng Yu's rest, he had no choice but to apologize again and again.  , followed Cheng Wu towards the mansion.  At this time, Cheng Yu had just had lunch and was sitting in the study drinking tea. He no longer cared about specific government affairs, but only assisted Cao Cao in major military matters. Every morning he would go to Ye Palace to walk around, learn all the latest information, and then return to his home.  Take an hour's nap at noon to regain your energy and then write a current affairs analysis report to Cao Cao.  Cheng Yu received news today that the Han State had mobilized 200,000 civilians in Hanzhong and Bashu, and mobilized 30,000 wooden oxen. This made Cheng Yu realize that the Han army had begun to prepare for war against Zahu. According to the usual time of the Han army  Table of contents, the war broke out three months after the preparations began. It is now the end of February, so at the latest in early June, the Han army will use troops against Zahu.  While he was deep in thought, footsteps sounded outside the house, followed by the voice of his eldest son Cheng Wu, "Has your father rested?" "What's the matter?" Cheng Yu asked.  "Father, Mr. Zhi urgently requested to see his father. We are waiting in the guest room now." Cao Zhi actually came. A wry smile appeared on Cheng Yu's lips. Of course he knew what Cao Zhi was looking for. He must be asking him to plead for the Yang and Cui families.  In the morning, he heard that Cao Zhi's kneeling in front of the Tongque Palace seemed to have no effect, so he came to find himself instead.  Cheng Yu really doesn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter. He knows exactly what the problem is?  Although Cao Cao arrested them on the pretext of collaborating with the enemy, in fact, it was an open secret that the northern nobles supported Liu Jing. Cao Cao had turned a blind eye for so many years, and it was impossible to make an issue out of it at this time.  The fundamental reason that made Cao Cao angry was that Yang Biao and other gentry wanted to use Cao Zhi to promote their political ideas, encourage Cao Zhi to respect Confucianism and the emperor, and support the gentry. This was undoubtedly aimed at Cao Cao's two basic national policies of Legalism and promoting Wei and suppressing Han.  This undoubtedly touched Cao Cao's fundamental interests. How could Cao Cao not be angry and finally couldn't bear it anymore.  At the beginning, Cao Cao warned Yang Biao by sending thousands of ginseng and ten pigs, but Yang Biao only calmed down for a while, and soon became restless again. This time, he actually reached out to Cao Zhi. How could Cao Cao spare them again.  It's just that Cao Zhi is still too young politically and cannot compete with his brother Cao Pi. It is obvious that this incident was planned by Cao Pi. The key point is to promote Yang Tian to the position of Yushi Zhongcheng, so that Cao Pi has a sharp sword, and then catch him.  The inappropriate words and deeds of Yang Biao and others were suppressed, and the attack was successful. The name was to attack the northern gentry, but in fact it was aimed at Cao Zhi.  I believe that after this incident, Cao Zhi will completely lose his father's trust, and his hope of succeeding the Duke of Wei will be greatly reduced. Although Cheng Yu doesn't like Cao Pi very much, he has to admit that Cao Pi's political skills are extremely smart and he can seize Cao Cao's control.  Crucial.  But now that Cao Zhi is here, it's not good for Cheng Yu not to see him, so he has no choice but to say: "Master Zhi, please sit down for a moment, I will be there soon." Cheng Yu got up and changed clothes, and then calmly went to the guest room  Go.    In the guest hall, Cao Zhi was waiting uneasily for Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu was his only hope. If Cheng Yu couldn't help him, he really couldn't save the Yang family and his son. Those who took refuge in him would not be well in the end.  Who will dare to support Cao Zhi in the future? Cao Zhi knows how important this matter is to him.  At this time, Cheng Yu's hearty laughter came from the hall, "Keep Mr. Zhi waiting for a long time." Cao Zhi hurriedly stood up, greeted him, and saluted deeply: "Cao Zhi came unexpectedly and disturbed the military advisor's rest!" Cheng Yuyi  Waving his hand, "Since you've come, let's be in peace. Mr. Zhi, no need to apologize, please sit down!" Cao Zhi was grateful in his heart, gave another salute, and sat down. He sighed and said, "The military advisor must have guessed the purpose of my coming here. I  I beg Commander Cheng to intercede for my father and forgive the Yangs and his son. Cao Zhi is grateful for the kindness of the military commander." Cheng Yu took a sip of tea, narrowed his eyes and said slowly: "I can intercede for the Young Master and the Yangs, but I have a problem.  I hope you will think twice."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 809 Chain Reaction

    "This junior is willing to listen to the military advisor's teachings!" Cao Zhi said sincerely.  "Since the young master is willing to listen, I will advise the young master that you can save people, but you must promise your father to completely sever ties with the northern gentry. Otherwise, not only will the people not be saved, but the young master's future will be over. This is a principle  , I hope the young master will think twice." Cao Zhi was speechless for a long time. Of course he understood what Cheng Yu meant. He also knew why his father was angry. It was because the political views of the gentry were in conflict with his father's, and Cao Zhi's thoughts were also incompatible with those of his father.  The gentry admired the same respect for the emperor and Confucianism. In fact, Cao Zhi also opposed his father's Legalist thoughts from a poor family. However, this contradiction has been covered up. It was not until the arrest of Yang and his son that the conflict between Cao Zhi and his father's political ideas broke out.  come out.  It is easy to say that it is easy to sever ties with the northern gentry, but if he really does this, who else will support him in the future? Cao Zhi's powerful relationship made Cao Zhi hesitant, and Cheng Yu also fell silent. If Cao Zhi couldn't even do this  If he arrives, it shows that he has no sincerity in making concessions. Then, why should Cheng Yu wade into this muddy water.  Cao Zhi sighed and said: "I will explain it to my father, but no matter what, I still ask the military advisor to help me this time. Cao Zhi will definitely remember it in his heart." Cheng Yu pondered for a moment and said: "Forget it! I just want to see Wei in the afternoon.  Sir, by the way, I will do my best, but I can't make any promises to Mr. Zhi. " "As long as the military advisor does his best, Cao Zhi will be grateful." Cao Zhi said goodbye and left, Cheng Yu was still sitting as a distinguished guest.  The hall was silent in thought. At this time, Cheng Wu sent Cao Zhi away and hurried back. He saluted his father and said anxiously: "Does father really want to stand up for Mr. Zhi?" Cheng Yu shook his head, "I don't want to stand up for him.  "But this will offend the eldest son. My father also knows that Cao Pi is narrow-minded and cares about money. Once he takes the throne, he will probably be angry because of this."  "Cheng Wu said it more implicitly. He didn't say that Cao Pi would cause trouble for Cheng Yu because Cheng Yu was old and might not be able to take revenge. Then their descendants might not be able to escape.  Yu understood his son's thoughts and smiled lightly: "There are countless people who have offended Cao Pi over the years. How can he get revenge? Besides, with Liu Jing outside, Cao Pi does not dare to go too far. You don't have to worry too much. I will help."  Yang Biao is actually my own favor and has nothing to do with Cao Zhi. I have my own sense of discretion." Seeing that his father had considered it carefully, Cheng Wu stopped trying to persuade him. At this time, Cheng Yu stood up and said, "I'm going to see Wei now.  "Mr., please prepare the carriage for my father." "Didn't father take a nap?" "The situation is special today. I can't sleep either. Let's go see Mr. Wei!" Cheng Yu went back to the study to get his report, and then took the carriage to the police.  He left the Tongque Palace, and after a while, he came to the palace gate. Cheng Yu stepped forward and said to the guard at the palace gate: "Please go and report to Duke Wei. Cheng Yu wants to see you!" The guard ran away and came back a moment later and said with a smile: "Wei  The Duke said that from now on, military advisors don¡¯t have to wait outside the palace gate. If you have anything to do, you can go directly into the palace. We won¡¯t stop you.¡± Cheng Yu smiled and walked towards the inner palace until he came to Cao Cao¡¯s official room. A chamberlain came.  He smiled and said: "Wei Gong is waiting for the military advisor, please come!" Cheng Yu walked into the room and saw Cao Cao standing in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, staring at the sky in trance. Cheng Yu hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "I am here to see you, Wei Gong!"  "Cao Cao turned around and smiled slightly: "I was wondering who Zhi'er would ask for help, but unexpectedly it was Zhongde who came." Cheng Yu smiled bitterly and said: "Master Zhi did come to see me, but I.  It¡¯s not that I want to help him, but I weighed the pros and cons and felt that Wei Gong should not do things too harshly and just teach the nobles a lesson. If he did too harshly, he would directly push them to Liu Jing, which would probably cause a lot of dissatisfaction.  If something good happens to us, please think again." "What do you mean by something bad for us?" Cao Cao asked again.  "Weichen means that the nobles will transfer their property to the Han Dynasty. Most of the nobles are wealthy families and control a large amount of land and population. Once they cause panic, large-scale transfers of property and personnel will inevitably occur, which will damage our tax revenue.  "Cao Cao thought for a moment and finally nodded, "Zhongde is right, I almost lost my mind. In your opinion, how should we deal with this major case?" "Wei Gong needs to establish his authority and warn the nobles, but  We must also consider being gentle, which requires a certain degree of control. Wei Chen suggested that we should let the old ones go and attack the younger ones. This can not only show the benevolent side of Wei Gong, but also severely attack the arrogance of the nobles. It can be said that it kills two birds with one stone. "  He laughed and said, "As expected of a military advisor, I have a very good grasp of this degree. Just follow the military advisor's words." Cheng Yu calmed down for a moment and took out the report he had written, "To the Duke of Wei, this is a Wei minister's report against Liu Jing."?The proposal put forward by the war to exterminate the Hu, Weichen's plan is to reduce armaments externally, work hard on internal affairs internally, reduce corvee and tax, increase military garrison strength, buy time to strengthen one's own strength, and lay the groundwork for the future hegemony of the Central Plains.  Base.  " Cao Cao nodded slowly, "What Zhongde said is deeply in my heart.  " In the spring of the 20th year of Jian'an, the case of Yang Cui's collaboration with the enemy that caused a sensation in the Wei Dynasty finally came to an end. Due to the solid evidence and great harm, Yang Xiu and Cui Yan were ordered to be executed by Cao Cao, while Taiwei Yang Biao and Sikong Cui Lin were detained.  On the one hand, they reduced their positions to serve the people and ordered them to stay at home and think about their mistakes. The uproarious Yang Cui case also came to an end. At dawn, the bell rang from the bell tower, and the officers and soldiers guarding the city shouted, "Open the door!"  "The west gate of Yedu slowly opened, and a group of soldiers ran out of the city and lined up on both sides of the city. Hundreds of vegetable farmers and businessmen waiting outside the city couldn't wait to rush to the city gate with their burdens. This happens every day.  The soldiers had long been accustomed to the scene that happened, and were indifferent to the chaos at the city gate. Amidst shouts and curses, people began to pour into the city, and there were fewer and fewer people outside the city. At this time, not far from the city gate.  There are two masters and servants standing on the official road. The master is about fifty years old. He wears a plain scarf and a blue cloth robe. He has fair and thin skin. He is riding on a strong donkey, followed by an eighteen-year-old man.  The nine-year-old young servant was wearing a short skirt and carrying a book box on his shoulders. The appearance of these two people was very common in this era. They were the kind of scholars who went to study in various places. ¡°Uncle, there are fewer people outside the city.  , let¡¯s go forward!  "The young man said impatiently. The middle-aged man stroked his beard and said slowly: "No hurry, we will enter the city after they are gone.  "The middle-aged man's name is Wang Chen, who comes from Taiyuan. Although he is dressed simply, he is the head of the Taiyuan Wang family among the seven great families in the world. The Taiyuan Wang family was very prosperous in the Dong Zhuo era, with Situ Wang Yun as the representative figure, but  During the Li Jie Rebellion, the Wang Yun family was wiped out, and the Wang family in Taiyuan was also deeply affected. But after all, it was the number one family in Bingzhou, with a large number of talents. Just over twenty years later, the Wang family in Taiyuan became prosperous again.  Not only did his descendants serve as officials all over Bingzhou, but some important figures also entered the central court as officials, such as Wang Ling, Wang Chen's younger brother, who became the minister of Wei. There were also many Wang family officials in the Han Dynasty, such as Wang Chen's son Wang Yu.  After the public promotion in Xiangyang, he was appointed as the magistrate of Zhijiang County. Another example is Wang Yun's younger brother Wang Chun, who was named the prefect of Hequ County by Liu Jing and worked for the development of Hequ County for the Han Dynasty. For aristocratic families, power is not important, inheritance.  is the first, power is just a tool of inheritance, so whether he is an official in Wei or Han, it is the same thing for the Wang family. This time Wang Chen came to Yedu in person.  , is the Yang Biao case. Yang Biao and his son were arrested, Cui Lin brothers were arrested, and the leaders of the two major clans were imprisoned. This was undoubtedly a huge shock to the clans of the world. In order to find the truth, Wang Chen traveled thousands of miles to Ye  The soldiers guarding the city gate did not make things difficult for him. After all, there were too many scholars traveling on donkeys like this, so he entered Yedu City smoothly. The last time Wang Chen came to Yedu was five years ago, and he had forgotten his brother's house.  "Master, let me ask!"  " The entourage asked all the way, and after walking for several miles, they finally found the mansion of Wang Ling, the minister. The entourage ran up the steps and said, "Quickly go and report to your master, saying that the head of the family is from Taiyuan!  " Wang Ling is Wang Chen's younger brother. He has been an official in the imperial court for many years. Although he is from a noble family, he is highly appreciated by Cao Cao. He has risen through the ranks and served as minister after the establishment of the Wei Kingdom. He has a high and powerful position. Wang Ling is about fifty years old this year and is a former Situ.  Wang Yun's nephew was the second-ranking figure in the Wang family in Taiyuan. Wang Ling never expected that his brother would come to Yedu. He invited his brother into the study and ordered the maid to serve tea. Then he smiled and said: "Why did your brother come suddenly?"  Come here, what happened over there in Taiyuan?  " Wang Chen took a sip of tea and said slowly: "Nothing happened over there in Taiyuan, but something big happened here in Yedu, so I had to come here.  " Wang Ling pondered for a moment and said: "Brother, are you talking about the case of Yang Cui collaborating with the enemy?  " "Exactly, what's the situation now?  " "Yang Biao and Cui Lin have been released and reduced their positions to serve the people, but Yang Xiu and Cui Yan were killed. They were publicly executed just a few days ago. On the day of their execution, there was a huge crowd, and most of the people in Yedu ran out.  , that scene was so tragic that I still can¡¯t remember it, and it makes me feel uncomfortable just thinking about it!  "Wang Ling sighed, his tone was very sad. Wang Chen also felt sad. After a while, he sighed and said: "Kill the chicken to scare the monkey. Cao Cao killed Yang Xiu and Cui Yan to show us the noble families. He was warning us that if we continue  If we dare to have an affair with Liu Jing, our lives will be in danger.  " "Even if this is the case, my brother doesn't have to be so excited and even make a special trip to Yedu. The matter is actually not that serious!  " "What do you mean?  "Wang ?He frowned and asked: "What do you mean the matter is not that serious?" "This incident is not only to warn the family, but also related to the dispute between Pizhi and Cao Zhi. In this contest, Cao Zhi was defeated and he succeeded to the throne of Wei.  "The hope is slim." "Has Cao Cao announced the heir apparent?" "Not yet, but soon, Wei Gong's body will not survive for a few years." Wang Chen said after a moment of silence, "I don't care about the Pizhi dispute.  I only care about the fate of our Wang family. This Yang Cui case has made me see clearly that Cao Wei will lose the world and Liu Jing will take over the world sooner or later. I have decided that the Wang family will fully surrender to Liu Jing. I came to Yedu just to discuss it with you.  You should also write a letter about this! I will take it to Chang'an for you." "Brother, it's better to wait a little longer." Wang Chen shook his head, "The Yang Cui case has chilled all the nobles. I think the Boling family, the Qinghe Cui family, and  The Hongnong Yang family, the Yingchuan Xun family, etc., all these famous families in the world will have their own choices. It is better to do things sooner rather than later. If we go to Chang'an one day earlier, we will have an extra advantage. "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 810 Scouting Troubles

    In the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu split into northern and southern parts. As the northern Xiongnu were defeated by the Han army and the southern Xiongnu, they were forced to move westward. The Xianbei Donghu took the opportunity to rise in the Mobei grassland. The power of the southern Xiongnu was constantly squeezed, and they could only move towards  South development.  At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, internal strife broke out again among the Southern Huns. Shan Yuqiangqu was killed by the rebels. His son Yuluofu fled to the Central Plains and was active in Bingzhou and the Central Plains. From this time on, the Huns began to participate deeply in the late Han Dynasty.  chaos.  After Luo Fu died in exile in the Central Plains for seven years, his younger brother Hu Chuquan succeeded the Shan Yu, and named Luo Fu's eldest son Liu Bao as the Xian King of the Left, and named Luo Fu's second son Qubei as the Xian King of the Right.  Soon, Huchuquan, with the support of Yuan Shao, led the exiled Xiongnu army to fight back to the southern Xiongnu. He successfully restored the country and controlled the vast territory south of Yinshan Mountain, northern Bingzhou and Heshuo areas.  Although the center of power of the Southern Xiongnu moved north with the restoration of Huchuquan, the Southern Xiongnu still maintained a strong power in the Central Plains. Among them, Liu Bao, the Xian King of the Left, controlled the northern part of Bingzhou, while Qubei, the Xian King of the Right, controlled the Guannei area.  .  As Liu Jing¡¯s southern forces seize Guanlong in one fell swoop, there will inevitably be a head-on collision with the southern Xiongnu forces.  Although in the past year, the Han army defeated the Qiang and Di forces in Longxi and Hexi and stabilized the west of Guanzhong, with the formulation of a major national policy of the Han Dynasty to move the capital to Chang'an, the Han army finally had to face infiltration  The southern Xiongnu forces that had been in the Central Plains for a long time were the first to bear the brunt of the forces of King Youxian Qubei who controlled the Guannei area.  The Guannei area is today's northern Shaanxi and Ningxia regions. The Han Dynasty established four major counties in this area: Shangjun, Beidijun, Shuofangjun and Andingjun. However, since the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, surrounding ethnic groups have poured into the Guannei.  Among them, the Huns are the largest, and it is said in history that "the population in the pass is more than one million, half of which are Rong and Di, and mixed with Huns and Han people."  ' In fact, the area within the Guan area is only dominated by the Huns. Others include Wuhuan, Qiang, Di, Jie, Xianbei and other miscellaneous people living in it. There are more than 200,000 armored cavalry, eyeing and threatening Guanzhong and Hedong.  The Han Dynasty moved its capital to Chang'an, and the nearest Xiongnu force was only two hundred miles away. The Xiongnu cavalry could reach Chang'an in one day.  Although Liu Jing knew that the Huns were powerful, the situation was stronger than the people. Removing the threat from the miscellaneous people in Guanzhong to Guanzhong had become a prerequisite for moving the capital to Chang'an, and it was also a huge challenge that Liu Jing had to face.  However, the situation in the Guan area is complex, with the Huns appearing and disappearing, and various ethnic groups living in the area. There are Han Chinese people engaged in farming and production together with the Han people, and there are also powerful Hu people who make a living as nomads. Therefore, we need to formulate a comprehensive strategy to fight against the Hu people.  It became the first priority before the Han army launched a large-scale attack.  Anding County is located between Longxi and Guan Nei. Liupan Mountain stretches thousands of miles across it and becomes a natural barrier in the northern part of Guanzhong, dividing Anding County into two.  The Jingshui River basin south of Liupan Mountain is a dense farming area with a large population and fertile land. It has been a prosperous land in Guanzhong since ancient times. Tens of thousands of people live here, half of which are Han people, and the rest include Qiang, Wuhuan and some  The Huns are Han Chinese-style Hu people who rely on farming and intermarry with each other. The boundaries between Han costumes have become blurred.  That morning, a group of about 20 Han cavalry scouts were galloping northwest along the valley in Liupan Mountain. This cavalry scout was affiliated with Xiliu Camp. They were ordered by Pang De, the commander of Xiliu Camp, to go north to Anding County.  Exploring intelligence is mainly to explore the situation in the Xiaoguan area.  This cavalry scout was led by a military lord. The military lord's name was Wei Jin. He was from Jingzhao and belonged to the Wei family branch of the Jingzhao family. He was about twenty-six or seven years old. He was tall and burly, with a broad face, a big nose, and a beautiful skin.  Dark-skinned, he was originally a civilian in Cao Ying's army and served as a scout after surrendering to the Han army. Although he only had one year, he was very smart and capable.  The cavalry rushed up a low hill like lightning. The hill was densely forested with pine trees and stood out from the surrounding plains. It was the best position to check the surrounding situation. When Wei Jin saw that it was almost noon, he said to the cavalry: "Dismount and rest on the spot."  , Let¡¯s set off in half an hour!¡± The cavalrymen dismounted one after another, took off the water bags on their horses, and gave the horses water and fodder. After finishing the work on the horses, they themselves found a place to sit down, drink water and eat dry food. Wei Jin found a piece of  Take out the scout map from the flat boulder.  They are currently in the Liupan Mountains. They passed through the Danzheng Gorge in the morning and entered a basin in the Liupan Mountains. It is surrounded by high mountains. The basin is low and flat, and there are endless wheat fields everywhere. Wei Jin drew another one on the map.  A small triangle, this is the hill they are currently on.  "Zhang Wu, come here!" Wei Jin turned around and shouted. After a moment, a young commander hurried over, "The military prince is looking for me?" Wei Jin pointed to the surrounding mountains with charcoal and asked: "We  What is the name of this place, and where is Xiaoguan? " Soldier Zhang Wu is a local and is very familiar with the surrounding situation. He held up the curtain and looked into the distance for a long time. There was a steep Liuhe River more than ten miles away.They are located in a small basin in the mountains, surrounded by mountains.  Zhang Wu thought for a while and said: "This is called Zhuxiang Valley. It is a famous basin in Liupan Mountain and is under the jurisdiction of Wushi County. If I remember correctly, there should be a small town in front of it, called that town. It is where merchants come out of customs.  I went to the last supply place in front of the mountain once when I was a child. There are many shops. After leaving the town and walking north for seven or eight miles, you will enter the mountains and valleys. Muxia Pass in Xiaoguan is at the far north. Xiaoguan is not actually a pass.  , but consists of three passes, starting from Muxia Pass in the north, to Liupan Pass in the south, and Wating Pass in the middle. It covers a total of about 20 miles. The terrain is dangerous and the Great Wall is built. Outside the three passes, there are  There are three military cities, but they are all probably abandoned." Wei Jin quickly marked them on the map with charcoal while listening. He put away the map, went to the pine forest and looked north, and vaguely saw a small town.  At this time, a caravan consisting of more than a hundred mules and horses, loaded with goods, was passing by the hill and heading towards the town, which should be the town.  Wei Jin came back and said to the soldiers: "Rest for a while and then set off. We must pass Muxia Pass tonight." Half an hour later, Wei Jin gave the order, and the soldiers mounted their horses one after another, urging their horses to rush down the hill and along the official road.  The road was rushing towards the town ahead, and the dust was billowing all the way. When it was still one mile away from the town, several horseback merchants suddenly ran in front of them. They looked panic-stricken and waved to them desperately. Wei Jin recognized them.  The caravan he saw on the hill not long ago.  "What happened?" Wei Jinying stepped forward and asked.  Several merchants saw the Han army and calmed down. They all gathered around Wei Jin and said, "The Hu cavalry are looting the town, killing people and robbing everywhere. All our goods have been taken away." Wei Jin was shocked.  Hu troops rarely enter Xiaoguan. Why did they appear today?  He quickly asked: "How many Hu cavalry are there?" "There are more than two thousand people, you go quickly! They will definitely go south." Wei Jin suddenly realized the seriousness of the problem. Thousands of Hu cavalry crossed Liupan Mountain and entered.  In the Guanzhong territory, this is an extremely serious military provocation, very important intelligence, and even related to the entire war situation.  He had to report to the general. Wei Jin immediately said to Zhang Wu: "You lead ten brothers and rush back to the military camp immediately to report this to General Pang." "Yes!" Zhang Wu waved his hand, "Follow me!" He led ten brothers  The famous subordinates turned around and ran south, and several businessmen also followed them, gradually walking away. Wei Jin watched Zhang Wu and others disappear, and then said to the remaining ten subordinates: "Bypass the town, let's go to Xiaoguan to see  Look." They ran towards another path, trying to bypass the town. Unexpectedly, less than a mile after they ran, a shotgun fired over their heads and made a sharp whistle. Wei Jin was startled and stopped.  The war horses saw hundreds of horsemen rushing out from all directions, surrounding them, and countless arrows aimed at them.  "Don't resist!" Wei Jin ordered in a low voice. They were no match for hundreds of cavalry and would only die in vain. When he saw these Hu cavalry wearing red leather armor, he guessed that they should be Wuhuan people.  At this time, a Hu cavalry leader urged his horse out. He was extremely muscular and dark-skinned. He stared at Wei Jin sharply with a pair of leopard eyes. After a while, he asked coldly: "Who are you and what are you doing here?" He  Speaking in Chinese, which was very jerky and barely understandable, Wei Jin said proudly: "This is the territory of the Han State. Isn't it natural for us to patrol here? Who are you? How dare you kill people and set fire to the territory of the Han State!"  " Leader Hu Qi stared at him with squinted eyes, suspicious in his eyes. He suddenly laughed loudly, and hundreds of Hu Qi around him also laughed. Leader Hu Qi stopped laughing and said coldly: "See if you don't resist.  For his sake, I will spare your lives. Come and take them back to the camp." Hundreds of Huqi rushed forward, seized his weapons, tied their hands behind their backs, and urged their horses to go in the direction of Xiaoguan.  This Huqi is a large tribe of the Wuhuan people. The Wuhuan people split into two groups. The main part moved to Liaodong and Youzhou, and the other part moved to Shangjun and Anding counties in the pass, and lived together with the Huns.  At the same time, the leader Lu Xi claimed to be King Wuhuan.  The Wuhuan tribe in Anding County has about 30,000 people and 7,000 capable cavalry. The chief is named Bian Shu. The leader of the Wuhuan cavalry who captured the Han army scouts is Chi Ning, the son of Bian Shu. He leads 2,000 cavalry.  They went deep into the Jing River, preparing to plunder the population and property, but unexpectedly encountered Han army scouts.  Chi Ning was a little worried about the approaching Han army, so he stopped going south. Instead, he escorted Wei Jin and others back to the camp to report to his father.  They traveled all the way north, passing through the rugged canyons in Liupan Mountain, and exiting Muxia Pass. At the foot of Liupan Mountain was Gaoping County. At this time, the county seat had become the stronghold of the Wuhuan people in Anding County, and most of the population in the county seat had fled.  ???, all the houses in the city were occupied by Wuhuan people and used to house women, children, the elderly and the weak.  Thousands of large tents live outside the city, and a river flows around the city like a jade belt. This is the Anding Wuhuan camp. Hundreds of miles to the north is their territory. They make a living by raising animals. Some people live around the county.  Wheat is grown in the fertile fields.  Bian Shu was in his fifties, tall and strong, and had more than ten wives and concubines. He gave birth to a number of sons, but only two of them survived to adulthood. The eldest son, Wu Xuan, served as a guard beside King Youxian of the Xiongnu, and the second son  Chi Ning followed him.  In the past year, the border people have been quite uneasy. The Han army has sent out large-scale troops in Longxi and Hexi to annihilate the Qiang and Di tribes. Although they have not yet gone north, ominous clouds have already shrouded the heads of the tribes in the pass. According to the border people's thoughts, they should  They went to Chang'an to express their surrender to Liu Jing and paid tribute to cattle and sheep according to tradition. For hundreds of years, the Wuhuan people paid tribute to the Han Dynasty and sought the protection of the central dynasty.  But two months ago, the eldest son sent a wooden arrow order from Sheyanze, King Youxian of the Xiongnu, to go to Bei. The tribes were not allowed to surrender to the Han Dynasty without authorization, and those who disobeyed the order would be exterminated. This made the border people dare not send people to Chang'an to surrender.  , he prayed to God for blessing every day, and the Han army sent troops to the county first to give Lu Xi a headache.  At this time, a guard reported at the gate of the big tent that the young chief Chi Ning had returned and captured several Han army scouts. This news shocked the border people.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 811 The First Arrival of Han Cavalry

    Bian Shu hurriedly ran out of the tent and met his son Chi Ning striding towards him. "What's going on?" Bian Shu waved his arms and asked loudly, "Why did you catch the Han army's scout?" Chi Ning was so bold about his father.  Xiao Zhi felt a little contemptuous. He snorted and said, "If we don't arrest them, won't the news about our robbery of that town spread to Guanzhong?" The Bian Shu blushed and asked his son to lead the army to rob food south of Liupan Mountain.  He only wanted to get the goods and property, and he only planned to fight quickly. Unexpectedly, he encountered a Han army scout. He couldn't catch him or not. The guard stood there for a while and said to his son: "Now that I have caught him, there is nothing we can do."  , Don¡¯t hurt them for the time being, just lock them up, and bring their leader, I want to ask.¡± Chi Ning turned around and gave some instructions, and several soldiers rushed away. The common people were upset and turned back to the big tent.  , His son Chi Ning followed up and said: "What are you afraid of, father? There are Huns behind you. If the Han army comes, just let the Huns fight." Bian Shu sighed, "Things are not that simple. Liu Qu  Bei is notoriously vicious. He has long wanted to devour us Wuhuan. He is afraid that he will take this opportunity to let us fight the Han army. In the end, he will pick up the fallen eagle and eat our subordinates. " "What about Lu Xi?  Said, doesn¡¯t he call himself King Wuhuan? It¡¯s time for him to come forward.¡± Chi Ning frowned.  Bian Shu still shook his head, "We usually ignore him, but it is probably impossible to expect him to step forward at this time. I just hope that the Han army will send troops to the county and let Lu Xi come to beg us." As the father and son were talking, several people  The soldiers pushed Wei Jin, the leader of the Han army's scouts, in. Wei Jin stood up straight and looked up at the tent without saying a word. Chi Ning was furious, pulled out a knife and pressed it on his neck, shouting: "Do you think  Don't I dare to kill you?" "Put down the knife!" Bian Shu shouted angrily, "Get out of here." Chi Ning snorted loudly, sheathed the knife, turned around and left the tent angrily. Bian Shu stepped forward.  He said with a smile in proficient Chinese: "I think it is a misunderstanding. General, please don't take it to heart." "Misunderstanding?" Wei Jin sneered disdainfully: "Your army killed and robbed in that town, and we hit it.  You were afraid that the scandal would be exposed, so you arrested us. I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s the misunderstanding?¡± Bian Shu sighed, ¡°To be honest, General, we didn¡¯t cross Liupan Mountain to kill or rob, but to capture Nan.  The tribesmen who fled have lax military discipline, which leads to violations of discipline. I will punish you severely. Secondly, they came to arrest you because they rarely saw Han troops in the Liupan Mountain area. They thought that your army was going to be detrimental to us.  So I said it might be a misunderstanding." Wei Jin shook his head and said: "The south of Liupan Mountain belongs to Guanzhong. It is only natural for us to patrol the border. It is not detrimental to you, but you crossed the border without permission and arrested the patrol soldiers.  It is a hostile act. If it is really the misunderstanding you said, then please let us go back immediately, and then send someone to explain the reason for your crossing the border. This may avoid a war. I will say this much, you can think about it yourself!"  It was really a bit embarrassing. The so-called misunderstanding was just what he said. He wanted to get the opponent's troop dispatch plan out of the Han soldier's mouth and just let the opponent go back, but he was unwilling to do so. He thought about it and said: "You guys  I have never patrolled Xiaoguan. Why did it appear this time? I can only understand that I am preparing to send troops for you. I have no intention of being your enemy, but if you must send troops to attack my tribe, I will mobilize the tribal cavalry to fight with you.  "Fight to the death." Wei Jin sneered and turned to look outside the tent, not bothering to pay attention to him anymore. The concubine asked again and again, but Wei Jin just ignored him. But he had no choice but to order his left and right officers to take him down. At this time, Chi Ning came in again.  The account said: "Father, we must be on guard against others. If we don't prepare early, once the Han army arrives, we will be in danger of annihilation." Although the border people prayed to God to let the Han army kill Shangjun, the Han army scouts  The appearance of the cavalry made him realize that the Han army was most likely going to use Xiaoguan Road to leave the fortress. If so, they were indeed in danger. The common people on the border had no idea and could only sigh and said: "In your opinion,  "What should we do?" "It's very simple. We will evacuate the women, children, old and weak to Sanshui County, and the children will lead 7,000 elite troops to guard Xiaoguan. If the Han army really leaves the fortress from Xiaoguan, we can ask for help from the Huns in time. If the Han army  If the army marches to the county, then we can also lead the army to rescue Lu Xi and take the opportunity to devour his subordinates.  " Sanshui County is located more than 300 miles north of Gaoping County. It is also a county under their control. The terrain is relatively remote. It is true that the elderly, women and children can be moved there first. However, the border people thought of negotiating with the Han army. If the negotiation is successful, they can  If they continue to stay in Gaoping, if the negotiation fails, they can withdraw to Sanshui County, so that they can take the initiative. Thinking of this, Bian Shu nodded, "Just follow your plan!"  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®  A few days later, a Han cavalry of about 6,000 people arrived in Wushi County. This cavalry was commanded by Pang De, the general. Pang De was transferred from Xiangyang to Chang'an at the beginning of last year and served as the commander of Xiliu Camp, responsible for training.  Cavalry, in the past six months or so, he led 15,000 cavalry to the Xihai Plateau for training, and it was not until last month that he led the army back to Guanzhong.  Pang De received a report from a scout a few days ago that a group of Wuhuan cavalry crossed Liupan Mountain and entered the territory of Guanzhong to kill and loot. This gave the Han army an excuse to send troops. Liu Jing immediately wanted to order Pang De to send troops to capture Xiao Pass.  .  Wushi County is a small county with a small city and a population of only a few thousand. Farming is the main industry. Half of the population is Wuhuan people. The border people used the excuse of recovering these Wuhuan people to send troops across Liupan Mountain.  Loot.  As soon as Pound's army arrived in Wushi County, the border people sent an envoy to return the ten captured Han scouts, and ordered the envoy to send a document explaining in writing to the Han army the reason why Wuhuan's army crossed the border.  Pang De sent an envoy and ordered people to fetch the scout Wei Jin. Wei Jin stepped forward and knelt down on one knee to salute, "See General Pang!" Pang De was familiar with every officer above the military level, and he also knew Wei Jin.  A descendant of Wei from Jingzhao, he studied first and then joined the army. He is one of the few officers with both civil and military skills in the army. He originally joined the army under Zhong Yao. He was highly regarded by Zhong Yao. He was captured in the battle of Chencang. After surrendering to the Han army, he was transferred to serve in the scout team.  He trained extremely hard on the Xihai Plateau, which left a deep impression on Pound.  Pang De opened Wei Jin's map and asked calmly for a while: "Why do you want the soldiers to give up resistance when they are surrounded?" Wei Jin clasped his fists and said: "Report to the general, my humble position and subordinates are scouts, and the duty of the scouts is to detect the enemy's movements.  , understand the terrain, be familiar with the enemy's deployment, perhaps eliminate the enemy's spies, show off the courage of an ordinary man to resist in vain, die in a remote place, and lose all his military knowledge in the mountains, this is by no means a competent scout, nor a qualified general." Pang Dexian.  Xu nodded and asked: "Then what information do you have to report?" "General Qi, Beizhi was imprisoned in Gaoping County. He witnessed the evacuation of Wuhuan old and weak women and children. I heard that they were going to Sanshui County. Beizhi came back.  When passing by Muxia Pass, I found that the garrison inside the pass had changed a lot. "What changes?" Pang De asked with interest.  "When I was first escorted through the pass, the three beacon towers and the Great Wall were deserted, and I couldn't see a single soldier. But when I came back, I found that heavy troops had been stationed in the same place. From this, it can be inferred that the Wuhuan people had no intention of surrendering.  , Prepare to fight us decisively based on the dangerous terrain! " "Then why did the Wuhuan people send you back and write a humble letter of peace?" Pound asked, shaking the document in his hand.  Wei Jin sneered and said: "Because the general didn't know something. The person who wrote the letter was a commoner of the chief. When he was interrogating me, I felt that he was indecisive and difficult to make a decision. He wanted to protect his own interests at the minimum cost, and  The leader of the army is his son Chi Ning, but he is a hard-line fighter. He and his father have different opinions on the Han army. "How do you know that they have different opinions on the Han army?"  At that time, Chi Ning was called to give a warning at the pass. Beizhi heard Chi Ning scolding his father for being weak. He was speaking in Xiongnu language, thinking that Beizhi couldn't understand it. But in fact, Beizhi could understand the Xiongnu language completely, but Beizhi  After being captured, he never showed that he could speak Hun language, so he got a lot of useful information. " Pang De laughed and gave a thumbs up: "Even the captives are spying on information. This is a qualified scout.  , You have done nothing wrong to be captured this time!" Wei Jin was overjoyed and bowed, "Thank you for your kindness, general!" "I am not a benevolent person, I am just talking about the matter, you don't need to thank me." Pang De said after a while.  "Since Wuhuan has deployed heavy troops at Muxia Pass, which is indeed not conducive to our cavalry attack, I will write a letter and you will rush to Chang'an immediately, hand this letter to His Highness the King of Han, and report to him in person the information on how to stabilize Wuhuan.  ." Wei Jin nodded, "I am willing to serve the general!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 812 The Little Man¡¯s Plan

    Wei Jin led ten of his men to rush all the way to Chang'an. The next morning, Wei Jin led the scout cavalry team to arrive at Quai County. Quai County is the southernmost county of Anding County. After passing Quai County, they entered Jingzhao County.  In the area, they did not stop at the county seat, but passed directly through Quaigu County and continued to gallop south for less than five miles. When Wei Jin and others reined in their horses, they saw a large group of soldiers appearing dozens of steps away across the official road, holding weapons.  The military crossbow blocked their way. After a moment, an officer rushed over and asked sternly: "Who are you?" Wei Jin saw that the other party was also a Han army, so he quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands and said: "We are General Pang's subordinates, hurry up  Chang'an reported the military situation to the King of Han." The officer looked at them and asked, "What evidence is there?" Wei Jin took off his military badge and threw it over. The officer then looked at it and said to his subordinates, "Collect their weapons."  , Take them to the King of Han's tent. " Only then did Wei Jin know that the King of Han was in Qiugu County. He was nervous and expecting, so he ordered his men to turn in their weapons and followed the soldiers southward. Soon they  Then they entered the military camp area. The overwhelming tents stretched for dozens of miles, and there were at least tens of thousands of troops. They came to a huge and heavily guarded tent, which was the king's tent. The patrol soldiers handed them over to the guards of the King of Han.  After another strict body search, the guards led Wei Jin towards the tent door.  In the big tent, there is a huge sand table, each three feet long and wide, composed of four small sand tables. Liu Jingzheng, Jia Xu, Fazheng, Zhao Yun, Zhang Ren and other senior civil and military officials stood in front of the sand table to discuss the military situation.  Liu Jing received news from Pound a few days ago that thousands of Hu Qi crossed Liupan Mountain and entered Guanzhong to kill and rob. This was a situation that had never happened after the Battle of Guandu. When Cao Cao controlled Guanzhong, Hu Qi never  He dared to enter Guanzhong. Now that his Han army controlled Guanzhong, Hu Qi dared to cross the border and kill people. This made Liu Jing extremely angry, and it also gave him an excuse to send troops.  After ordering Pang De to dispatch 6,000 cavalry, he personally led 80,000 troops towards Xiaoguan. He wanted to use this opportunity to control Xiaoguan in one fell swoop and form an offensive in the direction of Anding County.  At this time, Jia Xu was holding a wooden pole in his hand and was introducing to everyone the distribution of the Hu Qi forces in the pass. "From the north of Guanzhong to Shuofang County, there are mainly three major Hu forces, the Xiongnu forces, the Wuhuan forces and the Qiang Di forces.  In addition, the Jie people, Xianbei people and some Tuyuhun people are small forces, mainly dependent on the Xiongnu, so they can be ignored. " "I wonder how to divide their sphere of influence?" Liu Jing asked again.  Jia Xu smiled slightly and said, "Their sphere of influence is very unique. It is called Shuanghuan Yidian. The so-called 'point' refers to Shuofang County in the west. This is the territory of the Qiang and Di people. They are relatively independent and basically have no relationship with the Huns and Wuhuan.  "The exchanges are closely related to the Qiang Di people in Hexi and Longxi." Liu Jing nodded, "Let's talk about the situation in the two rings." "The two rings are actually the Wuhuan people and the Huns. The Wuhuan people are in the inner ring.  Distributed between Anding County, Shangjun and Beidi County, it was the first encirclement of the Han army heading north. The Wuhuan people were composed of more than twenty tribes, of which three tribes were larger, and one was the Anding Wuhuan tribe, whose chieftain  They are called Bian Shu; the other is the Wuhuan tribe in Beidi County, and the chief is Luo Jin; the third one is the Wuhuan tribe in Shangjun, which is the main force of the Wuhuan people. The leader is Wuhuan King Lu Xi. The Wuhuan tribe has the largest combined force.  Four or five people are really dwarfed by the Huns." Jia Xu pointed to the north with a wooden pole and continued: "The Wuhuan people are nothing to worry about. The key is the Huns. The Huns are among the two rings.  Dahuan, with a population of at least one million in the Central Plains, is distributed in the northern parts of Shuofang, Hetao, Anding County, Beidi County and Shangjun, as well as the Bingzhou area north of Taiyuan. The Central Plains Huns were commanded by the left and right kings, Liu Bao, the left and right king.  , controls the vast territory north of Taiyuan, and the Xiongnu force we have to face this time is Youxian King Qubei. During the Li Jie Rebellion, Qubei and the Baibo bandit commanders Li Le, Han Xian, Hu Cai and others  The Emperor Wei was given the surname Liu for his merits, and was also called Liu Qubei. He had hundreds of thousands of troops and more than 100,000 armored cavalry. He was brave and powerful in battle. He was our formidable enemy. " Jia Xu pointed his wooden pole at the outside of the Great Wall.  Sheyanze said: "Currently, there are two tents of Youxian King Liu Qubei. One is in Sheyanze, called the winter tent, and the other is in Hetao, called the summer tent. It is the end of May. Logically, they should  We have returned to Hetao, but the situation in the pass is tense. Maybe Liu Qubei is still in Sheyanze." Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "Whether we take the Xiaoguan Road or the Luoshui Road, we have to face the Wuhuan people first.  In order to prevent Guanzhong from being empty after we sent out troops, and Hu Qi to take advantage of it from other roads, I decided to implement a defensive counterattack strategy. First, I captured Xiaoguan and established a strong defense in Xiaoguan. Then I took the Luoshui Road and attacked Wuhuan in Shangjun.  Wang Zhuli." Zhao Yun said from the side: "The key now is to understand Xiao Guan's situation."As soon as the sound fell, the guard reported outside the tent: "Your Highness, General Pang De sent scouts to report the military situation." Liu Jing laughed, "I just wanted to sleep when a pillow came over. General Pang is very considerate of us.  Well!" Everyone laughed, and Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Bring them in!" After a moment, Wei Jin hurriedly walked into the tent, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "Wei Jin, the scout army, came to see His Highness the King of Han, and came here on the order of General Pang.  Send the letter and ask His Highness to read it." He took out the letter scroll and presented it with both hands. A guard took the letter scroll and handed it to Liu Jing. Liu Jing unfolded the scroll and read it hastily. He looked at the scout again and said with a smile.  "Are you the captured scout mentioned in the letter?" Wei Jin had a look of shame on his face, clasped his fists and said, "I am in a humble position and failed to detect information. Unfortunately, I was captured by the Wuhuan cavalry. The Wuhuan chief and his common people were afraid of the Han army.  , and sent us back." "But General Pang's letter praised you very much, saying that you were an excellent scout for going deep into the tiger's den to investigate the enemy's situation." "General Pang is too honored to be held in such low position."  He took a moment and said calmly: "General Pang always has something to say and never lies. You don't need to explain anymore. Tell me about the situation of Xiaoguan and Anding Wuhuan. General Pang said you know it very well." Wei Jin was moved in his heart. This was obvious.  It was Pang De who recommended himself in front of the King of Han. He thought for a moment and then clearly told Liu Jing and the senior officials present what he saw and heard before and after he was captured.  Liu Jing nodded in admiration. What Pang De said was true. This man was indeed a talent. He was rare in both civil and military affairs. He was from a famous family in Jingzhao. He once served as Zhong Yao's subordinate and joined the army. He was highly valued by Zhong Yao. Such a talent could only serve  It was a pity to be a military lord. Liu Jing could not help but cherish his talents. He pointed at the sand table and said with a smile: "Complete what you know about Xiaoguan's situation on the sand table!" "Follow the order!" Wei Jin arrived.  In front of the sand table, he once served as Zhong Yao's tent and joined the army, so he was very familiar with the sand table. He moved quickly and carefully, using flags and clay soldiers to mark the sand table one by one. It was quickly completed. Liu Jing stepped forward and picked up the wood.  The pole pointed at several small blue flags in the north of Gaoping County and asked: "What are these?" "Reporting to Your Highness, these are the old and weak women and children of Wuhuan who moved north to Sanshui County. They are usually made of ox carts, clay figures and sheep.  I couldn¡¯t find these signs, so I had to use blue flags instead.¡± ¡°Did Zhong Yao use bullock carts, mud people, and sheep to mark the Hu people?¡± ¡°Yes! He doesn¡¯t like to use flags, so he uses small flags.  The small pottery man and pottery cart are very vivid, and you can tell at a glance. " Liu Jing nodded, "I like Zhong Yao's method very much, and I will consider using it in the future. Also, I want to know if you want to win.  "Xiaoguan, how should we use our troops?" Wei Jin was thinking about this issue along the way. He originally joined the army as a wartime adviser, and he was good at this. He pondered for a moment and said: "Although Xiaoguan is a dangerous fortress,  It is only for the Hu cavalry in the north, but it is not dangerous to the south. The key is that General Pang is a cavalry. It is really unrealistic to let the cavalry climb over the mountains. If it is an army that is good at climbing, it will be captured from the south.  It was easy for Xiao Guan. " "Tell me more about it!" Liu Jing handed him the wooden pole. At this time, Jia Xu, Zhao Yun and others also gathered around to listen to the low-level officer's talk.  Wei Jin pointed at the Great Wall at Xiao Pass with a wooden pole and said: "Xiao Pass actually refers to the defense line about 20 miles long from Muxia Pass, Wating Pass and Liupan Pass. It is also called the Three Passes. Because of the battle line  The Wuhuan people's troops are very scattered, and their troops are mainly concentrated on the three passes. If we attack the three passes, I suggest taking the Wating Canyon in the middle, first seizing the Wating Pass and exiting Liupan Mountain, outflanking the Wuhuan back road, and then  An army went north along the Great Wall, attacked Muxia Pass, and captured Pinggao County. The Wuhuan people's horses are sharp, but they may not be able to fight in the mountains. " When Wei Jin said this, everyone's eyes showed approval.  This person is indeed a good person, Liu Jing said with a smile: "It seems that Wei Junhou is a talented person to join the army." Wei Jin understood what Liu Jing meant, and quickly knelt down on one knee and said: "I used to serve under Zhong Yao and join the army, but I am determined to  I want to go into battle to kill the enemy, so I took the initiative to apply for the scout army, and I beg your highness to allow me to continue serving in the war army." "Of course you can!" Liu Jing said solemnly: "But the former army is rewarded based on military merit, and yours.  Talent has nothing to do with joining the army, do you understand?" "I understand, I am willing to work hard to get promoted." Liu Jing admired his integrity and said with a smile: "In that case, I will give you an important task. If you complete it well.  , I will promote you to the rank of deputy captain." Wei Jin was overjoyed, clasping his fists high and saying: "I am willing to go through fire and water for my humble position!" Liu Jing then ordered his people to find Deng Ai. After a while, a young and heroic general came in.  , it is Deng Ai, Deng Ai today??Twenty years old, he officially joined the army last year and served as a military prince. He went into the tent and knelt down on one knee to salute, "See His Highness the King of Han!"  Lieutenant, you two can lead twenty Eagle Strikers to Beidi County. Your mission is within the secret order. This matter is of great importance. You must be careful." Deng Ai and Wei Jin looked at each other and saluted together.  : "Obey the order!" The two stood up and left. Jia Xu looked at Deng Ai's back and said with a smile: "Such a dangerous task is entrusted to Deng Ai, isn't His Highness worried?" Liu Jing said lightly: "The Huns have a proverb,  An eagle that cannot fly high will always be inferior to others. I don¡¯t want him to become an eagle that cannot fly high.¡± Liu Jing then said to everyone: ¡°Now that we have the detailed information about Xiao Guan, we can go out to attack Xiao Guan.  Pass, quickly order Wang Ping, Liu Zheng and Ma Dai to come to the big tent to listen to the order!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 813 Attacking Wating

    Xiaoguan is located in today's Guyuan County, Ningxia. The Liupanshan Mountains lie across the northwest of Guanzhong and serve as its northwest barrier. The passage from Longshang into Guanzhong is mainly cut by rivers such as the Wei River and Jing River to form valley lowlands. Several huge canyons cross the Liupan Mountains.  Panshan became the main trade route to the Silk Road from the west, and it was also a convenient route for the northern nomads to enter Guanzhong.  Since the Qin Dynasty, the Central Plains Dynasty has built the Great Wall along Liupan Mountain for defense, and the famous Xiaoguan was formed from this.  Xiaoguan is not a pass, but refers to the Great Wall defense system from Muxia Pass to Liupan Pass, which is about 20 miles long. It is actually three points and one line.  A little to the south is Liupanguan, which consists of three passes: Guojin Mountain, Xiandi Mountain, and Longdong Plateau. Guanbao fortress was built, and beacons were built on high places.  The middle point is the Wating Gorge, which is also a huge canyon that traverses Liupan Mountain. The Qin Dynasty relied on the mountain to build a strong pass here called Wating Pass.  A little to the north is Muxia Pass, and outside the pass is Gaoping County. This is also where the Wuhuan army concentrated. These three passes are collectively called Xiao Pass, also known as San Pass.  Compared with the rugged and steep street pavilions in the south, Xiaoguan Valley Road is flatter and more convenient for caravans, cavalry and other animal-powered troops. Therefore, Xiaoguan Road has become as famous as Longguan Road as the two main roads out of the pass since ancient times.  Over the past decades, the Zahu people have continued to invade the south, and Xiaoguandao has gradually fallen into the hands of the Hu people. It has been controlled by the Xiongnu, Wuhuan and other nomadic peoples. Currently, Xiaoguandao is controlled by the Anding Wuhuan people.  Xiaoguandao is like a button on a piece of clothing, closely connecting the two pieces of clothing in Longxi and Guannai. It is precisely for this reason that the recapture of Xiaoguan became the first step for the Han army to launch the Battle of Guanshuo.  However, over the past few decades, the Han and Hu spheres of influence have gradually stabilized. The Zahu forces to the north of Xiaoguan belong to the Zahu forces, and the Central Plains dynasty forces to the south of Xiaoguan. This division of spheres of influence has become a tacit understanding between the two sides and is recognized by both parties. It needs to be broken.  This kind of tacit understanding must be patiently waited for the opportunity to appear.  At this time, the Anding Wuhuan people crossed the border and harassed the residents of Guanzhong, killing people and looting money. They were cruel and brutal. This gave the Han army an excellent excuse to send troops.  Outside the Wating Canyon are rolling hilly slopes. The mountains gradually rise to the east. A solid Great Wall pass was built at the strategic point of the canyon mouth, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. In addition, a military city was built against the mountain. The military city  It is two miles long and one mile wide. The height of the city ranges from two feet seventy-eight feet to three feet sixty-seven feet. The city wall is one foot three feet thick, and the bottom is two feet six feet thick. It has watchtowers on top, dense battlements, and piers and platforms eight in size.  It has a pedestal and seven water channels and stands as a majestic town. This is the famous Wating City.  Wating City was built during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It was originally built to defend Wurong, so it was also called Wushi County. Later, Wushi County moved eastward, and Wating City became a pure military city. It is currently controlled by the Wuhuan people.  There are 500 soldiers stationed in the city, plus a thousand soldiers on the Great Wall, forming a rather tight defense system.  Since the Wuhuan chief and his common people sensed that the Han army was going north, the Wuhuan army, under the leadership of Chi Ning, stationed 7,000 troops at the Xiaoguan line to defend against the Han army's northward march.  That night, it was dark and windy, the moon was covered by dark clouds, and it was impossible to see the five fingers of one's hand. An army marched rapidly in the mountain road and canyon, heading towards Wating Pass several miles away.  This Han army has about 8,500 people, all of whom are directly under Liu Jing. Among them, Wang Ping leads 3,000 barbarians, Liu Zheng leads 500 eagle troops, and Ma Dai leads 5,000 cavalry. Their mission is to capture  Wating Pass and Wating City outside the Pass, and detoured north to intercept the Wuhuan Army.  Liu Zheng and his deputy Ren Ping led the 500 Eagle Attack Army first. Since the capture of Guanzhong, the Eagle Attack Army has been in a state of rest and recuperation. Although Liu Zheng was unwilling to calm down and pulled the 500 Eagle Attack Army to the Xihai Plateau for training for nearly a year,  A year without military operations still almost made Liu Zheng fall ill. Tonight, the Eagle Attack Army finally received its first mission in a year. Liu Zheng was ecstatic. He personally led 500 elite troops and rushed to Wating Pass.  The mission of the Eagle Attack Army is to seize Wating Pass and Wating City, and the subsequent battles will be left to the barbarians and cavalry. After crossing a ridge, countless bright spots appeared in front, forming a long line in the low night sky, that is  The Great Wall, the highlight is the torch lit by the Wuhuan people, and the place where the firelight gathers is the Watingguan Tower.  Wating Pass is actually part of the Great Wall. The city wall is two feet high. Outside the pass is a huge slope that slowly descends. There is a gap of tens of feet below the slope. The terrain is very dangerous. From inside the pass, it is basically level with the city wall.  You need to climb the two-foot-high Great Wall to capture the pass.  But soon, the Eagle Attack Army discovered that things were not that simple. A scout rushed over and reported in front of Liu Zheng: "General Qi, the situation at the pass has been found out." Liu Zheng immediately ordered: "Pay the account!  " Several soldiers quickly set up a double-layered marching tent behind the ridge. The four corners were tightly covered. Candles were lit in the inner tent, and the lightIt was revealed that a military blanket was spread in the inner tent, and a wooden model of a pass was placed on the blanket. There was a section of city wall on both sides, which was almost exactly the same as the Wating Pavilion.  Liu Zheng and Ren Ping sat cross-legged on both sides of the carpet, listening to the scout's report. The scout pointed at the model and said: "Although the wall at Guancheng is not high, there are a large number of enemy troops gathered on Guancheng. If you climb up the city, you will definitely  A fierce battle breaks out with the enemy. The enemy has an obvious advantage and we will suffer heavy losses." Liu Zheng thought for a moment and then asked: "What if we go up from the walls on both sides?" "Although there are not many soldiers on the walls on both sides, they are built on the mountains.  The mountain is very steep and steep, and the rocks are very round and difficult to climb. "How wide is the bottom of the city wall?" Ren Ping suddenly asked.  "About two to three feet." Liu Zheng nodded and said to the scout: "You retreat first!" The scout retreated. There were only Liu Zheng and Ren Ping in the inner tent. Liu Zheng sighed and said, "The key is that we didn't carry any  The siege ladder is surrounded by bare stones and there are no trees. You can only climb the city by ropes, but once discovered, the ropes can be easily cut. " Having said this, Liu Zheng glanced at Ren Ping again and asked tentatively.  : "What do you think?" "Don't go through Guancheng, go up from the walls on both sides!" Ren Ping's attitude was very clear, saying: "Although the mountains on both sides are steep, they are really nothing to our Eagle Attack Army, let alone  The key is that there is still a foothold above. As long as we have a foothold, we can easily go up to the city." Liu Zheng thought for a moment and decided: "Go up from the walls on both sides!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  On the top of the city, hundreds of Wuhuan soldiers are patrolling back and forth. Currently, there are a thousand soldiers stationed at Wating Pass, commanded by a thousand-man leader. They are divided into three squads and patrol the city wall day and night. Tonight  The night was particularly dark, which was a good opportunity for a sneak attack. Wuhuan soldiers were also extra vigilant and stepped up patrols in Guancheng.  It's just that they don't have enough troops to take care of all the more than ten miles of city wall. They can only patrol the city wall back and forth. On the mountainside of a mountain more than ten feet high, Ren Ping silently watched the movements on the city wall.  .  There were torches on the city wall, and the dim light illuminated the city wall. You could vaguely see the patrolling soldiers. Ren Ping quickly calculated that the patrolling soldiers would appear once every half a stick of incense. In other words, they had  The time for half a stick of incense is enough.  Ren Ping turned around and nodded to the two soldiers. The two soldiers immediately climbed up the rock. Both of them were rock climbing masters and were very light. They had sharp climbing steel claws on their hands and ropes on their backs. The two of them climbed toward the gecko.  They quickly climbed up the mountain. They chose a place where they could stop on the mountainside. They only had to climb another ten feet to reach the root of the wall. After a while, the two soldiers drove down the rock piles and threw the two ropes.  After coming down, Ren Ping led a hundred soldiers to quickly climb up the mountain. After a while, all the hundred soldiers climbed up the cliff and stood close to the city wall. At this time, a soldier quietly climbed down from the top of the city and reported in Ren Ping's ear:  "There are ten patrol soldiers in charge of this area. They patrol back and forth." Ren Ping quickly thought in his mind that it was easy to climb the city wall now, but how to kill ten patrol soldiers without letting them make any sound was the difficulty.  Although it seems difficult, it is not difficult for the soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army who possess unique skills.  Ren Ping called ten sharpshooters and said to them in a low voice: "In order, each of you is responsible for shooting down a sentry with a medicinal crossbow. They are not allowed to scream!" The chief minister nodded, "Follow the order.  !¡± The ten marksmen threw the rope loop, trapped the wall stack, and quickly climbed up. The ten marksmen quickly entered the ambush position, holding military crossbows, and waited patiently for the patrol soldiers to come. After a while, the ten patrols  The soldiers arrived in formation, and in the darkness, ten military crossbows were pointed at them coldly one after another.  At this time, Shi Chang said ¡®Shh!  ' With a sound, the ten patrol soldiers turned their heads almost at the same time. This was the opportunity. They just heard 'Click!  Click!  'The crossbow machine sounded, and ten poisonous crossbow arrows shot at the throats of ten sentries like lightning. The ten sentries covered their throats almost at the same time, and fell limply to the ground, without uttering a scream from the beginning to the end.  .  The chief gently wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was extremely nervous. He shouted lowly, and ten soldiers jumped up to the city. They moved quickly and agilely. They changed into the clothes of the Wuhuan soldiers and continued to line up at the top of the city.  On patrol, Ren Ping below saw that they had succeeded and gave orders in a low voice, and groups of soldiers began to climb up quickly.  A hole was opened in the city wall, and all five hundred Eagle Attack Army soldiers came in. They were all very skilled, climbed up the cliff, and continued to climb up the city wall. In less than half an hour, all five hundred soldiers climbed up.  city ??wall.  Hundreds of Han troops appeared on the city wall. They quickly lined up, holding light shields and war weapons.With swords drawn and murderous intent, Liu Zheng gave the order, "Let's go!" Five hundred Eagle Attack Army soldiers began to line up and run quickly towards Guancheng. Guancheng is a square urn city with a length of 20 feet and a width of 20 feet.  There were towers built on the front and rear gates of the city, with huge iron gates underneath. It was already the first watch, and the Wuhuan Army deployed 250 soldiers on the gate. There were torches all around, lighting up the gate.  daytime.  At this time, the soldiers on the city heard unusual noises in the pass, which seemed to be the braying of war horses. They suddenly became nervous and watched the situation below the city with all their attention. At this time, a cry of killing suddenly broke out from the north wall. Hundreds of Han soldiers  The soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army arrived in great numbers, causing chaos in Guancheng, "Damn!"  when!  when!  ¡¯ The siren rang through the night sky.  The Eagle Attack Army had not fought for more than a year, and their murderous spirit was full. They were overwhelming, killing the Wuhuan soldiers until they were crying and leaving corpses everywhere. They quickly occupied the city tower. Some soldiers turned the capstan of the city gate, and the city gate creaked.  Creaking open, Wang Ping saw that the city gate had begun. He waved his sword and shouted: "Fight in!" Three thousand barbarian soldiers shouted and followed Wang Ping into the city gate. They were like a raging tide, rushing out of their sleep.  Hundreds of other Wuhuan soldiers who woke up were quickly swallowed up.  In just a quarter of an hour, Guancheng fell into the hands of the Han army. At this time, five thousand cavalry also entered Guancheng under the leadership of Ma Dai. At this time, the Han army divided into two groups, and Wang Ping led 3,000 barbarian troops to attack.  They headed towards Muxia Pass, while Liu Zheng and Ma Dai led their troops out of Wating Pass and rushed towards Wating City outside the pass.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 814 The Fall of Xiaoguan

    The breakthrough of the Han army was at Wating Pass, but the main force of the Han army was at Muxia Pass, more than 20 miles away. The purpose of the Han army was simple, to capture Xiao Pass, but the prerequisite for capturing Xiao Pass was to defeat the troops entrenched in Xiao Pass.  The Wuhuan people, Muxiaguan is the stronghold of the Wuhuan people.  The Han army has passed Danzheng Gorge and entered the town in the garrison basin. The people in that town have fled and the town is full of dead bodies. After seven or eight days, the weather is hot and the air is filled with a pungent stench.  The town was no longer accessible to people. In order to prevent the plague from happening, Liu Jing ordered the entire town to be burned to the ground. The raging fire engulfed the town. The flames soared more than ten feet into the sky, and thick smoke rose straight into the sky.  Liu Jing stood on a small hill, watching the fire burning several miles away. His eyes turned to the towering mountains further away. The Great Wall meandered across the mountains, and a gap in the mountains was the famous wooden  Xiaguan, at this time, Jia Xu slowly stepped forward and said with a smile: "This fire will probably burn out the fighting spirit of the Wuhuan people." Liu Jing shook his head gently, "It is not enough to rely on the fire to pass the pass, but also  I need the cooperation from Watingguan. I hope they will not disappoint me. " "They are experienced generals and will not disappoint His Highness, but the Wuhuan people may disappoint His Highness." "Why?"  Liu Jing looked back at Jia Xu.  Jia Xu explained with a smile: "If the general is really sincere in asking for peace, he should come in person to apologize to His Highness before our army enters Danzheng Gorge, and reinstate the former Colonel Protecting Wuhuan. In that way, we can use the smallest force to protect the Wuhuan."  "Capture Xiaoguan and Anding County at the cost." Liu Jing stared at the distant mountains for a moment and said calmly: "To be honest, I don't want them to surrender. It seems that the Han Dynasty's Wuhuan Colonel was completely wrong, letting the Hu people go."  Autonomy, the final result is the separatism of the barbarians. The trend is already obvious. If I ignore it, in a few decades, the five barbarians will establish a country. Then it will be difficult to conquer them, so I want to take advantage of this time.  If you have the opportunity, use iron and blood to conquer them, completely disperse them, and integrate them into the Han people." Jia Xu pondered for a moment and said: "Wuhuan and Qiang Di may be able to do it, but the Xiongnu probably can't. After all, their roots are south of Yinshan Mountain.  On the grassland, the most is to defeat them and force them to retreat to the grassland. ""Take the first step!" Liu Jing took a deep breath and said. At this time, he saw a messenger standing not far away accompanied by guards.  , and asked: "What's the news over there at Wating Pass?" The messenger was sent by Liu Zheng. He quickly stepped forward and knelt down on one knee to salute: "Your Majesty, General Liu has captured Wating Pass and Wating Pass."  General Ma Dai led five thousand cavalry out of the pass and headed north, while General Wang Ping led three thousand barbarians northward along the Great Wall, ready to seize Muxia Pass. "What are the casualties?" Liu Jing asked again.  "Reporting to Your Highness, the Eagle Attack Army lost six people and wounded 21 people, all of which occurred during the attack on Wating Pass. However, Wating City did not encounter any resistance. Seeing that the gate was lost, the Wuhuan soldiers in the city abandoned the city and fled.  , our army annihilated more than 300 enemy troops and captured nearly 800 surrendered troops. "Liu Jing nodded. This battle was very good, so there was such a disparity in casualties. He smiled at Jia Xu again:  "Military advisor, I suddenly had an idea. Maybe we don't have to stop at Xiaoguan and can continue to go north." Jia Xu thought for a moment and said: "The reason why the casualty ratio is so disparate is that, on the one hand, the Eagle Attack Army is the elite of the Han army.  On the other hand, it is also related to the fact that the Wuhuan people are not good at offensive and defensive warfare. If the Wuhuan people use cavalry to fight against us, the situation will be different. Please don't be impatient, your highness, and you should proceed step by step. " "The military advisor is right, I am a little impetuous.  "Liu Jing accepted Jia Xu's advice. He calculated the time in his mind. The barbarians led by Wang Ping should have approached Muxia Pass by now. He was worried that Wang Ping had made a mistake, so he turned around and ordered: "Order Wu Ban to come.  See me!" Wu Ban commanded the five thousand heavy shield crossbow troops, which is helpful for support. After a moment, Wu Ban rushed over, cupping his fists and saluting, "See your highness!" Liu Jing ordered: "You can lead the five thousand heavy shield crossbow troops to bypass it.  Rush to Muxia Pass to support General Wang Ping, there must be no mistake!" "I obey your orders!" Wu Ban retreated, and he immediately led the five thousand heavy shield crossbow troops, bypassing the town from the trail and heading towards Muxia Pass.  Hurry up. The Han army has recruited 8,000 barbarians in Yinan. They are very good at mountain warfare, but for most of the time, they mainly serve as logistics soldiers, responsible for operating wooden oxen to transport food on the mountain roads, and they only participated in the battle once.  , when facing the Qiang soldiers in Hexi, five thousand barbarians led by Wang Ping had a fierce battle with the Qiang soldiers.  Today is the second time they directly participated in the battle. Also led by Wang Ping, three thousand barbarians shouldered the important task of capturing Muxia Pass. After occupying Wating Pass, Wang Ping led his army north along the Great Wall and rushed to more than 20  Muxiaguan inside and outside.  This section of the Great Wall was built during the Warring States PeriodIt was built by the Qin Dynasty in the Qin Dynasty to defend against the invasion of Guanzhong by the Xirong. After nearly five hundred years of erosion in the late Warring States and Qin and Han dynasties, the Great Wall has become dilapidated and the middle dozen miles of the Great Wall have collapsed. The army needs to fight on the rugged and steep mountain ridges.  March up.  At this time, the characteristics of the barbarian soldiers who were good at mountain warfare were vividly revealed. They ran all the way, as if they were walking on flat ground. At dawn, Wang Ping led three thousand troops and arrived at Muxia Pass. The army lay in wait.  Behind a pile of rubble and bricks, two miles ahead was the cutoff of the Great Wall. However, the enemy troops had arrived unexpectedly. A few miles away in the distance, a Wuhuan army of more than 2,000 people was marching along the Great Wall.  Come here quickly.  Wang Ping's mind changed quickly and he immediately guessed the whereabouts of this army. They should be rushing to Wating Pass for reinforcements. The beacon fire in Wating City had been lit last night. Apparently, Muxia Pass got the news. They are not good at night marching.  Then they waited for daybreak to rush for reinforcements.  The enemy troops were getting closer and closer. Wang Ping waved his hand back to signal the soldiers not to worry and wait for the enemy troops to enter the mountains. He whispered to his deputy Gu Duo: "You can lead a thousand brothers to go around the mountain ridge and intercept them.  Guduo nodded, retreated and waved: "Follow me, the first battalion!" He led a thousand soldiers to quickly run down the mountain, making a large circle and running towards the enemy's back.  Waiting for the enemy to approach, his two thousand barbarian soldiers prepared their bows and arrows, ready to attack.  This army was indeed sent by Chi Ning to reinforce Wating Pass. Although a beacon fire appeared on Wating City last night, there was no beacon fire in Guan City. This made Chi Ning very confused. There can only be two kinds of this.  Possibly, either Wating Pass was captured by the Han army with lightning speed and the defenders had no time to light the beacon fire, or the Han army conquered Liupan Pass further south and detoured from outside the pass to attack Wating Pass outside the pass.  Tingcheng.  But no matter what the possibility was, the Wuhuan Army could not march in the dark night, mainly because of the obstruction of more than ten miles of mountain roads. They could only wait for the sky to get slightly brighter before setting off to Watingguan, but they did not  Unexpectedly, we would encounter the Han army heading north halfway.  Two thousand Wuhuan troops had left the Great Wall and were marching hard amidst the collapsed rocks of the Great Wall. At this moment, the soldiers in front suddenly broke out into a commotion. They discovered the enemy troops hiding in the rocks, and only heard a bang  When the sound was heard, the barbarian Han army raised their bows and fired quickly, shooting thousands of arrows at the dense Wuhuan soldiers. Most of the barbarian soldiers were hunters, with accurate arrow skills, and they had received strict training from the Han army. The Han army had high-quality composite bows.  To make them more powerful, a burst of arrows shot through, killing and wounding hundreds of Wuhuan soldiers, and there was a sudden chaos.  They all turned around and retreated, but an enemy army came from behind and cut off their retreat. When Wang Ping saw that Gu Duo had led his army, he shouted, "Kill!" The two thousand barbarians shouted and waved.  The swords and spears rushed towards the Wuhuan soldiers, and the two sides started a fierce battle on the pile of rocks. On the city of Muxia Pass, Chi Ning stared blankly at the thick smoke rising into the sky in the distance. The smoke had drifted to Muxia Pass.  Above, the morning sun was blocked. In the sky, gray and black clouds rolled, as if the end was coming. All the Wuhuan soldiers were fearful. They were originally cavalry galloping in the wilderness, but now they are like eagles in despair.  Standing on Guancheng to resist the Han army from moving north.  Chi Ning sighed lowly. He kept dividing his troops to rescue Wating Pass, so that the defenders of Muxia Pass were less than 3,000. Once the main force of the Han army came to kill in large numbers, could he withstand it?  At this time, a soldier rushed over to report: "Report to the Young Chief, our troops who went to aid Watingguan were attacked by the enemy at the broken wall. They suffered heavy casualties and were almost unable to withstand it." Chi Ning was surprised.  , turned around and looked to the south. The broken wall of the Great Wall was only five or six miles away from here. If his army was defeated, wouldn't the Han army be there immediately? Just when he was confused, a soldier pointed at the city and shouted.  : "Look, there are enemy troops coming!" Chi Ning also saw that a Han army of thousands of people at the foot of the mountain was running towards Guancheng quickly. It was getting closer and closer. It was obvious that they were coming for reinforcements and were about to kill them.  When the Han army came to the city, Chi Ning felt a wave of fear, his sharpness was gone, and he wanted to retreat. He immediately shouted to his left and right: "Get ready to retreat!" The morale of the Wuhuan soldiers was low, and they had been waiting for this order for a long time, even though  Chi Ning only said, "Prepare to retreat," but thousands of Wuhuan soldiers on the top of the city descended from the city one after another and rushed to the Yangma City outside the pass. Nearly 10,000 war horses were kept in the Yangma City below the city.  In less than a day, most of the nearly three thousand soldiers retreated. There were less than a thousand soldiers on the top of the city. The soldiers shouted: "Young Chief, retreat quickly! Everyone is gone." At this time, the southern city wall  Countless deserters appeared on the mountain, hundreds of them. These were the remnants of the Wuhuan army that had been defeated by Wang Ping's army. Behind them, three thousand barbarian soldiers shouted and came towards Guancheng to cover up the enemy. At the same time, Wu Ban  The five thousand heavy shielded crossbowmen led by him alsoArriving at Guancheng, countless military crossbows were aimed at Guancheng.  The soldiers were in a panic, and several people rushed up to pull him, but before the soldiers could drag him, Chi Ning turned around and ran towards the city. In fact, he knew better than anyone else that if he didn't retreat, he would have no chance.  But Chi Ning never dreamed that five thousand Han cavalry had already circled outside Guancheng, formed a military formation in the wilderness, and were waiting with spears in hand. They cut off the Wuhuan soldiers' northward retreat.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 815 Xiongnu Ambition

    Tens of thousands of Wuhuan people, old and weak, women and children, led by the chief Biansu, dragged a long procession to evacuate north. Their destination was Sanshui County, 350 miles away, which was also controlled by the Wuhuan people.  A county town.  Although the journey was not far away, their marching speed was extremely slow. Horses were used to transport various supplies, old people supported each other, women held children, and there were sheep in the middle of the team. They traveled northward with difficulty for eight days, and they had not yet  When they arrived in Sanshui County, the team was exhausted. Tens of thousands of people were sitting in the wilderness to rest, but the common people were a little worried. He sent soldiers to Sanshui County two days ago to arrange food and accommodation, but so far the soldiers have not  Coming to reply made him feel inexplicably uneasy. Could it be that something happened in Sanshui County?  The only thing the border people are worried about is the Huns. Tens of thousands of old, weak, women and children are migrating without soldiers to protect them. To the Huns, they are just sheep without a pen. The Huns have been plotting against them for a long time. Will the Huns let this opportunity pass?  Woolen cloth?  Bian Shu regretted a little in his heart. He should not have retreated to Sanshui County, but to Shangjun. Although his relationship with Lu Xi was not very good, they were members of the same clan after all.  Drop them.  But the matter has come to this point, and there is no use regretting it. The common people can only think on the bright side. After all, they have to pay tribute to the Xiongnu 50,000 sheep every year. For the sake of the sheep tribute, the Huns will not embarrass him, and the Xiongnu  The tooth tent is thousands of miles away in Sheyanze, and even if Liu Qubei gets the news, he may not be able to rush over in time.  What¡¯s more important is that Bian Shu¡¯s eldest son Wu Xuan serves as a guard beside Liu Qubei. For this reason, Liu Qubei shouldn¡¯t go too far. Thinking of this, Bian Shu¡¯s heart is slightly relieved.  "Chief, there are troops coming from the north!" A soldier suddenly shouted.  Bian Shu was startled. He stood up and looked to the north. He saw a black line appearing in the wilderness more than ten miles away. It was overwhelming and there were tens of thousands of cavalry. Bian Shu suddenly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. What he was most worried about was  Things finally happened. The Hun cavalry arrived in time. They were not here to support him. They were wolves of the prairie. If they were swallowed by them, they would not even spit out their bones. The old and weak women and children in the team also became nervous.  People stood up one after another, and many women held their children and cried softly.  At this time, a group of Hun cavalry rushed over. The leading soldier pointed an arrow and shouted: "Is the chief of the common people here?" The common people hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "I am here!" "King Youxian is here, and I want you to go immediately.  See him." The concubine sighed in his heart, but did not dare not to go, so he had to get on his horse and lead a dozen guards to follow the cavalry and gallop north.  The large-scale deployment of troops in Guanzhong aroused Liu Qubei's vigilance. At this time, Wu Xuan received an alarm sent by his tribe using goshawks. Only then did Liu Qubei learn about the news of the Han army going north. He immediately led an army of 80,000 to the south quickly.  , blocking the Han army's attack on the fortress.  The Huns cavalry had suspended their actions and set up a large tent covering an area of ??two acres in the wilderness. Inside the tent, Liu Qubei was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. He was about forty years old, with a medium build and a huge head.  He had a big, messy beard and a pair of small eyes that were as sharp as knives.  Liu Qubei had been participating in the battles for hegemony among various princes in the Central Plains for a long time. He could speak fluent Chinese and was very familiar with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and others. In the first year of Jian'an, he also participated in pacifying the rebellion of Li Ji and was awarded the title of "Guardian of the Han Dynasty" for his meritorious service in protecting the Han Emperor.  He was given the surname Liu and was granted the title of General Zhenbei.  Liu Qubei also considered participating in the struggle for hegemony in the Central Plains, but because Cao Cao unified the north, he and Zuoxian Wang Liu Bao were defeated by Cao Cao. He finally gave up marching into the Central Plains and retreated to Heshuo in Guan Nei, stabilizing the power that the Xiongnu had gradually controlled over the past twenty years.  scope.  Since Cao Cao has been fighting in the south for a long time, he gradually reached a tacit understanding with the Huns. The eastern line is bounded by Taiyuan, and the western line is bounded by Liupan Mountain. The north of this line belongs to the Xiongnu's sphere of influence, and the south of this line belongs to Cao Cao's sphere of influence.  , in the past ten years, the two sides have never crossed the line, and Liu Qubei also recognized this division of forces.  However, as the southern power expanded northward, the Han army first broke the balance of Hu-Han forces in Longxi and Hexi. Liu Qubei felt that the threat was coming. Now the Han army finally sent troops from Xiaoguandao, which made Liu Qubei feel  I couldn't help but become nervous.  "It seems that the Wuhuan people are unreliable!" Liu Qubei said to himself, looking up at the tent roof.  Li Ling, Liu Qubei's counselor next to him, laughed and said: "If the wise king wants to take the opportunity to annex Wuhuan, I feel that now is not the time." Li Ling is the nephew of Dong Zhuo's counselor Li Ru. Li Ru escaped after Li Ji was defeated by Cao Cao.  He fled to Shangjun and lived in seclusion in the fields. Liu Qubei heard the news last year and came to invite him in person. However, Li Ru went far away and disappeared. He only met Li Ling, who had no talent. Although he was planning for a foreign race, Li Ling couldn't bear it.  He resisted the temptation of the mastermind and finally agreed to become Liu Qu's wife.?'s counselor.  He helped Liu Qubei plan military plans and manage internal affairs, which made Liu Qubei's power stronger day by day, and he was gradually able to compete with Liu Bao, the Xian King of Zuo. Li Ling really knew Liu Qubei, and he knew when he heard that the Wuhuan people were unreliable.  Liu Qubei was plotting against the Wuhuan people. These tens of thousands of old, weak, women and children were right in front of them. Of course Liu Qubei would not miss this opportunity.  However, Li Ling did not agree with Liu Qubei's attempt to eat the influence of the common people. When he saw Liu Qubei looking at him with confusion, he advised: "It's not difficult to eat the common people, but the consequences are very serious. Xian  Has the king considered the feelings of King Wuhuan?" Liu Qubei immediately understood what Li Ling meant. He hesitated and said, "Do you think Lu Xi will surrender to the Han army because of this?" Li Ling nodded, "If Chun died, then  Chi Han, if King Xian eats the border tribes, Lu Xi will think that the Xiongnu are the biggest enemy of the Wuhuan people. If Liu Jing takes the opportunity to win over the Wuhuan people again, the main Wuhuan tribe will definitely surrender to the Han army, and King Xian will pick up the Xiongnu.  If the loss is huge, it is better to wait a little longer. When Lu Xi is defeated by the Han army, we can use the excuse of rescuing Wuhuan to devour the Wuhuan people in one fell swoop. Then there will no longer be tens of thousands of old, weak, women and children. " Liu Qu.  He lowered his head and thought for a long time, and then said: "What if Lu Xi and the Biansu surrendered without a fight, I would have gained nothing."  The concubine's son Wu Xuan and Lu Xi's son Xili were kept by his side as hostages. Now that they are both in the hands of the wise king, do they still have to worry about the Wuhuan people surrendering? Moreover, the second son of the border concubine Chi Ning is warlike, and he will also encourage Wu Huan.  When Huanren and the Han army are fighting, if the wise king still feels uneasy, he can send a general to assist Lu Xi. It is to assist Lu Xi in name, but in fact it is to monitor. This way, Liu Qubei finally made up his mind.  , "I listened to your husband and sent my eldest son Liu Meng to lead an army of 10,000 to assist Lu Xi and force him to resist the Han army's march north." He then said to his left and right: "Let Liu Meng come to see me!" A soldier  He hurried away, and at this time, another soldier came to the tent door and reported: "Reporting to the wise king, the common people on the border ask for an audience." Liu Qubei originally wanted to imprison the common people on the border and take the opportunity to rob his women and children, but at this moment, he  After changing his mind, he said: "Bring him in!" Bian Shu hurried into the tent, Liu Qubei smiled and greeted him, hugging Bian Shu tightly, "I am relieved to see the chief safe!" Bian Shu said  The concubine shed tears and said: "Wuhuan Qingzhuang fought against Liu Jing's Northern Expedition at Xiaoguan. Women and children migrated here. I hope the King Xian will take pity on him." "I'm just here to support you. Don't worry! I will escort you to a safe area. I don't know.  Where does the chief want to go? How about going to Sheyanze? " Sheyanze is the home of the Huns. Going there is like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth. The common people dare to go there. He quickly said: "We plan to go to Sanshui County, or go east to Shangjun.  Join King Wuhuan. " "Sanshui County is shabby and small. It can't even defend against wolves. How can it resist the attack of the Han army? Don't go there. You can go to Shangjun. I will ask my eldest son Liu Meng to lead the army to escort you.  I personally led the army south to fight the Han army. "The people on the border were overjoyed that the Xiongnu did not swallow up his women and children. It was an unexpected surprise. He quickly saluted and said, "Everything will be obeyed by the wise king." Liu Qubei Yinyin.  He smiled and said to his eldest son Liu Meng who was standing aside: "You can lead 10,000 Dugu warriors to escort the old and weak Wuhuan people to Shangjun to seek refuge with Lu Xi. Then you will stay in Shangjun and assist the Wuhuan people in resisting the Han army's march north. Do you hear that?  ?" Liu Meng had no choice but to bow and say: "I understand!  " In the afternoon, Liu Meng led 10,000 cavalry to guard Wuhuan's tens of thousands of old, weak, women and children and began to evacuate eastward, heading toward Shangjun hundreds of miles away, while Liu Qubei led tens of thousands of cavalry to continue southward, but this time he let go  Slowing down, he did not really want to fight a decisive battle with the Han army, but watched the battle between the Han army and the Wuhuan people. Then he waited for the opportunity. Two days later, Liu Qubei led his army about a hundred miles away from Xiaoguan.  A large camp was set up in a wilderness. Chi Ning led thousands of Wuhuan troops to encounter continuous Han cavalry attacks as they fled north, losing most of their troops. In the end, only more than a thousand people escaped the Han army's interception. They followed Chi Ning like a panicked dog.  They fled toward Shangjun. The Han army then occupied Xiaoguan and captured more than 4,000 Wuhuan soldiers, nearly 10,000 horses, and more than 100,000 cattle and sheep. At the same time, they also occupied Gaoping County, but the Han army did not continue to attack.  Instead of marching north, Liu Jing renovated and strengthened the defense of Xiaoguan. Liu Jing accepted Jia Xu's advice, worked step by step, fought steadily, and sent dozens of scout teams to the north to find out information. After all, the most powerful enemy in the north of Saibei was not Wuhuan, but Wuhuan.  They were the powerful Huns, as well as the Qiang and Di people who were entrenched in Beidi County like poisonous snakes. The Han army could not allow any mistakes. Because the Han army launched a campaign to capture Xiaoguan, it had a great impact on the surrounding residents.  Affected by the epidemic, more than 2,000 households of Han people and Sinicized Wuhuan people who made a living by farming did not follow the border people to retreat northward, but chose toDidn't want to stay.  But the dark clouds of war have shrouded the interior of the Pass. Han people and Sinicized Wuhuan people outside the Pass are flocking to Xiaoguan. Every day, a large number of people help the elderly and children enter Xiaoguan and flee to Guanzhong.  Liu Jing stood on the city wall with his hands behind his hands, looking at the endless stream of refugees fleeing into the city. He had an ominous premonition in his heart. It was very likely that the Huns had already moved out. At this time, a group of scout cavalry rushed from the north.  After coming, he rushed to the gate of the city and shouted: "Your Highness, I have discovered the enemy situation of the Huns!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 816 The first battle with the Huns

    The scouts entered Guancheng and reported with courtesy: "Your Highness, the main force of the Huns was found sixty miles away, with about 60,000 to 70,000 cavalry. However, they did not go south, but instead set up camp." This news.  It was a bit beyond Liu Jing's expectation. He didn't expect the Huns cavalry to come so quickly. Just after they captured Xiao Pass, the Huns army appeared. At this time, Liu Jing suddenly remembered something and quickly asked her left and right, "Have Ma Dai's cavalry come back?"  "Reporting to your highness, he led his army to pursue the Wuhuan people, but he has not returned yet." Liu Jing immediately took an arrow and handed it to the scout, "Go find General Ma Dai and order him to return to the army immediately. No more."  "Fight the enemy." "Follow the order!" The scout commander took the arrow and ran quickly towards the city. Liu Jing looked at a group of scouts running away to the north, feeling a little worried. He pondered for a moment and said to the guards around him:  "Go quickly and invite Military Advisor Jia." After a while, Jia Xu hurried over and bowed: "See Your Highness!" "Military Advisor, please excuse me." Liu Jing then told Jia Xu the information that the scouts had discovered the main force of the Huns army.  Jia Xu frowned slightly. He did not expect the Huns cavalry to arrive so quickly. He thought for a while and said: "I dealt with this Liu Qubei twenty years ago. Although this man is a barbarian, he is still a barbarian."  He had been living in the Central Plains for a long time, and he knew the situation very well in the Central Plains. He was very cunning and always put profit first in everything. After he was escorted and granted the title, Cao Cao ordered him to pursue the remnant troops of Li Chao, but he refused because he was short of troops because Li Chao was carrying heavy supplies.  It has been obtained by Cao Cao, and there is no profit in pursuing Li's remaining troops. He is stationed sixty miles away, and I am afraid that he is also looking for his own best interests. "Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "What the military counselor actually means is that Liu Qubei.  Do you want to take advantage of him?" Jia Xu nodded slowly, "That must be the case. He will not send troops until we and the Wuhuan people are both defeated. At that time, he will not only deal with us, but also annex the Wuhuan people.  He is also afraid that the Wuhuan people will surrender to us, so he supervises the battle sixty miles away. Once the Wuhuan people want to surrender, he will immediately attack Wuhuan. If I am not mistaken, he must have sent his confidants to monitor Wuhuan.  People." Liu Jing stared at the north and said with some worry: "I am very worried about Ma Dai and his cavalry. They have not returned from chasing the remnants of Chining. If they are detected by the Xiongnu patrol, the Huns will not give in so easily.  When they come back, I have to go to meet Ma Dai. " "You can go to meet Ma Dai, but your highness can't be in danger. You can let Pang De lead the cavalry to meet him." Liu Jing nodded and immediately turned around and ordered: "Go to Pang De quickly.  See me!" Ma Dai led five thousand cavalry to intercept the Wuhuan people in Xiaoguan as they fled north. Although he set up three interception lines, more than a thousand cavalry broke through his three interception lines and fled toward Shang County, including  The leader of the Wuhuan people, Chi Ning, and Ma Dai were unwilling to give up and led his army to pursue them all the way to the northeast. They pursued them for more than a hundred miles and killed more than 400 enemies. It was already late at this time and the Han army was not familiar with the road conditions, so Ma Dai finally gave the order.  Stop the pursuit.  Night had fallen quietly, and five thousand cavalry rested by a small river for the night. They came from Wating Pass, intercepted and pursued them all night and day. The men and horses were already exhausted. The soldiers wrapped themselves in blankets and fell asleep, while the horses stood beside their masters.  It quietly gnaws the grass on the ground, or falls asleep with its owner.  But Ma Dai couldn't sleep. He sat cross-legged by the river and looked at a map under the bright moonlight. They were pursuing the enemy too far and it was difficult to find their way back. This area was crisscrossed with ravines, many forks, and the terrain was very complex.  , and he was not familiar with the terrain in this area, which made him really worried. The dry food they carried was only enough to last for one day. Once they got lost, they might not be able to return to Xiaoguan for several days, and his army would face the threat of running out of food.  .  Of course, when the situation is difficult, they can kill horses to tide over the difficulties, but as cavalry, the horses are their brothers. No one is willing to kill their brothers to satisfy their hunger unless they can find supplies in time. Ma Dai sighed helplessly, and the horse in his hand  The map was too simple, so they simply drew a route that led to Xiao Pass in a winding way. But in fact, they faced countless roads, all of which seemed to go south. Which one led to Xiao Pass?  Ma Dai folded up the map and looked around again. They seemed to be under a huge sky, with a bright moon hanging on the blue sky. Ma Dai thought to himself, "They must find a guide."  OK.  ' In the early morning of the next day, before dawn, several scouts brought a Wuhuan herdsman and more than a hundred sheep. "General, we found this man by the river in front." Ma Dai was overjoyed and had more than a hundred sheep.  The soldiers could barely replenish their food, and more importantly, with a guide, he immediately ordered the scouts to bring the herdsmen up. The herdsmen were so frightened that they trembled all over and knelt on the ground and kowtowed to beg for their lives. Ma Dai said to him gently: "We won't  It will hurt you, just tell us which way to go to Gaoping County?¡± ?The citizen pointed tremblingly at a ravine on the other side of the river, "Just keep walking along that way, and you can go to Gaoping County. There are no side roads." Ma Dai was overjoyed and ordered his left and right: "Give him a horse and let him go."  Huan herdsman was sent out of the army camp. He rode up to a mountain col and watched the Han soldiers slaughtering and skinning sheep. He was so angry that his eyes were about to spit fire. He turned his horse's head and galloped away to the west. Noon  At that time, Ma Dai led the cavalry to an abandoned county town. This is Guyuan County. The county town has been abandoned for several years.  At the foot of the mountain, when he found the old city of Guyuan, Ma Dai knew that they were only fifty miles away from Xiaoguan. With this county as a reference, he knew where to go without looking at the map.  After resting for half an hour, Ma Dai got on his horse and his opponent ordered: "Speed ??up the horse and go back to Xiaoguan for dinner!" The soldiers got on their horses one after another, urging the horses to gallop south. The dust was flying, covering the sky and the sun, but  They had only run for more than ten miles. On a huge hill a few miles ahead, countless small black spots suddenly appeared. Then, dense black spots also appeared on both sides of the hill. They were cavalry. Ma Dai recognized them immediately.  , he waved his hand and shouted: "Stop moving forward!" Five thousand Han cavalry stopped their horses one after another, pulling on the horse's reins uneasily. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that there were at least 10,000 cavalry on the opposite side. At this time, Ma Dai recognized  After raising the opponent's wolf-headed banner, he immediately shouted: "It's the enemy, prepare to fight!" The cavalry Ma Dai encountered was the left wing of the Huns, a Jie tribe cavalry with about 13,000 people.  The Jie people are a branch of the Huns, and they are also the slave army of the Huns. They look slightly different from the Huns, and have obvious Caucasian characteristics. They have high noses and deep eyes, and most of them have beards.  The Jie people were deeply oppressed by the Huns, but this also formed their brutal national character. They liked robbery and adultery the most. They were appointed by Liu Qubei as the left wing. They had relatively free movement, so they took the opportunity to look for Han or Wuhuan people everywhere.  Villages, killings and looting.  The leader of this Jie people cavalry is named Shi Tan, who is about thirty years old. He is the son of the chief of the Jie people tribe. His face is covered with scars and he is extremely fierce. He can kill countless people with a fifty-pound sword.  An hour ago, Shi Tan got a Wuhuan herdsman who came to report that a Han army cavalry was coming from the east. There were only a few thousand people. Shi Tan made a prompt decision and led his 13,000 troops to the Han army.  Intercept on the only way.  Shi Tan immediately stood on the hill and looked coldly at the Han cavalry several miles away. The number was less than half of his own. Shi Tan sneered contemptuously and said to the dozen generals around him: "It's strange that the Central Plains people actually  There are also cavalry, are they farming cavalry? " A dozen Jie generals burst into laughter. Shi Tan took off the huge horn hanging on his horse, raised his head and blew it, "Woo¡ª¡ª" followed by dozens of horns.  The horn sounded, the sound of the horn echoed in the wilderness, and the Jie cavalry suddenly launched. Thirteen thousand cavalry attacked from three directions. Thousands of horses galloped, the earth trembled, dust covered the sky and the sun, and they attacked the Han cavalry like a violent storm.  swept across.  Ma Dai has commanded the Xiliang cavalry for many years and also has rich cavalry experience. If he were an ordinary cavalry general, when the enemy took the initiative to attack, he would most likely use bows and crossbows to block the attack. This was a consistent tactic of the Han army, but Ma Dai  But he can decide tactics based on the actual situation.  Ma Dai did not order the use of crossbows. The enemy troops came in three directions. The attack area was too large, and their troops were at a disadvantage. If they used crossbows, although they could partially kill the enemy troops, the Han army would be strongly attacked by the cavalry.  , for an army without chariots as obstacles, being attacked by powerful cavalry is an extremely terrifying thing.  In this case, the best tactic is to attack the opponent at the same time and fight head-on. Ma Dai raised his sword and shouted: "Cavalrymen of the Han Army, this is the moment to protect your glory. Let the enemy be defeated by our battle and horse hooves."  Tremble!" Ma Dai yelled at the top of his lungs: "Kill!" Five thousand Han troops raised their spears and roared, "Kill!" The shouts went straight into the sky, and the Han cavalry launched an unstoppable attack on the enemy.  , the two cavalrymen were getting closer and closer, and they collided in an instant. The horses rushed forward like the wind, charging and slashing fiercely, as violent as a storm. The iron spears and swords stabbed the iron helmets, making a harsh sound, crying.  Howls and screams suddenly started.  The Han cavalry was like an iron sword, cutting a bloody path among the densely packed enemy troops. The Han cavalry was extremely brave, trampling everything on the bloody path, overwhelming everything, and invincible. It split the Jieren cavalry in two and  Rush to the wolf-headed banner in the center of the enemy army, capture the thief first, capture the king first, kill the enemy's general, or defeat the enemy's central army. This is the best way to fight more with less.  Shi Tan was not under the banner of Langtou. He had expected that the Han army would attack the banner, kill him and win. When the charge broke out, he retreated to the end of the team. At this time, Shi Tan narrowedWatching the Han army charging, the pride in his eyes could not be concealed. The Han army rushed towards the Chinese army, playing right into his heart.  Shi Tan raised his horn again and blew loudly, ¡®Woo!  Woo¡ª¡ª' This was an order for the two armies to attack from a flank. The left and right wings of the Jieren cavalry were like two giant scorpion stings, fiercely attacking the Han army left and right.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 817 Jie Ren Cavalry

    Ma Dai took the lead and cut a bloody path with his sword until he was under the wolf-headed banner. An enemy general under the banner brandished an iron rod and hit Ma Dai head-on. Ma Dai was overjoyed when he saw that the enemy general was wearing a golden helmet.  This should be the enemy general.  He swung his long knife, and the tip of the knife used the force to push away the direction of the iron rod. The big knife immediately slashed along the iron rod, and the light of the knife flashed, 'Pfft!  ¡¯ Blood spurted out, the enemy general¡¯s head was chopped off more than ten feet away, and his body fell down from his horse.  Ma Dai clamped the horse's belly between his legs, turned over and slashed at the flag with his sword. The sword was sharp and the flagpole was split into two pieces with a 'click' sound. The three-foot-high wolf-headed flag fell crashing down. He killed the general and chopped the flag in one go, but Ma Dai did not  He did not see the enemy's chaos as expected. On the contrary, the enemy's offensive became more and more fierce. He suddenly felt uneasy. Could it be that the golden-helmeted general he killed was not the enemy's commander?  At this moment, one of his subordinates pointed at the enemy and shouted: "General, look!" Ma Dai also saw it. Another wolf-headed banner appeared behind the enemy, and there was a golden-helmeted general under the banner.  , he suddenly realized that he had fallen into a trap. What they had just killed was not the enemy's central army, but a false flag. The real central army was behind, hundreds of steps away, and could not be killed at all.  At this time, Lieutenant General Leng Bao came up and shouted: "General Ma, there are too many enemy troops and we are surrounded." Ma Dai also saw the enemy troops closing in on both sides and killing them. If they continue to fight, they will eventually defeat them all.  When the army was destroyed, Ma Dai immediately ordered Leng Bao: "Lead the army and follow me to break out!" Leng Bao immediately ran back to rectify the army and horses. At this time, Ma Dai led hundreds of elite cavalry to the southeast where the enemy's army was weakest.  Like an iron fist, they killed the enemy soldiers and finally broke through a gap. Thousands of Han cavalry had received the order to break out. They followed Ma Dai's front army and broke out of the enemy encirclement with galloping horses.  , withdrew to the east.  Ma Dai led the Han cavalry to rush out for more than ten miles in one breath and rushed to the abandoned Guyuan County. They rushed directly into the county seat. Fortunately, both city gates were well preserved. Ma Dai commanded the soldiers to quickly install the gates.  Insert the latch with a long, thick piece of wood.  Leng Bao led two thousand soldiers to the top of the city. He ordered the soldiers to hide behind the battlements, ready with their bows and crossbows raised, and patiently waited for the Jie cavalry that was getting closer and closer.  Seeing that the Jie people's cavalry were about to rush to the city gate, Leng Bao suddenly shouted, "Shoot!" Two thousand soldiers appeared together, and two thousand arrows shot at the Jie people's cavalry like a rainstorm. Hundreds of enemy troops rushed in front.  Unprepared, they were shot and fell to the ground, causing numerous casualties. Seeing that the situation was not good, the cavalry behind them reined in their horses, turned around and retreated out of the range of the Han army's crossbows.  Under the city, Ma Dai directed his soldiers to carry huge stones to block the east and west gates. Fortunately, although the houses in the city were burned down, the county wall was still intact and there was no large-scale damage. Except for the two city gates, it was the northeast corner.  The city wall collapsed, revealing a gap more than twenty feet wide. A tooth general led five hundred soldiers to defend the gap.  At this time, Ma Dai had already counted the number of people, and his mood suddenly became heavy. In a fierce battle with the enemy, he actually lost 1,400 brothers. There were still more than 3,500 cavalry in the city, and the enemy  The losses were not much, less than 2,000 by visual inspection. In a fierce battle, both sides suffered similar losses, but the base of the Han army was very small, with more than 1,400 casualties, which was close to a 30% ratio, while the opponent had almost no  Affected.  Ma Dai was extremely upset. You must know that he was leading elite cavalry and was the Yamen Army of the King of Han. How could he explain such heavy losses to the King of Han?  Zhao Qian, who joined the army, comforted him and said: "The situation may not be that bad. At that time, brothers broke out in several places. There were 3,500 people on our side. It is very likely that brothers broke out elsewhere, and we had not fought half of the enemy troops.  "In fact, Ma Dai also felt that there would be soldiers breaking out from elsewhere, but he always felt that it was his responsibility and was unwilling to take any chances. He sighed: "No matter what, I will fight this battle.  We shouldn't show off our bravery, we should retreat directly to Guyuan Old City, the casualties will be much smaller." "It's useless for the general to blame himself now that the situation has come to this point. Let's just try to defend the old city!" Ma Dai be silent!  He nodded, and at this moment, a soldier came to report: "General Qi, the enemy has moved to the northeast corner." Ma Dai was shocked. The enemy must be planning to enter the city from the collapsed city wall in the northeast corner.  He ignored his annoyance and immediately galloped towards the northeast corner.  The Jieren cavalry did not carry ladders and other siege weapons, and even if they brought ladders, if the horses could not rush into the city, it would still be meaningless to them. Of course, the Jieren cavalry also had a choice, or they could wait for the Han cavalry to run out of food and water.  Either fight your way out, or they find a way to fight their way into the city.  Shi Tan chose the latter. He didn¡¯t know the food and fodder situation of the Han army¡¯s cavalry, and he didn¡¯t know how many days the Han army could last.?More importantly, this place is only dozens of miles away from Xiaoguan. He knew that a part of the Han cavalry broke out to the south and was likely to attract reinforcements. He must annihilate this small cavalry as soon as possible. Once successful, what would happen to the Han cavalry?  His tribe will be greatly benefited.  Shi Tantan has received news from spies that a section of the northeast corner of the city wall has collapsed, which is more than 20 feet wide, and there is no moat. They can definitely rush in.  Shi Tan immediately led 6,000 cavalry to the northeast corner of the city. He was very cunning. He still maintained offensive pressure at the east and west gates, preventing the Han army on top of the city from concentrating its forces on the northeast corner for defense.  The collapse of the city wall in the northeast corner has become the focus of a fierce battle between the two armies. The Han army gathered 1,500 soldiers to defend the collapse, led by General Ma Dai himself. At this time, the Han army had inserted thousands of spears into the wall.  In the ground in front of the gap, the spear tip was tilted outward, forming a spear thorn. This was a method to defend against stealing camps when setting up camp, and was used by the Han army to defend the gap.  Zhao Qian suggested to Ma Dai: "General, it is better to block the gap with stones so that the enemy cavalry cannot pass." Ma Dai had rich experience in cavalry offensive. He shook his head, "There are no big stones in the city, they are all fine stones.  On the contrary, it is easy to form a slope, which is convenient for the cavalry to rush down from high places, which is not good for our defense." Zhao Qian had to give up this idea, but Ma Dai smiled and said: "You can use dry food bags to fill the soil and make a bunker in the gap, which will be beneficial to us.  Shooting with bows and arrows." He ordered hundreds of soldiers to fill thousands of dry food bags with soil and pile them inside the gap. Although it had little effect on the barbarians who were skilled in horsemanship, it gave the Han soldiers a hiding barrier.  .  Seeing more and more enemy troops gathering outside the northeast corner, 1,500 Han troops were also waiting in full formation. Ma Dai set up three defense points. General Luo Xun and Zhao Qian, a member of the army, each led 300 soldiers in the gap.  Defend on the city walls on both sides, and use bows and crossbows to shoot at the enemy from a high position.  Ma Dai personally led 900 people to distribute behind the gap more than 20 feet wide, using crossbows and spears to defend. As soon as they completed their deployment, the horn sound of the Jie people's attack came from the opposite side, "Woo¡ª¡ª" the horn sound  With a high pitch, the first wave of two thousand cavalry suddenly launched and rushed towards the gap like a blanket of earth. Yellow dust filled the sky, and the fierce sound of horse hooves shook the ground, shaking the hearts of the Han soldiers as if they were jumping out of their bodies.  The enemy cavalry was getting closer and closer, 300 steps, 250 steps, 200 steps and 150 steps, murderous intent filled the ground. Ma Dai's eyes were fixed on the cavalry. The enemy had no shields, and both men and horses were covered with thick coats.  Leather armor, fifty steps away, ordinary bows and arrows can't even hope to penetrate the leather armor. For powerful crossbow arrows, they can only have a killing effect within a hundred steps. If the time of the crossbow arrows is taken into account, their first hit must be effective.  The strict training of the Han army showed its power at this moment. Although the Jie cavalry had already rushed into the killing range of the crossbows, there was no order to shoot, and no one fired without permission. When the enemy cavalry advanced eighty steps, the horses  Dai shouted, "Crossbow arrows shoot!" There was a rapid bang, and a thousand crossbow arrows made a clicking sound. The crossbow machine hit, and a thousand crossbow arrows roared out, like dense raindrops, shooting at the rushing people.  The cavalry, powerful arrows shot through two layers of leather armor, and screams suddenly broke out. The horses neighed and rolled to the ground. The cavalry were also hit by arrows and fell from their horses. Most of the more than 300 people who were at the front were killed or injured.  .  But the powerful crossbow arrows were still unable to stop the Jie people's cavalry. The cavalry behind them rushed over, trampling on the corpses on the ground, and continued to rush towards the gap. In an instant, they rushed fifty steps away. Ma Dai did not panic and gave the order coldly.  Said: "shoot with bows and arrows!" The war drums suddenly sounded, which was the command to shoot bows and arrows. Five hundred bows and arrows were raised on the ground, and the long arrows were pointed at the running enemy cavalry. Five hundred arrows came out of the strings almost at the same time.  , drew strong straight lines, and directly attacked the enemy cavalry. The cavalry bows within fifty steps fired rapidly at an unparalleled speed. In an instant, nearly two hundred Jiehu cavalry fell to the ground screaming, and the horses behind were tripped.  However, the cavalry fell from their horses and fell into chaos within fifty steps of the city wall. For the massive two thousand cavalry, the loss of nearly 500 people still severely dampened their attack momentum. Some cavalry began to prepare to turn around and return.  , but Shi Tan blew the attack horn again, blowing continuously, like a wizard's spell of enchantment, the Jiehu cavalry once again boosted their morale and continued to gallop.  This is a unique tradition of the Jie people. If someone dies heroically on the battlefield, their wife and children will be favored by the tribe. On the contrary, if he escapes from the battle, his wife and children will be discriminated against, and his property will be taken away by the tribe.  , give it to others.  Because of this, Jiehu fought extremely bravely and cruelly, never taking prisoners. Under the warning of the horn, the cavalry became fierce again and rushed towards the gap in the city wall desperately, but what greeted them was  Thousands of sharp spears were thrust intensively, and the cavalry in front could no longer stop. They watched the spears getting closer and closer.The soldiers screamed in despair.  Amidst the screams, the sharp spear points pierced the horses and the chests of the cavalry. The air was filled with blood mist. Hundreds of Jiehu cavalry died tragically on the spot, quickly forming a wall of corpses about ten feet high.  Immediately afterwards, bows and crossbows were fired again intensively. The cavalrymen behind who were lucky enough to escape the spear thrusts could not escape the ruthless shooting of arrows. They fell to the ground one after another. Many injured soldiers tried to get up, but were shot through the body by powerful arrows.  Nailed to the ground, the remaining cavalry were so frightened that they turned around and fled desperately, retreating like a tide. In just one attack, more than half of the two thousand Jiehu cavalry were killed or injured.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 818 The Thin Line of Life and Death

    Shi Tan was furious and furious. He raised his knife and pointed at the city. He gritted his teeth and said, "If I attack the city, I will chop you all alive!" Unable to calm down, he raised the horn again and blew it desperately, "Woo¡ª¡ª"  Hundreds of horns sounded together. This time the Jiehu cavalry learned the lesson of underestimating the enemy. All five thousand cavalry went into the attack. Shi Tan personally went into battle. He was supervising the battle behind the army. He must attack the gap.  Ma Dai's face changed slightly. He also realized that the enemy was making a desperate move. He immediately transferred the 600 soldiers on both sides of the city to strengthen the defense at the gap. At this time, Leng Bao led 700 soldiers from the east and west gates.  The Jiehu cavalry did not attack the city gates in a large scale. They did not need to maintain too many troops at the city gates. Only 400 people were left to defend each city gate, and the rest of the soldiers rushed to the gap, making the gap  The defensive strength reached 2,700 people, and they could vaguely compete with the oncoming Jiehu cavalry.  Ma Dai quickly adjusted the defensive arrow array. He no longer distinguished between archers and crossbowmen, and no longer cared about distance. Instead, he divided the shooting into three sections, with 900 people in each section. They took turns to shoot, and dense arrows shot towards the killing people like a storm.  The Hu cavalry, forced by murderous intent, became extremely violent. The cavalry in front was shot down, and the dense cavalry behind immediately jumped over without stopping. The dead cavalry piled up like a mountain, but the Jiehu cavalry  But they were getting closer and closer, even thousands of spears were smashed by the cavalry, and the violent Jiehu tide surged towards them.  Seeing that the crossbows and spear thrusts could no longer stop the enemy's attack, Ma Dai shouted: "Lance the spear army!" The Han soldiers immediately changed their formation. They gave up their crossbows, picked up their spears, and quickly lined up their spears.  There were 300 people in the square formation, arranged in nine rows in total, densely filling the gap more than 20 feet wide, with spears like a forest, and the straight spears were aimed at the barbarian cavalry that was charging violently.  "Kill!" Shi Tan yelled like crazy, and thousands of cavalry shouted together, "Kill!" The Jiehu cavalry finally reached the broken wall, and the gap more than 20 feet wide could not accommodate the impact of thousands of cavalry.  , the waves turned into violent waves, and more than a hundred cavalry rushed towards the spear army. The two armies finally collided with each other. This was an extremely tragic scene. Dozens of Han soldiers were knocked away, and nearly a hundred Jie soldiers were knocked away.  The Hu cavalry also died tragically under the spears, but the formations of both sides were not chaotic. Another hundred cavalry rushed forward, and the spear troops behind quickly filled the gap.  The two sides fought fiercely at a gap more than twenty feet wide. The dead bodies were piled up in layers. It was difficult to tell whether they were Han soldiers or Hu cavalry. The blood stained the city wall and the land inside and outside. Although the Jie and Hu cavalry were brave and powerful, they could not be distinguished.  The narrow gap prevented them from taking advantage of the cavalry. However, the Han army gave up their horses and used spear infantry to fight, but they gained a geographical advantage, which offset the superior strength of the Jiehu cavalry. The two sides were evenly matched, with the drums beating like thunder and the horns blasting loudly.  , the shouts of killing shook the sky.  Zhao Qian, who joined the army, saw that the several rows of Han army spearmen behind him were almost useless. He shouted: "Three rows of soldiers behind, pick up the crossbows and follow me to the city!" Nine hundred soldiers picked up the crossbows again.  and arrows, running towards the top of the city from both sides. They occupied a high place, condescending, bows and crossbows, and dense arrows shot at the Hu cavalry below the city. The cavalry outside the city suddenly became chaotic.  Shi Tan's eyes were already red with blood. He stared at the blood-red eyes and ordered around, "Move all the cavalry!" The horn sounded, and the five thousand cavalry at the east and west gates rushed towards the northeast corner and fell into the tragic battle.  During the fight, Shi Tan was determined. Even if he killed the last person, he would rush into the city.  This bloody siege battle lasted from noon to dusk. Both sides suffered heavy casualties and piled up corpses. The Jiehu cavalry suffered more than 4,000 casualties, while the Han army suffered more than 1,000 casualties. However, the Jiehu cavalry still had more than 7,000 troops.  , three times that of the Han army. At this time, both sides were exhausted, and the Jiehu cavalry had entered the city more than ten feet and was surrounded by the Han army. Seeing that the Han army was gradually unable to hold the gap, the Jiehu cavalry was about to break through and enter the city.  At this moment, the sound of drums suddenly came from the distance. All the soldiers on both sides were stunned. They saw dense black spots in the distance, yellow dust filled the sky, and the earth began to tremble. This was an army of thousands of people.  The cavalry is coming, is it the Huns or the Han army?  Everyone's heart is full of hope, but at the same time there is hidden despair.  Hundreds of Han soldiers on the top of the city suddenly burst into cheers. They saw the red flag of the Han army, and everyone shouted excitedly, "It's the Han army! It's our cavalry!" The reinforcements arrived and the Han soldiers were stunned.  His morale was greatly boosted, and the enemy troops were defeated one after another. The Jiehu cavalry were driven out of the city, and their stone-tanned faces were ashen. He was filled with hatred. Why didn't the Huns come to help him?  Helpless, he had no choice but to shout, "Retreat!" He turned his horse and ran to the north. Thousands of Hu cavalry were defeated like mountains. They fled for their lives. At this time, Pang De led 6,000 cavalry to attack from the side. The overwhelming Han army  The army cavalry attacked Jie Hu and cut him into two pieces.Seeing Pang De, he was so excited that he summoned his energy and shouted: "Get on your horse and pursue us!" The remaining Han soldiers mounted their horses one after another, rushed out from the gap, followed the reinforcements and pursued the enemy, killing the Jiehu cavalrymen and turning them upside down.  , corpses littered the fields, and they were chased for more than 20 miles. Shi Tan escaped with less than 4,000 cavalry and escaped the pursuit of the Han army. More than 13,000 cavalry actually lost 9,000 people. Shi Tan was extremely sad, and he did not  Dare to return to the camp and directly lead the remaining cavalry to flee towards the Jie tribe in the north.  But the Han army also paid a heavy price. Nearly half of the five thousand cavalry suffered casualties. If they had not retreated to the old city of Guyuan in time to hold on, they would have been annihilated. However, the heavy casualties of the Han army's cavalry were also the reason why the Jiangxia cavalry was established in Wuchang County.  The most disastrous loss in history. Ma Dai led the remnant army to finally return to Xiaoguan. Liu Jing personally went five miles away to greet this cavalry team that suffered heavy losses but at the same time created a brilliant record.  When Liu Jing appeared in front of this team, Ma Dai got off his horse, walked quickly to Liu Jing, knelt down on one knee, clasped his fists high, and said, "I am humble and reckless, which has caused heavy losses to the cavalry. I am willing to be punished by military law!" Liu Jing  He dismounted and helped him up, sighing: "It was my order for you to pursue the Wuhuan people. It has nothing to do with you. Who would have thought that the Huns cavalry would go south so quickly? You thought that five thousand cavalry faced thirteen thousand cavalry. Although  The loss was heavy, but in the end it was a heavy blow to the enemy. Even though you were defeated, it was still an honor." Ma Dai was so moved that he couldn't help but burst into tears. Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder and came to the cavalry again. He urged his horse.  Running to a high ground, clasping fists and giving a deep salute to all the soldiers, this is a kind of silent gratitude. It is the commander's gratitude to the soldiers after a hard battle and recognition of the soldiers' desperate fighting. It can touch people's hearts more than a thousand words.  , the soldiers were immediately excited, and many soldiers could not help but raise their arms and shout loudly, "Long live!" Their shouts aroused the emotions of all the soldiers, "Long live His Highness the King of Han!" The cheers resounded through the sky across a large tent in Gaoping County  Inside, Liu Jing convened senior generals to discuss the war against the Huns. Ma Dai first reported to Liu Jing the details of his encounter with the Huns cavalry. Finally, he sighed: "Although our cavalry is well-trained, compared with the Huns cavalry, we are no longer able to control the situation."  We are weaker than the opponent in terms of horse technology and individual combat capabilities. We only have the advantage in armor and formation. If it were not for the support of Guyuan Old City, our entire army would inevitably be annihilated. Although we inflicted heavy losses on the enemy in the end, that would not be the case.  We should still use infantry to defend the city, and it has nothing to do with cavalry. If we want to finally defeat the Huns, we must start with the weapons we are good at." Ma Dai's words caused a discussion in the big tent, and most of them were skeptical.  Dai obviously lacked confidence. At this time, Zhao Yun asked: "General Ma, if we do not fight 5,000 men against 13,000 people, but 10,000 cavalry against 10,000 cavalry, what will be the result?" "What if it is one?  Ten thousand versus ten thousand. We should be able to defeat the Huns by relying on our formation and weapon superiority. But the problem is that our cavalry now only has ten thousand people, while the Huns have at least one hundred thousand cavalry. The strength of the troops does not match at all. I am not a long-time Huns soldier.  Instead of being ambitious and destroying his prestige, he answered truthfully that the Huns' cavalry was indeed very strong and our cavalry did not have the upper hand in battle. " Wei Yan next to him said angrily: "As far as I know, Cao's army also fought against the Huns in Youzhou and defeated them twice.  The Huns cavalry, even Cao Jun can defeat the Huns, why can't we!" Wei Yan's question resonated with the generals, and the tent suddenly became noisy. Liu Jing slammed the table and shouted: "Quiet down!  "The tent was quiet for a moment. At this time, Jia Xu stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Your Highness, can I say a few words?" "Military advisor, please tell me!" Jia Xu said calmly: "I need to clarify for everyone.  Some things, first of all, the enemy cavalry that General Ma Dai encountered was not the Huns, but the Jiehu cavalry. This is a branch of the Yuezhi people. They have always been famous for their fierce fighting. The Huns also used them as military slaves.  The Han people were ferocious, cruel, and predatory. It was a blessing for the Han people to be able to hit them hard this time. Secondly, the reason why Cao Jun was able to defeat the Huns twice was mainly because Cao Jun had 30,000 Wuhuan cavalry who were recruited from Liaodong. Wuhuan cavalry was recruited from Liaodong.  The cavalry is as brave as the Huns, and they have advanced weapons and armor. The Wuhuan people are even more powerful. Together with the tiger and leopard cavalry, Cao Jun has 50,000 of the most elite cavalry. They are currently commanded by Cao Zhang and will be our strong enemy in the future.  Liu Jing nodded, "The military advisor is right. In battle, you must first know yourself and the enemy. If we can't even distinguish the Jie people, the Huns, the Wuhuan people, etc., if we don't know that the main force of Cao's cavalry is the Wuhuan people,  , then if we continue to fight in a muddle, we may suffer heavy setbacks. We must lower our profile and know that we can capture Xiaoguan not because we are strong in combat, but because our military strength far exceeds that of the opponent, and more importantly, Wuhuan  People simply don¡¯t know how to defend a city. We can no longer be complacent. We must realize that our cavalry is far inferior to the enemy. This is a fact.??¡± The generals in the big tent were all silent. At this time, Zhao Yun said to Jia Xu in a deep voice: ¡°Can the military advisor tell you more about the differences between these barbarians? We may be able to use the conflicts among the barbarians to defeat them one by one.  " Jia Xu smiled slightly and said: "General Zhao's words hit the point. Although the Jie people are regarded as slaves by the Huns and have been oppressed for a long time, the Jie people themselves are very cruel and willing to be the lackeys of the Huns, so all ethnic groups in the grassland hate them extremely.  Jie people, this time the Jie people suffered a heavy setback. I believe that other tribes will take the opportunity to attack them. Wuhuan, Xianbei, Rouran, etc. are all possible. I think the Wuhuan people can be won over. As far as I know,  Since Cao Cao defeated the Wuhuan people in Liaodong, the Wuhuan people in Liaodong have gradually switched from nomadic to farming in recent years. From the farmland around Gaoping County, it can also be seen that the Wuhuan people are in the transition from nomadic to farming. If this  If we succeed in the Northern Expedition this time, the Wuhuan people will be able to completely transform into a farming nation and eventually integrate into the Han people. However, if we fail this time, I am afraid that the Wuhuan people will be annexed by the Xiongnu and become a nomadic people again, becoming a serious problem for us in the north.  Liu Jing was also deep in thought. He also realized that he was not fully prepared for this time in the north. He did not have a clear strategy. He needed to calm down and think carefully. At this moment, a soldier shouted loudly outside the tent.  Report: "Your Highness, there are urgent reports from scouts!  "    "Come in!  " After a moment, a scout walked in quickly and reported with courtesy: "Your Highness, we have discovered that the main force of the Huns has withdrawn northward.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 819: Intimidating and issuing orders

    The Jiehu cavalry suffered a heavy setback and withdrew without authorization, which was an unexpected blow to the Huns. It disrupted Liu Qubei's plan. In addition, Liu Meng led 10,000 cavalry to the Wuhuan tribe, leaving the Huns with insufficient troops.  In order to compete with the Han army, if they do not retreat, I am afraid that the Han army will not attack Wuhuan, but directly attack the Xiongnu. As a last resort, Liu Qubei led his army to retreat northward overnight.  But Liu Qubei did not withdraw to his home base in Sheyanze. Instead, he withdrew another hundred miles to the north and followed the war between the Han army and the Wuhuan people one hundred and sixty miles away. For the highly mobile Xiongnu, one hundred and sixty miles away,  It was only a day's journey away. Whether Wuhuan was defeated or Han army was defeated, he could go south as quickly as possible to gain the victory.  At the same time, one hundred and sixty miles is also a safe distance. Once the Han army arrives in large numbers, they can withdraw northward to Sheyanze or even Hetao in time. Liu Qubei will not make a loss-making business. He withdraws hundreds of miles north, but it is  A strategic retreat aimed at achieving greater benefits for oneself.  However, compared to the Han army's waiting for opportunities and the Xiongnu's retreat to advance, the situation of the Wuhuan people is much more passive. On the one hand, the Wuhuan people are in the first stage of the Han army's northward march.  The Huan people were the first to bear the brunt and became a natural barrier for the Huns. This time the Han army captured Xiao Pass and defeated the border tribes, which undoubtedly put great pressure on the Wuhuan people.  On the other hand, Liu Quebei ordered his eldest son Liu Meng to lead 10,000 cavalry to escort the old and weak women and children from the border tribe to Shangjun. This seemed to be supporting the Wuhuan people, but in fact it was monitoring the Wuhuan people and blocking the Wuhuan people.  The road to reconciliation with the Han army was actually forcing the Wuhuan people to fight the Han army decisively.  The Wuhuan people are not the Huns. They are a branch of the Donghu people. They are one of the Donghu tribes together with the Xianbei. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, after the Donghu were defeated by the Huns, some Donghu people moved to Wuhuan Mountain and changed their name to the Wuhuan tribe. A hundred years later, the Han Dynasty  Emperor Wu defeated the Xiongnu and moved the Wuhuan tribe to the frontier fortresses in the five counties of Zhigu, Yuyang, Youbeiping, Liaodong, and Liaoxi. He began to appoint Wuhuan captains to guard the Wuhuan tribes and not to communicate secretly with the Xiongnu.  The Wuhuan were originally a nomadic tribe. After moving south, they began to develop agriculture. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Wuhuan were forced by the Southern Xiongnu and split again into the East and West Wuhuan. Most of them moved to Liaodong, and a small part moved west to the pass.  There are about 200,000 Wuhuan people who moved westward to the pass, and there are more than 30 tribes of different sizes, distributed in Shangjun and Anding counties. Among them, the Luxi tribe in Shangjun and the Bianshu tribe in Anding County are the largest. Luxi even calls himself the  King Wuhuan became the leader respected by the Wuhuan people.  Before the Han army captured Guanzhong, the Wuhuan people surrendered to both the Huns and Cao Cao. They paid a large number of tribute sheep to the Huns every year, and at the same time paid symbolic tribute to Cao Cao, struggling to maintain their living environment in the cracks.  However, since the Han army occupied Guanzhong, especially the Han army has successively attacked the Qiang and Di tribes in Longxi and Hexi, adopting a completely different Hu strategy from Cao's army, this has put all the Wuhuan tribes in Shangjun in extreme tension.  King Huan Lu Xi even sent people to Yedu to seek help from Cao Cao and seek strategies to resist the Han army.  At this time, Lu Xi had already received the news that the Han army had captured Xiaoguan. This news kept him awake at night. The Wuhuan people had lost their stronghold in Anding County, and the next step was to go to Shangjun.  Lu Xi was about fifty years old, tall and gray-haired. After learning that Liu Meng led an army of 10,000 to escort the old, weak, women and children from the border to Shangjun, Lu Xi became silent and haggard day by day.  The Wuhuanya tent was located in Gaonu County in the middle of Shangjun, which was later called Yan'an. They did not occupy the county seat. Instead, they set up a large camp covering thousands of acres on the bank of the Nushui River in the north of the city, with a population of hundreds of thousands and more than half of it.  A life of farming and pastoralism.  That night, Lu Xi was sitting alone in the tent, meditating. At this time, a personal guard reported in front of the tent door, "To the chief, our sentry has encountered an envoy of the Han army and is now outside the camp."  Xi was startled and said quickly: "Invite the Han envoy to my place quickly." He was confused. The Han envoy came so suddenly that he was not mentally prepared at all, but he soon stabilized his mentality and looked at it first.  Let¡¯s take a look at the purpose of the Han envoy¡¯s visit.  Not long after, the soldiers brought in a scribe in his thirties. The scribe clasped his fists and saluted: "I am joining the army of Qin Mi under the tent of the King of Han. I am sent to Wuhuan on the order of the King of Han." "It turns out that it is Qin who is joining the army. Please sit down.  " Lu Xi can speak fluent Chinese and understands etiquette. He waved his hand and asked Qin Mi to sit down. Qin Mi sat down. The maid brought the milk wine. Lu Xi took a sip of the milk wine and looked at Qin silently.  Mi, he was looking forward to Qin Mi's arrival, but he was also a little worried.  "Why did Qin Canjun come?" Lu Xi couldn't help but ask first.  Qin Mi smiled and said: "By the order of His Highness the King of Han, let's talk to the chief about the future of Wuhuan."  I am willing to listen attentively!" "The chief should also know that the Han army in Longxi is not just killing people.We will not hesitate to exterminate those who are hostile and stubborn. However, we will treat the Qiang and Di people who are willing to surrender to the Han and become Han people with kindness and will not seize their land.  Without changing their lifestyle, they continue to live contentedly, live peacefully and reproduce.  " Lu Xi lowered his head and said nothing, sighing for a while: "We have been subjects of the Han Dynasty since the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. The imperial court also set up Wuhuan Xiaowei to effectively govern Wuhuan. His Highness the King of Han is a direct descendant of the Han Dynasty. Many people  Everyone thinks that he is the successor of the Han Dynasty, and it is okay for us to surrender to the Han Dynasty, but can His Highness the King of Han guarantee that our lives will remain the same?  " Qin Mi smiled slightly, "If Wuhuan wants to maintain the original nomadic lifestyle, it is not impossible, but it cannot be in Shangjun. We can set aside a pasture in Longxi or Hexi to resettle the Wuhuan people. The pasture in Hexi is rich.  Much better than Guannai.  " Lu Xi's expression changed, and he gritted his teeth and asked again, "What if we don't want to leave Shangjun?  " The smile on Qin Mi's face disappeared and he said calmly: "If you don't want to leave Shangjun, you can do it, but you can no longer maintain a nomadic life and must switch to farming. We will fully support the Wuhuan people in farming technology and cattle farming.  " Lu Xi did not say a word, which made him unable to answer. After a long time, he whispered: "After all, the matter is very important, let me think about it again!  " Qin Mi nodded and said: "His Royal Highness the King of Han also knows that the matter is very important and will not let the chief express his position immediately, but one thing I want to make clear is that if the chief accepts our plan, please move the whole family eastward within five days and leave temporarily.  Shangjun, don't interfere with our decisive battle with the Xiongnu. If there is no movement within five days, we will regard Wuhuan as rejecting the goodwill of His Highness the King of Han.  "  Qin Mi was sent out of the camp by soldiers sent by Lu Xi. He was alone in the camp thinking deeply. Liu Jing's condition of turning all of Liu Jing into farming was really difficult for him to accept. Do they really want to move there?  Hexi? At this time, the curtain opened, and his young wife Nani came in with a bowl of herbal soup. Lu Xi had three wives. The first two wives died of childbirth and were left to him.  He had two daughters, and his third wife Nani was only twenty years old, even younger than his eldest daughter, but she gave birth to his only son Alu the year before last. Nani was therefore extremely favored by Lu Xi.  She was beautiful and dignified, and was a well-known beauty among the Wuhuan tribe. Even Liu Qubei was interested in her, and eventually she became the wife of Wuhuan King Lu Xi. Nani placed the medicinal soup bowl in front of her husband.  On the small table, she leaned on his back, hugged her husband's neck, and whispered in his ear: "The eagle will only become haggard due to old age. You are as strong as an ox, and you can still kill bears."  Leopard, why does it become haggard?  Lu Xi gently patted his wife's soft hand and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I'm just worried. I'll be fine in a few days, okay!"  Is Luo Jin here?  " "He's already here, should I let him in?  " "Let him in!  " Nani nodded, turned around and went out. Luo Jin is the half-brother of Wuhuan King Lu Xi. He is the third largest tribal chief of Wuhuan. His tribe lives in Beidi County between Shangjun and Anding County.  , it was from him that Lu Xi got the news about Xiao Guan. Not long after, Luo Jin quickly walked into the tent. Lu Xi stood up and hugged his brother tightly. The two sat down, Luo Jin looked impatient.  He whispered: "A fierce battle broke out between the Han army and the Jie tribe. Does my brother know?  Lu Xi was pleasantly surprised and asked quickly: "When did this happen?"  " "Just two days ago, about 5,000 Han cavalry pursued the remnants of Chining. On the way back, they encountered Shi Tan's army. A fierce battle broke out between the two armies in the area of ??Guyuan Old City. 5,000 Han cavalry faced off against 13,000.  Qian Jieqi, brother, guess what the final outcome will be?  " Lu Xi shook his head and said: "Five thousand against thirteen thousand, no matter how well-trained the Han army is, it may be difficult to withstand the impact of the Jie cavalry. You must know that the Jie cavalry are the elite among the Huns.  " "I thought so at first, but the final news I received was that although the Han army suffered heavy losses, the Jie cavalry suffered a disastrous defeat. Only 3,000 of the 13,000 people fled and fled directly back to the grassland.  " Lu Xi was stunned, and after a while he said to himself: "How is it possible? When did the Han cavalry become so powerful?  " "It is said that the Han army relied on Guyuan Old City to counterattack, not relying on cavalry. In the end, their reinforcements arrived, and Shi Tan suffered a disastrous defeat.  " Lu Xi nodded, it was more or less the same. If he relied on cavalry to defeat the Jie people, he would not believe it if they were killed. But the combat effectiveness of the Han army is not important. What is important is that the Han army has already fought head-on with the Huns. In this way  , the Han army had no time to take care of the Wuhuan people, and they became bystanders instead. This was the result that Lu Xi had dreamed of. But before Lu Xi's joy could show, Luo Jin immediately poured a bucket of salt on him.Shui Shui said, "I want to tell my brother a piece of news. The Huns have withdrawn to the north." The hope that had just emerged in Lu Xi's heart was shattered at this moment. After a while, he sighed. He finally realized that the Huns were shrewd.  No matter what, the Han army must be pushed to Shangjun first. Lu Xi shook his head and said: "You mentioned Chi Ning just now, he is with you now!" Luo Jin smiled bitterly, but did not say it clearly, but Lu Xi understood  Yes, Chi Ning must be with him, but if this happens, won't the disaster move eastward?  There are also tens of thousands of old, weak, women and children brought by the border concubines. It is impossible for the Han army not to pay attention to Shangjun.  Thinking of Liu Jing's harsh conditions, Lu Xi held his head and groaned in pain, what should he do?  "I heard that the Han army envoy is coming, right?" Luo Jin asked cautiously.  Lu Xi nodded, then repeated the conditions mentioned by Qin Mi to his brother, and finally sighed: "How can it be possible for all the Wuhuan people to turn to farming? There are at most 30 people. But if we don't agree, we will have to move to Hexi.  "What should we do?" "If brother really doesn't want to go to Hexi, why don't I go to peace talks with Liu Jing and see if the status of the Wuhuan people can be properly resolved." "I would like to do this, but Liu Meng takes the lead.  Ten thousand troops are here with us. If I dare to have private contact with the Han army, the butcher will eat me." At this moment, a guard said anxiously at the tent door: "Chief, Liu Meng is here and wants to see you.  Chief." As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Meng's rude voice was heard outside the tent, "What is my relationship with your chief? Do you still need to report it? Get out of here!" Lu Xi and Luo Jin stood up at the same time.  The curtain was lifted, and Liu Meng, who looked like a black bear, broke into the tent. He stopped, stared at Lu Xi deeply, and laughed dryly and asked Luo Jin, "It turns out that Chief Luo Jin is also here. He must be bringing him with him."  What news is coming!" Lu Xi knew that this man was rude on the surface, but actually very shrewd. He came right after Qin Mi left. Apparently he got the news of the arrival of the Han envoy and suspected that he was having an affair with the Han army.  Luo Jin bowed and smiled and said: "I did bring the news. General Meng must also know about Shi Tan's defeat by the Han army!"  When he sent out troops, he was surrounded and ambushed by the superior strength of the Han army. The defeat was his own fault. The two chiefs need not take this matter to heart as it will not affect the overall situation. "Lu Xi asked quietly: "The defeat of Shitan.  , I don¡¯t take it to heart, but I heard that King Youxian then withdrew his troops and went north. I wonder what the reason was?¡± Liu Meng did not answer his question, but walked into the tent and sat down, saying to Lu Xi: ¡°  I talked with the chief of the border people again today. He said that after the Han army captured Xiaoguan, the next step must be to attack Shangjun. I also fully agree with his judgment. The Han army is bound to capture Anding County and Shangjun. We cannot sit back and wait for death.  We must respond proactively. The first step is to gather the troops. I wonder when the chief is going to issue the Wuhuan Chimu Order. "The Chimu Order is the highest military order of the Wuhuan people, also called the troop gathering order. The Wuhuan tribe who receives this order must immediately issue it.  The troops were sent to assemble at the chief. Liu Meng had just received an order from his father, asking him to urge Wuhuan to send troops. At this moment, he got the news that the Han envoy secretly came to Wuhuan to see Lu Xi.  Liu Meng was immediately frightened and angry, and immediately came to force Lu Xi to issue the Chimu Order.  Lu Xi shook his head, "The Chimu Order can only be issued at the most critical moment, and it has only been issued once in thirty years. Now there is no sign of the Han army attacking Shangjun. I don't think it is necessary to issue the Chimu Order yet." "Wait for Han.  It's too late for the army to fight. Chief, the Chimu Order is what my father meant. If you refuse to obey the order, I'm afraid you won't be able to bear the consequences. Let me say something ugly first. If Wuhuan has any dissatisfaction with us,  Then Wuhuan will not only face the Han army as an enemy, Wuhuan must issue the Chimu Order before dawn tomorrow, otherwise the chief will take care of himself!" After saying that, Liu Meng sneered a few times, got up and walked away quickly, Lu Xi looked at him.  He walked far away, feeling extremely heavy in his heart. At this moment, another soldier came to report: "To inform the chief, 10,000 Xiongnu cavalry have formed a military formation outside our camp and are ready to attack us at any time."  The army was approaching the city, and Lu Xi was stunned. Even if he mobilized his troops now, it was too late, let alone dismissed hundreds of thousands of women and children. After a while, he and Luo Jin looked at each other and sighed at the same time. It seemed that they had no choice.  .  With no choice but to take out the three Chimu Orders representing the highest military orders of Wuhuan, Lu Xi ordered several soldiers: "You can use the Chimu Orders to rush to the tribes and order them to lead their troops to Wuhuanya within three days."  Accounts are centralized.¡±  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 820 Wuhuan News

    Half a month after the Han army occupied Xiaoguan, the town began to be rebuilt. The town had been burned to the ground. The Han army then buried the bones deep underground, cleaned up the ruins, and began to build huge warehouses.  The pass is about seven miles away, and it is less than ten miles away from Wating Pass. Its strategic location is very important.  Moreover, this is a rare basin in Liupan Mountain. The land in the basin is fertile and the water source is sufficient. It can be opened up as military farmland. In addition, on the ruins of the town, Liu Jing decided to build a military city similar to the one on Qishan Road.  The storage of food and military supplies became Xiaoguan's logistics support base.  In addition, the Han army mobilized another 20,000 soldiers to repair the collapsed Great Wall between Wating Pass and Muxia Pass, and established a fast passage between the three passes. Although the Han army's strategic goal was to advance the territory northward and recapture the territory lost to the Xiongnu and Uzbekistan  Huan and other nomads occupied the land within the Guanzhong, but building a strong Guanzhong defense wall was particularly important for maintaining the security of Guanzhong and Chang'an.  However, strengthening defense construction is not the top priority of the Han army. For the Han army, actively preparing for the upcoming war is the top priority of the Han army. Since Qin Mi's failure to join the army as an envoy to Wuhuan, it means the door to persuade Wuhuan to surrender.  has been closed, the conflict of interests has intensified, and war is inevitable.  Outside the ruins of the town, Liu Jing and a dozen senior generals were inspecting the soldiers cleaning up the ruins of the town. But what they were concerned about was not the ruins, but the use of the land. Although the generals unanimously supported the construction of a military city,  However, Fazheng still advocates dual use of military and civilian purposes.  "Your Highness should know that Xiaoguan is not only a military fortress, but also the most important border fortress on the Silk Road. At least 30% of the caravans coming from Guanzhong will leave from Xiaoguan. In the past, the town's commerce was very prosperous, which also benefited from the exchanges.  The caravan came from the east and passed through the rugged Danzheng Gorge. The people and horses were exhausted. At this time, they needed rest and supplies. The town was the best place to rest. If it became a military town,  Regardless of civilian use, this is not good for the caravan, please think twice." As soon as Fazheng finished speaking, Zhang Ren firmly objected: "How can we allow casual merchants to enter a military important place at will?  A large amount of grain, fodder and military supplies are stored, and merchants are constantly coming and going. It is extremely easy for spies to sneak into the city. Once the spies set fire to the city, the consequences will be disastrous. The low-level official firmly opposes the dual use of military and civilians. " Zhang Ren's words aroused the consensus of many generals.  , everyone agreed, Liu Jing smiled and said: "The French military advisor's suggestion is also reasonable, and General Zhang's objection is also good, but I believe there should be a way to solve it." Liu Jing pointed to the two forks in front of the road and smiled: "Fork in the road  There is a trail that can lead directly to Muxia Pass. I have walked that trail and it is fairly flat, but rather narrow. You can order soldiers to widen it, consolidate the ground, build a new bridge, and it will become a very good trade road.  A small town was rebuilt at the fork, and hotels, shops, taverns and other rest and supply stores were placed in the new town. After the merchants took a rest and supplies, they took the trade road directly to Muxiaguan without having to go to the military city. This ensured that the military  The safety of the city can also ensure the smooth flow of trade. What do you think?" Fazheng nodded, "This is the best plan. Wei Chen fully agrees." "What are your opinions?" Liu Jing turned around and asked a dozen generals.  road.  Zhang Ren bowed and said: "I have no objection to my humble position, but I hope to build a sentry post on a high hill to prevent merchants from straying into the military city." Liu Jing laughed and said to Zhang Ren: "It is necessary to build a sentry tower on a high hill, but  It may not be that General Zhang was overly worried to prevent merchants from straying into the military city. "Everyone also laughed. At this moment, a group of Han cavalry came from a distance. They rushed to the front. The leading cavalry clasped their fists and said: "Qiu Qi.  Your Majesty, the Chang'an supplies team has arrived!" Liu Jing held up his hand and looked around, only to see a long black line in the distance, more than ten miles long. He was overjoyed and smiled at the generals: "We  The supplies have arrived, let¡¯s take a look!¡± He rode up to meet them, and everyone rushed their horses, following Liu Jing and galloping towards the supply team.  The Han army's military supplies were accessible by land and water. Cargo ships first transported a large amount of supplies along the Jingshui River to Jingyang County. Jingyang County was used as a transit point, and then animal-drawn carts and wooden oxen were used to transport the supplies to Xiaoguan, a hundred and fifty miles away.  .  This transport team was large in scale, consisting of 15,000 animal-drawn vehicles and 6,000 wooden oxen. More than 20,000 people participated in the transportation, and another 2,000 cavalry participated in the escort, transporting a large amount of food supplies to the Xiaoguan front line.  This logistics transportation team is fully responsible for the Han Army Sima Li Yan. Li Yan was originally the governor of Wudu County and is currently the Han Army Sima. He is in charge of the Han Army's logistics supplies. He is a senior civilian official in the Han Army after the military division. He is walking in front of the team.  , a soldier reported that His Highness the King of Han had arrived. Li Yan quickly urged his horse forward and met Liu Jing. He bowed on the horse and said: "The humble minister Li Yan is here to see His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing nodded and smiled."Li Sima has worked hard all the way!" Li Yan quickly took out a scroll and handed it to Liu Jing, "This is a list of supplies. Please have your Highness take a look." Liu Jing took the scroll and opened it and took a look. It mainly contained food and ordnance.  , but at the end of the list, he actually saw a thousand bee crossbows. Liu Jing was immediately overjoyed. He thought it would take some time, but he didn't expect that a thousand bee crossbows were delivered. He quickly asked: "Bee crossbows"  "Where?" "In the wooden ox team, please come with me, your highness." Li Yan took Liu Jing to the middle of the team. This is the gathering place of 6,000 wooden oxen, which is densely packed all over the place.  Liu Jing saw at a glance that some wooden oxen were different. Generally, the color of wooden oxen was Chu red, but the color of this part of the wooden oxen was black. In fact, it was a defensive arrow without the head part of the cow. More importantly, there were winches on both sides. This was a bee.  Crossbow logo.  At this time, a man of about thirty years old came forward and bowed, "See you, Your Highness!" Liu Jing recognized him as Luo Sheng, Ma Jun's favorite disciple. He was from Zhicheng, Nanjun, and was originally from the Gongnu branch of the Craftsman School.  Lord, he was the one who invented the water war bee crossbow. This land war bee crossbow was also developed by him and his master Ma Jun. He made outstanding contributions to the progress of the Han army's weapons. He was appointed deputy captain last year.  , Liu Jing named thirteen people from the craftsman school as Tinghou, and Luo Sheng was one of them, who was named Zhizuo Tinghou.  Liu Jing smiled and said: "I heard that you brought a thousand bee crossbows, have you tested them all?" "Reporting to Your Highness, all the bee crossbows have been tested one by one and are completely qualified." Luo Sheng bent down and opened a bee crossbow.  The bottom cabinet of the crossbow is filled with arrow boxes made of fine iron. "Your Highness, please see, each bee crossbow is equipped with ten arrow boxes. There are thirty iron crossbow arrows in one box, and there are thirty iron crossbows in one thousand bee crossbows."  Ten thousand crossbow arrows can be used repeatedly. " "Very good!" Liu Jing was very happy and said to the generals: "The bee crossbow is coming. I am looking forward to fighting the Huns. " Most of the generals have never seen the bee crossbow.  Zhao Yun smiled and asked, "Your Highness, when will you demonstrate it to us?" Liu Jing happily said, "I'll let Captain Luo demonstrate it to everyone later!" He waved his hand and said, "Give us something."  Transport them all back to the pass!" The transportation team restarted and headed toward the temporary warehouse set up under Xiaoguan. Liu Jing led everyone back to Xiaoguan. Zhao Yun and the generals went to watch the bee crossbow demonstration. Liu Jing then  He Fazheng walked quickly back to Xiaoguan Tower. A soldier just reported that Military Advisor Jia was looking for him in an emergency.  Walking into the tower, he saw Jia Xu standing in front of the sand table, deep in thought. Liu Jing stepped forward and said with a smile, "What do you want from me, military advisor?" Jia Xu raised his head and saw Liu Jing and Fazheng coming in, and said quickly: "Just now, there was something wrong with me.  The scouts came to report that the troops of the Wuhuan tribes are gathering in Shangjun. The number of troops is not clear yet, but they are at least tens of thousands. "Liu Jing nodded. This was what he expected. The failure of Qin Mi's mission meant that.  The war is coming. At this time, Fa Zheng next to him said: "Your Highness, I feel that Wuhuan is not willing to fight us. They also have something to hide, otherwise Qin Canjun will not be sent out of the country by them." Liu Jing sneered.  Said: "Wuhuan was simply coerced by the Xiongnu and had to fight with us, but no matter what their attitude was, this battle was inevitable. Once we were defeated, Wuhuan would massacre us mercilessly, so we can't do it because of it."  "Wei Chen is not saying that we should have compassion for them because of their difficulties, but that Wuhuan is unwilling to be driven by the Xiongnu and will not go all out. Maybe we can find opportunities for fighting."  Liu Jing nodded, "It is indeed possible to take advantage of Wu Huan's mentality, but it must be observed before the battle. It is too early to say." Liu Jing was not too enthusiastic about Fazheng's suggestions. It was not that he was unaware of Wu Huan's request for peace.  mentality, but Wuhuan¡¯s purpose of seeking peace was to maintain the status quo, which was a result Liu Jing was unwilling to accept. If making peace with Wuhuan could prompt both sides to join hands to deal with the Xiongnu, or prevent the Han army from fighting on two fronts and being attacked from both sides, then Liu Jing  He was also willing to negotiate peace with Wuhuan, which was the main reason why he sent Qin Mi as envoy to Wuhuan.  But once Wuhuan decided to send troops to the Han army, all the benefits Liu Jing expected would disappear. In this case, Liu Jing naturally gave up the idea of ??peace talks with Wuhuan. He wanted to use this battle to defeat Wuhuan, and then completely  Transform Wuhuan.  Liu Jing asked Jia Xu again, "Where are the Wuhuan troops gathering?" Jia Xu pointed at a county with a wooden pole, "This is Diaoyin County. The Wuhuan troops are gathering not far to the north of Diaoyin County, not in  Their hometown is Gaonu County. "Diaoyin County?"  Liu Jing was shocked. The location of Diaoyin County was very important. He walked to the sand table and took a closer look. He saw that Diaoyin County was on the west bank of Luoshui. Along the Luoshui River Valley, one could directly enter Guanzhong. This made Liu Jing worried.  Rising up, the Wuhuan people gathered in Diaoyin County. Their goal was toCould it be to attack Guanzhong directly?  Jia Xu seemed to understand Liu Jing's worries and said with a smile: "Your Highness, don't worry too much. I can ask someone to relieve Your Highness's worries." Jia Xu immediately ordered the guard: "Go and ask Durban to come over."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 821 Strange Soldiers Attack

    After a while, the guards led an old man of about sixty years old in. He stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "Little citizen Bande, pay your respects to His Highness the King of Han!" Jia Xu introduced at the side: "This old man Bande is also Wuhuan.  A chief of the tribe. A few years ago, his tribe all converted to farming and lived in Diaoyin County. Unable to bear the heavy taxes imposed by the Huns, he led his tribe to move to Guanzhong and settled in Anding County.  The water situation is very familiar." Liu Jing nodded, stepped forward to help him up and said with a smile, "I always welcome herdsmen who turn to farming. No need to be polite, please get up!" Bender looked very excited, and he volunteered again.  He said: "I am very familiar with Lu Xi, the great chief of Wuhuan. I am willing to go on behalf of your highness to persuade the chief to surrender to the Han Dynasty." "There is no need to rush about this matter, but I want to know whether you will maintain the same attitude as before after switching to farming.  The way of life of nomadic tribes? " This is the question that Liu Jing is most interested in. So far, he has met many nomadic people who have converted into farming people, but without exception they have been forcibly resettled by the government. Regarding this voluntary conversion,  This was Liu Jing's first encounter with the farming nomads, and she was full of curiosity about their current lives.  Bande smiled bitterly and said: "Farming and nomadic life are completely different lifestyles. It is not just as simple as settling down and migrating. It has only been a year and has changed a lot. The key is that every household pays more attention to their own interests, especially young people.  They are no longer willing to use their wealth to support the tribal elders. Most of the young people have changed their surnames to Chinese and learned to speak Chinese. In fact, my chieftain has ceased to exist in name only. Now I am only a clan leader and can only control my brothers and nephews. " Liu Jing.  Nodding, this is basically consistent with his thoughts. With the change of production methods, lifestyle and culture will inevitably change. Chineseization is inevitable. The tribal system adapted to nomadic life will naturally disintegrate and disappear. Young people in particular are more willing to accept the baptism of Chinese culture.  However, he did not expect that the changes would be so drastic in just one year, but then he thought again, they had already switched to farming for several years, and there should have been changes long ago.  At this time, Jia Xu reminded Liu Jing again: "Your Highness, don't you want to ask about the situation in Luoshui?" This sentence reminded Liu Jing that what he was most worried about now was whether the Wuhuan cavalry would kill along the Luochuan Road towards Guanzhong, so he asked  He said: "Lu Xi has gathered his troops. Do you think he will go south along the Luoshui River and enter Guanzhong?" Band lowered his head and thought for a while and said, "I don't know if Lu Xi has any idea of ??attacking Guanzhong, but it is June now.  It was the high water period of Luoshui River, and the riverbed had been submerged, especially a section about thirty miles north of Yiyun Valley called Baima Gorge. The water there was rapid, with cliffs on both sides and high mountains blocking it. There was no way to go unless they took the  Go south on a sheepskin raft, otherwise they have to wait until winter. "Can they go south on foot in winter?" Liu Jing asked again.  "The Luoshui River freezes in winter, so of course you can go south on the ice. In fact, after August and autumn, the river gradually dries up, so you can go south along the river bed. There is no need to take a sheepskin raft." Liu Jing paced back and forth with her hands behind her hands.  , according to the old man, it was just that the current in the Baima Gorge was too fast to go south. However, if the Wuhuan people used large rafts, they could carry people and horses into Guanzhong, and there would still be a certain threat.  At this time, Bande said cautiously: "Your Highness, I don't think the Wuhuan people will enter Bingguan." "Why?" Liu Jing glanced at him and asked.  "Because the Wuhuan people have no ambition to march into Guanzhong, there has never been a precedent. For hundreds of years, the Wuhuan people have lived in the shadow of the Xiongnu, struggling for survival, and have never thought of marching into the Central Plains." Liu Jing Of course.  I believe that the Wuhuan people did not have such ambitions, but if they were under the coercion of the Huns, it would be difficult to say.  He didn't say anything, so he nodded and smiled: "Thank you for clarifying my doubts. I will try my best to help the Wuhuan people get rid of the control of the Huns. I hope I can stay here for a few days. Maybe I can still use my husband." Bande was grateful.  After finishing, he knelt down, kowtowed, and slowly retreated. Liu Jing then said to Fa Zheng: "Immediately order the Han army to lead 10,000 troops to go north along the Luoshui River and camp in the Yiyun Valley area. Order them to pull up a barricade on the river.  Iron rope." Fazheng immediately went to write the military order. At this time, Liu Jing asked Jia Xu again, "Does the military advisor think that I should take the initiative to fight against the Wuhuan cavalry, or should I guard against the Xiongnu and stay in seclusion without fighting?" Jia Xu smiled and said: "  This question is very subtle and difficult to answer. I say that we can attack, and I also say that we cannot attack. The key lies in Liu Qubei. If we can hold back the Xiongnu, then we can attack Wuhuan with all our strength." Liu Jing thought for a moment and said coldly.  Ran said: "If you want to hold back the Xiongnu, it's best to use surprise troops!" Sheyanhai is located in the vast desert north of the Great Wall and south of the Hetao. Dozens of rivers flow into it, eventually forming a sparkling freshwater lake.  , it is the same as Juyanhai? Known as the two brightest pearls in northern Saibei, Sheyan County was once located on the south bank of Sheyan River in the east during the Han Dynasty. Due to the invasion of the Huns, the county seat was abandoned.  Sheyanhai is surrounded by Gobi and grasslands. The green grass and abundant pastures within more than ten miles along the coast. The vast pastures and abundant water sources make this place a winter place for the Liuqibei tribe. They usually return in summer.  Hetao Plain.  But this year is different from previous years, because all the young and strong people followed Liu Qubei to the south, and more than 100,000 women and children did not move north to Hetao, but stayed in Sheyanhai, constantly supplying a large number of cattle and sheep to the soldiers in front.  At noon that day, beside a forest about two hundred miles away from Sheyanhai, a cavalry of 3,000 people was galloping northward. This cavalry was the cavalry directly under Liu Jing led by Ma Dai.  After six days of training and replenishing their troops, they were on the road again. Following Liu Jing's order, they sent out surprise troops to attack She Yanhai, Liu Qubei's lair.  At this time, the cavalry had already rushed to the end of the forest. A military commander who was familiar with the terrain said to Ma Dai: "General, take a rest! Going further north is a desert that is twenty miles long." Ma Dai reined in the horse and was not far away.  There was a small river everywhere, so he ordered: "Go to the river to rest!" The soldiers turned their horses and ran towards the small river not far away. For a moment, there was a lot of people beside the small river, and it was extremely lively. People and horses drank the clear and sweet water.  The river water, the river water was cold, it was like heaven in the hot summer, many soldiers jumped into the river water.  Ma Dai also got off his horse and found a place to sit on the grass. A soldier filled a bottle of water and handed it to him. Ma Dai drank a few sips of water and looked at the surrounding terrain. Huge mountains were faintly visible in the north, and white lights were nearby.  In the bright Gobi Desert, under the direct sunlight, the heat flows like a furnace.  He frowned and asked Li Wei, the military leader who was leading the way: "Do we have to go through the Gobi? Is there no other shortcut?" Li Wei's father is a businessman. He has followed his father to and from the grasslands and Guanzhong many times since he was a child, and he is very familiar with the terrain here.  , he smiled and said: "The mountain range in the distance is called Baiyu Mountain. The Great Wall is built on the mountain. It is about twenty miles from here to Baiyu Mountain. There is desert all the way, and there are some green plants, but most of it is Gobi.  Once you reach Baiyu Mountain, you¡¯ll find the grassland, and then walk fifty miles further north to Sheyanhai. It¡¯s really painful to walk the deserted road at the foot of the mountain in summer, but I know a green road, about a mile wide of grassland, that goes straight through the mountain canyon. The Huns  You must take this green road when going south." Ma Dai was overjoyed. "Where is this green road?" Li Qiao pointed to the east and said, "It will take you a few miles to the east along the river!" Ma Dai took a few sips of cold water and the heat disappeared.  , he ordered: "Let's set off after half an hour's rest!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The Han cavalry ran westward for several miles and gradually arrived at the so-called Green Road. It was indeed worthy of its name. In the surrounding hot and white Gobi Desert, this mile-wide green space stood out and was particularly eye-catching, just like  A green carpet leads directly to the Baiyu Mountains in the distance.  At this moment, two scouts rushed over and reported to Ma Dai with clasped fists: "General Qi, a Huns supply team with tens of thousands of sheep was discovered in the valley ahead." Ma Dai and Deputy General Leng  Bao looked at each other, and Ma Dai asked anxiously: "How many troops are there to protect you?" "There are not many people. Except for dozens of herdsmen, there are only about 300 cavalry guards." "So few cavalry?" Ma Dai frowned.  He frowned slightly, what could such a small number of cavalry do.  At this time, the guide Li Xuan laughed and said: "General Ma doesn't know. The cavalry guards here are not to prevent us from attacking, but to guard against wolves. With so many sheep, a large number of wild wolves will definitely be attracted at night, but wild wolves  Although there are many, three hundred cavalry are enough. "It suddenly dawned on Ma Dai that he should also know that he also needed to guard against wolves in Hexi. However, he had been in the Han army for many years, and he had forgotten the habits of the barbarians in Hexi to guard against wolves.  .  There was a kind of excitement that could not be concealed in Leng Bao's eyes. He rubbed his hands and said: "There are only three hundred people. We can gather them and annihilate them without leaving any survivors." Ma Dai thought for a while and said: "In fact, there is no need to annihilate them. Block the ones to the north.  Return, let them clear the southern passage, let them report to Liu Qubei, and force Liu Qubei to retreat to the north. Wouldn't our goal be achieved?" Leng Bao slapped his forehead and couldn't help laughing, "I'm really confused.  , We just wanted to let Liu Qubei know the danger, so what are we going to do to annihilate them?" Ma Dai nodded, "Without further delay, we will act immediately." He immediately divided his troops into three groups and ordered Li Qiao to lead 500 people to guard the canyon.  To prevent the Huns from escaping back to Sheyanze to report the news, the remaining 2,500 troops were divided into two groups. Ma Dai led one group to attack from the northeast, and Leng Bao led one group to attack from the northwest, attacking the Huns' supply team from both sides.  After the deployment was completed, Ma Dai got on his horse and loudly ordered: "Brothers, please work harder, we can do it tonight."Have a full meal of roast mutton.  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2, Jiangxia Chapter 822: Going straight to the nest

    The current garrison of the main Xiongnu force is not far away from Sheyanze, less than two hundred miles away. Due to the hot weather during the day, most of the Xiongnu supply teams marched after the sun went down and hid in the shade to escape the heat during the day.  The supply team that Ma Dai and the others encountered was just a smaller one, with only 10,000 sheep and not many escorting soldiers, only 300 cavalry.  When the sun gradually goes down, the heat on the surface evaporates very quickly and cools down very quickly, and there will still be chills at night. This is also a characteristic of the Gobi Desert, so as soon as the sun goes down, the supply team sets off.  Dozens of shepherds drove tens of thousands of sheep toward the south along the green road. There were 300 cavalry guards on both sides. They were wary of the movements around them. They were mainly defending against the invasion of wolves.  Just when the sky was dimming and night had not completely fallen, the fierce sound of horse hooves suddenly came from the north, and large groups of cavalry appeared in the northeast and northwest at the same time, sweeping towards the sheep like a rolling torrent.  The Hun cavalry were just surprised at first, not knowing where they were. When the large group of cavalry rushed a hundred steps away and they saw clearly that they were Han cavalry, the Hun soldiers were in chaos and drew their swords to fight, while the herdsmen were frightened out of their wits.  , not caring about the sheep, desperately trying to escape with his horse, and the sheep also scattered in all directions.  "Withstand them! Withstand them!" A Xiongnu leader of 500 men shouted loudly, but his voice was drowned by the thunderous sound of horse hooves. The Hunnu cavalry was frightened by the powerful enemy momentum, and many soldiers turned their horses and fled south.  .  In an instant, the two streams of frenzied Han cavalry merged into one, and charged into the Huns cavalry with an unstoppable force. The corpses were suddenly separated on the grass, blood mist filled the air, and screams continued to sound.  The Han cavalry quickly surrounded the hundreds of remnants of the Huns who had not escaped. They were merciless and shot all the remnants of the Huns to death. Together with a dozen herdsmen who had no time to escape, they also died tragically in the chaos of arrows.  Later, thousands of fat sheep also became the food and fodder supplies for the Han army's cavalry.  An hour later, thousands of Han troops were slaughtering sheep and roasting meat by the river. It was extremely lively. Leng Bao found Ma Dai and reported: "I led my brothers to count the dead enemy troops, and escaped with more than 20 enemy troops and some  The rest of the herdsmen were wiped out by us." "Did you capture the prisoners of war?" Ma Dai heard the implication of Leng Bao's words and asked with a smile.  Leng Bao nodded, "We caught a centurion who was injured but not dead. He was very cooperative and explained everything one by one. If the general wants to know about She Yanze's situation, you might as well ask him." Ma Dai was overjoyed, and he  Of course, I wanted to know the situation in Sheyanze, so I immediately said: "Let's go! Ask him." Sheyanze is a plateau freshwater lake surrounded by lush pastures. It is an ideal habitat for nomadic people. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty launched a large-scale counterattack against the Huns,  , the power of the Han Dynasty continued to expand northward. As the imperial court developed the Hetao area, Sheyanze also became an important transit place. The Han Dynasty established Sheyan County here, where thousands of Han army family members lived and reclaimed land.  , growing food.  But as the Xiongnu forces moved southward at the end of the Han Dynasty, the Hetao was lost, Sheyan County was also occupied by the Huns, and the Han people were expelled or killed. The fertile fields developed over a century gradually became deserted, and Sheyanze became a paradise for the Huns again.  At present, the Youxian King Liu Qubei controls dozens of Xiongnu tribes, large and small, with a million people. Among them, his headquarters is about 200,000 people, called the Dugu tribe, living on the east bank of Sheyanze.  As well as the intersection of the two rivers in the Hetao Plain, they graze in the Hetao in summer and move back to Sheyanze in winter.  But this year, because the Han army moved north, the Dugu tribe did not move back to Hetao, but spent the summer in Sheyanze. The Han army's attack on Xiaoguan was relatively sudden this time, so Liu Qubei had no time to summon the armies of the tribes under his control.  He led 50,000 cavalry from his headquarters and more than 10,000 Jie cavalry southward.  Most of the young men followed Liu Qubei and went south, while more than 100,000 women, children, old and weak people stayed in Sheyanze, responsible for providing supplies to the army ahead. Liu Qubei left another 10,000 troops to protect his family and protect the safety of the food road.  Liu Qubei never thought that the Han army would attack his hometown. Although this kind of thing happened in the era of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, after all, hundreds of years have passed. Although the Huns still remember this period of history, they have long forgotten the details of the history.  .  At the third watch, Ma Dai led the Han army to Sheyanze. They hid on the back of a low hill. Ma Dai and more than a dozen generals above the military rank immediately stood on the hill, watching the Huns camp in the distance.  Judging from the dots of torches, this camp stretches for at least thirty miles and has tens of thousands of tents.  We learned from the captured prisoners of war that Liu Qubei left 10,000 troops to guard the camp, but more than 4,000 of them were guarding supplies along the way and were not in the camp, so the camp should only have more than 5,000 soldiers.  Although there were more Huns cavalry left guarding the camp than the Han army, Ma Dai still made up his mind. He said to several generals: "Liu Qubei should know by now.In this situation, it is very likely that we have already left for the north, and we have no time to delay it any longer.  " Leng Bao also nodded and said: "We can attack with fire. Burning fire can completely create chaos, and we can take advantage of it.  " Ma Dai made a decisive decision and said to everyone: "We must form a team of fifty people, and we must be ruthless. We will kill the old, weak, women and children. We must light as many tents as possible and evacuate before dawn!  ¡± Everyone bowed and saluted together, ¡°Obey the order!  " Everyone turned their horses and ran down the hill to greet the people. Ma Dai said to Leng Bao again: "You led a thousand brothers to attack their sheep and horse pens, kill the sheep, take away the horses, and there is no follow-up supplies.  I believe Liu Qubei will definitely withdraw from the Loop.  " Leng Bao nodded, "I understand!  "The two gave a high-five and turned their horses around to get off the mound. At this time, the third watch has passed and the fourth watch has not yet arrived. It is when people are sleeping soundly. There are only a few sentries inside and outside the camp patrolling back and forth. The sentinels  Especially concentrated in the sheep and horse pen area, there are nearly one million sheep and tens of thousands of war horses in the sheep and horse pen, which covers an area of ??nearly 2,000 acres. This is the most important property of the nomads and their source of food. In summer, it is necessary.  Be especially wary of sneak attacks by wolves at night, so hundreds of cavalry patrolled around the sheep and horse pens. A mile away, Leng Bao led a thousand Han cavalry to stand ready. They were waiting patiently, and Leng Bao was also extremely nervous. This was his call.  In the second battle after joining the cavalry, he had a fierce battle with the Jiehu cavalry a few days ago. Although they finally defeated Jiehu, they also suffered heavy losses. Although they won, his future was related to whether he could succeed this time.  Zhang Ren's general later followed Huang Zhong. At the beginning of the year, he was highly recommended by Huang Zhong and entered the army directly under the King of Han, becoming the deputy general of the cavalry army. Although he is currently only a captain, the King of Han personally received them before departure, so he  It can be seen that the King of Han attaches great importance to this surprise attack. If this battle can succeed, he will most likely be promoted to Zhonglang General. This day he has been looking forward to for a long time. Suddenly, a sergeant shouted, "General, look here."  !  " Leng Bao suddenly woke up from his meditation. He looked carefully and saw a fire burning in the Huns camp a few miles away. This was Ma Dai launching an attack. He immediately ordered his opponent: "Get ready to attack!  "Thousands of Han cavalrymen began to get excited. They gripped their spears, drew their sabers, and drew their bows and arrows, waiting for the final order. At this time, two scouts rushed towards them, and they were about a dozen steps away.  He shouted: "General, all the Huns patrol posts have been withdrawn!  " This was the moment Leng Bao was waiting for. He drew his sword and shouted loudly: "Brothers, the meritorious service is right in front of you. Fight with me!  " "Kill!  ¡± Amidst the loud shouts, a thousand cavalry suddenly launched into action, with the sound of hooves thundering like a torrent bursting through the embankment, towards the sheep and horse pen one mile away. At this time, hundreds of patrol sentries outside the sheep and horse pen were all captured by the camp.  Alarmed by the fire in the direction, they all rushed back to rescue their families, leaving only about 20 people on patrol here. They could not withstand the onrushing Han cavalry and either died under the sword of the Han army or turned their horses and fled.  The army cavalry burst into the vast sheep and horse pen, killing nearly a million sheep. £®  , two thousand Han cavalry rushed into the Huns' camp. Fifty cavalry were in a team, led by a camp commander. They held torches and ran across the camp, setting the tents on fire, killing and running and crying mercilessly.  There was thick smoke and fire in the camp. Children and women were stumbling and running, crying, but Ma Dai led two hundred cavalry to attack them with ruthless swords and spears.  In the center, he saw a huge tent, covering an area of ??two acres, surrounded by large tents, and the momentum was extraordinary. He immediately realized that this should be Liu Qubei's royal tent. "Burn it!"  " Ma Dai ordered. Several torches were thrown over, and the magnificent tent suddenly burned. The fire became more and more intense. At this time, more than a dozen screaming women, ranging in age, ran out from the tent.  Some of them were holding children in their arms. Among them was a young man in his twenties, wearing a silk robe and holding a sword in his hand. Although he was elegantly dressed, he looked fierce. He roared and waved.  Ma Dai immediately realized that these women were Liu Qubei's wives and concubines, and the young man in gorgeous clothes should also be Liu Qubei's nephew, most likely Liu Qubei's second son Gaosheng.  Yao, Ma Dai was about to order the soldiers to capture him alive, but it was too late. Several arrows shot through the young man's vest and shot him down on the spot. Ma Dai rushed forward and turned the young man over with the tip of his knife.  The man had died of anger, and there was a small gold medal hanging on his chest. He picked it off with the tip of his knife, held it in his hand and looked closely, and saw that "Liu Gaosheng Yuan" was engraved on it in small Chinese characters.The four characters ?? are indeed the second son of Qubei.  Ma Dai had no choice but to point to a few women holding children and said: "Take the women holding children away and kill the rest on the spot!" Amidst the screams, Liu Qubei's wives and concubines were killed one after another, except for three.  The young woman holding the child was captured by the Han army. The Han army's cavalry looted the tents filled with gold, pearls and jade, and set fire to all the royal tents.  Fires were burning, thick smoke was rising into the sky, and corpses were strewn across the fields. This killing lasted for two full hours. It was not until daybreak that the Han cavalry blew the horn for withdrawal. "Woo¡ª¡ª" In the sound of the horn, countless teams  The Han cavalry rushed out from the Xiongnu camp and quickly gathered into a torrent, and the team rushed towards the east.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 823 Forced to withdraw troops

    It was not until noon that Liu Qubei led tens of thousands of Huns cavalry back to their home base at Sheyanhai. Liu Qubei only learned that a group of Han cavalry had appeared near Sheyanhai, with thousands of people, after he received a report from the supply team's defeat.  , this news shocked him. He knew that the defense of Sheyanhai headquarters was weak, and once they attacked the camp, they would most likely cause heavy losses to themselves.  Liu Qubei could no longer care about the upcoming battle between the Wuhuan cavalry and the Han army. He did not listen to Li Ling's persuasion and immediately led his army back to Sheyanhai.  When they arrived at the camp, the tragic scene in front of them made everyone's eyes wide open. They saw that the fire had destroyed most of the tents. Many tents were still smoking, and the ground was covered with blackened corpses. The remaining  The old, weak, women and children were crying and packing up the remaining belongings. When they heard that the army was coming back, the old, women and children ran out one after another, calling their children to their husbands and crying in their arms.  Liu Qubei was so excited by the tragic situation that he almost fainted. At this time, the captain who was left behind in the camp came and knelt down to plead guilty. He leaned over and cried: "The Han army was extremely cruel. One hundred thousand old men, women and children were killed."  "About 30,000 people were burned to death, and most of the soldiers were also killed." Liu Qubei gritted his teeth and asked, "How about the sheep and horses?" "A Han army entered the sheep and horse pen.  We have suffered heavy losses. After counting, there are only a hundred thousand live sheep and less than 10,000 horses left. "Liu Qubei shouted, pointed his sword at Captain Wan and shouted: "I will take over the camp!  Entrusted to you, you still have the nerve to survive!" He chopped off the head of the Ten Thousand Masters with a knife, kicked it away, and shouted to the sky, "I, Liu Qubei, will not be a human being unless I take revenge!"  Several soldiers came up carrying a stretcher. Lying on the stretcher was a middle-aged woman who was seriously injured but not dead. She was Liu Qubei's Daque family, who was also his first wife. When Liu Qubei saw that she was seriously injured,  With no chance of survival, he couldn't help crying and asked: "How are the children?" "They are all dead!" Daque said in a low voice: "The second son was killed, the sisters were also killed, and only three pairs of mothers and children were taken away.  , I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯m alive or dead!¡± Liu Qubei couldn¡¯t help but feel heartbroken when he heard that his second son had been killed. He closed his eyes in pain, and after a while he said fiercely: ¡°Don¡¯t worry! My son¡¯s death will not be in vain, I will definitely kill him.¡±  Kill the Han people and let them pay for it with their lives!" Que was shocked. She held her husband's hand and said in a trembling voice: "Retreat to the grassland quickly. If we don't fight anymore, we will be exterminated!" "Que's life is gone. That's all.  After his death, Liu Qubei broke free from his wife's hand and pondered for a long time. His two youngest sons and daughter had fallen into the hands of the Han army, and it was impossible to continue the fight.  He then said to everyone: "The Han army is powerful. Even if I am alone, I may not be the opponent of the Han army. We must use the power of the Xiongnu to compete with it. You all should withdraw your troops and return to Hetao first. I will go to Yinshan to discuss with the Great Chanyu."  Liu Qubei immediately ordered his clansmen to pack up the remaining belongings and withdraw to the north of Hetao. He sent people to Wuhuan to inform his eldest son Liu Meng to withdraw. Liu Qubei, guarded by hundreds of cavalry, rushed to the homeland of the Xiongnu in Yinshan Mountain. Wuhuan San  Under Liu Meng's supervision, ten thousand cavalrymen were forced to march westward. After three days of marching westward, they gradually approached Gaoping County and set up a camp about ten miles away from Gaoping County. Tens of thousands of Han troops strictly guarded Xiao Pass and stood still.  Liu Jing is patiently waiting for news from Ma Dai.  It can be inferred from common sense that once Ma Dai successfully attacks the Huns' lair, Liu Qubei will inevitably lead his army to retreat north. Even if Liu Qubei comes back, it will take at least two days to go back and forth. This period of time is enough for the Han army to calm down  Against the Wuhuan people, you don't have to worry about being attacked from both sides.  That morning, Liu Jing was discussing military affairs with the generals. A soldier rushed to report. General Ma Dai sent someone to report. Liu Jing was overjoyed and quickly ordered the messenger to be brought in. After a moment, a messenger hurriedly walked in.  Kneeling down on one knee and saluting, he said: "I am here to report the good news to Your Highness on the order of General Ma Dai!" "Tell me quickly, how is the situation?" "Reporting to Your Highness, we successfully attacked the Xiongnu's lair and caused them heavy losses. General Ma led his brothers  Escape intact." The messenger told them in detail how they attacked the Xiongnu supply team and the night attack on the Sheyanhai camp. Liu Jing and the other generals listened carefully and told them about the ruthless killing of women and children.  Zhao Yun's eyes showed a look of intolerance, but Fazheng frowned, dissatisfied with Ma Dai's order to kill women and children. He quickly glanced at Liu Jing and saw that his expression was calm as usual, as if he was not affected at all.  Fa Zheng couldn't help but secretly sigh in his heart. Ma Dai was received by Liu Jing before leaving. It is estimated that the killing order was given by Liu Jing. Although they were Huns and barbarians, they were innocent women, children and old people after all. It was difficult to say that it was just to kill them like this. Fa Zheng  Fazheng noticed that Liu Jing's mood had become increasingly cold in recent years, perhaps related to his higher position of power. Looking at Liu Jing's slightly cold eyes, Fazheng suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of fear, and he couldn't help but tremble in his heart.  .  At this moment, Fa Zheng feltSomeone patted him on the shoulder. When he turned around, he saw the gentle and generous smile in Jia Xu's eyes, which made him feel a little comfort in his heart. He nodded to Jia Xu gratefully.  "Do you have any different opinions?" Liu Jing raised his voice and slowly glanced at everyone. At this time, Zhao Yun hesitated and said: "Since the Huns have withdrawn, the Wuhuan people will no longer have pressure from the Huns. We should be able to win over them.  "Is this battle possible?" Zhao Yun's implication is whether this battle is worth fighting and whether it can be resolved peacefully. Zhao Yun's words made the hall silent. Even the most bellicose Liu Hu needs to give Zhao Yun face and respect.  his opinion.  After a while, Liu Jing said slowly: "I can understand General Zhao's mood, and I don't want to kill anyone. If Wuhuan can be fully owned and allowed to be placed by us, I am willing to have more people, but many things cannot be just in front of us.  Just like I promised to relocate Wuhuan to Hexi, they may live a peaceful life as herders now. As long as we maintain strong strength, there will be no problems in a few decades, but who can guarantee that Wuhuan will be in a hundred years?  People are still safe and abiding by the rules, and they will not separate themselves from Hexi, and they will not send troops to Guanlong, burn, kill and loot?" Liu Jing's words echoed in the hall, impacting everyone's heart, "Those who are not of my race must have different hearts.  In order for our descendants to no longer blame our ancestors for being short-sighted, we must solve the hidden dangers once and for all. Whether it is dealing with the Wuhuan or the Xiongnu, the best way is to completely annihilate them, or disperse them and place them in the interior to mix with the Han people.  They lived and engaged in farming. After a few decades, Wuhuan ceased to exist. This was the consistent position of the Han Dynasty, which was to either expel and annihilate or assimilate. Cao Cao also used the same method against the Wuhuan people in Liaodong. Why do we  No?" Zhao Yun smiled bitterly, "It's too simple for me to be humble. I am willing to obey His Majesty's orders!" At this time, Jia Xu smiled again: "It seems that I have to say a few words." He slowly explained to everyone.  Said: "Your Highness only talks about the truth to everyone, but neglects to tell everyone the strategy. In fact, it was me who proposed the strategy against Wuhuan. In order to prevent Wuhuan from uniting with the Xiongnu, I suggested sending Qin to join the army as envoy to Wuhuan.  The conditions proposed at this time were the most generous. Farmers were allowed to live in Shangjun, and those who were willing to continue to be nomads would move to Hexi. We would give them good pastures. This was the most benevolent thing. However, Wuhuan did not accept our kindness and still gathered troops.  , echoing the Xiongnu north and south, and as a last resort, His Highness came up with a surprise strategy to attack the Xiongnu's lair and force the Huns to withdraw. General Ma Dai lived up to His Highness's expectations and succeeded in the surprise attack, forcing the Huns back to their lair. At this time, Wuhuan did not know that the Huns had already  To withdraw, we must take advantage of this opportunity to send troops to attack Wuhuan, completely defeat them, and then resettle the Wuhuan people in our own way and no longer give them the chance to remain nomadic." Zhao Yun nodded, "I understand what the military advisor means.  For us, time is very important. We must take action before the Wuhuan people get the news of the Xiongnu retreat." Everyone suddenly stood up and said, "Please give the order, Your Highness!" Liu Jing said coldly: "Let Wuhuan do it this time.  Huan cavalry has a taste of the power of bee crossbows and heavy armored infantry! " £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Under the call of the Chimu Order, more than 20 tribes of Wuhuan assembled a total of 30,000 troops. These troops are herdsmen in peacetime and soldiers in war. Although their riding skills are extremely strong, their training is far from insufficient. This is also the case for all nomadic peoples.  The commonality is that insufficient population prevents nomads from maintaining dedicated soldiers, with only a few thousand direct core soldiers at most.  Lu Xi stood in front of the tent, looking at Xiao Guan with confusion. He really didn't want to fight this battle, but his only young son was in the hands of the Huns, and there were 10,000 Huns cavalry pressing down, so he had to obey the order.  Launch an attack on the Han army.  Lu Xi sighed, turned around and asked Bian Shu: "If the Han army still refuses to fight, what should we do?" Bian Shu thought for a moment and said: "With Liu Meng's character, if the Han army refuses to fight, he will definitely  It will force us to attack the city, so I advised the chief to prepare some siege weapons, that's what I mean." "Siege the city?" Lu Xi shook his head, "When did we Wuhuan people have any record of attacking the city?  We have no experience, so how can we attack the city?" The concubine Bian smiled bitterly, "I'm afraid Liu Meng won't listen to our explanation." As soon as he finished speaking, there were heavy footsteps outside the tent, and someone shouted sharply: "Get out of here.  !" This was Liu Meng's voice. Lu Xi and the common people looked at each other. They realized something was wrong at the same time. A soldier rushed to the tent and reported: "General Liu is here." Before he could finish speaking, he was pushed away.  Liu Meng, who was like a black bear, broke into the tent. He glared at Lu Xi with his bell-like eyes and said fiercely: "It's been two days, why haven't you launched an attack yet?" Lu Xi didn't dare to offend him and bowed quickly.Shen said: "Because there are insufficient siege weapons, we can't attack the city for the time being." "Fart!" Liu Meng interrupted him rudely, grabbed Lu Xi's clothes, pulled him to his voice, and stared at him  His eyes said: "I think you want to liaise with the Han army and refuse to fight, right?" Lu Xi was frightened, ashamed and angry at the same time. He blushed and said, "That's the fact. I didn't attack the city.  Weapons, what about siege? If the Huns are willing to provide siege, I will send troops immediately." "That's what you said." Liu Meng sneered, "I will provide you with hundreds of siege ladders tomorrow morning.  If you don't attack the city, I will kill your son!" Lu Xi was pinched and could not speak for a long time. Liu Meng put him down and said: "Although we can't attack Xiaoguan now, you can attack it.  Gaoping County doesn't need any siege weapons. Just use giant trees to knock open the city gates. You send troops now!" The reason why Liu Meng was eager for the Wuhuan people to send troops was because he received an urgent message from his father.  Zhishe Yanhai's lair was captured, and they suffered heavy losses. His father Liu Qubei ordered him to abandon the Wuhuan people and immediately withdraw his troops back to Hetao, but Liu Meng was unwilling to do so. He wanted to force the Wuhuan people to attack and not allow the Wuhuan people to surrender to the Han army.  Opportunity.  He only had two days. Within these two days, Wuhuan and the Han army must fight. Liu Meng saw the hesitation in the eyes of Lu Xi and the common people, so he yelled: "Do you want to do it or not?"  Xi had no choice but to nod and say: "I will send troops to capture Gaoping County now." But as soon as he finished speaking, the rumble of war drums suddenly came from the distance. Liu Meng was stunned for a moment, and then he was overjoyed. This was the Han army sending troops.  , he immediately ordered: "The Han army has sent out troops and is ready to attack!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 824 Beating Wuhuan

    Liu Jing personally led 50,000 Han soldiers out of Xiaoguan and slowly came to the Wuhuan garrison ten miles away. In this team, in addition to the 5,000 heavy armored infantry led by Liu Hu and Lei Tong, there was also Pang De  He led six thousand cavalry and three thousand heavy shield, spear and crossbow troops led by Wu Ban.  ¡°Then there are a thousand bee crossbows hidden in the team. This is the Han army¡¯s biggest weapon and is extremely effective against nomads.  Although the Wuhuan people¡¯s combat effectiveness is slightly inferior to that of the Huns, they are still nomadic people after all. They have superb horse control skills and cannot be underestimated. More importantly, the strength of both sides is equal.  The opponent has 30,000 Wuhuan cavalry and 10,000 Xiongnu cavalry. Their strength is only 10,000 less than the Han army. In addition, all of them are cavalry. Their close combat strength exceeds that of the Han army. The Han army can only rely on advanced armor to compete with the enemy.  .  In addition, the opponent also has a weakness, that is, the Huns cavalry will not fight easily. You can do things to add insult to injury, but it is not realistic to ask him to help in the snow. Once Wuhuan is defeated, the Huns cavalry will definitely withdraw. This is Jia Xu's answer  Analysis done by the Huns.  But no matter what, it is the established strategy of the Han army to block it with troops and to be flooded with water.  Liu Jing led 50,000 Han troops gradually approaching the Wuhuan cavalry camp. When they were still two miles away, Liu Jing waved his hand and the army stopped the front army, and the Han troops quickly formed their formation.  The formation was three miles wide, with flags fluttering and a huge momentum. At the front were five thousand heavy armored infantry, with swords like a forest of swords. The cold light shone in the sun. The five thousand heavy armored infantry were arranged in three rows, forming an unstoppable sword.  wall.  On both sides of the heavy armored infantry, there are two thousand cavalry on each side. They guard the left and right sides of the heavy armored infantry. Behind the heavy armored infantry, there are a thousand bee ballistas, each of which is controlled by three people.  In addition, each bee ballista is guarded by three heavy-shielded crossbowmen. This kind of ballista is not easy to manufacture, and their safety must be ensured.  Behind the bee crossbows are six thousand crossbowmen. They and the bee crossbows form a two-layered attack from far and near.  At this time, a whimpering horn sounded from the opposite side. Groups of cavalry drove out from the camp and quickly lined up in the wilderness. The military system of the Wuhuan cavalry was the same as that of the Xiongnu. Ten thousand people served as a guard, and a captain of ten thousand men commanded the army.  , ten thousand men are divided into ten armies, each army is equipped with two thousand-man commanders, and there are also five hundred-man commanders, hundred-man commanders, and ten-man commanders.  The military flag is marked with Wuhuan Mountain. They do not use shields, but wear double cowhide armor. Their weapons are relatively chaotic, including swords, spears, maces, and home-made bows and arrows and nooses.  Liu Meng led 10,000 Huns cavalry to supervise the battle from behind. Seeing that the time was ripe, Liu Meng raised his horn and blew hard, "Woo¡ª¡ª" a low horn sounded, and then hundreds of horns in the Huns army blew at the same time.  'Woo¡ª¡ª' This was an attack order. Lu Xi had no choice but to grit his teeth and give the order, "Attack!" The commander of ten thousand soldiers of the left army was Chi Ning, the son of a common man on the border. He could no longer hold back and brandished his sword and shouted,  "My sons, kill me!" He took the lead and rushed out. Ten thousand cavalrymen behind him launched at the same time, with thunderous shouts of killing. "Kill!" Thousands of horses galloped, like a surging wave, in hundreds of  Under the guidance of a large flag, the war horses rolled towards the Han army to cover up the enemy, which was unstoppable.  At this time, Liu Jing coldly ordered: "The bee crossbows come forward!" The heavy armored infantry dispersed one after another. Three soldiers in a car launched a thousand extremely sharp bee crossbows. The wooden cover opened and the crossbow arrows slowly rose.  , the thirty iron crossbow bolts in the crossbow box were pointed coldly into the sky, the bow strings on both sides had been tightened, and a thousand bee crossbows were lined up, aiming at the galloping thousands of troops, and the war was about to start.  Liu Jing looked at a thousand wooden bull and bee crossbows with a solemn expression. He valued this kind of powerful weapon against cavalry. For a long time, the Han army had no good way to deal with cavalry. It mainly relied on heavy armored infantry. Heavy armored infantry  The advantage in dealing with cavalry is obvious. Using the sharp long blade to chop war horses can be said to be invincible.  But the weaknesses of heavy armored infantry are also obvious, that is, they are clumsy, slow, and inconvenient to move. It will be very effective against cavalry for the first time, but if the opponent has suffered a big loss, it will not hit the knife edge again the second time.  , the cavalry would often bypass the heavy armored infantry and attack the army behind.  Therefore, for the Han army, there is an urgent need for another weapon to deal with cavalry, especially long-range weapons. Ordinary crossbows have a short range. Often, the enemy cavalry will rush in front of them after one or two rounds, and the attack effect is not good.  The three-hundred-step bee crossbow cooperates to form two levels of shooting, and coupled with the defensive wall of the heavy armored infantry, this forms a multi-level attack on the enemy cavalry, which will achieve excellent results. Liu Jing's attack on the bee crossbow  Let¡¯s wait and see.  The Wuhuan cavalry galloped, and the 10,000 cavalry formed a black wave, raising yellow dust and murderous intent. It was unstoppable. Chi Ning took the lead, raised his sword high, and his eyes were red. This was his chance for revenge. In Xiaoguan  , they were not good at defending the city and were easily captured by the Han army.?, most of the troops were lost, and Chi Ning regarded it as a great shame and humiliation. Now it was their sharpest cavalry attack. Chi Ning took a deep breath. He wanted to completely defeat the Han army with an overwhelming momentum.  The Wuhuan cavalry rushed within a mile. At this time, the Han army's formation changed again. Six thousand crossbow soldiers came forward quickly from behind, divided into three rows, and lined up behind the bee crossbows. Six thousand crossbows swept the ground.  He raised it and aimed at the galloping cavalry.  The Wuhuan cavalry rushed within four hundred steps. Yellow dust filled the sky, the earth was shaking, and a powerful murderous aura swept over, making people frightened. This was the most powerful impact of ten thousand people by the nomadic cavalry, and the power contained in it was even greater.  Heaven and earth weep for it.  The cavalry finally rushed within 300 steps, and the war drums of the Han army suddenly sounded. This was an order to fire. A thousand bee ballistas were already ready. The firing soldiers turned the switch at the same time, and only heard a click.  With a loud sound, the powerful iron crossbow bolts were shot instantly, and the dense crossbow bolts quickly formed a network of arrows, shooting towards the galloping cavalry like a storm.  The first round of 30,000 iron crossbow bolts produced a huge effect. The iron crossbow bolts fell in a parabola. The heavy iron mass gave it a huge and powerful impact, which penetrated the double-layer leather armor of the cavalry. The crossbow bolts fell overwhelmingly.  A large number of cavalrymen were shot, and the cavalrymen screamed and fell off their horses, and were trampled like mud by the horses rushing from behind. Or the warhorses screamed and rolled forward with both men and horses, knocking over the cavalrymen in front and behind. When running at high speed, once they fell off their horses, they would definitely die.  On the impact surface that lasted for nearly three miles, cavalry could be seen rolling and falling to the ground everywhere. In just one round of 30,000 crossbow bolts, more than two thousand cavalry were killed, which frightened countless Wuhuan cavalry, but the cavalry in front could no longer turn around or  Giving up, the cavalry group galloped forward, trapping the cavalry in front.  After one round of crossbow arrows was fired, the three operating soldiers did not stop watching. Two soldiers pulled the winches left and right to wind up, while the shooting soldier loaded a new box of crossbow boxes into the arrow trough. They moved quickly and completed the second round in a moment.  Prepare for launch, but you don¡¯t need to wait for the drums to sound for the second round. After preparations are completed, launch immediately.  Captain Chi Ning escaped the first round of shooting. Looking at the powerful crossbow arrows, he was also shocked in his heart. However, he only ran a few dozen steps when the iron crossbow arrows like locusts came towards him again.  I saw the cold light flashing, and several crossbow arrows were in front of me. With no way to hide, Chi Ning screamed in despair. He was shot in the chest by three crossbows at the same time, rolled over and fell off his horse, and died tragically on the spot.  The overwhelming iron crossbow bolts once again shot into the dense group of cavalry. Many soldiers hid behind the horses, but the effect was not great. The horses were shot one after another, rolling over and falling, which also caused fatal damage to the cavalry.  The second round of 30,000 crossbow bolts caused more than 1,500 Wuhuan cavalry casualties, and the leader Chi Ning also died tragically.  Two rounds of crossbow strikes caused more than 35% of the Wuhuan cavalry casualties. The Wuhuan cavalry's offensive was stagnant, its speed slowed down significantly, and its morale quickly declined. Many cavalry were frightened to death and turned around one after another, causing the cavalry to become chaotic. However,  At this time, the Wuhuan cavalry were only a hundred steps away from the Han army's formation, and another breath of death rushed toward them.  One thousand bee ballistas quickly retreated, revealing six thousand crossbow troops. There were two thousand people in each row, divided into three rows. With the sound of clappers, the first row of two thousand crossbow arrows intensively fired at the oncoming people.  The Wuhuan cavalry, this time is not an iron crossbow, but it is still powerful. It can still penetrate the enemy's double-layer leather armor within a hundred steps.  This was a three-stage shooting at close range, more structured than a bee crossbow. The six thousand crossbowmen fired in turns, one after another. In a moment, two rounds of twelve thousand arrows were fired. The Wuhuan cavalrymen fell on their backs, suffering heavy casualties and corpses.  It was piled up within dozens of steps.  This was undoubtedly the most fatal blow suffered by the Wuhuan cavalry. Their morale was completely wiped out. The cavalry collided back and forth and became a mess. At this time, the sound of the withdrawal bell came from behind, 'Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ sounded, the Wuhuan cavalry scrambled to turn around and flee, and thousands of Wuhuan cavalry retreated like a tide.  The soldiers of the Han army cheered together. Even before the frontal battle, nearly half of the Wuhuan cavalry were killed or injured. This was an unprecedented result against the nomads. Liu Jing also laughed with joy. The bee crossbow lived up to his expectations and used intensive killing methods.  It played a great role against the cavalry group.  At this time, Liu Jing had already seen that the Wuhuan cavalry was timid and would probably withdraw to the camp. He immediately ordered: "Heavy armored infantry attack!" Five thousand heavy armored infantry slowly lined up, swords like a forest of swords.  , like a gable, walked towards the enemy step by step. Seven thousand cavalry guarded the two wings. Behind the heavy armored infantry were six thousand crossbow troops. Thirty thousand spearmen were also dispatched. The Han army finally moved out to attack.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 825 Attacking Wuhuan at Night

    The Wuhuan cavalry's almost unsuccessful retreat made Liu Meng furious. He rode up to Lu Xi and shouted angrily: "What's going on? Why do we need to withdraw?" Lu Xi was disgusted with Liu Meng, so he restrained himself.  With anger in his heart, he said coldly: "The Han army's bows and arrows are sharp. If we continue to fight, the whole army will be annihilated!" "You can increase your troops and send a second army of ten thousand people up, but you can't retreat." "That's enough!  The concubine next to him had red eyes, clenched his fists and shouted, "My son has already died for you, what else do you want!" Liu Meng stepped forward with his sword drawn, glaring at the concubine, "What did you say?"  More than a dozen soldiers also rushed forward with their swords drawn, glaring at Liu Meng angrily. The two sides were in a stalemate. At this moment, war drums sounded in the distance, and cavalry rushed to report, "The Han army has attacked!"  The Han army's military formation was dispatched, but not very quickly. Two rows of heavy armored soldiers with long swords were pressing towards them like mountains. Lu Xi felt the strong pressure, and he immediately ordered: "Withdraw the troops and return to the camp!" He turned back to Liu Meng and said: "What's going on?  When it comes to matters of life and death, the Wuhuan people will make the decision themselves. If General Liu is willing to lead his army to attack, we are very welcome and willing to support General Liu. If General Liu is unwilling to attack, please come back. " Lu Xi basically said this!  Just because he had fallen out with the Huns, Liu Meng's face turned red and white. He had no confidence. The Huns army had withdrawn north. With ten thousand men in his hand, he could not fight against the Han army or even the Wuhuan army. He groaned heavily.  With a cry, he got on his horse, turned his horse's head and galloped away.  Lu Xi looked at his back with complicated eyes. Although Lu Xi and Liu Meng fell out, he did not dare to fall out with the Huns. After all, his young son was a hostage in the Huns and he did not get Liu Qubei's exact order.  Before, he did not dare to withdraw directly to Shangjun. At least he had to send someone to ask Liu Qubei for instructions. At this time, Lu Xi did not know that the Huns had withdrawn north. He took it for granted that Liu Qubei was leading tens of thousands of troops in dozens of battles.  People inside and outside were watching eagerly, waiting for him to defeat the Han army.  Lu Xi immediately ordered: "Withdraw the troops back to the camp!" The Wuhuan army and the Xiongnu army withdrew the camp one after another. Although the camps of nomadic people generally did not have camp fences and simply set up tents, because Wuhuan and Nan  The Huns had been in the Central Plains for a long time, and they gradually learned some of the camp methods of the Central Plains army. Among them, they preferred to use camp fences and surround the camp with huge thick logs. It was simple and convenient, and they dug a trench to block the horses outside.  Tens of thousands of Han troops marched toward the Wuhuan camp step by step. When they were still a hundred steps away from the camp fence, an overwhelming barrage of arrows was fired at the Han troops. However, most of the Wuhuan people's bows and arrows were crude, and their range was only fifty or sixty steps.  Although he could not shoot the Han army, the overwhelming momentum was quite spectacular. Liu Jing waved his hand and ordered the soldiers to stop moving forward.  He stared at the Wuhuan barracks for a moment, then turned around and ordered: "Assemble the heavy trebuchets on the spot!" Among the logistical equipment shipped by the Han army, there were parts for five heavy trebuchets, which were to be assembled and used in the defense of Xiaoguan, and the trebuchets  Another function of the bee crossbow is to deter the opponent. Although the shooting range of the bee crossbow cannot reach the enemy camp, the heavy trebuchet can.  It was getting dusk now, and six thousand crossbowmen were still arrayed in front of the Wuhuan people's camp to prevent the Wuhuan people from attacking. Behind a mound, hundreds of army craftsmen were stationed under the command of the great craftsman Luo Sheng.  , nervously assembling a heavy trebuchet.  Time passed little by little, and an hour later, Luo Sheng hurried over to report: "Your Highness, all five trebuchets have been assembled!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In the Wuhuan Army's tent, Lu Xi had a gloomy face and stared outside the tent, seeming to be thinking about something. There were more than twenty chiefs of various sizes sitting on both sides, with Bian Shu and Luo Jin sitting in the front, two people seated.  Protruding and close to Lu Xi, the three of them represent the three largest tribes in Wuhuan. The fate of the Wuhuan people is basically determined by the three of them.  Bian Shu is still immersed in grief. The death of his son Chi Ning has hit him hard and he has not recovered yet. Luo Jin is also silent. Although his tribe has no losses for the time being, the Han army is strong today.  The crossbow arrows also gave him a great shock, especially the overwhelming iron crossbow arrows, which had amazing lethality. At this time, he had such a crossbow arrow in his hand, and he touched it gently, feeling its heavy iron quality and fineness.  of workmanship.  "Tell me about it!" Lu Xi slowly glanced at everyone and asked in a slightly hoarse voice: "What should we do now? I want to hear everyone's opinions." There was silence in the big tent, and the chiefs on the far left  The lips moved, as if they had something to say. The tribes of these people suffered the heaviest losses. Most of the 10,000 cavalry attacked today were their tribal warriors.  "Tu Wuli, what do you want to say?" Lu Xi asked the oldest chief in a soft voice.  The chief named Tu Wuli¡¯s lips were trembling, and he said with tears streaming down his face: ¡°The chief?, we cannot continue to fight. If we continue to fight, all our young men will die, and the Xiongnu will exterminate our women and children, and there will be no more Wuhuan tribe from now on.  " Lu Xi nodded. He glanced at the concubine and sighed secretly. His eyes turned to Luo Jin again, "What do you mean?  Rokin.  Luo Jin smiled bitterly after a while and said, "I am recalling the crossbow formation of the Han army. I wonder if the Huns can resist it?"  " Lu Xi understood what Luo Jin meant. They couldn't resist it, and neither could the Huns. But the key is that the Huns would not fight the Han army, but would not let the Wuhuan people go. This is what they  Lu Xi sighed and said to everyone: "No matter what, I still want to leave a way for my people to escape. If we are caught between the Han army and the Huns, we will only be crushed to pieces in the end. Everyone  Please tell me, if I decide to move to Hexi, how many people will be willing to follow me?  " There was still no one talking in the big tent. After all, this decision came so suddenly that many people found it difficult to accept it. But at this moment, there was a commotion outside the big tent. Someone seemed to be shouting in fear. Everyone looked at each other.  I was stunned, what happened? The curtain was lifted, and a soldier ran in and said in horror: "Chief, fire has fallen from the sky, the camp is on fire!  " Lu Xi was taken aback and hurriedly walked out of the tent. The chiefs also followed him out. Everyone was stunned by the scene outside. They saw the fire in the camp soaring into the sky. Countless tents were ignited, and the fire was fierce.  Burning, the billowing smoke obscured the clear night sky, the soldiers fled everywhere, making a mess. At this time, a soldier pointed to the sky and shouted: "Here we go again!  " Everyone looked up to the sky and saw five huge fireballs appearing in the sky, carrying thick smoke and flames, roaring towards the camp. Lu Xi immediately realized that this was an attack fireball sent by the Han army.  The range of the fireball was not far and it could not be shot directly into the tents. However, it had huge elasticity and continued to bounce up after landing. It then rushed hundreds of steps and rushed into their large tents. Wherever it passed, there were huge  The tent was ignited and quickly turned into a sea of ??flames. Lu Xi immediately shouted: "Tear down the big tent on the north side, go and demolish it!"  "The chiefs turned and ran towards the north, shouting, "Tear down the tents immediately!  " On the high ground 150 steps away from the camp, five giant trebuchets were showing off their power, throwing huge kerosene balls into the Wuhuan army camp. Although the Wuhuan people were trying to prevent the Han army's rocket attack  , specially placed the camp 300 steps away from the camp fence to form an isolation zone. Within this distance, the Han army's rockets could not reach the camp, and even the sharp bee crossbows and ordinary trebuchets could not hit the target.  The Wuhuan people had never dreamed of using kerosene weapons. The Han army used strips of cloth that had been soaked in kerosene and dried in the sun to wrap around and around to form a huge ball of cloth, which was very elastic. After it was smashed four hundred steps with a heavy trebuchet, it  It also has huge elasticity and inertia, so that after it lands on the ground, it will continue to pop forward hundreds of steps. It can completely rush into the densely populated camps of the Wuhuan people. Once it is ignited and launched, it becomes the weapon of the Wuhuan people.  Nightmare. Although Lu Xi thought of a solution, it was too late. The strong night wind caused the fire to spread very quickly. The fire burned the ropes, and the burning tent was blown up by the wind and burned in the air.  It broke into several pieces, floated to the north, and landed in a tent that had not been affected by the fire. It quickly ignited the tent and caused the north side of the camp to begin to burn. When Lu Xi saw that the fire was spreading too fast, he stamped his feet in a hurry.  Someone on the side advised: "Evacuate quickly!  Otherwise we will all die in the fire.  " As soon as the people on the border finished speaking, a soldier rushed to report: "Chief, the Huns camp has been deserted for a long time. I wonder where they have gone?  " Lu Xi was stunned, and his mind was at a loss. It turned out that the Huns had already withdrawn. When did they withdraw? The Bian Shu shouted anxiously: "Chief, don't worry about the Huns, we must evacuate immediately!  " Lu Xi nodded slowly and immediately ordered: "The whole army breaks out from the east and withdraws to Shangjun.  "The increasing intensity of the fire caused the Wuhuan people to give up putting out the fire. Countless soldiers rushed to the east gate of the camp. They ignored their horses and just ran away desperately. At this time, the east gate was opened and the Wuhuan people rushed out of the camp.  Rushing towards the wilderness shrouded in darkness, not far from the camp, 20,000 Han troops had been waiting for a long time. They laid out a dragnet, waiting for the Wuhuan people to fall into the net. On the low hills, there were five warships.  The trebuchets were still throwing fireballs hard, and the Wuhuan camp had already turned into a sea of ??fire. The frightened horses neighed and crashed against the fence. They finally broke out of the sheep and horse pen and ran towards the wilderness.  On the hill, staring at the fire in the distance, he smiled at Jia Xu and said, "Do you think the Huns will come back?  ¡± The Huns mentioned by Liu Jing refer to the 10,000 Xiongnu cavalry led by Liu Meng.??, they secretly left another camp in the north shortly after nightfall. At that time, the Han army's ambush had not been deployed. What is strange is that this cavalry was not to attack the Han army at night, but just to attack the Han army at night.  To evacuate.  However, Jia Xu guessed their intention. This Huns cavalry should have received Liu Qubei's order to withdraw north, but they did not want to let go of the Wuhuan people, so they refused to retreat until the Wuhuan people were in the crossbow formation.  After suffering heavy losses, they decided to withdraw northward, but nothing happened when they retreated northward. Now that the Han army has launched a fire attack on Wuhuan Camp, will the Huns cavalry change their plan to withdraw northward?  Liu Jing looked back at Jia Xu. Jia Xu thought for a moment and said: "I always feel that this Huns cavalry is not willing to give up. If they wanted to withdraw, they should have withdrawn long ago. There is no need to delay until now. This can only mean that they  Unwilling to do so, and their strength is sufficient, I think this Huns cavalry is very likely to turn around and attack us." Liu Jing nodded, "I have this feeling too, where does the military advisor think they will attack?" Jia Xu pointed.  Pointing to his feet, "Just attack us here!" £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 826 Fish on the Chopping Block

    On a hill about ten miles away, Liu Meng led 10,000 Huns cavalry and were stationed to look south. Liu Meng was forced to withdraw his troops. Although it was an order from his father Liu Qubei, he did not dare to disobey. Even though it was delayed for a day,  But he must also obey orders.  Secondly, the Wuhuan people had turned against him and were unwilling to attack the Han army again. Liu Meng was also worried about being betrayed by the Wuhuan people, so he quietly evacuated the camp with his army as soon as it became dark.  But just as Jia Xu speculated, Liu Meng was not willing to retreat north like this and gain nothing. Of course he knew that the Han army had reached a critical moment in attacking Wuhuan, and changes were imminent. He must gain something before he could leave, but the key was that he wanted to gain something.  What, Liu Meng faced a choice.  Should he rush to Shangjun to rob the women and children of the Wuhuan people, or should he wait for the opportunity and attack the Han army?  Liu Meng already knew why his father ordered him to retreat north. It was because the Han army attacked Sheyanhai. Liu Meng knew that Sheyanhai's defense was weak. Even his father decided to give up the Wuhuan people's retreat north. He could imagine the Han army attacking Sheyanhai.  The tragedy.  Although Liu Meng's wife and children were in Hetao and not in Sheyanhai, his mother and brother were both in Sheyanhai. Although the reporting soldier claimed not to know, he was almost certain that his mother and brother were in serious danger.  Liu Meng's heart was filled with deep hatred. At this time, going to Shangjun to rob Wuhuan women and children was no longer important to him. What was important was the Han army. The fire of revenge was burning in his heart.  The firelight of the Wuhuan Camp in the distance was clearly visible under the night sky. It was a continuous fire, which was shocking. All the Xiongnu soldiers were very nervous. I wonder how many Wuhuan people could survive under such a fierce fire.  ?  Liu Meng's eyes narrowed to a slit. He could guess the deployment of the Han army. Since the fire was set in the barracks, the Han army would inevitably disperse and ambush all around. How many people would be left in the Chinese army guarding Liu Jing?  A bold idea came to his mind.  At this time, two Huns cavalry rushed back. They were spies sent by Liu Meng. They rushed to Liu Meng and reported: "Report to the young chief, the Wuhuan people evacuated the camp, but were ambushed by the Han army."  "The Han army is firing fireballs with trebuchets in the south." "How many Han troops are there in the south?" Liu Meng asked again.  "About a few thousand people, I'm not sure exactly." Liu Meng nodded. He was sure that Liu Jing must be near the trebuchet. That was their command center. Liu Meng turned around and shouted: "Success or failure depends on this."  In one fell swoop, we will attack the Han army and capture Liu Jing alive." He waved his sword and said, "Follow me!" Liu Meng urged his horse to gallop south. He wanted to bypass the Han army outside Wuhuan Camp.  , went around to the south, and launched a sudden attack on Liu Jing's Chinese army from behind. Liu Meng seemed to have seen the panic of the Han army. He saw Liu Jing wearing a golden helmet being driven off his horse and captured alive. He wanted to capture Liu Jing alive.  Jing became the basis for him to inherit the position of King Youxian and even the Chanyu of the Huns.  The blood was boiling in Liu Meng's heart. He kept accelerating his horse speed and led ten thousand cavalry to gallop south. He ran for nearly twenty miles in one breath and had already passed the target several miles. He turned the horse's head and ran to the northeast in a roundabout way.  , the direction he went to was exactly the back of the Han army.  After running for about three or four miles, under the moonlight, he had already seen the hill where the trebuchet was located, saw fireballs rising into the sky, and saw the densely packed figures of soldiers on the hill. He was so excited that he waved his sword and shouted: "The enemy is here."  Fight with me in front of you!" "Kill!" Amidst the shouts of the Huns' cavalry, the cavalry suddenly accelerated, waving their swords like a torrent and rushed towards the hillocks several miles away. Within a moment, Liu Meng led his troops to charge forward.  It was a low hill, but except for the five trebuchets, thousands of soldiers were motionless. Liu Meng roared and chopped off the head of the Han general wearing a golden helmet with his sword. The body fell and he could see clearly.  , turned out to be a straw man, and the war horse he was riding was also a straw horse.  "Fell into a trap!" An idea popped into Liu Meng's mind.  The Huns cavalry rushed into the Han army and killed hundreds of people. They all shouted, "Not real people!" At this moment, a row of long black shadows suddenly appeared two to three hundred paces to the left, like  It seemed to appear out of thin air from the ground. Before they could react, the overwhelming iron crossbow bolts roared towards them. The Huns cavalry were caught off guard and screamed loudly. Countless soldiers fell from their horses and died on the spot.  Liu Meng reacted very quickly and hid behind his horse. However, his horse was hit by three crossbow bolts and fell to the ground. Liu Meng was thrown away for more than ten feet. At this time, another black man appeared in front of him.  The military crossbowmen fired tens of thousands of crossbows, and there was a wailing on the hills. The Hun cavalry fell down one after another like targets. In an instant, nearly three thousand people were killed or injured. The Hun soldiers were so frightened that they turned their horses and fled.  There was a loud sound of drums under the hill. Liu Jing personally led 7,000 cavalry to attack from the east and cut the retreating Huns cavalry in two. Another 8,000-man spear ambush was led by Zhao Yun and came from the west.They arrived, and to the north were 6,000 crossbowmen led by Zhang Ren. They fired random arrows and shot down the Huns cavalry who were trying to break out from the north.  At this time, the Xiongnu cavalry was in chaos. No one wanted to fight the Han army. They only wanted to break out and escape. Liu Meng calmly observed the enemy's situation. The ambush had gathered in the south, cutting off the way to escape south. There seemed to be only a few troops in the northwest.  .  He suddenly turned over and jumped onto an ownerless horse, running desperately to the northwest, followed by more than a thousand cavalry. He found that this was their only escape channel. If it were a step later, the Han army would encircle and close in the northwest, and they would not be able to escape.  Opportunity.  Although the Han army attacked from all sides, the Huns were all cavalry after all. Once they broke through, it would be difficult to catch up. Liu Meng opened a bloody road and led hundreds of people to flee northwest, running for more than 20 miles in one go.  Finally escaped the ambush of the Han army. At dawn, defeated troops fled back one after another. Liu Meng counted the number of defeated troops and found that there were only more than 3,000 horses left. He couldn't help but sigh and led the remaining army towards Sheyanhai.  Fleeing in panic It was getting daylight, and the battle against the Wuhuan Army was over. Except for some soldiers who died in the sea of ??fire, most of the Wuhuan soldiers who escaped became prisoners of war of the Han army, including King Lu Xi of Wuhuan.  Dozens of chiefs inside also entered the encirclement of the Han army and eventually became the turtles in the urn.  Groups of war horses were driven from all directions by Han soldiers. These war horses were quite spiritual. After escaping from the fire, most of them would not stay away from their owners, but would wait quietly in the surrounding wilderness. Tens of thousands of war horses eventually became Han soldiers.  The army's rich spoils of war.  Zhang Ren led his army to clean up the Huns' battlefield, while Liu Jing, escorted by hundreds of cavalry, arrived at the Wuhuan camp. The Wuhuan camp had been burned to ashes, along with the Huns camp not far to the north.  Finally, the wilderness east of the camp was filled with captured Wuhuan soldiers. Hundreds of them gathered together and sat on the ground. Their eyes were confused, and many of them had fear.  There were Han soldiers guarding them all around, and all their weapons and leather armor were taken away. Without their horses and armor, the Wuhuan soldiers turned into herdsmen again, and turned into groups of docile and timid ordinary people.  They are associated with the violent ferocity of an assault.  Liu Jing's cavalry passed by them. Liu Jing looked at these prisoners of war carefully and saw that many prisoners of war were no longer the rough herdsmen. Many of them had the temperament of a farming nation, that kind of restrained and low-key.  Jing nodded, he had confidence in transforming the Wuhuan people again.  At this time, the captured Wuhuan soldiers stood up one after another. When Liu Jing turned around, he found Han soldiers escorting several old men approaching. He immediately realized that these people should be the chiefs of the Wuhuan people.  Liu Jing slowly urged his horse forward, stared at the Wuhuan nobles for a moment, and said coldly to the soldiers: "Let them go!" The Han soldiers let go of several old men, and a military prince whispered to them: "  This is the King of Han coming!¡± The old man at the head was Lu Xi, King of Wuhuan. Behind him were Bian Shu, Luo Jin, and more than a dozen chiefs. In the end, they failed to escape from the encirclement of Han soldiers and were captured by the Han army.  Although it was the first time for Lu Xi to meet Liu Jing, Liu Jing's image and reputation were already well known to him. Sure enough, he was as tall and burly as the rumors said. Although he was not domineering, his sharp eyes and cold attitude still impressed him.  People feel an inexplicable fear.  Lu Xi secretly sighed in his heart, stepped forward and bowed: "I am Wuhuan Lu Xi, see His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing nodded, said nothing, and ordered the soldiers: "Don't embarrass them, bring them to the big tent.  See me." After saying that, Liu Jing turned his horse and headed towards the temporary Chinese army tent. Lu Xi felt really uneasy. He suddenly realized that they were no longer qualified to negotiate. They were a knifeman and a fish.  They could only be slaughtered by others. Lu Xi felt sad in his heart. What would be the fate of the Wuhuan people?  In the big tent, Jia Xu persuaded Liu Jing in a low voice: "Your Highness wants to turn the Wuhuan people into yeoman farmers, and their leader cannot stay. The minister suggested killing them all. Since the Wuhuan people have no leader, they will naturally be left to your Highness."  Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "The military advisor is right, but we can't touch them yet. I want to use their authority to make the Wuhuan people obey our arrangements. After they stabilize, we will see how they perform. If  If you have any objections, it won't be too late to deal with them one by one." At this time, a soldier reported outside the tent: "Your Highness, the Wuhuan nobles have been brought in!" Liu Jing ordered, and he turned around to ask Jia Xu.  , "Commander, has Pound gone east?" "Your Highness, General Pang has led 7,000 cavalry to Shangjun overnight, and General Ma Dai's 3,000 cavalry are coming south from the north. Wuhuan women and children should not be able to escape."  Liu Jing nodded and said: "You can order General Yan to go north and transport the Wuhuan women and children into the pass by boats and rafts."  "Wei Chen understands and will make arrangements immediately!" Just as he was talking, the curtain was opened, and the guards brought Lu Xi and others in. This time they brought in seventeen people, all chiefs of Wuhuan tribes.  He stepped forward and knelt down and kowtowed, "Greetings to His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing waved her hand slightly, "Everyone, please take a seat without any courtesy!" Seventeen chiefs sat down one after another, all of them were uneasy and looked at the great chief Lu Xi.  He bowed and said: "Although Wuhuan sent troops to Xiaoguan, he was really forced to do so. Please understand our difficulties." "Is the chief referring to Liu Meng leading the army to supervise you? If so, it would be too high to think highly of him. Last night  Liu Meng's army has been completely wiped out by us. I think he really shouldn't be your excuse." Everyone, Chief Wuhuan, looked at each other with shock. Liu Meng's army was actually wiped out by the Han army. The Han army was able to fight on two fronts at the same time.  ?  Lu Xi quickly explained: "We are not afraid of Liu Meng, but our nephews are all hostages in the Huns, and we dare not disobey the Huns' orders. Even my three-year-old son is also in the Huns. It's pity that I have a son in old age."  , that is my only son." Speaking of this, Lu Xi couldn't help but burst into tears, and everyone became sad. Liu Jing watched them quietly for a while and said, "Don't worry too much, my cavalry has defeated Lu She.  The Huns' lair in Yanze has captured Liu Qubei's two young sons. They can be used to exchange for your nephews. " Only then did Lu Xi know that Liu Qubei's lair was captured. No wonder they didn't show up. It turned out that the Huns had already arrived.  As they retreated north, he heard that Liu Jing was willing to redeem their son for them. They all burst into tears of gratitude and knelt down to kowtow, "Your Highness repays evil with kindness, and we are willing to repay Your Highness with our bodies broken into pieces!" Liu Jing smiled faintly, "I don't want you broken into pieces, I only want you.  Order your troops to obey the arrangements of the Han army. I will not kill you, but I ask you to give up your nomadic life, return to farming, become self-cultivated farmers of our Han country, and enjoy the same taxes as the farmers of the Han country. " This is in Lu.  As expected, they became prisoners of war and no longer had the luxury of going to Hexi to graze. He sighed in his heart and looked back at the concubine. At this time, the concubine only wanted his eldest son to come back, and he didn't care about nomadic herding or farming.  He immediately nodded and whispered: "I can agree!" Lu Xi looked at everyone again, and most of them nodded in agreement. He had no choice but to kowtow: "The Wuhuan people are willing to obey His Highness's arrangements!" Jian'an 20  In June of that year, the Wu-Huan coalition forces in Guannei were defeated by the Han army, and more than 100,000 people from more than 20 Wuhuan tribes were captured by the Han army.  Liu Jing then ordered Pingzhangtai of the Han Dynasty to resettle the Wuhuan people in more than 30 counties in Longyou, Guanzhong, Hanzhong and Bashu. They distributed land and farm tools and ordered the local officials to help them live in peace. The Wuhuan people in Guanlong changed their status from nomadic herders.  For farming.  In addition, the Wuhuan people in Liaodong were gradually converted to farming by Cao Cao. Decades later, this ancient nation was gradually assimilated by the Han people and eventually disappeared in the long river of history.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 827 The Blade Heads West

    Although the Han army had eliminated the Wuhuan tribe among the three major Hu tribes, Liu Jing was not satisfied. The Wuhuan tribe was not his target. His target was the five major Hu tribes including the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie, Qiang, and Di.  In history, the Five Hu Rebellions caused by the five Hu tribes almost killed the Han people to the point of annihilation. This period of history is about to come in ninety years.  But it is not easy to deal with these five major Hu tribes. The Hu tribe's strength caused by centuries of weakness in the late Han Dynasty cannot be solved in a day or two, nor can they be driven out of the Central Plains in one or two battles. The Xiongnu and Xianbei are far away.  In the grasslands, the Jie people relied on the Huns, while the Qiang and Di were widely distributed. To deal with the Hu tribe's forces and reverse their trend of heading south to the Central Plains, a long-term battle was required.  The first step for Liu Jing to do is to regain Anding County, Beidi County and Shang County to resolve the threat in northern Guanzhong. Now Liu Qubei is temporarily withdrawing north, but his strength has not been damaged and he will still go south at any time. More importantly,  Yes, he has forged a bloody feud with Liu Jing, and he will definitely come back to take revenge.  Therefore, before Liu Qubei comes back from killing Liu Jing, Liu Jing must consolidate the occupation of the three counties in Guannei as soon as possible and move all the Wuhuan people and some farming Huns into the interior. In addition, Liu Jing must deal with the Qianghu who are entrenched in Shuofang County.  We must also prevent it from uniting with the Xiongnu. Although it is not the time to use troops against the Qiang and Hu, it does not mean that Liu Jing is indifferent to the Qiang and Hu generals.  That afternoon, a group of businessmen from Longxi slowly arrived in Lingzhou County. This group of businessmen were disguised as Deng Ai and Wei Jin. They were sent by Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, to Shuofang County to perform a special mission. The group consisted of ten people.  composed of people.  Except for Deng Ai and Wei Jin, the other eight people were elites selected from the Eagle Attack Army. When they were in Tianshui County, they selected three Qiang soldiers from the Tianshui County army to follow them.  They drove hundreds of mules and horses, loaded with porcelain and silk that were loved by the Qiang people, from Guanzhong to Longxi, and then all the way north. They traveled to Qianli and finally arrived in Lingzhou County, where they met the nomadic people of Hexi and Longxi.  The Qiang people are different. The Qiang people who are distributed in the Helan Mountain area have gradually settled down and are half pastoralists and half farmers, and are slowly developing towards the formation of political power and the establishment of a country.  This is what worries Liu Jing the most. The nomads have no roots in the Central Plains. They come and go like the wind and are easy to expel. Once a political power is established in the Central Plains, it means that they have begun to take root. It is no longer easy to expel them, and they can only destroy the country.  The road to genocide. Although Liu Jing welcomed the farming of the Hu people, the prerequisite was that they would be dispersed throughout the Central Plains, mix with the Han people, and eventually be gradually Hanized.  The realization of farming in an area inhabited by Hu people means that the founding era of the Qiang people is coming. However, the Han army was restrained by the Huns and could not carry out large-scale battles against the Qiang people in Shuofang. They could only use some special means to prevent the Qiang people from joining forces.  Huns united.  Lingzhou County is located in the Yellow River Irrigation Area, where there is sufficient sunlight and fertile land. During the Han Dynasty, large-scale immigration was carried out by the imperial court for irrigation development, making this area a famous grain-producing area. However, like other areas within the pass, the Han Dynasty's century-old accumulation  Weak, the Hu advanced and the Han retreated. This area has been occupied by the Hexi Qiang people and has become a prosperous place for the Qiang people.  Outside the county town, Wei Jin introduced the situation to Deng Ai all the way, "Although there are many Qiang people in this area, they are relatively scattered. There are more than a dozen tribes, large and small. Their strength is determined by the number of cavalry. The largest tribe is called Yeding.  The leader of the tribe is called Yeding, and he has about 8,000 cavalry. The rest of the tribes have thousands of cavalry, and as few as more than a thousand cavalry, but the total strength is 30,000 to 40,000, mainly cavalry, which is quite powerful. " Deng  Ai Shen hesitated and asked: "How do you compare with Wuhuan?" "They should be stronger than Wuhuan. After all, they are not controlled by the Huns. The Huns are also quite afraid of them. They always do not offend the river." Wei Jin again  Pointing to the county seat, he said with a smile: "This county seat is the home of the Yeding tribe. Yeding is their family name. The Qiang king is called Yeding Asu. He is a very talented and strategic monarch who wants to unify all the Qiang tribes. He has four  Son, order each son to marry the daughter of the chief of each tribe." Deng Ai frowned and said, "Isn't this the way to cause chaos? If this Ah Su dies, who among the four sons can inherit him.  If one of them ascends the throne, will the other tribes be convinced? " "Brother, you are right. This is indeed a big problem for them. The four sons rely on the support of the tribes behind them to fight for power, but Ah  Xu should have his own ideas. He wants to unify all the Qiang tribes when he is in power, and his four sons will divide the four areas and expand the territory for him. " Deng Ai nodded, "It seems that Brother Wei knows the people here very well.  " Wei Jin smiled slightly and said: "Actually, I have only been here twice, but I asked many businessmen before setting off, and I have a full understanding of this place. " Deng Ai couldn't help but feel a little ashamed. Compared with Wei Jin's intentions,  He was much more confused. Wei Jin glanced at him, couldn't help laughing, patted his shoulder and said: "Brother Deng, I am ten years older than you, and I am a scout."??It's normal for you to be thoughtful, don't take such small things to heart.  " Deng Ai also smiled and said: "Following Brother Wei, I have indeed gained a lot of knowledge and gained a lot along the way.  "At this time, a group of people came to the city gate. There was a huge flow of people here, a mixture of Hu and Han people. There were stalls selling vegetables on both sides of the road. Dozens of Qiang soldiers stood at the city gate, checking the passers-by one by one. This made  Deng Ai couldn't help but worry, would they be found out if they were carrying prohibited weapons? But Wei Jin smiled, "The world is as dark as crows, I have learned this a long time ago."  "The caravan slowly stepped forward, immediately attracting the attention of the Qiang soldiers. They saw that they had many mules and horses, and they were fully loaded with goods. They were obviously a powerful caravan. A centurion at the head stepped forward and shouted: "Yes.  Where did the businessman come from?  " Wei Jin replied in Qiang language: "We came from Jincheng County.  "The centurion patted their bags and asked, "What kind of goods are you bringing?  Open it and let me see.  " Wei Jin winked, and his men immediately opened a package. Madam Bai's eyes lit up. It turned out to be silk and porcelain. These are good things! In his eyes, the caravan suddenly turned into a fat sheep.  At this time, a group of cavalry came out of the city, about several hundred people, led by a young Qiang general with a tall horse and gorgeous clothes. "The third prince is here!"  "A soldier shouted, and the centurion was so frightened that he quickly stepped aside. This young Qiang general was the third son of Qiang King Asu, named Zuo Dan. He was also the favorite son of Qiang King Asu. Although  He was not as powerful as his elder brother, but he was also ambitious and wanted to inherit the throne of Qiang King. Zuo Dan also saw the caravan. He rushed forward and asked: "Where did the caravan come from?  "He actually spoke Chinese, quite fluently, which is normal. Qiang nobles have all learned Chinese since childhood, and important official documents of the Qiang people are also written in Chinese. Wei Jin quickly stepped forward and saluted: "We are from Tianshui County.  Come here, it¡¯s the Jiang family¡¯s caravan!  " After saying that, Wei Jin took out the Qiang family's business card and presented it. The Tianshui Jiang family is known as the largest clan in Longxi. They are also Qiang people, but they have been Hanized long ago. Despite this, the Jiang family is still inextricably linked with the Qiang people.  The Jiang family owns a large amount of land in the Weishui River Valley in Tianshui County, and also monopolizes the trade between Longxi and the Qiang people. It is normal for the Jiang family's caravan to appear in Hexi or Heshuo areas. Zuo Dan saw that it was their Jiang family's caravan.  , his expression softened a lot. At this time, he saw Deng Ai and the eight followers again, and was immediately attracted by them. He saw that Deng Ai and the eight guards were all highly skilled in martial arts, and their bodies were unusually strong.  , and seeing that they only had ten people, they could escort such a huge caravan, Zuo Dan thought to himself: 'It would be an opportunity if we could be used by them. ' Thinking of this, he said with a smile on his face: "Jiang and I.  We have always had a very good relationship with each other. Since you are the Jiang family's caravan, I will fulfill my duty as a landlord and you can live in my house!  I have bought all your goods and will not let you suffer any loss.  " Wei Jin and Deng Ai looked at each other and understood. Wei Jin smiled happily and said, "Then don't bother the third prince.  Zuo Dan was overjoyed and quickly ordered: "Take them to my house first and entertain them as distinguished guests."  " Several soldiers led Wei Jin and his party into the city. Deng Ai looked around and saw that the county town was also lively. The houses were mainly civil buildings. Pedestrians were coming and going. There were many Han Chinese faces and there were many shops.  There are many taverns opened by Han people, and there are even iron shops. If it weren't for the majority of Qiang people on the streets, Deng Ai would have thought he had arrived in the Central Plains. But this made Deng Ai even more wary. His Highness the King of Han was not wrong to worry.  The level of development of the Qiang people far exceeds that of Hexi and Hehuang. Both Hexi and Hehuang are still extremely backward nomadic peoples, but they have entered the farming era. Once Ah Huan completes the unification, the next step is to establish a political power.  With a low sigh, compared to the Xiongnu, the Qiang people in Shuofang County are a big problem. Zuo Dan's mansion covers an area of ????100 acres. It was originally the house of a large Han businessman, surrounded by high walls, and there are exquisite buildings inside.  There was also a large grassland, tents were set up, half Hu and half Han, and there were a group of servants in the mansion. They were placed in the guest room, unloaded the goods, and took away the mules and horses. They finally settled down. Seeing that Deng Ai was worried all the way, Wei Jin smiled and comforted him.  He said: "Although it is an extra step, it is more helpful for us to complete the plan. I think it is God's will and God wants to help us succeed.  " Deng Ai understood what he meant. He thought for a moment and then said, "Brother Wei, what do you think this third prince means?  " Wei Jin thought for a while and said: "I observed his words at the time. Although he claimed to have a close relationship with the Jiang family, it was obviously just an excuse. I found that his eyes lit up when he saw you and the eight elite soldiers, and there was something that he could not hide.  I think it is because he has taken a fancy to you.  ¡±"You fancy us, what do you mean?" Deng Ai couldn't help laughing, but he could understand. He had studied martial arts with Zhao Yun for many years and had already developed a strong martial arts. As for the eight soldiers, they were all eagle strike  The elite of the army can each fight one against a hundred, and they have a strong murderous aura that cannot be concealed. It is completely reasonable for Zuo Dan to take a fancy to them.  But what does Zuo Dan want them to do?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 828 Zuo Dan¡¯s Ambition

    Although Deng Ai and Wei Jin have been guessing Zuo Dan's true intention, the most likely reason is that they want to keep Deng Ai and the others as guards, but if they think about it carefully, it is impossible. The Qiang prince will not let Han people be his guards.  King Qiang would not allow it either.  It wasn¡¯t until Zuo Dan returned from outside the city at night that they got a rough idea.  At night, Deng Ai and Wei Jin were led into the inner house by two maids. More than a dozen tents were set up on the grass next to a small river. The light was overflowing and dazzling. Teams of soldiers patrolled around the tents.  There are dozens of beautiful and enchanting young women living in Yanyan, and laughter like silver bells is constantly coming from the big tent.  They were led into the largest tent. The lights inside the tent were bright and resplendent. The floor was covered with a thick gold carpet. Various gold objects inlaid with gems looked particularly dazzling under the light. In the big tent,  There was a large table in the middle, which was filled with melons and fruits, as well as large and small gold cups and jade cups. The third prince Zuo Dan was sitting behind the table, with a beautiful and enchanting woman leaning on each side.  He was slowly cutting a plate of roasted lamb legs that were brown and fragrant, while drinking milk wine. Only then did Deng Ai see Zuo Dan's appearance clearly. He was about twenty-four or five years old, with a medium build, fair skin, and lipstick.  With two neatly trimmed beards, smooth and delicate hands, and thin and long fingers, it is difficult to imagine that this is a prince of the Qiang people.  Deng Ai and Wei Jin stepped forward and bowed, "See the Third Prince!" Zuo Dan glanced at them and asked slowly: "According to Han rites, you should bow to me. How can you stand and not bow?  ?" Deng Ai and Wei Jin looked at each other and smiled bitterly. The third prince was so particular about etiquette, so they had no choice but to kneel down and bow, "Greetings to the third prince!" Zuo Dan waved his hands with a smile.  : "Please sit down!" The two of them sat down. Zuo Dan ordered people to serve barbecue for them, and asked with a smile: "I haven't asked you for your names yet?" "I am Wei Jin, the third manager of Jiang's Trading Company.  This brother's name is Zhang Ai. He grew up in the Jiang family and is currently the deputy commander of the Jiang family's guards. " "Oh!" Zuo Dan was particularly interested in Deng Ai, so he leaned over and said with a smile, "I wonder if Commander Zhang can show me his hand.  "See you?" Wei Jin quickly winked at Deng Ai and ordered him to agree. Deng Ai lowered his head and said nothing. Suddenly, he waved his hand and the meat cleaver flew back. The speed of the knife was neither fast nor slow, even a little.  Stagnation, this is a typical Luofeng technique. The control of power is as pure as fire. It stabbed the leather rope of the tent to the ground, and half of the curtain fell with a crash, and the knife also fell with it.  Zuo Dan was horrified and moved. He was a knowledgeable person. It was not unusual for him to cut the leather rope. Several of his guards could do it, but he cut the leather rope just right without coming out. This kind of speed and power of the knife  The control was something he had never seen before. Zuo Dan couldn't help but applaud and cheer, "Good! What a martial arts!" Zuo Dan thought about it. Isn't this kind of flying knife martial arts exactly what he wants?  He immediately said to Deng Ai sincerely: "Can you please Commander Zhang to stay in my house for a while and teach my guards." Deng Ai pointed to Wei Jin, "He is in charge, he decides." Zuo Dan was full again.  With a smile on his face, he said to Wei Jin: "Can Manager Wei agree?" Wei Jin looked a little embarrassed and said for a long time: "I'm afraid I can't explain it to the master." "There is no problem with this. I will write a letter to your master. In addition,  It is best for the eight followers to stay together, and I will let them go back for at most half a month." Since Zuo Dan said this, Wei Jin guessed that Zuo Dan wanted to use them to do something big, and he pondered for a moment, then.  He nodded and said: "If it's only half a month, it's not a big problem. I happen to be purchasing some goods in Lingzhou, which will take almost half a month, so we can set off together." Zuo Dan flashed a sarcastic smile in his eyes.  However, he said happily: "That's it, I will buy your goods at a high price."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Deng Ai and eight of his entourage stayed in Zuo Dan's mansion, while Wei Jin and his three Qiang men moved to a hotel in the city. He wanted to buy goods and explore business opportunities. Of course, it was inconvenient to live in Zuo Dan's mansion. Zuo Dan was not interested in him.  They were not interested, so they ordered people to exchange the goods into gold for him, and arranged for them to stay in the best hotel in the city.  For several days, Wei Jin spent his time inquiring about prices. He seemed busy purchasing goods, but in fact, he gradually understood the major events that happened in Lingzhou. The root cause was that the Han army went north to capture Xiaoguan and defeated Wu.  Huan, the Qiang people in Lingzhou also panicked. King Qiang ordered all ethnic groups to start preparing for war and training to prepare for a decisive battle with the Han army.  As the war is approaching, in order to ensure the continuation of the Qiang King, several tribal chiefs have asked the Qiang King Ah Huan to identify his successor. This has made the undercurrent of the struggle for the throne begin to become superficial and fierce. At present, the strength of the eldest prince Wu Sheng  OccupyThis made Wu Sheng a thorn in the eyes of several brothers, especially the third prince Zuo Dan, who was deeply loved by his father. He always believed that the position of King Qiang belonged to him. No matter what, he must seize the position of King Qiang.  Several princes recruited warriors with strong martial arts skills and prepared to launch an offensive at the last moment. It was against this background that the third prince Zuo Dan took a fancy to Deng Ai and eight followers from Jiang's Trading Company in Tianshui.  That evening, as soon as Wei Jin returned to the hotel, the shopkeeper came up to him and said, "Manager Wei, someone is looking for you." Wei Jin immediately realized that this should be someone sent by Deng Ai. He walked quickly back to the room, and it turned out to be one of them.  A follower, named Chen Ji, served as a military lord in the Eagle Attack Army and was also the leader of eight followers. He stood up and clasped his fists and said, "Master Deng has something important that he wants me to tell you." Wei Jin looked back outside the house and saw  Pointing to the inner room, "Go and talk inside!" The two walked into the inner room and sat down. Wei Jinxian smiled and asked, "How have you been living in the palace for these ten days?" Chen Ji nodded, "These days, I have good food and clothing, and sleep every night.  Very good, Zuo Dan has spent a lot of money, but we are going out tomorrow." "Where are you going?" Wei Jin asked.  "We don't know where we are going, but Zuo Dan had a long talk with Mr. Deng last night. He asked us to assassinate the eldest prince Wu Sheng for him. He promised to reward us with two thousand taels of gold and escort us to leave safely." Zuo Dan's  The real intention was within Wei Jin's expectation. Now the struggle for power among the four princes has reached its most intense moment. Only by killing the others can the remaining ones ascend to power. Zuo Dan can easily get rid of suspicion by using outsiders like them, and assassinate them.  After success, Zuo Dan will definitely kill them and silence them.  But they can use Zuo Dan to complete their own mission. This is why Wei Jin asked Deng Ai to agree to cooperate with Zuo Dan. But the key now is to know where they will go tomorrow?  At this time, Chen Ji said again: "Yesterday we also received news that the Xiongnu Chanyu Huchuquan sent an envoy to Lingzhou. In order to welcome him, Ah Su will hold a grand hunting expedition. The time will be the day after tomorrow. Mr. Deng deduced that,  Zuo Dan wants to assassinate the eldest prince Wu Sheng while he is hunting. As long as he finds out where he is hunting the day after tomorrow, he should be able to find us. " Wei Jin was overjoyed. With this clue, he can find Deng Ai and his party.  That night, Wei Jin found out from the tavern owner that the day after tomorrow was the hunting ground, Black Bear Plains, a vast grassland and forest area located fifty miles north of Lingzhou City.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  To a certain extent, Qiang King Asu is a rare talent and strategist among the Qiang people in decades. He spent twenty years to free the Heshuo Qiang people from the control of the Hexi Qiang King.  Moreover, the scattered Qiang people in the Heshuo area gradually united under his leadership, attaching importance to farming, developing trade, mining and smelting iron, and building military armor. In just a few years, the Heshuo Qiang people became the dominant force in the Guannei area.  One of the three major forces, even the Huns did not dare to despise them.  Ah Su's biggest wish is to establish a Qiang dynasty in Lingzhou, unite the Qiang and Di in Hexi, Longxi and Hehuang areas, and eventually become a Qiang empire dominating the northwest. He will take advantage of the opportunity of the Central Plains princes to compete for hegemony and have no time to go west.  Actively expand our power.  Ah Xu is less than fifty years old this year and is in strong health. A few years ago, he decided to spend five years to realize his first dream and establish the Qiang Dynasty. In another ten years, when he was sixty, he  Eventually the Qiang Empire was established.  Now he is getting closer and closer to his first dream, but before any dynasty is established, it will face internal pains, that is, disputes over the distribution of interests. Especially for a tribal society like the Qiang people, the distribution of interests is a matter of life and death.  The struggle between the two sons actually represents the struggle for the interests of the four tribes. This is also the root of the trouble planted by Ah Xu many years ago.  He ordered his four sons to marry the daughters of the leaders of the four major tribes. This played a positive role in uniting the Qiang tribe at the time, but its side effects were also obvious. His four sons gradually became the spokespersons for the interests of the four major tribes.  .  This makes Ah Xu very helpless. He can no longer expect his son to inherit his career and establish the Qiang Empire. He can only rely on himself to fulfill his ambition in his own lifetime.  Although Ah Su had grand goals, God no longer gave him time. With Liu Jing establishing the Han Dynasty and the successful Northern Expedition to Longxi, he continued to attack the Longxi Qiang and Di forces, causing the Longxi Qiang and Di people to suffer catastrophe, especially the Hexi Qiang.  The death of Wang Nan Gongsuo made Ah Su feel chills. He felt that his dream of establishing the Qiang Empire was gradually becoming distant.  But at the same time, it also inspired his determination to establish the Qiang Dynasty as soon as possible. Just when he began to actively prepare to establish the Qiang Dynasty, what he was most worried about finally happened. The Han army began the northern expedition to the Hu people in Guannei and captured Xiao Pass.  Defeated the Wuhuan army and severely defeated the Xiongnu, forcing the Xiongnu to abandon the Sheyan Sea.On.  Ah Sui had realized that the next target of the Han army must be himself. Just when he was panicking, the Xiongnu Chanyu actually sent an envoy to find him, willing to form an alliance with him to jointly deal with the Han army moving north. This shocked him again.  Happy again.  If King Youxian Liu Qubei sent someone as an envoy, maybe he was a little worried that Liu Qubei would go back on his word, but the meaning of sending someone to Huchuquan, the Xiongnu Chanyu, was quite different. With the power and arrogance of the Xiongnu, it was still necessary to  As an envoy to the Qiang people, it can be seen that Huchuquan attached great importance to the Han army going north and was unwilling to lose the pass.  More importantly, Ah Sui found an opportunity. He could agree to an alliance between the two countries on the condition that the Xiongnu supported the Qiang people in founding their country. In order to achieve an alliance, Ah Sui decided to hold a grand hunting trip to entertain the Xiongnu distinguished guests from afar.  But Ah Xu never dreamed that his sons were fighting for the throne to the point of life and death.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 829 Black Bear Hunting

    Black Bear Plain is located about eighty miles north of Lingzhou City. It is bounded by the Liyu River and stretches for nearly a hundred miles to the north. There are grasslands, forests, rivers, and mountains. The trees are lush, the mountain springs are gurgling, and people of all sizes live there.  species of animals and is an excellent hunting place.  Although the Heshuo Qiang people are trying their best to transform from a nomadic people to a farming people, they still retain many nomadic customs, such as living in tents, drinking milk wine, and eating mutton. Hunting is also one of them. Their hunting is actually a  This is an extremely grand social event. It takes at least ten days and a half to hold a hunt. During this period, countless banquets are held, accompanied by dancing girls and music girls, who enjoy themselves to the fullest.  Before dawn, a hunting team of several thousand people set out from Lingzhou City in a mighty manner. They arrived at Black Bear Plains at noon and set up camp on a high ground. The tent was covered with carpets and surrounded by various kinds of things.  Expensive gold vases and porcelain, and gold threads hung on the top of the tent, make the tent look magnificent.  At this time, the tent was full of laughter, the sound of silk and bamboo, and a group of young Qiang girls were dancing in the tent. Both sides were filled with Qiang nobles participating in the hunt. This was the first banquet held by Qiang King Ah Su to entertain people from afar.  A distinguished guest from the Huns.  The Huns envoy's name was Luan Tidaman. He was a younger brother of Huchuquan, the Great Chanyu, and also a Hun noble. He was named King Youri Zhu. He was about thirty-five or six years old. Because he was bald as a young man, he would always be in trouble no matter the cold or heat.  Wearing a hexagonal leather hat.  He has two major hobbies by nature, women and hunting. This time the Qiang held a grand hunt to entertain him and arranged for eighteen beautiful ladies to serve him, which made him deeply satisfied.  Daman drank several large bowls of milk wine, his bald head became even more shiny, and his rough laughter echoed in the tent, "Why is King Qiang afraid of the Han army? Although the Han army defeated Wuhuan, it was because Wuhuan's will was weak.  I always wanted to sue for peace and surrender, but in the end I gave up taking the initiative and defended the camp, only to be attacked by the Han army at night. We, the Huns, had hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers, enough to sweep across the Central Plains. Not to mention a little Liu Jing, he was Cao Cao. We  Daman¡¯s extremely conceited words caused a murmur in the tent. Several princes had expressions of contempt on their faces. The expression on the face of the eldest prince Wu Sheng was particularly obvious. If the Xiongnu could deal with the Han army independently.  , why do you have to lower your stature to form an alliance with the Qiang people? This is obviously a slap in the face. It seems that this person has drunk too much, or is an arrogant and conceited person.  Wu Sheng and Daman were sitting very close. Daman saw his expression and suddenly became a little unhappy and said: "First Prince, do you think what I said is wrong?" Wu Sheng leaned over and smiled and said: "King Sun Zhu is absolutely right.  Correct. Although Liu Jing established the Han Dynasty and occupied Guanlong, most of his soldiers were actually southern soldiers from the Jingshu area. They were good at water battles, but when they went to the north, they would have to face the powerful cavalry from the north, and they might not be able to do what they wanted.  The words of King Ri Zhu greatly inspired our confidence." Daman laughed, "The eldest prince is very good at talking! But the eldest prince still needs a little help. I think the fourth prince can inherit the throne of Qiang King. This is also the Shanyu of my family.  "His words were obviously provocative, and the four princes looked a little uncomfortable. The fourth prince, Zuo Dan, was overjoyed, while the eldest prince, Wu Sheng, had a gloomy face and remained silent. The atmosphere in the big tent suddenly changed.  Very embarrassing.  Although Daman is a playboy, he also heard that the four sons of King Qiang were not born from the same mother. They had been at odds since childhood, and they were even more incompatible in fighting for the throne. Wu Sheng was rude to him just now, so he deliberately said it  Belittling Wu Sheng, as for saying that Shan Yu valued the fourth prince very much, it was all nonsense on his part.  Ah Xu was very dissatisfied with Daman's deliberate provocation, but he did not dare to offend the Hun prince. He could only hold back his anger, laughed dryly, took off his bow and arrow and said to Daman: "I think the food and wine are enough, why not  Get up and train your horse, first look around to see if you can get anything." Daman was overjoyed. He had been looking forward to hunting for a long time, so he happily said: "King Qiang's proposal is exactly what I want!" Everyone laughed together, Ah Su.  Immediately he ordered: "Blow the horn and go hunting!" "Woo¡ª¡ª" The horn sounded, and thousands of Qiang warriors mounted their horses one after another. The four princes each led hundreds of men, with different armor and flags. The third prince Zuo Dan was extremely excited.  He then urged his horse forward and smiled at the eldest prince Wu Sheng: "Brother, how about we make a bet?" Looking at this strong opponent competing for the throne with him, Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes and smiled and said: "What kind of bet is it?" "  Since this place is called Black Bear Plains, there must be black bears. Let¡¯s make a bet to see who can hunt a black bear first and present it to my father. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yes, but what about the loser?¡±  In front of the king, he took the initiative to admit that he was inferior to the other party." Wu Sheng sneered, "Could it be that the third brother had prepared in advance and caught a black bear and hid it somewhere?" Zuo Dan immediately said angrily: "If I had been prepared, I would not be able to kill him after my death.  The place where Qiang ancestors are buried!? This is a very heavy oath, Wu Sheng nodded immediately, "Okay! I will make this bet with you!" Wu Sheng turned around and shouted to his warriors: "My sons, whoever discovers the black bear first will be rewarded with five hundred gold.  "Two, let's go!" Hundreds of warriors shouted and galloped away with Wu Sheng. Zuo Dan watched them go away, with a sinister smile on his face. During this hunting trip, he was ready to find an opportunity to kill the leader.  Brother, but he was very cautious. If his father found out that it was him, his life would not be guaranteed. In the end, he just made wedding clothes for the second and fourth children in vain.  So he did not take Deng Ai and others with him, but hid them in the hunting forest in advance. If Wu Sheng wanted to hunt a black bear, he would definitely look for it along the river near the forest, and he would naturally walk into the ambush he had arranged in advance.  lock up.  He pondered for a moment, then said to his confidants behind him: "According to the plan, if they succeed, we will get rid of them immediately." "Obey the order!" The confidant warriors rushed away, and Zuo Dan also shouted: "Warriors,  We are also looking for black bears, follow me!" He galloped, and the five hundred cavalrymen behind him also ran away. "Black Bear Plains covers a vast area, and thousands of cavalrymen were divided into dozens of teams. They soon disappeared.  We made an appointment to return to the camp at dusk to offer hunting. There were only a few hundred logistics personnel left in the camp, who were cleaning up the tents and killing cattle and sheep to prepare dinner.  Deng Ai had led eight of his men to spend two nights in the mountains and forests, and a guide was with them. Zuo Dan paid Deng Ai and others a lot of money to get rid of the eldest prince Wu Sheng for him. This hunting trip was  It was the best opportunity, but Deng Ai and others had never seen Wu Sheng, so Zuo Dan arranged for a guide who was familiar with Wu Sheng and the terrain to lead them to complete the mission.  They had received news early in the morning that the hunting team had set up camp ten miles away. Deng Ai and others went down the mountain and hid on the outskirts of the forest, waiting for an opportunity. Their hiding place was in the northeast corner of the forest, which was a must-pass on the hunting road.  Not far away from the land is a small river, about two feet wide. The water is clear and shallow, and you can see the pebbles on the bottom of the river.  Everyone was sitting under a few big trees to rest, and the guide complained a little: "I don't understand why you guys have to wait here. The third prince did not arrange this. This is the royal road, where King Qiang hunts. We should  Go to the northwest corner. There are black bears there. The eldest prince will definitely be there. " Deng Ai said nothing, chewed grass roots in his mouth, leaned against the big tree and closed his eyes, ignoring the guide. They came here this time.  Zhou Zhou has another mission. Although it is also an assassination, the target is not the eldest prince. This hunting trip is also a good opportunity for them to complete the mission.  Yesterday he met Wei Jin. Wei Jin had already figured out the Qiang King's hunting habits and routes in advance. The two of them agreed on a detailed action plan and arranged an ambush route for Deng Ai. He found it on a big tree next to him.  He noticed the mark left by Wei Jin.  At this time, Chen Ji on the top of the tree suddenly shouted in a low voice: "The target has been found!" Everyone stood up at the same time, became nervous, and looked out with all their concentration. After a moment, the sound of rapid horse hooves was heard, and a group of hundreds of people were seen running towards them.  In front of the team was the flag of the Qiang King. The leader of the knight was a golden helmet and golden armor, holding a large gold-painted bow. The guide was stunned, shook his head and said: "This is the Qiang King, not the eldest prince. You are mistaken." Deng Ai looked at the Qiang King.  After a long time, he ordered: "Get on your horse and follow them!" Everyone got on their horses one after another. The guide was anxious, ran up and grabbed the reins of Deng Ai's horse, and said urgently: "What are you doing with King Qiang? The eldest prince is in the west. What do you know?  Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Deng Ai sneered, waved his hand, and pierced the guide¡¯s throat with a sword. The guide covered his throat with blood gushing out and looked at him in disbelief. Deng Ai said apologetically: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my name is not Zhang.  Ai, but the Han general Deng Ai. Our goal in coming to Lingzhou this time is not the eldest prince, but the Qiang king. Let you know clearly!" The guide pointed at Deng Ai and said, "Deng fell to the sky."  Seeing that he was dead, Ai shook his head, turned around and urged his horse to run north. The entourage followed him closely. The group of people galloped through the forest. There were marks left by Wei Jin in advance along the way. They passed through  Take a shortcut and run towards a mountain col.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Qiang King Asu led hundreds of guards to the north. He had been hunting here many times and had a familiar route. His target was the deer group, and he knew that the deer group was not far to the north.  They ran less than a mile and came to an open area. To the east was a mountain col. Every time they hunted, they would drive the deer into the mountain col, then block the exit and shoot the deer in the mountain col.  Ah Su reined in his horse, and his opponent ordered: "Split up to find and drive away the deer!" Hundreds of guards scattered in all directions. Ah Su led dozens of cavalrymen to rush into the mountain col. He wanted to wait for the prey in the mountain col first. This time  This is the fourth time he has hunted like this.The first three harvests were quite fruitful, not only hunting deer, but also wild boar, deer, leopard and other prey.  The mountain col is about two miles long and one mile wide. It is a gourd-shaped valley with high mountains and dense forests on both sides. It is also a place where wild boars and leopards roam. Today Ah Sui took a deep breath. He wanted to show off his hunting skills in front of the Huns envoys.  Ability, abundant prey is the best proof.  Ah Su led dozens of guards into the valley, stopped their horses, and waited for the prey to arrive with their bows and arrows. According to his experience, deer would run in within a quarter of an hour at the latest. But at this moment, they suddenly heard a sound coming from the valley.  There was a sound of war horses neighing.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 830 Assassination of King Qiang

    Ah Huan and all the guards were startled. How come there were war horses neighing in the valley? Did someone come first?  Ah Xu suddenly felt something bad in his heart. Most of his guards had gone to drive away the prey. There were only about fifty people around him at this time. If someone wanted to assassinate him, this would be a great opportunity.  Without thinking, Ah Sui urged his horse and ran out of the valley. At this moment, an arrow shot out like lightning, hitting his left shoulder. Ah Sui screamed and fell heavily from the horse. The guards suddenly became confused and rushed with their swords drawn.  When he went up, eight black figures on both sides rushed towards him, stabbing with their spears. In an instant, they killed more than twenty people, cutting off the way for the guards to rescue King Qiang.  The guards were in a panic and tried their best to break out, but the eight interceptors were extremely skilled in martial arts and powerful in killing. In an instant, more than ten people were assassinated. Someone blew the horn for help, "Woo! Woo¡ª¡ª" The horn sounded urgently, and they were driven away  The other Qiang King guards hunted for help.  At this time, King Qiang got up from the ground, held back the severe pain, and ran staggeringly out of the valley. Just after running for more than ten steps, a man jumped out of the big tree like a roc with wings spread, holding a short spear and dressed in black.  It was Deng Ai. The eight Eagle Attack Army men were responsible for intercepting and killing the Qiang King's guards, while Deng Ai was responsible for assassinating the Qiang King.  Liu Jing had an insight into the internal crisis of the Qiang people. The signs of Qiang nation-building were not formed naturally due to the development of productive forces, but were forcibly combined by the Qiang king. Because internal conflicts of interests could not be unified, once the powerful Qiang king died, there would be internal disintegration among the Qiang people.  Falling apart, the dream of founding the country will also come to nothing. Assassinating the Qiang King is the mission of Wei Jin and Deng Ai when they come to Lingzhou this time.  At this time, the sound of cavalry's hooves could be heard outside the valley. This was when the guards outside heard the call for help and rushed to the rescue. Seeing someone blocking the road in front of him, Qiang King Ahuo endured the severe pain in his left shoulder, drew his sword and shouted  With a sound, he rushed towards Deng Ai. Deng Ai sneered and threw the short spear with all his strength. The short spear drew a bolt of lightning and instantly pierced the Qiang King's chest. The Qiang King screamed and was nailed to death.  on the ground.  Deng Ai turned around and saw Qiang cavalry already appearing at the entrance of the valley. He also saw eight Eagle Attack Army soldiers stabbing more than fifty guards off their horses, so he shouted: "Retreat!" The nine people galloped towards the mountain.  Go, quickly got into the lush jungle, the figure disappeared, leaving only a corpse in the valley. The guards of the Qiang King discovered the corpse of their lord, and they all burst into tears.  Deng Ai and others assassinated the Qiang King. It was no longer realistic to escape on horseback. They climbed over the mountain ridge at the fastest speed and ran all the way down the mountain. At this time, they had faintly heard the sound of horns all around. At this time, the Qiang people began to massacre.  Searching for the assassin, Deng Ai was extremely anxious. If he were one step too late, the mountains would be surrounded by the Qiang people, and he would not be able to escape even with his wings.  "General Deng, this way!" A Qiang soldier who came with him found Deng Ai, and he shouted loudly: "This way!" Deng Ai was overjoyed and ran forward and asked, "Where is Mr. Wei?"  "Waiting in the woods ahead, the horses are ready. General Deng, please follow me." The soldiers led a group of people and ran forward. At this time, Wei Jin and two other Qiang soldiers came out with more than ten horses.  When he saw Deng Ai, he hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "How is it?" "Fortunately, I have lived up to my command!" Wei Jin was overjoyed and handed the war horse to everyone and said, "The Qiang people have begun to search the mountain, let's go quickly!" Everyone turned over  They mounted their horses and galloped towards the northwest. They did not dare to return to Lingzhou City. They could only find a way to cross the Yellow River and then go north to Juyanhai. There was a Han army stationed there. Only in this way could they escape.  Large-scale raids by Qiang people.  Just as Liu Jing judged, the assassination of King Qiang triggered a strong earthquake among the Qiang people in Heshuo. First, there was internal strife among the four princes fighting for the position of King Qiang. They accused each other of killing their father, and then they met with each other in war.  This triggered conflicts between the tribes that supported them, and the various conflicts that Ah Su suppressed forcibly broke out after his death.  Civil war broke out among various tribes, with murders, arson, and property snatching. Cities were destroyed, grain fields were trampled, and a large number of Qiang people were forced to flee. The dream of founding a nation that Qiang King Ah Sui had worked hard for twenty years finally came to nothing in the vendetta.  Bubble.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In the Tongque Palace in Yedu, Cao Pi followed a eunuch and hurriedly walked to the inner hall. He was quite prosperous during this period. Since the Yang Cui incident, Cao Cao's attitude began to change subtly and he no longer appointed Cao Zhi as his replacement.  He inspected the counties and counties himself, but asked him to be responsible for running schools. At the same time, Cao Zhi was no longer involved in external affairs. On the contrary, Cao Pi was repeatedly reused, and even military logistics were handed over to Cao Pi. This collection and release formed a  sharp contrast.  It hints that Cao Pi is making great strides on the road to becoming the heir apparent. Even Cao Cao publicly hinted to officials that the eldest son is more suitable to inherit his career than the third son. Although Cao Pi's position as heir apparent has not yet been made clear, it seems to be only a matter of time.  Cao Pi also knew that he was close to victory. In order to consolidate his position,?More careful, he no longer participates in many things, such as encouraging his father to become the king of Wei. In the past, he was an active advocate behind the scenes, but now he no longer mentions this matter. He actually knows that his father does not want to go further.  For another example, in order to show his attitude, he strongly recommended some of Cao Zhi's former supporters, such as Wang Lang, Wang Jie, Han Song, etc. to his father to show his generosity. Even Hua Xin, whom his father always disliked, he  He also recommended him to stay in Xuchang and no longer stay with him.  Regardless of whether he was sincere or not, his actions still won Cao Cao's approval, and he handed over external affairs to him, making Cao Pi even more satisfied.  Cao Pi walked into the lobby and saw his father sitting at the table and taking a nap. He did not dare to disturb him and stood aside with his hands down. After a while, Cao Cao woke up and looked up to see his son. He couldn't help but smile apologetically: "Keep my son waiting.  "The child has just arrived, disturbing his father's rest." Cao Cao nodded and asked, "How was Yang Biao when you went to Yang's house yesterday?" "He looked fine, but he was a little depressed and didn't want to pay attention to the child.  After the child appeased him and promised not to harm the interests of his family, he expressed his gratitude to his father, but his attitude towards the child was always cold. "Cao Pi's answer made Cao Cao very satisfied. Yang Biao's attitude and answer were all in his favor.  As expected, the reason why he asked Cao Pi to appease Yang Biao was actually to test Cao Pi to see if he would be honest with him on such a small matter. Cao Pi did not exaggerate and admitted that Yang Biao's attitude towards him was cold. This was Cao Pi's  Where progress is made, treat others with sincerity.  Cao Cao stopped mentioning Yang Biao and changed the topic: "My father brought you here today because he wanted to talk to you about Liu Jing's northern expedition to the barbarians in the pass. I got news from Taiyuan that the Xiongnu Chanyu Huchuquan  We sent a special envoy to Yedu, hoping to get our support to jointly deal with the Han army's northward expansion. What do you think of this matter?" "No!" Cao Pi's expression changed and he said anxiously: "Although Liu Jing is our strong enemy,  His Northern Expedition against the Huns occupied the national interest. If we take the opportunity to collude with the Huns, it will only make the world look down upon us and make us a complete moral failure. Father, we should have a clear attitude on this matter and publicly express our support for Liu Jing.  During the Northern Expedition, we must not be ambiguous and make people suspect that we are secretly colluding with the Huns." "Your attitude is very good, very good!" Cao Cao did not hide his praise for his son and said with a smile: "You know what fathers do.  I ordered Taiyuan to directly refuse the Xiongnu envoy to come to Yedu, and sent an additional 100,000 troops to Taiyuan, under the command of Zhang'er. I also wanted to take the opportunity to take back the Yanmen and Yunzhong counties occupied by the Xiongnu. I also wanted to take this opportunity.  We have reached an alliance with Liu Jing to defeat the Hu, and further ease the relationship between our two families, so I decided to ask you to go to Chang'an for me, and discuss with Liu Jing the marriage of the two families, and form an alliance based on marriage to jointly regain the lost territory of China. "  He was firmly opposed to marrying his sister Cao Xian to Liu Jing, but Cao Pi agreed. He was more realistic than Cao Zhi. He knew that the most important thing for Wei was time. It took time to manage the internal affairs, cultivate and recuperate, and gradually restore the strength of the army.  Only when the country becomes stronger can they compete with the Han army. His father's suggestion hit his mark. Based on marriage and with the common goal of defeating the Hu, it can indeed fundamentally ease the hostility between the two families and win precious treasures for Wei.  time.  It was just that his father asked him to be his envoy. Cao Pi was a little worried whether he would become Liu Jing's hostage. He hesitated and said: "My son very much agrees with his father's decision to work with the Han army to defeat Hu and restore China. But my son goes to Chang'an.  Will it affect government affairs?" Although he didn't express his thoughts clearly, Cao Cao laughed, "Don't worry, my son! I have been dealing with Liu Jing for many years, and I know better than anyone who he is.  He will not embarrass you, and since you are going to discuss the matter of defeating Hu, he will treat you as an honored guest from a moral perspective. In addition, you tell Liu Jing that I will go to Taiyuan in person and serve as the coach of the East Route to defeat Hu. This time, I  I hope to fight side by side with him." Cao Pi had no choice but to nod and agree, "Without further delay, I will arrange the government affairs today and leave tomorrow!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 831 The Huns are like wolves

    After defeating Wuhuan, the Han army changed its offensive strategy and did not expand to the north. Instead, it pulled all the Hu and Han people in Shangjun, Beidijun and Andingjun back to Guanzhong, and built beacons on the northern mountains.  Smoke and fire were raised at night. Of course, the Han army did not want to give up the vast territory in the pass, but implemented a defensive counterattack strategy and prepared for a decisive battle with the approaching Huns army.  Liu Jing did not get crazy because he defeated the Wuhuan people. He was very clear about the current strength gap between the Han army and the Huns, which was mainly reflected in the gap in cavalry. If he rashly went north in large numbers at this time, once they encountered the Huns army, they would have no chance of victory.  The chance is not great. They still do not have the strength of the Han army when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was there. They can use cavalry to fight cavalry and kill the enemy thousands of miles away.  However, the Han army did not give up the vast territory within the pass. They adopted the strategy of setting up points. The so-called point setting meant establishing military strongholds in the pass area based on strong cities, giving full play to the Han army's advantages in defense.  The Han army chose Gaoping County in Anding County, Qingyang County in Beidi County, and Gaonu County in Shang County. The common feature of these three counties is that the city walls are tall and strong, and the county seat is built at a high place, making it easy to defend but difficult to defend.  To attack, the Han army took these three counties as strongholds, stationed 5,000 troops in each, and stored a large amount of grain.  That morning, Liu Jing was inspecting defense preparations in Gaonu County, which was later known as Yan'an. At this time, the Loess Plateau had a mild and humid climate, dense forests everywhere, large grasslands, numerous rivers, and clear water. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty  At that time, there were a large number of immigrants and garrison troops, which led to the unprecedented development of the agricultural economy in the pass, and it was known as the "New Qinzhong".  Yu Xu of the Han Dynasty described it like this in "Zou Fu Sanjun Shu", "The water and grass are abundant, the upper reaches are suitable for grazing, cattle and horses are connected by tail, and sheep are blocking the roads." It is also the climate and geographical environment that are very suitable for the life of nomadic people, and Hu people can  They moved south in a big way and occupied this fertile and green plateau land.  Gaonu County is located on the only way to pass through Guanzhong in the north. Several roads converge here, and its strategic position is extremely important. Therefore, it is also known as the "key of the Three Qin Dynasty and the throat of the five roads". During the Spring and Autumn Period, the Wei State in order to defend against the invasion of Beidi  , the Great Wall and a large number of Guancheng fortresses were built in this area. The Qin Dynasty built cities and counties here, and also built the Qinzhidao Road directly to the pass. During the Han Dynasty, Gaonu County was repaired many times and has now become the first fortified city in the northern part of the Great Wall.  .  The county seat is located on a high hill with a circumference of about ten miles. It can only be regarded as a middle county. However, the city is three feet high and two feet wide. It is surrounded by dense horses, which is conducive to defense. In addition, it is located at a high place. Standing on the city wall  Looking down, there is a condescending advantage.  Liu Jing stood at the head of the city and looked to the north. The meandering district water was several miles away from the county seat and could be clearly seen at the head of the city. A wharf was built where the water flow was slow. Sheepskin rafts were mainly used to cross the river. The Han army also built a wharf.  The three sentry forts are also a major defensive advantage of Gaonu County. The Xiongnu cavalry sweeping south will inevitably be blocked by the district water, and the Han army can establish the first line of defense on the south bank of the district water.  Liu Jing appointed Zhang Ren as the governor of Gaonu, and he was in charge of the defense of the three towns in Gaonu County. At this time, Zhang Ren walked up to Liu Jing and whispered: "Your Highness, do you think the Huns will come from the east?" "You?"  Are you saying that Zuo Xian Wang Liu Bao will come from the east to kill?" Liu Jing stared at the east and asked calmly.  Zhang Ren nodded, "Liu Qubei retreated north. Liu Bao's lips are dead and his teeth are cold. He is Liu Qubei's younger brother. How could he sit idly by and do nothing. If he leads his army to cross the Yellow River from the east, the defense we have established in the district water will be destroyed."  "Whether Liu Bao's army comes or not depends on Cao Cao's attitude! I got information from Taiyuan. Cao Cao ordered Cao Zhang to lead 50,000 troops to increase his troops in Taiyuan. In this way, Cao Cao's troops on the front line in Taiyuan will be 100,000.  We have gathered Xu Huang, Yu Jin, Zhang He, Cao Zhen and other famous generals. I believe that Cao Cao will not be on the wrong team when it comes to big issues of right and wrong. An army of 100,000 is enough to contain Liu Bao's army. In fact, we don't have to worry about Liu Bao, but Hu Chuquan  The Xiongnu headquarters may move south in a big way." Just after saying this, a soldier pointed in the distance and shouted: "Look, the smoke!" Liu Jing also saw three beacons lit up in the distance.  , soaring straight into the sky, which indicated the arrival of a large army. Of course, the smoke actually came from the beacons of the Great Wall four hundred miles away. It would take at least two or three days for the Xiongnu army to reach Gaonu County.  Zhang Ren said hurriedly: "This must be the Xiongnu army going south. Please leave and return to Guanzhong, don't be in danger!" Liu Jing frowned slightly, did the Xiongnu army go south so soon?  This was a bit unexpected. At this time, 30,000 troops were harvesting newly ripe wheat in various places. If the Xiongnu army went south at this time, it would pose a serious threat to the Han army harvesting wheat.  At this time, Fazheng slowly stepped forward and said: "Your Highness, I think the Xiongnu's move south at this time may not be aimed at us." Liu Jing reacted very quickly, and with a change of mind, she understood what Fazheng was referring to, "You are  He said that the Xiongnu went south to attack the Qiang people!?, "Wei Jin said in the military report that when they went to Lingzhou, they happened to meet the Huns envoy, who seemed to be a Huns noble. Later, Ah Su died and the Qiang people fell into serious civil strife. With the wolf nature of the Huns, they attacked the Qiang people.  People have been waiting for it for a long time. Will they let this golden opportunity pass? " Liu Jing thought about it and realized that it was indeed possible. At that time, he received news that the Qiang people in Lingzhou were in internal strife due to the death of King Qiang. Many generals asked for it.  He took the opportunity to send troops to attack Lingzhou, but Liu Jing was worried that their sending troops would cause the Qiang people to stop internal strife and unite to fight against the outside world. Moreover, he was also worried that the Xiongnu army would come to rescue, so he ultimately did not agree to the generals' request and let it go.  The Qiang people were in civil strife.  But Liu Jing did not expect that the Huns would take advantage of the chaos and attack Lingzhou. He thought for a moment and then smiled: "If the Huns really attack Lingzhou, it may not be a bad thing. I look forward to them destroying the Lingzhou Qiang."  People, completely ended the Qiang people's dream of founding a country." After a pause, Liu Jing said to Zhang Ren: "Going to Lingzhou is just a guess. The most likely thing for the Huns is to go south. General Zhang can quickly send scouts to the north bank. Once it is confirmed that the Huns are going south, we will do it.  We must immediately notify the Han army to withdraw from Guanzhong. "Zhang Renshi saluted and said, "I understand my position, so I will send scouts northward immediately."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Fa Zheng¡¯s guess was not wrong. The Xiongnu army was indeed heading west to Lingzhou. Thirty thousand Xiongnu cavalry were personally commanded by Liu Qubei. They took advantage of the civil strife among the Qiang people in Lingzhou to wipe out the Qiang forces they had coveted for a long time.  Although Liu Qubei wished he could lead an army of 100,000 people to march south to defeat Guanzhong and kill all the Han people, he also knew in his heart that the Han army was not attacking Lingzhou but was defending his army from going south. The Han army must have been prepared at this time.  At this time, leading 30,000 troops to the south may not necessarily lead to an advantage.  On the contrary, the Qiang people in Lingzhou were in serious civil strife. They took advantage of the opportunity to invade. If they could take the opportunity to destroy the Qiang people and obtain rich loot and population, they could compensate for the losses of Sheyanhai.  Liu Qubei led his army to rush all the way. Three days later, 30,000 Xiongnu cavalry entered the territory of the Qiang people. They immediately stood on a hill, and a tent appeared in the distance. It was the Baigu tribe of the Qiang people in the east. The Xiongnu cavalry  With eager eyes in his eyes, Liu Qubei gritted his teeth and said: "Come in and kill anyone who dares to resist!" Thirty thousand Xiongnu cavalry screamed and excitedly charged towards the Qiang camp several miles away.  Qubei did not move on the hill, watching coldly as his subordinates charged into the Qiang tribe. He faintly heard screams and cries. Fires lit up and thick smoke billowed into the sky. Liu Qubei had a feeling in his heart.  Such unspeakable joy, She Yanhai's tragic defeat made him feel humiliated, and he was filled with suppressed anger. Only cruel killing and looting could remove the suppressed anger in his heart.  At this time, the eldest son Liu Meng galloped over on horseback and said to Liu Qubei: "Father, if we fight all the way like this, Lingzhou has been alarmed for a long time. Why don't I lead an army of 10,000 to go south first, kill directly towards Lingzhou, and defeat the Qiang?"  "Liu Qubei knew that the eldest son's real purpose was to plunder the Lingzhou Qiang Palace. Daman had told them how magnificent the Lingzhou Qiang Palace was and how it was filled with beauties.  The listener was jealous, but it might not be a bad thing to let the eldest son take advantage first. Liu Qubei nodded immediately and said: "You can lead 10,000 troops to attack Lingzhou. If you can defeat the Qiang army in one battle, Lingzhou city will be free for you to plunder."  "Liu Meng was overjoyed, turned his horse and ran towards the Qiang tribe. He didn't care about the meager money of these tribes. He wanted to seize the Qiang king's twenty years' savings.  That night, he ordered his subordinates to give up the property and women they had grabbed, rectify the army and horses, and led 10,000 cavalry overnight, like a pack of wolves, towards Lingzhou City.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 832 The Envoy from Wei State

    When Liu Jing returned to Gaoping County, a large number of Qiang people who fled south confirmed that Fa Zheng's guess was completely correct. The Huns did not go south, but directly attacked the Lingzhou Qiang people in the civil war. A Han businessman who fled south  Crying to Liu Jing about the tragic scene in Lingzhou, the improvised army of the four princes could not withstand the impact of the Huns cavalry. The army of the third prince Zuo Dan fled first, causing the Qiang army to collapse.  The Huns swarmed into Lingzhou City like locusts, burning, killing and looting. Countless treasures, women and children were taken away. Lingzhou City seemed to have turned into a hell on earth. Thick smoke covered the sky. The wealth accumulated by the Qiang people in twenty years was wiped out.  Loot everything.  The Xiongnu troops that followed brutally plundered various Qiang tribes within a radius of hundreds of miles. They stole cattle and sheep, burned down houses, killed young men, and plundered young women. More than 200,000 Qiang people in Lingzhou were displaced.  , their homes were destroyed, and survivors fled to Hexi and Guanzhong.  Looking at the continuous stream of fleeing Qiang people, Zhao Yun sighed and said to Liu Jing: "Since the beginning of the Qiang civil strife, the Qiang people have been fleeing. Now that the Huns have invaded Lingzhou, the Qiang people have fled in doubled numbers. It is estimated that the low-level people have fled.  There are more than 60,000 Qiang people, most of whom fled with their families. "Liu Jing nodded and ordered his soldiers: "Pass my order to Pingzhangtai. These refugees will be dealt with in the same way as the Wuhuan people, and arrangements will be made for counties to receive them.  They reestablished their household registrations and fled to Hexi. It is estimated that there are tens of thousands of Qiang people. They try to arrange them in Wuwei County and focus on farming. " After a pause, Liu Jing gave another order: "Send an order to Liu Zheng and order him to send a team of cavalry to Ling.  Zhao Yun frowned slightly and asked, "Do you think the Huns will occupy Lingzhou?" Liu Jing said with certainty: "The pass is Liu Qubei's territory.  The Xiongnu army in Lingzhou must be his subordinates. Lingzhou is not far from Liu Qubei's hometown of Hetao. Liu Qubei will definitely use Lingzhou as his outpost springboard to attack the Han army from the west. This time, the troops attacking Lingzhou  There are only 30,000 Huns. It is possible that the Huchuquan army will move south from the east road and form a north-south attack on Guanzhong. " "Then when does your highness think the Huns will move south in large numbers?" Liu Jing sneered: "  Qubei destroyed the Lingzhou Qiang people, which made me guess the time of their dispatch. Liu Qubei will still need some time to process the results of this robbery, so they will send troops as soon as August, which is the traditional time of the Huns.  Season, we have two months to prepare for a large-scale attack on Guanzhong." "Two months!  ' Zhao Yun thought for a moment and said: "I have a suggestion from my humble position. I wonder if His Highness can accept it?" "That's all you say." Zhao Yun then said slowly: "Our biggest problem is the lack of cavalry. Although we captured a large number of horses this time,  It takes at least a year to train a cavalry, and there is no time. I suggest recruiting 20,000 cavalry from the Wuhuan people, and giving their families tax and land benefits. I believe they are willing to work hard for His Highness and take advantage of the bravery and strength of the Wuhuan cavalry.  With their riding skills, coupled with the equipment and weapons of the Han army, and intensive training for two months, they will definitely become our elite cavalry." Liu Jing was reminded of this, and Liu Jing suddenly remembered that there were also a large number of Wuhuan people in Cao Cao's cavalry team.  It was a good idea to use the conquered nomads to deal with another nomads. Liu Jing immediately agreed to Zhao Yun's suggestion, "I ordered Pang De and Ma Dai to recruit cavalry among the Wuhuan people. This matter must be started immediately."  , can¡¯t delay even one day.¡± Zhao Yun nodded, ¡°I understand, I will go and make arrangements immediately!¡± At this moment, there was a rapid sound of horse hooves in the distance, and a messenger shouted: ¡°Urgent report from Pujin Pass!  " Liu Jing looked back and saw a messenger rushing towards him like lightning. Liu Jing couldn't help but was slightly startled. Tongguan reported urgently. Could it be that Cao Jun attacked Pujin Pass?  But thinking about it, it was impossible. The messenger rushed over in a moment, got off his horse, gave a military salute to Liu Jing, and presented an express letter: "Your Highness, the emergency report from Pujin Pass!" Liu Jing took the express letter and opened it.  After reading it hastily, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was not what he thought. It was Cao Pi who was on a mission to the Han Dynasty on behalf of Cao Cao. He had already entered Pujin Pass and was heading towards Chang'an. Liu Jing immediately understood Cao Cao's intention.  With intention, he smiled at Zhao Yun and said: "It seems that we have allies on the eastern front!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Cao Pi went to Chang'an as an envoy on his father's order and met with Liu Jing. He trekked all the way and finally entered Guanzhong. Cao Pi was accompanied by more than 300 people. He was the chief envoy, and his deputy was Chen Qun, who accompanied him to Chang'an.  The person is Xiang Chong, the governor of Feng Yi County, who is also the general of Pujin Pass.  That morning, Cao Pi's team entered Chang'an County. Chang'an County was the Jingzhao Prefecture in the Han Dynasty. After Liu Jing captured Guanzhong, it was temporarily renamed Chang'an County. After the capital was moved from Chengdu, the status of Jingzhao Prefecture was restored.  It¡¯s six months nowIn the middle of the month, the winter wheat has just been harvested. There are bundles of wheat ears and mountains of wheat stacks on the roadside. From time to time, groups of bullfinch rise from the wheat piles like a dark cloud. Then they see the old farmer rushing towards them waving a long fork.  Curse loudly these flying bird thieves.  The farmland is also extremely busy. Dozens of waterwheels are turning around, pouring water from the canals into the fields. Men and women in the paddy fields are busy planting rice. This is the busiest time of the year. The wheat has just been harvested and there is no time to dry it.  , piled up casually on the road, we have to take time to irrigate the seedlings and plant late rice, and we can't waste even a day.  The mirror-like paddy field was filled with neatly planted seedlings. It was quite neat and tidy as far as the eye could see. Cao Pi nodded. Guanzhong is indeed a land of treasures and treasures. The land is fertile, the water is abundant, the light is sufficient, and various water conservancy and irrigation facilities are available.  It is fully equipped and can basically guarantee a bumper harvest every year. It can be seen that the farmers living here are very satisfied, and the smiles on their faces say it all.  At this time, Xiang Chong saw a familiar figure in the rice field and shouted: "Tao Taishou, is that you?" A young farmer who was planting rice slowly stood up, wearing a bamboo hat and a coarse cloth short coat.  , his sleeves and trouser legs were rolled up high, covered with mud, and he was holding a handful of seedlings. It was Tao Zheng, the governor of Chang'an. According to the Han system, during the busy farming season, officials from all over the country had to go to the countryside to help farmers, so Tao Zheng  He divided the work with Cui Shi, the county magistrate. Cui Shi was responsible for resettling the Wuhuan people, while Tao Zheng was responsible for going to various places in Chang'an County to help farmers. Today he happened to be here to help the villagers plant rice, but he met Cao Pi and his party.  He didn't know that Cao Pi was coming. When he saw the magnificent carriage, the large number of entourage, and the eunuch Xiang Chong accompanying him, he knew that he was an important envoy. He quickly washed his hands in the paddy field, walked barefoot to the ridge of the field, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "It turns out it's Xiang Chong.  Prefect, where are you going?" Xiang Chong introduced him: "This is Cao Zihuan, the deputy prime minister of the imperial court, who is on an envoy to Chang'an on the orders of Duke Wei." Only then did Tao Zheng know that in the carriage was Cao Pi, the eldest son of Cao Cao and the future successor of Duke Wei.  , he hurriedly came forward to greet him, and Xiang Chong introduced Tao Zheng to Cao Pi. Only then did Cao Pi know that the young official in his thirties was actually the eldest brother of the princess and the eldest son of the Tao family. Cao Pi had heard of it before.  This man had mediocre talents and abilities, but he was very capable. Although his family was rich and powerful, and he had a special relationship with Liu Jing, he was very cautious and modest, and had an excellent reputation in the official circles of the Han Dynasty.  Cao Pi took a look at him and saw that he had dark skin and bright eyes. He was wearing coarse brown clothes and wide trousers. He was barefoot, his feet were very rough, and there was a leech biting on his calf. He was clearly a farmer from the countryside.  He doesn't look like a wealthy person at all.  This made Cao Pi in awe. He felt that this was a truly good official. Cao Pi nodded and said with a smile: "I have long heard of Tao Shijun's reputation as a virtuous and simple man. When I saw him today, he really lived up to his reputation. As long as Tao Shijun maintains his true character,  The future is limitless. "Tao Zheng originally had a bad impression of Cao Pi, but when I met him today, I felt that he was not the insidious and cold-blooded person in the legend. He also spoke very sincerely. Tao Zheng's impression of him also changed a bit.  , He also smiled slightly and said: "Deputy Prime Minister Cao's golden words will be remembered by Tao Zheng." According to normal rules, Xiang Chong is the prefect of Feng Yi County. He is only responsible for accompanying Feng Yi County. After sending the envoy to Chang'an County,  Officials from Chang'an County should take over, and they happened to meet Tao Zheng.  Xiang Chong quickly pulled Tao Zheng aside and said with a smile: "Now that he has arrived in your territory, I will hand him over to you. You can accompany him back to Chang'an!" Tao Zheng looked embarrassed and said to Xiang Chong: "I  This afternoon I have to rush to Lantian County to resettle hundreds of households with Wuhuan immigrants. I heard that the county officials are not in the county office and no one cares about the Wuhuan immigrants. There has been a commotion. I have to rush there. I still need to ask the Han envoy.  Brother Xiang, please send him to Chang'an!" Seeing that he was indeed too busy, Xiang Chong had to smile bitterly and said, "Since you asked me like this, I have no choice but to send him to the West." Tao Zheng was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.  Looking at the carriage, he asked again: "What is this Young Master Cao doing in Chang'an?"  Sheng told Tao Zheng, "He told me on the way that firstly, he wanted to work with the Han army to deal with the Huns, and secondly, Cao Cao wanted to marry His Highness the King of Han." "Marriage?"  ' Tao Zheng was surprised, "What marriage?" "You forgot, it was Cao Xian, Cao Cao's daughter who went to Chengdu last time. Cao Cao betrothed her to His Highness the King of Han, probably as a partial concubine!" Xiang Chong specially said  He bit the word 'partial concubine' very hard, for fear of irritating Tao Zheng. Seeing Tao Zheng's expression change, he quickly said: "I will tell you this matter in private. Don't betray me, otherwise we will  Our friendship is over." Tao Zheng sighed and said, "I'm grateful to you before it's too late. Don't worry! I won't tell anyone about this." He said a few more words and left.  Tao ZhengyiAs the motorcade walked away, his heart was in turmoil. It was related to his sister's vital interests. How could he treat it indifferently? Although he had just promised not to spread the word about it, as soon as he thought about it, he decided to write a letter about it immediately.  Tell my sister that Cao Cao's daughter is coming in.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 833 Something is coming from a source

    Although Tao Zhan's original plan was to live in Chang'an for a month or two, after getting a little comfortable, Tao Zhan no longer wanted to bother and simply settled in Chang'an.  Moreover, the climate in Chang'an is more comfortable than Chengdu. Although it is colder than Chengdu, Chengdu's winters are mostly rainy, humid and cold. Tao Zhan also suffered from rheumatism. His legs will ache in winter, but Chang'an is sunny and dry. The room is lit with charcoal and warm.  Such as spring, which is very beneficial to Tao Zhan's rheumatic pain.  More importantly, the children all yearn for the winter in Chang'an. It is said that the snow in Chang'an is very heavy in winter. The heavy snow accumulates in the yard like a quilt, and the pond is also covered with thick ice. This makes several children look forward to winter very much.  Willing to return to Shu.  Although it is midsummer, the summer in Chang'an is not humid and stuffy. It is hot outside, but it is cool in the shade.  Early in the morning, Tao Zhan walked through the stone path covered with leaves. It rained heavily last night, mixed with hail. Many trees were damaged and leaves fell to the ground.  She came to the courtyard where Sun Shangxiang lived. Although their living conditions were far from those in Chengdu, the courtyard was very quiet and there were several interesting scenery, so everyone lived comfortably.  As soon as I walked into the courtyard, I heard Sun Shangxiang's silvery laughter coming from the room, and a woman's voice. It seemed that Xiao Qiao was also in the room.  Thinking of Xiao Qiao, Tao Zhan added some thoughts. After living here for a long time, she felt that Xiao Qiao was also a rather pitiful woman. Cao Cao and Sun Quan were trying to get her, her father forced her to remarry, and the Zhou family also  There was no room for her, in fact she had nowhere to go.  It can be seen that Xiao Qiao is very willing to become a member of their family, and she has never given birth and has no worries about children. Her peerless beauty makes it difficult for any man to refuse.  Tao Zhan is an enlightened woman. She knows that with her husband¡¯s status, it is impossible for them to be the only women. As long as it does not violate her principles, she is willing to accept new people into the house.  For example, Cai Shaoyu, Tao Zhan cannot accept her. She is Liu Jing's sister-in-law, and she is the wife of Jingzhou Mu who has been canonized by the imperial court. Now Liu Cong is living a good life in Ye and has not married again. If her husband accepts her, there will be  It is suspected of violating ethics.  It is precisely for this reason that the Cai family does not want Cai Shaoyu to marry into the Liu family again, but the Cai family is afraid of Liu Jing's power and dare not say anything.  Even Cai Mao, who has always been a fan of others, did not want his daughter to remarry Liu Jing as a concubine. Tao Zhan naturally refused to agree to this marriage. She would rather give Cai Shaoyu enough money and arrange the rest of her life than her husband's reputation.  damaged as a result.  Just like Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty marrying his niece as his queen, there was nothing wrong with the custom at the time, but today it seems extremely absurd. Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty also left a disgraceful mark in history.  And her husband is very likely to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor. How could Tao Zhan not be wary of the historian's pen?  "Xiao Qiao is different. Her blood relationship is far away, so there are no ethical concerns. If her husband is willing to take her as a concubine, there is no problem.     only.  £®  £®  £®  £®  It seems that Sun Shangxiang is not very accepting of this marriage. In fact, Tao Zhan also knows that this is not because Sun Shangxiang is jealous, but because she feels that her husband is taking advantage of others. This little girl has a strong personality and is not delicate enough. She didn't notice it.  Xiao Qiao's thoughts.  Tao Zhan didn¡¯t want to break the news prematurely, so it was better to let nature take its course.  Walking into the courtyard, the maid saw her and immediately reported: "The princess is here!" Sun Shangxiang greeted her with a smile, "Why is eldest sister here?" "I have something to discuss with you!" Tao Zhan smiled and held her arm.  Holding their arms, the two walked into the room. There was an ice basin in the room. The steaming ice made the room particularly cool. Xiao Qiao was sitting next to the ice basin. When she saw Tao Zhan come in, she quickly stood up.  "Good morning, Princess!" Tao Zhan smiled and nodded and asked, "Did you sleep well last night?" "I was a little worried about the hail at first, but I soon got used to it. I told Shang Xiang that there was hail, but last night it was  "What's going on?" "The wind was so strong last night that a tree was blown down, which happened to collapse Wenmei Pavilion." "No wonder, we all heard shouting and thought something happened."  He pulled Sun Shangxiang to sit down and smiled at the two of them: "I received a message from the general today, saying that moving the capital to Chang'an may have to be postponed next spring. An army will return to Chengdu in just two days. If we are willing to go back, we can follow the army  Let's go together." Sun Shangxiang thought for a while and said, "Sister, do you want to go back?" Tao Zhan shook his head, "To be honest, I don't want to bother with so many things when I go back. Think about packing those boxes and cages.  Scared." Sun Shangxiang also laughed, "I told Xiao Qiao yesterday that I didn't want to go back to Chengdu." "Where's Alian?" Tao Zhan said again.Xiao Qiao asked with a smile.  "I don't care. Don't think about me. I'll just take things as they come." Xiao Qiao smiled lightly. She was just a guest and had no say in this issue.  "That's it!" Tao Zhan nodded and said with a smile: "We will stay in Chang'an and not go back to Chengdu." Tao Zhan stood up and said, "I will go back to my room and write a letter to the general." Tao Zhan left.  , Xiao Qiao felt a little worried. For a moment, she whispered to Sun Shangxiang: "Shangxiang, I want to go back." "What are you talking about?" Sun Shangxiang was stunned.  Xiao Qiao sighed, "I have lived here for a long time, I think I should go back." Sun Shangxiang's face suddenly darkened, "Where are you going back? Where else can you go? You said it yourself  Why don't you stay here? If you think I'm neglecting you, then I have nothing to say." "You treat me like a sister, so what's wrong with me?  How can anyone stay in someone else's house for a long time? Even if the host doesn't mind, a guest should be aware of himself. " Sun Shangxiang looked at her and said after a while, "How about I act as a matchmaker for Jiang Shangshu?  He died of illness and now wants to marry a new wife. The matchmakers have crossed the threshold, but he refused. The last time we met him on the street, I noticed that the way he looked at you was very special. I felt that he was interested in you. " Xiao Qiao smiled bitterly.  One voice said: "My father forced me to get married in this way, so I ran away to you. Now you are forcing me again, so I will leave tonight." Sun Shangxiang stepped forward and held her hand, saying softly: "  You know I am doing this for your own good. You are not even thirty yet. If you remain a widow like this and have no children, what will you do for the rest of your life? Women always have to rely on you. " "I know, I am also willing to get married again, but  I want to marry a man I like." At this point, Xiao Qiao's voice became very low, "I actually don't care about status." Sun Shangxiang smiled and said, "Then who do you like, tell me, and I will do it for you.  Pull the strings." Xiao Qiao sighed secretly in her heart. This stupid girl has gotten into trouble. She has spoken to this extent, but she just doesn't understand. She insists on taking advantage of others.  Xiao Qiao had no choice but to shake his head and said, "Let's talk about this later!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Tao Zhan returned to his room and wrote a letter to Liu Jing, telling him that he and Shang Xiang did not want to return to Chengdu. At this time, a maid hurried to the door and said: "Princess, Mrs. Zhu is here." Mrs. Zhu is Tao Zhan's  Sister-in-law, Tao Zheng's wife, she also came from a wealthy family in Chaisang, and was the counterpart of Tao Zheng. Her brother was Zhu Xun, the magistrate of Chaisang County at that time, and later became the prefect of Changsha County. He is currently the censor of the Han Dynasty and an important minister of the Han Dynasty. The Zhu family  Although she comes from a wealthy family, she is very virtuous and has a good relationship with Tao Zhan, who often travels around.  Tao Zhan said quickly: "Invite her in!" After a while, the maid led Zhu into the room. Tao Zhan stepped forward and said with a smile, "Why did sister-in-law go out in such a hot day?" Zhu pursed her lips and said with a smile.  : "It rained heavily last night. I took advantage of the coolness of the morning to come and see you. If you don't welcome me, I will leave." "I said the wrong thing. Sister-in-law, sit down quickly." Tao Zhan asked Mrs. Zhu to sit down.  She knew that her sister-in-law must have something to do when she came so early. She ordered the maid to serve iced ebony tea. The sister-in-law and her sister-in-law also talked about the child's situation. Only then did Zhu turn the topic to business. She smiled and said: "Today I  Actually, they are here to be a matchmaker.¡± Tao Zhan also laughed, ¡°My children are still young! Could it be that they are here to be matchmakers for my general?¡± ¡°Although there are many people who want to marry His Highness the King of Han, not this time!¡±  Who is that for?" Zhu thought for a moment and said, "Yesterday Jiang Shangshu's mother came to see me and asked about Mrs. Xiao Qiao. She wanted to marry Mrs. Xiao Qiao for her son. Is it possible? " Tao Zhan?  She was stunned for a while and asked: "Did sister-in-law agree to her?" "How can I agree? I just wanted to ask for her. Of course, I have to agree to this kind of thing." Tao Zhan lowered his head and said nothing.  It was really a bit embarrassing. Although she knew that Xiao Qiao actually liked her husband, and the reason why she came all the way here was actually to get into her house, her husband did not make it clear.  " Marrying Jiang Wan is actually very good. You can be the wife of the Prime Minister in the future. But marrying your own husband can only be a concubine at best. Maybe you can be a concubine in the future. If Xiao Qiao is smarter, she should choose to be the wife of the Prime Minister.  However, if her husband knew about this, he might be unhappy, which made it difficult for her to answer for a while.  After thinking for a long time, Tao Zhan sighed and said, "I'm afraid I have to ask her personally about this matter first and ask her to agree."??¡± Mrs. Zhu is also a very smart person. She saw that Tao Zhan was hesitant and reluctant in his answer, so she had a vague feeling that it might not be that simple. Xiao Qiao was as beautiful as a fairy, and it was possible that the King of Han took a fancy to him.  If you leave Xiao Qiao, you will be in trouble as a matchmaker. It is not a wise move to compete with the King of Han for a woman. Forget it, let¡¯s wait for a while and at least clarify the situation. Thinking of this, Zhu quickly smiled and said:  "I'm just asking casually about this. Actually, I'm not a matchmaker. Let's talk about it later!  " Tao Zhan nodded, "But I can test it to see what impression she has of Jiang Shangshu. If she is willing to marry Jiang Shangshu, it would be unfair to her if I conceal it.  "    "It's up to you!  Anyway, just don¡¯t mention me.  " "I know. I won't mention you. I will just say that Jiang Shangshu wants to marry a new wife. It has been widely spread. Let's see how she reacts.  " Mrs. Zhu nodded and said, "I have another thing to do here. Your eldest brother wrote a letter yesterday. He heard a piece of news that may be related to you.  "    "what news?  " "Your brother said in the letter that Cao Cao sent his son Cao Pi as an envoy to Chang'an. One of the purposes was to marry the King of Han and betroth Cao Xian to the King of Han.  " After a while, Tao Zhan sighed, and finally it happened. "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 834 Special Alliance

    After receiving the news of Cao Pi's mission to the Han Dynasty, Liu Jing hurried back to Chang'an. Of course he knew the purpose of Cao Pi's mission. Cao Cao increased his troops to 100,000 in Taiyuan and transferred Cao Zhang, Cao Zhen, Xu Huang, Zhang Jia and other generals.  To Taiyuan, this was a hint to him that Cao Jun would also use troops against the Huns.  Cao Cao was willing to use troops against the Huns, which was a dream for Liu Jing. Although the Han army was not weak, it was relatively weak in cavalry. If it were in the south, the three Huns would not be his opponent, but in the northern grasslands  , in a cavalry duel, the Han army really had no advantage.  It is precisely because of this that the Han army gave up using troops against the Lingzhou Qiang people. Fighting on two fronts, he was bound to lose. Especially what he had to face was no longer Liu Qubei's Xiongnu, but the entire southern Xiongnu.  Hundreds of thousands of cavalry pressed south, which put Liu Jing under great pressure.  But if Cao Jun is willing to join the fight against the Xiongnu for the sake of national justice, Liu Jing still welcomes it. The civil war will return to civil war, but for the sake of national justice, even the enemy should temporarily give up hostility and unanimously deal with the outside world.  I believe that Cao Cao should also have this kind of ambition, and he and Liu Jing would suspend their swords and attack the Huns together.  Two days later, Liu Jing and his party arrived in Chang'an. At this time, Chang'an was still relatively chaotic. The farmlands outside the city were busy harvesting and planting seeds, and the military camps outside the east city still housed more than 100,000 Wuhuan and Qiang people who had yet to be resettled.  .  Although the main officials of the Han Dynasty have rushed to Chang'an and mobilized hundreds of scholars to help, the manpower is still insufficient, and the local government still needs time to prepare, making the resettlement progress very slow.  Liu Jing and his party had just rushed to the city gate when several knights ran out of the city gate. The leader was Sima Yi, followed by Honglu Qing Liu Min. Sima Yi and Liu Min saw Liu Jing and quickly reined in their horses.  Reins, waiting by the roadside.  Liu Jing slowed down his horse, stepped forward and said with a smile: "When did Zhongda arrive in Chang'an?" Sima Yi quickly clasped his fists and said: "Wei Chen is five days ahead, but Xu Shangshu and Jiang Shangshu have been here for a long time, Dong Shangshu and Fei Shangshu stayed behind.  Chengdu. " Xu Shu and Jiang Wan came to Chang'an to resettle the Wuhuan people, while Sima Yi came to fight against the Xiongnu. He was in charge of military affairs, soldier recruitment, ordnance allocation, and pensions for fallen soldiers, etc. were all within his scope of responsibilities.  Liu Jing glanced at Liu Min again and said with a smile: "Has Cao Pi arrived in Chang'an?" Liu Min is the Honglu Qing, in charge of the vassal affairs and diplomacy of the Han Dynasty. It is his duty to receive Wei envoys. Liu Min quickly saluted and said:  "Your Highness, Cao Pi arrived in Chang'an yesterday. The ministers placed him at the VIP Post. Your Highness wants to see him?" Liu Jing thought for a moment, then smiled at Sima Yi and said, "Zhongda might as well go and talk to him on my behalf.  Let¡¯s talk about it first, and then I¡¯ll visit him tomorrow.¡± ¡°Wei Chen understands!¡± Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile, ¡°Come to the city and tell me what¡¯s going on.¡±  Important things?" The group of people walked and talked, and soon entered Chang'an City.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Cao Pi has already lived in Chang'an for a day. This is his fourth visit to Chang'an. The first three times he came to Guanzhong on behalf of his father to inspect people's livelihood and inspect the administration of officials.  But this time, he was on a mission to another country in the name of an envoy. Things and people had changed, and Chang'an no longer belonged to them. This made Cao Pi feel an indescribable sense of loss.  Cao Pi stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, staring at a pond outside the window. The lotus flowers were in full bloom, with green leaves and red lotuses swaying gently in the breeze.  Cao Pi's thoughts flew to Yedu at this time. Only when he arrived in Chang'an did he realize the real reason why his father asked him to go as an envoy. The failure of his third brother Cao Zhi's first two envoys left a very bad impression on his father.  I hope he can succeed on his mission this time. Perhaps this is also an important condition for him to become the crown prince.  At this time, a guard in the courtyard reported: "Your Majesty, Sima Shangshu is asking for an audience!" Sima Shangshu is naturally Sima Yi, who was originally his father's chief secretary. He later surrendered to Liu Jing in Anlu County and was now promoted to prime minister.  Cao Pi's city was very deep, and he was not as impulsive as his brother Cao Zhi, so he nodded and said: "Invite him in, and also invite Mr. Chen." Chen Qun lived next door and hurried over soon, just in time.  He met Sima Yi at the gate of the courtyard, and he quickly invited Sima Yi in.  "Zhongda, long time no see!" Cao Pi greeted him with a smile.  At that time, Cao Pi and Sima Yi had a very good relationship. If Sima Yi had not surrendered, Liu Jing would have been Cao Pi's right-hand man now and become his main minister in seeking the throne. However, time cannot be turned back, and Cao Pi only has regrets in his heart.  Sima Yi also smiled back and said: "I didn't expect the eldest son to come in person. I haven't seen you for many years, but the eldest son still looks as good as before." This is just a kind of essential oil.To put it politely, even if Cao Pi became as skinny as a stick, Sima Yi would praise him for looking as good as before. In fact, he was completely nutritious, just to avoid mutual embarrassment.  The two laughed, and Cao Pi invited Sima Yi to come in and sit down. Chen Qun also sat down beside him. Chen Qun had much more experience on missions than Cao Pi. He knew that if Sima Yi could come today, it must be because Liu Jing had returned.  Chen Qun was afraid that Cao Pi didn't know, so he tried to test it with a smile: "I heard that His Highness the King of Han has come back, right?" Cao Pi was startled, has Liu Jing come back?  He didn't know why. He looked at Chen Qun doubtfully and saw Chen Qun hinting at him with his eyes. Cao Pi immediately realized that this was Chen Qun testing Sima Yi. In fact, he was reminding himself that if Liu Jing had come back, then Sima Yi would come to visit him.  , it was Liu Jing who arranged to test his bottom line.  Cao Pi was secretly grateful for Chen Qun's shrewdness. He took a sip of tea and smiled without saying a word. Sima Yi just pondered for a moment and then said with a calm smile: "His Royal Highness the King of Han has indeed come back. He just came back this morning. He has to deal with some urgent matters first."  He asked me to greet the young master first and see if he needs anything." Chen Qun was secretly proud when he saw that he had guessed correctly. However, if he said more, he would be overestimating the guest, so Chen Qun kept his attitude.  There was silence.  Cao Pi was reminded by Chen Qun, and his mind suddenly became clear. He settled himself and asked himself what he was missing. That was the matter of Honglu Qing Liu Min. Liu Jing would never let a minister talk about such a trivial matter.  Thinking of this, Cao Pi also smiled and said: "I live well, but there are many more mosquitoes here than in Ye, and they are very annoying at night." Sima Yi laughed, "Although mosquitoes are small, they can make people uneasy, and they can't even think about reading.  , I will ask Yi Cheng to solve these troubles for the young master." Cao Pi chatted with Sima Yi for a while, without mentioning the purpose of their visit to Chang'an. Even Sima Yi was secretly surprised. Compared to Cao Zhi's frankness, this Cao Pi was indeed the capital of the city.  Very deep, without revealing anything, but helplessly, Sima Yi had no choice but to ask: "I wonder if the young master has anything special to do when he comes to Chang'an this time?" Cao Pi and Chen Qun looked at each other and knew something in their hearts. Liu Jing was on his way this morning.  After returning to Chang'an, Sima Yi came to visit in the afternoon. This shows that Liu Jing is looking forward to joining forces with Cao Jun to deal with the Huns, which also shows that the strength of the Han army is not as strong as imagined.  Cao Pi said sincerely: "This time I went to Chang'an as an envoy on my father's order, mainly because I wanted to express my gratitude to His Highness the King of Han on behalf of my father. Last time, Wei and Han reached a reconciliation agreement, and we indeed saw the Han army's  Sincerity, all troops have been withdrawn, and my father is deeply grateful. In addition, my father is also willing to cooperate with the Han army to send troops to regain the Chinese territory. " "Does Cao Jun also want to attack the Xiongnu?" Sima Yi said with a smile.  "Exactly!" Cao Pi nodded and said solemnly: "The Huns have been suffering in the north for a long time. Under the two emperors Huan and Ling, the imperial court collapsed and the border defenses were lax. Hu cavalry led by the Huns continued to invade south, destroying fields and burning houses.  Looting property, killing Han people, hungry people spread all over the land, and refugees continued for decades. The Han Dynasty's century-old immigration and farming foundation was destroyed. My father unified the north, attacked Wuhuan in the north, and drove the Xiongnu out of the Central Plains. My second brother stationed troops in Youyan to defend against the Xiongnu.  , It has not been a day to appease the border people. It is a pity that the Huns are powerful and have occupied Bingzhou and the pass. Although Cao's army is determined to defend against the enemy, it is not strong enough to expel the Huru and restore China. Today, the Han army intends to attack the Huns from the north. How can my father stand by and watch?  ?¡± Sima Yi stood up and saluted, ¡°Young Master Jin Yu¡¯s words, Sima Yi has just been rude and apologizes to you!¡± Cao Pi smiled and waved his hand, ¡°Zhongda doesn¡¯t have to do this. In addition to discussing how to deal with the Xiongnu together, I¡¯m here this time.  I hope to marry the King of Han. My father is willing to betroth my sister to His Highness the King of Han as his second concubine. "Is Cao Cao really willing to marry his precious daughter Cao Xian to me?" Liu Jing couldn't help laughing in the study.  Sima Yi still remembered that when Cao Cao first proposed to marry his daughter to Liu Jing last year, Liu Jing's expression at that time was sneer and disdain, but today he laughed heartily. This shows that his mentality has changed. Sima Yi also said happily:  "Actually, Pingzhangtai is in favor of His Highness marrying Cao Cao's daughter, which will be of great benefit to the peaceful unification of the world." Liu Jing smiled, shook her head and said, "If you agree with this marriage, it is for  Peaceful unification of the world, then you may be disappointed. The war between me and Cao Cao will never stop because of a marriage, nor will it turn into friendship just because we join forces to deal with the Xiongnu. The war will still happen if it should happen, and the tragedy will still be the same  Tragic, Cao Cao would not expect a marriage to stop me in Tongguan. He is just thinking about the Cao family. " "But with this marriage, at least those generals and advisers who are loyal to the Cao family can finally be able to do so.  Accept His Highness and serve His Highness instead of hiding.??Shanlin, I think it will be of great benefit in recruiting talents.  " "That's true!  Liu Jing nodded and said: "If I become Wei Gong's son-in-law, I will have the reputation of being orthodox. In the future, famous generals such as Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Zhang He, Xu Chu, and Yu Jin will also be loyal to me. This makes me very tempted."  " "Then your Highness agrees to join forces with Cao Cao to deal with the Huns?  " "If we just deal with the Huns, I don't think the problem is big, but things may not be that simple.  Sima Yi pondered for a moment and said: "Your Highness, are you saying that Cao Cao wants to lead this war against the Huns?"  " "Based on Cao Cao's character, that's what he should have meant, but he was too embarrassed to make such a request openly. I guess he wanted the puppet Emperor Han to issue an order that in the name of the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, he would be the commander-in-chief of the northern attack on the Xiongnu.  I will serve as a deputy. If the Huns are defeated, he will take most of the credit for attacking the Huru from the north.  " "But this is just a false name and has no practical significance. On the contrary, he has to conquer the people and spend money and food for it. For us, it can completely defeat the Xiongnu, solve the troubles in the north, and allow us to successfully move the capital to Chang'an. This is meaningful.  It's extraordinary. I don't understand. What does Cao Cao want from doing this?  "Liu Jing smiled lightly and said: "Zhongda, you have to understand Cao Cao. He is over sixty years old and attaches great importance to his posthumous reputation. In fact, he is seeking this false reputation. For the sake of posthumous reputation, he does not hesitate to use his daughter.  Bribing me, only I can understand his painstaking efforts!  " Sima Yi said goodbye and left. Liu Jing walked to the window with his hands behind his hands, pushed open the screen and enjoyed the fresh summer wind. There were frogs croaking outside the window and the surroundings were very quiet. This time he did not refuse Cao Cao's proposal for friendship. On the one hand,  Of course, this marriage can't change anything. As he said to Sima Yi, the two sides will continue to fight, and the Battle of Hefei will break out sooner or later. In fact, it is just the icing on the cake for both sides to join hands to attack the Huns. On the other hand, he also admitted that Cao Xian.  He was very attractive to him. He was young and beautiful, tall and plump, and full of vitality. Since the last time he saw Cao Ning, Cao Ning had left a deep impression on him. Historically, Cao Xian should have married  It would be a pity to give Liu Xie the title of a noble concubine, such a young and beautiful girl, but to marry a useless person like Liu Xie. Thinking of this, Liu Jing unconsciously showed a smile of expectation. At this time, there was news from outside.  There was a knock on the door, and it was the voice of his wife Tao Zhan, ¡°Husband, can I come in?  " "Come in!" Tao Zhan came in with a glass of ice-cold plum soup with ice cubes. She handed the cup to her husband and smiled: "Drink it first before talking.  " Liu Jing took the quilt and took a sip. A cold air seemed to rise from the soles of his feet. The heat all over his body suddenly disappeared. Liu Jing looked at the cup and smiled: "There are still ice cubes?  " "This is the best ice cube taken from the ice cellar. It is said to be frozen from the clear spring of Zhongnan Mountain. It is the favorite of everyone in our family. Even your youngest son wants to drink a small glass. Of course, he  No ice, and now we're wondering, should we count you in?  Liu Jing hugged his wife's waist and smiled: "If I can have a drink tomorrow this summer, count me in."  Tao Zhan quickly pushed his hand away and complained, "Don't touch me on such a hot day. I feel so tired."  "    "oh!  Liu Jing let her go, feeling really uncomfortable. He hadn't been home for several months, and even touching her made her feel sick and hot. He took the memorial from the table and said lightly: "Is there anything else?"  Tao Zhan sighed and gently held Liu Jing's hand, "Don't be angry. I'm not in a good mood today either."  "    "What happened?  Liu Jing looked at her and asked. "Xiao Qiao is going back, do you know?"  Liu Jing was stunned, "Why did she go back? What happened?"  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 835 Family Troubles

    Tao Zhan sighed and said: "Two days ago, Jiang Shangshu's mother found my sister-in-law and asked her to bring me a message. Jiang Shangshu is willing to marry Xiao Qiao. I don't think it is appropriate. After all, I can't make the decision for Xiao Qiao. Yesterday I  So she told Xiao Qiao herself the news, but at noon today, Xiao Qiao said that she was going back to Jiangdong. "Then how did she express her position at that time?" Liu Jing asked quietly.  "She didn't express her position at that time, she didn't say a word." Speaking of this, Tao Zhan felt a little guilty, "I remembered afterwards that maybe I shouldn't have said this to her. Wasn't this just me driving her away?  Hey! I am troublesome." Liu Jing had an uncertain look on his face. He knew that a beauty like Xiao Qiao was the dream of almost every man in the world. Even Cao Cao wanted to get her at any cost, and Jiang Wan was not tempted by her.  Surprisingly, even he, Liu Jing, could not resist her temptation. If he hadn't been thinking about Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao would have been the one in his palm.  But Xiao Qiao was going back to Jiangdong now, which made him feel inexplicably disappointed. He thought for a while and said: "It's better to persuade her to stay. Tell her that she makes her own decisions. No one can force her. I hope she  You can live there." Tao Zhan hesitated for a moment and said, "I think it's better for you to persuade her to stay." Tao Zhan is such a smart person. Xiao Qiao was silent for two days and only proposed to leave today.  Because his husband had returned home, Tao Zhan knew in his heart that there were some things that were not yet time to be revealed.  After pondering for a moment, Liu Jing nodded and said: "Okay! I'll persuade her to stay." Liu Jing did not go to Xiao Qiao directly, but went to Sun Shangxiang's yard, although Sun Shangxiang was a little bit jealous of Liu Jing because of Xiao Qiao's incident.  They were dissatisfied, but it was just a small matter and would not affect the relationship between them. As long as this matter was not mentioned, they still had a deep friendship.  During this period, Liu Jing's marriage encountered a hurdle. He will face the arrival of new marriages one after another. One is Xiao Qiao and the other is Cao Xian.  Political marriage, whether it is concubinage or partial concubine, will inevitably cause unrest in his family, as can be seen from Tao Zhan's upset today.  Liu Jing was also upset. He could get some comfort from Sun Shangxiang. He walked quickly into Sun Shangxiang's courtyard. A maid was about to report, but Liu Jing stopped her. The maid pointed to the pond in the courtyard and whispered  Said: "The second lady is in the pavilion." Liu Jing slowly approached the pond. There was an octagonal pavilion in the pond. Under the bright moonlight, two people were sitting in the pavilion. One was Sun Shangxiang, and the other was wearing a long skirt.  The person in question was Xiao Qiao. Both of them were holding small fans, and they could faintly hear Sun Shangxiang trying to persuade Xiao Qiao to stay.  "You have to understand that this is the Han Palace, not the Jiang Palace. I believe that Jiang Shangshu is not the only one who likes you, but what can I do? I believe that you will still have this kind of trouble even if you return to Jiangdong, so why should you let it go?  "In my heart?" "I'm just" Xiao Qiao sighed lowly, "I'm just afraid that the princess will be embarrassed. She treats me well, but I can't repay her. If I refuse, I'm afraid that she will be difficult as a person."  Then you are worrying too much. I think she is just doing it for your own good. After all, Mrs. Xiangguo is also the dream of many women. She thinks this is an opportunity. It is her fault if she doesn't tell you. If you don't want to, just say so.  Don't think too much, let alone pack your things and go back. That will make it difficult for her to behave. How can she explain to the old man? " "Old man!" Xiao Qiao asked strangely, "Who is the old man?"  Said: "Aside from my old man Liu who thinks he is the best in the world, who else can there be?" Xiao Qiao's scoff!  ' He covered his mouth and laughed, "If he is an old man, wouldn't we both be old women?" "I'm just saying it. It's been almost a day since I came back, and you still haven't come to see me. You're so slow to act. It's not the old man who is  What?" Liu Jing stood behind the rockery and couldn't help but smile knowingly. He turned around and entered Sun Shangxiang's room without disturbing the two of them.  Although the room was not elegantly decorated, it was very neat. Several of her favorite weapons were hung on the wall. At this time, Liu Jing found a dagger hanging on the wall in the middle, which he had given her as a gift.  Sun Quan's Green Moon Sword was later picked up by Sun Shangxiang, but Liu Jing did not expect that Sun Shangxiang would be so fond of this sword, which made him feel warm in his heart.  "Husband, is it you?" Sun Shangxiang's excited voice suddenly came from the door. Liu Jing walked around the screen and saw Sun Shangxiang standing at the door, his eyes full of surprise. Liu Jing felt warm and smiled and stretched out his arms. Sun Shangxiang  She was so happy that she threw herself into his arms. Liu Jing hugged her tightly, lowered her head to kiss her earlobe, and whispered in her ear, "I didn't expect the old man to come!" "You"  Sun Shangxiang?She punched him twice in shame, "You were eavesdropping on our conversation just now!" "I didn't eavesdrop, I just overheard it." Sun Shangxiang wanted to complain again, but Liu Jing didn't give her a chance, lowered her head and kissed her heavily.  After kissing her lips, Sun Shangxiang's body slowly softened, and she couldn't help but stretched out her slender jade arms like lotus roots, hugged his neck, and kissed him passionately. Her months of lovesickness were all intoxicated with each other.  In the midst of deep affection when we met.  After an unknown amount of time, Sun Shangxiang lowered his head and gasped softly: "Will you stay with me tonight?" Liu Jing nodded, picked up her legs, held her in his arms, and strode towards the second floor.  Go, Sun Shangxiang put her arms around his neck, pressed her face tightly against his chest, and asked in a low voice: "Aren't you angry if you sleep with me tonight?" "She is in a bad mood, and I am also very tired. I want to avoid it.  "It's good for everyone." "I know she's worried about Cao Xianzhi." "What?" Liu Jing was startled, then slowly put Sun Shangxiang down, took her hand and sat down and asked, "How could she know about Cao Xianzhi?"  "I don't know the details. Anyway, she has been upset about this matter for a few days. Is it just a rumor?" Liu Jing shook her head and said, "It is true, but it has not been settled in the end.  What about you, are you upset about this matter?" Sun Shangxiang rolled his eyes at him, "I won't be upset if you marry ten thousand women. I just need to eat and drink enough, and have a bed to sleep at night. Everything else is with me.  "It has nothing to do with it." Liu Jing couldn't help but smile bitterly. Sun Shangxiang was talking angrily. With her character, she was more reluctant than anyone else, but she had no choice. She was not in a political marriage.  Sun Shangxiang made a 'puff' sound, stretched out her arms to wrap around his neck, and said delicately: "No matter what he does tomorrow, we just have to enjoy ourselves in time. Do you want to sit with me all night with such a good time and beautiful scenery?" Liu Jing's heart  After a while, both Xiao Qiao and Cao Xian disappeared from his mind. There was only this beloved wife in his heart who made him extremely emotional. He turned over and pressed Sun Shangxiang under him. The next morning,  Liu Jing left Sun Shangxiang's yard and went to the front yard. As soon as he reached the bamboo forest, he suddenly saw a white shadow flashing in the bamboo forest. Liu Jing was slightly startled. He took two steps forward and looked into the bamboo forest.  Xiao Qiao was wearing a snow-white dress, holding a bamboo basket in her hand, and was walking slowly along the path in the bamboo forest. The white mist was gently swirling in the bamboo forest, and Xiao Qiao seemed like a fairy in the forest.  Liu Jing quickly walked into the bamboo forest, walked a few steps, and caught up with Xiao Qiao, "Wait a minute!" Xiao Qiao stopped for a few steps, turned around and smiled and said: "Isn't your highness busy with official duties?" "I'm about to go.  , I just saw you in the bamboo forest." "Oh! I live in the backyard, and I can go there from here. I like the tranquility of this bamboo forest." Liu Jing pondered and said, "I heard that you are going back to Jiangdong.  ?" Xiao Qiao nodded slightly, "I plan to go back in two days. After all, I am a guest. How can a guest stay for a long time?" Liu Jing looked at her and said, "What if you are not a guest?  ?" Xiao Qiao bit her lips lightly, her eyes a little flustered, and she lowered her head and did not dare to look at Liu Jing.  Liu Jing stepped forward, hugged her waist, and stared at her with bright eyes, "You know what I mean!" Xiao Qiao sighed and pushed him away gently, "Don't do this, it won't be good for Shang Xiang to see.  " After a pause, she said softly: "I know you don't care, but you have to think about it for me. After all, she is my best friend. " Liu Jing nodded, let her go, and said in a deep voice:  "I want you to stay and give me some time." At this moment, Sun Shangxiang's voice suddenly came from outside the bamboo forest, "Have you sent the letter home I wrote yesterday?" She seemed to be asking the housekeeper.  "Replying to the Second Madam, the letter has been sent out." Xiao Qiao was startled and hurriedly walked to the other side of the bamboo forest. After walking a few steps, she turned back and smiled sweetly at Liu Jing, "Okay! I'll give you one.  To save face, stay here for now." Liu Jing breathed a sigh of relief and kept watching her beautiful figure go away, then turned and walked to the front yard.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 836 Negotiations are in progress

    Liu Jing came to the Han Dynasty Mansion and walked into his official room. He sat down and wrote a warrant and handed it to the chief clerk Fei Yi. He said: "Go to Li Juncheng and tell him that it is my order to have all the ice cubes in the Chang'an government office be collected."  "Provide it to the army." Fei Yi took the order and said, "Wei Chen, go now!" Fei Yi left quickly. At this time, Sima Yi's voice came from outside the door, "Is your highness already here?"  The minister will wait." The guard came in quickly to report, "Your Highness, Sima Shangshu wants to see you!" Liu Jing nodded, "Please come in." Sima Yi walked in, bowed and said, "Your Highness, Cao Pi and Chen Qun have arrived.  , waiting for His Majesty's summons in the lounge. "Liu Jing said with a smile: "Yes! They seemed to be in a hurry, and Wei Chen had already taken them to visit the Han Dynasty Mansion."  "In that case, please invite them two to come to my official room!" Sima Yi hurried away. After a while, he led Cao Pi and Chen Qun to Liu Jing's official room. Liu Jing went to the door to greet him personally. This was the first time he saw Cao Pi.  Although they have known each other for a long time.  The image of Cao Pi is similar to Liu Jing's imagination. He is of medium height, fair skin, long eyebrows and narrow eyes, and his eyes are full of energy. The first impression given to people is that he is shrewd, but this shrewdness shown on the surface may not necessarily be outstanding.  Cao Pi was also sizing up Liu Jing. His father talked about this young hero to their brothers countless times, praising him to the best of the world and saying that he was his only rival. However, Cao Pi felt a little disappointed. Although he was tall and tall,  He was heroic, but still different from what Cao Pi had imagined. Cao Pi felt that Liu Jing in front of him seemed to lack a certain momentum.  The two of them laughed at the same time, and Cao Pi bowed and saluted: "See His Highness the King of Han!" "You don't have to be polite, eldest son, please come in!" Liu Jing nodded to Chen Qun again and invited him to come in and sit down. The four of them were divided into guests and hosts.  After sitting down, the guard served them herbal tea. Liu Jing smiled and said: "I just came back yesterday and piled up a table of urgent documents. I was so busy that I didn't have time to visit the young master. I have neglected you two in the past two days.  " Cao Pi quickly leaned forward and said: "Your Highness, you're welcome. Your Highness just came back yesterday. Naturally, he has to deal with urgent official duties first. I am also a person in charge of government affairs. I know the hard work involved. Some things will go wrong if they are delayed overnight. Besides, it should be  We should come to visit His Highness first." Liu Jing nodded and asked with a smile: "I wonder how well Mr. Wei is now?" "I felt a little cold at the beginning of the year and rested for a while. Now I have fully recovered and am ready to go with you.  Your Highness will go out to fight against the Huns together." Speaking of this, Cao Pi said with a smile: "My father also wants to compete with Your Highness to see who can annihilate more Huns. Of course, this is just a joke." Liu Jing laughed, "Old Ji Fufeng.  , Aiming for thousands of miles, Wei Gong has such ambitions, what can I do if I don't accompany him? Please tell Wei Gong that Liu Jing is willing to compete with him. " At this point, the skylight can be opened, Cao Pi picked up the tea bowl, and slowly  After taking a sip of herbal tea, he inadvertently gave Chen Qun a wink. According to their prior agreement, Chen Qun would do the rest.  Chen Qun understood and took over the conversation calmly: "This time the Deputy Prime Minister and I went to Chang'an as envoys. We mainly discussed two things with His Highness. One is to send troops to fight against the Huns. The Huns have been causing trouble to the Central Plains for a long time. Duke Wei has already  He wanted to expel the Xiongnu, but he lacked the strength and was afraid of being harmed by them. Now His Highness is sending troops to fight against the Xiongnu. Wei Gong is not willing to stand by and is willing to send 100,000 elite troops to march from Taiyuan. Liu Jing nodded, "Wei Gong is sending troops to fight against the Xiongnu.  It is a blessing to all the people in the world. I wonder what I can do for Duke Wei? " Liu Jing's words were very implicit. He knew that Cao Cao had conditions for sending troops, but this condition based on national justice seemed to be unexplainable. He could not say it.  'Wei Gong is willing to send troops, but there are conditions', which is a bit unreasonable, so Liu Jing gave the other party a step to make the request calmly.  Cao Pi was stunned for a moment. He suddenly discovered Liu Jing's special feature, which was that he was broad-minded. Logically speaking, they were mortal enemies. He had already made it clear that he would send troops to deal with the Xiongnu. A normal person's reaction would be to block the attack on Ti.  Conditional opportunities, do everything possible to obtain the maximum benefit.  "But Liu Jing actually took the initiative to give them a step so that they could calmly put forward conditions. This kind of mind is indeed not something ordinary people have. This is someone who does big things and doesn't stick to trivial matters.  When Chen Qun got the steps, he followed Liu Jing's words and said with a smile: "Wei Gong had an idea. Since we are sending troops to the Xiongnu, we might as well ask the emperor to send troops in the name of the imperial court. Wei Gong and His Highness the King of Han are both Han ministers.  The emperor's army attacks the Xiongnu from the left and right. What do you think, Your Highness?" No matter what Chen Qun says, Cao Cao's intention is justOne, he wanted to lead the Northern Expedition to the Huns. Liu Jing knew this very well. However, since Cao Cao wanted this false reputation, Liu Jing would not fight with him. Liu Jing smiled and said: "If Wei Gong  It's true, I have no objection." Chen Qun and Cao Pi looked at each other. They didn't expect Liu Jing to agree so readily. They were overjoyed. At this time, Chen Qun quickly said: "If the emperor appoints him, the coach will be there.  In terms of priority, Wei Gong suggested that His Royal Highness the King of Han should be the commander-in-chief, and he can be the deputy." Before Chen Qun could say anything, Liu Jing waved her hands and laughed, "Wei Gong is the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, he should be the commander-in-chief, and I, Liu Jing, will be the deputy.  This does not need to be discussed. "Although Liu Jing was willing to give Cao Cao this false name, he would not compromise on some principles. Liu Jing continued: "But I have something to say first. The so-called commander-in-chief and deputy commander are only limited to the emperor's edict." The implication is that this is just an edict from the emperor.  Cao Cao was a nominal commander. Cao Cao could not use his name to suppress him. Of course Cao Pi and Chen Qun knew that they could not command the Han army. They knew this, but Liu Jing was willing to accept Duke Wei as his commander. Their purpose was  has been reached.  Cao Pi said happily: "Now that we have reached a consensus on the general direction, the next step is to discuss the details of sending troops. We will rush back to Yedu to ask Wei Gong for instructions, and then we will send a detailed troop sending plan to His Highness. I hope His Highness can also give us one."  "It's absolutely possible. After we draft it, I will send someone to Yedu or Taiyuan." Cao Pi did not expect that the mission would go so smoothly. He would meet with Liu Jing in less than half an hour.  The big plan was negotiated, so that the results of his mission far exceeded that of his third brother Cao Zhi. He had another advantage in front of his father. How could he not be elated?  However, the joy in Cao Pi's heart was not expressed. He had a deep palace and it was related to his personal interests. Naturally, he would not let anyone see the pride in his heart.  At this time, Chen Qun smiled again and said: "We have another major event during this mission. Sima Shangshu must have told His Highness that Duke Wei hopes to further develop the relationship with His Highness the King of Han, and that Duke Wei is willing to marry His Highness the King of Han.  , I wonder what your Highness thinks?" Cao Pi smiled and added: "My second sister, His Highness Cao Xian, has also met her. She also went to Chengdu to disturb His Highness. She seems to get along well with His Highness. She is also my father's most beloved daughter.  "She is the most valued by her father. I believe that His Highness will never be disappointed if he marries her." Liu Jing thought for a while and said with a smile, "With this marriage as the basis, I believe that my cooperation with Wei Gong in the northern attack on the Huns will be more successful."  "This is when Liu Jing agreed to the marriage. Chen Qun and Cao Pi were immediately overjoyed. They stood up and saluted together, "Thank you, Your Highness, for making our mission a successful one." Cao Pi and Chen Qun discussed for about half an hour before leaving.  Go, Sima Yi sent them away from the government office, and hurried back to Liu Jing's official house. Liu Jing asked him with a smile: "Zhongda thinks the main battlefield to fight against the Huns will be in the pass, or in Bingzhou?" Sima Yi smiled bitterly and said: "  Needless to say, it must be on our side. Cao Cao should face Liu Bao, the Xian King of Zuo, and the Xiongnu Chanyu will put his army in the pass to cooperate with Liu Qubei in the battle. " "But what I am a little worried about is that Huchuquan originally.  We just want to deal with our side. Now that we have joined forces with Cao Jun, will Huchuquan give up supporting Liu Qubei? " "It should be a good thing if Huchuquan gives up Liu Qubei. What is your highness worried about?" "  What I¡¯m worried about is the future.¡± Liu Jing sighed and said, ¡°The Huns are determined to avenge their enemies. Once they form a grudge against the Huns, they must be killed. Otherwise, even if they step aside, it will only be a temporary compromise. Once we do this in the future,  If we fight against Cao's army, they will wait for the opportunity to attack. I'm worried that if we fight on two fronts and face the powerful Huns cavalry, we may suffer heavy losses." "But if the Huns are crippled, the Xianbei people will take advantage of it.  If we go south, then we will face the more powerful Xianbei people. Has Your Highness considered this issue?" Liu Jing walked to the window with his hands behind his hands. He was really upset. During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, it was the grassland barbarians who went south in large numbers.  At that time, the Xianbei people established the Northern Wei Dynasty, and its influence continued throughout the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Even if Liu Jing unified the Central Plains and revived the Han Dynasty, he would still have to face powerful grassland threats.  This is just like the early Han, Jin, Tang and Song dynasties. After the war-torn Central Plains dynasties were unified, they would always face the powerful threat of barbarians from the grassland. In the early Han Dynasty, they used humiliating marriage proposals, while in the early Tang Dynasty, they endured humiliation and offered money to seek peace.  , and the Jin Dynasty, like the Song Dynasty, perished in the north, and the court fled to the south and lived in eternity, so what about Liu Jing?  Will they also succumb to the iron hoofs of the Xianbei cavalry?  The answer is of course never, but this kind of thing only depends on strength and has nothing to do with his will. Thinking about it, Liu Jing's fists couldn't help but slowly clenched.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 837 Cavalry and Shooting Recruitment

    A few days later, Cao Pi and Chen Qun had returned to Yedu. The north was temporarily calm. Except for Liu Qubei's occupation of Lingzhou, which caused a large number of Qiang people to continue to flee south, no other news came. In Guanzhong and Longxi  In various places, the Han army has begun to recruit cavalry on a large scale among the Wuhuan people and Qiang people. Zhao Yun's initial suggestion was to recruit cavalry from the Wuhuan people, but Liu Jing and Sima Yi discussed that they could not only recruit cavalry from the Wuhuan people, but also recruit cavalry from the Wuhuan people.  Cavalry was recruited from the farming Qiang people in Longxi, Hehuang and other places who submitted to the Han.  Especially this time the Huns captured Lingzhou and massacred a large number of Qiang people, which aroused great indignation among the Qiang people everywhere. They could use the Qiang people's hatred of the Huns to recruit Qiang cavalry. Liu Jing finally realized that just  Relying on sharp bows and crossbows, he still couldn't defeat the grassland Hu cavalry. He had to build a powerful cavalry.  In the large military camp outside Chang'an City, there are hundreds of thousands of Wuhuan people who have been assigned new homes and are preparing to hit the road after the summer harvest. Outside the west gate of the military camp, the Han army has set up ten recruiting tents here.  In front of the largest tent, a large red flag was planted with two large black characters "Recruiting Soldiers" embroidered on it.  There are tens of thousands of fat sheep in the huge sheepfold next to the camp. If he is recruited as a cavalry, his family will immediately be rewarded with three fat sheep. In addition, the family's food subsidy will be doubled during the transition period, and they will also receive an additional twenty acres.  At the same time, their family can stay in Shangjun and Beidijun to engage in farming, without having to move to various places in Bashu.  These tangible material rewards are a huge temptation for the Wuhuan people who are about to embark on a new life, especially the last one, which allows them to stay in Shangjun and Beidi counties that they are familiar with, which makes Wuhuan Qingzhuang flock to them.  In just three days, they recruited more than 10,000 young people from Wuhuan, but there was still an endless stream of young people from Wuhuan who came to sign up. That morning, Liu Jing, surrounded by guards, also came to Nancheng  This was the second time he inspected the southern military camp after returning. The first time was to inspect the Wuhuan immigrants and personally see off a group of Wuhuan immigrants going to Hanzhong.  There were long queues in front of several large recruiting tents. Each team had at least two to three hundred people. The young herdsmen were gearing up and eager to try. The testing ground on the other side was bustling with people.  People cheered loudly, while at the other end stood dozens of candidates on horseback, divided into three teams, each holding a bow and arrow in their hands, looking a little nervous.  The test is very simple. It is a test of riding and archery. Applicants need to gallop a hundred steps on a hundred-step long track. During this period, they must shoot at least two arrows. One arrow must be shot on the horse's back, and the other must sneak under the horse's belly.  Shoot, there are more than a dozen straw men placed thirty steps away to the left. The requirements are very simple. It does not have to hit the straw man, as long as it can hit the wooden board behind the straw man without the arrow hitting the ground.  This condition is indeed very low. Equestrian is what the Wuhuan people are good at. Most children can get under the belly of a horse. Archery is basically a necessary skill for every adult Wuhuan people. The only difference between the Wuhuan people is their archery skills.  , of course, you can shoot three arrows or four arrows. Of course, it is better to be able to hit the straw man with arrows, especially if you can hit the straw man's head. That is the best. This is related to whether you become a soldier or a soldier after joining the army.  Serve as an officer.  If you can be selected to serve as an officer above the rank of Marquis, you will also have the opportunity to study at Chang'an Imperial College for half a year to learn Chinese and the art of war.  Therefore, the applicant's nervousness is not whether he can complete the two designated arrows, but whether he can hit the straw man's head. At this time, three war drums sounded, and the three knights who were recruited were a few steps away from each other, and they galloped out at the same time.  His movements are vigorous, his legs control the horse, he reaches out to draw an arrow from the quiver on his back, opens his bow and shoots an arrow, all the movements are done in one go, without any sluggishness.  All three arrows were shot at the straw man, two of them missed, and one of the arrows hit the straw man's face, arousing cheers. In a moment, the war horse had already galloped dozens of steps, and the three people got into the horse's belly and shot secretly.  For the third arrow, two of them hit the straw man and the other missed.  The cheers from all around became louder and louder. I saw that the applicant who hit the straw man in the face had shot four arrows in a row. The arrow hit the straw man in the face. The other two people only shot two arrows each. The recruits were considered successful.  , at this time, everyone's eyes were focused on the expert in archery, who was still two steps away from the finish line. At the moment when he was about to cross the finish line, he shot an arrow across the ground, and the arrow hit the straw man's forehead.  Five of the five arrows hit the head, which was the first person in two days. It aroused applause from all around. Even Liu Jing couldn't help but applaud. His eyes were like a torch, and he saw that the knight's last arrow was completely  It can be shot in advance. He deliberately shot it just before the line was pressed, so as to have a more sensational effect. This person is quite scheming, Liu Jing thought secretly.  Liu Jing immediately ordered the guards, "Bring this man to see me!" After a while, the guards brought the good shooter up. The good shooter didn't know that the person who met him turned out to be the King of Han, and thought he was just an ordinary Han.  The general of the army, he quickly knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See you, general!" He actually saidLiu Jing spoke fluent Chinese. Liu Jing was even more surprised. She looked at this person carefully and saw that this person was very young, about early twenties and tall. Although he was wearing Wuhuan clothes, his face was Han. Liu Jing  He couldn't help but laugh and said: "What's your name? Are you from Wuhuan?" "Reporting to the general, the commoner's name is Sasnu, and the Chinese name is Yang Ying. He was born in Fengyi County, Guanzhong, and grew up in the Wuhuan Asi tribe in Shangjun."  The Si tribe is a small tribe in Wuhuan and is famous for its good archers. Many Wuhuan generals are from the Asi tribe and were divided and assigned to the three counties of Longxi and Bashu. Liu Jing nodded and asked: "Look  You look Han and have a Han name. Could it be that you were kidnapped and taken to Shangjun?" Yang Ying sobbed softly: "The father of the young people, Yang Ji, was originally a captain of the Yuan Army. He was killed in the Battle of Guandu in the fifth year of Jian'an?  In the Bingzhou War, the Huns sent troops to Guanzhong to fight against the Xiliang army. Xiaomin was only five years old. At that time, he and his mother were kidnapped by the Huns and sent to the north. Later, he was assigned to the Wuhuan Asi tribe as a slave. He was a Wuhuan  The sheep slave of Captain Sasi made a living by herding sheep with his mother. Sasi was shot to death while fighting the Han army, and the common people and his mother were freed. "Liu Jing felt quite emotional. In the past years,  I don¡¯t know how many Han people were kidnapped and enslaved in the north. Yang Ying was just one of them. It was rare for him to have such superb archery and riding skills. Liu Jing asked again: "Then who did you learn archery from?" "Little  Min's master is General Wuhuan, who places great emphasis on force. Every year, he selects some young people from his clansmen and slaves to learn riding and archery. Xiao Min was selected when he was ten years old and practiced riding and archery for ten years. " "Then you can do it.  Do you know other martial arts?" "I learned the sword skills left by my father. Xiaomin is naturally strong and can use a fifty-pound sword." Liu Jing nodded, took out an arrow and gave it to him, smiling: "This one.  I gave you the arrow, can you read?" Yang Ying took the arrow with both hands and said respectfully, "Thank you, general, for the arrow. My mother taught me how to read and write." Liu Jing nodded, "I appoint you as a military prince.  You can go to Taixue to learn the art of war, serve well, and support your mother." "Thank you, General!" Liu Jing smiled, urged her horse to leave the examination room, and walked slowly towards the city. At this time, Yang Yingcai discovered that there were words engraved on the arrow shaft.  , he looked carefully and saw the small words "Arrow of the King of Han" engraved on it. Yang Ying was stunned and suddenly looked up at Liu Jing's back.  The chief examiner stepped forward, patted him hard on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "Generally, winners are awarded the highest position of military commander, but you have been promoted to military prince in one step, and you were promoted by His Highness the King of Han personally. It's rare! Do your best.  Come on, don't let the King of Han down." Yang Ying was moved. His nose felt sore and tears welled up in his eyes. He wiped away the tears and said, "I will never let the King of Han down."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Not long after Liu Jing returned to Chang'an, a carriage also entered the East City Gate, asking questions all the way, and finally stopped slowly in front of the Han Dynasty Palace. Outside the carriage followed several entourages on horseback. The journey was dusty, and inside the window was a  The gray-haired old man was Qiao Xuan, the father of Er Qiao. He came by boat from Jiangdong, turned from Xiangyang to Nanyang Road, passed Wuguan and entered Guanzhong, which took a full month and a half.  Qiao Xuan came to Chang'an because he received a letter from Tao Zhan, Princess of Han Dynasty. He learned from the letter that Liu Jing intended to take Xiao Qiao as his concubine. So the real reason why Liu Jing took Xiao Qiao to the Han Palace in Chengdu was also  Qiao Xuan suddenly realized.  Although Qiao Xuan is not willing to marry his youngest daughter to Liu Jing, whether it is Cao Cao or Liu Jing, men like this will not take women too seriously, but compared to Cao Cao, Liu Jing can make Qiao Xuan accept it  , at least the same age, at least he has the appearance of a king in the world.  After thinking about this, Qiao Xuan decided to fulfill his father's responsibilities again and rushed to Chang'an all the way. He hoped to fulfill the matchmaker's words and his parents' orders. He hoped that Liu Jing would marry his own daughter instead of accepting his own daughter.  Although they are both concubines, the nature of taking them into the house and taking them into the house are completely different. Just like Dong Zhuo married Huangfu Gui's widow, even though they were taking concubines, they still made a grand show, with hundreds of chariots, twenty horses, and slaves.  Money and silk fill the road, and a beautiful woman enters the door.  Although Qiao Xuan does not intend to be so ostentatious, he also hopes that his daughter can get married, which is extremely important for Xiao Qiao's future status.  The carriage stopped in front of Prince Han's Mansion, and an attendant came forward to report. After a while, Xiao Qiao and Sun Shangxiang came out after hearing the news. Xiao Qiao was surprised and happy. He stepped forward and took his father's hand and said, "Dad, what are you doing?"  Are you here?" Qiao Xuan smiled and said, "Can't we come to see you?" Xiao Qiao was a little worried. She was worried that her father was coming to take her home and would not want to marry her to the Wen family again!  Sun Shangxiang stepped forward, saluted and smiled: "Welcome the elders to Chang'an!" Sun Shangxiang could see people from his hometown.Of course she was extremely happy. She especially wanted to know the circumstances of her mother's burial. Sun Shangxiang invited Qiao Xuan into the palace and ordered the housekeeper to arrange a place to stay. At this time, Tao Zhan also came after hearing the news. Qiao Xuan quickly saluted and said: "See you, princess!"  "You don't have to be polite, Mr. Guo. I hope that coming to us will be like coming to your own home. Mr. Guo, please invite me!"  She was moved in her heart and worried that her father would take her away, so she seemed to be worried and ended up in the end.  Tao Zhan is more understanding of the world than Sun Shangxiang, because she was the one who wrote the letter to Qiao Xuan. When she heard that Qiao Xuan was coming, she knew that Xiao Qiao's entry into the family had finally come to an end. Of course, Qiao Xuan was not here to pick up his daughter, but only for him.  Xiao Qiao remarried. This matter had troubled their family for a long time, and it was finally coming to an end.  Although Tao Zhan is a tolerant woman, no woman wants to see her husband marry other women one after another. Tao Zhan has no choice but to do so. She knows that the last incident with Cai Shaoyu made her husband unhappy.  If Qiao was obstructive, she might not be able to bear the consequences.  During this period, Tao Zhan also felt that her husband was a little cold towards her. He often did not return home. Even if he did, he would go to Shang Xiang's place. This made Tao Zhan extremely uncomfortable. In the final analysis, it was because he had too few wives and concubines.  Cao Cao had hundreds of wives and concubines, and Sun Quan also had dozens of wives and concubines, but his dignified king of Han only had two wives and one concubine, which was not even comparable to that of an ordinary wealthy family, which makes people laugh.  More importantly, there have been many rumors since the beginning of the year that in order to protect the status of her sons, she did not hesitate to prevent the King of Han from taking concubines. As a result, the King of Han only has two sons. Now the responsibility for the few heirs of the Han princes has fallen on her. In addition, soon  The former little girl had an unfortunate miscarriage, and eventually even the military began to be dissatisfied with her. The tremendous pressure was unbearable for Tao Zhan.  It was for this reason that Tao Zhan decided to let Xiao Qiao in. Fortunately, Qiao Xuan arrived in time. Tao Zhan wanted to talk to Qiao Xuan about this matter. Everyone sat down in the guest room and exchanged casual greetings. At this time,  , Qiao Xuan smiled and said: "I have a few words to say to the princess. Can Shang Xiang and Alian step aside for a moment?" Sun Shangxiang and Xiao Qiao were startled. Although they felt strange in their hearts, out of politeness, they still  He stood up and retreated temporarily.  At this time, Qiao Xuan smiled at Tao Zhan and said, "I want to talk to the princess about Alian's affairs in detail."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 838 Taking Concubines and Taking Concubines

    Sun Shangxiang returned to his residence a little depressed. Mr. Qiao talked with the princess for a short time before he went back to his residence to rest. Sun Shangxiang did not have the opportunity to ask about the circumstances of his mother's burial.  Although Sun Shangxiang did not know much about the world, she was very smart. Mr. Qiao actually wanted to talk to the princess alone. Coupled with Tao Zhan's hints to her in the past few days, she vaguely guessed the real reason why Qiao Xuan came to the palace.  Intentional.  Sun Shangxiang couldn't help but sigh. Although she never wanted her husband to take Xiao Qiao as his concubine, she could no longer stop it. More importantly, Xiao Qiao also made it clear to her that she was willing to marry the King of Han again, which made Sun Shangxiang helpless.  Now that the words have been said, everyone is willing, so what does it matter if she objects?  However, Sun Shangxiang still felt a little disappointed. In the end, her beloved husband could not withstand the temptation of women. Marrying Cao Xian was a political marriage. She would not blame her husband, but taking Xiao Qiao as a concubine was a typical lustful one.  If Sun Shangxiang felt something, she turned around and saw Tao Zhan standing at the door, looking at her with a smile. She hurriedly came forward and said, "Why is eldest sister here?" Tao Zhan took her hand and walked into the house and said, "I  I came here to talk to you about Xiao Qiao." Sun Shangxiang knew that there was a result. She sighed and said, "Let's sit down and talk!" The two sat down and Tao Zhan said softly: "Xiao Qiao.  You should know that you will eventually enter our house." Sun Shangxiang nodded silently, and Tao Zhan continued: "I have reached an agreement with Qiao Guolao. Xiao Qiao will still be my concubine, but she will enter the house by marriage, just a little bit.  Keep a low profile, don't publicize it. ""How to do it specifically?" Sun Shangxiang asked again.  "Mr. Qiao's family is in a tight financial situation. I will pay for all the expenses with his money. I will rent a large house nearby, marry him at night, and then distribute the cakes to the neighbors. There are only so many ceremonies. Of course, we  The house will be decorated with lanterns and decorations, and the auspicious date will be set for the day after tomorrow." Having said this, Tao Zhan looked at Sun Shangxiang for a moment and asked, "What do I think?" Sun Shangxiang said with a wry smile, "Both men and women are willing.  , the parents also agree, and you, the princess, don¡¯t object, what else can I say?¡± Tao Zhan stared at her for a moment and sighed: ¡°Shang Xiang, I know you don¡¯t agree with this marriage. To be honest, I also think Xiao Qiao  It would be better if I married Jiang Shangshu, but I can't help myself and the pressure is too great. Now even the military is dissatisfied with me. Many people in the army call me jealous concubine, which makes me feel very sad."  At this point, Tao Zhan couldn't hold back anymore and tears welled up. Sun Shangxiang quickly held her hand and asked in surprise: "Why are they so disrespectful to you?" Tao Zhan wiped away his tears, shook his head and said, "Because  The general was already thirty years old and had only two sons. He had no brothers or nephews, so he had too few children. The military was particularly dissatisfied, so they pointed their finger at me, thinking that I was preventing the King of Han from taking concubines. " "But the eldest sister did not.  There is no obstruction. If it is about Shaoyu, she is his second sister-in-law. Her husband is still alive, and Liu Cong has never formally stated that he will divorce his wife. It is indeed inappropriate to marry her. Such accusations are unfair to the eldest sister. " Tao Zhan smiled bitterly.  One voice said: "They only look at the results, and they don't care about the truth. However, it is an indisputable fact that the general has few heirs. As a princess, this is my responsibility. You can't feel this kind of pressure, but I am uneasy day and night."  "While the two were talking, the maid reported at the door: "Princess Qi, the housekeeper from the front yard is here to report that the prince is back." Tao Zhan stood up quickly and said with a smile: "I have to talk to him about this matter. I'll wait until I'm free.  Let¡¯s talk to you!¡± Sun Shangxiang nodded, and she also felt that she needed to have a final talk with Xiao Qiao.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  As soon as Liu Jing returned to his study, his wife Tao Zhan's voice came from outside the door, "Husband, can I come in?" Liu Jing was really dissatisfied with his wife Tao Zhan these days. The reason was that Liu Jing just found out that Tao Zhan was carrying  He said that he had changed his son's master without permission. It didn't mean that the master couldn't be changed, but that such a major matter was done without his consent or discussed with him in advance. When he came back, it became a fait accompli.  He originally thought it was Pingzhangtai's decision, but later he learned that it was the result of his wife's pressure on Pingzhangtai. This incident happened last year, and it has been a year. Liu Jing has never mentioned it, but that doesn't mean he has forgotten it.  about this.  Until a few days ago, when he put his arms around Tao Zhan's waist, Tao Zhan actually pushed him away because of the heat. This undoubtedly hurt Liu Jing's self-esteem. This incident became the fuse, triggering Liu Jing's accusation that his wife had changed his son's master without permission last year.  dissatisfaction, small things gradually evolved into big things.  Although he was dissatisfied with his wife, Liu Jing did not want to go too far. After all, they had been married for more than ten years and their relationship had always been very good. He had ignored his wife for a few days and he did not want to continue.    "Come in!" The door opened and Tao Zhan came in with a bowl of red dates and lotus seeds soup. She put the red dates and lotus seeds soup on the table and said with a smile: "Drink it while it's hot! Let's pacify your stomach first, we'll have dinner soon.  Liu Jing sighed in his heart and hugged his wife's waist again. This time, Tao Zhan did not refuse, but sat on his lap, hugged his neck and said with a smile: "Aren't you angry anymore?"  I was a little angry, but I'm fine now." Once the anger in his heart was over, Liu Jing felt a little ashamed. He kissed his wife on the lips and said, "I heard from Shang Xiang that you have been in poor health for the past two days. How are you doing now?  Zhan got her husband's love and affection, and acted like a baby, "It's just a little pain in the leg joints. The root of the disease was caused in Chengdu. I don't know why, but it happened in the summer. Alas! No one cares about me. The joints are nothing, and I feel more pain in my heart."  "Liu Jing said apologetically: "I'll give you a good rub tonight and use the medicine I prepared myself. It should have a good effect." Tao Zhan stayed with her husband for a moment, then stood up and said with a smile, "I have to get ready.  It's dinner, you drink the lotus seed soup first, and come to the dining hall after a while." Tao Zhan reconciled with her husband. She was in a good mood, smiled brightly at her husband, and walked away quickly. Liu Jing slowly relaxed her body, and he felt happy in his heart.  Vaguely, he felt that he was not tolerant of his wife. At night, Liu Jing and his wife were loving each other. He slowly lay down, feeling a little tired. Tao Zhan was satisfied and lay in her husband's arms like a cat. Although she was angry  She has two children and is nearly thirty years old, but she still takes good care of herself, has a beautiful face, and her skin is delicate, white, elastic, and even more plump and mature.  Liu Jing gently stroked his wife's hair, thinking that this was the person who had been with him for more than ten years, walking with him from Chaisang to Chang'an step by step, sharing weal and woe, and he couldn't help but feel a little pity in his heart.  "What are you thinking about, husband?" Tao Zhan asked in a low voice.  "It's nothing, I just feel that time flies so fast. More than ten years have passed in a flash." "It's a pity that I am already old." "How old are you? You are not yet thirty years old. We have to spend another thirty years together."  "Thirty years later, I will really be an old woman." Tao Zhan couldn't help but laugh.  She got up and put on her underwear, sat next to Liu Jing and said with a smile: "There is one more thing I wanted to tell you earlier, but I never had the chance. Let me tell you now! Qiao Guolao is here." Liu Jing was startled and hurriedly  Asked: "When did he come?" "This morning! Let's rest for an hour. I rented a house for him, which is the empty house in front of Zhang Yilang's house. In the afternoon, the housekeeper took him to the house.  "Liu Jing became more and more confused, "Why are you renting a house? We can't fit in the guest room?" Tao Zhan stroked his hair and said with a smile, "You really don't understand? What do you think Mr. Qiao is here for?"  It took Liu Jing a long time to react, "Are you saying that Qiao Guo always plans to live in Chang'an for a long time?" Tao Zhan was angry and funny. Sometimes his husband was extremely smart, but sometimes he was cutely stupid. "It's not to live in Chang'an for a long time.  Xiao Qiao is here for a big event in his life. He and I have already made an agreement to get married by taking a concubine. Since we are going to get married, don¡¯t we have to have a house first? " Liu Jing was speechless for a long time. It turned out that his wife had already arranged it.  He was both moved and apologetic that everything was fine. He knew that his wife must have suffered a lot of grievances for marrying Xiao Qiao as his concubine.  He sighed and said, "Actually, you don't have to be like this." "Don't say it anymore. I know in my heart that I hope to be worthy of my deceased parents-in-law and to make the Liu family full of children and grandchildren in the future, so that I can feel no regrets." Tao Tao  At the end of Zhan's words, tears welled up in her eyes and she was very emotional. She put her arms around Liu Jing's neck and said, "I have no other request. I just ask you to never abandon me. Just like you just said, we will spend another thirty years together."  " Liu Jing hugged her tightly. He almost said that he would no longer marry a concubine, but in the end he could not say it.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 839 Xiao Qiao remarries

    Early the next morning, Xiao Qiao moved to her father's temporary rental house. Only then did Xiao Qiao understand the deep meaning of her father's coming to Chang'an. It was for her life-long event, and he worked tirelessly and traveled thousands of miles. This made Xiao Qiao full of feelings for her father.  gratitude.  In the room, Qiao Xuan said earnestly to his daughter: "I really don't understand what you think. The Wen family is a famous family in Jiangdong. The Wen family's legitimate son wants Ming Matchmaker to marry you as his wife. There are also Lu Meng and Zhang Fen. Zhang Fen is Zhang Zhao's nephew.  Marquis Feng Lexiang Ting, if you think they are from Jiangdong, just refuse to agree, but I heard that Jiang Wan is also willing to marry you. He is one of the five prime ministers of the Han Dynasty, and he is only over thirty years old.  You actually refused such a good marriage, I don¡¯t know what to say to you." Xiao Qiao was extremely bored and stood up and said, "If father must talk about this, then my daughter will leave!" She turned to leave, Qiao Xuan waved her hands quickly.  "Sit down, okay! I won't talk about this anymore." Xiao Qiao sat down silently again, Qiao Xuan said helplessly: "Now that things have happened, it's useless to say this. You must marry Liu Jing, and so will I.  It's up to you, but to be honest, I don't agree with you marrying him. I think it is no different from you marrying Cao Cao. "Xiao Qiao whispered: "Father knows that they are different, why should they be compared?" "This is also true.  , Cao Cao is a dying man, if your sisters are really taken away by him, what will you do if he dies in two years? Fortunately, the King of Han is young, and it is the Princess of Han who makes the decision, so I agree." "Hello, sister.  "?" Xiao Qiao asked again, changing the subject of his father.  "She wasn't very good. Mrs. Wu passed away. She had no support and she didn't want to live in the palace anymore, so she moved out of the palace and lived with me temporarily. I wanted her to come with me this time.  , but she refused, but could not give any reason. She just said that she was in poor health and could not bear the long journey, so I had to let her go. " Xiao Qiao lowered his head and thought for a moment, then asked: "Father, Sun Quan knows how to fight.  "Is it your sister's idea?" "After all, it's his sister-in-law. He doesn't dare to come openly! But I agree with your sister moving out of Wu Palace. Living in Wu Palace is like being in Sun Quan's hands. If Sun Quan  If you try against her, something will happen sooner or later. "Xiao Qiao sighed, "Things have changed in Jiangdong. My father should stay in Chang'an from now on! It's best if my sister can come. What is she doing in Jianye alone?"  "Let's talk about this later! Let's talk about your marriage first. When you get married the night after tomorrow, the Han Dynasty Palace will come to welcome you. It is estimated that the Han Dynasty will not come. If you marry you, you will be the Han Dynasty's concubine." Qiao Xuan was unwilling to accept it.  He purposely bit the word 'concubine' very hard, as if to stimulate his daughter. However, when he saw that her daughter lowered her head and remained silent, he felt that he had gone too far, so he softened his tone and said, "Of course, if you give birth to a son and a half in the future, you may  Being named a royal concubine is not bad. I hope you can give birth to a child soon, and you will have something to rest on. It is indeed unfortunate for a woman to have no children. " "If the father has nothing else to do, the daughter will leave first.  "Xiao Qiao stood up, bowed to his father, turned around and left the room. Qiao Xuan watched his daughter go away and sighed helplessly. Xiao Qiao walked slowly on the path in the back garden alone, followed not far away by his personal maid.  Behind her, thinking that she was getting married again the day after tomorrow, she felt a sense of loss in her heart. It had been almost three years since her ex-husband passed away. Her mentality also changed from longing for it, to being dull, and then to hating the Zhou family for occupying the family property.  In the end, it turned into her yearning for a new life.  She admitted that she was a weak-willed person and could not bear the pain of widowhood. She was far inferior to Da Qiao, who had been widowed for more than ten years. Although she felt a little guilty about her ex-husband at this time, compared with her future happiness,  This little bit of guilt seemed insignificant.  Xiao Qiao is undoubtedly a very sensible woman. Although she is as beautiful as a fairy, without a trace of human fireworks, that is just the appearance. In her heart, she wants to pursue her own happiness and does not want to spend more than ten years like Da Qiao.  , wasting her youth in vain. She is unwilling to waste her youth and eventually wither like an out-of-season flower. Although it was once beautiful, who would think of its former beauty in the face of a withered flower.  From the first time she saw Liu Jing, she knew that this man would be her support for the rest of her life. He was young, brave, and kind-hearted. He would rule the world one day in the future. This was every woman's dream husband, Xiao Qiao.  She was also moved by it. She had been waiting for this day for two years, and it was finally coming true.  Xiao Qiao looked up at the sky full of stars. She couldn't help but shout loudly in her heart. At this moment, she was full of desire for a new life. At night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. A few black clouds as thin as black gauze were in the sky.  It floats low, casting large shadows to the ground from time to time. The street where Liu Jing's temporary residence is located is called Sanji Street. The street is spacious and densely shaded. Most of the people on both sides are luxury houses. It is a truly expensive street.On the street, it was already midnight, the city gates had long been closed, the streets were deserted, and no pedestrians could be seen.  At this time, a team came from the end of the street, dressed in red and green. Dozens of people in front were holding copper plates. In the plates were various gifts, geese tied with ribbons, bundles of snow-white silk, rice, and wine.  , steamed sheep, horses, etc., there are dozens of kinds. In the middle is a gorgeous carriage, pulled by eight horses. On both sides are eight maids in colorful clothes and eight welcoming boys, and behind the carriage are twelve more  Protective bodyguard.  Except that there is no drum music, everything else is exactly the same as a normal wedding, and the scale is not small. This is a typical night wedding. It is usually used for weddings and wealthy families to marry concubines. It is low-key and unassuming, but not grand. However, the groom  Not coming to marry is one of the important differences between marrying a wife and marrying a concubine. When marrying a wife, the groom must come to marry him and give an explanation to his wife's family.  Marrying a concubine has nothing to do with the groom. What the new concubine has to face is not the groom, but the mistress. The wedding team will not stay at the bride's home for a long time. Two wedding messengers will come to greet the bride instead of the groom. Despite this, Liu Jing  It still gave the Qiao family enough face, two messengers to welcome the bride, one was a general, one represented Liu Jing, and the other represented the princess.  The wedding team arrived at Qiao Xuan's temporary residence and circled around the mansion three times. At this time, the gate of Qiao's mansion opened. Liu Hu and Tao Zheng walked quickly into the door, followed by the mighty wedding team, and entered Qiao's mansion together.  The lights in Qiao's mansion were brightly lit, and Qiao Xuan was already waiting in front of the lobby. There were sixteen servants on both sides, carrying eight large dowry boxes. These were the dowries given to Xiao Qiao by Tao Zhan and Sun Shangxiang. Qiao Xuan's family was poor and could not afford to provide for their daughter.  To buy a dowry, although Xiao Qiao had some jewelry savings, she fled Jianye in a hurry without even a decent piece of jewelry. Tao Zhan and Sun Shangxiang took this into consideration and ordered eight boxes of dowry to be delivered in advance. Tao Zhan also ordered the housekeeper.  He led dozens of servants to Qiao's house to help.  Liu Hu stepped forward, cupped his hands and smiled and said: "On a good day, Liu Hu has come to welcome me on behalf of my brother. All the gifts are ready, I hope you will accept them!"  Come here, Mrs. Qiao is willing to accept the gifts!" A dozen servants walked out, took the gifts from the wedding team, and placed them on the tables on both sides of the yard. At this time, Tao Zheng smiled and said: "The auspicious time has come.  Come on, can Mrs. Qiao¡¯s bride be on her way?¡± Qiao Xuan nodded, turned around and sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s get on our way!¡± Eight wedding maids walked out holding round fans. In the middle was Xiao Qiao, who was surrounded by fans. She was wearing a phoenix crown and a  Wearing Xia Pei, carefully made up, and extremely beautiful, she was carefully supported by her personal maid, and walked step by step towards the carriage. At this time, drums and music were playing, and eight welcoming boys sang a welcoming song, and the welcoming maids danced gracefully. Amidst the joyful singing and dancing,  Welcoming Xiao Qiao into the carriage.  Qiao Xuan suddenly felt a little reluctant. He walked to the carriage and whispered to his daughter: "My son, remember, serve your husband, respect your mistress, give birth to a baby early, and don't worry about your father."  She couldn't help but burst into tears and sobbed: "My father's words will be remembered in my heart. I hope my father will take good care of me. My daughter will definitely support her father." Qiao Xuan wiped away his tears and said to Liu Hu: "Don't miss the right time, let's go!  "Liu Hu got on his horse and shouted: "Let's go!" The wedding carriage rumbled out of the mansion. Surrounded by more than a hundred people, it drove toward Liu Jing's mansion. Qiao Xuan stood at the door.  Staring blankly at the carriage going away, I felt an indescribable sense of loss in my heart.  At this time, Tao Zheng walked slowly to Qiao Xuan and said with a smile: "What is Mr. Qiao's next plan?" Qiao Xuan sighed and said: "Princess Han wants me to live in Chang'an for a long time, but I am not worried about my eldest daughter.  Seeing that the war in Jiangdong is about to spread, I will return to Jianye first. If the eldest daughter is willing, I will come to Chang'an with her to avoid the war in Jiangdong. " Tao Zheng smiled slightly, "Actually, I came to convey the wishes of His Highness the King of Han.  He ordered Mrs. Da Qiao to be brought to Chang'an. Your Highness means that Mr. Qiao should not go back again. If Mr. Qiao does not dislike it, he can give lectures and teach apprentices in Taixue, so that Mr. Qiao can do something and be supported in his old age.  " Qiao Xuan nodded silently. He was touched by Liu Jing's thoughtful arrangements. He sighed and said, "If His Highness the King of Han does not think that I am old and fatuous, I will also be willing to teach students in Liu Jing's mansion."  , the lights overflowed, illuminating the mansion like day. A thick red carpet was laid in front of the gate, which was spread all the way to the back hall. There were sounds of silk and bamboo on both sides, and groups of dancers danced gracefully. The wedding carriage drove into the gate and stopped in front of the screen wall.  Next, two brides who had been waiting here stepped forward to help Xiao Qiao out of the carriage. One bride smiled and said: "The princess has been waiting for a long time. Please come with us, bride!" Surrounded by twelve maids, Xiao Qiao  Qiao was supported by two bridesmaids and walked along the red carpet to the back hall. The ceremony of marrying a wife was completely different from that of marrying a concubine. One difference was in the Hexin wine.When taking a concubine, the bride drinks to her head wife. If the head wife accepts the glass of wine, it means that she has accepted the bride and allowed her to officially enter the house.  In addition, if you are marrying a concubine, there is no worship ceremony, and the new concubine is sent directly to the side room. However, the king of Han marries a concubine, which is different from ordinary families. The wives and concubines of the king of Han all have official positions. In order to let Liu Jing withdraw from Taiyuan, Cao Cao reached an agreement between the two parties.  Among the compromises, one of them was that the emperor made Liu Jing the King of Han and controlled Bidong Palace, which meant that his status was equal to that of the prince. In this way, even if Liu Jing established his capital in Chang'an or even lived in Weiyang Palace in Chang'an, it would not be considered an overstep.  Another by-product of making Bidong Palace was that Liu Jing's wives and concubines all had official positions. They were at the level of second-emperor concubines, such as Princess Tao Zhan, side concubine Sun Shangxiang, and the concubines below also had Liangdi and Ruren. The little Bao Niang was named Ruren, and  Xiao Qiao was married into the palace, so her official position should be Liangdi, with an official salary of two thousand dan, and a title comparable to the Marquis of Guannei.  It is precisely because of this status that Xiao Qiao's wedding is higher than that of the private sector. When he meets the princess, there are important female guests to witness it, and then he enters Qinglu.  In the back hall, Princess Tao Zhan changed her dress and sat in the middle. Next to her was the side concubine Sun Shangxiang, who was also dressed elegantly. On both sides were people watching the ceremony, including relatives, family members and wives of high-ranking officials in the Han Dynasty, like Liu Hu.  There were more than 30 people including Tao Zheng's wife, wives of counselors and generals such as Jia Xu, Pang Tong, Fazheng, Zhao Yun, and Ma Chao, and four wives of Pingzhangtai Shangshu.  Compared with the wedding ceremony, this is the real pomp and ceremony. It is the witness of the King of Han marrying a concubine, and it is also the most important step for Xiao Qiao to enter the Han Dynasty. At this time, the master of ceremonies reported, "Princess, the new couple is here!"  "Invite her into the hall!" Amidst a series of ringing sounds, Xiao Qiao was helped into the back hall by Xi Niang. Suddenly, there was a low voice of exclamation from all around. All the ladies were amazed at Xiao Qiao's beauty. She was worthy of being called the queen.  Among the four beauties in the world, I saw her delicate face like a beautiful flower, with clear eyes looking forward to her, and she came slowly, as if the snow was blown by the wind, and the sun was covered by light clouds. She really had the appearance of a country and a city.  Xiao Qiao slowly knelt down in front of Tao Zhan, opened her red lips and said, "Ms. Qiao pays homage to the princess!" Tao Zhan nodded slowly, turned around and looked at the maids. Two maids came forward with a golden plate, and there was a golden egg on the plate.  Jade cup, the master of ceremonies shouted loudly: "The newlyweds are serving wine!" Xiao Qiao stood up and picked up the wine cup, then knelt down again and presented it to Tao Zhan with both hands, "Princess, please accept the wine from Qiao!" Tao Zhan stared at her for a moment, and then  After passing the wine cup, she took a symbolic sip and put it back on the gold plate. She smiled and said: "I have accepted your offer of wine. From now on, you will be a member of the palace. I have nothing to say, only one. I hope you can  If you can abide by the rules of women and obey the rules of the palace, I am not demanding about other details. I believe you know it. Okay, let's go to Qinglu!" "Thank you for your tolerance, Princess!" Xiao Qiao bowed again and was lifted up by two maids.  The curtain was opened, revealing a green roof in the side hall. The green roof was huge, like a room. The tables on both sides were filled with wedding wax, and a big ‡Ö character was posted on the middle wall.  Amidst cheers, the newlyweds were sent into the Green House. The female guests sprinkled flower petals on the Green House and exited the lobby one after another. All the lights in the lobby were extinguished. A ray of moonlight penetrated from the clear tiles on the roof, making the interior of the Green House looming.  Xiao Qiao bowed her head shyly.  At this time, the curtain opened, and Liu Jing walked in barefoot, sat in front of her, and looked at her with a smile. For a moment, he raised her chin again, staring at her fairy-like beauty in the moonlight.  Liu Jing slowly untied her skirt, took off the golden hairpin, and draped down her waterfall-like hair in the moonlight.  Her skin was as smooth as fat, her buttocks were pink and greasy, and her figure was unparalleled. Liu Jing held the beauty in his arms and slowly fell on the soft mattress.  Xiao Qiao was extremely shy and whispered: "I am already your wife, I hope you will show mercy and favor me!" At this time, dark clouds blocked the moonlight, and Qinglu fell into darkness. Only the sound of gasping could be heard, but inside the Qinglu  It's full of spring.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 840 Changes in Kuaiji

    After the split of Jiangdong, the three major forces fell into a temporary stalemate. In order to get the food aid promised by Liu Jing, Sun Quan ordered to stop the military threat to Wu County. This was also his last resort. He had insufficient food and was unable to launch an attack on Wu County.  battle.  Sun Shao of Wu County was just a puppet. The military power was in Sun Shao's hands, while the government power was controlled by Lu Xun and Gu Yong. Sun Shao's plan was to replace Sun Shao, but because the Lu family and Gu family did not cooperate,  As a result, his plan has not been realized for a long time. Before becoming the new master of Wu County, Sun Shao had no intention of launching a war against Jianye. More importantly, once Wu County's army went north and Wu County was empty, it is very likely that Kuaiji's army would take advantage of it.  Entering, this made Sun Shao dare not act rashly.  Equivalent to the stability of Jianye and Wu Commandery, Sun Ben of Kuaiji gradually fell into crisis. Sun Ben originally received strong support from Cao Cao. He hoped to receive Cao Cao's money and food support. To this end, he recruited a large number of troops to increase his strength.  At one time, there were more than 40,000 people, which greatly exceeded the capacity of Kuaiji County.  However, the monetary and grain aid he expected did not arrive. It was obviously unrealistic to transport money and grain from the north of the Yangtze River to Kuaiji County. Sun Ben hoped that Cao Jun could transport grain by sea. However, Cao Ren's answer to him was that Cao Jun did not have warships.  He persisted for three years. After three years, he built a sea ship and transported grain. This made Sun Ben extremely disappointed.  Without the substantial support of Cao's army, Sun Ben's subordinates gradually became disorganized. Coupled with the huge military expenditures, the people of Kuaiji were overwhelmed. Uprisings by the Han and Shanyue people occurred one after another, leaving Sun Ben in dire straits. However, his attack on Wu County failed several times.  , the army was unable to cross the Qiantang River. Under the dual pressure of internal affairs and military affairs, Sun Ben simply gave up and drank and had fun all day long for the entertainment of his eyes.  Kuaiji Palace is a small palace built by Sun Bi on the basis of the Sanqing Taoist Palace in Kuaiji. It is located on Kuaiji Mountain. It is condescending and is also known as the Heavenly Palace. The surrounding terrain is steep and the palace is surrounded by high walls. The buildings inside are exquisitely beautiful.  Fifty thousand dan of grain, and guarded by three thousand elite warriors.  Among them, the Tiangong Tower is five feet high and has three floors. It is decorated with dragons, phoenixes and splendid decorations. This is where Sun Ben enjoyed himself. He kept eighteen beauties in the Tiangong Tower, drinking, having fun and dancing with them all day long.  Listening to music and living a life of intoxication and dreaming, in just half a year, Sun Ben's weight soared by thirty kilograms, and he was as fat as a pig.  In the lobby on the second floor of Tiangong Building, a group of dancers are dancing. Sun Ben is sitting in front of the jade case. On the jade case is a mountain of meat and a sea of ??wine. The golden plate and jade dish are filled with seasonal fruits and melons. Sun Ben is sitting around  Each held a beautiful woman in his arms while enjoying the dance, laughing loudly from time to time.  At this time, a guard hurriedly walked in and bowed to report: "Marquis Wu, General He has something important to see you!" "No!" Sun Ben waved his hand and rejected the guard's report without hesitation, He Qi  The news will only add to his troubles. He doesn't want to see this person. The guard has no choice but to retreat. On one side, He Qi's angry shout comes from outside the lobby, "Who dares to stop me!" 'Bang!  With a sound, the door was knocked open and He Qi strode into the hall. The dancing stopped and the dancers were so frightened that they retreated to both sides. He Qi coldly swept around the hall and saw that the musicians were all filled with wine and meat.  It made him heartbroken. There was no pension for the soldiers who died in battle. The soldiers could only eat half-full meals. The people were exploited to the point of poverty. The waves of fleeing were getting higher and higher, but here there was such luxury.  Sun Ben was furious and slammed the table, "He Qi, are you going to rebel?" He Qi restrained his inner anger and said coldly: "Wei Chen wants to report the situation to Wu Hou. Liu Jing and Cao Cao want to fight together.  The Xiongnu have formed an alliance. "What does this have to do with me?" Sun Ben said dissatisfied.  "If the Han army and the Cao army are to fight against the Xiongnu, they will inevitably be unable to interfere in Jiangdong. This is a good opportunity for our Northern Expedition. We have a large number of troops. We heard that there is internal discord in Wu County. We can take the opportunity to go north and conquer Wu County in one go. Please give the order to the Marquis of Wu!  " "I had this idea half a year ago, but is it useful? We can't attack the Qiantang River, and Wu County has the support of the Jingzhou navy. We are no match. Don't humiliate yourself. " "Wu Hou doesn't know anything about the Qiantang River.  There are Jingzhou naval forces cruising, but they cannot cover everything. We can build rafts, find gaps in the enemy's defenses, and cross the Qiantang River overnight. As long as we capture Yuhang and other important grain-producing counties, our food shortage problem will be solved.  It will be solved easily." Sun Ben's ears have already heard calluses from He Qi's words. Every time he said that he would look for weak points and build wooden rafts or bamboo rafts to cross the river, but in fact, he never succeeded. Sun Ben was eager to get along with the beauties.  Being affectionate, he waved his hands impatiently and said: "Let me think about it again. You retreat first, and you are not allowed to break into my palace at will in the future. Do you hear me?" He Qi was filled with hatred, gritted his teeth, bowed and gave a salute.  He turned around and left without saying a word. When Sun Ben saw him leaving, he smiled happily and waved his hand, "Continue!"   The sound of silk and bamboo began again, the dancers danced gracefully, and the hall became full of laughter and laughter again. Two days later, He Qi led an army of 2,000 people to the Qiantang River. Currently, the Kuaiji Army has stationed 20,000 troops by the Qiantang River.  Commanded by Sun Ben's confidant Li Yuan and He Qi's brother He Jing, He Qi rushed to the camp and asked loudly: "Is Li Yuan here?" The generals guarding the camp came forward and reported: "I heard that someone is fleeing.  General Li and General He rushed to intercept. "Which way are you going?" "Go west along the official road." He Qi turned his horse and led the army to continue running westward. After half an hour, he  Seeing a large black crowd in front of him, he galloped up. Sure enough, they were fleeing people. There were two to three thousand people, men, women, old and young. They were all in ragged clothes and carrying meager belongings. They knelt on the ground and begged.  , there was a lot of crying.  There were more than a thousand soldiers standing on both sides of the crowd, holding knives in their hands, staring at these people eagerly. As long as they gave an order, they would rush in and snatch their property and young women, but the reason why they did not take action was because  There was a problem with the distribution of benefits. Li Yuan and He Jing arrived with hundreds of soldiers at the same time. How to distribute the property became the focus of their dispute.  The people could not bear the oppression, and a wave of fleeing began six months ago. People usually fled to the Qiantang River first, but the river blocked them and they could not go to Wu County. They had to turn around and head west to Poyang County. The wave of fleeing has continued, ranging from dozens to many people.  There were hundreds of people, and today¡¯s group is the largest group of refugees so far.  According to Sun Ben's order, those who fled to Jiangbei would be killed without mercy. However, the soldiers had flexibility in executing the order. As long as they could hand over their belongings and food, they would usually be let go. On the one hand, although they were from the same county, they could not bear to force each other.  On the other hand, soldiers will spare lives even if they take money.  But today¡¯s group of refugees is not only large in number, but also includes many young women, some of whom are quite pretty. Li Yuan and He Jing both want to seize money and rob women¡¯s hearts, but neither of them is willing to give in.  At this time, a soldier shouted: "The Governor is here!" He Qi led dozens of cavalry galloping over, followed by more than two thousand troops. He Jing was overjoyed and hurriedly stepped forward to salute his brother. Although Li Yuan was  Sun Ben's confidant, but He Qi was the Governor and his immediate superior. Reluctantly, Li Yuan also stepped forward and bowed, "See you, Governor He!" Of course He Qi knew that the two of them were here to plunder money. He saw these  The refugees were panic-stricken, looked pitiful, and couldn't bear it in their hearts, so they ordered: "Put down your belongings and let them go. You can also take the food with you." Li Yuan was anxious and said quickly: "But the brothers also want food!" No.  When he finished speaking, He Qi glared at him fiercely, "Without food, wouldn't these thousands of people all starve to death? How many people would starve to death on the way west? Release them!" Li Yuan actually wanted to  He wanted a woman, and food was just an excuse. When he saw that there was no hope for women, there was no hope for food. He Qi came with his troops, and he had no share of the property. He stamped his feet in hatred and said angrily: "The order of the Marquis of Wu means that the fugitives will be killed without mercy. How dare the governor dare?"  "Resist the order!" He Qi drew his sword and glared at him, "How dare you disobey my order?" "I only obey Wu Hou's orders." Before Li Yuan could finish his words, He Jing suddenly got angry and pounced on him from behind.  A knife hit Li Yuan on the back of the neck, and the head flew out. Li Yuan was beheaded on the spot. He Jing shouted, "Do it!" Drums sounded loudly, and thousands of soldiers rushed out from the woods on both sides to kill Li Yuan.  Hundreds of soldiers and fleeing refugees were in chaos, crying and rushing to the west, trampling on each other and causing countless casualties. However, He Qi was stunned. He suddenly realized that this was a trap arranged by his brother to kill Li  Original.  His heart was in chaos, and he repeatedly ordered his men: "Protect the fugitives and don't trample them again!" His soldiers focused on the fugitives, protecting them from escaping westward and preventing them from trampling on each other. He Jing was obviously well prepared, and thousands of  Hundreds of Li Yuan's soldiers were killed until corpses were scattered all over the ground. They were unable to resist. In less than a quarter of an hour, the battle was over. By this time, thousands of refugees had fled, and there were only more than a hundred trampled corpses of refugees on the road.  , the soldiers began to clean up the battlefield.  He Qi said to his brother He Jing with a sullen face: "How do you explain it to me?" He Jing sneered and said: "There is no room for two tigers in one mountain. Li Yuan wanted to murder me. When I found out, I acted first and took this opportunity to kill him."  "But he is Sun Ben's confidant. If you kill him, how can I explain to Sun Ben?" He Jing laughed, "Brother, now that things have happened, do you still regard that stupid pig as your leader? Kuaiji's people are distracted.  The army and the people were angry, and the Shanyue people even publicly stated that they no longer recognized Sun Ben. How could his brother be so pedantic and still want to be loyal to a fatuous master who everyone wanted to kill? " Although He Qi was also extremely dissatisfied with Sun Ben,  But he didn't want toThe rebel Sun Ben just wanted to cross the Qiantang River and seize Wu County as soon as possible to solve the immediate crisis. However, his brother did not leave him a way out and directly killed Sun Ben's trusted general. How could Sun Ben only blame  He Jing, and continue to trust yourself?  He Qi was helpless. He remembered that Sun Ben's debauchery and extravagance was indeed not worthy of his allegiance anymore. Helpless, He Qi had no choice but to sigh and said: "Control the military camp first to prevent the army from mutiny." He Jing was overjoyed and said quickly: "I have already  I bribed two of Li Yuan's important men to stabilize the situation for me, and I gathered the rest of Li Yuan's cronies to trap and kill them. "At this time, a soldier stepped forward and reported: "General Qi, we have counted the number of people, and there are others.  Five people slipped through the net." He Qi was shocked and made a decisive decision: "Hurry back to the military camp immediately!" That afternoon, He Jing trapped and killed more than two dozen of Li Yuan's men, and He Qi immediately took control of the 20,000-strong army.  He was determined and led his army to attack Kuaiji Mountain.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The shouts of killing at the foot of Kuaiji Mountain were loud. Twenty-five thousand troops surrounded Kuaiji Mountain and launched an attack on Kuaiji Palace on the top of the mountain from five directions at the same time. Two thousand soldiers guarding Kuaiji Palace resisted desperately. Although they had the advantage of terrain, they  There were too few troops to withstand the fierce attack of He Qi's army.  He Qi was worried that the 50,000 shi of grain stored in Kuaiji Palace would be set on fire by Sun Ben, so he ordered that Kuaiji Palace must be invaded within an hour.  The general who commanded the attack on the south road was He Jing. He led five thousand men to storm a mountain pass. Above them, there were five hundred troops attacking intensively with bows and arrows. If it were a plain, five thousand troops could engulf the opponent with a single charge, but here is  The steep hillside was difficult for five thousand men to fully press on. The other party used soil bags to build fortifications on the mountain road they had to pass through. Arrows rained down on them, making the attacking soldiers unable to lift their heads. Even their shields were pierced by heavy crossbows.  He Jing was so anxious that he summoned more than a dozen officers and shouted to them: "Whoever kills first will have Sun Ben's women and wealth as he chooses. I, He Jing, will never break my promise!"  There are brave men, and He Jing's promise aroused the strong desire of the generals. They launched waves of crazy attacks. Although the ground was littered with corpses and nearly a thousand casualties, the front line still moved forward step by step, and finally at the  Half an hour later, hundreds of fierce soldiers broke through the defenses, and thousands of soldiers swarmed forward. The defenders were desperate and surrendered one after another.  He Jing's army attacked the outside of Kuaiji Palace in one go. The garrison on the palace wall was sparse and was not very lethal to the attack. He Jing brandished his sword and shouted: "Break open the gate for me!" A hundred soldiers cut down a big tree and made a  A simple collision with the wood, with earth-shattering crashes, the door was slammed open by the huge wood, and the troops outside the palace rushed into the Kuaiji Palace like a tide. On the sky tower, Sun Ben was leaning on the railing, watching him helplessly.  The soldiers were defeated, and he looked pale as he watched He Jing lead his army into the palace. He Qi finally betrayed him. At this time, a guard rushed over and knelt down to report: "Report to the Marquis of Wu, the rebels."  We have entered the palace and are rushing to attack the gate of Tianlou. The brothers can no longer hold back. Please ask Wu Hou to make a decision!  " Sun Ben was desperate. He sighed deeply and said to the guard: "I understand, stand down!  " The guard didn't know what he meant and slowly retreated. Sun Ben was heartbroken and gritted his teeth and said: "If you want to take away my woman and treasure, just dream!  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 841 Harm to Jianye

    He Qi's army occupied the grain storage warehouse, but He Jing wanted treasures and women, which were all in the sky tower. There were also Sun Bi's last three hundred confidant guards in the sky tower. He Jing's eyes turned red, and his voice  Shouting hoarsely, he led two thousand soldiers to storm the gate of Tianlou.  At this moment, a soldier pointed to the upper floor and shouted: "General, there's a fire!" He Jing looked up and saw thick smoke billowing from the top of the sky building and flames rising into the sky. The fire started from the second floor. The fire was fierce and thick.  I could faintly hear the cries of countless women.  He Jing was stunned. At this moment, the door suddenly opened, and the guards in the building rushed out, kneeling down and surrendering. The entire hall on the first floor was shrouded in thick smoke.  "Come in and grab the woman and the treasure!" He Jing shouted anxiously.  Groups of soldiers rushed in, but retreated after a moment. The smoke filled the air and it was impossible to open their eyes. A dozen dancers living on the first floor also escaped.  He Jing was helpless and watched helplessly as the sky tower was engulfed in fire. Only half an hour later, the sky tower collapsed and was finally burned to ashes in the fire.  In the summer of the 20th year of Jian'an, Sun Ben's debauchery finally triggered a rebellion in the army. Led by the He brothers, tens of thousands of troops mutinied. In despair, Sun Ben set fire to the palace and burned himself to death.  He Qi immediately reduced the army, abolished the heavy levies and miscellaneous taxes, won over people's hearts, and proclaimed himself the prefect of Kuaiji. He sent people to Yedu to report to the emperor, expressing his willingness to surrender to the imperial court.  The mutiny in Kuaiji County had little impact on the whole world, but it was like a strong earthquake in Jiangdong. Sun Quan and Sun Shao sent people to Kuaiji to win over He Qi almost at the same time.  In the Jianye Palace, Sun Quan paced back and forth in the room upset. He endured it for several months and finally got through the difficulties with food support from the Han army. This year's summer grain harvest was good, especially Huang Gai in Qu.  Ajun's farming operations produced a bumper harvest of grain, which temporarily freed Jiangdong from the problem of insufficient military rations.  Just when Sun Quan was preparing to launch a large-scale attack on Wu County, news of an army mutiny came from Kuaiji. Sun Bi was killed, and He Qi became independent, disrupting Sun Quan's plan to invade.  Sun Quan had made an agreement with Sun Ben. He would attack Wu Jun from the north, while Sun Ben would contain Wu Jun's army from the south. Afterwards, the two families divided Wu Jun equally. But now that Sun Ben was killed, their agreement was invalidated, and there was no  Sun Ben tried to contain Wu Jun's army from the south, but Sun Quan was really not sure of victory.  Zhang Zhao, the military advisor next to him, advised: "Marquis Wu does not need to rush to attack Wu County. It is obvious that the Han army is supporting Wu County. Once our offensive is too urgent and Sun Shao asks the Han army for help, the Han army will have reason to enter Jiangdong. They will flood  The army went straight from the Yangtze River to Taihu Lake. I think this is the real reason why Liu Jing supported Wu Jun. It is easy to ask the gods to give up, but it is difficult to send the gods away. Once the Han army enters Jiangdong, Jiangdong will be annexed by the Han army sooner or later. " Bu Zhi did not agree with it.  Zhang Zhao's opinion retorted: "Although what the military advisor said is reasonable, it is not comprehensive enough. Now Liu Jing is doing his best to deal with the Xiongnu, and he has formed an alliance with Cao Cao for this. He should not have time to take care of Jiangdong now. I think this is our opportunity."  " Zhang Zhao glanced at Bu Zhi with some dissatisfaction. Because of his daughter's favor, Bu Zhi had been trusted by Sun Quan in the past six months. He was appointed as a minister by Sun Quan and was in charge of Jiangdu's finances. He held great power and spoke with great weight.  .  Although Zhang Zhao despised Bu Zhi¡¯s position as a woman, he knew that if he could not convince Sun Quan, Sun Quan would most likely follow Bu Zhi¡¯s advice.  Zhang Zhao sneered and said: "The remarks made by Bu Shi are too one-sided. It is true that the Han army is doing its best to deal with the Xiongnu, but they also have nearly 50,000 troops stationed in Lujiang County. They are commanded by the first general of the Han army, Huang Zhong, and military counselor Pang Tong.  Sitting here, do you think they are going to attack Hefei? Liu Jing has formed an alliance with Cao Cao. He will not attack Hefei again for at least a year. So why does Lujiang need to gather 50,000 troops? Obviously, this is Xiangzhuang?  Dancing swords, aiming at Pei Gong, the real goal of the Han army is Jiangdong. Not to mention that their army is coming, even if we only send 5,000 naval troops into Wujun, what can we do? " "But doesn't Wujun already have one?  Qianjingzhou navy?" Bu Zhi said unwillingly.  "There are a thousand navy troops, but are they calling themselves Han troops? They are clearly soldiers of the Lu family, okay? Because Wujun didn't invite them, they can't just make their flag public. But if we attack Wujun in a big way, Sun  If Shao is in a hurry, then the situation will definitely be different." At this time, Sun Quan sighed and said, "In the opinion of the military advisor, what should we do? Are we so helpless?" Zhang Zhao was overjoyed. Sun Quan asked this.  As he accepted his persuasion, Zhang Zhao quickly said: "We are not helpless. We can definitely use tricks to capture Wu County. From this incident in Kuaiji, I discovered the opportunity. In fact, Wu County also has the same hidden dangers as Kuaiji."  " Sun Quan thought for a while and understood what Zhang Zhao meant. "Is the military advisor talking about the conflict between Sun Shao and Sun Shao?" Zhang Zhao smiled slightly and said.To be precise, it should be the conflict between the wealthy nobles of Wu County and Sun Shao. Sun Shao is just a puppet without power, but the nobles of Wu County are not. They have enough energy to compete with Sun Shao. More importantly, the nobles of Wu County  Supporting Sun Shao and opposing Sun Shao, their contradictions are slowly accumulating, and there will always be a day when they will explode. As long as we use their contradictions to cause internal strife to break out in Wu County, then we can use the force of lightning to cover our ears and defeat them in one fell swoop.  By capturing Wu Commandery, the Han army had no time to react. In this way, we captured Wu Commandery at the minimum cost without having to launch a large-scale attack, which would have cost troops, money and food, and also cut off the Han Army's opportunity.  " Sun Quan nodded. Zhang Zhao's plan was very good. It spoke to his heart. He immediately smiled and said: "Then we will follow the strategy of the military advisor. Let's make a long-term plan. First, we will provoke internal strife in Wu County, and then use thunderbolt means to seize Wu County.  , I will leave this matter to the military advisor.  " Zhang Zhao glanced at Bu Zhi proudly, bowed and said: "I obey the order!  " Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi said goodbye and left. Sun Quan then turned around and asked a guard: "What's the matter?  " "Wang Ning said that he had something to do and wanted to see Wu Hou!  Sun Quan hesitated for a moment and said, "Take him to Shuxiang Pavilion."  " "Follow the order!  "The guards left in a hurry. "Shuxiang Pavilion is Sun Quan's library, and it is also one of Sun Quan's more secret places. It is very safe, and you don't have to worry about the walls having ears. Sun Quan usually handles private matters here. There is a secret passage from Sun Quan's official room directly to Shuxiang Pavilion.  . Sun Quan was pacing back and forth in a secret room on the third floor of Shuxiang Pavilion. There was a knock on the door, and Wang Ning, a close guard general, was brought in. Wang Ning was nominally a captain of the Jianner Defense Force.  In fact, he is the leader of Sun Quan's secret investigation agency "Eagle Beak", which was established after Sun Ben's first failed rebellion. It specializes in surveillance, assassination and other secret affairs. Wang Ning is also Sun Quan's most trusted confidant. Liu Jing visited him at the time.  Jianye was led by Wang Ning who was responsible for protecting Liu Jing, but was actually monitoring Liu Jing. Wang Ning entered the room and knelt down on one knee, "See Wu Hou!"  " Sun Quan winked at the guard, who closed the door and retreated downstairs. Only Sun Quan and Wang Ning were left in the entire Shuxiang Pavilion. At this time, Sun Quan asked lightly: "How is she now?  " "Reporting to Marquis Wu, Qiao Xuan went to Jingzhou, but she did not leave. She still lived in Qiao's mansion, with only a few servants serving her.  Sun Quan didn¡¯t say anything for a while. The ¡®she¡¯ they were referring to was Da Qiao. Sun Quan was also an extremely lustful person. How could he not be tempted by a world-famous beauty without a master like Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao?  Although Da Qiao is nominally his widowed sister-in-law, in fact Da Qiao is also a concubine. She is not Sun Ce's first wife, but Sun Ce's first wife Gu died young, and Gu's son Sun Shao was raised by Da Qiao, so  Everyone in Jiangdong regards Da Qiao as Mrs. Bo Fu.  It was precisely because Da Qiao was a concubine that Sun Quan secretly targeted her. However, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao had special status and were protected by Mrs. Wu. He had not dared to act rashly, for fear of arousing the indignation of the Jiangdong military if he got involved.  damage his reputation.  But since the last time Cao Cao tried to take in the sisters Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, the Jiangdong military did not arouse public outrage and were even very calm. Only then did Sun Quan realize that the military had looked down on the sisters, especially Lu Meng, who had publicly expressed his desire to marry her.  Xiao Qiao is the stepmother.  Sun Quan began to have ideas, but he was still a step too late. Xiao Qiao, whom he was most likely to succeed, had followed Liu Jing to Bashu, which made Sun Quan deeply regretful.  Although Da Qiao is still in Jiangdong, Da Qiao is his widowed sister-in-law and he cannot marry her. The only way is to let her live in his harem and block the news, so that she becomes his forbidden wife.  Da Qiao originally lived in Changqian Palace of Mrs. Wu. After Mrs. Wu passed away, Sun Quan closed Changqian Palace on the pretext of saving internal expenses.  At the same time, he asked Da Qiao to move to Jianye Palace. Sun Quan was sure that Da Qiao had nowhere to go, so he could only obey his arrangement.  Unexpectedly, Da Qiao moved back to his father's house, which made Sun Quan both disappointed and angry. However, Da Qiao was his widowed sister-in-law, and he did not dare to force her to do anything.  Sun Quan thought for a moment and said to Wang Ning: "We have to find a way to force her out. We can't let her live in Qiao's house. Do you understand what I mean?" Wang Ning saluted and said: "In a humble position, you can order someone to pretend to be a thief to scare her.  Marquis Wu can take her back to the palace. " Sun Quan nodded, "Go ahead! Be careful." Wang Ning bowed and slowly stepped back. Sun Quan walked to the window with his hands behind his hands and stared out at Jianye Palace.  It has always been his dream to hold the most power in the world and enjoy the beauty of the world. Now that his desire for power has suffered a setback, he has begun to indulge another desire of his.  ¡®If I can¡¯t even get a Jiangdong woman, how can I be called a woman?Hou!  ¡¯ Sun Quan said to himself coldly.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 842 Burglars break into the house

    Qiao Xuan left Jianye because of Xiao Qiao's affairs, but Da Qiao did not follow. She did not miss Jiangdong. Mrs. Wu passed away, and the last person she cared about also disappeared. She no longer had any memories of Jianye.  Her only daughter also died of illness a few years ago, and she had the idea of ??becoming a monk.  Although she and Liu Jing already have a relationship, and she really likes Liu Jing in her heart, she would be just as happy if Liu Jing married her sister. At least the sisters would not have to end up alone.  And Da Qiao knew very well that even if Liu Jing wanted to marry her, she would not be able to remarry like her sister. More than ten years of widowhood had already made her accustomed to a peaceful life alone. She did not want to change, nor did she want to  If anyone comes to break her peaceful life, she would rather convert to Buddhism.  At dusk, Da Qiao sat alone in front of the window and meditated. This was what she had to do every day, to get rid of distracting thoughts and be indifferent to her aspirations. Especially when her relationship with Liu Jing broke her peaceful state of mind for many years, she needed time.  The secular thoughts caused by this relationship were completely eliminated, so that she would no longer be disturbed by her mortal years.  The sun was about to set, and the afterglow shone on her face. Her beautiful and elegant face seemed to be smeared with a layer of gold, making her look more dignified and peaceful. At this time, the maid Ying'er came in with tea. She did not dare to disturb the lady's meditation.  Putting down the tea and a greeting card, he prepared to quietly exit the room.  At this time, Da Qiao had woken up from her quiet thoughts. She looked back at Ying'er and saw that she seemed to have something to say, so she asked, "What's the matter?" "Madam, there is a guest who wants to visit you. Send it to you."  "A greeting card." Da Qiao saw the greeting card on the small table. She picked it up and looked at it. It was signed by a person named Zhong Xue. The name should be a woman, but she had never heard of this name. She asked again.  "What does this person want to do?" "The visitor said that she came from Bashu and was ordered to visit Madam." Da Qiao's heart moved and asked, "Where is the guest?" "Reporting to Madam, it is in the guest room outside.  I've been waiting for a while." Da Qiao stood up and said, "Take me to see her." From the two keywords "Ba Shu" and "order", Da Qiao vaguely felt that this person might be related to Liu Jing.  When I came to the living room, I saw a tall man-like woman in white sitting in the hall, drinking tea calmly.  The woman in white seemed to be very perceptive and heard the noise. When she turned around, she saw the maid just walking with a young lady. She immediately realized that this was Da Qiao.  The woman in white quickly stood up and saluted, "Mrs. Zhong Xue!" Da Qiao looked at her figure from behind and thought she was a man. But when he looked closer from the front, he saw that she was indeed a young woman. She was about 20 years old and good-looking.  Her eyebrows were full of heroic spirit, and she could tell that she was not married yet, so she smiled slightly and asked: "Is Miss Zhong from Bashu?" Zhong Xue said quickly: "To be precise, I came from Chang'an to serve as the King of Han Dynasty.  I ordered you to come and see Madam." Da Qiao nodded. It was indeed related to Liu Jing. She waved her hand and said, "Please sit down!" The two of them sat down separately. Da Qiao smiled and asked, "When will Miss Zhong arrive?  "I just arrived in Jianye in the afternoon. It's really hard for you to come see me." Zhong Xue smiled and said, "I am actually the female guard leader of the Han Dynasty. I am responsible for protecting the family members."  "This time the King of Han ordered me to come to Jianye to protect my wife when she goes to Chang'an." "Going to Chang'an?"  * Da Qiao laughed lightly, "Does the King of Han think I will go to Chang'an?" Zhong Xue was stunned. Listening to Mrs. Qiao's tone, she seemed unwilling to go to Chang'an. After a while, she said: "Your Highness is considering the safety of my wife.  It¡¯s safer to go to Chang¡¯an.¡± Da Qiao shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m safe here. Please tell His Highness, Thank you for your concern, but I don¡¯t plan to go to Chang¡¯an.¡± ¡°Madam, please think about it again.¡±  Seeing her pleading face, Da Qiao couldn't bear to refuse her, so he smiled and said: "Okay! I will think about it again." Zhong Xue was overjoyed, stood up and saluted: "I won't disturb Madam's rest, I will wait for Madam.  Good news, if Madam comes to see me, just go to the Qianli Hotel in the east of the city." Da Qiao smiled and said nothing, and kept looking at Ying'er to send her out. Then she shook her head. She couldn't see Liu Jing again. She couldn't see Liu Jing again.  , her indifferent mood that she had finally recovered was ruined. At the first watch, Moling County was dark, every household had gone to bed, the streets were deserted, and not a single person could be seen. At this time, two black figures quietly walked from an alley.  Coming out, they moved quickly, climbed up the big tree, and jumped into the wall of Qiao Mansion.  Da Qiao lived in the east wing of the back house. Qiao Xuan went to Chang'an. Da Qiao was the only one in the whole back house.There are two maids living there, and there are also several elderly servants living in the outer house. The east wing has two rooms, inside and outside. Da Qiao sleeps in the inner room, and in the outer room is her personal maid Ying'er, and there is another  The maid Die'er lives in the west wing.  Da Qiao had just fallen asleep and was not very deep in sleep. She felt a rustling sound in the outer room, but she couldn't open her eyes. It seemed that someone had come in. Suddenly, a shrill scream woke her up suddenly, and she realized  There was a dark figure standing in front of her, so close to her. She screamed in fright, sat up suddenly, and hugged the quilt tightly.  The black shadow turned and ran out of the outer room, moving as fast as a gust of wind passing by in front of her eyes. Da Qiao was terrified, and her heart was beating wildly. After a moment, the house became quiet, and she shouted in a low voice: "Ying'er! Ying'er!  "It was dark outside, and there was no movement. Da Qiao suddenly remembered that the screams seemed to come from the outer room. She was even more frightened, and shouted again: "Die'er! Are you there?"  There was a light coming, and the maid Die'er was heard asking tremblingly outside the door: "Madam, are you okay?" When Da Qiao heard the maid's voice, the fear in his heart finally eased a little, and he quickly said: "I'm okay, look quickly  "Look at Ying'er." The door to the outer room was open, and Die'er shivered into the house holding an oil lamp. At this time, Da Qiao also stood up and walked towards the outer room. Die'er suddenly screamed in fright, holding the oil lamp in his hand.  When the oil lamp went out, Da Qiao also saw the maid Ying'er lying on the ground, naked and with blood all over her neck. Da Qiao's eyesight went dark and he fainted immediately.  But soon she woke up, Die'er helped her up, and the two hugged each other, trembling all over. Da Qiao was even more frightened. The man in black was standing in front of him, wearing only one shirt.  Extremely thin underwear, does he want to do something evil to himself?  At this moment, there was a rapid knock on the door, and someone shouted outside, "Madam! Madam!" "Bang!" With a loud bang, the door was knocked open, followed by countless footsteps.  There was a clicking sound, "Madam, it sounds like the sound of a soldier's boots." Die'er whispered nervously.  Da Qiao hurried back to the house, put on her outer clothes, and went to the yard with Die'er. When passing by the outhouse, she didn't dare to look at Ying'er's miserable state.  As soon as they arrived in the yard, a large group of soldiers rushed in, led by an officer. Da Qiao knew him. He was Wang Ning, the captain of the Internal Defense Military Academy. He was responsible for the security of Jianye City and occasionally came to Moling County. Wang Ning stepped forward and saluted:  "Your humble position, Madam?" Da Qiao pointed to the room and said in a trembling voice: "General Wang, go take a look. Something happened just now." Wang Ning waved his hand, and several soldiers entered the room holding torches. After a while, a  A soldier came out and whispered something to Wang Ning. Although his voice was very low, Da Qiao still heard two words, 'Rape and murder!  ¡¯ There was a sadness in her heart, and tears rolled down from her eyes. Ying¡¯er had followed her since she was a child, and it had been almost ten years, but she ended up with such a tragic end.  At this time, more than a dozen soldiers tied the hands of four old servants living in the outer house and brought them in. Da Qiao was shocked and said quickly: "General Wang, it cannot be them, please let them go." Wang Ning smiled bitterly.  He said, "I know it wasn't them!" He waved his hand and said, "Let them go." Da Qiao finally came to his senses. There had just been a murder case, and Wang Ning had arrived with his army. What was going on?  Da Qiao became confused.  Wang Ning seemed to know her regret and sighed: "I led my army to patrol the county town at night. I just heard a watchman report that I saw two black figures climbing over the wall and entering Qiao's house. I was worried that my wife had done something wrong, so I hurriedly  He rushed over in a hurry, but he was still a step too late. He frightened the lady. It was a derogatory fault of his position!" After saying that, he knelt down and kowtowed to Da Qiao to apologize. Da Qiao waved his hand and said softly: "General, please stand up.  Don¡¯t blame the general. The general arrived just in time. I wonder if the two thieves were caught? " "Madam Qi, I was a little late and couldn¡¯t stop the two thieves. But don¡¯t worry, madam, I have sent soldiers to chase them.  I promise to catch them!" Wang Ning looked around the house again, shook his head and said, "Madam, it's too unsafe here. A little thief can sneak in. Madam has a noble status and cannot live here anymore. Please come back to the palace.  , the palace guards should protect the wife's safety." Da Qiao was startled, she thought for a moment, shook her head and said: "I have lived here for several months, the neighborhood is harmonious, and no thieves have ever come here. Tonight is just an accident.  , I think there is no need to go to Jianye Palace for the time being. " " Actually, Da Qiao still had one thing he didn't say, that is, since he knew that she was of noble status, why wasn't he afraid that a few guards were patrolling around the house and actually let the thieves sneak into the house?  Killing her personal maid, this is what Wang Ning should do, instead of persuading her to go to Jianye Palace, where Sun Quan and his wives and concubines live. What does it have to do with her?  But Da QiaoNot wanting to trouble others or being too special, she did not say these words, but simply rejected Wang Ning's persuasion. Wang Ning was also a little anxious. Today is the best opportunity. If she can't persuade Da Qiao anymore,  Then Da Qiao will never return to Jianye Palace again. How will he explain to Marquis Wu tomorrow?  Wang Ning was anxious and advised: "The target of the evil thief must be Madam. If they don't succeed tonight, they will definitely not be willing to give in. They will definitely look for opportunities to come again. What will Madam do then? It is better to ask Madam to go to the palace with me first."  Stay away for now and come back when it's safe. " Da Qiao is a very smart person. She feels that Wang Ning is not enthusiastic about catching the evil thief. He has not even entered the house to check, and he insists that the evil thief is a gangster.  She came here just to try her best to persuade him to go to Jianye Palace, which made Da Qiao feel a little suspicious.  She said calmly: "The general told me just now that he had sent soldiers to chase the evil thief, and he promised that he would be caught. But now why do you say that the evil thief will come back? And the officers and soldiers have already been here. The general thinks that two  Will the evil thieves be so bold?" Wang Ning was stunned for a moment. He realized that he had made a mistake and his words were contradictory. He was a little flustered and quickly explained: "I'm just worried that the soldiers can't catch up with them.  , I was just comforting Madam, actually I am not sure at all." Da Qiao nodded, "Let's wait until the chasing soldiers come back!" After a moment, an officer hurriedly walked in, bowed and saluted: "General Qi.  "The brothers failed to catch up with the two thieves in black, and they ran away." "Thieves in black?" Da Qiao asked doubtfully, "Did the watchman see them?"  We didn¡¯t see it, but only after hearing the watchman¡¯s description, we knew it was the man in black. ¡°The officer emphasized the man in black and said he had never seen it before, which made Da Qiao even more suspicious. How could it be possible if he had clearly not seen it with his own eyes.  Speaking for sure, besides, it is now the first watch and the city gate has long been closed. No matter how fast the two thieves run, they cannot escape through the city. They must still be in the city. How can they not catch up?  More importantly, Wang Ning arrived too quickly. Before they could wake up from the fright, they burst into the door. In this case, they should be able to stop the two thieves, and they must have seen the thieves.  There was a direction to pursue, otherwise, how would they know that the evil thief had escaped instead of hiding in the mansion?  But now they say they didn't see the evil thief. Isn't this contradictory?  Da Qiao became suspicious and asked quietly: "Since the watchman saw the evil thief, can you let me ask the watchman? I know the watchman here, his name is Zhang Laoshi, and I want to ask him clearly.  Can General Wang bring him? " Where is Wang Ning's watchman? It was a lie he made up casually. He was patrolling nearby. When his confidants reported that the man in black was coming, he immediately led his troops and came with him.  The watchman has nothing to do with it.  But if the watchman hadn¡¯t discovered it, Wang Ning couldn¡¯t explain why he showed up in time, so the watchman¡¯s report would be reasonable. He thought that everything was perfect, but he didn¡¯t expect Da Qiao to actually want to see the watchman?  It hit him right away.  He was suddenly flustered and couldn't explain what was happening. He suddenly turned around and sternly ordered the people around him: "Go and bring Zhang Laoshi, the watchman, up. Go quickly!" Several confidants were at a loss in their eyes, telling them where to look.  ?  At this time, a confidant reminded him carefully: "General, didn't you say that Zhang Laoshi should go home first? But none of the brothers know where his home is!" Wang Ning quickly followed the words of his confidant and told the general  Qiao smiled and said, "Look, I'm confused. I asked Zhang Laoshi to go back first, but I don't know where he is? I will go find him early tomorrow morning. I must give an explanation to Madam, or should I ask Madam to come back to the palace with me first to ensure that Madam  "Safety." Da Qiao sneered in his heart and let the watchman go home. He also wanted to arrest several of his old servants. They would let go of the only witness?  How dare you say that you can't find his home, it's so ridiculous.  More importantly, she didn't know the watchman's name at all, nor had she ever seen him. She just made up the name Zhang Laoshi casually, and they actually called the watchman Zhang Laoshi. This shows that they lied a lot and there was no such thing as a watchman.  Found the man in black.  Now Da Qiao was sure that these two evil thieves in black must be related to Wang Ning. When she thought about Wang Ning urging her to go to Jianye Palace, Da Qiao suddenly understood everything, and she felt extremely resentful.  The dignified Marquis Wu actually resorted to such despicable means in order to get himself, and even killed his personal maid in the most despicable way, just to scare him into going to his harem.  Of course Da Qiao knew that once he entered the Jianye Palace, she would never be able to stand out again and became Sun Quan's plaything from then on. Da Qiao was smart and intelligent, but she was afraid that Sun Quan would fail to intimidate her, so she would use force to kidnap her to Jianye Palace.  , and no one knows, just now Wang Ning said the evil thiefIf he comes again, they will probably use this more despicable method to kidnap him quietly.  Thinking of the serious consequences, Da Qiao's thoughts changed sharply and he said: "Okay! I will listen to General Wang's advice and go to Jianye Palace for temporary refuge. However, I will go after dawn. Going to Jianye Palace in the middle of the night will make people  If you see it, there will be gossip, which will be detrimental to Wu Hou¡¯s reputation. Let¡¯s talk about it after dawn tomorrow!¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 843 Rescue people overnight

    Wang Ning saw that Da Qiao refused to go back with him immediately and had to wait until dawn. He had nothing to do. If he was too forced, he might make things worse. Wang Ning laughed twice and said, "If Madam wants to wait until dawn, that's fine too."  , Let's do this! I will send a few capable men to protect the safety of the wife. After dawn, I will come back to take the wife back to the palace. " Wang Ning then ordered a few close soldiers to stay to protect Da Qiao. Of course, the name is protection, but it is actually surveillance and prevention.  Da Qiao escaped. Although Wang Ning had the intention to kidnap Da Qiao, there were too many people around and many neighbors came to watch the fun, so he could not take action and had to wait until midnight to wait for an opportunity to act.  He couldn't really wait until dawn. Wang Ning felt that Da Qiao was already suspicious. Her so-called waiting until dawn was just delaying. In order to prevent another accident, he had to get it done tonight. Otherwise, he would not be able to tell Wu  Hou explained.  Wang Ning waved his hand, and a large group of soldiers followed him out of Qiao's Mansion. He left behind five or six confidants, hiding in various places in the yard. Ying'er's body was also moved away. Da Qiao did not dare to stay in the east wing anymore with his maid Die.  The son hid in the west wing.  Da Qiao was very upset. She had realized that the danger was coming, but there was nothing she could do. She sat by the bed and stared blankly at the dark night sky outside the window. At this time, she suddenly thought of something, stood up and said to the maid beside her:  "Die'er, come here!" The maid Die'er stepped forward and saluted, "Ma'am, please give me your orders!" Da Qiao whispered to her: "Go to Qianli Hotel in the east of the city and find a man named Zhong Xue.  The woman who came to see me, please tell me that I will be in danger tonight. See if she can come and save me." The maid repeated the story before leaving the west wing and walking to the outer courtyard. Da Qiao hid behind the door.  Worriedly looking at the situation in the yard through the crack in the door, she felt relieved when she saw that the soldiers in the yard did not stop the maid. But not long after, she saw Die'er back again, which shocked her slightly.  Soon, Die'er returned to the room, shook her head and said, "Madam, there are several soldiers standing outside the gate and I am not allowed to go out. They said that General Wang has an order that no one is allowed in or out." Da Qiao was speechless for a long time.  , Wang Ning not only sent people to monitor them in the yard, but also blocked the door. What should I do?  Da Qiao was upset and paced back and forth in the room. She thought hard about countermeasures and thought of several countermeasures, but she felt that none of them were reliable. After a long time, she sighed softly.  At this moment, there was a ¡®click¡¯ from the window!  ¡¯ There was a sound, Da Qiao looked up, and saw the window opened, and a man in black quickly got in. She was startled, and was about to shout, the man in black, ¡®Shh!  "Madam, it's me!" It was a woman's voice. Da Qiao recognized the voice. It was Zhong Xue who came to see her in the evening. She was surprised and happy, and hurriedly greeted her: "Miss Zhong, you  "Why are you here?" "I found many soldiers on the street. I was worried, so I came to see Madam, and found that there were many soldiers watching outside. Madam, what happened?" Da Qiao sighed and asked about tonight.  He told Zhong Xue what happened, and finally said: "Marquis Wu will not let me go. I don't think they will wait until dawn. They will probably take me away by force before dawn. Miss Zhong, can you help me leave?"  " Zhong Xue thought for a while and said: "I just climbed over the wall from the neighbor's house, but there were no soldiers watching over there. We should go to the neighbor's house first, and then go out from the northwest corner. There is a small river close to the wall. My little river.  The boat stopped in the river. Madam can leave with me, but she can only go with me. " Zhong Xue glanced at the maid, which meant that she had to stay. Da Qiao was confused and asked: "Why can't we go together.  "I found someone watching in the yard. If there is no movement in the room, they will definitely be suspicious. It is better to leave one person to confuse them, and the lady can leave calmly." Da Qiao thought about it and said to the maid.  Die'er, you stay and walk around the room to talk. They won't make things difficult for you. When I stabilize, I will send someone to pick you up." The maid agreed, and they took action immediately. Da Qiao also changed into black clothes.  Zhong Xue was tall and as strong as a man. She carried Da Qiao on her back, jumped out of the window, entered the back garden, and quickly ran towards the northwest corner wall.  In the room, the maid Die'er kept walking in front of the window and spoke to comfort Da Qiao who no longer existed. "Madam, don't be afraid. There are so many sergeants guarding outside. I believe the evil thieves will not come again." Several soldiers in the yard looked at  Seeing the figure shaking on the window screen and hearing the conversation in the room, they had no doubts and were still patiently waiting for Wang Ning to come back. Dozens of soldiers outside the gate were also patrolling back and forth, not allowing anyone to approach or  People leave.  The time gradually reached the fourth watch, when a large carriage came quickly. The carriage was tightly covered inside and outside, followed by more than a dozen cavalry on both sides, and stopped in front of the gate of Qiao Mansion.The door opened, and a person walked out of the carriage. It was Wang Ning. He asked coldly: "Is something happening?"  There is nothing unusual at the moment. " Wang Ning nodded, waved his hand, and walked quickly into the Qiao Mansion with a dozen of his trusted soldiers. It was now a time when people were sleeping soundly. There was no one on the street except his trusted soldiers.  Besides, wouldn't anyone know what happened?  Wang Ning made a promise to Sun Quan that he would bring Da Qiao back to Jianye Palace before dawn. Now there was still an hour before dawn, and Da Qiao refused to leave. He had no choice but to kidnap Da Qiao secretly and take him away.  Wang Ning walked quickly into the courtyard, walking like wind. It was the darkest time of night, but the light from the west wing shone through the window screen into the courtyard, and he could see the surrounding situation. Five soldiers were guarding the four corners.  "Where are the other two?" Wang Ning asked.  "The other two brothers are guarding the back of the house." Wang Ning nodded and glanced inside the house, "How is she?" "There are voices inside, there should be no rest." At this moment, two soldiers stumbled from the side.  He ran towards the door, "General, we were knocked unconscious!" Wang Ning was shocked. He stepped forward, kicked open the door, and rushed in. He saw only the maid in the room, hiding in panic.  In the corner, Wang Ning rushed into the back room again, but Da Qiao was nowhere to be seen.  Wang Ning was furious, turned around a few steps, grabbed the maid's hair, and asked fiercely: "Tell me, where is Madam?" The maid was so frightened that she pointed to the window, and Wang Ning realized that the window was ajar.  , he stepped forward and opened the window, only to see a small garden behind, covering an area of ??only about an acre. The two soldiers who had just been knocked unconscious were watching in the back garden. Outside was a high courtyard wall, along the  There is a row of trees planted on the courtyard wall, all with lush branches. It is indeed possible to climb the trees and climb over the courtyard wall. However, there are also soldiers patrolling outside the wall. How could they not be discovered?  Wang Ning looked carefully to both sides and discovered that there was a neighbor outside a wall in the northwest corner. Naturally, there were no soldiers monitoring and patrolling outside the neighbor's house. He remembered that it was close to the river. Wang Ning immediately realized it and felt extremely hateful.  Turning around, he grabbed the maid, put the sharp dagger against her throat, and shouted angrily: "Tell me the truth, otherwise I will feed you to wild dogs!" The maid was so frightened that she collapsed, and after a while she sobbed: "A woman in black took Mrs.  "Take her away, I don't know who it is?" Wang Ning pinched her neck and used a little force with his fingers. The maid almost fainted. Wang Ning stared at the maid's eyes and asked word by word: "When did you take her away?"  Where does the woman in black live? Tell me quickly, or I will strangle you to death!" A quarter of an hour later, more than a thousand Jiangdong soldiers rushed over and surrounded the Qianli Hotel in the east of the city. Dozens of soldiers kicked the hotel open.  He opened the door and rushed in like a wolf. When Wang Ning arrived, there were more than 20 people kneeling in the yard, including the shopkeeper and three waiters, and the rest were residents. They covered their heads with their hands, all scared.  trembling.  A soldier came forward to report: "General Qi, a thorough search has been carried out. Everyone is here." Wang Ning's fierce eyes swept around the people in the courtyard, and his eyes fell on the two women at the back.  He quickly stepped forward and grabbed the hair of the two women. Amidst the screams of the two women, he could see their faces clearly. They were all rough country girls, not Da Qiao. He was so angry that he shook them away.  He walked to the shopkeeper again. The shopkeeper was trembling with fear. A close soldier next to him said: "General, I have already asked the humble officer. He said that a woman did come to stay yesterday afternoon, but she disappeared last night and was never seen again."  "Wang Ning couldn't believe it. He suspected that this inn was a secret intelligence point of the Han army. He waved his hand and said, "Take everyone back and interrogate them carefully. In addition, search every corner of this inn.  "We can't let him go." Wang Ning turned to leave, but hesitated. He felt that there was no point in continuing the investigation, and then ordered a tooth general: "You take five hundred brothers and divide them into ten teams before the city gate is opened.  , carefully search every hotel, brothel and tavern in the county, saying that they are looking for assassins. If there are suspicious persons, they will be arrested immediately. " "Follow the order!" General Ya led five hundred soldiers to search everywhere, and Wang Ning hurried there.  After entering the city gate, he wanted to persuade the generals guarding the city gate to delay the opening of the gate, especially the water gate, and to conduct strict inspections. In a tavern not far from Qianli Hostel, the lights were dim in a room on the fourth floor, and there were hanging hangings on the windows.  Thick curtains blocked the light completely. In the room, Zhong Xue was putting on makeup for Da Qiao. It is not easy for a woman to make up to be pretty, but it is easy to become ugly. Her hair was dyed gray, wrinkles were drawn on the corners of her eyes, and her skin was slightly  Black, slightly thick eyebrows, flat nose, pale and colorless lips, hands covered with dry dye, looks very rough, and then wears it.Dressed in a crude servant's clothes, when Da Qiao stood up, she looked like a rough old woman. Her former grace and grace were gone, and there was no trace of Da Qiao anymore.  Zhong Xue nodded with satisfaction. Even if Da Qiao's father came, he might not be able to recognize his daughter, let alone the searching soldiers. As for herself, she was tall, with strong hands and sharp edges. She dressed up as  A man, equally flawless.  At this time, there was a knock on the door, and someone asked outside: "Miss Zhong, can I come in?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 844 Sun Quan is assassinated

    The Han army's intelligence center in Jianye was originally located in Xi's Tavern. Because Xi's Tavern performed well during Liu Jing's visit to Jiangdong, which aroused Jiangdong's suspicion, the Han army's intelligence center quickly abandoned Xi's Tavern and moved to this place.  In the Sanwu Tavern near the east gate, the Sanwu Tavern was originally opened by a Wu County businessman. Because the location was not good and the business was slow, it was bought by the Han army and continued to maintain the light business.  The owner of the tavern, whose surname is Liang, is the deputy leader of the Han army's intelligence center in Jiangdong. He is from Qu'a, Jiangdong. He is about forty years old. He looks honest, honest, and a little dull, but this is just the surface. In fact, this man is extremely shrewd.  He was as careful as his hair. It was he who suggested Zhong Xue stay at Qianli Hotel. Even if Da Qiao accidentally leaked it, it would have no impact.  Zhong Xue stepped forward and opened the door. Shopkeeper Liang saluted and said: "Just now, the man came to report that thousands of Jiangdong soldiers surrounded Qianli Hotel." Zhong Xue nodded. She just heard Da Qiao say that Da Qiao asked his maid to go to Qianli Hotel.  It was not surprising that Jiang Dongjun finally found out about the Qianli Hotel after failing to deliver the letter to himself. Thanks to shopkeeper Liang's shrewdness, he did not let himself stay in the Sanwu Tavern, otherwise something big would have happened.  Shopkeeper Liang added: "It is estimated that if Jiang Dongjun can't find anyone in Qianli Hotel, he will search all over the city and find us soon. We have a private house. Why don't Miss Zhong and Madam go hide in the private house."  "Won't they search private houses?" "Probably not. I believe they don't want to cause a fuss like this, and they don't have enough time. The city gate will be opened in another hour. Besides, the private houses I mentioned are inhabited.  The local family is our secret agent. I believe they will cope with it. " "Then can we leave the city by boat tomorrow?" Da Qiao asked from the side.  Shopkeeper Liang glanced at her secretly and was greatly disappointed to see that the world-famous Da Qiao had turned into a rough old woman. He replied respectfully: "In reply to Madam, if they have found out that you are rowing away from Qiao tonight,  Mansion, then the most stringent search tomorrow will be Watergate. Even if you put on makeup, I'm afraid you won't be able to get out. I suggest you wait a few more days for the storm to subside a little, and then I will find a way to send you out of the city. The safest place now is to hide in  "In a private house." Zhong Xue and Da Qiao no longer insisted. They knew that shopkeeper Liang was extremely shrewd and understood the situation, so his arrangement must be the safest way.  At this moment, there was a faint knock on the door downstairs, and the three of them became nervous. Soon, a clerk rushed up to report, "Shopkeeper, the officers and soldiers are here to search." By this time, Shopkeeper Liang had already packed up in a hurry.  When he entered the room, he didn't expect Jiangdong soldiers to arrive so quickly. He suddenly felt extremely nervous. He blew out the lights and said to the waiter: "Take them out of the back door quickly and go to the Fifth Master's house in the alley opposite for temporary shelter."  "Shopkeeper Liang, are there any soldiers ambushing you at the back door?" Zhong Xue reminded.  Shopkeeper Liang smiled and said: "There is a dead end outside the back door. The soldiers can't get in, but we can enter the She Shen Temple and leave from there. The She Shen Temple and Miao Zhu are also our people. I know it in my heart. There will be no problem.  "After Shopkeeper Liang finished speaking, he hurried downstairs, and his voice was faintly heard, "Here it is, who is it?" Zhong Xue and Da Qiao followed the waiter down the other stairs and passed through the backyard of the tavern.  Left through the back door.  Dozens of soldiers had already entered the front hall of the tavern, led by a village commander. The soldiers held torches and illuminated the hall brightly. Shopkeeper Liang was so frightened that he waved his hands and said: "Fearful military lords, the shop is full of wood. Don't worry."  It's burning!" The village chief ignored him and asked fiercely: "Is there a woman in the store?" Shopkeeper Liang was stunned for a while, and then whispered: "I am over forty years old, and my appearance is declining.  People are willing to give some money to honor the officer." The commander did not explain, and waved his hand, "Search for me!" The soldiers rushed into the tavern, and only the commander and shopkeeper Liang were left in the lobby. The commander seemed to be smiling but not smiling.  Looking at him with disbelief, shopkeeper Liang pretended to be suddenly enlightened, took out a small cloth bag from his arms and stuffed it into the village chief, "Here are Han gold coins, a hot commodity, I hope the military master will accept it!"  He took the small bag unceremoniously, took out a few coins and looked at them. Sure enough, it was new money from the Han Dynasty. It was very popular in Jiangdong. The official regulations stipulated that ten gold coins could be exchanged for one pound of red gold. But on the black market, eight gold coins could be exchanged.  It can be exchanged for a pound of red gold. He weighed the weight and estimated that there were thirty or forty pieces. The commander suddenly smiled and shouted: "Everyone come back!" After a while, the soldiers came back one after another, and the commander shouted to them:  "There are no assassins here, let's hurry up and go to the next one!" He led the soldiers out of the tavern and walked away. Shopkeeper Liang closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, he knew that Jiangdong Army had become increasingly corrupt in the past two years and had already  Without the strict military discipline of the past, especially middle- and lower-level officers, they would seize every opportunity to make money. What they like most is?Search and you can take the opportunity to extort money. As long as there is a bribe, most people will not take the task seriously. This has happened many times.  But Shopkeeper Liang didn¡¯t dare to take risks. If a serious officer came in, or if Wang Ning searched in person, it would be troublesome, so he erred on the side of caution and sent the two of them away.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  It was already dawn, and Mao hour was approaching. In the living room of Jianye Palace, Sun Quan listened to Wang Ning's report with a dark face. Finally, he couldn't help but feel angry in his heart, and slammed the table, "You bastard, what are you doing?  "Wang Ning was so frightened that he knelt down, lowered his head and explained: "My humble duty was to follow Wu Hou's instructions not to make the matter a big deal, so I didn't dare to take action directly at the time, and waited until the fourth update. I didn't expect to wait for him.  After saying that, Sun Quan sneered repeatedly, "So, it's my responsibility, isn't it?" "I have no intention of doing this!" Wang Ning muttered with his lips: "I have thought carefully about it. If it weren't for the woman in black,  If she appears, there will be no accidents. I suspect that she is either sent by Wu Jun or a spy of the Han Army. " "Stop talking!" Sun Quan interrupted him impatiently and took a few steps with his hands behind his back.  He said with a face: "No matter what, we must find someone. We are not allowed to open the city gate. Search the whole county for me, door to door. In addition, we will pay a heavy sum of money for the arrest of the woman in black. We must catch them within today!"  "But what excuse is better for a humble position? If Mrs. Qiao is involved, I'm afraid there will be some discussion, which will be detrimental to Wu Hou." Sun Quan raised his head and thought for a while, then said coldly: "Just say that an assassin was found in Jianye Palace last night.  There are assassins who want to harm me." "I understand." Sun Quan took out another gold medal and handed it to him, "Assemble five thousand troops and search the whole city for me. The gates can be opened, but you are only allowed to enter, not to leave!"  Wang Ning took the gold medal, bowed and hurriedly left. Sun Quan walked to the window with his hands behind his hands, staring out the window with evil eyes, and slowly clenched his fists. No one could take away the woman he wanted.  At this time, Sun Quan's favorite concubine Bu Yan walked into the room with a bowl of white fungus and bird's nest soup. Bu Yan was the daughter of Bu Zhao and a well-known trainer. She had been following Sun Quan for many years and was not valued by Sun Quan before. But in the past two years, Sun Quan  After repeated setbacks, Mrs. Xie was not considerate enough and caused repeated troubles in the palace, which made Sun Quan even more upset. However, Bu Yan was considerate and comforted Sun Quan in a timely manner. She gradually gained Sun Quan's favor and showed signs of replacing Mrs. Xie.  Mrs. Bu put the jade bowl on the table, walked slowly to Sun Quan, and asked with a soft smile: "Wu Hou seems a little worried?" Sun Quan sighed and said: "There are national troubles outside, and family troubles inside.  "How can I not be annoyed?" "The family is uneasy?" Mrs. Bu was slightly startled, and she asked tentatively: "Does Wu Hou mean Wu Jun?" "It has nothing to do with Wu Jun."  Mrs. Bu was silent for a moment. She bit her lip gently and whispered: "There is a rumor in the palace recently. I wonder if Marquis Wu has heard about it?" "What news?" Sun Quan turned around and asked.  "It's about Mrs. Qiao." Sun Quan narrowed his eyes, stared at Mrs. Bu with a sharp gaze, and asked coldly: "Tell me more specifically, what kind of news is it?" Mrs. Bu lowered her head, not daring to look directly at Sun Quan.  Two years ago, news came out in the palace that Marquis Wu wanted to marry the Qiao sisters. Mrs. Bu didn't believe it at first, but then she found out that the news came from Mrs. Xie, so she began to believe it. The question of marrying Xiao Qiao  Not big, but marrying Da Qiao will be criticized. Although Da Qiao is not the official wife, she has the status of uncle and sister-in-law after all, and if word spreads, she will be looked down upon by the nobles.  But this was just a rumor after all and had not become a reality, so Mrs. Bu did not mention it. However, since Mrs. Wu passed away, Marquis Wu closed Changqian Palace and asked Da Qiao to move to Jianye Palace. Da Qiao  How could they live in Jianye Palace if they were not the wives and concubines of Marquis Wu? They should have found another house to settle in. Madam Bu had guessed what Marquis Wu was thinking.  She had been looking for an opportunity to persuade her husband, until the maid came to report that Wang Ning came to Sun Quan secretly early in the morning. With the delicate intuition unique to women, Mrs. Bu felt that what Wang Ning reported might be related to Da Qiao. She then  I couldn't help but want to persuade my husband not to make the same mistake again and again.  Mrs. Bu whispered: "There are rumors in the palace that Wu Hou wants Da Qiao to enter the palace for other reasons." "Nonsense!" Sun Quan suddenly became furious. He was like a monkey with his tail stepped on, shaking his steps desperately.  The lady's shoulders were yelling, and her eyes almost popped out of her head, "Who is it? Who said it? Who dares to talk nonsense? Tell me and I will cut him into pieces!" Mrs. Bu looked at her husband quietly,  Her husband's abnormal behavior just proved his guilty conscience. If he didn't have this intention, how could he be so nervous and flustered? Mrs. Bu sighedHe said in a tone, "Although it is just a rumor, people's words are terrible. As long as Wu Hou clarifies the rumors, the rumors will stop." Sun Quan also realized that he had lost his temper. He let go of Mrs. Bu, turned around and looked out the window with his hands behind his hands. After a while,  He ordered coldly: "Get out!" Mrs. Bu wanted to say more, but Sun Quan turned around and stared at her, and spoke out from between his teeth, "Get out!" Mrs. Bu took a step back in fright, her face turned pale, she  His eyes turned red and tears rolled down his face. He turned around and ran away. Sun Quan watched her run away. He suddenly picked up the jade bowl on the table and threw it at the door, "Bang!"  ¡¯ The jade bowl shattered and the white fungus and bird¡¯s nests spilled all over the floor. Sun Quan snorted coldly, ¡°Kill anyone who stops me!¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 845 City-wide manhunt

    It finally dawned, but Moling County fell into an inexplicable fear. The city gates were not opened, and people were prohibited from going out. The streets were filled with soldiers, wearing armor and armed with murderous intent. Groups of soldiers were going from house to house.  House-to-house searches. Reward notices were posted at various important street corners. A female assassin in black was wanted. She was tall, with a chiseled face and an accent from Jiangxia. Anyone who provided clues would be rewarded a hundred taels. Soon, word spread in the city.  According to news, Wu Hou was almost stabbed by this female assassin last night.  The army has searched the east area of ??the city, and the Sanwu Tavern was searched again. However, this time shopkeeper Liang did not give any bribes. He was fully prepared and allowed the soldiers to search the pub. However, shopkeeper Liang was still a little worried about the situation over there in Bianjing Lane.  .  Bianjing Lane is an alley next to the Sheshen Temple. The alley is not deep and there are five or six families living in it. Among them, a family of five lives in a small house covering an area of ??two acres in the innermost part. The male owner is called Zhang Shun, nicknamed Wu.  Master, he has three identities. His public identity is the thief cao of Moling County, that is, the head catcher, and his other semi-public identity is the She Shen Temple Temple Zhu. To put it bluntly, the She Shen Temple is his property.  Get lots of money from the sacrifice.  Another secret identity is that of the intelligence spy of the Han Army in Jiangdong. Zhang Shun was dragged into the Intelligence Department of the Han Army by Guan Xi three years ago. He also considered his future prospects and relied on the Han Army in advance.  A big tree.  At this time, Da Qiao and Zhong Xue were hiding in his house. Due to his special status, even if the army searched his house, they would not conduct a careful interrogation. Moreover, Da Qiao and Zhong Xue had both put on makeup, and one was pretending to be an old woman in the kitchen.  A man pretending to be his nephew would not be able to recognize him even if he came face to face with the army.  In the yard, Zhang Shunzheng negotiated with several searching soldiers, and opened the reward notice for the chief minister: "Last night, a female assassin sneaked into Jianye Palace and almost stabbed Wu Hou. Wu Hou ordered the assassin to be captured. Anyone who provides clues will be rewarded.  We are ordered to search private houses, please cooperate with the Fifth Master." Zhang Shun sneered, "You can search, but I will say something ugly first. There is a lot of gold in my room. I don't know how much it is, but I can see how many.  My brothers are all natives. If I find something is too much or missing later, I will go to your house to search for it tomorrow. Let¡¯s talk about the ugly things first, so you can search!¡± Several soldiers looked at each other, and three of them were from the same hometown.  People, how could they not know that Zhang Shun is a local snake and cannot be messed with? Shi Changpai laughed and said: "How dare we search the fifth master's house? We are just following orders to find someone. The fifth master only needs to call his family out and let's take a look."  , and then we'll leave." Zhang Shun sneered and turned around and said, "Come out! Let the military masters take a look." After a while, Zhang Shun's wife came out with her children and servants. There were seven or eight people in total.  Shun pointed at Zhong Xue and said, "This is my nephew Zhang Jin. He just came from the countryside. Are you?" The soldiers looked at Zhong Xue and saw that he was tall, with a long sword on his waist and a warrior robe.  , wearing a black cloak, the knot of the cloak just covered the Adam's apple. Although the appearance was slightly delicate, he was obviously a martial arts practitioner. Zhong Xue bowed and saluted, and said in a loud voice: "Please give me some advice!" Her voice became rough and hoarse, soldier.  They had no doubts and looked at a few more people. Da Qiao was standing at the far end dressed as a cook. She was old and rough-looking, wearing a servant's dress. The soldiers only glanced at her and then looked away. No one would  Be interested in her.  Seeing that there was indeed nothing unusual, and not wanting to search this local snake's home, the chief officer held up his hands and said with a smile: "I'm just following orders, I'm disturbing the fifth master, so say goodbye!" He waved his hand, "Let's go!" He led the soldiers.  They left the house, and soon went to smash the door next door, shouting angrily: "Open the door! The army is searching for the assassin." Zhang Shun closed the courtyard door and smiled at Da Qiao and Zhong Xue, meaning that before he  Nothing will happen here. It was noon. The army had been searching house to house for a long time, but still found nothing. Wang Ning stood by the Qinshui River in the north city with his hands behind his hands. Qin Shui flowed out of the city through the water gate. The water gate only had an iron gate.  After locking the river channel, you can see through the iron gate that the river outside the city is full of boats preparing to enter the city. The boatmen are anxiously asking each other and pointing into the city from time to time.  Although Sun Quan's order to him was to open the city gate on time and only allow people to enter but not leave, Wang Ning believed that once people were allowed into the city, the martial law would be invalidated. People on the streets would be mixed, and criminals would take the opportunity to hide in places where people had been searched.  In a private house, the search was ineffective.  Therefore, Wang Ning disobeyed Sun Quan's order and was not allowed to open the city gate. He only allowed officials living in the county to leave and go to Jianye City. Sun Quan also did not accuse him of violating the order, which meant that he acquiesced in his closed-door search.  .  At this time, the city guard general on duty hurried over with an eunuch. The city guard general was a tooth general named Ling Zhi, who was the elder brother of General Ling Tong. He and Wang Ning both belonged to the Internal Affairs Army.??Wang Ning is his boss, and Wang Ning also has the gold medal of Marquis of Wu, so he dare not disobey Wang Ning's orders.  But at this time he was also in a dilemma, "General!" Ling Zhi ran to Wang Ning and said, "Wuhou has sent someone." Wang Ning knew this eunuch who was responsible for serving in the study. His name was Jiang An.  Ning forced a smile and said: "Eunuch Jiang, what's the matter?" Jiang An knew Wang Ning's true identity, stepped forward and lowered his voice and said: "Wu Hou asked me to tell the general that because the army was disturbing the people too seriously, the people of Moling were complaining, and Wu Hou ordered the general to be relieved.  Martial law." Wang Ning was startled, how did Wu Hou know?  He quickly asked: "What happened?" Jiang An sighed and said: "Zhang Changshi was impeaching the general in the palace of Wu for setting up troops to disturb the people. The internal affairs army used the search as an excuse to extort people's money and insult people's daughters. In Moling City,  The public resentment was boiling, and Marquis Wu was under great pressure. "At this time, Ling Zhi also stepped forward to persuade: "General, if the searching soldiers are bribed, they will not search carefully, and they may not be able to find out the results if they are humble, so they will still use the reward method.  Under the heavy reward, let¡¯s see if any brave man is willing to come forward and expose it.¡± Wang Ning knew that Ling Zhi was right. In the past two years, there were many factions in the army, nepotism was prevalent, and the military salary was meager, and the lower-level officers and soldiers were all thinking of ways to make a fortune.  As a result, military discipline was loose and extortion became common. He ordered the army to comprehensively search the city, which only created opportunities for the army to make a fortune. Zhang Hong impeached him for this, and it was not groundless. If the search continues, the person hiding the fugitive will be deceived with a little bribe.  Once it passes, there will be no results.  Wang Ning had no choice but to give an order: "Pass my order, stop the search, and cancel the martial law!" Ling Zhi quickly asked: "Can the city gate be opened?" Wang Ning nodded, "The city gate can be opened, but within three days.  "Only allowed in, not allowed out!" Wang Ning issued the order and the martial law was lifted. The soldiers no longer searched the houses. When the doors were opened, countless merchants and porters swarmed in. A ship also sailed in from the water gate.  Shops are opening one after another, and the streets and alleys are becoming lively again.  However, the storm of searching the city has not passed. The city gates only allow entry but not exit, which means that the assassin is still in the city. There are people who are busy under the reward notices, and they all look at the pictures drawn on them carefully. It is no wonder that Bai Liang  The reward of gold is really tempting.  At this time, a carriage slowly drove into the North City under the protection of dozens of sword-wielding servants. At this time, Chang Shi Zhang Hong's carriage, whose residence is in Moling County, today he saw with his own eyes soldiers and residents extorting money.  He also used makeup to cover up some young women's faces and searched their bodies. This made Zhang Hong extremely angry and rushed to Jianye Palace to impeach Sun Quan about Wang Ning's deployment of troops to disturb the people.  Although his complaint was effective, the soldiers stopped searching, abandoned martial law, and the city gradually returned to normal order, but a question in Zhang Hong's mind still lingered. The excuse for searching Moling was the appearance of a female assassin in Jianye Palace last night.  , Wu Hou was almost assassinated. It sounds reasonable at first, but if you think about it carefully, you will find loopholes.  Even if the female assassin escaped from Jianye Palace, she should still be hiding in Jianye City. How could she break out of Jianye City's tall, strong and heavily guarded city walls?  How could he enter Moling City?  To take a step back, even if the female assassin was skilled in martial arts and managed to break out of Jianye City, she should have escaped from the wild or fled into the Yangtze River by boat. This was the only way to escape. Why did she surrender herself and hide in Moling County?  This loophole puzzled Zhang Hong. Just now, he secretly asked his nephew who was a guard in the palace. The nephew told him that there was no assassination in the palace last night, and he had not heard of it.  There was an assassin, and Zhang Hong suddenly realized that there was something hidden in Wu Hou's excuse for being an assassin. It must not be that simple.  Zhang Hong's mansion is located in the city. It is a large house covering an area of ??70 acres. There are more than 200 servants and servants. Zhang Hong, his wives and concubines, and more than 20 children and grandchildren live there. The carriage stops slowly in front of the gate.  Next, the housekeeper hurried from the house, and the second son Zhang Qing hurried out and whispered a few words in his father's ear. Zhang Hong couldn't help but was startled. He asked in a low voice: "Who else knows?"  No one knows except the child." Zhang Hong nodded, "This matter must be kept strictly confidential, not even your mother can tell." "I understand, they are waiting in the father's study outside." Zhang Hong pondered for a moment and then quickly said.  Bu followed his son to his study room outside. Zhang Qing opened the study door and saw two people sitting in the study room. One was a tall young man and the other was an elderly woman. When they saw Zhang Hong coming in, they hurriedly  Get up and salute.  Zhang Hong waved his hand and asked his son to watch from the door. He looked at the two of them and then asked the young man: "Are you people sent by the King of Han?" The young man smiled, but with a woman's voice, he saluted: "At the next bell,  Xue is the leader of the guards around the princess, and the assassin being arrested outside is me!¡±   Zhang Hong was startled and couldn't help but take a step back. He looked nervously at the female assassin who was disguised as a man and asked in a deep voice: "Are you the female assassin who assassinated Wu Hou?"

 Volume 2 Jiang Xia Chapter 846 The Devil is Ten Feet High

    Zhong Xue smiled slightly, "I have never been to Jianye City, let alone Jianye Palace. Why did I assassinate Wu Hou?" Zhong Xue's words confirmed Zhang Hong's doubts. He also calmed down, sat down and asked with a smile:  "Can you tell me, girl, why Marquis Wu wants to arrest you? You don't want to cause trouble in the city." "Actually, the person Wu Marquis wants to arrest is not me, but her!" Zhong Xue pointed at the old woman behind him, and Zhang Hong became even more excited.  Confused, what did Marquis Wu want to arrest this old woman? He took a closer look at the old woman. Although it was the first time they met, she always felt that the old woman's eyes were familiar, so he  Cautiously asked: "Old lady, have I seen you?" The old lady sighed, stood up and saluted: "Zhang Changshi, do you really not know me?" This voice surprised Zhang Hong, who  Huo Di stood up and stared at the old woman in disbelief, "You are you, you are Qiao" "Yes, I am Da Qiao." Da Qiao smiled sadly, knelt down and cried: "Sun Quan forced me too much, please save me!  " It was Shopkeeper Liang's intention to let Zhong Xue and Da Qiao come to Zhang Hong. Jiang Dongjun offered a reward of one hundred taels of gold, which made Shopkeeper Liang deeply worried. He was worried that Zhang Shun's maid might report him, or that the neighbors knew the truth and couldn't bear the hundred taels of gold.  If he betrays Zhang Shun due to temptation, things will be in trouble, so he must send Zhong Xue and Da Qiao out today.  However, the city gate is only allowed in and out, and it is impossible to leave the city. The only loophole is that officials can leave the city. The highest official living in Moling County is Chang Shi Zhang Hong. He is an upright person. Once he knows the truth, he will definitely protect everyone.  Joe.  At this time, Zhang Hong's mind was in chaos. He never dreamed that the old woman in front of him was Da Qiao, and he couldn't figure out why Sun Quan wanted to arrest her all over the city. He quickly asked in vain, "Madam, please get up quickly and tell me first."  What happened?" Da Qiao held back her grief and told Zhang Hong in detail what happened last night, and also implicitly revealed Sun Quan's plot. Finally, she said sadly: "Sun Quan wanted to force me to go to Jianye Palace.  He did not hesitate to send people pretending to be evil thieves to kill my maid, but when I refused, he tried to kidnap me. Fortunately, Miss Zhong rescued me, otherwise I would have died at the hands of Sun Quan. " Zhang Hong was shaking with anger. He could never have imagined that Sun Quan would.  He would do such a despicable thing. He had always thought that Sun Quan was a man of great talent and strategy, but he was repeatedly frustrated due to bad luck and Liu Jing's strong rise. He was full of sympathy for Sun Quan, but he did not expect that Sun Quan was so imprudent in his private life.  He also had Da Qiao's idea, which made Zhang Hong extremely disappointed.  He raised his head and sighed, "I didn't expect that I, Zhang Hong, would be assisting such a despicable person. I'm really blind." Next to him, Zhong Xue said quickly: "Although Jiangdong Army has stopped searching, they have not relaxed their vigilance. If  If someone reports, they will come sooner or later and ask Mr. Zhang to help us get out of the city." Zhang Hong nodded, "Don't worry, I will never stand idly by." He then asked Da Qiao, "If I help Madam get out of the city, where will Madam go?"  Da Qiao pondered for a moment. In fact, she had nowhere to go except Chang'an, so she had no choice but to say: "My father and sister are both in Chang'an, and I also want to go to Chang'an for a while." Next to her, Zhong Xue was overjoyed. Unexpectedly, after all the twists and turns,  , Da Qiao finally agreed to go to Chang'an, and she could explain to His Highness the King of Han when she returned. Zhong Xue quickly said: "We have a big ship on the other side of the Yangtze River to meet us. As long as we cross the river, we can take a boat to Jingzhou." Zhang Hong  He sighed and said, "Princess Shangxiang is in Chang'an, so as long as she is here, she will definitely keep her safe." Half an hour later, Zhang Hong's large carriage left the city again, with more than twenty horse-riding servants guarding him.  They were all dressed in black, with long swords on their waists, and shields and bows and arrows on their backs. They were all tall and strong in movement. Zhong Xue pretended to be Zhang Hong's servants and opened the way in front with four servants. It was impossible to tell them apart.  The important thing is that no one has seen her except Da Qiao's captured maid, and the portrait on the arrest notice is far from her.  Zhang Hong and his old wife Li were sitting in the carriage. Da Qiao changed her clothes and dressed up as Li's mute servant girl. She was also sitting in the carriage. She felt more at ease now. Even Zhang Hong didn't recognize her.  What else is she worried about?  The carriage galloped towards the north gate of the city. At this time, Wang Ning was standing near the water gate. The soldiers captured many boats from the rivers in the county. Most of the people living on these boats were boatmen who made boats their home. Many people brought them with them.  With their wives and daughters in tow, all boats with women on board were arrested and concentrated near the water gate for interrogation.  Every woman, young and old, had to wash her face and hands, and tall men had to be searched. The women were trembling with fear. Their husbands or fathers stood nearby and dared not speak. Fortunately, Wang Ning was watching from the shore.  The soldiers did not dare to go too far and did not take advantage of the women. They only washed their faces but did not search their bodies. After searching one boat, they let the other boat go. The conflict did not intensify.    At this time, a carriage drove quickly along the avenue towards the north gate. Wang Ning recognized the flag on the carriage, which was the carriage of Zhang Hong, the chief historian. He thought of Zhang Hong impeaching him in front of Wu Hou, and felt in his heart  Suddenly he felt annoyed and walked quickly towards the city gate.  At the city gate, the soldiers stopped Zhang Hong's carriage and shouted for the first servant: "This is Zhang Changshi's carriage, please get out of the way!" Ling Zhi, the general guarding the city, saw Zhang Hong in front of the carriage window and waved his hand, "  Let's go!" The soldiers moved out of the way, and just as the carriage was about to leave, Wang Ning shouted from behind, "Wait a minute!" Zhang Hong turned around and saw Wang Ning running quickly. He felt something was wrong, and immediately ordered: "No need.  Pay attention to him and get out of the city! "Zhong Xue reacted very quickly, urging the horse and several servants who were leading the way to run out of the city gate first. The coachman immediately swung his whip and was about to whip the horse again when a sharp sword hit him coldly.  His throat, "If you dare to move again, I will kill you!" Zhang Hong was furious and shouted: "Wang Ning, what do you mean?" Wang Ning took out Sun Quan's gold medal from his arms and said coldly: "  On the order of Wu Hou, arrest the assassin!" Seeing that Zhong Xue had already left the city, Zhang Hong felt relieved and said angrily: "Do you mean that I, Zhang Hong, am harboring the assassin?" "I didn't mean that, Zhang Changshi?  Of course, you can leave the city, but according to Wu Hou¡¯s order, even if he leaves the city, he must be searched, so we also have to search Chang Shi¡¯s motorcade. Sorry!¡± ¡°This is my private vehicle, even if Wu Hou is here, we will not search it.  If you dare to search, what do you mean by a little captain?" Seeing the soldiers approaching, Zhang Hong ordered his servants: "Just kill anyone who dares to bully me, and I will bear all the consequences." None of the soldiers were afraid of Zhang Hong's power!  He dared to step forward, but he also stopped the carriage and prevented it from leaving. There was a stalemate at the city gate.  Wang Ning was appointed as the Lieutenant of the Internal Affairs Military Academy by Sun Quan, and he was also Sun Quan's spy on the officials. Naturally, he was outstanding. He was an extremely shrewd and capable person, with a photographic memory and very sharp reactions. At this time  , Wang Ning saw Zhang Hong's servants waiting outside the city. He knew that these people should be the pioneers who had just rushed out of the city.  However, Zhang Hong suddenly realized something was wrong. There seemed to be four pathfinders in front of him just now, but now there were only three, one missing. He suddenly became suspicious. Originally, Wang Ning made things difficult for Zhang Hong just because Zhang Hong was in front of Wu Hou.  He wanted to vent his personal anger by impeaching him, but now he discovered something was wrong.  Wang Ning once again counted Zhang Hong's guards. When he saw the carriage by the river just now, there should have been sixteen guards, four in the front, four in the back, and four on the left and right. It was very easy to remember, but now there were only fifteen people. Sure enough,  There is one person missing. He must have disappeared after leaving the city.  Wang Ning became suspicious. He quietly bent down and looked under the car. There was no one under the car. He glanced sharply into the car and saw three people sitting in the car. He knew them. They were Zhang Hong and him.  His wife, the other is an old woman.  Wang Ning had already guessed that the woman in black and Da Qiao must have put on makeup and would never maintain their original appearance. The woman in black was tall and had a clear face, which made her the most suitable person to make up as a man, while Da Qiao could only make up to look like another woman.  That's why when a ship is searched, all women have to wash their faces and all tall men have to have their bodies searched.  His eyes were fixed on the old woman. Most ladies would take a young maid or a young child with them when they go out. I have never seen any noble lady take an old maid out with her. She can't even take care of herself, but can she still serve her?  Wang Ning saw her head lowered, her hair was gray, and her face could not be seen clearly, but her figure was elegant and moving, and it should never be owned by an old servant woman, and it was quite familiar. Wang Ning couldn't help but sneer, and she put on makeup to look like she was wearing makeup.  Without the temperament formed over a long period of time, no wonder he couldn't find her. She was hiding in Zhang Hong's house. No wonder Zhang Hong wanted to impeach him.  Wang Ning was so timid that he suddenly stabbed the draft horse with a sword. The sword was fast and hard, and the sword pierced the draft horse's head. The draft horse neighed miserably, jumped high on its front hooves, and then fell heavily.  The draft horse fell, causing the carriage to lose its balance. Amidst the exclamations, the carriage began to roll over. Zhang Hong's escorts were shocked, and they all stepped forward to stop the carriage to prevent it from tipping over again.  The sudden change shocked all the soldiers present. Ling Zhi reacted and shouted, "Hurry up and save Chang Shi!" The soldiers rushed forward and righted the carriage. The servants opened the door and took Zhang Hong and his wife out of the car.  At this time, a servant was about to help the old servant woman, but Wang Ning strode forward, pushed the servant aside, handed it to the old servant woman, narrowed his eyes, and said with a respectful smile: "Madam, you asked me to find  It¡¯s so hard.¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 847 Make it clear

    Da Qiao knew that Wang Ning had seen through her, so she stopped pretending and pulled off the fake white hair on her head, revealing her black hair. She straightened her back, snorted disdainfully, and ignored Wang Ning's outstretched hand.  Hand, she walked directly out of the carriage. She turned around and told Ling Zhi, "General Ling, please get a basin of water!" Ling Zhi was stunned. He suddenly realized and quickly ordered the soldiers, "Go get water quickly!"  The soldiers rushed away and fetched a basin of water from the well. Da Qiao took out a handkerchief from her package and, under the gaze of the soldiers, washed away the disguise on her face, revealing her exquisitely beautiful face.  She pulled up her hair, and her elegant and charming gesture made even Wang Ning's heart flutter. He finally understood why Wu Hou wanted this woman. She was indeed an unparalleled beauty.  The surrounding soldiers exclaimed, it turned out that she was Mrs. Qiao, but how could she make up to look like an old woman?  At this time, Zhang Hong walked forward slowly. His arm was pierced by the iron thorn on the window, and blood was flowing. He looked at Wang Ning coldly, "General Wang, if you want to kill me, just do it directly. Why bother deliberately?"  Even I despise you for causing trouble." Wang Ning quickly saluted and said, "Chang Shi misunderstood. I noticed that the horse's eyes were red and bloodshot, and it was about to go crazy. I was afraid that it would go crazy and hurt Chang Shi, so I stabbed it to death in time.  " "So, you are trying to save me?" Zhang Hong sneered.  "Exactly!" Wang Ning spoke righteously, with no trace of guilt on his face. Zhang Hong had to admire his thick skin. But what kind of person is Zhang Hong? No matter how smart Wang Ning is, he is just a small person.  With his cunningness, how could he be compared with Zhang Hong, who had the wisdom of a prime minister.  Zhang Hong ignored him and turned back to Da Qiao: "Mrs. Qiao, since the carriage is broken, let's go on foot!" Da Qiao turned around and followed Zhang Hong out of the city. Wang Ning was anxious and hurriedly got up.  He stepped forward to stop them, "Zhang Changshi, you can leave, but Mrs. Qiao can't leave?" "Why can't you leave?" Zhang Hong raised his voice and said loudly: "What a joke, Captain Wang actually wanted to imprison Mrs. Qiao.  Why do you have it? Do you have any shady purpose?" Zhang Hong's voice was loud and could be heard clearly by the surrounding soldiers. Wang Ning secretly complained in his heart. What should he do?  At this time, Da Qiao also said loudly: "General Wang, I advise you to let me leave, otherwise I will tell the truth, and I will not be the one to lose my reputation!" This was even more of a direct threat, and Wang Ning's expression changed.  Change, but he reacted very quickly and said quickly: "Madam, because the assassins have not been caught yet, and I don't know how many accomplices they have, I am very worried about my safety. If my wife must leave, please allow me to protect my wife."  He didn't wait for Zhang Hong to speak, and immediately shouted to his opponent: "Come forward and protect the madam!" Wang Ning was also betting that Zhang Hong would not allow Da Qiao to reveal the truth. After all, Zhang Hong is a minister and protects the monarch.  The name is also his obligation. Although Zhang Hong did not want Da Qiao to tell the truth, he would not let Wang Ning's people protect him, and the two sides were once again deadlocked at the city gate.  At this moment, a soldier shouted: "The Marquis of Wu is here!" Sun Quan came in person. Zhang Hong, Da Qiao and Wang Ning were all stunned at the same time. How could Sun Quan arrive so coincidentally?  Could it be that who informed him that with the arrival of Sun Quan, the situation did not become complicated, but became simpler. Wang Ning did not dare to make the decision to let Da Qiao leave, and wanted to keep Da Qiao at all costs, but Sun Quan could let Da Qiao leave.  Zhang Hong immediately made a plan in his mind.  Sun Quan received an urgent report. Zhang Changshi was attacked by the army led by the captain Wang Ning at the North City Gate. There was a bloody conflict between the two sides. Zhang Changshi was in danger. Sun Quan thought that Wang Ning was retaliating for Zhang Hong's impeachment in the morning, and he was worried.  He was anxious and quickly led his guards to ride over. Zhang Hong and Zhang Zhao were the two prime ministers he relied on most, and he absolutely did not want to hear the news of Zhang Hong's accident.  Sun Quan rushed into the city cave and saw the dead horse on the ground with blood flowing all over the ground. He was shocked. He immediately hated Wang Ning in his heart. This slave was spoiled by him. Even the Prime Minister dared to intercept and kill him and insisted on killing him.  He cannot.  Sun Quan walked in quickly and shouted loudly: "No one is allowed to move!" He turned around and saw Zhang Hong, and saw blood pouring from his arm. He didn't know the extent of his injury. He felt extremely sad and stepped forward to comfort Zhang Hong: "Mr. Zhang  "How is your injury?" Zhang Hong was originally angry with Sun Quan, but now that he saw that Sun Quan was concerned about his injury, he showed his true feelings and was not pretending. The anger in his heart dissipated slightly, and he bowed and said: "Thank you Wu  Hou was concerned about his position, but he was able to survive despite being killed by Wang Xiaowei. He was grateful to God for his blessing. Sun Quan was furious and turned around and yelled: "Wang Ning, you are so brave!"  "When Wang Ning saw Zhang Hong being vague about the truth, he felt like he was going to kill him.??, Wu Hou misunderstood, and he was angry and anxious. He quickly knelt down and explained: "No matter how courageous I am, I would not dare to hurt Zhang Changshi. Please listen to Wu Hou's explanation." Zhang Hong refused to give it.  When Wang Ning had the opportunity to explain, he asked aggressively: "Wang Lieutenant, did you kill my horse? If my servants hadn't fought to protect it and the carriage overturned, would I still have survived? Isn't this a fact?" He turned back to him.  Sun Quan said: "I accompanied my old wife to Bujin Temple to burn incense. Unexpectedly, Wang Xiaowei came after me. He was very vicious. He killed my horse and destroyed my carriage. He wanted to kill me and my old wife. But I was lucky and escaped.  , please Wu Hou to make the decision for me!" At this moment, Sun Quan suddenly saw Da Qiao standing aside, he was stunned, his mind changed quickly, and he immediately understood what happened?  Wang Ning is not for Zhang Hong, but for chasing Da Qiao.  After all, Sun Quan is a man of great talent and strategy. Although he has the desires of ordinary people and the viciousness of those in power, his thoughts and reactions are not comparable to ordinary people. Just like he hates Liu Jing very much, but he can still be brothers with Liu Jing.  , that kind of disguise ability is beyond even Liu Jing's reach. He was just stunned for a moment, and immediately pretended to be surprised: "Why is sister-in-law here?" Da Qiao was disgusted with him to the extreme. She turned her head away in disgust, ignoring Sun Quan, Zhang  Hong stepped forward and said, "Mrs. Qiao has been staying in my house for the past two days, talking about Buddhism with my old wife. They made an appointment to go to Bujin Temple in Jiangbei today to burn incense and worship Buddha. The old minister will accompany them." Sun Quan immediately understood, Zhang Hong  This was to escort Da Qiao away. Looking at Da Qiao's beautiful appearance, he couldn't help but hesitate to prevent her from leaving. Wang Ning hurriedly added from the side: "Report to the Marquis of Wu, the assassin has not been caught yet.  I suspected that the assassin had an accomplice, and was afraid that the assassin's accomplice would be harmful to Mrs. Qiao and Zhang Changshi, so I rushed to stop it. It was just Zhang Changshi who misunderstood, so something unpleasant happened. I had no intention of offending Chang Shi. "  Sun Quan sighed and said to Zhang Hong: "I don't want to stop Chang Shi, but I am worried that the assassins will be detrimental to my sister-in-law and Chang Shi. Therefore, can you please ask Chang Shi and his wife to go two days later to ensure safety?"  , there were more and more people watching the excitement around, tens of thousands of people, and many high-ranking Jiangdong officials who lived near the north gate also appeared in the crowd, such as Zhuge Jin, Huan Jie, Ling Tong, Xu Sheng, Kan Ze  Waiting for the senior civil and military officials, today happened to be a holiday. They heard that they were searching for assassins, so they stayed at home and did not interfere with the soldiers. However, when they heard that something happened to Zhang Hong, everyone rushed to the city gate.  Seeing that Marquis Wu had arrived, everyone came forward to greet him, which made Sun Quan a little nervous. He was worried that things would get bigger, especially Da Qiao, who was extremely staunch. Once she told the truth, it would be bad.  At this time, Zhang Hong stepped forward and bowed deeply to Sun Quan, and said sincerely: "Marquis Wu, our Jiangdong was defeated by Yuzhang first, and then internal strife broke out, which led to the split of the three Wu states. For Jiangdong, from General Wentai to the present,  This is Jiangdong's unprecedented weakness, as if a person is about to die and his life is hanging by a thread, but Weichen is not discouraged. Weichen is convinced that Jiangdong will be revived because of Wuhou's talent and strategy, the loyal followers of hundreds of officials, and Wuhou's reputation.  Outstanding, benevolent and virtuous in Jiangdong, how can it be compared to the cruel and debauched people such as Sun Shao and Sun Ben. Even Cao Cao and Liu Jing praised Wu Hou as the hero of Jiangdong and were willing to come to Jiangdong to meet Wu Hou. The humble ministers were also willing to do their best.  To assist Wu Hou, I just hope that Wu Hou will cherish his own feathers, work hard and work hard, and I, Jiangdong, will be able to revive again!" After saying that, Zhang Hong knelt down. The high-ranking civil and military officials did not understand Zhang Hong's meaning and also knelt down, but Sun Quan was heartbroken.  He knew full well that this was Zhang Hong trying to persuade him to let go. If he insisted on going his own way and didn't cherish his reputation, then he would be like Sun Ben, who was betrayed by others because of his excessive dissoluteness.  Sun Quan sighed deeply in his heart and looked at Da Qiao again. Seeing her expression of absolute despair, he knew that he would not be able to get this stunning beauty in the end. In desperation, he asked again: "I wonder if my sister-in-law went to Jiangbei to burn incense?"  Where do you plan to go after that?" Da Qiao said without hesitation: "I plan to go to Princess Shangxiang and give her the old lady's relics and letters." Sun Quan showed a wry smile on his face and said to Zhang Hong, "Please.  Don't worry, Shi. Sun Quan is a man who knows his mistakes and can correct them." He pointed at Wang Ning and shouted: "This man is audacious and wants to avenge his personal revenge. Li Changshi is injured. Push this man down and beat him with a hundred military sticks.  Go to the position of captain!" The guards dragged Wang Ning down like wolves and tigers. Wang Ning knew that Sun Quan was using him as a scapegoat, but he did not dare to defend himself. He closed his eyes and allowed the guards to drag him down. Sun Quan looked deeply at him.  He glanced at Da Qiao and reluctantly said, "Sister-in-law, please take care of yourself along the way!" He turned around and walked quickly out of the city. He quickly left Beicheng on horseback and disappeared at the end of the road.  Zhang Hong breathed a long sigh of relief. Now he wanted to leave quickly before Sun Quan regretted it. He quickly said to Da Qiao: "Madam, let's go!" Da Qiao nodded, and Zhang HongfuTogether with his wife, they got on the carriage again. The coachman drove a single carriage, escorted by the servants, out of the city gate, and soon arrived at the riverside. A five-hundred-stone passenger ship was parked on the riverside pier. At this time, a passerby  The woman in red walked out of the cabin. It was Zhong Xue who had left the city first. When she saw Da Qiao and Zhang Hong walking in, she laughed loudly and said, "Did Wu Hou arrive at the city gate in time?" "It turned out to be you!  "Zhang Hong suddenly realized that Sun Quan had arrived in time to report the letter from Zhong Xue. He had to admire Zhong Xue's cleverness. If Wang Ning didn't recognize Da Qiao, Sun Quan wouldn't recognize him either. If Wang Ning did,  After killing Da Qiao, only when Sun Quan arrived could he force Sun Quan to release him.  Zhang Hong couldn't help but give a thumbs up and praised: "What a smart girl, she is really quick-witted." Zhong Xue said a little embarrassedly: "Madam, please get on the boat quickly, so as not to have a long night with too many dreams." Da Qiao turned around and knelt down to Zhang Hong, grateful  He shed tears and said: "Da Qiao was able to escape from the tiger's mouth all thanks to Zhang Changshi. I will never thank you for your kindness. Da Qiao will remember it in his heart." Zhang Hong sighed in his heart and quickly asked Da Qiao in vain, "Madam, please leave quickly!  Jianye is not safe. " Da Qiao got up and got on the boat. The passenger ship raised its sails and slowly left the dock and sailed towards the north bank of the river. Five thousand-stone warships and a thousand elite soldiers were docked on the north bank of the river. They will escort Da Qiao away from Jiangdong.  , headed to Xiangyang.  Zhang Hong watched Yifan go away and couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Can Jiangdong really have a chance to revive?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 848 Accident on the way

    After August, the first war mobilization in Guanzhong began. The so-called war mobilization means entering into a wartime state. The army stopped taking holidays, supplies were controlled, local governments began to register civilians, and city gates and passes were strictly inspected to prevent spies from sneaking in.  .  Since this was a large-scale Hu-Han war, the level of war was rated as the highest. All women, children and the elderly had to migrate to the south. Once the Huns invaded Guanzhong, they would face catastrophe.  Liu Jing's palace of the Han Dynasty was also moved south, but it was not moved to Hanzhong, but to Lantian County, eighty miles south of Chang'an. Once Guanzhong was captured, Liu Jing's family could quickly move from Lantian County to the south.  Going south through Ziwu Valley was a decision Liu Jing made after careful consideration. His family was extraordinary and it was best not to leave Guanzhong unless he had to.  A dozen carriages riding by Liu Jing's family, escorted by hundreds of cavalry, drove slowly southward along the official road. The official road was crowded with a large number of people migrating south to avoid the war, most of them were old and weak, women and children, and many families owned  A horse-drawn carriage or an ox-cart. This is because Guanzhong is close to the north and livestock is more prevalent.  The old men, women and children were sitting on the carriages or ox-carts, carrying the most valuable belongings and not many belongings. The men sat in front and drove the carriages. Many of them were collective actions between families, taking care of each other, so that although people in the officialdom were  Many, walking slowly but in an orderly manner.  Tao Zhan led his family in a large carriage, followed by more than a dozen female guards with high martial arts skills, riding horses on both sides of the carriage, and protected by hundreds of guards in front and behind. They were not far away and could arrive in one day.  It is also a pleasure for everyone to talk and laugh on the road.  Xiao Qiao sat in the corner of the carriage. She didn't speak much. She only smiled and said a few words when others asked her. Most of the time, she remained silent. Although she had been married to Liu Jing for more than a month, she  She still seems a little restrained. Only when she is with Liu Jing at night, she will be at ease and show off her liveliness and charm.  Her restraint comes from a kind of inferiority in her heart. After all, she is a remarried body and can never compare to the other three women's first wives. This inferiority complex cannot be felt when she is a guest, but when her identity changes from a guest  She felt it deeply when she was a concubine.  On the other hand, Sun Shangxiang became polite to her and no longer joked as freely as before, which made her feel quite sad. She knew that Sun Shangxiang was firmly opposed to the marriage, but she insisted on going her own way, which broke their friendship.  " Xiao Qiao also felt a little regretful in her heart. Maybe it was not the wisest decision for her to remarry Liu Jing, but regret was of no use. She could only silently accept the happiness and bitterness brought by this marriage.  "Alian, what are you thinking about?" Tao Zhan asked her with a smile.  Although Tao Zhan was not very willing for her husband to marry Xiao Qiao as his concubine, it had become a fait accompli and she no longer had any grudges. She could only face reality and treat her as an equal. She found that Xiao Qiao was silent all the way.  , and asked with concern: "Are you not feeling well?" Xiao Qiao forced a smile, "Maybe it's because I'm not used to riding in a carriage!" "Are you carsick?" Tao Zhan's eyes became more concerned.  "I don't know. I didn't get car sick before, but I feel a little chest tight today." "I know." Tao Zhan immediately shouted through the car window: "General Li!" The army escorting the Han family to Lantian was Liu Jing's bodyguard leader Li  Qing, he has been following Liu Jing for many years. He was promoted to the rank of school captain and was loyal to Liu Jing. When he heard the shouts, he quickly turned his horse back, clasped his fists in front of the carriage and said, "Please give me your orders, Princess!" Tao Zhan smiled and said: "  This section of the road is not easy to walk, it is too bumpy, please go a little slower." "I understand," Li Qing rode away. Soon, the speed of the team slowed down, and it was no longer as bumpy as before.  Qiao was grateful in her heart and whispered: "Thank you, eldest sister!" Tao Zhan held her hand and smiled: "I was not used to riding in carriages before. I like to take boats, especially large boats. The big boats stop and go on the Yangtze River.  The scenery along the way was beautiful, and it felt like a great enjoyment. Later, when I moved to Bashu, I rarely took boats. Now that I have come to Guanzhong, I have to take a carriage when I go out. Although I am not used to it, there is nothing I can do.  You have to adapt to it and find the joy of riding in a carriage. "What's the fun of riding in a carriage?" Xiao Qiao asked curiously.  "Of course it's no fun to ride in this kind of carriage. I'm talking about a spacious carriage, a carriage that belongs to you. There is no need for gorgeous decoration inside the carriage, but it must be carpeted and clean. You can sit in it barefoot.  Looking at the scenery outside the window, you can also lean on the cushions and read a book. "Little Pearl next to her blinked her big eyes and listened to their conversation. She asked in a low voice, "Is it like daddy's carriage?" "Yes, just like your daddy.  "Tao Zhan's carriage."He pinched her pink little face lovingly.  At this moment, Sun Shangxiang suddenly shouted: "Stop!" The carriage stopped, and Tao Zhan asked in confusion: "Shangxiang, what happened?" "Sister, you will know after you take a look." Tao Zhan  Turning back and looking out the window, he saw several women gathered on the roadside, very anxious. From the gap in the crowd, he could vaguely see a woman lying on the ground. Tao Zhan quickly ordered the female guard, "Ma Qiong, go and see what's going on."  ?" A female guard rushed forward, looked over, and turned around and shouted: "Princess, it seems that she is going to have a baby!" An old woman heard "Princess" and quickly ran up and knelt down and begged: "Pray.  Princess, please save my wife! She is dying." Tao Zhan got off the carriage and stepped forward to take a look. He saw a pregnant woman with weak breathing and a lot of blood flowing from her lower body. It looked like she was about to give birth.  Zhan quickly ordered the female guards, "Go and ask around to see if there is a midwife?" Several female guards rushed to ask loudly. After a while, they rushed back and said: "Princess, it seems there is no one nearby. How about we go farther away and ask again?"  " Tao Zhan bit her lips. She felt that it was almost too late. The pregnant woman was having difficulty giving birth. At this moment, Xiao Qiao whispered: "Sister, I will deliver the baby!" "You?" Tao Zhan looked at her in surprise.  She couldn't connect Xiao Qiao and the midwife.  Xiao Qiao added: "I have delivered several babies, so I have some experience." At this time, the woman screamed in pain. Tao Zhan saw that it would be too late if he didn't save her, and she couldn't care so much, so he ordered: "  Free a carriage and carry her into the carriage. " A carriage with luggage was quickly vacated. Several female guards were busy carrying the pregnant woman into the carriage. Tao Zhan said to Xiao Qiao: "That's it.  Please." Xiao Qiao nodded and then told the maid, "Go and boil the hot water, as much as possible, and get a pair of scissors and a candle." After a moment, she said, "Go find some hay, it's best.  It's dry wheat straw." Tao Zhan said quickly, "Can't you put it under the cloth?" Xiao Qiao shook his head, "It's better to use wheat straw, which has more vitality. I also want to use wheat straw ash for her."  Stop the bleeding." After saying that, she rolled up her hair and sleeves and got into the carriage. Two maids helped her. Sun Shangxiang silently watched Xiao Qiao busy in the carriage from the window. Seeing her white dress covered with blood, she  But he didn't care. For some reason, the ice in Sun Shangxiang's heart began to melt.  I don¡¯t know how long it took, but suddenly there was a loud cry in the carriage, and the people around suddenly cheered. The child was finally born. At this time, Xiao Qiao used the candle flame to sterilize the scissors and cut the umbilical cord. After a while,  She came out of the carriage with a pale face and almost missed her footing. Sun Shangxiang next to her quickly supported her. Xiao Qiao smiled and nodded, "Thank you!" Sun Shangxiang blushed slightly and asked quickly: "How is the mother of the child?  "She should be fine, but she is too weak. She can recover after a while of rest." At this time, the maid came out holding a baby, and the child's grandmother quickly stepped forward to catch it. Xiao Qiao said with a smile: "Congratulations, it's a baby."  Boy!" The old woman burst into tears with excitement. She knelt down and kowtowed, "Thank you, madam, for saving their mother and son. Thank you for saving your life." Xiao Qiao quickly helped her up. She said to Tao Zhan, "Sister, let them go temporarily.  Come with us! The mother is too weak to walk." Tao Zhan nodded, and then ordered the servants to pack up the carriage and let the three of them get on the carriage. Tao Zhan said to Xiao Qiao, "Go and wash your face.  Change your clothes! Thank you so much." Xiao Qiao and a maid went to another carriage to change clothes. At this time, Sun Shangxiang couldn't help but sigh and whispered: "I really didn't expect it!  Smiling: "The key is you! Only you can untie her knot." Sun Shangxiang was also a little ashamed in her heart. She felt that she had been too cold towards her in the past month or so.  Soon, the team continued to set off, and Xiao Qiao sat back in the carriage. A small episode made everyone change their impression of her. The atmosphere in the carriage began to become friendly, and several children even regarded her as a hero.  , vying to sit next to her, making Xiao Qiao feel a little embarrassed.  "I can't figure it out, how can you deliver a baby?" Tao Zhan said with a smile: "With your previous status in Jiangdong, you should be out of reach." "This" Xiao Qiao was a little embarrassed.  She didn't know how to explain it, and there were some things she didn't want to say more about.  Sun Shangxiang next to him lightly touched Tao Zhan. Tao Zhan understood and said with a smile: "Actually, the reason doesn't matter. The key is to keep their mother and son together."If someone is saved, this is a huge blessing.  " An hour later, the team paused for a rest. Everyone got off the carriage and walked around. Tao Zhan went to visit the mother and son. The old woman glanced at her sleeping daughter-in-law and child, and said gratefully: "The child just drank breast milk. They  They all fell asleep and thanked the princess for saving their mother and son's lives.  " "You're welcome, it's a simple effort. We are very happy that their mother and son are safe.  " "Princess, can you give the child a name?  His father's surname is Wang, and he is also a soldier.  "The old woman said cautiously. Tao Zhan looked at her eager eyes, then thought for a while and said with a smile: "Since the child was born when he went south, let's call him Wang Nan!  The old woman was overjoyed and kowtowed: "Thank you, Princess, for the name!"  " Tao Zhan comforted her for a few more words before leaving the carriage. She slowly walked to Sun Shangxiang, looked at the carriage she was sitting in and smiled: "Can you tell me what her reason is?  " Sun Shangxiang sighed softly, "Although she never said it, I can guess that this is actually a custom in Jiangdong. If a woman has not given birth to a child three years after getting married, she needs to accumulate blessings. The best way to accumulate blessings is  Delivery, Xiao Qiao has never given birth, so I guessed that she must have delivered many children.  "It suddenly dawned on Tao Zhan, it turns out that's the case. No wonder she can deliver babies, and no wonder she refuses to say that it involves her ex-husband, and she doesn't want to mention it. "Sister, get in the car.  "The little girl shouted from the car door: "The team is about to set off.  Tao Zhan nodded and walked towards the carriage with Sun Shangxiang. At this moment, a guard pointed at the beacon on the mountain in the distance and shouted: "Look, the beacon is lit."  " Everyone looked at the beacon on the top of the mountain, and saw a line of black smoke rising straight into the sky. Everyone didn't know what happened, and they felt a little nervous. Liu Zhi, Tao Zhan's eldest son, looked at the beacon with particularly bright eyes. He said to himself  Said: "The Huns finally went south.  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 849 The Xiongnu Goes South

    In the northern part of the Hetao Plain, there is endless grassland, but among the thatch that is half a person tall, you can constantly see raised mounds of earth, and on both sides of the mounds, you can vaguely discern the fields and abandoned canals. A hundred years ago, this place was  It is a large area of ??farmland. Hundreds of thousands of farmers who migrated north from the Central Plains turned the fertile Hetao Plain into a granary.  At this time, the farmland was deserted and the ditches were abandoned. The farmers who worked hard in the past could no longer see their presence. The Hetao Plain became the territory of Liu Qubei, the right virtuous king, and once again became the world of nomadic people.  The grassland in August is the season when horses are strong and sheep are fattened, and it is also the most leisurely and fulfilling season for shepherds. By a clear river, snow-white sheep are crowding in piles to drink water. Not far away,  On a haystack, a young shepherd was lying leisurely, with his hands under his head, chewing grass roots, and looking at the long white clouds in the sky in a daze.  At this time, the young man suddenly sat up and looked to the north in confusion. He seemed to feel something. The earth was shaking. This was thousands of horses galloping from the north. Soon, he saw a black line, heading south quickly.  Advance, thousands of cavalry are coming to kill.  The young man suddenly panicked, not knowing whether to run away or look after the sheep first. However, he was by the river, so it was not a big problem. If there was really danger, he could jump into the river and escape.  A group of cavalry rushed towards him. The young man was relieved. He recognized it as the Huns' army and one of his own. In a moment, the Huns cavalry ran not far away from him, reined in their horses, and led the centurion to shout:  "Young man, where is your king's tent? We are the vanguard of Shan Yu, looking for King You Xian." Hearing that it was Shan Yu's army, the young man suddenly became excited, stood up and pointed to the southwest, "Our king You Xian King  Go over there, and we'll be there in another half day." "Thank you!" The cavalry turned their horses and ran back. After a while, the large group of cavalry rushed towards the southwest, and soon turned into a group of small black spots. The young man looked at it.  They go away.  He suddenly remembered that his father had told him that if the Chanyu army went south, a war would begin. He suddenly became frightened and hurriedly drove his sheep home.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  After Liu Qubei's camp in Sheyanhai was raided by the Han army, he moved the entire tribe back to Hetao. This is where his base camp is located. More than a dozen tribes under his control are distributed throughout the Hetao. His other son Liu Meng  Then he led his own tribe to occupy Lingzhou, making Lingzhou another territory for Liu Qubei.  Liu Qubei¡¯s royal tent is located on a lush grassland. There are hundreds of thousands of tribal herdsmen following him. There are tens of thousands of large and small tents, hundreds of thousands of war horses, and millions of cattle and sheep.  This large-scale defeat of the Lingzhou Qiang people brought Liu Qubei huge profits, including countless cattle and sheep, mountains of grain, countless treasures, silks, and tens of thousands of young women and children. But in the end,  What made Liu Qubei ecstatic was that they actually seized hundreds of thousands of kilograms of pig iron. This was undoubtedly the most attractive trophy for the Huns who were extremely short of pig iron.  The rich loot made the Huns temporarily forget the misfortune of Sheyanhai. The men had new women, and the housewives had new young sheep slaves. The flocks increased, the horse pens were crowded, and the chiefs were admiring the jewelry.  The luster of gold and silver, and the ladies were intoxicated by the smoothness of silk. Throughout the summer, both commoners and nobles were immersed in the joy of harvest.  However, Liu Qubei did not forget their strategic plan, let alone their deep-seated hatred. In the autumn after August, Shanyu's army will go south to Hetao to join him. At that time, they will send 100,000 troops to bloodbath Guanzhong.  Liu Qubei was looking forward to it day by day. This afternoon, he finally waited for the news of Shan Yu. Soldiers came to report that Hou Meili, the right bone capital, led three thousand troops into the edge of their territory.  Liu Qubei knew that Mei Li was Shanyu's brother-in-law, whose full name was Huyan Meili. He was the eldest son of Huyanzu, the chief of Huyan tribe, and one of Shanyu's confidants Huchuquan.  His arrival meant that Huchuquan was not far away. Liu Qubei was overjoyed and immediately led more than a thousand cavalry to greet Shanyu.  Although Hou Meili of the Right Bone Capital found the location of the royal tent, they did not enter the camp. Instead, they set up camp on the grassland about ten miles away from the camp. Their mission was to find camps and water sources and prepare for defense. In addition,  We need to get in touch with Youxian Wang Liu Qubei.  Just when Mei Li was commanding the soldiers to set up camp, a soldier pointed in the distance and shouted: "The King Youxian is here." I saw a group of cavalry rushing towards this side. The cavalry gradually approached, and the leader  It was Liu Qubei, and Mei Li quickly urged his horse to meet him.  "You have worked hard all the way, Youguduhou!" Liu Qubei laughed and urged his horse forward, giving Mei Li a hard slap.  "Thank you, King Youxian, for coming to visit." Mei Li said as he glanced back, but did not see the sheep. According to the prior agreement, this timeThe main force of the slaves went south, and the food was taken care of by King Youxian. He and three thousand soldiers came all the way eating dried meat and drinking mare's milk. They expected Liu Qubei to drive a large herd of cattle and sheep so that they could kill the cattle and sheep to welcome the Shanyu.  .  Unexpectedly, Mei Li did not see the agreed flock. He suddenly felt a little dissatisfied, and said with a stern face: "The Chanyu army is only fifty miles away from us. It will arrive at night at the latest, but our food has not been provided yet, which makes me very sad.  It¡¯s a dilemma, what should Shan Yu eat at night?¡± Liu Qubei suddenly realized, he laughed and said, ¡°Duhou, don¡¯t be angry, the food has been prepared and will be delivered soon. I came to ask about Shan Yu¡¯s news first.¡±  Their expressions improved slightly. At this time, the sound of horns was heard in the distance. When they turned around, they saw the northern colorful flags fluttering, and a group of more than a hundred flag-bearing cavalry arrived.  Mei Li was startled and said quickly: "King Youxian, Shanyu is almost here, let's go and greet him!" Liu Qubei nodded and went north with Mei Li. After walking a few miles, they saw another team.  When the colorful flag soldiers arrived, they ran all the way north and encountered seven or eight groups of colorful flag soldiers in succession. After running for a full thirty miles, they finally saw Shan Yu's king's team.  Tens of thousands of cavalry are boundless and powerful. In the middle of the team is a cart pulled by a hundred horses. On the cart is a big golden tent, surrounded by guards. In front of it is a pole with an inlay.  A large flag with a golden wolf head.  Thousands of armored cavalry were guarding the royal tent. This was the golden royal tent of Huchuquan, the Xiongnu Chanyu. Huchuquan personally led the army southward.  According to the agreement reached between Liu Qubei and Huchuquan, this time the Xiongnu will send a total of 100,000 troops, of which the two will each send 50,000 troops. The goal is to seize Guanzhong and drive the Han army back to Bashu.  Hu Chuquan is about forty years old. He has a square face, a beard, a wide mouth, and a nose that rises abruptly in the center of his face like a purple eggplant. However, his eyes are thin and small, and his eyebrows are thick. He is really a bit too long.  Ups and downs.  Hu Chuquan is an extremely shrewd man and has stayed in the Central Plains for many years. He has inherited the position of Shanyu for more than ten years, but for the first time he decided to attack the Central Plains because he felt the huge threat from Liu Jing.  Huchuquan has been paying attention to the changes in the situation in the Central Plains, especially the newly rising Liu Jing. After Liu Jing's army defeated Cao's army several times, he realized that sooner or later he would deal with this southern warlord.  Sure enough, after conquering Bashu, the Han army continued to move north, finally occupied Guanlong, and prepared to move the capital to Chang'an.  If Liu Jing still adopted the same easing strategy as Cao Cao towards the nomads, and everyone would not invade each other and live in peace, Huchuquan would not be as nervous as it is today.  But Liu Jing conquered some weak nomads in Longxi one after another, and then defeated the Qiang people in Hexi and took back Hexi. If Liu Jing's attack on the nomads stopped here, Huchuquan could endure it.  But this year, the Han army began to attack the Wuhuan and Huns in the pass on a large scale, with bloody methods. Huchuquan finally couldn't bear it anymore. He began to realize that Liu Jing wanted to drive the Huns out of the Central Plains. Once he really conquered the world  , the dark age of the Huns is coming.  Huchuquan finally made up his mind. He wanted to completely defeat the Han army and drive back to the south while Liu Jing was not strong enough. Huchuquan had to make Liu Jing understand a truth and wanted to change the power structure that had been formed for hundreds of years.  , he would have to pay a heavy price.  However, although Huchuquan was determined, he was still very cautious and chose to go south to the pass only after autumn in August. On the one hand, autumn was the traditional fighting season for the Huns. On the other hand, he also needed time to prepare and summon all the parties.  The tribal chiefs discussed and asked each tribe to send troops.  Huchuquan has been in the south for many years. He knows the gap in weapons and equipment between the Huns' cavalry and the Central Plains army. He also knows the advantages of the Huns' cavalry. He had a battle plan before sending troops.  At this time, a guard reported outside the tent, "Chanyu, King Youxian has arrived!" Huchuquan nodded, "Invite him in!" After a moment, the curtain was lifted, and Liu Qubei strode in.  The two laughed and hugged each other tightly. Liu Qubei said with a smile: "My hair will turn white when my brother arrives." "Brother Xian just swallowed the Lingzhou Qiang people. Did he digest it so quickly?" "Attack."  Although Lingzhou has a rich harvest, the deep-seated hatred of killing his son and killing his wife keeps me awake day and night. " Hu Chuquan patted his shoulder sympathetically, "Sit down and talk!" Liu Qubei sat down and saw the small table spread.  Holding a map, he got closer and saw a map of the pass. Three red circles were drawn on the map, which were the three strongholds established by the Han army in the pass.  "Are Shan Su ready to attack these three cities?" Hu Chuquan sneered slightly: "When our army goes south, the Han army will inevitably retreat to the pass, guard the pass, and confront us for a long time."??, when winter comes, we have to retreat north, so the best strategy is to surround the spot and call for reinforcements. If we beat the children, we are not afraid that the adults will not come.  Liu Qubei nodded silently. At this time, he remembered something and said quickly: "Did Liu Bao go to Shan Yu?"  "No, what happened to him?"  Liu Qubei said with some worry: "I got news that Liu Jing may have formed an alliance with Cao Cao. It is said that Cao Cao has stationed 100,000 troops in Taiyuan. I am worried that something may happen to Bingzhou."  "    "ah!  Hu Chuquan was stunned for a moment. He didn't know anything about it. He asked urgently: "When did this happen?"  " "At the end of June and the beginning of July, more than a month has passed.  Liu Qubei paused and said, "However, maybe Cao Cao has other intentions, and he may not really attack Liu Bao."  " "Why?  Liu Qubei smiled and said, "Think about it, Shanyu, if Liu Jing is driven back to the south, who will be the biggest beneficiary?"  " Hu Chuquan understood what Liu Qubei meant. He nodded slowly, "You are right. Since Liu Bao didn't come to ask for help, it must be that he and Cao Cao had a tacit understanding. Cao Cao might just want to contain Liu Bao and give him some help.  Liu Jing is just a favor and has great righteousness. If he is asked to send troops, he may not agree.  " Having said this, Hu Chuquan stretched out his thick finger and tapped Gaonu County on the map, "I decided to encircle Gaonu County first and force Liu Jing to send troops!  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 850 Siege of Gao Nu

    The beacon smoke of Gaonu County shoots straight into the sky. From the northernmost Great Wall beacon to the Zhongnan Mountain beacon, more than thirty beacons are lit with smoke. In August, the sky is full of beacon fire, and the threat from the north is coming quietly.  Gaonu County is also known as Yan'an County in later generations. It is close to the district water in the north and is located on a high ground. The city is tall, wide and very strong. In particular, a horse-faced wall was built every fifty steps, making Gaonu County more conducive to defense.  At this time, five thousand defensive soldiers were nervously making final preparations for the battle. They used wooden planks to transport huge ashlar stones and piled them layer upon layer to seal the inner gate of the only north city gate. In addition, the Han army also packed barrels of stones.  Kerosene was moved onto the city wall and stored inside the stone chamber, and arrows piled up like mountains.  The trebuchets densely packed on the top of the city began to creak and check. The power of this medium-sized trebuchet is not huge. It can only throw a boulder weighing 50 kilograms to a distance of 300 steps, but it is very suitable for the defense of Gaonu County.  First of all, there were very few operators. They used a winch to wind up the string. Only ten people could control a trebuchet. A total of eighty such trebuchets were installed on the entire city, with twenty deployed in each of the four directions.  In addition, thirty smaller trebuchets were deployed on the defense line on the south bank. Their range was only two hundred steps and they could be thrown into the district water, posing a great threat to the barbarians crossing the river.  District water was the first defensive barrier for the Han army. The Han army deployed a thousand people on the south bank of District water and built a small defensive castle. They used powerful big yellow crossbows as defensive weapons, which could shoot giant arrows up to five feet long.  Shooting one hundred and fifty steps away, although the newly invented bee crossbow is equally powerful, when used for defense along the river, the penetrating power of the big yellow crossbow is stronger.  Zhang Ren, the governor of Gaonu, stood on the high wall, staring at the smoke from the beacon towers in the distance. He had an indescribable expectation in his heart. This was the moment he had dreamed of. As a man, when he went north to the frontier to fight against the Hulu, he was looking forward to it.  In a battle with the Xiongnu army, he had no regrets even if he died.  ¡®Woo¡ª¡ª¡¯ The sentry on the beacon at the top of the city blew a low horn. This was a signal that the enemy was discovered. Thousands of Han troops on the top of the city became nervous and stood at the battlements to look north.  Zhang Ren also saw it, and saw a black line appearing in the north, about ten miles long, slowly advancing to the south. Gradually, overwhelming military flags appeared, and the trampling of one hundred thousand war horses formed a circle within a hundred miles.  The roar was like low thunder, and the endless Hun cavalry finally appeared on the grassland.  The horn sounded, the horses neighed, and the Huns cavalry numbered more than 100,000. The sound was huge and murderous, soaring into the sky. Zhang Ren stared for a moment and shouted: "The water defense line in the sentry area is ready for battle!" Zhang Ren saw Jin  He couldn't help but be secretly frightened by the wolf-headed flag. This was the legendary flag of the King of the Huns. Its appearance meant that the Xiongnu Chanyu had come in person. This information was very important, and he must report it to His Highness the King of Han immediately.  "General, look at the sheepskin raft!" a soldier pointed at the north bank of the district water and shouted.  Zhang Ren also saw that the Huns army had prepared sheepskin rafts on the north bank of the district water. Zhang Ren immediately realized that the Huns were about to cross the river to attack. However, this made Zhang Ren feel relieved. If the Huns were eager to attack, they would not carry out the attack.  Sufficient preparation shows that they are not determined to capture Gaonu County.  ¡®Perhaps they want to exert pressure and besiege the city for reinforcements!  ¡¯ Zhang Ren thought secretly.  Zhang Ren's guess was not wrong. The purpose of the Xiongnu army was to besiege the city and bring reinforcements, force the main force of the Han army out of the pass, and fight them decisively on the vast grassland in the pass. The reason why Gaonu County was chosen was because Liu Qubei got the news.  The chief general of Gaonu County is Zhang Ren, one of the core generals of the Han army. This shows that Gaonu County is extremely important to Liu Jing. Once Gaonu County is in danger, the Han army is very likely to come to help.  Nomads always care about efficiency in combat. After deciding on something, they will devote themselves to it with great enthusiasm. They pay attention to the sound of seizing people first and the speed of soldiers. Before the army has set up camp, Huchuquan ordered to seize the district water and destroy the Han Dynasty.  The first line of defense of the Han army put pressure on the Han army.  Huchuquan stared at the tall and solid city wall from a distance. He knew that even if he captured the county town, his army would suffer heavy losses and the gains would outweigh the gains. He wanted to fight the main force of the Han army and capture Chang'an, not a small city.  Outpost City.  However, it is not difficult to capture the defensive castle on the south bank of the district water. They have enough troops and rafts to cross the river. They can capture the south bank and break through the first line of defense of the Han army. According to the Huns' combat practices, the Jie people will attack in the first battle.  .  The Jie people¡¯s army consisted of eight thousand elite soldiers. The leader of the army was still Shi Tan, who was defeated by the Han army last time. But this time, Shi Le, the Jie people¡¯s chief, also personally followed him into the battle.  After the Jie people were defeated in the last battle, Shi Tan led his troops to withdraw from the Jie people's headquarters without authorization, which caused serious dissatisfaction among the Huns. Shi Le, the chief of the Jie people, was forced to plead guilty to Huchuquan and promised that the Jie people would go all out this time.  At this time, Huchuquan turned around and glanced coldly at Shi Le, the chief of the Jie people, and said, "I hope thisThis time, Capricorn, don¡¯t let me down again.  " Shi Le was so coldly sweating under Hu Chuquan's cold gaze that he quickly bowed and said, "Wei Chen will personally supervise the battle, and the last incident will never happen again!  " Shi Le had no choice. His tribe originally lived to the west of Jinshan Mountain and was a tribe under the Kushan Empire. However, the war between the Huns and the Yueshi people affected them. They became prisoners of war of the Huns and the entire tribe was taken away together.  The East became vassals of the Huns. It can be said that they were slaves of the Huns. They were regarded differently by the Huns because of their bravery in fighting. Once they lost their combat advantage, they would be abandoned by the Huns without hesitation.  The clan died, so even though Shi Le hated the Huns, he did not dare to offend them in the slightest. Hu Chuquan nodded, "Since you want to supervise the battle in person, why don't you go?  " Hu Chuquan really doesn't trust Shi Tan. This man is Shi Le's son. Although he is young, he is shrewd and cunning. He will do everything possible to preserve his strength and refuses to attack with all his strength. Shi Le must be allowed to supervise the battle. " That's it, Hu Chu Quan  Quan was still worried and said to Hou Meili, the right bone capital: "You are also supervising the battle. If the Jie people are unwilling to attack with all their strength, you can report it to me!  " "Follow the order!  "Mei Li led hundreds of cavalry and galloped away. Shi Le was even more frightened as he watched. He didn't expect that Huchuquan would send someone to supervise him as his face. This was actually a warning. He didn't dare to hesitate anymore and rush the horse.  Rushing to the north bank of District Water, eight thousand Jie soldiers were still actively preparing. They brought a large number of sheepskin rafts, which needed to be fully inflated before crossing the river. Shi Tan was very complicated. He had just done it last time.  They suffered heavy losses in Guyuan County, not far from Gaonu County, and lost 7,000 of their sons. This was a heavy blow to the small Jie people. This time the Huns forced them to be the vanguard and attacked the city again.  Imagine, after this battle, how many of the eight thousand disciples will be left? Shi Tan could not help but sigh. At this time, his father Shi Le slowly urged his horse forward, glanced at his son and said, "You don't have to sigh.  If we win an expedition, we Jie people will receive generous rewards, enough to compensate for the battle losses.  " "But what if the Southern Expedition fails?  "Shi Tan asked his father in a low voice. "Failure?" Shi Le had not considered this issue. He pondered for a while and then asked: "Do you think this southern expedition will fail?  "A proud army will be defeated. This time Huchuquan was so proud that he only led an army of 100,000 to march south. He underestimated the enemy of the Han army. I am not optimistic about this southern march. Moreover," Speaking of this, Shi Tan asked  After looking at both sides, he lowered his voice and said to his father: "I suspect that Liu Qubei set a trap for Huchuquan during the Southern Expedition.  "    "Freeze said!  " Shi Le was startled and hurriedly waved his hands to stop his son's nonsense. Shi Tan sneered and said: "Liu Qubei has fought with the Han army. How could he not know the power of the Han army and actually encourage Huchuquan to lead only  50,000 troops went south, but he himself only brought 50,000 troops. Isn't this a trap?  " "Stop talking!  "Shi Le interrupted his son sternly and gave him a quick wink. Only then did Shi Tan realize that a cavalry was running towards them. They were soldiers sent by Huchuquan. "Great Chief, Shan Yu ordered you to go to war immediately.  , no further delay!  " Shi Le cursed secretly in his heart, but he could only laugh and said: "Please tell Shan Yu that as soon as the sheepskin raft is ready, we will send troops immediately.  " The cavalry galloped away. Shi Le sighed and said to his son: "Stop thinking about reducing losses, prepare to go all out!  " Shi Tan gritted his teeth and said nothing. Not long after, a captain rushed over and reported: "Chief, the raft is ready!  " Shi Le patted his son on the shoulder, "Go!  " Shi Tan drew out his sword, urged his horse to run in front of the army, stared at the river, and saw a layer of white mist rising on the river, which made him extremely excited. He raised his sword high and shouted: "God is blessing us, the river is foggy, this is  The best time to attack is to seize the south bank as quickly as possible. After going out, you are not allowed to look back. Anyone who dares to return will be killed!  " Eight thousand Jie soldiers roared together, Shi Tan waved his sword and shouted: "Attack!  "'Woo¡ª¡ª' Hundreds of horns sounded, one after another, echoing in the valley on the north bank. Three thousand Jie soldiers who attacked in the first wave rushed towards the shore. The shore was already filled with large and small goods.  Small sheepskin rafts, as big as warships, can carry hundreds of people, and small ones can also carry two or three people. There are wooden rafts tied to the rafts, and soldiers sit on the wooden rafts to row across the river. Countless rafts are thrown into the river.  In the middle, the Jie soldiers jumped into the water with shouts, climbed on the raft, and rowed to the other side.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 851 Fierce Battle Zone Water (Part 1)

    District water is a tributary of the Yellow River and an important medium-sized river. The river is a hundred feet wide and the water surface is calm, but the undercurrent is quite rapid. Both sides of the river are highlands. The Han army built fortifications on the south bank and built three small castles.  There are hundreds of heavy yellow crossbows installed on the castle. This big yellow crossbow is controlled by two strong soldiers. It can shoot a five-foot-long arrow to a distance of 150 steps and can penetrate the wood on the raft.  The platoon is an important weapon against the barbarian rafts.  In addition, 800 soldiers were deployed on the shore. They hid behind a sandbag wall about two miles long, and were ready to defend themselves. The general in charge of defense by the river was Captain Wu Lan, who was also Zhang Ren's subordinate. At this time, he had already  Hearing the horn sound from the other side, he turned around and ordered to the soldiers: "Give me my order and prepare to fight. When the drums sound, you can shoot!" He then said to another soldier: "Go and report to the governor that the Huns are about to attack.  !" The soldier turned and ran away. After a while, he rushed to the city and shouted: "Alert the governor, the enemy is about to attack!" On the top of the city, Zhang Ren also faintly heard the sound of the horn from the other side. He looked at the river and saw nothing but the river.  A layer of white mist rose up as thin as a gauze, which was not conducive to defense. He was a little worried and shouted: "Tell General Wu that there is no need to hold on. If the situation is unfavorable, withdraw immediately!" The messenger returned to the river to report to Ulan.  , Wu Lan ordered: "Prepare the trebuchets!" Thirty medium-sized trebuchets on the south bank creaked open, and the soldiers set fireballs. As long as they gave the order, they would light them and throw them. Wulan's eyes turned to the river again.  , the light fog on the river obscured the view. Although this was beneficial to the attack, it also created certain obstacles for attacking the enemy.  Hundreds of rafts are paddling hard in the undercurrent of the river. There are not many sections of the river suitable for crossing. The section of the river that is more than 300 miles away from the district water is either covered with rocks or cliffs on both sides.  The water flow in this section of Nu County is slightly slower, and both sides are relatively flat, making it suitable for crossing the river.  Three thousand Jie soldiers rowed the rafts desperately. A quarter of an hour later, the rafts had reached the middle of the river. Shi Tan stared at his troops closely and saw them disappearing in the looming white mist. Shi Tan immediately turned around and ordered:  "The second team goes out to fight!" The second team of 3,000 soldiers rushed to the river, threw out hundreds of rafts, climbed on the rafts and followed the forward team. At this moment, rapid war drums suddenly sounded from the south bank.  Voice.  The sound of war drums was an order. Hundreds of large yellow crossbows were fired at the same time. Hundreds of five-foot-long arrows came out of the strings and shot powerfully into the river. At this time, hundreds of rafts were already looming in the mist.  The arrow shot out of the air and suddenly appeared in front of the Jieren soldiers. The Jieren soldiers were caught off guard. A soldier was pierced through the chest by a long arrow. He let out a scream and turned over and fell into the water. The soldiers on the raft suddenly became a mess.  Long arrows continued to shoot out of the air. Although most of them entered the water, many of them hit the rafts. The soldiers screamed and fell into the water. The rafts capsized. In just a moment, seven or eight rafts were shot.  Shen.  At this time, several long arrows shot out of the air and shot at a large raft. There were more than a hundred soldiers on the raft. The Jie soldiers were so frightened that they dodge. The long arrows shot through the wooden raft and pierced the raft below.  After a few skin bags, the raft began to lose balance. Although a large raft is composed of dozens or even hundreds of skin bags, the raft also pays attention to balance. Once the balance is broken, the empty raft can still remain stable, but it is full of people.  Soldiers, things are very different.  Amidst the violent shaking, the large raft overturned. More than a hundred soldiers screamed and fell into the water. They struggled in the river for help. However, the undercurrent below the river surface was rapid. They only struggled a few times before being swept into the water by the undercurrent.  Missing.  Three large rafts in a row capsized and more than 250 soldiers fell into the water. The Jieren soldiers were frightened and frightened. The leader of the thousand captains shouted: "Speed ??up! Speed ??up!" At this moment, a message came from above the heads of the soldiers crossing the river.  Hearing the strange noise, everyone looked up and saw dazzling fire in the sky, followed by dozens of huge fireballs rushing towards them, or hitting the raft. The raft overturned and the soldiers fell into the water one after another.  More fireballs crashed into the water, but this did not mean that everything was safe. On the contrary, the threat was greater. The fire was not extinguished by entering the water. The fireballs continued to burn raging in the water and quickly approached the leather raft. The sheepskin raft was most afraid of fire.  It broke when it touched the fire. The soldiers shouted in fear and tried their best to poke the approaching fireball with their spears. An accident happened. A large amount of liquid gushed out from the fireball, which ignited immediately, and the water surface also burned.  This is a method that a craftsman came up with. The inner core of the kerosene ball is filled with kerosene with a thin sheepskin bag, and the outside is wrapped with fire cloth. Once the fire cloth burns through the skin, the kerosene inside will flow out and float on the water.  Burning, thus posing a fatal threat to the sheepskin rafts, this was a weapon used by the Han army to deal with the Huns' rafts crossing the river.  But before the fire cloth was burned through, the impatient JieThe soldiers used spears to pierce the skins inside, and a large amount of kerosene flowed out, turning the river into a sea of ??fire. The soldiers were frightened and yelled. Many rafts were ignited by the flames and the skins were burned.  The soldiers screamed and jumped into the water to survive.  Fireballs fell from the sky one after another, and the fire on the river became more and more intense. The hundreds of rafts at the front were caught in a sea of ????fire. There were cries and screams on the river, and the rafts behind were so frightened that they turned around and fled back.  On the north bank, Shi Tan was stunned by the fire on the river. He originally did not allow the soldiers to retreat, but at this time, looking at the soldiers fleeing back, he had nothing to do.  Not only were the Jie people panicking, thinking that it was fire coming from the sky, it could actually burn in the water. Thousands of people knelt down by the river to pray. Even the Xiongnu Chanyu Huchuquan and Youxian King Liu Qubei were also alarmed and rushed.  Come and check it out right away.  Huchuquan's face was very ugly. Of course he didn't think this was some kind of sky fire. It must be a weapon of the Han army. He could see clearly just now that it was a fireball thrown from the top of the city, but this kind of fire could actually burn on the water.  The burning really made him feel incredible, but at this time Huchuquan was very dissatisfied with Liu Qubei. He had been dealing with the Han army for so long, but he didn't even tell himself that the Han army had such powerful fire weapons.  Huchuquan glared at Liu Qubei with great dissatisfaction, "King Youxian, you should know this!" Liu Qubei quickly shook his head and said, "I haven't been dealing with the Han army for a long time. I only know that their bows and crossbows are very powerful.  But he didn't know that they were so sharp with fire. "Actually, Liu Qubei knew a little bit. Didn't the Han army destroy the Wuhuan camp with fireballs?  It's just that Liu Qubei didn't expect that this kind of fire could burn in water, but he didn't dare to explain too much. The more he explained, the worse he got. At this time, Shi Le, the chief of the Jie people, rushed forward and said: "Chanyu, the offensive has not been launched yet. I  My army has already lost more than a thousand people. If we continue to fight like this, my army will be burned to death in the river." Hu Chuquan snorted heavily, "We lost the first battle. Why are we marching south? Don't explain to me the reason.  After an hour, seize the south bank for me." Shi Le wanted to argue again, but Huchuquan didn't give him a chance anymore, turned his horse's head and left. Liu Qubei shook his head and left too. Shi Le couldn't say a word for a while.  At this time, his son Shi Tan rushed forward and asked: "Father, does he agree?" Shi Le smiled bitterly and sighed: "He doesn't care about our life and death at all." "Son of a bitch!" Shi Tan  He cursed softly.  He turned his eyes to the river again, gritted his teeth and said: "If we attack like this, our entire army will be annihilated." As soon as he finished speaking, a sinister laughter sounded from behind, "Actually, the Han army's fireballs are not without loopholes." Shi's father and son  Turning around, he saw a middle-aged Han scribe standing behind him. Shi Tan once served as a general under Liu Qubei. He knew this person as Li Ling, Liu Qubei's Han staff. He was overjoyed and quickly bowed and said: "  Please teach me!" Li Ling pointed to the river and said with a smile: "I just looked carefully at the distance of the opponent's fireball. Their throwing distance is about two hundred steps. In this way, your crossing point only needs to be moved three hundred steps north.  Avoid the opponent's fireballs." "But what about the fire on the river?" Li Ling laughed, "The river flows east, can the fire burn against the water?" Shi Tan slapped his forehead hard.  He was really confused. Why didn't he think of it? At this time, Li Ling said again: "Trebuchets with a distance of more than 200 steps are at least medium-sized and must be fixed, so you don't have to worry about the trebuchet moving westward, but be careful of the opponent's crossbows."  "I understand, Mr. Shi Tan's reminder should be taken to heart!" Shi Tan urged his horse to run towards the shore, shouted orders, and urged the soldiers to change their route to the west. At this time, Li Ling also returned to Liu.  Standing next to Qubei, Liu Qubei asked with a smile: "How is it? Do they accept sir's suggestion?" Li Ling nodded, "It seems that they accepted it, but even if we capture the south bank, it doesn't make much sense. It's difficult for us."  "Seize the city." "You and I don't have to worry about this. Shan Yu's purpose is to force the Han army to come to help. I believe he will have a plan to deal with it." At this point, an imperceptible sneer appeared on Liu Qubei's face.  meaning.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Li Ling's suggestion was not wrong. The range of the fireball could not exceed 300 steps. When the rafts of the 5,000 Jie soldiers crossed the river 300 steps upstream, they finally got rid of the bad luck of being burned by the fire. However, the Han army  The crossbows and arrows were ready.  Amidst the shouts, the five thousand Jie soldiers launched a second attack. This time they no longer hesitated, used all their strength, and rowed the rafts as hard as they could. Hundreds of rafts flew towards the other side, and  The Han army on the south bank had already cocked their crossbows, waiting for the enemy to come.    But as the main defense general on the south bank, Wu Lan¡¯s responsibility is not only to defend against the enemy¡¯s attack as much as possible, but also to prepare for the worst and prepare for the worst, because the thirty trebuchets on the south bank have lost their defensive role.  , Wu Lan without hesitation ordered the dismantling of the trebuchets so that they could not be obtained by the Huns. At the same time, the large yellow crossbows also changed from fixed shooting to mobile shooting. The sergeants moved more than a hundred large yellow crossbows to the sandbag wall and placed them on  Long arrow.  "General, we have entered the range of the big yellow crossbow!" A soldier reported to Wu Lan urgently.  Wu Lan immediately ordered: "Shoot with the big yellow crossbow!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 852 Fierce Battle Zone Water (Part 2)

    Just hearing the sound of a crossbow machine, a hundred long arrows shot against the water towards the raft in the river. At this time, the mist gradually dissipated, and the crossbowmen could clearly see the raft in the river. The target was clearer and the hit rate was higher.  A substantial increase.  The powerful long arrows hit their targets one after another, causing screams on the river. Nearly a hundred Jie soldiers were shot into the river by long arrows and died tragically on the spot. Several medium-sized rafts were also hit by arrows and capsized, causing the soldiers to scream.  .  Immediately after the second round of long arrows roared in, dozens of people were tragically killed by the arrows. The three rafts at the front capsized, and more than a hundred Jie soldiers fell into the water and were quickly swept away by the rapids, but the big yellow crossbow  The long arrows could not stop the Jie people's attack. The large group of rafts got closer and closer, and finally entered the killing range of the crossbows.  "Get your crossbows ready!" Wu Lan shouted loudly, and a thousand soldiers raised their crossbows and aimed at the raft getting closer and closer in the river. Wu Lan shouted, "Shoot!" A thousand crossbow arrows were shot out at the same time, densely.  The crossbow arrows were fired at the enemy's raft a hundred steps away, just like the strong wind and rain rolling up on the river, shooting at the Jieren soldiers on the raft. The crossbow arrows were so powerful and penetrating that the Jieren's leather armor could not stop them.  The crossbow arrows immediately caused a large number of casualties. In the panic, two more large rafts capsized, and more than 150 people unfortunately fell into the water. Although they escaped the crossbow arrows, they could not escape the call of the District Water Dragon King.  At this time, the Jie people's general Shi Tan personally led the last two thousand people into the battle. He held a broadsword in his hand and shouted loudly: "Don't be afraid of the enemy's crossbows, charge forward!" The drums on the river were like thunder, and the Jie people soldiers shouted  Xiao Yao braved the intensive crossbow arrows and rowed the raft desperately. They were getting closer and closer to the south bank. At this time, Shi Tan came up from behind. He waved his sword and was the first to rush to the south bank, followed by hundreds of the most elite Jie people.  The tribal warriors, holding their spears straight, shouted and rushed towards the sandbag wall on the slope, but what greeted them was a dense barrage of crossbow bolts. Dozens of soldiers were shot, tumbling and falling into the river wailing.  Shi Tan was unable to dodge and was hit in the thigh by an arrow. He immediately fell to his knees. Seeing that the situation was not going well, several soldiers took advantage of the opportunity for the arrow to hit General Shi Tan.  Although the Han army was well-defended, with strong and dense arrow rain, and large swaths of enemy troops were shot down, the Jie people had too many soldiers, with 7,000 people engaged in the battle. Nearly 5,000 soldiers came ashore alone, led by a thousand-man commander.  With a thousand soldiers, they rushed to the west in an attempt to capture the Han army from the west.  At this time, they also entered the shooting range of Jie people's bows and arrows. Thousands of bows fired arrows together, and the arrows were fired at the Han soldiers behind the fortifications. Although the Han soldiers were protected by sandbag walls, they were overwhelmed by the dense enemy arrows.  Despite the rain, there were still casualties, and dozens of soldiers were unfortunately hit by arrows.  At this time, a tooth general rushed to Wu Lan's side and whispered: "A thousand enemy troops have come up from the west and are outflanking us. General, we have to withdraw!" Wu Lan  They also felt that they could no longer hold on. The large group of enemy troops were less than fifty steps away from them. More importantly, the enemy's arrows were so dense that the Han soldiers could not lift their heads. Wu Lan nodded.  He turned around and asked, "Have the trebuchets been destroyed?" "Reporting to the general, they have all been destroyed!" "Okay!" Wu Lan then ordered: "Ming Jin withdraws the troops!" 'Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The crisp bell rang, which was the signal to withdraw. Thousands of Han troops carrying wounded soldiers rushed towards the north gate of the city three miles away like a tide.  At this time, Zhang Ren had already made preparations. The city gate had not been completely blocked, leaving a gap about ten feet wide. Not long after, the Han army withdrew and rushed into the county. When the last general, Wu Lan, rushed into the county,  The city gate closed with a bang, and the soldiers began to carry huge stones to hold up the last gap in the city gate.  After paying the price of more than 2,000 deaths, the Jie soldiers finally got their wish and captured the fortifications on the south bank. The district water no longer became an obstacle to the Xiongnu army going south. Chan Yu Huchuquan immediately ordered the army to cross the river.  It took three days and three nights for all the 30,000 troops to cross the district river and begin to camp around Gaonu County. The remaining 70,000 troops camped on the north bank. Overnight, the outside of Gaonu County became a world of tents.  For more than ten miles, the momentum was huge.  Zhang Ren stood at the top of the city, looking at the overwhelming tents under the city that stretched into the distance. He didn't know whether the Huns army would attack the city now, because he had seen countless Huns cavalry returning from the forest to the west, and the horses were dragging behind them.  Live huge wood.  Although the Xiongnu have lived in the grasslands for generations, part of Huchuquan's army and Liu Qubei's army have been living in the Central Plains for many years. Among the large number of Han people they captured, there were many craftsmen. Building a simple siege ladder would not be a problem. If the Han army was late,  If assistance is delayed, the Huns army will most likely attack the city, and he must be fully prepared.  At this time, Zhang Ren turned around and asked: "Has the eagle letter to His Highness been sent out?" "It was sent out a few days ago, but there is no reply yet." Zhang Ren nodded, it should beThe reply came. At this time, a soldier pointed to the sky and shouted: "Captain, the letter eagle is here!" Zhang Ren looked up and saw a black goshawk hovering in the sky. After circling a few times, he leaned towards the eagle.  The tower flew away, and Zhang Ren was overjoyed that news finally came. He hurriedly ran to the Eagle Tower in Nancheng. Before he could reach the Eagle Tower, the Eagle slave came and presented him with a tube of Eagle Letter.  Sure enough, it was a reply from the King of Han. Zhang Ren read it hurriedly. Liu Jing ordered him to strictly guard Gao Nu in the letter. The Han army would take action, but they needed to wait until the time was right. "The Xiongnu are both seeking reinforcements for the siege and exerting pressure, the Xiongnu will definitely attack."  During the siege, General Zhang only had to defend the city tightly. After two months, the morale of the Xiongnu would be demoralized. The outcome of this battle depended on whether the general could defend Gaonu.  ¡¯ Zhang Ren nodded slowly, knowing that he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Liu Jing was not in Chang'an at this time, but in Xiliuying in Chencang County. Xiliuying was located on the only way from Longxi Road to Guanzhong. It was named because of the nearby Xiliu Town. It can be called the throat of Chencang.  A large military camp covering an area of ??thousands of acres. Due to its very important geographical location, this military camp has existed for hundreds of years. Back then, Zhou Yafu stationed troops at Xiliu Camp.  After the Eastern Han Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang, Guanzhong's strategic status declined and Xiliu Camp was abandoned for a time. It was not until Zhong Yao visited Guanzhong more than ten years ago that Xiliu Camp gradually began to recover, but only partially. In the end, it was restored by  The Han army restored it completely.  At present, Xiliu Camp is the cavalry station of the Han army. Twenty thousand new cavalry are trained here. This new cavalry is mainly composed of Wuhuan and Qiang people. They do not need to train riding skills, but need to train discipline and tactics. The cavalry general  The instructor is Pang De, and Ma Dai and Leng Bao are assistants.  After two months of hard training, this originally undisciplined cavalry has been completely changed. Every soldier seems to have become a different person. They have strict military discipline and fight bravely. They no longer have the looseness of nomads, but more  A bit of self-discipline of the Han cavalry.  Accompanied by Pang De, Liu Jing stood on a high platform to observe the formation training of the new cavalry. He saw four cavalry units rolling like dragons under the guidance of four big flags. Although the four armies were mixed together, there was no trace of them at all.  There was chaos, and each maintained their formation. Soon, the four cavalry groups separated. They were neatly organized and without any disorder. Ma Dai began to lead the inspection soldiers to count the number of soldiers and find the soldiers who were standing in the wrong team.  Liu Jing couldn't help but praise: "It's not easy to achieve such a high level in just two months!" Pang De introduced at the side: "What your Highness saw was only the 4,000 cavalry of the Third Army, and there were other  The four cavalry armies also have to train in sequence. When they first started training, it was very confusing. They had to wear helmets of different colors to distinguish them. Now they are making rapid progress, but it is not enough. In the next step, I will gradually cancel the leading banner.  , without any markings, let them line up, and finally train in simulated actual combat. I believe that in two months, their training level will be as good as that of the Han cavalry. " "I am looking forward to it!" Liu Jing smiled and nodded.  , at this time, Ma Dai pulled out a few soldiers who were in the wrong team from the team, scolded them loudly, and ordered them to return to the team. Pang De's face became a little uneasy, and he cursed in a low voice: "A bunch of unsatisfactory bastards!" Liu  Jing smiled slightly. He was very satisfied with Pang De and Ma Dai's honesty. They could have pretended not to see it and then reported to him with good results. But they did not do this and found out the problem realistically. This  That's valuable. Let them train the new cavalry, and you can rest assured.  Liu Jing patted Pound on the shoulder and said, "I am more satisfied with finding out the problem than if there is no problem at all. Very good!" He turned around with a smile and got off the wooden platform and walked outside the camp. Pound  After being stunned for a moment, he quickly asked: "There are still four armies training behind you. Does Your Highness want to check it?" "No, just do your best. I guess the people I'm waiting for have already arrived." Liu Jing got on his horse and walked among hundreds of people.  Under the escort of the guards, they headed out of the camp along the horse road. They left the Xiliu Camp and ran north for more than an hour before arriving at Yongxian County.  The valley road can also reach Xiaoguan, and Liu Jing's temporary camp is currently stationed in Yong County.  The reason why he hurried back to Yong County was because he was going to hold important military affairs meetings in Yong County. Many senior civil and military officials would come to Yong County. When Liu Jing was about to arrive at the temporary camp outside Yong County, he saw another  A group of more than a hundred people came running on the official road to the east. Liu Jing reined in his horse and watched from a high place. The cavalry group gradually approached, and Liu Jing recognized it. It turned out to be Yan Yan, a veteran general from Xinping County.  .  Yan Yan was named a partial general and Marquis of Ba Jingting. He led 10,000 troops to garrison the Maling Canyon. There was also a valley road leading into Guanzhong, and there was also the Luochuan Road to the east, which led to Gaonu County in the north and Fengyi County in Guanzhong in the south.  , Liu Jing ordered Wei Yan to lead 30,000 troops to build a city at a strategic location for defense.    At this time, Yan Yan also saw Liu Jing. He quickly urged his horse to gallop towards him. He clasped his fists on the horse and saluted: "I will see you at last, Your Highness!" "Thank you for your hard work, old general." Liu Jing slowly approached Yan Yan and asked with a smile.  He said: "What's going on over there in the Maling Valley?" "Reporting to Your Highness, I sent twenty scout teams to the north to patrol. Basically, I found no enemy situation, but there was something abnormal the day before yesterday. I came here to report this.  ¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 853 Yong County Military Discussion

    "What's abnormal?" Liu Jing asked hurriedly.  "Reporting to Your Highness, one of the scouts I sent captured a Hun spy disguised as a Wuhuan man, and found a map from him. It clearly showed how to enter Guanzhong from the Maling River Valley. After a humble interrogation, we found out  "You know, this scout was sent by Liu Qubei, not the Xiongnu Chanyu." Liu Jing frowned slightly. Logically, it should be the Xiongnu Chanyu who sent the scouts now. Could it be that Liu Qubei wanted to send troops to sneak attack Guanzhong?  Liu Jing nodded and said: "Go back to the camp first. If the military advisor and others arrive, let's discuss it together!" Liu Jing turned his horse and ran towards the temporary camp. Yan Yan galloped away, and the two cavalry teams quickly left.  After running for more than ten miles, Liu Jing finally returned to the temporary camp. Although it was called a temporary camp, the camp was meticulously set up. The camp covered an area of ??about a thousand acres, with board walls built around it and four observation towers. Five thousand people were stationed there.  Elite soldiers.  Liu Jing ran to the camp and got off his horse. The general on duty greeted him, knelt down on one knee and reported, "Your Highness, Military Advisor Jia, French Military Advisor, Sima Shangshu and Governor Ma have all arrived. Governor Zhao also arrived yesterday.  Liu Jing was surprised that Ma Chao had arrived from Hexi. He nodded and asked again: "Is General Wei Yan here?" "He is here too!" It seems that except for Hanzhong Wu Yi and Longxi Zhang Yi, the other major  When all the senior officials arrived, Liu Jing and Yan Yan walked into the camp. At this time, Ma Chao came up to them, bowed and saluted, "I'm sorry to see you, Your Highness!" Liu Jing saw that he was slightly fatter than before, so she smiled and patted him.  He raised his arms and said: "It seems that life in Hexi is good!" Ma Chao smiled bitterly and said: "It's too plain, I would rather be exchanged for Gao Nu." "Hexi will also be uneasy! I asked you to come, of course there is  "Mission." Ma Chao was overjoyed. Although he was the highest general in Hexi, he lived a peaceful life without any wars. Except for hunting, he rarely encountered bows and horses. He was too eager to go to war. Seeing the Xiongnu going south,  Even if Liu Jing didn't mention it, he would still take the initiative to apply for combat.  Liu Jing asked again: "Tell me about the situation of the Lingzhou Qiang people. I heard that a large number of Lingzhou Qiang people fled to Hexi. What is the situation now?" "Yes! It has really caused chaos in Hexi for a while, and various Qiang tribes in Hexi have  I thought about the Qiang people, so I sent troops to take over all the Qiang people. According to His Highness's instructions, the farming Qiang people were settled in Wuwei County, and a small number of nomadic Qiang people were divided equally among the various Qiang tribes. Interestingly, we captured  The third prince, Zuo Dan, clamored to see His Highness, probably because he wanted to restore the country, so he was temporarily imprisoned in Wuwei County. Liu Jing sneered and said: "This man is of no use. Go back and execute him without leaving any future troubles."  ." "Follow the order!" The two of them walked straight into the tent.  In the big tent, Jia Xuzheng, Zhao Yun and others stood in front of the sand table and discussed something. When everyone saw Liu Jing entering the tent, they all bowed and saluted. Liu Jing smiled and nodded to everyone, "Let everyone come to Yong County. Thank you for your hard work."  Jia Xu, Sima Yi, Fazheng, as well as Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Wei Yan, Yan Yan, as well as Wu Yi and Zhang Yi who have not yet arrived, and Liu Hu and Pang De who will arrive in the evening. This military affairs discussion can be described as  All high-ranking civil and military officials gathered together.  Liu Jing waved her hand, "Everyone, please sit down first!" Everyone sat down one after another. Liu Jing sat back in his seat and then said to everyone: "Although there are still a few people who haven't arrived, I will briefly discuss the situation with everyone first. It will be official tomorrow  When discussing military affairs, everyone can have a clear target." Liu Jing took out the eagle letter sent by Zhang Ren from Gaonu and circulated it to everyone. He slowly said: "The Xiongnu dispatched 100,000 cavalry this time, and Shanyu Huchuquan personally led it.  The army went south. Frankly speaking, the number of troops they sent was much less than I predicted. I thought that this time the Xiongnu went south, they would send at least 200,000 troops, and they were led by Shanyu himself. This was a relatively embarrassing number of troops.  " Jia Xu said with a smile: "What is embarrassment? Your Highness, can you tell us in detail? "The so-called embarrassment means that they can't do many things. We mainly mean to divide their forces, such as attacking Hexi Longyou all the way, and then attacking Guanzhong all the way.  Even the army attacking Guanzhong can be divided into three routes, and they can be divided into Luochuan Road, Malinghe Road and Xiaoguan Road. This will make us focus on one and lose the other. We will be extremely passive. But now they have insufficient troops, so the strategy of dividing the troops to attack may not work.  , they can only concentrate their forces to fight us decisively. Judging from the current situation, Huchuquan's idea is to besiege the city and provide reinforcements, besieging Gaonu City and forcing us to assist.  " Speaking of this, Liu Jing smiled at the three military advisors and said: "I want to hear the opinions of the three military advisors. Should we provide assistance or not?  " Jia Xu knew that Liu Jing had an idea in his mind, and he would not reveal his thoughts easily, so he turned around and smiled at Fa Zheng: "I still need to think about it, why not Fa Zheng?"Teacher, let¡¯s talk first!  " Fazheng looked at Sima Yi again, and Sima Yi nodded to him, meaning to ask him to speak first. Fazheng stopped delaying and said after a while: "Wei Chen's idea is to send troops to assist, but not now.  " This sentence touched Liu Jing's heart and coincided with Liu Jing's thoughts. Liu Jing smiled again and said: "Then when does the French military advisor think it is more appropriate to send troops to assist?  " Fazheng walked to the sand table and said: "Before discussing when it is more appropriate to send troops to assist, we might as well infer why the Huns chose to besiege Gaonu?  " Everyone gathered around, Fazheng continued: "I personally think that the Xiongnu's choice to besiege Gaonu has two meanings. One is that they felt that the leader of Gaonu was Zhang Ren, and the King of Han must attach great importance to Gaonu. Once they besieged Gaonu,  , the possibility of the King of Han sending troops is extremely high, followed by the special geographical location of Gaonu.  " Fazheng picked up the wooden pole and pointed at Gaonu County, "please see, Gaonu County is very close to the Yellow River. On the other side of the Yellow River is Xihe County, and in the north of Xihe County is the Western Camp of Zuoxian Wang Liu Bao. The last time we sent troops to merge the state,  Liu Bao did not send troops to intervene, but it does not mean that he will stand by and watch this time.  " Everyone understood what Fazheng meant. Another purpose of Huchuquan sending troops to Gaonu was to echo Liu Bao of Xihe County. In other words, Liu Bao's army would cross the river at any time to support him. If that was the case, it would be explained.  Liu Jing just asked, the Huns' army is more than 100,000. Zhao Yun frowned and said: "Even if Liu Bao decides to send reinforcements to the west, what about Cao Cao?  Didn't he reach an agreement with us and he would deal with Liu Bao?  It is said that there are still 100,000 troops stationed in Taiyuan. Could it be that Cao Cao would just stand by and watch?  " Fazheng sighed and said: "Cao Cao will definitely not stand idly by, but I believe he will be happy to see Liu Bao's army go west to reduce his pressure.  " Liu Jing was deep in thought. He did not speak. Fazheng looked back at Liu Jing and then said: "Now let me answer your highness's question just now. When is the best time to send troops to assist Gao Nu? The answer is to wait for Liu Bao's army to cross the river.  After arriving at Gaonu, our main army set out from Xiaoguan to lure the main force of the Xiongnu to the west, so that Cao Cao could take the opportunity to send troops.  " As soon as Fazheng finished speaking, there was a wave of opposition in the big tent. All the generals objected one after another. Wei Yan said loudly: "If Cao Cao refuses to take the initiative, he has betrayed his trust. We have to act as bait for him.  Create opportunities, I firmly oppose it!  " Zhao Yun also shook his head and said: "French military advisor, please think twice about this plan. I'm afraid it will disappoint the officers below.  " Fazheng tightened his lips and said after a while: "I want to hear His Highness's opinion!  " The tent suddenly became quiet, and all eyes turned to Liu Jing. Liu Jing thought for a long time and said: "It's too early for me to express my position. Although my idea is to send troops to assist, my opportunity is when the wind blows.  , the Huns will not spend the winter here. Before they withdraw, the Han army sends troops to drag the Huns into the pass as much as possible.  " "Does Your Highness think Liu Bao will send troops to march westward?  "Fazheng asked again. Liu Jing nodded, "He will send troops, not only Liu Bao, but also Liu Meng from Lingzhou. Once we send troops from Xiaoguan, Liu Meng will definitely lead his troops behind us.  , interrupted our return to Xiaoguan, so I asked Governor Ma to attend this military meeting just for the sake of Lingzhou Liu Meng.  Ma Chao's eyes couldn't help but light up. He understood what Liu Jing meant. At night, Liu Jing was walking alone in the camp. The starry sky was brilliant tonight, and the Milky Way was like a jade belt from above his head.  After paving the way, the night was like water and especially cool. Liu Jing could faintly hear the arguments between Liu Hu and Fazheng from the main tent. Liu Jing couldn't help but shook his head. With Liu Hu's fiery temper, he could not tolerate the Han army.  Becoming Cao Cao's bait, Fa Zheng's plan was opposed by almost all the generals. "Is Your Highness worried about differences?  " Clear laughter came from not far away. Liu Jing heard that the voice seemed to be Sima Yi. When he turned around, he saw Sima Yi standing not far away, looking at him with a smile. Liu Jing then remembered,  During the discussion during the day today, Sima Yi seemed to have remained silent. But it is no wonder that Sima Yi no longer holds the position of military advisor. He is now the minister. The reason why he attended this military meeting is because Sima Yi is in charge of military affairs and is equivalent to the position of minister of the Ministry of War.  , Recruiting troops, recruiting civilians, supporting military supplies and providing food and grass, paying tribute to fallen soldiers, recording meritorious service and rewards, promotion and titles, etc. are all planned by him. It can be said that he is the logistics manager of everyone. But Liu Jing also wants to hear his advice.  After thinking about it, the two walked a few steps, and Liu Jing smiled and said, "What do Zhongda think of Fa Xiaozhi's plan?  " Sima Yi smiled and said, "Frankly speaking, I think his plan is feasible, but it shouldn't be made so clear. Some things can be tacitly understood.  "Liu Jing nodded and sighed: "This is his character."He is always straightforward and can easily offend others, but there must be a certain tacit understanding between Cao Cao and Cao Cao.  " Sima Yi understood what Liu Jing meant, so he smiled and said: "If Your Highness has no objection, how about I make a trip to Taiyuan for Your Highness?  " "But can you leave now?  " "It's not a big problem. I can temporarily hand it over to the Yuanzhi agent. Now that the relocation of Wuhuan people has come to an end, Jiang Shangshu alone is enough."  "Liu Jing pondered for a moment, and then said happily: "With Zhongda as envoy, I feel relieved.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 854 Huns Envoy

    Bingzhou is bounded by the Taiyuan line. The entire northern part of Bingzhou, including the northern part of Taiyuan County, the northern part of Xihe County, Yanmen County, Dai County, Yunzhong County and Wuyuan County, is occupied by the Zuoxian King tribe of the Xiongnu. There are also a few Xianbei and  During the period when Wuhuan people lived together.  During the Eastern Han Dynasty, a large number of Han people also lived in the northern part of Bingzhou. The Xiongnu and Han people lived together, and the Xiongnu surrendered to the Han Dynasty. The imperial court sent military guards to protect the Xiongnu to manage the Xiongnu, Wuhuan and other nomadic peoples. However, with the decline of the imperial court at the end of the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty  The dynasty gradually lost control over the Huns. Liu Bao, the Xiongnu Zuoxian King, completely occupied the northern part of Bingzhou and began to expel the Han people. This resonated with the expelled Han people in Guannei and Hetao, and a wave of refugees emerged that lasted for decades. The Yellow Turban Uprising also  This triggered the wave of refugees.  At present, the northern part of Bingzhou completely belongs to Liu Bao, but Taiyuan is still in the hands of Cao Cao. Starting from Liu Jing's campaign against Wuhuan a few months ago, Cao Cao gradually increased his troops in Taiyuan until Cao Pi's mission to Chang'an was successful.  Cao Cao's army has increased its troops to 100,000 in Taiyuan, and even Cao Cao himself rushed to Taiyuan himself.  The Huns in the north have always been a serious concern for Cao Cao. His second son Cao Zhang has been fighting against the Huns in Yanmen and Youzhou all year round. Several battles broke out. Cao Cao even recruited Wuhuan cavalry to fight against the Huns. As the Huns continued to attack  Cross-border plundering of property and civilians has caused serious harm to the people in Bingzhou and Hebei.  It has been Cao Cao's long-cherished wish to completely defeat the Huns and drive them out of the north of the Great Wall. However, he was not strong enough to fight against the powerful Huns cavalry. This time, Liu Jing moved the capital to Guanzhong to eliminate the threat of the Huns to Guanzhong.  , launched the Northern Expedition and directly clashed with the Huns. This gave Cao Cao hope. He finally decided to join forces with Liu Jing to expel the Huns and restore China.  In Taiyuan City, Cao Cao and several counselors were discussing the battle strategy against the Xiongnu in Bingzhou. The first two months were in a quiet period, and Cao Cao also returned to Yedu. It was not until he heard the news that the Xiongnu Shanyu sent troops that he set off again and rushed to Taiyuan.  .  Cao Cao's temporary military headquarters was set up in the Taiyuan government office. In the lobby, Cao Cao was sitting in the middle. On both sides were four counselors, Cheng Yu, Chen Qun, Liu Ye, and Xin Pi, as well as generals Cao Zhang, Xu Huang, Zhang He, Xu Chu, Yu Jin, Cao Zhen, etc.  Everyone sat down respectively, and Marching Commander Tian Yu introduced the current situation to everyone.  "According to accurate information, the Xiongnu Chanyu Huchuquan and Youxian King Liu Qubei led 100,000 cavalry to surround Gaonu City. This is the largest stronghold of the Han army north of Guanzhong. It is said that Zhang Ren led 5,000 men to garrison it.  , the Huns launched several sieges against Gaonu, all of which ended in failure. At present, the Huns' army is still in Gaonu, forming a situation of besieging the city without attacking. It can be seen that this is a gesture of siege and reinforcements. The Huns  I hope the main force of the Han army will come to assist Gao Nu. "What's the situation on Liu Bao's side?" Cao Cao asked.  "Reporting to Wei Gong, Liu Bao's side is relatively calm. Except for the forty thousand troops gathered in Daijun two months ago, there has been no movement. However, Wei Chen got a message that Liu Bao also went there two months ago.  The Xiongnu headquarters in Yinshan, so I suspect that Liu Bao will not stand idly by." Cao Cao nodded and said to everyone: "Here, I need to clarify a few principles to you. First of all, we must seize this opportunity. We must.  Take advantage of this Han-Hungarian war to regain Bingzhou and relieve the troubles in the north, so we must send troops. Secondly, although this war with the Huns is the emperor's decree, I will be the commander-in-chief, and Liu Jing is only the deputy commander-in-chief, but everyone must  Understand, Liu Jing and I are on our own, I can't interfere with him, and he can't influence me, so our strength is limited, and the most we can do is fight against the Xiongnu in Bingzhou." Cao Cao said it very implicitly, but he was actually reminding everyone,  He and Liu Jing are still strong enemies. Although they temporarily joined forces to fight against the Huns, once the Huns return to the grasslands, the war between Cao and Han will continue. Cao Cao does not want his counselors and generals to forget this, even though he  He also decided to marry his daughter to Liu Jing.  Cheng Yu's lips moved, but he hesitated to speak. Cao Cao also saw that Cheng Yu had something to say, but at this moment, a guard rushed to the hall and reported loudly: "To the Prime Minister, General Cao Xiu  There is an urgent military report." "Call him in!" The guard hesitated and said, "General Cao Xiu said that the matter is relatively confidential." Cao Cao nodded and said to everyone, "That's it for today, Zhongde will stay.  They all stood up to say goodbye, but Cheng Yu stayed. Cao Cao returned to the inner hall, and Cheng Yu also followed. Cao Cao glanced at him and asked, "What did Zhongde want to say just now?" "Wei Chen wants to remind Duke Wei that everyone  It seems that it is too early to say this." "Why?" Cheng Yu sighed and said, "Actually, Wei Chen also understood that Wei Gong wanted to remind everyone not to get too close to the Han army, but the situation is  Development is often not controlled by us. Once the Xiongnu unites internally, we and the HanCooperation with others is also indispensable, so Wei Chen suggested that Wei Gong should take a broader view for the time being and not be too concerned about temporary gains and losses.  " Cao Cao suddenly woke up. He patted his forehead and said, "I was just worried. Thanks to Zhongde for reminding me!  " Cheng Yu felt very happy when he saw that Cao Cao readily accepted his suggestion. He smiled and said: "Actually, Duke Wei's worries are not unreasonable. Cooperating too deeply with the Han army will easily lead to the soldiers' identification with the Han army. Once in the future,  If the war between the Cao army and the Han army is frustrated, there will be an unfavorable situation in which important generals of the Cao army surrender to the Han army. Therefore, the key is to grasp a certain degree. Cooperation with the Han army can neither be in-depth nor reject it thousands of miles away. As long as we grasp this  I think Wei Gong has nothing to worry about!  " Cao Cao stroked his beard and nodded, "What Zhongde said won my heart!  " At this time, Cao Cao saw a guard at the door who seemed to want to report. Then he remembered what happened to Cao Xiu and asked, "But Cao Xiu wants to see you?  " "Reporting to Wei Gong, that's right!  " "Let him in."  " Cao Xiu is the deputy commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. He was appointed by Cao Cao as the scout leader this time and was responsible for spying on intelligence in the northern part of Bingzhou. Cao Cao knew that he had important military information and must be related to the Xiongnu. After a moment, Cao Xiu quickly walked into the back hall and stood alone.  He knelt down and saluted and said, "See Duke Wei!  " "Is there any urgent military information you want to report to me?  "Cao Cao's tone was very calm. He obviously didn't think there would be any urgent military situation now. "Report to Wei Gong, Huchuquan secretly sent an envoy.  " This news made Cao Cao slightly startled, and his eyes quickly turned to Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu nodded, "Wei Gong, this is what I expected.  " Cao Cao pondered for another moment and said to Cao Xiu: "It's good that you can report in a secret way. You can bring the envoy to see me in the back hall.  " Cao Xiu saluted and hurried away. Cao Cao asked Cheng Yu again, "What does Zhongde mean by sending an envoy from Huchuquan at this time?  Cheng Yu smiled slightly, "Huchuquan sent an envoy here, which at least confirmed my speculation. The Huns did not separate Bingzhou and Guannai. If I am not wrong, Huchuquan hopes that Wei Gong can best  He stood still and even hoped that Duke Wei would work with him to deal with Liu Jing.  " Cao Cao couldn't help but sneered. At this time, the guard reported at the door: "For Duke Wei, the Huns envoy is here!  " "Order him to come in!"  " After a while, Cao Xiu brought in a stout man in his mid-thirties, wearing a hat and dark embroidered silk pants. He looked no different from the Hu merchants in the market. He came in and took off his hat, revealing  With a shiny bald head, he bowed deeply and said, "The Xiongnu is chasing King Luan Tidaman on the right day. See Wei Gong!"  ¡± Nominally, the Huns still surrendered to the Han Dynasty, and the Chanyu Huchuquan also sent envoys to Yedu every year to pay symbolic tribute and pay homage to the Prime Minister Cao Cao. This Luan Tidaman sent envoys to Yedu six times on behalf of the Xiongnu Chanyu.  , already very familiar with Cao Cao, Cao Cao nodded and said with a smile: "It turns out that an old friend is here, please sit down!  " "Thank you, Mr. Wei!  " Daman sat down. He took out a roll of parchment letter and presented it to Cao Cao with both hands. "This is an autographed letter written by Shan Yu to Duke Wei. Please have Duke Wei read it.  " A guard forwarded the letter to Cao Cao, but Cao Cao was not in a hurry to read it. He put the letter aside and asked, "Did King Rizhu come directly from Gaonu, or from Daijun?  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 855 Zhongda is on a mission

    Daman was stunned. He immediately understood what Cao Cao meant, and immediately bowed respectfully and said: "Reporting to the Prime Minister, I came from Gaonu and haven't gone to see Liu Bao yet." Cao Cao also asked casually, because even if Daman didn't go to see Liu Bao,  Liu Bao would go to Gaonu to see Huchuquan. Cao Cao no longer persisted in this issue. He changed the subject and said: "Since our Han Dynasty expelled the Northern Huns, the Southern Huns have been able to survive under the protection of the imperial court."  After recuperating and recuperating for hundreds of years, why are they now marching south to threaten the Central Plains? Could it be that Hu Chuquan, feeling that his wings were full, betrayed his trust and left behind all the past favors the court had shown him? " "Cao Cao's tone was harsh,  Daman was so frightened that he knelt down and said: "Wei Gong's words have really wronged Shan Yu. This is not the case. We have no intention of peeking into the Central Plains. We are just forced to do it out of self-defense. We hope Wei Gong will learn from it!" "Self-defense?  " Cao Cao snorted and said: "The Wuhuan people were rude. They first crossed the border and burned the border merchants and occupied Xiaoguan. The King of Han had no choice but to fight back against the Wuhuan. Then the war broke out two months ago. What does this have to do with you?  At this time, they went south to besiege Gaonu. I don¡¯t understand, where is the self-defense? " "Wei Gong only listened to one side of the story. In fact, when the Han army fought with the Wuhuan people, the Huns were already involved.  Both the tribe and Liu Meng's tribe suffered a disastrous defeat. What was even more outrageous was that the Han army sneaked into Sheyanhai and killed tens of thousands of women, children and elderly people. Millions of cattle and sheep were slaughtered. Even the wife and children of King Youxian were also massacred.  The Huns could not turn a blind eye to the bloody feud. The Shanyu personally sent troops south to drive the butcher Liu Jing's army back to the south and restore the previous order. The Shanyu said that Guanzhong and Longxi were the territory of the Han Dynasty, and the Xiongnu would not get involved.  "Return to the imperial court." Daman emphasized the words "return to the imperial court" clearly. Cao Cao sneered in his heart. He only mentioned the territory but not the population. How could he not understand such duplicitous words?  He said calmly: "In that case, King Zhuri might as well tell me clearly, what do you need me to do?"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Daman came to see Cao Cao in secret and could not stay too long. After he handed over Huchuquan's letter, he left quickly. Of course, Cao Cao would not make any promises to him. Some things should not be said too clearly.  , the key is to look at the actions of both parties.  Cao Cao ordered Cao Xiu to send Daman away, and he handed Huchuquan's letter to Cheng Yu, "Military advisor, let's take a look at their plan!" In fact, Cheng Yu already understood the Huns' intentions without reading the letter.  It is obviously unrealistic to ask Wei Gong to stand still. It is obviously unrealistic for Cao Jun to send troops to Guanzhong. However, if Cao Jun can stand still, the strength of the Huns can suddenly increase to 180,000, and the possibility of defeating Liu Jing will be greatly increased. Of course, the Huns also proposed  In exchange for attractive conditions, Cao Cao's army did not need to send a single soldier, and the Huns army defeated the Han army, and guaranteed to deliver Guanzhong and Longxi to Cao Cao's hands. This condition was exactly what Cao Cao dreamed of.  Cheng Yu looked at the parchment letter and saw Cao Cao standing in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, deep in thought. Cheng Yu slowly walked forward and said, "There is a loophole in this letter. I wonder if Wei Gong saw it?" "I felt it too.  But let¡¯s talk about the loopholes you discovered first,¡± Cao Cao said solemnly.  "Huchuquan said in the letter that he would not take the territory of the Han Dynasty and would return Longxi and Guanzhong to Wei Gong, but he did not mention Hexi. More importantly, what to do with the Han people living in Longxi and Guanzhong  , He didn¡¯t mention it at all. It¡¯s conceivable that what Wei Gong got when he arrived would be ruins and scorched earth.¡± Cao Cao sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s the problem! The Huns never return empty-handed when they send out troops in large numbers.  If they don't plunder all the people's wealth in Guanzhong, they won't give up. I'm afraid that by then, I, Cao Cao, will be a sinner forever. " Having said this, Cao Cao turned his eyes to the window and looked at the distant sky. After a long time, he said coldly: "  Although I long to defeat Liu Jing and recapture Guanzhong and Longxi, I will not exchange national justice. Hu Chuquan is just wishful thinking!" Seeing Cao Cao's resolute attitude, Cheng Yu couldn't help but said with relief: "Wei Gong can understand justice so well.  This is a blessing for all the people in the world!" He changed his tone and laughed softly: "But soldiers are not afraid of deceit, and Wei Gong can use it to his advantage." Cao Cao was overjoyed and asked quickly: "What's the plan?" Cheng Yu whispered to Cao Cao.  After saying a few words, Cao Cao nodded repeatedly, and finally pondered for a moment, "But this requires Liu Jing's cooperation." Cheng Yu laughed, "If what I predict is correct, Liu Jing will send an envoy soon."  At this time, a guard reported in the hall: "Report to Wei Gong, there is an express message from Hedong County. The King of Han has sent Shangshu Sima Yi as an envoy to Bingzhou. He has entered Hedong County and is heading towards Taiyuan." Cao Cao and Cheng Yu  Looking at each other, they couldn't help but laugh together. Sima Yi entered Bingzhou from Pujin Pass, passed through Hedong County, and headed north.??Since the two large mountain ranges of Taihang and Luliang run through Bingzhou from the east to the west, the route from Hedong County to Taiyuan is divided into two east-west routes. One is to the east of the Luliang Mountains, extending northward along the Fenshui River Valley, passing through the Shuqiao Valley in the middle, and entering Jiuzhou.  Zeda Lake, and then walk north to reach Taiyuan.  Another route is to take the west of Luliang Mountain, pass through Xihe County, enter the west of Taiyuan County, and then go east through Luliang Mountain to reach Taiyuan. Relatively speaking, the west of Luliang Mountain is relatively desolate and sparsely populated, while the Fenshui River Valley to the east of Luliang Mountain  It is a densely populated agricultural area.  Sima Yi chose to go through the densely populated Fenshui River Valley. More than a hundred members of the mission took three large boats and headed north along the Fenshui River. That afternoon, the fleet passed Yong'an County. The big boats cut through the waves and slowly headed north under the pull of trackers on both sides.  Okay, Sima Yi stood on the bow of the boat, looking at the picturesque scenery on both sides of the strait with his hands behind his hands. The mountains in the distance are like black and white, and large forests are distributed at the foot of the mountains. There are endless rice fields on both sides of the strait. It is early September, and the rice fields are green and yellow, undulating with the wind.  , like a spectacular sea of ??rice, which made Sima Yi feel relaxed and happy.  At this time, a soldier led the boatman forward and said, "Military advisor, the boatman said there is something important." "What is it?" Sima Yi turned around and asked.  "Mr. Qichen, further ahead is Guanjuejin. There is a section of dangerous shoal for tens of miles, which is the section of Shuque Valley. Ships with more than a hundred stones cannot pass, and only small boats can pass." Sima Yi frowned, "  I used to take a boat across the Fen River and it was smooth sailing. There were no dangerous shoals. " "That was many years ago. About five years ago, a large mountain collapsed in Shuque Valley, and countless boulders rolled into the river.  The river was blocked for a time. Later, the government organized civilians to dredge the river. However, due to limited manpower and material resources, it was never able to fully restore its previous smoothness. A thirty-mile-long rocky beach was formed, which was very dangerous and large ships could easily be smashed. " "Then.  What to do?¡± The boatman said helplessly: ¡°Either take a boat, or take the land route, go through Gaobi Ridge in the east, or take the west bank of Fenshui, pass Jiahu Fort, and then continue taking the boat to Lingshi County. This section of the journey  It's about eighty miles." Sima Yi thought about it. There were so many of them, and there were also the betrothal gifts given to Cao Cao by the King of Han. It was obviously unrealistic to take a boat. They could only go by land. Sima Yi asked again: "Can we rent mules and horses by going by land?  "Yes! Yes! There are a large number of mules and horses available for rent on both the east and west coasts. The business is very prosperous. Sir, there is no need to worry about this problem." Sima Yi had no choice but to nod and said: "Okay! Then we will get off the boat and go to the west bank."  "Hubao."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Half an hour later, the fleet arrived at the Yindi Guanxi Pier. Everyone disembarked, found a large team of mules and horses, checked in supplies, and rode horses to meander north.  The area where they are located is a canyon about a hundred miles long, called Mouse and Bird Valley. As the name suggests, the terrain is dangerous. Only mice and birds can pass through the canyon. There are rolling mountains on both sides of the canyon, and high cliff ridges to the east. The terrain is dangerous.  Jue, the terrain to the west is slightly gentler, and there is a small town in the mountains called Jiahu Fort.  Due to the rampant bandits and numerous thieves in the mountains, the town of Jiahu Fort built a fort wall around it and defended it with local self-organized militia groups. The reason why Jiahu Fort is important is that it is the only place to stay on this more than 100-mile mountain road.  .  However, Sima Yi was not too worried. There were more than 20 people in their envoy, and the remaining 80 people were all elite guards from the Eagle Attack Army. They could easily deal with bandits and bandits. There were also a dozen muleteers accompanying them.  They take care of the luggage.  At dusk, the mighty team entered the gate of Fort Jiahu, and Fort Jiahu suddenly became lively. Fort Jiahu is located at a dangerous point halfway up the mountain, and is the only way to pass through the mountain road. There are hundreds of buildings in the fort, where people live.  With a population of more than a thousand, there are mostly hotels and taverns, as well as two small brothels.  Although Jiahu Fort had no worries about business, the arrival of the Han envoys still caused a fight among the hotels, and Sima Yi finally chose the largest hotel.  The team moved into the hotel in great force. The soldiers unloaded the suitcases from the mules and horses and carried them into the hotel. The mule driver and the waiters led the mules and horses into the stables at the back. The hotel manager came out and greeted him. He was well-informed.  Seeing that the status of this group of people was unusual, their attitude became extremely respectful. He nodded and bowed and said to Sima Yi: "Please rest assured that the store will do its best to make everyone live comfortably and sleep soundly." This  At this time, Sima Yi looked around the hotel and found that many people were dining in the dining hall on the other side. Everyone was looking at their special group of guests and whispering to each other from time to time. Several of them looked vicious and did not seem to be good people.  Among them, a man sitting in the corner was about forty years old, with thick eyebrows and a long scar on his face. His eyes were particularly fierce and he was looking at him coldly.  He heard the leader of the mule and horse team say on the road that Fort JiahuThe main reason why it has never had an incident for decades is that it has reached a tacit understanding with the bandits. As long as the bandits do not cause trouble in the castle, everyone can come and go freely. It is conceivable that among these people eating, there should be bandits.  spies.  Sima Yi frowned. He was not afraid of bandits, but he didn't want any accidents to happen along the way. Sima Yi ordered everyone to clean up before going out to eat. When Sima Yi and everyone came to the dining hall, all the guests had already left.  They were the only ones left inside.  At this time, the muleteer leader sat next to Sima Yi and whispered: "When you entered the store just now, did you notice a middle-aged man with a scar on his face?" Sima Yi thought of the man with extremely thick eyebrows and clicked.  He nodded and said, "I also saw this person. Who is he?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 856 Killing at every step

    "He is the bandit leader in the Nanluliang area, and his name is Feinong." Sima Yi was startled, and then said angrily: "Since he is the bandit leader, why not arrest him?" The muleteer leader sighed and said, "Former County  The lieutenant once captured the third leader of a bandit, nicknamed the Hundred-Sword Immortal, and beheaded him in the street. Three days later, all 47 members of his family, including the county lieutenant, were killed, and 47 heads were hung in the county seat.  At the gate, Prime Minister Cao was furious and ordered to suppress the bandits, but in the end nothing happened. From then on, no one dared to offend the bandits in Nanluliang. It was common for them to come to Jiahu Fort, so everyone could only pretend not to see them.  If you mess with him, Jiahu Fort will be bloodied tomorrow." Sima Yi snorted loudly after a while, "He just looked at us for a while. Could it be that he wants to attack us?" The team leader said worriedly: "This is what I am worried about.  Recently, there are rumors that there is going to be a war with the Huns. There are a lot less merchants going north, and their business is also very sluggish. If such a huge team comes, with hundreds of people in a large box, how can they not be tempted? I am very worried about tomorrow  Something will happen on the road." Sima Yi patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Don't worry! The bandits who can touch us have not had any trouble yet." Having said that, the leader is just making a living in this area. If something happens,  No matter which side wins, they will have nothing to eat. He wanted to stop talking, but he couldn't say it. Bandits are not easy to mess with, but these guests are also not easy to mess with. He is extremely anxious in his heart, so he can't say it.  Qiu Fenong was just passing by. Shuqueling stretches for nearly a hundred miles. It is also a branch of the Luliang Mountains. It has crisscrossing mountains and numerous valleys. Many of the valleys are deep and precipitous and inaccessible all year round. There are also many mountain gaps that allow you to cross the Luliang Mountains and reach other places.  Xihe County on one side.  At night, several horsemen galloped on the rugged mountain road. They knew every plant and tree on the mountain road very well. Although the night was dark and the mountain road was rugged, they were able to gallop on the horse as if they were walking on flat ground.  Under the moonlight, I saw that the leader was about forty years old, with a long scar on his face, which made him look particularly ferocious in the moonlight. This man was the bandit leader Fenong. They were running all the way from Fort Jahu.  Come.  They ran deep into the mountains and entered a canyon directly. As soon as they reached the mouth of the canyon, a thunderbolt shot over their heads. Fenon quickly reined in the reins, dismounted, and waited on the spot. At this time, several people wearing armor came out of the woods.  As a sentry, Fenong quickly bowed to the leading officer and said: "Please report to the general, we have found the target." The leading officer waved his hand, and several soldiers led Fenon towards the valley. They came to a huge tree.  In front of him, there was a person standing under the tree. The thick shadow of the tree covered his face, making him look like a looming black shadow.  Fenon felt terrified, knelt down on one knee and said: "Fenon, see the general!" "Have you found the target?" "Reporting to the general, the villain has found the target. At dusk today, they moved into Fort Jahu.  We should set off tomorrow morning and arrive here before dark tomorrow at the latest. " "Very good, but I'm not familiar with this area. I need your help. Bring all your men here tomorrow!" "Fenon is reluctant.  , but he did not dare to say half a word 'no', so he could only clasp his fists and say: "I obey, villain!" "Go! I want to see your people arrive before noon tomorrow." "Yes!" Fenon stood up and left.  After a while, the black shadow coldly ordered: "Inform the people below to have a good rest tonight and work hard for me tomorrow!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  At dawn the next day, Sima Yi and his party left Jiahu Fort and continued northward along the rugged mountain road. Perhaps because there were too many people walking, the mountain road was not difficult to walk. There was a section of the road that was quite flat and surrounded by trees.  The shade is dense, there are many strange rocks on both sides, and from time to time there are owls making loud calls. The early morning fog shrouds the mountains, giving the mountain road an eerie and mysterious feeling.  There were no pedestrians on the mountain road. They walked for nearly an hour and saw no other pedestrians except them. But it was no wonder. They were the first team to set off from Jiahu Fort. At this time, there were no pedestrians on the other side.  , no one will spend the night in the mountains.  Sima Yi's expression was quite serious. He was still thinking about his encounter with the bandit leader last night. Before leaving, the shopkeeper also reminded him that if he encounters a bandit, the only way to survive is to sacrifice his wealth and save his life. Coupled with the words of the leader last night, it seems that they  You will definitely be attacked by bandits today.  Although Sima Yi did not take bandits and bandits to heart, he was always cautious and did not want to be too careless. He waved his hand and called the muleteer leader over. Sima Yi asked again: "Tell me, how many bandits are there?"  What's your background?" The team leader didn't sleep well all night, feeling uneasy and said quickly: "I heard that these bandits were originally from Hebei Province.After the Yellow Turban bandit army was defeated by the officers and soldiers, they fled into Bingzhou and ruined several counties. After being rounded up by the officers and soldiers, they hid in the Luliang Mountains and became bandits from then on. The entire southern Luliang was their territory.  There are more than a thousand people, and there are three leaders. The Fenong we saw last night is their big leader.  " "It turns out to be the Yellow Turban Thief!  " Only then did Sima Yi understand the background of this bandit. He asked again: "Are these more than a thousand people all Yellow Turban bandits?  " "There are only more than 300 Yellow Turban thieves, and the rest are local ruffians recruited in Bingzhou. They robbed homes and robbed women. They have committed many crimes. Three years ago, Prime Minister Cao sent Yu Jin to lead an army to suppress the bandits. General Yu fought fiercely.  , went up the mountain, burned their village, and rescued many women. However, these bandits fled to Xihe County and were sheltered by the Huns. The bandits were suppressed, and the generals withdrew, and they swept away again.  Later, he rebuilt the stronghold and caused trouble to all sides, even more ruthlessly than before.  " Sima Yi was slightly startled, "Can we go to Xihe County from here?  " "There are some canyon secret passages in the mountains that run through Luliang Mountain and can reach Xihe County at the other end. However, these valley passages are rarely used by people, and I have never walked through them.  " I don't know why, but Sima Yi had an ominous premonition in his heart. He immediately ordered: "Send the order to protect, don't be careless along the way, and avoid being ambushed!  " On this mission to Taiyuan, Liu Jing had agreed with Sima Yi on the route in advance. Taking the west road of Luliang Mountain was within the Huns' sphere of influence. They were easily ambushed by the Huns, so they decided to take the east road, which was a Han inhabited area and the road was flat.  , and went directly to Fenshui by boat. Despite this, Liu Jing was still worried that they would encounter bandits and bandits, so he selected a hundred elite sergeants from the Eagle Attack Army to escort Sima Yi on his mission, just in case something unexpected happened to Fen.  The water channel was blocked, so they had to go over mountains and ridges and walk more than a hundred miles of mountain roads. As a result, they really encountered bandits and bandits. What worried Sima Yi even more was that the secret road in this area led to Xihe County, which made the Huns  It is possible, of course, this possibility is very small, but they are not a caravan and have important political tasks. If the Huns get the news, they will definitely intercept them, which makes Sima Yi feel a little nervous. They are cautious all the way.  Heading north, nothing unusual happened. Seeing that the day was about to pass and the time gradually reached the afternoon, even the mule driver leader breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Fenong still did not dare to take action. He urged his horse to come to Sima Yi and pointed at a road in the distance.  Shanliang smiled and said: "Did you see, the white mountain ridge in front is called Yudu Ridge? After climbing over that mountain ridge, you will be out of the mountainous area and into the plain. Walking another ten miles or so will be the Jiexiu County Pier. You can  Renting a big boat to go directly to Taiyuan will not cause any problems.  " Sima Yi nodded and looked up at the surrounding environment. This area happened to be a canyon, but the valley was wider, about a mile wide on both sides. There were lush forests on both sides of the road and strange rocks. A little further away, there were cliffs on both sides with long cliffs.  It was full of dense vines. If you weren¡¯t paying attention, it would be difficult to find that they were in the valley. Sima Yi suddenly felt something bad in his heart. If someone wanted to ambush them, this would be the best place. He immediately shouted: "Front.  Watch out for being ambushed!  " As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp arrow was shot at Sima Yi from the woods, but it missed slightly, passing by Sima Yi's shoulder, and hit the leader behind Sima Yi. The leader of the mule driver screamed, turned over and fell from his horse. "  The unexpected incident surprised the guarding soldiers. They all jumped off their horses and raised their shields and crossbows. Several soldiers reacted very quickly. They rushed to Sima Yi's side and raised their huge shields high. They surrounded Sima Yi. The leader of the Eagle Attack Army guarding Sima Yi this time was  A tooth general named He Yan was from Xiangyang, Jingzhou. He had experienced hundreds of battles and made many achievements. In eight years, he gradually rose from a small soldier to a tooth general. He Yan had rich experience and immediately discovered the enemy who was attacking Sima Yi.  , raised the crossbow to shoot, only to hear a scream, a man in black fell from a dense tree, with a crossbow arrow stuck in his neck, as the man in black was shot down, drums sounded loudly in the woods  , screams came from far and near, and several towering trees fell down, blocking the mountain road ahead. Dense arrows roared from both sides. The soldiers had dismounted, but the horses they were riding on were hit by arrows one after another.  There was a roar of war horses, and more than a hundred war horses fell to the ground and died miserably. The muleteers, who were inexperienced, also died miserably from arrows. The horses of the soldiers were all high-quality horses. They had been with them for many years and were close to the soldiers. At this time, the horses fell to death.  The soldiers were so heartbroken that they fired arrows into the woods to fight back. Their archery skills were so good that as soon as the ambushers hiding in the trees showed their faces, they were caught by arrows in a matter of seconds.  An archer in black was hit by an arrow and fell. The other ambush archers were so frightened that they hid behind tree trunks and did not dare to show themselves again. The ambush arrows suddenly became sparse. Although the arrow attack was blocked, the ambush enemies came closer and closer.  , from twoThey fought out of the forest, all dressed in black, and there were more than a thousand people. The leader had thick eyebrows and eagle eyes, and a slender horse face with a shocking scar. It was the man who had been killed in Jia last night.  Sima Yi recognized Fenong, the leader of the bandits that Hu Bao met, and said to the leader He Yan: "General He, they are mountain bandits in this area, be careful!" He Yan sneered and said: "Don't worry, Minister! These are the bandits.  None of the bandits will survive. " He ordered twenty of his men to protect Sima Yi and other followers, while he led the remaining eighty soldiers to line up to fight. They had taken off their robes, revealing their tight-fitting armor, holding huge shields and spears, and were ready for battle.  , and the twenty people who guarded Sima Yi were divided into two teams, one team of ten, and the two teams were back-to-back to deal with the bandits coming from the east and west.  Eighty elite Eagle Attack Army soldiers burst out with a shout at the same time, launching an offensive like a storm against the bandits who rushed up. They were five in a team, and they were like a dozen sharp daggers rushing into the enemy.  Wherever they passed, they killed the bandits and killed them. Dead bodies were everywhere. They swept the bandits all the way and were unstoppable. In less than a quarter of an hour, more than half of the more than a thousand bandits were killed or wounded, but not a single Han soldier was injured.  The bandits were frightened and turned around to flee, but the Han soldiers had cut off their retreat, leaving them with no way to escape. Many of those who surrendered on their knees were stabbed to death by the Han soldiers without mercy.  They don't accept surrender from anyone.  An ambush battle turned into a one-sided massacre in the blink of an eye. The bandits were crying and wailing all over the fields. Dead bodies were piled in the valley, and blood was flowing on the mountain roads.  At this time, Fenong, the leader of the bandits, was furious. Although he had not forced the Han army into a narrower valley not far away as agreed in advance, he could not wait any longer. He raised his horn and blew loudly, "Woo¡ª¡ª  *The sound of trumpets echoed throughout the valley.  At this time, Sima Yi faintly heard the sound of horns coming from both ends of the valley road. He suddenly realized that things were not that simple.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 857 Heavy Surrounding

    The horns sounded one after another, but they did not rush into the valley and fight the Han army. They did not care about the life or death of the bandits, and seemed to deliberately allow the Han army to kill them all. At this time, the bandits in the valley had been killed by the Han army.  Most of the remaining two hundred people fled towards the valley entrances on both sides, but were intercepted by several groups of Han soldiers. In the end, only a few dozen people managed to escape, and the remaining more than a thousand bandits were massacred by the Han army.  At this time, General He Yan captured the bandit leader Feinong alive and dragged him to Sima Yi. Feinong was trembling with fear. He had never seen such a powerful army. With only more than a hundred people, he defeated his superiors.  After killing all the thousands of brothers, he realized that he had caused a big disaster. Before Sima Yi could interrogate him, he shouted with a trembling voice, "It's the Huns, they forced me!" Sima Yi narrowed his eyes,  His worst fears finally came true. The Huns indeed got the information about their mission to Taiyuan. This matter was quite secretive. Who leaked it? Could it be Cao Jun from Hedong?  However, at this time, Sima Yi could not care about who leaked the news. He wanted to solve the immediate crisis. He asked again: "How many troops do the Huns have?" Feinong said with a sad face: "There are more than 5,000 people, all from Xihe County.  Come over there, they've blocked the valley in front and behind. They originally wanted us to ambush you and force you into the Ghost Valley. It's full of firewood. They seem to be setting fire to the valley." "Ghost Valley!  'Sima Yi remembered that a few hundred steps behind them was actually a mountain crevice, less than two feet wide, or a valley within a valley. The leader said that it was a mile deep and was a place where corpses were piled up. It would be haunted at night.  That¡¯s why it¡¯s called Ghost Valley.  Sima Yi was secretly glad in his heart. Fortunately, he was protected by the most elite Eagle Attack Army, which defeated this ragtag group of bandits. If they were really forced into that ghost valley, they would really be burned into ghosts.  "Who is the leader of the Huns? Where are the Huns from?" "I don't know who the leader of the Huns is. I haven't seen his appearance, but he knows me. He must be someone sent by Liu Bao. I swear, he will never  There is no lie. Please spare my life, sir." Sima Yi snorted, stared at him and said coldly: "You have done harm to others, and you are full of evil. Today is the day of your beheading. I hope you will tell me the truth and I will give you a happy life!  " "Spare me!" As soon as Feinong shouted, He Yan stabbed him in the back of the heart, killing him with one blow.  At this time, the dull sound of war drums came from the distance. The drums were not urgent and did not sound like an attack, but they were very rhythmic. He Yan was rich in experience. His face changed slightly and he said to Sima Yi worriedly: "The Huns first  The trumpets are being blown to assemble, and now there is the rhythmic sound of war drums. This means that the Huns are launching a positional war, which is extremely disadvantageous to us." Sima Yi looked up at the sky. The west was already red with sunset, the sun had set, and the sky was getting dark quickly.  It was about to get dark, and Sima Yi said: "It's getting dark. This is good for us. Everyone, listen to my arrangements." Sima Yi looked at the surrounding terrain again. The valley road here was one mile wide, with dozens of thick and towering trees on both sides.  Trees. The men in black were ambushing them with bows and arrows in these big trees just now. Sima Yi turned around and said to his twenty or so followers: "Don't worry about anything. Climb up the trees, place cold arrows on the trees, and try to shoot the enemy officers."  "Except for a few civilian officers, the twenty-some followers were all ordinary soldiers around Sima Yi. Although they could not compare with the elite Eagle Attack Army soldiers, they could shoot and assassinate easily. Everyone dropped the big box.  They all climbed up the tree with swords and crossbows.  Sima Yi pointed to more than a hundred large boxes and said to He Yan: "These large wooden boxes can be used as bunkers. Move them to the middle of the road quickly, and the corpses will pile up." He Yan quickly ordered the soldiers to do so, and he said worriedly: "Both sides  The forest is dense, and I'm worried that the Huns will use fire to attack." Sima Yi sneered: "The terrain here is open, and we are not afraid even if we use fire to attack. They should be worried about us setting fire to the valley. Don't worry about this problem for the time being. Time.  It's urgent, go and set up defenses immediately." He Yan agreed, leaving two soldiers to protect Sima Yi, and hurried to deploy defenses. With the help of the soldiers, Sima Yi also climbed up a big tree to watch the battle from a high position.  Five thousand Xiongnu troops have blocked both ends of the valley, which is about three miles long. It is like catching a turtle in an urn, and they are bound to win. The reason why the Huns have not attacked for a long time is because they hope that the bandits will force the Han envoy and his party into a trap.  Valley, and then set fire to the valley, wiping out the messenger and his party without any effort.  On the other hand, even if the bandits could not force the Han army's envoys into the Ghost Valley, they could still use the bandits' power to consume the Han army's strength to the greatest extent. However, the Huns did not expect that the Han army was so powerful. It only took half an hour to defeat the Han army.  Killed all the more than a thousand bandits.  At this time, the dusk was dark, and four thousandThe Huns army has been formed, with two thousand men on each side of the valley. The leader of the Huns is Liu Luo, the second son of Zuoxian King Liu Bao. Liu Bao has many wives and concubines, including more than a dozen sons.  Historically, Liu Bao gave birth to another young son more than twenty years later. This person was the famous Liu Yuan. He inherited his father's Bingzhou territory and army. Taking advantage of the Eight Kings Rebellion of the Jin Dynasty, he led his army to invade Luoyang and broke out.  After the famous Yongjia Rebellion in history, Liu Yuan immediately established the State of Zhao in Bingzhou, which kicked off the Five Husties' rebellion in China.  Liu Bao was only in his forties at this time, and Liu Yuan had not yet been born, but the ship of history had deviated from the waterway. Liu Luo was sent by his father and led 5,000 people to Pingyang County to intercept the Han envoy. Liu Bao asked him to kill the Han envoy.  Military messenger.  Although Liu Luo was only in his early twenties, he had rich experience. He had already received the news that the bandit Fenong and his men had been wiped out by the Han army. He was shocked. He realized that although the Han army was small in number, its combat effectiveness was  He was extremely strong and should not be underestimated, so he adopted the strategy of positional warfare and ordered his troops to form a square formation to attack the Han envoys.  He left a thousand men as reserves and ordered about 4,000 troops from the north and south to advance deeper into the valley from both ends step by step. Liu Luo saw that it was getting dark. He didn't want to delay it until tomorrow. He had to fight quickly and fight immediately.  The order said: "Speed ??up and attack the enemy!" The rhythm of the war drums suddenly accelerated, and the Huns soldiers began to run. They held torches and swords in their hands and fought towards the depths of the valley one mile away.  The Han army has deployed defenses in the valley. The bandits cut down several large trees on the north side, which can be used as bunkers, while on the south side, more than a hundred large boxes were used to form another bunker. A hundred soldiers were divided into two.  There were fifty people in the north and south each, and another twenty crossbowmen were deployed on the big trees to shoot at the Hun officers.  At this time, the Huns' war drums suddenly accelerated. He Yan knew that the Huns were about to attack, and he shouted: "A man dying in battle is the best thing in life. Let the Huns remember this night forever!" Hundreds of soldiers shouted in unison!  Roaring, the military crossbows were raised one after another, aiming at the dark figure in the distance. The Eagle Attack Army was equivalent to the special forces of the Han Army. Their equipment was also extraordinary. In addition to being equipped with the best war horses, each soldier also had spears and  The giant shields are all specially made.  The spear is made of fine steel, strong and sharp, and will not break easily. The giant shield is also the same as the heavy shield army, which can withstand the crossbow arrows within fifty steps.  In addition, their military crossbows are also slightly longer than ordinary military crossbows, and the crossbow strings are more elastic. The effective killing range is fifty steps longer than ordinary military crossbows, and they can kill the opponent from a hundred and fifty steps away.  This Eagle Attack Army guarding Sima Yi can be said to be the elite among the elite. Each soldier has high-strength military force. Although it is a bit exaggerated to block a hundred with one person, there is no problem for one person against ten. He Yan saw that the enemy army has entered a hundred and fifty.  Within ten steps of the killing range, he shouted, "Shoot!" The encounter finally began. Hundreds of sharp crossbow arrows were shot to the north and south. Only a scream was heard, and dozens of Huns soldiers in the front row  They fell down one after another, and the Han soldiers quickly pulled the string and placed the arrow, all in one movement, and then took aim and shot. This time they did not need He Yan's order. They aimed and fired immediately, and immediately opened the crossbow to load the arrow.  As for whether the arrow hit the opponent, they didn't care. They loaded the arrow as fast as possible. The Xiongnu soldiers only ran thirty steps, and the Han soldiers had already fired three rounds of arrows. Nearly two hundred Xiongnu soldiers were powerfully killed.  shot down by a crossbow arrow.  The war gradually became intense. The running Hun soldiers were shot down one after another. They were wailing all over the place and dead bodies were piled up. However, Liu Luo had no way out. Regardless of the casualties of the soldiers, he ordered his trusted soldiers to guard the formation behind them with swords. Anyone who dared to retreat would be punished.  Behead everywhere.  Under Liu Luo's coercion, the Xiongnu soldiers desperately attacked forward. Although there were dead bodies lying at their feet, they could not retreat. They also fired arrows at the Han army's position, but to no avail. The Xiongnu army was getting closer and closer to the Han army's position.  It was getting closer and closer, less than twenty steps away.  At this time, the Han army had stopped shooting. Hundreds of soldiers, holding huge shields and spears, lined up and were waiting. Both sides ran together, roaring and rushing into the other side's position. The two sides collided fiercely, and suddenly limbs flew everywhere and blood flowed.  The fog filled the air, and screams and howls resounded throughout.  The Han army still set up a five-man formation. Five people formed a group, led by a corps commander. They cooperated with each other and killed fiercely and sharply. They were well-trained, especially good at night fighting. Although they were defeated by the Huns who were more than ten times their own  Surrounded by soldiers, they were still not at a disadvantage and fought fiercely with groups of Hun soldiers.  Twenty soldiers on the big tree prepared their crossbows and nocked arrows, constantly aiming at the Xiongnu army on horseback. Cold arrows were shot out in the dark, and an officer or soldier was hit by the arrow, and the torch fell to the ground and was extinguished.  Sima Yi was also on a big tree, closely watching the battle between the Han army and the Xiongnu army on both sides of the north and south. Although the Han army was brave and good at fighting, after all, the Huns army had too many people. In two hours at most, the Han army would be exhausted, and the Xiongnu army would be exhausted.  People have also noticed this.??, they clung to the Han soldiers and did not give them a chance to breathe.  Sima Yi couldn't help but worry in his heart. If they continued killing like this, they would be annihilated sooner or later, so measures had to be taken. Thinking of this, he whispered a few words to the two soldiers guarding him. The two soldiers understood and quickly slid down the road.  tree, bent down and ran deep into the woods.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 858 Reinforcements Arrive

    In addition to shields, crossbows, spears, and knives, the equipment of the Eagle Attack Army also includes a bag of kerosene. This is related to the fact that the Eagle Attack Army mainly performs special tasks. When Sima Yi found that the situation was beginning to go against the Han army, he finally led the army in the canyon.  They were small in number and had self-protection strategies, but it was different for the Xiongnu army. This was also an effective means for them to break through the enemy's encirclement.  Hundreds of bags of kerosene were piled up in the forest to the east. Two soldiers were running in the forest, constantly spraying bags of kerosene into the surrounding trees. In the valley, the two armies had been fighting fiercely for more than an hour, covering a width of about  The main battlefield, which was half a mile long and less than a mile long, was already a mountain of corpses and a sea of ??blood. The Xiongnu army had killed and injured more than 1,800 people, and the Han army also suffered a lot of casualties, with more than 20 people killed and 10 wounded.  The remaining soldiers and wounded soldiers could not last long, and in the end almost all of them died in battle, while only about sixty of the Han army's fresh troops were left.  But what's even worse is that the Han army's physical strength can no longer support them. They have been fighting fiercely with more than a thousand bandits for half an hour, and now they are fighting for more than an hour without any chance to breathe. Everyone is seriously exhausted, even though they are killing  They are still unstoppable, but their speed has slowed down slightly, and the five-man team battle has gradually turned into a ten-man team battle.  Although nearly half of the Xiongnu army suffered casualties, the general Liu Luo saw the fatigue of the Han army and realized that an opportunity was coming. He did not hesitate to order a thousand prepared soldiers waiting at the mouth of the valley in the north to go into battle, which suddenly increased the combat effectiveness of the Xiongnu army.  The army was strengthened and the number of troops increased to 3,000. Liu Luo shouted sternly: "Surround us, don't retreat!"  Several fleeing soldiers were beheaded by them on the spot. Forced by death and inspired by the input of fresh troops, the Huns soldiers launched a fierce attack on the Han army again.  At this moment, thick smoke suddenly appeared in the forest on both sides of the valley, mixed with the sound of crackling fire. The fire was so fierce that all the soldiers in the valley were stunned. Suddenly, several tongues of fire shot out from the forest.  When they came out, the rolling heat wave rushed towards the Hun soldiers. Thousands of Hun soldiers were so frightened that they turned around and fled desperately, regardless of whether there were soldiers behind them to supervise the battle.  Liu Luo, who was behind the team, also felt frightened. He turned his horse and fled out of the valley. At this time, a burning tree fell down, killing more than ten people. Thousands of soldiers suddenly became confused and pushed desperately.  Fighting, trampling on each other, crying and begging one after another.  The fierce battle suddenly disappeared. The leader of the Han army, He Yan, wiped the sweat from his forehead, bent down and gasped for air. He was already a little exhausted, but he knew in his heart that the raging fire must be arranged by Sima Shangshu. This fire would  They save themselves from the greatest danger.  At this time, Sima Yi and his two dozen followers had climbed down from the big tree and shouted to the soldiers: "Evacuate from the south!" Sima Yi could clearly see that most of the Huns soldiers fled from the north of the valley, with only a few hundred people.  Fleeing from the south, with their strength, it was easy to deal with hundreds of Huns. The soldiers nodded, supported the wounded soldiers, and quickly ran to the south.  The fire spread extremely quickly. After a quarter of an hour, the entire valley was filled with thick smoke and was completely engulfed by the soaring fire. After the Han soldiers ran out of the valley, they did not encounter the Xiongnu soldiers retreating south. They caught an injured Xiongnu  The soldiers realized that hundreds of Huns soldiers had lost their fighting spirit and fled towards Xihe County from a valley in the south.  Sima Yi looked at the sky. It was still two o'clock in the morning and the night was dark. He thought for a moment and said to everyone: "This fire will last at least two days. The Huns may be waiting for us on the other side. Maybe they can't wait. From now on,  After returning to Xihe County on the valley road, we should go back to Jiahu Fort to rest for two days. If that doesn¡¯t work, we will go to the other side and cross the Gaobi Ridge to take a boat. "Although everyone was exhausted, they all wanted to leave this dangerous place, so they all agreed.  Sima Yi decided to return to Jiahu Fort.  Liu Luo led his army to escape from the valley entrance from the north. He counted the number of people and found that only 2,000 people were left. He brought 5,000 troops, but lost most of them. The Han envoy was not killed yet. He was angry and resentful in his heart. He went back like this.  He couldn't explain it to his father.  Liu Luo looked at the sky. It was extremely gloomy. It was expected to rain in the middle of the night. In this way, the mountain fire would probably be extinguished tomorrow. He sent people to see if they could cross the valley. They would still chase the Han army.  The messenger, anyway, they are all on foot, and their speed is not fast. Even if they hide in Jiahu Fort, he will rush into the fort and kill all the enemy troops.  Liu Luo resolutely made up his mind, turned around and ordered loudly: "Go back to the camp to rest first, and then pursue the enemy early tomorrow morning." The Huns' camp was under Yudu Ridge, less than ten miles away, and the soldiers were hungry and thirsty.  , walked quickly down the mountain along the mountain road. After a while, they saw the camp in the distance. At this time, the soldiers could no longer bear it and ran towards the camp one mile away. But at this moment,  ?There was a sound of drums in the woods opposite, and there was a big fire. An army was seen fighting out of the woods, led by a general. He was tall and tall, carrying a gold-backed tiger-tooth knife. He was Cao Cao's general, General Jun. Cao Cao received a secret report.  The Huns might intercept and kill the Han envoys in Shuque Valley, which alarmed Cao Cao, and he immediately sent Yu Jin with 5,000 troops to respond.  Yu Jin once came to this area to suppress bandits and was very familiar with the terrain here. He led his army all the way and had just arrived. At this time, he saw the raging fire in the valley in the distance, so he ordered his army to hide in the woods.  They happened to encounter the Xiongnu army who was out of men and horses and had no precautions.  Yu Jin led his army to rush out, pointed his sword, "Kill me!" Five thousand soldiers of Cao's army shouted and rushed out of the woods to kill the Huns army who was in chaos.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Sima Yi and his party returned to Jiahu Fort and rested until noon. At this time, the innkeeper hurriedly found Sima Yi and said that General Cao Jun was visiting outside the hotel. This made Sima Yi stunned for a moment. How could General Cao Jun appear in Jiahu Fort?  With doubts in his heart, Sima Yi quickly walked out of the hotel. He saw several Cao soldiers standing in the yard, led by a general. Sima Yi knew him, but it was Yu Jin. He couldn't help laughing, "It turned out to be General Yu!"  , Sima Yi once worked as the chief clerk in Cao Cao's account, and he got along well with Yu Jin. Yu Jin bowed his hand and said: "Yu Jin came late to rescue, which frightened Mr. Sima." "General Yu, please come into the room to talk." Sima Yi invited Yu Jin to have a meal.  Hall, the two of them sat down, Sima Yi smiled and asked: "Didn't General Yu encounter the Huns?" Yu Jin nodded, "When we met them and returned to the camp, the Huns army was exhausted and was wiped out by us, but it is a pity that their leader  "Run away." "Oh! This is indeed a pity." Sima Yi sighed slightly, but he didn't know that Yu Jin did not tell the truth. Cao Jun did annihilate the Huns and captured the Huns leader Liu Luo alive.  Luo Luo and the captured Huns soldiers were returned to Xihe County. This was Cao Cao's order. Cao Cao wanted to ensure that the Han envoys arrived in Taiyuan safely. But on the other hand, before the war started, Cao Cao did not want to offend the Huns too much.  Just add a lesson.  Sima Yi couldn't guess what Cao Cao was thinking, but he remembered another thing and asked with a smile: "Has the mountain fire been extinguished?" "It rained in the second half of the night, and the mountain fire was also extinguished. Although it was very hot in the valley, it was not  The traffic was affected, but the corpses on the ground were shocking. I left the army to clean up, and I led some sergeants to come to Jiahu Fort and respectfully ask Mr. Sima to set off for Taiyuan. We will protect the safety of Mr. Sima and his party along the way. " Sima Yi smiled happily.  Said: "With General Yu escorting me, I believe there won't be any more accidents." Sima Yi then ordered his men to simply pack their luggage, and the group left Jiahu Fort. Under the protection of Cao Jun, they set off north again, towards Taiyuan.  , this time they went smoothly and did not encounter any ambush.  Three days later, Sima Yi and his party arrived in Taiyuan. Cao Cao ordered Chen Qun to receive them and place the party in a distinguished hotel. Chen Qun then took Sima Yi to meet Cao Cao.  At that time, Sima Yi was defeated in Anlu County and was captured by the Jiangxia army at that time. He finally surrendered to Liu Jing. Sima Yi's wife, who was pregnant with Liujia, was imprisoned by Cao Pi. Unfortunately, she died of illness after giving birth to a son. Sima Yi also had an affair with Cao Pi.  A deep hatred was formed.  Although this happened eight years ago, and although Sima Yi had already married a wife and had children, Sima Yi has never forgotten the hatred eight years ago. However, he has a heavy responsibility at this time and will not affect the relationship between the two parties because of his personal hatred.  During the anti-Hungarian cooperation, Sima Yi met with Cao Cao in the main hall of the military headquarters. Cao Cao was also quite polite to his then chief secretary and asked Chen Qun, Xin Pi and Jia Kui to accompany him. The two parties sat down as guests and hosts.  Cao Cao took a closer look at Sima Yi and saw that he was already over forty years old. Compared with then, he was more stable and calm, his conversation was extraordinary, and he looked like a prime minister in every gesture. Cao Cao couldn't help stroking his beard and sighed: "Although  I have been fighting with the King of Han for many years. It can be said that water and fire are incompatible, but I have to admit that the King of Han is wise in employing people. At first he appointed Zhongda as military advisor, and later as one of the five prime ministers. I also said that the King of Han was too hasty in hiring people, but now it seems  Come on, I was indeed wrong. The King of Han has such wise men as Zhongda to assist him. No wonder he has been able to get to where he is today step by step." Sima Yi saw that the counselors accompanying him all looked embarrassed, so he smiled and said: "Your Highness, King of Han.  He often said to me, when it comes to employing people, no one in the world can compare with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister can use people's strengths and avoid their shortcomings. The King of Han will admit that he is not as good as the Prime Minister. I am just a mediocre person. I am trusted by the King of Han and entrusted with important tasks.  , only by being diligent and self-disciplined, and working conscientiously, Sima Yi is ashamed to be so highly regarded by the prime minister!" Cao Cao laughed, "Sima Shangshu is too modest."   The two exchanged a few words, and then the topic turned to business. Sima Yi sighed and said: "This time I am sent to Taiyuan on the order of the King of Han. I have two important responsibilities. One is to send the King of Han's gift to the prime minister, and the other is to send the Prime Minister a gift from the King of Han."  I want to talk about the details of the cooperation between the two sides to fight against the Huns. However, I was ambushed by the Huns on the way and the ceremony was destroyed. I don¡¯t know how to explain it to His Highness the King of Han.¡± Cao Cao nodded, ¡°I have listened to General Yu¡¯s report.  The Huns are so bold that they dare to ambush you halfway, which is really annoying, but it also shows that the Huns are afraid of us joining forces. As for the Pingli incident, please don¡¯t blame yourself. I can just send the King of Han¡¯s wishes, and I will treat it as done.  Accepting the gift from the King of Han, Sima Yi felt relieved and turned his mind to the cooperation between the two parties. He took out Liu Jing's autographed letter, presented it to Cao Cao and said with a smile, "Thank you very much.  The Prime Minister is tolerant. This is a personal letter from the King of Han to the Prime Minister. He specifically entrusted me to discuss with the Prime Minister in detail the cooperation between the two parties to fight against Hungary." Cao Cao took the letter and opened it. He smiled slightly and said, "I am very willing to talk to you, sir.  Let¡¯s talk about it in detail. I don¡¯t know where we should start?¡± Sima Yi pondered for a moment and said with a smile, ¡°How about we start with the siege of Gaonu?¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 859: Unable to conquer for a long time

    The Huns had been besieging Gaonu for more than forty days, and they carried out three sieges in total, all of which ended in failure. In the early morning of this day, the sound of horns in the Huns' camp was heard one after another, which was a precursor to a large-scale attack.  On top of the city, more than 4,000 Han soldiers stood densely on the wall, silently watching the Xiongnu army outside the city. Each soldier showed perseverance in his eyes. Although they encountered three siege tests, the soldiers in the city became more and more courageous as they fought.  , without any signs of decline.  Zhang Ren looked at the Huns army outside the city with a hint of ridicule. Just last night, he sent fifty soldiers to secretly go down to the city and secretly did something three hundred steps outside the city. Unexpectedly, today the Huns attacked the city on a large scale.  , he was looking forward to an exciting scene.  The 100,000 Xiongnu troops outside the city have all crossed the district water. A few miles away, groups of soldiers are lined up to fight, with swords and guns like a forest, and banners like clouds, stretching for more than ten miles, forming a huge circle.  The slave city was surrounded.  ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ A leather drum with a diameter of one foot rang, and the sound shook the heaven and earth. This was an order to attack. The 20,000 Xiongnu troops carried a huge siege ladder and attacked the northern city wall.  Among the four city walls, the terrain on the east, west, and south sides is very dangerous. Only the northern city wall has a slightly gentle terrain and can be attacked with a siege ladder.  When the Xiongnu army was still a mile and a half away from the city wall, the sound of drums suddenly became intensive. The 20,000 Xiongnu army roared and rushed toward the city wall. The defenders on the city wall watched the Xiongnu army nervously and expectantly, as if waiting for something.  occur.  Forty medium-sized trebuchets on the front city wall began to creak and twist the thick ropes, the long projectile rods bent backwards, and the accumulated potential energy reached the extreme.  Outside the city was a piece of grass that was as deep as one's knees. The Xiongnu army rushed towards them. The thousands of people at the front suddenly howled and fell to the ground. They stepped on the iron caltrops scattered in the grass. There were four iron caltrops on them.  One-inch-long spikes are scattered on the ground, and there is always one spike pointing upward. The iron caltrops has been tempered with strong poison. Once it is stung, it will be disabled at least, or fatal at worst.  In addition to iron caltrops, there are numerous horse-trapped holes with a three-inch long poisonous iron thorn stuck upside down in the hole. Many Huns soldiers stepped into the hole, and the long spike pierced the insteps, attacking the Huns' troops.  Unprepared, more than a thousand people fell down, howling and crying, and mourning was everywhere. What was even more terrifying was that their legs began to turn black and swollen, and the pain was unbearable. After many people rolled and howled for a while, the poison attacked their hearts and died.  "Cut off their legs!" The siege general Mei Li realized something was wrong and immediately shouted loudly. The bloody thighs were cut off one by one, and the injured Huns soldiers were dragged back one after another. At this moment, a kind of sound came from the sky.  The strange sound seemed like that of a flock of pigeons circling in the sky.  The Hun soldiers looked up to the sky one after another, and saw small black dots appearing in the sky, whizzing towards their heads, getting closer and closer. Suddenly, a panicked shout broke out among the Hun soldiers. It turned out to be a piece of black dot.  A huge boulder, they held their heads and ran away.  A boulder weighing a hundred kilograms crashed down and rolled towards the crowd. There were screams and blood splashed everywhere. Several people who were hit were reduced to a pulp. The boulder knocked over more than ten people in a row, causing minor injuries and severe injuries.  The corpses were lying on the ground, and nearly two hundred boulders were rolling among the crowd. The Huns suffered heavy casualties. Then, a second wave of boulders roared in.  Huchuquan stood on the stone castle on the south bank to watch the battle. Although he was three miles away, he could still see clearly in the clear weather.  He didn't care about the Han army's trebuchet counterattack, but many soldiers had their legs cut off by himself, which puzzled him. Liu Qubei, who was next to him, had experience. He thought for a while and said, "It should be that the soldiers stepped on poisonous caltrops."  "It's because of the poison." Huchuquan suddenly realized that it was indeed the case. He asked again: "If so, how to solve it?" "It's easy. Use the grass we use to crush the grass in the winter."  Open the way, and the poisonous caltrops will be stuck away." Huchuquan nodded, and then ordered: "Send the order to retreat!" The bell rang, and the 20,000 Xiongnu troops retreated like a tide, leaving corpses all over the battlefield.  .  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  At noon, ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  'The huge war drums sounded again, and the low horns resounded throughout the earth. This time, Liu Qubei led 30,000 Huns troops to fight. They came like a tide, holding shields in their hands and carrying hundreds of soldiers several feet high.  Climbing the city ladder, one by one fought bravely to be the first, shouting and killing loudly.  At the front are huge grass rollers, which are actually Han people's rollers. They are about two feet long and wrapped with a layer of sheepskin. They are usually used to crush hay, but when put into the battlefield, it is an effective method to deal with poisonous caltrops.  , each poisonous tribulus was crushed up and carried away by the grass, and even the turf covering the horse pits was pulled up, exposing the pits.  The Xiongnu army was running amidst the sound of attacking drums, with more than a thousand of Liu Qubei's confidant guards behind them pressing down on the formation. The 30,000-strong army was filled with murderous intent and headed towards the city to cover up the killing. At this time, HuchuquanHe sent an army of 20,000 to join the offensive team and turned it into an army of 50,000 to attack Gaonu City. Hundreds of siege ladders, nest carts, and trebuchets were mixed in with the army. The army of 50,000 was as dense as an ant colony, and it was mighty.  , covering the wilderness outside Gaonu City.  This time the Huns became smarter. They used grass to clear the way and created dozens of safe attack routes, allowing the Huns to avoid assassinations on the ground. However, they could not avoid the Stonehenge above their heads. Hundreds of huge rocks roared and fell from the sky.  , rolling in the crowd of Huns, flesh and blood flying everywhere, screams resounding in the wilderness, a nest cart was gathered by huge rocks, the nest cart bloomed in the air, giant trees flew randomly, corpses soared into the air, the nest cart crashed to pieces, and another huge one  The siege ladder was hit and the ladder was broken. The huge body of the siege ladder fell down and lay on the ground unable to move again.  One after another, huge rocks smashed into the crowd, and screams continued to be heard. The huge fear caused the morale of the Huns to drop, and many Huns turned around and tried to run away. Liu Qubei was already prepared, and three thousand guards held swords in front of them.  The formation was suppressed from behind, and nearly a hundred Huns soldiers who had escaped from the formation were chopped to the ground.  The Xiongnu army had no choice but to bite the bullet and charge forward. As the Xiongnu army advanced, a bow and arrow battle broke out between the two sides. Four thousand Han troops fired arrows down on both sides of the crenellations of the city wall. There were archery openings on the wall of Gaonu City, which could be used.  The battlements serve as cover.  The bee crossbows were shooting arrows at an elevated angle from behind. The Huns army had the advantage due to their dense numbers. Arrows from both sides were like dense rain, weaving a black arrow net in the sky. The Huns suffered heavy casualties, and the Han army also suffered casualties. There were constantly people.  Screaming and hit by an arrow.  In the dense rain of arrows, the Xiongnu army began to cross the moat and approach the city wall. To the Huns' surprise, there was no water in the moat. It was just a large trench two feet deep and two feet five feet wide. But whether there was water in the moat, it was unknown.  The Huns' army was meaningless. They put up wooden planks up to three feet long, rendering the moat useless for defense.  Dozens of large siege ladders were set up on the top of the city. Soldiers climbed up like ants in dense numbers, shouting and killing loudly.  At this time, three nest carts rumbled in. The Huns' nest carts were temporarily made by hundreds of Xiongnu craftsmen. They learned from Han craftsmen, but they were made more clumsy and slower than the nest carts of the Central Plains army.  Dozens of oxen are required to drag the nest cart.  The first chariot attacked the city wall step by step. It was fully loaded with eighty Xiongnu soldiers, each holding a spear and a shield. There were more than two hundred people following below, shooting arrows upward together.  The chariot slowly approached the city wall, less than fifty steps away from the city wall. Zhang Ren stared at the chariot approaching, turned around and shouted: "Get ready for the stone cannons!" The ten stone cannons of the Han army began to exert their power. The stone cannons were actually  A very large bed crossbow with a stone cannon body one foot long and a bow arm ten and a half feet long. The bow string is made of beef tendon or hemp rope. It is placed on a specially built fort and is operated by ten soldiers and wound with a winch.  The stone cannon fires a polished stone bullet, which weighs about fifty or sixty kilograms and has a range of up to seventy steps. There are dedicated soldiers responsible for ranging and aiming, which are mainly used to deal with nest cars.  "It's coming! It's coming!" A village commander pointed at the approaching chariot and shouted: "Wring it and take aim!" Eight soldiers pushed the long winch rod, and the huge bow string was pulled open with a creaking sound.  , buckled on the string hook, a soldier fed a stone bullet into the shooting trough. The commander of the village was also the aiming hand. He lay on the crossbow, stared at Wangshan Mountain, and shouted: "Turn eastward for half a moment.  !¡± There were scales painted on the ground behind the stone cannon, and the soldiers raised the stone cannon and moved eastward for half a moment.  "Okay!" the village chief shouted.  He jumped down from the stone cannon, stared at the nest car for a moment, and shouted, "Fire!" The two soldiers suddenly pulled out the string hook, only to hear 'Click!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and a stone bullet flew out from the shooting trough, roaring toward the nest car fifty steps away.  ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and the Chao Chao was hit by a stone bullet. One of the pillars and beams broke. The Chao Chao shook violently, but did not fall apart and continued to move forward.  "Damn it, come again!" The camp chief cursed, and the ten soldiers loaded the string again without adjusting the direction. Another stone bullet was shot out powerfully, hitting the nest car again. He was hit twice in a row, one  The belts tied to the main beam of the Chao vehicle were finally loosened. The Chao vehicle instantly tilted and collapsed, and eighty soldiers fell down screaming.  The soldiers below cheered and praised the power of the stone cannon. The camp commander scratched the back of his head and laughed and cursed: "Damn it, I don't believe I can't destroy it!"  It was defeated and did not exert its power, but the Huns' siege posed a huge threat to the Han army.  The Huns used long wooden boards to cross the two-foot-wide moat to serve as a bridge. Nearly 50,000 Huns rushed over. Without probing the attack, they directly launched a fierce attack.  On the top of the city, the arrows of the Han army were like heavy rain.They shot at the Hun soldiers with no shields, and a large number of the Hun soldiers were shot down. However, the Hun army was too dense. Although they did not have trebuchets and the arrows were not powerful enough, the siege ladder was very sharp.  Hundreds of city ladders were set up on the city head, and iron hooks were hooked on the wall stacks. More than 10,000 Xiongnu vanguards began to climb up to attack. Boulders and wood fell like hail, and a series of enemy soldiers were hit, screaming from the air.  It rolled to the ground, but new enemy troops kept coming to attack the city.  Under the city, tens of thousands of Xiongnu troops began to counterattack with arrows, covering the city. The arrows were dense like a net, and they shot at the defenders on the city. The defenders on the city began to suffer casualties. Thousands of people were shot by arrows, and the Han army was pressed against the female wall.  Finally, unable to raise his head, he could only cover himself with a shield and shoot arrows from the shooting hole.  At this time, danger appeared in the east city. The first batch of Xiongnu troops rushed to the top of the city and began to fight fiercely with the Han soldiers. More and more Xiongnu troops rushed to the top of the city. The situation in the east city was extremely critical.  Wu Lan roared loudly, swung the mace and rushed into the enemy group. He wielded the sixty-pound mace and struck him left and right. His martial arts skills were extremely strong and his strength was so great that the Huns soldiers were beaten with blood and flesh flying everywhere, and their brains burst. The Xiongnu soldiers were defeated.  Shocked by his bravery, they all retreated. Hundreds of Han troops behind Wu Lan swarmed forward and fought bravely, eventually killing all the hundreds of Huns who rushed to the city.  The siege battle was extremely fierce. Arrows flew everywhere and corpses piled up. Both sides invested heavily in troops. The dense arrows streaked across the sky and shot at the top of the city. The Huns attacked the top of the city and were driven back. After several fierce battles,  The city of Gaonu always stood and was not breached by the Huns.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 860 Li Ling¡¯s Policy

    Night gradually came, and the night was dark. The Huns, who had fought fiercely for a day, finally withdrew. Seeing the Huns retreating like a tide, the Han soldiers on the top of the city suddenly burst into joy, but Zhang Ren's face was stern, and there was worry in his eyes. This time  The brutality of the siege battle exceeded his imagination. Although the Huns paid nearly 10,000 casualties, the defenders also lost nearly 1,500 people. For them with only 5,000 defenders, they were one person anyway.  An unbearable price.  If two more such sieges are carried out, Gaonu City will be breached. Zhang Ren couldn't help but sigh secretly in his heart. At this time, Wu Lan walked up to him and whispered: "I have an intuition. In the future, the Huns will not  There will never be another battle like today." "Why do you have such an intuition?" Zhang Ren looked at him and asked.  "It's simple, they can't afford it. Their goal is Guanzhong and Chang'an. They want to defeat the main force of the Han army, not our small city." Zhang Ren nodded, "You are right, they are desperately attacking us, but  If they want to put pressure on the Han army and force the main force to send troops to rescue us, if they want to capture us, they will have to pay at least another 10,000 troops. To capture a Gaonu County, they actually paid a price of 20,000 troops.  No smart coach would make such a stupid decision. "Wu Lan laughed softly and said: "Since the Huns' purpose is to put pressure on the Han army, we might as well release a few more faith eagles to make the Huns think we have achieved it.  The purpose is, at least they will not continue to attack the city. I think they will see our trust eagle rising into the sky." Zhang Ren also laughed, "This is a good idea, just to satisfy their vanity." "Inside the Xiongnu King's tent.  , dozens of Xiongnu generals lowered their heads, silently enduring Huchuquan's torrential scoldings, "A bunch of losers, incompetent generals, commanders of thousands of men, commanders of thousands of cavalry, bullshit! You are not worthy, you can even attack a small county town."  No less than 10,000 troops were lost. Is this the Xiongnu army? People will laugh if it is spread. How can you boast of being an eagle? I think you are all pheasants!  He was furious, waving his fists, staring fiercely at dozens of generals, his eyes almost bursting with fire, he was running back and forth with his hands behind his hands, and his chest almost exploded with so much anger that he couldn't bear this humiliation, an army of 50,000 actually attacked.  There was no less than a city guarded by a few thousand people, and nearly 10,000 troops were lost.  The Xiongnu generals were also angered and shouted, "Let us attack the city again tomorrow. If we can't capture it, we are willing to sacrifice our heads to the Shanyu!" "Tomorrow! Do you still want me to lose another 10,000 people? I'll give it to you."  One hundred thousand troops went south, are they just going to capture a small county?" Hu Chuquan shouted.  The generals were yelled into silence, and they lowered their heads in shame. Huchuquan waved his hand, "Get out of here, get out!" The generals exited the king's tent one after another, leaving only Huchuquan and Liu Qu in the king's tent.  The two of them, Hu Chuquan let out a long sigh and said bitterly to Liu Qubei: "I have been fighting all my life and I have never been as useless as today." Liu Qubei sighed and said: "Actually, it's not that  Our army is not sharp enough, and it is not that the soldiers are not working hard. The key is that we are not good at attacking cities. I can see clearly today that many soldiers are afraid of heights. They cannot stand firmly on ladders and struggle with the Han soldiers.  To kill, he fell off the ladder by himself, so the loss was very heavy. This is just like a person who is not used to riding a boat. We should train in advance to let the soldiers get used to climbing. It is a pity that we did not think of this, otherwise the result would not be the same.  It's as tragic as today." Hu Chuquan sighed after a long while: "Maybe you are right, but there will be no next time. I can't pay the price of losing 20,000 people for a small county. I hope.  Today's siege can put enough pressure on the Han army to allow Liu Jing to lead the main force to assist Gaonu County as soon as possible. It is already mid-September. If it doesn't come out in another month, I can only withdraw the army. "  At that moment, a soldier rushed to the gate of the main tent and reported: "Reporting to Shanyu, our sentry found three faith eagles released in succession on the city wall, heading south." Huchuquan was immediately overjoyed. This must be Gao  The slave could no longer bear the huge siege pressure and asked for help from Guanzhong. He stood up and smiled at Liu Qubei: "It seems that today's battle is not without effect!" Liu Qubei secretly smiled bitterly in his heart. He did not expect that  Huchuquan was so stubborn, hoping that the main force of the Han army would come to aid Gaonu County. It was already late autumn. Didn't the Han army know that the Huns must withdraw before the first snow came?  The main force of the Han army has persisted until now, why do they still come to help?  Although he despised Hu Chuquan's stubbornness in his heart, Liu Qubei still responded: "The Chan Yu is right. The Han army in the city could no longer bear the pressure and began to ask for help from Guanzhong. In addition, my staff, Mr. Li, has  A strategy that can increase the crisis for the Han army and force them to come out for a decisive battle. "  Huchuquan knew that Li Ling was resourceful and it was his suggestion that broke through the district water defense last time. He immediately ordered the guard: "Go and invite Mr. Li!" Not long after, Li Ling hurried over and bowed to Huchuquan.  Salute, "See Shanyu!" "Mr. Li, you don't have to be polite. Just now King Youxian said that Mr. You has a good strategy to put pressure on the Han army. Can you teach me?" Li Ling glanced at Liu Qubei, who nodded to him.  Li Ling said calmly: "In fact, I feel that the main force of the Han army has been reluctant to go north. In addition to the fact that they are mainly southern troops and are not good at cavalry warfare, there are also  One reason is that Gaonu County has little influence on them. Although Zhang Ren is an important general, they believe that Gaonu County's strategic position is not important. Losing it will not have much impact on the Han army. " "You are talking about Gaonu County.  The location is not important?" Hu Chuquan was stunned. He sent out heavy troops to surround Gaonu County because of its extremely important strategic position.  Li Ling shook his head, "I'm not saying that the location of Gaonu County is not important. Its strategic location is of course very important, and the Han army is well aware of it, but we have not shown its importance, although we have not yet captured Gaonu County.  County, but whether to capture Gaonu County is no longer a problem. There are only a few thousand Han troops in the city. As long as they dare to leave the city, our three thousand cavalry can annihilate them. Therefore, if Chanyu needs to change his thinking, it will be regarded as if we have occupied Gaonu County.  Nuxian, don't care about capturing the county seat. " Huchuquan finally understood what Li Ling meant. He couldn't help but nodded. He really cared too much about whether to capture the county seat. In fact, the Han army could only stay in the city and did not dare to fight.  From the perspective of seizing the county seat, it no longer makes sense. "Then according to what sir, how can we show the importance of Gaonu County?" Li Ling walked to the map and pointed to the Gaonu County Road on the map: "  The reason why Gaonu is important is that it strangles the Luochuan Road." Li Ling pointed to Luoshui below, "If we use Gaonu County as a logistics center, an army can enter directly along the Luoshui River Valley.  Zuo Fengyi County has entered Guanzhong. Especially in winter, when the river freezes, it is more convenient to enter Guanzhong. Please think about it, under such a huge threat, is it possible for Liu Jing to remain indifferent to Gaonu County? "  Hu Chuquan paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, pondering for a long time. He finally came to a sudden realization. He stepped forward and saluted Li Ling and said, "Mr. Li's strategy is indeed a good idea. I have learned from it!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Guanzhong has been the domain of emperors and dragons since ancient times. The key is that Guanzhong is thousands of miles of fertile wilderness and is surrounded by mountains. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. To the north is the Loess Plateau, and the north and south edges of the plateau are surrounded by huge Hengshan Mountains and deserts. It can be said to be a natural danger, especially the Hengshan Mountains.  The strategic position of Guanzhong is like the Yanshan Mountains to Hebei.  Hengshan is the collective name for Liupan Mountain and Beishan. Hengshan in Guanzhong is enough to control the nomadic cavalry in the northwest, and Hengshan for the nomadic forces is enough to form a huge strategic offensive against the Central Plains dynasty. For example, the Centenary War between the Northern Song Dynasty and Western Xia centered on the battle for Hengshan.  , Xixia had an offensive advantage when it had Hengshan. The Northern Song Dynasty recaptured Hengshan after a hundred years of battle, but Xixia was facing a desperate situation.  There are three passages between the Great Wall, Hengshan and Guanzhong. From west to east, they are Qingshui River-Jinghe River, Malian River Basin and Yanzhou Road. They are all important transportation roads. Therefore, in the Song Dynasty, these three lines were designated as Jingyuan Road and Huanqing Road respectively.  There are three administrative districts: Road and Fuyan Road, that is, each road is responsible for the offense and defense of a traffic line.  But in the Han Dynasty, in addition to these three roads, there was also an extremely sensitive chokepoint - Qin Zhidao.  "The importance of Gaonu County's position mentioned by Li Ling refers to Luochuan Road and Qinzhi Road. From these two important roads, one can enter Guanzhong.  Gaonu is to Guanzhong what Chang'an is to Guanzhong. Gaonu is the strategic point between the north and south of the Loess Plateau. It is surrounded by mountains, shielding Guanzhong and embracing the Yellow River. It is said to be a strategically important place with "a close and powerful border, controlling the Qin and Jin Dynasties".  If Gaonu falls, the three auxiliaries can be invaded from the south. If the country is weak and the military and political affairs are in ruins, any opportunity can be exploited by the enemy. Therefore, when Gaonu takes action, there will be "a trickle, which will become a river."  ", it became the birthplace of the peasant uprising in the late Ming Dynasty and the holy place of modern revolution.  At this time, Gaonu County was heavily surrounded by the Xiongnu army. In addition to defending the city, the Xiongnu had seized its military advantage. Li Ling believed that the Han army in Gaonu County was nothing to worry about. He only needed to send a few thousand cavalry to keep an eye on the county seat, and the Xiongnu army would be ready.  You can use Gaonu as your base to enter Guanzhong from Luochuan Road.  In fact, Liu Qubei had lived in the pass for a long time and knew the weaknesses of the pass. He had already intended this. He sent scouts to explore the Maling River Road and Luochuan Road in order to change the Huns' strategic plan.  After Huchuquan experienced heavy losses in the siege, he finally accepted Li Ling's suggestion, which was actually Liu Qubei's plan. He gave up the siege of Gaonu and went directly south to Guanzhong. The Huns' southward strategy began to have a huge impact.  Variety. ?£®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 861 Scout Encounter

    In the early morning, the Luoshui River Valley was shrouded in a thick layer of autumn fog, which flowed like milk on the river surface and in the forest. It was already mid-September, and the river had entered the dry season. The river was very shallow, with large areas of the river bed exposed and covered with beds.  It is full of smooth pebbles and the surroundings are extremely quiet. A group of fat deer are drinking water by the river with their heads down.  At this moment, a sharp arrow ¡®Whoosh!  'The ground shot out from the forest, hitting a fat deer in the middle. The injured deer screamed and fell on the river bed. The deer were frightened and ran towards the forest on the other side of the river. Two Han soldiers were seen running out of the forest.  Holding a bow and arrow in hand, one of them saw the fat deer lying on the river bed. He jumped up with joy, ran forward and pointed at the deer and said proudly: "How about it, you lost the bet! You dare to say that I can't hit the shot."  Another soldier disagreed, "It's just a fluke. I don't know your archery skills. I just got lucky today." "If you lose, you lose. Don't miss out on a meal at Xinghualou!"  "It's just a meal of food and drinks. Do you care about it so much? It's disgusting to see how proud you are." "You can't even think about defaulting on the bill!" "Let's go! Let's go! We'll talk about it when we get back. Don't let the commander wait." The soldier was worried.  He picked up the deer and walked away, followed by the soldier who shot the deer, chattering all the way, and the two of them soon disappeared by the river.  This is a 20-man Han army patrol team, under the order of the commander-in-chief Wei Yan, patrolling the north of the Luoshui River Valley. The leader of the camp is called Zhang Xin. He is a native of Guanzhong and is very familiar with the terrain in this area.  At this time, the patrol cavalry were packing their bags in the forest and preparing to go on patrol. Zhang Xin looked around at his men, frowned and asked, "Are Yang Li and He Laoliu coming back?" "Here they come! They're here!"  " He Laoliu's shouts came from the distance, and two people were seen running one after another. He Laoliu was carrying a deer on his shoulders. Zhang Xin's face sank, and he said with great dissatisfaction: "I asked you two to  Are you going to hunt deer?" The two of them lowered their heads in fright. After a while, He Laoliu said: "We have already patrolled, and there are no horse hoof prints by the river. When we were coming back, we happened to encounter a group of deer. Yang Li was determined to shoot, and I stopped him.  "Don't stop." "Nonsense! It's obviously you who said you wanted to shoot the deer." "Okay!" Zhang Xin interrupted the argument. He glared at them and said sharply: "This time.  Let me warn you first, the next time you dare to disobey orders, I will punish you as a violation of military discipline!" Neither of them dared to speak. Zhang Xin ordered again: "Get on the horse and go!" Everyone got on their horses and turned their horses to follow the forest trail!  Go north.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The plateau in the northern part of Guanzhong rises, and the Ziwu Ridge runs across it. The mountains continue to the west, and finally merge with Liupan Mountain. The undulating mountains form a natural northern barrier to the Guanzhong area. The Maling River and Luoshui run through the northern mountains, forming two  The Great North-South Passage is the famous Maling River Road and Yanzhou Road.  During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yanzhou Road was called Luoshui Road or Luochuan Road. It was a strategic route for Gao Nu to go south to Guanzhong. The Han army also attached great importance to these two roads. For this purpose, they built military forts and deployed 10,000 heavy troops each, with important  The generals led their troops to guard. The commander of the Maling River Road was the veteran Yan Yan, while the commander of the Luochuan Road was the general Wei Yan.  This patrol team of twenty people was one of the fifty patrol teams sent by Wei Yan and belonged to the scout camp. After Wei Yan returned from participating in the military and political affairs of Yong County, he immediately strengthened the patrols in the valley. Jia Xu was discussing the affairs.  It was specifically pointed out in the book that once the Xiongnu army could not attack Gaonu for a long time, it was very likely that they would change their strategy and go south from the Maling River Road or Luochuan Road. Among them, going south from Luochuan Road was the most likely, putting pressure on Wei Yan.  The Luochuan River Valley is about two hundred miles long, more than ten miles at its widest point, and four or five miles at its narrowest point. It is surrounded by undulating plateaus and mountains on both sides. The valley is covered with dense forests, and there is a relatively flat road along the river.  Official Road, this is what merchants commonly call Luochuan Business Road.  The Han army's scout cavalry galloped all the way north. At noon, they arrived at Bailongyu. This section is the narrowest part of the Luochuan River Valley. In front of it is Diaoyin County. It has always been a military town, but Diaoyin County is basically in the middle.  It was in an abandoned state, and most of the city walls had collapsed. When the Han army was preparing to rebuild Diaoyin County, the Xiongnu army moved south in large numbers, and the plan to rebuild Diaoyin County had to be postponed.  "Captain, take a rest for a while!" One of the chiefs suggested with a smile: "Find a cave, roast the deer, and everyone will have a good meal." Zhang Xin nodded, looked around, and pointed to a place in front of him.  Chu Shanya said to He Laoliu and Yang Li: "I remember there is a cave on the cliff ahead. You go and take a look as punishment for shooting deer without authorization in the morning!" The two did not dare to resist the order, so they had to dismount their horses and walk towards the cliff.  Running away, the rest of the Han army sat down in front of a stream to drink water and rest.  Yang Li all the wayComplained, "It's obviously a deer we shot. Don't eat it if you can, and punish us. It's just too much." "Okay, please stop being so nagging." He Laoliu felt tired of Yang Li's nagging.  scolded him.  "I haven't settled the score with you yet! What did you say in the morning? You framed me." Yang Li became even more angry when he thought of what happened in the morning.  But at this moment, He Laoliu suddenly covered his mouth, pointed at the cave ahead, and said nervously: "Look, what's going on?"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The Han army scouts were resting in front of a clear stream. Everyone was chewing dry food and drinking cold stream water. From time to time, they stretched their necks and looked to the west, expecting He Laoliu and Yang Li to come back. If they found the cave,  , which means they can make a fire to roast venison. They have been running around for nearly ten days, and almost every meal is dry food and water. They are full of expectations for the brown and fragrant venison.  At this moment, there was a rush of footsteps in the woods in the distance. The soldiers stood up one after another and saw He Laoliu running over with Yang Li on his arm. Yang Li was covered in blood and almost in a semi-conscious state.  Zhang Xin was startled, and hurriedly stepped forward to support Yang Li and asked, "What happened?" "We met the Huns soldiers in front of the cave, and Brother Yang was shot by a secret sentry hidden in the tree." Zhang Xin.  His face became more solemn, and there were Hun soldiers here. He asked again: "How many people are there?" "I don't know how many there are, but I saw about thirty." Zhang Xin's mind quickly turned around.  I thought, this should be a patrol of Huns, about fifty or a hundred people. Now that they have discovered Yang Li and He Laoliu, they will not let them go.  Zhang Xin immediately ordered: "Everyone mount up and prepare to fight!" Everyone mounted their horses one after another. He Laoliu pointed at Yang Li worriedly and asked, "What should he do?" Zhang Xin looked at Yang Li's injuries and saw an arrow in his left shoulder.  However, hemostatic glue was used and the bleeding stopped. Zhang Xin said: "He can't die. Lao Liu, you take him back to Yiyun Fort first!" Yiyun Fort is located eighty miles away and is a new building built by the Han army.  There were three hundred soldiers stationed in the beacon and military fort. He Laoliu nodded and put Yang Li on his horse. He also got on his horse and urged the horse to run south.  Zhang Xin kept watching them go away, then got on his horse and led the rest of his brothers to run northeast, making a big circle and slowly approaching the cliff.  The Han army was relatively familiar with Zhouzhou's environment. They came to a high ground. A soldier climbed up a towering tree. On the tree that was more than twenty feet high, he had an unobstructed view of the situation within several miles.  After a while, the soldier climbed down from the tree and whispered: "Captain, I saw them. They are just three hundred steps south of us. There are about fifty people. They seem to be looking for something?" Zhang Xin's mind changed quickly. What if  If there were only fifty people, they could fight. There were eighteen of them now. They could kill at least twenty of them by ambush. He immediately called them forward and said to them: "There are fifty people on the other side.  Should we do it or not?" Everyone looked excited, but one of the commanders was a little worried: "I'm afraid they think the same way and eat us instead." "This shouldn't happen, we are more familiar with the terrain than they are.  , and we know each other, but they don't know us. We can use strategies to ambush, and more importantly, we can get information from the prisoners of war." Everyone nodded and agreed to take action. Zhang Xin said with a smile: "I guess they are here.  Searching for He Laoliu and Yang Li, we can use this to set up a trap. "The army the Han army encountered were spies sent by the Xiongnu forward, a total of fifty people. Their mission was to explore the Han army's defense.  The situation was that just now, when the Xiongnu soldiers were resting in the cave, they encountered two Han soldiers, and one of them was shot and wounded by a hidden sentry hidden in a tree.  These two Han soldiers were extremely important to the Huns. From their mouths, they could learn about the deployment of the Han army. The Huns were determined to find these two Han soldiers, but the Huns spies were also very careful. If they encountered  Not just two soldiers, but a large army of Han troops, who will be destroyed.  Fifty people were divided into three teams and carefully searched southward in the forest. The only thing that was certain was that the two Han soldiers were not riding horses but running on foot. They should not be too far away and were most likely hiding nearby.  At this moment, a Hun soldier suddenly saw two Han soldiers. One was covered in blood and was being supported by the other and running towards the northwest. The Hun soldier pointed at the backs of the two men in surprise and shouted, "There!"  " The Xiongnu soldiers suddenly became excited and rushed to chase the two Han soldiers. They were all riding horses. They were very fast and skilled in horsemanship. They ran quickly in the forest and soon gradually caught up with the two Han soldiers.  But no one let go?, they want to capture these two people alive.  The Xiongnu soldiers were chasing closer and closer. Several Xiongnu soldiers had already taken out their nooses and were looking for an opportunity to lasso the Han soldiers. They had just run onto a path covered with leaves. Suddenly, five or six war horses running at the front  At the same time, he stumbled and fell into a puddle.  This is a swamp that has been formed for many years. It is more than a hundred feet long and twenty feet wide. The swamp is covered with leaves and is extremely secretive. It is called "Dragon Trap" by businessmen who come and go. There are four such traps on Luochuan Road.  This is a relatively large place, and you must have a guide who is familiar with the terrain to lead the way. Most businessmen are not familiar with the business roads and can easily fall into it. There were originally warning signs posted around this quagmire, but now the signs are gone.  Five or six cavalrymen fell into the quagmire and sank quickly. There was only a string of mud bubbles above them. However, the Huns cavalry behind them ran very fast. They couldn't stop their horses for a while, and several more people rushed in. In an instant, the quagmire was covered with water.  Then it swallowed up ten Hun soldiers and disappeared without even a scream.  The cavalry behind were so frightened that they reined in their horses and watched in horror as the soldiers were swallowed up. There were many such quagmires on the grassland, especially in river swamps. They all knew how powerful this kind of quagmire was.  , no one dared to step forward to rescue.  At this moment, two woodsmen suddenly shot out dense arrows, aiming directly at the shocked Hun cavalry. Forty Hun cavalry were huddled together, looking into the quagmire in front of them. No one expected that there would be an ambush on both sides. In an instant,  There were screams on the trail, and the Hun soldiers fell off their horses one after another. Even their leader, a centurion, was shot through the neck by an arrow from Zhang Xin and fell off his horse.  At this time, the Huns cavalry were in chaos and turned around to flee. On their way back, three cold arrows were fired at them, knocking down the two Hun soldiers facing them and falling to the ground. It was these three cold arrows that caused the Huns cavalry to stop their horses.  Don't dare to break through.  The brief moment of hesitation of the Huns soldiers gave the Han army ambushing in the woods valuable time to wind up. Just when the Huns soldiers suddenly realized that there was a quagmire behind them and there was only one way out, the Han army's second round of crossbow arrows was fired. Eighteen  An arrow was shot at the war horses, and seven or eight more horses fell to the ground, throwing away the mounted cavalry.  The remaining nearly twenty cavalrymen finally reacted and galloped away from the Han army's ambush circle, running along the trail to the north. At this time, eighteen Han army scouts rushed out from three sides.  The spears pierced the Hun soldiers who fell to the ground and were about to escape, and screamed several times. Several Hun soldiers were pierced through the back of the heart and died tragically on the spot.  Zhang Xin shouted: "Leave two alive!" The two Xiongnu soldiers who knelt down and surrendered also saved their lives. However, the Han army scouts did not dare to stay too long. They simply cleaned up the battlefield and brought a dozen horses with them.  The captured war horses ran southward from another path.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 862 War is Coming

    At this time, Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, was in the Changwu Army City in Yilu County in the northern part of Guanzhong. The Jingshui River came from the west and met the Maling River flowing from the north in Yilu County. The amount of water suddenly increased and the river surface became wider, allowing people to exercise on the river.  Thousands of stone ships made Yilu County an important transportation hub.  In terms of military affairs, Yilu County is also the intersection of Xiaoguan Road in the northwest and Maling River in the north. Its strategic position is extremely important. Changwucheng is built on the commanding heights of the intersection of two roads entering Guanzhong.  It cuts off two main routes into Guanzhong and is an important military town of great strategic significance.  In order to prevent the Xiongnu army from marching south from the Maling River, the Han army deployed 10,000 troops in a series of military fortresses, including 3,000 troops stationed in Changwu City. At this time, Liu Jing, accompanied by veteran general Yan Yan, inspected the city just now.  The completed construction of the fortified city, Changwu City, started half a year ago, is located on a branch of Ziwu Ridge. At the foot of the mountain is the official road into Guanzhong from the north, close to the Jingshui River.  And two large rivers flow from the north and west and meet not far from the foot of the mountain. As long as Changwu City is defended, the main route into Guanzhong is also defended.  Yan Yan led Liu Jing to a row of trebuchets at the edge of the city and said with a smile: "Your Highness, please look at these twenty trebuchets. Although they are not big, they can throw a hundred kilograms of kerosene barrels onto the official road.  Lit with rockets, the official road to the south is blocked. Unless it is winter, the enemy troops go directly to the river, and there is nothing we can do. However, I heard that there is no precedent for the northern nomads to attack Guanzhong in winter. " "If this time they attack Guanzhong in winter.  What?" Liu Jing asked calmly.  "If this is the case, the focus of our defense is not Changwucheng, but Qixian County in the south, which is also a defensive fortress. We can use the fortifications of Zhengguo Canal to intercept the Huns cavalry coming from the north, and at the same time, in Changwu  Wucheng cut off the Huns' logistics supply line. "Is there any fortification in Zhengguo Canal?" Liu Jing asked in confusion. He didn't see it when he came.  "Reporting to Your Highness, the Zhengguo Canal starts from Jingshui in the west and reaches Luoshui in the east. Seven or eight small castles were built on both sides of Jingshui. We also built stone walls between the castles. Then we only need to build an ice wall on the ice.  , can become the last line of defense against the Huns cavalry. "Although Yan Yan gave a detailed introduction, Liu Jing still felt that it was not reliable. How could a few small stone walls block the impact of a hundred thousand Huns army?  This is not Yan Yan's problem, but the topographic weakness of Guanzhong itself. There are too few favorable terrains to rely on. Large-scale defensive fortresses must be built, but it will take at least five to ten years to build a complete large-scale defense system.  Time, it's too late now.  At this moment, a guard rushed to report: "Your Highness the King of Han, General Wei has an emergency report." Liu Jing was startled, Wei Yan actually had emergency information. Did the Huns come from Luochuan Road?  However, if you think about it, it is very likely that the most convenient way to go south from Gaonu is Luochuan Road. Liu Jing immediately said to Yan Yan: "Old General, continue to strengthen the defense. I will rush to Luochuan Road immediately." Yan Yan bowed and said: "  Wei Chen obeyed the order. Wei Chen also suggested that His Highness can go to Luochuan Road along the Zheng Guo Canal, which is two days longer than the detour to Chang'an. "Liu Jing nodded and ordered the guards on the left and right, "Get ready to go south immediately!" "Liu Jing is here!  Under the escort of more than a thousand cavalry, they galloped eastward along the branch road beside Zhengguo Canal. They arrived in Chiyang County early the next morning. In front of a spacious official road, Liu Jing reined in the horse.  He looked at the official road heading north with a stern expression, reining in his horse and circling it. Wei Jin, the new deputy commander of the bodyguard, felt a little strange and stepped forward and asked: "What is your highness looking at?" Liu Jing pointed his horse whip at this  The official road said: "Since you are from Guanzhong, do you know the name of this road?" Wei Jin was slightly startled. He looked at the official road and suddenly realized, "Your Highness, this is the Qin Zhidao!" Liu Jing  Nodding, "Yes, this road is the famous Qinzhi Road. It starts from Ganquan Mountain in the south and reaches Hetao in the north. It is nearly 1,500 miles. It is a straight road. More importantly, it also passes through Gaonu in the north.  County." Wei Jin frowned and said, "What do you mean, Your Highness, the Huns will go south along the Qin Straight Road?" "Do you think it is impossible?" Wei Jin shook his head, "After all, this road has passed for 400 years.  Although the straight road remains intact in Guanzhong, what will happen in the north? Moreover, there are many passes along the way north. Xiangdiaoling Pass, Juyuan Pass, Wutingzi, Laoye Ridge, etc. are all major crossroads, and dangerous passes have been built.  , controlling the traffic branches around Beishan, it is almost impossible for the Huns to go south from Qin Zhidao. " "You are right. What I mean is that we should strengthen the pass defense of Qin Zhidao and let Qin Zhidao become the main force to control Luo.  The important throat of Chuan Road and Maling River Road, regardless of whether the Huns came from Maling River Road or went south from Luochuan Road,Qin Zhidao's defensive troops can be reinforced from left to right.  " Speaking of this, Liu Jing looked on both sides of the straight road, but did not see any pedestrians. At this time, Wei Jin understood what Liu Jing meant, pointed to the south and said: "There is a post station two miles away. I humbly go to find the post manager.  Come.  Liu Jing nodded, and Wei Jin immediately led two followers and ran south. A quarter of an hour later, Wei Jin rushed in with a man in his forties. The man looked a little nervous, and he ran to Liu Jing.  , turned over and dismounted, knelt down and said: "Zhi Dao Nanyi Cheng Qiu Ren pays homage to His Highness the King of Han!  " "Qiu Yi Cheng is exempt from the courtesy!  " Postmaster Qiu Ren stood up and lowered his hands uneasily. Liu Jing asked him: "How long have you been working at the posthouse?  " "Reporting to Your Highness, I entered the inn at the age of twenty, and it has been twenty-three years now.  "Twenty-three years is a long time, so you must be very familiar with the road conditions on the straights, right?"  " "Bizhi knows the straight way well.  Liu Jing smiled and said: "I need a guide who knows the straight road very well now, so just stay with me for a while!"  " Qiu Ren was excited and quickly bowed and saluted: "In this humble position, I am willing to do my best for Your Highness!  "Liu Jing pointed to the north and asked: "If we go north for a while, is there any way to Luochuan Road?  " "Reporting to Your Highness, Zhidao Road and Luochuan Road were originally one road north of Diaoyin County. They started to separate from Diaoyin County. From here to the north all the way to Diaoyin County, there are mountain roads leading to Luochuan Road. It is the widest road.  It is Laoye Ridge in front. There is an official road in Laoye Ridge Pass that leads directly to Luochuan Road. It was specially built by the army to support Luochuan Road.  Liu Jing was overjoyed and smiled at everyone: "Let's walk on a straight road first, and then turn to Luochuan Road."  " He urged the horse to gallop, and everyone followed him, galloping all the way north along the wide and flat Qinzhi Road. Half an hour later, everyone arrived at a pass. This is Laoye Ridge. The pass was built at a dangerous point and just cut off the pass.  Qin Zhidao, here called Pinghu Pass, is the last pass for Qin Zhidao to enter the pass. It is guarded by 500 soldiers and is under the jurisdiction of the veteran general Yan Yan. The guard of the pass is a military prince named Jiang Ning.  When His Highness arrived, he hurried over to greet him. Liu Jing asked him: "Is there any enemy in front of the straight road?  " "Reporting to Your Highness, there are beacons at Wuting Pass, Juyuan Pass, and Diaoling Pass ahead. Once the Xiongnu army appears on the straight road, the passes along the way will immediately raise fire, and the ministers will also raise fire to notify Chang'an. So far, the front has been quiet.  , indicating that no Huns cavalry appeared on the straight road.  Liu Jing pondered for a moment and asked, "How far is Diaoling Pass from Diaoyin County?"  " "About thirty miles!  " "Then if a Xiongnu army appears in Diaoyin County, will Diaolingguan know about it?  " Jiang Ning was a little embarrassed. He shook his head after a while and said: "Diaoyin County has been abandoned. Diaoling Pass basically has no connection with the county. If the Huns gather in Diaoyin County, I don't think the defenders of Diaoling Pass will know about it.  " Liu Jing didn't say anything more, and immediately ordered him: "Strengthen your vigilance, especially pay attention to the Huns coming from Luochuan Road.  Liu Jing led his army from Laoye Ridge to the northeast and rushed all the way. At noon the next day, they arrived at the Han army camp in Suyi County. The camp was located on the high ground to the north of the county, with towering mountains a few miles away.  Although it is not the starting point of Luochuan Road, it is a dangerous location. The Han army built Shangyuan Military City at the mouth of a valley as an important castle for the defense of Luochuan Road. Before Liu Jing and his party arrived at the camp, Wei Yan had already reported it.  Welcome His Highness the King of Han from outside the camp, "We are here to see His Highness the King of Han!  "Wei Yan bowed deeply. Liu Jing turned over and dismounted and asked, "Has the military advisor arrived?  " "Reporting to Your Highness, the two military advisors have arrived and are waiting in the tent.  " When Liu Jing received the message from Wei Yan, he also used flying pigeons to notify Jia Xu and Fazheng of Chang'an to rush to Luochuan Road. Liu Jing did not expect that the two people arrived so quickly. At this time, Wei Yan wanted to go again.  After reporting the matter, Liu Jing waved her hand and said, "We'll talk about it later in the big tent!  " Wei Yan quickly led Liu Jing into the camp and all the way to the main tent. He saw Jia Xu and Fazheng standing in front of the map discussing something. Liu Jing walked in with a smile, "How could the two military advisors arrive before me?  Jia Xu turned around and said with a smile: "Actually, we were about to come to Suyi County. After receiving the pigeon letter from His Highness, we rushed all the way and we only arrived half an hour ago."  Liu Jing asked Fazheng again, "Have you notified Chang'an to send troops?"  " Fazheng nodded, "General Liu Hu has led 30,000 people to Luochuan Road. He should be halfway there now and can reach the camp at the latest at night.  Liu Jing then relaxed her mind and turned around to ask Wei Yan, "How is the situation now?"  "Reporting to Your Highness, the latest information is that the Xiongnu army of 50,000 people has arrived in Diaoyin County, and a vanguard of 5,000 people is extending to the south of Luochuan Road.??, currently blocked by Yiyun Fort, they could not attack for a long time and suffered heavy casualties.  Liu Jing frowned, "I remember the last time we were in Yong County, you told me that Yiyun Fort only had 300 soldiers. Can 300 soldiers stop the attack of 5,000 people?"  " Wei Yan quickly said: "Your Majesty, there were only 300 guards at that time, but a scout sent by Beizhi encountered the Xiongnu advance. They captured two prisoners of war. From the mouths of the prisoners, Beizhi got the news that the Huns forward was heading south.  , they immediately sent two thousand more troops to Yiyun Fort. Just as the Xiongnu forwards arrived, the reinforcements arrived in time and defended Yiyun Fort.  Liu Jing felt something strange in Wei Yan's eyes, and asked again: "Did you really hold on?"  " Wei Yan felt uneasy and had no choice but to bite the bullet and report the details, "Your Majesty, Yiyun Fort was lost twice and recaptured twice. The defenders suffered nearly 70% casualties before they finally defended Yiyun Fort.  " Liu Jing glared at him fiercely, actually trying to hide herself, but now Liu Jing had no time to care about Wei Yan's little thoughts. He thought for a moment, then turned back and asked Jia Xu: "What does the military advisor think?  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 863 Huns' surprise soldiers

    Jia Xu said slowly: "I was wondering why the main force of the Xiongnu army was stationed in Diaoyin County and refused to go south? If the 50,000-strong army went directly south to Luochuan Road, a small Yiyun Fort would not be able to stop the iron hooves of the Xiongnu army. They  What are you waiting for? " A word reminded Liu Jing. He suddenly remembered the conversation with the guard at Laoye Ridge, so he walked quickly to the map and stared at it for a long time. Liu Jing pointed to Diaoling Pass Road in the southwest of Diaoyin County.  : "Could it be that the five thousand vanguard of the Huns was just a cover? Their real purpose was to attack the straight road and then march southward from the straight road." Jia Xu nodded, "I also doubt this. Although there are many passes on the straight road, the straight road and  There are many passages between Luochuan Road. The Huns can go around from Luochuan Road to the back of the straight road pass. In this way, the pass on the straight road will be useless. " "Then why is there no such precedent before?"  He asked doubtfully: "It is recorded in historical records that in the third year of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, King Youxian of the Xiongnu entered Henan and attacked Shangjun, but failed to continue south along the Luochuan Road. It is said that the reason was that Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty sent Prime Minister Guan Ying to lead the army at the same time.  Marching through the straight road to fight against the Xiongnu, King Youxian of the Xiongnu quickly withdrew from Henan and ensured the safety of Guanzhong, but I don't understand why the Xiongnu didn't insert the straight road from Luochuan Road since there was a small road connecting it?  Explained: "Although there are trails, Ziwuling has crisscrossed ravines and many forked roads. Without an excellent guide, it is difficult to find these trails. Moreover, most of these trails were built by Emperor Guangwu. Therefore, it is normal that the Xiongnu did not enter the straight path to the west during the era of Emperor Hanwen.  Now that the Xiongnu has occupied the pass for many years, they know the terrain of Ziwuling very well. If the Xiongnu sends out a surprise force and goes directly behind Diaoling Pass, they can easily capture Diaoling Pass. " "But why is there no movement at Diaoling Pass yet?"  Zhengyou continued to ask, he still didn't quite believe that the Huns would go straight.  "They are waiting!" Jia Xu sneered: "Use five thousand troops to attack Yiyun Fort and attract our main force to Luochuan. The Huns immediately seized Diaoling Pass and marched southward. As long as Diaoling Pass is lost, the following few  It is difficult to defend the pass. If we rush to assist the straight road, I am afraid that another Xiongnu army will launch a large-scale attack on Luochuan Road. This is called what is false is true, and what is true is false. There are talents in the Huns army!  At that time, Wei Yan next to him said: "I learned from the prisoners of war that Liu Qubei had a Han aide named Li Ling, who was very powerful. It is said that Liu Qubei was the main force when the Xiongnu army went south this time. I suspected that it was Li Ling who was there.  I'll give you some advice later." "It's him!" Jia Xu was slightly surprised.  "Does the military advisor know this person?" Liu Jing asked.  Jia Xu sighed slightly, "This man is Li Ru's nephew. When Dong Zhuo came to power, this man often came to me to ask for advice on the art of war. At that time, I found that he was indeed somewhat capable, so I recommended him to Dong Zhuo. However, Dong Zhuo was soon replaced by Wang Yun and  He was killed by Lu Bu, and Li Ru escaped. The whereabouts of this Li Ling were unknown, and he unexpectedly defected to the Huns. "Liu Jing snorted heavily, "Gan is a foreign eagle, even if he has great talent, he is still a scum of the nation."  At this point, Liu Jing turned back to Wei Yan and said: "This Li Ling will definitely follow the army south. You can send a few smart and capable scouts to wait for an opportunity to assassinate this person." "I humbly obey the order!" Liu Jing said to Fa Zheng again: "Liu  Hu's 30,000 reinforcements were too few, so he was still ordered to support Luochuan Road. He immediately sent a pigeon message to Chang'an, ordering Wu Yi to lead another 20,000 troops to the Sanyuan Straight Road. In addition, he ordered Yan Yan to send 5,000 troops to reinforce Pinghu Pass.  No matter what, the Huns cannot be allowed to break through the straight line of defense." Fazheng nodded and immediately went to pass the military order. At this time, Jia Xu smiled lightly and said: "Your Highness, if the Huns army really goes south, just let the Huns have a taste.  In addition, Zilong can lead the Han army out of Xiaoguan. Isn't this the main force showdown that the Huns dream of? " Liu Jing thought for a moment, and suddenly understood what Jia Xu meant, and he couldn't help but laugh, "  The strategies of military advisors are always unexpected!¡±  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Diaolingguan is located about thirty miles southwest of Diaoyin County, surrounded by steep mountains. Qinzhidao emerged from the mountains. The amount of work is huge and eye-catching. Despite this, this 20-foot-wide pass  The straight road still cuts through the mountains and leads directly to Diaoyin County.  The Diaoling Pass is a majestic pass built against the steep mountain. The straight road passes through the pass, making Diaoling Pass the only way to go south on the straight road. It is also the first line of defense against northern Hu cavalry heading south along the straight road.  , the pass wall is wide and tall, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and there are a thousand Han troops stationed there.  That night, Jiang Yi, the lord of Guan City, patrolled the city as usual. He had received information that 50,000 Xiongnu troops were stationed in Diaoyin County. This made Jiang Yi worried. 50,000 enemy troops were thirty miles away. If  How could he resist the Hun army's attack?  Although the terrain of Diaoling Pass is dangerous, the pass?It is strong and tall, but after all, the opponent has an army of 50,000 people, and they only have 1,000 people. The huge difference in strength means that even the strongest pass cannot be defended.  It was already the first watch, the night was very dark, and the strong wind was blowing the big flag on the flagpole. It was not cold during the day, but at night, it became bone-chilling. It was already September.  In the second half of the year, winter will begin in another half month at most. Jiang Yi couldn't help but cursed in a low voice: "Why don't these damn Huns withdraw their troops and return to the grassland? Do they want to freeze to death in the south?" "General!  "A soldier rushed over, holding an eagle message in his hand: "It's an eagle message from General Yan!" Jiang Yi is a tooth general, under Yan Yan's jurisdiction. Hearing that there is news about the general, he quickly receives it!  After passing Yingxin, a soldier came up to him holding a torch. Jiang Yi looked at Yingxin by the light of the fire. Yan Yan reminded him that the pass might be attacked by the Xiongnu army, but at the same time, he did not have to defend the pass.  The Xiongnu army is attacking in large numbers, so they can abandon the pass and lead their troops to retreat.  Jiang Yi was overjoyed. With Yan Yan's order, they could evacuate in time. Jiang Yi immediately ordered: "Let all the brothers get up and don't sleep anymore. There may be a sneak attack by the Huns!" His order was passed on to the officer.  They woke up their men one after another and ordered them to put on their armor and prepare to be ready at any time.  At this moment, in a huge ravine about five miles south of Diaoling Pass, a large group of Xiongnu soldiers were gathering together to wait for the order to attack. There were as many as 10,000 Xiongnu soldiers, led by King Youxian of the Xiongnu.  Liu Qubei personally led the army. According to their pre-agreed battle plan, Liu Qubei led 30,000 Xiongnu cavalry to make a false attack on the straight road, while Shanyu Huchuquan led 50,000 troops south along the Luochuan Road.  Liu Qubei knew the terrain of this area well. He led his army around a trail on Luochuan Road and went directly to the back of Diaoling Pass. Liu Qubei had been waiting here for two days. During these two days, he was waiting for the opportunity.  Once Huchuquan leads his army to Diaoyin County, he will take Diaoling Pass in one go.  Just in the afternoon, Liu Qubei got the news that Huchuquan had led an army of 30,000 to Diaoyin County. The time was finally ripe. At this time, Liu Qubei stood on a hill and stared at Diaoling Pass several miles away.  The pass was pitch black, and only an outline could be seen faintly. They were now located behind Diaoling Pass, and the terrain was not as steep as in front. They could climb directly to the pass using a siege ladder.  "Your Majesty, we are ready!" A captain of ten thousand cavalry rushed forward and saluted Liu Qubei.  Liu Qubei nodded and said coldly: "Capture Guancheng with the power of thunder. I will kill all the enemy troops in the Pass!" The 10,000 Xiongnu army suddenly launched. They no longer rode horses and carried dozens of siege ladders.  , killing like a tide towards the back city of Diaoling Pass, the ten thousand troops rushed closer and closer, finally alerting the defenders on the city top. Several sentries spotted countless black figures running towards Guancheng, and they shouted in terror  Get up, "There is an enemy situation, the enemy is attacking from the back city!" "Dang!"  when!  when!  'The rapid sirens were particularly harsh at night, and the entire city was in chaos. No one expected that the Huns army would attack from behind. Jiang Yi shouted anxiously, "Go to the back city! Go to the back city to defend!" Soldiers  They all ran towards the rear city, and the beacons were lit. The huge flames soared into the sky, especially bright in the night sky. Soon, the beacons at Juyuan Pass in the south were also lit, and the news of the Xiongnu army's attack on the straight road quickly spread to the south.  .  Ten thousand Xiongnu troops arrived at the city. Dozens of siege ladders were erected. The soldiers swarmed towards the top of the city. Arrows rained down from the top of the city. The Huns soldiers screamed and fell into the city one after another, but the soldiers behind them  Unaffected at all, he rushed towards the city head like crazy.  A captain jumped up to the top of the city, pierced the chest of a Han soldier with a spear in his hand, and carried him down the city. More than a dozen Han soldiers on both sides attacked him, and several more Huns soldiers boarded the city.  The two sides fought fiercely together.  Jiang Yi was leading hundreds of soldiers towards Nancheng. At this time, a military prince came up to him and said, "General, I'm afraid the situation is not good!" Jiang Yi was startled, "What do you mean by that?" Military prince  He pulled Jiang Yi aside and whispered: "The enemy troops are coming from the back city and have cut off our retreat. How can we retreat?" Jiang Yi was stunned for a moment. This was indeed a very serious problem. He originally planned to wait for the eagle to retreat.  The Huns from Yin County came to attack the city in large numbers, so he abandoned the city and evacuated to the south. Unexpectedly, the Huns army came from the south and cut off his retreat. What should he do now?  Jiang Yi felt confused for a while, and then he asked: "In your opinion, what should we do?" The military lord continued to whisper: "Since General Yan has allowed us to abandon the pass and retreat, it means that the higher-ups know about the Xiongnu army.  We will attack Diaoling Pass, so there is no need for us to defend the pass. We should immediately leave the north gate and retreat to the west before the Huns army from the north comes to kill us. There may be a glimmer of hope. Once the Huns army from the north comesIf they come to kill us and we are blocked in front and behind, then everyone is doomed. General, leave quickly!  Jiang Yi finally realized that their only chance to escape was that the Huns' army from the north to the south did not cooperate in time.  ¡°The Huns are attacking the city!  " Jiang Yi was very anxious and shouted loudly: "Retreat!  Retreat from the north gate!  "The north gate opened, and the Han soldiers ran towards the north gate. At this time, the south gate was also creaking open by the Xiongnu soldiers. The Xiongnu soldiers rushed into the city like a tide. Liu Qubei rushed into the city with his horse.  The soldiers reported to him, "Your Majesty, the Han army has escaped from the north gate!  Liu Qubei was furious and shouted: "Kill me!"  " Ten thousand Xiongnu soldiers shouted and fought towards the north gate. In the dark night, an army came from outside the north gate. The two armies fought together, but within a moment, Liu Qubei realized something was wrong and ordered people to light torches.  But they found that the troops fighting with them were actually his own men, his subordinates who had attacked from the north. The other party also found out that they had killed the wrong one, and they stopped fighting one after another. Liu Qubei was so angry that he whipped Wan Qi at the other party.  He pulled away, "You bastard, are you blind?  " Commander Wan Qi, who was leading the army, was so frightened that he did not dare to raise his head. After a while, he said: "Beizhi just intercepted and killed a Han army. They fled to the west. Beizhi wanted to pursue them, but saw countless troops escaping from the city. Beizhi was eager to kill the enemy.  , but I didn¡¯t expect it to be the king!  "Liu Qubei snorted. In fact, it's no wonder. He attacked the city from the south gate, but then fought out from the north gate. It was also in the dark night, and it was easy for the troops coming from the north to misunderstand him as a fleeing enemy.  Liu Qubei stopped entangled in the matter and ordered the guards around him: "Run to Diaoyin County to report to the Shanyu that we have captured Diaoling Pass!  " Early the next morning, Liu Qubei led 30,000 cavalrymen to rush south along the straight road. At noon, they arrived at Juyuan Pass, the second pass on the straight road. Juyuan Pass was a small pass with only five defenders.  Hundreds of people, they had heard the news of the fall of Diaoling Pass, and heard that tens of thousands of Xiongnu troops were marching south. Knowing that they could not hold on, the defenders of the pass abandoned the pass and retreated south. The Huns army occupied Juyuan Pass without any blood, and the army continued  Heading south, they rushed into the third pass - Ziting Pass. The iron hooves of the Huns cavalry were getting closer and closer to Guanzhong.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 864 Assassination of the enemy chief

    At night, Liu Jing sat alone in the tent and looked at the map. The Han army's sand table for the counties in the pass had been completed, but it was placed in Chang'an and could not be delivered to Liu Jing in time. He could only check Luochuan and Zhidao from the map.  The small road between them made the map really inconvenient for Liu Jing, who was used to using sandboxes to deploy battles.  Liu Jing put down the map and paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands. After a day of discussion, he finally reached an agreement with Jia Xu and Fazheng. It was already late September, and the Huns still had at most half a month.  , if they cannot break through the Guanzhong defense within half a month, he must withdraw to the grassland, or to Lingzhou. The first heavy snow in the north often comes around late October.  If the Xiongnu army cannot withdraw to the grassland before the first heavy snow comes, then what awaits them will be a very cruel test. For the Han army, as long as they try their best to hold off the Xiongnu army for another half month, they will get the final victory.  Victory, although it was not the Han army that defeated the Huns but the severe cold weather, the victory belonged to the Han army.  The key is how to hold back the Huns. It's like fishing. If you don't give up the bait, you can't even hope to catch a big fish. But if you don't grasp it well, you may even fall into the water with the fisherman. How to grasp this speed is the key to the entire battle.  The core.  Liu Jing tried his best to calm down and sort out his thoughts on this battle. At this time, the voice of the guard came from outside the big tent, "Your Highness, General Wei Yan is asking for an audience." Liu Jing temporarily took back his thoughts and then ordered: "  Let him come in." After a moment, Wei Yan walked in quickly and bowed, "See Your Highness!" Liu Jing asked, "Have you found a suitable candidate?" "Report to Your Highness, I have found one, and I am waiting outside the tent."  : "Let him come in to see me!" Wei Yan went out to the tent again, and soon brought in a low-level officer about thirty years old. The officer knelt down on one knee: "See His Highness the King of Han!" Wei Yan introduced at the side: "This person  It was the commander of the scout battalion, named Zhang Xin. He was the first to get the information about the Xiongnu army's large-scale march southward to Luochuan Road. "Liu Jing nodded, "Please get up!" Zhang Xin stood up and straightened his body. Liu Jing saw it.  Although he was of medium height, he was smart and capable, and his eyes were very calm. He knew that this person was a calm and thoughtful person, and he couldn't help but secretly praise Wei Yan for his ability to choose people.  Liu Jing asked again: "Did General Wei tell you what mission he wants you to perform?" Zhang Xin nodded, "I know I know this." Liu Jing sighed slightly and said, "This trip will lead to a near-death trip, and you will probably not be able to come back.  , tell me! What do you and your men want? Do you want a heavy reward or a noble title?" Zhang Xin was silent for a moment and said: "If we die in battle, the government will provide compensation to our families. We don't want a heavy reward or a noble title.  "My name can be engraved into the Martyrs' Shrine." Liu Jing was moved. He nodded silently and said to Zhang Xin: "No matter whether you succeed or not, as long as you try your best, you will get what you want!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Early the next morning, Zhang Xin led ten brothers to rush on the path leading to Wuting Pass. The morning sun shone on the soldiers' bodies and faces. Everyone seemed to be smeared with a layer of rosy red light, but they  The expressions were the same serious, no one spoke, and they ran all the way with their lips tightened.  The reason why Zhang Xin rushed to Zhidao was because he got the latest information. The leader of the Xiongnu army attacking Zhidao was Liu Qubei. According to the Huns military system, the 30,000 troops led by Liu Qubei must be his tribal troops, and Li Ling was  Among Liu Qubei's staff, most likely, Li Ling was by Liu Qubei's side.  ¡°Captain, take a rest!¡± He Laoliu was so exhausted that he finally shouted.  Zhang Xin also felt that the war horse was about to lose its support, so he reined in the war horse, pointed to an open space leeward, and said to everyone: "Go there and rest for half an hour." Everyone rushed over, dismounted, and first gave the war horse water and food.  Then he found a place to sit down and rest. At this time, Zhang Xin walked to Yang Li and sat down, and asked him with concern: "How is your arrow wound?" "It's just a flesh wound, no muscles or bones, it's fine.  Yes." Yang Li also shook his arm to show that he was fine.  "Then I'm relieved, otherwise you have to go back." At this time, Yang Li asked in a low voice: "Tuen Chief, can we really complete the task?" Zhang Xin saw everyone looking at him, he thought for a while,  Then he said to everyone: "Everyone, come here!" Everyone gathered around Zhang Xin. Zhang Xin glanced at everyone, and then slowly said: "This operation is of great importance, and we have a narrow escape from death. It is very possible to survive."  No, I hope everyone can understand this. We are all brothers for many years. I will not force you. If anyone doesn¡¯t want to do it, just say it now.??I sent him back to deliver the letter. How about it? If you don't want to go, you can raise your hand.  " He glanced at everyone, but no one raised their hands. Zhang Xin nodded and said slowly: "The King of Han received me last night. He personally promised me that no matter whether we complete the task or not, as long as we try our best, all of us will be able to do it."  They can all enter the Martyrs' Shrine and be admired by future generations.  " Everyone was excited. He Laoliu said with a smile: "Originally I wanted a hundred taels of gold, but think about it, what an honor it would be if the spiritual tablet could be placed in the Martyrs' Shrine. Gold is nothing!  " Seeing that everyone's emotions were aroused, Zhang Xin said to everyone: "I thought about it all last night and finally came up with a plan. Let's discuss it and see if it works?  ¡± Wuting Pass is another large pass after Diaoling Pass. It is also built in a dangerous location. The pass is strong and tall, easy to defend and difficult to attack. The pass itself is guarded by a thousand Han troops. However, due to the soldiers from the pass in front of them, they have fled one after another.  , bringing the number of defenders at the pass to 2,000. With the dangerous city wall, it would not be easy for the Huns to capture this pass. Liu Qubei knew that this pass was difficult to conquer, so he wanted to repeat his old trick and send troops from there.  It may be possible to go around behind Wuting Pass and come from Luochuan Road, but it seems not feasible to find a small road from the straight road. Although he knew that the possibility was unlikely, Liu Qubei still sent out more than a dozen patrols to patrol at Tuting.  Looking for a trail near the pass, a Hun patrol with more than a hundred people was looking for a road in a huge mountain depression. This area was crisscrossed with ravines and had many forked roads. There were dozens of forked roads in this mountain col alone, and some roads only took a few hundred.  The road ends at the end. This kind of road is not a waste of time and energy. I am afraid that some roads stretch for dozens of miles and find that they are still dead ends or even get lost. If more than a hundred Huns soldiers encounter such a mess, they will face such a situation.  There were many side roads, and they did not dare to enter easily, so they could only proceed cautiously along the mountain col. At this moment, they suddenly heard someone shouting in front of them: "Stand!  No more running!  " The Xiongnu centurion was startled. He quickly led his men to hide behind a huge rock. He carefully looked out and saw three Han soldiers covered in blood, stumbling forward and running forward. There were seven or eight Han soldiers behind him.  He chased on horseback and kept firing arrows at the three men. The centurion thought and immediately said to the soldiers: "Let the three men in front go and attack the pursuers behind!"  " Hundreds of Xiongnu soldiers raised their bows and set arrows together. As soon as the three men ran over, a hundred arrows were shot at the pursuers behind. The pursuers behind were caught off guard and screamed and fell off their horses. Only two soldiers ran behind and escaped.  , they turned their horses and fled northward. The Xiongnu centurion didn't care about them. He blew a whistle, and a hundred Xiongnu soldiers rushed out and surrounded the three fleeing Han soldiers. These three soldiers were Zhang Xin.  He, He Laoliu, and Yang Li pretended to be deserters, and his men were chasing them. At this time, Zhang Xin looked at the five brothers who were shot to death sadly, raised his hands and shouted: "  We are willing to surrender!  surrender!  "The Huns couldn't understand the language with them, so the centurion ordered: "Bring them back to the camp!  "Obviously, these Han soldiers were able to escape from the mountains, indicating that there must be a trail in the mountains leading to the back of the pass. Hundreds of Xiongnu soldiers escorted the three people towards the camp. In the Xiongnu king's tent, Liu Qubeizheng and counselor Li Ling  After discussing the next move, Li Ling was quite satisfied with his virtual and real strategy. If there was a large army defending Luochuan Road, they would put their main force on the straight road. If there were heavy Han troops stationed on the straight road, then they would attack with all their strength.  Luo Chuandao even said, "Your Majesty does not know. The true and false principles in the art of war are not clear-cut. Instead, they are changing, taking advantage of the situation and adapting to local conditions. We must not stick to common sense. Only by breaking common sense will the Han army not be able to figure out our advance."  The routine is that when Liu Jing thinks that the straight road is an actual attack, he will inevitably mobilize the army from Chang'an to defend, but there is no time. Luochuan Road has to defend Shan Yu's army, so he cannot mobilize the army at will. Liu Jing will definitely mobilize the army from the nearest  There are only 10,000 troops in Maling River Road. If troops are mobilized to the straight road, at least 5,000 troops will be needed. In this way, the defense loopholes in Maling River Road will be exposed.  " When Li Ling said this, he deliberately stopped and looked at Liu Qubei meaningfully. Liu Qubei just woke up from a dream and cheered, "What a great idea!  This is called being hard to guard against.  " Li Ling smiled sinisterly, "This is called the Cunning Rabbit's Three Caves. When Liu Jing thought we were going to attack Luochuan Road and the Straight Road in a big way, he never dreamed that our real target was the Maling River Road. At that time, I would lead my troops to continue the feint attack on the Straight Road.  Cooperating with Luochuan Road, the king led 10,000 cavalry to attack the Maling Valley. By the time Liu Jing got the news, the king's cavalry had already broken into the pass. As long as 10,000 troops broke into the pass, the whole situation would change. At that time, the whole situation would have changed.  Guanlongdu will be in the king's pocket.  " Liu Qubei was excited and looking forward to it. He gritted his teeth and said, "The hatred of killing my son, I want toLiu Jing will come back a hundredfold.  " At this moment, a soldier reported outside the tent: "Your Majesty, one of our patrols caught three deserters from the Han army. They may know the trail.  Liu Qubei was startled, looked at Li Ling, and then ordered: "Bring them up!"  " After a moment, the Xiongnu centurion brought Zhang Xin and three other people up. The centurion bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I led my troops to patrol the west to explore the road. I encountered a group of Han cavalry chasing these three people.  He led his troops to ambush the Han cavalry and captured the three men. They claimed to be deserters and had a grudge against the general at Wuting Pass. The general at Wuting Pass wanted to kill them on some pretext, so they waited for an opportunity to escape.  " Zhang Xin and the other three had their hands tied behind their backs. They knelt down and sobbed: "They didn't want to sacrifice their lives for the Han army, so they tried their best to escape. I hope the king will spare our lives."  Liu Qubei snorted coldly, pointed at He Laoliu and Yang Li and said, "Take them both down for questioning separately!"  " Several big Xiongnu men stepped forward and dragged He Laoliu and Yang Li away. Only Zhang Xin was left in the tent. At this time, Li Ling said: "Your Majesty, let me ask him.  " Liu Qubei knew that Li Ling was extremely cunning. If he came to ask questions, the other party would definitely be unable to hide it from him, so he nodded, "Sir, please!  " Li Ling slowly walked forward and sneered: "Where are you from?  What is your name?  " When Zhang Xin saw that Li Ling had a black mole the size of a pea on the tip of his nose, he knew that this was the target he was looking for. But now that Li Ling was right in front of him, he couldn't kill him. He still pretended to be cowardly and whispered.  He said: "The villain is from Niyang County, Beidi County, and his name is Zhang Xin.  " Li Ling was startled. This man actually came from the same hometown as him. No wonder his accent was very similar to his. Li Ling's tone was slightly softer and he asked again: "Why did you run away?  " "Guardian Wang Qian owed me 30,000 yuan in gambling debts. He didn't want to pay me back, and he was afraid that I would complain to the police, so he framed me as a collaborator and wanted to kill me. Fortunately, several brothers couldn't bear to see me die in vain, so they secretly let me go.  , when I was escaping, I was chased by Wang Qian. I beg you, sir, to spare my life.  " At this time, a guard hurriedly walked in and whispered a few words in Li Ling's ear. Li Ling's expression changed, and then returned to normal. He said calmly: "I can spare your life, but I have one condition.  , as long as you are willing to lead the way and take us over the pass on a small path, I will spare your life, how about it?  "Zhang Xin lowered his head and thought for a moment, then asked: "Do you mean what you say?  " "It's absolutely true!  "    "good!  Zhang Xin made up his mind and said, "I promise you."  " Li Ling's expression changed, and he shouted: "How dare you resort to such a trick to deceive me, drag me out and behead you!  " Several big Xiongnu men came forward and dragged Zhang Xin out forcibly. Zhang Xin shouted anxiously: "Everything I say is true, why don't you believe it?  " "Drag it out!  " Zhang Xin was dragged out. Liu Qubei next to him was stunned, "This man is our guide. Do you really want to kill him?  " Li Ling sneered, "Your Majesty, let's see how I deal with him!  " Li Ling walked out quickly and saw Zhang Xin tied to a wooden stake outside the tent. A Hun soldier raised his sword high. Li Ling walked up to Zhang Xin and said coldly: "Don't even think about it in front of me.  You're just playing tricks, I'll give you one last chance. As long as you confess, I can spare your life.  " Zhang Xin said angrily: "What I told is the truth, but you don't believe it. How can I explain it?  " "Behead!  " Li Ling shouted angrily, and the executioner swung the knife to Zhang Xin's neck. Zhang Xin closed his eyes. The moment the knife was about to hit his neck, the knife stopped. Li Ling nodded, "As expected, you  You are a character, but it is a pity that you have a companion like a pig.  " Li Ling waved his hand and said, "Bring it up.  " I saw the Xiongnu soldiers dragging two people. Zhang Xin's eyes suddenly widened. Yang Li's hands and feet were chopped off and he was already dead, while He Laoliu's left foot was chopped off. He Laoliu cried loudly:  "Captain, I don't want to betray you, but I really can't bear it. Please forgive me!  " Li Ling snorted coldly, "You have ambushed a lot of soldiers on the trail and used a trick to lure us into the trap. Do you think you can hide it from me with your tough words?  " Zhang Xin let out a long sigh. All thoughts in his eyes were gray. He closed his eyes and stretched his neck to wait for death. Li Ling stared at him for a long time and then said softly: "If you are willing to surrender, I will not only spare your life, but also spare your life.  How about saving your companion's life?  " Zhang Xin didn't say a word, but He Laoliu shouted, "Sanlang, have you forgotten who saved your father's life?  I saved him. If you don't save me today, how will you explain to your father?  " Zhang Xin was shocked, and He Laoliu cried and shouted: "And your mother, what will happen to her if you die? If you don't want your life, you have to think about your mother.  Zhang Xin's tears rolled down his face, and Li Ling patted his shoulder again, "You are a fellow countryman of mine. It's rare for you to be so courageous. As long asIf you are willing to surrender, I will not only let your brother go, but I will also fulfill your filial piety.  "Repaying kindness and repaying filial piety has forced Zhang Xin to the point where he can no longer hold on. After a while, he gritted his teeth and said: "You let him go first, and I will promise to do things for you.  "    "good!  Li Ling then pointed at He Laoliu and said, "Bandage his wounds and let him go!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 865 Serving the country with one¡¯s own body

    Zhang Xin was taken to an empty tent, and the sadness in his heart kept him from calming down for a long time. He watched helplessly as Yang Li was killed. In order to create opportunities for himself, He Laoliu also had his left foot cut off and became a cripple.  , the ten people who came together paid the price of six people dying just to make the Huns believe it.  Now all the burden is on his shoulders, how can he complete the task?  Although he was very close to the target, he had no chance to make a move. At this time, a soldier came in. Judging from the soldier's appearance, he should be a Han man. He threw a set of clothes to Zhang Xin and said, "Sir, I want you to change."  Put on your clothes and follow me to see him. " Zhang Xin put on his clothes silently and followed the soldier to Li Ling's tent. On the way, the soldier briefly introduced himself to him, and only then did Zhang Xin know that this soldier was.  He was Li Ling's bodyguard. His name was Zhao Shan, a famous swordsman in Guanzhong. He fled after killing the magistrate of Du County. Unexpectedly, he surrendered to the Huns and became Li Ling's personal bodyguard.  Zhang Xin pretended to have heard about it for the first time and didn't say a word or ask any questions. Soon, the two of them walked into Li Ling's tent and saw Li Ling packing his things. Zhang Xin was secretly surprised. Could it be that Li Ling was packing his things?  Is Ling leaving?  When Li Ling saw Zhang Xin coming in, he smiled and said: "Although this is a Huns camp, don't take it too seriously. Huns and Han people are the same. Military orders are like mountains, and there are strict hierarchies. You will get used to it after you get used to it."  "Yes!" Zhang Xin agreed with his hands down.  Li Ling was very satisfied with his attitude. He nodded and said, "According to the order of King Youxian, I am going to Shan Yu's place to discuss important military affairs. Originally I should have taken you with me, but tonight you have to lead the way for King Youxian, so  You can only stay, but don¡¯t worry, King Youxian knows that you are mine and he will not embarrass you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know when Sir will come back.¡± ¡°Maybe after this battle is over,  You can see me in Chang'an, it won't be too long anyway, a month at most." Zhang Xin was very worried. The King of Han ordered to get rid of Li Ling as soon as possible. The sooner the better. If he waits until the end of the battle, he might take action.  It was too late. He thought, "No!"  It must be done immediately.  Thinking of this, Zhang Xin said: "Before I leave, I have some important information to tell you, sir, about the loopholes in the city wall at Pinghu Pass. I was originally guarding Pinghu Pass." "What loopholes?" Li Ling suddenly wondered.  Pinghu Pass is the last pass directly into the pass. The Han army must deploy heavy troops. If there is a loophole in the wall, it is simply God helping them succeed.  Zhang Xin casually picked up a sword next to him. Zhao Shan was startled and immediately pressed it on the hilt. He stared at Zhang Xin warily. Zhang Xin, as if unaware, drew a city wall on the ground with the scabbard and pointed to the west.  City Wall said: "There was a heavy rain two months ago, and the northwest corner of Pinghu Pass collapsed. Jiang Ning, the guard of Pinghu Pass, did not report the matter, but secretly covered it up with bricks and stones. If a trebuchet is used to attack, this place will soon be destroyed."  Collapse." Li Ling was attracted. He stepped forward and stared at the city wall painted on the ground with an extremely serious expression. "Where is it?" he asked.  Zhang Xin was waiting for this opportunity. The sword light suddenly flashed, and the sharp long sword stabbed Li Ling. The sword was too sudden and there was no warning. Zhao Shan next to him was shocked. It was too late to draw the sword. The sword hit Li Ling accurately.  An unexpected thing happened to Li Ling's heart. The sword bent and failed to penetrate, as if it was blocked by something. Zhang Xin secretly shouted, "Oh no!" Li Ling was wearing protective inner armor.  Despite this, Li Ling was still slightly injured. The severe pain made him scream and fall to the ground. Without thinking, Zhang Xin slashed at Li Ling's neck with his sword. At this time, Zhao Shan's knife also arrived, as fast as lightning.  , slashed directly at the back of Zhang Xin's neck. If this knife hit, Zhang Xin would definitely die.  The situation was urgent, and it was too late for Zhang Xin to stab Li Ling in the neck. Either he blocked with his sword, or his head was in a different place. This was Zhao Shan's experience. As long as Zhang Xin returned his sword to block, he would not have another chance.  Assassinating Li Ling, in the flash of lightning, Zhang Xin waved his left hand to block, and blood spurted out. Zhang Xin's left hand was broken at the wrist, and one hand flew out. Zhang Xin yelled and threw himself on Li Ling, with the sharp sword  The blade pressed against Li Ling's neck.  Zhao Shan's knife was as fast as the wind, and another knife struck Zhang Xin's back, cutting off his heart. Zhang Xin's eyes went dark. At the moment when his life was about to die, he used his last strength to use his left hand.  The broken elbow pressed down hard on the sword blade, and with a 'click' sound, the sharp blade cut off Li Ling's neck. Li Ling didn't even let out a scream, and the head rolled away.  There was a smile on Zhang Xin's lips, he fell on Li Ling, and passed away. Zhao Shan was stunned. He slowly picked up Li Ling's head, trembling all over, and screamed. Three months later, One-Legged He  Lao Liu stood alone in front of a brand new tomb, leaning on a stick. On the front was engraved "The Tomb of Zhang Xin, the Commander of the Han Army". He silently stared at the two lines of small characters next to it.? It was written by Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, "Sacrifice one's life to serve the country, and Zhang Gong will live forever". There are several tombs next to it, which are the tombs of Yang Li and five other soldiers.  He Laoliu let out a long sigh, "You can sacrifice your lives for righteousness, how can I, He Laoliu, live alone?" He swung his sword and committed suicide in front of Zhang Xin's tomb. Li Ling's unexpected assassination disrupted the Huns' battle plan.  , without Li Ling's advice, Liu Qubei was forced to cancel the backup plan that Li Ling had just proposed to prepare for a sneak attack on the Maling River. At the same time, Zhang Xin's death also caused the Huns army to lose a key guide, and Liu Qubei had no time.  Then he went to find a small road and ordered the army to attack Wuting Pass in a large scale.  But contrary to Liu Qubei's expectation, the resistance of the Wuting Pass defenders collapsed after only holding on for half a day, and two thousand Han troops fled south across the mountains and plains.  After conquering Wuting Pass, they were only one step away from the final victory. As long as they captured Pinghu Pass, which was eighty miles away, the vast and fertile land in Guanzhong would be displayed before their eyes.  Liu Qubei's ambition was aroused. After resting for a night, he desperately led an army of 30,000 to Pinghu Pass. However, Pinghu Pass was no longer Wuting Pass. What awaited him were eight thousand well-equipped defenders.  army, as well as the reinforcements of 20,000 Han troops rushing towards Pinghu Pass.  Without Li Ling to advise, Liu Qubei immediately made a fatal mistake. He only left two thousand troops to guard Wuting Pass, but he temporarily ignored that Wuting Pass also had a vital impact on him.  The chief general of Pinghu Pass has been replaced by veteran general Yan Yan. He led 6,000 troops from Changwu Army City, which greatly enhanced Pinghu Pass's defense capabilities. Pinghu Pass's own strength and the defenders who fled back from the north  , the number of defenders at Pinghu Pass suddenly increased to 8,000. Coupled with the pass's tall and solid walls and steep terrain, the possibility of the Xiongnu army trying to capture this last dangerous pass in the pass became extremely slim, let alone their hope.  The soldiers guarding the pass will retreat without a fight.  This is what Liu Jing is referring to. He has already made the maximum concession and lured the Huns army to the last pass. If he gives in one more point, the Huns army will break through Pinghu Pass. But if the concession is not enough,  Without being able to arouse Liu Qubei's ambition to invade Guanzhong, the Xiongnu army would eventually retreat and be unable to complete the seduction strategy. It can be said that this is an extremely dangerous move, and the key part is to kill Li Ling.  , he is Liu Qubei's brain and eyes. With his presence, it will be difficult for Liu Qubei to be fooled.  Pinghu Pass, like Wuting Pass, is a huge wall connecting the cliffs on both sides, plus a square city. The north city of the square city is part of the wall. The soldiers who guard the city usually live in the wall. In peacetime,  , the caravans coming and going have to enter and exit Guancheng and undergo inspection or pay commercial taxes. Even when it is dark, they can rest in Guancheng overnight to avoid encountering wild beasts that haunt the city at night.  But unlike Wuting Pass, there is no so-called path to go around the back of the pass. This is the main peak of Ziwu Ridge, with steep and towering mountains on both sides. Unless you can climb to the top of the mountain, use a parachute to descend from the top of the mountain into Fangcheng.  , otherwise we can only use the most primitive and bloody means to capture this pass.  Liu Qubei had arrived at Pinghu Pass. He stared blankly at the Guancheng, which was more dangerous than Diaoling Pass. Only then did he understand why it was called Pinghu Fort. The Guancheng itself was built on a steep slope.  Just throw a piece of wood and roll it down, and it will cause huge damage on the slope. You are lucky to be able to rush up the slope, not to mention having to face a solid wall up to three feet high. That's why this place is called Pinghu Fort.  Any barbarians who want to attack from here will be wiped out.  If Li Ling were here, he would definitely advise Liu Qubei to retreat to Wuting Pass first, then find a way to the Maling River Road, and then enter the Pass from there. In fact, it would only take one more day than now, but Li Ling  After his death, Liu Qubei gave up the idea of ??diverting to the Maling River Road, and only wanted to break through the last pass, because this was the shortest way into Guanzhong.  Just like ordinary people crossing a river, there is an extremely narrow bridge in front of them, and they know that there is a large wooden bridge in the distance, but almost all people will choose to cross the river on the small bridge in front of them. This is human laziness and would rather  I took a slightly more difficult path and didn¡¯t want to take a long detour and walk a few more steps.  Liu Qubei looked at this majestic pass from a distance. He found that the pass was very quiet and there were no defenders visible on it. He suddenly thought of Juyuan Pass. Just like now, the pass was quiet and quiet, waiting for them to prepare.  After attacking the city, I found that there was no defender behind the pass. They had already run away. Could it be the same here?  Although he thought the possibility was unlikely, Liu Qubei still held on to a glimmer of hope. He wanted to test it anyway. Liu Qubei immediately turned around and ordered: "Let Shi Tan come to see me!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 866 Sneak Attack on Wuting

    After the Jie people succeeded in attacking the area, they were rewarded by Shanyu Huchuquan, allowing them to call a truce in the next battle against Gaonu. This was actually Huchuquan's deeper idea. He was preparing to fight the main force of the Han army in a decisive battle.  At this time, the Jie people were allowed to break through the Han army's crossbow formation in front, and the Jie people were temporarily spared.  When the Jie people went south, they divided their forces into two groups. One group of about 2,000 people was led by Chief Shi Le and followed Huchuquan to attack Luochuan Road. The other group of 3,000 people was led by Shi Tan and headed south along the straight road. After a while, Shi Tan hurriedly stepped forward.  He bowed and said: "Join the king!" Liu Qubei hated Shi Tan very much. After Shi Tan was defeated, he withdrew to the grassland without permission, which made his army very passive. However, Liu Qubei suppressed his disgust and pointed at the city with his riding whip.  Said: "I suspect that the Han army has withdrawn. I will give you twenty siege ladders. You can lead my headquarters to attack the city." Shi Tan was so frightened that he took a breath and asked him to fight the first battle. He took a long time  Cai said: "This is the last pass leading to Guanzhong. I think it will never be an empty pass. There will be an ambush waiting for us." Liu Qubei said gloomily: "Let me ask you, should you go or not?" Shi  Tantan didn't dare to say no, so he gritted his teeth and said: "Bizhi can go and lead the battle, but I have a small request. If we break through Guancheng and enter Guanzhong, please reward us with Weiyang Palace." Shi Tan knew  Weiyang Palace has been renovated and contains a large amount of materials and wealth. It is said that the Han Dynasty transported a large amount of gold from Chengdu, which was stored in the underground palace of Weiyang Palace. There are also hundreds of beautiful palace maids who moved from Chengdu living in the palace. Although these  It's just a legend, but Shi Tan still wants to rob Weiyang Palace first.  Liu Qubei had a mocking smile on his face and nodded happily: "Okay! I promise you." Shi Tan ran back on horseback and shouted to his three thousand subordinates: "Get ready to fight!" The rumble of war drums suddenly sounded.  At the sound of the bell, three thousand Jie soldiers carried thirty siege ladders and rushed up the slope like a tide. In today's terms, the angle of the slope was about forty degrees and it was more than three hundred steps long. A piece of rolling wood was thrown down casually.  , he could knock down a piece of it. Shi Tan was supervising the battle from behind. He looked very nervous, fearing that countless defenders would suddenly appear above and knock down the rolling logs and rocks, which would cause heavy casualties to his army.  But fortunately, the scene he was afraid of did not appear. There was still no soldier visible on the city wall. At this time, hundreds of his forwards had rushed to the city wall. This made Shi Tan have a lucky idea in his mind. Could this really be a city?  Empty city?  He couldn't hold it any longer, and led a hundred guards to run up the slope. He was the commander, and he wanted to encourage the soldiers to attack the city.  Tall siege ladders were erected. There were two huge iron hooks at the front of the ladder, which were used to hook the city wall. Jie soldiers began to climb up with all their strength. Liu Qubei looked from a distance, and the Jie soldiers started to climb up.  It was like a string of ants hanging on the city wall, which made Liu Qubei wonder in his heart. Did the Han army give up even the last city gate?  If this is the case, then there is only one explanation, and that is that Shan Yu's army entered Guanzhong from Luochuan Road first, and the Han army retreated across the board. This made it possible that there was no defender at Pinghu Pass.  But the reality soon and ruthlessly told Liu Qubei that this was impossible to happen. Countless defenders suddenly appeared at the top of the city. They smashed large clay pots against the siege ladder, and siege forces began to attack the city.  The soldier was hit by the pottery pot and fell down the siege ladder screaming. The pottery pot shattered and the kerosene inside spilled out.  Immediately, a more terrifying scene appeared. The Han army used rockets to light the siege ladder. The siege ladder began to burst into flames. Many soldiers were splashed with kerosene. Suddenly, countless soldiers became burning people. They were horrified and miserable.  He screamed and jumped directly from the ladder into the city. There were countless casualties, but there was also a raging fire below.  Like contagious germs, the fire quickly burned down the slope. The Han army had buried countless kerosene on the slope in advance, and they kept throwing clay pots outwards. The fire became more fierce, and the entire slope was covered in just a moment.  Swallowed.  Three thousand Jie soldiers were caught in the sea of ??fire. Countless people screamed and ran and rolled on the slope, trying to roll down the slope, but the three hundred steps cut off everyone's hope of survival.  Shi Tan stood on a big rock, waving his hands and shouting: "Run! Run out!" At this time, Yan Yan stretched out his bow and arrow, pulled out the bow string, and aimed at Shi Tan in the fire. When the string loosened, a wolf fang appeared.  The arrow shot out like lightning, piercing through the thick smoke and fire, and hit Shi Tan in the back of the neck. The tip of the arrow came out from his throat. Shi Tan shook his head and fell into the raging fire.  Flames soared into the sky, thick smoke filled the air, and the screams of the Jie soldiers gradually disappeared. All three thousand Jie soldiers, including the commander Shi Tan, were engulfed by a long-planned fire.  Tens of thousands of Xiongnu soldiers in the distance watched all this helplessly. Many soldiers were so frightened that they knelt down and buried their heads deeply in the soil. They did not dare to look any further. At this moment, Liu Qubei's heartIt was as if he had fallen into an abyss, and his heart was filled with despair.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Shortly after Liu Qubei led the Xiongnu army to the south, a Han army consisting of more than 10,000 people quietly appeared to the north of Wuting Pass. This Han army was personally led by General Wei Yan and came from Luochuan Road. According to the Han Dynasty,  According to Liu Jing's order, Wei Yan must seize Wuting Pass as quickly as possible, cut off Liu Qubei's return journey, and trap Liu Qubei's 30,000 horses on an eighty-mile straight road.  Without Li Ling to remind him, Liu Qubei immediately made a fatal mistake. He led 30,000 troops south to capture Pinghu Pass, leaving only 2,000 men to guard Wuting Pass. At this time, 10,000 Han troops were hiding in the pass.  In a huge mountain col, it is the same mountain col where the Huns captured Zhang Xin and others. There is a small road in the mountain col that can detour to the south of Wuting Pass.  As night gradually fell, Wei Yan was waiting for this moment. He immediately ordered people to find Ren Ping. Ren Ping was the deputy general of the Eagle Attack Army. He had made outstanding achievements many times and was promoted to captain. This time Wei Yan was ordered to capture the noon.  At Tingguan, he specially borrowed Ren Ping from Liu Jing to accompany him. Ren Ping led 300 Eagle Attack Army soldiers to follow Wei Yan.  This is also the characteristic of the Eagle Attack Army. They will always form an independent army and will not be attached to a certain army, let alone become part of a certain army. Although they only have 500 people, they are recognized by the Han army as being on par with the heavy armored infantry.  The two elite armies.  Ren Ping ran over, cupped his hands and said, "We are getting ready to leave. Is there anything else General Wei can do?" Wei Yan also respected the deputy commander of the Eagle Attack Army, who was nicknamed the 'Fire Ape'. He smiled and said:  "I just received intelligence from the scouts. The Hun soldiers on the city wall are still the same as during the day, without any reduction. According to the original plan, you are very likely to be discovered, so I want to change the way our two armies fight. I will attack from the front.  Guancheng, attract the Xiongnu soldiers, and create opportunities for you." Ren Ping did not object, but nodded silently. Wei Yan smiled and patted his arm, "I wish Ren Xiaowei success!" Ren Ping led the Three Hundred Eagle Attack Army.  Under the leadership of a guide soldier, we were heading south along a winding path. This path is very hidden and has many forks along the way. Without the guidance of a guide, it would be difficult to succeed in the end.  Three hundred soldiers crossed a mountain ridge, and Wuting Pass suddenly appeared in front of them. This is to the west of the inner city of Wuting Pass. The city is just two hundred steps away. Ren Ping waved his hand, and the soldiers followed him and crouched on the hill.  The terrain of the hill is much higher than the city wall.  They were from a high position, and under the moonlight, they could clearly see the situation on the city wall.  On the city wall, there were groups of patrolling soldiers everywhere, watching vigilantly outside the city wall. It seemed that the Huns army was also very worried about the Han army coming to sneak attack. Ren Ping stared at it for a long time, and he found that there were the most soldiers on the north and south sides of the city.  On the contrary, there were not many patrolling soldiers on the east and west sides.  Ren Ping thought for a while and asked the guide, "Can we go to Xicheng from here?" The guide shook his head and pointed to the towering mountains on both sides, "There are cliffs in front of us and steep mountains on both sides. We can only  Going around the ridge to the south, I never heard of anyone getting close to the west wall. "Because it was impossible, the defense of the Huns soldiers was weak. Instead, the main defense forces were placed on the north and south. For other armies,  It may be difficult to get down the cliff, but it will not be an obstacle to the Eagle Attack Army at all.  Ren Ping ran forward for dozens of steps before he reached the cliff. He looked down. Below was a cliff more than twenty feet high, but it was not smooth. It was covered with various vines and shrubs. Ren Ping looked down.  He turned around and ordered: "There is no need to go to the south, just go to the city from the west!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Long ropes were thrown down from the cliff, and three hundred Eagle Attack Army soldiers leapt down from the top of the cliff. Their movements were vigorous and flexible. For them, this kind of rock climbing was like walking on flat ground, but the important thing was not to climb from the cliff.  The soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army were also very experienced in falling off the cliff without being discovered by the soldiers on the city. They used the vines and shrubs on the cliff as cover, and in groups of ten, they quickly fell down in less than half an hour.  , three hundred fully armed Eagle Attack Army soldiers climbed down the cliff.  The soldiers on the top of the city did not notice them. In fact, Ren Ping's worries were unnecessary. The soldiers on the top of the city could only see clearly under the moonlight and the clean and tidy environment. Even so, they could only see clearly.  You can vaguely see a rough outline.  The cliff is in the dark, pitch black, and soldiers in black are falling quickly, and are covered by vines and bushes. Unless the rock collapses and makes a huge noise, the soldiers at the top of the city will not notice at all the people on the cliff.  exception.  Three hundred Eagle Attack Army soldiers quickly gathered behind a sudden rock to check the crossbows and fine steel spears they carried with them. Ren Ping carefully observed the surrounding terrain. They were still far away from the city wall.About one hundred and fifty steps away, the ground is covered with white rocks, and there is not a single flat road. But that doesn't matter. The key is not to be discovered by the soldiers on the city. Unlike the cliffs here, which are in the dark, the front is in the dark.  Under the moonlight, as long as the soldiers at the top of the city looked outside, they could immediately see the black spots on the white stone.  Ren Ping looked up at the moon again. The moon was bright tonight, but not clear. A dark cloud was drifting rapidly from the northwest. "Wait a minute!" Ren Ping ordered in a low voice.  The dark clouds were getting closer and closer to the moon. The dark clouds were blown quickly by the north wind. The time given to them was extremely short. All the soldiers were ready to run and sprint. The night suddenly became dark, and the dark clouds finally covered the moon.  The three hundred Eagle Strikers seized this momentary opportunity and ran towards the city wall. There were piles of rocks under their feet, but they could not stop the running speed of the soldiers. One soldier suddenly groaned and almost fell down, but then  Stabilizing his body, he limped and quickly ran to the wall.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 867 The soldiers are trapped on the straight road

    Just as the three hundred people rushed under the city wall, the dark clouds left the moon and the earth was covered with bright silver again. At this time, the three hundred soldiers squatted close to the city wall, waiting for the next order.  "What's wrong with him?" Ren Ping came to the side of the soldier who was groaning just now and asked in a low voice.  "His ankle is sprained." Seeing the soldier sweating profusely in pain and biting his belt, Ren Ping knew that his injury was serious. Ren Ping patted his shoulder and said, "There's no need to go to the city, just stay here."  Here!" "Obey the order!" The soldier lowered his head in frustration. There were so many military orders in the Eagle Strike Army that he had no room for explanation.  At this moment, shouts suddenly appeared on the top of the city. Ren Ping was startled and looked up at the city. He did not see the Xiongnu soldiers looking at them. Ren Ping immediately realized that this was Wei Yan in the north.  Launched an attack.  Ren Ping immediately looked towards the cliff again. He was waiting for the signal on the cliff. After a long time, a light of fire finally appeared on the cliff. It just flashed past for a short moment. This was the signal they had agreed to sign, indicating that Xicheng  There are no or very few soldiers left.  "Go to the city!" Ren Ping's order was very short, but it could not be resisted. Three hundred soldiers lined up under the city. Ten ropes had been thrown up the city and accurately caught the battlements. Ren Ping jumped up and led the way to the city.  Climbing up, the soldiers jumped up one after another, moving extremely quickly. At this time, they were no longer afraid of being discovered by the defenders, and they had to climb to the top of the city as quickly as possible.  "There is an enemy situation here!" Finally, a Hun soldier discovered the rope on the top of the city. A group of Hun patrols heard the shout and ran quickly. The first Hun soldier who found the rope slashed at the rope with his sword.  At this critical moment, Ren Ping jumped up to the top of the city, and the short spear in his hand pierced the opponent's chest like lightning.  Ren Ping kicked him over, roared, and rushed towards the Xiongnu patrol post with a short spear. At this time, the other nine soldiers also climbed to the top of the city and fought with the Xiongnu soldiers with their spears to protect the rope from being cut off.  A fierce battle broke out at the head of the west city, but it was thrilling outside the north city. Wei Yan ordered the Han army to assemble ten medium-sized trebuchets, and threw huge burning fireballs into the city. The Huns soldiers on the head of the city were in chaos.  The captain forced the soldiers to run towards the north city head, but many soldiers showed up at the south city head, saying they wanted to defend the south city, but actually they were afraid of the fireball.  This is Ren Ping's rich experience. He knows that under Wei Yan's attack, not all enemy troops will run to the North City. The South City will also be defended by soldiers. In this case, only the east and west walls will be ignored, because the soldiers  It is impossible to escape from the east and west sides, and the enemy generally does not attack from the east and west sides.  Ren Ping just grasped this impossible mentality and led his army to climb the city wall from the west city. Twenty Huns soldiers on patrol had been killed by them, and all 300 Eagle Attack Army soldiers had gone up to the city. Under Ren Ping's  Under the leadership, they rushed towards the north city head.  The fireball thrown by the Han army on the city did not fall directly on the north city, but crossed the city wall and fell into the city. The city was already a sea of ????fire. More than 20 wooden buildings were ignited. The fire spread into one piece and thick smoke.  Rolling, straight to the sky.  More than a thousand Huns soldiers gathered on the North City, hid behind the city wall, stretched their bows and fired arrows outwards. They were so panicked by the fire that they didn't care whether anyone was attacking outside, they just shot arrows outwards to alleviate their inner fear.  .  At this moment, there was a huge chaos at the west end of the north city wall. Countless Han troops came to kill them. Although the number was not large, they were extremely fierce.  Seeing the chaos on the top of the city, he knew that the Eagle Attack Army had succeeded. He was overjoyed and ordered: "Stop throwing, the troops line up and prepare to fight into the city." Each of the three hundred Eagle Attack Army soldiers can equal ten to one.  By a quarter of an hour, more than half of the more than a thousand Huns soldiers at the north city had been killed. Seeing that the situation was not good, the remaining soldiers did not dare to resist anymore and rushed towards the south city.  "Open the city gate!" Under Ren Ping's order, the two huge iron gates finally creaked open. Wei Yan raised his sword and shouted, "Come into the city, kill!" Ten thousand Han soldiers surged like a great tide.  , ran towards Wuting Pass, they did not encounter any resistance, the Han soldiers poured into Wuting Pass, the Huns soldiers knew that the situation was over, and did not wait for the Han army to enter the city, they opened the south city gate and fled in large numbers  After arriving at Nancheng, he fled southward along the straight road.  Wei Yan captured Wuting Pass without losing a single soldier. He felt extremely happy, but Wei Yan also knew that 30,000 Huns cavalry were likely to return overnight. Their time was running out. Wei Yan immediately ordered the open fire to be extinguished.  After closing the city gates, ten thousand soldiers quickly prepared for battle.  At this time, Ren Ping found Wei Yan, cupped his hands and said: "I am willing to lead my soldiers to guard the top of the mountain to prevent the Huns from attacking.The team crossed Wuting Pass from the trail.  " Wei Yan was very grateful to Ren Ping in his heart, so he smiled and said: "My soldiers will guard the mountain road. General Ren has made great achievements, so he should take a good rest first!  " Ren Ping shook his head, "If the Huns fight with all their lives, ordinary people may not be able to defend the mountain road. It is up to us, the Eagle Attack Army, to guard it, so as to be foolproof.  Seeing his insistence, Wei Yan had no choice but to agree to his plan. He thought about it and said, "We don't need ten thousand people to guard Wuting Pass. Eight thousand people are enough. I will give you another two thousand people, and you will have full command. You must replace them."  I will guard the mountain road, and I will express your first contribution to His Highness the King of Han.  " "Thank you, General Wei, for your help!"  " Ren Ping led 300 Eagle Attack troops and 2,000 Han troops to leave Wuting Pass and ran towards the mountain road to the west. Although the mountain road is hidden, it is not difficult to walk. You can go up the mountain with a horse, so Ren Ping's first thing  The thing is to destroy the mountain road and make it difficult to walk on the mountain road that was originally possible. The method is very simple. They pour kerosene on the rocks and burn them. When the rocks are burned red, they pour cold water on them, which is huge.  The rocks cracked, and the Han soldiers pried off the rocks and threw them down the cliff. They followed the same method. More than two thousand soldiers worked together to destroy the rocky mountain roads. By the fifth watch, the mountain roads were beyond recognition and the soil was dug away.  , trees and shrubs were cut down, large blocks of rocks were burned and destroyed, and the ramp turned into a straight cliff. The trail that could have led the horse up the mountain no longer existed, and turned into sections of steep cliffs, with the highest  One of the cliffs was three feet high. Even if the Huns soldiers climbed up with ropes, the horses would not be able to climb up the mountain. Ren Ping looked at his masterpiece proudly. In fact, there was no need for soldiers to guard it. The mountain road no longer existed. The Huns soldiers could not go up the mountain anyway.  It is difficult to cross Wuting Mountain. As long as they hold on to Wuting Pass, Wei Yan will eventually be trapped in the straight road. £®  After about three hours in the pass, Liu Qubei led 25,000 Xiongnu soldiers back to Wuting Pass. A fire at Pinghu Pass in the south burned to death 3,000 Jie soldiers who attacked the pass, and also killed the Xiongnu soldiers.  The army was burned to the point of despair and morale, and it also destroyed Liu Qubei's ambition to enter Guanzhong. Liu Qubei began to lead his army to retreat north. When they were still sixty miles away from Wuting Pass, they suddenly discovered Wu.  The fire and smoke above Tingguan shocked Liu Qubei. He immediately realized that he had made a fatal strategic mistake. A few days ago, Li Ling repeatedly advised him not to rush south. He could send surprise troops to the Maling River.  Ten thousand troops entered Guanzhong, and the Han army's defense collapsed. However, Li Ling was accidentally killed, which made him give up his plan to walk along the Maling River. Liu Qubei failed to understand why Li Ling asked him to send only ten thousand troops.  The real reason for entering Guanzhong. At that time, he was bent on entering Guanzhong and ignored Li Ling's advice. Now he finally understood why Li Ling repeatedly advised him to only send 10,000 troops, because they had to defend it with heavy troops.  Once the attack on Guanzhong fails, they can retreat to the north through the straight road. But now, he has forgotten to protect his retreat. Once the Han army captures Wuting Pass and cuts off his retreat, his army will be cut off from food and grass.  Trapped on the straight road, Liu Qubei began to panic after thinking about this, and rushed towards Wuting Pass desperately. When they were still thirty miles away from Wuting Pass, Liu Qubei became desperate.  When he met the Wuting Pass defenders who were retreating south, the bad news he least wanted to hear happened. The Han army had captured Wuting Pass. Liu Qubei became furious and killed the captain who had lost the pass with his own hands, and hacked several more to death.  The ten soldiers who escaped from the pass were unable to restore their decline no matter how many people they killed. They were trapped in a slender bamboo tube, with Pinghu Pass to the south, Wuting Pass to the north, and Fenghu Pass to the north.  The passage at both ends was a desperate situation that Liu Qubei had never encountered in thirty years. Only then did he realize that his ambition and impulse would cost him an unbearable price.  But no matter what, Liu Qubei still has a glimmer of hope in his heart. He still has 25,000 soldiers. Even if 24,000 people are killed in the battle, as long as 1,000 people escape from Wuting Pass, Liu Qubei will definitely be there.  Among them, he has made up his mind that he will use the corpses of 25,000 soldiers to pave a way for him to survive.  Liu Qubei urged his horse to come to the west of the pass. To the west is the towering and steep Wuting Ridge. Unlike the south of the pass, the mountain road leading to the south is easy to find. There are not many forks and ditches. It is actually a trail going up the mountain, leading directly to both sides.  It is an saddle between two big mountains. After Liu Qubei captured Wuting Pass the day before yesterday, he came to inspect this mountain road.  But the mountain road that Liu Qubei saw was completely different from the day before yesterday. The day before yesterday, it was a winding path up the mountain, but in front of him was a steep cliff. The mountain road had disappeared. Liu Qubei suddenly raised his head and looked at the top of the mountain.??On the top of the mountain, there were faint battle flags fluttering.  Liu Qubei's fists slowly clenched, his teeth clenched loudly, and he suddenly ordered: "Attack Wuting Pass immediately and capture the pass for me at all costs." Liu Qubei did not hear the roar of agreement.  When he turned around, he saw fear in the eyes of dozens of generals behind him. They were frightened by the fire at Pinghu Pass. Liu Qubei became furious and shouted with his neck straight: "If we don't capture the pass,  All of us will be trapped here, and your women and wealth will belong to others, do you understand?¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 868 The Fight between Trapped Beasts

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The war drums of the Xiongnu army sounded, and an army of 10,000 men, led by a commander of 10,000 cavalrymen, began to attack Wuting Pass.  Since a large part of the straight road is cut halfway up the mountain, one side of the mountain road is a steep mountain, and the other side is a bottomless ravine. Although the terrain where the pass is located is slightly wider, it cannot open up a battlefield, and can only allow a few people at most.  Thousands of men took turns attacking, which brought advantages to the Han army's defense.  However, the Han army's defense also has a disadvantage, that is, the defense of Wuting Pass is mainly aimed at the north. The terrain is condescending. When attacking Wuting Pass from the north, you need to look up and face a very passive terrain disadvantage, while the south is the rear, and you need to look up.  Transportation is convenient, so Guancheng in the south is parallel to the straight road, and there is no condescending location.  Four thousand Han troops were deployed on a city wall less than two miles long. There was no moat and no horse-facing wall. If the Huns were strong, they could even use a battering ram to directly break open the city gate. In short, the Han army's defense would face  A severe test, this is a contest of will and strength.  Four thousand Han troops were waiting in tight formation. The city wall was not wide enough to accommodate large defensive weapons such as trebuchets and stone cannons. The Han army built more than 20 stone piers on the north and south sides of the city to install trebuchets and other large weapons.  Twenty medium-sized trebuchets were installed on the stone pier. They were installed overnight after the Han army captured the pass.  Four thousand Han soldiers holding crossbows were coldly waiting for the Xiongnu army to approach the city. The sound of war drums became more and more intensive, mixed with the sound of whimpering horns, and the tide-like Xiongnu army gradually rushed into the range of the trebuchet.  , twenty trebuchets creaked open, two soldiers carefully put a fireball the size of a pumpkin into the iron bag, and another soldier lit the fireball.  "Shoot!" With a loud shout, the commanding officer waved the red flag, and twenty trebuchets shot out at the same time, throwing twenty blazing fireballs at the dense enemy group. There were two types of fireballs of the Han army. One was to deal with  The tent's bouncing fireball is a large ball densely wrapped in fire cloth. It is mainly used to light fires in the tent and is not very lethal.  The other type of fireball is a round sealed thin-skinned clay pot filled with kerosene and wrapped with a layer of flammable fire cloth. When thrown, the kerosene in the pot will not ignite, but once it lands, the pottery  If the can breaks and the kerosene pours out, it will be immediately ignited by the burning fire cloth, forming a sea of ????fire with a radius of about one foot, which will pose a great threat to both cavalry and infantry.  Burning fireballs roared and smashed into the dense enemy group. The Huns soldiers dodge in fear. The fireballs fell to the ground, the clay pots burst into pieces, and a large amount of kerosene poured out. They were immediately ignited by the burning fire cloth and quickly formed a sea of ??fireballs.  Many soldiers were unable to dodge in the sea of ????fire and instantly turned into flaming men. They ran screaming and screamed, and soon fell to the ground, gradually being burned and curled up into a ball.  The fireball fired by the Han army triggered the most terrifying memory of the Huns soldiers. It happened just yesterday. Everyone's heart was filled with fear, their fighting spirit faded, and their morale collapsed quickly. It started with dozens of people, but soon triggered a herd effect and turned into  Hundreds of people were killed, and then thousands of soldiers turned around and fled.  There were still more than a hundred steps away from the city wall, and the Huns soldiers began to retreat. At this time, the second round of fireballs roared into the crowd, setting more soldiers on fire. The burning soldiers ran crying and ran, triggering the Huns  There was great panic. Many people fell down while escaping. The soldiers trampled on each other and rushed to escape first. Cries and wailings resounded throughout the straight road. Although Liu Qubei led the swordsmen and axemen behind to supervise the battle and killed dozens of people,  Unable to stop the panic of the Huns soldiers, many swordsmen were even knocked down by the chaotic crowd and trampled to death by the rebels.  This scene shocked all the soldiers on the city. The Han army had used kerosene for many years and had never seen such serious consequences. After just two rounds of throwing, nearly 10,000 Xiongnu soldiers collapsed. Even the general Wei Yan was puzzled.  Explanation, he never imagined that just yesterday, veteran Yan Yan left a terrifying memory to all the Huns soldiers at Pinghu Pass.  However, Wei Yan also cheered up. He found the most effective way to deal with the Xiongnu soldiers, which was kerosene. They still had nearly a thousand bags of kerosene, which was enough to deal with the Huns' attack. Compared with Liu Qubei's eagerness to advance into Guanzhong, the Xiongnu Chanyu  Huchuquan was a little more cautious. According to the plan, Liu Qubei attacked Zhidao. Huchuquan led 50,000 troops to Luochuan Road. Luochuan Road was a river valley with open terrain and dense forests. It was already early October and the north had entered the early winter season.  , the Luochuan River Valley is also full of desolation, the cold wind is biting, the trees are withered, the Luoshui River has become a trickle, and a large area of ????the river bed is exposed.  At this time, the 50,000 Xiongnu army was marching southward along the river bed at high speed. Huchuquan was riding on his horse, admiring the desolate early winter scenery on both sides. His heart was heavy, although he admitted that going south to Guanzhong was a correct decision.  But now it's a bit late. They wasted too much time in Gaonu County.  This made Hu Chuquan feel a little hesitant, and he didn¡¯t want toThey prefer to attack Guanzhong at this time. If they succeed, it will be fine. But if they fail, they will encounter a cold winter. If they encounter heavy snow on their way back north, they will suffer heavy losses. Especially in the past few years, winter has become colder and colder.  It went down harder and harder, which filled Huchuquan's heart with worry.  But now that he has lost contact with Liu Qubei's army, he dare not withdraw easily. He is a Chanyu. If he withdraws alone regardless of his subordinates, he will lose the support of other tribes, which means that he is a Chanyu.  Sitting at the end, Hu Chuquan knew the powerful relationship here better than anyone else, so even though he was anxious, he had to bite the bullet and move forward.  According to his and Liu Qubei's plan, after Liu Qubei captured Wuting Pass, he would send Li Ling to help him capture Luochuan Road. But now that Li Ling has not arrived, Huchuquan couldn't help but feel a little strange. Could it be that Liu Qubei  Wuting Pass has not been captured yet, but even so, he should send someone to report the situation to him.  The Luochuan Road where Huchuquan is located and the Straight Road where Liu Qubei is located are two hundred miles apart. Transportation is inconvenient and the news cannot be transmitted. If Huchuquan knew that Liu Qubei's army was trapped on the Straight Road, he would have withdrawn long ago.  Never take another step forward.  Huchuquan is a very realistic person. There is no hatred between him and Liu Jing. The reason why he decided to send troops is because Liu Jing has a very tough attitude towards the Hu people and seems to want to take back the land in the pass. Therefore, as the lord of the grassland, Huchuquan  Quan decided to teach Liu Jing a lesson and ask him to restrain himself. However, if it was himself who was being taught a lesson, Hu Chuquan would never show off his courage again.  Just for a little dignity without any actual conflict of interest, Huchuquan would not get himself into too deep. This was the reason why he was reluctant to go south. He wanted Liu Qubei to take the lead and wait for Liu Qubei to attack first.  After entering Guanzhong, he would then go into Guanzhong to fish in troubled waters and get some money and food for his children to return to the grassland, which could also make up for the manpower and material resources he spent on sending troops this time.  "Chanyu!" Someone shouted in the distance and saw a group of cavalry rushing towards them. The leader was none other than the vanguard Mei Li. Huchuquan's face suddenly darkened. Mei Li led an army of five thousand to attack Yiyun Fort.  , lost more than half, but failed to capture the small fortress, which made Huchuquan extremely unhappy.  If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Mei Li was Hu Yanzu¡¯s son and his brother-in-law, he would have ordered Mei Li to be beheaded.  Huchuquan urged his horse to greet him. After a moment, Mei Li rushed to the front, reined in his horse and bowed, saying: "See Shanyu!" His soldiers saluted one after another.  Hu Chuquan held back the unhappiness in his heart, waved his hand and said: "No need to be polite, let's talk about the situation ahead." Mei Li couldn't hold back the excitement in her heart, "Reporting to Shanyu, something strange happened ahead." "What?  Something strange? " "Just this morning, a group of my patrols went to explore Yiyun Fort, but unexpectedly found that all the Han troops had withdrawn southward, and Yiyun Fort was actually an empty fort without a single defender.  Chu Quan was stunned, what's going on?  He pondered for a while and then asked: "Are the food supplies still there?" "Yes! The food is intact. There are many big flags, gongs and drums, and hundreds of thousands of arrows. They seem to be leaving in a very hurry."  , flags, gongs, drums, and arrows are all consumables. They are large in quantity and heavy in weight, and are difficult to transport. This shows that the withdrawal of the Han army was not planned in advance, but a temporary change occurred and had to abandon the fort in a hurry. Huchuquan seemed to have thought of this.  What, could it be that Liu Qubei has already invaded Guanzhong?  Hu Chuquan quickly deduced in his mind that according to their previous plan, whoever breaks into Guanzhong first, no matter he or Liu Qubei, must rush to support the other side. That is to say, if Liu Qubei breaks into Guanzhong first, he will not kill him first.  Towards Chang'an, they instead detoured to Luochuan, attacked the Han army from behind, and opened up the Luochuan Road.  Only in this way can we explain why the Han army retreated in such a hurry, and there was no time to burn the food and military supplies.  Thinking of this, Huchuquan's heart became excited. However, he was far more cautious than Liu Qubei and would not leave himself a way out. Huchuquan thought about it for a moment. At this time, his brother Daman bowed.  Shen said: "I am willing to lead the army south and lead the battle for my brother." Daman had just returned from Yedu as an envoy. He controlled the military power of the 10,000 troops of the Yundan tribe and followed Huchuquan.  Hu Chuquan was reluctant to let Daman lead the army. He knew that Daman was unreliable. The last time he sent him as an envoy to Lingzhou, he watched helplessly as the Qiang King Ah Su was killed and internal strife broke out in Lingzhou. In the end, he got the advantage in vain.  With the removal of Liu Qubei, Huchuquan lost the opportunity to accept Qiang as his subjects.  This incident made Huchuquan always dissatisfied with Daman, but now he took the initiative to ask for help. Huchuquan couldn't stand in his way. After all, Daman also led 10,000 tribal troops to follow him on the expedition. Huchuquan had to reluctantly say: "You  You can lead an army of 10,000 troops. I will give you another 10,000 troops, for a total of 20,000 troops. You and Mei Li will lead the army south first. If you can join up with King Youxian, or you can directly enter the pass.??, you immediately send someone to inform me, and I will immediately lead the army south to respond.  " Daman bowed and said: "Follow the order!  "The 50,000 Xiongnu troops immediately divided into two groups. On the right day, Zhu Wang Daman led 20,000 troops all the way south and attacked Guanzhong, while Huchuquan led 30,000 troops to wait for news at Yiyun Fort. "The location of Yiyun Fort and  Juyuan Pass is parallel to the west. Thirty miles south from Yiyunbao, there is a post road going west. After walking about two hundred miles, you can reach Wuting Post located north of Wuting Pass. It is a straight connecting road.  After Huchuquan was stationed at Yiyunbao, he immediately sent Captain Zuo Lin to lead a cavalry team to the straight road to find out about Liu Qubei. He was always a little worried.  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 869 Another Trouble

    Not to mention that Huchuquan was uneasy in Yiyunbao, and Daman led an army of 20,000 people all the way south, rushing towards Suyi County where the Han army's camp was located. Suyi County was about 180 miles away from Yiyunbao.  , it takes two days of marching in the valley road to reach it.  Daman was Huchuquan's cousin and a direct descendant of the Xiongnu royal family. He was named King Youri Zhu, second only to King Xian and King Guli. Daman's father, Luan Tiyundan, was second only to Shanyu on the grassland.  The second largest tribe in this tribe, the great chief of the Yundan tribe, is called King Laogu Li.  It was precisely because of his father's pampering that he developed Daman's arrogance. This time he led 10,000 tribal troops to follow Shan Yu south. So far, he has not had a chance to fight, but he has watched the Huns' army suffer repeated attacks.  Frustration made him feel aggrieved and panicked. Today he finally asked for the opportunity to go south. He couldn't wait for it. He went non-stop all the way and kept ordering the army to speed up.  Mei Li felt a little uneasy in his heart. It was a taboo for military strategists to just bury their heads ahead without sending spies to investigate the ambush along the way. Mei Li knew that Shanyu sent him to follow Daman because Shanyu was worried that Daman would act recklessly.  Send yourself to keep an eye on him.  Mei Li urged his horse to catch up with Daman and said: "My young prince, marching like this is not the way to march. Let me go ahead and explore the way first!" Daman glared at him fiercely, "It's not you who reports to Shan Yu.  The Han army abandoned the pass and fled, and now they are worried about an ambush. Are you playing tricks on Shan Yu?" Mei Li smiled bitterly and said: "If there is an ambush, wouldn't it be unjust for us, please be careful, little prince?  "Daman snorted coldly, "You are just a small right-backed prince. What authority do you have to command me? If you dare to exceed your authority again, I will kill you." Mei Li listened to his words.  He was extremely rude, so he said no more and followed behind with a livid face. For some reason, he really hoped that this arrogant man would be ambushed and attacked.  Although Daman was unwilling to listen to Mei Li's persuasion, he was a little worried himself, so he ordered: "Slow down the march and send spies to check ahead."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  At noon the next day, 20,000 troops arrived in Suyi County. It was still more than 70 miles away from the exit of Luochuan Road, but the valley in front suddenly opened up and was a natural basin. Suyi County was located in this basin.  Daman led his army all the way and was really tired. He pointed with his riding crop at the two mountains ahead and asked the guide: "Where are the two mountains ahead?" "Report to the prince, the two mountains are called Shuanglu Mountain.  Shuanglu Mountain is Suyi County. There is a canyon about ten miles long in the middle of the mountain, called Luming Valley. The terrain is very dangerous. A few months ago, the Han army built a city wall at the entrance of Luming Valley. " Daman suddenly became interested.  He asked: "Is the main force of the Han army outside that city wall?" The guide smiled bitterly and said, "I don't know about this, but there is indeed an army stationed near Suyi County, and it is very large." Although Daman is arrogant, he still  He did have some basic common sense. He knew that Luming Valley was the Han army's last line of defense. After passing Suyi County, although they still had to walk dozens of miles south, the Han army had no danger to defend, so they could kill them all the way.  Enter Guanzhong.  He saw that the soldiers were running around all day and night, and they were very tired, so he immediately ordered: "Rest where you are for half an hour!" The soldiers were already exhausted. After hearing the order, they all dismounted and looked for a place to rest. Daman ordered another one  The patrol went to check the situation in the valley.  Not long after, several patrol sentries rushed back on horseback and reported: "Your Majesty, there are soldiers guarding the city in the valley, but it seems there are not many, only a few hundred." "Is the city wall strong?" Daman asked again.  "The city wall is very strong, about three feet high, and the terrain is very high. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack." Daman rushed here all the way, with the purpose of rushing into Guanzhong and creating miraculous achievements. How could he let the city wall have hundreds of defenders?  Stop the troops and go back.  However, he did not have enough siege weapons. He only had twenty siege ladders, and he needed at least fifty. When Daman saw the lush forests around him, he immediately ordered a commander: "Quickly cut down five hundred big trees."  Come back." The captain agreed and immediately led a thousand soldiers to chop down the trees. At this time, Mei Li couldn't bear it anymore and stepped forward to persuade: "Little prince, please listen to me." "You still want to do it.  "Persuading me?" Daman said angrily: "You said there would be an ambush on the road and asked me to slow down my march. Where is the ambush? You delayed my march and you still have the nerve to persuade me."  We are not talking about marching now, but there are Han soldiers guarding the city, which means that King Youxian has not opened a straight road. Our successful advance may be a trick by the enemy to lure troops. It is better to withdraw first" Mei Li said nothing  After saying that, Daman whipped him hard on the face, which hurt Mei Li.He screamed, covered his face and squatted down. Daman pulled out his sword and put it to his throat, saying solemnly: "Don't think I'm scaring you. I said, if you dare to do the following again, I will kill you!"  The general quickly stepped forward to hug Daman's arm and persuaded: "General Mei Li also has good intentions. For the sake of Princess Alan, please spare him this time!"  Sister, of course Daman also understands that it is impossible for him to really kill Mei Li. However, his bad attitude towards Mei Li is not as simple as Mei Li admonishing him. There is no personal enmity between him and Mei Li, but Daman¡¯s father  Luan Tiyundan and the Huyan family have a deep grudge.  Daman put away his sword and said bitterly: "As a general, if you want to retreat before the battle begins, this will disturb the morale of the army. According to military law, I can behead you, but for Shan Yu's sake, I can spare you again, but  I'm going to tell you the ugly thing before you leave, and I will never stop you. If you want to stay, just shut up. Even if you keep talking, the gods won't be able to save you." Mei Li was filled with hatred, and he didn't say a word.  , got on his horse and ran towards the north. More than a hundred of his personal guards also mounted their horses and followed him.  Seeing him walking away, Daman couldn't help but snorted, "Get out as far away as possible!" Two hours later, the Huns army made twenty simple ladders to climb the city, and Daman immediately ordered the army to prepare to attack the city.  At this time, the commander of the Ten Thousand Cavalry, Xubuye, stepped forward and persuaded: "My dear prince, the valley is ten miles long. If our entire army enters the valley, once the entrance is blocked by enemy troops, we will be trapped and die in the valley. There must be troops to support us at the entrance."  " "Subunye is also a famous general in the Xiongnu army, and he is also the third person in charge of Daman's army southward. Mei Li was driven away, and Subunye was the commander-in-chief of the army after Daman.  His persuasion was of course weighty. Daman suddenly realized that he thought about it and said to Subuno: "Since there are not many defenders, I will only lead five thousand troops into the valley to attack the city. You can lead the rest of the troops to guard the valley entrance. If there are  If any abnormal situation occurs, please notify me immediately." "Obey the order!" Subunye led 15,000 troops to station near the entrance of the valley, while Daman led 5,000 troops to fight into the valley.  Shuanglu Mountain is also called Luhuitou. The shape of the mountain looks like two deer looking back at each other. At the foot of the mountain, a ten-mile-long valley is formed called Luming Valley. This is one of the two dangerous valleys on Luochuan Road.  One is Yiyun Valley. The Han army built military forts in both valleys. The Han army has given up on Yiyun Fort, and now only Luming City is left. Once the Xiongnu army captures Luming City, they can go south to Luo Ming City.  On the Sichuan Road, the Han army will have no danger to defend, and the Xiongnu army will continue to advance into Guanzhong.  Daman led five thousand men into the valley. The valley was quite narrow on both sides. The widest point was only about twenty feet, and the narrowest point was only five or six feet. The cliffs on both sides were covered with vines, but strangely,  There are no plants in the valley, there are bare rocks everywhere, and some big trees have only their stumps, obviously showing signs of being cut down.  It was almost dusk at this time, and the valley seemed a little dark, but Daman did not consider a long siege. He believed that if there were not many troops defending the city, he could capture Guancheng in one go.  Five thousand troops without horses, carrying forty siege ladders, arrived not far from Guancheng. At this time, a spy who stayed in the valley came to report, "Little prince, the defenders on the city are guarding the city."  "It suddenly increased." Daman was stunned and asked urgently: "How many people did it increase to?" "At least several thousand people." Daman was stunned for a moment. Thousands of people were guarding Guancheng, but he only led five thousand.  How can we attack people?  He suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart. Maybe Mei Li was right. This was the Han army's trick to lure troops.  At this moment, they heard a loud rumble behind them and the whole valley shook. Many soldiers were unable to stand and fell to the ground. Daman was also frightened and fell to the ground. There were loud noises in the valley again.  It took a long time to finally calm down, and Daman slowly raised his head for a while. He saw dust flying to the north, and the entire valley was filled with pungent dust.  A soldier rushed over and reported loudly: "Your Highness, countless boulders fell from the mountain and blocked the valley. We can't get out." Daman was so frightened that he shouted: "Go and open a passage quickly."  , let¡¯s get out!  " On the top of the city, Liu Jing looked at the Huns soldiers a mile away with his hands behind his hands, a sneer on his lips. He had received Wei Yan's report and trapped Liu Qubei's 30,000 troops in the straight road. Liu Jing was inspired by this.  , the ten-mile-long Luming Valley can be used to trap the Huns army going south in the valley. Liu Jing set up this trap, but he learned from the scouts that the general who led the army south turned out to be Huchuquan's disciple Da.  Man, the king of the Xiongnu chasing the sun on his right, he has a new idea in his mind. He is not necessarily in a hurry to annihilate Daman. He can use Daman as bait to force Huchuquan to the south.??Rescue.  If other Huns generals were trapped, he would have already ordered them to be burned to death by throwing down the kerosene, but there was no need to rush to burn them to death. There was still some use in keeping him alive.  Qin Mi, who joined the army, stood aside. He understood Liu Jing's thoughts, but there was an uncertain factor in it. I wonder if the King of Han had considered it?  "Your Highness, I have a doubt, should I talk about it or not?" "Say!" Liu Jing looked back at him.  "How can your Highness be sure that Daman has entered the valley? What if Daman is waiting outside the valley and only a Ten Thousand Cavalry Commander comes in?" Liu Jing shook her head, "It can't be a Ten Thousand Cavalry Commander, it must be Daman. This battle  He shouldn't have come in the first place, but he did. Facing a pass guarded by only a few hundred people, I can't think of any other reason for him to stay outside. "Liu Jing looked back at Qin Mi and smiled,"  Some things are difficult for me to explain, but in my position, I can understand Daman¡¯s psychology.¡± ¡°Your Highness, there is no need to explain, I understand!¡± At this time, a soldier came to report, ¡°Report to your Highness, it¡¯s reported from the top of the mountain.  News came that the boulder has become a blocked canyon." "Very good!" Liu Jing was waiting for this moment and coldly ordered: "According to the plan, order Wang Ping and Wu Ban to lead the troops out!  At three miles, we saw hundreds of huge rocks piled together at the narrowest point of the valley, blocking the circuit.  At this time, hundreds of soldiers had already climbed up the big rock blocking the road and climbed over it. Daman suddenly saw a glimmer of hope. With the help of the soldiers, he climbed up the big rock in panic and prepared to climb over the big rock.  Unexpectedly, the hundreds of soldiers in front shouted and turned around to run back. They saw a raging fire burning in the valley in front. The fire spread extremely quickly and immediately engulfed several soldiers who were running slower.  The other soldiers climbed up the boulder desperately and rolled back. Daman also climbed down from the boulder in a hurry and ran into the valley.  But the fire only burned to the boulders and stopped spreading into the valley. Daman's legs softened and he sat on the ground. He was so scared that he hugged his head tightly. He thought that if the Han army wanted to set fire to the valley, then none of them would be able to do so.  If he can't survive, his only hope now is for Subuno to come and save him.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 870 Dilemma

    At this time, drastic changes also occurred outside the valley. The Huns soldiers also heard the loud noise coming from the valley. Some soldiers immediately reported the situation to the general Subunye.  Subunye was shocked when he heard that a huge boulder had fallen from the top of the mountain. If King Sun Chaser was trapped and died in the valley, how would he explain it to Shan Yu?  He immediately ordered two captains to lead 3,000 soldiers into the valley for rescue. But at this moment, the rapid beating of war drums suddenly sounded in the woods on both sides. Amidst the fierce drumming, the two armies fought out of the woods on both sides. On the left was the general.  Wang Ping, with General Wu Ban on his right, each led an army of five thousand to fight out.  The Xiongnu army was caught off guard, and there was a sudden chaos. Subunye became red-eyed and shouted loudly: "Don't run around, fight immediately!" But the screams and wild shouts covered up his shouts, and Subunye saw the soldiers  They were in chaos and unable to resist. If this continued, they would collapse quickly. They had to be given a chance to breathe before their morale could be restored in time. He saw a Han general in the east. It seemed that all the soldiers were obeying his command. Xu Bu  Ye Bian shouted, "Follow me!" He led a thousand soldiers to run eastward. The target of his attack was General Wang Ping. Wang Ping led 5,000 barbarians to attack from the left and cut off the Xiongnu army.  In the third stage, seeing that the enemy army was about to collapse, an armored general rushed towards him brandishing a mace. Without saying a word, the mace hit his head with a fierce force.  When Wang Ping saw that this man seemed to be a commander of ten thousand cavalry, he suddenly became more competitive and shouted, "Well done!" He picked up the mace with the tip of his knife and used the force-relieving technique to move the mace along the way.  After dialing it out, the two horses passed each other. At this time, Wang Ping also felt that the opponent was extremely powerful. If he fought head-on, he would not be his opponent and would have to resort to tricks.  Liu Meng, the son of Xubuye and Liu Qubei, and Zuo Jiba, the governor of Huchuquan Guards, were known as the three warriors of the Huns. They were so powerful that they could wield an eighty-pound mace and a war horse called Wujin.  The beast is also a famous horse among the Xiongnu.  He fought with Wang Ping for a round, and immediately felt that Wang Ping's strength was inferior to his. He was overjoyed, turned his horse's head and rushed towards him, sweeping his mace violently towards Wang Ping. Wang Ping used his knife to block, and with a sound  The loud noise made his arms numb, and the sword almost came out of his hands. He roared and fought with Subuno with all his strength.  But Wang Ping was obviously passive. After only five rounds of fighting, dangers arose. By the eighth round, it was obvious that Wang Ping could no longer hold on, which made the surrounding soldiers extremely worried.  At this time, Subunye came at him with another strike. Wang Ping lowered his head to avoid the strike, turned his horse's head and fled. How could Subunye let him go, and shouted, "Where are you going to run away!"  He spurred his horse and gave chase. After only a dozen steps, Xubu Ye caught up with Wang Ping and hit him hard on the back of the head with a stick. If the stick hit him, Wang Ping would definitely have his brains exploded, but the unexpected thing happened here.  When it happened, Wang Ping suddenly leaned back and pressed his body tightly against the horse, avoiding the fatal blow.  His Yanling long sword struck out at this moment. It was an extremely beautiful return sword. The sword was like lightning. There was only a "click" sound, and Xu Bu Ye Dou's big head was chopped away, and blood flowed from the neck cavity.  It sprayed out more than ten feet high, but the horse only took a few dozen steps before the corpse fell from the horse.  Cheers suddenly sounded from all around. Soldiers had already stepped forward to snatch Subunye's horse. Wang Ping picked up the bloody head with the tip of his knife, raised it high and shouted: "The leader of the Xiongnu is dead! Destroy the Xiongnu, and you will have meritorious service."  At this time! "The morale of the Han army was high, and the offensive became more fierce. However, the morale of the Xiongnu army was even lower due to the death of their general. Coupled with the chaos of the army, they only lasted less than a quarter of an hour, and the morale of the Xiongnu army finally collapsed.  They scrambled to escape north along the river bed, some on horseback and some on foot. The Han army chased and killed them. After less than two miles, drums sounded loudly in the north again, and another Han army stopped the fleeing people from the north.  The Huns were defeated.  This is Liu Hu and Lei Tong leading 5,000 heavily armored infantry. They lined up in three rows in the valley. Their armor was as heavy as a mountain and their swords were as bright as the sea. They swung out their 5,000 horse-killing knives and aimed coldly at the oncoming enemies.  Countless Xiongnu troops were defeated.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Huchuquan garrisoned troops in Yiyunbao, and felt quite uneasy. There was no news about Liu Qubei on the way, and he could not rest assured about going south to Daman. There were various signs that it was most likely a major mistake for him to lead his army south this time.  .  Four hundred years ago, his ancestors did the same thing as he does today. King Youxian of the Xiongnu sent troops to Henan to attack Shangjun and prepared to go south along the Luochuan Road to Guanzhong. However, he hesitated because he was afraid that the straight road would threaten the rear army's food and fodder.  Dare to advance. At the same time, Han general Guan Ying led his army northward along the straight road. King Youxian did not dare to fight and led his army back to the grassland.  But times are different. During the Han Dynasty, the population in the pass was densely populated and there was a lot of wealth. Even if they couldn't attack Guanzhong, they could still rob people and property in Shangjun and Beidi counties and return home with loads. But now there are almost no people in the north of Guanzhong. If you want to rob peopleSupplies can only be sent to Guanzhong, and his intention of sending troops this time is not as simple as looting supplies and people.  But no matter what caused him to lead his army south, the dangers he faced were still the same as those of his ancestors. Today he divided his troops into two groups and went south. Will the failure that his ancestors narrowly escaped eventually befall him?  Hu Chuquan was so anxious that he stayed up all night. It was not until the fifth watch that he fell asleep, but he was pushed awake by the guards as soon as he fell asleep.  "Chanyu, something big happened?" "What happened?" Huchuquan sat up all of a sudden.  "General Zuo Lin is back." Hu Chuquan was shocked. Zuo Lin was the commander of the Guards he sent to contact Liu Qubei. He had only been away for two days, why did he come back?  He immediately ordered: "Let him come to see me!" After a moment, the captain Zuo Lin walked quickly into the tent, followed by another person behind him. Zuo Lin knelt down and said: "Chanyu, something bad is going on!" Huchuquan  I recognized the person following Zuo Lin as the Marquis of Suzhi under Liu Qubei's tent. He seemed to be called Yansheng and was responsible for the logistical and food support for King Youxian's army.  This Yansheng should be transporting cattle and sheep on the straight road, why did it end up here?  Huchuquan suddenly realized that Zuo Lin must have met Liu Qubei's grain team on the way, so he rushed back after only two days of walking.  "What happened?" Huchuquan asked anxiously, feeling frightened.  Yansheng knelt down and sobbed, "We sent food to King Youxian, but we were blocked by Wuting Pass. The Han army occupied Wuting Pass and we couldn't get past." Huchuquan's heart sank, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.  Feeling cold all over, he understood that Liu Qubei must have been trapped on the straight road, unable to attack Pinghu Pass, and the back route at Wuting Pass was blocked by the Han army.     'this.  £®  £®  £®  This is how to do?  ' Hu Chuquan's heart was in a mess, pacing back and forth in the tent. Logically, he should rush to rescue Liu Qubei, but reason told him that if he went to rescue Liu Qubei, it was very likely that he would also be trapped.  Halfway.  More importantly, Daman led his army south, and it was impossible for him to abandon Daman. At this time, a thought suddenly flashed in Huchuquan's mind. Since Liu Qubei was trapped on the straight road, then it would not be wrong for the Han army to abandon Yiyun Fort.  Withdraw troops, but lure their own troops south.  Thinking of this, Huchuquan suddenly became anxious and shouted to his left and right: "Send people south quickly and order Daman to return to the army immediately!" He was afraid that Daman would not obey the order, so he took out his Shanyu golden arrow and handed it to the guard, "  Take my golden arrow to send an order, Daman must withdraw immediately. "" A group of close guards took the Shanyu's golden arrow and chased south. Huchuquan was so anxious that he circled around in the big tent, and he felt regret in his heart.  I hate it, if I had known he should not have listened to Liu Qubei's instigation and led his army to attack Guanzhong.  He should not have listened to Li Ling's advice and hastily led his army south. Four hundred years ago, his ancestors were afraid of the dangers on the way south and did not dare to attack Guanzhong. However, he was overconfident and rashly went south, ultimately destroying the terrain.  big loss.  It is now early October, and it will snow in half a month at most. If they cannot return to the grassland before it snows, they will be in the most dangerous situation.  However, even if they cannot return to the grassland, the Xiongnu army can go east to Bingzhou or west to Lingzhou. Both are not far away, and they should be able to make time.  Thinking that the final escape route was somewhat secure, Hu Chuquan's anxious heart calmed down a little, and he just waited for news from Daman.  Although Huchuquan had already prepared for the worst, when news came that the Daman army was ambushed at Luming Pass, Huchuquan realized that the problem was more serious than he thought.  The news of the Huns' disastrous defeat was brought back by Mei Li. Although Mei Li was forced to leave by Daman, he did not stay away. If he went back, he would not be able to explain to Shan Yu. He waited thirty miles north of Luming Valley.  Together with the three thousand logistics supply troops, we patiently waited for the results.  He knew very well that there was no protracted confrontation, and there would be a result before dark. Either Daman would lead his army to break through Luming Pass, or Daman would fall into the trap of the Han army and face a disastrous defeat for the entire army.  As expected by Mei Li, not long after dark, he began to receive the defeated soldiers who had escaped from Luming Valley one after another. In the big tent, Mei Li knelt on the ground and told Huchuquan what happened in Luming Valley.  Speaking of sadness during the ambush battle, he couldn't help but cry softly.  "Bizhang reminded him twice not to be rash, but instead of obeying, he beat him severely and even threatened to kill him for disturbing the morale of the army if he dared to speak more. As a last resort, he had to retreat to the rear of the grain and grass army."  Mei Li must clear up his responsibilities, otherwise he will not escape the blame. After all, he was the first to propose the withdrawal of the Han army from Yiyun Fort, but in the end he was able to fullyAnd retreat.  In any case, he couldn't explain to Shan Yu, and he would most likely be punished for leaving his post without permission, or for escaping from battle. Fortunately, Daman whipped him hard, leaving deep blood marks on his face. This is  Evidence that exonerates him.  Hu Chuquan couldn't say a word for a long time. He never imagined that they would suffer such a disastrous defeat. He was so confused that he had no time to think about Mei Li's guilt. What should he do now?  Should he retreat or lead his army south to rescue Daman.  After a long time, he asked: "How many defeated soldiers came back?" "Reporting to Shanyu, I have gathered more than 3,500 defeated soldiers. Together with the grain transport team, there are nearly 7,000 people in total." "Oh my God! Sixteen thousand people."  People were annihilated." Huchuquan wailed, and he held his head and asked: "Are you sure Daman is still trapped in Luming Valley?" At this time, Mei Li did not dare to say anything, so he could only whisper.  : "Two of the rebels who gathered under the humble command escaped from Luming Valley. They said that King Zhuri was trapped in Luming Valley." Huchuquan was immediately upset. He would rather Daman be killed by the Han army.  Now that Daman is trapped, what should he do?  To save or not to save.  Daman is of no use to Huchuquan, and it would be best if he died. The key is that Daman's father, Luan Tiyundan, the king of Laoguli, is not only Huchuquan's biological uncle, but also the second largest Xiongnu  The leader of the tribe is extremely powerful and has a decisive influence among the Xiongnu tribes.  Moreover, Yundan was also very kind to Huchuquan. When he was expelled by the Huchuquan nobles and exiled in the Central Plains for nearly ten years, it was Yundan who finally persuaded other nobles to welcome him back and ascended the throne as Shanyu.  I swore in front of him that I would serve Yundan as my father and Daman as my younger brother.  And Daman is Yundan's only son. If Daman dies, he will not be able to explain to Yundan. Moreover, Daman is not dead yet, but is trapped in Luming Valley. If he ignores it, the consequences will be worse than Daman's.  Death is more serious.  Liu Jing saw through this, so he surrounded Daman without attacking him and forced him to go south for rescue. Huchuquan couldn't help but sigh lowly. This was the first time he had tasted Liu Jing's power.  In the big tent, Hu Chuquan was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his hands. He really couldn't make up his mind. Should he withdraw his troops immediately or lead his troops to rescue Daman?  He was really in a bit of a dilemma.  At this moment, Huchuquan received news that 20,000 Han troops were advancing towards Yiyunguan.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 871 Two-pronged attack

    Just when the Xiongnu army was trapped in Luochuan Road, the main force of the Han army that Huchuquan had been longing for finally sent troops from Xiaoguan. General Zhao Yun of Zhenbei led an army of 50,000 to leave Xiaoguan and march towards Gaonu County.  This army consists of 30,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry, but even the infantry is also equipped with war horses. In addition, there are more than 10,000 mules and horses, full of various military supplies and weapons, rushing towards Gao Nu.  .  This was an extremely beautiful strategic counterattack, and it was also the strategic plan made by many senior officials of the Han army in Yong County. No matter how the Xiongnu army attacked Gaonu County, the Han army would not move. Either the Huns were forced to withdraw to the grassland, or the Huns army marched southward.  .  As long as the Xiongnu army goes south, the Han army will do everything possible to hold it back. At this time, the main force of the Han army will send troops to attack directly behind the Xiongnu army and cut off its food and logistics, which will put the Xiongnu army into a more passive situation.  "Military advisor, do you think the Huns will withdraw from the north of Luochuan Road?" Zhao Yun asked Fa Zhengdao with a smile while riding on his war horse.  Fazheng accompanied Zhao Yun as a military advisor. In addition, he was accompanied by deputy generals Pang De and Zhang Yi, as well as a group of generals including Ma Dai, Leng Bao, Deng Xian, and Deng Ai.  Fazheng stroked his beard and smiled and said: "I believe that Huchuquan will definitely withdraw his troops, unless he is trapped in Luochuan Road, but the enemy we have to deal with first is not Huchuquan, but Liu Bao's Bingzhou Huns." Zhao Yun  He pondered for a moment and said: "In this way, the key to the victory of this battle lies in whether His Highness the King of Han can hold back the Xiongnu Chanyu." "The general is absolutely right. I believe His Highness the King of Han can hold back the Xiongnu army, and also  With Cao Cao's army, once Liu Bao crosses the river and marches west, how can Cao Cao stand idly by?" Zhao Yun nodded. He knew what Fazheng said. Cao Cao was behind to threaten the Huns in Bingzhou. He was not worried about Liu Bao's army. The key was Hu Chu.  Quan, can the King of Han's army hold it back?  At this moment, a group of cavalry rushed over and shouted from a distance: "His Royal Highness the King of Han's military order!" Zhao Yun's spirit suddenly perked up, he urged his horse to rush forward, saluted the leader of the army with clasped fists, and took out a scroll of letters.  Presented to Zhao Yun.  Zhao Yun quickly opened it and read it, his eyes suddenly showing excitement. At this time, Fazheng urged his horse to catch up and asked with concern: "What did your Highness say?" Zhao Yun'an resisted the excitement in his heart and handed the letter scroll to Fa Zhengdao.  : "His Highness said that Liu Qubei has been trapped on the straight road. He will try his best to hold back the main force of Shanyu on Luochuan Road and order us to advance quickly to destroy the Xiongnu army's logistics supply camp before Liu Bao does."  After finishing the letter, the flames of war ignited in his heart, and he immediately said to Zhao Yun: "Since His Highness the King of Han expects so much from us, how can we let him down?" "The military advisor is right!" Zhao Yun immediately ordered: "Send the order to the three armies,  Speed ??up the march!¡± The 50,000-strong army speeded up their march and headed towards Gaonu County.  (Book haha ??updates the fastest and most stably) Since Lingzhou was conquered by Liu Qubei's Huns army, it has become Liu Qubei's logistics center in the pass area to replace Sheyanhai, which was destroyed by the Han army. Lingzhou is also located in Shuofang.  County, today's Ningxia Wuzhong County area, with rivers, abundant sunshine and thousands of miles of fertile fields, is the most ideal place for irrigated agriculture. Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, the imperial court has immigrated here on a large scale to cultivate and cultivate, making it an important source of food for the Han Dynasty.  land.  However, since the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the Guanlong area has gradually declined, and Lingzhou is no exception. It has become the territory of the Qiang people. The Qiang king Asu even planned to establish a country here. For this reason, Asu frequently contacted Huchuquan and wanted to first  With the support of the Huns, he did not hesitate to become a vassal of the Huns.  It's a pity that Ah Sui made a huge mistake. He did not seek the protection of the right king Liu Qubei, but instead relied on the Xiongnu Chanyu. This undoubtedly introduced the power of Huchuquan into the pass and touched Liu Qubei's core.  Profit, this is Liu Qubei's biggest taboo.  Liu Qubei took advantage of the unexpected sudden death of Ah Sui and the internal strife among his sons to dispatch a large army to capture Lingzhou. Except for some Qiang people who escaped in time, the rest of the Qiang people were either massacred or reduced to the Huns.  Slave of man.  At present, Lingzhou is occupied by three tribes controlled by Liu Qubei's eldest son Liu Meng. The entire Lingzhou has a population of 130,000, of which about 100,000 are Huns, and the rest are Qiang slaves.  When he was a soldier, according to the rule of five soldiers to one soldier, Liu Meng could mobilize an army of 20,000.  However, the Huns had just occupied Lingzhou and civilian power was needed in many places, so Liu Meng only recruited 13,000 cavalry to protect Lingzhou and go to support his father Liu Qubei in case of emergency.  Liu Meng had been paying attention to the war in the south. When he got the news that the main force of the Han army had sent troops from Xiaoguan, he had the idea of ????taking advantage of Xiaoguan's empty troops and led his army to capture Xiaoguan. However, the mantis stalks the cicada, and the oriole is there.  Finally, Liu Meng never dreamed that he??has become Liu Jing's meal.  On the other side of the Yellow River in Lingzhou is the famous Helan Mountains, which are about five hundred miles long from north to south. Between the mountains and the Yellow River, there are alpine shrubs and meadows dozens of miles wide. It is an extremely fine pasture. This place was originally  It is the grazing land of the Qiang people, but since the Huns wiped out Lingzhou, the Qiang tribe grazing under the Helan Mountains had to abandon their pastures and go south to Hexi.  The Huns still have different opinions on the ownership of this rich pasture. Up to now, it has not been decided which tribe owns it. There are no herds of cattle, sheep and galloping horses on this lush grassland.  But this morning, a group of Han cavalry scouts galloped across the grassland, heading south.  Half an hour later, they rushed to a high hill, and a huge camp appeared in front of them. Thousands of tents were distributed in the vast wilderness. In front of the certainly huge tent, there were two big flags, one with  The yellow background and black dragon flag of the Han army has the military flag on one side, with a huge "horse" embroidered on it.  Here is the Hexi army led by Ma Chao. The Han army has 15,000 people in Hexi. Ma Chao is the governor of Zhenxi, Liao Hua is the deputy governor, and Deng Zhi is the army commander. They control Wuwei, Zhangye, Juyan, Jiuquan and Dunhuang.  County, not long ago, Ma Chao participated in the military and political discussions held by Liu Jing in Yong County. At this time, he accepted an important task assigned to him by Liu Jing, to capture Lingzhou and annihilate the Huns army in Lingzhou.  Ma Chao certainly understands his own strength. With only his 15,000 Han troops in Hexi, he may not be able to capture Lingzhou.  To this end, he invited the Qiang and Hu tribes in Hexi to form an alliance in Zhangye and asked them to send troops to assist the Han army in attacking Lingzhou. This request received the full support of the Qiang and Hu tribes. The revengeful Qiang tribes sent 20,000 elite cavalry.  He also used millions of cattle and sheep as military rations, and together with the Han army, formed the Northern Expeditionary Alliance, which brought the number of Ma Chao's troops to 35,000. Ma Chao immediately left 5,000 Han troops to guard Hexi, and he personally led three  Ten thousand troops marched towards Lingzhou.  In the big tent, Ma Chao was discussing the military situation with Liao Hua, Deng Zhi and Qiang general Bei Gongxun. According to the original plan, they planned to cross the Yellow River north of Lingzhou, first cut off the Xiongnu's return to Hetao from the north, and then go south to attack Lingzhou.  , However, just this morning, Ma Chao received important information that a Xiongnu army of more than 10,000 people was marching south to Xiaoguan. This was obviously Liu Meng's attempt to take advantage of the opportunity of the Beigaonu, the main force of the Han army, to sneak attack Xiaoguan.  This unexpected information interrupted their plan to go north. They decided to cross the river immediately and attack Lingzhou. However, there was still some disagreement on whether to attack Lingzhou first or go south to defeat Liu Meng's army.  At this time, Deng Zhi stood up and smiled at the others: "Actually, we don't have to be too rigid about who to deal with first. We have enough troops and can send troops in two directions. If Liu Meng learns that Lingzhou has been lost, he will definitely withdraw northward immediately.  We also ambushed him halfway and caught him off guard." Ma Chao also had this intention, so he smiled at Liao Hua and said, "Deng Shenjun's suggestion is exactly what I want. Yuan Jian can lead an army of five thousand to attack Lingzhou, and I will lead the rest of the army to stop the North.  The returning Xiongnu army." Bei Gongxun, the Qiang general next to him, hesitated for a moment, stood up and saluted Ma Chao, "The Xiongnu killed my compatriots and kidnapped my women and children. The Qiang people were filled with righteous indignation and attacked Lingzhou, and the Qiang people were willing to send troops to participate.  " Ma Chao made it very clear when he and the leaders of the Qiang tribes met in Zhangye that Lingzhou had been under the jurisdiction of the imperial court since the Qin and Han Dynasties. If Lingzhou is captured this time, it will be merged into the territory of the Han State and will no longer belong to the Qiang people.  , but Ma Chao also agreed that in addition to returning the Qiang people captured as slaves to the Qiang tribe, all the Xiongnu cattle and sheep would be given to the Qiang people as rewards for sending troops, while the Xiongnu tribal population would be disposed of by the Han army.  Although this treaty for allocating war profits was very unfair to the Qiang people, they had nothing to do. This was not Ma Chao's decision, but the order of Han King Liu Jing. Ma Chao only conveyed it on his behalf. As Han subjects, the Qiang people could only  Unconditionally accept the arrangement of the King of Han.  However, Bei Gongxun still hopes to participate in the attack on Lingzhou, so that as a result of military merit, they can also get some other property. Ma Chao understands what he means. At this time, he still needs to win over the Qiang people. Ma Chao then smiled and said: "That's it! Qiang people  We also sent out 5,000 troops, led by Deputy Governor Liao, and a total of 10,000 troops attacked Lingzhou. I hope this plan will satisfy General Beigong." Beigong Xun quickly bowed and said, "I am willing to listen to the Governor's arrangements!"  Xun rushed to the military camp to order troops. Only Ma Chao, Liao Hua and Deng Zhi were left in the big tent. Ma Chao then said to Liao Hua: "This time in the attack on Lingzhou, His Highness the King of Han paid special attention to several principles. One is that the land of Lingzhou must not be destroyed."  Returning to the Qiang people, after this battle, Yuan Jian led 5,000 troops to garrison Lingzhou and implemented military garrison. Secondly, the population was insufficient. The population of the Central Plains was also insufficient, so it was impossible to immigrate to the pass on a large scale, so it was necessary to move the Huns herdsmen.  Become a subject of the Han State and practice half farming and half pastoralismManagement, the key is to get them settled.  " Liao Hua frowned and said: "The Huns have been herders for generations and are accustomed to a nomadic life. If we let them settle down, I am afraid they will encounter great resistance.  Ma Chao sneered, "The real resistance is not the ordinary herdsmen, but the Xiongnu nobles. Therefore, His Highness explained that in this attack on Lingzhou, all the Xiongnu nobles will be executed without leaving any future troubles. The ordinary herdsmen will give them land and help them build houses."  To teach them to farm, they must gradually become a farming population.  " Deng Zhi said with a smile: "Captain Ma is right. In fact, the key is to guide the interests. As far as I know, the Huns also have heavy taxes. Ordinary herdsmen have to hand over more than half of their newborn cattle and sheep every year. In addition,  In addition, men have to go to war, and women have to serve in the homes of tribal leaders. The exploitation they suffer is also quite heavy. Once we implement light corvees and low taxes, the Huns will gain more and live a better life for the Han people. I believe they  They no longer want to go back to the grasslands, then open schools, promote farming techniques, and then gradually immigrate from the Central Plains and encourage intermarriage. In at most fifty years, these Huns will be completely Chinese.  " Liao Hua nodded, "I understand.  "At this time, a soldier in the big tent reported: "Alert to the Commander-in-Chief, the scouts who explored the road are back.  " Ma Chao immediately ordered: "Let him in!  " A moment later, a scout quickly walked into the tent, knelt down on one knee and reported: "To the Governor, we have found the crossing of the Yellow River, which is thirty miles northeast of us.  Ma Chao was overjoyed and immediately ordered: "The whole army rises and prepares to cross the river!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 872 West Restoration of Lingzhou

    The 30,000 Han and Qiang coalition troops were divided into two groups. One group was led by Liao Hua and led 10,000 troops north to attack Lingzhou. The other group was led by Ma Chao personally and went south to face Liu Meng's Xiongnu army.  Liao Hua led 10,000 troops across the Yellow River from Nandu, and the army quickly headed north.  The key to seizing Lingzhou lies in Lingzhou County, which is Liu Meng's hometown. Thousands of Xiongnu nobles live in the city, while ordinary herdsmen from various tribes are distributed in the grasslands within a hundred miles with Lingzhou County as the center. In fact,  , the Huns currently occupy less than 30% of the land in Lingzhou, and there are no Huns in other vast grasslands including the foot of Helan Mountain. On the one hand, it is certainly because it is early winter and the Huns need to live in groups for the winter. On the other hand,  It was also that the Huns had just occupied Lingzhou and had not yet completed the final allocation of pasture.  Before dawn, Liao Hua led 10,000 troops to arrive ten miles outside Lingzhou City. This area was originally the farmland of the Qiang people. There were no herdsmen stationed here. Large tracts of farmland were deserted, with a few sparse trees in the distance.  The trees looked very desolate and desolate in the biting cold wind.  Liao Hua looked at the sky. It was past the fifth watch, and the fish belly white had not yet appeared in the eastern sky. The night sky was clear, with a few half-bright stars hanging. Although the darkest moment had passed, the night was still very dark. It was  Opportunity to siege the city.  At this time, two scouts rushed back, saluted Liao Hua and said: "Deputy Governor, I have found out the situation on the city." "How many troops are there now at the head of the city?" "There are only four patrol posts at the head of the city now.  There is a team of about 20 soldiers on the border wall, and there are a few soldiers on the north and south city walls. There are no more enemy troops. " There are not many enemy troops, but Liao Hua still hesitates. The key is him.  We don¡¯t know the garrison situation in Lingzhou County now. It stands to reason that Liu Meng cannot take away all the troops and will always leave some troops to garrison in key places. Should he first find out the details of the garrison in the city before sending troops to attack?  Where is the city?  But after pondering for a long time, Liao Hua finally decided to attack the city immediately. He had 10,000 troops and raided the county town. Even if there were troops stationed in the city, they might not be able to withstand his attack. Liao Hua immediately found Zhang Yin, his most capable man.  Zhang Yin has followed Liao Hua for many years, and has been promoted from a veteran to a tooth general. He is Liao Hua's powerful right-hand man. He stepped forward and cupped his fists and said: "Please give the order, general!" "I will give you a thousand elites and twenty attackers."  City ladder, take advantage of the enemy's lack of defense. Use thunderous speed to seize the west city gate for me and set it on fire as a signal. I will lead the army into the city! " "Obey the order!" Zhang Yin led a thousand soldiers to the west city.  , Liao Hua watched them running away, and immediately ordered: "The army is ready to attack!" Under the leadership of Zhang Yin, a thousand troops quickly approached the city. The city was not tall, only about two feet and four feet, and climbed up a large tree.  The situation on the top of the city could be clearly seen from the tree. A soldier was observing the patrol on the top of the city from the big tree. At this time, he shouted in a low voice: "General, the patrol is going south!" Zhang Yin waved his hand and said:  "Go to the northwest corner!" In the darkness, the soldiers ran quickly. At this time, the patrol guard on the city turned his back to them and walked to the side. A thousand soldiers moved quickly and ran to the moat. They put on long wooden boards and rushed across.  Moat, at this moment, a shrill bell suddenly rang at the top of the city. They escaped from the sentry soldiers on the west city, but were discovered by the sentries at the north city head.  Shu Haha ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  ' The piercing bells rang on the top of the city, and a soldier shouted: "Go and report, there is an enemy attack!" Arrows were shot down from the top of the city, and two soldiers were hit by the arrows as they were unable to dodge.  After screaming twice, they descended the moat. Zhang Yin immediately said: "Climb the city!" Twenty siege ladders set up the city wall. Five hundred soldiers quickly climbed to the top of the city, and the other five hundred people climbed up.  He raised his crossbow and fired arrows at the top of the city. The dense crossbow arrows were fired at the top of the city, pinning down the twenty defenders on the top of the city. The Han army suddenly stopped shooting. Zhang Yin jumped up and took the lead in killing them.  At the top of the city, the spear in his hand stabbed at the Hun defenders, knocking down three Hun soldiers in a row.  At this time, more and more Han soldiers were attacking the city. The remaining dozen or so Xiongnu soldiers saw that the situation was not good, turned around and ran towards the city, shouting: "It's the Han army, the Han army is coming to the city!"  "Leave them alone!" Zhang Yin stopped the chasing soldiers and immediately shouted: "Capture the west gate first!" Hundreds of soldiers shouted and rushed towards the west gate together.  Liao Hua had already led his army to wait in a wilderness about two miles away from the city. He was a little nervous. The sky had turned white and it was already bright. If he did not seize the city, it would be too late.  At this time, another Qiang general Yang Su approached Liao Hua and asked in a low voice: "General, are you looking for me?" Liao Hua said to him: "After the city is broken,, the Qiang army enters the city, and I will lead the army to collect and surrender the Qiang herdsmen.  " Yang Su was overjoyed. Most of the city was made up of Xiongnu nobles with a lot of wealth. They were about to make a fortune. But then he thought of the massacre of the Qiang people by the Huns. He gritted his teeth and asked, "After the city is broken, can we  Massacre the city?  " Liao Hua pondered for a moment, then nodded and said: "If you want to massacre the city, kill it cleanly. No man in the city, old or young, will be left alive. In addition, the official warehouse and Liu Meng's mansion must be controlled by the Han army. You are not allowed to do so.  If you want to move, there is one more thing to remember: don¡¯t set fire to the city!  Yang Su raised his fists and saluted, "I remember my humble position!"  " He turned and left, and Liao Hua said to a soldier: "Tell Zhang Yin later and let them occupy the official Cangzhen and Liu Meng's mansions, especially control the city gates, and no one is allowed to escape!  " The soldier agreed and immediately ran towards the city gate. At this moment, a flame was lit on the west tower, which was particularly eye-catching. Yang Su was so excited that he shouted, "Brothers, the time for revenge has come. Come in.  Go to the city!  " Five thousand Qiang soldiers roared in unison. They mobilized their horses, brandished their swords, and charged into Lingzhou City. Liao Hua led four thousand Han cavalry and rushed to the north of the city. Their targets were ordinary herdsmen, and they were not allowed to do so.  Fleeing back to Hetao, there were loud cries and screams in the city. The red-eyed Qiang soldiers no longer cared about men, women, old and children, and launched a bloody massacre in the county town. Liu Meng led 10,000 Xiongnu cavalry and left Lingzhou.  For two days, the Huns cavalry went south along the Qingshui River and finally arrived at Gaoping County. Gaoping County was already an empty city. Just three hours ago, the beacon fire from Sanshui County warned this military city and also warned the enemy.  The Xiaoguan garrison was really not that large at this time, only 4,000 men, led by Zhao Yun's general Liang Song. When he saw the beacon warning, he immediately made a decision to withdraw the 1,000 garrison from Gaoping County to Xiaoguan and concentrate his forces.  Defending Xiaoguan, he also evacuated more than 200 households and merchants in the county. At the same time, Liang Song sent people back to Anding County to ask for help, hoping that the three thousand troops stationed in Anding County would also come to assist Liu.  When Liu Meng reached Xiaoguan, it was already dark. He only had a dozen siege ladders in his hand, which could not pose a threat to Xiaoguan. Liu Meng ordered the army to station in Gaoping County and ordered a captain to go and cut down trees nearby.  Trees were used to build a simple siege ladder. At night, Liu Meng stood on the wall of Gaoping County, looking at the towering mountains in the distance and the dark Xiaoguan City Wall, but there was an inexplicable trouble in his heart. The source of this trouble was his.  The first time he sent troops south, he sent troops without permission. His father Liu Qubei hoped that he could seize the time to run Lingzhou. Then they would use Lingzhou as a logistics center to launch an offensive towards Hexi and occupy the Hexi Corridor. Once they occupied the entire Guanlong  In the region, their power will be unprecedentedly strong, and they can fight against Huchuquan in court. This is the biggest wish of Liu Qubei and his son, but Huchuquan, the Xiongnu Chanyu, is clear.  He was asked to send troops, that is, this operation. Once the main force of the Han army left Xiaoguan and fought towards Gaonu County, Liu Meng could lead his army to sneak attack Xiaoguan or cut off the Han army's supply line. Although Liu Meng knew that he should listen to his father's advice.  He said that he focused on the overall situation and the future, but in his heart he was willing to carry out Shan Yu's orders. This was the moment he had been looking forward to for a long time, conquering Xiao Pass, entering Guanzhong, and making immortal contributions to the Xiongnu Empire. Liu Mengjing.  Unable to bear Huchuquan's repeated urging, but with no news from his father, Liu Meng finally decided to carry out Shan Yu's order and raid Xiaoguan, or cut off the Han army's logistical supplies. At this time, Xiaoguan was not him.  It was as simple as he thought. It was not just an empty pass, but there were many troops stationed there. It seemed not easy to capture Xiao Pass. This made Liu Meng feel a little disappointed. Maybe he could change his goal tomorrow and attack the Maling Valley.  Cutting off the Han army's supply line was another task Huchuquan gave him. Once the Han army sent troops from Xiaoguan, the Han army's supply line would most likely be along the Maling River. If the Han army's supply line was cut off, the main force of the Han army would collapse without a fight.  , this is also a huge achievement. Thinking of this, Liu Meng secretly made up his mind to observe carefully tomorrow morning. If Xiao Pass is really difficult to capture, he will not have to lose his troops and divert the Han army.  Supply lines, tasks are easy and rewarding.  Liu Meng had just made his decision. At this moment, there was a rush of horse hooves in the distance, and someone faintly shouted from the city: "Where is the young prince?" The voice was quite anxious.  Liu Meng was startled. He quickly walked to the west city wall and looked down. It seemed that they were two Huns soldiers. Liu Meng immediately ordered: "Bring them up to see me!" After a while, the two soldiers were brought away.  When they came up, the two of them looked frightened. When they saw Liu Meng, they said anxiously: "Little Prince, we are sentries at the south ferry of the Yellow River. Just yesterday morning, an army came from the west, crossed the Yellow River, and marched towards Lingzhou."?.  " Liu Meng was shocked. He grabbed the soldier by the collar and shouted, "Where did the army come from?  The soldier was frightened and said tremblingly: "It seems to be an army coming from Hexi. There are Han soldiers and Qiang soldiers, about 10,000 people."  Liu Meng's eyes widened. He suddenly shouted, pushed the soldiers away, rushed to the female wall and shouted into the city, "Gather the whole team immediately, hurry up, our lair is about to be captured!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 873 Brave and fierce battle

    In the early morning, more than 10,000 Xiongnu cavalry galloped in the vast wilderness. The yellow dust stirred up on the official road covered the sky and blocked the sun. The horses' hooves were like muffled thunder rolling in the clouds, rumbling, as if even the towering Liupan Mountain was shaking.  Every Xiongnu soldier was very anxious. Their wives, daughters and property were all in Lingzhou. If the Qiang army really entered Lingzhou, what a terrifying scene it would be. Many soldiers shuddered. They thought about how they themselves  What happened when they massacred the Qiang people in Lingzhou, they didn't expect retribution to come to them so quickly.  Liu Meng was even more anxious and dizzy. His three sons were all under ten years old, and he had more than a dozen wives, concubines, and four daughters. He knew best what kind of revenge he would encounter, and he would definitely not be able to bear the blow.  More than 10,000 Huns cavalry spared no effort in horse power, and the fast horses were whipped harder. They continued to gallop until dusk. The horses could no longer run. Almost everyone was too tired to speak. Thousands of horses were exhausted to death. The Huns  The cavalry finally slowed down and walked slowly.  But at this moment, a whimpering horn sound came from the front, 'Woo¡ª¡ª' The horn sound echoed in the wilderness, followed by corresponding horn sounds from the east and west.  All the Huns cavalry looked forward in horror. They saw a black line on the high hill several miles away, and a black line also appeared on the east and west sides.  Ma Chao led the 20,000 Han and Qiang coalition forces to finally appear. They were surrounded from three sides and were waiting for this moment. The Huns and horses were exhausted, but they were recharging their strength and waiting with their spears.  Liu Meng seemed to have fallen into an ice cave. He looked back at the soldiers and horses. They were exhausted. How could we fight this battle?  But he also knew in his heart that if they turned around and ran for their lives, they would only die faster.  At this moment, the war drums rumbled, and the coalition cavalry from three sides launched attacks at the same time. They shouted and rushed towards the Hun cavalry.  Although the Huns cavalry were exhausted, they had no choice. At this critical moment, they had no way out but to fight to the death.  "Kill!" The Xiongnu cavalry also roared, urging their horses, raising their spears and sabers high to fight the Han Qiang. The drums were rumbling, and the horses were galloping. The Han cavalry and the Qiang cavalry also waved up, carrying  With the belief in restoring the glory of the Han Dynasty, and with the fury of revenge, the two armies got closer and closer, and finally collided with each other, with swords and spears clashing, clanging sounds, war horses neighing, and four hooves raised high.  In the vast wilderness, the two armies fought fiercely together. Although the Huns army was short of men and horses, they were warriors who grew up on the grassland after all. They knew how to save their horsepower to the maximum extent, and they also knew their fate after defeat.  If the opponent is just the Han army, they may have a chance to survive after surrendering, but most of the opponents are Qiang people. Thinking of the massacre of the Qiang people in Lingzhou and falling into the hands of the Qiang people, they will be worse off than dead.  The Xiongnu army fought a last-ditch battle, but became more and more courageous as they fought. However, the Qiang people's combat effectiveness was obviously weaker than that of the Huns. Killing one Xiongnu soldier cost the lives of two Qiang people. The Qiang cavalry suffered heavy casualties. Without the five thousand Han army  The support of the cavalry, relying only on 15,000 Qiang cavalry, would be severely defeated by the Huns cavalry.  Liu Meng looked around for the enemy general. He also knew very well that to capture the thief first, capture the king. As long as they killed the enemy general, they would definitely win this battle. Liu Meng suddenly saw a man with different armor under the banner of the Qiang people.  Compared with other Qiang generals, the front and rear armors are actually gold armor. This is the symbol of a Qiang general.  Liu Meng roared and urged his horse to charge forward. The Qiang general he saw was Bei Gongxun. Bei Gongxun was anxious. The Huns cavalry were very powerful, but his army was no match. If the fight continued like this, they would most likely be defeated.  Defeated.  At this moment, he saw a general with black horse and black armor rushing toward him. Bei Gongxun immediately recognized that the opponent was Liu Meng. He felt guilty for a while. Liu Meng was known as the most brave general of the Huns, and he could defeat him.  ?  But the situation no longer allowed him to dwell on it. Liu Meng had already arrived. With a flash of light, the heavy sword struck at his neck. Bei Gongxun had no choice but to bite the bullet and wave his gun to fight.  Ma Chao led 5,000 Han cavalry to fight fiercely with the left wing of the Xiongnu cavalry on the other side. Although the Xiongnu left wing only had 3,000 people, they fought fiercely with the 5,000 Han cavalry and still did not lose.  This made Ma Chao secretly surprised. The opponent was very tired after a long journey, but his fighting power was still very strong. Ten thousand people were against twenty thousand people, and they were not at a disadvantage. In particular, the fifteen thousand Qiang soldiers were killed by seven thousand Huns cavalry.  They were retreating steadily, and the situation of the war gradually began to reverse. If the battle continued like this, they would probably be defeated in the end.  At this time, a Qiang general rushed over and shouted: "Ma Dudu, save my general!" "Where is General Nangong?" The Qiang general pointed to the northwest corner and shouted: "There!" Ma Chao turned around,  His eyes suddenly widened, justBeigong Xun, the chief general of the Qiang army, fought fiercely with a strong Xiongnu general. The Xiongnu general wore a golden helmet and wielded a gold-backed mountain knife. He was very powerful and brave. Bei Gongxun was killed and his hands were numb.  Can't resist.  "That Xiongnu general is Liu Meng!" the Qiang general added.  Only then did Ma Chao realize that he was Liu Meng, who was known as the most brave general of the Xiongnu. Sure enough, he was quite capable. Seeing that Bei Gongxun was about to be defeated, Ma Chao drew out his bow and arrow without thinking. Just as he was about to open his bow and nock an arrow, he was a step too late.  With a loud roar, he cut Bei Gongxun into two pieces with one knife.  The Hun cavalry all around suddenly burst into cheers like thunder. Ma Chao became furious and drew his spear to urge the horse to gallop. His horse was as fast as lightning. In a moment, he rushed to Liu Meng's eyes and stabbed Liu Meng head-on with his spear.  Liu Meng had just killed the Qiang general. He felt very proud and was laughing up to the sky. Unexpectedly, a Han general rushed towards him and shot him in the face. The speed was unparalleled. Liu Meng was so frightened that he lowered his head and clicked.  With a sound, the spear pierced his scalp, and his helmet was blown away.  Liu Meng was so shocked that his heart almost stopped beating. He spurred his horse and ran for more than ten steps. Then he turned around and looked at the Han general. He was about thirty years old, wearing a white horse, silver spear, and plain robes. He was tall, with broad shoulders, and a  Under the red tassel and silver helmet, he looks very handsome.  "Who are you?" Liu Meng shouted. He felt vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was.  Ma Chao sneered, "Ask your father, has the gunshot wound on his left shoulder been healed during the Gao Nu battle?"  At the invitation of Zhong Yao, Teng sent Ma Chao to assist Cao's army. They encountered Liu Qubei's army in Gaonu County. In a melee, Liu Qubei was stabbed in the left shoulder by Ma Chao, and the Huns were defeated.  Liu Meng immediately understood, "You are Ma Chao!" "That's right, the enemy chieftain shall die!" Ma Chao urged his horse to gallop, and another shot was stabbed into Liu Meng's throat. Liu Meng suddenly panicked. Ma Chao was famous for his bravery.  If the world had known that Ma Chao was here, why would he bother to find an enemy general for a duel?  But Liu Meng had no way out. He saw that the speed of the gun was too fast. He was in front of him in the blink of an eye. The nine gun heads were shaking in front of his eyes. He had to yell and slashed at Ma Chao's waist with his knife. This was a lose-lose strategy, either Ma Chao or Ma Chao.  Draw the gun, or both of them die.  Ma Chao had a mocking smile on his face and drew his gun to block, ¡®Dang!  ¡¯ With a loud bang, the barrel of the gun bounced away from Liu Meng¡¯s brutal knife blow, but his arm force pressed down, the tip of the gun swept across, and hit Liu Meng¡¯s neck.  Liu Meng was just glad that he had judged correctly, and Ma Chao actually drew his gun to block it. Unexpectedly, the opponent's spear tip came back again, so fast that it was difficult for him to react. This time he couldn't dodge anymore, 'Pop!  ¡¯ A crisp sound broke Liu Meng¡¯s cervical vertebrae. Liu Meng¡¯s vision went dark and he felt a sharp sting in his chest. Ma Chao¡¯s spear had pierced his chest.  Liu Meng screamed and died tragically on the spot. Ma Chao took his body off his horse and shouted to the soldiers behind him: "Cut off his head and show it to the public!" A military prince dismounted and chopped off Liu Meng's huge head with a spear.  Provoked, under the protection of dozens of people, he ran all the way on the battlefield, shouting loudly: "Liu Meng is dead! Liu Meng is dead!" Liu Meng's tragic death shook the morale of the Huns' cavalry, and their morale began to decline.  The morale of the Han army and the Qiang army was greatly boosted, and the situation gradually reversed.  This battle lasted for more than two hours. The Xiongnu army was exhausted and could no longer hold out. First, the left wing of the Xiongnu was defeated by the Han army. The defeat of the left wing led to the defeat of the entire Xiongnu army. Thousands of Xiongnu troops were defeated and fled.  , the Han and Qiang coalition forces pursued them all the way, killing the Xiongnu cavalry corpses all over the field, and their blood flowed into rivers.  The Qiang people hated the Huns so much that they refused to surrender as prisoners of war. They killed all the Huns who surrendered. Ma Chao shouted again and again, "They couldn't stop the Qiang people's hatred, so they had to leave it to them." However, the Han and Qiang coalition forces also suffered a tragic victory in this battle, with 20,000 Han and Qiang people.  The coalition suffered more than 5,000 casualties, and even the Qiang general Bei Gongxun was killed by Liu Meng.  Ma Chao cleaned up the battlefield and then sent his troops north to kill Lingzhou.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 874 East Aid Gao Nu

    By this time, the battle in Lingzhou had ended, and hundreds of thousands of Xiongnu women, children, and children had become prisoners of the Han army.  When the Qiang people invaded Lingzhou City, except for Liu Meng's mansion and official warehouse, which were controlled by the Han army, all the men, women, and children in the city were massacred by the Qiang people.  There are about 6,000 Huns living in Lingzhou City. They are basically the Huns aristocrats, chiefs of various large and small tribes, their brothers, nephews, wives, concubines and descendants, as well as the servants who serve them.  The young and old, masters and servants were all slaughtered, and the entire Lingzhou City turned into a hell of Shura.  According to the agreement between the two parties, the Huns' millions of cattle and sheep were owned by the Qiang people as war profits, and the rest of the territory, property and population belonged to the Han army. However, the Qiang people suffered heavy losses in the war against the Huns' cavalry, with more than 4,000 people killed in the battle.  As a compensation for the war dead, Ma Chao ordered that 200,000 sheepskins in the official warehouse be given to the Qiang people as a war compensation.  In Lingzhou City, more than a thousand Han soldiers were busy disposing of the corpses. The Qiang people had withdrawn from the county and were stationed in the west of the county. They killed cattle and sheep and drank wine to celebrate. According to the custom of the Qiang people, winning a war would last three days and three nights.  banquet to celebrate.  The Han army's camp is to the east of the county. In addition to more than 8,000 Han troops, there are also hundreds of thousands of ordinary Huns herders captured by the Han army. The Han army is heavily guarded, not only to prevent the Huns from escaping, but also to prevent the Qiang from escaping.  Drunk men come and snatch women.  Accompanied by Liao Hua, Ma Chao inspected the county town that had been massacred twice in two months. The Huns were no longer visible in the county town. There were busy Han soldiers everywhere, cremating the corpses and burying them deeply.  Liao Hua shook his head and sighed: "The Qiang soldiers were really cruel and had no military discipline at all. They not only massacred all the women, children and elderly people in the city, but they also refused to obey my order in advance not to burn the houses, and continued to burn them.  This county town is basically destroyed. "Ma Chao didn't say anything. It was his intention to kill all the Xiongnu nobles. It was not impossible to kill them all with the help of Qiang soldiers. However, it was a pity that the county town was completely destroyed. Ma Chao saw it.  Many of the burned-down buildings still retain some rough outlines, and you can imagine that the capital city that Qiang King Asuan spent twenty years painstakingly building was destroyed.  Thinking of King Qiang's twenty years of hard work, Ma Chao suddenly remembered something and asked quickly: "Is the jewelry wealth of King Qiang still there?" Liao Hua nodded, "I ordered the Han army to take control of Liu Meng's house. I  I guess all the treasures are in Liu Meng's Mansion, and I guessed it right. Please come with me, Governor!" Liao Hua took Ma Chao to Liu Meng's Mansion. This was the original palace of Qiang King Asu, and it was also the only well-preserved building in the city.  , is a replica of the palace building in the Central Plains. It is decorated magnificently and exquisitely. Expensive porcelain and carpets from Persia can be seen everywhere.  They walked to the back house and came to a large, heavily guarded house. The entire house was made of bluestone, with no windows. The door was also made of pig iron, and eight soldiers stood at the door.  "Open the door!" Liao Hualing said.  The two soldiers each opened a copper lock and pushed open the iron door. Ma Chao walked in and was immediately amazed. This was a warehouse filled with rows of iron shelves, and various gold items were placed on the shelves.  Silver utensils, as well as various jade bowls and vases, the most numerous are jade boxes. Each jade box contains valuable jewelry.  In the innermost part, there were nearly a hundred large wooden boxes neatly stacked. "What are those?" Ma Chao asked, pointing to the boxes.  Liao Hua smiled and said: "We were shocked when we came in. These things should be in the official warehouse of the Qiang people. There are numbers on them, which match the account books and records in the official warehouse, but now they are Liu's  Huge private wealth. " Liao Hua stepped forward and opened several large wooden boxes. Suddenly, golden light shone and dazzled. Inside were pieces of gold ingots, all of which were gold. Ma Chao was also a little stunned. He walked slowly.  Go forward and touch the gold gently.  He heard from a senior Qiang official who fled to Hexi that the Qiang king had mined and collected a large amount of gold over the past twenty years in order to build his country, as much as 50,000 kilograms. This was the largest wealth of the Lingzhou Qiang people and was hidden in the official warehouse.  In the underground palace, he did not expect that the gold was actually in Liu Meng's home.  Ma Chao immediately turned back to Liao Hualing and said: "Stop the news immediately and never let the Qiang people know about this gold." Ma Chao paused for a moment, then resolutely said: "The nights will be long and there will be many dreams. These gold and treasures cannot be left in Lingzhou, just  Thanks to Yuan Jian, we will set off tonight. You will personally lead two thousand cavalry to send them into Xiaoguan." Liao Hua immediately bowed and saluted, "Yes!" On the second day after Ma Chao led his army to capture Lingzhou, Zhao Yun  The 50,000-strong army he led also arrived at Gaonu County. It was getting late at this time, and the army set up camp to rest in the wilderness about 20 miles away from Gaonu County.  The army encamped during the march. There was no need to build walls. It just pitched a large tent and used heavy vehicles and baggage in the camp.Surround it in a circle, and insert 200,000 spears on the outermost side to form a peripheral defensive spear array.  But Zhao Yun was cautious and sent 500 patrol posts to control within a radius of ten miles. In this way, even if the Xiongnu army made a sneak attack overnight, it would be difficult to succeed.  There is a sand table with a length of two feet and a width of two feet in the big tent. This is the terrain sand table in the pass that has just been successfully made. There are two in total, and the other one is in the hands of Liu Jing.  Zhao Yunzheng and Fa Zheng stood in front of the sand table to discuss the battle plan. Fa Zheng was quite proud. Although his previous plan was firmly opposed by the generals, in the end His Highness the King of Han still ordered him and Zhao Yun to go to Gao Nu. This was a tribute to him.  The trust made Fa Zheng extremely grateful and made him more conscientious in his work.  Fa Zheng picked up the wooden pole and pointed at the Gaonu City Road: "According to the latest scout information, there are currently about 10,000 Xiongnu troops in Gaonu County. They no longer attack the city, but focus on defense. The main camp is in the south of the city.  , and there is a sheep and horse city built of mud, which should be the main logistics and supply area for the Xiongnu army, but I am sure that the number of troops in the Xiongnu camp is only 5,000 at most. " "Why?" Zhao Yun was puzzled.  asked.  Fazheng smiled slightly, "Actually, it's very simple. Since it is an important logistics and food area, the Huns must constantly send troops to deliver food to the south. The 80,000 Huns marching south consume a huge amount of money. Just sending one trip is not enough. They must send food continuously.  , in this way, the food team on the road south needs at least six teams, three teams go, three teams return, they have no civilian husbands, each team has at least a thousand people, then there are 6,000 people on the road, including one returning food team  , so the number of Xiongnu troops in the camp is only 5,000 at most." Zhao Yun nodded and praised: "The military adviser is really good, he has insight into everything, and he is well-planned. Since the enemy's troops are not strong enough, can we fight them all in one battle tomorrow morning?  Destroy the enemy?" Fazheng said after a while: "Although this is the right way to defeat the enemy, in my opinion, it is better to suppress it without attacking." Fazheng said it very implicitly, but he actually disagreed with Zhao Yun's decision to defeat the enemy tomorrow.  Zhao Yun understood what he meant and quickly handed over, "Please teach me the military advisor." Among the generals of the Han army, Fazheng liked Zhao Yun the most. Not only did he like it, but military advisors such as Pang Tong, Jia Xu, and Sima Yi also liked to work with Zhao Yun.  , this is because although Zhao Yun holds a high position in the military, he is always modest and self-disciplined, loves his soldiers like a son, respects his officers, and is deeply loved by all parties in the military.  This time Zhao Yun and Fazheng sent troops, and they were able to obey Fazheng's advice, which moved Fazheng deeply. He also decided to assist Zhao Yun with all his heart and seek immortal merit for Zhao Yun.  Fazheng said calmly: "General Zhao, does he know the purpose of the Han army's war with the Xiongnu this time?" Zhao Yun pondered for a while and said: "I heard His Highness the King of Han said that if we want to move the capital to Chang'an, we must eliminate the threat from the north.  , expel the Xiongnu, and recover the counties within the pass. " "Establishing the capital is only one aspect. The more important thing is to recover the lost territory of Guanlong and rebuild the power of the Han Empire. Only in this way will the people of the world feel that when the King of Han inherits the rule of the Han Dynasty.  "The King of Han is worthy of his name. This is to win the hearts of the world." Zhao Yun nodded silently. He suddenly remembered something and asked: "In this case, why did Your Highness agree to be the master of Cao Cao and use the name of the emperor? Isn't this right?  Isn't it contrary to the original intention of the King of Han?" Fazheng laughed, "This is just a political gesture, but justice depends on people's hearts. How much the Han army fought, how much Cao Cao fought, the right and wrong between them, I believe everyone  There is an account in my heart, no need to explain it deliberately. "I understand!" Zhao Yun nodded.  Fazheng continued: "So we must proceed from the overall situation and use this battle to completely cripple the Huns, so that they will not dare to take a step southward for decades." "Please speak frankly, the military advisor, I will follow the military advisor's arrangements."  Fazheng stroked his beard and said: "The reason why I said, suppress but not fight, is that the Xiongnu Shanyu in the south is under pressure from food logistics. He will definitely send people to Liu Bao for help. When Liu Bao's army crosses the river and marches west, Cao Cao will send troops.  In the northern part of Bingzhou, go straight to Liu Bao's lair. When Liu Bao hurriedly retreats eastward, this will be our opportunity. We must defeat Liu Bao's army in one battle and completely eradicate the Huns in Bingzhou. " "If this is the case, the Xiongnu Chanyu.  Wouldn't it be a great pity to take the opportunity to retreat northward and escape from our encirclement and suppression?" Fazheng narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, "Whether the Xiongnu Shanyu can escape depends on God's will." Zhao Yun suddenly realized that he bowed and saluted, "Get the military advisor.  Zhao Yun¡¯s plan is a blessing!¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 875 The trapped beast still fights

    Huchuquan led 30,000 cavalrymen and retreated to Diaoyin County, while Liu Jing personally led 50,000 Han troops to press forward step by step and never left Huchuquan for ten miles. Luochuan Road was densely forested, with only two sides of the river.  The narrow open space is not conducive to cavalry operations.  Huchuquan was also worried that there was an ambush on his back, which would cause him to be attacked from the north and the south. He did not dare to be careless, so he sent troops to explore while slowly retreating.  At this time, Huchuquan no longer cared about Daman's life or death. He had realized that they went south in a big way and eventually fell into the trap of the Han army. At this time, it would be great luck if they could return to the grassland safely.  Thirty thousand Xiongnu troops withdrew to Diaoyin County, which was also a logistics transit point for the Huns. There were 3,000 troops stationed in Diaoyin County. After entering Diaoyin County, they received supplies of grain and grass, which made Huchuquan breathe a little relieved.  Diaoyin County is located at the widest part of Luochuan Road. It is actually a basin. The Straight Road and Luochuan Road intersect here. The terrain suddenly opens up. There is a large flat field in the basin, which is very suitable for cavalry combat. The Huns cavalry can actually fight with the Han army.  A battle was over.  However, the reason why Huchuquan stood still in Diaoyin County was not because he was preparing for a decisive battle with the Han army, but because he had just received news that the food delivery team had arrived. The main force of 50,000 Han troops had arrived in Gaorou County in the north. In fact, he had been attacked.  Forming a pincer attack from the north and the south.  This made Huchuquan panic. If he continued to retreat north, he would enter the densely forested Luochuan Road again. The two Han armies from the north and the south would inevitably block him in Luochuan Road. The cavalry would be unable to use it and food would be cut off. He  What is the difference between Liu Qubei and Liu Qubei, who was trapped and died on the straight road?  He immediately sent a group of close soldiers to Bingzhou and used the Golden Arrow Order to order Zuoxian King Liu Bao to send troops to Gaorou. This was their agreement in advance. Liu Bao promised him that at least 50,000 elite troops would be sent to Gaorou County to participate in the battle.  , now is the time for him to fulfill his promise.  On the top of the city, Huchuquan looked anxiously to the south. He could see the Han army camp ten miles away, stationed on a high ground. A large black dragon flag with a gold border on a yellow background fluttered in the wind over the camp.  Huchuquan sighed softly. It was the royal flag of the Han army, indicating that Han Wang Liu Jing was in the camp. At this time, Huchuquan looked to the southwest again. Thirty miles away was Diaoling Pass.  He thought of Liu Qubei's army who was trapped and killed in the straight road by the Han army. Their food had long been cut off, and he didn't know how they were alive or dead now?  There is also Sun Chaser King Daman. He should have been annihilated by the Han army now. I really don¡¯t know how he will explain to his father when he goes back?  "Chanyu!" Shi Le, the chief of the Jie people, appeared behind Huchuquan. He bowed and said, "Wei Chen has something to discuss with Shan Yu." "What is it?" Shi Le hesitated and said, "Wei Chen wants to lead the headquarters.  Go to the straight road to rescue King Youxian." Huchuquan knew that he did not want to rescue Liu Qubei, but wanted to rescue his son Shi Tan, who was with Liu Qubei. Huchuquan felt a little guilty and said softly.  He said: "You don't have many troops anymore, I'm afraid we won't be able to attack Wuting Pass." Shi Le gritted his teeth and said: "Wei Chen still has five thousand Jie soldiers who will fight to the death to attack Wu Ting Pass. Wei Chen believes that they have war horses to feed on.  He should still be alive now.¡± That sentence reminded Hu Chuquan, yes!  Although Liu Qubei had been without food for many days, they could kill horses for food, which could last at least half a month. It would be a bit unkind for him to give up now.  After all, Huchuquan is the lord of the Huns, and Liu Qubei is an important noble of the Huns. He doesn't care about Liu Qubei's life and death, and it will be difficult for him to explain to other nobles when he returns. Moreover, if he can rescue them, he can also add a living force to himself.  However, it is impossible for Huchuquan to send out heavy troops to rescue them. Liu Jing personally leads the army and is watching eagerly. If the troops are scattered, he will defeat them one by one.  Hu Chuquan looked at Shi Le again and thought to himself, 'This man is determined to save his son, so he will definitely attack Wuting Pass with all his strength. Why not just let him go and take the gamble this time.  ' Thinking of this, Hu Chuquan smiled and said: "I'm afraid the five thousand people led by the chief are not enough. I will give you another five thousand troops and twenty siege ladders, a total of ten thousand troops. I hope you can break through Wuting Pass and rescue the people."  Son." Shi Le was moved and quickly bowed and saluted, "Shi Le will remember Shan Yu's kindness in saving his son." Shi Le's heart was burning, and he immediately led an army of 10,000 to leave Diaoyin County and march toward the southwest.  Diaolingguan rushed towards it. Huchuquan watched them running away, and then looked at the Han army camp due south. He was really worried. The 10,000 troops were too flamboyant, and they might not be able to escape the eyes of the Han army scouts. Liu Jing would let him  Did they go to the straight road successfully to rescue people?  Just when Huchuquan was overlooking the Han army camp, Liu Jing happened to be standing on a high ground, looking at Diaoyin County in the north. Now all Liu Jing's strategy is to drag the Huns in one word.  It is impossible to return to the grassland within the pass. It is already late October. As long as November enters, the first big battle will begin.Snow will come.  At this time, Liu Jing received an express message from Zhao Yun. The main force of 50,000 troops had arrived in Gaorou County, blocking the Xiongnu Chanyu's way north, fully realizing Jia Xu's plan of a north-south pincer attack.  At the same time, according to the original plan made in Yong County, Ma Chao should have sent troops to attack Lingzhou. Lingzhou's troops are weak. As long as Ma Chao is not careless, he should be able to successfully capture Lingzhou.  The strategies have been deployed one by one. Now, just wait for Liu Bao to cross the Yellow River to help Cao Cao's army in Taiyuan. This is also the established strategy that Sima Yi discussed with Cao Cao when he went to Taiyuan as an envoy.  At this moment, a cavalry scout rushed over and shouted from a little distance: "Your Highness, we discovered that a Xiongnu army of more than 10,000 people left Diaoyin County and headed southwest."  Liu Jing couldn't help but be startled. She actually took the southwest road. This was to go to Diaoling Pass!  Could it be that Hu Chuquan still wanted to save Liu Qubei?  Thinking of this, Liu Jing immediately turned around and looked at Liu Hu behind him Shi Le led his army to move carefully and slowly. Although he was anxious, he did not dare to order the horse to gallop, which would stir up dust in the sky and the sound of horse hoofs.  Attention of enemy troops.  "Great Chief, aren't we walking with our tails between our legs?" A Hun captain was extremely dissatisfied with their careful slowness. He urged his horse forward and said coldly to Shi Le: "We are cavalry, and the opponent is infantry. In this area  In the wilderness, the Han army should be afraid of us. If they dare to chase us, we will give them a lesson." Shi Le was angry. The other party was just a captain, so he dared to be so rude to him. It showed that the Huns had no control at all.  He still needs these Huns to help him conquer Wuting Pass. Shi Le could only hold back his anger and said: "This is the order of Shan Yu, we are not allowed to be exposed, general  If you are dissatisfied, you can complain to the Shanyu when you come back, but now we must march carefully and not let the other party find us." Seeing him move the Shanyu out, the commander couldn't help but snorted coldly, said nothing more, and turned around.  He left, but after a few steps he stopped and said, "I'm afraid the Han army scouts have discovered us long ago." Shi Le suddenly felt worried. He knew that what the captain said was reasonable. Liu Jing had scouts outside the city.  There was a lot of noise when they left the city, how could the other party not know?  Shi Le sighed in his heart. At this point, they could only take one step at a time.  The Xiongnu cavalry took the southwest route, which was separated from the basin by a long forest. Although the Han army camp was stationed at a high place and was only three miles away at the nearest point, it was not easy to find them.  The Huns cavalry were careful all the way and did not disturb the Han army camp. When they passed the Han army camp, Shi Le was overjoyed and immediately ordered to speed up. The 10,000 cavalrymen galloped towards Diaoling Pass, which was dozens of miles away.  .  Soon after he crossed the southwest road, the straight road ahead appeared in front of him, but Shi Le suddenly reined in his horse and looked ahead uneasily. He saw that the entrance to the straight road was between two valleys, and in front of the valley, an army blocked the road.  their way.  This is a unique army. Each soldier is wearing heavy armor, thick layers from head to toe, with only one pair of eyes exposed. Each soldier holds a long sword one foot and five feet long, with a short handle and a long blade.  Glittering in the sunlight.  The opponent was heavy armored infantry, about 3,000 men, lined up in rows, blocking the entrance to the 60-foot-wide straight road. Shi Le turned around and said coldly to the commander just now: "Don't you want to fight the Han army?  ? Now that the opportunity has come, are you willing to take the lead? " The captain was also a little uneasy, but what he said just now was so full that he had no way to go down. He had to bite the bullet and said loudly: "Of course I am willing.  A battle!" "Okay! I'll give you three thousand troops and wish you victory." Shi Le shouted loudly: "Bang!  Boom!  Boom!  The drums beat rapidly, which was an order to fight. The captain waved his spear and shouted: "Follow them and crush them!" The Huns cavalry suddenly launched, and three thousand cavalry galloped in the wilderness, getting faster and faster.  Like a violent storm, they waved their sabers and roared loudly. The Hun cavalry was like an extremely sharp spear and an extremely heavy hammer. They wanted to smash the enemy into pieces, trample them into mud, destroy everything, and be invincible.  everything.  "Kill!" The sound of the Hun cavalry's hoofbeats was earth-shattering, and they crashed into the heavy armored infantry with overwhelming force.  Liu Hu had long been accustomed to seeing all this. When the enemy cavalry was still two hundred steps away, he coldly ordered: "Four rows of swords!" The drums sounded, and the first four rows of 1,600 soldiers stepped forward in two steps.  , squatted down half-kneeling, with the handle of the knife touching the ground and the tip of the knife pointing forward. Nine hundred sharp swords for killing horses formed a dense forest of knives.  The Huns cavalry finally rushed forward like billowing dark clouds.?, headed by three hundred cavalry, they were as fast as thunder and fierce, stirring up yellow dust in the sky, and hit the heavy armored infantry with great force.  Amidst the screams, the cavalry group crashed into the forest of knives. Blood mist filled the air and limbs flew everywhere. But at the same time, an unparalleled force quickly spread from the tip to the hilt of the knife, and finally disappeared into the ground.  Above, this is the most difficult step for heavy armored infantry to deal with cavalry. It is the first impact of cavalry. It is extremely powerful, but if it can withstand it, the cavalry behind will form a series of collisions, which will cause a series of collisions between them.  The casualties were heavy.  The heavy armored infantry have been through hundreds of battles and have a wealth of experience. No matter how strong the wind blows, they remain as motionless as Mount Tai. However, there are still a dozen heavy armored infantry who were knocked away by the powerful force.  Most of the soldiers withstood the impact of the Hun cavalry. Almost all three hundred Hun cavalry including men and horses were killed or injured. Some of them were pierced by sharp knife points, and some hit the blade. Their heads rolled off, and their limbs lay horizontally.  Flying, dead men and horses piled up in front of the heavy armored infantry formation.  The huge impact force failed to open the gap, which caused great trouble to the Huns cavalry. The cavalry behind them could not stop their horses and collided with each other one after another, causing screams.  Seeing that the first round of attacks had disappeared, Liu Hu shouted loudly: "Fight in formations!" Eight rows of 3,000 heavy armored infantry quickly formed a heavy armored infantry formation, and began to move forward with their swords to kill step by step, and the 3,000 heavy armored infantrymen  The cavalry fought fiercely together, the drums were beating like thunder, and the shouts of killing were loud. The two armies started a bloody fight in the wilderness before the straight road.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 876 The Army Coming from the East

    "Great Chief, the brothers can't kill you!" A Jieren captain covered in blood rushed to Shi Le and shouted loudly.  Shi Le¡¯s heart was trembling and his whole body was cold. Although he had experienced many things, the extremely bloody scene in front of him made him feel like he had fallen into an ice cave.  On a battlefield that was only two hundred steps long, there were piles of corpses of Hun cavalry and Jie cavalry. Thousands of corpses were piled on top of each other, and almost none of them was intact. The human heads with ferocious faces, the limbs with white bones exposed, and all the corpses were chopped off.  The blood of human and war horses mixed with each other's torso, forming a stream that flowed into the grass on the roadside.  This cruel and bloody scene made many young Xiongnu soldiers tremble with fear. Three attacks failed and more than 3,000 lives were lost. The Han army's heavy armored cavalry still stood tall. They only suffered dozens of casualties.  Such a cruel comparison of the soldiers' injuries made Shi Le chill. He completely believed that even if all of their troops were killed, they would never be able to break through the mountain-like sword formation of the Han army.  "Retract the troops!" Shi Le gave the order in pain.  The bell of the Xiongnu army rang, and more than 2,000 cavalry retreated like a tide. The Han army's heavy armored infantry did not pursue them. They retreated slowly, leaving the bloody battlefield completely empty. It was not a battlefield at all, but a slaughterhouse.  , many Hun soldiers turned their heads away unbearably, but they could not avoid the ubiquitous smell of blood.  Shi Le stared blankly at the heavy armored infantry hundreds of steps away in the distance. This was an army he had never seen before. It was simply the nemesis of the cavalry. After massacring thousands of cavalry, they only injured dozens of them.  Looking at the gleaming cold sword like a dense forest and the densely packed human wall arranged like a mountain, Shi Le couldn't help but sigh, turned around and ordered: "Retreat to Diaoyin County!" The Xiongnu soldiers had already been killed and were trembling with fear. When Shi Le ordered  After the order was issued, everyone turned their horses and galloped north. They were eager to get away from this group of demon butchers from hell, as far away from them as possible.  The horses galloped, the sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and the more than 6,000 Huns and Jie cavalry quickly ran away, leaving only bloody corpses on the ground.  Thousands of Xiongnu cavalry rushed along the southwest road on the edge of the mountain towards Diaoyin County. At this time, they no longer cared about whether they would alert the Han army camp several miles away, or whether there would be an ambush in front of them. Everyone was worried.  Distraught, just run for your life.  Just after they had run a few miles, they suddenly stopped. There were dozens of thick trees on the road ahead, blocking the way. Shi Le was extremely surprised. The road was smooth when they came, and there were some big trees blocking the road.  "No!" He suddenly realized that there must be an ambush by the Han army.  But it was already too late. I only heard the sound of clappers above my head, and more than ten thousand Han army crossbowmen appeared on the hillside on the left. They raised their bows and crossbows together, and fired arrows at the Huns cavalry down the mountain. Tens of thousands of arrows were like a storm.  , shooting intensively at the Huns and Jie cavalry at the foot of the mountain.  The cavalry were caught off guard and fell off their horses one after another. The screams resounded throughout the field. The cavalry were in chaos. Shi Le, who was wearing a silver helmet and a golden cloak, was the focus of the Han army's shooting. In an instant, he and his horse were shot.  Like a hedgehog, they suddenly fell down. After only two rounds of crossbow arrows, more than half of the cavalry were killed or injured.  On the left side of the southwest road are rolling hills and low mountains, and on the right side is an artificial river channel about five or six feet wide, which diverts water from Diaoshui in the north. From this river channel, there are countless branches, flowing to the farmland in the basin, forming a complete  irrigation system.  To the east of the artificial river channel is a dense forest. The dense forest is in the shape of a long strip, only more than a hundred feet wide and more than ten miles long. This dense forest was once part of the basin forest. When the basin turned into fertile farmland, this dense forest also  It became the last survivor and a shelter from the rain for the people digging the canals.  But now, this long strip of dense forest has become a refuge for the Hun soldiers. Thousands of surviving soldiers jumped into the canal on horseback. Fortunately, it was winter, and the water in the canal was very shallow, except for a few who were shot.  He died in the canal, and the other soldiers rushed to the other side.  But bad luck came one after another. Thousands of soldiers had just rushed to the other side. There was also a bang in the forest on the opposite side. Thousands of arrows were shot from all directions at the desperate group of Hun cavalry. The Hun cavalry screamed and fell off their horses.  , the war horse was hit by an arrow, and after only running a few steps, it fell into the river.  The arrows in the dense forest only fired one round. Thousands of Han Army spearmen rushed out of the dense forest and stabbed the Hun cavalry on the shore with their sharp spears. They showed no mercy. Even many Hun soldiers who knelt down and surrendered.  They were also stabbed to death mercilessly, and the corpses of both men and horses were carried into the river. Except for less than two hundred cavalry who successfully broke through northward along the river canal under the leadership of a thousand captain, the remaining six thousand Xiongnu soldiers were ambushed by 20,000 Han troops.  Annihilate.  The 20,000 Han troops quickly withdrew from the camp. The corpses of the slaughtered Huns and Jie cavalry were everywhere on the southwest official road, in the river, and on the bank next to the dense forest. Crows of crows were circling in the sky, excited.?Plop down.  Afterwards, all the corpses were thrown into the river canal, and the more than ten miles long canal was abandoned and became a tomb for the Huns. The locals dug a new irrigation canal on the other side of the dense forest. Shile's army was  News of the annihilation of the Han army reached Diaoyin County, and Huchuquan was stunned. Only then did he realize that he had thought the problem too simply. How could Liu Jing allow them to go to Wuting Pass to rescue people smoothly? Moreover, they  The troops were thus dispersed, and Liu Jing seized this opportunity to gather them and annihilate them.  Hu Chuquan felt extremely regretful. He really shouldn't have made this stupid decision. Shi Le wanted to save his son, so he ignored the consequences. Instead of stopping him, he actually gave him another five thousand troops. He naively thought that  They were able to attack Wuting Pass and release Liu Qubei's army. He was really stupid.  ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????¡­  From the very beginning when they decided to go south, they made strategic mistakes, which caused them to become more and more passive, and finally swallowed the bitter pill today. But if he had a brilliant counselor by his side, he would not have ended up like this.  .  When daybreak was about to break, Huchuquan finally walked out of the room. His eyes were red, and in a hoarse voice he said to the guards waiting outside: "Go and deliver my order, defend the city to the letter, and don't act rashly again!"  Quan finally figured it out. Although Liu Jing's purpose was to drag him along the Luochuan Road, if he retreated northward in a hurry, he would die more miserably. There were 50,000 Han troops in the north to intercept him, and Liu Jing personally led five soldiers to the south.  An army of ten thousand pursues him, and an army of a hundred thousand attacks him from behind, but he only has more than 20,000 men left. In the end, like Shi Le, he will be shot into a hedgehog by random arrows.  Rather than being wiped out, it is better to wait for Liu Bao's rescue army. Maybe he can still have a chance of survival at that time.  The Qiu River is the boundary. The territory north of the Qiu River belongs to the Huns, while the south of the Qiu River is controlled by the Han people.  For decades, the two sides have maintained this tacit understanding. South of Qiu River, Han people gather in large numbers, with Lishi County as the center, and there are large areas of farmland. However, north of Qiu River, the population is sparsely populated and the wilderness is desolate. Although there are also a small number of people engaged in agriculture.  Huns, but more often nomadic pastures.  That morning, at the mouth of the Qiu River where it entered the Yellow River, countless Xiongnu troops appeared. They were so powerful that they could not be seen at a glance. Thousands of sheepskin rafts, large and small, were piled up on the river. The Xiongnu troops were preparing to cross the Yellow River from here.  .  The mouth of the Qiushui River is an ideal place to cross the Yellow River. There was a ferry here during the Han Dynasty, but it is now abandoned. The water flow in this section is gentle, the river is not wide, and there are no undercurrents and whirlpools under the river surface. It is very suitable for rafting to cross the Yellow River. The Huns every  The first time I crossed the Yellow River, I always chose here.  On the edge of the Yellow River, dozens of Xiongnu generals gathered around a forty-year-old leader of the Xiongnu army. This man wore a golden helmet and armor, with slightly dark skin. His eyes were like an eagle watching dozens of animals on the river.  Sheepskin raft.  He is Liu Bao, the Xiongnu Zuoxian King. Liu Bao is the younger brother of Liu Qubei. The two brothers control the northern part of the Central Plains, one to the east and the other to the west. The reason why Liu Bao agreed to send troops this time was not actually Hu Chuquan's request.  , and his brother Liu Qubei's request was, of course, also Liu Bao's own judgment of the situation.  The entry of Liu Jing's forces into Guanlong not only threatened Liu Qubei's interests, but once the Han army marched eastward to Bingzhou, it would also threaten Liu Bao's vital interests. Just last year, the Han army took advantage of Bingzhou's emptiness and easily captured it.  In Taiyuan, although Liu Jing withdrew from Bingzhou afterwards, his actions made Liu Bao see the danger in the future.  It was precisely based on this consideration that Liu Bao decided to take advantage of the opportunity before the Han army's strength could grow stronger, cooperate with Liu Qubei to completely defeat the Han army, and drive Liu Jing's forces completely out of Guanlong.  However, Liu Bao was still a little worried about Cao Jun. Cao Cao had assembled 100,000 troops in Taiyuan. Although Cao Cao's explanation to him was to remain neutral and maintain the stability of Bingzhou, Cao Cao sent troops to protect the Han envoys during the ambush at Shuque Valley.  The envoy of the Han army cast a shadow on Liu Bao's heart, but he was wrong in this matter. The Huns army crossed the border without permission without notifying Cao Cao in advance, so both sides remained silent on the matter.  Even so, Liu Bao still believed that Cao Cao was an extremely insidious person. Even if he sent troops to assist Liu Jing, it was just a show. For Cao Cao, Liu Jing was his biggest agreement, not the Xiongnu, who could borrow the help of the Xiongnu.  Why would Cao Cao not do anything to eliminate Liu Jing, his powerful enemy?  Liu Bao believed in his own judgment, but he was also cautious. He did not take all 80,000 troops to Gaonu. Instead, he left 30,000 troops behind and let his eldest son Liu Luo command them. He himself led 50,000 troops.  , preparing to cross the river to Gaonu.??Cooperate with Huchuquan's army to fight against the main force of the Han army.  There is a problem here. Liu Bao did not know the real information. He did not know that Liu Qubei had been trapped and died on the straight road, nor did he know that Huchuquan had suffered a heavy setback on Luochuan Road. He received a call from Huchuquan.  The express message sent by Quan just said that the main force of the Han army was finally led to Gaonu City, and he was asked to send troops according to the original plan to cooperate with the main force of the Xiongnu to fight the Han army. This was the intrigue within the Xiongnu. Huchuquan knew it very well.  If the truth was told to Liu Bao, Liu Bao would not send troops again.  Liu Bao never imagined that in just one month, the Xiongnu army would be reduced to the point of imminent destruction.  At this time, a general galloped over on horseback, bowed and reported to Liu Bao: "To the wise king, the test is completed, the river can be crossed!" Liu Bao nodded and ordered sternly: "Send the order for the entire army to cross the river!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 877 A wise decision

    The confrontation between the Han army and the Xiongnu army in Diaoyin County is still continuing. At this time, Liu Jing has received the news about Lingzhou. It is expected that Lingzhou will be captured. However, what makes Liu Jing excited is that Liao Hua is conquering Lingzhou.  After the county, he discovered and successfully saved the 50,000 kilograms of gold accumulated by the former Qiang King Ah Huan over twenty years.  It was confirmed that it was gold rather than red gold. The gold had been transported into Xiaoguan and was heading to Chang'an. This result made Liu Jing extremely satisfied. These 50,000 kilograms of gold were added to the 100,000 kilograms of gold in their own inventory. With these golds as  With this foundation, he can slowly control the world financially.  In the big tent, Liu Jingzheng was discussing the situation of annexing the state with Sima Yi, who had returned from his mission. After Sima Yi and Cao Cao reached an agreement, they sent the negotiation results to Guanzhong by expedited express letter. Now they no longer talk about the negotiations.  , but talking about the situation in Bingzhou. When Sima Yi came back, he made a special trip around the southern part of Bingzhou to learn about the customs and customs of Bingzhou, and visited several major noble families in Bingzhou.  "Your Highness, the wealth of Bingzhou is beyond my expectation. Especially the five southern counties of Bingzhou are densely populated, with fertile land and sufficient water. Wheat and rice are harvested twice a year. In the past few years, there have been bumper harvests every year. Only now do I understand why Cao Cao  He values ??Taiyuan so much, and the food in Bingzhou is the fundamental guarantee for his recovery. " Sima Yi was very impressed, and had great expectations for the Han army to capture Bingzhou in the future. Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "Bingzhou has Taihang Mountain as a barrier.  It was not affected by the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Although there were some wars in Bingzhou, these wars mainly occurred in the north of Taiyuan and basically did not affect the southern part of Bingzhou. Therefore, for decades, the southern part of Bingzhou remained stable, the population grew, and the excess population  They will move to Guanzhong. After we seize Bingzhou in the future, I plan to immigrate from Bingzhou to Guanzhong, give them tax benefits, and let Guanzhong and Lingzhou area develop again. " Sima Yi also knew that Liu Jing had learned from many Bingzhou immigrants.  Regarding the situation in Bingzhou, he pondered for a moment and then asked: "When does Your Highness plan to attack Bingzhou and win this Xiongnu war?" Liu Jing shook his head, "After this Han-Hungarian war is over, we will start moving the capital and officially transfer the capital to  It will take at least half a year to move to Chang'an, and then after a period of rest, we will start preparing for the battle of Hefei." Sima Yi nodded silently, with some regrets in his heart. He hoped that Liu Jing could capture Bingzhou first and weaken Cao Cao's grain production areas.  He also knew that the battle of Hefei was of great importance to the entire war situation. Capturing Hefei would control the Central Plains in the north and Jiangdong in the south. It not only completed the siege of Cao Cao, but also interfered in the civil war in Jiangdong. It played a decisive role. If it were not for the relocation of the capital,  It triggered the Han-Hungarian War, and the Battle of Hefei should have broken out long ago.  " Sima Yi no longer mentioned Bingzhou. He changed the topic and said with a smile: "Then how will His Highness plan to deal with the Huns? Will he take the opportunity to completely destroy the Huns, or will he leave a weak Huns?  Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "You are a military advisor. I should be the one to ask you this question."  " Sima Yi knew that Liu Jing must have a plan, so he smiled and said: "How about we write the key answers on each palm and compare them.  " "Interesting idea!  Liu Jing readily agreed. The two of them turned their backs and wrote the answers on their hands. They turned around and Liu Jing smiled and said, "I want to read what Zhongda wrote first."  " Sima Yi opened his palm and saw two words "Xianbei" written on it. Liu Jing laughed dumbly, "The one who knows me is Zhongda!  " He also opened his palm, and the word 'Xianbei' was also written on his palm. The two looked at each other and laughed together. Leaving a weak Xiongnu behind, according to the laws of the grassland, he would not be able to go south.  In the Central Plains, it must turn around and deal with Xianbei, who is evenly matched with it. Otherwise, destroying the Xiongnu will only benefit Xianbei in vain and make Xianbei quickly become a powerful enemy in the grassland. After the Han army unified the world, it needed to recuperate and accumulate strength before it could completely quell the troubles in the north.  , This takes time, and the confrontation between the Xiongnu and Xianbei during this period just bought the Han army precious time. Liu Jing then smiled at Sima Yi and said: "Zhongda, please sit down and see how I arrange the funeral of the Xiongnu.  " Sima Yi was puzzled, but he didn't ask any more questions. He just sat quietly aside. Liu Jing then ordered the guards: "Go and bring Daman!  " Not long after, several guards brought the bald Daman in. After Daman was trapped in Luming Valley, he did not desperately attack the city to break out like Liu Qubei, but chose to surrender. He ordered thousands of his troops to lay down their weapons.  , exposed his upper body, knelt down in front of Luming Pass to beg for mercy, and begged Liu Jing to surrender. Daman was different from Liu Qubei. Liu Jing would never accept Liu Qubei's surrender, and he had to see his head.  For Liu Jing, it had important political value, so he accepted Daman's surrender. Daman was led into the tent, knelt down and kowtowed: "Meet His Highness the King of Han!  ¡± Liu Jing waved her hand.Said: "There is no need to be polite, King of the Sun, please sit down!" When Daman heard Liu Jing calling him King of the Sun, a glimmer of hope suddenly rose in his heart. Daman was not stupid in fact, it was just that he pursued sex and was uninhibited, so he was always called Kitchen.  Quan regarded him as a dandy, and at most he was allowed to go on missions, or to serve as an army adviser, etc.  But in fact, Daman also had a certain mind. He decisively ordered surrender and bowed to Liu Jing, thus saving his life. It was difficult to do this for the Huns aristocrats who always valued their reputation.  Liu Jing added: "After this war, I think some changes should have taken place in the Xiongnu. Huchuquan is no longer suitable to be the leader of the Xiongnu. I hope that the Xiongnu can be replaced by a Shanyu who is a good neighbor of our Han army."  "Daman sighed and said: "The Huchuquan's heavy losses this time are entirely the responsibility of Huchuquan. Even if His Highness doesn't mention it, there will be internal opposition to him becoming a Shanyu again, and his own status will be unstable.  Once my father will no longer support him, he can only fall." Liu Jing nodded, "Your father Yundan is the second most powerful figure in the Xiongnu. He is very experienced and wise. I am willing to support him as the new leader of the Xiongnu.  "Daman quickly stood up and saluted, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but my father has always been in poor health and is old, so I am afraid he does not have the energy to be the leader of the Huns. At that time, all the tribes of the Huns recommended him to be the new chanyu, but his father declined.  "Hu Chuquan will ascend the throne." Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "If your father is not willing, then you will take over the position of Shan Yu. How about that?" This is the key point that Liu Jing wants to say.  Man stayed because he took a fancy to Daman and asked him to serve as the Chanyu of the Huns. This man is a mediocre person who is greedy for enjoyment and has no ambition. With him as the Chanyu of the Huns, the northern frontier will be worry-free.  Daman was stunned for a moment. This was something he had never thought about. How could he have the chance to become the Xiongnu Chanyu? With Liu Qubei and Liu Bao here, it was not his turn. He looked at Liu Jing doubtfully.  , seeing that Liu Jing's eyes were clearly not joking, she was extremely serious.  At this moment, the desire for power in Daman's heart suddenly burned brightly. Why couldn't he? His father was a powerful figure in the Xiongnu, and he was his father's only son. The Xiongnu only talked about strength, so he could definitely inherit the position of Shanyu, not to mention  And with the support of Liu Jing.  Daman suddenly understood. He knelt down again and raised his hands and said: "Thank you for your high regard for me. I, Daman, hereby swear that if I were a Xiongnu Chanyu, I would live in harmony with your Highness, and the Xiongnu army would never invade the south."  , If you betray this oath, you will be punished by heaven and earth!" Liu Jing nodded slowly, he stared at Daman and said solemnly: "Based on the boundaries I determined after this battle, I will not allow the Huns army to take a step southward, otherwise I will  Join forces with Xianbei and destroy the entire Huns, do you understand?" Daman wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded, "I will remember it!" Liu Jing ordered people to take Daman down. He looked back at Sima Yi and said calmly.  With a smile, he asked: "How is it?" Sima Yi gave him a thumbs up and praised him sincerely, "Your Highness is brilliant!" A group of scout cavalry galloped on the endless plateau, with large grasslands on both sides, and in the distance was dense forest.  The forest stretches to the north and south, integrating with the towering mountains, like a dark green dress tied to the mountains.  But it is already the last day of October, and it is about to enter the middle of winter. In a few days, the Yellow River will begin to freeze, and then there will be heavy snow in the sky. The weather is gradually unfavorable to the Huns, and the Han-Hungarian War will enter its final stage.  The climax of the battle, whether for the Han army or the Huns, the last five days will be the fateful moment.  The scout cavalry team rushed up a low and gentle hill. They saw the majestic Han army camp in the distance. The leader of the camp shouted and led everyone to rush towards the Han army camp.  The Han army's camp has been transformed into a board-wall structure. The board walls are made of wood, earth and stones, and are very strong. A sentry tower is built every fifty steps, and there are sentries in the sentry tower looking vigilantly into the distance.  at.  According to the order of Liu Jing, the king of Han, the Han army remained stationary, waiting for the opportunity to come. This opportunity was when the Xiongnu from Bingzhou crossed the Yellow River.  At this time, the cavalry team rushed to the camp, raised their military badges and shouted: "The Eighth Scout Battalion is returning to camp. We have urgent military information to report to the general!" The camp door opened, and an officer on duty came out and verified the military badges.  , said to everyone: "Enter the camp!" The scouts entered the camp, and walked slowly along the horse road under the leadership of the patrol sentry until they came to the big tent. A patrol sentry came forward to report. After a while, a Zhao Yun  The soldiers came out and said to the scout commander: "General, please go in and report!" The scout commander quickly followed the soldiers into the camp. In the camp, the generals were sitting together to discuss the military situation. Zhao Yun saw the scout commander coming in.  Then he smiled at everyone and said, "Let's listen to the latest information!" The village chief came forward and knelt down on one knee to report, "Report??General, humblely led the brothers to discover the main force of the Huns in Bingzhou!  " Everyone suddenly became interested, and the tent immediately became quiet. Everyone pricked up their ears to listen to the scout's report. Zhao Yun asked again: "Where was the main force of Bingzhou discovered?  " "I reported back to the general in Zhangligou!  " Zhao Yun immediately stood up and came to the sand table, and everyone gathered around him. Zhao Yun stared at the sand table for a moment, pointed with a wooden pole at one of the mountain cols not far from the Yellow River, and said, "Is it here?  "The scout commander looked at it for a long time, then nodded, "That's it!  "Besides, Fazheng added and asked: "When did you discover the Huns army and what were they doing?  " "Reporting to the military advisor, it was yesterday evening when I discovered them in a humble position. They were stationed in the camp.  " "How many troops are there and how are they equipped?  "This is Pound asking again. "Reporting back to General Pang, there are about 50,000 people, all of them cavalry, equipped with leather armor and spears, but unlike the previous Huns cavalry, this cavalry has shields and many soldiers' bows and arrows.  Same as us.  "This is reasonable. The Huns in Bingzhou have stayed in the Central Plains for a long time. Although they cannot be equipped with fish scale armor, it is extremely easy to obtain the shields and bows of the Central Plains army. Zhao Yun nodded and said to everyone: "I don't know when it will take until Cao Cao takes action.  We cannot place our hopes of victory on Cao Cao. I suggest taking the initiative. The first step is to destroy the logistics camp in Huchuquan.  Ma Dai stood up and apologized: "Leave it to me to destroy the logistics camp. I only need an hour to pull it out!"  " Zhao Yun agreed to Ma Dai's request to fight, and said with a smile: "General Ma, the cattle and sheep in the camp can also be used by us.  " "I humble my duty and obey orders!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 878 Bingzhou Xiongnu

    The logistics camp in Huchuquan has been under the surveillance of the Han army. There are only 4,000 Xiongnu soldiers in the camp. Without Shan Yu's orders, they dare not abandon the camp, but they also dare not drive their cattle and sheep to leave the camp and go south.  , then they will surely die. They are like lambs forced into a corner, waiting helplessly to be slaughtered by the butcher, or for their master to save them.  At this moment, they got the news that the Xiongnu from Bingzhou had crossed the Yellow River. The military camp was boiling. The soldiers packed their bags and prepared to retreat eastward to join the army of King Zuoxian.  But at this moment, the alarm bell on the military camp tower rang, ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  Some soldiers ran and shouted: "The Han army is coming from the west!" Almost all the soldiers felt the earth trembling, dust was flying in the distance, and the black cavalry of the Han army was rushing towards the camp.  There was a chaos in the camp. The soldiers were panicked and got on their horses and ran out of the camp. At this time, they no longer cared about hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep and only cared about their own lives.  But as soon as the Hun cavalry ran less than three miles away, an overwhelming barrage of arrows came from the woods on the side. The Hun cavalry screamed that they were hit by arrows, and then the drums sounded like thunder, and countless Han soldiers rushed out from the woods.  At this time, the Han army in Gaonu County received news from Zhao Yun. Under the leadership of Zhang Ren, three thousand troops were ambushed in the nearby woods. Zhang Ren took the lead and shouted: "Brothers, the day of avenge will be over."  Today, kill!¡± The Gaonu defenders had been surrounded by the Huns for several months, and everyone was filled with anger. At this moment, they finally vented their anger, and everyone shouted and charged towards the Huns.  , although they are all infantry, their role is to intercept the enemy's escape.  With spears stabbing and sabers slashing, the Huns cavalry were anxious and desperate to fight their way out, while the Han soldiers were extremely angry and refused to let them break through. The two sides fought fiercely.  At this moment, Ma Dai led 10,000 Han cavalry and finally came. The horses were so fast that they rushed into the Huns' ranks in an instant, driving the Huns cavalry to pieces. They quickly surrounded them, and the two sides were surrounded.  The two Han armies converged and cut off the retreat route of the Huns cavalry. The destruction of the Huns logistics camp was just a small interlude, and facing Liu Bao's army was an important task for the main force of the Han army. Zhao Yun led an army of 50,000 all the way eastward.  On the afternoon of the same day, they finally encountered Liu Bao's army in the wilderness outside Zaolin Town. Zhao Yun immediately ordered the army to form a formation in the wilderness.  The 50,000 Han army consists of 30,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry. Except for the 5,000 Han cavalry, the remaining 25,000 are composed of Wuhuan and Qiang people recruited by the Han army.  This is completely different from the Han and Qiang coalition forces led by Ma Chao. Although these cavalrymen are Wuhuan and Qiang people, they are real Han army formations and have undergone rigorous training for nearly three months at Xiliu Camp.  .  Regardless of military discipline, formation, and equipment, they are completely the same as the Han army. They have been completely transformed. Coupled with their own superb riding skills, they are the most elite Han army cavalry, which can compete with the Huns cavalry.  In addition, Zhao Yun also carried a secret weapon, which was a lethal weapon against cavalry - bee crossbows. There were 3,000 in total, manned by 9,000 soldiers. However, these 9,000 were also spear infantry, and they could be used at any time.  fighting.  "Woo¡ª¡ª" The Han army blew the horn. The sky was covered with dark clouds and the north was roaring. The sound of the horn was particularly desolate under the low-hanging dark clouds.  Fifty thousand Han troops set up a three-wing formation in the vast wilderness. Pang De led 10,000 cavalry on the left wing, Ma Dai led 10,000 cavalry on the right wing, Leng Bao led another 10,000 cavalry as backup, and the forward was led by Zhao Yun himself.  There is a military formation of ten thousand spears, but behind the square formation there are three thousand bee crossbows, commanded by Zhang Yi.  At this time, Liu Bao's army slowly stopped four miles away and formed a formation quickly. Liu Bao had already roughly understood the current battle situation from several defeated soldiers. He was sensitively aware that Huchuquan had not responded to the situation.  To tell the truth, he hid some crucial information.  First of all, his brother Liu Qubei's army has been trapped in the straight road for more than ten days and has been unable to escape. Secondly, Huchuquan fell into the trap of the Han army and was dragged into the Luochuan Road by the Han army. It was equally difficult to escape.  Get away.  Under this situation, Huchuquan issued the Golden Arrow Order and ordered the Bingzhou Xiongnu to cross the river and march westward to jointly encircle and suppress the main force of the Han army that arrived in Gaonu County.  The main force of the Han army has arrived in Gaonu County, but where is the army in Huchuquan?  It was clear that he was tricking himself into rescuing him, or that he was using himself to distract the main force of the Han army, and Liu Bao was filled with hatred.  But at this time, he had no choice. He was already facing the main force of the Han army. It can be said that he completely fell into Huchuquan's trap.  Liu Bao was angry and shouted loudly: "Send my order, the army will form a formation and prepare to attack!" At this time, a captain of ten thousand men quietly approached Liu Bao and whispered: "This formation of the Han army seems a bit strange.  ?Liu Bao's eyes narrowed. He also discovered that generally the Han army had crossbowmen in front, infantry in the back, and cavalry on both sides. But here, there was no problem with the cavalry on both sides, but what about the crossbowmen?  But there was no trace.  "I have doubts about what may be hidden in the army?" Liu Bao stared at it for a moment, shook his head and said, "No matter what they are hiding, we have to face it." The captain of ten thousand men immediately bowed and said: "I am willing to lead the army.  As the vanguard, attack the enemy's main formation!" "Okay!" Liu Bao immediately ordered: "You can lead 10,000 cavalry as the vanguard and attack the enemy's center infantry. I will arrange the troops to occupy the enemy's two wings. I hope you can give me some help.  I cut down the enemy's commander's flag." "Obey the order!" The commander turned around and shouted the order. At this time, the Xiongnu drums sounded loudly, "Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  'The sound of drums shook the earth, and a 10,000-strong Hun cavalry rushed out of the team. They kept urging their horses, waving their swords, and their momentum was like thunder. The earth trembled, dust filled the sky, and murderous intent surged to the sky several miles away.  The Han infantry swept away, and Liu Bao immediately ordered the other two captains of ten thousand men: "You each lead your own troops, support me on the left and right wings of the Han army, and cover Sada to attack the center of the enemy's army."  The captain of ten thousand men followed the order and left. After a moment, two Huns cavalry teams of ten thousand people each shot out from the left and right sides. Three cavalry teams of ten thousand people rushed towards the Han army in a Z-shaped formation. Liu Bao watched the thirty thousand troops nervously.  This is the first time he has sent such a large number of cavalry, hoping that they will not let him down.  Zhao Yun watched the enemy troops rushing towards him coldly. When the three cavalry formations were formed, Zhao Yun immediately ordered: "Change the formation of the bee crossbows!" On the command platform, the flag was waved, the red flag was raised, the green flag was waved, and a group of people in front of him waved.  The ten thousand spear infantry quickly retreated, revealing three thousand bee ballistas behind them. Five hundred ballistae were arranged in one row, with a total of six rows. The line was one mile long, covering the first line of troops in front.  A cavalry team of ten thousand people.  These three thousand bee ballistas are all made of wooden oxen. They are huge in size and solid in workmanship. On the one hand, they are the ballistas of the Han army, but they also have another function, that is, they are infantry obstacle chariots. This is what the Han people and  The nomadic people's tactics developed during long-term battles used chariots as obstacles, and the infantry fought on the chariots with the nomadic cavalry, which prevented the nomadic cavalry from taking advantage of their high mobility. It was not until the Sui Dynasty that Yang Su finally defeated the Turkic cavalry.  Dropped the chariot barrier.  At this time, these three thousand wooden oxen crossbows were launched, which had a great confusing effect. Liu Bao and the Xiongnu generals were confused. Only then did they suddenly realize that the mysterious weapons hidden in the Han army were actually  That's thousands of tanks.  Liu Bao snorted coldly, could a mere few thousand chariots withstand the impact of fifty thousand cavalry?  Liu Bao felt that he did not need to put all 50,000 cavalry into the battlefield, and only 30,000 cavalry was enough.  But there are also some clear-headed generals who found that the formation of the chariots was not quite right. It was not in the traditional circle shape, but in a formation. This may be a secret weapon of the Han army.  The vanguard of the 10,000 Huns cavalry was getting closer and closer, rushing within 500 steps, 3,000 bee ballistas were ready, and 30 iron crossbow arrows were shining with a strange luster in the sun.  Ten thousand cavalry rushed within 300 steps. The cavalry was overwhelming like a huge black carpet, moving rapidly in the wilderness. All the cavalry shouted, "Kill!" A sentry rushed to Zhao Yun.  He shouted: "General, the enemy cavalry has entered the shooting range!" Zhao Yun stared at the overwhelming Hun cavalry and gave the order coldly, "Fire!" Three thousand bee crossbows were already ready, and with the sound of the general Zhao Yun  With the order, the flag for launching bee crossbows was waved, the drums were beating loudly, a thousand bee crossbows were suddenly launched, and 30,000 iron crossbow bolts rose into the sky. The black mass was like hungry locusts, roaring toward the oncoming enemy.  A group of Hun cavalry pounced.  The leader of the Ten Thousand Captains discovered the crossbow arrows that were being shot intensively, and shouted loudly: "It's an arrow!" The Huns cavalry never liked to use shields, because shields would affect their performance on horseback, so he used double-layer leather armor.  The defense was extremely strong. Ordinary arrows could not penetrate their leather armor from a distance of eighty steps.  But Liu Bao¡¯s army had lived in the Central Plains for a long time and was greatly influenced by the Central Plains army. Coupled with the long-term war in the Central Plains, a large number of weapons had long been out of control. The Xiongnu also obtained the light shields of the Central Plains army and became their fixed equipment.  Seeing the dense arrows coming, the Huns cavalry raised their shields one after another without the leader's orders. With the shields and leather armor, they could defend themselves against ordinary crossbows. However, the Huns cavalry never dreamed that what they faced today was not ordinary crossbows.  , but an iron crossbow arrow.  The iron crossbow is top-heavy, and its own weight plus speed give it powerful impact and penetration in the air. Just listenThere was a dense crackling sound, the iron crossbow bolt penetrated the shield and the two layers of leather armor of the Huns, and screams suddenly rang out.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 879 The Crucial Battle

    The soldiers were hit by arrows and fell, the horses were knocked down by arrows, and the cavalry on the horses rolled out. Thirty thousand iron crossbows caused the loss of more than 1,300 soldiers. Although the casualties were heavy, it still did not affect the impact of the Huns cavalry.  But the Han army had three thousand bee crossbows, and they fired continuously in three stages. When the first thousand bee crossbows were fired, the second and third bee crossbows were fired in sequence. Before the Huns cavalry could catch their breath,  The overwhelming iron crossbow bolts appeared again, more powerful and indestructible. A large number of cavalry were shot over. Shields and leather armor could not stop the deadly crossbow bolts, and wailing sounds resounded throughout the wilderness.  The Han army's bee crossbows showed great power at this moment. The first round of 90,000 iron crossbow bolts fired, killing nearly half of the 10,000 Xiongnu cavalry, and they were still 180 steps away from the Han army.  But the bad news did not disappear. The essence of three-stage shooting is to never stop. When the third batch of crossbow bolts were fired, the first batch of bee crossbows had already replaced the arrow cases. The two soldiers shook the winch and loaded the bow string.  Completed in one go, the movements are concise and quick.  Without the need for an order, the firing soldier immediately pulled the hanging knife. With a 'collapse' sound, the bowstring popped out powerfully. Thirty iron crossbow bolts rose into the air and merged with the surrounding iron crossbow bolts, quickly forming a mile wide.  This time, they not only hit the cavalry in front, but also the other two groups of ten thousand cavalry on both sides were covered by the iron crossbow arrows.  Since the Warring States Period, the Central Plains army and the Huns' cavalry have been constantly breaking out in large and small wars. Although the Huns' cavalry has taken the initiative on the battlefield with their superb riding skills and skillful mounted archery, the Central Plains army's advanced long-range weapons, especially  Crossbows also brought huge lethality to the Huns cavalry.  After the middle period of the Han Dynasty, as the Han cavalry continued to increase, it began to actively attack the Huns. Powerful crossbows became the magic weapon for the Han army to win, and also became an important factor in the defeat of the Huns.  Today, the weapons of the Han army have made great progress under the painstaking development of famous military masters such as Ma Jun, especially the emergence of large-scale mass-fire weapons such as bee crossbows and repeating crossbows. They win by quantity, resulting in extremely terrifying  Lethality.  But this kind of weapon cannot be used at will. Even if Liu Bei and Sun Quan get a complete set of blueprints, they cannot imitate it. This requires strong economic strength to back it up. The iron crossbow arrows used by the bee crossbow cost a lot of money.  The labor cost and material cost, not to mention that if 90,000 iron crossbow bolts are fired at one time, 270,000 iron crossbow bolts will be fired in three rounds. This kind of huge cost consumption is not something Jiaozhou or Jiangdong can afford.  Of course, the iron crossbow arrows can be recycled after the war, but even so, they still have to be remade after recycling, which also requires a huge amount of manpower and material resources.  Precisely because of the high cost, the Han army will not easily use such weapons of mass destruction and use missiles to kill flies. No one can afford this kind of consumption. So far, the Han army has only faced Wuhuan and Liumeng cavalry.  It was used twice in a small amount during the group period. Today is the third time and the first time it is used on a large scale.  Three thousand bee crossbows fired three rounds nine times, firing 270,000 iron crossbow bolts, causing heavy losses to the Huns cavalry group. Nearly half of the 30,000 cavalry were killed or injured, although many of the cavalry were hit by arrows on their horses and rolled to the ground.  But for cavalry running at high speed, once they fall off their horses, they will either die or be injured. Even if they are lucky enough to survive, they will lose their combat effectiveness due to injuries.  A large number of casualties is an important effect of the bee crossbow, and another by-product is a huge psychological impact on the Huns cavalry. It is impossible for any nomadic cavalry to withstand 50% casualties, even the well-trained Central Plains army.  To withstand up to 70% casualties and fight to the last man is just a helpless act in a desperate situation. Once the endurance limit is exceeded, you will either retreat or be defeated. There is no third option.  The 270,000 iron crossbow bolts brought about the loss of nearly 15,000 cavalry. Not only the attacking Huns cavalry could not hold on, but Liu Bao could not hold back his anger. He shouted repeatedly: "Withdraw the troops! Withdraw the troops!" Withdraw the troops!  The bell rang, and the remaining 15,000 cavalry retreated like a tide. Zhao Yun seized this opportunity and immediately ordered: "Cavalry attack!" 30,000 Han cavalry ran out from both wings and bypassed  On the battlefield densely covered with iron crossbows, thunder struck out, killing the frightened Huns cavalry like a storm. Liu Bao had no choice. If they retreated at this time, their entire army would be defeated. He had no choice but to order the cavalry to fight.  The two cavalrymen started a bloody fight in the vast wilderness. Soon, Zhao Yun led 15,000 infantrymen to form three spear phalanxes and also entered the battle.  Forty-five thousand men faced off against 35,000 Hun cavalry. Although the Hun cavalry suffered heavy losses from the bee crossbows, these 50,000 cavalry were trained by Liu Bao for many years and had extremely strong combat effectiveness. Even if they suffered heavy psychological damage, their strength  It was not as good as the Han army, but it still fought back tenaciously. The Han army only had a slight upper hand and had no obvious advantage.  This battle lasted for more than two hours.?The sky was getting dark. At this time, Liu Bao sent an envoy with a white flag to find the general Zhao Yun. The envoy bowed on his horse and said: "It is getting late, and it is difficult to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy in a melee. My king proposes to fight temporarily and wait for tomorrow."  Decisive battle. "Zhao Yun also knew that this newly recruited cavalry had only been trained for three months and was still insufficient in night fighting. In particular, the Wuhuan people looked similar to the Huns and were difficult to distinguish during night fighting, so they could easily cause accidental injuries.  Nodding, "You can withdraw from the battlefield, as long as I don't chase you!" The messenger rushed back to report to Liu Bao, but Liu Bao was a little hesitant. If he retreated but was pursued by the Han army, it would probably cause the entire army to be defeated. This would  He was still unable to make up his mind. At this time, a captain of ten thousand men next to him said: "Your Majesty, the opponent's coach is Zhao Yun. This man has a good reputation and a lot of promises. I don't think he will use tricks to deceive us." Liu Bao also said.  Knowing that it would be difficult to fight again in the dark night, he had no choice but to nod, "Send the order to retreat!" 'Woo¡ª¡ª' 'Woo¡ª¡ª' The long withdrawal horn sounded continuously. This was the order for the Hun cavalry to withdraw. Nearly 30,000 Hun cavalry were not allowed to retreat.  After fighting again, they all turned around and ran away from the battlefield quickly. Zhao Yun also immediately ordered, "Let the enemy retreat and do not pursue them!" At this time, General Leng Bao ran up and said: "The enemy withdrew in a hurry, their formation was chaotic, and their morale was not good.  I am willing to lead 10,000 cavalry in pursuit, and I will definitely defeat the opponent." Pang De and several generals also had this idea. They looked at Zhao Yun together, but Zhao Yun shook his head, "I have promised to meet him as an envoy.  You can't keep your word, and order the three armies to reorganize their formations immediately and stop pursuing them." Zhao Yun had made up his mind, and everyone no longer insisted. They reorganized their troops, counted the casualties, and slowly withdrew from the battlefield. At this time, Zhang Yi  He led the 5,000 spearmen who stayed behind to clear away the iron crossbow arrows all over the ground, and killed all the Huns cavalry who were not killed by the arrows.  The Han army withdrew to Zaolin Town to rest and heal, while Zhang Yi led 5,000 troops to defend the surrounding areas and wait for dawn.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  As a counselor, Fazheng did not participate in the war. He and a group of civilian officers stayed in Zaolin Town, protected by 500 soldiers. Although there were not many soldiers to protect them, I believed that there would be no problems. The 500 soldiers were bluffing and countless flags  Hundreds of large drums were placed inside and outside the town. When the Hun cavalry, who were short-sighted, sneaked in, all the drums would sound as if there were 5,000 people. Even if they could not scare away the attacking enemy,  They will also attract the supporting Han army. The military advisor is here. What if something goes wrong?  So all the civil servants were leisurely, playing chess or reading. It didn't look like there was a big war at all. However, Fazheng was not idle. As a strategist, he needed to make clever plans and figure out the overall situation. Shili was engaged in a life-and-death battle.  But he locked himself in his room, stood in front of the sand table, deliberated carefully, and pondered the countermeasures.  At nightfall, Fazheng walked through a field of sleeping soldiers and quickly came to Zhao Yun's tent. Inside the tent, Zhao Yun was listening to Zhang Yi's report and learned about today's losses.  At this time, Zhao Yun saw Fazheng walking in, quickly stood up and said with a smile: "The military advisor came just in time, I was about to send someone to invite him." "General Zhao has worked hard today." Fazheng smiled, sat down with Zhao Yun,  He asked with concern: "I heard that there was no winner today. Both sides withdrew their troops. I wonder what our losses were?" Zhao Yun sighed: "In the past, His Highness the King of Han said that if we win today's battle, we will not rely on the strength of men and horses."  Relying on the power of the bee crossbow, after the battle, I realized that the King of Han had foresight. If the bee crossbow had not shown its power today, the Han army would have been defeated. However, in this battle, the Han army suffered more than 4,000 casualties, while the Xiongnu casualties were about  More than 20,000 people, most of them were shot dead by bee crossbows, and the rest suffered casualties in horse battles similar to those of the Han army." Fa Zheng saw that Zhao Yun's expression was quite solemn, and knowing that he was suffering from heavy casualties, he advised: "General, don't worry.  The Xiongnu's advantage is their horses, while the Han army's advantage is their bows and crossbows. This has been the case since ancient times. We have bee crossbows, but they are just an extension of our manpower. To win, the general should compare the enemy's 20,000 casualties with our 4,000 casualties.  Righteous." Zhao Yun nodded and asked: "Should we continue to fight the Xiongnu army tomorrow and defeat the Xiongnu in one go, or use strategy to win?" Fazheng thought for a while and said, "I believe Cao Cao should have sent troops by now, but we  Victory cannot be entirely pinned on Cao Cao. We can respond with two strategies: urgent and slow. ""What are the urgent and slow strategies? Please tell me clearly from the military advisor." "The so-called urgent strategy is that if the Huns come to fight tomorrow, we can attack with our entire army and defeat them in one battle.  If the enemy army refuses to fight tomorrow, then we will adopt a slow strategy and confront the enemy army. When Cao Cao fights fiercely in Bingzhou and Liu Bao retreats hastily, we will concentrate our forces and win the final victory in one go. " Zhao Yun thought for a moment and said.  : "Although the slow policyThat's right, but we are afraid that the Xiongnu Chanyu's army will come out from Luochuan Road and attack us from behind. Together with Liu Bao, the two armies will attack from the front and back, which will be extremely disadvantageous to us.  " "Don't worry too much about this. The King of Han's 50,000 troops are holding on to Shan Yu's army. I'm afraid that we and the King of Han's army will attack Huchuquan front and back.  " Zhao Yun walked slowly to the sand table that had just been delivered. He looked at the sand table and pondered without saying a word. Their location is now about sixty miles away from Gaonu County, and the exit of Luochuan Road is about twenty miles southwest of Gaonu County, which is where they are.  Eighty miles away from Luochuan Road, if the Xiongnu army really came out of Luochuan Road, they would not be able to intercept it. At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside, and the noise became louder and louder. Zhao Yun frowned slightly and walked out of the tent.  Asked: ¡°What happened?  " "General, it's snowing!  " Zhao Yun was startled, and looked up to the sky, only to see heavy snow falling in the night sky. Today is the first day of November, and the first heavy snow this year has arrived ten days earlier than last year. ?¡­  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 880 Cao Cao sends troops

    Early the next morning, the vast snow had covered the wilderness, and the sky and earth were covered in gray. Although the amount of snow was slightly smaller than at night, it still did not stop. It was curled up and flying like catkins in the howling north wind.  The arrival of heavy snow brought joy to the Han army, but made the Xiongnu army feel in despair. In the big tent, Liu Bao paced back and forth with his hands behind his hands. He was extremely upset. He had just received an express message from his eldest son Liu Luo from Bingzhou.  , Cao Cao has personally led an army of 100,000 to send troops from Taiyuan. The troops are divided into two groups. His second son, Cao Zhang, leads an army of 30,000 to attack Xihe County, while Cao Cao personally leads an army of 70,000 to attack Yanmen County.  At present, Liu Bao still has 30,000 troops left in Bingzhou, mainly concentrated in Yanmen County, with a small number in Xihe County and Dingxiang County. With 30,000 troops versus 100,000 troops, there is more danger than good.  Liu Bao hoped that Cao Cao was just showing off and not really attacking, but his reason told him that the Huns army was at a disadvantage in the pass, and Cao Cao was likely to add insult to injury and take the opportunity to annihilate the Huns in Bingzhou.  Thinking that this express letter was sent five days ago, and how many things had happened in the past five days, Liu Bao suddenly became anxious and wanted to withdraw his troops back to Bingzhou immediately, but the Han army was watching with eager eyes, so he did not dare to move.  The powerful iron crossbow bolts of the Han army made him feel terrified. If the Han army fired two rounds of crossbow bolts when he was crossing the river, all the sheepskin rafts would sink.  Liu Bao was worried because he couldn't withdraw his troops. He gradually hated Huchuquan. If he hadn't deceived him by writing a letter and asked him to come to Gaonu to participate in the encirclement and suppression of the main force of the Han army, how could he have easily crossed the river and marched westward? If he had known the truth in advance,  Even if he is killed, he will not cross the river to take advantage of this trap.  The more Liu Bao thought about it, the more he hated it. The shame of being deceived and the worry about Bingzhou made him feel resentful. He drew his sword and struck hard at the table, 'Crack!  ¡¯ Split the table into two pieces.  Looking at the broken table, Liu Bao vented his anger a little, and regained some sense in his mind. Now he still has a glimmer of hope, that is, waiting for the Yellow River to freeze, which will start to freeze in a few days. Once  Once the ice solidified, they could quickly retreat from the ice back to Bingzhou. They only hoped that their son could live up to his ambition and stick to the pass to buy himself time.  At this moment, a soldier reported outside the tent: "Your Majesty, the Han army has about a thousand cavalry challenging us outside the camp, demanding a decisive battle with us." Liu Bao was angry and annoyed, but the other party only sent more than a thousand cavalry.  The challenge was clearly to humiliate himself. There must be a large army behind him. Thinking of the sharp iron crossbow arrows of the Han army, he lost the will to fight in his heart. Liu Bao had to hold back this tone, waved his hand and said: "No fight, if they get close,  , shoot them with random arrows! " Outside the Xiongnu camp, Ma Dai led a thousand cavalry and yelled, "If the Huns have no eggs, they come out to fight. I only have a thousand people, but I will kill you!" "  You are not a prairie eagle, you are a prairie gopher. If you only dare to hide in a hole and lick your butthole, I will drown you if I urinate." More than a hundred soldiers simply jumped off their horses and peed on the Huns camp, wantonly.  Laughing, it was extremely humiliating to the Huns. If they were the soldiers in Huchuquan, they might not understand what they were cursing. However, the Huns in Bingzhou had lived in the Central Plains for a long time and most of them understood Chinese.  Thousands of Xiongnu soldiers were so angry that they went crazy and shouted, but they did not dare to disobey the order and fight out. They just fired arrows with all their strength, hoping to kill these Han soldiers who had humiliated them, but they were more than 200 steps apart, so how could they shoot?  ?  The Han cavalry screamed and cursed for more than an hour, but the Xiongnu army still refused to come out to fight. Ma Dai knew that they did not want to fight the Han army again and only wanted to withdraw. When he saw that his brothers were tired of scolding, he smiled and said  : "These Huns have no eggs and dare not fight. Let's go back!" A thousand Han cavalry beat the victory drum and returned to the camp three miles away triumphantly. At this time, the snow was getting heavier and heavier, and the sky and the earth became dark.  In a state of confusion, Cao Cao finally waited for the opportunity to send troops. When Liu Bao's army crossed the Yellow River, Cao Cao, who was already impatient, immediately ordered the entire army to march north and announced to the world his "Call to the Huns".  For more than a month, Cao Cao has indeed been under a lot of pressure. The war between Liu Jing and the Huns has been going on from August to November, but he has been holding back for a long time. This has caused a lot of criticism in the court. After all,  The emperor issued the edict, Cao Cao was the commander-in-chief, and Liu Jing was the deputy commander-in-chief. But in the end, the commander-in-chief did not do anything, but the deputy commander-in-chief was fighting against the Huns.  This led to many people secretly scolding Cao Cao for seeking fame and robbing the King of Han of his achievements. Especially those nobles who deeply hated Cao Cao spared no effort to spread the word, accusing Cao Cao of only pursuing fame and self-interest and disregarding the interests of the nation.  The huge political pressure made Cao Cao on pins and needles, but it was impossible for him to immediately send troops to fight Liu Bao. Liu Bao had 80,000 elite cavalry, but he only prepared an army of 100,000, which was similar in strength but not as strong as the Huns cavalry.  If he is hot-headed and sends out troops to fight, he will definitely lose.  But Cao Cao finally waited for the moment when Liu Bao sent troops. When the scouts heard that Liu Bao was crossing the river,After the news, Cao Cao immediately ordered the army to go north.  The Huns in Bingzhou first supported Yuan Shao. After Yuan Shao's defeat, Liu Bao quickly reached a compromise with Cao Cao and delineated the default dividing line between the two parties. Xihe County to the west of Luliang Mountain was bounded by Qiu River, and south of Qiu River was  The north of Cao Cao was controlled by the Xiongnu, and the east of Luliang Mountain was bounded by Taiyuan. The north of Taiyuan was the territory of the Xiongnu, and the area to the south, including Taiyuan City, was the territory of Cao Jun.  Cao Cao then divided his troops into two groups. One group, led by his second son Cao Zhang, crossed the Luliang Mountains, marched into Xihe County, and went north from Xihe County to Yanmen County. Cao Cao led 70,000 main troops to send troops north from Taiyuan City to regain the entire Taiyuan County.  , and then attacked Yanmen County where the Huns were entrenched, and joined his son Cao Zhang's army there.  Cao's army marched all the way north and recovered Yu County, Jingle County and Yangqu County one after another. Three days later, the army entered Yanmen County and went straight to Loufan County. Loufan County was the location of Liu Bao's royal tent, which was actually Liu Bao's.  One of two lairs.  The terrain of Loufan County is high in the west and low in the east. To the northwest are towering mountains, and to the east are rolling hills with large areas of alpine pastures.  As Cao¡¯s army marched northward, the Huns also moved northward. However, since Loufan County is the gateway to Yanmen County, its geographical location is extremely important. Once Loufan County is captured, Yanmen County will follow and Cao¡¯s army can march straight in.  For this reason, the Huns left eight thousand troops to garrison in Loufan County. They were stationed in Loufan County and Yundingguan respectively. They defended according to the danger. The two counties were less than 20 miles apart, so the Huns could respond to each other.  Cao Cao's army set up camp ten miles away from the county seat. Cao Cao also made full preparations to regain Bingzhou. He secretly sent scouts to draw a topographic map of the northern part of Bingzhou and made a simple sand table based on the topographic map. Although it was not  Very accurate, but almost indistinguishable and barely usable.  Cao Cao stood in front of the sand table and discussed the strategy of entering the army with the counselors and generals. He pointed at Loufan City with a wooden pole and said to everyone: "Compared with Yunding Pass, Loufan is much easier to attack. It can be seen from the sand table that Loufan's  The city wall is not high, only three feet at most, and the scouts said that there are no trebuchets on the city, and there are about 4,000 people guarding it. We only need to send 10,000 troops to capture Loufan County. The key is how to capture Yunding Pass, which is a dangerous pass.  Even if we capture it, we will suffer heavy losses." At this time, military advisor Cheng Yu stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Yunding Pass is suitable for capture. Maybe I have a plan, and Yunding Pass can be easily obtained." Cao Cao was overjoyed and said, "Zhong De's plan.  General An came out? "The general who was ordered to capture Loufan County was Xu Huang. Cao Cao gave him 30,000 troops and ordered him to capture Loufan County within an hour. Xu Huang resolutely issued a military order. If he captured the county seat a quarter of an hour later,  He brought his head to meet him.  "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The war drums beat intensively, and the 30,000 troops shouted loudly to kill, surrounding Loufan County. Twenty heavy trebuchets rumbled to two hundred steps away from the county seat. This was the last moment for Cao's army.  The powerful trebuchet is three feet high and the throwing rod is five feet long. It requires hundreds of people to pull their hair and can throw a hundred kilograms of boulders three hundred steps away.  Cao Jun learned the Han army's advanced kerosene weapons. He soaked linen cloth in kerosene and dried it in the sun to make fire cloth. He then wrapped the fire cloth into large balls of cloth with a diameter of five feet and covered them with fire.  Oil after launch.  At Xu Huang's order, twenty heavy trebuchets were launched at the same time. Twenty huge fireballs were seen rising into the sky, emitting black smoke and flames, roaring into the city, and soon caused a fire in the city.  , thousands of Huns herdsmen gathered in the city. They were all Huns civilians who had fled from various places. They had no time to retreat north, so they took refuge in the city. At this time, under the attack of the fireball, women, children and the elderly were so frightened that they cried and fled in all directions.  Fireballs are mainly used to ignite fires, especially in camps with dense tents. Fireballs can have miraculous effects. However, in siege warfare, their actual combat effects are not obvious, and their lethality to the defenders is extremely weak.  The reason why Cao Cao decided to use fireballs was mainly because it was a great psychological deterrent to the Huns. He imagined that huge fireballs passing over their heads would have a major psychological impact on the Huns who had never seen fire oil.  , triggering intense fear, thus completely destroying the morale of the Huns soldiers.  Cao Jun only fired two rounds of fireballs, which caused panic in the Xiongnu army. Some soldiers began to abandon their armor and flee down the city to protect their families.  At this time, Xu Huang coldly issued an order to attack the city: "Send the order to attack the city!" Thirty thousand Cao Jun shouted and rushed up to Loufan County from all directions like a tide. They carried a huge siege ladder and raised it high as they ran.  The shield was used to resist the dense arrows fired from the head. Although people were constantly being shot down, it could not stop Cao Jun's full attack.  There is no moat in Loufan County, but there is a deep ditch filled with sharp spears. However, Cao Jun used wooden planks to cross the deep ditch. Thousands of Cao Jun troops arrived at Nancheng first and set up dozens of siege ladders.  The soldiers of Cao's army braved their heads like hailstones.The rolling wood and stones were rolling down, and they attacked the city head step by step.  In less than half an hour, Cao Jun's soldiers from the south took the lead in attacking the city. The two sides fought a final fierce battle on the city top. Xu Huang was riding on his horse and watched Cao Jun attack the city from a distance. He was slightly relieved. The military order was  He was asked to capture the city within an hour. Now it seems that he can capture the city in less than half an hour.  At this time, a soldier shouted at the city gate: "General, the south gate is open!" Seeing the south gate open and the suspension bridge slowly lowering, Xu Huang was overjoyed and turned around and shouted to the five thousand reserve soldiers: "Brother  "Come with me and attack the city." He waved his ax and led five thousand soldiers to rush towards the open city gate. Amidst the shouts, five thousand Cao's troops entered the county town.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 881 Bingzhou is in danger

    The siege battle in Loufan County ended in less than an hour. Xu Huang slowly escorted thousands of captured women, children, elderly people, and young men out of the city. At this time, Cao Cao, surrounded by hundreds of generals and counselors, arrived.  In front of prisoners of war.  Xu Huang clasped his fists and saluted: "To report to Duke Wei, I have captured the county town within an hour, and according to Duke Wei's instructions, not a single soldier was released." "Well done!" Cao Cao smiled approvingly, he said  His eyes turned to thousands of old and weak women and children. At this time, dozens of Xiongnu elders came forward and knelt down, pleading to Cao Cao: "We are all good ordinary civilians. We have never done evil or invaded the land of the Han people."  , I beg Duke Wei to be benevolent and righteous, spare our lives!" Cao Cao smiled and said: "You don't have to be afraid. I am ordered by the emperor to recover the lost territory of the Han Dynasty.  Submit, I will treat you well." "We are willing to submit to Duke Wei!" Cao Cao nodded, looked back at Cheng Yu, and both of them laughed meaningfully. Cao Cao then asked Xu Huang: "I told you to find him.  "How many Xiongnu soldiers were found?" "Report to the Prime Minister, and found more than 400 people." "Very well, bring them to see me quickly!" Soon, Xu Huang personally escorted more than 400 Xiongnu soldiers to Cao Cao.  In front of us, these Xiongnu soldiers all have one thing in common. Their wives, children, and parents are all in the city and are now prisoners of Cao's army.  More than 400 soldiers knelt down and begged. At this time, Cao Jun soldiers brought their wives, children and parents forward. They all knelt down and begged for mercy, and they cried loudly.  Cao Cao pointed to the women, children and the elderly and said to the four hundred Huns soldiers: "Your parents, wives and children are all here. As long as you are willing to do one thing for me, we will release your whole family, give you land, and let you live as before."  , what, do you want to see your parents, wives and children killed, or do you want to save their lives and your own? " £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Yunding Pass is the choke point entering Yanmen County from Taiyuan. The pass is built along the mountain and is surrounded by cliffs. The pass is built at a high place and is the only valley road through Yunding Mountain. The city pass is extremely steep and can be called a man's pass.  No one can open it.  There are five thousand Xiongnu soldiers guarding Yunding Pass. The leader is Liu Bao's third son Liu Tie, who is also a fierce general. He is about 26 or 27 years old, eight feet three tall, with eyes like copper bells, a big mouth, and two  The shoulder has the strength of a thousand catties.  However, he was not famous for his bravery among the Xiongnu, but for his cruelty. He had a bad temper and was addicted to alcohol. After drinking, he would kill people. He killed many people in his life and made people angry. Even Liu Bao disliked this son.  , gave him the position of commander of ten thousand cavalry, and sent him to guard Yunding Pass.  Liu Tie also knew that Cao Cao's army had begun to attack north, but he didn't take it seriously. Cao Cao's army would either take a detour to the north, or stay in front of his Yunding Pass. Even if Cao Cao's army began to attack Loufan County in a large scale, he would laugh it off and attack  Loufan County can do it, but trying to attack his Yunding Pass is just a dream.  At night, Liu Tie was drinking alone in his room as usual. He originally had more than a dozen wives and concubines, but they were all killed by him after drinking. There was no woman around him, and even the soldiers did not dare to enter his room. He  Even the wives and concubines were killed without fail, let alone the accompanying soldiers.  There was a roasted whole lamb on the table in front of Liu Tie, as well as three bags of milk wine, each bag weighing at least ten kilograms. He did not use a knife, fork or cup, he tore the meat directly with his hands, picked up the wine bag and put it directly into his mouth.  Guan, eating meat and drinking wine, extremely happy.  But Liu Tie was very unhappy today, because there were no women in the pass, and there was no one around to catch them. He said that there were many women and children in Youloufan City, and they preferred to stay in the county town because they were afraid of him, which made him extremely annoyed.  Without a woman, he would kill someone to vent his lust. Liu Tie narrowed his eyes, wondering who he was thinking of killing?  At this time, a soldier outside the door reported: "My dear prince, there are many defeated soldiers in Loufan who have retreated back in front of the pass. They say that Loufan County has been captured by Cao's army." Liu Tie's eyes were filled with murderous intent, and he picked up a copper rod with a thick wrist.  Walking out, he saw his huge figure coming out. The soldiers who reported the news were so frightened that they crawled away. Liu Tie ignored him and went directly to the front of Guancheng. He lowered his head and looked out. He saw hundreds of people crowded in front of Guancheng.  He shouted anxiously, "Open the door quickly! Cao Jun is coming to kill." Without Liu Tie's order, no one dared to open the door. Liu Tie sneered and ordered the people around him, "Open the city and let them in!" The door was opened and the number was counted.  Hundreds of Xiongnu soldiers swarmed in, but Liu Tie ordered them to stop him and said coldly: "Explain to me one by one!" A centurion first stepped forward and saluted: "Report to General Tie that the Han army has captured the south gate, brother.  They escaped from the north gate, but unexpectedly there was an ambush outside the north gate. Most of the brothers were killed. Only a few hundred of us fought desperately." "This is nonsense, you must?Han army spies!  "Liu Tie hit the centurion hard with a stick, and immediately beat the centurion until his brains burst. He died tragically on the spot. Liu Tie pointed his copper stick, "Next!  " As a result, when someone came up, he beat one to death. The last few people didn't even listen to their explanations. He killed more than 20 people in a row. The dead bodies were all over the ground. Most of them had their heads smashed with a stick. It was so cruel that even the soldiers guarding the city were killed.  I felt resentful in my heart, this was purely for the purpose of killing people to vent my lust, and I didn¡¯t want to hear an explanation. ¡°Next!  "Liu Tie shouted again. But this time no one came up. Everyone glared at him. Liu Tie was furious and stepped forward quickly. He saw another centurion, without saying a word, swinging his stick.  Then he hit the centurion on the head. The centurion couldn't bear it anymore, avoided the blow and shouted: "He is going to kill us all, brothers, fight with him!"  " More than 400 Xiongnu soldiers were all red-eyed, roared angrily, and all swung their swords to kill Liu Tie. Liu Tie was furious, ran a few steps, and shouted: "These people are Cao Jun's spies, kill them!"  " Five hundred Liu Bao's soldiers rushed up, and everyone fought together in front of the city gate. However, except for these five hundred soldiers, no other soldiers were willing to serve Liu Tie. Everyone knew that this was Liu Tie's murder.  Ru Ma forced the defeated soldiers to rebel. Thinking of Liu Tieping's many evil deeds, everyone wanted to rebel together and cut this devil into meat. But at this moment, Zhang He and Xu Chu led five thousand soldiers  The soldiers approached Guancheng silently. The soldiers in the city were attracted by the internal strife. No one noticed that Cao Jun had arrived outside the city. Zhang He nodded to a soldier, who raised his horn and blew loudly, "Woo¡ª¡ª"  The sound of the horn signaled the agreement with the 400 Xiongnu soldiers. Only then did the defenders on the city notice the dark army outside Guancheng. They were so frightened that they shouted: "Stop fighting, Cao's army is coming to kill!"  Liu Tie had killed more than a hundred defeated soldiers. Hearing the shouts from the top of the city, he couldn't help but be startled and immediately shouted: "Cease war!"  " But the soldiers were already furious, and no one was willing to stop. More than a hundred people rushed to Guancheng, used iron bars to pry open the city gate, and pulled it together with force. The city gate creaked open. " Liu Tie  He suddenly woke up and shouted: ¡°Stop them quickly!  Stop it!  "The city gate is made of pig iron. It usually has to be opened from the top of the city, but it can also be opened from the bottom of the city. It means using brute force to open the city gate little by little. The city gate has been opened five feet. Liu Tie yelled anxiously,  He swung his copper rod to kill at the city gate, and he was red-blooded. He would beat anyone he saw, no matter whether they were innocent or not. More than 20 people in a row, including several of his own soldiers, died tragically under his rod.  The door had been opened eight feet, and Liu Tie finally rushed to the door. At this moment, General Xu Chu took the lead in rushing in from outside the city gate. He happened to meet Liu Tie head-on. Without thinking, Liu Tie swung his stick towards  Xu Chu hit him. Xu Chu sneered and swung his sword to pick up Liu Tie's copper rod. This move was extremely clever. With a twist, Liu Tie's copper rod came out of his hand. He was unable to stand and fell to the ground. Dozens of people were hiding in it.  Seeing an opportunity, the Xiongnu soldiers at the city gate swung their swords together and chopped Liu Tie into pieces. At this time, Xu Chu pushed open the city gate, and 5,000 Cao soldiers from outside the city swarmed in, and Yunding Pass fell.  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 882 Attack halfway across the river

    The fall of Yunding Pass meant that Cao's army opened the door to Yanmen County from the north. Seventy thousand Cao's troops entered Yanmen County. Three days later, Cao's army arrived at Sangshui and set up camp by the river. At this time, Cao Zhang  The 30,000-strong army he led went all the way north and reached the North Pass of the Great Wall in Wuzhou County first, cutting off the Huns' retreat to the grassland from the northwest.  At the same time, former military advisor Zhong Yao and General Jun led 20,000 troops across the Taihang Mountains from the north and occupied the three passes of Yanmen. The road to the northeast was also cut off. At this point, the Xiongnu army no longer had a way back north, and Cao Jun's three troops  Surrounded by roads, more than 200,000 Huns were trapped in Yanmen County.  That evening, a group of Cao Jun scouts led a Huns envoy into Cao Cao's tent. The envoy knelt down and saluted, "Zhao Ling pays homage to Duke Wei!" Cao Cao was sitting at the table having dinner. He drank a glass of wine and wore a towel.  Bu wiped his hands and winked at the guards, who immediately lifted the table. Cao Cao then took a look at the envoy. He was about forty years old, spoke fluent Chinese, and had Central Plains hair.  His appearance is white, fat, rich, and his small eyes are very shrewd. He looks like a businessman.  "Aren't you a Huns?" Cao Cao asked calmly.  "The villain is a Han from Yanmen. He has been doing business for generations. He has been traveling between Yanmen and various parts of the Central Plains. Three years ago, he was hired by King Zuo Xian as the chief secretary of Cangcao to take charge of the warehouse supplies for the Huns." Cao Cao nodded, "Since  So, I want to ask you, where is the wealth that Liu Bao has accumulated over the years? " "Reporting to Duke Wei, the wealth of the Huns is different from that of the Han people. Their wealth is cattle, sheep, furs, and cloth.  There are few supplies such as gold and silver, and not much food. "" Let's talk about the Huns' wealth! Where are they? " " Cattle and sheep follow their owners, and furs, cloth and other supplies are stored in horses.  Yi County is not far from here." Cao Cao pondered for a moment, then turned around and said with a smile, "What did Liu Luo ask you to do?" "The eldest prince asked the villain to come to see Duke Wei, hoping to reach a compromise with Duke Wei.  "Oh? What compromise?" Cao Cao asked with interest.  Seeing that Cao Cao seemed very interested, Zhao Ling immediately cheered up and said quickly: "Liu Luo is willing to swear a poisonous oath that the Huns will withdraw from Bingzhou and will never set foot in the Central Plains again. I only ask Wei Gong for the sake of getting along well with each other in the past."  , Let the Huns escape and let them return to the grassland." Cao Cao thought for a long time, and then said slowly: "I want to know where his sincerity is? I can let him go, but I must see the sincerity.  Duke, in order to show the sincerity of the Huns, Liu Luo is willing to hand over all the supplies and half of the cattle and sheep to Wei Gong. The Huns will withdraw north with only half of the cattle and sheep. " Cao Cao thought for a moment and finally nodded, "Look.  In the past, the Huns were quite honest, so I will let them live. I will give them three days to withdraw from Yanmen Pass. If they exceed three days, I will not show mercy. " Zhao Ling was overjoyed and kept saying no mercy.  He kowtowed to thank him and hurried back. At this time, Cheng Yu came after hearing the news and said anxiously: "The Duke of Wei agreed to let the Huns leave, which will definitely affect the war situation between the Han army and Liu Bao, and the world will discuss that Duke Wei secretly communicated with the Huns.  , It has a great impact on Wei Gong's reputation. I hope Wei Gong will think twice. "Cao Cao smiled lightly, "Does Zhongde really think that I will let the Huns go?" Cheng Yu was stunned, "What does Wei Gong mean?"  Then he said unhurriedly: "Zhang'er and Yuan Chang guarded the northeast and northwest. This only blocked their way back to the outside of the Great Wall. However, the Huns can still take a detour south, or take the Taihang Mountains to enter Hebei.  They have no way to go, so I asked them to go to Yanmen Pass in the northwest. Once they reach Yanmen Pass, it will be impossible for them to go south or east. They can only be my turtle in the urn. " Cheng Yu secretly sighed and smiled helplessly.  Said: "Wei Gong's soldiers are not tired of deceit, and the ministers understand." Cao Cao immediately ordered: "Send orders to Xu Huang and Zhang He to lead 30,000 troops each. When the Huns retreat to Yanmen Pass, I will kill them with all my strength!" On the second day of November, on  In a heavy snowstorm, more than 200,000 Huns finally retreated to Yanmen Pass, but things were completely different from what they imagined. Zhong Yao did not give up the pass.  At this time, Cao Zhang led an army of 20,000 to attack from the west, Xu Huang led an army of 30,000 to attack from the south, and Zhang He led an army of 30,000 to attack from the east. The three Cao armies simultaneously launched a massive attack on the Huns.  The Huns only had 20,000 troops to protect their families, women and children. In less than an hour, the Huns army collapsed. The eldest Xiongnu prince Liu Luo failed to break out to the west and died tragically under Cao Zhang's gun. More than 200,000 Huns all became Cao's army.  captive.  So far, except for some scattered tribes in Dingxiang County and Yunzhong County, Liu Bao's core tribes have all fallen into Cao Cao's hands.    Cao Cao immediately ordered Cao Zhang and Zhang He to lead an army of 30,000 to the north, and wiped out the Xiongnu in Dingxiang and Yunzhong, completely uprooting Liu Bao's foundation in Bingzhou. As Cao Cao's army marched northward in Bingzhou, Liu Bao could no longer stay in the pass.  Unable to wait any longer, Liu Bao took advantage of the cover of the snowy night and led 30,000 troops to abandon the camp and cattle and sheep, and evacuated eastward overnight with rafts.  Liu Bao¡¯s camp was not far from the Yellow River, only more than fifty miles away. However, heavy snowfall and thick snow on the ground made their march extremely difficult. They did not reach the Yellow River until noon the next day.  There is also heavy snow falling on the Yellow River, and the sky and earth are dark. In the past, I could clearly see the other side of the Yellow River, but now I can't see anything a hundred steps away.  Liu Bao stood on a hill. He looked up at the heavy snow in the sky and couldn't help but let out a long sigh. This year, the sky is blind and the snow is particularly violent. Is this going to destroy the Huns?  At this time, a cavalry galloped over, "Your Majesty!" Liu Bao retracted his emotion and asked quickly: "How is the Yellow River?" "The edge of the Yellow River has been covered with a finger-thick ice, and the ice surface is more than ten feet wide.  "Liu Bao felt a chill in his heart. He had lived by the Yellow River for a long time and knew the habits of the Yellow River very well. He could only point his finger at the thick ice, which was more than ten feet wide. It would take at least five days before the Yellow River was completely frozen. Now it is snowing heavily on the river.  The raft was lost and it was difficult to tell the way, and the wind was strong and the waves were high. It was the most dangerous time to cross the Yellow River. Crossing the Yellow River back at this time would probably lead to a narrow escape.  A commander of Wanqi behind him suggested: "Why don't we go north to Hetao to cross the river? It will freeze over first." Liu Bao glared at him fiercely, "What nonsense are you talking about? It's snowing so heavily and we have no food. We will definitely fall."  He was trapped and died on the way." Wan Qi Commander did not dare to say anything anymore. Liu Bao stared at the Yellow River again, sighed and said to everyone: "Cao Cao is a treacherous man and will definitely take advantage of our internal emptiness to launch a massive attack. If we don't rush back,  All the tribesmen have been exterminated. Although it is difficult to cross the river, we must fight back." Everyone was anxious and bowed together: "We are willing to cross the river immediately!" Liu Bao immediately ordered: "Send the order for the three armies to cross the river!"  While crossing the river in a mighty way, Liu Bao kept looking back. He was most worried that the Han army would suddenly arrive and attack halfway across the river. He didn't even have a chance to organize resistance.  Things are often like this. The more you worry about something, the more it will happen. Just as the first batch of three thousand Xiongnu soldiers got on the raft, fierce war drums suddenly sounded behind them and on the east and west sides. The Han army began to  Killings came from all directions, and the Huns army suddenly fell into chaos.  Zhao Yun had arrived a long time ago. He hid his troops several miles away, waiting for the opportunity to attack. When the scouts reported that the first batch of Xiongnu soldiers began to cross the river, Zhao Yun knew that the opportunity had come and immediately ordered a full-scale attack.  Forty-five thousand Han troops launched a fierce attack on 30,000 Xiongnu troops. At this time, the Xiongnu soldiers were all thinking about crossing the river and returning home, and their will to resist was greatly weakened. Although Liu Bao repeatedly ordered, 'Line up and resist!  ' But only a small number of Xiongnu soldiers responded to his order. Most of the soldiers rushed to the Yellow River with their skins in their hands. The situation on the edge of the Yellow River was very chaotic. Zhao Yun and Zhang Yi led 20,000 infantry to fight Liu Bao's troops from the front.  More than 10,000 Xiongnu soldiers fought, with Pang De coming from the south and Ma Dai and Leng Bao from the north. They led a total of 24,000 Han cavalry from the north and south to attack the Xiongnu army trying to cross the river to escape.  The banks of the Yellow River were in chaos, with cries, shouts, and screams everywhere. The Huns soldiers fled desperately, and behind them were groups of murderous Han cavalry, mercilessly killing these completely collapsed Huns soldiers.  Along the Yellow River, dozens of large rafts were crowded with soldiers fleeing for their lives. Countless Huns soldiers grabbed the rafts and refused to let go. They cried and begged to get on the rafts, but the Hun soldiers on the rafts cut off their fingers and pushed them into the rafts.  In the river, howls and cries resounded across the river, and countless soldiers drowned in the Yellow River.  Amidst the sound of war drums, Ma Dai led eight thousand cavalry to attack Liu Bao's army from behind. Liu Bao's army of more than 10,000 had low morale and shaken morale. It was difficult to resist the attack of 20,000 Han infantry with high morale. Now,  Being attacked fiercely by the Han cavalry from behind, Liu Bao's army finally couldn't resist it, and his right wing took the lead in fleeing, causing the entire army to rout.  Seeing that the situation was not good, Liu Bao turned his horse and fled north. At this time, he just wanted to escape to the Hetao. As for the heavy snow blocking the road, he didn't care whether he would be trapped and die halfway. He threw off the golden helmet and  Under the protection of dozens of soldiers, he fled northward in embarrassment.  At this moment, a 500-man Han cavalry came from the diagonal stab, blocking Liu Bao's escape. This cavalry was composed of Wuhuan people, and a Wuhuan soldier recognized him.  Liu Bao pointed at him and shouted: "Where is Liu Bao!" Liu Bao was so angry that he slashed with his sword in an attempt to carve out a bloody path. At this time, the young cavalry commander urged his horse to rush.??, Liu Bao flew over about thirty steps away, but at the moment he ran past, three consecutive arrows were shot out, with strong power, and the arrows hit his vitals.  Liu Bao was caught off guard and frightened. He swung his sword and slashed away two arrows in a row. However, the young military lord was extremely alert and deliberately shot the third one step slowly. Just when Liu Bao thought he had no more arrows, he slashed with his sword.  The moment he retracted it, the third arrow suddenly appeared in front of him. It was too late for Liu Bao to dodge, and he only felt a chill on his neck, 'Pfft!  ¡¯ With a bang, the wolf-fang arrow shot through Liu Bao¡¯s neck.  Liu Bao grunted and fell off his horse. The young military lord was overjoyed and spurred his horse to gallop. He swung his sword to kill more than a dozen of Liu Bao's guards. With a swipe of his long sword, he chopped off Liu Bao's head and hooked the tip of the sword.  The head was picked up. The young military leader raised the head high and roared to the sky. The Han cavalry suddenly cheered like thunder.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 883 Falling into desperate situation

    The fierce fighting on the battlefield gradually came to an end. Groups of Hun soldiers were dejected and escorted westward by the Han cavalry. Of the more than 29,000 Huns troops, only more than 2,000 escaped across the river, and more than 1,000 went to the captured troops.  After fleeing, the remaining 25,000 main Xiongnu forces in Bingzhou were completely wiped out by the Han army, and nearly 20,000 people were captured.  At this time, a group of Han cavalry led by Ma Dai ran from a distance and rushed to the general Zhao Yun. Ma Dai bowed and reported: "To the commander, Liu Bao has been shot by a humble subordinate!" Zhao Yun also reported  He thought Liu Bao had escaped from the north and was feeling depressed. Unexpectedly, Ma Dai told him that Liu Bao had been shot. Zhao Yun was immediately overjoyed and asked quickly: "Who shot him?" Ma Dai turned around and winked. Enter the young military prince.  Zhao Yun knelt down on one knee and raised Liu Bao's head high, "This is to inform the commander, I was lucky enough to shoot Liu Bao because of my humble position." A soldier took the head. Zhao Yun took a closer look and saw that it was indeed Liu Bao. His heart finally dropped.  , now that Liu Bao is dead, he can give orders to the King of Han. He glanced at the military prince again and saw that he seemed to be a Han, so he smiled and asked: "What is your name, and what is your official position?" "The name of the humble position is  Yang Ying is the current commander of the Second Cavalry Battalion. " Ma Dai added with a smile: "This man was specially promoted by the King of Han and he was given an arrow. " 'It's him!  ¡¯ Zhao Yun nodded, he had also heard something. The King of Han specially promoted a Han slave. It was said that this man had excellent archery skills and could shoot well on horseback. The King of Han not only promoted him to the rank of military prince, but also gave him an arrow.  Zhao Yun then smiled approvingly and said: "Although I didn't see you shooting with my own eyes, you lived up to the expectations of the King of Han and killed the enemy chieftain. This is the most useful archery method." It is not easy to win Zhao Yun's praise. Yang Ying  He said gratefully: "Thank you for the commendation, coach. I will do my best to serve His Highness the King of Han Dynasty." At this time, a soldier came over with Liu Bao's war horse. This was a one-in-a-million BMW horse named Feiyundu.  ', covered in red without a single hair, Zhao Yun gently stroked the war horse, turned around and smiled at Yang Ying: "Since you shot Liu Bao, this war horse will be rewarded to you." Everyone around looked envious.  Yang Ying's face turned red and she declined in a low voice: "A low-ranking official has a low position and I dare not accept such a good horse." "Do you mean that I want to promote you to another official?" Zhao Yun said with a slight smile.  "No! No! I have no intention of being humble." "In that case, why don't you accept the horse? Rewarding you with the horse is to let you serve the King of Han better and make more achievements, not to let you enjoy it." Yang Yingbu  If he dared to refuse again, he had no choice but to accept the war horse. Zhao Yun said again: "You will also be rewarded and promoted, but this is not something I can decide. The French military division will report it to the Pingzhang Platform and then give the reward together." "I understand this!  "Zhao Yun patted him on the shoulder, "Go! I hope to see you next time, you have been promoted to Yajiang." Yang Ying bowed and flew onto the new war horse excitedly. He leaned over and whispered a few words to the horse before urging it to move.  , the war horse galloped away into the distance, Ma Dai watched him running away, walked to Zhao Yun and laughed and cursed: "This brat ran away without saying goodbye to me." Zhao Yun looked at Yang Ying's running back, but looked at him solemnly.  Ma Dai said: "The king of Han has a good understanding of people. Since he rewarded him with the king's arrow, it shows that this person must be outstanding. I will reward him with a war horse. This is not only to commend his achievements, but also to win him over. But I will reward him with a war horse."  Don't allow him to be arrogant. I hope General Ma can strictly control him and train him carefully. In time, he will become a pillar of our Han army." Ma Dai woke up and immediately bowed and said: "I understand the humble position."  At this time, Pound rode forward, reined in his horse and said: "Report to the commander, the battle is over. Should we return to Gaonu immediately? I am very worried that the Xiongnu Chanyu will take advantage of our eastern battle and break out from Luochuan Road." Zhao Yun  He nodded, "General Pang's worry is not wrong, but the military orders given to us by the King of Han have always been to annihilate Liu Bao's army, and did not ask us to surround Huchuquan's army. I think if the King of Han does not change the military orders, then he  We have our own arrangements, so we don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± As everyone was talking, a group of cavalry rushed towards them, shouting from a distance: ¡°The military order from the King of Han has arrived!¡± Everyone did not expect that the military order came in such a timely manner, so they rushed forward to deliver the message.  The soldier bowed and saluted Zhao Yun and said: "General Zhao, the King of Han has an urgent military order." He took off the military order scroll from his back and presented it to Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun opened the military order, read it hastily, and smiled at everyone: "Sure enough,  As I expected, His Royal Highness the King of Han told us not to worry about the Xiongnu Chanyu army, and ordered us to concentrate on dealing with the Xiongnu in Bingzhou, and we must annihilate the Xiongnu on the west bank of the Yellow River. " Having said this, Zhao Yun asked the messenger again: "Your Highness the King of Han.  Where are you now? "Report to the general,"His Royal Highness ordered General Wang Ping and General Wu Ban to lead an army of thirty thousand to the north to follow the Xiongnu Chanyu, while he led an army of twenty thousand to the straight road, probably to Wuting Pass.  " Zhao Yun felt a little strange in his heart. He felt that Liu Jing didn't seem to care much about the Huchuquan army. What was the reason? At this time, Zhao Yun raised his head and looked at the heavy snow in the sky. He suddenly woke up and waited until the heavy snow came.  There is really no need to worry about Huchuquan's army anymore. After Huchuquan got the news that Liu Bao's army was crossing the river and marching westward, he immediately made preparations for a retreat. Frankly speaking, Huchuquan coaxed Liu Bao's army to march westward at this time.  It is for self-protection. Only by advancing westward can Liu Bao's army draw away the main force of the Han army in Gaonu County and create an opportunity for him to retreat. Of course Huchuquan does not want Liu Bao's army to be wiped out, but he must let it go.  He reorganized his army and attacked Zhao Yun from behind, but he couldn't do it. Liu Jing's army was staring at him behind him. His army was exhausted, morale was low, and food and grass were out of stock. At this time, he could only protect himself and evacuate as soon as possible.  Pass, return to the grassland. So when the main force of the Han army in Gaonu County went to pursue Liu Bao's army, Huchuquan seized this fleeting opportunity and led 30,000 Xiongnu troops to rush out from Luochuan Road.  In the heavy snow, Huchuquan rushed towards the northwest without stopping. At this time, Huchuquan was very anxious. The first heavy snowfall of the year had arrived early, and the roads in northern Saibei must have been blocked by heavy snow. In this case, it was no longer possible for him to lead his army back to the grassland.  Perhaps, now we have to rush to Lingzhou, where there is still a tribe of Liu Qubei, and spend the long winter in Lingzhou, before we have the chance to go north to the grassland. Huchuquan looked up at the gray sky, and the heavy snow had already fallen.  After two days and two nights, the snow was up to people's knees. Walking was impossible. Only riding horses was the only chance of survival. They only had enough beef and mutton jerky to last for three days. Within three days, they had to reach Lingzhou.  The 30,000-strong Xiongnu cavalry headed towards Lingzhou with great difficulty. £®  They encountered great difficulties, especially Liu Qubei's army who was trapped on the straight road. In order to break through the blockade, they launched two fierce attacks on Wuting Pass, but were defeated by the Han army's cruel kerosene tactics and thousands of people were burned to death.  All the siege ladders were also destroyed. The Huns had no siege weapons. More importantly, they completely lost their confidence in siege. They could only wait hard on the straight road south of Wuting Pass, waiting for the Shanyu faction.  Reinforcements came to rescue them. Food had been cut off for nearly a month, and the soldiers could only kill the war horses to satisfy their hunger. After a month, more than half of the war horses had been slaughtered, and the bones and carcasses of the war horses were everywhere on the straight road, and they did not carry them.  Tens of thousands of troops only have a hundred or so small tents, and they are all occupied by senior officers above the thousand captain level. Most of the remaining soldiers and middle- and low-level officers can only huddle on the roadside. They have no winter clothes, and most of them have thin clothes. In the biting cold wind  During the war, they could only suffer day by day. A long month passed, and the soldiers were severely damaged physically and mentally. Many soldiers unfortunately fell ill, and many even died of illness. At this time, a more severe test came.  Liu Qubei arrived quietly. Liu Qubei lived in the largest tent with thick animal skins on the ground. It was freezing cold inside the tent, so his guards went to dig some tree roots and shrubs from the hillside to make a fire for him.  Liu Qubei didn't want to go out, so he locked himself in a tent all day long and drank to relieve his boredom.  "Of course he doesn't need to eat horse meat, and it is impossible to cut off all food. There are only a few hundred sheep and a dozen cattle left, which is not enough to feed an army of tens of thousands, and can only supply a few high-ranking officials such as Liu Qubei.  In the middle of the night, Liu Qubei was suddenly woken up from his deep sleep by his guards. He asked drowsily: "What's the matter?" "Your Majesty, it's not bad." The guard stammered, his face full of nervousness, but he couldn't say anything.  As he spoke, he pointed his finger outside.  Liu Qubei stood up suddenly, drew his sword casually, and strode outside the tent. He thought there was an enemy attack, but when he lifted the curtain, he was shocked and saw fluttering clouds in the night sky.  Heavy snowfall.  "What time is it now?" Liu Qubei asked nervously.  "It's not even the first update yet." Liu Qubei could only feel his body trembling. The moment he feared most finally came. It was snowing heavily, but they were trapped on the straight road. Could it be that the sky was going to kill him? Liu Qubei  This place?  Liu Qubei had cursed Huchuquan countless times. Even though he wanted to curse Huchuquan for being a Chanyu in vain but refusing to risk his life to save them, he could no longer curse and stood there for a long time.  Sighing, he turned around and went back to his tent.  This is God¡¯s will. The sky has snowed in advance to punish them. Whether his soldiers can survive depends on whether the sky can forgive them. There is nothing he, Liu Qubei, can do.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 884 Soldiers Mutiny

    Early the next morning, Liu Qubei received the news that he didn't want to hear. Over six thousand soldiers froze to death overnight. This left Liu Qubei speechless for a long time. He thought that at most hundreds of soldiers had frozen to death.  , but he did not expect that more than 6,000 people would freeze to death. This made him feel very sad, but he was speechless.  The captain who reported to him said: "Your Majesty, most of these soldiers who were frozen to death are sick and weak, so they cannot withstand the cold air of the snowy night. I believe that they will be much better tonight, and they will not  If so many people die." Liu Qubei sighed and said, "Throw those who freeze to death into the valley! Just treat them as sky burials and leave them on the straight road. I'm afraid they will get sick in such a cold weather.  It doesn't matter, but staying on the straight road and letting other soldiers see it will seriously affect the morale of the army. The king is right, it is better to throw them into the valley." Liu Qubei immediately ordered all the corpses of the frozen soldiers to be thrown into the deep valley, and ordered the soldiers.  Go to the south to look for firewood and bushes to make fires and keep warm. The straight road is extremely strong. There has been no grass growing for hundreds of years. The straight road is built on the mountain. One side is backed by the mountain, and the other side is a hundred-foot deep valley. The only way to get some firewood is from the mountain. How can I get the first section?  The weather was so cold that all the trees within dozens of miles were cut down. If you wanted to find firewood, you had to look further south.  However, a more serious problem faced the Huns cavalry, that is, they had no horse power. More than half of the horses were slaughtered for food, and the remaining more than 10,000 horses were dying due to an extreme lack of horse materials. Many horses could not even stand and could not bear weight at all.  Soldiers went south to look for firewood and walked dozens of miles on just two legs to find firewood. This was even more frightening than going to the battlefield.  But Liu Qubei didn't care so much. He ordered to select three thousand strong soldiers, give them a hearty meal, and ordered them to go fifty miles away to find firewood. The three thousand soldiers were helpless, and under the leadership of a captain, they went to  Went south to look for firewood.  The snow got heavier and heavier, and it continued to fall for two whole days and nights. The heavy snow piled up thickly on the hillside, and the unbalanced snow blocks kept sliding down and piled up on the straights. On a section of the straight ahead that was several miles long, there was a lot of accumulated snow.  It is already up to the waist, making it difficult to move even an inch.  The three thousand soldiers who went to look for firewood returned in panic one day later. If you wanted to walk fifty miles away to find firewood in this weather, you would definitely never return. Moreover, heavy snow had blocked the straight road, making it impossible to go south at all.  At night, less than 20,000 Huns soldiers huddled together at the foot of the mountain to resist the cold wind and hunger. In just two nights, 8,000 people froze to death. This was the third night.  How many people will return to their hometown.  The soldiers were cold and hungry, and were cursing in low voices. At this time, all the soldiers let go and cursed Liu Qubei and the senior generals unscrupulously. They had tents, animal skins, and it was said that they also had deliciously roasted beef and mutton.  , and the intoxicating milk wine, which made the hungry and cold soldiers extremely hateful.  "Brother, why do you think the king refuses to surrender?" A young soldier asked a centurion, who was also his brother, in a low voice.  The centurion sneered and said: "We can survive if we surrender, but if he surrenders, he will only die. He would rather wait for Shanyu to come to rescue him than surrender. Anyway, we will freeze to death and starve to death. He can't die even if he has food and drink."  "What a fool!" The soldier cursed and asked, "Will Shanyu come to rescue us?" The centurion shook his head, "It's snowing so hard that Shanyu can't even protect himself."  , come to save us? Don¡¯t expect it.¡± ¡°But we will die like this.¡± The young soldier was afraid and couldn¡¯t help crying, ¡°Brother, I want to go home, I want to go home to see my father and mother!¡±  The centurion hugged his brother's shoulders lovingly and comforted him softly: "If you bear with it for two more days, the situation will definitely change." Although he said this, he sighed in his heart and couldn't help but secretly regret that the brother was only seventeen.  At the age of 10, I really shouldn't have taken him to the battlefield. If he had any shortcomings, how could I explain it to my parents?  At this time, someone shouted in the distance: "Dried meat has been distributed in front of us, go and get it!" The young soldier suddenly became anxious. He knew that the amount of dried meat was very small, and they might be gone if they were like this. "Brother, I'll go get it!"  Dried meat!" He immediately stood up and ran forward.  The centurion didn't catch him, and saw his brother running into the darkness. Not long after, there was a burst of yelling from the front, and then someone screamed. I don't know who shouted, "There is a murderer in front!"  The centurion was startled and ran forward with his knife in hand. After running hundreds of steps, he came to where the crowd was gathering. The centurion pushed through the crowd and squeezed in. He saw a man lying on the ground, it was his brother. He threw himself  He went up and shouted: "Small teeth! Small teeth!" His brother's throat was cut off and he was already dead. The centurion suddenly raised his head and stared at the officer with the dried meat in his blood-red eyes. It was this man who killed his brother.   The officer said coldly: "Each person is only allowed to take one piece, but he wants to take two pieces. He deserves to die!" "I will kill you!" The centurion roared and rushed towards the officer with his sword. The officer swung his sword.  They greeted each other and cursed: "Are you crazy? I am the grain officer appointed by the king. Do you want to die?" The centurion said nothing, and slashed at the grain officer like crazy with the knife in his hand. The grain officer saw the coming.  Fiercely, he took a few steps back. Unexpectedly, his foot slipped and he staggered. At this moment, the centurion's long knife hit his right leg. The grain officer yelled and fell to the ground.  He pounced on him and chopped off his head with a knife.  The surrounding soldiers screamed and retreated. The centurion placed the head in front of his brother and burst into tears. At this time, someone shouted: "Daya, run away quickly. This grain officer is the king's bodyguard. You have caused a big disaster."  Come on, let's go!" The centurion suddenly felt like he was going to die. He stood up and shouted to everyone: "The food has been cut off, and the horse meat is almost exhausted. It's snowing heavily, and Shan Yu is not going to die."  They will come to save us. We will either freeze to death or starve to death. Rather than die here, we might as well surrender! At least we can save our lives and go home to see our wives and children." The centurion's words resonated with everyone, and everyone raised their voices.  The hands shouted, "We are willing to surrender, we don't want to freeze to death here." "Surrender! Surrender!" The shouts became louder and louder. The centurion waved his hand and everyone became quiet again. He shouted: "Everyone, follow me.  Wuting Pass surrenders, if the king does not allow it, we will fight with him!" The fire of hatred ignited in the hearts of the Huns soldiers, and thousands of soldiers followed the centurion and marched towards Wuting Pass in a huge team!  Dang, the momentum is strong.  To go to Wuting Pass, you had to pass through the camp area. At this time, Liu Qubei heard that some soldiers were going to rebel and surrender. He couldn't help but became furious. He went out of the tent with his sword and led hundreds of soldiers to block the way of the soldiers.  ¡°Who is the leader, stand up for me!¡± Liu Qubei roared loudly.  The centurion stood up under the eyes of everyone. He only had hatred in his heart at this time and said without fear: "I am the leader!" If Liu Qubei apologized nicely at this time and took out the cattle and sheep to appease the soldiers,  It may be possible to quell the upcoming rebellion of soldiers, but Liu Qubei has no retreat. If he shows weakness, more soldiers will cause trouble tomorrow. He can only treat these soldiers toughly. As long as the leader is killed, the rest of the soldiers will naturally be killed.  Scared off.  Liu Qubei did not explain, and coldly ordered the guards: "Kill him!" Several guards rushed forward with swords, and the centurion raised his sword and shouted: "Brothers, let's fight!" At this moment, savings  The anger in the hearts of the soldiers finally broke out. Thousands of soldiers roared angrily and raised their swords to kill Liu Qubei and hundreds of his guards. At the critical moment of life and death, the Huns soldiers mutinied.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 885 Surrender

    Liu Jing arrived at Wuting Pass on the afternoon of the third snowy day. There were 8,000 Han soldiers at Wuting Pass, led by General Wei Yan. They held on for nearly a month and, together with Pinghu Pass in the south, trapped Liu Qubei's army.  He died on this seventy-mile stretch of straight road.  On Guancheng, a soldier held an umbrella to cover the heavy snow. Liu Jing stood under the umbrella and stared at the straight road in the distance. There should be large traces of burning kerosene on the straight road in Guancheng, as well as corpses on the ground, but at this time  They are all covered in white snow, and a hundred steps away is a gray patch of land where nothing can be seen.  Wei Yan pointed forward and said, "Your Highness, if the weather is fine, you can see an earth wall three miles away, about two feet high, spanning the official road." "What is that?" Liu Jing was a little confused.  "That was a blocking wall specially built by Liu Qubei to prevent soldiers from surrendering because he was afraid of soldiers coming to surrender. Unfortunately, this blocking wall has no meaning. There are still many Xiongnu sentries who secretly came to surrender." "What's the situation over there?  ?" Liu Jing asked again.  Wei Yan shook his head and sighed and said: "The situation is very bad. They have no food and can only kill horses for food. However, there is no horse feed. Most of the horses starve to death and there is no meat. It is said that this is less than a month.  They killed nearly 20,000 war horses, and hundreds of them would rather jump off the cliff than be killed by them." "Is there water in it?" "There is spring water flowing from the mountain. Many soldiers want to escape over the mountain.  , but most of the soldiers rolled down the mountain and died, and some soldiers who crossed the mountain could not survive. The mountains here are connected one after another, stretching for hundreds of miles, and there is no food. They either starve to death or become food for wild beasts in the mountains.  "When everyone said this, a soldier suddenly pointed forward and shouted: "Look, there are Hun soldiers escaping." Only dozens of steps away, there were three or four Hun soldiers staggering towards this side.  One of them still had an arrow stuck in his back. Before he could reach Guancheng, the soldier who was hit by the arrow fell down and never moved again. Soon, the body was covered by heavy snow.  "Pull them up!" The Han soldiers put down several large baskets and pulled up three Xiongnu soldiers. Each one was so thin and skinny from hunger, with a cold light of hunger in their eyes, that they could not speak. Wei Yan immediately ordered the soldiers  Take them down to have two bowls of hot porridge.  Liu Jing was also anxious to know what was going on on the straight road, so she followed. The three Huns deserters sat by the fire and drank several bowls of hot porridge before finally regaining their breath.  A Han soldier asked them a few questions in Xiongnu dialect, and then said to Liu Jing: "Your Majesty, they said that there were hundreds of Liu Qubei's guards guarding the earth wall. There were more than 20 of them, and they fought to escape together. The rest  All the soldiers were killed, and only a few of them climbed over the wall. "Ask them, how will the heavy snow affect that area?" The soldier asked a few more questions, and then turned around and said, "They said it was very miserable. The first snowfall."  Six thousand people froze to death that night, and more than two thousand people froze to death last night. Even though Liu Qubei blocked the news, everyone knew that the soldiers there would not survive. " Liu Jing nodded and said.  Wei Yan said: "We need to be more vigilant in the past two days. It is estimated that something will happen on the straight road either tonight or tomorrow night." At night, Liu Jing was sleeping when he was suddenly woken up by the guard. The guard whispered: "  Your Highness, something happened on the straight road. "Liu Jing suddenly woke up. He put on his military uniform and a thick cloak, and quickly came to Guancheng. Thousands of soldiers were already standing in Guancheng, with their bows and crossbows drawn.  The formation is ready, and more than twenty trebuchets are also ready to launch an attack at any time.  Liu Jing walked to the city wall, and Wei Yan clasped his fists and saluted: "Your Highness, there was a huge fire on the straight road just now, and there were constant shouts of killing. It seems that something big happened? And there is no dry firewood on the straight road. Such a big fire must be a tent  "It was set on fire." Liu Jing looked towards the distance of the straight road. The fire was much smaller, but a little bit could still be seen, but the shouting also stopped. At this moment, "Boom!" suddenly came from the front!  There was a loud noise, which seemed to be the sound of a house collapsing. A soldier immediately reacted and shouted: "This must be the blocking wall being knocked down." Liu Jing also thought so, and he immediately ordered: "Crossbowman  "Get ready, no arrows are allowed without my order!" A soldier ran and shouted: "Your Highness has an order, the crossbowmen are ready, no arrows are allowed without your order!" At this time, countless black figures appeared in the night!  , groups of people walked toward Guancheng, and when they reached fifty steps away, they stopped again. They saw a Hun officer running up and shouting at the bottom of the city: "We have killed Liu Qubei and are willing to surrender to the Han army."  "Please surrender!" In the darkness, all the figures were seen kneeling down. Wei Yan ran to Liu Jing and whispered: "Your Highness, I'm afraid it's a scam!" Liu Jing nodded, it was true.?It's possible that Liu Qubei was forced to the last moment and might use a false surrender method to seize Guancheng. However, Liu Jing's intuition told Liu Jing that it was more likely that Liu Qubei's soldiers mutinied.  At this time, Wei Jin stepped forward and saluted: "Your Highness, I would like to go and investigate the situation." This was the only way to send someone to investigate the real situation. Liu Jing immediately agreed, "You can bring a few more soldiers to investigate."  "Bizhi understands that if the enemy surrenders falsely, I will hold up the torch as a sign of trust." Wei Jin and a few soldiers went down to the city in a big basket and walked quickly towards the surrendering army. Liu Jing's eyes were fixed on Wei Jin.  He was seen saying a few words to the leading Hun officer, and then followed him towards the crowd.  Time passed little by little, but there was still no torch raised. Liu Jing felt a little relieved. It seemed that the army had really mutinied and came to surrender. After about a quarter of an hour, Wei Jin finally came back, followed by a Huns centurion.  , carrying a baggage in their hands, the two went up to the city. Wei Jin stepped forward and whispered to Liu Jing: "It is true that the soldiers rebelled. Killing Liu Qubei is not a false surrender." At this time, the centurion stepped forward and knelt down.  Next, he cried: "My name is Ning Daya. The soldiers were hungry and cold, and they didn't want to fight anymore. It was the villain who led everyone to resist Liu Qubei's suppression, killed Liu Qubei, and begged Your Highness to let us live."  " After saying that, he presented the bundle with both hands. A soldier took it and opened the bundle. As expected, there was a human head inside. The soldier knew that it was the head of Liu Qubei, the right virtuous king of the Xiongnu.  Liu Jing nodded and asked: "How many of you are left?" "There are still 15,000 people, and the rest are dead." Liu Jing also sighed in his heart, 30,000 people were trapped in the straight road, and only half of them were left in the end. Indeed,  It was very tragic, and he asked again: "Are all fifteen thousand people willing to surrender?" "They are all willing to surrender and do not want to fight anymore!" At this time, Wei Yan stepped forward again and said: "Your Highness, I have a few words for humble duty."  Liu Jing followed him to the side, and Wei Yan whispered: "Leaving these Xiongnu soldiers is a hidden danger. Your Highness, it is better to take this opportunity to eradicate them." Liu Jing glanced at him and said lightly: "Domineering is only an auxiliary to the king's way, not allowed.  Reversing priorities, blindly killing them all is not a long-term solution. It will be more useful to keep them." Wei Yan hit a nail, and he quickly said: "If His Highness decides to surrender, I have another suggestion." Liu Jing had already discovered Wei Yan.  This person has a complex mind and is not as loyal as Zhao Yun or Wenpin. Although he is also loyal to himself, besides being loyal, he has his own ideas, or in other words, he will always have some ideas that are inconsistent with his identity.  For example, the matter of moving the capital had nothing to do with him, but he specifically wrote a letter pointing out that Guanzhong was severely damaged and suggested that the capital be moved to Luoyang.  For example, now, Liu Jing appears in person at Wuting Pass. Liu Jing should decide whether to accept the surrender of the Huns soldiers. At most, Jia Xu, Fazheng and others can make suggestions.  As a partial general, Wei Yan could only carry out the orders to the letter, but he had to put forward his own plan and demanded that all the Huns soldiers be killed. This made Liu Jing really unhappy. If he was not at Wuting Pass today,  , will Wei Yan decide without authorization to send troops to kill the Xiongnu?  With Wei Yan's smartness, this is very possible, but Liu Jing also knows that Wei Yan has this self-righteous problem. He has been taught many times over the years, but it is still difficult to change. Liu Jing also tries to tolerate him and see him as much as possible.  Bright side.  Liu Jing held back her displeasure and asked, "Do you have any other suggestions?" "Although the Huns surrendered, I was worried that Liu Qubei was not dead, but was hiding among the soldiers. He had tens of thousands of soldiers. Looking for  It¡¯s easy for someone who looks similar. Your Highness still needs to be cautious.¡± Liu Jing smiled and asked, ¡°In your opinion, what should I do?¡± ¡°Bizhi suggested that they surrender during the day and then pass the test one by one, and I knew that Liu would go there.  A wolf's head was tattooed on Bei's chest, and he asked them to surrender naked according to custom, so Liu Qubei could not get away with it. "Although Wei Yan was too cautious, his words made some sense. Liu Jing thought for a moment and then  Deciding to adopt Wei Yan's plan, he immediately walked back and said to the centurion: "I believe in your sincerity and accept your surrender. However, surrender at night is prone to chaos. You can come and surrender early tomorrow morning. According to the custom of the Huns, you will be topless.  Line up to pass." After a pause, Liu Jing said, "Of course, I will give you some dry firewood tonight, and I will give you two thousand sheep and three thousand bags of milk wine. You can survive tonight!"  He had no choice but to agree. That night, Liu Jing ordered the soldiers to send dry firewood, sheep and wine to the surrendering soldiers. Fifteen thousand Xiongnu surrendering soldiers lit hundreds of bonfires on the straight road, killed sheep and drank wine, and passed the most difficult time.  of a night.  Early the next morning, 15,000 Xiongnu soldiers descended into formation.The fifth team of the new team began to pass the customs one by one. Every soldier who passed the customs had to be naked and wash his face with snow. Dozens of soldiers who knew Liu Qubei were strictly screening them.  Although it was finally confirmed that Liu Qubei was indeed dead, several Huns nobles who were trying to get through the border were still caught, which can be regarded as a gain. The soldiers mutinied last night and not only killed Liu Qubei, but also those who were with Liu Qubei.  More than a dozen Xiongnu nobles also died in the chaos. However, these three Xiongnu nobles changed their clothes as soldiers in time and escaped among the chaos. In the end, they did not escape the inspection one by one by the Han army and were recognized by other Xiongnu soldiers.  Expose.  Three Xiongnu nobles were brought to Liu Jing, and they knelt down and kowtowed to beg for mercy. Liu Jing asked them: "I want to know where Liu Qubei's old lair is now? Is it still in Hetao, or has he moved to Yinshan?" "Back to Your Highness.  , Liu Qubei will never let his subordinates go to Yinshan, but they are not in Hetao now. " "Then where?" The three Xiongnu nobles looked at each other, and an older chief said tremblingly: "Liu Qubei wants to.  After seizing the Hexi Corridor, he sent troops to Gaonu and Lingzhou in August, and ordered his uncle Ge Ye to lead more than 300,000 subordinates to move west to Yanze to spend the winter in preparation for a large-scale attack next spring with his son Liu Meng.  Hexi, this is top secret, only a few people know it." Liu Jing suddenly realized that no wonder his scouts could not find Liu Qubei's tribe in Hetao, and it turned out that they had moved to Juyanze.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 886 Death of Shan Yu

    Two days later, Liu Jing led the Han army to escort more than 20,000 Xiongnu prisoners of war captured in two battles and arrived in Gaonu County. Zhao Yun also led his army back to Gaonu County, where 100,000 Han troops gathered.  Although Huchuquan¡¯s army had a lucky escape, the Han army still won the final victory in the Han-Hungarian war. The two Xiongnu groups that had occupied the Central Plains for decades had been completely annihilated. The Han army finally recovered the lost territory that had been lost for decades.  When the three armies joined forces, one hundred thousand soldiers rejoiced. Liu Jing ordered the slaughter of sheep and cattle to reward the three armies. At night, hundreds of bonfires were lit in the vast wilderness. One hundred thousand soldiers drank and ate meat around the bonfires, laughing, singing and dancing.  to celebrate the victory of this three-month war.  In a huge tent covering an area of ??three acres, there is a circle of tables. The tables are filled with golden roasted beef and mutton, and pots of the best mellow milk wine. More than a hundred generals and counselors gathered in the tent.  , celebrating their victory with Liu Jing, King of Han Dynasty. In the middle of the big tent, two tall and fat warriors performed sumo wrestling amidst the sound of drums, which attracted bursts of laughter from everyone.  At this time, Jia Xu turned sideways and whispered to Liu Jing: "Your Highness, please say a few words!" Liu Jing nodded and winked at the guard next to him. The guard immediately asked the two warriors to retreat. At this time, Liu Jing stood  After getting up, the big tent suddenly became quiet, and more than a hundred pairs of eyes stared at His Highness the King of Han.  Liu Jing raised her earcup and said loudly: "Although we won the final victory in this battle, we also paid the price of more than 10,000 soldiers dying. As we celebrate our victory, we should not forget the people who sleep under this land."  The soldiers, so I suggest that our first glass of wine should be dedicated to them." After that, Liu Jing slowly poured the wine on the ground, and everyone stood up and followed Liu Jing to toast the wine to those who were sleeping underground.  Soldiers.  Liu Jing filled another glass of wine and shouted to everyone: "This second glass of wine, I will give it to you and the soldiers celebrating outside the tent. Without your sacrifice, there would be no victory today."  "Come on! Let's drink this cup." Liu Jing drank it all, and everyone drank the wine in their hands. At this time, Liu Jing filled up the third cup of wine and continued: "This third cup of wine is enough."  To all our fellow countrymen and officials in the Han Dynasty, it is their donations of food, money, and manpower that have ensured our logistics stability. Everyone, for today¡¯s victory, we drink this cup. ¡± Everyone once again.  After finishing the drink, Liu Jing smiled at the crowd and said, "Have a good time tonight! Get drunk before you stop." The drums sounded again, and the wrestlers continued sumo wrestling. Everyone sat down, talking and laughing, drinking wine and eating meat.  After spending this joyous night, Liu Jing was toasted by everyone one by one. He drank dozens of glasses and became extremely drunk. He didn't know how long he slept before he finally woke up. He slowly sat up and felt his mouth was dry.  I had a splitting headache, there was no light in the sleeping tent, and everything was pitch black.  "Come here!" He shouted lowly, and a personal guard rushed in quickly, bowed and saluted, "Your Highness, please give me your orders!" "What time is it?" "It's just after the fifth watch, and it's still dark."  Liu Jing nodded, "Pour me a cup of tea." The guard quickly brought Liu Jing a cup of hot tea. Liu Jing drank the tea, put on her clothes and walked out of the tent. The snow had stopped, and the night sky was exceptionally clear and full of stars.  The light was bright, but the air was also extremely cold. Liu Jing took a long breath of white breath, and the cold wind suddenly woke him up.  At this time, Liu Jing saw a gray figure standing next to a large tent in front of him. Under the reflection of the snow light, he recognized it as Jia Xu. Liu Jing smiled and stepped on the 'Crunch!  Crunch!  ¡¯ The snow walked towards Jia Xu.  "Can't you sleep, military advisor?" Liu Jing stepped forward and asked with a smile.  Jia Xu shook his head and smiled: "As I get older, I sleep much less. It's like this every day. I get up at five o'clock. I'm used to it. But why is Your Highness so early today?" Liu Jing walked to him and sighed:  "I used to have to wake up at four o'clock when practicing martial arts. But in recent years, I can't wake up until Chen time. Today is special because I drank too much last night." "Is Your Highness feeling better now?" Jia Xu asked with concern.  .  "It's much better now. Thank you, military advisor, for your concern." At this time, Liu Jing remembered something and asked again: "Does the military advisor think it will snow again recently?" Jia Xu looked back at him and smiled faintly, "Your Highness refers to Xiongnu Dan.  "Let's do it!" Liu Jing nodded and sighed: "I don't know if my decision is correct, but I'm worried that it will be too simple and end up being hateful to the enemy." "Your Highness did not think simply, let go.  Daman's return is a clever move, and it will most likely trigger a fight for the throne among the Huns. Huchuquan can't go back for a while now. When he goes back, there will be two Chanyus on the grassland, one on the mountain.  If two tigers cannot be tolerated, internal strife among the Huns will inevitably break out." "What if Huchuquan can¡¯t go back?  Liu Jing asked with a smile. "If he can't go back, many people will be jealous of Shan Yu's position. I think the internal fighting will be more intense."  " Speaking of this, Jia Xu smiled knowingly, "It seems that His Highness does not want him to go back.  " "Of course I don't want him to go back, otherwise I wouldn't have tried every means to hold him back. I hope this heavy snow will make him make the same mistake as Liu Qubei.  " "If that's the case, I think His Highness will definitely get what he wants.  " Jia Xu looked at the northern night sky with his hands behind his hands and said with a smile: "There is a proverb in the grassland that if there are three consecutive heavy snowfalls in October, the autumn grass will not be enough to break the heart. That is to say, as long as it snows in advance, there will be three consecutive snowfalls. This is just the first snow.  I believe the second heavy snow is coming.  " Jia Xu's proverb is not wrong. The first heavy snow only stopped for two days, and the second heavy snow came as scheduled. First, the wind became stronger and stronger, rolling the snow on the ground into the sky. Soon, the north  A long white thick cloud appeared at the end of the sky, slowly rising, expanding, and gradually covering the sky. The white clouds also became as black as ink, covering the sky with a heavy blackness, as if the end of the world was coming. The wind dropped and the sky became rainy.  It started to snow lightly, and the tiny snowflakes quickly turned into large flakes. The wind roared again, and a blizzard came. In an instant, the dark sky and the sea of ??snow merged into one, and everything in Huchuquan was invisible.  His army did not go to Lingzhou. He received news on the way that Lingzhou had been conquered by the Hexi Han and Qiang coalition forces. All the supplies had been looted. All the herdsmen had been moved into Xiaoguan, and Lingzhou had been turned into ruins.  , without food and population, Huchuquan was resentful and angry, but had no choice but to order the army to change its route to the north, heading for Hetao. His only hope was that Liu Qubei's lair in Hetao could be spent there.  In winter, they returned to the grassland in spring. But the thick snow made their march extremely difficult. After walking for several days, they were on the grassland north of Sheyanhai. At this moment, the second snowstorm suddenly came.  , drowning tens of thousands of Xiongnu troops in the vast sea of ??snow. The cold wind roared like ghosts crying and wolves howling. The overwhelming wind covered with snow particles mercilessly pounced on the Xiongnu troops. They braved the strong wind and snow, leading their horses, step by step.  Taking one step forward, the snow was already above their knees. Every step they took would sink into the thick snow, making it difficult to move for a long time. At this time, nothing could be seen between the sky and the earth. Many soldiers crawled down in despair, waiting for death to kill them.  Take it away. ¡°Chanyu!  " A commander of Wanqi shouted in Huchuquan's ear: "Mei Li's army hasn't come back yet. This will cause us to lose contact. Do you want to wait for him?  " Mei Li led five thousand cavalry to the west in search of tribes and cattle and sheep. He went there for almost two days and still didn't come back. At this time, no one in Huchuquan could care about him. He just wanted to save his own life. "Ignore him.  ,Continue to go!  "Huchuquan yelled with all his strength. At this moment, a scream sounded in front of him. Huchuquan was shocked. Before he could react, the soles of his feet were empty, and his whole body lost balance and rolled forward, as if falling.  He could not help but scream in the abyss. The Huns had lost their way. They actually reached the top of a deep ravine. The thick snow and the howling blizzard made them unable to see the cliff in front of them, and there was a protruding cliff under their feet.  A section of soil collapsed under the weight of the soldiers and horses. The collapse of the soil caused the snow to collapse. Thousands of soldiers, including Shanyu Huchuquan, were wrapped and rolled more than 20 feet deep.  The ravine was immediately flooded by the large amount of snow that poured down. For all the nomads, being unable to retreat to the camp in time was undoubtedly a disaster. This Hun cavalry even encountered a once-in-a-century blizzard.  During the attack, they were trapped on the vast plateau. Shanyu Huchuquan fell into a deep ravine with thousands of soldiers. Although he was rescued by his guards, he was seriously injured and died three days later. Shanyu's death was just the beginning.  , this army faced the triple threats of extreme cold weather, loss of food and grass, and wolf attacks. Soldiers continued to die from hunger and disease. An attack by thousands of hungry wolves caused them heavy casualties.  When the ice and snow melted, there were only more than 2,000 people left in this army of tens of thousands, all of whom were dying. They were eventually discovered by the Han cavalry on patrol. The death of Huchuquan vacated the position of Shanyu, which triggered the grassland.  Competition among major forces, internal strife and killings continued to occur within the Huns. Finally, with the support of the Han Dynasty King Liu Jing, Daman, the son of the chief of the Yundan tribe, ascended to the throne of the Xiongnu Chanyu in the autumn of the second year.  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 887 The Arrival of Family

    The successive blizzards trapped the Han army in Gaonu County and made it difficult to retreat to Guanzhong for a while. However, the Han army had sufficient food and grass and captured tens of thousands of tents, which enabled the 100,000 Han army soldiers to stabilize their morale and wait patiently until the blizzard ended.  At noon that day, Liu Jing was reviewing the ultimatum in the big account as usual. This was a batch of urgent official documents sent to him by a messenger coming north from Luochuan Road.  Although the blizzard is raging in Gaonu County, the Luochuan Road is in a valley, and the blizzard is blocked by the mountains on both sides, making the snow much lighter. Although the road is difficult, it is still manageable, so the communication lines have always been relatively smooth.  At this time, a guard reported at the gate of the tent: "Your Majesty, there is a palace guard outside the camp asking to see you." Liu Jing was startled. He came from the palace. Is it a letter from home?  He immediately ordered: "Bring him to see me!" After a while, the guard was brought into the tent, and it turned out to be a female guard. She saluted and said urgently: "Your Highness, Madam is trapped in Qingshiyu. Please, Your Highness  Go and greet you." Liu Jing didn't understand, and asked: "What are you talking about, who is trapped in Qingshiyu?" "It's Mrs. Xiao Qiao, our group went north from Guanzhong, and the journey was smooth, but when we arrived at Qingshiyu?  , a blizzard suddenly came, and the carriage could no longer move. We were also worried that Madam's body could not withstand the cold wind, so I came to report to His Highness and ask for His Highness's assistance. "Liu Jing stood up suddenly and shouted urgently: "Hurry and prepare the camel team.  , Go to Qingshiyu immediately!¡± Liu Jing also secretly complained in his heart, why did his family let Xiao Qiao go north at this time? Even if the war is over, how can their women bear such a heavy snowstorm? Thinking of Xiao Qiao¡¯s delicate body,  He was even more anxious.  The Han army captured more than a thousand camels carrying supplies in the Xiongnu army's logistics camp. These camels were tall and strong and could be used for transporting goods and riding camels. His more than a thousand guards practiced every day and became very proficient.  Liu Jing and more than a thousand guards mounted camels one after another. Under the leadership of the female guards, they braved the snowstorm and headed south to Qingshi Valley. Qingshi Valley is the exit of Luochuan Road, a canyon about two miles long.  It seems to be a blizzard divide. Although there is thick snow on the south side of the canyon, the wind is not strong, and the snow is just blowing and falling.  After leaving the valley entrance, a cold wind howled and a blizzard raged. Not to mention that the carriage could not move, even riding a horse was extremely difficult. Xiao Qiao and his party hid in the valley. Although there was snow in the valley, it was better than outside the valley.  many.  Xiao Qiao and two maids were sitting in a carriage. They wrapped themselves in thick blankets and were shivering with cold. The two hundred soldiers escorting them lit two fires. Everyone crowded in front of the fire to keep warm, drank wine and ate dry food.  .  At this time, it was already dark. They had been trapped for a whole day and were hungry and thirsty. The maid took out the dry food and handed it to Xiao Qiao, "Madam, eat something!" Xiao Qiao shook her head, "You guys eat! I  "I don't want to eat it yet." At this time, Xiao Qiao felt a little regretful. She only heard that the war was over, so she told Tao Zhan that she wanted to go to Gaonu County to see the general. Tao Zhan had no experience in the north, and she didn't.  Don't worry, my husband agreed.  Unexpectedly, the heavy snow in Guanzhong was completely different from the heavy snow in Gaonu County. It turned out to be a blizzard. The snow was more than knee-deep and the carriage could not move at all. Xiao Qiao sighed in his heart and anxiously looked north through the window. How could the general still return?  Not coming to pick you up?  At this moment, there was a commotion outside, the soldiers stood up one after another, and a female guard ran to the carriage and said excitedly to Xiao Qiao: "Madam, Your Highness and the others are here." Xiao Qiao was overjoyed, and saw a large group of camels running towards him.  At the head of a tall and strong camel team was riding a man, her husband Liu Jing. At this moment, Xiao Qiao felt a little uneasy. Would Liu Jing blame herself for coming in the snow?  Liu Jing jumped off the camel and ordered the guards: "It's getting late, so we'll spend the night in the valley and set off early tomorrow morning!" The soldiers were ready, took off the tents from the camels, and began to pitch the tents in the valley. At this time,  Liu Jing walked quickly to the carriage, and the window opened, revealing Xiao Qiao's beautiful face. Before Liu Jing could speak, Xiao Qiao said first: "If you blame me, I will go back right away!" Liu Jing  She laughed, reached out to hold her pretty face, covered her cold face with his warm hands, and said softly: "Are you getting warmer?" Xiao Qiao felt her husband's warm hands and heard his gentle greetings,  Her nose couldn't help but feel sore, and tears almost rolled down her face. Liu Jing felt so affectionate in her heart that she opened the car door, took her out of the carriage, and held her tightly in his arms.  At this time, when Xiao Qiao saw no one around, she whispered coquettishly to Liu Jing, "I'm hungry." Liu Jing laughed, took her hand and said, "Follow me!" The soldiers had already lit up the fire.There were more than a dozen bonfires. The soldiers gathered together and were busy barbecuing and talking and laughing. Liu Jing took Xiao Qiao's hand to a smaller bonfire. Two maids quickly spread blankets for them beside the fire.  , Liu Jing hugged Xiao Qiao and sat down. Seeing that the two maids were also shivering from the cold, she smiled and said, "You guys should also sit down and warm yourself by the fire!" At this time, several guards brought over a whole sheep that had been washed and skinned.  Liu Jing said to them: "I'll come here, you go!" Several guards retreated, Liu Jing set up the mutton and slowly grilled it in the fire, smiled and said to Xiao Qiao: "Tonight we eat roast mutton, drink  Milk wine, living in a felt tent, and being a nomad for a time. "Xiao Qiao had never had this kind of experience. She was very interested and said quickly: "Let me try it!" Liu Jing handed her the iron rack for roasting sheep.  , taught her step by step, "Just turn it over slowly, bake it once, then pull it back and brush a layer of sauce, and then continue baking." The two maids also poured two glasses of wine and handed it to them, "Madam, you rest, let us  Come and bake!" Xiao Qiao shook her head, "I'm going to bake and have fun. You can drink by yourselves. You can be more casual tonight and don't have to be formal." Liu Jing had seen them glance at the group of female guards next to them.  As they laughed and became more comfortable, he knew what they were thinking. He took the wine glass and said with a smile: "I guess you are not comfortable here, so you can go!" The two maids were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they knelt down together. Xiao Qiao went north with them.  They got along very harmoniously. Seeing that they were scared, they quickly said softly: "The general means well, you go ahead! You don't need to serve." The two maids then slowly withdrew and went to the female guard. Soon they heard  The two of them laughed like silver bells. Liu Jing shook her head and said, "Are you so boring and scary when you are with me?"  Are you being arrogant in front of me? Not to mention them, even a little girl like me is timid, for fear of offending you and being thrown into the cold palace." Liu Jing roasted the meat with her left hand, but held her waist with her right hand and pulled her into her arms.  , lowered his head to kiss her face and said with a smile: "It's snowing so much and you still come to me, is it because you miss you like the full moon, and the brightness becomes less bright every night?" Xiao Qiao's beautiful eyes lit up, and she asked in a low voice: "Only  "These two sentences?" Liu Jing thought for a while and said slowly: "Since you left, I no longer care about the situation. Missing you is like the full moon, and the brightness decreases every night." Xiao Qiao was amazed that her husband was unexpected.  There was a beautiful poem, but Liu Jing didn't let her think about it. She touched the wine glass with her mouth and said with a smile: "I asked the two maids to leave, but I want you to pour the wine for my husband." Xiao Qiao pursed her lips and smiled,  She broke free from his hand, picked up the flask, poured two glasses of wine, and put her hands in front of Liu Jing, "Husband, please!" Liu Jing took the glass and drank it all in one gulp, and said to her: "Drink too!" Xiao Qiaoji  She drank less, but she was very happy tonight, so she poured herself a glass. She picked up the glass and said with a smile: "I'd like to give you a glass of wine!" Liu Jing clinked glasses with her and drank the wine in one gulp, while Xiao Qiao also  Slowly drinking a glass of milk wine, a blush suddenly appeared on her face. At this time, the mutton was already browned and fragrant. Liu Jing cut off two large pieces with a knife, put them on the plate, handed them to her and said with a smile: "Use the knife."  Cut it up and eat it. Let's be more relaxed tonight. Eat large pieces of meat and drink a lot of wine. Fang is the true character of a woman.  " Xiao Qiao took the plate, shook her head slightly and said, "The real nature of a woman is not to eat meat. She should go into battle with the man to kill the enemy.  ¡± There was laughter in the valley, and everyone drank and ate meat to their heart¡¯s content. Xiao Qiao ate a small plate of meat and drank two glasses of wine, and she seemed a little too drunk. Her eyes were watery, looking at Liu Jing and her husband.  With his tall and burly figure, she couldn't help but feel a little lustful. She snuggled into his arms and chuckled softly: "My husband deliberately got me drunk. Could it be that you want to do something bad tonight?"  "Liu Jing's heart trembled, and she also smiled and said: "What do you think?  " "That's not possible!  It's been a bumpy and hard journey, so you have to pity me.  "    "Oh well!  I'll sleep under a separate tent tonight so you can have a good rest.  " Xiao Qiao pinched him quietly, bit his lip and whispered: "You fool!  "Liu Jing couldn't bear it any longer. He pulled her up and walked towards the tent. His big tent had been set up. It must be a double-layered round tent. The tent was covered with thick carpets and the fire pot had already dried the inside of the tent.  Feeling as warm as spring, Liu Jing pulled Xiao Qiao into the tent and immediately hugged her, lowering her head. Xiao Qiao stretched out her arms and put her arms around his neck. Their lips met hers, and they kissed tightly.  Together, Liu Jing's heart was filled with desire. She reached into her skirt, caressed her smooth and plump body wantonly, and grabbed the soft mounds on her chest. Xiao Qiao closed her eyes and allowed her husband to touch her slightly.  When Liu Jing's hands were about to untie her skirt, she was held down by Xiao Qiao, "No!"  No one is sleeping now. When they all fall asleep, I willServe your husband again.  "She whispered softly. Liu Jing shook her head and said with a smile: "This is the king's tent. Do you think anyone will break in?  " "But" Liu Jing no longer gave her a chance, and her hand went deep into her skirt again. After some caressing, Xiao Qiao's heart was finally melted. She closed her eyes and allowed her husband to do whatever he wanted. Although outside the big tent  The cold wind was biting and the snow was thick, but the big tent was full of spring, the love between husband and concubine, and the harmony of water and milk. Xiao Qiao gasped softly, which was heart-stirring. That night, Liu Jing sent her into bliss again and again.  peak

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 888 Qiao Lian¡¯s Thoughts

    The next morning, Liu Jing woke up from her deep sleep. It was dark inside the tent, but she didn't know what time it was. At this time, the curtain was lifted, and a ray of sunlight came in. Xiao Qiao, who was wearing a thick skirt, walked in gracefully.  , she held the teapot and lacquer tray in her hand, and the sunlight filtered through her sarong, faintly reflecting her beautiful and slim figure.  "General, you're finally awake!" Hearing the voice, Liu Jing seemed to be in a dream. He thought he had an erotic dream last night, but it was indeed Xiao Qiao's voice. He smelled a faint fragrance.  , propped up his head and smiled: "Alian, why did I feel like I was dreaming last night." "You were dreaming last night, I just arrived this morning." Xiao Qiao replied to him angrily, in front of him  Kneeling down, he poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Liu Jing, "Get up after drinking the tea! It's already dawn and everyone has packed up, waiting for your order to set off." Liu Jing took the tea cup and drank it in one gulp.  , stood up, stretched out, and said with a smile: "This is the first time that I actually slept until dawn!" Xiao Qiao smiled brightly, stood up, and pulled up the curtain, letting the fresh cold wind blow in.  After sweeping away the smell of alcohol in the tent, Liu Jing noticed her dress. She was wearing a long white linen skirt, a red raccoon fur coat, deerskin boots, and a headband.  She wears a ponytail with a silver hairpin inserted at an angle. Although her clothes are simple, it can't hide her natural beauty. Her skin is as white and tender as jade, and her eyes are like autumn water, smiling and looking forward.  Liu Jing felt hot in her heart, stepped forward and hugged her again, kissed her lips, and asked with a smile: "I forgot to ask last night, why are you here?" Xiao Qiao pursed her lips and smiled, "I'll do it.  There are three things. The first is to tell you the good news that Bao Niang has given birth to a son for you. The mother and son are safe. " Liu Jing was immediately overjoyed, but at the same time a little ashamed. He actually forgot about it. After all, Bao Niang should be here.  The baby was born last month. He knew he could announce this happy event in public last night, but he forgot again.  Xiao Qiao saw the look of shame in Liu Jing's eyes, and couldn't help but smile lightly, her cheeks rippling with smiles.  "The eldest sister said that you will definitely forget this matter and ask me to criticize you first when we meet. I still don't believe it. It's true. Tell me, how do you want me to criticize you?" Liu Jing whispered in her ear, and she was embarrassed.  Yan Wei Hong could not help but roll her eyes at him, and said coquettishly: "That happened last night, why are you still thinking about it?" "You know what I have been doing these past few months." Before he could continue, Xiao Qiao stretched out her jade hand.  She covered his mouth and said hurriedly: "I know, I know, stop talking, I'll talk about the second thing." "Say it!" Liu Jing looked at the beauty in front of him with a smile.  "The second thing, I think you will forget about me right away, my sister is here." Liu Jing was startled, and her heart burst into ecstasy. Da Qiao finally came, and Da Qiao left him an unforgettable memory. These past few months  It has always been lingering in his heart. How could he not be overjoyed when he heard the news of Da Qiao's arrival.  "When did she come?" Liu Jing asked again.  Seeing his unconcealable joy, Xiao Qiao couldn't help but said quietly: "Let me just say, eldest sister is more important to you than me. It was because of her that you refused to marry me, right?" Liu Jing hugged her tightly and said apologetically.  : "I never married you because I was afraid of neglecting you and didn't want to simply accept you as my concubine. It wasn't until your father brought me that I decided to marry you, and at that time Jiang Shangshu said he wanted to marry you. I was extremely annoyed at that time. You are really  "Do you think I don't care about you?" Xiao Qiao knew that it was impossible to monopolize a man's heart. His being able to say this also relieved her worries. She added, "Sister came not long after you sent out troops, and  My father came to Lantian County with us and now lives with us. She didn¡¯t let me write to tell you, saying that she just came to see me and not to trouble you too much. "Although this was Da Qiao's cover-up, Liu Jing still felt it in her heart.  He felt a little uncomfortable. He didn't want to face a cold Da Qiao, but now he didn't have time to delve into the matter, so he nodded and didn't mention it again, "What is the third thing?" At this time, the concubine  Seeing a guard coming outside the tent, he smiled and said: "Let's go first! I'll tell you on the way." Liu Jing was in a good mood. He saw that the snow had stopped outside, and the sun came out and shone on the snow-capped land.  Wrapped in silver, the world was white and crystal clear. Liu Jing also knew that he could not delay any longer, otherwise he would worry Zhao Yun and the others, so he ordered the guards who came over: "Pack up the camp and get ready to go!  " Not long after, everyone collected the last dozen tents, packed them and put them on the camels. A guard brought Liu Jing's camel. Liu Jing pointed at it and smiled at Xiao Qiao: "I'll ride with you.  , you can enjoy the snow scenery all the way.  " "Is this a camel?  I've never ridden one.  "Xiao Qiao was yearning for it in her heart, but she was a little timid. Liu Jing stepped forward to take a picture.He filmed himself riding a camel. The camel slowly knelt down. Liu Jing turned over and sat on the camel. He stretched out his hands to pick up Xiao Qiao and let Xiao Qiao sit in front of him. He pulled the reins and the camel slowly got up. Xiao Qiao suddenly felt that he  When she reached the height, she was a little scared. Fortunately, Liu Jing's arms protected her from both sides. After a while, she slowly adapted to the benefits of riding a camel. It was indeed much more comfortable than riding a horse. She quickly recovered  I found another kind of fun, that is, being able to see far away.  "Let's set off!" As the guard shouted, the team slowly set off, walking along the valley towards the white world in the north.  The snow has stopped, and the thick snow exceeds people¡¯s knees and reaches their thighs. Although the snow is thick, it has no hindrance to the long-legged camels.  The camel team walked as if they were strolling in a leisurely courtyard. Xiao Qiao nestled in Liu Jing's arms. In front of her eyes was the beautiful snow scene. Not far away, Gaonu County was covered in white clothes, the branches turned into bloated silver bars, and the mountains in the distance were like  Like a giant snake with a white back, it stretches farther into the gray mist.  At this moment, it seemed that the whole world was connected into one, and it was extremely spectacular. This was an extremely shocking scene for Xiao Qiao, who had lived in Jiangnan for a long time. She stared blankly at the beautiful scenery in front of her, and unknowingly, her whole heart melted.  Entering into the whiteness between heaven and earth.  Liu Jing lowered her head, kissed her petite ear, felt the coldness on her cheek, lovingly wrapped her tightly in her cloak, "Go back and have a good rest!" Xiao Qiao nestled in his arms, feeling in her heart  She felt great happiness and endless dependence on him, but she was also afraid that he would abandon her one day. She had always had inexplicable worries in her heart.  At this time, Liu Jing asked with a smile: "You haven't said the third thing yet, what is it?" "I almost forgot, but it's actually nothing. I just came to see you on behalf of your wives and see that you are outside the Great Wall.  Have you married a Hun princess or a Qiang princess? "What if I marry a Hun princess?" Liu Jing said with a smile.  "If you really marry a princess or something, then you don't need me to serve you. I'll go back in the evening." After saying that, she looked at Liu Jing with a smile, waiting for his answer.  Of course Liu Jing knew that this was just a joke. This was actually a deliberate arrangement by his wife Tao Zhan. He went off to war a few days after marrying Xiao Qiao as his concubine, so his wife asked her to take care of him in order to enhance their relationship. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but secretly  I am grateful to my wife for her attentiveness.  Liu Jing pinched her pretty face and said with a smile: "During the war, women are not allowed to stay in the military camp, so even if there are dozens of Hun princesses, they may not be able to get close to me. You can go back to pay for the mission. Just say that General Jing is as guarded as jade. No  Seduced by women." The concubine couldn't help but giggle when she heard what he said was interesting. "You mean, I can't stay in your camp?" "You can live in Gaonu County.  There is a beautiful house now. "I understand!" Xiao Qiao interrupted him with a smile: "Of course you don't need to stay in the military camp.  , right?¡± ¡°Then please ask Madam to check it out!¡± Xiao Qiao covered her mouth and chuckled, ¡°I will definitely check it, even the cellar.¡± Xiao Qiao went all the way north and welcomed Liu Jing again last night.  , she was really tired. Liu Jing knew that she was weak, so she urged the camels to go north quickly, and arrived at the camp at noon. Liu Jing asked the guards to go back to the camp first to tell Zhao Yun, and he went directly to the county seat. The guards had already made arrangements in the county seat.  A house.  This house was once the official residence of Wuhuan King Lu Xi. Although Lu Xi rarely lived in the official residence and lived in a tent most of the time, it did not prevent him from owning an exquisite Han Chinese house.  The house covers an area of ??about ten acres, with various exquisite and gorgeous buildings. The courtyard is filled with various trees and flowers. In spring and summer, flowers bloom, and the house becomes a sea of ??flowers.  Although it is already cold winter, the house in the heavy snow has a special charm. The house is well protected. You don¡¯t need to clean it up. You only need to add some daily necessities before you can move in.  " Xiao Qiao and the female soldiers who guarded her moved into the house. She was really tired. She tidied up a little and then took a nap. Liu Jing did not disturb her rest and immediately returned to the military camp.  The room was as warm as spring. Xiao Qiao was half leaning on the soft couch, looking at the burning fire pot, but she was thinking about something. The white and fat baby Bao Niang gave birth to was constantly appearing in her mind. How she longed to have it.  own children.  This time she spared no effort and went all the way north to find her husband. One of her big wishes was that she was eager to be pregnant with her own child this time.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 889 Return in triumph

    Ten days later, the blizzard that had been raging for many days completely subsided, and the Han army began to prepare to return home. Unlike the Xiongnu army who was trapped in the north by heavy snow, the Han army had the conditions to withdraw south. First of all, Luochuan Road was not greatly affected by the blizzard.  The Han army can completely withdraw from Guanzhong from Luochuan Road. Secondly, the Han army has sufficient food and labor and can calmly deal with the ice and snow disaster.  The main difficulty in retreating south lies in the section from Gaonu County to Qingshi Valley, which is about fifty miles long and covered by nearly three feet of heavy snow. Not only is it impossible for people to walk, but it is also extremely difficult for horses to move.  To this end, Liu Jing ordered 30,000 Xiongnu prisoners of war to open a road. It took 30,000 Xiongnu prisoners of war a full four days to open a road fifty miles long and one foot wide in the vast snowfield, allowing the Han army to reach the entrance of Luochuan Road.  Qingshiyu.  Early in the morning, Xiao Qiao, accompanied by two maids, went fishing in the ice cave in the backyard. They were also bored and looking for something to kill time. Xiao Qiao had already lived in Gaonu County for ten days.  But there were no residents at all in Gaonu County, and there were no shops. There were only garrison troops. She did not dare to go out. She stayed in the house all day, reading or embroidering. She spent every day in boredom. Liu Jing only came at dusk.  He rushed back to the military camp early in the morning and had no time to accompany her.  In the past two days, she finally found a way to pass the time, which was fishing. There was a pool of water in the backyard with hundreds of carp in it, but there was thick ice on the water, so you could dig an ice hole for fishing.  This is what Xiao Qiao accidentally discovered when she was skating on the pond. She fell while skating and lost interest. Fishing was very interesting. She could catch more than a dozen large carps every day and then put them back into the pond.  Just when Xiao Qiao was getting tired of fishing, Liu Jing actually came back in the morning. A maid ran across the corridor and said urgently: "Madam, Your Highness is here." Xiao Qiao was overjoyed, dropped the fishing rod and headed outside the house.  Welcoming and meeting Liu Jing in the courtyard, Xiao Qiao blushed a little and said, "Why did you come back in the daytime today?" She was thinking too much. These days, she and Liu Jing consummated their marriage every night, which was also the happiest period for her.  It was still morning, and he actually came back. Did he think again? Liu Jing didn't realize Xiao Qiao's delicate thoughts and said with a smile: "I'm here to tell you that I'm going to leave back to Guanzhong at noon. You guys pack up!"  Xiao Qiao suddenly panicked and complained repeatedly: "Why did you tell me now? How could I have time?" Liu Jing said apologetically: "I just decided just now that I came back specially to help you pack your things." "I'd better do it myself!  Fortunately, there are not many things. If you hurry up and pack them up, you might be able to make it in time. " Xiao Qiao quickly called the two maids to go back to the house. After taking a few steps, Xiao Qiao turned back and said with a smile, "See, I'm confused. The general is coming back now.  Are you going to have lunch at the military camp? " "We have to pack up at the military camp. I'll go back first. A soldier will come to help you load your luggage into the car later. I'll pick you up before leaving." Liu Jing smiled.  , turned around and left quickly. At this moment, Xiao Qiao suddenly felt a sense of loss in her heart. When she returned to Guanzhong, she would probably never have such a happy life again. At that time, the King of Han would no longer be her only husband.  Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh lowly.  Shortly after lunch, the team finally set off. Xiao Qiao was sitting in a carriage at the front of the team, surrounded by Liu Jing's guards. More than a dozen female guards followed on horseback. With a burst of earth-shattering drums, the team started.  Starting slowly, the 100,000 troops together with 30,000 prisoners of war stretched for more than 20 miles and marched toward Guanzhong. Liu Jing's 100,000 troops left Gaonu County and walked for about six or seven days before finally entering Feng Yi County in Guanzhong. The same was true of Guanzhong.  The world is covered with snow, but the snowfall is far less violent than in Gaonu County. The snow is only up to people's ankles. Farmers digging ditches in groups of twos and threes can be seen in the fields. They stopped what they were doing and looked at it in surprise.  Looking at the mighty army in the distance.  Liu Jing was riding on his horse, looking at the sentiments of the people on both sides of the official road. He had come to inspect Feng Yi County when he captured Guanzhong the year before. At that time, Guanzhong was dilapidated and desolate, with a sparse population. After nearly two years of development, Feng Yi County had undergone great changes.  Going south, you can see clustered villages and large tracts of farmland everywhere.  At this time, in a residential house in the distance, white smoke was rising, and several children could be faintly seen running towards the official road, while a few dogs ran in front. Although both sides were covered with snow, you could still see the snow underneath.  It's a square patch of farmland.  This made Liu Jing feel quite sad. Historically, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu established his capital in Luoyang. This was because Guanzhong was severely damaged by the Red Eyebrow Army and could no longer restore the grandeur of the Han Empire.  But after two hundred years of governance in the Eastern Han Dynasty, both Guanzhong and Chang'an should gradually recover from their ruin, and the destruction of the Red Eyebrow Army should become history. However, in the Western Jin Dynasty, Luoyang was still the capital, and Chang'an was not chosen. History books say it was because of Dong Zhuo  , Li JieThe destruction of Chang'an by the rebellion has not yet been restored.  But Liu Jing knew that this was not the real reason. The real reason was that the northern part of Guanlong had been occupied by the Xiongnu, Qiang Di and other nomadic peoples. Guanzhong was facing a serious threat. Chang'an had become a dangerous city. The Western Jin Dynasty was unable to expel the Xiongnu and was unwilling to use it.  The capital faced threats from nomads in the north and west, so it was settled in Luoyang until the Yongjia Rebellion, when the capital Luoyang was captured by the Huns and the entire north fell.  Now, after nearly two years of hard fighting, the Han army conquered the Qiang and Di people in Longxi and Hexi, and defeated the Wuhuan and Xiongnu who were entrenched in the north of Guanzhong. They destroyed the Wuhuan and drove the Xiongnu army back to the grassland. Guanzhong  The threat to Chang'an has been lifted, and there will no longer be any obstacles to establishing the capital in Chang'an.  "What are you thinking about, Your Highness?" Jia Xu urged his horse forward and walked alongside Liu Jing.  "Why don't the military advisors ride in a carriage?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.  "After entering Guanzhong, I no longer want to ride a carriage." Jia Xu looked at the scenery on both sides and smiled: "I saw a lot of farmland and houses in Chengdu before, and I was very yearning for the sparsely populated natural scenery. But today I went back to Guanzhong, but I feel  The weather in the world is so beautiful. This is the most beautiful scenery. "Liu Jing nodded, "I have the same feeling. After defeating the Huns, we can finally choose to make Chang'an our capital." "Yes!  Glory, I also believe that it will gradually bring the Han Dynasty back to the most powerful era of Emperor Wu." But Liu Jing smiled. He has not restored the Western Region Protectorate of the Han Dynasty, so how can he talk about the era of Emperor Wu?  At this time, a strong desire arose in Liu Jing's heart. His army must enter the Western Regions and re-establish the prosperity of the Han Dynasty and the Kushan Empire. This ancient empire was also at its most powerful era.  Will two civilizations collide in the Western Regions?  "Your Highness, ask the prefect for an audience!" Liu Jing's thoughts were interrupted by the guard's report. He and Jia Xu looked at each other, both of them were a little confused. Xiang Chong should be at Pujin Pass now. Why did he come here?  Liu Jing nodded and said, "Invite him to come." After a moment, Xiang Chong, the eunuch of Feng Yi County, hurried forward under the guidance of the soldiers, bowed and saluted, "I am here to see His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing also got off his horse and said to the guard  : "Pass my order, the army rests where it is for half an hour!" At this time, the guards opened a clear area beside the official road and spread it with a carpet. Liu Jing sat down to rest, and asked Jia Xu and Xiang Chong to sit down as well.  After resting, Liu Jing asked: "Did Xiang Shijun come all the way from Pujinguan?"  It's such a coincidence that His Highness has returned." Liu Jing also asked quickly: "I am also wondering about the situation in Bingzhou. I might as well tell you first." There needs to be a few more words here. According to Liu Jing and Zhang Tai.  According to the division of power, the prefects, magistrates and captains of each county were appointed by the King of Han. The power of appointment and removal was in the hands of the King of Han. Major situations were reported directly to the King of Han.  In normal times, local government affairs are reported to Pingzhangtai. As for all county officials and county officials except the prefect, county magistrate and captain, they are appointed and dismissed by Pingzhangtai.  Therefore, as the prefect of Feng Yi County, Xiang Chong should report Bingzhou intelligence directly to Liu Jing, rather than to Pingzhangtai. This is a subtle division of power.  However, because the Han army was fighting against the Xiongnu, Liu Jing implemented a wartime division of power. Pingzhangtai had the right to directly govern the counties on behalf of the Han king. Xiang Chong rushed to Chang'an to report the situation to Pingzhangtai. This was exactly the wartime division of power.  Performance.  Therefore, after Liu Jing returned to Chang'an, the first thing to do was to declare the end of the wartime state, restore normalcy, and take over the power of the King of Han again.  Xiang Chong slowly reported: "According to the news obtained by Wei Chen, Cao Cao immediately launched a war against the Huns in Bingzhou after Liu Bao led his army to cross the Yellow River. Because the main force of the Huns was no longer in Bingzhou, his campaign went very smoothly.  In less than ten days, Liu Luo's army was completely wiped out in Yanmen County, and more than 200,000 women, children, old and weak were captured. A huge harvest of various materials was obtained. It is said that the number of cattle and sheep captured alone amounted to millions. " Jia Xu also endured.  He couldn't help but sigh: "Liu Bao has been managing Bingzhou for more than 20 years, and he has naturally accumulated countless wealth. If Cao's army breaks through his lair, there will naturally be rich loot. We have wiped out Liu Bao's main force, but we have taken advantage of Cao Cao in vain."  Liu Jing also had some regrets in his heart, but he had no choice but to do so. According to the original agreement between him and Cao Cao, after the war, the territories would be divided and everyone would get what he got. That is to say, any harvest in Bingzhou would belong to Cao Cao, while any harvest in the pass would belong to Liu.  Jing.  At this time, Fazheng next to him said: "But the prisoners of war in Bingzhou are in our hands." This sentence immediately reminded Liu Jing that the Huns in Bingzhou still had 15,000 prisoners of war in their hands. Cao Cao captured the Huns women and children.  These women and children will inevitably be resettled and become people of Bingzhou, then the Huns of Bingzhou will?How could he not want prisoners of war?  Thinking of this, Liu Jing smiled and said: "We are not in a hurry. We will wait until Cao Cao comes to the door." Jia Xu also nodded, and then smiled: "But we also have rich loot, and in Juyanhai, there is still a piece that has not yet arrived.  We have to hurry up and don¡¯t let the Qiang people take the lead.¡± The fat meat in Juyanhai that Jia Xu refers to is Liu Qubei¡¯s more than 300,000 subordinates. They moved from Hetao to Juyanhai in preparation.  After capturing the Hexi Corridor, Liu Qubei's army has now been completely wiped out. If the troops are not dispatched in time, the more than 300,000 subordinates will either be plundered by the Qiang people, or they will retreat north to the Yinshan Mountains. In either case, it will be a heavy loss for the Han army.  .  Fortunately, the road is now blocked by heavy snow, making it difficult for the Qiang people to go north to Juyanhai, and it is difficult for the Huns to retreat north to the Yinshan Mountains. They still have a chance. Thinking of this, Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Quickly order Pound to come to see me!" The Han army defeated the Huns.  The news reached Guanzhong more than half a month ago, and the whole Guanzhong was excited. From the city to the countryside, people singing and dancing to celebrate the victory could be seen everywhere. The official roads were full of oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages returning home from various refuges. Everyone was excited.  Extremely, this means that they will no longer be robbed and killed by Hu Qi in their lifetime.  Although there is still more than a month before Valentine's Day, many people can't help but slaughter the pigs and sheep prepared for Valentine's Day in advance, drink wine and celebrate the happiest day in decades.  Ten days later, the news of the destruction of the Xiongnu finally reached Bashu. Although this was expected by many senior officials of the Han Dynasty, the great joy brought by the news still made all the officials extremely excited. They immediately spread the news to Bashu.  and Jingzhou, from the Yunnan County in the west to the Lujiang County in the east, there was joy. The soldiers could not help but throw their helmets high into the sky and cheered heartily, "Long live! Long live His Highness the King of Han!" The cheers spread throughout the countryside.  , Liu Jing led the army to Chang'an. He immediately ordered 50,000 troops to march into Chang'an, held a grand entry ceremony, and ordered the opening of granaries to release grain to help the poor. At the same time, he spread the message to all counties in the Central Plains to offer amnesty to the world.  News of the Han army's entry into the city spread like wildfire, and the whole of Chang'an was boiling. Two hundred thousand Chang'an people rushed to the streets, beating gongs, drums and iron pots, singing and dancing to celebrate the triumph of the heroes and welcome the army that defeated the Huns into the city.  In Chang'an City, 200,000 people lined the road to welcome the Han army into the city, stretching for more than ten miles. Perhaps their fathers, husbands and sons were among the queue, but it was no longer important at this time. They were welcoming a victorious army.  An army brings them peace and happiness. They need a way to express their joy and excitement. The entry of the army into the city is undoubtedly the best ceremony.  "Long live! Long live the Han army! Long live His Highness the King of Han!" Cheers resounded throughout the city.  The crowd supported the old and young, women held their children, girls wore colorful long skirts, and groups of children ran with the cavalry. Many cavalry carried the children onto their horses, which attracted fierce applause.  Li Jing rode in the middle of the team, looking at the enthusiastic and excited faces and the eyes filled with tears. He was also sincerely moved. He knew that this was the people's expectation for peace and their desire for peace.  Looking forward to the revival of the Han Dynasty.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 890 Meet Da Qiao again

    After the city entry ceremony, the Han army withdrew from Chang'an from the west city and returned to the military camp. Although the crowd in Chang'an dispersed, the passion remained. All the restaurants in Chang'an, large and small, were full. People drank and partyed to express their unfinished entertainment.  Liu Jing also returned to his mansion after entering the city. Because Xiao Qiao felt a little sick, he went back to his mansion to rest last night. Liu Jing's current mansion is still a temporary residence. It is not big and the conditions are not as good as those in Chengdu.  Slightly crude.  After the Han Dynasty officially moved the capital to Chang'an, the Han Palace will be moved to Dajia Palace in the North City. It was originally the Western Capital Palace built by Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu. Emperors of all dynasties would allocate money and food for repairs and maintenance. Although it was eventually destroyed by Li Ji's army, it was still there.  Some of them are well preserved. In the past few years, Liu Jing went north to Longxi and Cao Cao was stationed in Chang'an. Zhong Yao, the captain of the Sili School, renovated the Dajia Palace and became Cao Cao's temporary residence in Chang'an.  In the back hall of the mansion, Tao Zhan was chatting with his stepmother Su. After Tao Zhan's biological mother died in Chaisang, his father Tao Sheng married the widowed sister of Su Fei, a prominent family in Wuchang, as his second wife two years later. Although Tao Zhan did not object to his father  The marriage continued, but she was not happy in her heart. His father had many concubines around him, so why did he have to marry another wife?  Tao Zhan's resentment manifested in his indifference towards his stepmother. One year after his father Tao Sheng got married, Tao Zhan still refused to see his stepmother until Su gave birth to a son for Tao Sheng, named Tao Lin. Tao Zhan saw that  In the face of his younger brother, he reluctantly reconciled with his stepmother Su, but they still rarely met each other.  As Tao Zhan grew older and matured, the relationship between her and her stepmother gradually became harmonious, and they could see each other from time to time. Especially as the new mistress of the Tao family, Su had strict control over the Tao family.  A year ago, several servants of the Tao family were drinking in a Chengdu restaurant. They made rude remarks, injured the shopkeeper, and set fire to the restaurant. The Su family showed no mercy and handed the offending servants to the government for questioning and compensated for the losses to the restaurant. This matter won her a win.  Tao Zhan's good impression of Su made her officially accept this stepmother. Today, Tao Zhan invited Su here because he had something to discuss with her. The reason was Qiao Xuan's house. Qiao Xuan's house was a rented private house, but  Recently, the owner of the house sold this private house to the Zhang family of Taiyuan. The Zhang family wanted to rebuild the house, so Qiao Xuan had to move out.  In fact, this incident was not accidental. The Han army's victory over the Xiongnu meant that it was a foregone conclusion that the Han Dynasty would move its capital to Chang'an. The land price in Chang'an immediately skyrocketed. It used to be one tael of gold per mu of land the year before, but it has now reached 20 taels of gold per mu of land. It is still one tael of gold per mu.  Land is hard to find.  A large number of wealthy families from Jingzhou, Bashu and even the Central Plains came to Chang'an to buy land and houses. In order to make a fortune, some small and medium-sized families sold their houses in Chang'an at high prices and went to nearby counties to buy houses at low prices, earning a huge price difference.  , under this background, the house where Qiao Xuan lived was sold to the Zhang family of Taiyuan at a high price.  The biggest beneficiary from this was the Tao family. Tao Sheng had a keen business acumen. When the Han army was preparing to march north to Longxi, he realized that Chang'an would become Liu Jing's final capital in the future.  At that time, people in Chang'an were panicked, and many people were selling their properties at low prices. Tao Sheng took the opportunity to buy a large amount of land at a low price. Although Tao Sheng later donated half of the land he bought to the Jingzhao government for free as land for official residences, the Tao family  He still owns thousands of acres of land in Chang'an City and has made a lot of money.  Tao Zhan came to discuss with the Su family, just to buy two good houses from the Tao family, one for Bao Niang's uncle, who was Bao Niang's only relative, as a reward for Bao Niang giving birth to a son, and the other for Bao Niang's uncle.  It was given to Qiao Xuan as the residence of the Qiao family.  Su smiled and said: "Isn't it easy for the princess to want two mansions? I'll just ask the master to arrange it. But they are all my own family members. Why should I use the word "buy" to alienate family ties?" Tao Zhan shook his head.  "Brothers have to settle accounts openly! What's more, I am buying a house from the Tao family in the name of the Liu family's mistress. Originally, I didn't want to trouble the Tao family, but the two houses I fancy belong to the Tao family, so I  Please come here to discuss it, Madam. Besides, with the assets of the Liu family, it is not difficult to buy two mansions. Madam, there is no need to be polite to me." Mrs. Su knew Tao Zhan's temper, so she could only smile bitterly and said, "I don't know if the princess likes it.  "Those two mansions?" "One is the famous Guhuai Mansion on Zhengyang Street in the south of the city, covering an area of ??about ten acres, and the other is located in Longwang Lane in the west of the city, covering an area of ??about eight acres. There are two mansions.  Linhe is currently vacant. According to the market price, the Linhe mansion is thirty taels of gold per acre. I will pay the full amount. I just hope that the ownership will be transferred as soon as possible." Su had no choice but to nod and agree, but she had some concerns in her heart.  You can also buy furniture and decorate the house. In short, the money for the house must not be entered into the Tao family's account. Even if Tao Zhan is ignored, he must give face to the King of Han.  "Okay! When the master comes back from Chengdu, the transfer will be done immediately, and it will be completed in ten days at the latest." In fact, the land deed is in Su's hands, and she can transfer it at any time, but she needs ten days to modify the house.  Tao Zhan nodded, "Then it's settled."   At this moment, a maid hurried to the hall and shouted: "Madam, the prince has returned to the house!" Tao Zhan was overjoyed and immediately stood up and said: "His Royal Highness the King of Han has returned to the house, I have to go and greet him.  "Sorry, I won't disturb your family reunion. I'll take my leave first." Mrs. Su left from the side door, and Tao Zhan walked quickly to the outer house. He happened to meet Liu Jing entering the house, and several people were already there.  Yue didn't see her husband, Tao Zhan felt hot in his heart, and greeted him, "My husband is back!" When Liu Jing returned home, her tense mind that had been tense for several months suddenly relaxed, and there was an indescribable fatigue all over her body, but he  Seeing his wife, he felt a sense of family affection after a long absence. He stepped forward and hugged Tao Zhan tightly in his arms. The large group of maids behind him were stunned. They had never seen the prince being so intimate with the princess, and everyone fell silent.  .  Tao Zhan's face blushed slightly. She felt her husband's deep affection for her, and she was very moved in her heart. However, in front of so many maids and maids, she felt a little embarrassed and whispered: "Husband, everyone is here  "Looking at us!" Liu Jing laughed, let go of his wife, and saw Sun Shangxiang again. She was standing aside, looking at him with a half-smile. Liu Jing stretched out his arm to her, and Sun Shangxiang slowly stepped forward.  Although she was a little embarrassed, she still allowed Liu Jing to hug her tightly in his arms.  "Okay, okay, you should go and hug your son. We old arms and legs don't need to be so attentive." Liu Jing heard what she said was interesting and couldn't help laughing, and everyone immediately became lively again.  "Daddy!" The eldest daughter Liu Zhu rushed over. She was six years old and still looked so round and cute.  Liu Jing liked her the most. He picked her up, kissed her hard on the cheek, and smiled lovingly: "My little pig has grown into a big pig." "Dad, go and see your little brother.  Come on! He looks similar to Zhu Er," Liu Zhu whispered in Liu Jing's ear.  "Of course daddy has to go and see him." At this time, the eldest son Liu Zhi stepped forward and knelt down to salute his father, "My son pays homage to his father!" Liu Jing quickly pulled him up and said with a smile: "There is no need to kneel down here, get up quickly!"  Liu Zhi is Liu Jing's eldest son and the heir apparent whom Liu Jing has already established. He will inherit his father's career in the future and will also shoulder the important task of making the Han Dynasty regain its strength.  Therefore, Liu Jing had extremely strict requirements on him. Tao Zhan even changed his job as Liu Zhi's master without consulting him in advance, which almost caused the couple to turn against each other.  But it is precisely this kind of harsh requirement that makes the father-son relationship between Liu Jing and his eldest son a little weak, at least not as close as Liu Zhu and his father.  At this time, two-year-old Liu Long and Liu Chan were also carried by the wet nurse to greet their father. Liu Jing made love to them one by one, and then they were welcomed into the back hall by their family members like stars holding the moon.  In the back hall, the family gathered together. Xiao Qiao also forced herself to go to the back hall to welcome Liu Jing home. At this time, Liu Jing finally saw Da Qiao. She was sitting at the back. She was wearing a simple dress, no makeup, and her body and hair were all beautiful.  There is not a single piece of jewelry on it.  She just sat there quietly, with a faint smile on her face. The years did not leave any traces of vicissitudes on her face, but added a mature and calm charm. Even the eyes between her and Liu Jing  When they touched each other, her eyes were still calm, as quiet as a deep pool.  Liu Jing sighed secretly in her heart. The passion between him and Da Qiao was just a coincidence. I'm afraid it will be difficult to revisit the old dream in the future.  The eyes of Liu Jing and Da Qiao met, but for just a moment, Liu Jing looked away. It was difficult for people around him to see any clues. In fact, in the entire mansion, except Xiao Qiao, who was slightly suspicious of their relationship, everyone else  They were all at a loss.  Tao Zhan said with a smile: "Da Qiao arrived in September, and it has been almost two months. We are getting along very well. It's just that she wants to move back to Qiao's house. No matter how hard I and Shang Xiang persuade her, it's useless. My husband also helps me."  Let's persuade her." Liu Jing nodded slightly to Da Qiao and asked with a smile, "Aren't you used to living in my house?" Da Qiao smiled lightly, "No! The princess is very good to me, and I am as close as my family.  I'm so grateful." "Then why do you want to move away? In fact, if you live together with everyone, you can take care of each other. There are so many lovely children, so you won't feel lonely. Madam, please stay!"  With a trace of expectation, he stared at Da Qiao.  Da Qiao lowered her long eyelashes. After a long time, she shook her head slightly and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. It's just that my father is old and needs someone to take care of him. It would be better for me to move to my father's side. I will come over when I have time." Liu  Jing couldn't force her, so she could only sigh in her heart, "In that case, let's not force Madam." At this time, Bao Niang came out holding her one-month-old son, and everyone's attention was immediately attracted by this.The white, fat and cute little guy moved, and the back hall suddenly became lively. Da Qiao quietly got up and left the back hall. Her things had been packed, just to take a look at Liu Jing. Now that her wish had been fulfilled, she could  left.  Only Liu Jing noticed her getting up. He stared at her back from the corner of his eye. When he saw her leaving without looking back, his heart was suddenly stung.  "Master, this is your child." Bao Niang handed her son to Liu Jing. She was very excited. His dream wish finally came true. She had her own son. She looked forward to her husband loving her daughter as much as he loved her.  This son.  Liu Jing suppressed her heartache, pulled her thoughts back, took over her son, and looked at the cute, round face in the baby's body. His sadness caused by Da Qiao's departure was temporarily forgotten. Liu Jing smiled and said  "This is another little bun, I like it!" Everyone laughed, and the little bun girl blushed and whispered: "The eldest sister named him Polu because he was born when the Han army defeated the Xiongnu. Now  She doesn¡¯t have an official name yet.¡± Liu Jing nodded to his wife Tao Zhan and said, ¡°This princess¡¯ nickname is very good. Long¡¯er was born when I regained Longxi, and Polu was born when I restored Yongzhou, so the official name is.  His name is Liu Yong.¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 891 House Troubles

    At night, Liu Jing stayed in the room of his wife Tao Zhan, whom he had not seen for several months. The couple was as tender as water and extremely loving. Although Liu Jing was physically exhausted from the long journey, she was very excited mentally and could not fall asleep no matter what.  Tao Zhan snuggled into her husband's arms, her cheeks slightly red, her eyes lightly closed, savoring the lingering ecstasy. Although she was a little tired, seeing that her husband couldn't sleep, she still cheered up and talked to her husband.  She smiled and asked: "I feel like you were a little tired during the day. Why are you feeling better now?" "I don't know, I feel very tired. I seem to fall asleep when I close my eyes, but I just can't fall asleep." "Then let me squeeze your shoulders for you.  , relax!" Tao Zhan sat up, put on his underwear, gently rubbed his husband's shoulders, and laughed softly: "I made a deal with the Tao family today and bought two of the Tao family's houses.  "A house." "Does our family still need a house? Do you want Zhi'er to move out?" Liu Jing joked.  "Look at what you said. Zhi'er is only nine years old. Can he move out? I'm buying a house for Uncle Bao Niang. Their family came from Xiangyang to seek refuge. They have no place to live. Niang Bao gave birth to a son for you.  "She should be rewarded." "I think I know Bao Niang's uncle." "Of course you know him. He was the groom in your uncle's house. His foster father was Uncle Meng who took care of you back then. When Uncle Meng passed away, he was the one who paid the funeral.  "Liu Jing thought of Uncle Meng back then and couldn't help but sigh. More than ten years have passed. Tao Zhan said again: "Bao Niang's uncle lives in Longwang Lane. They have five children and Bao Niang.  My grandmother lived in a small courtyard, which was very cramped. She couldn¡¯t afford a house in Chang¡¯an. I asked someone to inquire and found out that there happened to be an empty house in Longwang Alley, covering an area of ??eight acres. It belonged to the Tao family.  I bought the property." Liu Jing remembered something and asked curiously: "I heard that the land prices in Chang'an have skyrocketed, and the Tao family has made a fortune. Is it true?" "Maybe! Hey, the Tao family always changes.  Don¡¯t let go of this desire for profit.¡± Tao Zhan was helpless about his father¡¯s speculation and making money.  Liu Jing patted her hand and said with a smile: "You don't have to care too much. It's a pity that I didn't think of it at the time. Otherwise, I would have bought a large piece of land and made ten times the profit if it were sold. This kind of money is very satisfying." "If you  If you buy the land, I will give it all to the homeless poor, causing you to lose your money." Tao Zhan pinched his shoulder twice and said in anger.  Liu Jing laughed loudly, "Fortunately I didn't think of it, otherwise I would have really lost my money." Tao Zhan sighed, and then said: "The Tao family doesn't want money, and I won't. In short, I don't want to owe the Tao family any favors." "  The Tao family actually did quite well. They bought a large area of ??land and donated half of it to the government, solving the troublesome problem of official residences. All the officials are praising him! " "That's because my eldest brother is the governor of Chang'an.  He is so generous, otherwise he would not be willing to bleed like this." Liu Jing smiled and did not delve into the issue further. He knew that his wife had very strict requirements on the Tao family. The Tao family was only willing to donate half of the land, which might not satisfy Liu.  Jing asked again: "You just said you bought two mansions. One is for Uncle Bao Niang, what about the other one?" "The other one is for Mr. Qiao. The mansion he lives in now was bought by the owner to Taiyuan.  The Zhang family has to move away, so I simply bought him a house so that Mr. Qiao and Da Qiao could have a place to live. " Liu Jing didn't speak for a while. Tao Zhan felt a little strange when he saw that her husband was silent.  Asked: "Husband, aren't you willing?" "No!" Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "Where are these two houses bought? I want to go and see them in person tomorrow." Liu Jing planned to have a good rest after returning to Chang'an  For two days, he spent time with his wife and children, and then started to deal with official duties and other chores. Early the next morning, he changed into casual clothes and took a carriage to Zhengyang Street. In fact, he only cared about Da Qiao's residence. Since Da Qiao refused to live there,  In his mansion, he hoped that Da Qiao could live as well as possible.  The carriage stopped in front of the Guhuai Mansion on Zhengyang Street. This is a quite famous mansion. It is famous because there are three thousand-year-old locust trees in the back garden of the house. Cao Zhi lived in this mansion when he was in Chang'an.  The only shortcoming of this house is that it is a little small, covering an area of ??only ten acres. It is not suitable for a large family to live in, but for officials with their wives and concubines. Not long ago, a rich man from Bashu took a fancy to this house and offered 800 taels.  Gold, but Tao Sheng did not agree. This mansion is very tasteful and not just anyone can move in.  Now, Tao Zhan has bought it and will use it as Qiao Mansion for Qiao Xuan and Da Qiao to live in.  The door of the mansion was not closed, and Liu Jing did not notify him. He walked directly in with a few guards. He saw many craftsmen busy in the mansion, decorating the houses, installing rockery pavilions, building corridors, and planting trees.?Flowers and grass.  Liu Jing nodded. It seemed that the Tao family was not confused and did not just hand over the keys. At this time, someone behind him shouted: "Make way in front, be careful not to bump into it." When Liu Jing turned around, he saw dozens of people.  A man who looked like a servant was carrying furniture, screens, etc. came in. Liu Jing quickly stepped aside. He carefully looked at a cabinet and found that it was actually fine yellow pear wood. This is a precious palace material. This made Liu Jing a little surprised. Even though  The Tao family intended to please Tao Zhan, but that was not the case. After all, this was not their family's residence.  At this time, a person came from behind, and Liu Jing recognized him at a glance. It was Tao Zhan's second uncle Tao Li. Tao Li also saw Liu Jing in plain clothes, and was really startled. He hurriedly stepped forward to salute.  "Why are you here, Your Highness?" "I came to see this house." Liu Jing pointed at the craftsmen in the house and asked with a smile, "Are these arranged by my second uncle?" Tao Li nodded, "Brother has not been to Chengdu yet.  After returning home, my sister-in-law found me and said that Zhan'er had bought two houses and asked me to arrange for manpower to clean them up. I came here early in the morning. "At this time, several more guys carrying furniture came from behind. The road was a bit narrow.  Tao Li said: "Your Highness, let's talk in another place!" Liu Jing nodded, and Tao Li came to the central hall. There were several couches on both sides of the central hall, and in the middle was a screen. Liu Jing walked to the screen to take a closer look.  , still carved from yellow pear wood, with exquisite workmanship and lifelike characters.  Liu Jing pointed at the screen and smiled: "This screen alone is worth two acres of land. It's rare! The Tao family is actually doing a loss-making business?" Tao Li smiled bitterly: "This is what my sister-in-law meant. Your Highness should understand the Tao family's painstaking efforts."  "I understand the Tao family's hard work, but if this house is occupied by some housekeeper, the Tao family will suffer a big loss. My second uncle also knows that it is very troublesome for the princess to become soft-hearted," Liu Jing said jokingly.  .  "Your Highness, you underestimate me. No matter how rich the Tao family is, they won't spend so much money. A set of yellow pear wood furniture is much more expensive than this house. How could I just take it out? The Dragon King's house is very expensive.  Ordinary furniture, this is the only house I dare to spend money on." "Why?" Liu Jing looked at him and asked.  Tao Li was in a dilemma, and after a while he hesitated and said, "Because I know this is Mr. Qiao's residence." "Nonsense!" Liu Jing's face sank, "Second uncle, do you also want to lie to me?" Tao Li had no choice but to grow up.  He bowed and said, "If I tell you, please don't blame me, Your Highness." "Second uncle, we are old friends, how could I blame you." Tao Li was forced by Liu Jing to use both soft and hard tactics, so he had no choice but to tell the truth.  , "Because I know that this house will be Da Qiao's residence." "So what if it is Da Qiao's residence?" Liu Jing looked at him with a half-smile.  "Your Highness, it's okay for you and I to know some things in our hearts. Why do you have to tell me?" Liu Jing didn't say anything. He looked at the roof with his hands behind his hands for a long time before he asked lightly: "How do you know?" "Your Highness, Jiang Dong Xie  The Xie family has been doing business with the Tao family. About a month ago, Xie Yin, the second head of the Xie family, came to Xiangyang to buy medicinal materials. I happened to be in Xiangyang. After drinking, he revealed a secret to me, saying that Mrs.  Internal rumors came out that after Da Qiao fled to Chang'an, Marquis Wu was furious, scolding His Highness that it was not enough to win Xiao Qiao, and he wanted to fight with him for Da Qiao. " "Stop talking!" Liu Jing interrupted him and said coldly: "This  This kind of thing is pure nonsense and must not be spread out casually." Tao Li was so scared that he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Don't worry, Your Highness, I know the rules. I won't even tell my elder brother about this." Liu Jing thought of this.  It was Tao Li, not an outsider. His expression immediately softened and he smiled and said, "Then this house will trouble my second uncle." After saying that, Liu Jing cupped his hands, turned around and walked away. Tao Li watched him go away.  , couldn't help but sigh, if Liu Jing didn't care about Da Qiao, why would he come to inspect the house in person?  Tao Li was a little worried. Although His Highness the King of Han did not allow him to reveal this secret to anyone, should he tell Tao Zhan?  Tao Li has always had a deep relationship with his niece Tao Zhan. When he was captured by Zhang Yun and was in danger, it was Tao Zhan who asked Liu Jing for help to rescue him.  Once Da Qiao becomes the wife of Han King Liu Jing, it will have an impact on Tao Zhan. However, this idea only flashed through Tao Li's mind. Since Liu Jing has warned him, if he tells it, the consequences will be very serious.  Seriously, let¡¯s talk about it later!  At this time, a butler directed four servants to carry a screen. Tao Li immediately asked: "Where will this screen be placed?" The butler bowed and said: "Master, this is going to be placed in the back house.  screen."  Tao Li waved his hand repeatedly, "Replace this screen with the white jade screen in the inner warehouse." The housekeeper was startled, "That's it, sir." Tao Li glared at him fiercely, "Master.  I will explain over there, you go and bring it to me." Tao Li handed him the inner treasure jade plaque, "Go quickly!" The housekeeper was so frightened that he ran away in a panic. As he ran, he secretly exclaimed, "This mansion."  Who lives there?  The second master actually gave away the white jade screen, one of the treasures of the Tao family.

 Volume 2 Jiang Xia Chapter 892 A tacit understanding

    Liu Jing came out of Guhuai Mansion and went to Longwang Lane. After casually looking at the house, she went to Chang'an East Market not far away. Han Chang'an is not Tang Chang'an. There are no large-scale East Market and West Market.  , for a long period of time, Chang'an's business was in decline and its trade was bleak.  It was not until the Han army occupied Guanzhong and deliberately developed trade that Chang'an's commerce gradually began to recover. The first ones to come were the Sogdian Hu merchants. These Hu merchants traveled thousands of miles from the Silk Road. They only rested in Chang'an and then continued.  Head east to Luoyang to trade.  But they also have a keen sense of business. When the Han Dynasty specifically reduced the commercial tax in Chang'an from 20 taxes per 1 to 30 taxes per 1 in order to support Chang'an's commerce, these Hu merchants no longer went to Luoyang and traded in Chang'an instead.  A wealthy Hu businessman even bought a large shop in Dongshi and opened a jewelry store and a Hu residence.  Led by Hu Shang, Chang'an's commerce gradually prospered, and the East Market gradually developed from a dozen shops to hundreds of shops, selling various commodities from grain to livestock, from jewelry to ironware.  In the streets of the East Market, there are bustling people everywhere, ox carts loaded with goods, carriages of wealthy businessmen, elephants from the south carrying goods in front of the Cao River, and huge camel teams from the Western Regions.  It was noon at this time, and there was a huge flow of people in Dongshi. There were Qiang people wearing hooded hats and wide fur coats; Kushan people with dark skin, high noses and wide faces; people with pigtails and flowered belts around their waists.  The Wusun people; the Sogdians who wear wide-brimmed pointed hats and have shrewd faces; of course, the most numerous are the Han people who come from the north and south of the Yangtze River and speak with various accents.  When Liu Jing arrived, he happened to encounter a well-behaved Sogdian caravan. There were more than a thousand camels alone. This was a huge team composed of dozens of merchants. The merchants were also riding on camels.  Behind them, each followed dozens of camels loaded with goods.  The arrival of this caravan made the East Market even more lively. Many merchants ran out of their shops and reached out to bargain with the Sogdian merchants on the camels. As long as the price was agreed upon, the Sogdian merchants would naturally deliver the goods the next day.  Come, now their goal is the Hu people's residence, which is the Hu people's hotel. Let's have a good rest and have a big meal first, and then do business tomorrow.  Liu Jing was quite curious all the way. He walked into a Hu jewelry store. The Sogdian shop owner came up to him, bowed his hands and said in fluent Chinese: "May the light bless you!" Liu Jing thought for a while and smiled.  : "I want to buy a gold hairpin." "Guests, please sit inside." Sogdian people pay attention to privacy when doing business. When guests arrive, they will be led to a single room, and there will be no other people around. This not only protects the privacy of the guests, but also provides  In order to respect the dignity of the guests, even if they don¡¯t buy anything, they will be sent out politely after the milk tea is served, without any discrimination.  Liu Jing is a single man, and the person who received him was a young lady Hu who was about 17 or 18 years old. Although she was not very beautiful, her big eyes were very energetic, flickering, as if she could talk.  Madam Hu could also speak Chinese. Although she was not fluent, she could barely communicate. She asked Liu Jing to sit down and served her sweet milk tea. Then she took out a gold-painted ivory box and opened it in front of Liu Jing, "Young Master wants to buy it."  There are thirty kinds of gold hairpins here. Young Master can choose one. "Liu Jing was dazzled by the various bright gold hairpins in the box. He was dazzled by it. Madam Hu was considerate and smiled.  "I wonder if the young master is buying it for his wife or his lover?" Liu Jing couldn't help laughing, "Why not buy it for my sister, my mother, or my daughter? It must be my wife or lover?" Mrs. Hu blushed.  , speechless for a long time, looking at Liu Jing pitifully with a pair of big eyes, Liu Jing smiled and asked: "What's the difference between buying for my wife and buying for my lover?" Mrs. Hu was relieved and said with a smile: "My wife  If you are practical, you should buy a gold and thick hairpin. If you are a lover, you should buy a hairpin with unique jewelry. "That's right. I want to buy a hairpin set with sapphires." Madam Hu looked for it.  Liu Jing didn't like any of the five hairpins inlaid with sapphires. She either thought the gems were too small or the styles were too fancy. At this time, Hu Niang thought about it and said with a smile: "Sir, please wait a moment!" She took the box away and went in.  After entering the back room, the shopkeeper came out with her not long after. The shopkeeper had a long ivory box in his hand. He sat down and pushed the ivory box to Liu Jing with a smile, "Master, please take a look at this. I believe you will be satisfied."  Madam Hu added: "This is a one-for-one sale. It is the best sapphire hairpin in the store." Liu Jing slowly opened it, and her eyes suddenly lit up. This was a jade hairpin. The dark green chalcedony was as delicate as fat, and it was long.  About three inches in length, the shape is simple and smooth. On the tail of the hosta, there is a grape-sized sapphire, which is oval and perfectly inlaid on the hosta.  Liu Jing couldn¡¯t put it down, the shop owner saidLiu Jing liked Liu Jing and said with a smile: "Young Master is very discerning." Liu Jing nodded, "That's it, I want this hosta." After coming out of Dongshi, the carriage turned around and returned to Hanwang's Mansion, which is located in  On Changyang Street in the south of the city, when the carriage reached the intersection, Liu Jing stopped the carriage. He stared at a mansion next to the street. For a moment, he opened the door and walked up the steps.  A guard realized that the King of Han was going to visit this family. The guard hurriedly ran up the steps and patted the door knocker. After a moment, an old man opened the door, wearing a plain scarf, wearing loose linen clothes, and holding a bamboo broom in his hand.  This person was none other than Qiao Xuan. When he saw Liu Jing, he couldn't help but was stunned for a moment. He quickly put down his broom and greeted him, "I didn't know that His Highness was coming. I didn't expect you to greet him from afar. I apologize!" Liu Jing smiled and said, "I was passing by.  I came here to see Duke Qiao." "Your Highness, please come in!" Liu Jing walked into the gate and felt pretty good. There were many trees in this mansion, and they were thick and tall. They should be full of green trees in spring and summer.  Yin, although it is winter now, you can still feel the strong vitality.  However, the house is a bit old, and there are not many servants. There are only a dozen people at most. The house seems empty. It can be seen that Qiao Xuan was sweeping the floor in the courtyard just now, so he came to open the door in person.  "Does Mr. Qiao still want to sweep the floor by himself?" Liu Jing asked with a smile while looking at a pile of fallen leaves.  "Hey! This is just a kind of exercise. As people get older, they are more likely to get sick if they sit for a long time." Qiao Xuan only had two daughters when he was forty years old. He is now over seventy and not in good health.  He looks very old, much older than when he was a matchmaker for Sun Shangxiang.  Liu Jing nodded and followed him to the central hall and sat down. He looked around the hall. It was empty, with only two tables. The paint on the tables had also fallen off. They looked very old, but they were still strong, but they were different from Qiao Xuan.  Compared with his status, it still seems very shabby.  Qiao Xuan seemed to understand Liu Jing's thoughts, and explained with a smile: "I am used to a simple life, and the furniture is much better than that in Jiangdong. I have no worries about food and clothing. I am very satisfied." "Mr. Qiao has passed.  We are moving in a few days. The house has been prepared and is not bad. It is being repaired and will be moved there in a few days. " "I already know. Thank you Your Highness and Princess for taking the trouble. It doesn't have to be too troublesome. The Zhang family sent it yesterday.  People came and told me that they would not come to live in Chang'an for the next two years, so I could live there with peace of mind. If they had told me a day earlier, they would not have bothered the princess." Liu Jing smiled, "After all, it is someone else's house.  "Move over!" At this time, footsteps came from the back hall. The footsteps hesitated for a moment, but they still walked out. It was Da Qiao. She had moved to Qiao's house yesterday. She was wearing a red dress.  She wears a fine linen skirt, her black hair is tied up high, and a silver hairpin is inserted at an angle. She is bare-faced and has no makeup. Her skin is smooth and delicate, as white as fat, which makes her even more natural in beauty and has a noble and elegant temperament.  She bowed to Liu Jing and said with a faint smile: "Your Highness, why don't you take a good rest at home?" "I'm bored at home, so come out for a walk." Da Qiao sat down opposite Liu Jing, the shallow smile on his face was still very peaceful, and his tone was  She is also very soft, as if she is speaking eloquently. Talking to her makes people feel an indescribable tranquility and tranquility, but also an invisible distance.  "After several months of separation, your family is so looking forward to your return. There are so many things to say to you. How much the children are eager to get their father's love. There are still many months of official duties that have accumulated. Perhaps many hungry people are still suffering.  How can His Highness be so bored just waiting for His Highness to sign for relief?" Although her tone was gentle, she blamed Liu Jing for not caring about family or official duties. Liu Jing's face felt a little hot, but she also felt a little bit in her heart.  I didn't feel very comfortable, so I didn't speak for a long time and drank the hot tea slowly.  Next to him, Qiao Xuan was a little panicked. His daughter never criticized anyone. How could she speak to the King of Han like this today? It was so rude. He hurriedly scolded: "Ahe, your highness has returned from the war. He is extremely exhausted physically and mentally. It is time to take a good rest."  God, how can you blame His Highness? " Da Qiao didn't seem to hear her father's rebuke. She looked at Liu Jing and smiled lightly: " Your Highness, did I say something wrong? " Liu Jing suddenly realized.  , this is actually because Da Qiao cares about herself, so she blames her like this, otherwise why would she offend the king of a country? Thinking of this, Liu Jing felt relieved, and the trace of unhappiness just now disappeared without a trace. He quickly leaned forward and said: "Qiao  Don't blame my sister, she is right. I have the welfare of thousands of people on my shoulders, so how can I be idle? I will go back to deal with urgent business." Da Qiao looked at Liu Jing, with a relieved smile in his eyes.  He was the person she loved deeply, he was humble and accepting of advice, generous and benevolent. Of course she knew that Liu Jing was actually here to visit her, which made her feel inexplicably moved.??Da Qiao's heart is as calm as water. Even if he is moved, he will not show it easily.  She smiled slightly and said: "Since Your Highness is a guest, there is no reason to chase guests away as soon as they sit down. You might as well sit down for a while. I just made a pot of hot tea. Please judge Your Highness. Sit down for a while!" She stood up and then  Going to the back house, Qiao Xuan was a little surprised. He didn't expect Liu Jing to accept the criticism from his eldest daughter so humbly. What surprised her even more was that the eldest daughter never made tea for anyone to taste, even his father.  She also drank it once before she got married, not to mention outsiders. She actually made tea for Liu Jing to taste.  Not long after, Da Qiao walked in with a celadon round pot and two white jade tea bowls in his hands. Qiao Xuan was even more surprised. The eldest daughter usually made tea in a small pot. Qia Qia poured a small cup and tasted it by herself.  Ming, this has been the case for more than ten years, but today she actually used a big pot, as if she knew Liu Jing was coming.  Qiao Xuan was a little confused in his heart. He suddenly had a glimmer of understanding. Could it be that he thought about Liu Jing coming here early in the morning, and thought that Da Qiao never criticized people casually, but today he criticized Liu Jing for being idle and made tea in a big pot. Qiao Xuan  I finally understood that there might be an unknown tacit understanding between Liu Jing and her eldest daughter.  Thinking of this, Qiao Xuan couldn't sit still. He patted his forehead, stood up quickly and said with a smile: "If it weren't for Ahe's reminder, I almost forgot that medicine is still being cooked in my room! I have to go and take a look, Your Highness, please  Sit down for a moment, I'll be right back."

 Volume 2, Jiangxia, Chapter 893: Difficult to Calm Down

    Liu Jing secretly praised Qiao Xuan for his knowledge. As expected of Mr. Qiao, he knew how to withdraw at critical moments. He also stood up and said with a smile: "Mr. Qiao, just let the servants go." "No! No! You are not allowed to leave my study.  Your Majesty, please sit down for a moment. I'll be back soon. I'm sorry." He turned around and hurried away. Da Qiao didn't stop her father. As if nothing happened, she poured two cups of tea and put one cup on the table.  On the small table in front of Liu Jing, he smiled and said: "Your Highness, please!" Just when she was about to stand up, Liu Jing held her hand and looked at her with bright eyes, "You have forgotten your original promise!  Da Qiao's face suddenly turned red. She bit her lips and whispered, "Let go of my hand first. People below will see it." Liu Jing also remembered that there was a maid standing in the hall. He was extremely worried.  Reluctantly, Da Qiao let go of Da Qiao's hand, but Da Qiao did not walk away. He sat down in front of him, his face returned to his elegant expression, and he smiled and said: "You drink the tea I brewed first." Liu Jing said bitterly  : "I came and you left, but you didn't care about my mood, which made my heart feel like a knife. How could I have the intention to drink tea?" Da Qiao did not answer his words, and said lightly: "Since I became a widow, I have never given anything to you.  Others have made tea, but you are the first one." Liu Jing no longer complained. He nodded silently, picked up the teacup, and savored it carefully.  Da Qiao smiled and said: "How is it?" "Elegant and pleasant, with a long aftertaste, the tea is like a person." "You are very good at talking, no wonder my sister wants to marry you." Da Qiao smiled sweetly, stood up and returned to his seat, Liu  Jing's face changed, and he immediately understood what the problem was. It was because he married Xiao Qiao.  But he couldn't explain it. He couldn't say, 'I want to be the king of the world and marry the daughter of the world.' That would only make Da Qiao despise himself even more. He married Xiao Qiao because he was greedy for Xiao Qiao's beauty, but Da Qiao  It gave him an unforgettable memory, stirred the emotions deep in his heart, and made him unforgettable.  Both of them were silent. After a while, Da Qiao said softly: "The princess is tolerant and kind, Shang Xiang is passionate and unrestrained, Xiao Qiao is unparalleled in beauty, Bao Niang is also gentle and lovely, and your children are all lively and lovely, so worthy of your wife and children.  "What do you want me to do? Your Highness, go back!" "If I don't get you, it will be a regret in my life," Liu Jing said in a low voice.  "But you've already got me." Da Qiao lowered her long eyelashes and blushed on her face.  "I not only want to get your people, but also your heart. I want to stay with you day and night." Da Qiao sighed, "Stop talking nonsense, you go back quickly!" Liu Jing was confused and confused.  , not knowing what to say, Da Qiao looked at him silently for a while, stood up and said, "I'm going back to the room first." "Wait a minute!" Liu Jing stopped her, took out an ivory box from her arms, and put it on the table  Shang smiled and said: "This is my gift to you. The first day of November is your birthday. It's a pity that I can't make it back." Da Qiao was shocked. She had forgotten it, but Liu Jing actually remembered that her nose  He felt sore and his eyes were a little moist, but Da Qiao tried his best to hide his emotional changes and said with a smile: "Thank you very much!" Liu Jing knew that there were still many things between him and Da Qiao, at least there wouldn't be any today.  As a result, he drank all the tea that Da Qiao made for him, stood up and saluted: "I have something to do, so I'm going back first. Please say sorry to your father for me." Liu Jing turned around and strode away, Da Qiao  Watching him go away, she sighed quietly, walked slowly to the table, picked up the ivory box, and opened the box. Inside, lying quietly was a dark green jade hairpin, as warm as grease, with its tail inlaid.  With a sapphire as blue as water.  Although it was an expensive piece of jewelry, it was not the hosta itself that shocked Da Qiao, but Liu Jing's affection for her. She seemed to have overturned the five-flavor bottle in her heart, and all the tastes came to her heart. Returning from Qiao's Mansion, Liu Jing  Jing's mood was a little low. He locked himself in the inner study and didn't want to see anyone. If Da Qiao was ruthless to him, then she traveled thousands of miles to take refuge in Chang'an instead of going to the nearest Wu County. This was because  She believed she could protect her.  And that pot of tea was enough to prove her affection, but her attitude towards herself was indifferent. In fact, Liu Jing also knew that Da Qiao's identity was different from Xiao Qiao. Although Xiao Qiao was widowed, as long as the period of filial piety expired, she  You can remarry at any time without any obstacles, and Xiao Qiao will never imprison herself in pursuing a real life. Da Qiao is different. She was once a Jiangdong housewife. Although she was also a concubine, she was generally loved by the soldiers and civilians of Jiangdong.  She regarded her as the mistress of Jiangdong and had high prestige. When Cao Cao wanted to marry Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, he offended the Jiangdong military.  It was this identity that tied Da Qiao, making her dare not take a step easily. Only when she fled from Jiangdong for the first time, by chance, did she open up to herself.She opened her heart and had a relationship with Liu Jing. Today, family, family ties and identity make it difficult for her to take that step again.  Even if Liu Jing is extremely powerful, it will be difficult for him to get what he wants. Liu Jing couldn't help but sigh. He could only think on the bright side. As long as he stopped Da Qiao from becoming a monk, he would have a chance. Take your time!  At this time, Liu Jing heard someone knocking on the door. This was his inner study. No one could enter except his wife and Shangxiang. He quickly calmed down and said, "Please come in!" The door opened, and Sun Shangxiang brought a cup of hot wine.  Shencha walked in quickly. When she walked into the house, she felt the room was bone-chillingly cold. Only then did she realize that there was no brazier lit. She was surprised: "Husband, why didn't you light the brazier? How could you bear such a cold room?" Liu Jing  He quickly concealed his worries and said with a smile: "Is it cold? Compared with the ice and snow in Gaonu County, the room is already very warm." "Hey! It seems that you haven't adjusted back yet, and neither has Alian, who didn't adjust in time.  When I came back, I got sick." Sun Shangxiang put down the ginseng tea, walked to the charcoal basin and squatted down. He quickly lit the fire sickle, lit a fire stick, and carefully placed the fine charcoal on the fire through a piece of soft cloth wrapped with charcoal.  , Liu Jing picked up the tea bowl and walked forward. Seeing that she was very skillful in her movements, she couldn't help laughing and said: "A princess like you can actually light a brazier?" Sun Shangxiang didn't answer. She was concentrating on it. Seeing that the fine coals had been lit, she slowly put it on  After a few pieces of charcoal, he put down the soft cloth, clapped his hands and said with a smile: "Do you think I am really a princess? Have you forgotten how I was willful and naughty back then?" Liu Jing sat down, hugged her waist and said with a smile: "  I have never forgotten that you led a group of women to shoot my boat with arrows, trying to murder my husband!" Sun Shangxiang simply sat in his arms, hugged his neck and laughed: "I have always regretted that.  If I didn¡¯t shoot you to death, I wouldn¡¯t have married you, a bull devil.¡± ¡°How could I be a bull devil?¡± ¡°Your surname is Liu, and to us in Jiangdong, we call you a bull devil.¡±  "The devil." "Okay! I'll just be the devil for once." As he said that, Liu Jing's hand reached into her skirt and quickly groped deeper. Sun Shangxiang wanted to get up, but was caught by his other hand.  Her hands hugged her waist tightly, unable to move, so she had to bite her lips and let him take care of her. At this time, Liu Jing lowered her head and kissed her lips. Their tongues were entangled, but their hands accelerated their attack. Soon, Sun Shangxiang's  Her face turned red, and she lay on Liu Jing's chest and gasped.  Liu Jing reached out to untie her skirt, but she held her tightly, "Don't do it now!" "What are you afraid of? This is my inner study, who dares to come in?" Sun Shangxiang pinched the back of his hand and whispered bitterly.  Said: "You can be naked in the ice and snow, but you don't care about people's life or death." Liu Jing laughed and let go of her skirt. Sun Shangxiang quickly stood up and straightened her skirt. She felt that her whole body felt weak. She thought of today  When her husband came to her room in the evening, she suddenly began to look forward to it, wishing that it would get dark soon.  Liu Jing picked up the ginseng tea from the table and drank it in one gulp. She glanced at the charcoal basin and couldn't help laughing. Sun Shangxiang turned around and realized that the brazier had been extinguished long ago and not even the fine coals had ignited.  She blushed, and quickly reached out to cover Liu Jing's mouth, "Don't laugh!" Liu Jing quickly put away his smile, Sun Shangxiang stamped his feet and said, "Don't laugh even in your stomach!" Liu Jing couldn't help it anymore, hahaha  He smiled. With this smile, all the troubles in his heart were swept away. He felt better again. He stood up, took Sun Shangxiang's hand and said with a smile, "Go and see Long'er. I want to tell him interesting things about his mother."  " Sun Shangxiang was overjoyed and took Liu Jing's hand and ran quickly out the door. Although she was a mother, she would always show her naughty side in front of her husband, just like the troublesome one back then.  Princess Shangxiang After lunch, Liu Jing returned to the inner study and began to review some urgent documents. An episode of Shangxiang completely pulled him out of his depressed mood and restored him to normalcy. At this time, a copy of Jiang  Wan wrote that the proposal to stop issuing money attracted him. Liu Jing read it twice carefully and frowned slowly.  The report stated that they minted ten thousand taels of gold, but all of it was hoarded by private individuals and did not circulate in the market at all. What was circulating in the market was still red gold and five copper coins.  Since the money was collected before it could be circulated to Wei and Jiangdong, the number of five-plant coins on the market in Han Dynasty increased, prices rose, and a dou of rice rose to eighty coins, so Jiang Wan suggested temporarily stopping the issuance of money.  Liu Jing paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. This is probably the reason why bad money drives out good money. After all, it is still during the war, the prosperous age of antiques and the chaos of gold, and people have a great demand for gold, so Cao Pi took advantage of this mentality in the first place.  , using fake gold to disrupt the Han market.    When the five-baht coins made of pure gold are issued, they will of course become a collection that people are eager to collect, and will never be taken out for circulation. On the contrary, people will use the five-baht coins stored at home to exchange money, which will naturally make the market  More money circulates, pushing up prices.  After thinking about this, Liu Jing realized that he had been a little too simple when thinking about the problem and did not take human nature into consideration. Thinking of this, he drew a circle on the document to express his agreement with the plan and signed his name.  .  At this moment, a maid reported outside the door, "Prince Qi, there is news from the housekeeper in front, Xu Shangshu wants to see you!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 894 Discussion on moving the capital

    Although the capital of the Han Dynasty has not yet been moved from Chengdu to Chang'an, Liu Jing has already lived in Chang'an. In order to facilitate the operation of government affairs, many core departments, including Pingzhangtai, have been moved from Chengdu to Chang'an, leaving only a few less well-known people in Chengdu.  Important departments, the center of power of the Han Dynasty, have actually been transferred to Chang'an.  After defeating the Xiongnu, the army's mission was over, and a large number of affairs such as resettling the Xiongnu civilians, rewarding military merits, supporting their families, handling prisoners of war, counting the spoils of war, etc. were all handed over to the Han court, especially Pingzhangtai. A large number of trivial matters would  The Five Prime Ministers Kingdom is overwhelmed and extremely busy every day, not to mention that there are major things to do such as moving the capital and annual review.  Although the King of Han should rest for a few days after returning from the expedition, many things must be done with the consent of the King of Han. Otherwise, things will not progress. There is no other way, so everyone had to recommend Xu Shu, the Minister of Writing, to come to see Liu Jing.  Liu Jing walked into the outer study room and saw Xu Shu sitting at the table thinking about something. He didn't even notice that he had come in. Liu Jing couldn't help laughing and said, "How could Yuan Zhi be so absent-minded?" Xu Shu then realized that Liu Jing had entered the room and hurriedly  He stood up and saluted, "I am here to see His Royal Highness the King of Han!" "Yuan Zhi does not need to be polite, please sit down!" The two sat down, and the maid came in and served them hot tea. Xu Shu then smiled bitterly and said: "There are too many things to do, Qian Tou  Wan Xu, there is simply no way to start." "This is not Yuan Zhi's style! How often has Yuan Zhi complained about many things over the years?" Liu Jing took a sip of tea and smiled lightly.  Xu Shu sighed and said: "Actually, there are many things in this period of time. The main reason is that there are too many and complicated matters to be dealt with after the war. They all seem to be important and it is difficult for everyone to prioritize. So everyone asked me to come and talk to His Highness.  "Do you want to leave everything to me?" Liu Jing joked.  "No such intention!" Of course Xu Shu understood that there was something in Liu Jing's words. It was precisely because he released the power of the prime minister that they were so busy. Once he took back the power, it would not be the result they wanted to see. Xu Shu said quickly:  "There are just a few major things that I would like to ask His Highness to make clear so that we can proceed smoothly." "Tell me! What are the major things?" Xu Shu sorted out his thoughts for a moment and said slowly: "The first thing is to hope that the move of the capital can be  If we wait a little longer, firstly, we will have time to deal with post-war chores. Secondly, it is not realistic to move the capital in the ice and snow. "Liu Jing nodded, "Okay, we will postpone the capital move for another year, and you can handle the post-war affairs first.  " Xu Shu was overjoyed. This was their biggest headache. As long as they moved the capital for another six months, they would have time to prepare. However, Liu Jing suggested delaying it for one year, which seemed a bit too long and was unnecessary.  Liu Jing seemed to understand what he was thinking, and said calmly: "I hope to move the capital together with reforming the official system. Now we have established a multi-phase system, which is very incompatible with the three-gong and nine-qing system. Either restore the three-gong system or abolish it."  Polyphase system, either abolish the system of three ministers and nine ministers, and reconsider the new system of checks and balances of power. " Xu Shu nodded and said: "We have actually discussed this issue more than once. We all advocate maintaining the polyphase system, with the ministers checking and balancing the power of the prime minister.  , Yushitai supervises hundreds of officials, and there are six Cao Cao under Sima, Situ, and Sikong, which leads to multiple branches of government and difficulty in local implementation. In addition, there are redundant officials and a huge financial burden. It is best to merge the six Cao Cao and unify them.  "Pingzhangtai jurisdiction." Liu Jing actually thought of the three-province and six-ministry system. However, the implementation of a system requires decades of running-in and continuous adjustment and improvement. It is by no means a system that can be implemented immediately after it is launched. This involves too many people.  Interests must also be compatible with economic development.  Therefore, he did not rush to put forward a plan, but let the officials discuss among themselves, slowly finding the most suitable system, and developing it in the direction Liu Jing expected. For example, Xu Shu proposed that there should be six Cao Cao under the three Dukes, which led to multiple branches of government.  It was difficult to implement at the local level, so it was necessary to merge the Liucao and put it under the unified jurisdiction of Pingzhangtai. This moved towards the six-ministry system under the leadership of the Prime Minister.  Although there are no San Gong in the Han Dynasty now, we will consider establishing it after moving the capital to Chang'an. We can also retain the San Gong as an honorary position without real power.  Liu Jing smiled again and said: "Is there any other big thing for me to decide?" "The other big thing is the distribution of the spoils of war. There are more than five million cattle and sheep, as well as 50,000 taels of gold and countless jewelry shipped from Lingzhou.  , gold, jewelry and other supplies are temporarily stored in the official treasury, but how should we distribute the more than five million cattle and sheep?" Liu Jing thought for a while and asked: "How many households are there in Han?" "There are about one hundred and two.  "One hundred thousand households." Liu Jing immediately suggested: "As the Chinese New Year is approaching, each household will be given a sheep, and the military households will be given an additional cow. The families of those who died in battle will be given three more sheep on top of the military households.  Calculate, how much is left??¡± Xu Shu quickly calculated in his mind and said with a smile: ¡°There are probably half left, two million sheep and three hundred thousand cattle.  "Liu Jing then said: "The rest is divided into two halves, one half will be given to the officers and local officials in the central court, and the other half will be rewarded by the military to the three armies.  Xu Shu hesitated and suggested, "It's too much for the officials. It's better to give each family another sheep."  Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder and smiled: "You have to think about it for me!"  If you can't get promoted and make a fortune by following me, the King of Han, who will be willing to work for me?  " Xu Shu smiled bitterly and did not object again. Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and said: "Before the New Year, we should have another big harvest in Juyanhai. All the property harvested this time will be used to reward military merit.  , The extermination of the Xiongnu this time will be beneficial to the future, and I will give generous rewards to the soldiers.  " Xu Shu had prepared pen and paper and quickly wrote down Liu Jing's opinions. Liu Jing saw that he had considered it carefully and smiled and said: "There are still some things that I thought I would discuss with Heping Zhangtai in two days, but you can write them down first.  good.  " "Your Highness, please speak!  "Liu Jing thought for a while and said: "There are still 30,000 Huns prisoners of war. We should follow the old rules. Let them serve in the mines for three years. After three years, they will be converted into civilians. They will be given land so that their families can be reunited.  " Xu Shu stopped writing and smiled and said: "Your Highness, I have an idea about how to deal with prisoners of war.  "    "you say!  " "Wei Chen considered that there is actually no shortage of people in the mines, but there is a shortage of labor in Guanzhong. It is better to leave them to serve in Guanzhong and be classified as slave households. They are responsible for repairing the incomplete city walls of Chang'an, dredging the large and small irrigation channels in Guanzhong, and building  Guanzhong Guan said, as long as they are willing to work hard, I estimate that they will be free in two years at most. I wonder what your highness thinks?  "Liu Jing thought for a moment, then readily agreed, and added: "If they are to be classified as slaves, they can be allowed to live with their families, which can prevent them from rebelling. Tell them that as long as they surrender sincerely, they will be released in two years.  They can be converted into civilians. In addition, I will allocate five thousand troops to guard these Huns prisoners of war.  " Xu Shu wrote down Liu Jing's instructions. With a clear plan, he suddenly felt that the pressure was much less. He could go back and report to everyone. Xu Shu stood up and saluted with a smile and said: "I will disturb His Highness every time he rests.  I'm here again today. I'm really sorry. Wei Chen will take his leave first.  Liu Jing then remembered that this was indeed the case, and laughed and said, "If you don't tell me, I almost forgot. In two days, I will invite everyone to drink my son's full moon wine, and I will punish you with three more drinks!"  " Xu Shu said goodbye and left. Liu Jing returned to the inner study and found the document on the table. He forgot to tell Xu Shu about the suspension of the issuance of money. Now that he thought about it, he didn't actually have to stop casting. He could use money to  To reward military merit, if you really want to collect it, you can also let the soldiers collect and profit from it. This time he seized 50,000 taels of gold from Lingzhou, and it is estimated that he will also seize some gold from Ju Yanhai, which can be used to reward military merit.  Liu Jing was just thinking about it when she suddenly felt something. When she turned around, she saw her eldest son Liu Zhi standing at the door, looking very hesitant. Liu Jing only chatted with his son during dinner last night and had not discussed it in detail with him.  Liu Jing came just in time and waved to him with a smile, "Come in!"  " Liu Zhi entered the room and knelt down to kowtow, "My son, pay homage to your father!  " "Get up!  "Liu Zhi stood up and stood beside his father with his hands down. He was of medium and thin build. He was not as tall and burly as his father. He was also very delicate. His features and eyes were very similar to his mother Tao Zhan's, but his nose was very similar to Liu Jing's and tall.  It¡¯s cool. Liu Jing is busy with the war and rarely communicates with his son in the past few years. In his impression, his son is still a naughty boy who makes a snowman, but in a blink of an eye, he finds that he has grown up and no longer cries to him like he did when he was a child.  After complaining, his mother stole the snowman he had hidden in the room. Liu Jing looked at her son's thin body, and she felt a desire to lick the baby. She said softly: "You read too much. You should exercise more. Starting from tomorrow.  I asked Li Qing to teach you how to practice swordsmanship.  "    "yes!  The child will work hard to practice the sword.  " "You have to eat more meat. Roast beef and mutton. Don't eat too much. I hope you will grow stronger. When you grow up, you will have the energy to handle heavy tasks. You know, daddy's seat is not easy to sit in.  !  " "The child has remembered his father's teachings.  " Liu Jing smiled. I'm afraid he would have to tell his mother what he wanted his son to eat. It was useless to tell him. Liu Jing changed the subject and asked, "What do you want to do with your father?  Liu Zhi knelt down and said, "My child has an idea. I don't know whether to talk about it or not?"  " "You can just say it. Why kneel down and stand up and say it!  "Liu Zhi stood up, but hesitated for a moment.??, her lips moved but she didn't speak. Liu Jing's face sank, "If you have anything to say, a real man, just say it. You are so timid and timid, like a woman, or you can go back and come back after you think about it!" Liu Zhi had no choice but to say so!  He whispered: "Father, are we moving to Weiyang Palace?" Liu Jing was startled, why would his son ask this question? He was a little surprised and said, "So what?" "Father is just a king, although he has received divine grace.  Enjoy the gift of being a prince, but if we move into Weiyang Palace, it will be a very serious act of transgression, which will attract criticism from everyone in the world and affect my father's reputation. I hope my father will consider it carefully. " "Who told you this, your master.  "Liu Jing was really surprised. He didn't expect his son to ask such a question. He was only nine years old!

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 895 Liu Jing teaches his son

    Liu Jing stared at her son sharply, as if she wanted to see through his mind. Was it his master Meng Guang who was advising him through the child's mouth?  Liu Jing suddenly felt unhappy.  Liu Zhi had two masters before and after him. The first master, Lai Min, although knowledgeable, was dissolute and uninhibited. He had drunkenly slept in prostitutes' homes many times. Tao Zhan hated him and resolutely dismissed him. Later, when Yin Mo recommended Meng Guang, he was appointed by him.  Meng Guang was Liu Zhi's second master.  Meng Guang is naturally knowledgeable and upright in character, but he also has a weakness, that is, he is extremely stubborn and often fights with Lai Min for a little bit of knowledge. Moreover, he is more rigid in books and lacks human sophistication in many matters. Liu Jing also treats him  Not too satisfied.  However, Meng Guang strictly controlled Liu Zhi's moral character, even more than teaching knowledge. He often warned him to be indifferent to power, to be considerate of the people, and not to compete with the people for profit.  Ruling the country hegemonically, by his son's generation, the economy is developing and the people need stability. At this time, they need to imitate Wenjing's rule, recuperate and implement rule by inaction.  Therefore, although Liu Jing was a little dissatisfied with Meng Guang's scholarly attitude, for this reason, Liu Jing still reluctantly accepted him as his son's master. However, if Meng Guang wanted to influence himself through his son, Liu Jing would  This can no longer be tolerated.  Liu Zhi hurriedly explained: "This has nothing to do with the master, because last month, the master taught me the meaning of trespassing and mentioned the overstepping of the palace. To be punished for trespassing will make the world look down upon. I thought that we seemed to be moving into Weiyang  The palace, that is the palace of the emperor, is not for us to live in, so the child wants to persuade his father not to live in Weiyang Palace." Liu Jing nodded, it seems that it was not taught by his master, although his son's idea was still a bit naive, but he thought of it.  At the age of nine, being able to say these words was enough to make Liu Jing feel gratified.  Liu Jing then smiled and said: "We won't live in Weiyang Palace for the time being, but it's not for the reason you said, but because I don't want to be too extravagant. We will live in Dajia Palace, which is the palace of Emperor Guangwu. In your words, it is also  "It's a bit overstepping." "But why did my father have to overstep his bounds and let others take advantage of him?" Liu Zhi said anxiously.  Liu Jing did not answer him, but pointed to the snowy scenery outside the window and said with a smile: "Let's go for a walk outside the city together!" "My son is willing to go out with his father!" Liu Jing then ordered the guards to prepare two camels. Although Liu Zhi could ride a horse, he  But he had never ridden a camel. When Liu Jing lifted him up and sat on the high hump, he was so frightened that he shivered. At this time, Tao Zhan also heard the news and rushed outside the gate. She saw her son riding on such a high camel.  , worried in her heart, she asked: "Husband, are you riding a camel with Zhi'er?" "No!" Liu Jing smiled and shook her head and said, "He will ride one, and I will ride the other." Tao Zhan was frightened.  His face changed color, "This is too dangerous, husband, you should stay with him! He is still young after all." Liu Jing turned back to her son and said, "Zhi'er, you decide for yourself!" Liu Zhi bit his lip  , said loudly to his mother: "Mom, I can ride it, no problem!" "But" Liu Jing stepped forward and smiled at his wife: "He is your son, but he is also my son, so don't worry!"  Tao Zhan made sense after thinking about it. The husband loved his eldest son as much, so why would he let his son take risks? Tao Zhan nodded, "Okay! You should be careful and come back early." Liu Jing shouted, and the camel knelt down.  Next, he also climbed onto the camel, smiled at Tao Zhan from a distance and said: "Princess, if you also want to ride, I might as well arrange another one." "Go quickly! Take good care of Zhi'er." Tao Zhan waved his hand, worried.  He looked at his son.  The two camels, escorted by hundreds of cavalry, slowly set off towards the outside of the North City. Tao Zhan watched his son's camel go away, and was relieved to see that he was riding fairly steadily.  Although Liu Zhi was very nervous, he soon discovered that riding a camel was easier than riding a horse. It was very stable and as long as he kept his balance, he would basically not fall off. Moreover, there was a camel driver in front of him holding the reins.  As the team walked out of the north gate, Liu Zhi gradually adapted to riding a camel.  He turned back to look at his father. Liu Jing smiled and said, "Don't you need a camel driver anymore?" Liu Zhi nodded, and Liu Jing immediately ordered the camel driver to give the reins to Liu Zhi and let him ride alone. Liu Jing knew what he was doing.  As long as the camel walks slowly, his son will be fine. It is difficult to ride a camel when it is running.  After getting used to riding a camel, Liu Zhi turned his attention to the snow scene. He saw that the entire Guanzhong Plain was covered with heavy snow, and the jade trees and branches looked like a white snow world. In addition, he was riding high, and he could see even more clearly.  Feeling relaxed and happy, I couldn't help but praise: "How magnificent!"   Liu Jing pointed her whip at the sky, "Look at the sky!" Liu Zhi looked up and saw no white clouds in the sky. It was as blue as an endless gem. A goshawk hovered above his head. Liu Zhi's eyes were fixed on it.  This eagle watched with envy as it spread its wings and soared in the sky.  Liu Jing smiled slightly and blew the eagle flute. The goshawk circled several times, getting lower and lower. Suddenly it folded its wings and fell like an arrow. Finally, it landed lightly on Liu Jing's shoulder. Liu Jing took out a piece of fresh meat and fed it to her.  It stroked its feathers gently again.  Liu Zhi was greatly surprised and asked quickly: "Father, is it an eagle?" "No! It is a falcon, my eagle." The eagle raised its head proudly and cooed twice, as if  He protested that Liu Zhi regarded it as a trusting eagle. Liu Zhi was very fond of it. He stretched out his hand to touch the eagle, but he retracted his hand and did not dare to touch it.  Liu Jing took out a piece of fresh meat and handed it to him, "Feed it with meat!" Liu Zhi carefully took the meat and slowly stretched out his hand. The falcon was already impatient and took the meat away from his hand in one gulp. Liu Zhi  He laughed, became more courageous, and fed two more pieces of meat. Liu Jing smiled and said, "You can touch it!"  To, but did not peck him.  "Father, can you let it stand on my shoulder?" Liu Zhi begged in a low voice.  Liu Jing smiled, stroked the falcon, whispered something to it, and slowly placed the falcon on Liu Zhi's young shoulder. Liu Zhi was overjoyed to finally have an eagle standing on his shoulder.  In just a moment, the eagle suddenly spread its wings and flew straight into the sky. At this moment, the eagle's wings spread out before Liu Zhi's eyes. He felt as if he was flying with the eagle. He felt the blood in his heart was beating and he couldn't help but feel high.  He shouted loudly, "Fly! Fly to the nine heavens!" Liu Jing and the soldiers all laughed. Liu Jing hugged his son and asked him to ride with him. He squeezed his legs hard and shouted loudly.  , the camel spread its long legs and galloped on the snow.  Hundreds of cavalry followed closely behind.  Liu Zhi felt the wind whistling in his ears. He was like an eagle, flying over the boundless snowfield. This stimulation made him so excited that he shouted loudly.  Liu Jing ran all the way to the majestic Weiyang Palace and pointed at the palace with her riding crop, "Does my son dare to live in this palace?" Liu Zhi was very ambitious and ambitious at this time. He had long forgotten any arrogance.  He nodded heavily, "Why don't you dare?" Liu Jing laughed, "Now you don't mind any transgressions?" Liu Zhi suddenly realized that his father was using another method to enlighten him. At this time, he remembered again  He was cautious just now, lest he overstepped the palace and be criticized by the world, but now, he felt that this trivial matter was really not worth mentioning. He also said loudly: "Father, I understand, a real man should have the world in mind, even if he lives in  What can Weiyang Palace do? " "Well said! This is my son, Liu Jing." Liu Jing was extremely pleased and said to his son: "Starting from tomorrow, you will go to Pingzhangtai and join the monks.  National affairs, let them also become your masters. " Early the next morning, Liu Jing took her son to Weiyang Palace. Weiyang Palace was not just a residence, but in fact it was a complete group of buildings including the imperial palace.  Although the preserved and restored Weiyang Palace is only one-third of its heyday in the Western Han Dynasty, the entire palace is still magnificent. It was built at the highest point in Chang'an. Standing on Gan Terrace, you can have a panoramic view of Chang'an City.  Weiyang Palace is divided into two parts. The southern part is the Chaofang Hall, which is where government affairs are handled, while the northern half is the emperor's harem. Although Liu Jing does not plan to live in Weiyang Palace for the time being, the Chaodian area in front has been put into use.  .  Pingzhang Terrace is located on the left side of Xuanshi Hall. It is a group of small buildings covering an area of ??nearly 100 acres. In the middle is Qunying Pavilion, which covers an area of ??three acres. It is six feet and four feet high and is a four-story attic.  It temporarily became the political center of Han Dynasty.  The carriage stopped in front of Zhuque Gate, and Liu Jing and his son took the chariot again and headed all the way to Pingzhang Terrace. Seeing that his son looked quite nervous, Liu Jing smiled and said: "I believe you will be very popular with the ministers.  " Liu Zhi couldn't help but sigh lowly. He was actually worried that his master would be unhappy. Liu Jing understood the child's thoughts, patted him on the shoulder and comforted him: "Yin Shizhong has already made arrangements with your master, and he will not blame you.  " The chariot stopped in front of the Qunying Pavilion. At this time, a person walked out of the pavilion and looked at Liu Zhi with a smile. Liu Zhi was shocked. This person turned out to be his former master. He hurriedly knelt down and said, "Disciple pays homage to the master!"  The former master was called Lai Min, a new wild man. His father Lai Yan was once a great Han Sikong. He came to Bashu very early. He was a scholar from Dongzhou and had excellent knowledge, but he was a bit bohemian and informal.   Although he was hated by Tao Zhan for being drunk and sleeping in prostitution, this was just a minor incident and would not affect his official career. He is currently the captain of the classics school, in charge of books and classics, and revising various scriptures. He heard today that the prince is coming,  Came here especially to see him.  Lai Min quickly helped Liu Zhi up and said with a smile: "Now I am no longer your master." Liu Zhi was very affectionate towards Lai Min. He said with tears: "Once a teacher, always a father, how can a disciple forget?  " "You're right, Prince!" A group of people walked out of the Qunying Pavilion. They were Xu Shu, Jiang Wan, Dong He, Fei Guan, Sima Yi, and the minister Yin Mo. They heard that the King of Han had returned and came out to greet him.  Everyone bowed and saluted together, "See His Highness the King of Han!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In the waiter's room on the third floor of Qunying Pavilion, the waiter Yin Mo smiled and poured a bowl of hot tea for Liu Zhi. He also served as the young master and was Liu Zhi's nominal master. Liu Jing asked his son to come to Pingzhangtai to learn how to handle government affairs.  , naturally Yin Mo was the first to teach him.  Regarding Liu Jing's arrangement, everyone at Pingzhangtai fully agreed. Everyone knew that Liu Zhi would be the second monarch of the dynasty. He would be a key figure in connecting the past and the future. He would determine the direction of the dynasty in the next hundred years. We should carefully train him.  , is the unshirkable responsibility of ministers.  From a selfish point of view, they also hope that Liu Zhi can maintain their ideas of governing the country, just like Xiao Gui and Cao Sui of the former Han Dynasty, so that their ideas of governing the country can be inherited by future generations of prime ministers.  It is this idea of ??balancing public and private matters that makes Pingzhangtai actively welcome Liu Zhi's arrival. According to the consensus reached by everyone, Liu Zhi will follow one person every ten days for one year.  Liu Zhi opened a scroll of bamboo slips and asked curiously: "What is the role of the Shizhong in Pingzhangtai?" Yin Mo smiled slightly, "The Shizhong is actually to supervise the Prime Minister's decision-making and prevent the Prime Minister from abusing his power.  When the ultimatum is presented, it first comes to the servant. Of course, it is not handled by me personally, but by the minister below me. When the ultimatum cannot be made, it will be handled by me.  Classification, according to the degree of importance, is divided into three categories: A, B, and C. Category A must be approved by your father before it can be executed. Category B is a slightly more important official matter, which is decided by the five parties through consultation. It can be executed first and then submitted to your father for approval.  , Category C is a general official business, which can be executed after being approved by the writing minister. There is no need to discuss it with the five ministers, but "Yin Mo paused for a moment. Seeing that Liu Zhi was listening intently, he couldn't help but touch the back of his head lovingly, and continued to laugh.  Said: "However, even if the prime ministers pass the decision, they cannot be implemented immediately. They still have to come to me again for review by the ministers. If the ministers feel that the decision is inappropriate, they will seal it back and let the ministers discuss it again.  "What if the prime minister and the minister disagree in the end?" Liu Zhi asked again.  "At this time, your father is needed to make the final decision. Once he signs, it must be implemented. When the matter reaches this point, if the Prime Minister or the Minister still cannot accept it, then he will either resign or remain silent." Yin Mo  He let out a long sigh and said with some emotion: "This is the best system of balancing between the monarch and the prime minister. It can prevent one prime minister from becoming dominant and avoid the dictatorship of the emperor. Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty suppressed the prime minister with the chief minister, the power of the prime minister has been weakened.  , Emperor Guangwu even abolished the prime minister until Cao Cao restored him, but his purpose was only to usurp power for himself, and your father proposed a polyphase system, which avoided the dominance of one prime minister and created a balance of power between the monarch and the prime minister.  The conditions have been met. From this point of view, this is your father's greatest contribution. It can be said that it is second only to his unification of the world. " "I understand!" Liu Zhi nodded lightly.  At this time, an official reported at the door: "Servant, the discussion will begin soon." Yin Mo stood up and smiled at Liu Zhi: "Let's go! Today is the first time that your father will discuss matters on the platform after he comes back.  Let's go together." Yin Mo took Liu Zhi's hand and left the room, going downstairs to the meeting hall on the second floor.  This is a circular meeting hall, with five ministers sitting in one half of the circle, and two ministers, including the minister of ministers, the minister of ministers, the captain of the counselor, the captain of the dianshu, the censor Zhongcheng, the five ministers, and the minister.  More than a dozen auxiliary officials sat in the other half of the circle. The seat of Yin Mo, the minister, was on the side of the five ministers. He could observe the discussions at Pingzhangtai and had the right to express his own opinions.  Liu Jing's seat is located at the top. It is a permanent seat. Regardless of whether Liu Jing participates in the discussion, the seat will always be placed there. However, most of the time, Liu Jing does not participate in the discussion on the platform, but today he has  Just sit down.  According to the rules formulated by Liu Jing himself, Pingzhangtai proceedings are divided into two types: regular proceedings and special proceedings. Standing proceedings are basically held every day. The king can attend and observe, but cannot speak and interfere. ????????????????????Things are initiated by the king. The king can lead the discussion, or the minister designated by him can lead the discussion. Today is a special meeting, and Liu Jing took the initiative to hold it.  Liu Zhi sat next to Yin Mo. He secretly raised his head and glanced at his father. His father was about thirty steps away from him. The seat was high up and the light was dim. His face could not be seen. Liu Zhi suddenly felt a sense of depression in his heart. His father was like this.  Looking down at the officials from a dark height, I believe everyone feels the same inexplicable pressure as him.  Liu Jing saw her son, smiled, and shook the silver bell beside her, "Dang, bang, bang, bang!"  The bell rang loudly. At this time, Jiang Wan stood up and said with a smile: "Since everyone is here, let's start!" Liu Zhi looked at the documents in the book and felt a little strange, so he asked Yin Mo in a low voice: "Excuse me, the servant  "Isn't it Uncle Xu who is writing the Shangshu?" Yin Mo smiled, "Today is a special meeting, led by the Shangshu appointed by your father. It seems that your father appointed Jiang Shangshu, so today's discussion should be related to finance.  " Liu Zhi nodded and looked at the hall again. Jiang Wan was in charge of finance and taxation. He wrote to Liu Jing a few days ago, asking to cancel the minting of money. Yesterday Liu Jing officially replied to him and asked to hold a special meeting on the matter today.  Jiang Wan said slowly: "Today's discussion is about canceling the minting of money. Some time ago, I also discussed this matter with all the ministers. As we all know, after the money minting was issued, it did not flow into the market and did not play the role of big money. Instead, it was  The collection caused a large amount of copper coins to be circulated and forced prices to rise, so I proposed to suspend the casting and issuance of money, but His Highness the King of Han held a compromise opinion. He could suspend the issuance, but asked to continue to mint, and the minted money would be used to reward military merits." This  At that moment, an employee walked quickly to Liu Zhi and whispered to him: "Master, your father asked you to come over." Liu Zhi looked at Yin Mo, and Yin Mo smiled and said: "Go!" Liu Zhi followed.  Yin Mo walked quickly to his father's seat and walked to Liu Jing's side. Liu Zhi lowered his hands and said, "Father!" "Sit down!" Liu Jing smiled and pulled his son to sit down. In fact, he had nothing to do. He just wanted to  Let your son feel the seat of the King of Han.  Liu Zhi sat down next to his father and looked down at the many officials below. For some reason, he didn't like this condescending feeling.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 896 The Troubles of Land Price

    Liu Jing's official residence in Weiyang Palace is located on the right side of Xuanshi Hall, close to the Yushitai. It is also a building complex covering an area of ??dozens of acres, including three main buildings, the main building, the library and the star observation platform.  The buildings are arranged in a triangular shape, connected by sky corridors, and surrounded by a lush forest.  The main building of the official building is also called the Qinzheng Building. This is the name given by the ministers. They hope that Liu Jing can work hard to govern, be diligent and love the people, and revive the Han Dynasty.  The Qinzheng Building used for Liu Jing's office is very large, including two pavilions, the main building and the auxiliary building. The auxiliary building is also called the Military Advisor Building. It is the office of the three military advisors Jia Xu, Fazheng and Pang Tong. The main building is a five-story building.  Attic, Liu Jing's official room is located on the third floor.  Although Liu Jing came to his official residence for the first time, he did not have time to visit his administrative office at this time. He was discussing with Jiang Wan and Xu Shu about casting money.  Pingzhangtai has passed a resolution to convert the money minted from being openly put into the market to a reward for the military, but some specific details still need to be discussed.  "Your Highness, money converted into military rewards is actually put on the market in disguise. This has a greater impact on commodity prices than exchanging five baht coins. After all, it is an increase of wealth out of thin air. So I would like to suggest that you don't distribute it all at once. It would be best.  It is a reward in batches. "Jiang Wan opposed the introduction of money from the beginning. He believed that it would easily disrupt the production of goods and cause violent fluctuations in prices, and it would also be easily exploited by Wei and Jiangdong. Judging from the few months after the introduction of money, his  Worry is not unnecessary. Prices have generally risen, most notably the price of grain. A bucket of rice has risen to eighty yuan. It was difficult to persuade Liu Jing to agree to suspend the issuance of money. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing turned it into a reward for military merit, which really gave Jiang Wan a headache.  But Pingzhangtai had passed the resolution, and Jiang Wan had no choice but to gently persuade Liu Jing to issue the goods in batches to minimize the impact of money on the goods.  Liu Jing slowly fiddled with the two pieces of money in his hand. He liked this kind of money very much. The workmanship was very exquisite. On the front was the gate of Weiyang Palace, and on the back were the four words "Han Bai Zhu Qian" written by Liu Jing himself. This kind of money  It's much larger than a five-baht coin. There's no square hole in the middle. The meat is thick and plump, with quite a texture.  Liu Jing understood Jiang Wan's worries and smiled slightly: "Of course it takes time to make money. I would like to reward one million dollars at a time, but can Jiang Shangshu do it?" Jiang Wan hesitated and glanced at Xu Shu, who had no choice but to bow.  Shen said: "Your Highness, we have minted one million hundred-strain coins in the past few months. So far, 300,000 coins have been issued. As a result, supplies have generally increased, so we have suspended the issuance. In fact, the inventory  There are still 700,000 pieces of money in it." Liu Jing nodded. No wonder Jiang Wan was worried. It turned out to be this reason. He thought for a moment and said, "Are you sure that the increase in prices was caused by the issuance of money and not because of the Han-Hungarian war?  " Jiang Wan shook his head and said: "Speaking of this, I have a responsibility. The money issued this time was mainly used to prepare for war payments, such as wages for civilians, buying grain from grain merchants, etc. As a result, after the money spread, it became a currency on the market.  In hot demand, one coin was exchanged for one hundred and fifty plants in official households, but on the black market it had risen to one hundred and thirty coins. Many copper coins that had been accumulated at home were suddenly circulated, and prices generally rose. Although it was partly related to the war,  But the main reason is not war, but money." "I don't understand, what is Jiang Shangshu's responsibility?" Liu Jing asked in confusion.  Jiang Wan sighed, "Because according to the original idea, it was to use an open exchange method. The exchanger handed over five baht coins and got the money. The five baht coins were put into the treasury and the money was circulated. This would not be a big problem. However, because of the worry of black market profits,  , and was also worried that the collection of money would cause a shortage of money for the five plants in the market, so Weichen decided to use payment. As a result, "Jiang Wan couldn't talk anymore. Liu Jing smiled and said: "Gongyan is not wrong to worry, after all.  It is the first time to issue money, and many consequences are not expected by us. There is no responsibility. In fact, I advocate the issuance of money because I have deeper thoughts. In the past, I have always considered taking advantage of our currency to seize Jiangdong and Wei through trade.  materials, now our five-strain money has been circulated all over the world, so the purpose of issuing money is no longer to plunder wealth, but to promote trade. I hope that money can promote the exchange of people and goods in various places, so that Han Dynasty can communicate with the Central Plains,  Jiangdong gradually merged into one, laying the foundation for the future unification of the world. "Liu Jing's words made Jiang Wan and Xu Shu secretly feel ashamed. They only considered the interests of the Han State, but did not consider the overall situation of the world.  At this time, Liu Jing smiled again and said: "Actually, I think the rise in prices is more due to the war. Because everyone is afraid that the Han army will be defeated by the Huns, there is a particularly large demand for gold and other valuables, and there is not much gold on the market.  We issued money just at this time, so it triggered everyone's pursuit of money. Now that the war is over, I believe everyone has a demand for gold.?It will no longer be as fanatical as it was some time ago.  " Jiang Wan was about to intervene, but Liu Jing waved her hand and said with a smile: "I haven't finished speaking yet. Please wait a moment, Gong Yan.  Jiang Wan quickly smiled apologetically and stopped talking. Liu Jing continued: "Another reason is the time difference. Because our five-baht coin is universally used, the extra five-baht coin on the market will sooner or later be lost."  It will take some time to get to Wei and Jiangdong. Firstly, transportation is inconvenient. Secondly, because of the war, the trade between the Central Plains and us has been temporarily blocked. But I believe that as the war ends, caravans will come one after another, and our  Five plants of money will flow to the Central Plains and Jiangdong in large quantities, and prices will gradually stabilize.  " Jiang Wan and Xu Shu nodded silently. Although they were very capable in handling government affairs, none of them could compare to the King of Han in terms of broad vision and long-term vision. Liu Jing smiled at Jiang Wan and asked, "Gong Yan just wanted to  say what?  Jiang Wan quickly said: "I just wanted to ask Your Highness, how much money are you prepared to pay as a reward?"  " Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and then slowly said: "There are one hundred thousand soldiers participating in the war this time. Calculated based on the minimum of ten coins per person, this is one million coins, and there are special rewards for meritorious service soldiers, seven  One hundred thousand is really not enough.  " Xu Shu and Jiang Wan both sighed helplessly in their hearts. It seems that it is impossible to award rewards in batches. They can only accept the reality that prices are about to rise. However, Pingzhangtai also has a plan. They will successively put in 200,000 shi of grain to flatten the warehouse.  At this time, Xu Shu added: "If your highness feels that the monetary reward is not enough, you can also use the land in Guan Nei and Lingzhou to reward you. This time we defeated the Xiongnu and obtained a large amount of land, many of which were high-grade fertile land.  Your Highness can definitely use it as a reward for military merit.  " Liu Jing nodded, "This plan is feasible, but it will take time to measure and so on. If you are not in a hurry, you can reward the soldiers with land shares first, and then deliver the details after the land is measured. Speaking of land, I think of another one.  One important thing is to restore the government jurisdiction of Shangjun, Andingjun, Beidijun, Shuofangjun and Wuyuanjun. The land cannot be empty for too long. Pingzhangtai must seize this matter urgently.  " "Please rest assured, Your Highness, Pingzhangtai is already actively preparing for this matter, and the results will be available soon. In addition, Your Highness also needs to clarify the candidates for the prefect and the county magistrate as soon as possible.  " Liu Jing thought for a while and said: "I already have a suitable candidate, and I will hand it over to Pingzhangtai early tomorrow morning.  ¡± The whole day, Liu Jing spent in various busy activities. At dusk, Liu Jing also left Weiyang Palace and returned to the mansion. After a busy day, although she felt a little tired, Liu Jing was in good spirits and in her heart.  Very fulfilling. At this time, hundreds of guards escorted the carriage into Chang'an City, and a noisy and lively atmosphere suddenly hit the face. This is the west gate, with shops and restaurants on both sides. People are coming and going on the street, and carriages and oxcarts are passing by.  In the distance, thousands of Huns prisoners of war were carrying stones and repairing the damaged city walls under the supervision of Han soldiers. Liu Jing looked at the streets on both sides through the car window. Not far away, several wide open spaces had been built.  After entering the wall, a mansion was being built inside. Liu Jing remembered that these pieces of land had been abandoned for many years and were in ruins. They had long become a place where wild foxes, rats and snakes lived. Unexpectedly, they were also sold and began to rebuild the mansion.  Liu Jing was reminded of something. It is said that land prices in Chang'an have skyrocketed. In order to earn the difference, many poor people have sold their houses and land and bought houses in other counties. This has caused a slight decline in the population of Chang'an in the past two months. This situation is absolutely  Liu Jing is not willing to see that if Chang'an cannot tolerate the poor, it will inevitably cause many serious problems and prices will skyrocket. More importantly, it will seriously hinder the recovery of Guanzhong's economy and population. We originally planned to discuss this with Heping Zhangtai today.  Question, but there were too many things to do, so I forgot about it. At this time, Liu Jing saw a large shop with a plaque hanging above it, which read "Tao's General Trading Company".  Liu Jing was slightly startled. When did the Tao Family Commercial Bank move from Chengdu? Yesterday, Tao Li said that it had not moved here yet. "Stop!"  " Liu Jing gave an order, and the carriage slowly stopped. Liu Jing opened the door and walked towards Tao's Merchant, followed by several personal guards. At the gate of the merchant's store, more than a dozen clerks were clearing away table items. Suddenly  Seeing a large group of soldiers approaching, someone recognized that the leader was Liu Jing, the King of Han Dynasty. They were so frightened that everyone knelt down and saluted, and Liu Jing smiled and said, "Who is in charge of the business now?"  " As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Tao Sheng walking out of the gate. He seemed to be preparing to return home. When he saw Liu Jing, Tao Sheng was startled and hurriedly came forward to greet him, "Why are you here, Your Highness?  Liu Jing was also surprised, "Isn't your father-in-law in Chengdu?"  When did you come back?  " "I'll be back early this morning. Your Highness, please come in quickly."Sit down!  " Although Tao Sheng is Liu Jing's father-in-law, he does not dare to act like his father-in-law in front of Liu Jing. This is also Tao Zhan's request. It can be said that except for the deceased Tao Lie, no one in the Tao family is in front of Liu Jing.  Liu Jing did not dare to think of himself as an elder. Liu Jing followed Tao Sheng into the guest room and sat down. The two chatted for a while, and Liu Jing smiled meaningfully: "I heard from the princess that the Tao family purchased a large amount of land in Chang'an the year before last, and the land price is now high.  The skyrocketing price has made a fortune, so congratulations!  " Tao Sheng's heart skipped a beat. He heard something in the King of Han's words.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 897 Tao Family¡¯s Choice

    Tao Sheng is no longer the profit-seeking businessman he once was. He has deeply understood his father's teachings before his death. If the Tao family wants to transform from a businessman to a wealthy family, they must make huge sacrifices and completely give up the profitable trade.  Development towards the land.  To this end, the Tao family auctioned thousands of large and small ships in Jingzhou and hundreds of warehouses along the Yangtze River at low prices. The Tao family shipyard disappeared and dozens of small shipyards sprang up. However, the Tao family had been doing business in Jiangnan for decades.  Years ago, it was deeply rooted and powerful. Although the shipping companies disappeared, there were still more than two dozen trading houses and hundreds of warehouses in various places. More importantly, there were thousands of loyal clerks and their families, which affected the survival of nearly ten thousand people.  Eat, so there is no rush at the moment. The Tao family still needs time to slowly change careers.  However, the identity change of the Tao family could not be delayed any longer. Tao Sheng moved the family temple from Xiangyang to Chang'an at the beginning of the year. This meant that the Tao family was no longer a large family in Jingzhou, but one of the gentry in Chang'an.  In order to establish a foothold in Chang'an, Tao Sheng made two major decisions. One was that the Tao family spent a lot of money to build Tao Academy, hired famous Confucian professors from Guanzhong at high prices, and selected hundreds of bright and outstanding young students from poor families in Guanzhong to enter.  Not only does the academy charge no money for studying, it also provides free food and accommodation, and monthly subsidies are provided to the students' families. All the children of the Tao family also have to study in the academy.  The second major decision was the purchase of Xifeng Villa, which covers an area of ??several hundred hectares in Fufeng County. As the ancestral estate of the Tao family, it has been passed down from generation to generation, giving the Tao family a foundation in Guanzhong.  In addition, Tao Sheng also made many decisions that were beneficial to the Tao family's foothold in Guanzhong, such as marrying the famous Du family in Chang'an, having Tao Li's eldest son Tao Yong marry the Du family's daughter, and purchasing real estate in Chang'an.  This was also the point where Tao Sheng had a sharp vision. He was optimistic about Liu Jing's prospects of seizing Guanzhong, and also deduced that Liu Jing would move the capital to Chang'an. Therefore, when people in Chang'an were panicking and selling land at low prices, he bought a lot of land, buying more than 10,000 yuan.  Now the land price in Chang'an has risen to 20 taels of gold per mu, and land is still hard to find. Tao Sheng made more than ten times the profit by changing hands.  However, Tao Sheng also knew in his heart that Chang'an, unlike other cities, would be the capital of the Han Dynasty. It might not be a good thing for him to colonize such a large amount of land. Even if Liu Jing didn't care, it would be detrimental to the reputation of the Tao family, so he discussed with his eldest son Tao Zheng to  Half of the land was donated to the government as land for official residences.  Even so, he still had six to seven thousand acres of homestead land in his hands, which made him really uneasy. You must know that Liu Jing had been cracking down on the rural tyrants. When he was in Chengdu, he forced hundreds of large households to sell half of their farmland. The Tao family  After buying hundreds of hectares of manor in Fufeng County and hoarding residential land in Chang'an, how did Liu Jing view the Tao family?  Tao Sheng has always been uneasy about this matter. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing arrived today and pointed out the Tao family's hoarding of land in Chang'an. This made Tao Sheng's heart beat wildly. The thing he was most worried about finally came to light.  Tao Sheng was nervous and said cautiously: "Your Highness, the Tao family did not buy the land to make money. The Tao family already has enough wealth." Liu Jing felt the tension in Tao Sheng's heart, so she smiled lightly and said: "The Tao family  He made outstanding contributions to the development of the Han army, including now, the Tao family¡¯s shops and restaurants in various places are still contributing to the Han army. I will never forget these, so I also hope that the Tao family itself can develop and realize the old man¡¯s long-cherished wish during his lifetime.  I will give my full support to becoming a famous noble family in the world. However, the Tao family has a special status and is the princess's natal family, so I hope that the Tao family can strictly discipline themselves." Tao Sheng nodded, "The princess also requests the same. We are very strict with our children.  Strictly, in the academy, he is just like other children from poor families, with a simple diet, simple clothes and a poor house, nothing special at all" "I know all these, and I have done a good job, but these are just small details, the key is some big aspects, my father-in-law understands  "What do I mean?" Tao Sheng smiled bitterly, how could he not understand that in a big way, it meant land, but Xifeng Manor had become the ancestral property of the Tao family, so how could he hand it over again.  Liu Jing smiled again and said: "With the Tao family's financial resources and status, as well as its contribution to the Han army, I think owning a villa is not a big problem and everyone can understand it. However, the skyrocketing land prices in Chang'an have made it difficult for the poor to gain a foothold.  I can't sleep well!" As expected, it's a matter of land in Chang'an. Since Liu Jing agreed to Xifeng Villa, he has to give in on land of Chang'an. Tao Sheng pondered and said, "I told His Highness just now.  "The Tao family did not buy the land in Chang'an to make money, so I decided to set aside 500 acres of land to build the academy, and donated all the remaining land to the government for free as official residence land." Liu Jing shook her head, "The Tao family spent a lot of money on this land."  The purchase of more than 10,000 acres of land with money and grain is worth at least more than 200,000 taels of gold. The Tao family has suffered too much, so let¡¯s do this! I will compensate the Tao family ten times and use 1,000 hectares of fertile land in Lingzhou.¡± After that,  Liu Jing looked at Tao Sheng with a smile. Tao Sheng was speechless for a long time.A thousand hectares of land equals a hundred thousand acres, which sounds very tempting, but he decided to recruit a large number of farmers at high prices to farm in Lingzhou. This would be a loss-making business for at least ten years.  Tao Sheng had no choice but to nod and say: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness!" Liu Jing stopped mentioning the matter, turned the topic back to Tao Sheng and said with a smile: "I also want to ask my father-in-law about the skyrocketing land prices in Chang'an, which has caused public resentment.  Boiling, is there any way to suppress the land price without harming the interests of the people of Chang'an?" Tao Sheng then realized that Liu Jing wanted to suppress the land price in Chang'an, so he first let go of his land before he could devote himself to making plans.  Tao Sheng thought for a while and said with a smile: "It sounds difficult to suppress land prices without harming the interests of Chang'an people, but I have a way to take care of both ends." Liu Jing was overjoyed, "Father-in-law, please  "Say!" "The price of land in Chang'an has skyrocketed because the Han Dynasty will make Chang'an its capital, and Chang'an will become the capital of the world, so countless wealthy families from all over the world come to Chang'an to buy land and houses. Everyone hopes that their family can have a property in the capital.  However, there is not much land in Chang'an, so land prices have risen sharply. Now it is even difficult to find land. The only way to break this situation is to expand Chang'an City so that Chang'an has enough land supply, and land prices will naturally come down. " "  But in this way, the interests of the people of Chang'an have been harmed. The land that was originally worth sixty taels of gold has suddenly become twenty taels. Everyone will point at my backbone, Liu Jing, and scold me." Tao Sheng's eyes narrowed with a smile.  A crack, "This is the way of business. The same goods must be distinguished between high and low, and the price of land is the same. What I said about expanding the land of Chang'an does not mean simply expanding the city. Your Highness can build a medium-sized city on each of the east, west, and south sides.  , should not be too far apart. Within a quarter of an hour, the road connecting Chang'an should be built wide and flat. The land is controlled by the government and can be sold to the poor in Chang'an at a low price. I believe that those noble families would rather spend more money to buy land in Chang'an City.  I don't want to live with the poor, so that the rich and the poor will be separated, and the poor will have a foothold in Chang'an." Liu Jing nodded and praised sincerely, "As expected of the head of the Tao family, he really did not disappoint me.  " Seeing that it was already late, Liu Jing stood up and said with a smile: "The Tao family is one of the best businessmen in the world, with extraordinary business acumen. It would be a pity to give up like this. I advise the Tao family to look further and look further.  To do business in the Western Regions and the more distant West, I hope that the Silk Road will not only include the barbarians in the Western Regions, but also the big merchants in the Central Plains. If the Han army captures a thousand camels on the battlefield, I will reward them all to the Tao family. "  Tao Sheng returned to his home with a lot of worries. He met with Liu Jing today, but he was not happy. It was not because of the land issue. With the Tao family's strong financial resources, he did not pay attention to that little land. The key was  Liu Jing gave him 100,000 acres of fertile land in Lingzhou, and finally Liu Jing proposed that the Tao family do Western business. These two things put Tao Sheng in a dilemma.  Returning to the study, Tao Sheng immediately ordered people to find his brother Tao Li and his eldest son Tao Zheng. After a while, the two came to Tao Sheng's study one after another. Tao Sheng first asked Tao Li: "How are the two houses decorated?"  We are working hard. The house in Longwang Lane will be completed the day after tomorrow. Guhuai Mansion needs to be decorated a little more, and it will take at least five days. " Tao Sheng suddenly remembered something. His brother had invested a lot of money in Guhuai Mansion, and Dragon King had spent a lot of money on it.  However, he didn't pay much attention to the building in the lane and just repaired it randomly. This made Tao Sheng feel a little strange. Why are the two mansions so different?  He was about to ask, but Tao Li winked at him. Tao Sheng was startled, then looked at the eldest son sitting next to him, and stopped asking. He sighed and told about Liu Jing's meeting with him today.  After going through it again, he finally said helplessly: "These two things really trouble me. What's the use of me coming here to have 100,000 acres of Lingzhou land? Also, we are asked to do business in the Western Region. To be honest, I just don't want the Tao family to do anything anymore."  Doing business." At this time, Tao Zheng looked at his father strangely, "Don't you know?" "What do you know?" "What are you hiding from me?" "Father, I'm afraid the child will become Ren Ling.  "Wait a minute!" Tao Sheng was confused and said anxiously: "Aren't you the governor of Jingzhao? Why did you do something wrong and you were demoted to Lingzhou?  What does Lingzhou Economic Envoy mean? " "Father, the child has done nothing wrong. Moreover, he was not demoted but promoted. Lingzhou Economic Envoy is one level higher than the Governor. Even Ma Liang, the Governor of Chengdu, is  He was appointed as the strategic envoy to Shangjun to restore the production and population in the pass. " Tao Sheng then realized that it was no wonder that Liu Jing wanted to give the Tao family 100,000 acres of land in Lingzhou. It turned out that his son would be appointed as the strategic envoy of Lingzhou.  , he thought for a while and then said: "Although it is an improvement, if we want to restore Lingzhou's economy??, it will take at least twenty years. Do you have to stay in Lingzhou for these twenty years?  "    "No!  No!  It doesn¡¯t take twenty years, I only need to stay for one term, which is five years. The King of Han made me a promise that in five years, I will take up an important position in Pingzhangtai.  " "Does the King of Han agree to let you become the prime minister?  " Tao Sheng was so excited that his voice trembled. If he takes up an important position in Pingzhangtai, wouldn't that mean he will be appointed as the Prime Minister? Oh my God! The Tao family is going to leave the Prime Minister's office. Tao Zheng smiled bitterly and said: "Maybe he will be appointed as the Minister of Secretariat first.  According to the custom, to become the prime minister, one must hold an important position in the court for at least three years. However, I do not meet this requirement, so I think the king of Han refers to the position of minister of minister.  " "That's not bad. You will be able to enter the phase in at least eight years. At that time, you will only be forty-three years old. It is in the prime of life that the Tao family has hope.  " Tao Sheng was so excited that he couldn't calm down. He paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He turned around and said, "I understand what King Han means. King Han wants our Tao family to participate in the development of Lingzhou. I have decided that in addition to one hundred thousand acres of land,  I also want to lease another one million acres of fertile land, and our Tao family will pay to recruit farmers. This is something we have to do even if we lose money.  "At this time, Tao Li smiled and said: "I'm afraid the King of Han also knows that we will spend a lot of money to develop Lingzhou, and is worried that we will not have enough financial resources, so he asked us to do Western business, use the Silk Road to make huge profits, and use the profits from the West to subsidize Lingzhou  , so the King of Han gave us a thousand camels to the Tao family.  " Tao Sheng was stunned for a moment, then slapped his forehead hard, "Why didn't I think of that!  Tao Sheng thought for a long time and said to Tao Li: "Issue the Pisces Order, ordering the business executives from various places to arrive in Chang'an within twenty days."  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 898 The Arrival of Envoy Cao

    Tao Zheng retreated first, leaving only Tao Sheng and his brother Tao Li in the room. At this time, Tao Sheng asked: "I wanted to ask you about the Guhuai Mansion just now, why did you wink at me?" Tao Li also knew this.  Sooner or later, the matter could not be hidden from his brother, so he could only sigh and said: "Originally, I promised the King of Han that I would not tell anyone about this matter. If you must ask me, you must first know the consequences of this matter." "What exactly is it?  What's the matter?" Tao Sheng's expression became more and more shocked, "You can't hide it from me." Tao Li's expression was extremely serious. Seeing that his brother didn't understand his warning, he couldn't help but said coldly: "Brother, if this matter is leaked out.  , The Tao family will no longer be trusted by the King of Han, and it will even affect Zheng'er's career." Tao Sheng finally came to his senses. He walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then lowered his head and thought for a long time, and finally said in a deep voice: "  I promise you, I am the only one who knows about this matter, and I will never tell anyone, including your sister-in-law.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Tao Li nodded and said, ¡°Because Guhuai Mansion is the future Qiao Mansion.  "It's for Da Qiao, do you understand?" Tao Sheng was extremely surprised. "Brother, I didn't say anything."  "It took Tao Sheng a while to recover from his surprise. For Tao Sheng, who had been dealing with Jiangdong for a long time, he certainly knew that Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao were the most beautiful people in the world. Even Cao Cao had thought about them for a long time, but he didn't expect that Liu Jing would.  I also took a fancy to these sisters.  Not only did she marry Xiao Qiao as a concubine, but she also seemed to have something to do with Da Qiao. But the problem Tao Li mentioned was not here, but that Da Qiao might become Liu Jing's housewife.  Once this kind of thing is leaked, it will not only affect Liu Jing's reputation, Tao Zhan will definitely be angry. With Tao Zhan's temper, once she falls out with Liu Jing, she may not be able to protect her position as princess, not to mention Sun Shangxiang and Cao Xian.  A very threatening woman, Tao Sheng finally understood why his brother warned him repeatedly.  After a long time, Tao Sheng nodded slowly and said, "You are right, only our two brothers can know about this matter, and we must not tell any third person, including Zheng'er and your sister-in-law."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Early the next morning, Liu Jing submitted the government plan within the pass to Pingzhangtai. He did not restore the name of the Han Dynasty counties, but established four strategic areas: Shangjun, Beidi, Anding and Lingzhou, and selected senior officers from each county.  The prefect of Chengdu, Ma Liang, was the economic envoy to Shangjun. Su Fei, the prefect of Changsha County, was the economic envoy to the north. Yi Ji, the prefect of Wuling County, was the economic envoy to Anding. Tao Zheng, the prefect of Jingzhao, was the economic envoy to Lingzhou.  Use it briefly.  Each economic envoy was ranked higher than the prefect, and was granted the title of Tinghou, with a term of five years. After five years, each of them would be transferred back to the court and entrusted with important tasks based on their political performance. In order to attract Han people from all over the country to reclaim land in the pass, Pingzhangtai of the Han State gave each  Ding was granted two hundred acres of land and was given tax exemption for ten years.  The news spread throughout the world along with the proclamation. Many people in Guan Nei who had been exiled to the Central Plains and Jiangdong were so excited when they heard the news that they returned to their hometowns with their families. The old people, regardless of their age, wanted to die in their ancestral homeland even if they died.  .  At this time, Cao Cao's special envoy Chen Qun also arrived in Chang'an City. This was a delicate moment when the relationship between the two sides was breaking down or continuing after the Han-Hungarian War, so Chen Qun's arrival was particularly important.  Of course, nominally Chen Qun came here for the marriage of Liu and Cao, and Liu Jing had sent Ping gifts before, so the last two steps of the six rites, the appointment and the personal welcome, must be put on the agenda.  Chen Qun was accompanied by Liu Du, Marquis of Yiyang. Liu Du was the father of Liu Xian, the governor of Nanjun, and Liu Biao's younger brother. After Liu Jing unified Jingzhou, Liu Du volunteered to stay in Yedu as a representative of the royal family of Jingzhou.  .  This time Liu Jing and Cao Cao got married, Cao Cao specially asked Liu Du to be the witness of the marriage. It was also the end of the year, and Liu Du wanted to come to Chang'an to have a look, so he came to Chang'an with Chen Qun to discuss the details of marrying Cao Xian.  detail.  Chen Qun also knew that Liu Du did not participate in the political affairs of the Han Dynasty. Along the way, Chen Qun did not discuss military affairs with him. They only discussed knowledge and talked about the marriage between Liu and Cao, and they got along well with him along the way.  Early that morning, the envoy team arrived at Chang'an City. They were still several miles away from the city gate. They happened to encounter thousands of Xiongnu prisoners of war constructing official roads. The official roads were dusty and very lively. Chen Qun looked at these Xiongnu prisoners of war strangely. He noticed that they were surrounded by  There were not many Han soldiers supervising, and many Xiongnu soldiers had a chance to escape, but they seemed to work very hard and had no intention of escaping, which puzzled Chen Qun.  At this moment, a group of cavalry galloped over, and the leader was none other than Hongluqing Liu Min. Liu Min raised his hands on the horse and said with a smile: "Mr. Changwen, you are well here!" Chen Qun quickly smiled and said in return: "This  This time we came here specifically to get married. We are getting married, so congratulations! ¡± Liu ?He met Liu Du again and said to the two of them: "You two have worked hard all the way, please come with me to the post house to rest." Perhaps because of his age, Liu Du has a bit of a weird temper. In his early years, he had a relationship with Liu Min's father  Liu Xian has a very good relationship. They have been familiar with each other since Liu Min was a child. He felt that Liu Min was a little neglectful of him. His face sank and he said unhappily: "I want to see His Highness the King of Han now. Is it convenient?" Liu Min saw it.  He looked unhappy and said with a smile: "Uncle Shi must go to see His Highness the King of Han now. That's okay, but I need to report first. If you two don't feel tired all the way, just follow me to Weiyang Palace." Chen Qun also  He said with a smile: "In that case, let's go to see His Highness the King of Han first." "Please come with me, both of you!" Liu Min ordered his men to take the envoy and his entourage to the post house to rest first, while he turned his horse around and took Chen Qun and Liu with him.  The two of them headed west along the city wall.  Chen Qun also found that many Huns were building the moat, and there were not many soldiers guarding the city. He couldn't bear it anymore, so he urged his horse forward and asked with a smile: "Mr. Liu, I found many Huns prisoners of war working as laborers along the way.  Of course this is normal, but it seems that there are very few soldiers guarding them. Aren't the Han army afraid of them fleeing? "Liu Min smiled slightly and said: "Mr. Chen doesn't know. The Huns' labor is divided into two categories. One category requires close monitoring.  , most of them are building city walls in Chang'an City, and the other type is the relaxed type, which is also the majority of Xiongnu prisoners of war. They are working outside the city, dredging water conservancy channels, or building official roads, etc., so there is no need to worry about them escaping. " "Why don't you worry about them.  "Escape?" "Because their families are here, and they have sworn that they are willing to become civilians in three years. Only a small number of the family members of the Hun prisoners of war are not here, and they refuse to swear, so they must be strictly monitored."  Chen Qun nodded and then understood. He was a little worried. This time he went to Chang'an as an envoy and had an additional task, which was to exchange for Liu Bao's more than 10,000 Bingzhou Xiongnu. I wonder if Liu Jing would agree to it.  This exchange.  Soon everyone arrived at Weiyang Palace. Liu Min led the two of them into the palace to rest. He smiled and said: "You two, please sit down for a moment. I will go and report to His Highness the King of Han." He bowed and hurried away. Liu Duwang  After watching him go away, he sighed and said to Chen Qun: "After all, I am also an uncle of the Han royal family, and I can be regarded as a veteran royal family of the Han Dynasty. How come I ended up like my husband and became a foreign envoy?" Chen Qun smiled and comforted him: "  It should be that the Han Dynasty does not have the corresponding etiquette system. Liu Shijun does not know how to arrange the elders. Please wait a moment. I believe that he will not neglect the elders again after asking the Queen of Han. "Liu Du sighed:  "I hope so!" Not long after, Liu Min came back in a hurry. He saluted Chen Qun and said, "His Royal Highness the King of Han said that Mr. Cao is the envoy of Duke Cao and needs to choose an auspicious day to receive him. Tomorrow is an auspicious day. Mr. will go back to the posthouse to rest tomorrow.  The King of Han will formally receive him in the morning. "What about me?" Liu Du asked loudly, his face extremely dissatisfied.  Liu Min smiled slightly, "You are one of our own, so you don't have to pay so much attention to etiquette. Please follow me to see the King of Han now!" Liu Du has been very disappointed in the past few years, not because he has been discriminated against and treated coldly in Ye.  , on the contrary, he is highly respected by the royal family in Yedu, and can be said to be the most popular figure among the royal family. Because he is the representative of the royal family of Han Dynasty, everyone flatters him and hopes that he can represent them in front of Liu Jing.  Say something nice to get the most benefit.  Liu Du's trouble lies in this. He is a respected royal family, but he does not get the corresponding power and status. In the Han Dynasty, except for his son Liu Xian who serves as the prefect of Nanjun, he has no status or any power.  As time goes by, the royal family of Yedu will gradually see through his name and he will fall from the sky to the ground. He cannot bear this loss. This time when he came to Chang'an from the west, he just hoped to get some benefits, at least Liu Jing could give him  He has a status.  Liu Du was very angry at first. When he arrived outside Liu Jing's official room, his anger disappeared and turned into an indescribable anxiety and uneasiness.  In fact, Liu Du was not confused. He knew that he had not done much. He never wrote any report to the King of Han. Even many royal families wanted to come to Chang'an to meet the King of Han, but he tried his best to stop them. He was afraid that these royal families would go to Chang'an.  , his intermediate role is lost.  At this time, an official came out, bowed to him and said: "His Royal Highness, please come in!" Liu Du took a deep breath and quickly walked into the official room. The official room was very simple, and there was only one person in the large room.  On the table in the cupboard, Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, was sitting at the table writing quickly and reviewing documents.  Liu Du hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "The humble minister Liu Du pays homage to His Highness the King of Han. His Highness is a thousand years old, a thousand years old, a thousand years old!""Uncle, no courtesy, please sit down!" Liu Jing put down his pen and asked Liu Du to sit down with a smile on his face. Liu Du felt anxious and sat down on the soft mat beside him. At this time, an employee came in and served tea. Liu Jing picked up the tea  He took a sip of tea from his teacup and asked, "It has been almost four years since my third uncle went to Yedu!" "Yes! It will be four years in two months. Time flies really fast, just like yesterday.  "It's the same as what happened just now." "How do you feel about the third uncle in Ye? I heard from Brother Xian that the third uncle seems to be doing well and is well respected by the Yedu royal family." Liu Du's face turned red and he couldn't say anything for a long time.  In a word, these are the reports he should write, but he has never written them. Liu Jing saw his embarrassment, smiled and said: "It takes time to accumulate connections! Third uncle always needs time to accumulate contacts, but I  I really want to know how Liu Cong and Mrs. Cai are doing now?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 899 Proposal in front of the palace

    Two tribesmen, Liu Fang and Liu Yi, came from Yedu and brought some news about Liu Cong and Mrs. Cai, but that was three years ago. Three years later, I don't know how they are doing now.  Liu Du shook his head and said: "At first, Mrs. Cai remarried Xia Houyi, Xia Houyuan's younger brother. Unexpectedly, Xia Houyi died of illness at the beginning of the year, and Mrs. Cai became a widow again. But this time, I am afraid it will not be easy for her to remarry.  " "Why?" Liu Jing asked in confusion.  "Everyone in Yedu said that Mrs. Cai had a traitor to her husband. First, General Zhennan was killed by her, and then she married Xia Houyi. Xia Houyi was as strong as an ox, but he died of tuberculosis just a few years after marrying her. Let me ask, Ye  Who dares to marry her again?" Liu Jing laughed, and asked: "How is Liu Cong?" "He is doing well now. He has a good relationship with Cao Pi, and he often takes care of him, twice this year.  After being received by the emperor, he was granted the title of Duke of Xiangyang, but His Highness might not recognize him when he saw him. " Liu Jing sneered in her heart. He was actually granted the title of Duke of Xiangyang. This is because Cao Cao is disgusting with himself!  Liu Jing smiled quietly and said: "It is said that he is very fat and can't even walk. Is that true?"  When I saw him again, I was shocked. Let's put it this way: I couldn't find the eyes on his face. "Third uncle, did you meet Liu Cong last month?" Liu Jing asked with a faint smile.  Liu Du knew he had made a mistake, but he didn't know what to say for a while. He smiled bitterly after a while and said: "A month ago, the emperor recruited me into the palace. In the palace, I met Liu Cong. He was also recruited by the emperor.  Palace." Liu Jing did not speak, waiting for Liu Du to continue. Liu Du had to say: "There are currently two southern royal families in Yedu, one is the Jingxiang royal family headed by Liu Cong, who surrendered that year.  Cao Cao, there are more than a dozen royals following him, and I am on the other side. The Holy One summoned us to discuss the day of sacrifice. The Holy One suggested that the southern royal family should unite to hold clan sacrifices in the Luoyang ancestral temple this year. "Liu Du really couldn't go on.  Well, it was obvious that the emperor was targeting Liu Jing. He knew that Liu Jing could not go to Luoyang, so he deliberately excluded Liu Jing. Liu Du could still recall the deep-seated hatred that Liu Xie had when he mentioned Liu Jing, even more so than towards Cao Cao.  To hate.  Liu Du added: "So I rushed back to Chang'an, hoping that your highness can hold the ancestral temple ceremony in Chang'an to compete with the Luoyang clan sacrifice." A look of disdain flashed in Liu Jing's eyes, and he said lightly: "The expenses of the war between the Han army and the Xiongnu  It is too big and the finances are tight, so I ask the officials in all parts of the Han Dynasty to practice strict economy and cut off all unnecessary expenses, including sacrifices, so Chang'an will not hold any ancestral temple festivals. If everyone wants to go to Luoyang, then I will not object.  "Liu Du could only sigh helplessly. He felt that this interview had come to an end, but he still had the most important thing left to say. Who was he in the Han Kingdom?  After hesitating for a while, Liu Ducai whispered: "Wei Chen is very popular in Ye because the royal family thinks that I am the representative of His Highness. Maybe this is a misunderstanding. Do I want to clarify this with them?"  Liu Du took retreat to advance, hinting to Liu Jing's own importance and also hinting to Liu Jing that it was time for him to give himself a position. Liu Jing understood what he meant and smiled and said: "I intend to make my third uncle a Situ, but  I am just a vassal state in Han Dynasty, and I have no right to grant three titles. However, since the emperor recognizes me as the same prince, then the Han Dynasty can have a young master, a young master and a young security officer. If the third uncle does not dislike it, he will be given the position of young security officer.  "Liu Du was overjoyed. Although Shaobao was only an honorary position, his status was very high. With this status, he would be more at home in Yedu. "Wei Chen thanked His Highness for the gift and did not disturb His Highness. Wei Chen took his leave.  "Liu Du slowly retreated. Liu Jing looked at him walking away and then sneered. If it weren't for the need to win over the royal family, he would not give the position of Taibao to this person who only wants to benefit himself, but never  People who are willing to work hard for themselves.  At this time, a guard walked forward quickly and reported to Liu Jing in a low voice: "Your Highness, King of Han, there is a person coming from outside the palace. He said he came from Kuaiji County and asked to see His Highness on the order of congratulations to Qi." Liu Jing was slightly startled.  , He Qi actually sent an envoy. He pondered for a moment and then said: "Bring him in." After a while, the guards brought a thin middle-aged man in. The man came forward and knelt down, bowed and said: "Yu Wang  On the order of General He Qi, I came to see His Highness!  Liu Jing asked him to stand up with a smile, and then asked: "Is Mr. related to Yu Zhongxiang of Kuaiji?"  " "Reporting to Your Highness, Yu Fan is my brother.  Liu Jing nodded, "Are you here on behalf of General He Qi?"  " " Exactly!  "Yu Wang took out a letter from his arms and handed it over respectfully, "This is a letter from General He Qi to His Highness. Congratulations.?The general is willing to do whatever he can to help His Highness unify the world.  ¡± In the afternoon, Chen Qun, led by Honglu and Liu Min, entered Weiyang Palace in a light carriage pulled by a single horse. The carriages were cluttered on the snow-covered horse road, but Chen Qun looked up at the magnificent halls and palaces.  Among the other buildings, he even saw a more imposing building, the Mingtang Piyong, which symbolized imperial power and etiquette. Chen Qun was deeply moved. He did not think that Liu Jing was overstepping and dared to use Weiyang Palace to promote the development of the Han Dynasty.  Today, it has occupied half of the country. In the minds of many people, it is the continuation of the Han Dynasty, but the real imperial court is dying out. People talk more about the Wei Kingdom. In fact, when Cao Cao lived in the Tongque Palace, he overran  It is no longer a point of criticism for Chen Qun. He felt that a prosperous age was coming, and the majesty of the Han Dynasty re-emerged in his heart, and he recalled the scenes he saw along the way.  With such a prosperous scene, he vaguely felt that Chang'an should be his destination. The carriage stopped in front of a smaller palace. Liu Min got off the carriage first, stepped forward and saluted: "Sir, please follow me."  " Chen Qun raised his eyes and took a closer look. In front of him was a simple and exquisite palace. The high steps were lined with majestic soldiers on both sides. The plaque above the palace door read two seal characters: 'Cheng Ming'. " Chen Qun  Nodding secretly, it turns out that this is Chengming Hall, but Chengming Hall has been destroyed by the war. It should be a new building, but the materials used do not look like new construction. This makes Chen Qun feel a little strange, Liu Min next to him  He explained with a smile: "After the Weiyang Palace was destroyed by Lu Lin and the Red Eyebrow Army during Wang Mang's period, basically only the dilapidated palaces and ruins remained. It has not been repaired for two hundred years. Most of the palaces we see now were built by Jia Jia.  Military Advisor Reconstruction. In order to save money, Military Advisor Jia demolished all the remaining palaces in Chang'an. The materials obtained were used to rebuild Weiyang Palace. It took a full year to restore 30% of the original Weiyang Palace.  " Chen Qun nodded, "That's it!  " "Sir, please!  " Chen Qun straightened his clothes and quickly followed Liu Min up the high steps, "The King of Han ordered the envoy from Wei to come in!  "The guard shouted, and Chen Qun, surrounded by more than a dozen soldiers, walked into the side hall. There were more than a dozen senior officials of the Han Dynasty sitting on both sides of the side hall, including five ministers and the servant Yin Mo.  There were military advisors Jia Xu, Fazheng and other important officials. Liu Jing, the king of Han, was sitting directly above him. He was wearing a flat-topped crown and a golden royal robe embroidered with unicorns. Liu Min stepped forward and saluted with majesty.  Your Highness, Duke Chen, the envoy from the State of Wei, has been brought!  " Chen Qun quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Chen Qun, the Censor of the Kingdom of Wei, pays homage to His Highness the King of Han!  Liu Jing waved her hand slightly, "Chen Yushi, please take a seat without any courtesy!"  " An attendant brought a soft cushion, and Chen Qun sat down. Liu Jing smiled and said, "Mr. Changwen, we meet again.  "    "yes!  Wei Chen went to Han Dynasty several times as an envoy, and each time Han Dynasty surprised Wei Chen. This time Wei Chen actually saw Weiyang Palace again.  " "Do you feel that the Han Dynasty is too luxurious and seems to be overstepping its bounds?  "Liu Jing asked with a smile. Chen Qun shook his head, "The image of a king, arrogant in the world, made the ministers see the hope of the revival of the Han Dynasty.  " "We have not yet unified the world, how can we talk about the revival of the Han Dynasty?  Yushi Chen is overly praised.  "Liu Jing smiled, changed the topic and asked: "I heard that Mr. is presiding over the compilation of "Wei Lv", has it been completed?  "There is still some time left. If His Highness does not think that Wei Chen is academically scornful, Wei Chen has brought the draft of the Wei Code for His Highness to take a look at."  " "I am very willing to appreciate Mr.'s works.  " At this time, Sima Yi next to him smiled and said: "Is Chen Yushi's trip here for the marriage of Liu and Cao?  " "It is precisely for this matter that Zhongda sent a gift to Taiyuan last time. The next step is to ask for a date and welcome him in person. The minister came here this time mainly to discuss the gift of a date.  ¡± If they are just discussing marriage, there is no need to receive such a grand reception in the hall. As long as the two parties discuss it in the post house, in fact both parties know that Chen Qun is not just here for marriage. Marriage is just an excuse. He  There is a more important mission. But now Chen Qun didn¡¯t mention it, and Liu Jing didn¡¯t ask any questions. He winked at Jia Xu, and Jia Xu understood it and said with a smile: ¡°The date of request is a negotiation between the two parties. Our husband¡¯s opinion is.  In the spring of next year, when all things are revived and life begins, it is most suitable to form a marriage. I wonder what the woman¡¯s opinion is?  " Chen Qun also smiled and said: "Wei Gong also means the same thing. Spring is the most suitable, but it is not the beginning of spring. It is best to be in mid-spring of April. Firstly, the move of the capital of Han Dynasty has come to an end. Secondly, it is also the busiest time of the year for court affairs.  April has passed, and April is the most leisurely. I wonder if Your Highness would agree?  " After Chen Qun finished speaking, the hall suddenlyThere were whispers on the screen, and the expressions of Jia Xu and Fazheng changed slightly. They looked at each other and they both understood that April is usually the day when war starts. This was Cao Cao's special request in order to delay the possible outbreak of the Battle of Hefei.  Put the wedding date in April.  At this time, Liu Jing said loudly: "Since Wei Gong thinks April is suitable, then it is decided that we can choose an auspicious day in April to welcome the bride." Chen Qun was overjoyed. This was actually a test by Cao Cao. If the Han army wanted to  If the Battle of Hefei is launched in April or May, then Liu Jing will never agree to welcome the bride at this time.  A rough date for the welcoming ceremony was set, and then there was the issue of Cao Xian's identity. Of course, Cao Cao also knew that it was impossible for his daughter to become the Princess of Han. Liu Jing had already established his son, and no one could shake Tao's position as Princess. Cao Cao could only  If you can, you can settle for the next best thing and ask your daughter to be the concubine of the King of Han.  Liu Jing's ritual system is the same as the prince, and the concubine is Liangdi. There are usually two seats, of which Sun Shangxiang has already occupied one. There is still one vacancy, so naturally it is Cao Xian.  Although this should be the case, Chen Qun still wanted to confirm, "The second thing is about the status of Cao's daughter. Wei Gong respects the original wife of the King of Han, but he also hopes that his daughter can be second to him. I wonder if your highness can make it clear?" No need for Liu Jing to answer,  Sima Yi then smiled and said: "We have discussed this issue and have decided that the concubine on the left side of the Han Dynasty will be the Sun family, and the concubine on the right side is still lacking. Given the dignity of Wei Gong, his daughter will naturally be the concubine on the right side."  Honored, upper left and lower right, the left concubine is Sun Shangxiang. Although Cao Xian is Cao Cao's daughter, she can only be on the right, not as Chen Qun said, second only to the princess and half a step lower than the left concubine.  Chen Qun was helpless. The other party had made a decision, so there was no room for bargaining. He had no choice but to nod, "I will truthfully inform Mr. Wei of your decision." At this time, Liu Jing asked with a smile: "Mr.  Is there anything else you need to do when you are on a mission to the Han Dynasty?" Chen Qun quickly leaned over and said, "In addition to discussing marriage, Wei Chen also wants to discuss two small matters with the Han Dynasty." "Mr.  Please tell me!" Chen Qun thought for a while and said with a smile: "The battle against the Xiongnu is over. Both sides have achieved a great victory. The people of the world are all rejoicing, but the things behind it are very complicated. I think the Han Dynasty also understands this deeply."  He smiled and said: "Sir, you are right. Pingzhangtai really understands it deeply." "Compared to the Han Dynasty, we have it much easier, but we have problems when dealing with the Huns prisoners of war. I hope your country can give you some help."  We help." Liu Jing already understood what he was going to say, but he still said calmly: "Sir, please continue." "As for the Xiongnu prisoners of war, we captured more than 200,000 old and weak women and children, and 10,000.  There are many Xiongnu soldiers, but the main force of the Bingzhou Xiongnu is in Bingzhou. I heard that the Han army captured about 20,000 Bingzhou Xiongnu. Can you hand over these prisoners of war to us? "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 900 Persuading Chen Qun to Surrender

    Chen Qun returned to the guesthouse where he was staying in frustration. He finally made two requests, but Liu Jing declined them. The first was that he hoped that the Han State would hand over the Huns prisoners of war in Bingzhou to the Wei State. Liu Jing did not agree, but asked them to  The Huns, women, children, old and weak, were all handed over to the Han. Both sides wanted to compete for the population of more than 200,000.  Secondly, he wanted to sign a reconciliation agreement, which was the reconciliation reached between the two parties last time when Cao Pi was on a mission to Han. Liu and Cao would marry and jointly deal with the Huns. Secondly, Han would stop the Battle of Hefei and withdraw its troops from Chaohu. A total of three consensuses were reached.  But it was only a verbal agreement at that time, and this time Chen Qun went to Han Dynasty in the hope of signing a formal written agreement, so as to avoid the outbreak of the Battle of Hefei. This was the real purpose of Chen Qun's mission to Han Dynasty, to avoid or delay the Han Dynasty as much as possible  During the army's attack on Hefei, Liu Jing refused Chen Qun's request on the grounds that the Xiongnu Campaign was over, which meant that the possibility of the Hefei Campaign increasing.  In the room, Chen Qun paced back and forth with his hands behind his hands, carefully recalling all the details of today's court meeting, thereby inferring Liu Jing's true intention. He recalled that when he proposed to marry in April, it caused a slight commotion in the court, especially Jia Xu and Fazheng.  Both of them were shocked. Obviously they were very sensitive to this timing. Did the Han army really plan to attack Hefei in April?  Just as he was thinking about it, a confidant came hurriedly and said in a low voice: "Report to Zhongcheng, Song Jin has sent someone." Song Jin is the intelligence chief of Wei State in Han State, appointed by Cao Pi to replace the original Yang  Tim, this time Chen Qun went on a mission to Han to get some information from them.  Chen Qun nodded, "Bring him to see me!" After a while, the entourage led a thin man into the room. The man knelt down and saluted: "Zhang Yang, a humble official, pays homage to Zhongcheng!" Zhang Yang is the former Zhang Luer.  , they had moved from Chengdu to Chang'an, and Zhang Luer was promoted to deputy commander before Yang Tian left. Chen Qun sat down and said: "No courtesy!" Zhang Yang stood up and said again: "I came here in the afternoon to talk about Zhong Cheng  Went to Weiyang Palace. " "Yeah!" Chen Qun snorted. He was unhappy when he saw that Zhang Yang looked ugly and had the head of a donkey, so he asked: "You have been doing things very badly recently, which makes the eldest son dissatisfied.  , do you know what your problem is?" Of course Zhang Yang knew that when Yang Tian was in office, he obtained the records of Pingzhangtai, but they were no longer available. It was normal for Cao Pi to be dissatisfied. He sighed helplessly and said: "The main thing is  Lin Sheng, Liu Jing's Cangcao chief, was promoted to Shuofang County Prime Minister and transferred away from Chang'an. We lost an important source of intelligence, but we are also actively looking for new sources of intelligence. " "This has nothing to do with me, I'm just here.  Convey the order of the eldest son, ordering you to get the Han army's battle plan for Hefei before the end of the year. If you fail to complete it, you will be punished according to military law!" Zhang Yang was so frightened that his face changed, and he said after a while: "We will do our best."  At this moment, the entourage just now rushed into the courtyard and reported: "Report to Zhongcheng, Sima Yi is outside asking for an audience!" Chen Qun was startled, why did Sima Yi come? He quickly ordered: "Invite him to your guest room.  Sit down for a while and say I'll be here soon." After his entourage, Chen Qun asked Zhang Yang, "What else do you want to say?" "The other thing is that we don't have enough funds. Please tell the eldest son that we don't have enough funds.  I can¡¯t buy a lot of information.¡± ¡°I know!¡± Chen Qun really hates this person. He just complained that he didn¡¯t have enough money when he didn¡¯t do anything. I¡¯m afraid it was a big mistake for the eldest son to use this kind of person to collect information about the Han Dynasty.  Ignoring Zhang Yang, he groaned heavily, stood up and walked out.  In the guest hall, Sima Yi was drinking tea and waiting calmly. He had just come from the Weiyang Palace. There were some things that he couldn't tell Chen Qunming in the hall and needed to be discussed in detail after meeting in private.  At this time, Chen Qun quickly walked into the hall, cupped his hands and said, "Sima Shangshu has been waiting for a long time." "Where! Where! Sima Yi disturbed Zhong Cheng's rest." After the two greeted them, they sat down, and Sima Yi smiled and said: "There are only a few people in the court.  The date for the wedding has been roughly set, but there are still many specific details that have not been discussed in detail with Zhongcheng. I was entrusted by the King of Han to discuss the details of the wedding with Zhongcheng in detail. "Although Liu Du claimed to be the man who presided over the marriage between Liu and Cao,  But Chen Qun just laughed it off and did not take Liu Du seriously. The marriage between Liu and Cao was actually a major political decision and a political compromise between Liu Jing and Cao Cao. It took nearly three years of negotiation to finally reach it.  The relationship between Liu and Cao has changed from a life-and-death bloody struggle for hegemony to a political struggle with room for success. It is related to the future direction of the entire world and is also for the purpose of maximizing the preservation of the population and economy of the Central Plains.  Therefore, this marriage must be decided by the highest authority of both parties. Liu Du is not qualified. Sima Yi is the real officiant, but now Chen Qun is very confused.?For the moment, he had no time to think about the marriage. He was more concerned about the Battle of Hefei.  He asked anxiously: "Can Zhongda tell me, is the Battle of Hefei really inevitable?" "I know that Chang Wen's real mission on this trip is to avoid the Battle of Hefei, but I really can't answer you. I used to do the same.  Military Advisor, I know that the outbreak of a battle will be inevitable and accidental. If the Wei State must avoid the Battle of Hefei, then Wei Gong must find a way to remove the inevitable conditions for the Battle of Hefei. " "What is it like?" Chen Qun.  asked tentatively.  Sima Yi spread his hands and said with a smile: "I can't answer this question. I think Wei Gong should know it in his heart." Chen Qun nodded silently. At this time, Sima Yi said softly: "I came to see Chang Wen on the order of His Highness the King of Han.  , hoping that Changwen could stay and serve the Han Dynasty. When His Highness the King of Han and Changwen talked about the abolition of corporal punishment, he admired Changwen's talent very much. After the King of Han unified the world, he would formulate the "New Han Code" and hoped that Changwen would  Wen Lai presided over the editing. "Chen Qun didn't say anything for a long time. After a long time, he stood up and bowed to Sima Yi, "Please Zhongda tell His Highness the King of Han that Chen Qun is willing to contribute to the revival of the Han Dynasty, but not now, when the time is right.  , I will definitely come to serve the King of Han." Sima Yi stood up and said with a smile, "I will tell your highness. Also, when will Changwen return?" "I plan to leave tomorrow!" "Okay!  Du, as the special envoy of the King of Han, I am going to talk to Wei Gong about the resettlement of the Huns. "After entering November, there were three consecutive snowstorms in the north, causing deep snow in the vast grassland area from Guanzhong to the Yinshan Mountains.  Three feet, thus trapping Huchuquan's tens of thousands of troops on hundreds of miles of uninhabited plateau.  However, because Longxi is blocked by high mountains such as Liupan Mountain, the snow level is better than that in the areas north of Guanzhong. As long as you are well prepared, you can still travel slowly in the snow. Therefore, you can still see camel caravans stretching for several miles on the official road to Hexi from time to time.  .  That morning, an army of 20,000 cavalry appeared in Zhangye County. This army was led by Zhao Yun as the commander and Pang De as the deputy general. The army set out from Chang'an, bringing a large amount of food and grass, and marched hard for nearly a month.  Arrive at Zhangye County.  The mission of Zhao Yun's westward march this time was to completely annihilate Liu Qubei's core tribe, which was also the third largest tribe of the Xiongnu. There were nearly 300,000 people. They originally lived in the Hetao Plain, but in September, the entire tribe moved there.  After arriving in Juyanhai, Liu Qubei planned to occupy Lingzhou and the Hexi Corridor and establish the Western Xiongnu Empire after defeating the Han army.  But Liu Qubei's dream was finally shattered. They were defeated by the Han army, and he himself died on the straight road. The nearly 300,000 old, weak, women and children who stayed in Juyanhai and the huge wealth in their hands became  A big fat sheep without the protection of an army.  Liu Jing knew that many forces were interested in this big fat sheep, including the Qiang forces in Hexi, the Southern Xiongnu forces in the Yinshan Mountains, the Xianbei forces in Mobei, and the Kushan people in the Western Region. Once spring started,  These forces will pounce on this big fat sheep like a pack of wolves, or this large tribe will leave Juyanhai and move westward.  Therefore, Liu Jing must encircle and annihilate this tribe before the beginning of spring, convert them into Han people, and enrich the population of the counties within the pass.  Zhao Yun's army was still twenty miles away from Zhangye City and slowly stopped. At this time, a soldier pointed ahead and shouted: "General, there is a team coming in front." The sun reflected on the white snow was very dazzling, Zhao Yun held up his hand curtain  Looking into the distance, I saw a group of small black dots appearing on the snow-capped fields. This was either Hu Shang's camel team or the Hexi army.  After a moment, the team approached Zhao Yun's army. It turned out to be a cavalry team with more than a thousand people. The leader was Ma Chao. Liu Jing initially planned to let Ma Chao lead his army north to Juyanhai, but later he considered that Ma Chao's troops would attract Hexi troops.  The interests of the Qiang people appealed, and a massacre would occur if they were not careful. In the end, Liu Jing decided to let Zhao Yun lead the army to encircle and annihilate Liu Qubei's tribe.  Although Ma Chao had some objections to this, he still obeyed Liu Jing's arrangement and let him assist Zhao Yun in completing the great migration of the Huns.  Ma Chao urged his horse forward and saluted Zhao Yun and said with a smile: "I thought Zilong would not be able to get through, but I didn't expect the army to enter Hexi. It was a hard journey." In terms of military official positions, Zhao Yun and Ma Chao are the same, and Ma Chao is in charge of Zhenxi.  The general was also the governor of Hexi, while Zhao Yun was the general of Zhenbei and the governor of Heshuo, but there was a difference in title. Zhao Yun was granted the title of Marquis of Ji County due to the Huns' victory, while Ma Chao was promoted to the title of Marquis of Xixiang, which was one step lower than Zhao Yun in title.  class.  However, Zhao Yun was modest and low-key, so he smiled back and said: "Although the snow is thick, it is much better than Gaonu County. We marched hard all the way, but we still arrived in Zhangye as planned." Ma Chao smiled slightly, "When we arrived in Zhangye,  It will be much easier to go to Juyanhai again.??.  "    "how do I say this?  " Zhao Yun asked hurriedly. Ma Chao waved his hand and said: "Put up a tent!  " Hundreds of soldiers immediately cleared a piece of land, built a large tent, and spread blankets. Ma Chao smiled at Zhao Yun and said, "Please!  " Zhao Yun nodded, turned around and said to Pang De: "I am ordering the three armies to camp and rest on the spot!  " Zhao Yun followed Ma Chao into the big tent. Dozens of soldiers had already put together a sand table map of Hexi that was three feet long and two feet wide. This sand table took Ma Chao a year to complete. He picked up the wooden poles  Pointing to the east of Zhangye City, he said: "Now we are here!  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 901 Raid on Juyan

    "Captain Ma said it would be much easier for us to go to Juyanhai. He meant that the snowfall north of Zhangye is relatively small. Can we go there in the snow?" Zhao Yun asked puzzledly.  "No! The snowfall in the north of Zhangye is much greater than here, just like Lingzhou." Ma Chao smiled slightly and pointed at the Zhangye River with a wooden pole, "The key is the Zhangye River. At night, the wind on the river is very strong, and the snow will  It blew towards both banks, leaving only a shallow layer of snow on the river. We went north along the river and marched eight hundred miles to the Juyan Sea. " Zhao Yun also grew up in the north, and he knew that there was thick snow on the river in the north.  You can walk on the river through the ice, but you can do it for short distances, but not for long distances. The main reason is that the cold air on the river is too heavy. Over time, the soldiers and horses will not be able to bear it. They have to walk five hundred miles, which makes Zhao Yun think silently.  .  Ma Chao understood his worries and said with a smile: "Don't worry, Zilong. We use the Huns' method and wrap the body tightly with old sheepskins. The cold air on the river will not harm the people and horses. We can travel day and night, and it will last up to ten days."  Then we can reach Juyanhai. I have a lot of old sheepskins here, which have been prepared for the Han soldiers." Zhao Yun felt relieved and asked, "I wonder how many Xiongnu troops there are now?"  There are about 10,000 people, but Zilong doesn't need to worry. These 10,000 people are old and weak, and they won't have much resistance. " Zhao Yun was startled, "How could Governor Ma know?" Ma Chao laughed.  Laugh, "Before the heavy snowfall, the Qiang tribe living in Yanhai fought with the Huns army to compete for pastures. As a result, the Huns army was defeated and withdrew from the pastures to the west. The Qiang people found an opportunity and prepared to unite the tribes.  The army plundered this large Xiongnu tribe of 300,000 people, but a snowstorm happened to prevent them from taking care of the Huns. However, I got news that the Qiang people are preparing to launch an offensive before the New Year, so we don¡¯t have much time. " Zhao Yun.  He frowned, "If that's the case, if we escort the Huns back, will the Qiang people take the opportunity to attack?" "Zilong can rest assured, as long as I am here, the Qiang people will not dare to take action. I will personally lead the army to escort them."  Zilong's army left Hexi. "I don't know why, but Ma Chao's words made Zhao Yun feel a little uncomfortable. Ma Chao could obviously stop the Qiang people from uniting, so why didn't he stop it?  This made Zhao Yun feel that Liu Jing letting Ma Chao sit in Hexi was not the best plan.  At this time, Ma Chao pointed to the south bank of Juyan Sea and said: "There is a military city here, called Juyan City. We have a garrison in Juyan City, about five hundred people. Zilong can contact them first." Zhao Yun.  He nodded and said, "Thank you, Governor Ma, for the arrangement. Tomorrow morning, the army will go directly to Zhangye River!"  As it gets bigger, after entering Jiuquan County, turn north in Huishui County and walk another five hundred miles to Juyanhai.  In the third year of Taichu in the Western Han Dynasty, the strong crossbow general Lu Bode built Juyansai on the south bank of Juyanze, which was called "Zhalu Barrier". Later, he built the Great Wall along the weak water bank to connect Jiuquansai, and it became an important garrison and fortification town in the past dynasties.  Juyan County is the administrative seat under the jurisdiction of the captain of Zhangye County.  But after the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the imperial court gradually lost its military jurisdiction over Hexi, and the Juyan Military City was subsequently abandoned. The Great Wall was also damaged by wind and snow, and most of it collapsed, while Juyanhai became the territory of the Qiang people.  After Liu Jing led his army to pacify the Qiang people in Hexi and resumed jurisdiction over Hexi, Ma Chao recruited civilians to repair Juyan City and re-garrisoned Juyanhai, returning Juyanhai to Han territory and restoring Juyan County.  The government governs the country.  At present, there are not many residents in Juyanhai. They are mainly a few small Qiang tribes. At the same time, there are also many northern Hu merchants who go south through Juyanhai and enter the Hexi Corridor. But just three months ago, Liu Qubei's  Nearly 300,000 people of the tribe migrated from Hetao to the north of Juyanhai, occupying vast tracts of pasture, which also triggered a war between the local Qiang tribe and the Huns.  But the result was unexpected. A 5,000-strong army composed of several small Qiang tribes actually defeated an old and weak army of more than 10,000 Xiongnu. In order to avoid disaster, the Xiongnu tribe was forced to withdraw to the east sea of ??Juyan and gave up the pastures to the west.  .  However, this victory also stimulated the ambition of the Juyan Qiang people, but they were not strong enough to annex 300,000 Huns. They began to contact other Qiang tribes and prepared to fight and slaughter this big fat sheep of the Huns.  At this time, a snowstorm came, hindering their plan and they had to wait until the right time.  Zhao Yun¡¯s army went all the way north. Seven days later, they arrived at Juyan Military City. Although the soldiers were protected by old sheepskins and were not affected by the glacial cold, they were really exhausted. Zhao Yun immediately ordered the army to enter the city to rest.  The guard general of Juyan City is a tooth general named Sun Li. He was originally a tooth general in Cao's army in Longxi. After surrendering to the Han army, he was demoted as usual.Junhou, who was organized into Ma Chao's army, won meritorious service in the Battle of Hexi, resumed his post as General Ya, and led 500 soldiers to garrison Juyanhai.  In addition to the garrison soldiers, there is also a government office in Juyan City. The Juyan County Government Office has only two officials, the county magistrate and the county magistrate. The yamen officials also temporarily mobilize the garrison soldiers. They are responsible for the jurisdiction of several Qiang tribes in Juyanhai.  According to the agreement when the Hexi Qiang people surrendered to Liu Jing, the Qiang people were also subjects of the Han State and needed to pay taxes to the Han State.  In addition to the county government, there is also a hotel and a tavern in Juyan City, which mainly supply businessmen passing through this place. Of course, the proprietors of the hotel and tavern are Sun Li, Yajiang, and he will not give such an opportunity to make money.  other people.  Zhao Yun led his army to arrive, which immediately made the usually deserted Juyan City lively. General Sun Li and the county magistrate Li Wen came to see Zhao Yun. In the tent, Zhao Yun asked them to sit down and said with a smile: "Juyan City  The life must be very lonely, General Sun and Magistrate Li have worked hard. "Ma Chao also came to inspect Juyan City, but they were not qualified to sit down and answer questions standing up. When they arrived at Zhao Yun, Zhao Yun asked them to sit down.  Sun Li and Li Wen were very moved by letting the soldiers serve tea and, more importantly, caring about their lonely lives. Sun Li sighed and said: "General Qi, spring and summer are better, but in winter, the days are too  It¡¯s hard, and most of the soldiers are young, have no families, and are really lonely.¡± Zhao Yun smiled and said: ¡°This time I am following the orders of the King of Han to attack the Huns. After the Xiongnu tribe is surrounded and annihilated, I will select hundreds of Xiongnu women to stay.  "Let's start a family with the soldiers so that they can guard the border with peace of mind." Sun Li was overjoyed. Although he already had a family but was not around, he also wanted to marry a concubine. With this opportunity, he could just choose a young and beautiful Huns.  A woman is a concubine.  Although he thought so, he did not dare to say it. At this time, the county magistrate Li Wen cupped his hands and said: "I have one more thing to ask General Zhao to tell His Highness the King of Han, which is about immigrating to Yanhai." Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Yun  Waving his hand to interrupt him, he smiled and said: "You'd better write a letter in your private capacity, and I will forward it to His Highness the King of Han for you. Does County Magistrate Li understand what I mean?" Li Wen nodded silently, he  Understanding what Zhao Yun meant, he was the county magistrate. Official documents could only be reported to different levels and could not be passed up, but private messages could be conveyed. He stood up and thanked him: "Thank you, general, for reminding me. I know what to do." Zhao Yun smiled and said,  Then he turned the topic to business, "Do you know where the Huns are hiding?" Sun Li and Li Wen looked at each other. Sun Li stood up and said, "I know where they are hiding, and I also know that there is a way to get there."  There, it is not affected by snow.¡±  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Juyanhai, also called Juyanze, is a huge lake shaped like a crescent moon. The narrowest point was broken decades ago, dividing Juyanhai into two lakes, the east and west. The surrounding land is fertile and the pasture is abundant. It is an extremely  Excellent pasture.  Juyanhai has always been occupied by the Hexi Qiang people, but the arrival of Liu Quebei tribe changed the ownership of Juyanhai. After a war, Juyanhai pasture was divided into two, and the west side was still occupied by Qiang people's pasture, while the pasture of Juyanhai was divided into two parts.  The east side was occupied by the Huns.  If it weren't winter, the Huns' tribes would be spread out over the vast grasslands with a radius of hundreds of miles. But in winter, especially faced with the threat of blizzards, it would be extremely dangerous to live scattered. Not only would they be engulfed by blizzards, but they would also be engulfed by hordes of  Hungry wolves attack.  Therefore, most of the Huns lived together in winter. Nearly 300,000 people and millions of cattle and sheep were concentrated in a leeward area of ??only ten miles in radius, waiting for the long winter to pass.  Due to the heavy snow blocking the roads and the lack of news, the Huns living in Yanhai did not know the news of Liu Qubei's entire army being annihilated at this time. Since most of the young and strong men of the Xiongnu tribe were taken away by Liu Qubei and his son, the twenty-seven remaining  Most of the population of 80,000 were women, children, the elderly, and some slaves. Although Liu Qubei also left an army of more than 10,000, this army was mainly composed of the old and weak and had poor equipment. After the battle with the Qiang people,  They were severely defeated and more than half of them were lost.  Even if the Huns mobilized all their men to fight, they did not have weapons, armor or equipment. Facing the threat of genocide from the Qiang people, the Huns women, children, old and weak lived in extreme fear every day, waiting hard for Liu Qubei to lead his army to come back for rescue.  That morning, the 20,000 troops led by Zhao Yun, led by Sun Li, the defender of Juyan City, found the hiding place of the Huns. This was a Populus euphratica forest that stretched for nearly dozens of miles. The forest was in the shape of a crescent, and the widest part was also  Within two miles, nearly 300,000 Huns lived in the leeward area surrounded by forest due to the strong wind resistance of the forest.  Tens of thousands of large and small tents were placed one next to the other, forming an extremely spectacular ocean of tents. Nearly 300,000 Huns and millions of cattle and sheep lived in this ocean.  Zhao Yun immediately stood high on a hill, staring at the Huns camp in the distance, which was nearly twenty miles away. He turned back to Pang??, Ma Dai and more than a dozen generals said: "First go into the woods and deploy a siege. Use the sound of drums as a signal to launch a full-scale attack. No arson is allowed. Except for women, children and the elderly, all Hun men who dare to resist will be killed."  ! " " Obey the order! " A dozen generals bowed and left one after another. Zhao Yun looked at the Huns who were still unaware of the approaching danger and couldn't help but sneered. This attack would completely bury Liu Qubei's tribe.  Twenty thousand cavalry entered the Populus euphratica forest from the south. Groups of cavalry quickly interspersed in the Populus euphratica forest, gradually weaving into a large net, ready to pounce on the Huns' large tent at any time.  Ma Dai led 6,000 cavalry to be deployed in the far west. His mission was to intercept the Huns escaping to the west and seize the sheep and horse pens in the west. Ma Dai was especially eager to try. He led his army to surprise Sheyanze.  They won a complete victory, but they also had a big regret, that is, they killed millions of cattle and sheep, but could not turn them into trophies. As a person who has lived in Xiliang for a long time, he really felt heartbroken.  But this time, he will not repeat the same mistake, and will bring millions of cattle, sheep and war horses back to Guanzhong as trophies. Ma Dai observed the terrain for a moment and said to the two tooth generals: "You can each lead a thousand brothers to ambush in the west.  Try to let the Huns escape from the gap in the west, and then surround them. This time is different from the last time. Don't kill them indiscriminately." "Obey the order!" The two Ya generals led the troops away, and Ma Dai went on.  He said to another deputy captain: "General Song can lead two thousand brothers to protect the sheep and horse pens. In particular, the Huns are not allowed to open the horse pens to let their horses go. Anyone who dares to open the horse pens will be killed immediately!"  After being ordered to leave, Ma Dai turned around and saw that all the soldiers behind him were eager to try, and he couldn't help but tighten the handle of the sword.  At this moment, the Huns discovered the Han cavalry in the woods and started shouting. The entire camp seemed to have exploded. Countless people were terrified, dragging their children and girls out of the tents, shouting sharply.  Screams and cries resounded throughout the camp.  Seeing that the time had come, Zhao Yun resolutely issued the order: "Blow the drum to convey the order!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 902 Rich Harvest

    ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The sound of huge war drums sounded, which was the signal to attack. The 20,000 Han cavalry that had been deployed suddenly burst out with shouts of killing, rushed out of the woods, and rushed towards the endless sea of ??tents.  The war horses trampled the camp tents, and the swords cut the ropes. The Hun men who tried to resist with spears had their heads chopped off by the Han army. The women hugged their children and hid in the corner crying. The war horses jumped over their heads and rushed into the camp.  deep.  200,000 Huns were running and crying in all directions, but 20,000 Han cavalry were in good order, forming a tight net and pressing the Huns towards the center of the camp from all directions.  To the west of the camp, tens of thousands of Huns rushed towards the sheep and horse pen, which was their greatest asset. However, the Han cavalry had already guarded the sheep and horse pen and no one was allowed to approach. Hundreds of Huns tried to attack the sheep and horse pen.  The people in the circle were killed on the spot by the Han army.  Seeing that there was no hope of fighting for the sheep and horse pens, tens of thousands of Huns abandoned the sheep and horse pens and ran towards the gap in the west. There seemed to be no Han soldiers guarding that side, which became their only hope of escape.  At this moment, Ma Dai led two thousand cavalrymen to fight out from the woods on the side, cutting off the retreat of tens of thousands of Huns. There were more than 40,000 Huns in this area, mostly women, children and the elderly. They saw the cavalry behind them.  When they were killed, they were frightened and staggered even more, running away, crying and shouting loudly.  Outside the woods is an endless snowfield. The thick snow is thigh-deep. Young children will be drowned in the heavy snow. Even if they can escape from such a snowfield, they will still be dead.  But tens of thousands of Huns did not flee anymore. Thousands of cavalry suddenly appeared in front, blocking their way. Behind them were thousands of Han cavalry, surrounding them from front to back. They had nowhere to escape, and many women even hugged them.  He knelt down with his child and cried bitterly, as if a disaster was imminent.  At this time, hundreds of cavalry rushed forward from all directions, shouting in Xiongnu dialect: "Don't panic and be afraid, the Han army will not kill at will!" Since the Han army did not rush forward to kill, but was surrounded on all sides, more than 40,000 people  The people gradually calmed down, and they stared blankly at the cavalry around them, their hearts filled with confusion and helplessness about their future fate. In the camp, more than 200,000 Huns were also expelled by the Han army to an empty space with a radius of only five miles.  On the ground, more than 10,000 Han cavalry surrounded them from all sides. The open space was densely packed with frightened Huns. It was usually a precursor to a massacre. They gathered together first, and then began to massacre from all sides.  At this time, Zhao Yun ordered: "Let all the tribal elders come out to see me!" Hundreds of cavalry rushed forward and shouted in Xiongnu dialect: "The elders of each tribe come out to ask questions!" Although these nearly 300,000 Huns all belonged to Liu  Let¡¯s go to the humble big tribe, but there are dozens of small tribes under the big tribe. Just like the Han family, each small tribe has a respected elder who presides over daily affairs.  No need to be coerced by the Han army, nearly a hundred elders from various ministers walked out of the team one after another, and were quickly brought to Zhao Yun. The hundred elders knelt down together, and one of the leading elders cried: "Report to the general, there is no Xiongnu army here, they are all unarmed."  Women, children and the elderly, General, please spare us!" Zhao Yun leaned over and smiled at these old men: "If you think that the Han army is here to massacre you, you are totally wrong. I am here to save you on the order of His Highness the King of Han.  , give you a way out." Someone translated Zhao Yun's words. The hundreds of elders looked at each other with confusion in their eyes. How did it become a rescue?  Zhao Yun continued: "A conflict broke out between you and the Qiang people more than a month ago. Let me tell you that the Hexi Qiang people have begun to unite their armies. Tens of thousands of Qiang soldiers will launch an attack on you at the end of the year. Just think about it, your army  After massacring so many Qiang people in Lingzhou, will they let you go? They will use a hundred times more bloody methods to retaliate against you, and you will be slaughtered to death." All the elders lowered their heads, and many of them trembled.  Knowing that what Zhao Yun said is true, this is what they fear day and night. In fact, it is not just the Qiang people. If Liu Qubei does not come back before spring, they will also be robbed by the Xianbei people. This is the survival of the jungle on the grassland.  law.  At this time, someone timidly asked: "Excuse me, General, how is King Youxian now?" Zhao Yun laughed and said to everyone: "Liu Qubei hasn't come back yet, can't you guess his fate? Not only  It was Liu Qubei, and the hundreds of thousands of Xiongnu troops, including the Xiongnu Chanyu, were all surrounded and annihilated by the King of Han. The Xiongnu army was completely wiped out!" This news shocked the Huns and spread quickly, and many women burst into tears.  It meant that their husbands had died in the battle. At this time, Zhao Yun said loudly: "The matter is not that serious. Not everyone died in the battle, and many people still became prisoners of war." Zhao Yun turned around and waved, "Bring them up!" Han  The army cavalry brought over a hundred Huns?Prisoners of war, they appeared in front of the Huns. Suddenly, dozens of women shouted and rushed out desperately, holding the prisoners of war and crying loudly. These Huns prisoners of war also held their wives and children and cried bitterly. The sudden change made countless Huns  As if seeing hope.  The elders shouted: "General, do you really promise not to kill us?" Zhao Yun smiled at the elders and said: "You go back and tell your people that this is the order of His Highness the King of Han. As long as you surrender to the Han Kingdom, you will become His Highness the King of Han."  "People, then His Highness the King of Han will give you land, give you a way to live, and give you some property so that you can continue to live and not kill anyone again." Zhao Yun's words were translated, and more than 200,000 Huns finally believed it.  They would not be killed, and they immediately cheered with excitement. Zhao Yun immediately ordered that thousands of tents be cleared and temporarily accommodated by the Huns. After the Han army packed up their belongings, they began to retreat south.  In the camp, more than 10,000 Han soldiers were busy sorting out various belongings. Liu Qubei worked hard for decades and looted Guanzhong several times, accumulating a large amount of wealth. Not only millions of cattle and sheep and more than a dozen  Thousands of war horses, mountains of sheepskins, tens of thousands of stones of plundered food, countless silks, porcelain, gold and silver jewelry, etc.  Accompanied by Pang De and other generals, Zhao Yun inspected the soldiers and counted supplies. Pang De smiled and said: "I have heard that Liu Qubei's wealth is amazing. Today I found out that I underestimated him before. He has more than 100,000 taels of gold alone.  Not to mention hundreds of thousands of kilograms of red gold. I'm worried about whether we can transport this wealth back to Guanzhong." Zhao Yun nodded and said with a smile, "It's annoying, but since they can bring this wealth from Hetao, we should too.  Aren't there tens of thousands of carts that can be brought out? It shouldn't be a big problem if we use carts to carry supplies, and many of these women, children and elderly people may not be able to endure the hardships along the way, and many people will die.  " "Let them also ride in the car, and these wealth will be placed in front of them, and they will not be able to move it away. In addition, each of them will be given three sheepskins to keep warm, and each family will be given ten sheep and a horse.  Pound hesitated for a moment and gave ten sheep to each household. He felt that it was a bit inappropriate, and His Highness the King of Han had no such order. Pound then cautiously advised: "Give them ten sheep to each household, and I'm afraid they will be eliminated."  There are nearly a million sheep. I'm afraid I won't be able to explain it to His Highness." Zhao Yun glared at him, "Your Highness, I will bear the consequences. Now you just obey my order!"  Pang De was helpless. Everyone in the army said that Zhao Yun was soft-hearted and soft-hearted. Now it seems that it is indeed true. If Ma Chao were here, not to mention giving sheepskins and ten sheep to the Huns, they would not even give them seats in a big cart. They would all be driven south on foot.  , no matter how many people die, they won¡¯t take it to heart.  At this time, Pound suddenly had an understanding. Perhaps the King of Han temporarily changed his mind and replaced Ma Chao and asked Zhao Yun to lead troops to attack the Huns. This was because he took a fancy to Zhao Yun's benevolent side. Two days later, the Han army led hundreds of thousands of soldiers to attack the Huns.  The old and weak Xiongnu women and children slowly moved south. Although Sun Li, the guard of Juyan City, did not get the beautiful Xiongnu girl as his concubine, he did not care and was secretly ecstatic. Zhao Yun left behind tens of thousands of pieces of furniture that he could not take with him.  There were many other scattered supplies, and he was ordered to move them back to Juyan City first, and then transfer them to the Qiang tribe in Juyanhai after spring.  But Sun Li knew very well that this was a good opportunity to make a fortune. Although he did not dare to take it all for himself, he could at least keep valuable things. Zhao Yun also left a message. It was not easy for the soldiers to guard the border, so he could give some belongings to the soldiers.  , that is, he and his brothers can each make a fortune by selling these materials to the Qiang people. As long as he has money in his hands, he can ask for a young and beautiful Qiang girl to be his concubine. Isn¡¯t that the same thing?  Sun Li saw off the Han army, and he rushed back to Juyan City impatiently, shouting to the five hundred soldiers: "The opportunity to make a fortune has come, everyone, follow me!" He led the five hundred soldiers to urge their horses out of the city.  , rushing towards the direction of the Xiongnu camp like lightning.  Not to mention that the border soldiers in Juyan City made a fortune as a result, and Zhao Yun led 20,000 cavalry to escort nearly 300,000 Huns women and children and countless cattle and sheep wealth all the way south along the Zhangye River.  In the ice and snow, the Han army stretched for dozens of miles. Tens of thousands of carts were loaded with all kinds of wealth and supplies, as well as young children and the elderly. They creaked on the ice. The elderly and children were all wrapped in thick blankets.  Sheepskin, huddled in the carriage, shivering with cold, most of the Huns women were strong, they followed the carriage slowly on horseback, while the older boys were responsible for driving the sheep.  Although they lost their accumulated wealth, they saved their lives and gained some meager property, which gave the desperate Huns another glimmer of hope.  The team walked very slowly and slept in the open air. Half a month later, the team finally arrived at Zhangye County. Zhao Yun immediately handed over the grain to Ma Chao.It was used as military rations for the Han army in Hexi, and all the wealth and materials were sealed in the official warehouse in Zhangye County, and they would be transported back to Chang'an after spring.  With the heavy burden removed, the team became much lighter, and hundreds of thousands of people continued to drive their cattle and sheep forward, heading towards Chang'an in a mighty way.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 903 Hefei Conditions

    Time has gradually arrived in December, less than a month away from the 21st anniversary of Jian'an. The New Year atmosphere in Yedu this year is stronger than in previous years. Food prices are stable, meat prices have fallen, and almost every household can kill sheep to celebrate the New Year.  The main reason was that Cao's army won a great victory against the Xiongnu in Bingzhou and captured a large amount of supplies, including millions of cattle and sheep.  Although Cao Cao used a large number of fat sheep to reward the army, millions of sheep still flowed into the market at low prices and became delicacies on the tables and offerings of Yedu people.  Cao Cao's army also seized nearly a million sheepskins. However, Cao Cao did not benefit every household in Han like Liu Jing did. Instead, he gave all these sheepskins to the soldiers and the families of the fallen soldiers to win over the morale of the army. This move  The morale of Cao Cao's soldiers was indeed improved, which enhanced Cao Cao's reputation in the army.  However, for Cao Cao, the most important thing was not to reward the army, but to choose a son and marry Liu Jing, King of Han. After Cao Cao fell seriously ill at the beginning of last year, his body began to decline, and he became thinner and less energetic.  Not as good as before, he is already sixty-three years old and an old man.  This made Cao Cao feel the threat of time. He felt that his time was running out. He must make arrangements for his funeral within these two years, stabilize the overall situation of Wei, strive to develop the economy, enhance military strength, and turn a relatively strong country into a powerful one.  The Wei State was handed over to his son.  Early in the morning, Cao Cao's carriage drove into the north gate of Yedu and headed for the Anyang Palace not far away. Today he was going to meet the Holy Spirit so that Liu Xie could prepare to formally canonize his eldest son Cao Pi as the crown prince of Wei Gong.  This was Cao Cao's final decision to make his eldest son Cao Pi his heir apparent, and the root cause of his determination was the case of Yang Xiu. It was in the case of Yang Xiu that Cao Cao finally learned about the political thoughts of his third son Cao Zhi, who turned out to be  Respecting Confucianism and suppressing law allowed Liu Xie to return to the throne.  This is fundamentally contrary to Cao Cao's thoughts on governing the country. Cao Cao believed that this was not his son's temporary confusion, but his deep-rooted thoughts. Because of this, Cao Cao finally decided to make his eldest son Cao Pi his heir, even though his eldest son Cao Pi was not satisfied with his conduct as a person.  He is dark, hypocritical, eager for quick success, and lacks talents and strategies, but compared with Cao Zhi's respect for the emperor and Confucianism, these shortcomings of Cao Pi are not a concern.  The carriage was speeding on the street, and Cao Cao silently looked at both sides of the street. Pedestrians were walking in a hurry, most of them smiling. The tavern was full of guests, and the noise spread to the street. In the past, the hordes of homeless beggars on the street could not be seen this year.  However, Cao Cao knew that it was not that the refugees and beggars starved to death, nor that they became rich, but that they all went to Guanzhong one after another, preparing to receive land and immigrate to Guanzhong. Most of these refugee beggars were actually from Guanzhong and could now return to their hometowns.  Maybe land, who would still want to beg for food on the streets of Yedu?  Thinking of this, Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh. Although he also took measures to reduce taxes and grant farmland to encourage people to move to the north of Bingzhou, the effect was not ideal. The key is that he could not announce a ten-year tax exemption like Liu Jing, which would have a serious impact.  The farmers in the southern part of Bingzhou caused riots. Another reason was that the people didn't seem to believe him. They would rather go to Han to grant land than to accept land grant from Wei.  This is the judgment of the people of the world. They believe that Han will defeat Wei sooner or later, and Han's promise will be more reliable. It is this judgment that caused Cao Cao to suffer a complete defeat in the war with Liu Jing to compete for the population.  Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh. Three feet of ice could not be frozen in a day. The people of the Central Plains had no confidence in him. This had started from the Battle of Chibi many years ago.  Just less than a mile away from the palace, a cavalryman rushed up from behind and shouted: "I have something important to report to Duke Wei!" "Stop!" Cao Cao stopped the carriage and opened the window.  Asked: "What's the matter?" "To inform Duke Wei, Chen Zhongcheng returned from his mission to the Han Dynasty and brought Sima Yi, the Minister of Han Dynasty. He is now waiting in the Tongque Palace." Cao Cao suddenly became energetic. He has been waiting.  The news about Chen Qun finally came, and even Sima Yi came. He thought for a moment and immediately ordered: "Go back to Tongque Palace!" The emperor was far less important in his heart than Liu Jing, and he was eager to know Chen Qun's story.  As a result of the mission, the carriage accelerated, and under the protection of hundreds of guards, it drove quickly outside the North City. In the VIP hall of Tongque Palace, Prime Minister Xu Yi was chatting with Sima Yi. Xu Yi was about fifty years old, smart and capable.  , is knowledgeable and has served as prime minister for many years. He is Cao Cao's most trusted confidant.  Before Cao Pi took over the power of government affairs, every time Cao Cao went on an expedition, he stayed in Xuchang to handle various government affairs, which gave him great power. When Cao Pi took over the government affairs, he actively cooperated and completely handed over the power to Cao Pi.  He won Cao Pi's trust again.  Now Xu Yi is a bridge between Cao Pi and Cao Cao. When Cao Pi encounters major military and state affairs that he cannot make the decision, he always writes his own opinions first and then forwards them to Xu Yi, who then responds to Cao Cao.??'s opinions are explained in detail. The result of this is often that Cao Cao finally agrees with Cao Pi's plan, reducing the conflict between father and son, and making the government order smooth.  Xu Yi and Sima Yi had a very good personal relationship. When Sima Yi served as Cao Cao's boss, Xu Yi strongly recommended him. When Sima Yi went to Taiyuan a few months ago, Xu Yi stayed in Yedu and the two sides were unable to meet. This time they met, both sides seemed  It was extremely affectionate, like friends reunited after not seeing each other for many years.  "We haven't seen each other for ten years. Zhongda is already over forty years old, and I am over fifty. We are both old." Sima Yi also smiled and said, "Brother Ji Cai takes good care of himself. He looks like he is only in his early forties, unlike me."  , After fighting in the north and south, I became dark and thin. When I stayed at the hotel on the road, the shopkeeper still called me an old man. "Sima Yi said something interesting, and both of them laughed. After the greetings, the topic turned to business, Xu.  Yi pondered for a moment and said: "This time Zhongda is on his mission to Wei, besides discussing the specific details of the personal welcome, is there anything else?" Sima Yi also knew that Xu Yi actually came on behalf of Cao Cao. If he asked, it was Cao Cao.  If asked, Sima Yi smiled and said: "In addition to discussing the details of the wedding, there are actually two things that I need to discuss with Duke Wei. Although the things are not important, they are not insignificant." "Can you tell me what they are?"  "Of course!" Sima Yi said slowly: "The first thing is about the disposal of the Huns prisoners of war in Bingzhou. What the King of Han wants is that Wei Gong can hand over the captured women and children and their families to the Han Kingdom. Of course, we will also give you  A certain compensation. If Mr. Wei can agree, we will continue to discuss the specific conditions. This is the first thing. The second thing is actually a trivial matter. " "Zhongda, please make it clear!" Xu Yi looked very solemn.  He knew that the matter that Sima Yi brought to Yedu for negotiation would definitely not be a trivial matter. The more Sima Yi said this, the more important it became. Xu Yi was sensitively aware that I am afraid that the 'trivial matter' that Sima Yi was going to talk about next  , I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s the real highlight.  Sima Yi's smile faded, and his understatement was gone. He spoke very slowly, but every word was pronounced clearly, "His Royal Highness the King of Han wants to go to Luoyang to pay homage to the ancestral temple. For safety reasons, His Highness the King of Han will lead some troops there.  , I hope Wei Gong will agree to his visit to the temple. ""I wonder how many troops His Highness the King of Han intends to bring to Luoyang?" Xu Yi almost gritted his teeth and asked, "For safety reasons, at least 50,000 troops are in Xu.  While Yi was reminiscing with Sima Yi, in Cao Cao's official room in Tongque Palace, Chen Qun was also reporting to Cao Cao the gains and losses of his mission. Needless to say, Liu Jing agreed to marry him in April next year. This is actually  It doesn't make much sense. After all, welcoming a bride and starting a war are two different things.  As for Liu Jing not agreeing to release the Huns prisoners of war in Bingzhou, this was also expected by Cao Cao. Both sides needed population. Without interests, no one would easily give population to the other. This required continued negotiations to reach an agreement.  Cao Cao was concerned about Liu Jing's unwillingness to put the oral alliance between Cao and Liu into writing. Of course, the Han-Hungarian War was over and the alliance between the two sides was over. There was no need to sign any more written agreements, but regarding the security of Hefei  The terms have not ended, but the two parties have reached a consensus to maintain the status quo in Hefei within one year.  But Liu Jing refused to turn the verbal consensus into a written treaty, which meant that he would definitely launch a campaign against Hefei before August, which made Cao Cao worried.  Cao Cao is not afraid of fighting at this time. He has also accumulated a large amount of food and supplies over the years, especially by annihilating the Huns in Bingzhou and gaining a large amount of wealth, which is enough to support him in launching a war, but Cao Cao needs time to prepare.  He has ordered Cao Ren and Zhang Liao to heighten and strengthen the walls of Hefei and Shouchun respectively. In particular, they must seal off the road into Xiaoyaojin and build a complete city wall. This is a huge project that will take six months at the fastest.  It won't be completed until July.  Cao Cao was pacing in the room with his hands behind his back. How could he delay Liu Jing's attack?  This was when Chen Qun said cautiously: "Sima Yi visited me later. He said that the Battle of Hefei is not inevitable, but we need to make concessions." "What concessions should we make?" Cao Cao asked anxiously.  "He didn't say it explicitly, he just said that Wei Gong understood in his heart." Cao Cao frowned, how could he understand?  At this time, Cao Pi, the eldest son who had been standing silently beside him, said, "Does Liu Jing want us to give up Bingzhou?" "Nonsense!" Cao Cao angrily shouted: "How is this possible? It would be better to fight in Hefei, Liu Jing  "Haier is not talking about merging all the states, but merging one county in Hedong. In this way, Liu Jing will have a springboard to attack Bingzhou. Of course, he does not need to launch the Battle of Hefei and directly launch the annexation of the state."Servants.  " Cao Cao thought that maybe this was possible. At this time, Xu Yi hurriedly walked into the room, bowed and saluted, "See Wei Gong!  " "Ji Cai doesn't need to be polite. Let's talk about the meeting with Sima Yi. What did he say?  " "Reporting to Duke Wei, Sima Yi said two things. One is that he hopes that we will give the captured Xiongnu women and children in Bingzhou to the Han Dynasty, and he is willing to compensate us.  " Cao Cao couldn't help laughing, "As I expected, they also want this group of people. If they are willing to give compensation, they can consider it. I wonder how much compensation they are willing to give?  " "Sima Yi said he was willing to discuss it in detail.  " Cao Cao nodded and said to Cao Pi: "Pier, it is your responsibility to discuss this matter with them in detail.  " "My child obeys your orders!  " At this time, Xu Yi said again: "Your Highness, Sima Yi also said one thing. Wei Chen thinks that this matter is the real big deal.  " Cao Cao's expression suddenly became solemn. He looked at Xu Yi and said, "What's the matter?  " "Liu Jing plans to go to Luoyang to pay homage to the ancestral temple on the following day, and he hopes Wei Gong can agree.  " "Going to Luoyang?  " Cao Cao sneered repeatedly, "Why is he going to Luoyang with five hundred guards, or is he planning to bring five thousand cavalry?  " "Wei Gong, Sima Yi said that Liu Jing plans to lead 50,000 troops to Luoyang.  " Cao Cao's expression suddenly froze. The fifty thousand troops were not going to Luoyang to worship the temple. They were clearly trying to occupy Luoyang. Cao Cao couldn't help but snorted heavily, "He is dreaming!  " Cao Pi next to him whispered: "Father, I'm afraid this is the condition Liu Jing said to avoid the battle of Hefei.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 904 The Puppet Emperor

    Cao Cao didn't speak for a while. He felt that his eldest son was right. This was Liu Jing's condition to avoid the Battle of Hefei. He gave Luoyang to him and got the strategic land of Luoyang. He could attack Bingzhou in the north, occupy Xuchang in the east, and attack Nanyang in the south.  , Hefei seems insignificant.  "More importantly, gaining Luoyang is equivalent to gaining the two capitals. Then the Han Dynasty can be promoted to the Han Dynasty immediately. People's hearts aspire. How can I fight against the Han army with only Hebei and Bingzhou?"  Thinking of this, Cao Cao gritted his teeth and said: "The Central Plains is the place where I raised my troops. He wants to occupy Luoyang, so go ahead and dream!" "Father, I heard that Liu Xie has recently been instigating a relationship between the southern royal family and Liu Jing, so he proposed to conquer the south.  The royal family's ancestral temple sacrifices were placed in Luoyang, which became an excuse for Liu Jing to go to Luoyang to worship the ancestral temple. He did not even need to bring 50,000 troops, but only 5,000 people. Once he caused a conflict, his army would immediately rush out.  Tongguan, march to Luoyang, and occupy Luoyang with good reason." Cao Cao nodded, "That is a fool who has failed to achieve anything and is prone to failure. I will go see him now!" After the ambush incident, Cao Cao strictly prohibited the emperor's relatives and serving officials.  He came into contact with Han Emperor Liu Xie. In order to control Liu Xie, he did not hesitate to marry his two daughters to Liu Xie to replace Queen Fu. However, because Cao Cao and Liu Jing had reached a compromise, Cao Cao was eventually forced to retain the name of Queen Fu.  , and his two daughters are Yuan Fei and Gui Fei respectively.  However, in the past two years, Cao Cao has gradually relaxed his restrictions on Liu Xie. On the one hand, Liu Xie, who was originally incompetent and cowardly, was completely subdued by Cao Cao and no longer dared to have any dissent. On the other hand, Liu Jing's aggressive rise made Liu Xie  The Han Dynasty gradually turned into the Han Dynasty, and people in the world, both scholars and common people, gradually forgot about the emperor of Yedu and regarded Liu Jing as the orthodox one.  This is the contradiction between Cao Cao. Although he hopes to replace the Han Dynasty with the Wei Kingdom and the people forget the Han Dynasty, he soon discovers that the people do not forget the Han Dynasty, but replace Liu Jing's Chang'an Han Dynasty.  It is regarded as the Han Dynasty, and the popularity of the Han Kingdom has far surpassed that of the Wei Kingdom.  After repeated weighings, Cao Cao decided to slightly relax his control over Liu Xie, allowing the Han Dynasty, which was about to disappear, to show up again to remind people that the Emperor of Han still existed.  However, Cao Cao still issued an order to prepare for war in the name of the emperor.  It¡¯s just that Liu Xie¡¯s performance really disappointed Cao Cao. Not to mention his pettiness, his little moves were caught by Liu Jing, which gave Liu Jing an excuse to plot Luoyang. This made Cao Cao not angry.  Cao Cao rushed into Anyang Palace angrily. He shouted to several eunuchs in front of the main hall: "Where is the emperor? Just tell me that I have something to ask you to see me!" Cao Cao kept claiming that I was a minister, but his tone was extremely harsh.  The eunuch was so frightened that he trembled and ran away.  At this time, Liu Xie was having lunch with Yuan Fei Cao Jie. Liu Xie had gained a lot of weight in the past two years. He was already in his forties. His long-term life in the palace made him unable to contact the outside world, and his thinking gradually became dull.  , he is like a bird that grew up in a cage. He no longer has the dignity and bloodiness that an emperor should have. He is only satisfied with the title and title of emperor, and only hopes to live like this forever and become the emperor of the Han Dynasty forever.  As for the great achievements such as the revival of the Han Dynasty, he has nothing to do with him, and he doesn't care. His only concern for the outside world is that Liu Jing is getting stronger day by day, which makes him feel on pins and needles. He is a person who threatens his vital interests and makes his throne unstable.  , depriving him of the only remaining title of emperor, and even in his heart, Liu Jing's threat to him far exceeded Cao Cao.  "What is your Majesty thinking about?" Cao Jie, who was sitting opposite him, asked with a smile.  Cao Jie is only eighteen years old this year. Although he is very handsome, his stature is thin, which is in sharp contrast to the fat Liu Xie. It took Liu Xie a long time to come back to his senses and said: "I am thinking about offering sacrifices to the ancestral temple on the same day.  I don¡¯t understand why everyone said that they are not in good health and cannot participate in the temple festival?¡± ¡°Did your Majesty say that the whole royal family was summoned to discuss the matter two days ago?¡± Liu Xie nodded, ¡°It was originally agreed, but there was nothing in the past two days.  Many members of the royal family, especially those with high moral status, have come to ask for leave, saying they are not feeling well and cannot attend the temple festival that day. But there are still twenty days before the temple festival. This is obviously their excuse not to participate. " "Your Majesty, that's right.  Yes, this should be an excuse, but does your Majesty understand why so many people are making excuses not to participate? Is it the same in the past two years? " "No, basically everyone participated in the temple festival last year, but this year is strange, why?  You don¡¯t tell the truth when you ask, I can¡¯t figure it out.¡± While the two were talking, a eunuch ran in in a hurry and bowed: ¡°Your Majesty, Duke Wei is here. I have something urgent to see your Majesty.¡± Cao Cao arrived and asked Liu Cao.  Xie shivered instinctively, and Cao Jie quickly comforted him: "Your Majesty, my father may have come here for the purpose of enthroning the crown prince."What's the problem? Please forgive me, Your Majesty."  " Liu Xie thought about it. There had been no battles recently, so there should be no major events. He relaxed a little and said to the eunuch: "Please Wei Gong wait in the side hall. I will be there soon after I change my clothes!  "Liu Xie didn't care about the meal. He changed into regular clothes and hurried to the front hall. In the side hall of Taiji Hall, Cao Cao sat alone with his sword in his hand. Dozens of golden-armored guards stood on both sides. Those were sent by Cao Cao  His confidants and personal guards controlled the security of the entire palace, and there were also several eunuchs who served Liu Xie and were also loyal to Cao Cao. With them, no matter what Liu Xie did or said, they could not escape Cao Cao's eyes.  There was a sound of footsteps coming from the back hall. Liu Xie, surrounded by several palace maids and eunuchs, quickly walked into the side hall. Cao Cao stood up and saluted, "I am here to see you, Your Majesty!"  " "Wei Gong, there is no need to be polite, please sit down!"  Liu Xie asked Cao Cao to sit down and asked with a smile on his face: "I wonder if Mr. Wei has any urgent matter that he wants to discuss with me?"  " Cao Cao said calmly: "It's not an urgent matter. I just want to discuss the Danri Temple Sacrifice with Your Majesty. I heard that Your Majesty is planning to hold a grand Ancestral Temple Sacrifice this year, right?  " Liu Xie didn't understand what Cao Cao meant, so he could only say cautiously: "We have this plan at the moment.  " "I heard that a temple festival is going to be held in Luoyang. I wonder if it is a rumor or a fact?  " Cao Cao mentioned the Luoyang Temple Sacrifice, and Liu Xie's heart suddenly became nervous. It was a small trick on his part. He wanted to disgust Liu Jing and let all the clans in the south go to Luoyang to worship, but Liu Jing was not invited. Liu Xie could not deny it, so he had to force himself.  He nodded and said: "I mainly considered that it is inconvenient for the southern clan to come to Ye, so I suggested that they hold temple sacrifices in Luoyang. Is there anything wrong?  " Cao Cao could no longer hold back his inner irritation and said coldly: "The clan in the south?  Does this mean that Your Majesty is also planning to invite the King of Han to Luoyang to offer sacrifices?  Liu Xie was startled and waved his hands quickly: "No, I didn't invite him. Wei Gong must have heard the rumors wrong."  "    "snort!  "Cao Cao snorted heavily, stood up and said: "Today the envoy from the King of Han is here. He brought news from the King of Han. Liu Jing is also going to Luoyang to participate in the temple festival. Not only is he going, he also has to lead an army of 50,000 people.  Go, Your Majesty, what should we do?  Liu Xie was stunned. He couldn't react for a long time. What did Cao Cao mean? "Wei Gong, what did he mean?"  " "Your Majesty, do you really not understand?  "Cao Cao stared at him coldly. Liu Xie felt panicked and quickly shook his head, "I really don't know.  "Well, let me tell you, Your Majesty has created an opportunity for him. He will make an excuse to go to Luoyang Temple to offer sacrifices, and then leave fifty thousand troops in Luoyang, or he will not leave again. Wei Chen said this, Your Majesty should understand  Yet?  " Liu Xie's face turned red and white. He finally realized that he had done a stupid thing. He held a temple sacrifice in Luoyang, but gave Liu Jing the opportunity to seize Luoyang. He felt regretful and afraid in his heart. Cao Cao was clearly  Lai Xingshi asked, what should I do? Liu Xie pursed his lips and whispered after a while: "What should I do now?  I am willing to listen to Wei Gong¡¯s arrangements!  " Cao Cao was filled with resentment. He wanted to kill this idiot with one knife. But after all, this man was the emperor and was still useful to him. He suppressed his inner anger and said coldly: "Your Majesty, please issue an order immediately. In order to save money,  , all temple sacrifices on that day were cancelled, and all clan members worshiped their ancestors at home.  " Liu Xie didn't want to cancel the temple festival in Yedu, but he didn't dare to disobey, so he could only nodded, "Okay!  I immediately issued an order to cancel all temple festivals on that day.  " Cao Cao's face softened a little, and his tone became gentler, and he continued: "In fact, I am thinking about your majesty. Liu Jing has decided not to hold temple sacrifices in Chang'an that day. If your majesty insists on going his own way, I believe not many members of the clan will dare to come to the temple.  Ji, Liu Jing is so powerful that even the clan cannot afford to offend him. Your Majesty, please take care of yourself!  " After saying that, Cao Cao bowed, turned around and walked away. Liu Xie was dumbfounded. He finally understood why so many clan members had to ask for leave. Being sick was a lie, but fear of Liu Jing was real. " He only felt a wave of pain in his legs.  Trembling, a strong sense of fear enveloped his heart. After a long time, he said to himself: "Am I running out of time?  " On the afternoon of that day, Cao Cao summoned all the civil servants of Wei State at Tongque Terrace and formally announced his decision to make his eldest son Cao Pi the crown prince and heir to Wei State. Cao Cao immediately ordered a general amnesty for all prisoners in the world and celebrated the establishment of Wei State's crown prince, Ye.  The city was filled with joy, but countless people were disappointed, especially Cao Zhi's supporters, who all had a fear of impending disaster. In the evening, Sima Yi was sitting in the inner hall reading a book in the Yedu Guesthouse, and the city was full of carnival in the afternoon.  It's over, but the sound of firecrackers can still be heard faintly in the distance.nbsp; Sima Yi also did not expect that Cao Cao would announce Cao Pi as the crown prince at this time. Usually, such a major decision on the successor is officially announced after the first day of the new year and at the beginning of the new year. Now there are only twenty days before the new year.  Cao Cao couldn't wait to announce it, which was really unusual.  However, Sima Yi could also guess some of the reasons. According to the intelligence they obtained, although the signs of Cao Pi's victory were becoming more and more obvious, Cao Zhi and the forces supporting him were not reconciled and were still preparing for a last-ditch effort after the New Year, and Cao Cao was in this  When Cao Pi was announced as the crown prince, he must have felt something?  In addition, Cao Cao made Cao Pi the heir apparent at this time, probably to prepare for the war in Hefei.  At this time, a guard hurriedly walked down the hall, bowed to Sima Yi and said: "Reporting to the minister, Li Canjun asks for an audience!" Sima Yi suddenly became energetic and said quickly: "Invite him in quickly!" Li Canjun is Li Fu.  , he served as a lieutenant and joined the army. He was the official contact person of the Han State in Yedu, and his identity was public. Li Fu was generally responsible for conveying official documents and letters from the Han State to the Wei State or the imperial court.  On the other hand, Li Fu will also collect some important information about Yedu and pass it to Chengdu. This information is not top secret, it is public information. It is for this reason that Cao Cao knew that Li Fu had done a lot of secret things, but he always  No evidence could be found to touch him.  Not long after, Li Fu was led into the back hall. He bowed and said, "Li Fu, please see Sima Shangshu!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 905 Brothers turn against each other

    Sima Yi asked Li Fu to sit down, ordered his entourage to serve tea, and then said with a smile: "Before leaving, His Highness specially told me to express greetings to you on his behalf. I have wronged you by staying in Yedu for so many years."  " Li Fu smiled bitterly and said: "I am originally from Yedu, and I am wild by nature and don't like to be restrained. In fact, I really like this kind of life, unrestrained and free. I have been promoted to a captain and joined the army step by step.  I feel ashamed when I say it. Compared with those soldiers who fought bloody battles, I should not be treated so favorably. " "This is a sign of humiliation for joining the army. The contribution made by joining the army may not be appreciated by ordinary people, but His Highness Heping Zhangtai does.  It is clear that a trickle of water can form a river. We established our capital in Chang'an and opened the Weiyang Palace, but no one came out to impeach and accuse us. Isn't this the contribution of joining the army to explain it one by one and win the understanding of the officials in the court?  The legal principles have stood up, and this is a contribution. "Although Li Fu thought that he had no contribution, it was more of a humble statement. When he saw Sima Yi confirming his achievements, he was really happy and said with a smile: "  Something big happened in Yedu today. Cao Cao suddenly announced that he would be crown prince. Should Shangshu know about it? " Sima Yi was a little strange and asked in confusion: "Why is it said that it was a 'sudden announcement? '" "Because Cao Cao had announced it a few days ago?  He publicly said that he would determine the successor issue after the date, but now there are still twenty days before the date, he announced it, which really surprised many people. Frankly speaking, it seemed very hasty, and there was not even a ceremony.  There's no time to prepare." "What's the reason?" Sima Yi asked with great interest.  "It should be related to Cao Zhi. It is said that nearly a hundred important officials are preparing to jointly submit a letter to Cao Cao before the first day of the month, requesting that Cao Zhi be established as his heir. In order to avoid this happening, Cao Cao announced the heir apparent in advance and stopped the idea of ??these high-ranking officials."  "Hundreds of senior officials!" Sima Yi was surprised, "Does this include local senior officials?" "It should also include local governors, especially in the Xuzhou area. Cao Zhi once patrolled there for two years and was quite popular. This time Cao Cao  Declare the crown prince, which still takes a big risk. It can be said that this is the biggest political risk in Wei State. Although the crown prince has been established, it is still a big question whether he can successfully overcome this hurdle. This is what Cao Cao is doing.  "The bitter wine brewed by ten years of indecision." Sima Yi understood what Li Fu was referring to. In the past ten years, Cao Cao had been indecisive on the major issue of establishing the crown prince. At one time, he decided to make Cao Zhi the crown prince. Even before the Yang Cui case, Cao Zhi still occupied the throne.  The upper hand was that Cao Pi, with the cooperation of the Han State, carefully planned the Yang Cui case and exposed Cao Zhi's political thoughts, which finally made Cao Cao disappointed with him and made Cao Pi his heir apparent.  Although the crown prince has been established today, the political consequences of ten years of fighting are difficult to eliminate in a short period of time. Especially in the past few years, in order to establish Cao Zhi as his heir, Cao Cao specially cultivated party members for him, giving Cao Zhi a large number of loyal supporters.  , formed a powerful political group, and now Cao Cao can still suppress it. Once Cao Cao dies, the battle between the two brothers will become fierce.  Sima Yi was pacing in the room with his hands behind his back. He was making a decision, which Liu Jing had mentioned half a year ago, which was to make full use of the political struggle between Cao Pi and Cao Zhi to muddy the waters of the Wei State and even bring Cao Zhang into disrepute.  He was also implicated to weaken the Wei State to the greatest extent.  Now that Cao Pi has been established as the crown prince, it does not mean that the struggle is over. On the contrary, the struggle will become more intense. People in Cao Zhi's influence know very well that if Cao Pi ascends the throne, what awaits them will be a bloody purge.  Thinking of this, Sima Yi turned back to Li Fu and said: "The King of Han has been paying attention to the Pizhi dispute, and he also hopes that the civil strife in Wei will create opportunities for us to attack and destroy Wei at the minimum cost. Li Canjun lives in Yedu, hoping to be here  "Li Fu nodded and asked: "Who will His Highness support?" Sima Yi laughed, "Our interests do not lie with Cao Pi or Cao Zhi. When Cao Pi was weak, we supported Cao Pi. Now it is.  Cao Zhi is weak, so we naturally want to support Cao Zhi, but we can't rush this matter, let alone leave traces. Cao Pi is a very sinister person and has great skills. He will use illicit liaison with the enemy to convict Cao Zhi's forces. This matter is of great importance.  "Li Junjun must be cautious." "I understand, Sima Shangshu, please rest assured that I have connections in Ye and will not be caught by Cao Pi." At night, a carriage drove slowly on Guangyangmen Street.  Okay, there are only a dozen guards on both sides of the carriage. Inside the carriage, Cao Zhi looked out the window at the empty and deserted street. Piles of snow were piled messily and dirty on the roadside. It was extremely cold on the street, and there was not a single person in sight.  silhouette.  At this time, Cao Zhi¡¯s mood was the same as those once white and crystal clear snowdrifts. After bringing joy and laughter, they were ruthlessly abandoned by people, yes, abandoned!  Cao Zhi felt that he was being raped by his father?Abandoned.  "My father finally made his elder brother the heir apparent. If this was the case, why did he give himself so much hope in the first place? Cao Zhi's ears seemed to still be echoing with his father's encouraging voice.  "Zhi'er, just like my father, you are a man of great talent and lofty ambitions. My father hopes that you can inherit my career and eventually unify the world. At that time, my father will be able to rest in peace even though he is under the Nine Springs."  This was just what my father said when he took him to Runan to conquer the Han army a year ago. At that time, he was very high-spirited and full of expectations for his future. However, after the Yang Cui case happened half a year ago, everything changed.  , his father was alienated from him and his power was deprived of him. He seemed to fall from the sky to the earth. And today, his father finally announced the news that chilled him to his heart.  Cao Zhi sighed lowly, what should he do now, where should he go?  At this moment, several cavalrymen rushed forward, rushed to Cao Zhi's motorcade and reined in their horses, "Is this Mr. Zhi's carriage?" "Exactly!" "Wei Gong has ordered Mr. Zhi to come in immediately.  No further delay!" The cavalryman stepped forward and whispered in front of the carriage window: "Master Zhi, hurry up! Duke Wei is waiting." Cao Zhi nodded and told the coachman, "Speed ??up the carriage!  With great speed, he rushed towards the Tongque Palace outside the North City.  Not long after, the carriage drove into the gate of Tongque Palace and stopped slowly in front of the steps. A eunuch had been waiting here for a long time. Seeing Cao Zhi's arrival, he quickly stepped forward and said: "Master, come with me quickly! The eldest son has already arrived."  It's over, Duke Wei is waiting for you." Cao Zhi stopped and asked hesitantly, "Is my brother here too?" "He's here, isn't he?"  Looking inside the palace, he saw his brother Cao Pi walking towards him quickly, with a proud face. Cao Zhi didn't want to see him at this time, but he had nowhere to retreat, so he had to bite his lips and face him.  "Hey! The third brother is here too." Cao Pi had already seen Cao Zhi's carriage. At this time, he pretended to be surprised as if he had just discovered it. "Did father ask you to come?" he added.  Cao Zhi stepped forward and saluted reluctantly, "Congratulations, brother!" Cao Pi laughed, his eyes filled with pride. Once upon a time he was forced to the point of despair, but now he turned over and looked at his brother with a grimace.  There is an indescribable joy in my heart.  "Actually, you don't have to be sad." Cao Pi laughed dryly, patted his brother on the shoulder, and said sincerely: "I hope that the two of us brothers will put aside their past grudges, stop taking the past things to heart, and work together to take care of our father's future.  The career will grow." "This is what I should say to my brother. Don't take the past to heart. Can my brother do that?" Cao Zhi said coldly.  Cao Pi's face changed, and he suddenly became gloomy, and he said extremely unhappy: "Third brother, what do you mean by this?" "Brother should understand what I mean!" Cao Pi looked coldly at the brother who was taller than him,  After a while, he snorted coldly and asked: "Third brother, won't you give up?" "It's not about whether I give up, but whether my brother is willing to give up."  " "If the third brother refuses to give up, then of course I will not swallow my anger.  " The two of them were fighting each other without giving in. At this time, a tall and beautiful young woman walked out of the palace. It was Cao Xian. Cao Cao was already impatient with waiting and asked his daughter to come out to urge Cao Zhi. "Third brother.  !  Cao Xian saw Cao Zhi and hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Why don't you go in? My father is already waiting impatiently."  " Cao Zhi nodded, raised his fists and saluted Cao Pi, and said in a firm tone: "Brother, please!  I went in first.  " Cao Pi smiled. In front of his sister, he returned to his gentle and amiable elder brother image, and his voice became softer, "Third brother, go quickly!  Don't keep your father waiting. We brothers will talk slowly when we have time in the future.  "Cao Zhi turned around and left quickly. Cao Pi put his hands behind his hands and looked at his brother's back. A cold smile gradually appeared on his lips. "Third brother, I thought you would quarrel. I was especially worried that the eldest brother would ridicule you. It seems that  Fortunately, the elder brother is still as gentle as before.  " Cao Xian has the best relationship with his third brother, Cao Zhi. She was full of sympathy for Cao Zhi's failure this time, fearing that her third brother would sink from now on, especially since she was about to get married and would no longer be able to care about him in the future, which filled her heart with worries. " But for a long time,  Her brother's gentle attitude just now made her feel slightly reassured. Cao Zhi wanted to scold him sarcastically, "Hypocrite!" But he couldn't bear to hurt his sister's heart, so he changed the topic, "Little sister, my father is so anxious to ask me to do it."  What?  ¡±  "I don't know, but I think my father wants to appease the third brother! After all, the crown prince was announced today, which is a big blow to the third brother. My father will also feel a little guilty. He used to like you so much." Cao Zhi thinks about it.  Yes, his father should be able to comfort himself.  Soon, they arrived in front of his father's study. Cao Xian went in first to report, and soon came out and said: "Third brother, father let you in!" Cao Zhi walked into the study uneasy, knelt down in front of Cao Cao, kowtowed heavily and said, "My child.  Meet dad!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 906 Forced List

    "I've been waiting for you for a long time, why are you here now?" Cao Cao asked with a displeased look on his face.  "The child had already fallen asleep when he got the news, and he hurried all the way, which wasted time and kept his father waiting." Cao Cao's face darkened, "You mean, I pushed you too fast, and I was impatient.  "Cao Zhi heard his father keep talking about 'you and me' instead of 'what is it like to be a father, what is it like to be a son'. The words were a lot unfamiliar, and his father's harsh tone made it even more confusing.  Cao Zhi felt that all his thoughts were in despair. He could no longer bear it and said with tears: "The child has been abandoned, why does the father still have to deal with it so hard?"  He was his most beloved son, and he had made countless promises to him, but in the end, he was in vain. Thinking of this, Cao Cao felt filled with guilt for his son.  But when he thought about the powerful power group behind Cao Zhi and the inevitable dispute between Pi and Zhi in the future, which would increase civil strife in Wei and eventually become the root of Wei's downfall, Cao Cao's heart, which had just softened, became hardened again.  Although he would not kill his son and completely eliminate any future troubles, he would not let it go. It was imperative to clean up the Cao Zhi Group. Cao Cao knew very well the huge troubles that the Zhi-Pi dispute would bring.  After a moment of silence, Cao Cao asked coldly: "This time I made your eldest brother my heir, are you dissatisfied?" "I don't dare!" "Huh! You don't dare, but those who support you do.  , I want to know, how many people support you? I need a detailed list." Cao Zhi shuddered, and he finally understood why his father came to him at night, not to comfort him, but to give him support.  The people were driven out and killed, and Cao Zhi felt sad, but at the same time it also inspired his resistance.  "There is no such list for the child, and there is no so-called person who supports the child. If there are any party members, the party members are Yang Xiu and Cui Yan." Before Cao Zhi could finish speaking, Cao Cao stood up and slapped Cao Zhi down.  On the ground, Cao Cao was shaking with anger, pointing at him and yelling: "You traitor! This is the way you talk to your father. Do you want to make me angry to death?" At this time, Cao Xian ran in from the door and held him up.  The shaken father said, "Daddy! Daddy, calm down!" She was so anxious that she turned around and shouted to Cao Zhi: "Third brother, please apologize to your father!" "The child is unfilial and deserves death!" Cao Zhi knelt on the ground,  Crying loudly, all the grievances and sorrows were vented at this moment.  Cao Cao felt his eyes go dark for a while. He supported his daughter and sat down feebly. After a while, he gradually recovered. Looking at his son who was crying in grief, Cao Cao's heart softened again. He was so miserable.  It may be a bit too much to force your son hard, but let¡¯s think about it in the long run!  Slowly eliminate the important ministers who support Zhi'er.  Thinking of this, Cao Cao waved his hand, "Forget it, my father won't force you anymore, just go ahead! I will temporarily leave Yedu tomorrow to live in Xuchang for a few months. You are not allowed to come back without my father's permission." Cao Zhi held back his sadness.  He kowtowed three times, stood up and left slowly. He knew that there was no use in explaining, his father was determined to banish him.  Misery, anger, dissatisfaction, loss, all kinds of emotions rushed into his heart. He almost looked up to the sky and screamed, but when he saw the guards staring at him on both sides, Cao Zhi finally held back his emotions. He bit his lip and quickly left Tongzhi.  Bird Palace.  In the room, Cao Xian was also very sad. She never imagined that it would be like this. Instead of comforting the third brother, her father forced him to hand over the list of supporters, warned him not to cause trouble, and finally banished the third brother to Xuchang.  , is this the struggle of the emperor's family? In the face of interests, there is no family affection, only ruthless power struggle.  Cao Cao also felt his daughter's low mood. He patted his daughter's hand gently and said softly: "Things are not what you think. My coldness and ruthlessness today is precisely to preserve their brotherhood in the future. There is no room for two tigers in one mountain.  When I'm here, the brothers may not fall out, but once I'm gone, I'm worried that they will kill each other." Cao Xian nodded silently. She understood her father's hard work, although it was a bit hard to accept, but she wanted to.  I think so, once their father unfortunately passes away, even if the two brothers can tolerate each other, what about their men?  Especially the group of people who support Third Brother, how can they be willing to give up.  "Father, you are right, my daughter supports your approach!" Cao Cao smiled happily, held his daughter's hand and said: "You are not an ordinary daughter. You are responsible for the safety of our Cao family. Once Liu  Jing seizes the world. Whether our Cao family can survive this disaster depends entirely on you." Cao Xian bit his lip lightly and said nothing. Cao Cao smiled slightly and said, "Although?Liu Jing is my enemy, but in my heart, he has always been the most outstanding young man. As early as more than ten years ago, when I first heard this name in Runan, I knew that he was extraordinary.  He has not let me down. He has come step by step to where he is today. I also believe that he will be your good husband.  " Cao Cao's words made Cao Xian burst into tears. She sobbed in a low voice: "As long as my father is healthy and long-lived, and as long as the brothers can be sympathetic to each other, even if my marriage is unhappy, I will be willing to do so.  " "You are such a stupid boy!  " Cao Cao smiled and shook his head. He pondered for a moment and then said slowly: "What I am most worried about is your eldest brother's ambition. Although I have told him repeatedly that he is not allowed to become king, let alone depose the Han Emperor, I  I'm worried that he can't do it, so my father will give you a gold medal to represent my highest authority. Once your brother shows his ambition to become king and depose emperor, you must stop him in time.  " Cao Xian whispered: "I'm afraid that my daughter won't be able to shoulder her father's trust.  " "You can do it. For the sustainability of the Cao family's descendants, you must do it.  " After finishing speaking, Cao Cao took out a jade box from the drawer and opened it. Inside was a shining gold medal. He handed the gold medal and the jade box to his daughter, "It's this gold medal. Treat me as if you were alive.  You put it away.  " "Father, give it to your daughter later!  "    "No!  Take it now, take it!  " Her father's firm attitude forced Cao Xian to take the jade box. At the same time, a heavy responsibility pressed on her young heart. Cao Cao smiled and nodded, "Go!  I want to take a rest as a father.  " Cao Xian stopped disturbing his father's rest and slowly retreated. Cao Cao closed his eyes, just like an old monk sitting still, and fell into deep contemplation. After returning to his own house from Tongque Palace, Cao Zhi ordered his entourage and his wives and concubines  They packed their bags. Although he was extremely worried and angry, he still managed to maintain his rationality. He knew that his father was actually tolerant of himself by letting him go to Xuchang and no longer forcing him to hand over the list. If he still didn't know what to do,  What awaits him will be a more severe punishment. Back in the study, Cao Zhi found a bamboo basket and started to pack his belongings. But after a moment, he couldn't pack it anymore, and he felt so depressed that he wanted to go crazy.  Yelling, he sat down at the table and rubbed his temples painfully. At this moment, Cao Zhi's wife Cui quickly walked into the study carrying a bowl of ginseng tea. Cui is Cui Yan's niece.  This is the main reason why the Cui family firmly supports Cao Zhi. However, since the Yang Cui case broke out half a year ago, and Yang Xiu and Cui Yan were sentenced to death, the Cui family has been in a state of panic. As usual, uncle Cui Yan was sentenced to death.  Even if he died, Duke Wei would no longer allow this marriage to exist, but Duke Wei was distracted by the war between Han and Hungary and could not take care of the Cui family for a while. As the war between Han and Hungary subsided, the Cui family began to be worried again.  She put the tea bowl in front of her husband's table and said softly: "Actually, it's not bad to go to Xuchang. You can avoid a lot of gossip and don't have to look at other people's faces. My husband loves literature so much. You can do what you like freely. More importantly,  Yes, we will not be separated.  " Cao Zhi understood his wife's worries, held her hand and smiled: "Don't worry!  Since I am not allowed to be the heir, then there is no need for me to divorce my wife. Even if he is the father, we will never separate.  Mrs. Cui nodded and smiled: "Husband, go and have a rest. I will clean up the study for you."  " "No need, you go take care of the children!  There aren't many things here, so I can just pack them up myself, and the house here still belongs to us. We should bring some things for the road first, and we can pack the rest later.  " Mrs. Cui was happy and let her husband drink ginseng tea again, then went with the empty bowl. Cao Zhi sighed and had to gather his energy to pack his necessary belongings and prepare to leave Yedu before noon tomorrow. Just as Cao Zhi was packing  At the same moment when things were about to leave Yedu, Yang Tian, ??the censor Zhongcheng, hurried to Cao Pi's study under the guidance of a guard. The guard reported at the door: "Your Majesty, Yang Zhongcheng is here!  " "Invite him in!  "Cao Pi's voice came from the room. Although the voice sounded a little tired, you could still hear an uncontrollable excitement. Yang Tian smiled knowingly and quickly walked into the study. In the study, Cao Pi was sitting  Reviewing documents from various places at the table, when he saw Yang Tian coming in, he put down his smile and asked, "Is there any news about Tongque Palace?  " There are two censors, one is Chen Qun, who is responsible for supervising all officials in Yedu, and the other is Yang Tian, ??who is responsible for supervising local officials. He has eight censors under his command, who patrol various places for many years, and Yang Tian is also the  Cao Pi's confidant, so another of his secret duties is to collect intelligence for Cao Pi and monitor political opponents. Yang Tian stepped forward, bowed, and said with a flattering smile: "It's just as the prince expected."Duke Zhi called Mr. Zhi, not to appease him, but to force him to hand over his list of supporters.  " Cao Pi perked up and asked quickly: "Did he hand it over?  Yang Tian shook his head, "He was determined not to admit that he had any supporters. Seeing that Wei Gong was angry, he exiled him to Xuchang and will set off tomorrow."  "The smile on Cao Pi's face quickly disappeared, and he seemed a little unhappy. His father obviously compromised and no longer forced the third brother to hand over the list, but just sent him away from the capital. But this did not solve the problem. The forces supporting the third brother were still there.  Yang Tian understood Cao Pi's worries and said with a smile: "Actually, I think Wei Gong just can't find evidence for the moment. We can find evidence for Wei Gong. As long as we catch Mr. Zhi still secretly communicating with the important officials in the court.  With the evidence of the exchange, I believe Wei Gong will not be lenient again.  "    "you're right!  " Cao Pi nodded approvingly. He walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then turned back and said: "There are many ministers who support the third brother, but we have to monitor the most important people. One is the minister, Zhong Yao, and the other is the minister, Wang Jie.  , send someone to monitor them.  " "The humble post will be taken care of immediately. In addition, Sikong Cuilin is Mr. Zhi's father-in-law. Should he also be under surveillance?  " "There is no need for Cui Lin. It is normal for the father-in-law and son-in-law to have contact with each other. There is no evidence. The key is not to make the matter a big deal and to collect intelligence secretly. Do you understand?  " Yang Tian bowed deeply, "I understand my humble position!  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 907 Double Agent

    Yang Tian is a very special person. Although his official position is not very high and he has no official qualifications, he started his career because he exposed the Yang Cui case. He is a despicable person and is despised by the ministers. It is just because he is Cao Pi's confidant and holds real power.  Although the ministers looked down upon him, they were also very afraid of him.  However, deep in Yang Tian's heart, there is another unknown secret. For many years, he has been Cao Pi's personal staff. He was sent by Cao Pi to Chengdu to seize the power of intelligence. However, due to a series of strange things,  The encounter made him become a double agent, working for Cao Pi and secretly delivering information to the Han Dynasty.  After coming out of Cao Pi's mansion, Yang Tian did not go back to his own house. Instead, he took a carriage to a tavern on the south side of Guangyangmen Street. The tavern was called Sanjin Tavern. It was opened by a Bingzhou businessman. Yang Tian saw the tavern.  With the light still on, he got out of the carriage and walked quickly to the tavern.  At this time, Haishi has passed, the night is bone-chilling, the streets are deserted, there is no pedestrian, the pub has closed, and the bartenders are busy clearing the tables.  Yang Tian pushed the door open and walked in. A bartender immediately greeted him, saluted, and said apologetically: "This guest, I'm sorry, the pub is closed. Come back tomorrow!" "Where is your shopkeeper?" Yang Tian was unhappy.  asked.  At this time, the shopkeeper came out and said with a smile on his face: "It's Yang Zhongcheng, he hasn't been here for a long time." Yang Tian nodded, "I want to have a drink, is it okay now?" "Of course!" The shopkeeper quickly scolded  The bartender said, "You are all blind. This is Yang Zhongcheng, the censor. Hurry up and heat up some wine and serve some side dishes!" The bartenders murmured and quickly ran to prepare the drinks and dishes. At this time, the shopkeeper invited Yang Tian to the second floor.  In an elegant room, he smiled meaningfully and left quickly.  Not long after, the food and wine arrived. Yang Tian drank slowly and waited patiently. About a quarter of an hour later, the door of the elegant room opened, and a man walked in from the outside. He was tall and thin, with a shrewd look on his face.  This person is Li Fu.  This Sanjin Tavern was indeed opened by a Bingzhou businessman and was not an intelligence agency of the Han army. However, the owner of the tavern was a secret intelligence officer of the Han army. He had only one task, to establish single-line contact between Li Fu and Yang Tian.  This is to protect Yang Tian's secret.  Li Fu lived nearby. When he got the news from the shopkeeper, he rushed to the tavern immediately. He knew that Yang Tian must have something important to ask him. Li Fu sat down opposite Yang Tian and smiled slightly: "Yang Zhongcheng seems to be very busy today."  "Yes! Today the crown prince has been decided, and the two Cao brothers have officially turned against each other. Tomorrow Cao Zhi will be exiled to Xuchang." "Cao Cao has begun to clean up Cao Zhi's power?" Yang Tian shook his head, but then nodded,  "Cao Cao really wanted to clean up, and even asked Cao Zhi for a list of supporters, but it is probably because the areas involved are too wide, so Cao Cao will not take full action for the time being, but will clean up step by step." Speaking of this, Yang Tian sighed and said: "  In fact, I came to join the army to clarify one thing. Which side do you support? Cao Pi or Cao Zhi?" Li Fu smiled and said: "What a coincidence, Sima Shangshu came to talk to me about this matter today.  What His Highness means is to muddy the waters of the Wei State and make them more chaotic. The two brothers must fight among themselves to weaken the Wei State as much as possible." Yang Tian nodded, "I understand, just now.  Cao Pi asked me to closely monitor Shangshu Ling Zhong Yao and Shi Zhong Wang Jie. These two are Cao Zhi's biggest supporters, but Cao Pi also ignored a loophole, that is Cui Lin. If Cao Zhi wants to find Zhong Yao or Wang Jie  , he will not go to them directly, but will go to Cui Lin first and let Cui Lin forward the message for him. " "You mean, as long as Cui Lin and Zhong and Wang are monitored, they can roughly know Cao Zhi's intentions.  ?" "That's what I meant. I reminded Cao Pi, but he didn't understand, so I won't say it again." Li Fu felt secretly in his heart. Although this Yang Tian was despicable, he was lucky enough to be promoted under the support of the Han Dynasty.  Although he has reached a high position, it cannot be said that he is stupid and incompetent. He is still somewhat capable. Otherwise, Cao Pi would not value him so much.  Li Fu put away his contempt for Yang Tian, ??took a sip of wine and smiled lightly: "His Royal Highness the King of Han has no specific requirements. As long as you can achieve the ultimate goal, everything will be controlled by you. If  If you need our cooperation, just ask." Yang Tian pondered for a moment, drank the wine in one gulp, and said, "I need money, at least five hundred taels of gold!" Early the next morning, Sima Yi just said  After washing up and eating something, at this moment, his entourage came to report, "Cao Pi, the Crown Prince of Wei, wants to see the minister!" Sima Yi pondered for a moment, then understood immediately, stood up and smiled at the deputy envoy Qin Mi: "Since he has??The Crown Prince of Wei, we should be polite and go out to greet him!  " Qin Mi nodded, and the two of them walked out of the guesthouse together. On the steps outside the door, Cao Pi was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his hands, waiting patiently for Sima Yi to come out. Yesterday's celebration of the crown prince has passed, and today he is back to normal.  However, after becoming the crown prince, he became more confident and more enthusiastic about the court affairs at hand. Today, Cao Pi officially came to negotiate with Sima Yi on behalf of Cao Cao to decide the final fate of the Xiongnu. "Congratulations, crown prince!"  "Sima Yi and deputy envoy Qin Mi greeted him from the gate with a smile. Cao Pi quickly saluted and said apologetically: "I came so early to disturb Sima Shangshu.  " "It doesn't matter, Your Majesty, please come in!"  " Cao Pi nodded to Qin Mi again, and then walked into the VIP hotel and came to the distinguished guest hall. The three of them sat down separately. An entourage served tea. Cao Pi smiled and asked Qin Mi: "Excuse me, Ambassador Qin, where are you?  Did the emperor have any position in the Han Dynasty?  I don't seem to understand.  " Qin Mi bowed slightly and said, "I don't work in Chang'an. I am an official in the military. It's normal for the prince not to understand.  Sima Yi next to him smiled and added: "Qin Canjun is a marching Sima under the king of Han. He is responsible for recording merits and handling prisoners of war. This time, the Xiongnu prisoners of war were also registered by him and were finally handed over to Pingzhangtai."  " Cao Pi secretly thought in his heart: 'It seems that they know my purpose of coming, that's why Qin Mi attended the meeting.' Thinking of this, Cao Pi smiled again and said: "Since Qin Canjun is here, then I can explain myself better.  The reason for coming.  " Cao Pi sat up slightly and then said slowly: "I came to visit you today mainly because I was entrusted by my father to discuss with you in detail the ownership of the Xiongnu in Bingzhou. Originally, we hoped that the Han Dynasty would take the prisoners of war.  The Bingzhou Huns were handed over to the Wei State, but yesterday Xu Changshi also reported to his father that it seems that the Han Dynasty also hopes that we will hand over the Bingzhou Xiongnu women, children, and children to Guanzhong. Since both sides want these populations, then they need to find a person that both sides want.  Satisfactory solution.  Sima Yi also said frankly: "We do need population, especially in the Guannei and Heshuo areas. The fertile wilderness is thousands of miles away. We need a large number of people to re-cultivate. Although they are Bingzhou Xiongnu, we also believe that under the protection of the Han army,  , these Xiongnu will gradually settle down and become self-cultivating farmers. This is not only the benefit of the Han Dynasty, but also the benefit of the entire Han Dynasty. It will take decades. Therefore, what the King of Han means is that if Wei Gong can agree to use the Xiongnu to reclaim the state,  In the north, we are willing to send back Hun prisoners of war free of charge.  " "The King of Han's mind is admirable, but there is no need for the Huns to reclaim the northern part of Bingzhou for the time being. If you are willing to pay a certain amount of compensation, we are also willing to send more than 200,000 Huns women and children to Guanzhong.  " Cao Pi was not trapped by Sima Yi's statement that he was willing to send back the Huns prisoners of war for free. He simply admired the King of Han's broadmindedness and directly made his request. He could ask for help, but he needed compensation. Sima Yi and Qin Mi faced each other  After taking a look, Qin Mi took the initiative and asked: "I wonder what kind of compensation Wei needs?  " Cao Pi pondered for a moment and said slowly: "We need food as compensation, one person per stone of food.  " Half an hour later, in the Tongque Palace, Cao Pi reported his negotiations with Sima Yi to his father, Cao Cao, "Father, Sima Yi has made it clear that they will not give us Hun prisoners of war, but they need our Hun prisoners. We  Trading was also mentioned.  " "Then did they agree?  A total of 250,000 shi of grain.  "Cao Cao smiled with great interest. "They said they couldn't give 250,000 shi of grain. They could only give 100,000 shi of grain at most, plus 500,000 sheepskins. As an additional condition, they promised to cancel the original Han Dynasty.  The army withdrew from Hefei and requested a monthly grain subsidy of 10,000 shi.  " This condition is not bad. If the Han army really goes to war in Hefei in April, then they can save 50,000 shi of grain compensation. In fact, they use 500,000 sheepskins to pay for 100,000 shi of grain. From the market price, they account for  But Cao Cao was not concerned about the profit of the merchants. He thought for a moment and then asked: "Then have you talked about how to avoid the Battle of Hefei?  " Cao Pi nodded, "Haier specifically asked Sima Yi. Although he didn't say it explicitly, he took the initiative to talk about Luoyang and said that the King of Han yearned for Luoyang. The implication was that Luoyang was exchanged for the armistice at Hefei.  " Cao Cao sneered and said: "In this case, there is no need to talk about Hefei anymore. You go and tell Sima Yi that I accept his plan to exchange the Huns. I request that the exchange be completed before the new year.  " Cao Pi knew that his father did not want to waste food on the Huns anymore and was eager to send them away. He immediately nodded and said, "My son will go and tell you right away. In addition, when will father prepare to leave for Hefei?  ¡± Cao CaoAfter thinking for a while, he said: "I originally went to Hefei after the New Year, but since Liu Jing refuses to compromise on Hefei, I have to go now. Hefei must speed up the construction of the city wall and it must be completed before April."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 908 Moving to a new house at the end of the year

    On New Year's Eve, Liu Jing's family finally moved from the temporary Han Palace to Dajia Palace outside Beicheng. The original temporary Han Palace was renamed Military Advisor Palace and was occupied by Jia Xu and his family, who had a large family.  Dajia Palace was originally the palace where Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiulai visited Guanzhong. Later, it became the palace where emperors of the Han Dynasty visited Chang'an and Guanzhong. It has been repaired many times over the past two hundred years, and the last major renovation has just been completed, officially becoming Liu Jing's palace of the Han Dynasty.  .  Dajia Palace covers an area of ??nearly 300 acres. Although it is much smaller than Weiyang Palace, it still looks extremely luxurious for a relatively ordinary mansion. It is more than twice the size of the Han Dynasty palaces in Xiangyang and Chengdu.  The entire Grand Palace is divided into four parts. The easternmost part is the stable, which is about ten acres in size. The second is the front yard, which is the residence of the guards and servants. It covers an area of ??about forty acres and has nearly a hundred rooms of various sizes.  House.  Next is the atrium, which is also divided into two parts. One part is the main hall and the guest hall for holding parties or receiving guests. The main hall alone covers an area of ??50 acres. It is a medium-sized palace and can accommodate 1,500 people for dining here at the same time.  , and the other part of the atrium is the east courtyard, which has more than a dozen courtyards, mainly for guests to live in.  In addition to the front yard and atrium, the largest one is the back house. This is where Liu Jing and his wives, concubines, and children lived. It covers an area of ??200 acres and is a miniature version of the harem of Weiyang Palace.  The back house is actually a garden with extremely beautiful scenery. In the center is a sparkling lake, covering an area of ??80 acres. It is formed by underground springs and is called Ganlu Lake. From a distance, it looks like a sparkling star hanging on a car.  The pearl of nectar in the palace, the lake is surrounded by various flowers, plants and trees, there are dozens of exquisite pavilions, and a white jade lake center pavilion leads directly into the lake.  When Tao Zhan and Sun Shangxiang entered the harem for the first time, they were a little shocked, because it was almost exactly the same as the Prefecture Mufu in Xiangyang. In fact, the Prefectural Mufu in Xiangyang was built by Liu Biao after the harem of Weiyang Palace. It was a copy.  The same goes for the final garden.  There are a total of seven large courtyards around Ganlu Lake, which naturally saves a lot of trouble of dividing houses. Everyone can just occupy the house as it was when they were in Xiangyang.  The only person who felt novel was Xiao Qiao. She had never seen the Xiangyang Prefecture Mufu. When she entered the back house for the first time, she was immediately stunned by the magnificent scenery. Although she was also a person who had seen the world, Jiangdong  The palace cannot be compared with the imperial palace.  Xiao Qiao loves this back house very much. Every step she takes, she is amazed by the scenery in front of her. Although it is still winter, those beautiful rockeries and those exquisite pavilions are slightly warm, like  The lake is as clear and transparent as jade, as well as the long pavilion carved into the lake made of white marble. Against the backdrop of the thin mist, it looks like a fairyland.  "Alian, do you like it here?" At some point, Sun Shangxiang appeared next to Xiao Qiao.  "I like it!" Xiao Qiao stared at the scenery in the backyard with her bright eyes, filled with endless admiration, "I really like the scenery here." "I don't like it very much." Sun Shangxiang said sadly: "I  I prefer the natural scenery, the endless grasslands, the majestic mountains, and the sparkling Yangtze River. I feel like a free wild goose, able to fly in the sky without restraint. " "Okay, don't sigh.  I will accompany you for a walk in Zhongnan Mountain after spring, okay?" Sun Shangxiang suddenly smiled and said, "Then we have an agreement!" Although Sun Shangxiang was quite dissatisfied with Xiao Qiao because of her marriage to Liu Jing,  She had been neglected for several months, but Sun Shangxiang was an open-minded woman after all. As time went by, she gradually forgot the unpleasantness of sharing a husband and regained their original friendship.  Xiao Qiao looked around and asked, "Where is my yard?" "I'm just here to take you there, follow me!" Sun Shangxiang took Xiao Qiao's hand and walked quickly to the west.  Qiao's yard is very close to Sun Shangxiang's yard. It occupies a small area of ??only three acres, but it is very delicate and quiet. It is surrounded by green bamboos, with a pond in the middle. There is a bamboo viewing pavilion and a white jade small building built on the rockery.  The bridge winds and leads to her bedroom, which is a beautiful two-story building in the middle of the bamboo forest.  "The yard is not big, but I think it is very good. If you don't like it, we will find another yard." "No! No!" Xiao Qiao shook her head repeatedly. She fell in love with this quiet little yard at first sight and couldn't bear it.  He couldn't help but smile and said: "You know I like the bamboo forest the most. I like this quiet atmosphere. Oh my God! Is this where I will live in the future?" "You are too emotional!" Sun Shangxiang chuckled and said: "  It's just a bamboo forest??, no need to act so exaggerated!  My residence is very simple, with a large warehouse filled with all my weapons and treasures, and a training ground. I want it to be spacious, and I don¡¯t like trees getting in the way.  " Xiao Qiao pursed her lips and smiled: "Okay!  alright!  My Princess Shangxiang, either come in with me, or you go back and see the child.  " When she mentioned the child, Sun Shangxiang suddenly said "Ah!" She actually forgot about her precious son. The wet nurse was still holding him in the carriage waiting for her. She turned around and ran towards the outer house in a panic. "  Seeing how flustered she was, Qiao felt funny in her heart, and her mind immediately turned back to her beloved yard. She walked briskly towards the small building. The small building was divided into two floors, with a total of eight rooms, four on each side. She was on the top.  The bedroom, piano room, study room, and living room have been planned, and below are the residences of the four maids. There is also a bungalow with five or six rooms outside the bamboo forest, which is the residence of several female guards who guard her.  Everything had been brought in first, and Xiao Qiao didn't have time to visit the house for the time being. She had to sort out her clothes first. She was standing in front of the bed folding her skirts when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. She thought it was the maid taking the clothes.  When the things came in, he said, "Put the things next door first, and I'll pack them up here."  " There was no answer for a while. She was about to stand up when someone suddenly grabbed her waist from behind. She was so scared that she screamed, but immediately there was a familiar laughter: "I am a ** man.  I came here specifically to pick lotus flowers today.  " Xiao Qiao suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, patted his chest and said, "Husband, you scared me to death!  " "Who do you think it is?  Liu Jing laughed behind her. "I thought he was a thief, and I was preparing to fight with my life!"  "Xiao Qiao Qingbo turned slightly and rolled her eyes at him. Liu Jing turned her around, held her in his arms, kissed her lips and asked with a smile: "Do you like it here?  "    "like very much!  " Xiao Qiao nodded lightly. She took Liu Jing's hand and walked to the window. She looked at the bamboo forest outside the window and said intoxicatedly: "I didn't expect that I would live in a bamboo forest. Do you know?  I like green bamboo best.  "    "I know.  Liu Jing said with a smile: "The first time you raped me was in the bamboo forest."  " Xiao Qiao's pretty face suddenly turned red. She turned around and beat him hard on the chest with her pink fist. She shouted coyly: "What nonsense are you talking about!  When someone attacks you, tell them clearly.  "    "no!  I'm just kidding.  " At this time, Xiao Qiao had already heard the footsteps of the maid going upstairs. She had to let Liu Jing go for the time being and settle accounts with him later. She glared at him fiercely, gritted her teeth gently, and whispered: "  You can¡¯t just say nonsense if you¡¯re joking!  " The footsteps on the stairs stopped, and seemed to go down slowly again. The maid must have sensed something. Liu Jing put her arms around Xiao Qiao's shoulders, looked at the bamboo forest outside the window and smiled: "Even if you like it, but you see it every day, don't you?  Will it taste boring?  " Xiao Qiao snuggled into her husband's arms and sighed softly: "I may get tired of other things, but I don't like bamboo.  " "Why?  " "When I was a child, there were green bamboos in front and behind the house. Through the bamboo forest, there was a clear river in front. My mother told me since I was a child that I was born in the middle of the night. During the night, the bamboo forest was covered with bamboo shoots, so my family  They say I am a soul made of green bamboo, do you know?  My earliest nickname was Xiaoqing, because a small green bamboo grew in front of my window. Later, the small green bamboo withered and my father thought it was unlucky, so he stopped calling me Xiaoqing. From then on, I was called A-Lian.  Liu Jing nodded, "So that's it. From now on, I'll call you Xiaoqing!"  " "No, just call me A-Lian.  " Xiao Qiao pursed her red lips slightly and said coquettishly: "Xiao Qing sounds like a little green snake.  "Liu Jing suppressed her laughter and gently tapped the tip of her nose with her finger, "You are a beautiful snake, and you are so entangled that I am fascinated.  " Xiao Qiao felt hot in her heart and pressed her pretty face against his chest. For a moment, she stretched out her arms around her husband's neck and looked up at him. A layer of mist seemed to cover her beautiful eyes. She  Beiqi bit her red lips, leaned close to her husband's ear and whispered: "You have to come to my place tonight, and I will let you taste the taste of the beautiful snake.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 909 Population Strategy

    Time has gradually arrived in late December, less than ten days before the New Year, and these ten days will be the busiest days in the political hall. Only one day apart, nearly 300,000 Xiongnu women and children came from Hexi and two people came from Bingzhou.  More than 100,000 Xiongnu women and children from Bingzhou entered Guanzhong one after another.  Although the government was well prepared, more than 500,000 Huns entered Guanzhong at the same time, which still put tremendous pressure on the government. Almost the entire government in the Guanzhong area was mobilized. Except for one of the five ministers in Pingzhangtai, they stayed behind.  The remaining four people went to Fengyi County and Fufeng County to deal with the resettlement of the Huns.  Even the Han army immediately dispatched more than 20,000 people to assist local officials in maintaining order among the Huns.  Nearly 300,000 Huns led by Zhao Yun from Hexi finally settled in Qixian County, which has entered Guanzhong and is a county in the north of Fufeng County. The terrain here is higher in the southwest and lower in the northeast, and the Jingshui River runs through it from northwest to southeast.  , divides Qixian County into a landform pattern of two plateaus sandwiched by a river.  The Huns camp is located in three huge ravines about a few miles northeast of the county. The climate in the ravines is mild, the terrain is flat, and three small rivers run through them. It is very suitable for camping. Therefore, there are also relics of military camps stationed in the three ravines here.  .  The arrival of 300,000 Huns made Qixian County extremely lively. Tens of thousands of tents were set up in three large ravines. A large amount of supplies were delivered to the county through the ice of Jingshui River. More than 200 officials were transferred from all over Guanzhong.  He and more than a thousand Chang'an Imperial College students also rushed to the Huns' camp.  The first thing for the Huns was to stabilize them, so that they would have food and bedding for the winter, as well as hay to feed their livestock. After they stabilized, they would then need to be registered. This was also the most important thing.  It is necessary to identify the Hun prisoners of war and their wives and children, and to separate the orphans and widows.  Fortunately, the Huns live together according to tribes, so this confirmation is relatively easy. Four days later, more than 20,000 households and hundreds of thousands of Huns were taken away and sent to the Chang'an Huns prisoner-of-war camp to reunite with their husbands or sons.  Most of the remaining 200,000 Huns women and children were widows and orphans. Sadness began to spread in the camp, and wailing women and children could be seen everywhere.  That morning, Liu Jing also rushed to Qixian County to inspect the progress of the resettlement of the Huns. The official in charge of the resettlement of the Huns in Qixian County was Shangshu Dong He. When he heard that His Highness the King of Han had arrived, he came specially to greet him.  "There are five days left until the end of the day. How is the resettlement progress?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.  "Reporting to Your Highness, the enthronement and registration are coming to an end. We plan to suspend resettlement after the registration and registration, and we will start to transfer the population after the spring." Liu Jing acquiesced to Dong He's plan and asked: "Now  What are the main difficulties? " "The problem is that there are too many people. Complete resettlement will take time, and not everyone is willing to be resettled. Wei Chen is worried that some Huns will pose a threat to the place in the future. " "Then resettle the Huns who are willing to rely on them.  Liu Jing smiled and said: "As for those Huns who stubbornly refuse to be resettled, follow the rules of the grassland and send people to the grassland after spring. Let Daman know that we have many elite Huns warriors here. I believe he will be interested."  Redemption, but we have to be good at business and ask him to ask us for it. I believe we can sell it at a good price. "Isn't this an attempt to indulge the enemy?" Dong He asked in confusion.  Liu Jing smiled and patted his shoulder: "The Xiongnu's biggest enemy in the future will be the Xianbei people, not us anymore. Don't worry too much." Dong He nodded, "Wei Chen understands." By this time, the large group had registered.  The finished Huns women were brought out by the soldiers. Dong He looked at them and said with a wry smile: "There is another problem now, which is the mood swings of some Huns women. The Huns originally had more women than men. Many Huns men often have several wives, and the nobles have more.  Due to the large number of wives and concubines, coupled with the attrition of their wars with Xianbei and us, there are not many Xiongnu men left. Of the 300,000 Huns sent this time, there are not many young and strong men, but there are nearly 200,000 young women. The rest  They are all old people and children. Now that these women heard that their husbands were killed in the battle, and only the wives and prisoners of war were allowed to reunite, the whole camp was crying loudly. They cried for two days in a row. Today, Liu Jing did not hesitate.  Said: "Now that they are Han subjects, they need to follow our laws. I don't care how many wives and concubines these Xiongnu men had in the past. Now they are just ordinary civilians, so they are only allowed to marry one wife. The Xiongnu nobles are no exception. There are many wives."  The Huns women who came out had to remarry Han people, especially the Han soldiers were given priority in marrying wives. They might be a little noisy at first, but after a year or two they will accept the reality and calm down. Dong Shangshu, you have to remember this.  It is a national policy to increase the population. We cannot be soft-hearted and must implement it resolutely. " Dong He nodded silently. This is indeed a strategic national policy formulated by Pingzhangtai. It can completely reverse the unfavorable situation of more men and fewer women among the Han people and promote population growth.  Yes?Significant impact.  Although it may sound a bit unkind, it will take at least decades, or even hundreds of years, to restore the population and economy of the Han Dynasty. The remarriage of hundreds of thousands of Xiongnu women to Han people can shorten the process to a certain extent.  Time, that¡¯s why it¡¯s called a population strategy.  This is also the fundamental reason why the Han army tried every means to obtain these Xiongnu women and children.  As they were talking, they arrived at the Hun camp. This was the largest of the three Hun camps. There were nearly 80,000 people living in the camp. There were three large tents at the outermost part of the mountain col. This was where officials conducted population registration.  At the venue, there were long queues in front of the three big tents. As Dong He said, most of the queues were women.  Women are the most realistic. Although the death of their husbands makes them extremely sad, life must go on. After registering the population, they will obtain Han household registration, have the opportunity to obtain land and food, and can continue to survive. This is their first concern.  First priority, so grief is grief, but life must still go on as usual.  On both sides of the team, dozens of soldiers were responsible for maintaining order. When the soldiers saw Liu Jing coming up, they all knelt down on one knee and shouted: "See His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing smiled and waved his hands, "Thank you for your hard work, brothers.  " At this moment, nearly a hundred women suddenly rushed up like a gust of wind. Liu Jing's guard was caught off guard. The women broke through the defense line and rushed to Liu Jing. The women knelt down one after another and shouted emotionally.  Surprisingly, many of them could speak Chinese. Liu Jing vaguely understood their cries, and they seemed to be asking to be reunited with their husbands.  Liu Jing immediately understood the identities of these women. They were all so-called wives and concubines of the Huns. In fact, most of these women were not Huns. There were a large number of Han people among them, as well as Qiang, Jie, and Xianbei people. Most of them were  Captured by the Huns.  At this time, the guards waved their whips to drive these women away, but Liu Jing waved her hand to stop the guards from driving away, and the women gradually became quiet.  Liu Jing then said slowly: "We have captured more than 30,000 Xiongnu prisoners of war. Maybe they are your husbands, fathers and brothers, but they are now slaves of prisoners of war. They have to serve hard labor for three years before they can be converted into civilians. During these three years,  , their rations are only enough for themselves and cannot feed you. After three years, they will only be able to obtain a small amount of land and can only support one wife at most. You and your children will fall into the poorest situation. If you cannot survive, he will  They also sell their wives and daughters. I believe you don¡¯t want to live such a life. " Liu Jing¡¯s words were very simple, but very realistic. When the soldiers translated them, many women were touched and slowly lowered their heads. Liu Jing continued:  "We have many young men who have land, houses, food, and a prosperous life, but they don't have wives. You will start your life again, become housewives of the family, and give birth to your own children. No one will discriminate against you. The government will still  I will give you land, cattle and sheep as a dowry, let you remarry in glory, and become a decent person from now on. Don¡¯t you want this kind of life?¡± The women were silent, and it could be seen that many people were tempted by it.  The Xiongnu, they were all men's vassals and property. They had no dignity, no decency, and no property of their own. At first, they were afraid and didn't know their fate, so they cried and made a fuss, wanting to be with their former ones.  Men together.  Now, Liu Jing pointed out a clear path for them, allowing many women to see the hope of a new life. At this time, a young woman shouted: "But I have children and I don't want to get married again, so what should I do?"  " Liu Jing looked at the woman with sharp eyes. The woman immediately lowered her head with a guilty conscience. Liu Jing sneered in his heart. He understood the woman's thoughts and said: "If it is really because you have to raise children that you don't want to remarry,  The government will not force you, but the Han Dynasty will never encourage young women to be widowed. Therefore, widows will not be able to obtain land and houses, and they will have to sell themselves as official slaves in order to survive. Life in poverty will be inevitable, and I also  To be clear, Han law does not allow commoners to take concubines. If you want to take advantage of this loophole and go to find your former husband, then I am sorry, you will cause trouble for him, and your whole family will be deprived of official slaves. " Liu Jing finished,  Glancing at the woman again, the woman's face turned pale and she didn't dare to say anything anymore. At this time, Liu Jing turned back to Dong He and said, "Tell everyone what I said one by one. The government encourages remarriage."  , against widowhood, those who remarry will gain benefits and live a prosperous life, while those who are widowed will live in poverty, or even become slaves, let them choose by themselves. "In fact, women all understand these truths, widowhood must have the support of the natal family, if not.  My mother's family couldn't support her anymore, so I had no choice but to remarry as soon as possible.  At first, many women were still lucky, but when these words came out of Hanzhong's mouth, many women's luck was cut off. They could only accept their fate and wait for a new remarriage.  ? ?Jing walked into the big tent. There was a row of tables inside the tent. Dozens of scholars were sitting behind the tables, writing as fast as they could, registering the women, children and the elderly in the tent. At this time, Fei Yi, the minister who joined the army, greeted him.  He came up, bowed and saluted: "I am here to see you, Your Highness!" "When will the registration be completed?" Liu Jing asked.  "Reporting to Your Highness, it's coming to an end now, and it will be over as soon as tomorrow." Liu Jing nodded, and then said to Fei Yi and Dong He: "After the registration is completed, everyone can go home for the holidays, but I think we will continue the resettlement of the population in the spring next year.  It seems a bit late. It is best to start resettling these Huns women and children after the fifth day of the Lunar New Year holiday. What do you think?" Dong He and Fei Yi looked at each other. They understood that Liu Jing wanted to end the resettlement of the Huns as soon as possible to facilitate their concentration.  Focusing on preparing for the Battle of Hefei, the two immediately agreed, "I will obey the wishes of the King of Han." Liu Jing smiled and said: "The main reason is that the army has started to register. I heard that the soldiers are very enthusiastic and many people are willing to marry these people.  Huns woman, it has only been three days. More than 5,000 people have registered in the cavalry camp alone, not to mention other military camps. I estimate that at least 30% of the army soldiers alone can be accommodated. Brothers are very anxious. You are here.  We must hurry up." "We will complete the resettlement as quickly as possible." After solving the women's matter, Liu Jing pointed to a few old people and said: "There is also a plan to deal with the resettlement of the Xiongnu orphans.  The plan is to ensure their basic life as much as possible. I think the plan proposed by Jiang Shangshu is very good. Give them official land, and then rent the land to support their old age. After their death, the government will take back the land. Pingzhangtai can consider the details of this again.  " Dong He and Fei Yi quickly nodded in agreement. At this moment, Zhao Yun hurriedly walked into the tent. He saw Liu Jing at a glance. He smiled from afar and said, "I heard that Your Highness is here. I looked everywhere, and it turned out to be here."  "Zhao Yun stepped forward and bowed, "Your Majesty, I have a humble duty!" "Zilong has worked hard on this expedition to Juyanhai." "Thanks for your concern, Your Majesty, but this time it is really not an expedition. They are all women, children, old people, and soldiers.  There is basically no loss." Having said this, Zhao Yun approached Liu Jing and whispered: "Your Highness, can you lend me a step? I have something important to report to Your Highness."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 910 Hidden Danger in Hexi

    Liu Jing saw that Zhao Yun looked a little solemn, so he nodded, "There are many people here, let's go to another tent to talk." The two came to another big tent and sat down. At this time, there were only Liu Jing and Zhao Yun in the tent.  Despite this, Zhao Yun was still very cautious and said cautiously: "In my humble position, I suggest that your highness should transfer Liao Hua back to Hexi." Liu Jing was startled by this sentence, and he immediately realized that Zhao Yun was actually hinting that he should be careful about Ma Chao.  Did Ma Chao do something in Hexi?  From the feedback Liu Jing has received so far, Ma Chao did not do anything extraordinary in Hexi. Of course, it may be that he did not discover it.  But Zhao Yun is cautious and never speaks ill of anyone. Today, for the first time, he reminded himself to be careful about Ma Chao. Something must have happened. Liu Jing immediately asked: "What happened?" Zhao Yun took out a  He handed the letter to Liu Jing, "This is a private letter from Li Wen, the magistrate of Juyan County, to His Highness. Li Wen is the eldest son of the Li family in Longxi. Please take a look at it." Liu Jing opened the letter, and it turned out to be an accusation.  Ma Chao suppressed the Li family. The Li family originally bought a large area of ??land on the south bank of the Zhangye River from the Qiang king Nangong Suo and planned to reclaim it as farmland. However, after Nangong Suo's death, the Qiang people no longer recognized the transaction and robbed  Li's farmland was stolen and turned into pasture again. Li was furious and complained to Ma Chao, but Ma Chao favored the Qiang people and refused to recognize the deal between the Li family and Nangong Suo.  Judging from the content of the letter, the problem is not very serious. Nangong Suo is an enemy of the Han army. After being defeated by the Han army, it is reasonable for Ma Chao not to acknowledge Nangong Suo's transaction. Zhao Yun will never use this matter to imply Ma Chao.  It's inappropriate, which means there is another reason.  "Is there anything unsatisfactory about going to Hexi this time?" Liu Jing asked quietly.  "It went smoothly when I went there, but I encountered a little trouble when I came back." "What trouble?" "When I went to Hexi this time, what I felt most deeply was that the Qiang people in Hexi and the Qiang people in Longxi are really different. The Qiang people in Longxi  They are low-key, gentle, pay taxes, and get along well with the Han people in Longxi, but the Qiang people in Hexi are a little bit flamboyant." "How can they be flamboyant?" Zhao Yun sighed: "When our team arrived in Zhangye, a scout discovered them.  , two groups of Qiang cavalry with more than 10,000 people were approaching us, and several Qiang chiefs stopped us and asked to leave half of the population and cattle and sheep. " Liu Jing's face immediately darkened and she asked coldly.  : "What's Ma Chao's attitude?" "Bizhi immediately sent someone to inform Governor Ma to come and deal with it, but the news was that Governor Ma went to Jiuquan for inspection. Fortunately, Beizhi brought 20,000 cavalry and immediately assumed a posture to attack the Qiang people.  , the Qiang people were forced to evacuate, and we were able to leave Hexi." Having said this, Zhao Yun said worriedly: "I feel like the Qiang people in Hexi have not changed much from before the Han army regained Hexi, and they are even stronger. Of course, maybe.  It¡¯s just a humble job.¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Liu Jing slammed the table and stood up. He could hardly contain the anger in his heart. Zhao Yun tried his best to downplay the matter, but Liu Jing could still feel the tension at the time.  , three hundred thousand Huns and millions of cattle and sheep are of course huge wealth, but this is the war dividend after the Han army fought bloody battles and defeated Liu Qubei. The Qiang people actually want to compete with the Han army for these wealth. It is simply ridiculous.  Audacity.  But Ma Chao went to Jiuquan at this critical moment. Even if he was not the instigator behind the scenes, he deliberately stayed out of the matter. In order to stabilize Hexi, Liu Jing specially appointed Ma Chao, who had high prestige among the Qiang people, as the governor of Hexi. But Ma Chao not only  Instead of implementing his own strategy of making the Han strong and the Qiang weak, he supported the Qiang people, which gradually made the Qiang people in Hexi more powerful.  This made Liu Jing quite dissatisfied, but seeing the Han-Hungarian war, Liu Jing temporarily tolerated this dissatisfaction and prepared for the war with the Huns. In the subsequent Lingzhou raid, Ma Chao and the Qiang people worked very hard, especially in the one hundred thousand taels.  Regarding the ownership of the gold, Ma Chao ordered Liao Hua to send it back to Chang'an overnight, which slightly eased Liu Jing's dissatisfaction with him.  But what Zhao Yun reported this time finally made Liu Jing a little bit intolerable. It seems that putting Ma Chao in Hexi was indeed a big mistake on his part. Although Hexi was temporarily stabilized, in the long run, it left another hidden danger.  , I still underestimated Ma Chao's ambition.  Zhao Yun could see Liu Jing's anger, but now was definitely not the time to attack Ma Chao. He quickly advised: "Your Highness, although unpleasant things have happened in Hexi, it is not to the point of changing the world. This humble position is just to remind Your Highness to pay attention.  Take precautions, we will launch the Hefei Campaign in a few months. This is the top priority of the overall situation." Liu Jing took a few steps with his hands behind his back to calm down slowly. Zhao Yun was right, the Hefei Battle is imminent.  , there must be no trouble in the rear. He not only needs to guard against Ma Chao, but also needs to stabilize Ma Chao.    Thinking of this, Liu Jing said slowly: "It is not appropriate to transfer Liao Hua back to Hexi. I plan to promote Ma Dai to the rank of general and appoint him as the captain of Wuwei. Together with Leng Bao, he will command 6,000 Han cavalry to garrison Wuwei County.  " Zhao Yun gave a thumbs up. This is a very clever move. Although Ma Dai is Ma Chao's younger brother, he is loyal to the Han Dynasty. Once Ma Chao has different intentions, Ma Dai will not only not help Ma Chao, but also restrain Ma Chao.  The eastward attack, and more importantly, increasing the number of Han troops stationed in Hexi, is also a deterrent to the Qiang people.  Liu Jing thought for a while and asked: "How much supplies have you stored in the official warehouse of Zhangye City?" "Your Highness, it is mainly gold, red gold and five coins. Among them, there are about 150,000 taels of gold and about 400,000 taels of red gold.  There are countless kilograms and five baht coins, at least several hundred large boxes." Liu Jing nodded and immediately ordered: "The gold must be transported back to Guanzhong immediately, but the red gold and five baht coins can be distributed among the Qiang people.  Tribe, please appease them first, and then settle accounts with them later.¡± Zhao Yun hurriedly went to make arrangements. Liu Jing thought for a moment, and then found a guard. He handed Juyan County Magistrate Li Wen¡¯s letter.  The guard asked him: "You can rush to Hexi overnight and hand this letter to Governor Ma in person!" Dan's day is also called 'Zhengdan', which is today's Spring Festival.  The most important festival of the year, on this day, the whole family must worship their ancestors. It is for this reason that family members must rush home no matter how far away they are. Today, the ancestor worship ceremony has disappeared and it has gradually evolved into a family reunion.  On the first day of the new year, winter wine is drunk, the elders drink pepper and cypress wine, and children are given lucky money. Many families also have the custom of keeping the year old. The whole family gets together, drinks, talks and laughs, waiting for the arrival of midnight, or playing with cattails, or  Throwing pots and arrows, they spent the night happily and welcomed the arrival of Zhengdan.  Liu Jing finally rushed back to Chang'an on the afternoon of New Year's Eve. This year, the official canceled the annual mausoleum ceremony, but every household's clan sacrifices still have to be held. This year, Liu Jing and Liu Hu still held an ancestor worship ceremony in the family temple.  It is arranged at three o'clock on the first day of the first lunar month.  The night was getting late, and in the main hall of the back house of Dajia Palace, Liu Jing and Liu Hu's family gathered together to drink and watch the New Year's Eve, laughing and chatting, waiting for the clock to ring.  The lights were brightly lit in the lobby, and a dozen people from a family, old and young, were sitting around. In addition to Liu Jing's four wives and five children, Liu Hu, his three wives and concubines, two daughters and one son were also sitting in the hall. In addition,  Tao Zhan also ordered people to invite Qiao Xuan and Da Qiao to have a happy New Year celebration with their whole family.  The hall was filled with laughter and laughter. Everyone was drinking and chatting. The prince Liu Zhize and Liu Hu¡¯s eldest son Liu Qiang sat on one side and played with cattails, while Liu Zhu and Liu Hu¡¯s two daughters were on the other side throwing quivers for fun.  Everyone was drinking and chatting, and the topic unknowingly turned up about Hun women. Tao Zhan also heard some rumors and asked his husband with a smile: "Husband, we all heard that you forcibly demolished the mandarin ducks in Qixian County, and many Hun women knelt in front of you.  , please let them reunite with their husbands, but you are determined not to allow it. Are these rumors? "Liu Jing took a sip of wine, shook her head and said: "This is not a rumor, but it is true. It is completely true." Sun Shangxiang next to her.  Surprised: "Husband, aren't you breaking up other people's couples?" But Liu Hu knew the truth. He smiled at the side and said: "My brother and sister don't know. Your Highness is not breaking up couples, but is not allowing the Huns' concubines to have sex with them."  The husband is reunited. As far as I know, those women are just property attached to the Huns. The real wives of the Huns have been sent to reunite with their husbands. Your Highness is actually doing it for their own good. " Tao Zhan was still puzzled and asked again.  Liu Jing asked: "How come your husband is doing them good?" Liu Jing took another sip and glanced at Da Qiao from the corner of his eye. Seeing that she was looking at him intently, as if waiting for his answer, he smiled and said: "  It's very simple. These Huns men are all prisoners of war. They will be registered as slaves within three years. Not to mention that slaves are not allowed to take concubines. Moreover, the Huns can only get a limited amount of grain from a day's work, and they can only make ends meet.  , where can you raise wives, concubines, and a lot of children? Instead of these women going to starve and freeze and live in extreme poverty, it is better to remarry to a wealthy family and have someone to rely on for the rest of their lives, don¡¯t you think?¡±  Qiao's face felt slightly warm. She was extremely sensitive. She felt that Liu Jing's words were directed at her. She bit her lips lightly and smiled slightly: "What your Highness said makes sense to a certain extent, but it is not entirely true."  "Correct." Liu Jing suddenly became interested and asked her, "What's wrong?" "I mean, Your Highness doesn't understand women. He thinks that every woman is very realistic and wants to live a comfortable life. In fact, many of them are not.  A woman doesn't care how she lives or how she eats, or whether she has a beautiful house or an expensive screen. She would ratherThe man I love eats chaffy vegetables together and is close to each other.  " After saying that, Da Qiao looked at Liu Jing deeply with her bright eyes. Her words made everyone laugh. Tao Zhan nodded and said: "Da Qiao said it well. My husband is indeed a bit too authoritarian.  , regardless of what these poor women think about themselves.  " Liu Jing was silent. After a while, he slowly said to Da Qiao: "At least I hope they can understand my painstaking efforts.  " At this moment, the sound of bells could be heard faintly in the distance, and the children suddenly cheered. The twenty-first year of Jian'an finally arrived. Liu Jing stood up and smiled at everyone: "The family temple is down below. Everyone, follow me.  Family temple!  " Everyone got up one after another. Liu Jing and Liu Hu hurried to the family temple first. At this time, Tao Zhan saw that Qiao Xuan was too drunk and was helped to the guest room to sleep by the servant. She smiled at Da Qiao and said: "It's not as good as my sister.  Come with us!  " Da Qiao hesitated for a moment, glanced at Liu Jing quickly, lowered his head and whispered: "You worship your ancestors, what should I do?  " Tao Zhan likes Da Qiao very much. Da Qiao's gentle and elegant temperament, as well as her tolerant and considerate personality, are somewhat similar to Tao Zhan. Da Qiao has always had the best relationship with Tao Zhan since he has been in Chang'an for several months.  Tao Zhan stepped forward to hold her arm and said with a smile: "We are still short of a priest, so you just have to do it!"  " Da Qiao was helpless. Seeing that Liu Jing had already gone ahead, she could only nod her head, "I was a priest in Jiangdong. Since the eldest sister invites me so kindly, I will give it a try!  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 911 Preparing for Hefei

    The day of the twenty-first year of Jian'an was destined to be tense and busy. On the third day after the day, the ministers of Pingzhangtai once again went to Fengyi County and Fufeng County to continue to deal with the resettlement issue of the Huns.  At the same time, the planning and preparation for the Battle of Hefei also quietly kicked off. Li Jing appointed Li Yan as the grain envoy of Jingzhou and Xiangxiang to coordinate the transportation of military grains to various counties in Jingxiang. In addition, Liu Jing ordered the recruitment of a thousand soldiers from Jingzhou.  Five hundred civilian ships were used to transport military supplies, and the 30,000 troops stationed in Bashu and Jingnan were transferred to Chaisang.  To seize Hefei, you can control Jiangdong to the south and glimpse Xuyu to the north. It can be called a huge strategic fulcrum. If the Han army wants to unify the world, seize the Central Plains, and annex Jiangdong, Hefei is bound to win. Starting from last year, the Battle of Hefei was planned  The clear plan on the table was not only clear to the Han army, but also to the Cao army.  Cao Cao tried his best to prevent the Battle of Hefei from breaking out, even using his daughter's marriage to Liu Jing, but it still had no effect. Except for the Han-Hungarian war that broke out in the autumn and winter last year, which delayed the Battle of Hefei for half a year, there was no force to stop the Han army from taking over.  will.  Unless Cao Cao agrees to Liu Jing's conditions and gives up Luoyang, Cao Cao will not agree to this condition of drinking poison to quench his thirst. Giving up Luoyang means that the door of the Central Plains is wide open. The Han army can sweep through the Central Plains at any time and stick to Hefei.  There is a battle with the Han army, but it is not yet known who will win.  Since Cao Cao understood the strategic deployment of the Han army, he did not sit still. He appointed Zhang Liao as the governor of Yangzhou and deployed 100,000 troops in Hefei and Shouchun. He also appointed Cao Ren as the governor of Xuzhou and deployed 60,000 troops in Xuzhou as a side response to Hefei.  At the same time, Cao Cao ordered the recruitment of 200,000 civilians in the Si and Huai areas to strengthen the city defenses of Hefei and Shouchun, and widen the rivers to better connect the two important cities of Fei and Shou.  Just after the New Year, Cao Cao arrived in Hefei City. At this time, he had made it clear that the Han army would launch an attack on Hefei before April, so it became urgent to speed up the progress of Hefei's defenses.  At the top of Hefei City, Zhang Liao was accompanying Cao Cao and military advisor Cheng Yu to inspect the progress of Hefei City. The water in Xiaoyaojin had been drained, and tens of thousands of people were repairing the city wall. A three-mile-long city wall had begun to take shape on Xiaoyaojin.  Zhang Liao saw that Cao Cao frowned and seemed not satisfied with the progress of the city construction. He quickly explained: "I have informed Duke Wei that the amount of fortifications to be built on Xiaoyaojin is huge. It is not the city wall itself, but the Xiaoyaojin must be drained first."  We tried several methods without success. In the end, we had to dig a depression east of Xiaoyaojin to seal the inflow and outflow of Xiaoyaojin, then release the water into the depression, and then use soil to fill up the silt at the bottom of the lake.  This fortification alone took three months. The civilians were busy day and night, and even Zhengdan only had three days of rest.  Aren't these common people worse?" "But if you push too hard, they will work hard and fail to do their best." Before Zhang Liao could finish speaking, Cao Cao interrupted him and asked, "I want to know how many common people have died.  ?" Zhang Liao hesitated and said in a low voice: "Seven people died one after another." "That's good, only seven people died. I guess these seven people also died of illness! No wonder it took four or five months for the city wall to appear.  I don¡¯t think there is any need to repair a shadow. If you withdraw your troops to Shouchun and give Hefei directly to the Han army, no civilians will have to die. This will fulfill your love for the people, don¡¯t you think, General Zhang?¡±  Cao Cao looked at Zhang Liao with a half-smile.  Zhang Liao could hear the serious dissatisfaction in Cao Cao's tone, and he quickly knelt down to apologize: "I owe the great trust of Duke Wei to you, and I am willing to bear all the responsibilities." Cheng Yu next to him saw that Zhang Liao was not up to date with current affairs, and he couldn't help but feel anxious. Duke Wei was too slow in his progress.  If he is dissatisfied, then Zhang Liao should answer how to improve the progress. This is the way to solve the problem. At this time, he still has to accept the crime. Wouldn't it make Wei Gong even more angry?  Cheng Yu saw that Cao Cao's face was getting darker and darker, and he was obviously about to have an attack. He hurriedly advised: "Please calm down, Duke Wei. Wei Chen feels that Wen Yuan also knows that the matter is important and has his own plan in mind. It will not affect the overall situation of Hefei. Wei Wei  You might as well let Wen Yuan finish." Cheng Yu's words reminded Cao Cao that since Zhang Liao is the commander-in-chief of Hefei, Zhang Liao should be fully responsible for the entire war situation in Hefei. With Zhang Liao's literary and military strategies, how could he not know this?  The situation was urgent, and maybe he did have his own plan. Thinking of this, Cao Cao's face brightened a little, and he asked: "Tell me, how can you ensure that the overall situation of Hefei will not be affected?" Zhang Liao glanced at Cheng Yu gratefully, and then  He said in a deep voice: "Beizhi has spies in Chaisang and Lujiang, paying close attention to the movements of the Han army. Beizhi believes that the battle of Hefei is a battle that affects the general situation of the world. The Han army will never send troops rashly and must be fully prepared.  In particular, strategic materials such as grain, grass, ships, etc. must be prepared in advance. The time for combat preparation alone will not be less than three months, so the humble position is limited to three months, and the humble position can be guaranteed.After two and a half months, the city wall was completed, and another half month was used to cool down and strengthen it.  " "But with your current progress, can you complete it in two and a half months?  I'm very skeptical.  " "I would like to inform Duke Wei, because it is late winter now, the weather is cold, and there is still ice in the soil. Once the soil is rammed now, and the ice water dissolves after spring, the originally tamped soil will loosen and collapse, seriously affecting the strength of the city wall, so  The plan I chose was to prepare materials first and prepare the fortifications at the same time. When spring starts in February, I would start construction immediately. Because of the sufficient preparations, it would only take one month to complete.  " Zhang Liao's words made Cao Cao's expression soften greatly. Thinking about it carefully, it is indeed true. This is called sharpening the sword but not chopping firewood. He asked again: "What is the current progress of defensive weapons such as trebuchets?  " "Reporting to Wei Gong, all eighty trebuchets were completed last month and are just waiting to be finally installed on the city.  " At this time, Cao Cao also felt that he had been too harsh to Zhang Liao just now. He felt a little apologetic, and his tone became more gentle: "Wen Yuan, I just hope you understand that this battle in Hefei is of great importance. Once the Han army breaks through,  In a crucial step, his world chess game has been deployed, and we will also face a huge strategic passivity. Wenyuan, we cannot afford to lose this battle!  " Zhang Liao nodded silently, and Cao Cao said no more. He patted Zhang Liao's shoulder and turned to go down to the city. Zhang Liao looked at Cao Cao's back and walked away. At this moment, he also felt tremendous pressure. Early the next morning, Cao Cao left.  After arriving in Hefei, we took a boat to Shouchun for inspection. The connection from Hefei to Shouchun was mainly through Feishui. Because Feishui was blocked by mud and silt, the river was very narrow and could only carry a 500-stone warship. In order to strengthen the connection between Shouchun and Hefei,  Zhang Liao mobilized tens of thousands of people and spent three months dredging the river for 200 miles, so that the Feishui River could carry thousands of stone cargo ships, which greatly accelerated the transportation of materials between Shouchun and Hefei. Cao Cao stood on the large ship and was responsible for it.  With his hands, he looked at the faint green mountains and green water on both sides of the strait. Although it was still late winter, there was already a hint of warmth in the air. Cao Cao couldn't help but admire it. He turned around and smiled at Cheng Yu: "The scenery of Jianghuai is more picturesque, indeed better than that of the north.  It is even more beautiful, but unfortunately the population is too small. If you give me another ten years, I will vigorously immigrate to Jianghuai and make Jianghuai a rich granary of Wei.  Cheng Yu smiled slightly and said: "As long as we can defeat the Han army this time, Wei Gong will have the opportunity to conquer the Jianghuai River. I don't think it will take ten to five years to fulfill Wei Gong's wish."  " Cao Cao nodded and asked: "Does Zhongde think I can defeat Liu Jing this time?  " "Wei Gong, everything depends on manpower. As long as Wei Gong is fully prepared for war, deploys from the overall situation, and perseveres, I believe we will definitely win the battle of Hefei.  " Cao Cao heard something in Cheng Yu's words. He had never mentioned the overall situation, but today he brought it up for the first time. It showed that Cheng Yu had something on his mind. Cao Cao smiled and said: "What is the overall situation? I am willing to listen to the military advisor's detailed discussion.  Cheng Yu said calmly: "I have been thinking about this for the past few months. Last year, Duke Wei went to Jiangdong to form an alliance with Sun Quan, but Liu Jing followed him. Why?"  Is it just to compete with Wei Gong for Xiao Qiao?  "    "of course not!  " Cao Cao smiled lightly and said: "Liu Jing is not a lecherous person to begin with. He just got Xiao Qiao at the right time, and he did not deliberately fight for it.  " "Wei Gong is right, then why did he go to Jiangdong? Did Wei Gong think about it?  " Cao Cao pondered for a while and said: "I think his real purpose is to destroy my alliance with Sun Quan.  "That's right. He just wanted to destroy the alliance between Wei Gong and Sun Quan. I figured it out later, including his sending Lu Xun back to Wu County and burning the Jiangbei warships. It was all his foresight, all for the Battle of Hefei.  Prepare.  " Cao Cao's eyes flashed, he stared at Cheng Yu and asked: "Zhongde, what do you say?  Cheng Yu sighed slightly and said: "Last autumn, Xun Lingjun's back disease recurred and he unfortunately passed away. On behalf of Duke Wei, I rushed to Yingchuan for the funeral. I happened to meet Xun You. I talked with him for a long time and begged him to treat Wei Gong well."  For many years, Chushan continued to serve Wei Gong.  " Since Xun You was returned to Yedu by Liu Jing, he was reluctant to participate in the military. Cao Cao was also dissatisfied with Xun Yu because of his affairs, so he sent Xun You to Xuchang as an idle official. Soon, Xun You returned to his hometown on the pretext of recovering from illness.  He studied behind closed doors in his hometown and did not ask about political affairs. Although Cao Cao felt a little regretful, it was absolutely impossible for him to apologize to Xun You. At this time, when he heard Cheng Yu talk about Xun You, Cao Cao asked: "What did he say?  " "He didn't say anything or express his position, but before I left for Hefei, I received a letter from him.  " Cheng Yu took out Xun You's letter and handed it to Cao Cao. Cao Cao saw the familiar handwriting again, and he felt a little strange in his heart. He opened the letter, but saw that there was only one sentence written in the letter, "If you unite vertically and horizontally, the world will be divided into three parts.  '.p; Cao Cao frowned, "What does he mean?" "Weichen was thinking about the profound meaning of Xun You's words along the way. It was not until last night that I finally understood that Liu Jing would never launch the Hefei Campaign for the sake of  To attack the Central Plains, before Liu Jing attacks the Central Plains, he will definitely capture Bingzhou first, then attack Luoyang, and finally send troops to Hefei. Now Liu Jing is eager to launch the battle of Hefei before attacking Bingzhou, and he will destroy the Wei-Wu alliance before contacting him, so he is slightly  I am sure that Liu Jing¡¯s real purpose in launching the Battle of Hefei was not to attack the Central Plains, but to seize Jiangdong.¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 912 Zhang Liao¡¯s Plan

    "What Zhongde means is that Liu Jing wants to unify the south first?" Cao Cao somewhat understood what Cheng Yu meant.  Cheng Yu nodded, "That must be the case. It is not difficult for Liu Jing to destroy Jiangdong, but he is very afraid of Cao's army supporting Jiangdong on the Jingzhou front line. Once Sun Cao joins forces and the Han army attacks Jiangdong, Cao's army will attack Jingzhou in a large scale, and the Han army will  We have to return troops to rescue Jingzhou, but if the Han army captures the strategic fulcrum of Hefei, it will force us to deploy a large number of troops on the Qiaojun and Xuzhou front lines, and we will be unable to attack Jingzhou. The Han army can calmly march to Jiangdong and unify  The south." Cao Cao had a sudden realization. He himself was a man of great talent and great strategy. It was just that he had been distracted by the matter of establishing the crown prince recently, so he failed to see through this. Cheng Yu was at the critical point.  After he was exposed, Cao Cao's confusion suddenly became clear.  In fact, after Liu Jing captured Chang'an, he took a defensive position in the north, including forming an alliance with him to attack the Huns, and being willing to marry him, and constantly releasing goodwill. All this showed that Liu Jing was no longer willing to start a war in the north, and further  Destroy the already fragile northern economy.  It's a pity that Cao Cao didn't see this through. While he was still worried about Liu Jing's attack on Luoyang, Liu Jing's strategy had quietly moved south to Hefei. Xun You also saw this, so he wrote "Hefei"  "Vertical and horizontal, the world is divided into three parts" actually reminds Cao Cao of the importance of preserving Jiangdong.  Once Liu Jing destroyed Jiangdong and Jiaozhou and unified the south, he would have no worries. He would strategically surround Wei from the west and south, destroy Wei and unify the world. It was not impossible.  After thinking about this, Cao Cao sighed: "It seems that the battle of Hefei is definitely not a war between Cao and Liu." Cheng Yu smiled and said: "Since Wei Gong also understands this, then we need to bring Sun Quan in and bring Sun Quan in."  The covenant that was not completed last year will continue to be negotiated and completed. If Wei Gong does not object, Wei Chen is willing to go to Jiangdong on behalf of Wei Gong. "Cao Cao pondered and said: "The key to the reason why the covenant was not concluded last year is that Sun Quan is afraid of Liu Jing and treats us.  If we don¡¯t have confidence, we must let Sun Quan have confidence in us. Otherwise, even if I go to Jiangdong again, we may not be able to negotiate.¡± Cheng Yu smiled slightly, ¡°At this time, at that time, if Sun Quan knew that Liu Jing wanted to destroy him first.  Jiangdong, I'm afraid he is more active than Duke Wei. If Duke Wei is really worried, I have a plan that can work together to give Sun Quan confidence and ultimately promote the alliance between Wei and Wu." After saying this, Cheng Yu whispered to Cao Cao.  After a few words, Cao Cao nodded, "The policy of Soochow is not a big problem. The key is here in Lujiang. Will we have a chance?" "Wei Chen believes that Wen Yuan will never let Duke Wei down." Cao Cao thought for a long time and finally made up his mind.  , since he decided to give it a go and fight the Han army, he could no longer be timid, "Okay! I will give Wenyuan an order right now." Cao Cao deployed a hundred thousand troops on the front line in Hefei, mainly distributed in Hefei and Shouchun.  Among them, Shouchun was the auxiliary, and deputy general Man Chong led 30,000 troops to guard the city. Hefei was the main one, and the commander Zhang Liao personally led 70,000 troops to guard it.  In terms of generals, in addition to the deputy general Man Chong who guarded Shouchun, Cao Cao also appointed two deputy generals Zang Ba and Yu Jin to Zhang Liao, as well as counselors Xin Pi and Sima Jiang Ji. It can be said that literary and military strategies complement each other.  Although Cao Cao¡¯s inspection of Hefei had just ended and everyone should have breathed a sigh of relief, a military order sent by Cao Cao immediately made everyone nervous again.  In the hall, Zhang Liao slowly said to everyone: "Wei Gong has decided to form an alliance with Sun Quan and join hands to fight the Han army in Hefei. This is a fight that affects the overall situation. Wei Gong sent a military order early this morning, ordering us to capture Ruxukou  , march into Wuhu, let¡¯s discuss, how should we fight this battle?¡± There was silence in the lobby, the news came so suddenly, no one was mentally prepared, and they were speechless for a moment. Zhang Liao also understood this and smiled at everyone.  Said: "I know that everyone is not prepared, but I have an idea. It is a plan that I have been considering for three months. But without Wei Gong's order, I dare not implement it. Now to cooperate with Wei Gong's request, maybe it is a plan  Opportunity." Advisor Xin Pi nodded, "I am willing to listen to Wen Yuan's advice." Zhang Liao ordered someone to hang up a large map one foot long and wide. He pointed at several red circles on the map with a wooden pole and said, "This is it.  The several red circles are the current garrison points of the Han army. Among them, there are 30,000 troops at Wankou, where veteran general Huang Zhong is in charge; there are 5,000 troops and 300 warships at Ruxukou, led by general Lou Fa; on the other side of Wuhu  There are 2,000 garrison troops and 150 warships in Likou Town. There are also 5,000 garrison troops in Nanling County between Anhui County and Ruxukou. The total force is about 42,000 people, but we have ten  The army of ten thousand is far superior to the opponent, but it is a pity that the navy is insufficient. " "Does Wen Yuan want to compete with the Han army?" Yu Jin couldn't help but interrupt Zhang Liao's introduction.  Zhang Liao shook his head, "IJust to introduce each other's military strength, I need ships not to engage in water battles with the Han army, but to complete preparations for war. A large amount of grain and grass supplies are now hoarded in Shouchun. Although the river has been dredged, we have less than fifty cargo ships.  There are less than ten ships with a thousand stones or more, and they are very dilapidated. It is almost impossible to complete the war preparations with these ships. I originally wanted to buy civilian ships from Jiangdong, but the Yangtze River was blocked by the Han army and the ships could not pass. The Han army in Wuhu was fighting  We can annihilate all of us with just ships. This is the main reason why the Han army is confident. Therefore, to complete Wei Gong's task of preparing for war, the key is to obtain ships.  " Everyone was deep in thought, but no one understood Zhang Liao's intention. At this time, Zhang Liao saw that Jiang Ji had some realization, so he smiled and said, "Has Jiang Sima thought of it?  " Jiang Ji served as the governor of Yangzhou and the prefect of Danyang. He had been an official in the south of the Yangtze River for a long time and knew the situation along the Yangtze River well. When Zhang Liao mentioned the need for ships, he suddenly thought of a place. Jiang Ji smiled and said: "Is it possible that Wen Yuan is here?  The idea of ??targeting Jingzhou civilian ships?  Zhang Liao laughed and said, "Chiang Sima is worthy of Jiangnan. One sentence hits the key point. Yes, my plan is to seize Jingzhou civilian ships."  Zhang Liao pointed to Liyang in the east with his wooden pole and said to everyone: "Liyang is a high-quality iron ore producing area. In the past, the Tao family bought three large iron mines in Liyang, and later transferred them to the Jingzhou government. Every year, Jingzhou  A large amount of iron ore was transported from Jingzhou. I sent people to investigate and found that there were nearly 500 ore-carrying civilian ships anchored in Liyang. They were all large ships with more than a thousand stones. When the wind direction changes after the spring, these ore ships will start transporting ore again.  , we can completely seize these civilian ships, and then use manpower to pull the fleet south and return to Hefei.  "Xin Pi, the counselor next to him, laughed and said, "If this is the case, I'm afraid we will have to send out a large number of troops to smooth things over.  " "Sir, you are right!  Without capturing Ruxukou, the ore ship would not be able to sail back to Fei. However, sending troops to Ruxukou was a false statement, while attacking Liyang was true. By combining the false and the true, the Duke of Wei's trust could be fulfilled.  "At this time, Zang Badao, who had been silent all the time, said: "Our Hefei City has not yet been built. If we send out troops in such a large scale, will it trigger the Battle of Hefei in advance? Has the governor considered this danger?  " "Of course I have considered it.  " Zhang Liao glanced at Zang Ba and saw a look of worry in his eyes, so he smiled and explained: "Just from the perspective of the Battle of Hefei, our move to send troops to Ruxukou can be said to be meaningless. It will only bring trouble to the Han Dynasty.  The army found an excuse to launch the Battle of Hefei, but will Huang Zhong launch the Battle of Hefei from this?  I don't think so. As the first general of the Han army, how could Huang Zhong not know Liu Jing's strategic intentions and the importance of launching the Battle of Hefei?  Under such circumstances, if he rushes to the battle, it will destroy Liu Jing's campaign deployment and have an immeasurable impact on the Battle of Hefei. Therefore, with Huang Zhong's caution, he will inevitably shrink his troops first to reduce losses, and at the same time urgently  Reporting to Liu Jing, it will take at least a month to go back and forth, and what Wei Gong wants is time and the retreat of the Han army.  " Yu Jin and Zang Ba both nodded, approving Zhang Liao's analysis. Xin Pi stroked his beard and sighed: "Wen Yuan's far-sightedness puts even me, a counselor, to shame.  " Seeing that there was no objection from everyone, Zhang Liao immediately said: "Since there is no objection, we will implement this strategy!  " Hefei is about three hundred miles away from Liyang. The landform is mainly plains, mixed with hills and mountains. The mountains are generally not high and covered by large forests. Famous mountains such as Baochan Mountain, Hanshan Mountain, etc.  Another famous pass is Zhaoguan, where Wu Zixu's hair turned gray overnight. Zhaoguan is also the boundary between Wei and Soochow. Zang Ba led 10,000 elite troops and marched towards Zhaoguan all the way day and night.  They were not worried about a fierce battle with Jiangdong's army. They were mainly worried about lighting a beacon fire at Zhaoguan and alerting the Jingzhou ore ships parked in Liyang County. If these hundreds of ore ships escaped into the Yangtze River, their previous efforts would be in vain. Therefore, capturing Zhaoguan would be a waste.  The key to the entire operation is that once Zhaoguan is captured, they can bypass other beacon towers and attack Liyang County, but Zhaoguan is the first hurdle that they cannot bypass. Of course, Zhaoguan cannot be captured by force, but can only be captured by calculation.  , Fortunately, Cao Jun was confronting the Han Army in the Hefei area. Jiangdong Army never dreamed that Cao Jun would raid Zhaoguan. This is the most advantageous place to capture Zhaoguan. At dusk, a caravan was rushing towards Zhaoguan. This is.  A small caravan, with dozens of mules carrying 300 pieces of rock salt on their backs, only seven or eight people, led by a middle-aged man. It was getting dark. They were obviously afraid of missing Sutou, so they hurried to Zhaoguan.  At this time, Zhaoguan has not yet closed. A dozen Jiangdong Army soldiers were checking passers-by and merchants before the closing. When the mule team drove to the closing, they were immediately stopped by the soldiers, "Stop!"  "A chief came forward, looked at the mule team and asked: "Where do they come from and what kind of goods are they transporting?  " "We are coming from Shouchun to transport a little salt. We have a small business. Please let us go.  ¡± saidThe middle-aged man took out an official certificate and handed it to Shi Chang. It was issued by the Shouchun government, proving that the salt they trafficked was legal official salt. In fact, in the chaos of the late Han Dynasty, there was no distinction between official salt and private salt.  , but with the official guide, you can go through the official pass and suffer less difficulties.  Although the commander was not very illiterate, he recognized the official seal stamped on the back. He nodded, "Since there is an official seal, then we will pay less tolls and pay fifty yuan."  Zhaoguan was no exception to the rules of the place, and the middle-aged man obviously knew it. He immediately took out a handful of money, counted sixty coins and handed them to Shi Chang. Shi Chang saw that he knew the rules very well, and it was very hard Jiangxia money.  , suddenly laughed, waved his hand, "Let's go!" The caravan quickly entered Zhaoguan, but did not leave in a hurry. Instead, they found a hotel in Zhaoguan. It was going to be dark soon, and they had to stay there.  Spend the night in Zhaoguan.  After everyone unloaded the goods, the man took the mules to feed them. The middle-aged man walked into a room and immediately tore off his fake beard and eyebrows, revealing a murderous face. The middle-aged man was dressed up by Zang Ba.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 913: Combined Vertical and Horizontal (Part 1)

    At night, Zhaoguan became quiet. There were a few soldiers patrolling the city. The streets less than a hundred steps long were deserted. Only the faint laughter of drinkers could be heard from a tavern.  The hotel where Zang Ba lived was even quieter. The shopkeeper and two clerks were killed, and their bodies were thrown into the well. Zang Ba and seven of his men took control of the hotel.  Zhaoguan is very small. The perimeter of the city wall is only more than 400 steps, and there are less than a hundred defenders. In addition to military camps and warehouses, there are more than a dozen shops in the city. All shops are built close to the city wall, and this hotel is located in the southwest.  At the corner, there is a majestic beacon standing above the head of the hotel. The reason why Zang Ba chose this hotel among the three hotels was because of its location.  He led several of his men into the backyard and stood close to the city wall. The lush leaves of an old camphor tree obscured their figures. Zang Ba nodded to his men and ordered in a low voice: "Up!" The three soldiers quickly climbed up.  We got to the camphor tree, climbed up along the camphor tree, and soon reached the city wall. The beacon is on the southwest corner and is divided into three floors. Below is the pavilion, which can be passed through. The second floor is the dormitory, which is the duty room.  Where the soldiers rested, the top floor was the fire platform, which was piled with firewood.  Zhaoguan has not been used for several years, and the soldiers have gradually lost their vigilance. Generally, the soldiers on duty cannot sleep and must wait all night, but in fact, only three of the five soldiers on duty were left, and two of them slipped away to the tavern.  , the other three people all fell asleep.  Two able-bodied Cao soldiers took the lead in climbing up the fire platform with ropes, and locked the entrance with iron chains so that the soldiers in the dormitory could not climb up the fire platform. They waved, and Zang Ba led the other soldiers from the pavilion.  Climbing into the dormitory below, I only heard a few muffled screams, and three soldiers were killed in the dormitory.  Zang Ba led his men into Zhaoguan, while his deputy general Chen Qi led his army to ambush in the woods two miles away, waiting for the signal to attack. Cao Jun waited until the third watch, and at this moment, fire appeared on the top of Zhaoguan City.  , several soldiers discovered it at the same time, and shouted, "General, the signal is coming!" Chen Qi was overjoyed, and immediately ordered a thousand pioneer soldiers: "Attack!" A thousand Cao soldiers rushed out of the woods and rushed towards Zhaoguan.  Go, the patrol soldiers on the top of the city have been eliminated by Zang Ba, the city gate is wide open, and Cao Jun's soldiers rush directly into the gate without any resistance. Without the news from Zhaoguan, the beacon towers along the way have lost their effect. Zang Ba led  Cao Jun took a small road, bypassing the beacon towers along the way, and went straight to Liyang County.  Liyang County is just a small county with not many garrison. The county seat is close to the Yangtze River, but the mine is still ten miles away from the county seat and is connected by a Cao River. In normal times, a large number of flat-bottomed boats transport the ore from the mine every day and stack it at the dock.  In the warehouse on the Yangtze River, civilians would then load the ore onto ore ships and transport them to distant Jingzhou. At its busiest time, there were more than 2,000 ore ships on the Yangtze River traveling between Jingzhou and Jiangdong.  In winter, the wind direction turned to the northwest, and ore ships without treadwheels could not sail against the wind. The transportation of ore also stopped. Most of the ore ships returned to Jingzhou, but some were anchored in Liyang, waiting for the beginning of spring.  .  Zhang Liao received information from the scouts that there were more than 400 ore ships moored in Liyang, all of which were over a thousand stones. The largest ship even weighed three thousand stones. It was just after the New Year and it was the laziest time of the year.  There are no civilians on the pier. Hundreds of mining boats have been parked from the pier into the Cao River. It is deserted. Except for the boatmen guarding the ships, everyone else has hid in the county town and spent the 21st of Jian'an happily in the county town.  The first day of the year.  When 10,000 Cao troops arrived in Liyang County, it was already dark, and night shrouded the Yangtze River and the riverbanks on both sides. Everything was silent outside the city, except for the huge figures of ore ships, moored at the docks and in the Caohe River.  .  There were vague lights on several large ships. It was the boatmen who were guarding the ships gathering to drink and chat, excitedly talking about women and the romantic affairs that happened in various ports. In a lonely foreign country, under the fumigation of alcohol, these would always be  It is the most interesting topic for the boatmen. They have no idea that the danger has come quietly.  Zang Ba did not act recklessly. They wanted to seize hundreds of large ships completely and capture the boatmen who knew how to drive them. Zang Ba stared at the county town and the large ships from a distance, pondered for a moment, and said to Lieutenant Chen Qi: "Let's divide our troops.  On both sides, you can lead 3,000 people to blockade the county and prevent anyone from escaping. "Chen Qi nodded, waved his hand and said to the three tooth generals: "Follow me."  Leading three thousand people to rush to the county seat, Zang Ba immediately said to the other generals: "We will divide the work. Each person is responsible for fifty large ships. Everyone must move quickly and try not to kill anyone, let alone catch fire and burn the ships."  After discussing for a while, they assigned the targets and each led their troops. Zang Ba led 3,000 people and rushed straight to the dock. This is a medium-sized water village located in the Yangtze River. There are about a hundred ore ships moored in the water village.  Most?The ships are tied to the dock with cables, and there are only a dozen or so ships parked in the center of the water village.  The soldiers of Cao's army rushed onto the big ship one after another. Zang Ba led more than a hundred soldiers and rushed onto the largest quarry ship with three thousand quarries. The lights in the ship's hall were brightly lit, and dozens of boatmen were gathering together to gamble, shouting and shouting.  At this time, the door was kicked open, and countless heavily armed Cao Jun soldiers rushed into the lobby. The soldiers shouted sternly: "Everyone kneel down, and those who resist will be killed!" Cao Jun seized the ore ships one after another, but in the dark night  However, a 500-stone pedal impeller quickly left the dock and fled into the Yangtze River. Just as Zang Ba led his army to seize more than 400 Jingzhou ore ships in Liyang, Yiye Bianzhou also general Cheng Yu  Sent to Jianye.  At this time, Jianye also had a strong atmosphere of war. Sun Quan and He Qi of Kuaiji County reached a merger agreement last autumn. He Qi had no intention of standing on his own and was willing to support Sun Quan as the lord of Jiangdong. In return, Sun Quan promised not to take over He Qi's army.  He also named He Qi the prefect of Kuaiji.  As soon as he reached an agreement with He Qi, Sun Quan could not wait to unite with the Ji army to launch a north-south attack on Wujun. A fierce battle broke out between the two sides in Yuting Town in the north of Wujun. Jiangdong General Xu Sheng killed Wujun Captain Zhang Feng and defeated Wujunbei.  Road Army.  But the Kuaiji Army on the southern front was defeated by Lu Xun. Both armies had their own victories and defeats. As the Kuaiji Army retreated south, Lu Xun led his army to the north to reinforce, forcing Sun Quan to withdraw.  Although the first battle between the two sides was indecisive, Wu County was obviously at a strategic disadvantage. Sun Quan once again reorganized his troops and prepared to launch a large-scale attack on Wu County after the beginning of spring. At this time, Cheng Yu arrived at Jianye City.  Sun Quan was quite surprised by Cheng Yu's arrival, and at the same time he paid great attention to it. He went out of the city to greet him personally, "Master Cheng Yu came to Jianye in person. Could it be that Duke Wei has also arrived in Yangzhou?" Sun Quan asked with a smile.  Cheng Yu saluted and said with a smile: "What Marquis Wu said is true. Now Wei Gonggong is inspecting in Shouchun. He originally wanted to visit Marquis Wu in person, but he had many things to do and had no time to leave, so he had to entrust me to greet Marquis Wu on his behalf." "Wei Gonggong."  It's a pity not to come to Jianye! " "Wei Gong really wants to come, but the Hefei war is imminent and involves a lot of things. Wei Gong is really unable to escape. Please bear with me." Cheng Yu hinted to Sun Quan that the Hefei war was coming.  Sun Quan immediately realized that Cheng Yu came with a major mission. Without much greeting, he invited Cheng Yu to get on the carriage. Hundreds of guards on horseback guarded the carriage on both sides and drove towards Jianye City.  Cheng Yu entered the Wu palace, sat for a while, and was then invited into the meeting hall. At this time, several senior civil and military officials were already sitting in the hall, including Zhang Zhao, Zhuge Jin, Yu Fan, Bu Zhi, Cheng Bing, Lu Meng, Huang Gai, etc.  , Cheng Yu walked into the hall, and everyone stood up to greet him. Cheng Yu and everyone greeted him one by one, and then he sat down at the east end. Zhang Zhao smiled and asked: "I heard that the Han and Hungarian wars, and the Cao and Liu families formed an alliance.  The Duke of Wei wants to marry the King of Han, but there is a tense situation here in Hefei. Could it be that the alliance between Cao and Liu is about to break down again? " Cheng Yu smiled and said, "The affairs of the world are nothing more than fighting and peace. Jiangdong and Jingzhou are still in conflict.  Isn't it deep?" Zhuge Jin next to him said again: "I heard that Liu Jing has appointed Li Yan as the grain inspector in Jingzhou to supervise the transportation of grain and grass to Chaisang in Jingzhou, and has dispatched troops to Chaisang. This means that Liu Jing is about to use troops in the south.  , I wonder what Mr. Wei has planned?" "But everyone wanted to know this, and everyone turned their attention to Cheng Yu. At this time, Sun Quan walked in, and everyone stood up and saluted. Sun Quan waved his hands and said with a smile, "Everyone, please."  Sit down, since there are distinguished guests here, we ourselves don¡¯t need to be polite." Everyone sat down, Zhang Zhao said with a smile: "Just now, Zhuge Changshi mentioned that the Han army was actively preparing for war, and asked Cao Jun what his plans were.  "This is exactly what I want to know. Can Master Cheng give me some advice?" Cheng Yu said calmly: "The Han army is preparing to launch the Battle of Hefei. This has long been known to both sides. The Han army is preparing for war.  Cao's army is also preparing for war, but what is the purpose of the Han army launching the Battle of Hefei? I'm afraid this is the key point. This is also my mission to Jiangdong this time." There was something in Cheng Yu's words. Everyone looked at each other, and Lu Meng couldn't help but ask.  : "Mr. Cheng means that the purpose of the Han army launching the Battle of Hefei is our Jiangdong?" Cheng Yu definitely nodded, "Exactly!" There was an uproar in the lobby, and Cheng Yu's affirmative tone was hard for everyone to accept.  , it is clearly the Han army and the Cao army fighting for Hefei, but Jiangdong has to bear the consequences of the war. This makes no sense both emotionally and rationally. However, Cheng Yu is Cao Cao's military advisor. His status is extraordinary. He generally does not talk nonsense.  There is some basis for this, which makes everyone's hearts filled with surprise and doubt.  Even Sun Quan couldn't sit still and asked quickly: "I don't quite understand what Commander Cheng means. Can you explain it a little more clearly?" Cheng Yu leaned slightly and said: "Hefei is not only the gateway to the Central Plains."??It is a knife hanging over Jiangdong's head. Once the Han army captures Hefei, the biggest threat will not be the Central Plains, but Jiangdong. I think Wu Hou should know this very well.  " Of course Sun Quan knew that Hefei had always been an unavoidable problem in Jiangdong. In order to capture Hefei, they used large-scale troops twice, but both times they were defeated miserably. The entire army of more than 100,000 people was wiped out. Even Taishi Ci died in Hefei.  Huge war losses and casualties severely damaged Jiangdong and became the root of Jiangdong's split. Ever since Liu Jing exchanged Yuzhang and Poyang counties for Lujiang County, which had a smaller population and area, Sun Quan had suspected Liu Jing's true purpose.  It was to capture Hefei. It was later confirmed that his suspicion was not wrong. The Han army was indeed aiming for Hefei. This frightened Sun Quan. Once the Han army captured Hefei and stationed troops in Ruxukou, it would directly threaten Wuhu and Hefei.  Jianye, Cao Cao's navy was extremely weak, which was not a concern, but the Han navy was strong and a thousand warships blocked the Yangtze River, which would be a disaster for Jiangdong. Sun Quan was very aware of the threat Hefei posed to Jiangdong, and his expression changed slightly.  , restraining the fear in his heart and asked: "What is the basis for what Military Master Cheng said?  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 914: Combined Vertical and Horizontal (Part 2)

    Cheng Yu smiled and said: "Marquis Wu must ask me for evidence. I really can't provide it, but I might as well tell you that if Liu Jing only wanted to control the Central Plains, the Han army could now at least attack from Tongguan, Nanyang and Runan.  Sending troops to attack the Central Plains, there is no need to capture Hefei. This shows that Liu Jing¡¯s real purpose of attacking Hefei is not the Central Plains, but another purpose. So, where could it be? " Cheng Yu¡¯s speculation is reasonable and makes perfect sense.  There was silence in the lobby. After a while, Sun Quan said slowly: "Master Cheng, please go and rest first, and let me think about it again." Cheng Yu knew that Sun Quan wanted to discuss with everyone. Although he had not yet said the purpose of his trip, he  I believe that Sun Quan understood very well in his heart and there was no need for him to add anything else. Cheng Yu stood up, bowed, and quickly left the meeting hall accompanied by his minister Xue Zong.  After Cheng Yu left, Sun Quan sighed and said to everyone: "Everyone, tell me!" Bu Zha stood up and saluted and said: "To inform the Marquis of Wu, the purpose of Cheng Yu's coming is to hope that we will join forces with Cao Jun.  Against the Han army, especially if we want to participate in the battle of Hefei, Wei Chen's opinion is that sitting on the mountain in Jiangdong and watching the tiger fight will cause Liu Jing and Cao Cao to suffer two hundred casualties. " "What if the Han army defeats the Cao army?" Sun Quan.  He said worriedly: "I am now very worried about what Cheng Yu said. The Han army captured Hefei in order to plot Jiangdong. Is this Cao Cao's scaremongering, or is it true?" "Wu Hou need not be too worried. The Han army is now based in Chang'an.  It is a foregone conclusion. The next step for the Han army is to either attack Bingzhou or seize Luoyang and establish a relaxation zone for Chang'an. It is unlikely to attack Jiangdong. Cao Cao wants to drag us into the war in Hefei. Wu Hou must not be defeated by Cheng Yu  "Buzhi's words made many people nod in agreement. Zhuge Jin stroked his beard and said: "Zishan is right. If he forms an alliance with Cao Cao and is dragged into the Battle of Hefei, he will be dragged into the battle of Hefei.  Find an excuse to attack Jiangdong. We must act cautiously on this matter." Everyone expressed their opinions, some were in favor and some were opposed. At this time, Sun Quan saw that Zhang Zhao had been silent, so he asked Zhang Zhao: "Zi Bu.  What's your opinion?" As soon as Zhang Zhao came back, a guard reported in the hall: "Report to Marquis Wu, there is urgent information coming from Jiangbei!" "Send it up!" A guard came in in a hurry.  A volume of intelligence was presented. Sun Quan opened it and read it. He was very surprised and said to everyone: "Cao's army raided Liyang Wharf and captured more than 400 ore ships in Jingzhou. Zhang Liao led an army to storm Ruxukou. The troops stationed at Ruxukou were  The Han army was defeated and retreated hastily. Now Cao Jun has occupied Ruxukou. "This news made everyone whisper, and Sun Quan was confused. At this time, he suddenly saw Zhang Zhao winking at him. Sun Quan understood and stood up.  He said to everyone: "This is the end of the discussion in the morning, and we will continue the discussion in the afternoon." Sun Quan left the meeting hall and returned to his official room. As soon as he entered the room, Zhang Zhao followed him in. Sun Quan sat down and smiled and said: "Why don't you Zibu today?"  "I'm afraid that my statement will disappoint Marquis Wu." "I'm not afraid of being disappointed. I'm afraid that Zibu won't express his position." Zhang Zhao pondered and said, "I actually agree with what Cheng Yu said. After Liu Jing captured Hefei.  " Sun Quan knew that Zhang Zhao had always been hostile to Liu Jing. Whether he was leading the war or opposing peace talks, Zhang Zhao had always been the vanguard against Jingzhou. So today he agreed with Cheng Yu's statement.  And how much of it is due to his prejudice?  Sun Quan couldn't help but fell silent.  Zhang Zhao seemed to understand Sun Quan's worries. He smiled and said: "Wu Hou, today I have no prejudice against Liu Jing. I am purely considering the matter. Cheng Yu is right. If Liu Jing does not win Guanzhong, then Hefei will really treat him very much."  Important, but Liu Jing captured Guanzhong, and from Guanzhong he could completely attack Bingzhou and Luoyang. This is not to say that Hefei is not important, but compared to Bingzhou and Luoyang, Hefei is much inferior, and the Han army launched the Battle of Hefei on such a large scale,  It would be completely unjustifiable to say that a large amount of food and supplies were spent just to deal with Wei." Sun Quan walked to the window with his hands behind his hands and stared at the sky outside the window. For a long time, he said calmly: "The military advisor said that Hefei is more important than the rest.  Don't you want to go to Bingzhou? " "At least that's what I think. If we capture Bingzhou and Taiyuan, Yedu will be shocked. Cao Cao will be forced to move the capital back to Xuchang. At that time, he will attack Hefei and form a situation where he will be surrounded on all sides. If I were Liu Jing  , I will definitely take Bingzhou first." Sun Quan felt very heavy. He had to admit that Zhang Zhao had a thorough understanding. For the Wei State, Hefei was far less important than Bingzhou. Liu Jing spent so much resources to attack Hefei.  Rather than annexing the state, it only shows that Liu Jing's attack on Hefei was not intended for Wei, but in Jiangdong. As Cheng Yu said, Hefei is a knife on Jiangdong's head. Once the Han army deploys heavy troops and warships in Hefei, it can launch a large-scale attack at any time.  Attack JiangdongAlthough Sun Quan had figured this out, Sun Quan was still a little afraid of the strength of the Han army. Zhang Zhao had been with Sun Quan for more than ten years, how could he not understand Sun Quan's thoughts? He smiled slightly and said: "Cao Jun captured Ruxukou, captured  The more than 400 ore ships are telling Wuhou that Cao Jun will fight with all his strength in this battle. Cao Jun's strength alone is on par with the Han army. If the Jiangdong Army is added, then the Sun-Cao coalition will at least be  With a 70% chance of victory, as long as we win this battle and the Han army retreats westward, we can take advantage of the situation to regain Wu County and reunify Jiangdong. At that time, the world will be divided into three parts. " Sun Quan was finally told by Zhang Zhao.  He was shaken, but this matter was of great importance and he still wanted to handle it carefully. He said: "Although Liu Jing's purpose of seizing Hefei is probably to target Jiangdong, after all, it is just a conjecture without concrete evidence. Let me think about it again!"  Zhang Zhao worked step by step and had already shaken Sun Quan's theory. How could he give up halfway, and his most important trump card had not yet been used. At this time, Zhang Zhao saw that Sun Quan had forgotten the most important thing, so he smiled and said: "  Wu Hou, the reason why the old minister said that he has no prejudice against Liu Jing this time is based on facts. Has Wu Hou forgotten Liu Jing's support for Sun Shao? " Sun Quan was immediately reminded of this sentence, making Sun Quan wake up like a dream.  This is indeed the biggest evidence. If Liu Jing did not want to destroy Jiangdong, then why did he support Wu Jun?  Thinking of Liu Jing's support for Sun Shao, Sun Quan immediately gnashed his teeth with hatred. Yes, Liu Jing completely ignored the marriage between the Sun and Liu families and wanted to split Jiangdong and thus destroy Jiangdong. His heart was to be punished. In this way, Cheng Yu's words  Completely believable.  At this moment, Sun Quan finally made up his mind. He thought for a moment and said: "I want to have a good talk with Cheng Yu again. If possible, I hope to meet Cao Cao as soon as possible and the two parties can sign an alliance in person." Cheng Yu is in Jianye.  After only staying one night, he hurried back to Hefei. Although Cao Cao was in Hefei at this time, he did not interfere with Zhang Liao's use of troops. Compared with Zhang Liao's capture of Ruxukou, Cao Cao was more concerned about the results of Cheng Yu's mission.  It is the key to the entire battle situation.  Once Jiangdong promises to send troops, it will pose a huge threat to the Han army's rear, especially the logistic support of the Han army will be cut off. The possibility of Cao's army winning the Battle of Hefei will be greatly increased.  Moreover, Cao Cao also believed that Sun Quan would be persuaded by Cheng Yu. The thing is clear here. Liu Jing was determined to unify the world. When he could not take Wei for a while, he would first destroy Jiangdong and Jiaozhou and unify the south. This became the prerequisite for unifying the north. As long as he  If Sun Quan had a little bit of brains, he would understand that Liu Jing would never let Jiangdong go because of the marriage between Sun and Liu.  Moreover, even if Sun Quan is confused, his civil and military ministers will not be confused, and will definitely persuade Sun Quan to participate in the battle of Hefei. After all, it is much safer to let Cao's army control Hefei without warships and navy than Han army's control of Hefei.  While Cao Cao was pacing back and forth in the lobby, contemplating, a guard rushed over to report, "Inform Duke Wei, Military Advisor Cheng is back!" Cao Cao was overjoyed and said quickly: "Let him come to see me quickly." Not long after.  , Cheng Yu hurriedly walked into the hall, bowed and saluted: "I am here to see Duke Wei." "How is it?" Cao Cao asked impatiently.  Cheng Yu smiled slightly and said, "80% of the negotiations have been completed. Sun Quan still wants to have a meeting with Wei Gong to formally finalize the strategy of the two sides to join forces to fight against the Han army. Then Wei Chen will discuss the remaining details with Jiangdong.  But Sun Quan has two additional conditions. ""What additional conditions?" "One additional condition is that we can provide food assistance. Sun Quan asked for one hundred thousand dan. In addition, if the Han army is defeated, all the captured grain, grass and prisoners of war will be returned.  All of Soochow, and Sun Quan hopes that Cao Jun will assist him with 10,000 barrels of kerosene. "Cao Cao couldn't help but sneered. He understood Sun Quan's intention. After getting the prisoners of war from the Han army, he went to reconcile with Liu Jing and ease the relationship. He did not express his position.  Asked: "Are these two additional conditions?" "No, this is just an additional condition." "What else?" Cao Cao asked slightly unhappily. There were clearly three conditions, but Sun Quan described them as  Two, this little thought is disgusting.  "Also, Sun Quan hopes that Wei Gong can show his sincerity in fighting the Han army." "Sincerity?"  ¡¯ Cao Cao asked puzzledly: ¡°What does he mean?¡± ¡°He hopes that Wei Gong can cancel the marriage with Liu Jing. If possible, he is willing to marry Wei Gong¡¯s daughter as his second wife.¡± Cao Cao¡¯s face suddenly changed, and he became cold after a while.  He snorted, "He thinks too highly of himself." Cheng Yu quickly advised: "Wei Chen considered on the road that he could temporarily compromise with Sun Quanxu and pretend to agree to his conditions, and then reconsider after the war is over.  , In fact, if the pattern of three parts of the world can be established, marrying Sun Quan would be a good choice.¡±   "You can promise him anything else, but my marriage to Liu Jing is related to the overall situation of the world. I have been planning for this for many years and it took a lot of effort to achieve this marriage. I don't want to cancel this marriage just because of Sun Quan's words." Cao Cao's  His attitude is very clear. No matter from his personal feelings or from the fate of the Cao family, he hopes that his daughter can marry Liu Jing, and he never wants to cancel this hard-won marriage just because of Sun Quan's words, let alone  He didn't want to marry Cao Xian to Sun Quan.  Cheng Yu was very anxious and finally persuaded Sun Quan to agree on an alliance. He did not want to ruin this important alliance because of the marriage.  Cheng Yu urged again: "We understand the mood of Duke Wei. Marrying Sun Quan is also the basis for consolidating the alliance between Wei and Wu. Its importance is no less than the marriage of Cao and Liu. Please think again, Duke Wei." Although Cao Cao is unwilling to give up his daughter,  Marrying Sun Quan, but he also knew in his heart that marrying Sun Quan could indeed consolidate the Wei-Wu alliance and thus break the Han army's encirclement of Wei. From this strategic point of view, the importance of marrying Sun Quan even exceeded that of Liu Jing.  Marriage is related to the overall situation and should not be decided by his personal feelings. Thinking of this, Cao Cao's stern face softened.  Cheng Yu also saw that Cao Cao was shaken, and he continued to persuade: "Actually, there is no need to marry Miss Xian to Sun Quan. Sun Quan did not appoint Miss Xian. We can change someone, such as Miss Ning. As for the marriage with Liu Jing, Wei  The public can delay it for a month or two on the grounds of preparing a dowry. As long as the Battle of Hefei breaks out, the marriage can only be temporarily suspended. After the war is over, the marriage between Cao and Liu will be considered based on the situation. In this way, the initiative will be in the hands of Wei Gong.  It will not affect the alliance with Jiangdong." Cao Cao nodded, and he could only do this. He thought for a while and said, "Didn't Sun Quan want me to cancel the marriage between Cao and Liu first?" "I'll report this to Duke Wei.  The cancellation is just a guarantee to Sun Quan, not an explanation to Liu Jing. Wei Chen believes that Sun Quan just wants to see Duke Wei's sincerity. As for whether the marriage is really cancelled, we will talk about it later! " Cao Cao thought for a long time, although Sun Quan's  The conditions made him feel unhappy, but for the sake of the Battle of Hefei and the overall situation of the Wei-Wu alliance, he had to make some compromises for the time being, "Okay! I can agree to all his additional conditions. Wherever he wants to fight with  Shall I meet?" Cheng Yu immediately said: "Sun Quan and I have agreed to meet him in Wuhu County!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 915 Unfavorable at every step

    The original station of the Han army was on the west bank of Chao Lake, where the Han army gathered tens of thousands of troops, less than a hundred miles away from Hefei. However, last year, the two sides reached a withdrawal agreement in order to jointly deal with the Xiongnu. The Han army withdrew westward from Chao Lake.  After returning to Wan County, Huang Zhong immediately ordered the army to station at Wankou of the Yangtze River and set up a water village there.  At present, the Han army has more than 30,000 troops stationed in Wankou, commanded by veteran general Huang Zhong, while Gan Ning has stationed troops in Chaisang as backup.  In addition to Wankou, there are also 5,000 troops stationed in Nanling County, about 300 miles east of the Yangtze River, including Ruxukou and Wuhu on the opposite bank. The Han army has garrisons respectively and has built dozens of beacon towers along the river.  A response of thousands of miles was formed on the Yangtze River.  When Cao Jun tore up the agreement reached between the two sides last year and suddenly launched a massive attack on Ruxukou, dozens of beacon towers along the Yangtze River immediately lit alarm fireworks day and night.  At this time, the Han army was actively preparing for the war in Hefei. Although Cao Jun's unexpected attack made the situation confusing, Huang Zhong remained unmoved. According to the emergency plan deployed by Liu Jing last year, he ordered the two thousand Han troops stationed at the mouth of the Wuhu River to enter.  Wu County was put under the unified command of Lu Xun, and at the same time he ordered the Han troops in Ruxukou and Nanling County to withdraw to Wankou to minimize the losses of the army.  Cao's army expanded southward to the area of ??Ruxukou, while Han's army retreated westward to Wankou. At the same time, after receiving the news, Pang Tong also led 10,000 naval troops to rush to Wankou. As long as Wankou and Wanxian did not  After losing, the Han army had a foothold in Lujiang County, which was also the key to the battle for Hefei.  In Wankou, in the navy stronghold, Huang Zhongzheng and military advisor Pang Tong were discussing countermeasures in the Chinese army's tent. Pang Tong was appointed by Liu Jing as the East Route military advisor, and was mainly responsible for planning the battle of Hefei. Pang Tong spent most of his time in Chaisang,  Assist Gan Ning in training the navy for night battles.  "Frankly speaking, I find it very strange, why did Cao Jun attack Ruxukou? If Cao Jun had a strong naval force, it might make sense for them to attack Ruxukou, but Cao Jun's naval warfare was extremely weak, and they simply couldn't defend Ruxukou.  It must be said that with Zhang Liao's wisdom, he would not make such a decision, which only shows that Cao Jun had other intentions. "This is also what Pang Tong was puzzled about. At the moment when the Han army was intensively preparing for the Hefei battle, Zhang Liao did not.  It would be unwise to seize the time to prepare for war and instead disperse the troops to attack Ruxukou. Zhang Liao's plan would not allow him to do this. Cao Jun must have a plan. What could it be?  Huang Zhong pondered for a while and said: "I heard that Cao Cao went south for inspection and arrived at Qiaojun ten days ago. There was no news after that. Judging from the time, Cao Cao should be in Hefei now." Pang Tong also fell into deep thought.  As a military advisor, of course he would not simply think that Cao Cao ordered the capture of Ruxukou. The current situation was clearly that the Han attacked Cao Shou. Cao Cao should be more concerned about the defense of Hefei City and would never extend the defense to Ruxukou. Han  As long as the army advances by land and water, it can cut off Cao's army's retreat at Ruxukou and wipe out all of Cao's army. Even if Cao Cao doesn't understand this result, Zhang Liao also knows it.  ¡°Cao Cao must have another plan, ¡®Is it Jiangdong?  ¡¯ This idea flashed through Pang Tong¡¯s mind, but Pang Tong felt it was impossible. At this time, Cao Jun¡¯s attack on Jiangdong was simply digging his own grave.  At this moment, a soldier rushed to the door of the big tent and reported: "To inform the old general and the military advisor, a large ship has arrived outside the water village. The boatman claimed to be a mining ship from Liyang. He has something very important to report.  Huang Zhong and Pang Tong looked at each other, and they both realized at the same time that maybe something happened on the Liyang side. In the water village, a five-hundred-stone impeller ship was slowly drawn up by several Han army patrol boats. This was hundreds of  One of the three impeller ships in the ore ship originally belonged to the Tao family. After the Tao family gave up the fleet, the impeller ship was sold to the Su family in Wuchang.  Pedal impeller boats have always been military warships and are not allowed to be owned by ordinary people. However, Ma Jun first built a dozen 500-stone pedal impeller boats for the Tao family for transportation on the Han River. This pedal impeller boat  The boat was one of the first pedal boats built by Ma Jun that year.  The pedal boat slowly docked. Huang Zhong, Pang Tong and hundreds of soldiers had been waiting on the shore for a long time. At this time, five boatmen got off the pedal boat. They were all frightened and knelt down to salute the leader of the first boat. "Goodbye, Tan Fu, a humble citizen."  "Old General!" Huang Zhong ordered him to get up and asked: "Where are you from and why are you here?" The boatman named Tan Fu cried and said: "Xiaomin is a boatman from Su's Boat Company in Wuchang, and other Su  More than a hundred ore ships from the shipyard were moored in Liyang, preparing to transport ore back to Jingzhou after the beginning of spring. Unexpectedly, just four days ago, Cao Jun suddenly attacked Liyang, and all the ore ships were captured by Cao Jun. The villain was working with several people at that time.  The famous men repaired the pedals, but we were the only ones who managed to escape. "Liyang belongs to Jiangdong's territory. The Han army has no garrison and no beacons in Liyang. The information is extremely tightly blocked. Wankou people don't know what happened in Liyang at all.  Pang Tong was also surprised by this news. He quickly asked: "Li?How many ore ships are there?  " "There are about 400 ore ships, basically all of which are more than one thousand stone ore ships. The largest one has three thousand stone ore ships, all of which were obtained by Cao Jun.  " Huang Zhong also asked next to him: "What did Cao Jun do? Did he set fire to the ship?  " "No, I didn't see any fire at all.  " Huang Zhong immediately understood that Cao Jun's sneak attack on Liyang was to seize the ore ship. He said to Pang Tong: "Civilian ships are different from military ships. They cannot withstand violent collisions. They can only be used for logistical transportation at most and cannot be used for naval battles.  The civilian ships that Cao Jun seized should be used to transport food and troops.  Pang Tong sighed: "Zhang Liao has invested nearly 100,000 people to dredge the river since last year. I heard that ships with thousands of stones can be driven between Shouchun and Hefei, but they are faced with the embarrassing situation of having a river but no ships, and a large amount of grain and grass supplies have been gathered."  In Shouchun, a large number of ships were needed to transport supplies to Hefei. It was too late to build ships, so seizing the ore ships was their best strategy. I only realized this now.  " Huang Zhong nodded, "The military advisor is right. In this case, it is understandable that Cao Jun captured Ruxukou.  "That's right. The purpose of attacking Ruxukou is to allow more than 400 ore ships to enter Hefei from the Yangtze River. With these ore ships, Cao Jun's transportation capacity will be greatly increased, and a large amount of grain and grass supplies can be transported from Shouchun to Hefei."  , Zhang Liao is worthy of being called the number one general of Cao Cao's army. He is not only bold and attentive, but also very cautious. He will only act after Cao Cao agrees. It can be said that he plans before acting. He will be our greatest enemy.  " Both Huang Zhong and Pang Tong felt a little disappointed. Zhang Liao sent out a surprise force to snatch the ore ship. They obviously lost this battle. Huang Zhong pondered for a moment and said: "This fleet will definitely transport grain and grass supplies between Shouchun and Hefei. If  We also sent out surprise troops to burn these mining ships. Does the military advisor think it is feasible?  Pang Tong shook his head, "Zhang Liao thought of attacking, how could he not think of defending?"  This batch of warships is so important, he must have been prepared for it, and Cao Xiu led 3,000 cavalry to station at Shouchuan to protect the ship with cavalry. To be honest, we didn't have much chance.  " Huang Zhong was silent. This batch of ships would greatly enhance Cao's army's transportation capabilities, but he turned a blind eye. This was not Huang Zhong's style anyway. At this moment, a messenger soldier came galloping behind him on horseback. Lao Yuanda  Shouted: "Military advisor, urgent message from Jianye!"  " There is another important reason why Huang Zhong is stationed in Wankou, that is, Wankou has always been an information transfer station between Jingzhou and Jiangdong. Flying pigeons are used to convey messages between Jianye and Wuchang. The carrier pigeons first arrive at Wankou and then change.  The homing pigeon arrived in Wuchang, and Pang Tong had full control over the intelligence system. Pang Tong turned around. The words "Jianye Urgent Report" pierced his mind like a needle. He immediately realized that something big must have happened in Jiangdong.  The messenger dismounted and handed a roll of red silk to Pang Tong, which meant that the information was urgent. At this time, Huang Zhong also came up, frowning and asked: "What happened?"  " Pang Tong read the information and sighed softly: "Beyond our imagination, Sun Quan has decided to form an alliance with Cao Cao.  " Huang Zhong was stunned. Sun Quan actually formed an alliance with Cao Cao, which would have a major impact on the Battle of Hefei. He immediately realized the seriousness of the problem and said to Pang Tong: "We must report this news to His Highness the King of Han immediately!  ¡± Although Wuhu was affiliated to Danyang County, after the split of Jiangdong, Wuhu was occupied by Wu County¡¯s army and became Wu County¡¯s outlet to the Yangtze River. The Han army also obtained a natural harbor in Likou Town on the other side of the Lishui River and became the Han army¡¯s  At the garrison point on the south bank of the Yangtze River, due to the sudden change in the situation, Cao Jun captured Ruxukou, which suddenly made the situation in Wuhu on the other side of the Yangtze River tense. Wu Jun had 3,000 troops stationed in Wuhu County, commanded by the young general Sun Huan.  After the Ruxukou mutiny, Sun Huan also became nervous. He ordered the army to strengthen its vigilance and ordered dozens of warships to patrol along the river to prevent Cao's army from crossing the river south. On the Wuhu dock, Sun Huan stood in a pavilion and looked to the north from a distance.  With worries in his eyes, a general admonished him: "Cao Jun has no warships, so he won't be able to cross the river. General, don't worry too much.  Sun Huan sighed, "Although Cao's army does not have warships, Jianye has enough warships. Now that the Han army has withdrawn from Ruxukou, once Cao's army borrows Jianye's warships to go south, it will be our catastrophe!"  " "Isn't this inviting a wolf into the house?  "Ya Jiang said in surprise. "Not necessarily!  Sun Huan shook his head and said: "The situation is extremely complicated now. The Han army is about to launch the Battle of Hefei, and Cao Cao's army has no time to protect itself. At this time, Cao Cao should have no intention of occupying Jiangdong, and will instead unite with Sun Quan. This is what I am most worried about. Once Cao Jun intervenes,  The situation in the Jiangdong battle has become complicated. I am most worried that Cao Jun will attack Wujun, and if the Han army has no time to reinforce, Wujun may not be able to support it.  " Just as he was talking, a soldier rushed over and reported urgently: "General Qi, the scouts are reporting urgently.Tai Tai leads an army of 20,000 men and is heading toward Wuhu. We are less than thirty miles away. General, please make a decision quickly!  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 916 Alliance between Wei and Wu

    Sun Huan thought that Cao's army would attack Wuhu, but he did not expect that Jianye's army would suddenly arrive. They were less than twenty miles away. He was really shocked. After a moment of reflection, he immediately ordered: "Send an order for the entire army to withdraw to Wu County immediately.  Withdraw your troops immediately!" Sun Huan knew very well that the city of Wuhu was too low to defend against an attack by 20,000 people. Once Zhou Tai cut off their retreat, they would not even have a chance to withdraw.  Sun Huan was anxious and said to a soldier: "Rush to Likou Town immediately and tell General Zhong the situation. The situation is critical. If the Han army wants to enter Wu, they can evacuate with us." The soldiers rushed away.  Go, Sun Huan also got on his horse and urged the horse to run towards the county town.  Retaking Wuhu was the first major decision Sun Quan made after meeting Cheng Yu. Since it wanted to cooperate with Cao Jun in the defense of Hefei, Jiangdong Army must have a strategic fulcrum, which was Wuhu on the other side of Ruxukou.  In fact, Wu Jun's army occupying Wuhu has always been Sun Quan's worry. Before, because the Han army was stationed in Likou Town, Sun Quan had not dared to act rashly. But this time, since he decided to form an alliance with Cao Jun to deal with the Han army together, Sun Quan no longer  Concerned, he immediately ordered Zhou Tai, who was stationed in Danyang County, to lead an army of 20,000 to attack Wuhu.  Although Sun Quan's order was to march secretly and annihilate Sun Huan's army, Zhou Tai did not strictly implement Sun Quan's order. He led the army to march leisurely along the official road and arrived at Yu, about forty miles away from Wuhu County.  Hu County, was discovered by spies from Wu County, who rushed to Wuhu to report the enemy's situation.  Although the Sun family turned against each other and Jiangdong was divided into three parts, and Sun Quan wanted to capture Wu County overnight and kill Sun Yu and others, the Jiangdong Army officers and soldiers did not work hard. They generally hoped to unify Jiangdong through peaceful means.  Last autumn, Sun Quan led 30,000 troops to attack Wu Commandery, but was met with widespread opposition from the military. In the end, the plan to attack Wu Commandery came to an end, and he had to withdraw his troops hastily.  Zhou Tai¡¯s attack on Wuhu was the same this time. Wu County and Danyang County were of the same blood. He did not want to see the Jiangdong people killing each other, so Zhou Tai used a method to scare the snake and let the Wuhu defenders evacuate on their own.  At the first watch of the night, Zhou Tai led an army of 20,000 people to Wuhu County. By this time, Sun Huan had already led his troops to withdraw. The Han army in Likou Town on the other side also withdrew to Wu County. There was no more soldiers in Wuhu City.  When Zhou Tai led his army to the north gate of the county, the city gate was opened wide and the county magistrate Zhang Qi came out to greet him. Zhang Qi is a younger brother of the Zhang Wen clan and an important descendant of the famous Zhang family in Wu County. He knelt down in front of Zhou Tai's horse.  He begged: "Sun Huan's army has withdrawn to Wu County. The lower officials have closed the treasury and appeased the people. Wuhu County is now peaceful. I hope General Zhou will care for the civilians and not send troops to harass." Zhou Tai quickly dismounted and helped Zhang Qi up, smiling.  Said: "County Magistrate Zhang, don't worry. There are many people from Wuhu in our army. Naturally, they will not send troops to disturb the people. Magistrate Zhang can close the treasury and protect the official rations. It is really admirable. I don't know how much is left in the official treasury."  "Food?" "There are about 20,000 shi." Zhou Tai was overjoyed that the food was enough for his army, but he was a little surprised and asked: "Didn't General Sun take the food with him when he withdrew?"  He was in a hurry and had no time to move the food. Some generals advised him to burn the food, but General Sun did not agree and ordered his subordinates to seal the treasury and prevent civilians from looting. " Zhou Tai sighed in his heart. If the Han army was stationed in Wuhu, they would never give it to him.  With so much food left behind, he looked across the Lishui River. Zhang Qi quickly said: "The Han army has also withdrawn. The fleet and General Sun have withdrawn to Wu County. As far as the official knows, Likou Town has already been reached."  There is no garrison." Zhou Tai nodded and turned around and ordered: "Report immediately to the Marquis of Wu that we have successfully occupied Wuhu." Ten days later, Sun Quan and Cao Cao formally met in Wuhu County, because Cheng Yu and Zhang Zhao had already reached an agreement in advance.  A large amount of consensus made the meeting between Cao Cao and Sun Quan very smooth. The two sides formally signed an alliance in Wuhu County. Sun Quan promised to send 50,000 troops to participate in the Battle of Hefei between Cao Cao and Liu.  And Cao Cao also fulfilled his promise. Three days after signing the covenant, he sent a fleet to deliver 100,000 shi of grain to Wuhu.  On the Wuhu pier, cargo ships loaded with grain slowly docked, and giant cranes began to lift the grain packages ashore. Each crane was pulled by twenty cows, and ten soldiers were responsible for controlling it.  The hanging tower rotates and the bull moves forward and backward.  When the food landed, teams of oxcarts would transport the food back to the city. The docks were very lively and the motorcades were constantly flowing through it.  At the welcoming pavilion, Sun Quan, surrounded by more than a dozen generals, looked at the hanging tower lifting grain out of the ship with his hands behind his back. He felt really proud in his heart.  Sun Quan smiled and said to the people behind him: "Last year in Jianye, Cao Cao promised to give us one hundred thousand shi of grain, but he broke his promise. But this time he took the initiative to deliver the grain to our door without our urging. He was arrogant at first and humble at the back, which shows that he  They really need our help.¡±  Next to him, Lu Meng said worriedly: "Wu Hou, this actually shows that Cao Cao is not very sure about the battle of Hefei. Is it wise for us to participate in such a hasty manner?" Sun Quan looked back at Lu Meng and smiled lightly: "Ziming  You have to understand that we are not fighting for Cao Cao, we are fighting for our own destiny. Once the Han army captures Hefei, we will face annihilation. On the contrary, as long as we can defeat the Han army in the Hefei battle, the Three Kingdoms will stand together.  The situation is established, at least in the southeast direction, we have three pillars. As for the battle in the north, we can just sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight. No! We have to watch the tiger fight, but we cannot sit on the mountain. We must take advantage of the war in the north to destroy Liu Bei.  Occupy Jiaozhou and revitalize our Jiangdong state." Everyone bowed and saluted, "My lord, you are wise!" Sun Quan smiled proudly. Although he was satisfied with his ambition, he did not lose his reason. He knew that he would still have troubles in the future. If there were no problems with Wu County.  If solved in time, it will be the root of his defeat.  Thinking of this, Sun Quan said to everyone: "It takes time for the Han army to prepare for war. We can take this opportunity to capture Wu County and unify Jiangdong. Which general is willing to command the army to pacify Wu County?" All the generals were silent. Sun Quan's  His face suddenly darkened and he said coldly: "If Jiangdong Army refuses to send troops to Wu County, then I will have to rely on Cao Jun's strength. Cao Cao is very willing to send troops to wipe out Wu County for me. Are you willing too?" Sun Quan is threatening  Everyone, once Cao Cao sends troops, Wu Jun will probably be in ruins. He is determined to unify Jiangdong before the battle of Hefei no matter what.  Everyone looked at each other in shock. At this moment, generals Zhu Huan and Xu Sheng stood up almost at the same time, bowed and saluted together and said: "I would like to lead the troops to pacify Wu County!" Sun Quan was overjoyed and immediately ordered: "Xiu Mu leads 20,000 troops and leaves.  On the northern front, General Wen Xiang will lead 15,000 naval troops to the east of Taihu Lake. In addition, I will order He Qi to send troops from the south to attack Wu County from three sides. Before the arrival of March, the army must capture Wu County. "  At Ruxukou, the news of the alliance between Wei and Wu was transmitted to Chang'an as quickly as possible by flying pigeons, one station after another, and was delivered to Liu Jing's desk.  This news made Liu Jing feel very heavy. Cao Jun took the initiative to attack Liyang, seize the ore ship, and occupy Ruxukou, opening up the connection between Hefei and the Yangtze River. Zhang Liao's military ability was fully demonstrated in this series of actions.  But after all, this is just a beautiful tactic and does not affect the overall situation.  The alliance between Cao Cao and Sun Quan is a strategic change that will affect the entire situation. Liu Jing paced back and forth in the official room with his hands behind his back, worried. He had to admit that Cao Cao made this move very cleverly.  Sun Quan made the Han army face a situation of being attacked from both sides in the upcoming battle of Hefei.  Not only that, the alliance between Wei and Wu will also make Jingzhou unstable, affecting the Han army's strategic pattern of semi-encirclement of Wei. Once a three-legged confrontation is formed, Cao Cao is likely to break the situation in the southeast, and Guanzhong will face Cao Jun from  Luoyang and Bingzhou are threats from both sides.  At this time, Liu Jing also realized that he had made a huge mistake. He should not have supported Wu Jun. It was his secret support for Wu Jun that made Sun Quan suspicious and distrustful of him, which made Sun and Liu  The family's long-held bond through marriage was broken.  It was under this circumstance that Cao Cao's attempt to win over Sun Quan was finally successful. As for the Han army's subsequent destruction of Jiangdong after the Battle of Hefei, that was actually just Liu Jing's idea that was far from mature. In the final analysis, it contributed to Wei's defeat.  The root of Wu's alliance still came from the support of the Han army to Wu Commandery.  The question now is that Cao Cao and Sun Quan have formed an alliance. How should he deal with this situation, not only the upcoming Hefei War, but also the long-term impact in the future.  Liu Jing paced back and forth with his hands behind his hands. The way he came up with was to increase his support for Wu Jun, so that Wu Jun could restrain Sun Quan's army in the Hefei battle, so that Sun Quan would not dare to act rashly. This would relieve the Han army from being attacked from both sides.  , but can Wu Jun afford this important task?  Liu Jing was really a little skeptical.  At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Your Highness, Military Advisor Jia is here to see you urgently!" Liu Jing perked up. Jia Xu's arrival at this time must be for the alliance between Wei and Wu. He immediately ordered: "Please come quickly.  Come in, military advisor!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 917 Jia Xu offers advice

    After a while, Jia Xu walked into Liu Jing's official room. He was indeed here for the alliance between Wei and Wu. After receiving the urgent pigeon letter, Liu Jing also copied a copy for Jia Xu.  "However, Jia Xu's expression was not tense, but instead he was smiling. This calm demeanor made Liu Jing feel a glimmer of hope, and his heavy heart relaxed slightly.  Jia Xu stepped forward and bowed, "Your Highness!" "Military advisor, please sit down!" Liu Jing asked Jia Xu to sit down. He also sat down and asked the guards to serve tea. Jia Xu smiled and said, "Your Highness.  He seems to be worried about the alliance between Wei and Wu. " "Yes!" Liu Jing sighed and said, "The consequences of the alliance between Wei and Wu are too serious for me to face easily. " "Actually, I don't think so!  It's too serious. In the past, we had a treaty with Cao Cao and formed an alliance with Cao Cao. I can't remember how many times we had it, but which one was lasting. The so-called alliance was just a temporary political need. After that stage, it was discarded.  Your Highness doesn't need to be too anxious about it, not to mention that the alliance between Wei and Wu does not pose a big threat to us." Liu Jing perked up and asked quickly, "What do you mean?" Jia Xu took a sip of hot tea and didn't panic.  He said hurriedly: "The situation that Your Highness is worried about is just a tripartite confrontation. Cao Cao breaks the situation in the southeast, thus completely destroying the semi-encirclement pattern that we have worked hard to complete in the past few years. But I think this is unlikely, so the three-legged confrontation must be  We must be evenly matched, but Jiangdong is lame. How can he stand up?" Liu Jing nodded silently, "The military advisor continued." "First of all, Jiangdong's strength is too weak. Jiangdong itself has a small population and a narrow territory, so it is difficult to accumulate strength.  Sun Quan has been defeated repeatedly in the past few years. In the Battle of Hefei, an entire army of 100,000 was annihilated, completely destroying the foundation Sun Ce had laid. The Jiangdong regime has faced an extremely dangerous situation, with people's resentment boiling and collapse imminent. At this time, Sun Quan should  Learn from Cao Cao, do everything possible to recuperate, reduce burdens and taxes, and restore people's livelihood and economy." Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh: "But Sun Quan took the wrong direction at this time." Jia Xu also laughed: "Maybe.  Sun Quan was also aware of the danger of his political power, but he valued his loss of authority and unstable status more, so he was eager to find an opportunity to win in order to reverse the situation. At exactly this time, the Jiaozhou Army marched north to Jingnan, and Sun Quan saw the opportunity.  Ignoring the boiling public complaints, he once again raised taxes, spent money and sent troops, and finally fell into a quagmire where both sides were hurt. It was this battle that led to the split of Jiangdong. I have always told everyone that the split of Jiangdong is the inevitable result after Jiangdong's strength is exhausted.  No matter whether Jiangdong is reunified or not, it will never be able to regain its former strength, not even half of it. Therefore, whether it is a marriage between Sun and Cao or an alliance between Wei and Wu, His Highness does not need to take Jiangdong to heart. " Jia Xu said,  The worries in Liu Jing's heart suddenly subsided, and her heart became cheerful. Liu Jing sighed in her heart, stood up and gave a deep salute to Jia Xu, "The military advisor's words relieved the pressure in my heart. Liu Jing is grateful." Jia Xu waved her hands and smiled.  : "Your Highness is out of touch when he says this. After all, I get the highest salary in Han Dynasty and I don't contribute anything. I am embarrassed myself! Otherwise, I will go into battle tomorrow and fight with my life. Your Highness  What do you think?" Liu Jing laughed, and several close guards beside him couldn't help but laugh. The military advisor was really interesting.  Liu Jing sat down again. He stopped smiling and pondered for a moment before saying, "Having said that, the alliance between Wei and Wu will indeed affect the battle of Hefei. If I am not careful, I will be in a situation where I will be attacked from both sides. Is there any way for the military advisor to solve it?"  Strategies?" Jia Xu nodded, "This is just a tactical choice. I have three strategies. Your Highness can consider them." Liu Jing perked up and said quickly: "Please tell me, military advisor!" "I like to use the upper, middle and lower strategies.  " Jia Xu said with a smile: "Let me talk about the best strategy first. The so-called best strategy is to abandon the battle of Hefei and attack Bingzhou or Luoyang. In this way, even if Sun Quan has the intention, he will not be able to help Cao Cao unless he does not know whether to live or die and then attack.  Lujiang or Jingzhou, but I think it is unlikely. What do you think, His Highness?" Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "The time is not yet ripe to attack Bingzhou or Luoyang, and the war in the north is stalemate. Sun Quan will take the opportunity to unify Jiangdong and then annex the power.  The weakest Jiaozhou allows Jiangdong to gain power, but the best strategy is not appropriate. Please ask the military adviser to come up with a middle strategy. " "The middle strategy is to continue the original plan and launch the battle of Hefei. As for Jiangdong, we will try our best to see what we can do.  To avoid being attacked from both front and back, Liu Jing thought about it and was not in a hurry to express his position. "What about the next step?" "The next step is to give up the battle in Hefei, but contrary to the first step, His Highness will marry him in advance.  Cao Cao's daughter, and reached a tacit agreement with Cao Cao not to attack Hefei within two years.?Then they concentrated their forces and destroyed Jiangdong first. Without Jiangdong, the Wei-Wu alliance would naturally be out of the question.  " "The military advisor thinks that Cao Cao will let me destroy Jiangdong?"  " Liu Jing asked with a smile. Jia Xu shook his head, "Frankly speaking, I don't know. Maybe Cao Cao will abide by his promise to Sun Quan and send troops to rescue Jiangdong, either from Nanyang or directly across the river from Ruxukou.  possible.  Liu Jing sighed, "If I were Cao Cao, I would not sit idly by and do nothing. I would definitely send troops to rescue Jiangdong, because only the Sun-Cao alliance is the only way to break the situation."  " "Speaking of it this way, His Highness still chose the middle strategy?  " Liu Jing nodded slowly, "This is exactly what I meant.  " Jia Xu smiled slightly and said, "Since His Highness has chosen to fall into the trap, I have a suggestion.  " "Military advisor, please speak!  " Jia Xu walked to the sand table, picked up the wooden pole and pointed at Nanyang, "One of the keys to launching the Hefei Campaign lies in the connection between Chang'an and Jingzhou. I suggest that your Highness capture Nanyang first, open up the Nanxiang Pass, and use the troops and supplies in Guanzhong.  It can be sent directly to Xiangyang, and then sent to Wankou by water from Xiangyang. It can also prevent Cao Jun from putting pressure on Xiangyang from Nanyang and stabilize Jingzhou's rear defense." Liu Jing nodded, "This is a smart strategy!  Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and said resolutely: "The Battle of Hefei is of great importance. I want to go and take charge personally!"  " "If Your Highness goes to Hefei in person, arrangements must be made first in Chang'an.  " Liu Jing nodded, "I will temporarily delegate power to Pingzhangtai!  " Speaking of this, Liu Jing turned around and smiled at Jia Xu: "In Chang'an, I have to ask Mr. Jia to sit in charge for me.  " Jia Xu understood what Liu Jing meant. He wanted to give himself a certain amount of power and let himself supervise Pingzhangtai. This trust moved Jia Xu very much. He nodded silently, "I am willing to devote myself to His Highness!  Liu Jing then ordered: "Order Fei Yi to come see me!"  " After a while, Fei Yi, who had joined the army as minister, walked quickly into the official room, bowed and saluted: "See you, Your Highness!  " Liu Jing slowly ordered: "Go and inform Pingzhangtai that a special court meeting will be held tomorrow morning. All officials in Chang'an with a thousand stones or above will participate.  "The night is getting darker, and the lights in the study are still on. In front of a slightly smaller sand table, Liu Jing is pacing back and forth with his hands behind his hands, lost in thought. Although he has accepted Jia Xu's suggestion during the day, he will launch the Battle of Nanyang first.  , to open the Nanxiang Pass. But this is not only to replenish the army and transport supplies, but more importantly, to establish a fast communication line from Guanzhong to Xiangyang. After all, a large amount of information cannot be completed by pigeon messages alone, and it still requires 800 people.  Urgent news from Riga But launching the Battle of Nanyang is not that simple. It is necessary to understand the garrison in Nanyang. Judging from the information obtained so far, Cao Cao has deployed 100,000 troops in Luoyang, Xudu, divided into thirty-six armies.  Former general Xiahou Dun took command of Luoyang. Perhaps because he was going to Luoyang to pay homage to the ancestral temple, Cao Cao paid special attention to the front line defense of Luoyang and deployed 50,000 troops. Xuchang had 30,000 reinforcements, but at Wanye in Nanyang County.  There are only 20,000 troops stationed in the area, which is an important reason why Jia Xu suggested opening the Nanxiang Pass. But now Liu Jing is considering whether Xuchang's 30,000 Cao troops will come in time to reinforce if the army attacks Nanyang. If Cao Jun is scouting in Guanzhong.  If Xiahou Dun is successful, he will get the news when he sends troops to Shangluo. He will immediately mobilize Xuchang's army to Nanyang. Judging from the distance, Xuchang Cao's army should reach Nanyang before himself. The key is the defense of Wancheng. Wancheng is tall and strong and difficult to defeat.  Attack, if Cao's army is large, the siege will be protracted, which will violate his original intention of sending troops, but will trap the Han army in Nanyang, thus affecting the overall situation. Liu Jing knew very well that Jia Xu was just proposing a general direction, but  It was up to him to consider the details. The attack on Nanyang could not be solved by sending out troops. It had to be carefully considered and linked together. At this time, a clear context had been formed in Liu Jing's mind. He walked to the window and pushed it open.  He opened the window, and a cold night breeze blew in his face, which immediately made him clearer. It was already mid-January, and there was a hint of early spring warmth in the air. It was no longer as cold as in the middle of winter.  The snow in the pond is also showing signs of melting. Although the ice in the pool has not yet melted, children can no longer skate on it and can easily fall into the ice water. The harsh winter is about to go and spring is coming again. This spring, he is afraid that  It was time to spend time in Hefei. At this time, Liu Jing saw two lanterns appearing on the garden path in the distance. Two maids were holding lanterns in front to lead the way, followed by a person. Judging from the vague figure, it should be Sun Shangxiang, regardless of his figure.  Neither the slender Xiao Qiao nor the plump Tao Zhan was as tall as the stranger. Liu Jing laughed, and Sun Shangxiang walked so hurriedly to find himself.??, what's going to happen?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 918 Send troops to Nanyang

    After a while, there was a knock on the door outside the study. Liu Jing stepped forward and opened the door. She saw Sun Shangxiang standing outside the door with a pot of hot tea. "It's so late, why don't you rest?" Sun Shangxiang glanced at him faintly and asked.  He asked with a hint of complaint.  Liu Jing held her hand, but felt it was cold. He quickly pulled her into the room, rubbed her frozen hands and said with a smile, "I'm waiting for Zilong. If he doesn't come in a while, I'll  Go and rest. "It's so late and it's cold. General Zhao won't come." Sun Shangxiang sat down by the fire pot and poured Liu Jing a cup of tea. "Come and drink tea first!"  It's warm." Liu Jing picked up the teacup, took a sip slowly, and looked at Sun Shangxiang carefully, and found that there seemed to be an imperceptible worry between her eyebrows, so she asked with a smile: "Are you in a bad mood?  This is my mood, I don't know whether it's good or bad, I always feel an indescribable loss." Sun Shangxiang sighed softly.  Liu Jing sat down behind her, held her in his arms, put his arm around her waist and asked, "Are you still worried about Xiao Qiao?" Sun Shangxiang shook his head, "This kind of thing will make you angry for a while.  After that, I looked away. With your status, you are quite restrained in having so many women. There is no need for me to be angry. " "Why is that?" Sun Shangxiang was silent for a moment.  He asked in a low voice: "Husband, will you really destroy Jiangdong one day?" Liu Jing then understood the reason for Sun Shangxiang's worries. It turned out that he was worried about his homeland. He thought for a while and said, "We can't talk about destroying Jiangdong.  It just restores the governance of Jiangdong by the Han Dynasty. In the past, including your father and brother, they were all Han ministers. In the future, your family will still be Han ministers. Isn't it good?" Sun Shangxiang snuggled into her husband's arms and sighed softly: "Actually,  I also know that the world will be unified and the people of Jiangdong will no longer suffer from the war. This is a good thing, but I am always worried about my family. " Speaking of this, she raised her head, looked at Liu Jing with tears in her eyes, and choked out: "  When that day comes, will my husband destroy my family?" Liu Jing held her tightly in his arms with pity, gently wiped away the tears from her eyes, and said softly: "You should understand that the Sun family  The trouble is definitely not caused by me. Sun Bi is dead, and more than a dozen of his children were massacred by He Jing, as well as Sun Yu and the Wujun clan. Once the Jiangdong Army breaks through Wu County, I believe your brother will never spare his life.  If you go through them, I really doubt that your brother will be the only one left in the Sun family in the future." Sun Shangxiang finally couldn't help crying in her husband's arms. Liu Jing did not persuade her and waited for her to calm down.  After coming down for a long time, Sun Shangxiang's mood finally stabilized. She raised her pretty face like pear blossoms and begged her husband: "Husband, you must save my family!" Liu Jing nodded slowly, "I  I will do my best!" At this time, there were rapid footsteps outside, and a maid said at the door: "Your Majesty, General Zhao wants to see you!" Liu Jing knew that Zhao Yun would be back tonight, so he ordered: "Invite him.  I'll wait in the study, I'll be there soon!" The maid went. Liu Jing helped Sun Shangxiang and said with a smile, "You go back to the room first, I will accompany you tonight." Sun Shangxiang wiped away his tears and nodded silently.  Turning and leaving the study, Liu Jing looked at her back and couldn't help but shook his head. Although he also hoped to solve the Jiangdong problem at the minimum cost, there were many things that he couldn't take into account the love of his children. After the New Year, Zhao Yun was also extremely busy, and his wife Li  Zhao Yun was eight months pregnant. This would be Zhao Yun's second child. He was looking forward to it so much that he temporarily put aside everything he was doing and stayed with his wife every day, waiting for the birth of the child.  However, Zhao Yun would never abandon public service for personal reasons. Seeing that preparations for the Battle of Hefei began to be intensively implemented, he felt itchy in his heart, hoping that he could participate in this battle.  Zhao Yun was sitting in Liu Jing's study outside drinking tea and waiting. At this time, footsteps were heard in the yard, and Liu Jing's laughter came, "I'm really sorry for letting Zilong come over so late!" Zhao Yun quickly got up and walked towards  Liu Jing entered the room and bowed and saluted: "I am here to see you, Your Highness!" Although Liu Jing and Zhao Yun have an unusual friendship, Liu Jing has always regarded Zhao Yun as his elder brother, but since Liu Jing was named the Queen of Han,  Zhao Yun tried his best to maintain the relationship between monarch and minister. This was not only to maintain Liu Jing's authority, but also for Zhao Yun's own future. Since ancient times, being too close between monarch and minister may not be a good thing.  Liu Jing can also understand Zhao Yun's difficulties. He no longer deliberately shows his special relationship with Zhao Yun, and tries to get along with him as a monarch and his ministers.  Liu Jing waved her hands and smiled: "Let's sit down and talk!" Zhao Yun sat down, and he first asked: "I wonder how the situation is in Hexi?"&nbsp"Hexi has been temporarily stabilized. I think there will be no problems within a year or two, but it will be difficult to say if it takes longer. I also hope that Ma Mengqi can take care of himself." After a pause, Liu Jing continued: "  If Hexi cannot be stabilized, it will be a great threat to our Eastern Expedition, so as long as the Qiang people do not go too far now, I will try to tolerate it and wait for the autumn to settle accounts with them." Zhao Yun nodded, "I heard that Your Highness.  "Cao Cao is also in charge of Hefei. Why don't I go? This time I will also use 150,000 troops. The battle of Hefei will determine the general trend of the world in the next ten years and is very important to us."  , We will do our best in this battle." Zhao Yun finally couldn't help but said: "Your Highness, I hope to participate in the battle!" Liu Jing knew that he would have this request, so she smiled and said, "Your child is about to be born.  Let¡¯s stay this time! And even though you are in Guanzhong, I still have to give you an important task.¡± Zhao Yun smiled bitterly. Since Liu Jing has said this, he will not have another chance this time, so he has no choice but to do so.  Nodding silently, "I am willing to obey His Highness's arrangements." Liu Jing added: "This time you are not only responsible for the safety of Chang'an, but you must also contain Cao Jun in Luoyang and prevent them from going south to aid Nanyang. In other words, you need to be in Tongguan  With a garrison of more than 50,000 troops, once Cao Jun moves south, he will immediately come out to threaten Luoyang, forcing Cao Jun to defend Luoyang. If you do this well, it will also be a great achievement. " Zhao Yun understood Liu Jing's intention.  He immediately stood up and said: "I humbly obey the order!" The time gradually reached one o'clock, the night became darker, the slightest breath of spring disappeared, the night wind became bitingly cold, and there were no pedestrians on the street, not even the stray cats and dogs.  He no longer showed his face, hiding in a corner to survive the cold night, leaving only piles of dirty black snow piled on the roadside, waiting for the final moment of complete melting.  Then at this moment, a dark figure hurriedly walked outside the gate of the West Market. He moved very quickly, but also cautiously. He looked around from time to time. The dark figure came to the door of a four-story restaurant and knocked rhythmically.  Knock on the door, and after a moment, the door creaks open, the black figure flashes into the tavern, and the door is closed immediately.  In the darkness, a clerk walked in front with an oil lamp in his hand, followed by a gloomy shadow. He was about thirty years old, with a slender face and cold eyes. This man was Zhang Yang, Cao Jun's intelligence chief in Chang'an.  It was Zhang Luer from before.  He has been promoted now, and no one dares to call him Zhang Luer anymore, but everyone also envies him. He used to be just a clerk, but because of his unusual relationship with Yang Tian, ??he was recommended as his successor by Yang Tian.  This tavern is one of Cao Jun's intelligence points in Chang'an. It is mainly responsible for contacting the Central Plains. As soon as Zhang Yang walked to the backyard, the owner of the restaurant hurriedly came up to him and hurriedly saluted Zhang Yang. The owner's surname was Qin, and he was about forty years old.  He is a small intelligence chief.  Zhang Yang waved his hand, "I have something important to tell you, let's go into the room and talk about it!" The two walked into the room, Zhang Yang closed the door casually, then took out a piece of information, handed it to shopkeeper Qin and said, "This is what we just did  According to the confidential information received, the Han army is preparing to send about 100,000 troops to attack Tongguan, commanded by Zhao Yun, and is ready to attack Luoyang at any time. General Xiahou is asked to prepare urgently." Shopkeeper Qin took the information and read it over, and asked: "Now.  "Send it out?" "Of course, it will be sent to Luoyang overnight." Manager Qin nodded, "I will send it to Luoyang immediately." The next afternoon, Zhao Yun led an army of 50,000 to prepare for the expedition to Luoyang. The army falsely claimed that it was 100,000.  A grand troop dispatching ceremony was held to worship the four directions and the horse god. Amid the sound of huge war drums, the "hundred thousand troops" marched toward Tongguan in a mighty manner.  And on the night after Zhao Yun sent troops, another 50,000-strong army bypassed Chang'an City and secretly drove to the southwest. The team rushed along the official road, but the direction was Shangluo County.  At the front of the team was the vanguard Pound's team, who led 6,000 elite cavalry. Liu Jing also ordered Wei Yan and Zhang Ren to be the generals of the left and right armies, Zhang Yi was the general of the rear army, Liu Jing personally took charge of the central army, and Wang Ping was the general of the rear army.  The flag officer and the 50,000-strong army raised their troops at night and rushed towards Nanyang.  Two days later, the team arrived at Wuguan.  The terrain of Guanxi is relatively flat, but if you go east of Guan, you will wind through the mountainside. The cliffs are high and the valley is deep, making it narrow and difficult to navigate. Therefore, Wuguan was a battleground for ancient military strategists. The city of Guan was built on a relatively flat highland between the canyons.  Relying on the majestic and steep Shaoxi Mountain and facing dangerous strategic points in the south, Guancheng has a circumference of three miles. The city wall is tall and strong, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.  The team stopped to rest in front of Wuguan. The generals received orders from Liu Jing and rushed to the Chinese military tent. In addition to Liu Jing, the king of Han, there were military advisor Fazheng, Qin Mi who joined the army, and Wuwei general Liu Hu.  , the rest of the generals are like Pound.Zhang Ren, Wei Yan, Zhang Yi and others, as well as dozens of officers above the rank of captain, gathered together.  There is a huge sand table in the tent, about three feet long and two feet wide. It is made up of sand tables from Guanzhong, Jingzhou and the Central Plains. Fa Zheng, holding a long pole in his hand, introduced the deployment of the attack on Nanyang to the generals.  .  "This time we attacked Nanyang, we had about 70,000 troops. In addition to our 50,000 main force that went south from Guanzhong, there was also 20,000 troops led by General Wen, the chief general of Xiangfan. The enemy only had 30,000 troops, led by General Cao Hong and Deputy General  Commander Li Dian, we have an absolute advantage in terms of the number of troops, but there is one thing we need to be particularly careful about!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 919 Deploying Troops and Generals

    When Fazheng saw that everyone's attention was attracted, he coughed lightly, then calmly pointed at Wancheng with a wooden pole and said: "The biggest difficulty in Nanyang County is Wancheng. Cao Cao rebuilt Wancheng after destroying Zhangxiu."  , the city is taller and stronger, and very difficult to attack. I think General Pang should know this very well. "Everyone's eyes are on Pang De. After Pang De surrendered to Liu Jing with Ma Chao, he has been placed in Xinye and participated in several battles.  In the first battle against Nanyang County, he even garrisoned Wancheng. He knew the situation in Wancheng very well. He nodded and said: "The military advisor is right. Wancheng is indeed difficult to attack. There is a saying in Wancheng that 'to defeat an enemy with one enemy'  Three', that is to say, the 10,000 troops stationed in Wancheng can resist the siege of 30,000 troops, and Wancheng has always been an important logistics area for Cao's army to attack Xiangfan. There is a lot of food and grass, and it is easy to dig wells in the city, so it can hold on for at least a year. "  Everyone knows that Pang De is a real person and does not make false claims. Since he said this, it means that Wancheng is indeed extremely difficult to attack. If Nanyang really has 30,000 garrison troops, wouldn't it take 90,000 people to attack Wancheng? In everyone's hearts  They couldn't help but feel heavy.  Fazheng smiled again and said: "Although Wancheng is difficult to attack, we still have a chance, that is, not all of Nanyang County's 30,000 troops are stationed in Wancheng." Everyone was in high spirits. This is indeed the case. Pang De said again  He smiled and said: "When we occupied Nanyang County, we encountered a massive counterattack by Cao Jun. Cao Jun used a cavalry assault to prevent our troops from various places from gathering in Wancheng. We can also use this method this time." At this time, Sitting next to him has been.  Liu Jing, who was silent, laughed and said, "General Pang has a good idea. This time I mobilized 6,000 elite cavalry as the vanguard, just to imitate Cao Jun's tactics." Pang De quickly bowed and said: "I humbly obey the order!" Liu Jing  Jing nodded, then smiled at Fazheng: "Military advisor, please continue!" Fazheng said slowly: "According to the information provided by General Wen, Nanyang Cao's army is stationed in four places. The first is Wan County, with about 10,000 troops.  , commanded by Cao Hong himself, followed by Ye County." Fazheng's wooden pole pointed at Ye County again, and continued: "Ye County is the gateway to Xuchang, and its strategic position is extremely important. It was once conquered by General Liao Hua and Li Fu's army.  Cao Jun deployed twice as many troops in Ye County. There were also 10,000 troops in Ye County, commanded by General Li Dian, followed by Yuyang County to defend Xiangfan and Nanxiang County to defend Guanzhong, each with 5,000 troops. Our  The first task is to raid Nanyang and stop the troops from all over the city from gathering at Wancheng. "Pang De thought for a moment and said, "Do you want my six thousand cavalry troops to be divided into three groups?" "No! Just use it."  Yuyang County, who pointed the wooden pole in front of him, smiled and said: "His Royal Highness the King of Han has given an order to General Wenpin, making an appointment at three o'clock tonight. General Wenpin will lead the Xiangfan army to surround Yuyang. General Pang only has to intercept Nanxiang County and Ye County.  Just two armies." Pang De silently calculated the distance in his mind. The distance from Wuguan to Nanxiang County is a hundred miles, and the official road is not very smooth. It is really tight to get to Nanxiang County before the third watch.  He immediately clasped his fists and saluted Liu Jing and said: "Your Highness, I humbly wish to lead the army to set off immediately!" Liu Jing nodded, "It's feasible!" Pound saluted again, turned around and left the tent. At this time, Liu Jing  Jing slowly said to everyone: "Capturing Nanyang is only part of the Hefei war. The purpose is to open up the Nanxiang Pass. Although Nanyang and Hefei are far apart, the Hefei battle is related to the overall situation, so the battle will not break out in Hefei.  In addition to Nanyang County, there is also Anlu County. In order to prevent Cao's army from marching south from the Central Plains to Anlu County, we must strengthen the defense of the three passes of Yiyang, namely Wusheng Pass, Jiuliguan, and Pingjing Pass. Guarding these three passes, Cao's army  If you can't attack Anlu County from the Central Plains, where is General Zhang Yi? "Zhang Yi is an important general of the Yizhou Southern Clique, that is, the generals of Ba, headed by Yan Yan, including Zhang Yi and Wang Pingping.  Known for being good at defending the city, Liu Jing initially wanted to consider letting Zhang Yi guard Wancheng, but this would make it difficult for Wenpin to handle it, so after weighing the pros and cons, Liu Jing decided to let Zhang Yi guard Anlu County.  Zhang Yi stepped forward and bowed: "This is my humble post!" Liu Jing said in a deep voice: "I will make you the captain of Anlu County. After the Battle of Nanyang, you can lead an army of 10,000 to Anlu County and take over the three counties of Yiyang.  As long as you defend the three passes of Yiyang, I will consider you a great achievement." "General, obey the order!" After Liu Jing deployed the army, he loudly said to everyone: "I hope you will fight bravely and use the shortest possible time.  Capture Nanyang County." Everyone bowed and saluted, "I am willing to die for your highness!" Since Cheng Yu led the army to recapture Nanyang County, the Nanyang direction has been in a state of truce, and the Han army has not crossed the border again. After several years of war,  After calm, the people's livelihood in Nanyang County gradually recovered, and traditional businesses began to become active.  Because of the SouthNanyang County has a special strategic position. It can reach Jingxiang in the south, Xudu in Luoyang in the north, Guanzhong and Hanzhong in the west, and adjacent to Ruyu in the east. Such a transportation hub location has made Nanyang County commercially developed since ancient times.  Caravans from all over the world can be seen everywhere on the official road.  At noon, a caravan consisting of dozens of people and hundreds of mules and horses loaded with goods slowly came from the official road in the distance. These businessmen were all strong and energetic, and they were much different from the usual businessmen who were busy with business.  same.  This caravan was a special scout team led by Ren Ping, deputy commander of the Eagle Attack Army. Their goal was of course to enter Wancheng, but on the way they received news from other caravans that Cao Hong's defense of Wancheng was extremely difficult.  Yan, no longer allowed foreign caravans to enter the city. He specifically moved the market in Wancheng to outside the West City, called the Cao Market, and required all merchants to trade outside the city.  Not only that, foreigners in groups of three or more are not allowed to enter the city. This was a rule set by Cheng Yu back then and has been strictly enforced by Cao Hong. A caravan of dozens of people like them has no chance of entering the city.  Although Wancheng¡¯s inspections are strict, there are still ways to do it. For example, they can disperse into the city separately. However, this is too time-consuming and dangerous. Ren Ping decided to use another method.  In addition to the forty-three subordinates who came to Wancheng with Ren Ping, there was also Deng Hong, the magistrate of Chang'an County. Deng Hong belonged to the Deng family, one of the three famous families in Nanyang, and was the son of Deng Yi. At that time, he and  Cui Shi and Xun Zhi passed the Xiangyang Examination together, and were first sent to Huayang County, Nan County as chief clerk, and were promoted step by step to county magistrate and county magistrate. He was practical and honest in his work, and had an excellent reputation among the people.  Last summer, he was transferred to Guanzhong to serve as the magistrate of Chang'an County. Since Chang'an is the capital, he is actually equivalent to the official rank of a county magistrate, becoming a leader of the younger generation.  His friends Cui Shi and Xun Zhi also did a very good job. Cui Shi was appointed as the prefect of Lingling last autumn, while Xun Zhi was appointed as the imperial censor the year before last, in charge of government inspections in Jingzhou. News has spread in Chang'an that Xun Zhi is  After this term ends, he is likely to be promoted to Yushi Zhongcheng.  This time, Deng Hong was specially transferred into the army by Liu Jing. As an important figure in the attack on Nanyang, in addition to the Deng family, the three major noble families in Nanyang County also included the Huang family of veteran Huang Zhong and the Zhang family of Zhang Zhongjing.  Although Deng Hong was an official in the Han Dynasty, he was the eldest son of the Deng family after all and had a very high status in the family. Many clan members believed that after his father Deng Yi passed away, Deng Hong should take over as the head of the family.  .  The group was less than ten miles away from Nanyang. They could see the majestic city wall in the distance, stretching in front of them like a long dragon. On both sides of the official road were endless farmland, and not far away there were patches of lush woods, standing among the farmland.  The ice and snow in Nanyang have melted, and green wheat seedlings are growing in the fields. Winter wheat has survived the severe winter and is beginning to recover.  At noon, there were more and more pedestrians on the official road. Most of them were farmers living nearby, and there were also wealthy people going to Wancheng to visit relatives. They were riding in large carriages, escorted by servants on horseback, and there were many businessmen like them.  A large caravan of hundreds of mules and horses, or a small businessman of a dozen mules and horses, all headed for the grass market outside the West City.  "Mr. Deng, this is your family's land, right?" Ren Ping pointed at the farmland on both sides with his riding crop and smiled.  "It is in the south, but not in the north. To the north is the land of the Huang family, which is a few hectares less than the Deng family." "It is said that the Deng family has five manors in Nanyang County. This is just one of them!" "There is no way, the Deng family has a larger population.  " Deng Hong smiled faintly and changed the topic. He pointed to the fork in front and said: "Mr. Ren, when we get to the fork in front, we will turn south and walk about five or six miles to get there. " Ren Ping.  Nodding, he turned around and ordered: "Everyone, follow me, don't get lost." Everyone speeded up and soon came to the fork in the road, then turned south and walked about five or six miles, when an ancient manor appeared.  In front of them, the manor covered hundreds of acres. In addition to a dozen large warehouses, there were several two-story wooden houses, and hundreds of tenant houses.  This is Wancheng Manor, one of the five manors of the Deng family. Nearly thirty hectares of land around it belong to the Deng family. There is a deacon in charge. Deng Hong urged his horse to run into the manor and shouted: "Uncle Long is here?  "Sir, is that you?" An old man about fifty years old ran out of the wooden house and looked at Deng Hong excitedly. At this time, many servants came out to salute Deng Hong, and several servants rushed towards him.  Run to the cabin.  Ren Ping, who was not far away, felt that something was wrong. He knew that too many people had returned from Deng Hong, and there would be risks. After all, Deng Hong was an official of the Han State. Once Cao Hong knew about it, would he send someone to investigate?  But now it¡¯s a little too late to find out what¡¯s wrong, so Ren Ping has no choice but to decide to adopt a backup strategy.After entering the city, he immediately left the Deng family. At this time, Deng Hong came back and said with a smile: "Mr. Ren, please come in! My father happens to be in the manor." Ren Ping nodded and walked into the Deng family with his men.  At the farm, they rested and had lunch in a wooden house. About half an hour later, Deng Hong hurriedly walked into the room and said to Ren Ping: "Mr. Ren, please come with me!" Ren Ping gave everyone a few words, and then  Following Deng Hong, he walked towards another large wooden house and walked into the innermost room. He saw an old man with disabled legs sitting in the room. He had gray hair and a thin face. He was Deng Yi, the head of the Deng family and also Deng.  Hong's father was the ruler of Jingzhou and enjoyed high prestige in both Jingzhou and Nanyang.  Although Cao Hong also knew that Deng Yi favored Jingzhou, he asked Deng Yi for many things and was very polite to him. In many ways, Deng Yi also cooperated with Cao Hong, and the two also formed a friendship.  Ren Ping bowed and saluted: "Han Army Colonel Ren Ping is here to see Deng Gong!" Deng Yi had already received the news from his son that the Han army was going to attack Nanyang County. He also knew that Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, personally led the army to the west, which made him feel very sad.  Surprised, this time is unusual. I am afraid that the Han army will completely occupy Nanyang.  Deng Yi relied on his decades of political wisdom to know how he should handle the matter. He smiled at Ren Ping and said: "I can help the general and his subordinates enter the city, but Cao's army is stationed in Deng's mansion, nominally for protection.  It's actually surveillance. I can't take you to the Deng Mansion. I hope General Ren can understand." Ren Ping immediately said: "Thank you, Mr. Deng, for your support. We don't need to go to the Deng Mansion. As long as we can enter Wancheng, we can make arrangements ourselves.  " Deng Yi smiled slightly and said, "Wancheng is not what it used to be. Cao Hong has a reward order. If more than five people from outside the area gather, you can get a heavy reward if you report it, so you can't go to the city to find a hotel without permission.  I will arrange accommodation for you. In addition, the Deng family can provide the weapons you need. Fortunately, there are not many of you. If there are more than fifty people, I will be unable to do anything. " "Thank you, Mr. Deng. I don't know how we can enter the city.  "It's a coincidence that Cao Hong has borrowed ten thousand shi of grain from me in the past few days, so I came to the manor today to count the grain. If you don't feel aggrieved, you can pretend to be a villager of the Deng family and send grain to the city!"  Ping thought for a moment. Although he felt that this was not the best plan, he had no other choice. Ren Ping had no choice but to nod, bow and thank him: "Thank you, Mr. Deng, for the arrangement!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 920 Changes in Wancheng

    This was the second time Cao Hong was ordered to guard Nanyang. During the first time, Wenpin led an army to raid Nanyang, causing Cao Hong to lose Wancheng and was severely criticized by Cao Cao. Despite this, Cao Cao finally appointed Cao Hong to guard Nanyang.  Having learned the lesson from the first time, Cao Hong humbly asked Cheng Yu for strategies to defend Nanyang. Cheng Yu taught him three strategies. The first was to strictly prohibit outsiders from entering and exiting Wancheng at will. The second was to strictly guard against internal ghosts and pay attention to every move of the Nanyang family.  The third is to strengthen the city defense and eliminate all loopholes in the city defense.  Cao Hong strictly implemented the three strategies taught by Cheng Yu. He moved the Wancheng market outside the city and strictly prohibited outside merchants from entering the city. Even those who came to visit relatives and friends must be strictly checked and registered.  The second is to implement a curfew. After dark, all shops and pubs in Wancheng must be closed, and ordinary people are not allowed to go to the streets. Those who violate the curfew, regardless of their identity, will be paraded in the streets for the first time as a warning, and beheaded for the second time.  As for guarding against internal ghosts, Cao Hong mainly monitored the eighteen wealthy families in Nanyang, especially the three prominent families in Wancheng, the Deng family, the Zhang family, and the Huang family. Cao Hong sent people to monitor them closely.  Although most of the families in Nanyang County expressed their support for Cao Jun, Cao Hong did not believe in their sincerity. He knew very well that most of the famous families in the world supported the Han Dynasty in Chang'an. In his opinion, the wealthy families in Wancheng were just fagots.  As for the three prominent families in Wancheng, Cao Hong was even more wary. Deng Yi was once a high-ranking official in Jingzhou, and his son was also highly regarded in the Han Dynasty. The Zhang family, because of Zhang Ji, had a deep connection with Jingzhou.  As for the Huang family, not to mention, although Huang Chengyan mainly supported Jiaozhou because of Zhuge Liang, another important figure in the Huang family, Huang Zhong, was the number one military figure in the Han army.  It is precisely because of these reasons that although Cao Hong has friendship with the three major families on the surface, he secretly sends people to closely monitor the three major families.  A few days ago, Cao Hong received an urgent order from Cao Cao from Hefei, asking him to organize civilians to transport 100,000 shi of grain from Ye County to Hefei to prepare for the war. Cao Hong did not dare to neglect and immediately organized Ye, Ji, Kunyang, Luyang, and Du  Twenty thousand civilians from Yang and other five counties transported military rations to Hefei in a mighty manner.  On the other hand, the grain from Ye County was sent to Hefei, and Cao Hong was worried about the shortage of grain in Nanyang. A few days ago, he specially summoned several wealthy farmers in Nanyang to talk, hoping that they would take the initiative to sell grain to the government to maintain Nanyang's grain reserves.  That night, Cao Hong was writing a letter to Cao Cao in his study, reporting to Cao Cao the situation in Nanyang. According to the latest information he received, the Han army had massively increased its troops towards Tongguan, most likely to attack Luoyang. In addition, Xiangfan's Wenpin army  It is relatively stable for the time being, but Xiangyang has implemented martial law and strictly checks people entering and leaving. This shows that the Battle of Hefei has affected Xiangyang.  At this moment, there was a burst of footsteps outside, and Jia Kui's voice was heard from the yard, "General Zilian, I'm afraid the situation has changed!" Jia Kui once served as the governor of Yuzhou, and Cao Hong was in charge of Runan's military affairs at that time.  , although Mao Jie impeached Cao Hong for selling Yellow Turban prisoners of war without authorization, he defended Cao Hong, believing that although Cao Hong was guilty of selling prisoners of war, saving the population had contributed to Runan, and Cao Hong was ultimately exempted from punishment.  Jia Kui and Cao Hong also had a good personal relationship. When Cao Hong's daughter married Xun Can, Xun Yu's son, Jia Kui was the matchmaker. Cao Cao also learned from the past lessons and tried his best to make peace between generals and generals, so he appointed  Jia Kui was the governor of Nanyang and also served as Cao Hong's military advisor.  Cao Hong was startled, put down his pen and stood up and asked: "What has changed?" Jia Kui looked serious and said urgently: "I have just received a message from the flying pigeon from Wuguan. A Han army of tens of thousands has just passed through Wuguan."  "This news shocked Cao Hong, and he quickly asked: "Didn't it say that the Han army was massively increasing its troops to Tongguan?" "This must be Liu Jing's plan to secretly send troops to Tongguan.  Prepare for a surprise attack on Nanyang." "But" Cao Hong was really puzzled, "Why did the Han army attack Nanyang?" Jia Kui sneered and said, "It's simple. The Han army wanted to open up the Nanxiang Pass so that the supplies in Guanzhong could pass directly through Dan.  The water was connected to the Han River and transported to the front line of Hefei instead of going through Hanzhong or Bashu to capture Nanyang. It also gave Xiangyang a barrier to prevent us from attacking Xiangfan from the west and breaking the siege of Hefei. " Cao Hong was speechless for a long time.  When he came, he was in a mess and didn't know what to do. Jia Kui reminded him again: "Zi Lian must report to Duke Wei immediately, and at the same time, order the garrison troops from all over Nanyang to assemble urgently at Wancheng." This sentence reminded Cao Hong.  Fortunately, the letter he wrote to Cao Cao had not yet been sent, but at this time he did not bother to write it, and immediately ordered the soldiers: "Quickly pass on my urgent order, ordering the garrisons in Ye County, Nanxiang and Yuyang to withdraw immediately.  Go to Wancheng!" After arranging the withdrawal, Cao Hong bowed his hands to Jia Kui and said, "Thank you sir for telling me.In terms of civil affairs, we also need to ask you to prepare emergency response.  " At this moment, a soldier stepped forward quickly and whispered a few words to Cao Hong. Cao Hong couldn't help but was slightly startled, "Is the news reliable?  " "It is indeed reliable, someone has witnessed it with his own eyes.  " Jia Kui next to him asked: "General, what happened?  " "The soldiers sent to monitor the Deng family discovered Deng Hong, the eldest son of Deng Yi.  Jia Kui frowned, "Is he the Deng family member who served as the magistrate of Chang'an County?"  " "That's exactly the person!  Jia Kui pondered for a moment and said: "Deng Hong may have ulterior motives when he comes back at this sensitive time. The general must not be careless."  " Cao Hong sneered and said: "Since the Deng family wants to take the initiative to take sides, I might as well help him!  " After saying that, he shouted sternly: "Click Five Hundred Brothers and follow me to Deng's house!  " Jia Kui was startled and quickly reminded Cao Hong, "General, the Deng family has great influence. Don't be too reckless.  " "Don't worry, sir, I have my own sense of discretion.  "Cao Hong left a word, turned around and walked away quickly. "Jia Kui was very worried when he thought that the Han army was about to kill him, and hurried to the county government office. "Deng Mansion is located in the north of the city. It is a mansion covering an area of ??150 acres.  The huge house of the Deng family has seven rooms. Except for the third room that is not in Wancheng, nearly two hundred people live in this huge house. At night, Deng Yizheng and his son Deng Hong talked in detail about the situation in the Han Dynasty.  The forty-three Eagle Strikers had already taken advantage of the opportunity of sending food to sneak into the city and temporarily lived in another villa of the Deng family. However, Deng Yi was more concerned about his eldest son's situation in Han Dynasty and must ask about his son's condition. "  Father, the country of Han is really exciting and gives people hope. I am not saying that the officials are very honest. I have also encountered corrupt officials, but in general, there is a positive attitude from top to bottom in the country of Han.  The upward spirit cannot be seen in the lifeless and declining state of the Han Empire in the past. It is actually a new dynasty about to be established, full of vitality and hope, especially since the people have pinned their hopes for a happy life on King Liu of Han.  Jing's body gave him high prestige in the Han Dynasty.  " Deng Yi nodded and sighed: "Many years ago, not long after Liu Jing arrived in Jingzhou, I discovered that Liu Jingsheng's nephew was extraordinary and far stronger than Liu Qi and Liu Cong. It's a pity that I didn't go to Jiangxia because of a thought.  , but returned to Nanyang, otherwise the Deng family's achievements today would be limitless.  "This is something that Deng Yi has always been worried about. He clearly helped Liu Jing back then and could have gone to Jiangxia to serve as the chief historian, but he gave up going to Jiangxia by accident. When Liu Jing unified Jingzhou later, he invited him again  When he went to Jingzhou to take up the post of Biejia, he suffered another stroke and became paralyzed. It was Deng Yi's biggest regret in his life that he lost the opportunity to work together with Liu Jing. He could only place his hope in his son, hoping that Liu Jing would see what he had secretly done back then.  In order to help Jingzhou, he would give his son or the Deng family another chance. Fortunately, his son did not disappoint him. He has been promoted to the county magistrate of Chang'an, which is equivalent to the position of county magistrate. In a few years, his son will hopefully be promoted to the prefect.  , which made him full of expectations for the future of the Deng family. At this time, Deng Hong whispered again: "Father, do you still remember the Chaisangtao family?  " Deng Yi nodded, "Of course I remember that when Tao Lie was the Prime Minister of Nanyang County, he had a very good relationship with your grandfather, and the two families often had contacts. However, the Tao family did have great luck. They married their daughter to Liu Jing early.  The family will undoubtedly become the first cousin.  " Speaking of this, Deng Yi couldn't help but asked a little strangely: "Why did my son suddenly mention the Tao family?  " Deng Hong hesitated and said: "Haier knows Tao Han's eldest daughter, and she is quite affectionate towards him.  " Deng Yi was stunned for a moment, and it took him a long time to react. He asked uneasily: "You mean, you want to marry a daughter of the Tao family?  " Deng Hong nodded, "I wonder what my father wants?  "The son actually wants to marry a daughter of the Tao family. Although Deng Yi just said that the Deng family has a relationship with the Tao family, and that the Tao family has great luck and will become the first foreign relative, Deng Yi wants his son to marry the Tao family.  But he was very reluctant in his heart. The Deng family was the number one family in Nanyang. How could they marry a merchant family? Moreover, they were the daughter of a younger brother of the Tao Sheng clan. Deng Yi's face immediately darkened and he shook his head without hesitation.  I don¡¯t agree with this marriage!  " "But the child is already married to the daughter of the Tao family.  " Deng Hong hesitantly told the truth. Deng Yi was stunned for a long time as if he had been struck by lightning, and then he slapped the table and shouted: "Treason, why didn't you tell me about such a big thing?  " Deng Hong knelt down and said, "Father, please calm down. My son came here this time to report this matter to his father.  " "You traitor!  You're going to piss me off.  " Deng Yi slapped the table repeatedly, it was done.Zhoucai came back to report, and he was so angry that he almost vomited blood.  At this moment, the housekeeper rushed up the steps in a panic and reported: "Master, something bad has happened. Cao Hong has led an army to surround our mansion. He is outside the gate. Let the master go out and explain." This sudden news was like a basin.  The cold water immediately extinguished the raging anger in Deng Yi's heart. Although his son made him furious, the arrival of Cao Hong suddenly made him nervous. Did Cao Hong know that he was secretly helping the Han army?  Deng Yi glared at his son fiercely and said: "It seems that you are in trouble. Cao Hong comes to visit. Nothing good will happen. If he asks about you, just say that you are going home to report the marriage, and don't say anything else."  "I know, kid!" Deng Yi immediately ordered several family members in the hall: "Take me to the door of the house!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 921 City-wide manhunt

    The fire outside Deng's Mansion was brightly lit, with hundreds of torches illuminating the gate of Deng's Mansion like daylight. Cao Hong was covered in armor, with his hand on the hilt of his sword, waiting in front of the gate with a suspicious look on his face. He had a good relationship with Deng Yi, and he had always treated him favorably.  Deng Yi, but he did not expect that Deng Yi's son would come back at this juncture, which made him suspect that Deng Yi and the Han army were secretly colluding.  In fact, there have long been rumors that the Deng family secretly assisted the Han army, but there is no conclusive evidence. However, Cao Hong knew that Deng Yi secretly helped Xun Yu escape to Xiangyang, allowing Xun Yu to escape a plot by Duke Wei.  As for Cao Hong and Xun Yu, even if he knew the inside story, he would cover it up for Deng Yi. But if Deng Yi directly colluded with the Han army, it would be an unforgivable crime.  At this time, the door of Deng's Mansion opened, and more than a dozen family members came out carrying Deng Yi, who was sitting on the wooden couch. Deng Yi cupped his hands and said with a smile: "General Zilian came to Deng's Mansion so late, he didn't think I had enough food to hand in."  How much?" Thinking that the Deng family was going to hand over 10,000 shi of grain, Cao Hong's expression softened slightly and he reluctantly returned the greeting: "I shouldn't have disturbed Mr. Deng from his rest in the middle of the night, but I heard a news that your son has returned to Deng's house. With this  Is something going on?" "General Zilian's information is quite good. Yes, Quanzi did come back to visit his relatives. He just arrived today. Is there anything wrong with him?" Logically speaking, Han and Wei were enemies of each other, and Deng Hong was in Han.  Official, he should be arrested by the local government when he returns to Wei's territory, but this involves a tacit understanding issue. For example, many of Cao Cao's ministers' family members are also in Han, so Liu Xuan and Cao Cao reached an agreement a few years ago.  , officials are allowed to go home to visit relatives normally, and the officials on both sides are not allowed to embarrass themselves.  Other agreements were not taken seriously by both parties, and changes were often made day and night. However, both parties had always adhered to this agreement and it had become a tacit understanding between the two parties. It was for this reason that Deng Yi could calmly face Cao Hong's questioning.  Cao Hong could not directly rush into the mansion to arrest people, but he believed that Deng Hong must have a purpose when he came back at this juncture. Cao Hong said coldly: "The reason why I know that your son has returned to the mansion is because we captured a Han army spy."  , He admitted that he was related to the Young Master, so I want to ask the Young Master, can Mr. Deng ask him to come out?" Deng Yi's face suddenly changed, and he secretly thought, 'Did Ren Ping and the others have been arrested?' "Cao Hong actually only found a reason.  , otherwise it would be difficult for him to go to Deng Hong directly. But when Cao Hong saw Deng Yi's face change slightly, he immediately felt a suspicion in his heart, 'Is there really something wrong with Deng Yi's son, otherwise why would he be so guilty?' "Deng Gong, why am I so guilty?"  I'm here on official business, please cooperate with me. I promise not to embarrass you." Deng Yi had returned to his normal state and nodded, telling the housekeeper: "Go and invite the eldest son!" The housekeeper hurried over.  Yi probed again and asked: "General Zilian really thinks that Quanzi is related to the Han army spies?" Deng Yi's question made Cao Hong feel unsure, because Deng Yi's expression was abnormal, perhaps because Deng Hong was related to the Han army spies.  , which made Deng Yi worried. This is also human nature. If Cao Hong's son colludes with the Han army, his face will also change drastically.  Cao Hong's expression softened further and he said with a smile: "Don't worry, Mr. Deng. It's just a routine matter. After all, the relationship between Wei and Han is tense now, so it would be a bit abrupt for your son to come back at this time. As the commander-in-chief of Nanyang, I naturally have to ask a few more questions." Deng Yi sighed.  Tone: "I also know that Quanzi is not at the right time to come back at this time, but because it involves a major marriage matter, he has to come back. I hope the general will forgive me!" "I see, I understand." At the same time, Deng Hong followed the housekeeper.  He hurriedly walked out. He already knew something about it from the steward. He stepped forward and saluted Cao Hong, "Deng Hong has met General Zilian." Cao Hong knew Deng Hong and said with a smile: "Congratulations, young master, on your promotion to the magistrate of Chang'an County. Your future is bright."  "Immeasurable!" "Where! Where! The general has given me a reward." Cao Hong stopped mentioning the accusations against Deng Hong and asked calmly: "I wonder how many followers the young master brought when he came back from Chang'an?"  Is it important?" Deng Hong asked somewhat unhappy.  Cao Hong solemnly said: "It is of course very important that the young master is innocent. If the young master only comes to visit relatives, I will never be embarrassed. But I caught a Han army scout, and this person's confession is related to the young master. It is necessary for me to confront the young master."  Deng Hong pondered for a moment and asked: "What does this person have to do with me?" Cao Hong said word by word: "His young master's entourage." "That's nonsense!" Deng Hong snorted coldly, "I only have one old servant with me.  There are no spies accompanying the young master when he returns home. Does General Zi Lian think that His Highness the King of Han would do such a thing?" Cao Hong also smiled lightly and said: "I believe that if necessary, the King of Han will definitely arrange for spies to follow the young master back. But since the young master denies it,  Then for your sake, I will trust you for the time being." After that, Cao Hong waved his hand and said, "Get out!" The five hundred soldiers followed Cao Hong and quickly left the Deng Mansion. Deng Yi watched them go away, feeling a little heavy in his heart.  , He didn¡¯t expect that Cao Hong would be so light-hearted.It is not in line with Cao Hong's character to let his son go. If he leaves like this, there will be future troubles.  "Father!" Deng Hong was about to ask, but was interrupted by Deng Yi with a wave of his hand, "Nothing to say here, go to the house!" The father and son entered the inner hall, and Deng Yi sighed and said, "Things may be bad!"  "Father, do you think Cao Hong's spies will not let them down?" Deng Hong asked worriedly.  "Impossible!" Deng Yi shook his head and said: "I thought so at first, but now it seems that Cao Hong is deliberately deceiving us. He didn't catch any Han army spies at all." "Why is father so sure?" "It's simple, Ren  If the Eagle Strike Army is discovered by Cao Jun, there will be a fierce battle, and I will know about it as soon as possible. After all, they are hiding in the Deng Mansion, but it is quiet there now, so I dare  We will definitely not let them go." Deng Hong breathed a sigh of relief and said hurriedly: "If Cao Hong has doubts about us, it is not safe in Beifu. My father must inform them to leave immediately." Deng Yi shook his head and smiled bitterly.  : "Wancheng has implemented a curfew and no one is allowed to go out. I think Cao Hong must have sent someone to monitor us, so I know you are back. If I send someone to inform them to leave now, Cao Hong will take advantage of it. The Deng family is in danger.  , Now we must not act rashly. " Deng Hong also knew that his father was right. He was very worried, but he had no choice but to nodded silently.  Cao Hong paced back and forth in the military office with his hands behind his back. At this time, he had completely calmed down. Seeing that the Han army was about to attack, he could withstand the army's attack as long as he defended Wancheng. There were two key issues. The troops stationed in various places must withdraw immediately.  Wancheng, he has issued an emergency order, and there will be news tomorrow morning at the latest.  The second problem worried him even more, that is, there must be no internal trouble. Cheng Yu had told him that throughout the Han army's siege, they first drove a wedge into the city, and then cooperated with the outside to capture the city, especially the defense of Wancheng.  Be aware of this.  Therefore, Cao Hong strongly suspected that the Deng family was secretly collaborating with the Han army, but he did not want to alert the enemy, so he could only wait patiently for evidence. At this time, two soldiers and a man hurried into the yard, and one of the soldiers reported: "Report  General, he has been brought in." "Let him in!" The young man was brought into the hall. He knelt down and kowtowed: "You are the driver of Deng Yi?" Cao Hong asked.  "Xiao Minzheng." Cao Hong smiled and asked in a gentle tone: "Let me ask you, how many followers did your young master Deng Hong bring when he came back this time?" The coachman thought for a while and said, "Enter the city.  There was only one old servant at that time." Cao Hong was startled and immediately asked: "What do you mean when you enter the city with only one person? Are there others when you don't enter the city?" "Reporting to the general, the young master went to the manor outside the city first.  There were more than 40 people who were traveling the same way, but when they entered the city later, they were not seen. " Cao Hong's fists slowly tightened. As expected, Deng Hong brought more than 40 people with him.  Not the Han Army, but probably the most elite Eagle Attack Army of the Han Army.  "Did these more than forty people enter the city later?" Cao Hong asked again.  "The common people don't know what happened next. They really don't know." Cao Hong thought for a moment and waved his hand: "Take him down and reward him with a pound of red gold."  In the afternoon, the Deng family organized hundreds of people to transport grain into the city. These more than forty people must have sneaked into the city at this time. Cao Hong immediately ordered: "Let Fang Heng and Guo Liang come to see me!" After a moment, Cao Hong's generals Fang Heng and Guo Liang walked quickly  When they came, the two men bowed and saluted: "See you, general!" Cao Hong gritted his teeth and said: "The Han army has more than forty spies lurking in the city. You two can each lead 3,000 people to search the city, starting from hotels and taverns.  , Search them one by one, search them thoroughly for me, and reward anyone who provides clues with a hundred taels. Anyone who dares to resist will be killed on the spot. I will bear all the consequences. You must find the Han army spies for me tonight. " "Soldiers like this.  We may relax military discipline!" Guo Liang reminded Cao Hong that this kind of search could easily turn into an army looting the whole city.  Cao Hong gritted his teeth and said: "Then consider it a reward from me to my brothers!" Military discipline is not important in Cao Hong's opinion. Making a small fortune for the soldiers will also help improve their morale. It is beyond reproach. More importantly, the Han army scouts must be caught.  , the two generals understood what Cao Hong meant, clasped their fists together, saluted, and hurried away.  Cao Hong said to his soldiers again: "Gather me some troops and horses, and then go to Deng's house!"  They used their troops to search the city. They formed a team of ten people and began to search house to house.  Most of the soldiers in Cao's army were not locals. Under the threat of war, their selfish desires for getting rich expanded and they all became ruthless.Evil, under the leadership of the commander, was driven by profit. Many soldiers couldn't wait for the master to open the door, so they kicked open the door and rushed in. The night during the curfew was no longer silent, firelight could be seen everywhere, and people were crying in the streets and alleys.  With shouts and screams of being hacked to death, the search for the city gradually began to change and turned into looting by soldiers. Anyone who resisted was killed by the soldiers on charges of collaborating with the enemy. Their family property was looted, and many people were ruined.  Young women were similarly killed by soldiers to cover up their crimes.  At this time, Jia Kui also got the news and hurried out of the county government office. The scene that happened right under the eyes of the county government office shocked Jia Kui.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 922 Huang Family¡¯s Favor

    In a private house opposite the government office, several Cao Jun soldiers were holding down a young woman for prostitution. The woman struggled and cried out to no avail. There were several corpses in the yard. It was clear that civilians had been brutally killed.  There were more than a dozen baggage and money that Cao Jun had searched from various houses.  Jia Kui was furious. He drew his sword and rushed forward to chop at you, "You guys, kill you!" In the darkness of the night, it was difficult to identify the people coming. The leader ordered fiercely: "Where are you bastards from? Give them to me!"  Kill him!" Several soldiers from Cao's army rushed forward with swords. Jia Kui was alone. The opponents of these soldiers only blocked him twice and were hit in the back by a sword. Jia Kui screamed and stumbled to the ground.  , all the soldiers were overjoyed, and rushed forward, preparing to cut Jia Kui into pieces with random swords. At this moment, more than a dozen government officials rushed in. When they saw that the prefect was injured, their eyes suddenly turned red, and they rushed up with their swords to block Cao's soldiers.  The thief Cao Guan pointed at the soldiers and yelled: "How dare you kill the prefect, are you tired of living?" Only then did the soldiers of Cao's army realize that they were in trouble. They were so frightened that they fled in all directions, some over the wall and some through the back door.  After escaping, two soldiers could not escape and were caught by the government officials. At this time, several government officials helped Jia Kui up and bandaged him with medicine.  Jia Kui finally breathed a sigh of relief. The incision was half an inch deep, which seriously injured him. The severe pain almost made him faint. But he endured the pain and said to Jiang Xin, the county magistrate who came over: "Go and find him quickly."  Cao Hong, order him to stop the search immediately, otherwise I will impeach him for collaborating with the enemy!" "Prefect, please rest in peace, I will go find General Cao!" Jiang Xin hurried away. At this time, Jia Kui could no longer support it.  His vision went dark and he fainted again.  At this time, Cao Hong was in the Deng Mansion. The gate of the Deng Mansion had been broken open by Cao Jun. The Deng family and his son were controlled by Cao Jun. The remaining more than 200 Deng clan members were all driven to the back hall to wait for their fate.  Five hundred Cao troops rummaged through the Deng Mansion, searching carefully and searching every hiding place. The Deng Mansion was searched upside down. Cao Hong sat in the lobby, patiently waiting for the results of the search.  At this time, he had received news that countless soldiers took the opportunity to disturb the people and rob, but Cao Hong remained unmoved. He knew well that the morale of Cao's army in Nanyang was currently low. If the Han army attacked in a large scale, his soldiers might not be able to defend Wancheng. If not,  Who would be willing to work for Cao Hong if he gave some benefits to the soldiers?  Moreover, he once again confirmed by interrogating the housekeeper that there were indeed more than forty unidentified people sneaking into the city. These people were very young and strong. Cao Hong had already determined in his heart that these forty people must be the Han army's Eagle Attack.  Jun, their presence in the city is a thorn in Cao Hong's heart and a thorn in his side. He will never give up until they are found.  At this time, a soldier accompanied Jiang Xin, the county magistrate, quickly walked into the lobby. Jiang Xin finally found Cao Hong. He said anxiously: "General Zilian, something bad is going on. Something happened to Prefect Jia!" Cao Hong was startled and then asked: "  What happened to Prefect Jia?" "Prefect Jia stopped a group of soldiers and women, but was surrounded by soldiers and was seriously injured." Cao Hong suddenly became uneasy. He may not care about civilians being killed, but if something happens to Jia Kui, he will suffer.  No longer walking around, he immediately stood up and said: "Take me to see Prefect Jia quickly!" Jiang Xin bowed and saluted: "Prefect Jia is being treated by a doctor, but he has something to tell the general." "What is he doing?"  ?¡± ¡°Prefect Jia asks the general to stop the search immediately, otherwise¡± ¡°Otherwise what?¡± ¡°Otherwise Prefect Jia will impeach the general for collaborating with the enemy!¡± ¡°Why do I collaborate with the enemy?¡± Cao Hong pressed the hilt of his sword with murderous intent.  He looked at Jiang Xin and asked.  Although Jiang Xin was afraid, he still mustered up the courage to say: "Because the general's invasion of troops, plundering and killing people, will destroy Duke Wei's credibility and popular support in Nanyang. This is tantamount to surrendering Nanyang to Liu Xuan, so he collaborates with the enemy and rebels against Cao Cao."  " Cao Hong said coldly after a while: "If Governor Jia wakes up, please tell the governor that elite Han troops have sneaked into the city. If they are not found, Wancheng will be destroyed in their hands. For the sake of the overall situation, I have to do it.  The search will never stop. Please forgive me!" After that, Cao Hong turned around and ordered: "Go and find the soldiers who injured Prefect Jia. Once found, they will be beheaded in public. The soldiers are not allowed to kill again. Anyone who disobeys the order.  "Behead!" At this time, an officer rushed over and reported in a low voice: "We have searched the house and there is indeed no suspicious person. Another servant has confessed. The Deng family also has a villa. The person we want to arrest is most likely hiding.  There." Cao Hong turned around and walked out, shouting: "Take Deng and his son into custody and deal with them later. All the soldiers will follow me to search the other houses!" Jiang Xin helplessly watched Cao Hong go away, and Cao Hong just said no.  Killing, but not allowed to loot property, obviously showed no sincerity in solving the problem, Jiang Xin could only sigh and hurried back to the county government office.  The Deng family's villa is also located in Beicheng, less than a mile away from the main residence, covering an area of ??about 1,000 acres. It was originally the residence of a businessman. After the businessman left Nanyang, he sold the residence to the Deng family, who then used it.  It?? was used as a guest room, but the situation in Nanyang was tense during this period, and the Deng family did not have many guests, so the other house was empty.  At this time, a group of soldiers had just searched this place. The four words "Deng Family's Villa" written on the plaque made them dare not act rashly. The leader was knocking on the door and shouting: "People inside open the door quickly. We are only following orders."  !" After shouting for a long time, no one paid attention. The commander became a little angry and ordered the other soldiers: "Break down the door!" At this moment, a fire dragon came quickly in the night, with more than a thousand soldiers holding torches.  , they quickly surrounded the house, their swords were drawn, and they were ready.  Cao Hong appeared in the light of the fire and asked loudly: "What's going on!" The chief was so frightened that he knelt down and reported, "Brothers led by humble officials have just arrived here. They knocked on the door but no one answered. They are preparing to break down the door." "A group of idiots.  !" Cao Hong cursed and immediately ordered: "Break open the door and rush in. No matter who you encounter, shoot to death!" "Boom!  "There were several loud noises in succession, and the door was knocked open by a huge tree. Hundreds of Cao Jun soldiers swung their swords and fought in. Soon, Cao Jun soldiers searched the house, but found nothing. Han Jun soldiers were not hiding here, so Cao Hong  Disappointed and confused, where were the Han soldiers hiding? There is also a mansion covering an area of ??nearly 100 acres in the south of the city. This is the main residence of the Huang family, the three most prominent families in Nanyang. The Huang family is divided into two branches, one  There is a branch of the Nanyang Huang family, a branch of the Jiangxia Huang family, and the Jiangxia Huang family is also a descendant of Huang Zu. Due to the strength of Huang Zu, the Huang family has even become one of the four major families in Jingzhou.  But as Huangzu was destroyed by Jiangdong's army, the Huang family gradually declined, from the four major families in Jingzhou to the third aristocratic family in Nanyang County, ranking behind the Zhang family.  The head of the Huang family was Huang Chengyan. In order to avoid the war, Huang Chengyan temporarily moved his family to Longzhong, and thus he got Zhuge Liang as his son-in-law. However, with the great changes in Jingzhou, Huang Chengyan did not follow his daughter and son-in-law to Jiaozhou, but moved back to Nanyang.  After several twists and turns, the Huang family gradually declined, and Zhuge Liang was unable to help the Huang family. The Huang family now only relies on its former status and the care of Huang Zhong, the first general of the Han army, to barely maintain its status as the third most prominent family in Nanyang.  In recent years, Huang Chengyan has kept a low profile and rarely goes out. The Huang family has also kept aloof from the world. The entire family relies on the rent of more than ten hectares of fertile land. However, tonight's city-wide search also affected the Huang Mansion. Fortunately, Huang Chengyan  The family still had a certain amount of power, so the chief of the village who led the search did not dare to go too far and only searched the outer house of the Huang family. After accepting the humiliation of the Huang family, the chief gave up searching the inner house and withdrew his troops and left the Huang house.  Huang Chengyan held a lantern in his hand and walked slowly to the backyard with the support of his second son Huang Yu. Huang Chengyan had two sons and one daughter. His daughter Huang Yueying was married to Zhuge Liang. His eldest son Huang Jin was an official under Liu Bei and served as the prefect of Yulin County.  The second son Huang Yu stayed with him and was responsible for taking care of Huang Chengyan's daily life.  "Father, walk slower this way!" Huang Chengyan was in poor health and walked very slowly. He smiled bitterly at his son and said: "I pride myself on being noble, but in the end I have to imitate the common people and use money and bribes to send Cao Jun away. It's really a great irony.  " "The boy thought that his father was doing the right thing. After listening to Cao Hong's order to search the whole city, he actually launched an army and plundered the city. The entire Wancheng was ruined by Cao's army, and a small amount of money was lost for a trivial matter. Many families' wives and daughters were humiliated, and their parents were tortured.  Kill, in comparison, the Huang family is already very lucky." Huang Chengyan sneered: "Cao Hong obviously wanted to use this to boost the morale of the army. Although the morale of the military was boosted, Cao Cao's reputation in Nanyang was also ruined by him. This kind of person.  Only looking for immediate gains and not caring about the long term, he is destined to be unable to defend Nanyang. Nanyang County will eventually return to the Han Dynasty. He is the most dissatisfied with Zhang Liao. In my opinion, he is far worse than Zhang Liao. " Huang Yu hesitated.  He asked in a low voice: "Does my father want to give up on Liu Bei when he helps Han State like this?" Huang Chengyan shook his head and sighed: "I don't know why? But I really don't think highly of Liu Bei. They are far away in Jiaozhou, with few people and barren land.  Even if there is a great talent like Kong Ming, it will take at least several generations of efforts to make Jiaozhou strong and prosperous. It will be difficult for Liu Xuan to give them time. " Huang Yu also fell silent. If this is the case, my eldest brother will follow.  Wasn't Liu Bei's nearly ten years of struggle in vain? The father and son walked into the warehouse in the backyard. As soon as Huang Yu opened the warehouse door, a sharp sword was pressed against his throat. Huang Chengyan was so frightened that he quickly said: "  General Ren, we!" The sword was withdrawn, and the father and son were pulled into the warehouse. The door was immediately closed, and a ball of light lit up, immediately illuminating the inner room of the warehouse. Dozens of people were seen hiding behind the iron frames.  The man in black is Ren Ping and more than forty of his men.  Although Deng Yi placed them in Deng's villa, Ren Ping did not stay there for a long time. He was very shrewd and cautious. They had been seen by many people when they were in Deng's manor. Ren Ping knew that if they stayed in Deng's manor, they would not stay there for a long time.  Home is clearly no longer safe.  At dusk, he asked everyone to leave the Deng family's residence separately and come to Nancheng to seek help from the Huang family. The reason why he chose the Huang family was because Huang Zhong was in the army.Ren Ping instinctively believed that there was nothing wrong in choosing his family to take refuge because of his extremely high hopes. Secondly, the Huang family was mainly related to Jiaozhou, and Cao Jun generally would not suspect the Huang family. Fortunately, Ren Ping did not make a mistake in his judgment.  Huang Chengyan accepted their request for help and hid them in the warehouse in the backyard.  There is also a very hidden cellar in the warehouse. Even if Cao Jun searches the warehouse, they can hide in the cellar. However, Ren Ping already knows that Cao Jun who searched Huang Mansion has evacuated, so they do not need to hide in the cellar.  Ren Ping stepped forward and bowed deeply, "We are deeply grateful for the protection Mr. Huang has given us." Huang Chengyan smiled and waved his hand, "General, you are welcome. I have two questions. I don't know whether to ask them or not?" "Huang Chengyan  Just ask, if you can answer, I will tell you the truth." Huang Chengyan then asked: "I want to know when the Han army will attack Nanyang County?" Ren Ping was silent for a moment, and said slowly: "We will attack now.  , the Han army has divided into three groups to attack Nanyang County." Huang Chengyan nodded, "I also want to know which general is the leader of the Han army this time?" Ren Ping smiled and shook his head, "Not which general.  His Royal Highness the King of Han personally led the army." Huang and his son looked at each other, and they were both a little stunned.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 923 Cavalry Ambush

    Ye County is located northeast of Wancheng, about 180 miles apart. Since Ye County is known as the "throat of Wan and the belly of Xu", its geographical location is extremely important and it is responsible for the important task of defending Xuchang. Cao Cao also deployed here  Ten thousand heavy troops.  The commander of Ye County is Cao Hong's deputy general Li Dian. Just two hours ago, Li Dian received an urgent flying pigeon message from Cao Hong. The Han army in Chang'an was attacking in large numbers, and he was ordered to rush to Wancheng to assemble immediately.  This news really surprised Li Dian. He, Cao Hong's deputy general, had the duty to reinforce Wancheng, but he was a little embarrassed. He could not abandon Ye County and open the gate of Xuchang. After some consideration, Li Dian decided to keep Zhao Di  He led 5,000 troops to defend Ye County, while he personally led 5,000 troops to Wancheng to assemble.  The time was gradually approaching the third watch. Five thousand Cao Cao's troops were marching rapidly on the official road. Li Dian rode in front of the troops. He had fought with the Han army for many years and had a good understanding of the Han army's fighting methods. The Han army was especially good at attacking.  Surprise soldiers, ambush, steal the city, and win at the lowest cost.  Liu Xuan's concept of the world is to preserve the young and strong population as much as possible in the war. Although Li Dian himself also agrees with this concept, the life-and-death relationship between the two enemies. As General Cao, he must maximize the destruction of the enemy's army, that is,  It became Li Dian's unshirkable responsibility.  Li Dian was very cautious and constantly sent scouts to explore the road ahead. There had been several ambushes on the official road from Ye County to Wancheng, including the one where the tiger and leopard cavalry were ambushed, which Li Dian still remembers deeply.  Despite Cao Hong's urgent order, Li Dian ordered the entire army to slow down their march after the team had traveled more than thirty miles. The edge of the Nanyang Basin in this area was filled with undulating hills, dense forests, and numerous valleys on both sides. It was extremely easy to encounter an ambush. Only  After walking for more than twenty miles and entering the plains, we can speed up.  At this moment, a scout rushed over and shouted from a distance: "Army, slow down!" Li Dian suddenly felt something bad in his heart and immediately ordered: "Stop the march!" The scout rushed over, clasped his fists on the horse and reported: "Let's start!  General, something unusual was discovered five miles ahead. There were a large number of ambushes in the woods. " Li Dian's heart sank. Sure enough, he encountered an ambush. He tried to calm down and asked, "How many ambushes are there and what kind of military services are they?" "  The exact number is unknown, but only one of the dozen brothers who went to investigate escaped and was seriously injured and died. Before he died, Li Dian looked around at the terrain, and they happened to enter a wide valley not long ago.  The valley road is about half a mile wide and seven or eight miles long. The mountains on both sides are steeply sloping and covered with dense bushes. This terrain is not conducive to ambush, but it is conducive to cavalry attacks.  (Most stable) Li Dian knew that after the Han army captured Guanlong, the cavalry strength increased greatly. The southern army with few cavalry gradually evolved into the northern army with strong cavalry and infantry. If the Han army's cavalry attacks, he will be in trouble.  That's big.  However, the cavalry only made guesses, and the ambush in front was confirmed. Li Dian immediately ordered: "Send the order to the entire army to gather with the rear army immediately." This is an effective strategy for dealing with ambush. Since the team is stretched longer during the march, once encountered  The ambush will be cut into several sections, resulting in an unfavorable situation of separate formations. In the end, they will not be able to escape the fate of being completely annihilated.  Therefore, if an ambush is discovered in advance, the best response strategy is to quickly assemble and reorganize the stretched team into formation. Even if the ambush breaks out, there will be no fear.  Li Dian was intent on escaping from this valley road, so he ordered to assemble backwards. As soon as he finished speaking, there was suddenly the sound of rumbling war drums from the front, followed by the loud shouts of killing. The ambush soldiers found that they had been noticed by the enemy and turned against the enemy.  , fought his way out of the dense forest.  Li Dian shouted: "Quickly retreat and assemble!" Without his order, thousands of Cao's soldiers turned around and rushed out of the valley. Amidst the noise and chaos, Li Dian suddenly heard a strange sound,  It was as dense as drumbeats, covered up by the drums and shouts of the ambush.  Li Dian listened carefully, his face gradually became nervous, and he suddenly shouted, "No!" He could already hear this strange sound of galloping horse hooves. Perhaps the horse's hoofs were wrapped in thick cloth, and the running sound was very low, but the number  There are so many that you can still hear them when you get closer.  Li Dian suddenly realized that he had fallen into the trap of the Han army. The so-called ambush was just a bait, so he deliberately let himself find out, so that he could instinctively gather troops. Although there was nothing wrong with gathering troops to form an array, it took time to assemble the army. At the high speed of the cavalry, Li Dian  Under an assault, the army often fails to assemble, but it is just conducive to the cavalry to carry out concentrated assault and killing.  Li Dian shouted anxiously: "Stop withdrawing troops and line up with bows and crossbows!" But it was too late. Suddenly, a dense cavalry team appeared fifty steps away. They were well-trained and were rushing through the night like a violent storm.  Running, this powerful cavalry can only do this, concentrated assault in the dark night, only Cao Jun's tiger and leopard cavalry have this ability, but now the Han army can also do it.  Li Dian is so anxious that he can only sacrifice the front army now, hoping that the front army can hinder the high-speed assault of the Han cavalry to the greatest extent and buy precious time for the rear army to assemble.?? Li Dian turned his horse and ran towards the rear army. He only ran a few dozen steps when he heard a shrill scream from behind. More than a thousand soldiers from the front army had been caught under the iron hooves of the Han army.  , the spear was like a sharp stab, piercing the enemy's chest, the sword was like lightning, splitting off the enemy's head, the horse's hoof was like iron, trampling the enemy's chest, liver and gallbladder. For a time, blood mist filled the air, and limbs flew across,  Cries and screams echoed throughout the valley.  Although Li Dian was skilled in martial arts, he could not defeat the intensive attack of the cavalry single-handedly. He could only quickly retreat to the rear army and organize the rear army to resist. However, Li Dian had not run a hundred steps when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back shoulder and his whole body  His strength disappeared, and he almost fell off his horse, and a cold arrow hit his shoulder in the dark.  A hundred steps away, Pang De put away his bow and arrow and shook his head regretfully. The arrow missed slightly by two inches and failed to hit the enemy general's vest. "General, the enemy's rear troops have assembled!" a cavalryman shouted.  Report.  A sneer appeared at the corner of Pang De's mouth, and he immediately ordered, "Bang the mountain-shaking drum!" "Dong-dong-dong!" The earth-shattering mountain-shaking drum sounded. This was the order for the Han army to attack in full force. Pang De led three thousand cavalry.  And a thousand soldiers pretending to be an ambush attacked Cao Jun from the front. At this moment, a chaos broke out in the rear of Cao Jun, who had just assembled. Lieutenant General Leng Bao led 3,000 cavalry to attack from behind and marched towards the formation just now.  The completed three thousand Cao troops launched a fierce attack from the rear.  At this time, Li Dian had rushed to the rear. Although he was hit by an arrow in his shoulder and could no longer fight with the enemy generals, his command of the battle was not affected. He shouted: "Back to back, form a spear formation!"  The Cao army stationed in Ye County was also an elite army. Although they were attacked by Han cavalry, they responded quickly. In addition to the more than 1,000 front troops who had no time to retreat, the 3,500 rear troops were able to assemble successfully. For the weak brigade,  Assembling troops only facilitates massacre by cavalry, but for an elite army, assembling troops can form an effective resistance to cavalry.  At this point, Pound underestimated the enemy a little. He should have carried out a cavalry assault while Cao's army was marching while the opponent was stretching his team, cutting and surrounding the opponent, so that he could defeat the opponent more easily. However, the shortcomings of this tactic were also obvious, so he could not  Kill and injure enemy troops in large numbers.  Pound gave up this cutting tactic and adopted the tactic of concentrated annihilation, deliberately exposing the ambush and allowing the enemy to gather quickly. Although this was conducive to the concentrated destruction of the enemy, once the enemy was successfully assembled, it would also pose a threat to the cavalry.  When weighing the pros and cons, the general needs to have a good understanding of the enemy's combat capabilities. Pound underestimated the enemy at this point. This is related to his long-term command of cavalry and his inherent contempt for infantry.  Although the front of Cao's army was brutally massacred by the Han cavalry, they also hindered the rapid advancement of the Han's cavalry and gave Cao's rear cavalry time to assemble. When the Han cavalry came from behind and attacked, the 3,500 cavalrymen in the rear of Cao's army were defeated.  The people had already assembled, quickly formed a phalanx of spears, and fought fiercely with the Han cavalry back to back.  In this fierce and fierce battle, the Han cavalry had the absolute upper hand in terms of numbers and force. They attacked fiercely and killed ruthlessly, advancing step by step on the piles of blood and flesh. However, Cao's soldiers fought with their backs and risked their lives to survive.  The dense formation of spears counterattacked the assault of the Han cavalry. Horses were constantly hit by spears and fell down. The cavalrymen were stabbed to death by random spears after falling off their horses.  On the short half-mile long battle line, dead men and dead horses were mixed with flesh and blood, forming a wall of flesh and blood. Although the Han army had the upper hand, every step forward had to pay a heavy price. The original plan was to end the battle in half an hour.  When time passed, Cao's army still had two thousand troops, but the Han army's cavalry had lost more than a thousand.  Pang De also became a little impatient. Cao Jun's tenacious resistance caught him by surprise. If they continued to fight like this, even if they completely wiped out the opponent, they would have to pay at least two thousand cavalry. This price was too much for him to bear. Pang De began to regret it.  He should not underestimate the enemy. He should follow Leng Bao's suggestion and conduct a surprise attack while the enemy is marching. In this way, he would only have to pay a loss of two to three hundred people at most.  At this moment, one of Leng Bao's soldiers galloped over on horseback and shouted loudly: "General, General Leng suggested using thorns to attack!" This sentence reminded Pound, and he slapped his forehead hard,  He was so confused that he had forgotten the sharpest weapon for the cavalry to deal with the group. He shouted loudly: "Quickly order the Mangqi cavalry to come forward!" The so-called Mangqi cavalry is a small cavalry formed by the Han army to imitate the Kushan cavalry.  The biggest feature of this cavalry team is that each person is equipped with ten short spurs made of fine steel. The spurs are five feet long and weigh ten kilograms. They are streamlined in shape, from thick to thin, in one go. The front section is extremely sharp, and the shape  They look very much like thorns, so they are called thorn cavalry.  Because these fine steel spikes are difficult to make and cost a lot, only a thousand or so have been made so far, forming a small cavalry team of 120 people. Each person is tall and has extraordinary arm strength, riding a powerful tall horse.  With his arm strength, he can throw the short stab more than thirty steps.  Although the bee crossbow can penetrate shields and kill a large number of enemy troops, when the enemy and we are too close to each other, it is easy to accidentally damage our own troops. The thorns thrown by manpower are relatively accurate, dense, and extremely lethal.    In addition, you can also use fire attack to throw kerosene into the enemy's formation and let the fire disrupt the enemy's formation. However, it is not good for the war horses. It can easily frighten the war horses and cause the cavalry to fall into chaos. In this case, use  Mang Thorn is the best tactic.  Following Pound's order, a group of cavalry rushed over. They rushed into the cavalry front line, pulled out the fine steel spurs from their spear scabbards, and threw them at Cao Jun's spear formation.  More than a hundred thorns drew out streaks of dark light, which densely shot into Cao Jun's spear array.

 Volume 2, Jiangxia, Chapter 924: Soldiers overwhelm Nanyang

    One hundred and twenty fine steel thorns were like black lightning, shooting into the dense array of Cao Jun's spears quickly and powerfully. A shrill scream suddenly sounded. The thorns were extremely powerful and sharp.  It penetrated the shields and armor of Cao's soldiers, shot through the bodies of the soldiers, and nailed countless soldiers to the ground.  Immediately after the second and third rounds, rounds were launched mercilessly, and the thorns flew across the night sky. Under each thorn, a soldier died tragically. After just five rounds, Cao's army suffered more than five casualties.  Hundreds of people.  The powerful lethality of the Han army made Cao's soldiers panic, and the spear formation began to waver from within. Pound saw signs that the enemy's army in the south was exhausted, and shouted: "Drum attack!" He personally picked up the drumstick.  , beat the war drum with all his strength, 'Boom!  Boom!  "Boom!" The drum beat was exciting and exciting. This was the order for the final battle. Thousands of Han cavalry launched a final fierce attack on Cao's spear array like a violent storm.  Cao Jun finally couldn't resist, and the spear array in the south collapsed first. The will to resist disappeared in an instant. The soldiers trampled on each other, cried and screamed, and fled desperately. More people fled towards the mountains. This was their  The only way out.  The collapse of Cao's army in the south also led to the defeat of the army in the north. Li Dian was in the north at this time. Seeing that the situation was over, he had to endure the severe pain in his shoulder and stabbed with his spear. Five hundred soldiers followed him to break through desperately.  During the melee, Leng Bao led two cavalry of more than a thousand people to charge directly to both sides of the valley, cutting off Cao's soldiers' escape up the mountain, leaving thousands of Cao's soldiers with no way out. However, Li Dian caught the Han cavalry and divided his troops to the two sides.  Taking advantage of the opportunity, he found a weak point of the Han army, cut a bloody road, and fled north with more than a hundred soldiers.  Seeing that the general had escaped, and the remaining thousands of Cao soldiers had no chance of survival, they threw away their spears, took off their armor, and knelt on the ground begging for surrender. Seeing that the victory was determined, Pang De ordered: "Accept the surrender!" Groups of Cao soldiers surrendered  The soldiers were ordered by the cavalry to stand up, put their hands on their heads, and lined up to leave the battlefield. The soldiers left. The bloody battlefield made Pound couldn't help but sigh. Although the opponent lost nearly 3,000 people in this battle, his seven  The thousand cavalry also suffered more than a thousand casualties. He felt sad in his heart and turned back to Leng Bao and said: "I underestimated the enemy in this battle. The losses were so heavy. I want your Highness to apologize!" Leng Bao comforted him and said: "In the beginning, there was a shortage of information.  We didn¡¯t know that Cao Jun would be so powerful. I don¡¯t think there was any miscalculation. After all, no one is a god. He can handle everything and fight to this point. The final defeat of Cao Jun is also our victory. General, don¡¯t take it personally. ¡±  Bao's consolation made Pang De feel a little better, but he still blamed himself very much and found it difficult to forgive himself. At this time, he asked again: "General Leng, do you think we should take the opportunity to kill Ye County, or should we mass towards Wancheng?" Leng  Bao thought for a while and said: "The information before leaving said that there were 10,000 defenders in Ye County. We annihilated 5,000 here. There should be 5,000 more in the county. They were all elite troops. We are very powerful."  It is difficult to capture the city. More importantly, His Highness the King of Han did not ask us to attack Ye County, but asked us to participate in the siege of Wancheng. We should listen to the King of Han's order and place a dozen scouts nearby to closely monitor Cao's army going south. "  Pang De nodded, "You are right, we should obey His Royal Highness the King of Han's order and go south to Wancheng immediately." He then found a scout, General Ya, and ordered him: "You can lead five hundred cavalry to clean up the battlefield.  At the same time, we should be on guard along the way south. If Cao's army moves south in large numbers, we must be notified immediately." "Obey the order!" After Pang De made arrangements, he said to the generals: "Immediately turn around and go south to Wancheng!" More than five thousand cavalrymen have arrived!  Turning their horses, they escorted Cao's prisoners of war and marched toward Wancheng. When Liu Jing led the main army to Nanxiang County, it was already the fourth watch. Although he had not received Pang De's report at this time,  The battle report in Yuyang County has come out. Wenpin led 20,000 troops to attack quickly, surrounded and annihilated the 5,000 troops in Yuyang County.  At this time, the defenders of Nanxiang County also received Cao Hong's order and were preparing to rush to Wancheng to assemble. However, at this moment, Cao Jun's scouts discovered the main force of the Han army that had been killed ten miles away. The defenders who were about to leave the city were captured.  He was forced to give up his eastward advance and instead defended the city.  Liu Jing immediately ordered the army to surround Nanxiang County and prepare to attack the city at dawn.  The guard general of Nanxiang County is named Yu Ze. He is the younger brother of Yu Jin. He has always followed Yu Jin. Because of Yu Jin's relatives, it was difficult to be promoted. Yu Jin and Cao Hong had a very good relationship, so Cao Hong gave Yu Jin a favor and took him under his wing.  As a general, Yu Ze was quite astute and clear-minded, and won the trust of Cao Hong. In just a few years, he was promoted from general to captain.  At this time, Yu Ze was like an ant on a hot pot, pacing back and forth anxiously on the top of the city. There were at least 40,000 to 50,000 Han troops, but he only had 5,000 defenders. Although Nanxiang County was not shabby,  county seat, but it is still far behind Wancheng. Once the Han army attacks the city in a large scale, he will not be able to defend the city at all.  No matter how Yu Ze thought about it, he had no way to go, let alone ask for help from Cao Hong. Yu Ze sighed. He looked at the several huge black shadows standing up in the night, and felt a wave of fear in his heart. They were Han troops.  Huge trebuchet, Nanxiang County is not big. Once the Han army launches a fire attack, the county will become a sea of ??fire.  At this moment, several soldiers pointed to the city and shouted: "General, it seems that cavalry is coming." Yu Ze quickly held the battlements and looked down, and saw a cavalry running towards this side with a torch in hand. He suddenly  Realizing that this must be the cavalry delivering a message, he quickly shouted to the soldiers: "No shooting!" The cavalry rushed to the city and shouted: "His Royal Highness the King of Han's letter to General Yu!" After shouting, he shot an arrow, and the arrow was on  A letter was inserted, and a soldier had already picked it up and rushed to deliver it to Yu Ze. Yu Ze watched the messenger cavalry running away, and then he looked at the letter carefully under the firelight. He was startled just by the cover of the letter.  On the skin is written "Jing from Han Dynasty to General Yu, the captain of Wei State". This is actually a personal letter written by Liu Jing to himself.  He couldn't help being a little flattered, and opened the letter with trembling hands. The letter was also written in Liu Jing's own handwriting. The Han army could not bear to slaughter the city because of the war between the same clans, and urged him to surrender immediately. Otherwise, the Han army would have to burn the whole city and leave no trace of the Yu family.  He will also become a criminal in Nanxiang County.  Yu Ze's heart moved. Liu Jing was mentioning the Yu family. Could it be that his target was his brother Yu Jin?  Yu Ze also knew that the relationship between his brother Yu Jin and Liu Jing was a bit unusual. Although they had been feuding for a long time, they had a special fate.  And Yu Ze also knew that the Han army was gradually growing, while the Cao army was gradually declining. Regardless of popular support or the balance of military strength, Liu Jing's unification of the world was the general trend. ????????????????????? More importantly, he now has no choice but to surrender, or to fight to the bitter end, or perhaps the Han army will not give them this opportunity at all.  Yu Ze thought for a long time, then simply wrote a reply, beckoned a soldier to come forward, handed him the letter, and whispered: "Go to the Han army camp quickly." The soldier nodded and sat down.  Bamboo basket went down to the city. Looking at the soldiers walking away, Yu Ze felt uneasy. He didn't know what reply Liu Jing would give him.  The fifth watch had passed, and the eastern sky was turning white. It was almost dawn. Liu Jing stayed up all night and was still pacing back and forth in the tent. At this time, he had received an express message from Pound.  The army wiped out five thousand reinforcements from Qianye County, but Pound also admitted in the express letter that he had caused thousands of Han cavalry losses because of underestimating the enemy, and he was willing to accept punishment.  Liu Jing doesn¡¯t want to think about how to punish Pound yet. He has no such intention. He still has bigger and more complicated problems to solve.  This time the Han army attacked Nanyang with an absolutely superior force. Victory was inevitable. The key was how to seize Nanyang at the minimum cost and how to consolidate the occupation of Nanyang. This was the severe challenge he needed to face.  Before that, he occupied Nanyang County several times, but it was recaptured by Cao Jun several times. Some Cao Jun took the initiative to attack, and some he took the initiative to withdraw.  In fact, Liu Jing was very aware of Nanyang's strategic position. When Liu Biao agreed to Zhang Xiu's occupation of Wancheng, he hoped that Wancheng would become a barrier for Xiangfan. Today's capture of Nanyang County not only pushed the battle line to the gate of Xuchang, but also prevented Jingzhou from  He was threatened again by Cao Jun.  The Han army has never been able to occupy such an important strategic position. One of the important reasons is that the overall strength of the Han army is not as good as that of Cao's army. It had to take a strategic defensive and was forced to abandon Nanyang and retreat to the Han River.  But after capturing Guanlong, the Han army gradually shifted from strategic defensive to strategic balance. Under this background, launching the Battle of Hefei was an inevitable choice to break the strategic balance.  Opening the Nanxiang Pass was also part of the Hefei Campaign. Occupying Nanyang County and the strategically important Hefei and winning the Hefei Battle was a key step for the Han army to shift from strategic balance to strategic attack, and it was of extraordinary significance.  The strength of the Han army has been able to compete with Cao's army, so it will be possible to consolidate the long-term occupation of Nanyang. As long as the Han army maintains a coercive posture at Tongguan, Cao's army will not dare to act rashly against Nanyang County.  It can be said that Nanyang County is the key to breaking the war in Hefei. If Nanyang County is captured, when he sends a large number of troops to Jiangdong in the future, Cao Jun will not be able to threaten Jingzhou from the west. Taking Nanyang County will also break the alliance formed by Sun Cao.  The overall situation also made Cao Jun passive with one foot in the battle of Hefei.  What makes Liu Jing most fortunate is that the commander of Nanyang is Cao Hong instead of Zhang Liao. If it were Zhang Liao, he would definitely give up Wancheng and stick to Ye County when the war situation was unfavorable. As long as Ye County was not lost, Xuchang would  will not be threatened by the Han army.  But Cao Hong did not have such a strategic vision. He not only trapped Wancheng, but also ordered the defenders of Ye County toComing to support Wancheng would undoubtedly destroy the country. This is the main reason why Cao Hong is inferior to Cao Ren and Xiahou.  Of course, this is also one of Cao Cao's weaknesses. In terms of military power, he appointed nepotism. He clearly entrusted Zhang Liao with a hundred thousand troops in Hefei. In the end, he was still worried and went to Hefei to supervise the battle in person. This was tantamount to depriving Zhang Liao of his command authority.  Although Cao Hong lost Nanyang twice, Cao Cao still appointed him as the general. It can only be said that it was a trust issue in Cao Cao's bones.  Liu Jing was thinking about it. At this time, Fazheng walked into the tent with a smile, "Hasn't His Highness rested yet?" Seeing that he was neatly dressed, Liu Jing also smiled and said, "The military advisor hasn't rested, either?" Fazheng nodded, "Slightly  I just walked around the military camp and happened to encounter a guard guard who reported that Yu Ze, the lord of Nanxiang County, had sent a confidant to ask for an audience with His Highness. " This was what Liu Jing expected, and he gave Yu Ze enough face.  With no other choice but to surrender, Liu Jing smiled slightly and asked, "What does Yu Ze want?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 925 The Dilemma of Wancheng

    "Your Highness, Yu Ze said that he only hopes to continue to retain his position as a school captain and has nothing else to ask for." Fazheng handed a letter to Liu Jing. Liu Jing took the letter and read it, and couldn't help laughing.  "It seems that this person is very self-aware, and his demands are not high. The military advisor will answer the call for me. I can agree to Yu Ze's request, but ask him to surrender the city immediately." Fazheng hesitated and said, "This person is actually just a  A little person, His Highness wrote to him personally. Is His Highness¡¯ target Yu Jin?¡± Liu Jing smiled and said, ¡°Even so! After all, Yu Jin is a witness in my life. If he can surrender to me, it will be considered a part of my life.¡±  The journey of life has come to a successful end. "Although Fazheng didn't quite understand what Liu Jing meant, he had a clever plan. He whispered a few words to Liu Jing. Liu Jing smiled and nodded: "The military advisor is indeed very resourceful.  I really didn't expect that Yu Ze could be of such great use." Fazheng bowed, turned around and walked away quickly. Liu Jing looked at his back with a faint smile in her eyes. Although Fazheng proposed to use Yu Ze as an undercover agent.  A clever plan, but he would not understand his other deep meaning. Without Yu Jin, Liu Jing would not have met Zhao Yun. Without Zhao Yun, he would not have achieved what he has today.  He needs to draw a successful conclusion to this colorful life, and Yu Jin is undoubtedly the best witness. Without Yu Jin as a witness, wouldn¡¯t life become very boring?  I believe Yu Ze will definitely become a qualified bridge.  Half an hour later, the sky was getting brighter, and the promised Mao hour finally arrived. The gates of Nanxiang County were opened wide, and 5,000 Cao troops, led by their lord Yu Ze, left the city and surrendered to the Han army. Liu Jing immediately named Yu Ze the Nanxiang Pavilion.  Hou continued to serve as the school captain and obeyed orders under Wenpin's account. However, for Liu Jing, Yu Ze's use value was not just for Yu's ban. The search of Wancheng had stopped before dawn.  Cao Jun struggled for most of the night, but still could not find the more than 40 Han army scouts who had sneaked into the city. However, Cao Jun's soldiers gained a lot, and almost everyone made a fortune. The entire Cao Jun army, except for the general Cao Hongyin, did not find any Han soldiers.  Except for the military scout who was annoyed, the rest of the soldiers were very happy, and their morale was greatly boosted.  As for the pain and anger of the people in Nanyang City, that is another matter. Cao Hong did not take it to heart. Even if the Han army scouts were not found, the morale was boosted and he was excited.  However, after visiting Jia Kui's injury, Cao Hong felt a little heavy again. On the one hand, Jia Kui was seriously injured and he could not explain it to Wei Gong. On the other hand, Jia Kui unceremoniously accused him of harming the people.  Do you still expect the civilian husband to defend the city for him?  Only then did Cao Hong realize that he had made a big mistake. He had forgotten that he was short of troops and needed to recruit a large number of civilians to help defend the city. However, his soldiers looted the whole city and hurt the people of Wancheng. There would be a few civilians to replace him.  Fighting to defend the city?  In desperation, Cao Hong had to capture more than a hundred soldiers who were guilty of murder and adultery, publicly beheaded them, and sent their heads to the public from house to house in an attempt to restore some people's support, but he was disappointed. No one sold him.  Some people even publicly reprimanded him, unless Cao Hong's head was taken to show public apology.  On top of the city, Cao Hong stared gloomily into the distance. Judging from the time, the armies from all over the country should have arrived at Wancheng, but now there is no trace of them. Among them, only Ye County is a little further away. Maybe they can't arrive so quickly, and Nanxiang  The troops from Yuyang County and Yuyang County should have arrived.  Were they all intercepted by the Han army?  Cao Hong was distraught. If reinforcements did not arrive, it would be difficult to defend Wancheng with only 10,000 defenders. Moreover, he had offended the people of Nanyang, and he could not expect the people to defend the city with their lives. What should he do?  At this moment, a soldier pointed to the west and shouted: "General, look!" Cao Hong stood up and took a closer look. He saw a group of more than a hundred soldiers surrounded by a general on horseback, running towards the west city in panic.  , when the visitor gradually approached, Cao Hong suddenly recognized the visitor, it was Yu Ze, the guard of Nanxiang County. He quickly ordered: "Open the city gate!" The suspension bridge was slowly lowered, the city gate opened wide, and Yu Ze led  The remaining soldiers quickly rushed to the city and rushed directly into the city.  After a while, soldiers led Yu Ze to the top of the city. Cao Hong discovered that Yu Ze was in an extremely embarrassed state, covered in blood, his helmet had fallen off, his hair was disheveled, and he seemed to be injured.  "General Yu, what's going on?" Cao Hong asked anxiously.  Yu Ze let out a long sigh and couldn't help but stamp his feet and beat his chest and said: "I was ambushed by the Han army and the whole army was wiped out. I almost died on the battlefield. How ashamed of you, General!" "General Yu, please sit down and speak slowly!  " Cao Hong ordered people to serve tea. Yu Ze drank a few sips of tea before describing his experience, "I received the general's urgent order and immediately led the army out of the city. However, in Huilong Valley, thirty miles away, we were attacked.  The Han army's crossbowmen and spearmen ambushed about 20,000 people. The humble war horse was hit by an arrow and lost a lot of money.The soldiers came to rescue and ran desperately to escape with their lives. The rest of the brothers were blocked in Huilong Valley, and they didn't know whether they were alive or dead!  " After saying that, Yu Ze burst into tears. Cao Hong was stunned. After a while, he asked: "Who is the enemy general?  " "It seems that Liu Jing personally led the army, because I saw the red dragon and golden flag, but I didn't see Liu Jing himself. I couldn't see clearly in the dark, so I can't be sure.  " Cao Hong heard that the Red Dragon Golden Border Flag appeared. It was Liu Jing's royal flag. If he was not there, who would dare to raise the royal flag without permission? Cao Hong felt his heart sink rapidly, as if he had fallen into a hundred-foot ice cave.  , it was actually Liu Jing who personally led the troops. After the Han army captured Nanxiang County, they immediately sent troops to Wancheng. Tens of thousands of troops quickly advanced towards Wancheng. At this time, the situation in Wancheng was very dangerous, and all three reinforcements were intercepted by the Han army.  , leaving Wancheng with only 10,000 troops trapped, but the Han army who came from Chang'an and Xiangyang numbered 70,000. In the afternoon of the next day, Liu Jing set up four camps outside the four city gates and captured Wancheng.  They were surrounded, but they were not in a hurry to attack the city. In the afternoon, a group of cavalry rushed from the south city to the main camp outside the north city. It was General Wenpin and his more than a hundred soldiers. Wenpin sent troops to Nanyang yesterday afternoon.  Twenty thousand troops arrived at Yuyang County at the speed of a forced march, and surrounded the five thousand defenders in Yuyang County at the third watch. They concentrated their superior forces and annihilated them in one fell swoop.  Since five years, Wenpin has been the commander-in-chief of Xiangfan. It has been sixteen years. His greatest hope is to occupy Nanyang County. Although he led his troops to occupy Nanyang County several times, he ended up withdrawing his troops back to Xiangfan.  This time they are very likely to capture Nanyang County. He has been looking forward to this day for a long time. Wenpin dismounted in front of the camp gate and said to the guarding sergeant: "Please inform your highness that Wenpin has arrived at the camp!  The officer on duty ran out of the camp gate and said with a smile: "Commander Wen, please come in!"  His Highness has given instructions that if Governor Wen arrives, he can go directly to the main tent of the Chinese army without any notification.  " Wenpin nodded, turned around and gave some instructions to his guards, and then followed the officer on duty and walked quickly towards the Chinese army's tent. In the Chinese army's tent, Liu Jingzheng and Fazheng discussed the plan to attack Wancheng.  On a large table in the center is a model of Wancheng, about one foot in size. This is a necessary city model for the Han army to attack the city. It was invented by Pang Tong during his northern expedition to Xicheng. This method of siege has been used by the Han Dynasty ever since.  The army continued to use it, and the most famous use of the city model to attack a city was the battle against Chengdu. After several years of continuous improvement, this model became more and more sophisticated, and the scouts lurking in the city were able to spy on the deployment of the defenders.  And it was reflected on the model. However, Liu Jing has not yet obtained the information about Ren Ping in the city. Since Cao Hong has blocked the communication between the city and the outside world, it has become very difficult to transmit the information. The only thing he knows is that there are only 10,000 defenders in the city.  Liu Jing pointed to the city wall model and said slowly to Fazheng: "The circumference of Wancheng is about thirty miles, but there are only ten thousand defenders, which is a bit stretched. However, Wancheng's moat is ten feet long. Let's find it.  Without such a long plank, if I use a boat as a pontoon, I am worried that it will be attacked by Cao Jun's kerosene, and crossing the moat will become the first problem.  " Fazheng said: "Actually, I think that compared to the moat, the four-foot-high city wall is more difficult. There is a horse-faced wall every fifty steps, which is extremely detrimental to our attack on the city.  "    "yes!  Liu Jing said with emotion: "Back then, Cao Cao attacked the city at night, but Jia Xu saw it through and killed Cao Jun with heavy casualties. At that time, the moat was only five feet wide and the city wall was only three feet high. Now it has been widened and raised.  a lot of.  Fazheng smiled slightly, "Hasn't His Highness already used Yu Ze as an undercover agent? What are you still worried about?"  " "I am afraid that Cao Hong will be suspicious and will not give Yu Ze actual military power. Yu Ze, an undercover agent, will not be of much use. In fact, I am more optimistic about Ren Ping and believe that he will not disappoint me.  " Just as he was talking, a guard reported at the door: "Your Highness, Governor Wen has arrived.  Liu Jing was overjoyed and quickly ordered: "Ask him to come in quickly!"  " After a moment, Wenpin quickly walked into the big tent, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "Wenpin, a humble official, comes to see Your Highness!  Liu Jing quickly helped him up and said with a smile: "Zhongye has stayed in Xiangfan all these years, which has made my back worry-free. I, Liu Jing, understand Zhongye's contribution."  " "Your Highness has given you the award. Wenpin has done nothing in the past few years. He neither participated in the Northern Expedition nor attacked Guanzhong, nor did he make any contribution in the Han-Hungarian war. However, he has repeatedly won high positions. Wenpin is the one who feels extremely ashamed.  " "No more than modest, Zhongye, please take a seat.  " Liu Jing patted Wenpin's arm and asked Wenpin to sit down. Wenpin nodded to Fazheng and was about to sit down when he saw the city model. He suddenly became curious and walked quickly to the model.  ConvenienceAfter leaving the city, he smiled and said: "Your Highness, this is Wancheng!" "Exactly!" Liu Jing walked forward with a smile, "Zhongye might as well take a look, what are the mistakes?" Wenpin said to Wan  He knew the city well. He looked at it carefully several times and frowned: "There is something wrong with the moat." Liu Jing quickly asked: "What's wrong?" Wenpin pointed to several city gates and said: "This should be last spring.  However, last autumn, Wancheng re-made and lengthened the suspension bridge. The length of the suspension bridge was changed from the original three feet to four feet and five feet, because the moat at the city gate was also widened by one foot and five feet, making the original loophole  "It was replaced." Liu Jing had a look of disappointment on his face. He originally found that the moat at the four city gates was less than three feet wide, and he could attack from the city gates, but he did not expect that Cao Jun actually widened the river here, so that  His hopes were dashed.  At this time, Wenpin smiled slightly and said: "If Your Highness just wants to cross the moat, it is not difficult. I know where the weakness of the moat is?"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 926 Cause and Effect Cycle

    Wenpin walked to the sand table and pointed to a river in the east of Wancheng with a wooden pole, "This is Feishui, and it is also the source of Wancheng's moat. The moat is slightly lower than Feishui in terms of terrain, but the moat is not the lowest point.  The low-lying place is here!" Wenpin pointed to a small town in the north. "This town is called Xiyangju. It is about ten miles away from Wancheng. The terrain here is the lowest. We can first block the upper and lower reaches of the Feishui River and cut off the water source of the moat.  Then dig the moat and divert the water here to form a lake. This series of fortifications will take up to three to four days before the water in the moat can be drained. " Liu Jing shook her head, "I'm afraid I'll wait.  It won't be long before I break the city tonight!" Wenpin was startled, "Why are you so anxious?" Next to him, Fazheng explained: "The key is Xuchang's reinforcements. We have just received the news, and Xiahou Dun has realized our true nature.  The purpose is to lead 30,000 troops to Nanyang, and it is estimated that they will arrive in Ye County tonight. If we cannot capture Wancheng within two days, the situation will be very unfavorable to us, and the Nanyang Campaign will most likely fall short. " Wenpin was silent.  After a while, he said: "If there is no way to drain water, the only way is to build a pontoon bridge with boats. However, there is a large amount of kerosene accumulated in Wancheng, and we will face a great threat." Liu Jing smiled, "Maybe our fire ape can't  It will disappoint us." "Fire ape?  ¡¯ Wenpin was stunned. Who is the Fire Ape?  The overnight search in Wancheng has been temporarily stopped, and Cao Jun found nothing. Cao Hong repeatedly asked the officers responsible for searching the large households whether they had conducted a thorough search. All the officers swore that they must have conducted a thorough search. As for the credibility of their claims,  How high it is, only they themselves know.  At first, he thought very simply. After searching all over the city, he could always find these more than forty people. But when he actually searched, he found that the matter was not simple. There were so many hiding places that he was overwhelmed by the search.  The important thing is that Cao Hong has realized that allowing the sergeants to search the city will cause him to lose the support of the people and thus lose the assistance of the people. He also had to order a suspension of the search.  Now he can only hope to offer a reward for capture. He raised the reward to 500 taels of gold. If he can provide clues that enable Cao Jun to catch the enemy spy, he will be rewarded with 500 taels of gold.  In the warehouse at the back of the Huang Mansion, Ren Ping and others were still patiently waiting for news. Cao Jun had put the entire city under martial law and patrolling soldiers were everywhere. It was easy to be discovered on the streets now. More importantly, he needed the Huang family to provide necessary intelligence.  At this time, someone knocked on the door outside the warehouse. The soldiers raised their crossbows. Ren Ping pouted and asked his men to open the door. He saw a figure flashing and someone had entered the warehouse. "General, it's me!"  It was Huang Yu's voice.  Everyone put down their crossbows. Huang Yu took out a neatly folded oil paper bag from his arms and handed it to Ren Ping. "This is the map the general asked for." Ren Ping was overjoyed and quickly took the map.  Spread out on a wooden box, it turned out to be the military defense map he wanted. Ren Ping was surprised. Where did Huang Yu get such an important map?  Huang Yu seemed to understand Ren Ping's thoughts and said with a smile: "This is actually Zhang Xiu's military defense map. Cao Jun also used it. Zhang Mansion has this map. I just sent the housekeeper to Zhang Mansion to ask for it." "  Isn't it under martial law outside?" Ren Ping asked in confusion.  Huang Yu sighed, "Now Cao's army is going from house to house to catch young men! The streets are in chaos, and there is no point in guarding or not." Ren Ping's heart lit up, and he seemed to have seen an opportunity, but now he had to find the fire oil depot first.  It was his mission on this trip to burn down the kerosene warehouse in Nanyang County.  Ren Ping carefully looked at the military map in front of him. There were more than a dozen warehouses, large and small, distributed in the two military camps of Dongcheng and Xicheng. There was no kerosene in Zhang Xiu's time, so there was no special kerosene depot on it, but there was sulfur on the map.  Storage point for cotton yarn and other flammable materials.  Ren Ping quickly locked the target, which should be in the Dongcheng Military Camp. The Xicheng Military Camp is mainly a storehouse of grain, grass and weapons, while the Dongcheng Military Camp stores tents, armor, gongs and drums, flags, rolling logs and other military sundries, so the kerosene will be there.  It should be placed in Dong Daying.  Ren Ping thought for a moment and said to everyone: "There is no need to have too many people to carry out the mission. Xiaoliu and I can go there. We can be captured by Cao Jun as strong men and participate in defending the city together." Everyone nodded. At this time, Huang Yu  Said to the side: "Cao Jun asked our Huang family to hand over fifty strong men. We only have more than twenty people in the house. If you don't mind, you can pretend to be members of the Huang family and go apply for the army." Ren Ping immediately agreed, and he  After giving a few instructions to a deputy, he left the Huang Mansion with one of his subordinates. Ren Ping's subordinate was a very thin soldier, surnamed Zhao, from Bajun, nicknamed Xiaoliulang. He could climb rocks and trees as easily as walking on the ground.  He is as agile as an ape and as skilled as Liu Zheng, the leader of the Eagle Attack Army.    Ren Ping is also thin, extremely agile and dexterous. From the back, the two of them look like two eleven or twelve-year-old boys. It is impossible to connect them with the strong Han army.  The streets were in chaos at this time. Martial law was meaningless. There were cries and shouts everywhere. Many people ran desperately, but they were intercepted by Cao's soldiers, knocked over and taken away.  This time, Cao Hong no longer robbed property and raped women. Instead, he went from house to house to arrest strong men. As long as they were not old, weak or young, they would all be taken away. When Cao Hong found that the people were unwilling to spontaneously help, he could only arrest people by force.  .  Ren and Ping did not take the main street, but took the alley. When they encountered a dead end, they climbed over the wall. In less than half an hour, they reached the back of the East Camp. The camp was surrounded by an earth wall more than ten feet high.  , the outside is covered with dense shrubs and grass, and hundreds of large trees are scattered along the wall.  The two quickly climbed up the most luxuriant tree. In front of them was an open school field, in the distance were rows of military camps, and to their right were more than twenty large brick and stone buildings, that is  The two of them jumped down from the tree, ran for more than a hundred steps, and climbed up a big tree. Now they are at the back of the warehouse. "General, there are dozens of warehouses, how can we find them?" Korokuro asked.  asked in a voice.  Ren Ping waved his hand. He was carefully observing these warehouses. He found that three warehouses existed independently and were located in the far west. From the perspective of fire prevention, the fuel oil depot must be separated from other warehouses.  More importantly, there are only two or three people guarding the gates of other warehouses at most, but there are more than 30 soldiers guarding these three warehouses. The security is very tight, indicating that the materials inside are very important. Ren Ping's intuition tells him that kerosene  It's stored here.  The Han army had many experiences of burning down enemy fire and oil depots, including Ren Ping himself. He burned Cao's army's fire and oil depot in Xicheng, hence the nickname "Fire Monkey", but what he burned at that time was a tent warehouse, and this  Secondary masonry warehouses are different.  But Liu Zheng burned down the Jiangdong Army's kerosene warehouse when he recaptured Chaisang. That warehouse was very similar to the current warehouse. Ren Ping remembered that Liu Zheng said that any warehouse containing kerosene must have a transom to facilitate the dispersion of oil and gas.  .  Ren Ping¡¯s eyes turned to the warehouse again. He searched carefully and found the transom window on the back near the eaves. This cheered up Ren Ping, which meant that he was one step closer to the correct answer.  The two got off the tree again and carefully climbed up the big tree outside the fire oil depot. Inside the wall under the tree, there were five patrol soldiers pacing back and forth vigilantly. Ren Ping observed through the branches for a moment, and he found that there was almost no chance.  , the five soldiers did not leave at all.     what to do?  Either shoot the five soldiers, or wait?  It is obviously unrealistic to shoot soldiers. This is a military camp. There are dozens of patrolling soldiers around the warehouse. Once the enemy is alerted, hundreds or thousands of people will come.  Ren Ping looked at the sky again. It was just around noon, and it was still early before nightfall. What's worse, once Cao Jun started carrying kerosene, it was estimated that all the kerosene barrels would be moved up to the city, and they would have no chance.  Ren Ping gritted his teeth, and he could only take the risk. At this moment, Ko Liulang touched him and pointed to the gate of the military camp. Only at the gate of the military camp came a large number of Cao soldiers, many of whom were driving carts. It seemed that they were coming.  Moving supplies.  Ren Ping¡¯s mind went ¡®Buzz!  ' With a sound, what he was most worried about finally happened. Cao Jun's soldiers must be carrying kerosene.  The situation was critical and at the critical moment, Ren Ping no longer hesitated and took out the crossbow. The arrow was actually a plum blossom-shaped iron hook with a long rope at the tail. This crossbow was powerful and could shoot fifty steps away.  .  Ren Ping aimed at the transom window, pulled the hanging knife, and the arrow shot out, accurately hitting the transom window. However, the sound of shooting alerted the patrol soldiers below. Several people looked up at the same time and discovered the rope above their heads. Cao Jun's soldiers suddenly shouted  stand up.  "There is a spy! There is a spy!" Ren Ping yanked the rope suddenly, and the iron hook on the arrow just caught the iron bar on the transom. Ren Ping immediately ordered: "You cover for me, I will set the fire!" His words  As soon as he landed, Korokuro's figure jumped out, grabbed the rope, and climbed towards the transom with great agility. More than a dozen soldiers of Cao's army rushed below, firing their bows and arrows together, and dense arrows shot into the air.  A Han soldier, but Korokuro had a shield on his back to protect his body. Seven or eight arrows hit the shield, but the moment he jumped toward the transom, a wolf-fang arrow "Pfft!"  ¡¯ It shot Korokuro in the thigh. He shivered in pain and almost fell.  Ren Ping's eyes were red. He tied the rope to a big tree, nocked an arrow with his crossbow, and shot at the Cao Jun soldiers inside the wall. A soldier screamed and was shot to the ground. Only then did the Cao Jun soldiers realize that there was someone outside the wall.  There was another person on the big tree. They turned their bows and arrows and shot at Ren Ping.  At this time, the entire military camp was in uproar.At that moment, thousands of soldiers of Cao's army rushed out of the barracks, and together with the soldiers who came to carry kerosene, they rushed towards the warehouse, less than a hundred steps away.  Although Korokuro was small and thin, he could not get through the air window, but he could see clearly that the warehouse was filled with countless barrels of kerosene. The barrels of kerosene were stacked like a mountain. He endured the severe pain in his leg and did not bother to pull out the arrow.  One foot hooked on the iron bar to stabilize the body, and the whole body was curled up in the shield.  He pulled out three fine steel spikes and threw them at the nearest kerosene barrel, ¡®Crack!  ' With a sound, three spikes hit three kerosene barrels respectively. The barrels cracked a crack, and kerosene began to gush out from the cracks.  He quickly took out the fire sickle, but at this moment, two wolf-fang arrows hit Korokuro's vest one after the other.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 927 Rapid Undercurrent

    Korokuro screamed, and the shield finally slipped from his arm. Nearly a hundred Cao soldiers had gathered in front and behind the warehouse. They opened their bows and nocked arrows, and dozens of arrows shot at him. In an instant, Korokuro was shot like a hedgehog.  The transom several feet high fell to the ground.  Ren Ping was so shocked that his eyes were split open, but he had no time to grieve at this time. Several arrows shot over his head. Cao Jun soldiers were killing Xiao Liulang. All the arrows were shot at him. Thousands of Cao Jun soldiers had already  After rushing dozens of steps away from the warehouse, they were about to fall short.  Ren Ping leaned close to the big tree, took out a ball of oil mud from the leather bag, and lit the oil mud in his hand without hesitation. Suddenly a ball of blue flames enveloped his entire palm. This was his last chance. When Korokuro fell to the ground,  He held a fire sickle in his hand, indicating that he had shot out the spikes.  Ren Ping had no choice but to gamble this time. He endured the severe pain of the fire and threw the fire clay with all his strength. A ball of blue flames rolled in the air, drew an arc, and passed through the iron grille on the transom. The flames  It flew into the warehouse accurately.  At the same time that the fire mud was released, Ren Ping also jumped down from the big tree and landed heavily in the mud pool under the tree. He touched the mud with his hands and the flames in his hands were immediately extinguished.  Ignoring the severe pain in his palms, he jumped up from the mud and stumbled towards the distance. Just before he ran fifty steps, thick smoke billowed out of the fuel oil depot, and tongues of red flames spurted out from the transom.  There were shouts and shouts, and the defenders of the warehouse seemed to be in chaos. No soldiers climbed over the wall to pursue them.  Ren Ping was so excited that he waved his arms heavily, turned around and ran towards a forest, and disappeared within a moment.  Although the warehouse door had been opened, the thick smoke and flames inside the warehouse prevented the soldiers from entering, and they watched helplessly as nearly 10,000 barrels of kerosene were engulfed in flames.  Cao Hong also rushed to the military camp after hearing the news. He was stunned by what he saw. Thick smoke rose into the sky, more than thirty feet high. The huge warehouse had been engulfed in flames, and several empty warehouses around it were also ignited by the fire.  , thousands of soldiers rushed out of the military camp, staring blankly at the raging fire.  "Who? Who did it!" Cao Hong was so angry that he yelled at a group of guarding soldiers. Dozens of soldiers knelt on the ground, and no one dared to say a word. At this time, the leader of the army said: "Report to General Qi, set fire to  There were two people, one of whom was shot to death by random arrows from the brothers, and the other ran away, but his palms should have been burned. "" Useless bastard!" Cao Hong whipped him in the face and turned around.  The order said: "Search the men in the city and arrest anyone with burns on their hands immediately!" As soon as he finished speaking, the dull sound of drums came from the distance, 'Dong-dong-dong!  ¡¯ The sound of the drum was so penetrating that it seemed to hit every soldier¡¯s heart.  Cao Hong was stunned for a moment, turned around and asked, "Where is the drum sound here?" A soldier said tremblingly: "It seems to be coming from outside the city!" Cao Hong was shocked, is the Han army about to attack the city?  He immediately shouted to the soldiers around him: "The enemy is about to attack the city, hurry up to the city to defend!" There was chaos in the military camp. The soldiers no longer cared about the fire burning in the warehouse, turned around and ran towards the city.  .  In the wilderness outside Wancheng, tens of thousands of Han troops lined up in order, the overwhelming black army, bright armor, dense forest-like spear points and swords flashing cold light in the sun.  But the Han army did not attack. Instead, they placed a hundred huge drums in front of the military formation. The famous mega drums here were used to boost morale and suppress the enemy. In front of each big drum were two strong men.  Han was waving his drumsticks, beating out waves of deep and shocking drum sounds.  Above Wancheng, dozens of feet of thick smoke still shot straight into the sky. The thick smoke, the sound of drums, and the murderous military formations all weighed heavily on the hearts of every Cao Jun soldier, making their morale low and their military morale shaken.  On the top of the city, thousands of soldiers of Cao's army stared blankly at the Han army's formation below the city. They were shocked in their hearts by the sound of war drums and the overwhelming Han army's formation.  At this time, every soldier was not thinking about how to fight back, but how to save his life and property in the war. The high morale that Cao Hong gained for a short period of time by allowing his soldiers to loot quickly faded under the pressure of the Han army.  .  Cao Hong also felt chills on his back. The Han army seemed to know the situation of his army very well, and they were very targeted. They directly attacked the weakest morale of Cao's army. Did someone leak the intelligence in the city to the Han army?  There could be no Han scouts hiding in the city. They could not send out information. They could only ask within the military. Someone in the army secretly communicated with the Han army. Thinking of this, Cao Hong's two fists slowly clenched.  Amidst the sound of drums, Ren Ping had changed his clothes and blended into the thousands of people in the north of the city. He found his men. The scouts and the people squatted under the wall together. Ren Ping briefly told everyone about Xiao Liulang.  Death in action.  This?, several of his subordinates said: "Cao Jun came to check just now. He seems to be looking for people with injured palms. Are you looking for the general?" Ren Ping looked at his hands. There was a thick layer of ointment on his hands. His palms were indeed  Slightly burned, he nodded, "Cao Jun should be looking for me!" As soon as Ren Ping finished speaking, a shout came from the distance, and several Cao Jun soldiers were seen dragging out a civilian husband.  Shouted: "I didn't do anything, my hand was injured when burning the stove!" Cao Jun's soldiers did not listen to his explanation, and dragged him away fiercely. An old man next to him sighed: "More than twenty people have been taken away.  "What a sin!" At this time, a group of Cao soldiers came up quickly and shouted: "Everyone, get up and go demolish the houses and collect stones!" Dozens of Cao soldiers used wooden sticks to forcefully drive away the civilians, and more than a thousand civilians were forced to do so.  He stood up and walked towards the city. The old man beside Ren Ping moved a little slowly and was knocked to the ground by Cao Jun's two sticks. Ren Ping quickly helped him up, "Old man, no problem!" The old man suddenly saw Ren Ping's right hand.  After being stunned for a moment, he immediately covered his hands with his clothes and walked toward the team. Cao Jun's soldiers did not see him and continued to move forward, yelling.  "Thank you!" The old man thanked Ren Ping in a low voice, but couldn't help but cursed: "When the Han army enters the city, they must kill all of them!" Ren Ping smiled and patted his shoulder, speeding up.  Chasing forward, the old man looked at his back and sighed quietly At the same time as the drums of the Han army were beating, in the inner hall of the Huang family, more than a dozen heads of Wancheng's prominent families gathered together, including Deng Yizhi  Brother Deng Ren, everyone's expressions were serious, they all knew that they had reached the final moment of choice.  Huang Chengyan slowly said to everyone: "Cao Hong allowed his soldiers to plunder Wancheng. Ming Cao Hong himself also lost confidence in Wancheng, otherwise he would not have been able to do this. It is said that the looting last night also caused heavy misfortune to the Zhang family. Everyone here has  You might as well raise your hands." About seven or eight people raised their hands. Huang Chengyan nodded, "Then half of the families were robbed. Although the Huang family was not robbed, they still paid 50,000 yuan to protect their homes.  Fei, I think we can no longer remain silent, we must take action." At this time, Deng Ren also stood up and said: "Old Master Huang is right. I went to visit my brother in prison this morning, and he was disabled in the leg.  The jailer mistreated him and broke a rib. The whole Deng family couldn't bear it and firmly supported Mr. Huang's reminder that we must take action to let the Han army enter the city. "Everyone expressed their opinions, especially the seven wealthy families who were robbed.  He was so fierce that he could no longer tolerate Cao's army occupying Wancheng and wanted to help the Han army enter the city.  Huang Chengyan waved his hands and everyone became quiet again. He said to everyone: "My plan is to use civilians to cause trouble. I got the news that starting from this afternoon, Cao Jun will equip eight thousand civilians with weapons. With this opportunity, the Huang family can control eight thousand civilians."  Ten peasants, everyone has their own available manpower." Deng Ren said: "The Deng family has seventy servants who have joined the peasants, and together with the Deng family's tenants and shop assistants, we can control about three hundred peasants." "We can.  Control fifty-three people. " "The Zhao family in the north of the city can control sixty-five people." i The heads of the family counted them one by one. Huang Jin quickly recorded the number. Finally, he counted the number of people and said to his father: "Father, there are about one person.  About a thousand people." "Okay!" Huang Chengyan nodded and said to everyone: "Everyone, go back and contact your civilian husband. We have agreed to start an attack at one o'clock tonight and seize the east gate." The Han army did not attack the city.  , stopped the pressure at dusk, withdrew to the camp, and Wancheng became quiet again.  At night, the raging warehouse fire had been extinguished. The soldiers and all supplies were moved to the West Camp, while the East Camp became a temporary accommodation for eight thousand armed civilians.  As the time approached the first watch, there was a commotion in the Western Camp. Under the illumination of torches, Cao Hong, who was wearing armor, led a dozen generals to the stable of the Western Camp.  The scene in the stable made Cao Hong so angry that he almost fainted. Thousands of horses fell in the stable, foaming at the mouth, and were all poisoned. A dozen grooms escaped and a few escaped, while the rest were caught by the soldiers and tied up.  Kneeling on the ground.  Cao Hong already knew that there must have been a traitor in his army. He was the same person who was the one who attacked the morale of Cao's army today. Cao Hong drew his sword, pointed at a horseman and asked with gritted teeth: "Quick! Who ordered you to poison me?" "General,  If I hadn¡¯t poisoned him, I wouldn¡¯t have known itah!¡± Before he could finish, Cao Hong stabbed him to death, and pointed the sword at another groom, ¡°Who ordered you to poison me?¡± Cao Hong¡¯s eyes turned red.  After killing more than a dozen grooms in a row, he turned around and stared fiercely at the general behind him, and finally his eyes fell on Yu Ze.He asked coldly: "General Yu, how on earth was Nanxiang County captured?" "Does the general suspect that I did it?" Yu Ze asked calmly.  "I don't have you. I want to trace them one by one. General Yu will be the first! How did Nanxiang County be captured by the Han army?" Cao Hong's suspicion is not unreasonable. Yu Ze was ambushed by the Han army halfway, so he escaped.  The soldiers of Cao's army in Wancheng should not only be Yu Ze and his dozen or so soldiers, but also many defeated soldiers. However, the defeated soldiers never appeared, and Cao Hong began to suspect that Yu Ze was not telling the truth.  But at this moment, a soldier suddenly rushed to report: "General, something bad has happened, the civilian camp the civilian camp has rebelled!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 928 Everyone betrays relatives and leaves

    "What!" Cao Hong was shocked, grabbed the soldier's neck and shouted: "Are all the soldiers guarding the civilian husband dead?" "General, there were too few brothers guarding the civilian husband, and they were all killed" "A bunch of bastards"  !" Cao Hong cursed, threw away the soldiers, and turned around and ordered: "Hurry up and follow me to suppress the civilians, other book friends are watching:" Several Cao Junya generals flew away, a quarter of an hour later.  , three thousand soldiers gathered.  It can be said that if there is a cause, there must be an effect. Cao Hong plundered Wancheng and captured 30,000 civilians, which had already aroused great indignation among the people of Wancheng. Although Cao Hong also understood that the people of Wancheng were dissatisfied with him, he had nothing to do.  Wancheng cannot be defended by 10,000 troops. At least 20,000 defenders are needed.  He had plenty of food, but not enough troops. Cao Hong had no choice but to arm the civilians. He selected 8,000 strong men from 30,000 civilians, gave them weapons and armor, and began to train them. Today, only the first  One night, but something happened on the first night.  Cao Hong gritted his teeth. He sent five hundred soldiers to guard these armed civilians. Could it be that all five hundred soldiers were killed?  When did these common people have such great abilities?  Cao Hong had already understood that Han army scouts must be hiding among them and leading them to rebel. Otherwise, he would never believe that these civilians could be so lethal.  Cao Hong was worried about internal and external troubles, but he had no choice at this time. He immediately led three thousand troops to the east military camp to bloody suppress the rebellion In the Han army camp outside the city, the patrol soldiers sent by Liu Jing continued to collect  Three letters were received, all of which were shot down from the top of the city with headless arrows. Except for one letter, which was shot by a confidant of Ze faction, the other two letters were shot by two of Cao Hong's confidants, Zhang Sheng and Yang Xun, expressing their willingness to cooperate internally and externally.  , to assist the Han army in capturing Wancheng.  In the Chinese army's tent, Fazhengzi carefully read the two letters three times, smiled at Liu Jing and said: "Your Highness, it is true that the two of them surrendered." Liu Jing knew that these two people were close friends of Cao Hong, and was worried that Cao Hong was deceiving.  When Fazheng judged that the surrender was true, Liu Jing couldn't help but cheer up and said: "Are the two letters really irrelevant?" Fazheng nodded, "If Cao Hong deploys unified arrangements, there must be some connection between the two letters. There must be a connection between the two armies.  Cooperation can hit us as hard as possible, but the two letters stated separately. I can't see any connection between the two letters. They can only have this effect if they conceal it." Liu Jing frowned slightly, "If Cao Hong.  How about arranging for them to surrender?" Fazheng laughed and said, "Your Highness, if Cao Hong had such wisdom, he would not be so passive today." Liu Jing felt relieved, Fazheng was right, Cao Hong was indeed poor in planning.  A lot. This is the fundamental reason why he is always inferior to Cao Ren. Liu Jing also smiled and said: "In that case, tonight is the time to break the city." As soon as he arrived, a soldier rushed over and reported at the door of the tent: "Qiu Qi."  Your Highness, the Huang family sent someone to see you urgently!" Liu Jing and Fazheng looked at each other, slightly surprised, why did the Huang family send someone here?  Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Bring people in!" After a moment, the soldiers led a man in his mid-thirties or sixties and walked in quickly. The man knelt down and bowed, "Huang Jin, a humble citizen, pays homage to His Highness the King of Han.  (The fastest and most stable update) " "Mr. Huang, your second son?" Liu Jing vaguely felt that this person looked familiar and should have seen him before, but Huang Jin was undoubtedly Huang Chengyan's second son and Huang Yueying's brother.  "Xiao Minzheng!" "Excuse me!" Huang Jin stood up. Liu Jing looked at him carefully and couldn't help but laugh, "We have met before, at the wedding of your sister and Kong Ming." Huang Jin is embarrassed.  He smiled and said: "It turns out that His Highness still remembers Xiao Min." "Fifteen or six years have passed, and I only have a vague impression. How is your father's health?" "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. My father is still in good health. My father ordered Xiao Min to  His Highness sent a letter. "Huang Jin took out a silk scroll from his arms and presented it. Liu Jing opened it. He couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised. It turned out that Ren Ping was hiding in Huang Chengyan's house. This was beyond his expectation.  Unexpectedly, more than a dozen prominent families are preparing to revolt tonight, with about a thousand people, led by Ren Ping and others. Good novel:.  Liu Jing nodded, and then asked the soldier: "How long is it until the first watch?" "Reporting to Your Highness, there is still more than half an hour." There was enough time, but at this time, Fazheng smiled and asked Huang Jin: "  How did Mr. Huang get out of the city?" This sentence reminded Liu Jing that Cao Jun's defense on the city was so tight, how could Huang Jin get out of the city?  He also looked at Huang Jin doubtfully.  Huang Jin bowed and said: "Your Majesty, Xiaomin has a good relationship with Cao General Zhang Sheng. Xiaomin used the excuse of going to the manor outside the city and sat down from his defensive line.city.  " Liu Jing secretly shook his head. Huang Jin, after all, was a scholar. He thought the problem was too simple. If Zhang Sheng had not secretly surrendered to him, even if they had a hundred years of friendship, they would never let Zhang Sheng let him go, let alone carrying Huang Chengyan in his arms.  Huang Jin was lucky to receive the letter, but Liu Jing did not break it. He just smiled and said: "There will be a little chaos in the city tonight. For safety reasons, I will stay in the military camp for the time being. I hope you will take me to see him tomorrow."  Your Majesty.  " Huang Jin readily agreed and went down with his soldiers. Liu Jing handed Huang Chengyan to Fazheng. Fazheng looked at it again and couldn't help but sneered: "Cao Hong has betrayed his relatives and left. It's strange that Wancheng can still be saved."  Liu Jing stood up and said with a smile: "It's getting late, we should send troops!"  ¡± All the Han soldiers were wearing armor and resting. With an order, 30,000 Han soldiers stood up and lined up. Just a quarter of an hour later, the 30,000 soldiers had completed their formation. The camp gate was opened. The Han soldiers were divided into three groups. Wang Ping and Wei Yan led each.  Ten thousand troops marched towards the north and south city gates, while Liu Jing personally led ten thousand Han troops to rush towards the east gate of Wancheng under the cover of darkness. The civilians in the east camp rebelled, and Cao Hong led the troops in desperation.  Three thousand troops killed Xiangdong Camp, but he ignored a time difference. The soldiers came from Dongcamp to report to him. It took a quarter of an hour and half an hour to come and go. Cao Hong would kill again at this time.  Going to the east camp was like carving a boat to ask for a sword. When Cao Hong led his army to the east camp, there were corpses everywhere in the east camp. Most of the civilians were dead. The 500 soldiers of Cao's army who were guarding the civilians were all killed.  They had all been taken away, and the camp was already empty. When Cao Hong was wondering, fierce shouts of killing suddenly broke out from the east city gate a mile away. A soldier, covered in blood, stumbled over to report: "General, thousands of people."  Armed civilians are launching an attack on the east gate. The situation is critical!  " Cao Hong was shocked. He turned around and shouted: "Kill to the east gate. Don't be weak. Kill all the civilians!  " Three thousand soldiers of Cao's army rushed towards the city like wolves and tigers. But at this moment, a soldier suddenly pointed in the direction of the north city gate and shouted: "General, the north city tower is on fire.  " Cao Hong turned around and looked around, only to see the North Tower bursting into flames. The entire tower was engulfed in flames. Suddenly a soldier shouted: "The South Tower is also on fire.  " Nancheng and Beicheng were guarded by Cao Hong's confidant generals Zhang Sheng and Yang Xun, each leading two thousand troops. At this time, the north and south city towers were on fire, which meant that something had happened to both Nancheng and Beicheng. Beads of sweat rolled down Cao Hong's forehead, and he felt very anxious.  , but at this time he could no longer care about the north and south towers and shouted: "Suppress the rebellion first!  " Cao Hong led 3,000 soldiers towards the East City Gate. However, he was still more than 200 steps away from the East City Gate. However, he saw from a distance that the gates inside and outside the East City had been breached by the rebels. The city gates were wide open, and a Han army of more than 10,000 people appeared.  A torrent rushed in from outside the city. In the light of the hunting fire, Cao Hong, the leader of the army, was frightened out of his wits. Knowing that the situation was over, he turned around and shouted loudly: "The leader of the thieves ahead is Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, and there are only dozens of people around him.  Guards, whoever takes his head will be rewarded with one hundred thousand taels of gold, and will be granted the title of ten thousand households. Brothers, kill him!  " He coaxed Cao Jun's soldiers to come forward to fight, but he turned his horse's head and ran towards the west gate. Cao Hong's heart was like a mirror. Liu Jing's appearance in the city meant that Wancheng was over, and there were fires at the north and south gates. Now he could only  After escaping from the west gate, it would be too late. Cao Hong galloped all the way. He was still hundreds of steps away from the west gate, but he saw a fierce battle taking place in the street ahead. Thousands of Han troops came out of nowhere and surrounded hundreds of people.  Cao Hong felt a chill in his heart. These Han troops could only enter through the west gate. If they entered through the other three gates, they would not be able to do so quickly. He reined in his horse and was in a dilemma when a wolf-fang arrow shot from the side.  , he instinctively shrank his neck, and the wolf-fang arrow shot through his helmet, and the helmet rolled to the ground. When Cao Hong turned around, he saw more than a thousand Han soldiers coming from the north. This arrow was shot by the general.  The famous general Que Wang Ping, who did not know Cao Hong, thought that the opponent was just an ordinary general of Cao's army, so he ordered the people around him: "Catch him!  ¡± Cao Hong turned his horse and ran southward, with hundreds of soldiers chasing after him. At this time, tens of thousands of Han troops had entered Wancheng. There were obstacles in front of them and pursuers behind them. Cao Hong was alone and had no way out. He escaped.  When he reached an alley, he dismounted and struck the horse hard with his dagger. The horse was in pain and sped up, but Cao Hong hid in the alley. The sound of running gradually disappeared, and the pursuers followed the horse away. Cao Hong's spear was hanging.  On the horse, with only his sword beside him, he drew his sword and ran quickly into the alley. After running for about a hundred steps, the alley reached the end. It turned out that there was a house at the end of this dead end. Cao Hong kicked him.  Opening the door, he rushed into the courtyard with his sword. The owner of the house was already prepared. When he saw a Cao soldier breaking in, he took his two sons and beat him with a stick. Cao Hong was so courageous that he swung his sword left and right and killed all three of them.  , he simply rushed into the house and tookTwo young women and several children were also killed one by one. The hostess screamed and rushed towards Cao Hong, but Cao Hong pierced the chest with his sword.  After killing nine members of his family, Cao Hong felt a little relieved. At least he could hide in this house for a while, and then find a way out of the city after the storm passed.  Cao Hong closed the courtyard door, found a well in the corner of the courtyard, and threw the bodies into the well one by one. But at this moment, there was the sound of rapid running outside, and someone faintly heard shouting: "It's right here!" 'Bang!  !  With a loud noise, the courtyard door was knocked open, and then there was a huge fire. Hundreds of civilians rushed in holding torches, sticks, hoes and other objects. Cao Hong was unable to dodge and was discovered. Someone pointed at him and shouted:  "There! This dog thief killed Ah Fu's family." The angry crowd rushed up. Cao Hong looked for the long sword in a hurry. Then he remembered that the long sword was still in the house. He turned around and ran towards the house, but was beaten by dozens of people.  People surrounded him, and wooden sticks and hoes rained down on him. It was getting brighter, and the chaos in Wancheng had subsided. The Han army had taken control of Wancheng, implemented martial law in the city, and began to search for the remnants of Cao's army from house to house.  Yong, completely different from Cao's soldiers. Han soldiers had strict military discipline and would never rob people. As long as they found that the owner of the house was not being coerced, they would leave immediately. By noon, Han soldiers had arrested nearly two thousand people who had fled into the houses.  Cao's army was defeated.  Liu Jing, escorted by dozens of guards, walked into an alley and arrived at a house at the end of the alley. The searching soldiers found an officer of Cao Army who had been beaten to death in the house.  It is engraved with the word "Zi Lian", which is Cao Hong's cousin.  There were soldiers standing inside and outside the courtyard. Liu Jing walked into the courtyard, and a military prince came forward to report: "Your Highness, this man's face has been beaten to pieces, and his appearance can no longer be distinguished, but his fish scale armor is exquisitely made, and he is made of silk and satin.  He is not an ordinary person, but he also has this sword. "The military prince presented the sword, and Liu Jing took it. The sword was simple in style and extremely sharp. He recognized the name of the sword 'Radio' at a glance. This was originally Dong Zhuo's sword, and was later adopted by Dong Zhuo.  Cao Cao collected it, and Cao Hong presented the famous horse "White Hu" to Cao Cao. In return, Cao Cao gave the sword to Cao Hong.  Liu Jing walked up to General Cao¡¯s body. He already knew that this person was Cao Hong, the general of Nanyang. He had been rampant for a lifetime, but in the end he died under the sticks of the people in Wancheng. It can be said that the cycle of cause and effect and unsatisfactory retribution.  Liu Jing shook her head, turned back to Li Qingling and said: "Take good care of his head, put it in a box, and send someone to Hefei." After that, Liu Jing turned around and left. When he walked to the door, Liu Jing turned back and ordered: "Here it is.  He found a good coffin and buried him properly

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 929 Wu Jun breaks the situation

    In the county government hall, the captured Cao Army Commander Shi Zhang Ji bowed to Liu Jing, "The humble minister Zhang Ji pays homage to His Royal Highness the King of Han!" Zhang Ji was about fifty years old. He was from Feng Yi in Guanzhong. He had been an official in Guanzhong and served as Zhong Yao.  With a long history, he assisted Zhong Yao in governing Guanzhong, appeased Ma Teng, and made significant contributions to restoring the people's livelihood and economy in Guanzhong When the Han army conquered Guanzhong, Zhang both evacuated Guanzhong with Zhong Yao and was appointed by Cao Cao as the commander-in-chief of Cao Hong's army.  History, assisting Cao Hong in managing military affairs. Other book friends are reading:.  After Jia Kui was injured when he stopped Cao's army from plundering the city, Zhang Ji temporarily took over the post of prefect. When the Han army defeated Wancheng, Zhang Ji had nowhere to escape and became a prisoner of the Han army.  Liu Jing hurriedly stepped forward to help Zhang Ji up and said sincerely: "Mr. Zhang, there is no need to be polite. I sent people to Taiyuan to find Mr. Zhang's whereabouts. I didn't expect that Mr. Zhang was in Nanyang. Liu Jing didn't know it and neglected Mr. Zhang."  She was startled and wondered why Liu Jing valued herself so much. Liu Jing sighed slightly: "The recovery of Guanzhong from its ruin and decay is all due to the efforts of Zhong Xiaowei and Zhang Changshi. Every time I inspect Guanzhong, I see that every path has been dredged."  The irrigation canals, and when I see the cultivated fields, I will look around and remember the well diggers. We will remember the contribution of Zhong Yao and Zhang Ji. " Zhang Ji did not expect Liu Jing to value himself so much.  He was extremely moved and bowed again, "If Your Highness doesn't mind, Zhang Ji is willing to do your best for Your Highness!" Liu Jing helped him up and said with a smile, "I know Mr. Zhang can't bear to leave Guanzhong. Is Mr. Zhang willing to serve as Jingzhao?"  "Is it Yin's position?" Zhang Ji was overjoyed. He had been governing Guanzhong for thirty years and restored Guanzhong to the prosperous age of the Han Dynasty. How could he not be willing to do so? Zhang Ji was extremely excited and said, "Yes, I am willing!"  Please pack your luggage and leave for Guanzhong tomorrow to take up the post of Jingzhaoyin." At this time, Zhang Ji remembered something again and said quickly: "Your Majesty, Jia Kui was seriously injured when he stopped the rebels from looting the people.  I hope Your Highness can forgive him." Liu Jing smiled and said, "I have ordered military doctors to treat his injuries. The problem is not serious. He will recover in two months. When the time comes, he will be free. I will never embarrass him.  " "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness! " At this time, the Deng family and his son had been released from prison. They were both relatively weak. Liu Jing visited them and asked them to take a good rest, and then came to the Huang Mansion. Not because of this.  The Huang family played an important role in the Han army's capture of Wancheng, and because Huang Chengyan, Zhuge Liang's father-in-law, was of great use to Liu Jing There was a lot of chatting and laughter in the inner hall, and Liu Jing and Huang Chengyan couldn't help but laugh when they recalled the events of that year.  laugh.  "Back then, His Highness dressed up as Kong Ming and came to coax me and offered to marry my daughter. I really believed it. Afterwards, Duke Kuai mentioned this to me, and I found out the truth. But by then, it was already done and it was too late to regret it. Kong Ming became mine.  Son-in-law, my daughter Yueying wrote a letter a few days ago and mentioned the princess. " Huang Yueying had a very good personal relationship with Tao Zhan back then, but because of their different husbands' positions, they ended up going their separate ways. Liu Jing also nodded and asked, "Princess.  I often mention Yueying. I wonder how she is doing? " Huang Chengyan smiled bitterly: "She only gave birth to one daughter and has nothing to do with anything. In the past two years, she adopted Zhuge Qiao, the son of Kong Ming's brother. Last year, Kong Ming took a concubine and gave birth to a child.  The son is named Zhan. Although she is not a child, she is still very happy. It can be seen in the letter (the fastest and most stable update)." At this point, Huang Chengyan sighed: "My daughter married Kong Ming. Now I think about it as if it was yesterday.  What happened just now is still fresh in my mind, but fifteen years have passed. " "It's true. I also find that if I just recall a person, I feel that time flies, but I still think of what happened in the past ten years.  Things have changed, but my feelings are different. Too many things have happened, and time passes very slowly. It can be seen that my feelings towards people and things are different. " "I was only over fifty years old back then, but now I am nearly seven.  It¡¯s been ten years, I wonder how Kuai Gong is doing?¡± Liu Jing knew that Huang Chengyan was referring to Kuai Yue. Kuai Liang passed away due to illness five years ago, and Kuai Yue was still there. Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, ¡°Kuai Gong is seventy years old.  He lived in seclusion in his ancestral land to seek Taoism and did not care about worldly affairs. However, the Kuai family did not decline. Kuai Qi was appointed as Guanglu Qing, and Kuai Ye was appointed as Shangyong Prefect. I remember that there are still several children of the Kuai family who are county magistrates and county magistrates.  The family cannot be just General Huang!" Liu Jing was very subtle, hinting that Huang Chengyan should see the situation clearly. Why didn't Huang Chengyan understand that although he was a noble person, he had to consider the family. Liu Jing was willing to do this, which was a sign of his family.  If he, Huang Chengyan, has his own chance, he would be pedantic if he doesn't realize the situation yet. Other book friends are reading:.  Huang Chengyan sighed and said: "I heard from my second son that His Highness has governed Guanzhong for only two years. Guanzhong has repaired its canals, reclaimed the land, and gradually regained its vitality. This is the harbinger of the revival of the Han Dynasty. We can see the revival of the Han Dynasty again in our lifetime, even if we die."  No regrets!" Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "Just looking at it is not enough. If Huang Gong doesn't object, I will let you be a secretary in my account.?¡± Huang Chengyan was overjoyed and quickly saluted, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness!  Returning to the military camp from Huang Mansion, Liu Jing ordered people to find Ren Ping and others, rewarded them heavily, and recorded their great achievements. He also met with several generals of Cao's army who had surrendered, and appeased them one by one But Liu Jing was definitely not fond of Cao's army.  Blindly tolerant, he knew that Cao Jun soldiers had looted Wancheng, killed people, and committed heinous crimes against Wancheng. If he did not give an explanation to the people of Wancheng, it would be difficult for him to win the hearts of the people of Nanyang. This was also an opportunity for him  , Cao Jun ruined his reputation, but gave him Liu Jing a good opportunity to win over the people.  Liu Jing immediately ordered that the money looted by Cao Jun's soldiers be confiscated. Those who can identify the owner of the money will all return it to the owner of the money. If it is really impossible to identify the owner of the money, all the property will be used to compensate the families who were killed by Cao Jun soldiers.  At the same time, Liu Jing ordered Cao's soldiers to expose each other and arrested more than 3,000 murderers. They were escorted to the streets of Wancheng for the victims to come and identify them.  For a time, Wancheng was in an uproar. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in search of their enemies. Hundreds of Cao Jun soldiers were beaten to death by the angry people on the spot. Crowds surged on the streets, crying loudly. Many people lost control of their emotions. The scene  Extremely confusing.  Liu Jing had no choice but to stop identifying, beheaded all three thousand soldiers, and used their heads to commemorate the murdered people. Liu Jing's move completely won the hearts of the people in Wancheng and even the entire Nanyang County. Almost every household in Wancheng worshiped Liu Jing, the King of Han.  In the portrait, the children of Wancheng enthusiastically signed up to join the army. In just three days, the number exceeded 10,000. Liu Jing selected 5,000 young men to join the Jingzhou army. At this point, Nanyang County officially became the northernmost county in Jingzhou.  However, the Han army did not completely occupy Nanyang County. Ye County in the northwest was still in the hands of Cao's army. Cao's general Li Dian led an army of 10,000 to defend Ye County. Five days later, Xiahou Dun personally led an army of 20,000 to rescue Nanyang. At this time,  Nanyang County had been occupied by the Han army. Xiahou Dun did not dare to act rashly. He stationed troops in Ye County and waited to see what the Han army would do.  Although Cao Jun did not abandon Nanyang, for Liu Jing, opening the Nanxiang Pass was only part of his Hefei campaign, and it was impossible for him to focus too much on Nanyang County.  Liu Jing immediately ordered Zhang Yi to lead 10,000 troops to reinforce Yiyang and strengthen the defense of the three passes of Yiyang. At the same time, he ordered Pin to lead 30,000 troops to garrison Wancheng to confront Cao's army in Ye County.  After arranging the defense on the western front, Liu Jing immediately led an army of 50,000 to leave Wancheng, go south to Xiangyang, and advance towards Hefei. With the breakdown of Nanyang on the west line, the Jiangdong side of the east line also gradually broke and thawed. The power of Jiangdong's breakthrough came from  Cao Cao's army, Zhang Liao, followed Cao Cao's order and led an army of 30,000 people to advance from Lishui toward Wu County. In the Battle of Yangxian, they defeated the 10,000 army led by Soochow general Zhu Heng.  Zhu Heng led thousands of remnant troops to retreat towards Piling County. They happened to encounter Sun Quan's army heading south, and Zhu Heng surrendered to Sun Quan.  In mid-May, 30,000 troops led by Sun Quan and 30,000 Cao troops formed an alliance in Wu County, and 60,000 Sun and Cao troops surrounded Wu County. At this time, there were less than 20,000 troops in Wu County, commanded by Grand Sima Sun Yu.  There has been no war in Wuxian County for a hundred years. As Sun and Cao's coalition troops approached the city, the city suddenly fell into chaos. Every household began to stock up on vegetables and grab rice. Cellars became hiding places. Prices skyrocketed. A bucket of rice rose to a thousand dollars. Gold and red gold were no longer visible.  The sight of him made people in the city panic, and the three big families of Lu, Gu, and Zhang, who had always been active, fell silent.  At this time, a carriage came quickly and stopped in front of the gate of Gu's Mansion. Zhang Wen got out of the carriage. The porter of Gu's Mansion hurried into the house to report. After a moment, Gu Yong's third son Gu Ji came out quickly to greet him.  , bowed deeply and said, "Uncle Shi, please wait for a long time." Zhang Wen waved his hand, "There is no need to be polite at this time, nephew, is your father at home?" "Uncle Shi is at home, please come with me, other book friends are here  Look: " Zhang Wen didn't say much and hurriedly walked into the mansion with Gu Ji. In the inner hall, Gu Yongzheng and his brother Gu Hui were talking about the situation. Compared to the chaos in the city, the Gu brothers were very calm. In fact, he  I am not worried about any mishaps. Regardless of Sun Quan, Cao Cao or Liu Jing, if they want to occupy Wujun, they cannot do without the support of the Wujun family.  Wu Jun and Jiangdong are loyal, and the Wu Jun family represents the Jiangdong family to a certain extent. Of course, due to the relocation of the capital in recent years, with the rise of the Xie family, Bu family and other families in Danyang County in Jiangdong official circles, the Wu Jun family  It has been gradually marginalized. It is for this reason that the three major Wujun families, Lu, Gu and Zhang, have no hesitation in supporting Sun Ce's son Sun Shao.  However, the final result disappointed them. Sun Shao, whom they supported, turned out to be a puppet, and the real military and political power was taken over by Sun Yu. This made Gu Yong and others extremely dissatisfied, and they withdrew from the Wujun regime one after another and waited to see how the situation changed.  "Don't worry, second brother. If Sun Quan wants to restore the former Jiangdong, he must treat the Wujun family with courtesy, otherwise the three counties of Jiangdong will no longer work together." "But, there is still Cao Jun!""With Cao Jun here, there is no need to worry. Is Sun Quan going to let Cao Jun massacre the city? He will also use Cao Jun to deal with us. If this is true, the Gu family will really surrender to Liu Jing." Although Gu Yong was trying to appease his brothers,  But he also knew in his heart that with Sun Quan's nature, he would definitely settle accounts with the Wujun family. Even if the family would not be destroyed, it would probably be impossible for them to return to officialdom.  At this moment, Gu Yong's third son, Gu Ji, hurriedly walked down the hall and saluted, "Father, Uncle Zhang Shi is here." Zhang Wen came. Gu Yong did not dare to neglect and quickly stood up to greet him. At this time, Zhang Wen stepped forward and saluted.  He said anxiously: "Brother Yuan Tan, something may have happened in the palace." Gu Yong, however, was very calm and said calmly: "Huisu, don't be nervous, please sit down and talk in detail." At this time, Gu Hui also stepped forward to talk to Zhang Wen  After seeing the ceremony, the two brothers invited Zhang Wen to sit down and asked the maid to serve tea. Zhang Wen also calmed down, sat down and took a sip of tea and said: "I just got the news that the eldest son has hosted a banquet at the Wu Palace to invite his grandson.  Yu went to have a banquet, I'm afraid something big is going to happen in the palace. "The eldest son pointed to Sun Shao. Although Sun Shao was the eldest son of Sun Ce, he was not as decisive as his father in killing. He was also a scholar, indecisive, and was ignored by Sun Yu.  As a puppet, everyone who supports him is deeply disappointed.  Gu Yong was also extremely disappointed with Sun Shao, so he took advantage of his illness to resign and go home. At this time, Sun Cao's coalition forces were besieging the city, and Sun Shao was still having internal strife. This was obviously just to vent his personal anger. Gu Yong sneered: "It is against the law to commit evil."  , People who commit evil will not survive. At this time, there will be internal strife. I have nothing to say." Zhang Wen sighed, "But he is the only son of General Bo Fu. If he has three shortcomings, how can we explain to the spirit of General Bo Fu?  "Gu Yong also shook his head, "It's a given. Even if Sun Yu can't kill him, he can't escape Sun Quan's hands. Brother Huishu, don't think about the Sun family, think more about your own family!" Zhang Wen's heart sank, "  What does Yuan Tan mean, Sun Quan wants to attack the Wujun family?" "It's not a big deal, but he will definitely try every means to weaken us. To be honest, brother Huisu, I have decided to move the academy to Yuzhang and leave this wrong place first.  " Zhang Wen nodded silently. The Lu family has secretly taken refuge with Liu Jing, and the Gu family is also preparing to move west. It seems that the Zhang family has plans.  Thinking of this, Zhang Wen stood up and saluted: "In that case, I don't care about the life or death of the Sun family. I will go back to the house first and gather the clan members to consider the future of the Zhang family!" Zhang Wen said goodbye and left, and the Gu brothers kept sending him out of the door.  , Gu Hui watched Zhang Wen's carriage go away, and then asked in a low voice: "Brother, what choice do you think the Zhang family will have?" Gu Yong smiled slightly, "Those who know the current affairs are heroes!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 930 Escape from Wuxian County

    Sun Yu walked into the Wu Palace with his sword. In the afternoon, he received a message from Sun Shao. He wanted to discuss with him how to deal with the crisis outside the city. A special banquet was held and he was invited to the banquet. Sun Yu was so cunning. Sun Shao's favorite  He had already bribed his concubine, and arranged internal agents among the guards of King Wu's palace. He knew Sun Shao's every move like the back of his hand.  Now that Sun Shao invited him to drink, he immediately learned of Sun Shao's intention, and he suddenly became furious. Seeing that the situation was critical, Sun Shao wanted to kill himself to plead guilty to Sun Quan.  Sun Yu kept his cool and deployed more than a thousand soldiers outside King Wu's palace. He wore fine armor on the inside, a robe on the outside, and a sharp sword on his waist. He "happily" entered the palace for the banquet. Just as Sun Yu entered the inner palace, the palace  A cry of killing suddenly erupted from behind the curtains on both sides, and dozens of guards who were ambushing behind rushed out with sharp axes in hand.  Sun Yu was on guard for a long time. He turned around and ran away. He rushed out of the palace before the palace door was closed, ran towards the square, and shouted: "Where are the sons and gentlemen?" More than a thousand soldiers who were ambushing outside the palace heard this.  The sound was heard everywhere, and they entered the palace from all sides. Dozens of swordsmen and axemen could not escape and were shot to death by random arrows from the soldiers. The maids in the palace were so frightened that they hid in Tibet. Sun Yu led his army into the harem, but could not find Sun.  At this time, the soldiers brought up the old servant who served Sun Shao. Sun Yu grabbed his hair and asked: "Where is Sun Shao?" The old servant glanced at the Mingguang Tower in the distance, but took advantage of Sun Yu's absence.  Sun Yu was prepared and hit his head on the wall to death. Sun Yu looked back at Mingguang Tower. He understood in his heart and immediately ordered: "The criminal is in the tower, go up to the tower to arrest him." Hundreds of soldiers rushed out of the back door and ran towards the hillside.  Go, and for a moment, Mingguang Pagoda was surrounded. At this moment, thick smoke billowed from the tower, and the fire burned quickly. The soldiers were frightened and retreated, looking at the burning pagoda.  The fire burned for a full hour before it was finally extinguished. Sun Yu led the soldiers to find a charred corpse in the collapsed tower. Some soldiers found a jade pendant from the corpse. The jade pendant had been burned and cracked, but it was still vaguely visible. Sun Yu looked at it.  Looking at the jade pendant, he recognized the jade pendant left by his uncle Sun Jian to Sun Ce. Sun Ce in turn left it to his son Sun Shao. It has been passed down through three generations. It seems that the burnt corpse belongs to Sun Shao.  Sun Yu sighed hypocritically, "Idiot, I wanted to hurt you, but you wanted to die. It's not my fault." He turned back to the soldiers and said, "Give him a good burial." In a building in the east of Wu County City  In the small courtyard, a young man was walking around with his hands behind his back, staring at the sky, looking indifferent and calm. He was Sun Shao who had died in the Mingguang Tower.  Of course, Sun Shao would not die so easily. In this escape plan arranged by Lu Xun, only one of the bodyguards was burned to death. Sun Shao took advantage of the chaos in the palace and when no one around him had time to monitor him, he escaped from the Wu Palace and was killed.  Lu Xun was placed in this small courtyard house.  Sun Shao is twenty-three years old this year. His biological mother, Yuan Shi, was the daughter of Yuan Shu, and his sister married Lu Xun. It was for this reason that the Lu family fought to protect him. Until today, Lu Xun used a trick to save him.  come out.  At this time, Sun Shao felt very relaxed. He did not feel sad because Wu County was about to fall, nor was he deeply saddened by the internal strife in the Sun family.  In fact, Sun Shao had no intention of competing for hegemony at all. He was only five years old when his father died. He grew up with his grandmother, Mrs. Wu. He was deeply influenced by his grandmother and stepmother. He believed in Buddhism, advocated inner peace, and was unwilling to fight with others.  He was just a scholar, he didn't have the strength to tie a chicken, and he really didn't have the capital to compete for hegemony.  Sun Shao was brought to power entirely out of Sun Yu's selfish motives. He took advantage of the Wujun people's love for Sun Ce and made Sun Shao a puppet. Now that he has escaped from Sun Yu, he will no longer be a puppet, which makes Sun Shao feel relaxed.  At this time, there were soft footsteps outside, the door opened, and a pretty young woman walked into the yard carrying a basket, but Sun Shao's sister Sun Jiao said, "Brother!" Sun Jiao put down the basket and ran up, and the two siblings  People cried with joy and hugged each other tightly.  "Little sister, where is Boyan?" Sun Shao asked hurriedly.  "Lu Lang is looking for a way out of the city. He will be here soon. Brother is hungry!" Sun Jiao took out the meat cakes and water from the basket. "I will bring some dry food. Brother, eat it quickly!" Sun Shao nodded and ate slowly.  Holding the meat pie, he asked again: "How is the situation outside?" "The palace has been quiet. If you ask about the situation in the county, everyone knows that the city will not be saved. Lu Lang, no matter what, he must send his brother out.  , It cannot fall into the hands of the second uncle." At this point, Sun Jiao asked again: "What are your plans for the future?" Sun Shao smiled bitterly, "I am tired of power struggles and just want to live peacefully. Anyway, they are all.  If you think I'm dead, I'll change my name and live!" Sun Jiao hesitated and said, "I mean the same thing, but it seems like Lu Lang can't hide my brother's fake death from him, so he must leave Jiangdong."Sun Shao was shocked, "Don't Sun Quan believe it?" At this time, Lu Xun's voice came from outside the courtyard, "Actually, Sun Yu doesn't believe it either!" Seeing Lu Xun quickly walking into the courtyard, Sun Shao quickly stood up and saluted, and Lu Xun  He quickly said to his wife: "Go and pack your brother's things quickly. Sun Yu has started to search the city. We are leaving now. I will tell you in detail on the way." Sun Jiao quickly packed the package for her brother, and the two of them left in a hurry with Lu Xun.  In the small courtyard, we boarded a awning boat on the river not far away. Lu Xun and Sun Jiao's two sons were already waiting in the cabin. Everyone got on the boat and the two boatmen rowed away.  Lu Xun then said slowly: "Although Sun Yu was concealed for a while, he will soon react. After all, no one saw you in the tower. Besides, the jade pendant is fake. Just ask a jade worker to identify it."  " Sun Shao gently touched the jade pendant in his hand. This was a relic left by his father. How could he be willing to destroy it? He could only find a fake one to replace it. Sun Shao sighed and said: "I know it is difficult to hide it, but there is no way.  There is no other way, Boyan, should we leave the county now?" Lu Xun nodded, held his two young sons in his arms and said, "Not only do you want to leave, I also want to take my wife and children away, and Sun Quan will not do the same.  Let me go, I have arranged the route, the last chance to escape tonight." "The army is sieging the city, how can we escape?" Sun Shao asked in confusion.  Lu Xun smiled slightly, "You will know when the time comes." After a moment of silence, Sun Shao couldn't help but ask: "If I escape from the city, where should I go?" "Go to the islands outside Kuaiji. The Han army from Wu County has already  They evacuated first. There was a military city built by the Han army over there. " Sun Shao was shocked. When did the Han army build a military city on the outer island?  He had never heard of it.  "Don't ask. I only learned about it two days ago. In the compromise reached by Wu Hou and His Highness the King of Han, Wu Hou gave up all the outer islands to Jingzhou at that time. Only a few high-ranking officials knew that Wu Hou had never  Announced, other book friends are reading: " Sixty thousand Sun and Cao coalition forces surrounded Wuxian. Several rivers leading out of the city were also closely monitored, and no ships were allowed to escape. It was getting dark, and the time was at Haishi.  The lights in the tent were brightly lit, and Sun Quanzheng, Zhang Liao and others were discussing how to break the city the next day.  According to Sun Quan's wishes, it is best for Wu County to surrender without a fight. If a large-scale attack is carried out, the losses to Jiangdong will be too great. Sun Quan does not want to bear such losses again. However, the defenders of Wu County do not seem to have any intention of surrendering. So far, no general has sent anyone secretly.  This made Sun Quan very depressed. He actually knew the reason. Wu Jun had always supported Sun Shao to inherit Jiangdong, but not Sun Quan.  Fortunately, the three major aristocratic families in Wujun had already sent people to send letters out of the city in the afternoon, expressing their willingness to support Wujun's proposal to return, which made Sun Quan feel a little more comfortable. However, these aristocratic families were just helpless, and we really can't expect them to be loyal.  "Does Marquis Wu think the words of several great families can be trusted?" Zhang Liao asked from the side.  Sun Quan nodded, "They want to protect the family. Now that Wu County is about to be destroyed, I also believe that they will choose to protect themselves." "Wei Gong didn't give me much time. I can only stay in Jiangdong for five days at most. No matter what happens tomorrow,  It's my last day to break the city. Please forgive me." After a pause, Zhang Liao said again: "In order to ensure the attack, Wu Hou will give a clear time!" Sun Quan thought for a moment and said slowly: "Tomorrow at the latest.  If the city still refuses to surrender at noon, the general can attack the city at will. "Zhang Liao nodded and said with a smile, "Then we will make a deal!" As soon as he finished speaking, a soldier rushed over and shouted at the door of the tent.  Report: "To inform the Marquis of Wu, the east city gate is wide open and countless civilians are escaping. The soldiers cannot stop them. General Zhou, can you attack the city?" Sun Quan and Zhang Liao looked at each other. This opportunity has come. Zhang Liao is anxious.  He said: "Pass my order, and the army will attack the east city." Sun Quan also rushed out of the tent and shouted: "Go and tell General Zhou to attack the city immediately!" The east city gate was surrounded by Jiangdong General Zhou Tai, and there were three people outside the city.  The Qianjiangdong garrison was relatively weak, and the general guarding the east gate was named He Zhen. He was a former subordinate of Lu Xun and led 2,000 troops to guard the east gate.  Around 1 hour, the east city gate suddenly opened wide, and thousands of people from Jiangdong rushed out of the city, helping the old and young with their meager belongings. People were panicked, and there was a chaos outside the city with cries and shouts.  Jiangdong outside the city couldn't bear to drive them away, so he could only stop them from escaping. At this time, Zhou Tai found that he had an opportunity to enter the city, but without Sun Quan's order, he did not dare to enter the city without permission.  People went to ask Sun Quan for instructions.  Just when the East City Gate was in chaos, on the Songjiang River about a few hundred steps away from the East City Gate, a awning boat quietly came.After sailing out of the city, the soldiers monitoring the river also ran to intercept the fleeing mob. The awning boat left the east city gate silently and gradually disappeared into the darkness.  Despite this, the awning boat was discovered by Jiangdong soldiers and reported to the general Zhou Tai. On a high ground not far from the river, Zhou Tai rode on a horse and silently watched the awning boat go away. He knew very well that the awning boat was going away.  Whoever was in the ship also knew why a large number of people fled the city.  However, Zhou Tai did not order the interception. Zhou Tai knew very well what would happen to the old master's only son if he fell into the hands of Sun Quan.  Zhou Tai sighed lowly and turned his horse's head towards the city gate. Although Lu Xun caused a chaos at the east city gate and gave them a chance to escape through the waterway, Sun and Cao's coalition also got a chance to attack the city. Zhou Tai received Sun Quan's  Following the order, he led 3,000 troops into Dongcheng, and Wuxian County fell at night.  As Sun and Cao's coalition forces entered the city in large numbers, Sun Yu committed suicide in despair.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 931 Enemies in Lu'an

    Since Zang Ba succeeded in his attack on Liyang, countless thousands of stone cargo ships appeared on the Caohe River from Hefei to Shouchun. The ore ships that originally transported ore back to Jingzhou became Cao's army's grain and grass. A steady stream of grain was transported from Shouchun to Hefei.  It greatly enhanced Hefei's defense capabilities In order to prevent Han army scouts from sneaking into Hefei, Cao Cao made a major decision a month ago to move tens of thousands of Hefei people to Shouchun, making Hefei a real military city.  In fact, during several battles in Hefei, a large number of Hefei people had moved out to avoid the war, and there were less than 30,000 people left in the city. But this time, Cao Cao simply ordered them all to move away, leaving only 70,000 people in Hefei.  The army was stationed, and another 30,000 troops were stationed in Shouchun.  Of course, Cao's army was spreading abroad at this time. Zhang Liao led 30,000 troops into Wu County to assist in the war, Zhang He garrisoned Ruxukou, Zang Ba garrisoned Wuhu, and Hefei and Shouchun only had 50,000 troops.  At this moment, bad news reached Shouchun. The Nanyang general Cao Hong was killed in battle, and Nanyang County had been occupied by the Han army. This news dealt a heavy blow to Cao Cao. After Xia Houyuan, Cao Cao once again lost a close relative. The death of Cao Hong  It pained him deeply.  Cao Cao locked himself in his room. He had no food or water for a whole day and saw no one. The guards came to persuade him several times, but he ignored him. It was not until the evening that military advisor Cheng Yu hurried from Hefei.  As if they had welcomed a savior, Cao Cao's guards welcomed Cheng Yu to Cao Cao's study. Xu Chu whispered to Cheng Yu: "If Wei Gong meets the military advisor, the military advisor must not mention Cao Hong's matter again. Wei Gong is old and can no longer stand it."  Such a blow, nice novel:." Cheng Yu smiled and nodded, "Don't worry! I know it in my heart." A guard came forward to report. After a while, Cao Cao's tired voice came from the room, "Please come in!"  Cheng Yu walked into the room and went to the inner room, only to see Cao Cao sitting behind the desk. Cheng Yu was immediately startled. He hadn't seen Cao Cao for a few days, and he seemed to have aged ten years, with wrinkles all over his face.  His complexion was dim, his energy and energy were almost gone, and he looked at the table with a dull look in his eyes "Why is Wei Gong like this?" Cheng Yu exclaimed in surprise, only Cao Hong was killed in battle, Wei Gong was hit so hard, even more severely than Xia Houyuan  Death seems to be even more serious.  Cao Cao sighed, "Although I am saddened by Zi Lian's death, judging from Jia Kui's report, he also brought the blame on himself. He was beaten to death by the people of Wancheng with sticks by the Han army who sent his head. I believe this fact.  The loss of Nanyang County, which made me sad, caused me to lose an important strategic fulcrum on the Western Front. It also meant that I switched from strategic offense to strategic defense. I hate myself for being stupid. I didn't expect that the Han army would open up the Nanxiang Pass and attack the enemy.  Guanzhong and Nanxiang are connected as one, but now I understand that it is too late to regret it! " Cheng Yu was also secretly ashamed. As a military advisor, he failed to remind his lord in time. This was also his dereliction of duty. Without Nanyang as the fulcrum of attack, they could not move from east to west!  The two fronts put pressure on Jingzhou at the same time, and the entire battlefield moved eastward to Hefei. The Han army could go all out to prepare for the battle in Hefei. From this perspective, the Nanxiang Battle was also part of the Hefei Campaign, giving the Han army no worries.  Thinking of this, Cheng Yu slowly advised: "Wei Gong, please be at ease. I believe that the defeat of Nanyang is only due to the different strategic arrangements of the Han and Wei families. The focus of the Han army is on Nanyang, and they are all attacking, so Liu Jing can break through Nanxiang."  The pass, but our strategy is placed in Jiangdong, so we can help Sun Quan reunify Jiangdong and make the alliance between Cao and Sun stronger. This will help us gain the upper hand in the southeast. If we lose the east corner, we will definitely gain it. Wei Gong  Why lose composure over the gains and losses of one city and one corner?" Cao Cao nodded, "Zhongde is right, while Liu Jing is attacking Nanyang with all his strength, we are trying our best to help Sun Quan regain Jiangdong. The focus is indeed different. Chen Qun advised him a few days ago.  I took the opportunity to destroy Jiangdong and unify Yangzhou. What does Zhongde think?" Cheng Yu shook his head and said seriously to Cao Cao: "To be honest with Wei Gong, Wei Chen has repeatedly considered this possibility, but Wei Chen's conclusion is that although we can destroy Sun Quan,  It can temporarily expand the territory, but in the end it is used as a wedding dress for Liu Jing, giving Liu Jing an excuse to send troops to Jiangdong. On the contrary, leaving Jiangdong behind will have a force to contain Liu Jing, forming a tripartite trend in the southeast.  Which of the two plans is better, Duke Wei will consider for himself" Cao Cao smiled and said: "Zhongde's words are in my opinion. Not only can we not weaken Jiangdong, but we must also strengthen Jiangdong's strength. I have ordered Zhang Liao to give Sun Quan a  Ten thousand barrels of kerosene and gave him the refining formula of kerosene, Sun Quan will soon have the ability to attack with fire, which is crucial to the navy. As Zhongde said, as long as Jiangdong can contain Liu Jing's  With the strength of the eastern front, we can put our troops on the front line of Luoyang and Xudu. It is not yet known who will win!" Cheng Yu stood up and bowed deeply, "In this case, why is Wei Gong so depressed and panicking the army? The war is coming!  , I also hope that Wei Gong can cheer up the spirit, inspire the morale of the army, and let the ministers see the hope of victory  " Cao Cao nodded silently, "That's what Zhongde said!  " Cao Cao accepted Cheng Yu's advice and began to cheer up again. He ordered General Jun to lead 10,000 troops to garrison Shu County. This was the only way for the Han army to attack Hefei from the land route. The 10,000 vanguards of the Han army had already reached Juchao.  County, only seventy miles away from Shu County, the two armies were facing each other far away, and the area around Feichao was called "Wu Tou and Chu Wei". During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it was the main battlefield between Wu and Chu, and it was located in numerous city strongholds.  The three cities are the most important. One is Shu County, which is later known as Lujiang County. The terrain here is high in the west and low in the east. It borders Chaohu Lake in the northeast and the Yangtze River in the southeast. It has two official roads that intersect, and thoroughfares reach all directions. It has a large population.  The strategic position of the land of plenty is extremely important. Secondly, Wan County has a large population and a developed economy. It is the largest grain-producing county in Lujiang River and can provide sufficient supplies to the army. Moreover, the Wan River is wide and flat, allowing thousands of stone warships to pass through the Wan River.  Directly entering the Yangtze River, historically, this was the bridgehead for the Chu State to attack the Wu State, and it was also a battleground for military strategists. Currently, the main force of the Han army is stationed in Wan County. Other book friends are reading: The last strategic location is Lu'an County, Liu'an County.  An County is located in the eastern section of the Dabie Mountains, just in the transition zone from the mountains to the plains. The county seat is condescending, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it is very convenient for cavalry to attack eastward. More importantly, Lu'an County is located right between Hefei and Shouchun. To occupy Lu'an County, cavalry can be used.  It directly cuts off the connection between Shouchun and Hefei, and can also enter Shapi Lake by water, destroying the waterway transportation between Shouchun and Hefei. Cao Cao also knew that Lu'an County was important, and ordered General Xu Huang to lead it.  Ten thousand troops were stationed in Lu'an, and Cao Cao occupied two of the three strategic locations east of Hefei. This formed a strategy with Hefei as the center, Ruxukou, Shu County, and Lu'an County as the peripheral defense, and Shouchun as the center.  The rear defense, and the entire Hefei defense line with Xuzhou and Jiangdong as strategic supports, was like a giant shield, guarding the important town of Hefei from all directions, while the Han army was like two sharp spears, attacking from both land and water lines.  The giant shield of Da Hefei must first choose a breakthrough point, either by water and land, or by land. Judging from the current deployment of the Han army, there is no sign of a breakthrough by water for the time being, and no Han army battle has been found.  The ships marched eastward, but there was movement on the land route. Huang Zhong sent General Xiang Xiang and led 10,000 vanguards to Juchao County, about 70 miles away from Shu County. The Han army seemed to be preparing to break through from the Shu County area early that morning.  , a team of 20 Cao Army scout cavalry galloped in the hilly area south of Lu'an County. General Xu Huang attached great importance to intelligence and sent 30 scout teams to patrol within a hundred miles. Moreover, Xu Huang was in charge of extremely strict military discipline.  , Soldiers are not allowed to disturb the people. There was a soldier who stole a fisherman's boat. When Xu Huang found out, he beheaded the soldier in public, regardless of the generals' pleas, which shocked the entire army. Xu Huang also won the love of this scout cavalry among the people of Lu'an.  Liu'an City was already seventy miles away, and they began to be alert. They would be ambushed by Han army scouts at any time in this area. Once they were ambushed, it would be very likely to be fatal. The cavalry slowed down and marched slowly in a valley, right here.  At that time, someone above the head shouted: "We can't go to the front.  "The scouts were startled. They raised their crossbows and pointed them at their heads. There was a big tree above their heads. A woodcutter about fifty years old slowly came down from the tree. He cupped his hands and said: "Several military lords, in front of you.  There will be danger and we can¡¯t go any further.  " The leader of Cao Jun's camp urged his horse forward and asked: "Old man, what is the threat in front of you?  " "There are Han troops stationed in front!  "The scouts were startled and asked again: "Are they the same patrol sentry as us?  " "No, at least tens of thousands of people arrived just last night.  " Several Cao Jun scouts immediately realized the danger. They climbed up the mountain and looked down from the top of the mountain. Sure enough, on the other side of the valley, there was a military camp stationed about ten miles away. Judging from the size, there were at least nearly ten thousand people, and sentries were set up around it.  , heavily guarded, with patrols constantly patrolling the area. The mountain road was relatively hidden and was not discovered by the Han army. Cao Jun's scouts panicked and hurried down the mountain to report to the general Xu Huang in his tent.  After pondering in front of the map for a long time, he had received the report from the scouts. He never expected that the Han army would appear in Lu'an County, and there would be ten thousand troops. It seemed that the Han army's forward attack on Shu County was just a pretense. His real goal was six  Anxian. Mao Jie, the counselor who came to Lu'an to unload grain and grass, smiled and said: "It seems that the general's measures to care for the people have paid off. Even the woodcutter helped the general. How could the general not seize this opportunity given by God?"  Xu Huang pondered for a moment and said: "The Han army has many tricks. Maybe they deliberately exposed it and led my army to ambush. Another Han army took the opportunity to capture Lu'an County. At that time, we were attacked from both sides and were in danger."  ¡±   "The general is right to worry. I wonder how the general is going to respond?" Xu Huang said with a smile: "I focus on righteousness and use oddity as a supplement. If righteousness and oddity are combined, our army will win this battle."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 932 Take advantage of the situation

    Xu Huang judged wrongly that the Han army's vanguard attack on Shu County was just a pretense, but the real goal was to attack Lu'an and prepare to break through Hefei's peripheral defenses from Lu'an County.  This veteran Huang Zhong carefully designed the strategy and was responsible for attacking Lu'an. The Han army commander Zhao Yan, the former prefect of Changsha County, during the Han army launched the Battle of Hefei, Zhao Yan, the commander-in-chief of the Hou army, took the initiative to ask Ying to attack Lu'an north.  Zhao Yan led 12,000 people northward. After entering Lu'an, he divided his troops into two groups and led about 7,000 people in one group secretly from Zuoyunshan to Lu'an County, thirty miles away.  The other group of 5,000 people, led by deputy general Yang Kai, raised a banner of 10,000 people and marched slowly towards Lu'an County. Zhao Yan's intention was obviously to let Cao Jun's scouts find the official and go to the Han army to lure Cao Jun into battle. The main force then raided Lu'an County to attack Cao Jun from both sides. ?????????????????????????????????? But Zhao Yan was unexpectedly sent to Cao Jun and sent troops to defend the city, which made him feel a little uneasy. Could it be that Xu Huang discovered his plan?  Zhao Yan and Xu Huang were very familiar with each other. They knew that Xu Huang was a cautious man with both military skills and rich experience in fighting. Cao Cao ordered Lai to take charge of Lu'an County and trusted Zhao Yan. He did not dare to underestimate the enemy and did not dare to send troops easily. He patiently waited for the opportunity.  But the Han army also had an extremely disadvantageous situation: the Han army went north with a light force and each soldier only carried five days of dry food. In fact, they only had two days. If they could not capture Liu'an within two days, the Han army would have to retreat.  Of course, Zhao Yan could also get food from the people, but before leaving, Huang Zhong repeatedly told the army not to disturb the people. If the military food was insufficient, they could get it from the official warehouses of the counties along the way. However, they only passed one Bo'an County along the way. The county seat was already an empty city. Cao Jun moved all the population of the county to  Liu'an found a piece of grain.  Zhao Yan was anxiously pacing back and forth in the big tent. At this time, Zhang Lin, the general of the army, suggested: "Xu Huang must know that our army is short of food, so we are unwilling to go out to fight. You might as well pretend to be out of food and retreat. Xu Huang will definitely pursue us in tandem, but he can ambush us halfway."  Cao's army can be defeated in battle." Zhao Yan immediately left the camp and went to the army and spread the rumor in the military camp that "the food has been exhausted and we must retreat immediately!"  ¡¯ The Han army began to retreat slowly southward.  Early spies reported Xu Huang quickly. Xu Huang ignored Mao Jie's urging to leave 3,000 troops to guard Lu'an City and personally led 7,000 troops to pursue the Han army one after another.  Baima Valley is a hundred feet wide and six miles long. The mountains on both sides of the valley are steep. The mountains are densely forested. The official passes through the valley. It is the only way to Wan County. At this time, the sky is getting dark and the huge mountain shadows cover the valley, making the valley extremely dark. Pedestrians in the valley are quiet.  Quietly even the sound of birds.  Ten thousand Han troops were hidden deep in the dense forests on both sides. Zhang Nu and his arrows were waiting patiently for Cao Jun to enter the valley. Zhao Yan was quite excited. He had received the news that Xu Huang led his army out of the city to pursue him. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for for a long time.  At this time, the soldiers shouted in a low voice: "General, the enemy is coming!" Zhao Yan immediately looked down the mountain and saw an army of thousands of people approaching in a hurry. The leader was a burly general carrying a Xuanhua ax on his crotch.  Zhao Yan, who was riding a white horse, could roughly see clearly the general's figure and appearance.  Zhao Yan was overjoyed that as long as he shot Xu Huang, Cao's army would be defeated. He immediately ordered: "Archers and crossbowmen, prepare to shoot!" He only heard the sound of clappers in the valley, and arrows were fired from both sides. Cao's army was caught off guard, and there was a chaos. The soldiers held shields to defend against both sides.  The arrows caused heavy casualties and they rushed to escape out of the valley. The leader, Xu Huang, could not escape in time, and his men and horses were shot by hundreds of arrows and turned into hedgehogs, and died tragically on the spot.  Zhao Yan knew that there were troops outside the valley and immediately shouted: "The army is out to pursue the enemy!" Ten thousand Han troops came out from both sides of the valley to chase and kill Cao's defeated army. Zhao Yan took the lead and rushed north to not only annihilate Cao's army but also seize Lu'an City.  The army had just chased for more than ten miles and passed through several hills. Suddenly, there was a big fire in the woods on the left and an ambush of about 3,000 people was led by the general. He held a big ax and corrected the famous general Xu Huang. Xu Huang laughed: "Zhao Yan thought Xu Gongming was shot."  Are you dead?" Zhao Yan was shocked and realized that the person who was shot to death was not Xu Huang. A substitute, Cao Jun, pretended to be deceived and shouted: "Quickly retreat!" Xu Huang shouted and urged his horse.  Heading straight towards Zhao Yan, he swung his ax and chopped down the Han army general Zhang Lin. He swung his sword to meet him. The deputy general Yang Kai also swung his gun and attacked Xu Huang from both sides. Xu Huang was not afraid.  Seeing that the situation was not going well, Yang Kai turned his horse and fled, but Xu Huang caught up and cut him in two with an axe.  Fearing in his heart, Zhao Yan turned his horse and fled. At this time, the forest on the right was also ablaze. Another Cao army ambush came out and cut the Han army into two sections. Xu Huang led his army to cover up the attack.  Countless thousands of Han troops were desperate and knelt down to surrender. Zhao Yan escaped under the desperate protection of dozens of soldiers and only led more than a thousand remaining troops to flee back to Wan County in panic.  Almost all the 10,000 Han troops were wiped out, which not only failed Huang Zhong's plan to break the situation, but also greatly affected his morale. Huang Zhong was furious and ordered Zhao Yan to be executed. Only after he begged for mercy could he be spared. Huang Zhong attacked Zhao Yan again and drove away a hundred army stick generals.  Return to Chaisang.  In the big tent, Huang Zhong was distracted and paced back and forth with his hands behind his hands. The sneak attack on Lu'an County failed and he lost nearly 10,000 troops. He had never suffered a disastrous defeat in many years and simply didn't know how to express his gratitude to His Highness the King of Han.generation.  At this time, Pang Tong advised: "Veteran general, victory or defeat is a common thing for military strategists. Your Highness, the King of Han, will not blame the general too much. The key is to fight well in the following battles and strive to break the situation as soon as possible."  ?" Pang Tong thought for a moment: "Liu'an is too close to Hefei, so it is easy for Cao's army to support him. However, the top priority is to withdraw the Juchao army first." "Why?" Pang Tong didn't understand.  "After our defeat in Lu'an, Cao's army will definitely strike while the iron is hot and concentrate its forces to attack Juchao. In this case, either the old general will attack Juchao with his entire army or he will withdraw to the general. He cannot be left alone." Huang Zhong thought for a moment and sighed: "Now  If the navy forces were to attack us before they arrived, we would be surrounded by Cao Cao's superior forces and annihilate them. According to the advice of the military advisor, we should withdraw from Juchao first." Huang Zhong immediately ordered the Japanese army to withdraw the army from Juchao County and temporarily stop it.  Attack Hefei and wait for the navy to arrive.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Three days later, thousands of warships arrived at Wankou. Liu Jing personally led an army of 60,000 from Chaisang. Together with an army of 40,000 from Wan County, the Han army's strength reached 100,000, and the Battle of Hefei officially kicked off.  Huang Zhong arranged the military camp and military advisor Pang Tong and rushed to Wankou to welcome Liu Jing. Liu Jing's main ship was a three-thousand-stone ship. A guard ran down from the ship and clasped his fists at Huang Zhong and Pang Tong: "His Royal Highness, the King of Han, is waiting on the ship for the old general to invite the old general."  "Come with Commander Pang." Huang Zhong looked worried and nodded at Pang Yi. The two followed the guards and walked quickly to the ship until they came to the main cabin. The guards smiled: "Your Highness is in the cabin, please!"  Huang Zhong and Pang Tong walked into the cabin and saw a huge sand table in the cabin. Liu Jing, the king of Han, was standing alone in front of the sand table, seemingly in deep thought.  Huang Zhong and Pang Tong hurriedly came forward and saluted, "See His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing woke up from his deep thoughts and smiled at the two of them: "It's troublesome to ask you two to come to Wankou in person." "I am here to apologize for my humble position!" Huang Zhong knelt down on one knee.  Holding fists: "I am willing to accept all punishments because of my poor decision-making, which caused heavy losses to the Han army." Huang Zhong then went through the details of Zhao Yan's defeat in the attack on Lu'an and finally said: "I ordered Zhao Yan to send light troops northward, which led to insufficient supplies. Zhao Yan could not  The dangerous plan failed, but Xu Huang saw through it. Only a thousand people from the 10,000-strong army fled back to his humble position. Please be punished by your highness." Liu Jing was silent for a moment and asked: "I want to know how to punish Zhao Yan?" "I wanted to have him beheaded.  But everyone begged for mercy and humiliated him. He was beaten with a hundred military sticks and was not allowed to lead any more troops. " "Why bring this matter up again since it has been punished?" Huang Zhong understood Liu Jing's intention and was not prepared to punish him. He sighed: "  The reason why Zhao Yan was killed in the end was not because everyone was pleading for mercy, but because he was responsible for ordering the light soldiers to go north. When food was insufficient, they could get official food from the counties along the way, and they were strictly prohibited from disturbing the people. As a result, one grain in the official warehouse along the way only took two days, so he had to take a risky plan.  "It's also responsible." Liu Jing nodded, "I feel that this failure is more about learning lessons and not being held accountable. If we lose the battle, we will be held accountable. All of Cao Cao's generals have died long ago. Xu Huang also failed repeatedly in Longxi and Chencang."  But he was punished, but he learned a lesson to see through Zhao Yan's plan to retreat. General Huang will not punish him, but he hopes to learn a lesson. Where did he make the mistake this time? "Huang Zhong sighed for a while: "I feel that I am a bit pedantic.  "Yes! That's pedantic." Liu Jing stared: "What do you mean by not disturbing the people? The rules are set to prevent soldiers from having nothing to do when they are full. But once the shortage of military rations affects the life and death of the army, there is no need to mention the rules of plundering civilian food to ensure military food."  Supply is the correct decision. As long as you don't burn, kill, borrow food from the people or even directly seize food, the old general will acquiesce and hope not to do it again." Huang Zhong nodded silently and Liu Jing said to Pang Tong: "It is estimated that the Han army will be captured.  Many military advisors can send an officer to Liu'an to tell Xu Huang that Cao Jun has captured many prisoners in Nanyang County and is willing to exchange prisoners of war with him." "Wei Chen obeyed the order!" Liu Jing picked up the wooden pole and pointed at him with a smile:  ¡°Since it¡¯s difficult to break through the land route, we¡¯ll break through the water route.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 933 Ruxu breaks the situation (Part 1)

    In the Lu'an prisoner-of-war camp, Cao Cao, accompanied by Xu Huang and several other generals, was inspecting the captured Han prisoners of war. During the counter-ambush battle, Xu Huang's army cut off the Han army's retreat, leaving nearly six thousand Han soldiers behind.  The soldiers had no way to retreat and eventually became prisoners of war of Cao's army.  Cao Cao greatly appreciated Xu Huang's victory in this battle. This victory became particularly important after Cao's army was defeated in Nanyang. It greatly boosted the morale of Cao's army. Cao Cao immediately commended Xu Huang and named him the Marquis of Duexiang and promoted him to the right general.  .  Cao Cao inspected the prisoner-of-war camp on horseback and saw that the tents in the prisoner-of-war camp were neatly organized. The Han soldiers were not confused because of being captured. They still walked in rows and were respectful of superiors and subordinates. Cao Cao couldn't help but secretly nodded, "The Han army is indeed a powerful force.  The prisoners of war were still so neat and orderly.  ' Thinking of this, Cao Cao turned back and asked Xu Huang, "What do you think Gongming should do with these prisoners of war?" Xu Huang bowed on his horse and said: "Most of these Han soldiers are from Jingzhou. Their parents, wives and children are all in Jingzhou. We will organize them."  It is not realistic to join Cao's army. I thought I could use these prisoners of war as bargaining chips to get more benefits from Liu Jing. "Cao Cao smiled, "But most of these prisoners of war are good at water fighting. It would be a pity to put them back. How about letting them become boatmen?"  Xu Huang pondered for a while and said: "I heard that the Han army first used the captured Cao soldiers as miners, and those who were willing to surrender after a year were incorporated into the Han army. This was to prevent the Han army from defecting before the battle. If the prime minister really wanted to use them as boatmen,  They also have to hone their skills for a year to get rid of their objections, otherwise they will become a hidden danger. "Cao Cao nodded, "You are right. Judging from their current situation, it will take a lot of effort to get them to submit to our army.  The cost is too high and the gain is not worth the loss. It is better to exchange benefits from Liu Jing. This is the best strategy." Cao Cao turned back to Xu Huang and said, "You know, Liu Jing's army has arrived at Wankou." Xu Huang was surprised, "I don't know this.  "When did it happen?" Cao Cao sighed softly, "Two days ago! Liu Jing personally led a thousand warships on the eastward expedition. He also tried his best to fight for this battle in Hefei." Xu Huang was silent, and he followed Cao Cao.  Many years ago, from Cao Cao's sigh just now, he felt that his lord was not confident. This was by no means a good sign. Thinking of this, Xu Huang said in a deep voice: "The Han army is marching eastward, and Jingzhou will be empty. I am willing to lead an army to kill him."  Towards Qichun County, the army pressed on Jiangxia, making it difficult for Liu Jing to take charge of his plan for the eastward expedition. "Cao Cao was slightly startled. Xu Huang's strategy was similar to that of the east-west expedition to Jiangdong, but the strategy to Jiangdong failed.  Cao Cao really had no confidence.  Xu Huang added: "The territory of Han State is too large, which will inevitably lead to the dispersion of their troops. Wenpin's defense focus is on the Nanyang line, and the hinterland of Jiangxia will be empty. I don't need to lead more troops. I only need five thousand elite troops. If I attack by surprise,  Jiangxia's success may solve the crisis in Hefei." Cao Cao thought for a moment and said, "Although Gongming's policy has no loopholes, it still affects the overall situation. Let me think about it again and give you an answer later." "I will obey you at any time."  "My lord's order." At this moment, a soldier rushed over and knelt down on one knee to report: "Please report to Duke Wei, please report to General Xu. An envoy from the Han army has arrived outside the camp, asking to see General Xu."  Hehe smiled and said, "We don't want us to negotiate with him. They came here themselves. Gong Mingke can go to meet him and report to me afterwards." "Follow the order!" Xu Huang turned the horse's head and urged it to run towards the military camp. Cao Cao did not  Then he inspected the prisoner of war camp and returned directly to Lu'an County.  About half an hour later, Xu Huang saw Cao Cao again. At this time, Cao Cao, Chen Qun and Mao Jie were standing in front of the sand table to discuss the military situation.  "Who is the envoy of the Han army?" Cao Cao asked calmly.  "It's Pang Tong who is engaged in Wen Jin." Cao Cao sneered, "Liu Jing actually sent such a low-level official to negotiate, it's simply too deceiving!" Chen Qun next to him quickly said: "Wei Gong, Liu Jing sent a low-level official  Officials, I think he wants to handle the matter in a low-key manner, not intentionally to insult, they are asking for help from us, and they should not be arrogant." Cao Cao nodded, thinking about it, the exchange of prisoners of war will become the norm in the future.  High-level contact would complicate the matter. Cao Cao's anger calmed down a little and asked: "What does the other party mean?"  One person, in addition, the other party promised to release Jia Kui. " When Cao Cao heard that the other party was willing to release Jia Kui, his dissatisfaction was completely eliminated. He smiled at everyone and said: "What qualifications does Pang Tong have to release Jia Kui? This is of course Liu Jing's arrangement.  , and actually sent a small official to negotiate. Liu Jing is teasing me!" Mao Jie said from the side: "I'm reporting this to Duke Wei."Although Liu Jing's army has arrived, he will not be stationed in Wankou for a long time. I believe that the Han army will definitely attack Ruxukou in a large scale and break the situation at Ruxukou. Our navy strength is far inferior to the opponent's. Weichen suggested that Zhang Liao's army should attack  Evacuate north immediately.  " Cao Cao agreed with Mao Jie's analysis and immediately ordered: "Send my urgent order quickly. Zhang Liao's army will withdraw north immediately without any delay.  " At this time, Cao Cao said to Xu Huang: "Although Gongming's suggestion in the morning was good, the return journey to Nanyang and Yiyang was blocked by the Han army. Even if Jiangxia was disrupted for a while, it would be difficult to return. I don't want Gongming's army to be finally defeated by the Han army.  The army was annihilated, so I decided not to adopt Gongming¡¯s suggestion. Please understand Gongming.  " Xu Huang was sad. Wei Gong finally rejected his plan. Of course, he also knew that the final result of the sneak attack on Jingzhou would be no return. In the final analysis, Wei Gong did not want to become a prisoner of war of the Han army. Xu Huang nodded silently  , He understood the painstaking efforts of Wei Gong. At this time, Cao Cao slowly said to Xu Huang: "Although I don't let Gongming go to Jingzhou to take risks, I still want to give Gongming an important task, that is, to be fully responsible for the land defense and strictly guard against Huang.  Zhong's army breaks through by land, but Gongming really can't hold the land line. Then, my minimum requirement is to keep the passage between Shouchun and Hefei.  " "I understand, I will never let Duke Wei down!"  " After Liu Jing's army briefly rested in Wankou, thousands of warships continued to march eastward. On the river, the fleet stretched for dozens of miles, and thousands of sails competed, which was spectacular. At this time, Liu Jing made another adjustment to the army.  , deducting 30,000 Jingzhou soldiers who were good at water warfare from Huang Zhong's 40,000 army, and handing Pound's 7,000 cavalry to Huang Zhong, bringing the main force of the Han army to more than 80,000 people. Although Huang Zhong's army  The troop strength was reduced, but the combat power was correspondingly increased. The main force of the Han army marched towards Ruxukou without hesitation. This made Liu Jing's tactics very clear. He took advantage of the navy to occupy Ruxukou in one fell swoop and break the situation from Ruxukou.  At the same time, Cao Cao also shifted his focus from Shu County and Lu'an County, handed over the land defense to Xu Huang, and ordered Zhang Liao to return to Hefei to prepare for the Han army's defeat at Ruxukou. Cao Cao and Liu Jing had been fighting for more than ten years.  Knowing the opponent very well is like a master playing chess, paying attention to the overall situation and not paying too much attention to the gains and losses of one city or one area. Liu Jing opened up the Nanxiang Pass and blocked the loopholes on the western front. Cao Cao helped Sun Quan conquer Wu County and unify Jiangdong.  , add support in the southeast, and both sides have their own arrangements. Now it is the final moment of the decisive battle. The key to victory lies in whose arrangement is smarter and more far-reaching. In the Three Kingdoms era, Ruxukou was the focus of the battle between Sun and Cao.  Its strategic position is extremely important. It is the outlet of the Ruxushui River and the entrance of the Yangtze River to Chaohu and even Hefei. It is an indispensable strategic fulcrum for both the Jiangdong Army and the Han Army, which have the upper hand.  For the Han army, capturing Ruxukou meant that they had gained a foothold in the Battle of Hefei and became a logistics base for the Han army to move north. Cao Cao also knew this, so after capturing Ruxukou, he  A large number of fortifications were built at the entrance, including hundreds of heavy trebuchets, and 10,000 troops were stationed there, commanded by General Zhang He. Standing on the observation tower of the military city, Zhang He looked across the river with a stern expression. Zhang Liao's 30,000 troops.  Having withdrawn to Hefei two days ago, he received an urgent order from Wei Gong yesterday. The main force of the Han army had arrived at Wankou a few days ago and was now heading towards Ruxukou. At this time, Lieutenant General Ding ordered him to strengthen his defense.  Rong stepped forward and said: "I believe that the Han army will not attack Ruxukou immediately. They must remove the threat from Wuhu first, otherwise they will be attacked from behind by Jiangdong's army.  " Wuhu has 5,000 troops stationed in Jiangdong and 200 warships. It is led by General Ling Tong. It is a force that cannot be ignored. More importantly, Ling Tong has received orders from Sun Quan and will fully cooperate with Cao Jun to prevent the Han army from occupying Ruxu.  Zhang He nodded. His lieutenant general was right. The first wave of Han army's attack would not be against Ruxukou, but Wuhu. Thinking of this, Zhang He immediately ordered: "Send a pigeon letter to Wuhu and tell them,  The main force of the Han army is about to arrive.  " Wuhu is located about eighty miles away on the diagonal bank of the Yangtze River at Ruxukou. The situation in Wuhu cannot be seen from the observation tower at Ruxukou, but the actual development is completely consistent with Zhang He's worries. The Han army's 5,000 vanguard navy has been killed.  When they arrived at Wuhu, two hundred and fifty Han warships were waiting for an opportunity to attack. The vanguard general of the Han army was Shen Mi. He was known as the number one general in water warfare in Jingzhou and had rich experience in water warfare.  With strong water warfare capabilities, Shen Mi has been promoted to the rank of general. As he grows older and his position rises, he has become more mature and calm. Initially, Shen Mi wanted to attack Wuhu at night, but his spies found that the Wuhu water village was on alert.  They were very lax, as if they were allowed to come and go, which made Shen Mi wary. He realized that this was a trap set by Jiangdong Army. Once he entered the water stronghold of Jiangdong Army, he would be trapped in the water stronghold by the enemy. More importantly,  Yes, it is rumored that Jiangdong Army also has kerosene.??It is relatively easy to deal with them.  Shen Mi gave up the plan of a night attack and instead faced the Jiangdong Navy during the day. He was not in a hurry to attack. His mission was not to annihilate the Jiangdong Navy, but to keep an eye on the opponent and not allow them to support Cao's army at Ruxukou.  .  At this moment, the drums of the civil war in Wuhu Shuizhai were loud, and two hundred Jiangdong warships came out of the water stronghold. On the first warship stood a general, carrying an iron gun, and it was Ling Tong, the commander-in-chief of Wuhu Jiangdong Army.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 934 Ruxu breaks the situation (Part 2)

    Drums were beating loudly on the river, hundreds of warships were fighting each other one by one, arrows were raining down, stone cannons were flying rapidly, flames were rising from time to time, and thick smoke was billowing. The water battle was extremely fierce.  Although Shen Mi is known as the best naval general in Jingzhou and has rich experience in water warfare, his opponent is Ling Tong, who is also a famous water warfare general in Jiangdong. The soldiers he leads are all elite naval forces. Both sides are matched against each other. This battle  The fight was extremely fierce and inextricable.  On the river, arrows were the main force, supplemented by stone cannons. However, with the use of kerosene weapons, the situation in water battles was completely different. Both sides threw kerosene at each other and lit them with rockets.  Half an hour later, hundreds of warships were ignited by fire. Burning warships were everywhere on the river. Even the surrounding river was covered in flames. Soldiers jumped into the water one after another and swam desperately to the shore. Many soldiers were trapped by the river.  They were surrounded by flames and were finally burned alive in the water. However, among the hundreds of warships that were set on fire, most of them were Jiangdong warships, and the Han army clearly had the upper hand.  Ling Tong was anxious. He was forced to attack in this battle and lost to the opponent in terms of momentum. The opponent had strong morale, sharp stone cannons, and kerosene weapons that were obviously more advanced than them. Especially the opponent's sludge stuck to the big ship, making it difficult for him to do so.  Kerosene is not wasted.  Jiang Dongjun had no experience with kerosene, so he only used small clay pots to hit the opponent. It was lucky to hit the deck. If it hit the ship wall, most of the kerosene would flow into the river, which made Jiangdong Army's kerosene utilization efficiency  It was very low, causing Jiangdong Army to suffer a big loss.  At this time, Ling Tong saw the enemy's main ship. He had no choice. Only by killing the enemy's general could he reverse the unfavorable situation. Ling Tong pointed his spear at the enemy's main ship and shouted: "Come forward!" Thousand Stone War  The boat was speeding, and the speed of the boat on the river was extremely fast, 'Boom!  ' With a loud noise, Shen Mi's and Ling Tong's warships collided violently. The bows of the ships were broken, sawdust flew, and more than a dozen soldiers standing on the side of the ships also fell into the river.  Ling Tong seized this opportunity and jumped onto the enemy ship. He stabbed the opponent with the spear in his hand as fast as lightning. Shen Mi learned martial arts from Gan Ning. He only started to learn martial arts after joining the Jinfan Thief. It was a little late. Regardless of him  No matter how hard he worked, his foundation was already established, so his martial arts was not very strong. This was one of Shen Mi's weaknesses.  On the contrary, Ling Tong's martial arts was inherited from his family. He learned martial arts from his father at the age of six, and his foundation was extremely solid. He danced with a spear like a storm, with a tendency to never look back, and was extremely ferocious and cruel. He also inherited his father's skills.  Nickname, 'Crazy Gun'.  Shen Mi held a shield in his left hand and waved a short halberd in his right hand. He fought fiercely with Ling Tong. The soldiers of both sides also fought together. Although Shen Mi fought desperately, he was still no match for Ling Tong. After fighting for more than ten rounds, he  Gradually failing.  At this time, Ling Tong shouted loudly and fired a spear that was like lightning, piercing Shen Mi's throat. Shen Mi blocked it with a shield and struck with a short halberd with his backhand. Unexpectedly, Ling Tong's spear was a false spear, and Ling Tong was violently stormed.  After attacking for more than ten rounds, no one expected that he also had a feint.  Ling Tong turned to the left, dodged the chop of the short halberd, and fired a backhand shot straight into the hole in Shen Mi's lower body. The shot hit Shen Mi's left leg, and blood suddenly flowed out. Shen Mi staggered and took a few steps back.  Ling Tong was overjoyed when his back hit the side of the ship hard. He didn't waste the opportunity, and the big iron gun immediately attacked again like a storm.  Shen Mi has realized that the crisis is coming. If he dies, it will not only be his personal matter, but also the failure of the entire fleet. At this time, he still has a chance, that is, he gets close to the side of the ship. Shen Mi shouts  , the short halberd in his hand flew out, and a cold light hit Ling Tong's neck.  Ling Tong lowered his head and dodged the flying short halberd. This was an opportunity that would disappear in an instant. Shen Mi seized this opportunity, turned his body, and jumped into the river like a fish. Ling Tong stabbed the air with his spear.  Ling Tong was in a panic and rushed to the side of the ship. Shen Mi had long disappeared. When he turned around, he saw that all the soldiers on the Han army's main ship were about to be killed. He shouted: "Light the enemy's main ship on fire!" The fire exploded on the ground.  The main ship of the Han army burned, and Ling Tong also withdrew his own warship. Looking at the enemy warships surrounded by raging fire, Ling Tong actually felt a trace of regret. He thought a little less at the time. If he had used the Han army to  It may be more beneficial for the main ship to issue an order to retreat.  But it was too late to regret, so Ling Tong had no choice but to grit his teeth and order: "Beat the drums and fight back with all your strength!" The drums of the Jiangdong Army warships on the river were loud. Since the enemy's main ship was destroyed, the morale of the Jiangdong Navy was greatly boosted and they attacked the Han Army warships.  A counterattack was launched, but at this moment, drums were beating loudly on another Han warship. The war flag of the Han general was raised, and General Shen Mi appeared on the bow of the ship. His body stood as straight as a green pine. Shen Mi  He shouted an order: "All warships, concentrate on annihilating the enemy's main ship!" The flag was waved, and more than a dozen Han warships surrounded Ling Tong's warship from all directions. Lingtong's warship retreated sharply. At this moment  , a soldier pointed to the river in the distance and shouted: "General Ling, look!" Ling Tong looked into the distance, and his heart suddenly went cold. He saw sails covering the river in the distance.?, countless warships are coming towards us. This cannot be Cao's warship, it can only be the arrival of Han reinforcements.  Ling Tong was very anxious and shouted: "Send the order, withdraw eastward immediately!" His ships broke through the siege of Han warships at all costs and sailed eastward.  The main ship retreated, and the Jiangdong Army warships had no intention of fighting anymore. They all followed and evacuated eastward. Gradually, more than a hundred warships withdrew from the battlefield.  Shen Mi did not give the order to chase. When the Jiangdong Army warship finally moved away, he felt relieved and his eyesight went dark. He fell heavily on the deck. Only then did the soldier realize that the blood on his legs had already soaked his shirt. Soldier  They were in chaos and rushed to rescue Shen Mi back to the cabin. As the Jiangdong Army abandoned Wuhu County and retreated eastward, the Han Army no longer had any worries. Hundreds of warships began to attack the defensive line at Ruxukou in turn. At this time, Ruxukou  A very spectacular scene appeared on the Xukou River. Hundreds of heavy trebuchets from Cao's army fired fireballs at the Han warships approaching on the river.  A huge fireball streaked across the sky, with a thick smoke tail, and roared towards the Han warships. The Han warships had furled their sails, switched to impeller rotation, and headed towards the shore against the fireball.  .  "Boom!" The huge fireball hit the warship. The warship shook violently, but bounced high and flew into the river. However, some fireballs also penetrated into the cabin, causing a raging fire on the ship.  Zhang He shouted: "Stop the fireballs and use boulders instead!" Zhang He also found that fireballs were not suitable for attacking ships. They were too elastic and could not stay on ships. Apart from causing a slight commotion, they could not cause serious damage to enemy ships.  He immediately ordered the use of boulders instead.  The fireball disappeared, and boulders roared and hit the ships, occasionally cracking the ships, and river water poured into the cabins. Several large ships with a thousand stones were smashed through by boulders and gradually sank. Countless soldiers floated on the river and called for help.  Not only that, dozens of wooden barrels filled with kerosene were also thrown at the Han warships. The barrels shattered and the kerosene flowed all over the ships. Soon they were ignited by flying rockets, and the fire began to engulf the warships.  Thick smoke billows from the river and flames burn.  But none of this could stop the Han warships from approaching the shore. Hundreds of warships withstood the approaching shore with boulders, fire and smoke. At this time, drums were beating loudly on the military city, and five men ambushing on the shore.  The Qiancao Army's crossbowmen fired at the Han warships together, and the trebuchets retreated, aiming at the warships near the shore.  Arrows were like a rapid rain, and boulders were flying across the sky. They shot at the Han warships overwhelmingly and smashed into the ships. The powerful attack caused heavy damage to the several warships in the lead and had to leave the dock. At this time, Cao Jun soldiers fired thousands of barrels of fire.  The oil was poured into the shore of the dock. For a moment, the river next to the dock burst into flames and burned rapidly. Several warships were unable to retreat and were engulfed in flames within a moment.  Liu Jing's 3,000-stone main ship was several miles away. He stood on the bow and watched the Han army's landing from a distance. However, Cao's army counterattacked sharply and the landing was not smooth. At this time, he saw fire on the water near the dock.  It was Cao Jun who set a fire on the pier. Liu Jing couldn't help but frowned and turned around and asked: "How long is the Ruxukou pier?"  There are rocks and reefs, which are not conducive to docking. The dock is only two miles away. No wonder it is difficult to dock. Liu Jing thought for a while and asked: "Where was Cao Jun's water stronghold in the past?"  Reporting back to Your Highness, Cao Jun's water camp is one mile away from the Inland River. "Liu Jing immediately ordered, "The army sailed into the Inland River and docked!" At this time, Fa Zheng quickly reminded: "Your Highness, all warships cannot enter the Inland River, be careful of the water from the east of the Yangtze River.  The army arrived and blocked the river mouth. " Liu Jing was reminded by one sentence, and he changed his order, "The former army entered the river mouth, and the remaining warships were waiting in the Yangtze River. " Hundreds of former army warships changed their strategy and did not dock in the Yangtze River.  The entrance to the Ruxushui river is very wide, up to one mile wide, and warships with thousands of stones can also sail in. The Han army's cabin uses wooden impellers as power, and the impellers roll to drive the warships.  Heading towards the inland river.  Zhang He could see clearly in the military city, and he was secretly surprised. The Han army was obviously preparing to disembark from the inland river, or the Han army's warships were sailing directly into Chao Lake, but no matter what the opponent's strategy was, it would be difficult for him to defend.  At this moment, a soldier rushed over, held up a roll of pigeon letter and shouted: "General, Duke Wei is sending an urgent message." Zhang He quickly took the letter, and in the morning the Han army began to gather warships to prepare to attack Ruxukou  At that time, he reported a message to Wei Gong in time, but he did not expect to receive a reply so soon. Zhang He opened the pigeon letter and read it carefully. Cao Cao asked him in the letter to focus on preserving his effective forces, and if the situation was unfavorable, he would immediately lead his army to withdraw northward.  Zhang He sighed secretly in the letter. It seems that Wei Gong knew very well that Ruxukou could not stop the powerful naval attack of the Han army. There seemed to be some hope along the Yangtze River, but once the Han army's warships entered the inland river, not only would they be unable toYes, it is very likely that the Han army will cut off the retreat to Hefei.  Since the Duke of Wei gave him permission to retreat, Zhang He immediately ordered: "The whole army abandons Ruxukou and withdraws north immediately!" As tens of thousands of Han troops began to land on the inland river, Cao's army could no longer stop it. Ten thousand Cao's troops, led by Zhang He,  Abandoning all supplies and weapons, he evacuated to the north urgently. Facts have proved that Zhang He's evacuation was very timely. Just a quarter of an hour later, Gan Ning led an army of 20,000 to land first and kill at Ruxukou not far away.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 935 Unexpected Discovery

    The fall of Ruxukou did not cause much shock to Cao Cao. This was completely expected by Cao Cao. Ruxukou itself was difficult for Cao Jun to defend. If there was no strong navy to block the river mouth, once the Han warships  After entering the river mouth, it is easy to land.  And Cao Cao¡¯s army didn¡¯t have any navy troops, so Cao Cao was mentally prepared from the beginning. If the Han army found a support point to attack Hefei, it would definitely be Ruxukou.  However, another news made Cao Cao slightly unhappy. The Jiangdong navy in Wuhu was defeated by the Han army. Sun Quan only had 5,000 troops stationed in Wuhu and more than 200 warships. This was obviously far from Cao Cao's expectations.  Cao Cao hoped that Jiangdong could play a corresponding role in the Hefei battle and support him from the side, and could resist at least 30% of the Han army. However, Sun Quan seemed to have no corresponding deployment, especially not deploying heavy troops in Wuhu. Wuhu could easily  Being occupied by the Han army made Cao Cao's heart turn from unhappiness to dissatisfaction.  He felt that he needed to give Sun Quan a hard beating. If Sun Quan refused to help, he would never get his help.  "Zhongde, do you think Sun Quan is protecting himself wisely?" Cao Cao asked Cheng Yu thoughtfully.  Cheng Yu smiled and said, "Wei Gong underestimated Sun Quan. I think he will never be vague about key interests. He should know that once the Han army wins the Hefei battle, it will not be us who will bear the greatest pressure, but him."  "In this case, he should not be so careless in the defense of Wuhu and let the Han army easily occupy Wuhu." Cheng Yu could feel the dissatisfaction in Cao Cao's heart, and he persuaded with a smile: "Wei Gong should also understand Sun Quan's difficulties.  After all, he had just captured Wu County and had to integrate Kuaiji County and reunify Jiangdong. This would take time, but the Han army came in such a hurry that even Wen Yuan barely made it back. How could Sun Quan prepare?  It is reasonable for Jing to capture Wuhu easily. " Cao Cao nodded. In fact, he also understood that Sun Quan had just unified Jiangdong and had too many internal affairs to worry about external war. But even so, Cao Cao still felt it was necessary.  Beat Sun Quan and force him to send troops, otherwise there is no point in forming an alliance with him.  Thinking of this, Cao Cao ordered to his left and right: "Go and ask Mr. Changwen to come see me." Just when Cao Cao was a little dissatisfied with Sun Quan, Sun Quan had just led his army back to Jianye. In fact, Sun Quan should still go  Kuaiji County, appease the officials and people of Kuaiji County, express condolences to the army, etc.  More importantly, he needs to discuss the future of Kuaiji County with the He brothers. After all, the He brothers only surrendered to him in name, and the Kuaiji army is still under the control of their brothers.  But Sun Quan had no time to stay any longer. The Hefei War was about to break out, and Jiangdong could not stay out of it. Sun Quan knew very well that if the Sun-Cao coalition failed in the Hefei War, Jiangdong would probably face more severe consequences than Wei. It was he who knew this.  At one point, he hurried back to Jianye regardless of the fact that Wu County had just been recovered.  In Jianye Palace, Sun Quan returned to his study. As soon as he entered the room, Sun Quan walked impatiently to the sand table to check the current situation of the Battle of Hefei. Like Han and Wei, Sun Quan also sent a large number of scouts to explore the terrain.  When it came to making sand tables, he did not have the same strength as Liu Jing and Cao Cao. He could not make the world's sand tables, so he could only temporarily make the sand tables in Jiangdong and Jingzhou.  Sun Quan received a series of important information on the way, including the Han army's capture of Nanyang, Xu Huang's defeat of the Han army's sneak attack in Lu'an, and Ling Tong's defeat in Wuhu. This series of information made him feel frightened. He realized deeply that,  Both Cao Cao and Liu Jing are going all out to carry out this fattening battle.  At this time, Zhang Zhao slowly walked to the sand table and said to Sun Quan: "Marquis Wu, I think it is not appropriate for Huang Gai to take charge of Wu County." Sun Quan's thoughts were pulled back to Wu County by Zhang Zhao.  He was slightly startled, "Why?" Zhang Zhao sighed and said, "I also know that Wu Jun has just been recovered and people's hearts are unstable. If Wu Jun is dealt with too harshly, it will trigger a backlash. Huang Gai is a neutral figure, so let him take charge of Wu Jun.  , can appease the emotions of various factions, and can also scare He Qi from Kuaiji County. This is the Lord's painstaking efforts, and Weichen can completely understand it. " "You are right. If I have time, I will personally sit in Wu County and control all the parties.  All kinds of complicated relationships have been sorted out, but the situation in Hefei is critical and I must return to Jianye as soon as possible. Wu Jun can only let Huang Gai, a figure acceptable to all parties, be in charge. What's wrong with this? " "  What Wei Chen said is inappropriate, he means that the threat from Wu County has not been eliminated!" Sun Quan finally understood. He hesitated and asked, "The military advisor is talking about Lu Xun?" Zhang Zhao nodded, "Lu Xun and Sun Shao disappeared unexpectedly.  , and there is no trace of the two thousand Han troops hiding in Wu County. Wei Chen feels that this is actually a big hidden danger. If they are not completely eradicated, something will happen to Wu County sooner or later. And Huang Gai is a good old man, and Wu Jun  How many counties are there?The relationship between the two families is very good, and they are slightly biased towards Sun Shao. Wei Chen is worried that even if he knows where Sun Shao is, he will turn a blind eye or close one and allow them to develop.  " Sun Quan's heart that had just let go of Wu Jun was suspended again by Zhang Zhao's words. He stared at the sand table for a long time and asked: "Where does the military advisor think Lu Xun and the others will be hiding?  Zhang Zhao picked up the wooden pole and pointed at Xindu County, "Now everyone is saying that Lu Xun and others fled to Xindu County. After all, the mountains over there are high and the valleys are deep, and we are beyond our reach. The possibility of escaping there is extremely high.  But Wei Chen felt that they did not go to Xindu County. This is not my intuition, but there is evidence.  " "What evidence does the military advisor have?  " "My lord, do you still remember how we captured Wu County?  It seems to be an accident. Thousands of old, weak, women and children from Wu County escaped from the city, which gave us the opportunity to occupy Wu County without any blood. Don't you think there is something fishy in this?  Sun Quan nodded, "I felt very strange afterward. Although the general kept saying that he wanted to surrender to us, I felt that it was completely unnecessary for him to drive so many people out of the city. He just surrendered." Sun Quan said this and suddenly came to his senses.  , "The military advisor said that Lu Xun and Sun Shao escaped from Wu County by mixing in the crowd.  " Zhang Zhao nodded slowly, "My lord is absolutely right. The guard was originally Lu Xun's old subordinate. He did this to cover Lu Xun's exit from the city. As far as I know, he was originally guarding the West City. That night, he temporarily  He was transferred to guard Dongcheng. At that time, someone spotted a awning boat sailing out of Wuxian County and heading towards Songjiang. Wei Chen was sure that the people hiding in the boat were Lu Xun and Sun Shao.  " Sun Quan glanced at Zhang Zhao in confusion. He felt that Zhang Zhao seemed to have found out everything secretly, especially Zhang Zhao's son Zhang Cheng as Wu Juncheng. If his son hadn't sent someone to investigate in detail, there would be no way to know these things. Zhang  Zhao still had something to hide from him. Thinking of this, Sun Quan was a little dissatisfied and said, "What else does the military advisor know? Tell me!"  " Zhang Zhao saluted, "Because the minister had doubts, he asked Quanzi to investigate Lu Xun's whereabouts in detail, and found some clues. The first is that Lu Xun could have left through the Dongcheng Gate. If he was going to Xindu County, then he should  After escaping on horseback from the west city gate, why did they take a boat and go through the east city gate? This is one. The other is that someone saw their ship sailing into Songjiang and then changed it to a thousand-stone ship. This shows that they were prepared and arranged a ship.  The thousand-stone ship was waiting at Songjiang. Did Marquis Wu still think they were going to Xindu County?  " Sun Quan seemed to have thought of something. He found Songjiang on the sand table and walked eastward along Songjiang. He couldn't help but gasped. Songjiang finally sailed into the sea. "They went to sea!  " Zhang Zhao nodded, "Not only did Lu Xun and Sun Shao go to sea, but the Han army from Wu County also went to sea from Songjiang. They had warships and left a ship specially for Lu Xun. They did not go to Xindu County at all.  " "But where can they go when they go to sea?  "Sun Quan's heart was in chaos. There were so many doubts in his mind that he couldn't figure it out. Zhang Zhao sighed, "Have you forgotten, my lord?  When Princess Shangxiang got married, Liu Jing came to Jiangdong. In order to return to Yuzhang County, the lord gave all the overseas islands to Liu Jing. Once, Jingzhou general Lou Fa returned from overseas with a fleet, and Sun Ben was imprisoned.  Who rescued him on a desert island?  Connecting these things, what can the Lord think of?  Sun Quan bit his lip and said, "What do you mean, the military advisor, that the Han army has deployed troops overseas?"  " Zhang Zhao smiled bitterly and said: "This is what I admire about Liu Jing, his foresight and foresight. At the beginning, I didn't understand why he wanted to go to a deserted island overseas?  Now I understand, he is driving a wedge into our backs, a strange army hidden beside us. My lord, Liu Jing¡¯s intention to seek Jiangdong was established many years ago.  " "Then what should we do now?  "Sun Quan also became a little anxious. "We have to deal with the Hefei War now, and we are temporarily unable to take care of overseas affairs. Wei Chen suggested that the lord let Huang Gai find a way to solve this threat, but I guess Huang Gai will not do it with his heart, so Wei Chen  It is suggested that the lord write a secret letter to He Qi and ask him to send troops to destroy the overseas Han army.  Sun Quan thought for a moment and asked, "Where does the military advisor think the Han army will be?"  Zhang Zhao pointed at an island off the coast of Kuaiji County with a wooden pole, "Weichen felt that the Han army should be here. The so-called march south to Yizhou is just an excuse. If they want to plot east of the Yangtze River, they will definitely set up a military city here."  " Sun Quan walked a few steps back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He was upset. The Han army was fighting in Hefei. He still had a little luck. Maybe the next step of the Han army was to besiege the Central Plains, but now an accidental discovery made Sun Quan understand  Liu Jing had begun to seek Jiangdong many years ago, so after the Hefei battle, the Han army's goal must be Jiangdong.nbsp; Sun Quan sighed and finally nodded, "The military advisor is right, I will write to He Qi right away." At this moment, the guard's urgent report came from outside the study, "For the report to the Marquis of Wu, Prime Minister Cao  Sent Yushi Zhongcheng Chen Qun to Jiangdong, Chen Zhongcheng has secretly arrived at Jianye Pier. "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 936 Overseas Military City

    Chen Qun came from the north bank of the Yangtze River and came secretly to see Sun Quan on Cao Cao's order. The reason why Chen Qun came secretly was not because he was worried about Jiangdong, but because he was afraid that Han army spies would know about it and report it to Liu Jing, thereby revealing the cooperation between the Sun and Cao families.  Untacit reality.  A carriage drove out from the pier and rushed into Jianye City. It drove into Jianye Palace. The carriage slowly stopped on the steps. Sun Quan was already waiting here.  "Sun Quan failed to go to the dock to greet him. I am rude and I hope Chen Zhongcheng will forgive me!" Sun Quan greeted him with a smile.  "Marquis Wu is welcome. I have been ordered by Duke Wei to discuss important matters with Marquis Wu, so it's better to keep a low profile." "In that case, please invite Chen Zhongcheng!" "Please!" The two exchanged a few words, and Sun Quan came with Chen Qun.  When they arrived at the study, Zhang Zhao also attended the meeting. The three of them sat down and Sun Quan ordered the maid to serve tea. Chen Qun then got straight to the point and said: "Liu Jing has led an army of 100,000 to capture Ruxukou. Marquis Wu has received the news.  " Sun Quan and Zhang Zhao looked at each other. Although Chen Qun didn't say it clearly, his implication was that the Han army in Wuhu was not able to contain it, which caused the Han army to occupy Ruxukou. Sun Quan immediately felt uncomfortable. He didn't  Love this tone of accountability.  "Although I haven't heard of it, I can imagine that there are only 10,000 troops stationed at Ruxukou. How can the Han army reach 100,000 troops to attack?" Chen Qun sighed and said: "If the Jiangdong navy can block the Ruxu River from entering the river mouth, how can the Han army attack?"  It may not be possible to capture Ruxukou. General Zhang He had successfully blocked the Han army from landing at the Yangtze River dock. It was a pity." Sun Quan's face suddenly sank and he said extremely displeased: "Chen Zhongcheng is accusing Jiangdong Army of failing to contain the Han army.  " "Wu Hou misunderstood, I have no intention of doing so, and Wei Gong has no intention of blaming Jiangdong Army. He knows that Wu Hou has just captured Wu County and has many things to deal with, so he can't take care of Wuhu at the moment.  Within reason, Wei Gong just said that as long as the two sides join forces, they can indeed defeat the Han army. " Chen Qun's tone was very sincere, and Sun Quan's dissatisfaction was slightly relieved. He said slowly: "In fact, I also know that the Hefei battle is tense.  , so I hurried back to Jianye without having time to deal with Wu Jun's affairs. I only rushed back this morning, and it has only been an hour now. Wei Gong was a little too impatient. " "Wu Hou attaches great importance to the battle of Hefei, so he ordered me to go back to Jianye.  "I admire you. I came here this time to discuss the next battle plan with Wu Hou. If Wu Hou is willing, I can inform Duke Wei of his plan first." Sun Quan knew that Chen Qun was actually here to urge him to send troops.  Cao Cao was still worried about himself. He sneered in his heart and said, "I would like to hear about Wei Gong's plan first."  , but there was no action. Wei Gong's intention was to delay the Han army's northern attack as much as possible and create opportunities for the Jiangdong navy. "After all, we still had to force Jiangdong to send troops. Sun Quan was angry and snorted: "  Chen Zhongcheng doesn¡¯t know yet! Liu Jing has established a military city on the outer island of Kuaiji County. There are thousands of troops stationed there. Lu Xun and Sun Shao are there. Just wait for our Jiangdong Army to send troops, and they will come back. You think Liu Jing has not dealt with it?  Jiangdong's back-up?" Chen Qun was stunned. He never expected that such a thing would happen. After a while, he was surprised: "How many Han troops can Wu Hou confirm?" "Although I can't at the moment.  I am sure about this, but there should be three thousand Han troops in Wu County, but there is no trace of them, and they have not withdrawn to Xindu County. Apart from this, I can't think of anywhere else to go. " Chen Qun was silent for a while and asked.  He said: "As far as I know, the islands outside Kuaiji County are all deserted islands. The Han army has no food supplies. How can they survive?" Sun Quan's heart suddenly jumped. Chen Qun was indeed very smart. He asked the key question in one sentence. He originally put  The island assigned to Liu Jing has always been very secretive. Except for a few high-ranking officials, it has not been known to outsiders. Does he want to confess what happened to Cao Cao?  Sun Quan quickly glanced at Zhang Zhao, who sighed and said: "Back then, we reached a compromise with Liu Jing and allowed Jingzhou's fleet to enter the sea from the Yangtze River. Later, Jingzhou lent 50,000 shi of grain to Liu Bei, part of which was shipped to Jiaozhou by sea, and Jingzhou  There is a large sea fleet, all cargo ships with more than 3,000 stones, which can withstand the wind and waves at sea. Liu Jing should have established a supply point on the island outside Kuaiji at this time. Of course, their original plan was to transport supplies by sea, but now, they  It turned into a sharp weapon against me. We didn¡¯t think of it at the beginning!¡± Zhang Zhao first confirmed this, but he was ambiguous. He did not say that Jiangdong gave up the island, but that the Han army built it on the island without permission!  supply point, in this way, the inevitable connection between Jiangdong and this matter is eliminated, because if the responsibility lies with Jiangdong, Cao Cao will not understand their difficulties, but will only pressure Jiangdong to send troops.    What Zhang Zhao said was reasonable and reasonable, but Chen Qun couldn't help but not believe it. Chen Qun was silent for a moment and asked: "Wu Hou said that Jiangdong will not participate in the battle of Hefei. Is that what you meant?" "No! No!" Sun Quan waved his hand quickly, "  The battle of Hefei is related to the future of Jiangdong. How can I sit idly by? I will definitely send troops, but I hope to get the support of Wei Gong again so that we can deal with the counterattack of the Han army on the outer island at the same time." In the end, Sun Quan still wanted to do it.  If there are benefits, this is what Cao Cao expected. Chen Qun nodded and asked, "I wonder what kind of support Wu Hou needs?" Sun Quan smiled slightly, "The Han army's counterattack from the island must be by water to deal with the Han army's warships.  Kerosene is the number one weapon. Unfortunately, we have insufficient kerosene stocks. Jiangdong does not produce petroleum oil. We can only ask Wei Gong to give us another 10,000 barrels of kerosene. In addition, the military rations are also insufficient. Can we ask Cao Jun for more support?  One hundred thousand shi of food. "Sun Quan's lion's big mouth made Zhang Zhao feel a little embarrassed. He didn't expect Wu Hou to react so quickly and turn the threat from the outer island into an excuse to ask for support from Cao Cao. He could become the lord of the country.  Human beings are indeed extremely dark inside.  Chen Qun was silent for a moment and asked: "If Duke Wei agrees to Wu Hou's conditions, how many troops does Wu Hou plan to send and when?" Sun Quan said happily: "As long as Wei Duke is willing to relieve me of my worries, I will send 30,000 naval troops and 50,000 troops."  Hundreds of warships will be dispatched in three days." Chen Qun stood up and saluted, took out a brocade scroll from his arms, and said to Sun Quan: "This is the power of attorney given to me by Duke Wei before he left. I can promise to Marquis Wu on behalf of Duke Wei.  Conditions, but I hope Wu Hou will keep his promise and send troops after three days. "Sun Quan's eyes narrowed with a smile, "Chen Zhongcheng, please rest assured, after all, the battle of Hefei is also related to the danger of Jiangdong. How could I not do my best?" Sun Quan talked with Chen Qun!  The outer islands referred to in are today's Zhoushan Islands, located on the sea east of Yin County, Kuaiji County, which is today's Ningbo. The coastal fishermen here have made a living by fishing for generations.  During the Qin and Han Dynasties, although Zhoushan Island belonged to the territory of Jiangdong, Jiangdong did not have effective government control over it, and the islands had no names. The government regarded them as desert islands, but there were also coastal fishermen living and multiplying on the islands. Local fishermen would  They are called Yinwai Island, which means the outer islands of Yin County, and are also referred to as outer islands.  Liu Jing reached a compromise with Sun Quan on Beigu Mountain in Jingkou and exchanged Yuzhang County for all overseas islands, including the outer islands. Of course, Liu Jing's original intention was to develop Yizhou and ensure that Yizhou belonged to Jingzhou. However,  Three years ago, Liu Jing changed his strategy and decided to build a supply military city on the outer island to collect food supplies and station 500 troops on the outer island.  This matter was carried out in an extremely secretive manner. Although some fishermen knew a little bit about it, they all benefited from the Han army and no one was willing to report it to the officials. As a result, the Jiangdong government knew nothing about it. It was not until the suspicious whereabouts of Lu Xun and Sun Shao that they were discovered.  Zhang Zhao vaguely guessed something.  After several days of coastal navigation, Lu Xun and Sun Shao's boat finally arrived at its destination. Lu Xun knew a little about the situation, but Sun Shao knew nothing. When the ship gradually approached the big island, Sun Shao's eyes were filled with tears.  surprise.  ????????????????????????????: Hundreds of large and small ships are moored in a harbor on the island, and a wharf has been built. At the foot of the mountain not far from the wharf, is a large city, comparable in size to a small county town.  At this time, Lu Xun's eldest son asked: "Father, is this the seaside?" This was also Sun Shao's question. This island is so big and has undulating mountains. Is this an island or a mainland coast?  He looked back at Lu Xun doubtfully.  Lu Xun didn't know how to answer. At this time, a boatman next to him smiled and said: "Young Master, this is a very big island. Its territory is larger than a county. The locals call it Outer Island. It is less than a hundred miles away from Yin County. We will  This place is called Dinghai Island, and this military city is called Dinghai City." As he spoke, the ship slowly docked. There was a Han general waiting on the dock for a long time. Lu Xun recognized him as Jingzhou Commander Lou Fa.  One of the two heroes of the navy, as famous as Shen Mi.  They landed ashore, and Lou Fa greeted them with a smile, saluting: "Welcome Master Sun and Governor Lu. It's been a hard journey." Finally they landed ashore, and Sun Shao suddenly felt a sense of stability. Lu Xun introduced Lou to him.  Fa, Sun Shao asked curiously: "How long has General Lou been here?" Lou Fa smiled heartily and said: "I just arrived half a month ago, but since this military city was built three years ago, there have been  There are five hundred troops stationed on the island. These soldiers have been stationed on the island for three years. They have come from extremely difficult conditions. They are the real tough guys." Sun Shao saw a group of dark-skinned soldiers standing behind Lou Fa. He knew that these soldiers were.  The Han army stationed on the island for a long time, he couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration in his heart, Sun Shao and LuHis wife and children were all seasick along the way and were arranged to go into the city to rest. However, Lu Xun was in a state of excitement. He stood at the top of the city and looked to the west. The mainland over there was Kuaiji County. The Han army actually hid three thousand troops here.  Once the Han army begins to attack Jiangdong, here is a sharp dagger thrust into Jiangdong's back.  At this time, a large ship sailed from the distance, and its flag turned out to be the He Qi military flag. More than a dozen Han warships came to meet it. Lu Xun couldn't help being slightly startled, who was coming?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 937 Three Cunning Rabbit Cave

    Dinghaihai City is very simple. There are more than twenty wooden houses built here and there on high places in the city. These are the warehouses in the city, which store thousands of stones of grain and countless military supplies. Except for these dozen wooden houses, the rest  They are all tents and barracks for soldiers.  Lu Xun was taken to the largest tent by a soldier. There were several soldiers standing in front of the tent. A soldier came forward and saluted, "Commander Lu, please come in!" Lu Xun walked into the big tent.  It was very dry. There were two people sitting in the back. The person in front was General Lou Fa, and the person next to him was a middle-aged scribe. Lu Xun thought he looked familiar. He seemed to have seen him somewhere.  When they saw Lu Xun entering the tent, they both stood up quickly. Lou Fa laughed and said, "Captain Lu should know Mr. Yu!" Lu Xun suddenly realized that this middle-aged man was Yu Fan's younger brother Yu Wang, an important figure in the Yu family in Kuaiji.  Why is he here?  As soon as he thought about it, he immediately realized that Yu Wang was the one who came here on the same ship just now. He should be He Qi's staff. Could it be that He Qi secretly had contact with the Han army?  Lu Xun was in confusion, Yu Wang saluted, but smiled slightly and said: "I said goodbye to my nephew three years ago. I didn't expect that when we saw each other again, we would be overseas. What a wonderful life experience!" Lu Xun patted his forehead and returned the courtesy smile.  "I didn't expect to see Uncle Shi here. I'm very confused. I hope Uncle Shi can forgive me." "Actually, I'm also very confused!" Yu Wang chuckled. He was equally shocked that Lu Xun actually surrendered to the Han army.  , he never imagined that it seemed that the rumors were true.  "Please sit down, both of you. I will explain slowly." The three of them sat down. Lou Fa first said to Yu Wang: "Captain Lu is our title. In fact, Governor Lu is an aide to the King of Han. He came to Jiangdong to mediate on the order of the King of Han. He will try his best to mediate in Jiangdong.  It is possible to protect the people of Jiangdong." Yu Wang nodded, "This is also the wish of all the families in Jiangdong. They don't want Jiangdong to be devastated by war again." Lu Xun suddenly had a realization in his heart. I am afraid that the Yu family in Kuaiji also secretly submitted a letter of surrender to the King of Han.  , but Yu Wang is He Qi's staff. Whether he comes on behalf of the Yu family or He Qi, Lu Xun is still a little unclear.  Before Lou Fa left, he received an order from Liu Jing, requiring him to obey Lu Xun's suggestions. Lou Fa also knew that he did not understand strategy and had to rely on Lu Xun. Originally, he was going to have a good talk with Lu Xun, but unexpectedly, Lu Xun had just arrived, and Yu  He quickly landed on the shore, leaving him no chance to talk to Lu Xun in detail.  Lou Fa knew that Lu Xun must be confused, so he quickly explained: "Shortly after Sun Bi was destroyed, General He Qi asked Mr. Yu to go to Chang'an and meet His Highness the King of Han. General He Qi expressed his willingness to do his best for the unification of the world. I  Not long after arriving on the island, he sent someone to Kuaiji County and contacted General He. "It suddenly dawned on Lu Xun that He Qi had secretly surrendered to the King of Han. What a surprise!  In this case, why didn't the King of Han allow them to retreat to Kuaiji?  But then I thought again, it should be Sun Cao who formed an alliance. The King of Han was not sure about He Qi's attitude, so he did not dare to take risks and let them come to the island. After all, people like He Qi always put their own interests first.  Thinking of this, Lu Xun smiled at Yu Wang and said, "Uncle Shi must have brought an autograph letter from General He when he came today." Yu Wang said apologetically: "Because of the unsafe conditions at sea, General He didn't ask me to bring an autograph letter. It's just that  Pass on General He's message, General He is willing to let the Han army pass through Kuaiji County, and you can go ashore at any time." Lu Xun nodded and said with a smile: "With General He's help, we will be successful and we will definitely be able to contain the Jiangdong Army from behind.  , so that the Jiangdong Army could not fully participate in the Battle of Hefei. If the Han Army finally won the Battle of Hefei, General He would be indispensable. " "No! General He just did his best. Boyan is exaggerating." "Stop, Yu Wang.  Then he asked: "I wonder when the Han army will be ready to go ashore?" Lu Xun and Lou Fa looked at each other, and Lou Fa smiled and said: "This has not been decided yet, but it should be within ten days. At the specific time, I will send someone to inform you in advance.  General." The two sides discussed some specific details. Yu Wang was eager to go back and said goodbye. Lu Xun kept putting him on the ship and watched the ship go away. Then he turned back to Lou and said with a smile: "General Lou, what did you hear?  Any clues?" Lou Fa frowned, "It seems that He Qi is not planning to send troops to participate in our operation. He is just taking advantage of it." Lu Xun nodded, "At first, I asked Yu Wang if he had brought He Qi with him.  An autographed letter, Yu Wang said no, so I knew that He Qi still had something left, and was not sincerely surrendering to the King of Han, so he said it was just an excuse, so I was not surprised. Cunning rabbit has three holes. This He Qi is a very cunning old rabbit.  Ah! If I guess correctly, he not only sent people to be loyal to the King of Han, but also sent people to be loyal to Cao Cao. Of course, he also expressed his willingness to surrender to Sun Yat-sen.?, he will never make the final decision until the general trend of the world has been decided.  " "I don't understand, what is He Qi afraid of?  Could it be that he couldn't see how powerful the King of Han was?  " Lu Xun sighed slightly, "He is still waiting to watch the Battle of Hefei. He is afraid that the King of Han will lose the Battle of Hefei. This kind of person wants to take advantage of all the benefits, but does not want any risks.  " Speaking of this, Lu Xun asked: "When exactly will we land in Kuaiji?  " Lou Fa took out a letter and handed it to Lu Xun, "This is the letter that His Highness the King of Han asked me to forward to you before leaving. You will know after reading it.  Lu Xun quickly took the letter, opened it and read it carefully. In the letter, Liu Jing appointed Sun Shao as the governor of Kuaiji County, and Yu Wang as the county magistrate. Once He Qi sends someone to the island to contact him, it will be time to send troops. Lu Xun clicked.  Nodding, he understood what Liu Jing meant. Since Sun Bi was killed by the He brothers, Kuaiji County has been actually controlled by He Qi. On the one hand, He Qi secretly sent Yu Wang to Chang'an to express his allegiance to Liu Jing. On the other hand, He Qi secretly sent Yu Wang to Chang'an to express his loyalty to Liu Jing.  He also quietly contacted Cao Cao, willing to serve the court, and at the same time expressed his surrender to Sun Quan. But no matter who he loyal to, He Qi would not give up his core interests, which was Kuaiji County, which was his territory, and the 20,000 Kuaiji troops were his.  His army, he is the king of Kuaiji. Even if Liu Jing really seizes the world, he must admit his special interests in Kuaiji. When Yu Wang secretly went to Chang'an, Liu Jing vaguely agreed to his request, but only verbally.  He Qi agreed, but there was no written confirmation, so He Qi was still worried. He Qi received a secret message from Sun Quan, ordering him to send troops to destroy the Han army on the outer island. This order made him feel uncomfortable.  He was secretly surprised that Sun Quan actually knew that the Han army was stationed on the outer island. But he soon discovered from the letter that Sun Quan actually didn't know very well. The letter said that he should search for the Han army on each island and if he found the Han army.  , to be destroyed immediately. In other words, Sun Quan only speculated and had no definite evidence to know which island the Han army was on. This gave He Qi another glimmer of hope. He did not want Cao Cao to know that he was secretly communicating with the Han army.  , and did not want the Han army to know that he had a secret connection with Cao Cao. Just when He Qi was upset, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door, and his brother He Jing opened the door and walked in, saying anxiously: "Brother, that's where Yin County is."  News came from the side that an army had landed in Yin County.  " He Qi was startled. He didn't care to blame his brother for pushing the door open without authorization, and asked urgently: "Have the Han troops landed?  He Jing shook his head, "It seems so. The news from Yin County just said that an army of unknown origin suddenly appeared, about three to four thousand people."  " He Qi walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, feeling a little uncomfortable. They had clearly agreed with Yu Wang to send someone to inform him before landing, but now the Han army did not abide by the agreement. He Qi actually hoped that the Han army would be in Qiantang.  If they land in Yanguan County on the north shore of the bay and directly attack Wu County, it has nothing to do with them. But now that they have landed in Yin County, what should they do? "If the elder brother feels that something is wrong, the younger brother will lead an army to drive them back."  Just go to the sea.  " He Qi waved his hand, "This won't work. It will offend Liu Jing. You must do the etiquette you should do and leave a way out for yourself.  " "Then what does the elder brother say?  " He Qi thought for a while and said: "You and Mr. Yu led a thousand troops to Yin County and guided them to cross Zhejiang from Qiantang County. They were not allowed to come to Shanyin County and they were sent out of the country as gifts.  " "Brother, don't you see them?  " He Qi hesitated and said: "Let Mr. Yu test their attitude. If Mr. Yu says that it is necessary to meet, then I will rush to Qiantang County to meet with them. It is best not to meet them.  " "I understand, little brother!  " He Jing bowed and hurried away. He Qi walked to the window, anxious in his heart. He stared at the sky and couldn't help but sigh. If he didn't handle it well this time, Cao Cao might know that he had secret dealings with Liu Jing.  He was caught between two major forces and his future was uncertain, which really made him feel very distressed. Three thousand Han troops landed on the coast of Yin County and headed west along the north bank of Tianmen Water. They arrived in Yuyao County two days later. It was already getting dark.  , Lou Fa ordered the entire army to enter the county to rest. There were originally more than 3,000 households in Yuyao County. After experiencing Sun Bi's brutal rule, a large number of people in Yuyao County fled, and the county's population was less than 1,000 households. The county magistrate heard that there were troops.  Entering the city, he was so frightened that he rushed to greet you. "Your Majesty, Li Zi, welcomes all the generals!"  Lu Xun smiled on the horse and said, "Don't be nervous, Magistrate Li. We just didn't bring a tent. We'll stay in an empty house in the city for one night and leave early tomorrow morning. We won't disturb the people."  " County Magistrate Li heard that they would not disturb the people, and felt a little relieved. He quickly said: "There are many vacant houses in the county.??Concentrated in the east of the city, please generals come with me.  " Lou Fa gave an order and led the army to follow the county magistrate towards the east city. At this time, Lu Xun smiled and asked: "I don't know how much food is in the official warehouse. We plan to buy some. Maybe County Magistrate Li will sell it to us?  " Magistrate Li was a little confused. There were thousands of stones of grain stored in the official warehouse. That was the food for the army. How could it be sold to the army? He turned around and looked at the army, and suddenly felt something was wrong. The armor and attire did not look like He Qi's.  He suddenly panicked and took a few steps back in fright. He asked in a trembling voice: "Where are you from?"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 938 The Yu family defected

    "Who does County Magistrate Li think we are?" Lu Xun asked with a smile.  County Magistrate Li was simply confused. This was Yuyao County, and in the hinterland of Kuaiji County, an army of unknown origin actually appeared. It was not Shanyue people, nor He Qi's army, nor Jiangdong Army. His mind was in a mess, and he was stunned.  Looking at Lu Xun.  Lu Xun smiled and said, "We are the Han Army." "Han Army" County Magistrate Li took a breath and his legs became weak. The opponent turned out to be the Han Army. He had the urge to turn around and run away.  At this time, Lou Fa saw that he looked pitiful, so he stepped forward and patted his shoulder with a smile, "Magistrate Li, please take us to stay quickly! The Han army has strict military discipline. Magistrate Li should feel lucky."  My heart suddenly relaxed. This general was right. The Han army had strict military discipline. At least they would not burn, kill, and loot like Cao's army or the Shanyue people. After all, he was the county magistrate, so he had some knowledge and knew what he should do.  "I understand, general, please follow me." County Magistrate Li led the Han army to Dongcheng, pointed to the large number of unlit houses and said: "Nine out of ten houses here are empty. As long as there are no lighted houses,  , you can all move in, I just hope you won¡¯t damage the items in the house.¡± Lou Fa immediately ordered the soldiers to move in. Magistrate Li said to Lu Xun tremblingly: ¡°The general said he wanted to buy food, but it¡¯s not necessary. There is military food in the official warehouse.  You can take one thousand shi of official grain and official grain, but I dare not accept the money." Seeing that he didn't know him, Lu Xun couldn't help laughing and asked, "I am Lu Boyan of Wu County, you really don't know me.  ?¡± Magistrate Li was shocked, ¡°Are you Governor Lu?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, haven¡¯t you seen me?¡± Magistrate Li was so frightened that he quickly knelt down, but Lu Xun helped him, ¡°I am no longer the Governor of Jiangdong Army.  I have surrendered to the Han Dynasty. Magistrate Li does not need to be polite." Hearing that the other party was Lu Xun, Magistrate Li breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I am Li Zi, who is from Qiantang. I have been to Jianye several times, but I haven't.  I have only heard of Governor Lu for a long time. How come you, Governor Lu, came from the east? This is a question that County Magistrate Li has been holding back for a long time. Now that he finally asked it, Lu Xun smiled and said, "We came by boat from Yanguan County?"  "Lu Xun didn't want to tell him the truth, so he just gave him a reason. Magistrate Li suddenly looked at him. Yanguan County was just opposite Qiantang Bay. If you take a boat, it would be close. His doubts were eliminated and he quickly said: "I'm here.  Go and arrange food. Governor Lu should go and rest first!" Lu Xun told him a few more words before walking to his dormitory. He still had to discuss the march route with Lou Fa, and there were still many things to do.  County Magistrate Li hurried back to the county government office, found the county magistrate and a dozen government officials, and ordered them to open the official warehouse to collect grain. One thousand shi was a lot of food. They also had to recruit civilians. When County Magistrate Li was in the warehouse  When he was too busy to touch the ground, a government servant rushed over and whispered a few words in Magistrate Li's ear. Magistrate Li was so frightened that he trembled all over and weighed it in his hand.  ¡¯ Landed.  At this time, a person walked in from outside. He looked at the civilians who were carrying food and asked coldly: "Is County Magistrate Li going to give the food to the Han army?" This person was Yu Wang. He and He Jing led  The army rushed to Yin County, but they heard that an army had entered Yuyao County. They immediately realized that this was the Han army that had landed. He Jing was stationed outside the city, and Yu Wang went into the city to explore the reality.  Magistrate Li was so frightened that he had no choice but to step forward and say: "The Han army is stationed in the city, and their humble duty is to take care of the safety of the civilians in the city. If they are not provided with food, it will be even more terrible for them to plunder and plunder. Moreover, Governor Lu said that he wanted to buy  "Is Lu Boyan here?" "Yes! He is the leader." Yu Wang thought for a moment and said, "Go and invite Lu Boyan. I'll wait for him at the county office. I'll tell him something."  " Magistrate Li rushed away, and Yu Wang turned around and went to the county government office. Not long after, Lu Xun followed Magistrate Li and hurried to the county government office. Magistrate Li did not dare to participate in their conversation, and went to the warehouse again. There was only one person left in the inner hall.  Yu Wang and Lu Xun.  Lu Xun asked with a smile, "Uncle Shi, are you returning to your ancestral home for a visit?" The Yu family is from Yuyao, but most of the families have moved to Shanyin County, the county seat. There are only some remote branches left in the old house in Yuyao. Yu Wang  He shook his head and said, "I'm not here to visit my ancestral home. I'm going to Yin County to greet you on the orders of General He Qi. There are also a thousand troops stationed outside the city, led by Second General He Jing." "It turns out that he is also here."  "Here we come." Lu Xun and He Jing fought several times, and He Jing was severely defeated. He knew that He Jing was a very vindictive person. After he took over the military power, he would kill all the people who had offended him when he was a child.  He is well-known in Jiangdong for retribution. If he sees himself, he may not be willing to let go.  Lu Xun pondered for a moment and said, "Uncle Shi, does he know that all the three major families in Wu County are loyal to the King of Han?"   Yu Wang was stunned. He only knew that the Lu family surrendered to the Han Dynasty because of Lu Xun, but the other two families did not know. He hesitated and asked: "Could it be that the Gu family and the Zhang family?" "Gu Yong's nephew Gu Yu went to Jingzhou  He has been studying abroad for many years and has not returned yet. It is rumored that he studied at Lumen Academy, but in fact he participated in the public examination of Jingzhou and ranked eighth in high school. He was appointed as the registrar of Zigui County at the age of seventeen and has now been promoted to Badong Yufu County.  He is also the youngest county magistrate in the Han Dynasty. Uncle Shi doesn't know!" Yu Wang shook his head. He really knew nothing. Lu Xun said again: "As for the Zhang family, I saw Zhang Wen's writing on the table of the King of Han Dynasty.  Two autographed letters to the King of Han. " Speaking of this, Lu Xun sighed and said: "They are not as public as the Lu family, and they do things in a low-key and secretive manner. If I hadn't been loyal to the King of Han, I would have known nothing about these things. However,  It's right to think about it, how long can the current Sun family in Jiangdong last? "Because the Jiangsu and Zhejiang families are relatively peaceful and less affected by the war, they have been passed down for two thousand years. To this day, Gu and Lu in Suzhou are still common surnames, while the family in Zhejiang is still a common surname.  The Yu family has produced talents in large numbers for thousands of years. The nobility has inherited power, and the gentry has inherited culture. This is also the root of Chinese culture for five thousand years.  But aristocratic families are also narrow-minded, that is, they value the interests of the family too much. For example, the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties lasted for hundreds of years and experienced countless dynasties and still prospered because in their hearts, the interests of the family were far higher.  interests of the country and the dynasty.  This also made the Han civilization's dynasties change more frequently than any other civilization, and the people's disasters were more severe.  In fact, the same is true for the Yu family. The origin of the name of Yuyao County is the two surnames "Yu Yao". The Yu family is the most prominent family in Kuaiji. The head of the family, Yu Fan, was first loyal to Wang Lang of Kuaiji. When Wang Lang was annihilated by Sun Ce, Yu Fan did not  He followed Wang Lang into exile, but directly surrendered to Sun Ce.  Not only the Yu family, but also the entire Jiangdong family were similar. Before the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao led a million troops southward, and there were calls for surrender in Jiangdong. Only Lu Su's words awakened Sun Quan.  The reason is very simple, because the interests of the family are higher than the interests of the Jiangdong regime. The Sun regime is just a big tree that the Jiangdong families rely on. When this tree is on the verge of collapse, the families who are attached to the shade will naturally not coexist with the big tree.  , it was like this when Cao Cao was strong, and it is also like this now that Liu Jing is strong.  Lu Xun was a child of a noble family, so he certainly knew the thoughts of the Yu family, who was also from a wealthy family in Kuaiji. Moreover, he spoke very implicitly but also very thoroughly, using the choices of the three major noble families in Wu County to remind Yu Wang that it does not require a heavy hammer to ring a drum, as long as  When Lu Xun mentioned the key points, he would naturally wake up Yu Wang.  Yu Wang was silent. He understood what Lu Xun meant. Last year, he went to Chang'an to see Liu Jing, the king of Han, on behalf of He Qi. Liu Jing treated him with great courtesy, but Liu Jing also made it very clear that it was not because He Qi respected him, but because of He Qi's respect for him.  He respected him because of the Yu family in Kuaiji. In Liu Jing's heart, the Yu family in Kuaiji was far more important than He Qi.  Moreover, his brother Yu Fan had written to him more than once to persuade him that He Qi was a regicide and no prince would tolerate such a minister. Following him would not bring good results. In fact, Yu Wang was not loyal to He Qi.  Qi, but in order to preserve the family, he had to do things for He Qi.  Now seeing that the Sun family has declined, Liu Jing is getting stronger and stronger, and under the banner of restoring the Han Dynasty, he has occupied a moral high point and has the support of the world's famous families. It is only a matter of time before the Han army wipes out Jiangdong. How can Yu Wang not consider the family's interests?  future?  Thinking of this, Yu Wang sighed and asked in a low voice: "How is His Highness the King of Han going to deal with Kuaiji County?" Seeing that he had been persuaded by him, Lu Xun also told him frankly, "Last time Uncle Shi came to Dinghaicheng, he didn't see him.  Are you going to Sun Shao?" It turned out that Sun Shao was also in Dinghai City. Yu Wang suddenly realized, "Could it be that the king of Han wants to make Sun Shao the lord of Jiangdong?" "No! There will be no room for two tigers in one mountain, and all counties in Jiangdong will be controlled by Han.  Directly under the jurisdiction, Sun Shao will be the prefect of Kuaiji, and Uncle Shi will be the county magistrate. The King of Han will treat the Sun family well for the sake of Princess Shangxiang. "Yu Wangmoran, Sun Shao is Sun Ce's only son, and as long as he keeps Sun Shao, he can finally win over her.  Living in the Jiangdong Army, the King of Han was indeed very clever, and Sun Shao was just a weak scholar. Letting him be the prefect of Kuaiji was just in name. As the county magistrate, he had the real power in Kuaiji.  Thinking of this, Yu Wang's heart suddenly warmed up and his eyes became bright. Since Sun Shao was to be appointed as the governor of Kuaiji, the Han army's crossing would not be that simple. He looked at Lu Xun with expectation.  Lu Xun smiled and said, "It has been several years since the chaos in Kuaiji. People have decided that we must act in accordance with the people's wishes. This time we are crossing the border and heading north. I hope the He brothers can come to Zhejiang to see us off. How can we persuade He Qi? We have to hope.  Uncle Shi." Yu Wang nodded, he knew exactly how to persuade He Qi.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 939 The false way destroys Guo

    When Yu Wang returned to the military camp outside the city, He Jing immediately stepped forward and asked, "Sir, what did Lu Xun say?" In terms of etiquette, He Jing should call Lu Xun by his official title or first name. It is extremely rude to call him by his first name.  , usually only with contempt or hostility in his heart, he would call him by his first name, but He Jing was indeed very hostile to Lu Xun. Lu Xun killed him several times and was defeated. Although they were just their own masters, He Jing felt that he had been disrespected.  , which made him hold a grudge against Lu Xun to this day.  Yu Wang knew He Jing's thoughts and smiled and said: "They will directly cross the Zhejiang River to Wu County. Lu Boyan said that in order to avoid embarrassment for both parties, General He's escort is not needed for the time being." He Jing snorted coldly, "  He understands very well." He Jing then asked, "What should we do?" Yu Wang pondered for a moment and said, "The other party only has 3,000 troops, but we have 20,000 troops. We are not afraid of them causing trouble anyway.  They also have to pass through Shanyin County, why don't we go back and report to the general first to see what the general wants. " He Jing is a man without any opinion, and his brother He Qi also knows that his brother is not resourceful, so he asked Yu Wang to follow him.  Yu Wang suggested going back first, and He Jing had no choice but to agree, and the two immediately led their troops back to Shanyin County.  Shanyin County, later known as Shaoxing, was named because it was located south of Kuaiji Mountain. It is now the county seat of Kuaiji County and is more than 200 miles away from Yuyao. He Jing led his army and rushed back to Shanyin County two days later.  The army was stationed outside the city. He Jing and Yu Wang went to see the general He Qi together. In the lobby, He Qi couldn't help but frown slightly after listening to Yu Wang's report. The Han army never mentioned asking him to send troops to cooperate. He Qi relied on three thousand soldiers to cooperate.  The army is attacking Wu Commandery. Isn't this just a moth flying into the flame?  Yu Wang explained: "I can tell from my humble position that what Lu Xun said about attacking Wu County was actually just an angry word. If Sun Quan didn't know about their existence, he might still be able to attack by surprise. But now that Huang Gai is prepared, the sneak attack will make sense. Besides,  A surprise attack on Wu County should be carried out at Yanguan County on the north bank of Qiantang Bay, or a direct attack on Wu County along the Songjiang River should not be carried out at Kuaiji County." Yu Wang's explanation was exactly He Qi's doubts. He originally sent Yu Wang to Dinghai.  The city government made it very clear that they only borrowed roads and did not provide troops, so the Han army should no longer land from Kuaiji County. This would be meaningless, but why did the Han army still land from Kuaiji County?  " He Jing next to him couldn't help but interjected: "Do they want to take over Kuaiji County?  " Yu Wang's heart skipped a beat. This guy is not stupid. Before Yu Wang could deny it, He Qi shook his head, "At this time, their attempt to capture Kuaiji County will only lead to their own destruction, and if Liu Jing wants to capture Jiangdong, they will only double their efforts to win over Jiangdong.  If you destroy me, won't it make other Jiangdong generals feel cold? Liu Jing is not that stupid, so the Han army will not seek to capture Kuaiji County. You are worrying too much.  " Yu Wang was secretly happy. This He Qi had preconceived ideas and believed that Liu Jing would not touch him, but he forgot a key issue, that is, He Qi surrendered to Liu Jing secretly. No one in Jiangdong knew, and the people in Jiangdong only  Knowing that He Qi surrendered to Sun Quan and Liu Jing destroyed him, what harm would it do? And He Qi was too confident. He thought that the 20,000 Kuaiji troops were loyal to him, but he didn't know that if a county supported 20,000 troops, the burden on the people would be huge.  He did not show benevolence and righteousness, but competed with the people for profit. The people's support had already been lost. There were still a few people in Kuaiji who were loyal to him. Yu Wang smiled and explained: "The general is right, the Han army is not here to capture Kuaiji County.  , and when I was leaving, Lou Fa spilled the beans.  "    "what did he say?  " He Qi asked anxiously. "Lou Fa asked me how many garrison troops there would be in Xindu County. Lu Xun winked at him urgently, and then he realized that he had made a mistake and stopped mentioning Xindu County.  " He Qi quickly walked to the map on the wall and looked at the map on the wall. If the Han army wanted to go to Xindu County, it would indeed have to go west along the Zhejiang River. This makes sense. Maybe the Han army really wanted to go to Xindu County.  Dujun, He Qi turned back and asked He Jing, "Is there a Jiangdong Army in Xindu County?  " He Jing shook his head, "There is no Jiangdong Army in Xindu County, but there are a thousand Sun Yu's troops stationed in Shixin County, commanded by Zhang Ning, Zhang Wen's nephew.  " He Qi nodded slowly, that's right. It seems that the Han army's attack on Wu County was just an excuse. Their goal was to divert to Xindu County. Based on Xindu County, they would accept Chaisang's reinforcements and send troops to Wu County or  Danyang County launched an attack. Thinking of this, He Qi asked Yu Wang, "How do you think we should respond?"  " Yu Wang smiled slightly, "Since the Han army is not trying to attack Wu County, the general might as well be a favor and treat Lu Xun and Lou Fa warmly, and then promise to send troops to help, and do everything possible to save face, and do the same to Liu Jing.  An explanation.  " Yu Wang knew He Qi very well. He knew that He Qi was hypocritical and liked to make a fuss on the surface. He wanted Liu Jing's benefits but was unwilling to really put in the effort, so he followed his liking and suggested that he be a good person on the surface.  Article. He Qishen thought?, nodded happily and said: "Sir, what you said is very much what I want!" He Qi immediately ordered the construction of a new military camp at the foot of Kuaiji Mountain, slaughtered pigs and sheep, moved out the old wines that Sun Ben had hidden, and prepared for the new military camp.  Provide support to the Han army.  At noon the next day, three thousand Han troops arrived in Shanyin County. Lu Xun accepted He Qi's kindness, ordered the troops to move into the new camp, and ordered the troops to rest for three days.  He Qi also personally led more than a dozen generals and civil servants, including Yu Wang and He Jing, to the military camp and hosted a banquet for Lu Xun and other Han generals. From noon to afternoon, three thousand Han troops drank and ate meat, enjoying this rare feast.  In the big tent, everyone was drinking and laughing. Lou Fa was very good at drinking. He downed a jar of old wine in one breath, which attracted everyone's cheers. He Qi knew that he was a Jianghui thief, so of course he could drink, but Lou Fa drank so happily.  , also gradually dispelled some of the vigilance in He Qi's heart.  He Qi raised his glass to Lu Xun and Lou and laughed and said: "I once wrote to His Highness the King of Han, promising to fully assist the King of Han in unifying the world. Since the two generals want to attack Wu County today, I will naturally keep my promise and send 10,000 troops to help the two generals capture Wu County.  " After saying that, he watched Lu Xun's expression closely and saw hesitation in Lu Xun's eyes. He Qi couldn't help but feel secretly happy. Sure enough, they guessed it right. The Han army was not going to attack Wu Commandery.  Lu Xun pondered for a moment and said: "Thank you General for your kindness. It is our plan to attack Wu County, but it cannot be implemented now. We have to wait for the reinforcements of the Han army to arrive and the order from His Highness the King of Han. But I believe we will attack Wu County soon."  The county will also ask the general to send troops to help." "No problem, I will definitely send troops." He Qi pretended to be well-meaning and said: "If the Han army doesn't mind, they might as well station troops in Yuyao County, and then they can take a boat to Yan.  Guan County, it is more convenient to attack Wu County. " "We appreciate the general's kindness, but we plan to go to Xindu County. Zhang Ning is my old army, and there is an army in Shixin County, and Xindu County is not far from Chaisang.  , the Han army will come from Chaisang to join us, and then attack Wujun from Xindu. When the time comes, our two families will send troops to Wujun, and Wujun will be at your fingertips." He Qi laughed, "Definitely!" Everyone drank again!  After a few glasses of wine, He Jing held a jar of wine under his ribs. He came to Lu Xun with a drunken spirit and said with a sneer: "I offer a jar of wine to Governor Lu. Governor Lu can give me this face." Lu Xun's expression changed.  There is no reason to offer someone a jar of wine. This was clearly a provocation. He Qi's face darkened and he shouted: "He Jing must not be rude!" He Jing laughed loudly, threw the jar of wine away, drew his sword and said, "Since  If Governor Lu refuses to drink my toast, how about I invite him to dance with you? "This is the rule of the Han Dynasty. During a banquet, the host invites a guest to dance. If the guest does not agree, it is an insult to the host. Lu Xun has already rejected the host.  If you continue to refuse to dance together, you will really lose face, and even He Qi will not be able to stop him.  Lu Xun stood up and said with a smile: "Since General Xiao He is sincere, Lu Xun will accompany you." He Jing was furious. He hated people calling him General Xiao He the most in his life, but Lu Xun exposed his sore feet in public. He Jing's heart suddenly became filled with murderous intent.  Rufei stabbed Lu Xun in the throat with a sword that brushed the ground.  Lu Xun drew his sword and separated each other. The two of them were close to each other, with their faces only one foot apart. Lu Xun whispered angrily: "You want to kill me?"  Hate." He turned around and stabbed at Lu Xun with the sword in his hand like a flying pear blossom. Lu Xun was obviously not very good at martial arts. He was struggling to block from left to right. He Qi originally thought that Lu Xun was good at martial arts and could beat his brother.  But in front of him, Lu Xun's martial arts skills were obviously inferior to those of his brothers, and his steps were not steady. This made He Qi really worried. It was rumored that Lu Xun was good at both civil and military skills, but unexpectedly, his reputation was in vain and he was clearly just a scholar.  "Second brother, don't mess around!" He Qi shouted. He was worried that his brother would be reckless and stab Lu Xun to death with a sword, which would cause trouble.  At this time, He Jing was full of murderous intent and could not listen to his brother's advice. He gritted his teeth and stabbed at Lu Xun with the sword in his hand like a storm. The killing made Lu Xun retreat repeatedly, blocking with left and right, and he was about to lose his support.  .  At this time, Lu Xun had already retreated to He Qi's table. He Jing shouted loudly and stabbed Lu Xun's throat with his sword. Seeing that Lu Xun had no way to hide, at this moment, Lu Xun's body tilted and he fell heavily into He Qi.  inside the table.  He Qi was paying attention to his brother's sword, but he was not prepared for Lu Xun. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. When he lowered his head, he saw that Lu Xun's sword had pierced his chest. He Qi saw Lu Xun's cold eyes, and his heart  Thoughts flashed through his mind, and he understood everything immediately, but it was too late. He screamed and was killed on the spot.  At this time, many people in the tent did not notice the drastic change. They thought it was Lu Xun who was stabbed and screamed. However, they saw Lu Xun straighten his waist, his timid aura disappeared, and his body dodged to avoid the congratulatory attack.Jing stabbed his own back with a sword, then stabbed back with his long sword. This sword was as fast as lightning and stabbed straight into He Jing's throat.  He Jing had been deceived by Lu Xun's illusion and only attacked but not defended. He had no defense against Lu Xun's counterattack. He only felt a sharp pain in his throat. The sword actually pierced his neck. He Jing covered his neck and fell heavily to the ground.  Blood spurted out and his whole body twitched.  The big tent was silent, and no one reacted. Just as the rabbits were rising and the falcons were falling, both the He brothers were killed by Lu Xun. At this time, Lou Fa stood up and shouted, "Do it!" Hundreds of swordsmen rushed in from behind the big tent.  The axeman raised and lowered his axe, and hacked to death all the dozen He Qi's generals, leaving only Yu Wang alone, who was protected by Lu Xun. The bloody scene in front of him made Yu Wang tremble with fear.  Lu Xun smiled and said: "It's time for Uncle Shi to take action now." Yu Wang used He Qi's gold medal to deceive the defenders, and the Han army rushed into Shanyin County. Thousands of Shanyin defenders had no leader and no intention of resisting.  They surrendered to the Han army one after another. Lu Xun immediately issued an order of the King of Han to the counties and garrisons in various places in Kuaiji, announcing that Sun Shao would be appointed as the prefect of Kuaiji, Yu Wang would be the county magistrate, and all county officials would be appointed to their original posts.  He also ordered that Kuaiji County be exempted from taxes for three years, and local government officials opened warehouses to distribute grain and provide relief to the poor.  When the order was passed to all counties in Kuaiji, there were thunderous cheers everywhere. The officials and the people were very happy and shouted long live the King of Han. The troops all supported Sun Shao as the prefect. In just a few days, the atmosphere in Kuaiji County was completely new.  Lu Xun immediately reorganized the Kuaiji army, laid off 15,000 troops, and ordered them to go home to farm, leaving only 8,000 elite soldiers. He promised them to enjoy the treatment of the Han army. The morale of the Kuaiji army was greatly boosted, and they changed their flags and flags, and were officially classified as the Kuaiji Han army.  .  Lu Xun trained for ten days and integrated 11,000 troops, and then divided his troops into two groups. Lou Fa led 3,000 naval troops to board the ship and headed towards Wang Panyang, preparing to detour to the Songjiang estuary and enter Wu County from Songjiang, while Lu Xun led 7,000 troops.  Crossed the Zhejiang River, sent troops to Qiantang County, and pointed the sword at Wu County.  The news of the Kuaiji mutiny flew toward Wu County and Jianye as if it had wings. At this time, Sun Quan personally led 40,000 naval troops who had just left Jianye. They took 500 warships and attacked Ruxukou in a mighty manner.  .

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 940 Unexpected Discovery

    After capturing Ruxukou, the Han army did not immediately march north to Hefei, but stopped at Ruxukou. Judging from the current power structure, the Han army is still weak. There are 100,000 Cao troops in the north ready to attack, and there are 100,000 Cao troops in the south ready to attack.  The Jiangdong navy was peeping like poisonous snakes. If his army moved north in a large scale, the Jiangdong navy would definitely block Ruxukou from behind and cut off his retreat.  There are only two strategies to break this game. Either attack Jiangdong first and cripple Jiangdong, or contain Jiangdong's backyard. Liu Jing finally chose the second strategy. The reason is very simple. If he attacks Jiangdong first, Cao Cao will never  If he just sat back and watched, even if it was difficult to cross the Yangtze River and go south, he could launch the Battle of Jingzhou to surround Wei and rescue Zhao.  If the main force of the Han army cannot give up the confrontation with Cao's army, they can only use surprise troops to set Jiangdong's backyard on fire. Lu Xun and the three thousand troops in Dinghaicheng are the surprise troops deployed by Liu Jing. Kuaiji County is Jiangdong's backyard. Capture Kuaiji County and march on  Wujun.  At the same time, Liu Jing ordered Zhao Yan to perform meritorious service and lead 5,000 troops from Chaisang to Xindu County, preparing to cooperate with Lu Xun in attacking Wu County. Once the situation in Wu County was critical, Jiangdong Army would have difficulty cooperating with Cao Army on the battlefield in Hefei, and  This gave the Han army no worries.  The main force of 70,000 Han troops was stationed in Ruxukou. At the same time, Liu Jing ordered Gan Ning to be the front army and led 10,000 naval troops and 200 warships into Chao Lake to wipe out Cao Jun's water power.  In the past few years, Gan Ning has been stationed in Jingzhou. He was named the naval commander, the Marquis of Dongxiang, and the general of Zhendong. He was given a settlement of 300 households and received extremely generous treatment. However, Gan Ning was always depressed because of the Han Dynasty.  The army's strategy has always been in the north, and there was no war in Jingzhou, which made Gan Ning feel that he was living in vain.  This time, Gan Ning finally waited for the battle of Hefei, which had been prepared for nearly two years. He took a deep breath. He must make an immortal contribution in this battle, so that he could raise his head among the Han army.  The fleet of the Han army lined up slowly in Chao Lake. There was a gentle breeze on the water and the waves were rippling. Although it had just entered the early summer, the weather was already very hot, and the water vapor in the lake made it even more sweltering. Normally, Chao Lake would be unbearably hot.  The lake was filled with fishing boats of all sizes. Due to the war, most of the fishing boats in Chaohu Lake were missing. The Han fleet walked for a whole morning before accidentally encountering a small fishing boat.  At this time, the observer on the mast pointed to the distance and shouted: "General, there is a fleet on the right front!" Gan Ning perked up and looked northeast, faintly seeing a few small black spots.  He immediately asked loudly: "Are you sure it's a fleet?" "It should be a fleet. I saw dozens of black spots." This was what he could see clearly from a high place. Gan Ning immediately ordered: "Beat the drums and attack!" On the water surface  On the boat, the drums were beating loudly, and two hundred warships worked together to chase the fleet in the distance. The other party also discovered them and was driving quickly, trying to get rid of their pursuit, but the Han army had dozens of ships.  The hundred-stone clipper was extremely fast and gradually caught up with Cao's fleet.  This is a fleet of hundreds of 500-stone cargo ships loaded with 10,000 barrels of kerosene. According to the agreement reached by Chen Qun and Sun Quan, Cao Jun must deliver 10,000 barrels of kerosene and 100,000 shi to Jiangdong Army as soon as possible.  food.  Food could be supplied slowly, but kerosene was urgently needed. The fleet set out from Hefei, then sailed through a small river into Lishui, then along Lishui to Liyang County, and finally sailed into the Yangtze River.  The Huainan area is densely covered with rivers. The Ruxushui is the only large river that can carry ships with a weight of more than 1,000 rocks. However, if you are a small boat, you do not have to go through the Ruxushui. There are many small rivers connecting Chaohu and the Yangtze River, but most of these rivers are narrow.  , only a hundred-stone boat can travel at most.  The river this fleet was going to take was slightly wider and could carry a five-hundred-stone ship. It was a secret river located in the middle of Chaohu Lake. Just as they were about to enter the river, they were discovered by the Han fleet.  Hundreds of Cao's cargo ships drove desperately, but were eventually overtaken by Han's clippers. Dozens of rope-breaking arrows roared in and broke the cables. Different from ordinary wolf-fang arrows, there were shovel arrows specially designed to break cables in water battles.  , the arrow is as sharp as a shovel.  The sail ropes of the first few cargo ships were shot off, and the fleet finally stopped. A dozen Cao soldiers rushed out of the cabin with their hands raised to surrender. These soldiers knew very well that they were carrying kerosene, and once it was set alight by the Han army,  , they were all about to die. Seeing the Han warships catching up, they had nowhere to escape. They had no choice but to surrender.  The soldiers of the Han army jumped on the warships one after another and drove the soldiers of the Cao army off the cargo ship. Not long after, the main warships of the Han army arrived and surrounded hundreds of cargo ships. A military prince stepped forward and bowed to report: "I am reporting to Governor Gan, hundreds of cargo ships."  The cargo ship was full of kerosene, about 10,000 barrels, and they were going to go down the Baixia River and cross the water into the Yangtze River. "Gan Ning also once stationed troops in Chaohu and was very familiar with the nearby rivers and knew Baixia.  The river was a very narrow river. He frowned and asked, "Can a cargo ship with a weight of 500 shi go down the Baixia River?" "Listen to Cao JunThe troops were said to have been cleared.  Gan Ning nodded. He accidentally learned a secret about Cao Jun. It turned out that Cao Jun had secretly dredged many rivers. At this time, a general jumped on the big boat, walked quickly to Gan Ning, and whispered a few words to him.  , Gan Ning's expression suddenly became solemn, "Where?  " " General, please follow me!  " Han soldiers searched the cargo ship and found an unexpected item, which made Gan Ning nervous. He followed the general to a cargo ship and jumped on the deck. The ship was already controlled by Han soldiers. The boatman and Cao Jun soldiers accompanying the ship  Gan Ning walked into the cabin. The cabin was filled with kerosene like other cargo ships. However, only half of the cabin of this ship was filled with kerosene, while the other half contained several special crossbows.  Gan Ning recognized at a glance that this was the Han army's weapon against the Huns' cavalry - the bee crossbow. He had seen the bee crossbow on Cao's cargo ship in Chang'an. It was simply incredible, but Gan Ning had witnessed it with his own eyes.  At that time, the Han soldiers found another white silk scroll from the ship and opened it. It was the drawing of making a bee crossbow. The drawing was very detailed. Gan Ning couldn't help but take a breath. Cao Cao gave the bee crossbow to Jiangdong, and also from  One side explanation is that Cao Jun has been equipped with a large amount of equipment. This is a big event anyway and must be reported to the King of Han immediately. Gan Ning immediately ordered: "Take the cargo ship back to Ruxukou.  " At noon the next day, a hundred Cao Jun cargo ships docked on the east bank of Ruxushui. At this time, Liu Jing had received the news and led a group of senior civil and military officials to come to check. " The 10,000 barrels of kerosene sent by Cao Jun to Jiangdong Army were seized.  It was a gratifying thing, but Liu Jing also had a serious face and a look of anger in his eyes. Cao Jun actually got the Han army's bee crossbow. How did it get out? The bee crossbow and the war saber belong to the Han army.  The wooden ox was extremely secret at first, but the wooden ox was to be used among the people, so it was normal for it to spread. But the bee crossbow was different. The Han army built a total of 3,000 bee crossbows, and together with the ten tested bee crossbows, each  The bee crossbows are all numbered and placed in the weapons inspection warehouse. They are closely guarded by soldiers. When dealing with the Huns, no one was lost. So how did Cao Cao obtain the bee crossbow? As long as he got the bee crossbow sample, Cao Jun's craftsmen  How could Liu Jing not be angry when he was able to imitate it and still draw the drawings? At this time, Fazheng advised from the side, "Your Highness, don't be too angry. If the bee crossbow is not lost, then Cao Cao must be a craftsman."  At the beginning, Wei Chen heard that nearly five thousand craftsmen were involved in the construction of the Bee Crossbow. There were too many craftsmen involved. As long as Cao Cao was willing, he could get the blueprints from the craftsmen and then piece them together, and the Bee Crossbow would be leaked. This kind of secret is inherently secret.  Hard to guard against.  Liu Jing actually understood in her heart that the secret of the Bee Crossbow was either leaked by the weapons supervisor or the weapons academy, but neither of them was possible. The only possibility was that the craftsmen leaked it. It seems that Cao Cao sent more than one spy. But  What worries Liu Jing is whether Cao Cao is equipped with a large number of bee crossbows? These bee crossbows are extremely lethal and pose a huge threat to cavalry and siege attacks. This undoubtedly casts a shadow on his Hefei strategy.  Although he was worried, he could not change his plan because of a bee crossbow. After pondering for a moment, Liu Jing said to Gan Ning: "Intensify the patrol of Chaohu Lake and be sure to block all connections between Cao Jun and Jiangdong Army.  " "Follow the order!  " You don't need Liu Jing to tell Gan Ning to know that Cao's army lost 10,000 barrels of kerosene at this time. He will definitely not be reconciled and will continue to supply oil to Jiangdong's army. This makes Gan Ning think of a plan. " Gan Ning told Liu Jing again  Jing whispered: "Your Highness, we have captured Cao Jun's fleet. Cao Jun and Jiangdong Army must not know about it for the time being, so why don't we take advantage of it.  " Gan Ning whispered a few words to Liu Jing, and Liu Jing couldn't help laughing, "This strategy is very bold. Cao Cao may not know it!  But you can take the risk and I'll leave it up to you.  " "Please rest assured, Your Highness, there will be no mistakes in your humble position.  Liu Jing went ashore and asked Fa Zhengdao: "Is there any news from Jiangdong?"  " "Reporting to Your Highness, there is no news yet.  " Liu Jing calculated the time in her mind. Judging from the time, Lu Xun's side should have launched in Kuaiji, and the 5,000 reinforcements led by Zhao Yan should also have arrived in Xindu County. In the past few days, there must be news from Wu County.  came.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 941 It¡¯s guaranteed to be fake

    Sun Quan himself was the chief general and Lu Meng was the deputy general. He led 40,000 Jiangdong troops and 500 warships to the west to aid Cao's army.  Although the Jiangdong Army was powerful, it seemed to be just storms and thunder without actual actions. Logically speaking, they should first retake Wuhu and form a confrontation with the Han Army. However, Sun Quan was not in a hurry to launch an offensive against the Han Army. Instead, he stationed troops for a long time.  Yang, wait for the opportunity.  Sun Quan received intelligence that after occupying Ruxukou, the Han army did not march northward in large numbers. Instead, they stationed heavy troops and warships at Ruxukou. It seemed that they were confronting Cao's army, but Sun Quan knew in his heart that Liu Jing was defending himself.  In this way, Jiangdong's army will not easily advance westward. Sun Quan hopes that the Han army will fight Cao's army first, so that he can have the opportunity to obtain the greatest benefits. However, Cao's army is not in a hurry to go to war with the Han army. It seems that he is waiting for the Han army to fight first.  Only by fighting fiercely with Jiangdong's army can they gain maximum benefits.  This is a delicate triangular balance, but on Sun Quan's side, there is still a little worry.  Sun Quan had just received news that Lu Xun had used a trick to kill the He brothers and led 3,000 Han troops to capture Kuaiji County. Although Sun Quan did not know that Lu Xun had marched towards Wu County, the loss of Kuaiji County still shocked Sun Quan.  Danyang, Wujun, and Kuaiji are the three core counties in Jiangdong. He does not care about the gains and losses of the other counties, but these three counties are the only ones related to his rule in Jiangdong. No matter which one he loses, he cannot bear it.  Although the He brothers occupied Kuaiji, they still recognized Sun Quan as the lord of Jiangdong. However, it was completely different for the Han army to occupy Kuaiji. Sun Quan was so anxious that he refused to go westward and stopped at Liyang.  Waiting for news from Wu Jun, if something happens to Wu Jun again, he will not care about the Hefei war.  In the cabin, Sun Quan paced back and forth with his hands behind his hands, looking very anxious. Sima Buzhao, who was marching on the side, advised: "After all, the Han army only has three thousand troops. Even if all the Kuaiji troops surrender, it will take them at least several months to integrate.  It¡¯s not that fast, and Wu Commandery is guarded by the veteran Huang Gai. I think nothing will happen, so Wu Hou doesn¡¯t need to be so worried.¡± Sun Quan sighed and said, ¡°If there are only Han generals like Lou Fa in Kuaiji Commandery, I will.  I¡¯m not worried anymore, but Lu Xun is in Kuaiji County, and Sun Shao also serves as the prefect of Kuaiji, so it is easy to get the support of the Kuaiji army. I also know Lu Xun¡¯s ability. It won¡¯t take a few months, at most ten days and a half.  He can then reorganize the generals. As for Wu Commandery, I am even more worried." Bu Zhi also knew why Sun Quan was worried about Wu Commandery, because it was Lu Xun who led the army under the banner of Sun Shao, not to mention the three major families in Wu Commandery.  Supporting Lu Xun, and more importantly, the people of Wu County recognized Sun Shao. With the support of the family and public opinion, it is indeed worrying whether Huang Gai can hold Wu County.  Bu Zhi wanted to comfort Sun Quan again, but the truth was before their eyes. No matter how much comfort they had, it would be of no use. They could only find a way to solve the crisis at hand. After a moment of silence, Bu Zhi asked again: "Then how will the Marquis of Wu deal with the crisis in Kuaiji or Wu County?"  ?" Sun Quan said: "I have ordered Xu Sheng to rush to Wu County with an army of 5,000 troops to support, so that Wu County's army can reach 15,000 people, but Jianye's troops are not enough, so I want to withdraw another one.  Ten thousand troops defend Jianye. Anyway, I promised Cao Cao to send 30,000 troops. If I transfer 10,000 troops, I still have 30,000 troops. It is not a violation of my promise. " "But if there are only 30,000 troops, I am afraid that it will be too weak to deal with the Han army.  It's not enough." Sun Quan sighed, "There is no other way. After all, I have to protect Jiangdong first. If Wu County falls, I'm afraid I will have to withdraw from the Hefei battle. I hope Cao Cao can understand my difficulty."  Secretly smiling bitterly, Cao Cao only cares about his own interests, how could he understand Jiangdong's difficulties?  If Jiangdong's army joins the war, then Hefei develops, and Sun-Cao's coalition has a six-point chance of victory, both offensive and defensive. But once Jiangdong withdraws, Cao's army will only rely on Cao's army to fight the Han army, without naval forces, and Cao's army will only be on the defensive, with no chance of victory.  It has also been reduced to 40%, and the Han army will have a six-point advantage. This is a fact that everyone understands. How could Cao Cao not move the Nu Jiangdong Army?  At this moment, a guard rushed outside the cabin to report: "Alert to the Marquis of Wu, a fleet of Cao's army has arrived, about a hundred ships, bringing 10,000 barrels of kerosene." Sun Quan was suddenly surprised and worried at the same time.  , the surprise was that Cao Cao had not broken the promise, and the fire oil he had been looking forward to finally arrived, but the worry was that Cao Cao had fulfilled the promise, and he would also fulfill his promise to attack Wuhu.  Sun Quan was in a complicated mood, so he had to say to Bu Zhi: "Let's go and see the kerosene first!" At this time, a hundred fleets transporting kerosene were parked in Caohe River in Liyang County. Caohe and Lishui were connected, and finally  Injecting into the Yangtze River, this fleet of hundreds of cargo ships was naturally Gan Ningxian's plan. The thousands of Cao soldiers who escorted the fleet were all disguised as Han soldiers. The leader, General Ya, was surnamed Wen. Of course, this General Wen was also a Han soldier.  Will dress up, as long as they don't jump out and shout, 'I am the Han army!  ¡¯Jiang Dongjun generally doesn¡¯t know how toNotice this kind of detail.  Sun Quan brought Bu Zhi, Lu Meng and others to the fleet. Thousands of Jiangdong troops were carrying kerosene to the shore. Ten thousand barrels of kerosene were piled up like a hill.  At this time, Ya general Wen Yan stepped forward and bowed, took out Cao Cao's autographed letter and presented it to Sun Quan, "This is the autographed letter from Duke Wei to the Marquis of Wu. Please have the Marquis of Wu read it." Sun Quan took the letter and read it, and it turned out to be true.  Cao Cao's handwriting was very clear. According to the agreement reached by both parties, 10,000 barrels of kerosene would be delivered first, and 100,000 grains would be delivered in batches later. He hoped that Jiangdong Army would keep its promise and station troops in Wuhu as soon as possible.  Sun Quan sighed again in his heart. Cao Cao was not ambiguous at all and clearly asked him to send troops to Wuhu. What should he do?  He then asked General Wen Yan: "Is the journey going smoothly? Have you encountered any Han army patrol boats?" Wen Yan saluted and said respectfully: "The Han army mainly patrolled the South Chao Lake area, and we entered Baixiashui from the North Chao Lake.  , They don¡¯t know that the river has been widened, but we have to rush back as soon as possible. Next we will transport food to Liyang.¡± Sun Quan nodded, turned around and asked Cang Cao, Han Jin, ¡°Han Canjun, is there any problem with the kerosene?¡±  "Replying to your highness, I have verified that it is the refined fire oil, the quantity is 10,000 barrels, absolutely correct." Sun Quan immediately sat down and wrote a reply to Cao Cao and handed it to Wen Yan, "General Wen."  Please pass this letter on to Wei Gong." Wen Yan received the letter and said, "In addition, Wei Gong has a message for me to pass on to Wu Hou." "General Wen, please tell me." "Wei Gong said that the Han army may.  Send troops to Xindu County from Chaisang and ask the Wu County defenders not to be careless." Sun Quan was shocked. Cao Cao would never say this without reason. There must be evidence for what he said. Could it be that the Han army is sending more troops to Xindu County.  Yet?  "Do you have any more messages from Duke Wei?" "No, just this. If Marquis Wu has nothing else to do, I will take my leave first!" Wen Yan saluted Sun Quan, turned around and boarded the cargo ship. Not long after, hundreds of cargo ships  Turn around and slowly drive towards Lishui in the north.  Sun Quan was confused and thought for a long time, and said to Lu Meng: "I will lead 10,000 troops to rush back to Jianye. The Liyang navy will be temporarily handed over to the command of Governor Lu. The army will be stationed in Liyang. Without my order, no one is allowed to do anything."  March to Wuhu." "I humbly obey the order!" Lu Meng hesitated and then suggested: "Although we cannot march to Wuhu on a large scale, we can also harass the Han army on a small scale and intercept the Han army's supplies. This can also provide Cao Cao.  An explanation." Sun Quan nodded, "Yes, you can discuss the specific plan with Bu Sima." Sun Quan turned back and pointed at the piles of kerosene barrels on the shore and said, "Ship these 10,000 barrels of kerosene to Wu County immediately.  General Huang, to deal with the Han army, must set off immediately. "The first batch of 10,000 barrels of kerosene given by Cao Cao were all carried with the army. Jianye had no inventory. Sun Quan was really worried about the safety of Wu County, so the second batch of 10,000 barrels of kerosene was sent with him.  With a barrel of kerosene, he immediately decided to send it to Wu County.  At this time, even if the army did not withdraw to Jianye, Sun Quan would have to rush back. Lu Xun led an army of 7,000 troops and occupied Qiantang County without a fight. He then occupied Fuchun County and Yuhang County. From these three wealthy counties,  He obtained nearly 50,000 shi of official rations as his military rations.  But Lu Xun was not in a hurry to go north. On the one hand, it would take time for Lou Fa to lead the fleet to Songjiang. On the other hand, he received news from Zhang Ning of Xindu County that about 5,000 Han troops had entered Xindu County and were heading towards Shixin.  The county came quickly.  Lu Xun immediately realized that this was a supporting army sent by the King of Han, preparing to encircle Wu County from the side. The arrival of 5,000 Han troops greatly increased Lu Xun's confidence. In this way, the number of troops he would put into the Wu County battlefield would reach 15,000.  The strength of the Jiangdong Army in Wu County is the same. Let¡¯s see who has better strategies and performs better in battle, and whoever will win the final victory.  But Lu Xun¡¯s methods were by no means limited to military. Just five days after he occupied Qiantang County, one of Lu Xun¡¯s confidants secretly sneaked into Wu County and found the Lu family.  Although the Lu family has been recognized as having contact with the Han army, Sun Quan did not liquidate the Lu family after regaining Wu County. The reason is also very simple. Sun Quan's support rate in Wu County is not high.  The Lu family is the first aristocratic family in Wu County, and has a close relationship with the Gu and Zhang families. The three families are married to each other, and all will be prosperous and harmed. Once the Lu family is liquidated, it will inevitably cause turmoil in Wu County, which will  This made Sun Quan use the rat weapon and did not dare to attack the Lu family easily.  However, Sun Quan could not swallow this breath. Although he did not take action against the Lu family, he still ordered Huang Gai to send people to closely monitor every move of the Lu family to prevent the Lu family from causing trouble again.  It is impossible for Huang Gai to send people to surround Lu Mansion. He just stood in front of the three gates of Lu Mansion.Two monitors were deployed to see who would visit the Lu Mansion, or who would Lu Jun visit again?  This is just a low-level surveillance. Sun Quan deeply hates the Lu family, but Huang Gai does not necessarily. It is impossible for Huang Gai to offend the Lu, Gu, and Zhang families, otherwise it will be difficult for him to do things in Wu County. You must know that these three families alone have more than ten tenants.  If tens of thousands of tenant farmers collectively make trouble, it will be difficult to quell it. Huang Gai knows this very well, so he only deals with Sun Quan on the surface, monitoring the Lu family symbolically, and does not dare to oppress the Lu family too much.  At night, it started to rain lightly in Wu County. Several people monitoring the Lu family gathered together to drink and chat out of boredom. At this time, a man in black quickly approached outside the east courtyard of the Lu Mansion and looked for a moment on both sides of the courtyard wall.  There are no side entrances in the area, and naturally no one is watching.  The man in black quickly climbed up a big tree, jumped into the Lu Mansion.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 942 Fighting for Wucheng

    In order to avoid risks, the head of the family, Lu Jun, also separated the family into two places. One is the Lu Mansion in Wu County, and the other is the Lu family's Taihu Manor. Currently, there are not many people living in the Lu Mansion, only some older people.  People from the Lu clan.  Lu Jun had already fallen asleep, but was woken up by the housekeeper. Lu Xun actually sent his confidants to look for him. Lu Jun quickly put on his clothes and hurried to the inner hall with the housekeeper.  In the inner hall sat a man in black who climbed over the wall and entered the house. He was resting and drinking tea. At this time, footsteps were heard in the yard. When the man in black saw Lu Jun coming in, he quickly stood up and saluted, "Join the family master!" He took it out of his arms.  Lu Xun's letter was handed to Lu Jun with both hands. The man in black was a former soldier of Lu Xun named Zhang Qing. Lu Jun had also seen him and knew that he was Lu Xun's confidant. Lu Jun took the letter and nodded, "  Sit down first!" Lu Jun sat down and opened the letter and read it. Lu Xun said in the letter that he had captured Kuaiji County and had 10,000 troops in hand, and was preparing to attack Wu County in a large scale. He hoped that his family could help him.  After Lu Jun read the letter, he asked Zhang Qing quietly, "Does Mr. Xun have any other messages?" "Captain Lu said that the Lu family only needs to do their best and not take too many risks. Finally, they can contact Gu and  The Zhang family will participate together." "I understand!" Lu Jun immediately asked the housekeeper to take Zhang Qing to rest. He thought for a moment and told the maid: "Go and find the third master." After a while, Lu Ming hurried over.  He is also the manager of the Lu family. He is very smart and capable. "Brother, if you have anything to do, just ask me?" "Sit down first and then talk about it!" Lu Ming sat down, and Lu Jun handed him Lu Xun's letter, "Look at this first."  "After reading the letter, Lu Ming was surprised and delighted: "It turns out that the rumors are true, Sanlang really took over Kuaiji." Lu Jun also knew these rumors, but what he was concerned about now was how to help Lu Xun. Of course he did.  It was very clear that Lu Xun's purpose was to seize Kuaiji and Wujun. This was a fire in Jiangdong's backyard and had a vital impact on the Battle of Hefei.  Even just capturing Kuaiji would have little impact on Sun Quan. After all, Kuaiji County has always been in the hands of the He brothers. But once Wu County falls, it will be a fatal blow to Sun Quan. Lu Jun knows the importance of helping Lu Xun. This is related to  The Lu family has a future of at least a hundred years.  "I want to contact the Gu family and the Zhang family. The three families will help Sanlang together, but I can't come forward. I'll leave this matter to you. Try to be as secretive as possible." Lu Ming quickly stood up and said: "Please don't worry, brother, tomorrow morning  I just want to go to the manor, and when I come back I will take a detour to the Gu family." Two days later, a rumor began to spread in Wu County that with the support of Lu Xun, Sun Shao rose again and not only captured Kuaiji County, but the next step was to recover it.  Wu and Kuaiji counties have been exempted from taxes for three years. Any young man who goes to Sun Shao will be rewarded with a hectare of land and three years of tax exemption.  Although anyone with a little bit of intelligence knows that Sun Shao cannot be exempted from tax, otherwise the army will have nothing to eat, but the vast majority of people are simple-minded. They all believe that Sun Ce¡¯s son will not lie. This statement spread more and more widely, and soon it spread throughout Wuxian County and even the entire country.  Rumors spread throughout Wu County, triggering a wave of young and strong men fleeing Wu County.  In just three days, thousands of men from Wu County fled the city and rushed to Kuaiji County, while tens of thousands of men from all over Wu County were tempted by the huge profits and rushed to Kuaiji County.  Huang Gai didn't care about these rumors at first. When he realized the seriousness of the problem and ordered the city gates to be closed, more than half of the young men in the county had fled. However, Huang Gai was unable to stop the flow of fleeing outside the county, and it even intensified.  In just ten days, more than 30,000 people fled to Kuaiji.  Huang Gai was also very vigilant. This was a typical chaos before attacking. The purpose was to undermine stability and disrupt the morale of the army. It must be said that this was a very clever move. Many of Huang Gai's soldiers were locals.  It turned out that Sun Yu surrendered his troops. Once Wu Commandery became unstable, the morale of the soldiers was also shaken. This had a great impact during the fierce battle between the two armies.  At this time, Lu Xun had ordered Colonel Zhao Zhong to lead three thousand troops north to attack Wucheng County. Once Wucheng County fell, the Han army could directly enter Taihu Lake, posing a great threat to Wuxian County. Jiangdong Army also knew this and deployed in Wucheng County  Huang Gai stood at the top of the city and stared at the direction of Wucheng County. He had received news from the scouts that a Han army vanguard of 3,000 people had captured Wucheng County, and Wucheng defenders  Surrendering without a fight, the Han army began to use civilian ships to transport grain and grass supplies to Wucheng, preparing to turn Wucheng County into a logistics center for the Han army.  Huang Gai's mood at this time was very complicated. He originally planned not to rush to send troops because he knew Lu Xun's strategy very well. He wanted to capture Wu County as soon as possible so that Jiangdong Army had to give up the battle of Hefei. This should also be Liu Jing's intention.  So there are two ways to defeat the Han army¡¯s strategy. One is to defeat the Han army. This way Huang Gai alsoIf he is sure, another way is to delay. As long as he can delay it for one to two months, until the end of the Hefei War, the main force of Jiangdong Army can be mobilized to attack Kuaiji.  Strictly guarding Wu County without fighting is the best delaying tactic, and it is also the tactic Huang Gai decided to adopt. However, Lu Xun provoked civil unrest in Wu County, which destabilized the people of Wu County and ultimately affected the military's morale.  But more importantly, Wucheng County has been lost. The Han army is turning Wucheng County into a logistics base. Once the Han army succeeds, a large number of Han army warships can sail from Wuhu to Taihu Lake. The Han army can also use Taihu Lake to bypass Wuxian County and directly  Attacking Piling County, which was empty of troops, made Huang Gai a little unable to sit still. No matter what, he wanted to recapture Wucheng County.  When Huang Gai was deep in thought, Lieutenant General Jiang Qin stepped forward quickly and said: "Old General, a fleet is coming from Xu Shui, and Marquis Wu has sent us 10,000 barrels of kerosene." This news immediately made Huang Gai overjoyed.  Barrels of kerosene gave him the confidence to win this war. Huang Gai was so excited that he couldn't help but pat his forehead. Marquis Wu sent 10,000 barrels of kerosene at this critical moment, which was like giving away this victory directly.  Gave it to myself.  "Where is the fleet now?" Huang Gai asked anxiously.  "We have arrived at the west city. Please ask the general whether to enter the city directly." "Of course!" Huang Gai immediately ran towards the west city and loudly said to Jiang Qin: "Strengthen your defenses. No one is allowed to approach the fleet, let alone see it.  "Fire." Huang Gai was extremely cautious. He knew that with so much kerosene gathered together, there would be absolutely no sparks. He knew that if the kerosene was accidentally ignited, the ten thousand barrels of kerosene might not be saved.  A fleet of hundreds of 500-stone cargo ships slowly sailed into Xicheng. This was when the Jiangdong Army walked from Jianye to Qinshui River, then entered Lishui from a small river, and arrived in Wuxian County via Taihu Lake and Xushui River. These 10,000 barrels of kerosene were  It was Cao Cao's military assistance to Jiangdong in accordance with the agreement between the two parties.  However, this batch of kerosene had already passed through the hands of the Han army, and neither Cao Cao nor Sun Quan knew it. Of course, the hundreds of cargo ships did not return in the end. Cao Cao would have guessed that they were captured by the Han army, but Cao Cao also did not expect that this batch of kerosene had arrived.  In the hands of Sun Quan.  At this time, Jiang Qin said to Huang Gai: "Now that we have kerosene, we can use it to defeat Lu Xun's arrogance and improve the morale of our army. I am willing to lead a fleet south to burn the Han army's transport fleet."  , and recapture Wucheng County." Huang Gai nodded, "I will give you five thousand troops, three hundred ships, and five thousand barrels of kerosene. You can march along the Tai Lake by land and water, and you must recapture Wucheng County for me."  Wucheng County is today's Huzhou, Zhejiang Province. It is located on the south bank of Taihu Lake. The Wucheng River runs through the entire territory and is an important entrance to Taihu Lake from the south. Huang Gai also knew the importance of Wucheng County, so he stationed a thousand troops in Wucheng County.  However, a thousand troops could not stop the Han army's attack. When the Han army attacked in large numbers, the general surrendered the city.  The fall of Wucheng County means that the door to South Taihu Lake is opened. Once the Han army's warships enter Taihu Lake from the Yangtze River, Wucheng County will become the logistics center of the Han army in Wu County. They can directly attack Piling County. Whether to capture Wu County has already been decided.  It doesn't matter anymore.  It was precisely because of this that Huang Gai had to retake Wucheng County. Two days later, two hundred Jiangdong Army cargo ships loaded with 5,000 barrels of kerosene and siege ladders entered the Wucheng River Estuary from Taihu Lake. Five thousand troops also arrived under General Jiang's command.  Under the leadership of Qin, they rushed to the mouth of the river and joined the fleet.  It was still more than ten miles away from the mouth of the Wucheng River to the county seat. It was noon at this time, and Jiangdong soldiers were busy making pots to make rice. Jiang Qin was sitting next to a big stone, thinking about strategies to attack the city.  Not far away, several military princes walked quickly to Jiang Qin, bowed and said: "General Qi, there seems to be a problem with the kerosene." Jiang Qin was startled, "What's the problem?" "Because it just rained,  The firewood was relatively damp, so some brothers used kerosene to light the fire for cooking, but found that it was not the case for just one person. Many people could not ignite it. " Jiang Qin was stunned, how could it be possible?  He quickly walked towards a stone stove, which was surrounded by a large group of soldiers. Seeing the general approaching, everyone moved out of the way.  There was a pottery basin in front of the stone stove, filled with clear kerosene. Jiang Qin took a torch and stretched it towards the pottery basin. According to his experience, the kerosene should burn with a bang, but it did not burn at all.  movement.  Jiang Qin was surprised and doubtful, so he simply picked up the pottery basin and walked towards the fire, 'Wow!  ¡¯ With a sound, he poured the fire oil from the pottery basin on the fire, and the fire went out.  Jiang Qin was completely stunned. This is not kerosene!  He turned around and immediately ordered: "Open another hundred barrels of kerosene!" Soon, a soldier shouted, "General, the oil barrels are water, not kerosene!" "Open them all!" Jiang Qin suddenly became anxious.  , will Wu Hou deceive them?  The soldiers rushed onto the ship one after another and used knives to pry open the oil drums, but the result left everyone dumbfounded and they fired with great hope.??, it turned out that most of it was water, with just a layer of tung oil floating on the surface.  Everyone looked at each other, what is going on?  Wu Hou actually deceived them.  At this moment, a patrolman came galloping on horseback and shouted: "General, there is an enemy situation!" Jiang Qin was shocked. He couldn't get any kerosene, so he hurriedly ordered: "Line up immediately and prepare to fight!" Counting  Qianjiangdong soldiers stood up one after another. They didn't care about cooking. They picked up their weapons and quickly started to line up. At this time, Jiang Qin saw a dark army appearing in the distance, at least nearly ten thousand people. This made Jiang Qin take a breath. They  The intelligence was wrong. The Han army in Wucheng County was not the vanguard heading north, but the main force of the Han army arrived.  Jiang Qin was filled with anger and anxiety. He originally planned to rely on kerosene to win the battle. Unexpectedly, the kerosene given to them by Marquis Wu was all fake, causing Jiangdong's army to lose its most important weapon.  What worried him was that the intelligence turned out to be wrong. It was not the three thousand vanguard of the Han army, but the main force of the Han army.  Seeing that the Han army was approaching, Jiang Qin could no longer avoid it, so he had to bite the bullet and shout: "The crossbowmen are ready!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 943 Fierce Battle at Wucheng

    It was noon, and the heat wave swept across the Taihu Lake like a flowing fire. Although the ground was scorching and sweltering, the low horn sounded south of the river mouth.  The dark Han army appeared on the east bank of the Wucheng River in the distance. This battle was crucial to both sides. Although the Han army planned to bypass Wu County and go north, it was discovered by Jiangdong Army scouts and intercepted by Jiangdong Army.  In fact, the ownership of Wuxian is no longer important. Even if the Han army captures Wuxian, it will not have a decisive impact. The key is that the Han army must break through the interception of Jiangdong Army and move northward. As long as the Han army appears north of Taihu Lake, Sun Quan will not be able to make a decisive impact no matter what.  No one dared to participate in the Battle of Hefei again. The Han army totaled nearly 8,000 people. Under the leadership of Lu Xun, they formed an array on the flat river bank. Behind them was Wucheng County ten miles away, and the Wucheng River about a hundred steps away. The river was flowing under the scorching sun.  Sparkling and glowing.  In the summer when the water is abundant, the Wucheng River can drive thousands of stone ships, connecting the Zhejiang River and Taihu Lake. It is actually a branch of the Zhejiang River. The Zhejiang River flows into the sea, while the Wucheng River flows northward into Taihu Lake.  The two armies were less than one mile apart. The five thousand Jiangdong Army formed a spear and arrow formation on the Gobi Desert, with two thousand crossbowmen in front and three thousand infantry with spears behind.  The two thousand crossbowmen are actually spearmen, but they can draw powerful crossbows and have a longer range. When the Han army approaches, the spear infantry behind them will fight. The crossbowmen will change their spears and join the infantry spear formation.  Although the Han army has more than 8,000 troops, the difference in strength between the two armies is not big. It can only be said that the Han army has a slight advantage in numbers, but the Jiangdong army has the advantage in terms of weapons. In particular, the crossbows of the Jiangdong army are extremely sharp. It is Cao's army.  The most elite equipment.  The predecessor of this Han army was the Kuaiji Army. It was slightly inferior to the Jiangdong Army in terms of weapons and equipment, but it had a superior number of troops.  The leader of the Han army was Lu Xun. Although he was young, he was very experienced in fighting. He was especially familiar with the terrain of Jiangdong. According to the plan, this time the Han army was traveling lightly and quickly, and only brought ten days of dry food. They could arrive after crossing Taihu Lake.  Piling County, food can be obtained from Piling County.  Lu Xun knew the importance of this battle very well in his heart. If they could not win this battle this time, or the soldiers suffered heavy casualties, their Jiangdong battle would probably end in failure.  Lu Xun looked at the scorching sun in the sky. He knew that in this kind of weather, it would be difficult for the soldiers to maintain strong energy. For at least an hour, the soldiers on both sides would not be able to bear the scorching heat of the earth, and their combat effectiveness would drop sharply.  Lu Xun silently looked at the Jiangdong Army in the distance. He turned around and ordered: "Attack the Sword and Shield Soldiers!" The five thousand Han Sword and Shield Army launched. They raised their shields high and held swords in their hands, rolling up yellow dust and murderous intent filling both sides of the Wucheng River.  , swept towards Jiangdong Army.  Jiangdong Army was ready, and Jiang Qin ordered in a hoarse voice: "Crossbowmen, prepare!" Two thousand Jiangdong Army soldiers each held a crossbow in their hands and had crossbow pots on their backs. They lined up in three rows. Under Jiang Qin's order,  Taking a few steps forward, the distance was increased. The range of Jiangdong's hard crossbow was about two hundred steps, and the effective killing range was one hundred and twenty steps.  When Jiangdong's army approaches thirty steps, the crossbowmen will quickly retreat, and the pikemen behind will take over. Within ninety steps of the Han army rushing into the killing range, ordinary soldiers can fire two arrows, and a trained crossbow  The soldier can fire three arrows.  In the blink of an eye, the Han Saber and Shield Army rushed into the shooting range. Two thousand crossbowmen brushed the ground and the general raised his crossbow at an angle of thirty degrees. The enemy army was getting closer and closer. The yellow dust stirred up filled the sky and the earth, covering the sky and the sun.  , the figure of the Han army was completely invisible, and only a drum sound was heard. The first row of six hundred arrows from Jiangdong Army rose into the sky, roaring and shot into the diffuse yellow dust. Immediately, the first row loaded arrows, and the second row  The first row shot out, and then the third row shot out, with three rows of arrows in one round, and two thousand crossbow arrows, like a web of arrows, overwhelmingly shot at the Han army's sword and shield soldiers.  Screams suddenly broke out in the yellow dust. Although they were protected by shields, soldiers continued to be hit by arrows and fell to the ground. Powerful crossbow arrows penetrated the shields of many Han soldiers and shot into the soldiers' faces and chests.  But at this time, the soldiers of the Han army were already red-blooded. Regardless of life and death, they ran and rushed. The bows and arrows of the Han army behind them also shot out. The arrows were like rain and the arrows were like flying locusts. A cruel and bloody battle took place.  Two rounds of 4,000 arrows knocked down nearly 400 people, and the Han army soldiers swept over. The Jiangdong army's crossbowmen quickly retreated, and the Jiangdong soldiers behind them also raised their guns and faced each other. They were getting closer and closer, and both sides could even see clearly.  He could see the anger on the opponent's face, but the expressions of the soldiers at the front suddenly changed and became extremely frightened, but they could no longer stop. They closed their eyes in despair amid the screams.  In an instant, there was a loud noise, and the two armies collided. Countless people at the front died tragically in the collision, their bodies were shattered, helmets and broken spears and spears flew into the sky, and a fierce and fierce battle began.  .  The soldiers fought against each other, slashing with spears and bayonets, shouting and screamingThe sound, the clicking sound of bones being chopped off, and the gurgling sound of the throat before death, all come and go.  The general of the Jiangdong Army, Jiang Qin, was extremely brave. He held a sixty-pound sword in his hand and fought fiercely. He was fighting against a young Han general who was inexperienced and could not fight many times. Jiang Qin cut the Han general in half with a backhand sword.  It was divided into two parts, the internal organs rolled out, and the blood arrows spurted out ten feet away.  The leader of the Han army on the other side, Lu Xun, was furious. He held a spear and charged forward. At this time, Jiangdong Army's deputy general Pan Long shouted and rushed out. He was Pan Zhang's brother, holding a big ax, and had always had a bad relationship with Lu Xun.  , today he saw Lu Xun and couldn¡¯t help but kill him.  "Lu Ni, take my axe!" Pan Long struck out with an ax in front of his face, the force was extremely strong. Lu Xun sneered, raised his gun and stabbed. The two fought together and fought fiercely for about ten rounds. Lu Xun discovered Pan Long's loophole.  , the two horses crossed each other, and Lu Xun stabbed Pan Long in the left rib with a backhand shot.  This was Pan Long's loophole. Jiang Qin also saw something was wrong and shouted, "General Pan, return to the left!" But it was too late. Lu Xun's shot was as fast as lightning, and it pierced Pan Long's chest.  With fish scale armor and the tip of the spear protruding from his right rib, Lu Xun roared and lifted Pan Long high into the air. Pan Long faced down, glaring at Lu Xun with a pair of big copper bell eyes, chewing his tongue and spraying it at Lu Xun with his last strength.  go.  It is already afternoon, and the scorching sun is spraying flames to the ground, as if it is scorching and melting the earth. The heat wave is so hot that people feel like they are in a steamer, making people breathless.  On the banks of the Wucheng River, the fierce battle between the two armies continued. The fierce battle had been going on for two hours, but the physical strength of both sides was declining rapidly, and sweat and blood were mixed. Due to insufficient training, the Kuaiji soldiers were not as strong as the Wujun soldiers, and they began to gradually fall into the trap.  Downwind, many soldiers fainted due to excessive physical exertion.  "The Jiangdong soldiers also lost their physical strength. Although they were slightly stronger than their opponents, they could not continue fighting. They just couldn't get rid of each other in the melee, and they didn't know when the battle would end.  At this time, a scout cavalry came to negotiate on Jiang Qin's order and shouted: "Captain Lu, my general said that the two armies will temporarily stop fighting. Can Governor Lu agree?" Lu Xun also knew that his soldiers could not fight anymore.  , he was about to express his agreement, but at this moment, a loud horn sound suddenly came from the east. The horn sound was like a strong wind blowing away the oppressive heat wave, and also chilled the hearts of Jiangdong soldiers.  I saw a Han cavalry force of about two thousand people galloping towards the river from the east. A large flag fluttering in the wind was embroidered with a big Chinese character. This was the arrival of the Han army from Xindu County.  At the head were two thousand cavalry, followed by three thousand infantry. Under the leadership of the general Zhao Yan, they arrived at the Wucheng battlefield in time.  The morale of the Jiangdong Army collapsed rapidly. They had no fighting spirit anymore and rushed to the cargo ship. However, less than two thousand people got on the ship before the Han Army cavalry arrived and killed them like melons and vegetables. The Jiangdong soldiers cried and were killed and injured.  countless.  Jiang Qin knew that it was impossible to rescue the soldiers, and they would be wiped out if they didn't leave. He shouted urgently: "Ship the boat into Taihu Lake quickly!" The soldiers rowed desperately, and the big boats sailed towards Taihu Lake one after another, but there was no time to get on the shore.  The Jiangdong soldiers on the ship were all desperate, looking at the ships in the distance and crying loudly. At this time, the cavalry came and the Jiangdong soldiers had no way to retreat. They knelt down and surrendered, begging for their lives.  With tears in Jiang Qin's eyes, he couldn't help but sigh. If they had had five thousand barrels of kerosene, they wouldn't have suffered such a disastrous defeat.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The sudden arrival of 5,000 Han troops really surprised Lu Xun. He immediately turned his horse and faced the Han general Zhao Yan who was coming to help.  "Thank you, Ambassador Zhao, for arriving in time and saving Lu Xun from the humiliation of defeat!" Lu Xun expressed his inner gratitude to Zhao Yan with great sincerity.  Zhao Yan was a high-ranking official in Cao's army, and his military status was even higher than that of Zhang Liao and Xu Huang. However, he was a high-ranking civilian official and rarely went into battle, so he kept a low profile.  But Zhao Yan had always been arrogant, and after surrendering to Liu Jing, he did not get along well with other Han generals such as Gan Ning and Wei Yan. Liu Jing simply transferred him to a civil servant and served as the governor of Changsha and Nanjun.  In this battle in Hefei, he was temporarily appointed as the logistics governor to supervise the grain and grass of the counties in Jingzhou. However, Zhao Yan still couldn't help the desire to fight. He took the initiative to ask Huang Zhong to fight in Lu'an, but was killed by Xu Huang and was defeated. He was almost defeated.  Nearly the entire army was wiped out.  Zhao Yan was also severely punished by Huang Zhong and rushed back to Chaisang to serve as a logistics officer. The defeat of Liu'an became an indelible shame for him. Fortunately, Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, was so open-minded that he gave him another chance to wash away his humiliation and led the five soldiers.  Thousands of troops, including two thousand cavalry, rushed overland to Xindu County to assist Lu Xun of Wu County.  Liu Jing repeatedly explained in the letter to him that Wu County's strategy should be based on Lu Xun. He was only going to reinforce Lu Xun, not replace Lu Xun.  Of course, it was also because of the disastrous defeat in Lu'an. This time Zhao Yan?Without his former arrogance, he smiled at Lu Xun extremely humbly: "I just happened to be at the right time, and it was still due to the efforts of Governor Lu." Zhao Yan's humility won Lu Xun's favor, and Lu Xun also smiled: "Frankly  He said, I am afraid it will be difficult to win with the strength of my army alone, but with the help of Ambassador Zhao, we will win this battle." Zhao Yan nodded, pointed to an open space next to him and said, "Let's sit down and talk!"  The soldiers laid out a mat and the two sat down. Zhao Yan took out a map of Jiangdong, unfolded it and said, "I want to know about Governor Lu's plan."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 944 Jiangdong breaks the situation

    Lu Xun pondered for a moment and said: "To be honest with Ambassador Zhao, General Lou Fa took the sea route and prepared to enter Wu County from Songjiang. If nothing else happens, they should have entered Songjiang by now." Having said this, Lu Xun smiled bitterly and said: "I  When we stationed troops in Qiantang County, we originally thought that Huang Gai would lead his troops to march southward. This would leave Wu County empty and give General Lou an opportunity. However, Huang Gai always stood still. If I hadn't sent troops to Wucheng County this time, he still refused to send troops. I  It is estimated that General Lou Fa's plan to attack Wu County will come to nothing." Zhao Yan thought for a while and said: "In fact, it doesn't matter. There are dense water networks in the east of the Yangtze River. If Huang Gai never sends troops and does not fight, General Lou Fa can directly turn around and go north to Piling County.  Jiangdong Army is only trapped in an isolated city in Wuxian County, so there is actually no point in doing so. Lu Xun looked back at the Han cavalry and said with a smile, "But if the cavalry is there, I have a plan to attack Wuxian County by surprise!" Lu Xun whispered to Zhao Yan!  After whispering a few words, Zhao Yan nodded and smiled and said: "This plan is very clever. Even if Huang Gai knew there was danger, he would still get into the bag. I think it is feasible." Jiang Qin counted and escaped in Taihu Lake.  The number of his subordinates was only more than 1,800, and more than 3,000 people were lost in Wucheng County. This made Jiang Qin extremely sad and began to waver about the future of Wu County.  The next night, Jiang Qin's fleet arrived at Wu County along the Xu River and slowly entered the city from Panmen Water City. Huang Gai heard that Jiang Qin had returned in defeat and hurried to Water City.  Jiang Qin felt ashamed, stepped forward and knelt down on one knee and said: "I failed to withstand the attack of the Han army, so I lost my troops and generals, and returned in defeat. Even General Pan Long was killed by Lu Xun. This is my fault. I would like to express my gratitude to the general."  Accept the blame!" Huang Gai quickly helped him up and comforted him: "Mr. Jiang, you don't have to blame yourself. I heard that it was Han reinforcements who were coming. No matter who it is, this battle will be defeated. It has nothing to do with Gong Jiang."  We also have the possibility of winning this battle. If Huoyou is true, I would have defeated Lu Xun long ago and captured Wucheng County. Even if the Han reinforcements arrive, I can hold on to the city. Half of the reasons for the failure of this battle are  We did it ourselves." Huang Gai was shocked, "Did Mr. Jiang say that the kerosene was fake?" Jiang Qin smiled bitterly and said, "Hasn't the old general ever tested it?  "Fake." "Old General, let's check it out!" Huang Gai hurriedly ordered his men to check the kerosene. He was still worried, and rushed to the warehouse himself. In the huge warehouse, hundreds of soldiers pried open hundreds of barrels.  He tested the kerosene one by one. Huang Gai's expression changed, and he could already see that something was wrong.  At this time, an officer came forward to report: "For the record, old general, we opened 300 barrels of kerosene. Only ten barrels of kerosene are real. The rest are mixed with water and oil. A barrel of kerosene weighs fifty kilograms."  , The actual kerosene is probably only five kilograms, and a lot of it is mixed with water and tung oil." Huang Gai's face turned pale, and he said bitterly after a while: "Wu Hou is doing this, it is too chilling!" "Jiang Qin is already.  After recovering from his anger and regaining his sense, he said to Huang Gai: "Of course Wu Hou would not do such a thing. I am afraid that this is Cao Cao's secret mischief. These 10,000 barrels of kerosene came from Cao Cao. Cao Cao had no peace of mind from the beginning."  Good intention, but we believe too much in the Sun-Cao Alliance. " "You are right. I still expected these five thousand barrels of kerosene to defend the city, but now Cao Cao has cut off all my hopes." Huang Gai sighed deeply.  I feel really resentful.  At this moment, a military commander rushed over and knelt down on one knee to report: "To inform the old general, the scouts on the eastern front discovered a Han fleet of about fifty warships in Songjiang, forty miles away.  The ships are all thousand-stone warships. "This news stunned Huang Gai and Jiang Qin. They looked at each other. How could the Han fleet come from Songjiang?  Huang Gai first realized that this was probably the Han army that had retreated east from Wu Commandery into the sea. Marquis Wu had repeatedly told them to be on guard, but now they actually came back from the sea again.  "This should be the initial strategy of the Han army. Lu Xun lured me south in Qiantang County, and the Han army took advantage of the opportunity to attack Wu County. Fortunately, I stood still. Sure enough, there was a trick." Huang Gai secretly rejoiced, and he immediately reported the message again.  The military marquis said: "Order the scouts to observe this fleet closely. If there is any situation, report it to me immediately!" Huang Gai was very worried. Now the Han army was coming from several directions. It was estimated that there were 20,000 troops and they occupied the area.  Wucheng County, and being trapped in Wuxian County by oneself seems to be no solution. Once the Han army crosses Taihu Lake from Wucheng County and heads north, the problem will become serious.  But if he went out of the city to defend the enemy, he was not sure at all, and it was not in line with his strategy. For a moment, Huang Gai was in a dilemma. The next day, before dawn, Huang Gai received another urgent report from the scouts.  After the Han fleet continued westward for twenty miles, it turned north and headed for Piling County along the Lou River.   Huang Gai was shocked. There were less than a thousand troops stationed in Piling County, but it was an important place for storing military supplies. It was related to the safety of the entire Jiangdong. If the Han army occupied Piling County, Wu Hou would have to give up the Hefei campaign. This would  It was exactly the result Liu Jing expected.  Although he knew the extreme danger of the Han army in the south, Huang Gai would never allow the Han army to advance into Piling County. He immediately ordered Jiang Qin to lead 5,000 troops to defend the city. Huang Gai personally led 5,000 troops out of the city to pursue the northeast.  The military fleet could only travel a few dozen miles at most, and he could catch up with the Han army in a day at most.  The Jiangnan region has low-lying terrain, dense water networks, and numerous lakes, making it very easy to dig canals. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period of Wu and Yue, a simple canal system connecting the Yangtze River and Qiantang River was dug in the Jiangnan region.  After Sun Quan moved the capital to Jianye, in order to strengthen the connection between Wu County and Jianye, he began to dredge the ancient canal again, forming the early Jiangnan Canal. It was not until Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty that in order to break the North-South barrier formed by the long-term confrontation between the Southern and Northern Dynasties, he began to  After digging the canal, the Jiangnan Canal was officially formed and is still in use today.  The warships of the Han army headed north, taking the canal that had not yet been excavated. The canal only reached Piling County, where warships with thousands of stones could travel. Fifty warships with sails like clouds sailed all the way north in a mighty manner.  At dusk, Lou Fa stood at the stern of the last big ship, holding a knife. At this time, the sun was no longer fierce, and the sunset was like fire, burning half of the sky. Lou Fa looked back to the west bank from time to time. He just arrived yesterday.  I received an urgent message from Lu Xun at once, hoping that he could cooperate with the Han army in the south to lure Huang Gai's troops out of Wuxian.  Lou Fa readily accepted Lu Xun's suggestion and ordered the fleet to change its route to the Lou River, enter the Jiangnan Canal to the north, and head straight towards Piling County. At this time, his fleet had left Wu County for sixty miles. In terms of time, Huang  Gai's pursuers should be arriving soon.  At this moment, a scout on the mast shouted: "General, there are enemy troops chasing from the west bank." Lou rushed to the port side and stared south. After a while, he saw a dark army rushing towards the north.  Come quickly, this should be Huang Gai's pursuer. Lou Fa immediately ordered: "Pass my order, the fleet will anchor on the right bank, and the troops will go ashore." Lou Fa did not dare to underestimate the enemy. The canal is narrow. Once Jiangdong's army uses fire  If he attacked with oil, his fleet would fall into a situation of burning the river. The Han fleet thought slowly and boarded the ship. The Han soldiers on the ship rushed off the ship one after another and lined up on the east bank in a crossbow formation, drawing arrows.  Zhang, three thousand military crossbows were aimed at the enemy troops on the west bank.  Not long after, Huang Gai led 5,000 troops to catch up with the fleet. At this time, Huang Gai also discovered that the opponent had come ashore and was waiting with bows and crossbows. He waved his hand and ordered: "Stop chasing!" The 5,000 Jiangdong troops stopped running.  A thousand soldiers raised their shields and slowly approached the shore to test the strength of the Han army. Just as Jiangdong soldiers arrived at the shore, there was a sound of crossbows from the other side, and dense arrows were shot from the gaps in the warships, whistling and attacking.  To the enemy on the other side.  The canal is no more than thirty paces wide, and is made from a small river channel that is not very wide. Thousand-stone warships are feasible because of the depth of the river channel. Although there are fifty warships between the two armies at this time, in reality,  The distance between them was less than fifty steps, just within the maximum killing range, which meant that the crossbow was powerful enough to break the shield.  Dense and powerful arrows shot through the shields of Jiangdong soldiers, and screams suddenly erupted on the west bank. Hundreds of soldiers were shot down by the crossbow arrows that penetrated the shields. The remaining soldiers were so frightened that they fell to the ground, waiting for the arrows to take their turn.  They got up and ran away desperately.  Lou Fa did not get off the ship. He stood behind a huge mast and observed the movements of Jiangdong's army on the west bank. He found that Jiangdong's army was traveling lightly and did not carry any baggage. He did not see them carrying kerosene barrels or carrying any luggage with them.  Carry kerosene in a leather bag.  Lou Fa immediately realized that perhaps what he was most worried about would not happen. The other party had no intention of burning down the warship. Moreover, looking at the opponent's tactics, it was a typical preparation to seize the warship. First test the reality, and then the army pounces and swims.  Seize the ship.  Lou Fa saw the other party¡¯s intention, and he immediately ordered: ¡°Send the order for the whole army to get on the ship!¡± ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  The piercing bells echoed in the sunset. This was the signal to board the ship. Three thousand Han soldiers rushed to their respective warships like a tide. They rushed onto the warship and immediately squatted on the side of the ship, firing crossbows one after another.  Aiming at the Jiangdong soldiers one hundred and fifty steps away.  At this time, Huang Gai also issued an order to seize the ship. A thousand soldiers came up slowly holding heavy shields and sharp spears. This heavy shield was also invented by the Han army and could withstand the powerful penetration of the big yellow crossbow at a distance of two hundred steps.  The Han army had tested it, and it could even withstand the penetration of a bee crossbow at a distance of 150 steps. Ordinary military crossbows were even more difficult to penetrate.  It's just that this kind of heavy shield is not easy to make. It takes at least a year to make a heavy crossbow. This is because the heavy shield must take half a year to dry. Cao Jun's craftsmen also learned to make this kind of heavy shield. It took them three years.  Make five thousand heavy shieldsAfter Zhang Liao assisted the Jiangdong Army in capturing Wuxian, he left a thousand heavy shields and equipped a thousand Jiangdong heavy shield soldiers. This time Huang Gai also brought out this heavy shield army.  The heavy-shielded soldiers raised their large shields high and moved closer to the river step by step. They were less than fifty steps away from the shore. At this time, there was a bang, and thousands of arrows were fired from the warships, and thousands of arrows were fired at the Jiangdong soldiers on the west bank.  This time, the heavy shield successfully withstood the powerful arrows, and no soldier was hit by the arrow. Lou Fa looked at these soldiers coldly, and he ordered in a low voice: "Stop shooting, prepare the kerosene tanks!" Han Army  The soldiers took out thousands of kerosene clay pots from the cabin. These clay pots have slender necks and weigh only two kilograms with kerosene. They are very suitable for soldiers to carry and throw. The average soldier can throw them thirty steps away.  But at this moment, there was a thunderous sound in the distance, and the ground began to shake. It was difficult for the soldiers in Jiangdong to understand this kind of movement, but the Han army was very familiar with it. Some soldiers shouted, "It's the cavalry!"  Sure enough, a black line appeared in the south. The black line got closer and closer, turning into a galloping war horse, stirring up billowing yellow dust. Although there were only two thousand cavalry, the momentum it created was still earth-shattering.  Huang Gai's heart suddenly sank. The thing he was most worried about happened. Before he sent out troops, he was worried that the Han army from the south would take the opportunity to kill. However, he could not tolerate the Han army's warships heading north to Piling County, so he had to go out of the city to pursue them.  , which gave him a sense of luck, maybe the Han army would not have time to go north.  But the cavalry coming in front of him shattered the luck in his heart. He shouted repeatedly: "Line up and prepare to fight!" It was by no means a wise decision to fight at this time. The wise decision was to retreat north immediately and then swim to the other side to evacuate.  , so that the Han cavalry would be blocked by the canal, Huang Gai did not choose this plan, and Lou Fa no longer gave him a chance. He immediately ordered the troops to disembark from the warships again, and also lined up to prepare for battle, preparing to cooperate with the cavalry to attack the Jiangdong Army from behind.  .  The war drums were beating loudly, and the cavalry rushed into the Jiangdong Army with unstoppable force. At this time, Lou Fa led three thousand Han troops to launch an attack on the Jiangdong Army from behind. Due to the presence of two thousand cavalry, the Han army accelerated its advance.  With the defeat of Wu County, Huang Gai's army was defeated and suffered heavy casualties. Huang Gai was unable to return to Wu County and had to lead his remaining troops to evacuate to Piling County.  When Lu Xun led 15,000 troops to Wuxian, thousands of civilian men from Wuxian called for the city outside the city. The people in Wuxian suddenly responded, and the morale of the soldiers was shaken. The soldiers took off their armor and fled. In just one hour, the 5,000 troops  After fleeing for most of the time, Jiang Qin knew that the situation was over, so he ordered his army to open the south gate and surrender to the Han army. Lu Xun led the army to occupy Wu County. At this point, Wu County was completely occupied.  The fall of Wu County meant that the Han army was defeated across the board in Jiangdong, and the Sun Wu regime fell into unprecedented passivity. Sun Quan ordered the Liyang army to return to Jianye immediately. He personally wrote a letter to Cao Cao, clarifying to him the crisis in Jiangdong, and his own  He had no choice but to withdraw his troops and return to Jiangdong to aid. At the same time, Sun Quan secretly wrote a letter to Liu Jing, expressing that he was very willing to make peace with the Han State and that Jiangdong would never participate in the war between Han and Wei. At this point, Jiangdong Army officially withdrew from Hefei.  war

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 945 Jiangdong Decision

    At Ruxukou, Han King Liu Jing received the envoy from Jiangdong. To Liu Jing's expectation, the envoy from Jiangdong turned out to be Lu Su, who had not heard news for a long time.  Lu Su has withdrawn from the core decision-making circle of Jiangdong and served as Yuzhang County Magistrate. This is not because Lu Su favors the Sun-Liu alliance, but because of the failure of the political struggle. In the fierce factional struggle in Jiangdong, the Lujiang Clique suffered a disastrous defeat.  The fate of Lu Su, a representative figure of the Lujiang Clan, can be imagined.  The foreign relatives¡¯ clique headed by Bu Zhi and the northern clique headed by Zhang Zhao occupied the entire Jiangdong core power circle. Even the Wujun clique of Gu Yong and Zhang Wen also faded out of Jianye.  However, this time Lu Su was the envoy, not because Sun Quan wanted to promote the Lujiang clan, but because Lu Su had an old relationship with Liu Jing, and Sun Quan hoped to use Lu Su's favor to ease the tense relationship between Sun and Liu.  On a five thousand stone ship in Ruxukou, Liu Jing met Lu Su in the main cabin. After not seeing each other for several years, Lu Su had almost changed. His figure was extremely thin, and most of his hair was gray, making him look much older.  .  Liu Jing looked at Lu Su in surprise, "How did Zijing become so old?" Lu Su bowed and said with a wry smile: "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I had a serious illness last year, which had a great impact on my body. I have not fully recovered yet.  "Liu Jing sighed, "Zijing, please sit down and talk." The two of them took their seats. Liu Jing asked with a smile: "I heard that Zijing was appointed as Yuzhang County Magistrate. How is the situation in Yuzhang County recently?  Fortunately, the people live and work in peace and contentment and have not been affected by the war. This time I went back to Jianye to report on my work, and I just accepted the task from Marquis Wu." At this point, Lu Su took out Sun Quan's autographed letter and presented it to Liu Jing with both hands, "Please.  Your Highness has seen it." Lu Su comforted Sun Quan before leaving. Liu Jing's purpose was to force Jiangdong to withdraw from the Battle of Hefei, not to invade Wu County, so knowing that Jiangdong was willing to withdraw from the Battle of Hefei, everything was easy to discuss.  Having said that, Lu Su was still a little worried. After all, Liu Jing was no longer the Jingzhou Shepherd, and many of his ideas could no longer be based on his previous experience. In fact, Lu Su didn't know what Liu Jing's purpose was, and he was really a little uneasy.  Liu Jing read Sun Quan¡¯s autographed letter without revealing anything. In the letter, Sun Quan promised to abandon the Hefei War and hoped that the Han army could withdraw from Wu County.  Although it seems a bit unreasonable, Liu Jing also knows that if Jiangdong's army really launches a large-scale counterattack on Wu County, Lu Xun may not be able to withstand it. Once Sun Quan recaptures Wu County and relieves the pressure on the backyard, he will probably be forced by Cao Cao to send troops.  .  Liu Jing also does not want to engage in a full-scale war with the Jiangdong Army for the time being. If he can delay time through reconciliation and save Kuaiji County first, he can lay the foundation for a future attack on Jiangdong.  Thinking of this, Liu Jing asked: "What Marquis Wu means is for us to withdraw from Wu County directly, is that true?" "This is exactly what Wu Marquis said in his letter. As long as the Han army withdraws from Wu County,  , He ensured that Jiangdong Army would withdraw from the Hefei War." Liu Jing took a few steps with his hands behind his back and said to Lu Su, "How can Zijing make me believe in his sincerity?" Lu Su was secretly happy, and he heard Liu Jing relenting.  He meant that he only had some requirements on the conditions for withdrawing troops. He quickly said: "I wonder what kind of sincerity your highness requires?" "I need Wu Hou to issue a public commitment letter, promising not to participate again after the Han army withdraws from Wu County.  Hefei Battle, in addition, Jiangdong Army is not allowed to attack Kuaiji County within one year. This commitment letter must be released publicly." Lu Su pondered and asked, "I wonder to what extent His Highness means publicity?" Liu Jing thought.  Luo Liao said: "I also know that he is in trouble. At least the senior officials in Jiangdong must know the contents of this commitment letter." Lu Su stood up and saluted, "I will go back and report to the Marquis of Wu. Once the Marquis of Wu accepts His Highness's plan, please  His Highness immediately ordered the Han army to withdraw from Wu County. "This is natural. I look forward to Wu Hou's sincerity." At this time, military advisor Pang Tong said to Liu Jing: "I'm afraid Cao Cao will not let Sun Quan withdraw so easily.  Your Highness wants to prevent Sun Quan from repeating himself." Liu Jing said with a smile: "How does the military advisor think Cao Cao will force Sun Quan?" "It is nothing more than sending someone to blame Sun Quan for withdrawing his troops, or freezing aid to Sun Quan, but more importantly, putting pressure on Sun Quan from the overall perspective.  , For example, once the Han army attacks Jiangdong, Cao Jun will stand aside and watch. Wei Chen believes that Cao Cao's pressure will bring great pressure to Sun Quan. "Liu Jing took a few steps with his hands behind his back. He also admitted that Pang Tong's analysis was good. Once Sun Quan.  Unable to withstand Cao Cao's pressure, he will definitely attack Wu Jun in a large scale, recapture Wu Jun as quickly as possible, and then turn around and participate in the battle of Hefei. This is the most likely possibility.  At this time, Pang Tong continued: "Wei Chen thinks this is actually very subtle. If we deal with it effectively, Sun Quan will eventually give up the alliance with Cao Cao. The key isThat is, we want to occupy Taihu Lake. As long as we have an absolute advantage on Taihu Lake, we can add troops to Taihu Lake at any time, and finally force Sun Quan to give up the battle of Hefei.  " Liu Jing walked to the sand table and looked at the distribution of rivers and lakes in the east of the Yangtze River on the sand table. There is actually only one waterway from the Yangtze River into Taihu Lake, and that is Lishui. Although the Qinhuai River from Jianye has tributaries that connect to Lishui and eventually enter Taihu Lake, that one  The flow of the tributary is too small, and even a five-hundred-stone ship cannot travel. As long as the entrance is blocked, Jiangdong Army will have no warships to go south. On the contrary, it can occupy the islands in Taihu Lake to establish a logistics base, and absolutely control Taihu Lake, and then Jiangdong can be conquered.  The army was restrained in Wu County, so Sun Quan had to give up the battle of Hefei. Thinking of this, Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Order Shen Mi to come to see me!"  "  As Liu Jing expected, Cao Cao could never accept the Jiangdong Army's withdrawal from the Hefei Battle. Without the Jiangdong Navy's support from the southeast, Cao Cao's advantage would be reduced by three points, and his chances of victory would also be reduced.  The seven points were reduced to four points, but the Han army's chance of victory was greatly increased. Of course, Cao Cao also knew the reason for the withdrawal of the Jiangdong army and was taken away by the Han army, but Cao Cao believed that the matter was not serious enough to give up the Sun-Cao alliance.  At this level, the Han army did not have many troops. As long as they launched a massive counterattack, they could quickly recapture it and restore normal order. He immediately sent his special envoy Chen Qun to Jiangdong to negotiate with Sun Quan. Cao Cao had only one bottom line, and he would never allow the Jiangdong army to give up the battle of Hefei.  In the Jianye Palace, Sun Quan sat facing Chen Qun with a serious face, listening to Chen Qun relaying Cao Cao's opinions, "Wei Gong hopes that Wu Hou will not give up the Sun-Cao alliance because of a small setback. After all, the Battle of Hefei will have great consequences for Jiangdong.  The impact will be even greater. I believe Wu Hou also understands that once the Han army captures Hefei and attacks from the north to the south, Jiangdong will be in danger. Even if Duke Wei wants to rescue Jiangdong, he will be unable to do so. As for the current predicament Jiangdong is facing, Duke Wei can completely understand.  We hope that Jiangdong can quell the Han army's sneak attack as quickly as possible. If Jiangdong needs military or material assistance, we will fully support it.  " Sun Quan didn't speak for a long time. Cao Cao's attitude was as expected. He also knew very well that Jiangdong's abandonment of the Battle of Hefei would have a significant impact on Cao's army. He also knew the consequences of the Han army's victory in the Battle of Hefei. However, Wu Jun  How could he face the loss of Kuaiji calmly? Of course, Sun Quan also knew that he could resolve the crisis in Wu County with a quick victory, but Wuhu was in the hands of the Han army, and they could increase troops from Lishui to Wu County at any time. More importantly, Wuhu was in the hands of the Han army.  He had already asked Liu Jing for peace, but now he turned his back. Once Jiangdong's army was frustrated again, he might not be able to find a way to seek peace. These consequences made Sun Quan very worried. It can be said that Sun Quan was in a dilemma at this time.  Zhao slowly said: "The fall of Wu County puts great pressure on us. We must retake Wu County as soon as possible. But even if we retake Wu County, we still have to station heavy troops in Wu County. In this way, the troops assisting in the battle of Hefei will also be  Reduction, Jiangdong now only has about 60,000 troops. In addition to the 10,000 troops that must guard Jianye, the troops we can mobilize are actually less than 50,000. We need at least 30,000 troops to defend Wujun and Piling. Then we will eventually support the battle of Hefei  There are only less than 20,000 troops, which is undoubtedly a small amount of money. Jiangdong is facing unprecedented difficulties now, and we are beyond our capabilities. I hope Chen Shijun can tell Wei Gong.  " Chen Qun added: "The predicament of Jiangdong is completely understood by Wei Gong. I also said just now that if Jiangdong's army lacks manpower and material resources, Cao Jun will provide maximum support.  "The implication of Chen Qun's words is that Cao Jun is willing to send troops to Wu County and is also willing to provide food and material support. In a word, as long as Jiangdong sends troops, Cao Jun will provide Jiangdong with all support. Having said this, Sun Quan will not  After Hao refused, Sun Quan pondered for a long time and said: "In this case, let us discuss it again. Chen Zhongcheng, please go and rest first. If there is any result, we will notify Zhongcheng immediately.  " Chen Qun went down to rest. There were only four ministers Zhang Zhao, Bu Zhi, Lu Meng and Lu Su in the hall. Lu Su felt that Sun Quan was a little shaken again. He was anxious and said quickly: "Since Wu Hou has promised Liu Jing,  It should not be changed easily, as this will seriously affect the credibility of Wu Hou.  " "Zijing is surprised by these words!  "Bu Zhao said from the side: "It is a matter of Jiangdong's life and death. How can you be shaken by a superficial thing? Not to mention that Wu Hou has not made any formal commitment. Even if he has made a commitment, it is related to Jiangdong's highest interests. It is not enough to overturn the commitment.  Strangely, Zijing did not want to use his reputation to influence Wu Hou's decision.  " Lu Su still wanted to refute, but Sun Quan waved his hand and said: "Zijing, don't be anxious. Let's discuss it thoroughly and weigh the pros and cons. I believe we will find the best plan.  " Speaking of this, Sun Quan glanced at Lu Meng and said, "I want to hear the military's opinion first.  " Lu Meng smiled bitterly and said: "In terms of military strength, I'm afraid we can't operate on two fronts.?, as the military counselor just said, troops should be stationed in Wujun and Piling, and troops should also be stationed in Jianye. In the end, only 20,000 troops could be used to support the battle of Hefei. In fact, it was meaningless. Instead, they would be concentrated by the Han army.  The superior force can be annihilated in one battle. I think the key question is whether to accept the support of Cao Jun?  " Zhang Zhao nodded, "If we accept the support of Cao Jun and let Cao Jun garrison Wu Jun for us, then we can free up our troops to participate in the Hefei War. I guess this is also Cao Cao's plan, although it seems a bit inappropriate to let Cao Jun garrison Wu Jun.  , but from a security perspective, I believe that Cao Cao will never annex Wu County and will defend it with all his heart" "But how can we explain to the people of Jiangdong and Wu County?  " Lu Su finally couldn't help it and sternly rebuked Zhang Zhao: "Let Cao's army be stationed in Jiangdong. What is the difference between this and the subjugation of the country?  How should the people of Jiangdong face it?  " Zhang Zhao's face suddenly darkened. The person he hated the most was Lu Su. It was Zhang Zhao's trick in driving Lu Su to Yuzhang County. Now Lu Su actually dared to rebuke him in front of Wu Hou.  Zhang Zhao was furious, and just as he was about to explode, Bu Zhi quickly smoothed things over and said, "Zijing misunderstood, this is just a temporary measure. After the battle in Hefei, Cao's army will withdraw, and Cao's army will never be allowed to stay for a long time.  " Lu Su snorted heavily, "I firmly oppose Cao's army stationed in Jiangdong. If you insist on it, then I have nothing to say. My official position is small and I am not suitable to participate in such high-level discussions.  " He saluted Sun Quan again and said, "I resign from my humble position!  " Without waiting for Sun Quan's consent, he turned around and left. Sun Quan's face was extremely ugly. Lu Su was so rude. Without Lu Su's objection, everyone quickly made a decision. Jiangdong must maintain its alliance with Wei.  The two armies of Cao and Wei worked together to deal with the eastward expansion of the Han army. Under this principle, Sun Quan ordered Lu Meng to be the commander-in-chief of the southern expedition and led an army of 30,000 to regain Wu County as quickly as possible. At the same time, Cao Cao sent General Jin to lead an army of 20,000.  Arrive at the north bank of the Yangtze River, cross the river on Jiangdong's warship, and march toward Wu County with Jiangdong's army.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 946 Poison Sting in the Abdomen

    In the early morning, a fleet of 300 warships lined up and sailed in the vast Taihu Lake. The 36,000-hectare Taihu Lake was like a boundless sea. On the bow of the leading ship, Navy General Shen Mi  Standing leaning on a gun, although he was injured in the leg, it did not affect his ability to command the fleet.  The breeze was blowing, with a hint of fishy smell, which was particularly cool in the hot summer. The cool breeze blew over his bronze face. His chiseled face was full of perseverance, and his deep eyes stared at a black line in the distance.  , there is the destination of his trip, the Western Mountain in Taihu Lake.  "Mr. Liao, have you been here before?" Shen Mi asked the army counselor Liao Lidao with a smile. Liao Li was appointed as the prefect of Wuling County three years ago and was recently transferred to the prefect of Brazil County. He went to Chang'an to report on his duties and happened to meet Hefei.  During the war, he was temporarily appointed as military counselor by Liu Jing and accompanied the army on the southern expedition. This time Shen Mi led the army to assist Wu County. Liu Jing made mistakes in taking charge of them, so he asked Liao Li to accompany him.  Liao Li has worked with Shen Mi for many years and has a good relationship. He stroked his beard and smiled and said: "When I was young, I came to Wu County to study. I once took a boat trip across Taihu Lake, but it was not far from the shore. This is the first time I have gone deep into Taihu Lake like this."  Mi pointed at a black shadow in the distance and said: "That's Xishan Island. There are two big islands in Taihu Lake. One is connected to the land and is called Dongshan Island by the locals. The other big island is independent on the lake and is called Xishan Island. Currently,  General Lou Fa has occupied Xishan Island, stationed a camp on Xishan Island, and established a logistics center. " Liao Li nodded and said with a smile, "General Lou Fa has two hundred warships, plus our three hundred.  Warships, that is, five hundred warships. With such a huge fleet in the hinterland of Jiangdong, I believe Sun Quan will have trouble sleeping. " "This is what His Highness the King of Han meant. Since Sun Quan is ignorant, he must be taught a lesson.  Once our navy comes to Jiangdong, we will never leave again." At this time, due to the large-scale southward movement of Jiangdong's army and Cao's army, the main force of the Han army, 18,000 men, retreated to Kuaiji County under the leadership of Lu Xun, while Lou Fa led five.  Thousands of people were divided into two hundred warships and stationed on Xishan Island in Taihu Lake, which was like a poisonous thorn in the belly of Jiangdong.  Following the main force of the Han army to withdraw southward were not only the three major aristocratic families in Wu County, but also more than 30,000 households in Wu County. All the food and materials in the official warehouses in Wu County were evacuated, leaving Jiangdong Army with an empty city and a deserted area.  The land of Jiangdong.     'when!  when!  when!  ' A bell rang on a sentry tower on Xishan Island. The soldiers walked out of the camp one after another and looked towards the lake. They saw a vast fleet of boats heading here. When the soldiers saw clearly the people on the boats,  The Han army's black dragon battle flag was raised, and the soldiers suddenly cheered. This was the arrival of the main force of the Han army's navy.  When the fleet slowly docked, Lou Fa hurried up to greet him and hugged Shen Mi tightly as he stepped off the ship. The two of them had been Gan Ning's right-hand men and had been friends for decades.  "Old Shen, is your leg okay?" Lou Fa asked with concern.  "It's just a flesh wound, it's not a big problem." Shen Mi took out Liu Jing's military order, handed it to Lou Fa and said with a smile, "This is the order of the King of Han. You are the chief general and I am the deputy. We must all follow the advice of Military Advisor Liao."  Lou Fa saluted Liao Li. He looked at the military order again and asked, "How many troops are you bringing this time?" "There are a total of 6,000 naval troops, 30,000 shi of grain and 5,000 barrels of kerosene. In addition, you have tents.  There should be no shortage here!" "In fact, there is no shortage of food and tents, but there is a shortage of kerosene." The three of them walked into a big tent, and Liao Li ordered someone to bring in a sand table. Lou Fa suddenly laughed, "You guys.  You actually brought this good thing. This is a weapon for fighting! " "This is the latest sand table given to us by His Highness. The lakes and rivers in Jiangdong are very detailed. It is indeed a weapon for fighting. I want to know, where is Jiangdong's army now? " Lou  Fa picked up a thin wooden pole and pointed at Piling County, "According to my scout report, the 5,000 vanguards of Jiangdong Army have passed Piling County. It is estimated that they will reach Wu County at noon. There are 30,000 troops. In addition,  There are still 20,000 Cao troops who have entered Piling County. It is still unknown whether Sun and Cao's coalition forces will attack Kuaiji County." Shen Mi pondered for a moment and asked, "Does the Jiangdong Army know about our existence?" This sentence is the key. If  The Jiangdong Army knew that there were troops stationed in Taihu Lake. They might not dare to go south to attack Kuaiji County. Instead, they would station heavy troops in Wu County and Piling County. Lou Fa understood what Shen Mi meant and smiled and said: "Captain Lu also meant the same.  Let Jiangdong Army and Cao Army know our existence in order to contain them from going south to Kuaiji County." At this moment, a soldier rushed to the gate of the tent and reported loudly: "Report to General Lou, a patrol boat was found in Taihu Lake.  A team of about ten small boats are coming from the north. "Lou Fa sneered: "This should be the sentinel ship coming from Piling County, it's coming so fast!" Lou Fa was about to order the army to come.? Attacked, but Liao Li next to him smiled and whispered a few words to the two of them. Lou Fa nodded and said: "As expected of the military advisor, just follow the military advisor's words." Half an hour later, a Jiangdong force consisting of ten small boats  The scout fleet gradually approached the Xishan Island Pier area. They were still one mile away from the dock, and they could no longer move forward. Dozens of Han army patrol boats lined up in front, blocking their way.  Despite this, they still saw the size of the Han army from a distance. Nearly four hundred thousand-stone warships were moored around the dock, and there were also hundreds of five-hundred-stone cargo ships loaded with food and supplies that the soldiers were busy unloading.  goods.  On the shore, there was a dense group of tents with wooden fences installed around them. The tent groups were distributed in a long and narrow manner, stretching for several miles. They were so large that the scout ships did not dare to stay for a long time and immediately turned around and sailed towards the shore.  At this time, the Jiangdong army, led by General Lu Meng, had occupied Wu County. However, what made Lu Meng angry was that Wu County was already an empty city, with only hundreds of elderly people left, and the official warehouses were also empty.  All the grain and other materials were carried away, and the soldiers searched the whole city and found less than a hundred shi of grain.  Soon, the troops sent to various counties also reported back one after another. Like Wu County, the people in each county basically followed the Han army and retreated south to Kuaiji County. They all became empty cities. In the entire Wu County, there were only less than 30,000 households left.  Two percent of the people.  Lu Meng was very shocked. The people of Jiangdong were willing to follow the Han army to retreat south to avoid the governance of Jiangdong army. This was simply a great irony, and it also showed that Wu Hou was gradually losing the support of the people.  On the top of the city, Lu Meng looked at the empty city, let out a long sigh, turned around and said to Kan Ze, the new governor of Wu County: "Prefect Kan, without the population, what is the point of Wu County like this?" Kan Ze smiled bitterly and said:  "This sentence should be made by me. As a prefect of a county, there are no people to govern in the territory. It is an anecdote through the ages!" Lu Meng thought for a moment and said: "Before leaving, Wu Hou had given instructions that if the southward journey goes well, we can directly  Attacking Kuaiji County, with the strength of us and Cao's army, 50,000 troops marched south. The Han army in Kuaiji County was difficult to resist. But when I was in Piling, I heard that the Han fleet had withdrawn to Taihu Lake. This was a bit troublesome, Kan  Does the prefect think it is still possible to go south to Kuaiji County?" Kan Ze thought for a moment and said, "It depends on how strong the Han army is in Taihu. If it is only a few thousand people, it doesn't matter. As long as 10,000 people guard Wuxian's logistics,  If the remaining 40,000 troops go south, they can also defeat Kuaiji County. But if the army in Taihu is strong, then you have to think twice." Just as he was talking, a soldier pointed to the city and said: "Captain Lu, there is a patrol.  The fleet is back. " Lu Meng also saw a sentinel ship sailing back quickly in the Xu River not far away. He was very happy. This was the scout ship he sent when he was in Piling County. It was finally back.  Not long after, some soldiers led the patrol scouts to the city. The leader of the army knelt down on one knee and reported: "To the Governor, we have found information about the Han army." "What is the situation of the Han army?" "The Han army has occupied Xishan Island.  There were more than 500 ships moored outside the dock, including 400 warships weighing more than a thousand stones. " Lu Meng's heart felt as if he had sunk into an ice cave. After a while, he asked again: "How many troops are there?" "Humble count.  There were about 3,000 Han army tents, and I guessed that there were about 20,000 troops. ""Twenty thousand!" Lu Meng cried out. He turned around and said to Kan Ze, "Do you think there will be 20,000 troops?"  He sighed and said, "Originally there were about 200 Han warships, but now they have increased to 500. They are undoubtedly reinforcements from Wuhu. I think Liu Jing also attaches great importance to Kuaiji County and will not sit back and watch us attack Kuaiji. To be honest,  "The Han army has 20,000 people, I don't find it strange at all." Lu Meng's mood became very heavy. Wu Hou underestimated Liu Jing's determination. Before, he could negotiate to get the Han army to withdraw, but now Wu Hou was forced to ask for help.  Cao Cao surrendered, the door to negotiations was closed, and the Han army would no longer withdraw from Jiangdong.  "What does Prefect Kan think of the current situation in Jiangdong? Can you tell me frankly." Kan Ze shook his head. "If General Lu wants to hear the truth, I might as well say it clearly. In fact, most of the nine counties in Jiangdong fell into the hands of the Han army. Lujiang, Kuaiji,  Jian'an and Xindu, these four counties have been occupied by the Han army. Yuzhang County and Jiujiang County are controlled by the Yangtze River and belong to us in name, but in fact they are under the control of the Han army. This brings us to the six counties. We still have  Danyang, Piling and Wujun, or in other words, we only have Danyang and Piling counties left. Even the three major families in Wujun have followed the Han army and retreated south. Could it be that they can't see the situation clearly, Governor Lu?  This is very bad!" Lu Meng sighed: "It seems that the alliance between Wu Hou and Cao Cao was indeed a big decision-making mistake!" "I don't think that is a mistake, Wu.He also knew that the situation was critical, so he turned to Cao Cao, trying to get Cao Cao's support and restore Jiangdong's original power. Cao Cao also tried his best to support Jiangdong, but it was too late to form an alliance. In fact, the root of Jiangdong's decline was not the Han army.  The eastward expansion was the result of internal strife in Jiangdong. Now, the matter can no longer be explained clearly in one or two sentences. It can only be said that Liu Jing was too strong. The disaster that Jiangdong suffered today was doomed as early as the defeat of Chaisang.  " Lu Meng nodded silently. At that time, Liu Jing captured a large number of Jiangdong soldiers several times and released them all. He had already won the hearts and minds of the people of Jiangdong. However, the Marquis of Wu went on to become militaristic and violent, and completely lost the hearts of the people, which ultimately led to today's predicament. He, Lu Meng, was only thirty.  Yu Sui, where should he go? At this time, Kan Ze smiled and said: "I am going to go for a walk around Wu County. I may go there for a few days. I would like to ask Governor Lu to prepare a small boat for me."  " Lu Meng agreed and immediately ordered people to prepare a boat for Kan Ze. In the afternoon, Kan Ze took two followers on the boat and left. In the west mountain of Taihu Lake, the Han army's supplies have basically been unloaded. The soldiers set up camp on the island and were particularly busy.  , the number of patrol ships around increased to 200, and the entire Xishan Island was surrounded by patrol ships. At this time, a patrol ship suddenly spotted a small Upeng boat coming from the east, and the patrol ship met it. The Han army.  The soldier held his spear and shouted loudly: "Stop!  " The Wupeng boat slowly stopped, and a middle-aged scribe emerged from the cabin. He cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I am Kan Ze, the prefect of Wu County. I want to meet your general.  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 947: Making an attack in the east and attacking in the west

    In the early morning, a carriage drove out of Moling County and slowly headed towards Jianye City. This carriage was riding the captain Yu Fan. Yu Fan was not in a good mood during this time because his brother Yu Wang was appointed as the county magistrate of Kuaiji.  , which made Sun Quan have a cold attitude towards him. In addition, Yu Fan was known for his stern advice and did not give Sun Quan face. Sun Quan had long been disgusted with him. When the Kuaiji Incident happened, Sun Quan found an excuse and prepared to demote him to the county seat.  make.  Yu Fan took out another letter from his arms. It was sent secretly by Kan Ze last night. Only then did Yu Fan know that Kan Ze had surrendered to the Han army.  Kan Ze bluntly stated in the letter that the situation in Jiangdong was over, and Liu Jing's unification of the south was a foregone conclusion. He advised him to go south to Kuaiji as soon as possible. With the Yu family's position in Kuaiji, it would not be a problem for him to enter the Han court in the future.  Yu Fan sighed in his heart. He knew that Kan Ze was right. Jiangdong was indeed doomed. However, Yu Fan was a man who wanted to save face. Although he was also very dissatisfied with Sun Quan, he wanted him to betray Jiangdong immediately and surrender to the Han army.  Still unable to do so, he wanted to talk to Sun Quan again today, hoping that Sun Quan would understand his difficulties.  The carriage drove into Jianye City and stopped in front of Jianye Palace. Yu Fan got off the carriage, straightened his clothes, and walked quickly up the steps. Two Zhi Ge guards stopped him. Yu Fan raised his hands and smiled: "  Please report to the Marquis of Wu, it is Yu Fan who is asking for an audience!" The guards walked quickly to the palace. In the inner hall of Jianye Palace, Sun Quan was discussing the military situation of Wu County with Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi. Sun Quan had received Lu Meng's preliminary report.  The army has been withdrawn from Wu County. Not only the troops were withdrawn, but most of the people in Wu County also followed the Han army to retreat south. Wu County almost became an empty county. This news made Sun Quan very angry.  He knew very well that the people of Wujun might not be willing to leave their hometown, but if the three major families in Wujun mobilized their tenants, with the influence of the three major families, it would be easy to form a trend of retreat southward. Coupled with the herd mentality, most people would follow southward.  Withdraw, this is also the reason why Sun Quan dare not touch the three major families easily. Their influence is too great.  But now the three aristocratic families of Lu, Gu, and Zhang took the initiative to join the Han army, which meant that Sun Quan would lose the support of the people in Wu County, which made Sun Quan feel hateful and anxious.  I was worried that I would never get Wu Jun back.  "Tell me, should I order an attack on Kuaiji?" Zhang Zhao stared at the sand table in front of him, pondered for a long time and said: "With the troops we have invested now and 20,000 Cao troops, our strength is far greater than that of the Han army, and we can definitely capture Kuaiji.  , but Wei Chen is a little worried about the Han army in Taihu. They are not weak. Once they cut off the retreat of Jiangdong Army, the consequences will be disastrous. " Sun Quan nodded and asked Bu Zhi, "What is Chang Shi's opinion?  Hong died of illness at the beginning of the year, and Bu Zhi took over the post of Chang Shi and became the second most powerful person in Jiangdong, second only to Zhang Zhao. This also meant that his relatives were powerful in Jiangdong. Bu Zhi pointed at the Zhejiang River with a wooden pole, "  In fact, I am worried that the Jiangdong Army will not be able to cross the Zhejiang River. The Han Army's power on the water is far greater than ours. Once the Han Army's warships block the Zhejiang River, we will not be able to cross the river. In addition, what the military advisor said, the Han Army in Taihu will take the opportunity to block the Zhejiang River.  Our retreat will have serious consequences. Wei Chen suggested not to rush south, but to wait for the opportunity." Sun Quan walked back and forth for a few steps with his hands behind his hands, and finally sighed and said, "This is also the purpose of the Han army's deployment in Taihu Lake, to contain it.  We are going south, you are right, we must not act rashly." At this moment, a guard shouted outside the hall: "I am reporting to the Marquis of Wu, Captain Yu is asking for a meeting!" "No!" Sun Quan waved his hand.  He said displeasedly: "Let him go back, just say I don't have time to see him!" Zhang Zhao advised from the side: "Yu Zhongxiang is the head of a famous family in Kuaiji. At this time, Wu Hou still has to try his best to win over him and prepare for taking back Kuaiji in the future.  "But this man is really rude and ill-intentioned. I have already lost my patience with him. If he were not the head of the Yu family, I would have killed him long ago," Sun Quan said bitterly.  Bu Zhi also advised Sun Quan, "Wei Chen believes that Yu Zhongxiang is in trouble now and will not advise Wu Hou anymore. Wu Hou first comforted him, and then contacted Yu Wang through him, and let Yu Wang slowly persuade the people of Wu County back. This is actually a way.  " Bu Zhi's words moved Sun Quan. The people of Wu County are under the control of Yu Wang. Now he really has something to ask of the Yu family. Now he must appease Yu Fan and prevent him from running away. Thinking of this, Sun Quan had to endure it.  With a bad breath in his heart, he ordered: "Let him come to see me!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Sun Quan moved the capital to Jingkou after the Chibi War, and moved the capital to Jianye a year later. The two moves of the capital cost him a lot of manpower and material resources to build a new capital. After the capital was completed, Jiangdong did not have much financial resources to continue the next big project, which was also the most important.  An urgent project was to dig a canal from Jingkou to Qiantang River.  It can be said that this canal is the lifeblood of Jiangdong. The canal connects the Yangtze River and Qiantang River and is the link between the entire Yangtze River and the Qiantang River.The key to connecting Jiangdong was limited to financial resources. Jiangdong only dug a section from Piling County to Wuxian County, and dredged Xujiang River.  In this way, the Qiantang River can reach Piling County through the Wucheng River, Taihu Lake, Xujiang River and canal. According to the plan, the remaining section of the canal from Piling County to the Yangtze River will be excavated in the next five years.  Prior to this, water transportation between Jianye and Wujun could only temporarily take a long detour, taking Wuhu and entering Lishui. Before the Hefei War, this mode of transportation only had the trouble of taking a long detour, but had no other obstacles.  But now, the Han army has occupied Wuhu and cut off this vital waterway, so that the Jiangdong Army warships in the Yangtze River cannot go south to Wu County. Of course, they can also take the sea route, but due to the restrictions of the Jingzhou Treaty, Jiangdong Army's warships cannot go south to Wu County.  The warships of the army were all small, with most of eight or nine hundred stones, and not strong enough to sail in the sea. Unlike the Jingzhou navy, in order to enter the sea, they specially built hundreds of warships that could withstand waves.  This put Jiangdong's army in a very embarrassing situation. The warships on the Yangtze River could not follow the army south to Wu County. Jiangdong's army could only transport logistics supplies to Piling County by human and animal carts, and then boarded small boats from Piling County to transport them to Wu County.  county.  Thirty thousand of the 50,000-strong Jiangdong army went south to recapture Wu County, leaving Jianye's garrison with only over 20,000 men, including only 10,000 navy troops. There were more than 700 warships moored on the river, anchored in a huge  Inside the water village.  At night, the water village was still as quiet as usual. A group of soldiers patrolled the shore. Dozens of patrol ships in the water village were passing through large ships, watching the movements on the water vigilantly. Jiangdong Army was very cautious. They mainly prevented  Han army scouts sneaked into the water stronghold and burned the boats, so there were nearly a hundred patrol boats in the two water strongholds, patrolling day and night.  The navy general on duty tonight is Xu Sheng. He also took a sentinel boat to patrol the water village at night. It was already the fourth watch, which was when the soldiers were sleeping the deepest. Xu Sheng cheered up and stood on the bow of the boat.  , watching the movement on the river, but the conversation of several soldiers behind him caught his attention.  "Do you think the Han army will take advantage of our army to move south to attack Jianye?" "How is it possible? If the Han army invades in large numbers, Cao Jun will never stand idly by." "Bullshit, Cao Jun has no warships, at most  Waving flags and shouting in Jiangbei, Xu Sheng was angry and turned around and shouted: "If you don't patrol properly, what are you talking about?" The soldiers were too frightened to say anything anymore. The ship became quiet, but Xu Sheng was also upset.  When he got up, he had already thought of this danger. Lu Meng led an army of 30,000 people to go south. There were only 20,000 troops left in Jianye, and only 10,000 navy troops could be mobilized. If Liu Jing was really ruthless and led a large-scale attack on Jianye  , they simply couldn¡¯t resist it.  Xu Sheng sighed in his heart. He could only place his hope on the dozens of beacons on the south bank. The beacons were not lit, indicating that there were no Han warships heading eastward for the time being.  He thought it was more of a fluke. Maybe Liu Jing didn't think of doing this, but at this moment, a sharp and piercing bell suddenly sounded from the sentry tower at the gate of the water village, 'Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The bell sounded extremely loud.  Ringing the bell at night, there was only one possibility. Someone was attacking the water village. Xu Sheng was shocked and ordered the ship to turn around and rush to the gate of the water village. As soon as he arrived at the gate of the water village, several sentries came out from the sentry tower.  He ran up and down and shouted: "General Xu, there are enemy ships on the river!" Xu Sheng jumped on the pedal and ran towards the gate of the water village. He stood on a high place, stared at the river, and suddenly took a breath of air.  On the river outside the water village, hundreds of densely packed boats appeared, as many as a thousand.  In front of the small boat are three huge boats, which are iron bows used to crash into the water fortress. The bows are covered with pig iron to hit the head. The three large ships are speeding towards the water fortress, and in the distance,  Then there were the black ships of the Han army, standing hazily on the river, like a mountain stretching for dozens of miles.  Xu Sheng suddenly shouted anxiously, "Hurry up and call the beacon fire alarm!" He also knew that it was too late. The three large boats that broke the stronghold were only a hundred steps away from the water stronghold. Xu Sheng jumped out of the boat in a few steps and shouted: "Go ashore!"  The boat turned around and headed towards the shore like an arrow. At this time, the alarm bell of the watchtower alerted the beacon. The beacon on the shore was lit, and the fire burned brightly, which was particularly dazzling in the night sky.  But it was too late. Before Xu Sheng¡¯s boat docked, he heard an earth-shattering crash behind him, ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ Three huge boats were loaded onto the fence of the water village at the same time, knocking open three large gaps in the outer fence of the water village. Each gap was more than ten feet wide.  The small boats following behind rushed into the water village through the gap like a pack of wolves. The fire oil on the boats was ignited, and several fire boats rushed into the water village together, creating a very spectacular scene in the water village. Thousands of boats rushed into the water village.  The flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the entire river red.  ? ?As the Han army made a night raid, Jiangdong's army was unprepared. There were almost no soldiers on hundreds of warships, and more than a thousand fire ships rushed directly into the large ships, starting to cause raging fire throughout the water village.  On the outermost building of a five-thousand-stone ship, Liu Jing watched from a distance as the Han army's fireships broke into the Jiangdong army's water stronghold and lit countless warships on fire. A faint sneer hung on the corner of his mouth.  The plan to attack Jiangdong Water Village at night was proposed and planned by Pang Tong. Pang Tong also knew very well that there were eight beacon towers on the south bank of the Yangtze River from Wuhu to Jianye. They monitored the river day and night, and the Han warships sailed close to the north bank. At the same time,  , Pang Tong accurately marked the location of each beacon. When approaching each beacon, the fleet sailed at night.  At night, the distance between the beacons was limited and it was impossible to monitor the entire wide river surface. In this way, the Han warships escaped the surveillance of the eight beacons on the south bank and approached Jianye silently. They attacked at the fourth watch and killed  Jiang Dongjun was caught off guard.  All the 10,000 barrels of kerosene loaded on thousands of small boats burned up, like a raging fire burning the river, and red flames swallowing the sky. At this time, more than a dozen warships sailed back and forth outside the water stronghold, rescuing more than a thousand people who swam out of the water stronghold.  Ignite soldiers.  The fire in the water stronghold alarmed Jianye City. Sun Quan, escorted by hundreds of guards, rushed to the top of Jianye City and looked at the water stronghold ten miles away. From the top of the city, he could clearly see that the fire had engulfed the entire water stronghold. More than ten people were injured.  The surface of the river inside was red.  Sun Quan's face was pale, his right hand clenched the hilt of the sword, and his whole body was shaking slightly. He never expected that Liu Jing would be so vicious, taking advantage of his main army to move south, to surprise his Yangtze River water stronghold.  Not only is the method vicious, but the consequences are also extremely serious. Once the Jiangdong Army has no warships, what if he participates in the Hefei War?  Now that the Han army has taken root in the hinterland of Jiangdong, should he be asked to write a public letter of commitment to Liu Jing now?  It seems too late.  Sun Quan let out a long sigh. He felt that he was really being manipulated by Liu Jing. Liu Jing's machinations were no longer something he could deal with. Even Jiangdong as a whole did not consider the consequences. He really didn't know how to face him tomorrow.  Ministers and generals, he lifted a rock, but ended up smashing his own foot.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 948 Forced Stop on the Eastern Front

    The fire lasted for a day and a night, burning all the last bits of Jiangdong's capital. When the fire was extinguished, the water stronghold no longer existed. The river was filled with the remains of warships, black and burnt.  The keels and ship planks undulated on the shore driven by the water waves. All 800 major warships in Jiangdong were burned, and only more than 100 hundred-stone boats hiding in the Qinhuai waters were spared.  At this time, the Han warships had disappeared, and they were done. Hundreds of Han warships also turned around and returned to Ruxukou. The river became empty, the sky was covered with clouds, and a thin drizzle was wrapped by the river wind.  It came towards Sun Quan's pale face.  By the river, dozens of senior civil and military officials accompanied Sun Quan to inspect the docks and water villages that had been burned by the fire. More than a hundred small boats hiding in the Qinhuai River appeared on the river, patrolling back and forth, looking for soldiers who fell into the water who might have survived.  "Wu Hou, fortunately, the casualties were less than a hundred, which is also a blessing among misfortunes." Bu Zhi comforted Sun Quan in a low voice.  Sun Quan sighed and said to Zhang Zhao: "Commander, what should we do now?" Zhang Zhao smiled bitterly after a while and said: "Without warships, I'm afraid we won't be able to participate in the Hefei Battle. It's useless for Cao Cao to force us, Wei Chen  I suggest you ask Zijing to go to Ruxukou again and talk to Liu Jing again. " "Do you think Liu Jing is still willing to talk to you?" "After all, he is Jiangdong's son-in-law.  , He also hopes that Jiangdong will be stable for the sake of fighting for Hefei. Wei Chen believes that he is willing to talk." Sun Quan nodded and turned around and asked, "Where is Lu Zijing?" Someone answered, "Lu Juncheng returned to Yuzhang this morning.  " Sun Quan's face suddenly darkened, and he was secretly annoyed. When he saw the fire in the river, Lu Su ran away. He obviously refused to send an envoy for him again. Sun Quan asked again: "Which envoy is willing to send an envoy to the Han Dynasty?  Army?" No one among the dozens of people agreed. Although Zhang Zhao comforted Sun Quan that they could continue talking, everyone knew in their hearts that sending an envoy to the Han army at this time was tantamount to humiliating them, and everyone was willing to do it as the icing on the cake.  Not many people have the courage to provide help in times of need.  Sun Quan became more and more angry, "Don't any of you want to go on an envoy for Gu?" At this moment, Yu Fan came out and said: "If the Marquis of Wu doesn't mind, I am willing to go on an envoy to Ruxukou." Sun Quan and everyone  He was relieved in his heart. Finally, someone came forward. Sun Quan nodded, "I can write a letter, so I'll bother Zhongxiang to make a trip." At this time, a soldier suddenly pointed at the middle of the river and shouted: "Look, look.  , Han warships! " Everyone looked towards the river and saw more than a hundred thousand-stone warships cruising in the river in the dense rain. They were equipped with pedal impellers at the back. These were typical Han warships. They were showing off their power.  Patrolling on the river as usual, small boats in the east of the river evaded one after another.  This blatant oppression made all the officials in Jiangdong feel sad. They no longer had the capital to confront the Han army. The entire Yangtze River was controlled by the Han army's warships. Sun Quan let out a long sigh and turned towards Jianye City.  The ministers looked at the big ships on the river and shook their heads. Everyone's eyes were very complicated. Jiangdong was declining step by step, and the loss of Jiangdong's navy would be the most critical turning point in Jiangdong's decline. Without the navy and warships,  The Jiangdong Army was like a tiger with its claws pulled out. Sooner or later, it would be surrounded by the Han Army. Everyone followed Sun Quan towards Jianye City with a heavy heart. The reason why Yu Fan took the initiative to ask for military service was to serve Sun Quan as an envoy, but for the sake of his own and family interests.  He is the first. His brother Yu Wang has surrendered to the Han army and served as the magistrate of Kuaiji County, taking control of the government affairs of Kuaiji County.  Yu Fan received another secret letter from Kan Ze. Kan Ze told him in the letter that the situation in Jiangdong was going away and that a future must be decided as soon as possible. Yu Fan had been thinking about it again and again, and no one was willing to send an envoy to the Han army, so he took the initiative to ask for help.  take this opportunity.  Yu Fan did not meet Liu Jing until he arrived at Ruxukou. The small boat he was in was intercepted by a Han warship not long after it sailed out of Jianye. Yu Fan was taken to the north bank of the Yangtze River, where he saw a boat moored on the north bank of the Yangtze River.  A five-thousand-stone building ship was surrounded by patrol boats. Yu Fan thought to himself: "Is Liu Jing here?"  ' Yu Fan was taken to the big ship and went directly into a cabin. The cabin was dimly lit and there was a huge sand table in the middle, occupying most of the cabin. A burly general stood in front of the sand table with his hands behind his hands. Yu Fan  He glanced over and recognized the other person, it was Liu Jing, King of Han Dynasty.  Yu Fan hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to salute, "Your Majesty, Yu Fan, comes to see His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing smiled slightly, "It turns out to be Mr. Yu, I haven't seen you for a long time." "This officer brought the letter from the Marquis of Wu and came to present it to His Highness.  Please read it, Your Highness!" Yu took out the letter and presented it to Liu Jing respectfully. Liu Jing took the letter but did not read it. He put it aside and waved to Yu Fan with a smile: "Please sit down, Mr. Yu!"    Yu Fan was surprised. He felt that Liu Jing respected him more than Sun Quan's autograph letter. He was a little uneasy and sat down with Liu Jing. Liu Jing ordered the guards to serve tea again, and then smiled and said: "I've heard for a long time.  Yu Shijun is ruthless and candid, I just want to ask Yu Shijun, what is the most important thing for a king?" Yu Fan took a sip of tea and was silent. He came to serve as an envoy to Jiangdong. Unexpectedly, Liu Shijun  Jing actually discussed the way of being a man with him, and Yu Fan said slowly: "I often tell Wu Hou that the way to be a king is to be honest first. This is especially important when establishing a foundation, but it does not mean to follow the rules step by step.  Occasionally making extraordinary moves is okay, the key is not to touch some bottom line principles. ""What is it like?" Liu Jing asked seriously.  Yu Fan sensed Liu Jing's sincerity, and he simply said frankly: "For example, in the way of employing people, in the past, His Highness the King of Han publicly promoted officials in Jingzhou based on merit. This was actually very good, but in the end, most of the children of aristocratic families rose to the position.  , which is not to say that there is a problem here. After all, everyone knows that the aristocratic family has a large number of talents, and it is reasonable for them to rise to the top. Many children from poor families are gearing up and waiting for the next year. Unexpectedly, there is no news for many years.  That time, people have to wonder, what was His Highness's real intention? Do you think he was sincere in what he said about meritocracy? " Liu Jing nodded, Yu Fan was right, so  There has been no public promotion of scholars for many years, which indeed chilled the hearts of many scholars. At this time, Yu Fan said bluntly: "There is also Pingzhangtai. What is Pingzhangtai? On the surface, it seems to be the office of the prime ministers.  But where is the prime minister? I didn't see it. I only saw the high-ranking officials in Jingshu who were greedy for power and refused to give up their positions. How many years has Xu Shu been in charge of government affairs? How many years has Jiang Wan been in charge?  Guan and Dong He are just small officials in Shu. They have no virtue or ability, but they occupy high positions. Sima Yi is both a military advisor and a minister. Is he a military advisor or a minister? His Highness wants to rule the world, but he is timid and does something.  You must know that the art of war can be deceitful, but the ruler must follow the right path, the royal way, and even the domineering way. Liu Jing sighed deeply and said: "Sun Quan has such a bright mirror as Yu Zhongxiang.  It would be foolish for him to abandon him as if he were covered with dust. If Yu Shijun is willing to return to the Han Dynasty, I will appoint him as an admonishment official, and he can go to court with his sword." Yu Fan was moved in his heart and bowed deeply.  He said politely: "Yu Fan also has the heart to restore the Han Dynasty. However, there are difficulties in Jiangdong. I can't abandon him. I hope your highness will understand." Liu Jing nodded, "I can understand. I will not force you to entrust you, no matter when you are entrusted."  Whenever he comes, I will be there to welcome you." Yu Fan thought of Sun Quan's indifference and disgust towards him, but in contrast, Liu Jing was so tolerant and valued him, which made him have mixed feelings in his heart, and he couldn't help but cry: "  Your Highness's regard for me is engraved in my heart!" Liu Jing also knew that the time was not yet ripe, so he stopped mentioning the matter of surrender and took Sun Quan's letter and read it roughly. The content of the letter was in his  As expected, Liu Jing smiled and said: "I have learned from Wu Houxin, but for the sake of Princess Shangxiang, I am still willing to give him a chance, but I want to know first, what are the two people currently in Wu County?"  Wan Cao's army, how are Wu Hou going to deal with them?" Yu Fan calmed himself down and returned to the business of being an envoy. He quickly said: "We still have some private cargo ships that can transport them across the river. Wu Hou hopes that your highness will  Don't stop them." Liu Jing smiled lightly, "I'm afraid it's easier to ask the gods than to send them away." Yu Fan was startled, but when he was about to ask again, Liu Jing waved his hand, "I said it just now, for Shang Xiang's sake.  For the sake of the princess, I promise to give Jiangdong another chance. I can release the people of Wu County, return Xindu County to him, and even return Jiang Qin and Jiang Bing to him. The two sides will be bounded by the Zhejiang River.  Everyone is in peace. Please tell you, Marquis Wu, that this is my last forbearance.  " Yu Fan nodded silently. This was indeed Liu Jing's greatest sincerity. He asked again: "I wonder if the garrison in the west mountain of Taihu Lake can also be withdrawn?  Liu Jing said coldly: "Every good thing cannot be taken up by Jiangdong. If Sun Quan wants me to withdraw the Xishan garrison, that's fine, but the premise is that Cao Jun must also withdraw from Jiangdong. If Cao Jun doesn't withdraw, then I will."  It is impossible to give up Xishan. In short, as long as Cao's army is in Jiangdong, Han's army will definitely be in Jiangdong. This is an equal choice.  " Liu Jing said it categorically, without any intention of giving in. This is his bottom line. If he gives up this bottom line, then Kuaiji County will be in danger. He believes that his judgment is correct. Even if Jiangdong cannot participate in the Hefei War,  Cao Cao would never let go of Jiangdong easily. He worked hard to move his troops into Jiangdong. How could he let them withdraw easily? At night, Cao Cao received a flying pigeon message from Jianye, and the Han army burned down Jiangdong.  News of the ship made him furious, he slammed the table and cursed: "Sun Quan, this idiot, no wonder he was beaten to disgrace by Liu Jing. He is so stupid that the Han army burned the water stronghold warship. He really deserves to die!" Cao Cao was anxious again!  Angry again, without the support of the Jiangdong navy on the Yangtze River, he would be passive in this battle of Zhefei. Cao Cao hurried back and forth in the lobby with his hands behind his back, feeling extremely upset.  At this time, Cheng Yu advised him: "This is not actually due to Sun Quan's negligence. His strength is not as good as the Han army. Something happened in Wu County again. He sent a large army south to regain the lost territory. The Yangtze River was empty. How could Liu Jing not take advantage of this opportunity?"  This is Liu Jing's habitual tactic. As long as the Jiangdong Army's warships are destroyed, Jiangdong Army will no longer be able to participate in the Battle of Hefei. It can only be said that Sun Quan is far from Liu Jing's opponent, and it is not that he is stupid. " "  I don't care if he is stupid, but without Jiangdong's army to contain the Han army from behind, what should I do? How should I fight this battle of Zhefei?" Cao Cao shouted angrily.  Cheng Yu sighed and said: "With the current plan, Wei Gong can only prepare for the worst."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 949 Each increases his troops

    Cao Cao suppressed the anger in his heart, forced himself to calm down, and said to Cheng Yu: "Tell me the military advisor! How should I respond now?" "Wei Chen first asked Wei Gong if he planned to withdraw Yu Jin's army?" Cao Cao shook his head,  "No! Jiangdong must have my army. I won't allow Liu Jing to get Jiangdong so easily. As long as Jiangdong has my army, Sun Quan will resist to the end, and Liu Jing will not dare to easily launch a war against Jiangdong." "Wei.  I estimate that Liu Jing will not withdraw the troops stationed in Jiangdong. Jiangdong will form a stalemate and will no longer be able to participate in the Hefei War. We will have to deal with this war independently. I humbly suggest that Wei Gong increase his troops in Hefei." Cao Cao nodded, "You are right.  , I can't lose this battle again, I will transfer 50,000 Qing Xu troops to Hefei to assist in the battle, and then transfer 20,000 troops from Yedu to the south, so that the army in Hefei will increase to 150,000." Cheng Yu said again: "  Wei Chen also suggested that the outer perimeter should be abandoned and General Xu should withdraw to Hefei. "Why is this?" "Because the Han army controls Jianghu, the main force of the Han army will go from Chaohu to Lu'an, killing General Xu by surprise, although Liu Jing has not yet.  In this way, once he breaks the situation in Jiangdong, he will first eliminate our periphery and concentrate his superior forces to defeat the Liu'an defenders. Wei Gong might as well withdraw General Xu first. " "But in this way, it will be easy for the Han army.  Cut off the connection between Shouchun and Hefei." Cheng Yu smiled bitterly: "In fact, it is easy for him to cut off the transportation between Shouchun and Hefei with or without the Liu'an Army." "You are right!"  Nodding, "The Liu'an Army was set up by us to deal with the Han army's land attack from the west. Now that there is no naval force in the east of the Yangtze River to contain it, the Han army's warships can easily go north and control the Chaohu water system. We don't have a naval army, so we are indeed vulnerable to the Han army."  After defeating each one, Xu Huang's army should withdraw to Hefei. " "With Wenyuan and Gongming guarding Hefei, I think it will not be easy for the Han army to capture Hefei. If I am not wrong, this will be a long-term war.  Half a year, up to a year, it depends on who can persist to the end, Wei Gong should return to Yedu. "Cao Cao pondered, but shook his head, "Liu Jing is in charge of Hefei, and I can't leave! The battle in Hefei is very important.  The rise and fall of the Han and Wei Dynasties. If this battle fails, not only will Jiangdong be in danger, but the entire Central Plains will also face the Han army's attack from three sides. Wei will also be in danger. I must not fail in this battle. " Cheng Yu had no choice but to say:  "In this case, let General Cao Ren guard Shouchun and prevent the Han army from breaking through Shouchun." Due to the defeat of Jiangdong, Cao Cao was forced to decide to increase his troops in Hefei, and Liu Jing also needed to control Jiangdong. It was almost the same moment when Cao Cao decided to increase his troops.  Liu Jing also decided to increase his troops in Ruxukou. Currently, he has 80,000 troops stationed in Ruxukou and 10,000 troops stationed in Chaisang. To completely defeat Cao Jun and capture Hefei City, only 80,000 troops are still insufficient. Liu Jing immediately  Orders were given to mobilize another 60,000 troops from Guanzhong and Bashu to rush to Hefei to participate in the war.  At the same time, the three counties of Jiangxia, Nanjun, and Xiangyang were ordered to collect civilian ships. All ships with more than 300 shi were mobilized for military use, and all 300,000 shi of official grain from Xiangyang and Wuchang were transferred to Chaisang.  For Liu Jing, he cannot afford to lose the Battle of Hefei. Once he loses the Battle of Hefei, it will not only break Cao Cao's situation in the southeast and unite Cao Cao and Sun Quan, but even Jingzhou will be difficult to protect. The strategic plan he has worked hard to capture over the past few years  All the advantages will be lost, and in at least ten years, his dream of taking over the world will come to nothing.  Precisely because it could not afford to lose this battle, the Han State also devoted all its strength to fight this battle that was no less than the Battle of Chibi. In Jianye, Yu Fan brought back Liu Jing's message to Sun Quan,  Agreeing to negotiate a peace between the two sides, Liu Jing almost ceased the war unconditionally and met a series of Sun Quan's demands, including repatriating the people of Wu County, releasing Jiang Qin and prisoners of war, and returning them to Xindu County. However, Liu Jing did not care about the core interests at all.  If you give in, it will be Kuaiji County.  Liu Jing¡¯s reason is simple. Kuaiji County was taken back from the He brothers, not from Jiangdong, so Jiangdong had no right to ask the Han army for Kuaiji County. Furthermore, the soldiers and people of Kuaiji supported Sun Shao as the prefect of Kuaiji.  Liu Jing's toughness made Sun Quan helpless. After all, Jiangdong was no longer qualified to bargain with the Han State. Sun Quan had to acquiesce to the Han army's occupation of Kuaiji County and had to retreat and do the next best thing, hoping that the Han army could withdraw from Taihu Lake.  But Liu Jing¡¯s withdrawal conditions were very clear. If Cao¡¯s army did not withdraw from Jiangdong, the Han army would never withdraw from Taihu. This made Sun Quan feel as sick as eating flies.  In the lobby, Sun Quan slammed a tea cup to the ground, ¡®Bang!  'With a crisp sound, the tea cup was smashed to pieces, and Sun Quan's thunderous voice echoed in the lobby, "Are they treating Jiangdong as a brothel? Come if you want, leave if you want. In the worst case, we will fight to the death and let Jiangdong be destroyed. I  No more, just kill them all and rob them all, let them go as they please!¡±  At this time, Zhang Zhao walked quickly down the hall and heard Sun Quan's yelling and cursing. He asked a guard who escaped from the hall in a low voice, "What happened?" The guard sighed and said: "Deshu  The husband came back from Wu Commandery and brought bad news. Cao Jun occupied Piling County and refused to withdraw north across the Yangtze River. Yu Jin said it was the order of Wei Gong to prevent being intercepted by the Han army on the Yangtze River, so Wu Hou ordered  "I'm furious." Zhang Zhao nodded. He knew that the reason why Sun Quan was angry was not that Cao Jun refused to leave, but that the Han army also had an excuse to stay in Wu County. Zhang Zhao couldn't help but sigh, Cao Cao is old and cunning, and Jiangdong Army has no warships.  Naturally, they will not give up Jiangdong easily. It is normal for Cao Jun to refuse to leave.  Liu Jing also knew that Cao Jun was unwilling to leave, so he used Cao Jun's withdrawal as a condition. Even if Cao Jun wanted to withdraw, the Han warships on the Yangtze River would intercept him. After all, Liu Jing did not want to give up the interests of Jiangdong. Both sides were playing tricks.  Wu Hou was manipulated by the two of them. This was the gap!  Zhang Zhao did not want to comfort Sun Quan. It was useless for anyone to persuade him. He could only wait for Sun Quan to calm down and finally accept the reality, and then Jiangdong would calm down.  Zhang Zhao shook his head, turned and left. It was already noon. Zhang Zhao got on the carriage and returned to his home. This was also a habit he had developed over the years. He had to go home for lunch and take a short lunch break. After all, he was old and physically weak.  Not as good as before.  After lunch, Zhang Zhao sat in the study and closed his eyes to rest. At this time, rapid footsteps came from outside the room. They stopped again at the door, looking very hesitant. Zhang Zhao heard that these were the footsteps of his eldest son. He knew that he was going to  Taking a rest and coming to the study room must be something important.  "Come in!" Zhang Zhao sat up and ordered.  The door opened, and the eldest son Zhang Cheng slowly walked in. He knelt down on one knee and saluted, "The child disturbed his father's rest." Zhang Cheng was originally a civil servant and served as the prime minister of Lujiang County. After Lujiang County was given to the Han Dynasty, Zhang Cheng transferred to  The army was named General Fenwei and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Danyang. Zhou Tai, the Commander-in-Chief of Danyang, was Sun Quan's confidant and held 10,000 troops. Zhang Cheng, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, was just a name.  Zhang Cheng is a forthright person and is easy to make friends. Because his father is in power, he has many friends around him, most of whom are children of high-ranking officials. This group of people hang out together every day, thus gradually forming a sub-officialdom in Jianye.  They are not playboys. Everyone has ambitions and opinions. They discuss state affairs, put forward their own opinions, worry about the future of Jiangdong, and even use their connections to influence various decisions. They are a political force that cannot be ignored.  Zhang Zhao nodded and said, "What's the urgent matter, my son?" "My son got the news that Kan Ze, the governor of Wu County, surrendered to the Han Dynasty and has now gone to Kuaiji." "What!" Zhang Zhao was surprised and asked urgently.  He asked: "When did this happen?" "It has happened for a while. I heard that Lu Meng concealed it, and Kan Ze's family members are also missing. They were probably sent to Kuaiji by Han army scouts." Zhang Zhao was really convinced.  Surprisingly, Kanze's surrender to the Han army was a big deal. He made a very bad start, and it was likely to trigger a wave of Jiangdong officials abandoning their posts or surrendering.  Zhang Zhao's thoughts suddenly changed. Lu Meng would not hide it from Wu Hou, so he must have secretly reported it to Wu Hou. It was Wu Hou who concealed the news, and even concealed it from himself. It seemed that Wu Hou was also worried about him.  "Then how did you know the news?" "Father, this news has spread around Jianye. It can be said that everyone knows it. The child just went to Kan Ze's house and found out that his wife and children have been missing for three days. This  "The news must be true." Zhang Zhao sighed. Needless to say, this news was released by Han army scouts. In order to disrupt Jiangdong officialdom and the army, Liu Jing openly reconciled but secretly resorted to violence. This person's methods are really vicious!  At this time, Zhang Cheng bit his lips and said hesitantly: "Father, my son also feels that the situation in Jiangdong is over. He has become a trapped beast and will be destroyed by the Han army sooner or later." "Don't talk nonsense!" Zhang Zhao interrupted his son unhappily.  At the beginning of his words, he knew what his son wanted to say, and said coldly: "The Battle of Hefei has not yet begun, and it is still unclear who will win. Once Cao Cao defeats Liu Jing, Jiangdong will completely turn over. Cao Cao will definitely support a powerful Jiangdong.  Forming a three-legged force, we will even seize Jingzhou and Jiaozhou and occupy most of the south, so don't think nonsense now, let alone talk nonsense outside. "" I understand," Zhang Cheng said in a low voice.  "Father, can you tell me, who between Cao Cao and Liu Jing can win the Battle of Hefei?" Zhang Zhao also understood his son's mood. He pondered for a moment and said: "Frankly speaking, Liu Jing has the upper hand, but it doesn't matter how powerful the Han army is.  , Han army and Cao army foughtTheir military power is between the two, but the national power of Han is stronger than that of Wei. Han has a large population, a lot of grain and pig iron, and it also obtained a lot of wealth from the Xiongnu.  The Wei State is relatively poor in financial resources, the population of the Central Plains has dropped sharply, the people of Hebei are unstable, and only half of the states are available, but I think these are not problems. The key is that the gentry in the Central Plains do not support Cao Wei. This is a fatal problem. If Cao Cao cannot handle it well.  , I'm afraid he won't last until the end of this battle, but it's hard to say. With Cao Cao's cunningness, once Liu Jing makes a slight mistake in his decision-making, he will be overturned by Cao Cao. Xu Huang's defeat of Zhao Yan is a typical example, so I can't say now.  Who wins and who loses can only watch.  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 950 Cao Jun retreats eastward

    To the south of Lu'an County are endless hills and mountains, dotted with endless forests. Between the mountains, there are countless passages through the mountains, including flat official roads, but also inaccessible trails.  This morning, in a forested hill, a group of about thirty cavalrymen were galloping northward. This was a fairly flat abandoned official road. Originally, pedestrians and merchants came and went frequently, but due to the outbreak of war,  , there are very few passers-by on this official road.  This cavalry team is a scout of the Han army. The leader of the scout is Deng Ai, the tooth general of the Han army. Deng Ai joined Pound's cavalry. He was originally a military prince, but he made a meritorious service in Lingzhou by shooting Qiang King Ah Xu and was promoted to tooth general.  General, this time he volunteered to lead a scout team to Lu'an to investigate the situation.  They had stayed in Lu'an for three days and found some important clues. For example, the number of Cao's army patrols was greatly reduced, and there were only 2,000 troops left in Lu'an County. These were signs that Cao's army had given up on Lu'an and retreated eastward, but Deng  Ai did not dare to be careless, because this might be Xu Huang's trick to lure troops, so he still led his scouts to Cao Cao's barracks to investigate.  Cao's army was mainly deployed in Lu'an County, but some troops were also deployed outside the city. Among them, there was a garrison of about 300 people at Bo'an Fort on the west bank of Lu'an River, guarding the choke point from Anlu County in the west to Lu'an County.  Dao, and Lu'an County is the west gate of the Chaofei area, so no matter how Cao Jun uses his tactics, Cao Jun will never give up Bo'an Fort easily.  If Cao Jun evacuated Bo'an Fort, it would mean that Cao Jun was giving up Lu'an City. Deng Ai learned about the importance of Bo'an Fort before leaving, so he decided to go to Bo'an Fort to check on Cao Jun's movements.  At noon, the scout cavalry team arrived at Lu'an River. Lu'an River is a large river that leads to Shapi Lake in the north. However, it originates from the Dabie Mountains in the south. The areas it flows through are all barren mountains and ridges. The shipping value of the upper reaches is  It's not big. It wasn't until the lower reaches of Lu'an City that a large number of civilian ships appeared, heading to Shouchun through Shapi Lake.  The cavalry found a wooden bridge, crossed the bridge and ran to the west. After running for several miles, the cavalry team approached Bo'an Town, a commercial town that grew up due to a traffic artery. There were about sixty or seventy households in the town.  A main street is lined with hotels, taverns and brothels on both sides, doing business for merchants and pedestrians coming and going from north to south.  About two places northwest of the town, the tall and sturdy Bo'an Fort stands majestically. Bo'an Fort is located on a mountain rock. From a high position, it overlooks the official road to the west below. Looking from outside the town, Bo'an Fort  Everything was normal. The banner of Cao's army was erected at the top of the city, and there were faint sentries patrolling back and forth. However, Deng Ai did not believe this appearance. He had to go into the castle and take a look.  Half an hour later, Deng Ai disguised himself as a young fisherman, and together with another soldier, walked quickly towards Bo'an Fort carrying two loads of fresh fish bought from the fisherman.  Passing through the town, the town was deserted. Affected by the war, most of the shops were closed. There was only one hotel that was barely open, but there were few customers. A yellow dog slept sleepily at the gate.  Deng Ai walked out of the town and came directly to the military fortress. According to normal experience, when they were still dozens of steps away from the castle, the soldiers above should have shouted at them to stop them, but today no one stopped them. Deng Ai and his men  Looking at each other, his men raised their heads and shouted: "Is there anyone in the city?" Deng Ai spoke with a Nanyang accent, so it was difficult for him to speak, but his men were locals and spoke with a pure Liu'an accent. After shouting for a long time, a soldier reached out.  He raised his head and asked lazily: "What's the matter?" "My brother Li Erlang, give him some fish!" Nicknames like Li Erlang and Zhang Sangou are very common in this area, and the Cao Jun soldiers who came to the door were stunned for a long time.  , shook his head and said: "Your brother is not in the castle, he has been transferred elsewhere." Deng Ai was secretly happy, and winked at his men, who shouted again: "It's hot, these fish can't be kept for a long time, so give them to your elder brothers.  !¡± The soldier laughed, ¡°Thank you. Leave the fish at the door and we¡¯ll get it later.¡± Obviously, he didn¡¯t want them to see what was going on inside the castle. Deng Ai and his men put down their fish load and retreated.  They walked into a dense forest, quickly climbed up a big tree, and carefully checked what was going on in the castle a hundred steps away.  After a while, the castle gate opened, and two soldiers came out and moved the fish basket inside. The moment they opened and closed the door, Deng Ai could clearly see the inside of the small castle. There was no fish in the castle.  A soldier.  It was the afternoon, and there were no soldiers training on the castle. There were no soldiers standing guard or training in the castle. So where were the soldiers?  Are you all hiding in your room to rest?  Of course, there is this possibility, but this possibility is too small. This is Xu Huang's subordinates. He will never allow such lazy soldiers to exist. If this possibility is eliminated, the only possibility is that the soldiers are transferred.  Only a few soldiers were left to guard the castle. Deng Ai secretly thought that they needed to enter the castle to investigate.The truth is.  At night, Boan Town is even more deserted. Even the last hotel is closed. There is only a dilapidated lantern with dim light, swaying in the night wind.  Deng Ai left two people to look after the horses. He led the remaining twenty-seven soldiers through the town and quickly rushed to the castle. The scout soldiers were well-equipped, not only with the best weapons, but also with many equipment that ordinary soldiers did not have.  Such as the uptown grappling hook.  Several three-claw hook locks were thrown onto the West City. They observed for a long time in the afternoon. For a full hour, there was not a single patrol soldier on the West City. At night, the West City was even darker.  Several scouts were well-trained, and they grabbed the long ropes and climbed to the top of the city. After a while, Deng Ai was the first to climb to the top of the city. He carefully looked to both sides to confirm that there were no patrol soldiers. He waved his hand and several  The soldiers jumped up to the top of the city. They had already made arrangements. Several soldiers ran towards the city and disappeared into the darkness.  A quarter of an hour later, several soldiers ran back and reported excitedly: "General, the city is empty and no soldiers have been found." Deng Ai was overjoyed and whistled downwards, and the other twenty people also followed the long rope.  After climbing up the city wall, Deng Ai led his soldiers to run along the top of the city. They made a full circle, but there was not a single sentry on the top of the city.  Everyone went down to the city again, and the castle, which was more than ten acres in size, was empty. There was only a row of stone houses under the north city, which were the soldiers' campsites. The Han army scouts kicked open the door and rushed in. In a moment, they grabbed two people from the room.  One of the soldiers, one of whom Deng Ai knew, was the soldier of Cao's army who answered the question at the top of the city at noon.  "Spare your life! Spare your life!" Two Cao soldiers knelt down and shouted. Deng Ai quickly pulled out his knife, held it against a soldier's throat, and said coldly: "Where have the other soldiers gone? Dare you tell a lie?  Let you die immediately." "You dare not!" The soldier said with a sad face: "The rest of the brothers have been transferred, and only the two of us are left to guard the city. We must put up the big flag, beat the drums on time during the day, and patrol the city.  , before leaving, the Marquis asked us, saying that it was the regulations from above. "Where have they been transferred?" "I don't know," another soldier said in panic: "Before leaving, the Marquis once complained that he was in Bo.  Anbao was free and easy, but when they went to Shouchun City, they became like little soldiers and crab generals. We all guessed that they might have gone to Shouchun City. "In fact, it doesn't matter where Cao Jun went to defend the fort. The key is that Cao Jun gave up this crucial strategic fortress.  , so that there is no danger to the west of Lu'an City, and the Han army can rely on this castle as a strategic logistics base, making it much easier to conquer Lu'an City.  Once there is no Lu'an City, the west gate of Chaofei will also be opened. This is an interlocking problem, so Bo'an Castle becomes an empty city. There is only one explanation. Cao Jun has abandoned Lu'an County.  Deng Ai also had a certain strategic mind. He knew that the Han army could march north without the restraint of Jiangdong Army. To the south of Hefei was Chaohu, and Cao Jun could not prevent the Han army from approaching the city. In this case, the west of Lu'an  The gate became meaningless, and it was reasonable for Cao Jun to abandon Lu'an and withdraw to Hefei.  Thinking of this, Deng Ai immediately ordered a commander: "Immediately go to Wan County and report to General Pang that Cao Jun has abandoned Lu'an and withdrawn to Hefei!" Three days later, Pang De's 7,000 cavalry arrived in Lu'an County first.  Huang Zhong's army escorted the grain and baggage and slowly came towards Lu'an. Before the Han cavalry could kill them, the two thousand Cao soldiers guarding Lu'an County also gave up the county and retreated eastward. The Han army occupied Lu'an County without any bloodshed, and then passed through.  A few days later, Huang Zhong led the army to Lu'an, and the Han army immediately attacked eastward, cutting off the land and water passage between Hefei and Shouchun.  At the entrance to Shishui in the northernmost part of Chao Lake, the Han army has built a huge water stronghold here. The water stronghold covers an area of ??several thousand acres and houses more than 700 warships of the Han army. A board-walled camp was built on the shore.  , the circumference of the camp is nearly thirty miles, enough to accommodate 100,000 people.  The water village and the camp were integrated into one, and became the logistics center for the Han army to attack Hefei. There were hundreds of huge tents in the camp as warehouses, where countless grains, grass, and military supplies were piled. To the east of the camp,  Tens of thousands of Han troops are building a small city with a circumference of eight miles. It is completely modeled after the city of Hefei, except that the circumference is reduced several times. The city is three to five feet high and surrounded by a moat that is a hundred feet wide.  Ten thousand Han troops pretended to be Cao's troops to guard the city, and another 80,000 Han troops would take turns to attack the city day and night for actual siege training. This was also the experience of the Han army's northern expedition to Qishan Road. Actual sieges were simulated in Wudu County.  It was the experience brought by this kind of actual siege training that enabled the Han army to finally conquer castles one after another and successfully occupy Guanlong. This time the Han army will also copy the experience of Wudu County to Hefei.  Liu Jing immediately looked at the "Little Hefei City" built not far away on a hill. He smiled and asked Fa Zhengdao: "Does Xiaozhi think this small city is really the same as Hefei City?" Fa ZhengdaoAs the full planner of this simulated town, he quickly bowed and said: "Reporting to Your Highness, Wei Chen sent more than a dozen craftsmen to participate in the construction of Hefei City half a year ago. He knows the structure of Hefei City well.  The small city is exactly the same as Hefei City in terms of height, thickness, and moat." Liu Jing nodded, pointed his horse whip into the distance, and asked, "How far is it from Hefei City?" "His Royal Highness, it's about twenty.  "About five miles." "It's only twenty-five miles. It's easy for Cao Jun's scouts to come over! Then Zhang Liao must also know about our construction of Little Hefei City. Has the military advisor thought about it?"  However, the large structure of Hefei City has been completed and cannot be moved anymore. It can only be improved in some details, such as building semicircular battlements to make it difficult for the siege hooks to fasten the city wall, and strengthening the number of iron gates and gates at the water gate.  The thickness makes it difficult for us to break through with a battering ram, and there is kerosene. Using kerosene to deal with us will be a great weapon for Cao Jun." Fazheng pointed to the moat: "The biggest advantage of Hefei is the moat.  The moat is too wide, so we have to build pontoons or use siege ships, but Cao Jun's kerosene is a big threat. "Liu Jing also has rich experience in sieges. He learned about Hefei's wide moat many years ago.  Having an idea, Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "I remember Sun Quan once said to me that the first step in attacking Hefei City is to divert the water from the moat. Since he said this, there must be a basis for it. Can the military advisor think of a way to try it?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 951 Water Diversion Project

    Cao Cao's army was divided into two groups, one guarding Shouchun and the other guarding Hefei. Shouchun's army was less than 20,000, and it was commanded by General Xu Huang. Cao Cao was personally in charge of Shouchun, while Hefei was the main battlefield. There were 50,000 Cao's troops in the city, led by General Zhang Liao.  commander in chief.  At the same time, Cao Cao mobilized 70,000 troops from Xuzhou and Yedu to go south. The reinforcements had not yet arrived at Hefei, but at this time, the water and land channels between Hefei and Shouchun were cut off by the Han army.  In fact, this was not caused by Xu Huang's hasty withdrawal from Lu'an. The root cause still lies with Jiangdong's army. Without Jiangdong's army to contain it from the southeast, the Han army no longer had to worry about its future. The navy marched northward in large numbers and approached the city of Hefei. In this case  , if Xu Huang's army is not withdrawn, Xu Huang's army will be surrounded and annihilated by the Han army.  But the withdrawal of Xu Huang's army did cause Cao's army to be passive. Before Cao's reinforcements arrived, the Han army cut off the passage between Shouchun and Hefei. Even if Cao's reinforcements arrived, they would not be able to support the city of Hefei.  Ultimately, it was the Jiangdong Army's poor cooperation that disrupted Cao Cao's deployment plan. This made Cao Cao extremely worried about whether Hefei City, with only 50,000 defenders, could withstand the Han army's fierce attack on the city.  The withdrawal of Jiangdong Army from the Battle of Hefei dealt a heavy blow to Cao Cao. He was anxious about the safety of Hefei, which made Cao Cao mentally exhausted. Coupled with his advanced age, he eventually fell ill.  The Shouchun Prayer Palace was part of the pseudo-imperial palace built by Yuan Shu. The pseudo-imperial palace has been demolished, leaving only this palace covering an area of ??only ten acres. It is now the temporary residence of Cao Cao.  Cheng Yu hurriedly walked into the gate and met Xu Chu, the commander of Cao Cao's guards. Cheng Yu quickly pulled Xu Chu aside and asked in a low voice: "How is the situation with Duke Wei?" Xu Chu sighed and said worriedly: "The situation is very serious.  No, Wei Gong coughed continuously last night and even coughed up blood. He fainted for a time. This is his condition at the beginning of last year and it has recurred again. Military advisor, I am really worried." Cheng Yu nodded silently and sighed.  He said: "It seems that I must persuade Duke Wei to return to Yedu as soon as possible." He turned around and walked quickly to the inner house, but Xu Chu did not have the confidence. How difficult would it be to persuade Duke Wei to leave Shouchun and return to Yedu?  In the ward, Cao Cao had woken up from his slumber. He was struck by illness. His face was dark and his spirit was listless, giving people a feeling of being in his twilight years. Two maids were carefully serving him to drink medicine. Cao Cao shook his head tiredly.  Pushing away the soup bowl, at this time, a guard outside the door reported, "For Duke Wei, Military Advisor Cheng would like to see you!" Cao Cao nodded, "Please come in!" The door opened, Cheng Yu walked into the ward, and stepped forward to bow.  He bowed and said, "I have disturbed Duke Wei from his rest." "It doesn't matter, I just woke up and am in good spirits." Cao Cao smiled slightly, "Commander, please sit down!" Cheng Yu sat down next to Cao Cao, and he looked at Cao Cao's complexion.  , feeling very dark and without any sparkle in his eyes, he became more and more worried. Cao Cao understood his worry and said with a smile: "I was like this last year, even worse than this. After several months of rest, I gradually recovered. I am now  Can't you speak? You know I couldn't speak last year, so don't worry." Cao Cao spoke for a long time. He was really tired. He took a few heavy breaths and closed his mouth again.  Eyes, at this time the two maids also retreated knowingly, leaving only Cheng Yu and Cao Cao in the room.  "Wei Gong, it is regrettable that Jiangdong Army failed to participate in the war, but if they really participate, they will become the weakest link in our entire front. Liu Jing will cripple Jiangdong Army at the critical moment, and then we may be defeated.  Suffering unpredictable losses, so" Before Cheng Yu could finish speaking, Cao Cao had a strange smile on his lips. He waved his hand gently, "Zhongde, I'm not that serious. You don't need to comfort me. I know it very well.  "Cao Cao sighed softly, "Of course I know that Sun Quan is weak, but compared to the importance of Jiangdong Navy, his weakness is not important." Cheng Yu also fell silent, and said for a moment: "Wei Gong should return to Ye.  County! It's more important to protect your health." "If I can't hold on, I will go back, but not now, Zhongde. How can I go back with peace of mind now that we are so passive?" After a moment of silence, Cheng Yu said slowly: "Wei.  Duke should trust Wen Yuan and believe that he will defend Hefei." Cao Cao nodded, "If I didn't trust him, I wouldn't let him command Hefei." As soon as he finished speaking, the guard reported at the door: "I'm reporting to Duke Wei, Hefei.  There is a pigeon letter sent!" Cao Cao perked up and said quickly: "Bring it in!" A guard came in, holding a copy of the pigeon letter in his hand. Cheng Yu stood up and took the pigeon letter and asked the guard to retreat.  Next, he read the letter and said to Cao Cao: "Wei Gong, it's about the small Hefei city." A few days ago, Cao JunAt that time, it was discovered that the Han army was building a reduced Hefei city on the north bank of Chaohu Lake, and was preparing to use it to train soldiers to attack the city. Cao Jun sent a pigeon message to the city, asking Zhang Liao to actively respond. Now is Zhang Liao's reply.  "What did he say?" Cao Cao asked.  "Wen Yuan said that the city is just a defensive weapon, and soldiers are the key to victory or defeat. The Han army can imitate the city, but they cannot imitate Cao's army. The Han army builds cities, so don't take it too seriously." Cao Cao nodded and sighed: "Wen Yuan  As expected, he has the style of a famous general!" As time went by in early August, 70,000 Han reinforcements arrived in Hefei, bringing the total strength of the Han army to 150,000, and Cao's reinforcements from Xuzhou also numbered 50,000.  The passage was cut off by the Han army and they were unable to support Hefei. They could only be stationed in Shouchun, which brought Shouchun's troops to 70,000, while Hefei's troops were 50,000. Judging from the total strength comparison, Cao's army was weaker than the Han army.  At this time, the Han army's camp had moved north to a highland about five miles west of Hefei City, facing Hefei City in the distance. Liu Jing looked at Hefei City in the distance, turned around and asked Fa Zhengdao: "Are you ready?  "Your Majesty, the preparations are complete and can be taken at any time." Liu Jing nodded, "Then we will take action at two o'clock tonight!" For the Han army, the first obstacle to attacking Hefei City is undoubtedly the hundred-foot-wide moat.  This is also the biggest difference between Hefei City and other cities.  For the moat, the general solution is to erect wooden boards or fill the moat, but this is not applicable to the moat of Hefei City. Such a wide moat should have a pontoon bridge, but Cao Jun has sharp kerosene, whether it is a pontoon bridge or a battle  Boats will be burned by the kerosene dropped from the city.  In desperation, the Han army could only use the most laborious but also the most effective method to divert the water from the moat. After more than a month of hard work, this project has gradually entered the final stage.  The Hefei moat is actually part of the water supply. The water flows from Shaopi Lake in the north, flows into the moat, and then flows into Ruxu water from the moat, and finally flows into Chao Lake. Since the terrain of Hefei is high in the north and low in the south, this gives  The Han army diverted the water from the moat.  At night, thousands of Han soldiers were busy on both sides of Shishui in the north of Hefei City. Shishui is the canal connecting Hefei and Shouchun. Originally, the river was narrow and just a small river. Starting from the middle of last year, Zhang Liao invested three  Wan Minfu widened and dug the river channel so that the canal could handle a maximum of three thousand stone cargo ships.  To the east of Shishui is a low-lying area. It was originally a lake and swamp, which was integrated with Shaopi Lake. Later, Shaopi Lake gradually shrank and the swamp gradually dried up. After hundreds of years of transformation by local people, this area covers an area of ??tens of thousands of acres.  Dry swampy depressions gradually turned into fertile farmland.  Before Cao Jun widened the canal, Shishui did not pose much of a threat to this area of ??food. Instead, it was a valuable source of irrigation water. However, since Shishui was transformed into a canal, the bed of the river has increased, and Shishui has become a suspended river above the ground, which has adversely affected the original terrain.  The relatively low-lying farmland poses a huge threat.  Maybe it¡¯s impossible now, but in a few decades, the canal will be in disrepair. Once it breaks, it will cause devastating disasters to the fertile farmland in the low-lying areas. The key to the Han army diverting the water from the moat is this canal.  After nearly a month of hard work, 20,000 Han troops have built a barrage on Shishui, ten miles north of Hefei, and put soil and gravel into the river with cloth bags. Tonight, with the last tens of thousands of bags of soil and gravel  Throwing it into the river eventually cut off the water supply.  The moat also lost its source of supplementary water. Due to the high terrain in the north, all the water in the moat would eventually flow into Chao Lake. However, the water level in the moat surged and the water level rose rapidly. It began to overflow the river embankment and flow to the depression to the east.  At this time, hundreds of Han soldiers tore open thousands of bags of soil blocking the embankment. A breach about ten feet wide quickly appeared on the embankment. The raging river water rushed out of the breach, and white waves roared into the sky.  Rushing towards the large fertile fields in the low-lying areas.  More than ten miles to the east, at the other end of the low-lying land, there is a small river called Feizhi River. The locals call it Feizi River. It flows into the Baixia River dozens of miles away and finally flows into the Yangtze River.  However, the army dug an artificial river and connected the Feizi River to Chao Lake. In this way, the flood from the canal formed a new lake after submerging tens of thousands of fertile fields. The water then flowed into the Feizi River, and finally flowed from the Feizi River into Chao Lake.  In this way, the water flow was diverted and no longer flowed through the Hefei moat.  As Shi Shui was intercepted, the water level in the river south of the barrage began to drop rapidly. Thousands of Han soldiers standing on the west bank pushed mountains of soil and boulders into the river, widening the barrage to half a mile. In this way, the south sewer line of Shi Shui was  It was completely blocked. Early the next morning, Zhang Liao got the news and hurried to the east city. The scene in front of him shocked him. He saw only ten people in the distance.A new lake appeared outside, a vast expanse of white, tens of thousands of acres in size.  However, the water level of the moat under the city is rapidly decreasing. The river bed has been exposed in the Beicheng area, and Xiaoyaojin has turned into dry land. Densely packed Han soldiers are rushing to carry earth, filling it into the pulpy silt and tamping it. Only the entire moat remains.  A section of Lower South City is only a few feet deep, and the moat will be completely drained within two days at the latest.  Zhang Liao couldn't help but let out a long sigh. The Han army was indeed very generous and diverted the water from the moat by transforming rivers and lakes. Zhang Liao was not lamenting the talents in the Han army, but lamenting Liu Jing's will to attack Hefei.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 952 Attacking Hefei

    At the same time that Zhang Liao was observing the condition of the moat under the city, Han Wang Liu Jing, accompanied by hundreds of guards and generals, was inspecting the month-long water diversion project on a hill.  Fazheng was also extremely proud of his water diversion project. Not only did he successfully use the terrain to divert the water from the moat, but he also intercepted the investigation of Cao Jun's scouts, so that Shouchun Cao Jun never discovered the Han army's attempt.  He pointed to the newly formed new lake in the distance and said to Liu Jing: "That area was a lake and swamp during the time of Emperor Guangwu. Later, the water source was cut off and it gradually dried up. Now Wei Chen has restored it to a lake. It is estimated that it will be a lake in a few months."  Eventually, a new lake with a radius of thousands of hectares was formed. "Liu Jing said, "Will the new lake be connected to Xiaoyaojin, thus replenishing the water source of the moat?" "Impossible, Xiaoyaojin is harmonious."  The terrain of Hefei City is relatively high, and the lake water will only flow to the lower-lying Chaohu Lake, not Xiaoyaojin." Liu Jing nodded and smiled at everyone: "Hefei City was built at a high place.  To prevent the water from Chao Lake from flooding the city, it has now become a passive situation in which the water from the moat is being diverted away. I guess Zhang Liao did not expect this when he built the canal last year. "Gan Ning also smiled and said: "Your Highness is right, this is what you get.  Unfortunately, I actually hope that the city of Hefei will be built in a low-lying area, so that I can take a boat to enter the city." Everyone laughed. Liu Jing saw that everyone's morale was high, and everyone was gearing up to attack the city.  , although he knew that Cao Jun also had powerful bee crossbows, but no matter what, he had to attack the city and find out the strength of Cao Jun defending the city.  Thinking of this, Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Everyone, please be prepared to attack the city in three days!" Everyone's morale was high and they all agreed. Everyone was full of confidence in capturing Hefei. Three days later, the water in the Hefei moat had flowed.  By the end of the day, the riverbeds of the moats of Beicheng and Xicheng had gradually become dry and hard, and it was possible to run in the riverbed. At this time, 40,000 Han troops had gathered outside Xicheng and Beicheng, with bright armor, forests of swords and spears, and a dense black army.  Formed into three huge phalanxes, large siege weapons such as ladders, nest carts, and battering rams can be seen in the army. The huge nest cart stands like a giant.  Zhang Liao galloped on horseback on top of the city and shouted: "Check the trebuchets, check the crossbows, and prepare to fight the enemy!" He had already felt the murderous intent of the Han army, and he knew that the Han army's first large-scale siege was about to come.  , Zhang Liao rushed to the north city. Tens of thousands of defenders were busy preparing. They moved barrels of kerosene to the top of the city and placed them close to the inner female wall. The iron quivers used for the bee crossbows were also neatly stacked. Dozens of huge  The trebuchets creaked open, and Cao Cao's 30,000 troops were already waiting on the four walls.  Liu Jing immediately stood on a high ground several miles away to the north, watching the Han army's upcoming attack on Hefei City. At this time, a flag officer came forward to report: "Your Highness, it's three quarters to noon!"  Three quarters past noon is the time for killing people, and it is also the revelation of siege warfare. Liu Jing waved his sword and shouted sternly: "Attack!" "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The huge war drum finally sounded, and the low horn sound resounded throughout the earth.  General Wei Yan of the Han army led 20,000 Han troops to fight from the west city. They rushed toward the dry moat like a tide. Holding shields in hand, they pushed hundreds of ladders several feet high. They fought bravely one by one, shouting and killing each other.  Tens of thousands of Han soldiers ran forward bravely amidst the fierce sound of war drums. Behind them were more than a thousand law enforcement soldiers. The 20,000 troops were filled with murderous intent and headed towards the city to cover up the killing.  Liu Gai then sent General Wang Ping with an army of 20,000 to attack Beicheng. Xicheng and Beicheng combined to form an army of 40,000 to besiege Hefei City. Hundreds of siege ladders, nest carts, and trebuchets were mixed in with the army. The 40,000-strong army was as densely packed as  Ant colonies, vast and vast, covered the wilderness outside Hefei.  The moat no longer has a defensive role. The river bed is not deep, less than a foot. Han soldiers put up thousands of wooden planks so that soldiers and large siege weapons can go up and down the river bed smoothly.  The battle line advanced rapidly, and the forward was only 300 steps away from the city. At this time, Cao's army on the top of the city began to counterattack. Hundreds of huge rocks roared from the sky, rolling in the crowd of Han soldiers, blood and flesh flying everywhere, and screams resounded throughout the river bed.  ¡®Boom!  'A nest car was hit by a huge boulder. The nest car blossomed in the air, giant trees flew around, and corpses flew into the air. The nest car fell apart. Another huge siege ladder was hit. The ladder was broken and the huge body of the ladder fell.  He collapsed, lying on the ground unable to move anymore.  One after another, huge rocks smashed into the crowd, and screams continued to be heard. The huge fear caused the morale of the Han army to decline. Some inexperienced Han soldiers turned around and tried to run away. Wei Yan was already prepared, and thousands of law enforcement soldiers held swords in front of them.  The formation was suppressed from behind, and hundreds of Han soldiers who escaped from the attacking formation were chopped to the ground.  Wei Yan brandished his sword and shouted: "Sheng?Youtian, attack the city for me!  ¡± Countless Han soldiers were inspired by the murderous intent on the battlefield and charged forward with shouts. As the Han troops in Xicheng advanced to the city, a bow and arrow battle broke out between the two sides. Five thousand Cao soldiers were hiding on both sides of the crenellations of the main wall and the horse wall.  Shoot arrows downward. There are archery openings on the walls of Hefei, and you can use the battlements as cover. The Han army under the city shoots arrows upward at an angle of elevation. The Han army has the advantage due to its dense population. The arrows from both sides are like dense rain, weaving into a black arrow in the sky.  Net, the Han army suffered heavy casualties, and the casualties of Cao's soldiers also increased. Some people were hit by arrows and fell into the city screaming.  A large trench with a width of two feet and five feet was of no use to the Han army. They put up wooden planks three feet long, making the moat useless for defense. Dozens of large siege ladders were built on the top of the city, and the soldiers were densely packed.  Climbing up like ants, the shouts of killing shook the sky, and the fire oil poured down from the top of the city. Then the rockets shot down, and the flames suddenly rose into the sky. Countless Han soldiers instantly became burning people, and they jumped down from the ladders screaming.  Go. There were blazing flames and thick smoke everywhere outside the west city, but the fire still could not defeat the Han army's will to attack the city. The soldiers still climbed to the city head regardless of life and death, and fought with Cao's army outside the north city.  It was equally fierce. More than a dozen nest carts rumbled in. The Han army's nest carts were temporarily made by hundreds of craftsmen. They were slightly bulkier and slower than the original army's nest carts. Each nest cart required several  Ten oxen drag the nest cart, which is four feet high and level with the city wall. When the nest cart reaches the city wall, the city board will be lowered, so that the soldiers on the nest cart can rush directly to the city head step by step.  Attacking the city wall, they were loaded with 120 Han soldiers, each holding a spear and a shield, followed by more than 200 people, shooting arrows upward together. The chariot slowly approached the city wall, less than 50 meters away from the city wall.  After taking a step, Zhang Liao stared at the chariot approaching, turned around and shouted: "Stone cannon, prepare!"  " Cao Jun's ten stone cannons began to exert their power. The stone cannon was actually a super-large bed crossbow. The stone cannon body was one foot long and the bow arm was ten and a half feet long. The bow string was made of beef tendon or hemp rope and placed on a special  On the built fort, ten soldiers were manned, and the stone cannon fired a polished stone bullet, which weighed about fifty or sixty kilograms and had a range of up to seventy steps. Special soldiers were responsible for ranging and aiming.  Mainly used to deal with Chao Che "Here we come!"  coming!  "The soldiers pointed at the slowly approaching nest car and shouted. Eight soldiers pushed the long winch rod, and the huge bow string was pulled apart creakingly. It was buckled on the string hook. One soldier pulled a stone  The bullets were fed into the shooting trough. At this time, Zhang Liao himself lay on the crossbow, stared at Wangshan, and shouted: "Turn eastward for half a moment!"  " There are scales painted on the ground behind the stone cannon. The soldiers lifted the stone cannon and moved it eastward for half a moment. "Okay!  Zhang Liao shouted, jumped down from the stone cannon, stared at the chariot for a moment, and shouted: "Fire!"  " The two soldiers suddenly pulled out the string hooks, and heard a *click!* loud noise, and a stone bullet flew out from the shooting trough, roaring towards the nest car fifty steps away. *Boom!*  There was a loud noise, and the Han army's chariot was hit by a stone bullet, and a pillar and beam broke. The chariot shook violently, but it did not fall apart and continued to move forward. "Come again!"  " Zhang Liao shouted, and the ten soldiers wound up and fed ammunition again, without adjusting the direction. Another stone bullet was shot out powerfully, hitting the nest car again, and was hit twice in a row. A belt was tied to the main beam of the nest car.  Finally broke, the chariot tilted and collapsed instantly, and a hundred soldiers screamed and fell down. The soldiers of Cao's army at the top of the city suddenly cheered, but Zhang Liao's face was solemn. The intensity of the Han army's attack greatly exceeded his expectations. Although the Han army's  The Chao chariots were defeated one by one by Cao's army's stone cannons and did not exert their power. However, the Han army's siege still posed a huge threat to Hefei City. At this time, a tooth general rushed to Zhang Liao's side and said loudly.  : ¡°General, use the bee crossbow!  The enemy's attack was too fierce.  " Zhang Liao bit his lip and remained silent. The arrows of the bee crossbow were too expensive. They were only equipped with a thousand quivers and 30,000 iron crossbow arrows. Once they were used up, they had no replenishment. Although the Han army attacked like a wave,  , but his intuition told Zhang Liao that it was not the time to use the bee crossbow yet, so he gritted his teeth and ordered: "No one is allowed to use the bee crossbow without my order.  ¡± On the top of the city, Cao¡¯s army fired arrows like a torrential rain, densely shooting at the Han soldiers. Although they were blocked by shields, a large number of Han soldiers were shot down. However, the Han army was too dense. Although they did not carry trebuchets, their arrows were ineffective.  The power of the siege ladder is not very strong, but the siege ladder is very sharp. Hundreds of siege ladders were set up on the top of the North City, and the iron hooks were hung on the wall stacks.The vanguard of the army began to climb up and attack. Boulders and wood fell like hailstones. Strings of Han soldiers were hit and fell to the ground screaming from the air. However, new soldiers continued to climb onto the city to attack.  The Han army had experienced a simulated siege for more than a month, and the tactics were well coordinated. Under the city, another 10,000 Han soldiers began to counterattack with arrows, covering the city. The arrows were dense like dark clouds, and they shot at the defenders on the city.  The defenders suffered heavy casualties. More than 2,000 people were shot by arrows. Cao's soldiers were pressed behind the city wall and could not raise their heads. They could only cover themselves with shields and shoot arrows from the shooting holes.  At this time, a dangerous situation appeared in the northern section of Xicheng. The first batch of Han troops rushed to the top of the city and began to fight fiercely with Cao's soldiers. More and more Han soldiers rushed to the top of the city. The situation in Xicheng was extremely critical.  Zhang Liao happened to lead a thousand soldiers to help. He roared and rushed into the enemy group with a big iron spear. He wielded a sixty-pound iron spear and struck left and right. The iron spear was like a storm. Zhang Liao was not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also powerful.  It was so incomparable that the Han soldiers were beaten with blood and flesh everywhere, and their brains were burst. The Han soldiers were frightened by his bravery and retreated one after another. A thousand Cao soldiers behind Zhang Liao swarmed up and killed the enemy bravely. Finally, hundreds of Han soldiers rushed to the city.  Kill them all.  Nearly two hours had passed. The siege was extremely fierce. Arrows were flying and corpses were piled up. Both sides invested heavily in troops. The dense arrows streaked across the sky and shot up to the top of the city. Han soldiers attacked the top of the city.  He was driven down again, and after several fierce battles, the city of Hefei still stood and was not broken by the Han army.  At this time, Liu Jing, who was watching the battle from a distance, saw that the Cao army was gradually gaining the upper hand and the Han army was at a disadvantage. Most of the siege ladders and chariots were lost. He couldn't help but sigh, "Send the order to withdraw!" 'Dang!  when!  when!  *The closing bell finally rang, and tens of thousands of Han troops retreated like a tide. In the first battle of the siege, Cao's army suffered nearly 3,000 casualties, but the Han army paid a heavy price with 5,000 killed.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 953 High Platform Attack and Defense

    At night, in the Han army's central tent, more than a dozen major generals and counselors gathered together. Several soldiers assembled a huge model of Hefei City and placed it on a wooden platform in the middle of the tent.  Liu Jing stared at the model for a moment and said to Wei Yan and Wang Ping: "Today, the two generals are attacking the city. I want to hear your feelings." Wei Yan believed that his qualifications and status were much higher than Wang Ping's, so he had to speak first.  He stepped forward, picked up the wooden pole, pointed at the city wall and said: "Today's attack on the city did not go smoothly. It can be seen that Cao's army was very well prepared. The soldiers defending the city cooperated with each other tacitly and were very organized." "Tell me more specifically, how can it be organized?"  Liu Jing asked.  Wei Yan thought for a while and said: "For example, Cao Jun's defense was very layered. When three hundred steps in, the trebuchets threw huge stones. Within a hundred steps, the trebuchets stopped, and they switched to bows and arrows to defend the city. Near the bottom of the city, they used rolling logs.  The stone fell, and when the siege was halfway through, kerosene immediately poured down on the head, while rockets were shot from the horse wall on the side. The soldiers and siege ladder were engulfed in flames. It was obvious that the opponent had an obvious defensive routine, which was clear and organized.  There is no confusion. I think this is the main reason why we did not capture the city." Liu Jing nodded and asked Wang Ping, "What do you think of General Wang?" Wang Ping bowed respectfully and said calmly:  "Baizhi basically agrees with General Wei. Cao's army is indeed well prepared and well-trained. The most obvious thing is that the northern section of Xicheng was once attacked by our soldiers, but Cao's reinforcements came very quickly, making us fall short of our success. Jishi  I believe that Cao Jun should have a general command point in order to detect the crisis in various city walls in time." Next to him, Fazheng smiled and said: "General Wang is right. In fact, this wooden city is not complete, and it still lacks two high-rise buildings.  Towers, in my memory, these two towers only appeared at the beginning of the year. They must have been specially built by Zhang Liao to command the defense of all parts of the city. This was a pioneering work and made Zhang Liao's defense like an iron barrel without any flaws. "  At this time, everyone's eyes were turned to Liu Jing, the king of Han. Everyone knew that the king of Han asked Wei Yan and Wang Ping to talk first, just to introduce some ideas and talk about the disadvantages, and then talk about countermeasures.  Liu Jing glanced at everyone, then pointed at the city with a wooden pole and said calmly: "Hefei City has a large number of defenders, at least 50,000 to 60,000 people, and they have sufficient food, grass and military supplies. According to the information I have received,  There are 40,000 barrels of kerosene alone, and Zhang Liao did not shoot the bee crossbow iron arrow today, which shows that he is confident. Cao Jun obviously wants to fight a protracted war with us. I am thinking whether we can turn the Battle of Hefei into a battle.  This battle brought down Wei's financial and material resources, and we also fought a protracted war with Cao's army, forcing Wei to always be in a state of war." "Everyone didn't understand what Liu Jing meant, how could we be in a state of war?  Pang Tong understood. He stroked his beard and smiled: "Your Highness means that not only Hefei will be attacked, but also other battlefields will be attacked, forcing Cao's army to respond comprehensively. You know, once the whole country enters a state of war, money and food consumption will be huge."  It will be doubled than usual, and a large number of civilians will have to be recruited. In fact, the two sides are competing for national strength. In the end, it will be seen who has better national strength. "Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "Master Pang is right, if I am not destroyed.  We dare not make such a heavy bet to destroy the Xiongnu and Wuhuan, but in the process of destroying the Xiongnu and Wuhuan, we captured a large number of livestock, furs, and even countless gold and jewelry. A few days ago, the new chanyu of the Xiongnu  They sent people to negotiate with us, hoping to exchange cattle and sheep for prisoners of war. The terms they offered were hard for me to refuse. Five million sheep were exchanged for 30,000 Huns prisoners of war and 100,000 women and children. If I had these five million sheep,  If you support me, I can use the war to completely bring down Cao Wei. In the end, Cao Cao had to ask me for peace and a truce." Only then did everyone understand Liu Jing's deeper thoughts. He actually wanted to use the battle of Hefei to bring down Wei's financial resources, which made them look at each other.  This was a war they had never been exposed to before, and it was simply unbelievable to them.  Huang Zhong immediately said: "I fully support the idea of ??His Royal Highness the King of Han." With Huang Zhong taking the lead, everyone expressed their approval. At this time, Liu Jing smiled and said: "Since it has been decided, starting from tomorrow, we will change our attack style."  It¡¯s the city¡¯s way.¡±  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  That night, Liu Jing mobilized 50,000 troops to start transporting earth and mounding mountains outside Beicheng. They transported a large number of boulders by ship from a distance, piled them and rammed them into foundations, and then covered the boulders with soil, piling up layers of soil and wood.  , and tamped it firmly.  On the top of the city, Zhang Liao watched the Han army building the mountain with complicated eyes. He knew very well what the Han army was doing. Once the mountain was built, the Han army would condescendingly attack Hefei City with heavy stone throwing.  After pondering for a long time, Zhang Liao immediately ordered: "Pass my order to mobilize 20,000 troops, demolish all the houses in the city, and pile up a mountain of dirt and stones in the north city." Zhang Liao's response was to retaliate in kind and build a brick building in the city.  Mu Tu Shan, ??The Han army faced off.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Ten days later, the Han army's earth and rock mountain outside Beicheng had basically taken shape. It covered an area of ??more than a hundred acres and was ten feet high. It was like a huge hill. In order to transport heavy trebuchets, the Han army built a mountain of more than ten feet behind the earth mountain.  A wooden platform was built, and various parts of the trebuchet were hoisted to the top of the mountain with long ropes.  The top of the mountain covers an area of ??more than 30 acres, and the land is flat and wide. Hundreds of craftsmen are busy assembling heavy trebuchets. The mountain stands majestically, posing a huge threat to the city of Hefei.  However, Cao's army did not show weakness. Zhang Liao ordered all the houses in the city to be demolished, and he also used bricks and stones to pile up a ten-foot-high earth mountain near the north city. Although it was slightly smaller than the Han army's earth mountain, dozens of trebuchets could be placed on the earth mountain.  Confronted the Han army tit for tat.  Liu Jing stood on the earth mountain outside the north city and looked into the city. The Hefei city wall was only four feet high, far lower than the 12-foot-high earth mountain. From the top of the earth mountain, he had a commanding view of the city.  All the residents in the city have been evacuated, and half of the houses have been demolished. There are ruins and devastation everywhere. In the center of the city, dozens of huge stone houses have been built with huge stones. They should be the warehouses of Cao Jun. The warehouses are surrounded by  It was filled with tents, which were Cao's army camps, and they were all outside the range of the arrows.  But Liu Jing¡¯s eyes were more on the earthen hills standing in the north city. The earthen hills piled up by Cao Jun were about two hundred steps away from the earthen hills of Han army. They could be shot with bee crossbows and trebuchets. Trebuchets were also busy installing on the top of the mountain.  Liu Jing couldn't help but secretly admire Zhang Liao's skill in defending the city. He never allowed himself to be passive, but responded actively. The Han army built earth mountains, and he also built earth mountains. This is indeed the best defense against high-altitude projectiles.  Liu Jing saw the command building of Cao Jun again. It was five feet high and was close to the hill in the city. The platform at the top was filled with various flags. This was one of the targets that the Han army must destroy.  At this time, Wang Ping rushed up to report: "Your Highness, the craftsmen have assembled twenty trebuchets, can we seize the opportunity?" Liu Jing glanced at him and said: "You are the commander of the North Road, this kind of  "You don't have to ask me." Wang Ping immediately ran back and shouted, "Get ready to throw kerosene!" Liu Jing then turned and walked down the mountain. The Han troops on the top of the mountain began to quickly prepare to attack.  The ten-pound clay pot of kerosene was put into the sling bag, and the throwing rod began to creak and pull open.  Just as Cao Jun was transporting trebuchets to the top of the mountain, the Han army on the top of the mountain outside Beicheng had assembled twenty heavy trebuchets. They seized the opportunity and suddenly launched an attack. Twenty huge thin-skinned pottery tanks filled with kerosene  The can flew into the air, whizzing and smashing towards the dirt hills in the city.  One after another, clay pots of kerosene hit the earthen hills in the city. The pots broke and the kerosene in the pots flowed all over the ground. At this time, a huge fireball crossed the sky and hit the earthen hills, immediately igniting the fire all over the ground.  Oil, the fire spread rapidly, and in just a moment, the raging fire engulfed the entire mountain.  Hundreds of craftsmen and soldiers on the top of the mountain hurriedly evacuated when the kerosene hit them. Dozens of uninstalled trebuchets were also engulfed in the fire. The soldiers of Cao's army on the city wall wailed as they competed with the Han army.  Speed, but ultimately fell short. If they were given another hour, maybe they could install a few trebuchets, and the situation would be different.  Zhang Liao stared at the fire on the top of the mountain indifferently, but there was no expression of regret on his face. This was expected by him, but this did not mean that they had no chance.  At this time, the command platform next to the earth mountain in the city was also hit by kerosene and began to burn rapidly. Zhang Liao whispered a few words to one of his subordinates, who immediately ran away.  Zhang Liao waved his hand again, called a school captain to his side, and said to him loudly: "The next step of the Han army must be to attack the city wall with fire, and the soldiers on the city must evacuate immediately." The bell rang on the top of the city, and the soldiers on the north city  Thousands of Cao's soldiers quickly evacuated to the east and west cities. Sure enough, just as Cao's army evacuated quickly, the Han army's trebuchets began to throw kerosene at the city top, mixed with a fireball, and the city head also began to burn.  Hundreds of soldiers of Cao's army were unable to evacuate in time and were surrounded by fire. Shrill screams rang out from the top of the city. Many soldiers were on fire. They jumped from the top of the city desperately and died on the spot.  As early as when the Han army was about to complete the construction of the mountain, Zhang Liao ordered the trebuchets, bee crossbows and kerosene on the city to be evacuated. As a result, although the Han army's offensive was rapid and fierce, Cao's army suffered little losses.  At this moment, dozens of boulders were unexpectedly projected from the mountain in the north city. The boulders roared and hit the top of the mountain of the Han army. The Han army was caught off guard and was immediately scattered by more than a dozen trebuchets.  Hundreds of Han soldiers were injured, and there was chaos on the top of the mountain.  This was an unexpected counterattack. Zhang Liao saw that there were many people in the city.The fire on the top of the mountain was slightly smaller, so they ordered people to continue pouring petroleum oil in front, which is unrefined crude oil. This kind of crude oil easily produces billowing black smoke, blocking the Han army's sight, giving people the impression that the entire mountain top is covered with fire.  The illusion of burning.  In fact, the fire on the second half of the top of the mountain had been extinguished. Cao Jun secretly carried dozens of medium-sized trebuchets up the mountain. Under the cover of thick smoke, he suddenly launched a counterattack against the Han army's mountain outside the city.  For a time, Cao Jun's offensive was like rain, and the huge rocks of kerosene rushed back toward the Han army's hills like an overwhelming force.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 954 Tunnel Offensive

    The Han army suffered heavy losses in Cao's counterattack. The trebuchets on the entire mountain top were completely destroyed, and the wooden platform built to carry the trebuchets was also destroyed by huge rocks, causing a heavy setback to the Han army's high platform attack.  At night, the Han army piled up the earth mountain again, lengthened the road up the mountain to two miles, and made the slope gentler. In this way, the parts of the trebuchet could be transported directly to the top of the mountain using ox carts, and a two-foot-high barrier was built on the top of the mountain.  For flint walls, prepare a large amount of fire extinguishing lime.  As soon as the sky dawned, Cao Jun once again launched a fire attack on the Han army's Tushan Mountain. However, the effect of the fire attack was much weaker this time. Most of the kerosene was intercepted by the stone wall. Even if the kerosene pottery pot crossed the stone wall, it would be blocked behind the wall.  The soldiers quickly covered the spilled kerosene with lime.  At this time, more than thirty assembled Han army trebuchets once again exerted their power, shooting huge rocks and fire oil cans at the mountains in the city, causing the mountains in the city to be engulfed in fire again.  Two days later, Cao's army took advantage of the Han army's replacement of trebuchets and took the initiative again, destroying the stone wall and forcing the Han army to withdraw from Tushan.  The battle between the Han army and the Cao army for Lingao was continuing, but at this time, the patrol sentry of the Cao army on the west city discovered a slight anomaly.  In the early morning, Zhang Liao got the news and hurried to Xicheng. At this time, deputy general Zang Ba had arrived first and was concentrating on the river bed. The soldiers nearby moved away one after another. Someone shouted: "The commander is here!" Zang Ba turned around and said,  I saw the coach Zhang Liao walking forward quickly under the protection of more than 20 soldiers. He quickly clasped his fists and saluted, "See you, coach!" Zhang Liao nodded and then asked: "I heard that an abnormality was found in the river bed. Is it?  What's going on?" "General, please look!" Zang Ba pointed to a low-lying area of ??several feet in the river bed a hundred steps away and said, "It was flat yesterday, but it's sunken today." "Are you sure?  Zhang Liao asked with a frown.  A patrol commander came forward and saluted: "Commander Qi, I am absolutely sure that I saw it with my own eyes yesterday. Yesterday there was a flat land, and there was a huge boulder stained red with blood. But today, the boulder is still there, but the flat ground is there."  But it turned into a depression. I felt something strange, so I reported it to the superior." Zhang Liao stared at the low-lying area, his eyes flickering, and he was thoughtful. Next to him, Zang Ba asked cautiously: "Wen Yuan, is this the Han army digging a tunnel?"  Zhang Liao nodded, it was indeed possible. The land in the river bed had been soaked by the river water for a long time, and the soil had become very soft. If there were holes underneath, it would easily collapse. Zhang Liao thought for a moment and said to Zang Ba: "Pretend to do nothing for now.  If you know, then bury dozens of large jars under the city wall, listen carefully to the enemy's movements, and report to me at any time. "Zang Ba turned around and hurried away, while Zhang Liao carefully observed the low-lying area in the distance for a while.  , he couldn't help but feel a little confused. Except for the first day when the Han army dispatched tens of thousands of troops to storm the city, there would never be such a large-scale attack again. Logically speaking, if the Han army was really eager to capture Hefei, it should continue to attack Hefei.  The city launched a fierce attack. As long as Liu Jing was willing to pay the price, Hefei City could be captured sooner or later.  But the Han army changed its attack method and began to use clever methods to attack the city. Although this method did not cause many casualties, the effect was not very good. Did the Han army want to fight a long-term siege?  Zhang Liao has been fighting the Han army for more than ten years. He knows that Liu Jing is very human. Every strategic decision he makes has a far-reaching purpose. Judging from Liu Jing's efforts to eradicate the Jiangdong navy at all costs, he will never care about attacking.  The casualties of soldiers, then, what is the purpose of Liu Jing's tricky battle?  As Cao Jun discovered, the Han army was indeed digging tunnels, but the purpose of digging the tunnels was not to enter the city through the tunnels, but to prepare to hollow out the soil under the city wall. This was also Fazheng's suggestion. The Hefei moat was too wide, giving the surrounding soil  It had a great impact and made the soil under Hefei City generally loose, which had a negative impact on Hefei City Wall.  According to Fa Zheng's plan, they can dig dozens of tunnels under the city, leading directly to the city wall, first using wooden piles to support them, and then burning the wooden piles with fire. Without the support of the soil under the city, the city wall will collapse. This is the key to siege the city.  A classic strategy.  Liu Jing adopted Fazheng's plan and ordered thousands of soldiers to start digging tunnels 500 steps away from the West City. A total of twenty-seven tunnels were dug. They had been digging for three days, and the longest tunnels were about to reach the city wall.  But an unexpected discovery was made in one of the tunnels. The soil on the river bed had not dried thoroughly, and more than a dozen cavitations were formed in the soil. The tunnel excavation caused the cavitations to burst, and the ground surface sunk, forming a depression about ten feet wide.  It was this accident that made Cao Jun at the top of the city discover the Han army's intention. At this time, Cao Jun buried more than a hundred large water tanks under the city wall. Cao Jun's soldiers were listening carefully to the movements underground.  "General Zang, is there any movement here?"   A soldier was the first to hear the movement underground. Zang Ba hurried forward and put his ear to the water tank to listen carefully. Sure enough, he heard a subtle digging sound underground, as if there was someone talking.  Zang Ba couldn't help but be surprised. If he could hear voices, it meant that the Han army was not far from the city wall, and was probably under the city. At this time, more than a dozen soldiers heard the noise underground. Zang Ba  Realizing that the problem was serious, he immediately sent someone to report to coach Zhang Liao.  Not long after, Zhang Liao hurried over. He listened carefully to the water tanks one by one, and quickly determined that there were thirteen tunnels, or there might be more. These were just the tunnels that were close to the city wall.  Zhang Liao picked up a branch, drew a simple map of the distribution of tunnels on the ground, and said to Zang Ba: "Did you notice that the Han army's tunnels are more than forty feet wide? Generally speaking, the more tunnels you dig, the easier it is to find them.  It is impossible for Liu Jing not to know, but he dug more than a dozen tunnels. General, what is his purpose?" Zang Ba pondered for a moment and said, "If these more than a dozen tunnels collapse at the same time, it will have a great impact on the city wall, and even damage the city wall.  If a section of the city wall collapsed, could it be that the Han army wanted to capture the city?" Zhang Liao nodded, "I think so too. With the number of defenders in the city, it makes no sense to enter the city through tunnels. Only when the city wall collapses can the Han army invade the city on a large scale.  Liu Jing must have this purpose." Zang Ba sneered and said, "In that case, let me deal with them." There is a long forest five hundred steps away from the west city. Under the cover of the forest, the Han army is here.  Twenty-seven tunnels were dug on the ground. The tunnels were one foot and five feet deep. Thousands of soldiers participated in digging the tunnels. At the entrance of the tunnels, hundreds of Han soldiers used earthen blowers to continuously blow air into the tunnels.  Each tunnel is three feet wide and four feet high. The soldiers cannot stand up and can only move forward while squatting and bending forward. However, most of the soldiers involved in the excavation are short in stature and can turn around in the tunnel.  Fazheng was a little nervous. In the early morning, a scout discovered that Cao Jun had gathered at the top of the city. Many generals of Cao Jun stood on the top of the city and looked over. Although Fazheng didn't know that there was a depression in the river bed, he still had a bad feeling.  It felt like maybe Cao Jun discovered that they were digging a tunnel.  Fazheng hesitated in his heart. There were two thousand soldiers in the tunnel. Once they all died in the tunnel, he could not explain to His Highness the King of Han whether he should withdraw the soldiers first and observe them for two days.  While he was thinking about it, a horrified shout suddenly came from the tunnel, and he saw countless soldiers rushing out of the tunnel. Fazheng was shocked and hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "What happened?" "Military advisor, there is poison in the tunnel.  Smoke!" Fazheng was so anxious that he stamped his feet, "Send the signal quickly to get all the soldiers out!" There was a rush of bells in the tunnel. This was an order to retreat, but without the bell ringing, the Han troops in the twenty-seven tunnels  The soldiers were already running out, coughing desperately, and many fell to the ground and fainted.  After a while, billowing black smoke began to emerge from the tunnel, filled with a strong smell of sulfur and arsenic. This is the thick smoke produced by the mixed combustion of petroleum oil, sulfur and arsenic, which is extremely toxic.  Fazheng felt chills in his heart. He saw that there were still many soldiers who had not withdrawn. At this time, a tooth general stepped forward and whispered: "Strategic Advisor, there are still more than 500 brothers who have not been able to withdraw." Fazheng couldn't help but grow up.  With a long sigh, he knew in his heart that none of these five hundred people would survive. This was the true plan. Once discovered by the enemy, it would be easy to crack. He didn't know which part of him had gone wrong. Maybe Cao Jun himself had it.  Be prepared, but the matter has come to this, he can only plead guilty to the King of Han. In the big tent, Liu Jing listened to Fazheng's report, shook his head and said: "Winning or losing is a common matter for military strategists. The military advisor has not made any mistakes, and Zhang Liao is a famous general of Cao Wei."  , it¡¯s normal for him to see through it, so the military advisor doesn¡¯t have to blame himself.¡± Liu Jing¡¯s comfort made Fazheng feel a little better, but the failure of his plan made him feel uneasy all the time. At this time, Pang Tong next to him smiled and said, ¡°Actually,  To make Cao Jun's city collapse, it is not necessary to dig tunnels. I have a method that may be effective. "Although Liu Jing did not blame Fa Zheng for the tunnel's failure, it did not mean that he did not care. He was attacked several times in a row.  Zhang Liao's defeat or discovery really made Liu Jing angry. However, Liu Jing could not express his emotions and anger, and it was difficult for people around him to understand his true inner thoughts.  Liu Jing asked quietly, "What can Military Advisor Pang do?" Pang Tong stepped forward, bowed, and said with a smile, "It was quite hot yesterday. The soldiers brought me a cup of deep well water. The well water was really cold and biting. I thought at that time  , what will be the consequences if the well water is poured on the red-hot stone?" Before Pang Tong could finish speaking, Huang Zhong and Gan Ning high-fived each other. Huang Zhong smiled at Liu Jing and said, "This is indeed a good idea, Military Master Pang.  This is the method used in quarrying in my hometown, you can give it a try." Liu Jing?He thought for a moment and said: "Try it tonight in Beicheng!" The battle between the two earth mountains inside and outside Beicheng has gradually reached a balance. Both sides have built firewalls and prepared a large amount of fire-extinguishing lime. The scene of burning mountains is difficult to appear again, because the two  Tushan was in a state of confrontation, which also made it impossible for both sides to conduct offensive and defensive battles in Beicheng.  At the first watch, fifty heavy trebuchets gradually approached the city wall and stopped 350 steps away. The trebuchets on the city had been dismantled, and the trebuchets on the hills inside the city could not reach here. The fifty heavy trebuchets  Trebuchets are safer.  Veteran Huang Zhong gave an order, and fifty heavy trebuchets creaked and opened their throwing rods. Fifty clay pots filled with kerosene rose into the air and shot at the city wall. Their shooting distances were adjusted so that most of the  Clay pots hit the city wall, and kerosene flowed all over the outer wall.  At this time, a Han army soldier hiding in the river bed fired hundreds of rockets. The rockets ignited the kerosene on the wall. The flames spread quickly and the fire burned fiercely. The two hundred-foot-long outer wall of the city was engulfed in flames.  .  The Han army's clay pots of kerosene continued to be thrown, and the fire on the city wall burned more and more fiercely. The Han army had thrown thousands of barrels of kerosene, and the entire North City turned into a city of red flames. Cao Jun's soldiers withdrew to the distance one after another, trembling with fear.  Watching in shock the Han army burning the city.  Pang Tong watched the changes in the city wall below from the earth mountain. He knew that the quarrying steps in the mining field were exactly the same today. First, burn the city wall with fire, and then pour it with ice water. All the bricks and stones in the city wall would burst. At that time, as long as  The trebuchet smashed the city wall with huge stones, and the city wall would all collapse. He found that the bricks on the wall had been burned into a deep red color, like a furnace in the Three-Nine Heavens. The crackling sound of bricks and stones continued to be heard. He knew that the fire was enough, and Pang Tong immediately  He said to a soldier: "Go and tell Old General Huang to switch to water attack!" The soldier rushed down the mountain, waved from a distance and shouted: "Old General, the military counselor said that we should switch to water attack!" Huang Zhong also knew that the time had come.  , and immediately ordered: "Switch to water attack!" The Han army had already filled thousands of large clay pots with bitterly cold deep well water, sealed the mouths of the pots with soil, and installed trebuchet iron bags. Following Huang Zhong  At the command, fifty clay pots filled with biting ice water rose into the air and smashed towards the city wall that had already been burned red.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 955 Siege Night Battle

    Zhang Liao was very anxious at this time. He had seen the intention of the Han army, but he was unable to do anything. The Han army's trebuchets were located far away and their trebuchets did not have enough range.  At this time Zang Ba rushed forward and said: "Wen Yuan, let me lead the army out and destroy their trebuchets." "No!" Zhang Liao immediately rejected Zang Ba's request. He knew that destroying a few trebuchets would be nothing.  Meaning, there will be new trebuchets coming, but once the city gates are opened, it will bring opportunities to the Han army. You must know that all city gates are sealed with huge rocks, and the most powerful battering ram will be difficult to break.  Zhang Liao looked at the angry Zang Ba and sighed: "Xuan Gao, calm down first!" After all, Zang Ba was also an experienced general. He was just angered by the Han army's unscrupulous attack on the city. Under Zhang Liao's persuasion,  He also gradually calmed down.  After thinking for a moment, Zang Ba said: "The purpose of the Han army is to collapse the city wall. This move is indeed very powerful. It is estimated that the outer wall of the North City will collapse. Just like when they attacked Lu Bu, the Xuzhou city wall was also destroyed by a battering ram. However, the Xuzhou city wall  Although it collapsed, Cao's army still failed to break through the city." Zhang Liao's eyes flashed and he asked anxiously: "How did you defend the city at that time?" "At that time, Lu Bu followed Chen Gong's suggestion and demolished the houses and used the huge stone foundations to temporarily build an interior.  They fought back while repairing the city. Three thousand soldiers repaired the city wall in just one night." As soon as Zang Ba finished speaking, he heard a series of muffled sounds from the north. Zhang Liao's expression changed drastically. At this time, the Han army attacked the city with huge rocks.  .  He ordered without hesitation: "Xuan Gao, go to the warehouse quickly to get the foundation stones to build the inner city. I'll go up to the city to have a look." Zang Ba got on his horse and galloped towards the warehouse, while Zhang Liao turned around and ran towards the west city.  At this time, the northern city wall was alternately stimulated by fire and ice water, and a series of explosions broke out. Many bricks fell to the ground, and the wall bricks turned into stone powder. Under the continuous heavy blows from the huge rocks of the Han army, the city wall finally could not support it. It was about 100 feet long.  A long section of the city wall collapsed, and the yellow sand and soil that filled the city wall poured down.  In the distance, thousands of Han soldiers operating trebuchets cheered together. At this time, General Wei Yan galloped up a hill, where Liu Jing and dozens of generals were watching the battle.  Wei Yan turned over and dismounted, walked quickly forward, knelt down on one knee and saluted: "Your Majesty, the North City of Hefei has collapsed. I humbly ask for orders. I am willing to lead 10,000 troops into the city!" Liu Jing smiled, "There are people in the city.  What's the point of leading 50,000 Cao troops to attack with only 10,000 troops? " "You can open the city gate and let the main force of the Han army enter the city." Liu Jing shook his head, "How can the morale of Cao's army be so high?  It's easy to be defeated, but if you are willing to attack the city, I can give the order, and you can lead 10,000 troops to attack where the city wall collapsed." Wei Yan was overjoyed and said, "I obey the order!" He turned around, mounted his horse, and ran towards the military camp not far away.  Go, then Fazheng whispered to Liu Jing: "Didn't His Highness plan to use the Battle of Hefei to bring down Cao Wei's economy? If General Wei were to attack the city, wouldn't His Highness's plan be"  Just as he finished speaking, Liu Jing shook his head, "The collapse of a section of the outer city wall does not mean that Hefei City will fall, but it is just to put pressure on Zhang Liao to prevent him from looking down on me." At this point, Liu Jing said to Gan  Ning said: "Under pressure, Zhang Liao will definitely ask Cao Cao for help. You can lead 30,000 troops to the north to intercept Shouchun's reinforcements." "I will obey the order!" Gan Ning hurried away, and Liu Jing ordered Wang Ping to lead a group of troops.  Wan Jun serves as Wei Yan's backup. With the collapse of the northern city wall, a fierce battle is about to break out.  ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  'The war drums beat fiercely in the night, and 10,000 Han soldiers, led by Wei Yan, rushed towards the North City with murderous intent. They rushed into the moat bed, shouted wildly and rushed towards the collapsed city wall, shouting and killing everywhere.  , the weapon collision is jarring and shocking.  The two mountains inside and outside the North City started fighting almost at the same time. Huge boulders and fireballs rained down on each other, and the bright red fire lit up the night sky.  , The huge boulders fired by Cao Jun's trebuchets smashed into the running group of Han soldiers. The boulders rolled, flesh and blood flew everywhere, and screams were heard.  The trebuchets on the mountain of the Han army did not show any signs of weakness, and smashed the kerosene tanks and boulders onto the city head. The rubble flew and fire leaped into the sky. On the top of the northern city of Hefei, thousands of Cao's troops squatted close to the city wall to avoid the attack from the city.  Huge boulders roared from the sky, and Cao's soldiers were constantly hit by the boulders. Their flesh and blood were bruised, and they were smashed into meat patties. The fire quickly approached. Many soldiers were surrounded by the fire and jumped off the city screaming.  But neither Cao¡¯s nor Han¡¯s trebuchets could stop Cao¡¯s defense or Han¡¯s attack. Cao¡¯s soldiers stretched their bows and nocked arrows, waiting for the Han army to rush into range.  Wei Yan took the lead and rushed onto the river bed. At this time,At a glance, he caught a glimpse of the sentry officer of Cao's army on the top of the city. He immediately opened his bow and nocked an arrow. A powerful arrow shot out from the bow. The arrow penetrated the sentry officer's neck. The sentry officer screamed and fell heavily from the top of the city, which was four feet high.  .  This scream was like a death knell in the night, waking up all the soldiers of Cao's army at the top of the city. The soldiers on the city stood up and fired their bows and arrows. For a moment, arrows were like dense rain. Hundreds of Han cavalry led by them were hit by arrows one after another, and the war horses neighed.  Cutting through the sky.  At this time, thousands of Cao soldiers suddenly poured out from the gap in the collapse. They shouted loudly, ran out of the gap, and brandished their spears and swords to kill the oncoming Han army.  This is because Cao Jun was busy building a stone wall and urn city in order to buy time. They needed time, so these thousands of Cao Jun troops took on the task of delaying the Han army's attack.  The 10,000 Han troops led by Wei Yan were elite troops from Yizhou. All of them had high morale and were brave and good at fighting. Many of the soldiers had experienced hundreds of battles. Although the terrain was not conducive to them, they still attacked Cao Jun in waves.  Wave after wave of attacks.  In contrast, Zhang Liao sent thousands of death-defying troops, most of whom were old and weak soldiers. Zhang Liao kept the elite soldiers in the city. After these Cao troops attacked and fought out of the city, it would be difficult to return. They would all die in the Han army's attack.  under.  The number of Cao's troops who attacked was not large, only 3,000. They could only rely on the slightly favorable terrain to fight fiercely with the Han army. But after all, they were too few in number and they were old and weak soldiers. They were far from being the opponents of the Han army.  For a long time, under the attack of 10,000 Han troops like a tide, most of the 3,000 Cao troops were killed.  The remaining thousands of Cao's troops were unable to withstand the Han army's attack and began to flee in all directions, but the Han army ignored them and did not pursue them. The key now is to fight for the collapsed gap.  Cao's army at the top of the city had driven dense wooden piles on both sides of the collapsed city wall and built five layers of boulders to completely isolate the intact city wall from the collapsed area, making it impossible for the Han army to attack the city and could only cross the gap.  Attack the city.  At this time, the Han army dug a gap and razed the two-foot-high gap to the ground. Thousands of Han troops invaded the city like a tide. Because the two armies were too close to each other, the mountains on both sides stopped projecting, leaving the two armies to attack.  The army fought bloody battles to gain access to the city.  With the gap lost, Cao Jun was about to complete the stone wall. They first laid down a circle of wooden fences. The thick fences were made of beams from private houses. They were thick and strong. The gaps between the wooden fences could only be passed by a punch.  , very dense.  Behind the Mucha, Cao Jun used tens of thousands of flat foundation stones to build an urn city covering an area of ??more than ten acres around the gap in the city. The stone wall was four feet high, flush with the city wall, and about one foot thick.  It can withstand the impact of the battering ram. Thousands of Cao soldiers were lying on the wall, with bows and arrows drawn, waiting for the Han army to attack.  Once Cao Jun repaired the city wall from the inside, the gap actually lost the meaning of breaking the city. However, time was tight and there was still a section of wall about three feet wide that had not been closed.  Thousands of Han soldiers rushed into the city, and arrows like a storm were fired at the Han soldiers below the city from all directions. They held their shields high and charged at the three-foot-wide gap in the wall without hesitation.  The core of the struggle between the two sides is this three-foot-wide gap. This is the only way to enter the city. Both sides have no choice but to fight to the death.  More than 3,000 Han troops and more than 2,000 Cao troops fought in this gap, which was no more than three feet long and wide.  More than 3,000 Han troops came like a tide. They had no time to form a formation. They waved their swords, held shields in their hands, bows and arrows, and rushed forward against the rain of arrows. For a moment, the swords were cold and the arrows were long.  Blood-thirsty, dozens of Cao soldiers who were driving stakes in Wengcheng were unable to escape, and were hacked to death by the incoming Han troops.  The smell of blood in the air made the Han army extremely fierce and unafraid of death. Even though the people in front had been killed, the soldiers behind still rushed up crazily, carrying the human shields of corpses, and the powerful impact blocked the enemy.  Dozens of Cao's cavalry in the gap were overturned to the ground, and the cavalry on horseback fell to the ground one after another, and were chopped into pieces by the Han army's swords.  Zang Ba yelled and ordered hundreds of Cao soldiers to block the corridor. They huddled together with the attacking Han army and could not lift their swords, so they bit them with their teeth, beat them with their fists, and stabbed them with daggers, without taking a step back.  , only the sound of broken bones and the gurgling sound of the throat before death were heard. The dead and the living were crowded together, making it suffocating.  More and more Han troops poured into Wengcheng, and under the leadership of Wei Yan, they launched a fierce offensive towards the gap. Inside Wengcheng, corpses of Han soldiers were strewn across the field. Cao's archers on the stone wall fired arrows downwards, and Han soldiers continued to be killed.  Arrow died tragically.  At this time, Wei Yan ordered a meat ladder to be built with dead men and horses. Although it was not high enough to go up the wall, dozens of powerful Han soldiers climbed up the stone wall and fought fiercely with Cao Jun's archers on the stone wall, killing Cao Jun.  The soldiers retreated, with numerous casualties and casualties.  Seeing that the situation was critical, Zang Ba roared and called out from his own soldiers.Zang Ba grabbed the sword from his chest, jumped up the stone wall, and fought against several Han soldiers who were rushing towards him. Three spears were thrust at him, but Zang Ba dodged and swung the sword violently, and blood burst out from the two swords.  A Han soldier was split into four pieces by his sword and rolled down the stone wall.  Zang Ba¡¯s ferocious temper seemed to be contagious to every Cao soldier. Nearly a hundred Cao soldiers rushed up the stone wall. They fought back hard and drove dozens of Han soldiers off the stone wall.  Wei Yan was furious. He secretly hid in the dark, drew his bow and nocked an arrow, and aimed at General Cao's army. A cold arrow shot, "Whoosh!"  ¡¯ The arrow shot at Zang Ba, but Zang Ba couldn¡¯t dodge it. The arrow hit Zang Ba¡¯s shoulder. The strength in his hand suddenly disappeared, and the sword flew away from his hand.  Dozens of Han soldiers climbed up the stone wall again, lowered the long ladder down the wall, and tried to climb over the stone wall into the city. Hundreds of Cao soldiers swarmed up the stone wall and fought fiercely with the Han soldiers to prevent them from climbing over the wall.  Liu Jing stood behind the mountain and watched the fierce battle below. Although it was night, many Cao Jun soldiers held torches in their hands, so Liu Jing could vaguely see the fierce battle inside the wall.  At this time, Fazheng realized something was wrong and immediately said to Liu Jing: "Have you seen, Your Highness, the soldiers of Cao's army on the city wall did not seem to be shooting arrows. If they seal the gap, collapse and set fire to the city, our army may be completely destroyed."  Liu Jing suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. He also realized Cao Jun's intention. As long as they cut off the Han army's retreat and burned the city with kerosene, thousands of Han soldiers would be burned to death.  Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Ming Jin No! Immediately notify General Wei Yan to retreat." Liu Jing did not dare to order Ming Jin to withdraw his troops, which would instead give a signal to Cao Jun to take action. He took out the gold medal and handed it to a guard, "  If he doesn't obey the order, he will be killed immediately!" The guard took the gold medal and mounted his horse and galloped away. After a moment, he rushed into the gap and shouted: "General Wei, my Majesty ordered you to retreat immediately!" Wei Yan was so jealous that he would not listen.  , he shouted: "Tell your highness, I am about to break into the city!" Seeing that he refused to retreat, the guard held up the gold medal and shouted: "General Wei Yan, if you don't listen to the order of the King of Han, you will be killed immediately!" Wei Yan recognized  After receiving the gold medal from the King of Han, he was secretly shocked that the King of Han actually used the gold medal to order him to retreat. He did not dare to disobey the order again and immediately shouted: "Send the order to withdraw!" The Han army withdrew outside the city like a tide. Cao's soldiers immediately  He went to report to Zhang Liao. Zhang Liao was on the city wall. He was indeed planning to cut off the retreat of the Han army and use kerosene to burn the Han army in the city. However, the reason why he did not give the order to take action was because he felt that there were not enough enemy troops within the wall.  There are still thousands of Han troops outside who have not yet entered.  At this time, he received a report from the soldiers that the Han soldiers had retreated. Zhang Liao was startled and rushed forward. He saw that thousands of Han soldiers had quickly withdrawn from the collapsed gap, and there were less than a hundred people in the besieged city.  After a long while, Zhang Liao sighed. The Han army suddenly retreated when it gained the advantage. It was obvious that he had seen through his own plot, causing him to fail.  In desperation, Zhang Liao had no choice but to order: "Give me an order to mobilize five thousand people to build the wall. The construction must be completed before dawn."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 956 Raid on Yecheng

    In Jianye Palace, before dawn, military advisor Zhang Zhao hurried to the inner hall. Two maids held lanterns in front to lead the way. An old chamberlain led him quickly to Sun Quan's study. The chamberlain walked worriedly  He whispered: "Wu Hou has not slept well these days. He woke up at two o'clock last night and stayed up all night. He is very worried. Please enlighten him, military advisor!" Zhang Zhao nodded, he understood Sun Quan's worries in his heart.  The reason is that Cao Cao sent someone to send a secret letter a few days ago, in which he threatened Sun Quan nakedly. If Sun Quan did not make any efforts, Cao Cao's army would never intervene once the Han army was destroyed in Jiangdong.  Although the Han army ostensibly withdrew from Taihu Lake, it actually withdrew its small boats and replaced them with large warships of two thousand stone. One hundred small boats of one hundred stone were replaced by twenty large ships of two thousand stone. This was not a withdrawal, it was clearly  Strengthening the occupation of Taihu Lake.  There is also a food problem. The farmers in Wu County have all gone to Kuaiji County. Who will cultivate the grain fields in Wu County?  You must know that Wu County has always been Jiangdong's granary. Without this granary, what would Jiangdong do to support the army?  With such internal and external difficulties, it would be strange if Sun Quan could still sleep peacefully.  When he walked into the inner hall, he saw Sun Quan sitting alone in the hall, staring blankly at the map on the table. The bronze oil lamp beside him was also extremely dim. Sun Quan seemed not to have seen Zhang Zhao come in.  Zhang Zhao quickly stepped forward, bowed and saluted: "I am here to see the Marquis of Wu!" Sun Quan sighed, "Commander, please take a seat!" Zhang Zhao sat down and whispered: "Marquis Wu should find a way to sleep.  If you continue like this, your body will collapse. " Sun Quan looked at the sky outside. It was dark and full of stars. He couldn't help but apologize: "I'm really sorry for inviting the military advisor so late and affecting the military advisor's rest! " Zhang Zhao knew that Sun Quan was here.  To find him in the middle of the night must be something important. He smiled and waited for Sun Quan to continue.  Sun Quan nodded and said: "I thought about it for a few days, and decided to follow Cao Cao's strategy and take the risky move." Zhang Zhao knew what Sun Quan wanted to do, and he pondered for a long time: "But the consequences Wu Hou thought about it.  "How could I not have thought about it? After repeatedly weighing the pros and cons, I decided to adopt Cao Cao's suggestion. I asked the military advisor to discuss the details with him." Zhang Zhao saw that Sun Quan had already made a decision.  No longer objecting, he pondered for a long time and said: "Wei Chen feels that the key is the issue of ships. The Han army has blocked Wuhu and Ruxukou River, and our civilian ships cannot pass." "I know, but I have made a plan.  I think it¡¯s feasible.¡± Sun Quan picked up a scroll on the table and handed it to Zhang Zhao, ¡°Commenter, let¡¯s take a look first!¡±  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Nanyang County, since the Nanxiang Passage was opened by the Han army, the focus of the war has gradually shifted to Hefei. Nanyang County, where a war broke out, has also slowly calmed down. It seems that both sides have accepted the outcome of the war. The Han army occupied Wancheng, including Wancheng.  Most of Nanyang County in the area was controlled by Cao Jun, while Cao Jun only controlled Ye County, a strategic location in the northeast corner.  Ye County is known as the "throat of Wan and the belly of Xu". It has an extremely important geographical location and is responsible for guarding the southern capital of Xuchang. It is also the northeastern entrance of Nanyang Basin and the gateway to Wancheng. It occupies Ye County and is bounded by Yima Pingchuan to the south.  , posing a direct threat to Wancheng.  Currently, there are 6,000 Cao troops in Ye County, guarded by General Li Dian, while Xiahou Dun leads 30,000 troops to garrison in Xuchang and can support Ye County at any time. Too many troops were transferred from the Hefei War. Xiahou Dun is not only responsible for the defense of Nanyang, but also  He was also responsible for the defense of Luoyang's western front. He did not dare to send troops to Ye County. Once the Han army attacked Luoyang in a large scale, Cao's army defending Luoyang would have no troops to support him.  The best way is to immediately send troops to Ye County for support when the Han army sends troops from Wancheng.  It is also true that although the war in Hefei was raging, Xiahou Dun did not dare to take it lightly and ordered Li Dian to report to him the movements of the Han army in Wancheng every day.  Li Dian also sent 300 scouts to pay attention to the movements of the Han army in Wancheng. They all knew that once the Han army broke through on the western front, it would have an adverse impact on the war in Hefei.  At present, the Han army has 20,000 troops garrisoned in Wancheng. Unlike Cao Jun's scattered troops, the Han army concentrated its troops in Wancheng, leaving only a few hundred troops in the other counties to maintain order. This is also the lesson the Han army learned from Cao Jun.  , never make the same mistake again.  For several months, the Han army in Nanyang only did one thing, and that was to train the surrender troops. In the Battle of Nanyang, the Han army captured more than 15,000 prisoners of war from Cao's army, including nearly 10,000 prisoners of war from Nanyang, so these  Training 10,000 prisoners of war into Han troops became the top priority of the Nanyang garrison.  Time flies by and gradually reaches the beginning of September. The autumn air is crisp and clear. Large fields of millet begin to fill with grain. Strings of ears of millet become plump. The land of Nanyang is filled with the joy of harvest.  ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????OUTOUTOUT?The cloud of war quietly descended on the land of Nanyang.  That afternoon, a team of 15,000 people marched quickly on the official road about forty miles south of Ye County. All the 15,000 troops were on horseback, and there were 5,000 troops among them.  Two horses.  There are only two armies in the Han army that are equipped with double horses. One is the Guanlong cavalry, and the second is the heavy armored infantry. Since the Han army captured a large number of war horses in the process of conquering the Qiang and Di in the west and the Xiongnu in the north, all of these war horses  Equipped for the army, both cavalry and infantry ride horses when marching.  Heavy armored infantry are no exception, but their armor is very heavy. In addition, they are generally tall and it is difficult for a horse to carry the load. Therefore, they are equipped with two horses, one of which is specially used to carry the armor and sword.  The Han army heading to Ye County did have 5,000 heavy armored infantry, led by General Yaowu Liu Hu. Liu Hu's army had just arrived in Nanyang from Guanzhong five days ago. He received an order from Han King Liu Jing to rush there.  Nanyang assisted in the war and assisted the Nanyang army in capturing Ye County.  This was part of Liu Jing's decision to use the Battle of Hefei to bring down Cao Wei's financial resources. He fought on multiple fronts to put war pressure on Cao Wei.  Of course, attacking Ye County is an unfinished part of the Nanyang Campaign. Capturing Ye County will bring the Nanyang Campaign to a successful conclusion.  It is about more than 100 miles from Wancheng to Ye County, and about 200 miles from Ye County to Xuchang. Although Cao Jun's scouts will detect the Han army's actions, the scouts have to rush back to report and ask Xu Du to increase their troops.  Cao Jun's reinforcements arrived, and there were many steps involved. It would take two days at the earliest for Cao Jun's reinforcements to arrive in Ye County.  "The Han army can only reach Ye County in one day if it marches quickly. In this way, the Han army has one more day than Cao's army in Xuchang, and this day can determine the fate of Ye County.  It was with this in mind that Liu Jing ordered Liu Hu to lead 5,000 heavy armored infantry to assist in the attack on Ye County.  Ye County is far less tall and solid than Hefei City. The city wall is less than three feet high, its circumference is fifteen miles, and its population is more than 30,000. It can only be regarded as a middle county in the Central Plains. The advantage of Ye County lies not in the city, but in its  It is close to Xuchang and can receive timely reinforcements from Xuchang. It is for this reason that Wenpin has not launched an attack on Ye County.  At this time, Li Dian, the general of Ye County, had already received the news that the Han army had left Wancheng and was heading for Ye County. He immediately used flying pigeons to report to Xiahou Dun of Xuchang that the Han army was now less than thirty miles away from Ye County.  , and Xiahou Dun's reinforcements should also set off. In terms of time, Xiahou Dun's reinforcements will not arrive at Ye County until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest, and the Han army will arrive in half an hour.  Li Dian couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He was captured by the Han army and later released, which left an indelible shadow in his heart. It was that capture that made it difficult for him to be promoted.  He hesitated to move forward, but Zhang He, Zhang Liao, Zang Ba and others who had the same official position with him at the beginning were promoted one after another and were named rural lords and generals, but so far he is only Guanneihou and Zhonglang general.  The tragic death of Cao Hong in Wancheng put great pressure on Li Dian. Although he was not in the city at the time, he was Cao Hong's deputy general. Cao Hong's death made him always have some responsibility that he could not shirk.  Li Dian stood at the top of the city and stared at the official road in the distance. Night had just fallen, and the sky was not yet dark. The twilight was dim, and crows and birds were flying around the woods. The wilderness seemed extremely quiet. Li Dian couldn't help but sigh lowly.  This tranquility is soon interrupted.  Just as Li Dian had worried, half an hour later, 15,000 Han troops finally appeared on a high hill two miles away. A large number of crows and birds perched on the high hill were frightened away, which also alerted the defenders at the top of the city.     'when!  when!  when!  'The alarm bell rang at the top of the city and spread throughout the city. Thousands of Cao's soldiers who were resting under the city wall got up and rushed to the top of the city. Li Dian also went up to the top of the city, nervously watching the Han soldiers two miles away.  military.  At this time, the soldiers at the top of the city shouted, and they saw an army rushing down the hillside on horseback and heading straight for the city. The frightened soldiers of Cao's army drew their bows and arrows, and Li Dian shouted: "Don't panic!"  Li Dian felt that this army seemed a bit special. It came with two horses. Could it be the Guanlong cavalry of the Han army?  Li Dian did not expect that those who came were not the Guanlong cavalry, but the most powerful heavy armored infantry in the Han army. They stopped their horses about 300 steps away from the city.  Three hundred steps is the range of a heavy trebuchet, but the Han army knew that the city of Ye County was not wide and could not install a heavy trebuchet at the top of the city. It only had light trebuchets with a range of only 150 steps and could not attack targets 300 steps away.  army.  Of course, the bee crossbow can shoot to 300 steps away. At the same time, the powerful iron crossbow arrow of the bee crossbow can also shoot through the heavy armor of the heavy armored infantry. It is the nemesis of the heavy armored infantry. However, there are not many bee crossbows in Cao's army. There is only one  Thousands of weapons were all placed in Hefei, which also allowed the Han army's heavy armored infantry to escape unknowingly.    Secondly, there are bed crossbows, which can shoot large arrows three feet long, with a killing range of 250 steps. They are powerful and can penetrate the armor of heavy armored infantry. Fifty bed crossbows are deployed at the head of Ye County. However,  They were not used to deal with heavy armored infantry, but to deal with the Han army's nest vehicles and trebuchets.  The heavy armored infantry of the Han Army have undergone several upgrades. Not only has the armor become lighter and thinner, but also stronger, and the swords in their hands have also undergone great changes.  With the advancement of casting technology, the Zhanma Dao has been transformed several times, and its shape has gradually become closer to the Mo Dao of later generations. It is about two feet long and has a six-foot blade. Its shape is like a three-pointed two-edged sword.  Can be assassinated.  When the heavy armored infantry uses the sword, it swings it with the force of the waist. After entering the battle, the heavy armored infantry wields the sword to advance like a wall. The enemy cavalry in front of them are all turned into powder. It is the sharpest weapon for dealing with cavalry, but it is not just for fighting.  Cavalry is also very effective when attacking a city.  At present, only the Han army in the entire world is equipped with heavy armored infantry using the Zhanma sword. On the one hand, it is difficult to make the Zhanma sword. It is an absolute secret of the Han army, and five hundred swordsmiths are secretly protected.  On the other hand, it is also related to the rise of the Han army in the south. At that time, they had no cavalry. In order to deal with Cao Cao's tiger and leopard cavalry, they could only use heavy armored infantry. Of course, this was also related to the national strength. Except for Han and Wei, the Jiangdong Army  There is no national strength to equip heavy armored infantry.  There are currently 6,000 heavy armored infantry in the Han army. Liu Hu is the chief general and his deputy is Lei Tong. This time Lei Tong did not go to Nanyang, but led a thousand heavy armored infantry to stay in Tongguan to protect the security of Guanzhong.  Liu Hu is known as the number one swordsman in the Han army. This is not because of his martial arts skills, but because he commands the most powerful heavy armored infantry and uses the sharpest saber. He made a bet with Wenpin and captured Ye County within an hour.  , at this time, he was already eager to try, waiting for this opportunity to become famous.  At this time, a soldier rushed to Liu Hu and said, "Captain Wen, would you like to ask the general, how long do you need to rest?" Liu Hu smiled proudly, "No need to rest, let my soldiers dress up, and we can attack in a quarter of an hour!" The soldiers ran at full speed!  When he went back to report, Liu Hu turned around and shouted loudly: "All men, dismount and prepare for battle!" Although the heavy armored infantry are not afraid of arrows and rolling logs, they also have weaknesses. Their biggest weakness is that they are bulky and difficult to move, so naturally they cannot carry it.  They are running along the siege ladder, so they use heavy armored infantry to attack the city, and other troops need to handle the prelude to the siege for them.  The heavy armored infantry were still changing their equipment, but the Han army general Wenpin issued the order to attack, "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The huge war drums of the Han army sounded, and the sound of the drums was earth-shattering. Ten thousand Han army soldiers began to attack Ye  The county launched an attack, and an overwhelming number of soldiers held their shields high and rushed toward the city carrying hundreds of large cross-city ladders.  Li Dian's face turned pale. The Han army actually started to attack the city without rest. He understood the Han army's intention. The Han army wanted to take advantage of the period before reinforcements arrived to capture Ye County, and they also attacked the city at night.  Although Li Dian was worried about the army's insufficient night fighting capabilities, he had no time to consider these issues at this time. He shouted loudly: "Prepare the trebuchet!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 957 The fall of the important town

    Amidst the roaring drums of the attack, the 15,000 Han troops were divided into three square formations, with the heavy armored infantry at the end, and they advanced together to the front of Yecheng. The number of people was dense. Looking from a high place, the black Han troops under the moonlight  The army was densely packed, like a colony of ants, covering the land outside Ye County.  "Forward!" Wenpin raised his sword and shouted amidst the sound of drums.  "Destroy Cao's army, conquer the world, move forward!" £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Amid the thunderous shouts of the soldiers, 15,000 Han troops advanced toward the Ye County city like an overwhelming mountain. This time, the siege weapons used by the Han army were all made on the spot.  The first is the city raft, which is used to cross the moat. The moat of Yecheng is not wide, only three feet. The Han army tied ten big trees together. These big trees were poplars cut down from nearby forests.  The trees are straight and long. Each big tree is four to five feet long. Its branches are preserved, and after they are densely bundled and stretched with a layer of fire-resistant cooked cowhide, they become a temporary trestle.  This kind of cross-city raft not only allowed the Han army to rush across the moat, but it could also be used as a siege ladder. With horizontal wooden bars suitable for kicking on it, the army could climb up the city, which was very conducive to heavy armored infantry siege.  Dozens of soldiers were running on top of a large raft, which could also withstand Cao's bows and arrows and trebuchet attacks.  In the sound of war drums, 15,000 Han troops were launched. The sword and shield troops, spear troops, crossbow troops and heavy armored infantry formed a magnificent black tide and rushed toward the city.  .  On the top of the city, Cao Jun was ready. Twenty light trebuchets in the east and west rows creaked open. This kind of trebuchet is only eight feet high and has a throwing rod of two feet and four feet. It can throw up to twenty kilograms.  The heavy object was thrown one hundred and eighty steps away.  Its biggest feature is that it occupies a small area, which is very suitable for a small city wall like Yexian County. It can be operated by only twenty people.  Half of the forty trebuchets were used to project boulders, and the other half were used to project clay pots of kerosene. Each leather pocket contained thin-skinned clay pots containing twenty kilograms of kerosene. This round-belly, thin-skinned clay pot has experienced  After countless actual combat tests, it replaced the original kerosene and wooden barrels and became a necessary military material for the Han and Cao armies.  The attacking Han army is getting closer and closer, and has entered the 300-step line. A heavy trebuchet pulled by a hundred people can launch the attack, but Yecheng's trebuchet is relatively small, with a range of only 150 to 100 steps.  At eighty steps, General Cao Junya, who was in charge of commanding the trebuchet, shouted loudly: "Get ready to launch!" The soldiers operating the trebuchet were so nervous that their hands were shaking and their legs were trembling, anxiously waiting for the order to launch.  But the general Li Dian calmed down at this time. He watched the Han army's offensive wave approaching the city step by step without revealing anything. He found that there were no Han army trebuchets, nest carts, or even large ladders, which made him feel relieved.  A soldier shouted: "General, the enemy's forward has reached 250 steps!" Li Dian nodded and shouted sternly: "Fire with the crossbow!" Cao Jun's crossbow suddenly fired, with one crossbow and two arrows, a hundred  A three-foot-long iron arrow was shot powerfully at the cluster of Han troops. The vanguard of the Han troops fell on their backs and dozens of soldiers were shot down.  A strong desire to shoot tempted the general who commanded the trebuchet, but the red flag in his hand was never waved. Without the red flag waved, the forty commanders of Cao's army did not dare to give the order to shoot.  One hundred and eighty steps, the Han army finally entered the range of the trebuchet. The red flag in General Ya's hand finally waved down, "Shoot!" Forty Cao army commanders shouted almost simultaneously.  The trebuchet was started, and forty long throwing poles were swung out, and twenty large rocks and twenty pottery pots of kerosene were thrown at the Han army. The huge rocks made a sharp whistling sound and rolled in the air with unparalleled speed.  Appearing on top of the Han army, the Han soldiers shouted and dodged to both sides. Although the stone only weighed twenty or thirty kilograms, it was still extremely powerful when dropped from a high place.  ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ There was a muffled sound, the boulder fell down, and dust flew into the air. Several Han soldiers were unable to dodge, and their brains were smashed and they died tragically on the spot.  The clay pot shattered and the kerosene splashed out and flew three feet away. The Han soldiers knew how powerful it was and buried the kerosene with earth.  At this time, a thirty-kilogram boulder hit the cross-city raft above the soldiers' heads. There was a "bang" sound, followed by a series of shattering sounds. The straps on the raft were broken, and dozens of trees rolled down.  Dozens of Han soldiers hiding under the raft stumbled out. Some were injured by falling logs and lay on the ground groaning in pain.  The second round of trebuchets was fired again. At this time, the Han army had rushed within a hundred steps. Cao Jun found that the kerosene had no effect, so they replaced all the trebuchets with big rocks. Forty boulders rolled in the air, roaring and smashed down, and hundreds of crossbows and big arrows were fired.  Also shot head-on.  The soldiers of the Han army shouted and dodge, but many soldiers were still hit and shot. For a time, their flesh and blood flew everywhere, their shields were broken, and their rafts were broken.   Although the trebuchets and crossbows are quite powerful, they are too few in number to cause huge damage. Ten thousand Han soldiers have already rushed to the bottom of the city. On the city, Cao Jun fired arrows like hail and rain.  The overwhelming force shot towards the Han army.  The soldiers of the Han army raised their shields to meet each other, and some people were hit by arrows and died miserably. In the rain of arrows, thousands of soldiers of the Han army blasted the four-foot-long raft across the city!  ¡¯ The ground was placed on the moat, forming more than twenty temporary tree bridges. Each one was four feet high, and a wide climbing ladder modified from a cross-city raft was set up on the top of the city.  Groups of brave Han soldiers rushed up the ladder and began to climb up. Cao Jun's arrows shot at them diagonally, and rolling logs and stones fell head-on. Strings of Han soldiers screamed and fell down the stairs, and were shot by arrows.  During the attack, heads were smashed, and corpses piled up under the city wall. Immediately afterwards, Han soldiers frantically climbed up the stairs and charged upwards at all costs.  At this time, Liu Hu, who was furious, rushed to Wenpin and shouted: "The governor wants us to be a decoration?" Wenpin said apologetically: "I just tested the enemy's strength first. There are heavy armored infantry below.  Attack the city." He ordered: "The siege soldiers retreat, use bows and arrows to suppress the city!" When the order came out, the Han soldiers retreated like a tide, and the six thousand soldiers turned into crossbowmen and raised their crossbows a hundred steps away.  Shoot at the top of the city to suppress Cao Jun.  At this time, the drums in the Han army roared loudly again, shaking the earth and the earth. Five thousand heavily armored heavy infantrymen went out to fight. They were arranged in five rows, all tall and tall, with cold and sharp horse-cutting swords in their hands, and they marched step by step.  The city lined up, their pace was slow, but every step they took was so thrilling and shocking, as if their arrival was unstoppable.  "One hundred stepsfifty steps." Cao Jun's arrows roared in, hitting the heavy armor of the heavy-armored infantry, and they bent and fell to the ground. Cao Jun on the city had a strange movement.  This formidable army was not afraid of arrows, which made them frightened. Li Dian was also a little nervous. The Han army actually sent heavy armored infantry.  Dozens of huge attack ladders wrapped in thick cowhide were set up on the city wall. Iron hooks were hung on the battlements. The heavy armored infantry began to climb the wall. Only then did Cao Jun at the top of the city react. Rolling logs and stones rained down, and the heavy armor  The infantrymen used long knives to strike at the boulders and logs.  A heavy armored infantryman of the Han army split a piece of rolling wood, but was hit by a heavy stone on the heavy armor. Although it was not fatal on the spot, the huge impact still caused him to roll down, and the sword flew high.  Hovering in the air, the cold light shone like a flying ice flower.  After all, the Han army that was knocked over was only a minority. More heavy armored infantry lined up and attacked step by step against the rain of rolling wood and rocks.  Li Dian was sweating profusely. He tried his best to think of ways, shooting with arrows, hitting with stones, and burning with fire. He used all the methods he could think of, but in front of this Han army, all methods were of no avail. He  His face was pale, as if he had seen the city fall for a moment.     No!  There must be a way. His eyes suddenly stopped on the huge wooden ladder. The ladder pole was thicker than his legs and was covered with thick cooked cowhide.  He stood there for a long time, then suddenly, he rushed up like crazy, raised the clay pot of kerosene and smashed it against the ladder. This might be their only chance. Cao Jun's soldiers woke up from a dream, rushed up together, and threw the ladders one by one.  The fire oil in the clay pot was poured down.  The flames began to burn, and hundreds of Han army heavy armored infantry on the ladder were engulfed by the fire. They screamed and jumped off the ladder, seeing that the heavy armored infantry would be defeated by the fire.  At this critical moment, a thunderous roar sounded in the air, and a huge black shadow swept in like a violent wind. This was Liu Hu rushing up in spite of the raging fire.  He waved his saber, and blood mist suddenly filled the air. Three Cao soldiers were cut into six sections. His saber flew up and down, and in a moment, more than a dozen Cao soldiers were chopped to the ground.  Li Dian's eyes turned red. He shouted, charged forward with a big iron gun, and fought with Liu Hu. However, the heavy armored infantry were deeply inspired by their general. They were not afraid of the fierce fire and rushed to the top of the city despite the fierce fire.  , more and more heavy armored infantry rushed to the top of the city and began to line up and fight fiercely with Cao Jun, killing Cao Jun's soldiers and retreating steadily.  Li Dian and Liu Hu fought for more than 20 rounds. He saw that the Han army had occupied the city and knew that the situation was over, so he had no intention of fighting anymore. He used a flaw and turned around to escape, but found that he was surrounded by hundreds of heavy armored infantry.  The troops were surrounded.  Liu Hu laughed, "Even if you kill me, you can't escape." Li Dian shouted, turned around and killed Liu Hu again. Unexpectedly, a big net rushed toward him, dragging Li Dian over.  He struggled desperately, but a dozen sharp swords were pressed against his chest and throat at the same time. Liu Hu said coldly: "I respect you as a man, and I don't want to kill you. Don't humiliate yourself!"  Li Dian sighed and closed his eyes in pain. At this time, Liu Hu looked up to the sky and roared"Brothers, follow me and fight into the city!" With a wave of his saber, he led thousands of heavy armored infantry along the corridor and rushed into Ye County. This strategic city of Cao Jun finally fell. Liu  Hu also won the bet, and he captured Ye County in less than an hour.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 958 The Huns are coming

    Chang'an in September is undoubtedly the same intoxicating season as March. The autumn air is crisp, the grain harvest is in sight, and people are in an extremely happy and comfortable mood. As the war gradually moves away from Guanzhong, and with the rapid development of trade, Chang'an also reappears.  The grand scene of the Han Empire in the past.  First of all, the population is growing rapidly. Rich households from all over the world are moving to Chang'an in an endless stream. Within a year, nearly 8,000 large families have moved to Chang'an from all over the world. Calculated as 20 people per household, this is a population of 160,000 to 70,000.  In addition, there are also officials who moved from Chengdu and their family members of military generals.  In just one year, the population of Chang'an soared from 100,000 to 300,000. Although it caused many public security problems, it also greatly promoted the development of Chang'an and the great changes in the appearance of the city.  In fact, together with the craftsmen who came to Chang'an from all over the country looking for work, the merchants from all over the world, and the troops stationed in Chang'an, the actual population of Chang'an has exceeded 400,000.  The entire city of Chang'an is full of mansions and shops under construction, turning Chang'an City into a large construction site in full swing.  That morning, a team of Huns envoys from Monan slowly entered Chang'an City. The team consisted of a hundred people, but they brought thousands of camels. The camels were loaded with heavy items, all of which were of the highest quality.  The furs and medicinal materials, as well as a lot of platinum and precious stones produced in the Yinshan Mountains, were gifts from the Xiongnu Chanyu Daman to the Han King Liu Jing.  Daman's special envoy is named Hulan Shizhuliuduo. He is Daman's clan brother and King Youguli of the Huns. He has a high status in the Huns. Shizhuliuduo has lived in Taiyuan for several years and can speak fluently.  Chinese, and gave himself the Chinese name Liu Duo, which was also the transliteration of his Xiongnu name. In the Xiongnu, everyone generally called him King Liuduo.  Liuduo is about forty years old. He looks very old, with gray hair and wrinkles on his face. He looks as if he is in his sixties. This is Liuduo's second visit to Chang'an. A few months ago, he had been singled out by a single man.  Daman's entrustment came to negotiate with the Han State and demanded the redemption of some of the captured soldiers and Huns women and children.  The Han State also agreed to their request and offered fifty sheep to redeem one person. This price was within the affordability of the Huns. Liuduo agreed, but both sides had to report to their respective lords. Liuduo returned to the grassland, and  Pingzhangtai's expedited express letter was also sent to Hefei.  The purpose of Liuduo's arrival this time was to finalize the final agreement and negotiate some details. The Xiongnu were very eager to get back the captured tribesmen. To be precise, they were eager to get back the captured Xiongnu soldiers. As for the rest of the Xiongnu women and children, they were just  A cover-up.  Just two months ago, a fierce battle broke out between them and the Xianbei people in Mobei over the pasture. In the past, they were the ones who provoked the Xianbei people, but this time it was the Xianbei people who came to seize their pasture. Although they were defeated in this battle.  They killed the Xianbei people, but they themselves also suffered heavy casualties.  More importantly, this is a warning. The nomads are very sensitive to warnings. The upper class of the Xiongnu have felt the threat from the Xianbei people to them, so it is very urgent for the Huns to redeem the captured Xiongnu soldiers.  Chang'an Avenue is very lively with people coming and going. Most of the passers-by are well-dressed and radiant. There are shouts from various shops on both sides of the road. Barbarians from the Western Regions can be seen everywhere, including Hexi Qiang people wearing short clothes and long boots;  The Wusun people wear narrow-sleeved white robes and wear hooded hats; there are also the Kushan people with deep eyes, high noses, and fair skin; and the Sogdians with hair cut to the neck and wearing pointed hats.  Almost all of these barbarians from the Western Regions were merchants, leading large groups of camels, with eyes full of the hope of getting rich. They looked no different from the Huns¡¯ envoys. It was for this reason that travelers from Chang¡¯an also regarded the Huns¡¯ envoys as a group.  A caravan of barbarians who came from afar nodded and saluted them politely.  Liuduo let out a long sigh and said to the deputy envoy Ali beside him: "I came to Chang'an twenty years ago. It seemed to be the second year after Li Ji's rebellion. It was also in this position. What I saw was a blockbuster movie.  Ruins of ruins, dens of rats and foxes, hordes of beggars everywhere, women with half-clothed clothes, and selling of children and daughters can be seen everywhere. It makes people feel very desolate. But when I look at Chang'an today, I actually have a feeling of the reappearance of the Han Empire.  I just understand why Shanyu plans to surrender to the Han Dynasty. Liu Jing is really a great leader!" Ali also nodded, "Your Majesty is right. The feeling today is indeed different from two months ago. The change is too fast.  " Just as he was talking, a dozen officials came riding on horseback opposite. The leading official was about thirty years old, with a medium build, and a pair of bright eyes full of shrewdness. Liuduo recognized this person at a glance. He was the same person he received last time.  Their Han Dynasty minister Liu Min was overjoyed and waved his hands and shouted: "Liu Shijun!" Liu Min also saw him, urged his horse to come forward and saluted you and said with a smile: "I was about to go out of the city to greet you, but I didn't expect that you were already here.  Entering the city." Liu Duo chuckled, "The Huns are fastidious in doing things, so we went straight into the city without resting outside the city." Liu Min took a look."Their luggage," he said with a smile: "Why did the prince bring so many things?" Liuduo pointed to the more than a thousand camels at the back that were loaded with items and said with a smile: "I brought a lot of prairie specialties, which were specially given by my Shanyu.  A gift for His Highness the King of Han." Liu Min smiled happily and said, "Your Majesty, you have worked so hard. Please come with me to the post house to rest." Liu Duo was anxious, so he quickly pulled Liu Min and whispered, "It's still early.  My subordinates can go to the post house to rest, but I want to see the ministers first. Is it convenient?¡± ¡°The prince is too impatient.¡± Liu Min looked at the sky, it was still early at noon, and said with a smile: ¡°Okay.  Come on! I'll take the prince to see Sima Shangshu. Now it's his turn to be in charge." Liuduo was overjoyed, "I'll bother you."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Although Liu Jing, the king of Han, was not in Chang'an, the multi-phase balancing system he established still enabled the Han Dynasty's government affairs to operate smoothly and steadily. Only major military affairs must be decided by Liu Jing. ????????????? Whether it is a major military-state affairs or not is decided by the Shizhong Yin. The Shizhong is the supervisor of the ministers, which prevents the ministers from expanding their power without authorization.  In Pingzhang Terrace, the ministers were gathering in Sima Yi's official room to discuss the matter of sending troops and annexing the state. Today is the fifth day of Sima Yi's term as the governor. The so-called governor is the prime minister. Except for major events that need to be negotiated, the rest  Trivial matters are decided by the prime minister.  The executive pen was originally rotated every ten days, but starting from last year, Liu Jing considered that ten days was not conducive to a complete resolution of a matter, so he changed the executive pen to be rotated once a month, so that when the monthly report is issued, it is easier to  Judging the merits and demerits is also a kind of pressure on the ministers who govern the pen.  Sima Yi served as the Minister of the Ministry of War and was in charge of the daily affairs of the Ministry of War. This was also a reform at the beginning of this year. He established the five-ministry and nine-secret system, setting up five departments of officials, households, soldiers, punishments and workers. Xu Shu was appointed as the official secretary and Jiang Wan was appointed as the household secretary.  Sima Yi was appointed as the Minister of War, Dong He was appointed as the Minister of Punishment, and Fei Guan was appointed as the Minister of Works. Each of them had two ministers as deputies. When it was the turn to direct political affairs, the minister was in charge of the overall situation, and finally the minister  for full supervision.  So this month, Sima Yi, who was in charge of writing, was in charge of the overall situation. Sima Yi handed the express letter sent by Liu Jing to everyone and said with a smile: "This is an autographed letter from His Highness, everyone, take a look! His Highness seems to want to  The war situation has expanded. We will not only attack Hefei, but also Ye County and push into Xuchang. Now we are preparing to send troops to Luoyang and Bingzhou. It¡¯s very exciting!¡± Everyone took the letter and read it again. Xu Shu said with a smile: ¡°These should all belong to His Highness.  They are bluffing to put pressure on Cao Cao, forcing them to strengthen their armaments, in order to weaken Cao Cao's strength. I heard that Bingzhou's grain production will be reduced this year, and Cao Cao will be under great pressure. I am afraid that he will not be able to support it. " Dong He next to him asked in confusion:  "The autumn grain harvest in Guanzhong is still good, how can Bingzhou's grain production decrease?" Xu Shu pointed at Jiang Wan and said with a smile: "Ask our God of Wealth! He knows better than anyone else." Jiang Wan was in charge of the Ministry of Accounts and controlled the finance, taxation and civil affairs of the Han Dynasty.  , so everyone in the Han Dynasty called him Jiang God of Wealth. When Jiang Wan saw Xu Shu calling him the God of Wealth to his face, Jiang Wan had to smile bitterly and said: "The decrease in grain production in Bingzhou is because a large number of farmers in Hedong County have moved west to Guanzhong, leaving nearly 70% of the fertile land in Hedong County."  No one is growing grain. I calculated that this year's autumn grain production in Hedong County will be reduced by at least 60%, Shangdang County will be reduced by 30%, and Taiyuan County will be reduced by almost 30%. Even if Cao Cao orders the relocation of refugees to make up for it, it will be too late, and it will continue.  It will affect next year's summer grain harvest. "Everyone looked at each other and couldn't help but feel moved. You must know that the three southern counties of Bingzhou have always been Cao Cao's granary, especially Hedong County. Nearly half of Cao's army's military rations came from the farms in Hedong County. The production was reduced by 70%. Of course.  It will cause huge financial pressure on Wei State.  Jiang Wan continued: "In fact, after many years of war, the population in various places has dropped sharply, and there are only so many farmers with multiple fields. We have used the method of dividing the land and reducing taxes to attract a large number of farmers from the merged states to Guanzhong. Naturally, there will be fewer farmers in the merged states, unless  Cao Cao can also implement the 'dividing land and reducing taxes', otherwise all the farmers in Bingzhou and the Central Plains will be lost sooner or later." Sima Yi nodded, "I heard that Cao Pi sent people to measure the land in Bingzhou and Hebei, and he is probably preparing to follow our example in dividing land.  , but the distant water cannot quench the near thirst, what to do with the military rations for the Hefei War? Your Highness has started a war in the Central Plains and Bingzhou. How can the Wei State have money and food to prepare for the war? Your Highness is using national power to decisively fight Hefei. It is indeed a big deal!  After pondering for a moment, he asked Jiang Wan, "Can we afford the taxes, money and food?" Jiang Wan pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, we are also under great pressure. The grain depot in Jingzhou is empty, and the grain storage in Yizhou has also gone.  We have even mobilized all the food stored in the military city on Qishan Road. Fortunately, we still have a lot of cattle and sheep from last year, which can be used.Hold on, frankly speaking, even if there is a bumper harvest this year, we can only hold on for half a year at most. I hope the Battle of Hefei ends as soon as possible more than anyone else.  " As soon as he finished speaking, Sima Yi chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Jiang Shangshu, we have a big deal that has already come to your door.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 959 War on the Western Front

    Liuduo followed Liu Min to Pingzhangtai. Five ministers had been waiting for him at the gate for a long time. Everyone greeted him one by one. The ministers invited Liuduo into the meeting hall of Pingzhangtai like a star holding the moon.  The guests and hosts were seated. Although Liu Duo was grateful for the kindness of the Han State, he kept his head clear and was not dazzled by the warm hospitality of the ministers. More importantly, he was anxious, hoping that he could take back the prisoners of war this time.  grassland.  Sima Yi felt the anxiety in his heart and smiled slightly: "On behalf of His Royal Highness the King of Han, I would like to thank you for the gifts." "Those gifts are just personal thoughts and are not worth mentioning. I came to Chang'an this time to accept orders.  Yu's carte blanche, hoping to formally redeem the Huns prisoners of war, women and children. "The last time Liu Duo was on an envoy, he was secretive and didn't mention the prisoners of war, only talking about the young Huns. But this time it was completely clear that he was here to get them back.  Huns prisoners of war.  Several prime ministers looked at each other, and Sima Yi smiled and said: "We have reported this matter to the King of Han. The King of Han agrees with the matter in principle, but hopes to discuss some details." "I also want to talk about some details, I don't know, Your Highness, the King of Han"  What details need to be clarified?" Sima Yi said calmly: "There are several aspects to the details. One is how to deliver it in one go, or in batches?" "Liu Duo hesitated, they said.  They wanted to take the people back at once, but they planned to deliver the five million sheep to the Han State in two years, but this didn't seem to be equitable, so he said cautiously: "We want to take back the Huns in two installments.  We will take back the prisoners of war this year, and we will deliver two million sheep, and then we will take in the women and children next year. We will hand over the remaining three million sheep to you at once. Is this plan feasible? " Everyone knows it well.  , I am afraid that after the Huns get the prisoners of war, the subsequent agreement will not be implemented. At this time, Xu Shu smiled and said: "If we want to deliver the goods in batches, we can only hand over the women and children to the Huns first, and then hand over the prisoners of war next year. If the Huns refuse to accept  This plan can only be delivered all at once. I wonder which plan the prince is willing to choose? " Liuduo secretly smiled bitterly in his heart. This was Daman's idea. He first bribed Liu Jing with gifts and then proposed their plan. It seemed that the other party was very interested.  Knowing their intentions and refusing to be fooled at all, Daman had no choice but to nod and said: "In that case, let's make one delivery! I hope it can be completed as soon as possible." Sima Yi smiled slightly and said: "Actually, my master also proposed an alternative plan.  "Of course, if the Xiongnu is unwilling to accept it, I won't say anything." "Please speak clearly to Sima Xiangguo. I am willing to listen carefully." "We have a total of 35,000 Xiongnu prisoners of war in our hands. We can return all the prisoners of war to the Xiongnu."  Add 15,000 Xiongnu old men, a total of 50,000 people, in exchange for 5 million sheep. As for the 80,000 women and children, we will keep it. I wonder if the prince can accept this plan? "This is Liu Jing's idea. He doesn't want to give it up.  80,000 women and children were returned to the Huns and kept to reproduce the population. Since Daman actually wanted Huns prisoners of war, he simply returned all 35,000 Huns prisoners of war to the other side. As for the old Xiongnu people, they were really a burden, Liu Jing  He didn't want to bear it either, so he returned it all to the Huns.  Liu Duo pondered for a while and said: "I can agree to this plan, but I'm afraid these prisoners of war have families, and I hope their families can be returned to us as well." Sima Yi laughed, "Thirty-five thousand prisoners of war, at least two  Ten thousand people have dependents, that means at least 40,000 to 50,000 women and children. If the Huns want it, of course we can give it back, but "Sima Yi did not continue. What he meant was that the dependents, women and children need to be calculated separately. Liu Duo understood what he meant.  , this is actually the other party making excuses. The 20,000 prisoners of war agreed upon originally should include their families. There is no reason why the men should be taken away while the wives and children are left behind. However, the details were not discussed at the time, so I did not pay attention.  These issues, now when it comes to details, this problem comes out.  However, Liu Jing was willing to give him 35,000 prisoners of war, which was equivalent to an increase of 15,000 people on the original basis. It was regarded as paying for the extra 15,000. Thinking of this, Liuduo slowly  He said: "Based on 40,000 people and fifty sheep per person, how about we bring out another two million sheep?" Sima Yi smiled faintly and said, "What my lord wants is not two million sheep, but one hundred sheep."  "Ten thousand cows." Liuduo was shocked. He didn't expect Liu Jing to be so open-minded and ask for one million cows. You must know that not all pastures can raise cows. In the Xiongnu, one cow is equivalent to ten sheep.  They themselves only have two million cattle, and this asking price is too harsh.  But Liuduo also knew that he couldn't refuse outright. He said slowly: "Can you compromise, we will give you two hundred sheep and an additional two hundred thousand cattle." Of course, Sima Yi also knew that one million cattle was unrealistic.  It¡¯s just that the price is high and it¡¯s convenient to sit down.To pay back the money, he smiled and said: "Since the Huns are sincere, then I will give in one more step, two million sheep and half a million cattle. In addition, we will give the Huns a special gift. I believe you will do it alone."  "You must be very interested." "What gift?" Sima Yi took out two volumes of documents and handed them to Liuduo. When Liuduo opened one of the documents, his face suddenly changed.  The letter of credence was written in Chinese, hoping to form an alliance with the Han Dynasty and attack the Xiongnu together.  Liuduo's face was extremely ugly, and he opened another volume of documents. It was Bu Dugen's request to purchase 300,000 kilograms of high-quality pig iron from Han.  At this time, Liu Duo's heart was in chaos. Bu Dugen had reconciled with another Xianbei Shanyu Kebi Neng. Both Xianbei tribes had their eyes on the Xiongnu. If they united with the Han army again, it would mean annihilation for the Xiongnu.  country.  Cold sweat flowed from Liu Duo's forehead, and he summoned up the courage to ask: "I wonder how His Highness the King of Han is going to reply?" Sima Yi smiled and said: "I can tell you frankly, my lord does not want a powerful enemy to appear in the north, let alone  I don¡¯t want the Xiongnu to be destroyed by Xianbei, so my lord proposed to return all 35,000 prisoners of war to the Xiongnu. This is my lord¡¯s sincerity. Does the prince understand?¡± Liuduo felt a little relieved, knowing that Liu Jing was here.  Sincerity, they had to show sincerity, so they gritted their teeth and said: "Then according to your conditions, a total of seven million sheep and 500,000 cattle. I hope that our soldiers can come back as soon as possible." "No problem.  , before winter, we will deliver it together in Gaonu County. "Will Han Dynasty sell the 300,000 kilograms of pig iron to Xianbei?" Liu Duo still asked a little worried.  Sima Yi shook his head, "Please don't worry, Your Majesty, we won't sell even a pound of pig iron."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  On the same day that Wenpin and Liu Hu led their troops to attack Ye County, general Zhao Yun also led 30,000 Han troops from Pujin Pass, crossed the Yellow River, and launched a massive attack on the southern part of Bingzhou.  To the east of Pujin Ferry is Hedong County in Bingzhou, which is also an important farming area for Cao Cao. Here he set up Diannong Zhonglang General and recruited a large number of farmers to farm in Hedong County.  However, since the Han Dynasty implemented the national policy of "introducing farmers and dividing their fields" in Guanzhong, tens of thousands of farmers from Hedong and their families migrated to Guanzhong in large numbers. In just one year, people from Hedong County, Shangdang County and Taiyuan County  More than 20,000 rural households and nearly 200,000 people moved to Guanzhong from the county, which greatly enriched the population of Guanzhong.  Among them, Hedong County is the hardest hit area. Due to the loss of a large number of tenant farmers and the loss of land, Hedong County's autumn grain production will be reduced by 70% this year, which will greatly affect Cao's army's military rations.  Just when the Bingzhou officials didn't know how to report to Wei Gong, the Han army launched a massive attack on Bingzhou. Bingzhou fell into extreme panic for a while. Officials from various counties abandoned the city and fled, while the soldiers stationed in the fields looked at the wind and surrendered.  Within three days, the Han army occupied Hedong County and continued to march towards Taiyuan County.  There were only more than 15,000 Cao troops stationed in Bingzhou, commanded by general Xiahou Shang. The situation was critical. Xiahou Shang sent three urgent dispatches of 800 miles to Yedu for help.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  At the same time that Zhao Yun led 30,000 troops to Hedong County, General Zhang Ren also led 10,000 Han troops out of Tongguan and marched towards Luoyang.  The army marched towards Luoyang with great momentum.  It is not far from Tongguan to Luoyang. It only takes three days of march to reach it. Cao Jun's troops stationed in Luoyang are not many. There are only more than 8,000 troops under Commander Xiahou Dun. Since Cao Jun concentrated his troops for the Battle of Hefei, it is natural that  Weakening the defense of the Western Front, Cao Jun's Western Front includes Xuchang, Ye County and Luoyang, and currently only has 45,000 troops deployed.  Forty-five thousand men had to face the two-line defense of Nanyang and Luoyang, which was clearly stretched. Xiahou Dun had to adopt the strategy of one heavy and two light, stationing 30,000 heavy troops in Xuchang. In this way, whether it was a crisis in Ye County or a crisis in Luoyang,  Xuchang's army could rush to the rescue in time.  But one thing Xiahou Dun did not expect, and he could not have expected, was Liu Jing's overall layout. Whether he sent troops to Ye County, marched to Bingzhou, or sent troops to Luoyang, the three fronts attacked simultaneously, and the Han army set off on the same day.  When Xiahou Dun received an urgent letter from Luoyang garrison Zhou Ling asking for help, he had just arrived at Ye County with his army. The army was stationed five miles north of Ye County. Before he could counterattack Ye County, Luoyang's letter for help trapped Xiahou Dun.  In the midst of a dilemma.  How should he respond?  Should we abandon Ye County and support Luoyang, or ignore Luoyang and continue to attack Ye County?  Xiahou Dun was unable to make a decision in the tent. At this time, a soldier reported: "Captain, Mr. Jia is outside the tent asking for an audience." Xiahou Dun quickly said: "Please come in quickly!"??Jia Kui came in. When the Han army captured Wancheng, Jia Kui was recuperating in the city and became a prisoner of the Han army. However, Liu Jing did not force Jia Kui and let him go back to Xuchang. Jia Kui was already recovering in Xuchang.  After several months, the injury had basically recovered, and Cao Cao ordered him to assist Xiahou Dun in Xuchang. This time he also followed Xiahou Dun to rescue Ye County.  Xiahou Dun asked Jia Kui to sit down and asked anxiously: "Sir, does he know about the Han army sending troops to Luoyang?" Jia Kui nodded, "That's why I came here. I don't know how the governor is going to deal with it?" "I just don't know what to do.  It¡¯s a dilemma to deal with!¡±  The dispatch of troops to Ye County and the dispatch of troops to Luoyang are almost at the same time. It can also be seen that this is a unified deployment by Liu Jing. It is aimed at our weakness of stationing troops in Xuchang and it is difficult to take care of both sides. If we go to save Luoyang, then the Han army will be in Ye  County, we will even send troops to attack Xuchang, but if we ignore Luoyang, once Hangu Pass is lost, Luoyang will not be safe. This is indeed a dilemma, but in any case, the governor can only defend one of them. If both sides want to protect,  With the strength in our hands, I'm afraid both sides will fail." "Sir, you are right. I can only defend one side. The question is which side should I defend?" Jia Kui smiled slightly and said, "I want to ask first, Commander.  How sure are you of being able to recapture Ye County? " "Ye County has 5,000 heavy armored infantry and 10,000 elite soldiers, but I only have 30,000 troops. To be honest, I am not even 10% sure." "That's the case.  "Why did the governor want to protect Ye County?"  Xuchang can only send 10,000 troops to rescue Luoyang, but 10,000 troops are too few. The governor needs to report to Duke Wei immediately and ask Duke Wei to send another 20,000 troops to Luoyang, so that everything will be safe." Xiahou Dun thought for a moment and finally made up his mind.  "Just follow what Mr. said!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 960 Sniper Killing the Hu Envoy

    Compared with Chang'an, which is becoming prosperous and powerful, Yedu in September seems a little gloomy. Although it is the same autumn and the same sunshine, the autumn in Yedu is depressing and dull.  This is not only because the clouds of the war in Hefei have affected the Yedu government and the public, but also because the reduction in autumn grain production in Bingzhou has made people feel heavy. Businessmen are the most sensitive. The price of grain in Yedu has risen from 80 yuan per dou of rice at the beginning of August to 100 yuan at the end of August.  It costs three hundred yuan per dou rice, and it continues to rise.  On the first day of September, there was a rush for rice in the city. Within a day, the price of food soared to 500 yuan per dou of rice. Later, with the intervention of the government, it gradually dropped back to 350 yuan per dou of rice.  The skyrocketing price of food has had a great impact on people's livelihood. People are restless and there is no hope for the future. Rumors have begun to spread that many wealthy people from Yedu secretly went to Chang'an to buy land and build houses to prepare for their own escape.  Soon after dark, the streets became deserted. The public security in Yedu has been bad recently. Incidents of robbery and wounding by hungry people often occur, which makes people panic. As soon as it gets dark, every house closes its doors and no longer takes to the streets.  Food shortages and poor public security also affected business. The originally prosperous business began to become depressed, and nearly 30% of the shops were closed. The biggest impact was on the taverns. Cao Pi issued a ban on alcohol, and half of the taverns were forced to close. This made  The nightlife in Yedu became deserted.  The Sanjin Tavern near Yedu Dongcheng has also been greatly affected. However, it has not closed down. Instead, it has been operating miserably. The closing time has been extended every day, hoping to attract as many drinkers as possible.  At this time, the Sanjin Tavern was deserted. There was not a single customer in the shop. The two bartenders sat bored at the door and took a nap, looking forward to closing early.  At this time, the door curtain opened with a bang, and a cold wind blew in. A drinker came in. The two bartenders immediately cheered up. They recognized the person as Yang Tian, ??the censor Zhongcheng, who was a regular customer of their place.  ¡°It turns out it¡¯s Yang Zhongcheng, and he¡¯s here to drink at this late hour!¡± the two bartenders said with unusual enthusiasm.  "Hmm!" Yang Tian snorted and looked around the lobby of the tavern, but didn't see the shopkeeper. "Where is your shopkeeper?" Yang Tian asked.  "Here! Here!" The fat shopkeeper Wang walked out of the back room quickly with a smile on his face, "Yang Zhongcheng, please come upstairs!" Yang Tian had a special room here, so he went up to the second floor and walked directly in  The elegant room he often used still followed the old rules, one pot of wine and five dishes. The prohibition on alcohol had no restrictions on him.  He poured himself a glass of wine and drank it slowly. Of course he was not here to drink, but to see Li Fu.  For a long time, Yang Tian played the role of a double agent, working for Cao Pi and secretly colluding with the Han State. However, with the decline of the Wei State, Yang Tian became more inclined to the Han State. He must give himself  Leave a way out.  It is for this reason that the information he provided to Han became more and more valuable. For example, he revealed the important information about the emptiness of Wei's treasury, which won Liu Jing's approval and enabled Liu Jing to adopt the strategy of war of national power.  decision making.  At this time, the door opened and Li Fu walked in quickly and said with a smile: "It's so late, Yang Zhongcheng, is there something urgent?" Yang Tian nodded, "There is indeed something important. Mr. Li, please take a seat first!" Li  Fu sat down, poured himself a glass of wine, and stared at Yang Tian calmly. Although Li Fu was a bohemian man, he would never be vague in serious matters.  Yang Tian pondered for a while and said: "Today Cao Pi received an important guest, which may be related to the outcome of the Battle of Hefei." Li Fu was startled and asked quickly: "What kind of guest is it?" "It's from Xianbei Dongshan Yu Ke Bineng.  Special envoy, the Xianbei people offered to exchange one million sheep for 10,000 bows and 300,000 arrows from Wei. Cao Pi was very interested and could see that he meant to agree. " Li Fu's expression became serious.  Of course he knew what this meant. Once Xianbei and Wei reached a deal, one million sheep would greatly alleviate Cao's army's money and food crisis, which would be extremely detrimental to the lord's national power battle.  Li Fu immediately asked: "Has an agreement been reached?" "I heard what Cao Pi said. It seems that the two sides have reached a consensus, but Cao Pi has to ask Cao Cao for instructions, and the Xianbei envoy also has to go back and report to Ke Bineng." Li Fu pondered for a moment, and then  Asked: "When will the Xianbei envoy leave?" Yang Tian understood what he meant and came slowly: "Tomorrow morning they will leave Yedu and return north. There are about 20 people in the envoy's party, and there are 300 cavalry guards of Cao's army.  , they leave the fortress from Youzhou, and three hundred cavalry will escort them to the border of Youzhou, and then Cao Zhang's army will escort them out of the fortress. " Speaking of this, Yang Tian took out a map from his arms and handed it to Li Fu, "  This is the return route map for the Xianbei envoys, which was finalized by Cao Pi himself.?Hand-drawn from memory, Li Shijun, take a look for yourself!  ¡± After saying that, Yang Tian stood up and left the room, put on his clothes and hurried away. In the room, Li Fu opened the map and looked at the simple route map on the map. He couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep thought. ?¡­  £®£®£®  The powerful nomadic people occupied most of Mobei. But the good times did not last long. After Tan Shihuai's death, Xianbei split again, forming three parts: Eastern, Central and Western. Among them, Tuoba Xianbei in the west and Murong Xianbei in the middle.  In order to compete for territory and leadership, Tuoba Xianbei and Murong Xianbei fought for a long time and gradually declined, becoming the prey of the Southern Xiongnu. The Southern Xiongnu often sent troops to rob the Xianbei people's cattle, sheep and population. But last year, the Southern Xiongnu  After the Huns were severely wounded by the Han Kingdom, their vitality was greatly weakened. The Xianbei people saw an opportunity. Bu Dugen, the leader of Tuoba Xianbei, and Kebineng, the leader of Murong Xianbei, reached a reconciliation. A few months ago, the two groups of Xianbei people jointly sent troops to invade the Yinshan Mountains.  The battle with the Southern Huns at the foot of Yin Mountain resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. The Xianbei people were unable to win and were eventually forced to withdraw. The Xianbei people had realized that the reason for their failure was that their weapons were not as sharp as the Huns. Bu Dugen proposed to the Han State to purchase 300,000 kilograms.  They wanted to buy good pig iron, and Ke Bineng proposed to buy 10,000 bows and 300,000 arrows from Wei. Ke Bineng's envoy was named Murong Zhu, who was about thirty years old and extremely strong. He was also Xianbei.  Although Cao Pi wanted to report to Cao Cao, Murong Zhu knew that it was just a trap.  In order to win the battle with the Han army, Cao Jun must have sufficient food. They could not refuse the huge temptation of one million sheep. Murong Zhu was eager to rush back to Yazhang to report to Shan Yuke and his entourage.  There were more than 20 people, and Cao Pi sent 300 cavalry to escort them back north. They would pass through the Yanshan Mountains from Youzhou and return to Murong Xianbei's Yazhang station. They would go all the way north, passing through Guangping County, Julu County, and Guangping County.  Anping County, the afternoon they entered Hejian County, they arrived at Yicheng County, which is also the border between Jizhou and Youzhou. Youzhou is the territory of Cao Cao's second son, Cao Zhang. Although Cao Pi is already the heir apparent, he doesn't want to touch it yet.  The second brother of the heavy army fell out, so the troops he sent would not easily enter the borders of Youzhou. The cavalry of the Cao army escorting the Xianbei envoy will hand over with the Youzhou cavalry here, and the Youzhou cavalry will escort the Xianbei envoy from Youzhou.  When they were about ten miles away from Yicheng County, a posthouse appeared not far ahead. At this time, a cavalry galloped back and reported to the guard Ya General: "For General Shi, there is a post sent by Mr. Zhang to the posthouse ahead."  The cavalry wants to hand over to us.  "The leader of the escort cavalry is named Shi Lin. He is a tooth general. He was a little startled. Normally, the handover should be in Yicheng County. Why was he at the post house in advance? However, the strange thought in his mind just flashed through. This kind of  The handover is not that strict, and the post house is also an official place. In their view, there is no difference between the county town and the post house. Shi Lin immediately ordered: "Go to the post house to rest!  " The team speeded up and arrived at the post house. The post house was already occupied by hundreds of Youzhou cavalry. At this time, a well-dressed middle-aged man walked out of the door in a hurry, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I am joining the army from Youzhou to join the Korean army.  Ping, are you the Xianbei envoys from Yedu?  " Shi Lin saw that the other party acted calmly and had a strong sense of officialdom in his words. He did not dare to be negligent. He quickly got off his horse and returned the greeting: "We are exactly the same.  "That's right. I am here to hand over the envoys under the order of General Qiaoqi. Thank you for your hard work along the way."  " Han Ping took out the letter and handed it to Shi Lin. Shi Lin took it and read it. It was an official letter from Youzhou, escorting the Xianbei envoy out of the country. There was Cao Zhang's seal underneath, which was confirmed. Shi Lin had no doubts and said with a smile: "In that case  , I¡¯ll leave the rest of the journey to you.  " Han Ping smiled and said, "General, please come into the inn and rest for a while!  " Shi Lin saw that the post house was too small to accommodate his own soldiers, and that it had already been occupied by the other party's soldiers. He shook his head, "I have to rush back to recover my life, so I won't rest. Let Messenger Murong rest!  " He said goodbye to Murong Zhu, then led the three hundred cavalry to turn around and run south, and soon disappeared on the official road. Han Ping watched them go away indifferently, and then smiled at Murong Zhu: "The sky is still dark now.  Morning, let's drive a little way first and spend the night at the northern post station ahead. I've sent someone to arrange food and accommodation. What does Mr. Murong think?  " Murong Zhu wanted to rest for a while before leaving, but the other party urged him to leave. He couldn't object, so he nodded, "Okay!  Just listen to KoreanMilitary arrangements!  " Han Ping was overjoyed and quickly ordered his cavalry to prepare to set off. Hundreds of Youzhou cavalry mounted their horses and escorted the Xianbei envoys to the north. After walking for about seven or eight miles, Murong Zhu discovered that they were not taking the official road to the county seat, but the official road to the county town.  It was another fork in the northwest direction. He felt a little strange and asked: "Han Canjun, don't we go to the county seat?"  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 961 Three Suggestions

    Han Ping shook his head and said with a wry smile: "I'm not afraid that Mr. Murong will laugh. The farmers in the county are making trouble. Thousands of rioters have surrounded the county government office and asked the county magistrate to reduce taxes. The situation is very chaotic. I'm worried that the rioters will besiege you, so I don't dare to go to the county."  " Murong Zhu nodded. He also heard that this kind of thing happened often in the Central Plains. No wonder they didn't dare to go to the county town. He asked curiously: "How can farmers cause trouble?" Han Ping sighed, "Not yet.  Because of the war, Wei Gong transferred all the grain to the south to prepare for the war. However, this year drought occurred in various parts of Hebei, and grain production was reduced. Wei Gong also wanted to increase Hebei's tax by 30%. The farmers couldn't bear it, so they started to make trouble. You went all the way north, without any  Have you encountered it?" Murong Zhu shook his head, "I have seen the drought reduce production, but I haven't heard of farmers rioting." "That is General Shi deliberately avoiding it. This year, Hebei's taxes will be increased by 30%. How can farmers not cause riots?  "People!" "Han Canjun is right!" Murong Zhu no longer had any doubts and followed the Youzhou cavalry northward along the path. Soon they entered Shuize Road, which was the Baiyangdian in later generations, and not far away was the white water.  , they walked north along the shore path. This area was inaccessible and the road was muddy and difficult to navigate. It took them two full hours to walk less than twenty miles, and it was already getting dark.  At this time, Murong Zhu became angry. He urged his horse to catch up with Han Ping and shouted, "Han Shenjun, you can't walk on this dirt road at all. What do you mean?" Han Ping's face changed, and he said coldly: "  I'm sorry, your journey has come to an end!" "Who are you?" Murong Zhu felt uneasy and took a few steps back, staring at Han Ping in surprise.  "My surname is Li, and my name is Li Fu. Of course, I am not joining the army from Youzhou. To be honest, the Youzhou cavalry to pick you up are still waiting in the county. However, they received my message and thought that you would no longer go to Youzhou.  "I guess he has gone back." Murong Zhu was shocked and turned to run away. A cavalryman next to him stabbed him with a spear. The tip of the spear pierced his vest. Murong Zhu screamed and fell off his horse.  Li Fu shouted: "Do it!" A hundred Han army scouts disguised as Youzhou cavalry took action together. There were loud screams in the swampy land. After a while, all the twenty or so Xianbei followers were killed by the Han army.  The scouts acted quickly, sinking all their corpses into the mud, leaving evidence of Youzhou cavalry on them, and then quickly ran away along the original road.  Of course Li Fu knew that the murder of the Xianbei envoy would be discovered sooner or later, but that would have to wait at least until next spring, and Xianbei was a long way away. After they found out, they would investigate the responsibility, find out the truth, and negotiate again and again, even if it was the end.  If an agreement is reached, it will have to wait until this time next year, and the Han army has won time. Cao Pi placed his glimmer of hope on the Xianbei people, but he did not know that Cao Pi¡¯s dream of using mutton as military ration had been eliminated by the Han army scouts led by Li Fu.  Crushed ruthlessly.  Before he became the crown prince, Cao Pi was in charge of government affairs, but could not intervene in the military affairs. After he became the crown prince, he finally gained some power over military affairs. Although it was only about raising money and grain, transporting grain and grass, recruiting soldiers and other logistical matters, it was also Cao Pi's dream. He  You can then use your power to win over the generals and gain support from the military, making your position more solid.  However, a clever woman cannot make a meal without rice. During this period, Cao Pi was really overwhelmed by the huge military pressure of the Han army and the lack of food and grass. The Han army sent troops to merge with the state and occupied Hedong County. It sent troops to Luoyang, occupied Hongnong County and fought with Cao's army at Hangu Pass.  In the confrontation, in Nanyang, Ye County fell, and Wenpin's army seriously threatened the security of Xuchang.  Letters asking for help from Luoyang and Taiyuan have been sent to Yedu one after another, asking Cao Pi for military support, money and food support. Now that the price of food in Yedu is soaring, the government to stabilize food prices cannot provide it, so they can only rely on forced orders not to increase prices.  .  At this time, Cao Cao, who was far away in Shouchun, also wrote an urgent letter, asking him to immediately raise 300,000 shi of military rations and send them to Shouchun. The huge financial pressure made Cao Pi almost fall ill.  With desperation, Cao Pi had no choice but to visit Xun You and seek a solution to the problem. Xun You was originally in his hometown of Yingchuan, where he served as the Xuchang patrol envoy and was no longer involved in military and government affairs.  But two months ago, Cao Cao transferred him back to Yedu to assist Cao Pi in handling government affairs. Although he arrived in Yedu, Xunyou stayed at home due to illness. Cao Pi also felt that he had no intention of helping him at all, so he ignored him.  If there was still a choice, Cao Pi would never come to Xun You for advice, but now Cao Pi was forced to be in a state of distress, so he had to put down his body to check on Xun You's condition.  Xun You's second son, Xun Shi, led Cao Pi to the inner hall and said respectfully: "Father is waiting for the crown prince in the inner hall, please come!" Cao Pi nodded and walked directly up the steps, but at a glance he saw Xun You sitting at the table drinking tea,He was not lying on a sick bed as he imagined. Cao Pi suddenly felt unhappy. Xun You was not sick, but he refused to come out to greet him and even sat in the hall to wait for him. How rude was this?  Although he was dissatisfied, he now had something to ask for, so he had to hold back his anger and stepped forward to salute: "Nephew, see Uncle Xun Shi!" "Nephew, you don't need to be polite, please sit down!"  As a minister, he just regarded himself as Cao Pi's elder, so he did not get up to return the gift to Cao Pi. Cao Pi sat down. He suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart and said with a smile on his face: "Seeing that Uncle Shi looks good and is in good health, my nephew  "I am deeply pleased." "Where is your health? The price of rice in Yedu is too expensive. My uncle can't even afford to eat, so he is just living with asthma. However, my nephew seems to be in poor health and is a little weak, so he can't eat."  Let¡¯s start eating!¡± Xun You said with a half-smile.  Cao Pi bit his lip hard, and Xun You actually ridiculed him to his face. He almost exploded, but he endured it again and again. Cao Pi could only say angrily: "All the grain has been shipped to Hefei. Where can I have grain to stabilize the price of grain? Uncle Shi clearly knows that Wei  "The current situation of the country, why do you want to embarrass your nephew?" "It turns out that I blamed my nephew by mistake. I'm sorry!" "Uncle Shi didn't know. In the spring, in preparation for the war in Hefei, we transported 500,000 shi of grain from various places to Shouchun.  I originally expected that the autumn grain harvest would be compensated, but unexpectedly the autumn grain production in Bingzhou would be reduced by half. Another drought occurred in Hebei. Governments in various places were unable to make ends meet and there was no grain in the warehouses. However, wars continued in various places. The Han army launched a large-scale attack. Soldiers, money and food were tight. My father asked me to raise three more funds.  One hundred thousand stones of grain were sent to Shouchun, and I was almost driven to death." Having said this, Cao Pi looked at Xun You pitifully, hoping that he would come up with something to help him. Xun You smiled, "I understand what my nephew means.  , My nephew hopes that I can come up with an idea, but I have not been involved in current affairs for a long time and have no understanding of the situation in various places, so how can I do it behind closed doors? "I'm sorry, I can't help my nephew." Cao Pi lowered his head sadly and said in a low voice for a long time.  : "Uncle Shi and his father started a business together, which is why the Wei State is what it is today. Even if Uncle Shi doesn't care about political affairs, for the sake of decades of friendship with his father, let's show my nephew a clear path!" Xun You nodded and smiled.  Said: "Since my nephew has already said this, if I don't express my position, I will really be an elder in vain. I can give my nephew three suggestions on what to do. My nephew can deal with it by himself." Cao Pi  Overjoyed, "My nephew is willing to listen attentively to my uncle's opinions."  If the Duke returns to Yedu, then all the problems will be no problem; thirdly, if the battle of Hefei is delayed until winter, Wei will be completely defeated. Those are the three points. If my nephew can do this, he can naturally sleep on the mat. " Coming out of Xun You's house,  Cao Pi sat in the car and recalled what Xun You said. Although he had some understanding, he still couldn't see through it. It was like looking at a flower in the fog. He knew the outline of the flower but could not see its true face.  After returning to the mansion, Cao Pi immediately ordered someone to invite Xu Yi. Xu Yi sat down and said with a smile, "Young master, what urgent matter do you need to see me?" "I just visited Xun You and asked him for advice. He reminded me of three points. I  But I couldn't fully understand it, so I asked you to read it for me." With that, Cao Pi told Xu Yi Xun You's three sentences. Xu Yi thought for a moment and sighed with emotion: "As expected of being the mastermind of Wei Gong.  "You see clearly!" Xu Yi praised repeatedly, but forgot about Cao Pi who was waiting aside. At this time, he saw a look of dissatisfaction in Cao Pi's eyes, and quickly said with a smile: "It's not that you don't understand, but that you don't have enough experience.  Understand the root cause, such as the second point, which actually broke the secret rule of the officialdom. With Wei's family background, it could still support the Battle of Chibi. Even if the Battle of Chibi damaged the vitality, it would not be the end of the battle in Hefei.  , The local government still had some savings, but they just didn't want to take it out, so they rushed to complain about poverty before Ye Du came to collect food. But once Wei Gong came back, no one dared to hide their secrets. " Cao Pi snorted heavily, "They.  You are clearly bullying me!" "Young master, don't be angry. This is the case in officialdom. When the young master takes the position of Wei Gong in the future, no one will dare to bully the young master again." Cao Pi nodded and asked: "Then Xun You's first point.  "What does Article 3 mean?" Xu Yi sighed and said: "This is the war of national strength launched by Liu Jing against us. Whether it attacks Bingzhou or Luoyang, the Han army is building momentum to force us to fight and consume our national strength. Then Liu Jing  Fighting a protracted war in Hefei will eventually bring us down. In the final analysis, the Hefei battle must end as soon as possible. Although we can still tear down the east wall to repair the west wall, our financial resources cannot last until winter, and Liu Jing's goal has been achieved. "  Cao Pi paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, thinking about various information. For a moment, he asked in confusion: "Xun You asked me to ignore the Han army's attack except Hefei, butWhat if the Han army captures Taiyuan?  There is also Luoyang. If Luoyang falls, Xuchang will not be able to save it.  "Xu Yi said slowly: "Xun Gong means that the Han army is just bluffing. I understand Xun Gong's deep meaning. Maybe it means that Chang'an's troops are empty, and the Han army does not dare to go out for too long. Once there is trouble inside,  There will be great chaos in Han Dynasty.  "Cao Pi frowned and said, "The Han Dynasty is peaceful internally, so what internal troubles will there be?  " "It's possible to say, maybe the barbarian territory is unstable, maybe the Qiang and Di have different intentions, maybe the Huns will come back, maybe Ma Chao is also waiting for the opportunity to break up the soil and stand on his own. In short, the Han country is not peaceful, so the Han army  After bluffing, they will inevitably retreat to Guanzhong.  "    "I see!  " Cao Pi nodded, and he resolutely made up his mind and said: "Xuchang still has 100,000 shi of grain, and Xuzhou has another 100,000 shi of grain. I will rush to Xuchang tomorrow and personally escort the grain to Shouchun in exchange for my father's return.  " "Young Master is going to Shouchun?  "Xu Yi was stunned. Cao Pi smiled faintly, but did not explain. There are some things that cannot be said. His father fell ill in Shouchun, and his third brother Cao Zhi had rushed from Xuchang to Shouchun to serve his father. Cao Pi did not go to Shouchun in person, just in case.  What should I do if my father is confused and lets the third brother take charge of Shouchun? The list of supporters of the third brother has not yet been handed over, so the power struggle between the brothers is still not over.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 962 Confrontation in Hefei

    Since Liu Jing failed to attack Hefei several times, he simply stopped all attacks on Hefei and adopted a confrontation strategy. To be precise, he used Hefei as bait to hold back Shouchun's 100,000 Cao army and conduct a battle.  A protracted war supported by national strength.  The most advantageous aspect of the Han army is that it has its back on the Yangtze River and uses the Yangtze River to transport grain. The cost of grain transportation is extremely small. Not only grain is transported to Jingzhou, but even grain from as far away as Bashu can be transported to Hefei through the Yangtze River.  A large cargo ship can transport up to several thousand dan of grain with only ten boatmen. On the contrary, Cao Jun's grain was transported from Jizhou, Bingzhou, Xuzhou and Yuzhou counties to Shouchun. Most of it was transported by land, which was extremely inefficient.  .  First of all, hundreds of thousands of civilians need to be recruited. Each person can only transport two or three shi of grain at most, and half of it will be consumed on the road. When a million shi of grain is transported to Shouchun, only 500,000 shi are left.  This is why Cao Cao had to build a canal from Shouchun to Hefei, hoping to reduce food transportation losses through water transportation.  But it is the soldiers who really consume food. In peacetime, soldiers have a limited amount of food. Each soldier can only receive one liter of food per day, and most of them can only eat half full. However, during war, soldiers must eat enough. Everyone knows that to make  If soldiers work hard, they must be fed.  Due to the general shortage of oil and water and the heavy activity, the soldiers had a huge appetite. Each person consumed at least two liters of rice per day, which is six buckets of rice a month. Taking into account the damage caused by mold and rats, 150,000 soldiers would consume nearly 150,000 rice a month.  One hundred thousand shi of grain, and Cao Jun had accumulated nearly 500,000 shi of grain in preparation for the war in Hefei. According to normal consumption, it could last for half a year.  But in fact, Cao's army's grain distribution was extremely unbalanced. Hefei City stockpiled 300,000 shi of grain, and provided support to Jiangdong with 100,000 shi of grain. Shouchun actually only had 100,000 shi of grain left.  The food in Hefei City could support the defenders for a year, but the food in Shouchun was far from enough. After only two months, Shouchun's food was almost exhausted.  This is why Cao Cao ordered Cao Pi to prepare 300,000 shi of grain as soon as possible. But even if 300,000 shi of grain were prepared, excluding the consumption on the road, only 200,000 shi would be transported to the military camp at most. How long can these 200,000 shi of grain last?  What's more, Cao Pi could not raise 300,000 shi of grain at all. He only had 200,000 shi of grain from Xuchang and Xuzhou. After being transported to the military camp, only 150,000 shi was left.  War consumes national power in this way. Without strong national power as the backing, no one can support a major battle that lasts for several months or even half a year.  It was already mid-September, and the food shipped from Xuchang and Xuzhou gradually arrived in Shouchun, so that the 80,000 Cao army in Shouchun finally avoided the worry of running out of food.  At this time, Cao Pi also arrived in Shouchun and persuaded his father to return to Yedu to recuperate. Cao Cao's illness had lasted for several months. The war in Hefei was protracted and the Han army sent troops from all directions, which put great pressure on Cao Cao.  His condition, which had just improved, worsened again.  The situation was different from what Cao Pi imagined. Although Cao Zhi came to Shouchun to visit his father's condition, Cao Cao did not give him any chance to command troops. After staying in Shouchun for ten days, Cao Cao sent Cao Zhi back to Xuchang.  In the palace of Shouchun, Cao Pi sat in front of his father's bed and told his father three pieces of advice from Xun You. Cao Cao was very weak, but his mind was very clear. He nodded and said: "Xun You is a rare talent. Only Guo Jia and  Jia Xufang can compete with him. His three suggestions are very pertinent, but some things are not as simple as he thought. " "What does father mean?" "I mean that the Han army sent troops to merge with the state. Although they have withdrawn, I  After receiving the news, Hedong County has basically become an empty county. The population has been taken away by the Han army. There are less than a thousand people left in Hedong County. Half of the population in Shangdang County has also been taken away. The grain has also been harvested by the Han army. The city is empty and thousands of miles away.  Akano, Pi'er, we have suffered heavy losses!" Cao Pi nodded silently. He knew all these things. He originally wanted to hide them from his father, but he didn't expect his father to know about it. At this time, Cao Cao smiled and said: "But you were not fooled and did not tell Luoyang.  He went to Taiyuan to increase troops and did not transport money or food, so Liu Jing¡¯s plan to expand the war situation failed. This makes me very happy. Sometimes things happen suddenly and make people confused, but as long as they are handled calmly, don¡¯t be easily overwhelmed by emergencies.  If you do this, you will find that many things will disappear on their own. This is what happened when the Han army sent troops to the Central Plains. It was just a bluff." After a moment of silence, Cao Pi asked carefully: "What is my father's attitude towards the Xianbei people's business?"  Cao Cao sneered and said: "Sending pig iron and weapons to the grassland peoples is the stupidest thing. I hope you will not ask me for advice on such things in the future. You are the heir, and you should have the minimum political acumen. Once the Xianbei people become strong, they will  Do you understand that this is a serious disaster for the Central Plains?" Cao Cao looked at his son with a stern look. Cao Pi blushed, lowered his head and said, "Father's teachings, my son?Keep it in mind.  " Cao Cao nodded, "Liu Jing did a good job at this point. After he conquered the Di and Qiang people, he strictly prohibited the Di and Qiang people from mining and smelting iron. All Hexi craftsmen were moved inward, and merchants were strictly prohibited from doing so.  Sell ??pig iron, kerosene and other strategic materials to Hexi and the grasslands. Anyone who violates the order will be punished by death. Pi'er, these are principles that both Liu Jing and we must follow.  " "My child remembers it.  " After a moment of silence, Cao Pi asked again: "Father, are you going to confront Liu Jing like this?  " Cao Cao smiled bitterly and said, "What should we do?  It is impossible for me to abandon Hefei. He refuses to withdraw his troops. Should he ask me to withdraw his troops?  " "But procrastinating like this is not the answer. Can we fight to a decisive battle as soon as possible, cooperate with the army in Hefei City internally and externally, and annihilate the Han army under the city?  " Cao Cao shook his head slightly, "We only have 130,000 troops, while the Han army has 150,000. Not to mention whether we can win, even if our fighting strength is better than the opponent, Liu Jing is willing to fight us?  When our army passed by, he withdrew from the waterway, and even detoured north to attack Shouchun, burning our food. Pi'er and Liu Jing were experienced in many battles and were extremely cunning. We must not be careless.  "Cao Pi was speechless for a long time. Although his father's words made sense, they could not solve the Hefei problem. Cao Pi suddenly understood that his father didn't know what to do. Cao Cao closed his eyes for a long time, and then slowly said: "Han  The army is adopting a confrontational strategy, and there is no point in staying in Shouchun. I'd better go back to Yedu, and you will be in charge of Shouchun. Don't act rashly, and listen to the advice of Military Advisor Cheng.  " "My child understands.  " "There is also Sun Quan!  " Cao Cao also told Cao Pi, "Two months ago, I put pressure on Sun Quan to cooperate with our army's actions. Recently, I received news that Sun Quan had already started taking action a month ago. My son must pay close attention. Once  If Sun Quan succeeds, the Battle of Hefei will be reversed.  " Cao Pi quickly asked: "What action will Jiangdong Army take?  " Cao Cao smiled and said, "It's called a plan to draw fire from the bottom of the cauldron!  " He whispered a few words to Cao Pi, and Cao Pi finally understood and nodded, "Haier knows, and will pay close attention to the actions of Jiangdong Army. Once the Han army withdraws, Boyer will launch a massive counterattack.  " "No!  " Cao Cao's face changed drastically and he grabbed his son's hand, "If you counterattack, you will definitely fall into Liu Jing's trap. He will use his plan to lure you into the bait. You must not pursue him, so just let them retreat.  " Cao Pi broke out in a cold sweat and nodded repeatedly, "I remember it, kid.  " Cao Cao stared at him for a long time, still feeling uneasy, and said: "Everything must be discussed with Military Advisor Cheng. Without the consent of Military Advisor Cheng, you must not act without authorization!  " Cao Cao then summoned Cheng Yu and repeatedly told him to assist Cao Pi in Shouchun. He also ordered the generals to obey the prince's orders. After arranging many military affairs, Cao Cao set off and returned to Shouchun. Although Cao Cao left Shouchun  Even many Cao Jun soldiers didn't know the news, but the Han army found out about it immediately. In the Han army camp, Pang Tong hurried to Liu Jing's tent and asked several guards: "Is your highness here?"  ?  " "Your Highness is here, discussing military affairs with General Gan.  " "Please report for me, I have something to ask for to see His Highness.  " The guards quickly entered the big tent. Inside the big tent, Liu Jingzheng and Gan Ning were discussing the disappearance of the cargo ship in front of the sand table. This was a recent incident. Some cargo ships always disappeared for no reason on the river. This aroused Liu Jing's concern.  Be alert. Due to the outbreak of the war, merchant ships and passenger ships have been banned from sailing on the Yangtze River. Only military cargo ships and official ships can sail on the Yangtze River. The logistics fleet of the Han army usually sails in a fleet, with hundreds of ships in a row, stretching for nearly a hundred miles.  There will definitely be escorts by warships, but even so, every time the fleet arrives at its destination, it will always find that one or two ships are missing. This has happened three times in a row, but no one knows where the ships are missing. Although the loss is not large, this is.  This incident itself threatened the Han army's logistics and transportation. Liu Jing decided to ask Gan Ning to personally come forward to solve this hidden danger. Liu Jing said to Gan Ning sincerely: "A major general will become a problem. Once the logistics and transportation are not smooth, it will affect the entire war situation."  , General Gan, I leave this matter to you.  Gan Ning clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, please rest assured. I will personally sail with the ship. Within a month, we will find the cause and solve the hidden dangers."  " At this time, the guard reported at the entrance of the tent: "Your Highness, Military Advisor Pang has something to ask for.  Liu Jing nodded, "Invite him in!"  " After a while, Pang Tong walked into the tent and quickly stepped forward to salute, "I am here to see you, Your Highness!  Liu Jing ended her discussion with Gan Ning and asked Pang Tong with a smile: "What important matter does the military advisor have?"  ¡±   "Your Highness, I have received news that Cao Cao has left Shouchun and returned to Yedu. Now Cao Pi is in charge of Shouchun." Liu Jing suddenly laughed, "It seems that his body cannot support it anymore. I still  I thought he was going to fight me to the end!" Gan Ning couldn't help but said: "Your Highness, I think Cao Cao wants his son to bear the responsibility for the defeat!" Liu Jing waved his hand, "You can't say that, Cao Pi.  After all, he is the prince, and his reputation is also very important. If Cao Cao has this intention, he might as well let Cao Zhang take command. In fact, I can understand it. Look at Cao Cao's layout in various places now. Cao Zhang guards Youzhou, Cao Hong guards Nanyang, Cao Ren guards Xuzhou, and Cao Xiu guards  In Qingzhou, Xiahou Dun is guarding the Central Plains, and Xiahou Shang is guarding Bingzhou. They are all members of his family, and military power will never be transferred to outsiders. As for Hefei and Shouchun, there are so many troops, so naturally Cao Cao is in charge personally. He really can't support it.  , of course it is the crown prince Cao Pi who will take over. Isn't this normal?" Gan Ning nodded, "If your highness didn't tell me, I would have really not noticed. It seems that Cao Cao no longer trusts outsiders." Liu Jing sneered.  With a sound, "Cao Cao has lost his ambition to be a hero and has become a defender. I am afraid that even if there is not a single soldier in my pass, he will not dare to peek even half a step." Liu Jing said this out of emotion.  The army sent troops to merge with the state and Luoyang, and there were only 3,000 soldiers in Guanzhong to guard Chang'an. If he were Cao Cao, he would have immediately sent troops to cross the Yellow River and enter Guanzhong from a straight road.  Cao Pi didn't even have this idea. This shows that they have lost their intention to attack and are only thinking about how to maintain a little bit of territory. How can such a strategy last long?  At this time, Pang Tong said: "Since Shouchun has been replaced by Cao Pi, can we attack Shouchun and test Cao Pi's strength?" Liu Jing shook his head, "No matter how Cao Cao changes his formation, we must not do anything.  If we continue to confront Cao Cao's army until winter, Cao Cao will naturally ask for peace."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 963 The Mystery of the Disappearance

    The Han army's logistics transportation system was huge, but it mainly consisted of four waterways. One was the western route, which took the Minjiang River from Chengdu, and then via the Yangtze River to Nanjun. Grain and grass supplies from all over Sichuan and Jingnan were gathered in Nanjun.  The second waterway is the southern route. The grain and grass military supplies from Nanjun are then transported to Chaisang, the transfer station. The third waterway is the northern route. The grain and grass supplies from Xiangyang via the Han River also arrive at Chaisang.  Of course, after the Han army opened the Nanxiang Pass, the grain, grass and military supplies shipped from Chang'an were also transported to Xiangyang via Danshui, and then transported from Xiangyang to Chaisang via the northern route.  Chaisang became the logistics center for the entire Eastern Expedition of the Han Army. Millions of grain and military supplies were gathered here. More than 700 huge warehouses were built, forming a warehouse complex covering an area of ??several thousand acres.  , the Han army was heavily protected, with 20,000 troops protecting this warehouse group.  The fourth waterway from Chaisang to Hefei is formed, which is the east line. This waterway is particularly important. The Han army also invested 300 patrol warships to sail on the river, and civilian ships were prohibited from appearing on the river. Only warships were allowed.  , official ships and military transport fleets, but even with such tight defenses, there have been three consecutive disappearances of cargo ships in the past month.  A total of four cargo ships were missing, with a loss of 3,000 shi of grain and 2,000 shi of feed black beans. Although the losses were not large, the nature was extremely bad. Liu Jing was very angry and ordered the naval commander Gan Ning to personally investigate the matter and find out what happened.  the root of.  In the morning, on a group of empty ships heading to Chaisang, Gan Ning stood on the bow and stared at the river. His current location was between Hulin Town and Wankou, which happened to be the junction of Danyang County and Yuzhang County.  According to the testimony of several eyewitnesses, a cargo ship broke away from the convoy here.  At this time, several soldiers brought a boatman up. This boatman was also one of the witnesses. He was responsible for driving the boat at night. The two cargo ships in front of the big ship he was on left the team and disappeared.  Gan Ning turned around and asked him, "Is this where the boat you saw disappeared?" The boatman nodded, pointed to a big tree on the south bank and said, "That's the big tree. I remember it very clearly.  The big tree was just in sight when the ship left. "But it was two o'clock, could you see the big tree?" Gan Ning asked doubtfully.  "You can see that the moonlight was very good at that time. The fleet was not far from the south bank, and the big tree was clearly visible." At this time, Sima Zhou, the naval force next to him, asked without question: "Besides the cargo ship leaving the fleet, did you see any other ships at that time?  ? I mean, within an hour, were there any other boats approaching the two cargo ships? "The boatman shook his head, "Definitely not. I thought about it carefully, absolutely not?" "What about the night before?  Rare?" Zhou Buyi asked again.  The boatman thought for a moment and shook his head, "It rained the night before and the wind and waves were relatively strong." Zhou Buyi then asked a few more questions and asked the soldiers to take the boatman down. Gan Ning stood aside without interrupting Zhou.  When he asked Buyi, he knew that although Zhou Buyi had an eccentric temper and withdrawn personality, he was extremely intelligent. He could see this kind of thing more clearly than himself.  Gan Ning only needed to come forward in person to express his attitude because he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. However, in fact, this investigation was mainly focused on Zhou Buyi. Not only was he more intelligent, but more importantly, he was the Sima of the Navy. This kind of  Logistics and transportation are exactly what he is responsible for.  Gan Ning asked lightly: "What did Zhou Sima discover?" Gan Ning never joked with Zhou Buyi, nor did he call him his cousin, but called him by official title. Although Zhou Buyi was thirty-five or six years old, he still  He has a weird temper and doesn't understand the ways of the world.  For example, after asking the boatman just now, according to normal practice, he should ask Gan Ning if there is anything else to ask. After all, Gan Ning is the superior, and it was Gan Ning who asked the boatman first how he was. After he finished asking, he directly asked  Letting the soldiers take the boatman away was actually disrespectful to the superior.  However, Gan Ning also understood his weird temper and did not argue with him. Zhou Buyi said slowly: "I think we must first clarify who drove the cargo ship and left the team. If it was the boatman, then the boatman was bribed.  Maybe the boatman is selfish and greedy. If it's not the boatman, then someone secretly got on the boat. "Gan Ning still admired Zhou Buyi's mind, clear thinking, and often able to grasp the key to the problem. He thought for a while and said: "I.  I don¡¯t think it was the boatman. If the boatman was greedy, then the cargo ship that went missing should be a cargo ship carrying money, not food or even black bean fodder. What¡¯s the point of stealing a ship of fodder back with the threat of beheading?¡±  "The last sentence of the Governor is right, it touches on the crux of the problem!" Gan Ning was startled and asked in confusion: "What's the crux?" Zhou Buyi smiled, "I also think it's not the boatman who is greedy for supplies, but someone must be messing with it.  Once on the ship, the key lies in these?When will you board the ship?  I thought about it, and there are probably two possibilities. One is to sneak into the ship at the dock, such as pretending to be a porter, and the other is to get on the ship halfway. If the ship is on the way, it will most likely be at night. Take a small boat to get close to the fleet and avoid it.  If we have a patrol warship, is it at the dock or on the way?  " Gan Ning somewhat understood what Zhou Buyi meant, and smiled: "If they get on the ship at the dock, they will know what kind of goods are being transported, and they will not choose the ship that transports feed.  " "Not only that, when they board the ship at the dock, they don't know where they will be in the fleet. What if there is a warship next to them?  And as the governor said, what's the point of stealing a boat of fodder back?  When I opened the warehouse and found that it was fodder, I was so angry that I was half-dead.  Gan Ning laughed, "This kind of Jiang thief is too clumsy!"  "    "yes!  Compared with the governor back then, these gangs of Jiangmen thieves were indeed far behind.  "Gan Ning's face suddenly darkened, and he felt a little unhappy. Zhou Bujie really couldn't speak, and he actually mentioned his own past. Doesn't he understand that this is a taboo in officialdom? Zhou Bujie didn't realize that he was speaking.  Having offended Gan Ning, he was very excited and continued: "Since it can be determined that the Jiangcheng thieves boarded the ship halfway, then where did they board the ship?  The first is to board the boat at night. It takes a total of four nights along the way, and there are two nights before the boat leaves the team. One of them is a rainy day and a bright moon is in the sky. Since the boatman did not notice any small boat approaching on the night of the bright moon, it is nine out of ten that it is  Went on board the boat on a rainy night the day before.  "Gan Ning nodded. Zhou Buji's analysis was indeed good, which made Gan Ning's unhappiness disappear. As long as Zhou Buji could help him catch the Jiangxi thieves who destroyed logistics and shipping, then his little language skills  Gan Ning didn't have to worry about the disrespect. Gan Ning stared at the river and thought to himself, "If he wants to find out the bandits in the river, he can only escort the fleet himself." Ten days later, a transport force of the Han army arrived.  The capital's fleet sailed in formation on the river. This fleet consisted of 300 cargo ships of more than 2,000 stone, mainly transporting grain, kerosene and soldiers. The fleet was escorted by 30 warships and stretched for 100 meters on the river.  Fifty miles away, the momentum is extremely huge. It is already October, and the northwest wind is blowing on the river. The Han army's advantage of using the Yangtze River for transportation is about to end. After entering winter, civilian ships will not be able to go westward against the wind and the Yangtze River.  Transportation will be temporarily suspended. It is for this reason that the Han army increased its transportation density after autumn, and it was necessary to consume Hefei's strategic material reserves for half a year before winter came. Gan Ning's ships were behind the team.  , they analyzed the missing ships several times and found that the missing ships were all at the rear of the fleet. Of course, they were not necessarily the last one, because behind the last cargo ship, there were several escort warships. The missing ships were all at the 20th from the bottom.  Several warships, the warships just in front and behind this position are not visible, so Gan Ning's ship happens to be the twentieth from the bottom. It is actually a cargo ship disguised as a military ship. A military ship is stronger and more durable than a cargo ship.  There was a violent collision, but the appearance was no different from that of a cargo ship. In the cabin, Gan Ning stood in front of the porthole and stared out at the dark river. There was no moonlight tonight, and the waves on the river were very strong. Nothing could be seen. The big ship followed the waves.  The ups and downs caused the dim candlelight to flicker on and off. In front of a large table, Zhou Buyi and two soldiers were marking the features of the fleet along the map. At this time, Zhou Buyi suddenly said: "Captain, we will go another fifty miles."  Arrive at Qiupukou.  "Gan Ning perked up. He understood what Zhou Buyi meant. The last time a ship ran out of line was between Wankou and Hulin. There were only two river mouths in this distance, Wankou and Qiupukou. Of course, the missing cargo ship can also leave.  It was a little further, but it would be daylight when we reached the next river mouth, and it would be easy to be spotted by the patrolling Han troops. Therefore, it can be concluded that the large ship that left the team either entered the Wan River or entered the Qiupu River. There were Han troops in the Wankou River.  stationed, and the waterway suitable for the navigation of the two thousand stone cargo ship is not long. Their army has searched the coast of the Wan River and found no missing cargo ship. The Qiupu River is connected to the Po River and can finally sail into Pengze Lake. Gan Ning can make a preliminary conclusion.  , the missing cargo ship must have sailed into the Qiupu River. Another point is that the Jiangmen pirates cannot board the ship from Qiupu mouth. They must board the ship in advance, control the ship, and then look for opportunities to leave the team, so the Jiangmen bandits must do so in advance.  After thirty or fifty miles, Gan Ning boarded the ship and immediately asked, "Have the arrangements been made at Qiupukou?"  " "It's ready!  "A soldier replied immediately. "At this moment, there was a rush of footsteps outside the cabin, and a soldier reported urgently: "Alert to the Governor, three small boats were found on the river!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 964 Big fish caught

    Gan Ning stood by the mast, his eyes fixed on the front. He vaguely saw the shadows of three small boats, gradually approaching a cargo ship in front of them. It was a three thousand stone cargo ship loaded with soldiers and armor. It was huge.  , it was actually a decoy ship used to attract river thieves. In addition to ten thousand pairs of armor, there were also two hundred of the most elite navy soldiers hidden on board.  This was also Zhou Buyi's suggestion. After studying the details several times, he discovered a hobby of the Jiang thieves. The dozens of stolen cargo ships were all two thousand dan, which were the largest among the surrounding cargo ships. This showed that the Jiang thieves liked to pick up big items.  of stealing.  Now it seems that Zhou Buyi's strategy is completely correct. The Jiang Zemin thieves chose this three-thousand-stone cargo ship. Although Zhou Buyi was wise, he was still far from good at commanding operations. He also saw three  Looking at the shadow of a small boat, he couldn't help but asked nervously: "Captain, we can go up!" But Gan Ning shook his head, "No hurry, wait until they get on the big ship." About a quarter of an hour later, on the mast of the cargo ship ahead,  The hanging indicator lantern flashed, which was a signal, meaning that the other party had boarded the ship. Gan Ning immediately ordered: "Launch the ship!" Immediately, soldiers slowly launched twenty speedboats into the water, and two hundred sailors  He slid down the long rope from the big ship one after another, and drove the speedboat to outflank the front. Gan Ning stood on the bow of a speedboat at the front with a pair of halberds in his hands, staring sharply at the river. At this time  They have surrounded the two large ships in a double fan shape.  At this moment, a cry of killing suddenly erupted from the big ship, with shouts and curses, swords clashing, mixed with several screams, and several black figures were seen jumping off the big ship in panic and falling into the water one after another.  , several black figures climbed onto the boat, and someone faintly heard shouting: "You've been tricked, let's go!" The three boats immediately turned around and sailed towards the south bank, but after only a few dozen steps, they were surrounded by Han army clippers.  Surrounded by the enemy, hundreds of Han soldiers held crossbows and shouted: "Surrender immediately!" The three boats stopped. Seven or eight men in black looked at each other and raised their hands. But at this moment, a tall black man  The man in clothes suddenly jumped into the river and disappeared without a trace. Gan Ning was furious. He dropped his halberds and jumped into the river, disappearing quickly.  Gan Ning was known as the Jinfan Thief when he was young, and his martial arts in the water was unparalleled in the world. Although he is now over forty, he is still extremely brave. No matter whether he is fighting fiercely in the water or directing water battles, few people can match him. Only a few sailors from Jiangdong can match him.  General Zhan could barely compete with him.  The soldiers on the ship captured the remaining seven men in black. He searched the men in black for their military badges and was surprised to find that these men in black were not Jiangdong thieves, but Jiangdong naval forces.  The Han soldiers suddenly became nervous. A dozen navy soldiers jumped into the river to look for their leader, while the rest of the soldiers held crossbows and arrows and searched on the river. Suddenly, a soldier from the northeast corner shouted: "Over here!" More than a dozen speedboats immediately surrounded  When I got up, I saw waves rolling on the water. General Gan Ning seemed to be fighting fiercely with the enemy. For a moment, the water calmed down, "Wow!"  With a sound of water, a man in black was thrown onto the boat. Gan Ning also jumped on the boat and shouted: "Tie him up!" Several soldiers swarmed up and tied the man in black tightly.  The man in the water was strangled by Gan Ning's arm and passed out. It took him a while to slowly wake up. Gan Ning was also secretly surprised. This man in black was extremely brave in the water, and his martial arts skills were no less than his own. However, he was defeated by him because of his lack of experience.  After being captured, he felt that this person was by no means an ordinary person.  A soldier whispered in Gan Ning's ear: "Captain, you are not a Jiangdong thieves, you are a Jiangdong soldier!" Gan Ning was secretly surprised, it turned out to be the Jiangdong navy, so who is this person?  He stepped forward with a torch in hand and pulled off the fish skin mask on the face of the man in black. He was stunned for a moment. This Jiangdong general who was extremely brave in the water turned out to be General Xu Sheng. Back then, the Sun and Liu families fought together in Chibi.  Cao Jun, Gan Ning and Xu Sheng had a relationship, and they had a good relationship.  Gan Ning sighed for a long time: "It turns out to be General Wen Xiang, no wonder!" Xu Sheng lowered his head and said nothing. He was actually captured by mistake, which made him feel ashamed. Gan Ning cupped his hands and said: "I can't untie the rope in the river.  "Please forgive me, General Xu." Xu Sheng sighed, "I didn't expect it to be you. It's not a coward to fall into the hands of Gan Xingba." Gan Ning immediately realized that the problem was more serious. Jiang Dongjun would never just steal.  There must be a major conspiracy among the several ships. He ordered his men to escort Xu Sheng onto the ship, lock Xu Sheng in the bottom cabin, and send people to interrogate the other captured Jiangdong soldiers.  Not long after, the interrogating officer came back and reported, "To the Commander-in-Chief, the missing cargo ships are currently anchored at Pokou Town, Pengze Lake, but there are not four, but fourteen. The other ten were stolen on the way back, and they are all empty ships. We have no idea how to find them."  I don¡¯t know.¡± Gan Ning was stunned. He actually stole an empty ship. What did Jiang Dongjun want to do?  He asked again: "What are they doing stealing so many ships?" "It's a humble job."Using torture to extract confessions, these Jiangdong soldiers really didn¡¯t know what they were doing stealing ships?  but.  £®  £®  £®  £®  " "But what?"  "Gan Ning immediately asked. "One person said that he heard that General Ding Feng also came with two thousand soldiers.  " Gan Ning was puzzled. In addition to Xu Sheng, Ding Feng also led his army. What are they going to do? Gan Ning turned around and looked at Zhou Buji, only to see Zhou Buji standing in front of the map with his hands behind his back, his eyes  Looking at Pengze Lake on the map, Gan Ning stepped forward and said in a deep voice: "If Sima can't figure it out, then I will interrogate Xu Sheng.  "    "Need not!  " Zhou Buyi said coldly: "I already know their intention to steal the ship.  " "What is their intention?  "Gan Ning asked eagerly. Zhou Busuo tapped Chaisang hard with his index finger and said slowly: "If I am not mistaken, their target is the Chaisang warehouse. They will set fire to the warehouse first and take advantage of the chaos of the Han army.  , the troops outside rushed in to respond.  " "Why steal the ship?  "It's very simple. Heavy troops are deployed around the Chaisang warehouse and the guards are tight. Most people can't get in at all. But after winter, damaged cargo ships usually sail into the warehouse area for repairs. Although the boatmen on the ship must leave immediately, as long as  Hiding in the bottom cabin, they can stay in the warehouse area. Jiangdong Army soldiers will definitely hide in the bottom cabin and sneak into the warehouse area, waiting for an opportunity to set fire. They have stolen fourteen large ships, and they are still short of the last one.  There were fifteen ships, but unfortunately they fell short.  " "Why does it have to be fifteen ships?  "Gan Ning is still a little confused. Zhou Buyi smiled lightly and said: "It's normal for the governor not to understand the key, but I am Sima, and I personally formulated the rules here. I know their purpose very well. They must first  Entering the Chaisang waters, there are only warships and cargo ships entering the Chaisang waters. If they can't get warships, they can only have cargo ships, but cargo ships alone are not allowed to enter the waters. Only transport fleets can enter, and the minimum fleet size is  It must be fifteen ships. This is the rule I have set. If there are less than fifteen ships, they will not be allowed to sail into Chaisang waters, or they will be strictly investigated.  " After a pause, Zhou Buyi pointed to Wuhu and Ruxukou and said: "Maybe there are still some cargo ships in Jiangdong, but the Han army has a double blockade of the Yangtze River in Wuhu and Ruxukou, and the cargo ships in Jiangdong can't get through at all. They just  They could only target the Han army's cargo ships. The Jiangdong Army usually stole the empty ships on the way back because the guard of the Han army's warships was loose at that time, so they stole ten empty ships. Since winter was approaching, there were not many cargo ships on the return trip.  They couldn't wait any longer, so they started stealing large ships carrying cargo. Tonight was their last ship.  " Speaking of this, Zhou Buyi smiled and said: "I now know why they steal large ships with more than two thousand stones. Because there are too many cargo ships, Chai Sang can't stop in one place, so I stipulated last year that when sailing is closed in winter,  Chaisang is only allowed to berth large ships with more than 2,000 shi, while cargo ships with less than 2,000 shi are allowed to berth in Qichun County.  " Zhou Buyi's explanation solved the mystery in Gan Ning's mind, but at this time he still had another question in his mind. The three thousand Jiangdong Army who were preparing to attack Chaisang must have arrived. Where will they be now? Gan Ning pondered for a moment and said:  "In any case, this matter must be reported to His Highness the King of Han immediately.  " "We do need to report to His Highness the King of Han, but this is the opponent's last ship. I suspect that the Jiangdong Army is ready. Once they find something abnormal, they are likely to raid Chaisang. I suggest that while reporting to the King of Han, we should immediately  Take necessary measures against enemy forces.  " Gan Ning nodded. Zhou Bujie made sense. This kind of thing must be reported to the King of Han, but it does not require instructions to act. The enemy must be annihilated in time and hidden dangers eliminated. " But, what should be the next step?  Gan Ning looked at Zhou Buji in confusion. Zhou Buji understood Gan Ning's confusion and said with a smile: "Find a few soldiers to pretend to be boatmen, and then persuade a few Jiangdong soldiers to surrender, and promise them huge profits and sail an empty boat.  Don¡¯t you already know Pokou Town of Pengze Lake?  " "But how can Xu Sheng explain?  " Zhou Buyi smiled slightly and whispered a few words to Gan Ning, and so on and so on. Gan Ning nodded slowly, this method is also feasible.  Poyang Lake in the Eastern Han Dynasty was not the same as it is now.  Large areas of lake surface are distributed on both sides of the Yangtze River. The current Poyang Lake area is just a swamp and does not form a lake. At that time, Poyang Lake was called Penglize, also called Gongtingze or Pengze. Chaisang was located on the west bank of Pengze Lake, and Poyang River poured into Pengze.  Ze, and the Qiupu River, a large tributary of the Po River, flows into the Yangtze River. This afternoon, a large ship slowly moored on the riverside outside Pokou Town. Pokou Town is located at the entrance of the Po River into Pengze Lake, although its name is Zhen.  , but it has nothing to do with a small town in the traditional sense. There are large swamps on both sides of the river, and there are many large areas in the deserted swamp.The land is covered with dense forests, and there are very few fishermen living there, who make a living by fishing.  But at this time, there were more than a dozen cargo ships moored by the Po River, all of which were more than two thousand stones. At this time, the boatmen and Jiangdong soldiers on the ship saw a large ship approaching from a distance, and they cheered immediately. This meant that they had finally gathered together.  That's enough for fifteen cargo ships.  A small boat came up to meet it. The leading officer on the boat was a military commander from the Jiangdong Army. The small boat approached the big ship. The military commander asked loudly: "General Xu, can you leave?" A soldier looked over and smiled and said: "General Xu went directly to Chaisang.  Not in the boat." The military lord was surprised and did not dare to ask any more questions. He immediately sent someone to inform the commander-in-chief Ding Feng.  Jiangdong's preparation for a sneak attack on Chaisang's logistics center this time was an adventure Sun Quan decided to take after summoning Zhang Zhao in the middle of the night. Of course, it was also a strategy made under Cao Cao's coercion. Although Jiangdong could not participate in the battle of Hefei, Sun Quan knew very well that  Once Hefei is captured by the Han army and Cao's army is forced to retreat north, Liu Jing will most likely launch a campaign to annihilate Jiangdong.  What's more, the Han army has now captured Kuaiji and controlled the waterways of the Yangtze River and Taihu Lake. This made Sun Quan extremely frightened. After some inner struggle, he decided to take this risky move and sent Xu Sheng and Ding Feng to lead 3,000 troops.  Come to Chai Sang to do something.  At this time, hundreds of small boats appeared in the depths of the swamp. The small boats were filled with soldiers from Jiangdong. This was the appearance of Ding Feng leading three thousand troops.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 965: Going with the flow

    Ding Feng was the leader of this operation. After Xu Sheng ignited the fire in Chaisang warehouse, General Ding Feng led three thousand troops to take advantage of the chaos to raid Chaisang and completely destroy the Han army's logistics base. Once the Chaisang base was destroyed, the Han army would  We will have to end the Hefei campaign early and evacuate Hefei.  This is Cao Cao's plan to draw out the firepower. The benefits are extremely high, but of course the risks are also very high. Three thousand Jiangdong soldiers fight alone. If they are not careful, the entire army will be annihilated.  It is for this reason that Ding Feng was extremely cautious and stationed his army deep in the swamp, easily not showing up. This time, he only showed up after fifteen cargo ships were collected.  Ding Feng heard that Xu Sheng had sneaked into Chaisang first, and he couldn't help but be startled. In this case, who would lead fifteen cargo ships to Chaisang?  Xu Sheng should give himself an explanation.  Ding Feng was confused. He quickly came to the last big ship. At this time, a soldier on the ship had got off the ship. Ding Feng recognized him as Xu Sheng's personal soldier and asked: "What happened to General Xu?"  What's going on?" The soldier stepped forward and saluted, took out a letter and presented it, "This is a letter from my general to General Ding." Ding Feng took the letter and asked, "I want to know first, what happened?  "The soldiers looked to both sides and whispered: "We found a perfect opportunity. The Han army is in urgent need of kerosene, so we ordered a fleet to go to Chaisang to pick up kerosene. This fleet has special access.  The token can directly enter the fire oil depot in the inner harbor. My general took over one of the large ships and led the brothers directly to Chaisang. "The fire oil depot is located in the southeast corner of the warehouse group. It is guarded by five thousand troops and has extremely tight security.  Unlike other grain and grass soldiers, kerosene is generally not transported to the outer port terminal, but is directly loaded and shipped from the inner port.  The kerosene depot is their first target. They must obtain a large amount of kerosene to burn down the entire warehouse group.  Ding Feng nodded. This was indeed an excellent opportunity. No wonder Xu Sheng gave up the original plan. He opened Xu Sheng's letter and agreed in the letter that at the first update two days later, both parties would start at the same time. Xu Sheng would burn the warehouse and  Ding Fengze led his army to set off and entered the Chaisangku area.  Ding Feng took a look at the fifteen large ships. Although they gave up their original careful plan, these fifteen large ships could just be used to transport his soldiers.  Ding Feng read the letter again. At the first update two days later, there were still two days left, and he still needed to prepare well. Ding Feng immediately turned back and ordered: "Send my order and camp on the spot!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Two days later, night gradually enveloped Pengze Lake. A bright moon rose on the lake, sparkling, and the deep blue sky and blue lake water merged into one color.  In the shimmering moonlight, a huge fleet was slowly sailing towards Pokou Town. It was half an hour before the first watch. On the river in Pokou Town, fifteen large ships were gathering momentum.  At that time, all three thousand Jiangdong troops were on board, waiting for the order to set off.  Ding Feng stood on the bow of the first big ship, staring in the direction of Chaisang. It was not far from Chaisang, only about fifty miles. If there was a fire in the Chaisang oil depot, they could clearly see it.  Today the wind direction is northeast and the resistance is high. If you sail at full speed, it will take two hours to reach Chaisang. However, it will take at least two or three hours for the Chaisang warehouse to be completely chaotic. In other words, it is still too late to wait for the fire to start before setting off.  .  Ding Feng waited patiently for Chai Sang's movement, but he felt a little uneasy in his heart. This uneasiness came from the abandonment of the original plan and the adoption of a temporary plan, and he knew nothing about this temporary plan.  It was completely dark, and a sense of uneasiness naturally arose in his heart.  At this moment, a rocket appeared on the lake in front, shooting straight into the sky, which was extremely dazzling. Ding Feng was stunned. This was a warning signal. What happened ahead?  Not long after, a small patrol boat sailed back. As soon as it approached the big ship, the soldiers on the small boat shouted: "General, the situation is not good!" "What happened?" Ding Feng asked loudly from the side of the ship.  "Han warships were spotted on the lake ahead. There were more than a hundred warships, and they were coming towards us!" Ding Feng was so shocked that his heart almost stopped beating. Han warships were actually coming. He immediately realized that this was  Xu Sheng failed. Ding Feng didn't know whether Xu Sheng betrayed them, but he knew he had to retreat immediately.  "The fleet will set off to the south immediately!" Ding Feng shouted loudly, "Evacuate as quickly as possible!" The fifteen large ships slowly turned around and sailed south. They could only successfully withdraw to Jiangdong by landing in Poyang County. Otherwise,  Trapped in the swamp and mud, even if they were not annihilated by the Han army, they would be starved of food and perish.  But just after the fifteen cargo ships had sailed less than half a mile, a dense number of Han warships suddenly appeared in front of them, rushing down the river from the south and rushing toward them.    A cargo ship at the front was unable to dodge, its bow dodged, but its hull was violently hit by a Han warship. With a loud bang, the huge hull was actually smashed into two pieces.  The biggest difference between a cargo ship and a warship is that the hull is far less solid than a warship, and the front end of the warship is equipped with a pig iron ram. How can a cargo ship not fall apart under a violent impact?  The cargo ship broke apart, and nearly two hundred Jiangdong Army soldiers in the ship all fell into the water. There was chaos in the water, and the soldiers shouted in fear. Fortunately, most of the Jiangdong soldiers were good at swimming. After a period of panic, they swam to the shore one after another.  At this time, hundreds of Han warships had entered Poshui from Pengze Lake, chasing Jiangdong's army from behind. There were pursuers behind and interceptions in front. More than ten large ships had no way to go, and even  Without command, no one knew the whereabouts of General Ding Feng. After a moment of stalemate, the Jiangdong soldiers on board raised their flags and surrendered.  As early as when the first big ship was hit and broken, Ding Feng knew that something serious was over. He jumped on a small boat and quietly left the Poshui River with more than a dozen followers. Under the cover of night, he headed deep into the swamp.  Drive away.  Under the siege of 10,000 Han troops and 300 warships led by the general Gan Ning, all 3,000 Jiangdong Army soldiers became prisoners of war of the Han army. However, Gan Ning soon discovered that the enemy general Ding Feng was not among the prisoners of war.  When he escaped, shortly after dawn, Gan Ning led his army and escorted three thousand Jiangdong Army prisoners of war back to Chaisang. Gan Ning's warship had just docked at Chaisang Pier when he saw an officer waving a letter and shouting: "General Gan,  Urgent order from His Highness the King of Han! " Gan Ning quickly stepped off the ship, took the letter and looked at it carefully. Sure enough, it was an urgent letter from Liu Jing, King of Han. The letter asked him to burn down several empty warehouses to create momentum and cause chaos in the Chaisang Warehouse District.  Illusion of fire.  Gan Ning nodded. This was His Highness the King of Han's plan. Although there were still many details to be discussed, the military orders were overwhelming. He immediately ordered: "Immediately order all the Ya generals to go to the big tent to discuss matters." That night, Chaisang warehouse area  Dozens of warehouses in the northwest corner suddenly burst into flames. The flames shot into the sky, and thick smoke and fire rose more than thirty feet into the air. It was a spectacular sight.  In Chaisang City, which is more than ten miles away, people all over the city rushed to the city to witness this spectacular scene with their own eyes. Many people's eyes were full of worry. This was obviously a fire in the Han army's warehouse group. Chaisang was the logistics center of the Han army.  , This will affect the war on the front line in Hefei.  But there were also those who were very excited. In the night, a few homing pigeons took off into the sky and spread their wings to the distant east.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Chaisang was attacked by the Jiangdong Army, and a major fire broke out in the warehouse complex. The news came out that the Han army could not hold on in Hefei. Liu Jing ordered the army to evacuate Hefei. The Chaohu military dock was extremely busy, with huge warships full of Han troops.  Soldiers began to evacuate southward.  Liu Jing immediately stood on a high hill and stared at the Han army camp under the hill. Large areas of the camps were disappearing, and dense wooden fences were being pulled up to load ships. Groups of soldiers gathered on the dock and began to line up to board the ship.  .  In a huge sand pit in the distance, crimson flames kept rising into the sky, mixed with billowing black smoke. It was the Han army burning all supplies that could not be taken away, damaged ladders, and nests that could not be dismantled.  The vehicles, as well as the sick and dead soldiers lived in tents and their supplies. Hundreds of soldiers braved the thick smoke and continued to throw barrels of kerosene into the pit, making the flames even more intense.  No matter who saw all this, they would have concluded that the Han army was about to evacuate Hefei, ending the nearly half-year-long battle of Hefei. The Han army left so resolutely, without a trace of nostalgia.  At this time, Fazheng whispered to Liu Jing: "Although Your Highness used a trick to evacuate, Cao's army may not be fooled. Zhang Liao is quite resourceful, and Cheng Yu is on guard. Even if Cao Pi wanted to pursue him, he couldn't. If we do this, will  Will the gains outweigh the losses? "Liu Jing knew that Fazheng's tactics were excellent, but they were lacking in tactics, and the most powerful one was Jia Xu. He, Liu Jing, only had a little bit of Jia Xu's skills, but it was a pity that Jia Xu didn't come this time.  .  Liu Jing smiled faintly and said: "If it was just to lure Cao Jun to pursue, I wouldn't have to go to such trouble, let alone burn down fifty empty warehouses of Chaisang. Besides, we are walking by water, how can Cao Jun pursue us?" Fazheng then realized  Seeing that Liu Jing's actions had deep meaning, he hesitated and asked: "Then what is your highness doing?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 966 The King¡¯s Plot

    Liu Jing took a deep look at Fazheng and smiled meaningfully: "Cao Pi is not Cao Cao. Cao Cao does not need to consider issues such as military power control, but Cao Pi is different. Although he is the heir apparent, his status is not solid. As long as he does not ascend the throne for a day,  , Cao Zhi still poses a huge threat to him. Therefore, controlling the military power is far more important to him than the Hefei battle. However, the confrontation in the Hefei battle prevents him from thinking too much, so I want to withdraw the troops to reduce the military pressure on him.  , As long as he gets this opportunity, how can he not take the opportunity to deploy and control military power?" Fazheng nodded silently. This kind of political strategy is indeed his shortcoming. Of course, he does not feel any shame. You must know that Liu Jing is the King of Han.  , He has superhuman vision and a political acumen that is difficult for ordinary people to reach. His thoughts on political maneuvers are of course much more profound than his own.  "Your Highness, can you continue to enlighten us?" Huang Zhong, the veteran next to him, couldn't help but ask.  Liu Jing looked back at the generals and smiled slightly: "Now that the old general has spoken, how dare I disobey him." Huang Zhong kept saying he didn't dare, so Liu Jing calmly said: "Cao's army passed by dozens of people.  After years of integration, there are now three main factions. One is the Cao faction, headed by Cao Ren, the second is the Xiahou faction, headed by Xiahou Dun, and then the direct faction, such as Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Zhang He and others, are all direct descendants of Cao Cao, so  Look at the distribution of Cao's forces. Xiahou Dun is in Yuzhou, Xiahou Shang is in Bingzhou, Cao Ren is in Xuzhou, and Cao Xiu is in Qingzhou, but the leading generals in Hefei are Zhang Liao and Xu Huang. Don't you think it's interesting?" The generals around him laughed, "Your Highness.  If we don¡¯t say it, we really haven¡¯t noticed this distribution of forces.¡± Liu Jing added: ¡°After Xiahou Yuan was killed, the Xiahou faction suffered a heavy setback, but this time Cao Hong of Nanyang was killed, and the Cao faction also suffered a great loss. The two sides were evenly matched.  "Yes." "Your Highness, you mean that there is a conflict between the two factions?" Fazheng asked in surprise.  "Actually, it's not a conflict, it's just a struggle for interests. It's just that Cao Cao can control the balance and usually can't make any waves. But this time with Cao Pi in charge of Hefei, I'm afraid things won't be that simple. Xiahou Dun is guarding Xuchang.  I heard that he had a lot of contacts with Cao Zhi who was in Xuchang. Although I don¡¯t know whether Xiahou Dun supports Cao Zhi, I believe that Cao Pi will be very nervous." Seeing that everyone was listening intently, Liu Jing couldn't help but smile and continued: "  I can tell you a detail, that is, Cao Pi's grain adjustment this time, from Xuchang to Shouchun and from Xuzhou to Shouchun, is actually about the same distance on both sides, and Xuzhou can use waterways, so the grain adjustment consumption will be less. As far as I know  As you know, both Xuchang and Xuzhou have 300,000 shi of grain. In the end, Cao Pi actually transferred 200,000 shi of grain from Xuchang, but only 100,000 shi of grain from Xuzhou. This was obviously protecting the interests of Xuzhou. Cao Ren was in charge of Xuzhou.  , and Xiahou Dun is in charge of Xuchang, do you understand what Cao Pi is thinking?" Everyone suddenly realized, Fazheng sighed: "If His Highness hadn't said it, none of us would have imagined that the internal struggle in Cao's army would be so fierce." Liu Jing continued.  : "On the surface, things were calm, but in reality there was an undercurrent. Of course Cao Cao knew that, but he was seriously ill and he was worried that his life would not last long, so in order to transfer power smoothly, he actually handed over the military power of Hefei to Cao Pi.  I understand Cao Cao's painstaking efforts. He actually tacitly allowed Cao Pi to use this Hefei battle to control the military and create opportunities for him to take charge of the army. However, he was afraid that Cao Pi would give random orders and lead to Hefei's defeat, so Cao Cao entrusted Cheng Yu to assist Cao Pi.  It is difficult to have both ends, how can we win the battle and hand over power smoothly? "Fazheng is also an extremely wise man. With Liu Jing's little guidance, he suddenly understood. Now that he understands the whole story, Fazheng is a wise man."  After pondering for a while, he said: "Perhaps Cao Cao felt that the national power was difficult to compete with us, so he planned to abandon Hefei, so he left Hefei and returned to Yedu." "The French military advisor is right, this battle of Hefei is a battle of national power.  During the war, both sides struggled to consume supplies and food. Although we were running out of food, we still had millions of cattle and sheep as our backing. We could definitely hold on for another year, but Cao Jun could hardly hold on even this winter.  This battle could not be fought, and in the end we had to negotiate and withdraw from Hefei to the north. Cao Cao knew this outcome very well, so he left Hefei and allowed Cao Pi to truly command the army for the first time. "Huang Zhong asked again: "What do you think, His Highness?  What methods will Cao Pi use next? " "I can't guess the specific methods he will use, but the context is very clear. Cao Pi will definitely try his best to win over Cao Ren and give Cao Ren great power. As for Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Zhang He and others  Of course, Cao Pi will also show his kindness. If Zhang Liao appreciates it, that's it. If he doesn't, I'm afraid Cao Pi will have other ideas. " Just as he was talking, the ship in the distance rang the bell, and Liu Jing smiled at everyone: "  It¡¯s time for us to set off, leave the stage to Cao Pi and just watch the show.¡±   He urged his horse to run down the hill, and everyone followed him, rushing towards a large ship with a weight of five thousand stones.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  When the Han army withdrew from Hefei, Cao Jun at the top of Hefei City cheered. Many Cao Jun soldiers rushed out of Hefei City and occupied the Tushan Mountain outside the north city. They cheered and celebrated their victory on the Tushan Mountain.  Only Zhang Liao was preoccupied and stared south without saying a word. At this time, Lieutenant General Zang Ba stepped forward and said, "What are Wen Yuan worried about?" Zhang Liao sighed, "I feel that Liu Jing did not evacuate.  "Why do Wen Yuan think so?" "It's very simple. Hefei has already stocked up a lot of grain and grass supplies. Even if there is no firewood and mulberry supplies, the Han army can still survive the winter. Since there are enough grain and grass supplies, why would Liu Jing do it?  "Wen Yuan is right, the Han army has not lost power, so why retreat?" "Yes!" Zhang Liao sighed and said:  The Yuehan army did not attack the city at all, they were fighting a battle of national strength. They had the upper hand, but they retreated because of the fire in Chaisang. This is definitely not Liu Jing's rules. He must have a conspiracy to retreat in such a panic! "  "But they are withdrawing by water, knowing that we will not pursue them, so what does he want?" Zhang Liao shook his head, "I don't know either, but I believe he must have a deep meaning for withdrawing." At this moment,  A soldier rushed over and handed a roll of pigeon letter to Zhang Liao, "Commander, the prince has an urgent order!" Zhang Liao opened the pigeon letter and looked at it, his face couldn't help but change. Zang Ba saw that Zhang Liao's expression was wrong, so he asked nervously  "What did the prince say?" "He asked the two of us to go to Shouchun immediately to discuss the military situation." Zang Ba was stunned and couldn't help but said anxiously: "What about Hefei? Who will guard it?" This is really unreasonable. Usually it is the commander-in-chief.  After leaving, the deputy general stayed to defend the city, but Cao Pi ordered the general and deputy general to go to Shouchun together, and it was not known whether the Han army would suddenly come back. This is simply nonsense.  Zhang Liao pondered for a moment and said resolutely: "Hefei City cannot be careless. I will go to Shouchun, and you will stay and guard Hefei." "But the prince's side" "Stop talking about it, let's decide like this, the prince's side  I will explain that if he is really dissatisfied, I will bear all the responsibilities and will not implicate Xuan Gao." Zhang Liao immediately ordered: "Prepare your horses, I want to leave the city immediately!" Zhang Liao explained a few more words to Zang Ba.  Under the escort of hundreds of cavalry, he left Hefei City and rushed towards Shouchun.  Just after Zhang Liao left, the Han army scouts who were monitoring the city near Hefei City immediately rushed to Ruxukou to urgently report Zhang Liao's military situation to the north to Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Cao Pi received the pigeon message from Chai Sang's spies as soon as possible and learned that Chai Sang was raided by Jiangdong's army and the warehouses were burned down, causing heavy losses.  This matter was explained to Cao Cao before he left. Sun Quan would soon send troops to Chaisang to deal with the Han army's logistical power. Cao Cao's plan came true. This made Cao Pi overjoyed. Soon he learned that the Han army was marching southward.  The news of the withdrawal made Cao Pi extremely excited, and his focus naturally began to change.  At night, the palace hall was brightly lit, and Cao Pi was alone, pacing back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his hands, thinking about how to take power. He came to Hefei just to take charge of the military. Now that the opportunity has come, how could he not take advantage of it?  At this time, his trusted guard quickly stepped forward, saluted, and reported in a low voice: "Master, Mr. Ziyu has arrived." Cao Pi was overjoyed that Hua Xin finally arrived. He quickly ordered: "Take him to the back hall to wait.  Me!" Cao Pi also turned around and walked to the back hall. After a while, Hua Xin, wearing a bamboo hat and black clothes, walked quickly into the back hall under the leadership of the guards.  Hua Xin received Cao Pi's order and secretly came to Shouchun with the grain transport team. He did not dare to show his face in public for fear of being discovered by Cao Zhi's people and secretly complained to Cao Cao, which would affect Cao Pi. You must know that Cao Cao strictly prohibited Cao Pi from interacting with him.  contacts.  "I am here to meet the crown prince!" Hua Xin stepped forward and saluted Cao Pi.  Hua Xin was Cao Pi's most trusted person and his confidant. Although Hua Xin was demoted to Xuchang by Cao Cao, Cao Pi still secretly exchanged letters with him.  Cao Pi asked him to sit down and smiled happily: "Ziyu came at the perfect time." "We also heard that the Han army has withdrawn south. This is an opportunity for the prince!" Cao Pi nodded, "Not yet."  Talk about this, talk about that person, how is he in Xuchang? "Cao Pi refers to Cao Zhi, and Hua Xin secretly monitors Cao Zhi's every move for him, Hua Xin ponderedHe said engravedly: "On the surface, he looks very dissolute. He drinks and chants poems all day long, calls his friends and hooks up with prostitutes. He seems to be destroying his reputation, but he does it so badly that it makes people suspicious." Cao Pi sneered.  , his father was ill, but he ran faster than anyone else, came to serve his father, and attempted to take over the military power in Hefei. He was debauched, but he seized the opportunity accurately. This was clearly someone who was making suggestions for him.  "What's his relationship with Xiahou Dun?" Cao Pi asked coldly.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 967 Cao Pi seeks power

    Hua Xin thought for a while and said: "Xia Houyuan's adopted daughter married Cui Lin's nephew, and Cao Zhi's wife is Cui Lin's daughter. There is such an inextricable relationship between them, so naturally it won't be too bad." "This is me.  "I know!" Cao Pi said impatiently, "What's their relationship like in Xuchang?" "I can't say whether they met in private in Xuchang, but they met about four times in public.  "Cao Pi thought for a moment and then asked: "Do you think Xiahou Dun will support him?" "I think Xiahou Dun supports Cao Zhi personally, but he also knows that if Cao Zhi fails in the fight for the crown prince, it is unlikely that he will take the throne again.  For the sake of the future of the Xiahou family, he will naturally not get too close to Cao Zhi and try to remain neutral. But if Cao Zhi has the possibility of ascending to power again, Weichen believes that he will give his full support. " Cao Pi nodded.  "It seems that he is still waiting and watching, and has no selfish motives." After a pause, Cao Pi asked again: "What is his attitude towards Xuchang's grain adjustment this time?" "I don't know what Xiahou Dun's attitude is, but I know how many of his men  All the confidants were very dissatisfied with the prince, thinking that the prince was being unfair and suppressing Xuchang. They all shouted that they would not work for the prince again. As a result, Xiahou Dun publicly beat him with fifty military sticks. Perhaps this was Xiahou Dun's attitude. " Cao Pi, of course!  Knowing that Xiahou Dun had to express his support for the Battle of Hefei, otherwise his father would not spare him. As for his true thoughts, who would know?  Cao Pi couldn't help but snorted coldly, "He is quite good at being a man." "I wonder how the prince plans to control the military?" Hua Xin brought the topic back to reality.  Cao Pi temporarily put aside his speculations about Xiahou Dun and Cao Zhi, stood up and walked a few steps: "I plan to let Cao Ren serve as the commander-in-chief of the Battle of Hefei. Do you think it is feasible?" Hua Xin knew that Cao Pi wanted to control the military power through Cao Ren, but in this way  If he comes, it will destroy Wei Gong's military deployment. You must know that Zhang Liao is the commander-in-chief of the Hefei battle. Hua Xin thought for a moment and said: "Xu Huang is the commander-in-chief of Shouchun. In fact, the prince can let Cao Ren replace Xu Huang, and in Hefei, the prince can try his best.  To win over Zhang Liao, as long as Zhang Liao is willing to be loyal to the crown prince, wouldn't this be a great help?" Cao Pi shook his head, "Zhang Liao is only loyal to his father. Before his father is gone, he will never be loyal to me. There is no need to win over such a person.  Don't suppress him, just let it take its course. In fact, I plan to appoint him as the commander-in-chief of Shouchun." "Why did your highness put him in charge of Shouchun?" Cao Pi said with a sly smile: "Most of the Shouchun army is Cao Ren.  subordinates, but the Hefei army is the army of Jizhou and Yuzhou, and it is the army directly under my father. It is this army that I need to control." Hua Xin suddenly realized it, raised his thumb and praised: "Your Highness is really smart!"  Cao Pi put his hands behind his hands and smiled proudly, "If he knows the current affairs, I will give him a chance to be promoted. But if he doesn't know the current affairs and refuses to cooperate, then I can only leave him aside."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Early the next morning, Zhang Liao arrived in Shouchun. Hundreds of cavalry escorted Zhang Liao and rushed into Shouchun City with great momentum. There was chaos at the city gate. General Cao Zhen, who was patrolling the city head, rushed up and shouted: "This is an important city defense area.  How can we allow the army to enter the city? Get them all out of the city!" He waved his hand, and more than a thousand soldiers of Cao's army rushed forward, aiming their crossbows at Zhang Liao and his soldiers, blocking their way. Zhang Liao had an enmity with Cao Hong, which led to Cao Hong's death.  Being beaten and demoted, Zhang Liao also offended the Cao faction. At this time, Cao Zhen naturally didn't have a good attitude when he met Zhang Liao.  Zhang Liao was furious in his heart. He was the general of Hefei, but a little pretender of the Cao family dared to scold him rudely, and even dared to threaten him with a crossbow. However, he restrained his anger and said coldly: "This is just  It's just a city, not Wei Gong's palace, so how can we have these rules?" Cao Zhen had already descended from the city and said, "If Governor Zhang enters the city with only three or five followers, I will not stop him, but there are hundreds of cavalry behind you.  , This will threaten the Shouchun City Defense. As the commander-in-chief of the city defense, I have the responsibility to prevent hidden dangers." "Does General Cao Zhen think that I, Zhang Liao, want to rebel?" "No! This is my duty, and all generals will treat it equally.  It¡¯s nothing special. Please ask Governor Zhang to ask his men to wait outside the city. We will ensure Governor Zhang¡¯s safety.¡± Zhang Liao didn¡¯t want to make the matter a big deal, so he had to endure the disgust and turned back to the generals: ¡°You can stay outside the city.  Wait, I will be out soon." The soldiers turned their horses and headed out of the city. Cao Zhen then withdrew the blocking soldiers and asked Zhang Liao to go to the palace with his three followers. When he arrived at the palace gate, he saw a station outside the palace.  There were hundreds of cavalry lined up. These were obviously not palace guards. He was startled and whispered to the soldiers: "Go and ask who they are?" The soldiers stepped forward.He asked, and came back after a while: "Captain, they are all Cao Ren's personal cavalry." Zhang Liao slowly tightened the hilt of his sword, feeling extremely humiliated in his heart. There were no rules. Cao Zhen was clearly deliberately making things difficult for him. He suddenly understood  , this is because the Cao family placed the responsibility for Cao Hong's death on themselves.  The guards had already gone in to report. After a while, a guard came out and said: "Captain Zhang, the prince has invited you!" Zhang Liao suppressed his dissatisfaction and quickly walked into the palace. He followed the guards to the lobby, where he saw Cao Pizheng and Cao Ren.  Sitting in the hall talking about something, Zhang Liao quickly stepped forward, knelt down on one knee and saluted Cao Pi, "Zhang Liao, a humble official, is here to see the crown prince!" "There is no need to be polite, Governor Zhang, please get up quickly!" Cao Pi did not get up to help him, and even  Cao Ren didn't get up to avoid him, he just sat aside and accepted his half-courtesy. Although Cao Ren had a smile on his face, the smile was obviously not sincere.  Zhang Liao was humiliated again and again today. Only then did he have a clear understanding. Could it be that Cao Pi secretly instigated all of this to deliberately suppress himself? Zhang Liao suddenly realized that Cao Pi recruiting him to Shouchun was not as simple as discussing military affairs.  After thinking about this, Zhang Liao immediately calmed down and no longer resented the rudeness of Cao's generals. He bowed again and said: "I wonder if the prince is here to find a humble position to discuss important military affairs?" "Of course it is for the Han army to evacuate Hefei.  "This is a big deal!" Cao Pi looked behind Zhang Liao and asked, "Why didn't General Zang Ba come?" "Prince Qi, according to military regulations, the general and the deputy general cannot leave the city at the same time, so  He ordered General Zang to guard the city and did not let him come with him. "Oh!" Cao Pi said loudly, then turned to ask Cao Ren, "Excuse me, uncle, do you have such a rule in the military?" Cao Ren chuckled, "It's a rule."  It's hard to talk about it, but you really need to be more cautious during war. Governor Zhang's approach is understandable." Zhang Liao's expression changed. Cao Ren seemed to be speaking for himself, but in fact he was adding insult to injury. He immediately said sternly: "Captain Cao.  You are ignoring the facts! During the Battle of Guandu, Wei Gong promulgated thirteen military regulations, the ninth of which was that the chief and deputy generals were not allowed to leave the city at the same time. Isn't this a rule? "The smile on Cao Ren's face disappeared immediately.  After a long while, he said coldly: "Of course I know very well that those thirteen military regulations are only for the Battle of Guandu. Wen Yuan does not need to use them to argue. During the Battle of Chibi, Wei Gong promulgated another nineteen military regulations, but there were no  The general and deputy generals cannot leave this article at the same time. Why didn't Wen Yuan say it again? " "No matter when the military regulations are, as long as they are not abolished, the generals must implement them. If Governor Cao feels that what I said is wrong, we can go together.  Ask Wei Gong!" "Huh! Are Governor Zhang threatening me?" "I don't dare to threaten Governor Cao, but it's true." Zhang Liao and Cao Ren argued, and the atmosphere in the hall became very tense.  Deliberately relaxing the atmosphere, he smiled and said: "We are all important ministers. There is no need to argue about this trivial matter. Governor Zhang, please sit down!" Zhang Liao ignored Cao Ren and sat down on the other side. Cao Pi tried his best to speak as gently as possible: "I don't know if the Han army is now  "What's the situation?" "Reporting to the Crown Prince, although Liu Jing evacuated Hefei, he did not go far. He should be in Wuhu or Ruxukou now, luring us to pursue him and letting us fall into his trap." "It's really interesting. How did Governor Zhang know.  Didn't the Han army evacuate? The Han army has not reached Ruxukou yet! Governor Zhang actually came to the conclusion. Could it be that Liu Jing wrote to the governor in advance?" Cao Ren asked with a sarcastic tone.  Zhang Liao shook his head, "This does not require any intelligence, just common sense. It is already the end of October, the wind is against the current, and there are only a few impeller ships. How can most of the Han army's warships return to Chaisang? So I doubt that the Han army even has Chaohu.  Without leaving, the army is within Chaohu. "Cao Pi asked about the so-called military situation just to ease the atmosphere. His real purpose in calling Zhang Liao to Shouchun was to change the general in Hefei and let Cao Ren go to Hefei to clean up the army, and use Cao Ren to control the army in Hefei.  The control was in his own hands, so he wanted to summon both the chief general Zhang Liao and the deputy general Zang Ba so that Cao Ren could take action. But now the deputy general Zang Ba stayed in Hefei, which undoubtedly increased the resistance to cleaning up the Hefei army.  Cao Pi was not reconciled. He could also use the tiger talisman to transfer Zang Ba away and let Niu Jin serve as the deputy general of Hefei and Cao Ren as the main general. Cao Pi was about to mention the replacement of generals. At this moment, a guard rushed to the hall.  Report, "Your Majesty, there is an urgent message from Hefei. The Han army is showing signs of coming back again!" Zhang Liao was shocked and stood up and said: "The Han army is killing Hefei. The situation in Hefei is critical. I must rush back immediately."  "Come back to Fei, please give me your permission!" Cao Pi and Cao Ren looked at each other meaningfully, and they both thought at the same time.??, this must be Zhang Liao's arrangement, allowing Zang Ba to send false news that the Han army was returning, giving Zhang Liao an excuse to return to Hefei.  Cao Pi waved his hand and said with a smile: "Wenyuan, don't be anxious. Just listen to what I have to say. It's really hard for Wenyuan to guard Hefei for several months. I want Wenyuan to change his guard to Shouchun and become the general of Shouchun. Wenyuan  What do you think?" Zhang Liao was stunned. It turned out that Cao Pi wanted to transfer him away from Hefei. He pondered and asked: "If I leave Hefei, I recommend General Zang Ba to be the commander of Hefei. General Zang Ba is good at defense and has been fighting the Han army for several months.  , knows the Han army well, and he can protect Hefei by guarding it. " "I also plan to transfer General Zang Ba back to Shouchun. The commander of Hefei will be Governor Cao, and I have decided to appoint General Niu Jin as deputy general. " Zhang Liao's enthusiasm suddenly changed.  He rushed to his head and his face turned red. He understood Cao Pi's intention. He wanted Cao Ren to control the army of Hefei, with Niu Jin as his deputy. The purge of the generals of Hefei would be inevitable. He thought that his subordinates would follow him through life and death and fight the Han army in bloody battles.  , but in the end he became a victim of the power struggle. Zhang Liao couldn't bear it anymore and stiffened his neck and said: "The humble post as the general of Hefei was personally appointed by Duke Wei. If you want to transfer from the humble post, you also need the order of Wei Gong. I cannot obey the order of the humble post!" Cao Pi  Furious, he slammed the golden tiger talisman on the table, "The tiger talisman is here, how dare you disobey orders?" "The tiger talisman can only mobilize troops, but it cannot change generals. To remove humble positions, Wei Gong's order must be obtained, "Bold!  " Cao Ren drew his sword and shouted sternly: "Zhang Liao, do you want to rebel?  Zhang Liao took two steps back, put his hand on the hilt of his sword and said: "The state has national laws and the army has military regulations. Last year, he was awarded the humble position of coach of Hefei and general of Zhennan. With the Emperor's Festival Talisman in hand, even if Wei Gong is in charge of Shouchun, he cannot easily  Removing a humble position. If the prince wants to remove a humble position, please first produce the emperor's imperial edict or Wei Gong's order. Otherwise, please forgive the rudeness of the humble position!  " After saying that, Zhang Liao turned around and strode away. Cao Ren was furious and was about to give the order to arrest him, but Cao Pi waved his hand to stop him. Cao Pi was very scheming. He knew that he couldn't fall out with Zhang Liao yet. If he turned against Zhang Liao and arrested him, he would  It is equivalent to forcing his father's direct line to Cao Zhi, and he will lose more than he gains. Cao Pi watched Zhang Liao's figure go away with dark eyes, and after a while he snorted coldly, "Since he will be fined if he doesn't drink the toast, I will help him."  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 968 Exchange of soldiers for generals

    Just as Zhang Liao had judged, the Han army did not return to Chaisang, but instead stationed at Ruxukou, confronting the armies of Hefei and Shouchun from afar. The war was far from over. The Han army could kill Hefei at any time, but Liu Jing saw that  Since Cao Pi was eager to take the opportunity to control the military, if the situation was handled slightly improperly, it would be very easy to trigger factional struggles within Cao's army. Of course Liu Jing was happy to see this happen.  In the Ruxukou military camp, Liu Jing followed several soldiers to a special tent. The reason why it was special was that the tent was surrounded by tall wooden fences and nearly a hundred soldiers were guarding the surroundings. The security was very tight.  This kind of tent is basically found in all military camps. It is a type of military prison and is generally used for house arrest rather than a real cellar prison.  Liu Jing walked into the fence, and several soldiers opened the tent curtain first, and saw Jiangdong General Xu Sheng sitting in the tent reading a book. Xu Sheng was not imprisoned by shackles, but was under house arrest in a military prison, wearing a  Wearing a white robe and a plain scarf on his head, he lost the domineering air of a general. He held a bamboo scroll in his hand, adding a bit of scholarly air to his elegance.  "His Royal Highness the King of Han is here!" a soldier guarding him reminded him in a low voice.  Xu Sheng stood up quickly, not because of his status as a prisoner of war, but because Liu Jing, the King of Han Dynasty, had always been a person he admired greatly. When Liu Jing arrived, Xu Sheng certainly did not dare to be rude.  Liu Jing walked into the tent and said with a smile: "General Xu, you are well!" Xu Sheng clasped his fists and saluted, "See His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing nodded, "Let's sit down and talk." The two sat down,  Liu Jing looked at the tent and said, "Does General Xu need anything else? For example, the inconvenience in life." Xu Sheng shook his head, "I have a worry-free life and there are books to read. Xu Sheng thanks His Highness for your kindness." "You're welcome!"  Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "If I remember correctly, General Xu is not a native of Jiangdong, but a native of Ju County, Langya County!" "Exactly! There was a war in my hometown, and I took my parents to Jiangdong for refuge. I joined in the fifth year of Jian'an.  After joining the Jiangdong Army, fifteen years have passed in a flash. "Time flies so fast! When I was a commander in another department in Chaisang, I competed with General Xu. In a flash, more than ten years have passed. My life is like the water of the Yangtze River.  "Once you leave, you will never come back." Liu Jing's sigh also evoked Xu Sheng's loss. Back then, he was only twenty years old, high-spirited and ambitious. Now he is thirty-five years old. Not only has he accomplished nothing, he has also become a degenerate.  As a prisoner, thinking of this, he couldn't help but look a little sad, and whispered for a while: "What do you plan to do with me, Your Highness?" "Actually, it doesn't matter if I let you go back, but if I let you go, I will actually harm you." Xu Sheng was stunned,  "Your Highness, what do you say?" "You may not know that you have been expelled from the Jiangdong Army and listed as a traitor. Sun Quan has publicly removed all your military positions and awards." Xu Sheng stood up and said angrily.  : "Did His Highness spread some untrue words?" Liu Jing said lightly: "Who am I, would I use such a dirty trick?" Xu Sheng sat down slowly, he understood a little bit, it should be  It was Ding Feng who put the responsibility for the defeat on himself. In fact, Xu Sheng didn't know that it was not Ding Feng who framed him, but his own soldiers deceived Ding Feng, which led to the complete annihilation of the Jiangdong Army. Ding Feng  Naturally, he thought he surrendered to the Han army.  Xu Sheng held his head. After a long while, he asked in a hoarse voice: "How are my father, wife and children now?" "They have all been arrested and imprisoned by Sun Quan's order." Xu Sheng groaned in pain and said no more.  After speaking, Liu Jing stared at him silently for a moment, then stood up and walked outside the tent. It was not until Liu Jing walked away that Xu Sheng slowly raised his head, with an extremely complicated look in his eyes.  Of course he understood why he came to visit him personally, just hoping that he would surrender. In fact, Xu Sheng didn't have much resistance in his heart. He had long seen that the situation in Jiangdong was over, and Liu Jing would unify the world sooner or later. Even Sun Shao and Lu Xun surrendered to the Han Dynasty.  For the sake of his own future, why can't he find another way out?  It's just that he can't let go of this face and doesn't want to bear the name of rebellion. Now his family has become a prisoner of Sun Quan. If he openly surrenders to the Han Dynasty, his family will be in danger. In any case, Xu Sheng can't do it.  this decision.  Xu Sheng let out a long sigh, what should he do now?  Jianye, a small boat sailed from the north of the Yangtze River. Soldiers had noticed it on the dock and immediately surrounded it. In addition to the old boatman, there was also a thirty-year-old scribe in the boat. He smiled at the Jiangdong soldiers and said:  "Please tell you, Marquis Wu, that the King of Han's special envoy Qin Mi is asking for an audience!" Not long after, Jiangdong Chief Shi Buzhi hurried to the pier, saluted Qin Mi and said, "I'm sorry for keeping Qin Lord Bo waiting for so long." "It turns out it was.  Bu Zhang Shi, can Wu Hou be in Jianye?"  "The Marquis of Wu is waiting for Lord Bo in the palace, and he has specially ordered me to come and greet him." At this time, a gorgeous carriage came, and Bu Zhao waved his hand and said with a smile: "Master Qin, please!" "Please!" The two of them boarded.  Getting on the carriage, escorted by three hundred mounted guards, the carriage sped towards Jianye Palace.  The reason why Sun Quan treated Qin Mi so courteously was because of his uneasiness. The Jiangdong Army failed to attack Chaisang. So far, the Han Army has not made any statement towards Jiangdong. The Taihu Navy and the Kuaiji Han Army have stood still, as if nothing happened.  The same thing happened, but this silent statement made Sun Quan uneasy.  Therefore, Qin Mi's arrival really made him overjoyed. It was the Han King's special envoy who came instead of a large-scale attack by Han warships. This gave Sun Quan a glimmer of hope for peace.  Sun Quan paced back and forth in the lobby with his hands behind his back, looking worried and a little restless. Zhang Zhao, who was sitting beside him, knew Sun Quan's thoughts very well. He couldn't help but sigh secretly in his heart. Sun Quan was too naive. Kuaiji and Wujun  The situation has reached this point. There is no doubt that Liu Jing has the intention to attack Jiangdong. Under such a foregone conclusion, Liu Jing will certainly not care about the unsuccessful Chaisang incident. Sending a special envoy does not mean that  The Han army gave up attacking Wu from then on, but it was Liu Jing's plan to delay the attack, and the Marquis of Wu could not even see through this.  However, Zhang Zhao did not want to break this point and plunge Sun Quan into complete despair. He still left a little hope for Wu Hou. Maybe the Han army was really defeated by Cao Jun and the situation in the east was completely reversed.  At this time, a guard reported in the hall, "Report to the Marquis of Wu, the special envoy of the Han army has arrived!" "Please come in quickly!" Sun Quan urged continuously.  After a while, Bu Zhi accompanied Qin Mi into the lobby quickly. Sun Quan came forward to greet him, held Qin Mi's hand and said with a smile: "Master Qin, you have worked hard all the way." "Where! Where! Wu Hou is too polite." Qin  Mi's hand was held by Sun Quan and he could not salute, so he had to follow him into the lobby. Sun Quan did not need Qin Mi to salute and directly asked him to sit down. He also sat opposite Qin Mi, while Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi sat at the bottom.  This is the courtesy of a monarch to a monarch. Sun Quan actually placed it on a special envoy. Even Qin Mi felt that Sun Quan was too enthusiastic.  Qin Mi bowed and smiled and said: "I came here on the order of the King of Han to make an exchange with Jiangdong." "I wonder what the King of Han wants to exchange?" Sun Quan asked with a smile.  "That's it. We have three thousand Jiangdong soldiers on hand. They are all Jiangdong's elite troops. His Highness the King of Han wants to put them back to reunite with their families, but he hopes Jiangdong will also show his respect." Qin Mi said this, Zhang Zhao next to him  He immediately understood and said with a faint smile: "If I am not wrong, His Highness the King of Han wants us to release Xu Sheng's family, right?" "Commander Zhang is indeed an extraordinary person, and that is exactly what the King of Han meant!" Sun Quan's originally enthusiastic smile  He disappeared immediately and slowly became colder. It was actually in exchange for Xu Sheng's family. In this way, Xu Sheng really surrendered to the Han army, and he did not unjustly accuse him.  In the past two years, Sun Quan has also gradually become grumpy due to repeated setbacks. He has gradually lost his former calmness and intangible depth of anger. His subordinates will anger him if they are not careful at all. He is often heard yelling and yelling.  Smash things.  At this time, Sun Quan heard that the other party was going to exchange Xu Sheng's family, which immediately stung his sensitive self-esteem. He raised his eyebrows and was about to have an attack. Bu Zhi beside him quickly asked: "How is the situation of the three thousand soldiers now?  "Bu Zha was actually reminding Sun Quan that they were not here to ask for someone, but to exchange. Zhang Zhao also asked: "Excuse me, Lord Qin Bo, has the King of Han returned to Chaisang now?" "His Royal Highness the King of Han has not returned?  Chaisang is at Ruxukou. " Bu Zhi and Zhang Zhao reminded Sun Quan that he was about to lose his temper. He could be angry with the officials in Jiangdong, but he could not get angry with the Han Dynasty envoy. Otherwise, he would be worried about Chaisang.  He couldn't explain it. Now he couldn't afford to offend the Han army. Sun Quan restrained the anger in his heart and said after a while: "I can agree to the exchange!" Qin Mi immediately stood up and said: "This is best. I will take the person away this time.  As for the prisoners of war east of the Yangtze River, they are waiting on the Yangtze River. As long as I return to the north of the Yangtze River, the warships transporting the prisoners of war will dock at Jianye." Only then did Sun Quan realize that the warships of the Han army were already waiting on the river. This was Liu.  Jing's advice was to be courteous first and then to fight. If he didn't agree, I'm afraid the Han warships would arrive in Jianye.  Sun Quan felt deeply humiliated, but had no choice but to say to Bu Zhi: "Bu Zhang Shi, let him go!" Bu Zhi took Qin Mi away, but Sun Quan remained motionless and stared straight at him.  He was holding the desk, and he suddenly drew his sword and struck at the desk, "Crack!"  With a * sound, the table was split into two pieces. Sun Quan slammed his sword to the ground and turned to the harem.Go.  Zhang Zhao picked up the sword and shook his head gently. He could understand the humiliation in Sun Quan's heart, but this is politics. When your strength is far inferior to the other party, you can only endure the greatest humiliation. In addition to unconditionally agreeing to the other party's request,  There was no second choice, but Liu Jing was able to release three thousand prisoners of war, which was enough to give him face.  But Zhang Zhao knew that Liu Jing was not giving face to Sun Quan, but giving face to the people and officials of Jiangdong. Both the government and the public in Jiangdong felt that this was a good exchange. Three thousand prisoners of war were exchanged for one family. Liu Jing was very generous, and only Sun Quan would do it.  Feeling deeply humiliated.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Three days later, when Xu Sheng's father, wife and children arrived at Ruxukou on a Han army warship, Xu Sheng was finally moved by Liu Jing's sincerity and formally surrendered to the Han army. He was named a partial general and Jiangzuo Tinghou by Liu Jing, and became  He became a member of the Han army.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 969 Issuance of Warrant

    It was mid-November, and Yedu had its first snowfall since the beginning of winter. The crystal white fine snow fluttered down from the sky, covering the whole city. Although the snow was not heavy, its arrival made people feel uncomfortable.  Many people suddenly realize that severe winter is coming.  It was already the fifth day since Cao Cao returned to Yedu. Perhaps it was because he was not used to Jianghuai. His condition became increasingly serious in Shouchun, but after returning to Yedu, his condition actually improved. Although his body was still very thin, his complexion gradually improved.  .  Cao Cao stood in front of the window leaning on his stick, staring at the falling snowflakes outside the window, his eyes full of worry. It has snowed in the north, so what is the situation over there in Hefei?  He just received news from Hefei this morning. The prince told him in the letter that the Han army did not evacuate Hefei, but was stationed at Ruxukou.  Whether the Han army is in Hefei or Ruxukou, there is no difference in Cao Cao's view. They can launch an attack at any time. But now the severe winter is coming, this year's autumn grain harvest will be poor, and there will be a famine next spring. However, the battle is still going on, and Cao Cao's army is still  How long can it last?  It really worried Cao Cao.  What worries Cao Cao even more is that there seems to be disharmony within Cao Cao's army in Hefei. Cao Pi implicitly said one thing in his letter: Hefei has more grain and Shouchun has less grain. He planned to transfer some of Hefei's grain to Shouchun, but he failed.  Zhang Liao declined.  Of course, Cao Cao understood the huge risks behind this small incident. There were conflicts within Cao's army. No wonder Liu Jing withdrew his troops to Ruxukou. He obviously saw the internal strife in Cao's army.  Cao Cao attached great importance to the Battle of Hefei and invested resources and troops at all costs in order to protect this important southeastern town and prevent the Han army from opening the southeastern gate of the Central Plains.  Although failure in the Battle of Hefei would have serious consequences, compared to the internal strife in Cao Cao's army, the defeat in Hefei was insignificant. The internal strife in Cao Cao's army meant the destruction of Cao's army and the beginning of the collapse of Wei. This was something Cao Cao would never tolerate.  .  Now the signs of internal strife in Cao's army have begun to appear. He must put out the signs no matter what, but how to deal with it, Cao Cao can't make up his mind for a while.  At this time, his daughter Cao Xian walked behind her father and carefully put on a big cloak for him. Cao Cao turned around and looked at his daughter lovingly and said with a smile: "Help me go to the terrace for a walk. I am so bored in the room."  Panic." Cao Xian nodded and supported his father as he walked slowly towards the platform. Several maids followed them holding Qingluo umbrella covers. Cao Cao walked to the stone railing, where a thin layer of dust had already accumulated on the railing.  It was snowing. Cao Cao looked at the white Xuanwu Pond in the distance. The lake was covered with thick ice. Dozens of large ships were frozen in the lake. The sky also became gray and became the same color as the lake.  At this time, Cao Cao looked back at his daughter. He found that her daughter was very silent and rarely spoke. "Xian'er is not feeling well, so go and rest!" Cao Cao said to his daughter with concern.  Cao Xian shook his head, lowered his head and whispered, "My daughter is fine!" Cao Cao stared at her for a moment and sighed softly in his heart. His daughter was supposed to get married in April, but the Battle of Hefei broke out and her wedding was abandoned.  It seemed that she was already old. Cao Cao felt sorry for his daughter, so he held her hand and smiled softly: "You are my precious daughter. The young talent who wants to marry you is like a crucian carp crossing the river. You don't have to worry about not being able to marry."  Cao Xian pulled back her hand and shook her head, but tears welled up. She turned away, quickly wiped away her tears, forced a smile and said: "My daughter just takes good care of her father and doesn't want to get married!" "Silly boy, how can there be a woman?  The reason for not getting married!" Cao Cao understood what she was thinking, and patted the back of her hand gently, smiling and comforting her: "Actually, your marriage is not over, it's just delayed, and Liu Jing didn't return the marriage certificate, right?  When this battle is over, I believe it¡¯s time for you to get married.¡± Cao Xian lowered his head and said nothing, supporting his father as he walked slowly. Cao Cao no longer mentioned the matter of getting married, and looked at the snowflakes flying in the sky and said with a smile.  My biggest wish is that you brothers and sisters can unite as one and stop fighting. In this way, I can rest in peace after a hundred years." Cao Xian bit his lip lightly, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't.  Cao Cao felt that she was hesitant to speak, so he asked: "What do you want to say?" "My daughter wants to say that since the father has decided that the eldest brother will succeed, he should let the eldest brother do it. It is difficult for the eldest brother now." "It happened.  What's the matter?" Cao Cao asked solemnly.  "My daughter knows that the price of food in Yedu once skyrocketed, and all the officials scolded her elder brother for being incompetent. But as soon as my father came back, the price of food fell immediately. Has my father ever thought about the reason for this?" Cao Cao smiled and said: "After I came back,  Nothing was done, so why did the price of food fall? " "That's the problem. In fact, the eldest brother did a lot of things and issued a lot of orders, but no one was willing to implement them. But when my father came back, the people below were scared.  ?I immediately implemented the eldest brother's order, but as a result, the price of food fell. Father, eldest brother has no power!  " Cao Cao felt a little unhappy and said, "Xian'er, don't interfere with government affairs.  " Cao Xian did not obey. There were too many things in her heart that she wanted to say to her father. She bit her lip and said: "Even if my father is angry, I still have to say, since my father wants the brothers to be united, why should he let his second brother live in Youzhou?  Take military power?  Doesn¡¯t the father know the consequences in the future?  " "Stop talking!  " Cao Cao shouted angrily, pushed Cao Xian away, and angrily scolded her: "I told you not to interfere in government affairs. No matter you are in Wei or Han, I will never allow you to participate in political affairs!  " Cao Xian knelt down and said with tears: "Father, my daughter is not interfering in government affairs, but she is afraid that her brothers will kill each other in the future!  " Cao Xian's words deeply hurt Cao Cao's heart. His vision went dark and he almost fainted. Two maids quickly supported him. He shook his head and said, "Help me back!  " Two maids supported Cao Cao and walked into the room. Only Cao Xian was still kneeling on the ground, tears falling. She was sad for the misfortune of her marriage, and also grieved for the deep conflict between her brothers. She felt sad for a moment.  , actually started sobbing, and only the falling snowflakes fell on her body and head. After a long time, the two maids ran out of the room, stepped forward to help Cao Xian, comforted her in a low voice, and slowly returned to her.  In the room, Cao Cao stood in front of the window and looked at his daughter with tears on his face. He couldn't help but sigh. He slowly sat down at the table, thought for a moment, and wrote a letter to Hefei. The handover ceremony of Hefei City began.  , due to the arrival of Cao Cao's order, he transferred Zhang Liao and Xu Huang back to Yedu, appointed Cao Ren as the commander-in-chief of Hefei, and appointed Cao Zhen as the commander-in-chief of Shouchun. Zhang Liao had no choice but to hand over the military power of Hefei to Cao Ren. Cao Cao also granted the appointment of his son Cao Pi in the order.  With the exception of the generals of Hefei and Shouchun, Cao Pi immediately appointed Niu Jin as deputy general of Hefei and demoted Zang Ba to deputy commander of logistics in Hefei. Cao Pi also appointed Wang Lang to join the army and sacrifice wine, and Xin Pi to be Sima.  , the important task of controlling military aircraft. At this point, Cao Pi completely controlled the armies of Hefei and Shouchun, and Zhang Liao was forced to leave Hefei sadly. The news soon spread to Ruxukou. Liu Jing learned that Cao's army had changed generals, and immediately ordered Gan Ning and Pang.  De advanced by land and water, once again cutting off the connection between Shouchun and Hefei. Gan Ning led 3,000 naval troops and 500 fast ships, while Pang De led 7,000 cavalry. The two armies set off overnight and headed north quickly two days later.  , the wind direction turned to the west, Liu Jing immediately seized this opportunity, went to the river to worship the water god, and once again led an army of 150,000 troops and a thousand warships to the north, once again killing Hefei City. After the Han army withdrew, Zhang Liao  The first thing he did was to restore the original river course and dredge the newly formed waterways of Feizi Lake and Xiaoyaojin, so that the canal water and lake water could flow to Hefei again, and the moat was once again filled with river water. Although Cao Ren took over.  Zhang Liao has military power, but he is also an experienced general. He still implements various city defense strategies that Zhang Liao set before and does not change them. The only thing that changes is the army generals. All generals above the rank of military princes were purged and replaced by his  Hundreds of trusted generals were transferred from Hefei, giving Cao Ren complete control of the 50,000-man army. In addition, due to the imbalance in grain reserves between Shouchun and Hefei, Cao Pi ordered the transportation of 100,000 shi of grain from Hefei to Shouchun.  , to solve the shortage of food and fodder for the Shouchun army. At night, a grain transport fleet sailed quietly in the canal. This fleet was composed of civilian ships of 300 stones. The ships were not large, but there were many in number.  More than a hundred ships can transport 30,000 shi of grain at a time. This is the second transportation of the fleet. They have previously transported 30,000 shi of grain to Shouchun. This is the second batch of 30,000 shi. In addition to three boatmen, each grain ship has  There are also ten soldiers from Cao's army to guard. In addition, there are two thousand troops guarding each side of the canal. There are a total of five thousand troops guarding this grain transport team. At this time, the fleet has been forty miles away from Hefei.  Traveling ten miles further north, you will enter Shaopi Lake. At this moment, there is a dull thunder in the distance. Many soldiers of Cao Jun who were sleeping woke up one after another. They stood up and looked towards the shore. They heard this sound.  The muffled thunder came from the south.  Gradually, a large group of black shadows appeared on the shore, moving rapidly northward. The Jiangdong army might be confused, but for the Cao army in the north, this situation was all too familiar. They suddenly shouted, "Cavalry!  There are cavalry coming on the shore!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 970 Return to Hefei

    This is when the 7,000 cavalry led by Pang De caught up with Cao's army's grain ship. They galloped on the west bank and came to the north in overwhelming numbers.  The two thousand soldiers guarding the grain ship on the west bank were shocked and lined up to compete with the Han soldiers. The general in charge of Cao's army who was responsible for guarding the grain was General Zang Ba. He was so anxious that he shouted loudly: "Line up to intercept, and the fleet will withdraw first."  !¡± In panic, the fleet accelerated, and soldiers from Cao¡¯s army on the east bank also rushed to the shore, bows and arrows drawn, ready to support Cao¡¯s army on the west bank.  At this moment, Cao Jun's soldiers on the east bank suddenly burst into chaos, and arrows were shot from behind them. In the darkness, hundreds of warships appeared near Feizi Lake not far away, which was the newly formed Xinhu Lake.  .  The warships are not big, only about five hundred stones, but they are filled with dense Han soldiers. Gan Ning led the navy to fight them out.  When the ship docked, tens of thousands of Han soldiers jumped off the ship, waving their spears and sabers, shouting to kill the Cao soldiers on the east bank.  The soldiers of Cao's army were caught off guard, and there was a sudden chaos. In the dark night, the soldiers of Cao's army on the east bank were in chaos, scrambling to escape northward. Many people fell and were trampled on, causing countless casualties. The cries and shouts were mixed with the dense rain of arrows from the Han army.  In just an instant, Cao's army on the east bank collapsed.  But the Han army did not pursue the defeated soldiers. Their target was not soldiers, but grain ships. Ten thousand Han troops fired arrows at Cao Jun¡¯s grain fleet. The arrows rained down on the ships in the canal. Cao Jun¡¯s troops on board  After getting into the boat shed, many rowing boatmen were shot by arrows and fell into the water screaming.  Some Cao soldiers also fired arrows on the shore, but the number of Cao soldiers was too small and too scattered. Under the intensive shooting of Han soldiers, Cao soldiers suffered heavy casualties. Even the Cao soldiers hiding in the boat sheds could not escape strong crossbows and hard bows.  shot and was shot dead in the boat.  Soon, the fleet, which was more than ten miles long, stopped moving forward and was all anchored in the river, waiting for the Han army's disposal. At this time, the Han army cavalry on the west bank rushed into Cao's army like a storm, and the powerful impact swept them away.  Cao Jun's soldiers rushed in one after another, their swords picked up blood, and their heads flew into the sky. The huge fear made Cao Jun's soldiers no longer willing to resist.  In less than a quarter of an hour, the resistance of the two thousand soldiers of Cao's army collapsed. Zang Ba fought his way out of the chaos and escaped. However, his two thousand soldiers were not as lucky as the soldiers on the east coast. The Han army's horses galloped and drove the two thousand Cao soldiers  The soldiers surrounded them and cut off all their retreat routes. Cao's soldiers were desperate and knelt down one after another to surrender and beg for their lives.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  About half an hour later, Gan Ning arrived with hundreds of Han army clippers and took control of Cao's army's grain ship. The fleet began to slowly turn around and sail towards the newly formed Feizi Lake. The cavalry also escorted the prisoners of war and quickly headed towards it.  He rushed towards Lu'an County in the west and soon disappeared into the night.  Cao's grain ship was intercepted by the Han army at midnight. When Cao Ren received the news from Zang Ba, it was already the third watch. By then, the Han army's fleet and cavalry had already left.  In the North City of Hefei, thousands of soldiers held torches, illuminating the entire North City Gate like daylight. Inside the North City Gate, Cao Ren wore a helmet and armor, riding on a horse with a sword in his hand. Behind him were densely packed soldiers of Cao's army.  More than 20,000 people.  Cao Ren¡¯s grain ship was intercepted by the Han army, which was undoubtedly a great shame and humiliation for Cao Ren. When Zhang Liao was in Hefei, grain and grass were never lost, but as soon as he took over as the commander-in-chief of Hefei, 30,000 shi of grain were robbed. Cao Ren¡¯s face could not be lost no matter what.  Cao Ren ordered Zang Ba to be beaten with a hundred military sticks and ordered 20,000 troops to recover the grain ship himself.  "General, please calm down and calm down!" Sima Xinpi stopped in front of Cao Ren's horse and tried to persuade him: "The Han army is walking by water, and the grain ship has gone far away, and there is no trace. Besides, there are still 7,000 cavalry. If the general is in a hurry,  It is a trivial matter to attack and be ambushed by the Han army. If something happens to the general, Hefei will not be saved. Please think twice, general!" After Xin Pi's repeated persuasion, Cao Ren's anger calmed down a little, and he was about to order the army to return to camp, right here.  At this time, the city suddenly remembered the piercing alarm bell, 'Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The bell sounded very quickly.  Cao Ren was startled and urged his horse to run along the corridor towards the city head. Standing on the city head, he was shocked by what he saw in front of him. In the wilderness to the south, he saw a long fire dragon speeding toward Hefei. The fire dragon  You can't see the edge at a glance.  Three miles south of the city, the fire dragons have begun to gather, more and more, like stars in the sky, and like an ocean of fire, extremely spectacular and vast.  The legs of Cao's soldiers on the city were trembling, and their faces were all pale. The main force of the Han army, which had just been withdrawn for only a month, came back again.  Cao Ren's heart seemed to be sinking into the abyss. Liu Jing left and came back. It was obvious that he had planned it in advance. He seemed to be waiting for Hefei to change generals. Could it be that Cao Ren's first great reputation would be lost in Hefei?  Cao Ren was filled with hatred and resolutely turned around and shouted: "Send the order, please come to the city."The troops immediately went to the city to defend!  " Cao Ren changed his plan. He was originally going to lead 20,000 troops out of the city. Now he does not leave the city, but instead defends the city. 20,000 Cao Ren soldiers rushed to the top of the city, swords drawn, ready to fight the Han army to the death. " Cao Ren is here  The man at the top of the city stared at the sea of ??fire below. He felt a little strange in his heart. The Han army rarely attacked with such a large force, and seemed to prefer to attack silently. He couldn't help but said to himself: "Why did the Han army build such a huge enemy?"  momentum?  "Suddenly, Cao Ren seemed to have thought of something, and turned back to look at the mountain in the north of the city. The dark mountain stood outside the city, and the moonlight projected its huge black shadow into the city, and half of the city was covered by it.  £®£®£®£®Since the Han army retreated southward, Zhang Liao built a wall on Tushan and stationed 50 soldiers on Tushan.  Instead, Zhang Liao and Cao Ren increased the number of soldiers stationed on Tushan to a hundred. They knew that this Tushan was a great threat to Hefei's security. It was just unrealistic to move it away or eliminate it. That could only be done by Cao Jun.  Let's move the time forward one hour. At two o'clock, the sea of ??Han arms has not yet appeared in the south of the city. Everything around Hefei is silent. More than 400 Eagle Attack Army soldiers are under the command of the chief and deputy commanders Liu Zheng and Ren Ping.  Under the leadership, Liu Zheng was climbing quickly towards the top of the mountain from the east and west directions. Liu Zheng was as agile as an ape. He took the lead to climb to the top of the mountain and hid under the wall on the top of the mountain. There was a Cao Army soldier patrolling back and forth on the top of the wall. Compared with Hefei City.  In other words, Tushan's defense is much weaker. On the one hand, it is because Tushan is located outside the North City and across the moat from Hefei City. It is not part of Hefei's defense system. On the other hand, the area on the top of the mountain is not large, making it difficult to garrison a large number of troops.  , Cao Ren could only use this earthen mountain as a watchtower and beacon in Beicheng to observe the enemy's situation, and raise fire in time to warn Shouchun. You must know that this earthen mountain just blocked the beacon in Beicheng. Once the Han army attacked Hefei, it would be difficult for them  Warning to Shouchun. But for the Han army, this earth mountain was of great significance. They could be condescending and suppress Cao Jun in Beicheng. Although there was also an earth mountain in the city, the Han army had found a way to deal with the earth mountain in the city.  Under the wall, he quickly loaded the hand crossbow and aimed it at Cao Jun, who was patrolling the wall. There was a soft sound, and a poisonous crossbow arrow shot out like lightning, hitting the throat of Cao Jun's soldier. The poison on the crossbow arrow sealed his throat with blood. Cao Jun groaned.  With a sound, he fell from the wall. Liu Zheng waved his hand, and more than two hundred soldiers rushed to the top of the mountain. Liu Zheng jumped up to the top of the wall, but happened to see Ren Ping on the other side also climbing up the wall. The two of them smiled in understanding.  , jumped into the wall at the same time, and the four hundred Han Army Eagle Strikers also jumped into the wall and rushed towards Cao Jun's tent. In just a moment, the Eagle Strikers defeated the Cao Army garrison on the mountain and waited at the foot of the mountain.  The Han army's engineering soldiers began to carry heavy trebuchets to the mountain. Ma Jun, the minister of the Han Ministry of Industry and the general's craftsman, also appeared on the top of the mountain. He had arrived in Hefei from Chang'an half a month ago and brought the latest wheeled machine.  Trebuchet, this wheeled trebuchet looks like a windmill and is a heavy-duty trebuchet. It can continuously throw thirty kerosene pots. At the same time, the shooting range can be adjusted according to the distance of the target. The closest range can be a hundred steps away, and the longest range can be three.  One hundred and fifty steps away, the efficiency is more than ten times higher than that of the previous trebuchet. It is also easy to disassemble and assemble. After moving the parts to the top of the mountain, it can be quickly assembled to seize the opportunity. It is very suitable for heavy-duty wheeled battles on earth and mountains.  The trebuchet was actually invented by Ma Jun a year ago, but it has never been put into actual combat because it has a fatal weakness that is difficult to solve, that is, the wooden shaft of the trebuchet is not very strong and will deteriorate after two or three consecutive uses.  Once the wooden shaft breaks, the entire trebuchet is scrapped.  In order to solve this weakness, Ma Jun successively replaced the wooden shaft with a copper shaft and an iron shaft. However, due to manufacturing process problems, neither the copper shaft nor the iron shaft could replace the wooden shaft. Ma Jun had to look for stronger and more wear-resistant wood.  At present, he uses iron wood as the shaft, which can last for more than ten times. But for the trebuchet itself, the cost of this trebuchet is still too high. A trebuchet costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.  of trebuchets ten times.  Although the cost of this kind of trebuchet was too high, for the Battle of Hefei, Liu Jing ordered Ma Jun to build three hundred wheeled trebuchets and rushed to the Hefei battlefield regardless of the cost.  Just when the main force of the Han army appeared in the south of the city, the Han army's engineering soldiers on Tushan had already assembled ten heavy trebuchets under the guidance of Ma Jun and his apprentices. At this time, an alarm bell sounded on the north city, and countless soldiers were preparing to  Rushing towards Beicheng, Cao Ren was already aware of the danger in Beicheng.  "General Wang, the enemy has discovered us!" A soldier hurriedly reported to the commander-in-chief Wang Ping.  &nbsp"Wang Ping immediately ordered: "Seize the opportunity and burn down the mountains in the city!" The ten heavy-duty wheeled trebuchets began to creak and turn faster and faster. At this time, Ma Jun shouted, "That's it!"  The soldiers operating the trebuchets immediately cut the hanging ropes, and the ten wheeled trebuchets were launched almost at the same time. Three hundred clay pots filled with kerosene were shot out one after another, overwhelmingly hitting the mountains in the city.  At this time, three huge fireballs also rose into the sky, drawing three bright red flames in the sky, with long tail smoke, roaring towards the hills in the city.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 971 Arrival of Jia Xu

    In the mountain battle between the Han Army and Cao Army, the most important thing is to seize the opportunity. No matter which side it is, once it seizes the opportunity, it will gain the upper hand and make the other party unable to fight back. In the battle a few months ago, both sides took turns to gain the upper hand.  , and this time, the Han army took the lead again.  Thick smoke billowed from the mountain in the north city, and flames shot into the sky. The entire mountain was engulfed in raging fire. More than a thousand Cao soldiers who had just climbed up the mountain and were about to launch kerosene were forced to evacuate down the mountain, watching helplessly as dozens of heavy trebuchets fell into the sky.  It was burned to death in a sea of ??fire.  Suddenly, a burst of flames expanded violently, and huge tongues of flames shot straight into the sky, making a deafening explosion. Thousands of cans of kerosene stored on the top of the mountain were ignited by the fire. The clay pots exploded continuously, and countless flaming fragments filled the sky.  Flying, splashing away inside and outside the city wall at the foot of the mountain.  The soldiers of Cao's army on the top of the city were so frightened that they raised their shields to resist. However, the flaming pottery fragments still hit many soldiers, and screams rang out on the top of the city.  At this time, Han King Liu Jing had appeared on the hills outside Beicheng. Behind him stood hundreds of cavalry guards, and beside him was military advisor Jia Xu. Jia Xu and Ma Jun rushed from Chang'an to Hefei. Although he  He is old and has no energy to interfere with government affairs anymore, but he has experience that is difficult for ordinary people to achieve and can give Liu Jing advice at critical moments.  For example, now, the Battle of Hefei has entered the later stage, the Han army is at a strategic turning point, and Liu Jing is also hesitating about how to end the Battle of Hefei. Jia Xu is undoubtedly a beacon on the road ahead, and will use his life to  Experience showed Liu Jing the way.  Jia Xu looked at the blazing fire on the hilltop in the city, smiled and said: "This is like a huge beacon, telling Shouchun that the Han army is back again." Liu Jing understood what Jia Xu meant, and Jia Xu was actually  Said that it was of little significance to do so, Liu Jing also smiled and said: "Once I suppress the counterattack in the city, I can launch an attack on the North City from a high position, forcing the North City defenders to evacuate the city. Then I will have the opportunity to conquer the North City."  "Is Your Highness really planning to capture Hefei by force?" Liu Jing nodded, "In the early days, I was fighting a war of national strength, which consumed Cao's army. But now that Cao's army has changed generals, I think taking Hefei can give Cao Pi a chance."  "But doing so will only force Cao Cao to hand over all military power to Cao Pi. Cao Cao will even use Zang Ba as a scapegoat and shift the responsibility for the city's destruction to Zang Ba. After all, Cao Cao wants to  Considering the overall situation, should he be asked to change his son again at this time? "Although Liu Jing had decided to capture the city, Jia Xu's persuasion still made his determination a little shaken. Jia Xu was right, the loss of Hefei would not cause harm.  Cao Pi's reputation, on the contrary, Cao Cao will also strengthen Cao Pi's reputation and power, allowing Cao Pi to get rid of the adverse effects of Hefei's defeat.  Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "What about Jia Gong's opinion?" Jia Xu smiled slightly, "The best way is to attack without breaking, and force Cao Pi to take the initiative to sue for peace. Once Cao Pi ends the Battle of Hefei by suing for peace, then they will  Isn¡¯t this the best outcome if we will withdraw from the southeast and no longer openly interfere with the Han army¡¯s military operations in Jiangdong?¡± ¡°But just attacking Hefei without defeating it may not force Cao Jun to sue for peace.¡± Jia Xu is confident and slow down!  He said slowly: "Isn't your highness's strategy correct? It consumes Cao Wei's national power. I heard from Xu Shangshu that Wei's autumn grain harvest was poor and its domestic financial resources were tight. Li Fu also destroyed Xianbei's foreign aid. I estimate that before next spring, Wei will be  When civil strife broke out due to food shortages, why didn't Your Highness persevere? " Liu Jing nodded. Jia Xu said a lot. The only way for the Han army to win completely is to compete with national strength. Once Cao Cao's national strength fails, it will be difficult for him to interfere with Jiangdong's affairs even if he wants to.  Crisis.  At this time, Jia Xu took out another brocade bag from his arms, handed it to Liu Jing and said with a smile: "I will go back in a few days. After a few days, His Highness can open the brocade bag. There is a strategy left in the bag. I can  Guaranteed that Cao Cao will bow his head and submit." Liu Jing took the tip and looked at it, and couldn't help laughing, "It turns out that the military advisor has already prepared it. I am looking forward to opening this tip." Liu Jing adopted Jia Xu's strategy and used the ship to frame it.  After raising the pontoon bridge, tens of thousands of Han troops crossed the moat and attacked Hefei day and night. The firepower from the mountains outside the North City was even more fierce. Cao's army was not given a chance to breathe. The overwhelming fire and boulders continued to be thrown at the head of the North City and the mountains. In just a few days,  The North City collapsed again, causing chaos among Cao's army.  Although the Han army's day and night attacks did not cause the city to fall, the city of Hefei was still in danger, and Cao's army suffered heavy casualties. Soon, Cao Pi, at Cao Ren's repeated requests, ordered Cao Zhen to lead 40,000 troops and 5,000 tiger and leopard cavalry to reinforce Hefei. Liu  Jing immediately sent Huang Zhong and Pang De to lead 50,000 troops north to fight and intercept Cao's reinforcements. The two sides started a fierce battle in Chengde County between Hefei and Shouchun.  This fierce battle caused heavy losses to both sides. Cao Jun lost 15,000 people and was forced to return to Shouchun.The Han army also lost nearly 8,000 men, but it thwarted Cao Jun's attempt to reinforce Hefei.  After the Battle of Chengde, Liu Jing slowed down the siege of Hefei, allowing Cao Pi and Cao Ren to finally get a chance to breathe. The two sides entered into a strategic confrontation. No major battles took place, but sporadic battles were still fierce, which made Cao Pi feel tense all the time.  A thread that is difficult to relax.  More than a month passed in the Battle of Hefei, and it was January of the 22nd year of Jian'an. So far, the Battle of Hefei had lasted for more than half a year. Cao's army had lost nearly 40,000 people, and the Han army had suffered more than 40,000 losses.  20,000 people, both sides continued to increase their troops, and mobilized 200,000 troops before and after.  The protracted battle was a huge test of the national strength of both sides. The Han government's grain reserves had been exhausted, and they could only exchange cattle and sheep for grain from the people. More than 300,000 civilians were recruited, and countless gold and copper coins were spent. Various  Weapons and military supplies have also been almost exhausted, and the Han army's kerosene reserves in Chaisang have dropped sharply from the peak of 100,000 barrels to less than 20,000 barrels.  Compared with the Han State, the situation in the Wei State was more serious. The financial resources of Yedu had been exhausted, and the entire country was on the verge of collapse. Cao's army consumed a lot of food and supplies, and they continued to transport food from various places. Even Cao Ren's grain reserves in Xuzhou were all used up.  During the Battle of Chefei, Cao's army transported nearly 1.5 million dan of grain from various places and recruited more than 800,000 civilians. Nearly half of the grain was consumed on the road. Not only was the food consumption huge, but there was also an endless supply of money and various materials.  Throwing themselves into the bottomless pit of war, the price of food in Yedu has exceeded a thousand dollars per meter, causing public resentment to boil.  The people in Hebei were particularly poor. In order to raise military rations, local governments continued to increase taxes and rations, which led to people's livelihood. People in various places continued to riot. At the end of December, Bohai powerful Gao Kan rebelled in Nanpi. He claimed to be the emperor in white and killed officials to rob food. In just a few days,  In the next month, tens of thousands of hungry people were recruited, and the momentum was huge.  Not only Hejian County, but also Changshan County and Bohai County also broke out large-scale hunger uprisings. Cao Cao was forced to have no choice but to order Cao Zhang to lead 30,000 Youzhou troops into Hebei to quell the rebellion.  In Yedu, Changshi Xu Yi hurriedly walked into the Tongque Terrace and came to the Huichun Hall where Cao Cao was recuperating. A guard went in to report. After a while, he came out and said to Xu Yi: "Xu Changshi, Duke Wei has invited you!" Xu Yi breathed a long sigh of relief.  Wei Gong finally agreed to see him. He hurriedly walked into the inner hall. Xu Yi was Cao Cao's most trusted confidant. Before Cao Pi took charge of government affairs, every time Cao Cao went on an expedition, he would hand over the power of government affairs to Xu Yi. But this time  Cao Pi was in charge in Shouchun. Cao Cao was in poor health, and the power of government affairs fell on Xu Yi's shoulders again.  It's just that Xu Yi's life was really sad this time. The difficult political situation at home and abroad in Wei forced him to suffer. He persuaded Cao Cao several times to give up the Hefei campaign, but Cao Cao never listened, and continued to send more troops to Hefei. In the end, he simply stopped seeing Xu Yi.  This was the third time he came to see Cao Cao, and he finally got one.  Although Wei's national power was depleted and its political situation was critical, Cao Cao's condition did not worsen, but improved somewhat. Moreover, his second son Cao Zhang lived up to his expectations and suppressed the rebels in Hebei one by one. The bandit leader Gao Kan was also beheaded by Cao Zhang himself.  Killing made Cao Cao very happy.  However, this morning, Cao Cao received an urgent letter from Cao Pi. In the letter, Cao Pi proposed for the first time to end the Battle of Hefei. The reason was that the morale of Cao's army was low and war weariness was spreading. More than 6,000 soldiers had fled, including soldiers from Hebei.  The most violent one involved more than 4,000 people.  What's even more serious is that the fire oil in Hefei City has been exhausted, and the trebuchets have been damaged by more than 80%. They are unable to destroy the Han army's pontoon bridge. The Han army's warships are showing off their power in the moat. Just two days ago, Cheng Ji, the defender of Hefei's west city, surrendered to the Han army.  , allowing the Han army to attack the city for a time, Cao Ren personally braved the enemy's arrows and fought bravely to kill the enemy, and then he repelled the Han army and kept the west gate.  Not only that, the food in Hefei can only last for another month, and the food in Shouchun is almost running out. Cao Pi hopes to send another 300,000 shi of food. If he is really short of financial resources, he can consider ending the battle of Hefei.  In fact, it¡¯s not that Cao Cao didn¡¯t know that their national strength could not match that of Han, nor did he not know that Hefei would be unable to be defended sooner or later. It was just that Cao Cao had his own deep considerations. He hoped that the battle of Hefei would also bring down Han and render the Han army powerless.  Conquer Jiangdong again to buy Jiangdong time to restore its national strength.  Cao Cao is very aware of the importance of Jiangdong. As long as Jiangdong exists, Liu Jing will not dare to attack Wei in a large scale. Once Jiangdong is destroyed, Liu Jing will destroy Liu Bei and the south will be unified, and Cao Wei will be in danger.  But the ruthless reality finally defeated Cao Cao's last glimmer of hope, but in the current situation, they finally couldn't hold on no matter the national strength or the army.  At this time, Xu Yi walked in, bowed and saluted: "I am here to see Duke Wei!" Cao Cao saw that he was so thin that he seemed to be ten years older. He sighed in his heart and said softly: "During this period, it is really difficult.  It's been a long time of hard work." Xu Yi's nose felt sour and he almost shed tears. He said with a trembling voice: "I can bear no matter how hard or tired I am, but Wei Guo has already accepted it.I couldn't stand it any longer and could no longer reduce it. Even the emperor could only eat two meals a day.  " "That waste will only waste food!  " Cao Cao snorted coldly and asked again: "How much food do we have now?  "Report to Wei Gong, the food has been exhausted!"  " "Isn't there still 200,000 shi of grain in the inner warehouse?  "Cao Cao said angrily. Xu Yi was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly, "Wei Gong, that is our last life-saving food. If we transfer it to Hefei again, I am afraid that even the humble ministers will starve to death.  " Cao Cao stared at him for a long time, and finally gave up the idea of ??adjusting the grain. After a moment of silence, Cao Cao asked again: "How is the situation in Han?  " "Although the situation in Han is not good, it is much better than us. At least they have millions of cattle and sheep. It is winter again, and beef and mutton are easy to transport, which is enough to ensure the supply of military rations.  " Cao Cao felt a little unhappy and said again: "I'm asking about Han's financial resources, so be it!  Can you tell me what the price of rice is in Chang'an?  " "Chang'an has already implemented food rationing, and no food trading is allowed. Each person, including children, can receive half a liter of rice per day. The same applies to the hungry people who fled to Chang'an. Mutton soup is even supplied on the streets of Chang'an every day.  "Cao Cao paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. He stopped and stared blankly at the roof. Finally, he sighed and said: "I have decided to stop the Hefei Campaign!  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 972 Initial Negotiation

    Cao Cao made the decision to negotiate peace and authorized his son Cao Pi to be fully responsible for the negotiation. In fact, this was a decent defeat for Cao's army. Cao's army could not compete with the Han army in terms of national strength and had to sue for peace.  Cao Cao also knew very well that losing Hefei was inevitable, but if he could keep Shouchun, he could still keep a foundation south of the Huaihe River. More importantly, the people in Hefei had moved to Shouchun, making Shouchun a city with two  A big city with a population of 100,000.  Shouchun is not comparable to Hefei in terms of status and strength. Giving up Hefei and keeping Shouchun will allow Cao Jun to still have a certain influence in the southeast. Although Shouchun's strategic position in Jiangdong is not as good as Hefei, it is backed by the Huaihe River.  , as long as Shouchun is not lost, it will not be easy for the Han army to cross the Huaihe River and go north to the Central Plains. At this level, Shouchun also has a certain strategic value.  This was Cao Cao's wishful thinking, to abandon Hefei and keep Shouchun, so that when the Han army was almost exhausted, it had to make an alliance under the city in Shouchun and accept Cao's army's continued influence south of the Huaihe River.  Although Cao Cao had a wonderful idea, Liu Jing may not accept it. The reason why the Han army spent a year and exhausted its national strength to launch the Hefei Campaign was not just to seize the dominance of Jiangdong.  The deeper significance of the Battle of Hefei lies in the battle for the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers. Once Hefei is captured, the Han and Cao armies will no longer be divided by the Yangtze River, but will push the dividing line of power northward to the Huaihe River line, which echoes the capture of the east and west of Nanyang County.  Therefore, the Battle of Hefei not only included the city of Hefei, but also Shouchun, and even Guangling City in the east, including the entire Jianghuai region. It just placed the battlefield in Hefei City. If Cao Cao wanted to admit defeat in the Battle of Hefei  , then Shouchun must be given up at the same time. This is Liu Jing's bottom line.  Both sides have their own considerations, so they can only compete in front of and behind the negotiating table.  That morning, a group of Cao Jun cavalry escorted Wang Lang, who joined the army to offer wine, to the Han army camp outside Hefei City. Wang Lang was about sixty years old. He was the prefect of Kuaiji County. After Sun Ce captured Kuaiji, Wang Lang returned after many twists and turns.  After entering the imperial court, he served as an admonishment official, participated in the military affairs of Sikong, and later served as the prefect of Wei County. This time he followed Cao Pi south and was granted the title of "joining the army to offer wine."  Wang Lang is one of Cao Pi's confidants. When he joined the army to offer wine, he actually obtained the political power of Cao Pi's army and laid the foundation for Cao Pi to fully control the military power. This time, he came to negotiate a truce with the Han army on Cao Pi's order.  .  In front of the Han army's camp, Military Advisor Fazheng had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Wang Lang's arrival, Fazheng greeted him with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Your Majesty." Wang Lang quickly got off his horse, bowed and saluted, and said very politely: "Please give me some time, Master."  "Wang Lang himself had no prejudice against the Han army, and the Han army's capture of Kuaiji County caused the Jiangdong army to return in defeat. To some extent, it relieved Wang Lang's resentment that he had been holding back for many years.  "Excuse me, is His Royal Highness the King of Han in the military camp?" Wang Lang asked again with a smile.  "His Royal Highness the King of Han is in the Chaohu Naval Camp. He is not in the military camp today." Fazheng's answer made Wang Lang understand that today was not a formal negotiation between the Han Army and both sides were testing. Wang Lang smiled and said: "Your Majesty hopes that  "This is also our wish, Your Majesty!" "Please!" Fazheng invited Wang Lang and his deputy Chen Jiao into the Han army camp and came to the side tent. The guests were seated separately.  On the Han side, the leader Bo Qin Mi accompanied Fa Zheng in the negotiations. Both sides had deputy envoys, and they were all heavyweights, which showed that both sides attached great importance to the negotiations.  Some soldiers served hot tea. Fazheng smiled and said: "I heard that it snowed for the second time in Hebei. It seems that winter has come a bit late this year!" "Compared with last year, this year is indeed much later. There have only been two light snowfalls this year.  , and there were already three blizzards at this time last year. In comparison, the impact of light snow on traffic this year is really not a concern. "Wang Lang tried to downplay the adverse impact of the weather on Cao Jun, but both sides knew very well that once the second snowstorm occurred.  When the snow comes, the third snow will come soon. It will not be as simple as a light snow. The heavy snow will cause a great obstacle to Cao Jun's food transportation.  Of course, Liu Jing still doesn¡¯t know the fact that Cao Jun has run out of food. That is Cao Jun¡¯s top secret information. If Liu Jing knew this information, he would definitely refuse to negotiate with Cao Jun and instead continue to besiege Hefei, forcing Cao Jun to make full concessions.  In fact, the Han army's grain garrison in Hefei can only last until the beginning of February. If Chaisang's grain and grass are not delivered in early February, the Han army in Hefei will also run out of food. This is also top secret information of the Han army, and Cao Jun does not know it.  .  The two sides exchanged a few words and then got down to the topic. Wang Lang sighed and said: "The Battle of Hefei lasted for a year and had a great impact on the people's livelihood in the world. Wei Gong could not bear the suffering of the people anymore, so he proposed that both sides stop??The Battle of Hefei, I hope to get a response from the Han army.  " Fazheng smiled slightly and said, "Spring plowing is approaching, and my King of Han is also willing to end the Battle of Hefei as soon as possible and is willing to respond to Wei Gong's initiative.  "Both sides have expressed their willingness to end the Hefei War, but it is Cao's initiative to end the war, that is, Cao Jun is seeking peace, so Cao Jun must make concessions. Both sides know this well and cannot be ambiguous. " Wang Lang pondered.  He immediately said: "In order to show the sincerity of Cao's army, Wei Gong is willing to give up Hefei and withdraw his troops back to Shouchun. Wei Gong proposed to use Chengde County as the boundary, with the south of Chengde County returning to the Han army and the north including Chengde County.  The area belongs to Wei State. I wonder if the Han army can accept Wei Gong's sincerity?  " Wang Lang's implication was to tell Fazheng that the most Cao Jun could do was to give up Chengde County to the Han army. This was Cao Jun's potential concession condition. But Fazheng shook his head, "We don't think this is Wei Gong's sincerity. If Wei Gong  To be truly sincere, the Huaihe River should be used as the boundary. The Han army can guarantee that they will not cross the Huaihe River for two years.  " Wang Lang's face suddenly changed. The other party really wanted Shouchun, how could it be possible! He quickly winked at Chen Jiao. Chen Jiao understood and immediately said solemnly: "Hefei is the most strategic location in Jianghuai. In order to defend Hefei, Cao Jun  We have exhausted our national strength and paid a heavy price of tens of thousands of casualties. Now Hefei is still in the hands of Cao Jun. We are willing to voluntarily give up Hefei for the sake of the people's livelihood. This is the greatest sincerity. Why are the Han troops still greedy and want to win over Shu?  " Qin Mi, the deputy envoy of the Han army, also argued unceremoniously: "Chen Changshi was surprised by this statement. Hefei is just an empty city. What's the use of having an empty city?  If we just want an empty city, then we can build a new Hefei city. Is it necessary to spend so much manpower and material resources fighting for an empty city?  Hefei is just the main battlefield of Jianghuai. If Cao Jun wants to end the battle of Hefei, he must withdraw from Jianghuai.  " The differences were too big, and both sides froze for a while. After a while, Wang Lang sighed and said: "The Han army captured Hefei, but Cao Jun is actually unable to interfere in Jiangdong. If a war breaks out in Jiangdong, Cao Jun will no longer participate. I just hope that  His Royal Highness the King of Han can take the overall situation into consideration and save some face for the court.  " He was clearly talking about Cao Wei just now, but now he is throwing out the imperial court, trying to use the imperial court to suppress the Han Dynasty. Fazheng couldn't help but sneered secretly. Of course he understood what Wang Lang meant. In fact, Wang Lang wanted Cao Jun to stop interfering in Jiangdong as a concession, but this was not  What kind of concession is the inevitable result of the Battle of Hefei? "But as far as I know, Yu Jin also led 20,000 Cao troops to station in Piling County. Is this called non-interference in Jiangdong?  Fazheng asked back with a hint of sarcasm. Although there are no large warships in Jiangdong, there are still some civilian cargo ships. If Cao Jun wants to evacuate Jiangdong, it is not difficult. Cao Jun can be directly transported across the river by cargo ships. Cao Jun can return to Guangling from Jiangbei.  County, and even returned to Xuzhou, but Cao Cao's army remained stationary in Jiangdong, indicating that Cao Cao still wanted to use this army to stabilize Jiangdong and prevent the Han army from fully occupying Wu County. Wang Lang nodded and smiled: "I understand the confusion of the French military division. In fact.  As I said just now, if the Han army can accept Wei Gong's sincerity, then we will definitely withdraw our troops from Jiangdong. This is Wei Gong's promise.  " Fazheng said calmly: "His Royal Highness the Han Dynasty only requested that the Huaihe River be used as the boundary. As for whether Cao Jun is willing to withdraw from Jiangdong, that is Cao Jun's own business. It should have nothing to do with this peace negotiation. We don't need to take the topic too far.  Otherwise, we would also go astray to Bingzhou, which would be meaningless. What does the prince think?  " Both parties could no longer talk. The differences were too big, so Wang Lang took his leave on the pretext of going back to ask for instructions from the crown prince. Fazheng sent Wang Lang away and immediately came to the Chinese army's tent to report the negotiation situation to Liu Jing, the king of Han. Liu Jing  Jing stood in front of the sand table with his hands behind his hands and listened to Fazheng's report quietly. He believed that the attitude expressed by Wang Lang was not Cao Pi's intention, and Cao Cao's own decision. It should be said that Cao Cao's attitude was within Liu Jing's expectation.  Wanting to steal a pillar and give up Hefei to keep Shouchun, it can only be said that Cao Cao became more and more confused as he got older. Did he really think that he was only satisfied with the city of Hefei? After pondering for a moment, Liu Jing asked: "What about the idea of ??filial piety?  " Fazheng hesitated and said: "Wei Chen has thought about it repeatedly. Cao Pi's unwillingness to give up Shouchun may not be Cao Pi's intention. It should be Cao Cao's insistence.  " "Xiaozhi means that the Cao family and his son do not have the same opinions?  "Liu Jing smiled and said. "Yes, for Cao Pi, giving up Shouchun certainly made him reluctant to give up, but compared to his control of military power, Shouchun was nothing.  Liu Jing understood what Fazheng meant. For Cao Pi, the most important thing was to preserve Cao Ren's army, not Shouchun. They could use this to put pressure on Cao Pi and let him negotiate with Cao Cao. Thinking of this, Liu Jing  Jingdang immediately ordered: "Let General Huang come to see me!  " After a moment, Huang Zhong hurried over, clasped his fists and saluted, "Please give the order, Your Highness!  ¡± Liu JingfuThe hand said coldly: "From now on, increase the intensity of the attack on Hefei. Don't worry about the gains and losses of the city. The main thing is to kill Cao's army!" "I obey the order!" Huang Zhong hurried away. At this time, Liu Jing walked up to  In front of the desk, he picked up a tips bag on the table. This was a tip bag that Jia Xu left for him before returning to Chang'an last year. He asked him to open it after the New Year and check it. Liu Jing had already read it, but he had been waiting to implement the tip bag.  The time has finally come. Now, the time has finally come.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 973 The Fall of Xuzhou

    Xuzhou is a smaller state in the east of the Central Plains. It governs the four counties of Langya, Donghai, Pengcheng, and Xiapi. During the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, Xuzhou also experienced disasters and suffered huge population losses. A large number of people fled to Jiangdong and Jingzhou, so that  There is no rooster crow for thousands of miles in Xuzhou, and hundreds of people live there.  However, after Cao Cao unified the north, Xuzhou also settled down. Over the past ten years, the population has increased, wasteland has been reclaimed, and vitality has gradually returned.  Xuzhou is Cao Ren's residence. At its peak, Xuzhou had 80,000 troops and 300,000 shi of military rations. As the Hefei War lasted for a long time, Xuzhou was also greatly affected. All the troops were transferred to Shouchun, and the rations were also emptied.  Fifty thousand civilians were also recruited successively, and the entire Xuzhou was in fear of war.  At present, there are only 3,000 troops garrisoned in the entire Xuzhou area, and the defense is very empty. At this time, the focus of the Han and Cao armies is on Shouchun and Hefei. In the entire Central Plains area, except for Xuchang, which has 20,000 troops garrisoned by Xiahou Dun, there are no troops garrisoned in other counties.  , only some county soldiers were responsible for maintaining order.  That afternoon, in Zhuyi County at the junction of Qiao County and Pengcheng County, an army of about 10,000 people was marching northward on the official road. This army was 10,000 Han troops led by General Wei Yan. They made a sneak attack on Liu Jing's order.  Xuzhou.  This sneak attack on Xuzhou was exactly the strategy that Jia Xu had in his bag, to use Xuzhou in exchange for Cao Jun¡¯s maximum concessions in the peace talks.  Jia Xu knew that Cao Cao could only survive until January at most. After the New Year, all aspects would need food, and the crisis in Cao Wei would break out at this time. Cao Cao could not survive anyway, so he had to sue for peace to end the Battle of Hefei.  Of course, the Han army could also force Cao Jun to make concessions by refusing to negotiate and continue attacking. However, if Xuzhou can be captured, it will add important weight to the Han army's negotiations. Then it will not be as simple as giving up the city of Hefei.  .  " Moreover, by capturing Xuzhou, the Han army would have room for strategic choices in the next step, which would prevent Cao's army from easily supporting Jiangdong. This was Jia Xu's plan to kill two birds with one stone.  Wei Yan looked at the sky and saw that it was still at least an hour before dark. He immediately ordered: "Speed ??up and camp after dark!" The 10,000 Han troops sped up and marched towards Pengcheng County.  The prefecture of Xuzhou is Pengcheng County, which is today's Xuzhou. Since Lu Bu was attacked and destroyed by Cao Cao, Pengcheng County was also destroyed by the rebel army. Later, the city and walls were rebuilt and the county seat was restored.  Cao Ren later stationed in Pengcheng. He also felt that the city was too low for defense, so he ordered 30,000 civilians to raise the height and width of the city wall. Despite these two major repairs, compared with Pengcheng during Lu Bu's time, the current city was still insufficient.  Tall and wide, of course, it is enough to deal with bandits.  The current general stationed in Pengcheng is named Zhou Liang, who is Cao Ren's subordinate. He was originally Yuan Shao's subordinate. He surrendered to Cao Cao after the Guandu Battle and was assigned to Cao Ren as his subordinate.  After Cao Ren's army went to Hefei, only 3,000 troops were left to garrison in Pengcheng. Zhou Liang was also quite worried that Xuzhou's defenses were empty. Once the Han army attacked Xuzhou, it would be difficult for his army to resist.  However, as time went by, his worries faded day by day. After the New Year, he completely lost his worries. He indulged in wine and sex all day long and rarely paid attention to the city defense.  Now he is the commander-in-chief of Pengcheng. If he doesn't seize the time to enjoy the feeling of being a commander-in-chief, once Cao Ren comes back, he will have to shrink back and look at others.  That night, Zhou Liangping, as usual, went to Bifeng Tower, the largest brothel in Xuzhou, to drink and buy sex. There was a lot of singing and dancing in Bifeng Tower, and it was extremely lively.  The time gradually arrived at one o'clock. In a magnificent bedroom, laughter and chatter continued. Zhou Liang was very drunk. Several prostitutes were taking turns sleeping with him. At this time, a soldier hurried over. He was about to  He broke into the room, but was stopped by several of Zhou Liang's soldiers, who angrily said to him: "You don't understand the rules, can you go in at this time?" The soldier said anxiously: "There is something abnormal happening outside the city, and you must report it to the general immediately.  " "Is there anything unusual? " "The scout who went out for inspection in the morning has not returned yet. General Li is worried that something happened and asked me to report to General Zhou. " "What's the fuss about? What happened to the scout? For example, he went to a farther place.  "But General Li said that we must report to General Zhou." General Li was the general on duty tonight, so the soldiers did not dare to be too hasty, so they had to stay outside.  Said: "General, general!" "What's the matter?" Zhou Liang's impatient voice came from the room.  "General Li said that the scout who went out to patrol today did not come back," "I know, let's talk about it tomorrow!" The soldier reluctantly showed his hands to the messenger, saying that he had no choice, and the messenger had to turn around and leave, rushing back to the city.  Report.  £®  £®  ??.  £®  £®  £®  £®  Although the main general Zhou Liang is addicted to wine and sex, it does not mean that all the guards are as relaxed as he is. Li Qin is one of them. Li Qin is one of the three tooth generals under Zhou Liang and a native of Xuzhou.  He was not worried that the Han army would march thousands of miles to attack Xuzhou, but that the bandits would attack Xuzhou City.  After the Chibi War, Xuzhou was also greatly affected. The number of conscripts was changed from one in five households to one in three households. A large number of young people were lost, which affected agricultural production. In addition, in recent years, taxes  The heavy burden of taxes made the people of Xuzhou full of resentment and overwhelmed, and banditry, which had been extinct for many years, resurfaced.  Since last year, two groups of bandits have appeared in the Xuzhou area, each numbering in the hundreds. They robbed homes and abducted women, making people all over Xuzhou panic. Just when Cao Ren was about to send troops to quell the bandits, the Hefei War broke out, and the plan to quell the bandits was  I had no choice but to postpone it.  As a local, Li Qin particularly hated banditry. Although he did not receive military orders to suppress the bandits, protecting Pengcheng and preventing bandits from taking advantage of the opportunity to attack the city became Li Qin's top priority.  Today he discovered an abnormal situation. Only two of the three patrol teams that went out early in the morning came back, and a patrol team of 20 people did not return. This made him very worried. Not only was he worried about what kind of accident this patrol team would encounter, but more importantly,  , if they encounter bandits, it means that the bandits originally active in the Xiapi area have moved to the boundaries of Pengcheng County.  After a while, the men who ran to report the news came back and bowed: "General, General Zhou Liang said that he knows, and we will discuss this matter next year!" Li Qin frowned and asked: "He is in Bifeng Tower now?" "  It's true that it's not convenient for him now. Several of his soldiers are not allowed to report to Zhou Liang's debauchery.  It is deeply disgusting that a mediocre and incompetent person was able to rise to a higher position just because he was Cao Ren's confidant, while the truly talented people were suppressed and had no chance to succeed.  Hate is hate, but he does not dare to express it too much. Zhou Liang is very grudge-minded. Once he knows that he is dissatisfied with him, he will definitely put on small shoes for himself. This is not the first time.  Helpless, Li Qin had no choice but to hold back his anger and said to the surrounding soldiers: "We must strengthen our vigilance tonight. Don't be careless." As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sudden sound of horse hooves from below the city, attracting the attention of all the defenders at the top of the city.  Seeing a cavalry galloping towards him, he quickly arrived at the city gate and shouted: "Who is the general on duty?" Li Qin recognized that this man was one of the patrol scouts, and his spirits suddenly lifted, and he shouted: "I will take it.  "General, what happened?" "General Li, we were ambushed by bandits. Eight of our brothers were killed. The remaining brothers are being pursued. I begged the general to come for support." Li Qin was startled and asked urgently: "How many were killed?"  The bandits are chasing us?" "About a hundred people!" Li Qin was anxious and said without hesitation: "Five hundred brothers from the front camp will defend the city, and the brothers from the rear camp will come with me to rescue them!" The city gate opened and Li Qin rushed out of the city.  , followed by five hundred soldiers, Li Qin asked loudly: "Where is the man?" "In the Monkey Mountain Nest!" The Monkey Mountain Nest is to the north of Yunlong Mountain, about twenty miles away from the city. Li Qin was worried that the soldiers would be missing.  Without asking further questions, he spurred his horse on and ran towards the south.  Hundreds of officers and soldiers rushed along the official road for nearly twenty miles and gradually approached Yunlong Mountain. At this time, Li Qin suddenly became suspicious. The patrol soldiers were also retreating. He should have met them long ago. Why haven't he seen them yet?  Figure?  He reined in his horse, turned around and asked the reporting soldier sternly, "What happened? Where are the people?" The reporting soldier looked very panicked. He suddenly turned his horse's head and ran away, running deep into the forest. Li Qin was shocked and didn't wait for him.  After reacting, there was a gong sound and countless black figures shot out from the forest on both sides, surrounding Cao Jun's soldiers one after another. Cao Jun's soldiers were stunned with shock. They held spears and knives in their hands and looked back to back in panic, trying to find a way to break out.  , Li Qin calmed down instead. He found that there were at least ten thousand people surrounding them, with spears like a forest, battle flags like clouds, and their armor reflected the cold light in the pale moonlight. They were definitely not bandits.  "Who are you?" Li Qin shouted loudly. At this time, hundreds of torches were lit, and Cao Jun's soldiers were in an uproar. A dense army appeared in front of them, layer upon layer, surrounding them. A general led by  The horse came out, swung his sword, and shouted loudly: "I am the Han general Wei Yan. Why don't you surrender earlier?" Li Qin was shocked. It turned out to be the Han army. He slowly turned around for a long time and saw that all his soldiers were in panic.  Putting down their weapons, some soldiers took off their armor, obviously about to surrender. Thinking of Zhou Liang's incompetence and stupidity again, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh, got off his horse and knelt down and said: "General Li Qin was willing to surrender to the Han army, but he only asked General Wei to treat the people of Xuzhou kindly.  " Wei Yan was overjoyed. He quickly stepped forward to help him up and said with a smile: "The Han army has strict military discipline and will never disturb the people. Your Highness, the King of Han, treats the people of the world well. It is a wise move for the general to be loyal to the Han Dynasty!  " Half an hour later, Li Qin led 500 soldiers back to Pengcheng County. The 500 soldiers behind him were all Han soldiers. In the darkness a mile away, Wei Yan led 10,000 Han soldiers to be ready at any time.  Attack. Li Qin rushed to the city and shouted: "Open the city quickly!"  " The soldiers guarding the city were all his subordinates. When they saw the general returning, they quickly lowered the drawbridge and opened the city gate. Li Qin urged his horse to enter the city. The Han soldiers immediately controlled the city gate and lit a fire at the gate. Li Qin saw the situation  In danger, he quickly shouted: "Let all the brothers guarding the city come to see me!  " After a moment, the two hundred soldiers guarding the south gate rushed down from the city. Li Qin shouted: "I am here to save everyone's lives. I have surrendered to the Han army. Those who want to survive must put down their weapons immediately.  Otherwise, life is at risk.  " All the soldiers looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what was going on. At this moment, they saw a black shadow outside the city. An overwhelming number of Han soldiers came towards the city gate. Wei Yan took the lead and rushed into the city. The soldiers all saw it and were frightened.  They dropped their weapons and knelt down to surrender. Ten thousand Han troops marched into Pengcheng silently, crowding the streets and alleys near Nancheng. Wei Yan asked loudly: "General Li, where is the military camp?"  " "General Wei, please follow me!  " Li Qin got on his horse and led Wei Yan and Han soldiers towards the military camp in the city.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 974 Ultimatum

    At the same moment when Xuzhou was attacked by the Han army, the scorched earth battle in Hefei City had reached an extremely tragic stage. The Han army deployed 350 heavy trebuchets in the west, south and north directions of Hefei City.  They threw kerosene and boulders into the city of Hefei day and night.  The Han army devoted the last 30,000 barrels of kerosene into the final scorched earth battle, threatening to burn Hefei into scorched earth and level them. Huge fireballs flew across the sky and fell into the city, destroying the city.  A raging fire broke out in the city of Hefei, and the fireball even crashed into the warehouses, burning most of Cao Jun's more than 20 warehouses.  Most of the city of Hefei was plunged into a sea of ??fire, and the city walls were also violently attacked by boulders. Many city walls collapsed, and the towers were smashed into pieces by flying boulders, which were then burned down by the fire.  The overwhelming fire and boulders caused extremely heavy casualties to Cao's army. After ten consecutive days of attacks, Cao's army suffered more than 20,000 casualties. Most of the food was burned, leaving only 8,000 shi of food stored in the cellar. In the end, Cao's army could only last for ten days.  The soldiers of Cao's army were in extreme depression, and violence filled the camp of Cao's army. Large-scale vendettas and armed fights between soldiers continued to occur. Cao Ren was so tortured that he asked Shouchun for help several times a day.  The east of the city was the only area that was not attacked by the Han army, and it was also where the Cao army's camp was located. Inside the tent, Cao Ren was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his hands. He was so irritated that he almost started to curse. He wanted to scold Cao Pi because he had no food.  Chun still has a chance to survive, but he still has to show off and pretend to be sophisticated. Does he have to let the Han army drive away Cao's army in Hefei before he is willing to give in?  Cao Ren also wanted to blame Cao Cao for being confused. Now there is no fire oil in Shouchun, the trebuchets are completely destroyed, and the city wall has collapsed in eight places. Cao's army is unable to repair it. The Han army can use warships to cross the moat at any time and enter the city, but the Han army cannot  To conquer Hefei, but to burn Hefei into scorched earth. If the skin is gone, where will the hair be attached?  Why did Wei Gong insist on Shouchun, regardless of the safety of tens of thousands of Cao's soldiers?  At this moment, a horrified shout came from the military camp. Cao Ren thought there was another armed fight. He raised his sword and angrily wanted to come out. As soon as he reached the entrance of the tent, his soldiers rushed in and shouted urgently, "General  , Fireball, the camp is on fire!¡± Cao Ren was shocked and rushed out of the tent. The scene in front of him stunned him, but he saw huge fireballs flying over the city. They were extremely red and dazzling in the night sky. Although the fireballs  The impact point was still hundreds of steps away from the military camp, but after the fireball hit the ground, it bounced high again, jumped hundreds of steps, and roared into the camp. Hundreds of large tents in the northeast corner had been ignited, and the fire was raging.  It burned, the soldiers ran away crying, and the camp was in chaos.  During the ten days of siege and attack, the Han army attacked from the south, north and west, but only spared the east side. Cao Ren believed that this was because the moat on the east side was too wide, and the Han army's heavy trebuchets could not shoot into the city, so he sent Cao Ren's troops to attack.  The camp was moved to the east, but unexpectedly the Han army suddenly attacked.  Seeing that the fire was getting bigger and bigger, Cao Ren shouted anxiously: "Don't take care of the camp, evacuate immediately! Evacuate!" In the chaos, countless soldiers of Cao's army threw off their helmets and armor, discarded their weapons and supplies, and swarmed towards the outside of the camp.  , many soldiers who ran a little slower, or soldiers who went back to retrieve items, were surrounded by fire and died tragically in the fire.  Cao Ren watched countless soldiers being engulfed by the fire, and he was so angry that his eyes were split. Suddenly, he got on his horse and galloped towards the east city. He could not figure out why the Han army could project fireballs into the city from the east.  The moat outside the east city is one mile wide, and no trebuchet can throw it across this distance. How did the Han army do it?  He couldn't feel at ease until he solved this confusion. After a moment, Cao Ren's horse rushed to the top of the city. The top of the city was not attacked by huge rocks and there were no soldiers guarding it. Cao Ren soon saw an unforgettable scene.  I saw a huge pontoon bridge appearing in the moat, which was five acres in size and one foot high. Ten heavy-duty trebuchets were fired in turn from the pontoon bridge, shooting huge fireballs into the city.  Cao Ren couldn't help but let out a long sigh. If Cao Pi didn't give in, their entire army would be annihilated. Cao Ren turned around and asked his soldiers, "How many homing pigeons do we have?" "Report to the general, there are three more!" "Let them all go."  Go to Shouchun and tell Cao Pi that if he doesn't act again, I will surrender Kaicheng!" Cao Ren finally couldn't bear it anymore and issued an ultimatum to Cao Pi.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In Shouchun City, in order to solve the crisis of the army running out of food, Cao Pi adopted Hua Xin's strategy and sent soldiers to search for food from the wealthy households and civilians in Shouchun. He implemented an extremely strict food rationing system and gave the people just enough food to survive every day.  In this way, Cao Pi's army had tens of thousands more shi of food in hand, which could barely support it for a while and stabilize the morale of the army. As for Shouchun, the people were filled with resentment and complaints, and Cao Pi couldn't care less.Bai, Shouchun will not be saved sooner or later, so why should we care too much about the public opinion of Shouchun?  Cao Ren indeed wrongly blamed Cao Pi. He didn't know that the problem was not with Cao Pi, but with Cao Cao's resolute refusal to give up Shouchun. For Cao Pi, retreating to the north of the Yellow River and reaching a two-year peace period with Liu Jing would  It is conducive to Cao Wei's economic recovery and more conducive to him gradually taking over power.  The Han army's fierce attack on Hefei turned Cao Pi into an ant on the hot pot. Once Cao Pi's army in Hefei was defeated by the Han army, it would be a fatal blow to Cao Pi's reputation and his plan to control military power.  For ten days in a row, he sent urgent military reports to Yedu almost every day, even exaggerating the critical situation in Hefei and telling Shouchun that the army was in critical condition. However, all his military reports were like a pile of mud and fell into the sea without any response.  At this time, Xuzhou was attacked by the Han army, and news of Pengcheng's fall reached Shouchun. This heavy blow made Cao Pi almost lose his mind. In the inner hall, only his roaring and thunderous shouts could be heard.  "What does it mean that I have full responsibility? Is this full power? I can't make the decision in anything. Even a dog has much more freedom than me. I quit and let him solve it by himself!" Hua Xin in the yard  Hearing Cao Pi's roar, he was so frightened that he rushed into the inner hall, bowed and begged repeatedly, "My young master, please stop scolding me. Walls have ears. If Wei Gong finds out, his position as the heir apparent will be in danger!"  Cao Pi felt better and slowly calmed down. He also realized that he was too impulsive. He knew that his father had eyes and ears around his third and second brothers. Didn't he have eyes and ears around him?  Thinking of this, Cao Pi couldn't help but feel a little regretful, and sat down in silence for a long time. Seeing that Cao Pi had calmed down, Hua Xin whispered: "In the past two days, I have repeatedly thought about the reason why Duke Wei refused to let go. It is probably because of Cheng Yu."  I was sending a military report to Duke Wei, but the military report of the young master was a bit exaggerated, which aroused Duke Wei's distrust, so Duke Wei was reluctant to express his position. It would be better for the young master to admit his illness and hand over the negotiating power to Cheng Yu. I believe there will be a turn for the better.  "Cao Pi nodded. Hua Xin's guess was not groundless. Ever since he took charge of Shouchun, Cheng Yu had rarely shown up. It seemed that he had let himself go to do what he wanted. However, this was inconsistent with his father's instructions before he left. This can only mean that  Cheng Yu did not let it go, but secretly observed himself and reported the situation in Hefei to his father.  In other words, his father continued to control the situation in Hefei through Cheng Yu, so his father did not listen to his own opinions. Thinking of this, Cao Pi suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. He seemed to feel Cheng Yu's gloomy eyes staring behind him.  Himself, and his father was watching everything coldly above his head.  Seeing that Cao Pi had understood, Hua Xin continued to persuade: "Young master, you don't need to be too anxious. Xuzhou has been lost. I believe Wei Gong can't sit still anymore. There will be instructions soon. Maybe Cheng Yu will take the initiative to find the master." Hua Xin's voice  Just as he was about to leave, he heard a report from a guard in the hall: "Your Majesty, Commander Cheng is here to see you!" As expected, Hua Xin was right, which meant that Cheng Yu was indeed dealing with his father secretly. Cao Pi couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at Hua Xin.  Thumbs up, approving his knowledge, and then nodded and said: "Invite him in!" After a moment, Cheng Yu hurriedly walked into the inner hall. Although Cao Cao asked Cheng Yu to assist his son Cao Pi before leaving, he secretly ordered him to report to him at any time.  Report on the trends in Shouchun and Hefei, and control the battle of Hefei through Cheng Yu.  However, Cheng Yu himself also saw that Cao Pi's main purpose was to control the military power through this battle, so Cheng Yu did not interfere and allowed Cao Pi to arrange the arrangements. He only reported the news of Shouchun and Hefei to Cao Cao every two days using pigeon letters.  Condition.  But when Xuzhou was attacked by the Han army and Pengcheng fell, the situation suddenly deteriorated. This made Cheng Yu unable to sit still and hurried over to discuss countermeasures with Cao Pi.  He took a step forward and saluted: "I am here to meet you, the crown prince!" At this time, Cao Pi really hated this scheming old guy. He asked coldly: "Is Commander Cheng's illness cured?" Cheng Yu heard Cao Pi's tone.  Feeling dissatisfied, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He was loyal to Duke Wei, but he offended the prince. This was not a good thing!  He had no choice but to bite the bullet and said: "I am old and can't help the prince well. I hope the prince will forgive me." Hua Xin quickly winked at Cao Pi and reminded Cao Pi that he could not offend Cheng Yu now. Cao Pi had to endure the hatred for Cheng Yu in his heart.  Yu was filled with hatred and waved his hands and said: "Military advisor, please sit down!" Cheng Yu sat down, raised his hands and smiled at Hua Xin: "I don't know when Hua Zhongcheng will come to Shouchun." Before Hua Xin could speak, Cao Pi became cold.  He said coldly: "I have already reported this matter to my father. I'm sorry, I forgot to tell Commander Cheng." Cheng Yu smiled awkwardly and turned the topic back to business, "Wei Chen heard that Xuzhou was attacked by the Han army.  The fall of Pengcheng County is a serious matter. I wonder how the prince is going to deal with it. " Hua Xin knows that Cao Xin is in trouble.Although he calmed down, his anger was not completely eliminated. Cheng Yu's words were likely to cause Cao Pi to lose his mind. He was very worried. Unexpectedly, Cao Pi was not angry at all and replied very calmly: "It's not surprising that Xuzhou was attacked."  , Most of the troops in the Central Plains are concentrated on the front line of Xuchang and Luoyang. Not only is Xuzhou empty of troops, Qiaojun also doesn't have much troops. In order to force us to give up Shouchun, Liu Jing has resorted to any means, including storming Hefei. I wonder if Military Advisor Cheng knows that Hefei has been under attack for the past ten years.  More than 20,000 people were lost in the day, and the situation is already in danger. ""Then how will the prince prepare to deal with the current dilemma?" Cheng Yu asked Cao Pi again how he planned to deal with it. If he had asked such a question half an hour ago, Cao Pi would have definitely responded.  He was furious and scolded Cheng Yu fiercely, but Cao Pi had completely calmed down by this time and returned to his usual dark and gloomy state.  Cao Pi said calmly: "This is exactly what I want to ask the military advisor, what should we do now?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 975 Alliance under the City

    Cao Pi knew that since Cheng Yu came to find him, he must have a plan, otherwise what else would he be called a strategist?  Sure enough, Cheng Yu smiled slightly and said: "Actually, Wei Chen believes that the Han army can continue to fight a protracted war, and there is no need to go into such a big fight. They stormed Hefei and then made a surprise attack on Xuzhou. They were obviously putting pressure on us. This also revealed that the Han army  The army is in dire straits, and they can no longer hold on. They are eager to end the Battle of Hefei. "But there are still millions of cattle and sheep in Han Dynasty. How can there be insufficient food?" Hua Xin interjected.  Cheng Yu said calmly: "I also know that the Han army has millions of cattle and sheep, but the problem is how to transport them to Hefei? The Han army has thousands of ships in Chaohu, but they cannot return against the wind and current.  Chaisang, as far as I know, no fleet of the Han army came from Chaisang after mid-December. This means that Chaisang has no ships and no means of transportation. Even though Chaisang has tens of millions of stones of grain,  , It's just that water from afar can't quench the thirst of others." Hua Xin was speechless. After a while, he laughed dryly and said, "It turns out that Commander Cheng is quite well-informed. He's just concerned about the situation."  Cao Pi caught his words and said: "Since Military Advisor Cheng has been paying attention to the situation, you might as well tell me what should I do now?" Cheng Yu pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Due to the current situation, Wei Chen suggested that the prince should immediately  Talk to Liu Jing and give up Shouchun in exchange for the withdrawal of the Han army from Xuzhou. As for Wei Gong, Wei Chen went to explain. "Cao Pi and Hua Xin looked at each other with shock in their eyes, especially Cao Pi, who was confused.  There is only one reason to explain how Cheng Yu dared to make such a decision. Either Cheng Yu just received the order from his father, or his father gave Cheng Yu the right to make the decision before he left.  The former reason is unlikely because there is not enough time, but the latter reason is the most likely. Cheng Yu has been holding back because he has the real decision-making power in his hands.  But at this time, Cao Pi didn't have time to think about it. He nodded, "I will send someone to contact Liu Jing immediately." Cheng Yu then left and left. As soon as Cheng Yu left, Cao Pi smashed the tea cup to pieces and gritted his teeth.  : "One day, I will wipe out this old thief's whole family!" £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The fall of Pengcheng became the last straw for Cao's army. Cao's army had to accept the armistice conditions proposed by the Han army. Cao's army withdrew to the north of the Huaihe River, abandoning Hefei and Shouchun. The two armies used the Huaihe River as their boundary.  As a concession, the Han army agreed to abandon Pengcheng and evacuate Xuzhou. Liu Jing also promised that within two years, the Han army would not cross the Huaihe River. At this point, the Hefei battle that lasted for nearly a year finally came to an end.  As Liu Jing and Cao Pi signed the agreements respectively, Cao Pi's army began to abandon Hefei and Shouchun City, and evacuated northward along the Huaihe River pontoon. On the north bank of the Huaihe River, Cao Pi looked at the Cao army's troops retreating north in panic. He felt an indescribable loss in his heart.  All the troops retreating northward were Cao's soldiers, and there were no civilians from Shouchun following them.  Cao Pi knew what the problem was. He collected all the people's food. The Shouchun people already hated him. Cao Pi couldn't help but sigh and said to Wang Lang: "In this battle, we have completely lost the hearts of the people of Jianghuai!" Wang Lang comforted Cao Pi  Said: "Your Majesty, you don't need to think too much. The main reason is that the people are unwilling to leave their hometown, especially not to cross the Huaihe River. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that Huainan is rich in water and Huaibei is barren. The people are unwilling to follow Cao's army to retreat north. Under the influence of Wei Chen  As expected." Cao Pi smiled bitterly, shook his head again, turned his horse's head and said to Cao Zhen: "As soon as Cao's army is withdrawn, set fire to the pontoon bridge immediately!" Cao Pi then whipped the horse.  Running north quickly, Cao Pi didn't want to look at Huainan again. For him, the war was over, and he should consider how to take over the power of Cao Wei. According to the agreement reached by both parties, Cao Pi must hand over Shouchun City to the Han Army before evacuating.  , so on the night of the signing of the agreement, all Cao Jun soldiers withdrew to station outside the city, and a Han army of 3,000 men led by Fazheng entered Shouchun City, closed the city gates, maintained order in the city, and prevented Cao Jun soldiers from taking advantage of the defeat.  Loot Shouchun.  Liu Jing learned the lesson from Cao Hong's army sacking Wancheng and took the lead in controlling Shouchun City with a population of 200,000. It should be said that this was a very necessary measure. Since the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, urban chaos after defeat has almost become a  law.  Therefore, Liu Jing made it clear that Cao Pi must withdraw all Cao's soldiers from the city before the armistice agreement has been conveyed to Cao's army. Then the Han army moved in and closed the city gates. Even if there were Cao's generals who wanted to take advantage of the chaos, they would not have time to plunder.  This way, the safety of 200,000 people in Shouchun was protected, and the people in Shouchun were full of gratitude to the King of Han.  On the day after Cao Jun crossed the Huaihe River, Liu Jing entered Shouchun City under the escort of thousands of soldiers.The streets had been swept clean, and every household set up an incense table at the door, burned incense and knelt down to welcome His Royal Highness the King of Han into the city.  Hefei and Shouchun both belong to Huainan County, and Shouchun is the county seat of Huainan County. When Liu Jing arrived at the county government office, the county magistrate Jia Fang led more than a dozen officials to greet him. They all knelt down to worship Liu Jing, "See you, Your Highness, the King of Han!"  "Liu Jing asked his soldiers to help everyone up, then got off his horse and smiled at everyone: "Shouchun and Hefei will rely on you from now on. I hope you will work hard and do more for the people!" Everyone was overjoyed. The king of Han meant that the local area should be reused!  Officials, they crowded Liu Jing into the lobby like stars holding the moon. Liu Jing sat down at the top, waved his hands and ordered everyone to sit down, and then he asked: "I want to know, how many people from Hefei are in the city?"  Jia Fang sighed and said: "There are now about 210,000 people in Shouchun, half of whom have moved from Hefei, and most of them live in private houses. All kinds of chaos have continued for a year, and Shouchun City has been overwhelmed." "Now Shouchun City has been overwhelmed."  What's Chun's biggest problem?" Liu Jing asked again.  Everyone looked at each other and said in unison: "The biggest problem is that there is no food." Jia Fang said anxiously: "About ten days ago, Cao Jun searched all the people's food in the city and implemented food rationing. Each household was less than one hen of rice per day.  As a result, the people are in dire straits and complaining. Now that Cao's army has withdrawn and taken away all the food, the city ran out of food yesterday. " Next to him, Fazheng said, "Jia Juncheng is right. There is indeed no food in the city. Yesterday, Weichen set up a food supply in the city.  Fifty porridge relief points can barely survive one day. If the food problem is not solved, there will be civil unrest. "Liu Jing nodded and turned around and asked Qin Mi, "How much food do we have now?"  He thought: "Our army rations are enough to last for twenty days, but yesterday the wind direction turned to the east, and General Gan personally led the fleet to Chaisang to transport food." Liu Jing thought about it for a moment. If everything goes well, the food will be available in ten days.  When the food arrived, he said to Fa Zheng: "We can use half of the military rations to help the people of Shouchun and help them get through the most difficult days. Once the grain transport fleet returns, the food problem will be alleviated." The officials were moved,  We kowtowed together and said with tears: "His Royal Highness the King of Han is so kind, it is the blessing of the people of Shouchun!" Liu Jing smiled and said: "Since the people of Shouchun are already my people, of course I can't ignore it, but I still have a few things to do.  , I need your help." "Please give me your instructions," Liu Jing said slowly: "Hefei City has been basically destroyed by the war and needs to be restored. In addition, spring plowing has begun in various places, and Shouchun is no exception, so I plan to do it.  Shouchun and Hefei are under military control for half a year, which means that 200,000 people in Shouchun City must participate in labor. Of course, children and the elderly are exempted. Some people will participate in farming, and some people will participate in rebuilding Hefei City, and then renovating rivers and dredging water conservancy.  As a condition for the Han army to provide food, you need to mobilize all the major families and work together to restore people's livelihood. "The officials looked at each other. In fact, there is no problem in letting the people work. The key is the land issue. The previous problems in Hefei and Shouchun.  All land has its owner. Once farming is implemented, what will happen to the land and property?  Jia Fang carefully expressed her worries, "Your Highness, Huainan people regard land as their lifeblood. If they lose their land, I am afraid it will cause strong dissatisfaction among the people and even riots. Please be aware of this." Liu Jing smiled slightly, "  I will not confiscate people's land. I will only confiscate it for half a year. After the summer harvest, the original land ownership will be restored. You can register the land in advance. In addition, Baixiashui has flooded tens of thousands of acres of fertile land. It is estimated that many people will suffer losses.  , they can be allowed to reclaim wasteland and farmland, and be exempted from taxes for ten years. As long as you arrange these things properly, I will let you be promoted to another level." Everyone was overjoyed, especially Jia Fang, the county magistrate.  He has an ear-to-ear smile, which means that he will be promoted to the prefect of Huainan County in half a year.  Liu Jing then temporarily appointed Fa Zheng as the Huainan Tuntian Colonel, leading 10,000 troops to cooperate with the local people to repair the city and farmland, and restore the Huainan economy that had been damaged by the war.  Liu Jing immediately returned to Shouchun and led his army back to Ruxukou by boat.  Although the battle with Cao Jun is over, it does not mean that the Han army completely controls Jianghuai. In fact, they currently only control the western part of Jianghuai. Jianghuai is mainly composed of three counties, Lujiang County, Huainan County and Guangling County. Among them, the Han army  Controlling Lujiang County, Cao Jun controlled Huainan County and the northern part of Guangling County, while the southern part of Guangling County belonged to Jiangdong.  After the Battle of Hefei, Cao's army completely withdrew from the Jianghuai River, and the Han army controlled most of the Jianghuai land. Only the southern part of Guangling County was still in the hands of Jiangdong, which is the Jiangbei area east of Liyang County.  It¡¯s not that Liu Jing must occupy the entire Jianghuai River, but once the Han army captures the southern part of Guangling, it means that the Han army will controlIf the entire Yangtze River is blocked, Jiangdong Army will not have any chance to revive the navy.  Liu Jing was pacing back and forth in the cabin, thinking. He had to think of a way to occupy the southern part of Guangling in a reasonable and legal way and station troops on the north bank of the Yangtze River.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 976 The false way destroys Guo

    Time gradually arrived in early February, when Gan Ning led the grain fleet to Hefei, which completely alleviated the food crisis of the army and the people. At this time, Hefei and Shouchun areas had begun a vigorous city building and field farming movement, and hundreds of thousands of green  With the help of the Han army, strong men and women plowed fields, transported stones, felled trees, rebuilt houses, and built water conservancy projects. Chaohu Lake, which had been desolate due to the war, regained vitality.  However, the Han army did not withdraw its troops back to Jingzhou. Liu Jing hoped to take this opportunity to fully seize the land north of the Yangtze River so that Han army warships could patrol the river outside Jianye.  On the five thousand stone warship at Ruxukou, Liu Jing and seven or eight senior officials of the Han army were discussing countermeasures in front of the sand table. Liu Jing slowly said to everyone: "The plan I am considering is to use the 20,000 Cao army to attack Yujin.  Occupy the entire south of Guangling." Liu Jing pointed at the sand table with a wooden pole and said: "According to the agreement reached by Cao Pi and I, all Cao troops must evacuate south of the Huaihe River, including the 20,000 Cao troops currently stationed in Jiangdong.  Two thousand Cao Jun retreated north, and the 20,000 Cao Jun in Jin could only withdraw north from Guangling County. As long as Cao Jun stayed in Guangling County, we could launch an attack on Cao Jun and occupy the north bank of the Yangtze River on the grounds that Cao Jun violated the agreement.  When Jing said this, all the generals nodded, but Pang Tong remained silent. Liu Jing asked, "Does Military Advisor Pang have any ideas?" Pang Tong sighed slightly and said, "I'm afraid that the agreement between us and Cao Pi cannot restrain Yu Jin.  Without Cao Cao's order, how could Yu Jin withdraw from Jiangdong? I'm afraid Cao Cao would not issue such an order. " Liu Jing sneered: "If this is the case, we will launch a battle against Cao's army and drive Yu Jin's Cao army out of Jiangdong.  At that time, I am afraid that Sun Quan will force Cao Jun to leave without us taking action." Gan Ning, who was next to him, also smiled and said, "It is best if Yu Jin refuses to leave, so that we have a reason to declare war. When Cao Jun retreats to the north bank, we will launch an attack immediately.  Attack and directly occupy the north bank of the Yangtze River." The generals all supported sending troops to Jiangdong, and even hoped to take this opportunity to directly destroy Jiangdong. However, Liu Jing knew that the time to destroy Jiangdong was not yet mature, and he needed to take steps.  Come.  He waved his hand, and the cabin suddenly became quiet. Liu Jing said to the generals: "No matter what, we still have to do what needs to be done. We can salute first and then fight." At this time, Lord Bo Qinmi stepped forward and saluted: "  Wei Chen is willing to go to Jiangdong as an envoy! "The news that Cao Jun was defeated in Hefei and forced to withdraw to the north of the Huaihe River has already reached Jiangdong, and it immediately caused a great shock in the Jiangdong government and the public. For the ordinary people in Jiangdong, this news is worthy of celebration. The war  When it is over, everyone no longer has to live in fear. This is also good news for merchants. The Han army no longer has to block the river and allow merchant ships to do business westward.  But for many knowledgeable people in Jiangdong, this news is heavy. After the Han army occupied Jianghuai, will Jiangdong be the next target?  However, for Sun Quan, this result was within his expectation. Since the Han army's battle against Hefei was changed to a battle of national strength, Sun Quan knew that Cao Wei's army would definitely lose. It was not that Cao Wei's land was not vast enough, but that in this battle  On the most critical issue of food, the Han army had an advantage.  They had just defeated the Huns and had huge war dividends. Not only did they own millions of cattle and sheep, but they also had pastures in Longxi and Hexi. The source of military food was not just grain fields. From this point of view, the Han army was even better able to fight.  protracted war.  When the news of Cao's army's retreat to the north came, for Sun Quan, it was just the second boot falling on the ground, confirming his guess. Sun Quan was unfazed by the news.  On the contrary, it was Cao Cao's army of 20,000 soldiers in Piling County that troubled Sun Quan quite a bit. The reason was very simple. He could no longer afford the money and food expenses of this army. The monthly food expenditure of Cao Cao's army of 20,000 people was 10,000 shi, which was completely borne by Jiangdong.  , they have been stationed for almost half a year and have consumed 60,000 shi of food from Jiangdong.  Due to the shortage of farmers in Wu County, the main grain-producing area, grain production has been significantly reduced this year. Only the grain from the five counties of Danyang, Piling, Xindu, Yuzhang and Jiujiang has to support Jiangdong's own 30,000-strong army, and the grain supply is very low.  The market price of grain has never been lower than 300 yuan per meter, which put Sun Quan under great pressure.  Sun Quan was willing to let Cao's army withdraw north, but he was worried about the threat from the Han army in Taihu and Kuaiji counties, so he had been undecided. In November last year, he sent people to test Cao's army, Yu Jin, and Yu Jin's answer  However, they had to have Wei Gong's order before they could retreat, which made Sun Quan even more upset. Could it be that Cao Cao planned to keep this Cao army stationed in Piling County?  In the back hall of Jianye Palace, Sun Quan was pacing back and forth a little distractedly. Just now, Yu Jin sent someone to ask him for three months' worth of grain, which was 30,000 shi of grain, but he only had 50,000 shi of grain in his treasury.  Given Yu Jin, what should his army do?  Cao Jun¡¯s needs are like an insatiable bottomless person.?, which disturbed Sun Quan's already restless heart all the time. What made Sun Quan even more angry was that Cao Cao also promised to give Jiangdong one hundred thousand shi of grain, but so far there is no news. There is also the matter of 10,000 barrels of fake kerosene, and he still  There was no time to settle accounts with Cao Cao.  There is another thing that also makes Sun Quan dissatisfied. Cao Cao promised to marry his daughter to him, but since their warship was burned by the Han army, Cao Cao never mentioned it again, as if he had never promised.  Although Sun Quan was upset about Cao Cao and Cao's army, he also knew that the food needed by Cao Cao's army must be given, but could he give him 10,000 shi first instead of using 30,000 shi to oppress him all at once.  At this moment, a guard hurriedly came over and reported in the hall, "Report to the Marquis of Wu, Military Advisor Zhang has something urgent to see." Sun Quan nodded and ordered: "Let him come to see me." Not long after, Zhang  Zhao quickly walked into the inner hall and said with a smile: "Wu Hou, Liu Jing sent Qin Mi again." Sun Quan couldn't help but was startled, "Why this time?" "I asked Qin Mi, to be precise, Qin Mi  He is not here to see Wu Hou, but to see Yu Jin in Piling County. "What does he want to see Yu Jin for?" Sun Quan asked in confusion.  "Qin Mi didn't say specifically, but the veteran can roughly guess that Liu Jing wants Cao Jun to withdraw from Jiangdong." Sun Quan snorted coldly: "He wants Cao Jun to withdraw, then why doesn't he withdraw himself? What does Jiangdong mean?  "Zhang Zhao smiled bitterly and said: "Wuhou, don't ask for trouble. The Han army defeated Cao Jun and the two sides signed an agreement. Cao Jun must withdraw to the south of the Huaihe River, including this Cao army in Jiangdong, so Liu Jing sent  It was reasonable for the envoy to come to urge Yu Jin to withdraw his troops. "Sun Quan didn't speak for a long time, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his hands. He suddenly turned around and asked, "Is Liu Jing planning to take action against Jiangdong when he asked Cao Jun to withdraw?" Sun Quan's expression changed.  De was extremely solemn and stared at Zhang Zhao with cold eyes. Will what he is most worried about and afraid of happen unexpectedly?  Zhang Zhao shook his head, "A battle at Hefei also exhausted Han's national strength and exhausted its soldiers. Moreover, Jiangdong still has strength, and the military and people's hearts are all toward Wu. Therefore, the veteran believes that he should not attack Jiangdong now, nor in one or two years."  But he is very jealous of the Sun-Cao alliance, so he must abide by the agreement and withdraw northward. " Sun Quan thought for a while, and it was indeed the case. He relaxed a little and said to Zhang Zhao: "Actually, I also hope that Cao's army can withdraw.  When we get to Jiangbei, at least let Cao Cao pay for their military rations. I really can't afford it, but I'm afraid that Yu Jin won't evacuate. What should I do?" Zhang Zhao smiled slightly, "I don't think Marquis Wu needs to worry too much about this issue, veteran.  I believe Liu Jing will find a way to solve it." Sun Quan seemed to know what methods Liu Jing would use to force Cao Jun to leave. He couldn't help but sigh softly, "I just hope that the tragedy of destroying Guo will not happen." Although Qin Mi was going to meet Cao Jun, the commander-in-chief.  But out of etiquette, Sun Quan still received him, and Liu Jing's attitude towards Jiangdong and whether the Han warships in Taihu Lake were withdrawn need to be clarified.  It¡¯s just that Sun Quan doesn¡¯t have much hope for Qin Mi. Maybe he can express his attitude to Liu Jing through Qin Mi.  In the inner hall, Qin Mi took a sip of tea calmly and smiled at Sun Quan: "The reason why the Han army garrisoned in Taihu Lake is to fight against Cao's army in Piling County, not to target Jiangdong. Once Piling County can withdraw,  Out of Jiangdong, His Highness the King of Han is also willing to reduce the garrison in Taihu Lake." Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi, who were sitting next to each other, looked at each other. The other party used his words very carefully, and actually said "reduce" instead of "withdraw". This shows that the Han army will still be in Taihu Lake.  garrison.  Of course, even if Qin Mi said that the Han army would withdraw, they would not believe that the fat meat in their mouths could be spit out easily. Qin Mi's statement of reducing the garrison was somewhat credible.  "I wonder how many troops the Han army is planning to reduce?" Sun Quan asked quietly.  "I don't know the exact number, but His Highness the King of Han means that we can discuss it in detail. As long as Cao's army withdraws, it is not impossible for all the Han army to withdraw." This statement lifted the spirits of everyone present. It is indeed true.  As long as Cao's army retreats north, the Han army will have no reason to stay in Taihu Lake. The Han army will definitely provide conditions for withdrawal and withdraw if conditions permit.  For Sun Quan, the most important thing is that the Han army is willing to withdraw from Taihu Lake and relieve the danger in the hinterland of Jiangdong. As for the withdrawal conditions, he can accept them as long as they are not too excessive.  Thinking of this, Sun Quan smiled happily and said: "Then let Bu Changshi and Qin Lord Bo go to Cao Ying together!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 977 Forcing Cao Bei to withdraw

    Qin Mi went down to rest first, and there were only three people, Sun Quan and his ministers, left in the inner hall. At this time, Sun Quan sighed and said, "Do we want Cao Jun to leave?" Zhang Zhao hesitated and said, "Didn't Marquis Wu publicly express his position before?  "Do you want Cao's army to withdraw from Jiangdong?" Sun Quan shook his head, "That happened in November last year. At that time, Cao Cao and Cao Pi ignored it. Now the situation is different. Cao's army has withdrawn to the north of the Huaihe River. If Cao's army from Jiangdong leaves again,  , I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have any help, but if Cao Jun doesn¡¯t leave, I won¡¯t be able to afford the army¡¯s food and expenses. To be honest, I¡¯m in a dilemma!¡± Having said this, Sun Quan took out another letter and handed it to Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi,  "This is an urgent letter sent by Cao Cao the day before yesterday. Cao Cao means that he hopes that we can openly retain Cao's army." Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi were both stunned. They didn't even know that Cao Cao had sent this letter. Wu  Hou didn't tell them either. Zhang Zhao hurriedly took the letter and read it. Sun Quan looked at him and asked, "What's Zi Bu's attitude?" Zhang Zhao handed the letter to Bu Zhi and pondered for a while before saying, "Wei Chen thinks that Cao Cao  Due to the agreement with Liu Jing, he had to withdraw his troops, but he didn't want to leave Jiangdong, so he hoped that we could persuade him to stay, so that he could give Liu Jing an explanation. "What does Chang Shi mean?"  His eyes turned to Bu Zhi again.  Bu Zhi sighed and said: "Cao Cao wants to shift the responsibility to us. In fact, it doesn't matter what the responsibility is. The key is whether the Han army will withdraw from Taihu Lake. If the Han army refuses to withdraw, then it is best for Cao Cao to stay, but if  If the Han army is willing to withdraw, there is no need for Cao Jun to stay in Jiangdong. " Bu Zhi saw clearly and got to the root of the problem. It is best for both sides to withdraw their troops!  However, the first condition for the Han army to withdraw is that Cao Jun must leave. This forces Jiangdong to take a risk and let Cao Jun withdraw first, and then negotiate with the Han army. Sun Quan thought for a long time and finally nodded, "Cao Jun's stay in Jiangdong is actually useful."  It¡¯s not big, but it will give Liu Jing an excuse to attack, so let¡¯s make it clear that Cao Jun must evacuate Jiangdong.¡± Piling County is the area around today¡¯s Changzhou. During the Three Kingdoms period, this was an important farming area in Jiangdong.  The Pilingdian Agricultural School Lieutenant was set up here to be responsible for farming.  However, during the Battle of Hefei, in order to assist Jiangdong against the Han army in Kuaiji County, Cao Cao ordered General Quan to lead 20,000 troops into Jiangdong and stationed them in Piling County. More than half a year had passed, which seriously affected Jiangdong's position in Piling County.  Farming.  At this time, the Battle of Hefei was over, and Cao Cao's army had all retreated to the north of the Huaihe River. According to the agreement between the two parties, Yu Jin's army must also retreat to the north of the Huaihe River. However, Yu Jin's army was deployed by Cao Cao himself and was not under Cao Pi's jurisdiction, so his army  To retreat north, Cao Cao's order must be given.  Of course, the armistice agreement signed by Cao Pi and Liu Jing represented the two countries of Han and Wei, and Yu Jin had to abide by it. However, there was a time difference. He had to wait for Cao Cao to approve the armistice agreement before issuing an order for Yu Jin's army to withdraw northward.  This is a process that must be done. In layman's terms, there is no rush. However, I don't know how many agreements the Han and Cao armies have signed. Most of them have not been followed. Both sides are used to it. Cao Cao will not take the agreement signed by Hefei seriously.  The thing is, in his opinion, the Battle of Hefei was just a matter of losing strength and retreating in a dignified way. Once the strength is restored, he will send troops south to recapture Hefei.  Similarly, once the Han army has sufficient strength, they will also find excuses to tear up the agreement. The army will cross the Huaihe River and go north, and will never really be subject to the two-year armistice period.  It is precisely because of the tacit understanding between the two sides that Cao Cao actually does not want to withdraw Cao's army from Jiangdong. He hopes to use this army to contain the Han army from attacking Jiangdong, thereby preserving Jiangdong.  However, Cao Cao did not consider Jiangdong's bearing capacity and did not expect that Jiangdong would not be able to afford the money and food expenses of Cao's army. Sun Quan has publicly stated that he hopes that Cao's army can withdraw from Jiangdong as soon as possible.  But what made Cao Cao even more embarrassed was that although Cao Cao's army had withdrawn from Shouchun to the north, the Han army in Pengcheng had no intention of withdrawing south. Although neither side made it clear, Cao Cao knew in his heart that if Cao Cao's army in Jiangdong did not withdraw north,  , then the Han army in Xuzhou will not withdraw southward.  With this in mind, Cao Cao sent an urgent letter to Yu Jin. In the letter, he agreed in principle with Yu Jin's withdrawal to the north, but it depended on Jiangdong's attitude. In other words, if Jiangdong did not allow Cao's army to withdraw north, then Cao Cao's army would continue to withdraw.  Staying in Piling County, as the Han army in Xuzhou is still unwilling to withdraw south, Cao Cao will negotiate with Liu Jing again.  Sun Quan also knew this, so he sent Bu Zhi and Qin Mi to Piling to clearly express Jiangdong's attitude and hoped that Cao Jun would withdraw from Jiangdong.  In the Cao Jun camp outside Piling County, Yu Jin was sitting alone in the tent, looking very worried. There was a letter on the table, which his brother Yu Ze had just sent.  Yu Ze invested in NanyangYu Jin also heard about the Han army. He was a little nervous at first, fearing that Yu Ze would implicate himself. However, Cao Cao still appointed him as the commander-in-chief of the Cao army stationed in Jiangdong. Yu Jin was relieved that Cao Cao trusted him.  , and he was deeply grateful.  At this time, Yu Ze wrote a letter, suggesting that he see the general trend of the world clearly and make wise choices as soon as possible. At the same time, the letter also revealed that the King of Han paid special attention to him. If he surrendered, he would definitely gain the attention of the King of Han.  In fact, Yu Jin also knew very well that the situation was unfavorable to Cao Wei step by step. Not only did the Han Kingdom surpass Cao Wei in terms of military and national strength, but Liu Jing also gained political advantages after Liu Jing established his capital in Chang'an. The people of the world had gradually forgotten the puppet emperor of Yedu.  Considering Liu Jing as the successor of the Han Dynasty, it is only a matter of time before Liu Jing unifies the world.  The situation has reached such a point. How could Yu Jin not consider his own future? However, Cao Cao treated him well and trusted him so much after Yu Ze surrendered. How could Yu Jin have the heart to betray Cao Cao?  As for Liu Jing¡¯s special regard for him, Yu Jin certainly knew why, and he could only smile bitterly. Maybe meeting Liu Jing back then was indeed a fate arranged by God!  Just as he was thinking about it, a soldier quickly walked to the door of the tent and reported: "General, Qin Mi, the envoy of the King of Han, and Bu Zhao, the envoy of Wuhou, are outside the military camp asking for a meeting." Yu Jin was stunned for a moment, and the two envoys came hand in hand.  , he thought for a moment and then said: "Please sit down in the side tent for a while, I will come right away!" Not long after, an officer invited Qin Mi and Bu Zhi into the side tent, "Two envoys, please sit down for a moment, I am here."  Just go and ask General Yu to come over." The officer came in a hurry. Bu Zhi reminded Qin Mi in a low voice: "Yu Jin may not be willing to retreat north. Zi Chi can implicitly remind him that his attitude and tone should not be tough to prevent him from detaining us as hostages.  " Qin Mi smiled and nodded, "Don't worry! I know what's going on." After a while, Yu Jin quickly walked into the tent and said with a hearty smile: "I didn't know that the two envoys were coming, so I didn't come far to greet them. I'm sorry!  "Forgive me!" Qin Mi and Bu Zhi stood up at the same time and saluted Yu Jin together, "General Yu is too polite." Yu Jin and the two guests sat down separately. Yu Jin first asked Bu Zhi, "The army's food and grass can only last a few days.  I wonder when Marquis Wu will be able to send food and grass?" Bu Zhao smiled awkwardly, "Marquis Wu is already making arrangements!" "Then I have to ask Chang Shi to urge Marquis Wu for me. Cao's army has good military discipline, but once it runs out of food,  , I'm worried that the soldiers will be forced to do something that harms civilians, which is something neither of us wants to happen." Yu Jin's naked threat made Bu Zhi's face change, the smile on his face disappeared, and he spoke with a gloomy face.  Without saying anything, Yu Jinsen stared at Bu Zhao with cold eyes. Seeing that Bu Zhao no longer responded to him, he snorted secretly, put a smile on his face, turned to Qin Mi and said, "I didn't know that Qin Lord Bo came all the way.  Is there something urgent that requires Yu Jin's service?" Qin Mi took out a scroll and handed it to Yu Jin, "This is the armistice agreement signed by the Han and Cao armies. It has the signature of the Crown Prince of Wei on behalf of the state of Wei. I believe General Yu also knows it.  This matter, then according to the agreement between the two parties, Cao's army must retreat to the north of the Huaihe River, including General Yu's army. His Highness the King of Han wants to know when General Yu is going to withdraw. " Yu Jin slowly took the scroll, opened it and looked at it.  It turned out to be an original document, with the signature of the Crown Prince Cao Pi on it. He was silent for a long time and said: "I have heard about this matter. According to the agreement, I should indeed withdraw north. However, Cao's army has strict military regulations. I must receive the withdrawal tiger talisman and  The troops can only be withdrawn with the order of Wei Gong. The journey from Yedu to Jiangdong will take some time. Please tell His Majesty the King of Han that I will withdraw to the north once Wei Gong's order arrives. " Having said this, Yu Jin looked at Bu Zhi again and smiled.  Said: "Of course, Cao Jun's withdrawal to the north requires Jiangdong's consent. After all, it was Jiangdong who invited Cao Jun to go south. The host did not open his mouth, and the guests were not allowed to leave at will." Yu Jin originally thought that Bu Zhi would ask Wu Hou Yunyun for instructions,  Together they declined Qin Mi's request to withdraw troops. Unexpectedly, Bu Zhao was extremely unhappy because of Yu Jin's forced food supply. He had long forgotten to remind Qin Mi to be subtle and euphemistic. As soon as Yu Jin finished speaking, he responded coldly.  Said: "The Marquis of Wu has decided to accept the armistice agreement between the Han army and the Cao army. If the Cao army wants to cross the river and retreat to the north, Jiangdong will not stop it and will provide ships to cross the river.  " Yu Jin's face suddenly turned cold. None of the three people spoke. The atmosphere in the tent became extremely depressed. After a long time, Yu Jin nodded and said: "I will inform Duke Wei of Jiangdong's attitude in time, and I will withdraw the troops after  As I said just now, as long as Wei Gong's order is issued, I will withdraw my troops immediately. This can be regarded as my official statement, and I also ask Qin Lord Bo to report back to His Highness the King of Han.  " Qin Mi smiled slightly and stood up and said, "In that case, I'll take my leave.  " Yu Jin also looked at Bu Zhi coldly and said: "It's about the military rations.I hope Bu Zhang Shi will take it to heart. My military rations are only enough to last three days. A lot of unpleasant things will happen in three days. Then don't blame me for not warning Jiangdong.  Bu Zhi said nothing and followed Qin Mi to say goodbye. Yu Jin kept sending them out of the camp. Watching the team go away, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. What should he do now? Should he withdraw or not? He  In fact, he had already received Cao Cao's order to withdraw his troops, but Cao Cao asked him to use Jiangdong as a pretext to delay the withdrawal as much as possible. But now Jiang Dong has made it clear that he wants to withdraw his troops, and his military rations can only support it at best.  Ten days later, it seems that Jiangdong is not prepared to allocate food to him. Do you really want to force him to send troops to sack Piling County? What can he do if Wei Gong lets him do it?  Come to urge him to withdraw north. If he refuses to withdraw, the Han army will definitely increase its troops in Taihu and directly threaten Piling County. They may take the opportunity to destroy Jiangdong. Yu Jin's heart was in chaos. At this time, he thought of his brother Yu Ze.  After hesitating for a long time about writing the secret letter, Yu Jin finally sighed. He really couldn't offend Liu Jing and had to leave a way out for himself!

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 978: Grain Fighting Incident

    Early the next morning, Yu Jin summoned the generals of the three armies, conveyed the armistice agreement signed between Han and Cao, and the withdrawal order of Wei Gong, and officially announced the withdrawal of Cao's army to the north.  Twenty thousand Jiangdong troops broke out of camp and marched toward Jingkou in a mighty manner. Soldiers had already rushed to report to Sun Quan. When Sun Quan learned that Cao Jun in Piling County had decided to withdraw north, he was secretly happy and a little worried at the same time.  He immediately ordered Lu Fan, the prefect of Danyang County, to rush to Jingkou to raise fifty merchant ships for Cao Jun to assist Cao Jun in crossing north. He also asked the magistrate of Jingkou County to allocate 5,000 shi of grain from the treasury to Cao Jun as food for Cao Jun's retreat north.  At the same time, Sun Quan secretly ordered generals Huang Gai and Zhou Tai to lead 10,000 troops each and deploy them in the Jingkou area to monitor Cao's army's retreat north across the river.  Three days later, 20,000 Cao troops arrived at Jingkou. At this time, more than 50 merchant ships, mostly thousand-stone cargo ships, were moored at the dock outside Jingkou. Five thousand stone grains were also piled on the dock.  When Yu Jin led the generals to the dock, Lu Fan, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately greeted him. Lu Fan held his hands in his arms and said with a smile: "The Marquis of Wu originally wanted to come in person to see General Yu off to the north, but he was busy with business, so he entrusted me to represent him.  I would like to express my sincere gratitude to General Yu." A bunch of nice words were not worth the cold reception that Sun Quan refused to come to see Cao Jun off. However, Yu Jin had no interest in Jiangdong at this time. He received another message from Cao Cao last night.  An urgent pigeon message ordered him to immediately go north and garrison Xuzhou. The Han army in Xuzhou had already withdrawn from Pengcheng County to the southeast.  This was Cao Cao¡¯s second order, officially ordering him to withdraw from Jiangdong. Yu Jin felt a little strange. Logically speaking, Xuzhou was Cao Ren¡¯s sphere of influence, and Cao Ren¡¯s army should be stationed in Xuzhou. How could he allow himself to garrison Xuzhou.  This made Yu Jin puzzled. Yu Jin sensitively realized that it was most likely that there had been a major adjustment in Cao Wei's internal military power, which should be related to the crown prince. Yu Jin had an inexplicable worry in his heart. At this time, he did not let go of Jiangdong's attitude.  In my heart.  Yu Jin nodded. He looked at the thousands of bags of grain piled on the dock in the distance and asked, "Are those grains for our military rations?"  The total amount of military rations is five thousand dan!" "It's only five thousand dan. You, the Marquis of Wu, are sending beggars away!" Yu Jin said with great dissatisfaction.  Lu Fan quickly explained: "Marquis Wu sent 10,000 shi of grain to Cao Jun. This is only half. The other half is in Gaoyou County in Jiangbei. There are also 5,000 shi of grain stored in the official warehouse over there. Marquis Wu has sent a letter to the Gaoyou County magistrate.  General Yu can take away five thousand stones of grain. " Sun Quan's little thinking is really despicable. Yu Jin snorted lightly, and then ordered the general behind him, "Send someone to receive the grain!" He then raised his fist to Lu Fan and said: "  Please tell Mr. Wu to thank him for your care over the past six months. We will see you soon!" "I wish General Yu a safe journey!" Yu Jin and Lu Fan said goodbye and led the troops to board the ships, and batches of ships set sail slowly towards the north of the Yangtze River!  It took a full day to transport the 20,000 troops before Cao Cao finally left Jiangdong.  Lu Fan waited for the last batch of Cao's troops to board the boat and leave. Then he breathed a long sigh of relief and turned around and ordered: "Go to Jianye quickly to report to the Marquis of Wu that Cao's troops have left Jiangdong."  At that time, generals Huang Zhong and Gan Ning each led 30,000 troops and quickly marched towards Guangling County. The Han army divided into two groups, marching eastward along the south of the Huaihe River, passing through Zhaoguan, and marching northward and eastward along the Yangtze River.  Cao's army surrounded them and wiped them out.  At this time, Yu Jin and his army had left Guangling City, an important town in the north of the Yangtze River, and were marching north along the Zhongdu River. They were preparing to cross the Huai River at Huaiyin.  During the Three Kingdoms period, the Jiangbei region was covered with large areas of barren saline-alkali land and swamps. Most of the population moved to the south of the Yangtze River, leaving the Jiangbei region sparsely populated, with very few cities, and no human habitation for dozens of miles. There were swamps and forests everywhere.  In this barren land, the only important thing is a canal opened during the Han Dynasty, called Zhongdu Water. The canal connects the Huaihe River and the Yangtze River. There is frequent trade between the Jianghuai and Jiangdong. Materials and food in the Jianghuai area,  Half was shipped via the Yangtze River, while the other half was transported to Jiangdong via the Zhongdu River.  There is a county town in the middle section of this canal called Gaoyou County. It is the transfer station of the canal and many grain and material warehouses were built. During the Hefei War, the grain stocks in official warehouses in various places in the Jianghuai River were basically transferred to Shouguang.  In the spring, Gaoyou County was spared because it belonged to Jiangdong. There were still five thousand shi of grain in the warehouse, which Sun Quan had ordered to give to Cao Jun.  Yu Jin urgently needed these five thousand shi of food, so he ordered his army to move north along the Zhongdu River. In the evening, when he saw that he was not far from Gaoyou County, it suddenly began to rain heavily.  Night gradually fell, the rain became heavier and heavier, the roads became muddy, and the march was difficult. Cao Jun, who originally planned to camp in Gaoyou County, was forced to change his camping plan.They camped in the forest for the night. In the heavy rain, the soldiers rushed into the woods one after another.  Yu Jin led dozens of soldiers and rode on horseback to inspect the tents where Cao's soldiers were camping. Since there were only a few hundred tents in the tents, officers and sick soldiers could only stay in the tents, while most of the soldiers had to hide under big trees.  They spent the night huddled together, and it was impossible to cook rice in a pot. They could only drink boiled water and chew fried rice.  It was early spring in February, when it was warm and cold at first, and it was extremely humid and cold in the rainy night. Even Yu Jin was shivering from the cold and had to wrap himself in a blanket. His soldiers had low morale and the cold was unbearable, and they couldn't help but sigh.  Breath, this kind of weather and cold can easily make people depressed, and if the body is a little weak, they will not be able to withstand the cold and fall ill.  Ten miles away to the north is Gaoyou County. It is the only Zhongxian County before reaching Huaiyin. It has a population of about 2,000 households. There are more than a dozen large warehouses in the city. It is the transfer station for Jianghuai grain transported south to Guangling. Yu Jin obtained it from Lu Fan  According to the news, there are about four to five thousand stones of grain in the Gaoyou granary, which is extremely important to them.  On the other hand, the fact that the soldiers were able to enter the city was also a great comfort to the soldiers who had been marching alone for several days.  He originally planned to go to Gaoyou City to rest for three days, but the rain was too heavy and the roads were muddy and difficult to travel. They couldn't get to Gaoyou County tonight.  At this time, the sound of rapid horse hooves suddenly came from the woods, and a scout was heard asking loudly outside the woods: "Where is the general? There is an urgent military situation." Yu Jin was startled and urged his horse to walk out of the woods, and happened to meet several scouts, "  What happened?" Yu Jin asked.  The leader of the scout camp clasped his fists on his horse and said: "General, a Han army has come from the north, about two thousand people. They came by boat and brought many ships." Yu Jin was confused, and more than two thousand Han soldiers went south.  ,How is this going?  He asked again: "When did it happen?" "It happened just an hour ago." Yu Jin lowered his head and thought for a moment, suddenly realized, and asked urgently: "Did the Han army enter Gaoyou City?" "Gaoyou County has been occupied by the Han Dynasty.  The army occupied it. " Yu Jin suddenly felt anxious. He didn't have much military rations to support them until they arrived in Xuzhou. Considering that the food from official warehouses in Jianghuai Province had been transferred to Shouchun, their only supplement was the five thousand stones from Gaoyou County.  Food, if the Han army moves the food away, what will they do?  Yu Jin could no longer care about the possible conflict with the Han army. No matter what, he must leave five thousand shi of grain behind. Yu Jin immediately ordered Wang Jin, the deputy general who had just arrived, to say: "General Wang can lead three thousand soldiers to Gaoyou County and detain them."  The Han army's fleet is not allowed to transport food away, and conflicts will not break out as much as possible. I will arrive soon." Wang Jin received the order and immediately led three thousand troops to rush towards Gaoyou County, ten miles away, in the rain. Yu Jin returned.  After waiting for more than half an hour for the rain to subside, he led 5,000 troops and rushed to support Lieutenant General Wang Jin.  But just three or four miles away from Gaoyou County, Yu Jin's army encountered several cavalrymen who were rushing to report a message. The leading cavalryman loudly reported: "Report to General Yu, a fierce battle broke out between us and the Han army. Both sides  There were heavy casualties, and General Wang was also seriously injured. He begged the general for immediate reinforcements. "Yu Jin was shocked and said angrily: "What happened? How could a fierce battle break out?" "We rushed outside Gaoyou City and happened to meet the Han army moving to the ship.  General Wang ordered the Han soldiers to stop, but the Han army refused. The two sides clashed while fighting for food, and a fierce battle broke out. We killed hundreds of Han soldiers outside the city, but were also attacked by Han soldiers inside the city.  The army attacked from behind, and nearly a thousand of the brothers were killed or injured. "Yu Jin also knew that once there was a fight for food, conflicts were inevitable, but he hoped that such conflicts would be as small as possible and not make the matter bigger, but he did not expect that a fierce battle would break out.  , the deputy general was also seriously injured.  Yu Jin was angry and anxious, and ordered his men to say: "Go at full speed and rush to Gaoyou County!" At this time, a fierce battle was fierce on the dock north of Gaoyou County. Thousands of people were fighting in the dark night and rain. Bows and arrows could not be used in the rain, so they could only  They stabbed with spears, chopped with swords, and screamed loudly, killing you to the death. Rain mixed with blood, and corpses were trampled in the mud. Both sides went crazy, and it was even difficult to distinguish ourselves from the enemy and killed each other.  Although the Han army only had more than 2,000 men and was inferior to the opponent in terms of strength, its ability to fight at night was stronger than that of Cao's army. In an hour of bloody battle, the casualties were less than half of Cao's army. Despite this, the Han army still suffered more than 700 casualties.  At this moment, waves of attack horns were heard in the distance, signaling the arrival of reinforcements from Cao's army. Cao's army, which had been retreating steadily after being killed, suddenly gained morale and began to counterattack the Han army.  At this time, the piercing sound of bells came from the Han army, and more than a thousand Han troops began to retreat quickly northward, leaving behind hundreds of tugboats and thousands of stones of grain that came to transport food, and panicked the north.??.  Yu Jin did not pursue the Han army retreating north. He ordered the battlefield to be cleared, the dead soldiers of both armies to be buried, and the soldiers to carry all the grain in the warehouse onto the ship. At dawn, all 20,000 Cao Cao troops arrived in Gaoyou County.  Yu Jin originally planned to rest in Gaoyou County for three days, but a battle for food broke out in Gaoyou. He did not want to delay any longer and ordered his soldiers to form a team and head north immediately.  But Yu Jin never dreamed that the Gaoyou grain fight had turned into a serious incident in which Cao's army attacked the Han caravan in Huainan and violated the armistice agreement. This gave the Han army an excuse to send troops. The 60,000-strong army divided into two groups and quickly attacked Guangling County.  Come.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 979 Taking Guangling by force

    Not only Yu Jin could not imagine, but even Sun Quan could not imagine that the thousands of stones of grain stored by Jiangdong in Gaoyou County would become the bait for the Han army to advance eastward. When Yu Jin impatiently snatched this bait from the Han army, he fell into  caught the Han army's trap.  On the third day after the Gaoyou incident, Liu Jing publicly accused 20,000 Cao troops of breaking the armistice agreement in Ruxukou, intercepting and killing Han army grain ships in Gaoyou, killing the Han troops escorting the ships, and robbing thousands of shi of grain. Liu Jing solemnly  It is stated that the Han army will never sit idly by and must make Cao Jun pay a heavy price for intercepting and killing the Han army's grain ship.  Rather than reprimanding Cao Jun and encouraging morale, this is more of a reason to give Jiangdong. Why did the Han army send troops to Guangling County?  The 60,000 Han troops immediately divided into two groups. Huang Zhong led 30,000 troops to enter Huaiyin County first, blocking Cao's army's return north. Gan Ning led 30,000 naval troops to dock in Guangling County, and the army blocked Guangling County.  On the Yangtze River, Gan Ning immediately led an army of 20,000 to the north and occupied Gaoyou County, blocking Cao's army from going south.  Yu Jin's 20,000 Cao army was trapped between Gaoyou County and Huaiyin County. There were no county towns or villages in this area, and it was deserted for hundreds of miles. The 20,000 Cao army was in a dilemma and soon fell into a serious survival crisis. The food of Cao army could only support the army at most.  After more than ten days, once the food is exhausted, they will not be able to get any supplies, and the 20,000 troops will soon be in a desperate situation.  The Gaoyou incident seemed to be a conspiracy of the Han army, but in fact, it was the inevitable result of the Han army's eastward advance. From the beginning of Cao's army entering Jiangdong, it was destined that Cao's army in Jiangdong could never leave Jiangdong safely. Liu Jing had to warn Cao Cao that any troops would intervene.  Jiangdong's attempts will definitely pay a heavy price.  The news that 60,000 Han troops marched into Guangling and surrounded Cao Jun had already spread throughout Jiangdong, shocking both the government and the public in Jiangdong and becoming a major event that every household was talking about.  Of course, the vast majority of the people did not know the truth and did not want to spend their brains to carefully examine the strangeness. They only cared about the superficial articles and cursed Cao Jun for intercepting the Han army's grain ships. They were seeking death. Many people even gloated about the misfortune.  Cao's army could not last ten days.  At noon that day, Zhuge Jin came to the Zhangji Restaurant, the largest tavern in Moling City, to have dinner as usual. Zhuge Jin currently serves as the deputy governor of Jiangdong and the governor of the left. He is the second-largest civilian official in the army after military advisor Zhang Zhao. He has a lot of influence in Jiangdong.  Have status.  However, Zhuge Jin has been in a depressed mood. On the one hand, it is because he is in charge of the warships in Jiangdong. The Han army burned all the warships in Jiangdong. He has an unshirkable responsibility. On the other hand, the political situation in Jiangdong is deteriorating and he is sick to the bone.  It¡¯s hard to get back.  Zhuge Jin knew very well that if Jiangdong wanted to restore the prosperity it had before nine years of Jian'an, it would not be possible without twenty years of hard work.  But the increasingly powerful Han State would no longer give them another chance. Thinking of Jiangdong's bleak future and his own unclear future, Zhuge Jin felt really heavy in his heart.  As usual, Zhuge Jin went up to the second floor, sat down in front of his usual window seat, and said to the bartender: "Let's follow the old rules! One pot of wine, three dishes." "Zhuge Jin sits down for a moment,  Be there soon!" The bartender bowed and left quickly.  Zhuge Jin looked around the lobby and heard noisy voices. It was full of guests. The first floor of the tavern was the lobby. You could sit casually. There was no distance between guests and the food and drinks were relatively cheap.  The second floor is the nave, separated by five-foot-high screens. The seats can be large or small, very casual. Either two people sit across from each other, or many people gather to drink. Because the screens separate the guests, there is a little privacy between them.  , as for the third floor, it is a single elegant room.  Zhuge Jin couldn't see the other guests, but he could hear their conversations. At this time, there seemed to be a group of people gathering for dinner in the southeast corner. They were talking enthusiastically about the Gaoyou incident in Jiangbei. Their voices were loud and could be heard clearly by Zhuge Jin.  in the ears.  "I said this is a bit strange! Have you noticed why the Han army transported grain from the middle of the river, and who did they transport grain to? They usually go along the Yangtze River, don't you think so?" "Brother Niu has something to say.  I don¡¯t know. I heard that Zhou Li, the prefect of Guangling, secretly borrowed grain from the Han army. The Han army¡¯s grain ships did not dare to go along the Yangtze River for fear of being known by the Marquis of Wu, so they wandered away from Zhongdu River. Yu Jin happened to encounter him. Cao¡¯s army happened to be short of grain.  Of course they won't be polite. " "Your statement is known to everyone in Jianye, but it is actually the most unreliable. Guangling is short of food. Why doesn't Governor Zhou ask Wu Hou for food? In my opinion, there must be something in it!  The hidden secret may be that the Han army scouts disguised themselves as caravans and were discovered by Cao Jun, which triggered a fierce battle. "Everyone started arguing, and Zhuge Jin shook his head. He really didn't want to hear these ridiculous things.  At this time, a cold snort came from next door to him, and someone said to himself, "It's just Liu Jing's fake plan to destroy Guo. A group of self-righteous fools dare to talk about military and national affairs. Jiangdong is really  There is no one left!" Zhuge Jin was deeply surprised. He stood up and looked at the seat next to him.Sitting there was an alchemist, whose age could not be discerned. He had a strange appearance, wore a white feather robe, and held a fly whisk in his hand. He had a certain air of immortality.  Zhuge Jin walked around to the other party's seat, clasped his fists and bowed, "May I ask what your name is, this immortal?" The alchemist smiled slightly, "Zhuge Jin doesn't go to relieve Wu Hou from his worries, but he comes here to drink. It's very relaxing!" "Immortal!"  "Have you ever known me?" "We had a chance encounter twenty years ago." Zhuge Jin frowned and thought about it, but he couldn't remember the past twenty years ago. He asked again, "I wonder where the immortal is cultivating."  , what is the name of the Dharma?" The alchemist flicked his whisk, "It doesn't matter who I am, and it can't change the situation of the world, so Zhuge Jin must know it?" Seeing his extraordinary conversation, Zhuge Jin moved his wine pot.  He went to the alchemist's table, sat down opposite him, and asked in a low voice: "Just now, Immortal Immortal Cai said that what happened in Gaoyou was nothing more than Liu Jing's false strategy to defeat Guo. What do you say?" The alchemist laughed and said, "I  If you don't believe that Governor Zhuge can't even see through this little trick, it's easy to ask the gods but hard to send them away. If the Han army enters Guangling County, can Jiangdong expect them to withdraw? " Zhuge Jin was stunned for a moment, and the alchemist's words hit him right.  In his mind, he also vaguely guessed that Liu Jing's intention was not with Cao Jun, but with Guangling, but he still couldn't figure it out.  He asked again: "If Liu Jing is for Guangling, there is no need to go to all this trouble and just use Taihu to withdraw his troops in exchange for entering Guangling. I believe Wuhou will agree." "Captain Zhuge thought Liu Jing was too simple.  The Shouchun Agreement has been signed, but Cao Cao still refuses to let Yu Jin withdraw from Jiangdong. If Liu Jing hadn't used Xuzhou to force him, Cao Cao's army in Jiangdong would never have withdrawn north. It can be seen that Cao Cao has never given up Jiangdong. Of course Liu Jing wants to beat Cao Cao.  Isn't it the best way to let 20,000 Cao troops enter but not be able to go back? Moreover, Guangling County was obviously captured by the Han army from Yu Jin, so what does it have to do with Jiangdong? As for the withdrawal of troops from Taihu, it depends on Liu Jing's mood.  "Zhuge Jin nodded silently. This alchemist really understood the problem thoroughly, and no one in Jiangdong could match him. Zhuge Jin couldn't help but feel admiration, and couldn't help but ask: "What does the immortal think of Jiangdong's future?"  The alchemist smiled faintly and said, "God has it so, why bother asking?" Zhuge Jin was silent for a moment and then said: "Can the Immortal Chief follow me to Jianye Palace? I believe Wu Hou will respect the Immortal Chief." The Alchemist raised his head and laughed, then stood up.  As he walked away, he heard his singing voice coming from afar, "I have lived in the fairyland for a long time without feeling old. I have wandered around the world to see the dusk. I have heard for a long time that there are many talented people in the east of the Yangtze River. When I ask, I know that I have little knowledge. The military divisions, commanders and histories are all pig shit, not as good as Lujiang River."  Wu Jiao Lao." Zhuge Jin was stunned when he heard this, and suddenly he knew who this alchemist was.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In the Jianye Palace, Zhuge Jin told Sun Quan what happened in the tavern today. Sun Quan looked solemn and said nothing. Next to him, Zhang Zhao was full of sneer and disdain. He was secretly annoyed. He actually dared to call himself a pig shit. It was simply audacious.  .  "Does Protector Zhuge actually believe the nonsense of this charlatan? Twenty years ago, he deceived so many people. Even Cao Cao and Liu Biao were teased by him. He hadn't seen each other for twenty years, but now he appears again, and he talks shamelessly about military affairs.  How can he know the details of such a big matter? He thinks he can insult Jiangdong's ministers just by being a bystander. Such a person should be arrested and beheaded to prevent him from confusing the public with his evil words.  It's reasonable. I'm afraid what he said about the current situation is true. Liu Jing attacked Cao Jun. It was Xiang Zhuang who was dancing with his sword and aiming at Peigong. He wanted to capture Guangling County in Jiangbei." There was silence in the hall. After a while, Sun Quan slowed down.  Xu said: "If Liu Jing is really for Guangling, then I have no choice. He is a knifeman and I am a fish, so I can only let him slaughter me. But I am more concerned about the Han army in Taihu Lake. Cao Jun has withdrawn north as promised, so the Han army in Taihu Lake  When can the Han army retreat? I hope Liu Jing can give me a clear explanation." Having said this, Sun Quan looked at everyone again, and finally his eyes fell on Zhuge Jin, "Tzuyu will go to Ruxukou for me.  , go to negotiate with Liu Jing, I hope he can give Jiang Dong an explanation. Although Jiang Dong is weak, he has his own bottom line. If he doesn't care about Jiang Dong's dignity, then Jiang Dong will fight to the death with him. " Everyone secretly sighed, Wu Hou!  Why do you say this without any confidence?  Zhuge Jin also nodded silently and gave a long salute, "A humble minister will never let Wu Hou down!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  At Niujiaogang, about forty miles north of Gaoyou County, 50,000 Han troops surrounded 20,000 tired and thirsty Cao troops. They ordered to cut down the pine trees on the hill, build a fence, and deploy thousands of crossbowmen.  There was a confrontation with the Han army, but the Han army only besieged but did not attack. Five days had passed.  Although Cao Jun¡¯s military rationsIt could last for more than ten days, but the morale of Cao's army was low and the soldiers were generally war-weary. After only three days of siege, some patrolling soldiers began to leave without returning and surrendered to the Han army.  Yu Jin was extremely angry and ordered his generals to strictly control the soldiers. Anyone who dared to surrender would be killed on the spot. On the other hand, he sent dozens of pigeons to ask for help from Cao Zhen, who was stationed in Huaibei.  On the seventh day of the siege, night once again enveloped the land of Jiangbei. At this time, ten giant trebuchets silently drove out from the Han army camp in the south. About four hundred steps away from Niujiao Gang, the trebuchets slowly  Stop slowly.  At this time, the defenders of Cao's camp discovered the trebuchet that looked like a giant god in the dark night. They all became frightened and rushed back to the camp to report. This did not mean that they were forbidden to deploy troops for defense. The Han army's trebuchet was already creaking and opened.  The soldier put a huge black ball in his throwing pocket.  In the dark night, I only heard ¡®Bang!  Bang!  With a sound of firing, ten black balls rose into the sky and roared towards Cao Jun's camp in the distance. Thousands of soldiers in Cao's camp screamed in fright and dodged, but what was thrown was not a kerosene ball.  It's not a very lethal boulder either.  The black ball burst open in the air, and countless pieces of paper flew towards Cao Jun's camp in the southeast wind. Ten black balls floated out more than 10,000 pieces of paper. There was a cry of exclamation in Cao Jun's camp, and countless  The soldiers scrambled for the slips of paper. Although most of them were illiterate, they quietly hid the slips of paper in their arms.  At this time, Yu Jin had heard the news and walked quickly. A soldier handed him the piece of paper thrown by the Han army, "General, they are all the same piece of paper!" Yu Jin looked at the words written on it and fiercely handed the paper to him.  The piece was torn into pieces, and he shouted to the left and right: "All generals are ordered to collect the piece of paper. No one is allowed to keep it privately. Anyone who disobeys the order will be beaten with a hundred military sticks!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 980 Two Conditions

    It has been sunny in Jiangbei these days, and the nights are no longer so humid and cold. The air is slightly warmer, but the cold spring still makes it difficult for Cao's soldiers to endure the night.  Tonight, Cao Jun¡¯s camp was full of restlessness and uneasiness. The soldiers had no tents and all wrapped their bodies in blankets. They gathered together in twos and threes to discuss. No one showed the piece of paper, but everyone was talking excitedly about the content on the piece of paper.  The content on the piece of paper has long been deciphered. In fact, there is only one sentence, 'surrender to the Han army and let you go home and reunite with your wife, children and parents.  ' No one would doubt the sincerity of Liu Jing, the king of Han. As early as nine years ago after the Battle of Chibi, Liu Jing ordered the release of nearly 200,000 prisoners of war from Cao's army, allowing them to go home and reunite with their families. In the following battle, he was captured  Most of the prisoners of war of Cao's army returned home after a few years, and they still had a lot of money.  The saying that the King of Han treats people kindly has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Moreover, everyone knows that the taxes in Han are low and everyone has land. Although they do not dare to expect wealth, they can at least support their families and have food and clothing without worries. This strongly attracts the people of the Central Plains and also attracts these people.  Soldier.  The officers could not stop the soldiers from gathering and discussing. They could only turn a blind eye and hide in their tents to think about their own concerns.  Except for the commander and general Jin, no one in the entire Cao Jun camp wants to work for Cao Cao anymore, and the morale of the army has gradually weakened.  Yu Jin was in a heavy mood and drank alone in the tent. Although he seemed to be boosting morale and maintaining the hope of Cao's soldiers, he himself did not have much confidence anymore.  He knew better than anyone else that the food in the military camp could only last for seven or eight days, and Cao Zhen was far away in Huaibei, so there was no way he could come to Guangling to rescue him. Even if Cao Cao knew that he was trapped, it would be at least half a month before he could rescue him.  By then the army had already run out of food.  Even he doesn¡¯t know what to do?  He can't surrender to the Han army yet, but if the whole army is wiped out.  It was difficult for him to explain to Wei Gong, and Yu Jin was in a state of confusion about the future.  At this moment, a soldier broke into the tent and shouted in horror: "General, all the soldiers in the Western Camp have turned their backs and surrendered!" "What!" Yu Jin stood up suddenly, his eyes turned red, "Five thousand  Have all the people surrendered? " "Not all, but there are less than a thousand people left." Yu Jin clenched his fists, his chest heaved violently, but there was a trace of confusion in his eyes. In fact, he should have expected this, the Han army shot like this.  There were many pieces of paper. The words on these pieces of paper were more lethal than ten thousand barrels of kerosene. He knew clearly that a mass exodus would occur, but he did not stop it. Isn't it because he knew that he could not stop the soldiers' desire to survive?  Yu Jin sighed and slowly sat down again, looking helpless and depressed. After a while, he asked in a low voice: "How is the situation in the other camps?" The soldier shook his head, "I don't know about my humble position, I only heard about the Western Camp.  " Yu Jin gave a wry smile. Needless to say, he also wanted it, it should be almost the same!  "General!" Another soldier came from outside the tent to report, panting: "A large number of soldiers in Beiying and Dongying defected, and General Xu and General Ma also surrendered to the Han army." Yu Jin was no longer surprised, even if all the soldiers fled him  He will no longer be shocked. He knows that the situation is over and it is time for him to consider his own way forward.  After lowering his head and thinking for a moment, Yu Jin suddenly stood up and said, "Find all my soldiers!" Yu Jin had three hundred soldiers, all of whom had followed him for many years and were loyal to him. At this time, some soldiers brought three hundred horses.  , as well as wine, meat and grain.  Yu Jin looked at the sky and saw that it was already the third watch. He said to the soldiers: "If we don't leave before dawn, we really won't be able to leave. Let's have a good meal and bring a bucket of rice each. We will take advantage of the night."  Rush out. Whoever rushes out must go to Yedu and report the truth. Do you remember it?" Everyone agreed. They each took wine and meat, had a good meal, tightened their armor, took their spears, swords and bows, and stood up in the ban.  He mounted his horse and shouted to the three hundred cavalry behind him: "Come out with me!" The three hundred cavalry suddenly launched and rushed northwest. Yu Jin had long discovered that there were not many defenders in this area, and it seemed that a gap had been deliberately left. He suspected that this  It was the Han army who deliberately created opportunities for him to leave, and then Cao's 20,000-strong army was leaderless and had no choice but to surrender.  At this time, the foothills were full of soldiers of Cao's army who were fleeing to the Han army's camp. The sky was filled with darkness, and there were tens of thousands of them. The morale of Cao's army had completely collapsed. Along the way, people kept hearing people shouting: "Don't shoot arrows, we  Come to surrender!" Many of the voices were from Yu Jin's familiar subordinates. His heart was as sharp as a knife, and without saying a word, he galloped on his horse. Although the three hundred cavalry were not many, they rushed down from the hill with the same momentum.  Like an angry black dragon, but to everyone's expectation, they did not encounter death threats, and did not even hear unfriendly shouts. They went straight from the west.He rushed out through the gap without any soldiers blocking him.  When he rushed out of the gap, Yu Jin suddenly had an annoying thought in his heart. Should he lead the army to break out earlier, maybe he could save most of the army, but this thought only passed by for a moment. Reason told him that the Han army could  Tolerating the escape of three hundred of them does not mean that he will also tolerate his army's breakthrough.  Although there is still darkness ahead, the shadow of death has disappeared in their hearts. The three hundred cavalrymen galloped towards the northwest wilderness, and the sound of horse hooves gradually disappeared.  In the spring of the 22nd year of Jian'an, 20,000 Cao troops surrendered to the Han army in Guangling County. The commander-in-chief, Jin Ze, took advantage of the "defensive gap" of the Han army and fled with 300 soldiers. Without the commander-in-chief, the last few thousand soldiers also disappeared.  He gave up resistance and surrendered to the Han army at dawn.  Gan Ning immediately led his army southward. Zhou Li, the prefect of Guangling, had sensed that Sun Quan had no intention of defending Guangling. He changed into civilian clothes and fled to Jianye in a small boat. The Han army occupied Guangling County, an important town in the north of the Yangtze River, without a fight.  Gan Ning immediately deployed his troops. He deployed 30,000 Han troops and 500 warships on the north bank of the Yangtze River. He set up three navy camps from Liyang to Guangling. At this point, Guangling County, which originally belonged to Jiangdong, was also occupied by the Han Dynasty.  The army was recaptured from Cao Jun and belonged to the Han State. For Jiangdong, the Han State's garrison in Jiangbei was like a huge stone pressing on their heads, making it difficult for them to breathe.  They were like pitiful little animals that were threatened, and just wanted to curl up in their nests, but there was also a sting in their nests that made them even more frightened, and that was the Han warships in Taihu Lake.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Zhuge Jin arrived at Ruxukou the day after Ganning occupied Guangling County. The Han army's main camp was not in Hefei, where they had fought hard for a year, but in Ruxukou. Hefei and Shouchun were captured, and they all returned home.  Like an arrow, including Liu Jing, the king of Han, he has been staying in Hefei for a whole year. It is time for him to go home, and Ruxukou is the starting point for them to go home.  Zhuge Jin was led by soldiers to the main ship of the Han army, a huge five-thousand-stone building ship. In the cabin on the second floor, Liu Jing was writing a letter to his family at his desk. At this time, soldiers reported outside the cabin: "Your Highness, please bring me  Waiting in the cabin on the first floor." Liu Jing put down the pen, put away the letter from home, nodded and said with a smile: "Go and invite Military Advisor Pang to the cabin!" Not long after, Liu Jing arrived at the cabin, and Pang Tong was accompanying Zhuge Jin.  While talking, they both stood up when they saw Liu Jing coming in. Zhuge Jin stepped forward and bowed deeply, "Zhuge Jin meets His Highness the King of Han!" "It turns out to be Duke Zhuge. We haven't seen each other for several years. Please sit down!" Liu Jing is polite!  He asked Zhuge Jin to sit down and served tea. Liu Jing smiled and said, "Did Zhuge Jin hear what happened in Guangling County?" Zhuge Jin was startled. He didn't understand why Liu Jing would take the initiative to mention Guangling County.  He couldn't deny it, so he nodded and said, "I've heard about it too." "Who does Zhuge Gong think Guangling County should belong to?" Liu Jing asked again.  "I think Guangling County belongs to Jiangdong. Not only are the officials appointed by Marquis Wu, but also the garrison is Jiangdong Army. Of course, it may not be the case now, but His Highness cannot deny its original ownership." Liu Jing smiled and shook his head, "Lead  The coast of the land is not the royal land, let alone Guangling County. Even Jiangdong is the territory of the Han Dynasty. Marquis Wu is just entrusted by the court to govern Jiangdong for the emperor, isn't it? " Zhuge Jin was silent for a moment and said: "What if?  Your Highness must say this, and I have no choice, but justice is in the heart of the people. I think the people of the world will naturally judge whether Your Highness¡¯s seizure of Guangling County is moral.¡±  "Is it fair?" "I just said that justice lies in the heart of the people!" The smile on Liu Jing's face disappeared and she nodded: "It seems that Jiang Dong must take the initiative to declare that he will give up Guangling.  , I think Zhuge Gong came here this time to discuss this matter with me? " At this time, no matter how stupid you are, you will understand what Liu Jing means. He means that he hopes Jiangdong will take the initiative to recognize that Guangling County belongs to the Han Dynasty?  The country can be exchanged for other conditions. Of course, this condition is the issue of garrisoning troops in Taihu Lake. Most people will think so, and they will also think it is a good deal. The withdrawal of troops from Taihu Lake in exchange for recognition of the fait accompli.  However, Zhuge Jin was very calm. He knew that Liu Jing would never trap himself in a cocoon. Liu Jing guided his thoughts in the direction of Guangling County first. Perhaps he wanted to resolve the ownership of Guangling County before talking about the Taihu garrison.  question.  Zhuge Jin shook his head and said, "I didn't come to see His Highness about Guangling County. Frankly speaking, I don't know exactly what happened in Guangling County, so I can't talk about it. This time I came to see His Highness,  I was commissioned by Marquis Wu and wanted to talk to His Highness.Let¡¯s talk about the issue of garrisoning troops in Taihu Lake.  " Liu Jing saw that Zhuge Jin was not fooled at all and was not confused by his own words. She had to secretly praise Zhuge Jin's calmness and rationality. After pondering for a moment, Liu Jing asked with a smile: "I wonder how much decision-making power Zhuge Jin has?  I plan to return to Chang'an tomorrow. If I can't decide today, I'm afraid I will have to ask Jiangdong to send an envoy to Chang'an to talk.  " "I have a certain amount of power. I can make decisions on behalf of Marquis Wu only within a reasonable range. But if His Highness asks for a high price, then there is nothing I can do.  " "What does asking for a high price mean? I will never set out unrealistic conditions, and as long as I set out the conditions, I will never change them.  " Liu Jing's tone was very calm, but the calm tone was full of domineering and forceful. In other words, Jiang Dong had no choice. He either didn't need to talk anymore, or he had to accept Liu Jing's conditions. " Zhuge Jin sighed secretly in his heart.  After a while, he had no choice but to ask: "I would like to hear His Highness's conditions.  Liu Jing then slowly said: "The Han army will withdraw 90% of its navy from Taihu Lake, and the remaining 10% of its navy will be stationed in Yangxian, west of Taihu Lake. For this withdrawal, Jiangdong must promise me two  The conditions are, first, Jiangdong is not allowed to build any more warships, nor is it allowed to privately build warships in the name of building civilian ships; second, Jiangdong must recognize that Guangling County is included in the armistice agreement between Han and Cao, that is, it must publicly recognize that Guangling County belongs to the imperial court.  Rather than belonging to Jiangdong, based on these two conditions, as soon as Jiangdong achieves it, I will withdraw my troops from Taihu.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 981 Return to Chang'an

    Liu Jing and his army did not take the Bashu route, but went to Xiangyang, and then crossed the Han River to Nanyang County, which they captured last year. Liu Jing stayed in Nanyang County for three days, inspecting the training of the newly recruited troops, and then  Accompanied by Wenpin, he went to inspect Ye County. When he stood on the top of the city and looked to the north, many generals were wondering whether His Highness the King of Han was considering how to attack Xuchang?  However, the generals guessed that there was no answer. Three days later, one hundred thousand Han troops, led by Liu Jing, the king of Han, left Nanyang and marched toward Chang'an along the Nanxiang Pass.  Liu Jing left Chang'an on the expedition after New Year's Day in the 21st year of Jian'an. When he stepped into the gate of Chang'an again, he was grandly welcomed by the people and officials of Chang'an. When the Han army lined up and entered Chang'an amidst the cheers of the crowd, Liu Jing  Jing found that the weeping willows on the roadside had turned into thousands of thick green branches, and he suddenly realized that it was already March of the 22nd year of Jian'an, and it had been a full year and two months since he left Chang'an.  In more than a year, everything around has changed a lot. Countless new houses have appeared in Chang'an City, the roads have become wide and flat, the population has increased sharply, the market has also expanded, and some new faces of low-level officials have been seen.  But what Liu Jing felt most deeply was the changes in his family. His wives and concubines had not changed much, but his children had grown up one by one. The eldest son Liu Zhi had grown taller, and even the youngest son could stagger.  Walked.  All this gave Liu Jing an unreal feeling, as if he was in a dream. Just when he was loving his wife Tao Zhan at night, he suddenly realized that everything was real, even his wife's plump and white breasts.  The body was also so real that he was almost intoxicated.  "What's wrong with you?" Tao Zhan gently hugged her husband's head into her arms, letting him bury it in her breasts. She gently stroked her husband's thick black hair and asked with a soft smile: "It's like  It¡¯s like you just woke up from a dream. Do you think you¡¯ve been dreaming for a year?¡± Liu Jing greedily smelled the unique feminine fragrance on his wife¡¯s body, and the dry land deep in his body and mind seemed to flow into a gurgling sweet spring.  , he sighed softly, "My heart has never been so tired and relaxed as it is now. Even a child can easily kill me now." "It seems that you are indeed not looking for a woman outside." Tao Zhan's hands were gentle  She stroked his hair with the ground and stroked her husband's face with stubble. She felt satisfied, moved, and a little guilty at the same time. She pressed her breasts tightly against her husband's face and whispered in a low voice.  He whispered in his ear: "Actually, even if you bring a woman back, I will never blame you. This year has been really hard on you." "This is the cruelty of war. To be honest, I don't have time to think about women. I guess  The soldiers are all the same. Saving their lives is what Risi wants. " "Then when did you start thinking about women?" Tao Zhan asked with a low smile.  "Now!" Liu Jing laughed. He suddenly turned over and pressed his wife under him again. The candle he had just lit was pinched out by him.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Early the next morning, Liu Jing was reviewing several emergency documents in his study. At this time, the door quietly opened, and his wife Tao Zhan walked in with a bowl of ginseng tea and a plate of cakes. She was nourished by her husband's return and spent the night.  During this time, she became radiant and looked particularly charming and beautiful.  "Let's drink a bowl of ginseng tea first, and then eat some cakes!" Tao Zhan put the tea bowl and jade plate on her husband's table, smiled and persuaded him softly.  Liu Jing put down his pen, picked up the tea bowl and took a slow sip, then picked up a piece of snow-white cake, looked at it, and tasted it carefully. It felt soft, soft, sweet and delicious. He was a little surprised and said: "What kind of cake is this?"  "It seems that I have never eaten it before." "This is the jade cake from Yedu Baozhizhai. It was not available in Chang'an before. It only opened last fall. A small cake costs thirty yuan, which most people can't afford!"  Isn¡¯t this one hundred and fifty dollars?¡± Tao Zhan smiled slightly and said: ¡°Our family bought it twice, the first time for the children to have a taste of it, and this time it was because you came home, the majestic King of Han.  If Your Highness has never eaten jade cake, then I, the princess, will be stabbed in the spine again." Liu Jing tasted a piece and said with a smile: "Actually, it doesn't matter, you don't have to be so hard on yourself, as long as you are diligent and frugal, I think.  That's okay. After all, if you hold a high position and demand too much of yourself, it will also be difficult for the officials below. " "You can say that, and I will feel more at ease." Tao Zhan smiled lightly, lowered his head, and after a while she said again.  He whispered: "I have always followed your request. The whole family must wear common clothes, try to live a simple life, and be frugal. But I later discovered that many ladies avoided me, or deliberately changed into very shabby clothes when they came to see me.  , it looks simple on the surface, but inside it is made of silk and satin, or something worn by a maid.The owner was wearing old cloth while wearing fine silk. This feeling made me very uncomfortable, very hypocritical, and even a silent protest against me. For more than a year, my life has not been easy.  "Liu Jing understands his wife's feelings. It is human nature to pursue beauty, but officialdom pays attention to actions and actions. Tao Zhan's simplicity will naturally arouse resistance and dissatisfaction from many people. He can completely understand. Liu Jing held his wife's hand and  She said softly: "It doesn't have to be so hard. Everyone knows that I, Liu Jing, am one of the most powerful people in the world. If his wife and children only wear cloth skirts and jingcai hairpins, I'm afraid I will become Wang Mang's second best."  , in fact, just let nature take its course.  Liu Jing picked up another piece of cake, tasted it lightly, and said with a smile: "For example, the children will definitely like this cake, so buy it for them, but it must be eaten and not wasted. Another example is silk skirts, which all women should have."  , my wife should also have, but not hundreds and thousands of pieces, and jewelry. What woman doesn¡¯t have a few favorite jewelry? My wife should have the same, but not fill the room. This is frugality, understand.  ?  " Tao Zhan nodded. She understood what her husband meant. Liu Jing smiled again and said: "Chang'an has indeed changed a lot. I have to go out for a walk later, otherwise I won't recognize this capital.  Tao Zhan put away the tea bowl and walked out of the house. When she reached the door, she hesitated for a moment, then turned back and said, "Husband, please go see Shang Xiang when you have time!"  " When Liu Jing came back last night, he also found that Sun Shangxiang was a little abnormal. There was an indescribable sadness in her smile, which made him feel that he was going to find her tonight. "What happened to her?  Tao Zhan sighed, "She received an express letter from Jiangdong a few days ago and then became silent. We rarely see her smile again. We don't know what happened?"  " Liu Jing nodded, "I understand!  "     In the room, Sun Shangxiang was listlessly packing away the clothes that had just been dried. Although her husband came back after a year's absence, she couldn't be happy. She kept repeating in her mind what her brother had written in the letter.  Jiangdong is about to perish, and only she can save Jiangdong and save the Sun family's foundation. These words are like big rocks, weighing heavily on her heart, depriving her of her smile, depriving her of happiness, and making her depressed.  She was breathless. She longed to escape from here and escape from all these troubles, but she had nowhere to go. She even hoped that her husband would never come back so that she would not have to face this difficult choice. "  You don't seem happy?  "The voice of her husband Liu Jing suddenly came from behind. Sun Shangxiang was startled and turned around quickly, only to see Liu Jing leaning on the door, holding his hands on his chest, looking at her with a half-smile. "You should say something when you come in,  scared me.  "Sun Shangxiang didn't dare to look at her husband, folded her clothes and whispered. Liu Jing walked forward slowly, walked in front of Sun Shangxiang, stretched out his hand to gently lift her chin, stared at her for a while and said with a smile: "I will come back just like you.  Not very welcome, maybe you have it again.  £®  £®  £®  New love?  "As soon as the words came out, Liu Jing knew that he was wrong. He shouldn't make such a joke. "What are you talking about?  " Sun Shangxiang pushed her husband's hand away and said coldly: "Do you think I am an unruly woman?  " "I was just joking, because on the way, many soldiers were joking, because they were afraid that after returning home, he would become a father again.  " "It may be possible for others, but who do you think dares to touch your woman?  " Sun Shangxiang threw the clothes on the bed, gritted his teeth and said bitterly: "I hope you will never make such a joke with me again in the future, and never say such things again, otherwise I can't kill you, and I will kill myself.  Liu Jing put her in his arms, touched her face, and whispered: "I actually just want to see you angry. You are back to the Princess Shangxiang you were. I still owe you two arrows. Do you remember?"  ?  " Sun Shangxiang's cheek gently rubbed her husband's hand. Although it was a bit rough, it was warm and generous. It made her feel a kind of dependence. The unhappiness in her heart disappeared without a trace in an instant. She suddenly understood that her husband actually did it on purpose.  Let herself be angry and cover up her uneasiness. She is no longer the silly princess she was back then. She is as thoughtful as ever. "I am really happy that you are back safely. I am very happy!"  " Sun Shangxiang whispered. Liu Jing nodded, "I want to visit Chang'an, you go with me!  "    "All right!  I change my clothes.  Sun Shangxiang quickly walked into the back room. After a while, she put on a red dress and said with a smile: "This dress is made of silk. You won't let me change into a sarong again!"  "    "that's all!  Very nice, I like it very much.  ¡± Sun Shangxiang burst into laughter, "You act like this, as if we are meeting each other for the first time, let's go!" She took her husband's arm and walked out of the hospital happily.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Liu Jing's carriage drove slowly on Ping'an Street, which is an important east-west thoroughfare that leads directly to the Weiyang Palace outside the city. Liu Jing used to pass by it almost every day, but he hadn't seen it in more than a year. He felt the presence of people on both sides of the road.  obvious changes.  The original dilapidated houses have all disappeared and turned into newly built mansions. The area near Xicheng is even more crowded with shops, one next to the other. Most of them have been renovated and filled with all kinds of goods from the north and the south.  "It's changed a lot, hasn't it?" Sun Shangxiang asked with a smile while sitting opposite her husband.  Liu Jing nodded, "I can't believe that the changes have been so rapid in just one year." "Then where are we going now?" Sun Shangxiang said with another faint smile.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 982 Chang'an West City

    In the northwest corner outside Chang'an City, there is a newly opened market. This area was originally a place where folk held sacrifices. As the temples gradually became dilapidated and deserted, this area became overgrown with weeds and became a wilderness infested by wild foxes.  wild land.  But starting from the year before last, the government reorganized this area and established it as Xinxi City in Chang'an. Keen businessmen quickly bought land. Soon the price of land here skyrocketed, and land was hard to find. After nearly two years of development, Xinxi City  The West Market has begun to take shape.  The original desolate scene has disappeared. This land covering thousands of acres is full of shops. Shops, restaurants, and hotels can be seen everywhere. Businessmen and customers are crowded together. Ox carts and horse-drawn carriages carrying goods are one after another.  The ships in Caohe were even more densely moored, and at the dock, civilians unloaded packages of goods from the ships.  The West Market is mainly a market for the Western Hu people, so the Hu merchants in this area are particularly dense. From time to time, you can see long camel teams coming from the west, with the sound of camel bells, Qiang people, Wusun people, Kushan people, and Su people.  Special people can be seen everywhere. The foreign jewelry shops and Persian mansions in the market are particularly eye-catching with their exotic style.  Liu Jing's carriage slowly drove into the East City amidst the hustle and bustle. There were thirty cavalry guards guarding the King of Han's carriage. They were not in military uniforms, but in ordinary people's clothes. They looked like they were guarding a long journey.  Wealthy businessmen came. Situations like this were common in the West Market, and no one paid much attention to this closely guarded carriage.  Liu Jing sat on the carriage and silently watched the changes that took place in the Western Market. He deeply felt that this year had changed a lot, which could be said to be earth-shaking changes, especially the prosperity of commerce, which reminded him of the time when he led his army through here.  The desolation and dilapidation that I felt at that time has now become the most prosperous market in the world.  ¡°Husband, look!¡± Sun Shangxiang pointed at a shop on the roadside and shouted in surprise.  Liu Jing also saw it. This was a Hu Ren shop that had just opened, called 'Hu Ren Jian', which specialized in weapons from the Western Regions. Standing at the door were two tall Persians wearing leather armor and carrying scimitars at their waists. They looked quite handsome.  imposing.  Collecting weapons has always been Sun Shangxiang's biggest hobby. Although she is no longer as enthusiastic about weapons as she used to be in the past few years, her deep-rooted hobby has not changed. There are no weapons from the Western Regions in her collection. Today she actually saw a Western Region weapon in the Western Market.  How could she not long for a weapons store? She looked at her husband with burning eyes.  Liu Jing understands his wife's mood, and he is also somewhat interested. Can he see the famous Kushan sword and Damascus scimitar here?  "Go and have a look at this barbarian shop!" Liu Jing gave the order, and the carriage immediately turned around and drove to an open space next to it. Several guards entered the shop first to make arrangements.  After a while, a middle-aged Sogdian businessman, led by soldiers, quickly came to the carriage, bowed and saluted: "Young man Shilin, please see His Highness the King of Han!" "Are you the owner of this shop?" Liu Jing  I was also quite interested to hear that he could speak fluent Chinese.  "Yes! The villain is from Shiguo. He has been doing business in Luoyang for ten years and moved to Chang'an half a year ago." Liu Jing nodded and said, "I don't want to affect the market and do business. Is there a quiet room in the store.  "I understand, and everything is ready. Your Highness, please enter the store through the side door." There were people coming and going in front of the store. It was easy to be recognized from the front. Liu Jing got off the carriage and took Sun Shangxiang into the store through the side door.  , several guards followed him.  There were not many customers in the shop, most of them were in the outer hall. There was no one in the guest hall, except for a few Hu girls who were soliciting customers. The proprietor Shi Lin led them to sit in the guest hall. The living room was quite spacious, with swords from the Western Regions hanging on both sides. Han Dynasty  Swords are not allowed, but crossbows and long weapons are not allowed to be bought and sold, and this shop is no exception.  "Your Highness and Princess, please take a seat!" Shi Lin respectfully asked Liu Jing and Sun Shangxiang to sit down, but the two were curious about the swords hanging on the wall. They walked to the wall and took a closer look. The weapons here were mainly Kushan swords and Persian knives.  Lord, there are also weapons from the Central Plains, such as knives, swords, bows and arrows, etc.  The appearance of the swords of the Western Regions is not much different from that of the Central Plains, but the exterior decoration is very gorgeous. Most of the scabbards are inlaid with gems and wrapped with gold wire. Even many sword hilts are made of pure gold, which looks expensive.  However, Liu Jing is not concerned about the appearance, he is more concerned about the actual combat performance of the sword, and he knows that the reason why the Kushan sword is famous is that it is made of the prestigious Utz steel. The weapons made of this steel are hard, durable and extremely sharp.  , after this steel ingot was sold to the West, the famous Persian knives and Damascus knives appeared.  In fact, the Han army¡¯s sword-killing sword was also made using the same folding and forging technology, but the steel was slightly inferior to Utz steel. This was mainly due to the different grades of iron ore.  Liu Jing took off a sword and pulled out half of it. She felt that the sword was shining with cold light and was very sharp, but it was not made of Utz steel.It was made of ordinary steel. He hung the sword back up and looked at a few more, but he was not satisfied with them. These swords could only be regarded as high-quality swords.  "What do you think?" Liu Jing turned around and asked Sun Shangxiang with a smile.  Sun Shangxiang has already seen a lot about swords. Although these swords are good, they are not enough for her. She shook her head and said with some disappointment: "It's just average!" At this time, the proprietor Shi Lin stepped forward and said with a smile: "  These swords are just decorative swords for ordinary people to enjoy. The shop has more than a dozen exquisite swords. I would like to invite the princess to take a look. " Sun Shangxiang's eyes suddenly lit up and he said quickly: "Why don't you take out some good things?  Please sit down for a moment, Your Highness and Princess, and I will go to the warehouse to get it immediately." Liu Jing and Sun Shangxiang sat down, and the two Hu Ji served milk tea. The owner Shi Lin quickly went to the backyard to pick up the goods. After a while, Shi Lin took two waiters with him.  A dozen wooden boxes were brought and placed on the table one by one. Sun Shangxiang opened a wooden box and found a simple shark skin sword with simple decoration inside.  Sun Shangxiang slowly drew out the sword, and suddenly a cold air hit her face. Her beautiful eyes flashed with light, and she praised: "What a sword!" Liu Jing also took the sword, and saw that the sword was indeed extremely sharp.  Pulling out a piece of hair and touching it lightly on the blade, the hair immediately broke into two pieces. Sure enough, it was a sword that sharpened iron like clay. Liu Jing looked at the sword body again and saw fine patterns distributed on the sword body.  This is exactly the characteristic of wootz steel.  The proprietor next to him smiled proudly and said: "This Kushan sword is called Bird Song, and it makes the sound of birds chirping when it is danced. It was made by a famous craftsman from the Kushan Kingdom thirty years ago. The villain bought it from a Kushan businessman the year before last.  Yes, they are the top ten swords in our store. "Although Liu Jing is interested in these swords, he does not intend to use them to equip his army. He knows very well that these swords can only be used as ranger swords or collections.  It cannot be used in the military. On the one hand, it is expensive to make. On the other hand, Utz steel is relatively hard and brittle and has insufficient toughness. It is easy to break after being chopped many times in large-scale wars.  He held a sword flower and handed the sword to Sun Shangxiang. At this time, he saw a guard below who seemed to want to report something, so he asked: "What's the matter?" "Your Highness, there is a Tao family leader in the outer hall.  The manager said that he has something important to report to His Highness." The shop owner quickly said, "It's Manager Li from Tao's Trading Company. He comes to the shop to buy a knife. Does Your Highness want to see him?" Since he is the manager of Tao's business, can he meet him?  Upon seeing him, Liu Jing nodded, "Let him in!" Not long after, a fat businessman in his fifties came up to the hall. He knelt down and saluted, "I pay homage to His Highness the King of Han!"  "Liu Jing saw that he seemed familiar, so she smiled and asked, "I should have met Manager Li before!" "I have met His Highness many times. When we were in Fancheng, His Highness was still a governor. This is the first time.  Tao's Trading Company was the one who received you. Later, I became the manager of Jiangdong Trading Company and met His Highness several times. "I remembered, your name seems to be Li Ting, right?" "That's right!" Liu Jing nodded with a smile.  He asked, "Manager Li, do you have anything to do with me?" Li Ting said quickly: "The villain came back from Dawan with the second master the day before yesterday." The second master was Tao Li, and Liu Jing suddenly remembered that he asked the Tao family to open up the Western market.  Unexpectedly, Tao Li went there in person and even went to Dawan. He immediately became interested and asked, "Where is your second master?" "The second master is in the trading house. The trading house is not far in front, less than a hundred steps away.  Do you want to invite the second master to come over?" Liu Jing thought for a while. After all, Tao Li was the elder, so he should go visit him by himself. He smiled at Sun Shangxiang and said, "How about we go to Tao's Trading Company first, and then we'll look at the swords when we come back.  " Sun Shangxiang liked these top-quality swords very much. She just wanted to reward one. She didn't take a closer look at the others. She couldn't bear to leave, so she said with a smile: "Why don't you go to the business first? I'll come over by myself later.  Liu Jing understood what she was thinking, so she nodded and told the guards behind her: "Protect the princess!" Sun Shangxiang pushed Liu Jing and said with a smile: "My husband, please go quickly!"  If you are not as good as me, how can I be protected by them? I have a sword in my hand, who dares to bully me?" The owner Shi Lin said with a bitter smile: "The princess is right!" Liu Jing laughed, got up and walked out of the store. Li Da was in charge?  He quickly led the way and soon left the store.  Liu Jing got on the carriage and soon arrived at Tao's Trading Company located in the center of the West City. However, its external name was not Tao's Trading Company, but Eastern Han Trading Company. This name was given by Liu Jing, which means Eastern Han Dynasty.  The business bank occupies a large area, at least fifty acres, and mainly houses warehouses and stores. In the West Market, where land is at a premium,It is particularly prominent. This large shop alone shows their strong strength. Hu merchants pay attention to appearance, and merchants from the Western Regions are willing to sell goods to them, making it the leading large shop in the Western Market.  When Tao Li heard that Liu Jing had arrived, he hurriedly came out to greet him. Liu Jing saw that he was about to kneel and stopped him in a hurry, "Second uncle, don't do this!" "Okay! Okay! Your Highness, please sit inside." Tao Li invited Liu Jing in.  In the inner hall, the two of them sat down. Liu Jing asked with a smile: "I heard that my second uncle just returned from Dawan Kingdom?"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 983 Untying the knot

    The Tao family had completely withdrawn from the Central Plains market since the year before last. Tao Sheng personally went to Lingzhou to purchase 100,000 hectares of land, and used favorable conditions to recruit thousands of Han farmers from Guanzhong to cultivate and cultivate. Under his leadership, a group of profiteers  The Zhou and Guanlong families also bought land and cultivated it in Lingzhou. While making profits, they also helped the government to restore the former prosperity of Saishang Pearl under the Han Dynasty as soon as possible.  But the Tao family did not farm in Lingzhou for profit. The harvested grain was also prepared to be handed over to the government for free. The Tao family was more interested in seeking political capital. In the first year alone, the Tao family lost 100 million yuan in Lingzhou.  Lingzhou¡¯s huge losses must be compensated by other aspects. Under Liu Jing¡¯s suggestion, the Tao family started trade in the Western Regions and used the huge profits from the Western Regions trade to make up for Lingzhou¡¯s losses.  As compensation for the Tao family¡¯s donation of land in the capital, Liu Jing gave thousands of camels captured from the Huns to the Tao family and established the Tao family¡¯s first Western Region caravan.  More than a year has passed. The Tao family has traveled to and from the Western Regions many times and established a transit warehouse in Dunhuang County. They transported a large amount of Western goods to the Central Plains and shipped porcelain and silk from the Central Plains to the West, earning huge profits from it.  "I heard that my second uncle has just returned from Dawan. He can go far this time!" Tao Li said with a smile: "This trip to Dawan is mainly to explore the road and find purchase channels. It is also the farthest I have ever gone west in my life.  "Is the Dawan Kingdom still there?" "The Dawan Kingdom is still there. It used to be under the jurisdiction of the Western Regions Protectorate of the Han Dynasty. However, after the Western Regions Protectorate was abolished in the first year of Yongchu, the Dayuan Kingdom was defeated by the Yuezhi people and surrendered.  In Guishuang Kingdom, you can see the beacons and forts set up by the Han Dynasty along the way, but unfortunately they have been abandoned." Liu Jing nodded silently, "One day, I will restore the Western Region Protectorate and revive the glory of the Han Dynasty.  "I hope I can see that day in my lifetime." Tao Li said with a smile: "I went to Dawan this time and wanted to buy a Dawan stallion, but Dawan does not sell stallions at all, and the inspection is very strict.  , and later I obtained 300 sweat-blooded stallions through several Sogdian businessmen, and I planned to use them as breeding stock to breed horses in Longxi." Liu Jing was overjoyed, "Where are the stallions now?" "In Longxi County?  There are a total of two hundred and five horses in the racecourse." Liu Jing frowned, "Didn't my second uncle just say that I bought three hundred horses?" Tao Li didn't say anything. After a while, he sighed and said, "There are still one hundred horses in Hexi.  "I was intercepted by Governor Ma." "Ma Chao?" Tao Li nodded and whispered: "Your Highness, I don't know whether to say something or not. It has something to do with Governor Ma. If Your Highness doesn't want to hear it, I won't say it."  Liu Jing had a bad feeling in her heart and said in a deep voice: "Second uncle, just tell me!" "I suggest that your highness transfer Ma Chao as soon as possible! Leaving him in Hexi will cause trouble sooner or later." "Second uncle, tell me more."  "I have actually heard about it." "Your Highness may not know that the Hexi Qiang people bought a large number of weapons and armor from the Guishang Kingdom last year, and there were several horse bandits in the Hexi Corridor, both Qiang and Di people.  , specializes in plundering passing merchants. If merchants want to cross Hexi safely, they must pay a large sum of money for protection in Suzhou, resulting in a huge loss of merchant profits and widespread complaints. " Although Tao Li did not say it explicitly, he was implying that Ma Chao was conniving with the Qiang people.  He Di Ren, Zhao Yun also said this at the beginning, and now Tao Li mentions it again, the problem must be getting more and more serious.  In fact, when Liu Jing was in Hefei, he also received an ultimatum from Chang'an. Among them, the Hexi government accused Ma Chao of protecting the Qiang people. As a result, the conflict between the Qiang and Han people in Hexi became very acute. Many Han people had their land seized, their homes burned, and they were forced to flee.  Go to Longxi.  It¡¯s just that the Han army used the whole country to fight against Cao¡¯s army in Hefei and was unable to go west, so it could only comfort Ma Chao and try not to touch his interests.  If Ma Chao collects protection fees from businessmen in order to make money, Liu Jing may be able to tolerate it, but Tao Li mentioned that the Qiang secretly purchased armor from the Guishang Kingdom, which made Liu Jing wary.  Once Ma Chao becomes independent in Hexi, the problem will become serious. Liu Jing secretly thought: 'It seems that the crisis in Hexi cannot be delayed indefinitely and must be resolved as soon as possible.  ¡¯ £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Sun Shangxiang looked at a few more swords and stopped reading. The reason was very simple. These top-quality swords were collections of the shop and were not sold to the public. No matter how much she looked at them, it was meaningless. Instead, it made her feel depressed.  Sun Shangxiang pushed away the sword and stood up to leave. Although the shop owner Shi Lin was unwilling to sell out the sword, he did not want to offend the second concubine of the Han Dynasty. If he offended the Han Dynasty, he would not want to do business in Chang'an.  Shi Lin then took out a dagger made of wootz steel that he had treasured for many years and gave it to Sun Shangxiang. In Shi Lin's words, he would not sell this kind of sword, but would only give it to those who understood it.This made Sun Shangxiang very happy. He put away his sword and said goodbye.  At this time, the carriage was still at the trading house and had not returned. Fortunately, the trading house was not far away and the tall building could be seen from a distance. Sun Shangxiang simply walked away and took a look at the market.  Although Sun Shangxiang has realized that she cannot interfere in her husband's military affairs, even if it is Jiangdong affairs, it is best for her not to interfere. Otherwise, instead of solving the Jiangdong issue, it will affect the relationship between the couple. Only when her husband asks her the opportunity, can she say:  Talking about this matter, let alone showing off to her husband and ignoring her.  Although she said this, she still felt an indescribable discomfort in her heart when she thought that Jiangdong was about to be destroyed and the foundation founded by her father and brother was about to disappear. As the daughter of the Sun family, it was impossible for her to remain indifferent to the crisis in Jiangdong and watch helplessly.  Jiangdong was destroyed, but she didn't know how to plead with her husband. This deep pain weighed in her heart, making it difficult for her to resolve.  Sun Shangxiang was worried all the way, and most of the passers-by didn't recognize her. Several gangsters in the market saw her beauty and wanted to tease her. However, they saw four tall and burly followers with knives following her. They were too scared to provoke her, so they had to  Peeping from a distance.  After walking more than thirty steps, Sun Shangxiang suddenly heard someone shouting: "High-quality Soochow lacquerware. If you miss it, you will lose it." This voice clearly had a strong Jiangdong accent. Sun Shangxiang was pleasantly surprised when he heard the local accent.  Looking back, I saw a small shop on the corner of the street. A flag banner was hung in front of the shop with the word "lacquerware" written on it. A nine-section bamboo lantern was placed at the door, painted black and bright. It was the famous lacquerware.  Wu lacquerware.  Seeing items from her hometown made her feel more happy than the sword shop. She quickly walked over and saw that the shop was very small, less than six feet wide and about two feet long. It was separated from the grocery store next door.  They are a young couple, both of them are quite handsome and have the temperament of Jiangnan people.  It can be seen that their business is not very good and no one patronizes them. The couple are simply dressed and can only make ends meet by opening this shop. When the man saw Sun Shangxiang paying attention to his shop, he quickly smiled and said: "Sister, come in and take a look.  , The lacquerware sold in the shop is all authentic Soochow lacquerware, the only one in Chang'an." Sun Shangxiang walked into the shop, and the woman came up to her. She smiled and said, "Sister, you can choose as you like!" Sun Shangxiang glanced at her and asked with a smile.  "Are you from Wu County?" She said in her hometown dialect. The couple looked at each other and immediately smiled and said, "So my sister is also from the same hometown, and we are from Wucheng County." Sun Shangxiang nodded, no wonder they didn't recognize him  , it turns out that they are from Wucheng County, but Wucheng County also belongs to Wu County. She lived there for a while when she was a child, and Wucheng County left a good impression on her.  "My ancestral home is Fuchun County, but I grew up in Wuxian County and have also been to Wucheng County. The water chestnuts there are sweeter than those in Wu County, so in my hometown we call Wucheng's water chestnuts and Wuxian's lotus roots." The woman smiled and said, "Ah  My sister is right, but the people in Wucheng say that the lotus roots in Wuxian County are not crisp enough, and the people in Wuxian County say that the Wucheng water chestnuts are not sweet. " Hearing this joke, Sun Shangxiang's laughter echoed in the shop like a silver bell.  His mood immediately improved, and he said again: "I have been in Chang'an for several years, and this is the first time I met people from my hometown. When did you come to Chang'an?" "We came here early last year to make a living, but there are many people from Jiangdong in Chang'an, my sister is really  Haven't you met them before?" "I rarely go out. Are there many people from Jiangdong in Chang'an?" The young man said with a smile at the door: "There are at least tens of thousands of people, not necessarily in Chang'an, but in Wucheng alone.  There are thousands of people in the county." Sun Shangxiang nodded and asked strangely: "Why are they all running away? Isn't my hometown bad?" The woman sighed lowly, "I am as cheap as a dog if I don't live in my hometown.  Who will leave their hometown if they don't survive?" "Why?" Sun Shangxiang asked, "Why can't you survive?" The man said at the door: "It seems that the eldest sister has little contact with her hometown. The taxes in Jiangdong are too heavy and the government imposes excessive taxes.  My family has been engaged in lacquerware for generations, and more than half of our monthly income has to pay commercial tax, as well as poll tax, ship tax, and western tax. Young and strong men can either join the army, or they must serve as corvees for one month in three months. Who will suffer the consequences?  Come on, my family was originally well off, but in the end it collapsed. The government came to collect taxes every day, so I had to run away with my wife and follow my uncle to make a living in Chang'an. " "Does Marquis Wu not care about these things?" Sun Shangxiang said angrily.  The man sneered, "Sister, are you kidding! If Wu Hou really didn't care, we wouldn't have fled our hometown. He just controlled too much and was too ruthless. He wanted money and food, and he arrested Ding Congjun everywhere. My three brothers  The eldest brother and the second brother both died in the war, leaving behind orphans and widowed mothers. Finally, the eldest sister-in-law died of poverty and illness, and the second sister-in-law and her child were missing. Of course, I didn¡¯t know that my sister was not in Jiangdong., people in Jiangdong call him Sun Jackal, and they want to eat his meat and sleep on his skin. If the Han army attacks Jiangdong, I will be the first to sign up to join the army and fight back to my hometown.  " Sun Shangxiang didn't know how she left the shop. Her heart was empty and full of loss. She never dreamed that Jiangdong would turn into hell. The Sun family that was conquered by her father and brother was finally hated and abandoned by the people.  . She thought of what the young man said, "The people in Jiangdong call him Sun Jackal. They want to eat his flesh and sleep on his skin. If the Han army attacks Jiangdong, I will be the first to sign up and fight back to my hometown!"  In a word, all kinds of feelings came to her mind, and Sun Shangxiang couldn't help but sigh, what could Jiang Dong do if he was so unkind?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 984 Complaint in the capital

    As night falls, Chang'an City is still lively. The lights are bright in the east and west gates where commerce is relatively concentrated. The sound of silk and bamboo is heard, and laughter is noisy. In the tavern, the sound of drinking and punching can be heard one after another. Chang'an City will not implement a curfew until Hai hour, and  Until this time, various commercial activities are basically unaffected.  It is for this reason that within an hour after nightfall, the business of major merchants was very good, especially the pubs and brothels, which were almost full. However, as the time approached, the shops began to close one after another, and the people on the street also began to close.  There are more people, and most of them are in a hurry. They have to return home before Haishi.  At this time, there is still a quarter of an hour before Haishi, which is the time when shops close and pedestrians rush home. There are also two men in black walking hurriedly on the streets of Chang'an Xicheng. At this time, people are coming and going on the streets, most of them in a hurry.  As they hurried on, no one would pay attention to the two of them.  At this time, the two of them turned into an alley and walked dozens of steps forward. A dead energy lantern hung in front of a gate in front of them, emitting orange-red light. The word "Hotel" was written on the lantern.  This is a hotel hidden in an alley, but there is also such a lantern sign at the entrance of the alley, so it does a good job. Several merchants who have just arrived in Chang'an are asking a waiter at the door for the price, and they are quickly taken over by the waiter.  Got in.  At this time, two men in black came to the door and looked at the sign on the door. The dim light made the words on the sign barely legible, and it read "Wang's Hotel" on the door.  This is where they are looking for. Two men in black looked at each other and walked into the inn together. A fat waiter came out and said with a smile: "Two guests, the shop is full. I'm sorry."  Ah!" "We don't want to stay in the hotel, let's find someone." A man in black said coldly.  "Oh! Who are you looking for?" "Listen, we are looking for a man from Hexi. His name is Li Wen. Maybe he doesn't have this name. He is in his early thirties and has a slim build. There is only one person who came to Chang'an. You  Go and find him!" The fat guy felt that the two men had cold tone and rude attitude, and he felt a little unhappy. He cursed secretly: "Who do you think you are when you are so cold when asking for help?  'However, due to professional habits, the fat boy still kept his smile and his attitude sincere, "Are the two guests sure that he lives in the store?" "We can be sure that he lives here!" At this time, the fat boy suddenly found two people  The man in black had a knife in his hand. He was stunned for a moment, feeling a little scared. He quickly said, "I'll check it out. The two guests will wait a moment!" He turned around and hurried towards the lobby, but the two men in black didn't wait.  , followed him into the lobby. At this time, the shopkeeper saw that the waiter brought two people in, and couldn't help but cursed: "I didn't tell you that the guests were full, why did you bring in another customer?" "Shopkeeper, they are here to find someone!"  "Who are they looking for!" The fat guy looked back at the two men in black and saw their faces clearly under the light. Seeing that the two men had sinister faces and fierce eyes, he became even more frightened and said quickly: "You guys  Ask my shopkeeper! He knows every customer." After saying that, he walked away with a smile. From a distance, he heard two men in black asking coldly: "We are looking for a man from Hexi." The fat boy was in a panic.  He ran to the backyard and ran to a guest room, banging on the door, "Mr. Li! Mr. Li!" The door creaked open, revealing a handsome face, a thin man, "Man, there is something  What's going on?" "There are two men outside, they are looking very fierce and they are holding knives." "Are they government officials?" "No!  , with the same accent as yours, Mr. Li, it seems that the person here is evil." Mr. Li suddenly panicked, "What's wrong, they must be here to kill me." At this time, the shopkeeper's voice was heard from the other side of the corridor, "You two.  Please come this way, Mr. Li lives in the last room. "The fat guy was startled. He grabbed Mr. Li's wrist and ran to the backyard. The fat guy pointed at the low wall in front and said hurriedly: "Turn over.  The wall is out, and there is the street outside. Run away! "The fat guy felt that he had done his best. He ran to the small courtyard next to him and disappeared in an instant. He didn't want to be implicated and be killed together.  Mr. Li panicked, ran to the wall, and clumsily climbed up the low wall. Just when he was about to climb over the wall, a sharp dagger struck him, "Whoosh!"  ¡¯ The shot came from the ground and hit him on the left shoulder.  Mr. Li screamed in pain and turned over and fell outside the wall. Two men in black drew their knives and ran over. They jumped up the wall and saw that the person they wanted to kill had already run twenty steps away. They shouted,  Jump off the wall and give chase.  Later, the shopkeeper was stunned. It turned out that they were here to kill people!  At this timeThe fat boy came out of the darkness, trembling all over, and said tremblingly: "Shopkeeper, you are not dead, you are really lucky!" The shopkeeper was furious and slapped him, "You bastard, you actually threw away two murderers.  Give it to me, I will beat you to death!" "Shopkeeper, spare your life!" Mr. Li stumbled and ran. Although his movements were clumsy and his body was thin, his desire to survive made him endure his shoulder injury and ran as fast as he could. He ran a hundred steps in one breath, but  He is a scholar after all. He can't outrun the two assassins behind him, but he is about to be overtaken by the two assassins behind him.  It was also his life that should not be taken. At this time, a group of patrol soldiers came across from the opposite side. It was already the curfew time. The patrol soldiers began to prepare for the night patrol. When Li Gong saw the savior, he shouted desperately: "Help! Kill someone!" The patrol soldiers heard  Shouting, they ran up together, "Who is it?" The two men in black behind saw that the soldiers had arrived. They were a step too late and could not kill this man, so they had to turn around and run into the night, with several soldiers chasing after them.  , "Stop!" Mr. Li relaxed in one breath and fell to the ground. The head of the village was shocked when he saw that he was covered in blood. He stepped forward and asked hurriedly: "Who are you? Who wants to kill you?" In the distance  About a few hundred steps away from the assassination, there is a new house covering an area of ??30 acres. This is Zhao Yun's mansion, which is called the General's Mansion by the people of Chang'an. The mansion was built only last year on land donated by the Tao family.  Usually, Zhao Yun is not often in the mansion. Only his wife Li and two sons live here. This time Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, returned to the capital, and Zhao Yun also hurried back from Tongguan and just arrived in Chang'an this afternoon.  Zhao Yun took a shower to wash off the dust from the journey, changed into clean clothes, and was sitting in the study writing a report for Liu Jing. At this time, the housekeeper came to the door and reported: "General, there is a group of patrolling soldiers outside the house. It seems that they are looking for something important."  General." Zhao Yun was startled, why were the patrol soldiers looking for him? He stopped writing, stood up and said, "Look!" Zhao Yun came outside the gate and saw a group of patrol soldiers standing at the foot of the steps, so he asked: "  What do you have to do with me?" The head of the village quickly stepped forward and bowed and said, "General Qi, we rescued a scribe who was being hunted. He said he had something important to see the general, and he said the general also knew him.  " Zhao Yun had already seen two soldiers holding a man, who seemed to be injured. He walked up slowly, held up a lantern to illuminate his face, looked at him, and nodded, "It looks familiar. Where have I seen him? Who are you?  "The scribe said in a low voice, "Don't you remember me, General Zhao? I am Li Wen, the magistrate of Juyan County. The general promised to deliver a letter to me in the winter before last." "It's you!  Suddenly he remembered that he had talked with this person when he was conquering the Juyan Huns in the north. He looked at Li Wen again and saw that he was covered in blood and seriously injured. He couldn't help but asked in surprise: "What are you  £®What happened?  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In the study room of the Han Dynasty, Liu Jing sat behind the desk and stared at his son Liu Zhi standing in front of him. Today was the second day after he returned to Chang'an. He had recovered slightly from the fatigue of the journey, so he began to ask about his eldest son's life for a year.  Condition.  The so-called tiger father produces dog sons. This seems to be a historical fact. Behind countless heroes, there is always a mediocre and incompetent son. Of course, this is only a matter of probability. The appearance of heroes is very rare. My sons have become heroes.  , which is really rare.  It is not only because of talent, but also has a great relationship with life experience and living environment.  Without the chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang and Xiao He were just low-level officials, Cao Shen, Fan Kuai and others were just mediocre people, Xiang Yu was a murderous thug at most, Zhang Liang and Chen Ping were just scholars who were cynical about the world, and Han Xin was just a high-minded person.  How could these heroes appear in the lifeless tramp?  But when the world is at peace and the troubled times disappear, where will their descendants be?  Liu Jing also understood this truth, so he did not expect his son to surpass himself. He only wanted his son to become a sober and promising monarch, inheriting and prospering the country he created.  Liu Zhi has great expectations and requirements for his son, especially for more than a year, Liu Zhi has been studying government affairs at Pingzhangtai basically every morning. Liu Jing also believes that he will change a lot.  However, just from the appearance point of view, Liu Zhi has changed a lot. He is already ten years old, and his figure has grown significantly. Although he looks a little frail, there is a calmness and calmness in his movements that is incompatible with his age.  Maturity, this is the change in academic administration in Pingzhangtai over the past year.  Liu Jing saw this change in her eyes and felt really happy in her heart.  "So, you have to go to Pingzhangtai every morning, and in the afternoon you study literature and compose poetry with your master, is that right?"  "Reporting to my father, that's the case, and the child has to go to Pingzhangtai every day, and he has never missed a day." "Do you also go on holidays?" "There is a minister on duty on holidays, and the child also has to go." Liu Jing nodded.  , and asked: "But what time do you have for martial arts training?" Liu Zhi didn't say anything for a long time. He was really lacking in this aspect. He slowly lowered his head and whispered: "Report to father, the child rarely practices martial arts and fitness." "  This is not possible. I can see that your body is not very good, and you are even a little thin. This is not a long-term solution. Starting from tomorrow, get up early and spend an hour practicing martial arts, learning swordsmanship, and learning riding and shooting.  Go to Pingzhangtai and I will arrange for a guard to teach you." "I understand, kid." Liu Jing wanted to test his knowledge again. At this time, there was a slight sound of footsteps outside the door, and then he heard his wife Tao Zhan saying:  "Husband, Zilong is here. He said he has something important to see." Zhao Yun came to see him at this time. It must be something important. Liu Jing nodded, "I'll go right away!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 985 Hidden dangers revealed

    <center>Pure text online reading domain name of this website <fon color=red><b></b></font> For mobile synchronous reading, please visit <font color=red><b></b></font><  /center></br> Liu Jing told his son a few words, and then hurried to the front yard. Watching his father walk away, Liu Zhicai lightly stuck out his tongue, walked quickly to his mother, and Tao Zhan touched his son.  His head smiled and asked: "Have you been trained by your father?" "If Uncle Zhao hadn't come, maybe you would have been trained by your father." "No! Your father was also very happy to see you, so why would he train you? Besides,  Zhi'er has been very diligent this year, and dad has no reason to train you." "Dad said that I am too weak. Starting from tomorrow, I will have to practice martial arts for an hour every morning before I can go out to Pingzhangtai." "You are indeed too weak.  , Mom also wants to replenish your health." The mother and son walked away as they talked.  Let's say that Liu Jing hurried to the outer study room and saw Zhao Yun sitting in the study room with deep thoughts and drinking tea. Liu Jing walked into the room and said with a smile: "It seems that he is worried! Is it unfavorable for Tongguan to send troops?" Zhao Yun quickly stood up and saluted, Liu Jing waved  Waving his hands, "No need to be polite, let's sit down and talk." The two sat down and the maid came in to serve tea. Zhao Yun then sighed and said: "Your Highness still remembers what I said to Your Highness after I returned from the expedition to Juyanhai the year before last.  "What happened to Ma Chao?" Liu Jing immediately remembered what Tao Li said to him this morning, nodded, and said quietly: "You mean Ma Chao, what happened to him?" "Weichen brought someone here?"  , He is at the gate. Your Highness might as well come with me to see him." "Who is he?" "Juyan County Magistrate Li, he is injured." Liu Jing stood up, walked outside and told the guard, "There is someone at the gate.  A man brought by General Zhao brought him here to see me!" After a while, several guards came quickly carrying a soft couch. On the soft couch was lying the injured Li. He was bleeding profusely.  His body was very weak and his face was extremely pale.  Li saw Liu Jing and struggled to sit up. The guards held him down. Liu Jing stepped forward and squatted in front of him and said, "Are you Li, the magistrate of Juyan County, from the Li clan in Longxi?" "Weichen is right!"  Zhao Yun added: "He was being chased, but fortunately he was rescued by patrolling soldiers. He said he had important matters to see me, so the soldiers took him to my house." "Who wants to kill you?" Liu Jing asked.  Li bit his lip and looked at the guards on both sides. Liu Jing immediately ordered: "You all stand down!" He, Liu Jing, and Zhao Yun were the only three people left in the room. Li gritted his teeth and said: "It was Ma Chao who sent someone here."  "Kill me." "Why did he want to kill you?" "Because I know he is going to rebel." Liu Jing was not in a hurry. She sat down slowly and then asked slowly: "You have Ma Chao who wants to rebel."  "Evidence?" "Your Highness, Wei Chen did not wrongly accuse him for personal revenge. Since last year, he has transferred his Han generals away from military power one by one in the army, and replaced them with Qiang and Di.  He came to take control of the military and had transferred thirteen Han generals. "How do you know these things?" Liu Jing narrowed her eyes and looked at him with bright eyes.  "General Ma Dai told me this. He originally had a letter, but I was afraid that Ma Chao would catch him and implicate him, so Wei Chen burned the letter on the way." Liu Jing was silent in thought, he felt  There seems to be a bit of confusion here. Why would Ma Dai ask this Li to deliver the letter? Wouldn't he send his close soldiers to deliver the letter?  Besides, Ma Dai was stationed in Wuwei County, so it was more convenient to send people to Chang'an. How could he get involved with the Juyan County Magistrate?  "How do you know Ma Dai?" Li understood Liu Jing's doubts and sighed softly and said: "The humble post is no longer the magistrate of Juyan County. Last summer, the humble post was transferred to Dunhuang by Ma Chao as the boss, and he was almost captured by the horse bandits on the way.  Killing, it was General Ma Dai who saved his humble position. Your Highness may not know that General Ma Dai is no longer in Wuwei County. At the beginning of last year, Ma Chao used the excuse of protecting trade routes and combating horse bandits to transfer General Ma Dai to Dunhuang County and sent people  They strictly guarded the pass and did not allow Ma Dai's troops to go south. General Ma Dai said that His Highness was fighting in Hefei and was unable to look westward. He could not act too early to scare the snake, so he held back until the beginning of the year, when Wei Chen's father died, and Wei Chen was able to  After rushing to Longxi for the funeral, he took the opportunity to come to Chang'an, but was discovered by Ma Chao. " Only then did Liu Jing understand the cause and effect. He was secretly angry. Ma Chao dared to transfer generals without permission, and dared to promote and remove county magistrate without permission. This shows that he  Ambitious, Liu Jing suppressed the anger in her heart and nodded, "So, you are actually sent by Ma Dai to report the news!" "That's true!" "But you don't have any tokens." Li bit her lips and said,He said slowly: "I wish to die to make my determination clear!" "That's not necessary. You need to take good care of your injuries first. Whether it's true or not, the facts will prove everything." Liu Jing showed a smile on his face, and ordered the guards to carry Li out, and  After someone arranged for him to recuperate, Liu Jing said to Zhao Yun: "It seems that there is a crisis in Hexi." Zhao Yun nodded silently, "If Li didn't come to Chang'an, maybe Ma Chao would deploy for a few more months, but now he assassinates  Li failed, I believe he will not wait any longer. " "It is not because of Li, but because the battle of Hefei is over, the Han army has returned to Chang'an, and he has no time to wait for me. " Liu Jing turned to the window and stared out of the window silently.  After a long time, he sighed softly, "I thought he was a hero. I wanted to reuse him, cultivate him, and even put him in charge of Hexi. But I didn't expect that I was wrong about the person." Zhao Yun understood Liu Jing's mood, so he  He comforted him and said: "He is indeed a hero, with strong martial arts skills and good at fighting. Your Highness did not misjudge him. It's just that he is a prince himself. Their father and son dominated Xiliang. They were defeated by Cao Cao and had to join His Highness. He  He has no heart for serving others. Once conditions permit, his ambition will naturally grow. " "You don't need to comfort me. I know very well that Cao Cao wanted to kill him without leaving any further trouble, but I killed him.  After taking him in, he was also appointed to take charge of Hexi. As for today's troubles, I am indeed inferior to Cao Cao in terms of talents." Zhao Yun was silent for a moment and said: "If your highness can trust Wei Chen, I am willing to lead the army to the west to quell the troubles in Hexi!  "Liu Jing looked back at Zhao Yun for a moment and said slowly: "If I can't even trust you, then I, Liu Jing, am really alone." Zhao Yun was moved and said, "I can leave at any time." Liu Jing nodded.  "Sending troops is inevitable, but there is no rush. There are still many things that need to be done first."  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  Zhao Yun said goodbye and left, leaving Liu Jing pacing back and forth in the study alone. Ma Chao's desire to separate the country and become independent gradually became a reality, which brought him a huge blow. This blow was not that the territory was divided, but that he would be betrayed.  It hurts my heart.  He thought that he could treat others with sincerity and exchange trust for loyalty, but it turned out that he still misjudged the person, or that he was not mature enough politically. He did not do some things that should be done, and he failed to establish the relationship in time.  A system to guarantee the loyalty of the military.  Even if Liu Jing has great prestige and all the generals are loyal to him, what about the future?  Will the generals still be loyal to his son?  From ancient times to the present, the constraints on the army are not limited to the so-called loyalty, but more importantly, the system. In the pre-Qin Dynasty, the wives and children of generals were kept hostage in the capital. In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, generals and soldiers were separated. After the decline of the imperial army, eunuchs were used to supervise the army. As a result,  The disaster of eunuchs was that the Song Dynasty used officials to lead the army, which led to their defeat at the hands of the Liao and Jin Dynasties and the death of the Mongols. In later generations, there were also political commissars and so on. All these were done to keep military power firmly in the hands of the central court.  And he, Liu Jing, could neither hand over military power to his nephews and brothers like Cao Cao, nor could he imitate Jiangdong and concentrate his soldiers in Jianye without garrisoning troops there when the world was not at peace.  He could only rely on his trust in the generals and hand over the army to them.  But Ma Chao betrayed his trust in him, or in other words, he should not have trusted a prince who once separated himself from one side. He should have let Ma Dai or Pang De control Hexi. Just because of his benevolence, he ended up in chaos in Hexi.  Liu Jing secretly blamed herself. At this time, a guard reported at the door, "Your Highness, Mr. Tao has arrived." Liu Jing nodded, "Invite him to come here!" After a moment, Tao Sheng hurried over under the guidance of the guard.  Outside the study room, "Your Highness, are you looking for me?" Liu Jing nodded, "Father-in-law, please sit down!" Tao Sheng didn't know why Liu Jing was looking for him. He felt a little uneasy. In the past two days, he had been worried about Cao Cao's daughter getting married.  Worried about whether this matter would affect his daughter's status, when Liu Jing came to him, he naturally thought about it.  Liu Jing felt Tao Sheng's nervousness, so she smiled apologetically: "Maybe I have to ask my father-in-law for help again." Tao Sheng was startled. He had a vague feeling that it had nothing to do with his daughter. If it had to do with Cao Cao's daughter, Liu Jing would say sorry.  The Tao family is here, and now he has to help himself, which is obviously not what he is worried about. Tao Sheng immediately breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "As long as the Tao family can do it, I will never refuse." Liu Jing nodded and asked: "  How is the Tao family's reclamation in Lingzhou? " "It's really surprising. Generally, it takes at least three or four years to turn raw land into mature land, but the land in Lingzhou is extremely fertile. It only takes one year to cultivate crops, and the sunshine  There is sufficient water and convenient irrigation. I plan to start planting corn this summer and winter wheat after the autumn harvest.It can be harvested twice a year.  Liu Jing sighed and said apologetically: "I asked my father-in-law for help because I hope the Tao family will give me these 100,000 hectares of land."  " Liu Jing really found it difficult to say this. He knew that the Tao family not only spent a lot of manpower and material resources on 100,000 hectares of land, but also invested 100 million in money to measure the land, recruit farmers and build water conservancy. Now it seems that it can be cultivated.  He wants to take it back, but he has no choice. The only land that can be used immediately in Lingzhou is the Tao family's 100,000 hectares of cultivated land. Tao Sheng nodded silently, "If His Highness wants to take it back, the Tao family can.  Hand it over immediately.  " Liu Jing thought for a while and then explained: "I am not deceiving the Tao family, nor am I trying to plunder, but there is a problem in Hexi. I want to move the Han people out of Hexi as quickly as possible, but I can't tell them clearly.  , we can only use inducements to give them the land in Lingzhou, and they must use mature land, so they can only aggrieve the Tao family.  " Tao Sheng suddenly realized that it was about Hexi. He had heard his brother Tao Li talk about the chaos in Hexi last night, but he didn't expect that the problem would be so serious and urgent. He immediately said: "I will send someone overnight.  Go and inform the Lingzhou stewards and order them to hand over the land to the government.  " After a pause, Tao Sheng continued: "In addition, there are thousands of households of tenant farmers that I have recruited. Please take appropriate care of them, Your Highness.  Liu Jing nodded, "I will regard them as Hexi immigrants and resettle them together."  " In fact, Liu Jing has also considered that there are not many Han people in Hexi area, and Wuwei County has slightly more. The total number of households is only more than 10,000. Including tenant farmers, the maximum number is 20,000 households. Even if one household is granted two hectares of land,  The land was only 40,000 hectares, and Liu Jing planned to use it to resettle the refugees in Hebei and the Central Plains. Affected by the battle of Hefei, there was a food shortage in both Hebei and the Central Plains, and a large number of people fled.  People poured into the Han Kingdom. Nearly 200,000 refugees poured into Guanzhong, which put a huge burden on the government. He needed to use land that could be cultivated immediately to resettle these refugees. At the same time, he could also enrich Lingzhou and the Tao family.  The land can be put to good use. Although this is indeed unfair to the Tao family, I believe that I will compensate the Tao family in other ways.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 986 Hexi Countermeasures

    <center>Pure text online reading this website domain name<fon color=red><b></b></font> For simultaneous reading on mobile phone, please visit <font color=red><b></b></font><  /center></br>

    The next day before dawn, Liu Jing got up and went to Weiyang Palace. On the third day after returning to Chang'an, there were too many government affairs to deal with. Although the wartime decentralization system was implemented to maximize power to Pingzhangtai, even so, there was still a large amount of important affairs and approvals piled up.

    Liu Jing's carriage drove into Weiyang Palace under the escort of hundreds of cavalry. Liu Jing got off the carriage and came to the official house. Chang'an has undergone tremendous changes after a year's absence. On the contrary, any changes in the official house were as if he had just left last night.

    It was now March and the weather was getting warmer. The fire basin in the official room was kept spotless and there was no turbidity. Liu Jing opened the window and a fresh morning breeze blew in.

    At this time, Ruosuogan turned around and saw Xu Shu appearing at the door. Liu Jing couldn't help but laugh, "Does Yuan Zhi come here so early every day?"

    "Pour it every day."

    Xu Shu slowly walked into the room and smiled: "I guess I will be here early this morning, so I went out a little early, and it turned out to be true!"

    "sit down!"

    Liu Jing asked Xu Shu to sit down and smiled: "I guess everyone will complain to me when I come back. The Hefei War has depleted all the family wealth."

    "In the later period, the food shortage was indeed very tight. After the autumn harvest, the key point was relieved. The Huns sent millions of cattle and sheep to save our urgent need. Your Highness, your highness, should be deeply aware of this when they transported beef and mutton to the front line in the later period!"

    "Of course, I deeply feel that after September, I ate mutton, cooked mutton, roasted mutton, and grilled mutton every day. Now I am afraid of mutton when I see it."

    At this time, both of them laughed. Then the child came in and served them tea. Liu Jing took a sip of tea and said, "I was worried after reading Pingzhangtai's report about the Xiongnu. It was not the Xiongnu but the Xianbei people. The East and West Xianbei had united."  Once they become one, the Xiongnu will become the overlord of the grassland and will be destroyed, and it is inevitable that the Xianbei people will become the biggest threat to the Central Plains sooner or later. "

    "Your Highness, do you want to support the Xiongnu against Xianbei?"

    "I have thought about it before, but I always feel that we cannot rely on another nomadic people for our own safety. Of course, it is not bad to let two tigers fight each other. But in the final analysis, we have to rely on ourselves. We must have strong force to control the nomadic people on the grassland.  Any family is allowed to grow.¡±

    Xu Shu was silent for a moment: "But if there are enough people and financial resources, it may be difficult to maintain a strong military force."

    "That's good. The battle in Hefei only had an army of over a hundred thousand. One year of war almost depleted our financial resources. Hundreds of thousands of people were involved in the battle, which they simply couldn't afford. And the nomadic people were all armed to support the war. They could be mobilized easily."  If we have enough troops to move hundreds of thousands of people south, we must rely on powerful weapons and vigorously develop weapons such as bee crossbows, kerosene, and heavy armored infantry to deal with the nomads. Only an army of 20,000 to 30,000 people can defeat hundreds of thousands of nomads."

    When the two of them arrived, Liu Jing changed the question and asked: "Have you heard any news about Pingzhangtai in Hexi?"

    "We know that Ma overstepped his authority to interfere in the appointment and dismissal of local officials. We also know that Ma Chao collected heavy taxes from merchants in Suzhou without authorization. In addition, the Hexi Qiang and Di people were supposed to send their territory to Chang'an in January, but they are still sending it this year. (Updated fastest and most  Stablize)"

    At this point, Xu Shu sighed, "We originally planned to send people to question Ma Chao, but considering the tense war in Hefei, we held back and could only reduce taxes on merchants from the Western Regions in Chang'an to make up for our losses. Your Highness, I'm afraid the situation in Hexi is not good!"

    Liu Jing knew that Xu Shu could only point out Ma Chao's intention to rebel more implicitly, but everyone understood that the Hexi matter had to be resolved.

    Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said to the guard standing at the door: "Go and inquire about the other ministers."

    The guard hurried away and came back after a while to report, "Your Highnesses are all here."

    Liu Jing then said to Xu Shu: "Let's go to the meeting hall to discuss this matter in detail."

    There were many people in the meeting hall. Even Yin Mo, who was very old, had arrived for more than a year to discuss things with everyone. Liu Jing felt cordial and smiled at everyone: "First of all, I want to thank everyone for your earnest teachings. I can feel that this is all thanks to everyone."  Liu Jing is grateful!"

    Liu Jing stood up and bowed to everyone. Everyone waved their hands and did not dare to accept Dong He's words bluntly: "Your Highness is willing to hand over the young master to you. It is more important for you to trust us. We all hope that the young master can become a master in the future. We are ministers to others."  responsible."

    Everyone agreed with Dong He's statement. Jiang Wan also smiled: "Young Master is naturally kind and honest. We have long discovered that when reading the ultimatums from various places, we pay special attention to the people's livelihood and people's sentiments. We all know that Young Master will definitely become a benevolent king. This is the blessing of the world!"

    ¡°It¡¯s too early to say anything now! We¡¯ll see in the future!¡±

    Liu Jing stopped mentioning the matter of his son and brought the topic to the matter of Hexi. He calmly said to everyone: "I'm afraid you don't have a deep understanding of the situation in Hexi. I have received a secret report from Ma Dai that Ma Chao has promoted thirteen Qiang Di officials."In addition, the Hexi army has increased to 30,000, of which 20,000 Qiang and Di people, and only 10,000 Han troops are mainly deployed in Wuwei and Dunhuang. At the end of the year before last, it was known that the chaos in Hexi was inevitable, and only the deployment of the Hefei campaign had to be carried out.  Ma Chao compromised, but now that the Battle of Hefei is over, restoring order in Hexi has become a reality. Now I want to know how much financial and material resources we still have to send troops to quell the Battle of Hexi?  "

    Everyone in the meeting hall was silent for a long time. Jiang Wanxian said: "If Your Highness wants to attack Hexi with all his strength, of course we support it, but we must also tell the truth about the truth in His Highness's warehouse. Currently, the official warehouse in Chang'an has 130,000 shi of grain. It was originally more than 300,000 shi. But because of last year,  After borrowing the autumn grain from the private sector and putting it into storage, it will be returned to Chang'an. The grain stock in stock will definitely not be enough, but we can transfer the official grain from Hanzhong and Yizhou. Wei Chen estimates that the final grain stock will reach about 400,000 shi, but it will take some time. "

    Liu Jing smiled: "You guys have taken your problems too seriously. We don't need too many troops in the Hefei campaign. We can only send 50,000 troops at most and it won't be too long. I estimate that 100,000 shi of food will be enough. There are also a lot of cattle and sheep that can be used as military rations. Worry  It is not the issue of food and grass but the issue of Hexi officials and Han people. Once Hexi rebels, they will be the first to suffer, so they must be moved out first."

    "Does Your Highness want the Han people in Hexi to move to Guanzhong?" Sima Yi asked.

    "No! The burden in Guanzhong is too heavy. Before and after they were resettled in Lingzhou, the Tao family reclaimed 100,000 hectares of land in Lingzhou. Now it has been handed over to the Tao family. This 100,000 hectares of land is enough to house 50,000 households. Not only that, the Tao family also  I am willing to donate 100,000 shi of grain and 200,000 pieces of cloth for the resettlement. This way, not only the Han people in Hexi but also the refugees from the Central Plains and Hebei can be resettled. This has solved everyone¡¯s worries.¡±

    Everyone looked at each other and couldn't help but be overjoyed. Last year, Hebei and the Central Plains were hit by famines, and the serious impact of the Hefei Battle caused a large number of hungry people to pour into Guanzhong and Jingxiang. Hundreds of thousands of people, these hungry people needed a lot of food and materials, which brought a heavy burden to the Han Dynasty.  The Zhangtai ministers were miserable.

    Now Liu Jing persuaded the Tao family to give up the land, and the Tao family was willing to donate food and cloth. This undoubtedly solved their biggest headache. Everyone breathed a long sigh of relief. Xu Shu sighed: "It is a blessing for the Tao family to be so generous!"

    Liu Jing smiled slightly: "Tao Sheng told me that the cloth and grain are all in Bashu. It is not easy to transport them to Guanzhong, but there is no need to transport them to Guanzhong and put them directly in Chengdu for military expenses. Then we open the Chang'an treasury to accommodate the hungry people. In addition, we need to arrange the platform."  A large number of people went to Lingzhou to assist Tao Zheng in resettling immigrants. It is impossible for the Lingzhou government alone to complete this important task. There are many things and it is very trivial. I hope everyone will take the trouble to arrange the preliminary matters together, and then the Han army can send troops to Hexi. "

    Everyone nodded silently and Sima Yi stood up: "Your Highness, please rest assured that Pingzhangtai has rich resettlement experience and everything will be arranged one by one. However, I would like to remind Your Highness to send heavy troops to guard Dadou Bugu in time to prevent the Hexi and Hehuang Qiang people from becoming one."

    Sima Yi's words reminded Liu Jing that if Ma Chao really rebelled in Hexi, he would definitely send troops to capture Dadou Bagou. At that time, not only Hexi would be in crisis, but also Hehuang and Longxi would be seriously threatened. Liu Jing nodded: "Thanks to Sima Shangshu.  Reminder does think of that.¡±

    After discussing the matter in Hexi with the ministers, Liu Jing returned to his official room. As soon as he arrived at the gate of the courtyard, a secretary rushed up to report: "General Pang is here and wants to see His Highness!"

    Liu Jing was slightly startled that Pound was actually here. He originally planned to send someone to invite Pound. After all, Pound was Ma Chao's right-hand man. If Ma Chao rebelled, would Pound respond?  Although Liu Jing knew that Pound was a loyal person, the problem had to be considered. Now that Pound himself is here, let Pound make his position clear!

    Thinking of this, Liu Jing asked: "Where are you now?"

    As soon as the voice fell, Pang De walked out of the yard, knelt down on one knee and clasped his fists in the air: "I am here to apologize to His Highness!"

    Liu Jing quickly helped him up, "Why did General Pang say this?"

    "Your Highness"

    Liu Jing waved her hand to interrupt before she could finish, "You can come here if you don't want to!"

    Liu Jing brought Pound into the official room and asked him to sit down. After all the guards retreated, he sat opposite and asked softly: "What happened?"

    Pang De took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Liu Jing: "This Ma Chao sent someone to send a secret letter to the humble official yesterday, hoping to lead the cavalry to Hexi to revive the crime of humble official in Xiliang!"

    "Could it be that General Pang agreed?"

    "If I had agreed to a humble position, I would not have come to see His Highness today."

    "What's the crime?"

    Pang De hesitated for a moment and shed tears: "As early as last spring, I sent someone to hint to Bei Shi and let me find a way to go to Hexi to take up a post. Although I knew it, I guessed the intention. I was confused for a while and actually concealed the matter. It wasn't until yesterday that I learned about it."  Hexi has prepared a large amount of money, food and weapons to place Qiang generals in control of the army. If this sin of humiliation had been reported to His Highness last year, it would not have become such a big problem today."

    Liu Jing smiled faintly: "General Pang doesn't have to blame himself. In fact, he had already known about today's disease. Long came to conquer Juyanhai and discovered it.As long as we launch the Hefei Campaign, we can only pretend to know nothing and let him do whatever he wants. Last night, Ma Dai sent Bo Li, the Lord of Dunhuang, to report that there would be chaos in Hexi in at least two or three months, so we should prepare in advance.  "

    Pang De felt a little comfort in his heart. It turned out that His Highness had known it for a long time. He immediately stood up and clasped his fists: "In this humble position, I am willing to help the vanguard to clear up the chaos in Hexi!"

    Liu Jing stared at it for a long time: "I know that General Lingming is a loyal general and will not betray, and I am willing to believe that since Lingming took the initiative to ask for the order, he wanted to lead the cavalry to defend the battle."

    Pound suddenly understood the courage and great trust that King Han had made in making his decision. He was so moved that his nose became sore and he knelt down and cried: "Thank you for trusting your highness in this humble position. I swear to heaven that I would rather die than betray your highness!"

    Liu Jing quickly stood up and said to Shen Sheng: "It may take some time to evacuate the people on the Hexi side, but Dadou Bago is extremely suspicious. Ma Chao has already ordered Ming Ming to set out overnight tonight to defend Dadou Bago at all costs."  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 987 Fierce Battle at Taniguchi

    Ten thousand Han cavalry, led by General Pang De and Deputy General Leng Bao, marched toward Hehuang in a mighty manner. The cavalry brigade galloped in the dark night, stirring up billowing yellow dust on the official road. Only marching at night would not  Too much attention, the cold moonlight reflected on the soldiers' armor, giving off a cold metallic luster, one team after another, like a torrent of steel rushing towards the west.

    This cavalry had just returned from Hefei. Before they had time to enjoy the glory of victory or reunite with their families, they went on another journey to Hexi, which was about to be divided.

    Before the cavalry, another five hundred Eagle Attack Army officers set off early and rushed to Dadou Bagou. Once Dadou Bagou was really occupied by Ma Chao's army, the precipitous terrain was not something that the cavalry could conquer. Special troops would have to be used to have any hope.  The special force of the Han army is the Eagle Attack Army.

    In fact, Dadou Bago itself falls under the jurisdiction of Hexi. It is garrisoned by a Ya general and a thousand soldiers, all of whom are Ma Chao's subordinates. However, Liu Jing did not know whether the Ya general and a thousand soldiers stationed there were killed by Qiang soldiers.  Substitution, once replaced, the situation they face will become complicated. They must attack Taniguchi, and they must not let Hexi know about it, otherwise Ma Chao will be provoked to take action in advance.

    A few days later, the cavalry brigade entered Longxi County and was not far from Dadou Bago. At this time, five hundred Eagle Attack Army soldiers had arrived at their destination. They were hiding in a place about 20 miles away from the entrance of Dadou Bago.  In the mountain col.

    Lieutenant General Ren Ping led more than ten people to investigate the news. The rest of the soldiers drank water and ate dry food in the canyon, seizing the time to rest in order to maintain sufficient physical strength at all times. This army had already experienced hundreds of battles and did not need orders. He knew that he  What to do.

    General Liu Zhengze was sitting on a big rock, patiently waiting for news from Ren Ping. At this time, a low and rapid sound of running came. A dozen horses with thick linen on their hooves had already rushed into the valley mouth. It was the deputy general.  Ren Ping and the others came back, holding a cloth bag behind one of the horses.

    Liu Zheng perked up and quickly jumped off the boulder to greet him, "How is the situation?"

    "Just as His Highness was worried!"

    Ren Ping replied in a deep voice. He turned around and waved. Two soldiers carried the big cloth bag over and untied the rope. A soldier with his hands tied and a sack in his mouth appeared in the bag. Judging from his appearance, he was obviously a man.  A Qiang soldier.

    "This is a patrol soldier at Taniguchi. If we catch him, he will tell the general all the information."

    Liu Zheng pulled out his dagger and opened the linen cloth from the soldier's mouth. The sharp tip of the blade pressed against the soldier's neck. Liu Zheng asked coldly: "How many Han soldiers are there in Dadou Baggu?"

    Liu Zheng meant to ask how many Han soldiers there were. Ren Ping had already asked this question. The Qiang soldier took a long while to answer: "There are none. They are all Qiang and Di people."

    Liu Zheng asked a few more questions, but the Qiang soldiers answered hesitantly. Liu Zheng was anxious and stopped asking him. He turned back to Ren Ping and said, "Since you have already asked, come and tell me the situation at Taniguchi."

    Ren Ping walked to a big stone, put down a few stones, and said to Liu Zheng: "This is the mouth of the valley. There are currently about a thousand soldiers at the mouth of the valley, divided into two garrison points."

    Ren Ping placed two small stones on both sides of the big stone, "These are two garrison points, exactly the same as on the map, one in the south and one in the north, fifteen miles apart. Each garrison has 500 people. They use trust eagles to fight with them."  Contact Hexi."

    "Where is the Xinying?" Liu Zheng asked in a deep voice. This was the question he was most concerned about.

    "The patrol said that the eagle slaves all live in the camp in the north."

    Liu Zheng pondered for a moment and said: "We must divide our troops into two groups. I will lead half of the brothers to the North Camp, and you will be responsible for capturing the South Camp. At the same time, we must attack quickly and ruthlessly, killing them all!"

    Ren Ping nodded and asked, "When will we start?"

    Liu Zheng looked at the moonlight and said, "It's probably the first watch now. I'll lead my army to climb over from the back mountain. It won't take much time. We'll start at the same time at the third watch!"

    Ren Ping smiled and said: "The third watch is when most people get up at night, so I think it is better to do it at the fourth watch. I feel more confident."

    Liu Zheng understood what Ren Ping meant. In fact, it was to give himself a little more time. After all, the cliff was very difficult to walk. It was not easy to walk fifteen miles. He thought about it and readily agreed, "Then change it to the fourth update."  Do it!¡±

    The two men immediately divided their forces. Liu Zheng led 300 people and rushed to the outside of the valley entrance, while Ren Ping led 200 people to sneak into the valley entrance.

    Dadouba Valley is a southeastern rift valley in the Qilian Mountains that stretches for thousands of miles. It forms a shortcut from Hexi to Hehuang in Longxi. It is 3,500 meters above sea level. The peaks are covered with snow all year round. The rift valley is about a hundred miles long.  It is wide in the north and narrow in the south. The south is the narrowest and steepest for dozens of miles. The valley is only more than ten feet wide, and the passes are deep. Strange peaks stand on both sides of the canyon, the cliffs are abrupt, and the strange rocks are dense.Open.

    Dadou Bago is under the jurisdiction of the Hexi Army. At first, a thousand Han troops were deployed here. But just last summer, when the fierce battle in Hefei was in full swing, Hexi implemented a major garrison adjustment, and 10,000 Han troops were transferred to Dunhuang County in the north.  and Wuwei County to the south, while the three counties of Zhangye, Jiuquan and Juyan were garrisoned by 20,000 Qiang and Di troops.

    The Dadou Bago garrison was also involved in the change of defense. The original thousand Han troops were transferred and replaced by a thousand Qiang soldiers. The Qiang soldiers and Di soldiers were also Han troops in name, but they only obeyed Ma Chao's orders and ignored them.  Chang'an Military Order.

    This is also a hidden danger left over from that time. When the Han army attacked Longxi and Hehuang, they completely defeated the Qiang and Di people, mixed them with the Han people, and converted them to farming. They also converted some who were determined not to change to farming.  The tribes moved to the Qinghai Plateau, causing the original Qiang and Di tribes to shrink and disappear in the following years.

    As for the Qiang and Di people in Hexi, Liu Jing was worried that if the changes were too drastic, it would trigger a counterattack from the Lingzhou Qiang and Guan Nei Huns, so he retained the original tribes and did not carry out agricultural transformation like Longxi and Hehuang.  This made the Qiang and Di people in Hexi only superficially submit to the Han state.

    After the Qiang soldiers participated in the attack on the Huns, especially the Huns in Juyanhai, the distribution of interests involved aroused strong dissatisfaction between the Qiang and Di people in Hexi. The chiefs of several major tribes began to discuss self-reliance and negotiated with those who attempted to restore Xiliang.  Ma Chao reached a consensus.

    The thousand Qiang soldiers deployed in Dadou Bagou are Ma Chao's direct troops, and they use Xinying to communicate with Zhangye City. However, since Ma Chao has not publicly raised his troops to stand on his own initiative at this time, the defense in Dadou Bagou is not particularly tight.  Entering the wartime state, they were just stationed as usual, with regular guard changes. There were not many sentries, and military discipline was not strict enough. For example, a sentry was missing, but it did not arouse enough vigilance from the defenders.

    Ren Ping led two hundred soldiers to rush all the way, pulled out two sentries one after another, and gradually approached the garrison barracks.

    The southern military camp is located in a valley pass. There are dozens of tents at the foot of the mountain. There is a military fort on the mountainside. If there is any movement at the foot of the mountain, the military fort will immediately detect it and then raise a beacon to notify the northern military camp. The northern military camp will then release the signal.  Xinying informed Zhangye City.

    The Eagle Attack Army ambush several hundred steps away from the valley pass, waiting for the appointed time to come. Ren Ping observed the surrounding terrain. The terrain here was basically the same as the sand table terrain they saw before setting off, but some details were not shown on the sand table.

    For example, there is a thick wooden fence at the entrance of the valley, and several soldiers patrol back and forth inside the fence. This is mainly to prevent the invasion of wild beasts. There are many wild wolves, leopards and other wild beasts in Dadouba Valley, which threatens the safety of business travelers and also threatens the safety of business travelers.  The garrison soldiers were also a huge threat. Just like when they discovered that a sentry was missing, their first reaction was to be attacked by wild beasts. This was common in the valley, and they didn't take it seriously.

    Ren Ping observed for a moment and had an idea in his mind. He summoned a few generals and whispered a few instructions, then led fifty people to take a circuitous route from the side to the military fort halfway up the mountain.

    Time passed little by little, and the valley remained silent. It was almost the fourth watch, which is when people sleep the deepest at night. The valley was completely silent, and even the nocturnal owl was nowhere to be seen.

    Ren Ping led fifty of his men to the cliff behind the military camp. They were only more than ten feet away from the military fort on the mountainside. Ren Ping stared at a black figure on the top of the military fort. It was a military officer hiding in the corner.  The sleeping soldiers were wrapped in military blankets. On top of the military fort was the beacon, where soldiers must stand guard.

    "It's just that it's not war time, it's just a regular sentry. The soldiers are not vigilant. Naturally, the soldiers on guard couldn't stand the sleepiness and hid in the corner and fell asleep.

    Ren Ping waved his hand and everyone fell silent. He slowly raised his hand crossbow and aimed it at the black shadow that was more than ten feet tall. This hand crossbow was specially used for scouts. It was less than half the size of a normal military crossbow. It was very light and could be used alone.  Fired by hand, the killing range is only thirty steps. The crossbow arrow is four inches long, and the tip of the arrow is coated with poison. When blood seals the throat, it is the best weapon to ambush hidden sentry.

    ¡®Click!  ' There was a soft sound, and the short crossbow arrow shot out like lightning, hitting the soldier's neck while he was sleeping on his side. The soldier groaned, twitched twice, and died instantly.

    At this time, Ren Ping waved his hand again, and a dozen ropes were thrown down. Fifty soldiers climbed down in groups, and each one jumped to the top of the military fort as agilely as an ape.

    They took out bamboo pipes and blew a large amount of smoke into the top floor of the military fort. In a moment, more than a dozen soldiers kicked open the window and got in. They quickly killed the guards on the top floor. They followed the same method, and soon the third floor was destroyed.  All the soldiers in the military fort were killed, including a military lord and several village commanders.

    At this moment, fire suddenly appeared in the distance, and there were faint shouts of killing. At that time, a fierce battle broke out in the northern military camp. Ren Ping made a quick decision and fired a rocket. This was the signal to attack. The people ambush at the foot of the mountainOne hundred and fifty soldiers jumped out and ran towards the fence of the col.

    In order to prevent the invasion of wild wolves and wild beasts, the Qiang people chose a mountain col to camp and installed a thick wooden fence at the entrance of the mountain col. This way, they can effectively defend against the night attacks of wild beasts.

    But everything has advantages and disadvantages. This kind of encampment makes it easy for the garrison to be blocked by the enemy in the mountain col. Ren Ping took advantage of this weakness of the enemy's camp to sneak attack the military fort on the mountainside, allowing the Han army to gain a commanding position.  Advantage.

    Fifty soldiers were all carrying kerosene leather bags. They took off the leather bags one after another and sprayed kerosene toward the camp at the foot of the mountain. Several torches were thrown down the mountain col, and the military camp in the mountain col suddenly burst into flames.

    £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 988 Evacuation of People from Hexi

    <center>Pure text online reading this website domain name<fon color=red><b></b></font> For simultaneous reading on mobile phone, please visit <font color=red><b></b></font><  /center></br>

    The Qiang soldiers were awakened by the fire while they were sleeping. The soldiers desperately escaped from their tents and rushed towards the mountain pass. Almost all of them were wearing armor and had no time to carry weapons. Many of them were even barefoot.  (The fastest and most stable update)

    By this time, the fire had already enveloped half of the camp, and the smoke was billowing and the fire was spreading rapidly. Hundreds of soldiers had no other way out except to escape from the mountain col.

    But just in front of the camp gate, one hundred and fifty Eagle Attack Army soldiers raised their crossbows. They were divided into three rows and lined up in order to block the mountain pass. The cold arrows were aimed at a Han Qiang soldier who fled towards the camp gate.  The military general shouted, "Fire from the first row!"

    Fifty arrows suddenly shot out and flew towards the fleeing Qiang people. In the dark night, the Qiang soldiers were caught off guard and were shot to the ground. At this time, the first row of Han soldiers quickly squatted down to reload arrows, and the second row of soldiers pulled the lever of the hanging lever.  The sword and fifty crossbow arrows shot at the enemy like lightning, followed by the third row of soldiers raising their crossbows and shooting out.

    The Han soldiers moved quickly and accurately, firing three rounds of 450 arrows at the enemy in the shortest time, with great damage. More than 200 Qiang soldiers were shot down, and their bodies were piled up at the mountain pass.

    The mountain col was crying and shaking the sky. Inside there was a raging fire. Outside there were deadly arrows. The Qiang soldiers could not advance or retreat. Countless people were killed in the sea of ??fire. Many people raised their hands and cried out for surrender. They ran towards the mountain col to beg for their lives. However, the Han army was merciless and concentrated their arrows.  They shoot.

    The fifty Han soldiers above their heads also continued to shoot arrows downwards. Dozens of Qiang soldiers who tried to climb up the military fort were also shot by the Han soldiers and rolled down the mountain. Ren Ping watched the massacre in the mountain col with no expression on his face. His long military career made them feel in their hearts.  Having become cold-hearted and showing mercy to the enemy will ultimately harm ourselves.

    At this time, Ren Ping raised his head and looked north. The fire in the north had diminished, but the shouts of killing were still there. Seeing that most of the enemy troops had been killed, less than a hundred people were left, so he shouted loudly to the mountain pass: "Li Xiaowei led a hundred brothers to go north to support the general."  !¡±

    Hearing the response in the distance, he saw a hundred soldiers turning around and running north. Ren Ping became a little worried that there would be no problem with Liu Zheng.

    Just as Ren Ping was worried that Liu Zheng would lead his soldiers to attack the northern military camp, something went wrong. The northern military camp was not as easy to deal with as the southern military camp was located in a mountain valley. The northern military camp was located high in the valley, and dozens of large tents were pitched on the mountain ridges that stretched for hundreds of feet.  A military fort. Inhabited by generals, soldiers, three eagle slaves and five trusting eagles were also in the military fort.

    The military fort is opposite the military camp, which means that if they attack at the same time, they will be discovered by the opposite side. Liu Zheng finally decided to concentrate his forces to seize the military fort. He must kill Ying Nu and Xin Ying and not let Hexi know that something happened to Dadou Bugu. As for whether he will be discovered by the opposite military camp, he has already taken care of it.  Not on.  (The fastest and most stable update)

    Liu Zheng ordered a hundred men to lie in ambush in the valley to the north of the military camp, responsible for intercepting the soldiers fleeing north, and then led two hundred soldiers to storm the military fort. There were only a few soldiers in the military fort, but more than ten people were captured by the Han army in one fell swoop. Yingnu and Xinying were shot and killed.

    However, the assault inside the military fort finally alerted the opposite military camp. Hundreds of Qiang soldiers rushed out of the military camp and shouted to kill the military fort. Liu Zheng led two hundred Eagle Strikers and turned around and jumped down, fighting fiercely with nearly five hundred Qiang soldiers.  at.

    In the darkness, swords flashed, spears stabbed, screams came one after another, arms were chopped off, heads were chopped off, blood mist filled the air, and everywhere was filled with screams and screams before death.

    The Eagle Attack Army is the most elite force of the Han army. They are selected from hundreds of people with high martial arts skills and rich combat experience. They can defeat 1200 Eagle Attack Army against 500 Qiang soldiers. They are not on the same level at all. They can kill the Qiang soldiers in a matter of seconds.  The whole place retreated step by step.

    In just a quarter of an hour, more than half of the five hundred Qiang soldiers were killed and wounded, while only a few Han soldiers were slightly injured. The Qiang soldiers were frightened by the killing. In addition, their general had died in the military fort. The soldiers were leaderless and collapsed in a moment. The Qiang soldiers scattered in all directions.  Many soldiers who fled had nowhere to escape and knelt down to surrender, but were mercilessly killed by Han soldiers.

    This time they did not accept prisoners of war and wanted to kill all the defenders of Dadou Bago. In fact, the defenders had nowhere to escape. The retreat was cut off by hundreds of soldiers ambushed in advance in the north. Most of the soldiers fled to the south and returned to a military camp in the south. They instinctively put their last hope.  Pinning on that military camp.

    But the greeters came from the south and killed Han soldiers. Ren Ping sent a hundred soldiers to intercept the retreating soldiers fleeing from the south. He mercilessly killed them with swords. Liu Zheng also led his soldiers to kill them. They attacked from the north and the south. The last hundred soldiers were left in a tragic scene.  Slaughtered to death in the cry.

    This battle to seize the valley and pull out the valley ended before the fifth watch. One thousand Qiang soldiers were all killed and one escaped. The fire in the southern mountain col has gradually stopped. The soldiers endured the burning smell and went into the valley to inspect and kill the enemy troops one by one.  Kill and leave no one alive.

    At this time, a sentry from outside the valley galloped up on horseback and clasped his fist at Liu Zheng: "Reporting to General Pang, General Pang has led a large group of cavalry to General Pang who is thirty miles away to ask about the situation of the battle."

    Liu Zheng ordered Ren Ping to clean up the battlefield and flew on his horse.He led several brothers and urged the horses to run towards the valley for more than 20 miles. At this time, the sky was gradually getting brighter. Thousands of rays of light shone among the mountains and ridges, as if they were burning in the distance.  magnificent.

    In the distance, 10,000 Han cavalry lined up to hunt the morning breeze in the wilderness. Pound immediately stood at the front and watched the few cavalrymen running in the distance. They knew very well what happened to the Eagle Attack Army in capturing Da Dou. What kind of pass did the 500 Eagle Attack Army attack?  They can all seize their tasks and wait for the opportunity. Once the opportunity comes, they will lead 10,000 Han troops to kill from Dadou Valley to Hexi.

    At this time, several cavalrymen had rushed a hundred steps away. Pang De recognized the leader, Zheng Liu Zheng, and urged his horses to meet them.

    Just after the Han army captured Dadou Bugu, some changes occurred in Hexi. People began to retreat northward from Lingzhou. Guanshang, east of Wuwei County, was moving toward the northeast. A huge flow of people and vehicles was flowing toward the northeast. The flow of people and vehicles stretched for more than 20 years.  There are as many as 70,000 to 80,000 people inside.

    The traffic flow was mixed with countless horse-drawn carriages and ox-carts, filled with various daily necessities and food. Old people and children sat in the cars, while men and women sat in front to drive the cars. Civilians walked on both sides, not only Han people, but also many farming Qiang people, Di people and Huns.

    Following the cavalry and infantry on both sides of the flow of people, they looked warily into the distance from time to time, the first batch of evacuated people from Wuwei County. Wuwei County and Hexi have the most cultivated land and the largest concentration of farming people, with more than 20,000 households.

    In the past few months, there has been a sense of uneasiness in various counties in Hexi. The Qiang and Di people invaded farmers and Han people from time to time, seized their land, burned down their houses, and drove them out of their homes. From time to time, men and the elderly were killed, women, and children were robbed. News spread that the whole country was shocked.

    The Hexi region is full of tension.

    Zhangye and Jiuquan and the Han people and their farming people continued to migrate to Wuwei County and Dunhuang County. Until a few days ago, the government sent officials to mobilize the Han people at gathering places to ask the Han people to move north to Lingzhou.

    We don¡¯t need too much persuasion from officials. We all know in our hearts that the land we live and cultivate is no longer safe. The contradiction between the Qiang Di and the Han people is becoming more and more acute. If we don¡¯t stop, a large-scale killing of the Han people will begin.

    People packed up their belongings and left their homes in oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages to migrate thousands of miles away to Lingzhou. This first batch of immigrants would soon be followed by the second and third batches.

    In front of the team, Du Ji, the prefect of Wuwei County, was also riding a horse. Behind him, in a few carriages sat his wife, children and mother. Du Ji was about fifty years old. Du Ling, a native of Jingzhao, served as an official in the imperial court in the past twenty years and was transferred at the age of forty.  It will last ten years to serve as the governor of Wuwei County.

    He is honest and upright and loves the people like a son. He manages Weiwu County in an orderly manner and is deeply loved by the people. Liu Jing also focuses on protecting the ministers. He was appointed as the minister half a month ago and is preparing to take over the post of Yin Mo. The prefect of Wuwei County is appointed by the county prime minister Li.  Ji succeeded.

    But Du Ji did not want to leave the people of Wuwei County at the critical moment, so he insisted on staying and mobilized the people to migrate and rushed to Lingzhou in person to resettle the people of Wuwei.

    "Du Shijun, you don't want to start a war in Hexi?" Yang Qing, the deputy captain of the Han army who was responsible for escorting the people north, asked in a low voice.

    Of course Du Ji knew it well, but now that Chang'an and Hexi are still falling out, war cannot break out easily. If this reaches Ma Chao's ears and forces him to raise troops in advance, it may affect the deployment of Pingzhangtai.

    Du Ji smiled slightly: "It is estimated that His Highness the King of Han will have to rearrange the Qiang people in Hexi. There are too many herdsmen. At least half of them must be converted to farming. Some tribes will disappear, so Hexi will undergo big changes. They have to give up their land."

    "How can those herders be willing to switch to farming? I'm afraid it will be difficult to implement the plan."

    "It's up to us whether we want to change or not. The Qiang people in Longxi and Hehuang have all changed, and we must accept the reality."

    Yang Qing nodded silently, knowing in his heart that if the Qiang and Di people fought to the end, it would mean war.

    At this time, another old man raised his hand and asked: "How much land do Governor Du have in Lingzhou?"

    Du Ji nodded to the old man to express respect and explained with a smile: "As far as I know, Lingzhou has arranged fertile farmland and water conservancy irrigation ditches. Corn can be grown this summer. Each household can be allocated two hectares of land, Yongye Field."  Of course, the prerequisite for passing it on to descendants is to settle in Lingzhou and give up the land in Hexi. "

    "Can we still go back to Hexi?" the old man asked again.

    "If the elderly must go back, it's not impossible. But if the Qiang people are to be resettled in the future, part of the cultivated land in Hexi will definitely be taken away. If you have two hectares of land in Wuwei County now, you may only have one hectare in the future. Of course, you will also get some compensation. Let's see.  I chose it myself.¡±

    The old man looked sad and did not want to leave Hexi, but if the land was to be divided, he would have to stay in Lingzhou. Then he remembered something and asked urgently: "What about taxes? How about the taxes in Lingzhou and Hexi?"

    ¡°The taxes are the same and if you move to Lingzhou, you can get a two-year tax reduction!¡±

    At this point, Du Ji smiled and asked: "What if the old man decides to stay in Lingzhou or return to Hexi?"

    The old man smiled: "If it is true as the prefect said, I would be willing to stay in Lingzhou."

    Du Ji raised his head and laughed.??¡°What a wise choice!¡±

    Looking back, I saw that the team was in good order. Everyone had a longing for the future life on their faces. At this time, Du Ji was also full of hope for the future.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 989 Final Negotiation

    <center>Pure text online reading domain name of this website <fon color=red><b></b></font> For mobile synchronous reading, please visit <font color=red><b></b></font><  /center></br> Zhangyecheng is the political and economic center of Hexi and the seat of Ma Chao¡¯s Hexi military office. Perhaps the environment changed people¡¯s hearts. When Ma Chao first took office as the governor of Hexi, he had no intention of rebellion. At that time, he was full of gratitude and determination to Liu Jing for trusting him.  Guard the border for the Han State and guard this place where the Han army's war horses come from.  (The fastest and most stable update) He even prepared to go west to rebuild the Western Region Protectorate when the time came. This had great ambitions, but he enjoyed the power and prestige of the Xiliang King in Hexi and went out to patrol the honor guard. The momentum even surpassed that of Liu Jing, the King of Han Dynasty.  The chiefs of the Qiang and Di tribes presented countless gold, silver, jewels and beautiful girls to the Lord, and their lives gradually became arrogant and luxurious. They were surrounded by more than a dozen beautiful concubines from Hexi, and lived in a large tent covering several acres of splendor. They often held grand banquets and led the chiefs.  We are all accustomed to going out hunting.  Ma Chao's mentality gradually began to change, and his ambition to rebuild the Western Region Protectorate was put behind him. He was no longer satisfied with the position of governor of Hexi. At that time, he betrayed Liu Jing's heart, but he longed for Liu Jing to clearly promise to be the prince of Xiliang and the lord of Hexi for generations to come.  However, Liu Jing only agreed to be granted the title of Marquis of Zhangye and kept silent about his arrogant and extravagant life, but declined the request to be granted the title of King of Xiliang. From then on, Ma Chao began to revive Xiliang's ambitions.  Liu Jing also ruled the roost. Although Liu Jing declined the request to become the king of Xiliang, Liu Jing could not stop his determination to support his troops and stand on his own.  It was at this time that the Battle of Hefei broke out. Ma Chao took advantage of the Han army's lack of time to go west and began to massively expand the army. He recruited 20,000 elite cavalry from various Qiang and Di tribes as his direct army. He also placed 13 Qiang people in the Han army to take control of the military.  However, this move was firmly opposed by his brother Ma Dai.  Ma Chao was so angry that he simply divided the 10,000 Han troops and asked Ma Dai to lead 6,000 troops to garrison Dunhuang County. He also placed 4,000 troops south of Wuwei County, while the direct troops controlled the core part of Hexi.  Not only that, in order not to alarm the Han State, they sent people to the Guishang Kingdom to visit King Dulin and purchased 20,000 sets of armor. They also recruited 5,000 troops from the Guishang Kingdom. The Yuezhi forces entered their hometown in Hexi.  At the same time, in order to increase financial resources, a checkpoint was set up in Jiuquan to impose heavy taxes on merchants. At the same time, people were sent to pretend to be horse thieves to harass and rob merchants along the way, forcing them to pay heavily to hire military escorts.  All this was going on in full swing. The Battle of Hefei ended with the Han army. Liu Jing, the king of Han, returned to Chang'an. Ma Chao also realized that time was running out and began to make final preparations for raising troops.  Of course, Ma Chao felt sorry for Liu Jing and did not send troops to Longxi or Guanzhong. Even when Guanzhong was empty, he stood still and only considered separatist control of Hexi.  Just a few days ago, Ma Chao got the news and sent an assassin to assassinate the informant Li in Chang'an. The failure probably means that Liu Jing knew about the plan to raise troops and become independent.  At the same time, news came from Wuwei County that a large number of Han people left Wuwei County and began to move north to Lingzhou. This meant that the Han Dynasty was preparing for the upcoming war. Ma Chao couldn't help but worry about whether his wife and children in Chang'an had been taken hostage by Liu Jing.  In fact, Ma Chao didn't care much about the life and death of Ma Chao's wife Liu Hu's sister, but his two sons were very important to him. He had long wanted to take his wife and children to Zhangye, but his wife refused to agree. The reason was that he married more than a dozen concubines in Zhangye, which made him angry.  wife.  However, the Han army clearly stipulated that the wives, children, and parents of generals leading troops outside must live in Chang'an. The wives and children of Zhao Yun, Pin, Huang Zhong, Gan Ning, etc. all lived in Chang'an. Ma Chao did not dare to make it too obvious, so he delayed the matter until he heard that Liu Jing had already  When I returned to Chang'an, I became anxious and sent someone to pick up my son, but it was already too late.  In the military office, Ma Chao paced back and forth worriedly. The preparations were not enough. Pang De also made it clear that Ma Dai was silent and should not let his son come over. Zhangye City was also repaired and the army training was completed. There was not enough kerosene and it could not be refined. All kinds of things still needed time, but Chang'an still needed time.  It seems that the relocation of people in Wuwei County has already begun. This is the best signal.  At this moment, the soldiers reported outside the door: "I have informed you that an envoy from Chang'an has come from outside the city of Duhou to talk to the Duke of Du on the order of the King of Han." Ma Chao was startled and asked quickly: "What is the name of the envoy?" "Beijing"  Zhang Ji, the governor of Zhao, was originally an important member of Zhong Yao's staff and went to Xiliang several times to promote the reconciliation between Ma Teng and Han Sui.  He won the respect of the Ma family and his son. Later, the Han army conquered Guanzhong and Tingzhang was transferred to Nanyang. Unexpectedly, he surrendered in the end. Liu Jing was also named the prefect of Jingzhao.  However, since Zhang Ji arrived, Ma Chao felt that he could have a heart-to-heart talk with him. Ma Chao immediately ordered: "Please come quickly and treat the envoys with courtesy!" Not long after, Zhang Ji was led to the military office by his own soldiers. Ma Chao was already waiting at the door to bow to him.  "I haven't seen Mr. Zhang for many years." Zhang Ji responded with a smile and said, "How is General Ma always?" "May Gong Zhang be blessed and Ma Chao be well. Gong Zhang, please come to the Yamen for talks!  "    "please!  " The two of them showed humility to each other and walked into the military office one after another. The guests and hosts took their seats in the meeting hall. Zhang Ji smiled slightly: "This time I came to talk to General Ma on the order of His Highness the King of Han. Here is a letter written by His Highness, please let the general see it first!  "After finishing the Zhang, he took out Liu Jing's letter and presented it to Ma Chao. Ma Chao took the letter with a complicated expression and opened it. There was not much content in the letter and it was less than half a page. Liu Jing urged to put the overall situation first and not to do anything that violated etiquette and promised in the letter.  Ma Chao sighed slightly in his heart. Even if Ma Chao accepted it, the Qiang Di chiefs would not accept it. Besides, Liu Jing still didn't want anything after he finally gave in.  : "His Royal Highness the King of Han is very vague in the letter but hopes to get clear commitments, such as how the power is related to Chang'an, the ownership of the army, and the power of taxation in Hexi, etc. His Highness's letter involves only being granted the title of Duke of Hexi in accordance with the Han system.  If a country can be founded, does that mean that a country can be founded in Hexi?  Zhang Ji smiled and said, "Your Highness will not confer the title of Duke of Hexi on the general now. Your Highness only promises that he will confer the title of Duke on the general in the future."  " Ma Chao looked at the letter carefully and sure enough, there was an extra word 'general' in the letter to confer the title of Duke of Hexi. Then that would be settled later. Ma Chao's face suddenly turned cold: "When does 'general' mean?  ¡± ¡°Now we can¡¯t say that the Han Dynasty¡¯s favor order has already eliminated the power of the Han king to divide the vassal states. Therefore, if you want to grant the general Hexi Kingdom, you must at least wait until the world is unified and the Han king ascends the throne before you can grant the general and establish the country. In fact, it is estimated that it will not take long  Only three to five years!  "Although Ma Chao is not very resourceful, he still guessed this Han King's plan to delay the war. Once he ascended the throne, he would be the first to deal with himself and give himself a chance to build a country. Ma Chao took a few steps with his hands behind his back. In fact, he had been considering a plan.  As long as the actual separatist regime is based on Chang'an, it will not be independent on the surface and still be dominated by Liu Jing, but in fact it will enjoy the same military power, financial power, and appointment and dismissal of prefects as Jiangdong. This way, at least everyone will look good. Thinking of this, he turned around: "  We can talk about the matter of feuding and founding the country later, but let's talk about it now. If His Highness can agree to maintain the status quo and be allowed to recommend the bureaucrats of Hexi counties, they can still serve as the governor of Hexi and not seek high positions. They also promise that the army will not take a step outside Hexi. Does Zhang Gong think His Highness the King of Han can accept it?  ?  " Zhang Ji was furious. Isn't this de facto separatism? It seems that Ma Chao is determined to support his troops and stand on his own. Zhang Ji calmed down and stopped negotiating with Ma Chao and turned the issue to practical issues. Zhang Ji said slowly: "  I will truthfully report General Ma¡¯s wishes to Your Highness. In addition, General Ma¡¯s son is still young and misses his father dearly. Doesn¡¯t General Ma want to see you?  " Ma Chao was startled and suddenly understood what Zhang Ji meant. "Of course I want to see my two sons, but what are your highness's conditions?  " "His Highness's conditions are very simple. First, in order to avoid the hatred of Hexi ethnic groups, all the farming people in Hexi must move to Lingzhou and the general cannot stop them; secondly, the officials of Hexi counties must return to Beijing to report their duties, and their family members must also go together, and the general cannot stop them;  If the general can do these two things, His Highness is willing to reunite father and son.  " Ma Chao originally blocked the people from Hexi from moving to Lingzhou. Although he didn't want all the officials to leave, but thinking of the importance of his two sons, these officials didn't care. He immediately said: "Can I agree to the conditions of His Highness? I wonder when the children will be sent?  " "As long as the two conditions are met, the general can naturally meet his son. Since the King of Han has promised, he will not go back on it!  " Ma Chao didn't really believe Liu Jing's promise, but it was good to think that he could use this time to complete the final preparations. Ma Chao nodded, "Then it's a deal!  "A few days later, Jiuquan County and Zhangye County also started the migration of Han people. The government took back the Han people's land and asked them to set off within three days. Although many Han people were unwilling to leave their homes, under the official order, the Han people and farmers in all counties in Hexi had to  Pack up and set off. There are not many Han people in Zhangye and Jiuquan. They mainly live in the area of ??Zhangye City and Jiuquan City. There are about 10,000 households, including many businessmen who come to Hexi to make a living. However, following the Han people to withdraw eastward, there are many self-cultivated farmers, including Qiang, Di, Xiongnu, and Uzbekistan.  The Huan, Tuyuhun and other ethnic groups also gave up their land and retreated eastward. They all felt the imminent war. Officials also took their families to evacuate Hexi. Ma Chao stood at the top of the city with his sword and looked coldly at the vast flow of people and traffic.  Holding the hilt of the sword tightly, he will one day kill to Lingzhou and drive all these people back.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 990 Dunhuang Ma Dai

    <center>Pure text online reading this website domain name<fon color=red><b></b></font> For simultaneous reading on mobile phone, please visit <font color=red><b></b></font><  /center></br>

    In the long history, Dunhuang County has always had a special existence. During the fall of Hexi at the end of the Han Dynasty, or the era of the Five Hus in Jinzhong, Dunhuang County has always been loyal to the central court and became an enclave of the Central Plains Dynasty in the Western Regions.

    Even though Tubo captured Hexi and the Western Regions, Dunhuang was still the first to revolt and surrender to the Tang Dynasty. Until Li Yuanhao of the Western Xia Dynasty captured Dunhuang City, Dunhuang had always been a county of the Central Plains Dynasty, standing on the border of the Western Regions.

    Although Ma Chao's forces have gradually taken control of Hexi, Dunhuang County is not under his control. General Ma Dai led 6,000 Han troops to retreat to Dunhuang County and is not under Ma Chao's control.

    Ma Chao always hoped that his brother could become his right-hand man like he did against Cao Cao in the past, but this time he was disappointed. Ma Dai was determined not to betray Liu Jing and betray the Han Dynasty. In the end, Ma Chao had no choice but to transfer him to Dunhuang County and take up the post.  Captain Dunhuang, and sent a large number of patrols and scouts along the way to cut off the connection between Ma Dai and Chang'an.

    Even merchants traveling to and from the Western Regions were not allowed to take the Dunhuang Line. Although the news was blocked, Ma Dai still used the opportunity of Li Wen to go to Longxi to attend the funeral, and asked Li Wen to send the news of Ma Chao's upcoming rebellion to Chang'an.

    Time passed day by day, and Ma Dai had no more news from Chang'an. He waited patiently, knowing that at least there would be news from Ma Chao.

    At noon that day, a group of Han army patrols came from the south and brought three cavalrymen to the military camp outside Dunhuang City. At this time, Ma Dai was training soldiers in the military camp. A soldier came flying over and kneeled on one knee.  He knelt down and said, "General, the patrol has something important to report."

    "Bring them here!"

    After a while, several patrols came quickly. Ma Dai saw the three Han soldiers behind them and was startled. He quickly went up to meet them and asked, "Who are they?"

    The patrol soldier bowed and reported: "General Qi, they are coming from Nanshan and are here to deliver a message under the order of General Pound."

    Nanshan is also the Qilian Mountains, which means coming from the south of the Qilian Mountains. Over there is the Qinghai Plateau. Herders often come from there, but it is very difficult for people from the Central Plains. The terrain there is too high and breathing is not smooth, so it is easy to get sick.  Moreover, there are so many wolves on the plateau that if you are not careful, you will be killed. Ma Dai did not consider that line. Unexpectedly, Pang De actually sent someone to go around it. Ma Dai couldn't help but be overjoyed and stepped forward and asked: "  Are you all General Pang¡¯s subordinates?¡±

    The leading cavalryman laughed and said, "General, don't you recognize us?"

    Ma Dai took a closer look and immediately recognized the three of them. They were the cavalry subordinates he trained back then. Ma Dai also laughed and said, "It turns out it's you. You have become so dark and thin that I really can't recognize you. We are almost here."  Here comes the big tent.¡±

    Ma Dai brought three cavalrymen to the tent. He asked the three of them to sit down and ordered someone to bring hot soup. Ma Dai asked anxiously: "What news does General Pang have for me?"

    The leading soldier took out a letter and handed it to Ma Dai, "This is the letter that General Pang asked us to bring to the general."

    Ma Dai took the letter and opened it. He was stunned. This was not a letter from Pound to himself, but a handwritten letter from His Highness the King of Han to himself. He read it carefully. In the letter, the King of Han commended him for his loyalty and granted him a seal.  As the Marquis of Dunhuang, he was required to prepare the army, first defend Dunhuang City, and then wait for an opportunity to cooperate with the main force of the Han army in combat.

    Ma Dai was moved in his heart. He understood the painstaking efforts of His Highness the King of Han and could not bear to turn against his brother Ma Chao, so he asked himself to save Dunhuang City first. Ma Dai sighed secretly. He really did not understand why his brother was so ambitious and must achieve that goal.  Practical dreams.

    "Where is General Pang now?"

    "Reporting to the general, the Eagle Attack Army has captured the Dadou Valley. General Pang is now leading his cavalry to camp at the entrance of the valley, waiting for the order of the King of Han."

    Ma Dai nodded and asked, "Does General Pang require you to go back and resume your duties?"

    "There is no such requirement."

    "In that case, you should stay in Dunhuang and wait for the opportunity with me."

    The biggest task of Zhang Ji's mission was to buy time for the Han army. First, the Han army wanted to evacuate Hexi officials and Han people to protect them from the disaster of war. In fact, the Han army needed time to prepare for war.

    Although Liu Jing did not intend to spend nearly a year like the Battle of Hefei, and the Han Dynasty did not have such large financial support, the necessary combat preparations must not be omitted. Liu Jing had experienced hundreds of battles, and he knew that the key to winning or losing a battle was very important.  To a large extent, it depends on whether the battle preparation is sufficient. Even if he ends the battle in one day, it will take him a month to prepare.

    The logistics center of the war was located in Jincheng County, later known as Lanzhou. It is close to the Yellow River and has good transportation facilities.Conveniently, the fleet transporting grain supplies departed from Chang'an, passed through the Wei River to the Yellow River, and finally transported to Jincheng County.

    The army is also gathering in Jincheng County. This time, the Han army has to deal with the Qiang and Di cavalry, as well as a mysterious Kushan army. Liu Jing is also determined to use this battle to completely transform Hexi.

    A group of cargo ships full of food and supplies left Chang'an and sailed toward Jincheng County, beginning intensive war preparations.

    But Liu Jing came to Lingzhou to inspect the immigration situation in Lingzhou. According to Pingzhangtai's deployment, Chang'an mobilized 3,000 Tai students and hundreds of officials to rush to Lingzhou to assist the Lingzhou government in settling the immigrants.

    Liu Jing did not come to Lingzhou alone. This time he brought Sun Shangxiang with him. A few years ago, he took Sun Shangxiang to inspect Hanzhong. Sun Shangxiang was smart and capable, which brought great help to his inspection.

    But the more important reason was that he wanted to take Sun Shangxiang to relax. Although Sun Shangxiang never mentioned the Jiangdong incident and no longer plead for her brother, Liu Jing could see that she was really in a bad mood, so taking her out for a walk would help eliminate the problem.  Reduce the depression and depression in her heart.

    Lingzhou was renamed Shuofang County last year. The economic envoy of Shuofang is Tao Zheng. He has been in office for more than a year. Under his governance, the permanent population of Shuofang has slowly increased from more than 7,000 to 15,000.  People, mostly refugees from Hedong, settled in Shuofang.

    This time, the Han Dynasty migrated a large number of Han people from Hexi and Central Plains refugees to Shuofang County, which greatly increased the population of Shuofang County. At the same time, it brought commercial prosperity and a large amount of goods arrived at Shuofang Wharf.

    This made Tao Zheng extremely busy, and it was difficult for him to go back to the city to rest for several days and nights. Fortunately, many imperial students and officials came, so he was not exhausted to death and finally took a breath. At this moment, he  After receiving the news of the arrival of Liu Jing, the king of Han, he hurriedly came to pay his respects.

    In an open space covering dozens of hectares outside Lingzhou City, there are tens of thousands of tents scattered around. These tents are temporary homes for immigrants. Almost every household has a tent, and the government also issued five sheepskins to each household.  and an army blanket.

    Most of the immigrants brought simple furniture and daily necessities such as bedding, pots, bowls, and clay pots. In addition, there were official supplies of food, salt, and meat, which made people's hearts stable and the living area orderly.

    When Liu Jing arrived, a lot of people had already migrated, making the huge living area extremely lively. Every household was busy. Women were sorting out their belongings in tents, men went to the business area to register, and groups of children went to work.  Running and playing in the tent, a salesman occasionally appeared with a load carrying a load, and was immediately surrounded by women.

    Sun Shangxiang followed her husband all the way north, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way. Her mood gradually became cheerful. After entering Shuofang County, she finally started talking and laughing.

    This was the result Liu Jing hoped for. He didn't want to talk to Sun Shangxiang about Jiangdong. He hoped that Sun Shangxiang could untie this knot on his own. It seemed that when he took her to the West Market, she had gotten better, although she was still a little depressed.  , but as long as she goes out for a walk, her mood will get better.

    At this time, Sun Shangxiang saw the huge group of tents through the car window. She was a little shocked. She quickly pulled Liu Jing and asked: "Husband, where is this?"

    Liu Jing looked at it and smiled: "This is just outside Lingzhou City. These tents are to accommodate immigrants from Hexi and the Central Plains. I estimate that at least 200,000 people will come. This should be only a part."

    "There are two hundred thousand people!" Sun Shangxiang exclaimed, and said to himself: "I guess a lot of people will come from Jiangdong."

    "There are also many refugees in Jiangdong, but most of them are concentrated in Jingzhou. There are also some in Guanzhong and Chang'an, about 10,000 people. This time they moved to Lingzhou. There are not many people in Jiangdong. The main reason is the climate. It is difficult for them to adapt to the winter here."

    "Yes! They will all go back eventually. Who wants to leave their hometown?"

    Sun Shangxiang whispered, her mood seemed a little low again, Liu Jing held her shoulders and smiled: "Cheer up, you will come with me to visit the victims later, I need you to embody the image of a princess."

    Sun Shangxiang rolled her eyes at him and muttered: "Your princess is in Chang'an! I am not."

    Although he said this, Sun Shangxiang still took out the bronze mirror, took a look at his appearance and hair, and then said with a smile: "Let's talk about it first, I can only suffer for one day. I am here to relax this time, not for you."  maid."

    ¡°Then just one day!¡±

    The carriage slowly stopped in front of the camp gate. Liu Jing got out of the carriage first, then held Sun Shangxiang's hand and slowly led her down. A group of senior military and political officials were already waiting here, including Shangshu Dong He, Economic and Strategic Envoy Tao Zheng, Ling Ling  Liao Hua, the governor of the state, and Du Ji and other officials who were withdrawn from Hexi.

    When they saw the King of Han and the princess getting off the carriage, they came up together and saluted, "See you, Your Highness, the King of Han, and see you, the Princess!"

    &nbsp; Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "We have worked hard during this period. How are you doing?"

    Dong He was the leader of this immigration. He replied: "Everything is going well. Your Highness, please come into the tent and discuss it in detail."

    Liu Jing and Sun Shangxiang walked into the affairs area surrounded by everyone. There were hundreds of large tents here, most of which were warehouses. They were closely guarded by soldiers. They were mainly responsible for registering immigrants and solving immigration difficulties, as well as providing food relief and handling land deeds.  .

    In front of several large tents, people came to register. Most of them were young and strong men. After registering, you can get the land deed and quickly participate in the distribution of the land. It is a matter of personal concern to everyone.  Benefits are the most important thing for all immigrants. The first thing for every new immigrant is to register their household registration.

    Sun Shangxiang followed Liu Jing and walked past the large group of registered immigrants. At this time, a thin young man hurriedly came out of the tent. Sun Shangxiang recognized him and was startled, "Why are you here in Lingzhou too?"

    For mobile reading, please visit:-Selected

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 991 Husband and wife have a heart-to-heart relationship

    <center>Pure text online reading domain name of this website <fon color=red><b></b></font> For mobile synchronous reading, please visit <font color=red><b></b></font><  /center></br> The person Sun Shangxiang met was a man from Jiangdong who opened a lacquerware shop in the West City. Sun Shangxiang was really surprised. Why are they here too?  The man also recognized Sun Shangxiang. Seeing that she was actually walking side by side with the King of Han, the man was frightened and stood there as if frozen. Liu Jing was a little strange and asked Sun Shangxiang with a smile: "The princess knows this person."  ?¡± Sun Shangxiang nodded, ¡°He and his wife are both from Jiangdong and opened a lacquer shop in West City. I met them when my husband and I went to West City that day.¡± The young man suddenly knew who the beautiful and noble woman in front of him was.  , must be the famous Princess Shangxiang of Jiangdong!  The young man slapped himself hard, knelt down and kowtowed, "I don't know you are the princess, so I am so disrespectful. Please forgive me, princess!" "You are not disrespectful at all. Please get up!" Sun Shangxiang comforted him with kind words and made him stand up.  , and asked with a smile: "Where is your wife?" The man stood up and lowered his hands and said, "The little man Zhuo Jing is busy in the big tent. We just arrived in the morning." Sun Shangxiang nodded, "What are you doing?" The man knew what the princess wanted to ask, so he had to  He sighed and said, "The princess also saw with her own eyes that day that the business of the store was really not very good and we couldn't continue to operate it. I happened to hear that the government was going to immigrate to Lingzhou and each household would be allocated two hectares of fertile land, so I and Zhuo Jing  After discussing, we closed the shop and came to Lingzhou with our fellow villagers to make a living. "There are other people from Jiangdong?" Sun Shangxiang said in surprise.  "Reporting to the princess, there are quite a few people here. There are more than a dozen families who came here alone." Sun Shangxiang felt hot in her heart. She turned back and took Liu Jing's hand and begged: "Husband, let me go and see them, okay?"  "When everyone saw Princess Sun's true temperament behind her, they couldn't help but laugh. Liu Jing suddenly had a clear understanding in his heart. After the West Market that day, his wife's mood had changed subtly, and she was no longer worried about Jiangdong.  Huai, he is still a little strange, how could there be a change?  Now it seems that it must be related to her meeting a fellow villager in Xishi.  Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "You go first!" He then ordered a dozen guards, "Follow the princess and protect her safety." "Follow the order!" More than a dozen guards saluted together.  When Sun Shangxiang saw that her husband agreed to go to meet his fellow villagers, she was extremely happy and asked the man to lead the way. At this time, Tao Zheng also quickly arranged for an official's wife to accompany Princess Sun. Liao Hua also urgently ordered his general to arrange soldiers.  Maintain order.  Watching his wife go away, Liu Jing led everyone into the big tent. Everyone sat down. Liu Jing first asked Du Ji with a smile: "Have Duke Du's wife and children come out?" Du Ji quickly clasped his fists and saluted, "  Thank you for your concern, the Weichen family members are now in Lingzhou City. "What about the migration situation of the Han people in Hexi?" "The first batch has arrived, and the second and third batches are on the way.  The Han people from Zhangye and Jiuquan will come out soon. Please rest assured, Your Highness, it is basically going smoothly." Liu Jing nodded and said to everyone: "In order to get his son back, I believe he will not make it difficult for the Han people to move.  In fact, I am not worried about the Hexi side. I am more concerned about the immigration progress in Lingzhou. One is the land and the other is the houses. I don¡¯t know when it will be implemented. " Dong He stood up and saluted: "Your Highness, household registration.  It will all be completed today. The first batch of 10,000 pieces of land has basically been divided. Each piece of land has a sign and is ready to be distributed the day after tomorrow. "Liu Jing said with a smile: "The scene the day after tomorrow will be spectacular, that house.  How to arrange it? " "Your Highness, our original idea was to build houses on farmland. Later, we felt that this was not conducive to farming, so we decided to set aside a certain area specifically for building houses. Currently, stone and wood have been used.  It's ready, but the construction hasn't started yet. Once the land allocation is completed, the building construction will begin." Liu Jing thought for a while and said, "I don't know how to build the house specifically, but I ask for two things. The first is to mix.  In terms of housing, we must downplay regional differences and let Han and Hu people live together; secondly, we must help ourselves. Building houses is not entirely a matter of the government. We must organize young people to build them together. This is conducive to neighborhood harmony and mutual assistance. The army can appropriately  Help." Everyone stood up and saluted, "I obey His Majesty's order!" In front of a large tent in the northwest corner, hundreds of soldiers wore helmets and armor, and the thousands of onlookers were strictly guarded. No mingling was allowed.  People were talking a lot as they approached the big tent.  The person who got the news first proudly told the people around him that it was Princess Shangxiang, the second concubine of the Han Dynasty, who came to visit.Many people from Jiangdong are full of curiosity. People who have seen Princess Shangxiang describe her as a fairy. After hearing that Princess Shangxiang is so beautiful, everyone wants to see her face with their own eyes.  In the big tent, dozens of Jiangdong elders gathered together, laughing and joking continuously. Many people had met Princess Shangxiang in Jiangdong, and now seeing their old master in a foreign land, many people were so excited that they shed tears.  Sun Shangxiang sat at the top, with several young women sitting around her. The young woman sitting behind her was even more excited. She was the young wife who sold lacquerware in the West Market. Their surname was Jiang. At this time, the Jiang family was also  Excited, yet worried.  She was so excited that she never dreamed that the beautiful woman who came to her shop that day turned out to be Princess Shangxiang, and she was worried that her husband would speak ill of Wuhou and say a lot of bad things about Wuhou. Knowing that Princess Shangxiang is the sister of Wuhou, she would hold a grudge.  Are they a couple?  But judging from the current situation, her worries were completely unnecessary. Princess Shangxiang came to visit them specially, which showed that she did not hold any grudge in her heart.  Sun Shangxiang smiled at everyone and said: "It is a kind of fate to meet all of you in a foreign land. I just hope that you can adapt to the new life as soon as possible and your life will get better day by day. Moreover, the King of Han also promised to give you tax exemption for two years. In the end,  Taxation is also the lowest tax. I heard that it is 30 to 1 tax, which is much lower than Jiangdong's tax. " Everyone exclaimed. Jiangdong has always been 10 to 1 tax, and it has increased to 5 to 1 tax since the year before last.  , last year there was even an evil tax of three taxes and one tax. The king of Han actually paid thirty taxes and one tax. How could this not make them excited?  A white-haired old man said excitedly: "Thirty taxes per one. Only when the Han Dynasty was founded, there were such low taxes. I didn't expect that I would also encounter it." In fact, Sun Shangxiang is most worried about whether everyone can adapt to the severe cold in Lingzhou winter.  , Jiangdong is warm and humid, and the climate is completely different from here. Can these old people survive the winter?  "Everyone, the winter here is very cold and there will be heavy snow. Can everyone adapt?" Everyone was silent. At this time, Jiang Shi, who was sitting behind Sun Shangxiang, smiled and asked: "How did Princess Shangxiang adapt?  " Sun Shangxiang smiled bitterly and said, "I have no other choice but to hold the brazier all day long. After a few years, I gradually got used to it, and Chang'an is a little warmer than here. I mean, in winter,  "Can everyone go to the south?" At this time, the gray-haired old man said with a smile: "Princess, don't worry about us. The soil and water support us. If we are afraid of winter, we will not come to Chang'an, let alone Ling."  Now that we are in the state, wouldn¡¯t it be better to settle down directly in Jingzhou? Although the winter here is a bit colder, our hearts are warmed by the thought of having 200 acres of land as our own land and such low taxes!¡±  "Well said!" There was a cheer at the door of the tent. When Sun Shangxiang turned around, she saw her husband walking into the tent. She couldn't help being surprised and happy, "Why is your husband here?" Everyone heard that it was the King of Han who came,  They were all so frightened that they all knelt down. At this time, a tsunami-like shouting sounded outside the tent, "Long live the King of Han! Long live!" Liu Jing took Sun Shangxiang's hand and smiled at everyone: "Everyone, get up and come together.  Go outside, let me say a few words to everyone!" He pulled Sun Shangxiang and walked quickly outside the big tent. The open space not far from the big tent was already filled with people. When the immigrants heard that His Highness the King of Han was coming, they came from all directions.  Everyone was so excited that they raised their arms and shouted, "Long live your highness! Long live the King of Han!" Some guards set up a wooden platform next to the big tent. Liu Jing stretched out his hand to Sun Shangxiang, his eyes full of encouragement for her,  Sun Shangxiang hesitated, then slowly took her husband's hand and followed him onto the wooden platform.  At this time, the tens of thousands of people in the open space gradually became quiet, and countless pairs of eyes full of expectancy looked at Liu Jing, the King of Han.  Liu Jing looked at everyone and said loudly in a slow but extremely firm tone: "I'm glad that you have chosen Lingzhou and this fertile and promising land. In this land, you don't have to worry about drought.  Don¡¯t worry about floods, but don¡¯t worry about insufficient light. This land will give you a bumper harvest, give you generous rewards, and make your hard work not in vain. We hope you can live there forever and let your descendants stay in this land.  As the highest official in the government, I promise to give you the lowest taxes. As the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, I will lead the army to protect your homes from foreign enemies!" His voice was loud and clear, reaching everyone's ears!  , when he talked about defending their homeland, tens of thousands of people couldn't help but raise their arms and cheer together.  Liu Jing smiled and waved her hands, and everyone became quiet again. Liu Jing said slowly: "I have always had a dream. I hope that the world can be unified, there will be no more wars, and the troubled times will never return, whether it is Hexi or Jiangdong, no matter it is Hexi or Jiangdong,  Is it Hebei or Jiaotong?In this state, all the people can live and work in peace and contentment, the elderly can take care of themselves, children can grow up happily, men don't have to worry about being arrested, and women don't have to worry about being raped. This is my dream, to open up a prosperous era for the people of the world.  " At this time, many people couldn't help crying anymore. This was also their dream. Although it was simple, it was so difficult to realize. His Highness the King of Han made their dream slowly become a reality. An old man  Standing on the stone, he raised his arms and shouted to everyone: "Long live!  Long live His Majesty the Emperor!  " Everyone was infected, and they raised their arms and shouted: "Long live His Majesty the Emperor!  " Warm shouts resounded throughout the camp, and even the soldiers shouted. At this time, Sun Shangxiang had tears streaming down her face. She suddenly understood her husband's ideals and the people's expectations. Jiangdong could be unified and no longer  Split is in the interests of countless kind people, instead of sacrificing the happiness of countless people to satisfy the power desire of one family. She can have such an upright husband, why should she be dissatisfied and unhappy.  ? Sun Shangxiang held her husband's hand tightly and stood side by side with him. At this moment, she felt that her heart was connected with her husband's. For mobile reading, please visit: - Selected.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 992 Ultimatum

    Two days later, the moment that everyone was looking forward to finally arrived. The first batch of land was about to be distributed. Many officials discussed it for a day and finally gave up on drawing lots, because drawing lots would also be suspected of being a secret operation. They decided to use the best method.  The original and fairest way to distribute.  It's not yet dawn, and all the families are up. When registering, each family received a black wooden wedge with a number on it. It is about a foot long and has been sharpened at one end. Everyone knows how to use this wedge.  A wooden wedge was their certificate of allotment of land.  Many men began to tighten their leggings. Some had eaten and drank enough to adjust their bodies to the best condition. At this time, the soldiers began to let everyone get on the carriage. Today, 40,000 hectares of land will be distributed, and about 20,000 households will receive their own permanent  Industry field.  ??And the 40,000 hectares of land is vast, stretching for hundreds of miles, and will form countless townships. The immigrants have been assigned their new hometowns when registering, and more than 20,000 household heads will be sent to eight locations for land distribution.  Liu Jing and Sun Shangxiang stood on a low mound and looked at the land distribution with interest. They were located at the fourth land distribution point. There were three thousand pieces of land here, with crisscrossing roads and lush forests scattered on the plain.  , several irrigation canals from the Yellow River are distributed in a well shape and flow into the distance. These irrigation canals were built two hundred years ago and then abandoned for decades. Last year, the Tao family spent countless money to dredge them again.  At the foot of the hill, three thousand men were ready, each holding a black wooden wedge in their hands, eager to try. Jiang Yuan, a Wucheng native who sells lacquerware in the West Market, was also among the crowd. Most of his fellow villagers had been dispersed, and only  His uncle was with him.  "Remember, if you want to grab the land by the river, if you can't grab it, just grab the land next to the woods." Uncle told Jiang Yuandao in a low voice.  Jiang Yuan stared at the river in the distance and nodded heavily, he remembered.  Just then, the drum finally sounded, ¡®Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The sound of drums was the signal to start. Three thousand people rushed out and rushed into the distance. There was a red mark on each piece of land. A black wooden wedge was inserted into the mark, which meant that the land officially had an owner.  After crossing a field ridge, they entered the cultivated land. Some people found the red sign and impatiently inserted the black wooden wedge into it, but more people ran towards the distance. Almost everyone knew that the land near the river and the woods was the best.  Well, some people grabbed the land by the river and shouted loudly with joy.  Jiang Yuan was relatively thin and could not run very fast, so he fell behind. At this time, Sun Shangxiang on the hill saw him and looked at Liu Jing worriedly. Liu Jing held her hand and smiled and said, "God has it all."  Arrangement, we don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡± Jiang Yuan panted and ran to the river. The land by the river had already been occupied by the first arrivals. Everyone stayed in front of their wooden wedges and refused to leave. Many people took a long detour.  After crossing the bridge inside and outside, Jiang Yuan jumped directly into the river and swam across the river.  The land on the other side of the river had also been occupied first, so he had to continue running forward, but within two miles, he tripped over a piece of dirt and fell heavily to the ground.  At this time, he suddenly discovered that there was a red circle sign in front of him. It was not occupied by anyone. He desperately inserted the black wooden wedge into the circle. He breathed a long sigh of relief and turned over and lay down on his own land. The sky was  So blue, the clouds are so white, and the sun is so dazzling.  After an unknown amount of time, he slowly sat up and looked around. He had been running with his head down just now and had no idea what was going on around him. Only then did he realize that his land was so big, two hundred acres of fertile land, and he could only see it from a long way away.  A man sitting on the ground, that would be his neighbor, was a little dazzled by the sight.  And just to the west of my land is a lush poplar forest. The straight and thick poplar trees stand upright like guards. A gust of wind blows, and the woods rustle. Not far away is a river about ten feet wide, which is full of trees.  Water plants lead directly to the river.  At this moment, Jiang Yuan's tears suddenly burst out of his eyes. What a wonderful piece of land this was. This land belonged to him forever, and his descendants would all live on this land.  The land distribution was over, and the last person got his own land. Officials began to register in the distance to determine the ownership of each piece of land. An official walked up to Jiang Yuan and said with a smile: "I'm lucky, this land is surrounded by woods.  Jiang Yuan took out his household registration form from his arms, pulled out the black wooden wedge, and handed it to the official. The official enthroned his land and pointed to the woods, "The woods in the field are very precious and will protect your farmland.  The King of Han has issued an order that no one is allowed to cut down the trees in the fields. There will be additional firewood for cooking and building houses. Violators will be severely punished. Remember?" Jiang Yuan nodded silently, "I remember!"  The watch and black wooden wedge were returned to him, "You can go back now."Now, this place already belongs to you, and there will be a land deed next month.  Jiang Yuan reinserted the wooden wedge into the ground, then stood up and walked towards the official road with others. He will bring his wife to see it tomorrow. This will be their new home. On the hill, Sun Shangxiang lightly  He sighed softly, "This feels so good, I also want to go down and grab a piece of land of my own.  Liu Jing held her hand and smiled and said: "After the chaos in Hexi subsides, Pingzhangtai will begin to reward meritorious soldiers. I will also have a manor of my own, which should be located in Yong County. There is also a beautiful manor in the manor."  Mountains, then our whole family will go to the manor to escape the summer heat.  Sun Shangxiang nodded lightly and whispered: "In the future, I want to buy a manor in Jiangdong. When I am too old to walk, I will go there to spend my remaining years."  Liu Jing laughed, "If Long'er is willing to agree, I have no objection!"  " Mentioning Long'er, Sun Shangxiang suddenly missed her son. She hurriedly asked: "Husband, when will we return to Chang'an?  "Liu Jing understood her mood and thought for a moment and said: "I originally planned to go to Jincheng to inspect combat readiness, but we can take a detour from Chang'an. I will send you back to Chang'an tomorrow, and I will go to Jincheng County after two days of rest.  Sun Shangxiang smiled and said, "I was just wondering, if that little guy has been left unchecked for a few days, will he become wild and forget his mother?"  "    "Um!  Maybe it's possible, but if you give him another sister, he will be more responsible and learn to take care of his sister.  Sun Shangxiang had always dreamed of having a daughter. At this time, she was so excited that she held her husband's hand tightly and whispered, "I really want a daughter. You have to work hard this time."  Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "Let's go!"  We also went back.  "The two held hands and walked towards the foot of the hill. . . . Time gradually passed for another month. The Han people in Hexi and other farming ethnic groups all migrated to Lingzhou one after another. Basically all officials evacuated, and Ma Chao  He did not stop the pace of self-reliance, but accelerated the training of troops and the construction of armor. He went further and further on the road of supporting troops and self-reliance. The war preparations of the Han army also accelerated. Fifty thousand troops gathered in Jincheng County, with 100,000 horses and horses.  One hundred and fifty thousand shi of grain and countless military supplies were also shipped to Jincheng County. General Zhao Yun was fully responsible for putting down the Hexi Rebellion. This morning, Liu Jing, accompanied by Zhao Yun, inspected the combat readiness of the Han army camp.  On the school field inside the camp, groups of Han infantry were practicing spear phalanxes. This was an effective tactic for infantry to deal with cavalry. The phalanxes used the collective strength of the spear phalanxes to fight against the cavalry. The phalanxes consisted of nine thousand people.  There are nine hundred people in a small formation, and ten small formations form a large formation. In addition to the spear phalanx, there are also heavy crossbow shield soldiers and Wudang flying troops. The Wudang flying army consists of five troops.  Thousands of barbarians are actually archers. The barbarians' superb archery skills and riding skills can attack the cavalry from the outside. Of course, the Han army's trump card against the cavalry: 6,000 heavy armored infantry will also participate in the battle, led by the commander Liu Huhe.  Led by Lieutenant General Lei Tong, Liu Jing walked to the other corner of the school ground and stopped. Not far away, Liu Hu was leading three thousand heavy armored infantry to practice formation. At this time, Liu Hu saw Liu Jing from a distance, ran over, and bowed.  "See Your Highness!  " "General Tiger seems to be holding back a lot of anger!  Liu Jing said with a slight smile. Liu Hu's sister married Ma Chao, but in the end he wanted to rebel and become self-reliant. This made Liu Hu angry. He gritted his teeth and said, "I want to kill that bastard with my own hands!"  Liu Jing patted his shoulder lightly and said, "He has nothing to do with you anymore."  " Liu Hu was startled, and then he came to his senses, "Your Highness is saying, my sister, she.  £®  £®  £®  £®  Liu Jing nodded, "My eldest sister has severed the relationship with him. They are no longer husband and wife."  " Liu Hu felt a little more comfortable, but when he thought of Ma Chao's ambition, he still said bitterly: "I still have to kill him with my own hands.  " " Train your soldiers well!  That day will come soon.  Liu Jing turned around and asked Zhao Yun: "Has Zhang Ji gone?"  " "Reporting to His Highness, he has already gone and should have arrived in Zhangye by now.  Liu Jing looked northwest. Zhang not only escorted Ma Chao's two sons to Hexi, but also brought an ultimatum to Ma Chao. He hoped that Ma Chao could rein in his horse and not make another mistake.  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 993 Favors

    Although Liu Jing hoped that Ma Chao could rein in the situation, the development of the matter still disappointed him. In late April of the 22nd year of Jian'an, Ma Chao told the world that Hexi officially separated from the Han Kingdom and surrendered to the imperial court. He proclaimed himself King of Xiliang and sent  He rushed to Yedu day and night to report to the court, hoping that the court would recognize his kingdom's independence.  Yedu, the news of Ma Chao's independence shocked the government and the public, and became the news that Yedu was talking about wildly. Almost everyone in the streets and alleys was talking about this matter. The level of heated discussion completely exceeded the importance of the news itself.  This is understandable. After the defeat of Hefei, the entire Ye was immersed in the pain of defeat. They were suppressed by the aggressiveness of the Han army and lost their laughter. They lived in darkness every day, and suddenly came the news from Hexi from the Han Dynasty.  How could the people of Yedu not be overjoyed by the news of the country's split? How could it not make the people of Yedu feel proud?  For a time, the gloom that shrouded Yedu due to the defeat of Hefei was washed away by this news, as if the sky had turned blue. For many people, this is the best news this spring.  Even Cao Cao's spirit improved a lot. For the first time, he held a banquet in the Tongque Terrace to entertain all the civil and military officials.  In the banquet hall of Tongquetai, hundreds of officials gathered together. It was nominally to welcome the festival of worshiping gods and expelling diseases on May 5th, but in reality everyone understood that this was to celebrate the division of the Han Dynasty.  This was also Cao Cao's first public appearance after returning from Hefei last year. For almost a year, he stayed in the palace on the pretext of recovering from illness and stayed behind closed doors. All government affairs were decided by his son Cao Pi, even if Cao Pi was not in Yedu.  , and it was also handled by Shi Xuyi, the chief minister of the Prime Minister's Office.  Today, Cao Cao showed up again, which surprised many people. In just over a year, the once mighty and strong Cao Cao has disappeared and turned into a thin, slightly rickety old man. It can be seen that he has reached the end of his life.  , it will only take one or two years at most.  Many officials were shocked and uneasy, and were deeply worried about the future of Wei. Although Han is now divided, how long can this division last?  How much damage can it cause to Han?  In the lobby, I could only hear Cao Cao's quiet voice speaking slowly, "Today is the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. According to old customs, we should worship the God of the River. I have ordered local officials from all counties and counties to offer sacrifices to the River. However, I am not in good health and cannot go to the river."  We can only hold a banquet here to have fun with the Lords and the River God. "Everyone was silent and listened attentively, fearing to miss Cao Cao's important conversation. "Just yesterday, good news came from Hexi. Our powerful enemy finally appeared.  After the internal strife broke out, Ma Chao supported his troops and became independent. He went to the court and asked the court to recognize his independence. To be honest, I really wanted to suggest that the emperor canonize him as King of Hexi, but I did not do so because I did not want to see Longyou and Hexi.  The people have been displaced again, so I hope that the King of Han can negotiate with Ma Chao to find a solution acceptable to both parties, stop the war, and let the people enjoy peace forever. " Although the words are very beautiful, many people still feel sad in their hearts.  Understand that this is because Wei Gong is not optimistic about Ma Chao's independence and does not want to offend Liu Jing, so he refuses to agree to make Ma Chao King of Xiliang. In fact, he remains neutral on this matter.  At this time, Cao Cao smiled again and said: "It's rare to have such a banquet. Everyone has been waiting impatiently. I won't say more. Let's enjoy it!" All the officials sat down one after another, and the banquet began. There was an endless stream of maids serving wine and food.  , the lobby was filled with whispers.  Cao Cao couldn't drink, and he couldn't tolerate too much noise. He only sat for a moment and then left. In fact, his appearance this time was not just to celebrate the split of the Han Dynasty, but more because of the ruling and opposition parties in Yedu some time ago.  There were rumors that he was on his deathbed, and the best way to break the rumors was to make a public appearance.  Back in the back hall, his daughter Cao Xian quickly helped him sit down. Cao Cao said: "I am in a good mood today, and my energy is much better." "My father is in good spirits, and my daughter is also happy." Cao Xian smiled and remembered something again,  He said to his father: "Father, there is something that my daughter wants to report to her father." "What is it?" "The Princess of Han sent someone to give her daughter a dress." Cao Cao was startled, "Is there such a thing?" "That's it.  This morning, the person who gave the clothes said that this was a gift from the Princess of Han to her daughter, and her daughter felt a little strange. "Cao Cao thought for a moment, and then asked hurriedly: "What kind of long dress is it?" "It's just a dress.  An ordinary fine linen dress." Cao Cao suddenly understood and couldn't help laughing. Cao Xian's face suddenly turned red and he complained softly: "Father, please don't laugh at your daughter like that." "Okay!  , I didn't laugh at you." Cao Cao suppressed his laughter and quickly ordered the guards standing at the door, "Go and bring Military Master Cheng here!" The guards hurried away, and Cao Cao said to his daughter.?: "Xian'er, this dress means a lot! Daddy wants to congratulate you." "My daughter doesn't understand why Princess Han gave her a fine linen dress?" "This means Princess Han accepts you, please go ahead.  Once when the King of Han married Princess Shangxiang, the Princess of Han sent someone to give her a fine linen dress. The dress was made by the Princess of Han herself spinning the thread. It should be the same this time, that is to say, she is willing to accept you as a sister.  I hope you can live a simple life, and this marriage is about to begin again. " Only then did Cao Xian understand the meaning of Princess Han. It turned out that this was her etiquette, so what gift should he give her in return?  At this time, Cheng Yu hurriedly came from the front hall, bowed and saluted: "See Wei Gong!" Cao Cao nodded, "Zhongde, please sit down!" He then said to his daughter: "My father wants to discuss some important military affairs with Cheng Shibo.  Please step back first!" "Yes! Daughter, please leave." Cao Xian bowed and bowed to Cheng Yu before leaving in a hurry. Cao Cao then smiled at Cheng Yu as he watched his daughter disappear.  It's unexpected! Liu Jing showed his kindness to me in this way. "Mr. Wei, what happened?" Cheng Yu asked in confusion.  "The Princess of Han sent someone to deliver a fine linen dress to Xian'er today. What does Zhongde mean by this?" Cheng Yu pondered for a moment and said with a smile, "This is the resumption of the marriage that was interrupted last year." Cao Cao nodded.  He said, "This should be what Liu Jing meant. He was actually reminding me tactfully not to participate in the rebellion in Hexi." "It is indeed true. Using marriage to show goodwill to Wei Gong means that Liu Jing is going to take action against Hexi. Then Wei  "What are you thinking about?" "I originally planned to be neutral. It would be best to persuade the two families to reconcile and stop fighting, so that Ma Chao can be left as a thorn in Liu Jing's back, but I guess Liu Jing will not do anything like this.  Vague, there is no hidden danger behind me, I will definitely send troops to quell the rebellion in Hexi. I just hate that the war in Hefei was in full swing last year, and there were not many Han troops in Guanzhong. Why didn't Ma Chao stand on his own then? " "Perhaps Ma Chao felt guilty?  Liu Jing doesn't want to take advantage of the danger of the Han army to send troops to Guanzhong. "Humph! This is his womanly kindness. He is destined to be unable to achieve great things. I don't think highly of him. He wants me to recognize him as the king of Xiliang. Dream on."  "Cao Cao was very angry. If Ma Chao could send troops to Guanzhong when the battle in Hefei was the most intense last year, the entire battle situation and even the situation in the world would have been rewritten. Not to mention the King of Xiliang, even the King of Guanzhong would have agreed. It's a pity.  Ma Chao refused to cooperate with him, causing Cao's army to be exhausted and defeated. Now he is thinking about independence. Will he recognize a Qiang regime?  Cheng Yu pondered for a moment and said: "Now that the summer grain has not been harvested, it is when we are extremely short of food. It is obviously unrealistic for us to send troops to help Ma Chao at this time. Since we cannot help Ma Chao, and since Ma Chao is bound to lose, then why don't we sell it to  "Liu Jing is a favor?" "What kind of favor does the military advisor mean?" "Ma Chao expelled Han officials and relied on the Qiang Di. This was actually not only dividing the Han Dynasty, but also dividing the imperial court. The emperor should issue an edict to condemn Ma Chao for betraying the Han Dynasty.  Hexi was reduced to the territory of Rong and Di, and the emperor appointed Liu Jing as the general to conquer the west. In this way, Liu Jing took the political advantage and used the king's army to regain Hexi. Why didn't Wei Gong seize this favor? " Cao Cao Weiwei?  Smiling, "But if I give him a favor, what good will it do to me?" "Didn't Duke Wei issue the Ding Order? I believe that if Liu Jing gets this favor, he will not oppose Wei Gong on the Ding Order."  Cao Cao was reminded that the Chu Ding Order was a strict order for wealthy families from all over the country to release the hidden population. Due to the large number of peasants who fled to the Han Dynasty, the population of Bingzhou, the Central Plains and Hebei dropped sharply, which seriously endangered the government's finances.  But Cao Cao knew very well that a large number of people were hidden by wealthy families in various places during the war. If these hidden people were released, the court would increase the number of farmers by at least millions of farmers, which would have a crucial impact on improving the court's taxes.  "Of course this is an offending thing and will offend the vital interests of the world's rich and powerful families, so Cao Cao has not dared to implement it easily for many years, but now that the court has reached a point where it cannot maintain operations, he has to take this risky move.  The key is that as long as Liu Jing does not openly oppose his decree, he will be confident that this reform will be successful.  Cao Cao nodded, "Zhongde is right. I believe he also has a long-term vision and will not object to my order. I will go to meet the emperor tomorrow." In early May of the 22nd year of Jian'an, the emperor was in Ye  They all issued an edict, strongly condemning Ma Chao for splitting the territory of the Han Dynasty and giving it to Rong and Di. At the same time, they appointed Liu Jing as the general of the expedition to the west and ordered Liu Jing to recover Hexi.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 994 The Wind Rises with Power

    Cangsong County, Wuwei County, is a small county about sixty miles away from Zhiguzang County, Wuwei County. It is also a traditional gathering place for Han people. There are large areas of cultivated land outside the county. The county has convenient transportation and developed commerce. More than a thousand businessmen gather in the city.  , formed three large-scale markets, and small businessmen from as far away as Jiuquan also came here to buy goods.  However, after nearly two months of evacuation, Cangsong County is basically an empty city. Most of the businessmen have returned to Longxi, and the permanent residents have also moved to Lingzhou. Many businessmen also rushed to Lingzhou with their goods to do business. It was originally bustling  The county has become deserted, and the remaining residents are either old people who are unwilling to move, or nomadic Qiang people who are not within the migration range.  To the south of the county, there are endless wheat fields as far as the eye can see. In the middle of the farmland is the famous Cangnan River. There are large houses scattered on both sides of the river. This is also the largest gathering place for Han residents in the entire Wuwei County, with about a thousand households.  Most families have moved to Lingzhou, but there are still more than a hundred households of Wuhuan farmers who refuse to leave their land. In May, the wheat ears have already filled, and the large wheat waves are showing a green and yellow color. It will arrive in another month  Harvest time.  Although everyone knew that the danger was approaching, these hundreds of households in Wuhuan were reluctant to leave the wheat fields that were about to be harvested. Moreover, it was still more than 100,000 acres of wheat fields. The huge benefits tempted them to endure it day by day and wait with luck.  The harvest season has arrived.  This morning, several old farmers went to the wheat fields to do farm work as usual. Seeing that the wheat was about to mature, everyone was frightened and happy in their hearts. More than a hundred families, hundreds of thousands of acres of wheat, each family can be allocated thousands of acres of wheat.  Wheat fields, how excited they were.  Many people were already busy in the wheat fields. Several old farmers were saying goodbye at the intersection and preparing to go to their respective wheat fields. At this moment, there was a sudden rumbling sound in the distance, and the earth began to shake slightly.  Everyone in the wheat field felt it, and they all stood up straight and looked to the north. Gradually, a dark cloud appeared in the north, getting faster and faster, and was flying towards this side.  "It's the Qiang cavalry!" Suddenly someone yelled, waking up everyone. They were so frightened that they dropped their work and ran away. Several old farmers also panicked and turned around and ran towards their homes.  This was a thousand Qiang outpost cavalry. The cavalry rushed into the wheat field without mercy, and the horses galloped like lightning in the wheat field. The more than a hundred cavalry at the front caught up with the farmers running in the wheat field, and their swords were not used.  Mercilessly, he slashed at the back of the neck of the running farmer. His head flew up and his blood was splashed into the wheat field.  The place where Wuhuan people gathered was in chaos. Men, women, old and children from more than a hundred households ran away without even having time to pack up their belongings. They supported the old and young and fled along the Cangnan River for their lives.  At this moment, countless Qiang cavalry rushed out from the wheat fields and rushed towards the crowd like a strong wind. Their horses rushed into the crowd and stabbed them with swords and spears. People cried and screamed and begged for their lives, but it had no effect.  The human cavalry mercilessly slaughtered these unarmed peasants. In just a few moments, hundreds of people were scattered all over the field, leaving no one alive.  The Qiang cavalry threw torches into the houses, and the raging fire began to spread. Thick smoke billowed on both sides of the Cangnan River. Thousands of farmhouses were burned to the ground and burned to the ground. The waterwheels on both sides of the river were also destroyed. Thousands of farmhouses were burned to the ground.  The Yuqiang cavalry burned down the Cangnan River farming area, and then continued to gallop eastward towards the next farming area.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Three days later, tens of thousands of Qiang cavalry appeared in the vast wheat fields south of Cangsong County, Wuwei County. This was where the Qiang forwards annihilated the Han settlements three days ago.  At this time, a large number of houses have been burned down, with ruins and broken walls everywhere. The bloodstains on the Cangnan River have not yet dried, and the bones have been devoured by prairie wolves. Hatred is settling here.  "Woo~" The low horn sound resounded through the sky, and groups of cavalry appeared at the end of the wheat field. The fierce horses soared into the air, and the sound of horse hooves hit the ground, which was like thunder on the ground, shaking the earth. ?? Nearly 30,000 Qiang and Di cavalry from the Xiutu and Nangong tribes, as well as the Di people headed by the Duye tribe, gathered here, like three torrents converging.  "Brother Duye, how about we make a bet?" Xiutu Jun, the chief of the Xiutu tribe, shouted loudly.  The name of the chief of the Di people was Du Yehun. They lived in the Duyeze area and got their name from the lake. Du Yehun laughed and said, "Since Brother Xiutu is interested, I will make a bet with you. What are you betting on?" "Just  The bet is on who can capture Lingzhou first. " "Ten thousand sheep plus a thousand young Han women?" "Okay! I made a bet with you." At this time, Nangongbu.  The new chief Nangong Jing came galloping in. His hair was naturally fiery red and there was a shocking black scar on his face.  He looks very much like the former chief Nangong Suo. If it gets dark, he will look veryIt is easy to confuse him with the original Nangong Suo, but his red hair is completely different from his father.  Xiutu Jun and Du Yehun were obviously very afraid of him. Seeing his arrival, they did not dare to mention the bet and listened to his instructions respectfully.  "The two chiefs don't need to be polite." Nangong Jing looked very arrogant, "Although I am now in charge of the tribes in the south, I still need to ask the two chiefs to take care of me!" Nangong Jing's voice was low, with a kind of  Hoarse, but firm in tone, without any ambiguity.  The tribes in Hexi gathered in Zhangye half a month ago. Ma Chao divided all the tribal armies into three parts. The 20,000 Qiang cavalry from the Seven Divisions of Jiuquan in the north were led by Shatou Feng, the chief of Shatou.  The 30,000 cavalrymen of the six Zhangye tribes and the three Wuwei tribes in the south, as well as the Di tribes, were all led by Nangong Jing, the chief of the Nangong tribe.  As for Ma Chao himself, he personally led 20,000 Qiang and Di elite soldiers and 5,000 Guishang cavalry as the core army.  Nangong Jing is eight feet three tall and has great martial arts skills. He is known as the best warrior of the Qiang people. When the Han army first raided Hexi, Nangong Jing was not in Hexi, but practicing martial arts in Guishang Kingdom.  This time Ma Chao sent an envoy to Guishuang to buy armor. King Dulin of Guishuang asked Nangong Jing to return to Hexi to participate in the war. He defeated thirty-three warriors in the Nangong tribe and even seriously injured his brother Nangong Boyu.  Forced to give up his position as chief, Nangong Jing was elected as the new chief by the elders.  Nangong Jing is the eldest son of Nangong Suo, whose mother is a slave girl from the Guishang Kingdom. He has been brave and fierce since he was a child, and has a simple mind. Eight years ago, he got into a big disaster and set thousands of tents on fire. He was killed by his father Nangong Suo.  After being kicked out of the tribe, he went to his mother's hometown, Guishang Kingdom.  Although his appearance has not changed much, for some reason, both Xiu Tujun and Du Yehun found that this Nangong Jing was a little different from the original Nangong Jing. It didn't mean his appearance, although his fiery red hair and the black scars on his face were still the same.  Just as dazzling as before.  It refers to his character. The original Nangong Jing was brave and fierce, but simple-minded and a complete fool. But this Nangong Jing is very scheming and cruel.  ??The original Nangong Jing was a mediocre person with no independent opinions, but today's Nangong Jing has a leadership temperament that speaks for itself. Every move and every move he makes carries a domineering air that makes people dare not resist.  Although he has the iconic red hair and dark scars on his face, Xiutu Jun and Du Yehun still suspected that he was actually the fake Nangong Jing, but everyone in the Nangong tribe unanimously believed that he was the former Nangong Jing, leaving others speechless.  It can be said.  Xiutu Jun and Duye sighed secretly. With this person in the Nangong tribe, I am afraid that the lives of the Qiang tribes will not be easy in the future. Ma Chao wants to make this man the king of the Southern Qiang.  At this time, there was a loud sound of horns in the distance, and then the sound of rumbling war drums. The three of them suddenly turned around, and saw flags fluttering in the distance, and a large group of cavalry speeding towards them. This was the arrival of Ma Chao's main army.  Ma Chao brought about five thousand cavalry, all elite troops selected from the Qiang and Di people. They were like a torrent, flowing into the thirty thousand Hu cavalry.  Ma Chao is wearing a black helmet and armor. He is tall and tall, with cold eyes. He holds a bright silver spear that is eight feet long. Although he is nearly forty years old, he is still superb in martial arts and has few opponents in the world.  Ma Chao proclaimed himself King of Xiliang, although he deliberately curry favor with Cao Cao and expressed his willingness to provide foreign aid to Cao's army to jointly deal with the Han army.  But Cao Cao rejected him, and the emperor issued an edict, rebuking him as a traitor to the country who betrayed the territory of the Han Dynasty, which made him extremely angry.  He originally promised Zhang Ji that his army would not leave Hexi, but now he has broken his original promise. He will lead his army to kill Lingzhou, capture all the fleeing people, and distribute them as slaves to the Qiang people.  Although he has great prestige among the Qiang people, none of the Qiang people will work for him without the inducement of tangible benefits.  This time he appointed Nangong Jingnan as the general to conquer the north and led 30,000 troops north to Lingzhou. But he had just received news that Zhao Yun was leading 50,000 Han troops to kill in the direction of Hexi. He immediately led his troops to Wuwei County.  At this time, Xiutu Jun, Du Yehun and Nangong Jing came forward at the same time, bowed and saluted: "See His Highness the King of Xiliang!" Ma Chao said to the three of them coldly: "Three chiefs, are you ready with your troops?"  Nangong Jing clasped his fists and returned the salute, "Reporting to your highness, all the cavalry have gathered." Ma Chao nodded, "Fifty thousand Han troops have left Jincheng County and are heading towards Hexi. I was worried about losing my military power, so I came here specially. Everyone  Don't go to Lingzhou for the time being." Nangong Jing also replied: "I heard that the barbarians have 10,000 cavalry as the vanguard of the Han army. I suggest that we concentrate our forces and annihilate these 10,000 cavalry first to give the Han army a decisive blow." Ma Chao nodded slowly,  "Okay! I am your backup. You can fight bravely to kill the enemy and sacrifice the Han people to Qilian Mountain." &nbsp; Ma Chao turned around and shouted loudly: "Blast the drum to show your strength!" "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The huge drum sound sounded like muffled thunder, and the 30,000 Qiang and Di army set off, heading southeast in a mighty manner.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 995 Fierce Battle in Huixian County

    Wuwei County continues to the east. Without the nourishment of the melting snow of the Qilian Mountains, the land becomes drier, farmland gradually disappears, the woods disappear, and large areas of Gobi desert begin to appear. The wasteland is covered with large and small gravels. Occasionally, a clump of clumps can be seen  There are drought-tolerant shrubs, and there is more or less rainfall here, so no desert is formed in the end.  In the distance are the rolling mountains. To the north are the remnants of the Helan Mountains, and to the south are the remnants of the Qilian Mountains. The two mountain ranges are like two giant black dragons lying across this vast land, making the entrance to the Hexi Corridor form a  Huge trumpet shape.  In the endless gravel wasteland, a flat and spacious official road runs through it, because pedestrians and caravans traveling to and from Hexi must rely on livestock, and in the gravel-covered Gobi wasteland, it is difficult for horses and other livestock to walk, so they can only walk on the official road.  Road, this official road becomes extremely important.  In the wilderness that stretches for hundreds of miles, not far from the Qilian Mountains, there is an oasis covering an area of ??nearly a thousand hectares. A river originating from the Qilian Mountains flows and forms a small lake here.  There was life, and grasslands and woods appeared around the lake.  This is a rare oasis on the east road of Hexi. Pedestrians and caravans stop here to rest. In the northeast corner of the oasis stands a city. This is Huixian, known as the first county in Hexi, and the first county in Hexi.  At this time, thousands of residents in Huixian County had already retreated north to Lingzhou. Only 3,000 Han troops were stationed in the county, led by General Wu Lan. They spent two months quarrying stones from the Qilian Mountains to heighten and reinforce the city.  The Han army installed forty simple trebuchets in the city, so that they could throw huge rocks directly from inside the city.  With the appearance of a thousand Qiang vanguard cavalry in Huixian a few days ago, the situation in Huixian suddenly became tense. The army began to take turns garrisoning the city, paying close attention to the movements in the west.  At the fourth watch, several Han army scouts and cavalry came quickly from the west. They rushed to the city and shouted: "Open the door quickly, there is an urgent military situation!" General Wu Lan was on top of the city, and he heard the shouts.  , looked for a moment, and then ordered: "Open the city and let them in!" The city gate slowly opened, and several cavalry rushed into the city. After a while, the leading scout was led to the top of the city. He knelt down on one knee and saluted.  Report: "General Qi, I and my brothers discovered the main Qiang force twenty miles away, numbering tens of thousands." "What are they doing?" Wu Lan asked anxiously.  "They were resting by the lake and did not raise troops to kill." Wu Lan pondered for a moment, and then ordered a few people: "You immediately go south to Jincheng County to report to Governor Zhao that the Qiang people have begun to attack eastward." "Follow the order.  !¡± Several scouts left the city again and turned towards the south. The soldiers were really worried. Can the small Huixian County stop the attack of tens of thousands of cavalry?  Wu Lan was not nervous. He and Zhang Ren had rich experience in defending the city when they resisted the attack of a hundred thousand Xiongnu troops in Gaonu County. They knew that the nomads were not good at attacking cities. As long as the defense was properly defended, even tens of thousands of enemy troops might not be able to do so.  Capture Huixian.  "General, do you want the brothers to go to the city now?" a tooth general asked in a low voice.  Wu Lan glanced at the sleeping soldiers curled up at the top of the city, and shook his head, "Don't worry, let the brothers have a good rest and recuperate." The sky is getting brighter, and when the sun shines through the heavy clouds, the sky will be full of energy.  When the golden light was projected on the head of Huixian City, the warning bell finally rang at the head of Huixian City!  when!  when!  ' The bell rang, and three thousand soldiers rushed to the top of the city from inside the city, holding bows, arrows and crossbows in hand, ready to go.  Under the city, two thousand young and strong civilians who voluntarily stayed behind were inspecting the trebuchets and carrying stones and kerosene. These civilians had undergone months of brutal training and were as strong as half a soldier. Each of them wore a helmet and a  Strong leather armor, as long as heavy arrows are not shot into the city, their leather armor can withstand ordinary arrows.  At this time, the war was quietly approaching. Outside the city, the overwhelming Qiang and Di army had come in force. There were 30,000 people in total, of which 15,000 were stationed in the camp and the other 15,000 were attacking the city with all their strength.  The 15,000 allied troops were divided into three large square formations and rushed towards Huixian City from three directions. The trumpets were blown and the drums were thunderous. The infantry, cavalry and archers, the 15,000-strong army undulated like waves and gradually stopped.  When we got off our feet, we were about two miles away from the city.  Qiang Di soldiers wore leather hats on their heads, long leather armor that reached to their knees, and a pair of leather boots made of sheepskin. Their weapons were swords and spears, as well as a large number of bows and arrows.  Although the Qiang people created a glorious Ming Dynasty in the Middle Ages, there was obviously a gap in the ancient Qiang Ming Dynasty during the pre-Qin period. Their Ming Dynasty could not be passed down to their descendants. On the contrary, after the Ming Dynasty in the Central Plains entered feudal society, their Ming Dynasty  The backward and barbaric tribal slavery system is still maintained.  &nbspThis 30,000-strong Qiang army is not Ma Chao's direct army, but an army cobbled together by young herdsmen from various tribes. The equipment is far inferior to that of the direct army, and the training is relatively weak. It has only undergone a few months of training.  They did not consider attacking the city. The tens of thousands of troops only had hundreds of simple siege ladders. There were no ladders, no trebuchets, no nest carts, and no battering rams. They were like barbarians from the grassland, with only the most primitive things in their hands.  siege weapons.  The Qiang and Di coalition forces were obviously aware of the urgent problem of siege. A hundred stairs were not enough to capture Huixian City. Nangong Jing immediately sent hundreds of people to cut down a thousand-year-old tree. They needed this thick trunk to hit  The city gate of Kaihui County.  Nangong Jing looked coldly at the city in the distance. The city was covered with flags and densely packed with Han soldiers, holding strong bows and crossbows, ready in formation.  He didn't know that in the city behind the Han army, dozens of huge trebuchets were deployed, standing high in the open space in the city. The long throwing pole had been opened and placed on top of huge rocks and stones weighing dozens of kilograms.  The fire ball is as big as a millstone.  In fact, Nangong Jing is not a fake. He is indeed the eldest son of the old chief Nangong Suo. He was expelled from the tribe at the age of eight and returned to the Kushan Kingdom with his mother. His mother remarried a general in the Kushan Kingdom, and Nangong Jing also entered the country.  army.  He officially joined the army at the age of sixteen and followed his adoptive father in the southern expedition to Tianzhu. He participated in hundreds of battles and killed countless people, gradually forming his cruel and cold character.  This time, under the king's order, he led 5,000 Guishan troops to Hexi to assist in the war. He seized the position of chief of the Nangong tribe, and was elected as the commander-in-chief of the southern army. The glory came too suddenly, and he had not yet returned from the army.  He came back to his senses from his high position.  It was a pity that he had no experience fighting the Han army, and he did not expect that the Han army would hold on to the city, leaving the Qiang and Di forces unprepared to attack the city. There was also no monster-like battering ram commonly used by the Guishang Kingdom, which made Nangong Jing feel full of fear.  Worry.  "General Nangong Jing, the walls are ready!" A captain rushed to report.  Nangong Jing looked back and saw hundreds of war horses dragging a huge tree trunk, which was seven feet long and six feet in diameter. It would take at least hundreds of people to hold this huge tree trunk.  Although Nangong Jing still had doubts about the Han army's defense, he also wanted to see with his own eyes how powerful the Han army's defense was.  "Order Duyebu to launch an attack!" Duyebu is the Di people's army. Now that the Qiang people have the military power, it is natural that the Di people should take the lead in this battle.  "The war drums are beating!" "Boom! Boom!" The drums of attack are beating, and the 5,000 Di troops outside Beicheng have launched their first attack. The 5,000 Di troops are coming like a tide.  They carried dozens of siege ladders, brandished swords and spears, and rushed towards the city gate, shouting.  Perhaps out of nervousness, the Di soldiers a few hundred steps away fired arrows at the top of the city. The arrows were like a dense rain, but had no effect. Instead, they accidentally injured many of their own people.  Behind the tidal wave of troops, a huge ramming log was slowly carried towards the city gate by hundreds of men.  On the top of the city, 1,500 Han troops drew their bows and fired their crossbows, quietly waiting for the moment to attack. However, the first wave of the Han army's long-distance attack was the trebuchet in the city.  Forty trebuchets stood on high ground, manned by two thousand trained civilians. Under the command of the commanding general, the trebuchets began to creak open.  Since they were attacking from inside the city to outside the city and had to cross the city wall, the Han army craftsmen stretched the throwing pole to make the throwing angle higher. They also set up a clever lever to make the trebuchet no longer need 200 men.  It only takes fifty people to move it.  Stones as big as millstones were put into the throwing bags. As the drums sounded, forty trebuchets were launched at the same time. Forty huge stones were thrown high, rolled in the air, crossed the city wall, and drew a line.  In an arc, he suddenly smashed into the crowd of Di soldiers who were rushing towards him.  "Boom!" There was a loud noise, and screams spread everywhere. Several Di soldiers tried to avoid it and were smashed into meat pies by the huge rocks. The huge inertia caused the rocks to roll in the crowd, extremely fast and violent, and more than 20 people rolled out in a row.  Stepping forward, the Di soldiers tried their best to dodge to both sides, but more than ten people were still killed by the collision of the boulders. Dozens more were injured, with broken bones and tendons. Forty boulders were all smashed down, and the sound of wailing was heard.  Immediately after the second and third rounds of trebuchets were fired, accompanied by the Han army's crossbows, arrows rained down on the city, and there were heavy casualties below the city. Every time a huge stone fell, dozens of people were killed or injured. It was simply  A machine that kills people brought disaster to the Di army.  The role played by trebuchets in defending the city is unparalleled. In the historical defense battle of Taiyuan during the Anshi Rebellion, Li Guangbi, who was short of troops, used dozens of giant trebuchets to smash the city.More than 70,000 rebels were defeated and a brilliant victory was achieved in the Taiyuan defense battle.  The same was true against the Qiang and Di coalition forces. The Han army used the sharpest trebuchets in the world, causing huge casualties to the attacking Di army. The battlefield was littered with corpses, with flattened bodies and smashed bodies everywhere.  Human heads and blood flowed into rivers, dyeing the fallen rocks red.  At this time, the ramming wood was gradually approaching the city gate. There was no moat in Huining County. The enemy could directly hit the city gate with the huge wood. However, the experienced general Wu Lan knew how to deal with it. He had already attacked the city before dawn.  A large amount of kerosene was buried between the 200 and 100 steps from the door.  At this time, he ordered five large trebuchets to be brought in, aimed at the outside of the city gate, ignited the kerosene cloth balls, and threw five blazing fireballs at the ramming log 150 steps away.  The fireball smashed into the crowd, rolled on the ground, and immediately ignited the kerosene buried in the ground. Outside the city gate, it turned into a sea of ??fire. Countless people were ignited by the kerosene and became burning people. They opened their arms and ran around wailing.  , before running a few steps, they fell to the ground, and the fire burned them until they huddled up.  The Han army's kerosene ball caused a fatal blow to the wall. As the fire spread, the huge wall was ignited. A large number of soldiers carrying it fled. The wall crashed to the ground and was engulfed by the raging fire.  .  After nearly 2,000 casualties, the Di soldiers finally collapsed. The surviving Di troops turned around and fled. They retreated like a tide. The thick ramming trees did not play any role. They were destroyed by the fire. Nangong  Jing stared blankly at the top of the city. Although he knew how powerful the Han army's trebuchets were, he didn't expect them to be so sharp, as well as the terrifying kerosene weapons.  He punched a siege ladder and said through gritted teeth, "Give me my order to stop the attack. The army will bypass the city and continue southward."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 996 Head-on attack

    The biggest difference between the nomadic army and the Central Plains army is that they do not have much logistical equipment. The nomadic cavalry carries cheese and dried beef and mutton with them. They can march for several days without needing food replenishment, or they can fight to support the war and plunder along the way.  food.  For the Central Plains army, it is definitely a taboo to bypass the city without attacking. This means that the army's logistics supplies can easily be cut off by the army in the city, or it will be attacked from both sides. However, for the nomadic cavalry without logistical equipment, it is not easy to avoid attacking the city.  It doesn't matter much.  When the Qiang and Di coalition forces encountered setbacks in their attack on Huixian, they gave up their attack on Huixian, bypassed Huixian, and continued to kill Jincheng County in the southeast.  At the same moment when the Qiang and Di coalition attacked Huixian, the 10,000 Han army vanguards, led by generals Liu Hu and Wang Ping, had arrived seventy miles south of Huixian.  At this time, the scouts sent by Wu Lan encountered the Han army heading north. They brought important information that 30,000 Qiang people were attacking Huixian.  Wang Ping was a little worried. They only had 5,000 crossbow troops and 5,000 heavy armored infantry. Can they withstand the attack of 30,000 Qiang people?  Wang Ping urged his horse to find Liu Hu, and discussed with him in a low voice: "We have few troops and horses, and the enemy has 30,000 troops. We are afraid that the battle will be unfavorable. Should we inform Governor Zhao and ask him to rush the reinforcements northward?" Liu Hu  Laughing, "General Wang is good to be cautious, but being too cautious is cowardly to the enemy. Without your flying army to fight, my heavy armored infantry will kill him without leaving any trace of him." Wang Ping blushed and said quickly: "  I am not afraid of the enemy, but I know myself but do not know the enemy, so I must be cautious in sending troops." Liu Hu stopped laughing and sneered: "The Han army spent an unknown amount of food to maintain the heavy armored infantry. They will never let the heavy armored infantry be used as flower vases.  "If General Wang doesn't fight, I won't force him, but the heavy armored infantry can only advance but not retreat. Today, the Qiang people will have a taste of the sword." Seeing that Liu Hu had made up his mind, Wang Ping stopped trying to persuade him.  He said loudly: "Since General Tiger wants to fight the Qiang people, I will never back down. Our unworthy flying army and the general's heavy armored infantry will fight side by side." Liu Hu patted him on the shoulder, "This  A good man must have the will to kill the enemy. Let¡¯s see how we deal with the Xirong army.¡± About thirty miles away from Huixian County, the Han army was finally attacked by a mighty Qiang and Di army. To be precise, it was.  The Han army was waiting for the enemy to arrive.  The heavy armored infantry needs at least a quarter of an hour to prepare for donning armor. If the encounter is hasty, the heavy armored infantry will not have time to prepare. Therefore, when the scouts found that the enemy was still twenty miles away, the Han army stopped advancing and the heavy armored infantry began to don the armor.  War preparation.  The place they were in was no longer the gravel land west of Huixian County. Although it was still an uninhabited wilderness, the land was relatively flat and mostly made of soil. There was a large forest not far away, and you could see it on both sides of the official road.  The warships were deployed and the two armies fought to the death.  Half an hour later, the sound of hooves in the distance was like rolling thunder, the earth was shaking, and dust covered the sky. The nearly 30,000 Qiang and Di coalition forces finally arrived.  Liu Hu looked at the enemy cavalry that was gradually slowing down in the distance and shouted sternly: "Line up to fight!" The Han army was already ready and quickly formed a large formation in the wilderness three miles wide. Three thousand cavalry of the Han army were deployed in front.  Form a crossbow array.  The five thousand troops led by Wang Ping are all Japanese barbarians, known as the Wudang Flying Army. They are extremely good at archery and have outstanding archery skills. They are not only the most elite mountain troops, but also after rigorous riding training.  They became the first crossbow cavalry of the Han army.  Today, at the front, on horseback, are three thousand crossbow cavalry. They are equipped with the sharp horned crossbows of the Han army, with a killing range of up to 120 steps.  There are only 8,000 Han troops on the battlefield, and 3,000 cavalry and crossbowmen are arrayed at the front. They are also elite troops. They can not only serve as crossbow troops, but also crossbow cavalry, and can even be converted into spear cavalry.  At this time, Liu Hu led his heavy armored infantry in a formation. Five thousand heavy armored infantry were located behind the crossbowmen and were divided into five military formations. The soldiers had finished wearing their armor. They held sabers in their hands and were waiting closely.  Follow the order.  When the three thousand crossbow cavalry finish shooting, they will quickly transform into spear cavalry and be deployed on the side of the heavy armored cavalry. Their task is to protect and cooperate with the heavy armored infantry from the side.  The other two thousand horse archers are deployed in the woods two miles away. After the heavy armored infantry defeats the enemy's formation, they will cover up and attack. This three-stage formation has been fought by the Han army many times, and they have repeatedly defeated Cao Jun and Cao Jun.  The Xiongnu army has rich practical experience.  The two armies were facing each other two miles apart. Nangong Jing saw that the Han army had formed a formation, with the crossbowmen in front and the infantry in the middle. It seemed that there was an army ambushed in the forest. There were not many people on the battlefield. He couldn't help but sneered. Such  The formation was too ordinary and had no meaning for the Qiang cavalry who had an absolute advantage in numbers.  At this time, Xiu Tu HunHe whispered in front of him: "The five thousand infantry in the middle seem to be the heavy armored infantry that His Highness the King of Xiliang said. They are very sharp. The general must not underestimate the enemy." "This is not a matter of underestimating the enemy. No matter how sharp the army is, we must suppress it across the board.  "Come on!" Nangong Jing shouted loudly: "Get ready to attack!"  ¡± With the order, the huge drums of the Qiang and Di coalition forces beat, and 30,000 cavalry stepped forward and lined up, raising their spears. Their riding skills were generally excellent, holding a spear in one hand and a shield in the other, and using their legs to control the cavalry.  The horses seemed to be united into one body. Thirty thousand Qiang and Di cavalrymen raised their spears and thrust them like a forest. The momentum was extremely powerful. At this time, Liu Hu also shouted, "Draw out the sword!"  " Five thousand sharp swords were swung together, and powerful murderous intent came out. Even Wang Ping, who was a little worried that he knew himself but did not know the enemy, couldn't help but secretly admired it. It was indeed the heavy armored infantry built by the Han army with all its efforts. There were only five thousand.  It takes countless craftsmen to make a horse-killing sword. If this heavy armored infantry is not a match for the Qiang people, it is really unreasonable. With the intensive drumbeats, the 10,000 Qiang cavalry in the front army shouted in unison,  Suddenly launched, they lined up a hundred people, holding spears in their right hands and horse shields in their left hands. With galloping horses and great momentum, they attacked the Han army two miles away with an unstoppable force. Although Liu Hu had experienced hundreds of battles, Liu Hu.  He was still a little nervous. He felt that the Qiang cavalry was powerful and his five thousand heavy armored infantry would be tested. But Liu Jing did not panic, "The crossbow army is ready!"  "He yelled sternly, staring sharply at the approaching. Three thousand crossbow soldiers raised their horned crossbows, and their cold arrow points were aimed at the enemy cavalry rushing in like a sea tide. They were lined up in a row of thousands.  , carried out three rounds of shooting, and before the enemy army reached sixty steps, they would shoot three rounds of nine thousand arrows in turn. The Qiang cavalry was getting closer and closer, and the billowing yellow dust rushed toward the Han soldiers. They finally rushed in.  Within one hundred and twenty steps "Shoot!"  " The thousand crossbowmen in the front row fired first. They used two stone-horned crossbows and one-foot-three-inch crossbow arrows. Only the sound of the crossbow machine was heard, and a thousand crossbow arrows were fired like a gust of wind and rain towards the Qiang 120 steps away.  The human cavalry fired, only to hear screams and the neighing of war horses. Hundreds of war horses and hundreds of cavalry were shot to the ground. The Qiang cavalry fell on their backs. The crossbowmen quickly cocked the crossbow at an extremely fast speed. He was using a crossbow.  Armor-piercing arrows, the arrows are like elongated spindles, streamlined, made of fine iron, extremely sharp, and can shoot through any armor. As the first row of thousands of people shot, another thousand in the second row.  The armored crossbow arrows shot like a black cloud at the Qiang cavalry a hundred steps away, followed by the third row, the fourth row, the fifth rowthe arrows were overwhelming, so dense that it was breathless.  The cavalry also felt the power of the Han army's arrow array. They had already raised their shields, only to hear a clicking sound. The shields were pierced by the armor-piercing arrows and shattered one after another. The shields could not withstand the powerful force of the armor-piercing arrows. A thousand armor-piercing arrows  The arrows caused huge losses to the enemy cavalry. Neither the leather armor nor the wooden shields could withstand the powerful penetrating power of the armor-piercing arrows. Hundreds of cavalrymen in the first row shot through the leather armor and fell off their horses with screams.  The cavalry was tripped, and the Qiang cavalry suddenly fell into chaos. As the nine rounds of arrows were fired, the Qiang cavalry had lost nearly three thousand people. The cavalry were frightened, the team was in chaos, and their morale was frustrated. At this time, three thousand people were killed.  The crossbow cavalry quickly retreated to both sides, hung up their crossbows, took off their spears, and turned into spear cavalry, guarding both sides of the heavy armored infantry.  Still with terrifying momentum and unstoppable momentum, Liu Hu sneered and shouted loudly: "Form up!  "The five thousand heavy armored infantry changed their formation. They squatted down one after another, with the tip of the knife forward and the handle of the knife touching the ground, forming a sea of ??knives. Thousands of Qiang cavalry finally arrived. Facing the forest of extremely sharp knives, the ones in front were  The cavalrymen screamed in horror, "Boom!"  "With a loud noise, the flesh and blood of the cavalry hit the forest of swords. Dust mixed with blood mist filled the sky, limbs flew across the air, and the bodies of men and horses accumulated in layers in front of the forest of swords. The most powerful first shock wave of the cavalry  Finally perished. At this time, the five thousand cavalry shouted in unison, lined up in a human wall, swung their sabers, and clashed with the enemy's spears. The two armies were engaged in a fierce melee.  The cavalry came out to pave the way for the cavalry behind them. Although they suffered heavy losses, Nangong Jing didn't take it to heart. He ordered: "The whole army goes up and defeats the Han army!  " With the sound of horns blowing in all directions, nearly 20,000 Qiang and Di cavalry quickly gathered from all directions. The 20,000 Qiang and Di cavalry rushed towards the Han army's heavy armored infantry like an overwhelming force. "Boom! Boom! Boom!'  Inspiring war drums also sounded in the Han army's formation. Five thousand heavy armored infantry advanced like a mountain, and two thousand spear cavalry protected the infantry on the left and right.In the front army, five thousand heavy armored infantry split into five large formations and launched an offensive against the Qiang cavalry.  Five thousand heavy armored infantry attacked across the board, and the two sides fought in the wilderness. The Qiang cavalry was unable to fight against the sharp stranglehold of the enemy's heavy armored infantry, and the Qiang and Di cavalry were killed and retreated steadily.  Nangong Jing was so anxious that he shouted and urged the Qiang cavalry to attack continuously, especially the thousands of Qiang cavalry who were surrounded by the Han army. They knew that the only way to survive was to rush out, and their instinct to escape made them desperate.  They wielded knives, waved their spears, and charged at the Han army crazily, rushing like a storm, but the heavy armored infantry stood still like a mountain.  The Qiang general Masut took the lead. He waved his spear, roared, and stabbed at the leader of the Han army when he was distracted. The leader of the Han army he faced was the general Liu Hu. Liu Hu shouted loudly and slashed his sword fiercely.  He slashed head-on, the sword was so fierce that it immediately split Masut's man and his horse in half, causing blood to fly and internal organs to flow out.  The heavy armored infantry waved their long swords and advanced step by step. The swords and blood shadows were slashing or stabbing, and they were invincible. The Qiang cavalry's severed heads and broken bodies rolled to the ground. Their screams and wails resounded through the valley. Behind them and on both sides, cavalry crossbow troops  The arrows were like locusts, causing them heavy casualties. The injured Qiang people knelt on the ground and begged, but they were still chopped into pieces by the heavy armored infantry arrayed up. Blood flowed into rivers, and corpses were everywhere. The entire battlefield became a human slaughter.  field.  In this bloody battle from noon to the afternoon, nearly half of the 30,000 Qiang and Di cavalry were killed or injured. On the battlefield, mutilated corpses piled up like mountains, and the ground was dyed red with blood. The Qiang people were already feeling defeated, but the heavy armored infantry showed no signs of fatigue.  , The more they fought, the more brave they became. Seeing that the morale of the Qiang soldiers was gradually collapsing.  At this time, Wang Ping, who was ambushing in the woods, saw that the enemy army was defeated, so he shouted: "Follow me and fight out!" Two thousand powerful cavalry suddenly rushed out, like the last blow to crush the camel, the Qiang people  The cavalry was in chaos, and the Tono tribe collapsed first. Under the leadership of the chief, thousands of cavalry fled north.  "Great Chief!" A cavalryman rushed to Nangong Jing's horse and shouted: "Duyebu has retreated!" Nangong Jing turned around and found that the Diren Duyebu had withdrawn from the battlefield, which also triggered the cavalry of other tribes to follow suit.  He was so filled with hatred that he had to shout, "Retreat!" The more than 15,000 cavalry troops were disheartened and had no intention of fighting anymore. They turned their horses and fled the battlefield. The Han army pursued them one after another, killing the Qiang cavalry and causing them to fall off their horses. The casualties were extremely heavy.  The pursuit gradually stopped until they reached Huixian. At this time, the Han army at the head of Huixian saw the Qiang army's disastrous defeat and couldn't help but cheer together.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 997 Kushan Cavalry

    Nangong Jing fled all the way north to Guzang County. When he counted the defeated troops, he found that there were only more than 7,000 soldiers left. This made him extremely depressed and lost all fighting spirit. At this time, Xiu Tuhun persuaded him, "General, don't be depressed, and neither are we."  There would be such a large number of casualties. I estimate that many people fled home halfway. Like Toyabe, basically no one was seen. Could it be that they were all killed? Impossible. It can only prove that they fled back to the tribe.  " Nangong Jing felt a little relieved now, but he also thought that there were only more than 7,000 people left in the 30,000-strong army. It was difficult for him to accept it, and it was difficult to explain to Ma Chao. He thought for a moment and said: "Chief Xiutu also led the army.  Guard Guzang County, I will rush back to Zhangye to ask for help. I will lead the reinforcements in three to five days at most." "Xiu Tuhun's son is a hostage in Zhangye. Even if he wants to escape, he has to consider his son's safety. But he has no choice but to do so.  He nodded and said: "General, go back quickly. I will try my best to defend Guzang County." Nangong Jing said a few words, and then he led hundreds of cavalry and rushed towards Zhangye. The Han army did not immediately go north to pursue the Qiang army.  After resting for two days in Cangsong County, Zhao Yun led a main force of 30,000 men to attack Cangsong County and set up camp outside the county.  In the Chinese army's tent, Liu Hu and Wang Ping met Zhao Yun together and reported the battle situation to Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun then asked: "How many casualties did we have?"  It was an unworthy flying army. The heavy armored infantry suffered more than a hundred casualties. "Zhao Yun nodded. He suffered more than 1,500 casualties, but he was able to annihilate more than 10,000 to 4,000 enemies. This victory was brilliant, but Zhao Yun was more concerned about the casualties of the soldiers.  situation, he asked again: "Have their bones been collected properly?" Wang Ping bowed and said: "The corpses of the fallen soldiers have been burned, the bones have been put into clay pots, and people have been sent back to Chang'an." "Although they are barbarians.  Soldiers, but they died fighting for the Han Dynasty. We should treat them with the same compensation. I will write to His Highness the King of Han. " "Thank you, Commander-in-Chief!" Wang Ping felt grateful and quickly bowed deeply.  Zhao Yun waved his hand, walked to the sand table and smiled at Military Advisor Pang Tong: "Commander Pang, what do you think?" Pang Tong pointed at Guzang County with a wooden pole, "This is the city of the Four Wars. Take Guzang County and Wuwei County."  It was recovered, but Guzang is the gate of Zhangye. If Guzang is lost, the Han army can march straight into Zhangye, so Ma Chao will not wait for it to be captured by us. He will definitely send reinforcements. " Speaking of this, Pang Tong smiled at everyone:  "My idea is to besiege the city for reinforcements and use thunderbolts to defeat the reinforcements who come to rescue. The defenders of Guzang County will surrender without a fight." Wang Ping next to him said: "The defenders of Guzang County must have been defeated.  If we attack the Qiang army with 40,000 troops, I'm worried that the reinforcements will be afraid and won't come." Pang Tong smiled slightly, "We can hide our strength and let the enemy scouts think that we only have 20,000 troops." Pang Tong said.  The wooden pole pointed at Xiutu County in the northwest of Guzang, and said to the crowd: "Twenty thousand troops can be hidden in Xiutu County, waiting for the opportunity to fight!" Zhao Yun then looked at the generals in the tent and saw that no one had any objection.  , then resolutely ordered: "Implement it according to the advice of the military advisor." Outside Zhangye City, there is a large camp of nearly a thousand hectares, with tens of thousands of tents stretching for more than ten miles, and the momentum is spectacular. Among them, one tent covers an area of ??five  Mu's large sheepskin tent, which was the royal tent of Qiang King Nangong Suo, was captured by the Han army and kept in Zhangye City. Now it has become Ma Chao's royal tent.  The king's tent was resplendent with gold and jade. The floor was covered with a thick Persian carpet inlaid with gold and silver threads. The tent walls were studded with tens of thousands of gems of various kinds. Under the light, they shone with dazzling splendor, and there were gems everywhere.  With all kinds of gold and silver utensils and expensive Central Plains porcelain, this is a staggeringly luxurious tent.  In the middle of the big tent, more than a dozen girls were dancing gracefully, with the sound of silk and bamboo on both sides and the beating of drums. On a large low table above, dozens of gold and silver plates inlaid with gems were filled with various delicious fruits.  , as well as large pieces of fragrant barbecue and aged wine.  Behind the low table were surrounded by more than two dozen young and beautiful women. Their clothes were half-stripped, exposing a large area of ??snowy skin. Ma Chao was half lying in the arms of these beautiful concubines, enjoying the wine and food, with half-squinted eyes.  Admiring the graceful dancing of the girls, he fought for half his life. Only then did he finally learn to enjoy. This was a treatment that the governor of Hexi could not get. Only when he became the king of a place could he enjoy the luxury of a king.  At this moment, there was a slight commotion outside the tent. His soldiers seemed to be scolding. This made Ma Chao slightly startled. He saw Nangong Jing striding forward with the tent curtain raised, a long sword on his waist, and a helmet on his head.  He walked in and said angrily: "Your Highness, the soldiers at the front are fighting bloody battles. Now is not the time to enjoy it." Ma Chao's face suddenly sank. He waved his hand, and the musicians and dancers all retreated. He turned back to face  Ji ?He said: "You guys also stand down!" More than twenty concubines stood up one after another and walked around from both sides. Only Ma Chao and Nangong Jing were left in the tent. Ma Chao held the hilt of the sword beside him and said coldly.  : "Is this the courtesy of your ministers?" Nangong Jing then bowed and saluted, "I was too excited for my humble position and my words were inappropriate. I hope your highness will forgive me!" "That's all, let's not talk about etiquette now, how is the war ahead?" "Report  Your Highness, we were intercepted by the heavy armored infantry and cavalry of the Han army. The number of enemy troops was at least 20,000 to 30,000. I led the army and fought fiercely with the enemy. Damn it, Donobe fled the battlefield without authorization, causing all the tribes to follow suit. I had no choice but to lead the army.  Withdraw north to Guzang County. "Although Nangong Jing didn't say it clearly, Ma Chao still understood. Nangong Jing failed. Ma Chao was furious, slammed the table and asked, "How many troops do you have left?" Nangong Jing said bitterly:  "Once the battle fails, each tribe will only care about their own interests and flee one after another. The number of troops who followed me back to Guzang County is less than 10,000. Currently, it is commanded by Chief Xiutu, who has come to ask for help from His Highness." "There are only 30,000 troops.  There are only ten thousand left, you are very good at leading troops!" Ma Chao gritted his teeth with hatred, and his eyes were about to burst into flames, "You still have the nerve to come see me?" "After defeating the Han army, I will confess to His Highness.  But now Guzang County is in danger, and I hope His Highness will go to the rescue." Ma Chao paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his hands. The enemy's situation was unclear now, and he didn't want to rush to rescue, but Guzang County was extremely important, as it was the east gate of Zhangye.  Guzang was occupied by the enemy, and Zhang Ye would have no danger to defend. The Han army could march straight in and kill Zhang Ye's city. This was another dilemma that Ma Chao did not want to face, which put him in a dilemma.  At this moment, a soldier reported at the door of the main tent: "Your Highness, there is a message from the Eagle!" Ma Chao was overjoyed. He came at the right time. He immediately ordered: "Give me the message!"  A soldier entered the tent and presented a roll of eagle's letter. Ma Chao took the eagle's letter and opened it. The eagle's letter said that about 23,000 Han troops had arrived in Guzang County and besieged the four gates of the county. Guzang was in danger and begged for reinforcements.  Ask for help.  Ma Chao thought for a moment and said: "The Han army is besieging the city but not attacking. It must be waiting for reinforcements from Jincheng County. Time waits for no one. We must rush to Guzang before the main force of the Han army arrives and defeat the besieging Han army. We must seize this opportunity."  Nangong Jing was overjoyed and immediately bowed and said: "I am willing to be a pioneer in my humble position!" Ma Chao thought for a while and said: "Forget it, I will hand over the Guishang army to you. You can lead five thousand Guishang troops to Guzang for rescue, but don't  Act rashly and wait for me to arrive with the main force. " Nangong Jing was originally the leader of the five thousand Guishang troops. He only temporarily handed over the Guishang cavalry to Ma Chao because he wanted to seize the position of chief of the Nangong tribe. Now Ma Chao will.  The army was returned to him, which greatly increased his confidence. He immediately said: "I will set off immediately!"  The Dayue Zhi people first lived in the Hexi Corridor. Later, they moved westward to Central Asia and were divided into five tribes. Among them, the Kushan tribe gradually rose up. It continued to annex various small tribes and finally established a cross-border empire.  An empire of thousands of miles.  After being defeated by the Han Dynasty, the Northern Xiongnu moved west to Central Asia and were defeated by the Kushan Empire. Finally, they had to flee to Europe and set off a storm in Europe, completely changing European history.  Despite the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, the Guishang Kingdom had no idea of ??an Eastern Expedition. This time, Ma Chao sent people to recruit warriors in the Guishang Kingdom. This reminded King Dulin of his nostalgia for the Hexi Corridor, the homeland of the Yuezhi people, so he sent five thousand troops to assist.  Ma Chao's resistance to the Han Dynasty is certainly a hometown plot of the Yuezhi people, but it also conceals the ambition of the Kushan people towards Hexi.  The five thousand Kushan cavalry are the troops directly under the Kushan king Dulin. They are the elite of the two hundred thousand Kushan army. They are generally tall, wearing double-layer tight leather armor, white cloaks, and expensive waistbands.  Frost sword, sharp spear in hand, and a uniform Dawan horse under his crotch.  Each soldier also has a spear bag, which contains ten short spears made of fine steel. Since the Kushan people do not have stirrups, it is very difficult to shoot on horseback. Therefore, the cavalry is not equipped with bows and crossbows, but uses four-foot-long spears.  The short steel spear can be thrown with arm strength from thirty steps away from the enemy, and its lethality is also amazing.  The Han army also learned from the Kushan people's short steel spears, which were equipped with some cavalry and had great lethality.  Although there are only 5,000 Guishang cavalry, their combat effectiveness is very strong. It is precisely because of this elite cavalry that Nangong Jing is full of confidence in rescuing Guzang.  As long as he does not encounter the heavy armored infantry of the Han army, he can defeat any other Han army in one battle.  Nangong Jing led five thousand Guishang cavalry to gallop all the way. Two days later, they gradually arrived at Guzang County. Still more than ten miles away from the county seat, he stopped the battle.??, ordered the soldiers to rest on the spot, and sent scouts to inquire about the news.  Guzang County is surrounded by endless grasslands. To the west is the snow-capped Guzang Mountain, which is also part of the Qilian Mountains. The sun shines on the top of the mountain covered with ice and snow, making it dazzling and shining with golden light. Guzang Mountain is also called Guzang Mountain by the Huns.  'Holy Mountain'.  While the soldiers were resting by a small river, the rapid sound of horse hooves suddenly came from the distance. Nangong Jing stood up in a hurry and saw the scouts he sent rushing past. This must be a military signal, and he immediately  The order said, "All mount up!" The five thousand Guishang cavalry got on their horses one after another. Nangong Jing urged the horse to ride forward and asked loudly: "What happened?" "General Qi, we have discovered the enemy's situation, which is Shili.  outside."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 998 Broken Halberd Gu Zang

    The scouts sent by Nangong Jing discovered a Han army of more than 10,000 spear infantry ten miles away. This news made Nangong very excited. The number of Han people was not large, which was just the right time for his army to fight the first battle and defeat the Han army to establish its prestige.  Although Ma Chao asked him to wait until the main force arrived, Nangong Jing was impatient at this time, and he immediately led 5,000 cavalry to the southeast.  For a moment, they ran to a high ground and discovered the Han army several miles away. Nangong Jing immediately put up a curtain on the high ground and looked at the Han army. The Han army seemed to have discovered them and was slowly retreating, but when it reached  They stopped three miles away, and there was a piece of grassland in front of them, obviously wanting to fight them.  Nangong Jing slowly narrowed his eyes. There were not many Han troops. They were basically infantry. They were probably ambushing reinforcements, but they were discovered by his own scouts. This was their chance.  Nangong Jing is very conceited. His five thousand elite cavalry are all veterans of many years of fighting. They are rich in combat experience and are the elite army of the Kushan Empire. They also participated in the last expedition to Northern Tianzhu. As a result, they attacked from the flanks.  Defeated 50,000 Tianzhu troops in one fell swoop.  It was the repeated great victories against the Tianzhu Army that made this army look down upon the Han Army. The Han Army may have good equipment, but they are not nomadic and are not strong in cavalry. They are only stronger than the Qiang army, and the nobles  Frost Army is still far behind.  "Get ready to fight!" Nangong Jing shouted loudly, and the five thousand Guishuang troops raised their spears with uniform movements, showing their superb military qualities.  ¡°Forward in formation!¡± ¡®Woo¡ª¡ª¡¯ A low horn sounded on the grassland, which was an order to attack.  The Kushan army marched slowly. The five thousand cavalry were divided into five rows. Each row had a thousand men, two feet apart, as if they had been carefully measured. Each of them was equipped with ten short spears, each of which weighed about seven kilograms.  , made of fine iron, can be thrown far by arm strength, and can pierce the enemy from a distance of thirty steps. This is the sharpest weapon used by the Kushan army to deal with the Parthian heavy armored cavalry.  The cavalry began to trot, holding a shield in one hand and a spear in the other. They were still in order, and the sharp short spears in their hands shone coldly in the sun.  The Han army that the Guishang Army encountered was the left-wing spear infantry led by General Zhang Ren. Zhang Ren's army was deployed at the north gate of Guzang County. When he heard that reinforcements were coming, he took the initiative to ask for troops to intercept them.  The army led by Zhang Ren was originally Liu Zhang's Yizhou Army. Most of the soldiers were from Bashu. They had followed Liu Jing for many years and also had rich combat experience. In particular, they had participated in the Battle of Hanzhong and the Battle of Longxi, and they were also experienced in dealing with cavalry.  A certain amount of experience.  The Han army is equipped with horn crossbows, which have an effective killing range of a hundred steps. The only drawback is that it is slow to wind up. It can only be fired twice within a hundred steps. In order to make up for this weakness, each Han army is equipped with a pair of bows and arrows.  Suitable for short-range shooting, followed by knives, spears and shields, complete equipment.  (Baidu Search Geili Literature Network is the fastest and most stable update) But this time they did not carry bows and arrows. Bringing too much equipment would make their march inconvenient, but they did bring the most powerful secret weapon of the Han army.  Although this was the first time Zhang Ren fought against the Kushan Army, his rich combat experience allowed him to see the strengths and weaknesses of the Kushan Army at a glance.  Needless to say, they are well-trained. They can maintain an orderly formation while running, which even the Qiang cavalry cannot do. It is obvious that their overall cooperation is very skilled. From this point alone, they are a powerful enemy.  Secondly, they did not have bows and arrows. Each of them had multiple short spears behind them, and in addition to the short spears there was a long spear. It can be inferred that short spears are their throwing weapons. The range of short spears is not as good as crossbows.  The Han army had a slight advantage.  The horses of the Guishuang army seemed to be very strong, tall and strong. They seemed to be much more powerful than the horses of the Huns, and even faster than the horses of the Han army.  But his weakness is also obvious, that is, their armors are all tight-fitting leather armor. This kind of leather armor cannot withstand the crossbows of the Han army, but he seems to know this weakness. Each of them has a large shield, but even if  No shield can stop the Han army's bee crossbow iron arrows.  Zhang Ren had a plan to fight the enemy in his mind, and he immediately ordered: "Set up the Crescent Crossbow Formation!" The Han army waved their military flags and began to quickly adjust their formation, adjusting it to a slightly curved crescent-shaped military formation that was heavier in the middle and lighter at the ends.  There are five rows, with two rows on both sides, so as to ensure the maximum density of crossbow arrows. The Han soldiers in the first two rows hold giant shields to defend against the sharp spears of the Kushan people.  The Han army also advanced slowly, holding crossbows in hand, and stopped on a high ground, maintaining a tight formation. The two armies were getting closer and closer, shouts and shouts intertwined, drums rumbled, and horns whimpered.  , boosting the morale of their respective soldiers.  "Two hundred stepsone hundred fifty stepsone hundred and twenty steps, they have entered the killing range of the Han army's crossbows. The Kushan cavalry rushed to the ground and raised their shields, but Zhang Ren did not order the arrows to be fired."He stared at the Kushan people's shields with sharp eyes, as if he could see through these wooden shields. These shields could withstand the Han army's hard crossbows at one hundred and twenty steps, but not necessarily at eighty steps.  All the Han troops held their breath and prepared for the attack.  Ninety steps later, Zhang Ren still didn't give the order. Many Han soldiers had cold sweat on their palms. This was something they had never experienced in many years of fighting. They didn't even release an arrow at ninety steps.  At this time, the Kushan cavalry suddenly accelerated, and the distance between the queues began to widen, but the queues were still neat. This was the rich experience of the Kushan cavalry. The distance was widened at the last moment, so that the killing area of ????the Han army's bows and arrows was smaller.  The horses galloped, and the cavalry shouted and attacked the Han army overwhelmingly. At seventy steps, Zhang Ren pointed his sword and shouted: "Shoot flatly!" The three crossbow arrows in the first row shot out flatly. This was the advantage of seventy steps.  There is no need to shoot a parabola, just shoot flatly. The arrows are like a strong rain, whistling towards the Kushan cavalry group.  The powerful crossbow arrows shot through the shields of the Kushan cavalry, penetrated the leather armor, and penetrated directly into the body. The horse fell to the ground. The cavalry screamed and fell from the horse. In an instant, they were turned on their backs. Nearly five hundred people were shot over.  The momentum of the cavalry attack was thwarted.  Immediately afterwards, the second and third rounds of 6,000 arrows were also shot. Within 70 steps, the 5,000 Kushan troops lost more than 1,000 people. Although the Kushan cavalry horses galloped, almost all the cavalry in the front row were  After being shot down, the Kushan cavalry was no closer to the Han army. It was still seventy steps away. At this time, the Han soldiers who had finished shooting in the first round had already cocked their crossbows and raised their crossbows again. They pulled the sword and the arrows were like arrows.  When the rain started, three thousand arrows shot at the Kushan cavalry overwhelmingly.  The three thousand soldiers in the second row also finished cocking their crossbows and fired. They did not need to aim, they just pointed in the direction and fired quickly. The soldiers in the third row also raised their crossbows.  The soldiers fired arrows, stringed them, loaded them, and raised their crossbows with extremely smooth movements. In a very short period of time, they had already shot 20,000 arrows in two rounds.  The Guishang cavalry had lost more than 1,800 people. The remaining soldiers were furious, raised their swords, shouted, and urged their horses to gallop.  More than 3,000 Guishuang cavalry rushed forward in formation against the dense rain of arrows. Their speed was getting faster and faster, the sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and their momentum was like a stormy sea. They destroyed everything and were invincible. They attacked the densely defending Han Dynasty with unstoppable violence.  The soldiers rushed over.  At this time, the rapid drumbeats of the Han army sounded, and the Han army's crescent crossbow formation suddenly dispersed. Before the short spears of the Kushan army were thrown, they quickly spread to both sides, like an inverted figure-eight-shaped wild goose returning north.  .  The Han soldiers galloped, and the army retreated like a tide. Behind them appeared densely packed wooden bull and bee crossbows. They were a thousand bee crossbows. The cold crossbow arrow boxes were aimed at the galloping Kushan cavalry.  The change of formation of the Han army caught Nangong Jing off guard. He originally saw that the first two rows of the Han army were holding huge shields, as if to resist their spears, which made him happy. The short spears of the Kushan people were extremely sharp and powerful.  Any shield can withstand it, and the Han army's dense formation is just right for their flying spears to massacre.  However, the Han army suddenly changed their formation at fifty steps, and Nangong Jing had no time to adjust. He had to shout: "Throw the spear!" Without his order, the Kushan cavalry had already raised their arms and thrown, thousands of short spears intertwined into one.  The dense rain was flying in the air with terrifying force. Although most of the cavalry were thrown fifty steps away, with the help of horses, most of the short spears still shot into the Han army's position.  The last part of the Han army had no time to retreat, and the sharp short spears pierced their armor quickly and violently. More than two hundred Han soldiers fell to the ground screaming, and the short spears pierced their bodies, nailing them to death on the spot.  .  At this moment, the bee crossbow was also launched. There was only a clicking sound, and 30,000 iron arrows came out of the string, whistling towards the galloping cavalry group.  Seeing the wooden ox blocking the road ahead, the more than a thousand Guishang cavalry who were rushing in front reined in their horses one after another. However, they were stunned by the iron crossbow bolts sprayed out.  But the bee crossbow has a longer range. They passed over a thousand cavalry in front, but fired at the Kushan cavalry behind. The overwhelming iron crossbow arrows rushed towards them like a black cloud.  Iron arrows shot into the cavalry group like a violent storm. The running Kushan cavalry raised their shields to defend themselves to no avail. The iron arrows pierced their heads and bodies, and screams and wails broke out. Blood spattered everywhere, and flesh and blood flew everywhere.  Then the second round of 30,000 iron crossbow bolts roared in. In just two rounds of shooting, the Kushan cavalry behind them was shot and defeated.  This powerful weapon made Nangong Jing frightened. He turned his horse and fled. More than a thousand cavalrymen under him were also frightened to death. They followed the general and turned around and fled backward.  At this time, the bee crossbow unleashed its power again, and another 30,000 iron crossbow arrows were fired, densely shooting at the fleeing Kushan cavalry. Nangong Jing fled at the front, but he could not escape the whizzing arrow rain, and only felt behind him  I felt a chill on my back, and several iron crossbow arrows shot through.His body, he only heard screams from behind, his vision went dark, and he fell off his horse.  At this time, the Kushan Empire fought the Han army for the first time, and it was also their most tragic defeat since the founding of the country. More than 4,800 of the 5,000 elite cavalry were shot to death after just one charge. Almost the entire army was wiped out. Only  Less than a hundred people escaped from the arrow massacre.  The news later spread to the Guishuang Kingdom, which frightened the monarchs and ministers of the Guishuang Kingdom. King Dulin's hometown complex was shattered into pieces. From then on, they never thought of peeking into the Central Plains again.  A few years later, Prince Suleiman of the Kushan Kingdom went on a pilgrimage to the Central Plains. When passing by this battlefield, he also found a rusty short spear from the Kushan Army, which made him cry.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 999 Regaining Wuwei

    An hour later, Zhao Yun led the generals to the northwest of Guzang County where a fierce battle broke out. At this time, the Han army had basically cleared the battlefield. When he heard that the general Zhao Yun had arrived, Zhang Ren hurriedly came to see him.  Geili Literature Network Zhao Yun asked with a smile: "I heard that the enemy in this battle is very special. They are not Qiang people, but Kushan people. Is that true?" "It should be! Five thousand Guishang cavalry are well-equipped, but they are also  It can't withstand the Han army's bee crossbow. The bee crossbow is really a powerful weapon against cavalry! " "Is it more powerful than the heavy armored infantry?" Liu Hu said unconvinced.  "Of course it can't be compared with the heavy armored infantry!" Zhang Ren smiled slightly and added: "But if the enemy has bee crossbows, I'm afraid the heavy armored infantry will also suffer." The implication is that the heavy armored infantry can't resist the bees.  Liu Hu's face turned red when the crossbow fired. He had actually done an experiment. A hundred steps away, the iron crossbow bolts of the bee crossbow could penetrate the thick armor of heavy armored infantry. He heard that Cao Jun also had a bee crossbow, which made Liu Hu  Tiger's heart was filled with worries.  Now Zhang Ren mentioned his pain point. Just as he was about to have an attack, Zhao Yun changed the subject, "Let me see what kind of equipment they have!" "Commander, please follow me!" Zhang Ren turned around and left,  Liu Hu was so angry that he could only snort angrily, and followed Zhang Ren with everyone.  Zhang Ren led everyone to a high ground, where various trophies from the battlefield were piled up. Not far away, by the river, nearly three thousand war horses were quietly drinking water and eating grass by the river. They had completely recovered from the bloody  Quiet in the midst of a fierce battle.  Zhao Yun glanced at the horses from a distance and was surprised by the majesty of these horses. Zhang Ren smiled and said: "These are Dawan horses. Although most of them are medium-sized, they are also very strong. They are stronger than most of our cavalry horses. Our cavalry  "Blessed." Zhao Yun smiled, and his eyes fell on the weapon in front of him. He picked up a spear and looked at it. Neither the shaft nor the sharp blade was as well made as the Han army's spear.  The steel is of particularly good quality, extremely hard and sharp, much better than the spears of the Han army.  "Captain, look at this sword!" Zhang Ren picked up a sword and handed it to Zhao Yun, smiling: "They don't have sabers, they all have swords, but their swords are really good." Zhao Yun took the sword and slowly pulled it out of its sheath.  Seeing that the long sword was cold and extremely sharp, and was made of the same fine steel as the spear, he nodded and said to everyone: "I heard His Highness the King of Han say that the Kushan people have a kind of fine iron of excellent quality.  Compared with the iron quality of our swords, their swords and spears should be made of this kind of fine iron, which is indeed good." Liu Hu suddenly became worried and said, "I heard that Ma Chao bought a lot of armor from the Guishang Kingdom. Is that true?  The Huiqiang people are also equipped with such spears and swords?" Zhao Yun smiled and shook his head, "His Royal Highness the Han Dynasty said that the output of this kind of refined iron is not large, and the Guishang Kingdom strictly prohibits exporting it. Even their army only has the king.  The most elite direct army has this kind of fine iron weapon configuration. "Zhang Ren smiled in surprise: "So, the Kushan cavalry that was wiped out today was their elite army." "What do you think?"  Zhao Yun asked with a smile.  Zhang Ren sighed, "That's true. This army is well-trained and experienced. The cavalry runs neatly and uniformly. It can be called an elite army. It's a pity that they encountered our bee crossbow. Otherwise, if the two armies fought fiercely, we would be killed or injured."  It's a heavy blow, but we may not be able to defeat the opponent." Just as he was talking, a scout from a distance rushed towards the crowd, reined in the horse and said: "Report to the Governor, we have discovered the main force of the Xiliang Army, about 20,000 people.  They are coming to Wuwei County, and now the commander is Ma Chao, fifty miles away. "Zhao Yun was overjoyed that Ma Chao finally went south, and he immediately ordered: "Pass my order, the army is ready to fight" Zhao Yun wanted to fight in Wuwei.  The county annihilated Ma Chao's main force, but he forgot one thing. More than a hundred Guishang cavalry escaped from the battlefield. At this time, Ma Chao received a report from more than a dozen Guishang cavalry, and learned the news that Nangong Jing's entire army had been annihilated.  This made Ma Chao immediately alert. Of course he knew that the Kushan cavalry had encountered the Han army's bee crossbows, which were the most powerful crossbows. It was not surprising that the Guishan cavalry suffered a disastrous defeat.  But what Ma Chao thought of was another aspect. The bee crossbows of the Han army always follow the main force and will never be carried by the vanguard army. So the more than 20,000 troops outside Guzang must be the main force of the Han army and should be Zhao Yun's army.  , then there should never be only 20,000 people.  Ma Chao suddenly realized that he had probably fallen into a trap. The Han army only used 20,000 people to surround Guzang County instead of attacking the county town, just to lure them to come for rescue. Once they fell into the siege of the Han army, they would probably  Unable to return to Zhangye.  At this time, Ma Chao suddenly thought of something and immediately asked: "Is there any news from the Xibutu Department?" &nbsp; A general stepped forward and replied: "There is no news!" Before Ma Chao set off, he sent a small team to the slaughter department to urge the cattle and sheep. Calculating the time, even if the cattle and sheep could not arrive at the moment, there should be some subordinates first.  I came back to report, but now there is no news at all, which is very strange.  Normally, Ma Chao would have thought that something unexpected might have happened and would not have taken it too seriously, but now he was preconceived and immediately realized that this must be the Han army hiding its main force in Xiutu County, preparing to cut off its own retreat.  The more he thought about this possibility, the greater the possibility. Ma Chao suddenly became nervous, and he did not bother to rescue Guzang County. He immediately ordered: "All the troops retreat! Return to Zhangye." The 20,000 Qiang cavalry turned their horses and returned to Zhangye. Ma Chao  No longer aiding Guzang County, he ran towards the north as quickly as possible. At this time, Wang Ping led 30,000 Han troops to rush south quickly, but Wang Ping was still a step too late in the end. When he led his army  When they arrived at Guzang, Ma Chao and his 20,000 main force had already left early, causing the Han army's plan to cut off the enemy's retreat to fail.  An army of 50,000 men immediately surrounded Guzang County. At this time, Xiu Tuhun did not know that the Guishang cavalry had been wiped out, nor did he know that Ma Chao had abandoned Wuwei County.  Waiting for reinforcements to arrive.  At the fourth watch, a group of more than ten Han cavalrymen approached the north gate of Guzang County. They dropped a sack in front of the city gate and ran away.  The defenders on the city were alerted, and they all looked out to see what was going on outside the city. After a while, several Qiang soldiers went down to the city in a hanging cage and found a sack discarded by the Han army. There seemed to be a person inside.  They carried the sacks and went up to the city. Someone was anxious to report to Xiu Tuhun. After a while, Xiu Tuhun hurried up to the city. "Who is in the bag?" he asked urgently.  The soldiers dispersed one after another. Xiu Tuhun stepped forward and saw that the bag had been untied, revealing the body of an adulterous man. He held up a torch to illuminate the man's face and was shocked. This turned out to be Nangong Jing's body.  His legs went weak and he immediately collapsed on the ground, muttering to himself, "What's going on? What's going on?" Nangong Jing was actually dead. Was he killed on the way to call for rescue, or was he bringing reinforcements?  Killed while marching south?  Xiu Tuhun's heart was in a mess. He didn't know what happened?  Don't even know what to do?  At this moment, the soldier shouted again: "Chief, there is a situation below the city!" He hurriedly walked to the battlements, looked down, and saw a group of old people coming down from the city, all holding torches and wearing Qiang clothes.  Tu Hun asked loudly: "Who are you?" "Chief, it's us, I am Ulibesi!" Ulibesi is the elder of Xiu Tu tribe. Xiu Tuhun was surprised and asked urgently.  "Why are you here?" "Chief, something happened to the tribe, let us enter the city." Xiutuhun was frightened and ordered quickly: "Open the city gate quickly!" The city gate opened, and a group of old people walked in.  , they knelt down and cried loudly, Xiutuhun stamped his feet anxiously, "Stop crying, tell me quickly, what happened to the tribe?" Ulibesi cried: "Chief, the tribe is over, everyone in the tribe is over  The people were captured by the Han army, and the cattle and sheep were gone." Xiutuhun felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head. He couldn't say a word for a long time. His tribe was attacked by the Han army, and they were finished.  At this time, thousands of soldiers from Xiu Tuhun came after hearing the news. They heard that their wives, children, and parents had been captured by the Han army.  He said: "Chief, our home, wife and children have been captured, why should we fight? Surrender!" Xiutuhun wiped away his tears and asked Ulibesi, "Uncle, do you have any news about Ma Chao's army?"  "I heard that all the Guishang troops were killed. Ma Chao has fled back to Zhangye and will not come again."  The famous generals all cried: "We don't want to fight anymore, everything is decided by the chief!" Xiutuhun took off his shirt and ordered his subordinates: "Tie me up, let's open the city and surrender." Guzang City slowly opened,  Eight thousand Qiang troops in the city, led by Xiu Tuhun, left the city and surrendered to the Han army. This time, Zhao Yun no longer treated the prisoners of war leniently. He put Xiu Tuhun and all the generals above the rank of captain into prison cars and ordered them to be taken to Chang'an.  This is based on the experience of resettling the Wuhuan people. Without the chiefs and nobles, the tribe will naturally die out. This is not only the case for the Xiutu tribe, but also for other tribes.  With the occupation of Guzang County by the Han army, this meant that Wuwei County was recovered. After the Han army rested for ten days, Zhao Yun led an army of 40,000 to march toward Zhangye County, kicking off the decisive battle with Ma Chao.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1000 Imperial Examination News

    Chang'an gradually became lively during this period, not because the Hefei Battle ended and prices gradually dropped, nor because soldiers received generous rewards. Soldiers and their families had a lot of money in their pockets, and their purchasing power increased greatly.  The real reason is that the second public imperial examination of the Han Dynasty will be held in August three months later. From then on, it will be held every year, called the autumn examination. The news spread quickly throughout the world, making all scholars in the world cheer for joy, from Liaodong in the north to Liaodong in the south.  Scholars from Jiaozhou and as far west as Dunhuang all yearned for this opportunity to become an official.  There are living examples. The scholars who were admitted to the imperial examination in Xiangyang back then are now county magistrates who are the worst off, and some have even been promoted to prefects. This is an example for all scholars, making the scholars all over the world excited.  Ten days after the news was announced, scholars began to arrive in Chang'an one after another. These were scholars who were relatively close to Chang'an, such as Longxi, Guanzhong, Hanzhong, Bashu, etc. They yearned for Chang'an and came to Chang'an early.  Everyone knows that Chang'an has the best scholars and the best schools. Even senior officials from the Han Dynasty are concentrated here. If they can become the disciples of a certain senior official, maybe they can get into the top high school.  With various dreams in mind, scholars flocked in from all directions, crowded into hotels and restaurants in Chang'an, or stayed with relatives and friends, and stayed in private houses in Chang'an. In just a few days, there were  Nearly 20,000 scholars poured into Chang'an City.  The business of various taverns in Chang'an is becoming more and more prosperous. Many taverns have specially launched scholar buildings, setting aside a floor or a restaurant for the exclusive use of scholars. Every day, there are many guests and the business is extremely hot.  The reason why scholars like to gather in taverns is very simple, because they can hear a lot of news in taverns. From all kinds of true and false news, they can get useful information for themselves.  For example, there was a joke that happened. Several scholars from Zhangxian County, Longxi County heard in a tavern that the examiner this year was Zhang Lian, a fellow countryman of Zuo Cheng, the official official. The several scholars discussed and pooled their money to buy high-quality silk and satin to visit their fellow villagers.  He hesitated and expressed the hope that Zhang Lian would take care of them during the imperial examination.  As a result, they were kicked out by Zhang Lian with all his belongings. In the end, they found out that the examiner was usually appointed ten days before the exam, and what they heard in the tavern was false news.  Despite this, scholars are still flocking to major pubs, which also expresses their desire for high school from one aspect.  At noon that day, in the Sanba Tavern outside the east city of Chang'an, hundreds of scholars gathered on the second floor, talking loudly and noisily. A middle-aged scribe sat in the corner of the tavern, quietly listening to the discussions of the scholars.  This middle-aged scribe is Chen Qun, the envoy sent by Cao Cao. Chen Qun no longer knows how many times he has come to Chang'an. This time he came to discuss with Liu Jing the wedding date of Cao Xian, and Liu Jing happened to go to Hanzhong.  When he didn't return, he had to wait for a few days.  Another task Chen Qun shouldered was given to him by Cao Pi, who asked him to inspect the imperial examinations of the Han Dynasty. Cao Pi also wanted to imitate the Han Dynasty and hold a "spring examination" in Yedu next spring, which would also attract talents from all over the world to join him.  There was a noisy crowd in the lobby. Several scholars were arguing about the scope of this year's test questions. Someone shouted loudly: "You have forgotten, but I have not forgotten that the last time the Xiangyang imperial examination questions were mainly based on Legalism, this is  The King of Han's thoughts are good, so how can the people below not welcome them? This year's test questions must be mainly about Legalism. Everyone, go find it and learn it well." The people around him applauded, and a young scholar opposite Chen Qun said.  He curled his lips and sneered: "Even such a stupid person comes to take part in the imperial examination. No wonder so many people come to Chang'an." Chen Qun asked with a curious smile: "This little friend doesn't seem to agree with the Legalist theory.  "The young scholar cupped his hands and said: "The King of Han has always regarded Legalism as the bones, Confucianism as the skin and flesh, and Taoism as the essence and blood. All three schools are valued and will never be biased towards one side. Last time, the Legalist test questions were the main ones.  Because the folk customs in Yizhou and Jingzhou were loose and the people were not afraid of the law, which was not conducive to government governance, the king of Han decided to strengthen the laws and implement severe punishments in Jingzhou and Yizhou. It was under this environment that the imperial examination in Xiangyang came under the influence of Legalism.  The test questions are the main focus, this time, the other time. Now, if we mention Legalism as the main focus, wouldn¡¯t it be a fool¡¯s errand?¡± Chen Qun chuckled, ¡°My friend, you are right. I wonder which side you think this year¡¯s test questions will be biased towards?¡±  Zi proudly smiled and said: "I personally think that Confucianism and Taoism are the main two schools." "Why do you think so?" Chen Qun was even more surprised and asked with a smile.  "The reason is very simple. The armies of Han and Cao Cao had just experienced the Battle of Hefei, and both were severely injured. For this reason, Han and Cao Cao made a two-year alliance. In fact, they wanted to use two years to recuperate and restore the economy. Naturally, they needed inaction.  And governance, this is the Taoist idea, and it is also the most urgent request of the Han Dynasty to the local governments. They are not allowed to disturb the people and let the people rest and recuperate. " Chen Qun nodded, "That makes sense, then why?What about Confucianism?  " The young scholar smiled proudly and lowered his voice: "Seeing that the world is about to be unified, of course the King of Han must do something to show the Central Plains gentry that the Han Dynasty also respects Confucianism. Isn't the imperial examination the best propaganda?  " Chen Qun suddenly understood and smiled happily: "My little friend is right. I have learned from it. I wonder where your surname is from?  The young scholar stood up, cupped his hands and said, "I am Jiang Wei from Longxi. I will also take part in the imperial examination this year."  " Chen Qun smiled happily and said: "It turns out to be Young Master Jiang. I wish Young Master Jiang that he will go to high school this year!  ¡±?¡­ The next morning, Liu Jing returned from Hanzhong¡¯s inspection and returned to Chang¡¯an. At this time, Liu Jing had already learned the battle report of regaining Wuwei. Although this was news worth celebrating, for Liu Jing  Generally speaking, this was within his expectation. Although Ma Chao was ambitious, the Qiang people he relied on were far inferior to the Xiongnu and did not have much fighting power. It was only a matter of time before they perished. It was only a matter of regret for Liu Jing that Ma Chao ended up.  He failed to become the frontier official he relied on, but betrayed himself. This was the first general to betray him since Liu Jing started his army from Chaisang. He also hoped to be the last. As soon as Liu Jing returned to the mansion, guards came.  Report, "Cao Cao's envoy Chen Qun is outside the house asking for an audience!  " This made Liu Jing slightly startled. How could Chen Qun come by such a coincidence? As soon as he returned to the house, he came to visit him. Could it be that he had come a long time ago? Liu Jing didn't have time to think about it, and immediately ordered: "Take him to the distinguished guest.  Wait in the hall.  " Liu Jing got up and went to the guest room. At this time, his wife Tao Zhan walked into the study, changed him into a robe, pursed his lips and said with a smile: "I guess the envoy is here to talk about marriage, and the Cao family's daughter is probably going to enter the house.  .  Liu Jing actually thought about it. Not long ago, he told his wife that the marriage between Liu and Cao would continue, so Tao Zhan sent someone to send a long dress. Now that Cao Cao¡¯s envoy is here, he will not go to Pingzhangtai to see him.  But she came to her own mansion, of course it was for marriage. "The daughter of the Cao family wants to come in, can the good wife accept it calmly?  Liu Jing asked jokingly. Tao Zhan sighed and said helplessly: "With my status as my husband, it is easy to marry a thousand women. The etiquette also stipulates that my husband must marry twenty-four wives. Why should I be a bad person? And  I have also met Mrs. Cao. She is a nice person, virtuous and polite, and good-looking. I like her too. In addition, I heard that her father was planning to find another husband for her, but she refused, which shows that she treats you very much.  Infatuation, this matter cannot be delayed every year, and people can't afford to wait!  " Liu Jing nodded, "It's not just infatuation, but she is very smart. She knows how important this marriage is to the Cao family, so she is dedicated to sharing her father's worries, even at the expense of herself. She is indeed a good daughter.  " "Don't talk so badly about me, you don't understand a woman's heart.  " Liu Jing chuckled, turned around and walked to the outer house. Tao Zhan saw her husband walking away and frowned slightly. If the wedding date is set, the time is coming soon. They also need to make preparations, especially Cao Xian's residence. Tao Zhan thought  After thinking about it, Mingyue Building was more suitable. She had to ask someone to tidy it up. Tao Zhan calculated the items he needed and walked quickly to Mingyue Building. Chen Qun sat in the guest room and waited patiently, drinking tea slowly.  Suddenly there were footsteps outside, and the maid reminded him gently, "Sir, your highness is here.  " Chen Qun stood up and saw Liu Jing, the King of Han, quickly walking up the steps. Chen Qun hurriedly greeted him and bowed deeply, "I am here to see His Highness the King of Han!  " "Chen Zhongcheng, we meet again.  "Liu Jing smiled slightly. Chen Qun suddenly remembered that Liu Jing wanted him to serve the Han Kingdom. He felt a little uneasy. Will Liu Jing persuade him to stay again this time? Although he felt uneasy, Chen Qun still restrained himself.  Overcoming the uneasiness in his heart, he said respectfully: "Wei Chen is entrusted by Duke Wei to come to His Highness the King of Han to discuss the previously agreed marriage.  " He took out another scroll and presented it to Liu Jing, "This is an autographed letter from Duke Wei to His Highness. Please read it!  Liu Jing nodded, "This matter has been dragged on for two years, and it really can't be dragged on any longer. Mr. Zhong Cheng, please sit down!"  " Liu Jing asked Chen Qun to sit down and asked the maid to serve tea. He read Cao Cao's letter, which was very polite. He hoped that the two families would get married as soon as possible. His daughter was getting older and it was not appropriate to delay it any longer. He also hoped that the marriage would be completed as soon as possible.  So and so. The letter contained a father's ardent expectation for his daughter's marriage and did not mention anything else. In fact, this was Cao Cao's gesture to ease the relationship. Liu Jing put away the letter and asked with a smile: "How is Wei Gong's health?"  good?  " "Wei Gong is still in good health, but he is old and cannot be compared with before. His physical strength and energy are not as good as before, and military and political affairs are basically left to the prince.  " "Military and political affairs?  " Liu Jing smiled and said: "Did the military power also be handed over to the crown prince?  " Chen Qun was a little embarrassed and said after a while: "It is not convenient for me to answer this matter. Please forgive me.  "    "hehe!  I'm just asking casually, don't take it to heart.  " At this time, Chen Qun turned the topic back to business, "Your Highness, regarding the marriage, the previous process has basically been completed. Today I am here to discuss the date and marriage. In fact, the details of the marriage have also been discussed. Wei Gong  There is no need to change the meaning, we should proceed according to the previously discussed plan. The key now is the application date, which is also my mission this time. I hope that His Highness the King of Han can confirm the specific date of the wedding.  " Liu Jing pondered for a while and said: "Actually, this matter should be discussed with Heping Zhangtai. Chen Zhongcheng should not come to me directly. After all, this is not my personal matter, and Pingzhangtai has come forward several times.  " Chen Qun said quickly: "I have already talked with Heping Zhangtai. Several ministers hope to get married as soon as possible, but the specific time is still up to the Highness to decide, and Wei Gong also hopes that this matter is both public and private. It is best  Can get the attitude of a princess.  Liu Jing nodded and told the maid in the hall: "Go and invite the princess!"  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1001 The Battle between Zhao and Ma

    Not long after, Princess Tao Zhan of the Han Dynasty, accompanied by several maids, walked into the distinguished guest hall. Chen Qun quickly stood up to greet her, "See you, Princess!" "Chen Shijun, there is no need to be polite, please sit down!" Tao Zhan asked Chen Qun to sit down.  Next, she sat next to Liu Jing. At this time, Chen Qun smiled and said: "Wei Gong thanked the princess for the gift she gave to Miss Xian. In addition, Miss Xian also gave a gift in return. The minister has brought it and is outside the mansion.  Liu Jing smiled and said, "I would like to see if it is convenient for Zhong Cheng?" Chen Qun quickly went out and asked his men to bring the items in. The two followers put down a gold lacquer box and stepped back. Chen Qun opened it.  The box also contained a tube skirt. At this time, two maids placed the box in front of Tao Zhan. Tao Zhan slowly picked up the long skirt and saw that the workmanship was very fine, but the fabric was also made of fine linen and there was no decoration on it.  Taste.  Chen Qun smiled and said: "It took Miss Xian three days to cut this with her own hands. She hopes that the princess will like it." Tao Zhan understood the deep meaning of this long dress and smiled slightly: "Please Chen Shijun tell Miss Xian that I am very happy."  I like it and thank her for her kindness." "Wei Chen will definitely tell Liu Jing." Chen Qun said to Liu Jing: "Wei Gong wants to get married next month. I wonder if His Highness approves of this time?" Liu Jing glanced at Tao Zhan. Tao Zhan said.  Nodding, although the time was a little rushed, but if she hurry up, she should be in time. Liu Jing smiled happily and said: "Then it will be set in mid-June. I will send Sima Shangshu to Yedu to marry Wei Gong's daughter." Chen Qun was overjoyed and deeply moved.  He bowed and said, "Thank you for your promise, Your Highness. I hope that this time the two families can be friends with Qin and Jin." Liu Jing smiled faintly, "I don't think there will be any more surprises." In Zhangye, Hexi, 50,000 Han troops were resting for ten years.  After the day, Zhao Yun ordered General Wu Lan to lead 6,000 troops to guard Guzang County, while he personally led 45,000 troops to Zhangye. The Han army was unstoppable along the way, and the Qiang tribes along the way surrendered.  Three days later, the Han army gradually arrived at Zhangye City. At this time, Ma Chao also dispatched troops and generals. He transferred 30,000 Qiang troops from Jiuquan County to Zhangye and mobilized 50,000 troops. Ma Chao knew that defending the city was the weak point of the Qiang army. Once the Han army  The Qiang army will be unable to resist if they attack the city.  Only by using the superiority of cavalry in a decisive battle on the grassland can they have a glimmer of hope. Even so, Ma Chao also knew that except for the 20,000 troops directly under his own command, the other 30,000 troops were basically improvised herdsmen with insufficient training and low morale.  Low, they are not a well-trained opponent of the Han army at all. Once the two armies fight fiercely, they may only have 20% hope of winning.  At this time, Ma Chao received news that his brother Ma Dai led 6,000 Han troops out of Dunhuang and attacked Jiuquan County. There was no army left in Jiuquan. Ma Dai's army swept across Jiuquan, and various Qiang tribes surrendered. The situation was extremely unfavorable to him.  , he had to conceal the news of the fall of Jiuquan, lest the morale of the army would change.  But good things never go out, and bad things spread thousands of miles. Ma Chao tried every means to conceal the news, but the news of the fall of Jiuquan still spread among the army. For a while, people were panicked and the morale of the army was shaken, which made Ma Chao panic.  At this moment, Zhao Yun personally led 45,000 troops to Zhangye County, which was only ten miles away from Zhangye City. This caused great fear in the Qiang army. Amid internal and external troubles, Ma Chao decided to make a desperate move and ordered 50,000 troops to fight the Han army.  , using a battle to decide the fate of Hexi and himself.  Five miles south of Zhangye City, the two armies set up a large formation in the wilderness. 'Woo¡ª¡ª' The low sound of horns echoed on the grassland. The strong wind blew the grassland. The battle flags were fluttering in the wind. Both sides had spears.  Like a forest, the battle flags are like the sea, and the long formation stretches for more than ten miles.  The Qiang army is all cavalry, and the 20,000-horse chao directly subordinated the army to become the central army. They are well-equipped, wearing neat double-layered leather armor, holding sharp spears, and wearing swords at their waists, while the 30,000 Qiang troops who came from Jiuquan are divided into columns.  The two sides became the left and right wings, guarding the Chinese army. Their equipment was obviously inferior to Ma Chao's direct army. Their leather armor was rough and their weapons were single, either spears or swords. Many soldiers did not even have helmets and were only wrapped in white cloth.  head.  Compared with the Qiang army, the Han army's equipment is very neat. Not only does each soldier have a spear, a bow and arrow, a round shield and a sword, but also the helmet is strong, and the leather armor is decorated with iron scales. There are also various types of military services, including spear infantry,  There are crossbow troops, cavalry archers, heavy armored infantry, and eight thousand elite cavalry. The morale is high and the army is eager to fight.  Regardless of equipment, morale, training and experience, the Han army is far superior to its opponents. Any general can see that this is an unbalanced battle. Unless a miracle happens, the Qiang army will definitely lose.  Under the commander's flag, Xu Shu whispered to Zhao Yun and smiled: "Captain, have you seen that the enemy's two wings are their weak point? We can use Tian Ji's horse racing strategy, with the upper horse against the middle horse, the middle horse to dismount him, and the lower horse to mount him.  , In this way, our army will definitely win." Zhao Yun smiled slightly and said, "The military adviser can tell you in detail!"?It's very simple. I suggest using 20,000 spear troops to face the center, heavy infantry to face the left wing, and cavalry to face the right wing. In addition, the archers should focus on the right wing. Defeat the left and right wings first. Ma Chao's center army will also be unable to support it.  " Zhao Yun thought for a moment and said: "But if you want to use cavalry to protect the two wings of the heavy armored infantry, they should not be separated.  " Liu Hu said with a smile: "This time we don't need cavalry to protect us. I will use a large barrel formation to fight against the enemy. We will have no weaknesses.  " Zhao Yun nodded, "In this case, we will implement it according to the military advisor's strategy.  " As soon as Zhao Yun finished speaking, the soldiers on both sides suddenly burst into shouts. Ma Chao rushed out of the military formation single-handedly and went straight to the front of the formation. He shouted loudly: "Zhao Yun, are you willing to fight to the death with me?  " Ma Chao actually wanted to challenge Zhao Yun. Pang Tong said anxiously: "Captain, no, this is because Ma Chao knew that he was not strong enough, so he used this tactic to force the coach to fight. Once the coach is injured, it will affect the morale of the army.  " Zhao Yun sneered, "When I, Zhao Zilong, ruled the world, I didn't know where Ma Chao was?  Military advisor An Neng despises me.  Liu Hu said sternly: "Let me fight with him!"  " Zhao Yun shook his head, "You are no match for him, let me do it!  " Zhao Yun urged the war horse, and the war horse galloped out. Zhao Yun's war horse is called 'Xueli Hongying'. It is a top-quality Dawan horse, with a snow-white body, only a tuft of red mane on the top of its head. The war horse is tall and strong, and has strong running power.  , extremely fast, no less than the red rabbit horse of the year. It was originally the most cherished horse of Huchuquan, the Xiongnu Chanyu. The new Chanyu Daman gave it to Liu Jing as a gift, and Liu Jing gave it to Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun loved it very much.  , this time he specially rode it to the Hexi expedition. Zhao Yun wore silver armor and a black battle robe. The silver dragon chasing wind spear in his hand was eight feet long, and his majesty was still the same as before. However, Ma Chao was wearing a gold helmet and gold armor, and he was wearing a colorful battle robe.  , with a red-blooded horse on his hip and a golden dragon spear in his hand. Although he is nearly forty years old, he is still very heroic. Both of them are world-famous warriors, but they have never had the chance to fight. This time, both sides are the main generals.  , they should not have gone to battle in person, but Ma Chao knew that his army was weak, so he had to resort to danger and defeat Zhao Yun in single combat. Maybe they still had a chance of winning. Zhao Yun waved his silver spear and said coldly: "His Royal Highness, the King of Han, is against you.  Such trust allowed you to guard Hexi, but you betrayed His Highness, colluded with Xirong, annexed my Han territory, and brought shame to your ancestors. How can you stand in heaven and earth? If I were you, I would have killed myself to apologize, but you have no shame.  You still dare to challenge the Han army arrogantly, today is the day you die!  " Ma Chao's face turned red after being scolded. He roared, pointed his gun and stabbed. The gun was as fast as lightning, and it stabbed Zhao Yun's throat in the blink of an eye. However, Zhao Yun was not in a hurry, turned his body slightly to the side, and stabbed Ma Chao with his backhand.  On the left chest, the spear seemed slow, but it came quickly. Ma Chao used the tail of the spear to deflect the spear, and struck Zhao Yun's head with one arm. The force was so powerful that the wind sounded like thunder.  If it was hit hard, the skull would be shattered. Zhao Yun raised his gun to block, and there was a loud sound of "Dang!". Their arms went numb, and Ma Chao laughed, "As expected of Changshan Zhao Zilong.  It's really awesome, let's take another shot!  ¡± His spear rushed like a thunderbolt and hit Zhao Yun¡¯s chest. Zhao Yun smiled coldly and stabbed the spear flatly. This spear seemed ordinary, but it contained great power, as if all the power around him was sucked into his body.  At the tip of the spear, Ma Chao knew how powerful it was and didn't dare to attack again. He turned back with his spear lightly and used extremely clever force to break through Zhao Yun's mountain-like heavy spear. The two men's horses were intertwined. They turned over and fired the carbine at the same time. The spear points collided.  , flames flew everywhere, the two men shouted at the same time, fighting together in high spirits. The battle was so dark that the sky was dark and the sky was dark. One was the Canglong Chuhai and the other was the Golden Python Pushing the Clouds. They were both indistinguishable.  Fierce generals, the soldiers of both armies were so mesmerized by this battle that they even forgot about the cheers. The two fought fiercely for more than a hundred rounds, and they still couldn't decide the outcome, but Ma Chao's physical strength was a little exhausted.  In the past two years, he has been extremely extravagant and immersed in fine wine and beautiful women all day long. His body is not as good as before. On the contrary, although Zhao Yun is a few years older, he is strict with himself, never drinks, let alone indulges himself, every day  He got up early to practice riding and shooting, sharing the joys and sorrows with the soldiers. After more than a hundred rounds of fierce fighting, he became more and more courageous, and his strength did not seem to weaken. Although he also felt that Ma Chao's strength was gradually fading, he did not dare to be careless.  In case Ma Chao was deliberately showing weakness, he cheered up and fought with Ma Chao. Ma Chao knew it and complained secretly, thinking to himself, "Is it possible that my reputation will fall into the hands of Zhao Yun?" He was not angry and kept his spirits up.  They fought fiercely with Zhao Yun. The two fought for more than thirty rounds. Ma Chao could no longer hold on. He used a flaw and stabbed Zhao Yun in the chest with a gun. The gun speed was extremely fast. As long as Zhao Yun blocked his shot, he would  There is a chance to withdraw??Run away.  Unexpectedly, Zhao Yun had already seen that he was exhausted. Although the spear was fast, it was not very powerful. Zhao Yun drew the sword with his left hand and struck the tip of his spear with his sword, while the single spear with his right hand was aimed at Ma Chao's lower abdomen.  Ma Chao suddenly felt bad, and it was too late to fire back, ¡®Crack!  With a sound, Zhao Yun's sword split the tip of Ma Chao's spear, and the single spear in his right hand stabbed Ma Chao's lower abdomen without hesitation. Ma Chao instinctively turned sideways and avoided the lower abdomen, and Zhao Yun's spear stabbed into Ma Chao's left rib.  , the foot-long spear tip pierced the body.  Ma Chao yelled and hit Zhao Yun's head with his spear. Zhao Yun drew out his spear and blocked the final blow. At this moment, Ma Chao's vision turned black and he turned his horse's head and fled. Zhao Yun urged his horse to gallop and quickly caught up with him.  He had to shoot Ma Chao in the back with another shot in the back, but Zhao Yun hesitated and withdrew the spear.  "Go ahead! I, Zhao Zilong, will never hurt anyone from behind, nor will I ruin my reputation because of you." Ma Chao pressed his wound, endured the pain and ran back to the formation, shouting: "The whole army attacks!" The war drums sounded.  , 50,000 Qiang army cavalry galloped out, rushing towards the Han army formation like a stormy wave, and the grassland was covered by overwhelming cavalry.  At this time, the morale of the Han army was high, and the heavy armored infantry was even more eager to fight. However, Zhao Yun was not in a hurry to let the heavy armored infantry fight. He pointed his spear and said, "Arrange the crossbow troops!" Seven thousand crossbow troops quickly stepped forward and formed a formation.  Long bows were nocked, four thousand military crossbows were raised, and cold arrows were aimed at the overwhelming Qiang army cavalry.  Behind the crossbow army, a thousand bee crossbows were also ready, and a massacre was about to begin.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1002: Pacifying Hexi

    The Hexi Rebellion that occurred in May of the 22nd year of Jian'an was destined to be a tragedy. Zhao Yun led 45,000 troops into Zhangye and launched a final decisive battle with 50,000 Qiang troops under Zhangye City.  The outcome was not unexpected. The Han army defeated the 50,000 Qiang army in just one hour. The defeat of the Jiuquan Qiang army on both wings triggered a complete rout of the Qiang army. The Han army pursued them one after another and continued for more than thirty miles.  Qiang army corpses littered the fields, and countless people surrendered. Ma Chao was seriously injured and fled into Dadou Bagou with more than a thousand personal guards, and fled towards Hehuang.  In this battle, the main force of the Qiang army was completely wiped out. All the noble chiefs were killed and wounded before and after the war. The Qiang people in Hexi were greatly weakened from then on. They no longer had the desire to be divided and independent. They all surrendered to the Han State and became citizens of the Han State.  .  As the young men of various tribes suffered heavy casualties in the war, many tribes disappeared. Herdsmen turned to relying on the government. Many herdsmen turned to farming and settled down. Hexi gradually turned into a semi-pastoral and semi-agricultural society. The Han Dynasty immediately established a settlement in Hexi.  The group of pastoral supervisors specializes in herding horses and raising cattle and sheep to provide relief to the Central Plains.  Ma Chao led more than a thousand remnant troops to flee all the way in the Dadou Valley. They ran for more than a hundred miles before gradually coming to a stop. At this time, Ma Chao was seriously injured and could no longer ride. The guards found a resting place and bandaged the coach's injuries.  .  At this time, Ma Chao already knew that Dadou Bugu was intercepted by Pang De's army. His temporary resting place was on a hillock and was surrounded by Han troops. They could not break out at all, but Ma Chao still held on to a glimmer of hope, hoping that Pang De would let go.  His own horse enabled him to escape to Qinghai.  He asked a personal guard to bring his sword to Pound to plead for mercy. Pound was only two miles away from the place where Ma Chao was recovering. He ordered his deputy general Leng Bao to lead an army to surround Ma Chao, but he refused to show up.  In a large tent, Pang De sat silently by the fire. Although it was May, the climate in Dadouba Valley was changeable, and snowfall in midsummer was not uncommon. It was already dusk and the temperature was relatively cold.  Must be warmed by fire.  Pound has many things on his mind. He has always been a person who values ??affection and justice. Ma Chao is his old master. He treated him well in the past and regarded him as his right-hand man. Ma Teng, in particular, was kind to him in raising him, making it difficult for him to forget his old relationship.  But the King of Han trusted him and let him guard the crucial battle. This was undoubtedly the greatest trust in him and a test for him. He could not betray the King of Han and betray his faith. Moreover, even if he let Ma Chao go  , and his soldiers may not agree.  This made Pound feel entangled and difficult to make a decision. He also secretly regretted it. If he had known earlier, he should not have taken the initiative to apply for this task and kept himself out of it. Maybe he would not have suffered like this.  At this time, a soldier reported outside the tent: "General, Ma Chao sent someone to ask for an audience." Pang De wanted to say goodbye, but hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Let him in!" After a moment, a man  The soldier was led into the tent. The soldier knelt down and raised his sword high, crying: "My prince is seriously injured. I beg the general to save his life for the sake of past kindness!"  Pang De gave it to Ma Chao, and after seeing the things and thinking about them, Pound had old thoughts again, but the soldier called Ma Chao "Prince", which immediately made Pound furious. The old feelings that had just arisen in his heart suddenly disappeared. He angrily said:  : "Shut up! There is no prince here, get out!" The soldier knew he had made a mistake and kowtowed desperately: "This is a villain's nonsense. General Ma has not dared to call himself king for a long time. General, calm down!" Pang De suppressed his anger in  In his heart, he said slowly: "There must be a cause and a result. It is entirely his own fault that he has fallen to this point. His Highness the King of Han has treated him with kindness, but he did not want to repay his kindness, but betrayed him. He is doomed after taking this step.  I will not save him from his fate today. As a man, he should bear all the consequences. Tell him that I am a righteous man and a loyal general. If he still has any conscience, please don¡¯t trap me again.  The soldier begged again and again, but Pang De refused to agree. At this time, he realized that if he let Ma Chao go today, instead of repaying his kindness, he would fall into a situation of disloyalty and injustice.  The wavering mind also became firm.  Seeing that Pang De was determined not to agree, the soldier had to leave in tears. Pang De stopped him again and ordered someone to get some wound medicine and gave him a tent to take back to Ma Chao. The soldier thanked him profusely.  .  At night, the temperature dropped sharply and heavy snow fell in the valley. The Han soldiers could not bear the cold and lit fires one after another to keep out the cold. The top of the mountain was also covered with heavy snow, trapping Ma Chao and his men on the mountain.  At this time, Ma Chao had run out of food, and the soldiers had to kill horses to satisfy their hunger. The soldiers went around looking for firewood, and many soldiers froze to death on the mountain.  Ma Chao was lying in the tent. His wounds were inflamed, pus and blood were flowing out, and the stench was overwhelming. His whole body was extremely weak. Under the attack of the severe cold, Ma Chao was on his deathbed.  In the middle of the night, he wrote a letter of confession with blood, pleading?Liu Jing spared his son's life for the sake of his participation in defeating the Huns. When dawn was about to break, the soldiers guarding him only heard him muttering to himself, "If I had known today, why would I have done it in the first place!" Soldier  Looking at Ma Chao again, I found that he had breathed his last. Ma Chao, a generation of tycoon, died in Dadou Bagu.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In late May, Zhao Yun led his army back to Beijing in triumph. Liu Jing personally held a ceremony outside Chang'an City to welcome the return of the soldiers who had gone on an expedition to Hexi. He also rewarded the three armies generously. He named Zhao Yun the General of the Left and the Marquis of Yi County, and was rewarded with thousands of pieces of colorful satin and gold.  Zhao Yun couldn't refuse five thousand taels, so he distributed the gold and colored satin to his soldiers. He didn't get a penny. The soldiers cheered and were full of gratitude to Zhao Yun.  Liu Jing immediately appointed Ma Dai as the left governor of Hexi and led 8,000 troops to guard Dunhuang and Jiuquan. He also appointed Wu Lan as the right governor of Hexi, leading 6,000 troops to guard Wuwei and Zhangye. He also appointed Li Wen and dozens of other prefects and county magistrates.  Go to Hexi to take up a job.  Hexi needs time to slowly integrate and heal, but for the Han State, this is not the mainstream of the Han State after all. It is like a tributary of the river. After attracting attention for a short time, it is gradually forgotten.  The mainstream of the Han Dynasty is to recuperate and restore the national strength exhausted by the Hefei War. It requires an increase in food and the stability of the people, and the army also needs rest and adjustment.  Although the people were stable and recuperating, there were many changes in the officialdom of the Han Dynasty. First, a large number of officials were appointed in the Jianghuai and Hexi regions, and major job adjustments were made.  Secondly, there were changes in the Chang'an court. The original secretariat of the Han Dynasty was changed to Zhongshu Sheng, Pang Tong was appointed as Zuozhongshuling, Dong Yun, the governor of Xiangyang, was appointed as Zhongshu Zuocheng, and Fei Yi, the governor of Shu County, was appointed as Zhongshu Youcheng.  The Shizhong Temple responsible for reviewing government orders was renamed Menxia Province, with Fazheng as the Shizhong. However, Fazheng is currently restoring Hefei's economy in Jianghuai, so Yin Mo is still temporarily acting as the Shizhong.  Pingzhangtai was renamed Shangshu Province, which had six ministries under its jurisdiction. In addition to the original five ministries of officials, civilians, soldiers, punishments, and workers, the Ministry of Rites was added. Du Ji, the former prefect of Wuwei, served as the first Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites.  But these are just changes in the names of departments. Officials are more interested in the changes in power. Originally, the political center of the Han Dynasty was composed of five prime ministers and one minister. Xu Shu, Jiang Wan, Dong He, Sima Yi and Fei Guan were the five prime ministers, and the ministers were  In the middle is Yin Mo, but they have been in power for many years, and it is gradually time for replacement and handover of power.  More importantly, these five phases were created to balance the various regions. For example, Xu Shu represents Liu Jing's direct lineage, Jiang Wan represents Jingzhou, Dong He represents the Dongzhou scholars of Bashu, Sima Yi represents the three assistants in Guanzhong, and Fei Guan represents Bashu.  When Liu Jing first captured Yizhou, it was indeed necessary to balance power in this way. However, as time went by and the Han Dynasty had established its capital in Chang'an for several years, there was no need to continue this narrow geographical balance.  Therefore, this reform of the power framework has brought about changes in the distribution of power. Pang Tong, Fazheng and Du Ji have entered the power center, which means that the five prime ministers must undergo a certain degree of adjustment or redistribution of power.  This makes the officialdom of Chang'an become more delicate. In addition, the imperial examination will be held in two months. These two things have become the focus of attention in Chang'an and even the entire Han Dynasty.  At night, Jia Xu was reading in the study as usual. Because Jia Xu was old, he no longer participated in government affairs and military affairs. He only served as Liu Jing's staff. He was called the elder in the Han official circles and had a high status in the Han Dynasty.  , and Liu Jing treated him well. His eldest son Jia Mu and Jia Fang were appointed as prefects or county magistrates, while his third son Jia Ji was appointed as a member of the staff, responsible for the evaluation of county magistrates, and had quite a bit of real power.  Jia Xu is also satisfied. He only hopes to spend his old age in peace and complete the final journey of his life.  At this time, footsteps were heard outside the door, and his son Jia Ji was heard saying outside the door: "Dad, are you resting?" "If you need anything, come in!" Jia Ji quickly walked into the room, knelt down and saluted, "My son is visiting my father.  "Sir!" Jia Xu knows his son very well. He usually doesn't come to disturb him, especially at night. If he comes, it must be something important. Jia Xu puts down the book and asks with a smile: "My son has something to do."  What's the matter?" Jia Ji hesitated for a while and said, "The child is in trouble and wants to ask his father for help." Jia Xu saw a box in his son's hand and asked, "What's the trouble?" Jia Ji put the box on the table.  In front of his father, he slowly opened it, and it was suddenly dazzling. Jia Xu's eyes suddenly narrowed. There were dozens of pearls in the box, each one was full and round, and they were all top-quality pearls. He asked quietly: "This is  "What do you mean?" "Father, this is given to the child by the head of Chang'an Baibaozhai this afternoon." Jia Xu couldn't help but sneered, "Are you going to marry him? He actually gave me such an expensive betrothal gift."p; Jia Xu has been alive for a long time, and these dozens of pearls are worth at least a thousand gold. Naturally, others will not send them to them for no reason. They must have something to ask for. Jia Ji sighed, "My father doesn't know that the background of Baibaozhai is actually Fei  "Family, Chengdu Baibaozhai is the Fei family's property." Jia Xu certainly knows that the backstage of Baibaozhai is the Fei family. Although it is low-key, it is actually the largest jewelry store in the world, in Chengdu, Chang'an, Wuchang, Wuxian, Xuchang and Henan.  There are shops in Yedu that specialize in high-quality jewelry.  ¡°Could they give such expensive gifts to their sons because they want their sons to take care of the Fei family¡¯s children?  Jia Ji bit her lip, and after a while she whispered: "This is actually only a small part. The child understands what they mean. These pearls are not for the child, but for the father." "Give them to me?" Jia Xu asked.  The child was stunned and said with a smile: "Why are you giving it to me? Are they pity that my burial companion is too shabby and sent me to fill the coffin?" "Father, the child guessed that this was actually a gift from Fei Shangshu to his father.  " £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1003 Jia Xu¡¯s Troubles

    Jia Xu picked up a bead, squinted at it for a while, then put it back into the box and said calmly, "I don't understand what you mean. What did Fei Shangshu give me as a pearl?" Jia Ji smiled bitterly and said, "Father.  Maybe you don¡¯t know, but the official circles in Chang¡¯an are now tense. Everyone says that His Highness the King of Han is going to change the title of Shangshu. ¡°What does this mean?¡± ¡°Father, His Majesty the King of Han has recently made a series of adjustments, and Pingzhangtai has been changed to Shangshu.  "Province, Secretary Supervisor was changed to Zhongshu Provincial Department." Before Jia Ji could finish, Jia Xu interrupted him impatiently, "I know all of this, let's talk about the key points." "Yes! There is actually nothing wrong with the adjustment of the government office.  The key is that Pang Tong, Fazheng and Du Ji have also entered the power center. Fazheng replaced Yin Mo and has no impact on Shangshu. However, Pang Tong and Du Ji are obviously going to be promoted to prime minister. Everyone is wondering whether the number will be increased to seven.  Prime Minister? But judging from the recent rumors, it should still be the Five Prime Ministers. In other words, there are two prime ministers coming down. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that it is most likely Dong He and Fei Guan." Jia Xu asked quietly: "Excuse me.  My eyes are so dim, how come I can't see that they are coming down? " "Father, Dong Yun, the governor of Xiangyang, was appointed as Zhongshu Zuocheng, and Fei Yi, the governor of Shu County, was appointed as Zhongshu Youcheng. This actually hinted that Dong He and Fei Guan were going to come down.  "Is that so? So Fei Guan gave me a box of pearls and wanted me to go to the King of Han to intercede and let him continue to be the prime minister?"  As a county magistrate, it is not necessary to give such an expensive gift, and the head shopkeeper of Baibaozhai also hinted that this is just a gift, and there will be a big thank you afterwards. Of course, this is for his father. " Jia Xu's eyes flashed.  , stared at his son fiercely, "You mean you often collect money to adjust the county magistrate, right?" Jia Ji was so frightened that she panicked and kowtowed repeatedly, "No, my child, I just said that and didn't accept it."  Over the money." Jia Xu sneered, "I don't believe you haven't taken it. Did you buy the house in Wulihuai Lane? It covers an area of ??five acres. How did you get the money for such an expensive land?"  Jia Ji was speechless for a long time. How could his father know so clearly? Jia Xu let out a long sigh and said, "Do you think His Highness the King of Han's supervisory emissaries are all doing nothing? This is Sima Yi's hint to me. His Highness the King of Han must be  I know, okay, just tell me honestly how much bribes you have collected, and I will handle it for you." Jia Ji hesitated for a while and said, "My child has only collected about a hundred taels of gold in total."  "Yes?" Jia Xu asked sharply.  "No more!" Jia Ji said with a cry: "The child dare not deceive his father, no more, the child is willing to swear in front of the ancestors." "You have brought great shame to the ancestors." Jia Xu gritted his teeth with hatred.  , he knew his son, who had been timid since he was a child, and it seemed that he was gone. Jia Xu suppressed the anger in his heart, and said to his son seriously: "At the beginning of the founding of a country, it is the time when the heroes create the glory of the family, and they are also the ones in power.  It¡¯s the time when you can¡¯t rub your eyes the most, so reputation is more important than anything else at this time. Once you are found to be corrupt, not only will your achievements be lost, but your descendants will also be affected. There was an opportunity to create a famous family, but it was cut off because of a moment of greed.  The glory and status of our descendants, so my father often said to you three brothers, our family is not short of money, and His Highness the King of Han will also reward us with enough land. My father was also named the Marquis of Wuchang County. Once the world is unified, my father will  You even have to be named the Duke of the country, and your descendants can inherit it, and the Jia family's famous family will be formed from now on. But because of your greed for a mere hundred taels of gold, the Jia family has been cut off from the famous family. You are the eternal sinner of the Jia family!"  Ji turned pale with fright and trembled all over. He also felt extremely regretful in his heart. In the end, he couldn't help crying: "My child is so stupid!" Jia Xu sighed, "Go ahead! What should you do as a father?" Jia Xu sighed.  Ji kowtowed three times and slowly retreated. Jia Xu thought for a long time, got up and walked out and ordered: "Prepare a carriage for me!" In the Han Palace, Liu Jing was being gentle with Xiao Qiao in Xiao Qiao's Zhaiyue Building. What day is it today?  A famous doctor consulted Xiao Qiao and determined that her unwellness was due to her Ximai pulse. Xiao Qiao was overjoyed and pulled her husband to be coquettish and courteous to him. Liu Jing was also extremely happy. When he came back from Hefei and slept with Xiao Qiao,  He had a premonition that Xiao Qiao would be pregnant, and sure enough, his premonition came true.  Xiao Qiao lay lazily in her husband's arms and said softly: "Husband, several doctors said that you can't have sex after pregnancy. I'm afraid I won't be able to serve you for a while." "This is a big deal, you have to  Take care of yourself and don't be careless." "I will pay attention!" Xiao Qiao's eyes flashed and she said with a smile: "But it's your turn to accompany me.?, you still have to come to my place, you can't let me stay alone in the empty room.  "    "Um!  " "Don't deal with me, you must come. Just hold me in your arms and sleep like this, so that I and the child can rely on each other.  " "I didn't deal with you, why don't I just hug you now?  Liu Jing smiled, lowered her head and kissed Xiao Qiao's face, "What don't you have to worry about?"  " Xiao Qiao sighed lowly, "I heard that women will grow old after giving birth to children. I long to have children, but I am afraid that I will grow old.  " "You think too much. The princess has given birth to two children, and she has not aged. Where is Shang Xiang?  Has she gotten older? She also has Bao Niang, and she has given birth to two children, and her skin is better as a result.  " "That's because they were very young when they gave birth to their children.  " "You are not old now!  I first met you ten years ago, and nothing has changed since then. Don¡¯t think too much about it, it¡¯s not good for the baby in your belly.  " Xiao Qiao had no choice but to stop complaining. At this time, she suddenly remembered something and said to her husband: "My sister seems to want to see you for something. She asked about you yesterday, but you were not at home.  " Mentioning Da Qiao, Liu Jing's heart ached. Da Qiao had clearly told him that she could never remarry, which made him feel very disappointed. This was the only woman who touched his soul, making it difficult for her to let go, but he  In the end, she couldn¡¯t be found. Liu Jing nodded silently, ¡°I¡¯ll go see her when I have time.  " At this moment, Xiao Qiao's personal maid said outside the door: "Madam Qi and Your Highness, the princess sent someone to say that Your Highness has a guest, it seems that Mr. Jia Ge wants to see you.  " Jia Xu actually came. There must be something important. Liu Jing smiled at Xiao Qiao and said, "I'll go over there first and come back to accompany you later.  " Xiao Qiao stood up and arranged her husband's clothes. She kissed him with her red lips and nodded, "I'll wait for you to come back.  Liu Jing turned around and walked quickly to the front house. After a while, he came to his outer study room. The door of the outer study room was open, and he saw Jia Xu pacing back and forth in the room, looking very worried. "Jia Gong seems to be very worried."  Worried?  "Liu Jing walked into the study with a smile. Jia Xu quickly stepped forward and saluted, "See you, Your Highness.  " "You're welcome, Mr. Jia, please sit down!"  " Liu Jing asked Jia Xu to sit down and asked the maid to serve tea. He glanced and found a cloth bag and a jade box on the table. These should be items brought by Jia Xu. Jia Xu sighed  , took the cloth bag, put it on the table and opened it. Inside were several ingots of yellow gold and an official seal. Liu Jing asked in confusion: "What does Mr. Jia mean by this?"  "Your Highness, there is one hundred taels of gold here. My stupid son accepted a bribe from others. He had a bad conscience and confessed to me. I specially gave it to Your Highness."  " Liu Jing knew what was going on. He learned from the censor's secret report that Jia Ji had bought a house covering an area of ??five acres in Wulihuai Lane. He also learned that Jia Ji was in the process of judging the county magistrate.  , three people were obviously unfair, which coincided with the time when he bought the house. Yushitai was about to launch an investigation against Jia Ji, but was suppressed by Liu Jing. He had to consider Jia Xu's feelings when Liu Jing picked up the official seal.  , only to find that it was Jia Xu¡¯s county Hou Yin, he was stunned for a moment, ¡°What is Mr. Jia doing?  " Jia Xu was extremely ashamed and said: "The old minister did not teach his son well, which made him greedy for profit and even accepted bribes. The old minister has a responsibility and is willing to resign his title as a warning.  " "Nonsense!  " Liu Jing's face suddenly darkened, "Jia Ji is not a three-year-old child. Does his father still have to bear the responsibility for his mistakes?  There are only two county marquises in the Han Dynasty. How precious they are. If Jia Gong resigns as county marquises, how will I, Liu Jing, explain to the world?  How to explain to the Han subjects?  " Jia Xu was eager to protect his son. He only hoped that if he resigned from the title, Liu Jing would spare his son and not hold him accountable. Unexpectedly, Liu Jing became angry. He felt even more ashamed. He smiled bitterly and said: "The old man has arrived.  I am so sad that I have given birth to such a greedy beast at such a young age.  " Liu Jing was silent for a moment and said: "Although Jia Ji made mistakes, Jia Mu and Jia Fang were honest, diligent and self-disciplined, and were deeply loved by the people. They are both good officials. I am going to transfer Jia Mu to the post.  The governor of Xiangyang, Duke Jia should be proud of his son.  ¡± The official system of the Han Dynasty mainly emphasizes 'the combination of internal and external, and orderly advancement and retreat'. In other words, if an official wants to be the prime minister, he must have sufficient qualifications, such as how many years he has served in the inner dynasty, and how many years he has served in the local area.  How many years do you have to hold an official position? In the Inner Dynasty, that is, the central court, the lowest officials are called Licao, and those above are Shuzuo, Zhizhi, Si Zhi, Cheng, and Shangshu. Licao can be directly promoted to Shuzuo, and Shuzuo can also be directly promoted to Shuzuo.  Engage, but it is best to have served as county magistrate, county magistrate or chief registrar, but you must be promoted.??Si Zhi must have experience as a local official, and must at least have served as a county magistrate of an upper county or a prefect of a lower county. If a Si Zhi is promoted to a prime minister, he must have experience as a prefect of a middle county or a prefect of an upper county.  As for the chancellor to be promoted to minister, it is extremely difficult. He must have the experience of being a governor of a county or an envoy, and even if he becomes a minister, he may not be able to become a prime minister.  In the local official system of the Han Dynasty, counties were divided into three levels: upper, middle and lower. The upper level was Jingzhao County, Shu County, Xiangyang County and Wuchang County, which were the counties where the capital was located in the past. In addition, the four major counties such as Lingzhou  The strategic area can also be considered as a first-class county.  After serving as the governor of a superior county, they have the opportunity to enter the central authority. For example, Fei Yi, the governor of Shu County, and Dong Yun, the governor of Xiangyang County, will be appointed as the left and right ministers of Zhongshu Province, while Jia Mu will be transferred to the governor of Xiangyang. Obviously, Liu Jing  He is ready to reuse Jia Xu's eldest son.  Jia Xu was moved in his heart and bowed: "For the reputation and future of the Jia family, I beg Your Highness to remove Jia Ji from his official position. I cannot let him ruin the reputation of the Jia family and the future of his two brothers." Liu Jing understood.  Jia Xu is not humble. He really does not want his son to be an official anymore. As long as he commits corruption and bribery for the first time, he has crossed the bottom line. He will continue to violate the law in the future until he makes a big mistake.  Moreover, Jia Ji was indeed not capable enough, and Xu Shu, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, also criticized him. According to the separation of powers, the transfer of first-level officials was directly decided by the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. However, because Jia Ji was the son of Jia Xu, Xu Shu had to ask for instructions.  Liu Jing.  Originally, Liu Jing planned to transfer Jia Ji to a local county to serve as county magistrate. At this time, the Yushitai discovered that Jia Ji was suspected of taking bribes. Liu Jing also hesitated a little. If he was transferred to another place, Jia Ji would probably become a big corrupt official.  , endangering one party.  Liu Jing thought for a moment and then smiled and said: "It would not be a good reputation to directly remove him from office, so let him resign due to illness!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1004 The Battle between Prime Ministers

    For Jia Xu, he doesn't care much about whether his third son is an official or whether he is successful. It would be good to be promoted to a high official, but Jia Xu pays more attention to the interests of the family. Whether Jia Xu can make the Jia family a famous family in the Han Dynasty, this is  is the top priority, and he must resolutely eradicate any behavior that endangers this interest.  He didn't want to intercede for his son and protect his official position. Of course, he didn't want his son to be dismissed from office and imprisoned. He just wanted his son to stop being an official so as not to endanger the interests of his family and to take care of the housework for him. In fact, it was not  good.  The king of Han obviously understood his difficulties and solved this problem for him, which made Jia Xu extremely grateful.  At this time, Liu Jing smiled and handed the title seal back to him. Jia Xu took it back embarrassedly. He also felt that he was a little impulsive. How could he use the title to make matters worse? Isn't this intimidating the King of Han?  "Your Highness, I am ashamed!" Liu Jing thought of something and smiled again: "These days, the Ministry of Finance is discussing the matter of official land and jue land. This matter has been delayed for a long time. If it is not implemented, the heroes will be disappointed, and the lives of civil servants will also be ruined.  It will be affected. I might as well reveal a little bit of information to Mr. Jia. The county prince¡¯s land is a hundred hectares of land. If Mr. Jia likes that piece of official land, you might as well tell me. " Jia Xu also smiled and said: "I do have one.  "I wonder if you can grant me the land of my hometown." "Jia Gong's hometown is Guzang, Wuwei County, but most of the Han people there have moved to Lingzhou. Now they are mainly Qiang people who are farming. We need to restore the previous situation.  , it will take at least thirty to fifty years. How about being my neighbor, Mr. Jia?" Jia Xu nodded and said, "It is an honor for me to be my neighbor." At this time, Liu Jing glanced.  Glancing at the jade box on the table, he smiled and said, "It seems Mr. Jia has something else to ask me for?" "I do have one more thing to ask your highness!" Jia Xu took the jade box and handed it to Liu Jing, "This is  Today at noon, the shopkeeper of Baibaozhai gave me this worthless son, which is really surprising." Jia Xu opened the box and found dozens of dazzling pearls, all as big as pigeon eggs, extremely valuable. "Your Highness,  These are fifty pearls. It is said that they are just a deposit, and there will be a big thank you after the event is completed. The old minister does not dare to accept such a heavy gift, and does not want to participate in the government." After saying that, Jia Xu pushed the pearl to Liu Jing, even though the pearl was shining.  There was a flash of light, but anger slowly rose in Liu Jing's heart. Of course he knew that Baibaozhai was the property of the Fei family. During the Liu Zhang era, the Fei family was known as the first family in Shu. The family had a fortune of tens of millions. Not only did they own a lot of land, but they also  He runs the largest cloth store and jewelry store in Shu, and his wealth is no less than that of the Tao family.  With the expansion of the Han Dynasty, the Fei family's industry has flourished. Although it has been restricted in terms of land annexation, the jewelry store has become the largest store in the world.  The Baibaozhai in Chang'an was the property of the Fei family. Liu Jing had already complained about the Fei family's unwillingness to give up the land in central Shu. Now Fei Guan secretly bribed Jia Xu, which made Liu Jing a little bit intolerable.  However, as a superior, one of the most important qualities is not to be able to express emotions and anger, and Liu Jing gradually did this. He was annoyed in his heart, but smiled lightly: "Do you want these pearls to be given to me by Mr. Jia Xu?" Jia Xu sighed.  : "If His Highness does not accept it, I can only let the dog return to the Fei family." "I think it is better to return it to the Fei family. It is best that I don't know anything about this matter." "Thank you, Your Highness, for understanding Wei Chen's difficulties."  Jia Xu knew very well that if the King of Han really accepted it, he would offend Fei Guan. If the King of Han knew about this, then returning the pearl to the Fei family himself would be the best way to deal with it.  Liu Jing got up and paced back and forth in the room, came to the window and looked out the window with his hands behind his hands. When he was in Jianye, Yu Fan bluntly pointed out the shortcomings of the multi-phase system of the Han Dynasty. The five-phase country served for too long, which affected other officials.  Secondly, I am not a meritocracy, but to balance the interests of all parties.  In terms of talents, Fei Guan was far inferior to Ma Liang, Dong He was not as good as his son Dong Yun, and even Xu Shu was not as good as Pang Tong. Therefore, after the Battle of Hefei ended, he began to consider institutional changes.  After experiencing the decline of the late Han Dynasty, the shortcomings of the Three Gongs and Nine Ministers system were undoubtedly exposed, and Cao Cao also began to reform. The historical Three Provinces and Six Ministries system was a reflection of the demise of the Han Dynasty. It gradually formed during the Wei and Jin dynasties, and finally matured in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.  Liu Jing also hopes to check and balance the powers of each other, using the power of the Zhongshu to check and balance the monarch's power, using the ministers to check and balance the six ministers, and using the censor to supervise and balance the officials.  After pacifying the Hexi Rebellion, he officially embarked on reforms, and it was inevitable to change the country. Even before he had thought about how to change the country, various private activities began.  "Your Highness, I have a suggestion. I wonder if Your Highness is willing to listen to it?" Liu Jing turned around and said with a smile, "Mr. Jia is my staff. How could I not listen to my staff's advice? Mr. Jia, please tell me."&nbsp"Your Highness, I understand His Highness's desire to work hard for governance, and fully support His Highness's idea of ??changing phases. However, I believe that the multi-phase system is the product of a compromise between His Highness and the officials. It is conducive to stimulating the enterprising spirit of the officials, and it also has  It is conducive to the Han State to seize the world, so the veteran suggested that no matter how it is changed, the multi-phase system cannot be changed, and it is best to improve it, otherwise the Han State's society will be unstable. " Jia Xu persuaded Liu Jing to nod repeatedly.  , Liu Jing said with a smile: "I will not abolish the multi-phase system, nor will I make radical changes. As Jia Gong said, I will try my best to improve the multi-phase system. Of course, I will not give heavy gifts to Jia Gong because of Fei Guan.  I still have the heart to punish him severely, but Fei Guan's actions on some fundamental issues will also affect his future. I'm not talking about giving gifts. "Jia Xu said in a low voice: "Old minister.  "I know that your Highness is referring to the Fei family's land ownership in Bashu."  The family is the worst leader and actually owns 10,000 hectares of land. I, the king of Han, only have 1,000 hectares of fiefdom. What does he want to do? If it is ancestral land, most of their land belongs to Liu Zhang.  "Given, should I bear the consequences of Liu Zhang's arbitrary rewards?" Jia Xu then understood that the real reason why Liu Jing wanted to move Fei Guan was because Fei Guan touched Liu Jing's fundamental principles and abilities on the land issue.  Shortcomings and so on are just secondary.  "But doesn't His Highness intend to reuse Fei Yi?" Jia Xu asked still somewhat puzzled.  "I asked Fei Yi to be the Prime Minister of Zhongshu because he has enough talent, but it does not mean that Fei Yi can become the Prime Minister. If he wants to become the Prime Minister in the future, he must have a prerequisite, and that is to obtain the 'Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'"  Qualifications, only by obtaining this qualification can one become a prime minister. If the Fei family's land is not removed, there is no chance of becoming a prime minister again. " £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Jia Xu left the Han Palace in a carriage with a lot of worries. Today's conversation with His Highness the King of Han made him understand the bottom line of Liu Jing's principles. Liu Jing would never tolerate anyone owning a huge amount of land. He could indeed understand that the Han Dynasty  The dynasty was finally on the verge of extinction. The fundamental reason was that the royal relatives and powerful families annexed too much land, causing most of the peasants in the Han Dynasty to disappear and become vassals of the powerful families.  Liu Jing has obviously learned a painful lesson from the decline of the Han Dynasty. Now it is just because he has not unified the world yet, and he still needs to compromise with local wealthy families like the Fei family. Once he seizes the world and secures his position, it may be time for him to settle the accounts.  , with Liu Jing¡¯s iron fist and will, I don¡¯t know how many wealthy families will be destroyed.  Jia Xu sighed secretly. He understood why Liu Jing told him so many things, especially about the Fei family, because he wanted him to solve this difficult problem for him.  It¡¯s not easy to ask the Fei family to give up their vast hectares of farmland. How should I persuade Fei Guan?  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In the afternoon of the next day, Jia Xu walked leisurely to the East Market as if taking a leisurely stroll. The East Market is located outside the Dongcheng Gate. It is a large market that stands side by side with the West Market. It covers an area of ??thousands of hectares.  Facing the Western Regions, Dongshi mainly faced the Han Kingdom.  The East Market is as prosperous as the West Market, and has a richer variety of goods, such as grain, tea, cattle, sheep and livestock, jewelry, porcelain, silk, cloth, copper, ironware and other bulk materials and luxury goods. Many Western Husbands have it.  Merchants sell their goods in the West Market and go to the East Market to purchase goods, mainly silk and porcelain.  The westernmost street in the East City is the center for selling jewelry. There are dozens of large and small jewelry stores. A large store covering an area of ??ten acres is the largest jewelry store in Chang'an, Baibaozhai.  , which is the Fei family¡¯s property.  Jia Xu walked up the steps with his hands behind his back and entered the store. The two waiters who greeted him at the door saw that he was dark, thin, and old. He was also wearing a fine linen green cloth robe and a whitened plain scarf on his head.  The famous waiter suddenly felt contempt. The guests who came to Baibaozhai were either rich or expensive. What was this poor old man doing?  They looked at each other, and one of the waiters stepped forward and said with a dry smile: "This old man, are you in the wrong place?" Jia Xu glanced at him, narrowed his eyes and asked: "Then where do you think I should go?"  "There is a Fenglong jewelry store at the intersection. I think that's where I want to go." Fenglong jewelry store only sells some silver and copper jewelry at very cheap prices. It is targeted at the lower class people in Chang'an. This is obviously a mockery of Jia Xu's poverty.  I don't know his identity, but Jia Xu has been around for a long time and has seen too much such snobbery. He is not annoyed and still smiles: "I'm here to see your shopkeeper Feng, is he there?" The two waiters were startled and cautious.  Asked: "Is my husband a relative of my boss?"??I am not his relative, I am here to return something to him. If you two are willing to do it for me, I can give it to you.  " Jia Xu took out the jade box and handed it to a waiter, "I won't go in to save you from rushing me to Fenglong Jewelry Store.  "The two clerks were both knowledgeable people. Although they didn't know what was in the jade box, they just saw that the jade box was crystal clear and smooth. It was obviously carved from fine sapphire. They were startled and stopped Jia Xu quickly. "Please stay, old man."  , such a valuable thing, it is best to leave it to the big shopkeeper, we dare not take it over.  "A waiter rushed in, and in a moment, Feng Yi, the big shopkeeper of Baibaozhai, hurried over. He was a well-informed person. Although he didn't know Jia Xu, he recognized the jade in Jia Xu's hand.  The box was exactly what he gave to Jia Ji at noon yesterday. Inside was fifty pearls worth thousands of gold. He immediately guessed who the old man was and quickly stepped forward to salute, "Could it be that the old gentleman is Mr. Jia Ge?"  " Jia Xu nodded, "That old man is Jia Xu!  "The two waiters were so frightened that they almost fainted. This old man turned out to be Jia Xu, a veteran of the Han Dynasty. He was a person who even the King of Han must respect. The two waiters hit themselves in the mouth and begged, "We are blind, please forgive us."  rude.  " Jia Xu smiled lightly and said: "I am so old, of course I will not take such a small thing to heart, but I would like to remind you that Princess Tao also wears a sarong and a silver hairpin. Don't drive her to Honglong too.  jewelry store.  "The two waiters were so frightened that their faces turned pale. Shopkeeper Feng glared at them fiercely, bowed to Jia Xu and said with a smile: "Mr. Jia Ge, please come into the inner hall and sit down for a while. Let me explain the function of this jade box.  reason.  " Of course Jia Xu came here for something, so he nodded and said with a smile: "That's fine, I heard that the tea here is good, so I didn't bother the shopkeeper.  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1005 Rights are not tolerated

    Shopkeeper Feng Da sent the pearl to Jia Ji on the order of the head of the family, Fei Guan. Although he didn't know the purpose of the head of the family asking him to give the pearl, he did know that Jia Xu came to return the pearl in person and he could never accept it.  This matter must be reported to the head of the family as much as possible.  While he entertained Jia Xu with good tea and snacks, he urgently sent someone to inform the owner of the house that today happened to be a holiday. Fei Guan was not in Weiyang Palace, but in his own house. He got the news that Jia Xu was in the jewelry store and hurried over.  Jewelry Shop.  Ever since Liu Jing issued an order to adjust the government offices, Fei Guan began to worry. Pang Tong, Fazheng, and Du Ji had become the center of power. Was this an unexpected adjustment to the prime minister's country? Moreover, Dong Yun and his nephew Fei Yi were promoted to the central position.  Shu Zuocheng, this probably means that he and Dong Yun will step down.  Fei Guan became anxious. Of course he didn't want to lose his position as Prime Minister. The power of the Prime Minister was like sweet poison, which made him want to stop. In order to keep the Prime Minister, he did not hesitate to follow Jia Xu's path, hoping that Jia Xu could say a few good words for him.  He knew the importance of Jia Xu in the heart of the King of Han, and generally the King of Han would accept any suggestions put forward by Jia Xu.  "But Jia Xu actually came to his jewelry store and returned the pearl. Fei Guan felt something bad in his heart. He got off the carriage from the back door and ran almost all the way into the inner hall.  Jia Xu was sitting alone in the hall drinking tea. Fei Guan quickly walked into the inner hall, cupped his hands and said with a smile, "I've kept Mr. Jia waiting for a long time." Of course Jia Xu would not return the jade box to the shopkeeper, but wanted to return it to Fei Guan.  He was a member of the family, but he did not expect that Fei Guan would come in person, which made him feel a little contemptuous. As the prime minister of a country, Fei Guan actually entered and exited his family's industry and shops, which was inconsistent with his status.  In fact, not only Jia Xu, but also many people in the court did not look down upon Fei Guan. He was the weakest and had the worst reputation among the Five Prime Ministers. Just because his aunt was Liu Zhang's mother, the Fei family rose to prominence and became the leader of Shu.  Fei Guan, the most famous wealthy family in the country, naturally became the ruler of Yizhou after Zhang Song.  Liu Jing captured Yizhou. In order to balance the official factions in Yizhou, he made Fei Guan the minister. It was not at all because of his ability. Not only did Fei Guan become the minister, his brother Fei Shi became the prefect of Qianwei County, and his nephew Fei Yi became the governor.  He was promoted to Zhongshu Cheng and became the first family in Han officialdom.  "However, Fei Shi and Fei Yi are very talented, and Fei Guan is a bit reluctant.  Jia Xu didn't show any emotion, stood up and returned the greeting with a smile: "Fei Shangshu only needs to ask his nephew to come. Why come in person? Jia Xu can't afford it." "Jia Gong is here, how dare I not come!  " Fei Guan quickly asked the maid next to him to change the tea. He asked Jia Xu to sit down. His eyes fell on the jade box on the table. His expression was a little embarrassed, but he reacted quickly and said quickly: "Maybe my shopkeeper didn't tell you.  Clearly, this is a birthday gift specially given to Mr. Jia when I heard that Mr. Jia was about to celebrate his seventieth birthday. Why should Mr. Jia go out? " "Haha! The old man will not celebrate his seventieth birthday until October, and it is only May.  The minister was too impatient. "No! No! I was afraid that there would be too many people to give birthday gifts, so I sent them in advance." Fei Guan pushed the jade box to Jia Xu again.  It's a little bit of your kindness from this junior, please accept it." Fei Guan kept claiming that he was a junior, which made Jia Xu feel uncomfortable, but he tried not to care about it. Jia Xu smiled and said: "Since it is a birthday gift, I will respect it.  It's better to obey. " Jia Xu is an extremely smooth person. He doesn't want to offend the Fei family for this matter. No matter what the Fei family relies on to get to the position, the Fei family is indeed very powerful now. For the sake of his descendants, he doesn't want to give the family any trouble.  A powerful enemy.  When Fei Guan saw that Jia Xu had accepted it, he was secretly happy. He seized this opportunity and asked, "Has Mr. Jia seen His Highness recently?"  , and we haven't seen each other since. What happened to Fei Shangshu?" Fei Guan said worriedly: "His Royal Highness is reforming the power structure recently, which involves many people, and the officialdom of Chang'an is not peaceful!" "I also heard from Quan Zi yesterday.  Congratulations to Fei Shangshu for his nephew being promoted to Zhongshu Cheng." Fei Guan smiled bitterly and said, "Everything you gain must have something to lose. How can your Highness allow two members of the Fei family to be in high positions? I'm afraid I will be dismissed." "Fei Guan said with a bitter smile.  The minister's words were serious, and the dismissal of the prime minister meant demotion for some reason. Could it be that Fei Shangshu had done something inappropriate?" Fei Guan was silent, and after a long time he said, "Excuse me, how much land does Mr. Jia's family still have?  " Jia Xu saw that he was not stupid. He knew what the problem was, so he deliberately reminded him. Jia Xu smiled and said: "I originally had thousands of hectares of land, part of which was given by Dong Zhuo and Li Ji. Later, I got hundreds more in Nanyang.  A short time ago, I handed over the Nanyang land to Prime Minister Cao, and he gave it back to me. However, I gave all the land to His Highness, and now I only haveI have ten hectares of fertile farmland, which is my ancestral property.  " "I heard that Kuai Yue handed over thousands of hectares of his family's land to His Highness the King of Han, but His Highness refused to accept it. Why is this?  " Jia Xu chuckled, "I know very well about the Kuai family. In fact, it was my suggestion to His Highness, because Kuai Yue wanted to regain His Highness's importance by returning the land, but Your Highness really no longer wants to use him.  However, His Highness was prepared to use Kuai Qi, so His Highness followed my advice and refused to accept the land handed over by Kuai Yue. However, a year later, he accepted thousands of hectares of fertile land handed over by Kuai Qi. As a result, Kuai Qi became the prefect of Nanjun, and later  When Kuai Yue died of illness, His Highness also felt a little regretful and even cried. He often told me that he owed Kuai Yue a great debt of gratitude. I estimate that the Kuai family will have a great future.  " "What about the Cai family?  I heard that their family still has two thousand hectares of land in Xiangyang." Before Fei Guan finished speaking, Jia Xu waved his hand, "As for the four major families in Jingzhou back then, if Fei Shangshu is willing to listen, I can explain it.  I was involved in everything before and after the incident, and I am very clear about it.  " Fei Guan quickly raised his hands and said, "Junior, I am willing to listen attentively!  " "Cai, Kuai, Pang, and Huang were the four major families in Jingzhou at that time. The Huang ancestor had long been wiped out. Thousands of hectares of land in Jiangxia were awarded to meritorious soldiers by the king of Han. I have just mentioned the Kuai family, so I won't say more.  Anyway, the Kuai family now owns less than fifty hectares of land, which is all ancestral property. The Pang family originally owned thousands of hectares of land, but Pang Tong and Pangshan people turned it over all the land the year before last, and all the land was distributed to tenant farmers. As a result, Xiangyang had more than 1,000 hectares of land.  Thousand households of farmers, now let¡¯s talk about the Cai family.  " Jia Xu took a sip of tea and said calmly: "The Cai family is more complicated and typical. They originally owned tens of thousands of hectares of land and were known as the first family in Jingzhou. Although Cai Mao surrendered to Cao Cao, it had little impact on the Cai family.  Cai Yan even served as the governor of Xiangyang, but the prerequisite for his appointment as governor of Xiangyang was that the Cai family handed over half of their land. Later, in order to increase the number of self-cultivated farmers, His Highness visited the Cai family several times, but the Cai family was only willing to hand over half of the land.  Thousands of hectares of land made His Royal Highness the King of Han furious. Later, when the Five Ministers were first determined, it was not Jiang Wan but Cai Yan who was originally selected. This was also a collective recommendation by Jingzhou officials. After all, Jiang Wan was not qualified enough to serve  Jingzhou strives for interests, but do you know why it was not Cai Yan in the end?  " "Because of the land!  Fei Guan blurted out. Jia Xu nodded slowly, "Exactly!"  The Cai family's refusal to hand over the land had already angered His Highness the King of Han. However, because the current situation required it, the King of Han did not touch the Cai family, but it did not mean that he would forget about it. As a result, Cai Yan was eliminated, and he retired sadly last year.  , has never been able to take a step into the center of power, and Cai Jin, who is now only serving as a school captain, and it is difficult to get promoted again, including Cai Shaoyu, I heard that he also got married last year, let me tell Fei Shangshu this!  The Cai family is finished because they refused to give up their land and were not tolerated by His Highness the King of Han. If Cai Jin was smarter and handed over the last bit of land, His Highness the Han King might be able to be promoted to a partial general again for Wenpin's sake.  .  Fei Guan's face turned white and red. Although Jia Xu was talking about the Cai family, the Fei family was not the same. After a while, he whispered: "But after all, they still have thousands of hectares of land in their hands."  " Jia Xu chuckled, "Without power, how can they keep the land in their hands?  Has Fei Shangshu forgotten what happened to the Yun family in Yizhou?  " Fei Guan immediately thought of Yun Shao, the father of Liu Zhang's concubine. He was originally a businessman, but later became rich because of his daughter. Liu Zhang rewarded him with 500 hectares of the best land, but in the end the family disappeared and the land was taken over by the government.  Go. This is the reality. Without power, there will be no wealth. If the Fei family does not give up the land, sooner or later the Fei family will follow the Cai family's path. Fei Guan gritted his teeth and asked, "If the Fei family gives up the land in Shuzhong, what does Jia Gong think?"  Can I still keep my position as prime minister?  " Jia Xu talked for a long time, which was actually to persuade him to give up the land in central Shu. Seeing that Fei Guan had been persuaded, he smiled and said: "I don't know whether Fei Shangshu can continue to be prime minister, but if Fei Shangshu decides not to leave Cai  It¡¯s the same old way, but I can say that the Fei family will have another prime minister within five years.  " "Mr. Jia, are you talking about my nephew Fei Yi?"  " Jia Xu narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Don't Fei Shangshu understand the heart of the superior?  The King of Han has already made this move. It depends on whether Fei Shangshu will make the next move.  " Fei Guan nodded silently. He finally understood why the King of Han promoted his nephew Fei Yi to Zhongshu Cheng. He was actually hinting to himself that if the Fei family was willing to give up the land, then Fei Yi could be promoted to another level. If he still didn't know what he wanted,  Then not only will his position be lost, but the Fei family will gradually decline, and within five years, they will make the same mistake as the Cai family. Although Fei Guan already knows that he has no hope of continuing to be prime minister, he will not go back to the old path of the Cai family in order for the Fei family to follow the same path.  It was really time to make a decision. Fei Guan was also a smart man. When he saw the situation clearly, he knew what he should do. Fei Guan finally made up his mind and he got up.He bowed deeply to Jia Xu and said, "If the Fei family has a future, it will be all thanks to the gift from Jia Gong. The Fei family will remember Jia Gong's great kindness." The next day, Fei Guan formally wrote to Liu Jing that the Fei family was willing to  After giving up the 10,000 hectares of land in Bashu, the 8,000 households of tenant slaves attached to the land also became citizens. Under the leadership of Fei Guan, hundreds of officials in Shu expressed their willingness to give up the land that Liu Zhang had previously rewarded.  Liu Jing was overjoyed and praised Fei Guan as a pillar of the Han Dynasty. All officials in the Han Dynasty should imitate him and gave the Fei family an iron scroll on the spot.  Three days later, Liu Jing issued an order of the King of Han, promoting Dong He to the rank of Situ of the Han Dynasty and Fei Guan to the rank of Sikong. Both of them were granted the title of rural marquis. Du Ji and Pang Tong became prime ministers. In addition, Dong Yun and Fei Yi were granted the title of Tong Zhongshu Menxiaping.  In Zhang Shi, Fei Shi, Fei Guan's younger brother, moved to the left to be the prefect of Shu County.  At this point, Liu Jing completed the first phase change and improved the multi-phase checks and balances system.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1006 Lost Sangyu

    Liu Jing came to Guhuai Mansion for the fifth time. Guhuai Mansion, also known as Qiao Mansion, is the house Liu Jing arranged for Qiao Xuan and Da Qiao. Guhuai Mansion occupies a small area, only about eight acres, but it has excellent greening.  , the whole mansion is full of green, as if wrapped in a green world.  Liu Jing stood in front of the door for a moment. The door opened with a creak. A little maid poked her head out and looked around for a long time. She suddenly recognized Liu Jing. She was so frightened that she hurriedly opened the door, lowered her head and stood with her hands down.  "Is your master here?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.  Although his real purpose was to come to see Da Qiao, he couldn't say anything like this. He could only say that he was looking for Qiao Xuan. The little maid shook her head and said, "The master went to play in the middle of Sichuan. I don't know when he will come back." Liu Jing  Oh, and after standing for a long time, he saw that the little maid had no intention of inviting him into the house, so he smiled and said: "Then go and tell your mistress that I have been here." "Your Highness, wait a moment!"  The maid ran into the house like a gust of wind. After a while, she ran back panting and said, "My mistress invites Your Highness to come into the house!" "Then excuse me!" Liu Jing ordered several guards to wait outside the house, and he followed the little maid  After entering the mansion, I went to the back house and walked into a courtyard. The courtyard was full of green bamboos. A green pool of water surrounded a rockery. There was an octagonal pavilion on the rockery, surrounded by various flowers and plants, and a stone slab.  The path passes through the flowers and plants, looking very quiet, and there is a faint sweet smell in the air.  This should be the courtyard where Da Qiao lives. This is the first time Liu Jing comes in. For some reason, he has an eager expectation in his heart. Qiao Xuan is not in the house, and Da Qiao invites him to the courtyard where she lives again. There are  What's the deep meaning?  "Your Highness, please come this way!" The little maid invited Liu Jing into the main hall. The decoration in the main hall was very simple. There were only two small tables with soft cushions on the floor. There was no other furniture. There was a thin-necked celadon vase on the small table.  There is a bouquet of pink and white crabapples in the vase. The flowers are in full bloom, making the whole room suddenly full of life.  "Your Highness, please take a seat. My mistress will be here soon!" The little maid was so nervous that she turned around and ran away without even serving tea. Liu Jing only sat for a moment, then got up and walked to the next room.  It should be Da Qiao's living room. The door was ajar. Through the crack of the door, Liu Jing saw a familiar figure. She was wearing a snow-white dress, with waterfall-like hair hanging around her shoulders. She was sitting on the copper  I carefully traced my eyebrows in front of the mirror, looking so calm and light, as if there was no trace of human atmosphere.  Da Qiao's graceful and plump figure made Liu Jing unable to control himself. He slowly walked into the room. At this time, Da Qiao asked softly: "Isn't it good to sit in the living room?" Liu Jing sat down behind him and said with a smile:  "Back on the boat, you asked me to help you draw your eyebrows." Da Qiao shuddered slightly and slowly turned around, staring at Liu Jing with a pair of beautiful eyes. Liu Jing felt hot in his heart and held her hand, "What shouldn't you do?  "Ignore me!" Da Qiao wanted to pull his hand back, but Liu Jing held it tightly. She lowered her head and whispered, "That was something that shouldn't have happened. We can't make any more mistakes." "But I can't forget it.  That unforgettable feeling!" Liu Jing hugged Da Qiao, lowered her head and kissed her red lips.  "No! No way!" Da Qiao used his last bit of reason to push Liu Jing away, but Liu Jing's actions were rough and merciless. He put his hands into her skirt and caressed her delicate body wantonly. Da Qiao couldn't resist.  Her whole body became soft, and just when Liu Jing was about to pull off her long skirt, she shouted in a low voice: "If you are unwilling to let me go, then please let Jiang Dong go!" Liu Jing was shocked and her body seemed to be stiff.  Stopped, he slowly let go of Da Qiao, stared at her for a moment, and said coldly: "You came to me just for Jiangdong?" Da Qiao silently put on her clothes and turned her back. After a while, she lowered her head  He said: "I am really looking for you because of Jiangdong's affairs. If you are willing to let Jiangdong go, I am willing to obey you." "Huh! Are you sacrificing yourself? It's great, it's really amazing. You don't hesitate to sacrifice your life for the motherland.  Enemy, I, Liu Jing, have become a shameless tyrant, is that so?" "That's not the case!" Da Qiao turned around with tears in her eyes, "What if?"  I am a man, I will fight with you with a knife and die on the battlefield, but I am not a man, but I don¡¯t want to see my motherland destroyed. Do you understand? If someone wants to destroy your Han country, your wife  You will be as angry as me." Liu Jing stared at Da Qiao, and the anger in his eyes disappeared little by little. He said slowly: "I understand your mood, but I want to tell you that Shang Xiang was begging me just like you at the beginning.  Let Jiangdong go, but later she understood that if the Han army destroyed Jiangdong, except for Sun, all the people in Jiangdong would beat gongs and drums to welcome the arrival of the Han army. If you are?From Sun's standpoint, I have nothing to say, but if you are from the standpoint of the Jiangdong soldiers and civilians, then you are really wrong. You might as well go out and ask the Jiangdong people in person what they hope for?  Is it the endless wars, the separation of wives and children, the heavy taxes that force people to lose their families, or is it peace, no war, and a peaceful life?  " Da Qiao covered her face and cried. Liu Jing held her in his arms pitifully and comforted her in a low voice: "I tried my best to avoid your pain. Sun Shao is now the prefect of Kuaiji in the Han Dynasty. You know  ?  I don't want to kill all the Sun family. For Shang Xiang and you, I will show mercy.  " Da Qiao threw herself into Liu Jing's arms and cried sadly. Liu Jing gently stroked her hair. No woman was as unforgettable to him as Da Qiao, making it difficult for him to let go. After a while, Da Qiao gradually calmed down.  , wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, and whispered: "Go back!  I don't hate you anymore.  Liu Jing nodded. It was really inappropriate for him to want to renew their relationship at this time. He stood up and said, "Then I'll go back first."  " Just as Liu Jing was about to leave, Da Qiao suddenly stopped him, "Master Jing!  " "Is there anything else?  " Liu Jing turned around and asked with a smile. Da Qiao stepped forward, gently leaned her head on his shoulder, and whispered: "I did not sacrifice myself, and you are not a shameless tyrant. I just want to beg you.  " "I know, when I say angry words, I know your difficulties.  " Da Qiao lowered her head for a long time. She suddenly pulled Liu Jing and walked towards the inner room. The light in the inner room was dim. She stretched out her arms and put her arms around Liu Jing's neck. Her eyes were hazy and her red lips greeted her gently. Liu Jing hugged her tightly.  Holding her waist, he kissed her red lips again, and the two slowly fell on the bed. Half an hour later, Da Qiao got up and put on a top and skirt, turned around and smiled brightly, and walked towards the outer room. Liu Jing seemed to be still there  Just like in a dream, he never expected that Da Qiao finally gave it to him. Liu Jing slowly sat up, put on clothes and went to the outer room. He saw Da Qiao sitting in front of the bronze mirror and slowly combing his hair.  Jing sat behind her and held her in his arms, Da Qiao lay in his arms, gently touched his face and said with a bitter smile: "You are an enemy, but you still let you succeed.  Liu Jing smiled and said, "If you don't want to, how can I succeed?"  " Da Qiao blushed, then sighed and said, "Do you know?  I thought a lot last night and found a dagger. I was going to wait for you to fall asleep and kill you with one knife. Then I would kill myself, so that Jiangdong would be saved.  " "Then why did you change your mind?  " "I changed my mind because I don't want Shang Xiang and Xiao Qiao to become widows again, and I don't want your children to be without a father, and I don't want the Han country to be in chaos. After all, so many people support you.  " "Don't you have your own reasons?  Liu Jing lowered her head and sucked her earlobe and asked. Da Qiao's face flushed even more, and he gasped slightly, "A little bit, after all." "After all, what?"  Liu Jing put her hand into her clothes again, held her jade breasts, and asked with a low smile. "After all, you are my second man, and I don't want to lose you again."  " After saying that, Da Qiao trembled all over, his chest heaved violently, his teeth bit his red lips, and he looked at Liu Jing with hazy eyes. Liu Jing understood her expectations, picked up her legs, hugged her and walked towards her again.  It was not until nearly noon that Liu Jing left the Qiao Mansion and returned to the court room in Weiyang Palace. He was also a little tired. He was half lying on the carriage with his eyes slightly closed, but the extremely graceful figure of Da Qiao appeared in his mind.  With her delicate body, Da Qiao's plea seems to be echoing in her ears, "I am willing to serve you, but I cannot leave my hometown. I have difficulties both physically and mentally. I hope you will have mercy on me!"  " Liu Jing sighed softly. He understood Da Qiao's difficulties. After all, she was the mistress of Jiangdong, not Xiao Qiao. If she committed herself as his concubine, it would definitely cause an uproar in the world. Not only would her reputation be damaged, but also her reputation would be damaged.  Even he would be known as a licentious woman, so it was difficult to have both ends. But if he treated her as a housewife and felt that it would hurt the feelings of Tao Zhan and Shang Xiang, Liu Jing was in a dilemma. He had no choice but to take a step and look at it.  One thing is that Liu Jing will never give up.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1007 Dowry incident

    Time gradually came to June, and more and more scholars came to Chang'an to participate in the imperial examination, but the initial noise disappeared. The scholars studied behind closed doors and began the final sprint. The excitement caused by the imperial examination came to an end, and Chang'an  It became a lot quieter.  But another major event aroused great interest in the people of Chang'an, that is, the marriage between Cao and Liu. As time entered June, the marriage also mentioned the wedding part.  Liu Jing and Cao Cao¡¯s envoy Chen Qun set an approximate time, but the specific details were discussed with the Ministry of Rites of Shangshu Province. In addition, the two parties agreed that Sima Yi, the Minister of Rites, and Zhao Lin, the Minister of Rites, would serve as representatives of the Han Dynasty and go to Yedu to marry Cao Cao¡¯s daughter Cao Xian.  As the wedding day approaches, not only the people of Chang'an are looking forward to it, but even Ye is becoming lively. People in the streets and alleys are talking about Wei Gong's daughter marrying to the west. In fact, what everyone is more concerned about is whether Liu will be married because of this marriage.  From then on, the Cao family stopped fighting, forming a situation where the two countries stood side by side.  But many discerning people can see that this marriage between Liu and Cao is actually of little significance. It is just a reconciliation method adopted by Han to unify the south, and it can only exchange for two years of peace at most.  "Moreover, the marriage between Liu and Cao has been discussed for several years, and it has been repeatedly interrupted for some reason. This time it was just to fulfill the previous agreement.  Chen Qun played an important role in this marriage. Not only was he the envoy who finalized the date and specific details of the marriage, but he also served as the envoy to deliver the marriage. During this time, he was extremely busy making arrangements inside and outside.  Early that morning, Chen Qun came to the Deputy Prime Minister's Mansion, which is also the residence of the Crown Prince Cao Pi. At present, Cao Cao basically does not take care of daily government affairs, and the daily affairs of the army are also handed over to the Crown Prince Cao Pi. Of course, major military and state affairs are still  Cao Cao is needed to make the decision.  The daily government affairs of Wei State are basically handled in the deputy prime minister's palace. The palace is extremely busy. The staff who handle documents, deliver ultimatums and approval documents are busy from morning to night.  Chen Qun walked all the way to the courtyard of Cao Pi's official residence. A guard held up his hands and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, please come with me." As soon as he entered the courtyard, a guard immediately went to the lobby to report, and then came out and said to Chen Qun: "Your Majesty, please come with me."  Chen Zhongcheng entered the room. "Chen Qun walked into the lobby and saw Cao Pi sitting at the table, reviewing the ultimatum. Chen Qun quickly stepped forward to greet the prince." Cao Pi put down his pen and said with a smile, "Zhongcheng, please sit down!"  Chen Qun sat down, and Cao Pi turned over the thick pile of ultimatums sent from the local government on the table, and asked Chen Qun, "When Zhong Cheng went to Han this time, did he talk to him about the Ding order?" "  Wei Chen did talk to Xu Shu about this matter. " "What did they say?" Chen Qun thought for a while and said, "Xu Shu said that it is not an ordinary difficulty for the wealthy and powerful to hand over their land and population, and it will not help if Wei Gong's order alone.  , and there must be practical means." "What means?" Cao Pi asked urgently, "The reason why Cao Pi is very concerned about this matter is because Wei Guo's promulgation of the Ding Order encountered great resistance, and all counties and counties submitted letters.  If it is implemented forcibly, it will provoke major wealthy families to rebel, which will affect the safety of Wei State. In fact, it cannot be implemented.  Cao Pi was helpless. More importantly, the situation of land and slaves in Wei was extremely complicated. There were rewards from the Han Dynasty, rewards from his father Cao Cao, and private purchases. To implement the order, it would definitely violate the interests of most people.  Especially for the interests of the Cao clan in the military, how could he do it if his father promulgated an order and then asked him to implement it?  Now Cao Pi is troubled by this matter. His father is waiting to see the result, and he has nothing to do. How can he tell his father that his prestige and ability are not enough? How will his father view him?  Cao Pi also heard that Han had similar measures and they were quite successful. He was very interested and hoped to learn from Han's experience.  Chen Qun smiled bitterly and said, "I'm afraid we won't be able to implement the means Xu Shu said." "That's all you say, what exactly is it?" "Xu Shu said, we must first find out the situation, who occupies how much population and land,  These specific situations must be clarified, and then we must be targeted and find the right breakthrough point. The Han Dynasty used the Cai family in Jingzhou and the Fei family in Yizhou as a breakthrough. Secondly, it was a matter of example. The king of Han himself did not give away the land and slaves, and the major generals also took the initiative to return the land.  and population, and finally establish a reward system to allow Han officials to gain and lose, so that it can be implemented. "Cao Pi nodded repeatedly. He had considered all these methods. In fact, the people below did not buy it at all and occupied the most land.  It's the Cao family and the Xiahou family. Could he attack them?  Cao Pi sighed helplessly and said: "Sometimes I wish this was the Han Kingdom, where there wouldn't be so many complicated interests and everything would be easy to do, but we can't."?!  First of all, the military is not included in the decree. But if the military generals do not implement it, how can you convince others? Naturally, no one will do it. Less than a month after it was implemented, all counties and counties have backed down. The total number of people released  The population is less than 10,000 households. How can I explain this to my father?  " Chen Qun thought for a while and said: "The prince just needs to repay the truth according to the truth. I believe Wei Gong is also very aware of the difficulty of this matter and will not embarrass the prince too much.  "    "It can only be the.  " Cao Pi stopped asking about this matter. He changed the topic and said with a smile: "I came to Zhongcheng today because I actually wanted to ask about my sister's marriage. Does Zhongcheng think there will be any changes in this matter?  " Chen Qun smiled and said: "This time it is different from the past. It was the other party who took the initiative to mention it. I believe that Liu Jing wants to attack Jiangdong and Jiaozhou and unify the south. He must stabilize the north, so Wei Chen believes that this marriage will definitely succeed.  All in all, Sima Yi should have arrived in Yedu in the past two days.  " "Won't Liu Jing come to welcome the bride in person?  " "Wei Gong also hoped that Liu Jing could come to Yedu to welcome the bride in person, and promised his safety, but everyone in the Han Dynasty opposed it, so Liu Jing could only welcome the bride at Pujin Pass. I think this is good, and neither side needs to worry too much.  " Cao Pi thought for a moment and said to Chen Qun: "It is estimated that my father will discuss the dowry gift with Zhongcheng in the next two days. The last time two sisters married the emperor, my father's dowry gift was 50,000 pieces of silk and satin. I am very worried.  I'm worried that my father will follow suit this time. To be honest, we can't afford such a high dowry. The last time I married the emperor, I gave it to my left hand and gave it to my right hand. It doesn't matter how much I give, but this time it's for Han. I'm worried." Cao Pi didn't  He continued talking and looked at Chen Qun meaningfully. Only then did Chen Qun realize that it was the prince who came to see him about the dowry. Chen Qun smiled and said, "I understand what the prince meant. Please don't worry, prince. I will persuade Wei."  Sir, try to be as low-key and simple as possible.  " Cao Pi smiled bitterly and said, "It's impossible to be low-key. Try to be as simple as possible!  "Chen Qun stood up to say goodbye. Cao Pi saw him out and walked back to his official room. He paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. Cao Pi was very in favor of the marriage between Cao and Liu. He didn't know how expensive firewood and rice were when he didn't become a family. Now that he has become a family, who else can he compare to?  They all know what Wei needs most. Wei needs time to recuperate most. Two years is not enough. It is best to take five years before Wei can gradually recover. As expected by Cao Pi, Cao Pi was called to Tongque by his father Cao Cao in the afternoon.  He came to the stage to discuss the dowry with him. Of course, Chen Qun was also sitting there. With Chen Qun here, there was no need for Cao Pi to say much. "The thing I have wronged the most is my daughter, who has been guarding me at home for so many years.  She got married, and I don¡¯t want her to be wronged again. Needless to say, Liu Jing¡¯s wife, Mrs. Tao, was the daughter of the richest man in the world. Her dowry was a sensation in the world. I heard that even Sun Quan¡¯s sister got married with a dowry worth a boatload.  , so my daughter¡¯s dowry must be the same as that of Liu Jing¡¯s first wife, and she must be married as a first wife.  " Cao Cao spoke very directly, with almost no room for negotiation. He looked at Cao Pi and said: "I still have a little savings. If it is not enough, the treasury will make up for it!  " Cao Pi lowered his head and did not dare to refute, so he had to respond: "My child obeys!  " He was anxious in his heart, hoping that Chen Qun would help him out quickly. At this time, Chen Qun said calmly: "Wei Chen deeply admires Wei Gong's love for his daughter, but Wei Chen feels that a generous marriage may not be a good thing for Miss Xian.  "    "Why?  "Cao Cao turned his attention to Chen Qun again and asked puzzledly. "This time Wei Chen visited the King of Han first, during which the Princess of Han also came out. She clearly told Wei Chen that Han advocated simplicity, and the Han Dynasty set an example.  Both the princess and the second concubine should live a simple and low-key life. She hoped that this wedding would not be too extravagant.  " "What about Liu Jing's attitude?  "Cao Cao asked a little unhappy. "The attitude of the King of Han was basically the same as that of the Princess of Han. He said that the ceremony could be grand, but the trend of marrying richly should not last long. Once the marriage to Concubine Cao was too luxurious, it would have negative consequences, which would not be conducive to Han's advocacy of simplicity.  And it will also increase the burden on both countries.  " "Are these his exact words?  " "Reporting to the Duke of Wei, I dare not hide it. This is the exact words of the King of Han.  "Cao Cao pondered for a moment, then turned back and asked Cao Pi: "What's your opinion?  " "The child is willing to listen to his father's words, but there is something that needs to be clarified.  " "What do you want to clarify?  " "It is about the dowry of Princess Tao and the second concubine Sun. It is not what the father said. As far as the child knows, Tao's dowry is war horses and grain. In fact, Tao used the dowry as an excuse to support Liu.  Jing's army, and Tao's own dowry is not much. As for Sun, there is no dowry, just one layer of the building ship, and most of them are weapons collected by Sun himself. Sun's real dowry is only  Forty boxes, this is recorded. As for the dowry that the father wants to give to his sister, in fact, the child??I don¡¯t want my sister to be wronged, especially after she gets married.  " Cao Pi's last words were a subtle reminder to his father not to exceed the dowry of the princess, otherwise the Princess of Han would be dissatisfied and her sister's life would not be easy in the future. "Cao Cao just loved his daughter eagerly and wanted to earn face for himself and his daughter, but under Chen Qun  After being reminded by Cao Pi, he also figured out that a daughter's happiness does not lie in the beauty of her marriage, but in her life after marriage, especially getting along with the princess and the second concubine. If the dowry is too shabby, others will despise and ridicule her.  But if it is too extravagant and luxurious, it will inevitably arouse hostility in the palace of the Han Dynasty, and the daughter will have a difficult life in the future. Therefore, the dowry cannot be too much, but it cannot be too little. The key is that it must be in line with the status of the bride. Of course, Cao Cao understood this kind of human nature, and he thought about it.  After thinking about it, he said to Cao Pi and Chen Qun: "Let's do this!  The wedding ceremony should be as grand as possible, at least in the Wei Kingdom, and the dowry should be the same as that of the second concubine Sun. I will leave this matter to you. Don't wrong my daughter.  " Cao Pi was secretly happy in his heart and said quickly: "Please don't worry, father. The child will discuss it with his mother again and will definitely get the matter done so that his sister can get married in glory!  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1008 Marriage between Liu and Cao (Part 1)

    The day before the Han wedding team arrived in Yedu, Cao Cao ordered the lights to be decorated and the streets to be cleaned. The Han advance team entered the city one day in advance and distributed 100,000 wedding coins from house to house. Although the wedding money was small, Cao Cao  Liu Lian's marriage reached a climax.  The next morning, the Han wedding team arrived in Yedu as scheduled, causing a sensation all over Yedu. Every household came out to watch, blocking both sides of the street. Cao Cao had to send troops to maintain order.  The wedding envoy Sima Yi and the deputy envoy Zhao Lin rode on tall horses, followed by more than a dozen attendants. In the middle were three welcoming carriages. Although the carriages were not gorgeous, they were quite spacious. There were cavalry guards on both sides, and behind them were ten carriages.  Several limo cars were loaded with dozens of large boxes tied with colorful knots, which were the betrothal gifts of the King of Han.  In fact, as early as the year before last, Sima Yi escorted a group of betrothal gifts to Taiyuan, but was ambushed by the Xiongnu on the way, and all the betrothal gifts were destroyed by fire. This was the second betrothal gift, but the betrothal gift was not expensive. It mainly consisted of Yanbi riding a horse and shedding silk.  Something auspicious.  This is what Liu Jing told Chen Qun in advance. Both parties should focus on simplicity when marrying their daughters, and should not engage in luxury. As soon as Sima Yi and his entourage entered the city, Chen Qun came out with more than a dozen officials to welcome them.  "Finally, Sima Shangshu is here. Everyone has worked hard all the way." Sima Yi said with a smile: "We were supposed to come last year, but it was delayed for a whole year. We hope that this time we can successfully complete the marriage between the two countries." "We also hope not to  If something unexpected happens, Sima Shangshu, please follow me to the VIP Inn to rest. The couple will officially get married tomorrow morning. "Sima Yi chuckled, "According to custom, we must first go around the city before bothering Shijun Chen." Chen Qun had no choice but to do it.  He smiled and said: "Then I will accompany the minister!" "Thank you, Ambassador Chen." The team of welcoming envoys began a grand procession to welcome the bride, which caused a sensation throughout the city.  In the back hall of Tongque Palace, a little maid ran all the way into the courtyard where Cao Xian lived. She jumped up and down and shouted from a distance: "Girl, they are coming! They are coming!" Cao Xian was sitting in the room.  While reading, she heard the little maid shouting excitedly. She frowned and walked out of the room: "What are you shouting about? Who is coming?" "Girl, the wedding team is here. The girl is getting married." Cao Xian's heart jumped suddenly.  , and pretended to be calm and scolded the little maid: "What kind of big deal is this? You have to shout like this. Is this how I usually teach you?" The little maid was so frightened that she lowered her head and did not dare to say anything anymore. Cao Xian said again: "You go first  Go! Don't spread this around." "I know it." The little maid stuck out her tongue and went down quietly. However, Cao Xian was disturbed. She started talking about her marriage four years ago and has been talking about it now.  After many ups and downs, the moment finally came. She would leave her parents tomorrow and go to Chang'an to start a new life. She was full of worries about her future.  She had met Liu Jing and lived with the princess and the others for a period of time. Although Liu Jing was the husband of her dreams, he was tall, brave, young and promising, and the princess was even more generous and kind, but after all, Wei and Han had been at war for many years.  In a hostile country, what will be the consequences if she marries an enemy country?  She didn't know and didn't dare to think too much.  At this time, Cao Xian suddenly felt something. When he turned around, he saw his mother, Mrs. Bian, standing at the door with a smile. She quickly stepped forward and saluted, "Why is mother here?" Although Cao Xian was not born by Mrs. Bian, she raised him single-handedly.  Mother and daughter had a deep relationship. Mrs. Bian also regarded her as her own and loved her very much. She took her daughter's hand, stroked her hair and said with a smile: "I'm getting married tomorrow, of course mother will come.  Look at you." Cao Xian's nose was sore, tears rolled down his face, and he cried in his mother's arms: "You are a silly kid who is talking silly! You are already twenty-one years old.  My mother is dying of anxiety about getting married. She has been looking forward to the stars and the moon, and finally this day has come. " Mrs. Bian helped her daughter sit down and smiled at her: "Tonight, I will teach you the ways of husband and wife.  But now my mother wants to tell you something else." Cao Xian blushed, "Please give me your instructions, mother!" Mrs. Bian said slowly, "It's true that you are getting married this time, and you can't be the official wife. Fortunately, you are the king of Han.  Not low, you can still be the second concubine, and you may still be the noble concubine in the future!" At this point, Mrs. Bian whispered: "This sentence can only be spoken by us as mother and daughter, and your father must not know."  "Daughter understands, mother does not need to worry." Mrs. Bian then continued: "I have heard about the character of the King of Han. He values ??love and righteousness. He is young and is a very good husband. But since he is the King of Han, there are many people around him.  There are also many women, so don¡¯t take this too seriously.¡± Cao Xian nodded silently.Madam ? then asked: "Actually, what I'm most worried about is not what the King of Han will do to you, but the Princess of Han and the second concubine Sun. They have followed the King of Han for many years and have deep roots in the palace. They each have children. You must not do it."  Rely on your father's status and treat them with disrespect or contempt, especially the Princess of Han. Although she is not of high birth, she is the wife of the King of Han, and her son has been established as the crown prince, so her position is solid. You must not try to replace her.  " Cao Xian held his mother's hand and said with a smile, "Don't worry, mother! My daughter knows Mrs. Tao and Mrs. Sun and gets along well with them. Nothing that her mother is worried about will happen. " Mrs. Bian sighed and said, "You are.  You are a good boy, virtuous, intelligent, and beautiful. My mother has always trusted you, but I am afraid that you will be confused for a moment. " "It's okay if you don't." Mrs. Bian said to her daughter slowly.  Although it is a political marriage with the King of Han, my mother hopes that you will not have such thoughts, and serve your husband well like a daughter from a good family when she gets married, especially if you have no parents-in-law. Your husband's love for you is your happiness and future status.  Remember, you must not get involved in the politics of the two countries. It is about your fate, or even your life. You must remember what my mother said. " Mrs. Bian said two 'tens of millions' in a row.  She is someone who has been through it. No matter what her husband's requirements are for her daughter, she knows in her heart that if her daughter wants to avoid being involved in national crises in the future, the only way is to not get involved in politics. She doesn't care what happens in the world, that is for men.  Regarding matters, she only cares about her daughter, who must have a good marriage and a happy ending.  Cao Xian nodded lightly, "My mother's instructions will be kept in mind by my daughter." Early the next morning, the Han wedding team arrived at Tongque Palace. There were bursts of firecrackers in the square, urging the newlyweds to go on their way. Cao Xian crossed  Putting on the wedding robe, wearing a phoenix crown on her head, a colorful belt around her waist, and painted clogs on her feet, she was helped to the lobby by two maids to bid farewell to her father Cao Cao and mother Bian.  "My daughter is leaving. I hope my parents will take good care of themselves. My daughter will pray for my two elders from afar!" Cao Xian thought of her father's health, fearing that he might not have long to live, and that he might be gone forever. At the end of the sentence, she burst into tears and her voice choked up.  stand up.  Cao Cao was also a little sad in his heart, but his daughter's marriage was a happy event, and he couldn't let it down. He forced himself to look happy and said: "My son is going to Chang'an and will be married. He must be careful in his actions and words, respect his wife, and serve his husband well."  If you want to have children and carry on the family line, you must abide by the virtues of women and don't embarrass your father. " "Daughter, remember your father's words!" At this time, the master of ceremonies outside the palace shouted: "The auspicious time has come, the newlyweds are leaving!"  He grabbed his father's hand and cried loudly, "Father, my daughter can't serve you anymore." With tears in his eyes, Cao Cao broke away from her hand and shouted: "How can my daughter, Cao Cao, behave like a child? Go!"  Cao Xian knelt down and kowtowed three times to his father and mother before hiding his face and leaving. Cao Cao watched his daughter go away and couldn't help but sigh. "Cao Cao sent three thousand cavalry to protect his daughter all the way west. Five days later, the wedding team finally arrived.  Pujin Pass, an iron cable bridge was erected on the Yellow River outside Pujin Pass. Hundreds of Cao Jun soldiers guarded the carriages on both sides and drove slowly across the iron cable bridge.  Cao Xian looked at the rolling water of the Yellow River outside the car, and she felt quite emotional. After crossing the Yellow River, she entered the Han Kingdom. At this time, Cao Xian had calmed down from the sadness of parting, and she began to feel anxious about her new life. Liu Jing would  how is she?  The carriage crossed the iron cable bridge. At this time, there were two thousand Han cavalry waiting here. Cao Jun and Han army made a handover. Cao Jun's cavalry left, and the carriage entered Guancheng under the escort of Han cavalry.  "Madam, the King of Han has come to greet you personally." Sima Yi laughed softly beside the carriage.  Cao Xian gently lifted the corner of the bamboo curtain, and saw Liu Jing, the king of Han, waiting on horseback a dozen steps away. He was wearing a brand-new military uniform and long boots, looking extremely heroic. Her heart was pounding and she quickly lowered the curtain.  At this time, Liu Jing urged her horse forward and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work along the way." Cao Xian's journey was indeed very hard. According to marriage customs, she could not get off the carriage before entering her husband's house. She lived in the carriage for five days.  Fortunately, she has a peaceful mind and does not feel bored despite the hard work.  Cao Xian responded in a low voice in the carriage: "Thank you, general, for welcoming you thousands of miles away." Liu Jing smiled and said, "I have arranged a tent in front of me. I will rest in the tent for a night before setting off on the road. It will take at least three days to go to Chang'an.  It would be unbearable to stay in the carriage like this. " Cao Xian was grateful. Only the groom had the right to arrange the bride's living along the way without violating the marriage customs. She whispered: "Thank you, General, for the arrangements." "It's not far ahead.  Hundreds of large tents were set up in the wilderness. Liu Jing was very thoughtful. The three large tents in the middle were decorated with huge curtains.They were surrounded and guarded by more than twenty female soldiers, so that the bride did not have to stay in the tent and could go out for a walk.  Cao Xian's carriage drove into the curtain and stopped in front of a certain tent. The coachman and soldiers all retreated. Two maids carefully helped Cao Xian out of the carriage. She stretched her waist and felt all over her body.  Shu Chang, at this time, when she turned around, she found Liu Jing standing not far away, looking at her with a smile. Her cheeks suddenly turned red with embarrassment, and she quickly got into the tent.  A thought suddenly came to her mind, could it be that she is here tonight?  £®  £®  £®  Will she sleep with her husband?  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1009 The Marriage of Liu and Cao (Part 2)

    What Cao Xian was worried about did not happen. Three large tents were prepared for her. Liu Jing seemed to have no idea of ??coming in to live with her. Of course, Cao Xian's worries were only fleeting. There was no marriage ceremony. With Liu Jing's  With his identity, how could he be so anxious?  At night, two maids were packing clothes in the tent. Cao Xian was bored sitting in the tent, so he got up and walked out of the tent. Although it was early summer and June, the night was not very hot, and there was even a cool breeze.  The night sky was clear, and the stars in the sky were like countless gems on the black velvet canopy. Cao Xian looked up at the stars, and she seemed to have returned to her girlhood, when she was so curious about the stars in the night sky.  The past years flowed into her heart like running water, and the scenes that she could never forget were like countless stars, pouring into her heart. Unknowingly, she became obsessed with it.  "You seem to like stars very much!" There was a chuckle not far away. Cao Xian was startled and looked back. He saw Liu Jing standing under a small tree more than ten steps away, looking at him with a smile.  she.  Her face suddenly turned red, why did he come in?  Liu Jing walked forward slowly and said with a smile: "A female guard reported to me that there was something abnormal in the tree, so I came to take a look." "What's abnormal?" Cao Xian nervously looked at the big trees on both sides.  "It's a lynx. Maybe we have invaded its territory." Liu Jing walked to Cao Xian. He stared at a big tree for a moment, pointed at a looming white shadow and smiled: "See it, that's right.  The white lynx was peeping furtively in the trees. "Cao Xian also saw it clearly. It was a small lynx jumping between the big trees. Several female guards were aiming their crossbows at it. She quickly turned back.  Said to Liu Jing: "Don't hurt it, okay?" Liu Jing nodded, waved to a female guard, and gave a few instructions. The female guard immediately ran over and stopped everyone's crossbows.  At this time, Liu Jing pointed to the south and smiled: "There is a small river outside. It is very quiet. Let's take a walk!" Cao Xian nodded silently and followed Liu Jing out of the curtain, followed by several female soldiers in the distance. As expected, outside the curtain  It was a small river that flowed slowly into the forest in the distance. There were dozens of large tents stationed on the other side of the river, and the soldiers all avoided it.  The night was very quiet. The two of them walked side by side by the river. The riverside was covered with thin and dense velvet grass, with small spherical white flowers blooming. But at night, the petals also quietly retracted.  "Does the general also like the night sky?" Cao Xian asked in a low voice.  Liu Jing looked up at the stars in the night sky and said with a smile: "The most mysterious thing is these stars. They seem to be so close to us and within reach, but they are so far away from us, so far away that we can't imagine, no matter how deep they are.  How dark it is, but what is presented to us is always a bright and beautiful side. "Cao Xian also said softly: "When I was a child, I was wondering, what would be the end of the sky?  I can¡¯t imagine what will be behind the wall.¡± ¡°Behind the wall is another starry sky. Like us, there is the same Liu Jing and the same Cao Xian. Maybe they are also walking by the river.¡± ¡°Yes.  Is that so?" Cao Xian looked at Liu Jing in surprise, his beautiful eyes shining like gems.  Liu Jing nodded, "Not you and I can understand the mysterious vastness of the starry sky. It contains everything, but everything we can think of will exist there. We can imagine as much as we want, but don't ignore it for the sake of endless imagination.  The beauty in front of me." Cao Xian was touched and looked back at Liu Jing. He saw Liu Jing's eyes shining brightly, staring at him passionately. Her face was hot, and she slowly lowered her head and gently caressed the hem of her clothes.  Liu Jing slowly raised her soft chin, and Cao Xian closed his eyes shyly. Liu Jing stared at her beautiful face for a moment, then lowered his head and kissed her red lips. Cao Xian was shocked and held on tightly.  Liu Jing's arms and body became stiff, and she was shaking with nervousness.  Liu Jing laughed, knowing that she was not ready yet, so he let her go. Cao Xian bit his lower lip, and the tension slowly disappeared. She suddenly felt how beautiful the kiss just now was. She only had fear in her heart, but there was no  To experience this wonderful feeling.  The two stopped talking and walked slowly on their shoulders. After walking for an unknown amount of time, they were far away from the camp. Two large rocks appeared in front of them. They were smooth and smooth, as if they were prepared for them. Liu Jing pointed at the large rocks and said with a smile: "Sit down."  Sit down!" Cao Xian nodded slightly and sat down. Liu Jing sat down next to her, picked up two small stones and threw them into the river from a distance.  "General!" Cao Xian stared at the river and asked in a low voice: "Are you really willing to marry me?" "Why do you ask this question?" Liu Jing said with a faint smile.  &nbsp; "This is a question I have been thinking about, and it is also a knot in my heart." "What kind of knot, tell me, maybe I can help you untie it." Cao Xian bit his lip tightly, and after a long time he whispered: "  "Aren't you afraid that I'll kill you while you're asleep?" Liu Jing smiled slightly, "I'm serious."  , eyes filled with an inexplicable sadness, "Very few people would marry the daughter of an enemy. Even if they do, it's just a formality. If you marry me, will it be the same" Liu Jing held her hand,  He said softly: "I have also had such worries. Marrying a daughter of an enemy country will put my life in danger, so when your father first sent someone to Chengdu to mention this, I declined, but now I no longer have such worries.  "Why?" "Because the situation has been determined. Even if you kill me, I still have my son and hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers, and I can still capture Yedu. At that time, the Cao family or the Xiahou family,  They will all be killed. I think you are a sensible woman and will not let your entire family be buried with you for your actions." Cao Xian broke free from Liu Jing's hand, stared at the river, and said after a while: "You can say it.  It¡¯s terrible and chilling.¡± ¡°The fact is, if you avoid the facts, your knot will never be resolved. You may not know that Princess Shangxiang almost killed me with a knife.¡±  I exclaimed, "Did she really do it?" "Not after we got married, but before we got married. During the Battle of Chaisang, I captured her. In fact, when she was still a little girl, she wanted to  You tried to steal my horse, but you have been hating me for so many years. "But you have a good relationship with her!"  No matter how many wars the Han Kingdom and Jiangdong fight, it will not change the fact that she is my wife. Miss Xian, you have to understand that before you get married, your surname is Cao, but after you get married, you will be the Liu family.  Ancestral Hall, the child you gave birth to is also named Liu. As long as you understand this, you will not do anything stupid." Cao Xian bit his lip and whispered: "Actually, I understand very well, and I will never do it.  I'm just afraid of doing that kind of stupid thing" "Afraid that after I marry you, I'll be a wife in name only?"  Cao Xian nodded lightly, "Yes!" "If I can't tolerate a little girl like you, how can I tolerate the whole world?" Liu Jing smiled heartily, stood up and said, "Go back! You have to be early.  Let¡¯s rest.¡± Cao Xian was still chewing on Liu Jing¡¯s words, ¡°If I can¡¯t tolerate a little girl like you, how can I tolerate the whole world?¡±  ¡¯ She suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment in her heart, and the knot that had been pressing deep in her heart was somewhat untied.  At this time, Liu Jing reached out to her, and there was a subtle change in Cao Xian's heart. She lowered her head shyly and gave her hand to him.  Liu Jing helped her walk ashore, but did not let go of her hand. Instead, she hugged her directly and looked at her warmly.  This time, Cao Xian was no longer afraid. She closed her eyes slightly, and her heart was full of expectation. Suddenly, she felt Liu Jing's hot lips kissing hers, and a strong arm wrapped around her lower waist.  The heat rushed straight to the top of her head, and she finally felt this extremely wonderful taste. Her whole body softened, and her soul flew nine days away, as if it had merged with the stars in the sky.  Their lips and tongues intertwined, and they kissed passionately. After an unknown amount of time, the four lips slowly parted. Cao Xian gasped softly, and she found that she was lying on the grass.  Cao Xian shyly buried her head in Liu Jing's arms and let him hug her tightly. She suddenly felt so moved that she wanted to cry. She had fallen deeply in love with this man, who was about to become her husband.  Liu Jing did not take any further action, but hugged her and lay down, letting her fully experience the beautiful feeling of mutual love.  After lying there for a long time, Cao Xian's long eyelashes flickered slightly, his beautiful eyes opened, and he whispered: "General, I'm a little cold." Liu Jing nodded, "Let's go back!" He hugged Cao Xian and stood up, and the two of them stood up.  They hugged each other and slowly walked back to the tent. In front of the tent, Cao Xian refused to let go of his hand, and just looked at Liu Jing dreamingly, with a kind of expectation in his eyes.  It is undeniable that Cao Xian has another kind of beauty. His temperament is elegant and quiet, his face is dignified and beautiful, his figure is very tall but slender and well-proportioned, his skin is white and elastic, especially the curves unique to women are extremely soft and plump. All these strongly attracted Liu  Jing.  Liu Jing hugged her into his arms and whispered in her ear: "??I'm staying tonight.  "Although this is inconsistent with etiquette, people's emotional expressions are often not bound by etiquette. Even a dignified woman like Cao Xian has a deeply affectionate side. "Perhaps she has tasted the sweetness of love and her heart has opened up, or maybe it is  Not wanting to leave his beloved husband, perhaps because he thought that he was Liu Jing's man, Cao Xian only hesitated for a moment, then nodded shyly and agreed to the request that she had not been able to accept more than an hour ago. Liu Jing was overjoyed.  , picked her up and walked into the big tent. The two maids had already hidden in the other tent. The thick bedding had been laid out, and the two kissed each other tightly again. Cao Xian's heart was open.  , she took the initiative to hug Liu Jing's neck and kissed him passionately. Liu Jing stretched out his hand to extinguish the candle, slowly took off her dress, and caressed her body with his hands, completely arousing her.  Cao Xian gasped and hugged Liu Jing tightly. The two slowly fell on the quilt. In the big tent, Cao Xian catered to Liu Jing without knowing how high he was. He originally took a break.  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1010 Summer Resort in the Villa

    The marriage between Cao and Liu was a lively and spectacular event in Wei State, but it was equally lively in Chang'an. When the wedding carriage drove into the city, it caused a sensation throughout the city. More than 100,000 people lined the streets to welcome Cao's daughter.  Although the whole wedding ceremony was very grand and lively, the wedding was simple and plain, with no extravagant pomp, no big banquet, and no congratulatory gifts from officials.  Amidst the sound of drums, Cao Xian was married into the palace of the Han Dynasty and married Liu Jing. Some important officials were invited to watch the ceremony. The whole wedding ceremony was simple and lively. After the wedding ceremony, Cao Xian officially became the second concubine of the Han Dynasty.  .  In the marriages of the Han Dynasty, most high-ranking officials and princes had wives and concubines. In addition to the head wives, not every woman had the same status. Generally speaking, Ping was the wife and Ben was the concubine. That is to say, according to the six  Marriage is a rite of passage, and those who have a wedding ceremony are called wives, while concubines do not have any ceremony and enter the house quietly.  But for high-ranking officials and princes, many people also have grand ceremonies when marrying concubines. For example, Dong Zhuo married Huangfu Gui's widow. The scale was grand and the wedding caused a sensation in Luoyang.  Therefore, there are differences between concubines. The officials who formulated the etiquette divided the concubines into a more prestigious category, called concubines. In addition to the main wives, those who married were concubines and those who ran were concubines.  Before Liu Jing was granted the title of King of Han, Sun Shangxiang was a concubine, and Xiao Bao Niang was a concubine. However, after Liu Jing was granted the title of King of Han, and the ceremony was the same as that of the East Palace, Liu Jing's wives and concubines were different from ordinary people.  According to the Han system, only Tao Zhan can be called the princess, and the other concubines can only be called Liangdi and Ruzi. But in fact, everyone in the Han Dynasty called Sun Shangxiang the second concubine. This time Cao Xian got married, and according to the consensus reached by both parties, Cao Xian was the second concubine.  Xian is also the second concubine.  But Cao Cao thought it was not formal enough, so he asked the emperor to issue an edict to list the second concubine as an internal official with a rank of two thousand shi. He also named his daughters Cao Xian and Sun Shangxiang as the second concubine of the Han Dynasty, and the Qiao family and the Bao family as Liangdi. In this way,  Cao Xian's status was higher than that of Sun Shangxiang, and she was the second concubine on the left, while Sun Shangxiang was the second concubine on the right. This was also Cao Cao's good intentions.  However, in the inner palace of the Han Dynasty, these official statuses are not considered. The Han Dynasty has its own rules. According to the seating order at dinner, Tao Zhan is in the first place, Sun Shangxiang is second, Cao Xian is in the third place, and Xiao Qiao is the fourth.  Bao Niang is the fifth.  As for the children, except for the eldest son Liu Zhi, who must sit in the first place, the other children can sit wherever they want, without any deliberate order.  This is the consensus within the Han palace. Sun Shangxiang is indeed one level higher than Cao Xian. Of course, Cao Xian will not be dissatisfied. She not only respects Tao Zhan, but also respects the other sisters and calls them sisters.  Cao Xian's cleverness and well-behaved also won everyone's love, and soon they got along well with each other.  Cao Xianyou has a very good relationship with Sun Shangxiang. The Mingyue Tower where she lives is close to the Wanghu Pavilion where Sun Shangxiang lives. They are only a few dozen steps apart, and they go back and forth every day.  Fast forward to late June, it was almost 20 days since Cao Xian married into the Han Dynasty Palace. She had gradually become familiar with the people in the palace. However, the summer in Chang'an was very hot, much hotter than Yedu, so she was a little uncomfortable with the weather in Chang'an.  adapt.  Fortunately, there is an ice cellar in the house. Ice cubes were placed in the wall of the small building where she lived, which made the room much cooler. Cao Xian refused to go downstairs and stayed in the room most of the time.  This morning, the scorching sun hung in the sky, and the weather was extremely hot. Every time he moved, he felt like he was covered in sweat. Cao Xian stayed in his living room as usual, sitting in front of the window reading a book, holding a round fan in his hand and gently blowing  Fanning lightly.  As a wife for the first time, Cao Xian was deeply loved by her husband. The short spring night made her satisfied with her married life. The initial uneasiness and worry gradually disappeared. Her whole mind was focused on her husband. She actually had the idea that if her husband really  She can accept the idea of ??unifying the world.  As her marriage gradually gets on the right track, her husband cannot stay with her alone every night. Just like Bao Niang is obsessed with food, Xiao Qiao is addicted to music, Shang Xiang loves collecting weapons, and Mistress Tao Zhan has to manage the entire house. Everyone  Everyone has their own things to do, and Cao Xian also began to find his own interests and hobbies.  Cao Xian loves reading very much, and has collected two whole rooms of bamboo slips and scrolls. Most of the more than 100 large boxes in her dowry are her books, and these are just books that she often reads.  Fortunately, there are enough empty rooms in Mingyue Building. She has written home and asked her father to transport all her books.  At this time, the maid outside the door smiled and said: "Second Madam is here!" This was Shang Xiang's arrival. Cao Xian quickly put down his book and came out. Just when Sun Shangxiang walked in, she quickly smiled and took Sun Shangxiang's arm.  "How can the second sister go out on such a hot day?" "My temperament is different from yours. I can't stay in the room. When you came to Chang'an, you stayed in a carriage for several days and nights. If it were me, I would have been  It's driving me crazy." Sun Shangxiang took out his handkerchief and wiped his sweat, looked at Cao Xian again, and said with a smile, "It's better than when I first arrived.?You are so beautiful and delicate, it seems that person has nourished you well.  " Cao Xian would never make such explicit jokes. She suddenly blushed with embarrassment, squeezed Sun Shangxiang's hand, and said embarrassedly: "What are you talking about, second sister?  Sun Shangxiang sat down and smiled again: "When I first married her, I was as shy as you. As time went by, my face became thicker, and you will be the same in the future."  " Cao Xian sat down opposite Sun Shangxiang and asked in a low voice: "I'm writing a letter to my father. He won't be angry, right?  "    "Won't!  He doesn't care about these things. As long as you don't talk about state affairs, it doesn't matter if you write a hundred letters a day.  " Cao Xian nodded and said quietly: "I always thought that I was in a political marriage and it was destined to be a tragedy. But after I got married, I found that it was very different from what I thought. I can only say that I was too naive in my past thoughts.  .  Sun Shangxiang held her hand and sighed: "You are not naive. In fact, I am the same. I am not a political marriage. It's just that we are very lucky. We met a unique husband. He  She doesn't care about our natal family, but sincerely treats us as relatives, which has enabled us to escape the misfortune of political marriage and have a real marriage. Sister Xian, this marriage is hard-won, and you and I must learn to cherish it.  .  " Cao Xian nodded silently, "I understand!  " "Okay, let's not talk about these heavy topics. I am here to tell you good news today. We will leave for the manor to escape the summer heat tomorrow. You should pack your things quickly today!  " Cao Xian screamed and said anxiously: "But I have so many books, how can I pack them away?  Also, my father is going to deliver my book in the next few days. What if I¡¯m not here?  " "Don't worry about this. The housekeeper will deliver a dozen big boxes later. You put the things you must bring into the box and save a few volumes of books. If you want anything at that time, you can have someone come back to pick it up.  , anyway, try to keep it as streamlined as possible, and they will move the boxes on their own.  " Cao Xian then breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "How long will we be going and where will we be?  " "Less than two months!"  I just came back before Bailu. I heard that in Yong County, it turns out to be a royal village with mountains and rivers, beautiful scenery and very cool. I simply can't wait.  ¡± ?¡­ Not long after the Fei family handed over the land, the Han Dynasty carried out the first land enfeoffment. Ordinary civilians had Yongye fields, with 80 acres each for men and women, and those who joined the army added  Fifty acres of military land has been implemented in the Han Dynasty for many years. Officials and generals should naturally have their own Yongye Field. For military generals, Yongye Field is awarded based on their title and military position, while for civilian officials, it is based on official qualifications and qualifications.  Generally speaking, there are five sources of official land. The first is ancestral property. The Han State recognizes ancestral property, but there are also restrictions, that is, it cannot exceed the Yongye land standard, and the excess must be turned over. The second is Yongye land.  Land, this standard is fixed once it is drawn up, and it is strictly prohibited to buy and sell. It can be inherited from generation to generation. If the heir dies and no heir is designated, Yongye Tian will be confiscated and returned to the government. The third source is purchase. Land that can be traded is called property.  Fields, outside of Yongye fields, are generally newly reclaimed land, or new land obtained by expanding territory. For example, the land in Lingzhou and Hexi belongs to the property field. The fourth source is the special land obtained due to meritorious deeds.  Rewards, land rewards were allocated from official fields. Generals such as Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Gan Ning, Wenpin, etc. all received rewards to varying degrees. The fifth source is more special, that is, official fields.  There is a corresponding position land, and the output of the land belongs to the official. It is actually a kind of job subsidy. Once the official retires, the land system must be handed over. The land system is very complicated. Here are just a few words.  As the king of Han Dynasty, Liu Jing received one thousand hectares of Yongye Field and another 500 hectares of official land. Liu Jing's Yongye Field was located in Shenyou Mountain in Yong County. It was originally the summer palace of the Western Han Dynasty and the emperor of all dynasties.  The Huangzhuang is located in a huge area of ????1,000 hectares, with only half of it being cultivated. The other half is an extremely beautiful solitary mountain with a jade belt-like clear water flowing around the mountain. There are waterfalls, strange rocks and towering mountains.  There was a big tree and a palace on the mountain. After hundreds of years of wind and rain, it had long since fallen into disrepair and collapsed. However, Liu Jing selected this place as his Yongye Field as early as last year, and the palace on the mountain was rebuilt at the foot of the mountain.  There were troops stationed around, and hundreds of households of tenant farmers were responsible for cultivating nearly 500 hectares of fertile land. After a day's journey, King Liu Jing of Han and his family arrived at the farm in a mighty manner, escorted by thousands of soldiers.  Riding on his horse, he pointed to the beautiful mountains and clear waters in the distance and smiled at his wife and children: "That kind of mountain is called Shenyou Mountain. Legend has it that a god passed by here and dropped a jade pendant from his pocket, which turned into this mountain. At the foot of the mountainThe small river is like the silk ribbon on the jade pendant.  "Everyone crowded in the car window and looked towards the mountain. They saw clouds and mist on the mountainside. The mountain shape was strange and beautiful, full of spiritual energy. The white cranes were flying in the mountains, as if they were really a place of gods. Everyone was amazed together. They didn't expect it.  The mountains are so beautiful that Tao Zhan exclaimed: ¡°This is really a fairyland!  Liu Jing saw that his family members liked it so much, he couldn't help but feel proud, and said with a smile: "This is the place I have been looking for for a long time. Now it is my Yongye Field and our villa. I hope everyone likes it."  " At this time, Tao Zhan suddenly remembered something and smiled at Liu Jing: "Da Qiao said that she is not feeling well today and cannot come with us. I will pick her up tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1011 Unspeakable Joy

    Liu Jing was startled. Is Da Qiao sick?  He suddenly felt a little guilty. Because he was marrying Cao Xian, he couldn't take care of Da Qiao during this period, but he didn't expect that she was sick.  This time the family came to the farm to escape the summer heat, so he naturally wanted to bring Da Qiao with him, so he asked Tao Zhan to arrange for her to go with him. Unexpectedly, she was sick and he had to go and see her.  Liu Jing asked Xiao Qiao again: "What's wrong with your sister?" Xiao Qiao shook her head, "I haven't seen my sister for a while, and I didn't know she was sick." "Okay! Let's go up the mountain first."  Liu Jing put down Da Qiao temporarily and drove into the farm with her family in three carriages. Inside the farm was an endless wheat field. The wheat was about to mature, like a golden sea of ??wheat. When a gust of wind blew, the waves of wheat undulated, which was spectacular.  The children were so happy that they jumped off the carriage one after another and played in the wheat fields. Tao Zhan and the sisters also got off the carriage and enjoyed the spectacular scenery of the wheat fields.  "Sister, it's very strange!" Xiao Qiao smiled at Tao Zhan and said: "Under the same sun, it is much cooler here than Chang'an, and the wind is cooler." "I feel a bit strange too! Maybe it's because of this mountain  ?" Tao Zhan looked towards the mountain. Standing at the foot of the mountain, she felt how huge the mountain was. It was clearly a big mountain.  At this time, Tao Zhan suddenly saw many people walking in front of him, and shouted to Liu Jing: "Husband, someone is coming in front." "They should be tenant farmers. I will go and say a few words to them." Liu Jing took dozens of people with him.  A soldier came to greet him. When the tenants of the farm heard that the King of Han was coming with his family, they came to greet him with their wives and children. These tenants were farmers from nearby villages. They owned land themselves and did not live in the farm.  Because they had extra labor, they came to plant the fields of the King of Han in order to earn more, but they did not want food, so Liu Jing paid them a share of the land.  More than a dozen elders came forward and knelt down to Liu Jing, "The common people pay homage to His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing quickly helped the elders up and said with a smile: "Everyone, you don't have to be polite. Today I am bringing my family here to escape the summer heat. In the next two months  , I'm disturbing everyone. " "Your Highness, don't say that. This is His Highness's fiefdom. We are grateful to His Highness." Liu Jing nodded and said to everyone: "This year's summer food seems to be good." "  This year is better than last year. Last year was a small year, and the harvest was generally poor. But this year is a big year, and the harvest is at least 30% higher than last year. After harvesting the wheat, we will plant corn again. I believe there will be another good harvest in the autumn. " At this time, Tao Zhan left.  He came over and asked with a smile: "Excuse me, old men, when will the wheat be harvested?" An old man knew Tao Zhan and said quickly: "Report to the princess, harvesting will begin in three days." Tao Zhan turned back to Liu Jing and smiled: "  How about we go help together when harvesting wheat?" A dozen old men waved their hands in fright, "Absolutely not. Harvesting wheat is not only a matter of fatigue, but also the exposure to the sun, and Princess Liu Jing can't stand it either.  Not wanting his wives to participate in the wheat harvest, he thought for a moment and said with a smile: "Zhi'er has also participated in the wheat harvest. You can let him harvest wheat on behalf of everyone. It doesn't have to be long, one day is enough!" Tao Zhan didn't know  She wanted to participate in the hard work of harvesting wheat only because it was her own wheat field. However, since her husband did not agree, she had to give up the idea and nodded and said, "Then it will be hard work." Saying goodbye to the farmers, everyone started to go up the mountain.  , this was originally a palace of the Han Dynasty, and there was a road specially built to go up the mountain. Although you can only take a carriage to the mountainside, and you need to walk hundreds of steps up the mountain, the mountains are cool and pleasant, and the scenery is beautiful. Everyone enjoys the scenery in the mountains without feeling uncomfortable.  Tired, I walked up to the top of the mountain without realizing it.  The villa palace has been built on the top of the mountain, covering an area of ??about ten acres. Although it is not magnificent, the pavilions and pavilions are very elegant and have a unique charm. At this time, suitcases and cages of all sizes have been moved into the villa palace. Tao Zhan arranged every arrangement.  Everyone in the room was busy.  Liu Jing wanted to rush back to Chang'an to handle court affairs, so she arranged for defense and gave Tao Zhan a few words before returning to Chang'an under the escort of hundreds of cavalry.  When Liu Jing returned to Chang'an City, he did not go directly back to Weiyang Palace. Instead, he came to Guhuai Mansion first. Da Qiao's condition really made him a little worried, but Liu Jing also vaguely felt that Da Qiao might be mentally ill and did not want to be with his family.  together.  At this time, Qiao Xuan had left Bashu and went to Jingzhou to visit friends. Da Qiao was still the only one living in the huge mansion. Xi'er, Da Qiao's personal maid, led Liu Jing into the inner house and walked into the courtyard where Da Qiao lived.  , Xi'er immediately retreated.  Liu Jing slowly walked into the yard, and he smelled the smell of decoction. This surprised Liu Jing. Could it be that Da Qiao was really ill? He walked directly into Da Qiao's living room and saw Da Qiao.?Sitting lazily in front of the window, holding a small fan in his hand.  Seeing Liu Jing come in, Da Qiao smiled and said, "It's too hot, so I won't get up to greet you." Liu Jing stepped forward, sat down in front of Da Qiao, held her hand, and complained to her:  "Why don't you go to the farm to escape the summer heat?" Da Qiao saw that there were beads of sweat on his forehead and the tip of his nose, so he wiped the sweat away with his handkerchief, and said with a soft smile: "I'm a little ashamed of the princess and don't dare to see her.  "She, so I won't go." "What do you have to be ashamed of? You can come into my home anytime you want." Da Qiao shook his head, "This is not about entering your home, but she is like a sister."  Treat me, but I have an unclear relationship with her husband. I know you can have a lot of wives and concubines, but at least you hide it from her, which makes me feel guilty." Liu Jing was about to speak when she heard Xi'er say from outside the door: "Mrs.  "The medicine is ready." Da Qiao quickly pulled his hand back and said to Xi'er, "Just put the medicine outside. I'll come right away." But Liu Jing got up and walked out. After a while, he brought in a bowl of thick soup.  He put the medicine bowl on the table, frowned and asked, "Alian, are you sick?" "I have to ask you." Liu Jing was startled, "What do you mean?"  Da Qiao pulled Liu Jing and lay in his arms, their necks intersecting, and she whispered: "I have your flesh and blood in my belly, what do you think I should do?" Liu Jing was overjoyed and hugged her.  Stopping her, "You are really pregnant with my child." Da Qiao pushed him away with some tenderness, "What does it mean to be pregnant with your child? Am I still having an affair with another man?" Liu Jing was so excited  He rubbed his hands and said, "That's not what I meant. I mean, are you happy?" Da Qiao also showed joy on his face. He lowered his head and whispered, "I have been feeling unwell these past few days. I invited a doctor here yesterday.  After seeing a doctor, they finally diagnosed me with a fetus and gave me a prescription for miscarriage. Alas, I felt happy, but worried. " "What are you worried about?"  : "I am a widow now, but I am pregnant. Where do you want me to put my face?" "Then you enter my house, and I will make you a good wife." Da Qiao shook his head gently, "Maybe one day  I will enter your house, but not now. If I enter your door now, I can't face Mr. Jiangdong. Jinglang, please do me a favor. " "Whatever you want me to do, just say it and don't mention it."  "Help." "That's right. Your enemy made me pregnant, and I haven't even asked you to settle the score. I'm confused." Da Qiao smiled sweetly and said, "I want to leave Chang'an."  Find a place to put me." "Do you have to leave Chang'an?" "You must leave, otherwise I won't be able to see anyone." Liu Jing thought for a moment and said, "Let me arrange for you to live in Xianyang. It will be convenient for me to visit you.  " Da Qiao bit her lip and said, "I want to go to Chengdu, Jing Lang, is that okay? " Liu Jing knows that Da Qiao is actually a very independent person. Since she proposed to go to Chengdu, she must have already thought about it.  Chengdu can also reassure Liu Jing. He can arrange female guards to protect Da Qiao. Liu Jing finally nodded and agreed, "Okay!  When do you plan to leave?  " "After five more days of rest, I will set off on June 25th.  Liu Jing was full of guilt and pity for Da Qiao. He hugged Da Qiao and said, "I feel very sad to let you go to Chengdu and suffer alone."  " Da Qiao put his face on his chest and whispered: "I actually don't want to leave you, but I really want to have a child. If I have a child, I won't be lonely. Jinglang, I feel very happy.  .  "Liu Jing also whispered to her: "But you can't let the child have no father and no identity.  " Da Qiao sighed lowly, "So I said, one day I will come through your door.  " After a pause, she continued: "I will leave a message for the princess and Xiao Qiao. You don't have to worry about it. You just need to arrange my schedule.  " At this time, Liu Jing secretly made up his mind, no matter public or private, he must prepare for the battle against Jiangdong as soon as possible. "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1012 Han Imperial Examination

    The time is gradually approaching August, the scorching heat has gone, and the weather has cooled down, but the enthusiasm of the people in Chang'an City is extremely high, and the much-anticipated imperial examination is about to come.  At this time, nearly 50,000 scholars from all over the world poured into Chang'an. Although the number was much smaller than the Xiangyang imperial examination a few years ago, the quality was higher. After experiencing the Xiangyang imperial examination, more than half of the scholars who did not have enough knowledge no longer spent  Qian Mi came to join in the fun. On the contrary, every scholar who came to Chang'an was full of confidence and firmly believed that he could be on the list.  Although the number of people is only 50,000, the hotels and taverns in Chang'an are still crowded. Every hotel is full of scholars, and many hotels even have sheds set up in the courtyard. The sheds are filled with beds, and many scholars  It is only one foot long and five feet wide, but it still cannot stop their desire for fame.  Jiang Wei is seventeen years old this year. He is participating in this year's imperial examination as a scholar from Longxi County. But in fact, Jiang Wei has been following Zhao Yun and is Zhao Yun's beloved disciple. He is not only excellent in martial arts, but also extremely knowledgeable.  He can be said to be both civil and military. Although he is still very young, it does not hinder his determination to seek fame.  Jiang Wei did not live in Zhao Yun¡¯s Mansion, but in Wang¡¯s Hostel not far from Zhao Yun¡¯s Mansion. It was here that Hexi official Li Wen was chased and killed by men in black six months ago.  However, the murder that occurred six months ago has long been forgotten. The Wang Hotel was full of guests. The hotel that could only accommodate 60 guests was actually crammed with 200 people, all of whom were scholars from all over the country who came to participate in the imperial examination.  Everyone lived together and naturally became friends. Four people lived in Jiang Wei's guest room. In addition to him, there was also a scholar from Changshan County named Lu Cong. It is said that he was the grandson of Lu Zhi, a famous scholar in Hebei. In addition,  Both of them came from Wu County, one was named Gu Han and the other was named Zhang Ting. They came together. Although they refused to say it clearly, Jiang Wei guessed that their families were Gu and Gu from the three major aristocratic families in Wu County.  Zhang family.  As the saying goes, 'nobles inherit power, and gentry inherit culture.' Whether in the Han Dynasty or for a long time in the future, culture was in the hands of the gentry. They cultivated generations of talented children through their profound family knowledge.  So that the family can continue for thousands of years.  Although the government also organizes official schools, it has limited financial and manpower, which is far from being comparable to the profound family education. The students they train are far inferior to the children of aristocratic families in terms of knowledge and official connections, causing them to lose in the competition.  Although Liu Jing proposed the principles of open imperial examinations, fair competition, and equality between the poor and the common people, although the procedures were equal, their own qualities were not equal. In fair competition, children from poor families could not compete with children from famous families.  There is no way to do this. There is no absolute equality in the world. Many so-called equality are just gestures to convince some people who are not familiar with worldly affairs.  Jiang Wei soon became familiar with the three schoolmates, and he even became close friends with Lu Cong. Gu and Zhang formed a circle of their own. Although they were usually on good terms with each other, they would never say anything to Jiang Wei that was deeply concerning to them.  That night, Gu and Zhang went out for a drink but did not return. Only Jiang Wei and Lu Cong were studying hard in the room. However, Lu Cong noticed that Jiang Wei seemed a little worried, so he asked in a low voice: "Brother Xian, it seems that something is on his mind."  ?" Lu Cong is twenty-two years old, five years older than Jiang Wei, and he knows more about the world than him. He knows that Jiang Wei is Zhao Yun's apprentice and has received special support from the King of Han. His status is extraordinary, but Lu Cong never  When it came to this matter, he was quite concerned about Jiang Wei. Seeing that he was uneasy tonight, he couldn't help but ask him.  Jiang Wei and Lu Cong became close friends, and they did not hide many of their concerns from each other. He sighed softly and said: "It is estimated that after the imperial examination is over, the Han army will launch a campaign against Jiangdong." "It's so soon, it doesn't mean next spring.  Everyone in the world knew that the Han army would fight against Jiangdong sooner or later, and Lu Cong was no exception. However, he heard that it would be tomorrow spring, but unexpectedly got the latest news from Jiang Wei. He knew that Jiang Wei's identity was extraordinary, and he must  With the inside information, Lu Cong perked up and ignored reading, staring at Jiang Wei in surprise.  "I heard from an uncle that there will be a good harvest this summer. The Han army is preparing for war in advance. The preparations have been completed and they are waiting for the King of Han to order the expedition. And I also heard that the King of Han will set off to inspect Jingzhou after the imperial examination. It should be  The war has begun." Lu Cong nodded. He had no interest in the Han army's attack on Jiangdong, but it was different with Gu and Zhang. He reminded Jiang Wei, "This is confidential military information. Do not publicize it, especially  Don't let those two people know." Jiang Wei knew which two people Lu Cong was referring to. He shook his head and said, "I'm only telling you this. I will never talk nonsense to others." Lu Cong smiled and said:  "Actually! It's okay to tell them. The families of these two people have long been separated from Sun Quan. They want to seek a future in the Han Dynasty, so they let their children come to Chang'an to take the imperial examination. According to me"You know, not only the aristocratic families in Wu County and Kuaiji County, but also many big families in Jianye secretly sent their children to Chang'an for reference. Even Zhang Zhao" Lu Cong paused and looked at Jiang Wei meaningfully.  As expected, Wei jumped up in shock, "No way!  Did Zhang Zhao even send his nephew here?  " "If a gentleman doesn't build a dangerous wall, do you think Zhang Zhao will defend Jiangdong?  "But he has always been dissatisfied with the Han army. Even if he found another way out, his nephew should go to Cao Wei. How could he come to Han?"  " "Although Zhang Zhao has always been harsh to the Han Dynasty, it's just that everyone has his own master. Even our Lu family knows that he wants me to come to Chang'an to seek an official career. Doesn't Zhang Zhao understand?  Jiang Wei pondered for a moment and said, "But I haven't heard Gu and Zhang talk about this. They should know about it."  " "They two know shit!  " Lu Cong curled his lips disdainfully and said: "Those two people insist on geographical differences and refuse to contact the outside world. What news will they have? You should pay attention to a person named Wang Zhi, a scholar from Pengcheng County. This person is  Zhang Zhao's nephew, whose original name was Zhang Zhi, was specially changed to Wang.  " At this moment, footsteps were heard outside, and the two people stopped talking and read each other's books. At this time, the door was pushed open, and Gu Han and Zhang Ting, who lived with them, walked into the house. " Gu Han  He smiled and said, ¡°Have Brother Lu and Brother Jiang Xian had dinner?  Jiang Wei quickly replied with a smile: "We had dinner in the hotel and didn't go out."  " "You two are too serious. You read books all day long. How can you do it if you don't understand the information outside.  " Lu Cong said with a smile: "Could it be that these two worthy brothers have got some news? You might as well tell us about it!  " Gu and Zhang sat down and took a sip of tea. Zhang Ting said to them: "The examiner has been decided, it is Shangshu Jiang Wan.  " Lu Cong and Jiang Wei both laughed. Lu Cong said: "If it is Jiang Shangshu, then congratulations to Brother Gu.  " When Gu Han first moved in, he told them that Shangshu Jiang Wan was a disciple of the head of their Gu family. At that time, Jiang Wan once worshiped Gu Yong as his teacher. Of course, Gu Han wanted to show off, but he didn't expect Jiang Wan to become the examiner.  He felt uneasy. If he went to find Jiang Wan, would Jiang Wan help him? He was really not sure, and it was too late to go find him. Gu Han sighed and said, "When I went out, the master told me not to trouble Jiang.  Shangshu, so I didn¡¯t go. Unexpectedly, it was Jiang Shangshu who was taking the exam. There are only ten days until the exam. They should be quarantined!  "Jiang Wei smiled and said: "It's a pity indeed. Even if he is not isolated now, he will not see outsiders.  " "It's a pity, and it's a nameless test. He doesn't know my surname is Gu. I regret it!  Otherwise, Jiang Shangshu will definitely give the family owner this face.  " Lu Cong shook his head, "Even if he knew, there is nothing he can do. This time is different from the Xiangyang exam. The interview was cancelled, and the future was determined directly by taking the exam.  " Gu and Zhang looked at each other and said in surprise: "Brother Lu, are you serious about what you said and canceled the interview?  " "I just heard people talk about it, and it should be announced tomorrow.  " Gu and Zhang complained secretly. They still hoped that during the interview, the King of Han would admit them for the sake of their family. If they had known that the interview had been cancelled, why would they have gone out to drink? The two of them were in a hurry and took out the scroll.  , began to study, Lu Cong glanced at the two of them, curled his lips, turned over, and started reading by himself. Ten days later, the imperial examination of the Han Dynasty was officially held at Chang'an Guozixue and Weiyang Palace.  More than 50,000 scholars from all over the country participated in this grand examination. The examination will last for three days. The test questions are divided into three subjects: classics, poetry and policy theory. In fact, 100 scholars were admitted to make up for the shortage of officials from various places.  Among the 50,000 scholars, at least 10,000 were students of Guozixue, and the remaining 40,000 were talents from all over the world. The recruitment of new officials in the Han Dynasty was not only through the imperial examination, but also through the imperial examination.  There is the Guozi Kao, that is, after the Guozi students pass the assessment and examination, they can also become officials. The so-called assessment is whether they have helped the government resettle refugees, etc. Passing the Guozi Kao is much easier than the imperial examination.  This way of becoming an official is called Guozidao. The prerequisite is that one must start as a local official and be promoted step by step. However, the highest level can only be promoted to the rank of engaged or county magistrate. Those who are not qualified at the level of prefect are not qualified and must pass the imperial examination.  Only by doing so can one become a prefect or even a prime minister. Therefore, many students of Guozi studies are unwilling to take the Imperial Examination and instead take the imperial examination. However, for scholars all over the world, entering Guozi Studies is their only way out, even if they fail to pass the imperial examination.  , but the first three thousand scholars can also choose to enter Guozixue, where the government will provide food and accommodation without spending a penny for four years of further study. They can also take the imperial examination at any time during the process. Why not??? Another way is to join the army. After passing the assessment, you can become a civilian officer. You can do it step by step, but you are not restricted by level. The highest you can be is a military advisor and then a prime minister, like Sima Yi, Pang Tong, and Fazheng.  The Prime Minister was transferred from the position of military advisor.  But for the vast majority of people, it is basically impossible to become a strategist. At most, they can only join the army or become a subordinate, and then become a local governor.  Dong Yun, Liu Min, Qin Mi, Zhou Buyi, etc. all switched from military positions to civilian positions. This was a shortcut. Although it was a shortcut, not many scholars chose it, because once they failed the civilian examination, they had to bear the consequences.  Carrying a spear to fight on the front line is too risky for a scholar.  More people are willing to squeeze into the single-plank bridge of the imperial examination. Only 500 people can be admitted. Thousands of troops compete on this single-plank bridge.  Half a month later, the much-anticipated Han imperial examination results were finally released.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1013 Heading East Again

    As expected by many people, most of the winners in Han's list are children from famous families from all over the country. This is also the advantage of children from famous families.  Although some people suspect that there is fraud in the imperial examination, mainstream voices recognize this list. This is something that everyone knows very well. It is impossible for children from poor families to compete with children from famous families.  For most children from poor families, they also aspire to win the exam, but they are more willing to accept the reality and enter Guozixue.  The first place on the list was beyond the expectations of many people. He was not from a famous family in Jingzhou or Yizhou, nor from a famous family in Longxi or Guanzhong, but from Changshan County, Hebei, a scholar named Lu Cong. It is said that this person was Lu Zhi.  grandson.  For a time, various speculations about Lu Cong were overwhelming. Some people suspected that he was admitted to high school because of his fellow countryman Zhao Yun. Some people thought it was because the Han Dynasty wanted to win over the Hebei family. Some people mysteriously spread rumors that this time  Lu Cong brought ten thousand taels of gold to Chang'an.  In short, since ancient times, literati have looked down upon each other, and whoever gets the first place will inevitably have to endure all kinds of rumors.  It was still dark, and in Qinzheng Square of Weiyang Palace, a hundred high school scholars had bathed and changed into white Eguan Bo robes, and gathered in the square to wait to enter the palace.  Everyone was excited and full of desire for a future career. Jiang Wei walked quickly through the crowd and found Lu Cong.  This time Jiang Wei ranked 24th in high school. Although he did not make it into the top ten, as the youngest scholar on the list this time, he is also quite eye-catching. He was only seventeen years old and passed the imperial examination, which made many  The old scholar in his thirties and forties was ashamed.  "Brother Lu!" Jiang Wei found Lu Cong and greeted him excitedly from a distance.  Lu Cong also saw Jiang Wei and walked over quickly, complaining a little: "I was looking for you everywhere. I thought you didn't come. Where have you been?" "I was a little slow in changing clothes. I was just fine.  " Lu Cong took Jiang Weila aside and whispered: "I got a piece of news. You can choose where you want to go this time. You can go to the local area as a county magistrate, you can stay in Chang'an as a secretary, or you can go to the army for training.  Where do you plan to go? " "I plan to join the army! " Jiang Wei's decision does not surprise Lu Cong. Jiang Wei is Zhao Yun's apprentice, and it is normal for him to choose to join the army.  "Brother Lu, where are you?" Jiang Wei also asked.  "I plan to go to the local area to serve as a county magistrate. Although many people advise me to stay in Beijing and get to know more people, I wholeheartedly want to do something practical for the people." "The top three can choose their own counties. Where are you going to choose, Brother Lu?"  " Lu Cong lowered his head and thought for a moment, "I want to go to Hexi, Lingzhou, or the Hehuang area." Jiang Wei nodded silently. He knew that Lu Cong was a man with great ambitions and would not be greedy for immediate benefits. "I support Lu.  Big brother's decision!" At this time, Lu Cong remembered something again and laughed softly: "The third name is Wang Zhi. Do you remember what I told you? Jiang Wei nodded. Of course he remembers Wang Zhi's real name.  His name was Zhang Zhi, Zhang Zhao¡¯s nephew. Unexpectedly, he was ranked third in high school. He was worthy of being a member of the famous Zhang family. At this time, someone suddenly called them, ¡°Brother Lu, Brother Jiang!  " When the two of them turned around, they saw Gu Han squeezing over. He smiled excitedly: "So you are here!  ¡± Gu Han ranked 77th in the exam this time and also made the list. Unfortunately, Zhang Ting failed and ranked outside the 200th place. Although Lu Jiang and Lu Jiang did not have a close relationship with him, they knew each other after all and had once met each other.  Living together, the two of them also smiled and said: "Congratulations to Brother Gu for high school!  " "I can't compare to you. I'm ashamed to be at the bottom of the list.  " Gu Han whispered again: "I heard that you can choose where to go. Do you have any plans?  " Lu Cong and Jiang Wei looked at each other and shook their heads, "We haven't decided yet.  " Jiang Wei asked: "What is Brother Gu's plan?  " "Of course I want to stay in Chang'an. This is also the family's expectation. This time, the eight Jiangdong scholars on the list all decided to stay in Chang'an.  " Lu Cong could understand Gu Han's decision. The Gu family was well-known in Jiangdong, but they had no connections in Chang'an. The purpose of leaving their children in Chang'an was to gradually establish connections in Chang'an. At this time, a courtesy officer in the distance shouted, "Line up.  Enter the palace!  " Hundreds of scholars lined up, facing the morning light, two teams entered the Qinzheng Hall. In order to avoid suspicion, the three main halls of Weiyang Palace have not been officially opened. They were only temporarily opened to hold some major ceremonies. Today, one hundred scholars were selected.  When the disciples came together to meet, they opened the largest hall of Weiyang Palace. Hundreds of scholars filed in under the guidance of the ceremony officials. On both sides of the hall were dozens of high-ranking civil and military officials from the Han Dynasty. They looked at these young scholars and exchanged words with each other.  headPeople were talking about it. On the high steps, Liu Jing, the king of Han, was sitting.  The scholars had received etiquette training in advance, and they all stepped forward to salute, "See His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing smiled and waved his hands, "Excuse me, all talents!" Everyone stood up straight, Liu Jing stood up and walked to the steps and said to  Everyone slowly said: "This time, 50,000 people took part in the imperial examination, but in the end only 100 people were admitted. Only one person among the 500 people was admitted. You are all outstanding people, the best scholars, and you will also become our Han."  The pillars of the country, in the Han Dynasty, you will have the opportunity to succeed step by step, but you may also fail. It all depends on your own efforts. " Speaking of this, Liu Jing waved, and two officials in their thirties came from.  He walked out from the side and saluted Liu Jing. Liu Jing pointed at them and said: "The person on the left is Cui Shi, Zuo Cheng of the Ministry of Punishment, who was the first in the imperial examination in Xiangyang that year. The person on the right is Xunzhi, the prime minister of the imperial censor, who was also the seventh in the imperial examination in Xiangyang.  I believe everyone has heard that in just five or six years, they became high-ranking officials with two thousand stone. They served as county magistrates, county magistrates, and prefects, and went to various places to inspect and supervise. Although their qualifications were not deep, they relied on their  With outstanding political achievements, he rose step by step, and finally became the youngest high-ranking official of the Han Dynasty. "The example before them made the blood of all the scholars boil, and they all aspired to be like Cui Shi and Xun Zhi.  , it took only five or six years for him to reach a high-ranking official position.  Liu Jing smiled again and said: "Although Cui and Xun are the best in the Xiangyang imperial examination, it does not mean that others are not doing well. In fact, among the 120 people admitted to the Xiangyang imperial examination,  Only about thirty people are still serving as county magistrates, and the remaining eighty people have served as county officials or even prefects. Like them, you all face the opportunity of reviving the Han Dynasty. As long as you work hard, be honest and self-disciplined, you will succeed.  It will definitely succeed.¡± All the scholars were so excited that they clapped together and even shouted with excitement.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  After meeting with the successful candidates, Liu Jing returned to his official room. Although he was very concerned about the imperial examination, he was more concerned about sending troops to Jiangdong. It was early August and they had to end the Jiangdong campaign before the New Year.  There was not much time left for him. He had to act as soon as possible. When he returned to the official office, Liu Jing immediately summoned all the ministers of the Shangshu Province and participated in the discussion together with the left and right ministers of the Zhongshu Province.  In the meeting hall, everyone gathered together. Liu Jing took out an express report and said to everyone: "This is an urgent express report from Huang Zhong from Chaisang. At present, 70,000 troops have been assembled, together with 20,000 Han troops deployed on the north bank of Jianye.  The army and the 10,000 troops in Kuaiji County, a total of 100,000 troops, the time is ripe to destroy Jiangdong." Sima Yi also stood up and said to everyone: "According to the news we got from Jiangdong, Sun Quan recruited three more troops a few months ago in response to the crisis.  Thousands of people were forced to dig the Jiangnan canal. The taxes were heavy, and Jiangdong was in depression. The whole Jiangdong was angered by heaven and earth, and the people were unpopular. Countless people fled to Kuaiji County, and both Yuzhang and Jiujiang counties were  Expressing his willingness to surrender to the Han Kingdom, we cannot allow Jiangdong to continue to decline, otherwise even if it is unified, it will become a burden for us. "Everyone already understood Liu Jing's determination to destroy Jiangdong, and they could not stop it. At this time, Jiang Wan stood up and said:  "Although our financial resources have not been fully restored, this year's summer grain harvest has been bumper in various places, and the government has a certain amount of food reserves. At present, Jingzhou has mobilized 200,000 shi of grain to Chaisang, and after occupying Jiangdong, at least 200,000 shi will be needed to maintain it.  Appease, if we take into account the autumn grain harvest, we can basically cope with this Jiangdong battle. In addition, the Jiangdong battle does not require the Hefei battle, and we will not spend too much pensions for the fallen soldiers. The key is that the battle cannot be postponed until next spring, otherwise it will  It will have a great impact on the recovery of people's livelihood in Jiangdong, and we may not be able to sustain it." Liu Jing smiled at everyone: "In fact, I can end the Hefei Battle in two or three months, just to bring down Cao Wei.  It lasted for more than half a year, but Jiangdong is just the opposite. We have laid an excellent foundation in Jiangdong. I can assure you that the Jiangdong campaign will be over within two months. " Everyone laughed, but Xu Shu was a little worried: "  Does His Highness have to go out in person? Maybe the two generals Huang Zhong and Gan Ning can destroy Jiangdong. " Liu Jing shook his head, "Although they can defeat Jiangdong's army militarily, they cannot stabilize Jiangdong politically.  I have said before that it is not difficult to seize Jiangdong, but to make Jiangdong surrender to the Han Dynasty, I must personally take action. " £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1014 Jiangdong Dilemma

    Since Liu Jing and Sun Quan reached a withdrawal agreement at the beginning of the year, Sun Quan acquiesced to the Han army's occupation of the north bank of the Yangtze River, and the Han army evacuated Xishan Island in Taihu Lake. However, the Han army did not completely abandon Taihu Lake, but withdrew to the mouth of Lishui River on the west bank of Taihu Lake.  , firmly controlling Lishui, the golden waterway from the Yangtze River to Taihu Lake.  At the same time, the Han army completely abandoned Wu County, withdrew to the south of the Zhejiang River, and controlled Kuaiji County. In fact, it still formed a situation of surrounding Jiangdong on three sides.  Sun Quan also knew that the Han army was only temporarily letting go of Jiangdong. In a year at the latest, the Han army would attack Jiangdong in a large scale. The huge pressure on time made Sun Quan extremely urgent. If he did not take countermeasures, he would have no time.  For this reason, Sun Quan took a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, he recruited 30,000 soldiers, bringing the total strength of Jiangdong to 60,000. On the other hand, he tried every means to restore the Jiangdong navy. Jiangdong had well-trained navy soldiers, but no warships. Sun Quan ordered Bu Zhi to be the shipbuilding envoy.  , located on the east bank of Taihu Lake, and secretly built a thousand-stone warship in the name of building merchant ships.  But even if they built the warships, they could not sail the warships to the Yangtze River. The outer sea was blocked by Han warships from Kuaiji County, and the only Lishui River leading to the Yangtze River was firmly controlled by the Han army.  In order to open up the Yangtze River waterway, Sun Quan accepted the suggestion of General Xue Zong, the chief minister, and forced 100,000 people to dig the Jiangnan Canal and open up the Baili Duantou River between Piling County and Wuxian County, which had been intermittent for more than ten years.  The unfinished project has now become a life-saving waterway for Jiangdong.  Once the canal is dredged, the newly built warships in Taihu Lake can sail directly from Taihu Lake to Jianye and the Yangtze River, restoring the Jiangdong navy. Coupled with the thousands of barrels of kerosene left by Yu Jin to Jiangdong before leaving, they can join the Han army.  war.  In the afternoon, a carriage, escorted by more than a dozen horse-riding entourages, drove quickly through Moling County. Inside the carriage, Zhang Zhao looked out the window at the street with deep thoughts.  This is the busiest street in Jianye and even Jiangdong, called Danyang Street, which is eight miles long. At its peak, there were many shops on both sides of the street, shouts and shouts, and the business of pubs and hotels was booming. Many Jiangdong senior officials were on this street.  They all secretly invested in shops, but now, Danyang Street is extremely depressed. The streets are deserted, nearly 70% of the shops are closed, and none of the dozens of taverns are open. This depression makes every Jiangdong official feel sad.  sad.  But they all know that this is not due to the impact of the war. Even during the most difficult stage of the confrontation in the Hefei War, Danyang Street was not so depressed. This was entirely caused by Jiangdong himself.  The first is a total ban on alcohol, and no one is allowed to use grain to make wine. Anyone who violates the rules will be executed. The second is to implement food control. Everyone can only buy a bushel of rice per month. In addition, a large number of men under the age of fifty are forcibly recruited.  Excavation of canals was also an important reason. Twenty thousand people were forcibly recruited in Moling County alone. Without the clerks in shops and taverns, it would be difficult to do business.  Zhang Zhao felt very sad. Sun Ce handed over a powerful Jiangdong to Sun Quan. After nearly twenty years, Jiangdong not only did not become stronger, but worsened and declined. Although the fundamental reason was the emergence of a strong Liu Jing in Jingzhou,  It is also related to the fact that Wu Hou could not see the situation clearly and repeatedly launched wars.  War is a double-edged sword. It consumes a lot of materials and money. If you win, you will get huge war benefits, but if you fail, you will suffer heavy losses. It is the repeated failed wars that make Jiangdong decline year by year.  Come down.  Zhang Zhao also longed in his heart that even if they only defeated Jingzhou once, they would be able to seize a large number of people and materials from Jingzhou, which would not only compensate for the cost of the war, but also greatly promote the prosperity of Jiangdong.  It is a pity that from the eighth year of Jian'an to the present, they have not defeated Jingzhou once. They have been defeated repeatedly and suffered heavy losses. However, the Han army has received a large amount of war compensation and weapons and supplies. It is with these material foundations that the Han army can continue  Marched westward and captured the more fertile Yizhou.  Since the Battle of Hefei ended and the Han army occupied the entire Jianghuai River, Zhang Zhao knew that Jiangdong's time was short. Even if Sun Quan ignored the popular resentment and desperately expanded his army to prepare for war, it was too late.  Just last night, he received a letter from home and learned that his nephew Zhang Zhi actually got third place in the imperial examination in Chang'an. This made Zhang Zhao feel quite touched. It was not that his nephew was not learned enough;  Extraordinary, with a beautiful mind, and the talent of a prime minister, he passed the imperial examination in Chang'an and was also in the process of cleaning up.  But Zhang Zhao believed that Liu Jing must know the identity of his nephew. Many people in Jiangdong knew it. Jiang Wan knew him without others telling him. When Jiang Wan was studying in Wu County, he praised Zhang Zhi as a child prodigy.  Liu Jing knew that Zhang Zhi was his nephew, but still allowed him to be ranked third in high school. This made Zhang Zhao have to admire Liu Jing's broadmindedness. Back then, she made things difficult for him, but he didn't care and still recruited her.  In my heart, if such a person cannot win the world, God will not tolerate it.Zhang Zhao was filled with emotions. At this time, the carriage drove into Jianye Palace and slowly stopped in front of the steps. At this time, the carriage of Zuo Duhu Zhuge Jin also stopped in front of the steps.  Zhang Zhao got off the carriage and saw Zhuge Jin standing beside the carriage, looking at him with a gloomy face and an unhappy look on his face. He stepped forward and asked strangely: "Tzuyu, what happened?" Zhuge Jin snorted coldly.  He said, "I, Zhuge Jin, have to be spied on when I sleep. The military advisor is very dedicated!" Zhang Zhao was stunned, suddenly understood, and said quickly: "Tzuyu must have misunderstood! There are only ten people left in the Supervisory Yuan, and none of them are currently in Jianye  "Zhang Zhao supervises the Supervisory Yuan and is responsible for supervising hundreds of officials. He has offended many people. In the past, Zhang Zhao would not have ignored the complaints of ministers, but now he wants to leave a way out for himself. He does not want to.  Offend people again.  He quickly pulled Zhuge Jin aside and whispered: "Even the Supervisory Yuan will never sneak into an official's home to peek. This should be done by Yingbei." Zhuge Jin frowned, "Isn't Yingbei disbanded?  ?¡± After Sun Ben failed to seize power for the first time, he established a secret investigation agency, Eagle Beak, headed by Wang Ning, a lieutenant in the Internal Affairs Corps and Sun Quan¡¯s confidant. Wang Ning was domineering and vicious, and monitored every move of officials.  One movement puts all the officials in danger.  But after it was revealed two years ago that Wang Ning attempted to seize Da Qiao, in order to cover up the truth, Sun Quan shifted the responsibility to Wang Ning, accusing him of coveting Da Qiao's beauty, and ordered Wang Ning to be executed. In order to appease the officials  , publicly announced the disbandment of Eagle Beak.  Zhang Zhao sneered, "How can Marquis Wu give up such a sharp knife so easily?" Zhuge Jin immediately said angrily: "Jiangdong has reached such a state today, how can we rely on surveillance to restore people's hearts?" At this time, Zhang Zhao saw a man  A guard walked over quickly. He quickly winked at Zhuge Jin and said with a smile: "Don't keep Wu Hou waiting, brother Ziyu, let's go in!" Zhuge Jin responded in a dull voice, and walked into the building with Zhang Zhao.  Industry Palace.  In the study room of Jianye Palace, Sun Quan stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, looking gloomily at the woods outside the window. Whether it was the ministers or the guards around him, few people saw his smile, especially in the past six months, he  His temper was astonishing, and he would order people to kill at every turn. Even his wives and concubines in the inner palace were trembling with fear, serving him carefully and meeting all Sun Quan's requests, for fear of offending him.  Sun Quan's mood was really not getting better. In the past six months, he had not hesitated to exploit people's wealth and seize merchants' money and food, just to expand the army and restore the navy in the shortest possible time. He also knew that the people in Jiangdong were filled with resentment and everyone hated him to the bone.  But in order to keep Jiangdong and his position, he didn't care about any of this.  According to the analysis at the beginning of the year, Liu Jing is likely to take action against Jiangdong next spring, so they still have one year to prepare. Although one year is also very short, at least they still have a glimmer of hope.  But unfavorable intelligence came one after another. The Han army quickly put down the Hexi rebellion, and Liu Jing successfully married Cao Cao and stabilized the north. All this showed that Liu Jing was actively preparing to launch a campaign against Jiangdong.  What frightened Sun Quan even more was that in June, Chaisang suddenly began to prepare for war. A large number of troops gathered in Chaisang. Countless grain ships and fleets carrying weapons and supplies from Jingzhou sailed to Chaisang. According to the laws of the Han army they knew,  If we prepare for war in the fall, we will launch the campaign in the spring of the following year. But if we prepare for the war in the summer, we will definitely not wait until next spring. In autumn or winter, the war will inevitably break out.  Sun Quan realized that the Han army was likely to attack Jiangdong in advance, which made him extremely depressed.  At this time, the guard reported at the door: "Zhang Changshi and Zhuge Protector are here!" "Invite them in!" Sun Quan returned to his seat and sat down. This is also the biggest difference between Sun Quan and his clan brother Sun Bi. When danger is about to come,  , when the situation is very critical, Sun Ben will bury his head in the sand like an ostrich, living in luxury and luxury all day long, enjoying every day.  Sun Quan, on the other hand, will do everything possible to deal with the crisis, and will even use any means to expand his army and prepare for war. He will never give up resistance until the last moment, but Sun Quan is not broad-minded enough. When the crisis comes, he asks all officials to face the test with him, but he doubts  The officials surrendered to the Han army privately, and a secret agency was used to supervise the officials.  After a while, Zhang Zhao and Zhuge Jin walked in together. The two of them stepped forward and saluted, "See Wu Hou!" Sun Quan glanced at Zhuge Jin and said lightly to Zhang Zhao: "I got a message that Liu Jing has left Chang'an.  Patrolling Jingzhou, does the military advisor know?" Zhang Zhao frowned, "The imperial examination has just been held, is he in a hurry to leave Chang'an?" "That's the problem, he willHe was in such a hurry, what did the military advisor think he meant?  " "Perhaps he is going to Jingnan. At the beginning of the year, he inspected Xiangyang and Jiangxia. In April, he inspected Hanzhong and Yizhou. Later, he inspected Longxi and Hehuang, but he did not inspect Jingnan. Wei Chen thought that he  Not necessarily to Chaisang, but also to Jingnan.  " Zhang Zhao tried his best to avoid irritating Sun Quan. He would not move closer to the war until Liu Jing's itinerary was confirmed. Sun Quan stared at him for a moment, then turned his eyes to Zhuge Jin. "I want to ask Zhuge Du.  Guard, is there any news from Jiaozhou?  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1015 Night Attack on Taihu Lake

    In order to deal with the threat of the Han State to Jiangdong, Sun Quan not only prepared for war at all costs, but also hoped to obtain external assistance. He sent people to ask for help from Cao Cao, begging Cao Jun to send troops to attack Nanyang or Jianghuai to divert the threat of the Han State to Jiangdong, but Cao Cao did not  On the grounds of lack of national strength, he declined his request. Then news of the marriage between Cao and Liu came, and Sun Quan also despaired of Cao Cao.  He immediately sent people to Jiaozhou, hoping to form an alliance with Liu Bei, so that the two families could jointly resist the Han army's efforts to unify the south. To this end, he asked Zhuge Jin to write a letter to Zhuge Liang, hoping to persuade Zhuge Liang.  But there was no news from Jiaozhou, and Zhuge Liang seemed to have no reply, which made Sun Quan a little anxious. Just two days ago, Sun Quan received a report from a spy, and Zhuge Jin secretly sent his second son Zhuge Qiao to Jiaozhou.  He made Sun Quan suspicious of Zhuge Jin and sent people to monitor his every move day and night.  Zhuge Jin hurriedly bowed and said: "I am reporting to the Marquis of Wu, there is no news yet." Sun Quan did not believe him. If Zhuge Liang did not reply, how could Zhuge Jin send his son away?  Sun Quan sneered, "More than two months have passed, how come there is no news? Protector Zhuge, are you hiding something from me?" Although Zhuge Jin was a kind man and had a good temper, but at this time he also  Unable to bear Wu Hou's suspicion of him, his face turned red, "Weichen has been following Wu Hou for fifteen years and is very loyal. Why does Wu Hou doubt Wei Chen?" "Then tell me, your second son has gone.  Where?" Sun Quan simply made his words clear and looked at him coldly.  Zhuge Jin was shocked. It turned out that Wu Hou knew his secret. He simply told the truth, "My brother Zhuge Kongming has been married for nearly twenty years. He has only one daughter and no heirs. He wrote to me several times, hoping that  I could adopt my second son Qiao to him, and I agreed, so two days ago, I sent my second son to Jiaozhou to be adopted by my brother as his son. This is my private matter. Why is Wu Hou so concerned about it? " "  Huh! If he didn¡¯t send a letter, why did you send your son away at this time? You still said that there was no news about Zhuge Liang? " "Reporting to Wu Hou, there is indeed no news about my brother. Why did I send my son away at this time?" "For what reason?  ?" Sun Quan stared at him with bright eyes.  Zhuge Jin took a deep breath and said: "Because I know that the Han army is preparing for war in Chaisang. If I don't send him away, I'm afraid there will be no chance." Sun Quan suddenly became furious, slammed the table and shouted: "You mean, I, Jiangdong want to  "Destroyed?" "I never meant that!" "Then what did you mean?" Sun Quan roared like thunder.  Next to him, Zhang Zhao was also frightened. He had never seen his lord roaring at his subordinates like this before. He hurriedly advised: "My lord, calm down. Zhuge Duhu must be worried about the blockade of the Yangtze River waterway. Taking the land route is not only a long way, but also very dangerous."  "Danger" Sun Quan also gradually calmed down, and he sat down again. Zhang Zhao reminded him with one sentence, is there no news from Jiaozhou because the Han army blocked the waterway?  In fact, Sun Quan also believed the truth told by Zhuge Jin. The adoption of his son to Zhuge Liang was something that the brothers had already decided on. However, Sun Quan hated Zhuge Jin for sending his son away at this time. It was obviously a hint that Jiangdong would not be saved and that he would be gone.  face.  Sun Quan glared at Zhuge Jin fiercely and ordered: "Step back!" Zhuge Jin also bowed with a gloomy face, turned around and left. Only Sun Quan and Zhang Zhao were left in the room. Sun Quan sighed and said:  "Military advisor, the Han army is about to send troops. What should I do?" Zhang Zhao pondered for a moment and said: "Back then, the Marquis of Wu sent troops to Wuchang to kill Huang Zu. The tens of thousands of Jingzhou troops were wiped out, leaving only an isolated city of Chaisang. There were no soldiers.  When the number reaches ten thousand, there are only a few generals. If we fight against us, it will undoubtedly be an egg against a stone. However, Liu Jing actually defeated the weak and defeated us. In the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao took advantage of the power of sweeping the north and led hundreds of thousands of troops to the south.  However, in the end, they could not defeat the tens of thousands of Sun and Liu's coalition forces. It can be seen that there is no absolute victory for the strong and the weak on the battlefield. Jiangdong is weak today, but it is not as weak as Chaisang of the past. The Han army is as strong as today, but it is not as strong as Cao's army.  , Chaisang Gu city can still be reversed, Cao's army is defeated even if it is powerful, why should Wu Hou belittle himself and lose his confidence?" Zhang Zhao's words suddenly awakened Sun Quan. He drew his sword and gritted his teeth and said: "I would rather fight until the last moment than never?  They will surrender without a fight!" Although Chai Sang has not yet sent troops, the fire of war has quietly ignited in Jiangdong. At two o'clock in the night, dark clouds cover the endless water of Taihu Lake. The wind and waves are high on the water, and fishing boats dare not enter the lake.  fishing.  At this time, a fleet of thirty thousand-stone warships and seventy hundred-stone speedboats were sailing eastward in the vast Taihu Lake. The wind was strong and the waves were high, and the ships were heaving violently, but they were not hit.  Despite the danger of capsizing, the fleet sailed with the wind, traveling extremely fast and smoothly without deviating from the course at all. ????????????????????????????????On the bow of the warship, Navy General Shen Mi held an iron gun in his hand and stared resolutely at the water ahead. He was the commander-in-chief of Wuhu and Ruxukou. He led 5,000 soldiers and 300 warships to garrison at Lishui.  There are also a thousand soldiers and dozens of warships at the mouth of Taihu Lake. Although there are not many troops stationed, they firmly control Lishui and West Taihu Lake.  Just yesterday afternoon, Shen Mi received an order from Gan Ning, ordering him to send troops to destroy Jiangdong's shipbuilding factory. Jiangdong secretly built warships in East Taihu Lake, which could not be hidden from the eyes and ears of the Han army. Shen Mi knew every move of the shipbuilding factory and knew that Jiangdong  More than thirty thousand-stone ships called merchant ships, but actually warships, have been built and are parked in the shipbuilding yard.  After receiving the order, Shen Mi immediately led two thousand troops to the expedition. After a day and night of sailing, they gradually arrived at the Jiangdong Shipbuilding Factory. The shipbuilding factory is located in a bay on the east coast. The bay is called Hengwan. The water surface  It covers an area of ??1,000 hectares and has a deep river leading directly to Xujiang River.  There is a small island outside the inlet. There are 500 Jiangdong soldiers stationed on the island, which can block fishing boats from entering the inlet at any time. It is also a sentry to monitor the water surface of Taihu Lake. If there is any enemy situation, a beacon can be lit to notify the ships in the inlet to retreat.  The Han fleet arrived at Hengwan at midnight. At this time, the lake became darker and darker. From a distance of 300 steps, the small island outside the bay could no longer be seen clearly. Only a faint outline could be seen.  ¡°General, sail close to the north side, we can¡¯t be seen on the island!¡± A Taihu fisherman whispered to Shen Mi.  Shen Mi nodded. He also saw that the water channels on both sides of the island were of different widths, with the north side being much wider than the south side. However, only fast boats could enter the water channel. Their Qianshi warship would inevitably be discovered.  It was not that he was afraid of an attack by the garrison on the island, but that he was worried that beacon fires would be lit on the island and the Jiangdong warships in the inlet could escape. Shen Mi immediately ordered, "Stop the big ships and sail the clippers to the north shore!" The fleet headed northeast  Heading towards the direction, the big ship anchored several miles away from the island, while seventy hundred-stone clippers sailed slowly close to the north shore. The waterway to the north was three hundred steps wide. Under the gloomy night, the fleet of clippers was sailing in the opposite direction.  Sailing three hundred steps away, the defenders on the island could not detect it at all.  The Jiangdong Shipbuilding Factory was brightly lit, surrounded by dozens of two-foot-high torches. The flames were blazing, illuminating the factory like daylight. Nearly a thousand shipwrights recruited from various places were busy building warships. Teams of soldiers were everywhere.  Patrolled and heavily guarded.  Jiangdong has rich shipbuilding experience. They know that it is impossible to build a thousand-stone ship in one year. It will take one to two years just to prepare the keel. In half a year, they can build a few hundred-stone boats at most, but they cannot build a hundred-stone ship.  To compete with the Han army, only the Qianshi warship can fight the Han army.  But Jiangdong had his own way. They dismantled dozens of large merchant ships and rebuilt them using their keels and planks. In this way, dozens of thousand-stone warships could be built in a short period of time.  This is the last capital of Jiangdong¡¯s navy. If these dozens of warships are lost, Jiangdong¡¯s greatest naval advantage will be completely eliminated. In order to protect the shipbuilding factory, Sun Quan did not hesitate to send five thousand troops to station here.  Bu Zhao also inspected the factory. He received a message from the flying pigeons of Wu Hou that Liu Jing had left Chang'an and the war was about to break out. There was not much time left for them, so he ordered the craftsmen to work day and night, and they must complete the construction within ten days.  A main ship worth three thousand stones was produced.  This 3,000-stone main ship has been completed 70%, and the hull has been completed. Craftsmen are doing internal processing and preparing masts and sails. If they work around the clock, they can complete the main ship in up to five days.  Maybe we can build dozens more hundred-stone ships.  "Everyone has worked hard, hurry up and complete the ship, and I will double the wages!" Bu Zhe continued to encourage the craftsmen and gave them generous promises, making the craftsmen work harder.  At this moment, there was a cry from the water to the west. Bu Sta was startled and asked the soldiers around him: "What happened?" The soldiers looked at each other, and they didn't know what happened. Suddenly, flames soared into the sky.  When the drums and shouts of killing broke out, a soldier stumbled over and shouted: "Report to the Chief of History, enemy troops have come in and set fire." Bu Zhao was taken aback and asked urgently: "How many enemy troops are there?" "  I don¡¯t know the specifics, but they are all enemy clippers, and there may be thousands of people." Bu Zhao was in a hurry, and what he was most worried about came true. He immediately ordered: "Order all the troops to go up and fight!" "Five thousand Jiangdong Army!  There was no rest. Under Bu Zhi's order, the soldiers of Jiangdong Army rushed towards the lake. Although they were outnumbered and could prevent the Han army from landing, they could not stop the spread of the fire. The fire burned more and more fiercely and was engulfed.  Half of the shipbuilding factory was in chaos. More than a thousand shipwrights left their jobs and ran away without their lives. Jiangdong soldiers also fled back and ran outside the factory.  ¡°Chang Shi, retreat quickly!¡± ?The guards set up the starting stalls and evacuated outside the factory. Soon, the fire burst into the sky and thick smoke billowed. Seeing that the completed three-thousand-stone main ship was also engulfed in the fire, the stallions couldn't help but sigh. What a pity!  Still a few days late.  But he did not stamp his feet and beat his chest, but breathed a sigh of relief. After he received the message from Wu Hou Fei Ge, he immediately ordered more than thirty thousand-stone warships to withdraw into the inland river to prevent the Han army from sneak attack.  Bu Zhi's judgment was not wrong. The Han army did come. Although he deeply regretted burning the unfinished main ship, he saved the last capital of the Jiangdong Navy. This was the regret of the Han army.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1016 Important Information

    The day after the Han army failed to successfully attack the shipbuilding factory, the usually quiet Yangtze River became lively. In particular, hundreds of Han warships appeared on the river outside Jianye City. This was an extremely rare scene.  .  After the Han army captured the north bank of the Yangtze River, it deployed 20,000 troops along the north bank of the Yangtze River, and set up three water fortresses in Wuhu, Ruxukou and Guangling, stationed with more than 500 warships.  Although the Han army is less than fifty miles away from Jianye, in the past six months, the Han army has maintained the utmost restraint and a low profile. Warships only sailed on half of the water in the northern part of the Yangtze River, and only one or two were occasionally seen at the head of Jianye city.  A small patrol boat prevented Jianye from feeling that the Han army was close at hand.  But at this time, the Han army had torn away the curtain of camouflage, and hundreds of warships appeared naked in front of the Jianye people, showing off their power on the river outside Jianye City, which made the troops guarding Jianye feel tremendous pressure.  The clouds of war are hanging over Jianye City. The 60,000 Jiangdong Army has already been deployed, of which 20,000 are deployed in Wu County to deal with threats from Taihu and Kuaiji County, and the other 10,000 are deployed in Piling County to deal with the Han Dynasty.  The army attacked Piling County from the direction of Taihu Lake.  The last 30,000 people were deployed along the Yangtze River in Danyang County, of which 20,000 elite main force strictly guarded Jianye City.  The large-scale invasion of Han warships did not cause panic in the army, but it aroused the fear of war in the people of Moling County and Danyang County.  The streets and alleys in Moling County are deserted, and there is not a single pedestrian in sight. There are only teams of patrol soldiers patrolling back and forth on the streets, closely monitoring suspicious people or flying pigeons. Strict control has also been implemented at the city gates.  Everyone who enters the city is interrogated, and any young man of unknown origin will be detained by the government for interrogation.  The earliest intelligence point of the Han army, Xishi Tavern, has long since disappeared. The tavern was burned to the ground by fire the year before last. No one knows where the people in the tavern went. Jiangdong Army also searched for Han army spies several times but failed.  But everyone knows that the Han army must still have spies in Moling County, but they are so elusive that no one knows who they are and where they live?  There is a narrow alley near the south city gate called Sansi Lane. At the entrance of the alley is a medium-sized tavern called Shilin Tavern. Like all the taverns in Moling City, this tavern opened three months ago.  Then it went out of business, and the shopkeeper and several bartenders were forced to dig the canal. The only people living in the tavern were the shopkeeper's wife, two young children, and a pair of old people.  This pub also rents a small courtyard in Sansi Lane, which is the residence of the shopkeeper and his family, and is connected to the backyard of the pub through a small door.  At night, the streets and alleys become even more deserted, and every household has no lights. Due to the shortage of materials, even lamp oil has become very precious and expensive. In order to save money, people can only live in the dark at night.  Outside Sansi Alley, a man in black was walking slowly along the base of the wall. The surroundings were extremely quiet. Torches were lit at the city gate a hundred steps away, and the defenders could clearly be seen patrolling back and forth.  Because it is too close to the city gate, there are no patrol soldiers here, so as long as it is not discovered by the patrol soldiers at the city gate, it is very safe.  The man in black was getting closer and closer to Sansi Alley. He suddenly accelerated his speed and ducked into the alley. The black shadow walked quickly and soon came to an old door. He knocked lightly.  After a moment, a young woman's voice came from the yard and asked, "Who is it?" "Sister, it's me!" The man in black lowered his voice, but he heard that it was a young man.  The door opened with a creak, revealing a pale face. It was a young woman with a disheveled face. She was full of surprise. She hugged the man in black and couldn't help crying: "Aqing, why are you back?"  ?¡± This man in black is named Wang Qing. He was a waiter in the tavern and the young woman¡¯s brother. He and the shopkeeper were forced to dig a canal, but somehow he appeared in the city, which surprised and delighted the young woman.  She asked anxiously: "Where is your brother-in-law? Has he come back?" "Sister, this is not the place to talk. Let's go into the house and talk." The young woman quickly pulled her brother into the yard and closed the door. At this time, the two  A child ran out and hugged the man tightly, "Uncle, come back!" The man took out a tightly tied lotus leaf bag from his arms and handed it to the children with a smile, "This is some dry biscuits, take it and eat it.  !¡± The two children took the lotus leaf bag and ran back to the room cheering. The woman took the brother to the kitchen and wiped her tears and said: ¡°I only have a little food ration every day, which is not enough to eat. When will this day end?¡±  "The man comforted her and said: "Sister, the Han army has launched a campaign against Jiangdong. If you wait a few days, things will change soon." "I hope so!" The woman sighed and asked again: "You.  As for brother-in-law, why isn¡¯t he with you?"Come" "Now the number of guarding soldiers has been greatly reduced. We have all escaped. My brother-in-law and Sishun are hiding outside the city. Because it is too dangerous, I am the only one who climbed over the wall and entered the city."  The woman exclaimed, "If you are caught climbing over the city wall, you will be beheaded on the spot!"  " "There is no way, I have to get the information out.  " After the Han Army Intelligence Station was burned down at Xishi Tavern, it was temporarily evacuated from Jianye due to strict searches by the Jiangdong Army. However, there are still two intelligence points in Moling County. Shilin Tavern is one of them. Shopkeeper Lin and his brother-in-law  Wang Qing was a spy for the Han Army. This time Wang Qing ventured back to Moling in order to obtain top-secret information from a senior Jiangdong official living in Moling County, which was the deployment map of the Jiangdong Army. The intelligence had already reached Wang Qing.  But how to send it out is a troublesome matter. Except for the thousands of troops in the city, the rest are old people, women and children. If a young and strong man appears on the street, he will be arrested on the spot. On the one hand, Wang Qing is here to visit.  On the other hand, he also wanted his sister to help send the information out. He pondered for a while and said: "I may not be able to get out, but there is an important piece of information. Sister will help me to send it out tomorrow morning. My brother-in-law is here."  Waiting outside the city!  " The woman was overjoyed. She could finally see her husband. She was not worried about going out of the city. Women, children and the elderly were generally not interrogated when entering or leaving the city. She also took her children out of the city to collect firewood. It was not a big problem for her to send information. She quickly answered  Passing the thin bamboo tube containing the information, he said happily: "I will leave the city early tomorrow morning!  " Wang Qing took out a dozen more coins from his arms and handed them to his sister, "Sister, keep these money and you can buy some food on the black market.  ¡± The woman took the money, and it turned out to be the most sought-after gold money in the city. She was secretly relieved. With this money, at least the elderly and children would not starve to death. ?¡­ ? Han Jun  Hundreds of warships were densely packed on the river. Gan Ning stood on the leading ship and looked at Jianye City from a distance. It was the capital of Jiangdong. The city walls were tall and strong, but the city was not big, with a circumference of only eight miles.  The city can only accommodate more than ten thousand people to defend the city. For the Han army who has experienced hundreds of battles, it is not a big problem to capture such a city. But Gan Ning did not know the deployment of Jiangdong Army and did not dare to act rashly for a while.  Hundreds of warships could only exert pressure on Jiangdong's army on the river. "Captain, I heard that His Highness the King of Han has personally gone on an expedition. Is it true?"  " Several generals asked beside Gan Ning. Gan Ning nodded and smiled: "The latest information is that His Royal Highness the King of Han has arrived at Chaisang. He is probably going on an expedition by now. Our mission is to contain Jianye's army.  Create conditions for the Kuaiji army and the Taihu navy to move north.  " A general said cautiously: "Captain, I think our 20,000 troops can also capture Jianye City. Why doesn't His Highness the King of Han allow us to attack directly?  " "This is His Highness's unified deployment, and it has its own profound meaning. I have told you many times that as generals, we can only obey orders. Don't ask why?  "    "yes!  Humble position understands.  "Although he reprimanded his generals, Gan Ning also felt that they could do greater things. Moreover, the King of Han's order was for them to contain Jianye's army. As for how to contain Jianye's army, it was up to him, Gan Ning, to decide. "  , a soldier suddenly pointed at the river and shouted: "Captain, look, there is a small boat on the river!  "Gan Ning looked in the direction of the soldier's finger, and he also saw the small boat, sailing this way in the waves of the river. Without Gan Ning's order, more than a dozen Han army sentry boats had already greeted it, and in a moment they had taken the small boat  Everyone surrounded him, and not long after, a sentry ship sailed towards the main ship. There was a man in his thirties on board. The soldiers took the man aboard the main ship. The man stepped forward and knelt down on one knee to salute Gan Ning: "  Lin Yi, a spy from the Han army, visited Governor Gan!  Gan Ning had heard of this person and said with a smile, "You are the shopkeeper Lin of Shilin Tavern in Moling!"  " "That's right, I have important information to report to the Governor.  " Shopkeeper Lin took out a thin tube and presented it to Gan Ning. Gan Ning poured out a roll of white silk from the bamboo tube and slowly unfolded it. It turned out to be a deployment map of the Jiangdong Army. How many troops were deployed in each place?  It was clearly marked, and Gan Ning was overjoyed. This was the information they needed most. He praised: "Shopkeeper Lin has made a great contribution. Go down and rest first, and I will express my contribution to the king of Han Dynasty!"  " Shopkeeper Lin was also happy. He bowed and went down to rest with the soldiers. Gan Ning handed the map to the soldiers behind him and ordered: "Make a copy immediately. This information is extremely important. Send someone to send it to Chaisang immediately!  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1017 War Clouds Shrouded

    On the Yangtze River east of Chaisang, a fleet of more than 1,500 civilian and military ships is sailing eastward. The fleet is huge, occupying most of the river and stretching for hundreds of miles.  It is the largest fleet since the Battle of Chibi.  This includes more than 700 warships and 800 civilian ships worth more than 1,000 dan. The civilian ships are responsible for transporting food supplies, including 300,000 dan of grain and countless military supplies.  But there are not many troops. There are only 70,000 main Han troops, plus the 30,000 troops deployed in Jianghuai and Kuaiji counties, the total is 100,000 Han troops. If it is to attack Cao Wei, this army is far from enough, but to attack Jiangdong, ten  An army of ten thousand is enough.  A battle in Hefei forced the Han army to seize the Jianghuai area. Cao's army was forced to retreat to the Central Plains, while the Han army completed the strategic encirclement of Jiangdong. The Han army in the Jianghuai area was like a mountain-chopping sword, pressing heavily on Jiangdong's head, leaving Jiangdong's army helpless.  .  The 10,000 Han troops in Kuaiji are a cold arrow at Jiangdong's back, which can be shot at Jiangdong's back at any time. In addition, the Han navy deployed in Taihu Lake is a sharp dagger, withstanding Jiangdong's abdomen.  He could give Jiangdong a fatal blow to the abdomen at any time.  The siege of the Han army limited the Jiangdong Army to the narrow three-county area of ??Wu County, Danyang County and Piling County, which was equivalent to the southern Jiangsu area in later generations.  It was the completion of the strategy of encircling Jiangdong, especially the victory of the Battle of Hefei, that drove Cao Cao's forces out of Jianghuai, making Cao's army unable to join forces with Jiangdong. In this way, the time is ripe for the Han army to destroy Jiangdong. Once Jiangdong is destroyed, the Han army will be unified and eliminated.  Most of the southern areas except Jiaozhou.  Jiangdong also knew that they were in danger, and they were forced to carry out strategic contraction. Taking advantage of the Han army's opportunity to temporarily ease the situation in Jiangdong, they quickly withdrew thousands of troops and all military supplies from Jiujiang County and Yuzhang County, effectively abandoning Jiujiang.  County and Yuzhang County.  Of course, the loss of Kuaiji County also caused Jiangdong to give up Linhai County, Jian'an County and Linchuan County in the south. If you add Xindu County, Guangling County and Lujiang County that were previously forced to cede to the Han army, Jiangdong only has eleven counties left.  Less than 30% of the land was settled.  In June of the 22nd year of Jian'an, the Han army launched its final war of destruction.  In the massive fleet, the Han army¡¯s five-thousand-stone main ship was at the front of the team. There were three thousand-stone warships in front of it to clear the way, and there were one thousand-stone warships on the left and right to guard it.  Liu Jing stood at the front of the second floor of the main ship, facing the Lielie River wind and looking at the vast river. He couldn't even remember how many times he had traveled eastward. More than ten years ago, he was trapped in Chaisang and was captured by Jiangdong.  When the army was almost destroyed, they never dreamed that one day they would lead the army to destroy Jiangdong.  But the day has truly arrived. Liu Jing¡¯s eyes are looking towards the north again. His greatest desire is to unify the world. I wonder when that moment will come?  At this time, a guard came forward and reported: "Your Highness, there are officials on the south bank asking to see you!" "Who wants to see me?" Liu Jing asked lightly.  "Your Highness, this is Lu Su, the Prime Minister of Yuzhang County." "It turns out to be him!" A smile appeared on Liu Jing's face. He looked ahead. There seemed to be a town on the shore in front of him. Liu Jing pointed at the town and said, "But Lord  "Bo, where is that?" Liu Jing's new boss, Bo You, joined the army but was taking office. This man was only in his twenties, but he was quick in writing and knowledgeable. He was recommended to Liu Jing by Sima Yi. Liu Jing admired his literary talents very much, so he  He was made the army commander Bo, replacing Qin Mi who had been transferred to the post of governor of Huainan.  "Your Highness, this is Fenghuang Town in Nanling County. It is a famous supply point on the Yangtze River." Liu Jing nodded. He had heard Tao Zhan talk about it before. The Tao family once had several large warehouses in Fenghuang Town, and later moved to Fenghuang Town.  After selling to other merchants, Liu Jing immediately ordered: "It's getting late, so stop taking rest in Phoenix Town!" It's not that the fleet cannot sail at night. Like during the Battle of Hefei, the fleet transporting supplies would sail at night, but that's because  Time was tight and the task was heavy, so we had to take risks and sail.  But if time is not too tight, the fleet will not choose to sail at night. However, during the Han Army's Eastern Expedition, the fleet was too dense, and it was very dangerous to sail at night on the river, and collisions were prone to occur, especially in large-scale fleets.  , once the ships collide, there will not be only two ships, and the losses will be very serious, so Liu Jing specially ordered that the fleet will not sail at night, and must anchor and rest at the shore, and then leave at dawn the next day.  The fleet slowed down and sailed towards the south bank. Liu Jing's 5,000-stone ship slowly approached the Fenghuang Town Pier. Soldiers had already disembarked to enforce security and no suspicious people were allowed to approach the pier.  An hour later, more than a dozen horse-riding officials rushed to the Fenghuang Town Pier. The leader was Yuzhang Cheng Lusu, followed by several young followers. Because the Han army completed the strategic encirclement of Jiangdong, Jiangdong was forced to give up.  Yuzhang County, Jiujiang County and Linchuan County.  The Han army¡¯s upcoming attack on Jiangdong put great pressure on the officials of the three counties. In order to protect themselves,At the end of the day, senior officials from the three counties gathered in Nanchang County to discuss countermeasures. All senior officials unanimously decided to surrender to the Han Kingdom and recommended Lu Su, who had a good relationship with Liu Jing, to contact the Han army.  Lu Su had long been disheartened by Sun Quan. He also knew that the situation in Jiangdong was over. He had no personal interests, but he was devoted to the people. For the benefit of the people of Yuzhang County, he finally decided to surrender to the Han Kingdom and accept Liu Jing's unification.  Southern facts.  Lu Su and his party arrived at Fenghuang Town. It was already dark. The soldiers on the dock had received orders in advance. When Lu Su informed them of their names, they were immediately sent by a small boat to anchor on the main ship in the river.  Lu Su was taken to the main ship by the soldiers and came to Liu Jing's study on the second floor. The guard reported: "Your Highness, Lord Commander Lu is here." At this time, Liu Jing walked out quickly and said with a smile: "  Zijing, we haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time.¡± Lu Su bowed deeply and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to see His Highness the King of Han!¡± ¡°Come in and talk in the cabin.¡±  Seeing that Lu Su was very thin and looked very bad, he asked with concern: "Zijing seems to be in poor health?" Lu Su sighed and said: "I had a serious illness last year and never recovered. In addition, there are heavy government affairs.  "My health is getting worse day by day, and I don't know if I can survive until next year." Liu Jing shook her head and said, "This won't work. Zijing is a pillar of talent. I can't let Zijing's health continue to be bad. Zijing doesn't want it.  Go back and recuperate on my ship for a few months to recover." Lu Su was shocked and waved his hands, "This is not possible, Yuzhang County can't do without me." Liu Jing smiled, "There is nothing missing.  I will appoint another county magistrate." Lu Su then remembered that Yuzhang County still belonged to Jiangdong, but Liu Jing said such words, which showed that he was destined to win. Lu Su was silent for a moment, and sighed: "Jiangdong has fallen into such a state.  "It's really sad." At this time, the guards brought two cups of tea. Liu Jing took a sip of tea and said calmly: "The unification of the world is what the people want, and the loss is only the interests of a few people.  If you serve the people wholeheartedly, why should you care about the gains and losses of Jiangdong's powerful people? " "Your Highness is right, reunification is the general trend. I, Lu Su, am also a Han official. Seeing that the resurgence of the Han Dynasty is approaching, I should be happy, but it is human nature to be nostalgic.  , Lu Su¡¯s disappointment, I hope His Highness will forgive you!¡± Having said this, Lu Su took out a joint letter from the senior officials of the three counties and presented it to Liu Jing, ¡°This is a joint letter from the officials of Yuzhang, Jiujiang and Linchuan counties to Your Highness.  They are all willing to submit to the Han Kingdom to protect the safety of the people in the three counties. "This letter was expected by Liu Jing. In fact, he had already received private letters from the prefects of Yuzhang and Jiujiang counties to Chang'an.  Everyone expressed their willingness to be loyal to him in the letter, so Liu Jing was not surprised to receive the surrender letter at this time.  He read the letter and said to Lu Su: "Ten years ago, Jiujiang County and Yuzhang County were under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court, and were later seized by Jiangdong. Eight years ago, Jiangdong's army was defeated in Chaisang. At that time, it was clear that Yuzhang County  Jiujiang County and Jiujiang County were ceded to Jingzhou. Later, after the two parties reached an agreement, I agreed to return Yuzhang County and Jiujiang County to Jiangdong. This was the first time. Four years ago, the Jiaozhou Army went on a northern expedition and once occupied Yuzhang County and Jiujiang County.  It was recaptured by our Han army again, and I temporarily handed it back to Jiangdong. Regardless of history or actual control, Yuzhang County and Jiujiang County should not belong to Jiangdong. It is completely reasonable and reasonable for the Han army to take back these two counties this time. Zijing does not want it.  Don't feel sad considering that the Han army captured them." Lu Su smiled bitterly and said, "His Highness's words are irrefutable, but everyone in Jiangdong, including me, believes that capturing Yuzhang County and Jiujiang County will be the best choice.  It¡¯s not what happened in the past, but the warships of the Han army now.¡± Liu Jing laughed, ¡°Zijing is really interesting!¡± Liu Jing talked with Lu Su for a while, and then asked Lu Su to take a rest.  Su's health is really bad. If he doesn't recuperate, he won't survive this year. For Liu Jing, Lu Su is still of great use and his illness must be cured.  Liu Jing immediately appointed Kuai Heng, who had joined the army, as Yu Zhangcheng, and rushed to Nanchang with his letters and Lu Su's entourage.  Kuai Heng is the son of Kuai Yue. He is a smart and capable man with good talents and learning. He ranked 67th in the Xiangyang imperial examination. After joining the army, he was promoted step by step from being a secretary to joining the army. Liu Jing had long wanted to train him, so he took advantage of this opportunity to let him  He was appointed as Yuzhang Cheng, and after two years of experience, he was promoted to Yuzhang Prefecture.  After arranging everything, Liu Jing asked the guard standing at the door who was hesitant to speak: "What's the matter?" "Your Highness, Governor Gan sent someone to send urgent information." The guard stepped forward and handed a red mailbox  Presented to Liu Jing, Liu Jing unscrewed the mailbox and poured out a roll of white silk from it. He unfolded the white silk and found that it turned out to be a map of the garrison in various places in Jiangdong. Liu Jing was overjoyed and immediately stood up and came to the sand table to compare it.Mark the pictures one by one on the sand table.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1018 The First Battle at Jingkou

    Jingkou is the old capital of Jiangdong. After the capital was moved to Jianye, Jingkou gradually became deserted. However, it was only marginalized politically. Its economic status is still very high. It is the outlet of the Piling County Canal through the Yangtze River and borders the Yangtze River.  The grain shipped from Lingjun was transferred in Jingkou, converted into large ships, and then transported to Jianye. Jingkou became the largest material transfer place in Jiangdong, and commerce was very developed.  Currently, Jiangdong is making every effort to dredge the approximately 100-mile-long canal from Wujun to Piling County, and at the same time widen the waterway between the Qinhuai River and the Piling Canal. Once these two canals are opened, Danyang, Piling and Wujun will be connected.  In one body, Wujun's grain and materials can be transported directly to the Yangtze River, and then from the Yangtze River to Jianye, or they can also be transported directly to Jianye through the Qinhuai River.  Therefore, in the canal system in the south of the Yangtze River, Jingkou plays a decisive role. In the military layout in Jiangdong, 10,000 of Jianye's 30,000 troops were deployed at Jingkou, commanded by the veteran general Han Dang.  Now that Gan Ning had obtained the deployment map of the Jiangdong army, he had a clear target and knew what he should do. Liu Jing ordered him to contain the Jianye army, but did not let him sit idly by. Seizing Jingkou and controlling the canal hub was to contain the Jianye army.  The most effective means.  On this morning, more than 300 huge warships slowly approached the Yangtze River Wharf outside Jingkou City. The Yangtze River Wharf in Jingkou was a civilian wharf. A year ago, there were thousands of sails here, and large and small cargo ships crowded the river outside the wharf.  , but since Jiangdong decided to transform cargo ships into military ships, a large number of cargo ships fled to the north coast and never returned. The dock has become deserted, and not a single civilian can be seen.  However, the atmosphere of military tension still hangs over the Jingkou Pier. Not far from the pier, Jiangdong Army built eight tall sentry towers. From the sentry towers, you can directly see the river, while 7,000 Jiangdong Army is stationed at Jingkou Railway Station.  Inside the urn city.  At this time, a rapid alarm bell sounded from the sentry tower. The soldiers had seen hundreds of warships appear on the river outside the dock. The alarm bell alarmed the Jiangdong soldiers stationed several miles away. Under the leadership of General Han Dang, they  Rushing towards the Yangtze River Pier.  At this time, a thousand Jiangdong Army soldiers stationed on the dock had already launched a bow and arrow attack on the enemy ships docked. They hid behind a mud bag wall a hundred steps away, and dense arrows shot at the Han army like raindrops.  Warship.  More than a dozen Han army ships have docked, and their long planks have been set up on the land. There are hundreds of Han army soldiers on each ship. They hold shields in their hands and slowly walk towards the shore under the heavy fire of arrows.  , although the shields of the Han army formed a shield wall, many soldiers were still hit by arrows and fell into the river screaming.  At this time, the stone cannons on the warship also fought back. With a huge banging sound, dozens of kerosene clay pots weighing more than ten kilograms were shot at the mud bag wall. The pots fell to the ground and smashed, and kerosene flowed everywhere.  As dozens of rockets were fired, the fire burst into flames and spread rapidly. A section of the mud bag wall was ignited, and the soldiers hiding behind the wall evacuated to both sides.  More and more kerosene pots hit the mud bag wall, and the fire spread faster and faster. Most of the nearly one mile long mud wall was engulfed in flames. Thousands of Jiangdong soldiers could no longer hide behind the mud wall and had to give up.  The bunker was evacuated backwards.  The bow and arrow defense of the Jiangdong Army gradually disappeared, and the Han Army began to land on a large scale. Groups of soldiers ran ashore, the ship sailed away, and another large ship docked, and countless Han soldiers poured out.  This time, Gan Ning personally led the landing at Jingkou. He originally considered landing at night and sneak attack on Jingkou, but in order to use actual combat to hone the combat effectiveness of his soldiers, Gan Ning decided to land during the day and fight fiercely with Jiangdong's army. He was confident that he would fight  Defeat Jiangdong Army.  Thousands of Jiangdong soldiers evacuated the dock, and the Han army began to land quickly. Groups of soldiers rushed off the ship and quickly lined up. Before the large group of enemy troops arrived, 10,000 Han troops had landed and 7,000 people were lined up neatly.  , full of murderous intent, ready to fight to the death with Jiangdong Army.  Gan Ning rode on his horse and stared coldly ahead. He could see clearly that a large group of Jiangdong soldiers appeared on the right side of Beigu Mountain ahead. They were about a mile away and were heading towards the dock quickly.  "Bows and arrows are ready!" Gan Ning gave the order, and the three thousand Han soldiers took off their bows and arrows, walked forward quickly, drew the arrows and stringed them, and raised their bows and arrows, waiting for the order to fire.  At this time, Han Dang also saw the enemy troops in the distance. He was secretly surprised. There were seven or eight thousand people lined up on the pier, but the enemy troops on the big ships were still continuing to land, but he did not know how many Han troops would come ashore. Han Dang  I felt a little uneasy in my heart.  At the beginning of the year, the Jiangdong Army only had 30,000 troops. Later, 30,000 troops were forcibly recruited, which was called the New Army. The New Army generally lacked training, had no combat experience, and had poor combat effectiveness. It could only serve as an auxiliary army.  ??The original 30,000 troops were relatively elite, of which 20,000 were stationed in Jianye, the capital, and the other 10,000 were deployed in Wu County to be used in conjunction with the 20,000 new troops.  Another 10,000 new troops were stationed near Jingkou in Piling County, where HanThis army commanded by Jiangdong Army was also a helpless move. Sun Quan wanted to give priority to ensuring the safety of the capital city of Jianye, so he deployed the most elite troops in Jianye. Only new troops could be deployed in Jingkou.  Ten thousand troops were deployed in Jingkou, trying to use quantity to make up for the lack of training and combat effectiveness. Seven thousand troops were stationed in Jingkou City, while the other three thousand troops were stationed in Yunyang County slightly to the south.  Yunyang County is the intersection of the Qinhuai River and the canal, and its strategic location is equally important. Since the Han army has completely controlled the Yangtze River, the fleet coming from Wu County can only transfer to the Qinhuai River in Yunyang County and travel along the Qinhuai River.  Enter Jianye.  Seeing that the Han army had bows and arrows ready, Han Dang raised his hand and ordered: "Cease fighting and move forward!" The order was quickly passed down, and the seven thousand troops stopped marching. Han Dang ordered again: "Forward in formation!" Jiangdong's army quickly formed a team, and in  About three hundred steps away from the Han army, they formed a large formation. Seven thousand people raised their spears, but refused to charge forward. Although the enemy showed no signs of attacking the Han army, Gan Ning still did not order to put down his bows and arrows. He waited patiently.  , as the last hundred Han troops disembarked from the warship, the 10,000 Han troops had completely lined up.  At this time, Gan Ning saw that the opponent still had no intention of attacking, and immediately ordered: "Replace bows and arrows with spears!" The three thousand soldiers withdrew their bows and arrows and began to transform into spear troops. The Han army was like a reservoir gradually filling up with water.  Just waiting for the order to attack, Gan Ning gave the order, "Attack!" "Boom!"  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The drums of the Han army were beating loudly, and the 10,000 Han army soldiers shouted for killing. Their murderous intent exploded, like a powerful sea wave, rushing towards Jiangdong¡¯s army 300 steps away.  Han Dang also shouted: "Fight!" The seven thousand Jiangdong Army soldiers had never experienced actual combat and were poorly trained. More importantly, they were forcibly recruited into the army and were not willing to sacrifice their lives for Sun Quan. The Han Army soldiers were stronger  Under the momentum of the attack, the Jiangdong soldiers became timid and fearful of battle. They shrank and went to fight the Han army.  The morale of the Han army was high and they rushed into the Jiangdong Army like a storm. The two armies suddenly collided at the foot of Beigu Mountain and started a fierce fight. The first battle of the Jiangdong Campaign started in Jingkou. Yunyang County, here  It is also known as Danyang County in later generations. The Qinhuai River originated here and meandered for more than 200 miles. Finally, Jianye poured into the Yangtze River. Since this is the upper reaches of the Qinhuai River, the river channel is narrow and it is difficult for ships with a weight of more than 100 stones to travel.  Until last year, ships from Piling County entered the Yangtze River from Jingkou in the north and then diverted to Jianye. However, since the Han army took control of the Yangtze River waterway, Jiangdong decided to dig a tributary from the Qinhuai River to the canal.  , and widened the Qinhuai Waterway so that ships coming from Piling County could directly take the Qinhuai River to Jianye.  At this time, the development of the tributary canals has been completed, but the widening project of the Qinhuai Waterway is still continuing. Nearly 20,000 civilians, under the supervision of 3,000 troops, are working on the waterway day and night.  They used a segmented construction method to drain a section of the river first, then dug a wider channel and piled large rocks on both sides of the river. The river they needed to widen was about fifty miles long. Now it has been widened for more than forty miles, and there is still the last ten miles.  Quantity of work.  At noon, 20,000 river workers were busy in the river like ants, carrying earth, transporting rocks, and digging the river. Since the project had been going on for several months, the river workers were already exhausted. In addition, the clouds of war shrouded Jiangdong, and the river workers were worried.  River workers kept escaping. In just ten days, thousands of them had escaped.  The supervisors were overwhelmed by the endless escapes, but had no choice but to ask for help from the military. Under Han Dang's order, three thousand Jiangdong soldiers stationed in Yunyang invested in the project to assist the supervisors in guarding the civilians. Today is the third day.  sky.  Time gradually came to noon, and the construction site took a break for lunch. The civilians gathered together in twos and threes, eating a poor lunch and looking forward to the day when the Jiangdong regime fell. They already hated the Sun regime and were looking forward to the Han army's early arrival all the time.  Call.  The soldiers also gathered on the river bank for lunch. Their lunch was slightly better than that of the civilians, but it was still old brown rice, smelly fish and rotten shrimps, but the quantity was slightly more than that of the civilians. However, the soldiers were already used to it and no longer complained pointlessly.  These were unpalatable meals.  But today, the army is filled with a restless mood. There are rumors that the main force of 200,000 Han troops has left Chaisang and is heading towards Jiangdong. Although the truth of the rumors is difficult to tell, it still makes many people  The soldiers were all uneasy. When the Han army was about to attack, their first thought was how to protect the safety of their families, not the life and death of the Jiangdong regime.  The soldiers were talking a lot, and war-weariness spread rapidly among the army. At this moment, countless deserters and defeated soldiers suddenly appeared on the official road in the distance. Groups of deserters ran towards them lifelessly. The soldiers stood up one after another, panicking.Didn't know what happened.  After a moment, the first group of defeated soldiers rushed over and shouted: "Run away! The Han army is coming from Jingkou." This news was like a thunderous explosion among the soldiers. The three thousand soldiers were stunned for a moment, and then immediately  Chaos broke out, and the soldiers threw away their weapons and armor and fled southward desperately. One person fled and led ten people to flee, ten people led hundreds of people, and hundreds of people led thousands of people. More and more soldiers fled like a snowball, and even many civilians took the opportunity.  Flee south among the soldiers.  "Stop, don't run away!" Captain Lin Hong shouted loudly and beat him with a whip, but he still couldn't stop the soldiers who were swarming away. At this time, an unfamiliar horn sound came from the distance. Lin Hong was stunned. He  I also saw the battle flags of the Han army appearing in the north, the dust on the official road was flying, and the overwhelming number of Han soldiers were coming towards the south.  Lin Hong let out a long sigh. It seemed that Han Dang had been defeated. He had no choice but to turn his horse's head and run westward.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1019 The battle for sending troops

    News of the fall of Jingkou quickly spread to Jianye along with the defeated soldiers and fleeing civilians, causing panic among the people of Jianye and the government and the public. No one expected that the war would come so quickly. They were not even prepared before Jingkou fell.  For ordinary people, the landing of the Han army at Jingkou meant the beginning of the war, which immediately triggered a rush to buy supplies. In just half a day, all the daily necessities in only a dozen shops were sold out, and grains on the black market were sold out.  Prices skyrocketed, with rice costing more than a thousand dollars.  Amidst the panic, there was even a two-way fleeing wave. Women, children and the elderly in the city rushed out of the city, preparing to flee Moling County, while residents outside the city wanted to flee into the county for refuge, causing a crowd at the city gate.  For officials and the army, the landing of the Han army at Jingkou meant that Jianye's connection with Piling County and Wu County was cut off, and Jiangdong was cut into two battlefields. Whether to recapture Jingkou caused a strong debate in the DPRK and China.  In the meeting hall of Jianye Palace, more than a hundred senior civil and military officials gathered to discuss the next move of the Jiangdong Army. They were divided into two factions. One group, the young group led by L¨¹ Meng, strongly demanded the retaking of Jingkou and revitalized the morale of the Jiangdong Army.  The other faction, the conservatives headed by Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu, advocated conserving their strength and fighting the main force of the Han army, rather than consuming their limited forces in battles like recapturing Jingkou.  Sun Quan sat at the top with a gloomy expression. He said nothing and did not interfere in everyone's debate. His face was uncertain. No one knew what he was thinking.  "Why are military advisors and old generals so afraid of war?" Lu Meng's voice was very high, and he could hear that he was extremely angry. He loudly said to Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu: "Fighters have courage! If we watch Jingkou fall, we will not be able to fight."  Wanting to recapture it, but having to accept failure will only make morale even lower and make the army more war-weary." Lu Meng no longer cared about etiquette because of his anger, but this made Cheng Pu, who attached great importance to superiority and inferiority and hierarchical order, very dissatisfied.  In Cheng Pu's view, Lu Meng was just a young boy with little qualifications, but he dared to accuse himself of being afraid of war, which made Cheng Pu very angry. He said coldly: "Captain Lu, please be careful what you say. This is not a military camp or a tavern."  , this is Jianye Palace, please pay attention to your identity!¡± ¡°What I said is the truth!¡± ¡°The truth is that I am afraid of war?¡± Cheng Pu snorted heavily, ¡°When I went to the battlefield with the First Lord to conquer the Yellow Turbans,  , I¡¯m afraid you are still breastfeeding. Do you know what war is, what courage is, and what fear of war is?¡± ¡°You!¡± Lu Meng was shaking with anger, pointing at Cheng Pu and saying no.  come out.  At this time, Zhang Zhao smiled and smoothed things over: "There is no need to be angry, Governor Lu. We are just discussing the matter. Of course I also hope to recapture Jingkou, but things are not that simple. We must face reality and cannot act on impulse." Lu Meng ignored Cheng Pu no longer.  , turned around and asked Zhang Zhao: "Excuse me, military advisor, what reality do we need to face?" "It's very simple. If we want to retake Jingkou, we must send troops. Then I would like to ask Governor Lu, how many troops do we need to send? Should we send troops from Jianye or from Jianye?  If troops are sent from Wu County, how will the Han army respond to the situation on the river outside Jianye City? If troops are sent from Wu County, will the Han army from Kuaiji County take the opportunity to go north?  Jingkou does not require a large number of troops. After all, there are only 10,000 enemy troops in Jingkou. We only need to send 20,000 troops to deal with it. We can mobilize 10,000 troops from Jianye and Wujun each to attack Jingkou from the north and the south. Faced with our superior strength,  Gan Ning could only choose to retreat. " "Then what?" Cheng Pu asked with a sneer: "Should we keep 20,000 troops at Jingkou to prevent them from attacking Jingkou again? If the Han army stops attacking Jingkou, it will attack instead.  Elsewhere, should we send another 20,000 troops to intercept it? " "If this is what the old general thinks, let's just hold on to Jianye and let the Han army occupy Jiangdong. " The two sides were at odds with each other.  At this moment, Sun Quan suddenly stood up, snorted heavily, turned around and left the inner hall through the side door. The hall suddenly became quiet. Zhang Zhao, Cheng Pu and others each laughed and left the hall, leaving only  L¨¹ Meng and all the generals, L¨¹ Meng sighed, "Marquis Wu has made his own decision, we can't control it, we just carry out the orders!" Everyone also felt that Marquis Wu had no intention of retaking Jingkou, so they had to follow L¨¹ Meng away unhappy.  When Sun Quan returned to the study, he immediately ordered: "Let Commander Zhang and Old General Cheng come to see me!" After a pause, he ordered: "Invite Governor Lu as well!" Sun Quan didn't want to take back Jingkou, he also knew that Jingkou was captured  Occupying it means that Wu Jun and Jianye have lost contact, dividing the entire Jiangdong into two battlefields, but from the debate just now, he found that those who tried their best toGenerals who want to send troops to retake Jingkou are generally impulsive and think about problems in a simple way, which makes him have no confidence in retaking Jingkou.  After a while, Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu walked into Sun Quan's study. Cheng Pu rarely interfered with military and political affairs and mostly stayed at home to recuperate. However, this time he may have realized that the situation was critical and took the initiative to participate in military and political affairs.  When Sun Quan saw the two people coming in, he waved his hands and said: "No need to salute, please sit down!" Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu sat down. At this time, Lu Meng also walked into the study quickly. Sun Quan also asked him to sit down and said to the three of them.  : "With me, the three of you can stop arguing and express your opinions. We need to make a decision." Zhang Zhao first said: "To the Marquis of Wu, it's not that I don't want to take back Jingkou, it's just that I think we should weigh the pros and cons.  Adopt the most effective countermeasures." Sun Quan nodded, "The military advisor's words agree with me. The current situation is complicated and we cannot act rashly. However, Jingkou is a strategic place. Losing it makes us very passive. I also feel that we should seize it as soon as possible.  I'm back, so I'm in a dilemma. I want to hear the wise words of the military advisor and the old general." Lu Meng had realized that Wu Hou came to him not to make decisions, but to implement them, and he didn't think much about it.  He said, sitting quietly aside, Cheng Pu glanced at him proudly, and continued Zhang Zhao's topic: "The old minister does not mean to abandon Jingkou, but the main force of the Han army has not arrived yet, and we cannot be led away by Gan Ning's army prematurely.  Stop it. Once our army is trapped in Jingkou and the main force of the Han army arrives, Jianye's defense force will be insufficient, and the consequences will be disastrous." Zhang Zhao also said: "Old General Cheng is right, why did Gan Ning suddenly attack Jingkou?  What is the purpose? I think it is not as simple as cutting off the connection between Wu Jun and Jianye. It is more likely to disrupt our deployment. When we advance, he withdraws, when we retreat, he comes back again, and so on.  If the main force of the Han army enters Lishui from Wuhu, then we will immediately send troops to recapture Jingkou. If the main force of the Han army does not go to Taihu,  , but to kill Jianye, then the Wujun army can go north and recapture Jingkou." At this time, Lu Meng couldn't help but said: "If the main force of the Han army is divided into two groups, one goes to Wujun and the other comes to Jianye.  , what should we do?" "Then don't worry about Jingkou, Jianye and Wu County will deal with it separately!" At this time, Sun Quan nodded, and he finally agreed with Zhang Zhao's plan. He said to Lu Meng: "I understand Governor Lu.  The mood of the fall of Jingkou is not good for anyone, but we must take the overall situation into consideration and consider our own affairs. We do not have enough troops to fight the strong with the weak. In this case, we cannot fight every enemy, and we cannot fight with the Han  The army fights hard, we can only concentrate our forces to deal with the main force of the Han army. No matter whether we win or lose, our success or failure can only depend on this." Lu Meng stood up and saluted: "I humbly obey Wu Hou's order!" "Okay! You go and appease the generals and tell them.  Why can't we recapture Jingkou immediately, calm down their emotions, and strictly guard Jianye!" Lu Meng bowed and hurried away. Sun Quan said to Zhang Zhao: "Moling is in chaos and the people are unstable. I have ordered General Xie to close it.  People are not allowed to enter or leave the city gate. The military advisor must arrange food rations to stabilize the people of Moling. " "Please don't worry, Marquis Wu, I will make arrangements now." Zhang Zhao also got up and left. At this time, Sun Quan and Cheng were the only ones in the room.  Sun Quan glanced at Cheng Pu and said coldly: "I find it very strange. It seems that the Han army knew our army deployment and sent troops to Jingkou accurately. I suspect that someone among the senior officials in Jiangdong secretly communicated with the Han army. Old General  Tell me, who could this person be?  Cheng Pu's heart skipped a beat and he stood up in a hurry and said, "Wei Chen doesn't know who it is, but Wei Chen promised Wu Hou that Wei Chen will never betray Jiang Dong."  "    "Yeah?  Sun Quan said calmly: "If the old general says this, I feel relieved."  " Cheng Pu quietly wiped the sweat from his forehead and said: "Maybe no one betrayed the information, but the Han army's scouts were powerful, and Wu Hou was overly worried.  " "I hope so too, but Jiangdong is in adversity. It is inevitable that someone will betray Jiangdong for their own benefit. Old general, we have to guard against it!  " When Sun Quan said this, he looked at Cheng Pu sharply. Only five people knew the details of the deployment of the Jiangdong army. Among the five people, he least trusted Cheng Pu. After all, Cheng Pu had supported Sun Bi back then, and recently he had  The sudden activation made him suspicious, but he could only warn Cheng Pu.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1020: Soldiers Suppress Jianye

    Sun Quan finally accepted Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu's plan and did not send troops to recapture Jingkou for the time being. This would of course affect the morale of the army. From the perspective of a military general, this was an extremely serious consequence.  But in the eyes of high-level decision-makers, military morale is not very important. It is just a tactical issue, and the overall gains and losses of Jiangdong are the decisive factor.  Although the strategic location of Jingkou is important, after all, it is not the main force of the Han army. Once the Jiangdong Army is held back by the battle at Jingkou, it will be completely passive. After weighing the pros and cons, Sun Quan chose to remain silent. He always paid attention to the movements of the main force of the Han army.  .  Five days after the fall of Jingkou, more than 1,500 Han army's main warships finally appeared on the Yangtze River outside Jianye City. Together with the more than 200 warships originally on the river, there were more than 1,700 warships.  The warships were spread out on the river. The formation was ten miles wide and more than thirty miles long. The entire Yangtze River seemed to be covered with Han warships. The masts were like forests and the thousands of sails were like clouds.  .  At the top of Jianye City and the military camp outside the city, more than 20,000 Jiangdong Army soldiers witnessed this shocking scene. The hearts of countless soldiers were cold. Many people's memories still lingered on the comparison between the Jingzhou Army and the Jiangdong Army ten years ago.  Above, the strength of the two armies is almost the same. Perhaps because of the kerosene, the Jingzhou navy is a little stronger, that's all.  They simply could not imagine what level the Han Army had reached after ten years of development, but the scene before them finally made them understand the huge gap between the Jiangdong Army and the Han Army. This huge gap made countless people feel sad.  Lost.  As night fell, the Jiangdong soldiers could no longer see the spectacular scene outside the city. The soldiers gathered one after another, talking in low voices about Jiangdong and their respective futures.  In a small tent, General Jiang Qin was drinking wine alone. At this time, a deep voice came from outside the tent, "Is your general here?" "My general is in the tent, please wait!" Jiang Qin heard it.  At the sound of General Dong Xi's voice, he hurriedly hid the wine and ear cup. Drinking was strictly prohibited in the army. He didn't want to be discovered. After hiding the wine cup, Jiang Qin said: "Please come in, General Dong!" The curtain was raised,  General Dong Xi came in. He immediately smelled the smell of alcohol in the tent and saw the copper basin of hot water for warming the wine. However, he did not say anything. He smiled slightly and said, "Gong Yi seems to have something on his mind?" Jiang Qin sighed, "  Who has nothing to worry about now? Please sit down, Yuan Dynasty!" Dong Xi took a bottle of wine from his arms and said with a smile, "Although drinking is not allowed in the army, I still want to have a drink with Gong Yi, how about it?"  Jiang Qin smiled bitterly, and then took out the jug and ear cup from the box, "I guess I can't hide it from the Yuan Dynasty, so let's drink together!" Both of them laughed tacitly, and Jiang Qin took out another ear cup.  He filled his cup with wine, picked up his own cup and said, "Come! I'd like to offer a drink to the Yuan Dynasty." The two of them clinked their cups together and drank them all in one gulp. Jiang Qin and Dong Xi were both Jiangdong veterans.  Following Sun Ce to lay the foundation of Jiangdong, but after Sun Quan came to the throne, these veteran generals who followed Sun Ce were gradually ignored. Instead, young generals such as Lu Xun, Lu Meng, Ling Tong, Xu Sheng, and Ding Feng were reused. If we talk about reemploying young people  , but Huang Gai, Han Dang, Cheng Pu and other veterans who followed Sun Jian are still very active and have not been ignored at all. It is obvious that they are the only ones in the middle who are ignored.  Generals such as Zhou Yu, Ling Cao, Tai Shici, Chen Wu, and Pan Zhang died young, Lu Su was abandoned, He Qi was forced to rebel, and Jiang Qin, Dong Xi, Song Qian and others were only served as captains, which really made them feel sad.  Disheartened.  Jiang Qin sighed: "After seeing the powerful strength of the Han army today, I know why Cao Cao was defeated in Hefei. The Yuan Dynasty and Jiangdong are over!" Jiang Qin drank the wine in the cup, couldn't help but burst into tears, and cried bitterly at his desk.  When he got up, Dong Xi exerted force in his hand, and the cup in his ear broke. He said with hatred: "In the past, General Bo Fu was powerful in Jiangdong and laid a great foundation. But when it was passed to the hands of Wu Hou, he was defeated repeatedly in battles, civil strife continued, and he was forced to fight hard.  Jiangdong's great foundation has been ruined. This is not because the Han army is strong, but because of our internal troubles. " Jiang Qin was startled, and quickly wiped away his tears and waved his hands: "In the Yuan Dynasty, please don't talk nonsense. Be careful that walls have ears.  "We've already reached this point, what should I be afraid of?" Dong Xi changed his ear cup, filled himself with wine, drank it in one gulp, and sneered: "Seeing that the situation in Jiangdong is over, everyone is now."  Is Gong Yi going to be buried by the Marquis of Wu while he is seeking his own future? " Jiang Qin shook his head, "If that day comes, I will live in seclusion in my ancestral land and farm the land. I don't want to worry about these troubles. As for the Yuan Dynasty, I plan to return.  Do you want to be a fisherman in Kuaiji?" Dong Xi stood up and looked outside the tent, then sat down and said to Jiang Qin in a low voice: "I heard the news that the nephew of the military advisor also participated in the Chang'an imperial examination and was admitted to the high school.  Appointed as the Prime Minister of Wuyin County, Nanyang County.; Jiang Qin was shocked and asked anxiously: "Is this news true?" "I even know the specific official position, so it shouldn't be false." Jiang Qin was stunned for a long time and stammered: "This is simply unbelievable.  "Hmph! This is called knowing people but not knowing their hearts. Everyone knows that the one who hates the Han army the most is Zhang Junshi, but his nephew has surrendered to the Han Dynasty. If he doesn't know about it, I am willing to bet on his life."  "Does Marquis Wu know?" Jiang Qin asked softly.  Dong Xi shook his head, "I've only just heard about this news. I guess Wu Hou doesn't know about it yet, but Wu Hou's spies are everywhere, so he should know it, but in this situation, he may not reveal it." Speaking of this, Dong Xi  Xi Youyi stepped forward and lowered his voice: "I told Gong Yi these things to let Gong Yi know that we have to take it easy in this battle." Jiang Qin understood the implication of Dong Xi's words, and he slowly  He nodded slowly, "I understand what the Yuan Dynasty meant!" After nightfall, the Han warships also withdrew their troops to the north bank of the Yangtze River. A dense number of warships were moored on the north bank. The night wind stirred the river water, and the waves beat against the big ships. Outside the big ships,  Nearly a thousand sentinel ships patrolled the Yangtze River, closely monitoring the movements on the river to prevent Jiangdong's army from sneak attacks on Han army warships.  At this time, a Jiangdong hundred-stone warship slowly sailed towards the north bank. As soon as the warship sailed into the first line of defense of the Han army, it was immediately spotted by the Han army's sentry ship. A rocket rose into the sky and drew a bright line of color.  , which indicated that a minor situation occurred, and then seven or eight sentry ships came from all directions and surrounded the Jiangdong warship. Hundreds of Han army sentries aimed their bows and arrows at the Jiangdong warship.  A Han army sentry officer shouted sternly: "Why did the Jiangdong ship break into the border?" At this time, a middle-aged scribe walked out of the cabin, cupped his hands and said: "I am the special envoy of the Marquis of Wu.  Hou Zhiling came to see His Highness the King of Han, please forgive me." More than a dozen Han soldiers jumped on the warship, searched it carefully, and reported to the military prince: "There is nothing suspicious on the ship." Even so, the military prince was still worried.  , He said to Yan Zhen: "Jiangdong warships are not allowed to enter. You can enter by Han army sentinel ship." Yan Zhen had no choice but to board the Han army's sentinel ship. Seven or eight sentinel ships were still monitoring the Jiangdong warship. One sentinel  The ship headed towards the main ship, and was still hundreds of steps away from the main ship. They were stopped by the second line of defense. The military marquis showed the sentry post and secret signal, and then said: "The envoy from Jiangdong has come to see His Highness the King of Han, please report on your behalf.  " "Please wait here!" Liu Jing's guard ship sailed towards the main ship.  At this time, Liu Jing, the king of Han, was listening to Gan Ning's report in the cockpit. Just seven days ago, Gan Ning led 10,000 troops to land at Jingkou, successfully occupied Jingkou, and cut off the connection between Jianye and Wu County, but Gan Ning was surprised.  However, Jiangdong's army did not counterattack Jingkou, and seemed to have acquiesced in the Han army's strategy for Jingkou, which was beyond his expectation.  Liu Jing put his hands behind his hands and listened to Gan Ning's report. He smiled lightly and said, "It's not difficult to understand. The Jiangdong Army has limited troops. They will only put their troops in the most important places to deal with more important enemies. If I were Sun Quan, I would  "Is your highness saying that Jingkou is not important?" "Of course Jingkou is important. If Jingkou falls, Piling County will not be protected. I believe Sun Quan knows this very well. I can only say that Jingkou is not as important as him in his heart."  Jianye is important, but not as important as Wuxian. Before he can regain Jingkou, he can only choose to temporarily abandon Jingkou." Gan Ning nodded. He somewhat understood what the King of Han meant. At this time, he thought for a while and said:  "To the south of Piling County, there are still 80,000 civilians digging canals. According to the information just obtained, these civilians have not evacuated and are still working under the supervision of Jiangdong. I only need to send a few elite troops south, and they will be there immediately.  To rescue these civilians, I wonder if Your Highness is allowed to use soldiers in a humble position?" Liu Jing smiled slightly, "I will organize the people to dig the canal in the future, so I will simply let Sun Quan complete the project for me. What's wrong with that?" "What's wrong with that?  In this case, I am afraid it will take another half a month to complete the excavation. "Then we will wait!" Liu Jing wrote lightly.  Gan Ning bowed and saluted, "Yes! I humbly obey the order." Gan Ning was about to say goodbye and leave, when the guard reported at the door of the cabin, "Your Highness, the envoy from Jiangdong, Yan Zhen, wants to see your highness." The arrival of the envoy from Jiangdong was announced by Liu.  As Jing expected, he pondered for a moment and said to Lord Bo Quezheng: "But Lord Bo received him first for me and said that I was discussing important military affairs and couldn't leave for a while." Quezheng stood up, bowed and walked away quickly.  , At this time, Gan Ning whispered from the side: "Your Highness, Jiangdong must have come to seek peace, why not not see him!" Liu Jing smiled lightly and said: "Don't be so petty, seeing him or not will not affect our established strategy.  AndIt came at just the right time. After all, I also needed to make a gesture to win the trust of Jiangdong officials, soldiers and civilians.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1021 Make a gesture

    Not long after, he came back to report that the other party had indeed come to sue for peace. He hoped that Liu Jing would let Jiangdong go for the sake of the marriage between the two families. Jiangdong was willing to use the greatest sincerity in exchange for the withdrawal of the Han army.  Liu Jing couldn't help laughing after reading Sun Quan's autographed letter, "What is the greatest sincerity? Can he agree to any conditions I put forward?" But Zhengzheng said: "Judging from the other party's attitude, it seems that he does have this  I mean, but they are afraid that His Highness will put forward excessive conditions." Liu Jing sneered, "If I don't see the envoy, they will say that I am arrogant, but I see him, but Lord Bo also goes with me to meet him.  "Liu Jing walked quickly to the first floor, but Zheng was following behind. He suggested to Liu Jing: "His Highness is lacking an excuse to attack Jiangdong. He started without a name. Wei Chen suggested that His Highness find a righteous excuse.  To seal Jiangdong's mouth." Liu Jing stopped, thought for a moment and smiled: "You are right, you need to find a righteous excuse." In the cabin on the first floor, Yan Zhen looked a little upset, with his hands behind his back.  Pacing back and forth, this time he was sent as an envoy to the Han army. Sun Quan gave him an extremely heavy task, asking him to return with results no matter what, which made him feel huge pressure.  The situation has developed to this point. How could the Han army retreat? How could he return with results?  In fact, Yan Zhen knew in his heart that Jiangdong could not offer any attractive conditions at all. The iron mines in Jiangbei had long been occupied by the Han army, and the food itself was insufficient. How could he use the gold and jewelry in stock, or beautiful women and famous craftsmen? But these may not be  Can impress Liu Jing.  At this time, there was a burst of footsteps outside the cabin, and the guard reminded him in a low voice: "His Royal Highness the King of Han is here." Yan Zhen turned around and saw Liu Jing walking in quickly. He quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply, "Jiangdong is engaged in  "Mr. Yan, please sit down!" Liu Jing asked Yan Zhen to sit down, but he was sitting opposite Yan Zhen. Liu Jing was sitting at the top, and several guards were waiting for them.  After serving tea, Yan Ji leaned forward and said: "I came to see His Highness the King of Han on the order of Wu Hou. His Highness must have read Wu Hou's personal letter. Jiangdong is willing to make every effort to avoid this war with the greatest sincerity. I hope  His Highness has the people of Jiangdong in mind, and should not resort to war against the innocent people in Jiangdong. " Speaking of this, Yan Zhen's voice choked up, but Liu Jing snorted coldly, "I have the people of Jiangdong in mind, but you yourself.  How was it done? How many people left their homes and fled Jiangdong? How many innocent children lost their loved ones? The people of Jiangdong were in dire straits and people were in dire straits. Could it be that I, Liu Jing, did this? Mr. Yan, please think about it with your conscience. After all, the people of Jiangdong have hope.  Do I, Liu Jing, want to save them, or do you want me, Liu Jing, to turn around and leave?" The more Liu Jing spoke, the angrier he became. He stood up and walked to the window, pushed open the boat window, and said bitterly after a while: "Hundreds of thousands of Jiangdong people have left their homes.  When they fled to the Han Kingdom, they all said that the taxes in Jiangdong were heavier than Mount Tai, and the officials in Jiangdong were more ferocious than wolves. They imposed excessive taxes and destroyed people's families. This is because you have the people in mind. Sun Quan did not hesitate to torture the people of Jiangnan for his own selfishness, and you guys  If the officials continue to work for him without any dissuasion, they are just helping the emperor to do evil!" Liu Jing's words were like needles, and every word pierced Yan Zhen's heart. He couldn't help but feel a little ashamed. After a while, he smiled bitterly and said: "Your Highness is right!  " "You can say this, it also shows that you are self-aware." Liu Jing let the dissatisfaction in his heart calm down a little, and then said sternly to Yan Zhen: "You go back and tell Sun Quan that it is okay if I don't attack Jiangdong. He must do three things.  First, the counties in Jiangdong are immediately exempted from taxes for three years to rest with the people. After three years, a tax of twenty to one tax will be implemented, which is the same as that of Han; second, the people of Jiangdong must not be hindered from their choices.  It is their freedom to go wherever they want, and they must not be stopped by force; thirdly, Jiangdong belongs to the Han Dynasty, not the private property of his Sun family. All arrogance must be removed, including palaces, concubines, officials, troops and his power, and his power must be restored.  In the county system, the prefects of each county are appointed by the imperial court, and the army is also the imperial army, and its commander should be appointed by the imperial court. He, Sun Quan, has no right to establish his own army. " Yan Zhen was stunned when he heard that these three articles clearly meant to deprive Wu Hou of all his powers.  Civil servants are appointed by the court, and military generals are appointed by the court. What else does Wu Hou have?  In fact, without the last two, the first one was enough to overwhelm Jiangdong. With three years of tax exemption, the army would have starved to death. Yan Zhen also knew that Liu Jing did not mean what he said and had no sincerity in peace talks. He sighed secretly in his heart and reluctantly argued.  He said: "The Marquis of Wu is also a county marquis after all. It seems unreasonable to deprive him of his territory and army like this!" The Lord next to him, Bo Ke, leaned forward and said: "The words of His Highness the King of Han are completely reasonable. According to the Han system, people above the Duke of the State are above  The country can be established, so the Duke of Wei can establish the Wei State, and His Royal Highness the Han Dynasty can establish the Han State. The Marquis of Wu is just a small county prince, so what qualifications does he have to lead it on his own?Country?  If you also appoint hundreds of officials and subordinates to separate one side, this is treason, and everyone in the world can challenge it!  " Yan Zhen was speechless and could only say: "Then let me go and reply to Marquis Wu!  " Liu Jing nodded, "I will give you ten days at most. Within ten days, Sun Quan must complete the above three points, and I will withdraw my troops, otherwise I will fight against the rebellion on behalf of the emperor!  " Yan Zhen felt sad and had to say goodbye. Liu Jing ordered his guards to send him away. At this time, he asked in a low voice: "Your Highness also knows that Sun Quan's separatist rule in Jiangdong was a treasonous move. Why didn't you issue a public proclamation to attack him?  Liu Jing shook his head and said: "Although Cao Cao can no longer interfere with my crusade against Jiangdong militarily, he can still set up obstacles politically. If I issue a message too early, Cao Cao will go along with the situation and ask the emperor to confer Sun Quan as King of Wu, and I will be imprisoned."  I have tied my own hands and feet, but I have no name. If I don't make a public statement now, Cao Cao can't restrain me. When the army finally comes to the city, it won't be too late to make a statement again.  " But he was giving a thumbs up sincerely, "Hi, Your Highness!  "Liu Jing said calmly: "Yan Zhen sent an envoy to the Han army. How could the high-ranking officials in Jiangdong not know about it? They would definitely ask him about the situation. Then my three conditions would be spread. Regardless of whether Sun Quan agreed or not, I would do my best to be benevolent and righteous.  .  " Que was nodding silently. He suddenly felt an indescribable sympathy for Sun Quan. It was also his misfortune to have an enemy like the King of Han. At this time, a guard came in and whispered a few words to Liu Jing, who was smiling at him.  Said: "I have something to do and I have to go out for a while. Master Bo, please ask me first!"  " ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? but?Bu Zhi?and other important ministers couldn¡¯t help but look at each other, they couldn¡¯t help but look at each other, Liu Jing¡¯s three conditions were clearly to allow Jiangdong to self-determine, how could it be possible?"  ? Zhang Zhao looked at Sun Quan worriedly, only to see that Sun Quan said nothing and looked at the ink pen in front of him with dark eyes. This ink pen was also a thing of transgression. Liu Jing's word "transgression" was a hit to Jiangdong.  Over the years, Cao Cao fought step by step to legitimize his army and political power, and finally obtained the title of Duke of Wei and was able to found the country. Liu Jing also fought hard and was finally named the King of Han, and legitimately enjoyed the title of a country.  Only Sun Quan is still a county prince. Cao Cao twice offered him the title of Duke of Wu, but he declined both times. At first, he did not want to be controlled by the court, but now he has become a lever for Liu Jing to attack Jiangdong.  , usually no one takes it seriously, no matter Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, or Liu Zhang secretly call themselves emperors. Everyone is not surprised and accustomed to it. Jiangdong has been divided for many years, and arrogance has long been a routine, and the world has become accustomed to it.  But once the need arises, transgression immediately becomes Jiangdong's biggest handle and the enemy's sharpest tool. Liu Jing used transgression as an excuse to attack Jiangdong, which seems ridiculous, but if you think about it carefully, it is so terrifying.  It means that Liu Jing has become famous. Sun Quan let out a long sigh and said extremely tiredly: "Everyone, please retreat first!"  Leave me alone for a moment.  "Indeed, everyone didn't know how to appease Sun Quan. Fortunately, Liu Jing gave everyone ten days to think about what they should do. Everyone retreated, and Sun Quan stood up and said, "Go back to the harem.  Have a night party!  " At this time, Sun Quan didn't want to think about anything. He just wanted to get drunk and forget all his worries. Yan Zhen left Jianye Palace. It was almost the first watch. He was really tired and was ready to return to his mansion in Moling City.  After resting, as soon as he got on the carriage, he saw a person running from the opposite side and stopped him, "Mancai, please stay!"  " When the person came closer, Yan Zhen recognized it. It turned out to be Zhuge Jin, the deputy governor. He was startled. It seemed that Zhuge Jin was not in the study just now. Why didn't Marquis Wu let him participate in the meeting? Zhuge Jin got on the carriage and whispered  : "My house is under surveillance, so I just have to wait for Mancai here.  "    "What happened?  " Yan Zhen was even more surprised. Zhuge Jin's mansion was actually being watched by someone. Who was watching him? As soon as he thought about it, he suddenly understood that there would be no one else except Wu Hou. " How could Wu Hou spy on Zhuge Gong?  Zhuge Jin sighed and said, "It's hard to explain in one sentence. Marquis Wu was extremely angry with me over the matter of providing aid to the state. Let's not talk about this. I want to ask, what conditions did Liu Jing offer?"  " Yan Zhen didn't know whether he should tell Zhuge Jin. He and Zhuge Jin both belong to Zhang Zhao's northern faction. They usually have a very good relationship and talk about everything. He usually wouldn't hide such confidential matters from Zhuge Jin, but now  It was really a difficult time for Yan Zhen to deal with it. However, Yan Zhen thought that many people knew about it and the news would get out tomorrow. It didn't matter if he said it now, so he sighed softly and said: "Liu Jing."  Proposed three WuhouConditions that cannot be achieved at all.  " He then recounted Liu Jing's three conditions to Zhuge Jin, and finally shook his head and said: "I can see that Wu Hou is desperate, and even the military advisor is speechless. Liu Jing gave him ten days.  This makes it clear that Jiangdong officials are allowed to choose their own way out. Does Zhuge Gong have any ideas?  " Zhuge Jin shook his head, "I'm very confused now and don't know what to do. Thank you Man for telling me the secret.  " "This matter is absolutely confidential. Zhuge Gong must not tell anyone to avoid causing confusion.  " "I know, I will definitely keep it a secret.  " Zhuge Jin got off the carriage, turned around and trotted away towards the carriage parked far away. Yan Zhen felt very disappointed. Shouldn't he also consider his future? 

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1022: Moving People with Sincerity

    When faced with a political crisis, those in power tend to be more suspicious of their subordinates. This is a law that has been difficult to break since ancient times, and Sun Quan is no exception.  With the precedent of major families in Wu County and Kuaiji County abandoning Jiangdong for family interests, Sun Quan became even more suspicious of his subordinates. He did not hesitate to restart the notorious Eagle Beak in Jiangdong, a secret investigation agency that was deeply hated by Jiangdong officials and people.  Since Wang Ning was executed, Eagle Beak was disbanded, but not long ago, Sun Quan restarted this secret investigation agency and appointed his close guard Zhao Jian as Eagle Beak Captain.  Zhuge Jin was the first important minister to be closely monitored. The reason why he was suspected by Sun Quan was that he sent his son to Jiaozhou to adopt Zhuge Liang as his son. This in itself was not a big deal. Zhuge Liang had no children, so his elder brother adopted his son.  It's normal to give it to him.  But Zhuge Jin chose the wrong time to do this. It happened to be when Jiangdong was facing a crisis, and Sun Quan asked Jiaozhou for help, but Jiaozhou remained silent. This made Sun Quan even more annoyed, and he suspected that Zhuge Jin was planning to abandon Jiangdong and escape.  Went to Jiaozhou.  In fact, Sun Quan's guess was not wrong. Today, when the crisis in Jiangdong is getting increasingly serious, not many people are willing to die for Jiangdong, especially since Jiangdong has become a militaristic regime that has trapped the people in misery. Not only the aristocratic families ruthlessly abandoned it, but ordinary people also hate it.  Under such circumstances, how could civil servants who always cherish their reputations as their own lives put their posthumous reputations into a regime that destroys their ideals and aspirations?  At that time, Dong Zhuo and Li Jie successively conspired, causing chaos in the north. Cao Cao used the emperor to control the princes, which disgusted the literati. Yuan Shao's regime was in danger, and Jiangdong's regime was like the rising sun, safe and prosperous. Sun Ce and Sun Quan introduced talents  , being so open-minded, attracted the attention of countless people, and made Zhuge Jin defect to Jiangdong without hesitation.  But nearly twenty years later, Jiangdong was destroyed by Sun Quan's strategic decision-making mistakes again and again, and by the struggle for power within the Sun family. Today, the fire of ideals in Zhuge Jin's heart has been extinguished, and the lives of him and his family have suffered.  How could Zhuge Jin not feel chilled by the threat, and how could he still think of serving Jiangdong, but he didn't know where to go?  This morning, Zhuge Jin received a secret letter from his brother Zhuge Liang, asking him to go to Jiaozhou for refuge. Only then did Zhuge Jin realize that his brother Zhuge Liang was actually paying attention to the situation in the Central Plains all the time, and he knew very well that the crisis in Jiangdong was coming.  But he really hesitated to go to Jiaozhou for refuge. On the one hand, Jiaozhou was too remote, which made him feel a sense of loss away from the political situation in the Central Plains. Secondly, even if Zhuge Jin could escape, his wife and children could not escape, and they were closely monitored by Sun Quan.  .  Just now, Zhuge Jin got the three conditions proposed by Liu Jing from Yan Zhen. He realized that the war was about to start in ten days, and he had to prepare for the arrival of the war.  Zhuge Jin boarded the carriage and left Jianye City, and hurried to Moling County. By this time, the city gate had already been closed. Sun Quan had ordered that no one was allowed to enter or leave the county, with the exception of Jiangdong officials. They needed to go to Jianye Palace.  To discuss matters, one must go in and out of the county, and Zhuge Jin is not restricted by the city gates.  Moling County is about three miles away from Jianye City. There is a spacious and flat official road between the two cities. There are large forests on both sides of the official road. Near the county seat, the forest gradually disappears. Both sides of the official road are lined with countless shops, taverns and restaurants.  Hostel.  It was past one o'clock, and Zhuge Jin's carriage was driving towards the county town along the official road. The official road was very quiet, and except for his carriage, there were no other pedestrians.  For some reason, Zhuge Jin felt uneasy in his heart. If Wu Hou wanted to deal with him, this was the best opportunity. He kept looking at the forest on both sides, urging the coachman to speed up.  But at this moment, the coachman suddenly stopped the carriage. Zhuge Jin was startled and asked anxiously: "Why did it stop? What happened?" "Master, there is someone in front of you!" the coachman said in a trembling voice.  Zhuge Jin stuck his head out of the car window, and his heart suddenly went cold. There were more than a dozen men in black standing in a row in front of him, blocking the way. Not only were there people in front, but there were also men in black on the front, back, left and right, surrounding his carriage.  "Who are you?" Zhuge Jin asked uneasily.  At this time, a man in black on horseback came forward, bowed his hands and saluted: "Please don't be afraid, Mr. Zhuge. My master would like to invite Mr. Zhuge and his party." Zhuge Jin heard that his words were quite polite, felt relieved, and asked:  "Who is your master and what do you want me to do?" The black-clothed leader smiled and said, "Sir, you will know who my master is when you see him. If he doesn't want to go, don't force him." He waved his hand and blocked the way.  The men in black retreated one after another, and the leader in black said apologetically: "I blocked the road just to protect Mr.'s carriage. There is no harm in it. If Mr. doesn't want to go, just go on the road and I will never stop you." Zhuge Jin saw what he saw.?All the black clothes were removed, and only this cavalry man in black was left on the avenue. He could indeed leave at any time. Not far ahead were several shops. Zhuge Jin pondered for a moment, and then asked: "Your home  Where is the master?" "It's just three miles to the west." Zhuge Jin nodded, "In that case, I'm going to meet your master. Please lead the way!" The man in black was overjoyed and turned his horse's head.  Please come with me!" Zhuge Jin told the coachman, "Follow him." There was a crossroads ahead, and within a few dozen steps, the carriage turned westward and followed the horseman in black in a hurry.  Go, Zhuge Jin felt that the other party had no ill intentions and would not hurt him, and he was also curious about who wanted to see him.  The carriage traveled about three miles, and the official road gradually approached the Yangtze River. In the distance, only a large ship was seen parked on the riverside. Zhuge Jin remembered that it was an abandoned dock. How could there be a large ship parked?  The carriage stopped in front of the big ship. Zhuge Jin got off the carriage and looked at the big ship with doubts in his eyes. The man in black cupped his hands and said with a smile: "My master is waiting on the ship. Please get on board." After hesitating, Zhuge Jin finally followed.  The man in black got on the ship. He walked into the cabin and saw bright light in the cabin. A man wearing a long gown and a golden crown was looking at him with a smile.  "Your Highness!" Zhuge Jin was immediately stunned. The man in front of him who wanted to see him turned out to be Liu Jing, the King of Han Dynasty. He was at a loss and stood there blankly.  Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "I'm sorry to invite Mr. Zhuge over so late!" Zhuge Jin finally woke up. He was a little at a loss. He stepped forward and saluted: "See you, Your Highness!" Liu Jing pointed to the small table and smiled.  Said: "If Mr. Zhuge is not in a hurry to go back, we might as well have a chat." Zhuge Jin nodded and sat down at the small table. Liu Jing sat down opposite him. The guard came in and served two cups of tea. Liu Jing picked up the tea and smiled.  He said: "I saw that Zhuge Gong also had an impromptu idea. My scouts reported that Zhuge Gong was wandering alone outside Jianye Palace. He seemed to have something on his mind, so I invited Sir here without informing him in advance. Please forgive me."  Only then did Zhuge Jin realize that his every move had been observed by Han army scouts, but he immediately understood that the Han army scouts were not monitoring him, but monitoring Jianye Palace, and he happened to be hiding outside Jianye Palace.  At that time, they saw him.  After thinking about this, Zhuge Jin felt a lot more comfortable, and Liu Jing was very polite to him, which also satisfied his inner self-esteem.  Zhuge Jin smiled and said: "I was waiting for Yan Mancai outside Jianye Palace to come out and inquire about some situations. I already know the three conditions set by His Highness." "Then what do you think Duke Zhuge said of the three conditions? Will Wu Hou agree to it?  ?" Zhuge Jin shook his head, "He will not agree to any of the conditions. Not to mention three years of tax exemption, even one year of tax exemption, the Jiangdong government will be closed immediately. At the beginning of the year, Wu Hou borrowed 200,000 shi of grain from the major families in Jiangdong.  , I just hope to pay it back with taxes. It would be great if he doesn¡¯t increase taxes. If I want him to be tax-free, I won¡¯t agree to it if I kill him.¡± Liu Jing felt funny in her heart when she heard Zhuge Jin¡¯s tone of ¡°kill him.¡±  This shows how deeply Zhuge Jin resented Sun Quan, and he also knew that Zhuge Jin was being monitored by Sun Quan, but Liu Jing did not mention it, and still calmly asked with a smile: "What about the second and third conditions?  " "The second condition is to let the people of Jiangdong be free and not to stop them. If we really let it go, in less than half a year, the people of Jiangdong will all run away. They can go to Jingzhou to enjoy light corvee and little wealth. Who would want to live in Jiangdong?  With heavy taxes and no skin left, how can General Mao be attached? If all the people in Jiangdong have fled, the soldiers will also flee. Jiangdong will naturally cease to exist, and the third one is even more impossible. There may still be time to fight for the second one.  The three conditions are that Sun Quan will step down, restore the counties and counties, and Jiangdong's political power will disappear. How can Sun Quan be willing to do this kind of self-determination of his own life? " Zhuge Jin's analysis coincided with Liu Jing's idea. Of course Liu Jing knew that Sun Quan would not do it!  After agreeing, he only gave ten days to give Jiangdong civil and military officials a chance to make a choice, hoping that a virtuous minister like Zhuge Jin would join him.  Liu Jing then said slowly: "Some people say that my attack on Jiangdong this time is in the same line as before. Back then, Jiangdong attacked Jingzhou in an attempt to annex Jingzhou. Now it is just the other way around. In fact, it is not the same thing. This time I attack Jiangdong to unify."  The south is taking the first step to unify the world, allowing the people of the world to recuperate and recuperate, and allowing the great Han Dynasty to revive. This is my ambition and the ideal of countless virtuous people. I believe Mr. Zhuge also has this idea in mind. Seeing Jiangdong Tower  Why is Mr. Zhuge still clinging to this regime that is hated by the people of Jiangdong and going against the will of the people?" Zhuge Jin lowered his head and sighed after a while: "I have long been disheartened by Jiangdong, and I will not be loyal to Sun Quan."??Today my brother wrote a letter asking me to seek refuge in Jiaozhou. I was already tempted, but my family was under surveillance and I couldn't escape, so I was worried.  " " Go to Jiaozhou to take refuge?  Liu Jing shook his head, "Going to Jiaozhou means staying away from the Central Plains and the opportunity for the revival of the Han Dynasty. Why did Zhuge Gong make such an unwise choice?"  " Zhuge Jin lowered his head and said nothing for a long time. He couldn't explain why he wanted to go to Jiaozhou. Liu Jing understood the self-esteem of scholars and said to him sincerely: "If Zhuge Gong is willing to join the camp of reviving the Han Dynasty, the post of Minister of Rites will be dedicated to him.  Sir, your seat is vacant.  " Liu Jing gave Zhuge Jin enough face, how could Zhuge Jin refuse, and he was still the Minister of Rites. He was excited, stood up and bowed to Liu Jing, "The humble minister Zhuge Jin is willing to do his best to revive the Han Dynasty!  " [This three kingdoms were really dissatisfied. The key was that he was unfamiliar with the Han Dynasty and never found that historical feeling. Fortunately, he finally gritted his teeth.  The book ends in December, and everyone has been following it for so long. The next book will return to the Tang Dynasty that Lao Gao is familiar with. In the era of Wu Zetian, the theme is no longer about the struggle for power, but the flow of life.  I also found that the first half of my book is more exciting, but the second half is more boring. This is also a common problem in the hegemony genre. When the protagonist reaches a certain status, his behavior and thoughts are fixed, and it is difficult to stand out. So if the protagonist  Try to stay free, and the story will be more exciting. So the next book will focus on this aspect. I believe that Lao Gao's return to the Tang Dynasty will bring you a wonderful history of the Tang Dynasty.  , because this era is the most complicated, with various forces fighting overtly and covertly, such as Wu Zetian's direct line forces (represented by Ku Li and Mian Shou), the civil service forces headed by Xiang Guo, the Wu family forces, the Li royal family forces, the Kanto gentry forces, and the Kansai gentry forces.  The power, the Guanlong noble power, Shangguan Wan'er, Princess Taiping, Queen Wei and other harem powers, and even the Li royal family power are divided into Zhongzong power and Ruizong power, etc., so it is very complicated, with various power struggles running through it, but  There are a lot of things to write about, and these are what Lao Gao is good at. I believe Lao Gao will write wonderfully, and I hope everyone will continue to support Lao Gao¡¯s new book. ¡¿

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1023 Ready and waiting

    Liu Jing gave a ten-day deadline. In order to meet the ten-day deadline, Gan Ning also withdrew his troops from Jingkou and returned to the north of the Yangtze River. Han Dang, who had retreated to Piling County, returned to Jingkou and held the strategic position of Jingkou. However,  He only had 5,000 troops left, unable to defend Jingkou.  For this reason, Han Dang wrote several times to Sun Quan asking for help, but there was no reply, as if Sun Quan was no longer interested in Jingkou.  In fact, when Liu Jing put forward the three conditions, Sun Quan remained silent. The Jianye Palace did not make any statement. He never met anyone again, and no one knew what he was thinking?  Although Sun Quan was silent, the Jiangdong government and the public fell into the brief calm before the heavy rain.  The calm situation was turbulent, and the three conditions Liu Jing offered have long been known to every household. Every household was shutting down and arguing over these three conditions. Some people thought this was Liu Jing's posturing, setting out conditions that Jiangdong could not accept, while others thought this was Liu Jing's posturing.  Liu Jing's benevolent and righteous move was due to Jiangdong's ignorance of current affairs.  But whether they are supporters or opponents, everyone has a consensus, that is, Jiangdong may not be spared this time. Back then, Jiangdong vowed to destroy Jingzhou and unify the south. But today, unifying the south is getting closer and closer, but it is Jiangdong¡¯s  What the old rival, Jingzhou Liu Jing did, made people feel the ruthless trick of fate.  For the ordinary people, the Han army's capture of Jiangdong means the arrival of light corvee and low taxes, which means they can have enough to eat. The men in the family no longer have to hide in Tibet, and no longer have to suffer the pain of war. This is something they have longed for for a long time, and they only hate it.  Ten days is too long, and I hate Jiangdong's army for resisting.  As for the high-ranking officials and generals, the fall of Jiangdong will make them face the choice of their future. Whether to return to the north and join Cao Wei, die with the Marquis of Wu, or loyal to the Han State for the sake of family interests. Everyone is faced with a choice, and it is difficult to decide. Many people  They all still hold on to a glimmer of hope.  Maybe a miracle will happen again, just like the plague that broke out among Cao Cao's army. Cao Cao defeated Chibi and evacuated the south. In short, senior officials and generals will not make the final decision easily until the last moment.  Time passed day by day, and what happened in Jiangdong was quickly transmitted to Yedu from Cao Wei's intelligence system, and was presented to Cao Cao's desk.  In the Tongque Palace in Yedu, Cao Cao handed the latest information to military advisor Cheng Yu and said with a smile: "Zhongde, let's take a look! This is the latest information from Jiangdong. It's really interesting." Cheng Yu took the information and took a rough look at it.  Once again, he handed it to Cao Pi who was sitting next to him, and smiled at him: "What does the prince think of this matter?" This information was what Cao Pi reported to his father. He already knew it, and when he saw Cheng Yu gave him an opening,  When he had the opportunity, he said: "I thought this was Liu Jing's posturing. He wanted to make his attack on Jiangdong reasonable and legal, so he used arrogance to talk about things. In fact, it is impossible for Sun Quan to agree to these conditions." Cao Cao nodded, "  My son is right. This is indeed the excuse Liu Jing found. He did not want to use the strong to bully the weak. When I went to Jingzhou, I also needed the emperor's approval. Although many people have forgotten the emperor now, there is no emperor's edict.  It doesn¡¯t affect anything, but after all, Liu Jing regards himself as the direct descendant of the Han Dynasty, and the reputation of being a master is still very important to him. He accused Sun Quan of overstepping his bounds, but did not give him a chance to correct himself. This was clearly aimed at me and refused to help me.  Sun Quan's opportunity." Cheng Yu smiled and said: "Wei Gong wants to help Sun Quan?" Cao Cao smiled bitterly and said: "Last year, in order to keep Sun Quan, I did not hesitate to fight against Liu Jing in Hefei. As long as I can keep Jiangdong, the Three Kingdoms will be defeated.  A tripartite force could appear, but the unfortunate defeat of Hefei and the fall of Jianghuai meant that I could no longer help Jiangdong, and it also meant that the Han army's siege of Jiangdong was completed. At that time, I knew that Jiangdong was unable to recover and was destroyed.  It's only a matter of time. Even if I make Sun Quan King of Wu again, what will it mean to Jiangdong besides making Liu Jing feel disgusted? " "Does my father mean to give up on Jiangdong?" Cao Pi said with some reluctance.  Cao Cao glanced at him and said in a long voice: "It's not that I want to give up on Jiangdong, but that the situation in Jiangdong is over. I can't turn it around at all. Why can't I see through the situation?" There was a trace of dissatisfaction in Cao Cao's tone, which scared Cao Pi.  He quickly said: "What the boy means is that my father also needs to express his position. Even if he can't help Jiangdong, he can at least give an explanation to the world." This sentence makes some sense. Cao Cao asked Cheng Yu again, "Zhongde  What do you mean?" Cheng Yu smiled slightly, "Weichen feels that silence is the best way to express your position. If you talk too much, you will be wrong. It is better not to say something." Cao Pi was very dissatisfied. He looked back at Cheng Yu, "There has been a drastic change in Jiangdong.  , but we remain silent. Isn¡¯t this deception? People in the world will think that we are showing weakness and compromising with Liu Jing. If we don¡¯t sympathize with Jiangdong today, who will sympathize with us in the future? " "What nonsense are you talking about!"  angry?, interrupted Cao Pi's words. Cao Pi did not dare to say any more, so he had to lower his head bitterly and curse Cheng Yu secretly in his heart.  Cao Pi didn't understand what Cheng Yu meant, but Cao Cao did. Cheng Yu told him not to express his position easily. Sun Quan's regime was no longer popular. Unifying the south was what the people wanted. If he supported Sun Quan at this juncture, he would not be able to save him.  Sun Quan will drag himself into the water, remain silent, and pretend not to know the matter. This is indeed the best choice at the moment. As for expressing his position, we will talk about it later.  Cao Cao and Cheng Yu looked at each other, and they both laughed tacitly. They were thinking about the same thing.  At this time, Cao Cao glared at Cao Pi again. Cao Pi's choice really disappointed him. A man in his mid-thirties had such a simple political mind. If he died, how could he be Liu Jing's opponent?  The more Cao Cao thought about it, the more annoyed he became. He asked Cao Pi again: "How is the progress of the Ding Order now? Why haven't you reported to me?"  Abandoning slaves would affect the vital interests of countless high-ranking officials and wealthy families. The local government was generally resistant and could not be implemented at all. More than half a year had passed since the incident. He originally wanted to let it go, but he did not expect that his father would ask again at this juncture.  How should he answer this matter?  But his father was glaring at him sternly, and Cao Pi could not avoid it. He had to bite the bullet and said: "The birth order involves too many things. It cannot be solved by father's order, nor can it be completed in a few months. The child needs time."  "Hmph! What does it take? I don't think you want to do this at all!" "Of course I want to do it. There are too few farmers, which has seriously affected our financial recovery. Although the summer grain harvest is good, the government taxes are lower than last year.  Of course, it is related to the large number of refugees, but the fundamental reason is that the wealthy families have hidden too many people, making the number of self-cultivated farmers less than half of ten years ago. The child knows that this is the foundation of the country, so he is also very anxious, but  It does take time." Cao Cao's face softened, "Since you know the problem is serious, I won't blame you harshly, but you must give me a plan and time. I want to know what you are going to do and how much time it will take." Cao Pi was helpless.  He responded: "My son, go back and draft now!" "Go!" Cao Cao waved his hand and asked Cao Pi to leave. Cao Pi stood up and slowly stepped back. Looking at his son walking away, Cao Cao sighed and said to Cheng Yu worriedly: "Zhongde  , I am really worried now whether I have chosen the wrong son. Maybe it would be wise for me to let my third son inherit my career." Cheng Yu smiled bitterly in his heart and said to Cao Cao: "Now that Wei Gong has made the decision.  Once you have a choice, don't change it easily, otherwise it will shake the foundation of the country. Although the prince is not as good as Liu Jing in terms of political acumen and control of the overall situation, at least he is very diligent, and I also know a little bit about the Ding order. I oppose it.  There were a lot of people, especially the military who strongly opposed it. The local government also responded passively, not wanting to offend the family, so the prince had great difficulty in implementing it. It took Liu Jing Shang ten years to gradually achieve results in seizing land and abolishing slaves.  What's more, Cao Wei, who has deep-rooted interests, might end up like Sun Quan digging the canal if he said something unpleasant. "Cheng Yu said it very implicitly, but Cao Cao understood very well, implemented the Ding order, and finally married Liu Jing.  Clothes, Cao Cao was also helpless and had to sigh: "Back then, I just couldn't shake the interests of high-ranking officials and powerful people, so I used a compromise method to have the army stationed in the fields to solve the urgent problem of lack of military rations. However, compromise is not a permanent solution. I hope that in  It seems that there is still no hope that I can solve the problems that I have been unable to solve before I pass away." Cheng Yu saw that some of Cao Cao's officials were confused, so he couldn't help but remind him, "The problems that Duke Wei's friends have are probably external ones.  It's not an internal worry. "Cheng Yu's words woke up Cao Cao. He suddenly realized that his biggest problem was Liu Jing. If he forced the Ding order to cause civil strife in Cao Wei, it would give Liu Jing the opportunity to send troops to Cao Wei. He would almost reverse his priorities.  .  He asked again: "How should I deal with this change in Jiangdong?" Cheng Yu smiled and said: "Why did Wei Gong marry his daughter to Liu Jing?" Cao Cao finally nodded, "I understand what the military advisor meant.  We must remain unchanged to cope with all changes and seize the time to regain our strength." Cheng Yu said meaningfully: "Liu Jing made a two-year peace treaty with us. I think he must have thought carefully about it. If I am not wrong, the Han army will be destroyed.  After Jiangdong, the next target must be Jiaozhou Liu Bei.¡±

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1024 Thunder Attacks

    Ten days passed in a flash, but Jiang Dong still did not reply, and Sun Quan remained silent. It was obvious that he did not accept Liu Jing's conditions. Accepting the condition was death. There might be a glimmer of hope for resistance, so why didn't he resist to the end?  Although Sun Quan was silent about Liu Jing's conditions, he secretly informed Huang Gai, the commander-in-chief of Princess Wu, and ordered him to prepare for the battle with all his strength and prepare for a bloody battle to the end. At the same time, he also secretly replied to Han Dang not to fight to the death for Jingkou. Once the enemy navy attacks Jingkou again,  You can abandon Jingkou and save your strength to retreat to Piling.  On the eleventh day, the river was still calm and the Han army did not take any action. But at night, under the cover of darkness, the Han army finally moved out. Nearly a thousand warships sailed toward Jingkou, a hundred miles away.  This time it was no longer Gan Ning who sent troops to Jingkou, but Liu Jing's main force launched an attack on Jingkou.  It was extremely quiet on the Jingkou Pier. On the fifteen sentry towers less than a hundred steps away from the pier, soldiers were constantly patrolling back and forth, monitoring the dark river. There were originally only three sentry towers on the Jingkou Pier, but Han Dang believed that the three  The sentry tower was extremely easy to be demolished by the Han army in a sneak attack.  In order to ensure that the movement of the Han army could be detected at night and not be attacked by the Han army, Han Dang built a sentry tower every hundred steps, bringing the number of sentry towers on the dock to fifteen.  At this time, Han Dang was also inspecting one of the sentry towers. He was very nervous. Liu Jing gave him ten days. The deadline had passed yesterday. Today is the eleventh day. There was no news of mobilizing troops from Jianye.  , although most people believe that the Han army will go west to Wuhu and enter the hinterland of Taihu Lake from Lishui.  But Han Dang had an intuition that the Han army would probably land at Jingkou, go south to Piling from Jingkou, or go west to Jianye. After nightfall, this intuition became stronger and stronger. This was his accumulated experience in decades of battles.  He has great intuition and never makes a mistake in judgment.  Han Dang believed in his intuition. He had deployed five thousand troops near the dock, preparing to ambush the Han army's landing.  On the sentry tower, Han Dang's eyes were watching the movement on the river. There was a patrol report just now, and dozens of Han army forward sentry ships were discovered. This made Han Dang very nervous. Generally, the dense appearance of sentry ships means that the navy warships are approaching.  A sign of shore.  "General, look!" A soldier pointed at the river and shouted in a low voice.  Han Dang looked in the direction of the soldier's finger, and he also saw the outline of more than a dozen thousand-stone warships on the other side. Han Dang immediately turned back and looked at the ambush of Jiangdong Army. Just behind the sentry tower, five  The soldiers of Qianjiangdong Army were hiding in a forest. They learned the lesson of the last hasty response and failed to respond to the battle. They prepared a large amount of kerosene and prepared to burn the Han army's warships when they ambush the Han army.  Han Dang looked back at the river. After the outlines of more than a dozen thousand-stone warships appeared just now, no warships appeared again. Just when Han Dang was a little confused, the Han army's warships appeared again, with hundreds of them.  There are many ships moored at the pier.  Han Dang¡¯s palms were covered in cold sweat, and he secretly told himself that he had to wait and be patient, and that he must attack when the Han army was halfway through the landing, but strangely, no Han soldiers landed.  Han Dang had no choice but to continue waiting. Time passed little by little. Nearly half an hour had passed. Hundreds of Han warships were still anchored in the river, with no sign of landing.  From the experience of the navy, this phenomenon often occurs because the size of the enemy fleet is too large. The forward fleet needs to wait for the following fleets to arrive one after another, but it will not wait long, because the forward fleet has to occupy it first.  Clear the pier, clear the enemy troops on the pier, and create conditions for the soldiers on the warships behind to land.  Han Dang was confused, had the Han army discovered him?  Otherwise, why would we have waited for so long in the river? At this time, a general couldn't bear it anymore and ran up to the sentry tower and said to Han: "General, we can't wait any longer. The other party must have discovered us and are taking countermeasures."  , we can¡¯t give the other side time to prepare.¡± Han Dang pondered for a moment, and then asked: ¡°Is there any news from the canal mouth?¡± The canal entrance is about three miles east of the dock. Han Dang deployed 500 soldiers at the canal mouth.  There are also beacons. Once something happens at the mouth of the canal, the beacons or soldiers will send news.  "General, there is no news from the mouth of the river!" Han Dang suddenly felt that something was not right. Even if there were no Han warships at the mouth of the canal, someone would come to report. How could there be no news? He immediately turned back and ordered to the general: "  Take a group of scout cavalry to the canal mouth to see what happened. " "Obey the order!" The general got off the guard tower. After a while, he led a group of cavalry and rushed towards the canal mouth. Time passed.  Less than half an hour later, the Han warships were still moored in the river without any movement. Han Dang couldn't stand it anymore. He knew something must have happened, but he didn't know where it happened?  Could it be that a thought came to his mind, could it be that there are many places near the pier??Are the hundreds of warships a false shot?  To confuse himself, Han Dang turned around and looked towards the mouth of the river. He began to understand that he had been fooled.  At this moment, the sound of rapid horse hooves was heard in the distance. He was running on the pier without any regard for being discovered by the Han army. He was a cavalry scout. He ran to the sentry tower where Han Dang was, turned over and fell off his horse, and Han Dang hurriedly ran down the sentry tower.  Tower, ran in front of the cavalry, only to find that he had been hit by two arrows, covered in blood, and was no longer alive.  Han Dang helped him up and shouted: "What happened?" The soldier said in a low voice: "General, the Han warships are at the mouth of the river, and all the brothers were killed!" If a basin of cold water was poured on his head, Han Dang was stunned.  , and he was indeed fooled. The Han army used hundreds of warships to attract their attention, but the main force entered the canal from the river mouth.  Thinking of the word 'main force', Han Dang suddenly realized something was wrong. The Han army could land at most 300 warships. There were already 100 warships here. How many warships would there be at the mouth of the river?  He asked urgently: "Quickly, how many warships are there at the mouth of the river?" "Thousands of warships" the soldier squeezed out the last sentence, closed his eyes and passed away.  Han Dang stood up slowly. He was extremely frightened. The Han army attacking Jingkou was not the navy army last time, but the main force of the Han army. The main force of the Han army really landed from Jingkou.  "General, what should we do?" A tooth general asked in a low voice.  Han Dang clenched his fists. He saw hundreds of warships moored on the river outside the dock begin to leave. Obviously the other party knew that they had seen through. Fight or not, the other party was the main force of the Han army, but if they withdrew, this would  He was disgusted and couldn't bear it.  At this moment, a scream suddenly came from the distance. Han Dang was startled. He got on his horse and urged the horse to run towards the place where the scream was. At this time, there were screams and shouts of killing. Countless Jiangdong soldiers panicked and rushed from the ambush.  Escape from the woods.  "General Han!" A military commander shouted: "The Han army attacked us from behind, and our brothers suffered heavy casualties!" Needless to say, this must be the Han army coming from the other side of the canal. Han immediately asked: "  How many enemy troops are there to sneak attack? " "I don't know, there are too many, several times more than us!" As soon as I finished speaking, I saw countless Han troops rushing out of the woods, chasing the fleeing Jiangdong Army, led by a general.  , holding a pair of halberds, it was Gan Ning, the commander of the navy. He was extremely brave, his halberds danced like flying, and he killed dozens of people in a row.  Han Dang was furious and charged forward with his spear, "Gan, don't be so arrogant, just take my shot!" When the horse came, Han Dang thrust his spear straight into Gan Ning's throat. Gan Ning sneered and said,  The horse dodged the shot and slashed with his halberd. The two men fought fiercely with their spears and halberds.  After all, Han Dang was already over sixty years old and was weak, while Gan Ning was only in his forties. He was in his prime and became more and more courageous as he fought. After more than ten rounds of fierce fighting, Han Dang couldn't hold on any longer. Looking for an opening, Han Dang turned his horse.  He ran away, and within a dozen steps, Gan Ning's short halberd flew out of his hand, stabbing him like lightning. Han Dang couldn't dodge, and the tip of the halberd pierced the back of his heart. Han Dang yelled, turned over and fell from his horse, and died.  Gan Ning lowered his halberd.  With the death of the general of Jiangdong Army, the remaining thousands of soldiers were surrounded by the Han army. They had nowhere to escape. They all knelt down and surrendered, begging the Han army for mercy.  In just a moment, the Han army killed more than a hundred Han Dang soldiers who refused to surrender. The fighting on the battlefield gradually stopped. Thousands of surrendered soldiers dropped their weapons, took off their armor, and were ordered by the Han soldiers to line up at the dock.  At this time, King Liu Jing of Han Dynasty, escorted by hundreds of cavalry, arrived at the dock battlefield. The fighting had stopped. Hundreds of Han Army soldiers were collecting weapons and armor on the ground. Groups of surrendered Jiangdong Army soldiers raised their hands and lined up on the dock.  As they left, thousands of Jiangdong Army soldiers had gathered on the dock, all squatting on the ground.  At this time, Gan Ning clasped his fists and reported to Liu Jing: "Your Highness, the enemy general has been killed, more than 4,000 soldiers have surrendered, and no one has escaped." Liu Jing nodded, "Thank you for your hard work, General Gan." He urged his horse.  When they came to Han Dang's body, which was wrapped in a roll of mat and placed in front of a big tree, Liu Jing turned around and said to Gan Ning: "This man is also a famous general in Jiangdong. He died in battle because of a man. Give him a  Prepare a coffin and give him a good burial. " "As ordered!" Gan Ning arranged for his men to give Han Dang a good burial. At this time, Liu Jing came to the prisoners of war and shouted to thousands of prisoners of war: "I am Liu Jing, King of Han. I believe many people have seen him.  Me!" Thousands of prisoners of war were silent and looked at the King of Han silently. Liu Jing asked again: "Since you have chosen to surrender, the Han army will treat you well. I want to know how many people who have been in the army for more than a year stand up and let me see.  "Look." After a while, hundreds of people stood up one after another. Liu Jing waved his hands and asked these soldiers to sit down. He then said to everyone: "There are less than 500 people. It seems that you are all civilians who were forcibly recruited into the army this year."??, your parents, wives and children are all waiting for you at home. They have no food, are tortured by hunger, and have even fled their homes and live in other places. Why don't you go home to take care of your parents, wives and children, but you have to pay for a cruel person?  To serve the unkind king who exploited you?  Liu Jing's words made many soldiers burst into tears. A dozen soldiers knelt in front of Liu Jing and cried: "We all want to go home and don't want to fight anymore. Please let us go!"  " There was a lot of crying on the dock. Liu Jing nodded and said to everyone: "I treat you with kindness and justice, and I also believe that you will not be enemies of the Han army again. I will let you go home. You go home and farm the land well and take care of it.  Good parents, wives and children.  Liu Jing then ordered: "Give them each a bucket of rice and let them go!"  " Cries and cheers on the pier resounded through the night sky. Thousands of people kowtowed to Liu Jing to thank him. Each of them received a bag of rice and ran to their homes. At this time, the morale of the army had collapsed. No one was willing to serve Sun Quan anymore. They just wanted to  Gan Ning rushed back to his home as quickly as possible and reunited with his parents, wife and children. Looking at the backs of Jiangdong soldiers, Gan Ning sighed: "Your Highness is indeed extremely kind to them!  "Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "The difficulty in seizing Jiangdong lies not in the land, but in the hearts and minds of the people. The Sun family has managed Jiangdong for three generations, and the hearts of the people are stable. If Sun Quan had not been trapped by national power in the past few years and destroyed his reputation, I might not have made the move.  Gained the determination to seize Jiangdong.  " "What His Highness said is very true. I would like to know, should we go west to Jianye or south to Piling next?"  Liu Jing looked to the south and said calmly: "By capturing Piling and Wu Commandery, Sun Quan will become a turtle in the urn."  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1025 Battle of Wujun (Part 1)

    Wu County is the top priority of Jiangdong's defense strategy. In order to defend Wu County, Sun Quan did not hesitate to dedicate half of his army, that is, 30,000 troops to defend Wu County. In addition, Wu County also had 80,000 stones of military provisions and hundreds of ships.  Warships, including more than thirty thousand-stone warships converted from cargo ships.  Among the 30,000 troops in Wu Commandery, 20,000 were new recruits recruited this year and only 10,000 elite veterans. This was a great test for Commander Huang Gai. Huang Gai had considered concentrating his forces to defeat the Han troops in Kuaiji Commandery first.  army, so that his army could withdraw to Kuaiji County and use the mountainous terrain of Kuaiji County to confront the Han army.  For this reason, he sent 3,000 men to pretend to attack Kuaiji in an attempt to lure the Han army northward in Kuaiji. However, Lu Xun, the commander-in-chief of Kuaiji County, was not fooled and remained stationary. Lu Xun obviously saw through his intention.  Huang Gai had no choice but to deploy 30,000 troops near Wu County. He knew that the Han army would definitely bring superior cavalry with them in this eastern expedition. The flat terrain of Wu County was conducive to cavalry operations, and the Han army's navy was sharp. He also  Don¡¯t get too close to Taihu Lake.  Huang Gai had no choice but to defend the city, but Huang Gai was unwilling to defend one area. He wanted to leave an escape route for himself. Therefore, Wu County's 30,000 Jiangdong Army chose two cities to garrison, one in Wu County and the other in Wu County.  One is Wucheng County.  That afternoon, Huang Gai finally received the exact news that the Han army's forward general Wei Yan had captured Piling County, and the main force of 70,000 Han troops was pressing southward from Jingkou.  "Hundreds of Han warships also appeared in Taihu Lake, approaching the mouth of the Xujiang River, preparing to attack Wuxian County along the Xujiang River.  All these were expected by Huang Gai, but one thing Huang Gai did not expect was that the Han army in Kuaiji County remained stationary, which really annoyed Huang Gai. If the Han army in Kuaiji County refused to go north, then he would lead his army to withdraw.  The plan to go to Kuaiji County will come to nothing.  At night, the city of Wu County was full of cries and curses. Just yesterday, news came that the main force of the Han army had captured Jingkou and arrived in Piling County, causing panic. The soldiers retreated into the city one after another. Without guards, 80,000 civilians digging the river channels  They all fled overnight, and more than 20,000 of them poured into Wuxian County.  The influx of 20,000 people suddenly caused chaos in the county, and food rationing was also disrupted. Violent incidents such as smashing and smashing began to occur. Huang Gai had to order the entire city to be under martial law and crack down on all kinds of violent incidents. Despite this, every corner of the street was still  Homeless civilians can be seen everywhere.  Lieutenant General Zhu Heng led a group of soldiers to patrol the streets. Huang Gai was in charge of public security in the city temporarily. Zhu Heng was a native of Wu County. He was Sun Shao's support in the three-grandson separation incident in Wu two years ago.  Later, he was defeated and surrendered in the battle of Cao and Wu coalition forces attacking Wu County.  Since there was no general in Wu County in Sun Quan's army, Sun Quan had no choice but to appoint Zhu Heng as Huang Gai's deputy general to cooperate with Huang Gai in guarding Wu County. Zhu Heng was highly skilled in martial arts and good at strategy. He could be said to be both civil and military. He was less than thirty years old.  The leader of the young generation in Koto.  Zhu Heng also knew that the situation in Jiangdong was over. He himself did not support Sun Quan. It was absolutely impossible for him to die for Sun Quan. However, he remained silent and no one knew his true thoughts.  Zhu Heng led his army through an alley. At this time, a young woman suddenly ran up, waved and shouted: "Ahui Lang, is it really you?" Seeing the woman rushing in front of him, the soldiers drew their swords one after another, Zhu Heng  But he told all the soldiers that Ahuilang was his nickname and few people knew it. How did this woman know?  He turned over and dismounted and asked: "You are?" "Don't you recognize me? I am the third sister Axiang!" Zhu Heng became more doubtful. He did not have a third sister named 'Axiang'. He saw in the woman's eyes  With a strange look on his face, he knew there must be a reason for it. He also pretended to be surprised and said: "It turns out to be the third sister, why are you here?" "I fled here, and everyone in my family was separated. I thought I had no relatives anymore.  I didn¡¯t expect to meet Brother Heng, and now I¡¯m saved.¡± Speaking of sadness, the woman wiped her tears with her sleeves.  "Let's go to the side to talk!" Zhu Heng pointed to a big tree nearby, "You go first, I'll be right back." The woman walked over, and Zhu Heng ordered the soldiers: "You continue to patrol, I will arrange for the family, and I will come soon."  Come on." The soldiers continued to move forward. Zhu Heng rushed forward and found the young woman standing behind the tree. He turned over and dismounted and asked, "Who are you and why are you pretending to be my family?" The woman laughed, "  If I admit that I am a Han army scout, will General Zhu believe me?" Zhu Heng was stunned. This woman turned out to be a Han army scout. The woman handed him two letters, "These are from Mr. Sun Shao and Governor Lu.  The general will know when he reads the autographed letter." Zhu Heng took the letter silently, and the woman smiled sweetly, "General, we will see you later!" The woman turned around and walked away. Zhu Heng looked at her back.Far away, his heart was in chaos. Logically, he should catch this female spy of the Han Army, but he did not have the courage. The next afternoon, a shrill bell rang at the top of Wu County City. Dang!  when!  when!  The sound of alarm bells echoed at the top of the city. Countless Jiangdong soldiers rushed to the top of the city. Thousands of Jiangdong Army soldiers were already standing on the top of the city.  Huang Gai also stood on the top of the city, looking to the north, and saw an army of thousands of people appearing several miles away from the city, with flags flying. This was the vanguard of the Han army, and they had finally arrived.  Huang Gai was very nervous. His original intention was not to defend Wu County. He knew that there had been no war in Wu County for hundreds of years. The city wall was dilapidated and not high. It was only two feet and five feet. With the combat effectiveness of Jiangdong Army, the most they could do was hold on.  Ten days.  And two days ago, 20,000 civilians digging canals poured into Wu County. God knows how many Han army scouts were mixed in. A large number of scouts were mixed into the city in advance, and the inside and outside should be coordinated during the attack. This is the consistent tactic of the Han army in attacking cities. I believe this time  There will be no exception.  Huang Gai's real idea was to exchange Wu County for Kuaiji County. He withdrew his army to Kuaiji. When the Han army besieged Jianye, he went north to attack Wu County, preventing the Han army from attacking Jianye with all its strength. This was a good idea.  The strategy of encircling Wei and rescuing Zhao.  In order to realize this strategy, he did not hesitate to deploy five thousand troops and all warships in Wucheng County, but the Kuaiji Han army refused to go north, which made Huang Gai very anxious.  The vanguard of the Han army seemed to have just come to say hello, and then withdrew after a brief appearance, disappearing from the sight of the Jiangdong soldiers at the head of the city, causing countless Jiangdong soldiers to loosen their tension again.  At this time, several Jiangdong Army scouts galloped back on horseback to report that the main force of the Han Army was digging the last five miles of the canal fifty miles away and had not gone south. Only then did Huang Gai realize that if the canal was blocked, the Han Army's food supply ships would not be able to  Going south, they worked hard and dug nearly a hundred miles of canals, but in the end they made wedding dresses for the Han army.  Now that the canal is about to be completed, there are only the last five miles left, but the main force of the Han army has taken over and continues to dig the canal. Huang Gai couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Who made this decision? In the end, the Han army was advantaged in vain.  At this time, deputy general Zhu Heng suggested: "General, it will take at least three days for the Han army to dig the canal. Their defenses must be lax. Why don't we kill them at night and sneak attack the enemy." Huang Gai thought for a while and said: "Liu Jing  He has always been cautious in leading the army. How could he be unprepared? If he were to find out, it would be detrimental to our army. " "But this is our only chance. Do you want to give it up in vain? If you use kerosene to burn the ship, you may be able to burn hundreds of miles.  Warships. " Huang Gai is tempted. The main force of the Han army is going all out to dredge the canal. This is indeed their only chance. If they seize this opportunity to defeat the main force of the Han army, not only Wu County will be saved, but even the entire Jiangdong will be saved.  If they give up this opportunity, Wu County can only hold on for ten days at most. They will lose anyway, so they might as well seize this opportunity.  Zhu Heng is right. Now all the Han warships must be parked in the canal, which is very suitable for fire attack. As long as they have a strong fire attack, they can burn all the Han warships and lay the foundation for the final victory. In comparison  , it would be too passive to defend the city.  Huang Gai repeatedly weighed the pros and cons, and finally decided to send troops and take a risk. He said to his deputy Zhu Heng: "General Zhu, I will leave five thousand people for you to guard the city. I will take the remaining 20,000 people to sneak attack the enemy. You must be careful.  "Prevent the Han army from cheating the city." "Please rest assured, general, you will never be careless in your humble position!" Huang Gai then went down to the city to order troops to leave the city. Zhu Heng watched Huang Gai go away with a sneer on his face. "Jiang Dong spent three months preparing.  The canal of one hundred and fifty miles was dredged. Because the main force of the Han army moved south to Piling County, Jiangdong gave up canal digging, and all the civilians retreated to Wuxian County. However, at this time, there were still nearly five miles of canal that had not been dredged.  At this time, nearly a thousand Han warships were parked on both sides of the canal, and 70,000 Han troops became engineering troops, digging the canal day and night. In just one day, three miles of the river were dredged, and by tomorrow night at the latest, the last five miles of the river would be fully connected.  .  On a two-thousand-stone warship in the canal, Liu Jing stood in front of the sand table and studied Huang Gai's troops. The cabin was brightly lit. In addition to Liu Jing, the king of Han, there were also veteran Huang Zhong and generals Wei Yan and Pang De, as well as  The leader Bo Quezheng and the military advisor engaged Liao Li.  Among Liu Jing's four military advisors, except for Jia Xu who no longer went with the army due to his old age, the other three advisors, Sima Yi, Fazheng and Pang Tong, all became civil servants. The Han army actually had no mastermind except one who assisted Gan Ning in the navy.  Military advisor engaged Liao Li.  But Liao Li, like Fazheng, was good at tactics but deficient in strategy, and was unable to take on important responsibilities. Liu Jing could only plan the strategic plan by herself.  Liu Jing smiled at everyone and said: "Have you noticed that Huang Gai's troops are very strange? In addition to guarding Wu County, there is also Wucheng County. One of these two places is in the east of Taihu Lake and the other is in the east of Taihu Lake.In Taihunan, if the naval forces are sharp, they can be the horns of each other. However, there are no naval forces in Jiangdong, so what is the point of his layout like this?  Huang Zhong pondered for a moment and said: "Huang Gai is a veteran who followed Sun Jian and was the mainstay of the Jiangdong Army. He has rich combat experience. He must have deep intentions in deploying troops like this. I guess he may be hoping that the Han army in Kuaiji County will go north to attack."  Wucheng County.  " If Liu Jing realized something, he looked at Liao Li again. When he saw Liao Li stroking his beard and smiling, he asked, "What do you think of Military Master Liao?  " Liao Li said calmly: "Wei Chen's idea is the same as that of General Huang. Wucheng County is neither a strong city nor a strategic place. It is about a hundred miles away from Wuxian County. It is superfluous to dedicate an army to garrison Wucheng. Huang  Gai garrisoned Wucheng County, and he really used Wucheng County as a bait to lure the Kuaiji Han army to move north. If the Kuaiji Han army attacked Wucheng County with all its strength, Huang Gai would have a chance.  " Speaking of this, Liao Li took the wooden pole and pointed it to the south of Wuxian County, and said to Liu Jing: "Your Highness, please see, Wucheng County is located in the southwest of Wuxian County, but the official road is directly south of Wuxian County. You can go south along the official road to Kuaiji.  The county and Kuaiji County were empty, which gave Huang Gai the opportunity to seize Kuaiji County.  " Liu Jing nodded slowly. Liao Li was indeed good at tactics. He could see clearly and separated Huang Gai's plots one by one. Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said: "If Lu Xun insists on not going north, Huang Gai's plots will also be revealed.  It failed.  " "That's true. I believe Huang Gai is anxious and annoyed now, but Wei Chen has an idea.  " Liao Li told everyone his strategy. Everyone nodded. Huang Zhong smiled and said: "Although it is a bit risky, it can be considered. I support Military Advisor Liao's strategy.  " " I think it's feasible even if I'm in a humble position!  "Wei Yan and Pang De expressed their opinions one after another. But Liu Jing remained silent. If he did not support it, it would be useless for others to say anything. Liu Jing paced slowly in the cabin with his hands behind his back. He was considering whether it was necessary to use this strategy.  As early as two days ago, his five hundred scouts had mixed into the 20,000 people digging the river into Wu County. At this moment, a guard quietly walked into the cabin and handed a note to Liu Jing.  "Your Highness, someone from Wu County has sent urgent information!  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1026 Battle of Wujun (Part 2)

    Huang Gai led 20,000 horses and quietly left Wu County as soon as it became dark. He took a circuitous route to the northeast, bypassing the possible patrol posts of the Han army, and stopped in a forest with a radius of nearly a hundred miles. It was only eight miles away from the canal.  , if it is daytime, you can even see the canal clearly from a high place, but it is already two o'clock at this time, and under the heavy night cover, you can't see the situation eight miles away.  Huang Gai ordered several spies to inquire about the information, and he led the army to wait patiently in the forest. About half an hour later, several sentries rushed back and reported to Huang Gai: "General Qi, the Han army is in the south.  The defenses are tight, but there are few defenses in the north, especially in the northeast. "Huang Gai was overjoyed and asked: "What is the situation of the Han army now?" "About 10,000 people are digging the canal, and the canal is about to be dredged.  The rest of the army was stationed in the camp to rest, but the ships along the river were heavily guarded, and the subordinates could not get close. " At this time, Song Yan, the general on the side, suggested: "General, why not divide your troops to attack the enemy, half to deal with the camp, and half to attack the enemy.  Go and burn the warships." Huang Gai was a very cautious man. He wanted to succeed in the sneak attack and defeat the Han army in one fell swoop, but he did not dare to be careless for fear that the army would be ambushed. He thought for a moment and said to several generals: "I  First lead five thousand troops to steal the camp. If the camp is successfully stolen, you can then divide your troops to attack and burn the warships at the same time." Huang Gai made a decision. He immediately led five thousand soldiers to leave the forest and secretly headed toward the Han army's camp from the northeast.  Touch it.  As the scouts said, there were indeed no patrols in the northeast. They slowly approached the camp and saw the lights in the camp were bright and dim, and there were shadows moving around. They should be soldiers on patrol. The entire camp was very quiet. It was almost the third watch.  , it was when the soldiers were sleeping most deeply.  At this time, Huang Gai felt something was wrong, but they had reached the front of the Han army's camp and were unable to get off the tiger. Huang Gai had to grit his teeth and shouted: "Brothers, follow me and fight in!" Jiangdong soldiers broke out with shouts of killing.  , followed Huang Gai to kill the Han army camp dozens of steps away. Huang Gai took the lead, knocked open the camp door, and rushed into the Han army camp. However, the Han army camp was empty, and there was not a single soldier in the tent.  , those swaying figures are nothing but hundreds of straw men.  "No, we've fallen into a trap!" Huang Gai shouted: "Retreat quickly!" Five thousand Jiangdong soldiers turned around and ran towards the outside of the camp. At this time, drums sounded like thunder outside the camp, and countless figures were killed from all directions.  Intense arrows were fired at the Jiangdong soldiers who broke through the encirclement, and screams continued. One by one, Jiangdong soldiers were shot down by random arrows.  Huang Gai was very anxious. When he saw that there were not many Han troops in the southeast, he shouted: "Follow me to break out!" He urged his horse to rush toward the southeast, but within a mile of rushing out, there was a huge fire in the woods ahead, and diagonally.  An ambush came out of the assassination. The leader was the veteran general Huang Zhong, who had a long white beard and was getting stronger with age. The broadsword in his hand flashed with cold light, and he pointed at Huang Gai, "Huang Gongfu, please quickly dismount and surrender!" Huang Zhong and Huang Gai both said  The surname is Huang, and each is named after his master, but strictly speaking, they are still somewhat related by blood. Huang Gai is from Lingling County, Huang Zhong is from Nanyang County, and the Huang family of Lingling County first moved there from Xiangyang.  It can also be regarded as a branch of Huang's family.  However, Huang Gai never contacted the Huang family in Nanyang, and both parties had long forgotten about them. Huang Gai did not think that they were the same clan. At this time, each of them had his own master, and it was life and death. Huang Gai was furious and went up to fight with his sword. Huang Zhong swung his sword at him.  Welcome, the two horses meet, and the two yellows fight fiercely together.  Huang Gai was far from Huang Zhong's opponent. After only five or six rounds of fighting, Huang Gai was in danger. At this time, Huang Gai's soldiers saw that their master was in danger. They shouted together and besieged him. Huang Zhong's soldiers also rushed forward with their spears drawn.  A melee.  Seeing the increasing number of Han troops, Huang Gai was really worried about the situation of Shulin Jiangdong's army. At this time, he finally found an opportunity in the melee, turned his horse and escaped from the battle circle, running towards the southeast.  Huang Zhong did not pursue, and ordered his soldiers to surround the Jiangdong Army's fleeing soldiers. In the darkness, thousands of Jiangdong soldiers followed Huang Gai, and only a thousand of them escaped. The rest of the soldiers had no way to escape, so they knelt down and surrendered.  Huang Gai ran all the way and only ran a few miles, but he met Jiangdong soldiers fleeing all over the place. He was shocked. He quickly grabbed a military commander and asked: "What's going on?" The military commander recognized him.  Huang Gai then said tremblingly: "General Song took us to burn the enemy warships, but we were attacked by countless Han cavalry halfway. General Song was beheaded by the enemy generals. The soldiers could not withstand the impact of the cavalry.  Defeat." Huang Gai sighed, he had already fallen into the trap of attacking the empty camp. Since Liu Jing was prepared, how could he let the other Jiangdong troops go?  And it was the cavalry that he was most worried about. This was due to the fate of Jiangdong.  Huang Gai was dejected, turned around and fled in panic towards Wu County. After escaping for more than 20 miles, the Han army stopped pursuing him. Huang Gai gathered the defeated troops and set out with 20,000 soldiers.There are only more than 4,000 soldiers left in the army. Of course, they were not wiped out by the Han army, but most of the soldiers took the opportunity to flee.  Huang Gai pondered for a moment. The current plan is to lead the Wuxian army to withdraw to Wucheng County. There are still more than 10,000 people. If they are lucky, they may be able to withdraw to Xindu County.  At dawn, Huang Gai finally led his remnant army back to Wu County. The city gate of Wu County was closed tightly. Huang Gai urged his horse forward and shouted: "Open the city!" Countless soldiers at the top of the city looked at him, but did not open the city immediately. Huang Gai  He became more and more annoyed and shouted again: "Open the city quickly!" At this moment, a soldier pointed at the banner at the top of the city and shouted: "General, look!" Only then did Huang Gai notice the banner at the top of the city and immediately ordered  His heart dropped when he saw that the big flag at the top of the city turned into a Han army battle flag with a red background and yellow edges, with a large golden character 'Liu' embroidered on the flag.  Huang Gai was stunned. Wu County was actually occupied by the Han army.  How is this going?  At this time, Zhu Heng appeared at the top of the city and said loudly: "Old General, the people in Jiangdong are angry and exhausted. Master Shao advised me to comply with the public opinion and surrender to the Han Dynasty. I have decided to participate in the revival of the Han Dynasty.  "Old general, I'm sorry!" Huang Gai was furious and scolded Zhu Heng: "Wu Hou did not care about the old evil, but you were ungrateful and asked for honor."  Huang Gai went down, turned around and left. Huang Gai was angry and ordered the army to attack the city. But at this moment, drums sounded loudly behind him. When Huang Gai turned around, he saw yellow dust rolling behind him. The dust covered the sky and the earth. The earth was shaking slightly.  A low roar like thunder.  This was the time when the Han cavalry was coming. Huang Gai had no choice but to urge his horse to run westward along the moat. Thousands of soldiers were frightened out of their wits and ran desperately after Huang Gai.  After escaping from Wu County for more than thirty miles, Huang Gai and his soldiers were exhausted and their pursuers had no idea where they had gone.  Huang Gai looked back at the soldiers and saw that there were less than two thousand soldiers following him.  Although there was no Han army chasing him, half of the soldiers were missing. Needless to say, they took the opportunity to flee again. When Huang Gai saw a post house two miles ahead, he said to the soldiers: "Go to the post house and rest!" Everyone arrived  In the post house, Yi Cheng came out in a hurry. Huang Gai asked him: "Is there any food in the house?" "Is there any food in the post house?" "Is there any food?" "Yi Cheng" said with a bitter smile, "There is only one liter of black beans left. I will cook it for the general." "  Forget it, give my horse some water! " Huang Gai refused the black beans. The soldiers had no food, and he would not eat alone. The soldiers found the well and drank heavily. The room and yard were full.  Exhausted soldiers.  Huang Gai ordered people to find Yi Cheng and asked him: "Are there any houses around?" Yi Cheng shook his head and said, "General, there is not a single house within a hundred miles." "Why?" Huang Gai was really puzzled.  , this place is not far from Wuxian County, how could it be so desolate.  Yi Cheng sighed and said: "They have all run away a long time ago. The government taxes are so high. Even if you go to pick wild fruits in the forest, you have to pay the fruit tax. If you go to fish in the river, you have to pay the fish tax. Who can survive? The prophet and the enlightened one."  We have gone to Kuaiji County a long time ago, and those who stayed were either captured to dig canals or fled overnight. Going south, there was almost no one in Wucheng County. " Huang Gai sighed secretly in his heart.  He also felt that Marquis Wu oppressed the people too harshly, and it was his own fault that he was in this situation, and he could not blame anyone else.  "Then why don't you leave?" Huang Gai asked Yi Cheng again.  Yi Cheng shook his head, "I have no children and my old wife has died of illness. Where can I go? I have been working here for thirty years and I don't want to leave." Having said this, Yi Cheng said again: "Say no.  If you tell me, the current Wu Hou is not as good as Yan Baihu back then. Although Yan Baihu is cruel, at least he will not let people starve to death. But now Wu Hou, in addition to recruiting troops, is asking for food and taxes, and does not give people a way to live.  Ah!" Huang Gai was silent. At this time, a soldier stumbled in and shouted: "General, it's bad, countless Han troops have surrounded the post station." Huang Gai stood up in excitement, but the pursuers came anyway.  The soldiers in the yard were in a mess, and Huang Gai shouted: "Don't be confused, calm down!" The soldiers calmed down one after another and looked at Huang Gai blankly. Huang Gai took a deep breath, walked quickly to the door, and walked towards the door.  Looking outside the door, in the hazy morning light, I saw Han soldiers on three levels inside and three outside, surrounding the small post station.  In the ranks of the Han army, there was only a golden banner of the Han army. Huang Gai sighed in his heart, this was the arrival of Liu Jing, the king of Han, in person.  Jiangdong soldiers had climbed up the eaves and walls, bows and arrows ready, waiting for Huang Gai's orders. At this moment, a scribe walked to the gate, raised his hands and said loudly: "I am Liao Li, the military advisor of the King of Han Dynasty.  His Royal Highness the King of Han ordered to come and see General Huang." All the soldiers inside the gate looked at Huang Gai.Huang Gai recognized Liao Li, and he was a little surprised. The king of Han was not afraid that he would take Liao Li as a hostage. But as soon as he thought about it, Huang Gai understood that Liu Jing could annihilate him with a raise of his hand. He  It's giving yourself a chance.  Thinking of this, the hostility in Huang Gai's heart disappeared a little, and he ordered: "Please come in, Mr. Liao!" Chen Yan, the general on the side, whispered: "It is better to use Liao Li as a hostage to force the Han army to retreat." Huang Gai glared at him  , "The King of Han asked Liao Li to come in to negotiate, how could I behave like a villain if we were aboveboard?" Chen Yan hit a snag and gritted his teeth secretly, not daring to say more. Not long after, Liao Li walked into the post house and said to  Huang Gai bowed deeply and said, "Uncle Huang, how are you always?" Liao Li and Huang Gai are from the same hometown. Both families are wealthy families in Lingling County and have frequent contacts. Liao Li has known Huang Gai since he was a child, and Huang Gai also knows Liao Li.  Li was known as a child prodigy since he was a child and was very famous in Lingling County. Later, Liao Li went to Jiangdong to study and stayed in Huang Gai's house. The relationship between the two was extraordinary.  "So it's nephew Liao Xian. Are you working as a lobbyist for the King of Han?" "My nephew is indeed here for my uncle. The situation in Jiangdong is over. Why doesn't my uncle return to Jingzhou and do his best for his father and fellow villagers?" Huang Gai sighed, "  I appreciate my nephew's kindness, but the three generations of the Sun family have treated me well. How can I betray them? Please come back, my nephew! I will not surrender to the King of Han. Even if a man dies in battle, he deserves to die." "Uncle is unwilling to surrender.  , But these soldiers have families, mothers to support, and young children to raise. How can my uncle bear to let them be buried?" Huang Gai looked back at the soldiers, and saw more than a thousand soldiers with panic in their eyes.  They all showed fear. Huang Gai, who had always been considerate of the soldiers, felt even more unbearable at this time and had no idea for a moment.  Liao Li saw his hesitation and said: "His Royal Highness the King of Han does not want to harm the population of Jiangdong anymore, and he also admires his uncle's loyalty to Jiangdong. If the uncle is unwilling to surrender for a moment, His Highness the King of Han will not force him. The uncle can leave on his own, but these  The soldiers can no longer go to the battlefield. "Huang Gai thought for a moment and asked: "What are we going to do with them?" "Just like the soldiers at Jingkou, we will give them food travel expenses and let them go home to farm." Huang Gai doesn't want these soldiers to follow them anymore.  He died, and letting them go home was the best destination. He accepted Liao Li's plan, nodded and said: "In that case, please ask my nephew to thank His Highness the King of Han for his kindness!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1027 The Last Hope

    According to the agreement between Sun Quan and Huang Gai, Huang Gai reported the situation of Wu Jun to Jianye every day using pigeon letters. This was also a helpless coping strategy after the Han army captured Jingkou and the connection between Wu Jun and Jianye was cut off.  .  At this time, Sun Quan also knew that the main force of the Han army occupied Jingkou. The main force of the Han army did not come west to build industry, but went directly to the south. This made Sun Quan very worried about the safety of Wu Jun. He asked about Wu Jun almost every day.  news.  Huang Gai also sent a pigeon message to Jianye every day as agreed, which confirmed Sun Quan's worries. The Han army occupied Piling County and the entire territory of Piling. The main force of the Han army was advancing south, but just before  At this time, the content of the pigeon letter changed. The Han army did not attack Wuxian, but was digging the canal. For several days, the content of the pigeon letter was the same every day. The Han army did not attack the city and was still dredging the canal.  This made Sun Quan very confused. The Han army was not attacking the city but dredging the canal. What was it doing?  Sun Quan was pacing back and forth in the study with his hands behind his hands. At this time, he had forgotten Jiangdong's overall defeat, but focused on the gains and losses in the details. He had no idea about how to turn the tables. He only had a trace of luck, maybe Han  The army was trapped in Wu County, or suffered defeat in Wu County.  At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Marquis Wu, Captain Luo wants to see you!" Sun Quan nodded, "Let him in!" After a moment, a general about thirty years old walked into the room quickly. This person's name was Luo  Yan, served as the captain of the Internal Affairs Military Academy, the leader of the secret agency Eagle Beak. Like the previous leader Wang Ning, he was a bodyguard of Sun Quan. He was loyal to Sun Quan and was Sun Quan's most trusted person.  Luo Yan stepped forward and knelt down on one knee to salute, "See Wu Hou!" Sun Quan glanced at him and asked coldly: "Is Zhuge Jin missing?" A few days ago, Zhuge Jin unexpectedly disappeared, and the soldiers only found his damaged car.  The carriage was stained with blood, and the draft horse was shot to death by random arrows. Zhuge Jin and the driver were missing. This incident aroused discussion among many officials. Zhuge Jin was a generous man and very popular. Officials went to Zhuge's mansion to express condolences to him.  wife and children.  This incident made Sun Quan very passive. He suspected that Zhuge Jin had surrendered to the enemy, but judging from the scene, it seemed that something had happened to Zhuge Jin. Sun Quan wanted to kill Zhuge Jin as a warning and threw Zhuge Jin's wife and children into prison, but he was afraid of arousing the anger of the officials and asked him to  Dilemma.  Luo Yan said solemnly: "The humble position sent people to closely monitor the Zhuge Mansion. His wife was in grief a few days ago, but in the past two days she suddenly calmed down. Her grief was much lessened, and she even pretended to be sad. The humble position always felt that someone was giving vent to Zhuge Jin's family.  "I don't want your guesses. Who is informing them?" Sun Quan said angrily.  Luo Yan explained helplessly: "No family members have come in or out of their house these days, but many officials came to express their condolences. There were more than a dozen of them, including Military Advisor Zhang. I really don't know who tipped them off." Sun Quan left with his hands behind his back.  After a few steps, he suddenly said fiercely: "In this case, treat Zhuge Jin as betrayed, and immediately put his wife and children in prison for interrogation!" "I humbly obey the order!" Luo Yan knew it was inappropriate, but he had no choice but to agree.  Sun Quan asked again: "What are the officials doing now?" This is also what Sun Quan is concerned about. Rumors are spreading in Moling County and people are panicked. At this time, all the officials are making their own plans. Sun Quan wants to know how many people there are.  Man is ready to betray himself.  "Reporting to Marquis Wu, the officials were very silent during this period, and no one expressed their attitude publicly. However, after nightfall, the officials had close private contacts, and there were many contacts. It is impossible to count all the low-ranking officials." "Has anyone secretly summoned the officials to have a secret conversation?  ?" "Last night, a dozen officials went to Commander Zhang's house. They were all officials from the same faction as him. They gathered together for about two hours before they dispersed. "They were from the same faction as Zhang Zhao, that is, the North.  It is also the largest powerful faction in Jiangdong, including Zhang Zhao, Zhuge Jin, Xue Zong, Cheng Bing, Yan Zhen and other high-ranking officials, as well as dozens of ordinary officials. Under the current circumstances, it is reasonable for these factions to gather.  But Sun Quan wanted to know, did Zhang Zhao take the initiative to summon them, or did they go to Zhang Zhao on their own initiative?  Thinking of this, Sun Quan ordered: "Go and investigate, who initiated the Northern Party gathering? This is very important and must be clarified." At this moment, someone outside reported: "Wu Hou, Governor Lu has something urgent to see you!  " Sun Quan asked Luo Yan to step back, and then L¨¹ Meng came to see him. After a while, L¨¹ Meng hurriedly walked into the study, saluted Sun Quan, and said nervously: "Wuhou, I have received news that Wu County may have been lost!" Sun Quan!  He was stunned for a moment, "Where did you get the news?" "The news came from the army, and I checked it carefully. It was the defeated soldiers from Wu County who escaped and brought back someProfitable news.  "    "what news?  " "It is said that General Huang fell into a trap when he attacked the Han army's camp. He was ambushed by the Han army and fled in defeat. Zhu Heng surrendered to the Han army and sacrificed Wu County. The situation of General Huang is unknown now.  " Sun Quan was stunned and sat down slowly. If the news was true, then Wu County was really finished. The pigeon messages sent every day were also false news. He just felt strange why the Han army did not attack the city and instead dredged the canal.  ? After a long while, Sun Quan sighed softly, "Captain Lu, if the news is true, what should we do?  " Lu Meng gritted his teeth and said: "I heard that the Han army's food and grass were stored in Piling County. If we can successfully attack Piling and burn down the Han army's food and grass, maybe we still have a glimmer of hope.  Sun Quan thought for a moment and said, "How many troops are needed to attack Piling?"  " "The army is not large, but good. Three thousand people are enough. I recommend Ding Feng as the general to lead the army to attack Piling.  " At this time, Sun Quan had no choice. As long as someone said that there was still a glimmer of hope, he would seize it without hesitation and just ask him to send troops. This was a bit embarrassing for him, but after thinking for a moment, Sun Quan made a decision, "  Whatever!  According to Governor Lu's words, General Dang Ding led his army to sneak attack on Piling County.  "The civil servants in Jiangdong have their own plans, and the military generals in Jiangdong are gradually dividing. The young faction headed by Lu Meng is still trying their best to defeat the Han army and save Jiangdong. The veteran generals headed by Chen Wu and Jiang Qin are more pessimistic.  , believed that the situation in Jiangdong was over. Although they did not say anything about surrendering to the Han army, they had a passive attitude and refused to work hard to defend. At the most critical moment in Jiangdong, Sun Quan finally realized that he could only rely on Lu Meng and other young factions, and  The Han army made its last stand. At night, an army left Jianye and was heading east quickly. This army of three thousand people was led by Ding Feng to attack Jiangdong, the Han army's food and grass center in Piling County.  Army. In fact, the news that Lu Meng received was only the fact ten days ago. Ten days ago, in order to attack Wu County, the Han army hoarded 200,000 stones of grain in Piling County, using Piling County as a logistics center for grain and grass.  But now that Wu County has been captured by the main force of the Han army, will Piling County still be a major logistics area for grain and grass? Lu Meng himself was not sure. For this reason, he made two plans.  , then Ding Feng must do everything possible to burn the Han army's food and grass, forcing the Han army to retreat due to lack of food. On the contrary, if Piling County is no longer the Han army's food and grass logistics center, then it is up to Ding Feng to find the location of the Han army's food and grass.  , find a way to burn it. In short, Ding Feng and the three thousand troops he led became a surprise force arranged by Lu Meng outside. Once the main force of the Han army surrounded Jianye, this surprise force would fight on the outside and wait for opportunities to attack the Han army.  It is precisely this tactical intention that the three thousand troops led by Ding Feng are very elite. They are all veterans of five or six years. Most of them have participated in the Battle of Hefei. They are fully trained and well-equipped. In addition to a full set of swords, spears and armor,  Each soldier also carried three buckets of rice and a kerosene bag. Ding Feng walked in no hurry. After walking for fifty miles, it was getting light. Ding Feng saw a forest ahead and ordered the entire army to rest in the woods.  After walking all night, they were really exhausted. They rushed into the woods to find a dry place to rest. Ding Feng also found a big stone to sit down, drinking water while thinking about the order given to him by Lu Meng.  He also believed that the Han army's grain and grass logistics center should no longer stay in Piling County. Since the Han army had captured Wu County, the next step must be to kill a carbine and turn around to attack Jianye. In this case, the Han army's  Where will the important logistics areas for grain and grass be placed? Ding Feng took out a map and placed it on a big stone, carefully looking for the important logistics areas that the Han army might choose. This important area for food logistics must meet several conditions. The first is convenient transportation, especially  It needs to be convenient for water transportation. Secondly, it needs to be relatively close to Jianye so that it can provide food supplies to the Han army at any time. Based on this, Piling County has to be removed, and even Jingkou is impossible. The reason is that it is too far from Jianye.  It is to be safe, convenient for garrisoning heavy troops, conducive to defense, and not easy to be attacked by enemy troops. However, there are almost no places near Jianye that meet these three requirements. Either the transportation is inconvenient, or the safety is unfavorable. At this time, Ding Feng's eyes became a little solid.  , he discovered the grain storage place that was most likely to become the most important logistics center for the Han army, and that was the north bank of the Yangtze River. It not only had convenient water transportation from the Yangtze River, but also was safe from Jiangdong Army, and at the same time was very close to Jianye.  Ding Feng's heart was full of bitterness. If he were Liu Jing, would he still keep the extremely important logistics center in the unsafe Jiangdong instead of moving to the safe and convenient Jiangbei?  The answer is inevitable. The food and grass of the Han army will inevitably move north. Even he, an ordinary Jiangdong general, can think of this. As the king of a country, Liu JingUnexpectedly?  At this time, a soldier hurriedly came over and reported to Ding Feng: "General Qi, we caught two deserters in the woods." Ding Feng nodded, "Bring them up!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1028 Hunting Ding Feng

    After a while, two men were brought up. Their clothes were in tatters and their faces looked hungry. They were no different from the refugees who could be seen everywhere. However, the soldiers found the military badges of Jiangdong soldiers on them, proving that they were originally from Jiangdong.  military.  The two were brought to Ding Feng, kowtowed and begged, "General, spare your life!" Ding Feng looked at the two military cards and said coldly: "According to military regulations, anyone who escapes from the army without authorization will be killed immediately. Don't you two want to live?"  "The two deserters were so frightened that they kowtowed and begged for mercy. Ding Feng softened his tone and said to them, "But as long as you confess honestly, I can spare your lives." The older deserter said tremblingly: "Report to the general.  In fact, we are not deserters. We went with General Huang to attack the Han army camp at night, but we were ambushed and chased by countless Han cavalry. We managed to escape, but General Huang disappeared, so we had to return to our hometown in Jingkou. "  "This is strange. Since you returned to Jingkou, why did you show up here? This is the official road to Piling County." Another deserter said: "Our family is no longer in Jingkou, and we don't know where we went?  We wanted to go to our relatives' home in Piling County, but we encountered a Han fleet on the way. We were so frightened that we fled westward." "Wait!" Ding Feng suddenly got the information he desperately wanted to know from them, and he immediately stood up and asked.  He said: "Where did you meet the Han warships?" "Near Qiliu Town." Ding Feng unfolded the map and quickly found Qiliu Town, which was right in the middle of the canal from Piling County to Jingkou City. He  He continued to ask: "When did we encounter the Han warships? How many warships were there? Where were the warships heading?" "Reporting to the general, we encountered them yesterday morning. We don't know how many warships there were. At a glance  The end is not visible, the momentum is huge, there are estimated to be thousands of ships, all of which are thousands of stone ships, and the warships are sailing towards Jingkou." Ding Feng slowly sat down, and as expected, thousands of warships were sailing towards Jingkou.  There is only one explanation for the direction. The Han army's logistics center is moving, not to Jingkou, but to the north bank of the Yangtze River. In this case, what is the significance of his attack?  Ding Feng felt depressed and waved his hands and said: "Give them some food and let them go!" "Thank you, general!" The two kowtowed heavily, took a bag of dry biscuits and ran away. Ding Feng sat alone on the big stone.  He was stunned. At this time, a tooth general suggested in a low voice: "General, we might as well change our route to Jingkou, and maybe we can catch up with the Han warships." Ding Feng nodded. The two deserters were at Qiliu yesterday morning.  After a whole day and night passed, if the Han warships were large in number and not moving fast, they could catch up with some of the tail boats at Jingkou.  Thinking of this, Ding Feng stood up and ordered: "All the troops, set off for Jingkou immediately!" Three thousand Jiangdong soldiers ran out of the woods and marched quickly to the northeast. They were about sixty miles away from Jingkou.  If the journey goes well, we will arrive at Jingkou in the afternoon.  But the three thousand Jiangdong Army had only walked more than ten miles before they felt something strange. They felt the ground was shaking and thunderous sounds came from all around, "General, there are cavalry chasing after you!" Ding Feng turned around and saw a black mass behind him.  A large group of cavalry, less than two miles away from them, was chasing them. The soldiers shouted in horror, "General, there are also cavalry intercepting the front!" "General, there are cavalry in the east too!" "There are also cavalry in the west!" Ding  Feng felt a sudden chill in his heart. He knew that he had been ambushed. The Han cavalry had already been keeping an eye on him, waiting for an opportunity to surround and annihilate him.  "General, look!" A soldier pointed at the cavalry in front and shouted: "Those two people!" Ding Feng also recognized at a glance that there were two horsemen in the distance who were dressed differently from the cavalry. They were the ones he met in the woods.  The two deserters turned out to be Han army scouts. Ding Feng was so angry that his heart was bleeding. No wonder these two people had kept their military badges. If they were really deserters, the first thing they did when they found out about Jiangdong Army was to throw away their military badges, and he didn't even react.  Come here, they still pretend to be too similar.  Ding Feng understood that the Han army had seen through their intention to attack the Han army's food and grass areas, so he deliberately led them towards Jingkou, causing them to fall into the encirclement of the cavalry.  "General, what should we do?" Several tooth generals asked loudly in panic.  They happened to be in a wilderness, with plains in front, back, and left, with no rivers or woods. It was the most favorable terrain for the cavalry to attack. Ding Feng had no choice but to shout: "Quickly use bows and arrows to defend behind you!" Ding Feng led  After all, the Jiangdong Army was an elite force. Although the soldiers were panicked, they did not collapse and barely formed a formation. More than a thousand soldiersHe nocked an arrow from his bow and aimed it at the Han cavalry coming from two miles away.  This cavalry consisted of 10,000 Guanlong cavalry led by Pang De. Originally Pang De also carried out the strategy of destroying Wu by King Liu Jing of Han Dynasty and tried his best to preserve the population of Jiangdong, that is, to conquer the enemy without fighting and capture as many Jiangdong soldiers alive as possible.  But Ding Feng not only had no intention of surrender, but he still put up his bow and arrows and resisted stubbornly, which made Pang De angry. He waved his sword and ordered: "Attack!" The drums of the Han cavalry were loud, and ten thousand soldiers from all directions  The cavalry started at the same time, brandishing swords and spears, and overwhelmingly attacked the surrounded three thousand Jiangdong Army.  The dust was flying and arrows were piercing the air. The two thousand cavalry from the south were the first to attack. They held their shields high and ran towards the arrows. Although soldiers continued to be hit by arrows and fell off their horses, the Han cavalry rushed forward one after another and killed the Jiangdong Army soldiers in just a moment.  In front of you.  ¡®Boom!  There was a loud noise, and screams suddenly arose. Dozens of Jiangdong soldiers were knocked into the air. The force of the cavalry's impact was so fierce that they rushed into the Jiangdong army group for more than fifty steps in an instant, knocking the Jiangdong army formation away.  There was a big gap, corpses were everywhere, bloody and bloody, and hundreds of Jiangdong soldiers died tragically on the spot.  The powerful impact of Guanlong's cavalry frightened Jiangdong's soldiers. There was chaos in the military formation. Jiangdong's soldiers had no experience in dealing with cavalry. Ding Feng was good at water warfare and also lacked experience in cavalry battles. He did not discharge his spear.  In the square formation, three thousand Jiangdong soldiers fought individually. In a moment, they were divided into dozens of small pieces by the Han cavalry, and faced the tragedy of being massacred by the cavalry.  At this time, Ding Feng was also furious. His horse was shot to death by a stray arrow during the cavalry charge. Ding Feng brandished a large iron spear and fought on foot.  At this time, a black Dawan horse came like a strong wind. On the horse was a general, wearing black armor and a silver helmet, with a face like a jujube, and holding a gold-backed mountain knife. It was Pang De, the chief cavalry commander of the Han army.  Pang De shouted coldly and slashed at Ding Feng's face with his sword. Ding Feng also shouted loudly and raised his gun to fight. Although Ding Feng was highly skilled in martial arts and was one of the best brave generals in Jiangdong, he had lost his horse and his force was greatly reduced.  Against Pang De, who was also very brave, Ding Feng fell behind after only a few battles, and the situation was full of dangers for a while.  Pound slashed out with his sword, and Ding Feng raised his spear to block. The powerful force made his jaw numb, and the iron spear almost flew away from his hands. He took several steps back. At this time, Pound's horse rushed past, and he took advantage of Ding Feng's unsteady feet.  , reached out and grabbed the armor on the back of Ding Feng's neck, and actually caught him in the air.  Pound threw Ding Feng to the ground heavily, and the iron gun flew to the other side. He ordered: "Tie him up!" More than a dozen Guanlong men swarmed up, held Ding Feng down, and tied him up tightly. Ding Feng fought with all his strength.  Struggled, but to no avail.  Pound yelled, "Stop it all!" His voice was like a tiger's roar, and the fighting on the battlefield slowly stopped. Countless eyes looked at the general. Pound raised Ding Feng high with one arm and shouted: "You  When the general is captured, surrender immediately, and you will not die!" "Dang Cang!  ' I don't know who's sword fell to the ground first, but it doesn't matter anymore. When the Jiangdong soldiers saw that their general had been captured, and the extraordinary bravery of the Han army's cavalry, the soldiers were already frightened. At the moment of life and death, as long as one soldier puts down his weapon, he will be killed.  It will attract countless people to follow suit.  Jiangdong soldiers put down their weapons one after another, put their heads in hands and knelt on the ground. The attack spread one by one. In just a moment, nearly two thousand Jiangdong soldiers all knelt on the ground.  Ding Feng was so ashamed and angry that he wanted to prevent the soldiers from surrendering, but his mouth was blocked by a rag, making him unable to shout. He could only watch all the soldiers surrender. Ding Feng closed his eyes in pain.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1029 Confrontation in the Lobby

    A tired war horse carried the veteran Huang Gai and finally returned to Jianye. After Huang Gai escaped from the post house, he went to Wucheng County. On the way, he learned that the five thousand defenders in Wucheng County had also surrendered to the Han army. Huang Gai was heartbroken.  He was cut by a knife, but had no choice but to go. He had nowhere to go, so he had to return to Jianye alone.  There was still one mile away from Jianye City. On the opposite side of the official road, a dozen cavalrymen were seen rushing towards Huang Gai. In a moment, they rushed in front of Huang Gai. These cavalrymen were obviously Sun Quan's bodyguards, wearing silver armor and helmets.  The leading guard bowed his hands to Huang Gai and said: "We are here to greet the old general on the order of Marquis Wu!" Huang Gai's nose felt a little sour and he quickly asked: "Thank you all for coming to greet me. How did Marquis Wu know that I am back?" "  Scouts had already arrived to report to Marquis Wu, so they knew that the old general had returned. "I see, please lead me to see Marquis Wu." Unexpectedly, the guards showed no sign of moving, and instead surrounded Huang from all sides.  Gai, Huang Gai couldn't help but was stunned, "What are you doing?" The leading guard laughed dryly and said, "To prevent any accidents, please old general give us the weapons." Huang Gai suddenly became furious, "How dare you?  So rude!" "Old general, please calm down, we are just following orders." Huang Gai sighed, this should be Sun Quan's intention. It seems that Sun Quan's meeting with him is not a good thing, but now that the matter is over, he can't turn his horse around.  The head left and had to hand over the spear and sword to the guard.  "There are also daggers!" The leading guard pointed to the dagger in his leather boots and said: "The Marquis of Wu has ordered that all weapons must be turned in, including daggers." Huang Gai felt sad. Liu Jing still didn't take away any of his weapons, but Sun Quan did the same.  Not trusting himself is simply chilling. Just now Huang Gai was moved by Sun Quan sending people to greet him, but now he only felt chilling.  He handed the dagger to the guards, and there was no more weapon on him. The guards searched him and his horse bag again, and then escorted him to Jianye City. At this time, Huang Gai's heart was cold and he let the guards  Be rude to him.  After a while, a group of people entered Jianye City and came directly to the steps of Jianye Palace Square. "Please, General! Marquis Wu is waiting in the main hall." The guards turned over and dismounted and said coldly to Huang Gai.  At this time, Huang Gai suddenly saw Zhang Zhao coming from the side. He hurriedly greeted him and said, "Commander, what happened?" Zhang Zhao sighed, shook his head and left. At this time, several guards stepped forward to hold Huang Gai up.  Without any explanation, he forced him to walk quickly up the steps and into the main hall.  The main hall of Jianye Palace is actually the main hall, which is exactly the size of a large hall. It was only named "Tang" to avoid taboos, but in reality it was trespassing. This was one of the reasons why Liu Jing accused Sun Quan of treason and treason.  In the spacious hall, Sun Quan was sitting on the throne with high white jade steps, looking at Huang Gai coldly. Next to him stood more than a dozen senior civil and military officials such as Lu Meng and Bu Zhi. Huang Gai broke free from the guards, straightened his clothes and armor, and got up.  He knelt down and saluted, "Huang Gai, who is humble enough to join the Marquis of Wu!" "Huang Gai, do you know your guilt?" Sun Quan scolded in a stern tone.  "I was in a humble position and was unable to command the army. I was eager to defeat the enemy. I fell into an ambush by the enemy and the entire army was annihilated. I am guilty of this." "Huh? If so, I will not pursue you. I am saying that you are guilty of colluding with the enemy!"  ¡± Huang Gai¡¯s mind went ¡®Buzz!  ' with a sound, my heart was in chaos, how could Marquis Wu say that he colluded with the Han army? It was clearly Zhu Heng who colluded with the Han army and sacrificed Wu County. How could it be blamed on him?  "I am informing the Marquis of Wu that my humble position did not collude with the Han army. It was Zhu Heng who secretly colluded with the Han army. Finally, while I was leading the army out of the city, I surrendered the city, which led to the final disastrous defeat. Please give me a lesson from the Marquis of Wu!" Sun Quan asked with a sneer: "  In this case, why are you the only one left? Are all the other soldiers dead? " "Reporting to the Marquis of Wu, Beizhi was surrounded by the Han army. Only Beizhi was killed, and the rest of the soldiers were captured by the Han army. "  The truth was slightly different, but Huang Gai didn't want to say too much, as long as he had a clear conscience, Sun Quan sneered repeatedly, "What a man to break out of the siege, you think I don't know anything, let you talk nonsense with red lips and white teeth, bring me here  !" Sun Quan waved his hand, and a moment later, a man was brought up by the guards. Huang Gai recognized him at a glance as his general Chen Yan, and he broke up with him in the post house. Huang Gai was startled, "Why is it you?"  "Old General, how could it not be me?" Chen Yan sneered, bowed and saluted Sun Quan, "See Wu Hou!" "General Chen, confront him!" Chen Yan turned around and faced him calmly.  Huang Zhongdao: "I believe that the veteran has already told about the failure of the sneak attack on the Han army camp and Zhu Heng's dedication of the city. There will be no discrepancies in these, so I won't go into details."The key is what happened in the post house. General Huang, let me ask you, did you see Liao Li?  " Huang Gai sighed in his heart. He couldn't tell if he really jumped into the Yellow River. He nodded, "Liu Jing sent Liao Li to persuade me to surrender. This is indeed the case.  " "Liao Li is the military advisor of the Han army. Why doesn't General Huang use him as a hostage?  " "The two countries are fighting. If we don't kill the envoy, Liao Li comes here in an upright manner. If I take him as a hostage, wouldn't it ruin the reputation of Jiangdong Army? I, Huang Gai, will not do such a thing.  " Chen Yan sneered repeatedly, "You speak better than you sing. No wonder Liao Li calls you Uncle Shi.  Huang Gai was furious, "If I don't arrest him, is it because of personal feelings? I, Huang Gai, have served Jiangdong for decades. Am I someone who cares about personal feelings and does not care about righteousness?"  " Chen Yan also refused to give in and said tit for tat: "Huang Gai, don't use your qualifications to pressure others. I have been with Wu Hou longer than you!  " Huang Gai was stunned for a moment. He stared at Chen Yan for a long time and asked word by word: "Who are you?  " Chen Yan knew that he had made a mistake, so he simply made it clear, "I was originally a member of the inner guard, and I have been following Wu Hou.  " Huang Gai slowly turned back, looked at Sun Quan, and smiled miserably, "It turns out that Marquis Wu planted a spy beside me. I only found out today.  Sun Quan had no expression on his face and said coldly: "You don't have to change the subject. Let me ask you, have you surrendered to the Han army?"  " "The old minister has been loyal to the Sun family for three generations. He is loyal to Jiangdong and will never surrender to Liu Jing.  " "Nonsense!  Chen Yan next to him said angrily: "You clearly accepted Liao Li's conditions and sacrificed more than a thousand brothers to the Han army, but you escaped. If you had not surrendered to the Han army, would they have let you go?"  " Huang Gai shook his head, "You are such a stupid pig. I refused to fight to the death to save your lives. Liu Jing is a kind king. He couldn't bear the Jiangdong population to be slaughtered again, so he let me leave on my own. You are obviously  How can a villain understand the heart of an admiral?  " Sun Quan heard the thorn in Huang Gai's words and ridiculed himself as a villain. He couldn't help it anymore and slammed the table, "Huang Gai, you clearly came to Jianye to ambush and offer the city at a critical moment, and you still want to use sweet words.  Coax me, come on, get it for me!  " More than a dozen guards rushed up and pushed Huang Gai to the ground. When Huang Gai saw that Sun Quan only trusted his personal guards and not his generals, Huang Gai couldn't help but despair. He also thought about the difficulty of Sun Jian's starting a business. He couldn't help but feel extremely sad and shouted loudly.  "Sun Quan, Jiangdong is about to perish in your hands, how can you face your father and brother?"  Sun Quan was furious and ordered: "Push him out and behead him!"  "The guards rushed Huang Gai outside. Bu Zhao, Zhang Zhao and others next to him came out to plead for mercy, "Marquis Wu, please calm down. There is no conclusive evidence for Huang Gai's surrender. Killing him will affect the reputation of Marquis Wu. Please spare him a life."  Life.  " Lu Meng also pleaded: "Huang Gai has a high prestige in the army. Killing him will affect morale. Wu Hou will think twice!  " Lu Meng's plea met Sun Quan's worries, and he said slowly: "Since the ministers have pleaded for mercy, I will spare his death, but he will be punished alive. I will beat him with two hundred sticks and keep him under strict guard!  The guard pushed Huang Gai down, and he could only hear him shouting from a distance: "Sun Quan, you incompetent rat, you have perished in Jiangdong, how can you have the face to see your father and brother?"  " The atmosphere in the lobby was awkward. Sun Quan snorted heavily, stood up and walked to the harem. The other ministers shook their heads and sighed secretly in their hearts. However, Lu Meng was a little worried and had no intention of going to the military camp. He returned to his home. In the study, Lu Meng sat alone.  While drinking at the table, Huang Gai's return actually wiped out the last glimmer of hope for Wu County. Although Wu Hou did not ask about the situation in Wucheng County today, he knew without asking Lu Meng that Wucheng County must have been lost.  , This was expected by him, and it did not make him so depressed. The key is that he accidentally found out today that Sun Quan had placed a spy around Huang Gai to monitor Huang Gai's actions. Then, would there be a Marquis of Wu by his side.  Where is the secret agent? The answer is obvious. Wu Hou can't even trust Huang Gai, who has followed the Sun family for three generations. At this time, the door opened, and Lu Meng's wife Xie walked into the study with a food tray. Lu Meng's ex-wife had died of illness.  Originally interested in Xiao Qiao, Xiao Qiao went to Chang'an and married Liu Jing as his concubine. Sun Quan wanted to win over Lu Meng, so he asked his wife, Mrs. Xie, to act as a matchmaker and marry Mrs. Xie's widowed clan sister to Lu Meng.  , gentle and considerate, beautiful and dignified, and very affectionate with Lu Meng. Although she is Mrs. Xie's clan sister, she rarely goes to the palace to see Mrs. Xie. She devotes herself to raising the two sons left by Lu Meng's ex-wife at home, and is deeply respected by Lu Meng.  "The general seems to be in a bad mood?  "Ms. Xie put down her plate and asked with a smile. Lu Meng sighed, "Jiangdong is in turmoil. Who can feel better at this time?  " "The general is also trying his best, in factJiangdong cannot be defeated, and Jiangdong's strength has been exhausted. No one can blame the general. I only hope that the general will remember our mother and son and not risk his life.  " Lu Meng nodded silently. His wife was right. He did his best and he felt no regret. Then he remembered something and asked: "Why did Mrs. Wu Hou ask you to enter the palace today?  " "Mrs. Wu Hou said that Moling County is not safe and asked me to take the children to live in Jianye Palace so that we can take care of each other.  Lu Meng was startled, "Did you agree?"  " "She didn't agree. I said I wanted to go home and ask the general for instructions, but she didn't insist.  " "This is best. If there is a real fight, Jianye Palace will not be safe. I think Moling County is safer."  " "I think so too. Senior officials such as Zhang Junshi and Bu Changshi all live in Moling City. Since it is not safe, let everyone live in Jianye Palace together. Why do you have to let me go alone with the child?  " The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was intentional. Lu Meng suddenly understood that Sun Quan was clearly going to take his wife and children as hostages! Lu Meng suddenly became angry and crushed the ear cup in his hand with a 'pop!'  "General, what are you doing?  £®  £®  £®  £®  " Mrs. Xie was so frightened that her face turned pale. Lu Meng held back his dissatisfaction and said calmly: "It's nothing. Remember my words. If Mrs. Wu Hou asks again, you will say that I will not agree. In addition, you should not go to Jianye again.  Palace.  " Mrs. Xie nodded in understanding, "She originally invited me to go tomorrow, but I told her that I was feeling unwell.  " Lu Meng smiled and patted the back of his wife's hand, "When the war is over, we will go back to our hometown to see it.  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1030 Soldiers Encircle Jianye

    In the early morning, an extremely spectacular scene once again appeared on the river outside Jianye City. More than 1,500 warships were moored overwhelmingly on the river, stretching for dozens of miles, as if even the river was covered.  A feeble bell rang above Jianye City, and countless soldiers silently watched the spectacular scene on the river. Many people realized that after Wu County had been captured by the Han army, the Han fleet once again appeared on the river, which meant  With the coming of the Battle of Jianye.  The soldiers' guess was not wrong. Eighty thousand Han troops had advanced towards Jianye City from two directions and began to tighten the last noose around Jiangdong's neck. Ten days ago, 30,000 Han troops led by General Liu Hu  The Han army arrived at Hefei on foot from Jiangxia and stationed troops along the Huaihe River to prevent Cao's army from sneaking into Hefei at the critical moment, thereby defeating the Han army's strategy of conquering Jiangdong.  The Han army on the river is only part of it. Another 30,000 Han troops have come from Jingkou and are about to arrive in Jianye City.  In the afternoon, 30,000 infantry and cavalry Han troops, led by veteran general Huang Zhong and generals Pang De and Wei Yan, arrived at Jianye City and set up camp about five miles away from Jianye City, waiting for orders from Han King Liu Jing.  Jianye is actually composed of two cities. One is the military and political city, which is Jianye City. There are only military camps, government offices and Jianye Palace in the city. There are no private houses and businesses. About three miles south of Jianye City is Moling County, where people gather.  With a population of more than 200,000, the homes of all officials are located in Moling County.  This caused great difficulties for the Jiangdong Army's defense. They had to protect both Jianye City and Moling County, but they did not have many troops. They originally had 20,000 troops. After Ding Feng took away 3,000 people, they only lost 3,000 troops.  There were 17,000 troops left, of which 7,000 were stationed in Moling County, led by Chang Shi Bu Zhi, while 10,000 troops were stationed in Jianye City, led by Sun Quan himself.  Just as Huang Zhong led 30,000 troops to the east of Jianye City, Han warships in the Yangtze River also docked one after another. Another 50,000 Han troops, led by the navy commander Gan Ning, landed at the Jianye cargo terminal.  .  The 50,000-strong army led by Gan Ning was deployed to the west of Jianye City, echoing Huang Zhong's army in the east. As the commander-in-chief of this eastern expedition to Jiangdong, Liu Jing, the king of Han, also appeared in the west camp.  In the Chinese army's tent, Liu Jing stood alone in front of the sand table and pondered. If it was just for war, there would be no suspense about the war to destroy Jiangdong. The Han army had already assembled 130,000 troops in and around Jiangdong, and Jianye  There are less than 20,000 people.  The Han army currently has nearly 400,000 shi of rations, which is enough to support the Han army for more than half a year. Both the number of troops and the amount of rations are enough to support the Han army to end the war quickly. But what Liu Jing is thinking about at this time is what to do after the war.  manage?  Although Sun Quan excessively squeezed the people of Jiangdong in order to expand his army and prepare for war, causing him to destroy the Great Wall and lose the support of the people of Jiangdong, it does not mean that the Han army will be welcomed by the people of Jiangdong. These days, Liu Jing has personally experienced that the people of Jiangdong are more opposed  Sun Quan, rather than Sun's regime, they generally miss the Sun Ce era.  Of course, Jiangdong people have not experienced many rulers. They have not experienced the rule of the Han State and cannot compare the Han State with Sun Quan. Therefore, most people are skeptical about the arrival of the Han State, but they are not  Exclusion, relative to the antipathy towards Cao Jun, Jiangdong people welcomed the Han army more. This is also directly related to Liu Jing's kindness to Jiangdong prisoners of war for many years.  Liu Jing was thinking more about how to deal with Sun Quan at this time. Liu Jing hoped that Sun Quan would surrender to the Han Dynasty, so that the civilian generals would also surrender, which would be conducive to the stability of Jiangdong after the war, but how would Sun Quan be settled?  Just when Liu Jing was deep in thought and silent, a guard reported at the door of the tent: "Your Majesty, there are more than twenty Danyang County officials seeking to see you outside the camp." Liu Jing was startled, where did the officials come from, but he immediately  Upon reflection, these must be officials from various counties in Danyang County. This was also a loophole for the Han army to attack Jiangdong. They occupied Piling and Wu County, but left out Danyang County.  Jianye is only one city in Danyang County, and Danyang County covers a vast area, stretching from Wankou in the west to Jurong in the east. It stretches nearly two thousand miles from east to west. It governs more than 20 counties and has a population of more than 400,000. It has the largest population in the entire Jiangdong.  , is also the most prosperous county.  The Han army attacked Jianye with all their strength, but Danyang County was left out. Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "Take them to the side tent to meet!" He really needed to appease these officials.  After a while, more than twenty local officials from Danyang County were brought to the side tent. Most of these local officials were county magistrates from various counties in Danyang County. They were summoned by Danyang County Prime Minister Zhou Li. Zhou Li was a native of Wu County. He had a brave personality and was good at strategy. He  He was originally the prefect of Guangling. After Gan Ning wiped out Cao's army led by Yu Jin in Jiangbei, the Han army occupied Guangling County. Zhou Li withdrew to Jianye and was demoted to Danyang County Cheng.  Zhou Li belongs to the Wuyue faction in Jiangdong officialdom. The Zhou family is also one of the famous families in Wu County, and has a close relationship with the Gu family. Half a month ago, when the main fleet of the Han army arrived in Jianye, Zhou Li knew that the situation in Jiangdong was over.  He secretly sent people to contact the magistrates of Danyang counties to prepare for the attack.? Han army.  He was originally worried that some county magistrates would betray him, but the result was beyond his expectation. All the county magistrates in the twenty-two counties of Danyang expressed their willingness to surrender to the Han Dynasty.  This also shows that everyone no longer has confidence in Jiangdong.  Zhou Li led all the county officials, followed the military advisor Liao Li and the chief clerk, but they walked into the side tent. The side tent also covered an area of ??one acre and was quite spacious. Everyone sat down in a circle. Liao Li smiled at everyone and said: "  Everyone, please sit down for a moment. Your Highness will be here soon." Zhou Li sat down and asked, "I wonder how the situation is in Wu County?" Zhou Li is from Wu County. His wife, children, parents and the entire family are in Wu County. Now the entire Wu County is here.  The unknown situation really made him a little worried. Liao Li understood Zhou Li's worries and said to him with a smile: "Zhou Shijun, don't worry. Zhu Heng of Wu County surrendered to the Han army and saved the city of Wu County. No civilians in Wu County were killed or injured.  The Zhou family is safe and sound." Zhou Li felt relieved and thanked him, "Thank you, military advisor." At this time, a soldier outside the tent shouted: "His Royal Highness is here!" Everyone stood up.  Seeing Liu Jing, the King of Han, quickly walking into the tent under the escort of several personal guards, everyone bowed and saluted, "See His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing smiled and waved his hands, "Please excuse me!" At this time, Liu Jing  Jing saw Zhou Jing and smiled at him: "Zhou Shijun is also here. We haven't seen each other for several years." Zhou Jing was moved when he saw that Liu Jing actually recognized him. He hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your Highness married you back then."  Princess Shangxiang is the master of ceremonies. I wonder how Princess Shangxiang is now? " "She is very good. She will come to Jiangdong in a while. Everyone can see her."  There was a lot of talk about coming back. Zhou Li also secretly admired Liu Jing's political skills. To stabilize Jiangdong, the Sun family still needs to contribute. If Princess Shangxiang is willing to come forward to appease, the resistance between the soldiers and people in Jiangdong will be greatly alleviated.  At this time, Zhou Li introduced everyone to Liu Jing one by one. Although these were all minor officials of the county magistrate, Liu Jing did not look down upon him at all. If he wanted to stabilize Jiangdong, the key was to rely on these county magistrates. They were the ones dealing with the common people.  Principal Officials.  Liu Jing patiently met everyone one by one, and finally said with a smile: "Everyone, please take a seat!" Everyone sat down again, Liu Jing smiled at everyone and said: "As the saying goes, the prefecture official is not as good as the county official, and the county official is not as good as the current manager. I  Although I know something about Jiangdong, I definitely don¡¯t have as much experience as you. Taking this opportunity, I would like to hear your opinions. If you have any suggestions or concerns, feel free to speak freely and don¡¯t have any worries.¡± Zhou Li also said:  "It is rare for His Highness to meet with you. It is a rare opportunity. Please feel free to ask directly." Everyone has too many doubts in their hearts. Seeing that the King of Han has a kind attitude and a friendly smile, everyone's fear gradually disappears. A middle-aged official next to him  He leaned back and said: "I am Zhang Qin, the magistrate of Wanling County. The most important problem in our county is that there are too many fleeing people. Nearly half of the people have fled to Jingzhou or Yuzhang, Jiujiang and other counties. I would like to ask Your Highness, will there be more refugees in the future?"  Will the fugitives be sent back to their place of origin? " This is also one of the issues that everyone is most concerned about. Refugees are common and every county is suffering from it. Without a population, there is no taxation. Without taxation, there is no performance. It is difficult to get promoted. Even  The inability to support the staff and minor officials is a very real problem.  Liu Jing nodded and said: "The most troublesome thing for the prime ministers of Han State in the past two years is to resettle the refugees. They even resettled the refugees from Wu County to Lingzhou. They were all willing to go to the border and happily stayed. The reason is very simple.  , there is no tax for reclaiming the frontier, and they still have a large area of ??land of their own. If they don't want to come back, I can't bring them back. Let's put it this way! Every county is facing a population shortage. You want the fugitives to come back, so accept it!  The county hopes that they can settle down, which is not a good balance! So I think that instead of expecting the refugees from Jingzhou or Guanzhong to come back, it is better to appease the existing residents and stop them from fleeing. This is the key to everyone's faces.  Everyone looked disappointed. The King of Han made it clear that he would not repatriate the refugees. Liu Jing saw the disappointment on everyone's faces and continued: "My attitude needs to be clear. I will give three to the refugees."  During the transitional period of 2019, within three years, the refugees can return to their place of origin in Jiangdong, or they can stay in Jingzhou or the north. It is up to the refugees to choose freely. I want to return to my roots. Many people are willing to return to their hometowns. As long as everyone is lenient to the people and implements it effectively  With the various recuperation measures taken by the Han State, at least half of the refugees will return to their hometowns. "Liu Jing's words made everyone feel a little relieved, especially half of the refugees returned to their hometowns. This was a statement that the King of Han wanted to balance all parties.  interests, at least Jiangdong's interests will be taken into consideration.  At this time, a tall and thin official stood up and saluted again: "The next official is Luo Jun, the Prime Minister of Huai'an County. Our county magistrate has resigned from office for half a year, and the current affairs in the county areThe subordinates are all responsible for this. The matters are not only onerous, but also complicated. The subordinates know that military service and excessive taxes are the root cause of the refugee problem in Jiangdong. To be honest, none of us want to be pointed at by the villagers.  I scolded my spine, I would like to ask Your Highness, what kind of changes will Jiangdong's taxation see this year or next year?  " This was also the focus of everyone's attention. Everyone couldn't help but sit up straight and prick up their ears, for fear of missing the King of Han's reply. Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "In fact, it's not just Jiangdong. Every time the Han army recovers a place, taxes will be reduced.  The Han Dynasty has been at war for a long time. The people long for reunification, live and work in peace and contentment, and no longer suffer from war. Therefore, my fundamental strategy is to use thirty years to recuperate. This is a long-term strategy, but for the short term, generally speaking, it is  The implementation of one exemption and two halving means that the first year is tax-free, the second and third years are taxed at half, and the fourth year is normal taxation. As for taxes, it is usually one for twenty taxes. If there is a disaster year, it will  The tax was reduced to thirty-one, or even tax-free, and the same was true for Jiangdong.  " After a pause, Liu Jing smiled at Luo County Cheng again: "Since the county magistrate has resigned for half a year, from now on, I will officially appoint you as the magistrate of Huai'an County!  " As soon as this statement came out, not only the Luo County Prime Minister was overjoyed, but also all the county officials were overjoyed. The King of Han had officially stated his position. Even if the Han Dynasty was destroyed in Jiangdong, they would not be dismissed from their official positions. ?¡­  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1031 How to break the city

    After seeing off the county officials, Liu Jing left the county magistrate Zhou Li behind, and ordered people to invite Lu Su and Zhuge Jin to discuss with the three of them how to destroy Jianye. Zhou Li couldn't help but feel excited when he saw Lu Su and Zhuge Jin.  He was greatly surprised to find out that these two important Jiangdong ministers also surrendered to the Han Dynasty, and any uneasiness in his heart disappeared without a trace.  Zhuge Jin was more concerned about his family's situation at this time. He had learned that Sun Quan had imprisoned his family, which made him very worried. He quickly pulled Zhou Li aside and asked in a low voice: "Ziyu, how is my family's situation now?"  Zhou Li comforted him and said: "Zhuge Gong's family is not in Jianye Prison, but in Moling County Prison. Zhuge Gong can rest assured that although the people below do not dare to disobey Wu Hou's order, they will not abuse Zhuge Gong's family. Moreover, Military Advisor Zhang specially ordered  I have given instructions, and they are all safe now. "Zhuge Jin also knows the way of officialdom. No one dares to touch his family at this time, but after all, his family is in prison, which makes him uneasy. Zhuge Jin nodded and saw Liu Jing walking in.  After the big tent, he said: "Let's listen to what His Highness the King of Han has to say first!" Liu Jingzheng and Lu Su talked about the situation of Jianye City and Moling City. In this regard, Lu Su had a strong say. It was him and Zhang Hong who  Having built Jianye City, he is very familiar with every brick and tile of Jianye City.  The reconstruction of Moling County was also presided over by Lu Su. He also knew the defense situation of Moling County very well. However, Lu Su still hoped that Liu Jing would try not to violently attack the city to minimize casualties. Originally, Lu Su did not want to interfere with the Han army's attack on Jiangdong.  However, in order to reduce Jiangdong's casualties, he took the initiative to participate in Liu Jing's staff decision-making.  Zhuge Jin also had the same idea, but Zhuge Jin even hoped that he could be reused by Liu Jing after the war, and even hoped that he could become a prime minister. He was only in his forties this year, and he still had more than ten years of future.  The desire for fame is much more passionate than that of Lu Su.  Liu Jing stood in front of the sand table, pointed at the two cities of Jianye and Moling with a wooden pole, and said slowly to them: "Since attacking Jiangdong, I have tried my best to defeat others without fighting. At the same time, I have also found that the soldiers in Jiangdong are generally war-weary and will fight.  At the slightest disadvantage, I raised the flag and surrendered, so that I was unstoppable along the way. Therefore, I also hope that they will surrender without a fight in Moling and Jianye, and try to avoid a catastrophic war. I invite three of you to talk about it. I want to hear your opinions.  The three of them looked at each other, and Lu Su said with a smile: "Let's talk to Zhuge Gong first!" Among the three, Zhuge Jin has the highest official position and status, so he naturally speaks first, and Zhuge Jin does not.  He declined, picked up the wooden pole and pointed at Moling City and said: "Wei Chen's opinion is to attack Moling County first. The reasons are very simple. Firstly, there are few troops stationed in Moling County. Secondly, the county wall is far less tall and strong than Jianye City, so it is easier to capture.  But the more important reason is that most of the officials and the families of some soldiers live in the county. If Moling County is captured, the army in Jianye City will be shaken. " Lu Su and Zhou Li both agreed with Zhuge Jin's words, and Zhou Li.  He smiled and said: "Your Highness, Mr. Zhuge is absolutely right. Moling County is the foundation and weakness of Jianye. If we take Moling County, Jianye City will not be able to withstand it for at most half a month."  The suggestion coincided with Liu Jing's idea, but he also wanted to know how to capture Jianye City most effectively, so he looked at Lu Su again.  Lu Su understood what Liu Jing meant, and he smiled bitterly and said: "When I was repairing Moling County, I found that the walls of Moling were all made of mud bricks, so I suggested that Marquis Wu demolish the county seat and rebuild it with stone bricks, but Zhang was met with objections.  The military advisor and the infantry commander Shi jointly opposed it. Gu Yong, Yu Fan and others also disagreed. They thought it would cost too much, so my suggestion was rejected. In the end, only simple repairs were carried out on Moling County. On the surface, it looked good, but  There are still rotten wood and old bricks inside. Relatively speaking, the north side is slightly stronger, because the ministers all go in and out of the north gate, while the south city is the most dilapidated. After hundreds of years of wind and rain, it has become very fragile and vulnerable, but I don¡¯t know if this year  You have to ask Zhou Juncheng whether it has been rebuilt or not." Next to him, Zhou Li said, "Jianye City has been strengthened this year. Only the gates of Moling County have been replaced, and the city walls have not been repaired." Liu Jing thought for a long time and said to them.  My idea is the same as yours, attack Moling County first. " Moling County is the seat of Danyang County. After Sun Quan moved the capital from Jingkou to Jianye, he did not use Moling City as the capital. Instead, he built a stone city in the north of Moling City, which is Jianye.  City, but Jianye City only had government offices, garrison troops and Sun Quan¡¯s Jianye Palace, while Moling County took on other city functions.  As the signs of the Han army's attack on Jianye became more and more obvious, Moling County was also in turmoil, and the atmosphere of war became stronger and stronger. Martial law was implemented during the day and a curfew was implemented at night. All people were not allowed to go out, and food rationing was implemented. The entire city was deserted.  Not a soul could be seen in the streets and alleys. Seven thousand Jiangdong soldiers, led by generals Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, strictly guarded Moling County.  At night, the sentry soldiers on the city patrolled back and forth, watching every move outside the city vigilantly. Moling County is not high, and the city is only 6 meters high.?Two feet and five feet, and the city wall is not wide enough to place a large trebuchet at the head of the city. Outside the city is a moat three feet wide, which is actually a tributary of the Qinhuai River.  Although the patrol soldiers at the top of the city were very vigilant, they could not see the slight abnormalities in the moat at night. At this time, in the moat in the south of the city, several Han army scouts wearing water jackets quietly surfaced. They took advantage of the patrol soldiers just now  When he had the opportunity to leave, he quickly jumped out of the water and clung to the base of the city wall.  The base of the city wall has always been a blind spot for the soldiers on patrol at the top of the city. Unless the soldiers looked out, it was difficult to observe what was going on under the base of the city wall. The three Han army scouts took out the fine steel fish bones, which are sharp weapons for fighting in the water, but their fish bones were  The sharp blade was sharp and flat, and it was easily inserted into the city wall.  This is Liu Jing's experience and caution. Although Lu Su told him that Moling's city walls were all made of mud bricks, and that the southern city was particularly dilapidated, that was just Lu Su's personal opinion and could only be used as a reference. The specific extent of the dilapidation must be determined.  Only when seeing is believing can you make the decision to attack the city.  The three scouts moved very skillfully. They quickly dug out a few city bricks, took out a few handfuls of soil from the hole in the wall, carefully wrapped them in oil paper, and then moved to another place. In less than half a stick of incense, they took three samples.  , at this time, the patrol soldiers above just walked over, and the three scouts entered the water silently and disappeared quickly.  Half an hour later, more than a dozen city bricks and filling soil were placed in the Han army's central tent. At this time, Lu Su and the other three were no longer there, replaced by generals such as Huang Zhong, Gan Ning, Liao Li and others.  The military advisers all have rich experience. From these dozen city bricks and filling soil samples, they all know how strong the Moling County city wall is.  Huang Zhong picked up the filling soil and gently twirled it in his palm, then sniffed it close to his nose, and said to Liu Jing: "This soil is at least a hundred years old. It is black and moldy, which means the filling is very loose and has not been replaced.  There are still pieces of rotten top wood on it, which shows that the top wood has decayed. This kind of city wall will collapse in another twenty or thirty years at most." Liu Jing shook his head, "If there is no defense, it may be able to hold on for two or three years.  Ten years, but now there are a lot of stones and rolling logs piled on it, and there are thousands of soldiers walking back and forth all day long. How can the city wall bear it? If this continues, it will collapse in less than five years. Please watch it!" Liu Jing picked it up!  A piece of city brick, when I hit it a little harder with a small hammer, the city brick immediately shattered. "Did you see that the normal city brick should be broken into two pieces when I hit it, but this brick was knocked into pieces."  It turned into brick powder, and it could be seen that the interior of the city bricks was full of cracks. Liu Jing used a small hammer to continuously hit the city bricks, and all the city bricks were smashed. He put down the hammer, clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Like Lian Hefei."  I can destroy a solid bluestone city wall, let alone a mud brick wall like this. Everyone, the city will be destroyed tomorrow!¡± At the third watch, there were still patrol soldiers patrolling the top of Moling City, monitoring the outside of the city.  According to the movements of the Han army, the general guarding Moling County is Zhou Tai. He is Sun Quan's confidant and serves as the captain of the Jiangdong Internal Guard. He is the commander of the 10,000 elite troops guarding Sun Quan. Although Sun Quan trusts Zhou Tai, Zhou Tai  The defense was still relatively weak, so Sun Quan appointed General Jiang Qin, who was good at defending the city, as his deputy.  At this time, Jiang Qin was riding on a war horse and leading 500 soldiers to patrol the city wall defense. Although it was already the third watch, Jiang Qin did not dare to be careless and still worked hard to patrol the four city gates.  Jiang Qin is recognized as a general who is good at defense in the Jiangdong Army. For this reason, he has no confidence in the defense of Moling County. The city walls are short and thin, old and have weak resistance. This is fine. The key is Moling.  The county town did not consider military defense at all. Like most cities in Jiangdong, the city wall had no horse-facing walls, crenels, shooting holes, or catapults. It was just an ordinary city wall.  How could such a city withstand the powerful attack of the Han army? Instead of spending so much manpower and material resources to dredge the useless canal but refusing to rebuild Moling City, Jiang Qin had nothing to say about Sun Quan's decision.  "General!" A soldier ran over panting and said, "General Zhou is in Nancheng. Please come over." "I know!" Jiang Qin agreed unhappily and urged his horse to run towards the south gate. He rushed to Nancheng University.  In front of the city gate, hundreds of soldiers holding torches illuminated the city gate like daylight. In the distance, dozens of soldiers were seen kneeling on the ground, their hands tied behind their backs, dejected.  Jiang Qin was startled and galloped forward. Seeing Jiang Qin's arrival, the soldiers at the city gate stepped out of the way. Jiang Qin dismounted and walked into the crowd. He immediately recognized that the bound soldiers were all his subordinates.  .  "What happened?" Jiang Qin asked anxiously.  The soldiers hesitated to speak, but did not dare to speak. Jiang Qin turned around and asked, "Where is General Zhou?" "I am here!" Zhou Tai came out of the darkness.He slowly walked out and walked up to Jiang Qin. He pointed his riding whip at the bound soldiers and said, "General Jiang, these soldiers tried to surrender to the enemy and were caught while climbing over the city wall. According to military regulations, those who surrender to the enemy must be executed."  , I believe General Jiang will not know."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1032 Roommate Fighting

    Factional struggle has always been a chronic disease of the Jiangdong regime. Not only the civil servants had fierce factional struggles, but also the military generals. Of course, this was Sun Quan's deliberate move. After all, this was the essence of the emperor's art. When ministers fought among themselves, the king benefited.  But on the other hand, it is also related to the political structure of Jiangdong. Jiangdong went south from Sun Ce with great momentum and quickly wiped out Danyang County, Wu County and Kuaiji County. The fundamental reason was that he got the support of the Jiangdong family. Sun Ce reciprocated the favor and made the talents of the Jiangdong family  One after another entered the newly established Sun regime.  But Sun Ce was afraid that the Jiangdong gentry would become too powerful, so he introduced northern gentry and Jianghuai gentry, such as Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Zhou Yu, Lu Su and others. After Sun Ce died, Sun Quan succeeded to the throne, and the Jiangdong regime began to further expand. The Jiangdong gentry  Through mutual introduction, the influence of the Jiangdong gentry continued to enter the Sun family's regime.  At the same time, Sun Quan continued his brother's balancing act and set up a recruitment hall in Jiangbei, so that northern talents such as Zhuge Jin, Xu Sheng, and Lu Meng went south to be recruited.  Northern talents going south will inevitably be resisted by the local gentry in Jiangdong. Since the local gentry are married to each other and have been friends for centuries, their relationships have long been intertwined. It is easy to form alliances in the officialdom. The boycotted northern gentry also come together, thus forming factions.  conditions were created.  With Sun Quan's intentional help, Jiangdong quickly formed the Northern Faction, Lujiang Faction and Wuyue Local Faction. The move of Jiangdong's capital to Jianye dealt a heavy blow to the local factions. The Wuyue Faction split into the Gu Lu Wu Faction and the Yu Shi Kuaiji Faction. After Zhou Yu's death  , the Lujiang faction declined, and the northern faction continued to gain momentum. In order to check and balance the northern faction, Sun Quan began to reuse his relatives, which led to the rise of the foreign relatives' faction headed by Bu Zhi.  There are also many factions in the military, including the veteran faction, the middle faction and the young faction. The so-called old faction refers to a group of veteran generals such as Cheng Pu, Huang Gai and Han Dang who followed Sun Jian, while the middle faction refers to those who followed Sun Ce to explore Jiangdong.  The brave generals of Jiye include Zhou Yu, Taishi Ci, Jiang Qin, Chen Wu, Dong Xi, Pan Zhang, Ling Cao, Zhou Tai and other generals.  The Young Strong faction is the rising star after Sun Quan came to power, including young generals such as Lu Meng, Lu Xun, Ding Feng, Xu Sheng, and Ling Tong.  During Sun Ce's period and Sun Quan's early period, the Jiangdong Army was dominated by the Zhong Faction. However, as Sun Quan's position gradually stabilized, he began to intentionally remove the influence of his brother Sun Ce in the army and establish his own authority. The Zhong Faction also gradually began to lose power, especially when  After Zhou Yu, Taishi Ci, Chen Wu, Pan Zhang, Ling Cao and other middle-class generals died of illness or were killed in battle, the middle-class faction completely lost power, replaced by the rise of the veteran faction and the young warrior faction. Among the young warrior faction, Lu Xun and Lu Meng successively served as  Grand Governor.  Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai were from the same hometown. They both joined the Jiangdong Army at the same time. In the early days, the two had a deep friendship. However, things in the world are like this. Those who have a deep friendship can easily turn against each other. Therefore, Confucianism advocates that the friendship between gentlemen should be as light as water.  Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai eventually drifted apart because they embarked on different official careers. Jiang Qin is currently the representative of the Zhong faction, but Zhou Tai broke away from the Zhong faction and became a special Conglong faction, which is Sun Quan's confidant.  .  Of course, the two have different paths and do not conspire with each other. The relationship between the two is only estrangement, not antagonism. But what happened tonight is enough to turn the two of them against each other.  Dozens of Jiang Qin's subordinates were captured. Zhou Tai's harsh attitude wanted to kill them, but Jiang Qin ignored them. Jiang Qin also knew that whether he surrendered to the enemy or escaped was a major crime in the army, he should be executed according to law, but these people were not allowed to do anything.  He is a veteran who has been following him for many years, how could he not save him even though he was about to die.  Jiang Qin had no choice but to lower his body and plead with Zhou Tai: "Can Youping give me a face and leave these soldiers to me?" "It's not impossible to leave these soldiers to General Jiang, but I want to know what General Jiang is going to do.  Deal with them?" "I will punish them severely!" Jiang Qin said it very implicitly, and his words were very vivid. Punishment is a severe punishment, and beatings with military sticks and imprisonment are also severe punishments. This is officialdom.  According to common sense, Zhou Tai just laughed, praised Jiang Qin a few words, said he was not partial to personal interests, etc., and then handed the prisoner to Jiang Qin, and the favor was obtained, and the matter was settled.  In the past, Zhou Tai might have done this without offending Jiang Qin, but now the situation is critical and the soldiers must be strictly restrained, otherwise it will trigger a wave of soldiers fleeing, and it will be difficult to end at that time, so Zhou Tai decided to kill a hundred people and use this to  The heads of dozens of soldiers were used as a warning to the three armies.  It¡¯s just that these soldiers are all Jiang Qin¡¯s subordinates. Zhou Tai also needs to reach a consensus with Jiang Qin. It¡¯s best to let Jiang Qin do it himself, so he sent someone to invite Jiang Qin.  Zhou Tai's face immediately darkened, and he asked coldly: "I wonder what General Jiang is going to do with them?" Jiang Qin felt very uncomfortable when he called "General Jiang" one by one. He suppressed the secret annoyance in his heart and replied: "  I will take them back to the military camp and deal with them according to military regulations." "Very good!" Zhou Taiyi said with a smile on his face.Why go back to the military camp? Just behead them here and send the heads everywhere to patrol and warn the soldiers!  " Jiang Qin was furious. He glared at Zhou Tai and asked, "Why is General Zhou so hard on you?  " "I will not give General Jiang face unless I do so. This is an extraordinary period. Military discipline must be strict, otherwise it will trigger a wave of soldiers fleeing, and the city of Moling will be doomed. If Ci is not in charge of the army, please put the overall situation first.  "    "you!  " Jiang Qin was extremely angry and shouted angrily: "Everyone knows that the situation in Jiangdong is over. The collapse will only take a few days. At this time, we should show compassion for the lives of the soldiers and let them reunite with their families. Don't make unnecessary sacrifices. Why did General Zhou  So ruthless?  " Jiang Qin was so angry that he lost his words, which made Zhou Tai furious. He half-drawn his sword and shouted sternly: "Jiang Qin, if you dare to talk nonsense again and shake the morale of the army, I will chop off your head!  " Jiang Qin also knew that he had made a mistake, but he couldn't let it go because of his face. He snorted heavily, turned around, got on his horse, urged the horse and walked away. After running for more than ten steps, he stopped his horse and turned around and said: "You have to be executed according to military regulations.  ,it's up to you!  " He urged his horse and galloped towards the military camp. Dozens of tied soldiers kneeling on the ground cried out: "General, save our lives!  " Jiang Qin was already far away. Zhou Tai slowly sheathed his sword, but the anger in his heart could not be dissipated. He turned back and glanced at the dozens of deserters coldly. He waved his hand and ordered: "Push them down and behead them. The heads will be displayed to all three armies!  " "General, spare your life!  Spare your life!  " Soldiers on both sides dragged them down regardless of dozens of people shouting for mercy, and chopped off their heads one by one. Only then did Zhou Tai's anger calm down, and he ordered: "The heads will be sent to the three armies. Anyone who dares to escape will be guilty of the same crime!  "A general nearby said worriedly: "General, I'm afraid it's hard for General Jiang to explain?  " Zhou Tai snorted coldly, "Didn't you hear what he just said?  In desperation, I spoke my mind. This kind of person is the most unreliable at critical moments. If he dares to act recklessly, I will take away his military power.  " Even so, Zhou Tai was a little worried. He summoned a few confidants and ordered them to monitor Jiang Qin. If Jiang Qin made any changes, he would report it immediately. Watching the soldiers go away, Zhou Tai's face was a little uncertain.  He is by no means a reckless person, nor is he stupid. He will never engage in internal strife with his lieutenant at a critical moment. He actually received Sun Quan's secret order to do so. Jiang Qin and Dong Xi conspired many times with unknown intentions. Sun Quan ordered.  Zhou Tai tested Jiang Qin. If Jiang Qin had any different intentions, he would arrest him immediately. It was just a test by Zhou Tai, and it really revealed Jiang Qin's true heart. Although he did not have any different intentions, at least he had a weak will.  He would surrender when he failed, which became the key to the failure of the entire defense. Zhou Tai slowly clenched his fists. He must not let Jiang Qin lead the army again. He must seize his military power by tomorrow at the latest. He wrote another secret letter,  He ordered his confidants to be sent to Jianye Palace quickly. Jiang Qin returned to his tent and drank alone. He had no confidence in Jiangdong for a long time. The reason why he did not surrender to the Han army was because he did not want to bear the reputation of being a traitor, so he did his best.  What happened that night really made Jiang Qin angry. Zhou Tai would not give himself any face, so he would kill his subordinates. Although he didn't know how Zhou Tai dealt with the fleeing soldiers in the end, Jiang Qin also wanted to know that these soldiers must be in trouble.  Qin secretly squeezed his ear cup tightly. If Zhou Tai pressed too hard, he would not need any reputation. At this time, a soldier outside the tent reported, "General, Mr. Cheng Zi wants to see you!"  " Jiang Qin was startled. What was Cheng Zi looking for? Cheng Zi was the son of Cheng Pu and had nothing to do with Jiang Qin. Why was he looking for him so late? But as soon as he thought about it, Jiang Qin understood that this must be Cheng Pu.  If something comes to him, he immediately orders: ¡°Invite him in!  " After a moment, the curtain was lifted, and a man in brocade robes about thirty years old walked into the camp. It was Cheng Zi, the son of Cheng Pu. He stepped forward and bowed deeply, "See General Jiang!  " Jiang Qin quickly stood up and returned the greeting, "Mr. Cheng, you're welcome. Please sit down!  " Cheng Zi was not polite, and the two of them sat down separately. Jiang Qin then discovered that there was a wine pot and wine glass on the table. He quickly put it away and said with an embarrassed smile: "You made me laugh!  " Cheng Zi smiled faintly and did not take this matter to heart. Instead, he whispered: "When I came here just now, I heard that General Zhou killed dozens of deserters at the South City Gate. They were all General Jiang's men.  Does General Chiang know this?  " Jiang Qin was furious, but Zhou Tai took action anyway. He was so angry that he slammed the table and cursed: "You ordinary man Zhou Tai, you bullied me too much!  " Cheng Zi sighed, shook his head and said, "If the general hates Zhou Tai for being cruel, that would be wrong. Does the general know whose instruction this is?  " Jiang Qin was stunned. Of course he understood what Cheng Zi said. Who else could it be besides Sun Quan? He suddenly pushed the table, stood up, and looked at Cheng Zi in surprise, "I don't understand what the young master isWhat does it mean?  " Cheng Zi smiled bitterly and said: "It is of course a big taboo to talk to each other lightly. Normally I would not act so recklessly. But the situation in Moling is critical and I don't care about that much. My father asked me to tell the general. The general and Dong  The general's three conspiracies were all monitored by Eagle Beak. Marquis Wu no longer trusted the general. He appointed the general as the deputy general of Moling just to stabilize the Zhong faction. What happened tonight was no accident.  " "Your father?  " Jiang Qin was even more surprised. Could it be that Cheng Pu had secretly surrendered to the Han Kingdom? Cheng Zi seemed to understand Jiang Qin's suspicion. He sighed softly and said: "The Jiangdong Building is about to collapse. How can my father not be sad, but the situation is over?  It cannot be violated and can only be done according to God's will. My father's original intention was not to betray the Marquis of Wu. He just wanted to protect the 200,000 people in Moling. Once the city was broken and Zhou Tai refused to surrender, it would inevitably lead to fierce street fighting. At that time, Moling  A great disaster is approaching for the people, and since the Sun family cannot be protected, why doesn't the general protect the people of Jiangdong?  " Jiang Qin lowered his head and thought for a moment. He knew that even now, Cheng Pu would not use deceit to test him. What he said made sense. Thinking of Sun Quan's ruthless suspicion, Jiang Qin finally gritted his teeth and said: "Young Master Cheng, although you speak frankly,  What does Jiang Qin need to do?  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1033 Moling City is destroyed

    At five o'clock in the morning, Liu Jing was woken up by the guards from his deep sleep, "Your Highness, I have something important to report." The lights in the tent were lit, Liu Jing stood up, put on some clothes, and asked, "What's going on?" "Inside Moling County.  There is news that the person coming is Cheng Zi, the son of Cheng Pu. "Take him to the branch to wait!" Liu Jing and Cheng Pu have been in contact for a long time, and the crucial Jiangdong army distribution map was in Cheng Pu's hands.  Obtaining it enabled the Han army to dispatch troops accurately and wipe out Jingkou and Wujun as quickly as possible. Of course, this matter was very concealed, and most people did not know that Cheng Pu had secretly surrendered to the Han army.  Liu Jing freshened up a little, then quickly walked into the side tent and into the big tent. Cheng Zi, who was waiting in the tent, quickly stood up and saluted, "My dear fellow, see His Highness the King of Han!" "Young Master Cheng, I have been waiting for a long time. Please sit down!  " Liu Jing knew Cheng Zi. He asked Cheng Zi to sit down and asked his soldiers to serve tea. He knew that Cheng Zi came at five o'clock and there must be something important, but he needed to calm down and let Cheng Zi calm down. What's going on?  Once you are anxious, it is easy to make wrong decisions.  Cheng Zi took a sip of tea and slowly calmed down. He realized that he should not talk about Jiang Qin first. In this matter, the importance of his father must be shown. Otherwise, the Cheng family will be just a mouthpiece.  , he was secretly glad that he did not rush to report.  Cheng Zi sorted out his thoughts and said: "The city of Moling is about to be destroyed. My father is very worried that street fighting will break out and affect the people of Moling. I hope that His Highness can come up with a comprehensive strategy to protect the people of Moling." "Old General Cheng has the people of Moling in his heart, which is admirable.  But the war cannot go on, otherwise the Jiangdong Army will kidnap the people of Moling to deal with the Han army. We will try our best to capture Moling City with thunderous tactics to minimize civilian casualties. " Liu Jing's answer was also understated. He knew Cheng.  Zi came here so anxiously, not simply to express his father's concern about civilian casualties. There must be more important information.  Cheng Zi felt that Liu Jing's tone was cold, and he knew that he could not delay any longer, so he had to continue: "The reason why I am so anxious to see your highness is because my father has successfully persuaded the deputy general Jiang Qin that General Jiang is willing to cooperate with the Han army to seize the opportunity."  "This is a bit interesting. Liu Jing asked with a smile: "I wonder how Jiang Qin plans to cooperate with the Han army?" "General Jiang has two thousand subordinates. He has turned against Zhou Tai. He has drawn his army to the west city to garrison.  At a quarter of the hour, General Jiang will open the west gate to welcome the Han army out of the city. " Liu Jing took a few steps with his hands behind his hands. He nodded and said, "Master Cheng went back and told General Jiang that I am willing to accept his surrender. At a quarter of the hour, the Han army will.  He showed up outside the west city on time." Cheng Zi was overjoyed and bowed deeply to Liu Jing to say goodbye. Liu Jing ordered the guards to send him back. It was less than half an hour before Mao Shi quarter. Time was very urgent. Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Quickly give way.  Gan Ning and Wei Yan come to see me!" The atmosphere in Moling City suddenly became tense. Jiang Qin accepted Cheng Pu's persuasion and decided to surrender Moling City to the Han army. He pulled two thousand of his subordinates to the west city and took control of the west city gate.  At this time, Zhou Tai also received the news that Jiang Qin had mobilized troops without authorization, which made Zhou Tai furious. He led 3,000 troops to Xicheng.  It's not yet dawn, and the sky in the east has turned white. The thick night gradually fades, and there is a trace of cyan in the cold air. However, murderous intent permeates the gate of the west city. Jiang Qin leads two thousand soldiers on the city wall with bows and arrows, and Zhou Tai  Three thousand troops faced off.  "Gong Yi, we are all working for the Marquis of Wu. Why are we so fussy? If we have any dissatisfaction, we can talk about it. We must not have internal strife!" Zhou Tai was also worried that Jiang Qin would open the city gate and surrender to the Han army. He tried his best to stabilize Jiang Qin.  After coaxing Jiang Qin to go to the city, Jiang Qin naturally would not tell the truth. He shouted: "Shut up, it's too late to say anything now. You kill my subordinates. This hatred is irreconcilable. I want to go to the Marquis of Wu."  "I'm going to sue you." Zhou Tai secretly said something bad. He was Wu Hou's confidant. What's the point of suing him? I'm afraid he was going to surrender to the Han army and was deliberately holding him back. Zhou Tai was anxious and secretly ordered his left and right generals to say:  : "Quickly mobilize the defenders of the North City and South City to launch an attack from the top of the city. I will respond below!" The city gate and suspension bridge are controlled by Jiang Qin. The corridor to the upper city is narrow and it is difficult to seize the city from the corridor. The best way is  Launching attacks from both sides of the city to create conditions for his troops to enter the city, Zhou Tai saw that it was almost dawn and became anxious, so he decided to capture the west city immediately.  When Jiang Qin saw that Zhou Tai had no response, he knew that he was preparing to attack. He couldn't help but feel a little anxious. He looked outside the city from time to time. At this time, there was still a quarter of an hour before Mao hour, that is, there were still two quarters of an hour before he and Zhou Tai arrived.  The time agreed by the Han army.  At this moment, shouts of killing suddenly erupted from the north and south. It seemed that a fierce battle was taking place. Some soldiers rushed to report: "General Qi, the defenders of the south city and the defenders of the north city came to kill from the top of the city at the same time. Brothers are not prepared enough."  , death?Tragic!  " Jiang Qin was furious and ordered: "Hold it, open the city gate quickly and lower the drawbridge!  " The hinge of the city gate in the city tower was pulled by dozens of soldiers. The suspension bridge creaked and lowered, and the heavy city gate slowly opened. Zhou Tai saw it from a distance and felt anxious. He waved his sword and shouted: "Charge up.  , close the city gate!  "Three thousand troops broke out in shouts and rushed towards the city gate together. Arrows rained down from the top of the city, and dense arrows shot at Jiangdong soldiers. A large number of soldiers fell to the ground after being hit by arrows. There were screams, and the soldiers stopped one after another.  , retreated back. Zhou Tai was furious, rushed forward with his horse, brandished his spear and fired the arrows. The soldiers behind him charged forward. Although the arrows were like raindrops, causing numerous casualties to the charging soldiers, under the encouragement of the general Zhou Tai.  , the dark Jiangdong soldiers still rushed to the west city. Some soldiers pushed the city gate to close, and more than a thousand soldiers rushed to the city head along the corridors on both sides. At this time, a fierce battle was going on on the city head. The two sides were fighting in the same room. The fierce battle was extremely fierce, and there were everywhere.  Corpses and broken limbs were stained red with blood. Jiang Qin's subordinates were weak and were tightly suppressed. They suffered heavy casualties and were in an increasingly disadvantageous situation. At this moment, a faint muffled sound suddenly came from the south.  , 'Boom! ' As if there was thunder in the sky, Zhou Tai was stunned, suddenly turned his head and looked to the south, and saw a soldier running from a distance, shouting: "General, it's bad!  " At this time, outside the south city, twenty-step giant trebuchets were lined up, and boulders weighing a hundred kilograms rose into the air and violently smashed into the city wall. The dilapidated city walls of Moling County could not withstand the impact of the boulders and collapsed one after another.  In the first round of boulder attacks alone, the city wall collapsed in three places, exposing three gaps a hundred feet wide. The defenders at the top of the city rushed to the west city to participate in the encirclement and suppression of Jiang Qin's rebellion. The remaining defenders were only a hundred people, led by one.  The famous military commander, they saw that the Han army was attacking fiercely and the city wall had collapsed. They knew that the city could not be saved. Without waiting for the military commander's order, the Jiangdong soldiers rushed down the city to escape. At this time, the second round of trebuchets was launched, and twenty huge stones were lifted into the air.  It rose up and roared towards the city head. The dilapidated city wall was like tofu. Under the fierce impact of the boulders, the mud bricks were turned into powder. With a sound of "Boom!", the half-mile-long city wall collapsed, and dust flew up.  Liu Jing, who was watching the battle from a distance, ordered: "Stop the attack and the army enters the city!  " 'Boom! Boom! Boom!' The drums of the Han army's attack were sounded, and the 30,000 Han army soldiers burst out with shouts of killing and rushed towards the county town like a tide. Gan Ning took the lead and entered the county town first. The soldiers who were fighting fiercely in the west city  Zhou Tai's face turned pale. The Han army had launched a large-scale attack from Nancheng, but Jiangdong Army was breaking out in internal strife. How could Moling City be able to hold on? At this time, there was a cry of killing outside the city, and another Han army broke out.  They were coming from outside the West City. The huge battering ram was slamming against the city gate. Hundreds of Jiangdong soldiers were holding on to the city gate from the inside, resisting the Han army's siege. Zhou Tai was already in a state of confusion. He didn't know it.  What should we do? At this moment, a large group of Han soldiers suddenly appeared on the street ahead. Under the leadership of General Gan Ning, they rushed toward the west gate. Gan Ning's mission was to block Jiangdong Army.  At the west gate, let the street fighting only happen in the west gate area, and never let the street fighting expand to the whole city. "General, retreat from the north gate!"  "A tooth general yelled at Zhou Tai. At this time, blood surged into Zhou Tai's heart. Today was the day when he died on the battlefield. He yelled, "Fight with me!  "He led hundreds of soldiers to fight against the Han army. Twenty thousand Han soldiers came from all directions and surrounded hundreds of Jiangdong soldiers from three sides. "Boom!" With a loud bang, the west gate was knocked open by the battering ram.  Thousands of Han soldiers, led by General Wei Yan, rushed into Xicheng. The army surged like a great tide and instantly engulfed the Jiangdong soldiers. The war in Moling City ended in a quarter of an hour. General Zhou Tai and hundreds of Jiangdong soldiers were all killed, and  The rest of the Jiangdong soldiers either fled from Beicheng or surrendered to the Han army. The losses in Moling City were limited to dozens of houses and shops near the West City Gate. There were not even casualties among ordinary people. When the civil strife broke out, most of the people living near the West City Gate  Ordinary people took refuge in the cellars. Liu Jing entered Moling City under the protection of thousands of cavalry. He saw Zhuge Jin bringing his rescued wife and thanked him from a distance. Liu Jing smiled and nodded to him.  At this time, Cheng Zi brought Jiang Qin up to greet him. Jiang Qin stepped forward and knelt down on one knee to salute, "Jiangdong's guilty general Jiang Qin pays homage to His Highness the King of Han!  Liu Jing turned over and dismounted, stepped forward to help Jiang Qin up, and said with a smile: "As early as the Battle of Chaisang, I hoped that one day General Jiang would be able to serve for me. Unexpectedly, I have been waiting for this day for ten years."  " Jiang Qin felt ashamed, "Your Highness has been kept waiting for so long!  " Everyone laughed when they heard what he said was interesting. At this time, Jiang Qin said again: "The last general and Zhou Tai are from the same hometown. They used to have a close friendship, but yesterday they turned against each other.He wanted to be buried with his mother after his death, and he begged His Highness to give his body to the general, who would then send him back to his hometown for burial.  " Liu Jing nodded, "General Jiang is so rekindled with his old feelings, how can I not fulfill him? General Jiang can give him a good burial.  " Jiang Qin's voice was choked with sobs, "Thank you, Your Highness!  Liu Jing patted him on the shoulder and ordered the guards to take him down. Liu Jing looked at the hazy morning sky again, and then ordered Gan Ning and Wei Yan: "You can come out to calm the people and distribute relief food. Anyone who dares to disturb the people."  , cut immediately!  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1034 Dead lips and cold teeth

    Although the fall of Moling County was expected by everyone, when the Han army's battle flag was raised on Moling County three miles away, the defenders of Jianye were still dejected.  On top of the city, Zhang Zhao's expression was particularly solemn. He looked at Moling City from a distance, which had changed its flag. The complexity in his heart was hard to describe. Although the families of Jiangdong's important ministers had all moved into Jianye City, there were no traces of them in Moling City.  Although worried, the fall of Moling City still made everyone feel extremely heavy.  In fact, they have been surrounded by the Han army and cut off contact with the outside world. In other words, they can no longer count on foreign aid to rescue them. They can only rely on themselves, but Zhang Zhao knows that even if the defenders resist bravely, the construction of  The difference between Yecheng being breached in three days and being breached in ten days. Thinking of this, Zhang Zhao couldn't help but sigh.  "Why did the military advisor sigh?" The voice of a stallion came from behind.  As soon as Zhang Zhao turned around, he saw Bu Zhi behind him. He smiled bitterly and said, "I feel it in my heart, so I sighed." Bu Zhi stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "I heard that the military advisor persuaded the Marquis of Wu to surrender yesterday, but  Is there any result?" Zhang Zhao shook his head, "Marquis Wu closed the palace door, and no one was seen. I waited outside the palace for more than an hour, but I still didn't see Marquis Wu." After a pause, Zhang Zhao asked, "But Chang Shi should know.  Wu Hou's situation, how is Wu Hou now? " Zhang Zhao was alluding to Bu Zhi's daughter as Sun Quan's second concubine. Bu Zhi should have found out the news from his daughter. Bu Zhi did not deny it, and said sadly: "I heard that Wu  Hou is either drunk, or loses his temper, smashes things, and whips maids. Now no one dares to approach him. Zhang Zhao frowned, "Why did he become like this? At first, he despised Sun Ben for his lustful behavior. Now it's his turn."  , He is also decadent, which is really disappointing. " "It is indeed disappointing, but it is understandable that as the lord, seeing the Jiangdong Building collapse, we cannot understand his despair. As he said this, Lu Meng hurriedly said.  He came over, clasped his fists at Zhang Zhao and said, "Military advisor, I have something important to report to you in my humble position.  "    "What's up?  " Lu Meng whispered a few words. Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi looked at each other. Zhang Zhao asked anxiously: "Where is the patient?  " "Already isolated.  " "Have a look!  "Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhe were anxious, and they followed Lu Meng quickly towards the city. They came to an abandoned small school ground in the southwest corner. The school grounds were surrounded by soldiers guarding them, and no one was allowed to enter or exit. The empty school grounds  There were only seven or eight tents inside. The tents were surrounded by wooden fences. The inside and outside of the wooden fences were covered with a thick layer of quicklime. The pungent smell of lime could be smelled from a distance. Last night, Lu Meng received a report from the military doctor that several soldiers had appeared.  The symptoms of the epidemic made him anxious and nervous. Fortunately, Zhang Ji promoted many methods to prevent and treat the epidemic, and isolated the patients in time. The soldiers participating in the isolation covered themselves with cloth bags, wore leather gloves on their hands, and covered their mouths and noses with gauze.  Burning items in time, etc. These prevention and control methods have not only been spread in Jingzhou, but also spread to Jiangdong. After years of practice, they have effectively prevented the large-scale spread of the disease. These tents on the school grounds are the isolation area. Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhao looked at Muzha from a distance.  , both of them were extremely worried. Jianye City was too small and had too many people. Once the epidemic broke out, the consequences would be extremely serious, and their families would not be spared. At this time, Lu Meng whispered from the side: "Someone suggested that the epidemic could be used.  Come and deal with the Han army!" Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi's expressions changed drastically at the same time, and they said in unison: "Absolutely not!  "Although letting the Han army break out of the epidemic is an effective tactic, this move goes against the harmony of nature and violates the bottom line of morality. Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi will never allow this method to be used. The two of them looked at each other and suddenly realized  , if Wu Hou knew about this matter, he would definitely use this method. Zhang Zhao immediately asked: "How many people know about this matter?  " "Comment to the military advisor, there was a commotion last night, and many generals know about it.  " Zhang Zhao immediately made a decision: "We can send troops to surround Jianye Palace and not allow anyone to enter the palace. In addition, we will arrest all the eagle beaks. In a word, this matter must not be known to Marquis Wu. I will take all the responsibility.  bear!  " Lu Meng also meant the same thing. He immediately agreed and turned around to make arrangements. At this time Bu Zhao said worriedly: "Once the epidemic breaks out in the city, there is no need to defend Jianye City anymore. What do the military advisors think?  " Zhang Zhao nodded, "It's just as Chang Shi said.  " That afternoon, 100,000 Han troops surrounded Jianye City. Jianye City was just a small city with a circumference of less than ten miles. The Qinhuai River passed through the city and finally poured into the Yangtze River. Compared with the dilapidation of Moling County, the walls of Jianye City were  It is tall and strong, the city is broad and thick, the city wall is three feet high and eight feet high, surrounded by a moat five feet wide. There is a city in the South City and a city in the North City.??, there is a water gate next to the city gate. The suspension bridge is raised high, and the water gate is protected by three layers of iron bars as thick as an arm.  Not only is the city wide and solid, but the defense is also extremely tight. Ten thousand elite Jiangdong troops are guarding the four walls. Not only that, Jianye City has a large amount of military supplies and food stored in it. There are countless arrows and weapons, and the food alone is 200,000 shi.  , in addition, Cao Jun left 20,000 barrels of kerosene.  Forty large trebuchets were also installed on the four walls of the city, which could launch kerosene bombs and boulders. Under L¨¹ Meng's careful deployment, Jianye City was built like an iron barrel.  But any defense has flaws, and Jianye City is no exception. The biggest flaw in Jianye City is the unstable morale of the military. This is also determined by the status of Jianye City itself. Jianye City is not a county town with concentrated residents, but a military and political city.  There are only government offices, military barracks and Jianye Palace in the city. There are no residential buildings and shops. The families of all the soldiers are outside Jianye City.  Sun Quan was also aware of this problem. Before the Han army reached Jianye, he brought thirty families of high-ranking civil servants to Jianye City, but the soldiers and low-level officers were unable to do anything. First, Jianye City was too small and could not accommodate  Without such a large population, Jiangdong's army did not have time to move the population on a large scale, which separated 10,000 soldiers and their families.  Jianye has become an isolated city, and the rest of Jiangdong has been occupied by the Han army, which means that the hometown of the 10,000 soldiers in Jianye City has become the territory of the Han army. Even the most elite soldiers have to take care of their parents, wives and children, and people's hearts are floating.  The morale of the army was shaken.  It happened that a plague broke out in the city at this time. Although Lu Meng ordered to block the news, there is no airtight wall in the world. News of the plague outbreak still spread through various channels and quickly spread among the army. The military began to panic.  Compared with the uneasiness of Jiangdong Army, the Han Army seemed very indifferent. One hundred thousand troops set up four camps and surrounded Jianye City from four directions. However, the Han Army showed no signs of attacking the city immediately and was waiting and watching.  At this time, Han King Liu Jing was not in the army, but was inspecting Moling City. The martial law in Moling City had been relaxed. The Han army had set up more than 30 porridge relief points in the city, and there were people waiting in front of each porridge relief point.  There was a long queue, and hundreds of civilian officers began to register door to door. In fact, all population registration information was available in the government, but the Han army needed to know how many soldiers in Jianye City lived in Moling County.  Liu Jing, escorted by hundreds of cavalry, came to a porridge relief site. There were three long teams lined up, each with hundreds of people. Dozens of soldiers moved quickly to make the porridge relief orderly and the team very calm.  Liu Jing watched for a moment, then turned his horse's head and came to a mansion not far away. This was the residence of veteran general Huang Gai. Huang Gai was beaten to a bloody pulp. With the repeated pleas of Lu Meng and other military generals, Sun Quan  Finally relenting, Huang Gai was allowed to go home to recover from his injuries, and ordered Zhou Tai to send someone to closely monitor his every move.  With the fall of Moling City, the soldiers monitoring Huang Gai also fled. The city was in chaos. Huang Gai ordered his family to close the gate and no one was seen.  A guard came forward and knocked on the door. After a while, the door and window opened a crack, and someone asked: "Who is it?" "Go and inform your master that His Highness the King of Han is here to visit him." The porter was startled and turned around hurriedly.  He ran to the inner house. At this time, Huang Gai's injury was not healed and he could only lie on the bed to recuperate. He was talking to his son Huang Bing. His son Huang Bing was the county magistrate in Jiujiang County. The situation in Jiangdong was critical, so Huang Bing also abandoned his official position and returned home.  , wait and see the situation.  While the father and son were talking, the housekeeper ran over in a panic and reported urgently: "Old General, His Royal Highness the King of Han is here." Huang Gai could still keep his composure, but his son Huang Bing said, "Ah!  ' stood up with a cry, extremely nervous, "Father, what should we do?" "Why are you nervous?" Huang Gai said with some dissatisfaction: "You have been a county magistrate for several years, why can't you calm down at all?  ?" Having said this, Huang Gai was a little nervous. He didn't expect the King of Han to come to the door in person, which made him a little touched and a little embarrassed. But at this time, he couldn't wait to think about it, so he said to his son: "You can do it for me.  My father has invited the King of Han, and he must speak appropriately and not flatter himself. " "I understand, my child!" Huang Bing hurried down the hall. Huang Gai sighed in his heart. Of course he knew why Liu Jing came to see him.  Make it difficult for him!  After a while, Huang Bing respectfully invited Liu Jing into the inner hall, "My father is recovering from his injuries in the hall, Your Highness, please come in!" Liu Jing walked into the inner hall quickly. When he saw Huang Gai struggling to get up, he quickly stepped forward and held him down.  He said, "The old general is injured, so he will not be polite." Huang Gai smiled bitterly and said, "Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit me. I am very grateful!" Huang Gai then ordered his son to spread a soft mat for the King of Han, and Liu Jing sat down.  , asked with concern: "How is the old general's injury now?" "It's okay! Thank you,The torturer was merciful and even managed to save his life with two hundred canes. The wounds had begun to scab and he could get out of bed and walk after another month of rest.  "Liu Jing nodded, "The old general needs to take good care of his injuries. If you need anything, just say it. I have given orders and the best military doctors will come to treat the old general's injuries soon. In addition, food will be sent.  "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I still have some food in my house, so I won't use it. I just ask Your Highness to be kind to the people of Moling and the people of Jiangdong."  " "The country is people-oriented. Of course I will treat the people of Jiangdong well. The people of Jiangdong, like the people of Chang'an, are all Han people. I hope that the prosperity of Jiangdong can be restored as soon as possible.  " "The country is based on the people!  " Huang Gai sighed lowly, "Wu Hou also said this to me, but in order to recruit food and soldiers, he threw these words behind him. Your Highness, it is easier said than done!  " "The old general is right. I also believe that Sun Quan does not want to use up all the land to fish, but in recent years Jiangdong has been divided internally and its vitality has been greatly weakened. If he still wants the army to return to its strength, that can only be the misfortune of the people of Jiangdong.  " Liu Jing spoke very sincerely and did not avoid the reality. Huang Gai was speechless. Liu Jing understood Huang Gai's mood. He had been loyal to the Sun family for three generations. Now he is asked to surrender. It is estimated that he will not agree. As long as Huang Gai does not contradict him,  Sooner or later, it was only a matter of time that he would turn his allegiance to him. Therefore, Liu Jing did not mention surrender at all. He just came to visit Huang Gai. He stood up and said with a smile: "The old general needs to rest, so I won't disturb you. I hope you will."  After the old general recovered from his injury, he went back to his hometown to visit. The folks in Lingling said that the old general had not gone back for a long time.  Huang Gai was moved and nodded and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for reminding me. I will definitely go back to my hometown to have a look."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1035 The End of Jiangdong (Part 1)

    That night, the Han army finally launched an attack on Jianye City. One hundred giant trebuchets launched a fierce attack on the east and west cities of Jianye City at the same time 300 steps away. Giant rocks roared in the sky, and huge fireballs streaked across the darkness.  In the night sky, it was as if a lightning ball hit the city. Clay pots weighing fifty kilograms of kerosene rose into the air, rolled in the air, and hit the Jianye city wall one after another.  The battlements were hit by huge rocks and broke instantly, with rubble flying everywhere. The soldiers hid under the walls and did not dare to raise their heads. The trebuchets at the top of the city were hit by huge rocks and broke suddenly. The broken giant trees fell heavily into the city.  .  But what was truly terrifying was the Han army's kerosene attack. A sealed clay pot filled with kerosene hit the city wall. The pot shattered and the kerosene flowed all over the ground. Then it was ignited by the roaring fireball.  A raging fire instantly ignited. As the clay pots of kerosene continued to be fired, the fire continued to spread and became more violent.  The soldiers at the top of the city screamed as they were burned. Countless soldiers rushed through the fire and fled down the city. However, many were hit by the thick smoke and fell into the burning kerosene, and were burned and shrunk into a ball.  But the goal of the Han army was not just the city head, but also the targets inside the city. Jianye Palace was located directly north of the city, with the military camp to the south. The buildings on the east and west sides were the Jiangdong official offices. Since the city was relatively small, most of the official offices were close to each other.  city ??wall.  The main target of the Han army's attacks on the east and west sides was the government offices in the city. At this time, all the government buildings close to the city wall were ignited by fire. The fire was spreading rapidly and gradually engulfed the entire government offices. Many officials and their families lived in the government offices.  , amidst screams of fear, hundreds of officials and their families escaped from the official office, and under the guidance of soldiers, evacuated toward the relatively safe Jianye Palace.  Just when the fire in Jianye City was raging, ten giant ships of 3,000 stones pushed southward from the Yangtze River along the Qinhuai River, gradually approaching Jianye North City. Jianye City was in chaos, but Lu Meng watched nervously outside the North City.  He had already discovered the true intention of the Han army, which was to use the advantage of kerosene to burn down the buildings in the city.  There are official offices on the east and west sides, which have no meaning anymore. Burning them down will not affect the war situation. The military camp in the south is slightly more important, but it is not necessary to protect it. The key is the north. To the north is the Jianye Palace and the warehouse group. Once the Jianye Palace or the warehouse group  If it catches fire, then Jianye City can no longer be defended.  At this moment, a soldier pointed to the river outside the city and shouted: "General, look!" Lu Meng suddenly saw it too. In the night, a huge boat silhouette appeared hundreds of steps away, slowly heading towards Jianye City.  , Jiangdong Army is well aware of various tactics of the navy. If a warship is close to the city, it is most likely a siege ship. Once the height of the siege ship exceeds the city, it will be even easier to attack the city.  The warships approaching from a distance were very large, more than four feet tall, and were obviously higher than the city wall. If they were siege ships, the consequences would be very serious.  Lu Meng immediately ordered: "Send kerosene to burn the ships!" They knew how to deal with the siege ships. Immediately, soldiers poured thousands of barrels of kerosene into the Qinhuai water. The kerosene flowed out of the city and slowly toward the ships.  At this time, the Han soldiers who were ambushing outside the city used torches to ignite the kerosene in the river. The kerosene burned quickly, and the entire river was burning with a blue flame.  But the kerosene in the river slowed down after flowing out for more than a hundred steps, and instead flowed into a small tributary nearby. It can't be seen clearly from the city head, but if you walk to the river, you will clearly see the water on the river.  Hundreds of huge trees connected together intercepted the kerosene floating on the river, causing it to turn around and flow to another small tributary, unable to burn the Han warships at all.  This is also the response strategy of the Han army. As long as the kerosene is diverted away, no matter how much kerosene the Jiangdong Army adds, they will not be able to burn the warships. The five warships are lined up 300 steps away, and each warship is equipped with three giant catapults.  The machine is equipped with a large fireball in its projection pocket, waiting for the order to be issued.  On a large ship further away, Liu Jing stood on the bow of the ship with his hands behind his hands, staring coldly at Jianye City, which was shrouded in fire and thick smoke. The fire had already made the city a mess. He could take advantage of this moment.  Attack the city, but he still hopes to surrender without a fight and let Sun Quan surrender on his own. Tonight is just a warning to Jianye. If Jianye City still refuses to surrender, then don't blame him for burning the city with fire.  "Launch!" Liu Jing gave the order.  The Han soldiers lit huge fireballs, and fifteen trebuchets on five warships were launched at the same time. The fifteen large fireballs rose into the sky and flew roaring into the city. There was an exclamation on the top of the city, and the Jiangdong soldiers raised their heads.  Watching a dozen large fireballs passing over his head and flying towards the city, Lu Meng's heart went cold. He saw that the Han army's intention was not to target the warehouse, but to target the Jianye Palace due north. This was the Han army's intention.  Attacking Jianye Palace.  Jianye Palace was not close to the North City, but more than 200 steps away from the North City Wall. The Han army obviously knew the structure of the city very well. Their fifteen fireballs were extremely elastic. After landing, they bounced up again and shot straight into the city.In the palace of industry.  Seeing that the fire oil in the river had no effect, Lu Meng was so anxious that he shouted: "Counterattack with trebuchets!" Ten trebuchets on Jianye North City were launched. Jianye City could not install giant trebuchets, so it could only install large trebuchets.  This trebuchet can project a boulder weighing fifty kilograms more than two hundred steps away.  But the Han army was 300 steps away from the warship. In order to hit the Han army warship, they could only reduce the weight of the stone. A stone weighing more than ten pieces and thirty kilograms flew out of the city and shot at the Han army warship.  The Han warship was far away from the city, but three large rocks still hit the target.  ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ The ground hit the big ship, and a big hole was smashed into the hull. At the same time, the Han army launched a second round of fireballs, and another fifteen fireballs streaked across the sky, crossing the city wall and hitting Jianye Palace.  Seeing that Jiangdong's army had begun to counterattack, Liu Jing ordered: "The fleet retreats!" The fleet slowly turned around and headed towards the Yangtze River, gradually moving away from the range of Jiangdong's trebuchets.  At this time, the Jianye Palace was in chaos. Dozens of fireballs broke into the harem, some fell into the water, and some crashed into the harem buildings. A fireball rushed into the 100-meter building where Sun Quan's wife, Mrs. Xie, lived.  The curtains of the Bird Tower were set on fire. Soon, the Hundred Bird Tower, which covers an area of ??about five acres, was engulfed in flames. The maids were so frightened that they screamed in terror and fled forward, surrounding Mrs. Xie.  In the back hall, a large fireball smashed the roof, rushed into the lobby, and slowly stopped in front of a wooden pillar. Dozens of guards poured water and covered it with soil to finally extinguish the fireball.  Next to him, Sun Quan looked pale and stared blankly at the fireball being extinguished. He looked up at the roof again and saw a big hole was opened on the roof. At this time, two maids ran over in a panic, "Wu Hou! Madam's Hundred Birds"  The building is on fire!" Sun Quan was shocked, "How is Madam?" "Madam has escaped and is in the front hall. Please come over, please." Several guards nearby also advised: "The stables and Minglou are also on fire.  The harem is not safe, Marquis Wu should stay away. " Sun Quan sighed for a while, turned around and walked to the front hall. At this time, the safest place in Jianye Palace was the front hall. The huge hall was crowded with people.  Sun Quan's wives and concubines and more than a hundred maids who had escaped from the harem, as well as hundreds of officials' families who had escaped from the official offices, gathered in groups and talked about it. They were still afraid of the fire attack that took place tonight.  Sun Quan walked into the front hall, and the hall suddenly became quiet. Hundreds of pairs of eyes looked at Sun Quan. Sun Quan did not speak and turned to leave. At this time, Mrs. Xie ran over, grabbed Sun Quan and persuaded: "General,  It¡¯s safe here, just stay here!¡± Sun Quan broke away from her hand and left the front hall without looking back. Mrs. Xie watched him go away and sighed quietly, seeing that Jianye City was not safe, their fate  So what will happen? It is best for the husband to surrender and live the rest of his life in peace!  After the Han army's trebuchets attacked for more than an hour, they slowly retreated. There was no follow-up attack, and the fires in the city gradually extinguished. Apart from the trebuchets that were smashed or burned, there was basically nothing else on the east and west walls.  loss.  But the government office was severely burned, and the fire did not gradually extinguish until the middle of the night. Hundreds of government offices on the east and west sides were all burned down, leaving only a ruined wall. All kinds of documents and bamboo slips piled up in the house were destroyed.  Some buildings in the harem of Jianye Palace were also burned down, especially the Baque Tower where Mrs. Xie lived and the Ming Tower where Sun Quan meditated and cultivated his character. Three maids were burned to death and more than a dozen maids were injured.  The casualties of the soldiers were not large. Only about a hundred defenders were burned to death before they could escape. Although the casualties were not large, it brought a devastating blow to the morale of Jiangdong. The soldiers were tired of war and damaged their weapons frequently.  Many soldiers were caught trying to escape from the city.  But the Han army¡¯s fire attack was only a threat and had little impact on the lives of the soldiers. However, another threat that directly affected lives emerged. A disease broke out in the army, and nearly a hundred people fell ill, causing panic in the army.  At the fifth watch, at the south gate of Jianye City, hundreds of Jiangdong soldiers rushed to the top of the city, trying to escape over the city wall. They were immediately discovered by the defenders. The defenders immediately sounded the alarm. In the chaos, countless soldiers tied them up with ropes.  As the battlements climbed down, many soldiers panicked and jumped directly from the top of the city into the moat.  Not long after, General Dong Xi, who was responsible for the defense of the south gate, hurried over and reported: "Reporting to General Dong, hundreds of soldiers have escaped. The interception by the low-ranking officer was not good. Most of them ran away. Only three people were captured."  " Dong Xi walked up to the three people who were arrested and saw that one of them was still a teenager. He couldn't bear it, so he asked, "Why are you running away?" The boy burst into tears, "My father is ill.  He asked me to escape, or I would die too. I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Dong Xi sighed and ordered the people around him, ¡°Let them go!¡±After catching the three arrested people, Lu Meng also came over after hearing the news. He asked anxiously: "General Dong, how many people escaped?" "I don't know the exact number, but it is estimated to be three to four hundred people." "This is incredible.  Damn it, the Han army will definitely know that there is a plague in our army." Dong Xi couldn't help it anymore and said: "Captain Lu, I really don't understand what's the point of guarding this city. Do we have to wait until we all die of illness?  , let the Han army collect the corpses for us?" Lu Meng sighed, "I don't know, but if Wu Hou is not allowed to surrender, who would dare to surrender?" Dong Xi tensed up and said nothing.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1036 The End of Jiangdong (Part 2)

    It was already daybreak. On the square of Jianye Palace, Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi led more than 30 officials to collectively seek to see Sun Quan and beg Sun Quan to negotiate with the Han army. The so-called negotiation was just a glorified way of saying surrender. At most, the treatment after surrender was somewhat different.  Therefore, especially for Jiangdong's important ministers, negotiated surrender will only allow them to continue to enjoy wealth and honor. However, once the Han army attacks the city in a large scale and has no eyesight with swords, their lives will not be saved.  Especially last night the Han army launched a fire attack.  The power of the fire that burned the sky frightened Jiangdong officials. The official offices where they lived were burned to the ground, and Jianye Palace was almost burned down. This allowed the officials to witness the cruelty and ruthlessness of the war with their own eyes and realize the dangers of Jianye City.  The weakness is that the city is too small and has no depth. Once the Han army attacks the city in a large scale, Jianye City will be destroyed.  Not only Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi, but also all the officials understood that Liu Jing was just warning them and urging them to surrender. If they still persisted, the next step would be to burn the city with fire, and everyone would be burned to death.  "Wuhou, please listen to me and make a decision as soon as possible!" Zhang Zhao's voice was hoarse. He didn't know how long he shouted, but Sun Quan just ignored him. Zhang Zhao was discouraged and turned around and said to everyone: "Wuhou is stubborn, we  What should we do? "At this time, everyone's eyes were looking at Yan Zhen. Everyone was of the same mind and hoped that Yan Zhen could go on an envoy again. Yan Zhen secretly smiled bitterly. Without Wu Hou's order, what is his mission?  This is a big problem. After all, Sun Quan is the lord of Jiangdong. Without Sun Quan's order, their reputation will be unfair, and they may even be suspected of betraying their master. Civil servants value this reputation very much, which makes everyone very embarrassed.  .  Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhe looked at each other. At this point, they no longer care about so much. Bu Zhi said slowly: "We can first understand Liu Jing's bottom line. This can be regarded as understanding the other party's situation. The final decision will of course be made by  Marquis Wu came to make a decision. I think it¡¯s not a big deal. What do you think?¡± Everyone agreed, ¡°Chang Shi is right. It¡¯s okay to understand the situation!¡± Zhang Zhao said to Yan Zhen, ¡°Please be kind.  I will go to the Han Army camp again and have another talk with the King of Han!" Seeing that everyone unanimously recommended him, Yan Zhen had no choice but to bow and say, "I would like to go to the Han Army camp." Everyone was overjoyed and gathered around him.  Yan Zhen left. At this time, Bu Zhi whispered to Zhang Zhao: "I think the key lies in that person!" Bu Zhi glanced quickly at Jianye Palace. Zhang Zhao understood Bu Zhi's meaning and said: "First  Let Mancai go and find out more." Bu Zhao nodded. He also knew that we couldn't talk deeply now, so he turned and walked outside the Jianye Palace. Zhang Zhao's eyes flickered. If it didn't work, he could only take the next step. Yan  Zhen was led by two Han army guards to the Chinese army's tent in the Han camp. The guards stood at the door and reported to the tent, "His Royal Highness the King of Han, the Jianye envoy has brought him." "Invite him in!  " Although he said "please", he was not as polite as last time. He didn't say anything to welcome him out of the tent, and his tone was more severe. Yan Zhen felt quite uneasy and walked into the big tent quickly.  I saw a huge wooden sculpture of the city in the center of the tent. Liu Jing and more than a dozen high-ranking civil and military officials gathered in front of the wooden sculpture. Yan Zhen did not take a closer look. He stepped forward and bowed deeply to Liu Jing, "Yan Zhen meets His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing looked at it.  Yan Zhen glanced at it and smiled slightly: "Mr. Yan, why don't you help us see if there are any shortcomings in this wooden city?" Yan Zhen then recognized that this wooden city turned out to be Jianye City. He was secretly surprised.  After careful observation, we found that the wooden city was perfectly made, with city walls, palaces, government offices, military camps, and warehouses all complete. The orientation and size were completely consistent with the real city. Even the width of the Qinhuai River flowing in the city was exactly the same as the actual one. It can be seen that the Han army had already  He knows Jianye City well.  Yan Zhen smiled bitterly and said: "The city is impeccably built and the details are perfect. It's a pity that the official office was burned down by a fire last night and no longer exists." "That's it!" Liu Jing smiled and gave a signal to the worker next to him.  With a look, the two officials immediately took away the two official offices, and Jianye City suddenly became empty. "Is this right?" Liu Jing asked again with a smile.  "There are ruins everywhere in Jianye City. How can it be so clean and tidy?" Liu Jing nodded, but no longer asked about Mucheng. She changed the topic and asked: "Did Mr. Yan come here on his own initiative, or did he come under the order of Wu Hou?"  "" Yan Zhen thought of many reasons along the way. When Liu Jing asked him one sentence, Yan Zhen knew that he could not hide it from Liu Jing. Trying to trick Liu Jing would only be counterproductive, so he had to tell the truth: "  Reporting back to His Highness, all the civil servants were willing to negotiate with the Han army, but Wu Hou ignored them. Everyone had no choice but to recommend me to the Han army camp, hoping to have another talk with His Highness the King of Han. " Liu Jing smiled lightly, "  If the negotiation isRegarding your personal future and wealth, I can say clearly that as long as you are loyal to the Han Dynasty, I can guarantee your prosperity and wealth, and even allow you to continue to use your talents, so that your career will no longer be limited to Jiangdong, but will look to the world.  But if the negotiation is for Jiangdong, then there is no need to continue the negotiation.  " Yan Zhen felt that he had no room to speak at all. Every word Liu Jing said blocked his way out. He could only sigh and remain silent, waiting for Liu Jing's ultimatum. Liu Jing walked away for a few seconds with his hands behind his back.  Bu added: "I might as well tell Duke Yan the truth. Since an epidemic broke out among the defenders of Jianye City, I will not delay it any longer. I have decided to attack the city today. Once I attack the city, the entire Jianye City will be burned to the ground. I  I don't want to see this scene, so Duke Yan might as well go back with a message. At exactly 1 hour tonight, the Han army will burn Jianye City. If we surrender before then, the lives of the Dukes and the soldiers of the three armies can be saved!  " Yan Zhen brought back Liu Jing's ultimatum, which caused panic among Jiangdong officials in Jianye City. What they were most worried about was finally going to happen. Once the Han army burned the city, no one's life could be saved. Dozens of people were killed.  Jiangdong's senior officials once again gathered in front of Jianye Palace and called on Wu Hou to come out of the palace to discuss, but Sun Quan still ignored him. Even the guards didn't know where he was hiding. Time passed, and the confrontation in front of Jianye Palace?  There was still no result. Seeing that it was getting dark, the officials were even more worried and rushed to find the military advisor Zhang Zhao. Unexpectedly, the military advisor Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhao disappeared, causing everyone to panic at the South Gate Military Camp.  In the eye-catching military camp, Zhang Zhao, Bu Zhi and Lu Meng were conducting final negotiations. Time could no longer afford to delay. They had no other option but to force Sun Quan to surrender. However, there was much to be learned about how to force Sun Quan to surrender.  However, Zhang Zhao has a more clever way, but he only needs Lu Meng's cooperation. "Time is running out. If we don't surrender, I'm afraid we will live and die with Jianye. The current plan can only force Wu Hou to make the final decision."  .  " When Zhang Zhao said this, he sighed slightly, but looked at Lu Meng. The implication was that he wanted Lu Meng to come forward. Lu Meng pondered for a moment and said: "I also have generals who want to open the city and surrender. Why not let them directly sacrifice Jianye?  ?  "Bu Zhao said from the side: "The general's dedication of the city and the surrender of Wuhou are completely different. The general's dedication of the city is our prisoner of war, but the surrender of Wuhou is our surrender, which has completely different meanings.  " Zhang Zhao added: "And I don't want anything to happen to the Marquis of Wu. If he takes an extreme step, wouldn't we become sinners? It would be best if he surrenders the city, so we need to find someone to admonish the Marquis of Wu.  " "I know there is a man who is willing to come forward to remonstrate with the Marquis of Wu, but I am afraid that he will refuse to give the order to surrender. What should I do then?  Bu Zhi smiled slightly and said, "General Lu, don't worry about this. I have my own way."  " In the Star-Zhaing Pavilion of Jianye Palace, Sun Quan was drinking wine alone. These days, he spent most of his time drinking in extreme depression. In just a few days, his hair was already half white. Seeing that the Jiangdong Building was about to collapse,  How could he explain to his father and brother? Sun Quan didn¡¯t know what was going on outside, and he didn¡¯t want to know. He just wanted to get drunk and forget all his worries. There were more than a dozen personal guards around Sun Quan, and they didn¡¯t dare to tell Sun Quan the truth, let alone  He dared to persuade him to surrender. Three days ago, Sun Quan killed two guards who persuaded him to surrender. Everyone was silent. Sun Quan was crying and singing. He drank wildly and drank all the wine in one gulp.  , reached for the jug, but found that the jug was empty, so he shouted: "Bring more wine!  " At this time, a scream came from outside, followed by shouting, and the sound of swords clashing, which surprised Sun Quan. He stood up holding on to the wall, staggered two steps, and the door was slammed.  Opening, dozens of heavily armed soldiers rushed in, led by General Dong Xi. He held a broadsword and looked at Sun Quan coldly, "General Dong, what are you doing?  "Sun Quan asked in surprise. "In half an hour, the Han army will burn the city with fire, and no one will survive. Does Wu Hou know?  " Sun Quan shook his head, "I don't know!  " "These guards concealed the information and missed important events. They deserve death. I have killed them all. Now I ask Wu Hou to order Kaicheng to surrender and save the lives of 10,000 innocent soldiers.  Sun Quan was furious, pointed at Dong Xi and cursed: "Are you treason?"  " "Being humble is not a rebellion, it is to save the lives of Wu Hou and the soldiers. The situation is critical. Please give Wu Hou an order!"  Sun Quan pulled out the sword from the wall and shouted: "If we die together, we will all die together. I will never surrender. I will kill you first, you traitor!"  " He swung his sword to strike at Dong Xi. Dong Xi struck with his broadsword and the sword was broken in two. Sun Quan was unable to stand and fell to the ground. Dong Xi winked and several soldiers stepped forward to hold Sun Quan down. Dong Xi  Xi sighed and said:It was not my intention to humble myself, but in order to save the lives of Wu Hou and all the soldiers, I had no choice but to humiliate Wu Hou first.  "The soldiers blocked Sun Quan's mouth and pushed him out. Sun Quan was furious, but he couldn't shout. In front of Jianye Palace, nearly ten thousand soldiers and dozens of civilian officials gathered at the foot of the steps, waiting for Sun Quan to come out and announce his surrender.  , the crowd was dense, everyone looked anxious and expectant, and there was only a quarter of an hour left before the deadline. At this time, the bell rang, and the soldiers suddenly burst into cheers, and Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi were seen accompanying Wu.  Hou Sun Quan came out. Although the light was flickering and the face of Wu Hou could not be seen clearly, everyone recognized that this person was Sun Quan. Without saying a word, Sun Quan sat down behind the table and stepped forward.  Taking a step forward, he opened the brocade scroll and announced: "God's will is irreversible. In order to save Jiangdong from the devastation of war, for the millions of people, and for all the soldiers to go home and reunite with their parents, wives and children, I have decided to give up resistance." More than 10,000 soldiers broke out again  There were cheers, everyone hugged each other, and cried with joy. Although Lu Meng vaguely guessed that the 'Sun Quan' sitting behind the desk was not real, at this point, that was all he could do. He immediately ordered: "Kaicheng, go to Xiang."  The Han army surrendered!  " In September of the 22nd year of Jian'an, Sun Quan issued an order to give up resistance. The last 10,000 Jiangdong troops trapped in Jianye City surrendered. Jianye City fell. The fall of Jianye City also meant the destruction of the Jiangdong regime.  Five days after Liu Jing unified the south except Jiaozhou, Sun Shangxiang, the second concubine of the Han Dynasty, arrived in Jiangdong by boat.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1037 Jiangdong¡¯s funeral

    Sun Shangxiang returned to Jiangdong on the one hand to sacrifice her mother, and on the other hand to appease Jiangdong. She had a high prestige among the soldiers and people of Jiangdong, and people still remember the reckless, chivalrous and lovely princess of Jiangdong.  In the Danyang County Yamen, more than a hundred high-ranking civil and military officials from Jiangdong gathered together to pay homage to Princess Shangxiang. In the past, Sun Shangxiang did not have such a high political status, but with the fall of Jiangdong, everyone was restless and full of confusion about the future, and  Sun Shangxiang was both the princess of Jiangdong and the second concubine of the Han Dynasty. Invisibly, she became a communication bridge between Liu Jing and the officials of Jiangdong.  Jiangdong¡¯s high-ranking civil and military officials trusted her and could accept her emotionally. There was silence in the lobby, and countless pairs of eyes silently stared at Princess Shangxiang, who had gradually matured.  "Jiangdong is over. As the daughter of Marquis Wucheng and the sister of General Bofu, I feel very sad and disappointed. After all, this is the foundation founded by my father and brother with their blood and sweat. It has ended so quietly. Emotionally, I accept it.  No, but like everyone else, I have to face reality. "Sun Shangxiang's voice choked up, and tears rolled down his face. Many Jiangdong generals couldn't help turning their faces and secretly wiped away their tears. The civil servants were also sad. Sun Shangxiang.  Wiping away the tears with a handkerchief, he slowly said: "At the beginning of the year, I received a letter from my brother. In the letter, my brother asked me to persuade the King of Han to let Jiangdong go. For this reason, I was also very angry and anxious. I didn't know what to do.  , until I met a young Jiangdong couple in Chang'an East City, they were refugees from Wucheng, and after talking with them, I realized that the Jiangdong regime was unpopular and hated by the people of Jiangdong.  As long as Jiangdong exists, the people will suffer. How is such a monarch different from Dong Zhuo? I asked myself, is Jiangdong the back garden of the Sun family or the home of the people of Jiangdong? I finally realized that my anger and anxiety were  How selfish. They only think about how to preserve the power of Jiangdong, but never consider the life and death of the people in Jiangdong. How many families are separated and how many people die on the battlefield, just to preserve the Sun family's country, a Sun family's country that is spurned by the people. I  I'd rather not!" Sun Shangxiang's voice was not loud, but it penetrated everyone's heart. Some officials thought deeply, some officials were ashamed, and more officials sighed secretly. What Princess Shangxiang said was not true.  "The King of Han personally assured me that the Sun family was not a treasonous person. He would treat her kindly and Jiangdong's civil and military officials would continue to reuse her. In short, I hope everyone will remember that no matter who is in power in Jiangdong, they need to treat the people of Jiangdong well.  "Zhang Zhao secretly admired from the side. Lord Shangxiang has indeed made great progress and has become very good at talking. First of all, he said that he was kind to the Sun family, which undoubtedly reassured many officials who cared about Sun Quan. Then he said that he would continue to reuse Jiangdong Civil and Military Affairs.  Officials, this appeases the officials who are worried about the future. Finally, by saying to treat the people of Jiangdong well, it will legitimize Liu Jing's rule in Jiangdong, which is what the people want.  But Zhang Zhao was more concerned about Jiangdong's status in Han Dynasty. He asked tentatively: "Princess Shangxiang, should my officials in Jiangdong stay in Jiangdong and continue serving as officials, or should they join Chang'an to serve?" Sun Shangxiang hesitated and said: "The specific details, King Han  He didn't tell me, he just said that Jiangdong will be restored to counties. In other words, there won't be too many officials in Jiangdong. I think most of the officials will go to Beijing or be transferred to other places to serve as officials. " Zhang Zhao had some thoughts.  Disappointed, Princess Shangxiang obviously didn¡¯t know Liu Jing¡¯s official arrangements. At this time, Sun Shangxiang smiled and said, ¡°Maybe I can ask the King of Han specifically tonight and give you a clear answer tomorrow.¡± At night, Sun Shangxiang and her husband  A long separation is better than a newlywed. The two of them had a lot of affection. Sun Shangxiang panted. After a long time, she slowly calmed down. She snuggled in Liu Jing's arms. Thinking of what happened during the day, she said coquettishly: "I'm here for you today."  You have done a lot, how are you going to repay me?" Liu Jing kissed her gently on the face and said with a smile, "I will continue to work hard to make you pregnant with a baby girl as soon as possible." Sun Shangxiang blushed.  He pinched his arm and said coquettishly: "You also said that I catered to you like that in Lingzhou, but I couldn't get pregnant. Is it possible this time?" "I have a feeling that you will be able to do it when you return to your hometown.  " Sun Shangxiang sighed lowly. How much she hoped to have a lovely daughter. At this moment, she suddenly remembered something. Just as she was about to speak, she remembered that Tao Zhan had told her not to treat her husband, so she bit her tongue again.  Lips, finally did not say exposed.  "What do you want to say?" Liu Jing asked with a smile when she saw that she was hesitant to speak.  "Nothing!" Sun Shangxiang shook his head hurriedly, and then changed the subject: "I'm thinking, how should I reply to them tomorrow?" Liu Jing was naturally very aware of the meeting between Sun Shangxiang and Jiangdong Baiguan. He was very satisfied with Sun Shangxiang's performance, and she took the initiative.  It is indeed much more effective than coming forward on his own. The emotions of everyone in Jiangdong have basically been calmed down. The following isWe must consider how to resettle them and give them certain political benefits, so that we can completely regain Jiangdong.  Liu Jing said with a smile: "I will talk to a few important people tomorrow. I plan to expand the Five Prime Ministers' Kingdom into the Seven Prime Ministers' Kingdom. Zhang Zhao will become the Prime Minister, Bu Zhi will be the Minister of Huangmen, Gu Yong will offer wine to the Imperial Academy, and Yu Fan will be appointed as the Imperial Guard.  Shi Zhongcheng, these are the main officials I have decided on." Sun Shangxiang nodded silently. She understood her husband's arrangement, which balanced the interests of various factions in Jiangdong. She thought for a moment and said, "The governors of the counties in Jiangdong are sent from Chang'an.  "Liu Jing shook her head, "I will send Yushi Zhongcheng to inspect Jiangdong, but the governors of various places in Jiangdong should try to use Jiangdong's old ministers. Zhou Li will be the governor of Danyang, Lu Su will be the governor of Wu County, and I want Huang Gai to be the governor of Kuaiji.  , He is quite prestigious among the Shanyue people and can ensure the safety of Kuaiji." Sun Shangxiang was surprised, "Isn't Sun Shao the governor of Kuaiji?" "Sun Shao is not capable. I will let him inherit the title of Wuhou and serve as the governor of Yangzhou.  "An Jiangdong people's heart." "What are you going to do with my brother?" Sun Shangxiang asked timidly.  Liu Jing understood his wife's worries. He couldn't help but hold her tightly in his arms and said softly: "Now he is temporarily imprisoned, but he is very angry. I plan to wait for him to calm down and make him General Fenwei.  Lived in Jiangxia for a long time. " Sun Shangxiang sighed in her heart. She understood what her husband meant, which was to put her brother under house arrest. Although she felt sad, she also knew that her husband not only kept the Sun family alive, but also did not exile her brother to a desert island.  This has already done my utmost to be kind and righteous to myself.  Thinking of this, Sun Shangxiang put his arms around Liu Jing's neck and said coquettishly to him: "Someone just said that he wanted to compensate me twice as much. How could he not just say it?" Liu Jing laughed, turned over and pushed Sun Shangxiang away.  The next day, Sun Shangxiang once again met with more than a dozen Jiangdong officials at the Danyang County Yamen located in the north of Moling City. If yesterday she was appeasing Jiangdong officials as the Jiangdong princess, then today she is acting as the second concubine of the Han Dynasty.  , announced the funeral of Jiangdong on behalf of the King of Han.  A dozen senior officials sat aside, and everyone was a little uneasy. They knew in their hearts that since Princess Shangxiang specified that a dozen of them would be present, it meant that their future official positions had been decided.  "Let me explain something first!" Sun Shangxiang's tone became very brisk today, her face was radiant and she looked even more beautiful, her beautiful eyes were shining brightly, she said with a smile: "The first family rule of the Han Palace is that women cannot  I am doing politics. My visit to Jiangdong this time is just a special one. It will not be an exception next time. If you have any political issues in the future, you don¡¯t need to come to me. But if you have any difficulties in life, I will try my best to help.¡± Sun Shangxiang¡¯s brisk tone melted the tense atmosphere in the lobby.  He became more relaxed, and Bu Zhi smiled and said: "From now on, it will be our wife who will trouble the princess." Bu Zhi is even better at talking. Jiangdong no longer exists, and Princess Jiangdong naturally does not exist either. What they are facing now is the King of Han Dynasty.  Concubine, Sun Shangxiang nodded, "Bu Gong is right, don't call me Princess Jiangdong anymore. His Highness the King of Han was supposed to receive you today, but he said that there will be many opportunities in the future, so today I will come forward and talk to you again."  Let¡¯s talk.¡± Having said this, Sun Shangxiang turned to Zhang Zhao and said with a smile: ¡°I first want to answer Duke Zhang¡¯s question yesterday. I asked the King of Han in detail last night, so I can give Duke Zhang an answer.¡±  Zhao leaned back and said with a smile: "I would like to listen to what the princess has to say." "The King of Han said that he was going to expand the five ministers of the Han Dynasty into seven ministers, and one of them would be given to Jiangdong." Everyone's hearts suddenly jumped, Liu Jing actually gave the prime minister to the country.  The position was given to Jiangdong, which shows that he attaches great importance to Jiangdong, especially Zhang Zhao, whose face has become unnatural. He is the number one civil servant in Jiangdong. This position of prime minister should belong to him, but it is not necessarily the case. It may be Lu Xun, or it may be  After all, Sun Shao had made things difficult for Jingzhou many times, and Liu Jing might not forget it.  Sun Shangxiang felt that Zhang Zhao was a little unconfident, so he smiled and said: "Don't worry, Mr. Zhang. The King of Han has clearly told me that one of the prime minister positions will be held by Mr. Zhang." Zhang Zhao's nose suddenly became sour, and his heart felt abnormal.  Moved, Liu Jing did not forget his past grudges. How generous he was. He bowed deeply and said: "Please tell His Highness the King of Han, Princess, that I will do my best to revive our Han Dynasty."  , no one would have any objection, and everyone no longer thought about the other newly added position of prime minister. It was definitely not for Jiangdong, but what future would the King of Han give them?  Everyone's heart is full of expectations.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1038 The Return Debate

    Time gradually arrived in late September, and as the southeast wind blew less and less time, the Han army's 80,000-strong army finally embarked on its return journey. Liu Jing made the final personnel arrangements, appointing Xun Zhi as Yangzhou Yushi Zhongcheng, and inspected various areas on the left and right sides of the Yangtze River.  County, he also appointed Gan Ning as the governor of Jiangdong, with 20,000 troops and 500 warships stationed in Jiangdong. Liu Hu was appointed governor of Huainan, with 30,000 troops stationed in Hefei and Shouchun.  On the five-thousand-stone building ship, Liu Jing stood on the side of the ship and stared at the southeastern coast of the Yangtze River. In the distance, the green mountains were faint, and the large rice fields were gradually maturing. There was smoke from more than a dozen farmhouses. A group of children waved and cheered to the fleet on the shore.  , Liu Jing couldn't help but smile and waved to the children on the shore.  At this time, Lu Xun slowly walked to Liu Jing and said with a smile: "This scene is very gratifying!" "Indeed!" Liu Jing nodded and said: "When we went north from Wu County, ten rooms were empty, that kind of  It feels very uncomfortable, but here I see the smoke and the laughing children, and I feel a little better." "Lu Xun did not go into politics, but continued to serve in the military. He is now serving as the military commemorator, and he is the only one in the army.  Yu Junshi is a senior military official. Since the Jiangdong Army has basically been disbanded, Jiangdong generals such as Lu Meng, Xu Sheng, Jiang Qin, Ding Feng, Zhu Heng, Dong Xi, etc. have all joined the Han Army and been named partial generals and Zhonglang generals.  He was promoted to a higher position, given a title, and returned westward with the Han army.  Even the general Ling Tong, who had always been hostile to Liu Jing because of his father's hatred, finally gave up the hatred in his heart and was appointed as a partial general by Liu Jing. He was given the title of Tinghou and followed Liu Hu to guard Hefei.  Lu Xun stared at the south and said with a faint smile: "His Highness's next target should be Jiaozhou!" Liu Jing smiled, "It's windy here, let's go into the cabin to talk!" Lu Xun followed Liu Jing into the meeting cabin, and the two sat down  Next, a tea boy served them hot tea. Liu Jing took a sip of tea and then said slowly: "Frankly speaking, I haven't made up my mind yet on whether to attack Jiaozhou. According to my original idea, the people in Jiaozhou area  It is difficult for Liu Bei to establish a presence in Jiaozhou due to the sparse transportation and inconvenient transportation. I can simply put him down and let him pass through Jiaozhou for me first. However, according to the intelligence I recently received, Liu Bei's military strength has been restored to 30,000, which is really a big problem.  I was surprised to know that after the Northern Expedition of Liu Bei's army three years ago, the army suffered heavy losses, less than 10,000. Because the people in Jiaozhou were few and the land was small, the army recovered to 30,000 in just three years, and the people's hearts were stable, not like Jiangdong.  It puzzles me to fish in such a way. "Lu Xun smiled slightly and said: "I have a tribe named Lu Cheng. He has been living in Jiaozhou. At the beginning of the year, he returned to Wu County to worship his ancestors. I had a deep talk with him about Jiaozhou.  I also have a little understanding of the situation. If Your Highness doesn't mind my verbosity, I would like to talk to Your Highness a little more. " "When did Boyan become so humble?" Liu Jing laughed, and Lu Xun also laughed a little embarrassedly.  "Being a subordinate must have the consciousness of a subordinate. It is already an honor for Boyan to sit across from the master. He cannot be without self-awareness." Liu Jing nodded, "Bo Yan, please tell me!" Lu Xun organized his thoughts and said, "Jiaozhou  The key to the rapid recovery of military strength lies in the garrison system implemented by Zhuge Liang. In these years, Zhuge Liang implemented the garrison system in Jiaozhou, gathering all households to live in high places, building fort walls and fortresses, and strengthening the status of the elders.  All the men gather together for training during the off-season. Each camp has a commander, and the ten forts have military princes. Joint drills are held regularly, and every household has weapons and armor. It is called protecting the homeland.  In fact, all the people are soldiers. "How can we ensure food supplies?" Liu Jing asked again.  "This is Zhuge Liang's brilliance. Every household in Jiaozhou has its own land. In addition, there are also fort fields and official fields, which are close to the people's fields. Normally, the people and the official fields work together.  , even if he served in the corvee, the grain in Baotian and Guantian was turned over to the government. The grain in Baotian was used for wartime military rations, and the grain in Guantian was used for daily government expenses. Zhuge Liang also rewarded farming and war, and those who joined the official army were exempted from taxes.  If you join the Tunpu United Army, your taxes will be reduced by half, and at the same time, a high field tax of one for fifteen taxes will be implemented. This will greatly encourage Jiaozhou to join the army or join the Tunpu United Army, and it is reasonable for the Jiaozhou army to recover quickly.  "Isn't this the Jingtian system?" "The essence is the Jingtian system, but the form is different." Liu Jing pondered for a moment and asked, "You mean that the Jiaozhou army actually has more than 30,000 people?"  The head said, "The thirty thousand army is just a formal army, and there are hundreds of thousands of fortified troops. Once the war starts, all the people in Jiaozhou will be soldiers. In addition, the climate in Jiaozhou is hot and miasma is everywhere. For the Han army, Jiaozhou is not easy to fight!" Liu  Jing couldn't help but fell into deep thought. At this time, Lu Xun slowly said: "Your Highness, although Jiaozhou is difficult to attack, it is not indestructible. As long as we attack Jiaozhou's weaknesses, we can greatly weaken Jiaozhou's strength. HumbleThere are three strategies to defeat Jiaozhou's defenses one by one.  Liu Jing was overjoyed and said quickly: "Please tell me, Boy!"  " "The first policy is to cut off cooking. There is no iron ore in Jiaozhou, and iron ore must be bought from Jiangdong at high prices every year. At first, many Jiangdong officials opposed selling iron ore to Jiaozhou, but Wu Hou acquiesced in order to raise military expenses.  trade, so His Highness¡¯s top priority is to cut off the pig iron trade and leather trade with Jiaozhou. All military resources must be prohibited from entering Jiaozhou, and those who dare to smuggle will be severely punished.  Liu Jing nodded, "The Han Dynasty has already stopped trading with Jiaozhou, and Jiangdong must also strictly prohibit it. I will order the counties in Jiangdong to conduct strict inspections first, and then formulate laws to implement them after I return."  " Lu Xun added: "The second policy is to extract wages. Jiaozhou has a sparse population. Because of the heavy taxes, many Jiangdong people have fled to Jiaozhou. I heard from my clan brother that the Jiangdong people are not used to the climate, water and soil of Jiaozhou.  As long as His Highness sends someone to report Jiangdong's frivolous corvee and low taxes, I believe that the Jiangdong people who fled to Jiaozhou will come back one after another. Moreover, not everyone likes the Tunbao joint military system. I believe that many Jiaozhou people will also leave Tunbao one after another.  Fort, return to Jingzhou or Jiangdong. Population is the foundation of Jiaozhou. As long as the population is weakened, Jiaozhou's strength will naturally decline.  Liu Jing pondered for a moment, "I'm afraid that Jiaozhou will prevent the population from returning. I don't think Liu Bei will just sit idly by."  " Lu Xun chuckled, "Of course Liu Bei will stop it, but when people's thoughts return, how can he stop it?  If he goes against the will of the people, it will only cause instability in Jiaozhou. Your Highness does not need to worry. As long as your Highness does a good job of receiving and appeasing the border counties, there will continue to be people leaving Jiaozhou and returning north.  Liu Jing paced slowly in the cabin with his hands behind his back. Although he knew that Lu Xun was right and that this was indeed a way to weaken Jiaozhou, in the long run, he did not want this to happen. He did not want the Han people to leave the north of Jiaozhou.  Returning, this is harmful to the future of Jiaozhou, but if it does not weaken the population of Jiaozhou, it will increase the difficulty of the Han army's southern expedition. This really makes it difficult for Liu Jing to make a decision. "Does your Highness think it is inappropriate to withdraw salary?  "Lu Xun saw Liu Jing's hesitation. Liu Jing nodded, "With the population flowing out, it will be difficult to let them go back.  " Lu Xun suddenly understood Liu Jing's intention. He felt a little ashamed. He only thought about weakening Jiaozhou, but forgot about the century-old plan. Lu Xun said again: "If your highness feels something is wrong, then let it take its course. No need to deliberately guide it, but  A third plan for a humble position might interest His Highness.  Liu Jing turned around and said with a smile: "Tell me, what is the third strategy?"  " Just as the main force of the Han army returned to Jingzhou in a mighty manner, a major case broke out in the city of Yedu. The cause was a gathering of literati in Zhangshui. Someone wrote the poem "The old dynasty will shed tears on the water, and when will the Qing Dynasty be on its side?"  , but was exposed. Cao Pi was extremely angry and ordered a strict investigation into the matter. It was found that the poet was called Wei Xi, a very famous talent in Pei State, and had a good relationship with Chen Lin. Cao Pi ordered him to be imprisoned and severely interrogated.  It was ironically revealed that Chen Lin had secretly communicated with the Han Dynasty. Cao Pi felt that the situation was serious and reported it to his father. Cao Cao approved the words "strict investigation to the end". Cao Pi imprisoned Chen Lin for investigation and sent people to search his residence. The case gradually became bigger.  Except for Kong Rong, the seven sons of Jian'an who died early, the other six, including Chen Lin, Wang Jie, Liu Zhen, Ying Jun, Xu Qian, and Ruan Yu, were all involved in this major case. Under the harsh interrogation of the cruel officials, Yue Yue  More and more officials are involved in this "big case of liaison with the Han Dynasty". People in Yedu are panicked, and everyone in Yedu is in danger. There is a mansion covering an area of ??about 20 acres in the southwest of Yedu.  It is the residence of former military advisor Zhong Yao. Currently, there are three major military advisors in Cao Cao's army, namely former military advisor Zhong Yao, Chinese military advisor Cheng Yu and rear military advisor Liu Ye. They are all counselors trusted by Cao Cao. Zhong Yao has deep qualifications and has served for a long time.  Si Li Xiaowei, who ran Guanzhong, made great contributions to the restoration of Guanzhong. In addition, his calligraphy was very famous, and he was especially appreciated by Cao Cao and was entrusted with important tasks. In the dispute between the princes of Wei, Zhong Yao belonged to the faction that supported Cao Zhi, and he  The servants Sima Lang and Sikong Cuilin became Cao Zhi's most powerful supporters in his fight for the crown prince. Although Zhong Yao was over sixty, he maintained good health, was full of energy, and was as strong as a man. Although he had many wives and concubines, he could handle them well.  . Early in the morning, Zhong Yao was practicing his sword in the back garden. The old housekeeper came quickly and reported: "Master, Mr. Cui needs to see you for something!"  " Zhong Yao knew that the third young master Cui mentioned by the steward should be Cui Xin, the son of Cui Lin. What happened if he came to see him so early? He pondered for a while and said: "Please ask him to wait in my study outside, I will change my clothes and come!"  " Zhong Yao went back to his room and changed his clothes, but he was thinking about what happened recently. The seven sons of Jian'an were arrested. This was no accident. This should be Cao Pi taking the opportunity to cleanse Cao Zhi's power. Cui Lin must have asked his son to come to him.  It was because of this that Cui Lin was demoted to a commoner in the last Yang Cui case, and was later reused.??Guo Zicheng, who is in charge of education in the state of Wei, has something happened to him again?  Zhong Yao quickly came to the outer study room. As soon as he entered the room, Cui Xin knelt down and cried: "Uncle Shi, please save my father's life!" Zhong Yao quickly helped him up and asked, "My dear nephew, please don't panic.  "Tell me what happened?" "Uncle Qi, at dawn, the army surrounded Cui Mansion, put my father under house arrest, and began to search the mansion. I was not in the mansion last night, so I escaped.  The family members who came out said that the soldiers searched my father's study and packed three large boxes with various letters and documents. They also threatened to jail my father for severe interrogation. My poor father was old and could not withstand such torture. The younger generation was worried about his father's safety and begged.  Uncle Shi saved his life. " Zhong Yao was shocked, and then became furious. Cao Pi had gone too far. Now it's Cui Lin, isn't he next?  He immediately said to Cui Xin: "Don't worry, dear nephew, I will go to Tongque Terrace to report to Duke Wei of Ming Dynasty and save your father!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1039 The Big Case in Yedu

    Zhong Yao's carriage was driving fast on the street, followed by more than a dozen servants on horseback and armed with swords. Now the situation in Yedu is not stable. Ministers must be escorted by servants when they go out. In the past, they traveled incognito and rode donkeys for leisure.  No longer exists.  In the carriage, Zhong Yao frowned and thought about countermeasures. He really did not expect that Cui Lin would also be affected. Cui Lin was the head of the Cui family in Qinghe and one of the leaders of the noble clans in the world. His daughter was the wife of Cao Zhi. Cao Pi was very interested in him.  The intention to eradicate the remaining members of Cao Zhi's party is very obvious.  Zhong Yao is also worried about his own fate. Two days ago, someone revealed that he had been in close contact with Zhang Ji, the current prefect of Jingzhao of Han Dynasty. This was also to collect evidence that Zhong Yao was collaborating with the enemy.  You must know that when he was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of Sili School, Zhang Ji was his most effective staff member and deputy. Now that Zhang Ji is being reused by Liu Jing, it is extremely normal for him to write letters to himself, but some people will try to frame him.  If you really want to inflict a crime, why bother?  What worries Zhong Yao even more is that without Cao Cao¡¯s nod, even if Cao Pi had a thousand courages, he would not dare to mess around with Cui Mansion and search Cui Lin. Then the question becomes, why did Cao Cao allow Cao Pi to eradicate it?  alien?  Is it to maintain the stability of Wei State, or to smooth the transfer of power?  Of course, Zhong Yao also admitted that Cao Pi was not qualified enough. In the past, he issued political orders in the name of Cao Cao, and some people listened to his orders. Now, he issues orders as the prince of the supervisory country. Regardless of the court or the local government, he is obeying and violating his orders.  The order could not leave Yedu. The Ding order was issued last year. It came with great momentum, but in the end it came back in vain. No one paid attention to it, which dealt a heavy blow to Cao Pi's prestige.  But this does not mean that Cao Pi can launch a political purge. On the contrary, his doing so will only make people more contemptuous of him. He does not even have this tolerance, how can he tolerate people from all over the world in the future?  Zhong Yao thought all the way. After a while, the carriage drove into the Tongque Palace and stopped in front of the steps. Zhong Yao got out of the carriage and met military advisor Cheng Yu. The two greeted him with a smile. Zhong Yao asked:  "Commissioner Cheng came to see Wei Gong?" Cheng Yu nodded and said after a while: "Yuan Chang doesn't know yet! Jianye has been conquered by the Han army, and Sun Quan and all the civil and military officials in Jiangdong surrendered to Liu Jing.  " Zhong Yao was shocked. Although they all knew that Jiangdong was doomed, he was still shocked to hear the news that Jianye had been breached. This meant that Jiangdong no longer existed.  "When did this news come out?" Zhong Yao asked anxiously.  "Yesterday! I heard that Wei Gong stayed up all night because of this." Cheng Yu smiled bitterly, "I can understand that if I heard the news last night, I would have stayed up all night." Zhong Yao nodded silently. At this moment, Cui Linzhi  Things suddenly became unimportant. Jiangdong's demise cast a heavy shadow on his heart. At this time, a guard hurriedly came out, bowed and saluted: "Wei Gong invites the two military advisors to meet in the outer study." Cheng Yu  Looking at each other with Zhong Yao, the two walked towards the inner palace together. In the outer study, Cao Cao sat calmly at the table and read some important local documents. Basically, he transferred all military and political affairs to his son Cao Pi.  But he is not without things to do. For example, the power to appoint and remove senior officials and mobilize the army is still firmly in his hands, and he will take a look at some important military and political affairs.  Although Cao Cao was not as ill as he was at the beginning of the year, his energy and physical strength had severely declined, and his bones had shrunk, turning him into a rickety, thin old man. He also knew that he was in his twilight years and could not live for a few more years. How could he continue Cao Wei?  ?  It became a problem that he couldn't get rid of.  Last night, he received an urgent message from Cao Zhen in Huaibei. The Han army captured Jianye City, Sun Quan led hundreds of officials to surrender to Liu Jing, and Jiangdong was finally destroyed. This news made Cao Cao extremely depressed and made him feel an inexplicable panic.  It was as if the death knell of Jiangdong's demise was ringing for Cao Wei at the same time.  What should he do?  If we maintain the status quo and maintain this state of life and death, Liu Jing will break the situation sooner or later. Cao Cao has discovered a terrible reality. The Chibi War has been over for nearly ten years, but the strength of the north has never been able to return to the level before the war, and it is getting worse.  , it was only in the past two years that he realized the root of the problem.  In the thirteenth year of Jian'an, the fundamental reason why he was able to launch a war against the south was that he had strong financial, material and manpower resources. These strengths were not accumulated by him bit by bit, but more due to the war after he destroyed Yuan Shao.  dividend.  In fact, the land annexation in the north has become more and more intense, the number of farmers has decreased year by year, and the registered population has dropped sharply. This has naturally led to a sharp drop in government taxes and a reduction in the number of soldiers. It is precisely because of the deteriorating land conditions that the north has never recovered from the fiasco of Chibi in recent years.  On the contrary, things went from bad to worse. Last year, a war in Hefei depleted the country's power and almost caused the entire regime to collapse.  Ask yourself, the Hefei War was far inferior to the scale of the Chibi War, which resulted inSuch serious consequences show how weak Cao Wei's strength has been, and it can hardly bear even a medium-sized battle.  It was not until last year that he finally understood the root cause of the crisis, which lay in the sharp decline in farmers, the massive reduction in taxes, and the powerful people occupying too much land and hiding a large number of people, which directly led to the decline of Cao Wei. This was an inextricable knot.  To untie this knot, we must force the powerful to give up their land and release their population. Last year, he issued the Ding Order, but nothing happened.  Cao Cao also knew that his son did not have the ability to break the situation, but if he did not untie the knot, once he died, the interests of the powerful would be fixed, and it would be difficult for Cao Pi to change anything. The final result could only be the destruction of Cao Wei.  It was the demise of Jiangdong that deeply stimulated Cao Cao. He knew that he could not delay it any longer and had to break the situation as soon as possible. But even if he wanted to break the situation, he still faced two major challenges. Where to break the situation?  How much time does he have left?  Even if everything goes well, it will take at least two or three years to transition and another five years to recover. Is it possible for Liu Jing to give them so much time?  He had wasted nearly ten years. Every time he thought of this, Cao Cao felt sad and regretful.  Although Cao Cao was reading the document, he was thinking about issuing the order. Although this order has become a joke in the eyes of most people and has been ignored, Cao Cao still wants to implement it for the rest of his life.  "Mr. Wei, Commander Cheng and Commander Zhong are here." A guard whispered at the door.  Cao Cao put down the document in his hand and said with a smile: "Invite them in!" After a while, Cheng Yu and Zhong Yao came in. They both saluted, "See Wei Gong!" "You're welcome, two military advisors, please take a seat!"  Cheng Yu and Zhong Yao sat down at the guest seats, and a maid came in to serve them tea. Cao Cao said lightly: "Zhongde already knows, and Yuan Chang must have heard about it too. Liu Jing finally broke through."  Jianye City, Jiangdong has been destroyed. "Although Cao Cao spoke lightly, he could not hide the melancholy in his eyes. Cheng Yu sighed in his heart, Cao Jun has always refused to send troops to rescue. There is no suspense about Jiangdong's destruction now. What regrets can he have now?  Word.  Although he thought so, he couldn't say it like this. Cheng Yu leaned back and said: "With no kindness and righteousness, heavy taxation and exploitation, Jiangdong has long lost people's hearts. His demise is God's will. Prime Minister, there is no need to lament. Maybe this is not necessarily a bad thing for us." Zhong Yao next to him.  He also continued: "Mr. Cheng is right. Jiangdong was originally a prosperous land. It has suffered many misfortunes in recent years and has long been ruined. Liu Jing's occupation of Jiangdong is not necessarily to gain resources, but to increase the burden. He must reduce burdens and taxes, and provide relief.  Civilians, to restore the economy, Liu Jing's main energy will be on restoring Jiangdong for at least two or three years." Cao Cao nodded, "This is also the main topic I want to discuss with you two. Liu Jing has regained Jiangdong, when will he attack it?  Central Plains? In fact, I think Jiangdong is not a burden. As long as there is low covet and inaction, Jiangdong will slowly recover. After all, it is a prosperous land of fish and rice, and only one navy is needed to guard the Yangtze River. Jiangdong¡¯s  Safety can be guaranteed, and the Han army can turn around and attack the Central Plains. I'm worried that it will be next year." Cao Cao did not agree with Cheng Yu and Zhong Yao's words of comfort to him. He knew very well that Jiangdong would never become an attack by the Han army.  The stumbling blocks of the Central Plains will not become a burden. Although they signed a two-year settlement agreement, they all know that this so-called agreement has no meaning. They have signed armistice agreements countless times before and have never abided by them.  ?  Cheng Yu pondered for a moment and said: "Wei Chen feels that Liu Jing's next move should be to fight against Jiaozhou instead of dealing with the Central Plains. Only by unifying the south and having no worries will he make every effort to conquer the Central Plains. If the prime minister wants to delay the war with the Han army,  If you have time, you might as well make a fuss about Jiaozhou, maybe it can be delayed for three to five years." Cao Cao nodded and asked Zhong Yao, "What is Yuan Chang's opinion?" "Weichen also thinks that Jiaozhou is more likely.  Wei Chen heard that Jiaozhou's strength was recovering rapidly, and more importantly, Liu Bei was determined to go north. Once the Han army fought in the Central Plains, opportunities would appear in the south. How could Liu Bei miss the opportunity? Wei Chen believed that Liu Jing also knew this, so he  If you want to attack the Central Plains, you will definitely clear the way back, but Jiaozhou is not Jiangdong, and the battle is extremely difficult. Back then, the First Emperor sent Tu Sui and Zhao Tuo to lead an army of 500,000 people to conquer Jiaozhou south. It would still take four years, but Liu Jing sent an army of 100,000 people to go south.  How can the war end in Jiaozhou in two or three years? Once the Han army is trapped in Jiaozhou, it may be an opportunity for us to counterattack the Han Dynasty. "Zhong Yao's analysis was very thorough, which made Cao Cao nod.  He happily stroked his beard and said: "Yuan Chang's words really make sense. If the Han army really spends four or five years to conquer Jiaozhou, it will be our great fortune." Cheng Yu added with a smile: "Actually, Liu Jing also made strategic mistakes.  , when Jiaozhou was sent northward, almost the entire army was wiped out. At that time, Jiaozhou was captured.It was so easy to get, but Liu Jing gave up that opportunity. Now if he wants to capture Jiaozhou, he will have to spend ten times the price. I suggest Wei Gong contact Liu Bei. Maybe we can help Liu Bei.  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1040 Killing the chicken to scare the monkey

    Cheng Yu said goodbye and left, but Cao Cao left Zhong Yao behind. In the study, Cao Cao paced slowly with his hands behind his hands. He did not send anyone to invite Zhong Yao today. Zhong Yao came by himself. Of course, he had other matters, and Cao Cao  He also knew why Zhong Yao came to find him.  Zhong Yao drank tea slowly, feeling a little uneasy in his heart. He felt that Cao Cao already knew why he came. If so, I am afraid that Cui Lin's matter was not Cao Pi's fault. Zhong Yao felt chills in his heart. If Cao Cao really agreed, Cui Lin  I'm afraid the odds are against us.  At this time, Cao Cao stopped and seemed to be saying to himself: "Mr. Cheng was right just now. I should contact Liu Bei and use Liu Bei to contain Liu Jing. It may be more effective than Jiangdong." At this point,  Cao Cao glanced back at Zhong Yao and said slowly: "How about asking the military advisor to make a hard trip to Jiaozhou?" Zhong Yao sighed for a while: "Thank you Duke Wei for your kindness in protecting me!" Cao Cao smiled knowingly, and Zhong Yao was indeed very happy.  With skill and insight into his own thoughts, he pondered for a moment and said: "Some things are not as simple as the military advisor thought. Although I don't want Cao Wei to have internal strife again, but using Cui Lin to make a fuss is not just for the fight for the heir apparent." Zhong  Yao was silent, and Cao Cao sighed again: "The struggle for power is a very cruel thing, especially when power is transferred. I just want to transfer power smoothly in the remaining years. I don't want to become Yuan Benchu's second best again. I hope the military division can  "Understood." Zhong Yao nodded slightly, "Wei Chen understands!" Cao Cao smiled happily and said, "It's good that you understand. Let's talk about how to cooperate with Liu Bei!" The carriage on the return trip was much slower.  Zhong Yao looked at the people coming and going on the street, but he was thinking about what Cao Cao said to him, "Whether the Chu Ding Order can be implemented is related to Cao Wei's survival plan. If the Chu Ding Order fails, then Cao Wei will surely step down."  Following Jiangdong's footsteps, I hope to implement the order of birth in the remaining time.  ¡¯ ¡®Some things are not as simple as the military advisor thinks. Of course I don¡¯t want Cao Wei to have internal strife again, but using Cui Lin to make a fuss is not just for the fight for the heir apparent!  ' Zhong Yao sighed slightly. He finally understood why Cao Cao wanted to attack Cui Lin. The fight between the princes was just a superficial thing, but the deeper intention was to implement the Ding order. The Cui family of Qinghe was a famous family in the world, and the family owned a large amount of land and tenant slaves.  Cui Lin was the leader of the gentry after Yang Biao. Using Cui Lin to carry out the Ding order undoubtedly had the effect of killing chickens and warning monkeys.  But it is the Cao family and the Xiahou family that really own a large amount of land. Cao Cao does not start with his own family, but uses the nobles to attack. How can he convince the people of the world? This will only push the nobles further to the Han Dynasty.  Zhong Yao felt very melancholy in his heart. He was not optimistic about Cao Cao's reform at all. A reform that relied solely on power without the determination of a strong man to cut off his wrists would not be successful. However, he could understand Cao Cao's difficulties. Cao Wei's army was defeated by the Cao family and the Xiahou family.  Control, in this case, how could Cao Cao touch the vital interests of these two families.  Zhong Yao couldn't help but think of Liu Jing. He didn't have a huge family to back him up. Under certain circumstances, this was not a good thing. Without the fetters of family interests, many things would be much easier. Perhaps this was why Liu Jing was also more successful in land reform.  The reason for Cao Cao's success.  "Master, do you want to go back home first?" The carriage reached the crossroads, and a servant interrupted Zhong Yao's thoughts.  Zhong Yao thought for a while and said, "Go to the military station first. In addition, you go back and tell your wife that I am going on a far journey tomorrow and ask her to prepare her luggage now." The carriage turned around and drove to the military station not far away.  The full name of the military office where Zhong Yao's office is located is called the General's Office. It is also the highest command office of Cao Jun. It is parallel to the Prime Minister's Office where Cao Pi manages government affairs. Although Cao Pi currently has some military power, it is only for logistics, recruitment, military camps, etc.  The real core of the army, the power to mobilize the army, the power to appoint and remove generals, and the military orders and tiger symbols are still firmly controlled by Cao Cao.  The General's Mansion is usually staffed by three military advisors, who handle various daily affairs. Sometimes Cao Pi will come over. Due to Cheng Yu's old age, he is no longer involved in government affairs. Zhong Yao and Liu Ye are mainly responsible for the daily operations of the General.  .  Tomorrow Zhong Yao will go on a mission to Jiaozhou on behalf of Cao Cao. Cao Cao appoints Sima Lang to temporarily take over his affairs. He needs to hand over the affairs in hand to Sima Lang.  As soon as the carriage stopped in front of the military headquarters, a very tall man rushed out of the gate and ran straight to Zhong Yao's carriage. More than a dozen servants were so frightened that they hurriedly pulled out their sabers.  "Stop!" Zhong Yao shouted and stopped the reckless servant. He had recognized the person approaching his carriage, it was Xiahou Dun, the former general and governor of Yuzhou. When he saw Xiahou Dun had an angry look on his face, he pulled the car away.  Lian smiled and said, "When did Yuan Rang return to Yedu?" Xiahou Dun restrained the anger in his heart and saluted Xiahou Dun, "II just returned to Yedu this morning. How is the military advisor's health?  "    "well enough!  I just went to see Mr. Wei and got a new errand. I may have to go on a long trip.  " Xiahou Dun was startled. Zhong Yao was actually going out at this time. He quickly asked: "Where is the military advisor going?  When will you come back?  " Zhong Yao looked at the guards and servants on both sides, smiled slightly and said: "This is not the place to talk. Please come to my official room to talk.  "  "  Zhong Yao sighed secretly. It was rumored that the Cao family supported Cao Pi and the Xiahou family supported Cao Zhi. Now it seems that the rumors are true. Even Xiahou Dun went into battle shirtless and ran for Cao Zhi. It seems that their friendship is indeed extraordinary. Zhong Yao pondered.  He said for a moment: "Today I went to plead with Duke Wei because Cui Mansion was raided, but now I have changed my mind. I decided to leave for Jiaozhou tomorrow. I also advised Yuan Rang to return to Xuchang immediately. Without Duke Wei's permission, Yuan Rang  If you leave your post without permission, you will be caught. Don't make this mistake again.  "    "Why?  "  , Wei Gong knew that the Cui Lin incident was not as simple as the dispute between the princes, but related to the order of Ding. Listen to me, Yuan Rang will return to Xuchang immediately and don't get involved in this matter again.  "  Thank you, military advisor, for reminding me. I will return to Xuchang immediately.  " Not long after Xiahou Dun returned to Ye, Cao Pi received the news. He immediately ordered someone to come to Hua Xin to discuss. Hua Xin had been appointed by Cao Cao as a minister. This was also Cao Cao's compromise with Cao Pi. During the Battle of Hefei,  Cao Pi took the responsibility for the defeat and was removed from the post of Lang Zhonglang. As compensation for Cao Pi, Cao Cao reused several of Cao Pi's confidants, appointing Hua Xin as Shizhong, Wang Lang as Lang Zhongling, and Wu Zhi as Minister of Dali Temple.  , and also named Cao Zhen the backbone general and the governor of Huaibei. This actually strengthened Cao Pi's power and prepared for a smooth transfer of power. However, for Cao Pi, the military power he desired most was never available, and Cao Pi had no choice.  , he could only use another method to seize military power, which was to make good friends with the generals in charge of the military. In particular, the Cao family, Cao Ren, Cao Zhen, Cao Xiu and others were the top priorities for Cao Pi to win over them and seek benefits for them.  They expanded their military power to gain their firm support. However, Cao Pi spared no effort to attack the Xiahou family who supported Cao Zhi. He used his power to reduce the supply of food and fodder and reduce the quality of supplementary troops. Strong recruits were sent to Xuzhou and Qingzhou, while old and weak recruits were sent to Xuzhou and Qingzhou.  Then he sent them to Xuchang and Taiyuan, etc. Now Cao Pi has a new goal, which is to seek the position of governor of Yuzhou for Cao Zhen. Now Cao Zhen guards Huaibei and Qiaojun, which already belongs to the scope of Yuzhou, but the military power remains.  Far inferior to Xiahou Dun, after the Battle of Hefei, Cao Ren euphemistically proposed the idea to Cao Pi. He could transfer Xiahou Dun to Jizhou and let Cao Zhen take charge of Yuzhou, so that the three states of Yu, Xu, and Qing could be integrated into one.  By transferring Xiahou Dun away, Cao Zhi would have no military support and eliminate the biggest hidden danger. If Cao Zhen is used to monitor and control Cao Zhi, then Cao Pi's position as heir apparent will be completely secure. By transferring Xiahou Dun, he can strengthen his relationship with the Cao family.  The family alliance can also weaken Cao Zhi's power, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone. Cao Pi also worked very hard to promote this matter. He twice proposed to his father to transfer Xiahou Dun to be the governor of Jizhou, but his father had no reaction. But today, Cao Pi heard that Xiahou Dun came without permission.  Yedu, he realized that this might be an opportunity, so he immediately called Hua Xin to discuss. Hua Xin is a master of power and has a high talent for power struggle. He is also Cao Pi's military advisor. The incident of the arrest of the Seven Sons of Jian'an, and  The capture of the Cui Mansion was all planned by him. He knew how to control things step by step. Seeing that Cao Pi was eager to overthrow Xiahou Dun, he advised him: "Your Highness, don't rush for success. Xiahou Dun's status in the army is too high.  If you are not absolutely sure, it is best not to act rashly. Wei Chen suggested that the prince should concentrate on solving the Cui Lin case.  " "But I feel that Xiahou Dun came from Xuchang just for the Cui Lin case. If he persuades my father, all my efforts will be in vain.  "Cao Pi said still a little unwillingly. Hua Xin narrowed his eyes and smiled, "CuiThe case is what Duke Wei meant. I'm afraid Xiahou Dun doesn't know it yet. Wouldn't it be better to let him anger Duke Wei? The prince should not come forward and don't let Duke Wei see that the prince has the intention of seeking military power. Once Wei Gong sees it,  Then all the hard work will be wasted. If Xiahou Dun offends Duke Wei, I would like to persuade the prince to intercede for him.  " If Cao Pi had some enlightenment, he knew what he should do. At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Your Majesty, there is news from the military office. After a conversation with Commander Zhong, Governor Xiahou has returned.  to Xuchang.  " Cao Pi was startled, and then he couldn't help but said angrily: "He runs pretty fast!  Hua Xin also breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "Zhong Yao should have persuaded him to go back."  " Cao Pi pondered for a moment and said: "I just got the news that my father met with Zhong Yao alone this morning and sent him as an envoy to Jiaozhou. What do you think this means?  " "The meaning of Wei Gong is very obvious. This is to protect Zhong Yao. In fact, it is also a hint to the prince not to expand the scope of the attack.  " Cao Pi was a little confused, "If that's the case, why did my father suggest that I attack Cui Lin?  Hua Xin sighed, "Your Majesty, you still don't understand. The Duke of Wei attacked Cui Lin not for the sake of Prince Zhi, but for the issue of Ding Ling. Land and population issues are the biggest concern of Duke Wei!"  ¡± Cao Pi¡¯s heart became heavy. His father refused to give up the order, and the pressure on his shoulders will increase again. £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1041 New Prime Minister of Chang'an

    Time gradually arrived in late October, and Chang'an already had a bit of the chill of early winter. The people of Chang'an also slowly calmed down from the carnival of seizing Jiangdong, and continued their ordinary and busy days every day. Another expectation grew in their hearts, Jian'an II  The New Year of Thirteen Years is coming in just over a month.  Liu Jing also spent the most peaceful and peaceful autumn in the past few years. He wiped out Jiangdong and finally moved a big stone in his heart. He took another big step forward in his journey to unify the world.  For more than a month, he has been busy arranging the high-ranking civil and military officials in Jiangdong so that they can integrate into the Han Dynasty, take over government affairs or start training soldiers, and also arrange their lives, have their own mansions, and then provide their families with  Received in Chang'an.  This morning, in the official room of the King of Han Dynasty in Weiyang Palace, Liu Jing was immersed in reviewing the memorials as usual. At this time, the secretary Lu Cong reported at the door: "Your Highness, Zhang Shangshu is asking for an audience!" Lu Cong is taking the imperial examination this year.  He ranked first in the examination. Although he wanted to go to Lingzhou or Hexi to practice, he ended up in the secretarial prison, which was to handle various important military documents for the King of Han.  This is also a common practice. Cui Shi, who ranked first in the last imperial examination, also served as a secretary supervisor. After one to two years, he became a local official, either as a county magistrate or directly as a county magistrate. This is also their special advantage.  Lu Cong has received the promise from the Secretary Supervisor Ling Yiji to recommend him to take up a post in Hexi in one year. This makes Lu Cong very much looking forward to it. He has been in office for two months now and has gradually adapted to the busy official career.  Liu Jing looked up at him and said with a smile: "Please come in, Zhang Shangshu!" Lu Cong walked out quickly. Not long after, there was a burst of footsteps from outside.  The five prime ministers were expanded to seven prime ministers, so Zhang Zhao became the prime minister as the representative of Jiangdong. He became the minister of the Ministry of Industry, replacing Fei Guan's original position.  Among the high-ranking Jiangdong officials who entered the center of power, Bu Zhi was granted the title of Huangmen Shilang. He was the deputy of the disciple Zhongshu Fazheng. He was in charge of the daily affairs of the province and could also participate in the affairs of Zhongshu's subordinates in the political affairs hall.  Zhang Zhao walked into the official room, knelt down and saluted, and said: "See His Highness the King of Han!" "Zhang Shangshu excuses himself, please sit down!" Zhang Zhao sat up straight, Liu Jing asked with a smile: "I heard that Zhang Shangshu was the first two  Tian went to Xianyang? "Although Zhang Zhao was not friendly to Jingzhou in the past and repeatedly made things difficult for Liu Jing, that was a thing of the past, and Liu Jing did not take it to heart. On the contrary, he admired Zhang Zhao's ability very much.  No matter how complicated things are, he can simplify them and find the essence of the problem.  Of course, Zhang Zhao also has shortcomings. He is indeed relatively weak in the military. The most typical example is that in the final preparations for war in Jiangdong, he actively advocated dredging the canal, gave up the reconstruction of Moling County, and opposed Lu Meng's plan to abandon Jianye and move to Moling City.  It is suggested that these were Zhang Zhao's military failures, which ultimately led to a waste of a lot of manpower and material resources, and also led to the defensive dilemma of Jianye and Moling.  Liu Jing was also aware of his military deficiencies, so he maximized his strengths and avoided his weaknesses. He did not let Zhang Zhao participate in the military, but used him to handle domestic affairs. Zhang Zhao had been the prime minister for a month and had gradually adapted to his new career.  Zhang Zhao took out a map, presented it to Liu Jing, and said with a smile: "The last time His Highness met with Zhongshu to discuss matters, he proposed the construction of a sub-city of Chang'an. After discussion, the ministers decided to let the Ministry of Industry take the lead in this matter.  I have been busy with the site selection for two days. "The construction of Chang'an Sub-city was first proposed by Tao Sheng to solve the problem of too expensive land in Chang'an. Tao Sheng was a businessman and considered the problem more realistically, only from the perspective of land interests.  After thinking about it, as for social effects and military defense, he didn't think about it.  However, establishing a sub-city is indeed a good suggestion. After the conquest of Jiangdong, many Jiangdong nobles and high-ranking civil and military officials needed to purchase land and properties in Chang'an, which made the land in Chang'an even more tense. The establishment of a sub-city became a top priority.  Liu Jing took the map, stood up and came to the Guanzhong sand table. Compared with Zhang Zhao's map, she found the corresponding locations of three sub-cities on the sand table and placed red flags. These three sub-cities were actually three county towns.  One is Xianyang County, the old capital of Qin, fifteen miles west of Chang'an, one is Duling County southeast of Chang'an, and the other is Baling County due east.  These three county towns are not far from Chang'an, within 20 miles. This is also the unanimous opinion of the prime ministers. Using ready-made county towns as the deputy city of Chang'an can save expenses on the one hand, and it is also conducive to gathering popularity on the other hand.  Zhang Zhao introduced at the side: "These three county towns are very suitable to be used as sub-cities. In the past, they had little contact with Chang'an, mainly due to inconvenient transportation. If they build wide straight roads and have animal power to travel, they can be reached in a quarter of an hour at the fastest.  Chang'an, if business develops on both sides of the straight road, the connection between the sub-city and Chang'an City will be closer." Liu Jing looked at the sand table again.He said with a smile: "I have been to all three county towns. They feel very small and shabby. If it is really to be a sub-city, the city must be at least doubled in width. I suggest that the city be widened in the direction of Chang'an. This way  The distance to Chang'an will be shortened. If it is reduced to less than ten miles, then they will become a deputy city in the true sense. " "Your Highness is right. If it is reduced to ten miles, then the land along the straight road will also become smaller.  It's very valuable. Not only shops, but also many mansions will appear, and Chang'an City will truly prosper." Liu Jing nodded, "Let's discuss this matter carefully in the political hall. It's best to estimate the money and food it will cost.  , Once decided, we will implement it immediately." "Wei Chen obeys the order!" Zhang Zhao turned around and was about to leave, but Liu Jing stopped him, "Winter is coming soon, and I am a little worried about Zhang Shangshu's ability to adapt to Chang'an.  "Zhang Zhao smiled and said: "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am from Xuzhou. I went to Hebei for several years to study when I was young. In fact, I have already adapted to the winter in the north. And I heard that Guanzhong is not very cold. I think there should be no problem.  "Then I can rest assured. If you need anything, just ask, not only Zhang Shangshu, but also other officials from Jiangdong." "Thank you, Weichen!" Zhang Zhao bowed and slowly retreated.  Liu Jing watched him go out and looked at his retreating back. He felt that the biggest problem in Jiangdong was the factional struggle. He was also worried that this factional struggle would continue to Chang'an. However, judging from the current situation, he  There is no need to worry for the time being. There are no signs of factions in Jiangdong.  However, since ancient times, wherever there is officialdom, there have been factions. It does not mean that there are no factions in Chang'an. There are also factions within the Han Dynasty, such as the Bashu faction, the Jingzhou faction, the Guanlong faction, etc. If there is another Jiangdong faction, there will be factions.  Not surprising, this is the instinct of human nature. Even in a small handicraft workshop, there are cliques, and it is even more difficult to avoid complex relationships in officialdom, such as marriage, family friends, classmates, etc.  Liu Jing is not opposed to this inevitable factional struggle, but he has a principle, that is, the factional struggle should not be excessive. He cannot accept the factional struggle like the one in Jiangdong in the past. If the factional struggle damages the Han Dynasty,  He will not hesitate to take action against factional struggles in order to protect the interests of the country.  While he was deep in thought, he suddenly felt something. When he turned around, he saw Lu Cong standing not far behind him. Liu Jing suddenly thought that he was the grandson of Lu Zhi and a descendant of the Lu family in Hebei, one of the seven famous families in the world. Liu Jing then  He smiled and said, "I have something to ask you. Come with me." Liu Jing walked back to the official room and sat down. Lu Cong also walked in and stood aside with his hands hanging. Liu Jing then smiled and asked, "The Lu family is in Chang'an."  Are you the only one?" "Your Highness, Wei Chen's second uncle also came to Chang'an. He just arrived last month." "Have you bought land in Chang'an?" "Not yet, but you have this plan. Zhang Shangshu told me just now.  "If you want to buy land, it's best to go to Duling County." Liu Jing nodded and asked, "Is your second uncle buying land on behalf of the family, or is he personally planning to start a business in Chang'an?" "It should be on behalf of the family."  Many noble families in Hebei are planning to come to Chang'an to buy land. In addition to our Fanyang Lu family, there are also the Boling Cui family, the Zhaojun Li family, the Julu Bai family, etc., who have all purchased land and houses near Chang'an. Our Lu family  It's still relatively late." After a pause, Lu Cong asked carefully: "There is a rumor in Chang'an that the capital will be moved to Luoyang in the future, causing the skyrocketing land prices in Chang'an to suddenly drop. I wonder if this rumor is true?" "Do you think it is true?  Will you?" Liu Jing asked with a faint smile.  "Wei Chen thinks it's impossible." "Why is it impossible?" Lu Cong said without thinking: "When Cao Cao moved the capital from Xuchang to Yedu, it was because he defeated Yuan Shao and captured a large area of ????Hebei. He needed to stabilize Hebei, and at the same time the Xiongnu and Uzbekistan  Huan posed a greater threat to the north, so Cao Cao moved the capital to Yecheng. As for the Han Dynasty, I think it inherited not the Later Han Dynasty of Emperor Guangwu, but the Early Han Dynasty founded by Emperor Gaozu. Therefore, from a legal perspective, it would be more drastic to set the capital in Chang'an.  This is one of the reasons why the world longs for the Han Dynasty. "What about the second?" Liu Jing asked with a smile.  "The second is the historical mission of the Han Dynasty. Even if we conquer the world and revive the Han Dynasty, this is only the first step of His Highness's goal. The second step should be to conquer Guanlong and Hexi, recover the Western Regions, and then build the Western Regions Protectorate.  Wei Chen believes that it will take at least a hundred years. To achieve the second goal, the capital should be established in Chang'an instead of Luoyang. " Liu Jing nodded, "You still have some vision. Yi Ji said that you have great ambitions and are determined to go there.  Hexi has made great achievements, is that so?" Lu Cong couldn't hold back his inner expectations, knelt down on one knee and said, "I beg your Highness to do it!" Liu Jing thought for a while.??: "According to convention, you should train in the secretarial prison for one year before being released. However, you are not going to a wealthy place such as Bashu and Jingzhou, but to Hexi to make contributions. This kind of spirit is commendable and worth promoting, so be it!  I will make it happen for you and appoint you as the magistrate of Juyan County. Are you willing to go?" Lu Cong said loudly, "This is what I want in my life!" "Okay! You will go to the Ministry of Civil Affairs to change your appointment tomorrow.  As the magistrate of Juyan County, I will also grant you the title of Wei Cheng of Juyan to assist Zhangye Captain in guarding the border." Lu Cong was excited and bowed deeply again, "Thank you, Your Highness!" Liu Jing walked up to him and patted him.  Pat him on the shoulder, "Do a good job and don't let me down!" £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1042 An unexpected surprise

    After handling the day's court affairs, Liu Jing returned to his mansion at dusk. The carriage drove slowly on the street. Liu Jing silently watched the people coming and going on the street, carefully experiencing the growing prosperity of Chang'an City, and also  Enjoy this rare moment of leisure.  At this time, the carriage passed a temple. Liu Jing saw a few old locust trees in front of the temple from a distance. He felt something in his heart, thought for a moment, and then ordered: "Go to Guhuai Mansion!" The carriage turned around and headed towards Guhuai Mansion.  The mansion drove away, and not long after, the carriage slowly stopped in front of Guhuai Mansion. During Liu Jing's eastern expedition to Jianye, an unfortunate incident also happened in Qiao Mansion. Qiao Xuan unfortunately fell ill while traveling in Jingnan, and returned to Chang'an.  He died on the way and was buried on the spot in Nan County.  This news made Xiao Qiao extremely sad. Liu Jing did not dare to tell Da Qiao who was far away in Bashu. Liu Jing had not been to the ancient locust tree since he came back from Jiangdong. It was meaningless for him to come here. Qiao Xuan died of illness and Da Qiao  Qiao Yuan is in Chengdu, and Guhuai Mansion is an empty house.  It was only when Liu Jing suddenly missed Da Qiao who was far away in Bashu that she thought of coming to Guhuai Mansion to see the yard where Da Qiao lived and the room where her fragrance lingered.  "Wait here!" Liu Jing ordered the guards and walked into the mansion alone. The two old family members guarding the mansion stood respectfully aside and walked into the back house. Liu Jing walked in slowly.  The west courtyard is the courtyard where Da Qiao used to live.  As soon as they reached the entrance of the courtyard, a little maid in a red skirt was walking towards her in a hurry. She didn't see Liu Jing and ran into his arms. Liu Jing held her in his arms and said with a smile: "If you don't look at the road like this, you won't be able to do it next time."  It's about to hit a big tree!" The little maid saw the person in front of her. She screamed in fright, turned around and ran away. Liu Jing couldn't help but was startled. This maid looked so familiar. At this moment, a soft voice came from not far away.  The voice asked, "So flustered, what happened?" Liu Jing was stunned for a moment, how could she be here with this voice?  Why is she back?  This was clearly Da Qiao's voice. He suddenly sped up and walked towards the inner hall, his heart pounding wildly. When he stepped onto the threshold of the inner hall, Liu Jing saw the woman who had haunted him in his dreams. Da Qiao was wearing a dress  A pure white dress appeared in front of him.  "General!" Da Qiao also shouted lowly and dropped the fan in his hand.  The two of them just looked at each other without saying a word. Tears welled up in Da Qiao's beautiful eyes. She took two quick steps and threw herself into his arms. Liu Jing hugged her delicate shoulders tightly, as if she was still there.  Like a dream.  Liu Jing lowered his head and stared at her face. She was thinner than before, but still so beautiful. Her snow-white skin was as smooth as jade, and her star-like pupils were shining with joy. Liu Jing finally  He understood that this was not a dream, she really appeared in front of him.  Joy exploded in his heart, and Liu Jing kissed her red lips desperately. The little maid quietly came over to pick up the left handkerchief, but saw the mistress's arms tightly around King Han's neck, and the two hugged each other in love.  She was so frightened that her heart almost jumped out of her chest, her face turned red, and she turned around and ran away.  Da Qiao had forgotten everything and was completely immersed in the joy of reuniting with Ai Lang. For a long time, she lowered her head and avoided Liu Jing's kiss, panting: "If you hug her too tightly, you will crush the child!" Liu  Only then did Jing notice her obviously bulging belly. She felt happy and apologetic at the same time. Da Qiao took Liu Jing's hand and walked quickly to the inner hall and the living room. She smiled sweetly and said, "Sit down."  Next, I'll pour you some tea. You have a taste of the sweet-scented osmanthus tea I just made." But Liu Jing took her hand, pulled her into his arms, and held her in his arms to prevent her from leaving.  Da Qiao understood what he was thinking and smiled helplessly: "People will see you if you do this. I'll explain it to you later, okay?" Her soft voice made Liu Jing unable to refuse, so he had to let her go. Da Qiao was there  He kissed his face and left quickly. Liu Jing stood up and walked slowly to the window. He looked out the window at several blooming late osmanthus trees. Waves of fragrance hit his face, but his heart was in chaos.  , there were too many doubts for him to understand. Da Qiao had obviously gone to Bashu, and when would he come back?  Is it because her father died?  But it had been three months since Qiao Xuan passed away, and Liu Jing was puzzled. At this time, he suddenly noticed a figure moving on the wall of the courtyard opposite. Looking closer, he found that it was a female guard, which made Liu Jing realize something.  "Have you thought about it?" Da Qiao's soft voice came from behind.  Liu Jing turned around and saw Da Qiao appearing behind her with a pot of tea. His eyes were as clear as water, looking calm and indifferent. Liu Jing sat down and Da Qiao poured him a cup of tea. It was steaming hot and exuded the fragrance of osmanthus.  , she pursed her lips and smiled and said: "This is the late osmanthus picked at noon today. It is fried with Mengding tea from Bashu and well water. It has a refreshing fragrance. Try it." Liu Jing picked up the tea and took a sip.  , suddenly stopped and asked: "She brought you back?"&nbsp"Don't say 'she', it was the eldest sister who went to Chengdu to pick me up in person." "In person?" Liu Jing was stunned.  Da Qiao nodded, tears welling up again, "She is the kindest and most tolerant woman I have ever seen. When she appeared in Chengdu, I was stunned. I thought she was here to punish me."  , but no, she was not angry and treated me like a sister, but she took all the responsibility on herself. She blamed herself and said she left me alone in Chengdu and picked me up. "Liu Jing was even more confused.  , all this is simply unbelievable, they had reconciled long ago, but he didn't know anything. Liu Jing suddenly remembered that Sun Shangxiang was hesitant to talk when he was in Jiangdong. Did he just want to tell her this?  Liu Jing wiped away the tears from her eyes and said with a smile: "I found that you also like to cry. You have cried three times today." "Actually, I don't like to cry, but a lot of things have happened recently. My father passed away, and  When I miss you, I become sentimental." Da Qiao forced a smile and said, "I am ashamed of her tolerance. If I hadn't had your child in my belly, I wouldn't have seen you again." "So this month.  You've been avoiding me since I came here, and they've been hiding it from me, thinking I'm a fool." Liu Jing was really dissatisfied and said angrily.  "Don't be angry, and don't blame them. This is what I mean. I asked them not to tell you, General. This is not a glorious thing in the first place. We all have difficulties, so don't worry about it."  In fact, Liu Jing also knew in her heart that Tao Zhan had to take into account her reputation and bear all kinds of pressure. She hid the truth about Da Qiao's return to Chang'an from herself. On the one hand, she wanted to take care of Da Qiao, and on the other hand, she was afraid that she would mess up.  Be careful not to spread the news, thereby affecting your reputation.  Thinking of this, Liu Jing felt an indescribable helplessness in her heart. She pondered for a long time and said, "You'd better live in the Hanwang Mansion! Don't live here anymore." "Let's talk about this matter later! Let me think about it again,  But it's getting dark now, and it's time for the general to go back. Don't worry about me. I'm protected by female guards here. I'm safe." Liu Jing was confused, so she nodded silently, stood up, kissed Da Qiao, and left quickly.  , Da Qiao looked at his back and walked away. She was also confused and didn't know what to do. She couldn't help but sigh lowly. Returning to the house, Liu Jing ate dinner in a hurry and went to her inner room.  The study room, only in the study room could he abandon all worries and relax himself wholeheartedly.  Liu Jing had no intention of reviewing the ultimatum at this time. Instead, he stood in front of the window with his hands behind his hands and stared at the night sky quietly. In the Battle of Hefei, he fought with Cao Jun at all costs in a national war, and finally forced Cao Jun to admit defeat and retreat.  In the Battle of Jiangdong, he used his firm will to completely defeat Jiangdong and destroy this powerful enemy in the southeast.  But now he is indecisive about a woman, which makes Liu Jing herself feel unhappy. If Da Qiao hadn't been pregnant with his flesh and blood, what choice would he have made?  But now he has no choice. Apart from bringing her into the palace as soon as possible, he has no other way to go. After all, he is the king of Han who is the most anticipated one, and he cannot lose moral points.  At this time, the voice of his wife Tao Zhan came from outside, "Husband, can I come in?" "Please come in!" Liu Jing felt that she wanted to have a good talk with her wife about this matter.  The door opened, and Tao Zhan came in with a bowl of ginseng tea. She put the tea on the table and said with a smile, "Husband, you don't seem to be very happy today?" "I went to Guhuai Mansion today!" Liu Jing looked back and stared at  said the wife.  In fact, Tao Zhan already knew why her husband was not happy today. She just asked the guard and found out that her husband went to Guhuai Mansion in the afternoon, so he must have met Da Qiao. Tao Zhan sighed secretly in his heart and said softly: "Husband,  Do you think I did something wrong?" Liu Jing sat down, shook her head and said, "I should be grateful to you for taking her back and not letting her stay alone in Bashu, but I am very confused now, and I don't know now.  What should we do? "Tao Zhan sat down opposite her husband. When she just learned about this, she was surprised and angry. She didn't blame her husband for having anything to do with Da Qiao, but she was angry that her husband kept it secret.  She and even Da Qiao are pregnant.  But Tao Zhan knew better that once this matter spread, it would have a great impact on her husband's reputation. On the one hand, she hid it from everyone, and on the other hand, she went to Chengdu to bring Da Qiao back in person. After all, Da Qiao was pregnant, even if she didn't care about Da Qiao,  Joe, she also had to think about her children.  But as time went by, the dissatisfaction and annoyance in her heart gradually disappeared. No man would not want a beauty like Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao. Her husband was actually a mortal. Although Tao Zhan was no longer angry about this matter, she didn't know it for a while.  How should I tell my husband about this matter, so I delayed it.  Tao Zhan held her husband¡¯s hand andHe said softly: "My husband is admired by everyone in the world, the common people praise you for your kindness, and the nobles regard you as the hope of reviving the Han Dynasty. My husband already has too much halo. At this time, my husband must be more cautious and pay attention to his reputation. Da Qiao  She is not an ordinary woman. If people know that she is pregnant out of wedlock and spread, this will have a serious impact on her husband's reputation. Fortunately, Da Qiao is not the wife of a minister, so there is nothing wrong with her husband marrying her. I originally planned to talk to you about this in two days.  But now that you know it, the top priority is to marry her into the house as soon as possible. "Liu Jing nodded. His wife was right. This matter cannot be delayed any longer. At this time, Liu Jing felt very sorry for his wife.  Fortunately, he has a sensible and sensible wife, who twice saved his failures with women and saved his reputation.  After pondering for a moment, Liu Jing asked again: "How do you know about this?"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1043 Carefully cover up

    Liu Jing looked at his wife in confusion. This matter was extremely confidential. How could his wife know?  Tao Zhan smiled and said, "Xiao Qiao actually told me about this. She seemed to know a little bit about her husband and Da Qiao. Later, Da Qiao wrote her a letter, which revealed her address in Chengdu.  , I rushed to Chengdu to find her. " "That's it!" Liu Jing thought to herself, with Da Qiao's intelligence, this should be her intention to reveal, after all, the suffering of being alone in Chengdu, and the impact on her child's future.  Da Qiao also hopes that Tao Zhan will know about this matter as soon as possible.  After pondering for a while, Liu Jing asked again: "How many people know about this matter?" Tao Zhan thought for a while and said: "Xiao Qiao knows, Shang Xiang also knows, and the other one is Da Qiao's personal maid. If he knows about her,  I have checked carefully about the pregnancy, as well as the female guard Zhong Xue and Doctor Wang. "But she is more than five months pregnant now. Even if I marry her, it will not be until a few years later."  "Yue, it's hard to hide the fact that she gave birth to a child. What should I do?" Tao Zhan shook his head and said with a smile, "Does your husband only know that things are troublesome now?" Liu Jing said helplessly: "It's true that you only realize it when it comes.  I have a headache. Madam, do you have any good ideas? " "I have thought about it for you. She is not very pregnant now, so she can hide it. First, let her enter the house as soon as possible. Her husband will take her as his concubine, and then let her live in the villa. This way  No one will know that she gave birth to a child. After a long time, no one will notice this loophole." Liu Jing frowned, "It wouldn't be appropriate to let her live in the villa alone." "What if?  If you don't want her to live in the villa, then we will move to Weiyang Palace. Weiyang Palace is big enough to avoid all eyes and ears. The current Han Palace is too small. If you let her live here, it will definitely be difficult to hide all kinds of things.  Rumors will eventually spread. " Liu Jing paced slowly in the room with his hands behind his hands. It was not that he was reluctant to leave Da Qiao in the villa, but that he had just destroyed Jiangdong. If he married Da Qiao, Jiangdong would be disgraced.  The civil and military officials were disappointed. He had to consider this influence. Even if he wanted to marry Da Qiao, it would take some time for Jiang Dong's influence to slowly fade away.  In fact, Tao Zhan reminded him on the one hand that he could move into Weiyang Palace. With the size of Weiyang Palace and the tight guards, it could indeed block all news. Sun Quan's original idea for Da Qiao was not to bring her into the palace.  Is it impossible for outsiders to know about the Palace of Industry?  As for the transgression involved in using Weiyang Palace, in fact it is no longer a problem. Sun Quan lived in Jianye Palace, and Cao Cao himself also lived in Tongque Palace. Who would say that they were transgressing? Besides, he had already used Weiyang Palace as an official residence.  That's overstepping the bounds.  The reason why Liu Jing did not move into Weiyang Palace was because he did not want to have too much impact. Now for Da Qiao, he had to consider this plan. After thinking for a long time, Liu Jing slowly said to Tao Zhan: "You are right, moving to Weiyang Palace is indeed a good idea."  One way." Tao Zhan was just talking casually, but she didn't expect her husband to respond seriously that he wanted to move to Weiyang Palace, which shocked her. After a while, Tao Zhan realized it and said quickly: "Husband, you don't really want to do it.  "Move to Weiyang Palace!" Liu Jing sat down and said seriously to his wife: "I used to ask you to be simple and strictly prohibit fine clothing and food. It is indeed a bit extreme. It seems to promote frugality, but this will also cause the ministers to be uncomfortable and cause trouble.  The dissatisfaction in their hearts makes them lose more than they gain. The same goes for moving into Weiyang Palace. Obviously they have this condition and moving into Weiyang Palace is already popular, but they insist on living in a small house. It seems to be self-restrained, but in fact it is a bit hypocritical, and  It will destroy the confidence of supporters all over the world, thinking that I dare not take a step beyond my status as a minister, so by taking advantage of this east wind that wipes out Jiangdong, we officially move into Weiyang Palace, and it will make people all over the world regard Chang'an as orthodox." "You can do this, husband.  Aren't you afraid of others accusing your husband of being disloyal? " "Those who want to accuse me will accuse me no matter what I do, but those who support me will support me no matter what I do, so arrogance is just a way to attack political opponents.  It's just an excuse. If I'm overstepping my bounds by moving into Weiyang Palace, then the Tongque Palace where Cao Cao lives is countless times more luxurious and magnificent than the Ye Palace where the emperor lives. Why doesn't anyone say that he's overstepping his bounds?" Tao Zhan nodded silently, "If my husband decides to move in?  Weiyang Palace, I don¡¯t object, but I don¡¯t want my husband to do this for a woman.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with her, she is just a contact point that made me finally make up my mind.¡± Liu Jing and Tao Zhan reached a consensus.  Then it would be a matter of course for Da Qiao to enter the house. If a few months ago, Da Qiao didn't want to marry Liu Jing as a concubine, she didn't even have the intention of remarrying and just lived her life peacefully. But she has  After becoming pregnant, her mind changed, especially when she felt the heartbeat of the child in her belly at night. She was even more willing to feel the joy of being a mother.The son sacrifices everything.  She had no requirements for herself, but she did not want her child to have no father and become an illegitimate child or daughter with a low status. It was when she was in Chengdu that Da Qiao changed her mind. She wrote to Xiao Qiao and said implicitly:  In her own situation, she was willing to marry Liu Jing as a concubine.  The journey from being single to being a wife is not smooth. The most important thing is that she has to go through the hurdle of Tao Zhan, the legal wife. Without Tao Zhan's consent, she will always be just a stay-at-home wife, and the children she gives birth to can only become illegitimate children.  Fortunately, Tao Zhan is a tolerant and rational woman, and no one is trapped by selfish motives. She considers her husband's reputation more, so she actively deals with it, brings Da Qiao back to Chang'an, and finally expresses her stance to her husband that she is willing to accept Da Qiao.  Joe.  It was Tao Zhan's help that allowed Da Qiao to finally enter the Han Palace as his wife and concubine after five months of pregnancy. At night, a carriage quietly drove into the Han Palace from the side door. In the inner hall of the Han Palace, Tao Zhan accepted  Da Qiao's tea ceremony officially confirmed Da Qiao's identity.  However, this matter was not publicized. Only a few of Liu Jing's wives and concubines participated in the concubine ceremony. Liu Jing did not want the news of Da Qiao marrying him to become a topic on the streets of Chang'an the next day, although many people in the government knew that the king of Han married  He has a new concubine, whose name seems to be Jiang Lian, but no one knows who this Jiang Lian is?  What does it look like?  Where did it come from?  In the back house of the Han Dynasty, two maids were leading the way with lanterns, while Xiao Qiao and Sun Shangxiang were walking slowly behind. Xiao Qiao, like her sister Da Qiao, was pregnant for nearly six months, and it was already a bit inconvenient to walk.  , Sun Shangxiang supported her and walked slowly.  "Shang Xiang, the eldest sister has really tried her best this time, not only to let my sister in, but also to hide it from everyone according to the general's wishes. I still can't figure it out, why not let my sister in in the open?"  Qiao didn't hear Sun Shangxiang's reply for a long time, and looked back at her. Seeing that she was silent, he asked, "Are you unhappy?" Sun Shangxiang sighed softly, shook his head and said, "Speaking of which, Da Qiao once said  She is my eldest sister-in-law, and I can't accept it even more. However, she is also very pitiful when she thinks about it. Her eldest brother passed away early, and now Jiangdong has also perished. Her father passed away three months ago, and she is also alone in the world. As long as she is not forced,  Why should I interfere in this matter because of my own unhappiness? "That's too selfish." At this time, the two of them walked to Xiao Qiao's yard. Xiao Qiao took Sun Shangxiang's arm and said with a smile, "Would you like to sit in my room?"  "A while?" Sun Shangxiang forced a smile and said, "If you don't mind me, I'll go and sit there for a while!" "I don't mind you, because I'm afraid you won't worry about my son."  Why am I worried about him?" The two walked into the courtyard, went up to the second floor and sat down. Xiao Qiao's maid served them hot tea. Sun Shangxiang held the teacup and said, "After all, Da Qiao was Jiangdong's mistress.  She has high prestige in the army. During the Battle of Chibi that year, didn't Cao Cao publicly ask for your sisters? As a result, he angered General Jiangdong and almost killed the envoy Jiang Gan. Now that Jiangdong has just died, her husband is eager to marry her.  , It will make Jiangdong Wenwu feel cold, so this matter cannot be publicized, just enter the house quietly, how can you marry like you?" Xiao Qiao frowned slightly, "But after all, this kind of thing cannot be covered by paper, and sooner or later others will be exposed.  "Know." "As time goes by, everyone will become indifferent to Jiangdong. Even if they know it, it doesn't matter. The key is to give Jiangdong civil and military officials a face. Everyone knows it well and knows that the King of Han cares about their feelings, and they will not care.  After all, if you ask for it in front of everyone like Cao Cao, who will be able to hold on to it? " "I can understand what you said. I didn't expect you to make a lot of progress after returning to Jiangdong!" "  Seeing Jiangdong's demise, I have to make progress even if I don't make progress." Seeing that Sun Shangxiang was a little depressed, Xiao Qiao smiled and changed the subject, "Shangxiang, do you know how I know about the relationship between my sister and the general?" "You have known about it before?  Do you know?" Sun Shangxiang asked doubtfully.  "I only saw a few clues in the past. The last time the general took my sister to leave Jianye, I noticed that the way my sister looked at the general was different. Especially when we said goodbye later, the look in my sister's eyes was so reluctant." "We  Don't talk about this!" Sun Shangxiang interrupted Xiao Qiao and said, "I heard from the eldest sister that we will move into Weiyang Palace soon. Did you know?" Xiao Qiao was stunned, then shook his head, "I didn't know at all.  "Whenare we moving?" "It should be soon, probably within the next two days."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1044 Moving to a new home

    On the surface, the move of King Liu Jing of Han Dynasty into Weiyang Palace was due to a casual remark made by his wife Tao Zhan, but in fact, it was the inevitable result of a general trend. After the Han Dynasty conquered Jiangdong, the national power of the Han Dynasty  With great prosperity, the Han Dynasty has become a large country with a vast territory stretching from the sea to the east and the desert of Hexi to the west. It not only occupied most of the country of the Han Dynasty, but also completed the encirclement of Cao Wei.  Under this circumstance, the call for Liu Jing to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor gradually arose in the Han Dynasty. In fact, both the civil and military officials of the Han Dynasty, the vast number of people in the Ming Dynasty, and even the gentry in the Central Plains no longer recognized the title of Yedu.  The puppet emperor put the hat of Han orthodoxy on Liu Jing's head.  At this time, it was widely expected that Liu Jing would ascend the throne and inherit the throne. However, Liu Jing knew that this was not the time to consider ascending the throne and the conditions were not yet mature. However, if he simply refused in a low-key manner, it would only hurt the hearts of his supporters. Moreover,  , the narrowness and deficiencies of the King of Han's system have affected his governance of the Han Dynasty.  Therefore, starting from this year, Liu Jing has gradually abandoned the so-called arrogant moral constraints, changed Pingzhangtai into the Political Affairs Hall, and established Zhongshu Province, Menxia Province and Shangshu Province. This is completely an imperial court without the name of an imperial court.  Weiyang Palace is also a popular destination. Even if he does not proclaim himself emperor for the time being, he can still give his supporters a psychological balance.  The day after Liu Jing accepted Da Qiao, the Political Affairs Hall made a decision to open the Weiyang Harem, and the King of Han officially moved into the Weiyang Palace. This news made the Chang'an court and the public rejoice, which meant that the King of Han began to pay tribute to the emperor who ascended the throne.  The goal has taken the first step.  But the Weiyang Palace at this time is no longer the Weiyang Palace three hundred years ago. The former Weiyang Palace had been completely destroyed in previous wars, and the current Weiyang Palace was made by Jia Xu using materials from remaining palaces in various places. In the original Weiyang Palace  It was built on the basis of the Weiyang Palace and was later slowly repaired and improved. Although it took many years to build, the scale is still less than half of the former Weiyang Palace.  Weiyang Palace is divided into three parts: the front hall, the middle hall, and the back palace. The front hall occupies the largest area and is the central government office of the Han Dynasty. Most of the official offices are concentrated here. The middle hall consists of Qinzheng Hall, Chengming Hall, and Qilin Hall.  It consists of three main halls and Wuming Square in front of the main hall. It was the place where major court meetings and ceremonies were held in the Han Dynasty, but it was rarely used.  So far, Weiyang Palace has only used the front hall and the middle hall. As for the harem, it has never been used. The harem consists of six groups: Guangming Terrace, Jiaofang Pavilion, Qingliang Hall, Yutang Hall, Dongming Tower and Phoenix Tower.  It consists of a complex of buildings with thousands of various pavilions and pavilions. Six groups of buildings surround the Yaochi that covers an area of ??nearly a thousand acres. There is also the Kunlun Terrace in the middle of the Yaochi, which must be reached by boat.  Although the harem does not occupy a large area compared to the front hall and the middle hall, its area is more than five times that of the Han Palace. Living in Weiyang Palace, Liu Jing was still the King of Han in name, but in fact his pomp and  His status is no different from that of an emperor.  The process of Liu Jing's family moving into Weiyang Palace was very low-key. Every night, carriages carried a large number of boxes and cages, and moved silently to Weiyang Palace. On the night of the fifth day, more than a dozen carriages passed by the Xuanwu Gate of Weiyang Palace.  Entered the harem.  Although Weiyang Palace is not in use, it is still inhabited and maintained by people. There are more than twenty chamberlains and more than a hundred palace ladies living in the palace. Chamberlains are also eunuchs. Most of the chamberlains and palace ladies come from all over the Central Plains. One of them is an old man from Dong Zhuo's era.  The eunuch is the chief steward of the palace. His name is Zhao Wei, and he has lived in Weiyang Palace for thirty years.  At this time, more than a hundred eunuchs and maids were already waiting in line inside the Xuanwu Gate. The carriage slowly stopped, and a maid helped Princess Tao Zhan slowly step out of the carriage. Zhao Wei quickly greeted her and bowed deeply, "  "Old slave Zhao Wei, please see the princess!" Tao Zhan said with a smile: "You are Manager Zhao. I heard that King Han will trouble you more in the future." "Old slave, I will serve the princess with all my heart."  The old slave heard that Tao Zhan was very uncomfortable. At this time, Tao Zhan saw the maids and chamberlains lined up in the distance, and couldn't help but asked strangely: "Who are they?" "Reporting to the princess, they are the maids of Weiyang Palace.  "Tao Zhan was startled, "So many people?" Zhao Wei looked back at these maids and chamberlains, and said with a wry smile: "This is already very few. There were so many palace maids and chamberlains around Emperor Ling back then.  Ten thousand people, this is just over a hundred people." Tao Zhan didn't say anything more. She knew that she had to slowly adapt to the life in Weiyang Palace. According to Liu Jing's instructions, it turned out that the servants of the Han Palace only had personal maids.  Entering the palace with the wet nurse, the rest of the family members have been dismissed, and more than thirty female guards also followed them into the palace.  Tao Zhan nodded and ordered: "It's already night now, let them all go back! I will get to know each other slowly later. Where is the Phoenix Tower? We will temporarily stay in the Phoenix Tower tonight." "Princess, please wait a moment.  "Old slave, I will lead the way." Zhao Wei stepped forward.The maids and chamberlains were dismissed, and then the princess was invited to get in the carriage. He rode a horse and led a carriage to Phoenix. Only then did everyone realize that Weiyang Palace was so big that they actually had to take a carriage to walk in the palace. Zhao Wei explained beside the carriage  : "Phoenix Tower is in the southwest corner, about two miles away from Xuanwu Gate. It's too far to walk. The original harem was bigger, but generally we don't take horse-drawn carriages, but chariots, which are actually rickshaws. But now we are short of manpower, so we can only take horse-drawn carriages temporarily.  "Everyone was silent, looking at the countless pavilions and pavilions under the moonlight, as well as the grand hall that could accommodate thousands of people. It was as tall as a cloud and had extraordinary momentum. Their eyes were a little dizzy, even Cao who lived in the Tongque Palace.  Xian couldn't help but be impressed by the scale and momentum of Weiyang Palace.  "Princess, we're here!" The carriage stopped and everyone got off the carriage. Not far away was the vast lake, shimmering under the moonlight, and a huge pavilion with a height of more than ten feet appeared in front of them, with cornices.  The Dou Gong is magnificent, with countless small buildings built underneath, surrounded by a yellow wall.  Everyone was a little stunned. They thought the Phoenix Tower was a small building, but they didn't expect it to be such a huge building with so many buildings. At this time, Tao Zhan suddenly realized that the tall building they could faintly see in the city was not.  Is this here?  Tao Zhan didn't know that the Phoenix Tower was originally called Phoenix Terrace, which was the queen's living place, so it was unusual. At this time, Liu Zhu suddenly shouted, "Daddy!" She saw her running not far away like a bird.  Go, and then everyone realized that their husband Liu Jing was already waiting for them in front of the gate. Liu Jing held his daughter's hand and walked over slowly. Zhao Wei quickly stepped forward to salute. Liu Jing waved his hand and said, "Please step aside first."  , I'll be fine here." "Old slave, please retire!" Zhao Wei retreated. Without the talkative old eunuch, everyone felt relaxed. Tao Zhan stepped forward and complained to his husband: "I knew Weiyang Palace was like this.  Son, I won¡¯t move here!¡± Liu Jing smiled at her, and then said to everyone, ¡°Everyone, come in!¡± The family followed Liu Jing into the Phoenix Building. The interior of the Phoenix Building was finished and the lights were bright.  , the lobby on the first floor looks extremely wide. Twelve thick pillars stand on both sides of the lobby. Curtains that are several feet high hang from the roof. In the center of the lobby, all the boxes and cages that have been moved are temporarily placed here, stacked like a hill.  .  "Everyone will rest here temporarily tonight, and we will make arrangements tomorrow." Without Liu Jing's instructions, everyone was busy on their own. Tao Zhan also accepted the reality. She was busy arranging temporary accommodation for everyone. There are more than a dozen people in Phoenix Tower.  There were many rooms in the building, but they only used the five floors below. Basically everyone had their own temporary room.  The night was getting deeper and everyone had fallen asleep. Da Qiao stood on the balcony of the room. She held on to the railing and stared at the sparkling water below. The slightly chilly night wind blew on her face, blowing her long and elegant hair.  , at this time, Liu Jing appeared behind her and gently hugged her waist from behind. "Isn't it cold in here?" Liu Jing asked with concern.  Da Qiao leaned on his shoulder, feeling his strong arms, which filled her heart with warm feelings. She raised her head, looked at Ai Lang with a pair of bright eyes, and said softly: "You should go to eldest sister's place." Liu  Jing lowered his head and kissed her smooth forehead, and said with a smile: "There are so many wives and concubines, and I have to care about them all. I can't care about one at the expense of the other. But you are my bride, and I have to care about you more." Da Qiao smiled sweetly, "You  What a strange man. He has a lofty status, but sometimes he acts like a little man at home. If you have seventy-two concubines in the Three Palaces and Sixth Ward in the future, will you care about them all? " "No!"  Liu Jing shook her head and said: "I mean, I can't have so many women. I am satisfied with just a few of you." At this time, a report from the maid came from outside the door: "Your Highness, there is news from the front, Sima Xiangguo is here  Asking to see him outside the palace. "Liu Jing was startled. Sima Yi came to see him so late. There must be something urgent. He responded: "I understand!" He then took Da Qiao's waist and entered the room. Da Qiao's personal maid.  Immediately closing the terrace door, Liu Jing smiled at Da Qiao and said, "Go to rest early! I'll come see you tomorrow." Da Qiao stretched out her white lotus-like arms to wrap around Liu Jing's neck, and kissed his lips affectionately.  After a kiss, she smiled and said: "Hurry up!" Liu Jing turned and left the room and walked quickly downstairs. Da Qiao stood at the door and watched him go away. When he turned around, he saw Cao Xian holding the quilt.  Standing aside, looking at him with a red face, Da Qiao smiled and said: "What's wrong, little sister?" Cao Xian was a little embarrassed and said: "Sister Lian, can I sleep with you tonight? The window in my room is not open  Okay, there was a creaking sound, I was a little scared." Da Qiao laughed and pulled Cao Xian into the room."Come in quickly! It's cold outside." Liu Jing took a carriage out of the harem and came to her official room, where she saw Sima Yi already waiting for her in front of the official room.  Sima Yi served as Minister of the Ministry of War. The Ministry of War was in charge of the recruitment of the Han army, training of new recruits, promotion of ordinary soldiers, pensions for fallen soldiers, establishment of military cities and other military affairs. However, these military affairs were specifically responsible for the left and right ministers of the Ministry of War. Sima Yi did not interfere with specific affairs.  He is the prime minister and is mainly involved in the decision-making of military and state affairs in the political hall.  However, Sima Yi also had another important position, which was in charge of the Han army¡¯s intelligence system. This was directly managed by Sima Yi. The intelligence system was originally in charge of Jia Xu, but was later transferred to Sima Yi.  Since Jiangdong has been captured by the Han army, the intelligence point in Jiangdong has also been disbanded. Now the main targets of the Han army's intelligence are Cao Wei and Jiaozhou.  Seeing Liu Jing getting off the carriage, Sima Yi quickly stepped forward and whispered: "Your Highness, there is urgent information from Cao Wei!" Liu Jing nodded, "Go into the room and talk."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1045 Zhong Yao is on an envoy

    Liu Jing and Sima Yi entered the official room and sat down. A guard served them tea. Sima Yi then whispered: "Cao Cao sent Zhong Yao as a special envoy and has gone to Jiaozhou." Liu Jing frowned, "Is the news reliable?" "  It should be reliable. It is the news from Yang Tian. " Liu Jing walked a few steps in the room with her hands behind her hands. She turned around and said to Sima Yi: "Cao Cao wants to use Jiaozhou to contain me and create a trend of echoing between the north and the south. This is not surprising. I am just surprised.  Why would Cao Cao send Zhong Yao as an envoy? "The minister thought of this. This should be related to the recent case of the Seven Sons of Jian'an in Yedu. Cao Pi took the opportunity to eradicate Cao Zhi's influence, and even the Cui family of Qinghe was affected, and Zhong  Yao is Cao Zhi's main support. Cao Cao sent him as an envoy to Jiaozhou to protect him. "Liu Jing nodded, "You are right, that should be the reason, but Cui's involvement in the case was not entirely to eliminate Cao Zhi's influence.  , I think it has something to do with Cao Cao's order." Sima Yi was puzzled, "Your Highness, didn't the order go away?" "How could it be left alone?" Liu Jing said with a sneer.  The order was the same as the land resettlement order of Han Dynasty. It was related to the life and death of Cao Wei. How could Cao Cao not let it go? He couldn't touch the military dignitaries, so he attacked the nobles who had always opposed him. The Cui family of Qinghe had thousands of acres of fertile land and hid countless refugees.  Thousands of people, if the Cui family does not hand over these people and fertile land, Cao Cao will never give up. After taking care of the Cui family of Qinghe, the Yang family of Hongnong will follow. All the nobles will not be able to escape. This is what Cao Cao thought many years ago.  What we have to do can no longer be postponed." Sima Yi sighed, "He has touched the interests of the nobles and will undoubtedly destroy his foundation." "There is no way, the number of farmers in Cao Wei has been reduced by nearly half, and the government's tax revenue has been sharp.  Minus, if this continues, what will Cao Cao do to support his army? Last year, Chen Qun told me that the order to release Ding was first proposed by Xun Yu. It was originally called the Gongtian order. If a private owner owns more than five hectares of land, he must hand over four acres to the official.  , together with the population on the land, could not be implemented. Last year, Chen Qun proposed improvement measures. As long as the people did not want the land, they changed to Ding Order. "Why is this?" Sima Yi asked with a smile.  "It's very simple. Now the government has enough farmland, but there are no farmers to cultivate it, so Chen Qun suggested to Cao Cao that he only needs to force the powerful people from all over the country to hand over the hidden people. The land can be spared. With the population, they can concentrate on farming and implement it again.  "The well-field system is like Jiaozhou." Sima Yi sighed, "The powerful people everywhere are not stupid. Without farmers to cultivate, what is the use of the land in their hands? No wonder it still cannot be implemented. Now they are using coercion to favor the powerful and only target the gentry. I  It is estimated that even if it succeeds, it will greatly shake the foundation of Cao Wei. "Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "Cao Cao knew very well that he was not a nobleman at all. He had already joined forces with Bian Rang and Kong Rong when he promoted the legalism of the humble family.  The nobles are against him, and his foundation is to support his powerful people. To eradicate the nobles who support the Han Dynasty and seize their population and land at the same time, wouldn't it kill two birds with one stone?" "Then your highness will just watch Cao Cao attack the nobles and remain indifferent?"  Liu Jing laughed meaningfully and said to Sima Yi: "If I defeat Cao Cao and unify the world, how should I deal with these nobles and make them hand over their population and land? Has Zhongda thought about this?" For Liu  Sima Yi had experienced Jing's evil intentions not once or twice, but he felt it again today. Sima Yi sighed in his heart and could only remain silent. Liu Jing raised his hands again and said: "The Han Dynasty was in chaos because of the powerful separatism.  At the beginning of the army, they had to rely on the support of the powerful landowners, but once it became the climate, they had to turn around and deal with these powerful landlords who had supported them. This was the case with Yuan Shao, and the same was true with Cao Cao. This is the art of emperors, repeated over and over for thousands of years, brilliant  The king will find a balance point, which is the so-called golden mean. I also hope to find such a balance point. The heroes who follow me should enjoy glory and wealth and own land, but not excessively. They must maintain a limit. Early in the Han system  It is clear, but the principles have been corrupted, and these systems have ceased to exist in name only. Since I revived the Han Dynasty, I want to rebuild the system and establish the principles again. Can Zhongda understand that this Han Dynasty is not that Han Dynasty? " Sima Yi stood up and said: "Can I understand!  " Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "This topic is too big to finish at the moment. Let's talk about it another day! Let's talk about Zhong Yao's mission to Jiaozhou. What do Zhongda think we should do?  On the one hand, we must prevent Cao Wei from forming an alliance with Jiaozhou, and on the other hand, we must actively prepare to go south to attack Jiaozhou. This is the basis and cannot be delayed any longer." Liu Jing walked to the window, thought for a long time and said: "If we support a force in Jiaozhou.  , to contain Liu Bei, he temporarily let go of Jiaozhou. What does Zhongda think? "&nbsp; "Your Highness means raising wolves to control tigers, but he is afraid that if tigers and wolves join forces, we will be harmed instead." Liu Jing nodded, "Zhongda is right, the only way to cure the root cause is to eradicate Liu Bei and unify Jiaozhou.  In fact, Gan Ning and Lu Xun are already making preparations." Having said this, Liu Jing turned back to Sima Yi and said with a smile, "Since Cao Cao sent Zhong Yao as an envoy to Jiaozhou, how about Zhongda also go to Jiaozhou as an envoy for me?"  Understanding what Liu Jing meant, he stood up and saluted: "I am willing to share your worries for Your Highness!" Since Liu Bei's Northern Expedition ambition was shattered a few years ago, Jiaozhou has been hit hard. After several years of hard work, Jiaozhou's military strength has gradually returned to three.  Ten thousand people, Jiaozhou has a sparse population, this is the largest military force that Jiaozhou can support.  Of course, the Northern Expedition was not completely fruitless. Jiaozhou eventually occupied Luling County as a passage for the Jiaozhou army to move north.  That morning, a 100-stone passenger ship slowly approached the dock of Gan County. Gan County is located in the south of Luling County and is an important commercial port on the Gan River. Although it has a small population, its commerce is very developed. In spring and autumn every year, a large amount of mountain goods are shipped.  And medicinal materials are collected and distributed here, put on ships, and transported to Jingzhou or Jiangdong.  It was already early winter, and the Ganxian wharf seemed a little deserted. A dozen dilapidated cargo ships were moored next to the wharf, but there were dozens of Jiaozhou soldiers on the wharf, and in the middle was a thirty-year-old scribe.  It was Bo Ma Su, the head of Liu Bei's bureau, and there were a group of local officials such as the magistrate of Gan County and the county magistrate.  Ma Su was the special envoy Zhong Yao who came to meet Cao Cao on Liu Bei's order. Zhong Yao's entourage had already arrived at Panyu City in Nanhai County and sent Cao Cao's personal letter to Liu Bei. Liu Bei took it very seriously and immediately ordered Ma Su to come to Gan County.  Welcome the special envoy Zhong Yao.  News of the demise of Jiangdong has reached Jiaozhou, making Jiaozhou very nervous. Zhuge Liang believed that after the Han army destroyed Jiangdong, the next target must be Jiaozhou. Only by eliminating the worries of Jiaozhou can the Han army fully compete with Cao's army in the Central Plains.  "Her Majesty, here we come!" a soldier shouted, pointing at the passenger ship that appeared in the distance.  Ma Su looked a little nervous. The special envoy turned out to be Zhong Yao, who was famous for his calligraphy, which made him admire him. After a while, the passenger ship docked, and several entourages surrounded an old man wearing a green robe and a small hat and came ashore.  Ma Su hurriedly came forward and saluted: "Your Excellency, are you Military Advisor Zhong?" Zhong Yao smiled and nodded, "Of course!" Ma Su was overjoyed and said quickly: "I am Ma Su, the chief registrar of the Emperor's uncle's office. I am here on the order of Emperor Liu's uncle.  "Welcome Commander Zhong." Zhong Yao smiled slightly and returned the greeting: "It turns out he is Ma Liang's brother. I have admired him for a long time." Ma Di felt a little unhappy. The other person admired him for a long time because of his brother Ma Liang, but then again,  They have been in Jiaozhou for many years, and I am afraid that the Central Plains has long forgotten them.  Although he felt a little uncomfortable, Ma Su did not dare to neglect, and immediately asked someone to bring the horse over, and said to Zhong Yao: "There are many rocks in the river ahead, and the current is fast. We can no longer sail. Let's ride south first and pass Dayu Mountain.  After arriving at Longchuan County, we boarded the boat and headed to Panyu. "Oh! How far is it from here to Longchuan County?" "It takes about five days." Zhong Yao didn't say anything, got on his horse, and followed Ma Su and others.  Going south, Panyu County was the capital of the South Vietnam Kingdom established by Zhao Tuo in the past. The political center of Jiaozhou was originally in Jiaozhi, but because the Shixie family had been operating in Jiaozhi for many years, they had many marriages with tribes such as the Barbarian and Cham tribes.  Although Liu Bei's army destroyed the scholar family, it encountered hostility from the two major tribes, the Barbarians and the Cham. Liu Bei's several attempts to ease relations were rejected by the two tribes, and the envoys he sent were also killed. Liu Bei had no choice but to establish the center of rule.  In Panyu County where the capital of South Vietnam is located.  Panyu County, which is today's Guangzhou, is located at Lingding Yangkou, where two rivers intersect, and water transportation is convenient. For this purpose, Zhuge Liang established a navy of 5,000 people, with more than 300 large and small warships, and also established official ships.  Freight transportation enables food supplies from Luling County, Cangwu County, Yulin County and other places to be transported by water to Panyu City.  Liu Bei has always been eager to return to the Central Plains, and he is not very dedicated to running Jiaozhou. He only regards Jiaozhou as his temporary stop. However, since the disastrous defeat of the Northern Expedition a few years ago, Liu Bei's heart for the Northern Expedition suffered a heavy blow, and he began to use his  Operating in Jiaozhou.  He appointed Zhuge Liang's military advisor general to be in charge of government affairs. Wang Lei and Huang Quan, who came from Yizhou, were appointed as his left and right attendants to assist Zhuge Liang in charge of government affairs. He also appointed Sun Qian as the prefect of Yulin County, Jian Yong as the prefect of Cangwu County, and Mi Zhu as the prefect of Cangwu County.  As the prefect of Luling County, he ordered Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Chen Dao, Liu Feng and other generals to control the army and drill day and night, preparing to seize Jian'an County.  This is also Zhuge Liang's northward expansion strategy. He did not seek southern Jing to avoid strong enemies, but instead sought Jiangdong. Jian'an County has a vast territory and rich products. If it can beBy capturing Jian'an County, we can lay the foundation for moving north to capture Linhai County and even Kuaiji County in the future.  Liu Bei believed this. He had already discovered that Jiangdong was gradually declining and was no longer as powerful as before. He might not be able to offend Han, but he could seek Jiangdong, which would also satisfy his desire to go north.  Just when Liu Bei was preparing to conquer Jiangdong, news came that Jiangdong had been conquered by Liu Jing, which shocked Liu Bei. At this moment, Cao Cao's envoy Zhong Yao arrived in Jiaozhou. At the same time, Cangwu Prefect Jian Yong  Someone was sent to deliver the news. The special envoy of King Liu Jing of Han Dynasty and Sima Yi, Minister of War of Han Dynasty, also arrived at Cangwu County.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1046 The two envoys meet to pay a visit to the state

    The reconstruction of Panyu County began the year before last and was completed in March this year. The county seat has been expanded twice, with a circumference of more than 20 miles. The city wall is tall and strong. The moat alone is more than 30 feet wide. It is integrated with the Dongjiang River and a land bridge has been built.  Food supplies from Gate and Shuimen, Cangwu County and Yulin County can be transported directly from the moat into the city. There are about 100,000 residents in the city, which is also a large county in the Central Plains.  Most of the various buildings in the city are based on the Central Plains style. Taking into account the abundant rainfall in Jiaozhou, various drainage facilities are in place. Even if it rains heavily for several days and nights, the city will not be flooded. The rainwater will flow directly along the ditch.  It flows into the Dongjiang River outside the city.  In the north of the county, there is a palace covering an area of ??about a thousand acres, called Yue Palace, which was the former Nanyue Palace. After Liu Bei renovated it, it became the official residence of Jiaozhou and Liu Bei's residence.  The name of Yue Palace is actually given by Liu Bei himself, which contains Liu Bei's desire. He hopes to be named the King of Yue by the court. Whether he sits in Jiaozhou or controls Jiangdong in the future, this title is very appropriate.  Perhaps because he has never been able to adapt to the climate of Jiaozhou, Liu Bei's health has been deteriorating over the years. Especially last year when he went to Cangwu County for inspection, he encountered miasma, which almost killed him. In the end, he was bedridden for several months before he recovered his life.  Liu Bei is slightly younger than Cao Cao. He is fifty-seven years old this year. His body is not deformed. He just seems weak and weak. His body can no longer bear the heavy government affairs, so he leaves the government affairs to Zhuge Liang. He only intervenes in some military affairs.  .  For example, when Zhong Yao and Sima Yi came to Jiaozhou as envoys at the same time, it was a military and state event. In the Kaiming Hall of the Yue Palace where Liu Bei usually lived, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang were discussing the arrival of the two envoys at the same time.  "What does the military advisor think Cao Cao meant by sending Zhong Yao as an envoy to Jiaozhou?" Liu Bei asked slowly.  Jiaozhou is a remote area and there is little information. Zhuge Liang did not know that the Jian'an Seven Sons case had broken out in Ye. He was also a little confused. Zhong Yao had always been in charge of affairs in the west and had no deep friendship with Liu Bei. He sent military advisors to Jiaozhou as an envoy. Although it showed that  Cao Cao attached great importance to Jiaozhou, but Zhuge Liang still felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't tell what was wrong?  Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment and said: "The reason why Cao Cao sent an envoy must be related to the demise of Jiangdong. Cao Cao also felt a huge threat, so he hoped that the two families would join forces to deal with Liu Jing. However, Wei Chen felt that Cao Cao could not provide us with substantial support.  "Liu Bei knew what Zhuge Liang was referring to, and he said slowly: "Liu Jing cut off the pig iron and grain trade with us last month, which had a great impact on our war preparations. Although Cao Cao is definitely willing to support us,  But they can't transport it. I still hope that we can solve this problem ourselves. Sir, I have been working on this matter for a long time. Do you have any idea?" Zhuge Liang leaned forward and said: "Reporting to the emperor, I think the food problem can be solved, but the pig iron problem?  It is indeed a bit difficult. In the past two years, Weichen has sent many people to search for minerals in various parts of Jiaozhou, and they have found gold and copper mines, but they have not found iron mines. I think there should be some, hidden in the mountains, but it just takes time. " Liu Bei  He didn't blame Zhuge Liang. He knew that Zhuge Liang was more anxious than him. He sighed, "It's just that we relied too much on Jiangdong in the past and wasted too much time. It's a bit late to be anxious in the past two years. But with Sima Yi's arrival, we  "Is it possible to lift the ban on pig iron trade?" "Wei Chen can give it a try, but Sima Yi's arrival is obviously aimed at Cao Cao's envoy. Liu Jing should not be simply trying to destroy our alliance with Cao Cao, but has other intentions.  , we should pay attention to him." Liu Bei nodded, "Anyway, he is the prime minister of the Han Dynasty and has a respected position. We must not be rude and treat him with courtesy. This matter will bother the military advisor." A few days later, Sima Yi.  Arriving at Panyu City almost at the same time as Zhong Yao, they were warmly welcomed by Zhuge Liang. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets singing and dancing to welcome the arrival of the two envoys. Although it was a bit embarrassing for the two to arrive at the same time, the enthusiasm of the people was weakened to some extent.  This embarrassment.  Both of them were arranged in the Jiaozhou VIP Hotel and received equal treatment. That night, Liu Bei held a grand banquet in the Yue Palace to welcome the arrival of Zhong Yao and Sima Yi.  In the lobby, Liu Bei is sitting in the middle, Zhong Yao is on the left, and Sima Yi is sitting on both sides on the right. Below are two rows of banquets, where civil and military officials sit. On the left are seats for civil servants. Zhuge Liang is sitting at the top, and below are two servants.  Wang Lei and Huang Quan.  On the right side are the general seats, with Guan Yu sitting at the top, Zhang Fei and Chen Dao sitting below, as well as Liu Feng, Guan Ping, Mi Fang, Zhang Bao, Guan Xing and other generals.  At this time, Liu Bei stood up, raised his cup and said with a smile: "Today is a happy day. Two distinguished guests came to Jiaozhou at the same time. They represent the Duke of Wei and His Highness the King of Han. This is the glory of Jiaozhou and a symbol of its prosperity. Come on!"  Welcome the two distinguished guests, we have a drink?This cup!  " Everyone responded and raised their glasses and drank it all. At this time, a group of dancers entered the stage, leisurely music sounded, and the banquet officially began. At this time, Liu Bei smiled and asked Zhong Yao: "How is Wei Gong's health?  ?  " Zhong Yao leaned forward and replied: "Thank you for your concern, uncle. Wei Gong is in good health. When I set off, he went to inspect Hebei.  " "Back then, Wei Gong and I fought against the Yellow Turbans, defended the Han Dynasty, and shocked China. Almost thirty years have passed and we are all old.  " Zhong Yao smiled and said: "Wei Gong also often talked about the emperor's uncle, and how he made wine with green plums in the past. He really hoped to see the emperor's uncle again and put away the grudges with a smile!  "    "well said!  Life only lasts for a few decades, whether it is kindness or hatred, everything will be lost after a handful of loess.  "Liu Bei and Zhong Yao were chatting happily, but they invisibly ignored Sima Yi on the other side. Sima Yi had a faint sneer on his face. Of course he knew that Liu Bei was pretending to be close to the Wei Dynasty but far away from the Han Dynasty. He said nothing and drank alone. "  Zhuge Liang felt something was wrong, raised his glass and smiled at Sima Yi: "Zhongda has worked hard all the way, I'd like to toast Mr. Sima.  Sima Yi drank the wine in one gulp and said with a smile: "Thank you so much, military advisor, for the toast, but I was obsessed with the strategy of the Warring States Period so I didn't feel it was hard."  Zhuge Liang smiled and asked, "I wonder what Zhongda's favorite policy during the Warring States Period was?"  " Sima Yi smiled slightly, "I like the saying in Qin's policy the most. It is better for the king to make friends from far away and attack close to home. The king's inch is the king's inch, and the king's ruler is the ruler. What I saw at today's banquet is that it is not the policy of the Warring States Period!  " Sima Yi ridiculed Liu Bei for kissing Zhong Yao and staying away from him, which made everyone in the hall change their expressions. Zhang Fei was furious, stood up, drew his sword and glared: "Is Sima insulting my brother?  " With quick hands and quick eyes, Guan Yu pushed Zhang Fei down, but the atmosphere in the lobby still became solemn, the music stopped, the dancers stopped dancing, and stood in the lobby in a daze. At this time, Liu Bei said apologetically: "I am not the one who entertains guests.  In Zhou Dynasty, I ignored Sima Xiangguo. I drank a glass of wine as a penalty and apologized to Xiangguo.  " Sima Yi stood up and said: "Uncle Huang is the master, and I am a distant guest. I should be the one to honor the master with this glass of wine. Thank you Uncle Huang for the hospitality. Sima Yi wishes Uncle Huang good health and that all your wishes will come true soon.  Liu Bei laughed twice and said, "I am old and have nothing else to worry about, but I still want to thank Sima Xiangguo for the toast."  Liu Bei waved his hand again, the music started again, the dancer danced again, and the tense atmosphere in the lobby was relieved. At this time, Guan Yu complained to Zhang Fei in a low voice: "Brother, I have to balance the two and seek the greatest benefit."  Benefits, third brother, please stop talking and ruin the elder brother's business.  " Zhang Fei said nothing, and drank silently. After a while, he said, "I think war is the greatest benefit.  " After the banquet, Sima Yi and Zhong Yao went back to their respective places. At this time, Zhuge Liang came to visit Sima Yi first. In the yard, Zhuge Liang smiled and said: "Just now Zhongda said that we should make friends far away and attack closely, but I did the opposite and came to visit first.  Zhongda, approaching is not necessarily an attack.  Sima Yi laughed and said, "I just drank a few more glasses of wine and talked nonsense. Don't take it to heart, military advisor."  "The two exchanged a few words, walked into the room, and sat down respectively. The attendants served them tea. At this time, Sima Yi took out a letter and handed it to Zhuge Liang, "This is your brother's home letter to the military advisor, please ask me to bring it.  Zhuge Liang took the letter and asked, "How is my brother now?"  " "He is now serving as the governor of Yuzhang, which is the position held by his uncle. His Highness the King of Han highly appreciates his ability. We all think that he has the potential to become a prime minister.  " Zhuge Liang sighed: "The changes in the world situation are dizzying. At the beginning of the year, we received Jiangdong envoys, but now Jiangdong no longer exists. Frankly speaking, the emperor is very worried about the future of Jiaozhou. I wonder if one day we will  Are you going to go to war with Han?  " Having said this, Zhuge Liang looked at Sima Yi with a half-smile but not a smile. He had already tested it first to see how Sima Yi would react? Sima Yi had already known the case, and he said with a hearty smile: "If the King of Han wanted to destroy Jiaozhou, he would not have sent his military advisors back to Jiaozhou.  I will not give you Luling County. The King of Han hopes that the emperor can better manage Jiaozhou and spread the Central Plains culture to every corner of Jiaozhou. The King of Han hopes that our two families will have good relations from generation to generation.  " "The statement of the King of Han is touching, but we hope to see the sincerity of the King of Han even more. If His Highness the King of Han is willing to express it with practical actions, I believe the effect will be better.  " "I wonder what the actual action the military advisor refers to?  " "The practical actions have a wide range of meanings, such as border withdrawal, strengthening messenger exchanges, and expanding trade, such as the pig iron trade. We have always had normal transactions with Jiangdong, but recently they have suddenly stopped. It is really confusing.  Sima Yi chuckled, "The pig iron trade is a bit special. The main inventory is insufficient. The mines have been shut down for more than half a year due to the war."The iron ore has also been exhausted, and now Jiangdong is resuming production and building agricultural tools, which has a huge demand for pig iron, so it can only suspend external export. When the mines return to normal and the pig iron inventory increases, I believe that trade with Jiaozhou will be resumed. This  It's just a matter of time, which can be as little as half a year or as much as a year. I hope the military advisor will wait patiently.  " Zhuge Liang was helpless. Of course he understood that Sima Yi was dealing with him. To put it nicely, it was nothing more than delaying time. For half a year or a year, the day lilies would be cold by then. Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment and then asked: "I wonder if Zhongda will come out this time?  What message does the envoy to Jiaozhou want to convey to us?  Sima Yi smiled and said: "Of course it is to convey His Highness the King of Han's goodwill towards Jiaozhou. In addition, we have received news that Jiaozhou seems to have thoughts about Jian'an County. The army has entered the country several times. Of course, Jian'an County used to belong to Jiangdong, but Jiangdong has been incorporated into it."  Han, so Jian'an County is also the territory of Han. This time I came to Jiaozhou, and I also hope to clarify our respective boundaries with Jiaozhou, so as to avoid unnecessary conflicts and damage to the long-standing friendship between the two countries.  " Zhuge Liang stood up and said: "I understand what Zhongda means. I will tell the emperor that Zhongda has worked hard all the way. It is getting late now, so I will not disturb Zhongda's rest.  " At this time, Zhuge Liang had already understood Sima Yi's intention. On the one hand, he came to prevent them from forming an alliance with Cao Wei, just like Zhang Yi destroyed the alliance between Qi and Chu. He made a lot of beautiful promises, but in the end he failed to fulfill them. It's a pity that they are not King Huai of Chu. " Another  On the one hand, it was to warn them not to seize Jian'an County. As for the pig iron trade that the emperor's uncle was eager to resume, since Sima Yi was not sincere, Zhuge Liang didn't want to waste any more time, so he stood up and left with his hands behind his hands.  Zhuge Liang walked away and couldn't help but sneered. It was no longer the Qin Dynasty. After four hundred years of the Han Dynasty, it was not that difficult to attack Jiaozhou. He hoped that Jiaozhou and the Han State would turn against each other, so that they would have reason to send troops to turn back.  Asked: "Which courtyard does Zhong Yao live in?"  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1047 Double Confusion

    Zhong Yao was a little tired after a bumpy journey south. He had just burned his feet and was about to go to bed. At this time, a follower walked quickly to the door and reported: "This is the military advisor, Sima Gong wants to see you!" Zhong Yao was puzzled that Sima Yi was like this.  What are you doing to find yourself late?  But he also thought that Zhuge Liang had just visited Sima Yi, and there must be some reason for this, so he said: "Ask him to wait in the living room, I will come right away." Zhong Yao put on his shoes and socks, and put on a robe, and then slowly  Slowly arriving at the living room, Sima Yi was sitting in the living room drinking tea. When he saw Zhong Yao coming in, he quickly stood up and said apologetically: "I'm disturbing Military Master Zhong's rest." "It's okay, I can't sleep so early. Zhongda, please sit down!" The two of them sat down!  After sitting down, Sima Yi took out a letter and handed it to Zhong Yao with a smile, "This is a personal letter from His Highness the King of Han to Military Advisor Zhong." Zhong Yao was startled that Liu Jing actually wrote to him. He took the letter, opened it and read it.  In the letter, Liu Jing greatly praised his governance of Guanzhong and restored the people's livelihood in Chang'an, which laid a solid foundation for the Han Dynasty to move the capital to Chang'an. This made Zhong Yao smile bitterly in his heart. He did not govern Guanzhong to move the capital of the Han Dynasty. In the end, it was clearly for the Han Dynasty to move the capital.  Made a wedding dress.  However, Liu Jing's words in the letter were very sincere. Zhong Yao was moved when he saw the rest. He felt that Liu Jing was sincerely grateful to him. But at the end of the letter, Zhong Yao was shocked. The letter said that the Han Dynasty  The position of Zhongshu Ling has always been vacant, so there is a vacant seat for him, hoping that he can go to the Han Kingdom to serve as the Zhongshu Ling and become the first official of the Han Kingdom.  Liu Jing's last words made Zhong Yao very confused. It was not that he was disgusted, but that he found it difficult to accept that he actually asked himself to be Zhongshu Ling. At this time, Sima Yi said sincerely on the side: "Wei Gong will only be in a year or two at most."  It's time, now it's a foregone conclusion that Cao Pi will take the throne. Cao Cao acquiesced to him launching the Jian'an Seven Sons case, just because he didn't want Cao Wei's affairs to be in chaos again. Once Cao Pi ascends the throne, I believe the first person he will deal with is Zhong Gong.  If Cao Pi is too ambitious, he will most likely abolish Han and establish Wei, and the Duke will become a minister of the Han Dynasty. How can he just watch the Han Dynasty perish?  For the sake of all people in the world, we should devote ourselves to the great cause of the revival of the Han Dynasty." After a long time, Zhong Yao sighed, "His Royal Highness the King of Han values ??me so much, which is beyond my expectation and I am deeply moved. It's just that I am now.  Ambassador Cao, who has the great trust of Duke Wei, asked me to abandon Wei and join the Han Dynasty at this time. It goes against my principles and will make people in the world laugh at me. I can only be very sorry." Sima Yi said with a smile: "His Royal Highness the King of Han did not ask for Zhong.  At this time, the Duke abandoned Wei and joined the Han Dynasty. He just hoped that Zhong Gong would think of a bright place when his life was at a low point. In addition, His Highness the King of Han sincerely invited Zhong Junshi to detour to Chang'an to revisit his hometown after his mission. " Zhong Yao reacted extremely.  Quick, he immediately asked tentatively: "Does Zhongda mean that His Highness the King of Han is ready?" Sima Yi nodded, "The King of Han is already waiting for you in Chang'an, and it is impossible for Duke Zhong to return from the original route.  But His Highness the King of Han will never force Mr. Zhong. He only asks Mr. Zhong to give an explanation to Cao Cao. If Mr. Zhong is unwilling to go to Chang'an, then I will immediately send an order to Jingzhou to cancel the interception. Everything is decided by Mr. Zhong. I will not hide it from Mr. Zhong.  This is also one of the real purposes of my mission to Jiaozhou. In fact, we do not want to form an alliance with Cao Cao and Liu Bei at all." Only then did Zhong Yao realize that Sima Yi's real purpose of sending the mission to Jiaozhou was for himself, not to intercept him halfway, but to let himself continue to complete it.  Although the mission was only one of the reasons, it was enough to move him. Liu Jing's sincerity made him unable to refuse. He thought for a moment and finally nodded, "Since His Highness the King of Han has so kindly invited me, I am willing to divert to Chang'an.  Sima Yi was overjoyed, "Then it's settled, we will intercept Duke Zhong in Xiangyang and ask him to divert to Chang'an." Sima Yi's mission to Jiaozhou was not to destroy the alliance between Liu Bei and Cao Cao. In fact, Liu Bei and Cao Cao formed an alliance against each other.  Han's strategy also had little impact. Cao Cao could neither transport supplies to Jiaozhou nor send troops from the north to respond to Jiaozhou when the Han army and Jiaozhou army were fighting fiercely. In the final analysis, Cao Cao was just using Liu Bei and Jiaozhou to contain the Han.  military.  Therefore, Sima Yi's mission to Jiaozhou had two purposes. One was to impress Zhong Yao with his sincerity and ask him to transfer to Chang'an. The other purpose was to confuse Jiaozhou and make Liu Bei think that the Han army was not eager to attack Jiaozhou.  So he wanted to sign a border treaty with Jiaozhou, and early the next morning, Sima Yi personally visited the representatives of the Cham and Barbarians in Panyu.  The Cham and Barbarians are the two largest tribes in Jiaozhi. They support the Shixie family and hate Liu Bei. When Liu Bei occupied Jiaozhi and destroyed the Shi family, although the Cham and Barbarians resisted Liu Bei's recruitment, on the other hand, they did not want to fight with Liu Bei.  The armies fought, and as a compromise between the two sides, the two tribes also sent representatives to station in Panyu. They reluctantly recognized Liu Bei as the lord of Jiaozhou, while they remained independent, so that both sides were in peace.  Just when Sima Yi went to visit the Cham and barbarians.When Pan Yu's representative arrived, Liu Bei also formally received Zhong Yao in the Yue Palace.  Zhong Yao was still bathing and changing clothes, making formal preparations for the formal reception, while Liu Bei used this opportunity to talk to Zhuge Liang again to learn about the situation of Zhuge Liang's meeting with Sima Yi last night.  Liu Bei sneered at Liu Jing's so-called goodwill. These are all official words. Just listen to them and don't take them seriously. He is more concerned about some practical interests, such as pig iron trade and so on.  Zhuge Liang said to Liu Bei: "Although Sima Yi expressed it very tactfully and gave many excuses, I understand what he meant. He actually just told us that Han will never sell us pig iron again." Liu Bei's face was extremely ugly, and he groaned for a long time.  He shouted, "What else did he say?" "He also warned us not to seek Jian'an County. He came to Jiaozhou this time just to determine the border between the two countries with us." "It's so shameless. Jian'an County has always been under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court.  , was occupied by Jiangdong, and the court did not recognize it at all. Now that he has annexed Jiaozhou, will Jian'an County be annexed by him? " Jian'an County is now Fujian Province. It has a vast territory and covers almost the entire Fujian Province. Due to its vast territory and sparse population, Jian'an County is now Fujian Province.  , Jian'an County did not have Jiangdong's troops stationed there. Liu Bei sent troops several times to test Jian'an County, but then withdrew. Jiangdong also sent envoys to negotiate the matter at the beginning of the year.  Just when Liu Bei decided to send troops to occupy Jian'an County, news of Jiangdong's demise came. This meant that Jian'an County already belonged to the Han Kingdom, and Liu Bei did not dare to act rashly.  At this time, Liu Bei was angry and regretful. At the beginning of the year, Jiangdong had offered to sell Jian'an County to Jiangdong for 200,000 shi and 10,000 taels of gold. However, Liu Bei felt that there was no need to offer so much food and gold, and he could negotiate with him again.  Jiangdong bargained, but it took too long, causing them to lose their only chance to get Jian'an County.  Now Sima Yi arrived and directly warned them not to plot Jian'an County. This made Liu Bei calm down. Liu Bei paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, unable to hide the annoyance and anger in his heart.  Zhuge Liang also thought about this all night. He thought more deeply than Liu Bei, "My lord, please listen to me. Sima Yi's mission to Jiaozhou was not just for Jian'an County. If Liu Jing really wanted to do it for Jian'an County, he would directly send troops to Jian'an."  The county is the best warning. Wei Chen thinks that Sima Yi is just trying to paralyze us, making us think that Han is going to compete with us for the border and that the Han army will not attack us, so we take it lightly. This is the real purpose of Sima Yi's mission to Jiaozhou.  " Zhuge Liang's words were like a bucket of cold water poured on Liu Bei's head, making him suddenly sober. He was indeed a little confused. He forgot about the threat of the Han army to attack Jiaozhou, but he was worried about the ownership of Jian'an County.  "The military advisor is right, I'm really a little confused." As soon as Liu Bei finished speaking, a guard reported outside the door, "Uncle Emperor, Lin Juncheng has something important to report." Lin Juncheng's name is Lin Zhan, who was promoted by Liu Bei in Jiaozhou.  A group of local literati. Lin Zhan is the eldest son of the Lin family in Nanhai County. He is only over thirty years old. He was appointed as the Cheng of Nanhai County by Liu Bei. This time he is responsible for accompanying Sima Yi and also monitoring Sima Yi. If he reports something urgent, it must be  It was related to Sima Yi, Liu Bei immediately ordered: "Let him in!" After a moment, the county prime minister Lin Zhan walked in quickly, bowed and saluted: "See the state pastor!" "Is there anything wrong with Sima Yi?" Liu Bei asked.  "Back to Zhou Mu, early this morning, Sima Yi went to visit the Cham and Barbarians." "What?" Liu Bei was shocked. Sima Yi actually went to visit the Cham and Barbarians. What does this mean?  Next to him, Zhuge Liang asked calmly: "What did they talk about and how long did they talk about?" "I'm not sure what they talked about. They talked in secret. They talked for about half an hour each." Just after Lin Zhan finished speaking, outside  Another report came from the guards: "Uncle Emperor, the Cham and Barbarians left the city in a hurry and returned to their tribes." "Asshole!" Liu Bei gritted his teeth and cursed: "Does Liu Jing want to make enemies for me?" Zhuge Liang  After giving Lin Zhan a wink and asking him to retreat first, Zhuge Liang said to Liu Bei: "My lord, this just proves that Wei Chen's inference is correct. Liu Jing is confusing us and making enemies for us, making us think that Liu Jing is  To support the Cham and barbarians to contain us, all this is a ploy to make us unprepared for war, and then war will suddenly come. " Zhuge Liang's explanation this time did not convince Liu Bei. Liu Bei frowned and said: "The military advisor should.  Thinking of this, it is not easy to attack Jiaozhou. The army can easily be trapped in Jiaozhou. I believe Liu Jing also understands this. If I were Liu Jing, I would make enemies in Jiaozhou. It used to be the Shi family, but now there is no Shi family.  The Cham and barbarians who are dissatisfied with us are the best candidates.??With the enemy, we will not dare to go north easily. Liu Jing will have no worries and can attack Cao Cao with all his strength. Military advisor, this is a good strategy.  "Zhuge Liang saw that Liu Bei was shaken, and he said anxiously: "Master, you underestimate Liu Jing. He will never put his fate in the hands of others." Before Zhuge Liang could finish speaking, Liu Bei waved his hand, "This matter is related to  It's important. Let's not rush to conclusions. Let me think about it carefully.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1048 Zhong Yao visits Han

    Although Cao Cao had many ideas and hoped to form an alliance with Liu Bei, and the two families would echo from the north to the south and jointly deal with the increasingly powerful Liu Jing, the reality was very skinny. A traffic cutoff made the two families rely on the Han Dynasty for communication.  face, not to mention Cao Cao's actual support for Liu Bei.  He could not give Liu Bei the financial, material and manpower he wanted. At most, he could satisfy Liu Bei's spiritual requirements for becoming king, but this spiritual satisfaction was not enough to make the two families form a substantial alliance.  This is doomed that Zhong Yao's mission to Jiaozhou was more symbolic than practical. Although there were a series of meetings afterwards, the basic tone was set, and even Liu Bei had no interest.  On the contrary, Liu Bei was very concerned about Sima Yi's mission. He wanted to capture Liu Jing's true intentions from Sima Yi's attitude. Liu Bei never wanted to go to war with the Han army. He only hoped to realize his own strategy.  When the Han army was in conflict, he obtained Jian'an County and Linhai County. He had given up on central areas such as Jingnan and Yuzhang County, and only hoped to develop on the coastal fringes.  This is Liu Bei's attitude. He hopes to reach an agreement with the Han army and support the Han army in marching into the Central Plains in exchange for the Han army's recognition of Jiaozhou's annexation of Jian'an County.  During the meeting with Sima Yi, Liu Bei proposed this plan. Of course, Sima Yi did not reject it outright, but said that he would go back and ask His Highness the King of Han for instructions.  In short, the talks were pleasant and full of hope. Whether this hope was the moon in the well or the flower in the mirror, at least Liu Bei knew that the Han army would not make any moves before the end of the year.  On the other hand, Liu Bei also adopted Zhuge Liang's plan to avoid war as much as possible, but also to actively prepare for war. He ordered Guan Yu to lead 10,000 troops to Cangwu County to deal with the Han army that might go south from the Jingnan route, and another Zhang Fei led  Ten thousand troops were stationed in Luling County to deal with the Han army that might go south from the Yuzhang route. At the same time, they transported 100,000 shi of grain each to Guangxin County in Cangwu County and Gan County in Luling County.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In early December, Zhong Yao was intercepted by the Han army in Xiangyang on his way back to Yedu. He could no longer go north from Nanyang. Instead, under the protection or escort of the Han army, he bypassed the Nanxiang Pass and went north to Chang'an. Ten days later,  Zhong Yao finally arrived in Chang'an City.  Chang'an had its first heavy snowfall in mid-November, followed by a second heavy snowfall in early December. When Zhong Yao arrived in Chang'an, the entire Chang'an and Guanzhong had become a snow-covered world.  "Commander Zhong, is it snowing heavily in Yedu?" The military lord who escorted Zhong Yao to the north was named Qian Ning. He was from Chang'an. He had been with Zhong Yao day and night, and the two had already become very familiar with each other.  Zhong Yao smiled slightly and said: "Yedu should be a little colder than Chang'an. I have stayed in Chang'an for more than ten years. I know that Chang'an is surrounded by northern mountains. The cold north wind has weakened when it enters the Guanzhong Plain, but there is no such thing in the north of Yedu.  When winter comes, it¡¯s a world of ice and snow. In contrast, I actually hope that Commander Zhong will stay in Chang¡¯an! The people of Chang¡¯an miss you very much. My parents always say that without Commander Zhong.  , I would not have been born." Qian Ning was less than twenty years old and spoke quickly, but Zhong Yao heard what he said very well. He smiled and said, "Your parents are so generous. Chang'an must have changed a lot now!"  "The changes are so great. I guarantee that Military Master Zhong won't recognize them. I almost got lost when I went home last year." "Well! I can imagine that after entering Guanzhong, the changes will be great. There are farmhouses everywhere, and the population has increased a lot.  , It's completely different from when I was in Guanzhong." Just as he was talking, a group of cavalry came from the opposite side, headed by a civil servant, none other than Zhongshu Cheng Fei Yi. He came to greet Zhong Yao and Qian Ning on the order of Liu Jing.  Knowing him, he shouted: "Fei Shijun, Commander Zhong is here." Fei Yi hurriedly stepped forward to salute, "Fei Yi, the Prime Minister of Zhongshu, came to greet Commander Zhong on the order of His Highness the King of Han!" Zhong Yao also knew about Liu Jing's arrangements!  It was very meaningful for Fei Yi to come to greet him. Liu Jing promised him in the letter that Zhongshu Ling would be waiting for him. Fei Yi was appointed as Zhongshu Cheng and was Zhongshu Ling's deputy. It was obvious that Liu Jing hoped that she could  Serve the Han Dynasty.  Zhong Yao returned the gift and said with a smile: "I asked Fei Yi to come out of the city to greet him personally. Zhong Yao is too embarrassed to deserve it!" At this time, Zhong Yao suddenly saw a civil servant behind Fei Yi. He looked very familiar. When he took a closer look, it turned out to be Zhang  After Zhong Yao withdrew from Guanzhong, Zhang Ji was appointed as the Cheng of Nanyang County. Later, he surrendered to Liu Jing and became the prefect of Jingzhao.  Zhong Yao was stunned for a moment, "De Rong, is that you?" Zhang Ji urged him forward and bowed: "Mr. Zhong, how are you always?" Zhong Yao didn't expect to meet an old friend here, and his nose felt a little sore.  He nodded and said: "I'm fine!" Fei Yi smiled at the side and introduced: "This time Zhong Gong visited his hometown of Chang'an, His Highness the King of Han specially arranged for Prefect Zhang to accompany him throughout the whole process.?, I hope Mr. Zhong can have a happy trip to Chang'an.  " Zhong Yao was happy and moved at the same time. He nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay!  good!  " "Mr. Zhong, please come into the city!"  " Fei Yi turned the horse's head and invited Zhong Yao to enter the city. The group of people urged the horses to start and slowly walked into the city. Although the outside of Chang'an City was covered with heavy snow, there was a different scene inside the city. As soon as they entered the city gate, a wave of  The lively and noisy atmosphere rushed to my face. I saw the snow on the street had been swept cleanly and piled up against the corner wall of the house. People were coming and going on the street. Various goods were placed in front of the shops, and the clerks were selling at the top of their voices.  , mostly used for the New Year. At this time, there is only half a month left before the New Year's Eve, and the festive atmosphere in Chang'an City is getting stronger. Red lanterns are hung in front of every house, and long poles are hung in the yard.  There are many people wearing bright fur coats and pushing deer carts. The carts are filled with newly purchased new year goods, fine fragrant wax, red lacquer offering plates, as well as roosters, fruits and vegetables, leather goods, game and tied sheep.  Zhong Yao was a little stunned. The city had changed so much that he could hardly recognize it. Moreover, the bustling and bustling city was completely different from the deserted and depressed Chang'an before. At this moment, a man appeared.  He came over on horseback and whispered a few words to Fei Yi. Fei Yi quickly raised his hands to Zhong Yao and said, "There are important matters to discuss in the Zhengshi Hall, so I won't accompany Mr. Zhong."  " "Fei Shijun, please give me your permission!"  " Fei Yi turned the horse's head and ran towards Weiyang Palace. Fei Yi left, and Zhong Yao felt much more at ease. He pointed to several newly built mansions not far away and said to Zhang Ji with a smile: "De Rong.  , I remember that it used to be a temple market, but how did it become a mansion now?  " Zhang Ji smiled and said: "There is so much money in Chang'an City that it is no longer possible to arrange the temple market. The temple has been moved to the outside of Nancheng, and the market has the East Market and the West Market. There is no need for the original spontaneous market in the city.  Of course, there are also spontaneous markets, which are located next to the temple outside Nancheng. There are markets every year during the Shangsi, Hanlu and Temple Festivals, and they are crowded and extremely lively.  " Zhong Yao nodded. This was when he saw a carriage drive out of the mansion. There was an old man sitting in the carriage. The curtain was not drawn. He recognized this person at a glance. Zhong Yao couldn't believe his eyes.  , said to Zhang Ji anxiously: "That person just now seemed to be Taiwei Yang!  " Taiwei Yang is Yang Biao. After Yang Xiu was killed, he claimed to be ill and returned to his hometown. Regardless of government affairs, he should be in Hongnong now. How could he appear in Chang'an? Zhong Yao was shocked. Maybe he saw it wrong.  Zhang Ji looked at the mansion, nodded and said: "This mansion is the residence of the Hongnong Yang family in Chang'an, it should be Yang Biao. He sometimes comes to Chang'an to visit me.  I heard that he had been to Chang'an before.  " "Did he hold an official position in Han Dynasty?  "Zhong Yao asked again. "He should not have held an official position, but his grandson Yang Xiao passed the imperial examination this year. He was only eighteen years old and became the magistrate of Nanzheng County. He has a bright future.  " Zhong Yao looked at Yang Biao's carriage again. He wanted to say hello, but Yang Biao's carriage had already gone far away, which made him feel a little regretful. At this time, Zhang Ji pointed to the other two mansions next to him and whispered:  "Did Mr. Zhong see that the owners of these two mansions are also unusual? One belongs to the Wang family of Taiyuan, and the other belongs to the Boling Cui family. However, they are very low-key, and only a few people know the owners of these mansions.  " Zhong Yao looked at it for a long time. He simply felt it was a bit unbelievable. Zhang Ji understood the shock in his heart and said with a wry smile: "When Chang'an was established as the capital, the wealthy noble families from all over the world flocked to Chang'an to buy land and build houses. They all wanted to have a capital in Han Dynasty.  A place, so the land of Chang'an has become more valuable, Mr. Zhong, what people want!  " Zhong Yao was silent. After a long while, he sighed lowly. Cao Pi eliminated dissidents and suppressed the nobles in Ye, but Chang'an embraced all rivers and tolerated old enemies. No wonder Liu Jing's broad mind can be recognized as orthodox by the nobles all over the world.  Zhong Yao felt disappointed in his heart. He had no intention of lamenting the bustle and prosperity of Chang'an anymore and walked silently. Zhang Ji also knew that Zhong Yao had something on his mind and stopped disturbing him. He followed quietly for a while and Zhong Yao suddenly appeared again.  He asked, "Fei Yi just said that he was going to attend the meeting at the Political Hall. Can't the Prime Minister also attend?"  " Zhang Ji explained: "There are two types of discussions in the political affairs hall. One is the discussion under the Zhongshu family, also called the small discussion. There are fewer participants. In addition to the current six prime ministers, there are also the left and right Zhongshu Cheng and the left and right Huangmen ministers.  Fei Yi was appointed as Zhongshu Cheng. He could participate in this kind of small discussion, and the other was called Guangyi. Together with the six ministers and the chief officials of various temples, it was usually held every half month. This was the system set by the King of Han. For major military matters,  Government affairs and the appointment and dismissal of public officials must be submitted to him after extensive deliberation.  " Zhong Yao nodded, "This is a good way to prevent the Prime Minister's dictatorship and secret manipulation.  " "Zhong Gong is right. After the monarch and the prime minister decentralize power, it is necessary to prevent the prime minister from having too much power, so we use Guangyi to control it.??.  " The two walked while talking. After a while, the group came to the guest post house. At this time, the postmaster rushed over in a panic and said to Zhang Ji urgently: "Prefect Zhang, the King of Han is here. He is in the post house.  waiting.  Zhang Ji was startled and quickly said to Zhong Yao: "This must be His Highness the King of Han coming to visit Zhong Gong. Please come with him!"  " Zhong Yao nodded silently. Liu Jing actually came to visit him in person. He was moved and got off his horse. He followed Zhang Ji and walked into the hall. When he reached the middle hall, Zhong Yao saw Liu Jing, the king of Han, wearing royal clothes.  Zhong Yao stood in front of the steps with his hands behind his back and looked at him with a smile. He quickly stepped forward and bowed, "His Royal Highness the King of Han!"  "Liu Jing smiled and said: "It is a bit rude to intercept Zhong Gong halfway and invite him to Chang'an. I hope Zhong Gong can understand Liu Jing's intention to think of a wise man.  " "I am ashamed that I have troubled Your Highness.  "Liu Jing nodded," Mr. Zhong, please take a seat in the hall, and Prefect Zhang will also take a seat.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1049 Zhong Yao¡¯s Gift

    Everyone sat down in the lobby, and a maid served them tea. Liu Jing then smiled and asked Zhong Yao: "This time Duke Zhong is on a mission to Jiaozhou, I wonder how Uncle Liu is doing?"  For example, Liu Jing should ask about Cao Cao's physical condition, but at this time he asked Liu Bei about his physical condition. In fact, he wanted to know about his mission to Jiaozhou, but he couldn't ask directly.  So Liu Bei's body is implicitly used instead.  "Reporting to Your Highness, Uncle Liu Huang still seems to be unaccustomed to the climate in South Vietnam, and his health is not very good. Uncle Liu Huang obviously doesn't care much about Wei Chen's mission to Jiaozhou this time. He talked in general terms and ended in less than a quarter of an hour. I guess he had nothing to do with him.  It has something to do with the body." Zhong Yao also told Liu Jing tactfully that his mission to Jiaozhou had not achieved anything. Liu Jing smiled and the topic turned to Yedu, "I have been fighting with Wei Gong for more than ten years, and we still haven't separated.  Victory or defeat, we became Weng's son-in-law, which can be regarded as a kind of fate. Unfortunately, God is ruthless. Wei Gong is old and has only a short life. I hope that in the last few years, he and I will not fight again, so as not to hurt the friendship between Weng and son-in-law. If  After Zhong Gong returned, Wei Gong asked if Zhong Gong could convey my greetings to him. At the same time, I will abide by the agreement reached by both parties and cease the war." Zhong Yao nodded, "Wei Chen will definitely convey it!" Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "  In the past two months, Duke Zhong has been on a mission to Jiaozhou. He may not know the situation in Yedu, but I do know a little bit. Does Zhong Gong want to know? "Although Zhong Yao felt that it was not appropriate to talk too much about Ye with Liu Jing, he also  Wanting to hear Liu Jing's opinion, which was also something that Cao Cao was interested in, he smiled and said: "We are all ears!" "The Wei Kingdom has been a bit chaotic in the past two months. The case of the Seven Sons of Jian'an has been concluded. Chen Lin, Liu Zhen,  Five people, Ying Jue, Xu Qian, and Wei Xi, were executed. Hundreds of officials and countless civilians were implicated. Cui Lin also unfortunately died of illness. Xiahou Dun was transferred back to Yedu as a general, and Cao Zhen was appointed as Xudu.  After leaving and serving as the governor of Yuzhou, Wei Gong immediately enforced the decree of Chu Ding. About a thousand wealthy noble families in various places were cleared. Six thousand farmers and 30,000 hectares of land were cleared from the Cui family of Qinghe alone. The remaining Gao family, Bohai family,  The Fanyang Lu family, the Boling Cui family, the Taiyuan Wang family, the Hongnong Yang family, the Xingyang Zheng family, and other famous families were not spared." Liu Jing listed them one by one. Zhong Yao felt heavy in his heart. He did not expect Ye.  The official purge in the capital was so violent, and I didn't expect that Cao Cao would be so ruthless and clean up all the major noble families. No wonder Yang Biao would appear in Chang'an, especially the death of Cui Lin, which made him feel sad. After a long time, he asked in a deep voice: "  Among the major noble families, except Cui Lin, who else suffered misfortune? " "I have never heard of it. Cao Cao used Qinghe Cui family to kill chickens as a warning to monkeys, and noble families from all over the country responded to Ding's order. In just two months, Jizhou, You, etc.  200,000 Tibetan households and one million hectares of land have been cleared out in Zhouzhou, Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Yuzhou, and Bingzhou. Now the Chuding Order is still being implemented. It is said that it will be implemented until the end of next year, and it is estimated that one million households of farmers will eventually be added."  Zhong Yao sighed, "It's a pity that the foundation has been destroyed." Liu Jing also smiled, "I can understand Cao Cao's helplessness. He also had no choice but to cultivate land without land, but it was impossible without a population. Even the officials couldn't support themselves.  Not to mention the army, but he should have done this a long time ago and should not have delayed it until now. " Zhong Yao shook his head, "The key is that it is only for the nobles and not for the powerful. The position is unfair. No matter how good the starting point is, people will criticize him.  , but I can also understand that these nobles no longer care about him, it is just aggravating their illness." The two chatted for a while, and Liu Jing smiled and said: "My wife is very good at calligraphy, and I have been yearning for Zhong Gong's works for a long time.  , today I am destined, can you please give me a calligraphy by Mr. Zhong?  " Zhong Yao has been experiencing some discomfort in his wrist for the past two days due to long horseback riding, and he is not satisfied with the words he wrote. He pondered for a moment and said: "Your Highness is so kind, how can Zhong Yao not obey, but yesterday I happened to twist my wrist a little.  I'm afraid I can't write a word that His Highness is satisfied with. When I was in Jiaozhou, I wrote some words that I was more satisfied with. If Your Highness doesn't mind that the handwriting is old, I would like to give it to His Highness.  "Liu Jing smiled and said: "How can I find it objectionable? Thank you very much Mr. Zhong for the gift of words!  "Zhong Yao personally went to fetch three brocade scrolls and gave them to Liu Jing. Liu Jing was overjoyed and asked Zhang Ji to arrange for doctors. Then he took the brocade scrolls and left. Zhong Yao and Zhang Ji saw Liu Jing off.  The two returned to the inner hall, and Zhang Ji said worriedly: "The capital of Ye is quite uneasy. If the Duke returns, he will be killed by Cao Pi. The King of Han treats Duke with sincerity and promises important positions. Why doesn't Duke stay?"  " Zhong Yao sighed, "No matter what, I have to go back!  " Liu Jing's family has been living in Weiyang Palace for two months. There were initial discussions in Chang'an City, but most of them were in favor of the King of Han moving into Weiyang Palace. Even Cao Cao's side didn't have much criticism and seemed very calm. The reason is very  Simple, when Liu Jing was named King of Han, the edict clearly stated that he and the prince were in the same etiquette. More importantly, even the Duke of Wei could live in the Tongque Palace, and the King of Han was the king.Why can't you live in a palace?  If you attack Liu Jing for this matter, wouldn't you be criticizing Wei Gong secretly? No one would be stupid enough to ask for trouble. As for the puppet emperor Liu Xie, Cao Cao has strictly prohibited ministers from contacting him without authorization. He has no idea what is going on outside.  Even if they knew about it, no one would take his words seriously.  Two months later, Tao Zhan and others gradually adapted to palace life. Everyone also had their own palace. Most of them lived near the Yao Pond with beautiful scenery. However, some living habits of the Han Palace continued to be maintained, such as everyone sharing the palace.  Dinner, gatherings, chatting, etc. These are habits that everyone wants to keep. Otherwise, living alone in a spacious room will make people very lonely.  Seeing that the New Year is approaching, the palace is decorated with lanterns and decorations everywhere. Even the eight cruise ships on the Yaochi Lake are decorated with lanterns. Everyone especially likes the Kunlun Tower in the middle of the Yaochi Pool. The Kunlun Tower is slightly smaller than the Phoenix Tower where Tao Zhan lives, but it is  It is also five feet high and has nearly a hundred rooms. Before the snow fell, most of their gatherings were held in the Kunlun Building.  At this time, a thick layer of ice has formed in the Yaochi, and the Weiyang Palace is also a world of ice and snow. So everyone has an additional entertainment item, riding a sleigh or skating on the ice, which is especially popular with children.  Tao Zhan stood in front of the window, looking at the children playing on the ice in the distance, with a smile on her face. A brazier was lit in her room, which was extra warm. At this time, the palace mistress Jiang said at the door:  "Princess, are you looking for me?" Mrs. Jiang was the housekeeper of Liu Jing's house when Tao Zhan got married. She has been with Tao Zhan for ten years and is loyal. Everyone likes her very much and calls her Mrs. Jiang. Tao Zhan then  Appoint her as the chief maid of Weiyang Palace, and let her arrange everyone's daily life.  Tao Zhan closed the window, turned and walked back to the room with a smile: "Has the midwife made all the arrangements?" Xiao Qiao is about to give birth, and Da Qiao will give birth next month. These are two important things, even more important than the New Year.  Importantly, Tao Zhan was very worried about this. She wanted to find more experienced midwives.  Mrs. Jiang bowed and said: "Princess, please rest assured, everything has been arranged, and there will be people responsible for all taboos. There will be no problems." Tao Zhan smiled and said, "I know that all the children in our family are born by Mrs. Jiang.  I am already familiar with these arrangements, but caring about them can lead to chaos, so I have to ask more." "Princess, there is no need to be so polite." Tao Zhan sat down and thought for a while, then asked: "What does Mr. Zhao do about the palace maid's return home to visit relatives.  "Say?" As the New Year is approaching, it is customary for children to go home to reunite with their parents. Tao Zhan specially investigated the maids and found that more than 20 of their parents were there, so she was willing to let the maids go home for the New Year, but Manager Zhao firmly opposed it.  , saying that this violated the palace etiquette, which made Tao Zhan very unhappy, but she still hoped to get the approval of most people, including Manager Zhao.  Jiang hesitated and said: "Princess Qi, I have talked with General Manager Zhao, and he is still firmly opposed, but I don't think it is appropriate." "How do you say this?" "General Manager Zhao said that the maid will make up random stories about the palace when she returns home.  They may even make up some vulgar and indecent things, and then spread them everywhere. The more they spread, the more vulgar they become, which will affect the reputation of the princess and other ladies. In addition, these maids will inevitably have some affairs between men and women. If they are pregnant,  It will make the palace restless, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to let the palace ladies go home for the New Year, and just let them write letters home.¡± After all, Tao Zhan is still young and doesn¡¯t know much about philistine affairs, unlike the Jiang family.  She was not as experienced as Mr. Zhao in all her life. Jiang's words surprised her, thinking that this was indeed a possibility.  And the fact that her husband took Da Qiao as a concubine has not been reported to the outside world. Although Da Qiao changed her name to Jiang Lian, the palace maids basically don't know her true identity, but just in case, it is better not to be careless.  Thinking of this, Tao Zhan said: "I have also asked His Highness about this matter, and he also expressed objections. Since His Highness objects, I will naturally listen to it, so let's leave it at that. You can let them write a letter home, and then give it to  They each received five taels of gold and asked them to take it home with the letter. "I understand. Is there anything else, Princess?" Tao Zhan took a brocade scroll from the table and handed it to Jiang, "This is it."  It¡¯s the calligraphy that His Highness just sent. I think Madam Lian will like it. You can go to Qixing Pavilion later and give her the calligraphy!¡±  Going down, after moving to Weiyang Palace, Tao Zhan is much busier than before, but she will also pay attention to the affairs of the Tao family. Recently, he heard from her husband that he was planning to transfer his brother to Beijing to serve as the Minister of Shaofu Temple, which made Tao Zhan a little worried.  , my brother went to Lingzhou for just over two years, and he was transferred back to Beijing as a senior official.  Tao Zhan hopes that his brother can stay in a certain place for a longer period of time, at least five years, and not be transferred around all the time. This will not be good for him. He seems to have more qualifications and has served as many officials, but his actual ability is not honed enough.  .  Tao Zheng was lost in thought about his brotherWhen this happened, her personal maid reported at the door: "Princess, Mrs. Zhu is asking to see you outside the palace!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1050 Promotion Storm

    Mrs. Zhu is Tao Zheng's wife and Tao Zhan's sister-in-law. She is a virtuous and open-minded person, and has a good relationship with Tao Zhan. The two often interact with each other. She also came once after Tao Zhan and the others moved into Weiyang Palace.  Zhu's elder brother was Zhu Xun, the magistrate of Chaisang County at that time. He was a censor and now the prefect of Jiangxia. Tao Zhan also wanted to talk to Zhu about his brother. She came just in time and nodded, "Please."  She entered the palace!" Not long after, Mrs. Zhu walked into Tao Zhan's living room under the guidance of the maid. Mrs. Zhu saluted: "See you, Princess!" "Sister-in-law, you are welcome, we are all ours, please sit down quickly.  !" Tao Zhan asked Mrs. Zhu to sit down in front of the brazier. Seeing that her face was red from the cold, he smiled and said, "It's such a cold day. I don't even want to go out. My sister-in-law and Yaxing came over." Mrs. Zhu sighed.  "If it wasn't for your brother, I wouldn't have run out in such a cold weather." "Brother, what's wrong?" Tao Zhan asked calmly after taking a sip of hot tea.  Zhu was a little hard to speak. She knew Tao Zhan's temper and never wanted the Tao family to benefit from her status as a princess. Although the Tao family had been kind to the Tao family in the past two years, it was because the Tao family had paid a heavy price.  On matters of principle, she never relented.  Zhu was helpless. Her husband asked her for help, but she had to tell him. Zhu had no choice but to bite the bullet and said, "Your eldest brother is going to be transferred to Chang'an to serve as the minister of the Shaofu Temple. Did you know?" "I heard,  But it seems to have been settled. Are there any surprises? " "Your elder brother said that this matter has not been finalized yet. It has just been approved by the Political Affairs Hall, and His Highness the King of Han has not yet approved it. " Tao Zhan asked in confusion.  What do you mean, brother? He doesn¡¯t want to go to Beijing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not appropriate.¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± Zhu sighed and said, ¡°He was appointed as Lingzhou Governor.  The envoy is the same as the Xiongjun in Chengdu and Xiangyang. According to the normal promotion, he should be promoted to Shangshu or Shizhong, but now he is appointed as the Minister of Shaofu Temple. This is the promotion position for the prefect of a large county, so" "So he feels that it is not appropriate.  Fair enough, he feels that he should be promoted to another level, and it would be best to serve as prime minister, right?" Tao Zhan could no longer suppress the anger in his heart, and gritted his teeth and said: "Why does he have to be promoted? Is it okay to be transferred to an equal position?  Isn't it possible? Eight years ago, he was a small Wuchang County captain. He was neither a famous person nor a civil servant. He became the minister of the Shaofu Temple in eight years. Isn't he still satisfied? "  Tao Zhan was full of anger, and her face turned red. This was not because of the cold, but because of the shame in her heart. After a while, she whispered: "Your eldest brother is not so ignorant. It's just that one of the seven is missing, and Zhongshu  Ling has always been vacant, and he feels that this is an opportunity, and it is really difficult to give up this temptation. " Tao Zhan doesn't know why one of the seven phases is missing, and he doesn't understand why Zhongshu Ling has always been vacant, but she is the princess after all, so she is better than the princess.  Most people understand the truth. She knows that the prime minister is the most important weapon of the country and cannot be held by people without extraordinary intelligence. However, her brother's qualifications are mediocre and her husband's evaluation of him only has the word "diligence". No one with much higher talents than his brother dares to do so.  She had extravagant hopes, but her brother stared at him, how self-righteous he was!  At this moment, his son Liu Zhi said at the door: "Mom, can the child come in?" His son came just in time, so Tao Zhan nodded, "Come in!" Liu Zhi walked in, but found that his aunt was also there, and he knelt down quickly  She bowed and said, "See you, mother, see your aunt!" Mrs. Zhu also liked this nephew very much. Normally, she would have pulled Liu Zhi over, touched his head, and asked him about his studies, health, etc., but today, Mrs. Zhu's heart  Something was wrong and the atmosphere in the room was rather awkward, so she had to force a smile.  Tao Zhan pulled his son to sit next to him and asked with a smile: "Have you finished your homework?" Liu Zhi nodded, "It's done. My son wants to play on the ice, so he came here to ask his mother for permission." "You can go.  "Liu Zhi was overjoyed and was about to leave, but Tao Zhan stopped him and asked with a smile: "You answer my mother's question first, and then go play!" "What do you want to ask, mother?" Liu Zhi said respectfully, lowering his hands.  "Do you still go to the Zhengshi Hall every day?" "Basically, you go every day." "Then let me ask you, why are there only six prime ministers in the Zhengshi Hall? Why is the post of Zhongshu Ling always vacant?" "What a coincidence, today Xu  "My uncle is also discussing this issue with my father." "What did your father say?" Liu Zhi was a little hesitant. He has been in Zhengshitang for more than a year and has learned that there are some things that should be said and some things should not be said, such as when it comes to aspects.  Sensitive topics should never be mentioned in front of your aunt.  &nbspTao Zhan saw his son's hesitation and smiled: "You can just say it! It doesn't matter, your aunt will not go out and talk nonsense." Liu Zhi had no choice but to whisper: "Qixiang expanded its capacity when attacking Jiangdong.  My father's original intention was to have one person from Jiangdong become prime minister and one from Jiaozhou. This would complete the unification of the south and balance regional power. As for Zhongshu Ling, my father originally wanted Elder Jiage to take up the post, but Elderly Jiage was already old and could no longer serve.  Regarding the actual duties, Xu Xiangguo suggested that Mr. Jia Ge should be asked to take up the false posts and leave the actual duties to Zhong Yao. His father also liked Zhong Yao. With his qualifications, he could serve as Zhongshu Ling. Tao Zhan nodded, "Go ahead!"  "Goodbye, my child!" Liu Zhi bowed to his mother and aunt and hurried away. Tao Zhan didn't say anything, but drank tea slowly. Zhu sighed, "I understand, your eldest brother is indeed a little dizzy. I  Go tell him. " "Sister-in-law, I hope that my eldest brother will not go to Beijing and continue to be an official in the local area. I hope that he will have to be an official in one place for at least five years before he can accumulate the capital. Do you understand what I mean?  "I understand what you mean. I'll go back and persuade him." "Let him offer to stay in Lingzhou. I'll talk to the King of Han here and the matter will be decided."  The princess's magnanimity made her decision irrefutable. This was the first time she had made a decision about her brother's career, but she couldn't bear it. Her brother was too eager to get closer to the circle of power, which was not a good thing. She had to suppress her brother.  The impetuous signs asked him to stay in Lingzhou for another three years. Although Zhu was unwilling to do so, he did not dare to go against the princess, so he had to agree and leave in a hurry. At night, Liu Jing got on the bed with his feet hot and sat down.  On the bed, she carefully admired Zhong Yao's calligraphy and was full of praise. Tao Zhan sat next to him. Seeing that her husband was in a good mood, she said to him, "Sister-in-law came to see me today." Liu Jing was startled and asked with a smile.  He said, "It's such a cold day. What's important for her?" "It's for my brother's sake!" Liu Jing understood what his wife meant. He simply put down his calligraphy and asked his wife with a smile, "What's wrong?" "Husband.  "Do you want to transfer him to Chang'an?" "That's the plan. I want to transfer him to Beijing to be the minister of Shaofu Temple. He is good at calculation and this position is more suitable for him. Doesn't he want to take this official position?"  He said that the country lacked one, so he had this idea and asked his sister-in-law to come to me, but I scolded them. I scolded them for overestimating their abilities. They had only been an official for eight years and they wanted to be the prime minister. " Liu Jing understands his wife.  Character, she was definitely not implying that she gave her brother a chance, she was really scolding him, Liu Jing was not angry, she laughed dumbly and said: "He is not qualified to be the prime minister now, and his ability is not enough. This time I will transfer him to Beijing to serve as the young master."  Temple Minister, it is because the Tao family made a great contribution in quelling the Hexi rebellion, and donated 100,000 hectares of fertile land, as well as countless grains and cloths, which makes me feel bad, and it can be regarded as a kind of compensation for me to give to the Tao family."  Zhan stood up and bowed deeply to Liu Jing and said: "My husband treated the Tao family well, which moved me. However, taking care of my brother in this way will not only not allow him to make progress, but will also harm him. In just eight years, my brother has grown from a small county."  Wei was promoted to an important border minister, and then transferred to a high-ranking official in the imperial court. He held great power. His mentality had become impetuous, and he actually peeked into a position that should not belong to him. This was because he was too successful. I begged Your Highness not to indulge him and to grind him down.  Train his will, make him become more practical, and become a good official and famous minister. This is the reward for the Tao family.  " Liu Jing nodded repeatedly, "You are right, it was my lack of consideration.  " Tao Zhan added: "I have asked my sister-in-law to go back and bring a message and let him apply to return to Lingzhou by himself and stay for a few more years.  Liu Jing smiled and said: "I'm afraid Lingzhou is in trouble. We have already appointed him, but I just want to transfer Ma Liang to Beijing and let him succeed Ma Liang as the strategic envoy of Shangjun!"  An Xin will continue to serve as an official for another five years, but what you just said to me must be said to my father-in-law again, otherwise he will misunderstand.  " "I know, I will write a letter to my father.  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1051: Hard to tolerate political enemies

    Yedu in December is also a snowy world. Rivers are frozen, lakes are frozen, and thick snow covers the entire land of Hebei. At this time, it is less than ten days before the New Year, but there is no sight in Yedu city.  The lively and prosperous scene of Chang'an.  The streets are deserted, there is a shortage of goods in the market, and there are few transactions. Most of the shops are closed. The only businesses with better business are taverns and brothels.  People in Yedu say that the New Year in Yedu is getting bleaker year by year. The Hefei War once caused the New Year on the 22nd of Jian'an to be spent in extreme poverty. After a year of recovery, the supply of grain stocks and various daily necessities has been reduced.  The supply has increased slightly, so there should be some improvement in the New Year of the 23rd year of Jian'an. However, on the contrary, this year's New Year is even more deserted and bleak than last year.  This is of course because a political turmoil that purged the officialdom had a huge impact, which made everyone in the officials feel insecure and no one had the time to deal with the New Year. Another reason is that the order of emancipation in Cao Wei's territory became more and more intense, and the demise of the yeoman farmers caused  Cao Wei's tax revenue dropped by more than half, reaching a point where it was difficult for the Cao Wei regime to maintain. Cao Cao had no choice but to finally attack the gentry with a large population and cultivated land in his later years.  The gentry who suffered a blow used their own methods to protest against the Cao Wei regime, including the purchase of properties in Guanzhong, the migration of family heads to the west, etc. Among them, the boycott of the New Year was also one of the means of resistance by the gentry.  Although the New Year atmosphere in Yedu was extremely deserted, Cao Pi, the leader of Cao Wei, was in a particularly cheerful mood. A purge against Cao Zhi's forces finally achieved the predetermined goal. Cao Zhi's remaining forces were almost wiped out. With Xiahou Dun being transferred back to Yedu to take up the post  A famous but powerful general, Cao Zhen was based in Xuchang and took over the military power in Yuzhou, marking the victory of Cao Pi's purge campaign.  At the same time, Cao Pi was excited that his father's use of the army to implement the decree of Chu Ding has been very effective. The government has added one million hectares of cultivated land, and the number of farmers has increased by 200,000. This is just the beginning. By the end of next year, at least the number of farmers will increase.  More than one million households, which means that the decline in tax revenue next year will be reversed.  ¡°Finance and taxation are the foundation of a political power. For Cao Pi, who is in charge of government affairs, this is an extremely exciting event, even more satisfying than winning a battle.  In the room, Cao Pi was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his hands. He had just received the news that Zhong Yao had returned from Chang'an and was about to arrive in Yedu. In Cao Pi's eyes, Zhong Yao was definitely a fish that slipped through the purge of political opponents, and he supported Cao Zhi.  Heavyweight.  Although Cao Pi was not as good as his father Cao Cao in the military, he was better than his master in political struggles. He knew very well that in the struggle for power, everyone must be killed, and he must completely overthrow Cao Zhi and not give him any chance to stand up.  , and the existence of Zhong Yao is a glimmer of hope for Cao Zhi to turn around.  Cao Pi secretly made up his mind to eradicate Zhong Yao no matter what this time. He could not be allowed to escape this purge, so he used Zhong Yao as a sacrifice for his officialdom purge.  Just as he was thinking about it, a guard outside the door reported: "Your Majesty, Shizhong Hua has arrived." Cao Pi perked up and said quickly: "Invite him in quickly!" After a moment, Hua Xin walked into the room quickly and bowed.  He saluted and said, "See you, Prince!" "Sit down and talk." Cao Pi asked Hua Xin to sit down and said to him, "I just got the news that Zhong Yao is coming to Yedu soon." Hua Xin was stunned, of course he knew Cao Pi  What he meant by saying this was that Cao Pi wanted to attack Zhong Yao, which made Hua Xin a little embarrassed. Hua Xin knew Cao Pi very well. He had too much desire for power and was narrow-minded and could not tolerate dissidents. He wanted to kill all Cao Zhi's forces.  Absolutely, but sometimes taking it too far may not be a good thing.  Hua Xin is actually a narrow-minded person, but he is smarter than Cao Pi. He knows that the real power in Cao Wei is still in the hands of Cao Cao. If they act too hastily, they will be self-defeating. It is better to wait until Cao Pi truly ascends the throne to eradicate Zhong Yao.  , it¡¯s not too late.  However, although Hua Xin thought this way, he did not express it directly. After all, he is a politician. The difference between politicians and politicians is that politicians need to figure out what is going on. Hua Xin needs to understand Cao Pi's will. Once Cao Pi eradicates Zhong Yao, he will be firm.  , Hua Xin would be too opposed, which would be detrimental to him.  Hua Xin pondered for a moment and said: "Although the purge of Prince Zhi's forces was approved by Duke Wei, sending Zhong Yao as an envoy to Jiaozhou was also arranged by Duke Wei. It can be seen that Duke Wei deliberately let Zhong Yao avoid this purge. Your Highness  If it is decided that Zhong Yao must be eradicated, we can only think of ways from other aspects." Hua Xin first implicitly reminded Cao Pi that eradicating Zhong Yao might offend Duke Wei, but he did not insist on his opposition and decided to make the decision.  The power was handed over to Cao Pi again, and he had reminded Cao Pi that it was Cao Pi's own business to decide.  Cao Pi took a piece of confidential information from the table, which was sent by Yang Tian, ??the censor Zhongcheng, from Chang'an.When I arrived at the express report, it recorded Zhong Yao's every move in Chang'an. This was the reason why Cao Pi wanted to eradicate Zhong Yao. Zhong Yao was not kidnapped to Chang'an by the Han army at all. He received a grand courtesy in Chang'an. Even Liu Jing, the king of Han, even  Received him personally.  Cao Pi felt that this was a good opportunity. Of course, he could wait a few more years and then deal with Zhong Yao after he fully ascended the throne. However, Cao Pi was really a little scared. He was afraid that his father would change his orders day and night, and he would have to consider his third brother Cao Zhi's succession.  It was this mentality of worrying about gains and losses that made Cao Pi finally decide to attack Zhong Yao and use Zhong Yao to test his father's determination to succeed to the throne.  Although Cao Pi once believed that Zhong Yao was a talented prime minister, compared with his power and position, he could give up ten Zhong Yao. Cao Pi handed the information to Hua Xin, "Take a look first!" Hua Xin took the information  After reading it carefully, he was also secretly surprised. Could it be that Cao Pi wanted to deal with Zhong Yao? This was indeed an opportunity. However, Hua Xin did not want to take over this matter. He nodded and said: "It is completely reasonable for the censor to come forward to impeach. This matter  Prince Shi, please don't show up and stay out of the matter. I believe that Guo Wei will weigh the pros and cons. "I think so too. It's best for me to go to Taiyuan to supervise Ding's order and avoid this matter." Hua Xin clapped his hands and laughed.  , "The prince is wise, it is indeed a good idea!" Not long after Hua Xin left, Yang Tian, ??the censor, hurried to Cao Pi's Prime Minister's Mansion. Yang Tian was also in charge of Cao Jun's intelligence point in the Han Dynasty. Cao Pi obtained  That information was reported to him by the Chang'an Intelligence Point using a flying pigeon message.  Although Yang Tian had a secret conspiracy with the Han State to some extent, he was the censor Zhongcheng of the Wei State and a confidant of Cao Pi. He was also actively working for Cao Pi.  Yang Tian rushed to Cao Pi's study and saluted him. Cao Pi asked him to sit down and said slowly: "The information you sent is very important. It can be used to overthrow Zhong Yao. I will leave this matter to you. I hope you don't want to  Let me down." Yang Tian suddenly felt his shoulders became heavier, and he actually gave him the important task of overthrowing Zhong Yao, but he did not dare to refuse, so he could only nodded silently. Cao Pi looked at him with bright eyes and saw that he did not  He retreated, feeling very satisfied in his heart, and said: "You first draft a specific plan and give it to me for a look. Then I will go to Taiyuan to urge the issuance of the Ding order. You can then impeach Zhong Yao. At this time, it must be implemented as soon as possible. You tell me first.  How long do you need to prepare the plan?" "Weichen will take about three days!" Cao Pi shook his head, "Three days is too long, give me the plan tomorrow!" Zhong Yao and a dozen followers returned in the afternoon.  In Yedu, after two months of long journey, everyone was very tired and returned home to reunite with their families. Zhong Yao also prepared to write a mission report in the evening and submit it to Cao Cao early tomorrow morning.  Most of Zhong Yao's entourage this time were his cronies, but there were also several low-level officials from the Wei State who accompanied Zhong Yao on the mission. Among these officials, there was a minor official named Zhang Hao, who was appointed to the post of Honglu.  All are local people.  After breaking up with Zhong Yao, he hurried home to reunite with his wife and children. Zhang Tan's family was not bad, with a small house covering an area of ??two acres, five hectares of ancestral land outside Yedu City, and a maid at home.  It is considered a well-off family in Yedu.  It was getting dark, and the family was sitting by the stove having a meal. Listening to Zhang Tan's anecdotes about Jiaozhou, the whole family laughed from time to time. At this moment, there was a knock on the door outside. Zhang Tan's wife was a little unhappy. Why was she talking during the meal?  When she came to the door, she asked the maid to open the door.  After a while, the maid walked back quickly and said to Zhang Tan: "Master, I'm here to see your guest." "I'll go take a look!" Zhang Tan put down the bowl and walked to the yard, only to see a person standing in the yard with his hands behind his back.  Looking at his house, there seemed to be a few followers outside the door. A faint light shone on the visitor's face, and Zhang Han was stunned. The visitor turned out to be Yang Tian, ??the censor Zhongcheng.  He was so frightened that he hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "Your Majesty, please see Yang Zhongcheng!" Yang Tian glanced at him and smiled, half-smiling but not smiling: "Your house is not bad!" Yang Tian received a lot of bad reviews in Yedu's official circles.  He was known to be a cruel official, especially in recent months. He launched the Jian'an Seven Sons case and purged hundreds of officials. He was so cruel that no fewer than twenty officials died in Yushi Prison.  Although Zhang Tan had just come back, he heard about it on the way. Now that Yang Tian appeared at his home, how could he not be frightened? He didn't know Yang Tian's intention, so he had to bite the bullet and replied: "This  It¡¯s an ancestral home that has been passed down for five generations.¡± ¡°I see, Mr. Zhang, asking me to stand in the yard and enjoy the snow doesn¡¯t seem to be the way to treat guests!¡± Zhang Tan was so frightened that he quickly opened the study door and said, ¡°Yang Zhongcheng, please come in.  "The brazier has been lit in the study and it's very warm. Zhang Tan was going to take a good rest in the study, but Yang Tian took the lead. He asked Yang Tian to sit down andAfter leaving the yard, his wife happened to come over and asked, "Who is it?" "Don't ask too much, go and make a pot of good tea." Zhang Tan whispered a few words to his wife, and then returned to the study to laugh with her.  He said: "Yang Zhongcheng, wait a moment, my wife has gone to make tea." "Haha! I'm not here to drink tea, I just want to have a few words with Zhang Zhang." Yang Tian had a wicked smile on his face and waved his hand politely: "Zhang  Please take a seat." Zhang Tan was very afraid of this Yu Shucheng and sat down tremblingly. Yang Tian then asked casually: "Is Zhang Chang going to Chang'an this time?"

 Volume 2 Jiang Xia Chapter 1052: Insinuating

    Zhang Tan's heart jumped suddenly. Yang Tian's words were like a cold arrow, suddenly shot in front of his eyes, catching him off guard. In fact, he also felt that there would be problems if Zhong Yao went to Chang'an, but Zhong Yao's status was high, not  A small person like him can influence things, so he kept silent, but he never expected that Yang Tian would bring up this matter.  When Zhang Tan was panicking, the door opened and his wife brought in two cups of tea. Zhang Tan's wife didn't recognize Yang Tian and thought he was her husband's colleague. She smiled and said, "Zhang Lang, when the guests leave, bring the local specialties of Jiaozhou."  Bring it with you." Yang Tian chuckled, "Thank you, madam!" Seeing that her husband lowered his head and said nothing, Zhang Tan's wife felt a little strange, so she stepped back. Yang Tian narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, "Mrs. I remember you are very good!  It¡¯s Yang Zheng¡¯s blessing to give me local products and have such a virtuous wife!¡± Zhang Tan raised his head and asked in a hoarse voice: ¡°Just tell Yang Zhongcheng!¡± ¡°Yang Tiandian!¡±  He nodded and smiled evilly and said: "I like Zhang Zhongcheng's quick words. I have made it clear that as the censor Zhongcheng, I am ready to impeach Zhong Yao for his liaison with the Han Dynasty, but I need witnesses, so I hope Zhang Zhongcheng will come forward to testify."  Zhang Tan's face turned pale. This was what he feared most. Being involved in the struggle between the princes, he was just a small person, and he would die miserably in this power struggle.  "Don't be nervous. I just want you to answer truthfully. I already have accurate information. I just hope that someone will testify and not frame you. How about this! You express your position first, and then we can discuss what to do in detail?" "Yang Zhongcheng  "Can you find someone else? I really can't," Zhang Tan stammered.  Yang Tian's face immediately darkened, and he said coldly: "Zhang Tan, who do you think I am, that I would humble myself and beg you? I might as well tell you the truth, you are the person chosen by the prince, and I am giving you a chance now.  "If you don't know how to praise me, don't blame me for being rude!" Yang Tian took out a document and threw it in front of him, "Read it yourself!" Zhang Tan picked up the document and only turned two pages before his hands started shaking violently.  , that was the only mistake he made. He secretly accepted the fifty taels of gold given to him by the Xianbei envoy last year. He thought it was unnoticed, but it was clearly written in the document. Where to accept it?  How much gold was accepted?  It was as if someone was watching and recording.  Yang Tian snorted heavily, "You have stolen fifty taels of gold. You should be executed. I can take you away tonight. If you die in prison, what will happen to your wife? What will happen to your two sons? Do you believe it or not?"  , I will sell them to the Xianbei people as slaves, and your ancestral home and land will not belong to you. Are you worthy of your ancestors? " "Stop it! Please stop it!" Zhang  Tan was so frightened that he trembled all over, holding his head in his hands and begging. He was already broken down. A trace of pride flashed in Yang Tian's eyes. This kind of petty official dared to fight with him. At this time, his tone softened again, "I  I don¡¯t need you to come forward to testify. As long as you truthfully write a mission report and sign your name, it¡¯s like a written report to your boss. The key is to write down clearly the details of Zhong Yao¡¯s contact with the Han Dynasty and then hand it over to me.  , you will be fine. When the crown prince ascends the throne in the future, he will naturally not forget your loyalty and let you work as a governor in another county. Your career will be smooth from now on, and it will be too late for you to thank me. " Yang Tian used both soft and hard tactics, and finally made use of it.  Zhang Tan gave in and said in a low voice: "Okay! I'll write. I'll just write. When do you want it?" "Write now, and I'll take it away after you finish." Zhang Tan had no choice but to unfold the pen and paper and write him  He wrote in detail about how he followed Zhong Yao on his mission to Jiaozhou and then to the Han Kingdom. Especially about the details of Zhong Yao¡¯s contact with the Han Kingdom, he wrote clearly one by one. It took him more than half an hour to finish writing this.  A report of several thousand words was stamped and fingerprinted, and handed to Yang Tian.  Yang Tian stood next to him and watched him finish writing. He read it again. He was overjoyed and put the confession away as if he had found a treasure. He smiled and said, "Wait for the crown prince's award! I'll take my leave first." He turned around and left.  Go, walked to the yard and laughed loudly: "Madam, I take leave." Zhang Tan's wife walked out quickly, "Take the local products before leaving." "I have something to do today, give it to me next time!" Yang Tian  He cupped his hands and walked away. Zhang Tan's wife waited for them to go far, quickly closed the courtyard door, turned around and complained: "Why did this talk take so long? What are you talking about?" Zhang Tan shook his head and sighed: "Don't ask anymore.  Don't ask anything." He staggered towards the study. His wife looked at his back in confusion and asked, "Zhang Lang, do you want to eat?" She answered with a 'bang'.  Close the door hard.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Because of his old age, Cao CaoBecause of this, I slept very little, and got up at midnight. I drank a little porridge first, and then took a slow walk in the garden. This was the case every day.  In the past, when his daughter Cao Xian was here, he would be supported by his daughter for walks slowly. Now that her daughter is married, the habit of walking is still maintained, but the person supporting him has become his wife Bian.  Although Bian gave birth to Cao Cao¡¯s four sons, Pi, Zhang, Zhi, and Xiong, she still lived a low-key life, rarely appearing in front of others, and never interfering in government affairs.  The only thing that worries her is the power struggle between her sons. Especially the increasingly fierce struggle between the eldest son Pi and the third son Zhi makes her extremely distressed, but she is powerless.  Mrs. Bian supported her husband and walked slowly on the path. Cao Cao saw the old wife frowning and knew her worries, so he smiled and comforted her and said: "Both of them are my sons, and I don't want them to kill each other in the future."  , the best way is that they have no power to compete, do you understand what I mean?" "I don't understand!" Bian whispered.  "Hey! I'm confused, let me tell you this." Cao Cao smiled and said: "It's actually very simple. Let Zhi'er no longer have any strength and not pose a threat. Maybe for the sake of his brother, Pi'er will let him  Be a rich man and live a peaceful life, so they can't fight." "If that's the case, I'll be relieved." While the two were talking, Cao Cao saw a guard poking his head not far away.  He asked with some displeasure, "What's the matter?" The guard stepped forward and saluted, "For the record, Duke Wei, Yushi Yang Zhongcheng has an emergency to report." Cao Cao did not receive any official requests for an audience in the morning. This was a time when everyone knew  , especially when he was taking a walk, no one was allowed to disturb his peace. As the censor Zhongcheng, this should be clear. However, Yang Tian dared to come to see him at this time, which made Cao Cao a little interested.  At this time, Cao Cao suddenly remembered that his son Cao Pi had rushed to Bingzhou overnight to deal with the escape of officials there. If he realized something in his heart, he ordered: "Let him wait outside the official room!" Cao Cao stopped walking and returned to his room.  After adding a robe, he slowly went to the outer official room. The outer official room was where Cao Cao met with ministers and discussed important military affairs. At this time, Yang Tian had been led outside the official room to wait.  His time was very tight. In the afternoon, Zhong Yao would formally report to Cao Cao the results of his trip to Jiaozhou. He had to meet Cao Cao before Zhong Yao reported, report and impeach Zhong Yao. For this reason, Cao Pi also set off overnight for Taiyuan.  , to avoid this Zhong Yao impeachment case.  Yang Tian also knew that Cao Cao would not meet with the ministers in the morning, but at this time he could no longer care about it and could only make a desperate move. Fortunately, he was lucky. Cao Cao actually agreed to meet with him, which gave him another glimmer of hope.  He stood in the yard waiting for a long time, his hands and feet were numb from the cold. At this time, a guard came out of the room and said to him: "Yang Zhongcheng, Wei Gong asked you to come in!" Yang Tian quickly rubbed his hands and walked quickly.  Entering the room, Cao Cao had already sat down and was drinking a cup of tea calmly. Yang Tian came forward and knelt down, bowing and said, "Yang Tian, ??a humble minister, pays homage to Duke Wei!" Cao Cao didn't even raise his eyelids.  He asked calmly: "Yang Zhongcheng came here so early. Is there anything urgent?" "I am informing the Duke of Wei that I want to impeach Military Advisor Zhong for having liaison with the Han State and endangering the interests of the Wei State." Cao Cao was startled. He did not expect this to be the case.  He put down his tea bowl and asked: "Didn't Military Master Zhong go to Jiaozhou as an envoy? How did he become a liaison with the Han State?" "Reporting to the Wei State, Zhong Yao diverted to the Han State without authorization on his way back, and was criticized by the Han State.  Liu Jing received him warmly, and even went to visit him in person at the VIP Post. Does Wei Gong know about these things? "Cao Cao really didn't know. He frowned. He didn't ask Zhong Yao to go to Han Dynasty. How could he go to Chang'an without permission?  Cao Cao felt as if there was a thorn on his back. He suddenly felt uncomfortable and felt a trace of dissatisfaction in his heart.  "Do you have evidence?" "There is conclusive evidence for your humble position!" Yang Tian took out the intelligence from Chang'an and Zhang Tan's confession, presented it to Cao Cao, and said: "Wei Chen received the intelligence from Chang'an Feige the day before yesterday. He should have  It was immediately submitted to Wei Gong, but Wei Chen still wanted to confirm whether the information was true, so last night he secretly visited an entourage of Military Advisor Zhong. He told Wei Chen the details of Military Advisor Zhong's journey to Chang'an, which was completely consistent with Chang'an's intelligence.  , so he dared to impeach Commander Zhong for having an affair with the Han Dynasty because of his humble position." Cao Cao picked up two more pieces of evidence and read them carefully. They were basically consistent, but the confessions were more detailed. He thought for a moment and then asked: "Does the prince know about this?  ? " "After Wei Chen received the information from Chang'an, he immediately reported it to the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince said that the matter was of great importance and that important officials could not be impeached at will, and there must be conclusive evidence, so Wei Chen went to secretly interview an attendant last night, and the evidence was conclusive.  Only then did I dare to write an impeachment letter.¡±nbsp; Although Cao Cao was dissatisfied with Zhong Yao's behavior of going to Chang'an without authorization, he knew that as Zhong Yao, he would not do such criticized things easily. There must be a reason, and he still had to talk to Zhong Yao himself.  Afterwards, Cao Cao said: "I know about this, I have my own sense of discretion, please step back first!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1053: Haste leads to waste

    "Wei Chen, please retire!" Yang Tian felt a little disappointed. Cao Cao did not summon Zhong Yao immediately, which showed that he still had doubts in his heart. It also showed that Wei Gong had already reflected on the Jian'an Seven Sons case two months ago. This was exactly what Yang Tian was most worried about.  Worrying about things, he had done too many things that were harmful to nature, fearing that Wei Gong would use him as a scapegoat.  Yang Tian resigned, and Cao Cao began to review the impeachment documents and confessions on the table. He felt like a mirror in his heart. The eldest son Cao Pi rushed to Taiyuan overnight, which just showed that Cao Pi was the mastermind of this matter, and Cao Pi wanted to take the opportunity to get rid of Zhong Yao.  In order to ensure that the succession of power could be completed smoothly, Cao Cao did not hesitate to allow Cao Pi to launch the Jian'an Seven Sons case against his original intention, and did not hesitate to remove Xiahou Dun, who supported Cao Zhi, from military power, and completely eradicated the forces supporting Cao Zhi.  But Cao Cao also knew that this kind of officialdom cleanup was a double-edged sword. Although it could ensure a smooth transfer of power, it would also cause the people of Wei to be distracted. Especially in the context of the increasingly powerful Han Dynasty, this kind of cleanup could easily trigger a wave of officials fleeing.  , thus shaking the foundation of Wei State.  In fact, Cao Cao's worries have come true. He received a report from Xu Yi that dozens of local officials in Bingzhou had abandoned their seals and fled and surrendered to the Han Dynasty. This was just the beginning. Cao Cao was very worried that this wave of fleeing would expand.  to Hebei and Central Plains.  So he had begun to reflect on the Jian'an Seven Sons case, and he realized that he had gone too far. Under such circumstances, removing an important minister like Zhong Yao would only completely intensify the conflict, even if Zhong Yaozhen and Han Guoyou had an improper relationship.  Even so, he had to think twice.  Cao Cao suppressed Yang Tian's impeachment letter. In the afternoon, Zhong Yao came to Tongque Palace to formally report to Cao Cao about his trip to Jiaozhou.  Cao Cao and Zhong Yao sat opposite each other. Cao Cao looked calm and listened attentively to Zhong Yao's report, "To inform the Duke of Wei, Liu Bei was very enthusiastic about the ministers at first and seemed to have great hopes for Wei. However, during the actual interview,  But he became very cold, and the whole interview ended in less than half an hour. Wei Chen suspected that maybe the Han envoy Sima Yi had given Liu Bei some promise, which made Liu Bei give up his alliance with Wei. " Cao Cao's relationship with Liu Bei and Wei.  They didn't have much hope in forming an alliance. They were separated by the Han Kingdom and it was extremely inconvenient to travel between them. However, Cao Cao was very interested in what promises Liu Jing gave Liu Bei. He smiled and asked: "What did the military advisor think it would be like?"  "What promise was given? Wei Chen is not sure about it, but Wei Chen knows two things. The first is that Sima Yi sent an envoy to Jiaozhou and asked Jiaozhou troops not to enter Jian'an County; the second thing is that Sima Yi met with Man  The representatives of the Man and Zhan tribes in Panyu caused a fierce reaction from the two tribes, and the representatives immediately rushed back to Jiaozhi. From this, Wei Chen concluded that the Han Dynasty might want to use the Barbarian and Zhan tribes to contain Jiaozhou. " Cao Cao laughed, "This.  It is also a hint to Liu Bei that the Han army will not attack Jiaozhou for the time being, so Liu Bei is not too enthusiastic about forming an alliance with us." Zhong Yao nodded, "Wei Gong is right, regardless of whether Liu Bei believes Han's hint.  , but at least the sense of urgency to form an alliance between Jiaozhou and Wei has been weakened, and Liu Bei still wants to wait and see. In this way, Han has achieved its attempt to destroy the alliance between Jiaozhou and Wei. " "It's like a bow that has been tightened.  The arrow was on the string and had to be fired. At this time, the Han Dynasty loosened the bow string and the arrow could not be fired. Liu Jing's skill was indeed unexpected. " Cao Cao sighed slightly, changed the topic and asked lightly:  "Does the military advisor have anything else to report?" "There is nothing to report for the time being." "Really? But I heard that when the military advisor came back, he went to Chang'an again. Why is this?" Cao Cao looked at Zhong Yao with a half-smile.  .  Zhong Yao thought about this matter on the way back. He knew that it would be difficult to hide it from Cao Cao's eyes and ears when he went to Chang'an, so he had to face Cao Cao's questioning. He had already thought of a response in his mind, so he didn't panic.  He said hurriedly: "Reporting to the Kingdom of Wei, I went to Chang'an because of the repeated invitations of the King of Han. It was difficult for me to accept the warm invitation, so I had to go to Chang'an to have a look. The minister thought it was a private matter and had nothing to do with official matters, so I did not report it to Duke Wei."  Zhong Yao's answer was so conclusive that Cao Cao didn't know what to say. If the minister's dealings with the Han Dynasty were fornication and betrayal, then what does it matter if Cao Cao married his daughter to Liu Jing?  Therefore, without evidence of collaborating with the enemy, Cao Cao could not get furious and punish Zhong Yao immediately.  Cao Cao laughed dryly and said: "Do you think the military advisor has changed a lot in Chang'an?" Zhong Yao nodded, "It's such an earth-shaking change that I really can't recognize it. Guanzhong is full of vitality and the people live and work in peace and contentment. I can only say that Liu Jing governed it."  "Not bad." Zhong Yao's frankness finally made Cao Cao lose face, which made him secretly annoyed. Cao Cao took out Zhang Tan's confession and Yang Tian's impeachment letter and handed them to Zhong Yao, "Yang Tian, ??the imperial censor, impeached the military advisor."  There is also a confession from a follower of the military advisor in the Han Dynasty. The military advisor should take a look first!" Although Zhong Yao expected this, he didn't expect it.?Yang Tian moved so quickly. He only came back yesterday afternoon and he started impeachment. He even prepared a confession.  He carefully read the impeachment document and Zhang Tan's confession, then pointed to the confession and said to Cao Cao: "This confession is basically true, but Wei Gong doesn't want to draw conclusions based on this person. He is just an ordinary employee.  He only knows where I went and who I met. As for why I went there or what we talked about, he knows nothing about it." Zhong Yao then pointed at Yang Tian's impeachment letter and said angrily, "This is even more nonsense, Luo Zhi.  The charges were made out of nothing, and they clearly wanted to put me to death. If I talk to the King of Han, it means collaborating with the enemy, so what does it mean to marry the Duke of Wei and the King of Han? " The last sentence made Cao Cao very embarrassed. This is indeed an unavoidable one.  In fact, Cao Cao quickly comforted Zhong Yao and said: "I don't believe Yang Zhongcheng's words too much. After all, he was not present when the military advisor talked with Liu Jing. After all, as a military advisor, it would be unreasonable for Liu Jing not to meet him. He would not know anything about Liu Jing and the military advisor."  What did you talk about? " "What can Liu Jing talk to me about? It's just about the changes in Chang'an, Wei Gong's order, and asking me for a few calligraphy works. It's just that Sima Yi came to see me on behalf of Liu Jing. I hope  I went to Han to be the Prime Minister and took up the post of Zhongshu Ling, but I declined. " Zhong Yao was very frank and did not hide anything from Cao Cao. With his identity and qualifications, he did not even bother to make up lies. The truth was his.  Consistent principles.  Cao Cao said, ¡®Oh!  "Zhong Yao's frankness was beyond his expectation. He even told him that he wanted him to serve as Zhongshu Ling. It seemed that Zhong Yao didn't hide it. Cao Cao believed what he said. He thought for a moment and asked again.  Cao Cao said: "I wonder what Liu Jing said about my order to release Ding?" Cao Cao didn't want to make the matter bigger. He avoided the truth and asked an irrelevant matter, but he really wanted to know Liu Jing's opinion of the order to release Ding.  Ling's view.  "Reporting to Duke Wei, Liu Jing said that Duke Wei's order to send out Ding was harmful to the current situation and merited a hundred years. He agreed with Duke Wei's direction, but did not agree with Duke Wei's methods." "How do you say this?" Cao Cao asked doubtfully.  Said: "What does it mean that it is harmful to the present, but the merit is a hundred years?" "He said that it is indeed a big problem for aristocratic families to seize land and hide people. The southern region is slightly better, but there are also such problems. If this problem is solved, the world will gain a hundred years.  Prosperity and tranquility, so he is in favor of Wei Gong's order, but with Wei Gong's current implementation method, I am afraid it will do more harm than good. " "Is he saying that I am too impatient and too violent?" Cao Cao understood.  Zhong Yao's implication.  Zhong Yao nodded, "He did say that. The Han Dynasty spent ten years to solve this problem, and it is far from successful. Jingzhou and Guanzhong are the best, while Bashu occupies a large area and has a large population."  The problem in the Jiangdong area that was hidden and had just been annexed to the Han State was also very serious. The Han State was prepared to take another ten years to solve this problem, but he said that Wei Gong was preparing to complete it within one or two years. This was unrealistic and would  Cause a very serious problem." "What problem?" Cao Cao asked again.  Zhong Yao sighed slightly, "The King of Han said that the local government was basically controlled by aristocratic families. Wei Gong used the army to force out Ding Ling, and first targeted the nobles. I'm afraid it would trigger a strong backlash from the local officialdom and cause instability in the local government. " Cao Cao did not  Speaking, dozens of local officials in Bingzhou left with their seals in the past few days, and more than 20 counties were left without county magistrates and county magistrates. Cao Pi rushed to deal with it urgently. Although he still doesn¡¯t know the reason, it is very likely that Liu Jing was  It was right. Cao Cao felt a little uncomfortable. He snorted coldly: "He is just standing and talking without pain. If he is willing to send back all the peasants who fled to Han, why should I go to war like this?"  " "Wei Gong, I also think that Liu Jing's suggestion makes some sense." Before Zhong Yao could finish speaking, Cao Cao interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "Don't talk about this matter anymore. No matter how turbulent the local government is,  The birth order must not be given up halfway!  " Cao Pi wanted to impeach Zhong Yao, but Cao Cao ultimately did not accept the impeachment of Zhong Yao. He did not want to cause turmoil in the officialdom due to this matter, so he shelved the impeachment letter. Soon, the New Year of the 23rd year of Jian'an finally arrived.  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1054 The wind rises in Jiaozhou

    On the New Year's Day of the 23rd year of Jian'an, a heavy snowfall enveloped the land of Jingnan. Snow flakes were flying, the cold wind was howling, and the sky became gray.  Heavy snowfall, which is common in the north every year, is extremely rare in Jingnan. The climate in Jingnan, especially Lingling County, is warm and spring-like all year round. In the coldest month of December, the north is already a land of ice and snow, but there are still gurgling streams and mountains.  A lot of greenery.  But this year¡¯s climate was a bit abnormal. It became colder after winter began, and finally there was a heavy snowfall during the New Year that had not been seen in decades.  The entire mountains and land in Lingling County were covered with snow, and the houses in various counties were also covered with thick snow. The snow came a bit unexpectedly, and the streets and alleys were full of people clearing snow. They were the happiest people.  It was the children, many of whom saw snow for the first time in their lives. They played and laughed, rolled on the snow, made snowmen and had snowball fights. Both adults and children had fun.  Lingling County is also the most important transportation hub in the south of Lingling County. The Lingqu Canal here connects the Xiang River and the Lishui River. Lingling County was originally only a medium-sized city, but in the past few years, Jingzhou officials and  The Han army jointly carried out a large-scale expansion and transformation of Lingling County, heightening and widening the city wall, and building a solid warehouse city inside the city. Starting from last year, from Xiangdong County, Helin County, Guiyang County and Lingling County  Tiaoguan grain is concentrated here, and nearly 150,000 shi of grain are stored.  Just before New Year's Eve, a 30,000-strong Han army quietly entered Lingling County. This army was the Jingzhou Han army that had withdrawn from Jiangdong. After several months of rest, the 50,000-person Jingzhou Han army regrouped in December.  Divided into two groups, they headed south to Lingling County, commanded by veteran Huang Zhong, with his sword pointed at Cangwu.  The other group of 20,000 people entered Yuzhang County and were deployed in the Fucheng County area close to Luling County. They were commanded by General Wei Yan and Deputy General Liao Hua, and their target was Luling County.  This is an extremely sensitive military maneuver, especially after seizing Jiangdong and attacking Jiaozhou has gradually become the general trend. The two armies went south respectively and approached the border of Jiaozhou. It contains so many meanings that even a three-year-old child can guess  It can be concluded that the Han army is preparing to attack Jiaozhou.  The Han army's camp was located in the wilderness outside Lingling County and consisted of thousands of large tents. The sudden heavy snow caught the army off guard. The entire camp was covered with heavy snow. All soldiers were dispatched to clean up the camp.  There is snow in the camp.  In the Chinese army¡¯s tent, Huang Zhong and several generals were standing in front of the sand table to discuss the military situation. Among the generals, in addition to Liu Zheng and Wang Ping, there were also two former generals from Jiangdong, Jiang Qin and Zhu Heng.  "Everyone, I have just received an order from His Highness the King of Han. In addition to congratulating everyone on the New Year, I also hope that we will take military action against Cangwu County in a few days. Note that it is not an offensive, but a certain military action. Simply put  In other words, we want Liu Bei to know about our existence. "Huang Zhong picked up the wooden pole and pointed it at Guangxin County, the commandery of Cangwu County on the sand table, and said to everyone: "According to the intelligence from the scouts, the Jiaozhou Army has been deployed in the Guangxin area.  More than 10,000 troops, commanded by Guan Yu, are obviously to defend us from going south. Since the other side is prepared, we cannot be too hasty. "Everyone has experienced hundreds of battles and understands what Huang Zhong means. One hundred thousand people were attacked from Lingling County southward.  Blocked by mountains, the mountains are steep and the roads are rugged, making the march extremely difficult. It is extremely difficult for the brigade to bring its supplies and supplies by land. Even wooden oxen cannot bear the distance. They can only enter the Li River through the Ling Canal, and then go south to Cangwu County.  , once the Jiaozhou Army is prepared, they will inevitably block the Li River, putting their baggage transportation in danger.  At this time, Wang Ping pondered for a moment and said: "We can use the method of attacking Longxi to build a transit military city at a dangerous point in the south to store supplies and rations. This way there is no need to unload the goods in Guangxin. We can establish a stronghold on the Li River to move the army,  Food and supplies were gradually transported south. "Huang Zhong nodded, "His Royal Highness Han also means the same. The new city can not only be used during the war, but also can be converted to civilian use after the war to connect Jiaozhou and Jingnan.  " When Huang Zhong said this, he turned to Liu Zheng and said with a slight smile: "My plan is for the Eagle Attack Army to take the land route and first go to Guangxin County to disturb the Jiaozhou Army so that the Jiaozhou Army does not dare to go north easily, so that it can  We will go all out to build the city in the middle of Li River. Although His Highness the King of Han did not say it clearly, I believe that is what he meant." Liu Zheng nodded, "I will lead the Eagle Attack Army to set off early tomorrow morning." At this time, Wang Ping said from the side: "Five hundred.  The number of the Eagle Attack Army is too small. I can also lead 5,000 barbarians to provide support for General Liu, so that Guan Yu will not dare to go north easily. "Huang Zhong readily agreed, "This plan is feasible!" That night, the Han army slaughtered pigs and sheep.  Ten thousand jars of wine were opened and a New Year's banquet was held for the fifty thousand Han troops. Everyone drank and ate meat and got drunk before resting. Before dawn the next day, Liu Zheng and his deputy Ren Ping led the five hundred Eagle Attack Army and set off with dry food.  Hundreds of miles away, separated by hundreds of thousands of mountainsWu County and Guangxin County marched away quickly.  Guangxin County is today¡¯s Wuzhou, Guangxi, where Yushui, Lishui and Heshui meet. Yushui leads directly to Panyu, which makes Guangxin County the most important transportation hub and population center in the north of Jiaozhou.  Guangxin County has 8,000 households and a population of nearly 60,000. This can only be considered a small county in the Central Plains, but in Jiaozhou, a vast and sparsely populated city, it is already the third largest city after Panyu and Jiaozhi.  It is also destined that Guangxin County will become the most important strategic town in northern Jiaozhou.  Guan Yu led an army of 10,000 to Guangxin County at the end of October last year, which was only a little over two months ago. When he set out, his eldest brother Liu Bei told him that if the Han army wanted to attack Cangwu County, it would have to be at least March.  But now just after the New Year, the intelligence spies lurking in Lingling County received a message from the Flying Eagle. Tens of thousands of Han troops had entered Lingling County. This news made Guan Yu very nervous. He knew very well that with the financial resources of Lingling County,  It can only bear a maximum of 5,000 long-term garrison, but now it has tens of thousands of troops stationed. It is obviously not a permanent garrison. This is obviously the Han army going to attack Jiaozhou.  In the large tent of the military camp, Guan Yu paced back and forth uneasily with his hands behind his hands. He had already sent someone to urgently report to his elder brother Liu Bei. He received a reply from Liu Bei this morning, ordering him to strengthen the defense of the dangerous place on the Li River to prevent the main force of the Han army.  He took a boat with baggage and headed south.  Guan Yu also fully agreed with his elder brother's plan. There were countless high mountains separated from Jingnan to Jiaozhou, and it was almost impossible to transport food and supplies by land. Back then, they used tricks to gain the trust of Wu Ju, the prefect of Cangwu, and then they were able to enter Cangwu County. Han Dynasty  If the army wants to move south in a large scale, it can only rely on waterways, taking the Li River from Lingqu to Cangwu County.  Guan Yu thought for a moment and then said to his soldiers: "Let my son Guan Ping come to see you immediately!" After a while, Guan Ping hurriedly walked into the tent, bowed and saluted, "Please give me your father's orders!" Guan Yu pointed to the map and said: "I  You are worried that the Han army will march south from Li River, and there are too few troops stationed in Liren Fort. You can lead your own three thousand troops to support Liren Fort. " "I obey the order!" Guan Yu said again: "Be careful of ambushes along the way.  If you find a large group, report it immediately. " "Father, please don't worry, I will be careful," Guan Yu warned Guan Ping a few more words, and Guan Ping immediately ordered his troops to rush to Liren Fort, a defensive point 200 miles away.  Although he had strengthened his defenses on the waterway, Guan Yu was still a little worried about the land route. If the Han army traveled lightly, they would also come overland. At present, the Jiaozhou Army has built more than a dozen passes in dangerous places in the mountainous areas in the north of Jiaozhou, and stationed three troops respectively.  There are ranging from 500 to 500 people. Among them, there is a pass in the north of Guangxin County called Sanbakou, with 300 troops stationed there. If the Han army goes south from Lingling overland, Sanbakou will be the first fierce battle.  Thinking of this, Guan Yu ordered Captain Zhang Zhi to lead 2,000 troops to reinforce Sanbakou and sent 5,000 men to guard the two waterways. Guan Yu felt relieved. "The Han army going south by land actually has to pass through Linhe County. Linhe  The county is a small county, originally part of Lingling County. More than 90% of the land in the entire county is mountainous. Sanbakou is located at the junction of Linhe County and Cangwu County. "Ba" is the local name for the basin.  This title continues to this day.  The so-called Sanbakou, as the name suggests, is the entrance to three basins. From Cangwu County in the south to the north, after crossing the high mountains, the mountains disappear and the terrain becomes gentle, forming a large basin that can be cultivated. With the He River crossing it, there are rich  Irrigation water source, forming a rare agricultural area.  Sanbakou is located to the south of this agricultural area. It is a canyon more than ten miles long. At the critical point of the valley entrance, the Jiaozhou Army stationed 300 soldiers. They not only guarded the key points of the valley entrance, but also controlled the agricultural area ahead.  , the taxes were originally supposed to be handed over to Fengyang County, but under the threat of the army, the farmers living in the three dams were forced to hand over the taxes to the Jiaozhou army.  That night, the farmers living in Bazi all went to bed early. A heavy snowfall that had not been seen in decades made Sanbakou dress up as a world covered in silver. The cold moonlight shone on the silver earth.  Make the earth as clear as day.  An army is winding its way from the north, walking quickly and not affected by the thick snow on the ground. This army is the 500 Eagle Attack Army coming from Lingling County. The Eagle Attack Army is the most powerful force of the Han army.  The elite special soldiers were all highly skilled in martial arts and physically strong. They could defeat ten enemies one at a time. Climbing mountains and ridges was as smooth as walking on flat ground for them. They marched for three days and nights to reach Sanbakou after a 700-mile journey.  It was already two o'clock in the morning, and the nearest residential house was three miles away. There was silence in the wilderness. Under the reflection of snow and moonlight, the Heshui River in the distance was like a black satin spread across the undulating wilderness. Liu Zheng pointed  Pointing to a forest not far away, he ordered in a low voice: "Go into the woods and rest for an hour." The five hundred Eagle Attack Army soldiers rushed into the woods one after another. Liu Zheng found a large flat stone and began toLieutenant General Ren Ping discussed the plan to seize Sanbakou.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1055 Test Attack

    Sanbakou is a mountain col that is more than ten miles long. It is also the only way to Guangxin by land. On both sides of the mountain col are two steep mountains. On the mountains are vast primeval forests. At the foot of the mountains are dense trees and wild beasts.  Years of walking by merchants and farmers finally led to a flat official road in this mountain valley.  The mountain col is wide in the south and narrow in the north. The narrowest pass is less than 20 feet. The Jiaozhou Army used local materials here to build a wooden village and stationed 300 troops.  The original intention of Jiaozhou to build a wooden stronghold here was not for defense. If the Han army moved south in a large scale, three hundred people would not be able to resist it. The fundamental purpose of Jiaozhou's garrison here was to provide food in this area.  This place is under the jurisdiction of Fengyang County in the Han Dynasty, and the essence of Fengyang County lies in these three basins covering an area of ??more than 100,000 acres. It is also an important grain-producing area in Linhe County.  The Jiaozhou Army did not dare to go north to seize Fengyang County and seize the land of the Han State. They had to seek profits in one way. After building a wooden village at Sanbakou, the local farmers were forced to hand over grain taxes to the Jiaozhou Army.  This made Jiaozhou seize the interests of Han State in disguised form.  This situation has been going on for three years. Just a few months ago after the autumn harvest, the Jiaozhou Army here received another tens of thousands of shi in grain taxes. The grain was stored in the warehouse in Muzhai, and some of it has been shipped to Guangzhou.  In Xin County, there are about 6,000 stones of grain in Muzhai.  The leader of the Jiaozhou Army guarding Sanbakou is a tooth general named Yang Jin. He is from Cangwu County. He is not smart, capable, nor stupid. He is a very mediocre type. However, his family is a prominent family in Cangwu County.  , it was the class that Liu Bei needed to win over, and Yang Jin also benefited from this. In just three years, he was promoted from an ordinary village chief to a general.  Yang Jin had received a warning from someone sent by Guan Yu, saying that the Han army might move south by land. This made him extremely nervous. Once the Han army went south by land, they would have to pass through Sanbakou, but he only had 300 men under his command.  If you can defend this wooden village.  For several days, Yang Jin couldn't eat well or sleep well, and was extremely anxious. Every day, he hoped that the Han army would not go by land, but go south from the Li River by water. Five days had passed since Guan Yu's warning, and Sanba  There was still no movement in the mouth, and there was no sign of the Han army going south. This made Yang Jin think that maybe it was because of the heavy snow that blocked the road, preventing the Han army from going south.  Thinking of the heavy snowfall that had occurred once in decades, Yang Jin felt a little relieved. However, he was still very vigilant and ordered soldiers to patrol and monitor the wall day and night, not daring to be careless.  The time is gradually approaching the fourth watch, which is a low point for the patrol soldiers at night. After being vigilant for half the night, the patrol soldiers finally become sleepy and their vigilance will disappear little by little. At this time, it is precisely the best time to launch a night battle.  .  Therefore, experienced generals will replace patrol soldiers at the third watch, allowing soldiers in good spirits to continue patrolling. Yang Jin obviously does not have this experience. He sets the changing time of soldiers at dawn, which means patrolling at night.  The soldiers were to keep watch all night.  However, although the vigilance of the patrol soldiers has been relaxed, it is not completely lost. The soldiers are still patrolling back and forth on the wall, but they have become dull to some subtle noises outside.  For example, from time to time there is a slight sound of branches breaking in the woods dozens of steps away. The dead branches on the ground have been trampled. It may be a beast, but it may also be a danger approaching. In any case, the patrol soldiers should pay close attention to it.  .  During the second watch, they might have been vigilant, but now, the soldiers were exhausted, yawning desperately, thinking only of getting up early and no longer paying attention to the strange noises outside.  ¡°Is there a bobcat outside?¡± A soldier heard the sound of branches breaking continuously and finally became a little suspicious.  "Who knows, maybe it's a lynx! It came out to look for food when it was hungry, but maybe the snow was too heavy and broke the branches. Anyway, it couldn't be some Han army."  It's a joke that the Han army will go south. I think General Yang was a little fussy." As everyone was talking, someone booed, "Stop talking, he's coming!" Someone walked up to the wall not far away.  None of the soldiers dared to speak anymore. They saw the general Yang Jin walking over quickly. "Is there anything going on?" Yang Jin asked loudly.  "General Qi, there is nothing unusual." "You must be vigilant. Don't be lazy and sleep. Anyone who dares to be lazy will be killed immediately!" Yang Jin was reprimanding the patrol soldiers in a loud voice. Just a few dozen steps away, dozens of black men  Ying hid in the woods. Because some soldiers accidentally trampled down several branches, the Han soldiers behind him did not dare to move forward. Only thirty soldiers approached the wooden village.  Behind a big tree, Liu Zheng stared sharply at the officer lecturing on the wall. There was a trace of doubt in his eyes. He was not sure whether this person was the enemy's general. If he was the enemy's general, they would definitely?You can shoot this person with random arrows. If they are not the general, they will act too early and alert the enemy.  But at this moment, an accident happened. A roar of a wild beast came from above Liu Zheng. Liu Zheng suddenly looked up and saw a leopard hiding in a tree leaping over his head and knocking down the man on the far side.  Soldier.  This is a hungry leopard. It is looking for food in the snow. It has long discovered the man in black quietly approaching the wall of the village.  Normally, the leopard would not dare to attack so many humans, but at this time it was hungry and cold, and desperately knocked down a Han soldier from behind.  The sudden incident also alarmed the defenders on the wall. Dozens of people held on to the wall and looked outside. They saw a leopard knocking down a man in black, and a dozen men in black around him were slashing at him with swords.  Cut down the leopard.  Guard Yang Jin suddenly reacted and shouted: "It's the enemy, please sound the alarm!" 'Dang!  when!  when!  The alarm bell on the wall of the stronghold rang, and the defenders shouted. At this time, the leopard that attacked the Han army had been slashed by the soldiers. The soldiers abandoned the prey and fled into the dense forest. Liu Zheng saw that his success fell short, and he hated him.  The fist hit the tree trunk, and the snow on the tree fell rustlingly.  This was the first time in so many years that the Eagle Attack Army was discovered during a night sneak attack. This really made Liu Zheng furious. He immediately ordered: "Send the order and attack Muzhai!" At this moment, a tooth general next to him advised: "I'm afraid  General Ren has not yet deployed to the position, so it is inappropriate to attack the city now!" Liu Zheng suddenly realized and immediately ordered: "Retreat!" The Han soldiers at the entrance of the valley retreated one after another, and then they retreated from the entrance of the valley. At this time, three hundred  All the defenders climbed onto the wall and shot arrows into the woods on both sides. After a long time, they gradually calmed down.  The usual practice of the Eagle Attack Army is to attack from the front and back, attack from the front, and support with surprise troops. This time is no exception. Lieutenant General Ren Ping led 200 soldiers to detour from the mountain on the left to the back of the wooden village, preparing to attack the enemy village from behind.  For the Han army, it was easy to capture this wooden stronghold. They only needed to attack it with fire to burn down the wall. However, the consequence of the fire attack was that the food stored in the wooden stronghold would also be burned. Seeing that Wang  General Ping led thousands of soldiers south to support, and Liu Zheng had to consider leaving food for the reinforcements behind him.  It is precisely because of this consideration that Liu Zheng and Ren Ping discussed and decided that Ren Ping would be the surprise soldier and occupy the granary behind the enemy's stronghold first, while Liu Zheng would attack from the front.  Time passed little by little, and the sky gradually became brighter. Liu Zheng was sitting on a big rock, patiently waiting for news about Ren Ping.  "General!" A soldier came flying from a distance. Liu Zheng recognized him as someone who was following Ren Ping. He quickly jumped down from the boulder and went to meet him. "What's the situation?" "General Qi, we have already  After arriving at the predetermined position, General Ren said it was time to launch an attack. "Liu Zheng was overjoyed and immediately ordered: "Get ready to attack!" The three hundred Eagle Attack Army soldiers began to form a team quickly.  In his hands are a sword and a heavy shield. The heavy shield can withstand crossbow shots from thirty steps away, while the sharp sword can chop the enemy's spears.  Thirty soldiers were holding temporary bumping logs made of giant trees that were hundreds of years old. They were lined up at the end of the team. Liu Zheng waved his sword and pointed it directly at the mouth of the valley two hundred steps away. Several soldiers blew their horns and shouted, "Woo~"  The long whimpering sound of the horn reached the valley.  The alarm bells on the wooden village rang loudly again, and after half a night of tossing, the Jiaozhou Army soldiers who were just about to take a rest were awakened one after another. They rushed to the wall of the village and stared nervously at the mouth of the valley. Yang Jin also rushed to the wall of the village wearing armor and helmet.  Holding a silver gun, he calmed down at this time. He felt that the enemy army was not large in number, there seemed to be only a few hundred people. Maybe they were just patrol soldiers of the Han army. With these few hundred soldiers, they could not break through the wall.  "General, here we come!" A soldier pointed at the mouth of the valley and shouted. Yang Jin also saw it. A hundred steps away, a dense crowd of Han soldiers appeared at the mouth of the valley. There were dozens of people in a row, about ten rows, and the number was only about ten.  There were three to four hundred people. Yang Jin was a local. He didn't know the details of the Han army, let alone the most elite Eagle Attack Army of the Han army.  "Crossbows ready!" He shouted, and the three hundred defenders raised their crossbows and aimed at the Han army in the distance. All the Jiaozhou troops were on the wall. They never thought that there would be troops coming from behind.  What came later could only be reinforcements, how could it be the Han army?  Even the commander-in-chief Yang Jin did not have this intention.  At this time, the Han army was getting closer and closer, reaching a distance of eighty steps. Yang Jin shouted, "Shoot!" Three hundred military crossbows were launched at the same time, and dense arrows were fired at the Han soldiers at the mouth of the valley, and a string of arrows was heard.  The sound of breaking through the air was so powerful that the Han soldiers raised their heavy shields almost at the same time to cover their bodies. However, they did not stop and continued to slowly move closer to the wall.  ¡°Use the rolling log!¡±Yang Jin saw that the first round of arrows had no effect at all, and not even an injured Han soldier appeared. His eyes were on fire, and he roared loudly again. The slope of the village wall from the entrance of the valley was 30 degrees, and the arrows had no lethality.  Under such circumstances, the Jiaozhou Army finally used their powerful defensive weapons.  Sections of rolling logs were thrown towards the entrance of the valley. The logs rolled and hit the dense crowd of Han soldiers. The Han soldiers were caught off guard. More than a dozen soldiers were knocked over and fell to the ground. The soldiers behind them dodged to both sides, and the entrance of the valley suddenly became empty.  stand up.  Seeing that the rolling wood was effective, Yang Jin was so excited that he shouted, "Give up bows and arrows and use rolling wood!" At this time, the Han army gathered again, but they were not in a hurry to charge. They remained calm and came towards the enemy's stronghold extremely slowly.  Hundreds of defenders raised the rolling logs again

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1056: The troops overwhelm Cangwu

    The backside of the Sanbakou wooden village does not have a wall made of mud and wood, but a simple wooden fence. Next to the wooden fence are dozens of tents. This is a temporary warehouse for storing food, covered with a huge tarpaulin. At present,  There are still 6,300 shi of food stored in these camps.  Not far from the wooden fence, Ren Ping led two hundred Eagle Strikers soldiers who were waiting for an opportunity. They had already heard the horn blowing and the piercing alarm bell ringing, but Ren Ping still held back and continued to wait for the opportunity.  At this time, he heard faint shouts of killing coming from ahead, and he knew that the opportunity had come.  There was not a single person in the rear camp. There were about ten soldiers guarding the wooden fence. They were all attracted by the fighting ahead, and their attention was focused on the fighting place ahead, but they did not realize that countless Han soldiers were quietly approaching behind them.  At this time, a defender accidentally turned his head and saw the Han soldiers dozens of steps away. He said, 'Ah!  ' He yelled, jumped up, pointed outside the camp fence and shouted: "There is enemy situation!" As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful shot came out and hit his throat. The soldier fell on his back, but other soldiers saw behind him  The enemy soldiers were so frightened that they shouted.  Ren Ping shouted, "Come in!" Two hundred Han soldiers swarmed up and pulled down the gate of the camp. Two hundred people rushed into the wooden village. Most of the ten soldiers were killed, and the remaining three fought desperately to  Run ahead.  At this time, the offensive of the Han army in front of the wall was restrained by the rolling logs of the defenders. The rolling logs hit the valley entrance one after another, making it impossible for the Han army to gather and were forced to hide on both sides. At this time, several Han soldiers were killed, and more than 30 soldiers were killed.  People were injured, but they couldn't get within fifty paces.  Yang Jin laughed proudly and said to the soldiers around him: "The Han army is nothing more than this. I thought they were so powerful. As long as they attack, I will smash them down with rolling logs!" At this moment, three soldiers rushed up from behind.  Yelling: "General, no good, there are enemy troops coming from behind!" Yang Jin was shocked. Looking back, he saw countless Han soldiers rushing into the camp and heading towards the wall.  He was so frightened that his hands trembled and the silver gun fell to the ground. The soldiers around him were in chaos and were at a loss.  Liu Zheng was already angry. It wasn't that he couldn't kill him, but in order to attract the enemy and create opportunities for Ren Ping's army, he had to passively resist, but suffered numerous casualties. At this time, he saw chaos on the wall of the stronghold.  It was obviously Ren Ping who had entered the enemy's stronghold. He shouted sternly, "Brothers, follow me and fight in!" Liu Zheng took the lead bravely and rushed towards the gate of the stronghold with a shield and a sword in hand. The Han soldiers behind him shouted in unison  , all running bravely, the three hundred soldiers burst out with murderous intent and rushed towards the enemy stronghold. Before they could get close to the enemy stronghold, the Han soldiers had opened the stronghold door from the inside, and the three hundred Han soldiers poured into the wooden stronghold like a tide.  Two days later, Wang Ping led 5,000 barbarians to Sanbakou. At this time, the Jiaozhou Army's military camp was controlled by the Han Army's Eagle Attack Army, and all 300 defenders had been annihilated, fully realizing the Han Army's planned plan.  , Not only did they seize the food stored in the village, but not a single enemy soldier escaped.  The food in the military stronghold was replenished in time for Wang Ping's army. At this time, Liu Zheng invited Wang Ping to the big tent. Liu Zheng smiled a little mysteriously and said: "I want to tell the general a piece of news. A Jiaozhou army is heading north.  On the way. " Wang Ping immediately became interested. For a general, leading his army on an empty trip is definitely a loss-making business. Wang Ping is only serving as a backup for the Eagle Attack Army this time. He is already prepared to make an empty trip.  He was mentally prepared, but unexpectedly Liu Zheng told him that there was a battle to be fought, which made him full of expectations.  "What's the situation? How many people are there?" "It should be the reinforcements coming to support Sanbakou. There are about two thousand people. They are still thirty miles away from us. Lao Ren is leading a dozen brothers to closely monitor the other side." Wang Ping checked the map  , coming from the south, almost all the way are steep mountains, canyons, and towering ancient trees, which are very conducive to carrying out ambush warfare. Wang Ping asked again: "How many enemy troops escaped this time when we captured Sanbakou." Liu Zheng smiled.  Laughing, "General, don't worry, this time we are trying to catch a turtle in a urn, no one has escaped, and the enemy will not get any news." Wang Ping nodded slowly, "In that case, let's do it!" From Guangxin County, Cangwu County to Sanba  The entrance is not far away, only about fifty miles. Except for the canyon at Sanbakou, which is slightly easier to walk, the rest of the road requires climbing over mountains and the walking is difficult. Therefore, although the journey is not far, it still requires two days of marching.  In addition, the He River flows southward dozens of miles away in the east. However, the water flow in the He River is relatively fast. Most of the banks on both sides are cliffs. The river is full of large and small sharp rocks. If you are not careful, the boat will capsize and people will die.  , so travelers rarely go through the Heshui River Valley, but would rather waste time taking this land route.  This 2,000-strong Jiaozhou Army was led by General Zhang Zhi, who was a native of Nanhai County, Jiaozhou and was originally a tribe of the scholar family.?, after Liu Bei attacked and destroyed the Shijia army, Zhang Zhi also surrendered to Liu Bei and was assigned to Guan Yu's tent.  Zhang Zhi wields a three-pointed two-edged sword. He is highly skilled in martial arts and brave in battle. Although he cannot compare with Guan Ping, Zhou Cang and other close generals of Guan Yu, he is also valued by Guan Yu who values ??martial arts and appoints him as the left forward captain.  Lieutenant.  This time Zhang Zhi led two thousand troops to the north to support Sanbakou. The main purpose was to cut off the Han army's southward overland route, and at the same time to preserve the six thousand shi of grain stored at Sanbakou.  After Zhang Zhi led his army to walk for a day, they finally arrived at the south entrance of Sanbakou Canyon. Seeing that the soldiers were exhausted, he ordered them to rest on the spot and sent scouts to Sanbakou to notify Yang Jin.  Compared with Yang Jin who was ignorant of the Han army, Zhang Zhi knew the Han army better. He was born in a poor family and went to the Central Plains to learn martial arts when he was young. He even joined Zhang Xiu's Nanyang army. Because of his bravery in combat, he joined the army for less than a month.  , Zhang Xiu made an exception and was promoted to military prince. After Zhang Xiu surrendered to Cao Cao, Zhang Zhi returned to Jiaozhou, joined the Jiaozhou Army, and was promoted to captain step by step, and later surrendered to Liu Bei.  Zhang Zhi got various information about the Han army from many channels. He knew that the Han army was good at strategizing in battle, so he was extra vigilant. He saw that the mountains on both sides of the canyon were high and densely forested, making it easy to hide and ambush. He did not dare to be careless, so he sent troops first.  Scouts went to find out what was going on.  More than an hour later, the scouts he sent came back to report, "General Qi, the Sanbakou area is still calm. There are only more than fifty soldiers, led by the military marquis Chen Lin. Chen Lin said that Yang Jin led his brothers to urge them early in the morning.  There are still hundreds of farmers who have not paid their taxes." Zhang Zhi frowned. What a coincidence. He thought for a while and asked, "How is the food in the village?" "The food is very safe.  "I saw the piles of grain bags." Zhang Zhi nodded. Although he was still a little concerned about Yang Jin not being in the camp, in general, there should be no problem. He saw that it was almost noon, and the brothers had to go.  When he arrived at the camp for dinner, he immediately ordered: "Get up and go!" The soldiers stood up one after another, brushed off the snow on their bodies, lined up, and marched quickly towards the valley.  The total length of this valley is about twelve miles, and it can be completed in half an hour. Zhang Zhi was riding on a war horse, constantly raising his head and looking to both sides. The woods on the mountains were covered with snow, and it was still a world of ice and snow, but the sunny slopes  The snow had begun to melt, revealing patches of mottled colors. With Zhang Zhi's eyesight, he still couldn't see any signs of an ambush, but he still felt a little uneasy in his heart.  This uneasiness comes from Guan Yu's instructions to him before he set off, "The Han army is full of cunning and good at strategies. You must not be careless when marching north. If there is an abnormal situation, you would rather withdraw than be ambushed."  ' So far, no abnormality has been found, and there are no traces of large groups of soldiers and horses in the snow on the road. However, he is extremely uneasy and always feels that something will happen, but he cannot withdraw his troops because of his uneasiness. That is  If he acts cowardly, he will be punished severely by military regulations, and he cannot afford to lose that person.  After walking for about half an hour, they were still two miles away from the Bingzhai. They could already vaguely see the wooden gate of the Bingzhai. At this moment, a shot of a thunderbolt shot over their heads, making a sharp sound that echoed in the valley.  , then, the sound of bangs was heard on both sides, and arrows were fired from the woods, densely shooting at the Jiaozhou Army soldiers in the valley road.  The Jiaozhou Army was caught off guard and was immediately shot down. Zhang Zhi's horse was also hit by three arrows at the same time. He screamed and fell to the ground. Zhang Zhi was thrown more than two feet away and hit hard.  On a big tree.  The sudden attack caused chaos among the soldiers of the Jiaozhou Army. The soldiers lay on the ground one after another to avoid the arrows fired from both sides. At this time, drums were beating loudly in the woods, and countless Han soldiers rushed up from the woods, brandishing spears and knives.  , pounced on the Jiaozhou Army soldiers, Wang Ping took the lead, wielding his sword to attack the enemy general.  The army led by Wang Ping is the "Wudang Fei Army" in the Han army, which is an army composed of barbarian soldiers. They have served in the Han army for many years, are well-trained, and fight bravely. They are especially good at mountain warfare.  An elite army in the Han army, it also became one of the tooth soldiers of Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty.  Five thousand Han troops plus five hundred of the most elite Eagle Attack Army faced off against two thousand Jiaozhou Army. There was no suspense in this ambush. The enemy general Zhang Zhi was captured alive by Wang Ping. After more than 700 casualties of the two thousand Jiaozhou Army,  They also knelt down and surrendered, and the Han army only suffered dozens of casualties.  Wang Ping immediately left a thousand men stationed at the Sanbakou camp to guard the prisoners of war and food. Together with Liu Zheng, he led 4,500 men pretending to be 10,000 troops and continued to attack Guangxin County.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1057 Construction of the City on Lishui River

    The gorge ambush was different from the Eagle Attack Army's capture of the Sanbakou camp. Dozens of Jiaozhou Army soldiers escaped. These defeated soldiers fled back to Guangxin County and told the general Guan Yu about the Han Army's ambush of reinforcements.  Inside the tent, Guan Yu was very worried. He only knew that there were at least tens of thousands of Han troops coming overland, but it was impossible to know whether they were just the vanguard and whether there would be the main force of the Han army behind them.  There are 20,000 to 30,000 Han troops. With his current strength, he may not be able to defend Guangxin County.  Guan Yu sent two armies to intercept the Han army by land and water, leaving the city with less than 5,000 defenders. With these 5,000 men, it was almost impossible to defend the not-so-strong Guangxin County, which made Guan Yu even more worried.  However, once Guangxin County was lost, not only Cangwu County could not be saved, but his son Guan Ping would also find it difficult to withdraw.  After repeated weighings, Guan Yu finally made a decision to save Guangxin County first, and then consider other issues. On the one hand, he sent people to Panyu to report the disadvantages of Guangxin County to his elder brother Liu Bei. On the other hand, he sent  Guan Ping and all the Lishui garrison were notified to withdraw to Guangxin County.  It should be said that this was Huang Zhong's plan to encircle Wei and rescue Zhao. He ordered Wang Ping and Liu Zheng to put pressure on Guangxin County from the land route, and added 10,000 empty troops. Guan Yu could not figure out the details, and he had to withdraw to the Li River to hinder the Han Dynasty.  The army marched south.  But the real main force of the Han army went south by water. It was learned that the Jiaozhou Army had evacuated from Liren Fort. Three days later, hundreds of 500-stone warships loaded with 20,000 troops and various supplies arrived at Liren Fort.  The original name of Liren Fort is Lirendu. It is located two hundred miles northwest of Guangxin County. It was originally a ferry for people on both sides of the Li River to cross the river. It is a huge stone that protrudes into the river, making the Lishui River in this area less than ten meters wide.  Zhang, it is convenient for crossing the river. At the same time, it has very important military value. As long as the Liren Crossing is guarded, the ships traveling north and south on the Li River can be blocked.  Three years ago, the Jiaozhou Army built a military fort on a huge rock called Liren Fort. Over time, everyone called it Liren Fort. There were 200 troops stationed in the fort to investigate the soldiers sent by the Han army on the Li River.  Scouts, or tax-evading salt merchants.  Although Liren Fort has a dangerous terrain and can attack ships in the river from a high position, it is almost impossible to resist the attack of the main force of the Han army. Therefore, after Guan Yu withdrew Guan Ping's army, he also knew the defenders of Liren Fort.  It was meaningless, so he simply withdrew the two hundred people in the fort, leaving only ten soldiers in the fort to light the beacon fire.  As early as when the eight hundred Han warships were still dozens of miles away from Liren Fort, the beacons in the north were lit to warn the large group of Han troops of the incoming attack. The beacons were also lit at Liren Fort, and ten soldiers abandoned the fort and fled.  It was Liren Fort, and the ten beacons along the Li River were also lit, and the news that the main force of the Han army was coming spread to Guangxin County.  However, the Han army did not attack Guangxin County. Instead, it stopped advancing at Liren Fort. Twenty thousand Han soldiers, led by General Jiang Qin, began to build a military city next to Liren Fort. The trees were cut down, and large chunks of trees were cut down.  The rocks were collected, and in just a few days, the foundations of a military city with a circumference of ten miles were laid.  Of course, the Han army will never just build this military city. About a hundred miles away from Guangxin County, there are craftsmen and soldiers looking for the construction site of another military city. It is obvious that the Han army is re-implementing the old plan of Qishan Road  , built military cities along the Lishui River, so that the Han army could firmly control the Lishui River and laid a solid foundation for the Han army to seize Cangwu County.  The Han army began to build a large-scale military city in Li River, which caused Liu Bei to panic. If Cangwu County fell, the Han army would soon reach Panyu City.  In the palace of the King of Yue, Liu Bei sat alone in his room, thinking about the Han army's upcoming attack on Jiaozhou.  He also has an intelligence agency in Chang'an. Although the news comes relatively late, and he often gets the news one or two months after the incident, some of the information still makes him think a lot.  Liu Bei paid the most attention to the news that Liu Jing moved into Weiyang Palace. This happened last autumn, several months ago, but Liu Bei still attached great importance to this news. He could experience some subtle psychological changes in Liu Jing from it, which shows that  Liu Jing's desire to ascend the throne as emperor became stronger.  At the same time, it also shows that Liu Jing could not wait any longer, so he launched an offensive against Jiaozhou at the beginning of spring, which just reflected Liu Jing's eagerness.  The Han army's plan to move south is obvious. They build military cities, store food and military supplies, and establish a logistics center in Cangwu County. This method is as good as the Han army's capture of Longxi and its withdrawal. Liu Bei has to admit that this is a sound strategy.  The effective method had a profound impact on the Han army's attack on Jiaozhou.  He would never let the Han army build the military city so leisurely and eventually encroach on Cangwu County step by step. However, the army in Cangwu County was obviously insufficient. Guan Yu only had 8,000 men in his hands, and the Han army was likely to increase to 30,000.  This means that he must send more troops to Cangwu County.  The question is how to increase troops?  He only has a total of 30,000 troops in his hands. Zhang Fei has 10,000 troops in Luling County to guard against.The Han army in Yuzhang County could not act rashly, but could only mobilize the 10,000 defenders of Panyu City. But when the 10,000 defenders were transferred, Panyu City became an empty city. The dilemma was really difficult for Liu Bei to make a decision.  At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Your Majesty, the military advisor is here." "Please invite him in quickly!" Liu Bei was overjoyed. Zhuge Liang finally came back, and he came back very timely. After a while, Zhuge Liang walked into Liu Bei's house.  In the study, he knelt down and bowed, "Your Majesty, Zhuge Liang!" Zhuge Liang went to Jiaozhi on Liu Bei's order to appease the barbarians and Cham tribes and give them greater benefits to prevent them from forming an alliance with the Han army. But now it seems that before  Sima Yi's talks with the Cham and Barbarians were indeed a false shot, with the purpose of destroying the alliance between Jiaozhou and Cao Wei. This made Liu Bei a little ashamed. Zhuge Liang saw through this, but he fell into Liu Jing's plan and treated Zhong Yao coldly, which ultimately made Cao Wei  The alliance with Jiaozhou ended in vain.  Liu Bei waved his hand and said, "Commander, please sit down!" Zhuge Liang sat up straight and said, "Wei ministers have held talks with the chiefs of the Cham and Barbarian tribes. They have made it clear that they will maintain a neutral attitude between the Han army and the Jiaozhou army.  Liu Bei smiled bitterly and said, "It doesn't matter what their attitude is. Did the military advisor hear that the Han army has gone south?" "I heard about it, so I rushed back to Panyu. I wonder what the situation is now?"  The army is divided into two groups. One is by land. About 10,000 Han troops have entered Cangwu County. They are currently stationed in Longkou Town, thirty miles north of Guangxin County. The other is by water. According to the information sent by Yun Chang,  There are nearly a thousand warships and 20,000 to 30,000 Han troops. They are currently building military cities at Lirenbao and the mouth of the Mishui River. The Han army is not in a hurry to attack Guangxin County. Zhuge Liang thought for a moment and then asked: "Where is General Zhang?"  What's the news? " "Yide's side is a little better, but there is still pressure. Yide wrote that Han army scouts had several fierce battles with our patrol team in Luling County, and both sides suffered casualties.  "What else does he want?" Zhuge Liang asked again, "What else does he want? He just wants us to send more troops immediately. He wants to send troops to destroy the Han army and build the city. It is useless to send less troops."  , but there were too many troops sent, and Guangxin County was empty. He was in a dilemma if the Han army took the opportunity to attack. "My lord, are you ready to send troops?" Zhuge Liang still asked calmly.  Liu Bei shook his head, "I just don't know what to do? If troops are sent to reinforce Cangwu County, Panyu City will be empty again, so I want to discuss with the military advisor whether we can send a militia group to rescue Cangwu County." Zhuge Liang is the militia group.  An emergency measure implemented by Jiaozhou, mainly because of the disastrous defeat of the Northern Expedition that year, Jiaozhou's army was almost completely lost, and the people were panicked, and no one was willing to join the army. In desperation, Zhuge Liang implemented the Tunbao militia system, and the original residents were  Scattered people gathered together to live, and then established militia groups among the people. They cultivated during the busy season and practiced during the slack season. They were also promised tax reductions. In this way, the people did not have the fear of joining the army and could still enjoy tax incentives. The system of militia groups was convenient.  established.  However, the fundamental purpose of implementing the Tunbao militia system was to obtain sources of troops. Zhuge Liang also let the militia participate in training away from home, and continued to transform some qualified militia members into the army. This restored the army in Jiaozhou little by little, and finally restored it to  Thirty thousand people before the Northern Expedition.  This is actually a strategy to restore the army gently. The people will not have deep understanding and the resistance will not be fierce. As for the remaining hundreds of thousands of militiamen, Zhuge Liang has not considered turning them into formal soldiers, but only as temporary soldiers when the supply of troops is insufficient.  Replenish.  Now Liu Bei mentioned using militia groups to support Cangwu County. Zhuge Liang couldn't help but smile bitterly and said: "My lord, have you considered the actual combat effectiveness of these militia groups? I can tell my lord that their combat effectiveness is very low. At most, they can only be used as official troops when defending the city."  With the help of the army, if they are allowed to go into battle, they will drag down the army and be defeated first, seriously affecting the morale and stability of the army. In addition, we no longer have soldiers and equipment. " Zhuge Liang finally stammered out another fatal problem,  They had no armor and equipment. During the Northern Expedition, almost all the armor of the Jiaozhou Army was lost in Jingzhou and Yuzhang counties. The armor in the treasury could only equip a few thousand people.  For this reason, Jiaozhou obtained a large amount of pig iron through trade with Jiangdong, which was used to make armor and weapons, and barely re-armed 30,000 troops. However, after Liu Jing conquered Jiangdong, he strictly prohibited the flow of pig iron into Jiaozhou, making it impossible for Jiaozhou to build armor and directly  Cut off Jiaozhou's military resources and equipment.  This was an extremely vicious move. Liu Bei was extremely anxious about this and repeatedly hoped that Han would relax its pig iron trade. However, instead of relaxing, Han became even more strict. Liu Jing issued an order to smuggle pig iron to Jiaozhou without authorization, and everyone was executed.  Liu Bei also knew that the problem was serious.Without armor, it is useless to have a militia. You can't let the militia soldiers wear civilian clothes and go to war with wooden swords and spears for training!  Liu Bei sighed softly and asked: "There are no soldiers and armors in the treasury, right?"  Separate the soldiers and armor and build a sword-shield army and a spear army. In the end, they can only equip three thousand people, half of whom have no armor." Liu Bei paced back and forth with his hands behind his hands. He thought for a long time, then turned back to Zhuge Liang and said, "Then.  First, convert the 3,000 militia into a formal army, and then transfer 5,000 people from the Panyu garrison. In this way, there will be 8,000 troops to support Cangwu County. If the 5,000 troops in Panyu City are not enough, then 3,000 troops will be transferred.  The Wan Min Group came to help defend the city. What does the military advisor say? " Liu Bei was quite satisfied with his compromise strategy. It can be said that he has made full use of the power of the militia. Unexpectedly, Zhuge Liang slowly shook his head and said, "I advise your lord not to reinforce Cang.  Wu County, it is best to withdraw the troops from Luling County and defend Panyu City with all your strength."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1058 The Battle between Zhengqi and Qi

    Liu Bei was a little stunned, and asked after a while: "Military advisor, what do you mean?" Zhuge Liang shook his head slightly and said: "Actually, I am not too sure, but I feel that Liu Jing's construction of a military city on the Li River is just part of his plan.  "A strategy?" Liu Bei was even more confused, "What strategy can you tell me clearly?" "Wei Chen was thinking about it on the road. The Han army always starts the war after spring plowing. Why is it so early this time?"  Wei Chen thought of a possibility. Perhaps the purpose of Liu Jing's campaign in Cangwu County was to mobilize the state army to go north to Cangwu County and Luling County, leaving Nanhai County and Panyu City empty. "Liu Bei understood a little, and he responded.  Said: "What the military advisor means is that Liu Jing actually wants to attack Nanhai County, or attack Panyu City directly?" Zhuge Liang nodded, "I suspect that the real main force of the Han army will come by sea." "Sea!" Liu Bei  Stunned, he immediately shook his head and said: "Impossible! The military advisor's hypothesis is too ridiculous. How could the Han army come by sea? It's absolutely impossible!" "Weichen originally thought it was impossible, but when he thought of the Han army coming by sea,  After capturing Kuaiji County, I felt that everything was possible. Of course, the Han army's warships could not enter the deep sea, but if the Han army walked close to the coastline, their warships could withstand the wind and waves. Moreover, winter and spring are more windy and wavey.  In the small season, if the Han warships come in from Lingding Ocean and reach Panyu City, and our troops are contained in the north, Panyu City will be in danger. "Liu Bei sat down slowly, and he was a little confused.  If, as Zhuge Liang said, the Han army came from the sea outside Panyu, it would be a disaster. But if he were to follow Zhuge Liang's suggestion and withdraw Zhang Fei's army from Luling County, it would be equivalent to handing over Luling County to the Han Dynasty.  It was impossible for him to do it. He was so flustered that he had no idea for a while.  Zhuge Liang saw that Liu Bei had some uneasy thoughts in his mind, so he bowed and said: "My lord, think about it carefully first. I will come back to meet you in a day or two. I will say goodbye first!" Zhuge Liang slowly retreated, but Liu Bei's mood changed.  Without any calmness, he walked to the window with his hands behind his hands and looked at the long white clouds in the sky.  It is said that it snowed heavily in the north of Cangwu County, but Panyu City was still hot. This heat affected his thinking and made him extremely bored. He originally planned to march to Jian'an County after the beginning of spring, but unexpectedly the Han army came first and marched towards Cangwu County.  Wujun launched an offensive. Is Liu Jing really just creating momentum?  At this time, if Liu Bei felt something, he turned around and saw Bo Ma Su, the master of the recording room, standing aside. He seemed to be hesitant to speak. Liu Bei's heart moved, so he sat back and asked Ma Su: "Master Bo also heard the military advisor's speech just now."  Analysis, do you think the military advisor is right?" Ma Di quickly stepped forward and bowed: "Wei Chen thinks that the military advisor's analysis of the militia is correct. Letting the militia fight against the Han army will only cause harm." Before Ma Di could finish speaking, Liu Bei said  He interrupted a little impatiently, "I'm not talking about the militia. I'm talking about the Han army attacking from the waterway. Do you think it's possible?" "This humble minister dare not speak nonsense." "That's all you say.  I'm just listening. " "Yes!" Wei Chen noticed the tone of the military advisor. The military advisor first said that he was not very sure, and then he said "maybe, maybe" and so on. These are all hypothetical words, indicating that the military advisor is not sure.  It was just a guess. He really couldn't guarantee that the Han army would attack from the sea, but Wei Chen knew that the Han army building a military city on the Li River actually happened. On the one hand, it was a hypothesis, but on the other hand, it actually happened.  How does the guild choose?" Liu Bei nodded and praised: "You are right, your thinking is clear and the context is clear. You can continue to talk." Ma Di thought for a while and said, "Wei Chen feels that even if the Han army attacks by sea, if  The lord adopted the military advisor's plan and retreated Luling County's troops to Panyu. What would happen to Luling County? Wei Yan's 20,000 troops would go south in large numbers, capture Luling County, and then turn around and attack Cangwu County. General Guan would be attacked from both sides.  , not only cannot defend Guangxin County, but I am afraid that my life will be in danger. Once Cangwu County is lost, the Han army can also massacre Panyu from the land. Under the siege of tens of thousands of Han troops, the lord feels that Panyu City  How long can he hold on? " Ma Di's analysis was so thorough that Liu Bei's thinking suddenly became clear. Ma Di was right. He couldn't give up on the real crisis just because of a hypothesis. In any case, he couldn't lose Cangwu County. Thinking of this, Liu Bei said to Ma Di  He praised: "Youchang also has the talent of a military advisor." Ma Di quickly said modestly: "I am honored to be praised by my lord. I am not worthy of it, but I have one more thing to remind my lord." "Whatever you say, just say it!"  "Wei Chen reminds the lord that if the army is sent to rescue Cang Wu, it is best not to let the military advisor lead the army." "Why is this?" Liu Bei asked in confusion.  "Has my lord forgotten the defeat of Yuzhang?" &nbsp; Ma Su's words immediately reminded Liu Bei. He later learned that Guan Yu and the military advisor were not on good terms. They had had a dispute in Yuzhang. If the military advisor was allowed to rescue Cang Wu, there would probably be conflicts between them. Liu Bei then  He immediately said: "You reminded me well. I will not make the same mistakes again. You can go and bring General Chen to see me." Liu Bei made up his mind. He was no longer swayed by Zhuge Liang's speculation. He decided to carry out his own actions.  The established strategy was to arm 3,000 civilians and rush to Guangxin County with 5,000 troops to support Guan Yu. With the support of these 8,000 troops, I believe Guan Yu could divide his troops to destroy the Han army's city-building plan.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Zhuge Liang returned to his mansion and walked to the steps. He happened to meet his son Zhuge Zhan coming out of the mansion. Zhuge Zhan was originally the son of his elder brother Zhuge Jin. Because Zhuge Liang had no children, Zhuge Jin adopted his son to his brother. Zhuge Zhan was only eight years old.  , very smart, studious, and in good health. He quickly adapted to the hot climate of Jiaozhou.  Zhuge Zhan met his father face to face. He quickly bowed and saluted, "My son, meet your father!" Zhuge Liang liked this stepson very much. He smiled and asked, "Where are you going?" "My son heard that a bookstore opened in Jiaozhou City.  , I want to take a look, and my mother agrees to go. "Go and come back early." "I understand!" Zhuge Zhan bowed and walked away quickly.  At this time, the house had received news that the master was back. His wife Huang Yueying hurriedly came out to greet him, but his daughter Zhuge Guo ran in front, "Daddy is back!" Zhuge Guo is already fourteen years old and is about to get married. He is tall and beautiful, but  She still had her childlike innocence, ran up and hugged her father's arm and said, "What gift did dad bring me?" Zhuge Liang loved this precious daughter, but he couldn't do anything about her, so he hit her on the head and laughed.  He scolded her and said, "Aren't you ashamed that you are such an old girl and still miss gifts?" Zhuge Guo pouted and said, "Dad brings me gifts every time, but this time he obviously forgot about it, but he said that my daughter was wrong."  Zhuge Liang had no choice but to take out a string of pearl necklaces from his arms, handed it to her and said, "I bought these for you in Beihai County. They are truly fine pearls. Are you satisfied?" Zhuge Guo was overjoyed and snatched the pearls away.  , turned around and ran towards the house. He heard her shouting from a distance: "Little brother, daddy bought me a gift, you lost." Only then did Zhuge Liang know that the two brothers and sisters had made a bet. He shook his head helplessly. He was about to  I want to tell my daughter that my brother has gone out, but my daughter has disappeared without a trace.  At this time, Huang Yueying stepped forward and complained with a smile: "Look at you! He said that his daughter will not grow up, but he dotes on her, can she grow up?" Zhuge Liang smiled, "I hope Guoer never grows up.  " Zhuge Liang walked into the inner hall. Huang Yueying took off her outer clothes for her husband and smiled: "I received two letters yesterday. One is a letter from my eldest brother to my husband, and the other is a letter from the Princess of Han to me. It's really a bit strange.  Strange." Zhuge Liang was startled, "Has Princess Han sent you a letter?" "Yes! We haven't communicated for almost six years, but this time she suddenly wrote a letter. I'm really confused." "She's here.  "What's in the letter?" "It's just about the family's shortcomings, saying that she has given birth to a daughter, and her family is too busy all day long. It's just a woman's talk, and my husband won't be interested." Zhuge Liang laughed.  She smiled and said: "Perhaps she thought of you as an old friend again. Have you replied to her letter?" "Not yet! If my husband doesn't object, I will reply to her." "It's okay, you can answer it! In addition, send your brother's letter  "Give it to me." Zhuge Liang took the letter from his eldest brother Zhuge Jin and came to the study. Zhuge Liang knew that his eldest brother had surrendered to the Han Dynasty and was named the prefect of Yuzhang by Liu Jing. Their uncle had served as the prefect of Yuzhang back then, but he did not expect that his eldest brother would inherit the post.  Uncle's business.  Zhuge Liang was a staunch supporter of the Han faction. He firmly opposed the alliance between Liu Bei and Cao Cao. In the end, due to his opposition, Zhong Yao returned with nothing. Zhuge Liang actually did not dislike Liu Jing. On the contrary, he was devoted to Liu Jing's revival of the Han Dynasty.  Deeply admired, the difference between him and Liu Jing was the issue of who would revive the Han Dynasty. Zhuge Liang hoped that his uncle Liu Bei would revive the Han Dynasty.  Although Liu Bei lived on the border of Jiaozhou, Zhuge Liang still refused to give up his ideals. He designed a plan for Liu Bei to develop to the southeast, that is, first capture Jian'an County, then Linhai County, and then take advantage of the decline of the east of the Yangtze River to conquer the west mountain in one fell swoop.  Capturing Kuaiji County and even the entire Jiangdong allowed them to use Jiangdong as their foundation. After another twenty years of hard work, they finally defeated Cao Cao and faced off against Han.  But it can only be said that the ideal is very lofty, but the reality is very cruel. Before they send troops to Jian'an CountyLiu Jing then attacked and destroyed Jiangdong, which shattered their ideals. Zhuge Liang also suffered a great blow. Now he only thinks about how to keep Jiaozhou. As for long-term development, he can only defeat the Han army.  Zhuge Liang opened his brother's letter, but before he could take a closer look, his wife's voice came from outside the door, "Husband, can I come in?" "Please come in!" Huang Yueying came in with a bowl of ginseng tea.  Putting the ginseng tea on the table, he said to his husband: "I heard a piece of news just now, I don't know whether it is true or not." "What news?" Zhuge Liang asked casually as he picked up the tea bowl and took a sip.  "I heard that the emperor's uncle sent General Chen to lead seven thousand troops to Cangwu County." "What!" Zhuge Liang was shocked. He let go of his hand and the tea bowl fell to the ground and shattered.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1059 Small Test of Deterrence

    The Han army built two military cities in Lishui. One was located at Lirenbao, two hundred miles away from Guangxin County, and the other was only a hundred miles away from Guangxin County. At the entrance of Mihe River, the two military cities were not large.  The circumference is about ten miles, which is equivalent to a small county town.  The Han army started construction of the military city of Lirenbao first, quarrying stone, logging, and transporting ships, which saved a lot of effort. In just ten days, the foundation of the military city of Lirenbao had been laid, while the military city of Mihe was slightly slower.  At one o'clock, thousands of Han soldiers were preparing wood and building brick kilns.  This afternoon, three thousand Han soldiers were busy on the construction site east of Mihekou. They had cut down thousands of large logs and built five brick kilns. Dozens of craftsmen were firing the first furnace of bricks. Not far away  In the open space, more than a thousand soldiers were making bricks with wooden molds.  Suddenly, a piercing alarm bell sounded from the observation tower in the distance, ¡®Dang!  when!  when!  'The bell sounded very quickly, and all the soldiers stopped what they were doing, stood up and stared blankly into the distance. At this time, the school captain Li Qian galloped over, waving his hands and shouting: "If there is an enemy situation, retreat immediately."  "Three thousand soldiers and hundreds of craftsmen dropped their work and rushed to the Li River. There were a hundred warships moored on the Li River, all of which were 500 stone warships. This was also the time when the water volume was small in winter.  In summer, thousands of stone warships can travel on both Lingqu and Li River.  The people did not wait for the warship to dock, rushed into the water, and climbed onto the ship all wet. The warship loaded with more than thirty people and set sail. Several soldiers used long poles to punt the ship, and the warships sailed away from the shore one after another.  Along the way, sail towards the center of Li River.  Not long after, the 10,000 troops led by Guan Yu arrived at Mihe Military City, and Chen Dao led 8,000 reinforcements to Guangxin County. Guan Yu ordered Chen Dao to lead 6,000 troops to defend the city, while he himself led 10,000 troops to build a fortress for the Han army.  The two military cities came to kill.  At this time, all the Han troops had evacuated, except for a dozen craftsmen who rushed to the place of residence to fetch things. They had no time to escape and were caught by the Jiaozhou army.  Guan Yu rode on horseback to patrol the planned military city. Judging from the scope of the military city, it was at least ten miles in circumference. This surprised him secretly. You must know that most of the county towns in Jiaozhou are only about ten miles, which means that the Han army will be in  Two new county towns were built on the south bank of the Lishui River. These were undoubtedly important logistical areas for the Han army to attack Cangwu County and even Jiaozhou as a whole.  "Father, what should we do here?" Guan Ping urged him to step forward and asked.  Guan Yu snorted coldly, "Destroy them all!" He pointed his horsewhip at the twenty craftsmen again, "Crack each of them ten times and take them back to Guangxin County!" In the distance, the Han army's observation tower collapsed, and five brick kilns  and tens of thousands of bricks were also completely destroyed. Hundreds of large logs were thrown into the river by the soldiers. The logs would naturally flow to Guangxin County. The foundations of the city wall that had been dug were also filled in. More than two dozen people  The craftsman was tied to a big tree and beaten, making miserable screams.  After only five whips, Guan Ping asked the soldiers to stop beating them and took the craftsmen back to the county. About an hour later, the military city at Mihekou was completely destroyed. Guan Yu led an army of 10,000 and continued to march northwest along the Li River.  go.  Guan Yu did not attack recklessly. While waiting for Liu Bei's reinforcements, he had sent scouts to investigate the intelligence of the Han army building the city in detail. He knew that there were very few Han troops on the other side of Mihe, only more than 3,000 people, while there were one in Lirenbao.  With 15,000 men, if he rushes north in a hurry while the enemy waits for work, he may not have a chance of victory. Guan Yu knows this very well, so although he goes north, he does not rush and sends a large number of scouts to explore the way ahead.  Mihekou and Liren Fort are hundreds of miles apart. There are various peaks along the way. There are endless virgin forests up and down the mountains. There is only a narrow official road connecting them. The infantry march takes about a day and a half.  But it didn¡¯t take such a long time. The Jiaozhou Army had only gone fifty miles when the scouts in front came with news that hundreds of warships were spotted on the Li River five miles ahead and were heading south. Guan Ping urged his horse to catch up with his father and said:  : "Father, this must be the Han army getting our intelligence, so they sent warships to intercept." Guan Yu nodded, he thought so too, but there was virgin forest on the shore. How to fight this battle?  Guan Ping said again: "I know there is a town not far ahead. We can speed up and rush to the town." "Is it Linan Town?" Guan Yu also thought of this town.  "Exactly, just three miles in front of us!" Guan Yu immediately ordered: "The whole army speeds up and rushes to Linan Town!" The 10,000 troops accelerated their march and trotted towards Linan Town, Cangwu County  There are no county towns on both sides of the Li River, only a dozen small towns, and Linan Town is one of them. The town is very small, with less than 200 households, and most of them make a living by fishing and farming.  After the Jiaozhou Army ran for two miles, the front suddenly opened up. The original forest disappeared and turned into large rice fields. Spring plowing had not yet started. The rice fields were all dry land. The rice stubble left from last year was still in the fields.  Standing in clusters?, if you are not careful, you will puncture the sole of your foot.  A few hundred steps further is the small town of Linan. The residents of the small town seem to have sensed that the war is coming. They bring their elders and children with them, carrying their valuable belongings, and flee into the forest. There is a panic in the town.  At this moment, a Han army war fleet appeared on the river in the distance. It was so dark that the tail could not be seen. There were as many as five or six hundred ships. This war fleet was indeed coming to fight against the Jiaozhou Army. It was led by General Jiang.  Qin personally led an army of about 10,000 people.  There are few generals in Jiangdong who are not good at water warfare. Jiang Qin is also one of the masters of water warfare. He does not want to fight with the Jiaozhou Army in Liren Fort to avoid destroying the new army city that has already formed a city foundation, so he takes the initiative to lead his army south to intercept it.  Jiaozhou Army.  The Han warship fleet also discovered the Jiaozhou Army in the distance, and drums suddenly sounded loudly on the river. Jiang Qin personally beat the drums, leading the Han warship fleet to crawl like a snake, slowly approaching the shore.  Under the command of Guan Yu, the Jiaozhou Army on the shore formed a military formation in the field. Five thousand crossbowmen lined up in five rows, bows and arrows, and crossbows aimed, waiting for the general's shooting order.  At this time, Guan Yu saw that the enemy ship was gradually approaching the shore. He waved the Qinglong Yanyue Sword and shouted: "Shoot!" The drums in the Jiaozhou army were also beating loudly, and five thousand arrows were shot out at the same time, densely packed like a black arrow cloud, towards eighty  Dozens of Han warships shot away. The soldiers on the Han warships were already ready. When the overwhelming arrows from the Jiaozhou army came, all the warships pulled up their arrow shields.  This is a defensive weapon on a small warship. The soldiers hide in the cabin. Once the enemy fires an arrow, they immediately pull up a hard board placed on the side of the ship, one foot long and five or six feet high, to cover the cabin.  The dense arrows crackled on the arrow shield, but some arrows also shot into the cabin. Unfortunately, some soldiers were hit by arrows, and screams came from the ship.  Guan Yu saw that the archery was ineffective. He knew that this was not a death by archery. With a wave of his sword, the five thousand crossbowmen stopped shooting. Guan Yu had experienced hundreds of battles and knew that the best time to fire arrows was to wait until the enemy troops landed on the shore.  Good opportunity.  But Guan Yu did not wait for the Han army to land. Hundreds of warships lined up in a row, and small trebuchets as high as a man were exposed on both sides of the cabin of each warship. Guan Yu was shocked. He immediately realized the Han army's intention and immediately  He ordered: "Retreat quickly!" Ten thousand Jiaozhou troops retreated southward. At this moment, hundreds of trebuchets were launched at the same time, throwing countless ceramic jars onto the shore. This was the most sharp attack of the Han army.  Weapons - kerosene bombs.  Nearly a thousand thin-skinned clay pots were thrown onto the shore. The pots shattered and kerosene filled the rice fields. Dozens of rockets soared into the sky and shot toward the shore. Flames rose into the sky and destroyed more than a hundred people near the shore.  Mu rice fields were swallowed up in an instant. Dozens of Jiaozhou soldiers who retreated a little slower were also trapped by the fire. Several soldiers screamed and ran out of the fire, covered in flames. The soldiers behind were so frightened that they ducked. Several soldiers  The soldier fell down on his shoulder and huddled up from the heat.  The fire mixed with thick smoke spread to all directions. Soon, the houses in the small town of Linan were also set on fire. The entire south bank of the Li River turned into a sea of ??fire. The 10,000 Jiaozhou soldiers retreated one after another, almost to the edge of the forest. They were frightened.  He stared at the scene in front of him.  These Wanjiaozhou soldiers were all locals. They had never seen such a flaming weapon. Many people thought it was witchcraft. They were so frightened that they knelt down and kowtowed, muttering something in their mouths. The other soldiers showed fear in their eyes.  Jiang Qin kept ordering fire oil cans to be thrown on the shore, causing the fire to burn bigger and bigger. Flames rose into the sky and thick smoke billowed. The entire town was engulfed in fire, and hundreds of acres of land became a sea of ??fire. Jiaozhou Army soldiers were forced into  forest.  Jiang Qin stared for a moment and saw that the deterrent effect had been achieved, so he ordered: "The fleet turned around and headed north!" Hundreds of warships turned around one after another, hoisted their sails, and sailed toward the northwest. In the distance, Guan Yu saw that the Han army was actually retreating  , he was a little strange in his heart, why did the Han army retreat when they could clearly land and fight.  At this time, Guan Ping rode his horse to his father and whispered: "Father, the morale of the army is unstable and morale is low. If we fight the Han army like this, we may not gain the upper hand." Guan Ping said it very implicitly, but he was actually telling Guan Yu  , the morale of the army has been shaken. If he fights with the Han army again, he will definitely lose. Guan Yu certainly knows in his heart, but it is not his style to let him retreat without fighting.  Guan Yu pondered for a moment and said: "First retreat to the mouth of the Mishui River and send people to investigate the movements of Liren Fort. I think the Han army is a bit bluffing. There must be something wrong here. We must make the situation clear and we cannot withdraw from Guangxin in a haphazard manner.  "The Han army retreated north, and there was no more kerosene to continue burning. The fire on the south bank of the Li River gradually subsided. At this time, the residents of Linan Town rushed out of the forest, shouting at the heaven and the earth to scoop up water to save their houses, but here  The houses were all made of bamboo and wood, and most of them had collapsed. Guan Yu shook his head and led his soldiers slowly towards the rice field.The mouth of the river was removed.  At this time, the grain and fodder fleet from Guangxin County also arrived at the mouth of the Mishui River. Guan Yu ordered the camp to be set up. The soldiers buried pots to make rice and built sentry towers. Guan Yu also calmed down his anxious heart and waited patiently for the scouts.  News about going to Liren Castle to investigate.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1060 Jia Xu¡¯s poison plan

    In Chang'an's Weiyang Palace and the side hall of Ziwei Palace, Han King Liu Jing convened more than a dozen senior officials of the Han Dynasty to discuss the follow-up plan for Jiaozhou. This battle of Jiaozhou was planned by the military, using a blitzkrieg method to raid Jiaozhou.  The Han army dispatched a total of 100,000 troops to attack Jiaozhou. In addition to the 50,000 troops led by Huang Zhong, there were also 50,000 naval troops led by Gan Ning and Lu Xun, supplemented by Huang Zhong's troops, mainly to create the illusion of a breakthrough southward.  The state army was led northward, but the real main force of the Han army was Lu Xun and Gan Ning's army.  The reason why he launched the attack during the year was mainly because Liu Jing was worried about an alliance between Jiaozhou and Cao Cao. Once the two sides formed an alliance, when the Han army went south to Jiaozhou, Cao Cao was likely to impose military pressure on the north. For this reason, Liu Jing  Jing decided to use Huang Zhong's surprise tactics to capture Jiaozhou as quickly as possible. Before Cao Jun could react, the Jiaozhou problem was solved.  Since the palace of the Han Dynasty moved to Weiyang Palace, the Han Dynasty has also opened three palaces: Qinzheng Hall, Qilin Hall and Ziwei Hall. Among them, Qinzheng Hall is the main hall, which is generally used for annual court meetings and large-scale sacrificial ceremonies.  State affairs will be held in Qilin Hall and Ziwei Hall.  The Qilin Hall and the Ziwei Hall are located on the left and right of the Qinzheng main hall respectively. The three main halls have a Z-shaped structure. The study of Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, was moved to the Qifeng Pavilion behind the Ziwei Hall. There is a special corridor connected to the Ziwei Hall, so  When Liu Jing convenes senior military and political officials to discuss matters, most of them will be held in the side hall of Ziwei Hall.  Liu Jing's seat is in the middle of the side hall, covered with soft mats. In front of him is a large jade table with two steps below, making his seat slightly higher than other ministers. There are more than twenty ministers sitting in the side hall.  On both sides, everyone has their own fixed seat, and it is not a standing meeting.  More than twenty senior officials, including Zhongshu Sheng, Menxia Sheng, and Shang, participated in this military and political discussion. In addition, Jia Xu, the cabinet veteran, was also invited by Liu Jing to participate in the discussion.  "This campaign to attack Jiaozhou is relatively secretive. I didn't tell you in advance. I'm sorry. I've convened you for a meeting today, mainly to discuss the follow-up military and political arrangements in Jiaozhou. First, I would like to ask Sima Xiangguo to tell you about the situation in Jiaozhou." Liu Jing finished.  , there were whispers in the hall. The news announced by the King of Han really surprised everyone. Everyone did not know that the Han army had launched an attack on Jiaozhou. They thought that the war would be launched in April or May. This news came too soon.  Sudden.  At this time, Sima Yi stood up and coughed lightly. The side hall immediately became quiet. Sima Yi then said calmly: "I went to Jiaozhou as an envoy last autumn and got a general understanding of the situation. Jiaozhou is relatively stable and the people live and work in peace and contentment. The key is  It has a small population and a lot of output, so it basically doesn¡¯t need our support, but I do have a few suggestions.¡± The hall was very quiet, and everyone was listening attentively to Sima Yi¡¯s explanation. Sima Yi continued slowly: ¡°The most important issue in Jiaozhou.  The transportation is inconvenient. It is extremely difficult to travel by land from Jingnan. At present, we can only rely on the Ling Canal to transport supplies. I suggest that the He River be dredged and become the second water transportation channel. "Sima Yi said this, and the Huangmen Minister Bu Zhao was standing next to him.  I couldn't help but add: "I would like to add that there is a trade road over there in Luling County, where caravans of mules and horses can travel. In the past, the trade between Jiangdong and Jiaozhou was along this trade road. I walked it once, and it was quite difficult. I  It is recommended that the trade road be widened and leveled in the future, and it will become a main channel into Jiaozhou. " "I very much agree with Bu Shilang's opinion!" Sima Yi continued with a smile: "In addition to opening up land routes, sea routes can also be considered. At present, our warships.  It has been able to sail along the coast. If a seaport is built in Jiaozhou, I think Jiangdong and Jiaozhou can be connected more closely." Sima Yi's suggestion aroused a lot of discussion in the side hall. This is indeed a very new idea, which opened everyone's eyes.  It's open, but today's discussion is just about discussing prospects, not making a decision, so although there are many discussions, there is no debate.  At this time, Liu Jing smiled and said to Sima Yi: "Besides the urgent need to improve transportation, what else is more important?" Sima Yi bowed and said, "Your Highness, in addition to transportation, there are Cham and barbarian tribes in Jiaozhi.  , Weichen discussed with their representatives in Panyu, Weichen felt that the Cham and Barbarians were not actually strong, and their demands were not high. They just wanted to be at peace with the government, that is, if we did not interfere with them, they would not  Harassing the government, but this is only because the area of ??Jiaozhi is vast, sparsely populated, and rich in resources. If the population increases, Wei Chen may still have conflicts, so Wei Chen suggested setting up a governor's office in Jiaozhi and garrisoning troops in Jiaozhi. They must use both soft and hard tactics to completely surrender.  "The Cham tribe and the barbarians." Liu Jing nodded and said to everyone: "Sima Xiangguo's suggestion is very good. For Jiaozhou, I advocate the abolition of the state system, direct jurisdiction of the counties by the imperial court, and the establishment of a censorship inspection system to supervise Jiaozhou.  Officials, whether it is Jiangdong or Jiaozhou, the population is relatively small, and it is necessary to implement long-term recuperation.To increase the population and gradually become prosperous, this cannot be accomplished in a day or two, it will take at least thirty years. Therefore, I hope that when formulating national policies, you will consider the long term and must not be limited to immediate interests.  " This discussion lasted until noon. Everyone spoke freely and roughly determined the future direction of Jiaozhou. Liu Jing was also a little tired. When he returned to his study, he took a sip of tea, closed his eyes and took a rest. At this time, the guard was there.  Report at the door: "Lao Jia Ge wants to see you!  " This is when Jia Xu came. Liu Jing immediately stood up and came out to greet him. He saw Jia Xu standing at the door with a smile and saluted Liu Jing: "Congratulations, Your Highness, on gaining another territory.  "Liu Jing knew that he must have something to do, so he smiled and said: "Jia Gong came into the room to talk.  " The two of them walked into the study and sat down. A tea boy served fragrant tea. Jia Xu took a sip of hot tea and then said slowly: "His Royal Highness is planning to use surprise troops to attack Jiaozhou this time by sea!  " Liu Jing was startled. This matter was extremely hidden. Only a few people knew about it. How did Jia Xu know about it? Jia Xu smiled again and said: "I heard from Sima Xiangguo that warships can already sail along the coast and establish a route from Jiangdong to Jiaozhou.  As for the shipping line, I guessed His Highness¡¯s strategy.  Liu Jing did not hide anything from him. He nodded and said, "Jia Gong guessed it right. This was Lu Xun's strategy. He deployed the land route to attract the Jiaozhou Army to the Cangwu and Luling lines. The main force of the navy attacked Panyu from the sea. Because it was necessary to  Taking advantage of the north wind, they attacked Jiaozhou before and after the attack. In fact, it was quite hasty and they could only use a surprise attack. I wonder if the Jiaozhou army would see through.  " Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled, "I think Zhuge Liang can think of it, but Liu Bei will definitely not adopt it.  " "Why is this?  "Liu Jing asked in confusion. "It's very simple. When Sima Xiangguo proposed establishing a shipping line just now, there was a lot of discussion in the side hall. It can be seen that everyone was surprised and even found it difficult to accept. The same goes for Liu Bei. He has lived in the north for a long time.  , fighting in the Central Plains, he will not be accustomed to water warfare. It is impossible to imagine a naval battle that has never been preceded. Moreover, the Han army has already posed a huge threat to Jiaozhou from Cangwu County. In the face of real threats, Liu Bei will not consider sea battles.  risk, so I knew that the sea attack would definitely succeed, of course, as long as the fleet could reach Panyu safely.  "Liu Jing also sighed: "This sea attack is a pioneering work. If successful, it will not only be of great benefit to future commercial transportation, but also accumulate experience for us to attack the north.  " Jia Xu laughed and said, "That's what Wei Chen means. In the future, we can attack Hebei by sea. Attack from the east and west, making Cao's army unable to defend itself. Based on this consideration, His Highness needs to block the news of attacking Panyu by sea and try not to spread it.  Go out to prevent Cao Jun from being prepared.  Liu Jing nodded, "The military advisor reminded me that this matter should not be made public."  " At this time Jia Xu said again: "What are you going to do with Liu Bei and his subordinates?  Liu Jing thought for a moment and said: "I plan to use Jiangdong's method to put Liu Bei under house arrest and recruit the Jiaozhou army. As for the local officials, they have done a good job, so I will still appoint them. I think as long as the army is stationed in Jiaozhou, these civilian officials will not be able to change the world."  " "His Highness's principle of treating others with leniency is indeed worthy of admiration. There is no need to worry about enmity. However, Wei Chen suggested that we should be slightly different from Sun Quan in handling Liu Bei's affairs. Sun Quan is in the prime of life and his ambitions are hard to control. He does need to be strictly monitored.  Liu Bei is not the case. He is already in his twilight years and has only a few years left to live. The minister suggested that he be made a Taiwei or a Situ and given a false position. After all, he is the uncle of the Han Dynasty and is very popular in the north. Your Highness can respect him.  He, but he is not needed, the key is his son Liu Chan. Your Highness might as well take his son as a pledge and raise him in Chengdu. He will not be taught literature or martial arts, and he will be raised to become a mediocre person. In this way, Liu Bei will be a mediocre person.  The system is completely broken.  "Liu Jing narrowed his eyes and smiled. Jia Xu's poison is indeed well-deserved. Since Liu Bei sent General Chen to the north to aid Cangwu County, the progress of the Han army's offensive slowed down. The Han army had to build military cities to defend against Guan Yu's attack.  The number of people was greatly reduced, which slowed down the construction of the military city. After a month of marching south, the Han army was less than one person high from the wall of the military city. This made Liu Bei feel a little relieved. At this time, the Jingzhe had passed and Jiaozhou was over.  The spring plowing season has gradually entered, and farmers everywhere are busy. The defense of Panyu City is facing another unfavorable situation, that is, the 30,000 militia soldiers recruited previously have not arrived, which makes Liu Bei anxious. He also knows that the folk customs in Jiaozhou are loose.  Without fear of authority, the farmers began to plow the fields, and it was difficult for them to come to Panyu to participate in the defense. In desperation, Liu Bei could only send Zhuge Liang to supervise the army in each county, and he must ask the county officials to dispatch some militia soldiers to Panyu to participate in the defense.  The urging did have some effect. Nanhai County first mobilized 4,000 militia soldiers, and 10,000 militia soldiers from Cangwu County and Yulin County were already on the way. When Liu Bei breathed a sigh of relief, the situation changed.??Sudden changes occur.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1061 Changes in the situation

    In the early morning of this morning, the defenders who had been patrolling Panyu City all night were exhausted and prepared to return to camp to rest as usual. Most of these soldiers were militia soldiers from Nanhai County. They had just arrived at Panyu City and were assigned to do this.  The drudgery of night patrol.  Suddenly, a piercing alarm bell sounded from the tallest observation tower on the city. This was an alarm for the arrival of enemy troops. Thousands of defenders on the city suddenly became confused and rushed towards the north battlements. But the defenders  After only a few dozen steps, he realized something was wrong. The alarm was actually coming from the observation tower at the head of the south city.  The defenders turned around again and rushed to the head of the south city. Although they were very surprised in their hearts, there was a sea to the south. How could the enemy army come from the south? However, the soldiers standing at the head of the south city were no longer doubtful, and everyone's expressions changed.  Very serious, staring blankly at the sea.  I saw a huge fleet appearing on the sea in the distance. The smallest was a thousand-stone warship, and there were nearly a thousand ships. The sails covered the sky and the sun, and they were sailing towards Panyu City in a mighty manner.  But the shock of the soldiers only lasted a short time. After a while, the city fell into chaos again. Some soldiers ran down the city and into the military camp. Some soldiers dropped their weapons and ran home directly. Liu Feng, the city guard general, shouted and cursed.  After killing several people, the chaos of the militia soldiers was stopped.  Liu Feng was also extremely nervous and urgently sent someone to report to his father Liu Bei. At the same time, he ordered the newly opened city gate to be closed immediately and the suspension bridge to be pulled up. At this time, the residents in the city were also affected by the soldiers guarding the city and thought that the Han army had attacked the city.  Chaos first started around the door, with people crying for their fathers and mothers. It was a chaos. Women shopping for food on the street ran to their homes one after another. The shops that had just opened for business were frightened and closed again. Soon, every household in the city was closed.  The entire Panyu City was shrouded in an inexplicable panic.  At this time, Liu Bei also came to Nancheng surrounded by dozens of guards. Nancheng was already covered with thousands of soldiers. Everyone's eyes were full of shock. Liu Feng stepped forward and reported in a low voice, "Father, it should be  The Han army is coming. "Liu Bei seemed not to have heard what he said. He stared blankly at the warships covering the sky in the distance. His eyes were full of despair. Ma Su next to him looked pale, and his heart was full of fear and fear.  Ashamed and angry, he knew he had made a big mistake.  At this time, the warships were anchored outside the mouth of the Dongjiang River, waiting for the warships behind them to gather. After a long while, Liu Bei sighed, "I will die!" His eyes went dark, and he fainted at the head of the city. The guards were frightened.  They all supported him, and Liu Feng shouted: "Father! Father!" Liu Bei woke up after a while and couldn't help but burst into tears, "I regret that I didn't listen to the military advisor, that's why today's disaster happened!" Huang Quan, the attendant next to him, burst into tears.  He said anxiously: "Lord, calm down first. Don't affect the morale of the army." Liu Bei woke up and quickly wiped away his tears and asked the officials on his left and right: "What should we do now?" Wang Tired, the left servant, said: "Wei Chen suggested  First dispatch the navy to intercept the enemy warships as much as possible to prevent them from entering the Dongjiang River, and then quickly send General Guan and General Zhang to come back for reinforcements. "The Jiaozhou Army also established a navy, with hundreds of warships of various sizes. Originally, they had hundreds of warships.  It was General Chen Dao who was in command. Now Chen Dao led the reinforcements to Cangwu County, and the navy was temporarily commanded by Deputy General Mi Fang. Liu Bei nodded and looked at General Mi Fang, "General Mi, would you like to share my worries?" Mi Fang was also thinking in her heart.  He was also afraid, but at this time he had no choice but to bite the bullet and said: "General, I am willing to help you solve your problems." Mi Fang quickly walked down the city to the military camp. Liu Bei sent people to quickly notify Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to return. At the same time, he  Liu Feng was ordered to send someone to inform the military advisor to return.  After arranging an emergency response, Liu Bei returned to the Yue Palace with the support of his guards. Liu Bei was experienced in many battles and was not intimidated by the massive Han army. He was desperate because of his despair.  .  Liu Bei was very aware of the situation in the city. Although there were nine thousand defenders, 6,000 of them were militia soldiers with extremely low combat effectiveness. Half of them did not have armor. There were only 3,000 formal soldiers, and militia groups from all over the country were coming to fight.  On the way to Yu, whether they can catch up is still a problem. More importantly, the size of the Han army is tens of thousands. How can they defend the city of Panyu?  Now he can only hold on to a glimmer of hope. Maybe the Han army will implement the siege and reinforcement tactics and not be in a hurry to attack the city. Yun Chang and Yide's troops can come back in time.  Liu Bei was so anxious that he was like an ant on a hot pot. He hurried back and forth in the hall, stopping from time to time to pray to God and begging God to help him again. The main force of the Han army arrived as scheduled. Gan Ning was the main general and Lu Xun was the Sima. They led 800 people.  A warship set out from Kuaiji County and headed south with the north wind. The fleet sailed along the coast. Due to the unfamiliar route, the fleet traveled for more than a month before finally arriving at Lingding Yang.  At this time, the Han army's 800 warships had been assembled. On the leading ship with three thousand stone buildings, Gan Ning and Lu Xun looked at the Panyu City several miles away. They trudged all the way and finally finallyWhen they arrived at their destination, both of them were very impressed. Gan Ning smiled and asked, "Should we attack Panyu City in one go?"  Route, on the other hand, he was actually the military advisor of this southern expedition. Liu Jing had given orders and Gan Ning was in charge of the army, but Lu Xun was responsible for the offensive strategy.  Lu Xun smiled and said, "Don't be too anxious. Let's see Liu Bei's reaction first. We will also send an army north to prevent Liu Bei from abandoning the city and escaping." This sentence reminded Gan Ning, and he immediately turned back to his deputy Shen Miling and said  : "You can lead five thousand troops ashore to block the way north and prevent Liu Bei from abandoning the city and escaping!" "Obey the order!" Shen Mi saluted, turned and left.  At this time, a soldier came forward to report: "General, there is an army leaving Nancheng for the dock, about three thousand people." Gan Ning was startled and didn't understand what the other party meant. He looked at Lu Xun, and Lu Xun said calmly  He smiled and said: "You can guess that this is probably the Jiaozhou Army preparing to intercept us from the waterway. I heard that they also have hundreds of warships, and they probably want to fight us!"  Do you want to use the mantis' arm to shake the chariot?" Gan Ning then ordered: "Bang the drum and attack!" "Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ The huge attack drum beat, and five hundred Han warships lined up in three rows and slowly sailed towards the mouth of the Dongjiang River, preparing to enter the Dongjiang River.  Because the Jiaozhou Army had too few troops, it could only drive a hundred warships to intercept them. Most of them were small boats of about a hundred shi, and the largest warship was only 500 shi. Looking at the mighty Han warships ahead,  As they approached, Mi Fang showed fear in her eyes, brandished her sword and shouted: "Come forward and fight the enemy to the death!" Liu Bei locked himself in a quiet room and quietly waited for news from outside. He initially wanted to escape, but  This idea was quickly given up. He knew that he actually had nowhere to go. There was even an overwhelming fleet of ships on the sea. Where else could he escape?  He knew that the situation in Jiaozhou was over, not to mention that they had a small number of generals and were far from a match for the Han army. More importantly, Jiangdong had been destroyed and the unification of the south was unstoppable. Under the general situation, what should he do?  Liu Bei himself didn't know.  At this time, there was a rush of footsteps outside the quiet room, and then a guard reported, "Uncle Qi, the situation is not good. Mi Fang cannot defeat the Han army and has surrendered with a white flag." Liu Bei felt a pain in his heart and took a sip.  Blood spurted out, and he swayed a few times, holding on to the wall to barely avoid falling. After a while, he whispered: "I know!" Even Mi Fang, who had followed him for many years, surrendered. God is going to kill Liu Bei.  ah!  "Father!" His ten-year-old son Liu Chan appeared at the door. When he saw blood on the ground, he was so frightened that he quickly stepped forward to support his father. He couldn't help crying: "Father, how are you?" Liu Bei smiled and said, "I  It's okay, I'm just feeling depressed. Please help dad go for a walk in the garden!" Liu Chan carefully supported his father and walked slowly towards the garden, "Father, I heard that the Han army has already reached the city. Should we go there?  It¡¯s over.¡± Liu Chan asked with a sad voice.  Liu Bei looked at his son with sharp eyes, "Are you afraid of death?" "Don't you know?" "Tell me the truth, are you afraid of death?" Liu Bei's tone became more severe.  Liu Chan finally started crying, "My child doesn't want to die!" His son's cry made Liu Bei's heart soften again, yes!  He was only ten years old, why did he criticize him so harshly?  He sighed and said: "Actually, no one wants to die. Those who die have nothing to do. You also had several brothers and sisters in the past. They all died in the rebellion. I know they don't want to die. It's a pity that dad can't save them.  But dad will definitely protect you and won¡¯t let you be like the brothers and sisters you once were.¡± ¡°Dad, I know you¡¯re wrong.¡± Liu Bei stroked his son¡¯s head lovingly and said with a smile, ¡°Stop saying such silly things, help dad.  Go and sit down at Fengyiting." With Mi Fang leading the Jiaozhou navy to surrender to the Han army, the already insufficient defenders were even more stretched. There were only 6,000 soldiers left in the city, all of whom were militia soldiers and were well equipped.  Unfortunately, half of the people had no armor and could only carry various strange weapons, such as wooden sticks, hoes, hatchets, kitchen knives, etc. They also had no armor and could only wear short clothes and cloth shoes.  What's even worse is that Panyu City has never considered being besieged. There is no defense preparation, no large defensive weapons, trebuchets, stone cannons and other weapons are all invisible, and there are no experienced generals to defend the city. Only Liu Feng led five thousand  People trapped in the city.  However, Panyu City is still a strong city. The city is tall and solid. The moat is connected to the Dongjiang River. The water is two feet deep and more than thirty feet wide. For an ordinary attacking army, it is so wide.A wide moat is indeed a big problem.  It is a pity that Xiao He succeeded and defeated Xiao He. The moat with a width of more than 30 feet gave the Han warships the greatest convenience. Hundreds of Han warships sailed into the moat from the Dongjiang River and surrounded the city to show off their power, especially more than a dozen three thousand warships.  The stone tower ship was higher than the city wall. The soldiers on the warship fired arrows at the top of the city from a high position, scaring the defenders into fleeing. Liu Feng stood in the tower and looked at the huge Han warship. His heart was also full of despair. He  Panyu City cannot be defended at all, and no one can defend it.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1062 Jiaozhou surrenders

    "General!" Captain Chen Yao ran over quickly and whispered to Liu Feng: "It's not good over there in Beicheng. Someone wanted to open the city to surrender. They were stopped, but some soldiers had already started to flee." Liu Feng's heart  Suddenly, this was what he was most worried about. The militia soldiers had never seen a war at all, and their military morale was unstable. Once danger came, they were unwilling to work hard. Once a tide formed, the army would collapse without a fight.  At this time, Chen Yao glanced at the huge warship in the distance and said: "General, let me put it bluntly, we cannot defend Panyu City at all. The Han army has not yet attacked, and the army is in chaos.  Once the Han army attacks, it can easily break through the defense, you should also know. "Chen Yao is Chen Dao's younger brother. Although he is not as famous and martial arts as his brother, he is still a general in the Jiaozhou Army. Liu Feng will not agree with him.  Not paying attention, Liu Feng sighed, "I also know that I can't defend the city, but what can I do? Mi Fang surrendered, do you want me to surrender too?" Chen Yao whispered: "I mean, General  Please persuade my lord to surrender!" Liu Feng's expression changed and he waved his hands repeatedly, "I won't go. I can't say this. If I say so, I will be hacked to death by him." At this moment, there was news from outside.  There was a commotion, and Liu Feng suddenly said angrily: "What happened?" "General, a letter has been shot up by the Han army." "Where is the letter, bring it to me quickly!" After a while, a soldier will  A letter was presented to Liu Feng. Liu Feng took the letter and saw on the envelope it was written, 'King Jing of Han to His Excellency General Liu Huangshu, General of the Left'. Liu Feng suddenly jumped up in shock and cursed the soldiers: "It's so important."  Letter, why are you bringing it now?" Chen Yao quickly advised: "The soldiers are illiterate, general, go and present it to the emperor's uncle!" Liu Feng was so anxious that he ran down the city wall, got on his horse and ran towards the Yue Palace.  In the lobby of the Yue Palace, Wang Lei, Huang Quan, Chen Zhen, Li Hui, Ma Di and other civil servants were gathering to discuss countermeasures. At this time, they got into a quarrel and blamed Wang Lei for his inappropriate suggestions.  "There are not enough troops in the city to begin with. You still suggested that the navy attack. Now that Mi Fang has surrendered, all the elites in the city have been lost, and the city is about to be destroyed. Your Majesty, this is your responsibility!" Wang Lei said loudly: "The enemy has killed tens of thousands of people.  Come on, three thousand more people can save Panyu City? It's a joke. Mi Fang surrendered because he was afraid of death. What does it have to do with me?" Liu Feng shook his head lightly. What's the point of looking for responsibility after everything has happened?  ah!  He entered the harem through the small door on the side, and said to a guard at the foot of the inner hall: "Please report to the lord, I have an emergency to report." "General, please wait a moment!" The guard went in to report, and came out after a while.  He said: "Uncle, please invite the general in." Liu Feng quickly walked into the inner hall and saw his father Liu Bei sitting alone on the table, looking out at the roof in a daze. Liu Feng quickly stepped forward and knelt down: "My son, Liu Feng, pays homage to my father.  " "Feng'er, what's the emergency? " Liu Feng is Liu Bei's adopted son. Although he is regarded as a father and son, Liu Bei does not value him. In Liu Bei's eyes, he is not as good as Zhang Bao and Guan Xing, just because of his face.  , Liu Bei reluctantly used him to defend the city. The fundamental reason was that Liu Feng failed to defend Wucheng, which led to the failure of Liu Bei's plan to enter Shu, which makes Liu Bei still resent him.  Liu Feng also knew this, so Chen Yao persuaded him to persuade his father to surrender, but he didn't dare to go. Liu Feng took out Liu Jing's autographed letter and presented it to Liu Bei, "Father, this is a shot fired from outside the city."  This letter is an autographed letter from Liu Jing, King of Han Dynasty, to his father. "Liu Bei cheered up and quickly took the letter. He couldn't wait to open it. He saw the letter at the beginning read, 'After many years of separation, how is your uncle's health?'  My nephew has been looking forward to talking about the past with his uncle for a long time, but he has never had the opportunity. Last month, he heard Sima Zhongda talk about his uncle. His uncle has always been difficult to adapt to the heat in South Vietnam. He is suffering from diseases and his health is getting worse. The nephew is uneasy and specially arranged for his uncle.  Beautiful house, I invite my uncle to come to Chang'an to recuperate and spend his old age." Liu Jing wrote very politely, just like a letter home from a distant nephew to his uncle. The tone was also sincere, without the slightest hint of ridicule, and he praised Liu Bei highly in the letter.  Be kind and love the people, 'Today we have decided that Jiuding will return to the Han Dynasty soon. My uncle is the imperial uncle of the Han Dynasty. He should take the people's livelihood of Jiaozhou into consideration and take over Jiaozhou to the Han Dynasty with a benevolent heart. My nephew should treat him with the courtesy of an imperial uncle.  With the generous treatment of the Duke and the post of Taiwei, I hope that my uncle will take care of the people's livelihood in the state and return to the Han Dynasty early. My nephew will sweep the couch to wait for me." This is a tactful letter to persuade people to surrender, although there is no threatening tone in the letter.  , but it was also made very clear that once the war started, life would be ruined and the people of Jiaozhou would be in dire straits. Liu Bei sighed for a while and asked Liu Feng again: "Can Feng'er defend Panyu?"  "Liu Feng cried and said: "My child led a weak brigade of five thousand people to resist the tiger and wolf army. If the city cannot be saved, my child is willing to die on the battlefield to repay his father.??The grace of nurturing.  " "Don't say such things, I just ask you, how long can the city be defended?  "Reporting to my father, the morale of the army has been shaken. The defenders of Beicheng are trying to surrender. As long as the Han army attacks the city, the city will fall immediately and cannot be defended for a moment."  Liu Bei stood up and walked slowly towards the outer hall with his hands behind his hands. In the outer hall, everyone was still arguing about countermeasures. When they saw their lord coming out, they all moved out of the way and stopped arguing. Liu Bei sat down and said to everyone with tears.  : "Everyone originally had hope in Liu Bei and was willing to work with Liu Bei to seek a future together, but unfortunately Liu Bei's rotten wood can no longer be carved, and everyone is disappointed.  " Everyone looked at each other in shock. Huang Quan said anxiously: "Why did my lord say this?  " Liu Bei waved his hand, "Now that the army is pressing down on the border, Panyu is no longer safe. I am ready to surrender to the Han army. With the leniency of the King of Han, I will certainly treat you well. I also wish you all a bright future, and I will apologize to you in advance.  "Liu Bei knelt down and bowed deeply to everyone. They were so frightened that everyone knelt down to return the salute. Wang Lei cried and said: "General Guan should know that Panyu is in danger. The military advisor may have rushed outside the city. Why doesn't my lord?  Two more days?  " At this moment, Chen Yao rushed in and shouted: "Uncle Emperor, something bad has happened. The defenders of the North City have opened the city and surrendered!  " Everyone was stunned, and Huang Quan asked again: "Can the Han army enter the city?  " "The Han army only controlled the city gate, but the army did not enter the city.  "Liu Bei understood what the Han army meant. He was waiting for his reply. Speaking of which, Liu Jing was completely benevolent. He let out a long sigh and said, "No need to say anything more. Pass my order and the entire army surrenders!"  "The city gate has been broken, which means that Panyu City has fallen. Outside the North City, a wide pontoon bridge has been built. Groups of Jiaozhou Army soldiers put down their weapons and walked out of the city gate. They were led by Han Army soldiers to assemble outside the North City. Five thousand soldiers  Soon they all left the city, and there was no one guarding the entire Panyu City. Gan Ning and Lu Xun led 5,000 armored Han troops to stand on the pontoon, patiently waiting for Liu Bei's final surrender. Lu Xun considered Guan Yu and Zhang Fei both.  With his army out, the King of Han has an order to preserve the young population of Jiaozhou as much as possible, so the best outcome is for Liu Bei to surrender. As long as Liu Bei is willing to surrender, then neither Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, nor Zhuge Liang will naturally resist and will follow.  Liu Bei surrendered, and Jiaozhou was safely recovered. At this time, a dozen civil servants came out, led by Zhizhong Chen Zhen. He held the Jiaozhou Mu Jinyin in his arms, knelt down and said, "Uncle Huang is old.  Gao, unable to surrender in person, specifically asked Chen Zhen to hand over the seal of Jiaozhou. From now on, Jiaozhou belongs to the Han Kingdom.  " After saying that, Chen Zhen raised the golden seal high above his head. Lu Xun knew that Liu Bei couldn't let go of this face. He quickly took the golden seal, helped Chen Zhen up again, and said with a smile: "Jiaozhou and Han are both the territory of the Han Dynasty, and now Zhongzhong  This is a good thing. The King of Han has an order. He and his uncle have an uncle-nephew relationship. He wants us to treat his uncle kindly. Please send Duke Chen back to his uncle. He can rest in peace and recuperate, and the Han army will not disturb the people.  " After saying that, he took another gold seal and handed it to Chen Zhen and said: "This is the seal of the Taiwei of the Han Dynasty. Please pass it to Mr. Chen to the emperor's uncle.  " Chen Zhen secretly praised Liu Jing for his thoughtful consideration and giving the emperor a lot of face. In this way, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's army was easily defeated. He took the golden seal and returned to Panyu City. Lu Xun gave Gan Ning a wink.  , Gan Ning immediately ordered: "The army enters the city!  "The mighty Han army marched into Panyu City. Panyu City fell, and Liu Bei's power in Jiaozhou also perished. Liu Bei surrendered to the Han army. At the same time, he also accepted the title given to him by Liu Jing and became the Han general.  Liu Bei immediately wrote three letters and ordered them to be sent to Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei respectively. In the letters, he stated that he had accepted Liu Jing as the head of the Han Dynasty and would no longer  Fighting for the world with him, he hoped that Jiaozhou would no longer suffer misfortune, and implored them to put down their weapons and follow him to do their best for the revival of the Han Dynasty. For Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, they followed Liu Bei all their lives. They had no other choice, just emotions.  The performance was different. When Liu Bei's announcement of surrender to the Han army reached Guangxin, Guan Yu was dejected and ordered the army to disband. Those who were willing to surrender to the Han army would not be stopped. He only returned to Panyu with Guan Ping and Zhou Cang, and still followed  At Liu Bei's side, Zhang Fei burst into tears and was so emotional that he once wanted to kill himself with his sword. Thanks to Zhang Bao and Guan Xing, they hugged his arms. After crying, Zhang Fei ordered his troops to surrender to the Han army.  , he also returned to Panyu City with Zhang Bao and Guan Xing, preparing to follow his brother to Chang'an. Zhuge Liang received the news of Panyu's fall and Liu Bei's surrender to the Han army on his way back to Nanhai County. He was not surprised, but was deeply moved.  Because he was disappointed, he had already thought that the Han army would come from the sea, but he hesitated and did not persuade Liu Bei. In the end, his worries came true. The Han army came from the sea and broke through the weakly defended Panyu City in one fell swoop.  Make Jiaozhou's defenseFalling short of success.  Zhuge Liang returned to Panyu with a lot of worries. At the post house in Gaoyao County, which was about to enter Nanhai County, Zhuge Liang couldn't sleep all night. It has been ten years since he became loyal to Liu Bei in the 13th year of Jian'an. He once wanted to help Liu Bei.  He wanted to take the throne and revive the Han Dynasty, but after ten years of hard work, he finally failed. The lord he was loyal to surrendered to the Han Dynasty. So where should Zhuge Liang go?  Zhuge Liang stayed up all night. When it was almost dawn, one of his followers reported outside the door: "To the military advisor, there is someone outside asking to see you!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1063 Zhuge Liang¡¯s Choice

    Zhuge Liang put on a piece of clothing and came to the outer hall. He saw a man sitting in the outer hall. He was about forty years old and had a clear appearance. He was wearing a green cloth robe and a plain scarf. Zhuge Liang saw that this person looked familiar, but for a moment he thought  Not knowing who he was, he smiled and asked, "Forgive me for my blindness, but I forgot who sir is?" The middle-aged man bowed and saluted, "I'm Lingling Liao, Lord Zhuge, has he forgotten me?" Zhuge Liang suddenly remembered.  Well, this person is Liao Li, a military advisor of the Han army. When Liu Bei occupied Jingnan, Zhuge Liang heard about this man's extraordinary intelligence and went to visit him specifically, hoping that he could serve Liu Bei, but Liao Li refused to agree.  Finally, Zhuge Liang recommended him to Liu Jing, giving Liao Li the opportunity to display his talents.  "It turns out to be Liao Gongyuan. I haven't seen him for many years. I forgot about it. I'm ashamed! I'm ashamed!" Zhuge Liang was polite, but he was a little wary in his heart. He knew that Liao Li was a high-ranking official in the Han army. He came to see him, so he must have something to do.  Zhuge Liang asked him to sit down and ordered his entourage to serve tea.  Liao Li sat down and leaned forward and said: "This time the Han army is going south, they don't want to harm the people of Jiaozhou, and they also try not to disrupt the spring farming in Jiaozhou." Before he could finish speaking, Zhuge Liang waved his hand, "Now the victory or defeat has been decided, Jiaozhou has returned."  Han, there is no point in talking about this anymore. I don¡¯t think Commander Liao will come to me for this.¡± Zhuge Liang looked at Liao Li indifferently, but his meaning was very clear. If you have anything to say, please just say it, no need to beat around the bush.  Liao Li smiled and said, "Sir, you are indeed honest. I actually invited you to serve in Chang'an on the orders of His Highness the King of Han. His Highness the King of Han said that his biggest regret was that he did not get help from you." Zhuge Liang smiled lightly and said, "The King of Han did a great job.  Very good, he has occupied most of the country, the soldiers are serving his orders, and the people are living and working in peace and contentment. If he had obtained Kong Ming back then, I am afraid he would not have achieved what he has today. I think His Highness the King of Han should be lucky, but why is it a pity? " "Mr. Zhuge is too modest?  "The King of Han really respects your great talent. Currently, there is still one missing person among the seven ministers in the political affairs hall. It is just for you. I hope you can put aside the past grudges and work together for the revival of the Han Dynasty." Zhuge Liang thought for a moment, and the sarcasm on his face disappeared.  He also said to Liao Li very sincerely: "The King of Han's mind is admirable. Please tell Gongyuan for me to tell His Highness the King of Han that Kong Ming is grateful for his sincerity, but Kong Ming failed to assist the emperor's uncle, and he is disheartened and has no intention of pursuing an official career.  He plans to return to his hometown in Longzhong to farm and no longer interfere with political affairs. "Sir, he is not even forty yet, so why is he so decadent?"  Seeing that Zhuge Liang would rather give up his position as prime minister and return to his hometown to farm, he sighed in his heart. However, he saw that Zhuge Liang was not being modest, and indeed did not want to serve the Han State. He could only sigh in his heart, bid farewell to Zhuge Liang, and left in a hurry.  At this time, Zhuge Liang did not want to return to Panyu City anymore, so he ordered his entourage to go back and tell his wife that they could pack up their belongings and take their children to meet him in Sihui County, north of Panyu, and then return to Xiangyang Longzhong together.  Five days later, Huang Yueying rushed to Sihui County with her two children, and met her husband Zhuge Liang. Under the protection of several confidants, the family rode north to Luling County and headed for her hometown of Xiangyang.  Ten days later, Liu Bei led his family, wives and concubines, as well as dozens of senior civil and military officials such as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and their families, boarded the Han warships. Hundreds of warships left Panyu City and turned around to Lingdingyang.  Drive away and start the long return journey.  In January of the 23rd year of Jian'an, half a year after the fall of Jiangdong, the Han army took advantage of the victory and went south to contain the main force of the Jiaozhou army in the north. However, the Jingzhou navy unexpectedly attacked Panyu City. Liu Bei was forced to surrender to the Han army, and the Jiaozhou forces were destroyed.  The demise of Liu Bei's power meant that the Han army completely unified the south. In March, Liu Jing ordered the establishment of the Jiaozhou Governor's Office, appointed Liu Zheng, the chief general of the Eagle Strike Army, as the Governor of Jiaozhou, named Zhennan General, led an army of 20,000 to station in Jiaozhi, and granted him the title of military division.  Liao Li served as the Minister of Military Inspection and the Observation Envoy of Jiaozhou, inspecting the counties of Jiaozhou. At the same time when the Han army destroyed Jiaozhou, Cao Cao also encountered unprecedented resistance in the implementation of the order to send out Ding, because the order only targeted the gentry in various places, and  However, the dignitaries of Cao Wei did not tolerate the situation, which aroused great indignation among the gentry in various places. They protested strongly, and officials in various local counties and counties resigned in anger. Yang Biao even appeared publicly in Chang'an to call on all the gentry in the Central Plains.  Support Han.  Suddenly, news of the resignation of county officials flooded into Yedu. In Hebei alone, more than 400 officials resigned. Many county magistrates and county magistrates resigned at the same time, causing government paralysis. Cao Pi was  This is a mess.  That afternoon, Cao Pi couldn't bear it anymore and took a carriage to the Tongque Palace. He wanted to persuade his father to temporarily slow down the order. Cao Pi got off the carriage and walked quickly into the palace gate. He met Chen Qun, the censor Zhongcheng.  Chen Qun saw Cao Pi and quickly pulled him aside.He said to him: "Wei Gong is in a bad mood now. It's better not to offend him." Cao Pi was startled, "What happened?" Seeing that there was no one around, Chen Qun lowered his voice and said, "We just got an emergency.  According to the news, the Han army captured Panyu City and Liu Bei surrendered to the Han army. "This news shocked Cao Pi. How could Liu Bei perish without any warning?  "When did this happen?" "Just over a month ago, our spies in Chang'an came with news that Liu Jing established the Jiaozhou Governor's Office." Cao Pi was a little surprised, why didn't Yang Tian report this to him?  Reporting it directly to his father made him feel a little annoyed again. Could it be that Yang Tian felt that his wings were stiff and he didn't bother to report to him?  Although Cao Pi was angry with Yang Tian, ??the news of Liu Bei's death made him even more flustered. No wonder his father was angry. This incident did come so suddenly. At this time, he hesitated in his heart whether to tell his father about the Ding order.  Chen Qun advised him again: "Since the prince has already entered the palace, it is better to go see Duke Wei, otherwise he will be even more unhappy." Cao Pi understood what Chen Qun meant, and his father must have known that he had come to Tongque Palace.  , If he didn't see him, he would definitely be angry. He nodded, "Thank you for the news, Chen Zhongcheng. I will go see my father right now." Cao Pi walked up the steps, and the guard went to report for him. After a while, the guard came out and said: "  Duke Wei ordered the crown prince to go in. "Cao Pi calmed down, straightened his clothes, and then hurried into the inner palace until he came to his father Cao Cao's official room.  "Mr. Wei, the prince is here." "Let him come in!" Cao Cao's unhappy voice came from the room, and you could tell that he was in a bad mood.  Cao Pi had no choice but to walk into the room, knelt down and saluted: "My son, pay homage to your father!" 'Pa!  With a sound, Cao Cao slammed a piece of information in front of him and reprimanded angrily: "Look at how your men are doing things!" Cao Pi was so frightened that he trembled all over and lowered his head even further. Cao Cao was in the room with his hands behind his back.  He was pacing back and forth, his chest heaving violently. The arrival of his son Cao Pi aroused the anger he had just suppressed. This was also the most annoying incident for him in the past few years. Liu Jing actually attacked Jiaozhou, and he had no idea about it beforehand.  This was a major strategic mistake. Jiaozhou was captured and Liu Jing unified the south, but it made him passive. It is only March, which means that by the end of this year or early next year, the Han army will complete preparations for war and launch  The war against Cao Wei.  Of course, Cao Cao was not angry because the Han army gained time to prepare for war, but because their intelligence organization was incompetent. Such a major military operation was not discovered in advance. Did everyone at the Chang'an intelligence point lose their shit?  Cao Cao gnashed his teeth with hatred every time he thought of this. Ever since the Chang'an Intelligence Point obtained a copy of the proceedings of Pingzhangtai a few years ago, he has never made any achievements. The intelligence sent are all trivial matters. The real  There is no top secret information.  Cao Cao's fists slowly tightened. He must clean up the Chang'an Intelligence Station and cannot continue to be so confused.  Thinking of this, Cao Cao slowly suppressed the overwhelming anger in his heart, returned to his seat and sat down. He stared at his son for a long time, and then said coldly: "Get up!" Cao Pi slowly stood up, his knees were a little numb from his knees.  , He didn't dare to rub it, and stood aside with his hands down. Cao Cao snorted and said, "Do you know why I'm angry?" "Haier knows that it's because of poor intelligence. We only got the news after the Han army conquered Jiaozhou, and Boyer felt the same way.  "Shocked." "Did Chen Qun tell you?" "Yes!" Cao Cao's face softened slightly and he sighed: "It's only March, no! It should have been last month. The Han army defeated Liu Bei so quickly.  , is Liu Bei's army so unbearable?" Cao Pi felt that his father's tone had softened, and he said a little more courageously: "Father, the last time the Jiaozhou Army went on the Northern Expedition, it was defeated by the Han Army in a short period of time. The boy felt that it was not possible at all.  The reason is that the Jiaozhou Army is vulnerable. " "Perhaps there is a reason for this! The farther south the army is, the weaker its combat effectiveness is. However, the Jiaozhou Army is fighting on the mainland and has the right people and location. If Jiaozhou was so easy to attack, the First Emperor would have done it.  I won't let Zhao Tuo lead 400,000 Qin troops south. I think there must be something fishy here, and I must find the real reason. " "My son will send someone to investigate this matter, and he will definitely give a reply to his father within a month." " Cao Cao shook his head.  Shaking his head, "If you can't find anything in a month, it will take at least three months. I won't give you a time limit for this matter, but you have to take it to heart and send your most capable men to investigate." "My child understands." Cao Cao grew up.  spit outAngry, Jiaozhou was destroyed, Liu Bei surrendered, and he was helpless. The key was how to deal with this change and how to adjust his strategy?  After thinking for a moment, Cao Cao said to his son: "The top priority is to adjust the intelligence organization in Chang'an. I think our intelligence is very incompetent and weak. We can't get any important information. That Yang Tian is a villain who can only harm others. Don't allow it."  He was no longer in charge of external intelligence. When Cao Pi thought that Yang Tian had bypassed him and reported to the higher level without authorization, he couldn't help but secretly hate him, and immediately said: "The boy will be replaced soon, and he will not be allowed to be in charge of external intelligence again.  " Cao Cao gritted his teeth and said: "In addition, I have to dig out the Han army's intelligence points in Yedu. They are my most trusted enemy.  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1064: The rabbit dies and the dog cooks

    There is a reason why Cao Cao hates the Han army's intelligence organization in Cao Wei so much. During the Hefei War the year before last, Xianbei envoys came to Cao Wei and offered to exchange cattle and sheep for pig iron, but there was no news again.  It wasn't until Xianbei sent someone to question again that Cao Cao learned that the envoy was missing in Youzhou. He ordered Cao Zhang to search everywhere, and finally found the body of the Xianbei envoy in an abandoned water path. After careful investigation, he came from the post manager  He learned from his mouth that someone pretended to be Cao Zhang's cavalry and deceived the Xianbei envoy. This was undoubtedly a Han army spy pretending to be a spy.  The spies of the Han army were so effective that Cao Cao felt threatened. The spies of the Han army were no longer as simple as spying on intelligence. They also carried out organized assassinations and sabotage. If they were not eradicated in time, they would cause serious trouble.  Cao Cao saw that his son Cao Pi seemed a little absent-minded, so he snorted again, "Did you hear me?" Cao Pi was indeed a little distracted. He was thinking about how to tell his father about Ding Ling. His father's scolding made him excited and hurriedly  He lowered his head and said, "The child will immediately start making arrangements after hearing this." Cao Cao looked at his son for a moment. He saw that his son was worried, so he asked, "Do you have anything to say to your father?" "The child originally had something important.  I want to report it to my father." "Don't hesitate, what's the matter?" Cao Pi had no choice but to take out his report and presented it to his father, "Please take a look at it!" Cao Cao couldn't help but frown as he took the report.  He got up and asked, "Are there so many people resigning?" "Father, this is just Hebei, there are also Bingzhou and the Central Plains. I am worried that the wave of resignations will become more and more intense." "Humph! Can this threaten me?" Cao Cao was dismissive.  Gu said to Cao Pi: "There are many people who want to be officials. We choose young talents from the Imperial Academy. We just take this opportunity to replace the local officials controlled by these aristocratic families." Cao Pi was stunned. How could his father take it so lightly?  He hurriedly said: "Father, things are not that simple. They will also provoke the people to rebel." "You are confused!" Cao Cao's suppressed anger burned again. He slapped the table and yelled: "You just want me to compromise.  , give up the decree? I am a dying person, do I still need to do such an offending thing? It's all for you, for the sake of the descendants of Cao Wei!" Cao Pi knelt down again, "Father, please calm down.  , The child is not that miserable!" Cao Cao felt dizzy. He leaned against the screen behind him and slowly closed his eyes. After a long time, he slowly asked: "How much is the government's annual tax now?" "Report to my father, approximately.  "Five million dan." "Then we now have an army of 300,000 dan. If each soldier consumes 12 dan of grain per year, our annual military ration will require 3.6 million dan. We also need to consider the damage caused by rats and insects.  After converting five million stones of official rations into military rations, how much food will be left to pay for official salaries, daily consumption, and to provide relief to the victims? Have you calculated this? " "Father, we can use the military garrison." "Cao Cao.  He sighed softly and said, "Pi'er, the Han army does not have military camps. Army camps have a great impact on training. I estimate that a war will break out next year. If we don't strengthen military training, how can we fight the Han army? Without enough food reserves, war will  How long can we hold on, Pi'er, have you forgotten the lessons of the Hefei War?" "I dare not forget it for a moment." "You are in charge of government affairs. You should understand why I am eager to implement the decree. Without farmers, there will not be enough food.  The nobles have stored a large amount of food. By attacking them, we can obtain military food reserves in the short term and stable financial resources in the long term. This can be said to kill two birds with one stone. As for their resistance and dissatisfaction, that is inevitable and there is nothing to discuss. If they want to resist, suppress them. If they want  Surrender to the Han State, then let them do whatever they want. As long as the foundation of our support remains unchanged, nothing else matters.  " Cao Pi originally wanted to suggest that his father should implement the Ding Order among the powerful to balance the dissatisfaction of the nobles, but his father's last words made him dare not say it anymore. After a while, he had no choice but to say: "Father, I am not worried about the local situation.  As his father said, young scholars could be appointed from Taixue to serve as officials, but the boy was worried about the officials in Yedu. After the New Year, Yedu officials generally failed to achieve the set goals, and government operations were slow. He felt that the officials were very negative and were muddling along.  , Boyer is very worried that the adjustment of official positions in April will cause a wave of resignations among Yedu officials, which may be difficult to handle.  " "Do you know why this situation occurs?  " Cao Cao sneered: "Last autumn, the officialdom was cleaned up too hard, and the consequences were gradually exposed. If I hadn't tried my best to keep Zhong Yao, I don't know what troubles would have been revealed?  ¡± Cao Pi originally planned to slowly lead him to Chu Dingling. After all, many officials were from noble families.The latter was a disciple of several famous families, and the local government was too far away. He wanted to use Yedu officials to talk things over, but his father unexpectedly brought up the case of the Seven Jian'an Sons last autumn, which really embarrassed Cao Pi.  "Father, it's not like that!" "What do you mean, it's not like that. The human heart is made of flesh. So many innocent people were wronged and died. Do you think others will forget it? Everything that happens in Yedu now is the same as last year.  It's related to officialdom. " Cao Pi didn't dare to refute. He secretly hated it. It was clear that the case of the Seven Sons of Jian'an was approved by his father, but now his father put the responsibility on himself, which made him feel very depressed.  At this time, Cao Cao was silent for a moment and said: "Last year in the case of the Seven Sons of Jian'an, many officials died innocently. Someone must take responsibility and give an explanation to the Yedu officials. I suggest that Yang Tian be operated on. The people who hate him are too  More, passing the responsibility to him can also alleviate the dissatisfaction of the Yedu officials. A sentence suddenly popped up in Cao Pi's mind, "The cunning rabbit dies, the lackey will be cooked." Now Yang Tian is the lackey who wants to be cooked, although Yang Tian.  He was his right-hand man, but his father had decided to take action against him, and Cao Pi didn't want to stop him anymore, so he nodded slowly, "Follow my father's order!  " "Go!  Dig out the Han army's intelligence points for me as soon as possible.  " Cao Pi bowed and slowly retreated. Cao Cao's eyes fell on the intelligence of Jiaozhou again. He let out a long sigh. He now deeply understood the so-called internal and external troubles. The Han army had already left him no time to attack Jiaozhou.  Not much, he will either compromise on the dispatch order, or implement it more violently. In any case, he will store two million stones of military rations before the end of the year to deal with the risk of war next year. The thing Yang Tian is most afraid of is still  It happened. That night, hundreds of elite Huben guards surrounded his mansion and took Yang Tian out of the quilt. Shi Zhonghuaxin read an investigation order to him, impeaching him for corruption and perverting the law, and was exempted on the spot.  He held the position of censor Zhongcheng, and before Yang Tian could complain, the tiger-like guards captured him into a carriage with an iron cage and drove him to the Dali Temple Prison. The news that the cruel official Yang Tian was arrested came out the next morning.  Suddenly, the government and the public were in jubilation, and the whole Ye was boiling. The families who had been harmed by Yang Tian lit firecrackers to celebrate a proud day. Cao Pi did not expect that arresting Yang Tian would have such a huge effect, and he had to admire his father's efforts.  Lao La, caught Yang Tian to the rescue at a critical moment, which greatly eased the oppressive atmosphere in the officialdom. However, Cao Pi was not relaxed. Yesterday, his father assigned two tasks. One was to explore the truth about the Han army's demise in Jiaozhou.  He has sent his trusted guards to Panyu. This is not a big problem. His father did not give him a time limit, but another task is a bit difficult for him, which is to dig out the Han army's intelligence organization in Cao Wei. Of course, Cao Pi knows that the Han army is in Yedu and beyond.  There are secret agents in other places, and a huge intelligence network has been formed, but it is not easy to dig out this intelligence network. He has been trying to find intelligence points on the Han army, but he has always found nothing. Last summer, his men found nothing.  He uncovered a secret organization, which he thought was an intelligence point for the Han army, but it turned out to be a remnant of the Yuan family. He was extremely disappointed. Now that his father wanted him to dig out the Han army's intelligence network, where should he start?  He was pacing back and forth in the official room. He originally assigned this task to Yang Tian. Now that Yang Tian was arrested, he had to change him. So who would be more suitable? Just as he was thinking about it, a report from the guard came from outside the door: "  I would like to report to the crown prince that Dali Prime Minister Zhou Yuan has urgent matters to see you!  " Zhou Yuan is the second-ranking figure in Dali Temple and one of Cao Pi's most capable generals. He is about thirty-five or six years old. He was born in the army and once served as Cao Ren's marching commander. He is shrewd and capable. Even Cao Cao praised him. This  He was responsible for the next Yang Tian case. Cao Pi cheered up and quickly ordered: "Bring him in!"  " A moment later, Zhou Yuan, who was wearing official uniform, walked in, bowed and saluted: "See you, Crown Prince!  " "Does Mr. Zhou have any good news?  " Zhou Yuan stepped forward and whispered a few words. Cao Pi was startled, "Is this serious?  " Zhou Yuan nodded, "He admitted it himself.  " Cao Pi immediately gritted his teeth with hatred, "This damn guy who eats everything inside and outside should really be cut into pieces!  " He immediately put on a robe and said to Zhou Yuan: "Take me to Dali Temple Prison quickly!  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1065 The Villain Betrays

    In the dark sky prison of Dali Temple, Yang Tian looked desperately at the ray of light above his head. Although this prison was far less terrifying than the Yushitai Black Prison he had built with his own hands, it was enough to destroy his will.  ¡°Perhaps he had killed too many innocent people, and Yang Tian was especially afraid of death. He was afraid that those people would turn into ghosts and come to collect debts from him. He had just enjoyed the glory and wealth, but in the blink of an eye, the glory and wealth were shattered.  He stayed up all night last night. Before Zhou Yuan could be sentenced, he confessed everything he knew. He even explained everything about him being arrested in Chang'an and becoming an undercover agent of the Han army. His spirit  Already collapsed.  As soon as he closed his eyes at this time, he seemed to see officials whose heads had been chopped off and whose limbs were missing. They came to demand his life. Yang Xiu, Chen Lin, Cui Yan, Liu Zhen, Ying Jue, Xu Qian, etc., these people had all  He was brutally tortured and finally executed.  At this time, there was a sound of footsteps in the distance. Yang Tian immediately rushed towards him and shouted: "Spare me!" He grabbed the iron railing and shouted loudly, crying, "Spare my life, I will give you everything."  "Want to say!" The footsteps stopped in front of him. Yang Tian slowly raised his head and saw Cao Pi's cold eyes. He stretched out his arms and shouted, "Your Majesty! Save me!"  I, I am your confidant!" Cao Pi knelt down and asked him, "Tell me first, did you leak information to the Han army spies? I was talking about the Xianbei envoys the year before last. I knew that there were not many people, and you were one of them.  "Yang Tian lowered his head timidly and said after a while: "Very good, where were you?" Yang Tian begged: "If I told you, the prince would.  "Tell me about it!" "I revealed the secret to Li Fu at the Sanjin Tavern." "Who is this person?"  , and later surrendered to Liu Jing, who should be the leader of the Han army in Yedu!" This news really surprised Cao Pi. He immediately stood up and walked towards the prison gate. Yang Tian did not expect that Cao Pi left without giving any advice.  When he made his own explanation, he suddenly became anxious, grabbed the iron railing and shouted: "Your Majesty, the case of the Seven Sons of Jian'an was your responsibility. I handled it exactly according to your instructions. You can't ignore me!" Cao Pi stopped and said,  A flash of murderous intent flashed in his eyes. He looked back at Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan nodded knowingly. Half an hour later, news came from Dali Prison that Yang Tian had committed suicide out of fear of crime. In Tongque Palace, Cao Pi reported Yang Tian's confession to his father, Cao Cao.  , Cao Cao punched the table with hatred in his heart, "It turns out that he is an undercover agent of the Han army. No wonder there is no important information in Chang'an. No wonder I didn't know about the Han army's attack on Jiaozhou in advance. He must have concealed it, so I immediately checked his  Mansion, find out all the information he has hidden. "Haier has sent people there. In addition, Haier suggested appointing Dali Cheng Zhou Yuan as Yushi Zhongcheng to be in charge of external intelligence." Cao Cao had a good impression of Zhou Yuan. He nodded.  "Yes!" Cao Pi was overjoyed. He originally thought it would take a while, but he didn't expect his father to agree so readily. He quickly said, "Father, I already have an idea about the Han army's intelligence point in Chang'an."  Cao Cao perked up and asked, "What's the clue?" "Yang Tian confessed that he always went to the Sanjin Tavern to provide intelligence. The Han army's intelligence chief in Yedu was called Li Fu." "Li Fu? This name belongs to me.  I seem to have heard of it." Cao Cao couldn't remember who this person was.  "Father should have the impression that this person was originally Yuan Shao's staff. When we besieged Yecheng, this person pretended to be the commander-in-chief of Cao's army and sneaked into the city." When mentioning that incident, Cao Cao suddenly remembered, "It turned out to be him. This person is very courageous.  Se, I looked for him later, but I didn¡¯t expect that he surrendered to Liu Jing. With this person in charge of Yedu, it¡¯s no wonder that the spies of the Han Dynasty were so powerful. " Cao Cao asked again, "Have you sent anyone to arrest him?  The boy has not alerted the enemy yet, but the boy needs the help of the Hu Ben Guards. "They must be vigilant if Yang Tian is caught. They must arrest him immediately." Cao Cao immediately ordered: "Let Xu Chu come to see me!"  The news of Tian's arrest first spread among the officialdom, and then spread to the people. The Sanjin Tavern in the south of the city is still open as usual. The business is light and there are very few customers. Although it is a loss-making business, the Sanjin Tavern is a source of intelligence for the Han army.  A point on the net cannot be closed.  In the huge intelligence network of the Han army, Sanjin Tavern is only a very small point. The only real intelligence spy is the shopkeeper, and the other bartenders are unaware of it. However, the main function of this intelligence point is to serve as a bridge between Li Fu and Yang Tian.  .  Early in the morning, drinkingNot long after opening the door, shopkeeper Wang heard the sound of firecrackers coming from all over the city. He didn't know what happened, so he asked a bartender to find out the news. After a while, the bartender came back and reported that Yang Tian, ??the censor Zhongcheng, had been arrested.  This news shocked Shopkeeper Wang. Although he hated Yang Tian's cruelty like ordinary people, after all, Yang Tian was an important source of intelligence for the Han army, especially since he had direct contact with Li Fu every time. Would he  Li Fu confessed?  Due to the sensitivity of intelligence personnel, shopkeeper Wang immediately asked the bartenders to close the tavern and go home while he ran to look for Li Fu.  Although Li Fu was the intelligence chief of the Han army in Yedu and was promoted to Sima last year. Above Sima was military advisor, which was already a senior civilian position in the Han army, Li Fu still had an old habit that he couldn't change: he was fond of drinking and lust.  He has no family and is alone. He spends most of his time in brothels. He especially likes the Baiyu Tower in Yedu. He is a frequent visitor here and spends most of his time in brothels.  Today was no exception. When Li Fu woke up early in the morning, he saw two more women, hugging each other and drinking wine for fun. What he drank was the fruit wine brewed by the brothel. Ye Du issued a ban on alcohol the year before last, prohibiting the use of grains to make wine.  , but now it has been slightly relaxed, allowing pubs, brothels, hostels and other places to brew fruit wine, but it is not allowed to be sold to outsiders and can only be used for personal use.  The reason why Li Fu likes Baiyulou is because the rose wine brewed here suits his taste very well, and the women are second to none. Li Fu was drinking heavily. At this time, a maid ran in and said: "Li Shijun, there is a surname outside the door.  The owner of Wang's tavern came to see him and said it was something important. "The two women next to him laughed, "But are you here to ask Li Shijun for a drink?  Not one to let wine and sex ruin things, Li Fu immediately understood that something had happened. He pushed the two women away and walked out without looking back. He happened to meet Shopkeeper Wang who was jumping anxiously.  He pulled shopkeeper Wang aside and whispered: "What happened?" "My Lord, let's go! Yang Tian was arrested." Li Fu was also surprised and asked: "When did it happen?  "I don't know. Firecrackers were set off everywhere in the city this morning?" "Is the pub surrounded?" "If it is to be surrounded, can I still come out?" Li Fu thought for a moment.  He was arrested last night, and he didn't report them last night, otherwise the tavern would have been surrounded. Of course he can leave the city now, but there is still some important information in his residence, including a list of intelligence spies, which he must burn.  to leave.  Thinking of this, Li Fu said to the shopkeeper: "You should leave Yedu now and go to Guo's Manor to hide. I will return to my place of residence and come over immediately." Li Fu is an extremely shrewd and capable person who considers problems carefully.  All the intelligence personnel did not bring their families with them to avoid being dragged down. Shopkeeper Wang also had no family members in the city, so he immediately left the Baiyu Tower and headed for the city gate.  Li Fu got on his horse and ran towards his place of rest. His place of stay was near Sanjin Tavern. Li Fu did not take the main street, but ran along the small streets and alleys. He was about to run out of an alley.  , but suddenly reined in his horse, he saw a dozen soldiers running past on the street ahead. These soldiers were all Tiger Guards wearing tiger helmets, Cao Cao's bodyguards. When they appeared, something important must have happened.  Li Fu immediately dismounted and entrusted the horse to a small shop. He put on his thick coat, pulled off his turban, messed up his hair, smeared black mud on his face and body, and found a piece of dog shit to smear on his body, with an expression on his face.  Becomes sluggish, looking like an old beggar who just woke up from a corner sleep.  Li Fu slowly walked out of the alley. This was Nanmen Street. Sanjin Tavern was just dozens of steps away, and his accommodation was in an alley opposite.  At this time, the Sanjin Tavern was surrounded by Tiger Guard soldiers. The door was kicked open and a group of soldiers rushed in to search. In the distance, many people watching the excitement gathered, pointing at the pub and talking, while dozens of Tiger Guard soldiers  Patrolling with a knife in hand, looking for suspicious people on the street.  Li Fu walked slowly, and there were two Tiger Guard soldiers standing in front of him, blocking his way. The two looked at him doubtfully. Li Fu did not dodge, but instead greeted him with a smile, "Master, what happened in the tavern?"  "Can you eat for free?" His wretched smile and the stench of shit made the two soldiers almost vomit. They quickly ran away and yelled: "Where are you beggars? Get out of here!"  Li Fu pointed at the alley with a smile, and slowly walked into the alley. The people standing at the entrance of the alley watching the excitement covered their noses and avoided it. No one recognized this man with disheveled hair, a dirty face, and a smell from his body.  The stinky beggar is the usually airy Uncle Li.  Li Fu returned to his place of residence and quickly burned the important information, and soonAfter leaving Yedu City, not long after he left, an earth-shaking search began in the entire Yedu.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1066 Inspection of Hexi

    The spring of the 23rd year of Jian'an was undoubtedly a harvest season for Liu Jing. Jiaozhou was included in his pocket, and he himself added a pair of children. Xiao Qiao gave birth to a son, named Liu Yue.  Qiao gave birth to a daughter, named Liu Bing. The smooth birth of the two children filled the whole family with joy.  In mid-March, after Liu Jing approved the reward for the Battle of Jiaozhou, he left Chang'an and went to Hexi for inspection. This was his first inspection of Hexi after the Han army regained Hexi.  Among the people accompanying him, in addition to the Chief Secretary Quezheng and the Minister of Taipu Temple Deng Zhi, there were naturally two secondary concubines, Sun Shangxiang and Cao Xian. Going to the real prairie had been Sun Shangxiang¡¯s dream since she was a child, although she had gone to Lingxi with her husband.  There are grasslands over there, but compared with the endless Hexi grasslands, they are just a larger grassland.  It was the first time for Cao Xian to see the grassland. She was even more curious. She looked around everywhere and was secretly amazed by the mountains and rivers she saw. However, her personality was reserved and quiet, and she did not express her inner joy.  The group crossed the Yellow River, passed Huixian County, and then entered Wuwei County. A large area of ??grassland had appeared here. Sun Shangxiang and Cao Xian were particularly excited. Everything outside the Great Wall made them feel fresh and made their hearts particularly broad.  Entering the grassland, Sun Shangxiang urged the horse to gallop on the grassland, and ran without a trace with more than a dozen female guards. Cao Xian was not very good at riding a horse. She sat in the carriage and watched Sun Shangxiang and his entourage with some envy as they ran away.  Liu Jing rode leisurely beside the carriage, discussing with Deng Zhi the matter of building a racecourse in Hexi.  Taipu Temple is responsible for animal husbandry and horse breeding, and it is naturally Deng Zhi's responsibility to build horse farms in Hexi. In fact, the Political Affairs Hall had long considered building ten official horse farms in Hexi, but it was only delayed because of Ma Chao's rebellion. But since last year  The construction of the racecourse was restarted, and Deng Zhi took full responsibility for the matter.  "Your Highness, the addresses of ten horse farms have been selected. There are two in Longxi, one in Qinghai, one in Lingzhou, and the rest are located in Hexi. Considering that Wuwei County is mainly used for agriculture, there is only one horse farm in Wuwei County, Zhangye  There are three in the county, one in Jiuquan County and one in Juyanhai. Each horse farm has a flying dragon pastor and two deputy envoys. "How many horses are there now?" Liu Jing asked again with a smile.  "About 80,000 horses. We plan to increase the total number of horses to 500,000 horses in ten years. We are confident." "Quantity alone is not enough. The key is quality. Last time the Tao family got 300 horses.  Can you use the Dawan stallion? " "Your Highness, the three hundred Dawan stallions are our treasures. They are distributed in ten horse farms. We plan to use these three hundred stallions to breed high-quality war horses.  I will never disappoint His Highness." Liu Jing added: "There is also the matter of livestock farming. This matter is very important and urgent. It will be significantly improved within two or three years. Don't delay." Liu Jing said.  Cattle refer to northern dryland cattle and southern buffaloes. Both types of cattle are in great demand, especially buffalo. With the unification of the south, all counties have implemented the national policy of rest and recuperation, production has gradually recovered, and the demand for farm cattle has increased day by day.  The current number of farm cattle is obviously insufficient. This is also an issue that Liu Jing attaches great importance to. He also hopes that Taipu Temple can try to solve this problem.  Deng Zhi thought for a while and said: "The problem of scalpers is not big. The Tuyuhun people have hundreds of thousands of scalpers. We can buy them from them. The shortage of cattle in the north can probably be alleviated. The key is buffalo. Some officials have proposed to concentrate in Hexi  I don¡¯t think it¡¯s realistic to raise buffaloes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The main reason is that buffaloes are afraid of the cold in winter and the problem of keeping warm is difficult to solve. We tried raising hundreds of buffaloes in Zhangye last year, but all of them froze to death in one winter, so we still have to do it.  To raise cattle in the south, I plan to build cattle ranches in every county in the south, and provide dry pasture in the north, or plant a large amount of pasture in the south. " Liu Jing nodded, "I don't care what your plan is, I just want the results, I hope.  The shortage of cattle in the south can be alleviated within three years. This matter is related to the food recovery in the south. You should not take it lightly. " "Please rest assured, Zhou Mu, we have implemented this in Bashu and Jingzhou last year and will fully promote it this year.  " Just as he was talking, the sound of rapid horse hooves was heard in the distance. Sun Shangxiang and a dozen female guards came back on horseback. Seeing that her husband was still discussing government affairs with officials, Sun Shangxiang couldn't help but said angrily: "Is my husband finished?  We were talking about government affairs when we left Chang'an, we were talking about crossing the Yellow River, we were still talking about it when we passed Huixian County, and we are still talking about it now. How long will it take?" Liu Jing chuckled, "There is no way, people must find their own positions.  If I don't talk about government affairs, then I can only talk about military affairs. " Sun Shangxiang also realized that she couldn't show off to the officials in front of her husband, otherwise her husband would fall out faster than turning over the book. The dissatisfaction on her face disappeared immediately, and she rushed to the carriage.  In front of him, he said to Cao Xian: "Sister, don¡¯t ride in the car, let¡¯s ride horses together.  "Cao Xian was so frightened that he shook his head repeatedly, "Second sister, I'm not very good at riding a horse.  " "If you don't know how, just learn!  When you come to Hexi, it would be a pity if you don¡¯t know how to ride a horse.  " Cao Xian was also a little moved. He quietly looked at her husband with a pair of beautiful eyes. Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "Shang Xiang is right. You should learn to ride a horse. Even you, Sister Tao, can do it. I will be in charge of the church.  " At this time, Sun Shangxiang asked with a smile: "You can see a snow mountain in front of you, what kind of mountain is that?  " Liu Jing looked at the distance and saw that there seemed to be a mountain, but he didn't know what it was. Deng Zhi was more familiar with the situation and said with a smile: "It should be Guzang Mountain. The Huns regard it as a sacred mountain, and the Qiang people also regard it as a sacred mountain.  Worship it, our horse farm in Wuwei County is at the foot of the mountain.  Liu Jing said happily: "Then go to the racecourse and have a look!"  " "Your Highness, won't you go to Guzang County?  "An official asked. "Let's talk about it when we get back!"  "The team changed its route and no longer headed for Guzang County, but headed toward Guzang Mountain in the southwest. The huge Guzang Mountain stands on the Hexi Corridor. The top of the mountain is covered with snow, and it reflects in the sunlight.  This kind of azure brilliance looks like a dazzling ice sapphire inlaid on the top of the mountain. At the foot of the mountain is an endless plateau pasture, with a jade-belt-like river meandering to the top.  In the distance, it was March in spring, and all kinds of colorful wildflowers were in full bloom. The grassland looked like a colorful mythical world. Women are naturally beautiful. Not only Sun Shangxiang and Cao Xian were intoxicated by it, but even the female guards were also attracted by this colorful world.  I was deeply attracted by the world of flowers and plants, and many female guards made garlands for themselves. ¡°It is indeed a great place!  " Liu Jing couldn't help but admired: "We should bring the whole family, Zhu'er definitely doesn't want to leave.  " Sun Shangxiang said with a smile: "Husband, next year!  Next year we will bring the whole family, and this year we will treat ourselves as exploring the road.  Liu Jing also smiled and said: "Actually, this kind of flowers and plants can be found in many places, and there are quite a few in Longxi. But if you want to see all the snow-capped mountains, only Hexi is the most beautiful. That's it. I will visit Hexi next year. The whole family will  come together.  " At this time, the soldiers began to set up tents in the horse farm. Sun Shangxiang and Cao Xian were also packing their belongings in the tent. Liu Jing went to the stable in the distance. Deng Zhi brought the Feilong Shepherd to come to see the ceremony. The Feilong Shepherd was named  Yang Lian, who is in his thirties, is a Han native from Longxi. He has been raising horses and herding them since he was a child. He has rich experience in herding horses.  " Yang Lian was particularly excited to see the King of Han come to inspect in person. Liu Jing smiled and said: "Mr. Yang, there is no need to be polite. I want to know about the situation in the racecourse. You can lead the way!  " "Your Highness, please come here!"  " Yang Lian led Liu Jing to the stable and introduced: "The racecourse was only established last year. There are now more than 7,000 war horses, all of which are high-quality horses. Our entire racecourse covers an area of ??more than 200,000 acres.  , can raise at least 30,000 war horses.  " Just as they were talking, hundreds of war horses galloped past them like a storm, and two Qiang herdsmen were chasing after them. Yang Lian pointed at the herdsmen and said: "These herdsmen are all local Qiang people, and the ranch has hired a hundred people.  , are all experienced old shepherds who can raise the best war horses.  " "Is there a Dawan stallion here?  "    "have!  It's in the stable. Please come with me, Your Highness.  " After inspecting the racecourse, Liu Jing rode back to her place of residence. She happened to see Cao Xian in front of the tent. She was sitting on the grass weaving a garland. When her husband came back, she quickly stood up and asked, "Where is Shang Xiang?  Liu Jing asked. "She is a little tired and is resting in the tent. I don't want to disturb her."  " Liu Jing liked this gentle and quiet little wife very much. He urged his horse forward and said with a smile: "Let's go for a walk on horseback!  " "But I'm not very good at riding a horse.  " "We are riding on the same horse. Give me your hand.  " Cao Xian bit his lip lightly, mustered up his courage, and handed his hand to Liu Jing. Liu Jing held her hand, then hugged her waist, and hugged her onto the horse, keeping her close to him.  He held the reins with both hands and hugged her waist at the same time. ¡°Sit tight, we¡¯re about to set off.  " "Husband, slow down!  "Liu Jing laughed, urged the horse and galloped out. Amid Cao Xian's screams, the horse galloped faster and faster into the distance. Cao Xian was so scared that she closed her eyes. The jolt of the horse made her almost faint.  , there was a whining sound in her ears, and after an unknown amount of time, the war horse finally stopped, and she slowly opened her eyes, and they came to another piece of grass. ¡°Husband, my heart is about to stop beating.  "Cao Xian covered his chest and looked up at her husband pitifully. "nbsp; Liu Jing picked her up, turned her body around, let her hold her waist, lowered his head and kissed her red lips, and said softly: "Do you like it here?" Cao Xian pressed his cheek against her husband's chest  , holding her husband's waist tightly with both hands, her eyes became hazy, and she nodded lightly, "I really like it, especially when you are by my side." Liu Jing saw the guards chasing after her from a distance, and knew that she could not be with her beloved wife.  He was so excited in the wild that he had no choice but to smile helplessly: "Let's go! You ride the horse, and I will lead the horse back slowly."

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1067 Yecheng Incident

    Ye County, Nanyang County, is the place where the Han army and Cao Jun have the closest contact. About forty miles northeast of Ye County is Kunyang County of Yingchuan County. The strategic location of Kunyang County was originally not as important as Ye County, and the city was not  Although it is tall, the terrain is not steep enough, and the population is not large. It is just an ordinary small agricultural county.  But since the Han army captured Nanyang County and moved the garrison to the line of Yecheng, Kunyang County has become the forefront of Cao Jun's defense against the Han army, and its importance has also been demonstrated. Cao Jun rebuilt the city wall and expanded the garrison.  The garrison in Kunyang County reached 5,000 people, led by General Cai Yang.  The Han army in Ye County also had more than 6,000 troops stationed, commanded by Zhonglang General Cai Jin. The two Cai armies were only forty miles apart, and they were in a confrontation.  The commander of Kunyang County was originally Li Dian, because Li Dian was Xiahou Dun's man. After Cao Zhen took over the defense of Xuchang, he replaced his men in important positions. Cao Zhen used the reason that Li Dian had been captured in Ye County.  The chief general of Kunyang County was replaced by Lequn.  When Li Dian was the commander-in-chief, although the Han and Cao armies were not friendly and were very suspicious, and the two sides would be at war with each other at the slightest sign of trouble, Cai Jin and Li Dian were both cautious and restrained their soldiers, so nothing happened.  conflict.  Le Qun is the younger brother of General Le Jin of the Cao Army. He is cunning by nature and has strong martial arts. He was originally a general of Cao Chun. After Cao Chun died in the battle of Nanyang, Cao Zhen took over the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. Le Qun became a general of Cao Zhen again. He was good at flattering Cao Zhen.  , and gradually became Cao Zhen's right-hand man, and was appointed as a partial general.  Although Le Qun was not as cautious and cunning as Li Dian, he was strictly ordered by Cao Zhen not to conflict with the Han army. Therefore, in the three months since he took office, Le Qun was able to restrain his subordinates and did not have any conflicts with the Han army.  over conflict.  However, he had another idea, which was to make money by using his position. Kunyang was located at the core of Wanying Business Road, and there were many merchants coming and going, which gave Cai Yang another way to make money.  Since the end of the Hefei War, the war in the Central Plains has gradually calmed down. It has been a year and a half now. The economy and commerce have gradually recovered. The previously deserted business roads have become lively. From time to time, large and small caravans can be seen appearing on the official roads.  .  Medicinal materials, silk, and tea from the south, and furs, livestock, and handmade tools from the north, mostly sold well on both sides. In addition, both sides encouraged trade and reduced business taxes, and Nanyang's first-line commerce gradually became very prosperous.  That morning, a caravan consisting of more than 300 mules walked out of Yecheng and headed towards Kunyang County. This caravan belonged to the Xiangyang Cai family and was one of the ten caravans of the Cai family.  The back is loaded with fine silk produced in Jiangxia.  The Cai family has been gradually squeezed out of the center of power of the Han state due to its long-term refusal to cooperate with the Han state's land expropriation plan. Cai Yan, the prefect of Xiangyang, retired from office three years ago due to physical illness, and the Cai family no longer has young talents entering the family.  In the officialdom, Cai Jin is currently the only one serving in the military.  After Cai Yan, the head of the family, passed away last year, Cai Jin was not able to succeed his father as the head of the family. Instead, his uncle Cai Lin became the head of the family. Although the Cai family was frustrated in the officialdom, the Cai family still owned nearly two thousand hectares of land.  The richest family in Xiangyang, and the Cai family had a good foundation in Xiangyang. The Xiangyang government took care of the Cai family to some extent, so although the Cai family was marginalized, they lived a comfortable life without much sense of crisis.  The new head of the family, Cai Lin, has a flexible business mind. He is no longer limited to relying on land harvests, but is actively involved in trade and industry. He has many taverns and shops in Xiangyang and Fancheng, and established Cai's Trading Company in Fancheng, starting a cross-border business.  Trade, transporting goods from Jingzhou to Xuchang, and purchasing goods from Xuchang to go south, is very profitable.  General Cai Jin stood on the city wall, watching the caravan go away. There was a trace of worry in his eyes. He was worried about the future of his family. He felt that the head of the family was too business-minded and paid too much attention to financial interests. He did not consider the long-term future of the Cai family.  Too little. The most typical example is the closure of Cai's family school and Cai's martial arts school. Cai Lin believes that the family school and martial arts school are too expensive. Cai's children can go to the official school to study, and the land of the martial arts school can be converted into commercial use, which can save money every year.  Twenty million dollars spent.  He also opened Cai's Trading Company, established ten caravans, and prepared to purchase ships and establish a merchant fleet. All of this left Cai Jin speechless. With the prosperity of the Tao family's business, he still wanted to withdraw from business and establish a family business.  At the expense of hiring famous scholars and focusing on cultivating their children, the Cai family has taken the opposite route. If this continues, the Cai family will completely decline in less than ten years.  Cai Jin couldn't help but let out a long sigh. The Cai family couldn't see the situation clearly and overemphasized the family's interests, which would eventually destroy the family. Cai Jin couldn't sustain it alone.  The mule team moved forward and passed Yekun Bridge at noon. This bridge was originally called Sanyan Bridge. Now it has become the Han-Cao boundary bridge, so it was renamed Yekun Bridge. After passing this wooden bridge, they entered Kunyang County.  boundary.  The deacon of the caravan is named Wang. He is about fifty years old. He is an old member of the Cai family. He is very kind. There are more than a dozen other people who went with him.A man from Xuchang takes care of more than 300 mules.  Deacon Wang was a little worried. He traveled back and forth between Xuchang and Xiangyang several times, and everything went smoothly. However, the last time he was in Kunyang County, he was charged a high toll, which was almost equivalent to taxes. It was equivalent to a batch of goods in Yingchuan County.  I have paid taxes twice, and I don¡¯t know how much tolls I will have to pay this time.  "Don't worry, Dad Wang. The boss doesn't care about the toll anyway, just think of it as a peace of mind!" Yang Qing, who was responsible for protecting the safety, saw Deacon Wang frowning and persuaded him with a smile.  "Hey! You're right. We have so much stuff and only a dozen of us. If something goes wrong along the way, we won't be able to explain it when we get back! Just think of it as spending money to buy safety!" Just as he was talking, a team appeared in front of him.  The cavalry came at lightning speed. Deacon Wang quickly asked his men to drive the mule team aside to make way for them. The cavalry team ran in front of the mule team, but stopped. The leader was a young general in his twenties, none other than Le Qun.  His son Le Yi originally came to patrol the border, but he encountered this caravan.  "What kind of caravan are you and where are you going?" Deacon Wang hurriedly stepped forward and said with a smile: "We are a caravan from Xiangyang, going to Xuchang to sell goods." Le Yi felt a little unhappy when he heard that he called Xudu Xuchang.  , deliberately making things difficult, he pointed with his horsewhip, "Open the package and inspect it!" Deacon Wang quickly took out a small purse from his arms, containing about one hundred Wen, which was prepared to bribe the guard when he entered the city.  City soldiers will be used now.  "For such a small thing, please treat the general to a drink of water and wine!" Le Yi couldn't care less about his little money. He raised his whip and knocked the money bag out. The coins fell all over the ground. Le Yi shouted sharply: "Open the bag immediately!"  Deacon Wang had no choice but to let the guys open the bags. The burlap bags were full of pieces of fine silk and satin. Le Yi was a little stunned. He stepped forward and gently touched the silk and satin. He couldn't put it down because of the smooth satin.  Greed suddenly arose in his heart, and he turned around and winked at the soldiers. The soldiers immediately understood that the Major General was interested in this batch of silk.  They were already familiar with blackmailing merchants, and they immediately split up to check the packages. There were only a dozen or so guys in the caravan, and they couldn't see it at all. At this time, a soldier shouted, "General, there are prohibited weapons here."  ! " Le Yi's face sank and he walked over quickly. He saw soldiers pulling out more than a dozen military crossbows from a bag. Deacon Wang followed him. He was also shocked. How could there be military crossbows? He said anxiously  : "General, we didn't bring any crossbows. These crossbows are not ours." Before he could finish speaking, Le Yi whipped his head, "How presumptuous! Did I frame you?" He waved his hand, "Take them all away!  "The soldiers rushed up like wolves and tigers, held them up and left. Deacon Wang already understood in his heart that the other party wanted to swallow the silk. He resisted the burning pain on his face, struggled desperately and shouted, "We  It's the caravan of the Cai family in Xiangyang. You can't do this. Let us go!" "If it were more than ten years ago, Cai Mao was still the Jingzhou military advisor. Both the Jingzhou army and the Cao army would have to give the Cai family some face. Now the Cai family has long since declined!  , Le Yi never cared about the Cai family, he laughed ferociously, "It turned out to be a spy sent by Cai Jin. If he dared to resist, he was immediately killed." The guys didn't dare to struggle anymore. Deacon Wang was already in despair, right here  At that moment, his deputy Yang Qing suddenly broke away from the soldiers, ran a few steps, turned over, grabbed a war horse, and fled after hitting the horse. Yang Qing was originally the instructor of the Cai family martial arts school. After the martial arts school was disbanded, he became the leader of the caravan.  As a guard, he was very skilled and managed to escape while the soldiers were unprepared.  "Someone is grabbing the war horse!" the soldiers shouted.  Le Yi was furious and led a dozen cavalry to chase him quickly. He ran for more than ten miles in a moment. In front of him was the Ye Kun Bridge. Seeing that the opponent was about to rush to the bridge, Le Yi took off his bow and arrow, drew an arrow, and aimed at it.  An arrow shot out of Yang Qing's back. The arrow was fast and hard, hitting Yang Qing's right shoulder. Yang Qing shook violently, but did not fall off his horse. He rushed across the Yekun Bridge in one breath and just crossed the wooden bridge.  He could no longer hold on and fell from his horse to the ground.  Le Yi was overjoyed and urged his horse to rush towards the wooden bridge. A dozen people crossed the wooden bridge, only to see that the other party had reluctantly climbed up and was stumbling forward. Le Yi shouted, "Flee in!" He  He urged his horse to catch up, and was about to catch up with Yang Qing. At this moment, a shotgun fired over his head and made a sharp whistle. He was so scared that he reined in his horse, but he saw a team rushing out of the woods next to him.  The Han army's patrol cavalry, about thirty people in total, raised their crossbows and aimed at them coldly.  Le Yi saw that the person he was chasing ran away for more than twenty steps. It was probably too late to catch up. He did not dare to pursue them anymore. They had already crossed the boundary at this time. If they delayed any longer, they might be ready to fire arrows.  He quickly raised his hand and said to the Han soldiers: "We are catching fugitives!" But the other party ignored him and the leaderHou said coldly: "Go back!" Le Yi was so filled with hatred that he had no choice but to turn his horse around, run across Ye Kun Bridge, and run towards Kunyang County without looking back.  At this time, Yang Qing could hardly hold on anymore. He ran to the Han army scouts and whispered: "I am a family member of General Cai. Please report to General Cai quickly." Before he could finish speaking, he fell to the ground and fainted.  .  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1068 On the verge of breaking out

    When Yang Qing woke up, he found that he was lying on a bed with his wounds bandaged. General Cai Jin was sitting next to him. He hurriedly struggled to get up, but Cai Jin held him down and said, "Don't move, or you may burst the wound."  Yang Qing lay down and couldn't help but cry, "General, Cao Jun framed us, saying that we were carrying prohibited weapons and took away people and goods." Cai Jin had also heard about this kind of thing, and he didn't expect that the Cai family would also suffer.  When he arrived, he asked coldly: "Didn't you tell them that you are the Cai family's caravan?" "Deacon Wang did, but the leading officer said that we were spies sent by the general, and became even more vicious." Cai  Jin was angry and refused to give him even the most basic face. Le Qun bullied others too much, so he said to Yang Qing: "You take good care of yourself, I will handle this matter." Cai Jin came out and asked the patrolman who rescued Yang Qing  The military marquis asked: "Who is the other party?" "A brother knows the patrol officer, he is Le Yi, the son of Le Qun." Cai Jin pondered for a moment and ordered the people around him, "Go and invite Mr. Xu!" Mr. Xu's name is Xu Zhao  , the current commander of the garrison in Ye County, Bo. His family is a prominent family in Ye County. He had close contacts with Cao Jun in the past. After a while, Xu Zhao hurried over and saluted: "General Ye, do you have anything to do with your subordinates?" "That's right, my family  A caravan of ours was kidnapped by the son of Lequn. I think there is a misunderstanding here. I would like to ask Mr. Xu to go to Kunyang County and talk to Lequn. Please give me a face and put the people and goods back.  "Xu Zhao had a good relationship with Li Dian, the former commander of Cao's army. After Li Dian was captured by Liu Hu, he took good care of Li Dian. Later, after the Battle of Hefei, Li Dian was released. He has always been grateful to him.  If the captain of Kunyang County was Li Dian, then this would be a piece of cake for him.  But now the head of Kunyang County has been replaced by Lequn. They have never dealt with each other, and it is said that this Lequn is extremely corrupt. He may not be willing to give Cai Jin face, but Xu Zhao has no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.  Xu Zhao and his two followers rode to Kunyang County. When they were still ten miles away from Kunyang County, a group of cavalry suddenly rushed out from the nearby woods and surrounded them. The leader was Le Yi, the son of Le Qun. He and  His father, Le Qun, was equally cunning. Knowing that Cai Jin would send someone to negotiate, he hid here and waited, and he was caught.  "Who are you?" Le Yi asked fiercely.  Xu Zhao was wearing the civilian uniform of the Han army. He raised his hands and said: "Bo Xu Zhao, the leader of the Han army in Yecheng, came to see you, General Le, on the orders of General Cai. Please lead the way!" "Hmph! I was about to go find Cai.  "Come in, what does he mean by sending spies into Kunyang?" Xu Zhao was startled, "Who are you?" "You don't care who I am. If you want to see the general, I will take you there."  When he summoned them, all of them looked murderous and looked evil. He thought to himself, 'Could this be the son of Le Qun?  If you go with him, you will definitely lose your life.  ' He forced a smile and said: "I'm here to deliver a letter to General Le. If you are willing to do it for me, I won't go." He took out Cai Jin's letter and handed it to Le Yi. Although Le Yi was as greedy for money as his father, he also  He was not reckless, he knew not to kill the other party's officials indiscriminately, his purpose was to prevent the other party from seeing his father.  He took the letter and said: "I will give the letter to the general, please take it back!" Xu Zhaogong handed over his hand, turned the horse's head and hurried away. Seeing him walking away, Le Yi sneered and tore the letter into pieces.  , waved his hand and ordered: "Let's go!" A group of cavalry rushed towards Kunyang County.  Xu Huihui returned to Ye County, but did not tell the truth. He told Cai Jin that he was intercepted by Le Yi and his army on the way, threatening his life. His letter was also snatched away by Le Yi, and he escaped by chance.  Cai Jin didn't expect Le Yi to be so rude. He was extremely angry, but he was a cautious person and did not dare to take action without authorization. He immediately sent a pigeon letter to Wancheng Wenpin, briefly reporting the matter to him.  .  At dusk, Cai Jin stood on the top of the city and stared into the distance, feeling a little sad in his heart. In recent years, he had been implicated by the Cai family, and his promotion had also been affected. Generals of the Jingzhou faction such as Huo Jun and Xiang Chong were promoted to generals.  Master Wenpin was promoted to the governor of Xiangwan, but he stopped at Zhonglang General. Although Liu Jing treated him well and made him Tinghou, it would be difficult for him to move up further.  The fundamental reason was that the Cai family was ignorant of current affairs, occupied too much fertile land, and was short-sighted. They thought that the Xiangyang government would not dare to touch them. At first, his father asked the family to retain only 500 hectares of land and hand over the rest to the government, but the family members strongly opposed it.  My father was so angry that he couldn't even get sick.  Cai Jin still remembers what his father said when he held his hand before his death. It would be best if he could persuade the family, but if the family does not want to change, he can break away from the Cai family and establish his own family. Liu Jing will definitely do it.  Nostalgia for old feelings, nostalgia?He has an important job.  Originally, after his father's death, he should inherit the position of head of the family. Unexpectedly, more than a dozen elders of the family changed the rules of succession and unanimously elected Cai Lin of Mingshanfang as the head of the family. It was obvious that he was not allowed to inherit his father's will. This made Cai Lin.  Jin is disillusioned with his family.  At this time, he remembered his father's words before his death. Do he really want to break away from the Cai family and establish his own family?  It's just that the Cai family split once ten years ago. Cai Mao established a new Cai family in Yedu and established himself as the head of the family. Cai Jin couldn't bear the family split again, so he never fulfilled his father's last words, but at this time, in his heart  Suddenly, a strong desire to break up with the family emerged, and Cai Jin couldn't help but slowly clenched his fists.  At this moment, a soldier rushed over and shouted: "General, an urgent message from the Governor." Cai Jin was refreshed. This was a reply from his master. He quickly said: "Give me the letter quickly.  !" The soldier handed a tube of pigeon mail to Cai Jin. Cai Jin opened the pigeon mail and squinted at it. He saw only four words on the letter: "Provoke trouble!"  ¡¯ Cai Jin nodded slowly, he understood what the master meant.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The border between Ye County and Kunyang County is actually a small river. The locals call it Liushui. The river is about fifty miles long and finally flows into the Qishui River. The river bed is not wide. The widest part of the river is only four feet, and the narrowest part is less than 10 feet.  Two feet long, Ye Kun Bridge is built on this willow water.  One of the biggest features of Liushui is that both sides of the river bed are covered with willow trees. In mid-spring, catkins are flying all over the sky, which is a spectacular sight. However, since Cao Han formed a confrontation here, the atmosphere here has become tense, and every day  There are separate patrol soldiers patrolling back and forth on both sides of Liushui.  At night, a Cao Army patrol team of more than 30 people was patrolling the north bank of Liushui River as usual. They kept paying attention to the movements on the other side. It also happened every night when they encountered the patrol soldiers of the Han Army on the other side. They would curse a few words or throw them away.  A few stones can be regarded as a kind of joy in suffering for Cao's soldiers.  But tonight they never met the Han army patrol team on the other side. Several soldiers couldn't help but muttered, "Everyone has a holiday, but we have to do hard work every day." "Shut up! Patrol well." The leader  The commander turned around and cursed the soldiers.  At this moment, countless black shadows suddenly emerged from all directions, surrounding them. Cao Jun's patrol team looked at each other in fright, wondering what happened?  The leader of the village recognized the other party. They turned out to be Han soldiers. There were two to three hundred people. He raised his crossbow and pointed it at them. He felt terrified and asked in fear: "What are you going to do?" The leader of the Han army  The general waved his hand and said, "Capture them all!" Overnight, all five patrol teams of Cao's army were captured by the Han army. This incident alarmed Cao's general Le Qun. He was furious and led 3,000 soldiers to charge early the next morning.  Arrive at Yekun Bridge.  At this time, Cai Jin was also well prepared. He had led thousands of soldiers to ambush in the woods on the south bank of the bridge, waiting for Cao Jun to take the bait.  Lequn waited for a while, but when he saw that no Han patrol came forward to ask, he became impatient. He turned around and ordered a tooth general: "Take five hundred brothers and kill them, and bring me a Han patrol back."  "Command!" General Ya waved his hand and led his five hundred men across the Yekun Bridge, running towards the official road where the Han army often patrolled. However, after only a hundred steps, there was a bang from the woods on both sides, and there were a lot of arrows in the woods.  Cao Jun's soldiers were caught off guard and were shot over a hundred people. The rest of the soldiers were so frightened that they turned around and ran away. Another burst of arrows came, this time the arrows were more dense and more than two hundred people were shot down.  Even General Cao Junya was hit by several arrows and fell from his horse on the spot.  Le Qun in the distance was shocked. There was actually an ambush by the Han army. He hurriedly retreated left and right. The 2,500 Cao troops retreated like an ebbing tide. They withdrew a full mile before slowly stopping and entering the boundary of Ye County.  Only about 80 of Cao's 500 troops escaped back, and many others suffered from arrow wounds, resulting in heavy losses.  Le Qun looked at the Han soldiers standing on the other side of the Liu River from a distance. He was trembling with anger. The Han army was obviously trying to trick him. He couldn't bear it anymore and ordered: "The three armies line up and kill!" Cao Jun quickly lined up.  , groups of soldiers holding shields in hand slowly approached Liuhe. At this time, the Han army had formed an arrow formation, and a thousand military crossbows were aimed at the slowly approaching Cao army soldiers, but Cao army did not enter the range of the crossbows.  It was a confrontation with the Han army one hundred and fifty steps away.  Le Qun had gradually calmed down at this time. He didn't understand why the Han army suddenly provoked trouble, but the Han army must have had a purpose in doing so. He couldn't be too impulsive to avoid falling into the Han army's trap.  He sent a soldier forward and shouted loudly: "Both sides are patrolling separately. Why did the Han army want to arrest our patrol soldiers?" But the Han army ignored it and did not reply. Instead, he fired an arrow.The shouting soldier shot over his head, frightening the soldiers and fleeing back. At this moment, drums suddenly sounded loudly behind Cao Jun, and a Han army was seen coming from behind. The soldiers behind were unprepared, and there was a chaos.  Cai Jin immediately ordered: "Kill!" The three thousand Han troops shouted in unison, rushed across the Yekun Bridge in one go, and charged towards Cao Jun. Cao Jun was attacked from both sides, and each of them escaped in confusion. Le Qun saw that the situation was not good, and turned his horse towards Cao Jun.  Fleeing to the west, Cao's army was defeated.  The Han army pursued them all the way, killing Cao's army until they cried for their fathers, and countless surrendered soldiers. The route to the north was blocked by the Han army. Lequn was unable to return to the city, so he had to lead his remaining soldiers to flee westward. At this time, he was guarding Kunyang.  When Le Yi of the city heard that the Han army had launched a massive attack and that his father had been defeated and his whereabouts were unknown, he was extremely panicked and worried that he would not be able to defend the city, so he abandoned Kunyang County and led the defenders to evacuate northward.  Kunyang fell, and the Han army occupied Kunyang County, the first county seat of Yingchuan County. The situation in Nanyang suddenly changed. Cao Zhen, the commander-in-chief of Xudu, immediately sent an urgent message of 800 miles to Yedu, and at the same time sent troops to Xiangcheng County.  Twenty thousand, the Han army general Wenpin also sent 15,000 more troops to Yecheng. The clouds of war began to hang over Yingchuan County, and the war was about to break out.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1069 Everyone insists on their own opinions

    The conflict that occurred in Nanyang was an extremely serious incident for both Cao and Han. Especially when the Han army had just conquered Jiaozhou, such a conflict undoubtedly aroused the most sensitive nerves of both parties.  Wenpin immediately wrote a report to Liu Jing. Liu Jing immediately interrupted his inspection of Bashu and rushed to Nanyang. On the way, he issued two orders in succession, ordering Huang Zhong's army resting in Nanjun to rush to Nanyang County immediately.  He also ordered Zhao Yun of Tongguan to prepare for war and be ready to attack at any time.  And Cao Cao was even more nervous. He was far from ready for a decisive battle with the Han army, but something happened in Kunyang, which made him have to worry that the Han army was going to tear up the agreement. Now that Jiaozhou has been wiped out, can Liu Jing not wait anymore?  Cao Cao was worried that the situation was critical. Regardless of his old age and frailty, he immediately rushed to Xudu and ordered General Xu Huang to lead an army of 20,000 to Luoyang, and Zhang Liao to lead an army of 20,000 to support Xudu.  On the official road heading south to Xudu, 10,000 tiger and horsemen marched in a mighty formation, with banners like clouds and a huge momentum. Cao Cao's large carriage was in the middle of the formation. Inside the carriage, Cao Cao and Cheng Yu were discussing the sudden Yingchuan crisis.  .  Unlike Cao Cao who was extremely nervous, Cheng Yu did not believe that Liu Jing would launch a campaign against the Central Plains at this time. After all, the Han army had been fighting continuously in the past few years and had just ended the Battle of Jiaozhou. The soldiers were very tired and their national strength and food supplies were not supporting it.  Liu Jing launched another larger-scale battle.  "The State of Wei does not need to be too anxious. I know Liu Jing well. It can be seen from his attack on Jiangdong. In order to attack Jiangdong, he did not hesitate to launch the Hefei War first and controlled Jianghuai before attacking Jiangdong with all his strength. This time Yingchuan  Crisis, I see no sign of Liu Jing starting a war in the Central Plains. As far as Wei Chen knows, he is still patrolling in Shu, so Wei Chen feels that this is an accident and there must be some reason. " Cheng Yu's explanation made  Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief. He thought for a moment and then asked: "Does Zhongde think Liu Jing will rush to Nanyang?" "I think it is very possible, just like Wei Gong rushed to Xudu. If Liu Jing doesn't want to do anything about it,  If a war breaks out, he will definitely rush to Nanyang. This matter is equally important to him. "Cao Cao sighed, "I am very worried that he will use this matter to continue to put pressure on Xu Du, creating a situation where mistakes can be made at any time.  Send troops to the Central Plains." Cheng Yu nodded, "Wei Gong's worries are reasonable. With Liu Jing's style, he will seize every opportunity to build momentum. Although he may not necessarily start a war now, he will create a tense situation where a war is about to break out.  He is preparing to attack the Central Plains in the future. In this case, Wei Gong must pay special attention to the movements of the Han troops in the three directions of Hefei, Nanyang and Tongguan. If Liu Jing decides to attack the Central Plains, there will definitely be changes in these three directions at the same time. " Cao Cao sighed.  He said, "If I had known this day, I should have issued the Ding Order, and I wouldn't be so passive now." Cheng Yu was silent for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "Wei Gong, there is something I don't know whether I should say."  "That's it. I've been with me for so many years. Why should I not trust you?" Cheng Yu said slowly: "In terms of commander's ability, Cao Zhen is too inferior to Xia Houyuan. It is definitely not wise to let Cao Zhen sit in the Central Plains.  "Wei Chen is worried that he will repeat the same mistakes as Jiangdong." Cheng Yu said it very implicitly. He was actually reminding Cao Cao that Cao Cao had serious internal factional struggles. If he values ??factions too much like Jiangdong, he will inevitably be burdened by factions.  Cao Cao nodded silently. In fact, he understood this contradiction, but to solve this contradiction, it cannot be solved in one or two sentences. It involves the issue of heir inheritance. He sighed, "Zhongde's golden words,  I will think about it carefully.¡±  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Just when Cao Cao was about to arrive in Xudu, Liu Jing's team also arrived in Wancheng. In fact, Liu Jing could not say that he knew nothing about the Yecheng conflict, otherwise Wenpin would not have dared to take the opportunity to stir up trouble.  .  Liu Jing had told Wenpin at the beginning of the year that after the Battle of Jiaozhou, he could appropriately provoke a conflict with Cao Jun, and let Wenpin decide the specific plan.  Before Liu Jing arrived at Wancheng, Huang Zhong led 40,000 troops stationed in Jingnan to arrive in Nanyang County and set up camp outside Wancheng. Together with the garrisons from Xiangyang and Nanyang, a total of 60,000 troops were stationed in Wancheng.  , there are also 20,000 Han troops on the front line of Yecheng, and 80,000 troops have gathered in the entire Nanyang County.  In the large tent of the military camp, Wenpin reported the details of the entire incident to Liu Jing. Liu Jing listened and pondered, and finally asked: "Has the Cai family's caravan returned now?" "Your Highness, the Cai family's  The caravan hasn't come back yet, and it should still be in Le Yi's hands, but I'm worried that Le Yi will kill people and silence them. " "It doesn't matter. As long as Cao Cao is interested in investigating, he can't hide this kind of thing. " Liu Jing now understands that Wenpin is.  Taking advantage of the kidnapping of the Cai family's caravan by Cao Jun, he ordered Cai Jin to stir up trouble.If things are handled well, it is easy to turn a big thing into a small matter, but it can also turn a small matter into a big one.  Seeing that all the generals still had some doubts, he smiled and said: "Actually, I asked Governor Wen to arrange this conflict in advance. The purpose was to test Cao Jun's emergency army deployment. Once the war in the Central Plains really breaks out, how will Cao Cao deploy his troops?"  Send generals? In addition, we need to establish a state of war. If war breaks out, we can send troops at any time. It is already early May, and we will start a war in about half a year at most. Therefore, maintaining a state of war will be beneficial to our attack on the Central Plains.  Attack." In the big tent, Huang Zhong, Wenpin, Wei Yan, Xiang Chong, Lu Meng, Xu Sheng, Jiang Qin, Zhu Heng and other generals were silently listening to Liu Jing's explanation, especially the original Jiangdong generals, who were the first.  Once following the King of Han to participate in the war against Cao Wei, everyone was full of expectations.  At this time, veteran Huang Zhong asked: "Your Highness means that this time is just a drill and test. Does Your Highness think Cao Cao will go south?" "I believe he will go south. His going south is not only because he is not ready for war, but also because he is not ready for war.  At the same time, it is also because he is not at ease with Cao Zhen. Now that Cao Wei has insufficient civilian strength, he can only use soldiers to farm. Once we remain on the verge of war, Cao's army will have to respond in the same way, which will disrupt his military deployment. " Speaking of this, Liu Jing smiled.  He stood up and said, "Although it won't have much impact, it's still better than nothing." Liu Jing looked at the crowd again. Seeing Lu Meng thoughtful, he smiled and asked, "What is General Lu thinking about?" Lu Meng bowed.  Said: "Bizhi thinks, why don't we fight and negotiate at the same time and break through the army to the north bank of the Huaihe River? This will increase the pressure on Cao Cao and make him have to give in to us. What Bizhi means is to take advantage of this opportunity to deploy the army."  Breakthrough to the north bank of the Huaihe River." As soon as Lu Meng finished speaking, Wei Yan said from the side: "General Lu does not know that our warships have completely controlled the Huaihe River. We can land on the north bank of the Huaihe River at any time. In fact, there is no need to station troops in Huaibei.  " Landing on the Huaihe River at any time and stationing troops in Huaibei are two different things. The latter can establish a strong logistics base in Huaibei and buy time for future wars. " "Isn't it the same thing to use warships for logistics? " "What about the people's support?  What kind of support does Huaibei have? Why didn't General Wei think about it?" Lu Meng and Wei Yan started arguing, and Wenpin couldn't help shouting: "Don't be rude in front of His Highness!" The two were shocked and quickly stopped the argument. Liu Jing waved his hands and smiled.  : "I have made arrangements for this matter. The two generals should not argue anymore." Everyone dispersed the tent, and Liu Jing was alone in the Chinese army's tent with her hands behind her hands, staring at the Central Plains sand table. At this time, a soldier reported: "Your Highness  , General Xu Sheng asks to see you!" "Please come in!" After a moment, Xu Sheng walked into the tent and bowed, "Your Highness!" "What can I do, General Xu Sheng?"  : "His Highness also said today that Cao Cao is not ready for war. I don't understand why His Highness doesn't take advantage of this opportunity to attack from the west and capture Luoyang or Bingzhou. When Cao Cao asks for peace, we will let the results obtained  Has it become a fait accompli?" Liu Jing shook his head slightly and said: "Cao Cao is certainly not ready for war. In fact, we are not ready for war either. On the one hand, the military rations are insufficient and will not last long. Secondly, once the war starts, there will be  A large number of refugees are pouring into Guanzhong, how to resettle them? These things seem simple, but in fact they are very difficult to deal with. We must be fully prepared. " Speaking of this, Liu Jing smiled at Xu Sheng gently: "  I can understand the mood of General Wen Xiang, but the attack on Cao Wei is of great importance. It must be deployed calmly, fully prepared, and know how to make choices. Although there are many opportunities in front of you, you must also consider the long term and cannot be hasty. This conflict in Yecheng  , I just put pressure on Cao Cao, observed his deployment of troops, and at the same time established a state of war. As long as this goal is achieved, I can stop. I believe that after this test, I will be more confident about attacking the Central Plains.  " Xu Sheng said with some shame: "The consideration of humble position is too superficial.  "Liu Jing smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "As a general, you should adapt to the situation and seize the opportunity. Your suggestion is absolutely correct. Now that Cao Wei's army is concentrated in the Central Plains and the state is empty, I can definitely order Zhao Yun to send troops to annex the state. This is a good general's advice.  I suggest that as the overall controller, my vision cannot be limited to one city or one area, or to the gains and losses in one battle. Sometimes I feel it is a pity, but I must be patient and restrain my desires. Can Wen Xiang understand?  " Xu Sheng nodded silently. Although he couldn't do it, he could understand it. Liu Jing added: "But appropriate pressure is still needed. Don't be too anxious. You can escalate gradually. It depends on how the negotiations go?  " Xu Sheng was puzzled, "What does Your Highness want to negotiate?  ¡± &nbsp;Liu Jing put his hands behind his hands and said calmly: "At least Cao Cao has to admit that he started this conflict first, and he must give me an explanation." Cao Cao also arrived at Xuchang. As soon as he entered the gate of Xuchang, he couldn't care less about rest.  Immediately summon Cao Zhen and General Lequn to see him!  " Cao Zhen and Le Qun were both in the military camp outside the city. After hearing Wei Gong's order, the two hurriedly came to pay homage. At this time, Cao Cao was talking to his third son Cao Zhi. Cao Zhi was named Xu Du to stay on guard, but in fact it was just a false post. Xu Du  The military and political power was not in his hands. After more than a year, Cao Zhi finally saw his father. Tears fell and his voice became choked with sobs. "A child cannot serve his father. It is an unfilial child!"  " Cao Cao liked this son the most. It was only because he was considering the succession of Wei that he had to cruelly neglect his son. At this time, he felt quite sad in his heart. He forced a smile and said: "Idiot, you don't have to be like this. My father is in good health.  You are alone in Xudu, and your father and your mother are very concerned about you. It seems that you look good. Remember, don't indulge in wine and sex anymore.  " "My son, please obey your father's orders!  " Cao Cao sighed again, "You will understand in the future that being a father is entirely for your own good and to save your life. One day, you will no longer resent your father.  " Cao Zhi burst into tears, "I understand, kid!  I really understand my father¡¯s painstaking efforts.  " Cao Cao stroked his hair lovingly and said with a smile: "Don't cry anymore. The military advisor and General Cao Zhen are coming soon. Don't let them laugh.  " Cao Zhi wiped away his tears and said, "My child obeys the order!  " At this time, Cao Cao asked the guard at the door, "But they are here?  "    "yes!  General Cao Zhen and military advisors were waiting outside.  " "Let them in!"  Cao Cao smiled at his son again and said, "You are sitting next to my father. Today I will make an exception for you to participate in military affairs."  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1070 Whose Responsibility

    Cao Zhen and Cheng Yu walked into the central hall one after another. Cao Zhen saw Cao Zhi sitting next to Wei Gong. He couldn't help but be startled, why was Cao Zhi here?  But Cao Zhen had no time to think about it, so he stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "I'm sorry to see you, Duke Wei!" At this time, Cheng Yu also walked in and saluted Cao Cao. Cao Cao waved his hands and smiled and said, "Please sit down, both of you!" The two of them sat down.  , Cao Cao's eyes turned to Cao Zhen. He wanted to know what happened. The Han army would never launch an attack without any reason. Even if it was a provocation, it needed an excuse. So what was this excuse?  Cao Zhen had roughly understood what had happened and reported to Cao Cao: "I am reporting to Duke Wei that this time the Han army provoked trouble, mainly because the Han army found an excuse." "What excuse?" Cao Cao asked eagerly.  "It was because Le Yi, the son of Le Qun, led a group of patrol soldiers to check the merchants and found a caravan carrying prohibited weapons. He arrested the caravan. Unexpectedly, the caravan was the caravan of the Cai family in Xiangyang.  , and as a result, Cai Jin, the commander of Yecheng, attacked Cao's patrol post at night. When Le Qun asked him for help, he was ambushed, and a fierce battle broke out between the two sides. As a result, the Han army occupied Kunyang County. " "Are you telling the truth?  "Cao Cao asked again.  "This is Lequn's report to Bizhang. Bizhang has also investigated it and it should be true." At this time, Cheng Yu, standing next to him, interrupted and asked: "How many people were there in that captured caravan, and what goods were they transporting? How many goods were there?"  "Reporting back to the military advisor, there are about ten people. I heard it was silk and satin, carried by 300 mules." Cao Zhen was a little uneasy. He felt that Cheng Yu was suspicious of something. Could it be that Le Qun had something to hide from him?  Cao Cao also felt that Cheng Yu was suspicious of something, so he asked, "What does the military advisor think is wrong?" Cheng Yu smiled, "I just feel that some things are not common sense. Maybe I am worrying too much." "The military advisor thinks there is something wrong."  You might as well talk about it. " "The first question is why this caravan is carrying prohibited weapons. They know they will be searched, so why are they carrying prohibited weapons? And there are only a dozen of them. I don't understand the point of bringing prohibited weapons.  "Maybe they feel unsafe on the road and want to protect themselves." "If they feel unsafe, there shouldn't be only a dozen people to take care of 300 mules. I think there are too few people, and I heard General Cao say it.  It was only later that I found out that they were the Cai family caravan, but from a common sense, these people would shout out their identities when they were arrested. I thought it was a bit strange. " At this time, Cao Zhi snorted coldly, "Military advisor,  It¡¯s not surprising at all, it was Le Yi who wanted to steal other people¡¯s goods, which were of high value. He got greedy and framed the other party with a prohibited crossbow, so he was arrested. Cai Jin naturally took advantage of this opportunity to cause trouble. "  Cao Zhen was very anxious, "Third Young Master, you can't talk nonsense like this!" Cao Zhi ignored him and saluted his father: "For father's sake, I have also heard in Xudu that Le Qun in Kunyang charged high fees from merchants.  The merchants complained about the travel expenses. If my father wants to know whether what I said is correct, it is easy to find the group of merchants and ask them. But I guess they have been killed and silenced. "Cao Zhi deeply hated Cao Zhen for replacing Xiahou Dun.  Monitoring himself, he seized this opportunity today and added insult to injury without hesitation. Cao Zhen's face turned pale. If what Cao Zhi said was true, I'm afraid even he would be dragged down.  Cao Cao glanced at Cheng Yu and saw that Cheng Yu had a faint smile on his face. He had a clear understanding in his heart. I'm afraid Cheng Yu also meant the same thing, but his son said it. Cao Cao pondered for a while and said to Cao Zhen: "This matter  I'm afraid there is something fishy. If you go to investigate again, you must get to the bottom of it. You must not hide it for half a year. " Cao Zhi sighed secretly in his heart. His father still let Cao Zhen go. Cao Zhen was also relieved. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood up. "  I'll go investigate now." Cao Zhen hurried away. It was only then that Cheng Yu slowly said: "In fact, even if Le Qun behaved improperly and robbed merchants, it would not give the Han army a reason to cross the border to arrest the patrol soldiers.  The nature is completely different, so it is obvious that the Han army provoked first and violated the armistice agreement. Wei Gong should take the initiative to condemn Liu Jing and not be passive." While they were discussing, a guard in the hall reported: "I am reporting to Wei Gong, the King of Han.  Send an envoy to meet him!" Cao Cao and Cheng Yu looked at each other, but Liu Jing acted quickly and acted first.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Not long after, the guards invited the envoy of the King of Han into the front hall. The envoy was none other than Liu Jing's master, Bo Quezheng. Quezheng stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Quezheng is seeing Mr. Wei!" "It turns out to be Mr. Que. I haven't seen him for a long time.  Come on, please sit down!" Cao Cao smiled and asked the guards to serve tea. "How are you, Your Highness?" "Report to Duke Wei.?His Royal Highness the King of Han is very good, and Concubine Cao is also very good. His Highness the King of Han specially asked me to send some gifts to Wei Gong to show the younger generation's kindness.  " A guard placed a gold-painted wooden box on the table and opened the box. It was full of excellent Cordyceps. He introduced with a smile: "These Cordyceps sinensis were produced in the Qinghai Plateau and were donated by the Qiang people to the Han Dynasty.  Your Highness, Your Highness asked Wei Gong to boil it and take it to protect your health.  " Although the two sides were in a state of hostility, Liu Jing still did not forget the courtesy of his father-in-law, which made Cao Cao quite pleased. He had also received letters from his daughter before and knew that Liu Jing treated his daughter very well and was not biased. The princess was also tolerant.  This made Cao Cao's worst worry go away. Cao Cao happily accepted the cordyceps and asked with a smile: "Does the King of Han know that I am coming to Xudu?"  " "His Royal Highness the King of Han said that Duke Wei will definitely come.  " Cao Cao laughed twice, but secretly thought in his heart, 'Liu Jing actually guessed that I was coming, which means that the conflict in Nanyang can still be controlled, so there is no need to worry too much. ' At this time, Cheng Yu next to him laughed and said: "Mr. Que is for Kun  The Yang conflict came to Xudu?  " "No!  " But Zheng shook his head and said solemnly: "I came to Xuchang because of the conflict in Yecheng.  "Although it was the same thing, it happened in a different place and had a different nature. However, it was obvious that he refused to give in in principle. At this time, Cao Cao smiled and said: "Whether it is Kunyang or Yecheng, the matter has already happened.  happened, how should we quell this conflict now? I wonder if His Highness the King of Han has any suggestions?  " Cao Cao just wants to resolve this matter as soon as possible and reduce the major issue to a minor issue. It doesn't matter who is right or wrong. As long as Liu Jing's conditions are reasonable, he is willing to give in. After all, the Han army has the initiative. But Zhengzheng said: "  His Highness the King of Han said that the two sides had signed an armistice agreement and that he had no intention of destroying the hard-won peace. He only hoped that Wei Gong could agree to two conditions and the matter would be settled.  " At this time, Cheng Yu suddenly noticed that Cao Zhi was surprisingly quiet. If it were in the past, Cao Zhi would have jumped up and scolded Liu Jing for being rude, but today he remained silent. Cheng Yu glanced at Cao Zhi strangely, sitting next to him.  Seeing that his expression was dull, but there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes, Cheng Yuruo realized something, and Cao Cao didn't seem to be angry. He nodded, "Mr. Que, please go on, what are the two conditions?"  " "First, this conflict was caused by the son of Lequn robbing Han merchants in a framed way. We demand that the people be released and deliver the goods, apologize, punish the murderer severely, and guarantee that similar incidents will not happen again; secondly,  The request is that the Wei State relaxes all trade restrictions and allows merchants from both sides to trade freely. With these two conditions, I hope Wei Gong can respond as soon as possible.  " Even though Cao Cao was calm, he was irritated at this time. He said coldly: "What if I don't agree?  " "His Royal Highness the King of Han did not tell Wei Chen, but I think if Wei Gong refuses to cooperate, then there may be events that neither of us want to see happen, and we hope not to come to this point.  " Cao Cao snorted heavily and stood up and walked towards the back room. Cao Zhi quickly stood up and supported his father. Cheng Yu watched Cao Cao go away. At this time, he and Que Zheng were the only two people left in the lobby. Cheng Yu shook his head and said, "Excuse me.  To put it bluntly, the King of Han's request was a bit excessive. Although Cao Jun had improper behavior in dealing with merchants, the Han army captured Cao Jun's patrol post, which undoubtedly escalated the situation. We think this conflict was because the Han army crossed the border to arrest  It was caused by people, not businessmen. Duke Wei did not want to ruin the relationship between Weng and his son-in-law, so he wanted to handle the matter coldly. Why did the King of Han have to be aggressive?  But Zheng Zheng retorted tit for tat: "Master Cheng avoided the important and took the easy. Why did he take the businessman's arrest so lightly?"  Merchants are also citizens of the Han State, and the country is based on the people. When their lives and wealth are in danger, how can the Han army remain indifferent? General Cai's original intention was to use Cao's army patrols to exchange for the plundered merchants, but Le Qun suppressed the situation with a large army.  They also killed across the boundary river, which led to the escalation of the conflict. No matter whether it was emotional or rational, it was Cao Jun who went too far. How could Commander Cheng blame the King of Han?  Cheng Yu was silent for a moment and said: "It seems that we have too many differences and it is difficult to talk about it anymore. Let's do this!"  Please bring Mr. Que back to Wei Gong's suggestion. We will not make an exception in this matter next time. Both sides should exercise restraint. Please ask the Han army to withdraw from Kunyang County. We will no longer care about the casualties suffered by Cao's army.  " Que Zheng stood up and bowed his hands in salute, "In that case, Que Zheng will take his leave.  ¡± Cheng Yu kept sending Que Zheng out of the door, and then hurriedly walked back to the inner hall. In the inner hall, Cao Cao was waiting for him. In fact, Cao Cao left in anger, allowing Cheng Yu and Que Zheng to continue talking.  It was too difficult for both parties to step down, so it was more appropriate for representatives to come forward. When Cheng Yu walked into the inner hall, Cao Cao asked, "What happened in the end?"  Cheng Yu shook his head, "As I expected, neither side would give in."  " Cao Cao pondered for a moment and said: "Actually, Liu Jing's request is not too excessive. I can answer the second one.He, both sides have free trade. In fact, I hope to get the other side's refined iron and grain, but the first point is that the two sides must discuss it again, especially requiring the Han army to withdraw from Kunyang County, otherwise Xu Du's defense pressure will be too great  .  " Cao Zhi next to him said: "Father, I feel that I cannot condone Lequn. He extorts businessmen, and his son robs openly and secretly. If such people are not punished severely, my father's reputation will be ruined by them.  " Cao Cao understood his son's intentions and just wanted to take this opportunity to attack Cao Zhen. He didn't want to cause trouble again. Of course he had to punish Le Qun, but it couldn't be on the terms of the Han army. Cao Cao didn't mention it. He said with some worry: "I don't want to.  Do you know what countermeasures Liu Jing will take next?  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1071 The crisis escalates

    Nearly two years have passed since the end of the Hefei War. With the return of the population, land reclamation, and the construction of the new Hefei City, the area on the south bank of the Huaihe River has gradually begun to regain its vitality. However, militarily, the Han and Cao armies still faced each other across the Huaihe River. Forty thousand Han troops  Deployed on the Shouchun front line, Liu Hu is the main general.  On the other side, Cao's army on the other side was about 20,000 strong. The general was originally Cao Zhen. After Cao Zhen was promoted to the governor of Yuzhou, the post of chief general in Huaibei was banned.  The two sides of Han and Cao used the Huaihe River as their boundary. The north of Huaibei belonged to Qiao County and the south belonged to Huainan County. For two years, the two sides had been in peace. Although the Han army had a navy consisting of 300 warships and controlled the Huaihe River, the Han army also  Never landing on the north bank, as time passed, the people's fear gradually disappeared, and the ferries on both sides of the Huaihe River became lively, with people coming and going every day, and more of them were traders traveling between the two places.  That night, Yicheng County, Qiao County, closed the city gate early as usual, and soldiers on the city were patrolling back and forth. Because the defense line of the Huaihe River was too long, Cao Jun only had more than 20,000 people. It was impossible to deploy defenses everywhere, and could only be deployed in some strategic areas.  Deploy troops for defense in key areas.  Yicheng County is also a strategic location. It is located at the entrance of the Huai River to the Huaihe River. The Wei River connects the Qiao County and the Huaihe River. The river is wide and deep, and thousands of stone warships can be used. The Han army's warships can directly enter the Central Plains from here, so  Cao's army stationed three thousand men here to defend this strategic city.  The time gradually reached the third watch, and the night became darker. At this time, an army quietly approached Yicheng County. This Han army of about 8,000 people was led by General Ding Feng.  After Ding Feng was destroyed by Jiangdong, he also formally surrendered to the Han army. He was named Zhonglang General and Liancheng Tinghou by Liu Jing. Together with Ling Tong, another Jiangdong surrender general, he became General Liu Hu's right-hand man.  Ding Feng led his army across the Huaihe River about ten miles away from the county seat and quietly approached Yicheng County. He led his army to ambush in a forest about a few hundred steps away from the east city, waiting for the city gate to open. As early as the morning,  He then sent more than a hundred elite soldiers disguised as farmers into the city to sell fish, preparing to cooperate with the outside world to seize Yicheng County.  Since the two sides signed an armistice agreement, everything has been peaceful in the past two years. Moreover, Yicheng County is far away from Shouchun and is located on the edge of defense. The defenders are not very vigilant and have not entered a state of combat readiness. Cao's troops are not patrolling the city.  Hundreds of people.  There are only about 20 Cao Jun soldiers on the east city gate, who are responsible for opening and closing the city gate every day. At the third watch, most of the 20 Cao Jun soldiers are sleeping, and there are only two soldiers on duty on the top of the city.  Open the city gate on time.  At this time, a group of Cao soldiers, about a hundred people, came from the corridor. The leader was a tooth general. The two soldiers who were chatting were frightened and stood up quickly. The tooth general looked around and angrily said: "Why are there only  "Two people, where are the others?" A soldier pointed to the tower timidly, and the general said angrily: "How dare you sleep in the middle of the night, tie them all up!" More than a hundred soldiers rushed into the tower and tied up the sleeping people.  Cao Jun was all tied up. Twenty dozen Cao Jun soldiers were kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs. They were at a loss. When was there a rule not to sleep at night?  General Ya snorted loudly, "We will deal with you after dawn!" He ordered more than twenty Cao soldiers to be gagged with linen and locked up in the tower. Only then did they reveal their true colors. They turned out to be Han soldiers.  The army disguised themselves, opened the city gate, and lit a fire at the top of the city.  Ding Feng saw the signal on the city in the distance and was overjoyed. He immediately shouted: "Come into the city!" Eight thousand Han soldiers rushed out of the woods. Under the leadership of Ding Feng, they rushed directly into the city.  Cheng County, the three thousand Cao troops stationed in the city almost didn't react before they became prisoners of war of the Han army.  Ding Feng immediately released more than a hundred prisoners of war and ordered them to report the news back to Xiacai County, where the main force of Cao's army was stationed.  At the same time that the Han army captured Yicheng County, hundreds of thousand-stone warships from Hefei also appeared in the Huaihe River, imposing pressure on the north bank. The Han army on the south bank entered a state of war, and all 30,000 Han troops were mobilized.  The sudden movement of the Han army made the Cao army on the other side nervous. The threat from the Han army on the other side made Yu Jin urgently order the entire army to enter a state of war. At the same time, Yicheng County was captured by the Han army, and the news that three thousand defenders were captured also reached  After leaving Cai, Yu Jin realized the seriousness of the situation. He immediately sent an urgent military report eight hundred miles away and sent people to Xudu to report urgently.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  It was not just the situation in the Huaihe River that suddenly changed. In Bingzhou, 20,000 Han troops crossed the Yellow River and entered Hedong County. The defenders of Hedong County were forced to withdraw north. The Han army occupied Hedong County, and the situation in Bingzhou also became critical.  News of Bingzhou and Huaibei arrived in Xudu almost at the same time. At this time, only ten days had passed since the first negotiation between the two parties, and the situation changed suddenly, which greatly increased the pressure on Cao Cao.  In the lobby, Cao Cao paced back and forth with his hands behind his hands. The crisis in Huaibei and Bingzhou made him both annoyed and worried.?He also did not expect that Cao Jun's defense was so fragile and was easily broken through by the Han army. Only then did he realize that Liu Jing's real intention in triggering the Nanyang conflict was to test Cao Jun's defense.  Crises occurred on the three fronts of Nanyang, Shouchun and Hedong at the same time. This was clearly a preview of the Han army's future attack on Cao Cao. A small test exposed Cao Jun's weak defense.  But what Cao Cao is most worried about now is whether Liu Jing will turn the test into a real attack once he discovers that Cao Jun's defense is weak. Cao Cao also feels a little regretful. If he had known that he should have accepted Liu Jing's conditions last time and quelled the conflict in Nanyang as soon as possible.  Rather than letting the conflict escalate.  At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Wei Gong, the military advisor wants to see you!" Cao Cao also had some objections to Cheng Yu. He believed that Cheng Yu should have expected that the situation would worsen, so why didn't he remind himself and persuade himself to calm down the conflict as soon as possible?  As a military advisor, Cheng Yu's performance this time was not satisfactory.  "Invite him in!" Cao Cao sighed, suppressed his inner anxiety, and sat back down. Soon, Cheng Yu hurried in, knelt down and saluted, "Greetings to Wei Gong!" "Zhongde, the situation is not good! Han  The Han army has captured Hedong County and Yicheng County in Huaibei in the past few days. Three hundred warships of the Han army have entered the vortex and will attack Qiao County at any time. The situation in Bingzhou is also critical. It is said that Zhao Yun has appeared in Hedong County.  " Cao Cao handed two urgent military reports to Cheng Yu. The anxiety in his eyes could not be concealed. Cheng Yu was calm. These situations seemed to be within his expectation. He looked at the two military reports and said to Cao Cao:  "Please rest assured, Duke Wei. Wei Chen believes that Liu Jing is putting pressure on Duke Wei again. Now they are not ready to attack Wei in a large scale. This should be a test. Wei Chen believes that they will withdraw their troops." "But even if they withdraw their troops.  , I must agree to their conditions. "Cao Cao was helpless. This conflict caused the price of rice in Yedu to triple, and public resentment boiled over. This made him unexpected. He felt a little regretful. This matter should not have been delayed.  Too long.  On the other hand, Cao Cao has asked Cao Zhen to find out the truth. It was indeed caused by Lequn's son robbing the Cai family's caravan. Le Yi also hid the people and goods in Xiangcheng County. Cao Cao was furious and dismissed Lequn from his official position.  And imprisoned Le Yi. Now Cao Cao is willing to agree to Liu Jing's conditions, but he can't live with it in terms of face.  Cheng Yu knew Cao Cao's mentality very well. He smiled slightly and said: "Wei Gong doesn't have to worry too much about Liu Jing. After all, he is Wei Gong's son-in-law. He will maintain the dignity of his son-in-law and will not add any conditions. But I think  The Han army's temptation is not necessarily a bad thing for us. It allows us to see our own weaknesses. As long as Wei Gong strengthens and improves the weak links in the next time, we can calmly deal with it when the war actually breaks out. " Cao Cao nodded, "  Zhongde is right. From this point of view, the Han army's probing attack is indeed a good thing. Frankly speaking, I didn't expect our defense to be so weak. "Cao Cao already understood why Cheng Yu didn't persuade him, and he thought too.  Take a look at Cao Jun's defense. Cheng Yu really saw it more clearly than he did. Thinking of this, Cao Cao said again: "Can you please Zhongde to go to Wancheng for me and end this crisis for me?" Cheng Yu Shen Shi.  A gift, "I would like to share the worries for Wei Gong!" £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  It has been two days since Liu Jing arrived at the east gate of Nanyang County in Yecheng. At this time, Liu Jing stood on the top of Beicheng, staring at the sunset that was gradually setting in the distance. The sunset was like a huge fireball, gradually falling in the clouds, and thousands of rays of light  It shined through the clouds, dyeing the entire earth a golden-red color.  Liu Jing had not noticed the setting sun for a long time. At this time, he suddenly felt that the sunset was so magnificent, which made him filled with emotion. Behind Liu Jing, Cai Jin stood silently, but he was very flustered and had no idea at all.  Noticing the beauty of the sunset, he was found by Liu Jing, but he didn¡¯t know why the King of Han was looking for him?  "When I first came to Jingzhou, I also saw such a sunset on Rangshan Mountain." Liu Jing's voice was very low, full of nostalgia for the past, "Now that I see such a sunset again, it is no different from that time.  But nearly twenty years have passed. "Twenty years later, your highness will still see the same sunset," the Cai family replied carefully from behind.  Liu Jing nodded, turned around and smiled: "Yifu is right, people should face the future instead of dwelling on the past." "Being humble is an unintentional statement." Liu Jing stopped mentioning the sunset and asked him again.  : "How is the Cai family now?" Cai Jin sighed, "The Cai family is sinking more and more. They have given up their family studies and martial arts, and are keen on business. If these things continue, in less than five years, the Cai family will become the largest merchant in Jingzhou.  We are rich, but the reputation of the family has been destroyed in the hands of this generation. ¡± &nbsp; "Then what are Yifu's plans?" Liu Jing asked again with a smile.  "Me?" Cai Jin thought for a moment, then summoned up the courage to say: "I am planning to establish another Cai family in Nanyang County. How many families support me? I wonder if His Highness supports it?" "How can you ask me such a thing." Liu Jing  He smiled and said: "But a person always has to have some ideals. If Yifu has decided on his own path, he should stick to it. After all, life is too short, and some things cannot be hesitant too much." Cai Jin nodded silently. He had already done this.  After two years of thinking, it was time to make a decision. Two days later, Liu Jing met with Cao Cao's plenipotentiary Cheng Yu in Ye County. This time both parties had a tacit understanding. When Cheng Yu returned the captured Cai family caravan and goods  , and offered Le Yi's head, and the sincerity of the peace talks between the two parties was established.  Cheng Yu fully accepted the two conditions previously proposed by Liu Jing and promised to encourage trade between the two sides without setting up any obstacles. At the same time, Liu Jing also promised to withdraw from the occupied cities and restore the boundaries between the two sides before the conflict.  Thus, a serious confrontation between Cao and Han caused by an accidental conflict was finally resolved.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1072 Visit Longzhong Again

    The crisis that occurred in Ye County and Kunyang County came like a storm, but eventually passed away like a breeze, but its impact was far-reaching. To some extent, it opened the prelude to the war between the Han army and Cao Wei.  This made the already fragile truce between Cao and Han even more strange and unstable.  Liu Jing did not return to Guanzhong from the Nanxiang Pass, but went south to Xiangyang. It was already mid-May, the weather in late spring was getting warmer, and there was already a hint of early summer in the air in Xiangyang City.  But as the saying goes, "The fragrance of April in the world is over, and the peach blossoms in mountain temples are beginning to bloom." Spring in Longzhong seems to have just put on its full glory. You can see peaches and plums everywhere, golden rapeseed flowers as far as the eye can see, and Longzhong is filled with fragrance.  .  That morning, a cavalry team of more than a hundred people escorted the King of Han Liu Jing into Longzhong Town slowly. Liu Jing had not been to Longzhong for more than ten years. The buildings in Longzhong Town were almost the same as before, but they looked more dilapidated.  , there are also a lot fewer people in the town.  The ruin of Longzhong Town was not due to the impact of the war. Before the Chibi War, Longzhong Town was mainly used by Liu Biao to resettle northern nobles who fled south. A large number of northern nobles gathered in Longzhong Town, bringing prosperity to Longzhong.  When Cao Jun invaded the south, a large number of nobles from Longzhong Town fled to Jiangxia, and later followed Liu Jing into Bashu. In the end, most of these nobles settled in Guanzhong, and many of them served in the Han Dynasty. With the departure of the nobles, especially Lumen  After the academy moved to Xiangyang City, there was no new population in Longzhong, and it became dilapidated day by day.  The dilapidation and desolation of Longzhong Town made Liu Jing secretly shake his head. Longzhong Town is no longer the place where scholars gathered in the past, so I wonder what Zhuge Liang will feel when he comes back.  After passing Longzhong Town, walk two miles southwest, turn on a winding road, and then walk a few hundred steps along a small river. A white wall will appear in front of you, which is Zhuge Liang's old residence in Longzhong.  This kind of mansion covers an area of ??about three acres and is surrounded by a white wall. However, it is not as dilapidated as Longzhong Town and is quite well maintained. It is exactly the same as the mansion Liu Jing saw back then. A pair of loyal old people  The servant girl has been taking care of Zhuge Liang's house.  Liu Jing ordered the soldiers to wait in the distance. He walked towards Zhuge Mansion alone and calmly, "Who are you looking for?" Suddenly a clear voice came from above his head. When Liu Jing looked up, he saw only a tree in front of him.  Sitting on the pear tree is a girl in a green skirt, about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a wreath of snow-white pear flowers on her head. She looks very delicate, with a hint of Zhuge Liang in her face.  Liu Jing laughed and said, "You are Guo'er! I am your father's old friend. Come to see him. Is he at home?" Hearing that it was his father's old friend who came to visit, Zhuge Guo'er suddenly felt a little embarrassed. She never  She slipped down from the tree, turned around and ran towards her home. After only a few steps, she stopped and looked back and asked, "What's your name, uncle?" Liu Jing saw her frankness and cuteness, and immediately fell in love with this little girl, so she smiled.  She said: "My surname is Liu, I come from Chang'an." "Uncle Liu, wait a moment, I will report to my father." She ran to the door, just as her mother Huang Yueying came out with a bamboo basket, pulled her and said with a smile: "Silly girl,  "What are you doing, Jiji Fengfeng?" "Auntie, there is an uncle looking for daddy. He said he is daddy's old friend." Zhuge Guoer pointed to the path ahead, and Huang Yueying saw someone in front of her. She didn't see who it was for a moment.  , at this time Liu Jing slowly approached and said with a smile: "Sister-in-law, do you still recognize me?" Huang Yueying was stunned for a while, and it took a long time to realize, and quickly stepped forward to salute, "See you, Your Highness!" Liu Jing said with a smile: "Here  No, Your Highness, I am an old friend of Kong Ming. Is he at home? " Huang Yueying quickly told her daughter, "Go to the study and tell your father."  "Although Zhuge Guo is naughty, she is extremely smart. She had already heard her mother calling her your highness, and guessed Liu Jing's identity. She stuck out her tongue and ran into the study.  Liu Jing looked at her back and smiled: "She has grown so big, she must be fourteen years old!" Huang Yueying was a little embarrassed and said: "I will be fourteen next month, and she is still as naughty as a child. I will never grow up.  It makes people anxious!" Liu Jing laughed, "Only people like this kind of child." Huang Yueying sighed secretly, and suddenly realized why Han Wang was allowed to stand outside and talk. She quickly said: "Your Highness, please come in.  "Sit down." Liu Jing walked into the yard, just as Zhuge Liang came out of the house. Although Zhuge Liang refused to surrender to the Han army in Jiaozhou, it did not mean that he would be rude to Liu Jing. After all, Liu Jing was the leader of the Han Dynasty, and he, Zhuge Liang, was the Han army.  subjects of the country.  Zhuge Liang apologized and bowed, "Common people, please see His Highness the King of Han!" &nbsp;"I told my sister-in-law just now that I am here to visit an old friend. There is no King of Han here, so Brother Kong Ming does not need to be polite." "Although I say this, hospitality is indispensable. Your Highness, please come in!" Zhuge Liang!  Liu Jing was invited into the study, and the two guests took their seats. Liu Jing looked around the study and saw that the study was very elegantly decorated. There was an incense burner in the corner, lingering in the faint mist. Other than that, there was only a cupboard and a table, but the floor was covered with thick mats.  The wooden board looks very warm and comfortable.  At this time, Huang Yueying came in with two cups of tea. She offered tea to Liu Jing and said with a smile: "How is Sister Tao doing now?" Liu Jing was reminded by one sentence. He quickly took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Huang Yueying.  "This is the letter my wife asked me to bring to my sister-in-law. I almost forgot about it." Zhuge Liang sat aside and smiled lightly, with a faint flash of light in his eyes. Huang Yueying quickly took the letter and said with a smile: "You guys talk, I won't disturb you anymore.  ." She retreated, leaving only Liu Jing and Zhuge Liang in the room.  Zhuge Liang took a sip of tea and asked calmly: "How is the emperor's uncle now?" "He has arrived in Chang'an and served as the Taiwei of the Han Dynasty. He was just in poor health in Jiaozhou. Now he is slowly recuperating in the mansion until he gets better.  , I plan to let the emperor's uncle be in charge of the ancestral temple sacrifices. The two generals Guan and Zhang went to Qinghai and Hexi respectively. They are very interested there. " "It's time for the emperor to take good care of his health. He is really not used to the climate of Jiaozhou.  "Zhuge Liang sighed softly, changed the topic, and asked with a smile: "I received a letter from my father-in-law two days ago, saying that there was a conflict with Cao Jun in Nanyang. I wonder what the situation is now?" Liu Jing heard it?  Zhuge Liang's implication was that he was not indifferent to world affairs in Nanyang, but was still very concerned about the situation in the world, which showed that he was not cold-hearted about his official career and was still waiting for the opportunity to come back.  In fact, Liu Jing also understood in her heart that Zhuge Liang refused to surrender in Jiaozhou because the arrogance in his heart prevented him from letting go of this face. He rejected him back then, but was forced to surrender in the end. It would be difficult for anyone else to accept this.  result.  That¡¯s why Zhuge Liang returned to Longzhong. In this case, he needed to be courteous to the corporal and lower his body before inviting him out. This would also give Zhuge Liang face. Liu Jing was already familiar with this kind of human sophistication.  Liu Jing took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "The crisis in Nanyang has ended. Cao Cao and I have reached two consensuses. First, Cao Cao severely punished the murderers who kidnapped the merchants and expressed his apology. Second, both parties promised to expand trade between the two countries and allow  There should be no artificial barriers to trade. It can only be said that both sides have advantages and disadvantages in this crisis! " "Oh! I wonder what Cao Cao's advantage is?" Zhuge Liang asked with a smile.  "At least he knows the weaknesses and shortcomings of his defense. He will definitely strengthen his defense and make up for the weak points when he comes down. This will certainly be good for him." "Then where is your highness's advantage?" "My advantage! At least let me see it.  When Cao Jun was strong on the surface, but empty inside, I also took the strategic initiative. I think this is the biggest gain." Zhuge Liang nodded, "That's it!" Liu Jing asked him tentatively: "Brother Kong Ming thinks I am.  "Actually, I think His Highness's advantage lies in the second of the two conditions. Wasn't it just to reach the second condition with Cao Cao?" Zhuge Liang and Liu Jing looked at each other.  One look, and we laughed together.  At this time, Huang Yueying came in with a teapot and added hot water to their tea bowls. Huang Yueying smiled at her husband again: "Mei Tao invited us to visit Chang'an in the letter. This is the third time. I always feel a bit warm."  It's hard to say, what does your husband mean? " Huang Yueying is also an extremely smart woman. She knows why Liu Jing came. As a dignified king of Han Dynasty, Liu Jing was able to go to Longzhong to ask her husband to come out, without any regard for the past. This kind of sincerity  , this kind of mind makes their couple so proud. This is the behavior of a wise king. Huang Yueying does not want her husband to reject Liu Jing's sincerity again for the so-called face.  What's more important is that her husband, who is less than forty years old, has ended up in failure and is alone in his hometown. She knows that this is not what her husband pursues, nor is it the life she wants. She hopes that her husband can seize this time and be able to display his talents.  Opportunities, don¡¯t make mistakes again and again.  Zhuge Liang understood his wife's hint, smiled and said: "Find a suitable time!" Huang Yueying understood that her husband had given in, she was secretly happy, bowed to Liu Jing, and slowly retreated.  The time was ripe, so Liu Jing turned the topic to the business of the trip. He pondered for a moment and said: "Last year, after I conquered Jiangdong, I specially expanded the five prime ministers of the Han Dynasty to seven prime ministers. Zhang Zhao has been appointed as the first prime minister. So far,  There are still six phases, and there is one phase I plan to leave to Jiaozhou or Zhong Yao. I want to use Zhong Yao to pull??Zhong Yao was a member of the gentry of Cao Wei, but Cao Cao retained him. If you don't mind that the Han Kingdom is poor and weak, and you don't mind that Liu Jing is stupid, please accept the seventh prime minister of the Han Kingdom.  " After saying that, Liu Jing placed Fang Xiangyin on the table and looked at Zhuge Liang expectantly.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1073 Coming out again

    Zhuge Liang was silent, and Liu Jing said again: "Back then, Liu Jing was not sincere enough and treated Mr. rudely, so Liu Jing missed Mr. Liu. Today, Liu Jing asks Mr. Liu to come out again with the greatest sincerity to help Liu Jing revive the Han Dynasty. I hope  "Master agreed." After a long time, Zhuge Liang sighed and said slowly: "My greatest ambition in this life is to revive the Han Dynasty and revive the Han Dynasty, so I will try my best to assist Uncle Liu. However, God's will is not on the emperor's side, and it cannot be restored by Kong Ming's human power. His Highness's  How can I not know my sincerity and how can I not be grateful? As long as His Highness agrees to my two conditions, Kong Ming is willing to come out again and devote himself to assisting His Highness. "Liu Jing was overjoyed, "Please make it clear, sir!" "The first is to ask His Highness to move the school to Xiangyang County.  In Longzhong, the decline of Longzhong made Kong Ming extremely sad. I only hope that when I return to Longzhong in my old age, I can hear the sound of reading in Longzhong. "Liu Jing nodded, "I also understand it deeply.  In the Longzhong School of Martial Arts, you can see Confucian scholars chatting and laughing everywhere, and you can see the young nobles in high spirits, but today it is really sad to see the dilapidated Longzhong. I will arrange to establish the Jingzhou Prefecture School in Longzhong and build a spacious official road to connect it.  Xiangyang City." Zhuge Liang was overjoyed and stood up to salute, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Your Majesty." Liu Jing waved his hand and said with a smile, "Sir, please sit down. Liu Jing is willing to wash his ears before listening." Zhuge Liang sat down and said, "My second condition is hope.  Your Highness can be kind to the emperor's uncle and his descendants. The emperor's uncle is old and his ambition is no longer. For the sake of Kong Ming, your highness, please let the emperor's uncle live in peace, so that his descendants can continue their heirs. " Liu Jing.  After pondering for a while, he said: "I might as well make it clear to you, Sir, that the reason why I named Uncle Liu Huang as Taiwei is mainly to consider using his reputation to recruit the Central Plains nobles, but I will not let him take real power again. I have learned the lesson of Ma Chao, and at most let him  In charge of the ancestral temple and rituals, as for his descendants, I will give them titles and wealth and make them rich. Frankly speaking, Liu Chan really makes me have nothing to worry about. " Zhuge Liang understands what Liu Jing means and Liu Chan's qualifications.  Mediocrity is indeed disappointing, but Liu Jing has made it clear to him that he will not give up his bottom line. Zhuge Liang does not expect Liu Bei to do anything now. As long as Liu Bei can grow old in peace, he will no longer have regrets in his heart.  But Liu Jing's sincerity moved him very much. Zhuge Liang stood up and knelt down and said: "Kong Ming is so virtuous and capable that he allowed His Highness to stoop down and pay a visit. If Your Highness doesn't mind, Kong Ming is willing to do his best." Liu Jing went to Longzhong in person.  In the end, he was not disappointed. Zhuge Liang followed the general trend, abandoned his prejudices and past suspicions, and joined Liu Jing's Fuhan Group. Liu Jing then named Zhuge Liang the Minister of Public Affairs and Military Advisor, and became the seventh prime minister of the Han Dynasty.  Half a month later, Zhuge Liang and his family arrived in Chang'an, escorted by a group of Han troops. Liu Jing specially held a banquet for hundreds of officials in the Qilin Hall of Weiyang Palace to honor Zhuge Liang and at the same time prepare for the annexation of Jiaozhou.  A celebration was held in Han Dynasty.  It was already June, and the weather was slowly getting warmer. After the Han and Wei Dynasties reached an agreement on freedom of doing business, all the checkpoints in the Wei Kingdom were removed, and the enthusiasm of the merchants was gradually stimulated. Pujin Pass  The official road to Tongguan was filled with an endless stream of caravans, mules, donkeys, and horses, carrying large and small packages and merchants' faces with excitement and anticipation.  Han's furs, tea, wood, paper, medicinal materials, silk and satin, and various daily utensils were continuously shipped to Bingzhou and the Central Plains, while Wei's copperware, livestock, farm tools, salt, cloth, and fine charcoal were shipped to Han.  But this is just a list of goods on the surface, but privately, the pig iron and grain of Han and the weapons, armor, and population of Wei are commodities for some big businessmen to make huge profits.  Under the mud and sand, legal and illegal trade are flowing in the increasingly prosperous commerce between the two countries. Cao Cao is trying to obtain pig iron and grain from Han, while Liu Jing is doing it for a more profound purpose.  Chang'an Xianyang Sub-city, this is one of the three sub-cities of Chang'an. The original Xianyang City had been destroyed in the war, and the county seat was later rebuilt. With the rapid development of Guanzhong and Chang'an, Xianyang has a population of 70,000 to 80,000  , is mainly a place where craftsmen live. The main businesses in the city are handicrafts, such as woodware, ironware, brewing, weaving, papermaking, pottery, etc. The clanking sounds of knocking and machines can be heard everywhere in the city.  In addition to private handicraft workshops, some large official workshops are also located in Xianyang City, such as the Nufang and Jiafang of the Ordnance Supervision, the wine shop of Guanglu Temple, and the money casting workshop of Shaofu Temple, etc. are all located in this newly built building.  In the vice city.  On this morning, Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, accompanied by Jiang Wan, the Minister of Household Affairs, and Ma Liang, the new Qing of Shaofu Temple, came to the money casting workshop in Xianyang City. There are currently two kinds of money in the Han Dynasty, one is the original Jiangxia money, but now  It was renamed Xinhan money. The other type was money, which was five baht coins made of gold. One coin could be worth one hundred Han coins.  And the red gold that was popular in the past is nowThe country has been banned from circulation. Large-scale trade can use official gold ingots. There are two types: twelve ingots and five taels. Gold ingots are not legal tender, but just a kind of treasure. However, the Han Dynasty also acquiesced in its use in the market.  circulation.  In order to prohibit the private manufacture of copper coins, the Han State formulated the most severe punishment methods. Once a privately produced copper coin or gold ingot was found, the entire family would be executed. This rule was not limited to the Han State, but included the entire world. Ten families had already been punished for making private coins.  And he was publicly beheaded everywhere.  Because of their fine quality and high copper content, the copper coins of the Han Dynasty have already become the currency of the world, and money is even more sought-after. It is difficult to see them on the market. They are basically stored by ordinary people as hard currency in times of war.  .  The money-making workshop occupies a huge area, covering over a thousand acres, with more than 100 coin-making furnaces, and nearly 2,000 money-making craftsmen working here. However, the number of money-making workshops in Han Dynasty is not limited to the one in Chang'an, but also in Chengdu.  There is one each in Wuchang and Wuchang, and another workshop is planned to be built in Jiangdong. The amount of coins minted by the Han Dynasty each year reaches 200 million coins, in addition to 10 million coins and one million gold ingots.  Despite this, it still cannot meet the increasing demand for money, and barter is still used in many places.  Especially after the Nanyang conflict between the Han and Cao armies, Cao Cao was forced to agree to the conditions of free trade for merchants proposed by Liu Jing in order to calm down the incident. It was obvious that the merchant trade between the two sides would move towards greater prosperity. In this case  , the importance of currency is obvious.  The top priority is to increase the amount of money minted, which is also a very urgent requirement at the moment. In just half a month, Liu Jing has come to inspect the money casting workshop in Xianyang for the second time.  Everyone came to the raw material warehouse. The raw material warehouse was built with huge stones. Together with the money warehouse, there were a total of twenty huge warehouses. They were closely guarded by soldiers. The soldiers opened an iron door and invited Zhang Jin, the Prime Minister of the Shaofu.  Everyone entered the warehouse, where thousands of copper ingots were neatly stacked, each weighing more than a hundred kilograms.  Zhang Jin introduced to Liu Jing and others: "Your Highness, after your last inspection, a large amount of copper materials and gold ingots were shipped from Jingzhou. At present, we have sufficient raw materials. All craftsmen are divided into three shifts, working day and night.  Mint coins and gold ingots, and strive to mint 400 million coins and 10 million gold ingots within this year. "At present, the copper, gold and other raw materials of Han mainly come from four counties, Jiangxia County, Yuzhang County, Danyang County and Henan Province.  Qianwei County, the Han Dynasty has more than a dozen mines in these four counties. Mining, smelting, and transportation have formed a complete system, and the scale is constantly expanding, which strongly supports the prosperity of the Han Dynasty.  Liu Jing nodded, then turned around and asked, "Have you completed what I asked you to do last time?" "It has been completed. Your Highness, please come here!" Zhang Jin invited everyone into a spacious room, which turned out to be a warehouse.  , but now it has been converted into a showroom, displaying all the coins in the world and coins minted by the Han Dynasty over the years.  Zhang Jin asked everyone to sit down. He took out a wooden box. In the wooden box were coins from the Han and Wei Dynasties, which had been cut crosswise.  "Your Highness, please take a look!" Zhang Jin placed two five-baht coins in front of Liu Jing, "One is our new Han coin and the other is Wei coin." Liu Jing turned around and asked Ma Liang: "This is the latest Wei coin.  Money?" Ma Liang nodded, "According to His Highness's instructions, we will take samples from Yedu for special research every month. This Wei coin is the newly minted copper coin of the Wei State last month, and the formula has changed." Liu  Jing held the two copper coins in his hands and looked closely. The cross-sections of the two copper coins were both orange and almost the same, indicating that the Wei State also adopted the copper content ratio of the Han State and increased the copper content to 90%.  Liu Jing nodded and smiled: "It seems that Cao Pi also realized that there was a problem with their money and had to use the same copper content as ours." Jiang Wan said from the side: "Weichen sent people to Yedu to investigate.  , the former Han money and Dong Zhuo money have disappeared. Since we banned the circulation of red gold, Yedu has gradually stopped using it. The market is mainly dominated by our New Han money and Wei money. Our New Han money and Wei money are the main ones.  It only accounts for 20%. One Xinhan coin can be exchanged for three Wei coins on the black market, but the official exchange rate is still one for one. The result is a serious run. Now the official has stopped the exchange. "Liu Jing asked again:  "What about the money and gold ingots?" "Your Majesty, the State of Wei also followed our example in casting money and gold ingots the year before last, but stopped last year. Weichen estimated that their gold inventory was insufficient. The price of food in Wei State skyrocketed at the beginning of last year, and the State of Wei used to use  Gold bought a lot of grain from us. "It was Liu Jin's order to allow Wei to use gold to buy grain. In any case, Liu Jing wanted to take the minted money into his own hands. At this time, Zhang Jin said with some worry: "Now Wei.  The copper content of the money is the same as ours. Will it affect the status of Xinhan money in the Wei State?" Ma Liang shook his head and smiled: "Three feet of ice are not one foot.During the Cold War, Wei State minted a large amount of bad money, and its reputation had long been ruined. It cannot be restored in a day or two, and what should we do with the previous Wei money?  So even if they increase the copper content, it won't change the situation where Han is superior and Wei is inferior.  "Liu Jing added: "Now that Han State no longer recognizes Wei money, we have established an official caravan and invested the minted money and gold ingots in Wei State in exchange for a large amount of materials. This will inevitably cause a shortage of materials in Wei State.  Sooner or later, they will notice this serious problem. Wei will either stop trade, or they can only follow us to mint new Han money and in turn buy our supplies. I believe they will choose the latter. If this continues, Wei money will soon disappear.  Our coins were the first to unify the world.  " At this time, Zhang Jin handed another piece of money to Liu Jing, "Your Highness, please look at this piece of money!  "Liu Jing took the money and was stunned.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1074 Currency War

    The copper coin in Liu Jing's hand is a Han coin made by them. However, the color of this Han coin is gray and not as brassy as the ordinary Han five-baht coins. It can be easily distinguished from the surface, indicating that this Han coin is fake.  The copper content of the money is seriously insufficient.  "This is a counterfeit Han coin that we found in Yedu. Your Highness, please look at this cut-up five-baht coin." Zhang Jin handed another cut-up counterfeit coin to Liu Jing. Liu Jing took it and looked at it carefully.  Liu Jing realized something when she saw that the cross-section was slightly grayish white, which was the same as the copper coins of Wei State in the past.  Zhang Jin explained on the side: "We have experienced that the copper content is the same as that of the previous Wei coins. The copper content is only 65%. We suspected that this was a fake coin minted by the Wei State official to destroy the Han Dynasty."  Qian's reputation." Liu Jing handed the fake money to Ma Liang and Jiang Wan, thought for a moment and said, "It seems that Cao Pi has realized that the Wei Kingdom is going to be occupied by Han money, so he used this disgraceful method to discredit the Han Dynasty.  Money, but he cannot change the quality of fake money. It can be distinguished from the surface. We must let the people of Wei know that if we can distinguish real money from fake money, we must also increase the casting of money and gold ingots and exchange them from Wei.  All kinds of important materials." At this time, Zhang Jin asked cautiously: "Your Highness, can we retaliate with teeth and make inferior Wei money?" "No!" After Zhang Jin finished speaking, Liu Jing waved his hand and said: "Originally Wei money.  The reputation is not good, and there is little point in smearing it. More importantly, it will waste our ability to mint money. We don't need to pay attention to it. Once the fake money is identified, Cao Pi will stop. He can only mint real Xinhan money to fight.  In that case, Wei's money will gradually disappear, which will lay the foundation for us to unify the world." Zhang Jin nodded silently, he already understood the intention of the King of Han. Han's money is one aspect, the key is money and gold ingots, Han's.  After the money and gold ingots entered the Wei State, most of them would be collected and there would be no need to worry about them being circulated back, unless the Wei State also minted money and gold ingots. However, the Wei State officials no longer had much gold in their hands, and the Han State had in these years  He accumulated a large amount of gold in his battles, which was far beyond what Wei could match.  Using money and money in exchange for a large amount of Wei's important materials actually speeded up Han's war readiness in disguise and weakened Wei's war readiness. When Cao Wei realized this, it would be difficult to reverse the situation.  As for Liu Jing's acquiescence in pig iron and grain smuggling, it was just a bait, making it difficult for Cao Wei to make the decision to cut off trade with Han.  Thinking of this, Zhang Jin bowed deeply, "Wei Chen understands and will speed up the casting of money and gold ingots."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Yedu, since the Han and Wei Dynasties liberalized trade and allowed merchants to do business freely, as the commerce between the two countries gradually flourished, Yedu also prospered. Most of the goods from Wei and Han were transited in Yedu, and then  Then transported to the final destination.  This made Yedu, which had been deserted for several years, suddenly become prosperous, with sufficient supplies. Many long-closed shops and taverns reopened for business. However, anyone with a discerning eye knows that all kinds of supplies will not fall from the sky. The prosperity of Yedu means that  The counties in Wei State became even more destitute, and this false prosperity could not be sustained for long.  However, for Cao Cao, he needed pig iron and grain more. Although these two items were officially controlled by the Han State and were strictly prohibited from being sold to the Wei State, some well-connected big businessmen still obtained a lot of pig iron and grain from the Han State at high prices.  Sold to the Wei military.  Most of the Han money obtained by the Wei State from selling various materials was used to purchase pig iron and grain. Although Cao Cao also knew that it was drinking poison to quench his thirst, his desire for pig iron and grain made him unable to care too much for the time being.  However, Cao Cao had another idea. They could also mint Han money to buy supplies in Chang'an, but in this case, Wei money would be seriously affected, so Cao Cao was hesitant for a while. At this time, Liu Jing sent someone to send a letter  The official document required Cao Cao to severely crack down on the casting of counterfeit Han coins in Wei.  In the Tongque Palace, Cao Pi reported the urgently needed inventory report to his father. Cao Cao sat on his seat and slowly looked through the inventory. His brows slowly wrinkled. Cao Cao closed the report and asked: "Why is the gold inventory like this?"  "Reporting to my father, I used gold to purchase grain from Han to stabilize grain prices at the beginning of last year, which consumed a lot. Last year and this year, I spent tens of thousands of taels to reward the army, so the inventory is now less than 20,000 taels."  "Cao Cao didn't speak for a long time, and then Cao Pi said again: "Fortunately, we have enough brass in stock. We can use it to cast Han money and buy grain and pig iron." "It's all used to cast Han money. What about our own money.  What to do?" Cao Cao said a little unhappy.  "Father, in fact, the loss is not big. As long as we have enough copper materials, and red gold can also be melted and cast into coins, we can cast an unlimited amount of Han coins to purchase Han supplies." Cao Cao sighed, "Profits  MaybeThere was a loss, but when the people accepted Han money, they actually accepted the Han state. Liu Jing had unified the world invisibly. How should this account be settled?  " Of course Cao Pi also knew about this serious consequence, but he was more realistic. Han money was becoming more and more popular in Wei. On the contrary, Wei money was increasingly rejected. If Wei money was minted again, they would only suffer greater losses. " Cao Pi  He said helplessly: "Haier didn't want to do this. Last month, he started to mint Wei money according to the proportion of Han money. But after it was put into the market, no one cared about it. He made bad Han money again, but it was very different from real Han money.  What's the effect? ??Now we either have to watch Han buy our supplies, or we can make Han money and buy the other party's supplies. There is really no other way, unless my father cuts off trade with Han again.  " Cao Cao shook his head, "Cutting off trade will lead to greater conflicts. Besides, I also need to buy pig iron and grain from Han. If there is no other way, I can only mint Han money to reduce losses as much as possible.  "    "yes!  The kid understands.  " After a pause, Cao Cao continued: "I received a formal letter from Liu Jing, asking us to severely crack down on the casting of fake Han money in Wei. What do you think of this?  " Cao Pi thought for a while and said: "In terms of attitude, of course we must clearly support the crackdown on counterfeit money, but we can't take it too seriously. What I mean is to block it openly and covertly.  " Cao Cao nodded, "That's what I mean, don't be too proactive. If the other party finds us, we might as well be more positive and block the other party's mouth. In addition, Wei money is suspended. The army is in urgent need of war preparation materials. We must go all out to cast Han money.  " After some weighing, Cao Cao could only face the reality. At this time, he suddenly understood Sun Quan's helplessness.  A tavern near the west gate of Yedu finally opened for business.  The tavern has a very vulgar name, Jucai Tavern. During the depression period in Yedu, it was transferred at a low price after being closed for several months. Now the new owner of this tavern is Li Fu, the one who Cao Jun searched for Han spies.  The operation ultimately came to nothing, but for the sake of caution, Li Fu changed another tavern as his contact point. This tavern covered an area of ??five acres and was not far from the city gate. It was an ideal intelligence location. Li Fu bought it.  After entering the tavern, he simply moved into the lobby on the second floor of the tavern. Dozens of drinkers were drinking and chatting. The sound of laughter and chatting filled the lobby. Most of these people were businessmen. The tavern was close to the West City.  The door not only allows people to drink and eat, but also provides accommodation, which makes it an ideal place for businessmen to stay. At a table by the window, Li Fuzheng was drinking alone. Although he was lustful and greedy, he was also very principled.  Strong, will never bring a woman to the Han Army's intelligence point. At this time, a tall and thin man ran up from the first floor. His footsteps were heavy, and he immediately attracted the attention of the drinkers on the second floor.  The man came directly to Li Fu and said anxiously: "Master Li, can you help me see if this money is real or fake?  " This kind of topic is the most attractive to businessmen. Dozens of businessmen in the lobby were attracted and gathered around Li Fu. Li Fu picked up a piece of money on the table, squinted his eyes and took a closer look at the surroundings.  He smiled and said: "Let's identify it together and see if it is true or false?  " He raised the money high, and several businessmen came forward to take a closer look. A fat businessman said: "I don't think it is real, the color is not right.  " Everyone agreed with the fat businessman's words. Li Fu nodded, "Everyone is right!  " He then said to the thin man: "Look carefully, the money of Han Dynasty is all pure gold, and the color should be the same golden color, there should be no color difference, but your money is red and yellow interlaced, the color is mottled, it is obviously wrong.  , which contains at least half of red gold.  The thin man almost cried, "Master Li, what should I do? I received more than a hundred pieces of fake money like this."  " The merchants around him sighed and felt sympathy for him, but there was also a bit of contempt in the sympathy. Now, except for buying and selling contraband, no one in the market paid with money or gold ingots. They would all be collected. Everything that appeared in the market  Money must be carefully identified. Who would dare to accept money with such obvious color difference? This person actually accepted more than a hundred coins. Li Fu shook his head and said, "Long Qi, I have told you several times that you need to do business."  Be cautious and don't be greedy for cheap, but you won't listen.  " "Master Li, I know I was wrong, please help me!"  Li Fu smiled and said, "Let me show you the way!"  Go to the Honglu Pavilion in Han to report it. If the clues you provide can help the Honglu Pavilion find the counterfeiter, perhaps the Honglu Pavilion will compensate you for your losses.  " All the businessmen said one after another: "This is really the only way, otherwise the money will just be lost in your hands.  "The thin man had no choice but to salute and hurried away. Li Fu??Smiled at everyone and said: "Everyone has to spread the method of distinguishing real and fake money, so that everyone knows that fake money has nowhere to go and will disappear naturally. Don't you think so?" "Master Li is right.  , It¡¯s convenient for others, it¡¯s convenient for you.¡± Everyone agreed and returned to their seats.  At this time, a bartender hurried up and whispered a few words to Li Fu. Li Fu nodded, picked up the wine glass and flask, and got up to go up to the third floor. As soon as he entered his room on the third floor, rhythmic sounds came from outside.  There was a knock on the door, "Come in!" Li Fu put down his ear cup. This should be shopkeeper Wang bringing news.  The door opened, and shopkeeper Wang walked in quickly from the outside. He closed the door and stepped forward with a smile: "Master Li, we have got the news." Li Fu was refreshed. This was the news he got from Chang'an three days ago.  An urgent order required him to find out as soon as possible the amount of money minted by Wei State every year. This was of course also a secret of Wei State, but there were many people who knew this secret.  Shopkeeper Wang handed him a piece of information. Li Fu opened it and looked at it, then asked: "Where did you get it?" It was obtained from Si Jin Zhonglang General Ma Xun for three hundred taels of gold, through his wife and brother.  After completing this deal, Li Fu felt a little sad that this gold actually cost three hundred taels of gold. It was too cheap for this bastard, but this person must make use of it again.  Li Fu asked again: "Have you checked the background of the guy who wanted to sell weapons last time?" "We checked clearly. This person was originally Cang Cao in Cao's army. He was dismissed from his post in the Battle of Hefei the year before last. Now he specializes in reselling various weapons.  He is very knowledgeable about this kind of military supplies." "So, does he have any news now?" "This person came to see us the day before yesterday. He is willing to give a lower price. It depends on when it is convenient for Mr. Li."  : "Then let's go in the afternoon! I want to see the goods with my own eyes." £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1075 The path of shrimps and crabs

    The north city of Yedu is close to Zhangshui. In the twelfth year of Jian'an, Cao Jun built the Xuanwu Pond north of Zhangshui in order to prepare for the war in Jingzhou, forming a huge lake with thousands of hectares of waves, specially used for training navy troops.  But as Cao Jun¡¯s southern expedition suffered repeated setbacks, Cao Jun finally gave up his plan for the southern expedition. The Xuanwu Pond was gradually abandoned by Cao Jun and turned into a lake covered with reeds.  There are hundreds of warehouses on the east bank of Xuanwu Pond. They used to be military supplies warehouses for Cao's navy, but now they are all abandoned. Many of the buildings have become nests for rats, foxes and wild dogs. However, there are also some shrewd businessmen who bought them at low prices and became  A warehouse where goods are stored.  In the afternoon, more than a dozen people on horseback came to this desolate and huge warehouse complex. Li Fu and several of his subordinates were also among them. His current identity was a black market businessman with a background in the Han Dynasty.  And another middle-aged man in his fifties is another protagonist. His surname is Jin. Everyone calls him Mr. Jin, but his real name has not been mentioned.  This person was originally a Cangcao in Cao's army and a relative of Cao Hong. He had been in Cao's army for more than 20 years. He had a wide network of contacts in the army and opened a grain shop in Yedu. However, during the Hefei War, there was someone who embezzled grain.  Zhang Liao was dismissed from his post due to suspicion.  He simply returned to Yedu and concentrated on running a grain shop. Unexpectedly, grain was strictly controlled by the government last year and his grain business could not continue, so he began to deal in some black market goods. He used the military connections to obtain a lot of prohibited items and sold them privately to the source.  Unknown businessmen seeking huge profits.  Recently, both Han and Cao have liberalized trade, and black market transactions have begun to flourish. Jin Sanye seems to have encountered spring and has become particularly active. He recently obtained a batch of prohibited goods and was anxious to sell them, so he went through an intermediary.  Contacted Li Fu and hoped to make this deal with Li Fu.  "Master Li, I assure you that they are all real military products, not the kind of rags picked up on the battlefield. If you sincerely want them, if you can eat them all, I will make some concessions on the price. Master Li thinks  How about that?" Jin Sanye was very bold and loud. Li Fu smiled slightly and said, "Let's talk after seeing the goods!" "That's right, seeing is believing." They approached a large warehouse, and there were several people standing in front of it.  Man, seeing the proprietor bringing someone here, they quickly opened the warehouse door.  "Master Li, please!" Li Fu nodded and followed him into the warehouse. The outside of the warehouse looked very shabby, but there seemed to be a wall partition inside. There was also a small door on the wall, which was locked with an iron chain.  Mr. Jin Sanye stepped forward to unlock the door and opened the small door. Inside was his secret warehouse. The warehouse occupied a large area and was filled with large and small wooden boxes and straw bags. Mr. Jin pointed at  Dozens of large wooden boxes in the corner smiled and said: "If Mr. Li wants kerosene, I have it here, but there is no need to negotiate the price. There are seventy barrels of kerosene in total. The fixed price is five taels of gold per barrel." Li Fu was secretly surprised in his heart.  , he knew that Cao Jun was very strict about kerosene, but this man actually managed to get it. It seemed that this man was really capable. Jin Sanye didn¡¯t want to sell him kerosene. They walked to another corner, where thousands of kerosene were piled up.  There are long and short straw bags, which are the standard straw bags used by Cao's army to equip weapons.  "They are all here, thirty spears in a bundle, a total of two thousand one hundred, three thousand swords, one thousand five hundred military crossbows, each with thirty crossbow arrows, all of which have never been used  "It's the best stuff." Li Fu bent down and looked through it. Sure enough, they were brand new army spears and swords. He picked up a military crossbow. It was a standard two-stone arm crossbow. It was exquisitely made and made of exquisite materials.  It turned out that they were made by a military craftsman. Li Fu saw five military crossbows in a straw bag. He was moved in his heart and looked through them one by one. Sure enough, the numbers were all connected together.  Li Fu immediately understood that these weapons were either stolen from the arsenal of Shaofu Temple or obtained from the military camp. However, it was unlikely that the weapons were from the arsenal. Management in Yedu was still relatively strict. Li Fu had also heard that many Cao Jun military camps made false reports.  The number of soldiers was used to obtain military rations. It is estimated that these weapons were overpaid because of false reporting of soldiers, and were resold by the generals.  This made Li Fu sigh secretly. Cao Cao was desperately trying to smuggle pig iron and grain, but there were loopholes underneath, and the weapons he had worked so hard to build were constantly being lost.  "How about it? Are you satisfied with the goods?" Jin Sanye is very confident in his goods.  Li Fu pondered and smiled and said: "I want all these goods, and I don't have to give up the price, but I have two conditions." Jin Sanye was so happy that he didn't give up the price. That was the best. He hurriedly said: "Li  "Please tell me!" "First, I want to establish a long-term business relationship with Third Master. I will eat as much as Third Master has. The price is negotiable and all will be paid with Hanguo gold ingots." "Secondly?"  Mr. Jin Sanye asked again quietly. He knew that the first condition was so favorable, so the second condition must be difficult to handle.  "The second condition is the delivery address. Frankly speaking, I ship these military products."?Go out, I hope the delivery location will be on the north bank of the Huaihe River in the future, how about it?  " In fact, Mr. Jin San has vaguely guessed that this Mr. Li will buy these military supplies either to the grasslands or to the Han Dynasty. Now the other party proposes that the delivery place is in the Huaihe River, and it is indeed the Han Dynasty. "In fact, it doesn't matter to the Han Dynasty.  If they were sold to the Xianbei people, he would be in trouble. He didn't want to sell these weapons to foreigners. Jin Sanye laughed heartily and said, "If we go to Bingzhou, I really can't do it. I have weapons on the other side of the Huaihe River."  Regarding connections, just follow Mr. Li¡¯s requirements.  " "Then send this batch of goods as well.  " "No problem, I'll take the water route and I can leave at any time.  Li Fu was overjoyed, raised his palms and said, "Then we will make an agreement!"  "The two high-fived each other, and the deal was concluded. At this time, Mr. Jin couldn't help but ask: "Where is Mr. Li from?  " "We are all businessmen. Some people want to buy military supplies. I can make a profit, so of course I will not let go of this opportunity to make money.  " Li Fu chuckled, "Just like where these military goods came from, I will never ask the third master.  "The two looked at each other and laughed tacitly.  The Han Dynasty's Honglu Pavilion in Yedu was equivalent to the embassy in later generations. Li Fu's intelligence organization was secretly, Honglu  The Guanze is the Ming Dynasty's official representative in Yedu. At the same time, the Wei State also has a Honglu Pavilion in Chang'an, which represents the permanent residence of the Wei State in the Han State. The Honglu Pavilion is not far from Cao Pi's deputy prime minister's residence.  A large mansion covering an area of ??about 20 acres, with more than a hundred Han officials and sergeants inside, and the head of the Honglu Pavilion was Zheng Li, the young minister of the Honglu Temple of the Han Dynasty. He was a shrewd man in his thirties.  A capable young official. Zheng Li was born in the Zheng family in Xingyang. He was a grandson of the great scholar Zheng Xuan. He ranked ninth in the imperial examination in Xiangyang. He served successively as county magistrate, county magistrate, and Changsha county magistrate. Last autumn, he was promoted to Shaoqing of Honglu Temple.  At the beginning of this year, the Han Dynasty established the Honglu Pavilion in Yedu, and Zheng Li served as the Honglu envoy and was stationed in Yedu. In the afternoon, Zheng Li met a small businessman who came to complain about fake money. The businessman's surname was Zhao. He said it was to gather wealth.  Master Li from the tavern suggested that he come here to complain, and Zheng Li understood that it was Li Fu who asked this person to come over. Zheng Li asked the businessman to sit down, and the businessman poured a pile of fake money on the table and begged: "Here are one hundred and twenty.  Ten pieces of money are equivalent to 12,000 yuan. I am a small business and cannot afford to lose money!  I beg Mr. Zheng to help me seek justice.  " Zheng Li nodded, "I will do my best!  " At this time, an official walked into the lobby quickly and saluted Zheng Li. This person's name was Zhang Ping, an official from Shaofu Temple. He had only been in Ye for a short time, and he specialized in dealing with counterfeit money. In Yedu, fake five  I have seen a lot of baht money, but this was the first time that fake money appeared. Zhang Ping looked serious. He sat down and picked up a piece of fake money and looked at it carefully. He quickly shook his head. Zheng Li asked: "How is it?"  " "Your Majesty, the workmanship of these coins is relatively poor, and they are obviously made by private workshops. Generally speaking, money is difficult to counterfeit and prone to color difference. However, if it is mixed with 80% gold and 20% brass, it will not be easy for ordinary people to see.  However, if the quantity is large, it is difficult to take out so much gold, and if the quantity is small, it is unprofitable, so so far, no fake money or gold ingots have been seen.  " Zheng Li nodded and asked the businessman: "Where did you get this money?  "The businessman was a little embarrassed to speak, and finally said helplessly: "I got it from the black market. The general price of money is one hundred and thirty copper coins, but the money I exchanged is only one hundred and ten copper coins.  I was greedy for cheap, so I fell for it.  "    "All right!  These fake money will be left with me for the time being, and I will continue to trace them. If you can help us find the source workshop, we will not only make up for your losses, but also reward you with a heavy reward of 500 yuan.  " The man became energetic and said anxiously: "I will definitely give my full assistance!  " Zheng Li asked him a few more questions and then sent him away. Zhang Ping next to him asked: "After all, this is Cao Wei's territory. Isn't it appropriate for us to come out to arrest him?  Zheng Li thought for a moment and said, "His Highness once ordered that if someone is found to be making counterfeit money, Cao Jun can come forward to deal with it. It seems that I have to visit Cao Pi."  "  The distance from the Honglu Hall of the Han Dynasty to Cao Pi's Deputy Prime Minister's Mansion is only half a mile, and it can be reached in a short walk. At present, the Han Dynasty still exists in Yedu, but it has long existed in name only. Although Yedu  Most of the official offices are concentrated in Ye Palace, but the center of power has long been transferred to Cao Pi's Deputy Prime Minister's Mansion. This was also the original Prime Minister's Mansion of Cao Cao. After Cao Cao moved to Tongque Palace, it became the residence of the eldest son Cao Pi, covering an area of ????nearly.  Five hundred acres, the front part is the official residence of Wei, and the back part is Cao Pi's residence. Cao Pi spent most of his time in his house.nbsp; In the afternoon, Cao Pi was reviewing the ultimatum in the official room. At this time, a guard reported outside the door, "I am reporting to the crown prince that Zheng Li, the envoy of the Han Dynasty, has something important to ask for!" Cao Pi quickly put down his pen and said, "Invite him in!  " Cao Pi attaches great importance to the envoys of the Han Dynasty. Zheng Li usually brings important news when he arrives. He does not dare to neglect it. After a moment, Zheng Li quickly walked into the official room, bowed and saluted: "See you, Prince Zheng!" "Zheng Shaoqing is exempted!  Li, please sit down!" Zheng Li sat down and a maid served them tea. Zheng Li had no intention of drinking tea and said to Cao Pi: "A few days ago, His Highness the King of Han sent a letter to Wei Gong, asking Wei to fully assist us in the attack.  I wonder what your attitude is about counterfeit money?" Cao Pi chuckled, "Do you still need to ask? We also hate the act of casting counterfeit money. Our attitude is very clear and we will never allow counterfeit money to spread in Wei.  We will crack down on each case and will never tolerate it. Please tell His Highness the King of Han, Zheng Shaoqing, that we will fully cooperate with the Han Dynasty to crack down on counterfeit money." "Thank you for your support. We have found counterfeit money in Ye. We hope you will give it a try.  We can keep our promises." With that said, Zheng Li handed a piece of fake money to Cao Pi. Cao Pi took it, looked at it for a moment, nodded and said, "Of course we will keep our promises. As long as you can provide clear clues, we will definitely crack down.  " "Then it's settled, we will provide clear clues within two days."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Two days later, a 500-man Cao army raided the coin black market in the southern city of Yedu and arrested dozens of traders conducting black market transactions. Cao's army then destroyed a small workshop that minted fake money outside the southern city and arrested  After arresting more than thirty people, Cao Cao immediately ordered that all the arrested people be killed and their heads displayed to the public to deter the merchants who made counterfeit money.  At the same time, the Wei State also gave up the casting of Wei coins and began to cast New Han coins on a large scale. The currency war between Cao and Han gradually turned into a trade war. Each other purchased large quantities of supplies from each other and began to actively prepare for war.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1076 Adding Worry

    As summer comes, the weather gradually gets hotter again. The family members of the King of Han, who have been looking forward to it for a year, finally wait for the day to go to the manor to escape the summer heat. Since last year, Liu Jing¡¯s wives and children have all fallen in love with going to the manor to escape the summer heat.  .  Although they have moved into Weiyang Palace, the sleepiness of living in the palace for a long time still makes them yearn to go to the villa for vacation and summer vacation.  Everyone started packing, but compared to last year, their packing this year was much simpler. They even only needed to bring a suitcase and a few belongings per person.  Today Tao Zhan has a guest, Zhuge Liang¡¯s wife Huang Yueying. This is the fourth time Huang Yueying has come to Weiyang Palace to meet with Tao Zhan. Zhuge Liang also has an official residence, a mansion covering an area of ??30 acres, where Zhuge Liang and his family live  There were people and dozens of servants, but her daughter Zhuge Guo liked the Yaochi in Weiyang Palace very much. At her daughter's request, Huang Yueying had to take her daughter to Weiyang Palace to visit Tao Zhan.  Although Tao Zhan is a princess, she doesn¡¯t have many friends. There are only a few people, and Huang Yueying is one of them. In Fenghuang Terrace where Tao Zhan lives, Tao Zhan happens to be chatting with Huang Yueying about home affairs.  "In three days, our family will go to the farm to escape the summer heat. How about you go too! I will welcome you." Tao Zhan sincerely invited Huang Yueying's family to go to the farm to escape the summer heat. Huang Yueying hesitated and said, "I don't  "But this needs to be discussed with Guoer's father and his consent must be obtained." Tao Zhan said with a smile: "I heard from His Highness that Mr. Kong Ming is very busy. He may go to Jingzhou and Jiangdong for inspection in a few days.  If you go to Jiangdong, it will take at least two or three months to come back. Anyway, the three of you, mother and son, have nothing to do at home, so you can go to the villa for vacation with us. " Huang Yueying is also a little tempted. If her husband wants to go out on business for two or three months.  , they were really bored at home, and it was a good thing to go out for a walk, so she smiled and said: "Let's do it! I tried my best to convince him that he actually has a big temper. If he doesn't agree, he will definitely be angry when he comes back." Tao Zhan  Nodding, "Let me know if you decide. Anyway, there are a lot of empty rooms over there. You don't need to prepare anything. Just bring some daily laundry." The two chatted for a while, and then, there was a sound coming from afar.  A female guard shouted, "Miss Zhu, Miss Guo, the water over there is unsafe, don't go there!" Tao Zhan and Huang Yueying were startled. They quickly walked to the terrace, held on to the railing and looked down.  It is the Yaochi Lake that covers an area of ??thousands of acres. The lake surface is rippling. Zhuge Guo and Liu Zhu are seen standing in the water not far from the shore. They are barefoot and pulling up their long skirts. There is a small boat in front of them. They seem to want to swim.  The water passed and held the boat.  The two female guards on the shore were waving and shouting anxiously. Huang Yueying's face sank and she shouted: "Guo'er, go ashore!" Zhuge Guo heard his mother's voice. When he turned around, he saw his mother and the princess standing upstairs, with his mother in front of him.  She was as heavy as water, and her face was so sullen that she was so frightened that she stuck out her tongue and hurriedly walked ashore. When she got ashore, Liu Zhu naturally followed.  Huang Yueying shook her head and said: "This child has been spoiled by her father. She is fourteen years old, and she is still like a wild girl, climbing trees and playing in the water all day long." Tao Zhan smiled slightly, "Don't Guo'er study?" "Reading also  Reading, but she couldn't calm down and insisted on being escorted by me. As soon as I walked away, she would sneak away. However, her brother Zhan'er was willing to study. He would sit for a whole day and concentrate on it. What could this damn girl have?  She would be half as patient as her brother." "However, the King of Han likes her very much and praises her for her frankness and simplicity." Huang Yueying smiled bitterly and said: "Apart from her father doting on her, I am afraid that the only one who can praise her is the King of Han.  She has a headache every time she comes, and her grandfather has to teach her a lesson every time. I am really worried about who will marry her.¡±  , If Guoer likes swords again, they will fall in love even more. " "Guoer doesn't seem to care much about swords. She likes small animals the most. When she was in Jiaozhou, she raised countless rabbits, hounds, etc., and then left.  They didn¡¯t take her away when they arrived in Jiaozhou, and she even cried loudly. ¡°When the women talked about their children, they always had endless topics to talk about. After chatting for a while, Huang Yueying stood up and left. Tao Zhan didn¡¯t leave her alone, and said with a smile: ¡°  Remember to talk to Mr. Kong Ming about the summer vacation when you go back. "Don't worry! I won't forget it." The two of them walked out of the Phoenix Terrace, and the carriage was ready. At this time, Zhuge Guo ran over, holding his mother's hand and begging: "Mom.  "Let me play for a while!" "No!" Huang Yueying scolded her daughter with a low face: "Look at you, you are covered in water. If you continue to be so naughty, I won't bring you here next time. Get in the car!"  "Zhuge Guo had no choice but to salute Tao Zhan, pouted and got on the carriage. Tao Zhan smiled and said: "Listen carefully to mother's words.?Aunt Tao will take you to the villa.  " Zhuge Guo's eyes lit up. She heard what Liu Zhu said. Their family would soon go to the mountain villa to escape the summer heat. They could also ride horses there, which made her extremely envious. Unexpectedly, the princess also wanted to take her there. She immediately hugged her mother's arm and begged.  Said: "Mom, Aunt Tao has agreed, let's go too!  Huang Yueying was also helpless towards her daughter, so she had to say: "After completing all the homework you owe in the past few days, mother will take you there."  " Zhuge Guo was elated. Although she owed a lot of homework, she could ask her brother to help with some of it. Three days would definitely be enough. She rested her head on her mother's shoulder coquettishly, "My mother still loves me the most!  " Tao Zhan couldn't help laughing. This maid is really cute. No wonder her husband likes her At night, Tao Zhan told Liu Jing about the day's events in the study room, "I plan to invite Yueying to go to the villa to escape the summer heat.  ,how do you feel?  Liu Jing put down the book and said with a smile: "This is a good suggestion. It just allows Zhuge Zhan'er and Zhi'er to study together. With a companion, Zhi'er will not be so lonely."  " "They both like reading, so they can play together. Even Shang Xiang has company.  " "Are you talking about Guo'er?  Liu Jing asked with a smile. Tao Zhan nodded, "That little girl is very fond of Shang Xiang's temper. Yueying said she doesn't like swords, but Shang Xiang told me that Guo'er also has a few swords, but Yueying doesn't know about it."  .  Liu Jing smiled and said: "Although Guo'er is a little naughty now, she will gradually become quieter when she grows up. The key is that she has a pure heart and a lively personality. I like her very much. I think she and our Zhi'er complement each other very well."  " Tao Zhan was stunned. She could hear her husband's overtones. "Does your husband mean to let her have a relationship with Zhi'er?  " "This is just a thought of mine. The key depends on their fate, but now they are still young, so there is no need to think so much for the time being.  " Tao Zhan was a little confused. Of course she had also considered her son's lifelong events. She actually liked Fei Yi's daughter, but Fei Yi's daughter was only eight years old, so she didn't think about it for the time being. She didn't expect that her husband  But he fell in love with Zhuge Guoer. Guoer is not impossible, she has a cute side, and she and Yueying have a good relationship. It would be a good thing if the two families could get married, but "Husband, Guoer is better than Zhier."  One year older.  " Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Of course I know that being a year older doesn't actually matter. The key is themselves. You and Yueying can create more opportunities for them to get along. It depends on their own fate!  " Tao Zhan did not insist anymore. After all, her son may rule the world in the future and will not only have one wife. The daughter of the Fei family she likes can also marry her son in the future. This does not matter. " What my husband said casually tonight  £®  , it was related to her son's future marriage, and there was a worm crawling in her heart, making her restless. Tao Zhan returned to his palace and sat for a while, then ordered the maid: "Go to the second lady!  Sun Shangxiang lives in Qingliang Pavilion in Weiyang Palace. Like Phoenix Terrace, it is also a group of buildings. A several-foot-high attic extends into the Yaochi. The cool breeze blows in the pavilion, which is especially cool in summer, so it is named Qingliang Pavilion. Sun Shangxiang  He does not live in Qingliang Pavilion, but in another flat house facing the lake, not far from Tao Zhan's Phoenix Terrace. At night, Sun Shangxiang is accompanying his son Liu Long to write. Liu Long is four years old this year.  He has a tiger's head and a strong body, and he has a bit of the shadow of his father Liu Jing. Perhaps due to his mother's influence, Liu Long also likes swords. When he was one year old, he grabbed a small wooden sword. Although Liu Long was young.  He showed a martial nature, but Sun Shangxiang wanted his son to be both civilized and martial. He began to read at the age of three. At the age of four this year, he started writing under his mother's education. At this time, a maid came up and whispered:  "Madam, the princess is here.  " Sun Shangxiang nodded, "I understand!  "She touched the back of the little guy's head lovingly and said with a smile: "Write well, mother will come back later.  "    "Um!  " The little guy grabbed the pen with his hand and wrote the character 'zig' seriously. His mother told him that writing is also a kind of martial arts practice, which greatly increased his interest, but at this time his hands and face were covered with ink. " Sun Shangxiang  When they walked to the outer room, Tao Zhan walked in. Sun Shangxiang smiled and said, "Why are you here, eldest sister?  Tao Zhan sighed, "I have something on my mind and want to talk to someone."  "She looked over at Liu Long who was writing in the room, and said with a smile: "I'm not disturbing you!"  " "It's okay, the wet nurse is taking care of you"??, eldest sister, please come over here!  " Sun Shangxiang invited Tao Zhan into his living room, and the two sat down. Sun Shangxiang asked the maid to serve tea. Tao Zhan smiled and asked, "What do you think of Zhuge Guoer?  " Sun Shangxiang laughed, "That little girl is very similar to me when I was a child, but she is not as courageous as I was when I was a child. When I was as old as her, I came to Jingzhou with a bow and a sword, and ended up fixing that guy.  Tao Zhan laughed knowingly. She knew that Sun Shangxiang was talking about Liu Jing. She shook her head and said, "I'm just asking you, what do you think of this girl Guo'er?"  Sun Shangxiang thought for a while and said: "It's very simple and has no scheming. It looks good now, but I don't know what will happen in the future."  " She was a little strange and asked: "Why did the eldest sister ask about her?  Tao Zhan sighed, "I just talked about her with the general. The general said that he planned to let Zhi'er marry her in the future."  " Sun Shangxiang was stunned, and soon she burst into laughter again, "It seems that we are all going to become old women, and we are actually going to be mothers-in-law.  " "Don't joke like that. I'm very upset. Seriously, do you think Guoer is appropriate?  Sun Shangxiang stopped joking and thought for a moment: "Her father is the Prime Minister and her mother is also from a famous family. You and I have been dating for many years, and the two families should be well-matched. However, I think it is a little early to talk about marriage. After all, the two of them are  I'm not mentally mature yet, so I should consider it in at least four or five years.  " Sun Shangxiang's words touched Tao Zhan's heart. Tao Zhan nodded, "You are right. It is indeed a little too early now. Frankly speaking, I always feel unhappy when I think of Guo'er becoming my daughter-in-law.  So comfortable.  " "The eldest sister thinks she is too"  Tao Zhan nodded, "Although the general said she is innocent and cute, I prefer a quieter girl. I hope she can change!"  " Tao Zhan couldn't express her concerns clearly in front of her husband, but in front of Sun Shangxiang, she expressed her concerns. She didn't like girls with Guoer's personality very much. There was no problem with her friend's daughter, but if she became her daughter-in-law, she would  She felt a little uncomfortable in her heart. Sun Shangxiang understood Tao Zhan's dilemma very well, so he comforted her: "After all, it will take several years for it to become a reality. As the saying goes, the eighteenth transformation of women, back then, I  I used to be a good warrior and go my own way. Now what have I become? Doesn¡¯t the eldest sister feel it?  " Tao Zhan could only smile helplessly. Maybe Sun Shangxiang was right. He should wait a few more years before considering this matter.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1077 Preparations for War

    In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an, from spring to summer and then to autumn, Chang'an City's business prospered, the residents in the city lived and worked in peace and contentment, the taverns were full, and businessmen in the hotels kept coming and going, creating a peaceful and peaceful atmosphere.  After autumn, the bustling and bustling city of Chang'an has become more murderous. The army's inspections at the city gate have become stricter. Almost every carriage entering the city must be strictly searched. Merchants are strictly prohibited from bringing prohibited weapons into the city. Many  Experienced businessmen can't help but feel a little worried. This is a harbinger of the coming war.  At noon that day, a caravan slowly approached Chang'an City. It was a large caravan composed of hundreds of mules, loaded with all kinds of goods. There were more than fifty people alone. The leader of the caravan was a  A middle-aged man in his forties, tall, dark-skinned, with sharp eyes, and a face with Chinese characters showing the determination of a soldier.  At this time, the caravan was still one mile away from the east gate of Chang'an. Both sides of the official road had become very lively, with various shops and merchants coming and going, bringing business to the taverns and teahouses on both sides.  "Come and have a rest and eat!" The shopkeeper of a tea shed in the distance waved enthusiastically to the caravan. A clerk ran up and smiled at the middle-aged man who was leading the caravan: "There are many rules when entering the city now, so why not arrive first?  Sit down in the shop and let me tell you something." The middle-aged man pondered for a moment, then nodded and turned around and ordered: "Go to the tea shed and have a rest!" Everyone walked towards the tea shed, and the tea shed suddenly became lively, and several waiters came to the tea shed.  The mules and cargo were brought to the back to drink and feed. Everyone ordered food, drank water and chatted, and the tea shed was extremely lively.  At this time, the shopkeeper of the tea shed stepped forward and said with a smile: "Mr. Shang, there are regulations in Chang'an City. Caravans entering the city must open their bags for inspection. It is strictly forbidden to carry weapons other than daggers and swords. If a spear or spear is found,  Military crossbowmen will be arrested on the spot, and caravans with more than ten people must register with the government. A large caravan like yours will probably be very troublesome. They will either leave separately or go to the West Market. I advise you not to enter the city.  " At this point, the shopkeeper pointed to the hawks and doves they were carrying and said, "If you are carrying hawks and doves, if you are seen by the patrol soldiers, you will be arrested immediately. It is very dangerous. " The two caravan guys quickly got up and took care of them!  The eagle cage was taken to the back. At this time, the middle-aged man frowned, "When did this rule start?" "It's been a while, and I heard that the interrogation over there in Yedu is stricter. You should know it too!"  The middle-aged man nodded, "You're right, Yedu no longer allows caravans to enter the city." The shopkeeper sighed, "I guess Chang'an is about to come soon. Many businessmen say that this is a sign before the war.  Hey! When the war comes, the business of the store will be affected." He handed over his hands and turned around. The two deputies next to him stepped forward and whispered, "General, what should we do?" "This caravan is not an ordinary caravan.  , but a group of Cao Army scouts disguised as soldiers. They came to strengthen the scout force in Chang'an City. Unexpectedly, they could not enter the city. The leader, a middle-aged man named Han, was a Cao Army captain. He thought for a moment and said to the two  The deputy said: "Let's take a look at the situation in the city first." He waved over a capable subordinate and told him: "Go to the Longmen Tavern first and contact us." The subordinate agreed, took a mule, and rode  Got on the mules and ran towards the city. All the men were still eating and chatting, which was very lively, but the leader, Captain Han, was deep in thought.  About half an hour later, his subordinates returned to the tea shed, looking very nervous. He whispered a few words to Colonel Han. Colonel Han's face changed drastically and he immediately ordered: "Get up and leave immediately!"  Standing up, more than a dozen people ran to the back to get the mules and goods. But at this moment, the sound of rapid horse hooves came from the direction of the city, getting faster and faster, and the sound was like muffled thunder. Hundreds of cavalry were seen rushing towards them.  After Cao Jun's scouts left, hundreds of cavalrymen surrounded the tea shed and aimed their crossbows at the waiters. Everyone was dumbfounded and slowly raised their hands.  At this time, a Han general rushed forward, pointed his spear at Colonel Han of Cao's army, and said coldly: "Do you still think that the clothes are perfect? ??To tell you the truth, you can't even think about entering Chang'an." Colonel Han's face was extremely ugly.  He couldn't think of where his identity was exposed. He suddenly realized something and turned back to look at the shopkeeper, but the shopkeeper was nowhere to be seen.  The general of the Han army shouted, "Take them all away!" Several Cao army scouts wanted to resist, but Lieutenant Han stopped them. The Cao army scouts were dejected and were escorted away by the Han army cavalry. At this time, the shopkeeper came from the room  Walking out slowly, watching the cavalry taking away Cao Jun's scouts, he couldn't help but sneer, and ordered the tea stall waiter: "Clean up, and continue to attract customers." The streets and alleys near the east gate of Chang'an were already filled with thousands of Han soldiers, and thousands of Han soldiers  More than a dozen Han soldiers surrounded the Longmen Tavern.After Zhongcheng Yang Tian was executed, Cao Jun comprehensively reorganized the intelligence organization of the Han Dynasty. All spies were withdrawn to Yedu, a new group of spies was replaced, and the intelligence points were changed.  Cao Jun's major adjustments to the intelligence organization caused the Han army to lose the clues of Cao Jun's spies, but the secret war between the Han and Cao armies continued. The Han army strengthened the interrogation at the city gate half a month ago, but this was just a fishing trip.  However, the real Han army spies were deployed outside the east and west gates.  Han army spies were deployed in more than half of the tea shed taverns to closely monitor the merchants or travelers coming and going. Therefore, when the Cao army scout caravan led by Lieutenant Han arrived at the east gate, they were stared at by Han army spies, and the tea shed shopkeepers monitored them.  With every move, Lieutenant Han sent people into the city to contact the intelligence points in the city, which undoubtedly exposed the intelligence points in the city.  It was understandable that the Longmen Tavern was surrounded. At this time, the leader Wang Ping gave an order, and more than a hundred Han soldiers rushed into the tavern. After a while, they captured the shopkeeper and a dozen bartenders, and the remaining Han soldiers  A thorough search of the tavern.  At this time, a military prince rushed out and reported: "General, the brothers found weapons and armor in the cellar." Dozens of Han soldiers brought out bundles of spears and crossbows, and dozens more  Wearing ten suits of armor from Han soldiers, the tavern owner's face turned pale and he was trembling with fear. He knew he was in for a disaster.  An hour later, the Han army conducted a comprehensive search in Chang'an City, Xianyang County and Du County, and successively destroyed three Cao Jun intelligence points, arrested nearly a hundred Cao Jun spies, and completely destroyed Cao Jun's intelligence organization in Chang'an.  However, the Han army's clearing operation against Cao Jun's intelligence organization in Chang'an City was only part of the Han army's preparations for war. In Tongguan, Pujinguan, Wancheng, Shouchun, and even Jiangdong, more than 300,000 Han troops began to gather one after another.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In Shouchun, an autumn rain came unexpectedly, and the ground was covered with white mist. The woods in the distance turned gray and black, and the leaves fell off. A few crows circled over the woods, and the world was desolate.  The wide, muddy official road was lined with convoys from Huainan and Lujiang counties, including grain trucks covered with oilcloth, carts loaded with straw and hay, baggage trucks, and huge baggage trucks.  The cargo ship swayed and creaked forward.  There is drizzle in the sky. It is the rainy late autumn season in the Jianghuai River. The fields that have just been harvested and the ditches on the roadside are full of rainwater.  The dense forest in the distance shows a vague outline.  The baggage trains from various counties marched north through the mud and drizzle, accompanied by shouts and curses, the crackle of whips and the creak of axles, with a mighty momentum like a sea tide.  From time to time, you can see dying animals or animal carcasses lying on both sides of the official road, and occasionally a large cart with its wheels upturned.  Sometimes a group of cavalry rushed into this crowd, and the soldiers kept shouting and cursing, and the horses stood up and kept neighing. A cart full of grain and grass would roll down the slope, and the people on the cart would follow.  Get out.  Ahead, in the middle of the torrent of vehicles, soldiers lined up in a long queue, marching hard on the sticky mud.  Mixed in the flow of people were carriages carrying knives, guns, crossbows and other light weapons. The escorts were lying on the hoods of the carriages. People kept running out of the team, getting into the fields and squatting down.  In front is the team of senior generals, with large groups of soldiers supporting their own generals. From time to time, you can see a few carriages, filled with civil servants and counselors.  The team walked through a dense forest for a while, and there was a commotion over the fight for a resting place. Then they spread out and crossed the river. Then new carriages loaded with food, hay and various weapons poured in from both sides. Occasionally, there was a small group of scout cavalry.  Get to the front of this queue.  Further ahead is an abandoned town. The tragic scene after the Hefei War is still vivid in my mind. A broken gable is crumbling among the piles of rubble and burnt wood; broken oil lamps, and a rag hanging on the deformed window.  Flapping in the wind.  There was also a straggler wounded soldier, tied with dirty gauze and squatting on a collapsed cart, his eyes gloomy and sad.  "Two miles away parallel to the official road is the Ruxu River. Thousands of people are struggling to pull a team of thousands of stone boats, making low, rhythmic, and soul-stirring chants.  The big ship is loaded with various heavy siege engines and boxes of polished stone bullets. The ladders, nest cars, and floor cars have not yet been assembled. There are also a row of huge ground cannons on both sides of the ship. There are also barrels of terrifying weapons on the ship.  Kerosene was heavily guarded.  This team is the Jingzhou Army from afar, with about 50,000 people. The leader is the veteran Huang Zhong. Their destination is Shouchun, two hundred miles away. The march is very slow, and the team has been walking for ten days.  "Old general, Shouchun City is ahead!" A soldier pointed at a tall city in the distance and shouted.  Huang Zhong squinted for a moment and nodded. His Highness the King of Han should have arrived in Shouchun.  £®  £®  £®  ???£®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1078 Guests from afar

    Liu Jing arrived in Shouchun three days ago, and came to inspect Jianghuai with Liu Jing, as well as military advisor Zhuge Liang and Minister of War Sima Yi. At this time, the Han army and Cao army were fighting against each other, and the Han army had already formed a Shouchun formation.  There are four major attack points: , Nanyang, Tongguan, and Pujinguan. There are countless offensive fulcrums, such as Guangling, Anlu, Gaonu and other counties, which can launch attacks on Cao Wei.  Cao Jun also mobilized nearly 300,000 troops and deployed them in various strategic locations. In terms of military strength, the two sides are almost the same. However, in terms of national strength, whether it is food reserves, available population, and popular support, etc.,  It was clear that Han had the upper hand.  However, regardless of whether economic strength prevailed or strategic deployment took the initiative, Liu Jing did not dare to be careless and still used all financial and material resources to deal with this war that was not known to last for how long.  But the result is obvious. The one who wins this battle will win the whole world. It is precisely because of this that Liu Jing pays attention to every detail and will not let go of every clue that may lead to victory.  Liu Jing led everyone to board a large ship parked on the south bank of the Huaihe River. More than thirty warships slowly started to move closer to the north bank of the Huaihe River. Liu Jing and a dozen generals, as well as military advisor Zhuge Liang, Minister of War Sima Yi and others stood on the side of the ship.  , watching the movement on the north bank of the Huaihe River from a distance, a county town appeared in the distance, with gray-black city walls and several tall sentry towers.  "Your Highness, that is Xiacai County!" Liu Hu, the governor of Huainan, introduced to Liu Jing: "Currently, Cao Jun has deployed 40,000 troops in Huaibei, mainly stationed in Xiacai County and Yicheng County. Last time we attacked Yicheng  After entering the county, Cao Jun strengthened the defense of Yicheng County, not only heightening and widening the city wall, but also increased the garrison to 10,000 troops, and also pulled up iron cables to block the river at the mouth of the Wushui River. " Liu Jing nodded and said to Zhuge Liang.  Said: "What do the military advisors think?" Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and said, "The iron rope blocking the river is meaningless. A small boat can break it. If I were Cao Cao, I would strengthen the defense of Qiao County. I wonder how the defense is over there?" Liu next to him  Hu quickly asked Ding Fengdao: "Is there any news from Qiaojun?" Ding Feng bowed and responded: "Your Highness, Qiaojun has a garrison of 30,000 people, commanded by General Niu Jin." Niu Jin is Cao Ren's deputy general.  He is also considered a fierce general.  But Liu Jing paid more attention to General Zhang Liao. He asked Sima Yi: "Where are Zhang Liao and Xu Huang stationed?" Sima Yi thought for a while and said: "Xu Huang is still stationed in Luoyang, with about 30,000 troops. Zhang Liao's station has not yet been determined, but he  If he is not a general of the Cao family, Cao Ren and Cao Zhen will not let him garrison Yuzhou, Qingzhou and Xuzhou. Bingzhou belongs to the Xiahou family, so it is unlikely. Wei Chen considers that his garrison point is probably Yedu, or a backup backup force.  " Liu Jing more agrees with Sima Yi's point of view. There are many factions in Cao's army, and their respective territories are fixed. Zhang Liao and Xu Huang belong to Cao Cao's direct lineage. It is impossible for Cao Cao not to know Zhang Liao's ability. Letting him go too early will be detrimental to the overall defense. Most likely,  As reinforcements, Zhang Liao will be sent there wherever there is a crisis.  At this time, a guard walked up quickly and whispered a few words to Sima Yi. Sima Yi nodded and then said to Liu Jing: "Your Highness, we have arrived." "Okay! Let's go back first and continue to inspect the fleet tomorrow."  Then he slowly turned around and drove towards Shouchun.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In Shouchuncheng County Yamen, Li Fu and Jin Sanye were sitting in a side hall. It could be seen that Jin Sanye was very nervous, restless, and kept drinking tea. He was no longer as bold as usual.  He and Li Fu had been trading for nearly half a year and earned a lot of gold. Of course, their trade also caused a serious loss of weapons from Cao's army. He himself committed a heinous crime. If Cao Cao hadn't known about it, the crime of implicating the nine tribes would still have been  It's light, but he has sunk into it and can't extricate himself.  After trading for half a year, Jin Sanye also knew Li Fu's identity. He was not a businessman, but the intelligence chief of the Han army in Cao Wei. The interests of the two parties were too entangled, and Li Fu was not afraid of him reporting it.  Li Fu once calculated an account. After opening up trade, Cao Jun privately bought countless pig iron from Han. However, Han also obtained a large number of weapons from Cao Wei. After all, the pig iron purchased by Cao Jun far made up for the loss of weapons.  Of course, Cao Jun also bought 100,000 shi of grain, but 100,000 shi of grain was really not worth mentioning for the cost of hundreds of thousands of troops from both countries.  Li Fu received Sima Yi's order and specially brought Mr. Jin to Shouchun. It is said that the King of Han valued this person very much and wanted to meet him. Li Fu saw that Mr. Jin was very nervous, so he smiled and said: "You don't have to be so nervous, Mr. Han."  His Highness has always been courteous to the corporal. This time, His Highness the King of Han asked to see the Third Master. This is a good thing! " How could the Third Master Jin not be nervous? Who is the King of Han?  He will become the emperor in the future, but now he is just a commoner. The gap is too big.  &nbsp"Of course, Jin Sanye also understands that if the King of Han wants to see him, he must give him a more important task. I don't know if he can complete it?"  At this time, there was a sound of footsteps outside, and a guard reminded them in a low voice, "Your Highness is here!" Li Fu stood up, and Jin Sanye also stood up in a hurry. He was so nervous that his legs were trembling. At this time, from  Three people walked in quickly from outside. The leader was a young officer, less than thirty years old. The golden helmet on his head represented his identity, and he was Liu Jing, King of Han Dynasty.  Li Fu hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "I am here to see you, Your Highness." Liu Jing smiled and helped him up, "Li Sima, we haven't seen each other for a long time, probably three years!" "Three years and two months, the last time I saw Your Highness.  I came to Beijing to report on my work." "Li Sima, thank you for your hard work." Liu Jing comforted Li Fu, and his eyes fell on Mr. Jin. Li Fu quickly pulled Mr. Jin over and introduced him: "This is me in the report.  Mr. Jin San was so frightened that he knelt down and kowtowed: "Jin Xi, the villain, come to see His Highness the King of Han!" Although Liu Jing despises this person's character, he will play a big role.  , Liu Jing cared too much about his character. He smiled gently and helped Mr. Jin up, "Everyone calls you Mr. Jin, so let me call you Mr. San too!" "I don't dare, little people.  , In the past, everyone called me Jin San, and His Highness can also call me Jin San. I really don¡¯t dare to call myself Lord in front of Your Highness.¡± Liu Jing introduced them to them again: ¡°This is Sima Shangshu, and this is Zhuge Liang¡¯s military advisor.  "I think you all should have heard about it." Of course Li Fu knew that Sima Yi was his immediate superior, and Zhuge Liang was originally the military advisor of Jiaozhou and is now their prime minister. He quickly stepped forward to greet them. Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang exchanged greetings with them, and everyone parted ways.  Take a seat.  Liu Jing ordered people to serve tea, and smiled at Li Fu and Jin Sanye: "Thanks to you two, the Han army has obtained a lot of weapons, which has strengthened our preparations for war." Li Fu bowed and said: "This is a humble position.  "Li Jing smiled and said to Mr. Jin: "The third master deserves a lot of credit!" "It is an honor for me to serve your highness." "Of course I will not forget your contribution to the Han Dynasty.  I hope that the third master will continue to work hard and strive to become a marquis within the pass in the future, so that he can glorify his descendants. "The third master Jin is not short of money, but he has no status. He is just a commoner now. Now the king of Han actually said that he can be made a marquis within the pass in the future. He was so excited that his voice stuttered.  He knelt down again and said: "Jin San is willing to die for His Highness." Liu Jing saw that he was quite knowledgeable and was quite satisfied with his attitude. He smiled and said: "Of course it is not easy to become a marquis. It requires sacrifice.  There is a certain price, of course, as long as the third master is willing, he will definitely be able to do it. " Jin Sanye nodded, "Xiaomin understands! " "Li Sima said that the third master is a forthright person, and he is indeed worthy of his reputation. It is up to Sima to do it.  The minister will talk to you two in detail, so I will take the first step." Liu Jing met him just to show his attitude. He would not participate in what to do, so he and Zhuge Liang got up and left the side hall, and walked outside. Zhuge Liang whispered.  He smiled and said, "Your Highness wants to take advantage of his connections in Cao's army?" Liu Jing smiled lightly and said, "It would be a pity for such a powerful person to just resell weapons." After walking a few steps, Liu Jing remembered again.  One day, he said to Zhuge Liang: "Today is late October. The military advisor has to rush to Shangjun and leave as soon as possible." Zhuge Liang nodded, "Wei Chen will set off in the afternoon!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Only Sima Yi, Jin Sanye and Li Fu were left in the room. Jin Sanye's nervous mood calmed down a little. He quickly expressed his attitude to Sima Yi: "As long as the villain can do it, the villain will do his best and never do anything."  Postponed." Sima Yi smiled and asked: "Actually, what I am most interested in is how the third master has such a wide network of contacts. Can the third master reveal something?" Jin Sanye sighed: "Actually, no.  Why is it strange? Cao Hong is my brother-in-law. As early as the sixth year of Jian'an, Cao Ren secretly sold Yellow Turban prisoners of war as slaves, and I was the one who controlled it for him. At that time, I also had a deal with General Gan of the Han Army, and it is said that I have some relationship with His Highness.  Later this matter was exposed, I was bailed out by Cao Hong, and I followed Cao Ren for fifteen years. I knew hundreds of generals, big and small, in Cao's army, and they all had friendships with me. In the battle of Hefei the year before last, I sent gifts to Zhang Liao.  Zhang Liao discovered that there was a shortage of food. According to military regulations, I should have been punished by death. However, Zhang Liao, for Cao Ren's sake, gave me a severe punishment of fifty military regulations and was dismissed from the military camp. Only then did I make a living. " Sima Yi.  He nodded, "I see, then the weapons that Mr. Jin Sanye obtained were obtained from Cao Ren?" "No! No!" &nbsp; Mr. Jin Sanye quickly waved his hand, "Cao Ren is a very upright man. If he knew about this, he would have to behead me. I can only say that some of the weapons came from his army, as well as the armies of Yuzhou Cao Zhen and Qingzhou Cao Xiu, Cao Zhang  There is a little over there, but not much." Sima Yi smiled and asked, "I wonder if the third master of Qiao County is related to Niu Jin?" "It is not directly related to Niu Jin, but his subordinate Zhang Li is.  One of my sources of supply." Sima Yi's smile became even brighter, "I have an idea, can we ask Mr. San to contact this Zhang Li for us?" Mr. Jin somewhat understood what Sima Yi meant, and he hesitated for a moment.  , Sima Yi smiled again and said: "If this is accomplished, the third master's Guannei Marquis will be half obtained." When the third master Jin thought of making Guannei Marquis, he felt hot in his heart, and said with emotion: "Sima Shangshu, no matter what the order, the villain will definitely  Do your best!¡±  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1079 Laying a Trap

    Qiaojun has special significance to Cao Jun, not only because Qiaojun is Cao Cao's hometown and the family temple of the entire Cao family, but more importantly, Qiaojun's strategic location is extremely important, as it is the gate to the Central Plains and is the gateway to defeat Qiaojun.  County, the entire hinterland of the Central Plains appears in front of you.  In the entire defense system of Cao's army, the Central Plains area was defended by Cao Zhen, the governor of Yuzhou, and Cao Ren, the governor of Xuzhou. The two sides were bounded by Chenliu County. Cao Ren was in charge of the east of Chenliu County, and Cao Zhen was in charge of the west of Chenliu County.  In order to defend the Central Plains, Cao Jun spent a lot of money. He deployed 100,000 troops in the Xuzhou area alone, including 30,000 troops in Qiaojun and Xuzhou each, 40,000 troops in the Huaibei region, and 50,000 troops in Xuchang, and 50,000 troops in Luoyang.  Thirty thousand troops were deployed on the front line, and 180,000 troops were deployed in the entire Central Plains region, building the Central Plains' defense like an iron barrel.  Qiaojun is Cao Ren's defense area. The general of Cao's army currently guarding Qiaojun is Cao Ren's right-hand man, General Niu Jin. Niujin has been with Cao Ren for many years. He fought bravely and won Cao Ren's trust. Cao Ren assigned this task to defend Qiaojun.  handed it to him.  There are about 30,000 garrison troops in Qiao County, respectively guarding three strategic passages in Qiao County, Qixian County, Chengfu County and Qiao County. Among them, Qixian County and Chengfu County each have 7,000 troops, while Qiao County has 7,000 troops each.  There are 14,000 troops stationed in the county, and the three strategic locations are distributed in a Z-shaped pattern, echoing each other and acting as horns to each other.  That morning, a caravan coming from Runan County gradually approached Chengfu County. The caravan was not big, with only more than a hundred mules loaded with cloth. There were more than ten men, one steward and one deputy steward. The steward was about  He is in his fifties, tall, with a bright red face and a strong voice. He is the third master Jin who went north from Shouchun, and the deputy steward next to him is Li Fu.  This is the task Liu Jing gave them, and it is also related to Jin Sanye's future status. Whether he can be knighted depends on this. Although he is very nervous, Jin Sanye is very concerned about face. As long as he is not in front of the King of Han, he  He would behave as if nothing had happened, conceal his emotions well, always laugh loudly, and control the atmosphere of the entire caravan.  " On the contrary, Li Fu has always remained silent. He is taciturn and rarely talks. It is easy for people to think that he is Jin Sanye's follower, but in fact, he is the decision-maker of this operation.  "Master Li, don't worry. The person we are looking for has been working with me for many years. Both parties know the basics. I know where his weaknesses are?" Jin Sanye's consolation only made Li Fu nodded slightly, "It's a big deal.  "I need to be cautious." "Of course I have to be cautious. I have already considered the plan. I will test him first." The caravan gradually approached Chengfu County. The inspection at the city gate was very strict, and everyone who entered the city was searched.  The team had to open the bag for inspection. Li Fu was about to discuss it with Jin Sanye, but Jin Sanye grinned and urged his horse forward.  "Third Master is here again, let's make a fortune!" The soldiers guarding the city all seemed to know him and greeted him one after another. Mr. Jin curled his lips and said: "You can still make a fortune these days, it will be good if you can make a living.  "Although he said this, he threw a bag of money to the leader of the village without any secret. "Your wine money is the same as before." The commander suddenly smiled and ordered the soldiers: "Let the third master enter the city!"  Everyone moved out of the way. Jin Sanye waved his hand and led the caravan into the city. However, Li Fu heard the village chief scolding other merchants from a distance, "Bullshit, do you think I will accept anyone's money? Take the goods."  Open the bag!" Li Fu suddenly had confidence in Mr. Jin. It seemed that his relationship with the people here was indeed extraordinary.  Everyone stayed in the hotel, and Jin Sanye immediately took Li Fu to the military camp. On the way, he whispered to Li Fu: "This Zhang Li was originally a bandit in Xuzhou. He was ruthless and killed many people. Later he joined the Qingzhou Army, which was defeated by Cao Jun.  After that, he transformed into a general of Cao's army. This man was bold, evil-hearted, and extremely greedy. The kerosene that Mr. Li saw in the warehouse last time was sold to me privately by him. His tribe actually only had 2,500 people.  , but he reported 3,500 people and stole the food of a thousand soldiers." "He did it so obviously, Cao Ren didn't care?" "Cao Ren may have heard about it, but Niu Jin must know the inside story, no matter what.  Everyone only cares about the outcome of this kind of thing. As long as Zhang Li is willing to work hard in the war, he usually turns a blind eye.  He knew very well that if he refused to sacrifice his life, his good days would be over." The two of them walked and talked, and soon came to the military camp in the city. The gatekeeper knew Mr. Jin and immediately rushed into the camp to report.  After a while, a general of Cao's army, about forty years old, came out with a big smile, "I heard the magpie cry early this morning, and I knew something was good. Sure enough, it was the third master who came to the door."The two of them smiled and hugged tightly. Jin Sanye took Li Fu and introduced him: "This is my rich man. I specially introduced him to the general. We all call him Mr. Li, a cheerful person." Zhang Li's eyes  Everyone narrowed their smiles. He understood the implication of Mr. Jin¡¯s words. Mr. Li was the consignee, which meant that Mr. Li paid for his gold.  "Where is Mr. Li from?" Zhang Li asked with a smile.  "I'm from Gaoyang, Hejian County." "Oh! My ancestral home is from Anping County, which is right next door to Hejian County!" "What a coincidence, so I'm not an outsider." Zhang Li was extremely enthusiastic and brought Li Fu and Jin  The third master invited him into the military camp. Zhang Liguan was appointed as the captain and had his own troops. They were all Qingzhou troops who had followed him for many years, and of course they were also Cao troops. In addition to the 3,500 people directly under his command, there were another 3,500 troops.  Temporarily assigned to his army.  All the troops are stationed in the county. The military camp is very large, occupying 30% of the county. It is composed of two thousand tents, half of which is food and military supplies.  Cao Jun¡¯s military rations are rationed based on the number of troops. The ordnance is worn out due to training. When the quantity is insufficient, if the number is insufficient, the application will usually be approved, so there is a loophole for reselling ordnance.  In fact, Cao Jun's regulations are very strict. For example, when receiving new weapons, they must exchange old ones for new ones. Only when damaged weapons are handed in will new weapons be issued. However, the implementation is not strict. They just send people to take a look, and damaged weapons will not be issued.  Take it away. Many times, people who come down to check often see the same batch of damaged weapons several times. As long as the people below are well received, they will generally not expose it.  The generals of the Cao army below have a lot of money from this. Jin Sanye is this kind of transaction broker, and he is very popular with the generals of the army below.  Zhang Li invited the two of them into the tent and sat down. He smiled frankly and said, "The third master came a little early this time. If it were a little later, I would have a batch of bows and crossbows, about three hundred." Third master Jin pointed.  Referring to Li Fu, "Master Li has a business deal that he wants to discuss with the general this time. If it goes through, he will earn at least one thousand taels of gold." Zhang Li perked up and said with a smile, "Master Li, although he said it clearly,  We have no taboos here. " Li Fu saw that as a general of Cao's army, he did not hide his greed, and he couldn't help but be wary of this kind of person. He must be careful.  " Li Fu said with a smile: "Someone wants to buy a batch of kerosene. It needs about three hundred barrels. The price of each barrel is three taels of gold. If the thing is done, the oil buyer will pay me another one hundred taels of gold, which is not included in the oil price.  That is to say, all the nine hundred taels of gold go to the general, how about it?  " This price is very good. Usually it is two taels of gold per barrel. Now it is offered at three taels, but Zhang Li still has a look of embarrassment on his face. "To be honest with Mr. Li, this matter is a bit difficult. Kerosene is the most important thing for Cao Jun.  Last time I sold fifty barrels of important supplies to Mr. San. I couldn't explain it in the end, so I had to burn a warehouse to cover it up. This time it's going to be more difficult, and our military camp only has a total of a thousand barrels of kerosene.  People will be sent to inspect the military camp, and the quantity of kerosene must be counted. If there is a shortage of 300 barrels, how can I explain it?  Li Fu smiled and said, "General, do you want to know what Yao Wu under Yu Jin did?"  " Zhang Li was startled. Yao Wu was Yu Jin's confidant and was stationed in Yicheng County. Could it be that he also did this kind of thing? Li Fu understood what he was thinking, nodded and said, "I also bought three hundred barrels of fire from Yao Wu.  Oil.  Zhang Li cupped his fists and said, "I'd like to hear the details!"  " "Yao Wu took half of the 600 barrels of kerosene to make 300 barrels of kerosene, and then poured water into the oil barrels. The oil was above the water and under the water. Even a random inspection could not detect it.  " Zhang Li suddenly realized that this was indeed a good idea, but the quantity of three hundred barrels of kerosene was relatively large, so he needed to be more cautious. He asked again: "I don't know who is planning to buy kerosene. Can Mr. Li tell me?  " "I don't hide it from the general, they are the Yangtze River water thieves and the Black Flag Army.  " Zhang Li suddenly realized that it turned out to be the Black Flag Army. He knew that this water bandit was entrenched in the Dongting Lake area of ????Changsha County. The leader was nicknamed the Dragon King of Hunjiang. If they want it, that's right, because the Han army is not short of kerosene.  Usually it¡¯s not necessary. He pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°When will I need the goods?  " "Half a month later, I'll hand over the money and deliver the goods, okay?  "Zhang Li heard that half a month later, he was relieved. Ten days later, Xuzhou Zhao Sima would come to the military camp to inspect, and he would definitely count the kerosene. The inventory would be completed in half a month. "Well, let's make it a deal.  !  " Li Fu and Jin Sanye left the military camp. On the way, Li Fu said with emotion: "The war is about to come. This Zhang Li actually dares to smuggle military supplies. It is really eye-opening.  " Mr. Jin San laughed and said, "Master Li is joking. You have been in Yedu for a long time, and those Cao Wei ministers are stillIs it too little?  There are a few loyal people, but I am afraid that even people like Chen Qun and Hua Xin may not be reliable, let alone people like Zhang Li who were born as thieves. For them, there are only eight words in life. If you don't serve yourself, you will be destroyed by heaven and earth.  Everything else is fake.  "That's true. Cao Cao didn't trust his generals, so he let the Cao family and the Xiahou family lead the army."  " "That's the truth, so I know Zhang Li very well and know that he will agree, but I have to take my time and slowly lure him into the trap.  " Li Fu nodded. What Jin Sanye said makes sense. This matter really cannot be rushed. . . . .

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1080 Hiding something

    In the deputy prime minister's house, Cao Pi listened seriously to the report from the censor Zhongcheng Zhou Yuan. Something happened to the intelligence points in Chang'an. Several intelligence points were wiped out by the Han army. More than half of the spies were arrested. Even the number they had just sent to Chang'an was captured.  All ten spies were also arrested by the Han army.  This news made Cao Pi very worried. He didn't know how to explain it to his father. Not long after Zhou Yuan was put in charge of intelligence, something like this happened, which would definitely make his father angry. Especially when the two countries were nervously preparing for war, Chang'an's intelligence was  seems very important.  Of course, Cao Pi also knew that Zhou Yuan could not be blamed for this matter, but that the Chang'an spies were not secretive enough and were discovered by the Han army. But could he say this to his father?  Helpless, Cao Pi had no choice but to say to Zhou Yuan: "The top priority now is to build another intelligence point. All the spies who have not been caught must be recalled to prevent any of them from being incited by the Han army to rebel, and new spies will be sent to Chang'an. We must hurry up on this matter. Today  We have to decide on the candidate." Zhou Yuan nodded silently and asked, "How should I report this to Duke Wei?" "I will report this matter and take the responsibility. You just have to do the follow-up things well.  , don¡¯t worry about other things.¡± Zhou Yuan felt grateful and bowed: ¡°Thank you for taking care of Wei Chen, I will do my best to handle the follow-up matters.¡± ¡°Go!¡± Zhou Yuan bowed and took his time.  After retreating, Cao Pi was the only one left in the room. Cao Pi was pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his hands. He was really upset. In the past two months, the Han army began to prepare for war. He also received the order from his father to prepare for war, so he issued an order.  Orders were given to each county, requiring each county to prepare supplies.  But he was secretly surprised by the list of supplies from each county he received today. The quantity of various supplies was less than half of his previous estimate. Only then did he realize that they had suffered a big loss during the liberalization of trade in the past six months.  , a large amount of materials were bought by the Han State with money and gold ingots. Although the market in Yedu was prosperous, the local area was declining day by day.  This problem is his responsibility. He discovered it too late. He was worried about not being able to report the matter to his father. However, the news that the Chang'an intelligence center had been wiped out came immediately. It can be said that misfortunes never come singly. He simply did not dare to face his father.  Cao Pi was in a dilemma. He knew that the current situation was very critical, and his father was also very nervous. If he concealed it, it would probably cause trouble, but if he told it, it would also make his father angry. After hesitating for a long time, Cao Pi decided to report to his father.  , but there must be concealment in key aspects, so that his father cannot be disappointed in his ability. Thinking of this, Cao Pi immediately ordered: "Prepare the carriage and go to Tongque Palace!" Cao Pi got on the carriage, and the carriage accelerated towards Tongque Palace outside the North City.  The palace drove away.  Cao Pi entered the Tongque Palace and unexpectedly met his brother Cao Zhang in front of his father's official chamber. He seemed to be waiting for his father's reception. Cao Zhang, like his third brother Cao Zhi, had also strived for the position of heir apparent, but he had nothing in Ye.  However, Cao Zhang gained his father's military trust and allowed him to command 50,000 Youzhou troops to defend the northern border.  In the past two years, Cao Pi basically had no quarrels or interactions with his brothers. Cao Pi didn't want to meet Cao Zhang at this time, but since there was no way to hide, he had to step forward and said with a forced smile: "Second brother, when are you going to meet me?"  Back to Yedu, I didn't know?" Cao Zhang glanced at him and said coldly: "Brother is busy investigating the Jian'an Seven Sons case, how can he have time to think of me?" Cao Zhang's words were thorny, which made Cao Pi suddenly realize that Cao Zhang and  The Xiahou family has a deep friendship. He transferred Xiahou Dun. How could Cao Zhang look good on him? Cao Pi could only laugh dryly and said, "My second brother is really good at telling jokes." Cao Zhang turned his head away and ignored him. Cao Pi was secretly annoyed.  He also lowered his face and stopped talking. There seemed to be some embarrassment between the two brothers. At this time, a guard walked out, bowed and saluted: "Wei Gong, please invite the crown prince and Mr. Zhang into the room!" Cao Zhang snorted heavily and walked quickly.  Entering his father's study, Cao Pi deliberately slowed down and walked into the room slowly. Sure enough, his father had already started talking with his second brother. Cao Pi saluted his father and stood aside.  The reason why Cao Cao recalled his second son to Yedu was to withdraw the 50,000 Youzhou troops for defense in the Central Plains. However, he was a little worried about the border, so he asked, "How is the situation over there in Xianbei?" Cao Zhang bowed and said, "Return to my father.  Xianbei has been at war with the Xiongnu since the beginning of the year. The two sides have won and lost, and the Xiongnu has a slight disadvantage. Last month, Ha'er got the news that Xianbei is actively preparing for a decisive battle with the Xiongnu next spring. "It's almost November, and the grassland has already arrived.  It has snowed for the first time. Of course, the grassland nomads will not invade the Central Plains at this time. Cao Cao is also considering next spring. Once Cao Zhang's Youzhou army is transferred back to the Central Plains and Youzhou is empty, will Xianbei take the opportunity to invade? This puts Cao Cao in a dilemma.  He pondered for a moment and then asked: "?Is the information from ? reliable?  Next spring Xianbei will fight against the Xiongnu.  " Cao Zhang understood what his father meant and bowed and said: "Father, the information should be reliable. It was the fur traders who returned to the south who told the child, and the child can be sure that the Xianbei people will not take advantage of the situation to attack the Central Plains.  " Cao Cao's thoughts changed, and he suddenly understood, and said with a smile: "I am really confused. If the Xianbei people invade the Central Plains, who will defend their homeland? It seems that the Xianbei people will not go south for the time being until the Huns are destroyed.  " Cao Cao felt relieved and immediately said to his son: "The situation is critical now. The decisive battle between us and the Han army is about to break out. We are short of troops. I want to transfer the Youzhou army back to Yedu. Do you have any objections?  " "My son, please obey your father's orders!  "Cao Cao was very satisfied with his second son's attitude and nodded. He turned his eyes to Cao Pi and asked with a smile: "What's going on here, Pi'er?  " At this time, Cao Zhang bowed and said: "If my father has nothing else to do, I will leave first.  "    "Go ahead!  Rest for two days before returning to Youzhou to mobilize troops.  " Cao Zhang slowly retreated. When Cao Cao saw that the two brothers did not say hello, he felt a little unhappy and asked, "Did you two brothers quarrel?  " "Hai'er and his second brother didn't quarrel. It's just that they haven't seen each other for a long time and they are a little unfamiliar with each other.  " "This is not possible. Brothers must be united sincerely. If I die, Cao Wei will have to rely on the three of you brothers to support me. I have decided to let your third brother return to Yedu to be in charge of the rituals and music of Wei State. Don't embarrass him anymore.  " Cao Pi's heart skipped a beat. His father actually asked his third brother to return to Yedu, and also asked him to be in charge of rituals and music. Although this was just a false position, it was a signal that his father was preparing to activate his third brother again. And his second brother, his  Fifty thousand troops were stationed in Yedu. It was a big question. Otherwise, the second brother would easily launch a coup. Cao Pi became more and more nervous, but forgot that his father was waiting for him to answer a serious question. Seeing that he was distracted, Cao Cao asked:  "What urgent matter do you want to report to your father?  " Only then did Cao Pi react. He quickly bowed and said, "Father, my son has received news that the Han army is investigating our spies in front of Chang'an. I am worried that some of the spies have betrayed and the Yang Gong incident will happen again, so my son suggested that we  All Chang'an spies were withdrawn and replaced with a new group of people.  " Cao Cao frowned slightly, "But if there is a new person, they have to start over. Isn't it a bit inappropriate at this critical moment?  " Cao Pi did not dare to tell the truth, so he had to bite the bullet and said: "Father, if the Chang'an spies are controlled by the Han army and send back false news, I am afraid it will cause us more losses. It is at this critical moment that the child feels the need to change.  Newcomers, new information points.  " Cao Cao felt that what his son said was somewhat reasonable, so he nodded and said, "Since you think there is no problem, go ahead and make arrangements!  There is no need to report this kind of thing to me anymore.  " Cao Pi was secretly happy and quickly agreed. At this time, Cao Cao asked again: "Last time I asked the counties to prepare supplies for war. How is the progress now?  " Cao Pi's heart that had just been relieved suddenly rose again. He was very nervous. According to his pre-planned countermeasures, he said: "Reports are being compiled from various places. They haven't reached the kid yet, but the kid is a little worried.  "    "worry about what?  "Cao Cao asked puzzledly. "Haier was worried that various places would conceal the true situation and underreport the quantity of supplies. Because during the Battle of Hefei, Haier found that more than half of the local governments underreported the food in the treasury and left room for it. In the end, we were very disappointed.  Passive, the child is worried that it will be the same this time.  " Cao Cao knew that it was indeed possible that his son was telling the truth. He thought for a moment and said: "Let's do this!  Five censors, Zhongcheng, were sent to inspect various places and urge each county to conduct a real inventory of supplies. This matter is very important and must not be ambiguous.  " Cao Pi secretly sighed in his heart. Although the current hurdle has passed, the fact that the supplies are insufficient will come out sooner or later. He really doesn't know how to face his father's scolding. Cao Pi left Tongque Palace with worries. At this time  Cao Cao's mind was on the defense of the Central Plains. He walked slowly to the sand table with his hands behind his back and stared at the sand table for a long time. This morning he got a briefing from Yu Jin. Liu Jin appeared in Shouchun, which made Cao Cao a little confused. Liu Jing inspected the war preparations in various places.  It is normal, but he did not go to Nanyang Wancheng for inspection, but came directly to Shouchun. What does this mean? Did Liu Jing decide to make a breakthrough from Shouchun? Thinking about it carefully, it is indeed possible.  Shouchun is close to the Huaihe River to the north, Xuzhou is to the northeast, and Qiaojun is to the northwest. It is in a strategic position that can be attacked and defended. Moreover, the Han army's naval force is strong, and it is completely possible to take the vortex river to the north to Qiaojun. As long as Qiaojun is captured, the entire  There is no danger to defend the hinterland of the Central Plains. More importantly, he deployed 100,000 troops on the front line of Xuzhou and Qiaojun. Once these 100,000 troops are defeated, Cao Wei's entire war will be destroyed.??will be passive across the board.  Cao Cao secretly made up his mind to consolidate the defenses of Qiaojun and Huaibei, and never allow the Han army to break through from here.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1081 Zhuge¡¯s First Battle

    After entering November, the Yellow River begins to freeze. It is not until mid-November that the ice surface of the Yellow River is completely frozen and you can walk on the ice. At this time of the year, crossing the Yellow River becomes easy, and there are often sporadic merchants.  Leading a loaded donkey or mule across the ice.  But this year, there were no traces of merchants on the ice of the Yellow River in Gaonu County. The clouds of war shrouded this land. The Han army sent an additional 5,000 troops to Gaonu County and stepped up inspections. On the other side of the Yellow River, there were also people in Xihe County.  Thousands of Cao's troops were mainly stationed in Lishi County.  That afternoon, a team of five thousand cavalry slowly arrived in Gaonu County. The cavalry was commanded by General Ma Dai. In the middle of the army, military counselor Zhuge Liang was sitting on a carriage, holding a feather fan in his hand, showing great interest.  He looked around at the scenery around him. This was his first time in Shangjun. The magnificent mountains and rivers feasted his eyes.  A few miles away from Gaonu County, a group of cavalry rushed over. The leader was Zhang Yi, the captain of Shangjun. He led 5,000 soldiers to guard Gaonu County.  "The last general will see the military advisor!" Zhang Yi saluted with cupped fists.  "Thank you, General Zhang, for coming all the way to welcome me. Have you finished what I told you before?" "Reporting to the military advisor, everything has been done." Zhuge Liang nodded, shook his feather fan lightly and said, "Let's go to Gaonu County first!" Everyone speeded up and headed towards  Heading towards Gaonu County, at this time, a camp had been set up outside Gaonu County, and the cavalry were stationed one after another. In the Chinese army's tent, Ma Dai, Zhang Yi and other generals were standing in front of a sand table. Zhuge Liang was inspecting it carefully.  Lishi County on the sand table.  Lishi County is the seat of Xihe County. It is also an important pass in the western part of Bingzhou across the Luliang Mountains. It has an extremely important strategic position. It is known as the west gate of Bingzhou. If Lishi County is captured, the army can pass through the Luliang Mountains from here and fight directly towards Taiyuan.  .  Zhang Yi introduced at the side: "The scouts sent by the humble post have investigated clearly. They can directly cross the ice of the Yellow River from Wangjiadu, which is about 20 miles northwest of Lishi. The mountains are high and the forests are dense, and tens of thousands of troops can be hidden."  "How is the defense of Lishi County?" Zhuge Liang asked again.  "The city of Lishi County is three feet and eight feet high. Cao's army rebuilt it last year. The city is tall and spacious. There are five thousand troops stationed in the city. The leader is Kong Xiu and the deputy general Jiang Yan are both Xia Houyuan's former generals." "The characters of these two people are.  How?" Zhuge Liang asked quietly.  "Reporting back to the military advisor, Kong Xiu is cunning and sinister, while Jiang Yanze has a bad temper. Their personalities are exactly the opposite." At this time, Ma Dai next to him said: "Military advisor, we have a heavy trebuchet here. You can directly use the trebuchet to destroy the city gate. And  Why bother with so much trouble?" Zhuge Liang shook his feather fan and said with a smile, "It's not my job to go out and fight and kill." He whispered a few words to the two of them, and they both nodded, "Military advisor.  It's really brilliant!" The focus of Cao's army's defense in Bingzhou was Hedong County. General Zhang He led 20,000 troops to station in Hedong County, facing tens of thousands of Han troops at Pujin Pass on the other side of the Yellow River. In addition, Bingzhou's chief general Xiahou Shang led 30,000 troops to station in Taiyuan.  city.  Lishi County to the west of Taiyuan was not the focus of Cao's defense. However, due to the important strategic position of Lishi County, Xiahou Shang sent generals Kong Xiu and Jiang Yan to lead 5,000 troops to garrison Lishi County.  In the morning, Jiang Yan was patrolling the city as usual. He was not very interested in defending Lishi County. Lishi County was far away from the main battlefield and it was difficult to have the opportunity to make meritorious deeds. This made Jiang Yan quite depressed.  .  At this time, a soldier pointed in the distance and shouted: "General, they are here again!" A dozen Han army scouts appeared outside the West City. They stood on a hill about two hundred steps away from the city.  , what are you drawing with a charcoal pencil in your hand?  Jiang Yan has long been fed up with this Han army scout team. For half a month, he has been moving around the county seat, mapping the terrain, and exploring the mountains and rivers. Today he even went too far. He actually stood outside the range of the bow and crossbow and mapped the city. This is really an extremely extreme situation.  Serious provocation.  Jiang Yan was furious and ordered the people around him: "Call three hundred cavalry and follow me to kill these bastards!" Jiang Yan had a bad temper and several generals could not persuade him, so they hurried to report to the general Kong Xiu, Li Shi  When the county gate opened, Jiang Yan led 300 cavalry and chased more than a dozen Han army scouts. The Han army scouts turned around and fled, with Jiang Yan leading his army in hot pursuit.  After chasing for more than ten miles and bypassing a large mountain, more than a dozen Han army scouts disappeared. Jiang Yan saw that the surrounding mountains were steep and the woods on both sides were dense. It was the best place for an ambush. He suddenly realized, "  I'm in a trap!" "Get back quickly!" As soon as he shouted, he heard the sound of a gong, and an ambush broke out. Thousands of cavalry surrounded them. At this time, the soldiers rolled out a wheeled cart, and Zhuge Liang sat down.  In the car, holding a feather fan in his hand, he smiled and said: "I am Zhuge Liang, the military commander of the Han Dynasty. Why hasn't Jiang Yan surrendered earlier?" Jiang Yan left.With no other choice, he had to dismount and kneel down and say: "Jiang Yan is willing to surrender to the Han army!" Zhuge Liang ordered the left and right to help Jiang Yan up, smiled slightly and said: "Since General Jiang is willing to surrender to the Han army, why not help us capture Lishi County?" Jiang Yan  He said with emotion: "Thanks to the military advisor for not killing him, I would like to persuade General Kong to surrender to the Han Dynasty!" Zhuge Liang ordered people to let Jiang Yan go back. Zhang Yi next to him said: "It is too easy for this person to surrender. He must be a repeat villain. The military advisor should be careful about what they use."  Fraud!" Zhuge Liang shook his feather fan and said, "How could I not know that I am not afraid of them surrendering, but I am afraid that they will not move" Jiang Yan returned to Lishi County and said to Kong Xiu: "I pretended to surrender to the Han army, Zhuge Liang asked me to come.  Is there any good strategy for persuading my brother to surrender?" Kong Xiu thought for a moment and said, "Capture the thief first. We can use the trick to capture Zhuge Liang and the Han generals in one fell swoop. We can achieve great success!" He whispered to Jiang Yan.  , Jiang Yan nodded, "Brother, go make arrangements now!" Early the next morning, Jiang Yan came to the Han army by the Yellow River again. When he saw Zhuge Liang, he knelt down and reported: "To the military advisor, my general is willing to surrender to the Han army."  Army, help the Han Dynasty together!" Zhuge Liang was overjoyed, "If General Kong is willing to surrender, I will report to His Highness the King of Han for your great achievements!" The two discussed the details of the surrender, and then Jiang Yan left.  Zhuge Liang then ordered people to find Zhang Yi and gave him some instructions. Zhang Yi took the order and left.  At noon, the general of Lishi County, Kong Xiu, was shirtless and led thousands of soldiers to line up in front of the city gate. All kinds of weapons were piled in the open space outside the city gate. However, on both sides of the barbican in the county seat, Kong Xiu deployed a thousand elite soldiers.  The crossbowmen were waiting for the Han army's military advisors and generals to enter the city.  Kong Xiu was very nervous. After all, he was making a desperate move. If he failed, he might lose his life. But if he succeeded, he would become the number one hero of Cao's army.  At this time, a soldier pointed in the distance and shouted: "General, they are coming!" An army of more than 10,000 people slowly appeared in the distance, heading towards Lishi County. Kong Xiu turned around and shouted: "No  My order is not to act rashly!" Soon, the Han army arrived two hundred steps away. This was the most critical moment. Once the Han army advanced again, Cao Jun would immediately withdraw into the city. Kong Xiu shouted: "Li Shi  General Kong Xiu, is willing to surrender to the Han army!" General Jiang Yan rushed forward and bowed to Zhuge Liang: "My general sincerely surrenders, please accept the surrender!" According to general etiquette, Cao Jun fell to the ground and surrendered. As the leader of the Han army, Zhuge Liang should step forward.  Go to help him up and give him a few words of comfort. This is Kong Xiu's opportunity to launch a counterattack.  Zhuge Liang smiled coldly, "General Jiang, I seem to hear something strange in the city?" Jiang Yan was startled and listened carefully. Sure enough, he heard loud shouts of killing in the city. He was stunned for a moment. What was going on?  ?  Zhuge Liang ordered: "Get it for me!" Soldiers from both sides rushed forward and pushed Jiang Yan to the ground. Jiang Yan shouted that he was not guilty. Zhuge Liang scolded: "You are so small, but you dare to lie to me. Today is the day you die."  Jiang Yan's face was ashen, his whole body was trembling, and he couldn't say a word.  At the same time, Kong Xiu and others also heard the shouts of killing in the city. They looked at each other and looked back towards the top of the city.  A soldier rushed from the city and shouted: "General, the Han army has entered the city from the south city!" Kong Xiu was so frightened that his heart almost stopped beating. Their ambush was all in the north city, and there were no defenders at the other city gates.  However, they were sneak attacked by the Han army. At this moment, the Han army a hundred steps away suddenly burst out with loud shouts of killing. A group of cavalry came to cover up the attack. Cao Jun's soldiers were in chaos. At the city gate, countless Cao Jun soldiers were heading towards them.  Cao Jun's soldiers were unable to return to the city and had to flee in all directions.  Kong Xiu got on his horse, hit the horse and galloped away to the east. Not long after running out, a cavalry came up to meet him. The leader was Ma Dai. Ma Dai shouted, "Take your life!" and struck him with a sword.  , the sword was fierce, Kong Xiu was caught off guard, and his head was chopped off by the sword. Cao's army was in chaos and ran in all directions, but the roads around were blocked by Han troops. Cao's soldiers had nowhere to escape, so they knelt down and surrendered.  The Han army occupied Lishi County. Zhuge Liang ordered Jiang Yanchu to be killed. The army immediately took control of the Luliang Mountains. The news spread to Taiyuan. Xiahou Shang was shocked and sent people to Yedu to report.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1082 Crisis Explodes

    The fall of Lishi County had little impact on the entire Cao Wei defense deployment militarily, but it had a profound impact on Cao Wei economically and politically. It broke the peace between Han and Wei in the past two years and made  The war atmosphere between the two countries suddenly escalated.  The most direct manifestation is the skyrocketing price of rice in the Yedu market. More than half a year ago, the turmoil caused by the Nanyang conflict tripled the price of rice in Yedu. However, due to the reconciliation between the two parties, the price of rice quickly dropped again.  But this time the Han army crossed the Yellow River and occupied Xihe County in Bingzhou, which also dealt a heavy blow to the economy of Yedu. The news reached Yedu, and the price of rice in Yedu rose from 120 yuan per dou of rice to 300 yuan per dou of rice overnight.  This caused panic in the Yedu market. Hundreds of thousands of people in Yedu rushed to various rice shops from all directions to buy food. This triggered a rare rice-grabbing trend in Yedu and plunged the entire Yedu city into turmoil.  The streets were full of people rushing to buy food and various daily necessities. Most of the shops were closed. The market prosperity originally caused by the free trade between the Han and Wei Dynasties turned out to be like a bubble, shattering overnight. Yedu Market  Was beaten back to his original shape.  Teams of Huben Guards cavalry and Yedu city defense soldiers patrolled the streets, constantly catching desperate thieves who took risks and robbed homes.  Zhang Liao was appointed as the governor of the nine gates of Yedu and was in charge of the defense of Yedu. He had 12,000 troops, all of which were dispatched to maintain order in the city. Zhang Liao rode on a war horse and led 300 cavalry to patrol throughout Yedu.  Song Xian, the general next to him, sighed with emotion: "I don't understand why Yedu falls into turmoil whenever there is a disturbance, and everyone is grabbing food and supplies. On the contrary, I heard that Chang'an is very calm and is not affected at all.  It¡¯s puzzling!¡± Zhang Liao also sighed and said, ¡°Three feet of ice is not a day¡¯s cold. For more than ten years, Cao¡¯s army has been defeated repeatedly by the Han army, which has long lost the confidence of the Wei people.  When a war breaks out, everyone will think that Cao's army must have been defeated and asked for peace, so it is not surprising that such turmoil occurs. " Just as he said this, a shout broke out in the distance. Zhang Liao was startled and looked towards the place where the shout was coming.  Seeing countless people running towards the same place with pockets and baskets, he also realized that something was wrong. He urged his horse and ordered: "Follow me!" He led three hundred cavalry and ran towards the shouting place. After running hundreds of steps, he  It was clear that a grain store near Beiyuan Bridge was out of control. The clerk at the grain store could not stop the angry crowd. Countless people rushed into the grain store to grab food, causing great chaos.  The grain store was close to the river, and many people were squeezed into the river. They shouted for help, and the cries were loud. Zhang Liao saw that the situation was critical, and said to his general Song Xian: "Go and bring a thousand troops over immediately, go quickly!" Song Xian immediately transferred  Horseheads rushed towards the city gate, while Zhang Liao led three hundred cavalry to rush towards the grain store, rushed to the street closest to the grain store, and intercepted a large number of people rushing towards the grain store. Despite this, there were still many people  Climb over the wall and join in the food rush.  Zhang Liao was furious. He saw a man standing on the wall shouting, holding a torch in his hand, as if he was going to light the house on fire. Zhang Liao immediately drew an arrow, drew the bow like the moon, and shot an arrow at the man on the wall.  The arrow hit the man's left chest. The man screamed and fell into the river.  At this time, General Song Xian led two thousand soldiers and rushed over. The army rushed into the grain store and arrested the grain robbers. As early as the arrival of Zhang Liao's cavalry, many grain robbers had already quietly escaped when they saw that the situation was not good.  , most of the people in the grain store were people who didn't get the food. Regardless of the risk, they screamed at the crowd.  It was not until the soldiers from Cao Jun's brigade arrived that they finally stopped the grain-grabbing trend at the grain store. Nearly a thousand men and women were arrested and squatted all over the place. Those who fell into the river were also rescued. Although Cao Jun stopped the grain-grabbing,  Still more than twenty people died, most of them were trampled to death, mainly old people and women, and their corpses were scattered all over the ground.  Zhang Liao saw that one of them was bloody and unusual, so he pointed with his riding crop and asked, "Who is this?" One of the waiters replied, "This is our proprietor, who was beaten to death by the mob!" Another man next to him was angry.  He said: "It was you who temporarily increased the price and angered everyone, and that's why the food robbery incident occurred." The man bowed to Zhang Liao and explained: "General Zhang, the price of rice this morning was 300 yuan per dou of rice, and it rose to 300 yuan per dou of rice at noon.  One hundred and fifty yuan, this grain shop has a bad heart, and it temporarily raised the price to five hundred yuan, which caused public outrage. Please tell me!" Zhang Liao was startled, "Do you know me?" The man replied: "I am a secretary in the Ministry of War.  Liao Jing, I have seen the general!" Zhang Liao suddenly said angrily: "Since you are an official in Yedu, you did not stop the food grabbing and still participated in the food grabbing. Do you know what your crime is?" The man shook his head and said, "You are not involved in the food grabbing because of your humble position. Today?  It happened to be a day off and I came here to buy rice. I happened to encounter this grain grabbing incident. I tried my best to stop it, but I couldn't stop it at all. I just want to say that these people are good people and they were forced to do nothing.I hope the general will forgive them.  " Hundreds of people cried and begged: "General, we have old and young children to support, there is nothing we can do!  General, please spare us!  " Seeing that these people were panic-stricken and pitiful, and they didn't look like evildoers, Zhang Liao sighed in his heart and ordered his left and right: "Take back the food, and the people can be let go.  Song Xian next to him was startled and quickly reminded Zhang Liao in a low voice, "If the general lets them go, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain to Wei Gong!"  Zhang Liao sighed, "This is not their fault. Why blame these poor people anymore? I will explain it to Duke Wei."  " Everyone kowtowed in gratitude, handed over the food, and then left home one after another. Zhang Liao ordered the dead bodies to be gathered together until their families came to collect them. Zhang Liao turned his horse's head and galloped towards Tongque Palace. Zhang Liao rode to Tongque Palace.  In front of the Que Palace, he saw a carriage slowly stopping in front of the palace gate. Military Advisor Zhong Yao got out of the carriage. Zhang Liao quickly shouted: "Commander Zhong!  " Zhong Yao turned around and saw that it was Zhang Liao calling him, so he stopped. When Zhang Liao rushed to him, he chuckled and said, "Why is General Zhang so anxious?  Zhang Liao bowed deeply and asked, "The military advisor is going to see Duke Wei?"  "Exactly, Wei Gong summoned us to discuss the current situation. General, can we go together?"  " Cao Cao did not summon Zhang Liao, and Zhang Liao did not dare to leave his post without authorization, so he said to Zhong Yao: "Since the military advisor is going to see Wei Gong, please tell Wei Gong that the situation in the city is tense and the people are fearful. Three robberies have occurred.  Regarding the store incident, the top priority now is to stabilize food prices. I suggest that warehouses be opened immediately without any further delay.  " Zhong Yao nodded, "I will suggest to Wei Gong, but Wei Gong will definitely ask the general to ask about the situation, and the general should not go too far.  " "I understand, I will wait here.  "Zhong Yao cupped his hands, turned around and hurriedly walked towards the inner palace. The food robbery incident at Beiyuan Bridge was just one of the many disturbances in Yedu. It was not a major event, but the series of many things was enough to make the government and the opposition angry.  Shocking, it not only affects the daily life of ordinary people, but also affects the stability of Yedu and the stability of the military's morale. It is of great significance. In the inner hall of Tongque Palace, dozens of senior officials of the Wei State gathered together to discuss what was caused by the fall of Lishi County.  The situation was chaotic. Originally, Cao Pi was in charge of maintaining stability, and it was usually held in the Deputy Prime Minister's Mansion. Cao Pi was solely responsible for the sharp rise in food prices half a year ago. But this time, because the situation was serious and related to the entire war situation, Cao Cao personally took charge.  Cao Cao had not yet come out when presiding over this response meeting. There were whispers in the inner hall, and everyone was discussing the crisis and consequences of Lishi's defeat. In the corner of the inner hall, Liu Ye said to Chen Qun worriedly: "Liu Jing.  When he proposed freedom of trade last time, I suspected that he had ulterior motives and deep plans. Now it seems that he really has intentions. In just over half a year, the Han Dynasty has almost bought up all our supplies. These days I am in Ye  We investigated various shops and found that every merchant had a lot of Han money in his hands, but the warehouses were empty. Therefore, the cause of the sudden increase in food prices was not necessarily the fall of Lishi County. The fundamental reason was that Yedu people had too much money.  , money is no longer worth anything.  " Chen Qun was also deeply touched. "Zi Yang is right. The simplest example can prove it. Last year, a bartender in a tavern only had to pay 2,000 Chinese yuan per month. But a month ago, the price had risen to 6,000 yuan.  Thousand Han coins have increased three times. It can be seen that Han coins are rampant in Yedu. It is said that the Han Dynasty stopped the trade between the two countries ten days ago and strictly prohibited goods from leaving the country. Even if we have money, we cannot buy Han supplies. This winter will be difficult.  .  " Although the conversation between Liu Ye and Chen Qun was not loud, many people around heard it. Gradually, the inner hall became quiet. Everyone was preoccupied. Everyone was a senior official who was smarter than ordinary people and looked at problems very carefully.  They all realized that the Han State had used half a year of trade and the absolute advantage of Han money to purchase a large amount of materials from the Wei State. The crisis had accumulated within the Wei State, but no one had thought of this. This time  The Han army captured Lishi County and provoked a war, which suddenly broke out the accumulated crisis in Wei State. This was the key. Only then did everyone finally understand why Liu Jing provoked the Nanyang crisis half a year ago.  Then forcing Wei to relax trade restrictions, this was clearly a means used by Liu Jing to destroy Wei's national power. On the surface, trade between the two countries was mutual, and Wei could even get pig iron and grain.  There were too many trading points, and the Han State used intentional versus unintentional, official versus private, purchased large quantities of materials from the Wei State from various channels, and imported countless Han coins and gold into the Wei State, causing the Wei State to gradually face a serious shortage of materials.  Cutting off the trade between the two countries at a critical moment, or strictly prohibiting Han materials from entering Wei, finally led to today's disaster. I am afraid that suppressing food prices alone cannot suppress the immediate material supply.??Shortage crisis.  At this time, there was a bell ringing inside. This was the arrival of Cao Cao. The inner hall suddenly became quiet. The first person to walk out quickly was Cao Pi. He said to everyone anxiously: "Father is not in good health. Everyone, please be careful what you say!"  At the moment of confusion, Cao Cao slowly walked out with the support of two maids. His face was as waxy as wax paper and his energy was listless. Everyone was secretly shocked. No wonder the prince came out to say hello first, but Wei Gong returned to his dejected state at the beginning of last year.  .  You must know that after more than a year of recuperation, Cao Cao's body gradually recovered and he was able to take a carriage to Xudu. Why did he look so old after not seeing him for a few days?  Everyone immediately realized that the fall of Lishi must have dealt a heavy blow to Cao Cao.  Everyone stood up and saluted, "See Duke Wei!" Cao Cao sat down, waved his hands, and said in a weak voice: "Don't be formal, please be casual!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1083 Everyone Finds a Way Out (Part 1)

    Originally, everyone had prepared their words and prepared to take this opportunity to express their opinions. However, Cao Cao's sudden physical weakness made it obvious that he could not withstand a greater blow, so everyone was silent for a while.  After a long time, Zhong Yao stood up and said: "The old minister visited all parts of Yedu today. The situation in the city is now panic. The people are led by some bad remarks. Some businessmen even took the opportunity to increase prices, which contributed to the increase in food prices. So the old minister suggested that on the one hand  It is necessary to close the warehouses and release grains to stabilize grain prices. On the other hand, we must also crack down on profiteers and attack a few evil-doing profiteers to frighten the merchants. I beg you, Duke Wei!" Chen Qun also stood up and said, "Mr. Zhong is absolutely right.  Two days ago, the price of grain was still 120 yuan per dou of rice. Now the grain production has not been reduced, nor has it been used by the army. This shows that the grain on the market has not decreased, but the price of grain has suddenly skyrocketed. The fundamental reason is still psychological. Only we have strong means.  I believe that grain prices will soon be suppressed. Zhong Gong has stabilized grain prices in Chang'an and Luoyang many times. Weichen recommended Zhong Gong to take charge of this matter." Cao Cao nodded and said to Zhong Yao: "Zhong Cheng is right, so please go.  Mr. Zhong, please take up this important task!" Zhong Yao secretly scolded Chen Qun for being too talkative. The prince has always taken the lead in stabilizing food prices. Isn't Chen Qun putting himself on the fire?  Zhong Yao secretly glanced at Cao Pi and saw that his face was gloomy and he said nothing. Zhong Yao suddenly knew that something was wrong. He quickly smiled and said: "Wei Chen is of course willing to share the worries of Wei Gong and do his small part, but Wei Chen  It is recommended that the prince should take the lead, and the ministers are willing to assist the prince to reduce the price of food as soon as possible. "Cao Cao was indeed a little slow, and then he remembered that his son should take the lead in this matter. Fortunately, Zhong Yao reminded him, and he smiled and changed his mind.  He said to Cao Pi: "After all, Commander Zhong is old and lacks energy. My son, let me take on the important task! Let Commander Zhong assist you." In fact, Cao Pi was also in a bit of a dilemma. On the one hand, he didn't want to lose power, especially if he didn't want to lose power.  In the hands of someone like Zhong Yao, on the other hand, he also knew that this surge in prices was unusual and might be extremely difficult to control.  At the critical moment of power transfer, if the issue of stabilizing food prices is not handled well and Wei's economy collapses, Cao Pi will have to be wary of whether his third brother Cao Zhi, who has already served as Taichang Qing, will come again to kill him.  However, Cao Pi had no choice at this time. He had to bow and say: "My son is willing to share the worries for his father!" Cao Cao was weak and could not support himself after sitting for less than a quarter of an hour. He had to let everyone retreat, and he himself was left by his maid.  Take him back to the palace to rest.  Zhong Yao walked out of the palace worriedly. At this time, Chen Qun quickly caught up and asked in a low voice: "Why did Zhong Gong let the prince take charge of this matter again?" Zhong Yao's face sank, and he said to Chen Qun with some dissatisfaction: "This  The prince has always taken the lead in this kind of thing, but you proposed to let me take care of it. Isn¡¯t this putting me on the fire?¡± Chen Qun sighed and said: ¡°I don¡¯t understand, but the prince is inexperienced and too utilitarian.  , always trying to take advantage of everyone's crises to consolidate his power. I'm worried that he will make a mistake again and make the matter more serious. "Zhong Yao shouted in a low voice, and Chen Qun immediately stopped talking.  , only to hear Cao Pi shouting from behind: "Commander Zhong, please stay!" After a moment, Cao Pi quickly caught up, bowed and saluted and said with a smile: "As for the matter of stabilizing food prices, I still need to ask Mr. Zhong for advice." Cao Pi  The choice of words is very beautiful, and he actually calls himself a junior. Of course, before he succeeded to the throne, he and Zhong Yao were colleagues, so it is not an exaggeration for him to call himself a junior, but he has never called himself this to anyone, so when he said  When the word 'junior' was used, even Chen Qun next to him felt harsh.  Zhong Yao chuckled, "With the prince's ability, it is more than enough to stabilize the price of food. I am old, so I am afraid that I will not be able to give the prince too much help and let him down." Cao Pi's mentality is also very complicated. On the one hand, he does not want Zhong Yao to  Intervening too much would affect his own power. On the other hand, he hoped that if he failed in the end, Zhong Yao would take the responsibility, so he himself couldn't make up his mind. Cao Pi just laughed and said a few words before leaving.  And go.  But from beginning to end, he ignored Chen Qun who was standing aside, and did not even look at him. The reason was very simple. It was Chen Qun's persuasion that allowed his third brother Cao Zhi to return to the post of Taichang Qing.  How could he not be upset?  Watching Cao Pi walk away, Zhong Yao couldn't help but shake his head secretly. Seeing that Wei Gong's health was deteriorating, whether he could survive the next year was a question. Once the prince succeeded to the throne, he would not have a good life. At this time, Zhong Yao thought again.  After hearing what Liu Jing said to him, he felt sad. He actually wanted to start a new career in Han Dynasty, but sometimes he couldn't help it.  Thinking of this, Zhong Yao smiled at Chen Qun and said, "How about I buy a glass of water and wine tonight, and Zhong Cheng comes to have a drink?" Chen Qun quickly saluted and said, "Definitely! Definitely!" &nbspYedu ended the day's hustle and bustle, and finally regained some peace after nightfall. However, the army was unable to impose a curfew, and there were still too many people on the streets. There were long queues in front of every grain store.  I stayed awake all night, holding my money bag in the biting cold wind, waiting for the grain store to open.  On a small street near the east and west gates of Yedu, a man was walking hurriedly with his shoulders hunched. He was wearing a thick cloth, he was quite fat, his steps were staggering, and his walking posture looked a little funny.  He came to a shop and looked up. The words on the plaque were extremely dazzling under the lantern, 'Lin Ji Jewelry Shop.' He raised his hand and knocked on the door. A small window was opened on the door, and the light shined through.  , illuminated the man's face, and saw that he was about forty years old, but he was well maintained and looked very young. However, his chin was beardless and his Adam's apple was retracted. He was obviously a eunuch.  This person was Mi Ying, the great eunuch who served Emperor Liu Xie in the Ye Palace. He once had a very close relationship with Liu Xie, but as he grew old and faded, Liu Xie gradually ignored him.  Reduced from the chief steward to the third steward, he no longer has much status in the palace.  In addition, Cao Pi strictly controlled the expenses of Ye Palace and cut supplies, which made life in the palace increasingly difficult. Everyone had their own way of making a living. The number of eunuchs and maids dropped sharply from more than 500 to more than 100. Although Mi Ying was still the third general manager,  But there are only a few people left under his command, and his life has suddenly dropped from fine clothes and fine food to simple meals, which is really hard for him to accept.  He was obviously a regular customer of this jewelry store. When the door opened, he was shivering from the cold and walked in quickly. "Is shopkeeper Li here?" Mi Ying asked casually.  "Here we are! We are giving an account to Boss Lin." Mi Ying hesitated for a moment. He had dealt with Boss Lin of this store several times. He was known to be acrimonious and he shouldn't have come tonight.  , but it was not easy for him to go out of the palace, so he had to bite the bullet and follow his entourage into the inner hall.  The lights were brightly lit in the inner hall, and the thin proprietor Lin was taking stock of the accounts with shopkeeper Li. His entourage came forward to report, "Proprietor, the rice manager is here." proprietor Lin is about fifty years old. He was originally a small businessman.  Twenty years ago, he accidentally discovered a treasure cave owned by the Yellow Turban Army, which made him rich. However, his nature is hard to change and he is mean to others. He also knows this Mi Ying, isn't he the eunuch in the palace!  "Why is Eunuch Mi free today?" Boss Lin didn't get up, he just sat in his seat and said in a strange tone.  Mi Ying secretly cursed in his heart. When this boss Lin was trying to flatter him, he had always been the boss of Mr. Mi but short of Mr. Mi, with his body bent lower than a shrimp. Now he actually calls himself Eunuch Mi, and is so cold and doesn't even get up.  .  But Mi Ying asked for help, so he had no choice but to say in a low voice: "I brought a piece of goods today, please take a look at it." After saying that, Mi Ying took out an object wrapped in red cloth from his arms and put it on the table.  The proprietor had a look of disdain on his face, wasn't he just stealing things from the palace and selling them?  He also said it seriously, what kind of "goods".  However, the things in the palace are indeed good, and he has really made a fortune from Mi Ying in the past few years. A rare smile appeared on his face, and he picked up the cloth bag and opened it. In an instant, the smile on his face froze, and his nose  There was a burst of cold air, "Eunuch Mi, are you kidding me!" Next to him, proprietor Li hurriedly came forward and saw that the proprietor was holding a bronze candlestick. The workmanship was quite fine, and he could tell that it belonged to the palace.  Dongzhu Li was a kind-hearted man. He advised from the side: "Master, this candlestick is very well made." "Fart!" Before the shopkeeper could finish speaking, Dongzhu Lin slammed the candlestick on the table and said coldly: "Mi  Father-in-law, do you think I am a junk collector? I don¡¯t want to sell this kind of copper goods. You can find someone else.¡± Mi Ying quickly begged in a low voice: ¡°Dr. Lin, please help me this time.  I am very nervous at this time. I will definitely bring good products to sell next time. "Hmph! I'm afraid you don't have anything to sell in the palace!" Although Boss Lin's words were sharp, someone discovered the palace a few months ago.  Many items were lost in the palace, and the news reached Cao Pi. In anger, he sent people to loot all the valuable items in the palace, leaving only some necessities for Liu Xie, such as this candlestick.  Mi Ying's face turned white and red, and he was speechless for a long time. Shopkeeper Li said from the side: "Manager Mi must have accumulated a lot of money in his hands in the past few years! How come he is so embarrassed?" Mi Ying sighed helplessly.  Said: "It's also retribution. I was framed during this period. I lost all my money and owed a lot of debt. I was forced to panic. I had no choice but to ask Boss Lin and Shopkeeper Li for help. " Although  He didn't say it clearly, but both Boss Lin and Shopkeeper Li could guess who could deceive him as a eunuch. It must have been other eunuchs in the palace who joined forces to deal with him and defrauded him of all his savings. Although the palace was small,  , butA place where you can eat people without spitting out their bones.  Shopkeeper Li begged the proprietor again: "For the sake of past friendship, proprietor please help him this time!" Proprietor Lin picked up the candlestick and looked at it again, and quickly appraised in his mind that this kind of palace goods can be  If you find a nouveau riche buyer, if you are lucky, you can sell it for about 20,000 yuan. He snorted and said, "For the sake of past friendship, I will help you this time. It will cost you 500 yuan. You can sell it or not.  Take it, I don't mind it." It was only five hundred dollars. Mi Ying was stunned for a while, "It can't be that little!" "I only accepted it out of past friendship, just to help you.  If you don¡¯t believe me, take it to other stores to see who would want such junk. " Boss Lin is determined to take Mi Ying. Knowing that the investigation has been strict recently, Mi Ying does not dare to take it back to the palace. Once he is searched by the guards,  His life was over.  Mi Ying had no choice but to agree. Lin Dong waved his hand and said, "Give him five hundred dollars!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  With five hundred copper coins in his arms, Mi Ying shivered with cold and walked back. He was really scared. He had to pay back five thousand copper coins tomorrow, otherwise the bullies in the palace would beat him up. He  Now he only has five hundred dollars, what should he do tomorrow?  The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. Both sides became weak and he could hardly walk while holding on to the wall.  At this moment, he suddenly felt someone tap him heavily on the shoulder, and a fierce voice said behind him: "This friend, please stay!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1084 Everyone Finds a Way Out (Part 2)

    Mi Ying was so frightened that he almost collapsed to the ground. He thought he had encountered bandits. The security situation was not good these two days. He also heard that the security situation was not good these two days, so he wanted to return to the palace quickly because he was afraid of encountering bandits. Unexpectedly, he was afraid.  Whatever comes.  Mi Ying looked back tremblingly, and saw two big men in black standing behind him, staring at him sharply. Mi Ying suddenly remembered that he seemed to have seen these two people when he left the palace. Could it be that they had been staring at him?  "Two heroes. What's the matter?" Mi Ying asked with a trembling voice.  "Are you a eunuch in the palace?" someone asked coldly.  A glimmer of hope suddenly rose in Mi Ying's heart. Real robbers wouldn't ask themselves this. They just robbed money and left. Do they still care about their identity?  He nodded repeatedly, "That's me!" "Then please come with us!" Mi Ying was shocked, "Where are you going?" "It's not far, just come with us." Two men in black one  Holding him between his left and right sides, he covered his eyes with a black cloth. He held Mi Ying and walked toward an alley not far away. He passed through the alley and came to another street near the west gate, and then entered an alley.  Lane, and soon came to a gate.  Mi Ying felt a knife pressing against his waist. He didn't dare to say a word the whole way. Until then, he secretly looked up through the gap in his blindfold and faintly saw the word 'tavern' written on the plaque. It turned out that this place was  A tavern.  But the two men in black did not go through the main entrance. Instead, they entered the backyard of the tavern from the side door. They took him to a small windowless room, removed his blindfold, and pushed him in.  The room was brightly lit, with two big men in black standing on both sides, and a thin black man sitting in the middle. There were about fifty people. Mi Ying suddenly felt that this man looked familiar. After thinking about it carefully, he suddenly remembered,  Pointing at the man, he said in surprise: "You are. Li Junjun!" This man was none other than Li Fu. His men had been staring at Ye Palace, preparing to arrest a eunuch back. Unexpectedly, by mistake, Mi Ying was captured.  When Li Fu saw that the other party actually knew him, he looked around and suddenly laughed, "It's God's will! Now that I have invited Manager Mi here." When Mi Ying went to Xiangyang as Liu Xie's envoy, it was Li Fu  The route was arranged for him, so the two knew each other. Mi Ying suddenly understood that he was caught by the Han army. He was so frightened that his legs softened and he knelt down, "Please spare Li Canjun's life!" Li Fu waved his hand and told his men.  He stepped back and said coldly to him: "Back then, you promised to serve His Highness the King of Han, but in the end there was no news. Do you also know that you are guilty?" Mi Ying was so frightened that tears and nose ran down, and he begged: "I  I haven¡¯t forgotten, but I don¡¯t know how to serve His Highness, so I have been ignorant all these years.¡± Mi Ying did not dare to say that he had served Cao Cao and betrayed Queen Fu, although Cao Cao kicked him away in the end.  , he is no longer needed, but the matter of Queen Fu has always been his heartache. However, Li Fu did not know that Mi Ying was secretly causing trouble in this palace case. He also remembered that he had indeed never approached Mi Ying. No wonder  He has no effectiveness and no mission at all, so how can he be effective?  Li Fu's tone also softened a lot, and he waved his hand and said: "Mr. Mi, please sit down!" Mi Ying felt the change in Li Fu's tone and actually asked him to sit down. He secretly said that he was lucky, so he sat down tremblingly. Li Fu  It was after receiving an order from Chang'an that he learned more about the current situation of the current emperor Liu Xie.  Since Cao Cao strictly prohibited officials from meeting Liu Xie, Liu Xie was actually under house arrest in disguise. There was no way to know his situation from outsiders. Li Fu could only play tricks on the eunuchs in the palace. He had been ambushing him for the past two days.  Outside the palace, he was waiting for an opportunity to catch a eunuch and come back. Unexpectedly, the person he caught turned out to be Mi Ying. It was really God's will.  Li Fu was in a good mood, so he asked with a smile: "How is Manager Mi doing?" Mi Ying sighed, "Although I am still the third manager in name, in fact I am not even as good as a eunuch. I lead three subordinates and am responsible for providing services to the palace.  Cleaning up filth makes people sad even when talking about it." Li Fu was also a little surprised and asked in confusion: "Why is Manager Mi so depressed?" Mi Ying gritted his teeth and said, "They are all that ruthless villain.  I have served him for nearly twenty years, but now that I am old, he kicks me away like a dog. " Li Fu also heard that Mi Ying had an affair with the emperor Liu Xie, and now this Mi Ying is indeed not as handsome as he was then.  No wonder Liu Xie began to hate him.  Li Fu nodded, "Then if His Highness the King of Han wants to use you now, will you still be willing to serve?" Mi Ying knelt down on the ground, he was so excited that he almost cried, "Yes, how can I not be willing?" Li  Fu smiled, asked him to sit down, and asked him: "Can you leave the palace at will?" Mi Ying shook his head.?, "Only the cook can leave the palace to buy ingredients. I have a very good relationship with the cook. Today he was sick, so I wore his bronze medal and went out of the palace for him." "What are you doing out of the palace at night?" Li Fu is so sophisticated,  Immediately you can hear the grammatical errors in the other party's words.  Mi Ying was stunned for a moment, then he lowered his head and said truthfully: "To be honest with Li Canjun, I came out to sell candlesticks. I was deceived by people in the palace, and I was heavily in debt. In desperation, I had to steal items from the palace."  If you don't pay back the interest, you will be beaten to death by the evil slaves in the palace. But now I only have 500 yuan, what will I do tomorrow?" Mi Ying almost felt sad when talking about it.  Li Fu started to cry, which was incredible. After a while, he sighed with emotion: "The emperor's palace has fallen to this point?" "What emperor? No one has treated him as emperor long ago. If it weren't for the two noble Cao people,  , I¡¯m afraid he doesn¡¯t even have enough to eat. We call him a plague and a waste in private. Who in the world doesn¡¯t know that the real emperor of the Han Dynasty is in Chang¡¯an?¡± ¡°Does Liu Xie think so too?¡± ¡°He?¡±  Ying sneered, "I'm afraid he wants to skin the King of Han and eat all his flesh." "What are you talking about?" Li Fu scolded unhappily.  Mi Ying then realized that he had slipped up and quoted Liu Xie's original words. He was so frightened that he fell to his knees again, kowtowing and begging for mercy.  Li Fu also knew that he made an honest mistake, so he said to him: "I may be able to help you, but you must serve the King of Han. You must not delay what I want you to do, otherwise, I will kill you."  Divided by a thousand cuts!" Mi Ying was scared and grateful at the same time, with tears and nose running down his face. He just kowtowed, and Li Fuling said: "Bring me fifty taels of gold!" Mi Ying was stunned. Fifty taels of gold were in Yedu.  It was worth fifty thousand dollars. Although he wanted it very much, he knew that if he brought so much gold into the palace, the gang of evil slaves would definitely snatch it away. He whispered: "Just five taels is enough." Li  Fu glanced at him in surprise. Eunuch Mi, who had always been greedy for money, actually became polite. Li Fu smiled and said, "You can bribe some people with gold to facilitate your future missions. If it's not enough, I will give it to you again."  "Yes! I understand." At this time, Mi Ying suddenly had a change of heart and thought that he could hide the gold there.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In Zhong Yao's study, Zhong Yao and Chen Qun were sitting across from each other drinking. Several plates of side dishes were placed on the small table. Two bottles of wine were warmed in copper wine bottles next to them. The Wei State was still enforcing the prohibition on alcohol, but it was not as strict as before. Many senior officials  All drinking at home.  There are also more than a dozen bottles of good wine hidden in Zhong Yao's house. It is rare to bring them out to drink today. Chen Qun is Xun Yu's son-in-law. Although he is not Cao Zhi's faction, he himself prefers Cao Zhi. It was under his persuasion that he  Cao Cao decided to transfer Cao Zhi back to Yedu, which made Cao Pi hate him deeply.  Cao Cao's serious illness made Chen Qun not in a good mood. He drank a few more glasses of wine tonight, and he lost his temper. He picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp. He said drunkenly: "I didn't expect Wei Gong.  The illness is so weak that I quietly asked the imperial doctor of Tongque Palace today. Although he refused in every possible way, he couldn't help me in the end and had to hint to me that the last time Wei Gong recovered was not a real recovery, but just a kind of recovery. This time Wei Gong  It won¡¯t be long before I get old again.¡± Zhong Yao was startled and asked quickly: ¡°When does ¡®soon¡¯ mean?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell, but I personally estimate that it will only be a year at most!¡±  They stopped talking. They all thought about the same thing. Once Wei Gong died and Cao Pi succeeded to the throne, would they end well?  At this time, Chen Qun sighed and asked: "Mr. Zhong, do you think the Third Young Master still has a chance to rise to power?" Zhong Yao shook his head, "If Mr. Wei is healthy, maybe there is hope for him, but Mr. Wei is so weak.  If the situation is precarious, he will never consider establishing a new successor. Even if he likes the third son, he will not do anything that shakes the foundation of the country. " Chen Qun was silent. Zhong Yao and Xun You were close friends in life and death, and Chen Qun's father Chen.  Zhong Yao also had a deep friendship with Ji, and Chen Qun was the son-in-law of the Xun family. It was these two relationships that made Zhong Yao especially care about Chen Qun.  Zhong Yao understood Chen Qun's worries. He was the censor Zhongcheng and had great power in his hands. Once Cao Pi came to power, he would be the first to attack Chen Qun. After pondering for a moment, Zhong Yao said slowly: "I will invite my nephew to come over for a drink tonight."  , In fact, I want to take this opportunity to persuade my nephew to go to the Han Dynasty to become an official, to participate in the great cause of restoring the Han Dynasty, and not to dishonor the ancestors." "Perhaps Chen Qun had a few more drinks, but he blurted out, "Why doesn't Mr. Zhong become an official in the Han Dynasty?"  ?" After saying that, he realized that he had made a mistake and apologized quickly, "Chen Qun drank too much and spoke indiscriminately. Don't blame Mr. Zhong!" Zhong Yao sighed slightly, "I will tell you the truth, my nephew, I was on a mission to Jiaozhou last year.  When I came back, I went to Han Dynasty specifically, andThe King of Han talked deeply. He once promised me the post of Zhongshu Ling and the head of the country.  " Chen Qun was stunned that Liu Jing valued Zhong Yao so much. He asked anxiously: "Then why did Zhong Gong refuse?  " "It's hard to reject a favor!  Zhong Yao smiled bitterly and said, "I was an envoy at the time. How could I agree?"  After returning, Cao Pi instigated Yang Tian to impeach me for having liaison with the Han State, and even found witnesses. I really can¡¯t explain clearly. If Wei Gong was serious, he could have convicted me of having liaison with the Han State. That would be fine. However, Wei Gong suppressed me.  After being impeached, he ignored it and publicly said, Yuan Chang will never let me down!  So, how could I betray him and go to Han again?  " Chen Qun also sighed with emotion: "In this way, we missed Zhong Gong's future.  " "There is no right or wrong in the conflict between the two countries. Wei is not bad either. It's just that the prince has to eradicate dissidents after he succeeds to the throne. We can't escape the trap. I'm a little better. He doesn't dare to go too far, but the good nephew is.  It's hard to say, so I advise my nephew to find a way out early and not to die unjustly in prison.  " Chen Qun knew that Zhong Yao was right. He had considered it repeatedly in the past two years. He had been on many missions to the Han Dynasty. Liu Jing valued him very much and especially hoped that he would preside over the formulation of the New Han Code. How could Chen Qun not  He was tempted, but like Zhong Yao, he also felt Cao Cao's kindness and could not bear to betray him. But now that Duke Wei's time was running out, his danger was approaching day by day. Especially today, Cao Pi's indifference to him made him feel chills.  There wasn't much time left for him. If Zhong Yao didn't persuade him tonight, he might still be hesitant, but it was Zhong Yao's persuasion that made him finally make up his mind. Even Zhong Yao persuaded him to leave.  , He has nothing to hesitate about. He nodded slowly, "Mr. Zhong is right, it's time for me to do something.  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1085 Chen Qun¡¯s Thoughts

    Chen Qun's residence was not far from Zhong Yao's Mansion. Two family members of the Zhong Mansion helped him go straight home. When the cold wind blew on the way, he couldn't help squatting in the corner and strangling his throat. At this time, the housekeeper in his mansion also heard that  The news came and helped him back to the house.  His wife Xunshi and son Chen Tai also got the news and rushed to the gate to pick him up. "How is your husband?" Xunshi asked worriedly.  At this time, Chen Qun had woken up. He waved his hand and said, "Help me go to the inner study first. I have something to talk to you about." Xun and her son quickly helped Chen Qun to the inner study. They helped her husband sit down in the study.  Qin Xun served her husband boiled tea, and asked the maid to prepare hot towels, busy inside and outside.  Chen Qun was sitting in a daze. He was still thinking about what he said to Zhong Yao. Although they were drunk words, they came from the bottom of his heart. Now that he was awake, he was more aware of the danger, which made him more determined.  will.  At this time, Mrs. Xun washed his face for him. He waved his hand and asked the two maids to step back. He pointed to the door and said to his son Chen Tai: "Close the door. I have something to say to you." Chen Tai was confused.  He quickly closed the door and stood aside with his hands hanging down. Xun held her husband's hand and asked, "What do you want to say to us?" Chen Qun said slowly, "I have decided to leave Wei and go to Han.  "Effectiveness." Xun was shocked, "Why do you think so?" Chen Qun sighed: "I saw Wei Gong today. He doesn't have much time left. If the prince succeeds, he will not tolerate me. If I don't leave, I will die."  "Xun is the daughter of Xun Yu. She knew that her father was ostracized by Cao Cao because of his love for the Han Dynasty, and finally died in depression. She never wanted her husband to follow the same path. She nodded and said:  "If your husband has decided, I will definitely support it." "What about you?" Chen Qun asked his son again.  Chen Tai is only twenty years old this year, but he is both civil and military and is also a potential general. Chen Qun only has this son and two other daughters, both of whom are not yet married.  Chen Tai is currently working as a guard in the Tongque Palace, and he happens to be at home today. He is also a very smart man, so he nodded and said: "The hearts of the people in the world are towards the Han Dynasty. It would be a wise move for my father to serve the King of Han Dynasty. My child fully agrees with it."  " Chen Qun was extremely pleased by the statement of his wife and children. He said to the two of them: "I have an idea. It will be the New Year in one month. We will take our family back to Yingchuan to worship our ancestors, and then go directly to Nanyang County.  " Xun didn't have any ideas, but her husband followed suit, but her son Chen Tai was very thoughtful. He thought about it and said, "Although this is reasonable and reasonable, my father didn't say that Cao Zhen was one of Cao Pi. Would he send someone to monitor his father's whereabouts?  "You are right, I need to be careful about this." Chen Qun also knew that he wanted to follow Jia Xu and lead his family to escape, but it would be difficult to succeed without the help of Han, especially since Xuchang was Cao Pi's power.  Within the scope, Cao Zhen will definitely monitor himself closely.  After pondering for a long time, Chen Qun had a rough plan in mind. He said to his son: "I have a plan, and I'm afraid I need you to implement it." On the morning of the third day, the city of Yedu was still in chaos, even though Cao Pi ordered an investment of 100,000 shi of grain.  In order to stabilize the price of grain, ten grain selling points were set up to sell to each other at a price of 200 yuan per dou, and each person was restricted to only buy five dou of rice.  This was Cao Pi¡¯s experience half a year ago. More than half a year later, a conflict broke out in Nanyang, which also caused the price of food to skyrocket in Yedu. Cao Pi invested 100,000 shi of grain to stabilize the price of food. Three days later, the price of food was suppressed.  This time, Cao Pi followed the same method. According to normal conditions, food prices would fall within three days at most. But this time it was a little different from last time. There were still huge crowds. There were three teams at each sales point, each team was several miles away, and each household  Almost everyone in the family went out, even children as young as five or six years old appeared in the team.  What Cao Pi didn't expect was that the people's purchasing power was extremely strong. The 100,000 shi of grain invested was all bought up in one morning. He had to invest another 100,000 shi of grain the next day, but the supply was still in short supply. Many people from other places also moved their families.  Came to Yedu to buy grain.  Although the government has invested 200,000 shi in grain to stabilize grain prices, the price of grain in the market has not been suppressed. It is still 500 yen per dou of rice. In other counties in Wei County where Yedu is located, the price of grain has risen to 60 yen per dou of rice.  Hundreds of dollars, the situation is very serious.  Cao Pi did not expect that the liberalization of free trade half a year ago would cause a large amount of Han money to flow into the Wei State, and the people would accumulate too much money. The fall of Lishi County was undoubtedly a trigger, causing Wei's food prices to suddenly spiral out of control.  , prices have skyrocketed, not only for food, but also for all daily necessities. This is the serious consequence of the shortage of supplies.  Of course, this kind of material shortage will not exist forever, but it will maintain this situation of high prices for at least one or two years. This is the consequence of the economic war, and this consequence does not occur in a day or two.  &nbsp; As early as ten years ago, New Han money was gradually accepted by the people of Wei and gradually replaced the five-baht money on the market in the Central Plains. It was at that time that the roots of today were planted. The free trade half a year ago was just the last step of the Han Dynasty.  Just a harvest.  Although the government has begun to stabilize food prices, the streets of Yedu are still very chaotic. There are queues and quarrels everywhere. People are constantly fighting and fighting on the streets. The soldiers who maintain order are running around and are exhausted.  The front door of Honglu Pavilion in Han Dynasty was relatively calm. A dozen Cao soldiers stood guard in front of the gate. Their duty was not only to maintain the safety of Honglu Pavilion, but also to closely monitor the contact between Yedu officials and Honglu Pavilion.  .  Near noon, two groups of gangsters had a quarrel in front of the Han Guo Pavilion over a few bags of grain, and then started fighting, causing chaos in front of the Hong Lu Pavilion. More than a dozen Cao Jun soldiers guarding the door were furious and rushed up to use whips.  He whipped, "Get out of here! Don't make trouble here." Just as Cao Jun's soldiers rushed forward to maintain order, a young man took advantage of the fact that the gate was unguarded and quickly slipped into the Honglu Pavilion.  The young man in the Honglu Hall was Chen Tai, the son of Chen Qun. Although Chen Qun's strategy was simple, it was very practical. Fights were everywhere in the city, and no one paid attention to the fight in front of the Honglu Hall.  The two groups of gangsters fighting were hired by Chen Tai. As long as they attracted the Cao Jun soldiers guarding the door, the gangsters dispersed. Chen Tai, who was mixed in the crowd, took the opportunity to sneak into the Honglu Pavilion.  In the room, Chen Tai handed his father's autographed letter to Shaoqing Zheng Li, "This is an autographed letter written by my father to His Highness the King of Han. My father is willing to serve the Han Kingdom and only hopes that the Han Kingdom can assist our family in leaving Wei.  " Another important task of Shaoqing Zheng Li in Yedu is to recruit senior officials from Wei and the former Han Dynasty who are willing to serve the Han State. They have contacted many middle and lower-level officials, and Chen Qun is the first one willing to join the Han State.  A high-ranking official, which Zheng Li attached great importance to.  Zheng Li received the letter and immediately said: "We warmly welcome your Majesty to contribute to the restoration of the Han Dynasty. Please rest assured, Sir, I will arrange everything immediately to ensure that your Majesty and the whole family leave Wei safely." Chen Tai was overjoyed and said: "I  My father planned to return to Yingchuan to worship his ancestors during the New Year, so he took this opportunity to go to Nanyang County. My father was worried that Cao Zhen would send someone to monitor us, so he hoped that the Han Dynasty would help us at that time. " "Don't worry! We will make arrangements, there will be no such thing."  A slight mistake." After a pause, Zheng Li continued: "This important matter must be kept strictly confidential. The fewer people who know about it, the better. No leaks can be made, including mine." Chen Tai nodded, "For now.  Only my parents and I knew about this matter, not even my two younger sisters. We would not let the fourth person know about it. In addition, how could I leave secretly so that no one would know that I had been to Honglu Pavilion? I also hope that Ambassador Zheng  Help." Zheng Li smiled mysteriously, "There is a secret passage in the Honglu Pavilion, which has never been used. Young Master is the first one." At night, Chen Tai got out of a secret passage and found that he had arrived.  In a small river a hundred steps away, this place is no longer within the defense range. There are no soldiers guarding it. The exit of the secret passage is located on the stone wall above the river. It is sealed very well to prevent the river water from flowing back.  There is a painting boat parked outside the exit all year round, which just blocks the secret passage exit. There is also another small boat parked next to it. From the painting boat, you can leave directly in the boat or go ashore.  Zheng Li had been sending Chen Tai out of the boat, and then he said to him: "Master, please take care, we will see you in Chang'an!" "See you later!" Chen Tai waved his hand, jumped ashore, and strode away.  Zheng Li returned to the Honglu Pavilion and immediately wrote an express letter. Together with Chen Qun's handwritten letter, he put it into his document bag and gave it to a confidant.  He told him: "Hurry to Chang'an quickly, give this letter to Liu Zhengqing, and ask him to forward it to His Highness the King of Han immediately." His subordinates bowed and took the document bag. He left Yedu with two attendants that night.  Hurry to Chang'an After the Han army captured Xihe County in Bingzhou, they stopped advancing eastward and launched no other offensives. It was obvious that the attack on Lishi County this time was to detonate the economic crisis accumulating within the Wei State.  At this time, Han State had completely stopped trade with Wei State and blocked all official roads leading to Wei State. It only allowed goods to be transported in from Wei State, but goods from Han State were never allowed to be shipped out.  The Han army immediately raided 14 shops suspected of smuggling pig iron and grain into Wei, and arrested more than 100 people. Liu Jing ordered all the owners of the 14 shops to be beheaded in public, and confiscated all family properties, warning Han merchants that  Smugglers who violate the ban will be killed without mercy.  The flow of materials was cut off, and Han money from the Wei State could not flow back. Prices within the Han State were stable, but there was chaos within the Wei State, with prices soaring and people's resentment boiling over.??Those from well-to-do families felt their wealth had shrunk, but the people at the bottom were miserable. A large number of hungry people poured into Yedu. They could not afford food and had no choice but to become bandits or cause rebellion. People in seven or eight counties in Hebei Province rebelled.  .  Cao Pi continued to invest 300,000 shi in grain, but still could not stabilize grain prices. On New Year's Eve, grain prices soared to a thousand dollars per dou of rice. With no choice but to accept Zhong Yao's suggestion, Cao Pi stopped all sales of goods, confiscated private grain, and began to implement strict regulations.  Grain rationing.  Amid chaos and disorder, the New Year of the 24th year of Jian'an finally arrived.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1086 The Great Dynasty is Congratulated

    The twenty-third year of Jian'an was a year of great changes in Chang'an City. First of all, the population in the city decreased. It was not that the charm of Chang'an City faded, but that with the construction of three sub-cities in Duling County, Baling County and Xianyang County, a large number of middle- and lower-class people  They were all evacuated to three sub-cities, which caused many old houses in Chang'an City to be demolished and new houses to be built, making Chang'an City more orderly and orderly. Various buildings are magnificent, and there is a faint shadow of the Qianhan era.  Another big change in Chang'an City is the sharp decrease in commercial shops. Due to the construction of spacious and flat official roads between the three subsidiary cities and the main city, both sides of the official roads immediately became densely populated commercial areas, and a large number of shops were moved outside the city.  Shops, businesses, markets, temples, taverns, hotels, brothels, music studios, dance studios, martial arts halls, gambling halls, etc. are all available.  This is not a government order, but a matter of interest. The city gates of Chang'an City must be closed when the city is closed, and a curfew will be imposed throughout the city after the Eight Hundred Drums. This imposes greater restrictions on business, but there are no restrictions at all when moving outside the city.  In addition, the gates of the three sub-cities can be entered and exited at night and remain open all night, which is a great benefit for shops doing night business. But more importantly, the land rent is cheap, it is convenient for workers to go home, and businessmen recognize the profits, so it is a good idea to relocate shops.  Spring tide.  ¡°Shops moved out, civilians moved out, and a lot of land became vacant. The court built many official buildings on these lands, such as official schools, inns, official residences, etc.  With the arrival of the New Year in the 24th year of Jian'an, officials from all over the country came to Chang'an one after another, making the city of Chang'an lively again.  In the Han system, a grand dynasty was held every first day of the year to celebrate the arrival of the new year, and then a banquet was held to reward the civil and military officials who had worked hard for a year. This was originally a court etiquette, and local princes were not allowed to imitate it.  Otherwise, it would be considered as overstepping.  However, in the late Han Dynasty when etiquette and music collapsed, the various systems of the imperial court had already been imitated by princes from all over the world, including the New Year's Day. When he was in Jingzhou, Liu Biao would hold a New Year's Day every year on New Year's Day, requiring all the county magistrates and above in Jingzhou to  All the officials rushed to Xiangyang to attend the great dynasty.  After Liu Jing inherited Jingzhou Mu, the New Year's Day was suspended for a time, and later resumed after capturing Yizhou. However, local officials from each county were not forced to participate. If they happened to be in Chengdu to report on their duties, they were also required to participate.  After Chang'an was established as the capital, the New Year Festival was changed to once every two years, usually held in even-numbered years. This year is the 24th year of Jian'an, which happens to be an even-numbered year. However, considering that every household must hold clan sacrifices, local officials came to Beijing.  Participating in the dynasty will inevitably affect the clan sacrifices, so there were regulations in Pingzhangtai that only officials from the capital could participate in the New Year dynasty, and local officials did not need to participate.  But the New Year's Day does not just end with one big meeting. There are a series of activities in the following days, including worshiping the community, worshiping heaven and earth, etc. Even the ministries of the Shangshu Province also have their own gatherings. It is actually an important political event.  Activities can build connections and smooth relationships.  Every official attaches great importance to it. For this reason, many local officials would rather postpone the clan sacrifices to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and come to Chang'an to participate in the biennial New Year's Day.  In the early hours of the morning, before dawn, the East Sima Gate of Weiyang Palace slowly opened. Hundreds of officials who had been waiting outside the palace gate began to slowly enter Wuming Square. Thousands of guards stood around the square, which was heavily guarded.  Due to the severe cold at night, the Palace Supervisor specially set up more than 20 temporary tents in the square for officials attending the court meeting to avoid the cold and keep warm. This court meeting will be attended by nearly 2,000 civil and military officials, so that almost all the people in each tent are seated.  It was full of officials, and they were in small groups, whispering. Of course, the most popular topic was the material shortage crisis in Wei, soaring prices, and the turmoil between the government and the public.  Since Liu Bei was awarded the title of Taiwei, he has been recuperating in his palace in Chang'an. He rarely goes out and sees no outsiders. After more than half a year of recuperation, he finally recovered his health in the soil and water of the north.  Although it cannot be compared with his body when he was galloping on the battlefield, it is much better than the weak and sick condition in Jiaozhou. In the most popular terms, the doctors allowed him to have sex again, which made his life better.  A great pleasure restored.  Liu Bei also received a personal letter invitation from Liu Jing, inviting him to attend the New Year's Day. Liu Jing gave him enough face that he could no longer refuse, so he took a carriage to Weiyang Palace early in the morning to attend the court.  Although Liu Bei is no longer a prince, his reputation is still very high. When the officials saw him, they all saluted, "Uncle Liu Huang is here too." "See Taiwei Liu!" The courtesy from everyone also made him feel happy in his heart.  The embarrassment was gone, and he smiled and nodded to everyone, but his eyes were looking for the old ministers of Jiaozhou. At this time, he suddenly saw Zhuge Liang sitting in a corner, Zhuge Liang's brother Zhuge Jin, Wang Lei, Chen Dao, Liu Bei  I was overjoyed and walked over quickly.  Zhuge Liang and others heard someone behind them saying hello and mentioning Uncle Liu Huang, and then they noticed that Liu Bei was walking towards them, and they quickly stood up.As a courtesy, since they said goodbye in Jiaozhou, everyone has not seen each other again. Although they are all in Chang'an, Liu Bei doesn't see anyone behind closed doors and has no chance to see anyone, but he didn't expect to see him here.  Not to mention the excitement, everyone greeted Liu Bei one after another, especially Chen Dao, whose voice was choked with sobs, "I am willing to die even if I can see my uncle again." Liu Bei was moved in his heart, waved his hands and said with a smile, "Don't call yourself yourself again here.  I'm sorry, today is the New Year, don't say the word "death" again, do you understand?" "I remember!" "Let's sit down and talk!" Liu Bei smiled and asked Zhuge first  Jin said: "I heard that Ziyu was appointed the governor of Yuzhang, why did he arrive in Chang'an during the New Year?" Zhuge Jin blushed slightly and explained: "The New Year's meeting is more important. Except for the officials from Jiangdong and Jiaozhou who cannot make it, the rest are basically  They are all here, and our Zhuge family is worshiping our ancestors in Chang'an, so I came here with my dog." "It's convenient to worship our ancestors in Chang'an." Liu Bei turned to Zhuge Liang again and smiled gently, "Mr.  I haven't congratulated you yet on becoming the Prime Minister!" Zhuge Liang's face felt a little hot, and he said apologetically: "I should have gone to see the emperor, but I just didn't have time. I just returned from Gaonu yesterday, so Kong Ming doesn't need to be ashamed."  I am ashamed. I know that your lifelong ambition is to revive the Han Dynasty. It is a good thing that you can realize your ambition in Chang'an. It is only because of Liu Bei's incompetence that you cannot realize your ambition." Liu Bei's last words made the atmosphere in the room a little awkward.  , at this time, Wang Lei quickly changed the subject and said: "Uncle Huang's body seems to have recovered, which is a happy thing!" Liu Bei laughed, "Zhiyang is right, you must be healthy.  It is the most pleasurable thing. Even if you have a lot of money but no blessings to enjoy it, it is in vain. "Liu Bei has a deep insight into the world. He knows that although Liu Jing treats him favorably and gives him status and wealth, in fact, Liu Bei has a great understanding of the world.  Jing does not trust him, and letting his son Liu Chan study in Chengdu is the best example. If he is not recruited and still harbors rebellion, then Liu Chan will be a hostage.  Knowing this, Liu Bei was also very cautious and did not mention his plans for the future in front of his old friends. In fact, Liu Bei also knew that the general trend of the world had been decided. Even Ma Chao could not turn around with the support of the Qiang people. How could Liu Bei have the support of the Qiang people?  What capital?  After thinking about this, Liu Bei also knew his destiny and just wanted to spend his old age in peace. At the same time, he also hoped that his former subordinates would not cause trouble to him anymore. This is why he has not seen any guests behind closed doors for more than half a year.  Liu Bei pondered for a while and then asked Chen Dao, "How are Yun Chang and Yide?" Chen Dao quickly said: "General Guan is training troops in Longxi, General Zhang is training militia in Lingzhou, Guan Xing, Zhang Bao and other junior generals are all here  Zilong's subordinates obeyed the order, and I was also training the militia with General Zhang in Lingzhou, but I just received the order from the Ministry of War to transfer me to Nanyang as the deputy governor. I heard that General Zhang will also be transferred to Hefei. " "What about Yunchang?"  Liu Bei asked nervously.  Liu Bei knew that the observation period of the former Jiaozhou generals had ended and would begin to be used one after another. He very much hoped that his second brother Yunchang would also be reused. Although his life failed in the end, he hoped that his second and third brothers would at least be in Xinhan.  You can gain a certain status in the dynasty.  Zhuge Liang said next to him: "General Yun Chang will be the commander of Pujin Pass and will be responsible for attacking Hedong County. I will take full command of Bingzhou." Liu Bei was a little stunned. He didn't expect Liu Jing to be so magnanimous and let Yun Chang lead the army alone.  This kind of demeanor made him secretly admire him.  At this moment, a clear bell rang in the square. It was Mao hour, and they needed to line up in front of the main hall and prepare to enter the hall.  All the ministers got up one after another, came to the square, and soon formed two teams. One team was headed by Taifu Jia Xu, and the other team was headed by Taiwei Liu Bei, followed by Yin Mo, Dong He, Fei Guan and others. New Year's Eve  The great dynasties are not lined up according to their positions, but based on their seniority and reputation.  The time finally reached the quarter of the hour, and with the sound of the cloud board knocking, the imperial censor in the palace shouted on the jade steps, "The hour has come, enter the palace!" Amidst the melodious sound of the bells and chimes, two teams of honor guards walked in neatly  After entering the main hall, nearly two thousand ministers slowly climbed up the jade steps and walked in formation into the Qinzheng Hall.  The Qinzheng Hall is magnificent, with thirty-six large pillars standing in the hall, and huge curtains hanging on both sides. The entire hall can accommodate five thousand people at the same time.  In the front row, Jia Xu, Liu Bei and other cabinet elders and prime ministers can sit, while the other more than two thousand civil and military officials stand in the back row. This is just the New Year's Day of the Han Dynasty, but it gives people the illusion that the Han Dynasty dominates the world.  .  At this time, the imperial censor in the palace shouted again: "His Royal Highness the King of Han has arrived!" &nbsp; The hall suddenly became quiet, and eight civil servants holding gold plates were seen leading the way. Behind them were thirty-six warriors in golden armor, who walked into the hall from the side of the jade steps, surrounded by thirty-six warriors in golden armor.  Liu Jing was dressed in the royal robe of the Twelve Chapters of Sun, Moon and Stars, Liu's two-beam crown on her head, white jade double seals, and a five-color golden sword on her waist. She was sitting on a high throne. Everyone bowed together and said: "See  His Highness the King of Han!" Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile: "The New Year is here, please wait for the ceremony, let the ceremony begin!" The bells and drums rang together, and Xu Shu, the official secretary, walked quickly to the jade steps and said to Liu  Jing presented a New Year's greeting signed by hundreds of officials and said loudly: "On the new year of the king, the humble ministers are recommended by hundreds of officials. I would like to congratulate your highness on the new year. Please accept the congratulations of the great dynasty from all the ministers" Jian'an II  The New Year of the fourteenth year is destined to begin a new era, and the curtain of unifying the world will also slowly begin in this year.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1087 Chen Qun returns to the Han Dynasty

    Chen Qun was a native of Xuchang, Yingchuan. His grandfather Chen Shi, father Chen Ji, and uncle Chen Chen were all famous in the world. In Yingchuan County, the Chen family was also one of the local prominent families, as famous as the Xun family.  On New Year¡¯s Eve, Chen Qun took his wife and children back to the Chen family in Xuchang to pay homage to their ancestors. The Chen family¡¯s ancestral home is located in Chenli, the eastern suburb of Xuchang. There are hundreds of families in this area, most of them surnamed Chen, and they are more or less related by blood.  Early the next morning, Chen Qun, along with his family, paid homage to the ancestors' memorial tablets at their home temple, and went to offer incense and offering incense on the graves of his grandfather and father. In the afternoon, his nephew Chen Zuo hurried to the inner hall, found Chen Qun and said, "Uncle, outside  The cavalry of Cao's army did not withdraw and were still monitoring our house from a distance. "This was unexpected by Chen Qun. Cao Pi was extremely suspicious of him. He took his family all the way south, and there were people following him from a distance.  Cao Pi either wanted to catch him, or suspected that he was going to escape.  Of course, the possibility of the latter is relatively small, mainly the former. This time Chen Qun led his children to the ancestral home in Xuchang. Cao Zhen was particularly enthusiastic about him and sent two hundred cavalry to protect them along the way. He made an agreement with Cao Zhen that he would go to Chen Lizu  Behind the house, the two hundred cavalrymen wanted to withdraw to Xuchang and no longer had to follow them, but they refused to withdraw now, which showed that they were protecting themselves in name, but in fact they were monitoring themselves.  Thinking of this, he asked again: "Where are Cao's cavalry now? How many are there?" "There are only two or three people just outside the village, but the others should be at a distance to meet them." Chen Qun pondered for a moment again, "I know  Thank you for the message, nephew. " Chen Zuo bowed and turned around. Chen Qun took a sip of hot tea. He was not in a hurry. He was still waiting for news about his son. It was a coincidence that as soon as he put down the tea cup, his son came from outside.  Chen Tai's hurried footsteps.  Chen Qun, who was originally calm and calm, immediately cheered up, "Father, the child is back." "Come in and talk!" A gust of cold wind carried Chen Tai in. He knelt down and saluted, "Greetings, father!" "Get up and tell me!"  "My situation." After Chen Tai attended the clan festival in the early morning, he quietly left Chen Li and went to Xuchang City to meet with the Han Army's intelligence point, and then rushed back, bringing news about the Han Army.  Chen Tai stood beside his father with his hands hanging down, and whispered: "The Han army is ready and can take us south at any time, but they suggest that we not take the Nanyang line, but go through Runan County and enter Anlu County." "Why?"  "They said that although the distance from Xuchang to Nanyang is short, Cao's army deployed heavy troops along the way, especially in Kunyang County, where large numbers of troops gathered, and the inspections were very strict. It would be difficult for us to pass. Taking the Runan route not only has many routes, but Cao's army is few along the way.  They can easily break through, they are sure of it. "In fact, for Chen Qun, it doesn't matter which line he takes, the key is to be safe. He thought for a moment and then asked: "Didn't the Cao Jun spies notice you when you went out?  ?¡± ¡°Haier put on some makeup and rode past them, but they didn¡¯t respond. I guess they didn¡¯t recognize him.¡± Chen Qun nodded, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, things will be easier. Go find your mother and her husband.  The two sisters are here, we need to leave immediately!" £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Half an hour later, more than twenty servants on horseback escorted two Chen Qun's carriages and left Chenli, heading for the Xun family dozens of miles away. Chen Qun's wife Xun is the daughter of the Xun family. According to the local  According to custom, after the clan sacrifice, the married daughter must return to her natal family, so it is completely normal for Chen Qun to take his wife and children to the Xun family.  The soldiers of Cao Army who were watching from the periphery saw Chen Qun's carriage coming out. The leading military lord rushed up to greet him and asked, "Where is Chen Zhongcheng going?" Chen Qun snorted coldly from the carriage, and Chen Qun, who was following on horseback,  Tai said: "We are going to the Xun family. You don't need to protect us anymore. You can go back!" The military lord flattered and said with a smile: "It is our duty to protect Zhongcheng's safety. How can we give up halfway? Please go on the road. It is absolutely safe." Chen Tai did not  Paying attention to him again, he ordered: "Let's go!" The two carriages drove up the official road and drove quickly to the west. Several Cao Jun cavalry followed closely behind, and more than 200 Cao Jun cavalry posted in the distance also returned to the team.  , following Chen Qun's two carriages.  About half an hour later, a dilapidated bullock cart slowly drove out of the village. The old bull was very skinny, and an old man in ragged clothes was driving the bullock cart. There were a dozen pumpkins piled next to the seat. This was obviously a sign of poverty.  People's ox carts were swaying toward the east.  Behind a tattered curtain, Chen Qun, who had changed into ordinary clothes, was looking out through the car curtain warily. Sitting next to him was his wife Xunshi and their two daughters.  This is naturally their plan to escape. The two carriages from beforeIn fact, it was Chen Xi, the younger brother of Chen Qun, and his wife and daughter. Chen Tai followed them, and the servants brought by Chen Qun also followed the carriage. In this way, Cao Jun who was monitoring them fell into the trap and was led to Xunzhai.  At this time, the night had quietly fallen, and the wilderness was covered with thick ice slag. The cold wind was so cold that it made people shiver all over. But compared to the cold night, Mrs. Xun was more worried about the safety of her son Chen Tai. She whispered: "  Husband, nothing will happen to Tai'er!" "Don't worry!" Chen Qun patted his wife's hand gently, smiled and comforted her: "Tail'er has already tried it today. He put on a little makeup.  When Cao Jun passed by, the other party didn't recognize him. I believe he will be fine and will join us soon." Xun was relieved by her husband's comfort. At this time, Chen Qun took the quilt to his wife and two daughters.  He covered it and said with a smile: "I guess we have to walk for a while. Let's close our eyes and rest for a while!" The oxcart went on another slightly flat path and headed southeast of Xuchang City along a forest.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  At three o'clock in the night, the ox cart had left Xuchang City for more than ten miles, went up the official road, and walked another two miles. The old cart driver turned around and woke up Chen Qun, "Master, we are here!" Chen Qun quickly pulled the car away.  Curtain looked forward and saw several carriages parked at the intersection in front of him under the dim moonlight. Chen Qun was overjoyed, it was the carriages of the Han army coming to meet him.  At this time, a man on horseback came quickly and said with a smile: "Father, mother, why are you here now?" Chen Qun and his wife were overjoyed. It turned out that their son Chen Tai had already arrived first. Chen Qun quickly asked: "Over there  "How is the situation?" Chen Tai smiled and said: "The Xun family was very cooperative and let our carriage drive into the yard so that Cao Jun's cavalry did not see the third uncle and the others getting out of the car. The child then put on makeup and left the village with a few Xun family servants.  , and then came after him on horseback. It was almost half an hour before the boy arrived. Cao Jun¡¯s cavalry should still be watching outside Xun¡¯s house. Some of them were waiting. " Chen Qun laughed, "That's good, let's set off!" " Chen Qun and his family.  They only brought a few bags of soft goods with them. They boarded the Han army's carriage and disguised themselves as wealthy families. The carriage started, and dozens of elite Han army cavalry dressed as attendants escorted the carriage and drove quickly towards Runan County in the southeast.  Since the main force of the Han army is mainly concentrated in Shouchun and Nanyang, and there are only 10,000 troops stationed in Anlu County, it is obvious that the Han army has no intention of sending troops from Anlu County, so Cao's army in Runan County is not many, only more than 8,000  People were stationed in several important cities, and checkpoints were set up on the main official roads going south.  However, the Han army had made careful arrangements for Chen Qun to go south. Sima Yi had full authority to plan the matter. Liu Jing also specially ordered that no mistakes were allowed in this operation. The Han army mobilized nearly a thousand elite soldiers for this purpose, and  More than a dozen pick-up points were set up along the way, among which the fifty servants guarding Chen Qun's family were elites selected from the Eagle Attack Army.  In fact, even if Chen Qun was trapped in his ancestral home and could not get out, the Han army had an alternative plan and would not hesitate to use force to get Chen Qun out. However, Chen Qun had his own cleverness and used a little trick to deceive Cao Jun's surveillance.  .  Two days later, when the two hundred Cao Jun cavalry who were monitoring Chen Qun at Xun's house finally realized that something was wrong, Chen Qun's family had already arrived at Wusheng Pass.  The area between Runan County and Anlu County is not a plain, but is blocked by the vast Dabie Mountains, becoming the natural dividing line between the Han and Wei dynasties.  In this mountain range that stretches for hundreds of miles, there are three dangerous passes that can be passed. These are the famous three passes of Yiyang, Wusheng Pass, Jiuli Pass and Pingjing Pass. Among them, Wusheng Pass is the most important pass. At that time, Liu  Jing led the army out of Anlu County and entered Runan County through Wusheng Pass, where they confronted Cao's army at the Huaihe River.  At present, the three passes of Yiyang are all controlled by the Han army, with three thousand troops stationed in each, commanded by general Huo Jun. When the carriage of Chen Qun's family slowly stopped in front of Wusheng Pass, the Han censor Zhong Xunzhi, who had been waiting here, came out to welcome him.  .  Xun Zhi did not participate in the New Year's Day. He also served as the inspection envoy to Yangzhou. This was also the important task Liu Jing gave him after the Jiangdong Campaign. He inspected the counties in Jiangzuo. When he was about to return to Chang'an to report on his duties, he received a letter from Liu Jing, the king of Han.  An urgent order was given to him to rush to Wusheng Pass to welcome Chen Qun's arrival.  Xun Zhi is Xun Yu¡¯s great-nephew, one generation younger than Chen Qun. Chen Qun¡¯s wife Xun is his aunt.  Xun Zhi quickly came to the carriage and saluted: "My nephew Xun Zhi is waiting to welcome my uncle and aunt!"  Seeing that it was him who came to greet them, both of them were overjoyed, "Isn't my nephew in Yangzhou? Why are he here?"  Guan welcomed his uncle and aunt, so his nephew actually welcomed his uncle and aunt on behalf of the Han Dynasty and accompanied him to Chang'an. ¡± &nbsp; Chen Qun did not expect that Liu Jing would value him so much and make careful arrangements for his trip south. He was happy and touched at the same time. He patted Xun Zhi on the shoulder and said with a smile: "A wise nephew will accompany us to Chang'an.  This New Year is really a reunion.¡±  He passed the steep Wusheng Pass, and it was only then that his heart finally dropped.  The news that Chen Qun's family was missing in Xuchang quickly spread to Yedu, and the government and the public were in an uproar. Almost everyone guessed that Chen Qun had defected to the Han Dynasty. Although many local middle- and low-level officials had abandoned their official posts and defected to the Han Dynasty, this had an impact.  Not much, but Chen Qun's departure was a huge boulder, which had a strong repercussions in the Yedu officialdom and made countless people start to consider their own future.  Cao Pi was also extremely angry, but he did not dare to tell his father about Chen Qun's betrayal, fearing that his father would not be able to bear such a blow anymore. He immediately summoned important civil and military officials to discuss it, and everyone unanimously agreed to conceal Chen Qun's departure from Cao Cao.  information.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1088 Keel Waterwheel

    After the New Year, there was another heavy snowfall in Guanzhong, turning all parts of Guanzhong into a snowy world again. Although the rivers were frozen and the land was solidified, these unfavorable factors could not stop the enthusiasm of Guanzhong people to build water conservancy projects. They can be seen everywhere in Guanzhong.  Groups of farmers are dredging rivers and digging canals, and huge waterwheels are standing beside the river.  This morning, on the official road south of Xianyang City, a team of two thousand cavalry came from a distance. The flags and flags were fluttering in the team, and they were magnificent. There was a huge carriage in the team, closely guarded by the cavalry.  Get off and walk slowly on the official road.  Sitting in the carriage were Han King Liu Jing and his eldest son Liu Zhi. Today Liu Jing made a special trip to inspect the progress of winter farmland irrigation works. In fact, the construction of farmland water conservancy projects started after last year¡¯s autumn harvest.  After the Han Dynasty captured Guanzhong, it attached great importance to the agricultural construction in Guanzhong. When it established its capital in Chang'an, it dredged the almost abandoned Zhengguo Canal, and successively invested a lot of manpower and material resources to comprehensively repair and transform the abandoned irrigation system in Guanzhong every year.  These efforts were not in vain. Guanzhong achieved bumper grain harvests almost every year. Even when it encountered the 20-year drought in Jian'an that was rare in a century, Guanzhong defeated the drought and maintained grain output by relying on its water conservancy advantages.  People in Guanzhong have tasted the benefits of water conservancy construction. Less than half a month after the New Year, another wave of water conservancy construction has set off in Guanzhong.  Liu Zhi sat in the carriage and silently stared at the farmland outside the window and the busy people by the river in the distance through the window.  He is only thirteen years old this year, but he has maturity and ideas that his peers do not have. This was slowly formed during his two years of following the prime ministers. He understands the profound meaning of putting the people first.  It does not refer to all the people in general, but refers specifically to the homesteaders. They grow food and pay taxes, which make the country strong and enable the Han Dynasty to be passed down from generation to generation.  He can understand his father¡¯s deep emphasis on agriculture. Many people say that his father prefers businessmen, but he understands that businessmen are just a political tool for his father, while farmers and agriculture are the foundation of the country that his father values.  "Zhi'er seems to have something on his mind?" Liu Jing sat aside and asked with a smile. His son had hardly said a word from the time he got in the car to now.  Liu Zhi quickly bowed and said: "The child is not worried, the child is just thinking. Seeing the war is coming, why did the father not go to inspect the military camp to boost morale, but instead came to inspect the water conservancy?" "Then have you thought of the reason?" Liu Jing laughed again.  asked.  Liu Zhi nodded silently, "My child has gained some understanding." "Then tell my father, what have you thought of?" "My child feels that his father is actually thinking about reconstruction after the war, and his father's thoughts have gone beyond  "War." Liu Jing was somewhat interested, "Keep talking!" "After the war, a large number of refugees will gradually return to their homeland, and the population of Guanzhong will decline. If there is too much population loss, it will inevitably seriously affect Guanzhong's agriculture.  Under such circumstances, only the improvement of various water conservancy facilities can make up for the impact of population decline on agriculture. For example, one person can only cultivate fifty acres of land, but with perfect water conservancy, one person may be able to cultivate one hundred acres of land. I wonder what the child said.  Is that right? "Liu Jing was surprised that his son actually had such deep thoughts. Is this the thought of a thirteen-year-old boy?  "Did you think of this yourself?" "Half yes, half no. When the prime ministers held a meeting in the political hall, they mentioned that the problem of population return in Guanzhong would affect Guanzhong agriculture, so I thought that developing farmland water conservancy might be a good idea.  Countermeasures. "Liu Jing nodded and said, "Although you didn't explain it comprehensively, it really makes me happy that you can think so far." "Then can the father tell the child what else he doesn't have?  "Think of it?" Liu Jing smiled slightly, "Actually, you are thinking too complicatedly. War is important, but agriculture is equally important. Just because I came to inspect water conservancy today does not mean that I will not inspect war preparations. In fact, I came out to inspect today.  "The focus is not on water conservancy." "It's on the children!" Liu Zhi suddenly understood.  Liu Jing patted her son's head lovingly, "You are right. Today, when my father came out to inspect, he actually wanted you to care about farmland water conservancy." "I understand, the child should come out to inspect by himself." "That's not necessary, in the future.  You can just follow the prime ministers out for inspection." As the father and son were talking, the carriage slowly stopped, and the leader of the guards, Li Qing, ran up and said, "Your Highness, we're here!" Liu Jing looked out the window, and the carriage stopped.  In front of a piece of farmland, there was a small river a few hundred meters away. Many farmers gathered by the river, as many as a thousand people, including more than a dozen officials.  &nbsp; Liu Jing nodded, held his son's hand and smiled: "Let's go!" The father and son got off the carriage. At this time, two officials ran from the river, bowed and saluted: "See you, Your Highness!"  Officials, one of whom was Ma Jun, the military commander, and the other was Song Nan, the Prime Minister of the Ministry of Industry. Liu Jing smiled and said: "Have you started?" "Reporting to Your Highness, I have already tried it once, and it will be officially activated when Your Highness comes.  "Then let's go and have a look!" Liu Jing and his son crossed the field ridge under the protection of a hundred guards and walked quickly towards the river. Liu Zhi was still confused. He didn't know what his father was bringing him to see.  It seems that there has been a plan for a long time.  Soon, he saw a long and narrow waterwheel placed by the river. It was very different from the waterwheels he usually saw. It seemed to be longer, narrower and lighter, like a probe drawing water in the river.  Liu Jing waved to the people around him and said hello, then walked to the waterwheel, patted the waterwheel and said with a smile: "Is this the latest keel waterwheel made by Ma Gong?" Ma Jun said quickly: "That's right.  It is, but Weichen is just an improvement. " At this time, several old farmers participating in the experiment said excitedly: "Your Highness, it is more than an improvement! It is an incredible creation. In the past, a waterwheel required at least a dozen adults.  To push water collection, but now a seven or eight-year-old child can step on and operate this waterwheel, saving a lot of manpower." Seeing that the ice in the river had been broken, Liu Jing smiled and said: "You might as well operate it.  !" Ma Jun quickly found a little girl who was about ten years old and said to him: "Let's start!" The little girl quickly climbed onto the waterwheel, held her arms on the railing, and started stepping on it.  , and soon, the waterwheel began to move. Countless farmers looked nervously, and suddenly someone shouted: "The water is coming out!" I saw the river water pouring out of the waterwheel, and as the little girl moved more and more,  Soon, more and more water came out, and the river gurgled into the ditch between the fields. Thousands of people around suddenly burst into cheers.  Countless farmers jumped up with excitement. No one understands what this means better than them. A little girl can operate a waterwheel. How much labor can be saved!  It will solve the water problem of farmland to the greatest extent, which is also the problem that troubles them the most.  The little girl pedaled for a quarter of an hour without feeling tired at all. Liu Jing smiled at her son Liu Zhi and said, "My son, do you want to give it a try?" Although Liu Zhi is more mature than his peers, he has a young mind after all. He is very interested in new things.  Full of curiosity, he has been watching the little girl's movements and found that the operation is actually very simple. The key is to pay attention to body coordination, and there will be no problem. Even if he steps in the air, his arms are still supported on the railing, so he clicks  Ma Jun said, "My child is willing to give it a try!" Hearing that the Prince of Han was going to ride a waterwheel, countless people around him exclaimed. Ma Jun wanted to dissuade Liu Jing, but Liu Jing waved her hand, "Let him experience farming work, it won't be harmful."  " At this time, more and more farmers came from all directions, more than ten thousand people, and dense crowds of people stood on both sides of the river. Everyone originally came to see the new waterwheel, but now they were attracted by the prince of Han Dynasty.  I saw a young man climbing up the waterwheel dexterously. Liu Zhi had been studying martial arts with his guards for the past two years. His body was much stronger than before, and his toughness and dexterity were far better than those of ordinary teenagers. This was why Liu Jing was confident that he would step on the waterwheel.  The reason was that he knew his son's details. Several guards who wanted to help Liu Zhi retreated when they saw that he was very flexible and did not need help.  The little girl standing on the waterwheel smiled and said, "Let me teach you, okay?" Liu Zhi nodded. He followed the little girl's example of stepping on the pedals with both feet and holding the wooden railing with both arms. "Slowly like this  Step on it, don¡¯t go too fast. £®Slow down, that¡¯s it!¡± The little girl taught him patiently.  The two stepped on it together, and the waterwheel began to spin, gradually speeding up. Liu Zhi gradually became proficient, and stepped faster and faster. The river water flowed out of the water tank, and tens of thousands of people around him cheered again.  Liu Jing laughed. The prince stepped on the waterwheel himself, which would definitely become a good talk. He hoped that his son could participate more deeply in agricultural work. Liu Jing turned around and waved to the leader of the guards, Li Qing, to come forward and whispered to him: "  After the spring plowing begins, the prince will also participate and arrange for guards to take care of him. " "Don't worry, your highness, I will personally take care of the prince!" Liu Jing nodded, but it was a pity that he was about to go on an expedition again. He looked up at the gray sky.  sky, today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and in ten days, early spring will come.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1089 The eve of the expedition

    After nearly half a month of arduous travel, Chen Qun and his family finally arrived in Chang'an. Although Chen Qun had been on many missions to Chang'an, this arrival made him particularly excited. Many years ago, he had the idea of ??serving the King of Han.  But he couldn't break through the shackles of betrayal, so he had to keep this idea in his heart. Today he finally realized his long-cherished wish, and he would start a new career. Thinking of this, his eyes became a little moist.  "When was the last time my uncle came to Chang'an?" Xun Zhi asked with a smile.  Chen Qun quickly calmed down and said: "Two years ago or three years ago, I can't remember clearly. Although I served as Miss Ning's wedding messenger last year, she did not come to Chang'an and only sent her to Pujinguan." "Uncle.  Do you feel that Chang'an has changed a lot compared to last time?" Xun Zhi's reminder made Chen Qun realize that it was indeed very different from before. They had already passed Du Ling, and the official road they were on now should be Du Ling leading to Chang'an.  The official way of the city.  He remembered that there used to be endless farmland on both sides, but now there are dense buildings on both sides, one next to the other, with various shops, all the way to Chang'an City in the distance.  Moreover, the official road has become flat and wide, at least twice as wide as before. It is covered with snow on both sides and the roofs are also covered with snow. It is just dawn and many shops are not open yet, but there are many on the street.  Most of the pedestrians were on horseback or donkeys, and there were also many horse-drawn carriages. Both people and the horse-drawn carriages were in such a hurry that they did not even notice the approaching convoy.  Xun Zhi sighed softly: "It seems that it has been completed. It has only been one year, and it is indeed changing with each passing day!" "What does "nephew" mean?" Chen Qun asked puzzledly.  "I'm talking about the three sub-cities. When I left Chang'an for Yangzhou the year before last, the three cities were still being rebuilt. I didn't expect that they have been completed now, and the roads have become so prosperous." Chen Qun also heard Zhong Yao talk about Chang'an.  Regarding the sub-city, the three sub-cities were all comparable in size to the upper county. They shared the population of Chang'an and made Chang'an more tidy and orderly. He nodded, this was indeed an amazing creation.  At this time, a group of people came quickly from the front. The leader was none other than Prime Minister Sima Yi. He was entrusted by Liu Jing to greet Chen Qun. "Brother Changwen!" Sima Yi smiled and waved from afar.  Chen Qun and Sima Yi were very familiar with each other. He was overjoyed and urged his horse to greet him. The two of them laughed and saluted, "Seeing Zhongda again, his style is still the same!" "Where! This is how happy I am to see Brother Changwen."  Sima Yi returned the gift to Xun Zhi again, then smiled at Chen Qun and said, "His Royal Highness the King of Han sent me to greet Chang Wen. Chang Wen and his family have worked hard all the way here." Chen Qun was a little stunned. Sima Yi turned out to be  Come to greet yourself. You must know that the last time Zhong Yao was greeted, he just sent Huangmen Shilang. This time, he sent Xiangguo to greet him. This kind of grand courtesy made Chen Qun's nose a little sore. He was extremely moved and quickly turned around.  He went too far and asked his son to come up to him to greet him, in order to hide his emotions.  After everyone saw the ceremony, Sima Yi accompanied Chen Qun and walked slowly into Chang'an City. He also introduced the newly built sub-city to Chen Qun, "Now it seems that the plan to build the sub-city is completely correct. The land price in Chang'an City is too expensive. With the sub-city,  City, so that civilians can have a place to stay, but three sub-cities are definitely not enough. We are not planning to expand the sub-city, but are planning to build several more sub-cities. I estimate that in a few decades, there will be more than a dozen sub-cities around Chang'an  "Wouldn't the King of Han consider building the eastern capital Luoyang in the future?" Sima Yi shook his head, "At least he won't consider it for thirty years. The main purpose is to develop Longyou and Hexi, as well as Shuofang County in the north, and to restore the Western Region Protectorate in the future.  , these cannot be completed in a short time, it will take at least several decades, so Chang'an must be used as the capital." The group came to the VIP hotel, and Sima Yi said apologetically: "The official residence for Chang Wen is not ready yet, so I have to apologize first.  Changwen and his family will stay at the VIP Hotel temporarily. After a month at most, Changwen can move to a new home. " Chen Qun said with a smile, "That's okay. The VIP Hotel is very good. I've stayed there before and it's better than my mansion in Yedu.  "At this time, Guan Cheng came out to greet the guests and led Chen Qun's family into the VIP hotel first. Chen Qun had to go to see Liu Jing and did not go in to rest with his family for the time being. Xun Zhi also said goodbye and returned to his home. Sima Yi saw that arrangements had been made.  Thanks to Chen Qun's family, they took Chen Qun to Weiyang Palace.  "Zhongda, what's the news from Ye after I leave?" Chen Qun asked Sima Yi quietly when he saw that there was no one else around him.  Sima Yi smiled slightly and said: "Chang Wen's departure caused an uproar in Yedu. The government and the public in Yedu were uneasy, and people were worried about Han. Cao Pi tried his best to maintain stability, but to no avail. I heard that Cao Pi urgently established a patrol. The name is nice, but in fact it is to spy on everyone.  Official." Chen Qun sighed. He didn't expect that his departure would cause such an uproar. He asked again: "What did Duke Wei say?"&nbsp; Sima Yi shook his head, "Only Wei Gong doesn't know about this. I heard that the senior officials of Cao and Wei hid it from Wei Gong." Chen Qun was speechless. He understood why he did this. Wei Gong's body could no longer withstand the stimulation. In fact, it was like this  At best, he didn't want to disappoint Cao Cao.  The two came to the Weiyang Palace, and Sima Yi smiled and said: "Please wait a moment for the long article, I will go and report to His Highness the King of Han." Although there was a peaceful atmosphere of singing and dancing in Chang'an City, the Weiyang Palace was filled with the atmosphere before the war.  In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an, the armistice contract signed by Han and Wei after the Hefei War expired. At this time, the two sides resumed a state of war.  More importantly, Han State completely unified the south last year, and after nearly two years of hard work, all materials and war preparations have been completed. Han State's war status has been restored to its best, and it can launch a thunderous attack on Wei State at any time.  It's just that Han still lacks an excuse to launch a war.  Although Cao Cao established the Wei State and completely emptied the Han Dynasty, he did not usurp the throne after all. His title was only Wei Gong, and he was still a Han official in essence. The Han Emperor Liu Xie was still around, and the Han Dynasty had not disappeared. Both Han and Wei were just  In the vassal states under the Han Dynasty, Liu Jing and Cao Cao were also Han ministers. It was precisely because of this that Liu Jing lacked a moral excuse for war.  Although it seems that this excuse is not important, if it is not solved, it will become Liu Jing's flaw in history. It is precisely because of this reason that the Han army only tried to attack Wei several times without any substantial  attack.  However, the opportunity would not fail to come, and Liu Jing was waiting patiently, but he did not relax in war preparations for a moment.  In the viewing hall of the study, Liu Jing stood in front of the sand table with his hands behind his hands, meditating for a long time without saying a word. The sand table in front of him was the entire sand table in the world, made up of seven sand tables. It was extremely huge and occupied half of the area of ??the lobby.  At this time, a staff member stepped forward and whispered: "Your Highness, there is news from Sima Xiangguo that Chen Shijun has arrived at Weiyang Palace." Liu Jing recovered from her contemplation and nodded, "Invite him to meet me in my study.  " After he hurried out, Liu Jing reached for a pennant and planted it on the Yangtze River estuary outside Jianye. There was a strange army he deployed there. Everything was ready, except for the east wind.  At this time, the manager reported at the door: "Your Highness, they are here." Liu Jing turned around and walked towards his study. Liu Jing's study is actually a group of buildings, including the main hall of the court, the meeting hall, the viewing hall, and the guest reception hall.  It consists of more than a dozen buildings of different sizes, such as the hall, secretary hall, library pavilion, and Guantian Tower, covering an area of ??thirty acres.  Liu Jing usually handles official business in the Main Hall of Imperial Affairs, where he also meets with the Prime Minister and other important ministers. However, if he meets with foreign ministers such as Zhong Yao and Chen Qun, he usually stays in the Yinbin Hall.  Chen Qun and Sima Yi were already waiting in the reception hall. While he was drinking tea, he felt quite nervous. At this time, there was a sound of footsteps outside the hall. Sima Yi reminded him in a low voice: "Your Highness is here!" Chen Qun quickly followed Sima Yi.  After standing up, he saw dozens of guards surrounding Liu Jing appearing in the hall. The guards were lined up on both sides. Liu Jing walked quickly into the hall. Sima Yi and Chen Qun quickly stepped forward and bowed to greet him, "See His Highness the King of Han!"  "Thank you, Xiangguo Sima. Please forgive me for your hard work!" Liu Jing and Sima Yi greeted each other before turning their attention to Chen Qun. Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "It's gratifying that Mr. Chen arrived in Chang'an smoothly. On behalf of the Han Dynasty, I  The country warmly welcomes Mr. Chen and his family.¡± Chen Qun bowed deeply, ¡°It is my father¡¯s and my greatest wish to revive the Han Dynasty. It is also an honor for Chen Qun to serve His Majesty the King of Han.¡±  Liu Jing took Chen Qun's arm and said with a smile: "Please sit down, let's talk slowly." The three of them sat down, Liu Jing smiled again and said: "Back then, I talked about the law with Mr. Chen, and I was very satisfied with Mr. Chen's Nine-Rank Zhongzheng.  I am very interested. I wonder if Mr. Chen is still implementing this system in Wei State? " Chen Qun was a little surprised. He remembered clearly that Liu Jing was firmly opposed to the nine-rank Zhongzheng system at that time, and from his several imperial examinations, he was the only  Judging from the above, his approach is also contrary to his own ninth-grade Zhongzheng system. Why is he interested again now?  He was confused and could only say cautiously: "Wei Gong originally disapproved of the Ninth Rank Zhongzheng, especially when he implemented the Ding Order and suppressed the family in the past two years, the Ninth Rank Zhongzheng was not mentioned again." Liu Jing nodded, "  The nine-level Zhongzheng system is detrimental to the disciples of poor families. If strictly implemented, it will deprive them of the path to advancement. It is indeed unreasonable. However, the nine-level Zhongzheng system also has its positive aspects, such as the long-term evaluation of the scholar's character, which is very important.  In the past, during the imperial examination, many scholars came to Chang'an Mianhuasuliu and spent extravagantly. After passing the examination, they continued to serve as officials without any impact. Such people are likely to cause disaster when they become officials, so I think about making some changes in the future.  Once changedIt is said that regardless of high or low, only talent and virtue are evaluated. Passing the imperial examination does not necessarily mean that he will become an official. His daily morality must also be assessed by the Ministry of officials. The nine-level Zhongzheng system just supplements this point.  " Chen Qun was filled with a wry smile. The original nine-level Zhongzheng system did not require imperial examinations. As long as the local Zhongzheng assessed the character of the scholars and then recommended them, they could become officials. This was actually the improvement and continuation of the Han Dynasty's filial piety and integrity system. Unexpectedly,  However, Liu Jing removed the key points and retained the secondary assessment, which completely changed the mood. Chen Qun had no choice but to smile bitterly and said: "Your Highness is right.  "Liu Jing understood his helplessness, so she smiled and stopped mentioning the matter for the time being. She turned the topic back and said to Chen Qun: "This time Mr. Chen came to Han to serve as an official, I have carefully considered it. I want to wrong Mr. Chen first.  Shangshu Sheng Youcheng presided over the formulation of the new Han laws. After the Han laws were formulated, I will reuse Chen Gong.  " Chen Qun was overjoyed and bowed and said: "I am willing to serve His Highness!  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1090 Shocking Changes

    The prosperity of Yedu was like a blooming firework, which disappeared after a short period of brilliance. The fall of Xihe County detonated the shortage crisis of Wei Gong, plunging Yedu into chaos, with prices soaring and public resentment boiling.  Nearly two months have passed since the crisis broke out. The initial chaos has gradually subsided, and Yedu has entered a deeper level of crisis, which is the depression of all industries.  Even during the day, the streets of Yedu are deserted, with few pedestrians seen. Almost all shops are closed. There is no business, and the most severe food rationing system is implemented. People can only survive. This kind of crisis hits,  Not just the economy, but also the people¡¯s hearts.  At night, there are no pedestrians on the streets, and everything is dark. Yedu is like a ghost town. There are dangers hidden in the darkness, and crimes can happen at any time. Only soldiers patrolling near the city gate and the Vice-President's Mansion provide slightly better security.  On the dark street, three figures were walking quickly, looking uneasily at the alleys on both sides. Perhaps because there were three people, they were not in danger and soon arrived near the east gate.  The three of them walked into an alley and arrived in front of the Jucai Tavern. They entered the tavern directly from the back door. The dim light shone on the face of the person in front. It was a pale and fat face. It was the eunuch Mi Ying. The two people behind him  It was the Han army spies who met him near the palace gate and escorted him to Li Fu.  Mi Ying walked into the room and saw Li Fu writing a letter. He quickly bowed and smiled flatteringly: "Li Canjun, I'm here." "Why are you leaving the palace just now?" Li Fu was really annoyed. He was five days ago  I came to Mi Ying with urgent matters and waited for him for five days.  Mi Ying was so frightened that he quickly said: "I am also very anxious, but I have not been able to wait for the guard on duty who I am familiar with. It was difficult to wait for him today, and it cost ten taels of gold. He only gave me an hour. I have to go back immediately.  " Crabs have their own ways, shrimps have their own ways, everyone has his own way to make money, and the guards guarding Ye Palace are no exception. They have the power to enter and exit Ye Palace. If the people in the palace want to go out of the palace to do things, they have to  Pay bribes.  Of course, the guards guarding Yedu are Cao Cao's confidants. Most of them are not interested in selfish interests and cannot be bought with money. However, there are a very small number of guards who secretly collect money and let people go. They risk their heads and let eunuchs and maids go.  When working in the palace, gold is collected as a bribe, usually five taels of gold an hour, but now the investigation is tight, it has increased to ten taels of gold an hour.  In the past, rice should come out through the cook's token, but now the cook is not allowed to go out, and he can only use gold to bribe the guards.  Li Fu had an important task and had no time to care about such things. He said to Mi Ying: "Now is the time to use you. Can you enter Liu Xie's imperial study?" Mi Ying secretly laughed in his heart. Where can Liu Xie still have it now?  The imperial study room is just a small study room in his palace. He thought for a while and said, "You should be able to go in!" "Well, you go into the imperial study room, find Liu Xie's Panlong Jade Seal, and steal it.  Come out, your mission is completed, and then we will give you five hundred taels of gold, and you can go back to your hometown!¡±  The seal, of course, has no power value, but it can prove Liu Xie himself.  Li Fu planned to make another copy of the clothing and belt edict written by Liu Xie, and begged Liu Jing to send troops to conquer Cao Cao. This gave Liu Jing an excuse to send troops. There was no problem in making a fake clothing and belt edict. There was precedent.  The key is to have a token that can prove Liu Xie himself. Li Fu thought about it and decided that the best thing is the Panlong Jade Seal, which requires Mi Ying to steal it.  Of course Mi Ying knew about the Panlong Jade Seal. He once took charge of it, but it was later taken away by Liu Xie. It was indeed placed in Liu Xie's study, but Liu Xie's study was not easy to enter. He knew he could not refuse, so he asked: "  When do you need it?" "You must give it to me before noon the day after tomorrow." Mi Ying had no choice but to grit his teeth and said, "Okay! I'll give it a try." Li Fu was so happy that he patted Mi Ying hard.  Looking over his shoulder, he looked at him solemnly and said: "This matter is of great importance, you must get it!"  There are three buildings in the palace, but due to Cao Pi's reduction in palace expenses, the number of eunuchs and maids in the harem has dropped sharply, and most of the buildings are vacant.  At present, the palace where Liu Xie lives is called Baifu Palace, and Liu Xie's study is also in Baifu Palace, close to his dormitory. The next night, most people in the palace fell asleep, and only a group of guards stayed in Liu Xie's palace.  Patrolling back and forth near the dormitory.  At about one watch, a dark figure quietly slipped into Liu Xie's bedroom. It was the eunuch Mi Ying. He was very familiar with this place. The only difficulty was that there would be an eunuch on duty in front of the study door. He wanted to climb in through the window.  It's just that the window is about one foot high from the ground. He is fat, how can he climb in?  But tonight?It was like God was blessing him. The eunuch on duty outside the study actually fell ill, and no one replaced him. It is no longer like before, Liu Xie has long been forgotten, and no one cares about this kind of thing.  Mi Ying was excited and sneaked to the study at night. He hid behind a big pillar and observed for a while. There was no one around and it was very quiet. He must have fallen asleep. He tiptoed to the study and gently opened the door.  The door made a creaking sound, which was particularly harsh in the silent night. Mi Ying was so startled that his heart almost stopped beating. He stood motionless for a moment, feeling no movement. Then he ducked into the study. The study was filled with a faint fragrance.  The copper incense burner in the corner of the room was not extinguished, and wisps of faint green smoke floated out from the cracks. There were two doors in the study, one door came in from the outside, and the other small door led to the emperor Liu Xie's house.  Bedroom.  Mi Ying's heart beat violently and she was extremely nervous, for fear of disturbing Liu Xie who was sleeping in the next room. He had also stolen a lot of property in the palace at night, but this was the first time he came to Liu Xie's imperial study to steal something.  , especially the Panlong Jade Seal.  He is not the only eunuch who steals things in the palace, but everyone knows some taboos. Certain items cannot be stolen because stealing them will cause serious trouble, such as the jewelry of several princesses and the things in the emperor's study.  He couldn't touch it, but in order to complete the task today, Mi Ying had to risk everything. After tonight, he would leave the palace tomorrow, and the rest of the matter would have nothing to do with him.  Soon, Mi Ying's eyes adapted to the darkness in the study. He could see everything clearly in the study. He was very familiar with the Panlong Jade Seal. It was a square seal the size of a fist, with a Panlong as a tie.  Usually placed on a bookshelf.  He slowly touched the bookshelf and searched around. Liu Xie's pen holder and trinkets were all there, but there was no jade seal. He felt strange, lowered his head and thought about it, and suddenly remembered that if it was not on the bookshelf, it must be  In Liu Xie's sandalwood box.  Mi Ying quickly found the rosewood box in the corner. The box was locked. He pulled out a sharp dagger from his boot and used a slight force, 'Click!  ¡¯ With a sound, the little golden lock was pried off.  He immediately opened the box, which contained some of Liu Xie's commonly used things. Mi Ying saw the gold box containing Panlong's jade seal at a glance. He picked up the gold box, opened it and looked at it. He was overjoyed and immediately stuffed the gold box into it.  In arms.  But at this moment, a roar suddenly broke out from behind him: "What are you doing?" Mi Ying was so frightened that he collapsed on the ground. When he turned around, he saw Emperor Liu Xie holding a candle and staring fiercely in front of the small door.  Looking at him, his eyes were filled with monstrous anger. Liu Xie happened to get up at night, but he faintly heard "Click!" coming from the study!  ' There was a sound, and he came over to check with a candle. Unexpectedly, he saw Mi Ying squatting in front of his sandalwood box hiding something.  Liu Xie also heard the eunuch complain that Mi Ying had stolen a lot of palace property, but there was no evidence. He was dubious, but he didn't expect that Mi Ying would dare to steal things in his study, and steal things from a sandalwood box.  , which were all his beloved things, and the anger in his heart suddenly burst out.  "You bastard!" Liu Xie rushed up like crazy, threw Mi Ying to the ground, beat him all over his head and face, and yelled, "I'll beat you to death, you bitch slave!" Mi Ying was paralyzed with fear and couldn't move, so he used his hands  Protecting his face, he shouted: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, listen to my explanation!" "Here comes someone! Someone comes here!" How could Liu Xie listen to his explanation? He shouted to the guards. Mi Ying suddenly became anxious and pushed Liu Xie away desperately.  Liu Xie tried his best to suppress him and yelled. Mi was so anxious that his eyes were red. He suddenly touched the dagger next to him and stabbed him with his backhand without thinking. Liu Xie screamed, turned over and fell down, and the dagger was inserted into him.  On the left side of his chest, blood gushed out like a fountain.  Mi Ying was stunned with fright. Suddenly, a sharp scream came from the side. The imperial concubine Cao Jie covered her face and shouted in fear. Mi Ying suddenly woke up, got up and ran out of the study room with all his strength. As soon as he ran out of the study room, he was stunned.  He bumped into the guard who was coming, and the guard knocked him over with a punch. Several guards behind him pushed him to the ground. A guard rushed into the study and shouted in horror, "Go to the imperial doctor quickly!  " Half an hour later, Cao Pi rushed to Ye Palace after hearing the news. He rushed into the study and saw two imperial doctors sitting powerlessly aside. A white cloth covered the whole body of the emperor Liu Xie. Cao Pi was also stunned.  .  In early February of the 24th year of Jian'an, the emperor Liu Xie died suddenly in the palace. Cao Cao ordered the whole country to mourn, and hundreds of officials supported the funeral, and named Liu Xie's temple as Emperor Xian. The world could not be left without a master for a day, so Cao Cao ordered the son of Cao Jie.  The youngest son Liu Dun became emperor.  When the news came to Chang'an, Liu Jing also ordered the Han people to mourn for the emperor for three days. However, Liu Jing did not accept the theory that the emperor died suddenly. He publicly accused the emperor of being murdered by the Cao family and his son, and did not recognize the rule established by Cao Cao.  The new emperor issued a "Call against Cao Cao" to the world.  March 15th, Liu JingIn Chang'an, the Han army was ordered to attack Cao Cao. General Zhao Yun of Zhenbei led 50,000 troops out of Tongguan. Wenpin, the governor of Jingbei, led 50,000 troops to Yecheng and attacked the Central Plains at the same time, which kicked off the Han army's attack on the Central Plains.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1091 Marching into Hangu

    Tongguan is the gateway to the east of Chang'an. It is backed by high mountains and overlooks the Yellow River. The mountains are steep and the roads are narrow. Since ancient times, it has been an important pass that only one man can pass and no one can open it. However, the Han army accumulated 50,000 elite troops in Tongguan, but it did not succeed.  Not to defend, but to wait for an opportunity to attack.  The death of Emperor Liu Xie caused shock in the world. Liu Jing then issued a proclamation against Cao Cao and officially declared war on Cao Jun. In mid-March, Zhao Yun ordered veteran general Yan Yan to guard Tongguan. He personally led an army of 50,000 people out of Tongguan westward and marched toward Luoyang.  Kill.  Going east from Tongguan, the first stop is Hongnong County. Hongnong County borders the Yellow River to the north and Xiong'er Mountain to the south. There is a long and narrow plain in the middle. The Han army was commanding at Tongguan and it was easy to break through Hongnong County's defense line.  When Liu Jing issued the proclamation, Xu Huang, the commander-in-chief of Cao's army, knew that the war was coming and immediately started military deployment. He knew that it would be difficult to resist the Han army from Tongguan, so he deployed very few troops in Hongnong County, only more than 3,000 troops.  However, Cao Jun's defense was placed in the Hangu Pass area of ????Boshan Mountain at the junction of Hongnong County and Luoyang. Xu Huang reported a strength of more than 10,000 troops at Hangu Pass.  The Han army marched eastward and successively occupied Hu County, Hongnong County, Shaan County, and Mianchi. Cao's army fled at the wind, and all 3,000 troops withdrew to Hangu Pass. In just three days, 50,000 Han troops occupied Hong Kong without a single blow.  The whole territory of Nong County.  The Han army camped high on the north bank of Gushui in the east of Xin'an County. Dozens of miles away was the towering peaks of Mount Wei. The area around the Han army's camp was a terrain of alternating hills and plains. Large areas of farmland could be seen everywhere, with winter wheat growing in the farmland.  It has grown one foot tall, and at first glance, it looks like a green blanket.  Inside the large tent of the Chinese army in the Han camp, more than ten senior officials of the Han army, including General Zhao Yun, Deputy General Wu Yi, and Temporary Military Advisor Fa Zheng, stood in front of the sand table to discuss the military situation. There was no way to attack Hangu Pass, especially when the opponent's general was a famous general from Cao Wei.  Xu Huang, they must fight through this tough battle.  Although Fazheng had been transferred to the civilian system, the Han army did need military advisors to accompany the army to make plans at the critical moment of its final conquest of the world. Not only Fazheng, but also Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi and Pang Tong were all transferred to temporary military advisors. Zhuge Liang was responsible for the Bingzhou front line, and Pang Tong planned  Nanyang sent troops, while Sima Yi rushed to Shouchun. All four fronts were controlled by military advisors. Liu Jing, the king of Han, sat in Chang'an and directed the overall war.  Fazheng slowly said to everyone: "Xu Huang is indeed a famous general with rich experience. He led an army of 30,000 people. He personally led a heavy army to guard Hangu Pass, and also ordered deputy general Zang Ba to lead an army of 8,000 people to guard Yique. This shows that he  "Think carefully." Zhao Yun asked: "What does the military advisor mean, we can not attack Hangu Pass and attack Luoyang directly?" Fazheng nodded, pointed at Luoshui in the south and said, "If Luoyang is empty, we  We can march along the Luoshui River in a roundabout way along the Yiyang line and send out a surprise force to attack Luoyang. But now Yique has deployed 8,000 troops. A small number of surprise soldiers will have no effect. If the number is too large, once our food and grass backup is cut off by the opponent, the consequences will be  It¡¯s unimaginable.¡± Wu Yi thought for a moment and said: ¡°What if we go to the Yellow River in the north?¡± Fazheng said helplessly: ¡°The Yellow River is not as fast as the Yangtze River, and there are many dangerous shoals and reefs. A raft is not possible. Of course, a thousand-stone warship is also possible, but building a ship is also possible.  The fleet was too expensive and could not be built in one or two years. At the beginning, Pingzhangtai also proposed this plan to build a Yellow River fleet. Later, when the whole country fought the Hefei War, it was unable to build another fleet, so this plan had to be  Temporarily stranded, but even if we go through the Yellow River, it is not easy to attack Luoyang." Fazheng pointed at the Yellow River with a wooden pole and said to everyone: "Look, everyone, there is Mang Mountain to the north of Luoyang, which separates the Yellow River and Luoyang. There is only one way to enter Luoyang.  Being able to go to Mengjin in the east and detour to Yanshi, and there is Hulao Pass here, guarded by three thousand Cao troops, shows that Xu Huang has considered the possibility of us attacking Luoyang from the east, and has deployed it very carefully. " At this time, Zhao Yun.  He said in a deep voice: "Let's not think about any shortcuts. The army is going to fight. If Hangu Pass cannot be bypassed, we will fight this hard battle. We cannot show weakness because Hangu Pass is difficult to fight. More importantly, this is  His Highness the King of Han ordered us to capture Hangu Pass." As the commander-in-chief, Zhao Yun's clear statement determined the direction of the Han army's battle. All the generals of the Han army, including military commander Fa, unanimously decided to attack Hangu with all their strength.  close.  Hangu Pass is located at the junction of Hongnong County and Luoyang. It is hidden in the mountains and valleys. It belongs to the remnants of the Taihang Mountains and stretches for dozens of miles. The mountains are towering and the terrain is steep. Hangu Pass is located on a must-pass road.  in the valley.  It is said that Laozi and Li Er wrote the Tao Te Ching in Hangu Pass, and then rode an ox to the west. However, that was the old Hangu Pass, located in the Xiaoshan Mountains in Hongnong County to the west. It has long since disappeared without a trace. Now  The Hangu Pass that the Han army wanted to attack was the New Hangu Pass built during the Western Han Dynasty. It was close to Luoyang and became the west gate of Luoyang.  Hangu Pass is about one mile long, which just blocks the valley road that the army must pass through. The city wall is tall and strong. Three archery towers are built on the city head, and there are heavy defensive weapons such as trebuchets.About two miles away from Hangu Pass is Gushui, which winds through a steep valley. However, the valley that can be marched is guarded by Hangu Pass. It is condescending, forming a situation where one man can guard the pass and no one can open it.  Cao Jun dug two more trenches one foot five feet deep and three feet wide 300 steps in front of the pass. They were filled with sharp stakes and sharp spears. These two trenches were meaningless to the Han soldiers. The soldiers could easily build a bridge.  In the past, it was difficult for the Han army's heavy siege weapons to pass.  At this time, the walls of Hangu Pass were filled with soldiers of Cao's army. General Xu Huang was standing under the archery tower, looking worriedly at the west. He was not very sure about defending Luoyang.  Luoyang was originally part of the Yuzhou defense line and was under the unified command of Xiahou Dun. However, during last year's power adjustment, Cao Zhen replaced Xiahou Dun. Cao Cao also knew that Cao Zhen was not capable enough to take care of the Xuchang and Luoyang lines, so he divided the Yuzhou defense.  He made Luoyang's defense independent and sent the famous general Xu Huang to lead an army of 30,000 to guard Luoyang.  Xu Huang's worry is not about Luoyang. He has built Luoyang's defense like an iron barrel and has sufficient food and grass. Even if he cannot defend Hangu Pass, he can still hold on to Luoyang City. Xu Huang is worried about Xuchang. Cao Zhen is far inferior to Xiahou Dun.  His sophistication was exposed in the Han army's probing attack last year.  If the entire Central Plains is a game of chess, the weakest side is in Xuchang. Xu Huang does not believe that the foresighted Liu Jing cannot see this weakness, but how will Liu Jing play chess?  So far, Xu Huang's eyes are still filled with fog.  But Xu Huang could not command Xuchang, so he could only try his best to fulfill his duties and hold on to Luoyang. At this time, a group of scouts came from a distance and rushed to the valley water. The cavalry reined in the horses and drew their bows and arrows.  , shoots a rocket into the sky.  The rockets shot up into the sky with a cloud of thick smoke. This was a warning. The main force of the Han army had arrived ten miles away. Cao Jun on the top of the city suddenly became nervous. Xu Huang shouted sternly: "Everyone is in position, don't panic!"  Overhead, dozens of heavy trebuchets creaked and opened, and they were already in preparation for battle. The seven thousand defensive soldiers on the top of the city stretched their bows and set arrows, staring nervously ahead. The cool breeze blew by, and the big flags on the top of the city flapped.  ring.  At this moment, a deep horn sound "Woo¡ª¡ª" came from the distance and echoed in the valley. Accompanied by the slow and rhythmic sound of war drums, the banner of the Han army finally appeared several miles away.  The main force of the huge Han army appeared, with banners like clouds and drums beating like thunder. The dense Han army spread far west along the valley water, forming another black river with great momentum.  The Han army did not immediately engage in the siege battle, but set up a camp two miles away. The terrain outside Hangu Pass was open and suitable for setting up a battlefield. However, Xu Huang knew that his troops were insufficient, so he gave up the formation and fierce battle with the Han army.  , but guarded the passes and relied on the dangers of the passes to confront the Han army.  An hour later, a huge military camp appeared opposite Hangu Pass. Even the Gushui became an inland river in the Han army camp. The tents were connected one after another, and dense barracks and sentry towers were set up around the perimeter.  Monitoring every move outside the camp.  In the afternoon, Zhao Yun stood on a huge sentry tower opposite Hangu Pass, staring coldly at the majestic Guancheng opposite. He knew very well that this Guancheng was indeed difficult to defeat, but if he did not win this  Guancheng would not be able to realize the Han Dynasty's Central Plains strategy.  Next to him, the deputy general Wu Yi pointed to the two trenches in the distance: "Those two trenches are the first challenge we face in siege. We must overcome them tonight, otherwise the battering ram and ladder will not be able to get through." Zhao Yun will also look back.  Looking towards Fazheng, Fazheng looked up at the sky. It was gloomy and covered with dark clouds. It was a cloudy day. He nodded and said with a smile: "I have a plan, which is foolproof. The general can first dig three wells in the military camp."  , I will consider the details in detail.¡±  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Night shrouded the inside and outside of Hangu Pass. Hundreds of torches were lit on the pass, illuminating Hangu clearly, but the light inside must be dark outside. Fifty steps away from Hangu Pass, it was pitch black, but Cao Jun  Hundreds of lit torches could be clearly seen on both sides of the trench. Once the Han army approached the trench, they would be able to spot it immediately.  This kind of dark night is a good opportunity to carry out a sneak attack. Both sides are extra vigilant. Three thousand Cao's troops stay awake day and night to guard the city. The Han army also sends thousands of patrols to patrol around the camp to prevent Cao's army from sneaking into the Han camp.  , especially since both sides are fueled by fire, they are extremely vigilant about possible fire attacks.  At this time, two Han armies each with more than 10,000 men quietly moved toward Hangu Pass under the cover of night. They were silent, each carrying two bags of soil. They could not enter the range of the Hangu Pass trebuchet.  The Cao army's trebuchets were fired, and the Han army suffered heavy casualties.  Xu Huang had already guessed that the Han army would come to fill the trenches at night. He had already ordered the trebuchets to prepare for battle at night and launch them at any time. As long as the city head gave an alarm, the soldiers operating the trebuchets would launch huge rocks at any time.??Created the Han Army.  The two trenches were not only a psychological defense line for Cao's army, but also had important value in actual combat. They could effectively hinder the advancement of the Han army's heavy siege weapons. Even if they were put on wooden boards, the wooden boards would not be able to withstand the weight of the heavy siege weapons.  Xu Huang also understood this. Not only did he cut a sharp stake and insert it, he also poured precious kerosene into the trench. Once the Han army's siege weapons passed the trench, Cao's army would ignite the kerosene in the trench through fireballs.  Although Cao Jun made careful arrangements to prevent the Han army from filling in the trenches at night, when it was dark the next day, Cao Jun on the top of the city unexpectedly discovered that the two trenches had been filled in by the Han army overnight.  Xu Huang was puzzled. Cao's army was so well-defended and vigilant at night. How did the Han army do it?  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1092 The bloody battle of siege

    But when it got brighter, Xu Huang understood the secret of the Han army filling in the trench overnight. He finally found a dozen small stone walls appearing four hundred steps away, and he guessed the reason.  It's very simple. The Han army dug more than a dozen tunnels under cover of night. These tunnels led directly to the trenches, and the entrances were outside the range of the projectors. Even if they were discovered by Cao's army, they could not hit the Han army hard, so the Han army transported mud through the tunnels.  bags, and two trenches were filled overnight.  Xu Huang¡¯s guess was absolutely correct. This was Fa Zheng¡¯s tunnel plan. He first dug a well in the camp to find out the water level, then dug a tunnel one foot deep underground, and finally filled in the trench.  With the trenches filled up and there was no longer any obstacle to the Han army's attack, Zhao Yun ordered generals Guan Xing and Zhang Bao to lead an army of 10,000 each to launch a full-scale attack on Hangu Pass.  The rising sun above Hangu Pass shot out thousands of golden rays. In the wilderness in front of the Han army camp, 20,000 Han troops were lined up, full of murderous intent, waiting for the order to attack.  Among the troops, huge nest cars, ladders and boxcars were launched at any time. On top of the city, 8,000 Cao troops, 50 heavy trebuchets and 500 crossbows were also ready to fight. The two sides were at war with each other and the war was imminent.  Zhao Yun waved his sword and ordered: "Attack!" 'Boom!  Boom!  Boom!  ¡¯ Fierce war drums suddenly sounded, and 20,000 Han soldiers rushed towards Hangu Pass like a mad tide, kicking off a full-scale siege by the Han army.  Maybe this is just the first attack, but it is by no means a test attack, but a formal attack. In the many years of war between the Han and Han armies, each other has already become familiar with each other's tactics, and there is no need to test them again.  The Han army was already aware of Cao's defensive tactics. They used trebuchets and crossbows at a distance, bows and arrows at a closer distance, and rolling logs and rocks at a closer distance.  In particular, the Han army had already found out that there were still more than 10,000 defenders in Luoyang, which meant that Cao's army would not defend Hangu Pass. If the defense of the city was unfavorable, they would retreat to Luoyang.  It is for this reason that the Han army went all out to attack from the beginning. The morale of the Han army was like a rainbow. With the confidence of these 50,000 troops, they could concentrate their forces and conquer Cao Jun's pass cities one by one.  At this time, news came from Chang'an that the 50,000 Han troops at Pujin Pass also began to attack Cao's army in Hedong County, and Shouchun also showed signs of attack.  In other words, the Han army has launched attacks against Cao's army from four directions including Bingzhou, Luoyang, Nanyang, and Shouchun at the same time. This has put great pressure on Zhao Yun. He must capture Hangu Pass as quickly as possible.  By forcing Cao's army into Luoyang, the Han army's key strategy can be implemented.  It was the news from Chang'an that made Zhao Yun determined to seize Hangu Pass as quickly as possible at all costs.  Amidst the roaring drums of the attack, the 20,000-strong Han army was divided into four square formations and advanced together to the front of Guancheng. The number of people was dense. Looking from a high place, the black Han army was densely packed like a colony of ants.  The land outside Hangu Pass is covered.  "Forward!" Zhang Bao, the general of the Han army, shouted loudly amid the sound of drums.  "Kill!" In the roar of thunder, the Han army advanced towards Hangu Pass like an overwhelming mountain. This time the Han army used a lot of siege weapons.  The first is the chariot and the ladder, which are the main weapons used by the Han army to attack the city. These heavy weapons were dismantled, transported from Guanzhong, and temporarily assembled. The chariot and the ladder were equipped with huge wooden wheels that were used by the Han army.  Soldiers pushed forward.  Next is the bucket cart, which is a traditional defensive weapon used by the Han army to resist the impact of trebuchets and boulders. The so-called bucket cart is a frame made of rough wood, covered with several layers of cowhide. The cowhide is coated with thick grease and is extremely smooth.  , and has a certain bevel angle.  When a boulder hits a cowhide, it will easily slide away. Although not every boulder can be defended, at least 40% of the boulders can be defended against.  A bucket is three feet wide and five feet long. It is equipped with wooden wheels underneath, which can be pushed slowly. There are three to four hundred Han soldiers hiding underneath.  In the sound of war drums, the Han army's offensive formation advanced step by step. Chariots, leather buckets, ladders and the mighty Han army soldiers formed a spectacular black tide rushing towards the city.  On the top of the city, Cao Jun was ready. As many as fifty heavy trebuchets were pulled open creakingly. A huge stone weighing 100 kilograms was placed in the leather pocket. Each trebuchet required a hundred people to pull it.  , Cao Jun could not allocate so many troops, so he recruited 3,000 civilians from various counties in Hongnong County to supplement the trebuchet.  The Han army is getting closer and closer, and has entered the 400-step line. A super-large trebuchet with 200 people can launch it, but the trebuchet at Hangu Pass is slightly smaller and has a range of only 300 steps.  The general of Cao¡¯s army who was responsible for commanding the trebuchet was named Huo Ning. He was from Xu Huang¡¯s hometown. He had followed Xu Huang for nearly twenty years, fighting in the south and north, and was promoted step by step to the rank of general.Wei Wei, during the Battle of Hefei, he led his army to ambush Zhao Yan's army, which ultimately caused the Han army to suffer a disastrous defeat in Lu'an County.  General Xu Huang watched the Han army's offensive wave approaching the city step by step. The front line of the front army had reached 400 steps. Xu Huang gave the firing order. First, he fired the crossbow, five hundred four-foot-long iron arrows and countless  Dense small arrows were fired at the Han army.  The Han troops rushing in front fell on their backs, and hundreds of Han soldiers were shot down. Huo Ning was tempted by his strong desire to shoot. He reminded Xu Huang in a low voice, "General, the fireballs can be launched!" But Xu Huang never let go.  , so that the red flag in Horning's hand could not be waved. If the red flag was not waved, the fifty trebuchet commanders would not dare to give the order to fire.  Three hundred steps later, the Han army finally entered the range of the trebuchet. Xu Huang nodded, and Huo Ning finally waved the red flag in his hand, "Shoot!" Fifty Cao Jun commanders shouted almost simultaneously.  The heavy trebuchet was launched, and fifty long throwing rods were swung out, and fifty huge stones were thrown into the Han army's formation. The huge stones made a sharp whistling sound, rolled in the air, and appeared quickly and unparalleledly.  Above the heads of the Han army, the Han soldiers shouted and dodged to both sides or hid behind the carts.  ¡®Boom!  With a muffled sound, the boulder fell down and dust flew into the air. Several Han soldiers were unable to dodge and were smashed into pieces. The powerful impact caused the boulder to continue rolling and rushed straight into the group of Han soldiers, who suddenly screamed.  In one scene, more than a dozen soldiers were killed, blood splashed everywhere, and the entire boulder was dyed red.  There was another loud noise, and a huge boulder hit the truck. There was a "bang" sound. The smoothness on the cowhide made it impossible for the boulder to hit the ground. It flew away for more than twenty steps. This boulder did not reach the top of the truck.  Effect.  But not every bucket truck can withstand the impact of huge rocks. This depends on the smoothness of the stone itself. If the stone is rough and rough, it will be difficult for the bucket truck to be effective.  There was another muffled sound, accompanied by the sound of the brackets shattering, and a bucket cart collapsed. Hundreds of Han soldiers hiding under the bucket stumbled out. Many people were injured by the collapsed wooden pillars.  The people under the truck groaned in pain.  The second round of trebuchets was launched again. Fifty boulders rolled in the air and roared towards them. The Han soldiers were knocked upside down and their flesh and blood flew everywhere. The bucket carts were broken and the ladders were broken. The third and fourth rounds followed.  £®  £®  £®  £®  There were hundreds of casualties in each round of trebuchets. Although the trebuchets were powerful, they were small in number and could not form huge lethality. More than 10,000 Han troops had already rushed to the bottom of the city. Cao's army on the city fired thousands of arrows, like arrows.  Hail and heavy rain rained down on the Han soldiers.  The Han soldiers raised their shields to greet them. Some people were shot by arrows and died tragically. In the rain of arrows, thousands of Han soldiers pushed dozens of huge ladders close to the city wall, forming more than 20 siege points. Each tower was several feet high.  The siege ladder was set up on the top of the city. Groups of fierce Han soldiers rushed onto the ladder and began to climb up.  Cao Jun's arrows came at an angle, and rolling logs and stones fell head-on. Strings of Han soldiers screamed and fell down the stairs. They were hit by arrows and their heads were smashed. Dead bodies piled up under the city wall, and then another  Some Han soldiers climbed up the stairs frantically and charged upwards at all costs.  At this time, the drums were beating loudly again in the Han army camp, and another 5,000 Han army archers came galloping towards them. The dust was flying. They passed through the boulders and beds between 200 steps and 300 steps at the fastest speed.  The range area of ??the crossbow.  The boulders came roaring, knocking the cavalry over. The crossbow arrows were powerful and fast, and the iron arrows could penetrate the cavalry's bodies. The horses neighed miserably, and the soldiers rolled over. Under the boulders, there were horrible corpses and blood everywhere.  At this moment, the Han army has invested 25,000 siege soldiers, and the city offensive and defensive battle has entered its most intense stage.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Unlike the Han army's bloody battle at Hangu Pass, the Han army's battle on the front line of Bingzhou was slightly easier. After the Han army captured Lishi County and occupied the entire Xihe County last year, Cao's army was forced to strategically shrink in Bingzhou and stationed in Hedong County.  Thirty thousand troops had to withdraw eastward to Shangdang County, and integrated with Taiyuan County to become Yedu's first western line of defense.  At this time, land and population were no longer so important, but building a defense line against the Han army was the top priority. Hedong County and Taiyuan County were separated by Pingyang County and Shangdang County. Once the Han army marched eastward from Xihe County, Taiyuan and  Hedong will face the risk of being defeated individually.  Since Cao Jun could no longer increase his troops, he could only shrink his defense line and concentrate the main force of 50,000 Cao Jun troops on Shangdang County and Taiyuan County. As long as they defended these two counties, it would be difficult for the Han army to break through the natural dangers of Taihang.  It was out of this consideration that Cao Jun actually abandoned Hedong County and Pingyang County. When general Guan Yu and military advisor Zhuge Liang led 50,000 Han troops to enter Hedong County from Pujin Pass, the 5,000 troops guarding Hedong County did not fight.  They collapsed and quickly retreated to Shangdang County.  Guan Yu and??Ge Liang did not continue to march north, but consolidated his occupation of Hedong County. According to the strategic deployment of Han King Liu Jing, Guan Yu ordered Guan Ping as backup, and generals Wu Lan and Leng Bao led 10,000 infantry and cavalry to march eastward.  Three days later, the Han army captured Jiguan and Zhiguan in the Wangwu Mountains. The army advanced into Hanoi County and headed for Mengjindu in the southwest.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1093: Inserting stakes in the hinterland

    On the night when the eunuch Mi Ying accidentally stabbed the emperor Liu Xie to death, the Han army spies who were watching outside the palace discovered the unusual movement in the palace and immediately informed Li Fu. Li Fu knew that something serious had happened in the palace and immediately evacuated the Jucai Tavern, but Cao Jun  Instead of raiding the Jucai Tavern, Li Fu sent someone to inquire about Mi Ying, only to learn that he died under mysterious circumstances not long after he was caught. No one knew the cause of death, and it was said that he committed suicide by taking poison.  However, Li Fu knew that there were too many dark transactions in the Ye Palace. It was obvious that someone was afraid that Mi Ying would say something he shouldn't have said, so he poisoned him. However, this was good, and the death of Emperor Liu Xie became a mystery.  Headless case.  Not long after Han King Liu Jing issued the proclamation, Li Fu rushed to Qiao County.  In a tavern in Chengfu County, Jin Sanye poured a glass of wine for Li Fu and asked with a smile: "Master Li didn't have any wine to drink in Ye, don't you feel good?" "How could I not have any wine to drink?"  But Yedu is too depressing and uncomfortable, so it¡¯s better to be more free outside." Li Fu drank the wine and asked in a low voice, "How is the progress over there with Zhang Li?" Jin Sanye narrowed his eyes and smiled.  Mr. Li, please rest assured. I, Jin San, always do my best. If I am not sure, I will not take this job. Let me tell you this! I will decide on the title of this prince. You can go see me at any time.  "Zhang Li." "Have you and Zhang Li spoken out directly?" "It's not enough, but both parties know that what he did is not unfair." Jin Sanye lowered his voice and said with a smile.  "He came to me yesterday and asked me if I knew anyone from the Han army to help him get in touch. He heard that Cao Ren would come to Qiao County in person soon to check the war readiness. He was very scared." Li Fu thought for a moment and asked: "Cao Ren  "When will we come to Qiao County for verification?" "I can't say exactly, but it shouldn't be too long. I guess it will be within the next few days. The situation is already very tense, and this matter won't be delayed for long," Li Fu thought.  After thinking for a while, he immediately concluded: "In that case, let's go to the military camp now." Since Zhang Li started the kerosene business with Li Fu, he has also engaged in several arms sales businesses. He has become more and more courageous.  He actually sold all the military crossbows to Li Fu and bought the same number of spears from Li Fu. As a result, the crossbowmen became spearmen, and he made huge profits from it.  In fact, from the first time Zhang Li and Li Fu cooperated, they knew that the kerosene was actually sold to the Han army. It was definitely not some **** Black Flag Army. Not to mention that the Black Flag Army had long been annihilated by the Han Army. Even if  Even now, they can't transport kerosene there.  He knew full well that the Black Flag Army was just an excuse. As long as both sides didn't tell the truth, he would be happy to pretend to be stupid and make money. He was originally a Yellow Turban thief, so he didn't care about the interests of the Cao Army or the Han Army. He only considered his own  Benefit.  But just two days ago, Zhang Li received news from Niu Jin that Cao Ren, the governor of Xuzhou, would soon come to Qiao County to inspect combat readiness. Niu Jin told him to be prepared, which was actually a hint to him to immediately plug all loopholes.  Go up, don't let Cao Ren fail to find out.  This news frightened Zhang Li so much that his legs became weak. He had lost so many weapons and kerosene, and there was no way he could make up for it. He knew that as soon as Cao Ren came to the Chengfu military camp, he would immediately see the problem and his life would be in danger.  No guarantee.  Zhang Li was so scared that he couldn't sleep all night. The next day, he went to Jin Sanye for help, hinting that he was willing to surrender to the Han army, and begging Jin Sanye to help him. After two days of fear, Jin Sanye took Li Fu to Zhang Li's house.  military camp.  Zhang Li invited Li Fu into his private tent like an offering to a Bodhisattva. Li Fu sat down and asked, "I heard from Mr. Jin that Cao Ren is coming to check on combat readiness. When will he come?" "When will he come?"  I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s coming here, but he must have checked Qiao County¡¯s war readiness first. He hasn¡¯t arrived in Qiao County yet, so it will be at least three days before he comes to Chengfu County. I personally estimate it will be about five days.¡± Speaking of this, Zhang Li was not reserved.  He said directly: "I know that Mr. Li has a relationship with the Han army. We all know it well. I just ask Mr. Li to help me. I am willing to surrender to the Han army." Li Fu smiled slightly and said: "I won't hide it from General Zhang.  , I do have business relations with the Han Army, and I know several senior officials of the Han Army, but I want to know what kind of guarantee General Zhang can give me to make the Han Army believe me, no! It is to believe General Zhang.  "Zhang Li is a little embarrassed. What guarantee can he get?  Now he is in danger, and Li Fu knows this better than anyone else, so what kind of guarantee is there?  Next to him, Mr. Jin Sanye saw that he was in trouble, so he reminded him: "Actually, isn't General Zhang's son the best guarantee?" Zhang Li took a breath of air. He had two daughters and a son in his hometown, and both daughters were already married.  He got married, but his son was a bit stupid, so he later married several concubines. One of the concubines was very successful and gave birth to a smart and lovely son for him.  &nbsp; This son is Zhang Li¡¯s baby and has always been with him. He is ten years old this year. Zhang Li bought a house in the county and let his concubine live with his son. He would also go back to the house to spend the night every day.  , at this time Jin Sanye reminded him to use his son as a hostage, which made him feel confused.  Li Fu persuaded him with a smile: "General Zhang handed over his son to the Han army. The Han army will naturally trust the general's sincerity. As for the safety of the general's son, I can guarantee it." "You?" Zhang Li looked at Li suspiciously.  Fu, seeing a hint of pride in Li Fu's smile, he suddenly understood. He looked at Li Fu and said, "Who are you?" "I might as well tell the general frankly that I am not a businessman. I am Li Fu, the Sima of the Han Army.  " With that said, Li Fu took out a gold medal and handed it to Zhang Li. This was his status badge. The gold medal represented an officer or counselor above the general level. Of course Zhang Li understood. He was shocked. This person's status was not low.  ah!  He quickly saluted and said, "I don't know if it's Li Sima. I'm sorry." Li Fu smiled and said, "I will stay in the barracks to not only guarantee the safety of your son, but also the general's glory and wealth." That's Zhang Li.  He was afraid that after he surrendered to the Han army, the gold he earned from reselling weapons would be seized by the Han army. Now that Li Fu promised to guarantee his wealth and was willing to stay in his military camp, he finally made up his mind and said to Li Fu: "Then let's do it together  It¡¯s a deal!¡± ¡°Very good, we¡¯re a deal!¡± Li Fu then said to Mr. Jin: ¡°Please, Mr. Jin, please take the child to Shouchun first. My men will take Mr. Jin to see General Huang.  It's very urgent. Master Jin must move quickly. " "Don't worry! I won't miss the big event. I'll leave immediately." Half an hour later, Mr. Jin took Zhang Li's son and two of Li Fu's followers.  After getting on the boat, the boat sailed along the eddy water towards the Huaihe River.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Three days later, a huge fleet of more than 500 thousand-stone warships approached the mouth of the Wishui River. This huge fleet of thousand-stone warships was led by Liu Hu as the main general and Wei Yan as the deputy general. There were a total of 20,000 troops. They  The target is Chengfu County. There are 1,000 Han cavalry guards on both sides of the river to prevent Cao Jun from throwing huge rocks at the warships. Nearly 8,000 Cao troops have been stationed in Yicheng County east of the mouth of the Wushui River, with heavy troops stationed there.  Within the county town, Cao's army could not compete with the Han army on the water. They could only defend the city. At the same time, they pulled an iron cable hundreds of feet across the mouth of the Huai River where the Whirlpool River entered, blocking the river and preventing the Han warships from entering the Whirlpool River.  Go north.  But for the Han army, this kind of iron rope to block the river was meaningless. The Han army used a ship filled with kerosene and wood to sail under the iron rope and burned it. In less than an hour, the iron rope as thick as a wrist was burned by the fire.  When it burned, the iron rope fell into the river, and the five hundred warships of the Han army stretched for dozens of miles and sailed toward the upper reaches of the vortex.  Cao Jun also considered pouring kerosene on the river to burn the Han warships, but they soon found that it was impossible. On the one hand, there were Han cavalry on both sides of the river to protect the fleet, making it difficult for Cao Jun to do so.  On the other hand, because the water surface of the vortex is very wide, similar to that of the Huaihe River, if you pour kerosene into the river, the kerosene will only flow to both sides of the river. However, the Han warships sail in the center of the vortex, so it is difficult for the kerosene to burn the warships.  Cao's army did not have so much kerosene to dump in the river. Unless Cao's army had warships to fight the Han army and threw kerosene onto the Han army's ships during the battle, it would be too unrealistic to burn the ships on such a wide river.  The Han army moved all the way north. Two days later, the Han army's fleet arrived at Chengfu County. Hundreds of warships began to dock, and groups of soldiers quickly landed. General Zhang Li of Cao's army, accompanied by Li Fu, was waiting on the shore.  When Liu Hu stepped ashore from the bow of the ship, Zhang Li immediately stepped forward and knelt down on one knee and said: "I am humbled by Zhang Li, please see General Hu!" Liu Hu saw thousands of Cao Jun soldiers in the distance who had all put down their weapons.  Satisfied, he stepped forward to help Zhang Li up and said with a smile: "General Zhang abandoned the secrets and turned to the bright side. He is willing to be loyal to the King of Han and revive the Han Dynasty. This is admirable. From today on, General Zhang will be a member of the Han generals." Zhang Li was really ashamed in his heart. Where was he?  In order to revive the Han Dynasty, he just didn't want to be executed by Cao Ren, but he didn't dare to reveal his selfishness, so he could only vaguely say: "I am humble and willing to serve the King of Han!"  Because of his temper, he had already been killed with a single blow, but Sima Yi repeatedly told him before he left that he could not affect the surrender of Cao's generals later, and could vacate Zhang Li's military power, but he could not be killed for the time being and would deal with it later.  Liu Hu took out a military talisman and handed it to him with a smile and said: "The King of Han has issued an order to confer General Zhang as the Marquis of Guannei and add the title of Captain of Yuzhang. This is the marquis seal. General Zhang is invited to take up his post in Yuzhang County. In addition, General Zhang's son  If you are in Shouchun, you can go to Shouchun first and then take office with your son." Zhang Li did not expect that Liu Jing would actually make him the Marquis of Guannei. He was so happy that he hurriedly went there.He took the seal and said: "Thank you His Highness the King of Han for the reward. I will go to Shouchun now." Liu Hu smiled again and said: "According to the Han army system, General Zhang's music needs to be reorganized. We will send the reorganized music to  Go station in Yuzhang County and ask the general to wait patiently for a month or two. "Zhang Li was not stupid. He suddenly understood that after reorganizing his music, he scattered it all. How could he return it to him?  He felt really uncomfortable, but thinking that his son was still in Shouchun, he had to hold back his dissatisfaction and saluted, "Thank you, General Tiger, for your thoughtful consideration." He was helpless, turned around and glared at Li Fu bitterly, and then boarded the board.  A warship, escorted by dozens of soldiers, sailed south.  Liu Hu watched Zhang Li being sent away, sneered, and immediately ordered: "Receive the surrender of Cao's army and take over the defense of Chengfu County!" At this time, Cao Ren was on his way to Chengfu County, and he suddenly had to report Zhang Li's surrender to the Han army.  , 20,000 Han troops under the leadership of Liu Hu had captured Chengfu County. Cao Ren was immediately shocked and hurriedly led 3,000 personal guards back to Qiao County, and then rushed back to Xuzhou to redeploy defenses.  The Han army instigated a rebellion against Zhang Li and captured Chengfu County, one of the three important towns in Qiaojun. They then stationed 20,000 troops in Chengfu County, directly threatening the safety of Qiaojun. This was undoubtedly a stab at the heart of Qiaojun.  This is the second step of Liu Jing's Central Plains strategy. The 20,000 Han troops in Chengfu County not only contained Niu Jin's army in Qiao County, but also contained Cao Ren's Xuzhou Army and Yu Jin's Huaibei Army. They not only broke through the eastern part of Yuzhou  The strategic balance, and more importantly, the Han army's 20,000 troops stationed in Qiao County prevented Cao Ren's army from aiding Xuchang in the west.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1094 Conquering Hangu

    The siege of Hangu Pass entered its second day. On the first day, the Han army ended the siege at a heavy cost of 4,000 casualties. Hangu Pass was not captured and was still in the hands of Cao's army, but Cao's army also paid a heavy price.  Three thousand casualties.  Although the Han army failed on the first day, Hangu Pass was not so strong. The Han army almost captured the city several times, leaving Hangu Pass in danger. In the afternoon of the next day, the Han army launched a large-scale siege again. Zhao Yun  Thirty thousand troops have been invested successively. According to the advance deployment of Han King Liu Jing, today is the last day to capture Hangu Pass.  Zhao Yun knew that the trebuchet was about to arrive, but he had no time to wait another day. He was determined to capture Hangu Pass today, no matter the cost of casualties.  The Han army came like a tide. They held their shields high and faced the overwhelming rain of arrows and roaring boulders above their heads. They ran to the city head desperately. Giant-like chariots and ladders were overwhelmed by the efforts of the Han soldiers.  Pushed, the squeak moves forward.  "Boom!" A huge boulder hit a nest cart, and broken wood flew everywhere. The nest cart collapsed suddenly, and the hundreds of soldiers below shouted and ran away. ? One after another, huge rocks roared from the air and hit, either hitting the truck and bouncing high, or smashing into the crowd, rolling in the crowd, blood and flesh flying everywhere, and screams could be heard.  The Cao army tried its best to defend but could not stop the Han army's crazy attack. Aerial ladders were set up on the top of the city, and more than a dozen huge nest cars gradually approached the city wall. The Han soldiers climbed up the ladders, but the rolling logs overhead  Stones fell like hailstones, causing the Han soldiers to roll down.  At this time, a nest car finally approached the city head, and the wide baffle went 'Boom!  'The ground was set up on the top of the city. Dozens of Han soldiers rushed out of the chariot. Cao soldiers came up to fight. The two sides fought fiercely. Another chariot approached the top of the city. Xu Huang saw that the situation was critical.  He shouted: "Use kerosene to burn down the nest car and the ladder!" Kerosene is his last weapon. He will not use it until the critical moment. If he does not use it at this time, I am afraid Hangu Pass will fall. Hundreds of people will be killed.  Cao Jun's soldiers took out barrels of kerosene and threw them at the chariot and the ladder. The barrels burst and the kerosene splashed out. Dozens of Cao Jun soldiers threw down their torches, and raging fire rose into the sky. More than a dozen ladders and ladders flew into the sky.  Chao Che suddenly fell into a sea of ??fire.  The Han soldiers retreated one after another, and many soldiers were ignited with flames. They cried and fell off the city wall Zhao Yun, who was watching the battle in the distance, had his eyelids twitching. He couldn't help it anymore and turned around and shouted:  "Has the trebuchet been loaded?" "Report to the general, the cross has been loaded!" "Push it up!" The Han army's thirty giant trebuchets were only transported early this morning, which delayed the fighter planes for two days and caused the Han army's  The soldiers suffered heavy casualties, so Zhao Yun beheaded the general who was transporting the machine to the public on the spot.  The three hundred craftsmen accompanying the army immediately took action. They unloaded the huge trebuchet components from the camel train and began to assemble them on the spot.  The animal power used to transport the trebuchet components was five thousand camels bought by the Tao family from the Western Regions. They played a huge role in this Eastern Expedition. Camels carried heavy loads and were good at traveling long distances, making the Han army's logistics, food, and various heavy  The baggage can travel with the army, which brings great convenience to the Han army.  In less than half an hour, the skilled craftsmen assembled ten huge trebuchets. This type of trebuchet can throw boulders weighing hundreds of kilograms. It is so powerful that when launched from a distance of 400 steps, one stone can destroy a city tower. Each trebuchet is as high as  Three feet long, it took two hundred strong men to pull the hair, just like ten giants standing in the camp. Following Zhao Yun's order, ten giant trebuchets were pulled by bullocks and rumbled out of the camp.  At this time, a continuous ringing of bells sounded in front of the camp, which was a signal to withdraw. More than 10,000 Han troops who were attacking the city retreated like a tide, but they did not withdraw to the camp, but retreated one mile away.  Together with the 20,000 Han troops preparing for war, they reorganized and waited for the order to attack again.  On the top of the city a mile away, Xu Huang had already seen the huge trebuchet. His pupils gradually shrank, murderous intent burst out, and he ordered word by word: "Trebuchets are ready to fight!" Ten giant trebuchets have been delivered  Once in place, a soldier ran towards Zhao Yun and reported loudly: "General Zhao, the trebuchet is ready!" Zhao Yun turned his head and looked to the west. The sun was about to set, and the sky was dyed with a layer of purple-red, revealing the  The sad atmosphere of the end.  "Start the attack!" Zhao Yun gave the order to attack. He looked at the city wall that was also dyed purple and said to himself: "The moment of breaking the city is coming!" "Boom!"  Boom!  Boom!  ' The earth-shattering drumbeats sounded, and each drum beat hit the hearts of Cao Jun's soldiers on the city, making them tremble with fear. They held bows and arrows in their hands, with little strength, and stared blankly at the huge cross in the distance.  monster? Big Mac, each of them is filled with uneasiness.  The sound of the drums stopped, and there was silence between heaven and earth. Suddenly, ten huge black shadows soared into the sky, drawing dozens of arcs, flying through the air, and making a harsh whistling sound.  These were ten pottery pots filled with kerosene. Their targets were not the soldiers at the top of the city, but the two towering arrow towers on the top of the city. Amidst the shouts of exclamation, the ten pots filled with kerosene hit the arrow towers one after another.  The kerosene was flowing, and the city was filled with a pungent smell.  Xu Huang's heart suddenly sank. He knew the intention of the Han army, and he also shouted urgently: "Launch the trebuchets and destroy the enemy!" Dozens of trebuchets on the top of the city also suddenly launched, throwing the huge rocks  It was thrown from a distance, but the range of Cao's trebuchet was insufficient. It was still a hundred steps away from the Han's trebuchet, and it crashed to the ground without any effect.  "Use the bed crossbow!" Xu Huang shouted anxiously.  Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers took out hundreds of bed crossbows and loaded them with three-foot-long arrows. The bed crossbows were fired, and the hundreds of big arrows shot powerfully at the ten giant trebuchets four hundred steps away.  But the Han army had already taken precautions. A wooden shed was erected in front of each trebuchet, so that Cao Jun's crossbow could not hit the trebuchet and hit the wooden shed with a crackling sound.  At this time, the Han army's trebuchets had fired four rounds and smashed forty clay pots of kerosene onto the city. The Han soldiers began to put on fire clay. This kind of mud mixed with clay and kerosene was used to start fires.  The best weapon is more powerful than a fire oil ball that is too elastic.  Ten balls of fire clay burned with raging fire and soared into the sky, flying towards the city 400 paces away. Almost all the Cao soldiers screamed, and even Xu Huang sighed. He was unable to stop the Han army's fire attack.  The fire sludge hit the two archery towers, and the fire spread rapidly. In a moment, the fire shot into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and the raging fire completely engulfed the two archery towers.  The two archery towers were engulfed in fire, which dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the defenders at the top of the city. It was the appearance of the Han army's giant trebuchets that gave the Han army a turning point in their attack on the city.  At this time, thirty giant bear-like Han army trebuchets appeared on the battlefield. They were replaced by boulders weighing hundreds of kilograms. Thirty boulders overwhelmingly smashed towards the head of Hanguguan City.  ¡°Ah!¡± There were desperate shouts from the top of the city, ¡®Boom!  boom!  'There were continuous loud noises, dust was flying on top of the city, and smoke was blowing in the face. Although the city wall of Hangu Pass was made of bluestone and big bricks, and the city wall was tall and strong, the city wall still appeared under the strong impact of the boulder weighing more than a hundred kilograms.  A large area collapsed.     'boom!  With a loud noise, a huge boulder hit the battlements not far from Xu Huang. The battlements were smashed into pieces and rubble flew everywhere. The boulder still had its remaining power and swept across. More than a dozen soldiers were smashed into pieces on the spot.  , blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the soldiers on the top of the city cried out.  More than 300 people were killed or injured in the first round of attack. A trebuchet was hit by two boulders at the same time and collapsed suddenly. More than a dozen soldiers were unable to run and were buried among the collapsed boulders and trees.  Immediately afterwards, the second round of boulder attacks was launched again. Thirty boulders weighing more than 100 kilograms rotated in the air, carrying the power of destroying the world and hitting the city wall. There was another huge and dull impact sound, and a section of the city wall finally couldn't bear it.  Due to the continuous impact of the boulders, terrible cracks have appeared and it is teetering on the verge of collapse.  At this moment, another stone as big as a millstone flew in the air and hit the crack. The city wall collapsed, like a torn skin, which was pulled away for more than twenty feet at once. The interlayer of the city wall was filled with sand.  Pours down, forming the slope of an upper city.  Xu Huang's eyes turned red and he shouted: "Hurry up and build a wall with sandbags! Hurry!" Thousands of Cao's soldiers rushed towards the gap with sandbags on their backs, desperately throwing the sandbags into the gap in an attempt to rebuild a city wall. In the distance, the Han army was still  Standing still, they lined up neatly and filled with murderous intent.  Zhao Yun watched the busy activities in the city coldly. He already had a chance of victory in his heart. As long as Hangu Pass was captured, the final bear hunting battle in the Central Plains would begin.  "One, two, three, let go!" Two hundred Han army warriors exerted their strength at the same time, throwing up their long pole arms, making a "woo!" sound, and a huge ball of fire mud rose into the sky, followed by two  Group, third group, fourth group.  £®  £®  £®  A total of ten balls of blazing fire clay roared towards the city gate.  The continuous impacts caused the city gate to shake violently, but the huge fireballs were not bounced away. They stuck to the gate like mud. The kerosene flowed all over the city gate. The entire city gate began to burn crazily, with red flames flying.  The fire was raging and thick smoke filled the inside and outside of the city gate.  Night has fallen, the sky is covered with dark clouds, the clouds of war hang over Hanguguan City, and the moment of breaking the city is approaching little by little.  Frightened shouts and cries rang out from the top of the city. The gate was burning, and the bright fire stung everyone's eyes.  &nbsp; The city gate is made of wood and is covered with iron sheets. The fire has burned through several large holes, and there are terrible tongues of flames spitting out of each large hole, making the fire fighting in the city seem so powerless. The fireballs that are constantly thrown in make the fire more intense.  violent.  Half an hour later, the gate was finally burned into a charcoal frame, and even the iron sheet melted. At this time, a huge boulder flew across, and with a loud bang, the huge stone smashed the last charcoal frame into pieces, and the city gate  Completely open.  The moment of breaking the city finally came. Xu Huang knew that Hangu Pass could not be defended, so he shouted: "Retreat! Retreat!" The piercing retreat bell rang. Xu Huang got on his horse and headed toward the rear city under the protection of a hundred cavalry guards.  As he rushed towards the city, the soldiers of Cao's army on top of the city became a mess and ran down the city one after another, fleeing for their lives.  Zhao Yun slowly pulled out his sword, pointed at Hangu Pass City, and shouted sternly: "Charge into the city!" The 30,000 Han troops burst into the sky with shouts. They waved their swords and spears, covering the sky and the earth, like a rushing tsunami.  , sweeping towards Hangu Pass.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1095 Bear Hunting Situation

    The Han army occupied Hangu Pass and did not continue to attack Luoyang. Zhao Yun ordered his deputy general Wu Yi to lead 15,000 troops to guard the line between Hangu Pass and Yiyang to prevent Luoyang Cao's army from counterattacking Hongnong County, while he led 30,000 Han troops  Turn around and head south, heading towards Xuchang.  This is Liu Jing's Central Plains strategy. It is not to attack Luoyang, nor to capture Xuzhou, but to concentrate the army's strength and capture Xuchang. As early as last year's trial attack in Nanyang, Liu Jing's strategy was already faintly exposed.  In an attempt to capture Xuchang.  This was a strategy Liu Jing formulated two years ago. At that time, the internal power struggle in Cao's army resulted in the failure of the Xiahou clan who supported Cao Zhi. Xiahou Dun was removed from the post of governor of Yuzhou, and Cao Zhen replaced him and stationed in Xuchang. This made Liu Jing  Saw the opportunity.  Cao Zhen is far inferior to Xiahou Dun in terms of qualifications, experience and commanding power. Liu Jing once competed with Cao Zhen in Hefei and knew his ability. If he guarded Xuchang, he would undoubtedly give Xuchang to the Han Dynasty.  Especially Cao Zhen¡¯s reuse of a general like Le Qun who was greedy for wealth made Liu Jing determined to break the situation in Xuchang first. However, Xuchang is Cao Wei¡¯s southern capital after all and is of great significance to Cao Wei. Once the Han army attacks Xuchang, Cao Jun will inevitably come to rescue.  Taking this into consideration, Liu Jing decided to attack two peripheral rescue points first, one was Xuzhou and the other was Luoyang. It was relatively easy to deal with Xuzhou. He took advantage of Zhang Li's weakness to instigate this general and made 20,000 Han  The army was stationed in Chengfu County, which was like driving a wedge under Cao Ren's eyes, restraining Xuzhou's army and preventing Cao Ren from rescuing Xuchang.  Followed by Luoyang, they captured Hangu Pass, posing a threat to the west of Luoyang and restraining Xu Huang from going south to rescue Xuchang. Another important chess piece was the 10,000 troops of Wu Lan and Leng Bao, who attacked Hanoi County and occupied Mengjin.  Crossing, responsible for intercepting the reinforcements from Yejun going south.  On the surface, the Han army attacked at various points, including Hedong, Luoyang, Nanyang, and Shouchun. But if you look at the essence through the phenomenon, you will find that the Han army ultimately targeted Xuchang.  Of course, Cao Cao also has talented people, such as Cheng Yu, Zhong Yao and others, so Liu Jing must complete the strategic encirclement as quickly as possible, take advantage of the relatively slow traffic and news, and capture Xuchang in one fell swoop before Cao Cao has time to deploy.  , Once the peripheral deployment is completed, Xuchang will become a meal for the Han army. Seventy thousand Han troops will hunt Xuchang, the bear of the Central Plains.  The day after Zhao Yun's 30,000-strong army conquered Hangu Pass, they rushed south quickly. From Luoyang to Xuchang, there were two main routes. One was the main road, from Luoyang to Chenggao and Xinzheng and then south. This is  The plain line is also the most important official road in the Central Plains region.  The other route is the Xiangcheng Line, which runs from Yiyang and Xincheng to Liang County, and finally goes straight to Xiangcheng along Ru River, and then turns north to Xuchang. This line is slightly secondary and is a side road, but Zhao Yun led the Han army.  It was this Xiangcheng line that I took.  In the early morning, the sky is not bright yet, and a thick white milk-like mist hangs over Ru River and the surrounding mountains. This is a hilly mountainous area between Liang County and Xiangcheng. Ru River is like a jade belt flowing through the low mountains.  Meandering in between.  A burst of rapid horse hoofbeats broke the tranquility of the morning, birds flew in fright, and more than a hundred Han cavalry appeared on the official road in the distance. The horses galloped on the official road, the horses' hooves flew, and the mud splashed everywhere, "Drive! Drive!"  "The soldiers kept urging the horses, and more than a hundred cavalry disappeared into the distance like a gust of wind.  After a while, the earth began to shake, a thunderous sound echoed in the valley, and ripples appeared on the wide Rushui River. Soon, a dark cavalry team appeared in the distance, but it was no longer  There were more than a hundred people, but thousands, even tens of thousands of cavalry. Their speed was not fast, they were not galloping, but they were not slow either. One ride after another, one continuous ride after another.  This is the eight thousand cavalry led by the cavalry commander Pound. Pound did not participate in the battle to attack Hangu Pass, but waited for the order to go south outside Hangu Pass. His mission was to cut off Xiangcheng and Xuchang at the speed of the cavalry.  the relationship between.  This is also an extremely important step in the chess game of hunting Xuchang. There are currently 30,000 troops stationed in Xuchang. Since the Han army in Nanyang has begun to attack Kunyang, the Cao army in Xuchang has also moved south. 20,000 heavy troops are deployed on the line between Xiangcheng and Kunyang.  , Xuchang is in the rear, with only 10,000 troops stationed.  After Zhao Yun captured Hangu Pass, Pound's 8,000 cavalry had to move south with lightning speed to cut off the retreat route of Cao's army in Xiangcheng, so that Cao's army in Xiangcheng and Kunyang had no time to retreat to Xuchang. In this way, Xuchang  There were only 10,000 defenders, and Zhao Yun was responsible for attacking Xuchang.  The Cao army in Xiangcheng and Kunyang were surrounded and suppressed by Wenpin's Nanyang army. Pang De's cavalry would cooperate with Wenpin to annihilate Cao's army in Xiangcheng in one fell swoop. This was an extremely clever move. The key was speed. Before Cao's army returned,  Without realizing the true purpose of the Han army, the Han army had already completed the siege of Xuchang.  Pound was in the middle of the cavalry. He looked at the sky and saw thatAt dusk, he ordered: "The whole army is ordered to speed up and arrive at Xiangcheng before dark!" The eight thousand cavalry speeded up their march. At this time, they were less than thirty miles away from Xiangcheng. So far,  There is no trace of Cao Jun's patrol. It can be seen that Cao Jun did not realize that the Han army would suddenly attack from Luoyang to Xiangcheng County, which is today's Pingding Mountain. It is located in the southwest of Xuchang, about 80 miles away from Xuchang, and further to Xiangcheng County.  More than forty miles south is Kunyang County, Cao Jun's most forward defense point.  Xiangcheng County is a large county with a wide city, but it is not a strategic location and has little military significance. Therefore, although the county seat occupies a vast area, it is not tall and solid. The city is only two feet high and the city gates are relatively shabby.  .  However, in the past year or two, Xiangcheng has become a logistics transit center for Kunyang County, a former enemy town. Eighty thousand shi of military rations and a large amount of military supplies have been hoarded in the county. Currently, there are 5,000 troops stationed in the city, led by a school captain.  At night, Cao Jun soldiers on the city were patrolling back and forth. Since tens of thousands of Nanyang Han troops had crossed the border and launched an attack on Kunyang County, the war broke out. Cao Jun in Xiangcheng County was also extremely nervous and increased the number of soldiers patrolling at night.  times, the patrol changed from 500 to 1,000.  But no matter how much Cao Jun paid attention to defense, their focus was on Kunyang County in the south. No one could imagine that the Han army would come from behind.  At the head of the south city, Captain Han Qing of Cao's Army was holding the battlements and staring south. He was very worried about whether Kunyang County could be defended and whether Cao's army could withstand the Han army's attack this time.  Han Qing could only be regarded as a mid-level officer. With his status, it was impossible for him to know that the Han army had launched an attack in Luoyang. His news could only be limited to the Nanyang front line. He only knew that the Han army had sent nearly 50,000 troops to attack Kunyang.  , with great momentum.  However, what made Han Qing a little confused was that since the Nanyang Han army launched an offensive against Kunyang County seven days ago, it seemed that there was a lot of thunder but little rain. Although the Han army sent 50,000 troops, they did not try their best to attack Kunyang. In the past seven days, they had only  Two sieges were launched, which puzzled Han Qing. Why did the Han army not try their best to attack Kunyang, but only stationed troops to build momentum? Are they waiting for something?  At this moment, there was a sound of horse hooves in the distance, and a group of cavalry patrolling the Cao army approached from a distance, ran to the city and shouted: "Is General Han here?" "I am here, what happened?" Han Qing raised his head.  asked in a voice.  "General, we found a Han army cavalry scout, about a hundred people, outside our North City." Han Qing was startled, how could the Han army cavalry scout arrive outside the North City? Could it be that the Han army was planning to attack Xiangcheng?  ?  Han Qing suddenly became nervous. Xiangcheng had hoarded a large amount of food and military supplies. Once the Han army really attacked Xiangyang, the consequences would be unimaginable. He had to find out the true intentions of the Han army.  He asked loudly: "Are these Han cavalry scouts here now?" "Reporting to the general, they are still observing the terrain outside Beicheng." Han Qing was a little uneasy. The grain transport team from Xuchang was heading to Xiangxiang.  On the way to the city, be careful not to have any accidents on the way. He immediately turned around and told a tooth general: "You can lead a thousand brothers to pick up the food team. Be careful!" "Obey the order!" The tooth general quickly walked down the city.  , a moment later, the north city gate opened, and a Cao Jun army of more than a thousand people rushed out and ran north along the official road. Just as Han Qing sent his men to capture the Han army scouts, a Cao Jun army transporting grain was ten miles away.  Coming quickly to Xiangcheng on the official road, this grain transport team consisted of two thousand wooden oxen and carried 10,000 shi of grain.  The wooden ox invented by the Han army has spread all over the world, and Cao Jun also built tens of thousands of them, specially used to transport military grain. From Xuchang to Xiangcheng, the main plains are mainly plains, which are very suitable for transporting grain with wooden ox.  Due to the large-scale Han army's attack on Kunyang County, the situation on the Kunyang-Xiang front line suddenly became tense. Cao Zhen urgently ordered the transportation of another 20,000 shi of grain to Xiangcheng, bringing the grain storage in Xiangyang to 100,000 shi to ensure the food supply of the main force of Cao's army.  And this Cao Jun grain transport team that traveled all night was one of the two grain transport teams sent by Cao Zhen to Xiangcheng. The grain transport team consisted of 3,000 people, of which 2,000 people pushed the wooden ox grain carts, and the other 1,000 soldiers  They were guarding the grain transport team on both sides. They set off at noon yesterday and were about to arrive in Xiangcheng. Although it was very late at night, the grain transport team did not rest. They were preparing to rush to Xiangcheng in one go and then have a good rest.  Two thousand vehicles lined up in four teams, marching mightily on the wide and flat road. The moonlight was clear, spreading silver rays all over the earth, making the road extremely clear. There were large areas of farmland and woods on both sides of the road, and in the distance there were  It is a land of low hills.  Cao Jun, who was transporting grain, walked quickly and silently, but he was not nervous. This was the rear, and there would be no enemy troops. But just as they passed through a forest, there was a sudden banging sound in the woods, followed by a hail of arrows.  Fired, dense arrows shot towards??The grain team marching on the official road.  Cao Jun's grain team was caught off guard. The soldiers guarding the grain team fell down one after another after being hit by arrows. There were screams. The grain trucks on the official road suddenly became a mess. The leader of Cao Jun's general shouted desperately: "Don't panic, line up to defend!"  At this time, a large group of cavalry rushed out from the woods. They had put away their bows and arrows, and brandished their spears to kill Cao's army's grain team on the official road. A group of Han army's cavalry also came from the other side, attacking from both sides, and they were immediately overwhelmed.  Cao Jun's organized defense line.  It turned out to be cavalry. Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers were so frightened that they turned around and ran away. However, the Han cavalry came from all directions, leaving Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers with nowhere to escape, so they had to kneel down and surrender.  The Han army captured this grain transport team with little suspense. In only a quarter of an hour, almost all of Cao's three thousand troops surrendered to the Han army, and the grain became a supply for the Han army's cavalry.  At this moment, a scout cavalry galloped over and reported to Pound on horseback: "General, a Cao army with about a thousand people was found in the south. It seems to be here to meet the grain team." Pang De sneered.  , shouted: "Fight head-on, surround them and annihilate them all!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1096 Rescue someone in danger

    Cao Zhen, the governor of Yuzhou, was not in Kunyang or Xiangcheng. He had just returned to Xuchang from Kunyang. On the third day after he decided to send a grain team to Xiangcheng, Han Qing, the commander of Xiangcheng, sent an urgent pigeon message.  A Han cavalry force appeared north of the city, attacked Cao Jun's grain team, and annihilated a thousand Cao troops sent by Han Qing to meet the grain team.  The pigeon letter said that there were seven or eight thousand cavalrymen in this Han army. This made Cao Zhen suddenly nervous. He had information about the Han army in Nanyang. There were no cavalrymen in Nanyang with seven or eight thousand people. So where did this cavalry come from?  Come?  Cao Zhen stood in front of the sand table, staring straight at Luoyang. In fact, he had realized that this cavalry could only come from Luoyang. It is very convenient to get from Luoyang to Xiangcheng. Isn't the Han army attacking Luoyang now?  But the question arises, what are the Han troops from Luoyang doing in Xiangcheng?  Could it be.  Is it true that they are attacking Luoyang, but that they are attacking Xuchang?  Cao Zhen was in a mess. He couldn't help but wanted to send urgent letters to Yedu several times, but in the end he did not do so. He knew that the matter was of great importance and could not be without evidence. The Han army in Luoyang attacking Xuchang was just his guess, and he had to implement it.  The letter can only be sent after knowing the true intentions of the Han army.  But one fact was before his eyes. The Han cavalry had cut off the passage between Kunyang and Xuchang. Once the Han army broke through Kunyang, the 20,000 Cao army would have no way out.  Cao Zhen was so anxious that he paced back and forth in the lobby with his hands behind his hands. He felt that a serious crisis had quietly come, but he could not see clearly what the specific crisis was. Cao Zhen finally sighed. In any case, he had to  Report the military situation of the Han cavalry north of Xiangcheng to Yedu. Cao Pi once ordered him to report everything no matter how big or small.  Cao Zhen immediately returned to the table and sat down, picked up a pen and wrote a short message to Cao Pi, handed it to his soldiers and said: "Send it to Yedu in a pigeon letter quickly!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Xuchang and Ye are the same. They have experienced both the abundance of materials and the shortage of materials in just half a year. In the spring of the 24th year of Jian'an, the city of Xuchang was in depression. Shops were closed, the population was lost, and the streets were deserted.  Because of the sudden arrival of the war, the atmosphere in Xuchang became a little more tense and solemn.  The interrogation at the city gate has become extremely strict. People leaving the city are not questioned, but people entering the city are strictly interrogated. No matter men, women, old or young, they must be searched. Once the accent is wrong, or there are weapons hidden on the person, or several young men and women enter at the same time.  City, they will be immediately taken away for further verification.  Teams of soldiers patrolling the streets are everywhere. They watch every move in the city vigilantly. Especially when crowds gather, they will be immediately surrounded by patrol soldiers. Anyone with any abnormalities will be questioned by the soldiers.  In the north of Xuchang City, there is an alley called Eunuch Lane, close to the wall of Xuchang Palace. The alley was originally part of Xuchang Palace. You can enter the palace through a small door. Some low-status eunuchs first lived in the alley. This is  The origin of the name of the alley.  After Cao Cao moved the capital to Yecheng, Xuchang Palace was closed, and the eunuchs living in the alley also moved to Yedu. The alley was bought by a businessman and transformed into a tavern and a hotel leading to the palace.  The small door of the door was also blocked with bricks.  Affected by the market recession, the originally prosperous taverns and hotels have been closed for half a year. Just over a month ago, both stores changed owners. The original waiters and bartenders were dismissed and turned into another group of bartenders and bartenders.  Man.  However, the pubs and hotels are still not open for business. No one knows what the bartenders and guys are hiding in the room and busy. Of course, no one knows how many people live in this alley?  Pubs and hotels occupy a large area, with overlapping buildings and many extremely secret rooms. At this time, in a small room in the backyard, Li Fu was listening to a report from a young man.  Both the tavern and the hotel have been bought by the Han Army Intelligence Organization. The main reason is that this alley is close to Xuchang Palace, which helps the Han Army Intelligence Organization complete an important task.  Li Fu rushed to Xuchang from Chengfu County before the war broke out. He was the intelligence chief of the Han army in Wei State, and he was also in charge of Xuchang. Within a year, he always stayed in Xuchang for several months.  The young man who reported the situation was his right-hand man named Shao Jian. His public identity was the deputy commander of the guards of Xuchang Palace. Although Xuchang Palace has been closed, there are still a small number of eunuchs and maids who guard the palace.  Queen Fu, who was implicated in Fu Wan's case, was imprisoned in Xuchang Palace.  For this reason, Liu Jing reached an agreement with Cao Cao in Runan County. Cao Cao was not allowed to depose Queen Fu. He must ensure the safety of Queen Fu and give her enough Lumi to support her. Because Queen Fu was not deposed, Cao Cao has married two of the emperor Liu Xie.  The daughters are only concubines and concubines, but cannot become queens.  In order to ensure the safety of Queen Fu, Cao Cao specially sent fifty guards on duty in the palace. No one was allowed to visit Queen Fu, and the eunuchs and maids in the palace were not allowed to go out.Funds will be provided by the government on time.  As early as three years ago, Shao Jian, the deputy commander of the bodyguard who was born in Bashu, was instigated by Li Fu to rebel and became a member of the Han army's intelligence organization. At the same time, three of his other subordinates also surrendered to the Han army. The four of them were responsible for the real protection.  Queen Fu's safety.  "Reporting to Sima, I am responsible for patrolling tonight. Brothers can take action after Haishi!" Li Fu looked at the map of Xuchang Palace on the table. He found the residence of Queen Fu on the map, which was also given to him by Liu Jing.  The important task was to rescue Fu Shou, who had become the empress dowager, from Xuchang Palace before the Han army's strategic intention to attack Xuchang was exposed, and to prevent Cao Cao from sending her back to Yedu.  The Queen of Fu has extremely important political value. She will be the key figure for Liu Jing to become orthodox. It is of great significance to Liu Jing and even the Han Dynasty. Li Fu knew the importance of the task. He worked hard and planned every detail very carefully.  "What's the situation with the eunuchs and maids around Empress Fu?" Li Fu very much suspected that among them there were undercover agents sent by Cao Cao to monitor Empress Fu. With Cao Cao's character, this possibility was extremely high.  Shao Jian thought for a while and said: "Queen Fu is accompanied by two personal maids and a serving eunuch. The two maids came with her from Yedu, and the eunuch's surname is You. He once served Liu Xie, but did not go to Yedu.  He has been staying in Xuchang, and Hua Xin assigned him to serve Queen Fu. " Li Fu sneered. He was almost certain that this eunuch You was the one responsible for monitoring Queen Fu.  Li Fu asked again: "Will the guards find out that Queen Fu is missing?" Shao Jian shook his head, "Impossible. The guards are never allowed to enter Queen Fu's palace and can only patrol outside the palace. However, every ten days, the Xuchang government will send a  The female officer has never stopped greeting Queen Fu in so many years. "When was the last time the female officer sent her greetings?" "Seven days ago!" Li Fu knew that they still had three days. Once Cao Zhen found out that Queen Fu was missing, he would definitely send her greetings.  Xuchang turned upside down. Before Cao Cao discovered the Han army's plan to attack Xuchang, he had to move Queen Fu away.  Thinking of this, Li Fu immediately said to Shao Jian: "Act according to the original plan. We will start tonight. You can go back and prepare!" "I understand your humble position, please leave first!" Shao Jian bowed and left in a hurry. Li Fu put his hands behind his hands and thought for a moment, then  He went over every detail in his mind again and made sure that there were no loopholes before he felt relieved.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The night gradually fell, and the streets of Xuchang became even colder. Not a single pedestrian could be seen for a long time. I could only hear the rhythmic footsteps of patrol soldiers and the sudden night howl of a wild cat. It was a chillingly silent night.  .  In the hotel in the eunuch alley, a dozen men in black were carefully digging on the palace wall of the hotel next to it. The tall and thick Xuchang palace wall had already become a part of the hotel.  In the corner of the yard, the palace wall covered with shrubs and vines has been cleared away, revealing a wall with a distinctive color. This was originally the small door for the eunuchs living in the alley to enter and exit the Xuchang Palace, because the land in the alley was sold.  , this small door was also built with bricks and stones.  More than a dozen men in black moved quickly and forcefully. They very skillfully pried loose the bricks on the small door and took out the bricks piece by piece. Gradually, the small door that had been sealed for more than ten years reappeared in front of everyone.  On the other side of the small door was a long-abandoned hut filled with rotten tables and swarms of rats and snakes. Everyone carefully cleared a path, opened the door, and entered Xuchang Palace.  Xuchang Palace has been closed for many years and no one lives in it. Weeds are everywhere and the houses are dilapidated. It looks particularly desolate. More than a dozen men in black are all soldiers of the Eagle Attack Army. They all have extraordinary skills. Under the leadership of Li Fu, they quickly  Run to the harem.  Li Fu had carefully studied Xuchang Palace, and he even made a model for this purpose. He was already familiar with the various buildings in Xuchang Palace. Although the structure of the palace was very complicated, it still couldn't trouble him. He walked through the doors and corridors all the way.  Soon, they arrived in front of the palace where Queen Fu was under house arrest.  It was past Hai hour. Shao Jian led twenty guards on duty at night to patrol around the palace. They had gone to the back. There were no guards on duty in front of the main entrance. The palace door was closed. Li Fu waved his hand and led a dozen of his men quickly.  He climbed through the window and entered the palace.  It was very dark inside the palace, without a trace of light. After a moment, their eyes adapted to the darkness, and then they walked towards the inner hall. At this time, an old eunuch slowly walked over carrying a lantern. Li Fu immediately guessed that this person was  The eunuch who serves Empress Fu cannot be kept, he must be killed.  At this time, Eunuch You walked to the inner hall and said loudly: "Your Majesty, it's getting late, please have a rest!" A woman's voice came from the room, "I understand, Eunuch You, please have a rest too!" &nbsp; Eunuch You turned around to leave. Li Fu winked at his men. A man in black rushed forward and covered his mouth. Before Eunuch You could react, he pierced his heart with a knife. Eunuch You  Killed immediately.  The lantern did not fall to the ground and was caught by another man in black. Li Fu quickly ran into the inner hall with several of his men. Empress Fu had not fallen asleep yet and was sitting in front of the mirror removing her makeup. She had heard that  The news of the emperor's death made her extremely sad.  At this time, Li Fu rushed into the inner hall with several of his men. The two palace ladies were so frightened that they were about to scream when the guards covered their mouths. Li Fu waved his hands repeatedly, "Queen, please don't be afraid, we are not  No harm!" Although Fu Shou was also shocked, she was a queen after all, and she had a sense of determination that ordinary people didn't have. She quickly calmed down and asked sternly: "Who are you, who dare to break into the Ai family's palace?" Li Fugao!  He said: "The Queen, do you still remember the note you saw when you left Yedu at night?"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1097 Xuchang Crisis

    Fu Shou suddenly remembered that when she left Yedu, someone quietly gave her a note asking her to live well. She hesitated and asked, "Did you give me that note?" Li Fu nodded  He said, "It is Wei Chen who is writing to the empress. Wei Chen is here to save the empress from leaving tonight." At this time, his subordinates had already let go of the two palace ladies and told them not to scream. The two palace ladies were sitting aside, frightened.  Trembling all over, Fu Shou looked at Li Fu and his men, and then asked: "You haven't answered me yet, who are you?" Li Fu sighed, "Can't you guess it yet? We are sent by the King of Han to save us.  "Empress." Fu Shou was an extremely smart woman. She had already guessed that the reason why Cao Cao didn't attack her was probably because the King of Han was blocking her. No one except the King of Han could save her. A glimmer of hope suddenly surged in her heart, and her eyes flashed.  It lit up, and she whispered: "Are you really here to rescue me?" "Exactly! The Han army is about to attack Xuchang. The King of Han is worried that Cao Zhen will kill people and silence her, so he ordered us to rescue the empress. We have arranged everything  , please leave with us quickly." "Are you going to Chang'an?" Li Fu nodded, "Exactly!" Fu Shou thought for a moment, even though she didn't know Liu Jing, the king of Han, and her husband hated him most during his lifetime.  The person was Liu Jing, but she knew that Liu Jing was a clan member of the Han Dynasty and wanted to revive the Han Dynasty. From this point of view, Liu Jing would not harm herself. If he had the intention to harm herself, why would he save her in the first place?  Thinking of this, Fu Shou stood up and said, "Okay, I'll go with you!" "Empress!" A palace maid reminded her in a low voice, "Be careful, they have no credentials." Fu Shou smiled and said, "In my heart  Understand, in fact, it is better to go anywhere than to be a living dead here. "The two palace maids put on the clothes for her, and after a brief cleaning, the three of them followed Li Fu and his men and left the palace, running all the way, and finally left the palace.  They escaped from Xuchang Palace at the small door of the wall, and everyone built the small door again and restored it to its original state.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Early the next morning, in front of the east gate of Xuchang City, an oxcart drove slowly. On the oxcart were several women wearing sackcloth and mourning, with a coffin in the middle. The women were mourning and crying.  When the soldiers saw it from a distance, they cursed secretly and stayed away. An officer stepped forward and asked: "There are regulations from above. From today on, everyone who leaves the city must be searched. Where are you going?" The steward came forward to accompany him.  He smiled and said: "We are from Xuzhuang. My father died of illness last night and he has to be sent back to Xuzhuang for burial. I hope it will be convenient for the military master." As he said that, he quietly put a gold ingot into the officer's hand.  In fact, no one wants to search the coffin of the dead, especially for soldiers who are going to fight. This is the most taboo thing. The officer is just here to get some benefits. He secretly squeezed the gold ingot, which weighed five taels.  He was so happy that he waved his hand and said, "Let them out of the city!" The soldiers got out of the way. The driver whipped his whip and drove the ox cart slowly out of Xuchang City. The ox cart made a turn and was out of sight of the city gate.  It took several women to remove their filial piety clothes. They were none other than Empress Fu and her two personal maids, and the housekeeper was disguised as Li Fu.  At this time, several horsemen and a carriage came quickly. The three of them got on the carriage. Li Fu also got on the horse. The carriage accelerated and drove towards the south, getting further and further away, and gradually disappeared.  On the afternoon of the day when Queen Fu left, Cao Zhen received a reply from Yedu, one of which asked him to immediately send Queen Fu back to Yedu. However, by this time, Queen Fu had already left Xuchang City.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In the lobby, Cao Zhen slumped down in his seat. Just half an hour ago, he was still furious about the mysterious disappearance of Queen Fu. But at this time, Queen Fu's disappearance had become insignificant. He had just received the news that Guard Xiang  The city's leader, Han Qing, surrendered the city, and Xiangcheng had been captured by the Han army. The Han army that captured Xiangcheng was no longer the same cavalry, but the main force of the 30,000 Han army that came south from Luoyang.  Only then did Cao Zhen realize that his guess was not wrong. Sure enough, the Han army from Luoyang was going south. The cavalry that arrived first was to cut off the retreat of Cao's army in Xiangcheng and Kunyang counties, while the Han army that came from behind was to attack Xuchang.  main force.  Cao Zhen was frightened for a while. He only had 10,000 troops in Xuchang. Can he defend Xuchang City?  "General, should we report this to Yedu immediately?" Zhao Neng, the chief secretary next to him, reminded him carefully.  Cao Zhen suddenly woke up and hurriedly spread the paper on the table. He picked up the pen but didn't know how to write?  Xiangcheng was lost, how could he report it to Wei Gong?  Cao Zhenfa was stunned for a moment, and finally sighed and started writing. Now is not the time to investigate the responsibility. He needs urgent military support from Yedu. With only 10,000 troops, he really can't defend many places.?.  The city gates of Xuchang suddenly closed, and the defenders of Xuchang began to mobilize. Teams of soldiers rushed to the top of the city and carried a large amount of defensive materials to the top of the city, including arrows, rolling logs, boulders, and a large amount of kerosene.  In order to make up for the lack of troops to defend the city, Cao Zhen ordered the forcible recruitment of civilians, conducted house-to-house searches, and captured all strong men to defend the city. The city of Xuchang was in chaos. Many soldiers took the opportunity to loot shops and houses. There were cries and curses everywhere.  Sound: In the Tongque Palace in Yedu, a carriage drove quickly from a distance under the strict protection of hundreds of guards. It stopped abruptly at the palace gate. A guard opened the door. Cao Pi got out of the carriage and hurried to the steps of the palace.  Go up.  Two guards holding halberds stopped him, "Your Majesty, I'm sorry, it's already dark now, Duke Wei needs to rest!" "Get out of the way, I have an urgent military situation." Cao Pi was anxious, and before the guards could give way, he jumped  Pushed away and rushed in. Cao Pi had just received the second eagle letter from Cao Zhen of Xuchang and learned that the situation in Xuchang was critical. However, he did not report the first letter to his father. Instead, after discussing with his subordinates, he  Cao Zhen wrote a reply, but less than a day later, the situation changed suddenly again.  Only then did Cao Pi realize that the situation was extremely critical. He could no longer make decisions alone and had to report to his father immediately. He paced back and forth at the door of the inner hall with his hands behind his back, feeling restless.  At this time, a guard walked out quickly and whispered: "Wei Gong is already up. Please come and see me." Cao Pi quickly followed the guard into the outer hall of his father's bedroom. Cao Cao was in very bad spirits and his face  He was sallow and thin with only a handful of bones left. Even though it was already mid-spring, there was still a hint of coolness in the night. He was wrapped in a thick gold-rimmed black satin cloak and sat on his seat.  Not long after Cao Cao fell asleep, he was gently woken up by a guard, saying that the prince had an urgent military report. Cao Cao also knew that if his son came to see him at this time, something big must have happened.  Cao Pi stepped forward and knelt down to kowtow, "The child disturbs his father's rest and deserves death!" "Tell me what is going on!" Cao Cao's voice was very low, and you couldn't hear clearly if you weren't paying attention.  Cao Pi said with a trembling voice: "After the main force of the Han army in Luoyang conquered Hangu Pass, they did not continue to attack Luoyang. Instead, they suddenly turned south. Just this morning, the main force of the Han army captured Xiangcheng County, and Xuchang only had 10,000 defenders.  Army, Cao Zhen asked for help urgently. "Cao Cao didn't move, and he suddenly jumped!"  A mouthful of blood spurted out on the ground and he fell on his back. Cao Pi yelled in fright, rushed up to support his father, and shouted: "Someone is coming! Someone is coming!" The guards outside rushed in, and there was a chaos. Someone  He ran to the imperial doctor and someone resuscitated Cao Cao. Cao Pi supported his father and felt regretful. He really shouldn't have told his father about this. This was such a big blow to his father.  At this time, several imperial doctors rushed over, and they carried Cao Cao into the inner hall for rescue. After a long time, an imperial doctor came out of the inner hall. Cao Pi quickly stepped forward and asked anxiously: "Yi Wang, what are you doing?"  How is my father?" Wang Yuyi smiled bitterly and said, "If anything happens in the future, it's up to the prince to decide on his own! Mr. Wei can't bear any more stimulation. He was saved this time, but I won't know next time."  At this time, a maid came out and said: "Your Majesty, Duke Wei, please come in!" Cao Pi was worried and followed the guards into the inner hall. Cao Cao had already woken up. Cao Pi knelt down, held his father's hand, and said sadly: "Father  "The child is unfilial and should not provoke his father." Cao Cao pointed to a jade box on the bedside with a trembling finger. The maid held the jade box, and Cao Cao pointed to Cao Pi, "Give it to him!" Cao Pi's heart almost jumped out of his chest. Of course he knew.  What is this jade box? It contains the tiger talisman for mobilizing 300,000 Cao troops and the golden arrows for mobilizing troops. My father actually gave it to himself.  Cao Cao was very conscious. He knew that his body could not bear it anymore and he could no longer command the overall battle. He could only hand over the final military power to his son. Cao Cao said to Cao Pi in a weak voice: "Discuss everything with Military Advisor Cheng and follow his advice."  "My child obeys the order!" Cao Cao waved his hand, "Go! Let me rest." Cao Pi slowly left the bedroom with the jade box in his arms. He was both happy and very sad, and he walked to Wang Yu.  The doctor asked: "How long does my father have to live?" Wang Yuyi sighed, "If he takes good care of himself and does not suffer any more stimulation, I estimate that Wei Gong can live for another year, but he will not be able to live for another year from now on."  You can't be stimulated at all. If you are stimulated again, your life will be in danger at any time." Cao Pi nodded silently. It seemed that he could no longer tell his father anything. Fortunately, he had the foresight and refused to tell Chen Qun about betraying Cao.  Father.  He turned around and left his father's bedroom with a heavy heart. He returned to his own house and ordered General Cheng Yu to be invited to the study.??, Cao Pi gently stroked the tiger charms. This was the power he had longed for, and his father finally gave it to him. But at this time, he was not ecstatic, but felt an indescribable heaviness. He was in danger.  ah!  In fact, his father has handed over all the power to him, but then again, some things are not as simple as having power. He does not have the huge prestige of his father, and the military leaders will not listen to his mercy. More often  , he could only compromise.  At this time, a guard reported outside the door: "Your Majesty, Commander Cheng is here." "Please sit down in the inner hall for a while, I will come right away." He changed his clothes and quickly came to the inner hall. Cheng Yulian stood up  He saluted him and said, "See you, Your Majesty!" "You're welcome, military advisor, please sit down and talk." Cao Pi asked Cheng Yu to sit down, and then explained in detail what happened today, and finally put the jade box on the table, "In the future  Ask the military advisor to teach me more!" Cheng Yu looked at the tiger talisman jade box on the table and bowed deeply, "I am willing to work hard for the prince." Cao Pi was very satisfied with Cheng Yu's attitude and understood the situation clearly. He smiled.  He smiled and said: "Let's not talk about this first, let's talk about Xuchang's military situation!" Cheng Yu looked at the two pieces of information sent by Cao Zhen, and sighed slightly: "Liu Jing is indeed far-sighted. I didn't understand his true intentions until now."  The intention was to attack Luoyang to contain Xu Huang's army, to attack Qiaojun to contain Cao Ren's army, to attack Hedong to enter Hanoi County and prevent us from going south for rescue. All strategic arrangements ultimately pointed to one place.  "Xu Du!" Cao Pi blurted out.  Cheng Yu nodded, "It's Xu Du. When Liu Jing tried to attack Kunyang last year, I'm afraid he had already decided to attack Xu Du, but we didn't realize it." Cao Pi was under great pressure, and Liu Jing was so farsighted.  Such an opponent was simply too terrifying. He asked worriedly: "Excuse me, military advisor, what should we do now?"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1098 Visiting Xuchang in person

    Cheng Yu stared at the map on the table for a while and said: "We should face the reality. Liu Jing has been planning for a long time and has laid a big net. Now it is time for him to close the net. Even if we send troops overnight to rescue Xu Du, it will be too late."  , Xudu will definitely be lost. "Cao Pi looked pale. Xudu was the place where they prospered. Once Xudu was lost, it would be a huge blow to the entire Cao Wei, and the consequences would be unimaginable, especially Xiahou Dun's strong backlash, which he could not suppress.  Cao Pi simply didn't dare to think about what would happen to him.  Cheng Yu sighed, "No one wants to face this result, but if we continue to be immersed in the grief of losing Xudu, we will suffer a greater blow." Cao Pi was surprised, "What does the military advisor mean?" "  It's very simple. Liu Jing's layout has always been interconnected. If he doesn't move, it will affect his whole body. Capturing Xudu is just his first step. His second step will be implemented soon. If the prince doesn't  Be prepared, we will soon face the dilemma of being unable to do anything today." "Where does the military advisor think Liu Jing's second goal will be?" Cheng Yu said slowly: "I think his second goal is very likely.  It's Xuzhou. Capture Xuzhou, Xu Yu is one, and the entire Central Plains was captured by the Han army. This is the best strategy. Although Liu Jing's tactics are changeable, his strategy never goes astray, and it can be inferred from some clues.  For example, in March he inspected Shouchun and Huaihe, but he never inspected Pujinguan and Tongguan. This shows that he attaches great importance to the Shouchun front line. " "The military adviser's suggestion is to increase troops.  Xuzhou?" Cheng Yu nodded, "You can send Zhang Liao to lead the Youzhou Army to reinforce, or you can send Cao Xiu to lead the Qingzhou Army to reinforce. Both options are good. Your Highness can consider them all." After a pause, Cheng Yu said solemnly.  : "Our crisis is not with the Han army, but with the inside. Don't you think we are very passive now?" Cao Pi could understand what Cheng Yu meant. This time the Han army launched a massive attack on Cao Wei. They were indeed very passive, even though they had done a lot before.  They were ready for war, but for some reason, when the Han army attacked, they seemed to be unprepared for anything and were passive. This made Cao Pi feel a little strange.  "What do the military advisors think is the reason?" Cheng Yu sighed: "In the past, when fighting against the Han army, Wei Gong considered everything, dispatched troops and generals, and military orders came out like water every day. Now that Wei Gong is seriously ill, Cao's army is lacking.  With a commander and an army without a commander, of course the people below will be at a loss and will inevitably be passive. "Cao Pi understood, "Did the military advisor ask me to step forward and replace my father as the commander-in-chief of the three armies?" "The prince has already obtained the tiger talisman and the army.  Jin Lingjian, what else do you have to worry about? "Cao Pi nodded. Cheng Yu was right. His father gave him the Tiger Talisman and Lingjian to become the commander of Cao's army. At this moment, Cao Pi made up his mind.  The next day, Cao Pi officially announced to the government and the public that his father had appointed him as a general to command the three armies of Cao and Wei. He issued several military orders in succession, ordering Cao Zhen to defend Xudu at all costs and never abandon the city. He also ordered Zhang Liao to lead an army of 30,000  Rush to Xudu for rescue.  At the same time, Yu Jin was ordered to obey Cao Ren's orders, and Cao Ren was ordered to recapture Chengfu County and protect Xuzhou. In addition, Cao Xiu, the governor of Qingzhou, led an army of 50,000 to rush to Xuzhou and obey Cao Ren's military orders.  Under Cao Pi's series of orders, Cao Pi's 300,000-strong army finally began to operate. The Central Plains War between the Cao and Han armies was about to begin.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  After the main force of the Han army moved south from Luoyang, it took the lead in capturing Xiangcheng, allowing the Han army to obtain food supplies. Next, the main force of the Han army did not attack Xuchang immediately, but waited for news from Kunyang County.  At this time, there were 50,000 troops led by Wenpin facing off in Kunyang County. Together with the 30,000 troops led by Zhao Yun, the 80,000 troops besieged a small Kunyang County. Although the city area of ??Kunyang County was not large, the city walls were very large.  It is tall and strong. All the people in the city have been evacuated. Cao's general Li Dian led 15,000 people to guard it.  Li Dian was originally a defender of Ye County. After the fall of Ye City, he was captured by the Han army and released by Liu Jing himself. It was for this reason that Li Dian was ignored by Cao Zhen. It was not until the Lequn incident that Li Dian was reluctantly enabled by Cao Zhen.  He was demoted to the rank of captain and sent his confidants to monitor Li Dian's every move.  At the top of Kunyang City, Cao Jun soldiers were nervously deploying defenses under the command of Li Dian. They carried bundles of arrows and loads of sand to the top of the city. The sand was used to deal with kerosene and could extinguish the Han army in time.  Fire oil, huge rocks and rolling logs were thrown onto the city.  In addition, forty heavy trebuchets and three thousand crossbows were installed at the top of Kunyang City. The trebuchets were distributed on all sides of the city. Although Cao Jun's deployment was very thorough, Li Dian was still worried. Xiangcheng fell, and Luoyang  The Han army arrived and cut off his retreat, leaving Kunyang and Xuchang each in their own way.?An isolated city.  Xuchang only has 10,000 troops. With Cao Zhen's ability, if he can't defend the city, Xuchang will definitely be lost. The Han army will occupy the entire Yuzhou in one go. Yuzhou is the foundation of Cao's army. If Yuzhou is lost, Cao Wei's demise is just around the corner.  In addition, Li Dian also received news that Wei Gong's time was running out and Cao Pi would take over. Li Dian was even less optimistic about Cao Pi. He was narrow-minded and had no tolerance for others. If Xiahou was guarding Yuzhou, the situation would never be so passive. It's just that  Because Xiahou Dun had a good relationship with Cao Zhi, he was deprived of military power. How could such a person defeat Liu Jing?  Thinking of Liu Jing, Li Dian also thought that he had been captured twice by the Han army, and it was Liu Jing who released him. With such a magnanimous mind and such a dominating demeanor, Li Dian couldn't help but let out a long sigh.  "What is Captain Li lamenting about again?" A high-pitched voice suddenly came from behind, and a trace of disgust suddenly flashed in Li Dian's eyes.  Li Dian turned around and saw a scribe in his forties standing behind him. This man was called Cheng Liang. He was an aide to Cao Zhen and the current Sima of Kunyang. This man was a confidant sent by Cao Zhen to monitor him.  He monitored Li Dian's every move, and also controlled all the grain and grass supplies in Kunyang, as well as the soldiers' reward promotions and merits, all decided by him.  Although Cheng Liang was only a scribe, he had four trusted generals under his command, each commanding 2,000 men. This brought the army under Cheng Liang's control to 8,000, surpassing Li Dian. In fact, he was the real general manager of Kunyang County.  .  Cheng Liang was narrow-minded and cruel. You can see how bitter and mean he was by calling Li Dian Li Xiaowei. He slowly walked forward and said with a smile on his face, "Is Xiaowei Li here?"  Thinking about your future, should you regret doing something like this? " Li Dian snorted coldly, ignored him, turned around and walked towards the city. Seeing his rudeness, Cheng Liang felt annoyed and raised his voice: "Principal Li.  Lieutenant, let me warn you first, don't think too much, otherwise I have the right to remove you from the military post!" He raised a command arrow. This is the command arrow given to Cheng Liang by Cao Zhen. If Li Dian resists passively, Cheng Liang can remove him on the spot.  If Li Dian had other intentions, Cheng Liang could even kill him if he was deprived of his military position.  Li Dian stopped, and the anger in his heart finally made him unbearable. He turned around and said slowly: "Who do you think you are? When I, Li Dian, traveled across the Central Plains, where were you?" Li Dian snorted heavily and turned around.  Striding away, Cheng Liang's face was livid, and he slowly gritted his teeth and said: "Li Dian, I have to kill you!" At this moment, a cheer suddenly erupted from the Han army camp in the distance, and Cao Jun's soldiers at the top of the city didn't know it.  So, they all rushed to the battlements and looked at the Han camp. Even Cheng Liang looked at the Han camp in surprise. He faintly heard the Han soldiers shouting long live. Could it be that the unusual movements in the Han camp were due to the Han King Liu?  Jing's appearance in the military camp made tens of thousands of Han soldiers extremely happy and couldn't help but burst into cheers.  Liu Jing had just arrived at the Han army camp. Although he was nominally stationed in Chang'an and commanded various armies to attack Cao Wei, this was just a way to confuse Cao Jun. Cao Jun mistakenly thought that the Han army was attacking at various points, and thus could not guess.  to the true strategic intentions of the Han army.  So far, all signs indicate that Han Wang Liu Jing is still in charge in Chang'an, but in fact, he quietly left Chang'an three days ago and rushed all the way to Nanyang.  Seeing that Xuchang was about to capture the city and a historic moment was coming, how could Liu Jing still sit still in Chang'an? He wanted to personally boost morale and inspire the military.  Liu Jing walked into the Chinese army's tent amidst the cheers of tens of thousands of soldiers. Wenpin and Prime Minister Pang Tong came forward to greet him. Liu Jing asked everyone to take their seats, and then smiled at Pang Tong and said, "How does it feel to be Prime Minister Pang Tong's military advisor?"  Pang Tong laughed and said, "So far, I have not been able to play the role of military advisor." His words were a bit ambiguous. He meant that there was nothing to do yet, but it was easy for people to mistakenly think that he was being  Suppress.  Wenpin next to him said quickly: "Pang Xiangguo is too humble. Since Pang Xiangguo arrived, he has organized the Nanyang army in order and greatly enhanced the army's combat effectiveness. This is a fact that cannot be erased." Liu Jing smiled and put down his hands.  After discussing this topic, he asked Wenpin: "How is the attack on Kunyang County?" "Reporting to His Highness, according to His Highness's deployment, I did not launch a large-scale attack on Kunyang County, but only two small-scale sieges.  Basically there was no loss. I got the news that General Zhao led 30,000 main troops to Xiangcheng last night. The defender of Xiangcheng has surrendered, and Kunyang has become an isolated city. It is time to launch a large-scale attack on Kunyang. "Liu Jingdian.  He then asked Pang Tong, "What do you mean by the military advisor?" Pang Tong stroked his beard and said with a smile: "The chief general of Kunyang County is General Li Dian. He has always been a loyal man, but he was suppressed by Cao Zhen and demoted to the rank of captain. Moreover, Cao Zhen  He also sent his confidants to monitor him.??, I only need to implement a small plan, Kunyang is at my fingertips, why bother to attack the city in a large scale with wounded troops and generals?  Wenpin blushed and asked, "I wonder what you have in mind, sir?"  " Pang Tong almost whispered, and Liu Jing laughed, "Come on and attack with troops. This is my intention in letting Xiang Guo serve as military advisor again.  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1099 Countermeasures

    Just when the sun had set and night had not yet fallen, several Han cavalry rushed out from the Han army camp and headed straight for Kunyang City. They immediately aroused the vigilance at the top of Kunyang City, and the soldiers guarding the city rushed towards them.  Looking at these cavalrymen, they certainly did not come to attack the city. All the defenders could guess that they came to deliver a message.  <-> The four cavalry did not come to the same place, but came to the four walls of the east, west, north and south respectively. The cavalry soldiers shouted: "His Royal Highness the Han Dynasty's letter to General Li Dian, please forward it to General Li Dian as soon as possible!" Loudly!  After shouting, the cavalry raised their bows and nocked arrows, and shot a headless arrow up to the top of the city. There was a letter on the arrow. A letter with exactly the same content was shot from the top of the city on all sides. The soldiers had already picked it up and rushed down to the city.  go.  It was dinner time, and Li Dian was sitting in his tent drinking wine. Although drinking was not allowed during the war, such military regulations did not restrict a general like Li Dian.  Li Dian was in a really bad mood. He had always been Xiahou Dun's general, but he was not considered Xiahou Dun's confidant. However, Xiahou Dun was suppressed by Cao Pi, Cao Ren gained power, and all Xiahou Dun's confidants were purged. Although he was not considered a confidant, he was also suppressed.  After being implicated, Cao Zhen used the excuse of losing Yecheng to demote him to captain.  Although he is now used as the guard general of Kunyang, he still does not trust him. He sent a close staff member to serve as Sima and hold the power. In fact, he only has the power to command during the battle, and the rest of the general power is in the hands of Cheng Liang. How can he be happy about this?  stand up.  He sighed and drank the wine in the glass. At this time, his confidant Yang Lian hurried into the front of the tent and whispered: "General, I have something urgent to report!" "What's the matter?" Yang  Lian quickly walked into the tent, took out a letter and handed it to Li Dian, "This is the letter that the Han army shot on the city. It seems to be a personal letter from the King of Han to the general." Li Dian was startled and quickly put down his ear cup and took it.  He did not read the letter first, but asked: "How many people know this letter?" "Many soldiers in the city should have seen it, but the soldiers in Nancheng are all low-level subordinates, so the general does not need to worry." Li Dian opened the letter quickly  After reading it again, it turned out to be a personal letter written by Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, to him. Xuchang was about to be conquered. I hope he could see the general trend clearly, serve the Han Dynasty and the country, and stop letting soldiers die in a meaningless battle.  After Li Dian read the letter, he was confused. He didn't know what to do. Liu Jing actually wrote to him personally. Next to him, Yang Lian asked in a low voice: "General, what did the King of Han say?" "The King of Han wanted me to  Surrender and stop resisting." Yang Lian hesitated and said, "General, if this is really a letter from the King of Han, I think the general should surrender to the Han army. Cao Zhen is ruthless and does not trust the general at all. Seeing that Cao Pi is about to take over, general.  Why do you still want to serve Cao Pi? " ??"Hey! I know it, but let me think about it!" Just as he was talking, there was a rush of footsteps outside, and Li Dian's guard said: "Please become Sima.  Stay!" Then he heard Cheng Liang ask sternly: "Where is General Li? Let him come to see me!" Li Dian was secretly surprised. Did Cheng Liang come by such a coincidence? Did he know that the King of Han had sent him a message?  He quickly walked out of the tent, only to see Cheng Liang leading a large group of soldiers blocking the front of his tent. Li Dianggong raised his hands and said, "What's the matter with Cheng Sima?" The Han army shot four letters into the city, but three of them were dropped.  When he got into Cheng Liang's hands, he suddenly became furious and came to Li Dian to question him angrily. Cheng Liang sneered and said, "General Li is really good at pretending to be confused. You really don't know why I'm here?" Li Dian shook his head,  "I don't know why Cheng Sima came to investigate." Cheng Liang was also worried about Li Dian's resistance, so he immediately ordered: "Tie him up!" Several soldiers immediately rushed up and tied Li Dian with ropes.  He struggled hard and said, "Chengliang, what do you want to do?" Chengliang took a step back, took out the letter from his pocket, and shouted: "You colluded with the Han army and tried to surrender the city. Even Liu Jing wrote to you, so you pretend not to  "You know?" Li Dian suddenly understood. It turned out that the Han army not only shot a letter, but there was no intention of colluding with the Han army in the letter. This was clearly an opportunity for Cheng Liang to frame him and seize military power. Li Dian said angrily.  : "You shameless villain, for your own selfish interests, regardless of the enemy!" Cheng Liang did have selfish motives. He wanted to control all the military power in Kunyang, and then he came to negotiate with the Han army to gain his own status. Unexpectedly,  However, Liu Jing wrote to Li Dian, which made him extremely jealous. He waved his arms and shouted: "Catch him and execute him on the spot!" When he shouted this, he immediately angered Yang Lian, the general behind him. Yang Lian  With a loud roar, he drew his sword and rushed forward to slash at him, knocking down several soldiers in a row, and saved Li Dian. He simply did not stop, rushed to Cheng Liang, and slashed at him with his sword, "Spare  " Before Cheng Liang could finish his words, his head was stabbed.The body fell, and Yang Lian shouted to the soldiers around him: "Do it, kill!" Dozens of soldiers also rushed up to join the battle, killing all the men brought by Cheng Liang, but Li Dian stopped him.  After failing to do so, he couldn't help but sigh as he watched Cheng Liang being killed by Yang Lian. At this point, he had to surrender even if he didn't.  That night, Li Dian launched a mutiny, killed four of Cheng Liang's trusted generals, and took control of all military power. He immediately ordered Kaicheng to surrender to the Han army. Liu Jing personally surrendered, and 15,000 Cao army soldiers formally surrendered to the Han army.  Liu Jing immediately made Li Dian the Marquis of Kunyang Ting, a partial general, and promoted Yang Lian to the rank of captain, and rewarded him with five hundred taels of gold.  The Cao army in Kunyang surrendered to the Han army, which cleared the final obstacle for the Han army to seize Xuchang. Liu Jing immediately ordered that the two armies of Zhao Yun and Wenpin merged. He was the commander himself, and Zhao Yun and Wenpin were the deputy commanders.  Xuchang City was surrounded.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  The city of Xuchang has been in chaos for a long time, but this chaos is not superficial chaos, but chaos in people's hearts. After the Han Dynasty's economic crackdown, Xuchang's business was dilapidated and withered, and food and Ye were the same. A rationing system was also implemented.  The streets and alleys have long been deserted, and families with a little extra money have left Xuchang. Only the poor families with no way out stay in Xuchang, waiting for the government's food ration relief.  It is precisely this kind of food rationing system that after Cao Jun forcibly captured 30,000 civilians, the people of Xuchang could only swallow their anger and did not dare to make trouble openly. However, the support of the people has long been clear, and no one will support the regime that forcibly captures their relatives to fight.  Jia Kui and his entourage rode slowly on the street. Jia Kui was appointed as the prefect of Yingchuan. After Cao Zhi, who was left behind in Xu Du, was transferred back to Yedu, Jia Kui took over the government affairs of Xuchang and concurrently served as Xuchang Cheng. Especially this  For several months, Jia Kui was busy until late at night almost every day.  Jia Kui did not care about military affairs. It was not until the day before yesterday that Cao Zhen captured young men in the city on a large scale. Jia Kui did not know the news that the Han army in Luoyang had captured Xiangcheng. This shocked him. Obviously, Xuchang would be the first target for the Han army to concentrate its forces.  Moreover, there are only 10,000 troops in Xuchang City. How can they defend this majestic city with a circumference of more than 30 miles?  Jia Kui has experienced the fall of Wancheng. The scene in Xuchang is so familiar to him. The fall of Wancheng happened exactly in Xuchang. So will Cao Zhen follow Cao Hong's old path again?  He really didn't know.  But one thing is very clear to Jia Kui. No matter what, he wants to persuade Cao Zhen again. If Cao Zhen doesn't listen, then Jia Kui has done his best to be benevolent and righteous.  Jia Kui entered the military camp. The military camp was also busy and chaotic. There were all kinds of weapons and items everywhere, and it looked disorganized. Groups of soldiers held torches and ran towards the outside of the camp. Jia Kui shook his head. He went directly to Cao Zhen  In front of the big tent, he said to the guard: "Please report to General Cao for me. I have something to discuss with him." The guard turned around and entered the big tent. After a while, he came out and said: "Prefect Jia, please come in!" Jia Kui quickly walked into the big tent.  Inside the tent, Cao Zhen was discussing military affairs with several staff. Seeing Jia Kui come in, he said to everyone: "Just follow the plan we just discussed. Everyone, go back and rest first! Call everyone together if something happens."  He stood up, bowed to Jia Kui, and then retreated. Only Cao Zhen and Jia Kui were left in the tent. Cao Zhen smiled and said, "I originally wanted to invite you to discuss military affairs with me, but I was afraid that you were busy with business, so I decided to  "I didn't bother you, sir." Jia Kui knew that he didn't mean what he said. If he really listened to his advice, he would not have ignored him since he took office, let alone concealed the news that the Han army had arrived in Xiangcheng.  , is nothing more than that he was Xiahou Dun's military advisor.  Jia Kui smiled and returned the greeting: "Thank you, General Cao, for your attention. But I only care about government affairs, and military matters are not my responsibility. I came today to discuss with the general the affairs of the people of Xuchang." Of course, Cao Zhen only said that.  After all, he had his own staff and did not want Jia Kui to participate in military affairs. Not only was Jia Kui once the military advisor of Xiahou Dun, but more importantly, once Jia Kui participated in the military, with his status, he would definitely be divided a lot.  A large part of the power, which Cao Zhen would never tolerate.  It is precisely for this reason that Cao Zhen recommended Jia Kui to serve as Xu Changcheng. On the surface, Cao Zhen hoped to reuse Jia Kui, but in fact he wanted to tie him to government affairs and had no time to take into account the military.  Cao Zhen picked up the tea cup and took a slow sip, and said casually: "I don't know what Governor Jia wants to discuss with me. Now the military affairs are busy and the Han army is gradually approaching. I'm afraid I don't have much energy." "I understand that General Cao has a heavy burden on his shoulders.  Heavy burden, I will make a long story short. General Zi Lian encountered a similar situation in Wancheng. The Han army attacked the city in large numbers. There were only 10,000 troops in the city. General Zi Lian forced the civilians to defend the city. In the end, not only was the city unable to be defended, but also  " Cao Zhen's face became more and more gloomy, and finally he couldn't help but said sternly: "What Governor Jia means is?Will I be killed by the mob like General Zi Lian?  " Jia Kui said quickly: "That's not what I meant. What I meant was that forcibly recruiting the people would seriously damage Duke Wei's reputation in Xuchang. Back then, Wancheng originally supported Cao's army, but in the end it turned into beating gongs and drums to welcome the Han army into the city. I  Worry.  .  .  .  .  "    "enough!  " Cao Zhen stood up in a hurry and threw Cao Pi's order in front of Jia Kui's eyes, "This is the prince's order, you can see for yourself!  " After saying that, he turned around and walked away angrily. He walked to the door of the tent and ordered his soldiers, "Please return to the county office, Prefect Jia. This is not the place for him to stay.  " Cao Zhen got on his horse and galloped away. Several soldiers stood behind Jia Kui and said, "Prefect Jia, please!  " Jia Kui looked at Cao Pi's order and saw that it said, "Keep Xudu at all costs" He couldn't help but let out a long sigh and left in despair.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1100 Conquering Xuchang

    All night long, the defenders on the city wall heard and saw the movements outside the city. There were drums and horns everywhere, and torches were like a torrent, gathering towards Xuchang City from all directions. In the morning, when the morning light quietly fell on Xuchang City,  On the plain outside, the soldiers guarding the city were stunned by the situation outside the city.  As far as the eye can see, there are dark marching teams everywhere. Outside the four city gates, there are white tents everywhere, stretching for miles, like mushrooms growing overnight.  The main force of the Han army came across all fronts, including the 20,000 surrendered troops newly incorporated into the Han army. A total of 100,000 troops surrounded Xuchang City. The drums were beating like thunder, and the flags were like the sea. The momentum was huge.  About four hundred steps away from the four city walls, the Han army was busy building high platforms with bricks, stones and soil. These high platforms were level with the head of Xuchang City. Each platform covered an area of ??five acres, and the platform at the top was about three acres in size.  The soldiers at the top of the city didn't know the Han army's intention of building these high platforms, and they all whispered.  But there are also experienced veterans who participated in the Hefei War and still remember the high platform outside Hefei City. Someone shouted, "This is the launch pad of the trebuchet!"  What a huge trebuchet. They stared at the high platforms blankly, their hearts filled with fear.  At the same time, two miles outside the north city, thousands of Han troops were building a huge wooden platform. The prototype of the wooden platform was already in place. The flagpole was five feet high. A red king's flag with a gold edge was fluttering in the wind. On the king's flag,  There is a big word 'Liu' embroidered on it, which means that Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, has appeared in the army.  The appearance of this king's flag shocked the defenders of Xuchang City. The people were panicked and their morale was low. Although Cao Zhen captured 30,000 strong men, everyone knew that these strong men had not received any training and could never go to the city. Otherwise, they could not go to the city.  , once the Han army attacks the city in a large scale, these strong men will inevitably collapse and flee, causing serious chaos to the army.  Cao Zhenqiang's original intention to capture the strong men was to let them control the trebuchets on the city top and transport supplies. There were 120 heavy trebuchets on the city top of Xuchang, with a range of up to 300 steps. One trebuchet required hundreds of people to pull the hair, and he  There are only 10,000 people in the garrison. Where can we find the manpower to pull the trebuchet.  Although Cao Zhen also knew that it was difficult for these strong men to face the brutal war, at this point, he had no time to train them and could only rush them into preparing for the war.  At this time, cheers like a mountain roaring and a tsunami came from outside the city. Cao Zhen, who was inspecting the defense at the top of the city, was startled. He turned back and looked outside the city. He saw dozens of people appearing on the high platform outside the north city. They seemed to be high-ranking officials.  and counselors, with one person clustered in the middle, the golden helmet shining in the sun.  Cao Zhen's heart suddenly sank into the abyss. He had already guessed that the man wearing the golden helmet must be Liu Jing, King of Han Dynasty. Cao Zhen gradually became desperate. At this moment, he was filled with hatred for Cao Pi. Cao Pi let  He defended Xuchang at all costs but did not provide support. This was clearly the Xuchang that allowed him to die in battle. Cao Zhen was filled with hatred and punched the city wall hard.  Liu Jing stood on a high wooden platform, looking down at the city of Xuchang.  Shake the rule of Cao Wei.  mreadtype='page-split'num='2'/> Liu Jing also didn¡¯t understand why Cao Cao didn¡¯t pay enough attention to Xuchang. The number of troops stationed was far lower than that of Xuzhou. Is it true that Xuzhou is the gate of Qingzhou as Pang Tong said?  , if Xuzhou is lost, Qingzhou will also be difficult to protect, but if Xuchang is lost, at least there is still the Yellow River to defend.  Liu Jing shook his head. If Cao Cao really considered it this way, it can only be said that he made a major strategic mistake.  While he was thinking about it, Wenpin quickly stepped forward and reported: "Your Highness, the piers of the North City have been built!" Liu Jing stepped forward, held on to the railing and looked down, and saw that about four hundred steps away from the city wall, Han  The army has built more than 40 huge piers and platforms, stretching for about ten miles. Liu Jing looked at Xuchang City in the distance. They knew the deployment of Xuchang well. There were only 10,000 defenders. With the powerful siege ability of the Han army,  , Xuchang City can be taken within one day.  Liu Jing nodded slowly, "You can start." Wenpin was in high spirits. He had been waiting for this day for many years. When the Han army attacked cities and plundered villages in various places, his army could only watch. Today, the Xiangwan army finally arrived  At a moment of elation, he quickly walked down the high platform and shouted sternly: "Deploy the trebuchets!" The pier built outside Xuchang City was prepared for the trebuchets. In order to attack Xuchang, Wenpin's army prepared nearly two hundred trebuchets.  Giant trebuchet. This trebuchet is exactly the same as the trebuchet used by Zhao Yun to conquer Hangu Pass. It is three feet high and has a throwing pole of five feet. It can throw a hundred kilograms of boulders more than 400 steps. This is the target of Han Dynasty weapon surveillance.  The trebuchet at the head of Cao Jun's city was specially designed.  Heavy trebuchets were installed in all important cities of Cao Jun, such as Xuchang, Yedu, Pengcheng, Luoyang, Qiao County and other places.This is the limit of the trebuchet that can be installed on the city head. It can throw stones weighing fifty or sixty kilograms three hundred steps away.  The Ordnance Supervisor of the Han Army designed this giant trebuchet in view of the range of Cao Army's trebuchets.  On to the battlefield.  Driven by dozens of bullocks and hundreds of soldiers, the huge trebuchet slowly climbed onto the platform from the slope. Dozens of soldiers were busy fixing it on the platform. Soon, more than forty people  A giant trebuchet was pushed onto the platform, and its huge body made every Cao soldier at the top of the city feel trembling with fear.  Cao Zhen suddenly reacted and shouted loudly: "Use crossbows and boulders quickly to destroy them!" Cao Zhen had realized the Han army's tactics. The Han army was to first eradicate the trebuchets on the city, and then use its absolutely superior army to  Cao Zhen was so nervous that his heart almost jumped out of his chest. He waved his sword and shouted: "Shoot fireballs and burn them!" The thirty trebuchets at the top of Xuchang City opened creakingly.  Huge fireballs 'Bang!  boom!  ¡¯ The fireball was launched from the ground, carrying thick smoke and flames, and shot towards the Han army¡¯s pier. Although the range of the fireball was only three hundred steps, it was extremely elastic. After landing, it bounced back and shot towards the Han army with a roar.  But the Han army had already taken precautions and installed baffles on every mound. No matter whether the powerful crossbow arrows or the roaring fireballs, they would be blocked by the baffles. Although Cao Jun's offensive was fierce, their  The attack failed to effectively hit the Han army's trebuchet.  At this time, more than forty trebuchets were ready, and the flag of attack was waved on the command platform. The Han army's trebuchets suddenly launched, and clay pots weighing a hundred kilograms of kerosene rose into the sky and shot toward the top of the city.  The jar fell on the city wall and shattered into pieces. The fire oil splashed all over the ground.  "Use silt and sand!" Cao Zhen shouted loudly, "Use silt and sand to cover the kerosene!" Cao Jun all knew how to deal with kerosene. Water was of no use and could only be covered with silt. Hundreds of Cao Jun soldiers rushed from the city carrying the silt.  They came up, but before they could cover up, Cao's soldiers around them shouted and squatted down one after another. The Han army's second round of shooting took place. The second round of shooting was no longer kerosene, but bits of burning oil slurry.  , like a goddess scattering flowers, countless fire points scattered on the top of the city, instantly igniting the kerosene flowing on the top of the city.  Suddenly, thick smoke billowed from the top of the north city of Xuchang and flames soared into the sky. The soldiers panicked and covered their mouths and noses to avoid the fire. However, thousands of civilians who were captured to operate the trebuchets were afraid of the opportunity and ran towards the city with shouts. Cao Zhen was furious.  , swung his sword and killed several people in a row, but could not stop the frightened civilians. They watched helplessly as groups of civilians rushed down the corridor. Many people were squeezed down the corridor, and screams occurred one after another.  At this time, the Han army's clay pots of kerosene were thrown at the top of the city one after another. The fire on the north city was getting bigger and bigger. Even Cao Zhen couldn't stay. He was pulled off the top of the city by the soldiers. In the end, even the city tower was engulfed in the raging fire.  Hundreds of buildings near Beicheng, including Xuchang Palace, were also affected and all fell into fire.  Liu Jing was condescending, looking coldly at the North City that was engulfed by fire. He was not in a hurry to launch an attack, but ordered the east and west walls to do the same. From morning to afternoon, and from afternoon to night, the three walls of Xuchang were engulfed in rolling flames.  , the entire city of Xuchang was filled with thick smoke. The people and soldiers were extremely frightened and evacuated to Nancheng where there was no fire. The morale of the military collapsed and morale was extremely low.  Even Cao Zhen was desperate. He looked up to the sky and sighed. Cao Pi ordered him to defend the city at all costs. How could he defend it?  At night, the fire gradually became smaller, and the three city walls were burned to a white ground. The top of the city was so burned that it was impossible to stand. Of course, the Han army could not attack the top of the city. But at this moment, the fire had just extinguished.  Under the North City wall, countless Han troops suddenly appeared.  The Han army dug tunnels and entered the city. They did not encounter any resistance. More and more Han troops emerged from the tunnels. In less than half an hour, thousands of Han troops poured out of the six tunnels. They quickly gathered their forces and headed toward the north gate.  Run.  At this time, Cao Zhen led thousands of soldiers back to Beicheng. The two armies met on the street in Beicheng, and a fierce battle broke out. On the street, nearly ten thousand troops fought fiercely in the dark, and the shouts of killing were loud.  Cao Zhen was also furious and wielded a big iron spear to kill and pick at the army. The Han soldiers were at a disadvantage at first, but soon, as soldiers continued to kill from the tunnels and on top of the city, the number of Han soldiers gradually exceeded  The situation reversed for Cao Jun. At this time, the North City Gate was finally opened by the Han army. Countless Han troops surged in outside the city, killing Cao Jun's soldiers, crying and fleeing in all directions.  Cao Zhen knew that the situation was over, so he turned his horse and ran towards Nancheng. He remembered that there were not many Han troops outside Nancheng, and they might be able to break through from Nancheng.  But his war horse had just rushed to the gate of Nancheng.However, they found that the gate of Nancheng had been opened by the surrendered Cao Jun soldiers, and a Han army came towards them. The leader of the general was riding a majestic white horse, wearing a silver helmet and iron armor, with a bright silver gun in his hand, and three swords under his chin.  With a black beard, eyes like lightning, and majestic appearance, he is Zhao Yun, the deputy commander of the Han army.  Zhao Yun also saw Cao Zhen. Without saying a word, he urged his horse to point out his spear and then stabbed him. Cao Zhen was already in a panic. After fighting Zhao Yun for less than three rounds, he showed his weakness, spurred his horse and fled. Zhao Yun sneered, urged his horse to catch up in an instant.  The silver gun shook and shouted: "Take your life!" The silver gun was like lightning, and the gun pierced Cao Zhen's vest from behind. The tip of the gun came out from the chest. Cao Zhen shouted and was killed on the spot. Zhao Yun raised Cao Zhen high  Thousands of Han troops suddenly cheered after seeing the corpse.  In May of the 24th year of Jian'an, the Han army captured Xuchang City overnight. Cao Zhen, the leader of Cao's army, was assassinated by Zhao Yun.  Local officials such as , Runan County, Chen County, and Liang County all expressed their loyalty to Liu Jing, King of Han, by leaving Wei.  As the periphery was cleared, Luoyang had become an isolated city. At this time, Cao Pi successively mobilized fifteen armies and deployed them in Xuzhou and Peijun, Qiaojun and Shanyangjun. With Cao Ren as the main general, he prepared to fight the Han army.  The final decisive battle in the Central Plains.  At this time, the Han army faced the choice of attacking Luoyang first or attacking the Central Plains first.  

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1101 Queen Mother Fu

    In the south of Chang'an City, a carriage, escorted by hundreds of Han cavalry, was slowly driving towards Chang'an City. Inside the carriage was Empress Fu Feng, who had escaped from Xuchang. Although she was no longer the empress, she was revered as the Empress Dowager of the Han Dynasty by Liu Jing.  However, the State of Wei did not recognize her status as empress dowager, and instead established Cao Jie as empress dowager.  The Han Dynasty needed to legally deny the new emperor established by Cao Pi. In this case, Fu Shou's role was revealed. She was still the empress dowager recognized by the world. Even the Cao family and his son did not dare to depose her easily. She  It can legally determine the legitimacy of the Han Dynasty.  Fu Shou had already figured this out on the way, and she also understood why the Han Kingdom wanted to rescue her and send her to Chang'an. This made her feel relieved, at least she would not spend the rest of her life in turmoil.  "Queen Mother, that is Chang'an City." Li Fu pointed to the Chang'an City Wall in the distance and introduced with a smile.  Along the way, Li Fu took good care of Fu Hou, and Fu Shou also had a good impression of him. Fu Shou looked intently at the city wall in the distance. When she was young, she moved the capital to Chang'an with her husband.  A tragic memory, hunger, cold, the dilapidation of Chang'an City, and no guarantee of life safety. In her memory, Chang'an City was gray and black, full of a dilapidated atmosphere.  But what she saw now was a vibrant Chang'an City, standing majestically on the vast Guanzhong Plain, which made her eyes a little moist. She seemed to have seen the rebirth of the Han Dynasty again.  Seeing tears in her eyes, Li Fu couldn't help but sigh in his heart. This empress dowager has experienced so many ups and downs and sufferings, but her heart is still so kind and sensitive. I really hope that His Highness the King of Han can treat her kindly and give her a stable rest of her life.  At this time, a group of cavalry came towards us. The leader raised his hands and asked, "But Li Sima and his party?" Li Fu hurriedly urged the horse forward, "I am!" "Several ministers from the Zhengshi Hall are already waiting in front of Weiyang Palace.  Please go directly to Weiyang Palace instead of entering the city." Li Fu nodded and ordered the team: "Go directly to Weiyang Palace!" The cavalry escorted the carriage and drove toward Weiyang Palace in the southwest from the other direction.  After entering Chang'an City, not long after, the carriage slowly arrived in front of the Weiyang Palace. At this time, Xu Shu, Jiang Wan, Zhang Zhao and other prime ministers and hundreds of officials had been waiting in front of the palace for a long time.  When the two maids helped Queen Fu get out of the carriage, everyone came forward and knelt down, "I respectfully welcome the Queen Mother!" Fu Shou was moved in his heart and said quickly: "Ministers, please stand up! No need to be polite." Everyone stood up, Chen Qun  She stepped forward and said with a smile: "Welcome to the Queen Mother to come to Chang'an." Fu Shou knew Chen Qun, and there was a hint of surprise in her eyes that Chen Qun had also arrived in Han Dynasty. She then smiled and said: "It turns out to be Chen Shijun. I met an old friend in a foreign country.  "It's gratifying." Chen Qun bowed and introduced to Fu Shou: "Please allow Weichen to introduce to the Queen Mother. This is Xu Xiangguo, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. This is Zhang Xiangguo, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry. This is Jiang Xiangguo, the Minister of the Ministry of Hunan.  "Shang Shu" Fu Shou smiled and greeted each other, and she asked again: "I wonder if His Highness the King of Han is here?" Xu Shu quickly said: "His Royal Highness the King of Han also went to Xuchang, and he probably missed it on the way with the Queen Mother." Fu Shou thought that he had gone to Xiangyang for a day.  , it is estimated that she missed it at that time, and she was a little regretful, and the King of Han was not here, what should she do?  Fu Shou was silent for a moment. Xu Shu understood Fu Shou's worries and said with a smile: "Please rest assured, Queen Mother, Her Royal Highness the King of Han has made arrangements before leaving. Please go to the harem first, and Princess Han will make arrangements for the Queen Mother." Fu Shou was now slightly relieved.  , she got into another palace carriage. The carriage was escorted by the guards on the left and right, and drove to the harem. The carriage entered Sima Gate, drove into the main hall area, and then entered the harem area through Beiguang Gate. After a while, the carriage slowly  Stop, in front of you is the Phoenix Terrace, where Han Princess Tao Zhan and everyone in the palace are already waiting for her.  Tao Zhan led the sisters to kneel down and salute, "Mr. Tao pays homage to the Queen Mother!" Fu Shou is an extremely smart woman. Her mentality can be seen from the fact that she has lived peacefully in Xuchang Palace for many years. She knows  Who is the owner of Weiyang Palace? She is just a guest staying in Weiyang Palace.  Tao Zhan worshiped her out of etiquette, but how could she dare to accept the worship of Tao Zhan and other concubines? She quickly stepped forward to help Tao Zhan, and then everyone else, and said sincerely to everyone: "It's Fushou who came unexpectedly."  "It's going to affect everyone's lives, so I hope you can bear with me!" Tao Zhan smiled slightly, "What do you mean, Queen Mother, we are all a family from now on, I believe we will get along well, Queen Mother, please hold on to Tao Zhan's arms!"  Hands, everyone entered the Phoenix Terrace lobby talking and laughing. They sat down in the lobby. Tao Zhan introduced the sisters to Fu Shou. When Cao Xian was introduced, Fu Shou was a little stunned. She didn't know Cao Cao's daughter.  She actually became Liu Jing's second concubine, and thinking that Cao Cao killed his two children, Fu Shou couldn't be happy anymore.?Just to save Tao Zhan's face, he reluctantly nodded.  Cao Xian felt sad. Of course she knew that her father destroyed the Fu family, and Queen Fu's two sons were thrown to death in a bag. These were all sins committed by her father, and they, the children, would have to bear them in the end.  Cao Xian's life was indeed difficult during this period. The Han and Cao armies were fighting in the Central Plains, and even her husband went to battle in person. As Cao Cao's daughter, she could do nothing but keep the pain in her heart. She bowed silently and retreated.  As he went down, Sun Shangxiang saw it in his eyes.  At this time, a group of palace maids served tea to everyone. Fu Shou took a sip of hot tea and smiled at Tao Zhan: "I have heard for a long time that the princess is the mother of the world. When I saw her today, she was indeed worthy of her reputation. I also hope that the princess can take care of me. Fu is grateful."  "Fu Shou understands the truth very well. She lowered her stature first. To belittle herself is to flatter the other party. Tao Zhan got care from her husband before leaving and asked her to treat Empress Fu well. Although Tao Zhan himself  She also sympathized with Queen Fu's experience, but she was also a little worried. Will Queen Fu's arrival take away her position in the palace?  Will there be an open and covert struggle with her?  However, today's situation made her very satisfied. Empress Fu understood the truth and made it clear that she would not compete with her for the Weiyang Palace. Tao Zhan was relieved and said with a smile: "There is a lot to say, but the Queen Mother must be tired from the journey.  I have already arranged the palace and the maids. Please go and rest first. I will give the Queen Mother a rest in the evening, and we will talk slowly later. " Fu Shou was really a little tired, so she didn't ask much about which palace she lived in, and smiled with everyone.  After shaking her head, she got up and went out. Tao Zhan sent her to the Warm Heart Palace.  Cao Xian returned to her residence. Today's arrival made her already gloomy mood even more painful. She couldn't suppress her sadness. When she entered her bedroom, she burst into tears. She cried happily.  I feel a little better and no longer as depressed as I was in the afternoon.  At this time, a maid reported outside the door: "The second lady is here!" Cao Xian was startled. This was Sun Shangxiang. She quickly went to the mirror to touch up her makeup to cover up the tears on her face, and then greeted her.  He came out and asked, "Why is the second sister here?" Cao Xian forced a smile.  Sun Shangxiang held her hand, looked into her eyes carefully, and said with a smile: "Don't hide it in front of me, I'm famous for my sharp eyesight." Cao Xian saw through her and suddenly felt a little embarrassed, "I'm just  I'm a little uncomfortable. Second sister, don't laugh at me." "How could I laugh at you?" Sun Shangxiang pulled her to sit down and said with a smile, "I saw Fuhou's attitude towards you today, and I knew you must be in a bad mood.  Okay, so I came to comfort you." Cao Xian lowered his head and whispered: "Thank you, second sister, for caring. In fact, I don't hate Fu Hou's cold attitude. On the contrary, I feel sorry for her, after allafter all." Cao Xian glanced at her.  "Hong, I can't go on." Sun Shangxiang sighed in her heart. She knew how uncomfortable Cao Xian was. This sister was kind-hearted and always took the sins of her fathers on herself.  "Those things actually have nothing to do with you. You are no longer the daughter of Duke Cao, but the wife of the King of Han. You have to make this relationship clear." "I also know, but I can't deny my father, I can't  Pretending that everything has nothing to do with me, Sun Shangxiang looked at her for a moment and said with a smile, "Let's go for a walk!" Cao Xian nodded silently, stood up and took Sun Shangxiang's arm and walked out of the palace, and the two walked slowly along the path along the shore of Yaochi.  Walking slowly, the warm breeze blew, the late spring night was particularly warm and comfortable, and the fragrance of flowers came from a distance, refreshing. Sun Shangxiang pulled Cao Xianbing and walked slowly. The two of them walked to a pavilion by the water. Sun Shangxiang pointed at the pavilion.  He smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go sit for a while.  " The two walked into the pavilion and sat down. Sun Shangxiang smiled and said: "I used to face the same mood as you. Seeing the imminent destruction of Jiangdong, the Han army surrounded Jianye, and my brother wrote to me asking for help. Do you know how I felt at that time?  It's so uncomfortable, so hopeless. That's the foundation built with the blood and sweat of my father and brother!  My husband wants to destroy it.  " "Then how did you figure it out at that time?  "Cao Xian asked in a low voice. "I happened to meet a young couple from Jiangdong in Chang'an West City at that time. From their mouths, I learned that my brother was militaristic and desperately exploited the people of Jiangdong. The people could not survive anymore and they were all called  He skinned his grandson and cursed the Sun family to perish. I finally figured it out. Even the people of Jiangdong have spurned the Sun family. Why should I support such a brother who harms the people? The demise of the Jiangdong regime will only be good for our Sun family. At least we can keep it.  The line of descendants continues.  " Cao Xian nodded, "I understand what the second sister means. In fact, I have also thought about it. After decades of chaos in the world, people have settled down. Now my husband shoulders the important task of unifying the world and has the ambition to revive the Han Dynasty. Even if Cao's army fails, the world will still be peaceful.  ???Unification, isn't this a good thing?  " "Since you can think this way, why are you still sad?  " "I just feel that my father has done a lot of things that hurt others, I don't know.  How can I atone for my father's sins?  " Sun Shangxiang patted the back of her hand and said sincerely: "You are a good daughter. Your father will be proud of you, but you don't have to blame yourself. Your father is not a murderous butcher like Dong Zhuo, nor a massacre like the Yellow Turban Army.  The murderer king of your hometown, many times, your father's behavior is the result of a power struggle, such as lying behind the throne. If he is not ruthless, it will be the death of the Cao family. I believe God will be fair, but you don't have to blame yourself too much.  As I said just now, you are no longer the daughter of Duke Cao, but the wife of the King of Han. If you must take responsibility, you should blame yourself for your husband's behavior, not for your father. What you are worshiping now is the Liu Family Ancestral Hall.  , if you figure this out, you can get along with your husband calmly. This is also my experience.  " Cao Xian finally became enlightened, yes! She always regarded herself as the daughter of the Cao family, but she forgot that she was the wife of the King of Han. The responsibility on her shoulders came from her husband, not her father. " Cao Xian was relieved for a long time.  He said, "Thank you, second sister, I understand a little bit.  " " Just understand, let's go!  Come sleep at my place tonight and talk to me.  " Cao Xian nodded, and the two of them got up and walked outside the pavilion. 

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1102 The War in the Central Plains (1)

    On the fifth day after Xuchang was captured by the Han army, a cavalry force of 5,000 men from Cao's army crossed the Yellow River from Baimajin, Dongjun, and headed toward Xuzhou. This team was the most elite Tiger Guards of Cao's army.  The command of Cao Cao's escort army has now been in the hands of Cao Pi. Cao Pi was in the team at this time. He rushed to Xuzhou for the final war mobilization.  In the large carriage, Cao Pi stared at the fields on both sides with a gloomy face. Although curious farmers on both sides of the farmland kept standing up to look at the army, Cao Pi had no idea of ??going to the farmland to inspect. His mind had already been distracted by the serious situation.  disturbed.  The current situation is indeed very serious. The fall of Xudu has caused an uproar among the government and the public, and the people of Yedu are panicked. But if it is just the instability of people's hearts, Cao Pi is not very worried. The key is that the knock-on effect caused by the fall of Xudu has caused several people in western Yuzhou to  Important counties and counties surrendered one after another, and the Han army captured half of the Central Plains in one fell swoop.  The serious situation in the Central Plains made Cao Pi unable to sit still anymore and went to Xuzhou to supervise the war. Cao Jun deployed 150,000 troops on the eastern front line of Xuzhou and Yuzhou. This was already half of Cao's army. If Cao's army was defeated again, it would not only be the Central Plains that changed hands.  problem, and Cao Wei will be over.  At this time, the time was gradually passing noon. A guard leader urged his horse forward and suggested: "Prince Qi, can you stop and take a rest?" Cao Pi looked at the sky and asked: "How far is it from Puyang?"  "Far?" "About thirty miles!" Cao Pi nodded, "Then rest for half an hour." The team stopped, and the soldiers led their horses to the river in front to drink water, and they themselves took out dry food to drink.  , a guard presented Cao Pi with a marching lunch. Cao Pi's lunch was also very simple, including a few soft cakes, a plate of sauced mutton and a pot of water.  Cao Pi rolled the mutton in soft pancakes, and while eating, he looked at the map on the table. He thought for a moment, and then said to the guard: "Go and invite the military advisor!" Not long after, Cheng Yu was invited into Cao Pi's carriage, and he knelt down.  He bowed and said, "See you, Your Majesty!" "You're welcome, Military Advisor, please sit down!" Cao Pi asked Cheng Yu to sit down, and asked someone to bring him a lunch. Cheng Yu saw the worry in Cao Pi's eyes and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, these days  "I've lost a lot of weight!" "Hey! I'm under too much pressure. I feel so panicked when I think of the fall of Xu Du. Even Chenliu County surrendered to the Han army. I'm really worried about whether Cao Ren can win the battle in the Central Plains."  The smile on his face disappeared, and he pondered for a moment and said: "The defeat of Xu Du was due to insufficient strategic estimation. We did not think of the true intention of the Han army to attack Luoyang, which led to the dispersion of Xu Du's troops. If we could have realized the true purpose of the Han army earlier, we would have  If we abandon Kunyang and Xiangcheng and defend Xudu with 30,000 troops, then Xudu will not be easily captured. Therefore, strategy determines tactics. Insufficient strategy will lead to the failure of the deployment of troops. We must learn from Xudu¡¯s lessons and fight steadily.  Considering the gains and losses of one city and one county, I believe there is still hope in the Battle of Xuzhou." Cheng Yu's frankness gave Cao Pi a glimmer of hope. He asked again: "What does the military advisor think is the key to the Battle of Xuzhou?" At this time, Cao Pi asked.  He had no intention of having lunch anymore, so he asked the book boy to remove the plate, spread the map on the table, and looked at Cheng Yu expectantly. In fact, Cheng Yu was also thinking about this all the way.  He pointed at the line of the Huaihe River and said slowly: "To understand where the key battle situation is, you must understand the deployment of the Han army. As far as Wei Chen knows, the Han army has deployed 80,000 troops along the Huaihe River. These 80,000 troops will inevitably  Going north, there is also the Han army from Xudu. Liu Jing sent 100,000 troops to Xudu. I don¡¯t think it will be as simple as taking Xudu. Liu Jing¡¯s next step will be to march eastward, first entering Chen County, and then fighting with the Huaihe River.  The 80,000 troops on the front line converged, and this meeting point was Qiaojun, so fighting for Qiaojun will be the first step in the Central Plains War." Cheng Yu's analysis convinced Cao Pi, "I also think that Qiaojun will be the Han army's attack.  The key point is how should we respond?" Cheng Yu smiled and said, "Wei Chen has a suggestion, which may not sound good, but Wei Chen has to say it." "If the prince appoints Cao Ren.  As the commander-in-chief of this battle in the Central Plains, we should let him arrange the troops. Based on Cao Ren's experience, I believe he can see through the Han army's intentions. If the prince does not trust Cao Ren, then the prince will simply be like Liu Jing.  Take charge personally and make Cao Ren the deputy general, so that you can have a command without leaving the people below at a loss." Cheng Yu's suggestion made Cao Pi ponder. Of course he knew what Cheng Yu meant, let him go and let Cao Ren.  He came to take full charge of the battle in the Central Plains, but this battle was too important. Both sides invested a lot of troops. If Cao Ren was given full responsibility, how could Cao Pi feel relieved? Otherwise, what would he be doing in Xuzhou?  After a while, Cao Pi sighed and said, "I believe Liu Jing came to the Central Plains to take command because she was worried about Zhao Yun or Huang Zhong."This battle is very important to both Han and Cao Wei. I can't leave it to Cao Ren. Besides, Cao's army is not only the Xuzhou army, but also the Qingzhou army and the Youzhou army. Cao Ren may not be able to command them.  This coordinated operation must be under my unified command.  " Cheng Yu didn't say anything else. This was what he expected. Cao Pi, like his father Cao Cao, could not hand over the military power of an army of 150,000 to the generals below. Even Cao Ren did not believe it. He must control it himself.  Cheng Yu didn't give any more advice and put forward his first countermeasure, "Since the prince wants to take over the command, Wei Chen proposed to withdraw the army in Huaibei and concentrate his troops to defend Qiao County. The army is scattered and can easily be defeated."  The Han armies were defeated one by one. There were 80,000 Han troops in Shouchun and a powerful naval force. More importantly, Liu Jing led the main Han army from the west. If the Huaibei army did not retreat, it would most likely be surrounded by the Han army.  Total annihilation.  "Cao Pi came to his senses and said, "What the military advisor said is absolutely true. I will immediately order the withdrawal of Qiao County from Jinbei!  "Why didn't His Highness allow the Imperial Army to withdraw to Xuzhou?" Cheng Yu asked in confusion. Cao Pi took an urgent report from Cao Ren and sighed: "The main reason is that the Xuzhou army was too late to reach Qiao County, and Niu Jin was in Qiao County."  The army only has 20,000 people. If the Han army rushes to Qiao County first, I am afraid that Qiao County will not be saved. Qiao County is the root of the Cao family. If Qiao County is lost, I will not be able to explain to my father.  " Cheng Yu is still a little worried. The distance from Huaibei to Qiao County is not close. I wonder where the main force of the Han army has arrived now? If by chance, Yu Jin's army is likely to be intercepted by the Han army, and Yu Jin's situation will be dangerous.  But Cheng Yu knew that the situation in Qiao County was not good. After all, the situation on the battlefield was changing rapidly.  After Xuchang, he rested for five days. At the same time, he reorganized the 30,000 surrendered Cao troops into the Han army, bringing the Han army's strength to 120,000. Liu Jing appointed Wu Yi as the commander-in-chief of the rear army and led 20,000 troops to guard Xuchang.  At the same time, Liu Jing ordered Zhang Ren to lead 30,000 Yizhou troops and Meng Da to lead 20,000 Hanzhong troops to Xuchang. In this way, the number of Han troops deployed in the Central Plains campaign increased.  The number reached 250,000, far exceeding Cao Jun's 150,000 troops. Liu Jing was well aware of the impact of the Central Plains Campaign on the entire war situation. He was bound to win this battle. As Cheng Yu judged, the Han army was the first step.  The battle is to fight for Qiao County. Yingchuan County and Qiao County are separated by Chen County and Runan County. Runan County mainly borders the south of Qiao County, while Chen County is directly connected to Qiao County. Liu Jing led 100,000 Han troops without  After entering Runan County, they entered Chen County directly and marched towards Qiao County. The march of the Han army was not very fast. The 100,000 troops especially needed to ensure logistics and transportation, so the Han army almost marched while establishing a backup line. This evening.  , the main force of the Han army arrived in Chen County. Chen County is also the county seat of Chen County. It is a large county. Although the city is large, it is not a strategic location and the city wall is not tall and strong enough. This made Liu Jing slightly disappointed. He originally considered letting Chen County go.  The county became an important logistics center for the Han army in the Central Plains War, but the low and dilapidated city wall in front of him made Liu Jing give up the idea. The Han army set up a camp outside Chen County, with large tents rising from the ground and soldiers.  The practice of burying pots was extremely lively. In the Chinese army's tent, Liu Jingzheng and Pang Tong, Zhao Yun, Wenpin and other counselors and generals discussed the strategy of garrisoning troops. They agreed that Ku County could be considered. Ku County is only fifty miles away from Qiao County.  The most ideal logistics center. At this moment, a guard reported at the tent door: "Your Highness, Sima Xiangguo is here!  " Liu Jing was overjoyed. Before he set off from Xuchang, he sent a pigeon message to Sima Yi to come. He thought he would arrive tomorrow, but he did not expect to arrive today. Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Ask the Prime Minister to come in!"  " Not long after, Sima Yi walked into the big tent quickly. Sima Yi came from Shouchun. Among the orders from several prime ministers to rush to the front line, he was in charge of the Shouchun front line. Not long after arriving in Shouchun, he received another call from Liu Jing.  Order him to come to Chen County to meet you. "See your highness!"  "Sima Yi bowed to Liu Jing and saluted. Liu Jing waved his hand and said with a smile: "Please be more casual, Prime Minister.  " Sima Yi met with everyone again, and then said to Liu Jing: "Your Highness, when I went north, I received news from the scouts that Yu Jin's army had abandoned the front line defense of Huaibei and was rushing towards Qiao County.  "This unexpected news made Liu Jing pay special attention to it. He immediately looked for the retreat route of Yu Jin's army on the sand table. If the Huaibei army retreated north, there were usually two routes. One was to the west of Guishui. The main force of Cao's army would follow the canal water from Xiacai County.  Going north, the other line is east of Wishui, first going to Yicheng County, and then going north from Yicheng County. Both of these two lines are very far away from Qiaojun. The nearest west line is also 600 miles away, which makes Liu a lot of trouble.  Jing Zai suddenly saw the fighter plane. He pondered for a moment and asked Sima Yi: "Which line did Cao's army retreat from?"?  Sima Yi understood what Liu Jing meant and said with a smile: "Wei Chen also paid special attention to this matter. Although Cao Jun's retreat route is not known for the time being, Wei Chen has calculated that the main force of Cao Jun is in Xiacai County. If he rushes to Yicheng to retreat north, then  At least two hundred miles will be taken away. Cao's army retreated in a hurry this time. Wei Chen believed that Cao's army would withdraw on two fronts. Cao's army in Yicheng would take the east line, and Cao's army in Xia Cai would take the west line.  " Everyone in the big tent immediately understood Liu Jing's intention, and everyone became excited. Pang Tong smiled and said: "No matter they take the eastern or western front, as long as they rush back to Qiao County, they have to pass through Chengfu County. General Wei Yan can  Intercept Cao Jun and buy time for our main force.  " Liu Jing looked at the sand table again. Chen County is less than 300 miles away from Chengfu County. As long as the army is fast, it can completely intercept Cao's army retreating north. He not only has to intercept Cao's army retreating north on the west front, even if Cao's army goes east.  , he also intercepted, and Liu Jing immediately issued an order: "Send an order to Chengfu County and order Wei Yan to prepare to intercept Yu Jin's army retreating north and not allow them to enter Qiao County.  Liu Jing immediately ordered, "Quickly order the Eagle Attack Army to find Cao Jun's retreat route. The army will stop garrisoning, and the front army and the middle army will assemble immediately."  " At this time, Pound stood up and saluted: "I would like to lead the cavalry to take the first step. Please allow your highness!  Liu Jing readily agreed, "The cavalry will attack immediately!"  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1103 The War in the Central Plains (2)

    Qiao County spans Huaibei and the Central Plains, and is the longest county in the north-south direction in the Central Plains. The Wo River flows through the entire territory from north to south, making both sides of the Wo River the most important grain-producing area in Qiao County.  That morning, a team of twenty cavalrymen rushed from a trail and ran directly up a low hill. Looking to the south, this cavalry team was a dozen scout teams sent by the Han army.  One of them belongs to the most elite Eagle Attack Army of the Han Army.  All the scout teams received the same mission, to find Cao Jun who was heading north from the Yangtze River and Huaihe River. This scout team ran south along the canals and had traveled more than 400 miles, but still found no trace of Cao Jun.  The canal is a large river parallel to the Wo River, and it also flows into the Huaihe River. However, it is not as wide as the Wo River, and the water volume is not abundant. However, it is very conducive to irrigation, so there are also large areas of farmland on both sides of the canal.  "Captain, we have gone south for more than three hundred miles, and if we go a few hundred miles further south we will reach the Huaihe River. It is impossible that Cao's army is still in the south!" A soldier finally couldn't help but put forward his own idea.  The commander of this scout team is named Jiang Zhong. He is from Hanzhong and has rich scouting experience. He pondered for a moment and said: "So far, we have not seen any signs of Cao Jun going north. There are only two possibilities. Either Cao Jun did not leave us."  Either Cao Jun is still in the south. If Cao Jun is on other routes, he will be discovered by another scout team, but our mission is to continue going south. " "Follow me and continue moving forward!" Jiang Zhong, the commander of the camp, urged his horse to rush south.  , followed by twenty Han cavalry galloping all the way.  Going further south, the large farmland gradually disappeared, and they entered a low and hilly area with a radius of a hundred miles. The mountains were covered with endless forests, and there were forked valleys everywhere. The roads were very complicated, but the official road going south was very clear.  If you follow the canal, you will be in the right direction.  The scout team slowed down and headed south. After walking more than twenty miles, at a bend in a valley, they suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves in front of them. Jiang Zhong immediately made an immediate decision. With a wave of his hand, everyone rushed into the woods next to them.  Not long after, two Cao Jun messengers were galloping over on horseback. Jiang Zhong whispered to the crowd: "Shoot the horses and capture them alive!" Everyone understood and raised their crossbows together, just as two Cao Jun cavalry galloped towards them.  As they passed by, twenty crossbow arrows were shot out from the woods. The two horses neighed and fell to the ground. The two cavalrymen also fell sideways, and one of the cavalrymen rolled into the canal.  The Han army scouts rushed out of the woods and caught one of the Cao army cavalrymen. Several scouts jumped into the canal and dragged the other cavalryman ashore. They acted quickly, and together with the horses they shot to death, all of them were killed.  Move into the dense forest.  After a while, the Han army's scout cavalry continued to run southward. But this time, they no longer took the official road, but took a small road to bypass the front. They got news from the prisoners that 20,000 Cao troops heading north were thirty thousand ahead.  Inside.  In a valley thirty miles away, more than 20,000 Cao soldiers were burying pots for cooking. After marching all night, the soldiers were exhausted.  The road from Xiacai County to Qiao County is long, almost running through the entire Qiao County. However, it is still much closer from Xiacai County to Qiao County than from Xuzhou to Qiao County. It is for this reason that Cao Pi ordered the people banned in Huaibei to  Thirty thousand troops quickly withdrew to Qiao County and participated in the defense of Qiao County.  Just as Sima Yi judged, Cao's army divided its troops and went north from two lines. Cao's army from Xia Cai went north from the west route, and Cao's army from Yicheng went north from the east line. The main force of Cao's army in Huaibei was mainly in Xia Cai County, and there were more than 20,000 Cao's troops going north from the west line.  The people were led by General Yu Jin.  On a mountain ridge not far from Cao Jun, Jiang Zhong led several scouts to observe Cao Jun in the valley. They had rich experience and quickly determined the number, equipment, and food situation of Cao Jun.  It can be seen that Cao Jun did not bring much food, there were not many tents to store food, and there were not many livestock to transport. This was an army heading north with light soldiers. They did not bring any baggage, which shows that they were marching very fast.  Jiang Zhong immediately wrote a piece of information, rolled it into a wooden tube, and tied it to the leg of a letter eagle. They threw the letter eagle high, and the letter eagle spread its wings and flew to the north After Yu Jin's soldiers rested for an hour,  , and continued on his way. Yu Jin abandoned all the baggage on his way north this time, and each soldier only carried three buckets of rice. He was marching lightly. Yu Jin himself knew very well that he might be intercepted by the Han army this time on his way north.  But if it was intercepted by the Han army in Chengfu County, he wouldn't care and could fight. However, he was very afraid of being intercepted by the main force of the Han army. Yu Jin also knew that Xuchang had fallen, and the next step for the Han army must be to march eastward to Qiaojun.  The problem now is that there is insufficient intelligence. Cao Jun¡¯s intelligence is too weak. They don¡¯t even know where the Han army is now?  Yu Jin could only place a bet, betting that they could reach Qiao County before the Han army entered Qiao County.  &nbsp"Speed ??up!" Yu Jin kept urging the soldiers to march and speed up. He knew that the speed of march was the key to the success of their northward journey. The 20,000 Cao troops continued to speed up their march, marching northward quickly on the vast plains.  .  At noon the next day, Cao's army had left Xiacai County for about 400 miles and was about to arrive at Qiaoxian County for more than 200 miles. After a day and night of forced march, the soldiers were exhausted. A tooth general urged his horse to restrain himself.  Sideline: "General, brothers are very tired, can you rest for a while." Yu Jin looked at the map, they are only about thirty miles away from Chengfu County, if the Han army in Chengfu County wants to intercept them, they should be at  At this time, the soldiers must maintain a certain level of physical strength. Yu Jin nodded, "Rest on the spot for an hour!" They were located in a farmland, surrounded by endless wheat seedlings, like a green ocean, with a mile away.  There is a small forest. Perhaps because of the arrival of the army, the farmers who were working in the fields have all hid in the forest. Some people are poking their heads at the edge of the forest.  Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers were already exhausted and sat down to rest. The soldiers took out water and dry food. But at this moment, many people showed surprise and looked around, and many soldiers stood up.  Yu Jin also stood up. He felt the earth shaking, and an extremely uneasy premonition arose spontaneously. However, after only a slight hesitation, there were exclamations and screams from the rear army. Yu Jin suddenly understood that this must be  It was the Han cavalry who came to kill. He was anxious and shouted: "Line up to fight immediately!" Yu Jin had rich experience. He knew that he could not outrun the cavalry. If he ran away, he would only be chased and killed, and he would be completely defeated. If  There are not many cavalry in the Han army, so there may be a glimmer of hope for them to greet them.  The army led by Yu Jin can be regarded as the elite of Cao's army. It was originally Xu Huang's army. After Xu Huang was transferred from Hefei by Cao Pi, this army was commanded by Yu Jin and was able to lead the army well.  The training was very intense.  Under Yu Jin¡¯s order, the eight thousand front troops quickly lined up. They rushed into the wheat fields and formed a spear-firing phalanx to deal with the cavalry. The farmers in the woods in the distance were heartbroken and jumped to their feet and cursed.  But at this time, the wheat field had become insignificant in the face of the war. A fierce battle broke out between the two armies in the wheat field covering an area of ??dozens of hectares. Pang De led 7,000 cavalry to cover up the enemy from the south. This was a tactic commonly used by the cavalry. Generally, after  The army is relatively weak. When the rear army is unable to defeat the cavalry and begins to rout, it will trigger a snowball effect. The rear army will wrap around the front army, eventually leading to a complete rout of the entire army.  As expected, Cao Jun's rear army could not withstand the impact of 7,000 Guanlong cavalry. In just a moment, the entire line was defeated. The Han cavalry followed and killed Cao Jun. Cao Jun's corpses were scattered all over the field, and they were crying and shouting. After only chasing two miles, Pang De saw him.  When the opponent's front army formation had been assembled, he took out his horn and raised his head to the sky and blew it hard. 'Woo¡ª¡ª' The low horn sound sounded in the wilderness.  The Han army also began to line up quickly, with a hundred people in a team, and attacked Cao Jun's spear phalanx from all directions.  Although Cao's army was very tired, they were well-equipped and well-trained. In particular, they were not afraid of death and did not run away in panic. When the Han cavalry got closer and closer, the first row of soldiers suddenly moved away, revealing what was behind them.  The crossbowmen formed a queue, and two thousand crossbowmen brushed flat-ended crossbow arrows on the ground, aiming at the cavalry rushing in a hundred steps away.  Pound led 7,000 Guanlong cavalry in the wheat field. Pound was not afraid. He waved his sword and shouted: "Kill them and defeat them!" General Zhao Chong found that the opponent had set up a crossbow formation, and he caught up with Pound.  He said anxiously: "General, the other side has a crossbow, don't charge hard!" Pound stared deeply at the enemy in the wheat field in the distance. He bit his lips and shouted resolutely: "Kill me!" The Seven Thousand Pass Long Cavalry  War horses galloped across the field, and under the sun, a black storm rolled up from the plains, sweeping towards the eight thousand Cao Jun infantry on the official road with a devastating force.  "Shoot!" At Jin's command, there was a crash of crossbow machines, and two thousand crossbow arrows rose into the air, like a black net flying in the air, overwhelmingly shooting at the cavalry who had rushed eighty steps away. The cavalry raised their shields.  To meet each other, a dense rain of arrows roared into the group of cavalry, and screams rang out. About two hundred cavalrymen were hit by arrows and rolled to the ground. Then the second round of arrows arrived, and cavalrymen continued to be hit by arrows and fell down.  The cavalry was so fast that they rushed thirty steps away in an instant.  £®  £®  £®  £®  Yu Jin saw that the opponent's attack was too fierce and they had no way to retreat, so he made a decision, raised his sword and shouted: "Line up a spear formation to fight!" This infantry was once trained by Xu Huang, and they were all selected from all over Yuzhou.  They are strong and strong men. After several years of training and several battles, they have become more adept at fighting and have extremely strong combat effectiveness.  At this time, they all understood that they had no way out, and the wildness in their bones suddenly broke out. They raised their spears and screamed wildly??Charged towards the cavalry.  The Guanlong Cavalry was the first cavalry team established by the Han army. In order to fight against Cao Cao's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, the soldiers were elites selected from hundreds of thousands of troops. They were all strong and tall, with sturdy armor and sharp swords.  The war horses they rode were also the best horses in a hundred, with strong and powerful limbs. The murderous intention in their hearts also burst out. They brandished their swords and spears and rushed into the enemy group like a storm, and screams suddenly sounded.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The two armies fought bloody battles on the plains thirty miles southeast of Chengfu County. The cavalry slashed with swords and charged with spears. Blood and flesh spattered and heads rolled. The official road and the surrounding wheat fields were stained red with blood, and pieces of sticky blood gathered together.  It became a stream, filled with corpses and severed limbs.  Pound personally led three thousand cavalry to charge into the densest enemy group. His long sword flew and slashed with unstoppable courage. Wherever he passed, there were numerous corpses and blood mist filled the air. It was like a murderous god coming down to earth. Even the most ferocious soldiers could not see it.  He was so frightened that his legs trembled, and he turned around and ran away. Behind him were three hundred cavalry guards, who charged all the way and were invincible.  The cavalry had an absolute advantage over the infantry. Although these Cao Jun infantry were all fearless and well-trained, they gradually became unable to support themselves under the impact of the powerful cavalry.  Especially long-distance marches consume a lot of physical strength. Their physical strength has been severely exhausted and they are unable to fight with the Han cavalry for a long time. Cao's soldiers were divided and surrounded by the cavalry and eliminated one by one.  At this moment, another army appeared in the northeast. This was the general Wei Yan who arrived with ten thousand troops. They intercepted Cao's army in front. Unexpectedly, Pound's cavalry had already attacked first. Wei Yan was eager to make a contribution and hurriedly led his army.  They cut off Cao's army's retreat from the north.  Seeing that the situation was over, General Cao Jun sighed deeply, drew his sword and was about to commit suicide, but was hugged by his own soldiers and shouted: "The King of Han wants to treat the general favorably, why is the general seeking death?" Yu Jin had no way to go, and he really didn't want to commit suicide.  Under the persuasion of the soldiers, he had no choice but to throw down his sword and order: "The whole army surrenders, stop resisting!" The general ordered to surrender. More than 10,000 Cao's troops finally collapsed. They all knelt down to surrender and begged for their lives. Pang De ordered to stop the killing.  The remaining Cao troops were all captured alive, and Yu Jin was escorted by dozens of Han troops to Chen County.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1104 The War in the Central Plains (3)

    Perhaps because Yu Jin's army moved north quickly, the main force of the Han army failed to catch up to intercept Cao's army. After Liu Jing learned that Yu Jin's 20,000 Cao army had been intercepted by Pound's cavalry and Wei Yan's army, he changed his plan and ordered the Han army to  The army marched towards Qiao County.  At this time, Huang Zhong and Liu Hu of Shouchun also led 60,000 Han troops and hundreds of warships to Qiao County. The 10,000 Cao troops retreating north from Yicheng County also successfully escaped the Han army's interception and arrived at Qiao County.  , bringing Cao's army in Qiao County to 30,000.  At the same time, Cao Ren led 80,000 Cao troops to advance from Xuzhou toward Qiao County. War clouds gathered over Qiao County, and the battle around Qiao County between the two sides was about to break out.  Liu Jing, the king of Han, led an army of 100,000 to Limu Town, about ten miles away from Qiao County. It was a small town with less than a hundred households. Due to the arrival of the war, the residents of the town had already fled, leaving only a few hundred empty houses.  .  The Han army built a large camp in the wilderness to the east of the town. The Han army's camp covered an area of ??tens of thousands of acres and built tall and heavy walls with stones and huge trees. In order to prevent Cao's army from sneaking up on the camp with rockets, the Han army sent two thousand soldiers.  The patrol patrolled the perimeter, built an outer wall 500 steps away, and dug a shallow ditch dozens of feet wide in front of the wall to introduce river water. In this way, even if Cao Jun broke through the perimeter scouts and ejected the camp with fireballs, he would not be able to escape.  It's hard to succeed.  This is also the experience and lesson of the Han army after dozens of battles. Although Liu Jing has always preferred to attack with surprise troops, in this kind of battle that determines the overall situation of the world, he is extremely cautious and will not make any mistakes or appear.  A loophole.  Nearly 10,000 large tents have been set up, and in the middle there is a huge woolen tent covering an area of ??about three acres. This is the royal tent of the Han army, and it is also the main tent of the Chinese army. Liu Jingzheng stood with more than a dozen generals and counselors.  Discuss some details of this Central Plains war in front of the sand table.  The strategy has already been set, to completely annihilate Cao's army in Xuzhou and unify the Central Plains. The key is how to fight. There are several plans in this. Zhao Yun smiled and said: "Your Highness has always been decisive in sending troops, why are you so hesitant this time? With our military strength, we are already far superior."  Cao Jun can definitely capture Qiao County in one go. Could it be that His Highness wants to besiege the city and bring reinforcements?" Liu Jing nodded and said with a smile, "Zilong's guess is good. This time I really want to besiege the city and bring reinforcements." Liu Jing pointed to Qiao County and Pengcheng.  Said: "Both Xuchang, Qiaoxian and Pengcheng are all powerful cities that are easy to defend but difficult to attack. Xuchang City was easily captured by us because Cao's army had too few troops, but Qiaoxian and Pengcheng were different. Especially Pengcheng, the city was strong.  It is tall and has a large amount of grain storage. It has been managed by Cao Ren for many years and the people are stable. If Cao Jun defended Pengcheng with tens of thousands of troops, it would be difficult for us to capture Pengcheng. Therefore, we took advantage of Cao Jun's inability to abandon Qiaojun and lured Caojun to Qiaojun for a decisive battle.  That's our way to win." Zhao Yun nodded silently, and Sima Yi smiled and said: "We have been preparing for this Central Plains war for several years, and our deployment is in place, and our troops are far superior to Cao's army, so as long as we send troops carefully, we will be able to win.  We will definitely win, we need to have confidence." Liu Jing saw that everyone understood why they were not in a hurry to attack Qiao County, and said with a smile: "There is another news I want to tell you, Cao Pi has arrived in Xuzhou, this is good news!  "Why did Your Highness say that?" Wen Ping asked in confusion.  Pang Tong smiled and said, "Let me answer your questions for Your Highness. The biggest difference between Cao Pi and Cao Ren is that Cao Pi focuses more on political influence, while Cao Ren mainly considers military affairs. Once Cao Pi takes control of Xuzhou, then the strategy of Cao's army in the Central Plains will change."  There will be changes. The most typical one is that Cao Ren originally wanted to abandon Qiao County and lead the Han army to Xuzhou for a decisive battle, which would continue to lengthen our logistics line. " Speaking of this, Pang Tong held up a copy of Cao Jun's military order and said: "This is from.  A military order captured in Yu Jin's hands, Cao Ren ordered Yu Jin to withdraw to Xuzhou. It can be seen that Cao Ren's original plan was to abandon Qiao County and defend Xuzhou. "The generals passed this military order, and then they understood why Yu Jin's army would withdraw to Qiao County. This was inevitable.  It's Cao Pi's order.  Pang Tong said calmly: "Cao Pi will never give up Qiao County, because Qiao County is the ancestral home of the Cao family, and the ancestral hall of the Cao family is located in Qiao County. Once Qiao County is lost, Cao Pi will firstly be unable to explain to Cao Cao, and secondly, he will not be able to explain to Cao Cao.  The continuation of the Cao family's regime is a huge taboo, so I believe that it was Cao Pi's unwillingness to lose Qiao County that changed Cao Ren's initial strategic plan and forced Cao Ren to rescue Qiao County. " Pang Tong's analysis was very thorough, which made everyone feel like it.  With a sudden realization, Cao's army was actually facing a dead end. The Hefei battle three years ago had already established the Han army's victory today. No wonder Sima Yi said that the Han army had been preparing for today's Central Plains battle for several years.  Wenpin pondered for a moment and said: "If we want to besiege the city for reinforcements, then we must have an army behind the main force of Cao's army and cut off their retreat to Xuzhou. Has Your Highness considered it?" Liu Jing pointed at Xiangxian County with a wooden pole, "I have ordered  Lu Meng led 10,000 troops and rushed to Xiangxian County. Once we and the main force of Cao's armyIn the battle, Lu Meng will quickly insert himself behind Cao Jun and cut off Cao Jun's retreat. I have laid a trap in Qiao County and am waiting for Cao Ren to take the bait.  " Yu Jin has been brought to the Han army's camp. Because he surrendered on the battlefield, he is not considered a prisoner of war. However, before Liu Jing spoke, Yu Jin did not receive corresponding treatment and was placed under house arrest in a large tent.  Yu Jin was very nervous. He had heard the news that Wei Gong would not last long. Yu Jin also did not think highly of Cao Wei. He also knew that the Han Dynasty would destroy Cao Wei and unify the world. Yu Jin also considered his own future more than once. What if.  It was Jiangdong who unified the world. Maybe he had surrendered to Sun Quan long ago. However, the leader of the Han Kingdom was Liu Jing, the person who changed his life's destiny. He still remembered that night more than ten years ago, that extremely resourceful young man. He could not even dream of it.  Unexpectedly, the young man he met in Rangshan turned out to be the number one hero in the world today, which made him sigh with emotion. Just when Yu Jin was in a state of confusion, a soldier quickly walked up to the tent, nervously.  Said: "General Yu, Your Highness the King of Han is here!  " Yu Jin was shocked. At this time, he had no time to think too much. He turned around and walked out of the tent. He saw the King of Han Liu Jing walking quickly towards him. Yu Jin did not dare to look at Liu Jing. He stepped forward and knelt down on one knee, holding his fist high and said: "  The guilty minister is banned, please see His Highness the King of Han!  Liu Jing smiled slightly and said: "General Yu, we are old friends. No need to be polite. Please get up!"  " "Thank you, Your Highness, King Han!  " At this moment, Yu Jin made up his mind. No matter how polite Liu Jing was to him, he must maintain the courtesy of a minister and never get carried away. He still lowered his head, waiting for Liu Jing's instructions. Liu Jing saw that he did not respond to him  , then he smiled, walked into the tent and sat down. When Liu Jing saw Yu Jin still standing with his hands down, he smiled and said: "General Yu, don't be nervous, just treat him with common courtesy. Please sit down and talk.  " Yu Jin sat down, he sighed and said: "Thank you, Your Highness, for not killing Yu Jin. Yu Jin is very grateful, and I am willing to work for Your Highness in the future!  Liu Jing nodded and asked, "Does General Yu have any good suggestions for this battle in the Central Plains?"  " Yu Jin's eyelids twitched. He didn't expect Liu Jing to ask such a direct question. Although he was a little embarrassed and didn't want to be disadvantageous to Cao Jun right away, he also understood in his heart that military generals were no better than civilian officials. He didn't have many opportunities. If he wanted to serve in the Han Dynasty  If the army has a certain status, it must seize every opportunity to make meritorious deeds. For the sake of the future and the prosperity of its descendants, Yu Jin also risked his life. "Your Majesty, the key to the battle in the Central Plains is to conquer Pengcheng. Although Pengcheng is impregnable, it is not without its weaknesses.  .  " Liu Jing suddenly became energetic. He didn't know what Pengcheng's weakness was, but as Yu Jin, a veteran who had been working in Cao's army for many years, he knew very well where Pengcheng's weakness was? And Yu Jin's words revealed the key to the Central Plains War.  , it is indeed Pengcheng¡¯s gain and loss. ¡°General Yu, please speak frankly!  " Yu Jin pondered for a moment and said: "The biggest advantage of Pengcheng is that Cao Ren has great control over the city. He is very prestigious in the city. He can mobilize tens of thousands of civilians to serve him at any time, and he can also have soldiers follow him to fight to the end. But in fact, this  It is also Pengcheng's biggest weakness. Once Pengcheng loses Cao Ren, if he loses his soul, no one can replace Cao Ren's prestige in the city and the army, not even Cao Pi. Therefore, if His Highness wants to break Pengcheng, he must stop Cao Ren from returning at all costs.  Pengcheng, as long as Cao Ren cannot return to Pengcheng, the Han army only needs to besiege Pengcheng for one month, and Pengcheng will surrender.  " Liu Jing nodded. Yu Jin's words made sense. It seems that sending only 10,000 troops to intercept Cao Jun's retreat was not enough, and more troops had to be sent. Liu Jing said happily: "I have remembered General Yu's suggestion. I hope Yu Jin will  The general has more and better suggestions, and he will contribute his own strength to the unification of the Han Dynasty and the revival of the Han Dynasty.  " "I am willing to do my best to unify the world.  Liu Jing met with Yu Jin, which meant that Yu Jin officially became a member of the Han army. However, Liu Jing did not let him participate in the Central Plains War for the time being. Instead, he made him a staff member of the army and named him a partial general. At the same time, Liu Jing accepted Yu Jin's offer.  It was suggested that Liu Hu be ordered to lead 20,000 troops to Xiang County. This would increase the number of Han troops blocking Cao's retreat to 30,000. In any case, Liu Jing would not let Cao Ren escape back to Pengcheng when the Han troops were there.  While building the camp to the east of Qiao County, Cao Ren led his 80,000 main force to Fuxian County, about a hundred miles away from Qiao County. At this time, Cao Ren had received the news that Yu Jin's army was intercepted by the Han army near Chengfu County.  This news made Cao Ren extremely nervous. He knew the combat effectiveness of Yu Jin's army. The annihilation of the 20,000 army was definitely not something that the Han army in Chengfu County could do. There was only one possibility, and that was the Han army.  The main force of the army has arrived. Cao Ren also has extremely rich combat experience. He is rigorous in running the army, cautious and diligent.??He received a strict order from Cao Pi, ordering him to protect Qiao County and Cao's ancestral hall no matter what, but Cao Ren was still in no hurry to rush to Qiao County. He knew that once the army entered Qiao County, he would be passive and let  Niu Jin defended Qiao County. He fought on the periphery and was more flexible and proactive.  At this moment, Cao Ren suddenly received some bad news.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1105 The War in the Central Plains (4)

    In the big tent, Cao Ren was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking quite upset. He had just received the news that the Han army had mobilized 50,000 troops from Yizhou and Hanzhong to rush to Nanyang. In other words, the Han army finally participated in the Central Plains campaign.  The total strength will reach 250,000 people.  And they only have 150,000 troops. After Yujin¡¯s 20,000 elite troops were annihilated by the Han army, only 130,000 troops were left. The Han army was twice as large as ours. How to fight this battle?  Cao Ren indeed felt very passive. He didn't understand why Cao Pi came and interfered with his strategy after arriving, which made all his previous plans go to waste and put him in a great passive state.  The annihilation of Yu Jin's army is the best example. Of course, he knew that Yu Jin's retreat to the north was likely to be intercepted by the Han army, so he ordered Yu Jin to withdraw to Xuzhou to avoid the main force of the Han army advancing eastward.  At the same time as the camp, Cao Pi's order was also sent to Yu Jin, ordering Yu Jin to immediately go north to reinforce Qiao County.  This made Cao Ren so angry that he almost vomited blood. Even if he wanted to persuade Cao Pi to give up the order, it was too late. This back and forth would take several days. In desperation, Cao Ren had no choice but to carry out the order given to him by Cao Pi and not to lose Qiao County.  He led 80,000 troops to Qiao County, and at the same time sent people to inform Yu Jin to postpone the march until his main force arrived in Qiao County, and then join him again.  This was Cao Ren's only chance to avoid the annihilation of Yu Jin's army. Although Cao Ren marched quickly, he was still a step late. Yu Jin's 20,000 troops had been completely annihilated by the Han army. In this way, his plan was completely disrupted.  , which made Cao Ren feel a deep sense of powerlessness, and he was at a loss for a moment.  Counselor Man Chong stood aside, silently watching Cao Ren pacing back and forth. He was well aware of Cao Ren's helplessness. Originally, Cao Ren was in charge of Xuzhou and commanded the overall battle, but now Cao Pi was in charge of Xuzhou, and Cao Ren was reduced to a general. This made Cao Ren a general.  The early preparations were disconnected from the actual combat later.  "Captain, the most important thing now is to calm down. Since it is too late to save Yu Jin's army, the Commander should not be disturbed by this incident. Once the Commander loses his cool, the entire Cao army will be in great danger." Man Chong's persuasion finally made Cao Ren slow.  Slowly calming down, Cao Ren himself knew that he should not be impetuous at this time. Although Cao Pi took over the decision-making power, he was the executor of the Central Plains War. The key to the final victory of the Central Plains War was Cao Ren.  Cao Ren walked to the sand table, stared at the sand table, pondered for a moment and asked: "Sir, where do you think the Han army will be next?" Man Chong picked up the wooden pole and pointed at Qiao County and said: "If I guessed correctly, the Han army will not be in a hurry.  Instead of attacking Qiao County, they will besiege the city and bring reinforcements. What they really have to deal with is the governor's 80,000 troops, so the Han army will definitely set up camp near Qiao County and wait for the governor's army to approach Qiao County. " "Sir, you are right.  "Liu Jing has always been good at strategy. He knows how to take advantage of the opponent's weaknesses. How could he not know that this time the prince went south and took command." Cao Ren took two steps with his hands behind his back and attacked Man Chong.  Said: "I want to order Niu Jin to abandon Qiao County, lead the army back to Xuzhou overnight, and gather troops to deal with the Han army. Do you think it is appropriate, sir?" Man Chong thought for a moment and said: "This is indeed a good strategy to change from passive to active, but  The status of Qiao County is very unusual. After giving up Qiao County, the governor had to consider how to explain to the prince that it would be great if Qiao County could be recaptured in the future. However, once Qiao County could not be recaptured, the governor would have to bear all the responsibilities, and if Qiao County was lost,  If Wei Gong knows about it, I'm worried that Wei Gong will not be able to bear this blow." Man Chong's words put Cao Ren in a dilemma. He felt that it was too passive to advance, but to retreat, he could not bear the responsibility of losing Qiao County. After thinking for a long time, Cao Ren finally decided.  He made up his mind and said: "Forget it! I will convince the prince first and wait for him to agree before withdrawing the troops. There is no rush now." Cao Ren immediately wrote a letter and ordered a group of cavalry to be sent to Pengcheng as quickly as possible, hoping to persuade Cao Pi to agree with him  The withdrawal plan Night fell quietly, and the heavy night enveloped the vast plains. On the official road south of Fuxian County, a Han army cavalry of more than 10,000 people appeared. This was 12,000 cavalry led by Pound.  Guanlong cavalry, the Han army trained a total of 30,000 cavalry, and invested 15,000 in the Central Plains War. Another 5,000 were led by Leng Bao and were stationed in Hanoi County, and 10,000 cavalry were stationed in Chang'an.  After Liu Jing decided to implement the strategy of siege and reinforcements, he immediately began to deploy. The cavalry led by Pound was the vanguard. This was a containment tactic to prevent Cao's army from retreating. Once Cao's army retreated, the cavalry would launch an attack on Cao's army's logistics and supplies.  .  Pang De's cavalry marched slowly on the official road about two miles away from Fuxian County. The cavalry of more than 10,000 people was large enough to be discovered by Cao Jun. Soon, the Han army's cavalry passed through Fuxian County and circled to the southeast of the county.  , Pang De sent several teams of scouts to explore the vicinity of Cao Jun.  At this time, a cavalryman came rushing from behind and shouted from a distance: "General, there is a palace."?Command!  Pound quickly reined in his horse, turned its head and asked, "What order?"  "The soldier took out a copy of the King of Han's handwriting and presented it to Pang De. Pang De quickly opened it and looked at the torch. Liu Jing ordered him to create momentum east of Fuxian County. Pang De understood the intention of King Han, which was to  Dispelling Cao Ren's attempt to withdraw his troops back to Xuzhou, he immediately ordered: "Follow me!  " Pang De suddenly accelerated his horse speed and led 12,000 cavalry to the east of Cao's camp. It didn't take long for Cao's 80,000 main force to arrive at Fuxian County, only three days. Due to the rush to Qiao County, the baggage was  Most of them fell behind. Although a large amount of food and military supplies had been transported into Cao's camp within three days, some of the food and grass were still on the way. When the Han cavalry suddenly came to the east of Cao's camp, it was a coincidence.  A Cao Jun baggage team came from afar. The baggage team consisted of thousands of carts and mainly transported grain and fodder. This baggage team was only ten miles away from Cao Jun's camp. They wanted to go back to the camp to rest in one go, but they didn't expect it.  Both sides were surprised when they encountered the Han cavalry, but the surprise disappeared in a short moment. The five hundred Cao soldiers guarding the grain team shouted and raised their crossbows to shoot at the Han cavalry in front.  Unprepared, dozens of people were shot down by Cao's crossbows. Pound was immediately furious. Instead of running away, the enemy actually dared to shoot his own cavalry with crossbows. He immediately ordered: "Surround them and kill them all!"  " The shouts of killing were loud on both sides of the official road, and the Han cavalry came from all directions. Only then did Cao Jun, who was guarding the grain team, realize that they were not encountering a Han scout team, but the main cavalry of the Han army. They were so frightened that they ignored the cart.  They scattered and fled, but it was already too late. Three thousand cavalry arrived first and rushed into the guarding Cao army. They slashed with swords and stabbed with spears, killing Cao's soldiers until they cried and begged for mercy.  But Pang De had already issued a killing order. The Han cavalry showed no mercy and slaughtered all the 500 Cao soldiers in a moment. Only groups of frightened coachmen were left. They were not attacked by the Han army.  The cavalry massacred them, and the killing order did not include them. At this time, the cavalry brought more than a dozen coachmen to Pound. They all knelt down and kowtowed for mercy. Pound asked: "How many cavalry do we have?"  " "You villain I don't know!  "    "explain!  How many are there?  Pang De shouted loudly, which made several people tremble. A coachman mustered up his courage and said, "There are about several thousand people."  " "It's not a few thousand people, it's more than 20,000 cavalry. Do you see clearly?  " Under Pang De's order, a dozen coachmen looked at it again tremblingly. Sure enough, they were countless cavalry, estimated at 20,000 or 30,000 people. They nodded, "You see clearly, little man?  " "Let them go and let them go to Cao Ying to report the news.  " More than a dozen cart drivers were led by the Han army not far from Cao's camp. A cavalry officer pointed at Cao's camp in the distance and shouted: "Go to Cao's camp!  " More than a dozen truck drivers were so frightened that they stumbled towards Cao Jun's barracks. Soon they ran to the front of the camp. They shouted to the defenders: "We are grain truck drivers, here to report the news.  " Cao Jun's soldiers had already noticed something unusual outside. More than 10,000 crossbowmen had entered the fighting position, preparing to face the Han army's sneak attack. At this time, more than a dozen people ran up and shouted that they were grain truck drivers, which made Cao Jun's soldiers look at each other.  A general waved his hand, and soldiers rushed out and brought the coachmen into the camp. Cao Ren also heard the news of the discovery of the Han army, and hurried to the gate of Dongying and asked loudly: "How many Han are there outside?"  military?  " The tooth general on duty bowed and said: "The patrol scout said that there are at least tens of thousands of people. It is difficult to see clearly in the dark night.  Cao Ren was furious, "If you don't even know how much the enemy is doing, what's the use of patrolling and scouting?"  " At this time, a tooth general rushed over and said: "Inform the governor, a dozen cart drivers came, saying they were from the grain transport team. Their grain team was intercepted and killed by the Han army.  " Cao Ren felt as if he had been hit head-on. His grain team was actually intercepted and killed by the Han army. He was heartbroken and immediately ordered: "Bring them to me!  " After a while, more than a dozen cart drivers were brought up by Cao's soldiers. They knelt all over the ground, begging for their lives. Cao Ren was upset and shouted, "Shut up, everyone!"  " More than a dozen coachmen were so frightened that they didn't dare to take a breath. Cao Ren pointed at one of the older coachmen and asked, "Tell me, what's going on?  "The driver stammered and told them that they encountered the Han army. All the soldiers of Cao's army were killed by the enemy, and they were released by the Han army to report the news. After telling them in detail, Cao Ren frowned and asked again: "  Did you read that correctly, there are 20,000 cavalry?  " "I really don't know how many there are, but it's really a lot, at leastWith more than 10,000 people, we dare not deceive the general.  " Cao Ren knew that what they said was true and had no guts to deceive him. The fact that the food and grass were taken away was secondary. The key was that nearly 20,000 Han cavalry appeared behind him. This was an extremely bad thing. He would not be able to return to Pengcheng.  At this moment, Cao Ren suddenly understood that the Han army was making noise to let him know that he could no longer evacuate except for a fight to the death. But even if he was willing to fight to the death, there was an enemy army behind him.  How to fight this battle?

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1106 The War in the Central Plains (5)

    On the endless sea, the sea breeze stirred up gentle waves, lapping at the rocks and coast. Under the blue, gem-like sky, a large fleet was cutting through the waves and sailing north.  This is the Han fleet coming from the mouth of the Yangtze River. It consists of 600 large ships weighing more than 2,000 stones. The hulls are very strong and can withstand large waves in the offshore. The fleet is fully loaded with 30,000 elite Han troops and is heading north.  At this time, the Central Plains War was in a confrontation stage. Cao Ren could no longer withdraw to Xuzhou, and the Han army had not yet launched an attack on Cao Jun. The key was that Liu Jing was waiting for news from Gan Ning.  After using surprise troops to regain Jiaozhou, the Han army tasted the benefits of sea attack. This time, in order to win the Central Plains War, Liu Jing did not hesitate to use the navy again. He hoped that the navy could play the role of surprise troops.  After experiencing last year¡¯s sea attack, the Han army has accumulated certain experience, and it will be relatively easy to take the sea route for the second time. Despite this, the Han army still made a lot of preparations.  At the beginning of spring, Gan Ning sent two advance fleets to explore the sea route along the northern coast. After three voyages in several months, the Han army had basically determined the route. When the Han army and Cao army were facing each other in Qiaojun, Gan Ning  Ning and Lu Xun then led 30,000 Han troops to the north.  The Han army's first expedition to the north by sea did not have a very far-reaching plan. It did not consider attacking Hebei, but wanted to capture Qingzhou. In this battle in the Central Plains, Cao Pi had ordered Cao Xiu to lead 50,000 Qingzhou troops to Xuzhou, which made  Qingzhou was empty, allowing Liu Jing to see the opportunity to seize Qingzhou.  Once the Han army captures Qingzhou, it will inevitably bring huge pressure to Xuzhou. Then the balance of victory in the Central Plains war will completely tip to the Han army. This is Liu Jing's consistent style. The cautiousness of the Central Plains will inevitably lead to surprise troops on the periphery.  Six hundred warships cut through the blue waves of the offshore sea. The fleet stretched for hundreds of miles, with sails like clouds and a huge momentum. On the front of a four-thousand-stone building ship, Gan Ning stood on the side of the ship holding a short halberd.  Looking towards the shore, staring at a black line of land in the distance.  Gan Ning's heart was filled with ups and downs. He had been fighting in the water all his life. Ten years ago, he never imagined that he would go to sea to fight, and blazed an unprecedented path.  "What is the governor thinking?" Sima Luxun slowly walked to Gan Ning and asked with a smile.  Gan Ning sighed slightly, "I am lamenting that I am taking a road that no one has ever traveled before, and that I am going north by sea. For Cao Jun, this is probably a surprise attack that they cannot imagine." "I think Cao Cao may have been worried.  After all, we have successfully raided Jiaozhou south. How could Cao Cao not know? But even if he knew, they would be unable to prevent us. Unless they have naval forces to intercept them, the initiative is still in our hands. He can't deploy all his elite troops and generals along the coast. That's really true.  "It's unrealistic." Gan Ning nodded and smiled: "Actually, I have also considered why the King of Han does not let us attack Hebei directly. Hebei is currently empty of troops. We can sweep across Hebei and fight all the way to Yedu, which will put pressure on Cao's army.  Isn't it bigger? " "This is the stability of His Highness the King of Han. Cao Wei is not Jiaozhou. It cannot be swallowed up in one go. It must be taken step by step. Especially the battle of the Central Plains is the most critical step in attacking Cao Wei. Once we take the Central Plains, Cao Wei will be gone.  , and the capture of Qingzhou will form a response from the north and the south." As the two men were talking, the watchmen shouted from above: "Captain, we saw the beacon fire ahead!" Gan Ning and Lu Xun looked towards the north, and they also saw it.  , a thin wisp of beacon smoke appeared in the distance, which was the signal from their advance army, and they finally arrived at their destination.  Gan Ning was overjoyed and ordered: "Send the flag to the rear and prepare to enter the port!" A soldier waved the flag to notify the rear of the ship to slow down. At this time, the main ship where Gan Ning was on also lowered its sails, and the ship slowed down and headed toward the burning  Driving to the beacon tower.  The place where the Han army landed is located in a huge bay, which is today's Jiaozhou Bay. It is under the jurisdiction of Chengyang County. The seaside in this area is basically deserted, with only a handful of fishermen living on the seaside.  But this does not mean that the government does not pay attention to the benefits of the sea. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the State of Qi was making profits by drying salt on the seashore. During the Han Dynasty, the main source of salt for Han Dynasty was also the seaside. Whether it was the State of Qi or the Han Dynasty,  The salt farms operated by the government were mainly located in the Bohai Sea. The Yellow Sea and the East China Sea were slowly developed after the Sui and Tang Dynasties.  This time the Han army's Northern Expedition also took into account the effect of the surprise army, so they did not go north to the Bohai Sea, but landed in Chengyang County, which was slightly sparsely populated. The Han army went straight to Qingzhou, and the fleet continued sailing to join the Han army at the mouth of the Yellow River.  As early as a few months ago, the Han army's advance team built several guard towers on the mountain at the entrance of the bay to guide the Han army's fleet. As large ships sailed into the bay, this quiet natural harbor became lively.  stand up.  The fleets docked one after another, and the soldiers ran down from the warships in a wilderness.The tents were set up quickly. After nearly half a month of sailing, the soldiers needed to rest on the shore.  Soon, thousands of tents appeared in the wilderness, and Han soldiers carried thousands of bags of food from the ships. After two days of rest, the Han army moved their light troops westward. Each soldier only carried ten days of dry food, and the ships  The team continued northward into the Bohai Sea and met with Han soldiers at the mouth of the Yellow River.  At this time, the advance guard quickly came to Gan Ning, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See you, Governor!" "Thank you for your hard work." Gan Ning comforted the military leader and asked, "Did anything happen?  "To the Governor, there is nothing unusual. There are only some fishermen living in this area, which is under the jurisdiction of Zhuangwu County. However, the county is a small county fifty miles away in the north. The government does not know about our arrival at the moment." Gan Ning ordered.  Nodding, he turned back and asked Lu Xun: "Lu Sima, do you think we should set off now, or take a rest for two days before leaving?" Lu Xun thought for a while and said: "The main force of the Qingzhou Army has gone to Xuzhou, and the troops here are empty. We will definitely capture Qingzhou with overwhelming force.  "In fact, there is no need to rush. I suggest setting off tomorrow." Gan Ning also agreed with Lu Xun's suggestion and immediately ordered: "Have a day's rest and set off with the army early tomorrow morning!" In order to cooperate with the navy's march north to Qingzhou, Liu Jing was not in a hurry to join the main force of Cao's army.  Decisive battle, but patiently waiting for the opportunity. On the other hand, an army of 30,000 led by Zhang Liao also crossed the Yellow River from Yanjin and entered Liang County.  Zhang Liao's army originally rushed south to aid Xuchang, but when it crossed the Yellow River, it was blocked by the Han army in Hanoi. A fierce battle broke out between the two sides. Zhang Liao defeated the Han army with superior force and used rafts to cross the Yellow River. However, Xuchang had been lost by this time.  Zhang Liao's light troops went south and had no siege equipment, so he temporarily stationed in Dongjun, waiting for Cao Pi's order.  With more than 100,000 Han troops confronting the main force of Cao's army in Qiao County, Zhang Liao also received Cao Pi's order to enter Liang County and prepare to participate in the Central Plains campaign. The intervention of Zhang Liao's army complicated the situation in the Central Plains battle.  The time has come this morning. Liu Jing, escorted by more than a thousand cavalry, came to Qiao County to inspect. There are currently 30,000 Cao troops in Qiao County, commanded by General Niu Jin. The two sides have been facing off for nearly half a month.  The defenses gradually became lax, and the number of soldiers on the city became sparse.  When Liu Jing's team arrived at the foot of Qiao County City, a rapid alarm bell suddenly sounded on the top of the city, causing Cao's soldiers to panic. Groups of soldiers rushed to the top of the city, swords drawn, and nervously looking at the city.  Liu Jing immediately stood on a small hill, smiled and said to Zhao Yun next to him: "Their defenses are so clear. If we attacked Qiao County last night, we might have succeeded." Zhao Yun smiled bitterly and said: "After all, the confrontation lasted for half a month.  , the weather is getting hot again, and it is normal for Cao's army to be lax in defense, but it is not an option to delay it like this. When is your highness going to fight Cao's army decisively?" Liu Jing smiled, "I am waiting for Zhang Liao's army to withdraw north.  I am not sure about this battle." Zhao Yun was startled, "Why do you think Zhang Liao's army will retreat?" The story of Ganning's navy going north is extremely secretive. Even generals like Zhao Yun and Wenpin don't know about it, only Sima Yi and Pang Tong.  When the two military advisers knew about it, Liu Jing said to Sima Yi: "The military adviser might as well tell Zilong the reason." Sima Yi smiled slightly and said: "Captain Zhao may not know yet, but 30,000 navy troops came north by sea more than half a month ago.  General Ning should have led his army into Qingzhou at this time. I believe there will be news in the next few days. " Zhao Yun was stunned at first, and then he was overjoyed. This matter was so secret that even he didn't know about it, but he didn't regret it.  He was so excited that he couldn't help but smile and said: "In this case, Cao Pi will have to divide his troops and go north, unless he doesn't want Qingzhou, but this is impossible." Zhao Yun suddenly hesitated again and said: "If Cao Pi ordered Cao Xiu  Liu Jing said calmly: "Knowing yourself and your enemy means you will never be defeated. If Cao Xiu's army returns to Qingzhou, what will happen to Xuzhou? Who will protect Cao Pi's safety? The battle in the Central Plains is important, but it is more important than his own safety.  It's important, but it's still a little bit worse. Moreover, in Cao Pi's original order, he did not intend to let Zhang Liao participate in the Battle of the Central Plains. He was just worried about the Youzhou Army stationed in Yedu and worried that Cao Zhang would launch a coup in Yedu, so he took the opportunity to let Zhang Liao participate in the battle.  After taking the Youzhou army away from Yedu, I concluded that Cao Pi must ask Zhang Liao to help Qingzhou. Without the threat of Zhang Liao's army, I have nine points of confidence in this Central Plains battle." Zhao Yun sighed after a while, "  Your Highness has seen through Cao Pi. "At this moment, a group of cavalry rushed from a distance. The leader of the army rushed up the hill, said a few words to Liu Jing's guards, and was brought to Liu Jing. The guards  Said: "Your Highness, there is news from Qingzhou!" Liu Jing laughed, talking about Qingzhou, the news from QingzhouAfter hearing this, he asked: "Where is the news?" The military marquis presented an eagle letter to Liu Jing. Liu Jing took it and read it, then smiled at Sima Yi and Zhao Yun and said: "Let's go back! Prepare to fight with  Cao Ren's decisive battle in the Central Plains." Sima Yi and Zhao Yun looked at each other, and Sima Yi asked anxiously: "Where is General Gan Ning?" Liu Jing handed the eagle letter to Sima Yi, "He captured Linzi two days ago.  And descend."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1107 The War in the Central Plains (6)

    At the same time that Liu Jing received the battle report from Ganning, Cao Pi also received the 800-mile expedited report from the Linzi garrison. Thirty thousand Han troops suddenly appeared in Qingzhou. They had swept through most of Qingzhou with overwhelming force.  The troops came to Linzi City. The situation in Linzi City was critical, and they begged Cao Pi to send troops to help urgently.  When Cao Pi got the news, it was when he was having lunch. The critical situation in Qingzhou shocked Cao Pi. The wine bottle in his hand fell to the ground in fright, and his face instantly turned pale. With a trembling voice, he urgently ordered the guards to summon Cheng Yu to see him.  Cao Pi also had no intention of dining. His heart was on fire. If Qingzhou was lost, it would threaten the safety of Hebei. What should he do?  The biggest problem now is that he doesn't have enough troops.  Among the 150,000 troops that Cao Jun invested in the Central Plains War, Cao Ren led the main force of 80,000 troops, 30,000 troops in Qiao County, and another 20,000 troops in Yu Jinbu who were annihilated by the Han army, so there were only 20,000 troops left in Pengcheng.  , plus the 10,000 Tiger Guards cavalry brought by Cao Pi, there are only 30,000 defenders in Pengcheng. They not only have to protect Cao Pi's safety, but also defend Pengcheng. Where can there be troops to assist Qingzhou?  After much deliberation, only Zhang Liao's army could be used, but Cao Pi couldn't make up his mind for the moment. He needed to listen to Cheng Yu's advice.  During this period, Cheng Yu was not in good health and felt a little sick. This was also due to his old age. He was nearly eighty years old and followed Cao Pi on a long journey to Xuzhou. For a while, he couldn't adapt to the water and soil of Xuzhou, so he fell ill.  It wasn't until these two days that things got a little better.  Cheng Yu came to the inner hall on crutches. Cao Pi quickly ordered the guards to help him sit down and asked with concern: "Is the military advisor feeling better?" "You are feeling better. You can get up and walk in the next two days." Cao Pi sighed,  "The military advisor is nearly eighty years old, and you still follow me south. How ashamed is Cao Pi!" "Your Highness, there is no need to blame yourself. Since Wei Gong entrusts His Highness to the old minister, the old minister should do his best to assist you. I wonder what is urgent for Your Highness?" Cheng Yu knew Cao Pi very well.  , Cao Pi was more headstrong and did not like to listen to the suggestions of his ministers. The deployment of troops after coming to Xuzhou was Cao Pi's decision. He basically didn't ask himself. But today he sent people to find him, something big must have happened.  Cao Pi had no intention of caring about Cheng Yu's health now. He just asked casually, and he immediately said: "I just received an urgent report from Linzi. Tens of thousands of Han troops suddenly appeared in Qingzhou. They have captured most of Qingzhou. We only have Linzi's troops."  With five thousand troops stationed, Qingzhou is in danger." Cheng Yu was also secretly surprised, how could the Han army suddenly attack Qingzhou?  But as soon as he thought about it, he realized that this must be the Han warship heading north by sea, and the Jiaozhou sneak attack occurred again.  He sighed slightly and said: "This is also what the old minister is worried about. After the Han army attacked Jiaozhou, Wei Gong and the old minister were worried that the Han army would repeat its old plan and send naval troops to attack Hebei or Qingzhou. But this time in the Central Plains  In the battle, the Han army mainly attacked Xuchang, which seemed to have nothing to do with the navy, so the old minister did not pay attention to the navy. Unexpectedly, the navy was dispatched. Liu Jing's layout was thorough and leak-proof, which is really admirable. " Cao Pi's face became gloomy.  , It turns out that his father and Cheng Yu had noticed the movements of the Han navy for a long time, but did not tell themselves. What's the use of talking about regrets now?  In particular, Cheng Yu praised Liu Jing for his careful planning, which was undoubtedly a slap in the face and implied that he had not thought carefully, which made Cao Pi feel very uncomfortable.  He suppressed his dissatisfaction and said to Cheng Yu: "I want Zhang Liao's army to go north to rescue Qingzhou. I wonder if the military advisor thinks it is feasible?" Cheng Yu thought for a moment and asked: "Apart from this, is there any other plan?" Cao Pi  Shaking his head, "Otherwise, we can only send troops from Yedu, but the garrison in Yedu is less than 50,000. Sending too many troops will affect the security of Yedu, so after much deliberation, I can only send Zhang Liao to the north. Otherwise,  There is no other army to call upon." Cheng Yu nodded, "Since the Crown Prince has made his decision, I don't have any suggestions, so just send troops according to the Crown Prince's decision!" "But how to fight the battle in the Central Plains? Don't you have a military advisor?  Any suggestions?" Cao Pi couldn't help but ask.  Cheng Yu sighed, "My only suggestion is that the prince returns to Yedu as soon as possible to find a way to recruit troops. The lack of troops is our biggest weakness. I hope it's not too late!" Cao Pi certainly understood what Cheng Yu meant, that is, he should not interfere.  Cao Ren took command, which he could understand. He had now let Cao Ren take full command of the battle, but there was another meaning in Cheng Yu's words, which was to imply that the passivity in the Central Plains battle was caused by Cao Pi, which made Cao Pi understand.  Extremely harsh.  Cao Pi couldn't bear it anymore and stood up and said to the guards: "The military advisor is not in good health and should not sit for a long time. Help the military advisor to go back to rest and send doctors to take good care of the military advisor. Don't neglect it!" Cheng Yu understood in his heart and smiled and said: "I am indeed a good person.  You old fool must go back." He said.He stood up with strength, supported the guards and left slowly. Cao Pi kept watching Cheng Yu's back, and finally couldn't help but threw an inkstone to the ground, and cursed: "What do you call a strategist? Don't say anything useful.  In one sentence, it's a lot of nonsense. It's okay for such an old and mediocre person to use it." Cao Pi took a few steps distractedly, but the critical situation did not allow him to think about it any longer. He immediately ordered: "Pass my order.  Order Zhang Liao to lead his troops to Qingzhou to rescue Linzi City!" Cao Pi issued the order to dispatch troops. At this moment, a guard rushed to the front of the hall and bowed: "Your Majesty, there is an urgent message coming from the Imperial Palace.  " Cheng Yu came out of Cao Pi's temporary palace, and his eldest grandson Cheng Ke, who was waiting outside the palace, quickly came up to him and supported his grandfather: "Grandpa, be careful of the steps!" Cheng Yu nodded, "Let's go back first!"  Grandfather got on the carriage and ordered the driver to start back home. In the carriage, Cheng Yu kept thinking silently. Cheng Ke turned around and looked at the guard cavalry. Seeing that they were not in front of the window, he whispered to his grandfather: "I just received a letter from my father.  , Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi visited their father one after another. "Cheng Ke's father was Cheng Yu's eldest son Cheng Wu. Cheng Yu was startled by this news. He asked, "Where is the letter?" "The letter is in the house, but my grandson didn't bring it with him.  Come out." After a moment of silence, Cheng Yu asked again, "What else was said in the letter?" "And Xiahou Dun left without saying goodbye. It is said that he went to Taiyuan." Cheng Yu closed his eyes for a while, and sneered:  "Go back and pack your luggage! Today or tomorrow, we will return to Yedu." The situation can be described as changing rapidly. Just when 30,000 naval troops attacked Qingzhou, the situation in Yedu also changed subtly. Fifty thousand Youdu  After Zhang Liao took away 30,000 Youzhou troops, Cao Zhang took decisive measures and moved into Yedubei Military Camp overnight, keeping the remaining 20,000 Youzhou troops firmly in his hands.  At the same time, Cao Zhi visited Xiahou Dun at night. Early the next morning, Xiahou Dun left Yedu without permission and rushed to Taiyuan. Bingzhou was the Xiahou family's sphere of influence and was guarded by Xiahou Dun's nephew Xiahou Shang.  Although the situation in Yedu was still very calm and calm, Cao Pi saw the turbulent undercurrents in the calm situation. He was so anxious that on the night he received Hua Xin's urgent letter, he handed over the military power to guard Xuzhou to Cao Xiu.  He also ordered people to send the tiger talisman to Cao Ren, and ordered him to take full charge of the Central Plains campaign.  After hurriedly arranging the battle, Cao Pi set off overnight and rushed back to Yedu under the escort of 10,000 tiger guards. He knew very well that if he did not return to Yedu to take charge, the situation in Yedu would change. In early June, Zhang Liao  Cao Pi's army of 30,000 crossed the Yellow River and headed for Qingzhou. Cao Pi's army also entered Dongjun and was about to cross the river and head north. At this time, the Han army, which had been confronting Cao's army for nearly 20 days, finally launched an attack on Qiao County.  Since the Yizhou Army led by Zhang Ren and the Hanzhong Army led by Meng Da have both arrived at Qiao County, the total strength of the Han Army in the camp reached 200,000, plus the 30,000 Han Army who intercepted Cao Ren's retreat in Xiang County  , the Han army already had an absolute advantage in strength.  Liu Jing immediately led an army of 200,000 to surround Qiao County and attacked the city day and night. The situation in Qiao County was critical, and Niu Jin continued to ask for help from Cao Ren.  Although Cao Pi had handed over command to Cao Ren, Cao Ren's army missed the opportunity to return to Xuzhou. There were 30,000 Han troops in Xiang County to intercept them, and Pang De's cavalry was watching eagerly on one side.  The main force of Cao's army could no longer withdraw to Xuzhou. Cao Ren knew that the Han army was forcing him to rescue Qiao County, but he had no choice but to lead 80,000 Cao troops towards Qiao County. Apart from fighting the Han army to the death, Cao Ren had no other way to go.  .  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Outside Qiaojun City, three hundred giant trebuchets transported from Xuchang stood proudly. The huge rocks were thrown out, making a harsh whistling sound, and hit the city head. The soldiers on the city top shouted and lowered their heads together. The huge rocks smashed down.  On the battlements in the middle, rubble suddenly flew away, and together with the broken bricks of the battlements, the boulders continued to roll, and hit the last trebuchet on the city head. The wooden base was broken, and the tall trebuchet shook a few times, and creaked.  Squeaking and falling towards the city.  This time, the Han army did not use kerosene or troops to attack the city. Instead, they used trebuchets to fight Cao's army. It was more to put pressure on Qiao County and force the main force of Cao's army to come for assistance.  In two consecutive days of trebuchets, the Han army's trebuchets relied on their longer range to defeat Cao's trebuchets, destroying almost all the trebuchets on the city. Cao's army suffered more than 2,000 casualties, and the Han army also sacrificed ten thousand people.  Five trebuchets were destroyed and hundreds of Han soldiers were killed or injured.  Two days of non-stop attacks left Qiaoxian city walls scarred and scarred. Although no wall collapsed, there were shocking cracks everywhere on the city wall. Most of the battlements were smashed. Only a few thousand people were left guarding the city, and the rest of the soldiers were all gone.  Retreat to the city to take shelter.  ? ?At this time, the West City was in danger. Finally, a section of the city wall could not withstand the continuous huge stone attacks by the Han army and collapsed suddenly. A gap nearly thirty feet wide appeared, and the silt filled in the city wall also poured down.  "General!" A soldier rushed to Niu Jin and reported: "A section of the wall in the West City has collapsed. The Han army's offensive is too intensive and the brothers cannot repair it." Niu Jin's most worried thing finally appeared. Once the wall was opened,  The Han army was about to attack the city, and Qiao County could no longer defend it. He stamped his feet anxiously, "Why haven't the governors come yet? I'm going to kill you!" As soon as he finished speaking, a horn sound suddenly came from the distance, one after another.  , the soldiers on the top of the city suddenly cheered, and some soldiers shouted: "Our reinforcements are coming, the reinforcements are coming!" Two days after the Han army besieged Qiao County, Cao Ren's main force finally arrived.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1108 The War in the Central Plains (7)

    After more than 20 days of confrontation, the Han army launched an siege against Qiao County. For Cao Ren, he had no choice. If he retreated, he would be blocked by the Han army and he would be defeated.  If the confrontation continues, his army will face the dilemma of insufficient food. The Han army has cut off the food route. More importantly, once the Han army captures Qiao County, not only will the 30,000 Cao army in the county be annihilated, but he will also be unable to attack.  On behalf of Wei Gong.  Fighting or not fighting, Cao Ren could not help himself. He had no choice but to accept the challenge of the Han army and fight to the death with the Han army in Qiao County.  When 80,000 Cao Cao's troops appeared ten miles away from Qiao County, the Han army, which had been waiting for a long time, immediately attacked. The two Han armies from the north and the south quickly gathered in the east of the city. A total of 100,000 elite Han troops faced Cao Cao's 80,000 troops.  A strong wind was blowing, flags were fluttering, there was a burst of flying sand and rocks in the wilderness, and dust filled the air. Cao Cao's 80,000 troops had already established their position, with archers, crossbowmen, spearmen, jumping soldiers, and cavalry on the left and right arranged in sequence.  Five thousand of the sharpest tiger and leopard cavalry formed the central army and surrounded Cao Ren in the middle of the team. Cao Ren immediately stood under a big flag and looked at a black line in the distance with complicated eyes.  80,000 Cao Cao's troops did not attack immediately, but stopped ten miles away. After marching all night, the soldiers and horses were very tired, so it would be disadvantageous for them to go into battle immediately.  Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers took advantage of this moment to sit on the ground and rest. The cavalrymen dismounted one after another to drink water and feed their horses, and they also hurriedly took a few mouthfuls of dry food to fill their stomachs.  At this time, the sound of drums could be heard faintly from the Han army's position in the distance, and a soldier on the high platform shouted: "Commander, the enemy army has been approaching us!" Cao Ren stared into the distance, it was mid-morning.  , a few rays of sunlight shined through the dense dark clouds, illuminating the wilderness and highlands in the distance. They saw the army led by Han Wang Liu Jing approaching here step by step. They seemed to see that Cao Jun was tired and began to take the initiative to attack.  Cao Ren immediately ordered coldly: "The army is ready to fight immediately!" "Woo¡ª¡ª" A low horn sounded over the Han army, and the rumble of war drums sounded. Cao's soldiers got up to prepare for battle, and the cavalry mounted their horses and tightened their grip.  He took off the reins, stretched his bow and nocked an arrow, and slowly raised his spear.  The dark clouds closed again and the sun disappeared. Under the gloomy dark clouds, one hundred thousand Han troops had stopped three miles away. They formed a triangular army formation, with flags fluttering, black armor, and spears forming a sharp forest, gloomy.  The world is full of murderous intent, enough to make any opponent dare not underestimate the enemy.  At this time, Liu Jing was also looking at the Cao army on the opposite side. He saw that the Cao army stretched for ten miles, and eight thousand crossbowmen were lined up in three rows. They were waiting for the Han army to attack first so that their bows and arrows could exert their power.  Liu Jing waved his hand, "Don't attack easily!" Without Liu Jing's order, the Han army did not launch an attack. Both sides seemed to be waiting. At this time, Li Tong, the commander of Cao's left wing, whispered to the general Yang Dian beside him: "You see  Is it? The Han army has no intention of attacking at all. It is estimated that the governor's plan to suppress the opponent with crossbows has failed. " Yang Dian sighed slightly: "The Han army has been fighting with us for many years. Who doesn't know the opponent's tactics?  ?¡± Time passed little by little. The two sides faced off, but no one took the initiative to attack. It was as if they were testing their perseverance and endurance to see who could not hold on first.  At this time, a scout suddenly pointed at the opponent's camp and shouted to the counselor Man Chong: "Man Chong, the opponent seems to be moving!" Man Chong looked at the distance and saw that the Han army's position began to change.  , a Han cavalry force of about 7,000 people left the main formation and ran diagonally to the right flank two miles away from Cao's army, obviously intending to attack the flank of the crossbowmen.  This is a huge threat to the crossbowmen. If Cao Jun does not change the formation, the crossbowmen will suffer a fatal impact. He looked back at the main formation of Cao Jun with great favor, and saw that the general Cao Ren had a solemn expression and remained motionless.  But Man Chong discovered that the crossbow army had changed its formation, and three thousand cavalry of Cao's army rushed from behind. They met the Han cavalry on the side and covered the crossbow army. Man Chong felt relieved a little. Cao Ren was indeed experienced.  Will not change formation easily.  But Man Chong was still a little worried. He looked up at the sky. There were dark clouds, thunder was faintly heard in the clouds, the weather was extremely hot, and a heavy downpour was about to come.  In front of the Han army's formation, Liu Jing was making the final mobilization for war. His tall Xiong Jun's war horse was galloping into the wind. Marquis Wen's halberd in his hand collided with the soldiers' spears. He shouted loudly: "Generals of the Han army, follow me for a hundred years."  Sons who are victorious, today will be our decisive battle to conquer the Central Plains. We must use our lives and blood to prove that we are the most powerful army in the world. Sons, follow me and fight the enemy bravely. " "I am willing to die for the King of Han!  "The soldiers of the Han army shouted like thunder: "Long live the King of Han!"&nbsp; Liu Jing raised her head and looked up at the sky. At this time, the sky started to rain, and it gradually became heavier and heavier. Liu Jing gave Pang Tong a thumbs up in admiration. The weather was exactly as Pang Tong expected.  "Left and left wings, attack in an arc!" Liu Jing gave the order, the war drums beat loudly, and the red and blue flags fluttered on the command platform. This was the order to attack in an arc. The Han army suddenly launched, and a triangular formation was seen.  The two bottom corners are separated to both sides, forming two arc lines, just like the two horns of an argali.  The 60,000-strong army formed two turbulent black waves, each several miles wide. Under the leadership of the left-wing general Zhao Yun and the right-wing general Wenpin, they attacked the left and right wings of Cao's army. Spears and swords were densely packed like a forest, and the soldiers held their shields high.  , running hard in the heavy rain, with a tragic and majestic momentum that made the world change color.  At the same time, the low horn of the Han army sounded, and the seven thousand cavalry deployed on the left flank of Cao's army, led by General Pang De, also suddenly launched an attack. They rushed towards the flank of the crossbowmen.  Suddenly there was heavy rain in the sky, which made Cao Ren's expression change drastically. His crossbows could not be used in the rain, and his crossbow formation failed. Cao Ren was greatly worried and quickly ordered: "General Li will fight the enemy cavalry on the flanks, and the crossbows will be fired."  The crossbow army retreats! "A group of 30,000 Cao army spearmen were divided into two groups. Ten thousand of them, led by General Yang Dian, fought against the Han cavalry coming from the side. The two sides were getting closer and closer.  Shining with momentum, Pang De shouted, "Split the troops!" He galloped northward, and two thousand cavalry followed him, bypassing Cao's forward and rushing towards the retreating crossbow army. At this moment, the cavalry had the upper hand.  They showed it vividly. They galloped at lightning speed and rushed into the retreating crossbow army of Cao Army with a devastating momentum.  Hundreds of Cao's crossbowmen rolled and fell to the ground under the powerful impact of the cavalry. In an instant, heads rolled, blood spattered, and wailing sounds were heard. Swords and spears were stabbed, horses collided, and horses galloped wildly in the crowd. The crossbow soldiers  Unable to use bows and arrows in the rain, it was difficult for them to resist this extremely sharp Han cavalry, and the formation of the eight thousand crossbow troops was torn to pieces.  Another 5,000 Han cavalry, led by General Xu Sheng, collided with the 10,000 spear troops led by Yang Dian. The spear poles struck each other and the swords were blocked, and the two families fought fiercely.  At this time, the 40,000 main force of the Han army on the left wing led by Zhao Yun arrived and rushed towards Cao Jun in overwhelming force. Cao Ren was well prepared and coldly ordered: "Fight on the right wing!" After all, Cao Ren is also one of the strongest armies in the world.  Ten thousand spear infantry and four thousand cavalry formed a large formation of spearmen complementing the infantry and cavalry. Under the leadership of the right-wing general Li Tong, they faced the 20,000 Han infantry who came to fight.  Heavy rain disrupted Cao Ren's deployment of crossbow troops, allowing the Han army's 40,000 infantrymen on the left wing to pass unimpeded and attack without any hindrance. The 40,000 spearmen, like a surging wave, led by Zhao Yun, attacked from all directions.  The spearmen's formation launched a stormy attack.  The spear formation was a weapon trained by Cao Ren to deal with the Wuhuan cavalry. It was somewhat similar to the Macedonian Legion in the West. It mainly used collective strength to deal with the cavalry with two-foot-long spears. Their flanks were their weak points, so both sides had their own weaknesses.  It was guarded by two thousand cavalry.  Zhao Yun saw the weakness of Cao Jun and urgently ordered: "Concentrate the attack on the cavalry on the left!" The 10,000 Han spear army launched a fierce and storm-like offensive, attacking the left guard one after another.  cavalry.  In the summer of June, there were mostly showers. After a short period of heavy rain, the rain cleared and the sun shone on the earth again. Cao Jun's crossbowmen changed their strings one after another, and the crossbowmen once again showed their power.  The 30,000 right-wing infantry led by Wenpin were blocked by 5,000 crossbow troops sent by Cao Ren. The Han army's shouts of killing shook the sky. They moved forward bravely and swept towards Cao's army. They held a shield high in one hand and a spear in the other.  Facing the dense rain of arrows, they violently attacked the enemy's position.  At one hundred and twenty steps, Cao Ren's crossbow troops began to fire arrows. The overwhelming rain of arrows shot towards the Han soldiers. Han soldiers were shot over one by one, but the rolling army was still like a black tide, surging towards Cao Jun.  Came to cover up.  In tit for tat, Wenpin also sent 5,000 Han crossbowmen to shoot at the enemy formation. They used a special chain crossbow, which was equipped with a wooden box on the crossbow and a box of twelve arrows. After one shot, it could automatically load the arrows. The soldiers  They pulled strings and shot arrows very quickly.  Waves of crossbow arrows were fired at the enemy formation like locusts, and a large number of Cao Jun's soldiers were also shot over. At this time, Wenpin's right-wing Han army finally rushed to the front of Cao Jun's formation. Cao Jun's crossbowmen put down their bows and arrows and ran behind.  Zheng led an army of 20,000 to fight, followed by an army of 5,000 swords and shields, fighting together from the side.  ¡®Boom!  ¡¯ There was a loud bang on the ground, and the two armies collided like two surging waves. In an instant, the murderous aura blinded people¡¯s eyes. Their weapons clashed and their armors collided.There was a clang, and the two armies fought fiercely together, with shouts and screams, heads falling to the ground, and blood flowing in rivers. The war was so cruel that the lives of the soldiers were as humble as grass at this moment.  A Han soldier screamed, his head was split in half by an axe, and blood and brains spattered everywhere. Two burly soldiers met each other at hand-to-hand combat, and they fell to the ground together. The Han soldier held the other tightly down, and casually grabbed a knife from the ground.  He aimed an arrow at his forehead and eyes and stabbed him with arrows one after another. The other person choked and died miserably on the ground.  But no matter how fierce the battle was between the left and right wings, Cao Ren's central army remained firm and motionless. Liu Jing also had 30,000 elite troops that had not gone out to fight, and there were also 50,000 reinforcements led by Huang Zhong who would not go out easily.  At this time, military advisor Pang Tong stroked his beard and smiled. He had already seen that the strength of the Han army was slightly better than that of Cao's army, and it was an army of 150,000 against an army of 80,000. In any case, they would definitely win this battle.  Liu Jing, however, remained silent and watched the fierce battle between the two armies from a distance. Both sides were going all out and the fighting was fierce. The time had come for Huang Zhong to attack. He turned around and ordered: "Let Huang Zhong's troops attack!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1109 The War in the Central Plains (8)

    'Woo¡ª¡ª' The horn sounded, and the 50,000 Huang Zhong troops waiting in the south were already eager to attack. The long horn sound was heard, which was the signal to attack. Huang Zhong waved his sword and shouted, "Kill!" "Kill!"  ! "The 50,000-strong army rushed towards Cao's army in a fierce battle like a violent wave.  Cao Ren¡¯s army was fighting fiercely. Although Cao Ren also knew that there was another Han army looking at the south, he could no longer care about it in the melee. He shouted hoarsely and commanded Cao¡¯s army to fight. His voice became hoarse.  At this moment, a soldier beside Cao Ren shouted in shock: "Commander, look!" He pointed to the northeast with a look of horror on his face. Cao Ren followed his hand and pointed, and his heart suddenly sank, like falling.  In the abyss, I saw an army of about 30,000 people coming out from the northeast. With flags fluttering and a terrifying momentum, they quickly and fiercely attacked the back of Cao's army. The leader of the generals had a black dragon horse on his crotch, holding a golden back to cut down the mountain.  With a big sword, a silver helmet on his head, and white beard and hair, he is Huang Zhong, the general of Zhennan.  Cao Ren reined in his horse and took a few steps back in shock. The Han army was coming from the south. He felt the pressure like a mountain. He tried his best to steady his mind, waved his long sword and shouted: "Let the tiger and leopard cavalry fight!"  The Leopard Cavalry is commanded by General Wu Jian. Wu Jian is a native of Beihai County. He is very brave and has the strength of a thousand catties in his arms. This time, Cao Xiu led 10,000 Tiger and Leopard Cavalry south to assist Xuzhou. Five thousand Cavalry were led by Cao Xiu and stationed in Xuzhou.  Another five thousand people were led by Cao Xiu's confidant Wu Jian and followed Cao Ren to rescue Qiao County.  The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry are Cao¡¯s army¡¯s trump card. They are only mobilized at critical moments. At this time, the situation was critical, and Cao Ren could only put the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry into the battlefield.  Upon hearing Cao Ren's order, Wu Jian immediately raised his horn and blew it. Dozens of trumpeters blew it together, "Woo¡ª¡ª" Wu Jian waved his horse and led five thousand tiger and leopard cavalry to charge towards the opponent's cavalry.  go.  The five thousand tiger and leopard cavalry are heavily armored cavalry. Their horses are covered with armor that can withstand bows and arrows. The cavalry are selected from hundreds of thousands of Cao's troops. They are all outstanding in martial arts and well-equipped. They have become the most elite cavalry in Cao's army and rarely participate in battles.  Five thousand tiger and leopard cavalry galloped quickly, like a powerful iron stream, and instantly rushed in front of the eight thousand trapped troops led by Zhang Fei with murderous intent, 'Boom!  ¡¯ There was a loud noise, and the powerful impact of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry knocked hundreds of trapped soldiers to the ground.  Zhang Fei had been dormant in Jiaozhou for many years, and his murderous aura was suppressed. This time, he was appointed as Deputy General Huang Zhong. He had been watching like a wolf for a long time, waiting for an opportunity to fight Cao Jun. Today's battle between Han Army and Cao Jun made him finally wait for a long time.  battle.  Fifty thousand Jingzhou troops surrounded the tiger and leopard cavalry from all directions. Zhang Fei took the lead and led 8,000 trapped troops. He was so brave that he chopped down hundreds of tiger and leopard cavalry in an instant. The ground was covered with broken limbs and broken bodies. The blood was pungent and choked.  I can't even breathe.  Although the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were extremely powerful, they still suffered heavy losses in the face of the Jingzhou Army that was ten times their size. The blade passed by, turning people upside down and causing blood to flow like a river.  Wu Jian couldn't help but became angry. He roared, rushed forward on his horse, swung his horse spear and stabbed dozens of people in a row. The remaining hundreds of Jingzhou Army soldiers were frightened and turned around and ran away. Wu Jian laughed when he saw the enemy's embarrassment. He laughed.  Before the sound was over, Zhang Fei struck at him from a diagonal thrust, with a sound like the roar of a tiger, and struck out with a snake spear eight feet in length, the tip of which was as fast as lightning. He lifted Wu Jian off his horse, and killed him with another spear.  The general was killed, the tiger and leopard cavalry began to fail, and the defeat gradually appeared.  At the same time, Cao Jun's right wing also faced a crisis. The two thousand cavalry guards on the left side of the spear formation were assassinated by Han spearmen, exposing the gap on the left side of the spear formation. This was the weak spot of the spear formation.  When Cao's army changed their formation, Pang De led 5,000 cavalry to attack. He shouted, "Charge the left side of the spearmen's formation!" Five thousand Han cavalry surged up, impacting like a storm, and instantly broke through the spearmen's formation.  This spear formation, which had suffered numerous casualties and suffered heavy attacks from the Han army, could no longer hold on any longer. The formation was in chaos and showed signs of collapse.  At this time, the horns sounded again in the distance, and the drums of the Han army sounded like thunder. Liu Jing gave the order for the final attack. He personally led 30,000 of the most elite Han troops, and the shouts of killing shook the sky, just like the strong wind blowing under the dark clouds.  , sweeping towards Cao Ren's central army.  Huang Zhong's 50,000 Jingzhou Army also defeated the tiger and leopard cavalry. The cavalry was defeated and the 50,000 army came from behind to cover up and kill them. Zhang Fei was even more unstoppable when he waved his snake spear, killing Cao's soldiers and causing chaos.  Cao's army was attacked from both sides. Seeing that the situation was not good, Man Chong immediately rushed forward and shouted to Cao Ren: "Commander, you must retreat quickly, otherwise, our army will be completely wiped out!" Cao Ren's face turned pale, and he gritted his teeth.  He shouted: "Withdraw your troops immediately and withdraw to Fuxian County!" He galloped, and a thousand personal guards surrounded him and ran towards Fuxian County, more than 40 miles away. As Liu Jing personally led the elite Han army to kill, the morale of Cao's army suffered.  After a heavy setback, the spear formation collapsed first, followed by Cao Jun on the left wing, led by Han Zheng, and quicklyWithdrawing eastward, Cao's army was defeated like a mountain.  "Kill!" The Han army shouted loudly and their morale was high. They chased the enemy troops and killed them. The black defeated troops were defeated and fled for their lives. They trampled on each other, suffocated and trampled to death.  There is a river ten miles away to the east. The river is about seven or eight feet wide. There was originally a wooden bridge, but the Han cavalry had demolished the bridge. The defeated soldiers had nowhere to escape and jumped into the river to swim.  Most of Cao's army did not know the nature of water. Countless people drowned in the river. Their corpses blocked the river. Their limbs were pillowed on the pillows. The piles of corpses were piled up like mountains, forming a bridge of flesh and blood. The defeated soldiers behind them stepped on the corpses of their companions and ran to the other side. Only the sound of  There were moans, screams, and cries, everything was like madness, terror, and chaos.  The rumors that the Han army had killed Xuchang prisoners of war made these poor soldiers dare not surrender, so they just ran away desperately. The land east of Qiao County was full of scattered Cao Jun troops.  But they could not escape far, so they were overtaken and surrounded by Han cavalry led by Pang De and Xu Sheng. Those who resisted were all killed. In the end, tens of thousands of desperate Cao soldiers had no choice but to kneel down and kowtow to beg for mercy.  £®  £®  £®  £®  When Cao Ren led thousands of remnant troops to rush to Fuxian County, he unexpectedly encountered the general Gao Lin who had escaped from the county and more than a thousand defeated soldiers. Gao Lin followed Cao Ren's order and led 3,000 troops to garrison Fuxian County. Unexpectedly, he was also captured.  The Han army was defeated, which frightened Cao Ren, and he immediately ordered Gao Lin to be brought in for questioning.  "What happened? How is the situation in Fuxian County now?" Cao Ren asked before Gao Lin could speak.  Gao Lin was ashamed, knelt down on one knee and said: "This is to inform the governor, Lu Meng led 30,000 Han troops to attack the county. I really can't hold my humble position. Please punish me!" Cao Ren sighed after a long time, "I should have thought about it, but I didn't.  Take it to heart, this is my fault, get up!" Gao Lin stood up and asked in a low voice: "Captain, where are we going?" Cao Ren thought for a moment, then ordered the generals who were following him to be found.  Tongji said to the generals: "The Han army's intention is not to allow me to return to Xuzhou, but I have to go back to Xuzhou for defense anyway. This is our only chance to save the Central Plains. In order to avoid the Han army, I decided to lead my troops back to Xuzhou first."  , you can gather the defeated troops here, continue to fight my flag, and then you can find a way to return to Xuzhou." Cao Ren's intention was obvious. He wanted to avoid the tracking of the Han army and left quietly with only a small number of personal guards, while the other Cao troops used their weapons.  To confuse the Han army, although this meant abandoning everyone, it was also a helpless move.  Li Tong understood that Cao Ren's good intentions were not to abandon everyone. He nodded and said: "Please don't worry, Commander-in-Chief. I will gather the remnants of the army and will definitely find a way to return to Xuzhou. However, the Commander-in-Chief himself must be careful."  Quite pleased, he said to everyone: "Everyone obey General Li's order. Anyone who dares to disobey will be killed without mercy!" Everyone bowed and agreed. Cao Ren wasted no time. He immediately led more than a hundred personal guards,  He turned his horse's head and galloped away towards the north, gradually disappearing.  At this time, the shouts of killing were loud in the distance, and the Han cavalry was already chasing them. There was no time for them to collect the remnants. Li Tong had no choice but to lead thousands of defeated remnants southward to distract the Han army.  The pursuit route: Pengcheng, where Cao Ren wanted to return, was located in the northeast of Fuxian County. He could bypass Fuxian County and go straight, or he could go to Liangjun first, and then go east from Liangjun to Pengcheng. Cao Ren was defeated in Qiaoxian, and he was very panicked.  Although he knew in advance that his chance of winning was very small, he felt tremendous pressure after being defeated by the Han army. He knew very well that the consequences of Qiao County's defeat would be that he would most likely lose the entire Central Plains.  At this time, Cao Ren had only one idea: to do his best to defend Pengcheng, use Pengcheng to contain the Han army's attempt to occupy the Central Plains, and buy Cao Pi as much time as possible.  Cao Ren led a hundred personal guards all the way north. That night, the group entered Liang County. Cao Ren breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that his men were all exhausted and the horses could no longer hold up, he said to everyone: "Take a rest for two days."  We'll be on our way again in an hour." The soldiers dismounted, buried pots to cook, and looked for water. Cao Ren also found a big stone to sit on. He turned back and ordered: "No fire, only dry food!" Even though he had already entered!  Liangjun, but he still did not dare to be careless. He knew well that the Han army's scouts were powerful. Unless they entered Pengcheng, they would be discovered by the Han army at any time.  Cao Ren took out a map and looked at it for a moment under the moonlight. They should be in Dang County now. He looked up and looked around. Here, hills and plains intersect, with large forests scattered around, and a small river not far away.  Cao Ren felt like he had been here before. If he remembered correctly, the county seat should be about ten miles to the north, but it was blocked by a low and gentle hill that was more than ten miles long.  At this moment, a soldier rushed over and nervously reported:The governor and the patrolling brothers discovered several Han cavalry on the official road to the north.  "What!" Cao Ren stood up and found the Han cavalry. He immediately realized that something was wrong. Regardless of whether the Han cavalry discovered them or not, the appearance of the Han cavalry in Liang County was unusual.  After receiving the signal, Cao Ren immediately realized that the danger was coming. He immediately ordered: "Get on your horse immediately and get out of here quickly!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1110 Military Attack on Qingzhou

    The soldiers who had just rested for less than a quarter of an hour remounted their horses. Cao Ren ran northeast along the official road. However, less than a mile away, a sudden fire broke out in the mountain col on the left. A group of Han cavalry rushed out and intercepted.  They blocked the path of Cao Ren's team.  The leading general, with a face as heavy as a date, a broadsword in his hand, and a majestic thousand-mile horse on his hip, was none other than the partial general Wei Yan. Wei Yan and Lu Meng were responsible for intercepting Cao Ren's escape back to Xuzhou. They had already expected that Cao Ren might leave Liang County.  Wei Yan led three thousand troops to ambush in Dang County and indeed intercepted Cao Ren.  Wei Yan laughed proudly and pointed with his broadsword, "If Governor Cao doesn't dismount and surrender, how long will it take?" Cao Ren's heart seemed to sink into the abyss. He only brought a hundred soldiers with him. How could he fight this battle?  He looked back again and found that the Han army was intercepting him behind him. He had no other choice but to break through.  Cao Ren shouted loudly and charged at Wei Yan with his sword. Wei Yan also shouted sharply: "Well done!" He urged his horse to rush forward and greeted him with his sword.  Both of them are generals with strong martial arts skills. They are equally matched and their swords are flashing. The two fight fiercely together for more than thirty rounds. Wei Yan becomes more and more brave as he fights, but Cao Ren doesn't want to fight anymore and thinks about ways to escape.  The two horses crossed each other, and Cao Ren slashed back with his sword. Wei Yan had expected it and blocked it with his sword. Cao Ren was waiting for this opportunity. He suddenly clamped the horse's belly with his feet, and the horse galloped out and fled eastward.  The Han soldiers rushed forward and stabbed him with spears.  Cao Ren knew that this was his last chance. If he could not escape, he would die here. Cao Ren roared and slashed several people with his sword in an attempt to break out of the siege. At this moment, Wei Yan hung up his sword and he  With a sneer, he took off his long bow, pulled out a wolf-fang arrow from his back, drew the bow like a full moon, and aimed it at Cao Ren's back.  As soon as the string was loosened, the spike arrow shot out like lightning. The arrow hit Cao Ren in the back. Cao Ren shouted, his body shook, and he fell from his horse. Wei Yan shouted, "Capture him alive!" More than a dozen soldiers rushed forward.  , pressed Cao Ren tightly and tied him up with a rope. Cao Ren sighed and closed his eyes helplessly.   In June of the 20th year of Jian'an, the Han and Cao armies competed for Qiao County, and the Central Plains War broke out. The Han army successively invested 180,000 troops on the battlefield, twice as many as Cao's army, and finally defeated it with absolute strength.  Advantage defeated the main force of Cao's army of 80,000 in the battle of Qiao County. Xuzhou Governor Cao Ren and counselor Man Chong were captured by the Han army. Lieutenant General Li Tong was seriously injured during the breakout and eventually died.  After learning about Cao Ren's defeat, Niu Jin, the governor of Qiao County, could not withstand the siege of 200,000 Han troops and finally led his army to surrender.  In this Central Plains war that took place in Qiao County, the Han army faced 250,000 troops against the 130,000 Cao army. Cao¡¯s army was finally wiped out. More than 20,000 people died in the battle, but more than 100,000 Cao soldiers surrendered. Only  Thousands of people escaped from the battlefield. This was also the heaviest loss suffered by Cao's army since the Battle of Chibi.  The victory of the Central Plains War caused the Han and Cao armies to lose balance. The Han army's strength increased to 500,000, while the total strength of Cao's army dropped sharply to 150,000. The Han army reorganized its army in Qiao County. Ten days later, Liu Jing personally led  Two hundred thousand troops prepared to march towards Xuzhou.  At this moment, Cao Pi sent an urgent military order from Yedu, ordering Cao Xiu to abandon Xuzhou and withdraw his troops back to Qingzhou. By now, except for Xu Huang who defended Luoyang, the Han army had captured the entire Central Plains. ?¡­ Just when the Han army achieved brilliant results in the Central Plains War and shocked the world, Cao Jun also tried to save some face in Qingzhou, and Cao Pi pinned his hopes on Zhang Liao.  Zhang Liao led 30,000 Youzhou troops across the Yellow River and advanced rapidly toward Qingzhou. Three days later, Zhang Liao's army arrived in the Taishan County area, and 30,000 Cao troops were stationed in Laiwu County, which is close to Qi County.  In the big tent, Zhang Liao stood alone in front of the sand table and pondered for a long time. The Han army was currently mainly distributed in Jinan County, Qi County and Le'an County, but he did not know the specific military deployment of the Han army. The lack of intelligence troubled Zhang Liao's decision-making.  But Zhang Liao also has another problem, that is, the army he leads is not very handy. It does not mean that he cannot command the army. It is just that after his orders are passed down, it is always a little late when it comes to execution.  In the slightest, there is no military order as swift as a mountain.  Zhang Liao also understood in his heart that this army was the Youzhou Army that Cao Zhang had run for many years, and it only obeyed Cao Zhang's orders. It was only because of the pressure from his father that Cao Zhang had no choice but to hand over military power. However, the 30,000 Youzhou Army he took over was Cao Pi's.  Order, how could Cao Zhang allow himself to command this army as he pleased?  It is not surprising that Cao Zhang's shadow still exists in the army.  On the one hand, there was insufficient intelligence on the Han army, and on the other hand, he was ineffective in commanding the army. These two major problems really made Zhang Liao feel inadequate for the Qingzhou battle.  At this moment, a guard reported at the entrance of the tent: "General, there is a man coming from outside the camp. He claims to be a fellow countryman of the general. He is now the magistrate of Beihai County. He specially asks to see the general." &nbsp; Zhang Liao frowned. He was from the same hometown as Beihai County. He thought for a while, suddenly realized, and asked quickly: "Is the person's surname Li?" "It seems to be Li." Zhang Liao was immediately overjoyed, he knew who the person who came was.  Who is there? He said anxiously: "Invite him in quickly!" Zhang Liao is from Mayi County, Yanmen County. He comes from a wealthy family in the county. There are two wealthy families in Mayi County. One is Zhang Liao's family, and the other is Li's family.  The family is known as Zhang Wu and Li Wen. The two families have been friends for generations and even have a marriage relationship.  If he remembers correctly, Magistrate Li of Yidu is the second son of the Li family, named Li Kan. They studied together since childhood, but later lost contact. Zhang Liao only knew that Li Kan was an official in Qingzhou, so it should be him.  .  After a while, a middle-aged scribe was led into the tent, held up his hands and said with a smile: "Brother Wenyuan, you're fine!" Sure enough, it was Li Kan. Although they hadn't seen each other for twenty years, Zhang Liao still recognized him at a glance, and he came up  He took the other person's hand and smiled: "Brother Li Xian is still the same as before, his appearance has not changed much." "Really? I'm still so young?" Li Kan touched his face and smiled.  The two laughed loudly. Zhang Liao quickly invited Li Kan to sit down in the tent, and ordered his soldiers to serve tea. Zhang Liao said: "Wen Zhong, have we not seen each other for more than twenty years?" "Twenty-one years"  We haven¡¯t seen each other before. The last time we met was when we returned to our hometown to pay homage to our ancestors in the third year of Jian¡¯an. We drank and drank freely. At that time, I was just a small clerk in Yidu County, but Wen Yuan was already famous all over the world.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention this famous name.  , Shame on you!" Zhang Liao waved his hands and asked with a smile: "I never understood, how could Wen Zhong be an official in Qingzhou?" Li Kan smiled and said, "I am Beihai Jun's disciple, doesn't Wen Yuan know?  "The Lord of Beihai is Kong Rong. He once led the governor of Qingzhou and had disciples all over the world. Zhang Liao suddenly realized that his fellow countryman was a disciple of Kong Rong. Could it be that he was an official in Qingzhou.  Li Kan smiled again and said: "I was recommended by my mentor to be the governor of Yizhou, and was gradually promoted to beihai county magistrate. I heard that Wen Yuan led his army to Qingzhou, so I came here to meet him." Zhang Liao's heart moved, and he came to Qingzhou himself.  Within a few days, Li Kan actually knew about it. His news came so quickly. Could it be At this time, the soldiers brought two cups of tea in. Zhang Liao took a sip of tea and then said in a nonchalant manner.  He asked in a tone of voice: "How did Wen Zhong know that I was coming with my army?" "To be honest, I also received a document from the Han army and only then did I know that Wen Yuan was coming with his army, so I rushed to meet him." Zhang Liao did not expect Li Kan.  Being so frank, he pondered and asked, "Has Wen Zhong returned to the Han Kingdom?" Li Kan smiled slightly, "Wen Yuan's words are inappropriate. As far as I know, the Wei Kingdom only includes the Central Plains and Hebei.  , Bingzhou and Qingzhou do not belong to the Wei State, they are still under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court, so I am originally a Han minister and loyal to the Emperor of the Han Dynasty. The Han State is also a vassal state of the Han Dynasty, so why should I surrender to the Han State? " Zhang Liao smiled bitterly for a while, Li Kan said.  Although it is true, the Han Dynasty existed in name only and everyone in the world knew it, which resulted in the current chaotic situation. The Wei Kingdom replaced the Han Dynasty, and the Han Kingdom was regarded as the orthodox Han Dynasty. However, there was still a Han emperor in Yedu.  , sometimes even Zhang Liao is confused.  Li Kan understood Zhang Liao's thoughts and said with a smile: "This time the Han army raided Qingzhou. Qingzhou was empty of troops. None of the counties resisted. The Han army did not make things difficult for us. We treated each other as Han ministers. Just two days ago, I took over  When Lu Sima sent the documents to the counties, he said that Wen Yuan had led Cao's army northward. Lu Sima hoped that the counties would put people's livelihood first and not make unnecessary resistance, so I am still a Han official. "Although Li Kan said this, Zhang Liao said.  I don¡¯t really believe it. Since Lu Xun still sent documents to the counties, it means that they have actually pledged allegiance to the Han Dynasty. However, Zhang Liao didn¡¯t want to say it. He knew in his heart that if there were no local officials to maintain order in Qingzhou, Qingzhou would be in chaos, even if they  Having already surrendered to Han, he did not dare to touch them easily. Besides, it was not his decision. Cao Pi had to decide whether to appoint or remove them.  Zhang Liao was more concerned about the military. He thought for a while and asked: "Does the Han army have troops stationed in Beihai County?" "Originally, there were 10,000 Han troops stationed in Beihai County, but before I set off, the Han troops also withdrew. I heard that  Not only Beihai County, but also the Han army in Qi County also withdrew. " Speaking of this, Li Kan took out a letter and handed it to Zhang Liao, "This is a letter left by Lu Sima when he evacuated Beihai County.  , he asked me to pass it on to Wen Yuan, and ask Wen Yuan to take a look. "Zhang Liao sighed secretly in his heart. Li Kan really came with a purpose, not just to see him. Although he sighed in his heart, he still took it without any expression.  After reading the letter quickly, Lu Xun wrote very clearly in the letter that the Han army will be stationed in Le'an County and does not want to fight Cao Jun. If Cao Jun insists on having his own way, the Han army will never give in.  &nbsp; From this letter, Zhang Liao saw two key points. One was that the Han army had withdrawn to Le'an County and concentrated its forces to prevent them from being defeated individually. In addition, the Han army would maintain its presence in Qingzhou and was willing to fight with Cao Jun.  Keep the standoff going.  Zhang Liao got up, walked quickly to the sand table, and looked carefully at the location of Le'an County. Le'an County is backed by the outlet of the Yellow River. It has the main streams of Jishui and Zishui, as well as a large sea area. No wonder the Han army wanted to occupy Le'an.  County, if you retreat, you can leave by boat, if you advance, you can sweep across Qingzhou.  Zhang Liao¡¯s mission this time is to recover Linzi. It seems that the mission can be completed, but he must ask Cao Pi for instructions on whether to fight the Han army and recover the entire Qingzhou. Cao Pi will decide.  Thinking of this, Zhang Liao smiled at Li Kan and said: "I would also like to ask Wen Zhong to work hard again and send a reply letter to Lu Xun for me. Of course, Cao Jun has done nothing wrong and will never disturb the people. However, whether to fight or not does not matter.  I, Zhang Liao, can decide that I don¡¯t want to start a war in Qingzhou before receiving orders from Yedu.¡±¡­

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1111 Yedu¡¯s hidden worries

    After the Central Plains War ended, local officials in the counties of Yuzhou and Xuzhou heard the news and expressed their allegiance to the Han Dynasty. For a time, all counties and counties lowered the Wei flag and replaced it with the Han flag.  After the Han army won the victory in the Central Plains War, they divided into two groups. One group was led by General Zhao Yun and led an army of 100,000 to besiege Luoyang. The other group was commanded by Wenpin and had a total of 80,000 elite troops deployed along the Yellow River in Dongjun.  , eyeing the north of the Yellow River.  Huang Zhong served as a backup and led an army of 50,000 to station in Xuchang. At the same time, he was also responsible for recruiting 100,000 Cao's surrendered troops, selecting the young and strong, removing the old and weak, and reorganizing the 100,000 surrendered troops into 60,000 elite Han troops.  In the following more than two months, Liu Jing visited various counties in the Central Plains to inspect the public situation, met with officials, appointed garrison captains, consolidated the Han army's occupation of the Central Plains, and stabilized the situation in the Central Plains.  Time gradually came to the beginning of September, the summer heat subsided, and there was a hint of coolness in the morning and evening. Liu Jing had toured most of the Central Plains, and the last stop was to inspect Dongjun. The reason why Dongjun was arranged as the last battle was because of Dongjun¡¯s  The strategic location is extremely important.  Dongjun is close to the Yellow River. On the other side of the Yellow River is Weijun, where Yedu is located. It is also the northern gate for the northern army to attack the Central Plains. When Yuan Shao attacked Cao Cao, the army crossed the Yellow River from Baimajin and went south. Currently, Wenpin and  Liu Hu led an army of 80,000 troops and stationed troops in Dongjun, pushing the battlefield of Han and Cao to the line of the Yellow River.  On this morning, Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty, accompanied by more than a dozen generals of the Han army, inspected the defense of the Yellow River in Baimajin. Baimajin is an ancient ferry of the Yellow River. This area is the remnant of the Taihang Mountains. The mountains on both sides are undulating, but they are not steep and wide.  The mighty Yellow River flows eastward from the vast hills and mountains.  The senior officials who accompanied Liu Jing during his inspection of the ferry included Prime Minister Sima Yi and East Commandery Governor Cheng Rui. Everyone stood on a platform on the mountainside, looking far away at the ships on the ferry and the rolling Yellow River. Liu Jing's gaze became even more distant, and he cast his gaze towards the ferry.  The other side of the Yellow River.  Wenpin next to him said: "Your Highness, Cao Jun only deployed 10,000 troops on the other side of the Yellow River. They are distributed in Baimajin and Yanjin. The defense is weak. I think this is an opportunity." Liu Jing smiled and said to Wenpin: "Fan  Don't eat too fast, otherwise you will choke. Don't worry. Let's take our time, stabilize the Central Plains, and give the soldiers enough rest and training before we send troops northward. " There was a hint of disappointment on Wenpin's face.  I originally thought that by stationing 80,000 troops in Dongjun, I was preparing to cross the river and go north. Unexpectedly, the King of Han had no plan to go north.  At this time, Sima Yi smiled again and said: "General Wen's mood is understandable, but Luoyang has not been captured yet, and Qingzhou is still in the confrontation. We should capture Qingzhou and Luoyang first, and then consider crossing the Yellow River to go north. Wait a few months.  !" Wenpin also felt that he was impatient, and said apologetically: "I only considered this for military reasons, so please don't blame me, Your Highness." Liu Jing nodded, he did not mean to blame Wenpin, and asked the prefect Cheng Ruidao.  : "Cao Pi crossed the Yellow River from Baima Jin twice. I want to know how he crossed the Yellow River?" Cheng Rui quickly said: "Your Highness, when Cao Pi crossed the Yellow River, the water was relatively gentle. He used a large leather boat.  "A raft can carry a hundred cavalry across the river, and the momentum is quite spectacular."  When Cao Cao used rafts to cross the Han River, it was only a small matter. Now he can actually use rafts to cross the cavalry. He underestimated them.  Liu Jing thought for a while and said to Wenpin: "To be prudent, build a sentry tower every fifty steps around the ferry to prevent Cao's army from crossing the river with rafts for sneak attacks." "I humbly obey the order!" Liu Jing then asked Wenpin a few times.  After finishing the inspection of the ferry, he returned to the military camp. As soon as he returned to his tent, a guard came quickly and presented a piece of information to Liu Jing, "Your Highness, urgent information has been sent from Ye!"  Liu Jing was really tired from two consecutive months of inspections, so much so that his inspection of Baimajin today was just a quick tour of duty, and he couldn't keep his spirits up. However, the urgent information from Yedu cheered him up.  Waiting for the information from Li Fu.  Liu Jing hurriedly typed in the information, read it over in a hurry, couldn't help laughing, and immediately ordered the guards, "Please come over quickly." Not long after, Sima Yi walked into the tent under the leadership of the guards, and said with a smile: "Your Highness is  Ask the minister for information about Yedu! " Sima Yi is in charge of information. In Li Fu's case, he will give it to him first, and he will write it down and give it to Liu Jing. Of course he knows that big things happened in Yedu, and the King of Han will definitely discuss it with him.  .  Liu Jing asked Sima Yi to sit down and ordered the guards to serve tea. Then he smiled and said: "It's really unexpected! Xiahou Dun actually led 20,000 troops to Yedu. Is this trying to force the palace?" Sima Yi took a sip of tea and didn't panic.  He hurriedly said: "Actually, this is alsoUnsurprisingly, Cao Cao had controlled the military for too long, and it was a little too late to hand it over to Cao Pi. Cao Zhang had 50,000 Youzhou troops, and Cao Zhi had the support of the Xiahou family. Cao Pi could only rely on Cao Ren. In this Central Plains war,  Cao Ren's forces were completely wiped out, which greatly weakened Cao Pi's army. How could Zhang Zhi and Zhang Zhi not take the opportunity to join forces?  Unless Cao Cao personally stepped in to clean up the mess, but according to the news I got, Cao Cao was already unconscious and it would be difficult to stand up for Cao Pi. I think Xiahou Dun knew this very well, so he dared to lead troops from Bingzhou back to Yedu.  " After a pause, Sima Yi continued: "What's more important is that this disastrous defeat in the Central Plains has brought Cao Pi's prestige to the bottom, and also given Zhang Zhi and Xia Hou Dun an opportunity to attack. Someone has to take responsibility. Cao Ren is captured, so all  They all pointed their fingers at Cao Pi. After all, he was the planner of this Central Plains war, and he could not escape this disaster.  " "Zhongda is right. After the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao was secretly blamed by all parties, which made him silent for many years. Cao Cao is still like this, not to mention Cao Pi, who is in an unstable position. This time the Central Plains suffered a disastrous defeat. If he puts the blame on  Cao Ren will definitely be spurned by the Cao family, and if he takes responsibility, I'm afraid he will have to step down. No matter what, he will be sad about this.  Liu Jing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and then said slowly: "Now Cao Wei has about 180,000 troops, Xiahou Dun has 50,000 Bingzhou troops, Cao Zhang has 20,000 Youzhou troops, and 110,000 troops are left.  Thirty thousand were besieged in Luoyang, thirty thousand were in the hands of Cao Xiu, another thirty thousand were actually Youzhou troops, temporarily controlled by Zhang Liao, and another ten thousand were deployed on the north bank of the Yellow River. However, Cao Pi's direct army in Yedu only had ten thousand Huben troops.  Wei, but Zhang Zhi has 40,000 troops. It seems that Cao Pi's situation is not good!  "Your Highness is right. Wei Chen feels that the key now is Cao's 60,000 troops in Qingzhou. Zhang Liao is loyal to Cao Pi, but the 30,000 troops under him are Cao Zhang's Youzhou troops. Cao Pi will never dare to transfer him back to Yedu  , the only possibility is Cao Xiu's 30,000 troops, which is Cao Pi's only force to balance Zhang Zhi. Cao Pi ordered Cao Xiu to abandon Xuzhou and return north just to save these 30,000 troops. Wei Chen boldly speculated that Cao Pi would probably transfer Cao Xiu back.  "Yedu." Liu Jing thought more about how to get the maximum benefit from Cao's civil strife. The first was Qingzhou. He smiled meaningfully: "If Cao Pi really transfers Cao Xiu's army back to Yedu, what will happen to Cao Zhang?"  Respond? Does Zhongda think Zhang Liao still controls 30,000 Youzhou troops? "Sima Yi immediately understood what Liu Jing meant, and he said excitedly: "Qingzhou is not Youzhou, Cao Zhang will not care about its gains and losses, he will definitely take it from Zhang Liao.  To regain our military power, if we add fire from the side, Wei Chen can guarantee that Qingzhou will be within easy reach. "Liu Jing nodded, "Qingzhou is just the first step. If we don't make good use of the internal strife between these three brothers, what will happen?  You're really stupid." While the two were discussing, a soldier reported in a low voice at the door of the tent: "Your Highness, Cao Pi sent an envoy to see you." "What?" Liu Jing didn't hear clearly and asked: "Who sent it.  An envoy came to see him? " "It was the prince of Wei, Cao Pi, who sent the special envoy Hua Xin to ask for an audience." Liu Jing and Sima Yi looked at each other, and they both laughed knowingly. This shows how serious the crisis Cao Pi is facing now.  .  ¡°Bring him to see me!¡± £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Hua Xin was led into the king's tent by the guards in an uneasy mood. This was the second time he came to see Liu Jing. The last time he came to see Liu Jing was in Chang'an to seek support from the Han State for Cao Pi's rise to power. But this time, Cao Pi faced a serious crisis of trust and he had no choice but to  He no longer came to Liu Jing for help on behalf of Cao Pi.  Even Hua Xin did not expect that the defeat of the Central Plains would have such serious consequences. Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi, together with Zhong Yao, Sima Lang and other important ministers, asked Cao Pi to explain the reasons for the defeat of the Central Plains and take responsibility. The least they could do was that Cao Pi hand over military power and resign.  The position of deputy prime minister, and the most serious thing was that Cao Pi announced that he would give up the position of heir apparent.  As Xiahou Dun returned to Yedu with 20,000 Bingzhou troops, Cao Pi faced the danger of a military coup. In desperation, Cao Pi had no choice but to secretly order Hua Xin to come to see Liu Jing and seek Liu Jing's help. Although the two countries were currently hostile,  But Liu Jing married Cao Xian after all, and to a certain extent, they still had room for peace talks.  Hua Xin saw Liu Jing and Sima Yi sitting on their seats. In this case, he could not stand and salute. He stepped forward and knelt down, saluted and said: "Wei Guo Hua Xin pays homage to His Highness the King of Han!"  "Please sit down!" Liu Jing's attitude was very polite and he did not show a cold attitude. Of course, we can talk. The key is how sincere Cao Pi needs to be.  Hua Xin calmed down and sat down. Before he could speak, Liu Jing asked with a smile: "I still want to know, how did Hua Shizhong know that I was in Dongjun?" "Well" Hua Xin hesitated for a while and said:  "In fact, we have been paying attention to the movements of the Han army in Dongjun, and we happened to know that His Highness??East County.  "The implication is that they have deployed spies in Dongjun. In fact, Liu Jing also guessed that Cao Jun has arranged spies in Dongjun. It seems that this spy is quite effective. It must be removed. At this time, Hua Xin was anxious again  He said: "This time I came to see His Highness on the order of the Crown Prince, and I wanted to make an exchange with His Highness.  Liu Jing smiled faintly and said, "I just want to meet with Hua Shizhong. As for the specific matters, Hua Shizhong might as well discuss it with Sima Xiangguo in detail."  "

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1112 Harsh Conditions

    Although Liu Jing was very polite to Hua Xin, he never gave in on issues of principle, including etiquette. Regardless of whether Hua Xin represented Cao Pi or not, he was not qualified to negotiate directly with Liu Jing. However, based on the principle of reciprocity,  He should make peace with the Prime Minister.  Hua Xin was in a hurry and forgot about this, so he was coldly rejected by Liu Jing. Hua Xin suddenly blushed and said apologetically: "It's the humble minister who was rude." Liu Jing smiled and winked at Sima Yi.  , Sima Yi understood, stood up and said with a smile: "Servant Hua, please invite me!" Sima Yi invited Hua Xin out of the big tent and went to another tent to discuss. Liu Jing slowly drank tea and meditated. He was thinking about how to take advantage of the opportunity of Cao Wei's internal strife.  .  Not long after, Sima Yi returned to Liu Jing's tent. He did not receive any specific instructions from Liu Jing, but only listened to Hua Xin's plan. He smiled and reported to Liu Jinghui: "To be honest, I didn't expect Cao Pi to make such a request.  , they made three demands, the first is to release Cao Ren, the second is to release the prisoners of war, and the third is that they hope that the Han army can evacuate Qingzhou, and in return, Cao Jun is willing to give up Luoyang and let Xu Huang's army evacuate Luoyang.  Liu Jing couldn't help but burst into laughter. What did Cao Pi mean? Did he think that Cao's army won the battle in the Central Plains?  Is this sincerity that seeks from oneself?  Sima Yi pondered for a while and said, "I think Cao Pi is not so ignorant of current affairs. This should be Cao Pi's test." "What is the test?" Liu Jing asked.  "He hopes that His Highness will take the initiative to put forward conditions, and among the three demands he made, Wei Chen believes that the release of Cao Ren is the most critical. The other two demands are just his cover-up." Liu Jing nodded. Sima Yi's analysis made sense.  He thought for a moment and said: "It is not impossible to release Cao Ren and the prisoners of war, and I can agree to temporarily withdraw from Qingzhou, but I only have one condition, and that is to abolish the current false emperor. Cao Pi can temporarily plan the government as the prime minister to oversee the country.  "It should be said that the conditions proposed by Liu Jing are very harsh. This is no longer a regular condition where you fight for a stone and he fights for a stone, but a political condition, which is even more stringent than the conditions required to ensure the safety of Queen Fu.  Ten times. Of course, Liu Jing was completely confident. As for whether Cao Pi agreed or not, he didn't care.  Sima Yi was also secretly surprised. He did not expect that Liu Jing would propose such harsh conditions. How could Cao Pi agree? But as soon as he thought about it, he realized that if Cao Pi was really let out of the predicament, it would not be conducive to their unification of the world, so he proposed harsh conditions.  conditions, if Cao Pi was forced to agree, they would at least be able to offset their losses with their gains.  Sima Yi smiled and said: "Wei Chen understands, let's go and negotiate with Hua Xin." Liu Jing added: "Also tell Hua Xin that if he comes to see me again, let him go to Chang'an." Early the next morning, Liu Jing finished  The inspection of Dongjun also ended the inspection of various parts of the Central Plains, and returned to Chang'an via the Luoyang line.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  According to the information Liu Jing received, Cao Pi was indeed facing great pressure. This pressure was caused by the pressure from Cao Zhi and Cao Zhang, as well as the ministers' distrust of him. When the news of the disastrous defeat in the Central Plains War reached Yedu, the government and the public were in an uproar.  , no one thought it was Cao Ren's responsibility. Obviously, the responsibility lay with Cao Pi's failure to respond.  This battle brought Cao Pi's prestige to a freezing point. If Cao Pi had used the Wei Xi case to eradicate Cao Zhi's supporters before, which had aroused public anger, then the disastrous defeat in the Central Plains War made many ministers who originally supported him begin to hate him.  dissatisfied.  What made Cao Pi even more frightened was that his younger brothers Cao Zhang and Xiahou Dun were so audacious that they mobilized troops without permission. Cao Zhang took advantage of the fact that he was not in Yedu and robbed 20,000 Youzhou troops from the Beida Camp. Xiahou Dun went even further and mobilized 20,000 troops from Bingzhou.  As a result, 40,000 of the 50,000 troops in Yedu were beyond his control, and a mutiny was about to happen.  The public opinion of the government and the public was guided by Cao Zhi, and the army was controlled by Cao Zhang and Xiahou Dun. The civil and military attacks made Cao Pi anxious and worried to the extreme. He had no choice but to secretly send Hua Xin to Dongjun to negotiate with Liu Jing in an attempt to restore the relationship.  On the other hand, he sent his confidants to Qingzhou to mobilize Cao Xiu's army into Yedu.  For several days, Cao Pi spent time in anxiety and worry. The calls from the government and the public for him to take responsibility for the defeat became louder and louder. Cao Pi knew very well that his third brother Cao Zhi was planning it behind the scenes, but he had no choice but to favor his third brother's civil servants.  He came more and more, which was not only affected by the defeat of the Central Plains, but also the deeper reason was the adverse impact of the order on him.  Although Cao Pi's decree was in name only and his father was seriously ill, Cao Pi was no longer able to implement it. However, the famous families who had suffered losses due to the decree in the early stage aimed their hatred at him, making him politically unstable.  Extremely passive.  Cao Pi felt physically and mentally exhausted due to internal and external troubles. He felt it was necessary to seek help from his father. The outer hall of Tongque Palace?Cao Pi waited for almost an hour, but there was still no news. He became a little restless, stood up and said to a guard: "Go and take a look, what is going on in the palace?"  Bu walked out, Cao Pi was stunned, and suddenly felt something bad in his heart. He quickly stepped forward and asked, "How is my father?" Wang Yuyi sighed, "Your Majesty, you should go back!" Cao Pi suddenly became anxious.  He grabbed the collar of his clothes and said fiercely: "Are you going to tell me?" Wang Yuyi had no choice but to whisper to Cao Pi: "Wei Gong has been in coma for two days and has not woken up yet." Cao Pi was stunned and slowly relaxed.  After opening his hands, Doctor Wang quickly straightened his clothes and said: "This is not the first time. After waking up, he became very excited and confused. He didn't even recognize your mother. He said that your mother was dying."  He ordered your mother to be pushed out and beheaded. Fortunately, everyone knew the truth and didn't obey his orders. Now even your mother doesn't dare to see him. " "What's going on?" "Me neither.  I know, some people say that Duke Wei is possessed by evil spirits and needs to be exorcised by wizards, but from my experience, this is a kind of recovery. " "How long will my father have?" "Let's try our best to survive until the end of the year or the beginning of next year.  If God's will is not favorable, it will only be around November." Cao Pi could not wait for his father's help. He returned to his mansion in despair. As soon as he entered the door, a guard came forward and said: "I want to report to you, Shizhong Hua is back.  , waiting in the outer study now." This was the news that Cao Pi had been waiting for. He quickly cheered up and walked to the outer study. As soon as he entered the door, Hua Xin quickly stood up and saluted, "See you, Prince!" Cao Pi waved his hand.  After closing the door, he sat down and asked slightly nervously: "How was the discussion with Liu Jing?" "Reporting to the Crown Prince, Wei Chen first discussed with Sima Yi and proposed the Crown Prince's plan, but Liu Jing rejected it flatly."  Cao Pi was not surprised. This was completely within his expectation. His plan was just a test, not his real conditions. He hurriedly asked: "Did Liu Jing put forward any conditions?" Hua Xin nodded,  He hesitated and said: "Sima Yi did put forward Liu Jing's conditions." "What is it?" Cao Pi leaned forward with a very nervous expression on his face. He was eager to know Liu Jing's conditions, "Speak quickly and don't hesitate.  "Hua Xin had no choice but to continue: "As for the prince's request, Liu Jing said that he could agree to it, but he had one condition. He asked the prince to depose the current emperor, and he agreed to the prince's appointment as the prime minister of the Han Dynasty. "Cao Pi was stunned.  After a while, he shook his head and said to himself: "How is this possible!" Hua Xin also smiled bitterly. He knew that this condition was indeed too harsh. If the prince agreed to this condition, it would undoubtedly be a disguised recognition of Liu Jing as the emperor of the Han Dynasty.  , Cao Pi was not only defeated miserably on the battlefield, but also completely defeated politically.  But then again, few people now recognize the infant emperor established by Cao Pi, and the big man in Yedu has existed in name only. If Cao Pi deposed the infant emperor, the loss would not be big, and Cao Pi could continue to serve as the prime minister of the country.  This is still the prime minister recognized by Liu Jing.  Although Hua Xin thought so in his heart, he did not dare to say it out loud. Cao Pi had to figure this out by himself. As a minister, he could only stop there.  Seeing that Cao Pi was deep in thought, Hua Xin whispered: "Wei Chen, please leave first!" "Go!" Cao Pi waved his hand. He really didn't want anyone next to him to disturb his thoughts. Hua Xin bowed and retreated.  .  Cao Pi walked to the window with his hands behind his hands and looked at the sky full of sunset. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  As Xiahou Dun led his army back to Yedu, the power structure in Yedu became complicated. Cao Pi's family was no longer in power. In fact, Cao Pi was already at a disadvantage.  The 20,000 Youzhou troops in the northern camp were recaptured by Cao Zhang, while the more than 10,000 Cao troops on the north bank of the Yellow River in Wei County were restrained by the Han army and unable to withdraw to Yedu. Now Xiahou Dun led 20,000 troops to garrison in the southern camp of Yedu, leaving only  Send down the 10,000 tiger guards and 3,000 city gate troops led by Xu Chu.  The three thousand city defense soldiers were mainly troops guarding the nine city gates of Yedu. They were originally just Weijun soldiers and were subordinate to the local government. They were at the bottom of Cao's military system. Their equipment, supplies, and social status were far inferior to those of the regular army.  Not to mention compared with the Huben Guards in the same city.  But it was such a county soldier who had always been despised, but when the situation in Yedu was delicate, its importance was unexpectedly highlighted.  The general who commanded this 3,000-man army was called Chen Guo, and he was appointed as Wei Commandery Commander, orBecause of his relatively low official position, Chen Guo did not belong to Cao Pi's direct lineage, nor to Cao Zhi's Xiahou faction, nor to Cao Ren's faction. He belonged to a realm with no regard for three things - the county government of Wei County.  Chen Guonian is about in his early fifties and has three sons. His eldest grandson can also climb trees. In two years, he will be ready to retire from office and return to his ancestral home to enjoy family happiness.  Although Chen Guo's status is not high, his family background is very good. In fact, due to the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, local officials in each county were controlled by local aristocratic families or powerful people.  They are all appointed by local powerful people, and Wei County is no exception. Chen Guo's family is a famously powerful family in Wei County.  Chen Guo's mansion is located in the south of the city. It is a middle house covering an area of ??ten acres. The house is not big because of his low status. In a capital like Yedu where powerful people live together, he, the captain of Wei County, is really worthless.  However, his manor in Anyang covers an area of ??200 hectares and is the largest manor in Anyang County.  At nightfall, Chen Guo had just returned from inspecting the city gate and was sitting alone in his room having a few drinks. Chen Guo's biggest hobby was drinking good wine. When Yedu issued a ban on alcohol, he also made wine at home and drank it himself. He would rather not  As a captain, you can't live without drinking for a day.  At this moment, there was a rush of footsteps outside the door, and his second son Chen Xi whispered nervously outside the door: "Father, there is a distinguished guest coming!"

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1113 Crisis leads to change

    Chen Guo was startled. He suddenly realized something. He put down the earcup in his hand, stood up and walked to the door and asked, "Who is this noble person?" The second son whispered in his ear, "It's General Xiahou!" Chen Guo was shocked.  General Xiahou Dun was Xiahou Dun, one of the two commanders of Cao's army. He came to visit him in person. He asked urgently: "Where are you now?" "Waiting in the guest hall!" Chen Guo was not flattered at this time.  Instead, he felt like he was facing an abyss. He knew that he could no longer escape the internal strife in Yedu. Even though he had ten thousand reluctances in his heart, he had to bite the bullet and go to see Xiahou Dun.  He sighed and said to his second son: "The best tea host, I'll be here right away!" Chen Guo changed her clothes and walked hurriedly to the guest hall. When she walked into the lobby, she saw Xiahou Dun and a group of people.  The man in black wearing a bamboo hat was sitting at the table drinking. He was stunned. Who was this man in black? He was definitely not an ordinary person to be able to sit with Xiahou Dun!  He secretly scolded his son for his lack of expression and for not telling him that there was another person. Chen Guo didn't have time to think about it, so he stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "Chen Guo, a lowly position, see the general!" Xiahou Dun chuckled, stepped forward to help Chen Guo up, "Chen Guo  General, you don't need to be so polite, please get up!" At this time, the man in black also stood up and took off his hat. Chen Guo immediately recognized that the man in black was actually the third son, Cao Zhi, which scared him.  He jumped and hurriedly bowed and saluted, "In this humble position, please see Mr. Zhi!" Cao Zhi came to see Chen Guo with Xiahou Dun. At this time, he smelled the strong smell of wine and saw that Chen Guo looked rough and dark. He didn't like it very much.  But for the sake of Chen Guo's three thousand county soldiers, he had to endure this rude soldier.  Cao Zhi quickly smiled and replied: "I have wanted to come to visit General Chen for a long time, but it is not convenient to go out, so I didn't come until now. I'm sorry!" Cao Zhi is telling the truth. He currently lives in the city, and Yedu City has been controlled by the Huben Guards.  There were only 300 guards around Cao Zhi. Although Cao Pi did not dare to touch him easily due to political pressure, he could not appear anywhere in the city at will and could easily be in danger.  Xiahou Dun next to him smiled and said, "Young Master, you don't need to be so polite. General Chen is a straightforward person and doesn't care too much about etiquette." Chen Guo woke up and said quickly: "General and Young Master, please sit down!" The three of them sat down, Chen Guo  Feeling uneasy in his heart, he lowered his head and said nothing, while Cao Zhi just drank tea calmly, as if he was just accompanying a guest and what they were talking about had nothing to do with him. At this time, Xiahou Dun smiled slightly and said, "General Chen should know why we are here!"  "This. I seem to understand a little bit about this, but I can't see through it. I hope the general can give me some advice."  We veterans who have gone through fire and water to found Cao Wei cannot tolerate Cao Wei's demise. We have all decided that the great cause of Wei Gong should be inherited by the third son. I also hope that General Chen will join our ranks." Xiahou Dun said it very well.  Frankly, Chen Guo made it clear that he wanted Chen Guo to take sides. Indeed, Chen Guo was just the captain of Wei County, with a humble position. As Xiahou Dun, there was no need to say too many subtle words. Chen Guo's face turned pale. Seeing that the Han army was about to  After annexing the world, he has begun to intend to retreat. At this critical moment, how can he rush to the front line again?  "What, has General Chen already agreed to someone?" "That's not true." "Then General Chen has any questions?" Xiahou Dun didn't give him a chance and pressed him to express his position.  Chen Guo had no choice but to whisper: "Thank you, General, for your love for me. However, I am very sick. I am ready to resign and return to my hometown tomorrow. Maybe I will let down the love of the general." Xiahou Dun's face darkened.  , this Chen Guo actually rejected him, and he looked back at Cao Zhi. At this time, Cao Zhi put down the teacup and asked gently: "Has General Chen submitted your resignation?" "The humble post has not been completed yet. It will be submitted tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.  " "Then has General Chen recommended a successor?" After all, Chen Guo is over fifty years old and knows how to deal with the world. He understood the implication of Cao Zhi's words and immediately said: "There is no candidate recommended for this humble position." "Cao Zhi smiled.  , no longer talking, Xiahou Dun also understood what Cao Zhi meant. It would be better to hand over the three thousand city gate troops to his confidants. He would feel more at ease. He nodded and said: "Since General Chen is ready to resign, we will not  I will force it, but please give me the three thousand troops under General Chen, and then there will be nothing more to do with General Chen." Chen Guo's heart dropped. At this time, he could no longer care about Cao Pi, and said quickly: "This.  No problem, I don¡¯t know when the handover will take place?¡± &nbsp; "Right now, General Chen and I will go to the military camp together." Chen Guo's heart sank. She actually wanted military power now. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "Okay! I'll just wear some clothes and go with the general. Please  Wait." He stood up and hurried out of the lobby. Cao Zhi looked at his back and ordered the two guards behind him, "Follow him!" The two guards rushed out and followed Chen Guo. Xiahou Dun laughed:  "Young Master, don't worry, Cao Pi probably hasn't come to see him yet." Cao Zhi smiled faintly, "At this critical moment, it's better to be careful."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Chen Guo left the lobby without dressing. When she found her son, she said urgently: "Something is going to happen. Hurry up and pack up your belongings and leave the city." Chen Xi was stunned for a moment, not understanding what his father was talking about.  Two guards followed him. He was so anxious that he slapped his son with a wave of his hand and cursed in a low voice: "You idiot, go quickly!" Only then did Chen Xi react, cover his face and hurriedly ran to the back house.  Chen Guo looked up at the night, then turned back to the two guards and said, "It's not too cold, so there's no need to put on more clothes. Tell the general that we're going to the military camp right now."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  That night, a simple transfer of power was carried out in the Chengmen Army barracks. Chen Guo handed over the general power to Xiahou Dun. Xiahou Dun appointed his confidant Zou Lin to take over the City Gate Army. Chen Guo immediately left Yedu and returned to his ancestral home in Anyang.  The ownership of the three thousand City Gate Army was not worth mentioning a few months ago, but at a very delicate moment in the situation in Yedu, the seizure of power by Xiahou Dun of the City Gate Army undoubtedly became the trigger for the intensification of conflicts in Yedu.  Xiahou Dun's army immediately entered the south city of Yedu and quickly controlled half of Yedu. Cao Zhi and Cao Zhang reached a tacit agreement, Zhizhi inside and outside, while Cao Zhang's army controlled the outside of Yedu.  The Huben guards who were loyal to Cao Pi retreated to the north city, causing the capital city of Ye to be divided into two. Xiahou Dun's army controlled the south city, and Cao Pi's army controlled the north city.  The situation in Yedu began to deteriorate rapidly. With no choice, Cao Pi once again sent people to Qingzhou and ordered Cao Xiu to lead his army back to Yedu. At the same time, Cao Pi finally agreed to Liu Jing's conditions, but before deposing the Han Emperor, he hoped that  Liu Jingneng released Cao Ren first, while Hua Xin rushed to Chang'an overnight.  The atmosphere in Yedu City is extremely tense. Civil war is about to break out. The streets and alleys have become deserted. This time it is not due to economic decline, but the internal strife between the Cao brothers that has caused panic among the people.  The Jucai Tavern near the west gate of Yedu was not searched by Cao's army. After Li Fu returned to Yedu, he still used it as an intelligence base for the Han army in Yedu. Li Fu also received a message sent by Sima Yi two days ago.  The order required them to find a way to persuade Cao Zhang to transfer the army back to Qingzhou.  The lights in the room were dim, and Li Fu and several of his men were discussing how to complete the task. Li Fu's men were all extremely capable people. Although they also had many connections, Cao Zhang had stayed in Youzhou for a long time and had no influence in Ye.  , so that they could not find a way out for a while.  At this time, one of his men sighed: "It's a pity that all the taverns are closed now, otherwise it would be a good way to spread the news in the taverns." "Don't say such useless words!" Li Fu interrupted his men's sighs,  His face was very serious, and he said to everyone: "This task should be the decision of the King of Han. It is related to the overall situation. We must go all out. Everyone think about it. It is not necessarily necessary to follow Cao Zhang's path directly. We can use roundabout methods to make  Someone with strength should go and persuade Cao Zhang." At this point, Li Fu suddenly thought of someone, and he thought to himself, 'Perhaps asking this person to come forward can persuade Cao Zhang!  ¡¯ £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Although Cao Zhang supports Cao Zhi to replace his eldest brother Cao Pi, he also has his own selfish motives. He hopes that his third brother can grant Youzhou to him and make him the real king of Youzhou. Not only will the army be commanded by him, but also local officials, people's livelihood, tax burden, etc.  etc., it is up to him to make the decision, that is to say, he will be the emperor of Youzhou. This is the compromise he and Cao Zhi reached.  Cao Zhang currently lives in a military camp outside the north of the city. The military camp is about ten miles away from the capital of Ye. It is one of the most important military camps for Cao Jun. When the number of people was the largest, more than 100,000 troops were stationed here, but now there are only 20,000 Youzhou troops.  Cao Zhang is firmly in his hands.  In fact, according to Cao Zhang's idea, when Cao Pi went to Xuzhou to supervise the war, he could launch a coup and overthrow Cao Pi's position. However, Cao Zhi firmly opposed it. Only when the Central Plains army was defeated could he seize Cao Pi's responsibility and force Cao Pi to abdicate.  Facts have proved that Cao Zhi was very far-sighted. The defeat in the Central Plains made the government and the public angry. The calls for Cao Pi to step down became louder and louder. Even important ministers who had always supported Cao Pi, such as Guoyuan, Dong Zhao, Xu Jie, Han Song and others also  They expressed their neutrality.  "At this time, Cao Zhang had to admire his third brother's foresight, and it was preciselyThis incident made Cao Zhang believe that his third brother was more capable than his eldest brother Cao Pi of gradually bringing the weak Cao Wei out of trouble. Cao Zhang also willingly gave up the inheritance rights of Wei Gong to his third brother Cao Zhi.  However, Cao Zhang has another worry at this time, that is, his other 30,000 Youzhou troops are now in the hands of Zhang Liao. Will Zhang Liao purge the army's generals?  At the beginning, my father made it very clear that the 50,000 troops were used to defend Yedu and were still under his command. However, the eldest brother forcibly handed over the 30,000 troops to Zhang Liao, which was undoubtedly to deprive him of his military power.  Thinking of Zhang Liao's methods of leading troops, Cao Zhang became even more worried. Zhang Liao would most likely purge the middle and high-level generals, which would shake his foundation in Youzhou.  Just when Cao Zhang was worried, there was a report from a guard outside the tent: "Reporting to the Governor, Wang Shizhong is asking for an audience outside the camp."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1114 Changes in Qingzhou (Part 1)

    Cao Zhang was startled and asked casually: "Who is the king's servant?" Without waiting for the guard to answer, Cao Zhang was overjoyed. He had already realized that it was Wang Can. He hurriedly said: "Invite him to see me quickly!" Wang Can was one of the seven sons of Jian'an.  First, he was the only high-ranking official who was not executed in the Jian'an Seven Sons case, but he was also removed from his position as a servant and demoted to a commoner.  Wang Can was also tortured by Yang Tian in the Jian'an Seven Sons case, and had to rest at home for several months before he could walk. However, this political struggle completely shattered his confidence in Cao Wei, and he was determined to return to the Han Dynasty. This time  When he came to Cao Zhang, he accepted Li Fu's request.  Wang Can walked into the big tent, and Cao Zhang personally greeted him. Although Cao Zhang was a warrior, like his father and brother, he greatly admired people with literary talents and elegance, especially the Seventh Son of Jian'an. Cao Pi initiated the case of the Seven Sons of Jian'an to eradicate Cao Zhi's power.  This caused Cao Zhang to be furious, and he fell out with his brother over this.  Cao Zhang invited Wang Can into the tent. The two sat down and exchanged a few words. Cao Zhang smiled and asked, "Why do you teach me, Your Majesty?" Wang Can sighed slightly and said, "Your Majesty is self-willed, cruel and vicious, and has no sympathy for his subordinates. I have already  I was disheartened by him. Seeing that the country of Cao Wei that Duke Wei had conquered during his half-life was about to be destroyed in his hands, I felt anxious and unbearable, so I came to persuade him. " Cao Zhang immediately bowed to the ground and said, "I am willing to listen to you.  Teach me!" Wang Can nodded and said: "In the past, when Duke Wei transferred the Youzhou Army to Yedu, he made it clear that the Youzhou Army was to defend Yedu. This is actually in line with Duke Wei's expectations for his son. How could Duke Wei not know about the Han Army?  The situation is so strong that I would rather use Cao's fake son as the main general, but always keep the Young Master and the Youzhou Army in Hebei and not use them easily. Young Master, do you know why?" Cao Zhang's face became very serious. Wang Can was right, Cao Zhen was not the best.  He is a fake son, whose martial arts and knowledge are not as good as his own, but he was appointed as the governor of Yuzhou. Cao Xiu is a branch of the clan, and he can also be the governor of Qingzhou. However, as his legitimate son, he lives far away in Hebei, trapped in Youzhou, and has never been reused.  , This is really unreasonable and has always made him confused and dissatisfied.  He usually thought about this matter more than once, but mostly he complained about his father. Today, Wang Can's words made him realize something. He quickly said: "I seem to understand a little bit, but I can't understand it clearly. Please speak clearly."  "Young Master is the direct son of Wei Gong. How can Wei Gong not reuse it? Just like the cornerstone of a house, it must be built under the ground. Even if the house collapses without wind and rain, the cornerstone is still there and a new house can be built again. The Young Master is the state of Cao Wei.  Of course, the cornerstone must be placed in the northernmost part of Youzhou. Even if Cao Wei is defeated by the Han army, the Young Master can lead the army of Youzhou to sweep south and rebuild the Cao Wei State. This is what Wei Gong meant. Young Master, may he understand?" Cao Zhang sighed deeply?  He said, "Sir, Cao Zhang was so late when he heard this!" Cao Zhang was really deeply moved. For so many years, he had been resenting his father for being unfair to him. It was only today that Wang Can's words made him wake up from his dream. It turned out that his father had something to do with him.  So profound.  He then asked Wang Candao: "In your opinion, sir, what should I do now?" "Young Master should decide for yourself what to do, but I only advise you, don't let Duke Wei live up to his hard work." Cao Zhang said silently.  Nodding, he knew what he should do. He had to take back the 30,000 Youzhou troops in Qingzhou. They were his army. Qingzhou let Cao Xiu defend it. What did Cao Zhang have to do with him?  Cao Zhang wanted to ask Wang Can to stay and assist him, but Wang Can declined Cao Zhang's invitation because of his illness, and then left.  Although Wang Can's words are somewhat reasonable, maybe Cao Cao really has this idea, but this is by no means the fundamental reason. The fundamental reason is that Cao Cao does not want Cao Zhang to become powerful, just like putting Cao Zhi in Xudu, in order to make Cao Pi  After successfully inheriting the throne of Wei Gong, Cao Cao could only sacrifice his other two sons for the continuation of Cao Wei's great cause.  Of course, Cao Zhang would not admit that his father wanted to suppress him, so after Wang Can said those reasonable words, Cao Zhang regarded it as his father's good intentions. He, Cao Zhang, was the cornerstone of Cao Wei and the one who saved Cao Wei from danger.  Last hope.  Just after Wang Can left, Cao Zhang immediately wrote a letter in his own handwriting, ordering his confidants to rush to Qingzhou and hand the letter to Vice Admiral Xin.  No matter what, he would never hand over his Qingzhou army to his eldest brother Cao Pi. If he had been undecided before, Wang Can's words made him wake up and gave him a reason to occupy Youzhou.  That was a deliberate arrangement by his father. In order for him to become the cornerstone of Cao Wei, the Youzhou Army was the key to him becoming the cornerstone of Cao Wei. How could he give it up to others.  After the end of the Central Plains War, the battle for Qingzhou that was expected to begin immediately did not break out as scheduled. A confrontation emerged in which the Han army occupied Le'an County and the two Cao armies stationed troops in Qi County and Jinan County respectively.  Neither side is willing to start a war easily. The delicate political situation in Yedu affects the war situation in Qingzhou. For Cao?Or for Cao Zhi, the army is the most precious resource, and the most precious resources must be used on the edge. Fighting for territory is no longer very important. The most important thing is to fight for the great cause left by his father.  As a supporter of Cao Pi, Cao Xiu's 30,000 troops were undoubtedly Cao Pi's last hope. At this time, Cao Xiu also received Cao Pi's order to mobilize troops, which really made Cao Xiu a little embarrassed.  Cao Xiu's army was stationed in Zouping County in the north of Jinan County, close to Le'an County. In the big tent, Cao Xiu was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his hands, looking worried. At this time, his aide Liu Jun walked into the big tent and said with a smile: "  Governor, do you have anything to do with me?" "Sir, please sit down quickly!" Cao Xiu quickly asked Liu Jun to sit down. He took out the secret letter that Cao Pi gave him and handed it to Liu Jun, "This is the letter from the prince, sir.  Look!" Liu Jun took the letter and read it. The content of the letter was very simple, which was to ask Cao Xiu to immediately lead his army to King Yedu Qin. This made Liu Jun frown, "Don't you think about the gains and losses of Qingzhou?  " Cao Xiu smiled bitterly and said, "This is my contradiction. What if I lead the army to Yedu and Qingzhou? To be honest, I don't expect Zhang Liao to be able to defend Qingzhou. His army is Cao Zhang's Youzhou Army. Can it really be done?  Control is still a problem. Even if he controls the army and defeats the Han army, what will happen to Qingzhou? "In the end, Qingzhou is Cao Xiu's territory. He does not want to give up Qingzhou to Zhang Liao. Liu Jun understands Cao Xiu's true intention. He  After pondering for a moment, he said: "But the armies of Cao Zhang and Xiahou Dun have far gained the upper hand in Ye. The prince ordered the governor to lead the army to Yedu, which shows that the situation in Yedu is very critical. Otherwise, he would not ignore the risks of Qingzhou. It is not as good as the governor  What does the governor think when we divide our troops into two groups, one to defend Qingzhou and the other to Yedu?  Either stay in Qingzhou, the key is, what can I get? "Liu Jun suddenly understood what Cao Xiu meant. Cao Pi didn't make any statement. Of course, Cao Xiu refused to lead his army westward. Liu Jun thought for a while and said, "If that's the case,  , the governor might as well use the excuse of resisting the Han army to take another look at the prince's attitude." Cao Xiu nodded, Liu Jun's words touched his heart, how could he give up Qingzhou and go to Ye without giving him a general to compensate.  All.  While the two were discussing, a soldier quickly came to the tent door and reported: "Report to the Governor, there is an urgent report from Le'an County!" Cao Xiu was startled and hurriedly said: "Where is the messenger? Let him come in quickly!"  After a moment, a Cao Jun scout quickly walked into the tent, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See the Commander-in-Chief!" "Tell me, what happened in Le'an County?" "Report to the Commander-in-Chief, the Han army has withdrawn from Le'an County.  According to various clues, the Han army should go north to Bohai County. "Cao Xiu and Liu Jun looked at each other. At this critical moment, the Han army actually went north to Hebei. Cao Xiu was a little embarrassed. He could have used resisting the Han army as an excuse not to go to Ye.  Du, now that the Han army is moving north, he can't find a reason.  Liu Jun pondered for a moment and said: "As the Han army moves north, there will be changes in Zhang Liao's army. The governor might as well wait a little longer and see the changes in Zhang Liao's army before making a decision."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The sudden northward advance of the Han army undoubtedly disrupted the originally balanced situation in Qingzhou. Both Cao's armies stationed in Qingzhou faced a dilemma. Cao Xiu's army was unwilling to go to Yedu, while Zhang Liao's 30,000 army faced an out-of-control situation.  Danger.  The 30,000 troops commanded by Zhang Liao were Cao Zhang's Youzhou Army. In order to seize Cao Zhang's military power, Cao Pi ordered Zhang Liao to lead 30,000 Youzhou troops to the Central Plains, away from Cao Zhang's control, on the grounds of supporting Xuzhou.  But the Youzhou Army is an elite army that Cao Zhang spent nearly ten years building. In just a few months, it would be difficult for even a famous general like Zhang Liao to integrate them. Cao Zhang's influence on the Youzhou Army has penetrated into every aspect of the army.  A soldier.  Zhang Liao's army was stationed in the Qingzhou Army Camp in Linzi County, Qi County. The 30,000-strong army consisted of 90 military princes, 30 Ya generals and three Zhonglang generals. The main general Zhang Liao and his deputy general Xin commanded the entire army.  But so far, Zhang Liao's orders have been conveyed to the deputy general Xin, and then the letter was conveyed to the entire army. The reason is very simple. Before Zhang Liao commanded the Youzhou army, Yu Xin was the chief general of this army and was loyal to the army.  Cao Zhang.  As the internal strife in Yedu gradually intensified, it became increasingly difficult for Zhang Liao's orders to be conveyed thoroughly, or even if they were conveyed, the time would be delayed a lot. The most obvious example is that Zhang Liao wanted to divide his troops into two groups and sent Yu Xin to lead 10,000 troops.  He garrisoned Beihai County, and he led 20,000 troops to garrison Qi County. In this way, Yu Xin could be sent away, and Zhang Liao came to integrate the 20,000 troops.  But although the order was passed on, Yu Xin refused to carry it out, which caused tension in the relationship between Zhang Liao and Yu Xin. The two did not meet at all, but all the Ya generals and military princes resolutely obeyed.Yu Xin's order was also an order issued by Cao Zhang. General Yu Xin has become Cao Zhang's spokesperson in the army.  On the contrary, Zhang Liao has been dismissed. He is the commander-in-chief in name, but in fact his orders cannot be conveyed at all, and his life is always under threat. There are only 500 soldiers around Zhang Liao, who closely protect Zhang Liao's safety.  In the big tent, Zhang Liao stood alone in front of the sand table, watching the northward route of the Han army on the sand table for a long time. The Han army withdrew to Bohai County, but Zhang Liao could guess that the Han army did not actually withdraw, but temporarily evacuated.  Waiting for internal strife to break out within Cao's army.  Zhang Liao sighed, he already understood Liu Jing's intention. Liu Jing occupied Qingzhou without any bloodshed, but unfortunately Cao Jun fell into internal strife.  At this moment, a soldier rushed into the account and said nervously: "General, something is going wrong!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1115 Changes in Qingzhou (Part 2)

    Zhang Liao was dissatisfied with the panic of his soldiers and said in a deep voice: "Don't panic, tell me slowly, what happened?" "I just got the news that Cao Zhang's order has been delivered. Yu Xinzheng summoned all the Zhonglang generals and Ya generals to come.  Discussing matters in the big tent." Zhang Liao sneered, didn't Cao Zhang's orders always come out?  There's nothing strange about this.  Seeing that Zhang Liao didn't take it seriously, the soldier immediately said anxiously: "General, this time is different. Cao Zhang issued a gold medal order!" The gold medal order is also an order to mobilize troops. Zhang Liao also knew that it was Cao Zhang's highest military order, just like Cao Zhang.  When he arrived, Zhang Liao also realized the seriousness of the problem. He thought for a moment, turned around and shouted: "Gather the soldiers immediately!" Zhang Liao's decades of fighting on the battlefield have made him unusually sensitive to danger.  The gold medal had arrived at the military camp, and he realized that the final moment of betrayal was coming.  Zhang Liao put on his armor and got on his horse. At this moment, there was a huge fire ahead, and he saw Lieutenant General Xin leading thousands of soldiers to surround him from three sides. The soldiers held torches, carried swords and spears, and were filled with murderous intent.  Yu Xin and Zhang Liao were each their own masters. In the struggle for military power, they finally fell out. Behind Yu Xin, three Zhonglang generals and dozens of tooth generals were all covered in armor. Each of them looked fiercely at Zhang Liao like a wolf.  .  "Zhang Liao, listen!" Yu Xin no longer addressed General Zhang Liao, but called him by his first name. His voice was hoarse, with a beast-like growl in his throat, and he pointed his knife at Zhang Liao, "Master Zhang has an order, let us  Return to Youzhou. For the sake of being part of Cao's army, you can leave. If you dare to stop me, don't blame me for being ruthless." Zhang Liao sighed in his heart. Cao Zhang indeed ordered them to retreat north. This would undoubtedly mean abandoning Qingzhou. He also  I had no choice but to say loudly: "You must obey Mr. Zhang's order. I have nothing to say, but I hope that General Yu will put the overall situation first and stay in Qingzhou. The Han army's march north to Bohai County is just a delaying tactic. They will definitely continue to attack."  Go south to Qingzhou, hope." Before Zhang Liao could finish his words, the soldiers around him shouted, "We are from Youzhou and want to go back to our hometown!" The shouts were noisy and drowned out Zhang Liao's voice. Yu Xin sneered and said to Zhang Liao again.  Said: "Do you understand? We are the Youzhou Army, Qingzhou has nothing to do with us! I will give you another chance, you leave now, otherwise" As soon as Yu Xin raised his hand, thousands of soldiers raised their crossbows.  , aiming at Zhang Liao and his 500 soldiers, Zhang Liao sighed, turned around and said to the soldiers: "Let's go!" Zhang Liao turned his horse and led the 500 soldiers to rush outside the camp quickly. Soldiers from all sides swarmed forward.  , Yu Xin stopped the restless soldiers and shouted: "Let them go!" Soon, Zhang Liao led his soldiers to leave the military camp, turned to the west, and gradually disappeared into the night. Yu Xin laughed proudly.  , turned around and said to the generals: "Pack up, let's go back to Youzhou after dawn!" There was a burst of cheers in the camp, and the soldiers began to pack up. Big tents disappeared, bags of food were put on carts, and weapons  At the same time, on a hill not far from the military camp, Zhang Liao was silently watching the camp, his eyes full of melancholy.  At this time, a confidant who had followed him for many years whispered: "Cao Wei is suffering from internal and external troubles. The situation is over. Why doesn't the general find another way out?" Zhang Liao shook his head, "I don't know, but Wei Gong treats me well. He is worried.  How can I abandon him for my own benefit when I am trapped?" After saying this, Zhang Liao sighed and said to the soldiers behind him: "Let's go!" He turned his horse and ran down the mountain, and all the soldiers followed him.  They all urged their horses, followed Zhang Liao, and galloped away into the distance. After daybreak, the Youzhou army that had successfully escaped Zhang Liao's control broke out of camp and returned north. Most of the soldiers were from Youzhou, not just because Cao Zhang gave the order, but there were more of them.  It was the combination of homesickness and eagerness to return to his hometown that made Youzhou's return to the north extremely smooth, and Zhang Liao could only leave sadly.  Two days later, 30,000 Youzhou troops entered Pingyuan County, preparing to cross the Yellow River from Gaotang County to the north. Opposite the Yellow River in Gaotang County is Pingyuan County. This area is a famous grain-producing area in Hebei, and food supplements can be obtained in Pingyuan County.  More importantly, the Han army was in the Nanpi area of ??Bohai County. They had to bypass Bohai County and go north from Hejian County back to Youzhou.  Gaotang County is a famous ferry in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. The terrain in this area is low and the water flow is gentle. It is an ideal place to cross the Yellow River. Especially since both sides are areas with developed agriculture and a large population, the demand for crossing the river is also very strong.  In the morning, 30,000 Youzhou troops arrived at the bank of the Yellow River. It was already late October, the autumn wind was bleak, fallen leaves were flying, the grains had been harvested and put into storage, and the earth was gray and black.  Today is a good year for grains, and grain harvests are good all over the world. The grains in Pingyuan County, the largest grain-producing county in Hebei, are also the same.There was a good harvest, and the warehouses were filled with new grains. This was a great temptation for the Youzhou Army, which was short of military rations.  Like other Cao troops, the Youzhou army also used rafts to cross the river. The rafts are easy to carry and can be combined at will. Large rafts can even cross more than a hundred cavalry at one time. Although the rafts cannot be used in water battles, they are only suitable for crossing the river.  It was more convenient than ships and was generally welcomed by Cao's army.  Within an hour, thousands of large and small rafts were thrown into the Yellow River, and 30,000 soldiers paddled across the river on rafts. Dense black spots appeared on the river. Although it was convenient to cross the river in Gaotang County, the river was very wide.  , a dozen miles long, and it would take at least an hour to cross the Yellow River.  General Admiral Xin also got on a large raft and kept looking eastward. For some reason, he felt an uneasy feeling in his heart. This uneasiness came from the fact that he went north smoothly and marched hundreds of miles northwest from Qijun. They did not encounter anything.  Although they intercepted the enemy, they did not encounter any Han scouts, and the Han army seemed to disappear out of thin air.  Yu Xin's twenty years of military experience also told him that this situation was abnormal and there must be some kind of hidden danger. Although he was vaguely aware that something was not good, the soldiers were returning home like an arrow, and he could not stop just because of an inner uneasiness.  Not forward.  At this moment, a soldier suddenly pointed to the west and shouted: "General, warships!" Yu Xin suddenly turned around and saw countless warships appearing on the river behind him, with war sails like clouds.  , rushing towards them through choppy waves.  Yu Xin kept complaining. He had been preparing for the Han army to attack from the east. He sent countless scouts to inspect the banks of the Yellow River in the east, but no Han warships were found. However, he did not expect that the Han army was not in Bohai County, but in Bohai County.  behind them.  Yu Xin shouted anxiously: "Get back to the shore! Get back to the shore quickly!" His shout was covered by the wind and could not spread far, but at this time, the officers and soldiers of the Youzhou Army on the river discovered the Han warships and killed them.  When Cao Cao's troops came, they were in a panic. The timing of the Han army's appearance was very precise. They rushed out just when Cao Jun was halfway across the river and attacked halfway across the river. Most of Cao's troops were unable to retreat in time and it was too late to advance. There was a horrified shout from the river.  On the front of a two-thousand-stone warship, Gan Ning had a sneer on his face. He led his army to Hebei just for this moment to ambush Cao Jun in Youzhou. The Han army had been marching north for more than two months and had already held its breath.  When the war finally came, the ten thousand sailors were all gearing up and fighting bravely to take the lead. Hundreds of warships rushed towards the countless rafts of Cao Jun on the water like sharp swords.  The turbid waves soared into the sky, and screams resounded across the river. The rafts overturned under the violent impact of the Han warships. There were Cao soldiers who fell into the water everywhere. Cries for help came and went on the water, but in exchange for  But it was the ruthless arrows of the Han soldiers.  The rafts could only be used to cross the river, and they were unable to fight back when faced with the impact of the naval warships. Even without the impact of the Han warships, the water waves discharged when passing by were enough to tip over the large rafts.  One hundred Han warships weighing 2,000 stones were rampaging on the Yellow River. After more than a dozen back and forth, thousands of rafts were basically knocked over. Arrows rained down from the warships, mercilessly shooting Cao's soldiers struggling in the river.  , the blood stained the river surface red, and broken and leaky rafts were floating everywhere.  With many soldiers rowing desperately, Yu Xin finally rushed to the north bank of the Yellow River first. On the north bank, there were more than 2,000 soldiers of the Youzhou Army who came ashore first. They looked helplessly at the progress of the Han warships in the Yellow River.  Everyone is frightened by the killing, and they don't know what they will do next.  Just when General Xin had just landed on the shore, the soldiers of the Youzhou Army on the shore suddenly burst into panic and shouted. When Yu Xin looked up, he saw two Han troops, one on the left and one on the right, attacking Cao Jun on the shore. Cao Jun's soldiers had already become  The frightened birds, no one organized resistance, ran in all directions.  A Han army came towards him brandishing an iron gun. Yu Xin's horse and sword had already fallen into the water. He couldn't escape in time, so he had to pick up a spear and stabbed him head on. This Han general was Ling Tong. He and Ding Feng each led the way.  Five thousand troops were waiting on the north and south banks to kill the remaining defeated generals of the Youzhou Army.  Ling Tong had seen Yu Xin a long time ago. Yu Xin's armor showed his extraordinary status. How could Ling Tong let it go? He raised his big iron spear and knocked the spear out of Yu Xin's hand. He pressed his wrist and said,  !  ¡¯ A shot pierced Yu Xin. Yu Xin screamed and died on the spot. Unfortunately, he had just escaped the killing on the river, but he died in the hands of Ling Tong.  Ling Tong lifted his body high, and the cheers of the Han troops around him filled the sky.  On the south bank of the Yellow River, Ding Feng also led 5,000 Han troops to encircle and suppress more than 1,000 Cao Jun soldiers who fled back. Cao Jun soldiers knelt down and surrendered, and no one had the intention to resist.  In just one hour, 30,000 Cao Jun in Youzhou were wiped out by the Han army. More than 20,000 Cao Jun soldiers died in the Yellow River. The number of casualties even exceeded the Central Plains War.  Two days later, Han warships once again appeared on the sea outside Le'an County, and 30,000 Han troops landed in Qingzhou and re-entered Qingzhou.After occupying Qi County, this time the Han army no longer confronted Cao Xiu's army. The army was full of murderous intent, and its troops were directed at Cao Xiu's army.  But to Gan Ning and Lu Xun's surprise, not long after the Han army re-entered Qi County, they received an urgent order from the King of Han, ordering them to negotiate peace with Cao Xiu. The two families continued to confront each other and were in no hurry to occupy Qingzhou.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1116 Goodbye Empress Fu

    At this time, Liu Jing had returned to Chang'an. After winning the Central Plains War, Liu Jing was not in a hurry to continue attacking Cao Wei. The political infighting caused by Cao Wei's disastrous defeat in the Central Plains became more and more intense. Under such circumstances, a rash attack was just  It will lead to internal unity in Cao Wei. On the contrary, if he relaxes a little, Cao Wei's internal strife will become bloody.  Therefore, Liu Jing ordered Zhao Yun's army to continue to besiege Luoyang and not rush to break the city. He also ordered the Han army to continue to confront Cao's army in Qingzhou. He wanted to maintain a tight internal situation and loose external situation to create a good external environment for the internal strife in Yedu.  But Liu Jing was extremely busy after returning to Chang'an. There were documents that needed his approval, official transfers that needed Zhu's approval, senior local officials that he needed to meet, etc. He had almost no time to rest after returning.  However, with the end of the autumn harvest, Liu Jing finally got away from the busy government affairs. This morning, he came to the Warm Heart Hall of Weiyang Palace and paid a visit to the Queen Mother Fu Shou. This was the second time he paid a visit to the Queen Mother Fu Shou after returning to Chang'an.  .  Soon after Liu Jing returned to Chang'an, she held a grand worship ceremony in the Qinzheng Hall of Weiyang Palace and led hundreds of officials to honor Fu Shou as the Empress Dowager of the Han Dynasty, officially establishing Fu Shou's political status.  Just a few days ago, Cao Pi also issued a Prime Minister's Proclamation to the world. The State of Wei officially recognized Fu Shou as the Empress Dowager of the Han Palace and Cao Jie as the Empress Dowager of the West Palace. This was Cao Pi's way of expressing to Liu Jing under a severe situation.  Compromise.  Fu Shou is over forty this year, but she is well-maintained and looks like she is in her early thirties. She is beautiful, gentle and quiet. She has lived in Weiyang Palace for several months, but she has the best relationship with Da Qiao. Perhaps  It's because they have similar personalities.  However, in front of Liu Jing, she seemed a little reserved. Fu Shou knew very well that she was just an important cornerstone for Liu Jing to ascend to the throne of God. Liu Jing did not really respect her. She wanted to spend the rest of her life peacefully in Weiyang Palace.  , she must cooperate with Liu Jing.  In the Qilin side hall, Liu Jing led several ministers to kneel down respectfully to Fu Shou, "Your Majesty Liu Jing and all the ministers pay homage to the Queen Mother, and wish the prefect health and happiness!" Although Fu Shou tried his best to calm down, but  It could be seen that she was still a little nervous. Fu Shou had already realized that Liu Jing had invited her to Qilin Hall today, so there must be something important. She waved her hand and said: "Your Highness, there is no need to be polite. Prime ministers, please rise and sit down."  Talk!" Several eunuchs nearby laid out soft mats for everyone. Liu Jing and the ministers sat down. Liu Jing smiled and asked, "I heard that the Queen Mother has been unwell for the past two days. Is she feeling better now?" Fu Shou smiled.  "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Aijia's health is much better." After a pause, Fu Shou took the initiative to ask: "What can you do, Your Highness?" Liu Jing and everyone looked at each other, and then said in a gentle tone as much as possible: "  First of all, I am concerned about the health of the Queen Mother, and secondly, I hope that the Queen Mother can issue an edict to tell the world that the emperor established by the Cao family and his son in Yedu is inappropriate and should be abolished. " Fu Shou nodded silently. She knew that the Han Dynasty had already been abolished.  He publicly told the world that he did not recognize the emperor established by the Cao family, but after all, the legal principles were insufficient, so Liu Jing hoped that as the empress dowager of the Han Dynasty, she would publicly disown the emperor Yedu.  Fu Shou herself did not recognize the son born to Cao Jie as the Han emperor's heir. She was very willing to issue such an edict, both public and private. Fu Hou said without hesitation: "The Aijia can issue an edict." Liu Jing was overjoyed,  Although he could directly issue an edict in the name of the Queen Mother without asking for Fu Shou's consent, in doing so, he would be no different from Cao Cao who used the emperor to command the princes. In the end, he would be criticized by the ministers, so Liu Jing was more cautious.  , try to allow Fu Shou to express his wishes openly to avoid hearing from everyone.  "Thank you, Queen Mother, for being sensible. I will not disturb the Queen Mother's rest, and respectfully send the Queen Mother back to the palace!" Fu Shou took a deep look at Liu Jing, stood up and left the throne. Accompanied by several palace ladies, he quickly left Qilin through the side door.  In the side hall, at this time, Zhang Zhaoxiao asked: "Can your Highness be sure that Cao Pi will depose the false emperor he established?" Liu Jing sneered and said, "Cao Pi promised to depose the false emperor on the surface, but he asked me to give in first. How can I do that?"  For such a cheap thing, we should simply depose the young pseudo-emperor in the name of the Queen Mother. It is reasonable and legal. He, Cao Pi, is just the Prime Minister. How can he compete with the Queen Mother? When he comes next time, the conditions will not be that simple?  " All the prime ministers nodded in agreement and everyone left the Qilin Hall. At this time, Sima Yi took a step slowly and followed Liu Jing. He whispered: "Your Highness, will the annihilation of 30,000 Youzhou troops affect Yedu?  Balance?" Liu Jing smiled and said: "Both of them have concerns, and no one is willing to take action easily. The destruction of 30,000 Youzhou troops is great news for Cao Pi. He will definitely call Cao Xiu's army back to Ye at any cost.  As long as 30,000 troops return to Yedu, the power of Yedu will be reversed, and Cao Pi will naturally reverse the situation, but I believe that Cao Pi?We will not sit still and wait for death, so the struggle in Yedu will become more and more exciting.  " "Then who does Your Highness hope to win?  Cao Pi or Cao Zhi?  "Sima Yi asked with a smile again. Liu Jing shook his head, "It doesn't matter to us. I just hope that they will fight among themselves, weaken their strength as much as possible, and create conditions for us to wipe out Cao Jun's effective strength, just like this Yellow River ambush, if not  Cao Zhang is eager to return to Youzhou, how can we have such a good opportunity?  " "This is God taking care of us!  " Liu Jing did not agree with Sima Yi's idea of ????attributing it to heaven. He said lightly: "The so-called three feet of ice does not freeze in a day. Cao Cao repeatedly broke his promise on the issue of heirs and delayed it for too long. This was the source of Wei's internal strife. Cao Cao was  He took advantage of the internal strife between the Yuan brothers and easily captured Hebei. He probably never imagined that the internal strife between the Yuan brothers would fall on him again. Normally, this kind of conflict would be covered up by Cao Cao's strength and would not be revealed easily, but as  Cao Cao is critically ill and the Central Plains suffered a tragic defeat, so conflicts will break out in an unfavorable situation. The changes in power in the past dynasties have not been able to escape this vicious cycle.  " "Your Highness can see clearly!  " Zhuge Liang came over with a smile and said: "Your Highness, can you tell me more about the strategy of merging the states?  " Zhuge Liang was in charge of Bingzhou, but because Xiahou Dun led 20,000 Bingzhou Cao troops from Taiyuan back to Yedu, the Han army also stopped military attacks in Bingzhou and waited for the situation to change. This time Zhuge Liang rushed back to Chang'an to discuss Bingzhou with Liu Jing.  One-step strategy. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient to talk here. Kong Ming might as well follow me to the military room for discussion.  Liu Jing said to Sima Yi again: "Zhongda, come too!"  "The three of them came to the military room, where Liu Jing's official room was used to discuss military affairs. There was a huge sand table in the lobby, six feet long and four feet wide. It was made up of six sand tables, covering all areas except Jiaozhou.  When Liu Jing walked to the Bingzhou sand table, Zhuge Liang picked up the wooden pole and introduced: "At present, the Han army in Hanoi County has withdrawn to Shangdang County. We have deployed a total of 40,000 troops in Shangdang County, and Cao's army originally had  After Xia Houyuan took away 20,000 troops from the 50,000-strong army, Cao's army retreated further and currently retreated to Taiyuan County. In fact, in the entire Bingzhou, Cao's army only controlled one county, Taiyuan.  Sima Yi said from the side: "This is a wise move by Cao Jun. Clenching his fists and retreating will help him fight out at the critical moment. As long as Cao Jun defeats the Han army in Taiyuan County, they can also recover the entire Bingzhou in one go, so we cannot underestimate it."  The opponent's retreat.  " "Although Zhongda's words are reasonable, Cao's army was forced to retreat rather than actively retreating. There is a big difference. Now Cao's army in Bingzhou is weak. If only these 30,000 troops want to drive the Han army out of Bingzhou  , is no longer so easy.  " Zhuge Liang's tone revealed confidence. This was the first battle he commanded after returning to the Han Dynasty, and he went all out. Sima Yi's words faintly revealed a kind of distrust of his ability, which made Zhuge Liang feel a little bit.  Unhappy. At this time, Liu Jing, who had been silent, asked: "Who is guarding Jingxing now?  " Liu Jing no longer cares much about the gains and losses of Bingzhou. He knows in his heart that with Zhuge Liang's strategy and Guan Yu's command, it is only a matter of time to seize Bingzhou. At this time, he is more concerned about how to enter Hebei from Bingzhou. Crossing the Taihang Mountains is what they must face.  Zhuge Liang quickly said: "Leping County, including Jingxing Pass, is guarded by Zhang He with 5,000 troops. However, we do not have to go through Jingxing. We can enter Hebei through Fukouxing in the south or Puyinxing in the north.  .  Liu Jing shook his head, "To go to Puyinxing, you must first break through Taiyuan City. And with winter approaching, heavy snow will block the road north of Taiyuan. It is unrealistic to go to Puyinxing and Feihuxing, and Fukouxing is in Yedu."  Overhead, Cao Jun has heavy troops at Fukou Pass. I still hope to capture Jingxing first. At least before the end of the year, we can control this strategic road.  "Liu Jing has actually given Zhuge Liang a task and a deadline. Zhuge Liang knew it and immediately bowed and saluted: "We will go all out to capture Jingxing.  Liu Jing smiled and nodded, "I will leave the task of attacking Taiyuan to Zilong. As long as Kong Ming can seize Jingxing and open the strategic route to Hebei, I will take the credit for Kong Ming's Bingzhou."  Zhuge Liang smiled and said: "Your Highness has underestimated us. Why not give us the task of Taiyuan, and then lend the heavy armored infantry to Weichen. We will capture Jingxing and Taiyuan before the end of the year. Weichen is willing to make a decision."  Military orders.  Liu Jing said happily: "There is no need for a military order. I am looking forward to seeing Kong Ming display his strategy in Bingzhou."  " Zhuge Liang retreated first, and Sima Yi whispered to Liu Jing: "Kong Ming and Guan Yu are the backbone of the Jiaozhou Clan. Would it be unsafe for them to command tens of thousands of elite soldiers? The ministers are always a little worried about whether Ma Chao's troubles will happen again.  .  ¡± Liu Jing smiled slightly."Zhongda, please rest assured. Liu Bei and his son are in my hands, and their wives, children, and children are in my hands. I forgive them for not making trouble. If they are allowed to stand alone and win, Guan Yu will return home." "  Even so, Wei Chen suggested that it be better to be careful. "Liu Jing nodded, "I will arrange for my confidant to go to Bingzhou to help in the battle!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  That night, Zhuge Liang left Chang'an and rushed to Bingzhou. At the same time, Liu Jing issued an order, ordering General Wang Ping to lead 5,000 barbarians, and Wu Ban to lead 5,000 heavy armored infantry to rush to Bingzhou with Zhuge Liang to participate in the attack on Bingzhou.  battle.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1117 Attacking Jingxing

    Jingxing is located in the middle of Leping County. It is known as "the fifth of the eight mountains in Taihang and the sixth of the nine fortresses in the world". It is the strategic link between Shanxi and Hebei and a battleground for military strategists of all ages. Han Xin's last battle took place at Jingxing.  Although the Han army has stationed troops on the south bank of the Yellow River, 30,000 naval troops can easily enter Hebei from the Yellow River and the sea. To the west of Hebei, it is also crucial to open a road from Bingzhou to Hebei, and Jingxing is the strategic center of this strategy.  road.  Compared with Jingxing, Cao Jun paid more attention to Fukouxing. Fukouxing was located south of Jingxing and could directly reach Yedu. Xiahou Dun led 20,000 troops from Fukouxing to Yedu and stationed troops at the pass east of Fukouxing.  Heavy troops.  But Liu Jing was not interested in Fukou. He wanted to open up the road from Bingzhou to Hebei, and Jingxing was his ideal goal. However, it was not easy to capture Jingxing. Cao Jun also deployed heavy troops at Jingxing Pass, led by the famous general Zhang He  He led five thousand people to guard it.  Jingxing starts from Shangai County, Leping County in the west and ends at Jingxing County, Changshan County in the east. The total length is about 300 miles, which can be used for grain carts, mules and horses. It is actually a crack in the Taihang Mountains. It crosses the Taihang Mountains and has become a strategic route through the Taihang Mountains.  .  There are two main dangerous passes on the Jingxing Road. One is Weize Pass near the west entrance, which is later known as Niangzi Pass, and the other is Tumen Pass at the east exit. Currently, Cao's army is mainly stationed in Leping due to lack of troops.  There are two majestic and dangerous passes in the county and Niangzi Pass.  In mid-November, 20,000 Han troops, led by Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, arrived at Leping County. At this time, there had just been a heavy snowfall in Bingzhou, and the plains, mountains, rivers, forests, and the entire Bingzhou land turned into a snow-capped world.  The army led by Zhuge Liang did not move very fast. After passing Beishan, they walked for a full day on a short journey of thirty miles. They did not arrive at Leping County until dusk. Leping County is known as seven mountains, two rivers and one plain, with the Taihang Mountains running through it.  , majestic and steep mountains can be seen everywhere, with no end as far as the eye can see.  Leping County is located on the mountainside of a steep mountain. It is a county town built on the mountain. The city walls are made of huge stones and are extremely strong and tall. It is not so much a county town as a strong fortress.  There are two thousand troops stationed in the city, commanded by a school captain. The county seat is located just beside the official road that must pass through Jingxing. If the Han army is a large army of soldiers and civilians, they must first pull out this strong city. Otherwise, Cao's army in the county seat will easily  Cut off the Han army's rear army's food, grass and baggage.  Zhuge Liang was sitting in a carriage, looking through the window at the county town on the mountainside. He smiled at General Wang Ping who was riding beside him and said, "What does General Wang think of Zhang He?" Wang Ping sneered and said, "This is  People are brave if they are brave, but they are poor in resourcefulness. There are not many troops in the first place, and they have to be stationed in two places. Maybe it is a pity that this county is not used. So what if we ignore it? " Zhuge Liang clapped his hands and laughed: "General Wang is worthy of his honor.  He is a wise general highly praised by the Han Dynasty, and his reputation is indeed well-deserved. It is indeed unwise for Zhang He to divide his troops and garrison them. " Speaking of this, Zhuge Liang said lightly: "But I only made a small plan, and the garrison in this county was wiped out."  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Twenty thousand Han troops marched northward in the vast snow. Cao Jun's soldiers standing at the top of Leping City watched the Han troops' every move with vigilance. There were 2,000 troops stationed in Leping County. The Cao troops who commanded this army  The captain's name was Wang Xing, a native of Hejian County, about forty years old, and a subordinate of Zhang He, the principal general of Leping County.  Wang Xing was appointed by Zhang He to lead his army to garrison Leping County, mainly to contain the Han army's attack on Jingxing from the side. Leping County is about thirty miles away from Jingxing Pass. This distance is just suitable for Leping County to assist Cao's main force in guarding the pass.  Wang Xing stood on the city wall with a big sword in his hand, staring coldly at the Han army passing by in the distance. He could see clearly that this Han army was lightly armed and simply equipped, and did not carry any food, grass or baggage. Maybe they  I thought it would be easy to capture Jingxing Pass and get the food and grass supplies in the pass!  There was a mocking smile on Wang Xing's face, and he squeezed the big knife tighter.  At night, the cold and biting mountain wind cuts through the cliffs like a knife, making bursts of sharp whistling sounds. The defenders in Leping County have long been accustomed to the strange whistling sound of the mountain wind. The top of the city is extremely quiet, and hundreds of local people  The soldiers on duty were wrapped in blankets and huddled in the corner. Only a few soldiers were looking down. They seemed to hear something unusual.  At this time, a small black dot rushed toward the county town. It was a cavalry scout of Cao's army. Not long after, he rushed to the top of the city and asked loudly: "Is General Wang here?" "What's the matter?" A man on duty said  The military lord asked.  "Hurry and report to General Wang that we have discovered the Han army's grain and grass train." At this time, General Wang Xing also walked quickly to the battlements. The soldiers of Cao's army who were huddled on the wall stood up one after another. Wang Xing looked down and asked: "  "What happened?" "General Qi, let's start"We arrived at the Han army's baggage and food team, which was on the trail to the west.  " Wang Xing raised his head and looked to the west. To the west was a large forest, covering the path leading to Jingxing Pass in the north. Only then did he understand that the Han army's baggage train was taking another road. "How many grain trucks are there?  Guard soldiers?  "Wang Xing asked anxiously. "There are about a thousand grain trucks and more than five hundred escort soldiers. Their grain and grass carts are very heavy and they walk slowly!  " Wang Xing thought for a moment and immediately ordered: "Send the order and the troops will assemble immediately!  " Their mission was to intercept the Han army's baggage at the rear. Zhang He did not ask them to come here to watch the excitement. A quarter of an hour later, Wang Xing led two thousand soldiers and rushed out of the city gate. Wang Xing took the lead and led his army towards the forest to the west.  About two miles away from the county seat is a black pine forest that is dozens of miles long. At this time, the pine forest is also covered with white snow, with black and white mixed in. On the other side of the pine forest is a trail leading to Jingxingguan, which is actually an official road.  The official road coming from Taiyuan was a little narrow. At this time, a grain and grass train was creaking and moving northward. This grain and grass train was composed of more than a thousand carriages, each of which was a large cart.  Pulled by two draft horses, the snow on the ground had been trampled by the convoy, and the ground was muddy. The march was extremely slow. At this moment, there was a frightening sound of birds flying into the sky, and the soldiers guarding the food team were heard.  They suddenly became vigilant, picked up their shields and spears, and looked inside the pine forest. "It's Cao Jun!"  " Suddenly a shout came from the team, and countless black shadows were seen rushing out of the pine forest, and arrows were fired. Many draft horses pulling the cart were hit by arrows. There were screams and screams, and the Han soldiers rushed toward them.  Fleeing in the snow on the other side, the driver also jumped out of the carriage and ran after the soldiers. In just a moment, the Han soldiers on the official road fled cleanly. Two thousand Cao soldiers ran out of the pine forest, and they cheered.  , unexpectedly obtained a large amount of Han army's baggage so easily, but the general Wang Xing was a little uneasy. It was too easy to snatch the baggage. Is it so easy for the Han army's logistics to be lost? At this time, some soldiers exclaimed, "  General, that's not right!  Wang Xing was startled and hurriedly urged his horse forward and asked, "What's wrong?"  "The soldiers opened the oilcloth covering the cart. The cart was full of hay. Wang Xing quickly ordered to check all the grain carts. Soldiers kept shouting, "It's all hay here!"  " "Same here, there is no food!  " Wang Xing was stunned for only a moment, and then shouted, "No, retreat quickly!  " He had already realized that this baggage train was a trick for the Han army to lure troops, and was not a real baggage train at all. But it was already a bit late at this time. He could only hear the thunderous sound of drums in the distance, and there were suddenly huge flames on both sides of the road.  The Han troops came from the left and from the right. Two young generals, Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, each led five thousand men to attack Cao Jun. Cao Jun's soldiers were in chaos and turned around to run into the pine forest, but the pine forest was already occupied.  The Han army blocked it, and 10,000 Han soldiers came from all directions, shooting like rain of arrows. Cao's soldiers fell on their backs and wailed all over the field. The leader of Cao's army, Wang Xing, led more than a hundred people to break through to the north, but happened to encounter Zhang Bao, who was quite like his father.  , the roar was like thunder, the eight-foot-long snake spear was as fast as lightning, one shot knocked Wang Xing off the horse, and another shot stabbed him to death. The general was killed, the retreat was cut off, and the morale of the two thousand Cao soldiers was lost, and they knelt down one after another.  Cao Cao surrendered and begged for his life. At the same time, 8,000 Han troops came to Leping County. There were only more than 300 defenders on the city. Even if they had a strong city, they could not hold it. Cao Jun had no fighting spirit, so he had to open the city gate and attack  The Han army surrendered. The news that Leping County was captured by the Han army did not reach Jingxing Pass. At this time, Jingxing Pass was already facing a formidable enemy. Twenty thousand Han troops were approaching the city. Jingxing had two passes to the west of Taihang Mountain, one of which was the entrance to the valley.  The other is located in the middle of Jingxing, namely Weize Pass. Zhang He led three thousand defenders to guard the city of Jingxing Pass. Jingxing Pass is a majestic pass about two miles long, with steep cliffs on both sides and behind it.  It is the entrance to Jingxing. Whether a business trip to Hebei or an army crossing the Taihang Mountains, they must pass through Guancheng. If the Han army wants to capture Jingxing, Jingxing Pass is an obstacle that cannot be bypassed. Zhang He originally thought that the Han army would attack Taiyuan first.  But he didn't expect that the Han army would attack Jingxing Pass first, which made him feel a little regretful. If he had known this, he should not have let Wang Xing guard Leping County. He should have concentrated his troops to defend Jingxing Pass. In fact, Zhang He was inconsistent with the Bingzhou strategy.  Xiahou Shang had serious differences. Zhang He believed that defending Jingxing and several Taihang Mountain passes in the north would be beneficial to the overall situation. Bingzhou was not important in Cao Wei's overall situation, and Hebei was the key. He asked Xiahou Shang to divide at least half of his troops to defend Jingxing.  Shang did not pay much attention to Jingxing. On the contrary, he focused more on guarding Taiyuan. It is natural for him to have this idea.Bingzhou was the territory of the Xiahou family, but Hebei was not. However, due to Zhang He's repeated requests, Xiahou Shang reluctantly allocated 5,000 troops to Zhang He to guard Leping County, including Jingxing.  However, the Han army did not attack Jingxing immediately. Instead, they set up a camp about two miles away from Guancheng. For two days in a row, a steady stream of Han troops came from the south and stationed themselves in the camp. Zhang He secretly deduced that at least there were  Forty thousand Han troops were stationed outside Jingxing Pass.  In this way, the pressure on Taiyuan will be gone. When the Han army is attacking Jingxing with all its strength, shouldn't Xiahou Shang do something?  Zhang He hopes that Xiahou Shang can divide his troops to relieve him of the pressure. Once Jingxing falls, the Han army will march into Hebei in large numbers. Xiahou Shang may not be able to bear the consequences.  Zhang He pondered for a long time. He was a subordinate. He could not ask Xiahou Shang to do anything. He could only tell Xiahou Shang the truth. The main force of the Han army was attacking Jingxing in a large scale. He could suggest that Xiahou Shang could lead his army south and raid the empty logistics center of the Han army.  Zhang He immediately wrote a letter and asked Xin Ying to send Han army intelligence and his suggestions to Taiyuan.  In the Han army camp, Zhuge Liang was standing in front of the tent with his hands behind his hands, observing the sky. He was so focused that he saw that the sky was covered with dark clouds, the wind was freezing, and another heavy snowfall was about to come.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1118 The plan within the plan

    Bingzhou has always been the sphere of influence of the Xiahou family. From the earliest Xiahou Yuan, to Xiahou Dun, to Xiahou Shang, the army of Bingzhou has always been in the hands of the Xiahou family, and Taiyuan City is the top priority of Bingzhou.  After Xiahou Dun took away 20,000 elite troops from Taiyuan, the strength of Cao's army in Bingzhou was reduced to 30,000, and another 5,000 troops were assigned to Zhang He to guard Jingxing. There were only 25,000 defenders left in Taiyuan City. Seeing the coming of winter,  However, the food reserves were insufficient, which became a worry for Xia Houshang, the general of Taiyuan.  After Bingzhou was occupied by the Xiongnu for many years, the pattern of Southern Han and Northern Hu was formed, with Taiyuan County as the boundary. To the north of Taiyuan County was the Hu people's livestock area, while to the south was the agricultural area where Han people concentrated. The agricultural area was mainly concentrated in Pingyang County.  , Hedong County, Hanoi County and the southern part of Shangdang County.  Although the Xiongnu in Bingzhou had been destroyed for four or five years, it did not change the pattern of Northern Hu and Southern Han. On the contrary, a large number of southern farmers gave up their land and fled to Guanzhong, making Bingzhou's agriculture more and more withered.  The biggest impact of the decline of agriculture in Bingzhou on Cao's army was the lack of sufficient military rations. Every year, 200,000 grains were transferred from Hebei to supplement the shortage of military rations.  Today's winter came extremely early. It was only mid-November, and the first heavy snow fell in Bingzhou. At the same time, Xiahou Shang also fell into a state of extreme uneasiness. The Han army moved north too fast, and the 200,000 shi of Hedong and Pingyang County were lost.  There was no time to transport the food back to Taiyuan, and there were only 50,000 shi of military grain reserves in Taiyuan City, which was only enough for his army for two months.  Xia Houshang stood on the top of the city, looking at the heavy snow falling in the sky, his eyes full of contradictions and hesitations. This was the second heavy snowfall in Bingzhou, and the world turned into gray.  Xiahou Shang received a letter from Zhang He yesterday and learned that the main force of 40,000 Han troops was besieging Jingxing. No wonder no trace of the Han troops was found south of Taiyuan. They all went to Leping County.  Zhang He suggested in the letter that he could send troops south to raid Huguan County in Shangdang County, the logistics center of the Han army, to relieve the strong pressure on Jingxing.  Although this suggestion is good, Xiahou Shang is an extremely cautious person. He only has 25,000 troops. If the Han army turns south and counterattacks, the consequences will be disastrous. Xiahou Shang really does not have the courage.  Moreover, even if he had the courage, he would rather send troops south to Pingyang County to collect food. That would really help him defend Taiyuan. But now, he doesn't even have the courage to send troops south to Pingyang County, let alone send troops.  We raided Shangdang Huguan County.  Xiahou Shang sighed, turned around, walked down the city wall, and returned to the Bingzhou Governor's Mansion. He changed his clothes, returned to the Yibing Hall, and stood alone in front of the sand table in deep thought.  At this time, a personal guard reported in the hall: "Captain, Commander Mao is here!"  Shang guarded Bingzhou. He advocated that the troops should not be dispersed. Especially when faced with the situation where Han was strong and Cao was weak, troops must be concentrated to defend key points. His plan was finally adopted by Xiahou Shang. For this reason, Cao Jun gave up most of Bingzhou and counties and defended Taiyuan City.  and Jingxing.  Xiahou Shang himself has some abilities, otherwise he would not stand out from the many Xiahou children. However, compared with his fathers Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Dun and others, Xiahou Shang still has a certain gap. First, his force is slightly weaker, and secondly, his overall strategy is different.  insufficient.  It is for this reason that Xia Houshang relied heavily on Mao Jie and almost obeyed his suggestions. When Mao Jie walked into the lobby, he smiled and said, "The governor is worried about Jingxing?" Mao Jie responded to the main force of the Han army to besiege Jingxing.  He had heard about it, and Xia Houshang sent someone to invite him, so he guessed that it must be for this reason.  Xiahou Shang quickly bowed his hands and saluted, "Not only about the Jingxing matter, but also about the lack of food, I also want to discuss it with the military advisor." Mao Jie nodded and walked slowly to the sand table. He stared at it for a moment and then said: "  Is the governor ready to respond to Zhang He's suggestion and send troops to raid Huguan?  Mao Jie smiled slightly and said, "In fact, Huguan also has a large amount of food and grass for the Han army. The governor is worried that the Han army will intercept him when he attacks Huguan. I'm right, right?"  "That's right!" "Actually, I have a plan. I wonder if the Governor is willing to give it a try?"  I have been thinking about an issue recently. The general of the Han army attacking Bingzhou this time is Guan Yu, and the military advisor is Zhuge Liang. They are both surrendered generals of the Jiaozhou clique. If Ma Chao's incident had not happened, I can still think that Liu Jing was broad-minded and tolerant.  The caliber of a person, but with the Ma Chao incident ahead of him, how could Liu Jing stillTo trust Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang, at least he must appoint an influential deputy general, so I always feel that there seems to be something fishy here.  " "What does the military advisor think is the reason?  Mao Jie said slowly: "I think Liu Jing is actually taking this opportunity to test Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang."  "    "But.  What does this have to do with us?  "Xia Hou asked puzzledly. "Of course it has something to do with us. We can infer from this that Liu Jing will not let Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang overdo it. For example he will withdraw his troops after letting them attack Jingjing. I don't think Liu Jing will  Let them occupy the entire territory of Bingzhou and let them monopolize one area. That would be a hidden danger!  Xiahou was silent and speechless. He disagreed with Mao Jie's analysis. After all, this was just Mao Jie's guess. How could they measure Liu Jing's thoughts as a king? If Mao Jie's plan was based on his guess, then Xiahou  Shang would rather not adopt it.  Mao Jie also realized that Xia Houshang's resistance was clear. He smiled and said: "I have digressed. My plan has nothing to do with this." "I am willing to listen to the military advisor's plan!" Mao Jie realized that Xia Houshang was a very practical person.  People will not guess the strategies and tactics of the Han army, but only make decisions based on the situation at hand. In this case, he cannot talk too profoundly and must be practical and easy to understand.  Thinking of this, Mao Jie smiled and said: "We are short of food, and the Han army should also know that we plan to transport food to Pingyang County. The Han army can also think of it, but our plan must be something that the Han army can't think of."  , hurriedly asked: "What is the specific plan?" Mao Jie picked up the wooden pole and pointed to Jiuyuan County in the north of Taiyuan, "There are still tens of thousands of Huns in the north of Bingzhou. In spring, they go to the north to graze, and in winter, they  They will go south to escape the wind and snow. There are at least 20,000 Huns in Jiuyuan County and Yu County. They have no army to protect them, and they have at least millions of cattle and sheep in their hands." Before Mao Jie could finish speaking, Xiahou Shang reacted immediately.  , fist-pumping in excitement, "Why didn't I think of that? Millions of cattle and sheep! Enough for our army to last for a year." Mao Jie smiled slightly and said: "Preserving beef and mutton is very simple, we also have it in midsummer  There is no problem in putting the slaughtered beef and mutton in the ice cellar for two or three years. In this way, the governor will no longer have to send troops south. However, in order to confuse the Han army, I suggest sending one army each to Pingyang and Huguan.  "After saying that, Mao Jie looked at Xia Houshang and saw that he seemed to be a little hesitant. Mao Jie knew that Xia Houshang was worried about Jingxing's safety, so he smiled and said: "As for Jingxing, if Zhang He can't defend Jingxing Pass,  We can then withdraw eastward and defend Weize Pass, or even withdraw eastward and defend Tumen Pass. In short, as long as Zhang He does not surrender to the Han army, the Han army will not easily break through Jingxing. When the Han army withdraws south, we will fight with Zhang He inside and outside  Cooperate and retake Jingxing, what do the governors think? " Mao Jie's suggestion made Xiahou Shang nod repeatedly. Not only was it a great strategy to capture the Huns' cattle and sheep, but Xiahou Shang also knew that there was nothing he could do about Jingxing and he could only rely on Zhang He.  Holding firmly is indeed the best plan. As for a surprise attack on Huguan to force the Han army to retreat, it is simply impossible. How could the Han army not gather heavy troops for defense in Huguan.  He immediately concluded: "According to the strategy of the military advisor, I personally led the army north to Jiuyuan County." That night, Xia Houshang ordered two captains to lead two thousand troops each to pretend to be five thousand troops, rush to Pingyang County to collect food, and  Heading to Huguan to raid the Han army's logistics center, Xiahou Shang led 10,000 troops north to Yu County and Jiuyuan County under the cover of heavy snow, preparing to rob the Huns' cattle and sheep.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  On the top of Jingxingguan City, Zhang He looked at the Han army camp. At this time, the heavy snow had stopped. The inside and outside of the city wall were covered with thick snow. Under the sunlight, the snow was dazzlingly white.  Zhang He's expression became more and more solemn. He had been observing here for half an hour. He found that the Han army camp was very quiet. Although there were troops active, there were never more than a thousand people.  "That's strange!" Zhang He said to himself.  "What did the general find?" asked several tooth generals nearby.  "Look at the Han army's tent!" Zhang He pointed to the Han army's camp from a distance and said: "According to common sense, after a heavy snowfall, the first thing to do is to clear the snow from the tent, otherwise the snow will easily turn into ice.  The tent was crushed, but there was no movement in the Han camp, and no one was clearing the snow. Isn't it strange? " Zhang He's reminder made everyone notice the abnormality, and it was true, even though there were Han soldiers patrolling around.  , but the Han army's camp was extremely quiet. Even if the Han army kept a low profile, they would not even clear the snow from the tent.  At this time, everyone thought of a terrible possibility. After all, the heavy snowfall day and night obscured the view of the city, and no one knew what happened in the Han army camp.  ? ?General, let me test it out!  "A tooth general couldn't help but asked for orders. "Zhang He didn't say a word. He only had three thousand troops left. If the Han army was deceiving and lured them out of the city to attack the Han army's camp, the troops he sent would not be able to come back.  , this will be a heavy blow to Jingxingguan, which already has a small number of troops. Zhang He shook his head, "Don't be anxious, wait a little longer, and continue to observe the movements of the Han army.  " The whole day, Zhang He did not leave the city wall. By dusk, he was almost certain that the Han army camp was empty and it was definitely not a trick to lure troops. " The gates of the pass were wide open, and Zhang He led two thousand Cao troops.  They came out of the city and went straight to the Han army camp. When the Han soldiers on patrol saw Cao Jun coming, they all fled. Zhang He didn't care about these Han soldiers on patrol. He led his troops to break through the Han army camp.  His judgment was not wrong. The Han army camp was indeed an empty camp. There was no Han army soldier. But at this moment, drums sounded loudly all around, and Zhang Bao and Guan Xing each led five thousand troops to fight out from both sides.  , led by a thousand cavalry at extremely fast speeds, their horses galloped in the snow. They rushed to the front of Guancheng and cut off Zhang He's retreat. Zhang He was shocked and led his army to rush out of the barracks, but was surrounded by ten thousand Han troops.  The crossbow machine sounded, and thousands of Han soldiers fired arrows. Cao's soldiers were unable to dodge, and there were countless casualties. The battlefield became quiet again with screams and wails. Thousands of Han soldiers raised their crossbows together and aimed coldly.  After more than a thousand Cao's troops were defeated, Zhuge Liang appeared in the army. He shouted loudly from a distance: "General Zhang, why haven't you surrendered now?  " Zhang He looked at the corpses and wounded soldiers on the ground, and then at his subordinates. They were all panicked and had no fighting spirit. He couldn't help but sigh and ordered: "Abandon your weapons and surrender!  " The soldiers put down their weapons and took off their armor. Zhang He turned over and dismounted, fell to the ground and shouted: "Zhang He is willing to surrender!  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1119 Lure the troops out of the city

    In fact, Zhang He's judgment was not wrong. He suspected that the main force of the Han army had quietly withdrawn from Jingxing Pass and was heading towards Taiyuan. If so, Taiyuan was in danger, but if he only sent a small number of soldiers to investigate, they would inevitably be intercepted by Han army patrols.  After Zhang He observed for a day, he had confirmed that his judgment was correct, and then he personally led his army to attack the Han army camp. Although his judgment was not wrong, he still fell into Zhuge Liang's plan. Zhuge Liang sent out 30,000 troops to kill  Towards Taiyuan, ten thousand troops were left behind to ambush in the woods on both sides of the pass. Zhang He led his troops to fight out, but fell into Zhuge Liang's trap and was eventually surrounded. Zhang He had no way out and was forced to surrender.  Zhang He surrendered, and the Cao army at Jingxing Pass also surrendered, allowing the Han army to occupy Jingxing Pass without a fight.  But Jingxing Pass was only the first link in Zhuge Liang's plan, and the real highlight was in Taiyuan. From the beginning, Zhuge Liang knew that Taiyuan was short of food, so he concentrated his troops to pretend to attack Jingxing and laid a trap for Cao's army in Taiyuan City.  Then, using the heavy snow to cover the golden cicada's escape, the 30,000-strong army quickly returned to Taiyuan and joined the 10,000-strong northward army led by Guan Yu.  As expected, Xiahou Shang fell into Zhuge Liang's trap. Following Mao Jie's plan, he personally led 10,000 troops north to seize the Huns' cattle and sheep. However, he was ambushed halfway by 40,000 troops led by Guan Yu. The two armies fought in melee all night and until dawn  At this time, Cao's army was finally defeated across the board.  The vast snowfield was full of running Cao soldiers, but the Han army laid dragnets in all directions. The Cao soldiers had nowhere to escape. Under the pursuit of the Han army, the Cao soldiers knelt down and surrendered.  Xiahou Shang was covered in blood from the killing. He led more than 300 soldiers to fight a bloody path and fled in embarrassment to the west. On all sides, groups of Han troops were surrounding Cao Jun's deserters, and the shouts of killing were loud.  At this time, it was not yet bright, and the morning light was hazy. Under the cover of the morning light, Xia Houshang was able to continuously break through the Han army's net, and he was about to break out of the siege. But at this moment, an army of about three thousand people rushed from the front.  For the rest of the people, there was a large fluttering flag with the word "Guan" written on it.  Xiahou Shang secretly complained. He knew that he might have encountered the Han army's general Guan Yu. He turned his horse's head and ran south, trying to escape the attention of the Han army on the opposite side.  The army coming across was Guan Yu's team. Although Guan Yu followed his elder brother Liu Bei and surrendered to Han, he was still heartbroken and refused to serve Liu Jing. Liu Jing did not force him and let him and Zhang Fei go to Hexi and  He Huang inspected Han troops in various places.  But as Guan Yu¡¯s understanding of the Han army gradually deepened, the prejudice in his heart was gradually eliminated. He finally realized that the Han army would unify the world sooner or later. This was not only the strength of the Han army, but also a spiritual atmosphere.  All parts of the Han Dynasty were prosperous, production was restored, the people were living and working in peace and contentment, and soldiers were actively training. A new recruit who had only joined the army for a few months could become an elite soldier after a few months of hard training. This was something that neither Cao's army nor the former Jiaozhou army could do.  This is not a training method, but morale. Soldiers with high morale enable recruits to quickly transform themselves.  It was the prosperity of the Han Dynasty that finally made Guan Yu change his mentality and began to try to re-invest in a new official career. However, Guan Yu did not expect that from the beginning, Liu Jing appointed him as the commander-in-chief of Bingzhou and fought alone with Zhuge Liang.  On the one hand, this kind of trust made Guan Yu feel inexplicably moved in his heart.  It's just that he doesn't show his emotions. He will not show his emotions. Instead, he will go all out in Bingzhou to cooperate with Liu Jing's overall strategic layout. Liu Jing requires that the Bingzhou campaign be completed before the end of the year and the strategic route to Hebei be opened.  .  Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang agreed on a plan to seize Bingzhou. They took advantage of Cao's army's lack of food and grass, pretended to attack Jingxing, and lured Taiyuan's Cao army out of the city to plunder food. Zhuge Liang's plan was indeed successful.  Just when Guan Yu led his army to patrol the battlefield, they unexpectedly bumped into Cao Jun's general Xiahou Shang. Although Guan Yu didn't know that the other party was Xiahou Shang, he was followed by hundreds of cavalry, and he realized that this must be Cao Jun's important force.  figure.  Guan Yu mobilized his war horses and pursued Cao Jun with the Qinglong Yanyue Sword in hand. Three thousand Han troops followed closely behind him. Of course Xiahou Shang knew how powerful Guan Yu was. He became even more panicked and kept whipping his horses. But at this moment, another interceptor appeared in front.  The Han army consisted of about a thousand people.  Seeing that Cao Jun refused to stop his horse, General Ya, the leader, was furious and ordered: "Line up your spears and block their way!" A thousand soldiers quickly formed a spear formation on the snow and blocked the way of Xiahou Shang's cavalry.  On the left was a dry ditch seven or eight feet wide, which the horses could not cross. Xiahou Shang had no choice but to turn his horse's head and run to the right, but was stopped by Guan Yu.  Guan Yu waved the Qinglong Yanyue Sword and said coldly: "Dismount and surrender, and you will be spared death!"  Welcoming each other, although Guan Yu is over fifty years old, he is still as brave as before.With a backhand knife, he hit the back of Xiahou Shang's neck. With a sound of "Push!", Xiahou Shang's head flew up ten feet high, blood spurted out from his neck. The horse took a few steps and his body fell from the horse.  Guan Yu killed Xiahou Shang, waved his hand, and coldly ordered: "Kill!" Thousands of Han troops rushed forward and surrounded Xiahou Shang's 300 soldiers. There was a killing spree. In just a moment, all 300 soldiers were killed by the Han army.  , no one left alive.  Guan Yu picked up Xiahou Shang's head with the tip of his sword, looked at it carefully for a moment, and couldn't help but sneered, "With this head, how long can Taiyuan City be defended? " Xiahou Shang led his army to leave Taiyuan.  Soon after heading north of the city, Military Advisor Mao Jie felt an uneasy feeling. This uneasy feeling came from the scout's report that nothing unusual was found around Taiyuan City. If his scouts found that there were Han troops patrolling nearby, he would not be surprised.  Worry, this is a normal phenomenon. Even if the Han army attacks Jingxing with all its strength, it will not turn a blind eye to Taiyuan City. There is no Han army monitoring Taiyuan City. This is a bit abnormal. There is only one possibility. The Han army deliberately left Taiyuan City.  . Throughout the night, Mao Jie spent the whole night in fear. After dawn, defeated soldiers began to appear at the gate of Taiyuan City. Mao Jie almost collapsed. What he feared most finally happened. A man escaped from the north wall.  Ya Jiang cried to Mao Jie: "At the fourth watch last night, we were surrounded by tens of thousands of Han troops at Yushu Gang, thirty miles away to the north. Although General Xiahou led his brothers to fight fiercely with the Han troops, we were outnumbered and daybreak was approaching.  Finally defeated by the Han army, the brothers broke out in all directions, and only by pretending to be dead did they escape the capture of the Han army.  " Mao Jie felt his eyes go dark for a while. After a while, he calmed down and asked, "Where is General Xiahou?  " "Beizhi only heard that he was chased by Guan Yu and his army. I don't know what the final result was.  " Mao Jie was worried. Xiahou Shang was actually being chased by Guan Yu. Can he still escape? At this moment, the sound of war drums suddenly came from the distance. The sound was like muffled thunder, as if it was above the clouds in the distance.  Mao Jie's face turned pale, he got up and walked towards the battlements. The soldiers of Cao's army on the top of the city were alerted and rushed to the top of the city. A black line appeared in the distance, gradually approaching the city, getting closer and closer, the black line appeared in the distance.  The line turned into a huge black carpet, with flags fluttering, overwhelming, and behind them were black soldiers, with spears like a forest, and shining armor, especially murderous in the snow-covered wilderness. Mao Jie took a breath of air.  There are at least 50,000 troops, but there are only 10,000 defenders in Taiyuan City. If the Han army attacks Taiyuan City, can they hold it? The life and death of the general Xiahou Shang is unknown. The deputy general Guo Huai followed Xiahou Dun to Yedu.  The famous deputy general Zhang He was sent to guard Jingxing. There were only three captains in the city, and none of them could stand alone. Only he, Mao Jie, could take charge of the overall situation. But after all, he was a counselor and was good at making plans, so he was asked to lead the army to defend the city.  His ability was far inferior to that of Xia Houshang. Mao Jie had no choice but to bite the bullet and ordered: "General Yang and General Lu will defend the north city, and General Zhao will lead his troops to guard the south city. Three hundred people will be left in the east and west cities to patrol, so there is no need to set up defenses for the time being.  " With Mao Jie's direct command, the Han army does not have many troops. He will definitely concentrate his forces to attack the North City. It is also possible for the South City to attack. However, due to the terrain on the east and west sides, it is estimated that the Han army will not attack. At this time, Colonel Yang Lin ran away  He came to Mao Jie and said, "Commander, how about deploying the trebuchet?"  " Mao Jie was startled, and looked back at the tall trebuchet behind him. He suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart. He knew where the problem lay. There were forty heavy trebuchets on the top of Beicheng, and each trebuchet required a hundred people.  To pull the hair, that would require four thousand people, but he only has a total of ten thousand defenders. How can he allocate troops? Even if he recruits civilians temporarily, they still need training before they can be used. It was already too late. Mao Jie thought for a moment and said: "  Only twenty trebuchets were used to launch huge stones. After the Han army advanced a hundred steps, they gave up the trebuchets.  " "Follow the order!  " Yang Lin saluted, turned around and hurried away. At this time, a soldier next to him stepped forward and whispered: "Military advisor, the Han army has sent an envoy. Do you want to see him?  " Mao Jie pondered for a moment and nodded, "Bring it up!  " Soon, a scribe was brought up by the soldiers. The scribe stepped forward and bowed and saluted: "Zhang Hong, a soldier of the Han army, came to see Mao's military advisor on the order of General Guan.  " "What do you have to say?  "Mao Jie said coldly. Zhang Hong turned around and glanced at the Cao Jun soldiers behind him. The soldiers quickly handed Mao Jie a sword. Mao Jie's heart skipped a beat. He recognized the sword. It was Xia Houshang's sword.  , was actually in the hands of the Han army. Could it be that Zhang Hong did not hide it and said frankly: "Xiahou Shang has died in the rebel army. There are no more Cao troops outside Taiyuan City. General Zhang He also surrendered to the Han army, leaving only Taiyuan City.  General Guan hoped that Military Advisor Mao could see the big picture clearly.Don't let innocent soldiers lose their lives anymore. Surrender as soon as possible to gain a reputation after your death.  " Mao Jie smiled miserably. Xiahou Shang was indeed killed. After a while, he slowly said: "Go back and tell Guan Yu that a loyal minister will not serve the two masters. Although I, Mao Jie, am not very talented and have little knowledge, and I am not strong enough to tie a chicken, at least I still have dignity.  With integrity, he is willing to fight to the death with him!  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1120 Conquering Bingzhou

    Guan Yu really didn't expect that Mao Jie would be so decisive, never surrender, and fight to the end. This made Guan Yu have some respect for Mao Jie. He knew that Mao Jie knew the situation of Wei in his heart. Taiyuan was isolated and helpless and was not under siege.  Destruction means breaking through in a fierce battle, but Mao Jie still refuses to surrender, which only shows that he wants dignity and integrity.  Although Guan Yu admired Mao Jie's integrity in his heart, Cao Jun's refusal to surrender also made him feel ashamed. Guan Yu was already slightly angry. At this time, Guan Ping stepped forward and saluted: "My child is willing to lead the army to attack Taiyuan City!"  Guan Yu thought for a moment and finally nodded, "My son can lead an army of fifteen thousand to attack Beicheng!" Next to him, Wu Ban also clasped his fists and said, "The heavy armored infantry is willing to help Xiaoguan attack the city!" Guan Yu didn't want the heavy armored infantry to attack.  In the city, it is not easy to train heavy armored infantry. They are generally used to deal with cavalry. Even if they attack the city, they are used in the very difficult and dangerous passes. Although Taiyuan City is tall and strong, it has insufficient defenders, so it is still relatively easy to capture. Using heavy armored infantry is a bit killing.  The waste of a chicken butcher's knife.  But Wu Ban¡¯s attitude was very resolute. He knew that there were not many opportunities to make meritorious deeds. They must seize every opportunity to make meritorious deeds. Moreover, His Highness the King of Han sent them to Bingzhou, hoping that they would make a difference in the battle of Bingzhou.  Seeing Guan Yu's hesitation, Wu Ban bowed again and said: "The heavy armored infantry is willing to go out to capture Taiyuan. I beg General Guan to agree!" Guan Yu was finally moved by Wu Ban's persistence. He smiled slightly and said: "Since General Wu insists,  , the heavy armored infantry will fight in the second round of siege!" Wu Ban was overjoyed, "Thank you, General Guan!"  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The war finally broke out, and all Cao's troops on the city wall went into battle. Two thousand Cao's troops fired twenty heavy trebuchets. The huge trebuchet was about three feet high, with a stone bag hung on the back of a long arm, and was pulled by a hundred people.  , can throw a boulder of nearly 100 kilograms 300 steps away.  The soldiers of Cao's army watched nervously as the dark enemy troops rushed towards them. A ladder after another was filled with Han soldiers preparing to attack the city. The enemy had already entered within 300 steps. At this time, drums were beating loudly on top of the city, and the teeth of the generals were heard.  With the order, "Launch!" Twenty trebuchets at the top of Taiyuan City were launched at the same time. Their long arms were swung out, and boulders weighing eighty or ninety kilograms were thrown into the air. Twenty boulders were spinning in the air, whistling and smashing.  to dense crowds.  ¡®Boom!  ¡®The boulders smashed into the snow and rolled among the crowd. Red snow foam rose into the air. More than a dozen people were smashed into bloody pieces. It was horrific. The boulders smashed into the crowd one after another, and there were screams one after another.  ¡®Click!  'A ladder was hit, and it broke into several pieces. Dozens of people clinging to the ladder fell off one after another, and the roaring boulders hit the ladder. The Han army's ladder was well made, with exquisite hinges and wedges, but the ladder  Still couldn't stop the impact of the boulder.  In just a hundred steps, ten ladders were smashed by huge rocks, but there were still more than fifty ladders gradually approaching the city wall.  In the sky, huge boulders were tumbling, roaring and hitting the ground. In just a quarter of an hour, the trebuchet launched four rounds, and 80 boulders hit the enemy group, causing nearly 700 casualties, but the Han army did not.  Without stopping, they fought bravely and soon rushed into the range of the bow and arrow.  On the city, Cao Jun's arrows were like rain. Four thousand arrows were fired at the enemy intensively. Soldier arrows were used to defend the city. They were longer and heavier than cavalry arrows. When shot from a high place, they would carry their own weight towards the enemy.  Army, extremely lethal.  The Han army greeted them with shields. The Han army had two kinds of shields. One was a round shield covered with double-layered cowhide. It was strong, light and easy to carry. It was used by the main force of the Han army. Almost every soldier had such a shield.  The other type is a heavy shield. The shield is thick and has a huge surface. It can cover the whole body and can withstand military crossbow fire from thirty steps away. Heavy shields are generally carried by heavy shield crossbow troops.  Three thousand heavy-shield crossbow troops set up heavy shields under the city, and fired heavy-weight crossbows at the top of the city. Although the Cao soldiers on the top of the city also had shields for defense, their shields could not withstand the powerful crossbow arrows, and many shields were destroyed.  The arrows penetrated, and Cao Jun behind the shield was shot to death by heavy arrows. Soldiers screamed and fell off the city wall.  The ladder gradually approached the city wall. Hundreds of soldiers suddenly pulled the rope backwards, and a six- to seven-foot-high ladder was pulled upright. Dozens of Han soldiers were clinging to the ladder.  ¡®Boom!  There was a loud noise, and broken ice flew everywhere. The first ladder was set up on the top of the city, and then more than thirty ladders were set up on the top of the city. Thousands of Han soldiers rushed up like a swarm of ants, slashing with swords.  , stabbed with spears, shot with arrows, and rushed to the top of the city with all their strength. Arrows on the city were like dense rain, rolling wood and stones fell like hailstones, knives chopped and spears stabbed, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.  Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers used long forks to hold the ladder and pushed it outward. A long ladder was pushed out, flipped backwards and down, and the ladder made a shrill scream.  As the Han army's heavy crossbow shield soldiers below the city began to fight back, arrows were fired at the city like dense rain.?, Cao Jun soldiers were constantly being shot, screaming and falling from the top of the city, and the casualties gradually increased.  The frontal battle has entered the most brutal stage. Arrows rained down from the top of the city. People kept falling down after being hit by arrows. Aerial ladders were put up on the city wall. The Han soldiers became bloody and crazy, climbing up regardless of their lives.  They held a shield in one hand and used spears and knives in the other to fight fiercely with Cao's army. Huge boulders fell from their heads. Several soldiers screamed and fell off the ladder, but immediately others swarmed up.  Cao's soldiers shot arrows from both sides. The arrows were sharp and penetrated the leather armor. A series of Han soldiers on the ladder were shot and fell off the ladder. But soon, the Han soldiers no longer cared about their heads and protected both sides with their shields.  The number of Han soldiers with arrows gradually decreased.  On the top of the city, in front of each ladder, dozens of Cao soldiers were fighting fiercely with the Han army. On a ladder in the west of the city, Guan Ping was holding a shield and a sword. He was already red-blooded. He led dozens of Han soldiers.  During a fierce battle with the surging Cao army at the top of the city, they faced Xiahou's elite soldiers. They were all tall and as strong as cattle, holding shields and wielding long knives and sharp spears.  Spears rushed, swords slashed, and the fighting was bloody. A Han soldier on the ladder was slashed in the forehead, and blood gushed out. He fell to the top of the city on his back. Another Han soldier rushed up from behind, brandishing a spear.  He stabbed Cao Jun's chest and carried him off the city.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Guan Ping pushed Cao Jun away with his shield and was the first to jump onto the city. In an instant, dozens of Cao Jun's spears came from all directions. Guan Ping gave a loud shout and swung his sword, killing more than a dozen Cao Jun soldiers.  Guan Ping rushed to the top of the city, causing a gap in Cao Jun's ladder defense. The Han soldiers who were suppressed on the ladder seized the opportunity. In an instant, more than a dozen Han soldiers followed Guan Ping and rushed to the top of the city.  At this moment, a cold arrow came from the side. Guan Ping was caught off guard and was hit in his left arm by an arrow.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Guan Ping was injured and was rescued from the city by the soldiers. The Han army's offensive was also blocked. But at this moment, the dull drums sounded again in the Han army camp, and the five thousand heavy armored infantry finally entered the battle.  The towering nest car appeared, and overwhelming red flags were flying.  On the top of the city, Mao Jie felt tremendous pressure. He ignored the defense of Nancheng and shouted in a hissing voice: "Deploy another two thousand from Nancheng to support Beicheng!" Mao Jie issued an order to concentrate his troops. He originally defended Nancheng.  Cao Cao's three thousand troops were transferred back to two thousand troops to join the fierce battle for Beicheng.  More than 20 giant-shaped chariots were pulled by bullocks, and drove towards the head of Taiyuan City step by step. Five thousand heavy armored infantry followed behind the chariots. They held sabers in their hands and walked slowly and heavily.  At this time, the moat outside Taiyuan City had frozen and was paved with planks by the Han army. Cao Jun threw barrels of kerosene from the top of the city. Rockets ignited the kerosene. Flames rose everywhere, and thick smoke enveloped the Taiyuan city wall.  At this time, 80% of Taiyuan City's defenders were concentrated in the North City, and the remaining three city walls were empty of troops. The Han army could attack from the remaining three walls, but Guan Yu also made up his mind to attack Taiyuan from the North City, allowing the Han army to rely on its strength.  The fighting power of Taiyuan City was captured.  The Han army attacking the city has invested 25,000 men. Under the city wall, 15,000 Han army crossbowmen fired arrows like rain. The overwhelming arrows made Cao Jun's soldiers unable to lift their heads. Even Cao Jun's trebuchets were forced to stop.  , Cao's soldiers fell to the ground to avoid the powerful arrow array of the Han army.  At this time, the ordinary soldiers of the Han army had basically stopped attacking. They pushed the chariots and formed a shield wall to cover the advance of the chariots and heavy armored infantry. All Han soldiers became assists for the heavy armored infantry, and they pinned all their hopes on  This is the most powerful army of the Han army.  Mao Jie's voice was hoarse and he couldn't shout, but he also knew that the most violent attack of the Han army was coming. He lowered his voice and pointed at the giant Chao chariot in the distance and whispered: "Fight Chao chariot, never allow the Han army to attack Chao chariot."  The army ascends the city!" At this time, the arrows under the city gradually disappeared, and Cao's soldiers stood up again. They quickly gathered, holding spears and knives in hand, ready to meet the impact of the Han soldiers in the chariot. More than twenty huge chariots finally arrived.  At the top of the city, five thousand heavy armored infantry were the second wave of attacks. In the chariots, there were already one thousand Han soldiers standing on the siege platform of each chariot, waiting for the moment to attack.  More than twenty Chao chariots finally reached the city wall. The huge wooden board in front of the top platform of the Chao chariot fell down and set up on the city head, forming an air bridge. Fifty Han soldiers on the siege platform waved their sabers and rushed towards the city.  Head, behind them, heavy armored infantry climbing up the stairs were emerging in a steady stream.  One morning's battle, the dead corpse on the head of the city was exhausted, and the two sides were severe and injured.  Nearly two thousand heavy armored infantrymen have rushed to the top of the city and fought fiercely with Cao Jun on the top of the city. The combat effectiveness of the heavy armored infantry is extremely high.It was shocking. Twenty of them lined up and advanced in formation. Under the long sword, Cao Jun's soldiers lay covered with corpses and their flesh and blood flew everywhere. They killed Cao Jun and retreated steadily.  As more and more Han soldiers rushed to the city, Cao's army was gradually defeated.  "Come on, military advisor, we can't hold the city anymore!" A soldier from Cao's army rushed to report.  Mao Jie suddenly drew out his sword and strode towards the densest place of the Han army.  There were still the last three thousand soldiers of Cao's army on top of the city. Although they were all elite veterans, they were finally frightened by death when faced with the bloody fighting of the Han army's heavy armored infantry and the piles of mutilated corpses of their companions.  They retreated, began to panic, and turned around and fled down the city.  "Military advisor, leave quickly!" Several soldiers shouted to Mao Jie.  Seeing that the situation was over, Mao Jie shouted in a hoarse voice: "All soldiers must evacuate the city!" Mao Jie issued the order to retreat. Thousands of Cao Jun soldiers finally lost their morale, discarded their helmets and fled into the city. The corridors were crowded with people.  Cao Jun's soldiers were rushing to run. More than a dozen soldiers were pushed off the city wall while running, and fell down the city screaming.  At this time, the victory horn of the Han army sounded, the city gates were opened, and tens of thousands of Han troops rushed into Taiyuan City like a great tide. Mao Jie let out a long sigh, closed his eyes, and slammed his sword across his neck.  erase.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The fall of Taiyuan meant that Cao¡¯s army had conquered the last fortress in Bingzhou. It also meant that the Han army had captured the entire Bingzhou and opened the strategic route to Hebei. Ten days later, Liu Jing personally led an army of 100,000 to Taiyuan.  After the Han army rested in Taiyuan for three days, Liu Jing led an army of 130,000 through the Jingxing strategic road and advanced towards Hebei. At this time, earth-shattering changes had occurred in the city of Yedu.

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1121 Shocking Changes

    In the few months since the end of the Central Plains War, the two factions in Yedu have formed an extremely delicate balance, and neither side dared to act rashly. This balance also includes the balance of power in Qingzhou and the balance of the Han army's offensive.  But once this balance is broken, it will inevitably lead to a shocking change. The Han army wiped out 30,000 Youzhou troops in the Yellow River, which broke the balance of Yedu and suffered heavy losses. Cao Zhang had the intention to quit and no longer wanted to participate.  There was a power struggle in Yedu. At the same time, Cao Pi made Cao Xiu the Taiwei and the Grand Governor, and ordered him to lead his army into King Qin of Yedu.  The situation seemed to change suddenly overnight, from Cao Pi's extreme disadvantage to Cao Zhi's disadvantage, and the situation became tense.  At night, a carriage, escorted by three hundred cavalry, slowly approached Guanyun Mansion. Guanyun Mansion is located in the south of the city and is now Xiahou Dun's temporary official residence.  The carriage stopped, and Cao Zhi, wearing a black cloak and a golden crown, walked out of the carriage. Guards were standing in front of the palace gate. Xiahou Dun's confidant Guo Huai had been waiting for a long time. When he saw Cao Zhi arriving, he quickly stepped forward to salute.  "The general is waiting for the young master in the inner hall. Please come with me!" Cao Zhi nodded and followed Guo Huai quickly into the mansion. The inner hall was brightly lit, with several braziers lit and charcoal burning brightly.  There was a crackling sound in the basin.  Xiahou Dun stood by the wall with his hands behind his hands and stared at a map on the wall for a long time. It was the map of Cao Wei's sphere of influence. Now there are only three places left, Qingzhou, Hebei and Bingzhou. There is also only an isolated city of Luoyang left in the Central Plains. Cao Wei  The power is declining day by day. When will it be the end?  Xiahou Dun sighed lowly, this chaotic situation could not continue any longer.  At this time, there was a sound of footsteps down the hall. Xiahou Dun turned around and saw Cao Zhi walking quickly into the inner hall under the guidance of Guo Huai. Xiahou Dun retracted his thoughts and turned around slowly.  Cao Zhi stepped forward quickly and saluted: "See you, second uncle!" "I asked you to come so late because something important happened." Cao Zhi was startled, "Second uncle, what happened?" Xiahou Dun picked up the table  He handed a scroll of letters to Cao Zhi, "Read it for yourself!" Cao Zhi quickly took the scroll and opened it, and read it hastily. Cao Zhi's face suddenly changed. This was actually a handwritten letter written by his eldest brother Cao Pi to Cao Xiu.  Cao Xiu was appointed Taiwei and Grand Governor, and he also promised to make him Duke of Lu, asking him to temporarily abandon Qingzhou and immediately lead the Qingzhou army to Yedu.  Cao Zhi asked nervously: "Where did the second uncle get this?" "The scouts I sent intercepted Cao Pi's envoys to Qingzhou, but unfortunately, Cao Pi sent a total of three envoys, and I only intercepted one of them.  The other two people should have arrived in Qingzhou." Cao Zhi asked in a low voice after a while: "What should we do now?"  I have repeatedly advised him, but he insists on returning to Youzhou and staying for at most two days. "Cao Zhi was really frustrated by his second brother Cao Zhang's attitude. He actively supported him from the beginning, but now he has changed his mind. On the one hand, it is because of the 30,000 Youzhou people.  The army was completely wiped out in the Yellow River, but more importantly, Cao Zhang no longer thought highly of himself. He wanted to leave a way out, so he began to tend to remain neutral.  Once Cao Zhang withdrew his troops and returned to Youzhou, and Cao Xiu came with 30,000 troops, the balance of power between him and his elder brother Cao Pi would become 20,000 vs. 40,000. They would be at a disadvantage, and the situation would be very unfavorable to them.  Cao Zhi doesn¡¯t know what they should do now.  Although he constantly appealed to the officials to put pressure on Cao Pi to take responsibility for the defeat in the Central Plains, Cao Pi has remained silent so far and ignored the pressure from the officials. This left Cao Zhi with nothing to do.  Cao Zhi looked at Xiahou Dun uneasily. He hoped that Xiahou Dun could make up his mind. The reason why Xiahou Dun found Cao Zhi was to finally break the situation. He was not a weak scholar. He was a general who commanded thousands of troops. He was decisive enough.  Strength and courage.  The reason why he had not taken action before was because he was afraid of affecting Duke Wei's condition, but judging from the intelligence from Tongque Palace in the past two days, Duke Wei had fallen into a deep coma and his time was running out.  Xiahou Dun originally wanted to take action against Cao Pi after Wei Gong passed away, but judging from the current situation, they had no time. If they continued to delay, the situation would be completely reversed.  Xiahou Dun took a few steps with his hands behind his back and said coldly: "Once Cao Xiu arrives, all of us will die. The situation is very urgent now and we cannot delay any longer. We must take action immediately!" "But  " Cao Zhi couldn't help but said: "The eldest brother has 10,000 tiger soldiers to protect us, and we only have 20,000 troops. Now that the second brother is unwilling to send more troops to help us, I am worried that we are not strong enough."He shook his head and said, "There is no need to fight head-on with the Tiger Guards. The key is to be quick and defeat the enemy with one shot. As long as Cao Pi is controlled, the Tiger Guards will not have anything to worry about. In fact, I have already prepared to invite the young master.  I just hope that the young master can wait here with peace of mind. The results should be available at dawn tomorrow. "Cao Zhi was stunned. He didn't know anything about it in advance. The second uncle was actually ready. What was he ready for?  "Second Uncle" Before Cao Zhi could say anything more, Xiahou Dun interrupted him with a wave of his hand and said in an indistinguishable tone: "I don't want to explain this matter anymore. Time is running out. Master, please wait patiently.  I will arrange everything." After saying that, Xiahou Dun turned around and left. Cao Zhi suddenly remembered that he still had the most important thing to say, which was how to deal with Cao Pi. After all, he was his brother, and he didn't want to kill each other.  "Second uncle!" Cao Zhi chased after him, but Xiahou Dun was already far away. Two guards blocked his way and said respectfully: "For the safety of the young master, please wait here with peace of mind." At this moment, Cao Zhi suddenly felt that he had become a mature man.  The real heir of Cao Wei was Xiahou Dun, not him. However, Cao Zhi really couldn't figure it out. His eldest brother Cao Pi had 10,000 tiger soldiers, so where was Xiahou Dun's chance?  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  In the past two days, Cao Pi finally came out of the anxiety he had suffered for several months. His second brother Cao Zhang stated his position the day before yesterday that he would remain neutral and no longer participate in the dispute between the heirs. No matter what reasons Cao Zhang had for agreeing to be neutral, at least  The pressure you face will be greatly reduced.  At the same time, Cao Xiu also promised to lead the army to Yedu. Once Cao Xiu arrived, he would completely turn over. This gave Cao Pi a glimmer of hope. He was extremely looking forward to the early arrival of Cao Xiu's army.  At two o'clock in the morning, Cao Pi had already fallen asleep. Suddenly, a low cry woke him up from his sleep, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" "What's the matter?" Cao Pi was sleepy and a little unhappy.  "The Royal Physician Wang is here. We need to see the Crown Prince for something urgent." Cao Pi's sleepiness immediately disappeared without a trace. The Royal Physician Wang was the doctor who took care of his father. He came with deep intention, and there must be important news. Cao Pi turned over and got up and ordered.  : "Bring him to see me!" Cao Pi put on a robe and walked to the outer room. At this time, Wang Yuyi was led in by the guards. He saluted Cao Pi and said urgently: "Your Majesty, Duke Wei is awake.  "How is my father now?" Cao Pi asked quickly.  "Wei Gong suddenly woke up just now, and he is very conscious. He is anxious to see the crown prince." At this point, Wang Yuyi took another step forward and whispered to Cao Pi: "I suspect that Wei Gong is returning to his former glory. I'm afraid  Duke Wei is already dead." Cao Pi was startled, and he ordered repeatedly: "Prepare the carriage immediately and go to Tongque Palace!" Cao Pi was anxious. He knew that the doctor Wang was right. His father suddenly woke up and was anxious to see him.  It must be his father's flashback. It was God who arranged for him to see his father again. He walked a few steps and turned back to the doctor Wang: "Please ask the doctor to inform my second and third brothers and ask them to come to Tongque Palace immediately. In addition,  , then go to Zhong Yao and ask him to inform all officials to go to Tongque Palace." Wang Yuyi agreed and hurried away. Cao Pi had no time to change his clothes, so he put on a thick leather robe and went out to board the carriage.  Under the strict protection of three hundred tiger and horse cavalry guards, the carriage sped towards the north gate.  In the carriage, Cao Pi secretly prayed that his father could hold on for a little longer. It would be best if he could directly appoint himself Duke of Wei in front of the three brothers and hundreds of officials. Cao Pi was heartbroken. He felt that he still had too many things to do.  But there is no clue.  The North City Gate has been controlled by the Tiger Guards. The city gate slowly opened. Three hundred cavalry escorted Cao Pi's carriage and rushed out of the city gate, rushing towards the Tongque Palace one mile away. There was originally a lively market outside the city gate, but  It was only the middle of the night, and there were no vendors in the market yet. The black snow that had been trampled to pieces on the open ground was frozen, and the cold wind was howling, chilling to the bone, making Cao Pi shiver in the carriage.  "Hurry up, speed up!" Cao Pi urged the coachman to speed up. He had a bad feeling in his heart. He was walking too hastily. He should have waited a little longer and let thousands of Tiger Guard soldiers accompany him. It was a bit awkward to leave the city like this.  Too dangerous.  As soon as he thought about this, Cao Pi suddenly heard screams coming from all around. Before he could react, an arrow shot through the car window, grazed Cao Pi's forehead, and was nailed to the car wall.  Cao Pi suddenly heard the neighing of horses. He felt his body tilt suddenly and his head hit the wall of the carriage. At this moment, a wolf-tooth arrow shot through the carriage window and hit Cao Pi's neck. Cao Pi screamed in agony.  With a sound, he fell heavily into the carriage.  Cao Pi¡¯s convoy was ambushed by five thousand soldiers.In the arrows, all three hundred tiger guards and cavalry were killed, four draft horses were shot to death by random arrows, and the carriage overturned on the roadside.  After a moment, Guo Huai led thousands of soldiers to surround him from all sides. Dozens of soldiers climbed onto the carriage and opened the door to search. At this time, Xiahou Dun also rushed over. He seemed a little nervous. He had already bribed Wang Yuyi.  , sent false news to Cao Pi. Whether he could succeed or not depended on this.  "Have you found it?" Xiahou Dun asked.  Guo Huai quickly saluted, "Return to the general, we are looking for it!" "General, we have found it!" Several soldiers shouted excitedly and pulled the seriously injured Cao Pi out of the carriage. Cao Pi was covered in blood and did not know whether he was alive or dead. Xiahou Dun  Suddenly he breathed a long sigh of relief. He didn't care whether Cao Pi lived or died, as long as he could get rid of him, he would have succeeded. Xiahou Dun waved his hand excitedly, "Evacuate immediately!" Thousands of soldiers quickly evacuated to the northwest. After a while, the North City Gate opened.  , General Xu Chu personally led thousands of Tiger Guard cavalry and rushed out. He got the news that Cao Pi had left the city to go to Tongque Palace. Xu Chu was worried that Cao Pi had lost something, so he personally led 3,000 cavalry to chase him out.  But Xu Chu was still a step late. Less than a mile after chasing them, they saw corpses and overturned carriages on the ground. Xu Chu was stunned for a long time and couldn't help but let out a long sigh. He didn't know when the internal strife in Cao Wei would end.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1122 The New Lord Ascends the Throne

    The sky was getting brighter, and Cao Zhi stayed up all night, sitting silently in front of a brazier, waiting for the moment when God would decide his fate. At this time, there was a rush of footsteps outside, and several soldiers of Xiahou Dun walked up quickly.  In the lobby, Cao Zhi immediately stood up and walked towards him. "How is it?" he asked nervously.  "Master, please come with us!" Several soldiers did not answer his questions and turned around and walked out. Cao Zhi was confused and followed the soldiers to the door of the mansion. He saw a stretcher in front of the door and ten people standing next to it.  There were several soldiers, and one person was lying on the stretcher. It was his brother Cao Pi. He had an arrow stuck in his neck, his face was like gold paper, and he didn't know whether he was alive or dead.  Cao Zhi was shocked and rushed forward, "How is he?" Cao Zhi asked anxiously.  A soldier next to him shook his head, "He has expired. The injury was too serious." Cao Zhi's legs softened and he slowly knelt down in front of his brother, tears gushing out. At this time, regret was biting at his heart like a devil,  He held his brother's cold hand and couldn't help but burst into tears. Years of ambition and resentment suddenly became so hateful and humble in the face of the disappearing brotherhood. Why should he compete with his eldest brother for the position of heir apparent?  Why did you kill your eldest brother?  How could he explain it to his father and mother?  Cao Zhi lay on his brother's body and cried mournfully. At this time, Xiahou Dun helped him up and sighed: "There is no resurrection after death. My dear, please forgive me!" Cao Zhi suddenly shook off Xiahou Dun's hand and said, "Let me go.  !" He stared at his blood-red tearful eyes, as if fire was coming out of his eyes, "You killed my brother!" Xiahou Dun's one eye suddenly became particularly ferocious at this moment, and he said coldly: "We are on the same rope.  Grasshopper, the world will not think that I killed him, it was you! Everyone in the world knows that you killed your brother." Cao Zhi took two steps back and shook his head, "No! I won't do it. I didn't kill him.  Damn brother, I quit!¡±  Outside the gate, tens of thousands of soldiers gathered, and everyone was extremely excited. When Cao Zhi suddenly appeared, tens of thousands of people raised their arms and shouted, "Long live the young master! Long live!" Cao Zhi stared blankly at the tens of thousands of soldiers shouting, at this moment  His mind went blank. He didn't know whether he was happy or sad. Xiahou Dun chuckled and said, "Congratulations, young master, on being crowned Duke of Wei!".  In early December of the 24th year of Jian'an, Xiahou Dun launched a coup in Yedu. Cao Pi was shot and killed in an ambush. The battle for the crown prince finally came to an end. At the same time, the news came that the Han army had conquered Taiyuan and seized the Jingxing important road. The grim situation  The external situation in Cao Wei caused Cao Wei to give up its internal disputes. Huben general Xu Chu and Qingzhou governor Cao Xiu successively stated that Cao Wei needed stability in the face of a powerful enemy. They supported Cao Zhi's succession to the throne. With the support of hundreds of officials in Yedu, Cao Zhi became the prime minister of the Han Dynasty.  position.  On the day Cao Zhang learned that his eldest brother Cao Pi had died, he led 20,000 Youzhou troops back to Youzhou and stopped participating in the battle for the crown prince. The battle for the crown prince lasted for nearly ten years and finally ended with Cao Zhi's victory. But in fact,  The Cao brothers were both losers, but the final winner was General Xiahou Dun.  Although the internal struggle within the Cao family finally ended, Cao Wei was retreating steadily on the battlefield.  The county joined the Han navy that had gone north earlier, bringing the Han army's strength in Qingzhou to 80,000.  Cao Xiu knew that he could not compete with the Han army. He could not hold Qingzhou, so he had to use the excuse to return to Yedu, King Qin, and led 30,000 Cao troops back to the north of the Yellow River and retreated towards Yedu.  At this time, Cao's army still had 110,000 troops, but they were scattered throughout the country. Among them, 20,000 Cao's troops under Xu Huang were besieged in Luoyang by a 100,000 army led by Zhao Yun, while the other 20,000 Cao's troops were brought back to Youzhou by Cao Zhang.  The main force of Cao's army that Yedu could really command was only 70,000 people. After the Han army won the battle of the Central Plains, its strength had reached 500,000, and the time to unify the world was getting closer and closer.  In the city of Yedu, hundreds of tiger and horse cavalry escorted Cao Zhi's carriage slowly on the street. Through the car window, Cao Zhi found that the street seemed to be lively again, full of hurried pedestrians, which made him feel a little confused. At this time  , he suddenly discovered that there was a long queue of hundreds of people in a corner of the street.  "Go and take a look, what's going on?" Cao Zhi ordered a guard.  The guard urged his horse to run up, and came back after a while to report: "Prime Minister, we are recruiting troops. Those who join the army can get one stone of food immediately, so there is a lot of enthusiasm to sign up." Cao Zhi felt slightly unhappy. He didn't know about this at all.  He said that this must be led by Xiahou Dun. What made Cao Zhi especially dissatisfied was that there were more than 400,000 shi of grain in the Yedu granary, but the grain he could use wasThere was only 50,000 shi, but all the other food was military rations, which were in the hands of Xiahou Dun.  Not only food, but also all the gold and money stored in Yedu were controlled by Xiahou Dun. In name, Xiahou Dun did not interfere in government affairs, but in fact, his control of money, grain and materials was tantamount to controlling military and political power, and he was nothing more than a puppet.  Although Cao Zhi was filled with hatred, he had no choice but to sigh and said, "Keep going!" Not long after, the carriage stopped in front of Cheng Yu's house.  Asked about current affairs, although Cao Zhi replaced his eldest brother as prime minister, he was very hesitant and needed Cheng Yu's guidance.  In front of the mansion, Cheng Yu's eldest grandson Cheng Ke had been waiting for a long time. When Cao Zhi slowly stepped out of the carriage, Cheng Ke immediately came up to him, bowed and saluted: "See you, Prime Minister!" "No need to be polite, how is your grandfather?"  "Grandpa is not in good health and is lying on the hospital bed." Cao Zhi nodded, "I'll go see him." Cheng Ke led Cao Zhi quickly to the inner house and walked into the ward, only to see Cheng Yu lying on the hospital bed.  On the stairs, a maid was feeding him medicine. When he saw Cao Zhi walking in, Cheng Yu quickly pushed the maid away and struggled to sit up. However, Cao Zhi stepped forward to support him and said repeatedly: "Commander, please stay in bed and rest!" Cheng Yu  Panting: "Young Master is here, I have to sit up!" Cheng Ke stepped forward to help his grandfather sit up, and put a thick mattress behind him. Cao Zhi saw that Cheng Yu was as thin as a stick and his face was pale. He was indeed seriously ill, wasn't he?  Pretending to be sad, he asked, "How does the military advisor feel?" Although Cheng Yu was seriously ill, his mind was very clear. He nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern, sir. He is nearly eighty years old and has lived a long life.  Even if he doesn't live long, it's enough. But what is Wei Gong's condition now? Have you ever visited him? " "I go to visit my father every day. Sometimes my father is in a coma and sometimes he wakes up, but" Speaking of this, Cao Zhi sighed.  , feeling extremely sad and saying: "It's just that my father has run out of gas, he. He doesn't know me anymore." "Hey! That's fine, let him go in peace!" Cao Zhi understood Cheng Yu's emotion, what was in his heart  Otherwise, if his father wakes up and knows about their brothers killing each other, how should he face his father?  His mother shed tears every day, and he did not dare to see her.  Both of them were silent. After a while, Cheng Ke reminded him in a low voice: "Isn't the prime minister going to ask my grandfather something?" This sentence reminded Cao Zhi, and he quickly said: "The external situation is not good now. The Han army has captured  After Bingzhou, Cao Xiu was also forced to abandon Qingzhou, leaving only the isolated cities of Hebei and Luoyang. I would like to ask the military advisor, what should we do now? " Cheng Yu smiled bitterly, what else could he say? He originally advised Cao Pi to return immediately.  There may be a glimmer of hope for the conscription in Hebei. Now that the overall situation has been decided, it is difficult for even gods to reverse it. However, such desperate words cannot be said out loud, and Cao Zhi still has to be comforted with a few words.  Cheng Yu pondered for a while and said: "I heard that there is a recruitment process outside. This is the right way. The key now is time. Whether it is training new recruits or regrouping, it will take time, at least a year and a half. In addition, we have to find a way.  Let Xu Huang's army withdraw to Hebei, so the only thing the prince has to do is to negotiate with the Han State and try his best to buy time. " "But now that the Han army is gaining momentum, are they willing to negotiate and make concessions?" Cao Zhi asked worriedly.  road.  "This is indeed very difficult, but it is not impossible. After all, it is winter now. The Han army needs to adjust and rest, and Liu Jing also needs to make political preparations. If Concubine Cao is asked to intercede again, I think there is still a little hope.  But no matter what, the young master must try his best. "Cao Zhi didn't have any hope, but Cheng Yu's last words touched him. It was true. Even if there was no hope, he would try his best. Cao Zhi nodded silently.  , "Thank you, military advisor, for your advice. Cao Zhi has learned a lesson!" Cao Zhi said goodbye and left. Cheng Ke sent Cao Zhi out of the house. At this time, Cheng Yu said to the maid: "Go find the eldest son and come see me!" After a moment, the eldest son Cheng Wu hurriedly  Walking into his father's ward, "Father, are you looking for the child?" Cheng Yu pointed to the cushion beside him, "Sit down first!" Cheng Wu sat down. At this time, the eldest grandson Cheng Ke returned to his grandfather's ward, and he saw that his father was also there.  Not daring to say anything, he stood behind his father with his hands down. Cheng Yu closed his eyes and rested for a moment, then slowly said to his eldest son: "There are some things I didn't say clearly to Cao Zhi, but you should understand that Cao Wei's situation is over" Cheng Kenen next to him  He couldn't help but say: "My grandson knows that the internal strife between the Cao brothers greatly weakened Cao Wei's power at the critical moment." Cheng Ke suddenly saw his father's dissatisfied eyes, and he realized that he should not interrupt his grandfather, and was frightened.  He continued?Lowered his head, not daring to say any more.  Cheng Yu glanced at his eldest grandson lovingly, smiled slightly and said: "The internal strife between the Cao brothers is actually just a symptom. The fundamental reason is that Cao Cao has never been able to get the support of the nobles. He used the emperor to control the princes. Although it gave him a political advantage, he was not able to win the support of the nobles.  He failed morally. At first, this moral disadvantage was negligible. He could even kill Bian Rang and Kong Rong unscrupulously. But after the defeat in the Chibi Battle, this moral disadvantage accumulated day by day.  The most obvious is the dissatisfaction between Xun's uncle and nephew towards Cao Cao, which is actually a reflection of the dissatisfaction of the aristocratic family with him. Cao Cao also tried to win over the nobles, but failed. Yang Xiu's death was his warning to the nobles after his failure to win over, but  It's still meaningless." Speaking of this, Cheng Yu sighed and said: "It wasn't until the year before last that he finally became ruthless and implemented the Ding Order to completely clean up the gentry. But it was already too late. Without the support of the aristocratic families, Cao Wei's national power was declining day by day, and the local officials were in trouble.  The two sides of the rat, the people's lack of support, this is the root cause of Cao Wei's failure. As for the repeated defeats in the war and the currency being controlled by the Han Dynasty, these are just the results. Do you understand what I mean? " Cheng Wu finally understood, "What father meant?  Does it mean that Cao Wei has been defeated and we should defect to the Han Kingdom?" Cheng Yu nodded, took out a letter scroll from under the pillow and handed it to his eldest grandson Cheng Ke, "This is a letter I wrote to Liu Jing, Ke.  Erke took it to Taiyuan to meet the King of Han Liu Jing, which can be regarded as the last legacy I left to the Cheng family. " £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1123 Final Negotiation

    Cao Zhi followed Cheng Yu's advice and decided to do his best to buy time for Cao Wei. He learned from Hua Xin that his brother had secretly negotiated with Liu Jing twice, but both failed because Liu Jing's conditions were too harsh.  They were asked to depose the newly established child emperor.  However, the situation was changing rapidly. When Empress Dowager Fu issued an edict in Chang'an not to recognize the newly established emperor in Yedu, in fact, this emperor's move had lost its meaning. Whether the new emperor was deposed or not, basically everyone in the world no longer regarded him as  What's the matter, even the Cao family's Han Prime Minister has no summoning power.  Now Cao Zhi no longer has the political capital to negotiate with the Han army. Cao Zhi's only hope is to plead with Liu Jing for the sake of his sister Cao Xian. The Han and Cao families will have a truce for half a year. Of course, in name, it will allow the people of Hebei to live a peaceful life.  New Year, and allow farmers in Hebei to complete spring plowing.  Cao Zhi knew that Liu Jing was not in Chang'an, but in Taiyuan. He immediately sent Situ Dong Zhao to Taiyuan with his personal letter to meet Liu Jing.  Liu Jing was indeed in Taiyuan. Just as he was preparing to lead his army through Jingxing and march into Hebei, he received news of the coup in Yedu. This news made Liu Jing temporarily change his plan. He ordered Wei Yan to lead 20,000 troops to guard Jingxing.  He himself sat in Taiyuan and watched the changes in Yedu.  In the early morning, Sima Yi hurriedly walked through a long corridor and came to Liu Jing's temporary official room. He saw that the door was closed and there were several guards standing at the door. Sima Yi stepped forward and asked in a low voice: "Is it convenient now?" The guards were weird.  He smiled softly and said, "His Highness is resting. Please don't disturb me for the time being." Sima Yi knew in his heart that His Highness had a few more drinks last night, and there were several dancers accompanying him, so he probably went to bed very late. At this time, in the room,  Liu Jing's voice came, "Is it Sima Xiangguo?" "Yes! The Prime Minister has something to ask to see His Highness." "Please come in!" The guard opened the door, and Sima Yi walked into the room, only to see Liu Jing sitting there  Reviewing the ultimatum in front of the case, he was full of energy. He glanced at them, but the dancers were nowhere to be seen. Liu Jing knew what he was looking for, so she smiled and said: "We sent them away in the middle of the night. There is no need to look for the Prime Minister."  Sima Yi chuckled and did not advise Liu Jing to stop having sex with women. He knew that the King of Han also did this occasionally and there was no need to go into details. At this time, Liu Jing put down his pen and asked: "Is there any news from Yedu?" "  To report to Your Highness, Cao Zhi has sent Dong Zhao as an envoy to Taiyuan to ask for an audience with Your Highness. It is estimated that he will arrive tomorrow. " This was expected by Liu Jing, but he was no longer interested in this kind of negotiation and asked again: "  "How is the recruitment situation in Yedu?" "It is said that it has some effect. Li Fu said that the preliminary information they have is that they have recruited about 30,000 people." Liu Jing smiled scornfully, "It's only 30,000 people, not many. I thought they could at least do it."  Recruiting 100,000 people. " "Your Highness, don't underestimate the opponent. Xiahou Dun is a fierce general of Cao Wei. His strategy and experience are second to none in the Cao army. Besides, there are also famous generals such as Zhang Liao and Xu Huang. Although we have won the Central Plains War, what if?  If you take it lightly, once Hebei loses, Cao Jun will also make a comeback. Your Highness, be careful!" Liu Jing nodded. He accepted Sima Yi's advice and must not be careless. After thinking for a moment, Liu Jing asked again: "Zhongda thinks Cao Zhi's faction  "What is the purpose of Dong Zhao coming to Taiyuan?" "Weichen has considered this question. Weichen thinks that Cao Wei needs time the most at the moment. They must be trying to buy time to prepare for the final resistance." Liu Jing sneered and said: "I.  I won't give them time. I was able to reach a compromise in the past because the situation was not urgent and I needed to let the soldiers rest, but it is no longer necessary. I, Liu Jing, will not become the second Song Xianggong. " "Then what are your plans, Your Highness?  Reply to Cao Zhi?" "No need to reply, just hold Dong Zhao, this person is a talent, I can use him in the future."  Dong Zhao never dreamed that he would become a Han as soon as he arrived in Taiyuan.  As a prisoner of the Han army, he was unable to see Liu Jing and was directly placed under house arrest in Taiyuan City by the Han army. This made Dong Zhao sigh in his heart. Compared with Dong Zhao's bad luck, Cheng Ke, who arrived in Taiyuan on the same day, was  In another scene, he was personally received by Liu Jing, the king of Han Dynasty.  In the military office of Taiyuan City, Cheng Ke knelt down respectfully and paid homage to Liu Jing, the King of Han Dynasty. "Cheng Ke, a humble citizen, pays homage to His Highness the King of Han Dynasty!" Liu Jing met Cheng Ke, of course, because of his grandfather Cheng Yu. Cheng Ke did not represent himself.  Instead, he came on behalf of his grandfather. Liu Jing waved his hand and said with a smile: "Master Cheng, please sit down!" "Thank you, Your Highness!" Cheng Ke sat down on the side, with Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang sitting on both sides. He took out his grandfather's letter  , raised it above his head and presented it, "This is a handwritten letter from my grandfather to His Highness, please read it." The guard next to him handed the letter to Liu Jing, but Liu Jing did notHe opened it and asked with concern: "How is your ancestor's health?" Cheng Ke looked sad and shook his head, "My grandfather has been bedridden since he came back from Xuzhou. We don't know whether he can survive this disaster.  I can only pray for God's blessing." Liu Jing opened the scroll, but he was slightly startled. He saw that the scroll was densely filled with small words. He slowly opened it and found that both sides were full of thick words.  It is estimated that there are at least tens of thousands of words.  Cheng Ke quickly said: "My grandfather wrote this letter for more than three months. He begged Your Highness to read it carefully." Liu Jing only read a little bit and understood the content. It turned out to be Cheng Yu's summary of the decline of Cao Wei.  The lesson behind is that I hope he will avoid making the same mistakes as Cao Wei.  It can be said that every word was composed with Cheng Yu's hard work, which made Liu Jing feel inexplicably moved. Although Cheng Yu also had some feelings of entrusting his family to his family, it was more that Cheng Yu, as a civil servant, felt sorry for the failure to realize  Regrets of ambition and expectations for Xinhan.  Liu Jing carefully put away the letter scroll. He wanted to carefully read the precious legacy left by Cheng Yu. He then said to Cheng Ke: "I understand your ancestor's painstaking efforts. Please go down and rest first, I will have something for you."  Arrangement." Cheng Ke bowed and slowly retreated. Liu Jing walked to the window with his hands behind his hands and stared out of the window for a long time. After a while, Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and said, "Is your Highness feeling this?" Liu Jing nodded.  , "When a person is about to die, his words are also kind. I believe that the hard work Cheng Yu left at the end will be of great help to me." "But does your Highness understand Cheng Yu's intention?" "I know, he hopes that I can  Be kind to his descendants." Sima Yi next to him smiled and said: "Wei Chen suggested that he be allowed to work in the six departments first. If he is really capable, he can be released as a county magistrate after a year. What does your highness think?"  The plan is feasible, so I will leave this matter to Sima Xiangguo. " After a pause, Liu Jing said to Zhuge Liang: "There are still ten days before the New Year. We will rest in Bingzhou for the time being. After the New Year, on the fifth day of the first lunar month, we will go to the Western Front.  The Eastern Front and the Southern Front marched toward Hebei at the same time! "The time gradually arrived in late December. At this time, nearly half a year had passed since Luoyang was besieged. Luoyang had long lost its prosperity as the capital of the Han Dynasty.  The late chaos brought disaster to Luoyang. The once prosperous capital of the Han Dynasty, Luoyang, turned into a dead city with no cooking smoke and swarms of rats and snakes.  After Cao Cao unified the Central Plains, Zhong Yao gradually brought the population of Guanzhong and Bingzhou back to Luoyang, which gradually restored a little vitality to Luoyang. By the 20th year of Jian'an, Luoyang had become a large city with a population of nearly 50,000, although it was far from the former Han Dynasty.  All are compared, but finally there is a glimmer of hope.  This time, the Han-Cao war brought a heavy blow to Luoyang. Xu Huang led 20,000 Cao troops to defend Luoyang, while 100,000 Han troops were in the outer city. Xu, Ying, Chen, Hong and other places near Luoyang had been destroyed.  The occupation by the Han army turned Luoyang into an isolated city.  After nearly half a year of siege, Luoyang City, like all besieged cities, also faced the most severe food crisis. Cao's army did not have much food in Luoyang, only 30,000 shi. This was Xu Huang's food for two months of preparations, but there was no food.  Come to think of it, I have been trapped for half a year.  Although Xu Huang tried every means to mobilize the army and civilians to plant easy-to-grow black beans as food in the open spaces in the city, and implemented a strict food rationing system in the city, ordinary people's daily rations were reduced to less than one piece, and they could barely survive.  Despite all efforts, Cao Jun gradually fell into a situation of food shortage after entering mid-December. Ordinary Cao Jun soldiers only had half a grain of food every day. All their war horses and livestock had been killed, including Xu Huang's beloved horse.  Soldier.  And ordinary people have no rations and can only peel bark from trees and catch mice. The elderly and children are facing the threat of death.  But there was still no news about the reinforcements that Xu Huang had been waiting for, not even a pigeon message. Even Xu Huang began to despair.  This morning, Xu Huang was sitting in the tent, meditating silently. Suddenly, there was a sound from outside the tent, 'Boom!  ¡¯ There was a muffled sound, and Xu Huang raised his head in surprise, followed by several more muffled sounds. Xu Huang suddenly realized, could this be the Han army starting to attack the city?  He stood up and walked quickly outside the tent. He was stunned when he saw pieces of paper fluttering everywhere in the sky. Almost every soldier had grabbed a piece of paper and were gathering together to whisper.  A piece of paper also floated before Xu Huang's eyes. He stretched out his hand and grabbed the piece of paper. The piece of paper was only the size of a palm, with two lines of words written on it, 'Ye has been surrounded, Cao Wei will be destroyed, Luoyang surrenders, and food comes into the city.  .  ' Xu Huang stared blankly at the piece of paper. The last news he got was that Cao Pi died and Cao Zhi became prime minister. But now twenty days have passed and he has no news. Could it be that Ye Du was really betrayed by the Han Dynasty?  Has the army broken through?  &nbsp; Impossible!  If Yedu was captured, why not escort Cao Zhi to call the city to surrender? Xu Huang looked carefully and realized that Yedu was besieged and Cao Wei would be destroyed, which meant that it was not destroyed yet. This made him feel a little relieved. Xu Huang  Immediately he ordered: "Collect all the pieces of paper. No preservation is allowed. Violators will be beheaded!" At this time, a soldier rushed over, bowed and saluted: "General, the Han army has sent an envoy!"  "Xu Huang pondered for a moment and then nodded, "Bring him to my tent." After a while, Cao Jun's soldiers led a scribe to Xu Huang's tent. The scribe saluted and said, "I'm Zhang Xin, the governor of Zhao.  "Join the army." "Zhang Canjun came to persuade me to surrender?" Xu Huang said coldly. ?¡­

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1124 Life and Death Depends on Heaven

    Zhang Xin shook his head, "I am not persuading the general to surrender, but I am giving the general a message on the order of Governor Zhao. Governor Zhao cannot bear the people to starve to death and is willing to send food into the city, or the Han army will retreat ten miles and let Cao Jun leave. The Han army will  Take over Luoyang. " Xu Huang didn't say anything for a long time. Both of these conditions were a bit unbelievable. The second condition was quite reliable, allowing him to evacuate Luoyang and the Han army to occupy Luoyang. But Xu Huang felt that it was impossible.  The Han army must be deceitful.  Xu Huang pondered for a moment and asked: "Where can the Han army withdraw to?" "General Zhao can only guarantee the safety of Cao's army before crossing the Yellow River. The Han army will not intercept it before crossing the Yellow River, but after crossing the Yellow River, the Han army will  I won't make any guarantees. Whether you can escape the interception of the Han army depends on the general's commanding ability." Xu Huang lowered his head and thought silently for a moment, then slowly said: "Let me think about it, Zhang Canjun, please wait a moment.  "When Zhang Xin retreated, Xu Huang immediately called for several generals and told them Zhao Yun's plan. One general said: "Even if the first plan is true, it cannot be adopted. Once the food enters the city,  The soldiers will be disintegrated and the city will not be able to defend itself." Xu Huang nodded, thinking the same way, "What about the second option?" Xu Huang asked everyone again.  General Han Yi said: "General Xu, I think the second option may be considered. Doesn't Cao's army have 10,000 troops stationed on the north bank of the Yellow River? If the Han army does not attack the north bank, then these 10,000 troops can just meet us."  "How can you believe the Han army's promise?" another general said angrily.  "Zhao Yun is a man of his word. Since he made such a promise, there will be no deceit!" "What if Cao's army on the north bank of the Yellow River is gone?" "It is better than starving to death in Luoyang City!" Everyone was blushing and Xu Huang couldn't bear it.  , yelled angrily, "Shut up, everyone!" Everyone fell silent. At this time, Xu Huang said in a deep voice: "There is no need to argue anymore. General Han is right. Instead of starving to death in Luoyang City, it is better to fight once. Today Han  The army is already fighting a psychological battle, and we don¡¯t have time to delay it any longer, so we have decided that we will evacuate Luoyang tonight and return to Yedu. Life or death is up to us!¡±  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The Yellow River has been completely frozen in late November. Several consecutive heavy snowfalls have covered the thick ice with white snow. Looking from the top of the mountain, it looks like a white jade belt spread over the Central Plains.  Although there is no need for ferries to cross the Yellow River after it freezes, the cold brought by the huge ice layer at the bottom of the river can easily harm pedestrians on the ice. Therefore, even walking across the Yellow River requires heavy protection.  At noon that day, at Yanjin Ferry in Dongjun, a Cao army of nearly 20,000 people was marching quickly on the ice. This army was Xu Huang's army that had withdrawn from Luoyang. Although Zhao Yun expressed his willingness to give Cao Jun food  , in order to maintain the lives of the residents in the city, but Xu Huang decided to accept the second plan, abandon Luoyang and withdraw to Yedu.  This is not only because Xu Huang cannot trust the Han army and suspects that they will take advantage of the opportunity to send food to invade Luoyang City, but more importantly, Xu Huang knows that Yedu has insufficient troops to cope with the siege of hundreds of thousands of Han troops. If his 30,000 troops  Returning to Yedu will undoubtedly strengthen Cao's army in Yedu.  When Xu Huang withdrew his troops, he made full use of Zhao Yun's promise not to cross the Yellow River in Hanoi County, but to travel hundreds of miles eastward and cross the Yellow River at Yanjin in Dongjun. This would bring them closer to Yedu and cross the Yellow River.  After another two hundred miles, he could reach Yedu. On the other hand, he left all 8,000 old, weak, sick and wounded soldiers in Luoyang. He only led 20,000 elite troops to evacuate, which greatly accelerated the march.  When Xu Huang left Luoyang, he sent ten teams of messenger soldiers to Yedu to deliver the message, asking Xiahou Dun to send troops south to meet him. In this way, even if he was besieged by the Han army after crossing the river, he could get timely support from Cao Jun.  Xu Huang was also a famous general of Cao's army. Before making such a major decision, he had repeatedly considered that instead of being besieged and perished in the end, it would be better to risk going north. Once he succeeded, it would greatly enhance the strength of Cao's army. Even if he failed, it would only be too late.  Destruction is replaced by early destruction, the result is the same.  Since there was no horse power, Cao's army traveled lightly. When they set out, each person only carried one bucket of rice. They received a little more on the way, so that each person had three buckets of rice. There were also hundreds of donkeys and mules for livestock and consignment.  food.  Xu Huang also rode on a temporary war horse. Although this war horse was relatively strong and could bear his heavy body and big axe, compared with his previous war horse, this war horse was still far behind and could only barely support him.  Riding, Xu Huang could only bury his sadness in his heart.  "Speed ??up! The river is too cold, run and march!" Xu Huang shouted loudly. The soldiers did not have thick winter clothes to resist the cold. The ice surface for more than ten miles could easily give them frostbite. The 20,000 Cao army soldiers rushed quickly.After traveling, in less than half an hour, they gradually arrived at the north bank of the Yellow River.  What Xu Huang was most worried about happened as he expected. At this time, some soldiers who had gone ahead fled back, many of them still with arrow wounds. They stumbled and shouted: "General, there are tens of thousands of Han troops on the north bank, brother.  They suffered heavy casualties and we can't get to the shore! " Xu Huang's heart seemed to sink to the bottom of the cold river. He knew that Zhao Yun had not broken his promise. They did not encounter any interception before crossing the Yellow River, and the Han army did not intercept them in the Yellow River.  Instead, they were intercepted on the north shore, preventing them from getting ashore.  At this time, the 20,000 soldiers of Cao's army stopped, and 40,000 eyes looked at the general Xu Huang. Xu Huang turned back and looked towards the south bank. He vaguely saw the overwhelming banners on the south bank, which should be Zhao Yun's army chasing him.  Come and cut off their retreat.  They were actually trapped on the ice of the Yellow River. Xu Huang looked at the soldiers shivering from the cold. Cao's soldiers generally had thin clothes. If they did not rush ashore, they would not survive for an hour. Xu Huang decided to fight. He gritted his teeth and ordered: "Come on."  Break out on the north bank!" Cao Jun's war drums beat, and the 20,000 Cao Jun troops shouted and rushed towards the north bank two miles away like a tide.  Yanjin Ferry is located in the southern remnants of the Taihang Mountains. Both sides of the Yellow River are surrounded by mountains that stretch for hundreds of miles. Yanjin Ferry is actually the valley between the two mountains, forming a gentle river bank about ten miles wide, making it a  After arriving at the famous ferry, crossing the Yellow River, and walking through a valley dozens of miles long, we entered the vast plains of northern Henan.  At this time, Wenpin led 50,000 Han troops to wait on the north bank of the Yellow River. Twenty thousand of them, armed with crossbows, blocked the bank of the Yellow River. They built a simple earth wall one foot high on the north bank of the Yellow River and poured water into it.  When hot water is supplied, the cold weather turns the earthen wall into an ice wall overnight. Looking from a distance, the ice wall looks like a bright white ice line in the sun.  Twenty thousand Han army crossbowmen stood on a high platform, looking down at the ice of the Yellow River in the distance. At this time, a black mass of Cao's soldiers appeared on the ice of the Yellow River, swarming towards the north bank. Wenpin raised his sword and shouted loudly  : "Trebuchets and crossbowmen are ready!" Twenty thousand crossbowmen were arranged in three rows. They raised their crossbows and aimed their cold arrows at the overwhelming Cao soldiers. Behind the crossbowmen,  Thirty heavy trebuchets also creaked and opened, waiting for the first round of impact from Cao's soldiers.  Cao Jun's soldiers got closer and closer, rushing within 300 steps. Xu Huang shouted, "Trebuchets are launched!" Thirty trebuchets were suddenly launched, and thirty boulders flew into the air, drawing an arc in the air.  , smashed at the rushing Cao Jun soldiers, the boulder smashed into the crowd, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and screams were heard. The boulders rolled on the ice, causing a large number of Cao Jun soldiers to be knocked over, with broken bones and tendons, and wailing everywhere.  "Come forward!" Xu Huang's eyes were also red with rage, and he waved his sword and shouted loudly. The thirty huge rocks only killed and injured hundreds of people. They still did not pose a threat to the more than 20,000 Cao soldiers. The 20,000 Cao soldiers were desperate and shouted towards them.  All Cao Jun soldiers knew that if they could not rush to the north bank, they would freeze to death on the ice of the Yellow River.  At this time, the Han army's crossbow arrows were launched. The first round of 7,000 arrows rose into the sky and quickly formed a cloud of arrows. They rushed towards Cao Jun's soldiers in a black mass. The dense arrows came like a violent storm, causing  The lethality was much higher than the impact of the boulder. Although Cao Jun soldiers raised their shields to block it, it was still to no avail. Cao Jun soldiers were shot down one by one, and the sounds of crying and wailing resounded across the ice field.  Immediately afterwards, the second round of arrows and the third round of arrows roared in. The Han army's three-stage shooting kept firing arrows one after another. Cao Jun suffered heavy casualties, and the blood dyed the ice field red. Even Xu Huang's  The war horse was also hit by two arrows, causing Xu Huang to fall on the ice field.  Xu Huang saw that the originally dense soldiers of Cao's army had become sparse. The ice field was covered with soldiers who had been killed by arrows. At least four to five thousand people had been lost. Xu Huang had always loved his soldiers like his own son, and the heavy casualties made him feel like a knife.  , he had to order: "Retreat immediately!" "Dang!"  when!  when!  ¡¯ When the retreat bell rang, Cao Jun¡¯s soldiers were relieved and retreated to the Yellow River ice sheet like an ebbing tide. The first breakout ended in failure.  The ice field was filled with exhausted Cao Jun soldiers. They huddled together, using each other's bodies to keep warm, struggling to withstand the severe cold coming from the bottom of the river. Xu Huang and several generals gathered together to discuss a way out, but on the map  The signs chilled their hearts. They could continue to go east or retreat west, but no matter whether they went east or retreat west, the next landing point closest to them would be fifty miles away, and they would not be able to reach the landing point at all.  Even Xu Huang's eyes showed a trace of despair. They fell into the trap of the Han army. Apart from walking out of the Yellow River in Yanjin, they had no other way out.  Several generals were looking at Xu Huang. The first time they broke through, they suffered three casualties.The morale of the remaining people was hit hard. Even if they desperately rushed ashore and were surrounded by tens of thousands of Han soldiers, they still had no way out. In fact, several generals understood that they had no choice but to surrender.  Second way to survive.  Xu Huang also understood in his heart, but he could not make up his mind to betray Cao Wei and surrender. At this moment, a soldier came and reported, "General, the Han soldier who joined the army last time is here again." Xu Huang looked at it  Several generals all nodded and agreed to agree with the Han army's captor. Xu Huang sighed secretly, "Bring him over!" After a while, Zhang Xin, who joined the army, was brought up, and he bowed to pray.  With a salute, "See General Xu!" Xu Huang said lightly: "Zhang Shenjun came to persuade me to surrender?" Zhang Xin took out a thick stack of letters from his arms and handed it to Xu Huang, "Return this to the general first." Xu Huang  Xu Huang took the letter and was stunned. These were actually letters he wrote to Yedu asking for help. There were ten letters in total, and there were many letters. It turned out that all ten messengers he sent were captured by the Han army. Xu Huang's heart  The last glimmer of hope was shattered, and he let out a long sigh, "I never thought that I, Xu Huang, would be at the end of my rope one day!" Zhang Xin smiled slightly and said, "Captain Zhao gave the general two ways. I wonder if the general is willing to listen?" No  When Xu Huang expressed his stance, several generals nearby said in unison: "Sir, please speak!" Xu Huang had no choice but to nod and expressed his willingness to listen. Zhang Xin said calmly: "One way is to surrender, and the general will lead  When Cao's army surrenders, the Han army will recruit Cao's soldiers. Those who do not want to join the army can be released and go home to work as farmers. The other option is to be captured. In other words, Cao's soldiers are all prisoners of war and may have to serve in the mines or military camps for three years before they can be released.  Release, the general can choose between two ways. "Xu Huang looked back at the soldiers. Cao's soldiers all looked panicked, and their eyes were full of pity. He couldn't bear it, so he said solemnly: "All my soldiers choose to surrender.  I, Xu Huang, am the only one who chooses to be captured. I would rather die in battle or become a prisoner of war than surrender to the Han army." Zhang Xin nodded, "Just follow the general's words!" Xu Huang turned around and strode forward with his big ax in hand.  Walking towards the south bank, the soldiers stood up one after another to follow him, but Xu Huang shouted sternly: "No one is allowed to move, this is my military order!" The soldiers stared blankly at Xu Huang's figure walking away, many of them  The soldiers all knelt down and burst into tears.  Zhao Yun watched Xu Huang striding alone on the south bank. He understood immediately and couldn't help but sigh slightly: "A true general!" Zhao Yun turned around and ordered Pang De: "Don't hurt him, capture him alive!" Pang De  After giving an order, he led a thousand cavalry and rushed towards Xu Huang.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1125 A Different Kind of Feeling

    The twenty-fifth year of Jian'an was destined to be another deserted New Year for Weiyang Palace. Liu Jing led the army to garrison the state and could not return to Chang'an to celebrate the New Year. However, Liu Jing's wife and children had long been accustomed to it. In their memories, Liu Jing  Jing didn't spend at least five or six New Years with them.  The New Year is coming soon, and Weiyang Palace is decorated with lights and decorations like ordinary people, busy clearing away the filth, and welcoming the New Year cleanly. At this time, the number of eunuchs and maids in Weiyang Palace has reached more than 500, which is quite impressive.  Lively atmosphere.  On the morning of New Year's Eve, everyone in Weiyang Palace began to decorate the palaces, hung lanterns, wrapped ribbons, and cleaned up the garbage. More than 500 people in the palace were busy. At this time, a light carriage drove slowly down the road.  Come, a rosy and excited face appeared on the car window. Many palace maids knew her. She was Zhuge Guo, the daughter of Zhuge Xiangguo. She had the privilege of entering Weiyang Palace at any time, but it was really rare to see her early in the morning.  The carriage stopped in front of the Phoenix Terrace, and Zhuge Guo jumped out of the carriage. Just as Tao Zhan walked out of the gate surrounded by more than a dozen maids, he looked at Zhuge Guo. Zhuge Guo jumped up happily and waved, "Aunt Tao!  "It turns out it's Guo'er, why are you here so early? It's so rare!" Tao Zhan walked up with a smile. This girl was the daughter-in-law designated by her husband. Although she was not very satisfied, as an elder, she still tried her best to like her.  This child, Zhuge Guo, is very beautiful and has a great figure. She is satisfied with every aspect of the child, except that her temperament is a bit like a child and never grows up. This is the only thing that makes her not satisfied. Tao Zhan  The only hope is that as she grows up, her mind can slowly turn to calmness.  But from the current point of view, it seems that we have to wait patiently for a few more years, and except for Tao Zhan, Sun Shangxiang and Huang Yueying, the marriage has been kept secret from everyone else, let alone these children.  Zhuge Guo didn't have to study today. She seemed very excited. She opened the car door and said, "Aunt Tao, look at the military shoes I made." Since November, Tao Zhan has launched an army support movement among the women of Chang'an, giving support to those on the front line.  The soldiers sewed military shoes. They used sheepskin as the lining and spent two months sewing hundreds of thousands of pairs of thick and warm military shoes, which were sent to the army one after another.  Tao Zhan heard that Zhuge Guo also sewed military shoes, and she suddenly became a little curious. She walked up and said with a smile, "Guo'er can also make military shoes, let Aunt Tao have a look!" She stepped forward and said with a smile:  Seeing seven or eight pairs of military shoes placed in the carriage, she picked up one pair. It turned out to be a pair of sheepskin military boots, made of fine sheepskin. There was soft wool inside, which was very warm. The stitches were fine and even sewed with three lines. They were very strong.  Durable.  Tao Zhan asked in surprise: "Did you and your mother make this together?" She really didn't believe that this child could have such patience to sew military boots. Zhuge Guo pouted his bright red mouth and said, "Aunt Tao is looking down on me.  Yes, I did this all by myself. It took me a full month." Tao Zhan said with an apologetic smile, "Aunt Tao didn't expect Guo'er to be so capable. Aunt Tao sent someone to send these military boots to the Ministry of War." "No!  !" Zhuge Guo waved his hands quickly, "Four pairs of these military boots are for my father, and the other four pairs are for the King of Han. I made them for them." "You weird elf!" Tao Zhan pinched her pink face.  , smiled and said: "Okay! I will ask someone to take it over. Someone happens to be going to Taiyuan this afternoon." At this time, a female guard walked forward quickly and said: "Princess Qi, the carriage is ready, and the prince is also here.  Wait in the car, do you want to leave now? "Where are Aunt Tao going?" Zhuge Guo asked.  "I'm going to visit the soldiers' families. I have to go every year." Tao Zhan's heart moved and he asked with a smile: "You came just in time, why don't you go with Aunt Tao too!" Zhuge Guo suddenly became a little embarrassed, his pretty face turned red, and he looked at her every moment.  "Is it convenient for me to go?" It's not that she doesn't want to go, but she blushes a little when she thinks of riding in a carriage with Liu Zhi. Tao Zhan takes her wrist and smiles: "Let's go quickly! Just stay with Tao.  Auntie, come back and play with Zhuer in the afternoon. "Zhuge Guo had no choice but to follow Aunt Tao to the carriage. Liu Zhi was already waiting in front of the carriage. He was also surprised that his mother had brought Sister Guo here, so he hurriedly stepped forward.  He saluted and said, "See you, mother!" Then he saluted Zhuge Guo and said, "Hello, sister Guo!" Liu Zhi has a quiet and mature personality, which is completely different from Zhuge Guo, who has a lively nature. However, they are both at the age when they are in love, so they met each other.  Feeling a little embarrassed, Zhuge Guo also returned the salute with a blushing face. Tao Zhan was secretly amused and pulled the two of them into the car, "Okay! Alright! Don't waste your time, let's go!" The carriage started!  , several personal female guards followed on horseback, and the carriage drove out of Weiyang Palace. The two hundred cavalry who had been waiting here immediately guarded the carriage.?Driving to Baling City Among the three acropolises in Chang'an, Xianyang is mainly based on workshops and is a gathering place for craftsmen. There are thousands of various workshops in the city, while Duling County is mainly based on commerce, with various shops.  There are also thousands of markets, where merchants gather.  " Baling County is a military city with tens of thousands of military households living there. Nearly 100,000 people in the city are the families of soldiers and soldiers. To the northwest of Baling County is the largest Baling military camp in Chang'an.  Tao Zhan naturally wanted to come to Baling County to express his condolences to the military families. Today is New Year's Eve, and the streets of Baling County are particularly lively. Many people who bought new year's goods from Duling County came back, leading mules and horses, and driving ox carts on the streets.  Walking slowly, the carts and mules and horses were loaded with large and small New Year packages.  Groups of children put on new clothes and chased each other on the snow. Their laughter spread throughout the streets and alleys. At this time, Tao Zhan's carriage slowly drove into the city under the protection of his guards. Everyone in the city immediately guessed that this was  The princess must be here. Every year on the morning of New Year's Eve, the princess will come to visit the soldiers' families. This has become a routine. People on the street made way for them. Countless people knelt down and bowed to the princess to show their respect for the princess.  Respect.  The carriage drove slowly to the east of the city. Today Tao Zhan was coming to visit the families of several fallen soldiers. The carriage stopped in front of a small courtyard. This was a small house covering an area of ??less than an acre. Most families in Chang'an  It's all like this, with yards in front and five or six bungalows. The house was newly built just a few years ago and looks very clean.  The owner of the house had already received the news and was waiting in front of the gate. When the female guard helped Tao Zhan get out of the carriage, the two old men hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down, "Come to see the princess!" Tao Zhan hurriedly stepped forward to help them up.  "You two old men don't need to be polite, please get up!" She turned around and smiled at the guards, "Move the things into the yard!" The guards carried several bags of rice and several pigs and sheep into the yard, and the two old men hurriedly showed their kindness.  Tao Zhan was greeted gratefully into the courtyard, followed by Liu Zhi and Zhuge Guo. The owner of the house was named Li, and the couple were both in their fifties. The reason why Tao Zhan chose to express condolences to them was because the three of them  Both sons served in the army, and the second son was killed in the Central Plains War.  Tao Zhan did not enter their house. The sunshine was warm at noon. She sat in the yard chatting with the old couple. Tao Zhan said softly: "I can only come to see you on New Year's Eve. I hope your family can be reunited next year." "Thank you, Princess, for coming.  During the visit, officials from the Ministry of War also said that the war will be over next year and both sons will be able to go home. We are also preparing to return to our hometown." Tao Zhan nodded with a smile and asked, "Where are the two old men from?"  "We are from Pingyang County, Bingzhou. Our family fled to Guanzhong the year before last. Because our three sons joined the army, the government gave us this place to live." "Are there only two old people in the house?" The old man said apologetically: "Of course not us, there are three more  There is a daughter-in-law and two grandsons. The second daughter-in-law has returned to her natal family and is planning to remarry. The younger daughter-in-law has returned to her natal family in Hanzhong to celebrate the New Year, and she has also brought her younger grandson with her. The eldest daughter-in-law went to Duling County to buy new year's goods early in the morning. The eldest grandson is studying at a government school and will not come back until the afternoon.  , so unfortunately, there are only two of us." Tao Zhan chatted softly with the two old people. Liu Zhi and Zhuge Guo stood behind her. Liu Zhi glanced at Zhuge Guo strangely. He found that he had always been there.  Crazy Sister Guo was actually very quiet today. She acted like a lady after getting on the carriage, smiling quietly without saying a word. Did she change her gender today?  It happened that Zhuge Guo also glanced over with his pretty eyes. Their eyes met, and their faces suddenly turned red. They quickly turned their heads. Liu Zhi's heart was pounding, and there was a strange feeling in his heart. Only then did he realize that,  Sister Guo is so beautiful.  At this time, Tao Zhan stood up and said goodbye. The old couple sent them out of the small courtyard with great gratitude. Tao Zhan turned back to the two children and smiled: "You two, what are you doing here, why don't you get on the carriage quickly?" "Tao Zhan  Auntie, look ahead!" Zhuge Guo whispered.  Only then did Tao Zhan realize that the intersection in front of him was crowded with people from the county. There were thousands of people in the dark place. These were the families of the soldiers. When they heard that the princess was coming to visit them, they came from all directions. The guards were a little nervous. Tao Zhan  Zhan smiled, pulled the two children, and went forward to greet them. The crowd began to surge, and the soldiers hurriedly stepped forward to stop them.  "Happy New Year, Princess!" someone shouted.  Tao Zhan stopped and said loudly to everyone: "The soldiers are all fighting bloody battles on the front line. Your Highness, the King of Han, also has to command the battle in front of the enemy. He cannot return to the capital to reunite with his family. On behalf of His Highness, the King of Han, I am here to visit you. I hope you can have a better life."  In the peaceful and peaceful New Year, every household in the Han Kingdom will receive a sheep. This is a little wish from the King of Han. I hope everyone will not dislike it. " Everyone was excited and shouted together, "Thank you, Princess.  Thank you, His Highness the King of Han!¡± I don¡¯t know.Who raised his arms and shouted, "Long live the King of Han, long live the Princess!" "Long live the King of Han, long live the Princess!" The shouts were deafening, and everyone's emotions were infected. People were calling from the bottom of their hearts, and even Zhuge Guo's eyes were moist.  , she couldn't help but turn around and said to Liu Zhi: "You have to remember, these are your children. You must treat them well and cherish them in the future, otherwise I will never let you go!" Liu Zhi nodded silently and said in a deep voice.  : "I will!" Tao Zhan was surprised. She turned back to look at Zhuge Guo, and she suddenly discovered that this girl had such a kind and gentle heart in her chest. Tao Zhan was also moved by her and couldn't help but hold her hand.  Stopped her hand.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1126 The hero¡¯s curtain call

    In the early morning of the next day, the Tongque Palace was extremely quiet. Several eunuchs serving Cao Cao were sitting on the steps outside the ward, enjoying the warm winter sunshine and chatting boredly. At this time, there was a faint melodious sound in the distance.  As the bell rang, an eunuch said: "This is the New Year's ceremony held in Ye Palace!" "It should be, I heard that there is also a ceremony for Mr. Zhi to officially become the prime minister." Another young eunuch sighed: "Hey! The world is going on.  Unexpectedly, if Mr. Pi does not die, where will Mr. Zhi be? People say that brothers are like brothers. I see! Power is a sword, specially used to cut off brothers and feet. " Just as he said this, a violent coughing sound suddenly came from the room.  , several eunuchs were all panicked. This was when Wei Gong woke up, and they hurriedly ran into the room to serve him. On the sick bed, Cao Cao was exhausted and dying. In the past two months, he had been in a coma most of the time, and he was also in a coma when he woke up.  He was so delirious that he didn't even recognize his wife and children.  The eunuchs have long been used to it. They have to hurry up and feed Wei Gong to save his life. However, the eunuchs know very well that Wei Gong's time is short. How can a person's body withstand such torture?  "Hurry and help Wei Gong sit up!" A eunuch quickly put a mattress behind Cao Cao and prepared to help him sit up. Unexpectedly, Cao Cao opened his eyes and asked in a low voice: "What were you talking about just now?" Several eunuchs  Looking at each other, Wei Gong was a little different from usual. A eunuch laughed and said: "Wei Gong must have heard wrong, we didn't say anything!" "Nonsense!" Cao Cao rebuked in a low voice: "I heard clearly, Pi'er.  What's wrong?" Several eunuchs were so frightened that Duke Wei suddenly woke up and knelt down on the ground. Cao Cao's face was red and his eyes were bright. He leaned on the quilt and stared at  Several eunuchs asked: "Did you just say that Pi'er is dead?" The eunuchs were so frightened that they kowtowed, "You deserve to die! You deserve to die!" Cao Cao closed his eyes, and for a moment, he slowly said: "If you don't want to die,  , just tell me the truth, what happened?¡± Several eunuchs did not understand the serious consequences and only wanted to save their own lives. A young eunuch said tremblingly: ¡°Last month, Mr. Pi unfortunately passed away, and now Mr. Zhi is here.  Make the decision." Cao Cao closed his eyes in pain and did not say a word. Several eunuchs thought that everything was fine. Suddenly, one eunuch discovered that blood was flowing from the corner of Wei Gong's mouth. He screamed in fright, and the other eunuchs were also frightened.  He stumbled out and shouted: "Come quickly, call the imperial doctor!" An hour later, Cao Zhi and the officials came after hearing the news. They gathered in the yard, waiting nervously for the news. At this time, Bian came from the room.  Everyone suddenly felt that something was wrong with the lady's cry. Doctor Wang came out, and Cao Zhi hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "How is my father?" Doctor Wang sighed, "Sir, please show your condolences!" Cao Zhi was stunned.  He knelt down weakly and burst into tears. All the officials knelt down and cried bitterly, and the sound of crying filled the Tongque Palace.  On the twenty-fifth day of Jian'an, Cao Cao, a great hero, finally passed away after suffering from illness for nearly a year. People mourned and cried in the city of Yedu. That night, a mourning shed was set up in the square in front of Ye Palace.  , invited dozens of eminent monks to come to offer salvation, and allowed hundreds of officials and ordinary people to come to pay their respects.  Xiahou Dun and all the Cao family's children were wearing sackcloth and mourning, kneeling in front of the tomb, but Cao Xiu was the only one who did not come. Cao Xiu's garrison was outside the east city of Yedu. In the past few months, Cao Xiu and Xiahou Dun had been fighting for the leadership of Cao's army, which caused a lot of trouble.  Discord.  So far, Cao Xiu still firmly controls his 30,000 troops. He does not obey Xiahou Dun's orders and never enters the city. This makes Xiahou Dun extremely angry. He tried to kill him several times but never got a chance.  At this time, Xiahou Dun's confidant general Guo Huai walked quickly and whispered behind Xiahou Dun: "I have something to report for my humble duty!"  Entering the city!¡±  Guo Huai understood what he meant and said: "Leave this matter to the humble official!"  In short, if you know yourself and the enemy, you will never be in danger. I will first find out his plans and then attack his weaknesses."  Guo Huai's shoulder said, "I leave everything to you!" As the time gradually reached Hai hour, the drum sound to remind the city gate to close soon began to beat. After the eight hundred tong drumsThe city gate is about to be closed. Although a big event happened in Yedu today and Duke Wei unfortunately passed away, the government decided to close the city gate on time.  Cao Xiu worshiped his uncle's spirit and planned to return to the military camp. According to the rules, as a son of the Cao family, he should keep vigil for Cao Cao tonight, but Cao Xiu was extremely cautious. The city of Yedu was Xiahou Dun's territory, and he did not dare to spend the night in the city.  He had to return to the military camp outside Dongying. Of course, the reason he used was to prevent the Han army from taking advantage of the chaos to attack Yedu and to maintain the highest combat readiness. Cao Zhi also recognized his reason and allowed him to return to the military camp.  Cao Xiu was well prepared. He brought 800 cavalry, 300 of whom followed him into the city, and 500 cavalry waiting outside the east city gate. However, there were regulations for worshiping spirits, and they were not allowed to bring troops to worship, so Cao Xiu sent 300 cavalry to the city.  The cavalry was temporarily placed in a mansion about two miles away from Ye Palace. He only brought a dozen personal guards to the tomb to pay homage.  More than a dozen personal guards were waiting not far from the tomb. They led their horses forward. Cao Xiu got on his horse and shouted: "Go!" Everyone got on their horses and followed Cao Xiu at a gallop. The street was deserted.  Although today is New Year's day, Cao Cao's death has greatly affected the New Year atmosphere. People in Yedu went home early. It was just dark and it was difficult to see pedestrians on the streets. Especially now that it was almost Haishi, the streets were even more crowded.  There was not a single pedestrian in sight, only groups of soldiers patrolling the streets.  Cao Xiu galloped. His three hundred cavalry were in a mansion two miles away. It was his mansion in Yedu. Someone specially arranged for the cavalry to rest and eat. Cao Xiu was a little worried. He had to rush back to his mansion as soon as possible.  .  After running for a mile, there was a group of patrol soldiers in front of them, about a hundred people, commanded by a horseback officer. At this time, the patrol officer noticed someone galloping in front of him, and couldn't help shouting: "Horses are not allowed in the city.  Stop!" But Cao Xiu ignored him and continued to gallop. The patrol officer shouted, "Bow and arrow interception!" Hundreds of soldiers drew their bows and aimed arrows at the galloping Cao Xiu. The officer shouted: "  If you don¡¯t stop, the arrow will be fired!¡± Cao Xiu had no choice but to slow down his horse and gradually stopped. At this moment, there was a bang from above his head, and there were countless soldiers ambushing on the roofs on both sides.  Random arrows were fired, and nearly a thousand crossbow arrows were shot at Cao Xiu and his entourage. Cao Xiu was unable to dodge and was shot like a hedgehog. He died tragically on the spot. More than a dozen of his personal guards were also shot to death by random arrows.  At this time, Guo Huai came out of an alley, and the patrol officer came forward and saluted, "It's a shame to live up to my humble duty!" "Thank you for your hard work!" Guo Huai nodded appreciatively. This was of course planned by him. Cao Xiu's weakness lies in his subordinates.  In the distance between the mourning hall and his residence, in order to hunt Cao Xiu, Guo Huai deployed two ambushes. One was the current rooftop ambush. His men pretended to be sentry soldiers to stop the running Cao Xiu and create opportunities for the rooftop ambush.  Chance.  Another time was in Cao Xiu's mansion. Three hundred cavalrymen had already been poisoned by Guo Huai's men. There were nearly a thousand ambush soldiers in the mansion. As long as Cao Xiu entered the house, he would be shot to death by random arrows.  But God favored them and hunted Cao Xiu down in the first ambush.  Guo Huai stepped forward and kicked the already dead Cao Xiu. He immediately sent someone to inform Xiahou Dun that the next step was for Cao Zhi to come forward and surrender Cao Xiu's 30,000 troops. This was not difficult. After all, it was not Cao Zhang's Youzhou Army.  As long as Cao Xiu is dead, he can be conquered easily.  After receiving the news, Xiahou Dun immediately took off his mourning clothes, put on his armor and helmet, went to Cao Zhi and told him the matter. Although Cao Zhi was dissatisfied and killed someone during his father's funeral, he had no choice but to obey Xiahou Dun's arrangement.  Rushing to the camp outside the east city, at dawn, Xiahou Dun had replaced all Cao Xiu's confidants and firmly controlled the 30,000-man army in his own hands.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  The news of Cao Cao's death was delivered to Liu Jing in Taiyuan by a Han army spy from Yedu on the afternoon of Danri. Although Liu Jing also set up a memorial shed to pay homage to Cao Cao's spirit to fulfill his son-in-law's obligations, and  He mourned the death of his old rival.  But worship is a sacrifice, and the war will not be suspended because of Cao Cao's death. On the contrary, Liu Jing immediately ordered the entire army to prepare to set off and march into Hebei. One hundred thousand Han troops began to gear up and eager to try. They had been waiting for this day for too long.  On the official road outside Taiyuan City, several scout cavalry were galloping towards the military camp outside Taiyuan City like a gust of wind. Not long after, they arrived in front of the camp. The scouts got off their horses and a camp commander ran.  He stepped forward and shouted: "Urgent military situation, we need to see His Highness the King of Han immediately!" At this time, Liu Jing was discussing with Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang in front of the sand table in the tent about the plan to send troops to Hebei. Liu Jing pointed at Youzhou with a wooden pole and said: "  At present, in addition to Yedu, there is also Cao Zhang's 20,000 Youzhou Army. Although the 30,000 Youzhou Army was annihilated in the Yellow River, this army has very strong combat effectiveness.??The 10,000 cavalry were trained by the Wuhuan cavalry and are currently commanded by Cao Zhang. They are as good as the Yedu Hu Ben Guard cavalry and on par with our Guanlong cavalry. I am considering whether to kill Xiang You first.  After defeating Cao Zhang's Youzhou army, they headed south to Yedu. What did the two military advisors think?  Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and said: "Now Xiahou Dun has a hundred thousand troops in his hands. If I were Xiahou Dun, I would definitely not defend Yedu. Instead of being besieged and dying sooner or later, it would be better to come to His Highness for a decisive battle first."  " Sima Yi also agreed: "Kong Ming is right. Xiahou Dun always likes to take the initiative in his own hands when fighting. This is his habit. He was like this when he was in Xudu. I believe Xiahou Dun will not sit still and wait for death. Besides, he has already mastered the power.  Cao Xiu's army, then there would be no obstacles for him to mobilize his troops and generals.  " Liu Jing pondered and said nothing. If this is the case, Xiahou Dun's army can be drawn out, which is not necessarily a bad thing. In this case, it is necessary to temporarily stop Zhao Yun and Wenpin's army from going north, and Huang Zhong's army cannot get too close to Yedu.  It would be bad if he was eaten by Xiahou Dun. At this point, he could no longer delay and had to send troops immediately. At this moment, a guard outside the tent reported, "Your Highness, the scouts have urgent information."  Liu Jing immediately ordered: "Let him come in!"  " After a while, the scout commander was brought in. He knelt down on one knee and said, "See your highness!  " "Is there any urgent information?  " "Your Majesty, my humble subordinates discovered the 20,000 Youzhou Army led by Cao Zhang in Changshan County, heading towards Yedu.  " Liu Jing was startled. He suddenly understood that this must be Cao Zhang rushing to attend his father's burial. Liu Jing looked at Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi. Both of them nodded slowly. Liu Jing made up his mind and immediately ordered: "Pass  My order, the army sets off!  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1127 Decisive Battle between Han and Wei (Part 1)

    After getting rid of Cao Xiu, Xiahou Dun fully took control of the military power in Yedu. As Cao Zhang returned with his army, the strength of Cao's army was further strengthened. Currently, the total strength of Cao's army in Yedu reaches 120,000, including 20,000 cavalry, except for three  In addition to the 10,000 newly recruited soldiers, most of the remaining 90,000 troops were elite troops. At the same time, Cao's army still had more than 400,000 shi in stock of grain. The elite soldiers and sufficient stock of grain gave Xiahou Dun the confidence to fight the Han army in a decisive battle.  However, the situation in Yedu is indeed not optimistic. Zhao Yun and Wenpin led an army of 160,000 people to cross the Yellow River and head north. Liu Hu led an army of 50,000 men and was eyeing Wei County at Fukouxing. Huang Zhong and Gan Ning led an army of 80,000 people from Qingzhou to Yedu.  Advancing, a hundred thousand troops led by Liu Jing personally entered Hebei from Jingxing, and nearly four hundred thousand troops surrounded Yedu from all sides.  Cao Jun was like a ferocious beast that fell into a trap. He was either trapped to death in the trap, or the trapped beast still fought and fought to the death.  In the lobby of the Prime Minister's Mansion, Cao Zhi, Xiahou Dun, Zhang Liao, Xu Chu, Zang Ba, Guo Huai, Cao Zhang, as well as counselors Guoyuan, Liu Ye, Xin Pi and others gathered together to discuss the final decisive battle with the Han army.  There was a sand table of the entire Hebei province in the lobby. Everyone looked solemn and stood silently in front of the sand table. Currently, their opinions were slightly different. Cao Zhi advocated sticking to Yedu to compete with the Han army. If he insists on holding the Han army for two years a year,  If the army cannot win, they will retreat.  But Xiahou Dun did not want to passively defend the city. He hoped to find the weaknesses of the Han army, concentrate his forces to defeat them one by one, and defend Ye until he was finally trapped. That was definitely not his character.  "General Zang Ba, tell me, where is Zhao Yun's army currently?" Xiahou Dun turned around and asked Zang Badao.  Zang Ba originally guarded Luoyang with Xu Huang. After Cao Ren's disastrous defeat in the Central Plains War, he was temporarily transferred back to Hebei and led 10,000 troops to guard the north bank of the Yellow River in Baimajin, thus escaping the destruction of Cao's army in Luoyang.  The 10,000 troops led by Zang Ba have evacuated the north bank of the Yellow River and are currently stationed outside the south city of Yedu. He sent many scouts to explore the situation of the Han army on the Yellow River and had a better understanding of the Han army in the south.  Zang Ba saluted and said: "Currently the main force of the Han army Zhao Yun is south of Dangyin County, about 150 miles away from Yedu. They have not gone north and seem to be waiting for orders." "Where is Huang Zhong's army now?" Xiahou Dun  Ask Guo Huai again.  At present, Guo Huai controls Cao Xiu's 30,000-strong army. The army is stationed in the east of the city and is mainly responsible for intelligence on the east. Guo Huai immediately bowed and said: "General, Huang Zhong's army is stationed in Wei County, which is also far from Yedu."  About one hundred and fifty miles." At this time, before Xiahou Dun asked, Cao Zhang stepped forward and said: "Liu Jing's 100,000 troops have passed Jingxing. They have been in Changshan County for three days and should be in Zhao County now."  He rushed back to attend his father's funeral. Of course, this was just his excuse. At that time, he left Yedu in anger because 30,000 Youzhou troops were wiped out. However, he heard that Bingzhou had been captured by the Han army, and Liu Jing stationed troops in Taiyuan.  , he realized that the main force of the Han army would enter Hebei from Jingxing, and his Youzhou army would be the first to be attacked by the Han army.  Cao Zhang also considered retreating to Liaodong, or returning to Yedu to join forces with other Cao troops to fight against the enemy. But just when he was having trouble making a decision, the bad news of his father's death came to Yedu. As a son of a man, he had to go to Yedu.  They all went to mourn, and it was for this reason that Cao Zhang finally decided to abandon Youzhou and lead his army back to Yedu.  In Yedu, Cao Zhang only had 20,000 troops and could not compete with Xiahou Dun, who controlled an army of 100,000. He also learned from Cao Xiu's lesson and tried his best to cooperate with Xiahou Dun's army deployment without losing control of the army. Of course, Cao Zhang also  He opposed the besieging of Yedu and advocated sending troops to fight the Han army. Strategically, he and Xiahou Dun coincided with each other. This is why he remained silent and did not oppose Xiahou Dun.  Xiahou Dun nodded, quite satisfied with Cao Zhang's attitude. Although with his character, he would definitely take away the command of the Youzhou Army, but the current situation no longer allowed internal strife, so he could only reluctantly accept Cao Zhang's cooperation instead of handing over power.  At this time, Xiahou Dun picked up the wooden pole and said to Zhaojun: "Liu Jing's main force is in Zhaojun, about three hundred miles away from Yedu. If we send troops northward overnight to fight Liu Jing's 100,000 troops, the winner can be decided in one day at most."  , and neither Huang Zhong's army nor Zhao Yun's army had time to support them. As long as we can defeat Liu Jing's main force and then turn around to defeat Huang Zhong's army, then we will not only win a great victory in Hebei, but also regain Qingzhou, Xuzhou and Yuzhou, and regain  Occupy the strategic advantage over Han, so success or failure depends on this." "But what if we fail?" Guoyuan asked hesitantly.  Xiahou Dun shook his head, "Why did the imperial minister say such uninformed words? Nothing is completely certain, but we have one hundred thousand elite soldiers, and Liu Jing also has one hundred thousand elite soldiers. If the two armies meet twice, the victory or defeat is 50-50."  At least we have hope of defeating Liu Jing's main force, which is much better than being trapped to death. " "But what if Liu Jing doesn't fight?" Liu Ye, who has been silent all the time.Yu couldn't help but speak.  This sentence seemed to have hit Xiahou Dun's heart. Xiahou Dun was furious. He pointed at Liu Ye and cursed: "Do you think you can get benefits from Liu Jing because you are a clan member of the Han Dynasty? You are a rip-off."  Bastard, if I don¡¯t kill you today, how can I convince the crowd?¡±  Perhaps because he was more taboo about killing generals in battle, Xiahou Dun put away his sword and ordered the guards on both sides, "Hit this man with a stick!" Liu Ye was also very angry in his heart. Before the guards came forward, he snorted loudly,  Walk outside quickly.  Liu Ye was driven away, but Xiahou Dun was still angry. He turned around and asked Xin Pi, "Is it possible that Xin Zhongcheng also wants to object?" "I have no objection!" Xiahou Dun took a long breath and looked back at Cao Zhi. He was waiting for Cao Zhi's answer  In his final statement, Cao Zhi had no choice but to nod slowly, "Everything is decided by the general!" "Then it's settled, 30,000 new troops will be left to defend the city, and the remaining 90,000 troops will follow me north to face Liu Jing. Let's set off today!  " Everyone dispersed, Xiahou Dun left the Prime Minister's Mansion, got on his horse and ordered: "Go to the North Army Camp!" At this time, there was a shout from behind, "General, please stay." Xiahou Dun turned around and saw that it was Guo Huai who was chasing him.  He reined in his horse and asked, "What else can Bo Ji do?" Guo Huai ran forward and said, "General, why don't you let Wen Yuan guard Yedu? He was able to guard Hefei without losing anything. He felt that it was more convenient for him to guard Yedu because of his humble position."  "I am sure." The 30,000 New Army was trained by Zhang Liao for more than a month. Zhang Liao had a deeper relationship with the 30,000 New Army and was very prestigious among the 30,000 New Army. Therefore, Guo Huai suggested that Zhang Liao lead the 30,000 New Army to guard Ye.  However, Xiahou Dun did not make such a decision. The defense of Ye involved the military power of 30,000 new troops, so Xiahou Dun decided to let his son Xiahou Mao command the 30,000 new troops.  Xiahou Dun pondered for a moment, but still shook his head, "What if my main force is defeated, and there are intact eggs under the overturned nest? I have made up my mind, don't persuade me any more, Bo Ji can quickly return to the east camp, and lead his army to join me in an hour  !¡±  Mounted his horse and headed for the east camp. That afternoon, Xiahou Dun personally led 90,000 troops and left Yedu. Before leaving, he repeatedly told his second son, Xiahou Mao, to hold on to the city and never be tempted by the Han army to go out to fight. Xiahou Dun also  One by one he agreed to his father's instructions.  Xiahou Dun immediately urged a rapid march to the north. He had to defeat Liu Jing's main force before the Han reinforcements arrived in order to take the initiative in this battle. Xiahou Dun still had a glimmer of hope in his heart, maybe they could seize the opportunity to attack  If Liu Jing is killed or captured alive, the situation in the world will be completely reversed.  At this time, Liu Jing's army had arrived in Xiangguo County in the north of Guangping County. Xiangguo County is today's Xingtai, Hebei Province. At this time, Liu Jing received a scout report and discovered the main force of Cao's army in Handan County in the south, heading north rapidly.  Coming on the march.  This was expected by Liu Jing. His original intention was to lure the snake out of the cave and lead Xiahou Dun's army out of Yedu. Then Zhao Yun's main force would cut off Xiahou Dun's retreat and defeat Xiahou Dun and Yedu one by one. Of course, Liu Jing also considered that they would be defeated by Xiahou Dun's army.  He was fully prepared for the possibility of defeat.  Handan is about 130 miles away from Xiangguo. If it is pursued by cavalry, it can be reached in one day. But Liu Jing knows that Xiahou Dun will never let the army disperse. At this moment of decisive battle, both sides are very cautious and will not be careless.  .  Liu Jing immediately ordered the army to withdraw north and continued to lead Xiahou Dun's army to the north. At noon the next day, 100,000 Han troops arrived in Gaoyi County, Zhao County. Liu Jing had already built a camp on Hanlonggang to the west of the county seat, and the area around Gaoyi County  There are many low and gentle hills, and the groundwater is very rich. Wells can be easily drilled to obtain water on the hills and hills, which is very suitable for setting up camps.  Hanlonggang is a gentle hill, standing abruptly on the plain, about a hundred feet away from the plains. The hill is very flat and covers an area of ??about 200 acres. Liu Jing sent General Guan Yu and led 20,000 soldiers to build a strong fort in ten days.  The board-walled military camp is watered and frozen. The camp is located high up, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.  In fact, it was Liu Ye's worry. Liu Jing did not intend to fight Xiahou Dun immediately, and used delaying tactics to drag down Xiahou Dun's morale.  The soldiers in the military camp were extremely busy. They set up tents, built fire shelters, dug wells to collect water, and built sentry towers. Teams of scouts were sent out in all directions. Liu Jing, surrounded by dozens of generals, inspected the camp.  When he arrived near the gate of the South Camp, he saw more than a hundred army craftsmen installing a giant trebuchet. He walked up and asked, "Has the trebuchet on the east side been reinstalled?"Okay?  "The leader of the craftsmen stepped forward and saluted: "Your Highness, it has been reinstalled and it is foolproof.  " At this time, the general Guan Yu behind him whispered: "Your Highness, if Cao Jun uses trebuchet fire to attack the camp, will it pose a threat to the camp?  " This is not only a concern for Guan Yu, many generals have this worry. If Cao Jun uses fireballs to attack the camp, as long as a fireball hits the camp and ignites the tent in the camp, the consequences will be disastrous. Liu Jing is indifferent.  He smiled and said: "The Han army started by playing with fire, how can it be defeated by fire attack? Don't worry, everyone, we have sufficient countermeasures.  ¡± £®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®£®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1128 Decisive Battle between Han and Wei (Part 2)

    Two days later, the main force of 90,000 troops led by Xiahou Dun arrived at the Han army's stronghold and set up camp about three miles away from the Han army's stronghold. Xiahou Dun stood on a small mound and looked at the huge Han army's stronghold from a distance.  There was an indescribable blockage in his heart. The Han army could not build a stronghold of this size in just two or three days, which only meant that they had been prepared for it.  After a long while, Xiahou Dun said bitterly: "Liu Jing wanted to fight a protracted war with me, but unfortunately he made the wrong idea!"  Zhang Liao, who was standing next to him, quickly suggested: "General, now that the Han army is in a commanding position, our army will suffer heavy losses if we attack by force. It is better to use the cover at night and order the cavalry to lay a ramp for the post, and then launch the attack tomorrow!" Guo Huai also agreed!  He said: "What Wen Yuan said makes sense, general, please think again!"  Zhang Liao did make sense. Xiahou Dun nodded and accepted Zhang Liao's suggestion. He immediately ordered: "Build three more twenty-foot piers to install trebuchets!" That afternoon, 10,000 Cao's troops were not far away from the camp.  In an abandoned river in the distance, soil was packed with cloth bags to prepare for the construction of a ramp at night. At the same time, thousands of Cao soldiers were building mounds about 300 steps away from the camp to prepare for installing trebuchets.  Attacking the Han army's camp was the tactic used by Cao Jun and Yuan Shao Jun in the decisive battle in Yecheng in the sixth year of Jian'an. They built a twenty-foot-high earthen platform and used thunderbolt chariots to attack Yuan Jun from a high position, giving Cao Jun an offensive advantage.  But history will not repeat itself, and the Han army is not Yuan Shao's army. The Han army's trebuchet technology is far superior to that of Cao's army. The Han army's giant trebuchet can throw a hundred kilograms of stones 400 steps away, which is better than Cao's army's largest trebuchet.  The range is a hundred steps farther.  Just as Cao's soldiers were carrying stones to build the foundation, the Han army's trebuchets deployed in the south of the camp suddenly launched. Forty trebuchets continuously launched boulders, and boulders weighing hundreds of kilograms were thrown overwhelmingly. Hundreds of soldiers  Unable to dodge, his skull was smashed and his body was covered in blood and flesh, which was horrific. The foundation he had just laid was also completely destroyed by the roaring boulders. The rest of Cao's army fled southward, out of the range of the Han army's trebuchets.  Xiahou Dun was so angry that he thundered and ordered: "Build a trebuchet and attack the Han army camp at night!" At this time, the sun had set below the horizon, the sunset in the sky disappeared and turned into blue-gray. Night gradually fell, and Liu Jing stood on the sentry tower.  , observing the movements of Cao Jun's camp, despite the dim dusk, Liu Jing still vaguely saw the huge black shadow standing in Cao Jun's camp, which should be Cao Jun's trebuchet.  Liu Jing turned back to Sima Yi and asked with a smile: "How long does Zhongda think we need to persist?" Sima Yi smiled and said: "It depends on how much risk your highness is willing to take. If your highness is willing to take 50% of the risk, you might as well send someone to do it."  In the letter of battle, an appointment was made for a decisive battle between the two armies. Perhaps this is what Xiahou Dun wants. If His Highness has more than 70% chance of victory, then he must wait patiently and hold on to the various attacks of Cao's army. As long as General Zilong captures Yedu, Cao's army will be defeated. Naturally,  I have no intention of fighting anymore. "Liu Jing laughed to herself: "I proposed this plan first, but I can't hold on to it. Zhongda is right, you have to calm down and wait." The night has completely fallen, and the night is dark.  Zhang Liao led 20,000 cavalry to ambush in a forest several miles away. All the horses were wrapped with four hooves. The cavalry did not carry spear weapons. Each man only carried a sword and a shield. Each soldier carried three bags of soil.  .  Their task was to use the speed of the cavalry to fill in an attack ramp in the east under the cover of the trebuchet battle in the south. Of course, only 60,000 bags of soil were not enough. Zhang Liao estimated that at least 200,000 bags of soil were needed.  It just requires them to go back and forth three times.  Zhang Liao waited patiently, looking far to the south. At this time, in the moonlight, he faintly saw the huge trebuchet of Cao Jun moving forward slowly. His heart couldn't help but tighten. If Cao Jun's fire attack  If it works, maybe they can break through the Han army camp tonight.  "Keep quiet and wait for my order!" Zhang Liao conveyed his order.  In the Han army's camp, Liu Jing was also watching coldly the Cao army's trebuchets approaching in the distance, which were about a hundred paces long. With the speed of Cao's army marching north, they could not carry such baggage. This should be their  Made from improvised felled trees, this crude trebuchet was not durable and could be fired no more than four or five times.  At this time, the Han army was also actively preparing for war. All the large tents in the military camp were closed. This was to prevent Cao Jun's fireballs from shooting into the camp and causing a fire in the tents. Twenty thousand soldiers prepared baffles and soil, and they each performed their duties.  , you can put out the fireball at any time.  And the forty surrenders of the Han armyThe machine gun creaked and pulled up, waiting for the enemy to enter the shooting range. Behind the catapult machine, eight thousand Han soldiers were ready. Ten-foot-long cowhide flags were placed on the ground, raised high with wooden poles.  A huge cowhide barrier will be temporarily put together to prevent Cao's army's fireballs from shooting into the Han army's camp.  Cao Jun's trebuchets were getting closer and closer. The huge wooden wheels rolled slowly on the flat ground. Each trebuchet was pushed by two hundred men. These two hundred men were also the soldiers who controlled the trebuchets. Cao Jun invested a total of one hundred trebuchets.  All of them were used to launch fireballs. Xiahou Dun was very aware of the counterattack power of the Han army, so he could only use his superior numbers to win the opportunity to launch.  The Cao army's trebuchet finally entered the range of the Han army's trebuchet. The soldiers shouted in unison and accelerated the trebuchet. At this moment, there was a muffled bang in the Han army's stronghold, and then the sky  Dozens of small black dots appeared, making strange whistling sounds, whizzing towards the top of Cao Jun's head. Cao Jun's soldiers screamed in fear and hid behind the trebuchet.  There was a loud bang, and more than a dozen trebuchets were hit by the giant ball. Suddenly, the brackets broke, the belts broke, and the tall body collapsed. The boulder rolled and smashed into the crowd of Cao Jun soldiers. Blood spattered and screams were heard.  Continuously, more than a thousand soldiers of Cao's army could not bear this huge fear, and they shouted and ran backwards.  The first round of the Han army's attack caused the destruction of Cao's army's fifteen trebuchets. However, Cao's soldiers took advantage of the short firing gap of the Han army's trebuchets and pushed the trebuchets forward again. After walking less than twenty steps, the sky became clear.  There was a strange roar, and another round of boulders roared and hit the heads of Cao's soldiers. Just as the two sides were launching a trebuchet battle in the south, Zhang Liao finally waited for the opportunity to send troops. He shouted in a low voice: "Go!" 20,000 Cao's cavalry  Suddenly launched, the black cavalry rushed out of the woods and rushed towards Hanlonggang. Although the hooves of the horses were wrapped in thick linen, the huge energy generated by the running of 20,000 cavalry still made the earth tremble, immediately alarming the east.  The defenders of Mianjunzhai.  There were about 10,000 defenders in the eastern military camp, commanded by General Jiang Qin. Jiang Qin received a report from the sentry and saw a large number of Cao Jun cavalry under the moonlight. He also felt the earth shaking. On the one hand, Jiang Qin sent people to report to the King of Han, and on the other hand, he sent people to report to the King of Han.  On the one hand, he ordered the Han soldiers to prepare crossbows for defense, and at the same time, the thirty trebuchets deployed in Dongzhai also began to activate.  Cao's cavalry rushed in like a frenzy, and Han's trebuchets took the lead. Huge boulders were thrown out, hitting the running Cao's cavalry. Cao's cavalry had extremely strong maneuverability and tried their best to dodge the whizzing boulders overhead.  The boulder crashed to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust, but Cao's cavalry was too dense, and some of the cavalry were hit or overturned by the rolling boulder. The horses neighed miserably and the cavalry fell to the ground.  The roaring boulders could not stop the pace of Cao's cavalry. They held their shields high and rushed into the dense rain of arrows. The cavalry were shot over by the arrows one after another, causing heavy casualties. However, a large number of cavalry still threw a bag  The bags of soil were thrown into the foot of the hill, and soon a mound was formed. Hundreds of Cao's troops clung to the hill. This was a blind spot for the Han army's attack. They were responsible for sorting the mud bags and stacking the scattered mud bags into shapes.  On the ground, a long and narrow slope gradually appeared under the eastern hills of Hanlonggang.  Compared with the progress of Cao Jun in the east, the trebuchet battle in the south was frustrating. Within a short distance of a hundred steps, the Han army's dense boulders destroyed most of Cao Jun's trebuchets. In the end, only thirteen Cao Jun's trebuchets entered the launching distance.  , amidst the deafening drums of Cao Jun, thirteen huge fireballs suddenly rose into the sky, drew thirteen bright curves, and rushed towards the Han army camp on the hill.  Eight thousand Han soldiers raised their leather flags one after another, forming a leather curtain ten feet high and one hundred feet wide, covering the Han army camp behind. On the hill, Xiahou Dun was stunned by the sudden appearance of the huge leather curtain.  The eyes that were originally full of expectation dimmed again.  Thirteen fireballs hit the leather curtain with a bang, bouncing and rolling down the hill. Unexpectedly, none of the fireballs could break through the leather curtain. Xiahou Dun let out a long sigh, his tone full of disappointment.  After the first round of attacks, they all died down. All the remaining thirteen trebuchets were destroyed by the Han army. Also destroyed was the fire attack plan that Cao Jun had great expectations for.  In a night of fighting, all one hundred heavy trebuchets temporarily built by Cao Jun were destroyed. The 20,000 Cao Jun who followed the trebuchets suffered more than 3,000 casualties. In the end, only one fireball broke through the leather curtain and shot into the Han army camp, but there was no  Without any effect, the fireball was extinguished by the Han soldiers, which made Xiahou Dun understand the fact that the fire attack would not have any effect on the Han army.  However, although the fire attack failed, the cavalry led by Zhang Liao in the east succeeded. After casualties of more than a thousand cavalry, a ramp five feet wide and more than twenty feet long appeared in front of the hill in the east. Cao Jun  Finally a gap for attack was opened.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1129 Decisive Battle between Han and Wei (Part 2)

    The final Han-Wei war was developing on the planned track. The 100,000-strong army led by Han King Liu Jing refused to fight and held back the main force of Cao's army led by Xiahou Dun in Gaoyi County, Changshan County. The 160,000-strong army led by Zhao Yun and Wenpin followed suit.  Yedu was surrounded. At the same time, the 50,000 Han troops killed by Fukouxing, led by Liu Hu, also rushed to Yedu and joined the siege of Yedu.  The 80,000 Han troops led by Huang Zhong and Gan Ning were deployed in the Handan area north of Yedu, responsible for intercepting the main force of Cao's army returning to Yedu. The Han army had laid a dragnet and was waiting for the moment when the city of Yedu was broken.  There are currently 30,000 Cao troops in the city of Yedu. They are all newly recruited soldiers more than a month ago. They are called the new army. They are commanded by Xiahou Dun's son Xiahou Mao. Although Xiahou Dun did not accept Guo Huai's suggestion, he left Zhang Liao to defend the city.  , but he also knew that his son's commanding ability was insufficient, so he appointed Zang Ba, who was good at defending the city, as his deputy general, and at the same time left the counselor Xin Pi to Xiahou Mao.  After a month of intensive training by Zhang Liao and Zang Ba, the 30,000 Cao army is no longer as scattered as it was at the beginning, and its equipment is advanced. All of them are regular Cao army equipment. Looking from a distance, they still have a somewhat murderous momentum, but  Elites trained through training and elite soldiers tempered by war are two different things. In the face of a real war, at a critical moment of life and death, recruits can easily be unable to withstand the psychological pressure and collapse.  At this time, Cao Jun on the top of the city looked at the Han soldiers below the city who were as dense as a swarm of ants. Two hundred thousand troops surrounded Yedu. The tents were overwhelming and there was no end in sight. All Cao Jun soldiers were intimidated and felt war in their hearts.  After retreating, their families are all in the city. They joined the army just for a few stones. Now that the food has been obtained, can they still expect these Cao soldiers to keep their promises and risk their lives?  In the corner of the east city, dozens of Cao Jun soldiers were gathering together and whispering. A young Cao Jun soldier was vividly telling everyone about his experiences in Chang'an, "I'm just a tavern boy, but I can earn 7,000 yuan a month."  , sixty bucks for a bucket of rice, I can earn ten shi of food a month, which is 120 shi a year, and I still have enough money to go visit a brothel, have a glass of wine, etc., and live a happy life. " "Chang'an is so good!  "?" A big black man said in a loud voice.  The young soldier suddenly became anxious, "I am a bastard for lying to you." "It should be true!" Another soldier whispered: "My uncle is also in Chang'an. He wrote a letter saying that Chang'an is very good and let my father go. Father  He said it was hard to leave his homeland, so I ended up joining the army. If I had known I would have gone to Chang'an, I don't know if I would have survived this time. "The young soldier lowered his voice and said, "Don't be stupid, let's run away if there is a war.  Take off your armor and hide away, who knows who?" "You're right, it's a dead end anyway. If you can't enjoy a good life, it's better to escape and wait for a good life." Everyone agreed, wanting to escape.  Take root in their hearts.  On the other side of the city wall, there were also soldiers inciting Cao's soldiers to give up resistance, stop working for Cao, and save their own lives. These people were Han army scouts in the city, and there were more than a hundred of them. They were at the top of the city,  In the military camp and in the street patrols, rumors were spread everywhere to undermine the morale of Cao Jun and encourage the soldiers to flee in the chaos. As more people spread the rumors, Cao Jun's military morale gradually began to waver.  Although Xiahou Mao is not a playboy and can also study and practice martial arts, he is indeed much inferior to his father Xiahou Dun. He lacks courage and experience. Although he has learned a lot of strategies, he has never been on the battlefield.  Talk on paper.  However, Xiahou Mao worked hard. He patrolled the city with his entourage soldiers to check the defense deployment. All defense deployments were planned by Zang Ba, and it was Xiahou Mao who gave the orders. He also knew that he was not capable enough, so  He almost obeyed Zang Ba's various suggestions.  When they reached the East Tower, a soldier from behind caught up with him and shouted: "General Xiahou, stay!"  "Where?" "At the North City Gate!"  Not long after, Xia Houmao arrived at the North City Gate and met an angry Zang Ba. He got off his horse and walked up quickly and asked, "What happened? Why is General Zang so angry?" Zang Ba pointed behind him.  The dozen or so soldiers who were tied up said: "There are deserters in the army. These deserters were caught by the patrol soldiers." Xia Houmao was startled and asked quickly: "How many people escaped?" Zang Ba pulled him aside.  , said in a low voice: "About a thousand people escaped."Sound.  Zang Ba lowered his voice and said, "This matter must be kept secret, not even to the soldiers. It will seriously shake the morale of the army."  " Xia Houmao nodded quickly and looked at the bound soldiers, "Then what should they do?  " Zang Ba said coldly: "Behead them on the spot and use their heads to warn the soldiers that whoever dares to escape will be their fate.  " Although Xia Houmao felt unbearable, he did not dare to object. He could only nodded and said, "General Zang, let's see what happens!  I have no opinion.  " Half an hour later, more than a dozen bloody heads were hung at the top of the city and at the entrance of the military camp, warning the entire army that whoever dared to escape would be punished. Although Zang Ba's decisiveness and ruthlessness prevented the soldiers from escaping, it also made the soldiers flee.  He was even more panic-stricken and more afraid of death. As the night gradually fell, a torch suddenly lit up three times in the corner of the tower, and then a gun with a letter was shot down the city. The Han army patrol soldiers had already noticed it and rushed over to pick it up.  After receiving the letter on the ground, he immediately returned to the military camp to report. Zhao Yunzheng discussed with Wenpin and Liu Hu how to attack the city. Liu Jing only gave them three days. Today is the first day, and the Han army has not yet launched an offensive.  At this time, Pang Tong, who was standing aside, smiled slightly and said: "Three generals, don't worry, Yedu is only guarded by 30,000 new soldiers. Three days is enough to capture the city.  " Zhao Yun smiled bitterly and said: "I also know that three days is enough. The key is how to capture the city at the minimum cost and finally defeat the enemy without fighting.  " At this moment, a soldier reported at the tent door, "Report to the Governor, there is a letter shot from the top of the city. It is a letter to the Governor.  " Zhao Yun was refreshed. He quickly took the letter, opened it, read it, and smiled at the others: "It was sent by Li Fu. He said that Cao Jun's military morale has been shaken, and suggested that we create momentum to scare Cao Jun's soldiers.  " Wenpin suddenly laughed, "The best way to make a splash is to attack with fire!  Liu Hu also nodded and said: "Attack with a trebuchet, burn the city of Yedu, and scare the courage of Cao's soldiers!"  " Zhao Yun asked Pang Tong again, "What do the military advisors think?  Pang Tong stroked his beard and said with a smile: "You are all famous marshals who stand alone, so you don't need to ask me about this kind of thing."  " At the first watch, three hundred giant trebuchets of the Han army began to launch a fire attack on the capital of Ye. Tens of thousands of barrels of kerosene were thrown onto the east and south cities. The fires in the south and east cities soared into the sky, and thick smoke billowed. The fire engulfed the two cities.  A tower was ignited with flames reaching a height of more than ten feet, and thick smoke enveloped most of Ye Capital. The soldiers and civilians in Ye Capital fell into a huge panic. People living in Nancheng and Dongcheng rushed to the north of the city with their children.  The soldiers were also frightened. They fled from the city and ran out of the military camp, blending into the crowd and fleeing. The people were crying and screaming, and the soldiers abandoned their helmets and fled home desperately.  The dozens of heads during the day could no longer suppress their fearful hearts, and the morale of the army was seriously shaken. Under the instigation of the Han army scouts, the flight of a few people led to the flight of hundreds, and the flight of a hundred people led to the flight of thousands. Cao's army soon formed a  There was a huge wave of fleeing, and Zang Ba couldn't stop the soldiers from fleeing even after killing dozens of people. Zang Ba had no choice but to throw away his sword, look up to the sky and sigh, "This is the sky that wants to destroy Cao Wei!"  "In the Prime Minister's Mansion, Cao Zhi stared blankly at the blazing fire and billowing smoke. At this time, the Tongque Palace outside the North City had been occupied by the Han army. Now the Han army was attacking the city with blazing fire. Cao Zhi deeply understood what the end was coming.  Liu Ye next to him sighed and said: "This is what I expected!  Liu Jing used herself as bait to lure Xiahou Dun to go north. In fact, Xiahou Dun didn't care about the survival of Yedu at all.  " Cao Zhi was unusually calm and asked Liu Ye: "Does Zi Yang think that even Ye can't be saved?  Liu Ye shook his head, "This is just a warning from the Han army. If we don't respond, they will attack from all sides. I am afraid that the Ye Palace in Beicheng cannot be saved. Within two days, the capital of Ye will be captured by the Han army."  " Cao Zhi sighed lowly, "It's just me, but the whole city is buried with him, how unfortunate it is!  Liu Ye hesitated to speak. At this time, Yang En, the leader of Cao Zhi's bodyguard, rushed over and saluted Cao Zhi: "I am reporting to the Prime Minister that the defenders have erupted in a large-scale flight. I heard that more than 60% of the soldiers have fled."  .  " All the officials present were stunned. More than 60% of them fled. How could the capital city of Ye be defended? Cao Zhi remained calm and asked again: "What is the attitude of General Xiahou?  " "General Xiahou seemed to have been shaken. He asked me if the Prime Minister was willing to defend the position any longer.  " Cao Zhi sneered, "Is this Xiahou Dun's son?  How ridiculous!  " Cao Zhi looked back at everyone, "What do you mean?  Do we still want to resist?  ¡± Everyone said nothing and lowered their heads silently. It was obvious that everyoneNot wanting to fight anymore, Cao Zhi nodded and said to Liu Ye: "Please ask Ziyang to go out of the city to negotiate with the Han army, and say that I am willing to surrender to the Han army. I can die for my country, but I hope that the Han army will let all the soldiers and civilians of Yedu go.  " On the tenth day of the first lunar month in the twenty-fifth year of Jian'an, the Yedu garrison collapsed under the strong pressure of the Han army. Overnight, 30,000 new soldiers fled and more than 20,000 people fled. Cao Zhi ordered to surrender, and Xiahou Mao and Zang Ba obeyed  Cao Zhi ordered the soldiers to lay down their weapons and led the remaining eight thousand soldiers out of the city to surrender.  At dawn, Cao Zhi held the seal and ribbon in his hand and led hundreds of officials out of the city to surrender to the Han army. Zhao Yun accepted Cao Zhi's surrender and immediately ordered 50,000 Han troops to enter the city to take over Yedu. With Yedu being captured by the Han army, it meant that Cao Zhi had controlled the establishment of the city for decades.  The Cao Wei Sheji finally came to an end.  Only the 90,000 Cao army led by Xiahou Dun are still confronting the main force of the Han army, and Cao Wei's last moment is coming.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1130 Besieged on all sides

    Xiahou Dun's attack on the Han army's stronghold had reached an almost frenzied state. At this time, Xiahou Dun had received news that the city of Yedu had been destroyed. Like a beast about to be trapped to death, he launched a desperate attack on the Han army.  At noon, Cao's army located east of the military stronghold launched another crazy siege. Cao's general Xiahou Dun personally led an army of 30,000 to attack. There was not only a slope to the east of the military stronghold, but the height of the hill was slightly lower.  The city ladder can be climbed up, and the terrain to the east is flat and open, allowing for a large offensive formation.  Following the attack of the army, there were hundreds of siege ladders simply made of big trees. Xiahou Dun made a desperate move and sent out his most elite soldiers.  Thirty thousand troops were arranged into five square formations. Each square formation was separated by a hundred steps, just like five huge black carpets, undulating and advancing on the ground. The army was murderous. They gradually moved closer to the hills from two miles away and gathered into a formation.  There was a sea of ??troops, with drums beating like thunder, trumpets flying to the sky, flags covering the sky and sun, spears like forests, and shields like mountains, glowing with the black color of death under the sunlight.  Xiahou Dun rode on his horse, pointed at the city with his sword, and shouted: "Forward!" "Woo~~" The low horn sound resounded throughout the world, and more than a dozen rough wooden domes were erected in the middle of Cao's army.  It was used to resist the flying rocks of the Han army. Accompanied by the huge sound of rolling wheels under the wooden bucket and hundreds of siege ladders, the team began to slowly move toward the hills.  Drums were also beating loudly in the Han army's stronghold. General Jiang Qin's eyes were red and he was roaring. Although Cao's army mainly attacked the east, Han King Liu Jing did not give him more defenders. He still only had 13,000 troops.  Man, this put tremendous pressure on him.  Thirty giant trebuchets creaked open. The dark trebuchets stood on the hill, just like thirty monsters. A hundred-jin boulder was put into the magazine, and more than a hundred people pulled twenty trebuchets.  Arm-thick leather straps, waiting for the order to fire.  In the middle of the trebuchet were seven thousand crossbowmen. They were half kneeling on the ground, arranged in three rows, and raised their crossbows to aim at the approaching Cao army.  Behind the crossbowmen were three thousand archers. They held longbows and large arrows. Four-foot-long thick arrows had been attached to the bowstrings. The arrow shafts were finger-thick, and the sharp arrow tips were streamlined. There were bleeding marks on all sides.  Groove, the cold arrow tip points to the sky.  The enemy army had gradually entered the trebuchet range, and Jiang Qin gave the order to shoot. He shouted in a hoarse voice: "Shoot!" The red flag was waved, and the troops fought hard, and saw the long arms of thirty monsters waving out.  , thirty huge rocks flew into the air, roaring and smashing towards the foot of the hill.  The soldiers of Cao's army shouted and hid under Doumeng, but there were still a large number of soldiers who had nowhere to hide. They yelled and fled in all directions, and the boulders fell down, 'Bang!  ' There was a loud noise and dust flew up. Several soldiers were unable to dodge and were smashed into pieces by the boulder. The boulder continued to roll forward, knocking over dozens of people before stopping.  A huge boulder hit Doumeng, with a loud "click", and Doumeng was crushed. Hundreds of soldiers rolled and crawled out from underneath, but the stone bounced off Doumeng, and jumped forward more than twenty steps, rushing forward.  Entering the crowd, screams rang out.  Although the Han army's trebuchets caused nearly a thousand casualties to Cao's army, they could not stop the attack of more than 30,000 troops. As the drums in Cao's rear array accelerated, the soldiers began to run, and tens of thousands of soldiers began to run.  Thousands of soldiers of Cao's army rushed towards the hill like a swarm of ants.  The drums sounded again, and the Han army's arrows were fired together. The dense arrows were shot at the running Cao soldiers like a storm. The soldiers were hit by the arrows and fell to the ground screaming.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  Liu Jing stood on the sentry tower and watched Cao Jun's attack coldly. He did not pay attention to the attack of Cao Jun's soldiers. Even if Cao Jun attacked the hill, so what? Can he defeat himself and restore Cao Wei's country?  This was just Xiahou Dun's trapped beast still fighting. In the past seven days of fierce fighting, Cao's army suffered more than 20,000 casualties, while the Han army suffered less than 3,000 casualties. The balance of forces was already out of balance.  More importantly, Liu Jing saw that the morale of Cao's army was gradually declining. The 30,000 troops attacking now are Cao's most elite troops. What does this mean?  Xiahou Dun was making a desperate move.  Liu Jing gave Zhao Yun an order to conquer Yedu in three days. He believed in Zhao Yun's ability. Judging from the time, Yedu should have been conquered two days ago.  "So Xiahou Dun's attack was the final struggle to defeat the enemy. Thinking of this, Liu Jing turned around and ordered: "Order Xu Sheng to lead eight thousand spear throwers to support the defense!" "Obey the order!" The soldier quickly ran down the sentry post.  The dead bodies piled up quickly at the foot of Dongshan Hill, and blood flowed through the city river, seeping out from the piles of corpses and staining the earth red. As Xu Sheng led eight thousand Han army spear throwers to come to support, the Han army's counterattack became more sharp.  There are trebuchets from a distance, and 10,000 crossbowmen within a hundred steps.Within thirty steps, the eight thousand spear throwers exerted a powerful lethality. Short spears were shot down like raindrops. Within thirty steps in front of the hill, it was difficult to find any Cao Jun soldiers alive.  The casualties of Cao Jun's soldiers increased rapidly. In just half an hour, Cao Jun's casualties exceeded 5,000. Apart from using slopes to attack, Cao Jun's siege ladder did not play any role. Cao Jun's morale suffered a heavy setback and gradually became sluggish.  .  Xiahou Dun's heart gradually became desperate. He knew that it was impossible for Cao Jun to capture the Han army's stronghold and would only cause more casualties to Cao Jun.  At this time, Guo Huai galloped over on horseback and shouted: "General, it is not possible to continue fighting like this. The casualties are too heavy." Xiahou Dun's face twitched and he reluctantly gave the order, "Retreat!" 'Dang!  when!  when!  ¡¯ The retreat bell rang, and the demoralized Cao army fled backwards like a tide. The team was in chaos and haste, and had long lost the momentum it had when it first started attacking.  The cheers of the Han soldiers on the hill suddenly echoed through the sky.  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  £®  That night, there was a sad sound in Cao Jun's camp. Continuous offensive failures made morale even lower. At the same time, a shocking news spread quickly in the camp. Ye had been defeated by the Han army, Cao Zhi surrendered, and Cao Wei had perished.  This news shocked all the soldiers. Although it was unacceptable, not many people doubted its authenticity. Everyone knew that the Han army had hundreds of thousands of troops along the Yellow River. Now the main force of Cao's army has been brought to the north.  , there are only tens of thousands of new soldiers guarding Yedu. Can they hold the city?  Even though the soldiers had no information and didn't know the details, the generals knew it all. Cao's generals began to panic. After all, most of their families were in the city of Yedu. If Yedu was attacked, what should they do?  Soon, hundreds of generals above the military level gathered in front of the Chinese army's tent. They were anxious and asked Xiahou Dun to come out to clarify the facts. Inside the tent, Xiahou Dun, Guo Huai, Zhang Liao and Cao Zhang were also urgently discussing countermeasures.  .  At this time, Zhang Liao suggested in a low voice: "Why don't we make it clear to the generals that Ye has not been lost, this is just our trick to lure troops, and then we pretend to retreat south and lure the main force of the Han army to pursue us.  We can fight back and win in defeat." Guo Huai shook his head, "Now the morale of the army is shaken. As long as we retreat south, I am afraid that the soldiers will flee immediately. We cannot retreat easily now. We must first stabilize the morale of the army."  Silent, his 20,000 Youzhou troops were devoured step by step by Xiahou Dun. The 10,000 cavalrymen were borrowed to build the ramp and were not returned. They were controlled by Zhang Liao. He had long hated Xiahou Dun in his heart and secretly regretted that he had not  It was time to come to Yedu, but now that Yedu has been conquered, where should Cao Zhang go?  Xiahou Dun glanced at him and asked, "Where is Mr. Zhang's opinion?" Cao Zhang didn't want Xiahou Dun to see what he was thinking, so he quickly put his thoughts back and said respectfully: "Reporting to the general, I humbly agree with General Guo's opinion. Now we  It is true that we cannot act rashly, and our food can last for half a month. The top priority should be to reward the army, boost morale, and clarify the rumors. When the morale of the army stabilizes, it is not too late to consider the strategy of luring troops." Xiahou Dun was in a dilemma at this time, although Zhang Liao's.  The strategy is feasible, but Guo Huai also makes sense. If the morale of the army is not stabilized first, a large number of soldiers will inevitably flee as soon as the army retreats.  Everyone also knew that Xiahou Dun was actually helpless, and they all sighed inwardly and left. Under the persuasion of Zhang Liao, Guo Huai and others, the hundreds of generals guarding the camp also left one after another. Throughout the night, Cao Jun was  The camp was filled with uneasiness and pessimism.  At the third watch, Xiahou Dun was suddenly woken up by his own soldiers, "General, wake up quickly! Something happened."  Ten thousand troops rushed out of the camp and headed east. "Ah!"  Instead, they adopted the method of gradually annexing his army. Unexpectedly, this bastard ran away at the critical moment.  At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside the tent. Xiahou Dun was startled and quickly walked out of the camp without caring about Cao Zhang. He saw several scouts shouting: "There is an urgent military situation. We need to see the general immediately."  "What happened?" Xiahou Dun shouted.  Several scouts hurriedly said: "Report to the general, countless Han troops, about 100,000 people, were found ten miles south of the military camp, and they are heading towards our military camp."?¡± Xiahou Dun took two steps back, his vision went dark, and he almost fainted to the ground. Liu Hu¡¯s 30,000 troops defended Yedu, while Zhao Yun and Wenpin led 180,000 troops to rush northward, and finally arrived at Gaoyi County, but  Zhao Yun was still a step late, and Cao Zhang led an army of 10,000 to break out. With the arrival of Zhao Yun's army, Liu Jing also changed his strategy and no longer defended the military stronghold. He issued an order to counterattack, and an army of 100,000 rushed down Hanlonggang.  £®

 Volume 2 Jiangxia Chapter 1131 Determining the World (Complete)

    Cao Zhang led 10,000 troops to escape from Cao Jun's camp and headed eastward. Cao Zhang had a gloomy face and said nothing. His heart was full of regret and hatred. He regretted that he should not have led his army south to Yedu.  "If he had 20,000 elite troops at that time, he could go directly to Liaodong, establish a foundation in Liaodong, and even attack Goryeo, and save the Cao Wei Kingdom overseas. It was a mistake on his mind that caused him to choose the wrong direction.  Cao Zhang also hated Xiahou Dun's ruthlessness and willfulness. Half of Cao Wei's state was destroyed in his hands, including most of his own army.  Now that Ye has been conquered by the Han army, and his third brother and hundreds of officials have surrendered, he has no way out. He can only rush to Liaodong and rebuild the Cao Wei State with his 10,000 troops.  Cao Zhang led 10,000 troops and marched all the way. At dawn, he led the army for fifty miles. In front of him was a low valley with lush forests on both sides. This was the junction of Changshan County and Julu County. There were no cities around it.  , after passing the valley is Julu County.  Cao Zhang breathed a sigh of relief. At this time, he looked back and found that all the soldiers were exhausted. The marching team had lengthened to five or six miles. He stopped his horse and ordered: "The front army is suspended!" The soldiers of the front army also  They all stopped one after another. The queue was too long and he had to wait for the soldiers behind him. It was a long way to Liaodong and he couldn't go too hastily.  At this moment, drums suddenly sounded loudly in the valleys on both sides, and the shouts of killing shook the sky. Two armies were seen fighting out from the left and the right.  There is a veteran general on the right, with white hair and white beard, a majestic figure, and a golden-backed mountain knife in his hand. He is the veteran Huang Zhong, while the general on the left is holding two halberds, tall and burly, with sharp eyes, but it is the fierce general Gan Ning.  In order to wipe out the last of Cao's army without leaving any loopholes, Liu Jing has already laid out a dragnet. To the west is the Taihang Mountain, and Cao's army has no way to go.  Liu Jing personally led the main force to block Cao's army's way to the north, while Zhao Yun and Wenpin's army blocked Cao's army's way to the south.  And Huang Zhong and Gan Ning led 80,000 troops to cover up from the east, just to block Cao Jun's retreat to the east, but they happened to intercept Cao Zhang's army who was about to flee to Liaodong.  Cao Zhang was so frightened that his liver and gallbladder split. He turned his horse and ran away. Huang Zhong could see clearly. He drew an arrow, opened his bow and nocked it. He drew the bow like a full moon. When the string came loose, the wolf-tooth arrow shot out like lightning.  Although they were fifty steps apart, Huang Zhong's superb archery skills made it difficult for Cao Zhang to escape. The arrow hit the back of Cao Zhang's neck, and the tip of the arrow came out of his throat. Cao Zhang covered his throat and fell off his horse.  Eighty thousand Han troops came from all directions, cutting off all the retreat routes of the Youzhou army. They killed the Youzhou army and cried for their fathers and mothers, and they all knelt down and surrendered.  At this time, Huang Zhong urged his horse to run to Cao Zhang. Seeing that Cao Zhang was not dead and still breathing, he pulled out a short steel spear and stabbed it hard.  Some people can accept surrender, but some people must die in battle. This is the explanation given by Liu Jing, the king of Han, to the generals of the armies. Huang Zhong has experienced the world for a long time, and he deeply understands the profound meaning of the words of the Han king. Sixty thousand Cao's troops have already arrived in Gaoyi County.  After being besieged for three days by nearly 400,000 Han troops, the soldiers were in a sluggish mood and their morale had collapsed. All the soldiers knew that Ye had been defeated. The soldiers of Cao's army had no intention of fighting and were waiting for the moment when the general ordered to surrender.  At night, the desolate music of Hu Jia's eighteen beats came from all directions. The music was sad and long, full of longing for hometown and relatives. Countless Cao Jun soldiers walked out of the tent and listened blankly to the music from afar under the moonlight.  Voice.  The soldiers knelt on the ground with tears streaming down their faces. Even the thousands of Tiger Guard cavalry guarding the camp gate were dejected and had no intention of working for Xiahou Dun anymore. They dropped their weapons and returned to the camp.  Without the obstruction of the Hu Ben Guards, the gate of Cao Jun's camp was opened wide. Countless Cao Jun soldiers took off their armor, discarded their weapons, poured out of the camp gate in groups, and walked towards the Han camp in the distance with their hands raised.  In the large tent of the Chinese army, Xiahou Dun was sitting at the table drinking alone. There were more than a dozen empty wine bottles beside him. Xiahou Dun was drinking one cup after another. He was already 70% drunk.  At this time, a guard came to report in a panic: "General, the military camp is out of control. There are too many deserters and we can't stop it." Xiahou Dun seemed to have heard nothing and was still drinking one cup after another. At this time,  His confidant Zhao Kai rushed over and said loudly: "General, hurry up, we can break out with the troops."  When you find something, come out." The soldiers all left the tent to prepare their horses and weapons, but Xiahou Dun took his sword from the sword stand nearby. He slowly pulled out the sword. The blade shone with cold light and was extremely sharp.  This is Yuan Shao's sword. Twenty years ago, Wei Gong personally gave this sword to him. He once raised the sword and swore that the sword was with Cao Jun!  "It's God's will!" Xiahou Dun?? Ran smiled miserably, wiped the sword across his neck, and a smear of blood spurted out. Xiahou Dun, a fierce general of the generation, committed suicide.  Three days later, Liu Jing, escorted by 10,000 cavalry, slowly entered the last capital of the old Han Dynasty from the north of Yedu. On both sides of the street, every household placed an incense burner and knelt down to welcome His Royal Highness the King of Han as he entered the city.  .  At this moment, Liu Jing's heart was filled with excitement. He raised his troops from Chaisang and fought for nearly eighteen years. He finally broke through the last obstacle and unified the world.  Scenes of the war slowly passed before his eyes. Everything seemed to have happened yesterday, but how many years had passed.  Liu Jing arrived in front of Ye Palace. Ye Palace had been sealed off by the Han army. Queen Mother Cao Jie was under house arrest. The infant emperor was also asked to step down from the throne. The front of Ye Palace was filled with Han army guards.  At this time, Liu Hu stepped forward to report: "Your Majesty, Yedu has closed its treasury and palace, and no chaotic incidents occurred." Liu Jing nodded, "Thank you for your hard work!" He got off his horse and walked quickly into Ye Palace.  Go, Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang followed him, walking in front of the main hall, Liu Jing looked up at this majestic main hall.  He turned back to Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi and smiled: "More than one person has advised me that after we attack the capital of Ye, we must burn down the Tongque Palace and Ye Palace, and completely cut off the royal power of Cao Wei and the Old Han Dynasty. What do you two think?" Sima Yi  He smiled slightly and said: "After Cao Cao captured Xiangyang, some people advised him to burn down Liu Biao's Prefecture House, but Cao Cao said that the king's spirit is in the hearts of the people. Unless you kill all the people in the world, the king's spirit will emerge from anywhere.  I will forward this sentence to Your Highness!" Liu Jing laughed, "Well said! Wang Qi is in the hearts of the people." He strode towards the dragon's tail steps, followed by a dozen guards, but Liu Jing was stopped.  He waved his hand to stop him and asked the guards to wait outside. He walked into the Xuanzheng Hall alone.  The main hall was wide and empty. At this time, Liu Jing's eyes fell on the tall ivory dragon couch. There was also such an ivory dragon couch inlaid with gold in Chang'an. It was a symbol of supremacy, but he had never sat on it.  Pass.  But today, at this moment, Liu Jing slowly walked up the jade steps, turned around and sat down on the dragon couch. He looked up at the empty hall, imagining that both sides were filled with civil and military officials.  He suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of loneliness, but this loneliness only passed away for a moment, and an ambition to dominate the world suddenly emerged in his chest.  Liu Jing stood up confidently, it was time, the auspicious sign was about to appear.  (Complete of the book) ===== As usual, Lao Gao would like to say a few words to finish the book: "For every 10,000 Chinese, there are 10,000 Three Kingdoms."  Lao Gao is no exception.  I have loved "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" since I was a child and have watched it countless times.  I also have my own Three Kingdoms in my heart.  It has always been Lao Gao's long-cherished wish to write down his own version of the Three Kingdoms.     but.  £®  £®  £®  Just like you don¡¯t necessarily know how to cook a dish if you like it, Lao Gao really couldn¡¯t describe the feeling he longed for.  Too many things happened during this year, which more or less affected the writing of this book.  But that¡¯s not the main reason.  The main reason is that Lao Gao is really not familiar with this period of history.  I also bought a lot of history books in this area, but I still couldn't escape the shackles of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Of course, it was originally written for it.  Some people say that novels are not history books, and there is no need to follow history too closely.  ?It¡¯s actually not that simple.  Just like learning an abacus, you must first memorize the abacus formula, and then forget the abacus formula.  The same goes for writing historical novels.  You must first understand history thoroughly, and then forget history before you can write a good book with ease.  To give readers a bucket of water, you first need a well yourself.  I have a deeper understanding of the history of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, but my understanding of the Three Kingdoms is the same as that of most Chinese people.  It¡¯s just a Romance of the Three Kingdoms.  Naturally, I can¡¯t write the feeling of history.  It¡¯s finally over, whether it¡¯s good, garbage, fun, or terrible.  None of this matters.  What matters is that it is over.  &nbsp; Then I can write about the Tang Dynasty again, about this dynasty that haunts me in my dreams and is deeply connected to me.  Sometimes I even suspect that I have traveled from the Tang Dynasty.  Let us dream back to the Tang Dynasty.  The new book has been uploaded in Chuangshi.  The title of the book is "The Madman of the Tang Dynasty". A madman is a person with lofty ambitions and the courage to make progress.  Children can also read books with positive energy.  You have been following Lao Gao for more than a year.  Why not take a few more steps and take a look at Lao Gao¡¯s new book?  Lao Gao has been preparing for it for a year! ? Definitely worth a visit.